SCavenger UNCOVERING UNIQUE TRADITIONS AND ICONS OF THE PALMETTO STATE BY CELE & LYNN SELDON ILLUSTRATED BY TERESANNE COSSETTA RUSSELL Others would try to rid their homes of evil spirits or “haints” painting their porch ceilings haint blue. Legend has it that ghosts can’t cross water, so the blue-green color would confuse the spirits into thinking they can’t enter. Cultural customs, centuries-old traditions and superstitious icons tell the history of the state in the most unlikely places—but not if you know where to look. Many of the state’s traditions are rooted in superstitions brought to the Lowcountry by enslaved Africans and then maintained by the area’s Gullah Geechee community. The blue bottle tree came about as nature’s talisman to ward against evil spirits, with the theory being that the spirits would be attracted to the colorful bottles and wander into them. They would then get trapped and be destroyed by the morning light, or simply corked and thrown away. 46
South Carolina Vacation Guide SC2022: Page 46
