Episode 81: Fairies of Appalachia

Fairies in Appalachia?Absolutely—but forget the tiny wings, glitter, and happily-ever-afters.Long before the modern fairy tale, the Fair Folk of European folklore were mysterious, unpredictable, and sometimes dangerous beings that demanded respect. And when Scots-Irish, German, and other European settlers crossed the Atlantic, they brought those old beliefs with them into the Appalachian Mountains.In this episode of Poisoned Appalachia, we trace those stories from the forests and mountains of the Old World into the hollers of Appalachia. We’ll explore the Fae of Scottish and Irish tradition, supernatural beings found in German folklore, and how generations of immigration helped transform these ancient beliefs into something distinctly Appalachian.Because our ancestors didn’t cross the ocean empty-handed.Their stories came with them.And some of those stories found a very comfortable home in the mountains.