Perhaps the strangest tale we researched for our Hexeglaawe Folklore Series was that of a mummified ghost haunting Chickies Rock. According to the story, it was 1946 and a group of friends were enjoying the beautiful view from an overlook high above the Susquehanna River. At some point, they realized they had forgotten to bring water, so a few of them left to retrieve it. It was then that they saw a terrifying creature. Described as having no visible arms or legs and being wrapped in old, tattered bandages, the entity towered above them at a reported height of sixteen feet. As if the description above wasn't peculiar enough, they mentioned that six knives were protruding from the creature's head.
We scaled the rocky terrain of Chickies Rock again in the hopes of seeing such a monster, imagining what it must have been like all those decades ago. As we looked out over the winding river from those quartz-filled cliffs, the cold biting wind was impressive through the leafless trees, and it forced us to cut the expedition short. As we headed for the car, we hoped to be startled by the towering Mummy Ghost. Except for the creaking trees swaying in the heavy wind, we heard and saw nothing.
We ducked into a local tavern to warm up and had a very interesting conversation with an elderly man sitting at the end of the bar. We told him we were researching the Legend of the Mummy Ghost and he was quite delighted to set us straight. He told us the name of the initial witness: Harriet Horn. He then said, "They weren't knives. They were arrows." and added "And they weren't in its head."
He then reached into his wallet and revealed the below photograph.
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