Loreplay

This week we're going fully unhinged in the Mississippi Delta, and I need you to be prepared for that emotionally. We're covering the Witch of Yazoo — a nameless woman, a swamp shack, a very unfortunate boy on a raft, and a dying curse so specific it included a date, a year, a time of day, and somehow still got dismissed by an entire town. We'll get into the legend itself (fishermen, arsenic, skeletons on the ceiling, yes really), the fire of 1904 that happened on the exact date she said it would, the chained grave in Glenwood Cemetery that someone is literally employed to maintain to this day, and what this legend is actually about underneath all the chaos. Also Willie Morris, who chose to be buried thirteen paces from her grave and is an icon for it.
Spooky? Yes. Funny? Absolutely. A little bit sad if you think about it too hard? Unfortunately also yes.

Sources:
Morris, Willie. Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood. New York: Harper & Row, 1971. — This is the one. The book that put the Witch of Yazoo on the map. Semi-autobiographical, beautifully written, and the primary source for the version of the legend most people know. Worth reading in full.
Morris, Willie. Good Old Boy and the Witch of Yazoo. Oxford, MS: Yoknapatawpha Press, 1989. — The sequel, in which Willie and his friends get tangled up with a woman rumored to be the witch's granddaughter and chaos ensues. A delight.
McElreath, Leisa S. and Lindsley, Ashley McElreath. "1904 Destruction of Yazoo City: A Case Study of Community Resilience." 2018. — A genuinely fascinating academic paper about the fire itself and how the town recovered. Available via ResearchGate. If you want the non-supernatural account of what happened, start here.
Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau — The Legend of the Witch of Yazoo. visityazoo.org — The official tourism page, which is somehow both completely earnest and deeply charming. Also has a downloadable map to the grave. Yes, really.
The Clarion-Ledger — "Great fire in Yazoo City." May 25, 1904. — The contemporary newspaper account of the fire. Available digitized via various Mississippi newspaper archives.
The Clarion-Ledger — "The Witch of Yazoo still haunts the town she burned." Therese Apel. October 28, 2014. — A lovely modern piece on how the legend lives in Yazoo City today.
The Yazoo Herald — "It's Time To Bury the Witch of Yazoo for Good." April 4, 1998. — The editorial that prompted Willie Morris to write a letter to the editor at age 63 defending the witch. Iconic behavior.
The Yazoo Herald — "Chained Grave Holds Jealous Wife, Says Longtime Yazoo City Resident." July 5, 1978. — The alternate theory that the grave is actually a woman buried by a controlling husband. Somehow more disturbing than the witch.
Hinds Community College LibGuide — Paranormal Mississippi Case Files: The Witch of Yazoo. libguides.hindscc.edu — A well-sourced academic overview of the legend with the Willie Morris short story text. Great starting point for research.
Country Roads Magazine — "The Witch of Yazoo." September 2025. — A recent retelling with good detail on the oral tradition and the grave itself.
Mississippi Folklore (msfolklore.wordpress.com) — "The Witch of Yazoo." August 2022. — Thorough overview with good historical context on Yazoo City before the legend.
Only in Your State — "The Witch of Yazoo City Is a Mississippi Legend." — Accessible overview with details on the grave's current state.
OTIS (Odd Things I've Seen) — "Deadknobs and Broomsticks: The Witch Grave of Yazoo City." September 2014. — A firsthand account of visiting the grave. I read this one at midnight and do not recommend that.

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Creators and Guests

Host
Dayna Pereira
Show Host of Multiple Chart Hitting Podcasts. French Fry and Wine Enthusiast

What is Loreplay?

Dayna Pereira is the sarcastic solo host of Loreplay, serving up paranormal stories, haunted history, creepy folklore, and weird legends with a playful twist. Equal parts storyteller and skeptic, she blends dark humor, spooky vibes, and a love for the bizarre into binge-worthy episodes for fans of ghost stories, urban legends, and true crime with a paranormal twist.