50 States of Folklore - Connecticut: Hannah Cranna, The Witch of Monroe

About this episode

This episode explores the life and legacy of Hannah Cranna, the Witch of Monroe, and the eerie events surrounding her death and burial.

The men of Monroe thought the terror would end when Hannah Cranna died. Instead, her coffin fought its way off a chained sled. Twice. This episode traces the life of the Witch of Monroe, beginning on a lonely ridge in nineteenth century Connecticut where Hannah Hovey turned grief and suspicion into a weapon. After her husband’s impossible death at the base of a cliff he knew too well, whispers hardened into certainty. Hannah leaned into the fear, sitting like a queen over the valley and taxing her neighbors in pies, fish, bread and firewood with nothing but threats and an unblinking stare. Refuse her, and ovens ruined their own pies, streams went silent, and a prize rooster dropped dead mid stride at the point of her finger while storms seemed to answer her mood from the crest of Craig Hill. As the years carved her into the perfect witch silhouette, Hannah’s power became total. Farmers blamed her for droughts and floods, men abandoned reason in favor of appeasement, and the town lived inside a quiet, constant hostage situation. On her deathbed she dictated her final orders: no hearse, no sled, her coffin carried by hand after dark or she would not rest. When the townsmen ignored…

People in this episode

Host: Russ Chamberlin

Topics covered

• folklore
• witchcraft
• true crime
• history
• supernatural
• local legends

Keywords

• Hannah Cranna
• Witch of Monroe
• Connecticut folklore
• supernatural events
• true crime
• local history
• witchcraft

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Monroe, Connecticut, Craig Hill

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