"Most of the teachings consist of potions from herbs"

Odd that they're fundamentalist Christians. They sound more like witches.

...and the old ways they brought with them, even though their immigrant ancestors were Christians. At the turn of the 18th century, when most of them arrived, those Celtic/pagan traditions still reverberated among the people (including the belief in matriarchal power) and were passed down as these descendants settled in the mountains.

There was a terrible witch hunt in Scotland at the same time many Scots and Scots-Irish left for the colonies. Ironically, the old ways the church stamped out in Britain were carried by the people to the "new world", where they continued. The music, dialect and many customs of Appalachia are really nothing more than the early 18th century peasant culture they brought with them.

Traditional medicine as practiced by women was so suppressed by the early, patriarchal Christian churches that it became synonymous with witchcraft. Knowledge and power in the hands of women was considered a fearsome thing to be stamped out. Thankfully it could not be completely eradicated and survived to some extent in the Appalachians, where the old knowledge became blended with that of black and Native American (primarily Cherokee) traditions, as kickitup pointed out in her post. These kinds of subjects fascinate me because more and more, women are rediscovering the heritage so many tried to erase.

but close - close enough to still hear hints of this from time to time. Here is a link to a fascinating DVD that documents folk beliefs of Appalachia. https://augustaheritagecenter.org/store/signs-cures-witchery-dvd/

It is really, really good if you're interested in this kind of thing. There is crossover between Appalachian beliefs and Hoodoo, which is a similar type of rural folk magic practiced predominantly by African-Americans in the South. What is especially intriguing is that there is no conflict between much folk magic and Christianity. Oh, and there is Native American influence found in both Appalachian folk magic and Hoodoo ( or conjure).

In the DVD I've mentioned, there is one instance where an elderly woman talks about "fixing" the baby. She's afraid someone will come in and hex the baby. You'll hear that term "fix" in Hoodoo as well.

The excerpt from Caldwell reminded me of my "Mamaw," who was definitely a religious leader in the community, though her denomination did not allow her to speak in church. My husband was always fascinated by that, as he grew up in a different denomination that was more liberal. He would always say, "Your grandmother runs that church." She did. Ministers would come to get her advice, but she couldn't say one word inside the confines of the church building.

One more thing that I have to tell. My neighbor was telling me the other day that there is an elderly gentleman she knows who believes women should not be allowed in a garden during menstruation. I had never heard that before and was amazed that those kinds of beliefs aren't really that far removed.

Thanks so much for sharing this. I enjoyed it a lot.

Are you familiar with this book? I was thinking of picking up a copy.

Full Circle: The Segue from Ancient Celtic Medicine to Modern-Day Herbalism and the Impact That Religion/mysticism/magic Have Had
Author: Laura Veazey
AuthorHouse, Apr 1, 2012

Full Circle: The Segue from Ancient Celtic Medicine to Modern-Day Herbalism and the Impact that Religion/Mysticism/Magic Have Had provides historical insight, focusing on seven areas of herbal medicine for research, comparison, and contrast: Celtic herbal history, druidic medicine, Native American medicine, Christianity, Witchcraft, Voodoo, and 20th and 21st Century herbalism. Herbalism has been used throughout the ages. Full Circle will take you on a journey beginning with Ancient Celtic medicine and moving forward to modern-day herbalism in the Southern United States. Herbalism has come full circle, with many of the ancient recipes and traditions being utilized in the present. Economics, a changing trend in health care policies, and with individuals taking responsibility for their own decisions relative to their health, this historical perspective will give you the connections that make more sense of what you do, how you do it, and how those traditions came about.

more about quilt patterns and their symbolic meaning. I know they were used as signals on the Underground Railroad, but IIRC some of the symbols are actually Celtic.

In her fictional book, Ghost Riders, Sharyn McCrumb has a scene where Civil War reenactors have disturbed the ghosts of actual soldiers, and one of the women spectators has her family get on the quilt she has brought to sit on because she says the symbol is old and will protect them. Or at least that's close to how it goes as it's been a while since I read her work. She weaves a lot of mountain superstition into her narratives, and has an old wise mountain woman reoccur in several of her books. Now I want to read them again and my reading list is too long already!

Are you familiar with the curandera? If not, she is the Hispanic version of the healer woman. Interesting how she crosses cultures, isn't it?

I will ask my wife, who is Hispanic, if she knows about the curandera.