Leave it to a site called Witchcraft and Witches to tell us the horrifying legend of Moll Dyer. When you consider how Moll lived in Maryland (just like the Blair Witch), it's not hard to see how her story might have provided the bare bones for the legend in the iconic horror film. What's more, the details of her death and haunting seem to share a commonality or two with the Blair Witch. Here are the highlights:
- Moll Dyer lived in Maryland in the 17th century. There are supposedly no historic records of her existence, so her tale has mostly been passed down as an oral story, told generation after generation.
- According to legend, the Winter of 1697 was brutal, with a scarcity of food. Many residents died. After a vicious illness killed many members of the town, a small vigilante group sought to bring Dyer to justice.
- The townspeople allegedly set fire to Dyer's cottage, causing her to flee and run into the woods. She froze to death and was discovered some days later. Before dying, it's said she laid her hand on a rock and cursed the town.
- Remember how the Blair Witch had a cursed rock associated with her? This could be the origin of part of her lore, especially because she, too, is said to haunt the local woods outside Burkittsville!
