The Paranorm Girl

This episode is all about the hairy… and the monstrous in Appalachia.
Before we move on to other types of cryptids, we’re stepping into a category that shows up again and again across sightings, folklore, and firsthand accounts: massive, humanoid, hair-covered creatures lurking just beyond the tree line.
We begin by closing the chapter on the Wampus Cat—wrapping up our ongoing side quest and sharing where that journey has ultimately led.
Then we widen the lens.
In this episode:
The Knobby Bigfoot sightings in North Carolina—and the 911 calls tied to them
A lesser known report of a Bigfoot carrying a baby in Virginia
Werewolf and canine-like humanoid encounters reported across the Virginias
And finally… the less documented, but deeply intriguing potential of cat-like humanoid beings

Strange things be afoot in the backwoods of Appalachia. 
Things all too hairy. Massive. And just watching from afar.
Stay safe. Keep the nightlight on. And sleep with one eye open.

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SOURCES: 

The Wampus Cat of Appalachia; Catawampus Critters, Cherokee Masks and Mountain Memory: https://appalachianhistorian.org/the-wampus-cat-of-appalachia-catawampus-critters-cherokee-masks-and-mountain-memory/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
The Story of the Wampus Cat by Dave Tabler: https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2017/10/story-of-wampus-cat.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Demon on the Woods by Charles Edwin Price: https://archive.org/details/demoninwoodstall0000pric/page/10/mode/2up
Bear or Bigfoot, Knobby’s got ‘em buzzin: http://bigfootencounters.com/articles/knobby.htm
Folks were looking for Knobby back in 1979: http://bigfootencounters.com/stories/knobby.htm
The Business of Bigfoot: https://www.charlottemagazine.com/the-business-of-bigfoot/
Pocono Wildman: https://www.cryptopia.us/site/2015/02/pocono-wildman-pennsylvania-usa/
Westmoreland Wildman: https://www.cryptopia.us/site/2015/06/westmoreland-wildman-pennsylvania-usa/
Bedford Co. Dispatch Gets Bigfoot Call: https://wset.com/news/local/bedford-co-dispatch-gets-bigfoot-call
Demon Creature: https://www.wvghosts.com/true-stories/cryptozoology/demon-creature/
West Virginia’s Werewolf Hitchhiker: https://theresashauntedhistoryofthetri-state.blogspot.com/2018/10/west-virginias-werewolf-hitchhiker.html
Monsters of West Virginia by Rosemary Ellen Guiley: https://www.everand.com/read/652869514/Monsters-of-West-Virginia-Mysterious-Creatures-in-the-Mountain-State?_gl=1*hhspnh*_up*MQ..*_ga*NDIxMzAwNDc2LjE3NzQyMDgxODI.*_ga_DVE36KXX3G*czE3NzQyMDgxODEkbzEkZzAkdDE3NzQyMDgxODEkajYwJGwwJGgw
Virginia Werewolf Cryptid: https://www.spookyappalachia.com/virginia-werewolf-cryptid/
Great Dismal Swamp Werewolf Encounter: https://northamericandogmanproject.com/encounters
Chasing American Monsters by Nick Redfern: https://www.everand.com/book/399579309/Chasing-American-Monsters-Over-250-Creatures-Cryptids-Hairy-Beasts?_gl=1*5bmruc*_up*MQ..*_ga*NDE4NDI3NzE2LjE3NzQyMDk2NDg.*_ga_DVE36KXX3G*czE3NzQyMDk2NDckbzEkZzAkdDE3NzQyMDk2NDckajYwJGwwJGgw
Lougawou; A Haitian Vodou Werewolf: https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/lougawou.htm
6 foot tall ‘cat humanoid’ terrorizes boy scouts at norther virginia camp: https://phantomsandmonsters.com/post/416566780757522192
Nightmarexjas "Cat Man" Encounter: https://www.tiktok.com/@nightmarexjas/video/7335272687654210859?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7145241069697254958

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Next Airing: April 9, 2026 | 6pm PST/8pm CST
Topic: Your Worst Nightmares, Your Best Premonitions

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#bigfoot911 #sasquatch #appalachia #werewolf #catpeople #humanoid #paranormal

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You enter the woods expecting peace.
You don’t expect to see something that shouldn’t exist.
In this episode of The Paranorm Girl Podcast, we explore terrifying and strange Appalachian cryptid encounters that blur the line between misidentification, folklore, and something far too real.
We’re covering:
The Not Deer phenomenon in Appalachia — forward-facing eyes, wrong-jointed legs, uncanny valley response
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) vs. shapeshifter lore
Ongoing reports of Black Panther sightings in Appalachia and theories ranging from outright fabrication to melanistic cougars
The internet-born legend of The Rake — and why it matters in paranormal research
The chilling 2021 Pender County 911 call involving a “not human” pale humanoid creature
The creature many now call the Pale Crawler

We also discuss how modern internet horror can blur into real-world sightings — and reports of a so-called “Glimmer Man” — a cloaked, predator-like entity described as a shimmering distortion in the woods.
Are these creatures misidentified wildlife? Escaped exotics? Viral mythology bleeding into our reality?
Or are people across Appalachia seeing something that truly shouldn’t exist?
Stay safe.
Keep the nightlight on.
And sleep with one eye open.

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SOURCES: 
The uncanny tales of the Not-Deer: https://sharonahill.com/the-uncanny-tales-of-the-not-deer/
Mountain Lion or Cougar: https://www.richwooders.com/appalachian/wildlife/cougar.htm?
Appalachian Black Panther: https://itsmth.fandom.com/wiki/Appalachian_Black_Panther?
Are there large mystery cats in west virginia: https://www.appalachianoddity.org/are-there-large-mystery-cats-in-west-virginia/?
From the woods of Montgomery County, AR: https://www.argenweb.net/montgomery/panther.htm?
Black Panthers in Appalachia: https://www.reddit.com/r/Cryptozoology/comments/rgl4py/black_panthers_in_appalachia/
REAL 911 Audio: Dispatch Call Logs Reveal CLASS A Rake Encounter in North Carolina: https://youtu.be/acK1v75u6CM?si=r9-7dfDbuFuiRU1u
Red River Gorge; Humanoid encounter: https://phantomsandmonsters.com/post/2178686811357292852
Dancing Glimmer Man: https://www.reddit.com/r/ParanormalEncounters/comments/1grvrxq/glimmer_man_encounter_in_woods/
Phantoms and Monsters Blog: https://phantomsandmonsters.com/

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Next Airing: March 6, 2026 | 6pm PST/8pm CST
Topic: Stranger Danger | Creepiest Stranger Encounters

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Appalachian folklore is crowded with things that aren’t what they appear to be.
In today’s episode, we begin our exploration of Beasts of the Backwoods with a peek into Appalachian shapeshifters—entities that wear faces, borrow voices, and can dangerously blur the line between the familiar and the not quite right. From Native legends like Spearfinger and the Raven Mocker, to European doppelgängers, changelings and Werewolves, to African trickster archetypes — a pattern begins to emerge across culture, place and time.
At the center of it all is a modern name for an ancient behavior: the Mimic.
Rather than attacking outright, this entity is said to patiently wait, diligently observe—biding it’s time learning voices, mannerisms, and relationships in order to imitate something it has never been. Human. It hides in plain sight. Presenting something familiar. And we will only know it by the sinking discomfort in our belly. And the things it couldn’t get right. 
Whoever said imitation was the best form of flattery — obviously never considered the Mimic.
While this episode isn’t about jump scares or campfire tales—my hope is that listeners walk away feeling simultaneously creeped, yet intrigued enough to ask new questions. Why does the idea of imitation unsettle us so? Why does the concept of imposter show up across the world, in differing folklores and throughout time? Why are we equipped with the strangely specific intuitive Uncanny Valley Response, causing us to fear things that appear human, when they in fact, are not? 
🎧 Stay safe. Keep the nightlight on. And sleep with one eye open.

#Appalachia #mimic #werewolf #dogman #entity #folklore #ravenmocker #spearfinger #paranormal #uncannyvalley

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SOURCES: 
The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees by James Mooney: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24788/24788-h/24788-h.htm 
The Raven Mocker; Sacred Texts: https://sacred-texts.com/nam/cher/motc/motc120.htm
Raven Mocker: The Life Stealer: https://mythlok.com/raven-mocker/
Myths of the Cherokee: https://archive.org/details/cu31924104080076/page/n445/mode/2up
Raven Mocker; Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven_Mocker
The Cryptid that Eats Hearts; The Raven Mocker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2KNnSqCh0k
Appalachian Folklore Unveiled by Darkness Prevails: https://www.scribd.com/document/869193752/OceanofPDF-com-Appalachian-Folklore-Unveiled-Darkness-Prevails#page=1
Boo Hag: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boo_hag
The Story of the Wampus Cat: https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2017/10/story-of-wampus-cat.html 
Recent Report of Werewolves (North Carolina): https://www.facebook.com/werewolflegends/posts/there-was-a-recent-report-of-werewolves-in-north-carolina-between-hayesville-and/953922769759275/
The Legend of the Pettigrew State Park Werewolf: https://lilysloreandlegends.blogspot.com/2025/02/the-legend-of-pettigrew-werewolf.html
Dogman Encounters: https://dogmanencounters.com/encounters-sightings/
Wolf Woman of Mobile: https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/8hrvxf/cryptid_1970s_wolf_woman_of_mobile_alabama/
Anderson County Werewolf of 1945 Remains Mystery: https://www.andersonobserver.com/news/anderson-werewolf-of-1945-remains-mystery-3
The Story of the Georgia Werewolf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptdq7FNDp0w
North American Dogman Project: https://northamericandogmanproject.com/nadp-members
The Appalachian Mimic; When the Mountains Speak in Familiar Voices by Bee Williams: https://www.traditionallegends.com/post/the-appalachian-mimic-when-the-mountains-speak-in-familiar-voices

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Next Airing: March 5, 2026 | 5pm PST/7pm CST
Topic: Stranger Danger | Creepiest Stranger Encounters

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“Don’t whistle at night.”
“If you hear your name from the woods — no you didn’t.”
“Don’t look in the trees.”
Today we explore the “Rules of Appalachia” — modern warnings that have captured the internet’s imagination — additionally, we’ll learn some traditional Appalachian superstitions for luck, love and money — ways and wards to protect against curses, hexes, haints and… the evil eye… along with beliefs surrounding brooms, horseshoes, weather signs and …excessive admiration???

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SOURCES: 
Appalachian Superstitions and Wives-Tales: https://holystonesandironbones.com/2018/01/02/appalachian-superstitions-and-wives-tales/ 
Appalachian Superstitions and Wives-Tales II: https://holystonesandironbones.com/2018/01/10/appalachian-superstitions-and-wives-tales-ii/ 
Appalachian Superstitions: A Journey into the Mystical Beliefs of the Mountains: https://appalachianmemories.org/2024/12/03/appalachian-superstitions-a-journey-into-the-mystical-beliefs-of-the-mountains/ 
Never Say “Pig” on a Boat – Appalachia’s Superstitions and Old Wives’ Tales: https://www.appalachiabare.com/never-say-pig-on-a-boat-appalachias-superstitions-and-old-wives-tales/ 
Folklore Files: The Appalachian Rules: https://paranormalcasefiles.com/p/folklore-files-the-appalachian-rules 
The Evil Eye in Appalachia: https://holystonesandironbones.com/2018/02/10/the-evil-eye-in-appalachia/ 
Whistling at Night: https://folklore.usc.edu/whistling-at-night-2/ 
Powwowing in PA: https://www.scribd.com/document/790868511/Powwowing-in-PA?v=0.906 
Backwoods Witchcraft: https://www.everand.com/read/406077222/Backwoods-Witchcraft-Conjure-Folk-Magic-from-Appalachia 
Witches, ghosts, and signs : folklore of the Southern Appalachians: https://archive.org/details/witchesghostssig0000unse 
The Enchanted Hills: Superstitions of Appalachia Examining the Line Between Belief and Folklore in the Mountain Region: https://appalachianmemories.org/2025/06/06/the-enchanted-hills-superstitions-of-appalachia-examining-the-line-between-belief-and-folklore-in-the-mountain-region/ 
Don’t Look at the Trees- The Unspoken Rules of Appalachia: https://appalachianmemories.org/2025/02/17/dont-look-at-the-trees-the-unspoken-rules-of-appalachia/ 

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Next Airing: TBA 2026 | 5pm PST/7pm CST
Topic: TBA

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Death in Appalachia wasn’t distant, sanitized, or hidden away. It was intimate, communal, and deeply ritualized. Families washed and dressed their dead, kept vigil through the night, watched for omens, and followed tradition meant to protect both the living and the departed.
In this episode of The Paranorm Girl Podcast, we explore Appalachian death culture and the beliefs, omens and rituals that shaped it — from sin eaters to death omens, black dogs, death doors, and funeral customs that took place inside of Appalachian’s homes.
We’ll examine:
The practice of Sin Eating in Appalachia and the Ozarks
Why mirrors were covered, clocks stopped, and bodies never left alone
Death omens like black dogs, birds, and innocent signs of approaching loss
A strange connection between Appalachian death beliefs and Eastern European vampire lore
Why death doors existed — and whom they protected
How Appalachian home funerals persisted before modern funerary practices changed folk’s relationship with death
Death in the backwoods was a familiar face. One, which could be anticipated — its approach, recognizable by the signs. And if those failed, it was an inevitability treated with respect, reverence and care. A threshold upon which many worlds met — where communities gathered to participate in a final act of love before sending someone out their Death Door into the hereafter. 

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SOURCES: 
Backwoods Witchcraft: https://www.everand.com/read/406077222/Backwoods-Witchcraft-Conjure-Folk-Magic-from-Appalachia
Witches, Ghosts and Signs by Patrick Gainer: https://archive.org/details/witchesghostssig0000unse/page/140/mode/2up 
Death Superstitions and Traditions in Appalachia: https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/death-superstitions-and-traditions-in-appalachia/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
An Old Time Appalachian Burial: https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2023/07/an-old-time-appalachian-burial.html 
Foxfire 2; “Old Time Burials”: https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Survival/Farming, Animalraising,Homesteading/foxfirebooks/Foxfire-Book-2.pdf 
Death, Dying and Funeral Customs in Appalachia: https://shepherdcomm.wordpress.com/2022/04/26/death-dying-and-funeral-customs-in-appalachia/ 
Local Legends: Appalachian Death Rituals: https://highlandecho.com/local-legends-appalachian-death-rituals/  
Sitting up with the Dead; a Cherished Appalachian Tradition: https://appalachianmemories.org/2024/12/12/sitting-up-with-the-dead-a-cherished-appalachian-tradition/ 
The Death Culture of Southern Appalachia: https://soar.wichita.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/87c8f977-2543-404b-9a16-83dcd2c2a049/content  
Folklore and folk stories of Wales: https://archive.org/details/afl2317.0001.001.umich.edu/page/48/mode/1up 
Haunted Kentucky Facebook (Hellhound) Story: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hauntedhistoryofkentucky/posts/4170558262990045/  
The Demon Dog Of Valle Crucis, North Carolina; Legends & Folklore of Appalachia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7lr76if7f8&t=68s
Demon dog of Valle Crucis: https://northcarolinaghosts.com/mountains/the-demon-dog-of-valle-crucis/
Reddit encounter story part 1 and 2 with the Demon Dog of Valle Crucis in Modern times: https://www.reddit.com/r/BackwoodsCreepy/comments/9rx8te/the_demon_dog_of_valle_crucis_pt_1/   |   https://www.reddit.com/r/BackwoodsCreepy/comments/9shysd/the_demon_dog_of_valle_crucis_pt_2/ 

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Next Airing: TBA 2026 | 5pm PST/7pm CST
Topic: TBA

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