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Indian Drums In The Woods

 

This is for anyone familiar with Cecil County, Maryland. I used to live on a farm in that area, right near the Susquehanna River. I lived there from when I was 9 until age 15. There were a lot of weird experiences there, and even once a psychic came by and told us about spirits in the house. That was much later though, after I had left. My father still lives there actually. Whatever...anyway, I just want to see if anyone has ever experienced "Indian drums" while outdoors.

I have plenty of memories of being outside, hanging around the property playing basketball, football, or anything with my younger brother. Plenty of times we'd have to stop what we were doing because you could very easily hear drums coming from the woods all around. You couldn't quite pinpoint where. It wasn't like a drum set echoing from someone's garage. It sounded more like a distant parade. It had that very clichรฉd Indian rhythm of BOOM-boom-boom-boom-BOOM-boom-boom-boom, etc.

This would happen in the middle of the day. You could even walk through the woods and it would start happening. Many times I'd chase the sound to see where it was coming from, but to no avail. I just recently remembered all this and called my brother about it. I'm 24 now and he's 23. I asked him "Do you remember hearing those drums in the woods on the farm?" and his reaction was priceless: "S--t yeah, that shiat freaked me out! I ran out of the woods one time because of it".

The sound was very audible to anyone who would be outside at the time. However, I asked my mother recently and she didn't recall anything about it. At the time I remember never mentioning it because I simply thought it was just a parade somewhere. Looking back, it just baffles me even more now. We had a very isolated piece of property - and these were very obvious tribal drums that would sound up at random. I probably ignored them most of the time.

Now as I said, there was some other spiritual activity at this location. I could tell those stories... But I want to know if anyone has ever heard (or heard of) this before. There's another Indian drum story on this site, but it takes place in a house. What I heard was always outside and in the distance. If you walked into the woods, it would almost follow you. It sounds creepy, but even when it was happening it was just confusing. Imagine being 13 and working in a barn and hearing this stuff. My first reaction was always "What the hell is that noise?" as I walked around the property trying to locate it.

So...anyone? I assumed it was Indian because it sounded Indian and that area had a very rich Indian history being where the Susquehanna River met the Chesapeake Bay.

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The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, JoshuaAD, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will participate in the discussion and I need help with what I have experienced.

asmanzano (1 posts)
+3
3 years ago (2020-11-16)
So I have been researching this for so long. I had similar experience growing up and can't believe I found your story. I grew up on a farm in NC and also heard what sounded like Native American drumming in the woods across the street. This happened starting around 6 years old and happened for many years. I wasn't afraid as I was used to the sound, but as I got older and look back I think about how strange this is. My sister also remembers the sound, although she didn't hear it as frequently as I did. I would love to know what the heck that's and what it meant!
CuriousDee (8 stories) (631 posts)
+3
6 years ago (2018-05-21)
RoamCuriously and Sudsybathwater:

Please submit your experiences on the home page (choose the 'submit it' link and follow the instructions). I for one am interested in reading them and am sure others would be as well. ๐Ÿ˜Š

-Dee
RoamCuriously (1 stories) (1 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-05-21)
I have been looking into something very very similar to what has been said here.
My grandparents use to own a farm that is now called Crane Kettle Farms near Stockton Missouri. This seems to be Osage territory or was.
I had 2 experiences there when I was a kid that recently I can't get off my mind.
First one day as the sun was going down my grandfather, brother, and I were sitting on the front porch looking out over the farm. When we saw north of us what looked like a bright star rising from the tree line, it stopped, and then shot off like a shooting star. We all just looked at each other in disbelief. There is no telling how far it really was. Could have been a mile could of been further but I still remember the general direction it was.
I don't remember if it was the same year or a different year but about the same time of day as the ufo sighting my brother, cousin, and I were walking back to the house after putting up the animals when we started to hear drumming and signing. Its was faint but very quickly got louder and louder. We couldn't understand how we could be hearing this and not see the source of it. I ran like hell when I saw my grandmother. My brother was shaking my cousin when I looked back and he was white as chalk scared stiff.
I have recently been looking into sightings and reading up on the Osage and I think its interesting they believe star people came down from the heavens and help man with their horrible ways and that after death they would prop there dead up on a high spot so when the sun rose it would take their spirit or something of the sort. I have found a couple of high hills in the direction of the UFO we saw. Maybe if I ever get the chance to go back up there I will try to find away to explore the hills I think are where it rose from.

Id like to talk more with people who have experienced this and try to find out what similarities we have.
Sudsybathwater (1 posts)
+2
6 years ago (2018-03-25)
I know this thread is old but I haven't really researched the experience I had years ago until now. I'll be 36 in May and this happened when I was around 10. I still remember it vividly. I was born and raised in Eastern Ohio. In the early 90s my grandma took me and my little sister to visit my aunt in Barton, Ohio. It's a heavily wooded area and my aunt lives (still does) in a house on a big property with 2 barns. My sis and I would always go play in the barns and all around the area. This particular time we found a little path down behind one of the barns. The path lead into the woods. We were weary about it but sure enough we made our way down the path. Out of nowhere I heard voices in the distance. It sounded like it was pretty far away but still, there were no other houses around and there shouldn't have been anyone on my aunt's property. I looked back at my sister and she was stopped dead in her tracks, so I knew she heard it too. We stopped and were quiet so we could listen closer. We were huddled up together and looked at each other in shock when we realized what were hearing was Indian chanting. It had the cadence of a typical Indian chant but it was more beautiful because it sounded so real and it made it a more personable experience. It sounded like 10 or more people and it almost had this echoing effect to it. There was just no way that there could've been one person, let alone ten people in those woods. The woods were just so thick, you could barely see through them so it was almost impossible for anyone to walk through them. Plus they were riddled with jaggers and tall grass that housed many black snakes.
I just KNOW it was spiritual. I don't know how I know that, but I just do. My sister knows it, too. Even though it scared us at the time, we still talk about how lucky we were to have had that experience together.
Buckhunter46755 (2 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-06-11)
I believe this is 100% real. I have heard these drums maybe 4-5 times over the past 30 years. Always in the same location. My brothers have heard them also. My mother heard them several years after my first experience and it scared the crap out of her... I have also seen an "image" of a native american dressed in full apparel standing 20 feet away from me in the woods, staring right at me, only to vanish before my eyes. I don't know how to explain these things. We have also found numerous artifacts, such as arrowheads and hatchet/hammerheads on our property while planting trees, tilling the garden, walking in plowed fields, etc. I know this is authentic. I just don't understand how we are able to witness these things. It's as if it's coming from another point in time. This phenonema is very interesting to say the least. It's great to know other people have experienced these type of things as well.
Sema_Haute (1 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-03-01)
Hello Joshua,

I actually joined this site to respond to your comment and to give my story. First off I need to state I'm half Cherokee Indian my father was Cherokee and my Mother is German, my screen name is my Cherokee Name which means Strong willed Bull in my tribes language.

Ok now to my experience:

I never had any experiences in my preteens although many deaths happened around me (Father died at 10 to Agent Orange, all my Grand Parents died when I was young (One by drowning) and mothers boyfriend was murdered close to our house when I was 12.

When I turned 15 we moved to Indiana and we lived in a Trailer Park not far from a lot of woods and I was always someone who enjoyed woods because we had lived in the Mountains all up until this point in Va. So it was at home in the woods.

One day I was in the woods alone when I heard some laughing and music playing from a spot in the woods where a old barn once stood. I thought to myself it was some other kids I knew from the park who where hanging out by the barn and I thought I would sneak up on them and scare them.

I slowly crept threw the woods going from tree to tree coming around the back way where large bushline of thorns would conceal me from anyones site until I popped out and scared them, so I slowly got closer and closer.

The music was not Native American Music and to this day I can tell you the exact song I was hearing, it was Motley Crue's Shout at the Devil (and BTW this was in '86) and this was a popular song at the time so nothing was out of the ordinary in my thinking, but when I turned the corner and litterally made a Howlish Scream hoping to scare my friends...NADDA, nothing, not one person in site. I was confused as hell (but not scared) because I heard people laughing and music playing loud and clear all the way up until I turned that corner.

(Now here's where this relates to you)

Maybe 30 seconds after standing there looking like a fool, I hear Drums coming from the Forest across the Bean Field from where I was, soo I thought ooh they had moved to those woods (even though I would have seen them I was trying to rationalize what happened) so I headed to those woods and the drums seemed to fade in and out and half way in the forest I got a cold chill like something was watching me, soo then I started to look all around rapidly.

Feeling my heart beat quickly increase I started to slowly walk back torwards the way I had came and it was not dark but just starting to get dark so instead of going through the fields I cut back through the bean fields all the way back to my trailer so if anything cameout I would see it but nothing ever did.

I got home and started calling all the other kids in the park my age asking if they had been in the woods and they all where at the basketball court playing basketball all day and no one was in the woods... Kinda Creeped me out.

--------------------

Part 2

Roughly 2 years later.

I had just gotten off work and was headed home and it was on a Saturday Night in the summer, and I was taking a back way home that went by a Lake I lived by to checkout the Damn to see how low the Damn was because someone told me it was drying up so I was curious to see what it looked like. I parked my car and walked down and sure enough the damn was soo low you could walk across the lake to get to the other side in some spots.

I stayed for about 10 minutes but knew I had to get home soon to meet girlfriend at my house because we where going to go see a late movie in town, soo hurried back to the car turned the key...NADDA, turned again...NADDA

I was like NOOOOO girlfriend's going to be pissed because I had blew her off the weekend before to go play ball with some friends at the park, and in the 80's there was no cell phones or texting or none of what people had today so I was in deep crap.

There where no payphones around but I only lived 3 miles away from the otherside of the damn so I thought I would just cut across the shallow part of the damn and try and hurry home or go to own of the farm houses and ask to use there phone.

Soo my adventure began, I started across the damn when halfway accross I heard faint drums playing off in the distance coming from the woods at the bottom of the damn... Same style I heard before like marching band type drums but just drums nothing else and it was going like a drum roll at the end of a song or something.

I stopped for a second and looked for maybe a fisherman down there or something but it was pitch dark saw nothing. I crossed the lake got on the otherside and started down this country road and back behind me I could hear the drums playing but they where getting closer not further away.

Now I need to add I lived in the country... Country part of Indiana, no street lamps maybe 1 house every 2-3 miles soo it was pretty dark but your eye's will adjust to darkness so I could see the road and see maybe 100 yards in all directions.

I walked for maybe 1 mile to the only farm house on road and no one was home but when I walked up on the porch I started hearing voices behind me in the distance but it was muffled and actually sounded like a party or something all though nothing is around for MILES.

So now I knew I wasin trouble the only phone close by was at the farmhouse and they where not home so I thought if I cut through this soybean field I would be home in maybe a half hour, so I started accross Soy Bean Field and too my amazement the drums followed me fading in and out sometimes sounding 50 yards away then other times off in a distance, now here is where it gets creepy in a way:

First oddly I never felt scared but actually felt safer hearing the music becuase we have Coyotes and in the 80's a teenager down a darkroad in the country was not a safe place to be, because whacko's where everywhere back then more then now IMO.

Second I started singing for some reason songs I liked and the DRUMS changed to match my Lyrics... At first I was did that just happen? So I did it again and sure enough it would roughly mimic the song beat to what I was singing.

I then off in the distance saw some headlights coming down the country road that led to where I lived so I stayed back a little way until it went by only to realize it was my girlfriend who was passing by so I yelled her name and she stopped (in the distance I heard laughing from behind me) and then I heard my girlfriend yell my name so I said hey you thank goodness I ran into you, she backed the car up and waited for me to come to her.

I quickly got in the car and the first thing I asked was if she heard anything (by that time it was quiet I heard nothing) she said No and I ask her what was she doing on this road and she stated looking for me...Huhh?

She told me that something kept telling her to go down this road because I needed her, and she was in tears thinking something bad had happened to me but I assured her I was ok and that my car was broke down, so she drove me to my car and I told her I would pop my hood and asked her to give me a jump my battery was dead, so I got in my car pooped the trunk but put the key in the ignition to get it ready and all my lights came on... I was like what the heck.

I turned the key and car started right up and the radio was playing "I'm watching you" By Hall and Oates... Now that got me creeped out all night.

I have 2 other occurances spaced out over a few years and will gladly tell them if you want but I think I need to stop this for now because it is already a long read sorry.
alrozz (1 posts)
+2
13 years ago (2011-04-05)
The Ocmulgee river that runs through Abbeville Georgia, has a sacred slough that I visit pone night in a Jon boat and I heard drums, like a Tom Tom Drum. My friend was with me and I asked him is there any houses near where we were at and he said no not for miles. The beat was consistant and never change nor missed a beat. We pulled our lines in and decided not to Catfish and went back to the dock and fished, but to this day it remains a mystery.
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
+1
13 years ago (2011-04-01)
Hellquin: Thank you for the info...It's very interesting how most tribes have the same basic beliefs... And the dream thing, I can relate to...That's how some of my loved ones visit me...Again, thanks, and looking forward to more of your insight in further posts!
Hellquin (15 posts)
 
13 years ago (2011-04-01)
Its differs from different tribes, some of them do believe that though, in my tribe they do believe the ancestors come to tell them things, but only in dreams, or 'visions' never in waking hours or in plane daylight like that.

Now if it was a dream then that would be a whooolllee different story right there
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
 
13 years ago (2011-04-01)
Hellquin: But don't natives also believe that their ancestors will return to warn them, assist with problems, and guard them from harm in their day to day endeavors?...I'm not trying to be rude, merely checking out information that I've been given through the years... โค
Hellquin (15 posts)
+1
13 years ago (2011-04-01)
I don't really believe in 'indian ghost' since I'm tribally enrolled, my great aunts and uncles never believed in there being 'indian ghost' since they believed natives go to the spirit world when they pass on and don't linger around. So when I hear storys of ghost drums or seeing ghost that resemble natives I find it really hard to believe, I may be young but I was taught by wise elders.

It might of just been someone practicing the drums somewhere, you never know. I'm not saying I don't believe you, its just the thought of native spirits haunting places just bothers me.
ladybug_jen04 (1 stories) (4 posts)
+1
14 years ago (2010-05-09)
I just signed up because I came across this story and felt I had to share my similar experience. I was probably 15 at the time.

My brother, Josh, and I would go with my mother for weekend visits to her friend in Jackson, Ohio. Josh had set up a campsite in the woods. Sometime that night we were inside the tent trying to sleep.

I didn't know he was even still awake when I started hearing the drums, until he asked if I was hearing them too. There were chants along with the drumming. It was so creepy. I thought there were actual people across the the creek and in this little clearing not too far down.

The more I listened the more the less I could bare. I really felt unsafe not being able to see my surroundings, so I had my brother take the tent down. Lol, then I felt exposed and had him put it back up. He managed to pass out leaving me to be tortured by this mystery.

I know this is long. But the only thing that convinced me that it wasn't actual people was that the sound would distance itself. One second it was muffled and far off and then it sounded just across the creek. I felt like they were coming for us. Anyway, my brother seemed very calm about it at the time, but the next day he said he was terrified.

We camped there other times and it's never happened again. Everyone thinks I made it up or that I'm crazy, so I was excited to see someone else has been through the same thing.
Shellerbell (2 stories) (8 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-04-07)
Thanks for the story! My mother has told me of experiences that were almost identical. She and her family were living on an old farm in southern Oregon. She too would often hear Native American sounding drums and chants in the distance. The nearest neighbor was miles away so it could never be explained as to where these phantom noises came from. Thanks again for the story!
trollkyrka (4 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-10)
Very neat! This actually happened to me once in illinois. I was with my ex on a nature reserve, sitting on a huge glacial mound when we started to hear a lot of native sounding drumming that would wave loud and softly (also heard some horses neigh). The preserve isn't very big (but it is secluded with farmland) and we ended up trying to track the noises around for a good half an hour but never found anything or any other person (parking lot was empty as well.) it was very neat! I was a little spooked because I was a big fan of those 'scary stories to tell in the dark' books and one of the stories was about some boys walking in the woods when they found a drum and started tapping on it and some native american ghosts started running up on horses. Its silly but that's all I could think of =) I hope you go back and can hear this again one day.
koalagirl (3 stories) (111 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-09)
hi very interesting story, I find indian history intersesting, have you every recorded it. Thanks cheers
JoshuaAD (2 stories) (1 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-08)
Believe, I would have a recorded it if I could. It was the late 90s and I didn't really have a digital camera at the ready like I do these days. Most of the time it never struck me as 'paranormal' because it happened so frequently in the middle of the day.

Looking back it just seems stranger and stranger. I could always go back since my father is still there, but I'm sure I'd sit there for weeks and not hear a thing.
number13 (31 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-08)
Hello JohnyD, your Story is quite fantastic. Maybe this is an Indian/indians ghost/ghosts but bad or good, I do not know. Have you ever try videocam the woods or at least take photos of it, maybe an image/images will came out of the photo/video. Is the music always the same or is it always different everytime you heard it (you do need to answer though because I'm just curios. I look forward to the result of the videocam/photos. Have great life and Farewell for now.
J3Z (6 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-07)
Aboriginal* You're lucky I'm tolerant and understand some people don't know that we're not called "Indians".
honey91 (14 stories) (80 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-07)
This is s very interesting story!

I believe you hit the nail on the head so to speak. Long ago there was probably a tribe of Indians who may have lived on the land your house was on. The BOOM boom boom boom BOOM boom boom boom is a common beat of the drum they use in ceremonies for what ever, usually during this rhythm they will chant.

I think it is awesome you heard this... I'm sort of envious.

Id LOVE to hear some of the other strange things that happen... You should share:) ๐Ÿ˜‰
Tear111 (3 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-07)
Hmm... I can tell you one thing, if it helps. I live near a forest also. But randomly I can here a wolf howl, and drums! It sounds not like Booom Boom Boom... It sounds like Whacka Hackha Whacka BANG! It is very confusing. I wonder if it is the history of indians? I wouldn't know... ๐Ÿ˜ข
Nighthingale23 (60 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-06)
oh wow very interesting!, You know actually when I was about 6 or 7 Something similar happened to me, and this was actually a Small remote town in Mexico where I spend most of my childhood.

It was around noon and my and my second cousin had gone to pay by this big tree were there was like an abandoned water sement pond. Were people used to take their animals to drink water so I heard.

Well I was just putting rocks into my cookie rapper and whatnot when suddently out of nowhere... "Boom boom boom BOOM"... I thought I was hearing things, I asked my cousin if she could hear it but she heard nothing!. I just stood there listening, I felt goosebumbs all over, seeing me spoked also got her scared so we took off running down the path to get to my aunts hoouse.

It really was the weirdest of things... They sounded like tribal drums. There wasn't any house near us where the music could be comming from. I had never heard something quite like that. And never did afterwards either.
ally711 (20 posts)
 
14 years ago (2010-03-05)
wow that's scary do you ever think of going back and fallow the noise or do some researh... Love your story ๐Ÿ˜

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