The Devil's Due: Why the Best Harvests Always Leave a Little Behind

 

Mountain Logic: The "Do's and Don'ts" of Growing Up in St. Charles and Beyond



If you grew up in the shadow of the Appalachians, you didn’t just learn your ABCs; you learned the unspoken rules of the universe. In a place like St. Charles, VA, superstitions aren’t just "old wives' tales"—they are a survival guide for keeping peace with the unseen.

Whether it was protecting your mother’s back or keeping the Devil out of the orchard, here is the folklore that shaped our everyday lives.

1. The Gatekeepers: Doors and Thresholds

In Appalachia, how you move through a house matters. You never just "leave."

  • The Same-Door Rule: Always leave through the same door you entered. To do otherwise is to carry away the luck of the house.

  • The New Year’s Blow-Out: At the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, we opened both the front and back doors. You had to let the old year (and all its baggage) blow straight through to make room for the new.

  • One apple left on the tree rule--leave one to satisfy the devil. 


2. Nature’s Omens: Birds, Dogs, and Cats

The animals around us were often messengers from the other side.

  • The Red Bird: Seeing a Cardinal (Red Bird) wasn't just a treat for the eyes; it meant company was on the way. Better put the coffee on!

  • The Midnight Howl: My mother always told us: if a dog howls before the moon rises, someone is about to pass. It’s a chilling sound that still makes mountain folks stop and listen.

  • The Black Cat "X": If one crosses your path, you have to draw an "X" in the air three times. But here’s the catch: you have to finish before the cat reaches the other side of the road, or the bad luck sticks.

3. Kitchen & Household "Law"

Even the most mundane chores had spiritual consequences.

  • The Salt Pinch: Spill the salt? Throw a pinch over your left shoulder immediately to blind the Devil. The right shoulder won't do you a lick of good.

  • No Ironing on Sundays: Sunday is for rest. Ironing on the Sabbath was a sure-fire way to invite misfortune into the home.

  • The Sweeping Curse: If you’re a young woman, never let someone sweep under your feet. If the broom touches you, they say you’ll never find a husband.

4. The Gritty & The Grave

Some of our superstitions were darker, born from the dangers of the coal mines and the solemnity of the churchyard.

  • The Three Deaths: Misfortune likes company. It was always believed that deaths come in threes; once two people passed, the community would hold its breath waiting for the third.

  • Coal Mine Taboos: For generations, it was believed that a female entering a coal mine brought nothing but bad luck and disaster to the men below.

  • Centipede Teeth: Perhaps the strangest one of all—we’d cover our mouths whenever we saw a centipede. If he counted your teeth, it meant certain death for your mother.

5. Satisfying the Spirits

We were taught to be "good neighbors" to those no longer with us.

  • Pouring one out: When drinking spirits, we’d pour a little on the ground. It satisfied the "ghostly spirits" so they wouldn't come looking for a taste of yours.

  • The Apple Sacrifice: When harvesting, you always leave at least one apple on the tree. It keeps the Devil occupied and away from the rest of your crop.

Final Thoughts

Looking back, these traditions gave us a sense of control in a world that could be harsh and unpredictable. They connect us to the "First Virginians" and the pioneers who walked these ridges centuries ago.

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