My mom and aunts hail from Brunswick,Georgia and they love to talk about ghosts.


The Chanting Ghosts

Back in the mid 1800's,the last group of African slaves arrived on St.Simon's Island. They were Ibo from Nigeria and determined not to submit to slavery. Somehow they managed to get away and  they marched into a lake in the island,chained together and they all drowned. Brunswick is right across from St.Simons Island and it's said that if you stand there on the night of a full moon,you can hear the chants of the slaves. My mother swears she heard them one night when she was about sixteen. They don't mean harm but my aunt says they are stuck in that moment and can't or won't move on.


Petey Wheatstraw

An old African American folk tale. It has many variations but this is the one I heard about:

It's said that if you go to the crossroads at midnight and write what you want in blood from your left hand,Petey will hear you. Whatever you want will come to you but Petey will show up,demanding his due. It could be anything but Petey MUST be paid or else. If you try to cheat him,bad luck or even death will come your way. My uncle said this is what the blues great Robert Johnson did and paid with his life.

Hoodoo

Many myths abound about this. First of all,it is not voodoo,which is an ancient African religion still practiced today. Hoodoo arose from folk magic and medicines used by the slaves. Back then,they used herbs to heal and spells to do the same thing.  Most Hoodoo practioners deal in help/love/keeping away enemies/natural medicine.They also bless homes and some even communicate with spirits.


Black Dogs:
These are huge black dogs that guard slave cemetaries/graves. That's where they are most often seen. To see one is considered a sign that death or extremely bad luck is coming your way.The only way yp avoid such a fate is to leave an offering for the slaves spirits,something that is common in Africa. It is said that if you violate these places and don't make amends,these dogs will,pardon the pun,hound you to your death. My aunt says there was one in their hometown. Most slave graves weren't marked but people knew what areas to avoid. She told me that a man bought some property and wanted to build a house on it. People told him that the black dogs watched over the place but as usual in these stories,he didn't listen. The man was found  dead the next day,a victim of a heart attack. The ground is still there in Brunswick,unbothered.

There are many more but these are just the few I know about.

These are awesome stories. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice Kitty27.  Thank You!