I believe it's mostly a gift. She is 4th generation and her sister doesn't possess the 'gift'. It can be taught, but I don't think everyone can do it, as in have the 'gift' to make it work.
I know a lady who claims to be able to do this and I know folks that can testify to her credit. She claims that she was taught the gift from somebody and she has to pass the gift to another person. I aint real sure about this whole talkin the fire out thing but it is interesting. Wonder if somebody could "talk out" heartburn... which was a gift from somebody at Taco Bell passed on to me.
Well, I'd like to meet your Grandfather. My son ALWAYS has poison. He can't stay out of the woods. I've had the fire talked out of me, warts talked off one of my sons, but I've never heard of "stopping the blood".
The Museum of NC History used to have a really nice exhibit on NC Folk Medicine about ten years ago. It has since been reduced to a small display at the Natural Science Museum.
I know a bunch of people that put out fires and I am pretty sure you don't want them talking it out!! :jester: LOL
That is the way it was with my Grandmother. She was born in rural Sampson County in 1905 and she was basically looked on as the country folk doctor. Even in her 90s people would come to her house to get poison removed or fire talked out.
I think it may be the mind being convinced that it's going to work so the body responds appropriatly. I'd love to see it done though. Never even heard of it until this thread.
Used to think that until she took the warts off the horse's nose....figured he didn't have much faith!!
Reminds me of my father... This discussion reminded me of a story that involved my father as a child and a "fever" that would not go away. My father was born and raised in the most southern part of AR. His family lived many miles out of town (as most did I assume), and as a toddler he aquired a strange "fever." During the daylight hours he was described by my grandmother as "normal," but once the sun set a fever would rise and find her up all night with him on many occasions with him crying and screaming in pain. Although he was visited by the local "doctor" they could not render a diagnosis, nor could they cure the situation. This went on for two (TWO!!) months before my great-grandmother took the bull by the horns and declared that SOMEHOW they had to find a way to help the child. It seems that my great-grandparents owned a grist mill and their "next door neighbors," which were about 5 miles away, housed a teenaged girl that was known to have medicinal energies that directly revolved around her being born a ******* child by her father dying while she was still unborn. There is a southern lore that states that this type of situation will bring about these abilities. She was well known in that community (and their church), and was told to have "cured" many ailments that were brought to the young woman's attention. My great-grandmother sent word that her grandson was very ill and that they had exhausted all options to assist the child. She, being very friendly with the teens mother, requested to visit with the grandchild to attempt to take away his fever. She even offered bartering of cattle, horses, anything at all because they feared my father might eventually die from the illness. The story is told that on a very bright sunny day my great-grandparents and grandmother took my father to the home of the girl. The grandmother of the girl, who also lived in the home, explained to my grandmother that the only way to cure any sickness was for the girl to actually breathe into the mouth of the person. Although my grandmother thought it to be "foolish" and "silly," she agreed because she wanted to try everything possible to save her only son. And as the story goes, my father, as a toddler, was taken into the girls arms. She opened his mouth with her hands and softly breathed into his mouth. My grandmother's account and discription was that she breathed very slowly into my father's mouth, and afterwards sort of pulled away from him and smiled. She recited a scripture and handed my father back to my grandmother. The only barter that happened, if you could call it that, was 2 gallons of fresh goats milk (as there was a young child in the house), and a dozen fresh eggs. From that moment on, my father never had the fever again. I'm not too sure how much I believe this, but I will say that there are plenty of people in my family (and outside of) that do recall knowing of that girl and her special "gift." And I do know that my father was very sick, as many family members that are elderly still remember discussions in their houses about how my grandmother and grandfather might lose their son because of a "strange illness." On a much lighter but funny note: my uncle, who is five years younger than my father, aquired a strange "rash" as a child that would not disappear. After being visited by the "doctor," my grandmother was told to strip the child down to nothing and let him play on the farm, in the mud, for a solid week as long as he wanted. She did so, and even though nothing medicinal seemed to help the rash, it quickly went away as he pretended to be a pig!! It was great to read a thread though that reminded me of a story from my grandmother that I had tucked away!!
I've had several instances in my family where the fire has been talked out of somebody. My uncle was burned by roofing tar and had the fire talked out of it. My mother burned her hand on pork chop grease and had the fire talked out. My brother-in-law (when young) leaned against a kerosene heater/stove with his coat on. It actually melted the coat to his stomach! His grandfather lived about an hour and a half away, so they called him. He was said to have talked the fire out of it...over the phone! I find it difficult to believe that the mind is truly the sole reasoning for these instances, because it doesn't have only to do with pain but in most cases, very little (if any) scarring and no blistering. I'm not so sure it has to do with all the folklore that's behind the scripture. The sayings that you can't pass it down to someone related of the same sex and all that. To me, its either solely based on faith and a gift of healing or not. I believe it has more to do with the healer having the faith, because healing in the name of God using scripture is a testament to God's power. It perhaps serves as proof to the the person being healed that God's power is real. There's no way to prove it. It solely remains a matter of faith. You either believe in it or not.
This thread is one of the reasons I love this board!!!!!! I had the fire talked out of a burn when I was very little. Don't remember it but I remember the stories. Evidently, my grandma talked the fire out. She was a redhead and a real fireball when she got mad. LOL I've had goose pimples while reading this thread because it reminds me of my childhood and beloved grandparents. I've heard about the blood, warts, and fire before. Have you ever said, "If I could make your pain go away, I would."? Or, "If I could take on your pain myself, I would."? I wonder if it is along those lines, with the firetalker being compassionate but having authority when they repeat the Scripture?
To each his own? Myth & Faith Thound the Thame. "A woman can only teach it to a man and a man can only teach it to a woman. It can not be tought from woman to woman or man to man." Allllllrighty then .... no gay firetalkers .... or .... it's the fire down below their teaching!
