Record #:

16319

Author(s):

Schmalleger, Frank

Abstract:

Robeson County is a high crime area. A subculture of violence, generated in part by continuing tension between the races, characterizes the area. The high crime rate translates into many arrests and lots of defendants. For defendants, root workers offer an opportunity for action which goes beyond legal defenses. Root workers, or doctors, among the Lumbee use spells, rituals, powders, talisman, plants and earth to conjure good luck, prevent harm, and persuade judges and juries in court cases.

Source:

North Carolina Folklore Journal (NoCar GR 110 N8 N6), Vol. 29 Issue 2, Fall-Spring 1981, p102-105 Periodical Website

Subject(s):

Lumbee Indians--North Carolina--Conjurers; Lumbee Indians--North Carolina--Folklore; Root doctors; Legal cases