Ghost Hunters of the South
GHOST HUNTERS OF THE SOUTH. By Alan Brown. Jackson: The University Press of Mississippi, 2006. 393 pp. Hardbound, $50.00; Softbound, $22.00.
Alphine W. Jefferson
Randolph-Macon College
From the documentation of paranormal investigations in the 1850s and the prevalence of séances in elite homes in the late nineteenth century to the popularity of contemporary movies and television shows about ghosts, the occult, supernatural phenomena, vampires, and witches, Americans have been fascinated with the unknown. They have tried to communicate with the dead, conjure up spirits, receive messages and read signs from the nonphysical world, and see the dead for centuries. It is in that vein that Alan Brown's book, Ghost Hunters of the South, has special significance. Traditional folklore about haunted houses, stories of Confederate soldiers still walking the battlefields, and tales of benevolent visitations from long-dead relatives have been a staple of Southern culture in particular and American history in general. This belief in ghosts has created the modern fascination with scientific investigations of ethereal occurrences. These practices range from channeling and spirit possession to the actual documentation and recording of extraordinary actions, encounters, noises, sightings, smells, and visitations.
Using oral history as his primary methodological tool, and serving as an occasional participant and observer, Brown fuses together a book that contains many specific references to the supernatural. Without …
For more go to:
http://ohr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/09/16/ohr.ohr072.full
Number of Visits: 4480
The latest
Most visited
Loss of Memory in Pahlavi Prisons
In total, [I was in prison] about 6 years in two arrests. For the first time after several years, a soldier arranged my escape. I do not know why! Maybe he was one of the influential elements of Islamic groups. They took me to the hospital for the treatment of my hand, which was broken due to the callousness of an officer.Hajj Pilgrimage
I went on a Hajj pilgrimage in the early 1340s (1960s). At that time, few people from the army, gendarmerie and police went on a pilgrimage to the holy Mashhad and holy shrines in Iraq. It happened very rarely. After all, there were faithful people in the Iranian army who were committed to obeying the Islamic halal and haram rules in any situation, and they used to pray.A section of the memories of a freed Iranian prisoner; Mohsen Bakhshi
Programs of New Year HolidaysWithout blooming, without flowers, without greenery and without a table for Haft-sin , another spring has been arrived. Spring came to the camp without bringing freshness and the first days of New Year began in this camp. We were unaware of the plans that old friends had in this camp when Eid (New Year) came.