July 11, 2025 • 8 mins
Welcome back to Rogue Darkness! In this episode we’ll be delving into eerie Appalachian lore, where the topic of mimics lurk, captivating unsuspecting hikers and trail walkers within its forests. Tune in to hear about an unsettling dream I had with what I can only describe…as a mimic.
Sources:
1.Sikes, Wirt.
British Goblins: Welsh Folk-Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions.
London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1880.
•Available at: Public Domain Review and Internet Archive
2.MacDougall, James.
Folk Tales and Fairy Lore in Gaelic and English.
Edinburgh: John Grant, 1910.
3.Jersáková, Jana; Johnson, Steven D.; Kindlmann, Pavel.
“Mimicry and Deception in Pollination.”
Journal of Experimental Botany, Volume 57, Issue 18, 2006, pp. 4771–4780.
4.Kelley, Darcy, et al.
“Mimicry and the Evolution of Communication.”
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2001.
5.Briggs, Katharine.
An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures.
Sources:
1.Sikes, Wirt.
British Goblins: Welsh Folk-Lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions.
London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1880.
•Available at: Public Domain Review and Internet Archive
2.MacDougall, James.
Folk Tales and Fairy Lore in Gaelic and English.
Edinburgh: John Grant, 1910.
3.Jersáková, Jana; Johnson, Steven D.; Kindlmann, Pavel.
“Mimicry and Deception in Pollination.”
Journal of Experimental Botany, Volume 57, Issue 18, 2006, pp. 4771–4780.
4.Kelley, Darcy, et al.
“Mimicry and the Evolution of Communication.”
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2001.
5.Briggs, Katharine.
An Encyclopedia of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Dark Cast Network. Welcome to the dark side of podcasts. Leader,
they would decliffe animals dark world of ritualistic chodobies. Is
there a well organized plot, an insidious design to program
(00:23):
the minds of our children towards the occult and witchcraft?
Does it make you want to hate murder? Or does
it make you want to do murder? Let's explore the
darkness of mankind in one Crime at a Time. Welcome
back to Rogue Darkness, the podcast that uncovers how the
misinterpretations and misinformation surrounding witchcraft, the occult, and other beliefs
(00:46):
have led many to do unthinkable crimes. From ritualistic killings
and the demons that live in all of us, to
exploration of the macabre and delving deep into the unknown,
Let's explore the darkness of mankind Crime at a Time.
I'm your host of the Grim and Gruesome Raven. In
(01:10):
this episode, we're going to explore the shadowed corners of folklore,
and we'll be venturing deep into the heart of the woods,
into the dark forest whispered about an Appalachian folklore where
something might be listening, mimicking, and waiting. I titled this
episode Echoes in the woods, mimics and the fay. But
(01:34):
what inspired it? Well, much like my episode where blood
rained down from the ceiling in one of my dreams,
this too was inspired by a dream, one so real
it still sends chills down my spine. It started just
like any other night, was fast asleep, dreaming. In the dream,
(01:58):
I was back in my childhood home, the kitchen, the
same tiled floors I remembered, with the long eyle of
cabinets lining the kitchen walls. Everything was quiet until I
heard something from the back patio. There was a faint
sound coming from the woods out back. A voice, my voice,
(02:19):
it called out, faint but unmistakably me. I turned the
corner toward the patio door and looked outside. That's when
I saw it. It looked like a child, maybe twelve
years old, but it wasn't. Its skin was pale, its
eyes pitch black like obsidian. The smile on its face
(02:39):
stretched just a little too wide, revealing rows of sharp
shark like teeth. And then more appeared, four maybe five
more of the same creature, all grinning, all approaching. I screamed,
and then I woke up. It didn't feel like a dream.
It felt more like a warning. In Appalachian folklore, mimics
(03:07):
are spirit like creatures known for one chilling trait. They
imitate voices, sounds, sometimes even appearance. Most often, it's someone
you know, or worse, it's you being mimicked. These tales
often start the same A person walking alone in the
(03:28):
woods hears a familiar voice called their name. They follow
the sound, only to realize too late it wasn't who
they had initially thought. Sometimes the people vanish, other times
they're found in a dream like days several days after
the supposed encounter. Whether these beings are spirits, cryptids, or
(03:52):
some psychic phenomenon, one thing is certain. They know how
to use our greatest weakness, familiarity against us. Could these
Appalachian mimics be something older than the region itself. Let's
take a step back across the ocean to Celtic and
British Isles folklore. In the eighteen eighty book British Goblins,
(04:18):
fairies were far from friendly. They were shape shifters, lures,
and deceivers. Some would call out in the voice of
a loved one to draw you into the woods. Others
would switch your child for a changeland another book, Fairy
Lore and Gaelic and English collected tales of similar entities,
(04:42):
spirits of the hills and mists that would lead people
astray or mimic their cries. The connections are eerie. As
settlers brought their folklore to the Appalachians, stories likely merged
with local indigenous legends of moving into what we now
call mimics. But whether fae, spirit or something nameless, these
(05:07):
entities have one thing in common, their watchers, and they imitate.
Even nature uses mimicry for survival. Birds like the lyrebird,
can replicate human voices, chainsaws, even camera shutters. Some flowers
trick bees into pollinating them by mimicking the scent of
(05:28):
a mate. In the open access paper Mimicry and Deception
in Pollination, researchers describe how certain orchids fake being female
bees to get attention from male pollinators. The result complete
biological deception. So here's the question. What if spirits or
(05:50):
supernatural entities use a similar survival mechanism, not evolution in
a physical sense, but a spiritual adaptation, a way to lure, trap,
or simply play with us. So how do you protect
yourself from something that sounds like your mother or yourself.
(06:12):
Folklore across cultures offers clues. Don't give your name, freely names,
hold power, carry iron, it's long believed to repel fae
and malicious spirits. Use salt, bells or sage all traditional
tools of protection. And never ever follow a voice into
(06:35):
the woods, especially if it shouldn't be there. So what
did I see in that dream? Was it just a
trick of my subconscious or did something mimic me by
showing itself in my dream? Could it have been something
more sinister, emerging from somewhere deeper. Maybe mimics are more
(06:56):
than just stories. Maybe they're reminders that the veil between
worlds is thinner than we think. I am right behind you,
so thank you for joining me as we walk the
echoing paths of mimicry and fay. Stay aware, stay protected,
(07:16):
and remember not every voice you hear may be coming
from who you expect. Don't be scared. I just want
to play a game with you. If you enjoyed this episode,
please consider subscribing to Rogue Darkness on your favorite podcast platform.
Your support helps us continue to bring you more stories
(07:38):
of true crime and the paranormal. Definitely let me know
your thoughts on this case and if you have any
questions regarding it or any other cases I've previously covered,
you can always contact me at Rogue darknesspod at gmail
dot com. You can also always reach out to me
directly on my socials, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube are
all at Rogue Understand Score Darkness. As always, be sure
(08:02):
to share the podcast with anyone who you think would
like it, and be sure to leave a rating, a
review over on Apple, iTunes, Spotify, good Pods, or anywhere
else you can leave a review to let other listeners
know you enjoy the show, and if you want some
personalized shoutouts and other exclusives, definitely check out my Patreon
by visiting patreon dot com slash Rogue Darkness. You can
(08:24):
also check out my Bonfire shop if you want to
get your hands on some merch to support the show
even further. As always, all the links for everything discussed
in my episodes are down in the description box of
the episode. And with that said, that concludes this week's
episode of Rogue Darkness. The darkness is all around us,
and I can confidently say that reality truly is more terrifying.
(08:49):
Than fiction until next time
Dark Cast Network. Welcome to the dark side of podcasts. Leader,
they would decliffe animals dark world of ritualistic chodobies. Is
there a well organized plot, an insidious design to program
(00:23):
the minds of our children towards the occult and witchcraft?
Does it make you want to hate murder? Or does
it make you want to do murder? Let's explore the
darkness of mankind in one Crime at a Time. Welcome
back to Rogue Darkness, the podcast that uncovers how the
misinterpretations and misinformation surrounding witchcraft, the occult, and other beliefs
(00:46):
have led many to do unthinkable crimes. From ritualistic killings
and the demons that live in all of us, to
exploration of the macabre and delving deep into the unknown,
Let's explore the darkness of mankind Crime at a Time.
I'm your host of the Grim and Gruesome Raven. In
(01:10):
this episode, we're going to explore the shadowed corners of folklore,
and we'll be venturing deep into the heart of the woods,
into the dark forest whispered about an Appalachian folklore where
something might be listening, mimicking, and waiting. I titled this
episode Echoes in the woods, mimics and the fay. But
(01:34):
what inspired it? Well, much like my episode where blood
rained down from the ceiling in one of my dreams,
this too was inspired by a dream, one so real
it still sends chills down my spine. It started just
like any other night, was fast asleep, dreaming. In the dream,
(01:58):
I was back in my childhood home, the kitchen, the
same tiled floors I remembered, with the long eyle of
cabinets lining the kitchen walls. Everything was quiet until I
heard something from the back patio. There was a faint
sound coming from the woods out back. A voice, my voice,
(02:19):
it called out, faint but unmistakably me. I turned the
corner toward the patio door and looked outside. That's when
I saw it. It looked like a child, maybe twelve
years old, but it wasn't. Its skin was pale, its
eyes pitch black like obsidian. The smile on its face
(02:39):
stretched just a little too wide, revealing rows of sharp
shark like teeth. And then more appeared, four maybe five
more of the same creature, all grinning, all approaching. I screamed,
and then I woke up. It didn't feel like a dream.
It felt more like a warning. In Appalachian folklore, mimics
(03:07):
are spirit like creatures known for one chilling trait. They
imitate voices, sounds, sometimes even appearance. Most often, it's someone
you know, or worse, it's you being mimicked. These tales
often start the same A person walking alone in the
(03:28):
woods hears a familiar voice called their name. They follow
the sound, only to realize too late it wasn't who
they had initially thought. Sometimes the people vanish, other times
they're found in a dream like days several days after
the supposed encounter. Whether these beings are spirits, cryptids, or
(03:52):
some psychic phenomenon, one thing is certain. They know how
to use our greatest weakness, familiarity against us. Could these
Appalachian mimics be something older than the region itself. Let's
take a step back across the ocean to Celtic and
British Isles folklore. In the eighteen eighty book British Goblins,
(04:18):
fairies were far from friendly. They were shape shifters, lures,
and deceivers. Some would call out in the voice of
a loved one to draw you into the woods. Others
would switch your child for a changeland another book, Fairy
Lore and Gaelic and English collected tales of similar entities,
(04:42):
spirits of the hills and mists that would lead people
astray or mimic their cries. The connections are eerie. As
settlers brought their folklore to the Appalachians, stories likely merged
with local indigenous legends of moving into what we now
call mimics. But whether fae, spirit or something nameless, these
(05:07):
entities have one thing in common, their watchers, and they imitate.
Even nature uses mimicry for survival. Birds like the lyrebird,
can replicate human voices, chainsaws, even camera shutters. Some flowers
trick bees into pollinating them by mimicking the scent of
(05:28):
a mate. In the open access paper Mimicry and Deception
in Pollination, researchers describe how certain orchids fake being female
bees to get attention from male pollinators. The result complete
biological deception. So here's the question. What if spirits or
(05:50):
supernatural entities use a similar survival mechanism, not evolution in
a physical sense, but a spiritual adaptation, a way to lure, trap,
or simply play with us. So how do you protect
yourself from something that sounds like your mother or yourself.
(06:12):
Folklore across cultures offers clues. Don't give your name, freely names,
hold power, carry iron, it's long believed to repel fae
and malicious spirits. Use salt, bells or sage all traditional
tools of protection. And never ever follow a voice into
(06:35):
the woods, especially if it shouldn't be there. So what
did I see in that dream? Was it just a
trick of my subconscious or did something mimic me by
showing itself in my dream? Could it have been something
more sinister, emerging from somewhere deeper. Maybe mimics are more
(06:56):
than just stories. Maybe they're reminders that the veil between
worlds is thinner than we think. I am right behind you,
so thank you for joining me as we walk the
echoing paths of mimicry and fay. Stay aware, stay protected,
(07:16):
and remember not every voice you hear may be coming
from who you expect. Don't be scared. I just want
to play a game with you. If you enjoyed this episode,
please consider subscribing to Rogue Darkness on your favorite podcast platform.
Your support helps us continue to bring you more stories
(07:38):
of true crime and the paranormal. Definitely let me know
your thoughts on this case and if you have any
questions regarding it or any other cases I've previously covered,
you can always contact me at Rogue darknesspod at gmail
dot com. You can also always reach out to me
directly on my socials, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube are
all at Rogue Understand Score Darkness. As always, be sure
(08:02):
to share the podcast with anyone who you think would
like it, and be sure to leave a rating, a
review over on Apple, iTunes, Spotify, good Pods, or anywhere
else you can leave a review to let other listeners
know you enjoy the show, and if you want some
personalized shoutouts and other exclusives, definitely check out my Patreon
by visiting patreon dot com slash Rogue Darkness. You can
(08:24):
also check out my Bonfire shop if you want to
get your hands on some merch to support the show
even further. As always, all the links for everything discussed
in my episodes are down in the description box of
the episode. And with that said, that concludes this week's
episode of Rogue Darkness. The darkness is all around us,
and I can confidently say that reality truly is more terrifying.
(08:49):
Than fiction until next time
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