Source: BroBible
Summary
A New York City resident, Diana, posted a viral TikTok video about her terrifying experience in a Virginia cabin in the Appalachian Mountains. She and her boyfriend, George, said they heard strange noises and saw flashlights, leading them to flee their rental at night. The video received 48 million views and sparked debate about local folklore, including references to skinwalkers and windigos. Some commenters claimed the couple broke local superstitions, such as leaving windows open and making noise at night.
Our Reading
The habit gets a new name.
Old music, open windows, and spooky talk. All part of the new ritual.
They danced, they talked, they ran. All in the name of a good story.
Superstition and TikTok mix like fire and kindling.
Some people just can’t help but invite the unknown.
Author: Evan Null
They Hear Something In The Woods
The video’s caption only scratches the surface of Diana and her boyfriend George’s frightening night. Her happy pirouettes, she explained, came just before they had to rush out of their vacation rental. The video’s caption read, “Moments before we had to flee at 1am in the Appalachian Mountains and run to our car a quarter mile away (middle of the woods with no moonlight) because someone or something was messing with our secluded cabin all night.”
Remote locations can wreak havoc on GPS devices, and this situation was no different. Diana said in a follow-up storytime that she and her boyfriend arrived later than they’d intended but still got in a pre-dinner kayak session. After eating, she said they made a fire and were enjoying themselves. That’s when their scary night started.
First, they saw flashlights in the woods but mostly dismissed them. Then she said she heard something walking behind them. “About four very heavy steps over sticks, we could hear them cracking,” she said.
According to Diana, the couple had mentioned “skinwalkers” prior to the noise.
“It’s really weird you said skinwalker, and now that’s happening,” she told him.
The Rules Of The Appalachian Mountains
Judging from the comments section, Diana and George made two big mistakes.
“My parents were old Appalachian, I’ve lived in KY my entire life. The window open at night was a big NO. That’s an open invite for bad s___ lol,” said @kennycanny.
Not everyone buys the supernatural take. “As a TN native it’s folklore. In our Appalachians it’s animals. A lot of us camp etc out in rural mountains so obviously in a tent you’re not able to follow half these ‘rules’ they say we have. Bob cats scream, coyotes howling, bears can open car doors etc, a lot of our deep wood animals are nocturnal so naturally you’ll feel watched at night. But we lay out and watch the stars with campfires etc. having a nice peaceful time so don’t believe everything on the internet,” explained @bareassetswaxco.
But Eli (@n0drone) does not mince words. “You’re basically teasing the windigo with that dance,” he said.
What Is A Skinwalker Or Windigo?
They are two different legendary beings that are often conflated. Both are terrifying, but they’re different—though they both deal with greed and punishment.
A skinwalker is a shape-shifting humanoid entity with roots in Navajo (Diné) legend. Physically, a skinwalker is described as more animalistic than human, with bear, wolf, or coyote features. The skinwalker, say some traditions, is borne of a benevolent medicine man who abuses indigenous magic for evil. Others say that anyone can become a skinwalker by committing a deep-seated taboo.
A windigo is believed to be associated with Indigenous cultures on the east coast of North America and near the Great Lakes region. The windigo is depicted as a rotten deer with human limbs. Becoming one is said to be punishment for cannibalism. It is believed the idea was borne of hunters who became lost in a blizzard and resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. Like the skinwalker’s change, it comes from breaking a profound taboo.
The 2 Rules
That makes rule one: Don’t speak its name.
Rule two? Don’t make noise at night.
“Many Appalachian superstitions are deeply connected to the land and its unpredictable nature, as well as the region’s isolated lifestyle,” explained the site Echoes of Appalachia.
Typically the superstition means whistling, but it seems reasonable to expand it to noise. Silence is considered a way to protect oneself from malevolent forces in the night.
The cabin’s windows were open, the couple was playing old-fashioned music, and they’d said the word “skinwalker” aloud. So legend or not, it is kind of spookily delightful to imagine the couple brushed up against something supernatural. Especially since they made it home safe.
