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Appalachians distinguish between what is known as the “white art”
and the “black art.” Gainer notes that:
There are certain people who are said to be gifted with powers
to do things which ordinary people cannot perform. They
have the power of healing, of finding underground water, of
finding lost articles, of prophesying, and of communicating
with the spiritual world. This power to perform beneficent acts
is sometimes called the ‘white art;’ it has nothing in common
with the ‘black art,’ the name given to witchcraft. The white
art is considered to be a special gift from God. 38
Granny women, healers, and herb doctors would be considered
to be practitioners of the white art. Water witches, those who have
the gift for locating underground water, are also practitioners of the
white art. Those who have denied God and sold themselves to the
devil for his service are referred to as witches, and it is commonly
believed that becoming a witch is an unforgivable sin. Those who
possess the God-given power to break the spells of witches are
known as “witch doctors” or “witchmasters”. 39
Another type of practitioner is the “storyteller.” With the
arrival of the people came the beginnings of Appalachia’s oral
history—the storytelling. Storytelling served as both a form of
entertainment and a way of preserving traditional knowledge.
Stories about ghosts, witches, and unusual events were among the
favorites of early settlers and are still among the favorites of rural
Appalachians today.
“Conjure doctors” are self-appointed or self-trained healers
who “relied on charms, spells, amulets, exorcism and some sort
of hocus pocus…” 40 These alleged healers claim to be able to
charm away warts, cool raging fevers, draw the fire from burns,
stop bleeding, or cure headaches often by either the laying on of
hands or reciting magic words. Even though mountain people
commonly regard conjure doctors as frauds, their services have
been widely accepted largely due to the fact that they do not
charge a fee. The more serious minded Appalachian practitioners
will occasionally mimic or laugh about the techniques of conjure
doctors. Also, it is not uncommon for serious practitioners to send
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