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Author Topic: Bell Witch  (Read 1670 times)

mtnbkr

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Bell Witch
« on: May 14, 2006, 04:00:18 PM »
That's the only "ghost story" that ever came close to scaring me.  It's finally made it to the big screen in the format of An American Haunting.  The reviews aren't so hot, but I may see it anyway since the story has always fascinated me.

FYI, Andrew Jackson even plays a role in the original story.  He (or an associate, I can't recall which) was a family friend of the Bells.  Prior to becoming President, he visited the Bells during their "haunting" and supposedly spoke with the witch/ghost.  It doesn't appear that this particular event is in the movie though.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429573/

Chris
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Art Eatman

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« Reply #1 on: May 14, 2006, 06:46:52 PM »
You can read about the Bell Witch of Tennessee in B.A. Botkin's "Treasury of American Folklore".  1944.

Art
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« Reply #2 on: May 14, 2006, 07:03:46 PM »
Actually Art, there was a book written just about the Witch. Can't remember the title at the mment though...
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K Frame

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« Reply #3 on: May 14, 2006, 07:36:31 PM »
I dated her in high school.


OH.

You said witch.

Never mind.

Well, actually, it's still kind of appropriate...
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mtnbkr

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« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2006, 01:28:52 AM »
Quote from: Art Eatman
You can read about the Bell Witch of Tennessee in B.A. Botkin's "Treasury of American Folklore".  1944.

Art
Actually, I've read some of the books about the incident in the past.  I'm just excited it's being turned into a movie.  

Chris
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Art Eatman

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« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2006, 04:52:43 AM »
Lotsa boooks are written about stuff of local interest that don't get national distribution.  Even the large chain bookstores will have a local-interest section, state by state.

Art
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K Frame

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« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2006, 04:57:48 AM »
Very true, Art. I mentioned the Jersey Devil to a native Virginian and she thought I was talking about the sports team.
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mtnbkr

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« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2006, 05:06:28 AM »
Quote from: Mike Irwin
Very true, Art. I mentioned the Jersey Devil to a native Virginian and she thought I was talking about the sports team.
Really?  I've heard of it before.

Then again, I like that sort of thing and used to search out those stories.

Chris
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K Frame

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« Reply #8 on: May 15, 2006, 05:11:49 AM »
"Really?  I've heard of it before.

Then again, I like that sort of thing and used to search out those stories."

There ya go. You're actually looking for it. These regional haunting tales seldom get national coverage.

I think the reason the Bell Witch gets wider coverage is because it's supposedly the only reported incident of a spirit causing someone's death as well as the fact that Andrew Jackson, a national hero, decided to drop by.
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mtnbkr

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« Reply #9 on: May 15, 2006, 05:23:26 AM »
Actually, until this movie came out, I had never seen any mention of the story outside Tenn.  The only thing that creeped me out more than the Bell Witch was reading a collection of Civil War while hunting (sitting on the side of a mountain in the Shenandoah Valley, where many of the stories take place...).

Regarding the Jersey Devil, it's in just about every collection of paranormal and/or ghost stories I've read.  

Chris
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K Frame

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« Reply #10 on: May 15, 2006, 05:46:49 AM »
I was well aware of the Bell Witch when I was a kid in Pennsylvania, and I never really sought out these things.

My Grandmother knew about it, and as far as I know, she was never south of the Manson-Nixon line in her life.
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Lo.Com.Denom

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« Reply #11 on: May 15, 2006, 06:45:16 AM »
Thought that the "Blair Witch Project" was also based on the Bell Witch story? Loosely based on it, obviously...
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mtnbkr

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« Reply #12 on: May 15, 2006, 06:53:51 AM »
Quote from: Lo.Com.Denom
Thought that the "Blair Witch Project" was also based on the Bell Witch story? Loosely based on it, obviously...
I can't imagine how.  Bell Witch takes place in Tenn and in the early 1800s.  BWP takes place in Md.  None of the specific points of the movie reminded me of the Bell Witch story.

The Bell Witch was actually a traditional poltergeist and not a witch.

Chris
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Lo.Com.Denom

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« Reply #13 on: May 15, 2006, 07:35:50 AM »
Just what I heard. Can't see any resemblance there either to be honest, other than the name.

If some of those testimonies are to be believed, the Bell Witch was a truely weird phenomena. Sounds almost like a schizophrenic polt...

Almost added a link to "Gef the talking mongoose", but it's only vaguely related to the Bell Witch (they both spoke, and made accurate predictions, which is quite unusual in poltergeist cases).
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K Frame

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« Reply #14 on: May 15, 2006, 08:03:19 AM »
"If some of those testimonies are to be believed, the Bell Witch was a truely weird phenomena. Sounds almost like a schizophrenic polt..."

Personally?

I think they were eating moldy rye bread. Lots of interesting commonalities with the Bell Witch and the events surrounding the Salem Witch trials.
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mtnbkr

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« Reply #15 on: May 15, 2006, 08:21:37 AM »
Quote
I think they were eating moldy rye bread. Lots of interesting commonalities with the Bell Witch and the events surrounding the Salem Witch trials.
I would agree except for the reports from folks that didn't live in the area and weren't sharing their food.  Andrew Jackson and his group were contacted by "it" prior to arriving at the Bell House.

From Bellwitch.org:
Quote
John Bell, Jr. and Jesse Bell fought under General Andrew Jackson in the Battle of New Orleans, and had developed a good rapport with him. In 1819, Jackson got word of the disturbances at the Bell home and decided to pay a personal visit. Jackson and his entourage, consisting of several men and a large wagon, journeyed from Nashville to the Bell home. As the entourage approached the Bell property, the wagon suddenly stopped. The horses tried pulling but to no avail--the wagon simply would not move.

After several minutes of cursing and trying to get the wagon to move, Jackson exclaimed that it must have been the "witch." As soon as Jackson uttered these words, an unidentified female voice spoke, telling Jackson and his men that they could proceed, and that "she" would see them again later that evening. The men were finally allowed to continue.
Chris
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K Frame

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« Reply #16 on: May 15, 2006, 09:57:19 AM »
Well, everyone knows that Old Andy had himself one hell of a fondness for laudnum... Cheesy

I'd be interested in seeing if Jackson himself ever wrote anything about his encounter, or whether it's just been passed down as "well, this is what happened..."
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Strings

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« Reply #17 on: May 15, 2006, 01:39:28 PM »
heh... I remember when SciFi did their lil' piece on "Blair Witch", playing it up as an actual occurance. Had LOTS of people contacting me, and asking if I had ever heard of it (which I hadn't), and they considered my lack of knowledge proof that it was fake... rolleyes

 And yes, i HAVE heard of the Jersey Devil...
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