Stalking Shadows: The Wampus Cat and the Mystery of the Appalachian Wilds
Alright, guys! Once again, it’s time for our Supernatural Sunday Blog post! Today, we are going to be talking about another interesting Cherokee legend, The Wampus Cat. I’m also gonna try a little bit of a different format this time around, so if you guys like it moving forward, that’s what I’ll begin each new post with from here on in. Let us know in the comments! So here we go!
Name: The Wampus Cat
Aliases: Ew’ah, Gallywampus, Whistiling Wampus, Wampus
Origin: Cherokee Folklore, with European influences
Location(s): Appalachia, Missouri, Arkansas, Idaho
Description: Feline features, often appearing with a bobcat’s face and a muscular body, described as a large black panther. Noted to have prominent yellow or green glowing eyes, elongated fangs and claws, and up to six legs. Sometimes the feet are from different animals, such as a bear or a deer. It is also said to have a long sinuous tail for balance.
Be careful if you’re ever out wandering the hills and trails of the Appalachian Mountains any time after dark… Although, unless you’re a park ranger or something, I can’t imagine why you would want to… Anyway, the Cherokee say that this is the time when the Wampus Cat is active, preying on the hearts and souls of those that would cause harm to the local tribes in the area. Legends say that you may hear it before it makes its presence known to you. It has a piercing, shrieking howl that can supposedly drive you mad if you’re unfortunate enough to be around when it is stalking nearby.
“Earplugs, anyone?”
The story from Cherokee folklore begins with the story of Ew’ah, the Spirit of Madness, terrorizing the village of Chota, near Monroe County, Tennessee. Some versions state this could also be Etowah in North Carolina. But I digress. The village elders met and disagreed on how to deal with Ew’ah. The shamans didn’t want to send braves to destroy the demon, as they had portended that this action would be the end of the tribe. The warchiefs argued that the demon could not be suffered to live, as Ew’ah would feast on the dreams of the children in the village. Eventually, they decided that a single brave would take on the foe alone.
“Good luck, am I right? You got this, buddy!”
Standing Bear, or Great Fellow, depending on the version you hear, was the man for the job. He was well-respected, and could bring great honor to himself, his family, and the tribe if he could conquer his nemesis. He took up arms from the elders, and he bid a final farewell to his wife, Running Deer. It would be weeks before anyone would see Standing Bear again. One night, he came screaming and running back into the village, clawing at his eyes. He was no more. Ew’ah had gotten the better of him. He was disgraced, and he had become a mere shadow of his former self.
Running Deer wanted revenge for what the demon had taken from her. Equipped with a booger mask and a bobcat’s face, the elders told her she could stand against Eh’wa if she could manage to surprise the spirit. She applied a black paste to herself covering both her image and her scent. Running Deer kissed her husband’s forehead, and headed out into the forest. Late one night, after several nights of searching, she heard a creature stalking down by a stream.
Once Running Deer arrived at the stream, she followed some footprints that seemed out of place near the creek bed. The massive creature had not noticed her as it drank from the cool mountain water. Ew’ah spun around and saw her in the Cat-Spirit-Mask and began to tear at itself as the spirit of the mountain cat had it’s magic turned back onto itself. Ew’ah tumbled backwards into the water, and Running Deer ran back to her village as fast as she could. Both the shamans and the warchiefs declared her the “Spirit-Talker,” and “Home-Protector.” Some people say that the spirit of Running Deer herself inhabits the Wampus Cat, protecting her tribe and their lands from outsiders, even today.
“I hope you guys heard all that. I forgot to mention to remove the earplugs from earlier… whoops!”
If you wanna read a more in-depth post about this legend, check out appalachianhistory.net, and check out “The Story of the Wampus Cat” by Dave Tabler. There is an accompanying video as well at the bottom of the page.
Thank you to everyone who continues to go on this journey with me every week, and I hope that you guys will keep supporting us and our quest to help bring you new stories every Sunday for a new look into the unknown! Please also remember to follow us on social media, and feel free to let me know in the comments if you would like me to focus on a specific subject for a future installment in the series. Once again, I appreciate all of you, and remember, “Keep Seeking Truth in the Shadows!”
- Cody, East Tennessee Paranormal Project (ETPP)
