10 Musician And Band Names With Dark Unusual Origins
4. Molly Hatchet Was A Legendary, Murderous Prostitute
Floridian rock band Molly Hatchet borrowed their name from a disturbing legend dating back to the American Civil War. According to the story, Molly Hatchet was a murderous Southern prostitute with a penchant for beheading the men who were unlucky enough to cross her path.
The tale's origin can be traced back to 1864, when a Confederate soldier from Virginia was allegedly found decapitated in a boardinghouse soon after being spotted with an attractive young woman, who became known as Molly locally. 15 years later, in South Carolina, the headless body of a sailor was found in an alleyway after he visited Molly to avail of her services. That same year, the murderess moved to Boone, and five headless bodies were left strewn in her wake before she vanished once again.
During the Civil War, it was widely believed that Molly was a ghost or a demon sent to punish Southern men for participating in the conflict or engaging in immoral behaviour. Legend has it that if a man is to walk along a Southern railroad at nighttime while calling her name, Molly Hatchet will appear, armed and ready to take his head home with her.