The Boo Hag: A Ghost Story from 1930s Jacksonville
In the 1930s, folklorist and Episcopal priest Harry Middleton Hyatt traveled city streets and backcountry byways with a dictation machine, recording folklore and hoodoo traditions from hundreds of Black Americans from all walks of life. In July 1937, Hyatt’s travels took him to Jacksonville’s Wynn Hotel, where one informant told him possibly the eeriest stories in the whole collection. Here’s the story of a Jacksonville family’s terrifying encounter with a life-draining witch from Gullah Geechee lore: the boo hag. Folklorist-priest Henry Middle Hyatt from Jacksonville, Florida, was on a four-year mission to collect the lore and traditions surrounding the African American folk magic system known as hoodoo. During this time, he interviewed Black Jaxsons to record their wisdom for future generations. One of these stories was a childhood encounter with a type of witch or haint from the traditions of the Gullah-Geechee people who would "ride" sleeping victims and drain their breath and life force. The hag was so powerful that normal defenses failed. However, with the help of a local conjure woman, the magic-adept “Old Lady” of the story, the family managed to fend off the intruder. The transcription has been converted from difficult spelling to standard spelling.
Publicado : Hace 6 horas por The Jaxson en Lifestyle
“Boo Hag”, an artistic rendition of this spooky being by Kwanzaa Edwards. Find more of Kwanzaa’s art on Instagram at @empty_holiday.
In the hot July of 1937, folklorist-priest Henry Middle Hyatt came... [10681 symbols]
