Coffin Hollow and Other Ghost Tales (20 page)

26. A Ghostly Avenger

Alan Hawkins, 1966.

Motif — E230: Return from dead to inflict punishment.

27. Darkish Knob

Eleanor Harper, Parsons, 1967.

Motif — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

28. A Slave Boy's Revenge

Robert Nichols, Millersville, 1966.

Motif — E232.1: Return from dead to slay own murderer.

29. Frist House

Robert Fertig, Hardy County, 1966.

Motif — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune (ghosts here).

30. The Murdered Prisoner's Ghost

Mrs. Julia Gulas, Fairmont, 1966.

Motif — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

31. The Cole Mountain Light

Robert Fertig, Hardy County, 1966.

Motif - E530.1: Ghost-like lights (light).

32. The Crying Baby of Holly

Richard Swick of near Elkins, 1963.

Motifs-E225 : Ghost of murdered child; E425.3: Revenant as child; E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

33. A Strange Fire

Linda Richards, 1967, as told to her by her aunt, who was one of the two women. Andrew Muhar, Greene County, Pennsylvania, supplied a close variant of this tale.

Motifs — E225: Ghost of murdered child; E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

34. Jones's Hollow

Janet Everson, Barbour County, 1964, as told to her by her grandmother.

Motif — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

35. Who Was Guilty?

Myra Townsend, Huntington, 1963, as told to her by her grandmother, who in turn learned it from her father.

Motifs — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune; E234.4: Ghost an unjustly executed man.

36. The Cooke Family

Janet Everson, Barbour County, 1964, as told to her by her grandmother, Mrs. J. N. Champ of Belington.

Motif — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

37. The Ghosts of the Mine Horses

Richard Stickler, Marion County, 1964, as told to him by Mr. L. C. B.

Motifs — E275.1: Ghost haunts mine after tragedy (ghosts haunt); E423.1.3: Revenant as horse(s).

38. The Ghost of Old Ben

Lois Puskas, Grant Town, 1964, as told to her by her stepfather, Mr. Martin Beckish, a miner.

Motifs - E326: Dead brother's friendly return; E336.1: Helpful mine ghosts.

39. Friends to the End

Bob Parker, Grant Town, 1964.

Motif — E336.1: Helpful mine ghosts.

40. The Invisible Friend

Dave Stuart, 1965, as told to him by his mother.

Motifs — E275.1: Ghost haunts mine after tragedy; E336.1: Helpful mine ghosts.

41. Eighty Feet Deep

Penny Stanley, 1965. One of the legends of Prickett's Fort.

Motifs — E234.3: Return from dead to avenge death (murder); E275.1: Ghost haunts mine after tragedy.

42. The Swinging Lantern

Steve Noe, 1966, who says this has never been explained.

Motifs — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune; E530.1: Ghost-like lights (light).

43. Van Meter's Plight

Doug Jacobs, Grant County, 1966, as told to him by Mrs. Frank Van Meter of Dorcas.

Motifs -E422.1.1 : Headless revenant; E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

44. The Old Man's Reward

Sammy Skeen, Ripley, 1966.

Motifs — E422.1.1: Headless revenant; E371: Return from dead to reveal hidden treasure.

45. The Headless Man

Nancy Ice, 1965.

Motifs — E265: Meeting ghost causes misfortune; E422.1.1: Headless revenant.

46. Dog Rock

Richard Stickler, 1964, as told to him by Lawrence Conaway.

Motif - E521.2.2: Headless ghost of dog.

47. The Headless Dog of Tug Fork

Sammy Skeen, Ripley, 1966.

Motifs - E521.2.2: Headless ghost of dog; E272.2: Ghost rides behind rider on horse.

48. The Legend of the Haunted House

Diana Musgrave, Clarksburg area, 1965, as told to her by her grandfather. It is one of the few legends sincerely believed by the people of this area.

Motifs — E337.1.1: Murder sounds heard just as they must have happened at time of death; E337.2: Re-enactment of tragedy seen; E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune (ghosts haunt).

49. The Man on the Railroad

Kathleen Christy, 1967, as told to her by her grandmother, Mrs. Jack Hedmond, whose parents actually remembered the event in Colliers. The great-grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. Petrelle.

Motif — E337.2: Re-enactment of tragedy seen.

50. The Girl in the Green Coat

Nancy Ice, 1965.

Motif — E337.2: Re-enactment of tragedy seen.

51. The Blue Gown

Brenda Lilly, 1966, as told by her friend's father, Mr. Sirk, who had this experience as a boy.

Motif — E337.2: Re-enactment of tragedy seen.

52. Returning Suicide

Mrs. Gerry Vilor, Fairmont, 1968.

Motifs — E281: Ghosts haunt house; E293: Ghosts frighten people (deliberately).

53. The Old Gray Mare Conquers the Unknown

Myra Townsend, Huntington area, 1963, as told by her great-uncle.

Motif — E421.1: Invisible ghosts.

54. The Haunted House of Shell Creek

Kathy Willey, student from Cambridge, Maryland, 1966.

Motif — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune.

55. The Light in Mother's Room

Theresa Britton, Rowlesburg, 1966.

Motif — E419: Other restless dead (mother cannot rest when children quarrel about property).

56. The Lynchers

Harvey Thorp, Grafton, 1968.

Motifs — E234.3: Return from dead to avenge death (murder); E234.4: Ghost an unjustly executed man.

57. The Cline House

Robert Fertig, Hardy County, 1966.

Motif — E281.0.1: Ghost kills man who stays in haunted house.

58. The Seated Lady

Sheila Ireland.

Motifs — E210: Dead lover's malevolent return (variation); E273: Churchyard ghosts.

59. The Power of Love

Pat Cloan, Weston, 1966, as told to him by old J. W. Collins, the cemetery caretaker near Pat's home.

Motifs — El : Person comes to life; E165: Resuscitation of wife by husband giving up half his remaining lifetime (variation; actually, through
love
here); El25 : Resuscitation by relative (husband).

60. Death of a Minister's Wife

Pam Parrish, 1967, as told by her Great-uncle Bruce, as a family experience.

Motifs — El : Person comes to life; E58: Resuscitation by weeping; E63: Resuscitation by prayer; E177: Resuscitated man (woman) relates visions of beyond.

61. Lamented Love

Myra Townsend, Huntington area, 1963, as told to her father by his Aunt Pearl, when he was a young boy living on a farm.

Motifs — E275: Ghost haunts place of great accident or misfortune; E631: Reincarnation as plant (tree) growing from grave.

62. The Rosebush

Harvey Thorp, Grafton, 1965, as told to him by his Aunt Georgia, who heard it when she was a girl.

Motif — É631: Reincarnation as plant (tree) growing from grave.

63. The Dead Girl Revived

Mrs. Mary McDougal, Fairmont, 1972.

Motifs — El : Person comes to life; E127: Resuscitation by friends.

64. Twice Twins

Pat Sloan, Weston, 1966, as told to him by his Aunt Martha, who knew the widow involved. (Names have been changed.)

Motifs — E610: Reincarnation as animal; E611.5: Man reincarnated as cat.

65. The Dog That Came Back

Martha Jane Neer, 1964, as told to her by an old man in the southern part of the state.

Motifs — E658: Reincarnation: animal to another animal; E693: Reincarnation for revenge.

66. Eloise

Stanley Twarnowski, as a supposedly true family experience.

Motif — E725.1: Soul leaves man's body and enters animal's.

67. Forewarned

Harvey Thorp, Grafton, 1968, as told to him by his grandmother.

Motif — D1810.8.3.2: Dream warns of danger which will happen in near future.

68. A Forecasted Death

Theresa Britton, Rowlesburg, 1966, as told to her by her grand-parents.

Motifs — D1812.0.1: Foreknowledge of hour of death (variation); B120.0.1: Animals have second sight; B141.2.1: Horse weeps for master's (saint's) approaching death (variation).

69. The Fortune-Teller's Prophecy

Theresa Britton, Rowlesburg, 1966, as told to her by her grand-mother.

Motifs — D1712: Soothsayer; N323: Parricide prophecy unwittingly fulfilled.

70. The Warning Light

Richard Stickler, Marion County, 1964, as told to him by Mrs. Luella Freeland of Monumental, as her own experience.

Motif — E530.1.5: Ghost light indicates impending calamity.

71. Vision in the Snow

Myra Townsend, Huntington area, 1963, as told to her by her father.

Motif - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker.

72. The Sweater

John Marchio, Shinnston, 1967, as told to him by his uncle.

Motif - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker.

73. The Breviary

Larry Torchia, Clarksburg, 1965, as told by another priest.

Motifs - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker(s); E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

74. The Plaid Blanket

Carol Marks, 1966.

Motif - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker.

75. The Lost Couple

Mrs. Gerry Vilor, Fairmont, 1968.

Motif - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker.

76. The Living Corpse

David Shaffer, Marion County, 1965, as told to him by his grandmother.

Motif - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker.

77. The Unhappy Bride

Claudia Kopp, 1966, as told to her by a friend whose grandmother knew the boys who picked the girl up. This was supposed to have happened in the northern part of the state.

Motifs-E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker; E334.2.3: Ghost of tragic lover haunts scene of tragedy.

78. The Vanishing Lady in Black

Linda Richards, 1967, as told to her by her roommate, whose uncle was Mr. Alex Jennings.

Motif — E334: Non-malevolent ghost haunts scene of former misfortune, crime, or tragedy.

79. The Phantom Lady

Kathy Willey, Cambridge, Maryland, 1966; supposedly a relative's experience.

Motif - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker.

80. Hitchhiker at Follansbee

Larry Bell, 1968, as told to him by Tom Smarila of Follansbee.

Motif - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker.

81. The Restless Soul

Sheila Ireland, 1965.

Motif — E415.4: Dead cannot rest until money debts are paid.

82. The Muddy Gown

Kathy Gettings, 1966, as told to her mother by one of her Italian friends.

Motifs — E300: Friendly return from the dead; E720.1: Souls of human beings seen in dream.

83. The Roadside Stranger

Richard Browning, 1965.

Motifs - E332.3.3.1: The Vanishing Hitchhiker; E363.3: Ghost warns the living.

84. A Boy and His Dog

Record of contributor's name lost.

Motif — E377: Return from dead to teach living (variation: to show by luminous light where the bodies are, or help locate them).

85. The Phantom Bridesmaid

Harvey Thorp, Grafton, 1964, as told to him by his grandmother, who lived her entire life in Mannington, West Virginia. She heard this at a creamery where she worked.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

86. Friendship Never Dies

Thomas Schoffler, Ravenswood, 1968, as told to him by his uncle, who spent two years in Vietnam as a marine sergeant.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

87. The Night of the Stranger

David Stuart, Philippi, 1965. Told to him by his fiancée as her own experience.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

88. How?

Larry Bell, 1968. Told to him by Mr. Dewayne Poling of Vienna in Wood County, West Virginia, as his own experience.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

89. Old Dork

Bob Parker, Grant Town, 1964.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

90. Dead Man's Curve

Bob Carpenter, 1966, as told to him by a friend from Grafton.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

91. The Doctor's Warning

Harvey Thorp, Grafton, 1966.

Motif-E363 : Ghost returns to aid living.

92. The Storm

Linda Rogers, Webster Springs, 1965.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

93. Ghost Father to the Rescue

Denver Kendall, Smithfield area, 1965, as told to him by his father.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

94. A Timely Warning

David Cimino, Fairmont area, 1964.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

95. The Ghost of the Rails

Theresa Britton, Rowlesburg, 1966, as told by a neighbor, the Mr. Lantz of the story.

Motif — E363: Ghost returns to aid living.

96. The Lady in White

John Marks, 1969, as told in his family.

Motif — E363.1: Ghost aids living in emergency.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baughman, Ernest W.
Type and Motif Index of the Folktales of
England and North America.
Indiana University Folklore Series, no. 20. The Hague: Mouton, 1966.

Beardsley, Richard K., and Hankey, Rosalie. “A History of the Vanishing Hitchhiker.”
California Folklore Quarterly
2(1943): 13-44.

_______. “The Vanishing Hitchhiker.”
California Folklore Quarterly
1(1942): 303-35.

Byrne, Patrick.
Irish Ghost Stories.
Cork: Mercier Press, 1968.

Carmer, Carl.
The Screaming Ghost and Other Stories.
New York: Knopf, 1956.

Creighton, Helen.
Bluenose Ghosts.
Toronto: Ryerson, 1957.

Harden, John.
Tar Heel Ghosts.
Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1954.