Legendary 19th century haunting in Middle Tennessee
For other uses, see Bell Witch (disambiguation).
The Bell Witch
William Porter Attempts to Burn the Witch (Illus. 1894)
Grouping
Legendary creature
Sub grouping
Spirit
Similar entities
Poltergeist, Jinn, Demon, Goblin
Folklore
American folklore
First attested
1817
Other name(s)
Kate
Country
United States
Region
Middle Tennessee, Robertson County, Tennessee, Adams, Tennessee
Details
Found in caves
Part of a series on the
Paranormal
Main articles
Astral projection
Astrology
Aura
Bilocation
Breatharianism
Clairvoyance
Close encounter
Cold spot
Crystal gazing
Conjuration
Cryptozoology
Demonic possession
Demonology
Ectoplasm
Electronic voice phenomenon
Exorcism
Extrasensory perception
Forteana
Fortune-telling
Ghost hunting
Magic
Mediumship
Miracle
Occult
Orb
Ouija
Paranormal fiction
Paranormal television
Precognition
Preternatural
Psychic
Psychic reading
Psychometry
Reincarnation
Remote viewing
Retrocognition
Spirit photography
Spirit possession
Spirit world
Spiritualism
Stone Tape
Supernatural
Telekinesis
Telepathy
Table-turning
Ufology
Reportedly haunted locations:
India
United Kingdom
United States
World
Skepticism
Cold reading
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
Debunking
Hoax
James Randi Educational Foundation
Magical thinking
Prizes for evidence of the paranormal
Pseudoskepticism
Scientific literacy
Scientific skepticism
Parapsychology
Anomalous experiences
Apparitional experiences
Empath
False awakening
Hypnosis
Ideomotor phenomenon
Out-of-body experiences
Parapsychology
Synchronicity
Related
Anomalistics
Argument from ignorance
Argumentum ad populum
Bandwagon effect
Begging the question
Cognitive dissonance
Communal reinforcement
Fallacy
Falsifiability
Fringe science
Groupthink
Hypnosis
Junk science
Protoscience
Pseudoscience
Scientific evidence
Scientific method
Superstition
Uncertainty
Urban legend
v
t
e
The Bell Witch or Bell Witch Haunting is a legend from Southern United States folklore, centered on the 19th-century Bell family of northwest Robertson County, Tennessee. Farmer John Bell Sr. resided with his family along the Red River in an area currently near the town of Adams. According to legend, from 1817 to 1821, his family and the local area came under attack by a mostly invisible entity that was able to speak, affect the physical environment, and shapeshift. Some accounts record the spirit also to have been clairvoyant and capable of crossing long distances with superhuman speed (and/or of being in more than one place at a time).
In 1894, newspaper editor Martin V. Ingram published his Authenticated History of the Bell Witch. The book is widely regarded as the first full-length record of the legend and a primary source for subsequent treatments. The individuals recorded in the work were known historical personalities. In modern times, some skeptics have regarded Ingram's efforts as a work of historical fiction or fraud. Other researchers consider Ingram's work a nascent folklore study and an accurate reflection of belief in the region during the 19th century.
While not a fundamental element of the original recorded legend, the Bell Witch Cave in the 20th century became a source of continuing interest, belief, and generation of lore. Contemporary artistic interpretations such as in film and music have expanded the reach of the legend beyond the regional confines of the Southern United States.
The BellWitch or BellWitch Haunting is a legend from Southern United States folklore, centered on the 19th-century Bell family of northwest Robertson...
The BellWitch Cave is a karst cave located in Adams, Tennessee, near where the Bell Farm once stood. The cave is approximately 490 feet (150 m) long....
The BellWitch Haunting is a 2013 horror film based on the story of the BellWitch that haunts a modern American family. The film was preceded by others...
1811. His father, John Bell, was the only person in history whose death was attributed to the doings of a Spirit (BellWitch). In 1817, his family came...
The Good Witch is a television film that aired on the Hallmark Channel on January 19, 2008. It stars Catherine Bell as Cassandra "Cassie" Nightingale and...
on the novel The BellWitch: An American Haunting by Brent Monahan. The events in the novel are based on the legend of the BellWitch. The film switches...
provided the voice of the title character, the ghost of a witch, for the horror film BellWitch: The Movie, released in 2007. In 2005, at around 79 years...
Metal Blade Records. Following the supporting tour, the band released The BellWitch on 27 June 1994, an EP of live tracks, as well as studio recordings from...
As Matthew Gerbig, he appeared in the films Charlie's War (2003) and BellWitch Haunting (2004) before taking his stage name. Alan's work includes a recurring...
Flower Witch Mary Bell (花の魔法使いマリーベル, Hana no Mahōtsukai Marī Beru), or known as Mary Bell in some countries, is a Japanese magical girl anime series by...
Mirror Reaper is the third studio album by Seattle-based metal band BellWitch. It was released as a double album on October 20, 2017, through Profound...
and a disembodied voice and cited Bible scripture. The BellWitch partly inspired The Blair Witch Project and the events of her story were depicted in the...
Phantoms is the second studio album by Seattle-based doom metal band BellWitch. It was released on April 28, 2015, through Profound Lore Records. Four...
Snallygaster Snipe Snow snake Splintercat Squonk Teakettler Wampus cat Ghosts BellWitch Ghosts of the American Civil War Lincoln's ghost La Llorona Red Ghost...
Snallygaster Snipe Snow snake Splintercat Squonk Teakettler Wampus cat Ghosts BellWitch Ghosts of the American Civil War Lincoln's ghost La Llorona Red Ghost...
list of fictional witches. A Adrazelle (Mélusine) Alwina (Good witch in the Suske en Wiske story "Het Spaanse Spook") Alwina (Evil witch in the Suske en...
Snallygaster Snipe Snow snake Splintercat Squonk Teakettler Wampus cat Ghosts BellWitch Ghosts of the American Civil War Lincoln's ghost La Llorona Red Ghost...