Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

Includes eye-opening information on yarb doctors, charms, spells, witches, ghosts, weather magic, crops and livestock, courtship and marriage, pregnancy and childbirth, animals and plants, death and burial, and more.

A celebration of authentic Ozark lore with twenty-six tales from Native American legends to stories of outlaws, treasure, and the supernatural. The dramatic history and breathtaking landscape of the Ozarks have fostered a diverse and compelling tradition of storytelling. In Ozark Tales and Superstitions, Western author and historian Phillip Steele collects twenty-six stories that preserve and showcase the rich lore of this region. Here are tales of the supernatural including “Lady of the Valley” and “Monster of Peter Bottom Cave,” Indian legends such as “Legend of the War Eagle” and “Legend of Virgin’s Bluff,” treasure tales, outlaw stories, nature lore, plus a collection of superstitions, moon signs, weather signs, and regional cures and remedies.

Discover the Healing Power of Plants and Prayers Bring traditional methods of healing and magic into the modern world with this impressive book on Ozark folk magic. Providing lore, verbal charms, healing plants, herbal recipes, magical tools and alignments, and more, folk healer Brandon Weston sheds light on the region's secretive culture and shows you how to heal both yourself and others. Ozark Folk Magic invites you to experience the hillfolk's magic through the eyes of an authentic practitioner. Learn how to optimize your healing work and spells according to the moon cycles, zodiac signs, and numerology. Explore medicinal uses for native Ozark plants, instructions for healing magical illnesses, and how modern witches can feel at home with Ozark traditions. Combining personal stories and down-to-earth advice, this book makes it easy to incorporate Ozark folk magic into your practice. Includes a foreword by Virginia Siegel, MA, folk arts coordinator at the University of Arkansas

"Experience traditional hillfolk magic through the eyes of an authentic practitioner. This book provides lore, herbs, magical alignments, verbal charms, and more"--

Before there was a death care industry where professional funeral directors offered embalming and other services, residents of the Arkansas Ozarks—and, for that matter, people throughout the South—buried their own dead. Every part of the complicated, labor-intensive process was handled within the deceased’s community. This process included preparation of the body for burial, making a wooden coffin, digging the grave, and overseeing the burial ceremony, as well as observing a wide variety of customs and superstitions. These traditions, especially in rural communities, remained the norm up through the end of World War II, after which a variety of factors, primarily the loss of manpower and the rise of the funeral industry, brought about the end of most customs. Gone to the Grave, a meticulous autopsy of this now vanished way of life and death, documents mourning and practical rituals through interviews, diaries and reminiscences, obituaries, and a wide variety of other sources. Abby Burnett covers attempts to stave off death; passings that, for various reasons, could not be mourned according to tradition; factors contributing to high maternal and infant mortality; and the ways in which loss was expressed though obituaries and epitaphs. A concluding chapter examines early undertaking practices and the many angles funeral industry professionals worked to convince the public of the need for their services.