The Foxfire Book 1

For reference, the entire Foxfire series is located in the Reston library, 630.1F

I resolved to read the first two volumes of the Foxfire books in two weeks and managed to finish the first one in two days.  Lets hope the second book is an engaging as the first.

The book is filled with anecdotes  from Appalachian life, from hog dressing to faith healing.  All with first hand accounts and interviews.  As we prepare to write the novel, this will be a handy book to refer to as it contains many stories that could be used for inspiration.  Below I've listed some of the highlights.

Daniel Manous
Daniel Manous lives in an abandoned bread truck in the back of which he has placed a wood stove and a bed.  He is a loner.  His job is to watch over the local fish hatchery, sitting high in the woods looking down over the creek.  He has two books in his truck, two volumes of poetry.  One is Burns and the other is Tennyson.  He also keeps a banjo with him. 

Daniel tells the story of a Preacher who can charm snakes.  The preacher keeps a box in his pulpit with a rattlesnake, and when he feels the lord is blessing him, he will pull the snake out of the box and show the congregation how the lord's love is protecting him.  On one occasion, the congregation kept pushing the preacher to pull the snake out of the box, and when the preacher did, the snake bit him.  The moral of the story is to let the lord guide your heart, not people. 

Preserving Vegetables and Fruit
A chapter in the book is dedicated to the art of preserving vegetables and fruit, and the means by which this is accomplished.  The section that discusses Pickling states:

"Be sure that th'signs are not in th'bowels" says Daisy Justice.  "When th'moon is new is th'best time to make kraut, pickle beans, corn, or green tomatoes.  If th'signs are in th'bowels, they will be slimy or soft and not fit to eat."

This paradox between strict faith and the zodiac interest me.  I am interested to know where this following and knowledge of the zodiac comes from and how this reconciles itself with their faith.

The chapter that discusses preserving fruit.  One woman noted that with a peeler, she could core, peel and slice a bushel of apples in 54 minutes. 

Churning Butter
Interesting rhyme the ladies would sing to help the churning time move faster. 
Come butter come
Come butter come
Peter standing at the gate
Waiting for a butter cake
Come butter come

Much like military marching, these chants would give the women a rhythm and help pass the time.

Slaughtering Hogs

Most families paid strict attention to the phase the moon was in, and they killed on the first cold day they could get when the moon was "right."  As one said, "If you kill a hog on th'new of th'moon, slice it and put it in a pan, it'll just blow you 'til you can't fry th'grease out of it hardly.  You got t'kill it on th'right time of th'moon.  You don't ever want to kill it on th'new moon."  Another said, "We'd kill hogs on th'full moon or just about th'full moon.  While th'moon was shrinkin' th'meat'd shrink.  There'd be a lot'a lard an'grease if it'uz on th'shrinkin' of th'moon."

Weather Signs and Planting by the Signs
This chapter discusses the myriad of signs that predict an upcoming harsh winter.  Some signs include if animals fur is thicker than usual, root vegetables growing deeper in the ground than usual, and the old moon in relation to the first snow. 

The chapter also goes on to discuss the best signs of the zodiac under which to plant crops.  It states that planting is best done during the signs of Scorpio, Pisces, Taurus and Cancer.  Plowing and tilling and cultivating should be done in Aries.  Never plant anything during the "barren" signs.  They are good only for trimming, deadening and destroying. 

When the students asked if this type of cultivating should be preserved, one woman answered, "I can't help but think that it ought.  There are too many things to think about today.  A good home and plenty of land should make anyone perfectly happy.  Too many things now that call for money.  We had a good time when I was growin' up, and we got along as well as you all now."

Home Remedies
This was a particularly interesting chapter, and I'd like to do more research into whether or not some of these things actually worked, because, for the most part, they sound ridiculous to me.  The chapter lists ailments and then proposes Appalachian remedies that were commonly used.  They also sound a little of the voodoo or black magic elk.  Some of the most outlandish include:

• Asthma -- Swallow a handful of spider webs rolled into a ball.
• Asthma -- Drill a hole in a black oak or sourwood tree just above the head of the patient and put a lock of their hair in the hole.  When the patient passes that spot in height, they will be cured.
• Chest Congestion -- Render the fat of a polecat.  Eat two or three spoonfuls.  This brings up the phlegm.
• Colic -- tie an asafetida bag around a baby's neck for six months to keep away six months of colic.
• Nosebleed -- Take a small piece of lead and bore a hole in it.  Put a string through the hole, tie it, and wear it around your neck.  Your nose won't bleed again.
• Warts -- Stick the hand which has warts on it into a bag and tie it up.  The first person who opens it will get your warts.

The book also gives detail accounts of hunting stories, moon shining (with diagrams) and faith healing.  This is definitely one to look up again when the time comes.

Friday, I begin book two.