West Virginia, the Mountain State, is a hotbed of paranormal activity. UFOs frequent the skies;"flying rays" have been spotted along the Ohio River; thunderbirds follow a flight path that runs through the state. Of course, there are the classic flying cryptids, the Flatwoods Monster and Mothman, both of whom left their marks in the Mountain State decades ago. The densely forested hills of West Virginia conceal a number of odd creatures. Bigfoot sightings regularly occur throughout the state. Other bipedal cryptids such as Sheepsquatch and dogmen lurk in the shadows as well. It is not hard to find an outdoorsman in the state who has spotted a mountain lion; many folks claim to have seen black panthers in the woods. That's not all-devil monkeys, chupacabras, phantom dogs, and more stalk the hillsides. The strangeness in the Moutain State dates further back than most people imagine. Long ago, an enigmatic people, the Mound Builders, left strange earthworks behind. Hundreds of burial mounds, many containing the skeletal remains of giants, were left in present-day West Virginia. Another strange group, the "moon-eyed people," also known as the Azgen, supposedly inhabited large portions of the state before being driven out by the Shawnee. Could these ancient peoples, the Azgen and the Mound Builders, have something to do with strange phenomena today? West Virginia is home to many haunted locations. From battlefields to hospitals to hotels and all points in between, there is no shortage of ghosts stories to go around. In this book, Denver Michaels seeks answers to why West Virginia experiences a disproportionate amount of strange phenomena. Delving into the history of the state, he tries to understand what is behind the unusual activity, strange stories, and cryptid creatures of the Mountain State.

Discover the spookier side of West Virginia with over 85 ghost stories, legends, and haunts from Harpers Ferry, where Screaming Jenny still never outruns the trains, to Hatfield-McCoy Country where Devil Anse Hatfield rises from the grave along with his sons. Explore Moundsville Prison and see the shadow man, then investigate the death and ghostly hereafter of Mamie Thurman, the housewife with a secret life who haunts 22 Mine Road. Follow the Rail Trail to get a glimpse of the ghost of the Silver Run Tunnel and take a thrill-ride through one of the most haunted tunnels-Dingess Tunnel. There's the Headless Ghost Rider of Powell Mountain and a woman who still walks the Ohio River shoreline of Blennerhassett Island long after her death.

Find out about the bizarre creatures that live in West Virginia.

" West Virginia boasts an unusually rich heritage of ghost tales. Originally West Virginians told these hundred stories not for idle amusement but to report supernatural experiences that defied ordinary human explanation. From jealous rivals and ghostly children to murdered kinsmen and omens of death, these tales reflect the inner lives—the hopes, beliefs, and fears—of a people. Like all folklore, these tales reveal much of the history of the region: its isolation and violence, the passions and bloodshed of the Civil War era, the hardships of miners and railroad laborers, and the lingering vitality of Old World traditions.

Hauntings lurk and spirits linger in the Mountain State Reader, beware! Turn these pages and enter the world of the paranormal, where ghosts and ghouls alike creep just out of sight. Author Rosemary Ellen Guiley shines a light in the dark corners of Virginia and scares those spirits out of hiding in this thrilling collection. From the headless ghosts wandering Droop Mountain to the tortured spirits of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, there’s no shortage of bone-chilling tales to keep you up at night. Around the campfire or tucked away on a dark and stormy night, this big book of ghost stories is a hauntingly good read.

»The Canterville Ghost« is a short story by Oscar Wilde, originally published in 1891. OSCAR WILDE, born in 1854 in Dublin, died in 1900 in Paris, was an Irish prose writer, playwright, essayist, and poet. Wilde's significance as a symbol for persecuted homosexuals around the world is immeasurable. Wilde himself was sentenced to prison and hard labour, his works were boycotted, theatrical productions were shut down, and he was publicly vilified. The Picture of Dorian Gray [1890] is his most famous work.

Denver Michaels runs down the many stories of giants around the world and testifies to the reality of their existence in the past. Chapters and subchapters on: Giants in the Bible; Extrabiblical Sources; The Book of Enoch; The Kebra Nagast; The Book of Giants; The Book of Moses; Apocryphal Texts; Mesoamerican & South American Stories; Tales from the Maya; Stories from the South Pacific; New Zealand; Hawaiian Giants; Giants of Ancient America; The Stonish Giants; Mescalero Tales; The Nahullo; Mastodons, Mammoths & Mound Builders; Pawnee Giants; The Si-Te-Cah; Tsul ‘Kalu; Native Legends: Giants or Bigfoot?; Greek Mythology; Primordial Giants; The Titans & Olympians; The Hyperboreans; European Myths; The Giants of Britain & Ireland; Norse Giants; Myths from the Indian Subcontinent; Daityas, Rakshasas, & More; Jainism: Giants & Inconceivable Lifespans; It All Goes Back to Sumer; Ullikummi; The Conquistadors Meet the Sons of Anak; Hernando de Soto; Cabeza de Vaca; Vázquez de Coronado; Other Spanish Explorers; More New World Encounters; Amerigo Vespucci and the Island of the Giants; Jean Ribault; Captain John Smith; The Bigfeet & The Long Ears; Easter Island; Ancient America: We Have it All Wrong; The Allegewi & The Adena; The Seri; Cliff-Dwelling Giants; The Giants of the Channel Islands; The Wa-gas & Ancient Giants; Putting it All Together; The Builders; Strange Tablets & Other Artifacts; Where is the Evidence?; Ancient Astronaut Theorists Say Yes!; more. Tons of illustrations with an 8-page color section.

The surprisingly rich depths of Mountain State folklore are again expertly mined by editor Michael Knost and thirteen dark scribes in Legends of the Mountain State 2: More Ghostly Tales from the State of West Virginia. As a collection, the thirteen stories work cohesively to paint a multi-layered portrait of a working-class region overflowing with superstition and ghostly lore. As in the first volume, editor Michael Knost does a commendable job balancing the terror and tenderness.

Explore the mysterious side of Virginia with these strange tales of Bigfoot, buried treasure, phantom dogs, UFOs, ghosts, and more. The stunning mountains of Virginia offer spectacular views and endless outdoor activities, yet they also hold secrets. A nineteenth-century cache of gold is buried in the hills. Nine-foot giants once walked the ridges, pre-Columbian explorers built homes on isolated mountaintops and a ghost town lies deep in the Jefferson National Forest. The mountains conceal canines that walk upright, black panthers and a resurgent mountain lion population. The hide-and-seek champion of the world, Bigfoot, lurks in the dark hollows, phantom dogs pace the back roads and aggressive monkeys swing through the trees. UFOs crisscross the skies, and ghosts haunt the caverns below. Join Denver Michaels, local author and explorer of the unexplained, as he explores these mysteries and many more.