Death in Appalachia wasn’t distant, sanitized, or hidden away. It was intimate, communal, and deeply ritualized. Families washed and dressed their dead, kept vigil through the night, watched for omens, and followed tradition meant to protect both the living and the departed.

In this episode of The Paranorm Girl Podcast, we explore Appalachian death culture and the beliefs, omens and rituals that shaped it — from sin eaters to death omens, black dogs, death doors, and funeral customs that took place inside of Appalachian’s homes.

We’ll examine:

• The practice of Sin Eating in Appalachia and the Ozarks
• Why mirrors were covered, clocks stopped, and bodies never left alone
• Death omens like black dogs, birds, and innocent signs of approaching loss
• A strange connection between Appalachian death beliefs and Eastern European vampire lore
• Why death doors existed — and whom they protected
• How Appalachian home funerals persisted before modern funerary practices changed folk’s relationship with death

Death in the backwoods was a familiar face. One, which could be anticipated — its approach, recognizable by the signs. And if those failed, it was an inevitability treated with respect, reverence and care. A threshold upon which many worlds met — where communities gathered to participate in a final act of love before sending someone out their Death Door into the hereafter. 

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SOURCES: 

Backwoods Witchcraft: https://www.everand.com/read/406077222/Backwoods-Witchcraft-Conjure-Folk-Magic-from-Appalachia

Witches, Ghosts and Signs by Patrick Gainer: https://archive.org/details/witchesghostssig0000unse/page/140/mode/2up 

Death Superstitions and Traditions in Appalachia: https://blindpigandtheacorn.com/death-superstitions-and-traditions-in-appalachia/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

An Old Time Appalachian Burial: https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2023/07/an-old-time-appalachian-burial.html 

Foxfire 2; “Old Time Burials”: https://theswissbay.ch/pdf/Books/Survival/Farming, Animalraising,Homesteading/foxfirebooks/Foxfire-Book-2.pdf 

Death, Dying and Funeral Customs in Appalachia: https://shepherdcomm.wordpress.com/2022/04/26/death-dying-and-funeral-customs-in-appalachia/ 

Local Legends: Appalachian Death Rituals: https://highlandecho.com/local-legends-appalachian-death-rituals/  

Sitting up with the Dead; a Cherished Appalachian Tradition: https://appalachianmemories.org/2024/12/12/sitting-up-with-the-dead-a-cherished-appalachian-tradition/ 

The Death Culture of Southern Appalachia: https://soar.wichita.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/87c8f977-2543-404b-9a16-83dcd2c2a049/content  

Folklore and folk stories of Wales: https://archive.org/details/afl2317.0001.001.umich.edu/page/48/mode/1up 

Haunted Kentucky Facebook (Hellhound) Story: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hauntedhistoryofkentucky/posts/4170558262990045/  

The Demon Dog Of Valle Crucis, North Carolina; Legends & Folklore of Appalachia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7lr76if7f8&t=68s

Demon dog of Valle Crucis: https://northcarolinaghosts.com/mountains/the-demon-dog-of-valle-crucis/

Reddit encounter story part 1 and 2 with the Demon Dog of Valle Crucis in Modern times: https://www.reddit.com/r/BackwoodsCreepy/comments/9rx8te/the_demon_dog_of_valle_crucis_pt_1/   |   https://www.reddit.com/r/BackwoodsCreepy/comments/9shysd/the_demon_dog_of_valle_crucis_pt_2/ 

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