Kinfolks
by Evelyn Flood

My story published in the Newton County, Arkansas Times Newspaper on
12 March 1998 in my 'Kinfolks Column'

Some time back Eva Foster Verdun of Gerber, California wrote to the
Times inquiring about a "belled buzzard" that flew over the hills of
Newton County, Arkansas.

At first I thought it may be a "tall tale" like my father-in-law
Lee Chester Flood used to tease me about, but was reading an old
folklore book and noticed there was mention of a buzzard in the
Arkansas Ozarks in a settlement along a river bottom. Seems there were
high limestone bluffs bordering a river (probably the Buffalo River)
which were topped with scrub timber, the home and breeding place of
hundreds of buzzards.

Hog raising was the main source of income for this area. One summer
hog cholera broke out among the hogs. The buzzards, while feasting on
the dead hogs, carried the Cholera disease from one section of that
area to another.

Seems there was an unwritten law that no one should kill these
buzzards. The farmers knew that if some action waas not taken to check
the spread of the disease, their hogs, along with their income, would be
wiped out.

The farmers got together and it was decided that they should capture
one of the buzzards and fasten a small sheep bell around the neck of a
buzzard in hopes that it would cause all the birds to leave this area.
Finaly one of the buzzards was trapped and a bell placed around its
neck. When the bird flew among the other buzzards, it caused a great
commotion and in a few days the flock of buzzards disappeared. Only
the "belled buzzard" remained. Finally he flew off and left the area.
At the end of the summer there was an epidemic of typhoid fever in this
area at the time the "belled buzard" reappeared. The tinkle of the bell
could be heard as he soared above the houses. He would go away and
come back. Each time he reappeared some sort of calamity happened.
His presence became associated with misfortunes. The people thought this
bird possessed an evil spirit.

Many believe he still roamed the skies and to this day any sighting
report of the "belled buzzard" casts a spell over the Ozark area.

So there must have been a true incident that actually happened concerning
the "belled buzzard" of the Ozarks and not just a folktale. Does anyone
remember the belled buzzard?? Did one of your KINFOLKS perhaps know
who put the bell on the buzzard?
Evelyn Flood
Rkinfolks@aol.com
Copyright(c)1998

Write me:
Rkinfolks@aol.com

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