The Moon-Eyed People
The legend of the moon-eyed people stems from the Cherokee, known to have lived in the Appalachian area for centuries.
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Many believe them to have just been European settlers by their description, but the Cherokee were convinced they were an entirely different race, according to The Collector.
Moon-Eyed People Were Different from the Cherokee
Cherokee legend says the moon-eyed people had beards and incredibly pale skin.
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North Carolina Ghosts report that they were called moon-eyed people as their eyes were sensitive to sunlight, and as such, they only came out at night.
A Statue Is Evidence of Moon-Eyed People
Like many legends, the truth is unknown, as stories can change over time.
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A statue showing two people with conjoined faces was found by a 19th-century farmer who dug it up on his land. All That’s Interesting reports that the statue is now in a museum in Murphy, North Carolina.
The Curse of Dudleytown
The curse of Dudleytown dates back hundreds of years and has led to the village’s abandonment.
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According to American Haunting Sink, the village was named after Gideon Dudley, who was followed there by two men who are believed to have put the curse on the village.
The Curse Began with Henry VIII
Dudley didn’t enter the village until the 1700s, but the curse was believed to have begun with one of his ancestors in the 1500s.
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The Tudor Society says that Edmund Dudley had tried to overthrow Henry VIII and was executed for treason. After this, a curse was placed on the family so that they would be surrounded by horror and death.
Many Bizarre and Strange Things Happened
Dudleytown was an incredibly small area. U.S. Ghost Adventures said its peak population was 26 families.
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Some were brutally murdered, others died in mysterious ways, such as falling off a roof. There was a lot of talk about ghosts and demons. These deaths were seen as bizarre because the village was so small, and the number of things happening compared to the population wasn’t adding up.
It Is Illegal to Visit Dudleytown
Dudleytown became completely abandoned between the 19th and 20th centuries, and according to Your Tango, it is now illegal to visit.
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Many have tried to visit the area, with some showing on social media what it now looks like — completely dark, abandoned, and haunting.
The Legend of Spearfinger
Piddlin states that the legend of Spearfinger is an old Cherokee tale and was used to scare children.
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The Cherokee name was U’tlun’ta, meaning “she had it sharp.” She was given this name because she had a sharp finger on her right hand, which is where the nickname “Spearfinger” comes from.
Her Spearfinger Was Used for Her Victims
She used her finger to cut her victims and would eat the blood of the liver of her victims.
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Her heart was also said to be outside her body and was known as her evil heart. It was supposedly her only weak spot, and she would clutch it with her right hand so no one could get to it.
Spearfinger Was Able to Shapeshift
Spearfinger was able to shapeshift, with Medium reporting that her normal shape was that of an old woman.
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Many of her victims would be children, and she would shapeshift into the child’s family members to make them believe they were safe before claiming them as her victims.
Spearfinger Can Be Seen on the Norton Creek Trail
The Great Smokies says the Norton Creek Trail is the scariest trail in the Great Smoky Mountains.
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Many scary things are said to have happened here, and it is also the trail that Spearfinger is said to haunt. Walkers see a ghostly light in the woods that is believed to be Spearfinger.