I was pretty happy when I realized my Top Comments diary this week happened to coincide with Halloween, my favorite holiday. I would, of course, be remiss if I didn't write about a spooky topic tonight.
When I was a kid, I got quite a thrill out of sitting around a campfire with friends getting scared silly with stories of ghosts, chainsaw killers, and escaped maniacs. I no longer have that campfire, but nowadays, the Internet is a fine substitute for those of us masochistic enough to actively seek sleepless nights. And there's no better day to tell scary stories than on Halloween. So here's one of my favorites: the legend of the Bell Witch. You know, the one that inspired this horrible movie:
And this shitfest:
The "true story" (or embellished legend distorted more every time it is passed down, if you choose to be a wet blanket on this Halloween night) from which these films sprung is a little more unsettling. And believe the story or not, it inspired not only a few movies, but several books as well. Follow me below the fold, where we will travel to nineteenth-century Adams, Tennessee...
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Please come in. You're invited to make yourself at home! Join us beneath the doodle...
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Now, as with any legend, there are multiple versions of the story of the Bell Witch, and you'll find several websites with variations on the tale. There does seem to be a basic structure, however. Let's start with a paragraph from Godspeed Publishing Co.'s History of Tennessee, published in 1866:
A remarkable occurrence, which attracted wide-spread interest, was connected with the family of John Bell, who settled near what is now Adams Station about 1804. So great was the excitement that people came from hundreds of miles around to witness the manifestations of what was popularly known as the "Bell Witch." This witch was supposed to be some spiritual being having the voice and attributes of a woman. It was invisible to the eye, yet it would hold conversation and even shake hands with certain individuals. The feats it performed were wonderful and seemingly designed to annoy the family. It would take the sugar from the bowls, spill the milk, take the quilts from the beds, slap and pinch the children, and then laugh at the discomfort of its victims. At first it was supposed to be a good spirit, but its subsequent acts, together with the curses with which it supplemented its remarks, proved the contrary.
The basic story starts with a man named John Bell. In the early nineteenth century, he settled his family on a piece of farmland in Middle Tennessee's Red River, which is present-day Adams. For over a decade, the Bell family lived a peaceful, prosperous existence in Red River. That changed in 1817. How the Bell Witch came into the lives of the Bell family depends on the version of the legend, but in the story I know, John Bell stumbled upon a strange creature in his cornfield that had the head of a rabbit and the body of a dog. He shot at the animal, which disappeared as quickly as it appeared. That night, the family began hearing banging on the door and walls from outside. These noises rapidly increased in frequency and intensity, and soon they were inside the house as well, in the form of gnawing sounds at their bedposts. Poltergeist-like activity became the norm, with the children's sheets being ripped from their bodies. Then, the voices began, which started as what sounded like a whispering old woman. This woman's voice gradually became clearer, and she sang hymns and quoted scripture regularly, in addition to raining down physical abuse on the family, slapping and pulling the hair of the youngest daughter, Betsy. When questioned about its identity, the entity gave varied responses, including the claim that it was the witch of neighbor Kate Batts, after which the family began calling it "Kate." The family lived with this activity for a year, at which point John invited a neighbor to stay at the house and experience Kate, who was not shy around strangers.
Rumors of strange happenings at the Bell farm soon became well-circulated. So much so that, according to some versions of the story, even Andrew Jackson became interested. He supposedly visited the farm in 1819, where his horses were stopped and Kate's voice told Jackson and his group to leave (which Jackson ignored). In this version of the story, Kate assaulted one of the men in the group, and they left the next day.
Kate's central mission seemed to be two-fold: To kill John Bell for unspecified and unknown reasons, and to stop Betsy from marrying a neighbor. She succeeded on both counts. Over the course of three years, Kate continued to torture the family verbally and physically, with slaps, hair-pullings, and even beatings becoming more and more common with the passing days. John began experiencing swelling of the throat, during which time Kate threatened him. Finally, in 1820, John died, apparently from a mysterious poison found by the family after his death. And Kate took complete credit for the poisoning. According to the story, Kate could be heard singing and laughing throughout John's funeral and did not stop until the last person left.
But that wasn't the end of Kate. She finally left the homestead after Betsy broke off the engagement with her neighbor fiancee, in 1821. She promised to return to the family in seven years, and she reportedly did return in 1828, when she visited John Jr. and made many predictions about the future, supposedly including the Civil War and its outcome. Then she left again, promising to return to John's most direct descendent in 107 years. That would have been 1935, and it is unknown whether Kate returned. It is said, however, that she may still reside in the Bell Witch Cave, and she is blamed by some for strange goings-on in Adams and on the property. Bell Witch Cave, which is on John Bell's property, is on the National Historical Registry today and is a tourist attraction.
Books have been devoted to the subject of the Bell Witch and the historical accuracy of the legend, and as you may suspect, holes have been poked in the story. But where is the fun in talking about that after a Halloween campfire story? If you want to read more about the Bell Witch legend, you'll have no trouble finding sources.
Now, on to the tops, but feel free to share any spooky stories below...and I hope somebody brought some marshmallows...
TOP COMMENTS
October 31, 2014
Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU
when you find that proficient comment.
From Lashe:
I would like to nominate this comment by Gooserock in Jen Hayden's diary Utah police raid monster mash party at family fun center to prevent dancing.
From smileycreek:
This is a wonderful comment by guavaboy on how nurses DO have the obligation to speak truth to power every day. Kaci Hickox is a hero for rationality!
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TOP PHOTOS
October 30, 2014
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
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