The Moonlit Road Podcast - Southern Ghost Stories & Folklore
Leave the highway behind for the dark back roads of the American South. Since 1997, The Moonlit Road has been gathering the Southern ghost stories, folklore, and oral traditions whispered across generations — from the bayous of Louisiana to the Sea Islands of Georgia to the hollows of Appalachia. In each episode, gifted storytellers, musicians, and folklorists bring you haunted history, forgotten legends, and the creatures that still stalk the Southern imagination: the Bell Witch, the Boo Hag, the Loup Garou. This is the South that lives past the porch light — in the deep roots of Voodoo and Hoodoo, in the campfire stories and mountain haints, in the folklore of the Delta, the Piedmont, and the coastal plain. The stories your grandparents told you. Thousands of listeners have walked this road for over 25 years. Come find us on the back roads. For more Southern ghost stories and regional legends not found on the podcast, visit our full archive at themoonlitroad.com.
Episodes
In this eerie Tennessee folktale from Weakley County, a legendary fiddler emerges for one last contest, chasing the coveted "fiddler's dram."
Fiddling contests were once the heartbeat of rural communities—where pride, reputation, and a jar of fine whiskey were all on the line. But on this particular night, as the music begins and the crowd leans in, something ab...
Did the Devil himself really build a mansion in the heart of the Garden District? Discover the eerie legend of the haunted estate that once cast a shadow over St. Charles Avenue.
New Orleans is a city of secrets, but few are as unsettling as the story of the dark, imposing mansion that appeared almost overnight on one of its most ...
Bitterness between two sisters over a glittering diamond ring leads to terrifying consequences from beyond the grave in this chilling Georgia ghost story.
In the quiet town of Washington, Georgia, jealousy festers for years between Martha and her sister Jenny. When Jenny dies, temptation proves too strong—and Martha takes the ring she has always coveted.
Two college friends spend a quiet weekend at an isolated Appalachian mountain house — until strange nighttime noises lead to a shocking discovery.
Listener discretion is advised. This story contains frightening imagery and disturbing elements that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Memphis is a city of music and history, but it is also a city of ghosts. Today, we explore one of its most enduring and debated legends: the haunting of Brinkley Female College by the mysterious Lizzie - and the hunt for an elusive buried jar that captivated an entire city.
READ THE FULL STORY & SEE PHOTOS: https://www.themo...
Ever wonder why mosquitoes are so thirsty for blood? According to this legendary Tlingit tale—retold with a Southern twist—the answer lies in the defeat of a blood-thirsty giant. Discover the chilling and clever story of how a single monster became a swarm of thousands.
Read the full story and see the illustrations here
How far would you go for the love of your life? In this Louisiana tale, a young deputy is given a terrifying task to prove his worth: he must capture and kill the Loup Garou (or Rougarou), the shapeshifting werewolf of the Cajun swamplands.
Read the full story and see the history of the Loup Garou here: https://www.themoonlitroad.com/the-sheriff-and-the-loup-garou/
Every October, millions of pumpkins are carved into glowing faces. But do you know the dark legend of the man who gave them their name? Meet Stingy Jack—a man so cunning he managed to trap the Devil himself. This classic folktale explains why Jack is forced to wander the night with nothing but a hollowed-out turnip and a coal from the fires of Hell.
Read the full story and see...
What happens when a traveling preacher seeks revenge on an inhospitable farm couple?
This darkly funny ghost story—passed down from Ireland to the Arkansas hills—follows a man of the cloth who decides to teach his unkind hosts a lesson they'll never forget. But in the world of folklore, revenge often takes a very strange and unexpected shape.
Advisory: This is an un-sanitized tr...
Episode Summary: Would you spend the night in a house the rest of the world has abandoned to the dead? This episode takes us to historic Charleston for an adaptation of B.M. Croker's Victorian ghost story, "Number Ninety."
In this episode:
- <...
The haunting conclusion to Ambrose Bierce's masterpiece. In 'The Spirit's Testimony,' a voice reaches out from beyond the grave to reveal the final, heartbreaking truth of that moonlit night. This third and final chapter completes the chilling mystery of a family destroyed by silence and the supernatural.
Read the full story: https://www.themoonlitroad.com/the-moonlit-road-ambrose-bierce-audio-version/
In Part Two of our Ambrose Bierce adaptation, the mystery deepens with 'The Confession of the Father.' Haunted by a spectral encounter on a dark road, a man is forced to confront the truth behind his wife's death. The second chapter in this chilling 3-part Southern Gothic masterpiece.
Read the full story here: https://www.themoonlitroad.com/the-moonlit-road-ambrose-bierce-audio-version/
Part One of our adaptation of Ambrose Bierce's masterpiece. A chilling mystery begins with the 'Statement of the Son,' as a family is shattered by a brutal murder. Experience one of American literature's most famous ghost stories told from three haunting perspectives.
Read the entire story here: https://www.themoonlitroad.com/the-moonlit-road-ambrose-bierce-audio-version/
Uncover the chilling legend of the "Nut Eating Devil," a classic Tennessee mountain ghost story. Follow young Tom McBride as he investigates eerie sounds haunting a remote cemetery in the middle of the night. Why do the noises sound exactly like his dead Grandpa cracking open hickory nuts? Is it a restless ghost, or a meeting with the Devil himself?
Read the full story and lea...
A Southern supernatural folktale with Irish roots: An early Louisiana settler rescues a turtle and is transported into the strange world of The Fair Folk.
Read the full story and learn about the Irish in Louisiana here: https://www.themoonlitroad.com/irwin-tarheel-fair-folk-louisiana-folktale/
BEYOND THE PODCAST: This is just one of the many legends of the bayou. Discover many...
An Alabama widow lives in fear of the terrifying murderer Railroad Bill. But is he really what the townsfolk say he is?
For more strange Southern folktales, including stories not on the podcast, visit https://themoonlitroad.com
Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/themoonlitroad and X/Twitter https://www.x.com/themoonlitroad
"Railroad Bill" was written by told by Christine Horn. ...
Experience the legend of Thomas Lester, a man whose high-speed encounter with a headless ghost left him running faster than a jackrabbit. This humorous Southern ghost story explores the folklore of 'the spirit that passes you real quick-like,' giving you a chill up your spine. Narrated by Yomi Goodall and recorded for the Tour of Southern Ghosts in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
High in the mist-covered peaks of North Carolina lies the story of a man who chose sacrifice over surrender. Tsali was a Cherokee farmer who became a martyr during the forced removals of the 1830s. This isn't just a ghost story; it is a legend of bravery and a haunting reminder of the lives lost along the Trail of Tears. Some say his spirit still watches over the mountains he died to save.
Experience the chilling legend of the Maco Light. From the tragic night of Joe Baldwin's sacrifice to the mysterious lantern light that haunted the North Carolina rails for over a century, this episode explores one of the South's most famous paranormal phenomena. Narrated by Jim McAmis, it's a journey into the heart of railroad folklore.
Read the full history here: https://www....
Experience 'Mississippi Rose: A Southern Ghost Story.' This episode follows a young man's encounter with a mysterious figure on a dusty backroad in turn-of-the-century Mississippi. Part romance, part supernatural legend, this African American folktale explores the tragic history of the Simmons homestead.
FOR MORE STORIES: This is just one of the many legends found on the back roads. Visit our archive of Southern ghost ...
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