Had a friend who encountered a ghost driving on I-10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans around 3 am. That part of the highway is swamp, no exit or entrance ramps. The car followed her for a few miles before vanishing.
I lived in Louisiana two decades ago. Spent a year near Lake Charles. There are lots of fascinating urban legends and folklore in Cajun country and they've influenced me creatively with some of my horror and sci-fi stories. (I published a short ghost story, Hiding from Shadows, that's set in a fictional Louisiana parish. And a few pivotal scenes in my sci-fi novel Dark Metamorphosis take place in Sulphur, Louisiana.)
I enjoyed this so much! Having grown up Mormon, my favorite genre of this folklore trope is what I call the spooky-religious and especially in Utah and Idaho usually involve the mythical Three Nephites.
Definitely familiar with the Three Nephites. I've contemplated dedicating a future Folklore Friday article to those specific stories. They draw in so many classic folklore/urban legend elements. Religious folklore in general is quite fascinating. It influences so much of pop culture and common beliefs into the 21st century.
I would love to read your take on that! I'm a religious folklore junkie. I think it tells us so much more about what a people truly believe about god, the universe and humanity's place in the cosmos than official statements of doctrine.
Had a friend who encountered a ghost driving on I-10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans around 3 am. That part of the highway is swamp, no exit or entrance ramps. The car followed her for a few miles before vanishing.
Cool!
I lived in Louisiana two decades ago. Spent a year near Lake Charles. There are lots of fascinating urban legends and folklore in Cajun country and they've influenced me creatively with some of my horror and sci-fi stories. (I published a short ghost story, Hiding from Shadows, that's set in a fictional Louisiana parish. And a few pivotal scenes in my sci-fi novel Dark Metamorphosis take place in Sulphur, Louisiana.)
I enjoyed this so much! Having grown up Mormon, my favorite genre of this folklore trope is what I call the spooky-religious and especially in Utah and Idaho usually involve the mythical Three Nephites.
Thank you. 😊
Definitely familiar with the Three Nephites. I've contemplated dedicating a future Folklore Friday article to those specific stories. They draw in so many classic folklore/urban legend elements. Religious folklore in general is quite fascinating. It influences so much of pop culture and common beliefs into the 21st century.
I would love to read your take on that! I'm a religious folklore junkie. I think it tells us so much more about what a people truly believe about god, the universe and humanity's place in the cosmos than official statements of doctrine.
I wholeheartedly agree.
I have nothing witty to add other than this was a fun read.
Thank you. 😊
I rather enjoy digging up all these urban legends. I need to incorporate some into future stories.