StyleBlueprint loves to celebrate women. Today, for a spooky spin on our usual approach, we’re highlighting tales of famous witches around the South. In our research, we found that instances of witches in Southern folklore spanned multiple centuries, well after the panic in Salem died down — even as late as the 1970s. Have you heard of these eight iconic Southern witches?
Writer’s Notes: Witchcraft accounts of centuries past aren’t always the most well-documented or reliable. The first mention of each witch’s name links to further details of her history. And because images of these time periods are difficult to come by, we leaned on AI to help create visual representations.
Witch of Yazoo | Mississippi
The Witch of Yazoo is a local legend tied to Yazoo City, Mississippi, dating back to the early 1800s. The story goes that a mysterious, decrepit-looking old woman lived on the banks of the Yazoo River. She was notorious for luring fishermen to her house, killing them with arsenic, and burying the bodies beneath the wooded hill nearby.
In 1884, the town sheriff caught her in the act. She tried to flee but was eventually captured.
As she was dying, the Witch of Yazoo cursed that she would return from the grave to burn down Yazoo City. Fast-forward two decades to 1904, when a fire mysteriously broke out, destroying more than 300 buildings. Many locals believe it was the ultimate fulfillment of the witch’s curseWitchcraft accounts of centuries past aren’t always the most well-documented or reliable histories.
Bell Witch | Tennessee
The Bell Witch is perhaps the South’s most famous witch, and thousands of people from all over the country have traveled to Adams, TN, to witness the paranormal hauntings. In 1804, John Bell moved his family to a 320-acre farm in Tennessee.
Thirteen years into their new life, they began reporting strange occurrences, including mysterious noises, objects moving on their own, and physical attacks. The ghostly figure, known as the Bell Witch, seemed to focus on John and his daughter, Betsy.
Many believe the spirit was a woman named Kate Batts, who had a grudge against John surrounding the land he purchased. The witch took credit for John’s death when a mysterious vial was found next to his bed. The state even recognized his death as supernatural.
The legend continues to take on a life of its own. Even Andrew Jackson claimed to have encountered the witch during a visit to the Bell home, declaring it too terrifying to stay.
To learn more, book a visit to the Historic Bell Witch Cave in Adams, TN. They offer tours, seasonal events in the fall, and even paranormal excursions. Here’s a look from the Travel Channel.
First Witch of Winnsboro | South Carolina
South Carolina’s First Witch of Winnsboro, Mary Ingelman, is another intriguing Southern witch who was accused and tried a century after the Salem witch mania. In the late 1700s, cattle fell ill, crops failed, and people and animals began acting strange. Looking for a scapegoat, the townsfolk claimed Mary, then seventy-seven, could cast spells, shape-shift, and control storms.
Mary and three other accused witches were tried illegally, with first-person accounts of their heretic ways as the only evidence. They were said to have been tied to a tree, their feet set on fire to burn off the soles. Records show that Ingleman later sued the people who tortured her, but they most skipped town. Mary was likely not a witch but just good with herbs and tinctures and had an unfamiliar German accent.
Marie Laveau | Louisiana
Marie Laveau is among the most famous names in Southern witchcraft and voodoo. Known as the Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie was a hairdresser by trade, and many of New Orleans’s wealthy women entrusted their secrets to her. Her influence stretched across the city, and people of all classes sought her for her magical abilities, spiritual advice, and healing powers.
She became a legend in her lifetime, known for conducting rituals in Congo Square and working with charms, spells, and potions. She died in 1881, but people still visit her tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 (mainly on epic ghost tours) to feel the warmth of her presence, seek her blessings, and leave offerings.
Mary Oneida Toups | Louisiana
Mary Oneida Toups is a lesser-known (well, she was shouted out on American Horror Story) but intriguing figure in 20th-century Louisiana folklore. The “Witch Queen of New Orleans” lived from 1928 to 1981 and chartered the Religious Order of Witchcraft, the first coven registered as an official religious organization in Louisiana, in 1972.
Known for her charismatic personality and keen understanding of occult traditions, Mary was unique in blending New Orleans’s mystic, voodoo, and witchcraft culture with modern witchcraft practices.
Grace Sherwood | Virginia
Known as the “Witch of Pungo,” Grace Sherwood was the last person convicted of witchcraft in Virginia in the early 1700s. Grace worked her family’s farmland, grew her own herbs to treat people and animals, and served the surrounding area as a midwife. Surviving records paint Grace as a non-conformist who wore pants when she worked, spoke up for herself, and cared deeply for animals.
Throughout her life, she was embroiled in at least a dozen accusations by her neighbors of everything from witchcraft to assault. They claimed she caused crops to fail and animals to die. Grace was eventually subjected to a trial by water on what’s today known as the heavily trafficked Witchduck Road in Virginia Beach.
Grace was thrown into a river to see if she would float (a traditional test for witches). She survived the ordeal but was imprisoned for eight years after. Today, Grace is remembered as a symbol of early American witch trials and unjust persecution.
Alice Flagg | South Carolina
Alice Flagg’s tale is more of a ghost story with witchy undertones, tied to the South Carolina Lowcountry. According to legend, Alice fell madly in love with a common lumber worker — a man her fancy family vehemently disapproved of.
Alice’s brother took on the role of man of the house after their father passed away, and he allegedly ripped the engagement ring from a ribbon around her neck while she slept.
In the morning, she was panic-stricken and began clawing at her neck for the ring. She descended into a comatose state and died shortly after. Alice’s restless spirit is said to roam the woods and marshes, still searching for her lost ring.
The Witch of Hinds Road | Alabama
The Witch of Hinds Road (the tale is also referred to as The Hellhound of Hinds Road because of her purportedly conjured-up dog) is a chilling legend from North Alabama that has sparked intrigue and fear in the town of Gadsden near Hinds Road.
In the early 1900s, a lone woman who lived in a shack on the outskirts of town was blamed for a series of mysterious deaths and strange occurrences that plagued the area. In a tragic turn, townsfolk took matters into their own hands, leading to her untimely death along the isolated road.
**********
For more of the best of the South, follow us on Instagram @StyleBlueprint!
