Whether you believe in witches or not, North Carolina has a deep history of witch tales, superstitions surrounding witches, and long-held beliefs about witches and their craft. Dating all the way back to before the first settlement in Roanoke, witches have both fascinated and terrified the masses. Take a look at some folk tales below and then decide: do you believe in witches?
Since long before the first European settlers arrived in what is now North Carolina, witches have wreaked havoc on the residents here. Native Americans in the area blamed any misfortunes they suffered on witches, whether it was poor weather or disease, they'd accuse someone and execute them.
Early European settlers blamed apparitions and ghost sightings on witches. And hurricanes back then weren't called hurricanes, but you can bet witches were blamed for those too.
A common belief about witches has always revolved around their ability to shape shift into animals. The black cat is not only notoriously a witch's companion, but has been thought to be one of their animals of choice. (It's one of the primary reasons black cats are in so much danger on Halloween night. The misconception has lingered for ages and instills fear in people.)
Some folklore tales have witches entering rooms through keyholes. In days gone by in North Carolina, if you wanted to protect your home or room from such a calamity, people simply placed a broom in front of the door.
The suspicions cast upon supposed witches in North Carolina came to a head in 1703, when, according to reports, the first witch trial occurred here. The day after his wife died, a widower filed suit against a neighbor whom his deceased wife had believed cast a spell upon her causing her insufferable pain and agony. The court threw the case out and acquitted the accused witch.
Boo Hags were (and still are) commonly believed to live throughout the Carolinas. They're believed to be able to slip out of their skin and attach themselves to people. They feed off the breath of their victims, usually when the victim is asleep. Some believe that boo hags look like normal people when they're not sleuthing around attached to unsuspecting people.
Over time, some people have become obsessed with finding ways to protect themselves from witches. Here are some ways you can keep them at bay...
Spill mustard seeds outside your door. Witches are obsessed with counting and won't be able to resist stopping to pick them up and count them as they do.
Line your doorways with salt... it wards off evil.
Move over Massachusetts, it looks like you’re not the only one with a fascination for witches. The Carolinas have long been a hotbed for witchtales of our own.
