 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 |
|---|
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 (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.