Keeping with the theme of last week’s story of people living in Appalachia, which others find a little unsettling, are the tales of feral people. The tales of feral people of Appalachia have no evidence to support them, but have been passed down for generations about those who live completely off-grid.
Moonshining was and still is alive in Appalachia as part of its history and culture. The stories of the feral people have many origins; the most common is that families who lived in Appalachia, moonshining families, slowly became hermits to keep out of trouble.
Most of these feral people are rarely seen, and it is believed that they have kept hidden in the woods. Though invisible, tales speak of the sound that they make. They mimic animals, but there is something off about the noises. This group of people makes grunts and groans to mimic animals to communicate with each other in the woods in a way that no one else can understand.
Many people believe that these feral people are just a spinoff of mimics said to live in Appalachia, which are Cryptids that, as the name entails, mimic animals and humans. Though many people believe in these feral people, others believe that it is very harmful to the reputation of people who live more rurally in Appalachia, that they are seen as less than human and more animalistic.
Furthermore, with the lore of the feral people, it is believed that they are the reason for the disappearances of hikers in Appalachia who either didn’t like them being in the area or were trying to protect themselves and their families.
Though there is no proof for these people, it is not unlikely that somewhere out there a family is living off the grid, though it may not be as drastic as the tales make it sound. Ultimately, this is an interesting story with historic contexts and a tale that was passed down through Appalachian generations.
