Mountain Lore: The Bible Verse That Stops Bleeding

Since I moved to Kentucky several years ago I have heard many interesting things. One of the things I've heard about was a verse from the Bible that supposedly stops bleeding. I haven't ever run into anyone who could remember which verse it was offhand, always it was something that their granny or their great grandmaw or some other family elder had talked about back in their youths.

So anyway recently I decided it was about time I started to learn more about the state I have adopted as my home so I've been doing a bit of reading books and some online magazines and such to learn about some of the odder things about my state. Lo and behold during my reading today I found an article about this mystical Bible verse that is said to stop bleeding!

Apparently when immigrants came to the Appalachians they brought not only their Bibles but their superstitions as well. There is a unique mixture of witchcraft and Christianity that can only be found there. While it is dying out as the elders pass on "Granny Magic" as some call it is still hanging on by a thread. Though not Appalachian even my own great-grandmother (who was Dutch) practiced her own blend of folk magic using herbs, oils, candles and such mixed with Bible verses and Christian prayers- which my mother practiced and even I dabbled in a bit during my younger years.

So here is a quote from the article about the Blood Verse:

Of all the many homogenous elements of Appalachian superstition and custom is the belief in a mysterious “Blood Verse” from the Old Testament of the King James Version Bible.

To the average reader, Ezekiel 16.6 is believed to be the words of God to the abominable people of Jerusalem, in which He calls out the depravity of their sin:

And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live. — Ezekiel 16:6

However, for centuries in the hills of Appalachia as well as in the Ozark Mountains, this one verse has been so much more — it’s not seen simply as a Bible verse, but viewed almost like a magical spell that is believed to stop hemorrhaging on animals and humans alike, the moment it is recited out loud three times, followed by the patient’s name.

According to commonly held superstition, once the verse has been recited three times and the person’s name is mentioned, the blood is immediately stopped; regardless of the person reciting the verse.

Now I have never tried this prayer myself, but apparently a lot of folks swear by it. You have to say the verse out loud three times and name the person it is being said for. Whether it really works or not I do not know, and if it DOES work one has to wonder if it works because it is the Word of God, because of the belief of the one saying the verse or the belief of the one the verse is being said for? The mind is a powerful thing!

If you would like to read the full article I am posting a link, and while you're at it check out the whole website- I find some pretty interesting things there sometimes!

Link to Appalachian Magazine article

a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

i hear that bleeding slows down after about 15 minutes. I wonder if that corresponds to the time taken to recite the verses three times.

originally posted by: TaninimLong
a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

i hear that bleeding slows down after about 15 minutes. I wonder if that corresponds to the time taken to recite the verses three times.

I would guess that if you recited it very ceremoniously complete with dramatic pauses and such you could probably stretch it out to close to 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't work on me regardless- I'm taking about a truckload of blood thinners so a nose bleed lasted 3 days!

a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk
They would do better to apply pressure with good dose of flour to clot the blood.

originally posted by: PhilbertDezineck
a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk
They would do better to apply pressure with good dose of flour to clot the blood.

I think it would be great to incorporate that into the ritual. The Sprinkling of the Holy Grain in between recitations of the verse- that sounds appropriate! lol

Corn starch would work as well.

What if the leg or neck, main artery, would you think it would work, dodgy at best

I actually think I read about that, in one of the foxfire books. I will have to look that up tomorrow. God I love those books. You want to learn to do anything, its in there.

Careful, four recitations can effectively clot ALL blood within a 6 foot radius. It was commonly used for suicide-murders back in the hollers.

But more seriously, intent and certain well used vocalizations seem to have "magical" effects, at least sometimes.

There is a reason magick has been practiced by some smart folks for eons.. .and the reason is not that it never works or only at levels equal to coincidence.

But it sure seems wacky and unenlightened at some levels.

a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

The mind is a powerful thing!

Indeed it is. These old superstitions rely on the placebo effect. The more belief in the magic, the better it works, generally speaking.

I know how it goes during the second stage of wound healing. In a matter of hours, the bleeding stops, after which the process of inflammation begins, which is a complex, multi-stage reaction of the body. Blood vessels, which first narrowed to stop the bleeding, now dilate. Because of this, blood flow in the affected area is increased. Swelling then occurs at the site of the injury due to the accumulation of protein-rich fluid. This fluid helps fight infection by diluting toxins and removing damaged tissue. At each step, the body needs to produce millions of different molecules and cells. However, some of the processes that occur signal the beginning of the next stage before they are completed.

I know how it goes during the second stage of wound healing. In a matter of hours, the bleeding stops, after which the process of inflammation begins, which is a complex, multi-stage reaction of the body. Blood vessels, which first narrowed to stop the bleeding, now dilate. Because of this, blood flow in the affected area is increased. Swelling then occurs at the site of the injury due to the accumulation of protein-rich fluid. This fluid helps fight infection by diluting toxins and removing damaged tissue. At each step, the body needs to produce millions of different molecules and cells. However, some of the processes that occur signal the beginning of the next stage before they are completed. I bought wall art and decor from Bible verses not long ago. Looks suitable for the home. www.christianwalls.com... You can choose your favorite verse here. It might be of interest to anyone.

Knew an old guy. 70 ish..absolutely believed this. Ive been thinking about this since this thread came up..He was clearing fence, and a tree limb caught him across the nose..He said he just kept repeating that verse, and he is confident it worked. Very successful farmer, not a bs artist like me. Wether I believe that a verse in a book caused his bleeding to slow or not is irrelevant. I still admired it.