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if it haint broke









Haint*  A ghost. Belief in ghosts has been common since ancient times and is reflected in folklore around the world. It is based on the notion that the spirit is separable from the body and can continue its existence after the death of the body. Ghosts are believed to inhabit the netherworld and to be capable of returning to the world of the living, appearing as living beings or in a nebulous likeness of the deceased. They are thought to be especially likely to haunt places or people connected with some strong emotion of their past life.

Haint blue * is a color commonly found on window shutters, doors, and porch ceilings all over  Southeast United States. Haint blue ranges from light blue, blue-green to periwinkle.

 Some  say the Gullah people are the original creators of Haint Blue.  Angry Haints cannot cross water. S0, the Gullah people  would dig a pit in the ground, fill it with lime, milk, and whatever pigments they could find, stir it all together, and paint the mixture around every opening into their homes.








     A little history on the Gallah people*

http://www.africanaheritage.com/uploads/1395/GullahStreetVendorHighResBorder.jpg St. Helena is one of only a few remnants of a bygone era in the South Carolina low country.  Dirt roads lead to houses where Gullah families live in clusters the way their ancestors did in Africa. Women wearing head wraps and aprons weave baskets from sea grass and sell them to tourists on their way to the affluent outlying islands. The Gullah who live on the island are descendants of West African slaves who worked the rice and cotton fields before they were freed and offered a chance to purchase their land. As whites deserted the coast in favor of milder climates inland, the Gullah lived in isolation for generations, allowing them to maintain their African culture longer than any slave descendants in America.










Below are some examples of what was.



















 

above photos from flickr Haint Blue page http://www.flickr.com/groups/1018265@N21/



Haint blue is also said to be used to keep bugs and wasps away.  No matter the reason, it's beautiful in my opinion. My own porch ceiling is painted blue (LOVE) to keep away all unfriendly ghosts and door to door salesmen.



 Below are some examples of what is.



 


https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDBy29R7jJucMYSYa2nPbee9u5ZSsLjx0hIoa569xnnD1QB60lBdQ12z6sP7Jiazl5uaBzFu0gAz_CtwZLobcxPJh0BX-Ce_bi9mqu5-Pj-omb1mv_Bo55UC1JuLXTFJZ3cCyoi3NtzKIt/s1600/road+trip+2010+339.jpg



I wasn't naked, I was completely covered by a blue spotlight. 
Gypsy Rose Lee (LOVE)

Comments

  1. Emma Leigh DuncanAugust 12, 2011 at 11:01 AM

    So beautiful! I should try to find a photo of the barn door G and I painted a haint blue!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 12, 2011 at 1:40 PM

    Jane,

    This is such an informative post. It's interesting to me that Gullah's could live without any interference for so long....And be true to themselves and their beliefs.

    Blue is my favorite color and I love shades. Whenever I'm looking to make a purchase, I have to be careful not to walk, no run, straight to anything blue...My entire house would be blue if I let myself go. HAHA

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cristie without the hAugust 13, 2011 at 6:34 AM

    Haha! Haint never heard such a thing! Blue is a great ceiling color to keep the bugs at bay, but ghosts. OHOH.... you better believe I will be painting something blue. Also the color yellow attracts bugs so I am careful not use too much of that. They think it is food of some kind. Go figure. Yellow makes us all think of food. LOL

    ReplyDelete

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