Browse:(2) CANDLES (Volume 1, entries 2776–2991)
(2) CANDLES
Volume 1, entries 2776–2991. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → SHRINES: ALTARS - CANDLES - SAINTS; NEW ORLEANS AREA. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2776
If yo' were livin' heah in dis house an' someone wanted tuh make yo' leave without a cause, then they [a hoodoo] would git yo' tuh stay in dis house. Dis a true fact because - yo' want some Bible facts on it erzactly how it's done? De way yo' do, yo' git chew three of these gold candles, gold-colored candles, an' yo' burn dem gold-colored candles, burn three until yo' have burn nine. An' when yo' have burnt de nine, yo'll have perfect peace, because de Bible says dat dey'd burn candles upon candlesticks. [See my comment on Bible and candles, p.361.] But chew have de instrument whut chew burn dese candles in of gold, an' have de gold- colored candles. An' ah guarantee it'll bring peace an' satisfaction heah, an' de proof is by de Bible. No one kin move yo' out. [These are gilded candles. I found no golden candlestick or container of any kind in the following rites.]
Entry 2777
And jest like if you goin't to a job - If you want dis job, you kin jest burn dis white candle fo' success and make yore wish and it will favor yo Yo' know dey burned candles when Christ died. [The Rev. Mr. Young has already said something similiar, "We understand dat de candles represent something in the life of Christ possibly," see 2735, p.745, line 1.]
Entry 2778
Well, you burn a blue candle for success. You burn a white candle for prosperity and purity. You burn a green candle - it's de spiritual [spirituals or spiritual people] suppose to burn these green candles. You burn 'em three days and pray and fast. Dat's to go and heal de sick. Then the red candle is fo' victory - jes' lak ef yo' wanta overcome somethin', yo' burn dat so many days, see, nine days. And yo' put chure wishes up under dat candle, yo' know.
(How do you put them under the candle?)
Yo' write chure name, whatever yo' want done - yo' write it on a piece of paper, parchment paper and set it up under dere while it burns.
(What do you do about black candles?)
De black candles yo' burn 'em fo' death. Yo' burn 'em nine minutes. If yo' burn 'em fo' evil, yo' burn 'em nine minutes, so they say. Yo' burn fo' nine minutes at nine 'clock.
(Nine o'clock in the morning?)
Nine 'clock in de morning or nine 'clock at night.
(Do you have to do anything else with these besides burning them?)
They say they generally roll 'em in some kind of cayenne pepper or something.
[See later, Rolling Candles.]
Entry 2779
Now, you can take a white candle, if you want luck. You can take a white candle and three loafs of sugar, and you light it. Set [it] with a name. And you put a piece of paper under it [candle] with the name [this is setting it] and you light it and make your wish. That's for luck.
(What name do you write on that?)
Write whoever you burning it for - write your name or my name, anybody name you burning it for. That's for luck. Now, a red candle.
(A red candle?)
That's a white candle. Now a red candle is for blood.
(Well, how do you handle that - a red candle for blood?)
You take the person name, whoever you wanta get in trouble, and you write the name on the candle all around - up and down on the candle - and you burns it and makes a wish, bad wish. That's for blood, you see. Now a black candle, that's to kill you.
(A black candle is to kill you. Well how would they handle that?)
Well, they take the black candle and they write your name on there, see. And they takes and they cuts that top piece off - like this the top piece, well, they cut that off, and they take and turn it upside down and shape it [make a wick at the bottom end] and they light it upside down. Well, you liable to walk out your door and get killed most any minute.
(Do they use green candles, and blue and yellow, anything of that sort?)
Well, they burn them to different saints for luck.
(Now, are candles burned at any special time or just any time?)
Any time you can burn a candle if you got your saints and you believe in your saints. Well, different days you burn different candles.
(What do you mean by different days you burn different candles?)
Like Mondays, you burns a white candle. Tuesday you burn a green candle. Wednesday you burns a yellow candle or blue candle. But red and black ain't for no luck - that's for undermining work.
(When do you burn those candles? On any day?)
You burn the red candle any day.
(And you burn the black candle any day, too?)
Any day too.
Entry 2780
You get a black candle, that's a danger candle. You burn a red candle, that's good luck. And you burn a white candle, that's happiness - peace and happiness in your home, you see. And there ain't nobody can harm you then, if you believe in them.
Entry 2781
Said a pink candle fer good luck. Jest burn it, all ah know. Say a black candle means death to a person. A red candle is fusses, quarrels and fights. Dat's all ah've heard about dat.
(What about a white candle? Would a white candle do anything?)
Ah've nevah heard. Ah 'pose dat brings peace.
Entry 2782
Red candle's fo' love, and green candle's mostly fo' money, and yellow candle's fo' affectionate of [affection in] the home, and white candle's fo' peace and harmony and also, jes' like if anybody be real sick de last time, dey burns a white candle and reads a piece in de Bible sometime.
(What about black candles?)
Black candles - people kill you with black candles.
Entry 2783
Black candles represents death. White candles represents peace. Red candles represent blood.
(Do you know how they are used?)
Yo' burn the black candles late at night fo' death an' yo' burn six or seven candles fo' death. White candles bring peace. Yo' burn sometimes three candles. Sometimes yo' burn six of dem candles. Dat brings luck to yore home. But also yo' burns in- cense. Church's incense is good incense tuh burn wit de candles fo' tuh make the home happy.
Entry 2784
Black candles - them is directly fo' enemies. De blue ones is fo' luck and de white ones are fo' luck. And dese here red ones is for whiskey drinking
[to reform a drunkard].
The informant’s whiskey-drinking wording is followed by a separate editorial explanation.
Entry 2785
Well, you take a black candle and burn it - that black candle is death.
(Well, how would you do that?)
Well, you take black candle - you can take a black candle and burn that on your name. Well, that's to kill you. (Well, how do you mean, burn it on the name? Just write your name on a piece of paper?) Just write your name on a piece of paper and put it underneath that black can- dle. And a white candle is for luck. And also a red candle is for luck. But that black candle, that's a sign of death.
The informant calls a black candle a sign of death, contrasting white and red candles described as for luck.
Entry 2786
Ah've heard tell of 'em burning candles. Ah've heard tell of 'em burn- ing whut is known as de black candle in the house an' dey says that would keep it from being rented - make it very, very unlucky. Heard of 'em burning candles - red fo' bad luck or white fo' good luck. An' there is a gold candle dat chew kin burn that will bring money into the home. [For another meaning of gold, see 2776, p.797.]
Entry 2787
If yo' wanta git a job, yo' find out his name an' take an' go tuh de drug sto' an' buy yo' a red candie an' a yellah candle an' a white one. Yo' writes his name on dem candle an' burn dem three candle. One candle - de white candle is fo' success and de yellah candle is fo' money. The red candle is fo a wish fo' a job.
(Do you burn these all at once?)
Burn all of 'em all at once. An' again at five a'clock in de mawnin' say yore wishes.
(How long do you burn them?)
Burn 'em till de' burn up - let 'em burn up themselves.
Entry 2788
Take an' write a person's name on a candle - yo' see dese big yellah candles, an' write a person's name on a candle an' light dat candle an' let it burn, so dey says. Dat's fo' doin' 'way wit a person. Dat will kill 'em. They will dry up an' go off lak dat. [Person turns yellow like a leaf and drys up.]
The informant reports, 'so dey says', a candle practice meant to do away with a person; the yellowing explanation is bracketed editorial matter.
Entry 2789
When yo' biddin' [= inviting, Matt. 12:9.] customers, yo' should burn incense. Yo' should use yellah candle - burn yellah candles in de mawnin', soon in de mawnin' roun' six an' five a'clock in de mawnin'. Yo' supposed to burn one up - it's certain things yo' burn candles up fo'. Yo' burn de yellah candle - dat's supposed tuh make yo' have success. An' yo' burn yore white candle fo money an' yo' goin' in business, an' yo' use chamber lye, a little yore chamber lye an' sugah fo' tuh draw yore trade. Yo' takes an' mops wit it, see. Mop yore floor right good wit a little chamber lye an' sugah an' lye, an' mop yore flo right good. [Yellow meaning success also means money.]
Entry 2790
You see, you take a - that's right, if you couldn't get the name - if you could get the name, you could make 'em bring it back. (Well, how would you do it then, if you got the name?) If you could get the name, you see, you take their name and you write it down nine times and you set it - you fold the paper to you just like this [demonstrates]. Take the corners of the paper and fold it to you, fold the name to you and then you put it up under that candle and burn it; and before nine days go, he be back with it.
(What color candle do you burn for that?)
You burn a green candle for that too.
(Well, why do you burn a green candle?)
Well, they do's the work more quicker than the white - than those other can- dles. The black candles, they for death."
Entry 2791
But if you have a idea of a person that did it, an indication that she did took it - well, you get their name and you put a candle on it. You can put a brown candle, and they'll come back and say they've taken it, but - "Ah took it but ah is wrong, '' and admit to you. Yes, sir - brown candle. [A brown candle is sometimes burned to St. Anthony, who in general folklore helps to recover lost articles - FACI, 1st ed., No. 8465, p.421; 2ed., No. 13159, p.583; in this latter, "Some say you must say three prayers to St. Anthony before beginning the search."]
Entry 2792
White can'les [candles] is for white people. They burn that [candle standing] in a white rum and white loaf sugar. (You. mean a white person does this?) No, no. That white can'le is for a white person like if you got chure landlord worrying you a whole lot, choo understand. Well, git choo a white can'le and you light that white can'le six o'clock in the morning and if it goes out, burns out, joo light one at twelve, you see, and six o'clock in evening. You put it in a saucer with white rum and loaf sugar and de names under it. [Informant continues same rite with additions.] Well, get his name and burn your can'le. Burn your can'le for him. If he is a white man, burn your can'le on the white man with the white rum like I first told you, and smoke yourself.
(How do you smoke yourself?)
Well, you get you a new can'le and you get you some dragon's blood. You can smoke that - that's successful - or either the Japanese incense. You smoke that as you take your bath in sea-salt water (see Sea Salt, p.718) and when you go round him, well you can put your piece of John de Conker in your mouth and you spit all round.
(White candle? He's a white boss?)
Yes, sir. Nine times [spit].
Entry 2793
[This sounds like pink pill for pale people.]
Well, go an' write his name three times, de bossman's name - yore name first an' his underneat'; but all straight, not backwards. Dat's fo' good. Now, yo' use dis Toulouse Syrup an' steel dust. Yo' gits dat from de drug sto', de Toulouse Syrup, an' yo' put dat name in dere an' yo' puts dat light on dat. Fo' a man yore color, yo' would use a pink light - a white man, a pink light, yo' see an' burn dat. Put chure name first, his underneath three times, an' put it undah dat light, undah that pink light an' he'll send fo' yo'.
Entry 2794
Well, dey got some women that hustles, they got candles they burn an' dey got de white candles - dey is fo' white men. De red candle is fo' a dark man [= Negro - see next title]. An' dey got a black can- dle, dey burns dat tuh keep de enemv mens away - dat's like a man whut would come aroun' an' ain't got much money tuh spend; dey much ruther fo' dese othah mens tuh come, whut dey burnin' de white an' de red candle on. Well, dem is good people. But chew burn de black candle tuh keep de police- man away. See, de policeman is her enemy in her racket of hustlin'. Well, dat's fo' her tuh burn three candles a day. She burns one tuh St. Raymond an' she burns one to de Mothah of Perpetual help. She burns dat to those saints. Well, wit all dose mens comin - white men an' othah wealthy men with money - dese mens goin' come, but de policeman nevah come tuh her do'.
Entry 2795
You take his name and you write his name nine times and you write jours nine times on top of it. You place it in a saucer. You put dat honey, cinamint [cinnamon], drawin' powder, aroun' his name. If he's a white man, you gon'a burn a green can'le and his name wrote backwards on that can'le. You burn it bottom upward fer nine day. You'll dress yourself. Furce, you git choo some honey, you git dat loaves of sugar, an' you put dat in water and you'll boil it. You git choo some parsley an' let it git hot not boilin'. You take a bath wit dat. And you put choo nine pods of garlic in your pocket. And you go to the bossman: chewin' a piece of John de Conker root. When you git to him you spit. Then you'll ask him concernin' yore Job. And he have to give some kin'a def'nan [definite] answer.
(What if.the boss is a colored man?)
You do the same thing, but choo burn diff'ran can'le. If he's a black man, you burn a red can'le; if he's a brown-skin man, you burn a blue. If he's a dark man, you use a red can'le on him. [Informant gives variant of preceding rite.] You write his name nine times, you [a woman] write yours on top of his nine times, and place it in a new saucer that never was used or a [new] plate. You put nine loaves of sugar aroun' there, you put honey, you put steel dust, you put drawing powder in there. And you light that can'le bottom upward with his name wrote on the can'le, too. [His and her names each nine times were on a slip of paper under the candle.] And that'll draw him home.
Entry 2796
Yo' kin go to drug sto' an' buy whut chew call dese lucky candles an' yo' light 'em an' yo' burn em. Go tuh de drug sto' an' yo' ask fo' lucky candles - see, jis' lucky candles. Some of 'em are blue an' some of 'em are red - jis' any color, but jis' ask fo' lucky candles. Well, yo' take it in yore room an' yo' burn it - see, from seven a'clock in de mawnin' until nine in de mawnin'. See. An' den yo' git some of dis heah - git some of that oil that drip from this candle an' put chew some kinda loud perfume on it dat smell - yo' know, 'tract peoples' 'tenshun. An' when yo' go aroun' 'em - jis' lak it's a man, yo' know, why he'll fall fo' yo'. Yo' 'tract his 'tenshun. Well, yo' go tuh talkin' to him an' de closer he git to yo', de mo' dat odor yo' git. See, he'll fall fo' yo'.
Entry 2797
Burn incense. Burn dis rosewood incense or yo' kin burn a red candle dat's fo' fast tuck an' the green candle. Those is lucky candles. (Well, now, suppose you were fixing that up for me. Suppose I was selling liquor here or something. Just how would you burn those candles?) Yo' burns 'em six a'clock in de mawnin' an' nine a'clock an' twelve - three in de evenin' an' six in de evenin'. Yo' must burn 'em on de proper hours. [They are burned every three hours on the third hour or its multiples between sunrise and sunset.]
(You use one green and one red?)
Yes.
(And how long do you burn them?)
About twenty minutes. Burn dem in de house.
(That is to bring in trade for bootlegging and that sort of thing?)
Yes.
Entry 2798
Burning what dey call de lucky candles to keep evil from 'em. Take some little small candle about de size of yore forefinger and dey will keep dat candle burning in de house all day. Dat what dey call de lucky candle.
(What color are those candles? Ordinary candles?)
Small white candles.
(Do they burn only one?)
Jest one.
Entry 2799
Yo' take a white candle an' yo' take a red candle. Yo' burn the white candle in the back an' de red candle in de front of yore place of business. Then yo'll take about - that oriental incense is the best - git about five piles of it an' yo' burn it, say fo' instance, in fo' corners of de house as near as yo' kin git. Say fo instance if the house got mo' den one room, say if it's three rooms, yo' put one in this corner an' one in dis corner [of the front room] an' one in the othah corner of the last room an' one in the othah corner [of the back room] an' put this fifth one in de middle [of the middle room]. [The two far corners of the front and back rooms, and the center of the middle room - these five points create a quincunx. The center of a crossroad is also a quincunx and a magic spot. See Quincunx, p.710.] Yo' understan' an' yo' burn that. That's supposed to bring the customers.
Entry 2800
For luck, you get some incense.
(To dress your house for luck?)
Yes, sir, some incense. Now, I've tried that. And get three candles - red, white and blue and burn them one hour apiece at night and pour some Lucky Heart Perfume on there, and that will make people come to your house.
(Lucky Heart Perfume?)
Yes.
(Where do you buy that? At the store - drug store?)
Yeah, in Memphis. There's a firm in Memphis has that. (Oh, I see. Well, how do you burn these three candles? Do you burn them all at once, or one and then the other?) You burn one - like you burn the red one tonight, the white one de next night and the blue the next. But you don't burn 'em but a hour at a time. Do that for nine nights.
(And what time do you light that candle?)
Light it when everybody is out of your room, gone, and don't let nobody in your room while it's burning.
(Do you light this at any particular time? Like nine o'clock or ten?)
Seven-thirty, if you kin get people out of de room, or else you gotta go to a higher number - nine-thirty or eleven-thirty.
(At night?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 2801
A white one - yo' kin burn it on a man, write his name. Git this ridgy candles - yo' know this white ridge, yo' know they got a ridge on 'em. Yeah, dey got candles wit ridges on 'em. De white one, we call it decorated candles. Yo' take an' write his name wit a needle in those ridges all de way round de candles - see on dat ridge all de way around every one of those ridge, an' yo' burn that candle, lak yo' burned it one hour in de daytime. All right, den yo' blow it out. Den yo' burn it at night one hour. Dat will make him come back home.
(You just burn it for one day?)
No, yo' burn it fo' three days straight.
(You mean these candles that have ridges like a barber pole?)
Dat's right - write his name in those ridges. [Some of these candles must have ridges twisted spirally; other have untwisted ridges horizontally about candle.]
Entry 2802
Dey take hit [photograph] an' bury it upside down. Either take hit an put a light to dat, de photograph, an' burn it upside down - lak heah's de photo- graph an' yo' put chure light dere an' dose cup Zights. Yo' know, dey got dose little cup candles an' den de little glasses whut dey fit, an' put his name dere - write hit backwards.
(On the photograph.)
Yeah. An' put his undah dere an' de glass on top. Dat runs him crazy. (You turn the photograph down. You put the name on it backwards and put this candle in the glass on top of it and burn it.) Dat's right.
Entry 2803
You take his name, the boss's name, and put it in a soup plate.
(In a soup plate?)
In a soup plate.
(Just write his name once on a piece of paper?)
Nine times, and put it in that soup plate and light a candle and set it on it - a little short candle, fat candle. (A little short, fat candle - like they burn in the church? A white one?) A white one - that helps you get a job. Changes his
[boss's] mind.
The informant directs lighting a short, fat candle in the written-name account. The job and mind-change effects remain source claims.
Entry 2804
(Dr. Lemson used to use?)
Yes. It was a tall candle - it was a black candle. They call that a death candle. And when that one finished burning, after burning on the individual name - sign the individual name nine ways, see, backwards though, and burn that candle. And as the candle burn, as [so] they begin to droop away; when the candle is done - well, they done.
Entry 2805
I have seed de candle - it was made de shape of a man. And he [friend of informant] was running with de same woman he [second man] had, and he [friend] burnt de candle to run him away. Well, ah believe that was true because he left and he ain't come back there yet. That was in Cary, Miss. Well, he [victim] was a young man. And this other [friend] man, he come down here somewhere in Vicksburg and got it, and he lit it and they say he would burn it every - think it was every twenty minutes or thirty minutes he would burn it. Every now and then he would put it out - it would burn gradually. And at last when it burned down to the feets of it - it was made the shape of a man - well, this boy left town. Well, he left - he never been back there no more. And ah seed de candle cause his wife - his old lady showed it to me.
(What sort of color was it?)
Hit was a kind of different colors - it was pink and red colors. The head of it was pink and it had a black hat on it with - you know, painted with black. And the part down here was red like and it was.
(You mean the lower part?)
The lower part - down at the feets part was red. And they said when it would burn down to that, he would leave then.
(Where did he get that candle?)
Well, he supposed to have got it from a hoodoo, so she [friend's wife] told me.
Entry 2806
Well, dey have something that you asked me about, de candles - you know, burning candles. Dey have the dragon's-blood candles which is called Ole Banum's Tears. You know what dat is. Ole Banum's tears - tears like from your eyes. They come in teardrops. You can go to a peculiar drugstore an' places and buy these things, and it looks like a candle, and you burn them almost always in a place like that, you see, and it seems to have a tendency to change, to influence people towards yuh. Say for n'instance, you are mad at me this morning. Well, now when you leave, if you would leave, I'd burn two or three of these little pieces - they come off jest like teardrops. I'd burn that chip off 'em and that supposed to change the influence towards - of you towards me. But as: long as I burn that, everything will go along smoothly.
(Well, now what do those tears have to do with that bag [toby] you made?)
That all goes together.
(What do you do with that?)
It's working for the same purpose - you keep this [toby] you see.
(You wear that.)
That will cause people to have a mind at times to give you more.
(Then you burn the tears in addition?)
That's when someone gets angry. You don't do that unless you see they have a untowards feeling towards you.
Entry 2807
Yo' takes 'em, yellah ones - yo' takes 'em an' burns 'em. An' in dose candles be's a number an' in dat number, might say 25 or 12 or 11, whatsomever it may be, why den they. takes dat an'. plays it on bolito game. All right, den de scent from dat, dat's luck in yore home. Dat keeps de officer - dere's something else yo' burn wlt it - whenever dey come in dey can't stand dat scent.
(Keeps officers away.)
Entry 2808
(What kind of a candle is it?) A black candle. Yo' light dat candle and set it on anything dat it will set up on, and to de bottom of dat candle between de candle and de stool it sets on, it's some letters under dere.
(What are these letters on?)
Dey on de stuff whut de candles made out of, de tallow an' stuff - it jes' made into dat yo' see. And den when yo' burn dose candles and yo' git dat letter down dere - de candles is burnt clean down, and when yo' git dat candle burnt clean down, why den yo' kin see dose letters. Yo' kin take dem letters [printed] on a piece of paper, not thin paper, it's kinda of a - ah don't know whut chew call it. It kinda look like glass, but chew kin fold dat - yo' kin fold dat thing in a""v". (Is it what they call parchment? [He does not understand the word - see my comment later for this paper like glass.] Is it a square piece or what?) It's round like a candle. Yo' kin fold it in a square [make two opposite sides of circumference meet] like yo' wanta, des [jes'] any way yo' wanta. It's kind of a doubled-up piece like yo' seen dis little ole tissue paper kind of stuff like dat - bend it any way but it won't break, but it looks like glass. Well, de letters made on dat. An' then yo' take dat and you fold dat in a "v" an' yo' carries it to de cemetery befo' nine 'clock in de morning and bury it n de grave. Well, den dere's no harm dey kin do you in dat way [by burning a can- dle on you], but whatsomever was goin' happen tuh yo' it'll happen to whosomevah burnt dat candle on yo'. [Methods to stop a candle burning against you are given at the end of this subsection.] (Then, if someone was trying to harm me, I would burn this black candle to protect myself. That the idea?) Oh, shure. Now, if somebody don't beat chew dere and git dem letters. Some- time yo' know yo' burn a candle and jest go on 'bout chure business and don't pay it any more 'tention. People coming in dey know whut's dat fo', dey kin git dat candle - dem letters. But yo' jes' take dem candle ef yo' don't wanna do any- thing else with 'em - jes' keep 'em dere or throw 'em away or something like dat. (In other words, if you were burning a candle for me and I knew about it, and I got there when those letters were still there, and I took those letters and.) Yes sir, dat's whut ah mean. [The piece of paper looking like glass happens to be what I suggested it was, parchment, imitation of course; and the letters are not alphabetic but a design, prayer or word written or stamped on this paper. Here we have a seal, a variety of Hands (p.643 and Index). Seals comes in various sizes and shapes; the present one a circular piece of parchment fitting the bottom of the candle. By burning the candle a person releases the seal from the candle stump. Sometimes the can- dle is pressed or molded into the small glass container called stool by informant
(see No.2811, p.806.]
Entry 2809
Git a high-power blue candle and write his name on it seven times, and git a bottle of Jockey Club Perfume and roll in dere, and burn it five minutes three time a day. Say that will bring him back. (What do you do with that perfume?) Roll de candle in it. [See margin-titles Rolling Candle.]
(What time during the day do you burn that candle?)
Six, twelve, six.
Entry 2810
Take a candle and you pay a quarter for it. (Take a candle.) Pay 25c and it burns eight days. You set that candle for eight days and let it burn, and in the eighth day he'll get you a job, whether he done turn you off or not. He maybe done turn you off, but by you burning that candle on the bossman, that will make him reflect in his mind and take you back. I've seen it happen.
(I see. What color candle would that be?)
Be white.
(White candle.)
Yes, slr.
Entry 2811
Take a candle and burn it - a certain candle there you burn nine days, see. That's a long candle. Put in the party's name, writing it nine times on the candle. Burn the candle very slowly nine days. As the candle burns they get weaker and weaker. They have another [candle] just about this long, sign the party's name backwards, cutting the end of the candle off. Sign the party's name and burn it upside down. That's to draw back. Like if you have a woman or anything and it goes away, well that will draw her back. Well in eight days her mind will come back home. She will admit herself that she done wrong. Don't light it from the end. You generally light - turn it upside down, light it from the bottom.
Entry 2812
If a man is takin' in money in business, it's a candle yo' call sixty- hour candle. It burns in a cup - yo' cain't git 'em heah - an' yo' light dat candle. If yo' light it dis mawnin', yo' light it at six a'clock an' it'll burn all day. It'll burn from now till in de mawnin', an' when dat burns out, why yo' don't burn anothah one den fo' 'bout two or three days. [This is a special time-skipping magic.] An' den aftah yo' burn anothah one, why yo' write a note. Yo' write whut chew wish fo' on dis note an' yo' set it undah dat glass dat dis candle is burnin' on, an' yo' write, "De Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, '' on dis papah. Well, yo' fold this papah three times an' yo' place it undah this glass where this candle is burnin'. Dat's fo' tuh draw customers.
(After you burn two of them, you put this under the third candle, then?)
Yo' burn it undah de same candle. But chew make yore wishes every time yo' light one. De first candle yo' make yore wishes whut chew wanta do, an' de sec- ond candle yo' make yore wish, an' de candle yo' put chew a note.
(This candle is a little fat candle isn't it?)
Yeah, it's a little yellah candle.
The informant instructs writing a Father, Son and Holy Ghost formula. Candle timing and the claimed customer result remain source descriptions.
Entry 2813
You write the Our Father Prayer. You write it down. Now after her writing the Our Father Prayer down - you write it down with an indelible pencil. You take this man name. (The boss's name.) And you write it down nine times, but you write your first name first, then you write the boss- man's name down there nine times, toward you.
(I see. You write the names down over this prayer or near it or what?)
You write this whole prayer.
(Yes. And where do you write the names?)
On another piece of paper.
(Oh! All right, I understand.)
On another piece of paper. See, when you write this man's name, write the name down nine times, then you get you some cinnamon, sugar, and you put that together. Get a white and blue candle - see, white is for truth and blue is true.
(White is for truth.)
And blue is for true.
(Blue is for true.)
True and truth.
(Oh, I see - one's true and one's truth.)
Yes, then you take and you take the candles and you do that the same, like if you was going to court. See, that's the - that's for drawing 'em in your favor. You take the candle and you bite it - the head of it off.
(You mean that little ridge?)
Yes, you bite that off.
(You bite that off. All right.)
Then you take the bottom-side of this candle and you bite it off. Then you take and you light this candle. [Light the new wick.] Before you light it, you put your name on there - you put your name and you put his. Then sprinkle sugar and cinnamon around that. Like a altar is here - well, you got it right there. You got one blue candle here and the white candle there. Now you got both names. You got his name written on both candles and your name written on both candles. You light them.
(You write the names just once?)
Over his.
(His once?)
No, you see, write his name - write your name first. Like my name is John Hall, I put John Hall down; and his name may be Alec Bruce, you put Alec Bruce here. John Hall-Alec Bruce, John Hall - Alec Bruce ~ on this candle.
(On the candle.)
But you got the candle upside down. Nine times.
(Nine times. You turn that candle upside down?)
[Confusion! Informant says nine times, I repeat nine times. Nine times what? Candle upside down? No. He finally answers my preceding question - you write the names just once. This is the delayed explanation I just mentioned (2750, p.758). Sometimes the delayed explanation never comes; at other times regard- less of the closest attention to informant's thought and words, I miss a neces- sary question, or having asked it forget and fail to repeat it. In Interviews section later reader will be able to follow better fieldwork question problems.] Upside down. Remember, you done bit it off at both ends and you got it up- side down when you light it, see. And you light this candle and you put some stuff [melted wax] where it will hold a little, and you put some on the other - do likewise on the other [candle]. And then you get your sugar - sprinkle your sugar and then sprinkle your cinnamon. Let it come to like a head. [The base of the candle stands in a conical mound of sugar covered with cinnamon.] Well, [as] if this wax run down off this candle, it'll run down into this sugar. See. If you can prepare this before, say nine days [before you ask for the job], and do this for nine days straight, you got him [the boss]. You go to him and sit down and talk to him. He may be a man of quick-speaking way - kind of rough- like. You'll find he won't be so rough. You go to him and he'll sit down and talk to you. He'll reason that you can [do the work. Use] your sense of humor with him, you more than apt to get the job. See. More so than any other body. (I see. Now, I just want to make this thing straight. Now, here's the little altar. Here's your blue candle here and the white candle is here.) Yeah, the blue and white.
(I see.)
That's for good. Whenever you want to do good you use blue and white. (It doesn't make any difference what side of the altar they are on?) [Left or right. Or, since altar faces east, north or south side.] Either side.
(Then you put the sugar in the center?)
You put the sugar around the candles.
(Around each candle?)
Yeah, you just - see [demonstrates], the candles is about that close together so that the blue [melted wax] will mix with the white.
(Where do you put the sugar - right where the candles touch?)
You see, like this is one candle here and here's one right here. Well, you put the sugar around this candle, just like that - both candles, just like that, some going there and there, just around, see. And as this white [wax] run down, it'll run into this [sugar and] cinnamon - it'll mix, and the blue and white can- dle will - both will run right into each other and mix with each other. See, will run right down. That way when it goes down, it going to get warm; well, it melts this sugar and cinnamon and it commence to - it comes together. (Now, this candle, you bite off the head so that when you turn it upside down, it will stand up there; and you bite off the bottom so that you can light it. I understand, now.) Yes, sir.
Entry 2814
Take dey photograph, lak a photograph pitchure [not a tintype], if yore ole man is away. Tuh bring him back, yo' git a black candle an' write his name on de black candle, an' put a glass of watah down 'side de candle. Light de candle an' den lay his pitchure 'side de candle, an' let de candle burn an' yo' make a wish. Dat's tuh git him back if he's gone, if yo' got his pit- chure.
Entry 2815
Well, if you know the person that stole, that stole from you, all you have to do is take their name, you understand. And write it down nine times - write their name down nine times and turn it face down, you understand. And light you four white candles on it there and get you some of this - get you some incense and a piece of that coal. (Coal - black coal?) This little black coal they gives you with that when you buys that - with that incense. And light that incense. You light that coal [charcoal] and that in- cense will burn, you understand. And that incense will burn over this name, you understand, underneath the candles. [Since the incense burns "over this name...underneath the candles," it is evi- dent that the incense container rests on whatever the candles stand. I suggest that four candles with incense pot or lid in the center form the magic Quincunx, I have mentioned several times. See also p.710 and Index.] And in nine days that person'll come right back there and acknowledge to you that they took whatsomever they had taken from you.
(That coal must be burned, though?)
That coal burns, yes sir. That coal burns and burns that incense, see.
The informant prescribes four white candles. The editor separately suggests an arrangement; the predicted return and confession remain source claims.
Entry 2816
(What other illustration could you give me now, if they were burning a black candle on you?) If they burning a black candle on you? Well, you take - go and get you. (What do they do now?) Take a black candle and a piece of yellow paper, wrapping paper, and they writes the name down on it nine times, and then they writes the name of you on that candle, around that candle, and they wraps that paper around that candle and light it. And as this candle burns down, well, it's burning your name. They calls it to drag you - you'll suffer with headaches and all that stuff.
Entry 2817
[They] say that you take a black can'le. And you write the name down on a piece of paper and you wrap it around that [candle]. You put it [a second paper with the name] in a tin plate. And take this party's pitchure and turn it upside down, and burn it [see later] to this black can'le for nine days and grad'lly this person will mold [or molt] away.
(You write the name on that paper once?)
Yeah. You put it [candle] on top of the name and around the name [name around candle]. No [correcting answer to my question], you write the name on there nine times. You write it nine times on one piece and three times on the other piece.
(You use two pieces of paper?)
One wrapped around the candle and one under the candle.
(Which has the nine times?)
The paper under the plate should have the name on it nine times. [The paper with three names, wrapped about candle, burns while candle burns; the paper with nine names lies beneath the plate on which the candle stands; the- photograph in your path of vision rests behind the candle, though not in the plate, and can be either face-down on the surface of what is being used for an altar, or leaning head-down against some object. Informant's burn it to this black can'le could be a slip of the tongue, but more likely the photograph is burning to the black candle - the spirit of the photograph and the spirit in the names under the plate symbolically or sympathetically burning with the spirit name about the candle. Naturally, if the word may be used, the triple-divided spirit (see pp.20-24) of the victim does not burn or die, it gradually deserts the body of the dying person.]
Entry 2818
Yo' use the black candle. Dey says yo' git a lemon an' yo' use cai- yanne peppah, yo' use black peppah, an' de name wrote backwards. Lak mah name is Viola, see - Dorsey, dat's mah name. All right. Well, yo write Dorsey Viola. Each form dey cross it. De name's back- wards, yo' see, an' yo' put de cai-yanne peppah an' all kinds of peppah an' cut that lemon an' put that down in there, yo' see. An' put it upside down, an' yo' put dat black candle on dere. Dat kin be used fo' breakin' up men an' wimmin - yo see, lak a man is with anothah woman. Mah husban' would be wit anothah woman an' he wus tryin' tuh fo'saken me an' ah'd break dem up. Well, yo' kin use a black candle an' [or] yo' kin use a green candle - dat's fo' sweetenin', yo' see. An yo' use dat upside down - stead of usin' de stem [wick] yo' use it upside down an' light dat candle into a tin cup, yo' see, but down in dat lemon - an' de name down in de lemon. (Whose name would you write? Your husband's name in there and this woman's name? Both?) Yes, but write 'em backwards an' crossways. See, heah ah come [demonstrates]. Lak it's me, yo' see, ah come straight. Heah de husban' right cross dere, but it all must be backwards. Let de las' name be de first, an' de first name be las'.
(How long do you burn that candle on there?)
Well, you burn that candle. Dey supposed tuh burn it nine days - nine days dat's tuh break 'em up.
(Do you light it any particular time? Put it out any particular time?)
Well, no, she goes out herself. Now, yo' see yo' light that light at six a'clock. She supposed tuh burn from six tuh six, yo' see, if it's not too warm, or not too much air dat would git to it. See, burn it from six tuh six an' if yo' wanted to, jes' keep it on till it burn, until it six in de night. She burn it from six dat mawnin' till dat night. She put it agin at six in de evenin' an' keep a'goin' till dose nine days is up.
(You say that you would use a green candle if you wanted to break them up?)
That's fo'saken 'em.
(And you use a black candle if you want to do what?)
Tuh break 'em up, too. Dat's breakin' up, too; green an' black. Dat's right.
Entry 2819
They could take dat handwriting an' git some red ink - git a bottle a red ink and write chure same writing. Take off whut chew got wrote dere - copy dat off, see, wit red ink on de back de letter whut chew done wrote on dis side. Hit kin be turned over an' be wrote ovah agin wit red ink. (On the back side - but you have to trace just what they wrote on the other side?) That's right. Yore words have tuh be traced offa there with that red ink. [If you receive a letter in black ink, turn the sheet over and on the reverse side trace the letter in red ink. You will be writing backwards. The so-called writing. of names backwards is merely a magic exchange of two objects - first and last names - one behind the other version. By turning the back of the letter up- side down you can by tracing also write upside down.] Then a red candle - take yore letter an' yore name is already on de letter - take de lettah and take de red candle and wrap de candle up with de letter all de [way] roun'. An' wrap it [demonstrates] all de roun' lak dat - jes' leave out a point of de candle, but de candle is covered up wit de letter. An' de individual make dere wish whut would happen tuh yo', even ef yo's on a switch engine or some kinda brakeman or engine' or somepin lak dat. Whatsomever dey say, dey jes' wish dat train 'ud wreck - dey wish somepin would happen tuh yo', you'd fall off de engine or somepin like dat. Dat same thing will happen tuh yo'. Light dat can- dle an' burn dat candle ten minutes every day twelve 'clock until de letter and de candle is burnt, an' somepin other will happen to de parties whut wrote dis letter.
(At twelve o'clock noon or at midnight.)
Noon in de daytime.
Entry 2820
To burn a black candle - they takes a black candle - they burns a black candle when they's - like if you going get - like you done got arrested. You understand what I mean? (I got arrested?) You got arrested - the policeman done arrest you, you understand. Now 'fore your trial come up, well they'll carry - some of your people, you know, go to this hoodoo doctor and he'll take this black candle and take the judge's and the policeman name and write that - you understand, write that down three times. After they write that down.
(On what?)
On a piece of paper - tablet, you know, a clean sheet of paper. Write that down three times backward. They'll put it underneath of the candle and put it in a cup. And put it underneath of the candle and set this candle on top of that cup and light it two or two and a half days before the trial come up. You under- stand, just before the trial come up. And then when the trial do come up, the policeman, he more than apt to appear against you. You understand. See, even if he do appear against you, he'll be with you and the judge will dismiss you.
Entry 2821
Yes, it make fuss and trouble. Well, they'd write your name on that candle. Take a black candle and write your name on it - into that candle ~ three times around each side of it. And they'd light that candle, and when that candle is lit - when that candle burn down, you suffer with a miserable headache, and it goes down with the candle.
Entry 2822
And de red can'le, if it's somebody off dat chew would want dem to come, wal yo' burn dat red can'le. Yo' take de red can'le and you write dem folks name, whosomever de name be's, and you write dere names on dere five times, yo' see - you write it round, see. (Just straight around, just like a ring?) Dat's right, five times, and den you take a teaspoonful of sweet oil and a tea- Spoonful of honey and a teaspoonful of brown sugar [three ingredients] and put it together in a bowl - jes' a little neat bowl, and put de can'le down in dere and Jes' burn dat can'le. In five days time de folks you wanta see will be dere.
(Do you burn that at any special time?)
Yassuh, yo' burn it six 'clock each morning. Dat's all.
Entry 2823
With your water - they can take your water and put it in a bottle and they would boil it, and they could put [in] that steel dust and that lodestone. That lodestone and steel dust is a powerful thing. They can put that in there and they can take that can [bottle] with that water and keeps it in a corner and put your name on it - write your name seven times. (On what?) Seven times and wrap it around the bottle, you see, and keep it in the corner, and burn a black candle on it. See.
(And what will that do?)
Well, that's to keep yore mind - run you, you know, crazy-like. You see, your mind be all upset, you understand.
(What did you say they do with that water? Just bottle it up, you say?)
You take that water and you put it in a bottle and you boil it.
Entry 2824
Write a person's name on a piece of paper nine times for them to come to stay, and put it in a saucer and light a red candle, or a blue for true love for them to come. That's their way. If you ditch him and you ever see him with some - they happen to be with somebody else, you get you a black candle and write his name on a piece of paper and put that candle in that saucer and lay that - lay him right under it. And if [as] this candle molt down, that person'll molt - that's a[say] dry up and molt away.
Entry 2825
When yo' wants tuh bring one back - dey gone an' yo' wants dem tuh git back. Well, den yo' go tuh work den an' git a candle, an' have dis name wrote nine times backwards - not correct writin', backwards yo' see. An' put it undah de candle an' light de candle, an' let de candle burn till one a'clock. Yo' light it at twelve an' let it burn till one, yo' see. An' den if he's away, when dat candle burn out he'll be back, yo' see.
(What kind of candle would you use in a case like that?)
In a case lak dat why yo' use one of dese heah red candles.
Entry 2826
(What would they do if they got my photograph?)
Well, your photograph - this here - of course they don't use those tintypes no more. But you could take your photograph like that. You could take a candle. Just like if you want to do evil, well you could take a black candle; if you want peace or love, well you take a blue or green candle. You take that candle and you take a pin, start from the top and you write her name coming down, all the way around, coming down until you get to the bottom. [Demonstrates.] (You write her name right around it with this pin. You scratch her name on that candle right down like a barber's pole, down to the bottom.) Yeah. Then after you get it [written], you get a little small can - get a little small can like that and you put it, the candle down in that.
(What color candle are you using now?)
Using a green one.
(A green one. All right.)
And you take it and you put it down in there - just about a half of that cup- ful of water. [Water is in the can.] You taken her picture - don't put it where it could catch afire, but set it over that and you light that candle. Well, that candle will burn. Just like you set it at nine - that's if you want her to be on a grief about you - you set that candle at nine and you take it off at twelve. Put that candle out. But whilst you got that candle burning, you have her photo- graph turned down right over that.
(Now wait a minute. That photograph is in front of the can? Outside?)
Yes, just set it over there where it wouldn't catch fire from the heat from the candle.
(Wait a minute. The photo isn't over the can?)
No.
(It's leaning against the can?)
Leaning toward the candle [but against can].
(And her picture is upside down?)
That's right.
(All right.)
Then you take it.
(You light it at nine in the morning and nine at night?)
Nine in the morning and at twelve o'clock in the day you take it out. And you light it at nine o'clock [in the morning] and at twelve o'clock, you puts it out.
(All right. Then what?)
That puts her on a grief. Then you change that picture. Every morning you do that for three morning - three nines and three twelves. See.
(How do you mean, you change that picture?)
Just like if you got it turned bottom upwards, then you take that picture anc turn in crossways.
(Sideways?)
Just like that. Yes.
(Each day.)
Yeah, first nine [in the morning] you have it bottom upwards, second nine you got it crossways, and three [third] nine you got it straight up again.
(Head down?)
Yes.
(Every day you turn that picture a different way in front of the can?)
In front of the candle.
(You turn it three times because you are burning it three days?)
Three days.
(All right. Go ahead.)
Then afterwards you take it out. After you take the three days out, well you take this picture every day at twelve o'clock for seven days at twelve o'clock. You read the prayers - just like you take the morning prayers, see, of Moses - the prayer of - any kind of prayer - "The Lord be our Shepherd" - and well then, you read that prayer every day at twelve o'clock.
(Is this before you put the candle out or after you put the candle out?)
No, you hain't got the candle burning a'tall, then. You just reading to that picture - you just praying to.
(At twelve o'clock after you put the candle out?)
Yes. Then, regardless of where that woman at, she is worried - she's worried, she coming back to you.
Entry 2827
Well, if dey wanta git chew down - if yo' doing all right and ain't bothering nobody and a person begrudge yo's gettin' along, dey'll burn black can'les. Dey'll take dose black can'les and dey'll git chure full name and dey write yore full name nine times around dat can'le - write it straight like dis Idemonstrates], and turn it around and den write it like dis, and turn it around an' write it like dat. Write it nine times around de can'le. (Just a moment now. Here's the candle up and down. I write the name across like that. Then I turn the candle upside down and then write it across like that.) Up and down de candle. It's gen'lly like dis [demonstrates] - write it down like dis and den turn it up and write it like dat all de way around. Nine times. (Like a barber's pole. Only, you write it down and then you turn the candle upside down and write it the other way - [each time] around like a barber pole.) Yes sir. [The names are written up the candle and then down the candle, four names one Way and five the other. The candle is slowly twisted as the names are scratched and turned upside down only once.] And den yo' put dat can'le in some olive oil and kerosene and put dis olive oil and kerosene in some kind of deep can where it be jest about half full. And jest burn dat can le out until hit down to dat oil in dat can, and dat will make de person - whosomever dat chew hate or anything lak dat - make 'em jes' git down in hard luck and no way dey do dey can't git no kind of break atall - on de beg- ging list you might say, jest be down. See, dat's what chew call putting a per- son on [off] dey feet - chew know, dragging 'em, making 'em drag.
(Now, you only burn one candle for that - one black candle?)
One.
(Do you burn that at any special time or just any old time?)
Burn it at nine 'clock at night.
(And how long do you let it burn?)
Lets it burn five minutes at a time. Until it burns clean on out - like you burn it five minutes tonight, de next night chew burn it five minutes, and every night for five minutes, until it gits eaten down wit dat oil.
Entry 2828
Well, you get the name of the policeman that 'rrested you. Take his name, the judge's name, and the district attorneys name. You write it nine times on a piece of writing paper with ink that never has been used. Buy you a bottle of ink and a new pen, and you write their names nine times. You write your name nine times over that. You understand? You get you some honey and put it in a saucer and you burn it with those candles. You take those white candles, three of 'em, and cut the tip off and turn 'em bottom up upon there and let those candles burn out.
(When do you do this?)
You do this like if you got arrested today and you get a subpoena to go to court next week. You do that three days before you go. And the morning you've got to go to court, you go to the hydrant, or pump or well, whatever you got, wherever it be, and you catch you a cup of water. And you start out the gate, have that cup of water - and you're facing the street - throw it over your left shoulder and make your wish and never look back, just keeping on going to the court house and you'll get discharged.
Entry 2829
If yo' git de names of those persons - if yo' know de names of de ones yo' think stealed it, well yo' write their names nine times and write chure's across it. (What do you write it on?) Yo' write it on a plain piece of paper, white paper - write the name nine times. Write chure's across it an' then yo' take it an' git chew a cup of clar' water and put it down in that water. See. An' yo' put a can le on top of it. If yo' don't put de can'le on it, yo' take it an put it in yore lamp. Yo' have a oil lamp, an' put it down in that lamp an' keep that lamp continuously burning on top of it, and dat'll worry 'em so - with that name on there it'll worry 'em so, they'll have tuh come back and they'll confess to yuh.
(That they have stolen this?)
That they have stole. They'll come to yo'.
Entry 2830
You can take their name and they will move. Cross their name with the name of the landlord; that will make the landlord cross with them and he make them move. (How do you do that?) You take the landlord's name and you write it nine times, you understand. Take the person that lives in that house, write their name across it five times. Burn that underneath a black candle. That will make them move.
Entry 2831
Well, dey [hoodoos] take dese candles see, and dey would write chure name on 'em, or let chew write yore name on a piece of paper, or either let de one whut dislike yo' or something like dat, let dem write chure name on a piece of paper. Well, dey take dis paper and fold it three different ways [see 2812, p.806]. (Roll it?) No, dey fold it like - see [demonstrates], yo' fold it dat way but yo' be folding it from you all de time. Fold it dat way and yo' fold it this way. Then yo turn it ovah and fold it agin, and put it together and set de candle on top of it. [See comment later.] Well, den yo' light dat candle. Well, after de nine days is over - dey burns it nine days for nine mawnin's - after de nine mawnin's ovah, den yo'll die.
(What kind of candles do they burn?)
Well, some of 'em dey tell me is a black candle.
(When do you light that candle in the morning?)
Dey tell me dey have certain times of de morning tuh light it.
(Do you know what time?)
No, ah don't know. [The preceding folding means: (1) fold one piece of paper from you, making two folds with name inside them; (2) turn once-folded paper clockwise, away from you, and again fold from you, obtaining four folds; and (3) turn clockwise this twice-folded paper, producing eight folds. These folds are now pressed together. Symbolically, the name is completely enclosed, boxed in or squared in, its spirit unable to escape. Symbolical also are the eight folds or squares and name, which equal number nine; while candle standing above name repeats the nine - a double nine. The third symbol is the folded, actually crossed and crossed name centered among four paper corners, thus creating a quincunx (see 2799, p.802; p.710, and elsewhere). Since candle above name also creates a quincunx, we have a double quincunx or one quincunx superimposed over the other.]
Entry 2832
Yo' take an' git chew a candle an' yo' git chure lan'lord's name. Yo' fin' out de enemy whut's 'ginst yo'. Yo' take an' git chew a bran'-new tablet, linen tablet without de little lines. Yo' git chew a bran'-new indelibins [indelible] pencil [occasionally called indelicate], a bran'-new pencil have nevah been used. Yo' pull up yore sleeve an' jes' draw [demonstrates] from heah right roun' disaway - fingers.
(Outlining the fingers of your hand right on this tablet.)
Yas. Right on de tablet clean roun' to de j'ints heah, all right up dis way.
(Right up to the wrist.)
Den, aftah yo' git yore han' drawed off, yo' start markin' from yore thum' to de j'ints of yore fingers, wit little x's wit de lead pencil, an' den follow behin' 'em wit de indelibins pencil. In de pa'm of yo' han' yo' put fo' lines or five lines [for five fingers]. Yo' git all yo' enemies' names dat is 'ginst yo'. Yo' put 'em cross yore lines dat way. Den yo' put yore lan'lord up heah cross dese fo' fingers. Yo' place yore name on top of it to de heel of yore han'. (Your name will cross at right angles - cross all those names, making the form of an "x" like that. In a cross?) Yeah, yo' see [demonstrates] disaway. Dat's de way it work. Dem's de lines. Yore lan'lord heah, yo' enemy's heah. Den you take yore name an' draw it right through de middle of it dataway, right down dis way to de heel of yore han'. Den yo' git chew a candle an' git chew a papah of gold-eye needles.
(What kind of candle do you get? What color?)
Red. Git red. Yo' git chew a papah of gold-eye needles, a papah of large pins: Git chew nickel wuth new ten-penny nails. Yo' jes' set yore candle down an' den yo' take yo' a pair pliers an' grip dose needles an' shove 'em through an' make crosses in em [candles] dataway from de stem to de bottom, mix 'em up with de needles an pins. Den yo' light chure candle ovah dat han' on de dresser or wash-stand [which become an altar], somepin lak dat, or a center table, an' set it down dat way. [All of this is demonstrated.] Den yo' make yore wishes. When yo' git ready tuh put de candle out, don't blow it out, yo' ketch it an' pinch it to yo'. Yo burn it from five tuh ten tuh fifteen minutes. It goes up eve'y mawnin, don't yo' see, until it burns out. In de meantime when de candles is burnin' an' de needles an' pins is fallin out, leave 'em lay dere till de candle burn down. An'den joo got chure lan'lord.
(They can' t move you out of the house?)
Nawsuh, dey cain't move yuh.
(Do you light this candle at any particular time?)
Yassuh, yo' must light it on a time. Yo' see, yo' mus' light it in de mawnin' when de sun risin'. See, when de sun risin' yo' light chure candle an' yo' burn it. Yo' start at five minute up, as high as yo' wanta go, tuh twenty minute or twenty-five minute, yo' see. An' den yo' set dere an' make yore wishes as de candle burn. Hold yore watch on yore candle or yore clock, so yo' won't delay it none - yo' see, yo' won't run ovah yore minutes. Yo' see? Always put it on, on de exact minute. When de five minutes is out, put it out; or de ten minutes is out, put it out. Don't blow it out. Take yore fingah or yore thum' an' 'pit [spit] an' lay it on de stem [wick] an' pinch it ovah to yo' - break it off to yo' dat way, see. Den yo' got him.
(How long do you burn this candle? Until it burns all the way down?)
Till it burns all de way down. Yo' burn two an' dat's all. [For outline of hand or fingers, see 1988, p.583 & Index.]
Entry 2833
Red candle on a person - I write their name down on a piece of paper and I burn that paper to ashes and I put it in a container. And I light that candle and drip that wax down until I can sit the candle in the middle of the ashes, and I light the candle and that candle burns down into the ashes. Well I do that for nine days on that person and that person is supposed to get cut and lose blood. And if you do the same thing with a black candle it should result in the person's death.
Entry 2834
Well, the first thing you would do, you would get some saltpeter and sugar and Eagle Lye. And you scrub that house with it to dispel all evil that has been there from people that moved out - jinxes, as you'd call it. After scrubbing it with that, take a white candle and break it in half, not so it falls to pieces, and you burn that candle and let it burn out. [To break anything often frees the spirit within. Breaking here releases the power faster. In some cases it might double the power.] And after you've done that you will get you some garlic, three pods of garlic, and some lodestone perfume.
(What is lodestone perfune?)
There is perfume that you can buy from dealers that sell all this John de Conquer.
(I see, you can buy this lodestone [perfume]. All right, go ahead.)
And you put that in the water, and you burn the garlic peel, and you put a teaspoon of sugar in that, and scrub the house with it. And within three days that house would be ready - within the amount of pods of garlic that you put in, which was three pods of garlic. Well, within three days that house should be rented.
Entry 2835
Dey baptize 'em in alcohol. Baptize three of 'em in alcohol. Them are tuh kill yo'. (You have to have two or three - you have to have three black candles in this alcohol. How do you baptize them?) Tie 'em together an' po' yo' alcohol in somepin an' baptize 'em. If yo' want dose black candles tuh kill somebody, yo' let 'em burn down to de end. (How do you use them?) Set 'em all afiah at once, those three, an' make yore wish who it's on an' write their name, an' turn they name down to de table, an' set dem candles. (Write the name on three pieces of paper and put a candle on each piece of paper.) Turn de name down, den put de candle an' let 'em burn down to the bottom of de candle. Won't know whut dey did [what hit them]. It'll kill 'em. Dey'll die.
Entry 2836
[Examples of foot-rolling an object have and will be given. What follows are a few rites in hand rolling candles. See Rolling, in Index.]
Somebody to stay with yuh, somepin like that - [you] has a friend and yo' don't want to get rid of 'em. Yo' git de lucky powder, yo' git de pink candle. You write the person's name on it and yo' roll it in this lucky powder. Yo' light that candle and yo' burn it fo' nine mornings - an hour.
(When do you light that candle?)
Any time in de morning but jest don't burn it over an hour - jes' any time in de morning.
(Then what do you do?)
Yo' blow it out. (Well, then what? Anything else yo' do? Nothing else yo' know [about] but just use the lucky powder? What is that supposed to do?) That will keep a man from leaving yore home.
Entry 2837
If you wants to run a person 'way from yo', yo' go ahead and git chew a black candle. Write dere name on dat black candle, yo' see. Yo' cut dere name on dat black candle - see, let be seven or nine times on dat black candle. An' roll dat black candle in salt and burn it fifteen minutes, and dat will run em away from yo' - dat runs 'em, dey can't stay it atall.
(Just burn one candle. Any special time did you say?)
Set it at six 'clock in de morning an' burn it fifteen minutes - see, burn dat candle fifteen minutes. Well, den at twelve 'clock yo' burn it fifteen minutes again. Six 'clock fifteen minutes to go on. Well, all right, ah'm goin' tell yo' dis 'gin now. Yo' set it in de mornin' fifteen minutes six 'clock and let it burn and quarter past six fifteen minutes an' twelve 'clock yo' wanta burn it fifteen minutes 'gin - see. Dat's uh half a hour an' den six 'clock in de evenin' yo' burn it fifteen minutes agin, yo' see. Dat's three-quarters of a hour gone, see. Well, an' de third day dey gone in de air - dey can't stay.
Entry 2838
White candles or blue candles for peace; black candles for danger or for to kill you or to run you crazy or something like dat. (Just how would they burn them? How do you mean they burn them?) Well, they say that they kin stick pins in black can- dles and roll them in pepper and salt and burn them at seven o'clock in the morning, you know, or eleven o'clock - some [uneven] hour like that, eleven or seven in the morning and the same at night. That will run you crazy or confuse you or something of the kind. That's a black candle. And the white one, they say you sprinkle them with sugar and burn them - you know, at the hours of seven-eleven, or a blue candle for love. Ah've heard that.
Entry 2839
(Well, how do they burn those black candles on you? How do they do that?) Well, those black candles, you take them and roll them in saltpeter, and cay- enne pepper, and cook[ing] - table salt. You roll them good in there but you dampen this candle 'fore you, 'fore you do that. You dampen it just a little bit - you know, just pass the rag over it, dampen it. (With water?) Yes, with a little damp rag, you know, so it'll stick to it. Just roll it good - roll it good and then you light it, you light it and burn it. Don't put it out - just let it burn all day. Just burn all day and you'll just worry that person so that he'll just - he don't know [what] he do, almost wanta kill hisself.
(Well, how do you know whom that candle is for?)
You call their name and be cursing them, what you want to happen to 'em - want 'em go and jump overboard.
Entry 2840
Ah tole yo' ah said, if you wanted a person tuh come to yuh in peace, ah said yo' take dat candle and yo' roll it in sugar. See.
(What candle?)
Well, yo' take a pink candle and a white candle and yo' kin roll that in sugar, and on dose certain hours yo' burn it - jes' like de woman did fo' to bring de fellah back. Now, if you wanta worry a person or jes' like a per- son wanted to do harm to a person or kill a person, dey take a black candle and yo' burn dat black candle at night. Take a jet black candle and put it in yore room and yo' burn it slowly at night, see. An' when dat black candle burn out that makes a person go down - a black candle. But if you wants peace, yo' take a pink or white candle and yo' roll it in Sugar, and whoever name yo' want it to burn on you write it with de name back- wards - de last name yo' write it first, three times around de candle.
Entry 2841
Then ah have seen a candle burning. Ah went to a girl's house and she was showing me. She took pins - she took nine pins and stuck 'em in dis candle slant down and rolled it in sugar. (How do you mean slant down?) Jes' - and dey stuck dose pins all around de candles - slant. (Oh, stuck them down into the candle but the head part was up and the pin went down into the candle.) Then she rolled it in sugar, the whole candle in sugar, and every night at a certain time she say she burnt this candle.
(What color was that candle?)
It was a white candle. It was for peace in de home and to bring her husband with her and make them get along.
(How long would she burn that candle?)
Until he came home. An' it wasn't long..
Entry 2842
If a person is gone and yo' want 'em tuh come back at once and yo' don't care to burn it in de bottle, yo' git chew a blue candle and write de name seven times on dat blue candle and take it an' git chew a dime's worth of whiskey and roll dat candle into de whiskey. An' if dey drunk, dey'll come back dere drunk - dey'll come in twelve hours.
[Two cylinders later informant adds details.]
An' yo' wanta bring 'em back, yo' gits a - yo' go to de drug store. Under- stand me good. Yo' go to de drug store and yo' git chew a package of this - git chew a package of brown sugah [at hoodoo drug store] and den yo' go and git chew a blue candle and a dime worth of whiskey [at same store] an' yo' roll dat candle in dat whiskey together - roll it dere. An' light dat candle - burn it fifteen minutes. Yo' set it at seven 'clock in de morning and burn to quarter past seven yo' see, and at twelve yo' see. An' six 'clock dat evenin' dey be dere. Dis is a blue candle now.
(What do you do with that brown sugar?)
De brown loaf sugar it be's in a package, not dis white sugah. Dat sugah - dey take dat sugah an' jes' tole yo', take dat sugah and git chew some whiskey and roll dat candle.
(The sugar goes into the whiskey?)
Yeah, yo' rolls it dere. See [demonstrates], yo' sets de candle up lak dat after yo' done roll it in dere, sets it up lak dat, see, and let dat whiskey and sugah be's in a little saucer. Set dat candle up jes' lak mah finger an' light it. Burn it fifteen minutes. See, dat'll draw dose party to come - can't stay
[away].
Entry 2843
Ef dey gone away - tuh keep 'em home, tuh keep him there if he is a whiskey drinker, take it [candle] an' roll it in whiskey and stick it in - write dere name on de candle and burn it in de same corner where de black ones is and call dere name nine times. He can't leave and he's coming back an' beg yore pardons for what they did.
(Are these black candles?)
Red. [My penciled note, made when I broke up this person's interview reads,"2 red candle in opposite corners of the house - northwest, northeast - see 920:1." For another example, see later margin-title CATER-CORNERED: MAGIC OF THE DIAGONAL.1
Entry 2844
They takes the candles and they writes the name on them candles, and they lights them, and they burn 'em certain hours - six o'clock or either twelve o'clock. For nine days. They light those candles on people. Some of 'em light black candles. When they light black candles on 'em they puts pins - pins in em - new pins and needles. Just like if this was de top [demonstrates] turn the butt end [up] like that. You know, trim 'em at de butt end - you know, the side that goes down [butt end], well, you trim it at de butt end and light 'em.
(You turn them upside down.)
[The bottom of the candle with the new wick becomes the top.]
Uh huh. And that's - put their name on that. Well, you burns the name upside down on those black candles [because candles are burning upside down]. That's what they do.
(What will that do?)
What will that do? Well, that breaks up people. [For upside-down magic, see pp.405,660,731, and Index.]
Entry 2845
Take de knife an' fo'k lak yo' fixin' de table, an' de parties dat chew - but dat kills people, dey tell me. Yessuh. An' yo' puts dat black candle in dere an' dere name wrote jes' lak ah tole yo', but it's gotta be on a brand-new white plate wit dat name underneat' dat plate where dat knife an' fo'k is set around dat candle, crossed, yo' understand, an' dat name underneat' dat, underneat' dat plate, with de black candle. Dat runs 'em crazy with their haid.
(How do you write that name on that piece of paper?)
Yo' write it backwards, jes' dat one party's name dat chew wanta do dat to.
(Just once?)
Yessuh.
Entry 2846
She kin call that person that's impregnant [pregnant] an' mark in they back nine times. Jis' make a mark cross it - jis' lak yo' standin' talkin' to a person - jis' be standin' up doin' anything. (Like making a cross?) Jis' all in her back an' jis' cross it all kinda ways, yo' see. Then she go on an' she write that person's name down on that black candle. An' then she burn that candle an' red peppah in a green saucer.
(What will that do then?)
Well, that will cause her tuh have pain an' she cain't have her baby, see. She'll lose it.
crossing/marking a pregnant person's back, with geometry left indefinite. The continuation states intended pain and pregnancy loss; retain it as a reported harmful purpose, not a medical fact or recommendation. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 819) · Read full source (printed page 820)
Entry 2847
If you got a wife and your wife has done left you - you understand what I mean - and you want her to come back to you, you see. You take three white candles, take that woman name and put there - put on that [name the] candle. And if you can, get her underwears or slip, anything like that, slip or drawers and put 'em. Put that, spread that out there, you understand. Take your undershirt and turn it wrong-side out and put it on there, and light them three candles. And in nine days - just keep them candles burning there nine days and nine nights, and I guarantee that woman'll come back to you. (You put the name on just one of those candles or do you put on all three of them?) Put all three of 'em - put it underneath all three of them. Put 'em all three together - that where it supposed to be, underneath all of 'em. [A name is under each candle; the spread-out clothing is beneath the metal container holding the candles.]
Entry 2848
Well, you go out there to the crossroads, which yo' supposed to go there at midnight, and gets that dirt from right at the crossing. And yo' supposed to take dat wit a black candle and burns it - jest put it in a lid and put dat candle over it and burns it. (You take this dirt from the middle of the crossroad and you put it in a tin lid. Then what do you do with that black candle?) Sets right in the middle of it and burn it. (You put the black candle right on top of that dirt and then you burn that. Do you burn it at any special time? Or for any length of time?) Yes, you burn it a special time. Yo' supposed to burn it an hour - hap' past six in de mawnin' and hap' past six in de afternoon, or either seven at night.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Why it'll run yuh and put chew in tough - cause yo' to drift where you won't get holt of anything. (Don't you have to do anything else? Do you burn this over somebody? That the idea?) Yes, sir, you supposed to put the names on it. Cut de names on it. (Oh, you cut the names before you light the candle. You scratch the name or it.) Yes, sir.
Entry 2849
They take a knife and form [carve] it.
(What do they do with that wooden doll?)
They also put it on mantelpiece [often used as altar], or either lay it out like somebody is dead and burn the candles on that. That's the way I saw it did once - just like somebody laying out dead, you see. And they say [that] makes a persons sick - see, they keep sick all the time and dry up. That's in the shape of a person, you see.
Entry 2850
(Take this foot track?)
Take that foot track and bury it and burn candles over that, and keep you under almost hypnotic power. (How do they burn candles over it? How do you mean?) Burn the candles? A continous burning. Long as they burn candles over that, it will keep you with an upsetted mind - a roving mind by doing that.
Entry 2851
If a person's away from home, you can take that shoe and burn a candle over it nine days. Take that left-foot shoe and burn a candle over it nine days. And if a person's away from home, 'en [then] you bury that shoe under your step where that person has lived, or his step where he or she has lived. But if you want them to come back home, you got to bury the shoe with the heel pointing east and the toe west; and if you want to drive them from home, you can bury it with the heel pointing west and the toes east, and you'll drive them from home. But if you want to bring them back home, you have the power of bringing them back home; you bury it with the heel east and the toes west, and you'll have the power to bring them back home.
(What kind of a candle would you burn on that?)
You take a white candle and [or] a blue candle.
(Either one.)
Either one - a white candle and a blue.
[And is frequently used for or.]
Burn it with their name under it, under the candle.
Entry 2852
Ah take a black candle an' ah light it an' write his name, an' ah take me a red candle an' write his name an' ah put it down dere. Yo' understan? Den ah'd take lak ah got his shoes, an' ah'd take it an' turn it towards de west an' make yo' walk out dere. (Now you write his name on a piece of paper and you burn that piece of paper under the candle?) Yes.
(Do you burn this candle a certain length of time or?)
Yes, burn de candle nine days.
(All day long or just certain times of the day?)
All day long.
(You let the candle burn out?)
Shet dem off. Yo' don't burn out de nine-days candle.
Entry 2853
Jis' lak if yo' wanta run a person crazy, see, yo' got de sole of the shoe. Yo' go in de graveyard jis' about da'k, yo' see. Jis' to anybody's grave yo' see. An' yo mash it [shoe]. Yo' see, de leather it be's jis' flat lak this [demonstrates]. An' yo' git chew a black candle. An' yo' write de name on a piece of papah or eithah on dat candle, yo' see, but yo' see yo' can't write it mo' den nine times. An' yo' burn that fo' nine days. See, dat's de way yo always send a person tuh de graveyard. Dat mean graveyard dirt [for you]. Well, at de end of dem nine days dat person goin' die.
(Now what do you do? You get that graveyard dirt and you spread it out?)
Yo' see, sometime it be's lunpy, but yo' gotta take it somewhere where it kin be smacked - where yo' mash it fine, where yo' kin set dat candle on top of it. Jis' put dat candle. Dis be de graveyard dirt an' dis be de candle an' yo' jis' wanta set it [graveyard dirt] roun' dere [candle] an' aftah yo' write de name on dere, well dat candle goin' burn down de name 'fore de end of nine days. Yo know how long it goin' take a candle tuh burn. De candle goin' burn nights till de end of dem nine days, an' den dey goin' tuh de graveyard. (You write that name on the candle longwise, just nine tlmes? Or you can write it on a piece of paper, you say?) Yo' kin write it on de piece of papah, each [either] way yo' see. Write it on a piece of papah, well, it's good; an' if yo' write it on de candle it still bettah, yo' see, cus as dat candle be burnin', yo' see dat [name] be burnin' too.
(How do you write it on the piece of paper?)
See, lak dis de piece of papah [demonstrates]. See, yo'd write it lak this - nine times an' den yo' take an' yo' come dis way an' yo' write it nine times lak dis, nine across.
(Where do you put that paper now when you are burning that candle?)
Took de piece of papah jis' lak dis, yo' see, jis' fold it lak that, an' take de candle an' put it on de papah.
(Now where is your graveyard dirt?)
It's underneat' dat, see underneat' de papah. Or yo' kin put it in a saucer, eithah one yo' see. It be de best.
[Similarly, a foot track is burned under a black candle.]
Well, now, yo' see if a person don't lak yo' an' even so - co'se dey don't have dust lak it be's out in de country cus yo' see out in de country it's all dust roads yo' see. A person goes an' dey take yore feet yo' see or either dey kin take de shovel or anything an' pick it up, but dat track must be warm yo' see. Yo' mus' jis' be pass' dere. An' yo' take dat dirt from de bottom of yore feet an' yo' write chure name on dat an' git chew some.
(What do you write your name on?)
Yo' take dat dirt from de foot track an' yo' put it in a piece of papah, yo' see. Jis' lak ah'm goin' take yore foot track, yo' git de dirt, yo' see. But it gotta be warm. De dirt gotta be warm cus if it cold, it doesn't do any good. It gotta be warm. See, when dey gits de dirt dey gits some papah, a brown piece of papah, see, but chew gotta buy dat piece of papah - it's a brown piece of papah. An' yo' git that an' yo' write their name on that. Yo' kin write it eithah way yo' kin write it crossways or yo' kin write it de longway - eithah way yo' see. Jis' write it once. An' yo' burn dat.
(What do you burn?)
Yo' burn a candle. Dat's candles. Burn a black candle - a black candle is de best.
reported black-candle burning in two distinct variants. The first account moves from running a person crazy to predicted death. Preserve this shift as source speech, not an observed outcome or clinical finding. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 821) · Read full source (printed page 822)
Entry 2854
You use graveyard dirt to kill people. You take graveyard dirt and mix it with some salt - Epsom salts [symbolic purgation]. You pound it as fine as you can get it. All right. Then you write that name. All right. You write that name seven times [on a piece of paper], see. You put it in a can, yeast powder can. You seen them black candles. You take one of the black candles, you set it in there. Then you write that name in the candle three times, see. And after the candle is burned out, you jes' will wilt away. That is what it does. That is for the fellah who does you harn.
Entry 2855
To git them confused, you write it on a piece of paper and set a black candle on it and set it burning. [You write], "Ah want confusion," [and] put both of their names [on that paper]. You draw a heart with it. Draw their heart, I want it bad [badly drawn]. Yo' kin write bad in there. An' set that black candle on there burning with both of their names, "I want confusion." (You take a piece of paper and you draw a heart and you write in there bad. Where do you put their names?) You put their names in there - you write their names in, I want it bad. You don't draw the heart good - you even try to draw it, you know, as ugly as yo possibly can make things; and yo' say, "I want bad, I want it confused, I want thus and so, such parties." And set that candle right on their names and let it burn. (Do you burn that candle any special time? Or any length of time? Or any- thing like that?) Well, yo' would need to burn it a length of time but ah gen'rally would think that six 'clock and again in the evening time - let it burn at night.