Monstrous urban legends (or cryptids) from the Appalachian state of West Virginia, specifically Mothman, the Flatwoods Monster, and the Grafton Monster, have gone from local tales of horror to international popular culture icons known and loved around the world. While the stories of these creatures have long been familiar to cryptid enthusiasts, more recently these legends have had an impact on the communities surrounding them and entire cultures abroad. Using models from dark tourism studies, first-hand interviews, on-location observations, translated documents,and various folkloric and monster study sources, the effects of these cryptids upon the areas from which they hail are observed and compared as well as the impact they have made upon popularculture both in the United States and in other countries such as Japan. This thesis will explorehow the towns of Point Pleasant, Flatwoods, and Grafton, West Virginia use these legends as a means of financial income and how they are integral parts of their cultural identities.

This one-volume encyclopedia introduces readers to the world's cryptids-those hidden or secret animals believed to exist at the margins of human society-including Bigfoot, Yeti, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Mothman. Comprehensive in its scope, this book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to know more about well-known creatures of myth and legend, such as the Chupacabra and the Jersey Devil, and discover lesser-known animals, such as the Bunyip of Australia and the Mamlambo of South Africa. Rather than purport to prove or deny the existence of these creatures, however, this volume classifies them within their respective cultural, historical, and social contexts, allowing readers to appreciate cryptids as cultural artifacts important to societies around the globe. Finally, this book goes beyond the study of the unknown to investigate who believes in cryptids, why they do, and why the study of cryptozoology is as much about understanding cryptids as it is about understanding ourselves.

West Virginia ghost stories, legends, haunts, and folklore- including the Rowlesburg Misty Ghost Legend of Seneca Rocks, Twistabout Ridge, Stretchers Neck, Thurmond, Hawks Nest State Park, Booger Hole, Route 901 Bloody Hands, Wheeling haunts like Hempfield Tunnel and Wetzel's Cave, Harpers Ferry ghosts . . .and over a 100 ghost stories, legends, and folklore of West Virginia.

West Virginia Ghost Stories - Local legends passed down for generations in the hills and hollers . . . Discover the ghostly side of the Mountain State!Trains once slowed when nearing a railway tunnel not far from the town of Cairo because a ghostly girl in a pale dress, raven-colored hair, and wearing golden slippers would appear along the tracks. One engineer boasted that he would run right through her if she tried to slow him down. One night he did, and later regretted that decision . . . at the Silver Run Tunnel.Pictures of the Haunted Places and addresses/GPS so you can find them! Haunted Rail Trails and Hikes! Discover the real ghost stories and legends like the White Woman of Silver Run!Trans Allegheny Lunatic AsylumThe ghosts of Harpers FerryGhost dog of Laurel Creek FordGreenbrier GhostDroop Mountain Battlefield haunts22 Mine RoadHatfield and McCoy hauntsLegend of John HenryDevil BabySilver Run TunnelFlinderation TunnelOver 80 terrifying ghost stories and old tales of the macabre passed down and packed into this book and including:Haunted Hikes - Addresses/GPS to find the ghosts and haunt.Haunted Rail Trails!Spooky Cemeteries.Headless ghosts, ghosts that walk the Rail Trail, old haunted hotels, banshees, and Civil War ghosts.

Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Mountain State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Rosemary Ellen Guiley shines a light in the dark corners of Virginia and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From the headless ghosts wandering Droop Mountain to the tortured spirits of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, there’s no shortage of bone-chilling tales to keep you up at night. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

Translated into over thirteen languages, John Keel's The Mothman Prophecy is an unsettling true story of the paranormal that has long been regarded as a classic in the literature of the unexplained. West Virginia, 1966. For thirteen months the town of Point Pleasant is gripped by a real-life nightmare culminating in a tragedy that makes headlines around the world. Strange occurrences and sightings, including a bizarre winged apparition that becomes known as the Mothman, trouble this ordinary American community. Mysterious lights are seen moving across the sky. Domestic animals are found slaughtered and mutilated. And journalist John Keel, arriving to investigate the freakish events, soon finds himself an integral part of an eerie and unfathomable mystery. The Mothman Prophecy is the basis of the 2002 film starring Richard Gere. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.