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Foxfire or Haint Necessarily So

© Virginia Marin

I love to wander through Foxfire. Other than exotic kitchen wares and jewelry from all over the world, I look forward to Christmas when the shelves are virtually alive with numerous varieties of Santas, Elves and Gnomes. For March, there are Leprechans of every imagination. Fairies seem to be popular all year long and arrive according to the season. Summer always has a multitude of tiny garden Gnomes. Foxfire. A great place to while away one's time. Recently, however, I came across Foxfire with a different bent...

...A series of ten books by Eliot Wiggington which document the traditional folk culture of the Southern Appalachians. Page after page details their superstitions, arts, crafts and a way of life which is slowly vanishing.

Each book deals with specific topics. Foxfire One has a section on snake lore, mountain crafts and food. It also introduces Aunt Arie.

Foxfire Two entertains with ghost stories, burial customs, and midwifing to name only three.

Foxfire Nine details Hant, or Haint, Tales. The Hant is a trickster-type of black witch which goes about her business of causing mischief, in particular, to those who misbehave. She can be harmful but usually her antics are limited to prankish and annoying tricks. With certain types of folk falling under her ire, it behooves all to behave and avoid sins of the flesh, which she particularly abhores. The Hant appears to be a figure-type of the Southern boogyman: You better be good or the Hant will git y'u. She is more prevelent in subcultures.

During the day, the Hant passes for any normal woman, but like a Selkie, sheds her skin after the sun sets. She is then able to slither through cracks, crevices and key holes. The Hant is fond of hiding under beds at night. Many a child has been fearful of the dark because of the Hant.

In addition to Wiggington, Lorraine Johnson-Coleman deals with the significance of the Hant in her book, Just Plain Folk.

If you are interested in spinning, weaving, butter churns, berry baskets, gardening, sassafrass tea, faith healing, camp meetings, quilting, home cures, railroad lore, chair making, shoe and wagon making, blacksmithing, gourd banjos, water powered mills, snake handling, pottery ash glazes, historical folklore and much, much more, you will not want to miss any of the books in this series.

Read about the ways and wisdom of the Mountain People before they are gone forever. All of the titles are available at your local library and book stores. And what a lovely addition to your home library.

The copyright of the article Foxfire or Haint Necessarily So in Folklore is owned by Virginia Marin. Permission to republish Foxfire or Haint Necessarily So in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.