Kentucky Legends and Lore

Kentucky is known primarily for horse racing, bourbon and fried chicken, but the Dark and Bloody Ground has a mysterious side as well. Kentuckians talk about their own Hillbilly Beast, believed to have frightened campers at Mammoth Cave National Park. The gnarled and twisted Witches’ Tree is a favorite on Louisville ghost tours. Kentucky’s UFO incidents–like Thomas Mantell’s mysterious plane crash, the Hopkinsville alien attack and the Paintsville train-UFO crash–are as puzzling and frightening now as they were when they happened. Folklore writer Alan Brown chronicles these strange stories and others that are very much a part of the unique culture of Kentucky.