Browse:"CHANNEL DE WORLD" (Volume 5, entries 10604–13458)/Part 32
"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 13085
They say they take a rattlesnake and kill him. And they'll burn it or whip it like that and get that dust. [Long pause.] (Yes?) And they put that in your comb or in your brush and let you use it in your hair. And that'll take all your hair off.
(I see.)
Entry 13086
Yo' ketch yo' a snake an' kill dis snake. Now, yo' if [you] know it 'tain't but one person goin' handle dis axe, take dis snake an' rub dis snake undah dis axe handle or eithah a hoe - what [what- ever] it is. Lak now, if ah wus mad wit chew an' if ah know nobody use dis but chew, ah would jes' rub dis snake on dis axe handle good. Dat would make yo' swell up an' die.
Entry 13087
Belts have roots in 'em fo' luck. Or yo' kin git a blacksnake-skin belt an' dey say dey fix it in a way - grease it - grease it with...an' yo' kin git up in de morning day- light an' do anything yo' wanta do. Can't no man hole [hold] yo' - slick
[you are too slippery].
Entry 13088
I remember one day I was cut in the pasture. I missed the horses. And I had a favorite horse by the name of Snap and he could run. And I went in the pasture to get him out, and whilst being there, be- fore I could take the bars down to turn the horses out, I heard this horse coming. It was coming so dog- zerously [dangerously] I got out of his way. He jumped over the fence. This snake had him by the leg by his [the snake's] head. His tail was whipping the horse on his side and over his belly. And this snake was a snake by the name of horse racer. It's a terrible snake. He would run any horse he would catch. It's their business, riding horses. He wraps his head around the horse's back leg and uses his tail as a whip and slashes this horse up and down the side.
[Old Point Comfort, Va., No.27, by Ediphone.]
Entry 13089
Yo' take if yo' got a guitar - if yo' got a guitar, you take dat an' it has de strings on it.... Have yo' strings on de guitar an' yo' kin take de rattles, dat's if dey dry, de rattles of de rattle- snake and put 'em in dat guitar. An' when yo' play de rings an' makes a fine music.
Entry 13090
Well, now this was mah experience, ah'm telling yo' experiments from mahself. Once ah had a hat ah give $7 for it. It was blue an' lavendah an' it was awful beautiful. An' ah didn't know anybody [would do suh a thing]. Ah nevah did believe in such as dis. Well, we wus goin' tuh a circles [circus] an' ah nevah wore dat hat only when ah wus goin' out to a dance or some kind of date or social like dat or party. Well, yo' kin [take] dat hat, yo' see, an' yo' hin dress it. But yo' didn't axe me about de hat. Yo' axed me 'bout de hair. An' dat hat was even dressed from de binding of it up heah. When ah placed dat hat on mah head, oh mah God, looked like mah head would bust open. Ah ddn't know nuthin but ah jes' thought ah had jes' a normal headache but, oh, it seemed dat pins was in it. Hah sistah-in-law, she had taken me about fifteen miles in de country tuh a hite man [root doctor] an' ah didn't axe him nuthin because really ah didn't know nuthin tuh axe 'im. He says tuh me, "Oh gully [girly], yore hat is dressed." Says, "Wouldn't chew go home an' burn dat hat up?" An' ah said, "Whut would yo' call dressed?" He said, "De idea is it's dressed around dat band," said, "it's got 'er..." It was rattlesnake.... It was a rattlesnake had shed it [it's hide] yo' see. Dey got de shed of dat rattlesnake an' dey parched it up yo' know. Dey jes' beat it up an' dey sprinkled dat.rattlesnake shed all 'round. An' den dey put somepin else in dere, an' dat took effects on mah eyes, an' dat give me a real headache.
(Do you know what else they put in there with that rattlesnake dust?)
Well, dey tell me dey put rattlesnake dust an' dry saltpetah, somepin like dat. An' dey said why dat it didn't make me go blind, yo' know, because dey put too much saltpetah in it chew see. Yo' know, saltpetah supposed tuh kill off any kind of germs like dat, yo' see.
(What did this man do to cure that?)
Well, ah tell yo' whut he did. Ah don't know whut it was, but he give me a little small bottle of medicine tuh rub mah head with. Seemed like it had sompin like sasparilla oil in it, chew know, an' he had me tuh take mah urinate an' fo' nine mawnin's. Ah take dat urinate every night an' ah put it in a pan, a bakin' pan by it- self yo' know, an' fo' 9 mawnin's befo' de sun rise ah bathes mah face with dat an' throw it out towards de sunrise, an' fo' 9 nights ah bathes mah feets in real hot watah an' saltpetah, an' den he gives me a medicine...ah couldn't tell yo' tuhday what it was, but in de 9 mornings, why, ah didn't have dose ole bad feel- in' - dose blind spells an' headaches. All of it was gone away.
(What did you do with this medicine he gave you?)
Ah 'nointed mah head with it.
(And did you burn the hat too?)
Ah burned mah hat away.
Entry 13091
(Yes, how the quarrel started.)
De first thing, he had a mule named Julia. When ah wuz a boy dey used to have gin house whut dey pull mill round tuh gin cotton. See. Dey didn't have dese steam gins den. Out in de country dey had eight mules to it [etc.], have de first mule heah, one on dat end, one ovah heah and one ovah dere, and den dey have two mules heah and two mules ovah dere an' ah used to dirve de mules. So his mule would bite cha an' so ah wouldn't carry his mule, so he whupped me be- cause ah wouldn't carry it fo' him. Him an' I - his boy an' I got in a fight - so ah whupped him. An' so he whupped me again.
(The father?)
Yassuh, de father - ole man Spencer whupped me. So we boys met him [son] one night an' - ah didn't hit him but ah mean de other boys [did]. An' so ah left mah cap at his house. An' mah uncle Winston tole me he'd taken dis [capl de shed of a rattlesnake and rubbed de band of mah hat [capl. An' when ah sweated...an when ah put it on mah haid, my eyes went an' ah ain't saw no mo' since.
(When did this happen?)
1904.
(And this happened up in Perry county?)
Dat's Perry County, Alabama, Scott Station.
(Got it dry and took this dust and put it in your hatband and made you blind?)
Yes.
Entry 13092
I have heard they take the toenail, or either the fingerail, but the only thing I have heard, they have took the fingernail. People have took their fingernails, you under- stand, and done used that by parching it, 'cause I have a sister, she got that on her face now. Well, this girl, she had took her fingernail. Well, her fingernail was long, and she got rattlesnake dust and she had it up under her fingernail and she was talking to my sister. And she just done thataway [demonstrates] and my sister is blind today for hit.
(She just flicked it into her eye.)
She just slipped it right into her eye and she is blind and the doctor couldn't do her no good. She's blind today and all in her she's dark and all in her [eyes?] look like heavy lipstick - all where that dust hit her in her face.
Entry 13093
Well, they can take your clothes and they can take your hat. In oth- er words they can take your hat and they can put rattlesnake dust - you can buy it in this town - see, rat- tlesnake dust, and they can put it in your hat. And when you sweat in your hat, it makes you blind. (I see, I see.) [I heard little about selling snake dust to blind.]
Entry 13094
Well, dey tell me if yo' wanta harm a person dat way, dat chew kin kill a rattlesnake an' let him dry till yo' kin pound his bones up an' make a dust out of his bones - skin an' all. An' put some of de dust in a han'kerchief. Heet dis person an' turn yore back to de wind an' dey face to de wind. Take de han'kerchief out an' shake it jes' lak if yo' were goin' tuh wipe soiled han's, an' let dat dust go in dere face. Dey will nevah see no mo'.
(That will make them blind.)
Entry 13095
Kin put different things in it to cause yo' feet tuh swell, such as rattlesnake's - take de haid of a rattlesnake an' go out dere an' dry it in a sack yo' know an' take dat dust - dat aw- ful poison yo' know - jes' a little bit of dat. Dat's de same way as dey do tuh kill yo' - right through dis country. Dey'll take dat rattlesnake haid an' dry it yo' know an' git a dust an' lak yo' vanted a drink, dey'd be standin' aroun' an' yo' happen tuh po' de likker out, dey drop de least bit of dat in dere, yo' know. Dat's rank poison. Yo' drink dat whiskey an' it kill yo' an' it hardly kin be detected. Or dey put dat in yore shoes an' cause yore feet tuh swell.
Entry 13096
They take that bow outa your hat and burn it up in ashes, burn it in a plate and get the ashes, and then take some snake's head, any kind of snake's head, and just powder it up together, and put that in your hatband, and when you sueat, why that just run down, you know, in your forehead, and it finally get in your eyes and you go blind.
Entry 13097
Jes' lak dere lotsa stuff we got down heah [in this part of the country] eah now. Yo' call dese rattlesnakes, ah guess yo' know whut dey are. Jes take de head of dem an' powdah it up, an' even ah could send it tuh yo' in a lettah, an' time yo' open de lettah, soon as it hit yore eyeballs, yo' lose yore sight. Dat's whut dey do tuh blind people - rattlesnake dust. Yo' nevah vill receive yore sight any mo'.
Entry 13098
They could it it with that hair. They can take that hair and mingle it in your comb, and dress that hair under a burnt snakehide, and put that in [on] your head and you'll go bald, and when that perspiration dries in your eyes, you'll go blind.
(You take "burnt snakehide?")
Burnt snakehide.
(You dress that with the comb?) [Dress comb with that!]
Over with the comb. See? And wrap that hair - soak that hair in water and something. Put it in that burnt-snakehide dust, and put it - wrap it in a - like if a person's using the comb, they don't pull all the hairs left out of the comb, and it'll take it to your head. And gradually that stuff will poison the roots of your hair and run you bald.
(I see.)
And if it drips in yore eyes...
Entry 13099
Oh, dey'd run yo' crazy in a way wit it, wit de dust from a rattle- snake's rattles. Take de dust out of a rattlesnake's rattle an' put dat in dat bow or either sprinkle it inside of dey hat, an' if dey sweat from it, why it will run 'em blind. Ah know two-three blindin's heah today dat result of dat thing.
Entry 13100
Dat band aroun' his hat, use rattlesnake dust. Yo' know a rattle- snake contains so many rattles tuh tell how many yeahs he is old. An' yo' take de dust outa dose rattles an' sprinkle it round de band of his hat an' he'll go blind.
Entry 13101
Well, yo' kin take dat bow an' yo' kin put - if yo' kin git holt of some rattlesnake dust out of a rattlesnake's rattle an' put it in dat hat, it will run de man blind.
(Well, just how would it run him blind? How would it do that?)
Well, jes' a...yo' wearin' dat hat, while yo' wearin' dat hat yo' sweat, dat scum git in his [you] eye an' hit'll blind him [you].
Entry 13102
Well, yo' see a snake. Well yo' git de shed of a snake, when he shed it, an' jes' pound dat shed up. Beat it up fine an' take an' sprinkle it in yore [victim's] hat, in de rim of y re [his] hat.
(Sprinkle it under the hatband - under the sweatband?)
Yes, right round in dere. Put it where he kin git it an' it will run him jes' as blind as... [a bat or something else].
Entry 13103
Take a rattlesnake shell [shed]. Take dat dust and fix some in de linin' of his hat, right down in dere. Dat will make him go blind when he per- spire. Dat shell [dust] will go right in his eyes and den he won't be able to see nobody else but yo! He'll be blind.
Entry 13104
Yo' wanta run him an' make him blind, why yo' go out in any woods most anywhere an' find yo' a snake shell [shed]. Yo' know jes' lak dey say he crawl outa his "shell." An' slip it into his hatband. He lose his eyesight. De dust from dat snake shell will take his eyesight. [Memphis, Tenn., (1537) 2778:4.]
Entry 13105
Dey put dust in your hat so you'll go blind. Accordin' you'll lose your hair. (What would they do? How would they use the dust that way? Have you any idea?) Well, they'll go ahead and, you know, dere's somepin dey calls dragon's blood dat you get from de drug store. You kin get dat ole dragon's blood from de drug store. You kin get dat ole dra- gon's blood from de drug store and you sprinkle it on de inside of your hat, an' a little small piece of dis ole snake's shed. Or place it in de binding of your cap or hat, somepin like dat. And when you begin to sweat den de effect will take on you, sometimes you'll go blind from it an' you taken wit de headache.
(It runs down into your eyes?)
Dat's de idea and cause you to go blind and you are taken wit de headache.
Entry 13106
Just like I wanted to do you harm. I can get some snake dust and get some graveyard dust and - just like you are in the habit of, when you are cooking anywhere you feel. Like in the country we cook on a fireplace - like you put your hand up there. And perhaps you may find a brick that is loose where I can stick that dust before anybody can catch me. When you have your back turned - and you may rub your eyes or something like that, like you rub your face some- times. They can hide that dust in that chimney and if you should get wet on your hands, it will cause your hands to swell up, and if you get it in your eyes, it will cause you to go blind. [This rite given by a professional doctor.]
Entry 13107
Dere is such things as dat. Dere's a little graveyard dirt. You kin get it in - you get graveyard dirt and you get de dust from a rattlesnake's rat- tle and make you a powder of it. And den he'd come along and 'tempt to play with you. Take your hat off, "Oh, dat's a nice hat." Take your hat like dat and probably look at it. Put dat dust in dere and you put your hat on. It may be warm or it may drift down your face if you perspire, or anything, run down and blind you. You never will see again. (You have this rattlesnake dust and the graveyard dust mixed.)
The informant describes graveyard dirt mixed with rattlesnake-rattle dust and a hypothetical hat-handling scenario, with claimed blindness. The quoted compliment is prescribed or imagined speech within that account. The interviewer restates the mixture without a recorded confirmation; harm claims remain source reports.
Entry 13108
An' den yo' kin take it again. Yo' kin take dis graveyard dirt an' yo' kin git rattlesnake dust an' mix it together, an' it will run anybody stone blind.
(Just how would they do that?)
Jes' take de rattlesnake dust an' de graveyard dirt an' mix it tuhgethah. Mix it up tuhgethah an' git anybody hat an' sprinkle it in de hat dat dey gotta dem stone blind.
Entry 13109
They take the little bow out of the hat and after they take the bou out of the hat, they carry it to a hoodoo. And he will take snake dust - just like you take dust out of a rattlesnake's tail, they have dust in their cail - and you [the hoodoo] put some of that dust on it. And they can bring it back and give to you and that cause you to go blind. They put the bow back in your hat, don't you see, and you put that hat on and it cause you to lose your eyesight.
Entry 13110
Dry a rattlesnake head, powder it, sprinkle the dust in the 4 corners of a house, and it will cause confusion between man and wife. [Charleston 623:10.]
Entry 13111
If a person rubs a snake shed in the seams of a person's clothes, 'he stay chilly all de time jes' like dat snake. [Mobile 959:6.]
Entry 13112
Dust from rattlesnake rattle and graveyard dirt in your shoes make feet swell. [Norfolk 526:7.]
Entry 13113
If someone sprinkles snake dust in your shoes, in 9 days your feet will swell and you can't walk. [Norfolk 515:3.]
Entry 13115
Yo' kin take a snake shell [shed] an' put it in sweet milk or sompin an' give it to a person an' it'll come a livin' snakeshell in 'em. [Fayette- ville, 2571:9.]
The printed instruction names 'sweet milk or sompin' as a medium. The alternative and snake-shell result remain source claims, without verified preparation or transformation.
Entry 13116
Kill a snake, he has one straight bone in him under his ribs, let dry, powder; give to anyone in water he comes alive in 18 days, in whiskey in 7 days.
Entry 13117
Dey say yo' kin take a snake an' cut his haid off, an' put him in de sun an' let it dry an' parch it, an' put it into sompin tuh drink, an' dey said dat will create snakes in 'em. [Sumter 2417:4.]
Entry 13118
Dey says dat yo' kin take dat blood from snake an' put it in whiskey an' cause live things, yo' know, tuh be inside of anyone. [Fayetteville 2535:15.]
Entry 13119
You may wear a blackstone-skin belt as a protection against cunjure.
[Richmond 285:1.]
The item describes a belt as protection against cunjure; the unusual material wording remains unchanged.
Entry 13120
Take a blacksnake and skin him and take this skin and wear it as a belt, and they won't bother you as much. [Who are they? Usually the belt gives added strength meaning bullies won't annoy you. But it could mean other snakes.]
[Richmond 382:2.]
The item describes skin worn as a belt; the editor explicitly leaves who they refers to uncertain.
Entry 13121
Beat up a dried rattlesnake head to a dust and scatter this in a dusty road your enemy walks. This dust will blow up into his eyes or get into some way and blind him. [Wilmington 225:1+85.]
Entry 13122
The dust from a snake shed or liquid dust sent to a person in a let- ter will blind him. [Richmond 300:7.]
Entry 13123
Dust from a rattlesnake shed [the outer skin cast off by ecdysys] sent to a person in a letter will get into his eyes and blind him. [Wilmington 103:6+85.]
The item predicts blinding from a described mailed material; the bracketed explanation of the shed belongs to the editor.
Entry 13124
On receiving a letter, burn the handwriting and put in envelope, add rattlesnake powder, and mail back to person. Opening this letter will blind the person. [Charleston 556:4.]
Entry 13125
The hatband is the usual place for blinding a person. Use snakehead powder. [Mobile 973:6.]
Entry 13126
Blind a person by putting snake powder in his or her hat. [Elizabeth City 511:3.]
Entry 13127
Pound up a snake shed, especially that of a rattlesnake, and put this in a person's hat to blind him. [Wilmington 102:6+85.]
Entry 13129
If you mix rattlesnake-shed powder with graveyard dirt and put it in person's hat, he or she will never get over headaches unless hat is undressed.
[The latter word heard only several times.] [Mobile 875:8.]
Entry 13130
You take water, if you going to take a bath in water. You wanta hurt me or anything of that sort. Well, I'm going to take my bath and probably just before I take my bath, if you after hurtin' me [that word after preceding hurt- ing was added by Irish transcriber], you would take, say for instance, this is my bathroom. I'm fixin' to go in there to take my bath. Well, I liable to draw my water first. See, and I got my water took, I'm liable to walk out. And if I don't do that, you take and you - before I go in the bathroom to draw my water, you get you some of the stuff you call kankeena.
(What do you call that?)
Kankeena.
(Kankeena?)
Kankeena.
(Where do you get that?)
It's a powder you can get it at most any drug store.
(I see.)
Get kankeena, it's a white powder. You get very little for a nickel, just a very small quantity for a nickel. You gets that. Now, when you get that pow- der, you sprinkle it around that tub, all around on the edges, not to the bot- tom, but be sure it gets just around the tub, like that.
(On the outside or inside of the tub?)
On the inside of the tub. It's got to get into the water, see. Now, that stuff there is to take - when I bathe in the tub, this powder going to get on me. Now, when I get this powder on me, it liable to startin' and itchin' an everythin'. After I done bathin' it start in itchin'. It won't be the soap, it won't be the water. I won't know what it's all about. See. It'll start me to itchin', probably, I'm liable to start to breakin' [out] in a few days - break all kind of sores out on me [quite a separation between break and out!]. See. Well, then I liable have to go to a doctor [M.D.] to find out what it is. He think it's my blood's bad. He try to use different medicine. He wanta give me shots of somepin. Probably he can't do me no good with the shots and all that they gives you. Well, then, if he couldn't do me no good, he done give me [I turn off machine to bring informant to point]. (This doctor [M.D.] couldn't do you any good and you go to the Cracker Jack Drug Store and get the same things you said, you mentioned.) I'm going to get - I'm goin' to get more than the one thing, I'm goin' to get some of this steel dust.
(I see.)
I'm goin' to go to the Cracker Jack - I'm usin' steel dust again. I'm going to use the steel dust. I'm going to get me what you call the snake oil - they sells that. I'm going to get that snake oil. I'm goin' to get steel dust. Now, when I get the snake oil and the steel dust, I'm goin' to put those two together. See. I'm going to use that to rub with. I rub myself with that at least three times a day. Now, in rubbin' with that stuff, I says the 35th [23rd] Psalms of David. See, that's a prayer. You say it, that's the 35th [23rd] Psalm of David. I says that! "The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want." See, as I'm rubbing: 'The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want." And I just keep arubbin'. See. Well, now I may have to do that, maybe nine or ten days. I may have to do it for a couple of weeks. Eighteen or twenty days at the most, anyway. See. Well, then I do that and as I do that every day for three times a day, I says the 35th [23rd] Psalm of David and for about twenty days and then I'm over with that. See.
Entry 13131
This is done for spite, to get even, etc. Chew snakeroot and spit near but not at person. If the wind is in the proper direction, the smallest particle, even unfelt, touching victim's face will soon cause bumps on it.
[Richmond 296:5.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13132
So no one can come in your house and take them [while you are ab- sent]. Well, you put some snakeroot around. That's what she always told me, to scatter with snakeroot dust. They will never bother me. You buy that, yes.
[New Orleans 1148:3.]
Entry 13133
Ah heard dat they have, that they sell hands. They go out and the git - they go out and they git - jest like a man - ah don't know if you have seen dem aroun' dis part of de country, but dey go out and dey git a root dey calls snipe root. Dey git dis snipe root. (Snipe root?) Snipe root. A snipe is a long thing like a crane [bird]. Well, you take this snipe, de snipe w'at flies. Take dis snipe and cut de snipe neck off and dey pick it - jes' like, most like a crow or somepin like that. And dey pick dis snipe and dey cut dat bone out of it. De bone is somepin like a fork, jes' like a chicken bone. Den dey take dat bone and dey let dat bone set for awhile, and after settin' for awhile, dey take some sulphur. Take dat sulphur and place it on top of dat bone. After taking dat sulphur, take a little bit of red pep- pah and put on dat sulphur, a little gunpowdah and put on sulphur. Rub dat bone in dere. Then they will take a saw or sompin an' cut half that bone off. Then take that sulphur an' red peppah and combine it together and sew a little sack around it. Wear it. Don't wear it around de neck, let it drop between yore laigs. That supposed to keep de law away from de home. [Not every bird has a chicken wishbone; better check about snipe.]
Entry 13134
I've heard that choo could use snuff like this. You know, jis' like a man be wit choo with a wha'shah call 'em? Merry Widow or cundrwn [condom] or somepin like that. Well, take a little bit of snuff an' a little sugar - jis' a little pinch of snuff an' a little bit of sugar an' put it together. An' put it in that, choo know down in the bottom [of the condom] an' roll it [condom] down ordinary jis' like it was. An' jis' let a man use that choo know ever' time he - you know they don't use that only when they be's wit chah [informant a woman], but you have 'em ready to let them have 'em when they come to you. An' they be comin' to yo' all de time spending money. [I never asked for this sort of thing, but took it down as a part of hoodoo life.] [Until I looked up this word recently I did not know that it had been named after it's inventor, an 18th century English physician, Dr. Condom!]
Entry 13135
[When dey git your socks - gits a man's sock, chew mean? Why he can't fool wit no othah woman. (How do they fix those socks up?) All you gotta do is take dem socks an' tie nine knot in 'em. See, jes' tie de foot an' take a string, a cord, an' make nine knots to dat sock, an' when yo' done tied de nine knots, den yo' take all de cord off an' shake dat stuff up, an' put it back where he kin git it to seah. See? An' he can't do anything.
Entry 13136
Yo' kin take a woman's sock, an' yo' take de left sock, an' yo' take it an' burn it. Yo' burn it in [into] de ashes an' make a powdah outa dat, an' yo' take it in a bag an sew dat bag up. An' yo' kin take dat powdah [bag] an' put it on yo'. Now, dat's goin' make her do anything yo' want her [to do] - mind yo' in any way. An' yo' kin fix it so she cain't have no man Wit dat, de same powdah. Den yo' kin, jes' lak yo' git in bed at night, yo' take dat little powdah an' dust it on her, an' she cain't have - any othah man git up on her, he'll fall.
Entry 13137
If you got a husband that runs around, [or] if a man got a woman that runs around, he can take her dirty stockings and wash the toe and the heel - not the whole stocking, wash the toe and wash the heel. In about, well, I'd say about two ounces of water - that's suffi- cient, two ounces of water. And take that water and pour it in a bottle and stop it up, and bury it underneath the steps and that party will stay home all the time.
Entry 13138
Well, dere's a boy an' a girl dat's goin' tuhgethah. See. Dey got in good love. Yo' know, she got tuh lovin' him an' he got tuh lovin' her. Dey got big ages [they were grown up] yo' see. "Oh, ah got him so ah want him [to] stay wit me," an' "ah don't want him [to go nowhere." [Notice incomplete infinitives.] Well, he come tuh stayin' dere at night, see jes' lak man an' wife. Jes' stay an' stay an' stay. Well, somebody else got betwixt dat, "Ah want [to] tear dat up, ah don' lak dat. He ain't ma'ed tuh her. He ain't a much right man. He ain't much good. Ah'm goin' tear dat up." Undahstand. Well, so dey got mad an' so decided dey want tear hit up. So dey throws baa luck in dey way. So she says, Cora says, "Well, yo' know, he wuz so good tuh me an' all at once he's got bad. Ah don' know whut in de worl' mattah wit him." Say, "Ah cain't undahstand it." "Well, maybe somebody else is got a bettah haid den yo' are an' to' [tore] it up." "Well, ah'll find out." Says, "Ah knows a thing or two mahself. Ah'll take ca' of dat. Ah'll take ca' of dat." Okay, all right. She goes an' she takes his sock - de sock he weahs - de dirty sock he been Weahin'. She takes dat sock an' washes it, washes dat sock, yo' know, in jes' a leetle bit of watah, yo' know. Well, yo' might say, in a boil [water just coming to a boil]. Yo' take dat sock an' yo' boil it, yo' know, an' git dat dirt off whut he's been weahin'. An' take dat watah an' jah it up [put it in a jar] an' yo' put - ah dunno whut chew call dat kin'a powdah, it wuz a lucky powdah, she [hoodoo woman] put in dere an' 9 drops of Hearts Cologne. Yo' put dat tuhgethah. Yo' know, yo' boil dat lil' watah down right low, yo' know till it be jes' a lil' bit. Den yo' put nine drops of Heart Cologne in dat. Den yo' put it in a lil' bottle an' yo' stop it up. An' fo' 9 mawnin's yo' take dat an' yo' daubs yo'self wit dat fo' 9 mawnin's. Yo' all right. Yo' won't have no mo' trouble.
Entry 13139
Yo' kin put a man tuh walkin' wit his socks, if yo' kin git dem when dere [dey + are] dirty. Take a man's stockin' when it's dirty an' wash it out, an' put dat watah in a bot- tle. An' take it an' bury it where he has tuh travel ovah, an' he'll start tuh walkin'. His feet git hot, he hot-footed den. He cain't stay nowhere.
(You bury it out in the road somewhere?)
Bury it somewhere whah he transfah at - goes on.
Entry 13140
Well yo' take de socks tuh bring a man back home. Now, lak yo' got a odd square, a odd square on yore flo'. A old square on yore flo', see, lak dis square heah [square of linoleum in floor of my inteviewing room at the Patterson Hotel for Blacks where I inter- viewed in New Orleans]. All right. Well, yo' take dat sock an' yo' put both toes together an' bring dat sock in - de feet, lak ah walk in heah. Yo' see, de front of mah feet is comin' in. Well, yo' bring dat in an' put dat, an' put dat at de end, an' yo' tack dat undah dere [linoleumlundah de carpet. Dat's right. An' he will come a-hellin'. Yessuh, lak if he's away an' don' wanta come home.
Entry 13141
Take a man's sock or a woman's sock an' bury it. See, where yo' have a fireplace, take up a brick an' sprinkle sulphur an' salt on dat brick an' sprinkle sulphur an' salt on dat brick an' graveyard dirt, an' uri- nate on it fo' 9 mawnin's, an' tell it whut chew want it tuh do. If yo' want him tuh love yo', not leave yo', be right dere undah yore foot an' all, he can't do it, 'cause he's buried right dere wit dat stock- in' an' de minute he takes it up why yo' kin go. But long as hit stays down dere, why he stays dere.
(You bury that stocking right under that brick?)
Yeah, right undah dat brick. Anywhere where yo' kin git tuh it an' urinate on it fo' 9 mawnin's.
Entry 13142
Ah experienced dat. Ah've had dat done on me, take your sock and cut de heel out of it, a pair you been wearing. Get your socks and cut de heel out of both of 'em, an' take de heel and put some salt in it, snakehead or some kind of worms [to make you crawl]. And bury de heel of dat sock under de doorstep and put de other part of it [heel] over de door, over your haid. And every time you go in and out dere, you gittin' dat, and first thing you know yo' goin' way from dere. Yo' done left, you see. Your wife, she done put you outten from dere and you gone, and you won't know how you gone. And you done missed your socks and everything. You don't know nothin' at all about it or you jest...and done you dataway, but you gone - jest gone along. Don't wanta run off, but you won't never come back until you find it. And you find dat, you come back home.
(I see. Do you put one sock down there or just one piece of the sock?)
A [2] piece [2 pieces are used].
(I see.)
Entry 13143
Yo' kin take his sock to make 'im love you an' yo' stockin' an' put it [them] together. Understand? An' puts some sugah with it. An' take it out an' bury it on the side of your house, an' go out there every mawnin' an' pour your chamber lye there. Don't you under- stand? See, on that. An' you take the sock an' your stocking an' roll it together, see. Now put a red onion with it, a dime - that's to make 'im give her money - roll it together. Sew it to you an' make your wish - that's her, you see - sew it up in your mattress. That man'll give you money, give 'er roney as long as he's there.
Entry 13144
(Take his sock?) De sock and bury under any place and you [owner] walks over it and then you swells up.
(Well, do they bury both your socks?)
Just one.
(Which one do they bury there?)
De left foot.
(All they do is just bury that sock?)
Yes, sir.
(And then, what happens then?)
You walks over it and then yo' start to swell up.
Entry 13145
A woman keeps a man home by putting two of his dirty socks in the form of a cross under the mattress. [New Orleans 1364:13.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13146
"Bury right sock under leaves [eaves of a house?], drive 9 tenpenny nails in, forming a cross with the nails. Dat supposed to kill you." [Mobile 944:14.]
Entry 13147
Git his sock or either his shirt and tear a hole in de mattress in de bed and sew it up in dere, if you want him to stay. [Jacksonville 787:4.]
Entry 13148
[She] take dat dirt w'ut de [they = she] wash off dat [man's] sock, n' dey kin take yo' in [trick] yo' wit dat. Dey [woman] put sumpin belongs to de[her] wit it an' bury it in a certain place, an' dat keep you [man] dere. Dat ties yo' both together, anything close yo' wear. Wrap dat up together and then you kin [instead of burying it] take an' sew it up in yuh mattress.
[Mobile 887:6.]
Entry 13149
A woman can use salt and vinegar on a man's socks and sew them up into the mattress to influence him. [Washington, D. C., 813:5.]
Entry 13150
Ah've heard 'em say they take de men's sock like that and has 'em dressed and then they take it an' put it in their pillah or mattress [to hold or bring back]. [Jacksonville 765:10.]
Entry 13151
Man's right sock under door or mattress [of bed] or carpet where he travels. Make stay home. [Washington, D. C., 815:2.]
The printed statement presents staying home as the intended result of the sock placement; no achieved result is reported. The bracketed [of bed] insertion remains editorial.
Entry 13152
If man and woman are getting along badly, she should put his dirty socks under the sheet and let him sleep on them. [Memphis 1545:9.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13153
Take a sock of his an'burn it, burn it in her stove an' let it smoke in de house, an' if he is in de presence of her, an' let dat smoke from his old sock, one of his old socks, burn it in de house an' let him be around dat sock, an' she'll hold him. [Norfolk 494:1.]
Entry 13154
Dey take a sock an' put some red peppah in it an' a dime, some sul- phur an' burn it a little bit an' soak it in de alkyhol, an' dey kin do jes' whut dey wanta do wit chew. [Florence 2186:2.]
Entry 13155
If yo' got a friend and yo' want 'em, yo' take de sock an' yo' tack it to de floor beneath the rug...an' yo' take an' yo' urinate on that for 9 mornings, an' he'll stay with shah until death break yo' up. [Norfolk 529:7.]
Entry 13156
Sock or stocking, put in jar, urinate on it, keep it hidden, make 'em love you. [Memphis 1550:3.]
Entry 13158
Bury soiled sock or stocking in bottle under house, "cause yo' to linger or cause your legs or limbs to swell." [Mobile 979:6.]
The material evidence comes from the unquoted instruction; the quoted consequence remains separate context with unresolved attribution.
Entry 13159
Stop up socks or stockings in bottle, throw into river or outgoing tide; "run a person away." [Elizabeth City 402:8.]
Entry 13160
They say you can take 'em [socks or stockings] and put 'em in run- ning water, stop 'em up in a bottle or...like you throw the bottle into the river, take the tide going out, and let it bottle [with socks] go out with the tide and run a person away. [Elizabeth City 557:7.]
Entry 13161
Get 'em some gun powder an' some black pepper, an' put in dat sock. an' get 'em some salt, an' tie dat sock 3 different knots, an' turn dat sock bottom upwards in runnin' water, an' yo' goin' go crazy. They don't take but one [sock] to kill you. [Vicksburg 1004:7.]
Entry 13162
Wash dirty socks an' in this water put bluestone, pepper, sulphur; throw over shoulder into running water and say, "Go," an' don't look back.
[Richmond 303:3.]
Entry 13163
A man can keep a woman home by tying 2 knots in one over her stocking an' slip it up over the joist over where she go out the door. [New Orleans 1366:8.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13164
She'll sign his name on a piece of parchment paper, she'll put some sugar in that sock and if she have linoleum on the floor, tack it in the front
[of the] door...she can't get rid of him. [New Orleans 1155:5.]