Question on Appalachian Folk Beliefs
My father had a kind of folk superstition about the direction one should orient the body when sleeping. For instance, I think he said that the head should not be oriented downhill or in the direction of the nearest source of running water. I don't think the feet were supposed to point towards water or downhill, either. As I recall, it was not particularly good to have the head oriented towards the North. One should also be able to see the doors and windows, as in, the head should not be oriented in such a way that a window is obscured.
I think it is possible that this is an Appalachian, Native American/Cherokee, Scottish/European belief system. I would really like to learn more about this belief system. My uncle, who belongs to a different generation than my departed father, has heard of the belief system, but does not know anything about it. What I know of it is based on a conversation I had with my father when we moved about 19 years ago, and I was about five years old at that time.
If anyone knows about this or if this or something similar, please leave a comment and let me know.
I think it is possible that this is an Appalachian, Native American/Cherokee, Scottish/European belief system. I would really like to learn more about this belief system. My uncle, who belongs to a different generation than my departed father, has heard of the belief system, but does not know anything about it. What I know of it is based on a conversation I had with my father when we moved about 19 years ago, and I was about five years old at that time.
If anyone knows about this or if this or something similar, please leave a comment and let me know.