The Lost Princess of Noccalula Falls

Noccalula Falls is hidden in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains on the side of Lookout Mountain.  It is hidden in the quiet green of  the forest and is buried in rich history that isn't evident when you look.    The history here is Native American history.,  There is a gorge and trails and caves thick with carvings that tell of the first occupants of the region.   The waterfall is named for one of these occupants.  It is name for a Native American princess whose beauty was legendary.  It is said that her ghost still wanders the mountain side and that her face can still be seen in the mist around the falls.

According to legend,  Noccalula fell in love with one of the braves in her tribe.  The two lovers wanted to be united in marriage, but fate was against them.  Their love was thwarted by Noccalula's father who wanted her to marry another man.  It was the costume of the Native's at the time for the parents to chose their children's mates and Noccalula was told to marry another.

Noccalula was broken hearted.   She couldn't bare it and she climbed to the top of the waterfall and threw herself over the edge.  She died in the cold waters beneath the falls.  Her father was so beside himself that he named the waterfalls for his lost princess.  Since that time,  many visitors to Noccalula falls have seen a Native American maiden walking along the top of the waterfall.  Some say they can see her face in the mist near the base of the falls.  They say she rises from the water and then fades away into the mist, forever searching for her lost love.

Am I Fester Adams?

Today was one of those days.  It was one of those days when you have to step back at least three times and take deep cleansing breaths to prevent yourself from falling apart completely.   The day started badly.  I had bought new, prelit garlands for the house and none of them lit up.  I had promised my boys that we could decorate the tree today and they woke up early with Christmas carols on their lips and joyful smiles.   I took out the new lights and tested them.  None of them worked.  I took a deep cleansing breath and drove to Pottery Barn to buy new lights.  We decorated the tree and ran some errands. They were the errands from hell.   I won't bore you with the details but I will say that you should never trust a car salesman.  After this, I was ready for something fun and relaxing.  I asked my boys what fun activity they would like to do for the afternoon.

This was where my bad decision making came in.  Never ask two brothers to chose an activity.  I was doomed.  They couldn't pick the same activity and they fought for literally fours hours over which movie to see, whether the movie was too girly, should they go swimming at the YMCA, was there another movie worth seeing.  The fighting escalated and I could do nothing.  I couldn't side with either of them as I never show favoritism.  So I just sat down.  I sat down and watched Confessions of a Shopaholic while my hair turned white.  The day faded.  The moment passed and it was too late for fun activities. My boys got over themselves and left to play outside and I was left with a moment of peace.  I took a deep breath and put up my new garlands.

As I hung the first garland over the fireplace, it lit up.  I stood there staring at it trying to understand why it lit up.  I took my hands off the garland and the light faded.  I checked the plug.  It wasn't plugged in.  The plug was still encase in those plastic things from the box.  I was beginning to feel like Fester Adams.   I probably look like Fester Adams today.  I certainly have the black rings around my eyes.  For many years now, strange things have followed me that I ignore or say, "it must be a ghost" with a laugh.  Faucets turn on by themselves.  The garage door opens and closes for no reason.  I believe there must be a rational explaination for these things, but this event today got me to wondering if it wasn't just me. Am I Fester Adams? I certainly can't think of any explanation that makes sense. I love rational explanations.  So if any of you have any explanation as to why the lights went on when I touched them please comment.  Static electricity maybe?   Maybe I just need medication?  Maybe I was Fester Adams in another life?  I guess that isn't rational.  Maybe my house is just electrically challenged.  I am open to all suggestions.  For now, I am going to enjoy the quiet while my boys play and maybe have a beer and hope I don't go to crazy tonight.

The Lady in the Lake

I can't resist.  I know I should, but I can't.  I have too many wonderful ghost stories from Chattanooga to not write at least a little about one of them.  So here is my favorite.   There is an old cemetery on a mountain in Chattanooga.  The cemetery is called Greenwood Cemetery and the most remarkable ghost stories from this cemetery aren't really from the cemetery at all.  It is the quarry across the road from the cemetery that has the most remarkable ghost stories.  The quarry looks more like a small pond than a quarry, but according to local legend, this pond is deep with caverns that drift off into nowhere lurking beneath its murky depths.

There are many stories associated with this quarry.  There are tales of spectral green lights and drownings.   But the most poignant story is the story of a young woman afflicted with polio.   Apparently the disease crippled her and reduced her to a shell of a woman.   Her husband was left to care for her, but he wasn't really up to the job.   He took her out to the quarry and rolled her into the water and watched her drown.

Many tell the story of this young woman.  They say she comes out at night.   She drifts across the water dressed in white.  She is beautiful, like she was before the disease.  She comes with the mist and when the mist touches the ground, the footprints she leaves behind aren't footprints at all.   They are wheelchair tracks.

The Thanksgiving Horror Movie!

For every holiday there is at least one horror movie and here is Thanksgiving's. Thankskilling is about an evil turkey turned ax murder that kills college students on Thanksgiving.  There really isn't much more that can be said about this very silly film.  It is on netflix instant view.  So happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  I hope you all have as many things to be grateful for as I do.  Now off to cook more food!

Totoro's Ghosts

This morning I watched a Japanese film called My Neighbor Totoro with my children.  Totoro is a haunted house movie, although it is nothing like any haunted house movie you would ever see in America.  As I sat watching Totoro this morning,  I got to thinking about the amazing difference in perceptions of the spirit world and the world of ghosts between the Japanese and the Americans.   Different culture's perceptions of ghosts have always fascinated me.   I  once went to a cemetery with a friend from Taiwan and he said that his mother would be furious with him because he didn't go to the temple to cleanse afterwards.  Apparently, his mother believes that ghosts can be carried with you if you don't go to the temple.  Miyazaki's movie, Totoro, and many of his other films, show a vision of ghosts and spirits that is so different from our vision of ghosts it is amazing and completely charming.

In the movie Totoro, two little girls move into a house that is known to be haunted.  In America, this is the beginning of a horror movie.  For Miyazaki, this is the beginning of a lovely adventure.  The little girls know the house they live in is haunted and they aren't afraid.  In fact, they go hunting the soot gremlins that live in the attic and when their father finds out the house is haunted he yells, in a most joyous voice, "I have wanted to live in a haunted house since I was a boy."   Clearly, the negative associations we have with hauntings are not  present.

Of course, in Japanese folklore, there are many, many spirits. Every object has a spirit and these spirits are usually good or at least neutral.   The spirit world is ever present and in Totoro the little girls' journey into the spirit world is more than fun.   I love this haunted house movie because it is the absolute opposite of everything Americans expect of a haunted house movie.  It is delightful and fun and worth watching on a sunny morning with your children.

Touring Chatatnooga with Amy of Chattanooga Ghost Tours

There is no better way to spend a lovely autumn day than on a haunted tour.  Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day.  The leaves were still dressed in their fall colors.  Deep reds and burnt umbers painted the hills.  The sun was blanketed in thick clouds which made the temperature perfect.    And I had Amy Petulla of Chattanooga Ghost Tours giving me a personal tour of Chattanooga's most interesting haunts for our new book, Haunted Chattanooga.  Having Amy as the coauthor of my next book is such a relief, not only does she know everything about the ghosts of the area, but she is also an accomplished writer.  It almost feels like this next book will be cheating and I couldn't be happier to be the author with the cheat sheet.  The last book was exhausting.  Here is a link to her website if you ever find yourself in Chattanooga   http://www.chattanoogaghosttours.com/ . 

 Amy drove me to all of the haunted locations for the book.  Amy took me to Chattanooga underground to look for the ghosts of the lost city.  She took me to an old quarry to find a white lady  We went to lovely museums and old hotels and I found that Chattanooga is filled with a rich folklore I just can't wait to write about.   I don't want to say to much and give away all the surprises that will be in the next book, but Chattanooga is just teaming with monsters and ghosts. Here are a few pictures of our journey.  

The Darkness Came

For those of you interested in reading the winning entry of the Nottingham Writers' Club Manuscript of the Year competition, the author has posted it on his own blog here:
http://davidabowman.blogspot.com