Roots Branches & Spirits: The Folkways of Appalachian Witchery by H. Byron Ballard

Reviewed by Jeanne

There have been a number of books on Appalachian folk magic, remedies, and lore in the past few years, so I was not surprised to see another one pop up.  What did surprise me was the call number, but I am not a cataloger so we will let that go.

I was also surprised by the somewhat lengthy but very interesting discussion of the history of the region and how “cultural strip mining” has affected the land and its inhabitants.  She also is careful to denote that Appalachia isn’t a single place, made up of just one sort of people; it is a diverse region. 

She rather eases the reader into the concepts of mountain magic and spiritualty, tossing in a meditation here and a bit of folklore there (a lot of mast means a bad winter, for instance) before moving into the “witchery” part. 

Even that is accompanied by information on various aspects of the environment, life, folklore, and folkways.  For example, she discusses music and gives examples of work songs as being forms of incantations: “Churn butter churn!/ Come butter come!/ A little good butter/Is better than none” is also a charm to keep spirits from stealing the butter. She traces the song back to 1650, noting how far and well it has traveled.

The rest of the book is divided up by topics such as Mountain Kitchen Witchery, Healing and Herb Lore, Signs and Omens, and such.  The author gives a great deal of context and background for each item, which I really enjoy.  She covers some use of plants, making dolls, salves, tinctures, and other items—some with magical overtones, some not. I especially liked the discussion of how to make cornbread, in which the author notes that there are those who sweeten cornbread and those who don’t, and never the twain shall meet.  (I once worked with a person who averred, “If God had meant for there to be sugar in cornbread, He’d have called it cake.”)

The last section is entitled “Hillfolk Gothic: Haints and Haint Tales” which she distinguishes from “Southern Gothic.” “Hillfolk Gothic” is a state of “delighted endarkenment,” because humans haven’t made much of an impression on these old mountains.  I particularly enjoy her use of language.

I appreciated the list of resources at the end and the list of citations, which included references to books as diverse as Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders, Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia by Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr, and Canning and Preserving with Ashley English by Ashley English.

If you are just looking for material on spells, charms, or magic, you may be disappointed but if you are interested in the history, culture, and folklore of Southern Appalachia, I think you will feel well rewarded.

Ossman and Steel’s Classic Household Guide to Appalachian Folk Healing

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

The subtitle is A Collection of Old-Time Remedies, Charms, and Spells which comes closer to describing the contents.  Jake Richards, author of Doctoring the Devil and Backwoods Witchcraft, says that he wanted to reprint this compendium as part of his desire to preserve Appalachian folkways.  He also provides some commentary on some selections. An uncredited note in the front of the book is a disclaimer about using some of the suggested remedies; not only could some of herbs prove harmful, but an accurate diagnosis is crucial. Readers are advised to consult a doctor or other medical professional.

That said, the cures in the first section are more like prayers or charms, and often call on Jesus.  For example, the first few entries in the book are protections against evil, be it against bad luck on a trip, firearms, or enemies.  There are several charms to make thieves return stolen items and others to repel witches and witchcraft.

Physical ailments are also addressed.  For a cold or inflammation, the recommendation is:

‘Speak the following:

“Inflammation lose thy color, like Judas lost his color when he betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, Amen.”’

The instructions go on to say that these words are to be repeated three times while touching the sick person’s bare skin, and then blowing your breath over the patient three times.

Other remedies do employ ingredients such as lard, wine, or herbs.  There are salve-making instructions and cough syrups.

The “Household” part includes stain removers, hair-curling lotions, and how to make a cement to mend glass or china.

I remember hearing older people talk about going to faith healers in the community who would murmur words to cure the affliction but I had never heard of a book which detailed these remedies.  It’s possible that the cost of the book was out of reach for most, who relied instead on oral histories to obtain such knowledge.

This is an interesting little book; while some ingredients may not be readily obtainable now (laudanum, for instance) or instructions a bit—um—unpleasant (urinating into your shoe and then pouring the urine into a horse’s ear to cure it of “wind colic”) it did make me appreciate modern drug stores.