If you could own only one book of Appalachian folklore, I highly recommend this title. Dr. Patrick Gainer was a well-known professor at West Virginia University who compiled the material for the book from over 50 years of collecting stories and lore in West Virginia.
What makes Witches, Ghosts and Signs so intriguing is that it includes not only ghost stories, but also many of the superstitions and sayings still common in the mountains, along with some folk remedies and nature lore.
Wonder when it's going to rain? Watch for dancing turkeys, sweating rocks, and low-flying insects. Have a case of poison ivy? Try applying a mixture of gunpowder and sweet milk. You might be able to stop a nosebleed by tying a woolen string around your thumb. I can't verify any of these remedies will actually work, but as a storyteller and a writer I can imagine some times when the information will be useful to know. (And I agree with Dr. Gainer that corn twisting is a sign of rain, as is the call of the rain crow.)
Ghost stories are numerous in the mountains. I often say that I believe every ridge and hollow in the state has its own haunt. Among the many intriguing stories included in this collection are The Witch of Booger Hole, The Bewitched Pig, and Jim Barton's Fiddle (which Dr. Gainer attests he himself heard). You might also learn the proper method for conducting a wake, how to belsnickle at Christmas, and how to have a dumb supper.
Out of print for many years, the book is being re-released by West Virginia University Press , in concert with the West Virginia Folklife Center at Fairmont State University.
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