Sample from My Book, Mountain Voices: The Language and People of Appalachia

A few years ago I wrote a book with the thought of helping folks understand the Appalachian Dialect. Growing up in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, it was hard enough being a nerd but being a hillbilly nerd was worse. Hill folk are mostly blue collar rednecks. Reading car magazines and manuels was the literary masterpieces they knew well. Reading comics and such made my life a living hell. I did not fit in anywhere. Being bullied and ostracized from my schoolmates was a daily occurance. I grew to resent being a Hillbilly. The nerd part I felt there was no changing that. I fell in love with Heavy Metal and became a metal head. I rejected the Mountain Speak for modern slang. I became wild and quite the hellraiser. Thus I took the nickname Hellbilly. After I grew up and began reflecting on my youth; I realized the language and people were not the problem [not including the dumbass bullies] it was me. I am proud of my Tsalagi [Cherokee] heritage (yes, that is where I got the name Tsalagi Hellbilly) so why not the Hillbilly side? I researched it and found there was and is a lot to be proud of. The language and ways are dying out so I felt I needed to preserve it the best I could. Here is a sample...

CHAPTER TWO

Not so Stereotypical, but are Traditionalists, and Superstitious

The people in this area has long been misunderstood, and culminated by the upper echelon, and in pop culture. In 1830, King Louis Phillippe called them, “The scum of America.” In 1935, British Historian Arnold Toynbee, called them, “barbarians.” And if I were to ask you to describe a hillbilly, you may think of Snuffy Smith or the Clampett family. I bring up this topic because, Appalachians are often referred to as hillbillies or mountain people. There are some Appalachian folks fully embrace, and proudly wear the moniker. But others decry it as a derogatory epithet.

For some Jaspers, familiar only with the popularized belie depictions and stereotypical images of dumb hillbillies glorified in such fictional characters as: Snuffy Smith, Lil Abner, Mammy Yokum, and Jed Clampett, will generally conjure up stereotypical images of an ignorant, unkempt, dirty, toothless, inbred person eating roadkill or from garbage cans, when asked to describe the people that call Appalachia home. Such unsubstantiated and defamatory inferences needs to be eradicated from our minds.

One of the most common misconceptions is that all, or majority of Appalachians are dumb hicks. This is a unmerited obloquy. One's ethnicity and genetics does not automatically determine intelligence. There is also environmental influences for phenotypic variations in intelligence within any given population. Further, intelligence must be cultivated and nourished with culture, environment and, educational resources and materials. I, for one do not fully subscribe to Machiavellian Intelligence Hypothesis. (human intelligence evolved to outwit other humans in social situations) But environment and social constructs has and does play a role in the development of intelligence.

Despite the stigma, challenges, and dangers of being raised in Appalachia, there have been many famous scientists, authors, poets, musicians, actors and actresses, inventors, entrepreneurs, athletes, scholars, justice workers, and heroes were born in and are otherwise from the area. To name a few: poet and author, James Agee; poet and author Marilou Awiakta; forensic scientist, Bill Bass; the famous railroad worker,John Henry; author, Napoleon Hill; novelist and autobiographer, Alex Haley; actress Ashley Judd; singer and songwriter, Loretta Lynn; singer and actor, Roy Rogers.

My point being: a group of people cannot be lumped together and labeled as smart or dumb; good or bad, etc. There is good and bad in all peoples. We need to break the trend of stereotyping people based on ethnicity, creed, nationality, sex, and station in life. It was Martin Luther King Jr. that said we ought to judge a man by his character.... And you will be hard pressed to find any better people than Appalachians.

Traditionalists, and Superstitious

Along with being a rebellious and stubborn people, we are also somewhat superstitious. In some ways this vintage style of English reflects the outlook and spirit of the people who speak it; and, we find that not only is the language Elizabethan, but that some of the ways these people look at things are Elizabethan. Many superstitions exist here. Such as in some homes, when a death occurs all the mirrors and pictures are turned to the wall, or covered with a blanket. This belief goes far back in history. It was once thought that the mirror reflected the soul of the person looking into it and if the soul of the dead person saw the soul of one of his beloved relatives reflected in the mirror, he might take it with him, so his relatives were taking no chances.

Other superstitions such as the belief that if a bird accidentally flies into a house, or flutters at a window, a member of the household will die is very common. Also, cedar trees are not to be planted on one's property. The reason seems to stem from the conviction held by a number of people that if someone plants a cedar he will die when it grows large enough to shade his coffin. And if you are walking with someone and you split a pole, it brings you bad luck. This means one walks on left side of the pole and the other the right, so the pole passes between you. If this happens you must walk around the pole in full circle or be cursed.

These superstitions may sound silly to some, but they are taken very seriously by many Appalachians. I believe these stem from a deep rooted fear of change. I am not saying that everyone in the region suffers from Metathesiophobia, but unequivocally, fear of change plays a role in the preservation of the language.

Living in isolation makes one live depended upon themselves. Grocery stores may be many miles off into the nearest town. So learning to live off the land is vital. Grow your own food, hunt, fish, and gather the rest that cannot be grown in a garden. Doctors and medical care may be hours away. So there is a dependency upon home remedies, and/or Granny's Magic.

Granny's Magic (folk magic), are traditions passed down through generations. It blends old Scotch-Irish magical traditions with old Cherokee Native American practices. Some have adopted the term “witch” but again, many traditionalists are superstitious and will stay away from anyone calling themselves a witch.

Granny's Magic is widely accepted more as remedies than actual magic. Some examples:

For Poison Ivy rash: Bathe in oatmeal while rubbing a blue stone over the sores.

For Wart Removal: rub the wart with a half a tater (potato) then bury said tater in the ground.

For Bee Stings: remove the stinger and wash the area with vinegar.

For Headaches: rub mint in the cup of your hands.

Some common ailments, and natural occurrences are viewed as omens, or a foreshadow. Such as itching. What area that itches could mean something is, or is about to happen. Examples:

Left palm: You are about to receive some money.

Right palm: You will shake hands with a stranger.

Back of hand: You will give away some money.

Left eye: You will be made happy.

Right eye: You will be made sad or angry.

Also burning sensation could have meaning. Such as burning ears could mean someone is talking about you. If you correctly think of the person that is talking about you, your ears will quit burning.

These, with many other traditions have survived through the years largely due to the sheer grit and determination of the people.

One tradition that has helped immensely with the preservation of culture, history, and language is music. Many oral traditions are kept alive through song. It is a custom to play away misery. Songs such Tom Dooley, Down by the Ohio, Ballad of John Henry, Sixteen Tons, give a glimpse of life and times living in Appalachia. Still today the hills, and mountains ring with merriment and rhythm of the Appalachian people. From front porches,to churches, to barns, to camp meetings, folks still sing, play and dance the pain of life away.

You can find more information on the book by clicking the link below.

Mountain Voices

Yes, Mike Slusher is a spuedoname. Maybe one day I will share that story with y'all.