Among the mountains of Appalachia there is said to be a creature so fierce that just a glimpse of its yellow eyes can pierce through the heart and soul of a person, leaving them teetering on the edge of insanity. Though it has many names, most know the creature as the Wampus Cat.
A legend of a creature cursed to wander the woods alone can trace its origins to the early 19th century. But there is an older story, one not of a soulless evil but of a great protector.
What is the Wampus Cat? The legend of the creature is one of two worlds, a native origin story of a protector of the Cherokee people who lived in the mountains of Appalachia, and a great evil that was written of white explorers and settlers of the mountains. In which story should we trust? Does it matter?
Sources:
Bane, Michelle. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 2015.
“Cherokee Native Americans and Wampus Mask.” Copyright 2022. The Moonlit Road. https://www.themoonlitroad.com/cherokee-native-americans-wampas-mask/.
Smith, Michelle. Legends, Lore and True Tales of the Chattahoochee. Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2013.
Tabler, Dave. “The story of the Wampus Cat.” October 13, 2017. Appalachian History. https://www.appalachianhistory.net/2017/10/story-of-wampus-cat.html.
“The Wampus Cat.” Copyright 2022. North Carolina Ghosts. https://northcarolinaghosts.com/mountains/wampus-cat/.
“Wampus Cat.” October 19, 2018. Astonishing Legends. https://www.astonishinglegends.com/astonishing-legends/2018/10/19/wampus-cat.
