In the House of Spirits (Folkways and Stories of Appalachian Mountain Religion)

Written by a native son with firsthand experience, In the House of Spirits is a deep exploration into Appalachian folk spirituality. It covers the interchange between religion and animistic beliefs in the mountains, and the roles of God, Death, and the Devil, as well as of angels and demons. It also explores the profound impact of the Spiritualist movement upon Appalachia, which helped further and shape the practice of honoring and speaking with not only the dead but also other unseen forces. 

A focus of the book is on ancestor veneration, which Richards describes as “the first step into the unseen world, and the Appalachian traditions that surround this, from the past into the modern day, from grave house and mound graves to bookshelf memorials.” Richards also covers the grimoire tradition in Appalachia, ranging from The Long Lost Friend, including Himmelsbriefs (Heavenly Letters), to The Black Pullet and beliefs about these books and those who used them or even simply had them. Other topics include spiritual beliefs about plants, the influence of spirits on our health, and the lasting legacy of death rituals and practices.

One of the goals of this work is to resurrect these traditions as they were, not as history as recorded them in broken pieces of “superstition” but as a cohesive practice by which mountain folk have lived for centuries. If your folks are from Appalachia, this is part of your heritage, life, and culture, regardless of your gender, race, or sexual orientation. We are all heirs to the Mountain.