Two Girls One Ghost – Episode 356: The Nvnehi | Immortal Beings in Appalachia

Release Date: January 18, 2026
Hosts: Corinne Vien and Sabrina Deana-Roga

Overview

In this episode, Corinne and Sabrina delve into the mysterious Cherokee folklore of the Nvnehi (pronounced nun-ay-hee)—immortal, magical beings said to dwell beneath Appalachian mountains and rivers. Drawing from Cherokee oral traditions and historical accounts, they explore tales of otherworldly villages, time slips, portals, and possible connections to Appalachian disappearances. The hosts weave together chilling legends, listener-submitted stories, and reflections on how motifs like protection, vanishing, and the liminal might still echo today. The episode maintains an affectionate, humorous, and deeply curious tone throughout.

Episode Structure

1. Casual Banter & Recommendations (01:18–09:37)
2. Main Theme: The Nvnehi of Appalachia (09:38–65:30)
   • Introduction to the Legend
   • Appearance, Customs, and Abilities
   • Major Folkloric Accounts
   • Theories on Disappearances & Time Slips
   • How to Recognize the Nvnehi
3. Listener Story: Cherokee Supernatural Encounters (66:30–73:00)
4. Wrap-Up & Call for Submissions (73:00–73:51)

Timestamps refer to the main content only. Ads, sponsorships, and outro elements have been omitted for clarity.

1. Casual Banter & Recommendations

[01:18–09:37]

• The hosts discuss recent life updates, journaling, growing out bangs, and decompressing ("finding three things to be grateful for when you've just been bed-rotting...well, it's challenging" – Sabrina, 03:03).
• They critique the ending of Stranger Things, express disappointment over missing plot twists, and muse over the challenges of ending iconic series.
  • “They ignored all of the rules of the world that they had created. And that is what frustrates me.” – Corinne, 05:55
• Lighthearted talk about heated rivalries in ice hockey, potential side podcast ideas, and recurring “boy aquarium” jokes about hockey teams.

2. Main Theme: The Nvnehi of Appalachia

[09:38–65:30]

Introduction to Nvnehi Legend

[10:15–13:07]

• Corinne paints a vivid scene of hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, stumbling upon music and revelry in the depths of wilderness—designed to immerse listeners in the Appalachian mystique and set up the legend.
  • “If you encounter anything strange, ignore it…You have just stumbled upon the Nanahi, the people who live forever.” – Corinne, 11:22
• Listener "Kayleigh" is credited for suggesting the topic.

Characteristics, Customs, and Power

[13:07–18:00]

• Nvnehi (“people who live everywhere” or “people who live forever”) are powerful, immortal, and occupy a space parallel to humans—similar to Fae, but distinct.
  • “They’re not ghosts, they’re not demons, they’re not cryptids…They operate slightly differently. It’s kind of reminiscent to like a vampire in a way.” – Corinne, 13:24
• Described as regal, handsome, and virtually indistinguishable from humans except for their timelessness and demonstration of traditional Cherokee attire.
• Can live “anywhere”—invisible, sometimes under rivers, inside mountains—often seen only if they wish to be.

Memorable Tangent:
The hosts humorously relate the glamor of the Nvnehi to the “ovulation phase glow” and compare menstrual cycles to immortal beings’ lack thereof, leading to playful speculation about their biology ([18:00–19:44]).

Interaction With Humans — Ally or Threat?

[23:31–26:09]

• The Nvnehi are generally beneficent, appearing primarily to aid those who are lost, sick, or in danger. Stories abound of Cherokee hunters or travelers being brought into the Nvnehi’s hidden “townhouses” for healing and shelter.
  • “You would not be scared when encountering them because there’s music, there’s dancing…They only show themselves when they want to…” – Corinne, 23:31
• They have also acted as fierce protectors of the Cherokee, fighting invisible wars on their behalf.

Key Folkloric Accounts

Yahoola — The Became-Immortal Hunter

[28:37–32:51]

• Yahoola, a lost hunter, is rescued by the Nvnehi, eats their food, attains immortality, and ultimately cannot live long among humans—hinting at a dependency on the magical realm's sustenance.
  • “He became immortal himself…if you spend enough time away from the nanahi and like, their magical world, a nanahi is no longer immortal and they will just die.” – Corinne, 30:55

Spirit Defenders of Nikwasi Mound

[33:48–41:23]

• Site: Nikwasi Mound in Franklin, NC—ancient, unexcavated, and sacred to the Cherokee.
• During a siege by an enemy tribe, the mound opens; invisible Nvnehi warriors pour forth, slaughtering enemies unseen by outsiders:
  • “The side of the Nicuasi mound opened up like a giant door, and out poured hundreds and hundreds of warriors...But here’s the really spooky part...for the Cherokee watching, they were seeing the Nanahi people...but the enemy saw nothing.” – Corinne, 37:57–38:44
• In the Civil War, Union troops allegedly saw “thousands” of phantom soldiers and retreated—though the town was essentially undefended.

Vanishing Villages & Time Slips

[45:34–57:07]

• Pilot Mountain (NC) reputed as a primary Nvnehi “townhouse”; folklore abounds involving travelers who traverse into their realm and experience time distortion.
  • “The environment around them suddenly changes…they’re not in a dark cave. They’re in a wide bottom land…fields of corn, rivers full of fish, hundreds of people…and everyone looks so happy.” – Corinne, 49:01
• Notable motif: Victims return to "real" world to find decades or centuries have passed, or nothing of their former life remains.
• The Lost Settlement: Nvnehi warn a Cherokee village of impending devastation (alluding to colonization/Trail of Tears). Some choose to follow into the mountain for safety, never to return.

Modern Theories: Disappearances, Portals, and the Missing

[57:08–65:31]

• Speculation links the Nvnehi legend to the many unsolved disappearances in the Smokies and along the Appalachian Trail.
  • “Often we can attribute [disappearances] to people who are injured, people who are lost, people who might have taken a fall. Yet there are so many cases…where they’re found makes absolutely zero sense.” – Corinne, 45:20
• Famous cases cited:
  • Dennis Martin (1969): Six-year-old boy vanished in the Great Smoky Mountains; never found.
  • Austin Bohannon (2017): Lost for 11 days, found disoriented; described dreamlike, inexplicable movements—possibly suggestive of portal or interdimensional influence.
• Signs of impending Nvnehi contact:
  • Unlocatable music or drumming deep in the woods — seems to move or recede (“acoustic camouflage”).
  • Being offered unearthly food (“if you eat it, you might end up bound to them…” – Corinne, 59:33)
  • Time loss or time slip, especially linked to Pilot Mountain.

Notable Quote:
“It’s said that they live in this reality that’s superimposed onto ours…The comparison I was just making was…if we’re tuned to 95.5 and they’re 95.7…we don’t always interfere with each other until we do. Kind of like the Upside Down in Hawkins.” – Corinne, 63:10

Hosts’ Reflections

• Both hosts express respect and awe for the legend, contemplating its liminality, the interplay of protection, and the boundaries of knowledge and belief:
  • “There’s a lot of things in life we won’t have the answers to, and…this is one that I’ll just enjoy for us. This is for the Cherokee. They’re for the Cherokee people, right?” – Sabrina, 65:39

3. Listener Story: Cherokee Supernatural Encounters

[66:30–73:00]

Story by Jasper, a listener of Cherokee and Blackfoot descent:

• Growing up surrounded by unexplained phenomena:
  • Grandmother’s cryptic reaction to a wolf howl, implying familial connection to werewolf lore. (“So does your grandma know that your sister is a werewolf? Is your sister a werewolf?” – Corinne, 67:51)
  • A harrowing episode of being touched by multiple heavy, unseen hands at night—classic haunting motif.
  • Sighting a deceased great-grandfather in the kitchen, despite never having met him.
• The hosts are especially captivated by the werewolf subplot and riff on the possibilities and emotional implications with humor and genuine curiosity.

4. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “[The Nvnehi]…remind me so much of fae, but they’re not…they present as people. They do all the same things as people. They sleep, they eat…but all their versions of that are, like, special to them.” – Corinne, 13:24
• “They look exactly like us. You cannot tell the difference between you and that Nanahi person...They choose to show themselves as traditional Cherokee people.” – Corinne, 16:38
• “If you encounter them, bow your head, back away slowly.” – Corinne, 12:11
• “I think I would call upon them [the Nvnehi] if I were in a desperate place.” – Sabrina, 66:01

Humorous Tangents

• Speculation about menstrual cycles, period “scooping” (!), women’s health, and how immortal beings might experience or skip it altogether.
• “As life as I’ve experienced it, I would never want to live forever….some days I think that as a regular human being, I wouldn’t want to, but if I had certain powers, I might change my mind.” – Sabrina & Corinne, 25:53–26:17
• Long-running jokes about “kiss, kiss” and “boy aquariums” (hockey teams).

5. Additional Notes

• Multiple historical, anthropological, and folkloric sources are referenced (esp. James Mooney’s ethnographies).
• The hosts invite listeners to share stories of supernatural beings from their own cultures.
• The episode is deeply respectful of Native traditions and centers Cherokee voices and lore where possible.
• Admonition: If you hear music in the woods, DO NOT investigate!

Key Timestamps

• Legend Introduction, Immortal Beings – [09:37–13:07]
• Homes, Powers, Food – [15:14–18:00]
• Tales of Rescue and War – [23:31–41:23]
• Time Slips, Vanishing Villages – [45:34–57:07]
• Modern Theories & Missing People – [57:08–65:31]
• Signs of Encountering the Nvnehi – [58:17–60:50]
• Listener Story: Native Supernatural Encounters – [66:30–73:00]

Conclusion

This episode provides a rich, entertaining, and deeply atmospheric journey into Cherokee supernatural folklore, touching on themes of parallel worlds, liminality, and the power of collective memory. Both enlightening and deeply respectful, the podcast blends lyrical storytelling, critical inquiry, and listener participation—making it a must-listen (or read) for supernatural folklore fans and anyone fascinated by the mysteries of the Appalachian wilds.