The Gray Man character inspired by South Carolina Ghost

Photo by: Bruce Roberts, from Ghosts of the Carolinas by Nancy Roberts

The Gray Man ghost story is one of the most recognizable in South Carolina lore. The apparition is frightening, yet an encounter could easily be considered fortuitous.

The Gray Man is based on a local legend of Pawley’s Island, South Carolina. For over 100 years, people have reported seeing the Gray Man. There are various versions of who the ghostly figure could be and they include lost loves of tragic romance, original settlers of the island, and casualties of previous storms. Whoever the Gray Man might be, it is said the he warns the island’s inhabitants of impending storms and hurricanes.

In the first book of Forged, the Gray Man appears to the main character, Katherine, to inform her a terrible storm is approaching and will bring with it death to her entire village. He informs her and her companion that only water from Youth's Fountain will save her village. In the story the encounter, just as it would be in real life, is both terrifying and lucky.

The characters barely escape the encounter as they're attacked by a hoard of giant Sand Crabs and flee through a patch of enormous, carnivorous plants. But, the encounter leads to Katherines journey through mythological America.

There isn't an illustration of the Gray Man in the story, but I created a picture of how I envisioned him by photo-shopping an illustration of an old man on a jellyfish.



Excerpt from Story from the chapter "Spirits in the Trees" (setting inspired by Brown Mountain, NC)

A solitary man passed among the green hills of Southerly along an overgrown trail, carefully watching the spaces in the forest. He knew that until twilight came he would not be able to see the demons that haunted this place.

The thin trail the traveler followed led to Dead Mountain. The mountain stretched for a mile like a corpse frozen on the ground. Twigs and branches dropped from the dying trees, a warning to all those who passed of the fate that awaited them if they continued.

No one lived anywhere near Dead Mountain and travelers only passed by it if they had no other choice. Those who had dared to venture within its cold shadow said that as day gave way to night eerie, flickering lights could be seen drifting through trees, even from a distance[1].

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[1] Dead Mountain is inspired by Brown Mountain. The Brown Mountain Lights are an unexplained phenomenon that occurs in the mountains of North Carolina. Those who witness the lights describe them as white, yellow, or red in color. Sometimes the lights are described as having a misty appearance and a sizzling sound. There have been many attempts to explain the lights even as early as eight centuries ago when the Cherokee witnessed the lights and believed them to be the spirits of warriors. More recently, investigators believe them to be “earth lights” which are caused by seismic activity. Although the United States government has investigated the lights on three different occasions, the mystery remains unsolved.

What makes it unique?

The best way to think of the story is to think of a casserole made of American history, folklore, and fantasy fiction. Okay, so no one likes casserole, so maybe a fruit salad without grapes. When you’re eating you ask someone what’s in it and they tell you. In the story as you read along about a character, place or thing based on reality there’s a short footnote so the reader knows what the “real” stuff is that the story is made of.

Where did I get the idea?

The idea sprouted from a racist Russian, honestly. He asked me my nationality. When I told him “American” he said I was wrong. Americans were Indians and I had killed them all. I didn’t remember killing Indians, but the point was clear; he didn’t believe that Americans had a unique identity.

It really took fruit after watching a show about Lord of the Rings where someone said Tolkien wrote it as England’s mythology. Thinking about the Russian I started to consider what America’s mythology looked like.

What it's about...

I decided I'd post a bit of a query letter sent out. I know it's a bit cheesy, but it'll give you an idea of the concept of Forged:

Charm and Youth’s Fountain, is the First Tale in the unprecedented series Forged: The American Mythology.

Katherine the Charm—so-called from her infancy because of the horrible tragedies that occur on each of her birthdays—is shunned and reviled in her coastal fishing village. When she is warned that her approaching fourteenth birthday will be no exception, bringing a terrible storm and painful death to the people she loves, she flees her unhappy life hoping to spare her village from impending doom. Beginning with only a wish to die, Katherine is soon swept up on a journey to discover the hero who may be able to save her village by finding the healing waters of Youth’s Fountain. Along the way she meets unexpected friends, from the Swamp Fox to Sasquatch to Johnny Appleseed, who help her in her search and protect her from conspiring dangers—Old World soldiers, the Savage Kings and Blackbeard the Pirate, among others.

Katherine’s quest will not only teach youth the importance of recognizing their own worth, but will encourage readers to further explore America’s fascinating history. Whenever a new character that is based on American legend, folklore or actual history is introduced, the reader will be able to learn the factual information behind that character in a footnote. Additional readings are also included to promote ongoing learning about American Mythology.