Hold My Sweet Tea
Where True Crime collides with chilling ghost stories and Southern folklore. Join us, sip sweet tea, and uncover shocking tales of murder, mystery, and the supernatural, all with a healthy dose of Southern charm and a touch of sass!
Hold My Sweet Tea
Ep. 16-Mountain Medicine & Folk Remedies: Exploring the Rich Traditions of Appalachian Granny Magic
Deep in the hills and hollers of Appalachia, a powerful healing tradition emerged from necessity and wisdom. "Granny Women, Granny Magic or Granny Witchcraft" is the amalgamation of cultural knowledge, medicinal practices and religion of all kinds that women used to provide healing and healthcare in isolated mountain communities for centuries.
These remarkable "granny women" combined European folk healing traditions with Native American plant knowledge, German folklore, and African spiritual practices to create a uniquely American approach to medicine. Far more than just herb collectors, they were skilled midwives, weather forecasters, diviners, and community pillars whose knowledge sustained generations through hardship and isolation.
What makes this tradition particularly fascinating is its integration with Christian faith. The Bible itself was considered a source of power, with scriptural verses woven into healing practices. Many common sayings we still use today—"an apple a day keeps the doctor away" or "feed a cold, starve a fever"—emerged from this practical folk wisdom. The remedies themselves were remarkably effective: flaxseed poultices drawing infection from boils, sulfur from struck matches treating ringworm, and Epsom salt baths combating blood poisoning.
As we've become increasingly disconnected from these traditional practices, many are now rediscovering their value. Social media platforms showcase a revival of interest in natural remedies and healing traditions that prioritize observation, nature's pharmacy, and time-tested applications. For those with Appalachian heritage, exploring these practices provides connection to ancestral wisdom; for everyone else, it offers perspective on medicine before pharmaceuticals dominated healthcare.
Join us as we explore this rich tradition and share personal experiences with folk remedies passed through generations. Have family healing traditions of your own? We'd love to hear them! Email us at steeped@holdmysweettea.com or connect with us on social media. And don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for our upcoming Natchez investigation!
Sources for this episode:
Duke University-November 11, 2024-
Black History Month: A Medical Perspective, Folk Medicine
https://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/blackhistorymonth/folkmed?hl=en-US
Novella Nimmo-2025-Remembering Healers and Herbal Remedies
https://freedomcenter.org/voice/remembering-healers-and-herbal-remedies/?hl=en-US#:~:text=Enslavement%20brought%20a%20lot%20of%20healers%20from%20Africa.
Pam Shade-October 10, 2022-Sassafrass: Native Gem of North America
https://cornellbotanicgardens.org/sassafras-native-gem-of-north-america/?hl=en-US#:~:text=Sassafras%20has%20a%20long%20history,in%20a%20variety%20of%20ways.
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Appalachian Folk Magic: Generations of “Granny Witchcraft” and Spiritual Work
August 15, 2023 | Emma Cieslik
https://folklife.si.edu/magazine/appalachian-folk-magic?hl=en-US#:~:text=European%20settlers%20didn't%20flood,practices%20with%20them%20from%20Western
Beth Ward-November 21, 2017- The Long Tradition of Folk Healing Among Southern Appalachian Women
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/southern-appalachia-folk-healers-granny-women-neighbor-ladies
Patti Wigington-December 28, 2019
Appalachian Folk Magic and Granny Witchcraft
https://www.learnreligions.com/appalachian-folk-magic-4779929