South Carolina Urban Legends, Myths & Folklore: Not Your Average Bucket List Season 2
Marisa Roman
Author
Season two of Not Your Average Bucket List: Local Lore & Legends is chugging along with a stop in the deep south of South Carolina. We cover some of the more popular and creepy ghosts and legends of South Carolina in episode six. Do you know the story of the Third Eye Man? Better yet, did you know there used to be secret catacombs underneath the University of South Carolina!? In this episode, we also talk about the Gullah legends of the Boo Hag, which might be the most terrifying story yet.
South Carolina Urban Legend Questions We’ll Cover
- What is the legend of the Third Eye Man in South Carolina?
- What happened to the catacombs underneath the University of South Carolina?
- Boo hag origin: what does a boo hag do?
- How to get rid of a boo hag.
The Third Eye Man of South Carolina
First and foremost, I didn’t know catacombs were beneath the University of South Carolina. How utterly creepy.
As the story goes – A man was spotted in 1949 by two university students. He was dressed all in silver and spotted opening a manhole and disappearing underground.
Six months later, a police officer on the campus was making his rounds and found mutilated chickens.
The policeman went to his car to report the chickens and then saw a strange man dressed all in silver. When the man turned around, the policeman reported an odd-colored face and a third eye in the middle of his forehead.
The policeman requested backup, and the man disappeared.
That’s not where the story ends, either. In the 1960s, the man was seen again underneath the school in the catacombs. These tunnels under the university were where fraternities would take pledges to scare the heck out of them. A group of frat boys rounded a corner one night and saw a crippled old man dressed all in silver. The third eye man swung a pipe and knocked one of the boys down. The boy suffered minor injuries, but after reporting the incident, the catacomb tunnels were searched, and nothing came about. They were eventually sealed, and the story ends there. Or does it…?
The Gullah Boo Hag
Boo Hags are part of the Lowcountry Gullah folklore and are in the realm of witchcraft. According to Gullah folklore, a boo hag is said to steal energy from the living at night while sleeping. So slightly different from a vampire in terms of what they drain the person of. A boo hag will also steal a living person’s skin and wear it to move among the world of the living without suspicion. The process of stealing someone’s energy is a bit intense – the boo hag gets on top of the human’s chest, holds their face close, and inhales the person’s energy. This is said to put the human into a deep sleep. If the person fights back rather than awakes later on a little tired, the Boo Hag will steal their skin.
So, as the legend goes, if you don’t want a boo hag to come into your bedroom while you sleep, put a broom beside the bed before you lie down. Apparently, the Boo Hag becomes so obsessed with counting the straws in the broom that they won’t have time to steal your energy before the sun rises.
Timestamps:
(07:07:00) The Third Eye Man of South Carolina
(12:40:00) The Gullah Boo Hag
(21:55:00) Why Are Porch Ceilings In The South Painted Blue?
What do you think about these urban legends in South Carolina? Do you believe these ghost stories? If you also want to keep reading more local lore and legends in South Carolina, we have you covered. As promised in the episode, we’re dropping the link to the nine best urban legends of South Carolina brought to you by OnlyInYourState. This article discusses the Lizard Man, Crybaby Bridge, and so much more.
Here are a few promised OnlyInYourState links about haunted places to visit in South Carolina:
- Crybaby Bridge – Anderson
- Hell’s Gate in Oakwood Cemetery – Spartanburg
- Salem Black River Church – Sumter
- Tuberculosis Hospital – Greenville
Are you ready to tune into the episode? Listen now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Get In Touch!
If you have personal experiences with any of the local lore and legends mentioned above, call or text 805-298-1420! We’d love to hear your thoughts on these creepy, potentially haunted places and maybe even share your clip on the show! You can also reach out to us via email at podcast@onlyinyourstate.com.
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