Folklore and ghost stories from the Piedmont area of North Carolina come to life as told by the region's favorite performer, Cynthia Moore Brown. Hear the sad tale of "The Gentleman Ghost of Uwharrie Mountain" in Asheboro; "Lydia," the phantom hitchhiker of Jamestown; and the real-life account of Lexington's very own hero, Valentine Leonard. Rediscover fan favorites, such as the humorous "God in the Lake," the eerie tale of "The Woman with the Basket," and Old Salem's very own whistling "Little Red Man." Appearing for the first time in print, 21 spine-tingling ghost tales from the region's renowned storyteller, including four original tales composed by Cynthia herself, perpetuate the history of tradition in and around Piedmont. Each story is beautifully written out by co-author Theresa Bane to capture every blood-chilling moment of the story-telling experience. This book will delight readers of all ages and quickly become a family favorite.

Historic Greensboro, North Carolina, is infested with ghosts. Go "behind the scenes" to meet some of the city's most famous haunted areas. You'll learn the history surrounding each haunting and hear frightening eyewitness accounts. Find out why nothing has grown in the Devil's Tramping Ground for more than 200 years. Learn the connection between the famous Lydia ghost and the phantom hitchhiker that has been scaring drivers since the 1920s, or is the phantom even older? Tremble as you hear the stories of the vampire beast's killing sprees. Read about ghostly Revolutionary soldiers, a piano player and miner spirits, poltergeist, and other unsettled souls that call the city of Greensboro home. Stop by for a visit...if you dare.

Curious about the chains that bound Fenriswulf in Norse mythology? Or the hut of Baba Yaga, the infamous witch of Russian folklore? Containing more than one thousand detailed entries on the magical and mythical items from the different folklore, legends, and religions the world over, this encyclopedia is the first of its kind. From Abadi, the named stone in Roman mythology to Zul-Hajam, one of the four swords said to belong to the prophet Mohammed, each item is described in as much detail as the original source material provided, including information on its origin, who was its wielder, and the extent of its magical abilities. The text also includes a comprehensive cross-reference system and an extensive bibliography to aid researchers.

From the earliest days of oral history to the present, the vampire myth persists among mankind's deeply-rooted fears. This encyclopedia, with entries ranging from "Abchanchu" to "Zmeus," includes nearly 600 different species of historical and mythological vampires, fully described and detailed.

This is the first definitive catalogue of vampires that has been compiled in the past 300 years. Before Bram Stoker's Dracula, before Vlad the Impaler, the world lived in mortal fear of the undead rising from their graves to feed upon the living. In this book, vampirologist Theresa Bane reveals the actual, factual truth about these creatures from history, myth, and legend.

This exhaustive volume catalogs nearly three thousand demons in the mythologies and lore of virtually every ancient society and most religions. From Aamon, the demon of life and reproduction with the head of a serpent and the body of a wolf in Christian demonology, to Zu, the half-man, half-bird personification of the southern wind and thunder clouds in Sumero-Akkadian mythology, entries offer descriptions each demon's origins, appearance, and cultural significance. Also included are descriptions of the demonic and diabolical members making up the hierarchy of Hell and the numerous species of demons that, according to various folklores, mythologies, and religions, populate the earth and plague mankind.

Fairies have been revered and feared, sometimes simultaneously, throughout recorded history. This encyclopaedia of concise entries, from the Greek nymph Aba to the shy Zips of Central America and Mexico, includes more than 2,500 individual beings and species of fairy and nature spirits from a wide range of mythologies and religions from all over the globe.

Every culture has in its folklore and mythology beings of immense size and strength, as well as other preternatural and monstrous humanoids who walk among us, serving the divine or fulfilling their own agendas. This book catalogs the lore and legends of more than 1,000 different humanoid species and individual beings, including the Titans, valkyries, jotuns, yokai, biblical giants, ogres, trolls and many more.

The legendary heroes of our mythic past are only as great and memorable as the monsters they confronted and vanquished. This, the latest encyclopedic work by mythologist Theresa Bane contains more than twenty-two hundred entries of animal companions, creatures, and monsters which have fought by man's side, consumed his crops, and ravished the countryside. Collected from the stories and religions of all the cultures and countries of the world, this all-inclusive book with an exhaustive bibliography and index is the most definitive work on the subject to date.

Do you believe in ghosts? You don't have to believe in ghosts to appreciate the collection acclimated here-from ancestral spirits and nature spirit to y?kai, if you are looking for information on spiritual beings, this is the one book you need. Of all the anomalous phenomenon which is reported, ghosts and ghostly sightings are by far the most common, appearing to anyone at any time for any reason. People from all walks of life and from all along the time line have claimed to have seen or even interacted with one; sometimes this a beautiful event and other times so horrific it changes the person's life forever. Both serious academics and those with a casual interest in the subject will find something new to discover.

The heavens and hells as well as kingdoms "far, far away" are places we often hear descriptions and tales of but can never see or visit. This encyclopedia of concise entries, from al A'raf the limbo of Islam to Zulal, one of the many streams which run through Paradise, includes over 800 different locations from a wide range of folklores, mythologies, and religions from all across the globe.