Swamp Monkey
Senior Member
Article on "Haint Blue" from Sherwin Williams
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/ar...-techniques/sw-article-pro-thewhysbehind.html
https://www.sherwin-williams.com/ar...-techniques/sw-article-pro-thewhysbehind.html
Welcome Guest!
Double headed conjure man......
- Thread starter redneck_billcollector
- Start date
lagrangedave
Gone But Not Forgotten
Strange that nobody mentions the Celtic and Wiccan influences in the south from our Scottish and Irish ancestry. My grandmother was puritanical Dutch christian, but believed in "white magic". Then there's always that "dollar and a dime lady"
shakey gizzard
Senior Member
Placebo!
I just saw this thread last night. I will try to tell some of my experiences concerning this subject. I never knew much about witchcraft or black magic or root medicine growing up. I had heard of it but I never knew anyone who practiced it or believed in it.
At work we found out that a co-worker, a black guy, believed in it and was very afraid of it. We were big into practical jokes so a couple of us decided to have some fun with it. Another guy and I decided to make like we were practicing witchcraft against each other, casting spells, wearing root necklaces, etc. At no time did we threaten the man who believed in that junk. We just did things toward each other where he could see us. He was apparently afraid that a stray spell would hit him so he tried to avoid us.
I didn't do any research into this subject. I just kinda made it up as I went along. I discovered that the pokeberry plant has some weird shaped roots. Therefore it made some weird root necklaces. Later on some fellas(all black) asked me to make them some root necklaces for various purposes. I will get to some of those stories later.
Word got around that we were practicing witchcraft and I found out there were a lot of believers at the plant. One of the bros. believed in it but didn't believe I was legitimate. He told me "You better quit playing with them roots because you may run into a real root doctor".
Another bro saw me and said "Stay away from me. I don't want nothing to do with you". But the next time he saw me he wanted me to make him a good luck necklace. I did and gave it to him. The next day he came to me and said the first thing he did was buy a lottery ticket which was a winner. It wasn't much(about $20) but it made a believer out of him.
I have many more stories but I need to go to bed so I will try to do some more every day.
At work we found out that a co-worker, a black guy, believed in it and was very afraid of it. We were big into practical jokes so a couple of us decided to have some fun with it. Another guy and I decided to make like we were practicing witchcraft against each other, casting spells, wearing root necklaces, etc. At no time did we threaten the man who believed in that junk. We just did things toward each other where he could see us. He was apparently afraid that a stray spell would hit him so he tried to avoid us.
I didn't do any research into this subject. I just kinda made it up as I went along. I discovered that the pokeberry plant has some weird shaped roots. Therefore it made some weird root necklaces. Later on some fellas(all black) asked me to make them some root necklaces for various purposes. I will get to some of those stories later.
Word got around that we were practicing witchcraft and I found out there were a lot of believers at the plant. One of the bros. believed in it but didn't believe I was legitimate. He told me "You better quit playing with them roots because you may run into a real root doctor".
Another bro saw me and said "Stay away from me. I don't want nothing to do with you". But the next time he saw me he wanted me to make him a good luck necklace. I did and gave it to him. The next day he came to me and said the first thing he did was buy a lottery ticket which was a winner. It wasn't much(about $20) but it made a believer out of him.
I have many more stories but I need to go to bed so I will try to do some more every day.
Blue paint on window sills and thresholds is ghost insurance. Wanderin` ghosts won`t cross blue, accordin` to legend and lore. Once while I had an old black WTO ridin` with me while I was patrollin` powerlines, he asked me to stop by the "root doctor" down in Mitchell County so he could get some medicine of some kind (I didn`t ask and I stayed in the truck). As a youngun workin` in the baccer field, I heard all kinds of tales. All the black younguns were made to swaller either snuff or chewin` tobacco on a regular basis to rid them of worms.
Gimme time to ponder on this and I`ll remember all kinds of things that were practiced.
Gimme time to ponder on this and I`ll remember all kinds of things that were practiced.
Gary Mercer
Senior Member
In the South Carolina low country, most of the old cabins were made of heart pine. That stuff wouldn't hold paint very well, so they weathered kinda dark brown to black.
But the window sills and door frames were a light bright blue.
The old black gentleman that sorta brought me up, David, told me it was to keep the "Haints" away.
He also used root medicine whenever he or his wife went to feeling poorly.
He got me a necklace of some kind or "stuff" to keep me healthy. I wore it for years, until the Marine Corps told me "NO." Haven't seen it since I left for P.I.
But the window sills and door frames were a light bright blue.
The old black gentleman that sorta brought me up, David, told me it was to keep the "Haints" away.
He also used root medicine whenever he or his wife went to feeling poorly.
He got me a necklace of some kind or "stuff" to keep me healthy. I wore it for years, until the Marine Corps told me "NO." Haven't seen it since I left for P.I.
The Longhunter
Banned
That's what I remember all across the South from Miss. to Georgia. Tenant shack with no paint, you could see through the clapboarding but the doorframes and window sills would be bright blue. Still occasionally see that in the city, but I don't know if the folks doing it do it for a reason, or just because it's always been done that way.
Blue bottles on bottle trees apparently work just the opposite, they are supposed to trap the h'aints or scare them away.
I knew a lot of the older folks, black and white, that would carry a little "root bag" with them somewhere. Used to the country stores would sell little packages of "yarbs."
My father was in construction, and he had to deal with his black laborers getting the hex, and having to see the root man. The "evil eye" was well known, and something you wanted to avoid at all costs.
Course you don't have to be black. It's a white thing that the more a ginseng root looks like a man, the more potent it is to make you do manly things, and the reason it brings such a high price.
I don't know about being Christian and all, I like to think of myself as a pretty good Christian, but I never read that Christ told me not to carry a buckeye in my pocket for good luck and to keep the rheumatism away.
And yep, a dip of snuff was supposed to keep the worms away.
Funny the older I get, and the more I study, the more it seems that the old root doctors, black, white and Indian, knew more than "science" allowed them to know.
The Longhunter
Banned
Thanks for sharing that.
Artfuldodger
Senior Member
I've heard older people talk of wearing "Acifidity Bags" to school as kids to ward of colds, etc.
Asafoetida is a spice used in India for cooking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
Asafoetida is a spice used in India for cooking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asafoetida
redneck_billcollector
Purveyor Of Fine Spirits
That is a heck of a link....thanks!
redneck_billcollector
Purveyor Of Fine Spirits
There are some stores down here in the black areas of town that sell good luck charms for playing the lottery. I talked to an old conjer woman yesterday and she was trying to get me to buy some root bags from her to wear under my suit in court......I am actually thinking about buying one just to see what she has in it. Since I started talking about it with older black people I am hearing about it pretty regularly. I am hunting up some blue bottles to hang in a most drapped bald cypress tree in my yard.
redneck_billcollector
Purveyor Of Fine Spirits
Happy to see you chime in Nic, there was supposed to be a real famous Root Doctor down in either Decatur or Seminole County way not so long ago, they would charter buses from Atlanta, Birmingham, and other southern cities to come see him....my understanding is that he opened up a soul food joint and made a killing off of it with those buses of people, then he retired and moved to Florida. I also understand he used to run numbers and had a decent card game from time to time.....
And now for the second episode in the life of a fake root doctor.
To identify the characters in this story I will call the inspiration for this hoax Hen.(he was the one so afraid of black magic). My partner in the hoax I will call Len. This is a continuation from post 24.
I was in maintenance and had just got a piece of equipment going. I was in the control room observing to make sure it was going to run OK. Hen. walked into the room(he was a greaser/oiler and worked all over the plant). There was a mirror in the room and Hen. went to the mirror checking a fever blister on his lips. I realized this was a good opportunity to demonstrate my powers. I took a handful of dust(this was a kaolin plant so there was plenty of it) and threw it over Hen. He almost made a new door to the room. I'm glad I wasn't in his way or he would have run over me. I immediately apologized to him for doing it that way, explaining that it was magic healing powder, and I knew he wouldn't let me put it on him so I had to do it that way to cure his fever blister. In a little while I saw Len. and he told me that he had seen Hen. a little earlier and had told him that he had seen me sprinkling magic powder all around earlier that day. So by the time Hen. saw me he was all wound up and I know he hated to see me.
Anyway by the next day Hen.'s fever blister had cleared up(quickest ever he said) and he never got another one until he retired. He claimed that he had them regularly before the magic healing powder.
He seemed very happy with the final results, although he wasn't too happy when I threw the powder on him.
I have more so I will tell them later.
To identify the characters in this story I will call the inspiration for this hoax Hen.(he was the one so afraid of black magic). My partner in the hoax I will call Len. This is a continuation from post 24.
I was in maintenance and had just got a piece of equipment going. I was in the control room observing to make sure it was going to run OK. Hen. walked into the room(he was a greaser/oiler and worked all over the plant). There was a mirror in the room and Hen. went to the mirror checking a fever blister on his lips. I realized this was a good opportunity to demonstrate my powers. I took a handful of dust(this was a kaolin plant so there was plenty of it) and threw it over Hen. He almost made a new door to the room. I'm glad I wasn't in his way or he would have run over me. I immediately apologized to him for doing it that way, explaining that it was magic healing powder, and I knew he wouldn't let me put it on him so I had to do it that way to cure his fever blister. In a little while I saw Len. and he told me that he had seen Hen. a little earlier and had told him that he had seen me sprinkling magic powder all around earlier that day. So by the time Hen. saw me he was all wound up and I know he hated to see me.
Anyway by the next day Hen.'s fever blister had cleared up(quickest ever he said) and he never got another one until he retired. He claimed that he had them regularly before the magic healing powder.
He seemed very happy with the final results, although he wasn't too happy when I threw the powder on him.
I have more so I will tell them later.
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R G
Senior Member
There are two sides to the world, good and evil, God and the devil, life and death. Be careful which side you pick.
Seth carter
Banned
Do you see the name of the forum its not religion is it? So get out of here with that
Settle down, Mr. Carter. Religion is a part of the history of what this discussion is about.
Seth carter
Banned
Ik that I didn't say anything bout the other post people that tell you to choose is what anoyes me why must you be pushed to do somthing if they wana do it let them I'm not in here telling everybody to be an atheist why must they tell you what you should do
on topic I have a family friend who can talk the fire out of a burn he can reach up and pull a wasp nest down too without bothering the wasps or getting stung
redneck_billcollector
Purveyor Of Fine Spirits
Not for nothing, but the story of Job makes it seem like God and Satan hang out together......making bets and such. But, as the person who started this thread I wanted to avoid discussions like this. Conjuring and such have a long history within Christianity and many things even good christians do have its roots in non-christian religious observances. Christmas trees, easter eggs, the dates of these events along with even the names of the days....ALL named after pre-christian gods and demi-gods. Oh, and a real biggy, may day....next week.
Like I said, if you ever wished for good luck, crossed your fingers for luck, avoided stepping on cracks, made a wish on a shooting star, etc... This thread was about how it is rather common in the most openly "christian" regions of this country....namely the south. In the mountainous regions of the south, root working has its roots in protestant and pagan celtic and indian practices....in the black belt it is a mixture of protestant and pagan african beliefs.....in hispanic and french areas of the new world, it is catholic an pagan african and in some places indian beliefs.....all root workers have one foot solidly planted in christianity and their ancestors' pre-christian beliefs......
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fireman32
"Useless Billy" Fire Chief.
Just found this thread, but my Great Aunt made me slice a potato, rub it on a wart on my foot, then I had to bury the potato by a grave. She told me to forget about it and the wart would go away, it did.
I've also known older people who would by warts and moles from people and they would go away, or they could talk them off.
I've seen a man from Jamaica that worked on a farm up here that could ease up to a wasp nest full of wasps and slowly crush it without a wasp flying away or stinging him.
I haven't seen many houses with the blue paint, most around here are white, along with the trees and everything else, I've always been told it was to keep the haints away.
I can't say how much truth is in the lore, but I've witnessed enough to not be a complete skeptic. I also knew an old woman that predicted the gender of your unborn child, she was never wrong.
I've also known older people who would by warts and moles from people and they would go away, or they could talk them off.
I've seen a man from Jamaica that worked on a farm up here that could ease up to a wasp nest full of wasps and slowly crush it without a wasp flying away or stinging him.
I haven't seen many houses with the blue paint, most around here are white, along with the trees and everything else, I've always been told it was to keep the haints away.
I can't say how much truth is in the lore, but I've witnessed enough to not be a complete skeptic. I also knew an old woman that predicted the gender of your unborn child, she was never wrong.
Nuttin Better
Senior Member
I remember having warts rubbed off my fingers when I was a kid and it was an older white man that could do that. Warts would pop up on fingers when I was little and my mom would take me to him. He would rub his fingers over the wart and the next day they would be gone. He could blow the fire out of a burn also. Had that done too.
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