Let’s get back on the road again, traveler, and discuss some tales of warning and woe. Perhaps you already know the warnings of taking your lover on a late-night excursion to a secluded location. As exciting as it may seem to have some solitary time for romance, sometimes it pays to be cautious of your surroundings.
 
You have heard of “The Hook,” haven’t you? It is a common story, really. Two teenagers sneak away together under the cover of night. Just when they start to really enjoy each other’s company, their mood is soured by a disturbing radio announcement: A killer is on the loose in the area! Beware of a man who has a hook for a hand!
 
The girl grows concerned and demands that they return home immediately. The boy, in much frustration, eventually obliges. Once they return home and exit the vehicle, a bloody hook is found on the door handle. Clearly, they had escaped in the nick of time.
 
This is a common story, and the veracity of it is suspect, of course. However, what if I told you that sometimes the monster in the story wasn’t so…human?
 
Wisconsin holds such a legend. Long ago, a young married couple naively took their wagon up a treacherous winding road in the middle of the night. This was a grave error, as the carriage was unable to make the journey and broke down. The husband decided to walk back toward civilization to retrieve assistance while his wife remained behind with the wagon. Already nervous to be left alone under such circumstances, she became absolutely petrified when, in the middle of the night, she heard odd animalistic sounds outside. When she tried to catch a glimpse of what could be making such noises, she was greeted with the sight of a fur covered creature that had the horned head and face of a goat but was standing upright on two legs. Unwilling to leave wagon, she cowered in it until daybreak. It was then that the new bride saw something even more terrifying than the goatman itself…cloven tracks in the dirt that led to a tree covered in her husband’s blood which had dripped out of his body as it draped over the branches.
 
Ever since that fateful night, the creature still prowls for any waylaid travelers or, sometimes, it forces accidents to happen so that it can have a bit of fun. Today there would be no excuse to tempt such fate. The legend is well known. Travelers have been warned.
 
By this point, traveler, you may be wondering why I am sharing such tales with you this evening. It is simple, really: always be aware of your surroundings, don’t immediately dismiss local legends…and don’t be surprised when the unexpected comes to pass….
 


 
Until next time,
Heather
 
 
Further Reading:
 
Brunvand, J. H. (2003). The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings. New York, NY: Norton.

Couch, J. N. (2014). Goatman: Flesh or folklore? West Bend, WI: Self-pub.
 
https://richfieldhistoricalsociety.org/story_mysteries%20of%20hogsback%20road.html
 
 
 

Up into the Caravan we go, traveler! We have no choice but to follow!
 
Let us gently open the door and see what may be inside our humble vardo that is of interest to our otherworldly friend.
 
Oh! It is heading toward the back shelves. I know we have a spirit board back there. Perhaps that is what we are to grab. It would make communication much easier between us and a headless spirit, wouldn’t it?
 
Yes, it is pulling you toward the shelf with the board…no wait! It is pulling to the bottom shelf?!
 
How…interesting…
 
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There is a story deep in the hollers of Appalachia that tells us of a bold young traveler who needed a place to rest for the night. Upon finding a farm, he inquired if he could stay…just for the evening, as he would be heading out the next morning. The farmer did not have any lodgings available but offered him some food. Unsatisfied with sleeping without proper shelter, the traveler inquired about a house across the creek. The farmer explained that the house was hainted and no one had dared stay there for any length of time in many years. Unfazed, the young man asked for some food and headed over to the long-abandoned house. He would not be frightened by any haints. He was too proud for that.
 
Throughout the evening, as he was cooking his food over the fire, he was approached by a couple of apparitions. A black cat jumped down the chimney, followed by a dog. He shooed both of them away. Satisfied with his meal, he headed up to one of the bedrooms, only to later return to the fire downstairs after tangling with an unseen spirit over the bedsheets.
 
After going back downstairs, he was soon aware of another apparition. This time, the spirits were preceded by sounds. At first awful noises echoed down the staircase from the upper floor, then it slowly turned into a pleasing fiddle tune. It was not long before a girl and a fiddler descended the staircase at the bequest of the traveler. He listened to their music and watched her dance for a while before dismissing them. They went back upstairs.
 
The final haint for the evening descended shortly thereafter. It was a coffin with a hammer upon it. Unwilling to be frightened by such a sight, he approached the coffin, grabbed the hammer, and opened it. A headless corpse was inside. The traveler, harkening back to stories from his youth, asked the corpse, in the name of God, what it was doing in the house.
 
The ghost spoke to the traveler and explained that he was the owner of the property who had been killed by robbers ten years prior. He wanted the traveler to summon his sons there and let them know that the robbers did not find what they sought. His treasure was still in the house, under the hearthstone.
 
The spirit’s final wish was to have his sons return home and find his fortune. He wanted them to split it evenly between themselves and the traveler who was the first to actually stay in the house the entire night. After this came to fruition, the owner’s spirit was at rest. The house had no more ghostly activity.

Just as we saw with the ghost of Zona Shue, a spirit can find rest when its business is finished.
 
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I must say, I am surprised that the willow appears to be leading us to this old hand carved box. It is beautiful, isn’t it? Dark wood…walnut, I believe. It is locked. It has remained unopened since it came into my possession.
 
This box was given to me by a traveling salesman I met alongside a road many years ago. In fact, I purchased a handful of items from him that day…a very interesting fellow, indeed. But this box he insisted I take with me. To be honest, I admired it from the moment I saw it, but I hadn’t even inquired about it as it seemed almost too precious to take. I was drawn to it.
 
…I think, now, that he could sense that.
 
Yes, he handed it to me with two keys. He told me that it would be best for me to hold onto it for a while and not give in to any sort of curiosity about what may be inside. He said that I would know when the box would want to be opened. Maybe we should look at it a little closer. Let me get it off the shelf…
 
SNAP!
 
The willow bent so hard that it broke! This must be the time to look inside! Now to find the keys…
 
The keys…
 
I only have one left now. It is here around my neck…the other one, as you may remember, is buried at the crossroads.
 
Well, let me see if this one works…
 
It is sticking a little, but…there we go!
 
What a beautiful pocket watch! It is like new! There is an inscription on the inside.
 
To my dearest Joseph,
May you never miss another one of our dates again.
All my love,
Elizabeth
 
This must have belonged to our headless ghost! His beloved Elizabeth surely would have wanted Joseph buried with such a treasure. I wonder why he was separated from something so sentimental. Well, that is of no concern now. The watch has found its way back to its owner. Let us take it to him!
 
 
 
 
 
Until next time,
Heather
 
 
 


Further Reading:
Roberts, L. W. (1980). Old Greasybeard: Tales from the Cumberland Gap. Pikeville, KY: Pikeville College Press.
 

Perfect choice! Yes, it seems some magic is within you, traveler! This branch is facing the east and is beautifully forked just as needed.
 
You do know what we are to do now, right? First, we must thank the willow for allowing us to use her branch. Then, we are going to see exactly how much of that magic is in you!
 
Here hold it like this: One end of each fork of the Y in your hands, palms up, thumb over the branch. Now, squeeze and slightly push the forked parts together just enough to have some tension. Yes! Exactly!
 
Ask it to show you ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ It appears that yes is indicated by the pointed end going downward and no is it going up. Wonderful!
 
Now…as we have no clue what Joseph wants us to find, I think you should start turning slowly until the rod goes downward so we can have an idea of which way to start walking.
 
Interesting, we are to head away from the cemetery. It seems as if we are being directed back toward the Caravan.
 
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Dowsing exists in many forms and has been around for longer than most of us realize. Cultures from around the world have stories of divination and the tools used to achieve knowledge of hidden items.
 
Pendulums, wands, angle rods, divining rods, and even one’s own body can be utilized to locate objects. Perhaps the most well-known example of this is ‘water-witching’ where someone who is skilled in divining pinpoints the proper location to dig for a well with the use of rods or a forked branch.
 
“Witching” can also refer to seeking out lost treasures or even burial locations. For example, if one comes across an old cemetery that has few markers, witching may be able to indicate the lost location of unmarked graves. This technique is still used today, actually.
 
Rhabdomancy is the term used for divining with a stick or a rod made of metal (or even plastic if you would prefer). Depending on the tradition, there are particular times of the year as well as types of wood used to perfect the divining rod. Some Appalachian traditions indicate that the Y-shaped branch can only be obtained from the eastward facing part of the tree during a full moon. Some are particular about the branch being from a willow tree while others may call for apple trees or any other tree that provides supple branches that will not break when tension is applied to them. While Scandinavian traditions, on the other hand, can call for mistletoe, birch, hazel, or rowan wood. Depending on the goal of the divination, the wood would have to be arranged in a certain way and could only be utilized by a particular individual.
 
When one speaks of dowsing rods, perhaps the most popular image that comes to mind is that of two metal rods bent into an “L” shape that have the ability to cross over one another. In order to get the most accurate sense of how the rods feel when they start to move, it is recommended to hold them over a bowl of water or even a faucet with water flowing freely. It won’t take long before you are able to witness how the rods move without your personal interference.
 
Pendulums are similar in nature. Although water is not a necessity, it is important to hold the pendulum by the end of the chain (rope, cord, or whatever may be tied to the stone/metal weight at the end of it). Steady the pendulum so that it is still and then ask for the sign for ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Typically, a distinct movement will appear for each of these. This allows for one to communicate with spirits as well as locate objects. Pendulums are usually used indoors, although not always, while dowsing rods are used for much larger outdoor areas.
 
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We are nearing the Caravan now. Stop! Ask the willow if we are to go into the vardo…
 
Yes?!
 
Alright then…perhaps there is something INSIDE which we acquired prior that is of importance. Let’s step up into the Caravan and see if our willow branch gives us direction….
 
 
Until next time,
Heather
 
 
 
Further Reading:
Besterman, Theodore. “The Folklore of Dowsing.” Folklore, vol. 37, no. 2, 30 June 1926, pp. 113–133.
Rasbold, Katrina. Crossroads of Conjure: The Roots and Practices of Granny Magic, Hoodoo, Brujería, and Curanderismo. Llewellyn Worldwide, 2019.
Webster, Richard. Dowsing for Beginners: How to Find Water, Wealth, and Lost Objects. Llewellyn Publications, 2003.
Richards, Jake. Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic from Appalachia. Weiser Books, 2019.