Hoodoo Medicine by Faith MitchellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a shot little book that I wish was quite a bit longer. Faith Mitchell generated this book by traveling to the Sea Side Islands off the coast of the Carolina’s these islands were home to a large African American community back during the colonial period. Back in those times it was all African American with the exception of a few white people who were plantation owner and over seers. The language they spoke was gulla. Even up to the 1930’s the area was rather neglected. As the population grew people began moving out. Mostly it is the older generation of people at that know about the herbal cures.
In Africa the elders knew what each of the herbs and plants could heal. When they came to the new land they had to make substitutions. Some of this was based on their own knowledge, other of it came from the Europeans and the Native Americans. The Native American knew about the plant lore and taught a lot of that lore to the Africans. Most Hoodoo medicines are a one single plant or two to three at the most. For the Hoodoo practioners sicknesses came in the guise of three things . The first was regular illness, the second was sickness sent by someone with occult powers and finally the third illness was because of sin.
In the beginning many people would consult Native American Healers and African American Healers. But as time progressed it was illegal to consult anyone but a white European doctor. Thus the only people to be treated would be other slaves if even that.
The second part of the book talks about herbs and what they were used to cure. There is an extensive bibliography in the back. The herb section tells the name of the herb the first part renders a description. Next it tells you which part of the plant to use. Finally what it is used for.
Some example
White Root: usd for colds an drunbk as a tea. Swamp Grass has the leaves used for sprains. It also tells how the European used the herbs as well.
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