Browse:"CHANNEL DE WORLD" (Volume 5, entries 10604–13458)/Part 23
"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 12364
Yeah, you can get some love powder and you can put that on you, and after you get the love powder put on you, they got some kind of oil: say, I think they calls it coconut oil, an' coconut butter, and witch hazel, and Van-Van. See, you put all them four diff'- ren' - it together. An' they say, when you get most to the place, you have it in your pocket, and you put red pepper with it. So when you get most there, see, you rub your hand with it like that. But don't let 'em see it on you. See, after you rubbing your hand with it like that, see, the bossman, he can't tell you "no." He got to give you something to do.
(I see.)
Entry 12365
A little powder, they call it a love sashay. They say you kin take it with you. You take an' tie it in your handkerchief, an' when you go down to git the job, they say you jis' shake your handker- chief [and you will get a job].
Entry 12366
Well, dey have a powder dat dey call love powder. It's made up of essence of roses - some flavor of roses, an' dey mix dis up. It has a very sweet odor an' in going out time an' ag'in, dey put dis powder, dis love powder in 'em, in dere handker- chiefs an' anything dey powder dere faces with. Dey claim when dey come in con- tact with men dat are talking, dey claim it makes dese men crazy to go where dey are.
Entry 12367
Get luck powder - love and luck powder.
(Love and luck powder. And what do you do with that?)
Sprinkle it down - keep it sprinkled down around the house.
(And what will that do?)
Make them love you.
Entry 12368
Well, dere's sompin dat dey call love perfume dat he kin dress him- self with, an' [or] he will dress his wife if he ketch her sleep; and when he gone, she won't have any thought for no other man to come around.
Entry 12370
Put love powder [informant called it mojoh powder] on self and hand- kerchief so that person inhales. [Elizabeth City 390:6.]
Entry 12372
If you put love powder in a letter, the receiver will write. [Wil- mington 113:4.]
Entry 12373
Hit's in de country though, whut ah did. Hit's a weed in de country, yo' call de love tangler. [Is this a dodder?]
(What does it look like?)
It's jes' - it's a bush dat grows flat chew know, an' it jes' tangles all up yo' know - jes' lak yo' cain't see where de root of it. It jes' tangled an' twisted all up. (Is it a flower? Does it have any bloom on it?) No, it don't have no bloom. It's jes' a pretty green glat weed dat be's tangled up. An' yo' dig up some of that - yo' jes' dig up one bush of that an' carry it an' throw it under de per- son's house whut's devilin' yo' up wit chure husband.
(What will that do?)
Dat puts yo' all back together an' breaks him an' dis woman up. Dat's whut ah did fo' mah sister.
Entry 12374
Git dis heah powdah, dis heah Lucky Heart Powdah. Burn it in yore place every mawnin' an' every night, some dat Lucky Heart Powder. Hit draws good luck fo' custo- mers tuh come in. [Lucky Heart in 1930-1940's was name of firm and products they sold.1
Entry 12375
Lak now, say, if yo' wuz mad wit me. Well, if ah go to one of dese iucky men's, see, an' git me some of dis hoodoo stuff. Well, now, yo' don't come tuh mah house but Sarah ovah dere comes. Well, yo' give dis tuh Sarah an' Sarah vill come to mah house an' de fireplace is broken up heah or down heah. [Sarah vill] poke dat stuff in dere. All right. I got tied because it's in mah house all de time.
Entry 12376
Say yo' take some, any kind of lucky oil, or lucky perfume, dat makes a very pleasin' smell. Consequently the boss smells it. It isn't de per- fume altogethah dat git a man's job, but it attract dey 'tenshun, den he kin talk himself into a position.
Entry 12377
Lak if yo' go roun' de cornah fo' a job an' yo' go de first day an' de man don' hiah yo'. yo' go de second day an he don't hiah yo'. Well, de third day yo' git dis- gusted, yo' see, an' yo' study some kinda remedy tuh git dis job. Yo' see. Well, yo' go dere an' de first thing yo' do, git chew nine roots of parsley, yo' see, an' put 'em in yore shoe. An' git chew a garlic a yellah garlic, a plug of garlic an' put dat in yore shoe. An' git chew a piece of cloth about that long, yo' see. An' put nine pins in that crossways, yes, straight pins, new pins. Put 'em in dere crossways. An' let each one of dem pins, lak yore name is George, well yo' put de 'nitials yo' see at dem pins. An' yo' go to dat jar...
(Where do you put those needles and those pins?)
Undah dere yo' see, undah de pins.... See where ah got dem nine pins cross. Yo' got de 'nitials dere yo' see.
(You put the initials down with what?)
Ink.
(On the cloth or on a piece of paper?)
On de cloth. See, de pins in de cloth, see, lak dat piece of cloth about dat long. Yo' see yo' jis' put de pins lak dat crossways nine times. Yo' see each on de bottom, yo' put lak his nine dere "George" yo' see wit ink, only each one dem 'nitials. An' yo' go dere dat mawnin' an' yo' git a seal de' [they] call de 'Lucky Seal.' Yo' go to de Crackerjack Drug Sto' an' git dat. Yo' see yo carry dat an' put it right down by de gate where de man hiahs up dere. Yo' press it down dere. He'll call yo' 'fore he calls anybodys else. Lak yore name Mistah Eddy, he'll say, "Well, Mistah Eddy, come on in an' go tuh work. Ah needs yo' dis mawnin'. (That is to get the job.) [See also SEALS in CHANNEL DE WORLD, v.5.1
Entry 12378
Git chew - if it's two do's heah [in this house] yo' go tuh de grocery sto' an' git chew a can of whut chew call dis Red Devil Iye, which Southerners use down heah as potash, an' open it. Lye and pot- ash are the same in these rites, because that Red Devil Lye can has a real red devil on it!] Take yo' a tablespoon an' dig a hole jes' wit dat tablespoon, an' put de dirt outa dere track, an' yo' bury it down dere, one [can] tuh yore front an' one tuh yore back, when yo' go tuh work, an' it wouldn't hurt chew.
Entry 12379
Well, if dey's put down any- thing fo' yo' tuh walk ovah, why de' tell me tuh git a can of Red Devil Lye potash an' bury it in de groun' an' leave de top 'bout half open an' hit'll kill whut dey got put down.
Entry 12380
Jes' take a can of dis potash. Yo' know, Red Devil potash, an' bury it yo' know, jes' lak underneat' chure do'steps or somepin othah lak dat. An' dat'll keep ever'thing away.
(Keep harm away.)
Bury one underneat' each one yore do'steps.
Entry 12381
Dey tell me de way to do, if yo' wanta put a confusion, yo' know, in a person's home. Yo' see dat way to keep 'im confused, dat chew take a box of potash yo' see, an' Red Devil lye - potash, yo' see [Red Devil tye and potash the same]. An' dig a hole at chure back steps or either yore front steps an' cover dat [can] up, an' dat person won't see no mo' peace in dat home. Dey will nevah be satis- fied while in dere. De home yo' know would be a nuisance to him, cause dat stuff yo' see is hot dataway an' it will keep him hot.
Entry 12382
Ah've heard dat yo' could take lye. Git chew a box of lye an' put holes in it, in de box of lye, an' put it undah yore do'step. Dat is tuh keep down anything anybody put down fo' yo'.
(You put that at the front doorstep?)
No, dey tole me tuh put one at de back an' one at de front.
Entry 12383
Box of potash - [Red] Devil Iye - stick holes in it an' set it, slip at night when yo' asleep, an' set it about your place [property]. Cut off yore trade and prosperity. Yo' can't have nuthin much. Evahthing yo put chure hands to go bad.
Entry 12384
Heard of people takin' a knife an' puttin' it down [burying it] yo' know, jes' lak if ah'd go ovah tonight an' put down sompin fo' somebody an' dey git up de next mawnin' sick or could- n't move or sompin, an' anothah man would come along an' he say, "Well, yo' take some lye an' put ovah that stuff' an' that kills that.
(That kills the poison they put down.)
Entry 12385
If a person take an' - anything dey take an' steal of yores, an' take potash an' bury it right at de window where yo' sleep at, an' dat potash eat it up, why he'll break out in sores. (If they bury with that potash anything that you Wear to your skin - your socks or anything - it makes you break out in sores.)
Entry 12386
Yo' kin take a box of lye an' yo' kin go out at twelve a'clock in de night, if yo' wanta run anything away. An' like runnin' away, dey tell me, dat's runnin' away de enemies of 'em - dese polices an' diff'ren' things lak dat. Yo' go out at twelve a'clock at night an' bury it down undah yore do'- step. An' after yo' bury dat dere, yo' curse de people dat chew want to stay 'way. An' yo' take a cold biscuit an' a tin nail - one dese little tin nails - an' drive right down through de center of dat biscuit into dat can. An' let it stay buried dere, de' say, fo' nine mawnin's, an' yo' kin take it up an' use it. If anything git tuh worryin' yo' - yo' havin' any trouble or anything like dat - yo' go back dere an' put down anothah can. Well, at de time yo' may not fear 'bout nuthin interferin' with yo'. Nobody won't interfere.
(Why do you put that biscuit in there?)
Ah don't know why yo' put dat biscuit down dere, but sompin othah. [One guess would be an offering to the spirit doing your work.]
(But you say you can use that lye over - you can use that if you want to.)
After it stay dere nine days, why yo' kin use it. [Normally materials cannot be reused.]
Entry 12387
Dis heah Red Devil lye, it's good. Yo' know it's good an' yo' know it's bad. Take it an' make good out of it an' take it an' make bad out of it. (Tell me how you can make bad out of it first?) Well, yo' kin take that an' eat so much dat'll kill yo', yo' see. An' den yo' kin take it ag'in if yo' know anyone wanta do anything to yo' roun' yore home an' yo' not knowin' it. Git chew fo' boxes of it an' yo' put chew fo' holes in each one of 'em. An' take yo' some bluestone, salt, red peppah an' put all dat in dat bottle [box] an' yo' take an' yo' bury dem at each corner of yore house. If yore yard evah be covered wit watah [after a rain] why yo' know den everything killed. (Everything is killed that they put down for you.)
Entry 12388
Yo' kin take a box of soda, jes' [as] ah tole yo' - said about de co't [court]. Yo' take de box of soda, an' yo' could take dat soda an' tote it along wit chew. Yo' could bury some undah yore back steps, an' some undah yore front steps. Den yo' kin take three boxes of Red Devil Lye an' yo' kin bury each one of them at chure - yo' know, each [front] corner of de house, an' bury one of 'em at de gate. But be shō [sure] yo' bury de soda from [at] de back steps to [at] de front steps. Dey could come by dere but dey nevah could stop. (They bury one of those Red Devil Lye's at the gate and the other two at the front corners. And one at the gate?) That's right.
Entry 12389
Bury five cans of potash roun' yore home: one under de step, one on one side de step an' one on de othah. Dat's three cans. An' put two to de back steps, an' dat'll keep 'em from. (From what?) From harmin' yo'. (You use five altogether: three at the front steps and two at the back?) [See illustration.] Yes sir. (At the front step you have one on each side of the step and one in the center of the step?) Yes.
Entry 12390
(What do they do in a case like that?)
Well, they usually burn sompin undah de steps or put sompin in de [the 4] corners of de house, but she kin take some lye lak dat an' scrub it out. That kills all that.
Entry 12391
Go to de sto', de groc'ry sto', an' git chew a box [2 boxes] of lye. An' yo' scrub yore house wit chure box of lye an' git chew a whole box an' put it undah de foot of yore steps, well de law'll come to yore steps but he won't come in, he'll turn roun' an' go back.
Entry 12392
If yo' wanta bring luck into a home, ah heard of someone goin' tuh Work an' buyin' sompin yo' call Red Devil lye. Ah guess yo've seen that. An' yo' go tuh work an' buy Red Devil lye an' this Heart Cologne. This Heart Cologne is a [perfume]. An' yo' go tuh work an' yo' scrub yore home, yo' know, befo' sunrise in de mawnin', yo' see, an' dey say that will bring luck in. Ah nevah have tried it. Ah heard about dat, yo' see.
Entry 12393
Well, every mawnin' yo' want people tuh come into yore place. Yo' go tuh de sto' an' git chew dis same bottle of dis heah cologne - Hearts Cologne - an' a box of lye. [No- tice - new articles are purchased.] Well, in de mawnin' 'fore de sun rise, scrub yore house thoroughly - good - befo' de sunrise in de mawnin' soon - wit dat Hearts Cologne an' dat lye. Scrub yore house soon dat mawnin' 'fore de sun rise. Pur chure pee [urine] in dere too. Scrub yore house good every mawn- in' when yo' git up. After den, take yore lye [I] mean yore chamber lye, yo know, an' throw dat out on de front po'ch, right on out tuh de do'. Dat bring plenty customers. Dat fo' bootleggahs - sompin lak dat.
Entry 12394
Well, now, if yo' sellin' whiskey. To bring new customers, every mawnin' yo' have yo' a box of potash [usually Red Devil Lye] an' every mawnin as long as [you need it]. Yo' take dat potash an' put it on yo' stove, take yo' a broom - don't git down on yore knees an' scrub it. Yo' take yo' a broom an' scrub yore po'ch a lil' every mawnin' wit dat potash wit yore broom. Jes' sweep it right out in de street lak dat, an' ah'll okay [0. K.] yo'll be successful. Yo'll have mo customers den yo' kin be able tuh 'tend to.
[Turned off recording machine too soon.]
(You sweep it out into the street you say?)
Yes sir, out in de street.
Entry 12395
One thing dat ah hear, dat's dis heah Red Seal Iye. Scrub yore place every mawnin' befo' de sunrise with this Red Seal Iye. Scrub it out every mawn in' wit dat Red Seal Lye fo' 9 mawnin's an' dat'll draw de customers.
Entry 12396
Take about 3 cans of concentrated lye, bury one about a foot deep right in de gateway, another one between dat an' de door, an' the other under your steps. Dere's no way on earth they kin do you any harm. [Mobile 962:5.]
Entry 12397
Burn incense, scrub out house from back to front with Red Devil Lye, red pepper, 9 spoonfuls of sugar, and throw used water eastward - to rising sun.
[This is for protection in business and also customers.] [Newport News 500:7.]
Entry 12398
If bootlegging: 'Scrub wit dat lye every day in de morning time. Don't never 'low [allow] a woman to come in first [be first customer]. Always accept a man first, and you'll never be bothered [by the law]." [Mobile 889:7.]
Entry 12399
"An' if it's anything sprinkled at chure home...well, yo' go to work, you get a [new] box of lye, you knock a hole through that [box of] lye. You don't take any of it out. You put it underneath your steps an' that lye'll per- tect the home. See, that ole stuff that was put down, it [lye] kills it." [New Orleans 1120:4.]
Entry 12400
Scrub in and out of house with Red Devil lye, punch hole in the can, bury under steps, no one can put anything down to harm you.
Entry 12401
Git a can of lye dey tell me, can of concentrated lye, an' dig a hole undah de steps an' bury it. An' if anybody put anything down fo' yo', dat'll eat it up. But yo' gotta punch a hole in de top of it wit a nail.
Entry 12402
If anything is put down, scrub with concentrated lye to kill it.
[Mobile 968:10.]
Entry 12403
To do that choo know they have to have some kind of powder, have a magic powder see. And when they scrub the doorsills every man who pass by till [it will] take notice. It brings men, see, but they have to have a sign, like some woman sent to the window or somepin of that sort, an' they pass by you wink or smile.
Entry 12404
Ah know dat chew could git a job jes' by goin' to a magnolia tree. Yo' take an' git - jes' a little piece of cloth an' den sew it up in a heart- style bag in shape of a heart. Yo' take dat heart- style an' yo' fill it up wit nuthin but table salt, salt dat nevah has been used. An' go to a magnolia tree wit three roots dat's runnin' east. Don't care how small or how large it is, an' yo' tie it up together an' feed it off de cologne. An' it's a certain chap- tah in Psalms in de Bible - de Psalms of David. Ah disremembah, but chew repeat dat three times in de mawnin' befo' yo' go fo' three mawnin's, an' aftah dat third mawnin' dat chew'll be successful in gittin' a iob an' holdin' it as long as yo' kin hold dat.
(You put these magnolia roots into this little bag?)
Yes sir, yo' puts it in dat an' sew it up right wit de salt in de heart- style [bag].
Entry 12405
All round where you live [here in New Orleans they throw] the dead- head matches - not the matches that ain't struck - the matches that are al- ready struck. Thrown all around. Will put you in the worst kind of luck, same thing [as something else we were talking about]. Throw them all around your door.
Entry 12406
Take them [matches] and take their heads off and put 'em with Capricorna, and put it in the top [sweatband] of your hat, it will run you crazy.
(Cat foot corner?)
[This is what my transcriber thinks I say, but actually I say the preceding capricorna and informant now tells us what it was.] It's little brown powder just like snuff. [I also add the preceding comment, dust from drug store - hoodoo drug store. I never attempted to investigate these hoodoo drug stores and mail order houses, that would be a life-time task in itself!]
Entry 12407
If yo' take mat- ches an' take an' cut de haids of 'em off, an' put 'em in your husban's clothes, say dat will make him love yo'. Jes' cut de haids of de matches off an' 'solve [dissolve] 'em yo' see, an' take de watah off of dem an' cook his food with it. That will make him love yo'.
(Well, how do you mean make him love you?)
Jes' take, lak if he didn't ca' fo' terbacca [tobacco] wus runnin' roun' an' wouldn't stay home, den yo' could take dose matches an' take de sulphur out of 'em an' make him stay home.
Entry 12408
Ah've heard of 'em jes' gittin' a box of matches an' burn 'em. De Way dey burn when dey throw it, why dat's de way dat he is, if dey try tuh find him, yo' know, lak if it's no' th or so'th or east or west. Burn dem matches an' throw 'em lak dat. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 12409
Take a match an' yo' kin go to a fellah, anyone dat chew like or love, an' put in yore mouth an' chew de end of it, an' he come undah yore command. Yo' know, in speakin' an' talkin', chew it when yo' talkin'.
Entry 12410
Why dey tell me it's danger of lending matches out chure own home. Dey tell me by lending matches out chure home dat a person kin take it to dey house an' use sulphur wit it in a way dat it'll keep confusion in yore home all de time.
(Do you know how they use it? What they do?)
Well, dey say, if yo' loan a person - a person come to yore house an' borrow three or foah matches from yo'. Dey'll go back home - if dey got a nice box wit sulphur inside, dey scrape dat sulphur off de side of de box an' put two of dose matches in de box. Put dat sulphur in dat box an' go to de sto' an' buy yo' a bottle of dis stuff whut chew call sweet spirit of niter. An' fo' three mornin's, drop a drop on each three mornin's - keep it closed - dey say dat will keep confusion an' fussin' in yore house all de time between yo' an' yore folks.
Entry 12411
Borrowin' a match is hard luck. If a person ast yo' fo' a match an' yo' don't give 'em but one, well yo' give 'em trouble. Yo'd have to give 'em a couple or either a crowd.
Entry 12412
Like if you have a boy friend an' he's goin' with another girl, to break 'em up, you get 2 matches an' cross 'em an' put 'em under the [girl's] doorstep.
Entry 12413
Yessuh, dat gunshell an' de shots. Well, yo' take de shots out. Ah ain't used de shots very much but ah have used de powder. An' ah have heard tell of 'em usin' de shots. But whut ah have used de powder fo', yo' open dat gunshell, but it must be black powder an' yo' git chew some sulphur. An' if yo' wants peace in yore home, yo' kin take dat powder an' three or fo' matches, an' dig a little hole about dat fur down de steps, an' den yo' light dat powder. Hit's goin blow up an' blow all dem matches away, yo' see, whut chew put dere. An' de in- dividual will be gone whoevah it is, whatevah dey doin' to yo'.
Entry 12414
Wherevah yo' put chure fingahs on dat match yo' carry dat match an put chure watah [urine] on dat. Pee on de match an' yo' take dat match an' take an' set up three mo' matches around dat. See, set up three mo' matches around dat.[The urine match is in the center of a triangle of matches.] An' den yo' take that match dat yo' got, yo' take an' git a lil' of de wax out of yore ear an' smeah on de end of dis match. See. An' den yo' take dat match an' strike one dose othah matches yo' got round dere, an' put it on dis match an' let it burn. Den de end of their fingah will eetch off, come to de place where it eat right off.
(You do that with a match from somebody that you don't like?)
Yes, dat's right. De end of dey fingah eat off. Come a sore on it.
Entry 12415
I'll tell you what chew do with matches, I believe that's true. Take 7 match stems and pour niter on those matches. You see, you cross those matches, you cross those 7 stems. Cross first one and another, just cross 'em in a pile. An' you make a wish for something. You set those matches afire. But chew have to do that thing every morning for 7 mornings.
Entry 12416
Just fix 'em, Put- tin' 'em in a cross like a "x", you know, and might get a powder an' tie 'em up together, and take that and bury it at yo' [victim's] door.
(Bury it at your door? They cross them like a real "x"?)
Just like that [demonstrates].
(I see. How many do they use? How many matches do they put that way?)
They git 'bout eight or nine.
(I see and they bury it at your door?)
Bury it at your door. And pins - take needles and pins and put 'em in de same way like dese matches.
(Cross them.)
And git some - if they kin git some hair out de mole of yo' haid. Wrap that up - wrap that round dere and cross 'em and bury that at your door.
(What does that do?)
They say that will kill you.
physical X arrangement of materials in a reported burial procedure. Quotation marks around x indicate shape emphasis, not a new quoted speaker. wrapping available hair around the described crossed materials before burial. Keep the conditional availability of hair from the mole of the head without extra anatomical interpretation. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 4332) · Read full source (printed page 4333)
Entry 12417
Perhaps yo' wanted a man. Yo' jes' met him an' yo' fell in love wit him, yo' like him; he had a good job or somepin othah. He appealed to yo'. Yo'd go home. An' perhaps yo'd pass somewheres roun' an' yo'd git in talk wit him, an' yo'd git his name. Yo' kin take 9 matches an' name 'em him. An' then yo'd cut chew 9 little strips of papah about lak [size of] yore finger, an' yo'd write his name on either one of dose strips - nine of 'em. An' then every evenin' jes' befo' de sun go down yo' make yore wishes. Stan' in de middle of yore flo' [you stand in the center of the room which makes this one of the many quincunx rites] an' take these nine matches an' strike 'em. Jes' be shore yo' make one stroke with each [match] an' light his name an' burn hit, aftah yo' make yore wishes. All right. Well, yo' save that little end perhaps, whut burn down. Yo' save that. Well, yo' conceal it. Den de next evenin' befo' de sun go down yo' git anothah strip with his name an' one of dese nine matches, an' yo' burn until those nine matches an' those nine names yo' know, his name is burn up. An' it won't be but two days befo' he will come to yore home.
Entry 12418
They take the matches an' take the head off 'em an' beat 'em up an' sew 'em up in jes' a small piece of new cloth - 10 matches. An' put 'em up ovah yuh doah faced [top of the door] or eithah down where yo' have to walk ovah it. An' [they] say that'll keep down quarrels, if he's fussin' or anything like that.
Entry 12419
Yo' kin take twelve matches and bury 'em to any person's door, and when he walk over dem matches he'd have hard luck and he wouldn't stay dere long. That distance [from the door]. He has to go up across [steps] to make any headway [towards hard luck].
Entry 12420
If she got any of his clothes, jes' lak if she got any of his under- weah - if she haven't got any of his own clothes dat she kin use, if she kin git in any place where he has slept. See, jes' lak if he has slept in dat bed, she kin cut a piece of dat mattress. Jes' cut a hole in dat mattress, undahstan', an' git a piece of de cotton, or anything dat goes, yo' know, undah where he has slept. Yo' see, his scent is still dere, undahstan'. Put it in de bottle an' git chew some dis heah 'bernekay. It sompin lak de peoples drink, sometimes fo' gittin' drunk off of it. It's a varnekay wafah [wafer], an' yo' puts it heah with this heah cloth, umdahstan' eithah with de cotton, whichevah one yo' use, an' stop it up in dis bottle, an' puts it in de closet dere. An' within nine days, eithah he or she vill return.
Entry 12421
He lay down in de bed - jes' like he lay down. Now, you go right dere when he's sleeping. Git a little cord, new cord, and if he stiff and hard [if his body is stretched out] you kin measure, you know, right straight on down to yore [his] feet.
(From your head to your feet.)
Yes sir, and then you put nine knots in it, see, an' tie 'em around yore Waist - jes' like you'd lock a person's trunk, dey can't git out - can't gc no more, can't go.
Entry 12422
If yore husban' is runnin' aroun' an' yo' want him tuh stay at home, yo' ketch him 'sleep an' yo' git chew some tape, dis white tape whut de lady- folks trim dey dress wit. Yo' git chew some of dat an' yo' ketch him asleep an' yo' measure him, long enough, an' have de string kinda long enough dat chew kin make nine knots in it, aftah yo' measure him. An' yo' take dat tape an' yo' tie it to any tree. Jes' tie it up on any tree, an' he'll stay home. He won't go out nowhere an' run aroun'.
(Any tree outside the house?)
Any tree outside of a house or in de yard or anywhere, jes' any one any- where yo' kin find one. Jes' take it an' tie it up to it an' leave it stay dere.
Entry 12423
Now, she kin take a piece of cord, or a piece of string, or anything lak dat an' measure him, yo' see. Yo' ketch de string tight an' yo' measure him. Den aftah measurin' it, yo' tie dem nine knots, an' yo' put it in a bottle or put it in a can or any- thing lak dat an' throw it in de rivah. Yo' see an' dat'll keep him driftin' - jes' keep a-goin'. Dat's when yo' wanta run a fellah way.
Entry 12424
An' jis' lak if yore husban' is runnin' aroun' an' yo' don' want him tuh run out with wimmins. Yo' take a cord string an' measure hisself, yo' know, at de length, an' yo' tie nine knots in dat an' yo' wear it roun' yore waist. Dat'll keep him at home. [Memphis 1520:12.]
Entry 12425
Measure man when asleep, from head to foot, tie as many knots as Possible in the string [not so usual] put in bottle with alcohol [unusual again]. [Norfolk 537:5.]
Entry 12426
Talking about anything of that sort [informant shows me something].
(Oh, yes, un huh. That's to be worn isn't it? For protection, isn't it?)
It's for protection. See this is a picture of...
(Of our Lord?)
Of our Lord, yes. Now, this is for protection. This is for protection, you wears this to your heart, you know, right around your neck here, you see [demon- strates]. But of course I totes it in my pocket and that's for luck. I HAVEN'T GOT ANY OF MY OTHER MEDALS AND THINGS ON ME, but now, I never knowed they take and use medals for harm. I know of 'em using medals for to do good - to do good, you see. [New Orleans, La., (832), 1245:1.] - Hoodoo - Conjuratfon - Witchcraft - Rootwork -
Entry 12427
Menstrual cloth bury or throw into running water, says she'll "never be any more good." [Wilmington 257:7.]
Entry 12428
Take gunpowder an' milk, a woman's breast milk, jes' take an' 'dult- erate it out an' give it to a woman. Give it to 'em in anything, make 'en evil, cranky, an' all lak dat, makes 'em nervous. (You mix this gunpowder With this womam's dlk. and that makes then fight all the Une?) Yessuh.
Entry 12429
Well the fact is, if yo' wan'a job, they have Mind Oil. You hear of it? Mind Oil. Well, suppose the boss's name John Henry. You sign his name to that parchment paper, put it in that Mind Oil. You will get you some paradise seed, get you some parsley. You take a bath with that. After taking bath, you must stay in that building all night, and throw the water out into the Middle of the street, see. And anything that instead of going contrary, you ill have a success with. [For "paradise seed" see margin title GUINEA SEEDS etc., P.570, v.1. Throwing bath water into street is a transference rite and remaining instead in building all night recalls ancient incubation rites.]
Entry 12430
You see, if a person gets your urine or gets... I know, you under- stand, jis' like, yo'll excuse me, you know, you see, like de ministrate of a man. An' dey [an enemy] bury dat an' dat will make you [man] pine away an' dry up until yo' die - jis' keep yo' mopin [listless apathy] an' mopin'... [Ministrate is an unusual word for what is normally in HOODOO call- ed his come, semen. Ministrate, of course, is a term for menstruation. A wo- man in HOODOO also has come, whatever it means in addition to orgasm in her case; but this come has nothing to do with ova or ovulation, both these latter uknown in HOODOO.1
Entry 12431
Git chew some dis mistletoe. De mistletoe grows in de woods, it grows upon a bush, a big.... Git some dat mistletoe an' put it in yore left pocket.
(What do you do then, when you put it in that pocket?)
Put it in yore pocket an' tote eight or nine days [probably 9 originally].
(I mean, what are you doing this whole thing for?)
So yo' will jes' win de case, won't be sentenced.
(You wear this before - when you go to talk to the judge?)
Yeah.
(That's what I wanted you to tell me.)
Yes sir.
(That's all you use is this mistletoe?)
Yes sir. Keep some in yore pocket an' some in yore shoe, when yo' go dere, an' yo' more den apt to come out. Yes sir, more den apt to turn yo' loose.
Entry 12432
Ah've heard this about a mockin'bird. Ah knows dis to be a fact because me an' mah brothah is [when just] boys, yo' know, we's gwine long at night, a dark night, an' we would go whut we call bird threshin' yo' see. We went bird threshin' an' killed a mockin'bird.[This is evi- dently done with long switches or sticks, beating the shrub- bery on which bird was singing. I should have asked for details.] Well, mah mothah wuz living den - mah mothah's dead now. An' she tole us, she said, "Chillun, ef ah wuz yo' all ah wouldn't eat dat mockin'bird, " she said, "dat is mah death dat chew'all got." Well, we went ahead on. We went ahead on an' eat de mockin'bird an' sure 'nuff in about six month's time mah mothah died.
(What did that have to do with her death?)
Well, ah don't know, but dey say [to kill] a mockin'bird is bad, say dat would be murder. But we went ahead an' et dis mockin'bird. An' so dat wuz mah mothah death.
Entry 12433
You mustn't kill a mockin'bird, because it's not lucky tuh kill a mockin'bird. If yo' kill one of dem yo' have hard luck. [Fayetteville, N. Car., 2640:2.]
Entry 12434
If yo' wanta git anybody's secret, git yo' a bird aig, a mockin'bird [egg] an' cook it an' eat it. Boil it. (What will happen then?) Say yo' kin git anybody's secret, have to tell yo' dere secret; if yo' wanta know it, anything yo' wanta know. Any- thing dey done an' yo' wanta know it, yo' jes' give 'em dat. Dey tell ever'- thing dey know. (They would have to eat that, then they'll tell you the secret. You won't eat it. They eat it?) They eat it.
(They tell you the secret?)
Tell yo' de secret.
Entry 12435
They tell me that if yo' eat the mockin'bird aig, or the mockin'- bird [itself] that chew won' be able tuh evah keep any secret any mo'. [Wilson 2618:5.]
Entry 12436
They say if yo' eat mockin'bird aigs or eat a mockin'bird, either one, yo' can't keep a secret. [Sumter 2462:11.]
Entry 12437
When yo' eat a mockin'bird's aig, dat makes yo' tell yo' everything; in other words, yo' tell that chew don' know an' that chew do know. [Fayette- ville 2506:10.]
Entry 12438
About de bird - dat a mockin'bird. Ain't nuthin much to dat. If yo' eat a mockin'bird's aig, why hit'll make yo' lie. Yo' know, tell stories.
[Waycross 1850:4.]
Entry 12439
If yo' wanted a woman or somepin [someone] tuh tell yo' everythin', anything she knows, ever'thing she do's well. Nowa durin' de spring of de yeah when de bird's startin' tuh layin', yo' go out an' find a mockin'bird's nest an' come back heah an' take de yellah of de aig, an' place it wit de yellah of a hen aig an' cook it. Fix her a sandwich an' she eat it. She'll tell yo' everything be done an' everything she knows.
Entry 12440
You take a mockingbird.
(A mockingbird?)
Yeah, you take a mockingbird egg and a canary bird egg, and you put them twd eggs in a bottle together. And you take a person's name and you put alcohol on that, but you mark the name in initials and you put it in a good bottle. [One bottle is used in this rite.] (You just put their ini- tials on that?) Yeah, and you put it down in that bottle and shake it with that person's [name] that you don't like or do [person who has done] you something. It will just make 'em talk all over from their mouth, send them to jail, give them trouble, make them get in a fight and get in trouble.
(You say this will make them talk?)
Make them talk aplenty, make them get in trouble.
(Well, why does it make them talk?)
Well, you see, the two birds don't agree - make 'em chatter.
Entry 12441
Well, de mockin'bird eggs is puttin' spells on people. Yo' write, jes' like yo' write on 'em [black-hen eggs previously given by informant]. Yo' take dose eggs, de same identical way. Well, yo' take dat egg an' yo' put it somewhere where he breed, an' den when he breed it, why den dat will be his luck, his bad luck, dat happen to him wit dat mockin'bird egg. [You write on egg whatever you want to happen to victim and restore egg to nest. When egg hatches your wish comes true.]
Entry 12442
Heard dat chew take a mockin'bird aig, if yo' wanta run a person away. Take a mockin'bird aig an' carry it to de person house an' bury it undah de step, an' dat will run dem away. [Sumter 2411:7.]
Entry 12443
Well, dey didn't tell me no certain 'mount, but dey jes' say yo' kin use mockin'bird eggs an' yo' kin separate a couple wit mockin'bird aigs. (How can you do that?) Yo' cook dem aigs. See, dey'll git hard. Under- stand. Cook 'em an' yo' powder dem aigs up, an' den yo' kin sprinkle dat round a person's house or inside dey house, an' dat'll separate dem. Dey always said dat mockin'birds would be - he would make his nest but he would soon tear it down. He wouldn't nevah stay. An' dat's de reason why dey could take dat an' yo' [dey] kin sprinkle it round yore house an' in de house, an' dat'll shore make a couple spearate, fuss, yo' know, have argu- ments an' all like dat.