For centuries, old folkloric wisdom has warned of the dangers lurking within the Appalachian mountains. Don't look into the trees. Never whistle while you walk. If you hear something call your name, no you didn't. But are these long-held words of advice true tips to avoiding a perilous fate or simply just legends passed down from generation to generation? To the folks who live there, these historic adages are there for some darn good reasons.

From things that go bump in the night to the even scarier things that don't, here are 20 creepy tales of life out in the Appalachian wilderness.