Rawhead and Bloodybones

A folktale from Kentucky.
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[@toshatrollwarrior]

North East Tennessee- mom told us a version of the bloody bones story. He was a bloody skeleton that lived under the home of the family in the story. She told us that her mother told her the story. And she passed it down to me & my sister.

[@FoulOwl2112]

I grew up hearing the tale as RedEYES and Bloodybones. Grandma always to me he lived at the bottom of the well. If you ever looked down into the well, you would see his red eyes staring up at you. Then he would reach up, grab you and pull you down into the well. Never to be seen again... I realize now it was a folk tale told to kids so they'd keep a safe distance from wells.

[@celticfury7328]

Such a great morality tale! I've read an earlier version, I believe it's an Irish folk tale, that was handed down from long before the Irish committed such things to writing. It wasn't about Rawhead and Bloodybones, but the essential morality concept was exactly the same, with similar reward for kindness and punishment for wicked selfishness being doled out by supernatural beings. Thanks for sharing this wonderful legend!

[@andrewhumphries2281]

Thank you for this. My great grandma used to tell me this story.

[@stinkybritches4540]

Rawhead and Blood Bones scares me to this day!

[@countyorga4744]

In Virginia we had the Booger Man. That's what we called him anyway. I could always just imagine some monster covered in boogers. Pretty horrifying when you are 4.

[@Zoey505]

I love this story

[@veniamatome9644]

I loved and enjoyed the story

[@gunk7071]

I'm from oklahoma and my dad used to tell me about rawhead and bloody bones but as one solid entity that was completely skinless besides a pair of wings made entirely of children's skin (I think he took a lot of that from the jeepers kreepers movie me and my brother used to watch it a lot when we were kids) and that if you were in the woods alone after night he'd swoop down from the trees and skin you alive

[@burymycampaignatwoundedkne3395]

My granny from north Alabama would scare me with stories of this figure as a kid, but she called him Rawhide and Bloody Bones

[@angercatalyst]

My pappy told me a similar story but it was "stringy-hair and bloody bones" instead

[@johnjohnon8767]

Sounds like an Irish story of a man with a humpback being cured because he was kind, and another who was inflicted with a humpback x's 2 for being greedy..

[@inferno6186]

I was born and i am currently in kentucky

[@stephaniemeadows6796]

My papaw use to tell us about bloodybones when we were little and a story about a wolverine and all kinds lol

[@sandraoss326]

love your stories

[@IceKicker18]

I'm South GA, my uncle used to scare me and my cousin with this when we were kids. He would tell us that he would grab us from under our bed at night

[@jmathews470]

South Ga here as well, what about Soap Sally?

[@jmathews470]

South Ga here as well, what about Soap Sally?

[@srvfan454]

My mama used to tell me stories about Rawhead and Bloody Bones. I can't remember them anymore though.

[@heathert5455]

I think that I heard this story before...it sounds familiar.

[@jmathews470]

I've been threatened as a kid by these two as well as soap Sally.

[@jenniferphipps2012]

Rawhead & Bloody Bones, The Left and Right Hands of Krampus' Cryptid Club

[@leviwarren6222]

That'll learn her!

[@jeanettesdaughter]

I heard it told in the southern negro vernacular. Terrifying. I’ve looked and looked for this version but cannot find any rendition anywhere in Negroland folklore. Anyone know about this ⁉️ I first heard it in Georgia from a woman from Gainesville, FL. She told it in rhyming verse.

[@comettamer]

See, I came from the south and never heard this particular tale. Usually got the generic Boogeyman or Cucui tale.

[@gabem4208]

this is very similar to a polish myth i heard once, i wonder if it was an influence

[@joshuaestrada6042]

What's the name of the banjo song

[@denzenlol]

Revenue

[@joshwyatt5576]

Is it just me or does the narrator sound like major dad?

[@joshwyatt5576]

One glance at Susie would send a freight train down a dirt road. Lol

[@jeanettesdaughter]

😂masters of metaphor these storytellers.

[@jeanettesdaughter]

Click Click click 😮

[@Utshab.R]

She wasnt a witch she was a conjurer :v

[@mr.eaglerabbitchungus9804]

XD this is a children's tale

[@burn5153]

Fairytale

[@imnotscared9060]

*laughs in midwestern*

[@jgprickett]

Relatable

[@jigglypuff8437]

First

[@bettyb1313]

I've heard so many of these tales but never knew how they came to be. I'm from Pennsylvania