Folk healing and magic in the Ozark Mountains isn't a well-defined set of practices. It encompasses countless traditions that were both brought to the New World by immigrant groups and were picked up through interactions with indigenous peoples. These traditions mixed and melded together in the melting pot of the Appalachian Mountains. Then, they were brought with hillfolk into the Ozarks during settlement of the region in the early 1800's after the forced removal of the Osage and Old Settler Cherokee. These Appalachian families found a familiar home in the hills and hollers of the Ozarks. The traditions of healing and magic they brought with them would continue to evolve and change through extreme isolation on the one hand and interactions with new cultural centers on the other. They are still evolving in this way today.
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When we talk about Ozark folk healing, we can divide practices and knowledge into two main groups. I've worked hard trying to come up with some cleaver names for these groups, as have other folklorists. Some might use nature-based and faith-based medicine. When you look at the details though, faith plays a vital role in all aspects of the work. I choose to use plant-based and non plant-based medicines. Cleaver, I know. The plant-based group includes, well, plants! Whereas the non plant-based group covers items repurposed from the cabin like string, knives, axes, bones, feathers, eggs, etc. These hold just as much healing power as a locally harvested yarb or healing plant. You'll notice I haven't divided between magic and medicine, as these labels are found across both groups. Red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), for instance, can be used in salves for healing the skin, or burned to drive away evil spirits.
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