Another charm often employed was the famous Himmelsbrief (German for “heavenly letter”), known locally as a glory note. They are usually written from the point of view of God, but sometimes consist of a simple written prayer against maladies and danger to the home or family. Those preserved in northern Appalachia usually come with the condition that as long as the bearer follows the commandments and laws of God, they will be protected from all harm, which usually includes illness. However, I have found little evidence for that sort of stance in our glory notes here, likely due to the loose binds of church dogma. Nonetheless, they have a different air about them.

I found one in my grandmother's Bible after she passed; it seems she got it after Papaw passed away, as it is titled “A Prayer for Those Who Live Alone.” No author is noted.

I live alone, dear Lord

Stay by my side.

In all my daily needs

Be thou my guide.

Grant me good health.

For that, indeed, I pray,

To carry on my work

From day to day.

Keep pure my mind,

My thoughts, my every deed.

Let me be kind, unselfish

In my neighbor's need.

Spare me from fire, from flood,

Malicious tongues

From thieves, from fear,

And evil ones.

If sickness or

An accident befall,

Then, humbly, Lord, I pray

Hear Thou my call.

And when I'm feeling low,

Or in despair,

Lift up my heart

And help me in my prayer.

I live alone, dear Lord,

Yet have no fear,

Because I feel Your presence ever near.

Amen.

Meant to be recited every so often, its power is still there when it hangs on the wall, rests in a Bible, or sits folded neatly in a wallet.

Here's another example:

In seven days the Lord made the heavens and the earth. In forty days the earth was washed clean. In one night, the Lord became flesh. In four days, the dead was raised by His command. In nine hours He perished and in three days He pressed the Devil under His heel. The same do I place under his heel: all witchcraft and malicious tongues, all evil spirits and demons, all disease-causing spirits and bad winds; under His feet there are the multitude of the Serpent's babes, crushed beneath the Name. No fire may lick me, nor flood may wash me; no lightning strike me or wind cut me; no sun may burn me nor moon make me made. As truly as Christ hung on the cross and stepped from the grave.

The above notes may be written down in red ink and hung above the door unfolded, or carried in a poke bag, or simply placed in your purse or wallet. When writing your own glory note, try to relate the actions desired to those of biblical characters. For example, “As Christ knelt in the garden, so too do all malicious spirits bow before the Creator,” or “as surely as the three wise men were the first to bow to the Savior, all gun barrels will bow and disarm.” These can also be written and then soaked in a glass of water that is then drunk or washed with to effect a cure or result as stated in the note. For added strength, work by the signs: to ward off fire, write the note while the moon is in a water sign; to ward off storms, work while the moon is visible in the sky and is passing through the head (Aries); to ward off illness of the lungs, do so while the sign is in the breasts (Cancer); and for a note against evil spirits or witchcraft, work while the sign is in the bowels (Virgo).

CUTS, WOUNDS, BRUISES, AND SWELLING

To this day, a cut or wound can lead to death, especially if you don't have health care. While it's less likely today, it was common less than four generations ago, when hygiene was poor. In cities like Knoxville and Chattanooga, waste and all kinds of stuff was just dumped right in the street where everyone walked—you can imagine all the diseases and infections that resulted from that.

For cuts and wounds, it was always advised to use the instrument that caused the wound in some way. For a fish hook wound, the fish hook was cleaned well, dried, and then driven into a piece of wood with the belief that as long as it remained clean and didn't rust, the wound would heal quickly; if it did rust, the wound would fester and become inflamed. If you get cut by a knife, the knife is driven into the ground to staunch the blood. If it was a large wound, you'd lay your hand over it while looking at the growing moon while saying, “What I see will increase; what I feel will decrease, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

Here's another: run your hand over the wound, moving away from the heart while reciting,

Wholesome is the wound, wholesome is the hour and sound,

That this may not swell or fester I try,

Until all the seas do run dry.

For bruises, hold your hand on the place and pronounce the following morning, noon, and night for three days:

Bruise, thou shalt not heat.

Bruise, thou shalt not sweat.

Bruise, thou shalt not run,

No more than the Virgin Mary shall

Bring forth another son.

+ + +

To help with swelling, soak tanned eel skin in cheap whiskey for three months. Then rub it on the swelling with the ring and middle fingers, never the dog finger (index finger).

Alternatively, make a bag containing watermelon seeds, pumpkin seeds, and apple seeds, added in that order. Bless the bag by rubbing salt or alum over it while praying for the swelling to decrease. (Don't bless the bag with water, as the swollen body is already retaining water.) You may also recite the previous charm that speaks of increase and decrease, while staring at the growing moon and rubbing the bag. The swelling will decrease just as the size of the fruits decrease from watermelon down to the apple.