Episode 356 - The Nvnehi | Immortal Beings in Appalachia

Summary

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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).

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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!

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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]

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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.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Hello. Hello. Welcome to Two Girls One Ghost. Two Girls One.

[A]

We are your ghostesses. That is Corinne.

[B]

Hello.

[A]

And I am Sabrina. Did you cut your hair again?

[B]

No.

[A]

Oh, your bangs look different.

[B]

They're growing out.

[A]

They look good.

[B]

How many times will I get bangs in my life and then immediately regret it? I think I'm on like the sixth or seventh time.

[A]

The curtain bang works really well for you.

[B]

Thanks. I like it. Yeah, no, it's just growing out. I have a haircut appointment though, in like a week. And I told you I'm going short. How short? Well, I mean, like I guess half my hair because my hair is so long. Half your hair? Your hair is like to my butt crack.

[A]

Half your hair?

[B]

Yeah, like there. The top of where my breast flesh starts.

[A]

That's the perfect way to describe it. I hope that's what you tell your hairdresser anyway. Hey, everyone.

[B]

That was an unimportant tangent.

[A]

No, it was so important and vital that we all know that you're cutting your hair to your where your breast flush begins.

[B]

That's the description I'm going to give to these people I've never met before at a salon. I've never gone to before of it for you.

[A]

What else is changing?

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

I've started doing that five minute daily journal.

[B]

A child is playing outside of the office.

[A]

No, and I were playing play DOH before this and making all of the stuffed animals dance. Yeah, it was very nice.

[B]

Oh, his little face. When we had to close the bowl.

[A]

And we have these little curtains that like. Like the glass windows behind it.

[B]

It's a French door, so there's multiple panes of window that you see him through.

[A]

Close it on his face.

[B]

It's so sad.

[A]

Poor Noah.

[B]

How's the journal?

[A]

Oh, I forgot I told you.

[B]

You, like, started a journal, so play. D'oh.

[A]

It's good. But when you're depressed, finding three things to be, like, grateful for immediately when you wake up and, like, you just spent three days, like, bed rotting, it's kind of like, well, I didn't do anything the last three days. So it's like I'm grateful for Cuddles with Leia.

[B]

Comfortable sheets.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Time to rest.

[A]

Bed sores. No, I did work out the ability.

[B]

To turn your own body to avoid bed sores.

[A]

The way my brain is capable of disassociating and.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Leaving my vessel behind for days while watching Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

[B]

Oh, how is that dramatic? Are they all Mormon on that one too?

[A]

No, one of them was very Mormon. Grew up Mormon. I'm only on season two, so I don't know, like, the new people, if there are any, but got divorced and, like, her husband left her basically. And when he left her, the Mormon church, like, turned on her. Yeah, no, their rules are so strict.

[B]

It is so crazy. Okay, before we get into this, because there are, like, a few things in today's topic that did remind me slightly. I feel like I'm misleading people by even saying this, but, like, slightly of Stranger Things. Oh, did you watch Stranger Things?

[A]

I did, yeah.

[B]

What did you think?

[A]

I mean, I thought it was a perfectly fine ending to the story. I think they played it.

[B]

It's a kind way to say.

[A]

And they were very precious about their characters. I think. No matter what, when you have a hit show like that, how do you end it? And people are going to be upset no matter what. I just felt like they set up so many other twists and, like, there were no twists.

[B]

Exactly. I'm not mad about the last 45 minutes where they, like, showed the characters getting closure or, like, you know, like, that part is fine. I am upset about what happened before.

[A]

And how quickly it all happened.

[B]

It happened so quick. They spent. I'm gonna say they spent four and a half seasons. Cause I feel like the first chapter of season five did good World building, too. And then after that, they lost it. In my opinion, as the skilled writer that I am, I feel, like, so dumb critiquing.

[A]

No, my whole TikTok was full of conspiracies. And so, like, leading up to New Year's Eve, when the episode came out, I was just, like, so consumed with all these theories that I was buying in. I was like, oh, my God, like, this has to happen.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I think I just was, like, surprised that none of the twists existed. But I will say it was like.

[B]

They were using the 18 month time jump to just, like, not explain anything. Yeah, I was just frustrated because it was. It was four and a half seasons of, like, excellent world building where there were so many clues. Where, like, there were.

[A]

I do think season four went off the rails a bit.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yeah, with like, the Russia storyline and like. Oh, yeah, that was like, what's happening?

[B]

But it was still really good. I liked it still. But yeah, no, I feel like they were just. And I feel like they did a good job of, like, callbacks where, like, you know, something would happen and you're like, oh, my gosh, that explains what happened like a season ago or, like six episodes ago or whatever. And I feel like they ignored all of the rules of the world that they had created. And that is what frustrates me. Like, for example, to be very nitpicky, they harped on how long it would take all of the group to climb.

[A]

The tower when the universe wouldn't happen within, like, seconds.

[B]

Well, no, but, like, in their world, you can feel the anxiety of, like, Max and the candy lady from the hospital. I can't remember her name, but, like, you can feel their anxiety where they're like, oh, my God, are they there yet? Are they there yet? And it's like, well, it's a long tower to climb. So they're harping on how long it takes and, like, pretending it's real world time yet. Then when they go to the Mind Flayer in Vecna to, like, try to defeat it, they're like, get on top of that 500 foot cliff and then they just magically are on top of it within seconds.

[A]

Well, my. Okay, my qualm was with how quickly and sorry, there are a couple spoilers here, but, like, when 11, max and what's her name?

[B]

Robin.

[A]

No, no, Kya. Or her sister Kali, who I for sure thought was gonna be bad. But when they are in, like, Vecna's or Henry's like, memories, how quickly they're able to get to the house. Yes, that felt way too quick.

[B]

Well, and also when 11 needed to go save Will and she just went in and grabbed him. Right.

[A]

Anyway, I feel like I, as a series I enjoyed it and I applaud the Duffer Brothers for it. And I'm excited for next week's episode because it's also very, very Stranger Things related.

[B]

Oh, yes.

[A]

But I have a pivot. Just someone asked if we would do this, and I kind of love the idea. There is a show called Heated Rivalry.

[B]

Oh, yeah. I don't know what it's about because I just see clips of the. About the fish guys in it, like, wetting their T shirts.

[A]

The boy Aquarium.

[B]

Hockey.

[A]

Ice hockey.

[B]

Oh, it's about hockey.

[A]

It's about ice hockey. And it's like two lovers on, like, rival teams.

[B]

Do they get this idea from me because every time I go to a hockey game, I yell kiss.

[A]

Kiss.

[B]

Kiss.

[A]

When they hear the only one who does that.

[B]

Kiss. Kiss.

[A]

But yeah, so someone was like, you and Corinne should watch and do a like a talk about every episode after watching. And I was like, I feel like that'd be very fun for you and I to do.

[B]

Oh my gosh, that is really fun.

[A]

And we could watch like one episode a week.

[B]

Boy Aquarium. We love the boy aquarium.

[A]

We love the boy aquarium.

[B]

And all their missing teeth.

[A]

Yeah. I went to a Bruins game like a month ago and I grew up in New Jersey, so my family was like hardcore Yankees fans and like Giants fans. But like, I've never had like a ice hockey team, so the Bruins is like the only Boston team I really.

[B]

Feel like I can connection to. I can support Villains, the best team.

[A]

So I'm a Bruins fan. Yay.

[B]

Yay. Sports honeywho.

[A]

Anywho, the boy Aquarium. Maybe we'll. Maybe we'll watch and maybe we'll talk about it. Who knows? The only the future can tell. Kiss.

[B]

Okay, that does make sense. Why they were. Yeah, I was like, what is this? Like two sexy boys flirting on tv? I didn't understand what it was.

[A]

My sister was like, the Sexians are hot. Yeah. So who wants to watch with us?

[B]

You show. That's a very different from what we normally talk about.

[A]

Very.

[B]

Which is the paranormal.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I have. Okay, so this was actually the topic that I'm going to discuss today. Our listener, Kayleigh had recommended this on encounters 284. Okay, so shout out to Kayleigh because I don't think I ever would have heard of this otherwise.

[A]

Thank you, Kayleigh.

[B]

I feel like we should have the. Nevermind. I'm going on a side tangent. Have what? Well, I was just thinking about Brittany Broski's podcast when she's like. And we. Whatever she says and then she.

[A]

Oh, the light change.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We need some signal that it's time for the story.

[B]

Our disco ball.

[A]

Like everything dims. Oh. Or disco ball.

[B]

Different vibes again, doesn't quite match. Doesn't make sense. Does it go to explain anything to us? Yeah. Anyway, imagine you're hiking deep in the southern Appalachia Mountains. You've been walking for hours and the air is thick. There's a specific blue haze settling over the ridges that gave these mountains their name. The Blue Ridge Mountains. In case you didn't understand that you're alone, or at least you think you're alone. Your community has taught you to always be vigilant in these mountains, for there are many creatures who lurk nearby. Yet despite these warnings, something strange happens. You hear music, drums, laughter, the rhythmic stomp of a dance. It seems like maybe there's a party going on just over the next ridge. But you know this area and there's no town nearby. There's no campground. There's nothing over that ridge, just miles of ancient and unforgiving wilderness. So you know that you should ignore it. You know that you should turn back. But for some reason, you find yourself walking towards the sound.

[A]

Don't do it.

[B]

The music is getting louder, the laughter joyous, it's inviting. But the closer you get, the sound now seems to be getting further away. It seems like the music is now coming from behind you, maybe from the valley below you. So what's going on? Your family and your neighbors have told you to never sing in the woods, never whistle in the woods. Walk out calmly, eyes ahead. If you encounter anything strange, ignore it. And this would certainly qualify as strange right now. If you were a Cherokee hunter 200 years ago, you would know exactly what you were encountering. You would know to stop, to bow your head, to back away slowly because you have just stumbled upon the Nanahi, the people who live forever. So shout out to Kayleigh, who recommended the Nanahi.

[A]

That story that you just painted like the narrative of reminds me, I think it was the episode like 313 or something like that. I don't know why I remember that number. But we did the three part Appalachia series when I talked about the devil in Appalachia.

[B]

Oh yeah.

[A]

There was like one segment where the devil leads these parties and is like dancing it.

[B]

Was that the same part where the devil also will like sit in the center of a.

[A]

That was the trampling ground.

[B]

Oh, okay.

[A]

But yeah, he rocks in his rocking chair, his thinking circle.

[B]

What three things am I grateful for.

[A]

Today'S five minute daily affirmation journal. Gosh damn, I'm depressed too.

[B]

I'm grateful for this rocking chair. Okay, so these are people who live forever. They're immortal beings. They're very powerful. And where do they choose to take up residence? Of course, in the Appalachian mountains.

[A]

I would do the same. Of course, they live forever in Appalachia. Right.

[B]

There's so much space to explore.

[A]

So much.

[B]

It is kind of. It gets a little depressing though, because, you know, modern day cities have definitely interfered with where they like to spend time.

[A]

That's true. But they're still partying. They're having a great time.

[B]

They're having a great time. And. Okay, so I will say right up front, like, these. These creatures beings, I don't really know what to call them. They remind me so much of fae, but they're not okay, I guess. So these things are kind of like. They're not ghosts, they're not demons, they're not cryptids. They kind of like live in this other sort of category. They like, break categories. In the Cherokee tradition, Nanahi are not spirits in the way that we typically think of them. They're not dead people. They're more like parallel to humanity. So it's basically like people with special powers who are also immortal, invisible, incredibly powerful. So that's why they remind me of fae because it's like they present as people. They do all the same things as people. They sleep, they eat. But all of their versions of that are, like, special to them. They operate slightly differently. Okay. Kind of reminiscent to like a vampire in a way.

[A]

Oh, I was just thinking of Tinkerbell and Neverland.

[B]

Very different. That's how you're thinking about fairies.

[A]

I either think of Tinkerbell or true.

[B]

Blood isn't true blood. Vampires and fairies? Oh, I've never seen it.

[A]

Yeah, the main character, Sookie.

[B]

Oh, damn, she's a fae. Okay, well, it was more like. Okay, you're thinking of, like, the TV and I'm thinking of like, the fantasy book version. Okay, thinking of two different, like, categories. The Nanahi people live in the mountains. They also live under the rivers. The Cherokee translation of nanahi literally means the people who live everywhere. So it's often translated to magical. Very magical. It's often translated to people who live forever, which, like, both things are true. They're immortal beings, so they do live forever, but they also can live anywhere. So they're not bound by space, they're not bound by physics. They can basically be here, there, everywhere, vibrating just outside of our perception. It's like magical.

[A]

They could literally be right here.

[B]

They could be right here. They could be under the rock that's beneath us, which is why this room is so cold, because there's no insulation. So it is interesting because a lot of the stories about finding their homes is in the center of a mountain or underneath the riverbed. Like a door, like a portal will open up and they'll just like. Which.

[A]

Those are both very energetic places, which makes sense.

[B]

And this topic is interesting because if these people can live anywhere and they also live forever, obviously, like they're sharing space now with like modern day people. Like what you're saying. Like they could be right here, although they're not because they seem to be more interested in like specific regions.

[A]

Yeah, I can't imagine they'd be interested in us.

[B]

No, they're. They're near the Windy boys, near the moon eyed people.

[A]

The raven mockers.

[B]

Yeah, that's the. The Southern Appalachia region. They once fought a war for the Cherokee people using invisibility. And they also might have something to do with or know what is happening to all of the missing people who vanish along the Great Smoky Mountains and the Appalachian Trail.

[A]

Next episode might also answer what's happening to all those missing people.

[B]

Oh my gosh. Is this our like pivot into true crime or we're like conspiracy theorists that are also just trying to find all the missing people?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So the Nanahi people, if you encounter them, they are human size. They look exactly like us. You cannot tell the difference between you and that Nanahi person. Although I will say it seems like they choose to show themselves as like traditional Cherokee people. So they look like they're part of a Cherokee tribe or like dressed as Cherokee did 200 years ago.

[A]

I know they never die, but do they never age? Like, are they like vampires where they appear eternal at one age or can they alter their visual appearance?

[B]

I don't know. Okay. Like, my default is to say they appear one age as like one type of person forever. Because there are examples of some people who have chosen to become part of them.

[A]

Oh, you can become one?

[B]

Yeah. That's why it's kind of like Fae vampire.

[A]

Yeah. Okay.

[B]

And then when they have like gone back to visit family or whatever, or like been seen, they're seen exactly as they were before. But I don't know if that's because they're choosing to show themselves as the person who was familiar with these humans before.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I don't know their rules and how they are.

[A]

I think that's A part of the mystique, right, is that we. We outsiders don't know.

[B]

We don't know. But in a very twilight sort of way. They don't sparkle, but they do become, like, the most regal and most handsome version of a person.

[A]

Ooh. It's like when it's like that one part of your period menstrual cycle where you're, like, glowing when you're ovulated, oodial.

[B]

Phase is that it's. I don't know. I don't know.

[A]

There's one which is also insane that we didn't learn about the different phases of our own menstrual cycles.

[B]

I know.

[A]

It was literally just like, oh, yeah. And then, like, you get your period.

[B]

Right. Like, why didn't I know that every four weeks.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Or that. Why didn't I know that every week.

[A]

I have a different symptom? Because there's something new happening.

[B]

Something new. So. Oh, my gosh. Wait, Sorry. Another side Pivot. What I saw on TikTok.

[A]

What did you see?

[B]

Someone said that they went in for a pap smear while they were on their period and their OB was like, oh, do you want me to just scoop it out for you? And that you can, like, scoop out the shedding and lining so it doesn't just, like, slowly trickle out over a few days. Like, it can just be So I.

[A]

Didn'T know you could scoop it out, but I've seen people who, like, their period comes out in one clump. Like, there was a girl who thought she was literally having a miscarriage because she had the most insane pain ever. And then literally this, like, massive clump of blood came out of her. Whoa. And she literally, like, put it into a bag and brought it to the doctor. And they're like, oh, yeah, that's just your period. It just, like, came out in one clump.

[B]

That's crazy.

[A]

And she said it was the most insane pain. Like, she basically, like, gave birth to her period.

[B]

Because I was going to say, wait, I kind of, like, wish that that would happen. So it's just like, a one time.

[A]

Yeah. But here's your sack. Enjoyable.

[B]

But if it hurts. Yeah, well, yeah. How bad does it hurt? Because, like, pain for five days or pain for. I don't know.

[A]

Being a woman is, like, simultaneously so magical, but it's also so painful.

[B]

Like, I assume the NHI don't get periods either, because they live forever and I don't know if they just turn people into them and that's how they create new ones.

[A]

Or do they have men street menstrual cycles and they have babies?

[B]

I don't know. I don't know. We'll have to call Renesmee and ask how it works in the vampire world.

[A]

Can we just talk about OCD really quick? Because I know it's something you've experienced, but it's a very serious and also highly misunderstood condition.

[B]

Oh yeah. My mom sent me to therapy when I was 14 because I couldn't walk down a hallway. If I accidentally scuffed one of my ankles, I'd have to stop and scuff the other one until it felt right. And the same thing would happen with my fingers. Like I'd have to touch something. Oh my gosh. It like totally got in the way of my daily function functioning.

[A]

But that I'm glad that you got help. That is the message here. Because with the right kind of help from a specialized therapist who truly understands what you're experiencing and is trained to treat it, OCD is extremely manageable. And that is where no CD comes in at nocd.

[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Here's the thing. If a routine takes longer than five minutes, there ain't no chance I'm doing it.

[A]

That's why I'm so excited about the sponsor, Merit Beauty, because they make getting ready so effortless. And then you have this like beautiful dewy glow.

[B]

Dewy is a great word for both your skin, but also the product itself. It's so smooth. My blush was put on by a toddler today. Noah has seen me do it enough times that he grabbed the little flush balm and he taps the little dots on my face and then I, I blend it out. Little makeup artist I know.

[A]

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[B]

I love their facial cleanser. Like, if you're not a Makeup person or if you just take makeup free days, which I take many. Their other products are incredible. Their cleanser, it's like a foam cleanser.

[A]

I do love the way it foams.

[B]

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[B]

Okay, so you know how I was saying that sometimes you'll be able to, like, catch glimpses of where they live or, like, the entrance to their homes, their communities. So the reports from many generations and from a lot of Cherokee, like lore and tradition, have said that they can transpose their reality onto ours. So one minute you're looking at a bare rock face, and the next minute the veil drops and you are now seeing a bustling village with smoke rising with fire, with children playing with women and men dancing. And it's confusing because you're like, am I witnessing a new dimension? Or was this always there? And I'm being constantly shown a facade of something else, which is also wild.

[A]

Because if it's a facade and you're interacting with the facade, but you're simultaneously walking through their village.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What is time and space?

[B]

I do not know. I don't know. That's the part where I. We're gonna skip it. Cause we already talked about Stranger Things. But, like, I went on, like, a tangent in this episode about, like, time and space and dimension and parallel universe.

[A]

Just wait until the next recording.

[B]

Okay. Oh, my God, I'm so crazy. Can anyone guess what Sabrina's gonna cover? Okay. And these people, they're a good time. Like, by all accounts, you would not be scared when encountering them because there's music, there's dancing. They only show themselves when they want to show themselves. And there are so many stories of the Nunehi people choosing to show themselves specifically when someone might be in danger. So they're, like, trying to help others. And remember I mentioned before, too, like, they once went to war for the Cherokee people, which I'll cover in a second.

[A]

Interesting. So, I mean, it is very similar to a lot of the Appalachia lore that we've talked about, where they are protecting the land. And also, if you show up as a respectful human being and are in need of help, they will help you.

[B]

Yeah. Just like Bigfoot.

[A]

How do you relate everything to Bigfoot?

[B]

That is how be pure in the soul and Bigfoot will help you. One tale spoke of Four Nahi women who went to a town called Natalie. The women were dancing with the young men in the town forever hours. And it was like the best time ever. These guys were like, oh, my gosh, this is the most fun day of my life. I can't believe this. They're just like, totally enchanted. These women are just the best. And once the women are like, all right, like, we've had enough fun, we're gonna head home. The guy's like, okay. And they're watching the women leave this, like, pub area or whatever they were at and start walking down the trail. And these guys are like, you know, they're. There's a view. So they're still watching the women get right down to the river and just disappear. And the guys are like, oh, my God, we were just dancing with Nanahi people. So this is interesting because it's like they come visit and like infiltrate our community and we don't even know. It's just like the best person, the most engaging, delightful conversation, the best dance partner, best night of your life. I would love that was an innate.

[A]

He personally to like, embody that energy. Just like enjoy life, life of the.

[B]

Party in that way.

[A]

Not necessarily like life of the party, but just like, they just seem like they're enjoying.

[B]

They're enjoying existence. Yeah, well, God, I hope that they do because they live forever.

[A]

Forever.

[B]

So you gotta find the enjoyment in it, right?

[A]

Yeah. Because I personally, as life as I've experienced it, would never want to live forever.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I don't say that in a depressing manner, but I just think life is full of challenges and like, you have to find ways to make life worth living. And boy, is that hard.

[B]

Some days I think that as like a regular human being, I wouldn't want to live forever, but if I had certain powers, I might change my mind.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know.

[A]

Yeah. There was a show on, I want to say it was prime, like six years ago, but it was about this, like, civilization where people kind of are able to live forever, but only like the elite and like, very rich people. And of course, they were the worst types of people and became like very Epstein esque, like, because they were so rich and they had lived forever, they'd done everything and then so, like, they just did vile things.

[B]

So sick. Yeah, well, these are immortal beings that might be kinder.

[A]

They're doing it the right way, they're.

[B]

Doing the right thing. And there have been many stories of Cherokee, specifically in winter months where they're like separated from their group or they just get lost or they're suddenly, you know, finding themselves in a huge storm and they're disoriented and suddenly someone will appear to them and bring them into. This is interesting. They kept calling them townhouses. Like when it, when you talk about the community of the Nanahi, it's called a townhouse. I don't know if that was just like a weird translation that kept happening or if like that's just what they call their community. Yeah. So these cheer people who are lost in the woods will be brought to a townhouse and like kept and fed and made to feel better again and rest enough to be able to go home. I should correct myself. I said fed.

[A]

What have they done?

[B]

If they're fed, they probably aren't going home. Very Fae, like, but a lot of times it's not like the person has a choice. So like if the person is under the weather and like needs to have time to rest, I don't think they're going to be given this sort of like Nanahi fey food. Okay, I said they're taking reasons, but they're so damn similar.

[A]

Yeah, well also, I mean, who's to say that our interpretation of Fey didn't come from the Nahei. How do you say it?

[B]

The Nahi, the he people.

[A]

Like I do think across so many different cultures there are similar entities and beings that we just call different things.

[B]

Right? Yeah. Like, who knows? This is just like the subsect of people who live in the Appalachia Immortal people.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So now I'm going to get into some of the more like well known stories of actual interactions with the nhi.

[A]

I really like them.

[B]

Most of them come from Cherokee lore. I know, I like them too. And for the most part they're like here for good. They do good things, they help people. But that's not to say that they're not capable of murder.

[A]

If you deserve it.

[B]

Yes. So one of the well known stories is about a man called Yahoola. Yahoola was out with his hunting party and he got separated from his group. So the classic beginning of a potential encounter with Nanahi. Despite desperate searches from his friends, they are not able to locate him. And he wasn't able to find his way home or find anyone from his group either. So finally, after like hours of searching for their friend, the rest of the group returns home and they're like, something horrible must have happened to Yahoola. You know, like wildlife could have gotten him. Maybe he fell, is injured, succumbed to the elements. Like they're assuming he's dead.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so they're literally entering their mourning period for him now. But do you want to know what actually happened to Yahulah?

[A]

Yeah, I do.

[B]

He was found lost in the woods, wandering around aimlessly by the nanahi, who took them back to their home, where he stayed for a long time. And because he stayed for a long time, he obviously needed to eat, and so he did, and he became immortal himself.

[A]

That's how you become immortal. Like, you just eat from the food that they eat.

[B]

You eat from the food that they eat.

[A]

That feels really painless.

[B]

Enough time in their community.

[A]

That feels like such an easy transition.

[B]

Yeah, okay, right? Like, it does sound pretty nice.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But then he started to miss his friends and his family, and he's like, okay, I want to go back and visit. I need to, like, see everyone. So one night, he left his magical home to return to his home village, where he was reunited with his loved ones and his friends. And they're like, oh, my God, you're alive. What happened to you? Why are you better looking all of a sudden?

[A]

Ooh, yeah.

[B]

So strong. Handsome. Look at that jawbone. And they ask him to sit down and dine with them, and he's like, okay, I will definitely have dinner with you, but I can't eat your food anymore. They're like, what? And that's when he explains exactly what happened. He said that now that he's eaten the food of the nanahi people, he is one of them, he can no longer eat human food. And they're like, okay, we understand that. That's totally fine. But, like, you're back with us. We want you to stay here like, you're back. We're reunited. Live with us once again. But he said he couldn't because living with them would mean death. Insinuating that 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.

[A]

Okay. So I was wondering if they could die just because they could live forever same way as vampires. Like, there's gotta be a way that they do perish. So it does sound like whatever their food source is, they are reliant on it.

[B]

Right. Which. What is.

[A]

What are they eating?

[B]

It appears to look like normal food, but it's just magical. A magical version of it.

[A]

Makes me think of Pluribus.

[B]

Oh, sick. We don't want to spoil it for you, but Pluribus is a really good.

[A]

It's so good.

[B]

First season's already done, so you can binge it. So basically, they can Die. It's almost like being like a beached whale. I guess.

[A]

It's like you're just like, you just get stuck and like you can't do anything. I just did comparison. I wasn't expecting.

[B]

Oh, I didn't even write that. That's just in my mind. I was like, beach trail. Because I was also thinking not to be dark and morbid here, but like I was thinking about like if they would ever choose, like you were saying, like, you wouldn't ever want to live forever. Maybe some of them, despite how happy they appear and the dancing and everything, like, could they be so missing the life that they had before? For some of them who like maybe started as humans. Because I don't. Again, I don't know how they were all created.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That they choose to beach themselves and spend the last. The last few days.

[A]

But then also, how long can you live without the food?

[B]

Right. Cause it sounds like in this story, I mean, they didn't give a specific timeline, but I don't think he stayed longer than like a day with everyone. So I'm not really sure. So Yahula did return to go back with his fellow Danahi and he did continue to visit from time to time, go and see his loved ones. And the Cherokee. And there have been many stories over the years of when the Nanahi people show up, I guess like someone who looks like the description of Yahoola being there, so it seems like he might still be living forever.

[A]

Ooh, wow.

[B]

Though they definitely share some characteristics with the Fae in terms of like how the world seems to operate. They are not as mischievous as Fae is typically described to be. So they're not dangerous. They're not trying to lure, for the most part, lure anyone in. They're trying to live peacefully so long as you're on the right side of history. For the Nahi are also warriors for the Cherokee people. So they are protectors of the Cherokee. And this reminded me a little bit of the night marchers that you covered in Hawaii because it's like they have so much pride and strength in how they can fight and what they fight for. And it's like if your mind or soul or intentions aren't pure pure or aligned with what they believe, then in a very Avengers style saga, you will be slaughtered. Damn. Yeah. So let's venture down to Franklin, North Carolina.

[A]

Are we going to talk about a story where someone's slaughtered?

[B]

There's some slaughtering coming. Okay. If you drive through Franklin today, there's modern businesses, a normal looking town. But then there's this massive ancient earthwork called the Nikwasi Mound. I hope I didn't butcher the earthwork. It's like basically like a big hill mound.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I don't know what they called it.

[A]

A burial mound.

[B]

Yeah. Oh.

[A]

So. Okay.

[B]

But they called it an earthwork, so that's why. Okay. I don't know. I'm just regurgitating some things here. I like learning.

[A]

I'm just curious. Okay.

[B]

Let me google this again just to make sure. Okay. Ancient earthworks are large scale, human made landscape features, mounds, walls, enclosures by some ancient cultures for ceremonial burial and defensive and sometimes astronomical reasons. Okay. Okay, so that makes sense. So this mound has been here for at least a thousand years. So long before any of these businesses were created and the Cherokee maintained it, they also kept this sacred. It was like their sacred fire burning there forever. So I don't really know exactly.

[A]

Eternal flame.

[B]

Yeah. Like literally they kept it alive. And this was the spiritual heart of their like quote, middle towns. So there were like multiple towns, I think, that were like all connected. They weren't originally called towns, but like the Cherokee, they're villages, their villages. And there were different burials of like different like warriors or like leaders or whatever in each of these spots. But like this was the middle center meeting point. I'm going off of memory here, so I might be butchering some of it, but I think that this was like the central meeting point or like the most important point. So this was a super large mound that was constructed by piling dirt on top of the grave of a very prominent chief or priest, along with a bunch of sacred objects. So this was considered ground zero for the Nanahi. Also their townhouse, like the community where the Nanahi people live was basically supposed to be underneath this mound as well. So it was like the Nanahi had an access point. The Cherokee were like, we're gonna give you our most loved warrior and leader, our chief.

[A]

Cause they're intrinsically tied, which I almost love that they're honoring someone so important to their tribe.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Like everyone is.

[B]

It's also kind of like an important tie where it's like this person led us and protected us and you do the same.

[A]

So channeling that spiritual energy.

[B]

Yeah. Now we like, this is a reminder that you also need to protect us, maybe. Which is exactly what it's to happen. There's this flame that the Cherokee kept alive and always lit basically to honor the Nanahi people. There's a legend recorded by James Mooney, who was a 19th century ethnographer who studied Cherokee history and lore and rituals. And he wrote a book called Spirit Defenders of Nikwasi. So this is going to be about what happens at this mound. Long ago, there was a powerful enemy tribe from the south. Some say it was the Creeks, but other people say it was like some older group. This group had invaded the area. They smashed through all of the outer defenses that the Cherokee had, and they were marching on Nicwasie. The Cherokee warriors at Nicwassee, which is this area where the mound is, were outnumbered. They were fighting hard, but they were being pushed back, and they're exhausted. They're, like, retreating up the mound, trying to protect their sacred, like, burial spot. And then also the entrance to the Nanahi people. They're super injured. They're retreating. They're desperate. They're dying. And then suddenly, a stranger appeared among them. He looked like a chief, but nobody recognized him. And he shouted something, I imagine, of the likes of, Call off your men. Stand back. I will drive them away.

[A]

Call off your men. It's not like, hey, let's team up. It's just like, I got this.

[B]

Yeah, take a break. Bench yourself. Yeah, water, Orange slices.

[A]

Fruit snacks.

[B]

Yeah, call your mom. The Cherokee chief, desperate and confused, ordered his men to pull back. Because he's like, okay, well, there's some other guy here, and I don't know what to do. And we're, like, all dying. And that is when it happened. The side of the Nicuasi mound opened up like a giant door, and out poured hundreds and hundreds of warriors. But they were not just any warriors. These were warriors who hadn't been fighting. So they were fresh, they had no wounds. They were strong. They were invincible. The Nanahi warriors charged the invaders, and the slaughter began. Whoa. But here's the really spooky part. So for the Cherokee watching, they were seeing the Nanahi people. They were seeing these warriors fighting before the other group, the invading group.

[A]

They saw nothing.

[B]

They saw nothing. They were just being thrown and slaughtered and struck, and that's gored to die by an invisible force. They had no way to fight back.

[A]

This really makes me want to reread the Iliad and the Odyssey. Like, I just feel like there's so many battle scenes and, like, different entities that come out and fight, but damn right. Also, how horrifying to just, like, not see your attacker.

[B]

Well, don't go try to slaughter someone else's home.

[A]

That's also a good point.

[B]

So the enemy tribe obviously were panicked, and they fled. They were screaming that the very spirits of the land were Fighting against them. And that's, like, literally true. That is pretty much exactly what was happening. Yeah. The Nanahi chased them off, ensured the town was safe, ensured the rest of the Cherokee people were safe. And then just as quickly as they appeared, they marched right back into the mound. The earth closed up behind them, and that was that. So coo coo coo da. Damn. So that was a long time ago. Right. But what if I told you something similar happened during the Civil War? I'd believe it immediately. So federal troops were approaching the town of Franklin to capture it and burn it to the ground.

[A]

Oh, so same town. Mm. Wow.

[B]

Same town, same mound. Yep.

[A]

Earthwork.

[B]

Same earthwork. So we're in the Civil War, and in the south, there are towns that are getting burned to the ground, towns that are being attacked. It's a war, right?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And so Franklin is next on the list. And the federal troops, they are looking through their field glasses and see the hills around Nicwassee. The mound swarmed with thousands of soldiers guarding the town. Just like the entire town is encircled by these guys that are just, like, standing there, ready to fight. Very intimidated by the size and the force of what appeared to be there. The federal troops retreated, basically saying, okay, we can skip this town. Let's move on to the next one. But here's the strange thing is there were no Confederate troops there, so there were actually no soldiers there at all. The town was undefended. And actually, most of the people in the town, the population was quite small because most of the people had already either fled or joined the army. So, like, there were not that many people there, especially not that many warriors. Yet there were thousands of men lined up around the town guarding it.

[A]

That they saw.

[B]

That they saw. So the locals believe after hearing this, that what these guys had seen were the Nanahi people coming one last time to protect their home. The mound is still there. It has never been excavated. It has never been, historically, never. We hope it is never.

[A]

Let them be.

[B]

Well, the Cherokee have requested that it be left alone. So let's listen to that.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And there have been no more reports so far of the Nanahi going to war for the Cherokee, which also I appreciate.

[A]

Like, let them rest.

[B]

Yeah. And also, like.

[A]

Like, let's stop fighting.

[B]

Let's not make reason for war.

[A]

Yeah. Kumbaya, everyone.

[B]

Right. Let's just party and drink and start fires.

[A]

Yeah, you. Let's just party and drink.

[B]

In. Better eat a 8 o' clock at.

[A]

Night or just, like, dance in the.

[B]

Woods and drink naked with your girlfriends. Wine witches.

[A]

Yeah. Naked with your girlfriends.

[B]

I feel like I had to say witches after that because I was like.

[A]

Oh, I mean, you could also just.

[B]

You can also just do a naked.

[A]

Do whatever you want. Yeah. Watch heated rivalry.

[B]

Kiss Kiss.

[A]

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[A]

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[A]

You are.

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Become a fora advisor [e-mail] TGOG that's F O R A travel.com TGOG and make sure to tell them that we sent you for a travel dot com. Okay, so now I'm going to propose a theory. This was not in any of the articles that I read, but it was in the area of so many people disappearing in the woods. So of course, like I always think about the cave system and Bigfoot and things like that. Like mysterious disappearances. Often we can attribute them to people who are injured, people who are lost, people who might have taken a fall. Yet there are so many cases of people who do return under mysterious circumstances or where they're found makes absolutely zero sense.

[A]

Like they're. They appear like 400 miles away. I mean that's dramatic. But like still.

[B]

Or like a two year old has no dirt on their feet and is wearing a different fresh set of clothes. Yeah. And is found five hours later seven miles away.

[A]

It's like, how did you get here.

[B]

Having had to cross 10 riverbanks. Like something that is impossible. Yeah. So I'm going to tell you a story about a place called Pilot Mountain. If you've ever driven through North Carolina, there is a place called Pilot Mountain. It's described as weird. A solitary peak that kind of looks like a volcano.

[A]

Everywhere in Alabama rising out of it is weird.

[B]

Yeah. It can be weird slightly. Now I'm going to really butcher this. Cherokee call it Suate. Okay. T S U wa apostrophe T E O apostrophe D A.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah, I butchered it. So I wish we could phone a friend.

[A]

I do appreciate you including what they call it though.

[B]

Yeah. I'm trying.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I'm a white girl. It doesn't work for me. So this is considered. Pilot Mountain is considered one of the main townhouses of the Nanahi. So even though they can live wherever and live forever, they have their like favorite spots where they're.

[A]

Well, I'm also curious how many different like neighborhoods they have or, you know, like, I imagine there's not just like one group of them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Or like different little civilizations.

[B]

The entire civilization and entire community is just one. And it's just there are certain access points where the energy is so Palpable that they can expose where they live, but for the.

[A]

Doesn't actually go between places. I don't know.

[B]

I know. It's fascinating. So this is one of the main townhouses, and the stories about this place often include time slips and interdimensional travel. There was this guy called, and I'm going to butcher this again, Suenahi. Which kind of ironically means, like, rich or affluent, though he was anything but. And he lived in the old town of Kanuga. I'm going to call him T. Because I don't want to hear butchering his name. He was kind of. Kind of a scrub. He's kind of a lazy hunter. Kind of like, you know, everyone went out to do things and to help the community. And he just, like, never brought back any meat. He was wandering. Yeah. Yeah. He needed some alone time.

[A]

There wasn't real housewives in Salt Lake City back then.

[B]

No. He didn't really know what was going on, I guess. So his family was like, okay, we're so sick of you mooching off of everyone. And essentially they kicked him out. And they said, you can't come back until you have a deer. So it was like, you go into the woods all the time to hunt, you come back with nothing. Ever go get a deer. Do something like, go get a deer. Come back when you have a deer. It's not an impossible task. So now I'm getting mad at him, too. Just do it. Like, pull your weight, man. So he's feeling really ashamed, and he wanders off towards the mountains. And while he's wandering, he meets a stranger on the trail. And this stranger is very handsome, very well dressed, super friendly. Kiss, kiss. Kiss. Kiss.

[A]

Kiss, kiss.

[B]

And they both take their shirts off. Suddenly, it starts raining.

[A]

This is now a sexy episode.

[B]

The stranger asks, why are you sad? And T explains the situation. And the stranger just smiles and says, well, why don't you come now? It does feel romantic. Why don't you come home with me?

[A]

Come to my room.

[B]

My town is closed. We have plenty of food. You actually have relatives there.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Which, like, how is T being like, well, how do you know who I am and who I'm related to? He doesn't ask questions, though, which seems appropriate for how he was described. The guy's like, come here, kid. I have candy and puppies. And T is like, okay, that sounds great. I'll go with you. So the two of them walk together to Pilot Mountain. But they don't stop at the top. They actually walk into a cave. And as they're walking in the cave, the environment around them suddenly changes. And now they're not in a dark cave. They're in a wide bottom. Land is how it was described. It was open country. The sun is shining.

[A]

This is very Sarah J. Maas.

[B]

It is. I think that's why I kept being like, God, they remind me so much of Fae because one of the articles literally was like, they are not fairies.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But I'm like.

[A]

They can have similar attributes.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. But it just. It definitely did feel like Acotar in a way.

[A]

I feel like also, as humans, we just desperately want to relate things to things that we do know. So we're making connections.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

We like to find patterns, which is.

[B]

Why Stranger Things was so upsetting. Some people really liked it. I don't mean to poo poo anyone.

[A]

You know, I just feel like they told the story that they wanted to tell. And who are we to tell them that that's not right? They created that for us. They gifted us a. A show that.

[B]

For years. Yeah. But what was the point of building so much up to just forget about it?

[A]

They just wanted a happy ending. I'm laissez faire. Whatever.

[B]

You're being kind. As a fellow writer, I have no skin in the game, so I'm gonna say I was upset. Okay. So the sun is shining. There are fields of corn, rivers full of fish, hundreds of people. And everyone looks so happy. It's like everyone's living in peace.

[A]

I forgot what we were talking about.

[B]

Okay, well, T gets brought into Pilot Mountain by this guy who's like, hey, I have some relatives of yours and some food. Come hang out with us. Yeah. So he's now in this, like, pocket dimension inside the mountain, which makes no sense because there's a sky, there's sun, there's, like, miles and miles of land. Like, he's flabbergasted, but he doesn't question it because here he doesn't have to go hunt deer.

[A]

Right?

[B]

So T decides to stay with them. He eats their food. He lives their life.

[A]

Hey. His family, like, kicked him out. These people are welcoming him in, and he's like, hey, here. Come stay with us.

[B]

I wonder what his family thought if they were like, oh, my God, we sent him off to get a deer and now he's dead, unfortunately.

[A]

I feel like in the wilderness back in the day, people did get lost to the.

[B]

Yeah, to nature. Yeah. They probably felt so much guilt, or at least I hope that they did. Well, like, I don't know.

[A]

You are a vengeful bitch.

[B]

Right now, here I lie.

[A]

You've got opinions and you need everyone to hear them.

[B]

I need people to be sad. Feel the bane of humanity. No, I do hope his family was upset.

[A]

I'm sure they did.

[B]

Can you imagine how cold hearted it would be to be like, go do this, my son.

[A]

Whereas before you were siding with them. Like, yeah, tell him to go get his deer. Hold it away.

[B]

Yes. But then when he doesn't come back, you're like, oh, my God, I made a grave mistake.

[A]

Yeah, no, it's very sad.

[B]

He was incapable of doing that. I sent him on an impossible, impossible task, and now I just killed my own kid.

[A]

But now he's actually living forever now.

[B]

He is. Yeah. So he's eating their food, he's living their life, and then one day he's like, I actually do want to go back to my family and show them that I'm okay. How nice of him. No deer, though. So the Nanahi, they let him go. He steps back outside of the cave, and now everything is different. The time he spent inside the cave did not match the amount of time outside. So he basically had entered some sort of, like, wrinkle in time, some sort of time slip, which seems to only really exist, at least in the stories from Pilot Mountain. So I think if you go into their world in another area, your timeline might add up, but in Pilot Mountain, your years, your minutes, it's also different. It's very interesting.

[A]

So, like, what feels like a year in Pilot Mountain is actually like 10 years in real life. Or is it? I think it'd be, like, less time.

[B]

I think it's all over the place.

[A]

Like, a minute is actually a year in real life?

[B]

Could be, yeah.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

Because there's, like, examples. I can't remember if I wrote it, so we'll see if we get there. But there's, like, examples of people who go in, and then when they leave to go find their village or their family, nothing exists where they once lived.

[A]

Whoa.

[B]

And it's like, I don't know if that's the future or if that's the past. Did they actually just re enter before their people even settled there? It is very trippy. So there's another story from the Cherokee people called the Lost Settlement.

[A]

Wait, so t never found his family?

[B]

I don't think so. Or at least that's kind of where the story ended. Okay, so in the Lost Settlement, there was a Cherokee village called Canasta on the French Broad River. And one day, two Nanahi messengers arrive, and they Tell the chief bad times are coming. Wars, disease, a stronger enemy who will take your land.

[A]

Oh, so they can also see the future.

[B]

Yeah, they're magical, immortal beings.

[A]

What can't they do?

[B]

Like, what is time again? Like, where are they seeing everything all at once? Do they know everything that will forever happen?

[A]

So likely.

[B]

This is a prophecy about the European colonization and the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee people were offered a choice. Basically, stay here and face the suffering or come with us, but you have to live forever.

[A]

I would choose to go with them. You would choose to live forever in that situation?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

People were divided, so the village, they held council. They decided as a village to go. They fasted for seven days to purify themselves to be able to go join the nanahi, which I don't know if that was Cherokee tradition, because I don't think the nanahi required that. Yeah, but that's what they did. And on the seventh day, the nanahi returned and led the entire population of this village toward Pilot Mountain to a large stone deep within the mountains. The stone just casually and effortlessly rolls to the side, opening up a door to the inside of the mountain into one of the most beautiful places these people had ever seen. Many of the Cherokee people just immediately booked it inside. They're, like, beautiful. You know, like the rolling lands, the lazy river. There's the lazy river. The margaritas. Like, there's everything. They were so dazzled. However, the other half were, like, super fearful. And they're like, wait, what am I seeing?

[A]

Right? This is so unlike anything you've ever experienced. Yeah.

[B]

This isn't natural. This doesn't exist in our human earthly nature, or it shouldn't. So they were very fearful, very dubious, very. Like, what sort of, like, trickery is happening here? This doesn't feel right. So there's a world within the rock, a world within this mountain. It seems impossible. Some people choose to enter. Some people returned to the village. The people who returned to the village, unfortunately, tragedy did come for them. The people who were in the mountain were saved. They escaped the Trail of Tears. They escaped smallpox. They escaped basically every tragedy that unfortunately happened to the native people over the past many centuries. It is said that these Cherokee people are still waiting for the world to be safe enough to return, which.

[A]

Which will never happen.

[B]

It'll never happen. And also, I don't think they can technically return.

[A]

Well, now they're in their own world, which is much better.

[B]

Yeah. But this is also an interesting thing. So there is a theory which this kind of, like, goes against the Rule of, like, okay, if you join the Nanahi, stay there for long enough, eat their food, then you are nanahi. You live immortally forever, and you can't return to, like, the normal earthly world. However, some people theorize that modern Cherokee who live in this area today are descendants of those who actually went into. Into the mountain and were saved by the nanahi. So I don't really know how that works.

[A]

Well, because didn't some of them not go in? So, like, say, my dad went in. Yeah, but, but, but I didn't.

[B]

But it was saying that everyone who stayed died. Died.

[A]

Hmm.

[B]

I don't know. I'm not sure. But very heartbreaking, but also kind of beautiful that they were attempted to be saved by this. Like.

[A]

Yeah, well, I'm also just so curious because, like, they are so tied to the Cherokee people that it feels like.

[B]

And look like the Cherokee and they look like it.

[A]

That I'm like, who was the first?

[B]

I don't know why I might be.

[A]

Saying that person too. And are they all Cherokee people?

[B]

Oh, yeah. Could you be Nanahi if you're not Cherokee?

[A]

Yeah, like, I don't know.

[B]

Maybe not. Because, like the. Huh? I was just gonna say because the one tribe that came to fight the Cherokee couldn't see the Nanahi as they fought. Yet during the Civil War, they were seen by the enemy. They choose themselves too. Yeah. Okay, so modern day Nanahi have not been seen. But how do you know if you are about to be approached by someone who seems to just be there to help you, but maybe is actually about to take you into another dimension? Okay, what are the signs?

[A]

Music.

[B]

Correct. Sign number one. Music. Or an auditory shift. So this is a really big one. Moony had written before about, like, hunters near the Nanahi townhouses, hearing drumming and dancing. But it's interesting because, like, there's some disorientation when it comes to the music. So it's kind of like.

[A]

But that's also so tricky because there's disorientation with so many unsavory entities in Appalachia that it's like, how do you distinguish the difference between them?

[B]

Well, exactly, because it's exactly like when discussing windy boys and stuff like that, where it's like, if you hear a whistle that sounds really close, they're actually further away. If you hear a whistle that sounds further away, they're actually very close. Yeah, that is literally the same here. So there's like some sort of acoustic camouflage where, like, the closer you get, the further away it sounds. Other people have Said that there's like this low frequency hum, like the whole forest is vibrating. The Cherokee believed that the shifting sound was the nanahi protecting their door. So if you hear music in the woods and you can't locate it, don't follow it because they're like, purposely trying to mislead you and guide you away from potentially, like maybe some portal that you might accidentally walk through.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Which again, I'm like, did missing people just walk through a portal, not knowing?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Okay. Sign number two, Food. So we talked about it a couple times. But if you are offered food by someone random who's exceptionally handsome, if you eat it, you might trust it. You might end up bound to them, and you might not be able to return to your world permanently or you will die.

[A]

I'm curious though, if they warn you of that.

[B]

Yeah, I'm not sure.

[A]

Like, it doesn't sound like they're actively trying to recruit people all the time.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Do they offer or are you asking, like, I'm hungry. Do you have food?

[B]

Right. Like, could you say, do you have human food? And then they give you.

[A]

And they give you a human specifically?

[B]

Here's your uncle. Oh, okay. So then sign number three, Missing time. So in almost every abduction story, there's some sort of time that seems to be broken, especially in Pilot Mountain. So the time seems to add up a lot more in other spots, but Pilot Mountain, like I said, it gets.

[A]

Tricky in Pilot Mountain, but even ley lines, even.

[B]

So in other spots, there are some bits of time that don't add up. So in other spots, maybe like a few hours could be like a week. But I think in Pilot Mountain, in that region, a few hours could be 10 years. Could be years. Yes.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

Now cue the vanishing people in the national parks under bizarre circumstances. Okay, so a couple examples of people who've gone missing. Dennis Martin, 1969, a six year old boy playing hide and seek. He steps behind a bush and he just vanishes without a trace. Gone. The largest search party in park history and they found nothing. No clothes, no central, just gone. Austin Bohannon, 2017. He was 18. He was lost for 11 days in the Great Smoky Mountains without gear. When he was found, he was disoriented. His memories were disjointed, but he survived. But his account was of moving from ridge to ridge and it feeling very dreamlike when being like, almost like transported.

[A]

Whoa.

[B]

Which like, you know, he could have just been disoriented and.

[A]

Sure. But he also could have been disoriented.

[B]

Not eating the food of the people.

[A]

And they're helping him, right?

[B]

Who knows? Those are just, like, two very small examples of, like, many people who vanish in this area. And knowing that the Nanahi are known for taking these people in who they think are lost or in trouble, it would make sense, right? Like, maybe people are surviving, they're just living somewhere else now.

[A]

Huh?

[B]

Again, it's like Acotar. They don't know that there are these whole worlds beyond. And the main character, like, disappears. And her family's like, where the hell did she go?

[A]

She's being sacrificed in some, like, weird trials.

[B]

She's trying to marry. Yeah.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And marry different fairy kings.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So it is interesting because a lot of the missing people cases, it's like the reports are about weird auditory shifts, being separated from the group suddenly.

[A]

But again, those are side effects to various entities and beings.

[B]

And also dehydration.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Disorientation and hypothermia. So it is very confusing. But some people believe that the Nunehi are still very active, that they are still coming into our dimension, taking people who they feel need to be protected, and perhaps even people who just maybe traveled a little too close to the portal. Huh? Sorry, I went off on another Stranger Things tangent. Well, I'll just read it. It kind of makes sense. I was angry.

[A]

You still are. You can see it. You can feel it.

[B]

Okay, so it's said that they live in this reality that's superimposed onto ours. And people were talking about, like, the humming sound coming from the forest and comparing it maybe to, like, almost like a radio frequency. So the comparison I was just making was, like, basically like, if we're tuned to, like, 9.95.5, and they're 95.7 or whatever. And so it's like we're occupying the same space, but we don't always interfere with each other until we do. Kind of like the upside, I was thinking, like, the upside down and Hawkins. But where we live. So once you're at this, like, really energetically high point, like on a mountain or in a riverbed, like you were saying, these places already hold a lot of energy. It's more likely that there's going to be this sort of, like, shifts in frequency and that they will bleed over. And if you're missing in the woods, if you've been lost in the woods, or if you're fasting, you're exhausted, you're kind of like in this weird state of consciousness, like, altered state of consciousness, perhaps that's also opening you up to see this other region. The Cherokee have a deep respect for the Nanahi. They do not hunt them, they do not try to capture them, they do not try to lure them out. They respect their boundaries. And if a place feels off, if the woods go silent, and if you hear music where there should be none, you leave. You're passing through. You keep it moving. You hear something? No, you don't. You see something? No, you don't. The Nanahi are definitely still there. We might have paved over their trails. We may have built Walmarts next to their mounds. We put radio towers on their mountains. But they are still there, inside of the mountains, under the riverbeds, watching and waiting. So the next time you're hiking in the Appalachians and you hear a twig snap or you hear a faint bell in the wind, a drum, some laughter, some dancing, consider what you've learned today. And for the love of God, if a handsome person, a handsome stranger, invites you to a party inside of the rock, kiss them. Kiss him. Well, I guess, yeah. Your answer depends on whether or not you want to live forever. Well, I guess the Nahi people, the people who live forever, the people who live everywhere. Damn.

[A]

I have such respect for them as well. And I have questions, but I also am okay with not having answers.

[B]

Yeah, me too.

[A]

There's a lot of things in life we won't have the answers to, and.

[B]

This is one that I'll just enjoy for us. This is for the Cherokee. They're for the Cherokee people, right? I don't know. Who's to protect us. Who do we have? Each other? We have to bribe the Cherokee to help us? No.

[A]

I do think, though, like, if I ever find myself in Appalachia, and if, God forbid, I find myself trapped or lost or anything, like, I. I like to know that the Nanahi people exist because I think I would call upon them if I were in a desperate place. But had I not known about them, I wouldn't. Maybe I wouldn't know to.

[B]

To ask.

[A]

To ask.

[B]

To ask the wind for them.

[A]

Yeah. Okay. Well, I picked a listener story that involves stories from Cherokee nations.

[B]

Ooh, perfect.

[A]

This is from our listener, Jasper. Native stories. Werewolves, Demons and spirit visits. Hello, ladies. My name is Jasper and I've been around the supernatural my whole life. So it seems. Forgive the late hour, but I saw your episode of Native Stories and I couldn't pass the opportunity to share some of my stories. I grew up in Kansas and I have quite a few stories. I'll start off by saying I am Cherokee. On my father's side and Blackfoot on my mother's side. So I feel as if I have a better understanding of things. When I was younger, I would visit my paternal grandmother very often and her name was Kathy. She was basically the stereotypical native grandmother, comforting and warm. I always felt safe with her. And my father was a bit of a ladies man and had a thing for white women. So I had a few sisters. I only met one and she was a bit different to say the least. One night it was me, my sister and her friends staying in my grandmother's apartment living room. A dog howled outside somewhere and my grandma came running in asking if that was my sister. We all look at my grandma saying no. But my grandma looked very paranoid and said something about the full moon coming up. This was around the time that Twilight was very popular, so you can imagine where my head went. And to this day I never got an explanation of that. Wait, so does your grandma know that your sister is a werewolf? Is your sister a werewolf?

[B]

Does that mean you have werewolf blood too? How does this work? Huh? Is Grandma a werewolf?

[A]

It's a mystery. So now, a few years before I moved to where I am now, I was asleep on the couch in my front room. After staying up watching Supernatural. I wake up to a hand on my ankle thinking it's my maternal grandmother coming to wake me up and put me to bed. I don't really think much of it, but then I feel how heavy this hand is. And very suddenly as I realize how heavy the hand is, several hands, and I mean several, start to move up my body.

[B]

Ew.

[A]

I immediately start saying, you are not welcome here. This is a safe place. Go away.

[B]

Go to where you belong.

[A]

And I covered my head with my blanket. I felt this heavy presence and then suddenly it was gone. So it was very normal for me to feel this heavy presence, though it never escalated to this point. Before, I'd often be in my room with the door open, and with the way our house was built, there were no windows in the hall. I would look at my door and I would just know that something was there. It would never come inside, but it would just stand and observe. So you can imagine how this touching me and multiple hands going all over my body was quite a jump and quite terrifying. The usual, just standing and staring.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Another time, I was making a recipe that was one of my late great grandpa's favorite, who I also had unfortunately not gotten the chance to meet. But this recipe was chocolate peanut butter fudge. And since it was not long after his death, I thought I would make us all feel better. My grandpa, his son was in the recliner watching Monday Night Raw, as you know, one does. When I happened to look out the corner of my eye and see my grandpa standing against the wall smiling and watching me cook. I smile as well and say, hey grandpa. Only to hear his voice across the house still in his recliner. So I whip my head and truly no one is there next to me now. Guess what? My grandpa and his father, my great.

[B]

Grandpa, were literally twins.

[A]

They looked the exact same. And I had never met this man a day in my life and he showed himself to me. So I like to think he was watching me staying around to watch over my grandpa and was approving of me making his chocolate peanut butter fudge. I have so many other stories. Wholesome and not so wholesome. But for now, tell Sven I say hi and have a spooky day.

[B]

Ladies.

[A]

From Jasper.

[B]

Dang. I'm caught up on the werewolf thing a little bit.

[A]

Same.

[B]

Like this is a horrifying encounter. This is. There's so much going on. Sister might be a werewolf suddenly being like attacked by the paranormal in a way that you've never been before. Then a relative, a dead relative who's never appeared, suddenly being like, hey, what's up?

[A]

So many things happening in your life, Jasper. But I really, I do have a lot of questions about the sister thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So Jasper's with his sister who it seems like they're half sister. Right. And a friend. They're sitting in the living room, there's a wolf howl from outside, but grandma comes running in and immediately goes, was that you sister?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That's the first thing she jumps to and.

[B]

But then what was the sister.

[A]

No. Are you turning?

[B]

What was the sister's reaction?

[A]

They all were like, what?

[B]

No, but like is that what Jasper remembers? Like. Or that's what Jasper was thinking. Or if like truly we don't know, did sister know something was going on?

[A]

I, I love werewolf stories because I feel like we don't get them enough.

[B]

No. I also feel like to be a part of a family and then discover that you're a werewolf or someone in your family is a werewolf is kind of world shattering. Like, like more so than a lot of other entities. Yeah. I feel like the werewolf thing is the most shocking that would be hard to really deal with because it's not like you're just. You have powers or summons, you lose control. You lose control and you literally turn into another creature and it's like.

[A]

And it seems painful and Every rendition of it. Like, turning into a werewolf doesn't seem like a enjoyable. It's like. It's like menstruation.

[B]

Yes. If you could just scoop it out all at once. I don't know. Huh. And it's like your safety's at risk and your family's probably constantly worried for you.

[A]

Yeah. Like, why is the trope always, like, no matter how strong the chains are, you can break free.

[B]

Right. It's like other people are at rest. But then I'm breaking.

[A]

You break free.

[B]

I'm soaring, flying. There's a full moon overhead and I'm feeling free. I am hairy.

[A]

Keep going. I'm here for this rendition.

[B]

Oh, man.

[A]

Werewolf musical.

[B]

I like that more than the Bigfoot one.

[A]

Actually, we have to do this one day, but someone, one of our listeners, wrote a musical for us and wrote a bunch of songs for our musical.

[B]

I love it. People are so creative. I think we didn't we read a few of them on here?

[A]

I don't remember.

[B]

I think we did.

[A]

We might have, but stay tuned. Werewolf the Musical coming soon.

[B]

No, this podcast is going to turn into a review of hockey smut, hidden rivalry, musicals.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But thanks for joining us.

[A]

If you have any paranormal stories, if you know more about the Nanahi, we'd love to hear more about it. Or if you have entities and beings that are important to your culture, please share them with us because we love to learn and research. So email us. Two girls, one ghost Podcastmail. Com if you want episodes one week early and ad free. You can join us on Patreon or sign up for the Apple plus subscription. If you join Patreon, we also give you bonus episodes. You have campfire stories every week where you can join live and share your story live. And so much more.

[B]

Thank you to Jamie and Emma for producing our podcast and thank you to all of you. We love you and we will see you on the other side.

[A]

Very spooky.

[B]

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