Healing with Touch and Words

1520 - Domestic Event

Since ancient times, certain people have practiced healing simply by using touch and speech. The tradition came to the New World through both indigenous people and European colonists. It still exists in North Carolina today, carried on by healers who talk the pain out of burns, stop bleeding, cure thrush or remove warts without using medicine.

Does healing by touch really work? It’s hard to deny the firsthand experience of many people who claim they’ve been cured or relieved of pain by such healers. Why it works is a matter of opinion. Some believe the healing power lies in the ancient knowledge. Others say it comes from the healers themselves or the faith of the patients. Many doctors take the view that healers create a kind of hypnotic state, triggering the body’s own healing powers.

Nearly all healers say God is the source of their power, which is why they don’t accept payment or advertise. People learn about them by word of mouth.

Other Healing Traditions

Some healers who practice talking out fire also perform the ancient healing art of blood stopping. Accounts of stopping the flow of blood appear in manuscripts from Britain, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe as early as the eighth century.

 Blood stoppers repeat a Bible verse, usually Ezekiel 16:6, when performing a cure. Hand motions over the wound may accompany the verse. According to some accounts, these healers do not have to be with the patient to stop the bleeding. And they can treat wounded animals as well as people.

 Curing thrush is another ability attributed to healers. “Thrush” is the common name for candidiasis, a yeast-like fungus infection that primarily attacks young children, causing redness and tiny blisters in the mouth. The extreme discomfort prevents some children from eating.

 Doctors cure candidiasis with antifungal drugs. But some people in North Carolina claim that people born without ever seeing their fathers can cure thrush. The healer holds the child and blows into its mouth. Soon after, the symptoms of the disease disappear.

 Can a healer’s words remove warts? Some people feel certain of it. Warts are caused by a virus and can be uncomfortable and unattractive. Most disappear by themselves in six months to two years. While dozens of traditional wart cures exist in North Carolina, a few people claim the power to talk off a wart.

 Oral charms used to cure warts can be prayers, questions or even nonsense syllables such as the following:

“To remove warts, rub them gently and repeat the following words.
‘Anna, mana meno mike,
 Paro lono, bono, strike,
 Mar-e, war-e, wallow-wack.’ ”—Anonymous resident, Durham County, 1920 – 1940

Talking Out Fire

A 21-year-old student at East Carolina University gave this account of his father’s special healing ability in 1992.

My father knows how to talk the fire out. I was a skeptic until I burnt my hand.

We were freezing corn one summer, and I had the job of blanching the corn. I removed a bowl of corn from the microwave, and then I attempted to remove the plastic wrap from the top of the bowl. As I lifted the plastic wrap, the steam scorched my hand.

I was in pain; I wanted very badly to believe that my dad could talk out the fire.

My dad performed a rubbing motion over my hand while silently repeating a verse or chant. Dad told me that I must believe in order for the process to work. Within 15 minutes after my dad had tried talking the fire out, the sting was gone. My hand did not blister at all.

Needless to say, I am now a firm believer in this practice of talking out the fire.

The tradition of talking out fire, also known as blowing out fire or drawing out fire, is at least a thousand years old. It still exists in Europe and many parts of the United States.

To heal a burn victim, fire talkers generally chant a verse, often from the Bible. At the same time, they may make rubbing motions or gently blow on the burn. They might also coat it with alcohol, toothpaste, axle grease, lard or spit. According to many burn victims, the pain disappears soon afterward, and the burn heals without leaving scars. For severe burns, however, most fire talkers recommend that the patient see a doctor to prevent infection.

These healers have several different versions of how the tradition can be passed on. Some say you can only teach it to an unrelated person of the opposite sex. Others say they themselves learned the practice from a family member of the same sex. And some believe that once you’ve taught the skill to someone else, you can no longer perform it yourself.