Old Wive's Wisdom

Folklore, Omens, Superstitions & Lore

Welcome — come in, come in. Put your bag down, wash the dust from your hands, and sit with me a while.

This is a place of old cupboards and well-worn recipes, of plant bundles hanging from the rafters and stories told softly while the kettle comes to boil. Here we gather the healing knowledge of the land — muthi, boererate, teas, poultices, prayers, and plant-lore — just as it has been shared for generations: hand to hand, heart to heart.

On this page, we will explore folk remedies and healing cures, the everyday medicines made from leaves, roots, bark, fat, ash, and faith. We will listen to the stories plants carry — how they were found, how they are prepared, when they are trusted, and when they are treated with caution. Some of these remedies heal the body, some soothe the spirit, and others remind us that healing is often as much about memory and care as it is about medicine.

What you will find here is drawn from many places:
from conversations with traditional healers,
from quiet chats with old folks on stoeps and in kitchens,
and from academic research that helps us trace these practices through history, culture, and ecology. No single voice speaks for the land — instead, we listen to many, and we hold their words with respect.

This is not a clinic, and it is not a rulebook. It is an almanac in the old sense — a gathering of wisdom, observations, remedies, and remembrance. Some things here may feel familiar, others new, and some may stir memories you didn’t know you were carrying.

So make yourself comfortable. Ask questions. Take notes if you like.
And remember — learning, like healing, is best done slowly, together, and with warmth.