History of Feminism

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.