Silver John

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Silver John is a fictional character from a series of fantasy stories by Manly Wade Wellman. Though fans refer to him as Silver John or as John the Balladeer, the stories call him simply John.

The stories are set in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. The time is never explicitly given but seems to be the middle of the twentieth century. John is a wandering singer who carries a guitar with silver strings. He is a veteran of the Korean War and resembles a young Johnny Cash. He frequently encounters creatures and superstitions from the folk tales and superstitions of the mountain people. Though John has no special skills or weapons (other than basic Army training), his courage, wit and essential goodness always allow him to triumph over supernatural evils. He has an implied mystic link of some sort to John the Baptist, and much of his personal philosophy can be traced to a "primitive", Gospel-based, Christianity. He is widely read, and it is implied that his knowledge of folk legendarium is of Ph.D level. On one occasion he is "employed" by the State Department to investigate on their behalf a possible instance of Satanism.

The stories are rich in the customs and lore of the region and many of the folk songs John sings are authentic as well. Wellman did introduce some original songs and legends but his creations blend seamlessly with the traditional material. The short stories of John have been collected three times, as Who Fears the Devil? (1963), John the Balladeer (1988), and Owls Hoot in Daytime and Other Omens (2003). In addition, there are five novels about John. Wellman was planning an additional novel, to be titled The Valley So Low, but died before writing it. The title would be used for a collection of his stories, instead.

Silver John Novels

  • The Old Gods Waken (1979)
  • After Dark (1980)
  • The Lost and Lurking (1981)
  • The Hanging Stones (1982)
  • Voice of the Mountain (1984)

The Legend of Hillbilly John, a low-budget movie about John, was released in 1973. The novel Old Nathan by David Drake, a friend of Wellman's, was inspired by the Silver John stories.

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