Post by Joanna on Jan 9, 2016 23:47:03 GMT -5
Vandals Steal Chains from Grave of Yazoo Witch
YAZOO CITY, Miss. – Vandals have targeted a historic landmark in a Yazoo City cemetery. On Monday, January 4, some of the chain links were missing from “The Witch's Grave” in Glenwood Cemetery. It is believed that a curse is associated with the grave and disturbing it brings bad luck. According to local legend, areas of Yazoo City burned down more than a century ago after someone disturbed the grave. Some believe the spirit of the witch herself was the fire-starting culprit.
The Yahoo Witch was made famous in the book, Good Old Boy by Willie Morris, published in 1971. The legend goes that an old woman, who lived on the Yazoo River, was caught and was caught torturing and killing fishermen whom she lured from the river. The sheriff is said to have chased her through the swamps, where she half-drowned in quicksand by the time she was caught. As she was sinking, she swore her revenge on Yazoo City and on the town’s people. According to the legend, her exact words were: “In 20 years, I will return and burn this town to the ground!”
On May 25, 1904, more than 200 homes and almost every business in Yazoo City was destroyed by fire. Many theories evolved as to how the fire started, but none was conclusive. One theory was that the fire started in the parlor of a young Miss Wise who was preparing for her wedding. But it was the strange and fierce winds blowing that day that caused the flames to leap through the air as though driven by some supernatural force that led many to believe the witch was behind the fire.
The following day, a group of citizens made their way into Glenwood Cemetery and found the chains binding the grave of the witch broken. Today, both children and adults enjoy taking the tour of Glenwood Cemetery and hearing the story of the witch.
Source: Mary Grace Eppes, WLBT, January 6, 2016.
For additional information on the Yahoo Witch, see: whatliesbeyond.boards.net/thread/2751/witch-haunts-yazoo-city