Are You Afraid of Raw Head and Bloody Bones?

"Don't Talk! Go to Sleep!

Eyes shet an' don't you peep!

Keep still, or he jes moans:

'Raw Head an' Bloody Bones!'"

-"Negro Folk Rhymes" (1922) compiled by Thomas W. Talley

It might seem strange to us today that winter, a season of festive cheer and celebrations, was once a time for scary stories. But for those who lived in a world where days grew shorter and the fields lay barren, gathering around the fire and telling tales of ghosts and ghouls felt natural. Among these chilling stories, few were as enduring or as terrifying as those of Raw Head and Bloody Bones.

Raw Head and Bloody Bones is a centuries-old bogeyman whose origin has been lost to time. He goes by many names—“Rawhead,” “Tommy Rawhead,” and “Raw-Head-and-Bloody-Bones.” In some stories, "Rawhead" and "Bloody Bones" are treated as two separate ghouls. Despite the variations, the legend is consistent in its ability to frighten children and adults alike. Typically, Rawhead is depicted as a skull with teeth, while Bloody Bones is portrayed as a skeleton without a head. Together, they are said to abduct naughty children, cook them in a stew pot, and devour them.

Many English towns have their own versions of the Bloody Bones tale, often placing the ghoul in dangerous locations such as marshes or caves to deter children from venturing into unsafe areas. “As the nurse’s opiate to quiet a troublesome brat. See! There is Raw Head and Bloody Bones coming to fetch you. Raa! hoes aen bloote-beens” (Bellenden, 36).

Christmas Entertainments 1740

The first recorded use of the term “Bloodybone” appears in a sermon from 1548, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The legend was especially popular in England, Ireland, the Appalacian Region and the American South from the 18th to the 20th centuries. Even Thomas Jefferson referenced Raw Head and Bloody Bones in his writings, using the figure to symbolize fearmongering in political discourse.

The legend’s influence persisted into the 20th century, as seen in interviews conducted during the 1980s with women born around 1900 in Carrboro, North Carolina. One woman recounted:

I remember one nightmare I had: Old Raw Head and Bloody Bones came out and threw my brother in the fire, and my brother got out and threw Raw Head and Bloody Bones in the fire. But he ran under my bed, and oh, for weeks I was afraid to pass that bed. I guess I was five years old then. And I know a nephew of mine came along. They told him the story of Raw Head and Bloody Bones, and one day he went down to the garden, and during the night the dogs had dragged up an old cow’s head. That little fellow saw that and he screamed bloody murder. It was a raw head and bloody bones (Quinney 1980, 100).

The legend also lived on in the oral histories of formerly enslaved people in the United States. Rachel Adams, an enslaved woman born in Georgia, shared:

Us chillun was allus skeered to play in de thicket nigh de house ‘cause Raw Head and Bloody Bones lived der. I used to think I seed ha’nts at night, but it allus turned out to be somebody dat was tryin’ to skeer me (Work Projects Administration 1941).

Georgia Baker spoke of the enduring fear instilled by such tales:

Oh Lord! Us never played no games in slavery times, ‘cept jus’ to run around in a ring and pat our hands. I never sung no songs ‘cause I warn’t no singer, and don’t talk ‘bout no Raw Head and Bloody Bones or nothin’ lak dat. Dey used to skeer us chillun so bad ‘bout dem sort of things dat us used to lay in bed at night a-shakin’ lak us was havin’ chills. I’ve seed plenty of ha’nts right here in Athens. Not long atter I had left Crawfordville and moved to Athens, I had been in bed jus’ a little while one night, and was jus’ dozin’ off to sleep when I woke up and sot right spang up in bed. I seed a white man, dressed in white, standin’ before me. I sho didn’t say nothin’ to him for I was too skeered. De very last time I went to a dance, somepin got atter me and skeered me so my hair riz up ‘til I couldn’t git my hat on my haid, and dat cyored me of gwine to dances. I ain’t never been to no more sich doin’s (Work Projects Administration 1941).

Mary Colbert took a more pragmatic view:

Honey, there is no use to ask me about Raw Head and Bloody Bones. When folks started talking about that, I always left the room. It is a shame how folks do frighten children trying to make them get quiet and go to sleep. I don’t believe in ha’nts and ghosts. Since I have been grown, I have been around so many dead folks I have learned that the dead can’t harm you; it’s the living that make the trouble.

From English nurseries to the fields of Georgia, the legend of Raw Head and Bloody Bones transcended generations serving as both a tool of caution and a source of terror. While the stories may no longer dominate our winters, they remain a fascinating glimpse into the imaginations of those who came before us. If you find yourself around the fire this year, you might think to tell your company a chilling story of Raw Head and Bloody Bones.

References

Notes and Queries a Medium of Intercommunication for Literary Men and General Readers . 1914. Vol. IX. London: John C. Francis & J. Edward Francis.

Bellenden, John. 1834. An Essay on the Archaeology of Our Popular Phrases, and Nursery Rhymes. Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Co.

Quinney, Valerie. 1980. “Mill Village Memories.” Southern Exposure VIII (3): 98–109.

Talley, Thomas W. 1922. Negro Folk Rhymes. New York Macmillan 1922.

Work Projects Administration. 1941. Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume IV, Georgia Narratives, Part 1. Vol. 1. Washington D.C.: Library of Congress. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/13602/pg13602-images.html.

World War I Cranberry Conserve Recipe

I wanted to to find a cranberry recipe for Thanksgiving that was slight twist on the traditional cranberry sauce. I found this recipe for Cranberry Conserve from the book Conservation Recipes (1917) by the Mobilized Women of Berkeley.

During World War I, food rationing in the United States was largely voluntary, spearheaded by the U.S. Food Administration under Herbert Hoover. Americans were encouraged to conserve food to support troops and allies overseas. Campaigns promoted "Meatless Mondays" and "Wheatless Wednesdays," urging citizens to reduce consumption of staples like meat, wheat, sugar, and fats. The government emphasized personal responsibility through slogans like "Food Will Win the War" and encouraged growing "victory gardens" to supplement household food supplies. While rationing wasn't mandatory, the widespread participation showcased a spirit of patriotism and unity on the home front.

The "Mobilized Women of Berkeley" formed during the war to coordinate the efforts of local women in supporting the war. They organized food drives, produced clothing and supplies for soldiers, and ran community initiatives like war bond campaigns and conservation education. This group became a powerful example of grassroots activism, demonstrating how women could unify to address the needs of both the war effort and their local community.

Conservation Recipes, 1917

World War I Cranberry Conserve

Ingredients:

- 4 Cups Cranberries
- 1 Cup of Walnuts
- 1 1/2 Cups Water
- 3 Cups Sugar or Brown Sugar
- 2 1/4 Cups of Raisins

- The Juice of 1 Orange

Instructions:

1. Rinse the cranberries and place in a saucepan on medium heat with the water until the cranberries burst (about 5 minutes.

2. Add the walnuts, sugar, raisins, and orange juice.

1. Rinse the cranberries and place in a large pan on medium heat with the water until the cranberries burst (about 5 minutes). You may want to cover your pot loosely to prevent splashes. 

2. If you picked your own cranberries, now is the time to carefully strain out any leaves, and twigs that might be present. If your cranberries are pre-cleaned move on to step 3.

3. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the walnuts, sugar, raisins, and orange juice. Stir occasionally. 

4. Cook for 25 minutes, uncovered or until thick.

5. Pour into sterilized canning jars. 

Conservation Recipes, 1917

You might think that 3 cups of sugar is decadent for a conservation recipe but this recipe makes about 64 ounces of conserve.  Jellies, jams, and conserves stretched far and were used to help make substitute breads and meats more palatable. 

The only change I made to this recipe was adding the rasped orange rind. I didn't want it to go to waste. After Thanksgiving I'm planning on using the leftovers to make Cranberry Cream Cheese and Cranberry horseradish sauce.  

World War 2 Era Butterscotch Pecan Rolls

 

Wait, there's not even butterscotch in this recipe! Oh yeah, forgot you can make that yourself. I made these for an event some time ago and the plate barely hit the table before they all disappeared. The beauty of this recipe is that it uses baking powder instead of yeast, which reduces the rise time. The recipe is also versatile. Lard, shortening or butter can be used as the fat and nuts can be omitted or substituted with raisins or dried fruit pieces. 

Biscuit Dough

- 2 Cups sifted Flour

- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

- 1/2 teaspoon Salt

- 4 Tablespoons Butter or Shortening

- 3/4 Cups Milk

Filling:

- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed

- 3 Tablespoons Butter 

- 1/2 Cup Chopped Pecans + Extra for garnish 

Preheat the oven to 375 ° F.  Mix flour, salt and baking powder and sift. Cut in the butter or shortening and add milk slowly until a dough is formed. Flour your hands and knead for 30 seconds or until all is combined. Roll out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet until the dough is a rectangle about 1/8 of an inch thick.

Cream together  the filling butter, sugar and pecans and spread in an even layer over the top. Leave a little empty at the end so there is room for the filling to move around. Starting at one end, roll the dough into a loaf and cut the loaf into 1 inch slices. Lay the slices on a clean piece of parchment on a baking sheet, leaving space between each roll. Bake for 22-26 minutes or until the edges are brown. Remove from the oven and top with the extra pecans.   

This recipe is from 10 Steps to Perfect Baking (1937.)  

Clarissa Dillon on Thinking Outside the Book

 

I came across this webinar by Clarissa Dillon on researching beyond using recipes. Recipes do not give the full picture of prevalence, who ate it, who cooked it, or if these recipes were altered due to need or desire. 

Webinar was hosted by the Historic Foodways of the Delaware Valley. 

"Mostly Dutch" | Civil War Era Sauerkraut Recipe

 Jun 27. Marched today by the following name towns 1stWaynesboro, 2ndDunoy, 3rd Funkstown 4th Fayettsville & stopped at Greenwood for the night. Hard looking crowd in this country, mostly dutch. Cloudy this afternoon.

- R.T. Douglass, Co. F, 47th Va.

The Wisconsin Farmer, 1863

In the 1860s, sauerkraut was known to prevent scurvy and was seen as a necessary component of the diet of soldiers.1  Sartain's Union Magazine of Literature and Art (1852) claimed it was a "certain cure for cholera," although we know this is not true.2  There was a call in newspapers for women at home to can sauerkraut to send to the soldiers to prevent diseases. Typical recipes from the time call for sauerkraut to be boiled with beef or other cuts of meat. 

Sauerkraut held strong associations with Germany as it still does today.  Although no official count exists, it is estimated that 216,000 union soldiers were German immigrants and another 250,000 were first-generation immigrants from Germany. There were even a number of German-Americans fighting in the Confederate army. They were frequently referred to as "Dutch".

If you want to make this 100% authentic, there are a variety of heirloom cabbage seeds you can still get today that were grown in the 1860s. The Late Flat Dutch variety is dated back before the 1830s and is valued for sauerkraut. The Brunswick is another early variety that is suitable. I had a lot of fun trying to make this the period way (using leaves to keep air out). This is a fun recipe to make with kids because there's plenty of mashing. It tastes significantly better than store-bought. My family enjoyed this batch at Thanksgiving.

Peasant Life in Germany, 1858

Civil War Era Sauerkraut 

Ingredients:

- Cabbage (2.5 pounds)

- 1.5 Tablespoons Salt

- 2 teaspoons Cumin

- 2 teaspoons Tumeric or Saffron

Instructions:

Wash the cabbages and remove the tough outer leaves and set them aside. 

Remove the thick veins and shred the cabbage as thin as possible.

 In a large crock, knead the salt into the cabbage by hand.

Use a wood pestle to pound the cabbage and salt mixture until enough liquid forms to cover the cabbage.*

Mix in the spices.

Cover with the outer leaves and place weight on them until all of the cabbage is submerged in the liquid.

Sit in a cool spot for 2 weeks. After the 2 week fermentation period, sauerkraut can be kept in the refrigerator for months or canned. 

------------------

* If liquid does not form, wait 30 minutes to see if enough liquid forms. If enough liquid never forms, 1/2 a cup of water with a teaspoon of salt can be added. 

At 70-75 degrees, fermentation should be complete after 2-4 weeks. At 60-65 degrees, fermentation may take 4-6 weeks. 

Notes

1 Hammond, William A. A Treatise on Hygiene: With Special Reference to the Military Service. Philadelphia, PA: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1863.

2 Sartain, John, ed. Sartain's Union Magazine of Literature and Art. Plates. 10. Vol. 10. Philadelphia, PA: John Sartain & Co., 1852.