![]() 'Haints are restless spirits of the dead who, for whatever reason, have not moved on from their physical world,' says (Lori) Sawaya. Southerners, especially in the area of South Carolina, have a name for the ceiling paint used on porches – the soft blue-green is referred to as 'Haint Blue.' many Southerners suggest that blue porch ceilings originated out of the fear of haints. mentions it on their website, with the following explanation: The color "haint blue" is so common in the south that the Sherwin Williams Co. There are various explanations for this tradition, but one of the most common is that haint blue represents water to confuse haints, which according to legend, can't cross over water. Still today in the low country of South Carolina, historic homes often feature a special hue of blue paint on the ceilings of their big, covered porches, or window shutters, sills, and doors. If the Gullah believe that their houses are haunted by evil spirits, or are worried that a spirit will soon try to inhabit their dwelling, they will paste newspaper on their walls in order to distract the spirits from doing any harm." There are people in the Gullah community that are thought to have the power to protect people from evil. For instance, the Gullah believe in witchcraft and paint their doors "haint blue" in order to ward off evil spirits and witches. ![]() In her " History of the Gullah Culture," Marissa Polascak wrote, "There are many Gullah traditions, customs, and beliefs that are still being practiced today. In Charleston, belief in haints was so common, they even spawned their own color of house paint. Haint blue: a color specifically for protection against ghosts Other sources claim the word actually originated from the Welsh word haint, meaning infection, plague, or pestilence. And he says the African-American word haint, used as a noun, was first recorded in 1843. The tradition is more complex than that.įelder Rushing, who wrote a book about the history of bottle trees, says the word haint is actually derived from early European roots: the verb "hanter," meaning to stalk or inhabit. One online dictionary defines the word "haint" simply as a ghost. In South Carolina, haints are malicious ghosts, often seeking to steal or harm naughty children (maybe used as a story to make unruly children behave?). Belief in haints probably originated with the Gulla Geechee people, descendants of African slaves in the Carolina low country and barrier islands. Haint is an old southern word for a specific type of ghost or evil spirit from the Carolina coast, but found in tales from various regions of the south. Southern legends of haints, ghosts, witches, booger men, boohags, and boodaddies Origination of haint beliefs The Rustic Life: Historic Prairie Farmhouses.Classic Antique Automobiles Rusting in the Forest.Alternative Process Handmade Photographic Prints.
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