Browse:"CHANNEL DE WORLD" (Volume 5, entries 10604–13458)/Part 15
"CHANNEL DE WORLD"
Volume 5, entries 10604–13458. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
1 listed entry is unavailable here.
Entries
Entry 11724
Goofer dust is sage, pepper and snakeroot; 3 ingredients. [Richmond 300:10.]
Entry 11725
They claim they get a whole lot of stuff and put in there, High John the Conqueror, nimphel[?] weed [etc.]. Put all of them weeds together and beat them up good, and call that goofer dust. You are walking along in the mud and you put your whole footprint down there. They claim they can sprinkle that dust in there and make you butt your brains out. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone 39.]
Entry 11726
(Do you know what goofer dust is?)
Ah don' b'lieve it's a thing but graveyard dirt. [Fayetteville 2515:20.]
Entry 11727
Dat goofer dust is made from incense. Yo' take dis lucky incense an' yo' kin burn it an' poun' it up in a can yo' know. Git it out somewhere roun' yore neighbor's an' sprinkle it, yo' know, roun'. Dat makes all of 'em come influenced to yo', yo' know.
Entry 11728
Well, them's if you would have - the police were trying to raid your place, or something like that, and you were selling whiskey. Well, in an in- stance just like that, well, they'd come and raid your place at one particular time. Well, in their absence - [I mean] just as they would leave, well, you could take the goofer dust and just sprinkle it on the floor and sweep your house as they went out, and they wouldn't bother you no more.
(I see.) [Goofer dust here is principally the salt and pepper previously mentioned.] [Vicksburg 1042:8.]
Entry 11729
Well, if dey git holt of yore han'writin', ah tell yo' whut dey kin do wit chure han'writin'. Dey kin blind yo'.
(How could they do that?)
Well, hit's nuthin but dey send yo' same lettah back to yo' wit dust in it.
(What kind of dust do they put in it?)
Goofer dust.
(How is that goofer dust made?)
It's made outa - it dark brown, looks jes' lak dat dere [informant points at something].
(What are the ingredients of goofer dust?)
Ah don't know dat.
Entry 11730
Dey claim dey kin do anything, yo' see: goofer, conjurin'. [I turn off machine too quickly, restart it to pick up what was missed.] (What is goofer dust, you say?) Sech as people claim dey kin give yo' a lucky han', conjura- tion.... [Again I stop recording too quickly.]
(What do they call that?)
Goofer.
(They call them goofer people?)
Yessuh.
(Around here?)
In other words, some calls 'em goofer, some calls it conjuration - lak dat. Several different names [cf. "Some call it hoodoo, some call it goofer, ' No.675, p.226, 1.24; but see margin title GOOFER DUST, Pp.222-227, v.1].
Entry 11731
Lak dis house - yo' got a house. An' dat grapevine, yo' takes off so much of it [indicate length] an' burn it. An' dem ashes yo' put around dat do', in front of de do', an' sweep [ashes out door] an' use dat grapevine fo' dat. An' yo' kin take a bath with grapevine.
(What does that do?)
Dat's fo' luck. Keep people 'way; bring folks in an' he'p yo' undertake [overcome], yo' know, de devil.
(Overtake the devil.)
Keep de devil away.
Entry 11732
They kin hant [= hoodoo here] choo to death by throwin' a ole grass around yuh do'; yo' know, dried-up grass. An' you git you some kerosene oil [kerosene] an' some ashes [from fireplace or stove] an' all like that, an' throw it right around your do' an' dat'll make you move out. [Informant here has combined two separate rites: first one, anything dead left or thrown at your door will hant (haunt) or hoodoo you; second one, fireplace ashes (originally) or kerosene (another substance connected with fire) will conquer the dead grass.]
Entry 11733
He'd git dis green grass an' take that grass an' put it in the stove an' let it git real dry. An' after it git real dry, he'll take it an' ball it like that [demonstrated by balling an imaginary handful of grass in his hands]. An' yo' kin take that, an' at twelve o'clock at nighttime, jis' put it in front of your door. An' do that evrey [every] night at twelve o'clock, and the Law [police] won't bother you.
Entry 11734
If two fellahs goin' with the same girl, you know, and one kinda had the othern's [other one's] time beat, [and] he wanted to git rid of him; why he'd go to work, you under- stand, and ketch hisself a - if it was time (season of the year) he could do it. He ketch an ole grasshopper, these ole grasshoppers. Ketch him, you understand, pull off 4 little ones. They have six legs, you know; 4 little short legs and 2 long legs. Pull off dem 4 legs, the 4 short legs. And be talkin' with this fellah sometime, you understand. He'll be talkin', you know, great pardners [partners] together, you understand, [you] stick dese little dry legs in this fellah's pocket, either one of his pockets, and go on [walk away] you understand. An' after the [your rival's] first or second visit, this girl'll pay no more attention to him atall [at all].
Entry 11735
[Graveyard dirt will be found everywhere in these volumes, its largest concentration appearing on pages 3293-3385, volume 4. Here I begin with a few leftover longer rites and end with the more numerous short or condensed ones, these latter to show how widespread they were.] Ah've had [have used] de graveyard dust mahself. If I was in a lawsuit with yo' an' ah wanta win de lawsuit, well ah come in dere [your office] with some graveyard dust in mah pocket. An' ah sprinkle in de - in de fo' corners of de place, an' a little in de do', an' down de steps as yo' [I] go out - when ah start out - unbeknowst tuh dem [you]. It must be done un- beknowst tuh dem. Dat's de way dey supposed tuh be tuh handle dat graveyard dust.
(Where do you sprinkle this graveyard dust?)
In de office - like dey wanted tuh move yo' out of heah or put chew tuh trav- elin', yo' see. Ah'd come in heah unbeknowst tuh yo' an' throw some in dat cor- nah, sprinkle it around ovah in de othah cornah, an' ovah tuh de othah cornah [informant forgets to mention the fourth corner], git it aroun' lak yo' want it. An' if necessary dey gits some on yuh.
Entry 11736
To make 'em move outa a house, we'd [we root doctors would] use somepin - say we'd use somepin in de do', don't chew see. We used somepin in de do' each mawnin', yo' know, somepin tuh frighten 'em. Well, say, we'd use somepin like de graveyard dirt. We use somepin like de graveyard dirt.
Entry 11737
Go to de cemetery at a certain hour of de night and take dirt. You kin change de will of a person, put 'em under your control, dey claim, if you kin get dat dirt, you know. Get it sifted, thrown any- where where dey dwell or where visit; supposed to control their mind. You kin do dat by using dat dirt. I've seen several instances where dat was tried and it really - well, it worked all right because dey had dat belief quality.
(They just throw it around where they were?)
Just sprinkle it around where dey have to pass in and out.
The informant reports cemetery dirt taken at a certain night hour, sifted and scattered where people dwell or pass, as a claimed means of controlling their will. Personal observations are qualified by the informant's reference to belief. The interviewer's placement question remains separate.
Entry 11738
Yo' kin go to the graveyard about 12 a'clock at night. Understand now, yo' git this dirt off a sinnerman's grave, 12 a'clock at night. An' yo' take this dirt an' yo' mix some salt with it an' [red] pepper. Yo' under- stand me now? An' yo' go an' git a No.6 gunshell; yo' know one of them No.6 gunpowder, those shotgun, them shells, yo' know No.6. An' yo' open it an' yo' scrape all that gunpowder out. An' yo' put that gunpowder, that cayenne pepper and that salt wit that graveyard dirt, but don't take it nowhere near your home. Yo' understand, don't let it go near your home. An' yo' take that an' throw it up on their door an' all the hunting[?] they do, they shore git killed.
Entry 11739
Yo' go down, dig in de center of dat grave an' keep adiggin' till yo' git way down fur as yore hand kin reach. An' yo' pull dat dirt up, see; an' yo' git dat, see, an' go. (Then what do you do with that dirt, now?) Yo' takes it an' den go 'long dere an' put it on de steps. (How would you put it on the steps?) Git chew a lump piece, jes' two pieces lak dat. (What kind of pieces?) When yo' git up dere [on the grave] yo' reach down in dere an' yo' jes' goes - yo' reach down [in there] as fur as yo' kin reach an' put it [this dirt] on each side [of the steps]. (On either side [on both sides] of the step. What did you say it would do then?) It would make 'em leave home.
Entry 11740
Say like if any of yo's people is in jail an' yo' don't have money to git 'em out, yo' go to a graveyard an' yo' takes two pennies. And dey say yo digs a hole, yo' know, 'way down in de middle of de grave, an' yo' pays de dead spirits fer dat dirt. And yo' tell dat dirt, tell dat spirit dat, "Ah wants chew to go direct to de jailhouse and ah wanta git so-and-so out." And dey say yo' jest leave dem two pennies there and you'll go on to de co'thouse when dey be's having co't, and you come [out] without [paying] money. (What will you do with that dirt?) Yo' jest picks up dat dirt and carries it to de jail- house wit yo', an' yo' jest holds it tight on yo', and when de' havin' yo' trial, dey more den apt to turn yo' loose and yo' won't have to pay nuthin - jest dem two pennies what chew left at de graveyard.
Entry 11741
Well, jes' lak now probably dat ah wuz sellin' likker. Well, ever' time ah turn roun' an' somebody knock at de do', ah think it's a customer come in dere. Ah open de do', "Ooh! It's de law." Well, ah goes tuh mah neighbor, yo' know, sell a lotta people roun', "Ah ain't got no luck. Ever'- time ah open mah do's, it's de law comin' in. Ah don' unnerstan'.: Seem lak de law gotta pick at me. Ah want dat law quit comin' tuh mah house." "Well, "' ah declare. "May[be] it's hard luck put on yo', '' [he] says, "dey's things lak dat." Well, jes' lak dat, talk along an' talk along. Ah wuz sellin' right along, gittin' on all right, thinkin' ever'thing wuz okay. Oh, makin' mo' money, yo' know, an' jes' gittin' 'long. Fus' thing ah knows, "Knock, knock." "Who's thah?" Twarn't nuthin but de [wind?] but still it wuz a lil' strange. Goes opens de do'. Who but it is de law ag'in. Well, ah sigh to mahself, "Well, ah taken dese chances but ah don't wanta take nO mo' chances." Ah goes tuh talkin' fo' fair den. So ah got one mah best fren'. Ah call her mah best fren'. So mah best fren' says, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do," say, "yo' go git luck, 'cause dere's bad wishes put on yo'. Yo' gotta have luck. Dere's a bar ovah dere" [someone over there could recommend a hoodoo]. Okay. An' so ah goes an' git luck. So fo' de luck he tole me, says, "Go tuh de cemetery an' git chew a lil' graveyard dirt, an' yo' git it on de off side - cf side of de right. Yo' dig down an' yo' pay. Yo' pay him an' yo' git dis dirt. Dig a hole jes' lak dat an' let chure han' go down in it, jes' lak dat [demonstrates] an' dig yo' up jes' a lil' dirt jes' lak dat. Den yo' put three pennies down in dere where yo' got dis dirt at. An' yo' take it home an' don't look back. When yo' git dis dirt jes' take it an' come right on home an' don' look back. When yo' git home, yo' put a spoonful of sulphur in dat graveyard dirt an' yo' sprinkle jes' a lil' bit of black peppah in dere. An' den yo' jes' put dat - yo' put some right under de front steps, an' den yo' go round an' put some undah yore back steps. An' den yo' gotta speak three times tuh hit, 'Name of de Father, name of de Son an' de Holy Ghost, stay an' nevah come no mo'." Dat'll do it.
(That keeps the law away.)
Keep de law away.
Entry 11742
Dey kin take an' dress 'em [shoes up with graveyard dirt an' cayenne pepper.
(How do they do that?)
Why, they kin put it inside of a shoe; or they kin take that little leather [insole] out at de bottom [of the shoe] and they kin dress up. Take that out an' bury it. [That makes] feet ache and hurt all de time. (Well, now, are those two different things you have told me or are they all the same thing; that stuff in your shoe and bury it? Do that at the same time or do they do them at different times?) Well, see, these are all right separate, but they be all right together. So one at de time probably dis month and next month, probably two, three months afterwards - something like that - but it be all right together. [This is a skillful piece of tact!]
Entry 11743
Graveyard dirt is fo' movin', too. Yo' takes de graveyard dirt an' mix it togethah wit different kinds of peppahs. An' yo' takes dat an' yo' throws it undahneath de steps, but when dey goin' tuh do sompin lak dat, why yo' Would have tuh go nights when people sleep an' nobody's around, an' throw dat undahneat' de steps. See, an' dat'll make people move too.
(What do you mean by all kinds of pepper? What do you mean by that?)
Dat's black peppah an' dat's red peppah. Yo' see, dey got a little peppah dat comes in a pod, little short pod [finger pepper] an' all dat's hot-hot - cai- yanne peppah an' de black peppah.
Entry 11744
If it's someone behind yuh, the one - you know, someone behind yuh what rid them[-selves] of other people, they will pick it [your foot track] up and mix it with graveyard dust. [Long pause.]
(All right, go ahead. What else?)
And they, they'll take that and mix it with graveyard dust, and they will take and fix it together and sprinkle it around your door, yuh see. And they will take and make - mix it with pepper, black pepper and cayenne pepper, you see. They mix all that up together and they sprinkle it around your house, and that will make for confusion with you and your neighbors, and that will cause you to have to move.
Entry 11745
Take yore hair - off a person's haid - an' git a little dust, grave- yard dust. Dat will run 'em crazy, dat will run 'em away.
(Well, now what about the buzzard?)
Dust of de buzzard [see later]. (How do you mean they get some of my hair?) Yeah, git some yore hair out chure haid, an' take it an' graveyard dirt an' pepper an' put it to a buzzard.
(What do you mean put it to a buzzard?)
Tie it to him or sompin like that.
(What will that do to me then?)
Run yo' crazy or run yo' away.
(The buzzard flies away with that stuff on him?)
The buzzard flies away an' yo' go.
Entry 11746
Dey say 'fore dey bury him [man from whom something Was stolen] dey can fix things to make him [thief], dey can get some graveyard dirt, take and fix it, and dey kin sew [sprinkle] it down and de person what stole, why he have to bring it back 'cause he can't hold it. Yes sir. With graveyard dirt and sulphur. Dat's it, graveyard dirt and sulphur.
(Graveyard dirt and sulphur?)
And mix it together and salt.
(And what?)
And salt, table salt. Say dey kin throw it, throw it up [into air] and put it down [do both]. And dey say dey goin' bring it back, say dey can't hold it.
(That's to bring back something that was stolen?)
Dat's it. And dey ain't comin' in de house with it. Dey goin' throw it at de steps, so you kin get up de next morning and get it. Dey can't hold it, make 'em bring it back.
Entry 11747
Dey tell me dey will git some graveyard dirt an' go tuh a wasp where wasps make a nest at - an' aggravate some of 'em an' kill dem. Den dey go an' git de frog an' aggra- vate de frog an' kill him. Den dey go an' git a snake an' aggravate a snake an kill him. An' den dey would take de head offa all of "em an' burn 'em. An' aftah burnin' it, mash it on up into a dust an' mix dat graveyard dirt wit it. An' if yo' go dere an' have yore hat wit chew or anything lak dat, an' dey kin git a little of it in yore hat. Aftah puttin' yore hat on, dat's all dey have tuh do tuh git it in yore clothes somehow or 'nothah, an' it'll be in yo'. Weah dat in yore clothes. An' at de young moon, dat's de time dey have tuh do it, on de young moon, an' as de growin' of de moon, why it will grow in yo'.
(What will grow in you?)
Dat wasp an' dat snake an' dat toadfrog.
(That puts live things in you?)
Dat put live things in yo'.
Entry 11748
They'll git graveyard dirt, just a little pinch of it, and put it in some of your foot. You'll linger, you know, just start to lingering that way. It ain't gonna [going to] kill you right away.
Entry 11749
You can take graveyard dirt, you can run people crazy with it. You can keep a man and his wife together and you can separate them with it, because if they fuss and fight and almost kill one another, of qourse they have to separate. Now, you go to the graveyard and you get it [graveyard dirt in] a bucket, for a bucketful is all that you need at one time. And you try to find one of those skeleton bones, and take that skeleton bone and that basket of graveyard dirt, and catch them when they are away from home and wobody there. And bury that bone and that dirt under their step, if they have 3 dirt step; if not, they got bricks, and you can pry that brick up, but you got wo be sure where they pass in and out of their door all the time. And when you get that dirt down there, of course, you put it [soil or brick] back so they roa't detect it, see. It will cause them to fight and almost kill one another. They have to separate.
Entry 11750
Dey dig a grave. Dey don't dig a grave fo' a person dat has died, but dey digs a grave ordinary fo' a person befo' he dies. An' when dey dig dat grave - well, now de same person dey [you] dig it fo' don't have tuh git in dat grave, but chew digs dat grave in order tuh cause yo'self gittin' dat dirt outa dere fo' de person dat chew wanted tuh die. [You are using simulated grave dirt.] Dat's in order tuh master dem. Dat's all ah knows about dat. [A mock grave or burial is fairly common, but this use of its dirt may be my only example.]
Entry 11751
They kin take some graveyard dirt and people's hair and some of their clothes, and they would soaken it in vinegar and turpentine and wrap it up tight in some kind of jar, and put it underneath of the people's [victim's] steps that they may walk over it. It would cause an infection or transaction between the two. The person would git in contact with the person with whom he want to git to. That would bring the one whom that they wanted to them. [The person who walks over the bottle will find and visit the person who prepared the bottle.]
Entry 11752
Then ah know one man tuh take graveyard dirt an' he put it in his car [automobile] an' it seems dat de daid followed him. De daid followed him so dat he got rid of dis car. An' den ah know one woman she says she did that [put grave- yard dirt in her car] an' it give her luck.
Entry 11753
Yo' could take a person's urine an' take dere hair an' yore finger- nails, an' yo' parch de fingernails. An' yo' could put it in de [drinking] watah an' [also] put steel dust [in same drinking water] fo' 'em tuh drink it, an' yo' keep 'em. Use de hair from dey arm an' de hair from [pubic region] an de fingernails, an' yo' parch it. An' yo' put steel dust in it an' yo' could leave 'em drink it. But dere's anothah part 'fore ah explain dat. Yo' could turn it upside down an' yo' could git tuh a graveyard, turn it upside down in de graveyard an' make yore wish.
Entry 11754
Well, jes' lak yo' might see somepin round an- othah person's home dat yo would like tuh git holt of, vell yo'd go to de graveyard an' git some dirt an' sprinkle it on de top of dere house. Dey can't wait until yo' git to do whut chew wanta do - git whut chew'd [you would] like to get.
(If you would want to use that article.)
Dat's right.
Entry 11755
"Jes' get graveyard dirt and sprinkle it around de step and kep' [kept or keep] back evil, dey call it.
(What do you mean by that?)
Hant [ghost or spirit." [Wilmington 236:1+85.]
Entry 11756
Wear graveyard dirt in shoes as a protection against hoodoo and spirits of any kind. [St. Petersburg 1691:4.]
Entry 11757
Graveyard dirt, let dry on stove, get rattlesnake buttons, beat up and mix these two, make 2 piles, put one pile in whiskey, put other pile around waist, this keeps person from harming you. Give whiskey to enemy, snakes in him.
Entry 11758
If you [not a member of household] throw graveyard dirt about house, the spirit of the dead within the dirt will worry the occupants until they leave.
[Wilmington, 139:3+85.]
The conditional account predicts occupants leaving after alleged worry; the non-household-member specification is bracketed editorial wording.
Entry 11759
They get graveyard dirt at midnight and sprinkle it in your rooms. This will give you a coughing spell or consumption [tuberculosis] until you die.
[Norfolk, Va., 457:4.]
Entry 11760
Pick up dirt from a grave at midnight, dig a hole in front of victim's front door and bury it, to give him trouble after he walks over it. [Richmond, Va., 296:7.]
Entry 11761
You yourself must pick up dirt at midnight from a recent grave and scatter on victim's porch or near the house where he has to walk. Whatever you intend or wish will happen to person Walking over it. [Old Point Comfort, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 11762
"Go to a grave where a fellah jes' buried at an' git some of dat dirt. Run yore han' down in dere, like ah put it down dataway [demonstrates]. Bring hit [up] an' tote it in yore pocket. Dat's fo' all different kind of luck." [Waycross 1929:5.]
Entry 11763
Tie up or shut up dirt from a fresh grave and throw this container over the top of a house [most of them small and one story high] to break the peace within. [Petersburg, Va., 424:1.]
Entry 11764
To git a man, git dirt off infant's grave, take piece of John de Con- kah root, put both in nation sack [see interview THE "NATION SACK" WOMAN, p.1449- 1459, v.2, especially p.1458, lines 7-28.] When you git to man, put piece of John de Conkah root and chew and sprinkle the dirt.
Entry 11765
At midnight visit the grave of someone you know, call his name, run hand into grave as far as possible, bring out dirt, sprinkle this at person's house, and he will move. [Wilmington 116:10+85.]
Entry 11766
If dirt from a sinner's grave is scattered at the door, the person living within becomes worried and dissatisfied and cannot stay there in peace.
[Norfolk 533:7.]
Entry 11767
Dirt from a sinner's grave sprinkled in his path makes him move.
[Vicksburg 1040:2.]
Entry 11768
Dirt from a sinner's grave, mixed with quicksilver, placed on or under a bed will kill the person who sleeps there. [Wilmington 260:4+85.]
Entry 11769
Go to a wicked person's grave at 12 o'clock day or night, run arm down into up to the shoulder, close up handful of dirt, mix this with gunpowder and throw it around house, and people within will move. [Memphis 1551:11.]
Entry 11770
Run hand into sinnerman's grave or baby's grave, take dirt from breast, mix with salt and pepper, and sprinkle round the house to "break up de home, cause confusion." [Mobile 971:4.]
Entry 11771
"Dirt from good person's grave, put in clean envelope, keep, pray over it, anything you want you can do." [Memphis 1551:14.]
Entry 11772
Dirt bottled from the north side of a graveyard and put under a person's steps will move him. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 11773
Take dirt from center of grave, drop into a sack, and throw latter at house to put chew in hard luck. [Mobile 967:8.]
Entry 11774
If you place 9 needles, 9 pins, 9 Victrola points, graveyard dirt, coffee and sugar, black pepper and salt; if you place all these under the rug at the front and back door, it will break up that home. [Norfolk 453:4.]
Entry 11775
Mix graveyard dirt, cayenne pepper, and henhouse manure, and throw at victim's house 9 mornings to run that person out of town. [Wilmington 260:2.]
Entry 11776
Graveyard dirt mixed with black pepper and sprinkled at your door 9 mornings will make you move. [Memphis 1569:12.]
Entry 11777
Sprinkle graveyard dirt at person's house for 9 mornings and he'll move. [Wilmington 261:2+85.]
The short account predicts a move after its nine-mornings description; no relocation or effect is established.
Entry 11778
Graveyard dirt scattered on your porch 9 mornings will "keep you sickly, you can't stay nowheres." [Mobile 952:5.]
Entry 11779
If you take 9 pinches of dirt from center of sinner's grave, put in a house, occupants will never get along together. [Center of a grave like center of house, room, bed or crossroad, is the fifth point in the center of a square or oblong; rites I have called a quincunx.] [Richmond 366:3.]
The conditional account predicts that occupants will never get along together; the quincunx explanation is editorial.
Entry 11780
If some enemy sprinkle graveyard around the outside of your house, makes a circle of it about your house [circumambulation rite] one of all sorts of dire things will happen to you. [Wilmington, N. Car., 91:5+85.]
The if account predicts unspecified 'dire things'; the circumambulation label is bracketed editorial wording.
Entry 11781
Mix graveyard dirt and salt and sprinkle it in or near a house to make the people within move. [Norfolk 534:2.]
Entry 11782
If they drop a mixture of graveyard dirt, salt and pepper at your step or center of gate, 'your mind will just waver all de time." [Mobile 902:2.]
Entry 11783
Graveyard dirt, salt, sulphur, needles, and green water (slime or algae) in corked-up bottle under steps will swell you up and kill you. [Wil- mington, 125:2+85.]
Entry 11784
Mix graveyard dirt and gunpowder, throw near house, breaks up man and women living there. [Wilmington 273:3+85.]
Entry 11785
Throw graveyard dirt over right shoulder into running water, while wishing a person to go away or to come back, and then walk away without looking back. [Newport News, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 11786
An enemy fixes up your name with graveyard dirt, throws it into run- ning water, says what he wants done, cursing you and telling you to go, and then leaves not looking back. [Washington, D. C., 804:3.]
Entry 11787
If someone sprinkles graveyard dust at your doorstep and reads Psalm 117, "that will make you move." [Psalm 117 has two short verses: "O praise the Lord, all ye nations...the truth of the Lord endureth forever. Praise ye the Lord" - King James Version] [Mobile 962:1.]
Entry 11788
The making of crosses with graveyard dirt in front of a person's door makes that person move. [Washington, D. C., 828:2.]
Entry 11789
[They] "get graveyard dirt and codfish and cut up [latter] and sprinkle in front of your door and you'll move away from there." [New Orleans 1256:6.]
Entry 11790
"You kin jis' take some black peppah an' some graveyard dirt an' sprinkle it where they'd [the suspected thief would] walk on it an' they'll bring it [stolen article] right straight back." [Richmond 322:6.]
Entry 11791
They throw graveyard dirt and cayenne pepper into your house to "run you off." [Mobile 883:4.]
Entry 11792
Mix graveyard dirt and pepper, sprinkle around house or gate, makes person within move. [Vicksburg 991:1.]
Entry 11793
Mix graveyard dirt and cayenne pepper, throw it about person's house, tell occupants to move, and they'll go. [Wilmington 141:7.]
Entry 11794
Graveyard dirt, salt and pepper mixed, then thrown behind person to drive him away. [Washington, D.c., 80:7.]
Entry 11795
Graveyard dirt, salt, cayenne pepper, throw around house, confusion.
[Memphis(969), 1568:16.]
Entry 11796
"Go to a cemetery and git some dirt...salt and cayenne pepper...mix it...sprinkle it [at their house] and curse it, and the party will move." [New Orleans 1184:3.]
Entry 11797
Confusion powder, graveyard dirt, salt, cayenne pepper, a mixture that will cross-up house. [New Orleans 1451:2.]
Entry 11798
Graveyard dirt, black lodestone, quicksilver [tinfoil, scrapings from back of mirror, mercury from broken thermometer, or what hoodoo merchant sold for quicksilver], dime [the former silver ten-cent coin]; these elements sew in- to a red flannel bag [which gives them the blood of a communal life and power] and wear for luck when gambling. [Memphis 1556:4.]
The item says to wear the bag for luck when gambling; its bracketed ingredient and power explanations remain editorial commentary.
Entry 11799
You go into the graveyard and get some graveyard dirt, and you take you some Jockey Club [perfume] and put it on it, and put it in your pocket. That[is] good for gambling. [New Orleans. 1366:10.]
Entry 11800
"You kin take you a little graveyard dirt an' put it in your [poc- ket]...git it out a colored cemetery...throwin' de craps, see. Yo' git it on your han' an' rub it, see. Dat's your luck. Now, dat's dose spirits, but dey colored." [Author asks: Why couldn't you use some of the dust from the white cemetery?"] "Well, de white rules de white an' de colored rules de colored."
Entry 11801
Graveyard dirt in bag carried in pocket for luck, usually gambling.
[Fredericksburg No.77 by Ediphone.]
Entry 11802
Dirt from a fresh grave, sewed up in a cloth bag, and carried in pocket for luck in gambling. [Vicksburg, 990:13.]
The statement specifies dirt from a fresh grave for gambling luck. Freshness and luck remain source descriptions and aims, without verified collection or success.
Entry 11803
"Get graveyard dirt and take a pair of dice, and take your urinate and wet on it, and rub it in your hands and make your wishes." [Richmond 3:2.]