Appalachian Folklore, Wives Tales, and Superstitions
Brought to you mostly by my grandparents, but also by my family at large. These are all things I heard growing up in the northern region of Appalachia and wanted to share with y'all. The lore and sayings may vary based on location, family tradition, and other factors, but this is just what Iâm sharing from my experiences!
⢠Give the first pinch of a freshly baked loaf of bread to the Good Men to keep them happy. ⢠Deaths and births always come in threes. ⢠Spin around in a circle three times before you walk in the front door to confuse any spirits that are following you. ⢠Donât throw your hair out! If a bird builds a nest with it, youâll have migraines. ⢠âRed sky at night, sailorâs delight. Red sky at morning, sailorâs warning.â ⢠If the leaves on trees are flipped over with their backsides showing, rainâs coming. ⢠If you hear a dog howl at night, death is coming. ⢠If youâre giving someone a wallet or purse as a present, put money in it to ensure theyâll never financially struggle. ⢠Spirits canât cross running water. ⢠Cats and dogs wonât enter a room where spirits are present. ⢠Carry an acorn in your pocket for good luck, a penny for prosperity, and a nail for protection. ⢠If youâre having nightmares, put a Bible under your pillow. Theyâll go away. ⢠Take a spoonful of honey to keep your words sweet. ⢠Keeping a pot of coffee on ensures a happy home. ⢠Itâs bad luck to walk over a grave. ⢠A horseshoe hung above a door ensures good luck. ⢠A horseshoe in the bedroom staves away nightmares. ⢠If your right hand itches, youâll soon be receiving money. If the left itches, youâll be paying it. ⢠Wishing on a star works. âStar light, star bright, first star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.â ⢠When you have a random shiver, someone just walked over your grave. ⢠If smoke from a fire rises, expect clear skies. If it rolls along the ground, expect storms. ⢠Rosemary near the door provides protection. Lavender provides peace. ⢠âA ring around the sun or moon, rain or snow is coming soon.â ⢠Wind chimes and bells keep spirits away. ⢠Seeing a cardinal means unexpected company. ⢠For that matter, so does dropping silverware. ⢠Rubbing a bit of potato on a wart helps it to go away. ⢠If the soles of your feet itch, you will soon walk on strange grounds. ⢠Black eyed peas, greens, and/or pork and sauerkraut should be eaten on New Yearâs Day to welcome good luck and good fortune. ⢠Driving a nail into a bedframe or crib will drive away curses. ⢠If your ears are burning, someoneâs talking about you. ⢠If you dream of fish, you are or will soon be pregnant. ⢠Listen to the wisdom of children, they see and know more than we think. ⢠To dream of death means birth, to dream of birth means death. ⢠To cure a headache, crush some mint leaves in your hands, cup them over your mouth and nose, and breathe in a few times. It should help. ⢠Placing a fern or ivy on the front porch protects against curses. ⢠In a vegetable garden, never plant the same plants in the same spot two years in a row. Rotate where they are, and youâll save your soil. (Note: this is a real thing called crop rotation, and is actually kind of important) ⢠A black bird (Raven or crow, doesnât matter) on the roof or a windowsill is an omen for death. To avoid it, you have to scare it away without using your voice before it caws. ⢠Say a prayer when you pass a coal mine for the lost souls still in the mine. ⢠Thank the land and the Lord with every successful hunt or harvest you have, for nothing is guaranteed.
These are a few of the folklores, wivesâ tales, superstitions, and sayings that Iâve heard growing up (and still living in) in Appalachia! I encourage other Appalachian witches, cunning folk, and general inhabitants of the Appalachian region (and just the mountain range at large) to share whatever bits youâve heard over the years! I just wanted to share a bit with y'all to give you an insight into some Appalachian lore, my own practice, and maybe give you some things to research and incorporate into your own practice! đżâ¨
