Browse:(3) SAINTS (Volume 1, entries 2991–3067)
(3) SAINTS
Volume 1, entries 2991–3067. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2991
["Algiers, La., Feb. 21, 1940, Weds.- woman 50 - good - brought by Moses - paid" - Numbers Book 1558 to 1605. Moses, our contact man in Algiers, brings me a birthday present - the following woman. She, a pro- fessional worker, answers my unrecorded question with an extempo- raneous prayer, opening and closing with a triform petition.] St. Anthony, open dis do'. St. Anthony, please open de do'. An' dear St. Antho- ny, who lives in Jesus' love, open dis do'. St. Anthony, ah consecrate mahself to yo' an' use yo' as mah patron saint, an' ah ask yo' tuh keep mah do' open. Ah ask yo' tuh send me customers, St. Anthony, an' ah'll always use yo', through Our Lord givin' yo' de power an' strength tuh send me customers an' give yo' de lights on yore [altar]." St. Anthony open dis do' - St. Anthony open dis do' - St. Anthory open dis do'. An' yo' give lights tuh St. Raymond, he's fo' luck an' success. St. Raymond, yo' give him lights today. Git chew a red light. An' yo' use lights fo' him on Mondays an' on Thursdays an' positively everything red. An' they give yo' a prayer wit gittin' it [when you purchase the candle a prayer is included]; an' ah'll guarantee that vo'll have mo' luck then vo' want. In 24 days. But yo' must give him yore offerings. He's guaranteed 24 hours - 24 hours to a day. He gives yo' jes' whut chew want. He's first-class.
The prayer is presented as the informant’s response to an unrecorded question; the opening account of its production is editorial.
Entry 2992
St. Anthony. St. Anthony is fo' chillren an' fo' de po'. Yo' prays tuh St. Anthony fo' work or fo' bread, an' when yo' gits dis heah - yo' makes him a promise an' if yo' gits a job, if yo' out of a job, an' yo' pray tuh him tuh help vo' tuh git dis job. Or, if vo' got chillren an' vo' want bread in yore home, yo' pray tuh him fo' dat bread an' yo' make him a promise dat when yo' git it, yo'll go tuh de box - to a church where dey got St. Anthony's box an' put money in his box fo' de po'. But chew mustn't promise him dat an' don't give it to him. Use brown candles to St. Anthony, Thursdays an' Tuesdays.
Entry 2993
No. You don't burn that candle for an evil purpose and you don't fool with none of those good saints. But Black Hawk or some of those bad saints, you burn black candles. Black Hawk is supposed to be one of the old evil saints. That's the man that died - he was not infidel, but he did not believe they had a god, see. You burn a black candle to him - Black Hawk. You burn the candle in the same way as you do for the diff'rent saints, for his evil purpose.
The informant contrasts good saints with Black Hawk and other 'bad saints' while describing black candles; these characterizations stay attributed.
Entry 2994
" The only thing that I knows about.
(Black Hawk?)
Black Hawk.
(What was he?)
B-1-a-c-k H-a-w-k. He was supposed to be an evil and a mean saint, see. But take St. Raymond, Saint Peter.
(Tell me something about Black Hawk. Who was he? How do you approach him?)
Who?
(Black Hawk.)
He was one of those mean saints and he never would go - he's practically - he was more infidel 'an anything else. He never did believe in the Gospel. He never did believe that we had a Creator, see. He always did believe that when a man or woman would leave this earth, that was all - no hell.and heaven. He always thought that the good and the bad would dwell together anyways. See.
(Well, how do you approach him? Do you know how they approached him?)
Black Hawk?
(Yes.)
Well, instead of you praying to the Lord, they tell you to use the devil in place of the Lord. See, he's evil, you have to pray to evil. The devil's sup- posed to be the god for the evil and the Lord supposed to be the god for the good. Well, instead of serving the Lord, you will tell all your complaints to the devil instead of the Lord.
(Is Black Hawk the same thing as the devil?)
Absolutely, he's one of the devil's servants, see.
The informant describes Black Hawk as 'supposed to be an evil and a mean saint' and reports instructions to 'pray to evil'; these remain attributed characterizations.
Entry 2995
After they get the - after they burn that candle good on you [if some- one is burning a candle against you], you go to this yere, this saint they call - you know a saint they call Expedite saint? (St. Expedite? No.) Uh-huh. You go to Expedite saint and you carry Expedite saint a little small kind of - go to the Ten Cent Store and you get you a small hammer; not no big hammer, a little toy hammer the chillun play with. You carry him a toy hammer and a nail. Well, after you go there and carry him this toy hammer and this nail, you get you a black candle and you carry it to him and you light it there. And I guarantee you it's good.
(You leave the hammer and nail?)
You leave the hammer and nail; don't take it away from there.
(Well, suppose I was living here, where would I find St. Expedite?)
You'll find Expedite saint in the church or else in a book store - in the book store.
(Well, you have to bring the saint home, then?)
Yeah, you bring that saint home and you fix it at your house. But always nail it right at the door where they got to come in.
(You mean inside the door or above the door?)
Inside the door - inside the house. And burn that candle and some tape lights [tapers] - always burn the tape lights around it - little red tape Zights - well, burn 'em. Expedite saint is on a horse with swords in his hand and a whole lot of snakes around him. That's the Expedite saint.
The informant describes carrying a black candle in the St. Expedite account and lighting it there; the claim that it is good remains attributed.
Entry 2996
Yo' take yo' St. Espidy, he uses green candles. Yo' take it an' yo' pray ovah it an' yo' askin' St. Espidy, an' yo' rap on it an' he'll give yo' a rap back. Yo' ask St. Espidy fo' a wish an' jes' whut yore heart desires yo'll git.
(How would I go about it? To burn this green candle? From the beginning.)
From de beginnin'. Yo'll take yore green candle an' burn it from six in de mawnin' an' put it out - nine in de evenin' an' put it out. Nine in de mawnin an' yo' put it six in de evenin' again. Yo' burn it from three tuh nine days an yo'll git whut chure heart desires.
(Well, how do you mean you rap for St. Espidy?)
[She raps once - twice - again.]
(Just once? You rap three times. And you burn this green candle from six to nine in the morning and from six to nine at night?) Yes.
(You burn it nine days?)
Yes.
(Do you know anything about St. Espidy?)
Well, St. Espidy, he's very good." He have helped me. He helps me an' when ah wants bread ah call on him an' he brings me a rap [answers by rapping]. Ah heard dat he wus a man dat didn't believe in no evil work, an' he didn't fool roun' wit no kinda evil doin' when he wus on dis scene an' he wus a true man, an' when he died he went tuh heaven.
(Now when he raps back, would he rap three times?)
He jes' raps [she demonstrates three times in diminishing volume].
(Where will he rap - somewhere around the room?)
Yes.
(Then you know you'll have your wish?)
Yes.
Entry 2997
St. Espidee, if yo' pray tuh him he'll send yo' - he'll send yo' any- where yo' desire tuh go. Ah'm mos' well acquainted wit him. He could send yo' anywhere yo' wanted tuh go. All yo' have tuh do is promise him a light - any diff'rent kinda light. [Saint runs free travel agency.]
Entry 2998
Git St. Expedees up over your door - nail him up over there. Behind that same door you use that pink candle, burn it there.
(Up over the door and behind the same door you burn a pink candle?)
Yes sir, and make your wishes. That's to keep the police away. It will keep 'em away.
(What door do you use for that?)
Let that be the front door.
Entry 2999
Well, St. Espedee, I knows about him. Now he's a good sent [saint]. He delivers zhoo, too. Jis' like if you wants a job - or somepin like that - he'll open a way fer you, if you believes in 'im, an' if you don't, well it's jis' like anything else.
Entry 3000
St. Espidee is fo' luck an' St. Espidee is fo' unfortunates. Lak if a man is unfortunate, well fo' luck he kin burn a candle. Dey got cup candles dey call 'em. Dey sell dem in cups. Yo' burn a light tuh him eight days. Yo' burn a light tuh St. Espidee eight days an' yo' have some kinda luck in eight days, but dat's providin' if yo' make a promise to him. If yo' make a promise to him fo' luck an' success, he goin' give it to yo'; but if yo' lie to him, he'll take yore success away from yo'. Well, dat's de candle burnt to him dey call de cup candle, an' dat's whut he's fo', luck an' success.
Entry 3001
She's the onliest one what's in that favor. I tell you the saints - they have mighty good saints for the wishes that you wish. They have St. Espedees.
(What is he for?)
For a gambler.
(Well, what would a gambler do for him?)
Well, you see, if you gambling out for money and you're in bad luck, you goes there and you make a novena for nine days; and if you get your wishes, you gotta give it. If it's a dollar you promise, you have gotta give the dollar to it; if's a candle, a dollar candle light you have to give it to him.
(I see.)
Then you get your wishes.
Entry 3002
St. Espidee is fo' gamblers. Yo' take St. Espidee an' yo' gives him anything green, candle or flowers - green flowers or green vegetable. Anything dat is green, yo' give it to St. Espidee fo' [green] money. He's fo' gamblers.
(How, how do you approach him?)
Well, if yo'd go tuh him, yo' prays when yo' go tuh him an' yo'd ask him, say, "St. Espidee ah want chew tuh help me tuh git some money. Ah'm goin' out an' gamble an' if ah be successful an' git dis money, ah will give yo' a bunch of flowers. Or give yo' so much an' so much of somepin green. Ah take de money an' buy it an' give it to yo'." When yo' gits dis money yo' go tuh some church, or if yo' got him in yore house, yo' buys de stuff an' yo' puts it in front of him fo' a sacrifice.
Entry 3003
(St. Espidee is what?)
Is a lawyer. Dat's a case of co't too. Well dey use de candles fo: him an' pray tuh him an' give him a glass of milk if yo' kin give it, or git white rum, an' give him yore case an' he'll plead it fo' yo'. Light a candle an' a glass of milk, or eithah yore rum if yo' kin git it, but yo' cain't git no mo' rum now.
(What kind of color would you light to him?)
A white one to St. Espidee.
(What do you do, put him on the floor, too?)
No, no - yo' leave him right up. He's gotta git up on de stand an' he's gotta talk fo'yo'.
Entry 3004
Yo' write yore name, de husban's name - yore name at de top an' his underneat' three times, but all straight. Dat's behin' St. Espidee 'cause ah have did it an' bring de man back. But chew use 'cordin' tuh his color, yore light to St. Espidee, an' he will bring dat man back. Jes' git down an' pray tuh him, 'In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Spirit, St. Espidee, bring sich-an'-sich-a-one back," wit his name wrote behin' dat picture dat's tacked up - back of it pasted up dere. An' de man will come. An' keep dat light to him an' he goin' bring him back.
(You put his name behind the picture?)
Behin' dat picture.
Entry 3005
They pray to - wait, I'll tell you the saint to pray to to put 'em in bad luck - Expedee. Uh huh, that'll put choo in bad luck. Yes, sir.
(Suppose I want to put somebody in bad luck. What would I do?)
Well, you go there [to a public hoodoo shrine] and you pray and you light a black can'le to 'er, you see, an' ask 'er what choo want, choo see. And then at nine days, if it's success, zhoo go back and you give'r whut zhoo promised 'er.
(You only pray once, though?)
[My question means, you pray once when you set the candle, but you do not pray again during the nine days. She does not understand my question.] No. [The candle is her prayer.] Well, you kin put 25 cents in the box and that'll carry that light 9 days - you see, for that one light 25 cents in any Catholic church. [She is confusing the situation here. I do not think deliberately. She is obviously not a Roman Catholic - you do not buy a black candle in the Roman Catholic Church. But she knows a light can be set for a certain number of days.]
Entry 3006
Saint Expadee - see, he's the conker in law suits.
(How do you handle that?)
Well you go to a Catholic church and you make your novena there, you see. You give a light. You take his picture and have it blest at the church and bring it to your house and you burn a pink candle to it all the time. Whatever you wish for, you prays to that saint and make your wishes and burn [a candle to] that saint - like if you got a case in court and you wanta conker that case. Well, you go to St. Expadee - go to the church and go to St. Expadee and make your novena to him and tell him what you want him to do. Then you come back home after you do that and you burn your candle at your home up until that case is over.
[While machine.is stopped, I ask question about his picture.]
No, you don't bring his picture to the church, you always keep it in your house. You have this picture blest at the church and bring it to your house and have your little altar made and burn a pink candle to him.
Entry 3007
(What do they say about St. Expedite?)
Well, they say St. Expedite is lucky, but you gotta pray to him - certain things you gotta give to him for luck. You gotta have him up in your house and have a little altar-like and burn them little tapers to him for luck. Well, if you make him a promise or anything and don't give it to him, well you falls in bad luck.
Entry 3008
St. Raymond's for lucky things, but St. Expedee ain't. He's for devil- ment.
Entry 3009
St. Joseph is a saint he don't lak no single wimmins. St. Joseph is a saint fo' married wimmins or fo' widows. (Is there a reason why he doesn't like single women? Do you know?) No suh. He's fo' married wimmins or fo' widows. He'll take ca' of a widow an' if a woman is married an' her husband's gone from her an' she want him tuh come back, she pray tuh St. Joseph. He'll bring him back tuh her.
(Does she offer him anything special?)
Well, she offers him a candle, a white candle. Dat's whut chew give St. Joseph, a white candle. Or if not, yo' kin offer him when his day come, de 19th day of March come - dat's supposed tuh be his celebration day - some people gives him a altar. Dey has a place where dey give ~ have nuthin but all kind of bread an' make a big feast ovah it. But dey distribute it, dey don't use none of dat deyself. Dey makes a sacrifice tuh give dat tuh de po.
Entry 3010
Now, all right, St. Joseph. St. Joseph is a man, yo' uses a light tuh him. Yo' kin take St. Joseph an' use yore man. Write his name three times, yores once to de top, all straight, an' put it in dere [container] wit Toulouse Syrup an' steel dust as ah tole yo', an' use dat cup-light. Yo' kin use de cup- Light on dat, an' put it fo' St. Joseph an' say to St. Joseph, "Father, give St. Joseph power to make me successful in whut ah'm undertakin' tuh do." Now, dat's St. Joseph, an' he will draw dat man to yo' wit dat money. Ah uses dat now.
Entry 3011
Ah know 'bout St. Joseph. Well, if yo' pray tuh St. Joseph, he'll give yo' bread. Yo' pray an' ask St. Joseph tuh help yo'. He'll give yo' some kind of luck or yo' ask him an' yo' make a sacrifice fo' him an' he'll give yo' some luck or if yo' want him tuh help yo' an' yo' wanta do somepin against a person, well St. Peter always will help yo'. [Here is our hint of what we shall learn later - St. Peter in hoodoo does not always act like a Christian.]
Entry 3012
Well, you see St. Michael - that's if a person don't like you and is trying to undermine you all the time, and you don't know they are working on you. Well you pray to St. Michael and you sets him a candle. You see, he got the devil down under his feet. Now, he holding the devil down just like this - he got his feet on the devil and he got a long sword and he got that in the devil's head. Well, if you pray to that saint, he showing you how he got the devil down there; if you pray to him, that is the way he'll have your enemies down under your feet. They will have to knuckle under you, instead of you knuckling under them. (I see. What do you usually use for St. Michael? Do you have a statue or a picture of him?) It's a statue - a real statue.
(Do you burn any colored candle to St. Michael?)
You burn a red candle.
(You burn a red candle.)
On Friday.
(Just on Friday?)
Just on Friday. [For black candle on Friday, see p.829.]
(Any special time on Friday?)
Any time on Friday before six-thirty.
(I see. In the morning or at night?)
In the morning. You can set 'em all day if you Wants to, you know, but I mean six-thirty - that's the last hour you can set it in the evening.
(I see. Do you do anything else besides burning that candle?)
No, that's all - just burn that candle and make that prayer.
Entry 3013
(What do they say about St. Michael?)
Well, St. Michael wus de archangel. He wus one of de angels dat cast Lucifer out of heaven. He wus one of de great archangels, an' anywhere yo' got a devil aroun' yo' or think yo' got a evil spirit or anything aroun' yore house, yo' pray tuh St. Michael an' he'll help yo'. Yo' says de Lord's Prayer nine times an'yo call St. Michael's name, an'every time yo' say de Lord's Prayer yo' call his name. an' axe him tuh help yo'.
(Do you use anything or burn anything special to him?)
Yes, yo' burn a pink candle tuh St. Michael. No, he ain't got no special day
[I probably asked about time] - jes' any day.
Entry 3014
Yo' take St. Michael - lak yo' got people dat's comin' aroun' an' yo' figure it's not yore friend, yo' put St. Michael ovah yore do' - dat's de do' dat chew all come in. An' put him ovah dere an' he'll keep 'em all away - all de people dat don't lak yo', yore enemies. Yo' uses hiin ovah de front do'.
(Do you do anything to him?)
No, no, jes' put him ovah dere an' when yo' put him up dere, jes' say, "St. Michael, keep all devils away, In de Name of de Father an' de Son an' de Holy Spirit: '' [While saying this she makes the sign of the cross.]
(And make the sign of the cross.)
Dat's right.
Entry 3015
Dey use holy watah tuh keep evil spirits away. Take holy watah an sprinkle it in de fo' corners of yore house an' say, "In de Name of de Father, an' of de Son an' of de Holy Ghost, St. Michael, kecp de evil spirit away." Den yo' kin take holy watah an' bathe yore haid fo' unnatural headaches [usually caused in the New Orleans area by someone burning a candle against you.]
Entry 3016
Well, St. Michael is a saint that carries a spear all the tfme, and he always - he'll put his foot on you and always keep yuh down. And he keeps his feet on you and keeps that spear drawed on you, and when you git down you gotta stay down, if the person that wants to get even with you will go ahead and give him a light and pray to him. He is a evil saint. You give him a blue light.
Entry 3017
St. Michael is a evil saint.
(Well, how do they do that?)
Well, they go to the church and pray to him, if they want dirty things did.
Entry 3019
(What do they say about St. Michael?)
Ef ah'm in a confusion with mah neighbors an' ah wants mah neighbors tuh be - yo' know, ah wants tuh be a bettah woman, ah prays tuh St. Michael. Ah prays tuh all of 'em. Ah axe St. Michael tuh please come tuh mah aid. He rides a white horse. An' ah sets him a red light fo' peace an' ah raps fo' him. An' ah fixes de red light at six, twelve an' three.
(Six, twelve and three in the afternoon?)
Yes.
(How long do you burn it each time?)
Ah burn it 'bout ten minutes.
Entry 3020
Most every home you go in, you be looking up to see saints over the door. Now, some people use a little glass like this, but it's about that high. They burns a candle in there, you understand. The candle is about that big: (A large candle?) A large candle about that [high]. (Like they have in the Roman Catholic Church - those little fat candles in little colored blue and red glasses?) Yes, red glasses. Now, them is for if you out of a job. You use one of them at a picture they call Mother Catherine.
(Mother what? Mother Catherine?)
Yeah, Catherine. Now, you put that - put that saint there and put that candle there. You got the saint up over the candle, you see, when that burns.
(You have the saint right over the candle?)
You see, this light is supposed to give life to the saint. (Wait a minute! When that is lighted it is supposed to give life to the saint?) To make him awake, you understand. You see, the saint ain't no good if you don't burn this light.
(The saint is no good unless you burn that light?)
Unless you burn that light. See, that gives life to the saint. Now, on this side you ought to have a green piece of grass - you know, like you use on All Saints Day. You use what you call palmetto - not palmetto but it's a green leaf. They use that right on the side.
(Palm leaf?)
The palm leaf. You see, you use that on the side so the saints - you know, most of the saints got a piece of green in his hand and this here green that you use would give affection [reflection or sympathy] to the green that he has in his hand. [Your piece of green is opposite green in statue or picture.] And this candle keeps life in him, and make it work, you understand.
(Well, in particular what is the candle burned for?)
If you are out of a job or you want a job or if you are in need. And you using this here through the power of God and this saint, it let you increase something every day to live off of. That what you burn this candle for.
Entry 3021
[To bring back the murderer.] They go to the cemetery and pray to that headboard [head of the grave of the murdered person] lots of people, nine days, with a picture of Mother of Perpetual Help; and that person that done the murder, they'll come right straight back to where they done it, too.
(What graveyard do they go to?)
[For some reason my question misleads her.]
St. Roc's. They go down to St. Roc's Cemetery.
(They don't go to the dead man's grave?)
They go to the [grave of the] dead man, yes, that was killed; but plenty peo- ple don't know about the fresh eggs [buried in the dead man's hands to bring back murderer], and they go [with the picture] to where they bury that man. They bury him on his face, too, I suppose. [Burial face down also brings back murderer.] (Where do they do this praying to the Mother of Perpetual Help? Do they do that at the dead man's grave or at St. Roc's?)
[They do both.]
They go to St. Roc's and they carry that picture to the grave - that Saint [picture of] to the grave. And they goes out Melcamean[?] - it's back of town here, that's the chapel [of St. Roc where they pray], and then they go to the cemetery [where murdered man is buried] and put the head [saint's picture] on the headboard and pray to that, and that man'll [murderer will] come back.
(Do they go to the church first?)
They had to go to the church - the Catholic church, first, and [then] they go to the man's grave.
(What do they do there?)
Well, they go pray to this Mother of Perpetual Help and take - you know, you always have a small pitchure [of the saint], and they carry that with 'em and pray to 'um [her]; then, nine days, that man'll come back. You got to go nine mornin's and in nine days he'll come back.
(Where is this church they go to?)
It's called the chapel.
(Where is it?)
That's back of town. It's on Johnson and Eurata[?] Streets. St. Roc's cemetery is way down town, way cross town.
[I evidently ask, "Then, there is no chapel in St. Roc's Cemetery?"]
No, there's a chapel in St. Roc's, too. Here's a chapel back here where I told you, too.
Entry 3022
(What do they say about Mother of Perpetual Help? What is she supposed to be good for?) She gives yo' help tuh help yo' git a job. She gives yo' help tuh keep peace in yore home. She good tuh heal yo' when yore sick.
(What sort of candle do you burn to her for these things?)
Yo' burn a pink candle to the Mother of Perpetual Help.
Entry 3023
And the Mother of Perpetual Help, she opens the way, she gives you bread when you got children like I have - she opens the way for you to have suc- cess. Well, you give her a blue candle - that's for children. And you pray twice a day to her - at twelve o'clock sure and in the morning. And whatever you promise her when you get your wish, why you give her that.
Entry 3024
(A green candle is money? How do you do that?)
You see, you burn it at the same hours, six o'clock in the evening, especially in the morning [six] for success, and you burn it to Mother of Petry [Perpetual] Help. That's for luck. She helps you for work. [Thinking she had finished, I stop my machine and miss the first few of her continuing words.] [You buy pictures of the] saints and you have them blessed by the priest, and you have you a little altar in the house. You have any saint you have a prefer- ence to, you see. And if you have children, you git diff'rent saints for chil- dren. And if you want work, the Mother of Petry Help, she helps you - she opens the way. The Sacred Heart of Jesus, that's for children, and you got one burnin' in de home. And St. Peter he opens the way for you - he has the key and he opens the way for you.
Entry 3025
The Blessed Mother. Now, she is a motherly saint - she loves children. But anything you promise her, you have to give her, such as flowers you know, them lights - that's what you have to give. But she is a bless- ed saint. Anything that you want, you can go to church and put a light, if you want to. If not, you can put a light at your home, but be sure and have a Blessed Mother picture there, but the priest have to bless it before you bring it in your house and set those lights. And if you promise her a light for nine days, she have to give it to you, and in three days she have to give it. Now after you get your promise, if you promise her a bou- quet of flowers, you better be sure and carry them, too, because if you don't, it'll be just too bad and such bad luck will fall on you that you wish you did.
Entry 3026
(You burn a green candle?)
And make dem bring it back. Dey can't keep it - dey bring it back, if dey steal something.
(Well, just how do you burn that candle?)
You burn dat candle in a saucer. You sprinkles a little sugar in de saucer, see. And you call and tell dem please tuh bring the things back, or you don't want to stand no trouble or nuthin like dat. And ast de Blessed Mother for to he'p chuh for to bring it back. An' dey bring it back - dey has to sneak it back in yore home.
Entry 3027
You burns a pink candle to her on Wednesdays and Thursdays and Mondays.
(You mean to the Virgin Mary?) [See comment later.]
Yes, sir.
(What do you do that for?)
For help.
(For help. Do you do anything else? I mean besides burning the candle?)
No more than that and repeat the Lord's Prayer. That's all you do to her.
(Each time you burn the candle?)
Yes, sir. Every time you light the candle, you say the Lord's Prayer.
(I see. Just once?)
Just once. [It is evident I wanted to be certain that informant was talking about the Virgin Mary. Here is a woman listed '35' and "good' in Nzonbers Book 647-822, and advanced to the mark "excellent on the transcription. A final reading of the complete interview caused me to label every page "woman spiritualist" - the latter word also meaning a spiritual. I have discussed this perpetual problem of religious syncretism in the Introduction.]
Entry 3028
Now, St. Peter is another saint. He don't pray. St. Peter don't pray atall. He's - he don't stand no foolishness. Now, St. Peter is a man who'll do anything that you ask him to do, for this simple reason - he's got the keys of heaven, see. Now, you get down and you get to St. Peter and you ask him for things, he'll open the way for you. You ask him to open the way for you and he'll open the way for you and he'll let you get jobs. You promise him something, give it to him. Now, the biggest thing you can give St. Peter is a key. You get you a key and get you a piece of blue ribbon. Put that key on a piece of blue ribbon and hang it around his neck; give it to him and you'll have success in every way and in every respect that you undertake. Understand.
(Where do you have St. Peter? In the church you mean?)
St. Peter's in the church. Course you could have 'im at the house, if you have 'im blest, but you got to always be sure you know what you are doing when you talking to saints. Course we talking to the saints, but we talking to The Man Above, too, because He's got something to do with this, you see. But when you.talking to the saints and you promise them things, if you don't hold to your promise you're just blowed up - that's all there's to it.
Entry 3029
Mah brother had done got to be a young man, see, and dis lady whut - dis woman whut he was in trouble wit was after him. She Was kinda ole - see, too ole fo' him, he was 18. All right. Well, she begin to buy candles - see, burn candles on him. She burned 'em a little bit at de time - every 20 minutes. All right. He begin to weaken down, suffer, nowhere he went he was satisfied - nowhere he went. Well she took his socks - see, the left. And his dirty garment, you know de BD's [= B. V. D.'s - unionsuit], took dat.
(What do you mean, took his garment? That had something on it from him?)
Yeah. She took dat and she took penny nails. She had a drier in her yard in de back - you know, in de back yard. She had his hands stretched out like dis [demonstrates] and de toes. See, dey were dem long shirt - well, de BD whut dey were, long ones.
(B. V. D.'s. You mean underclothing?)
That's it. And she had him laid - you know, tacked down wit penny nails. Eight penny nails it was. And she had dat dirty sock - were right in de middle of it.
[I now describe informant's demonstrations.]
(She put this underclothing - stretched it out and she tacked it down on top of the ground, and then she put this left sock in the middle of that, and then she covered it all over with dirt.) Well, mah brother wasn't satisfied nowhere. He had to leave from out of town. He left and he wun't [would not] come back. Don't care who send or write fo' him, he wun't come back.
(What did she do this for? To run him away? She didn't want him any more?)
Naw, she got mad cause he wouldn't marry her. She say she don't want him do nobody else no good. An' she done that. Well, ah prays to St. Ann, to Blessed Mother - that's is, to Blessed Mother. I prays and prays. Well, ah tell you what ah'll do, I say, I kin make him come back. Well, I got dem blessed holy candle, dem pure white candles.
(Where did you get it? From the church?)
I got it from de church, from de Fathers from St. Joseph's here. See, I bought it. I tole him to bless dat candle.
(You didn't tell him what you wanted to use it for?)
No, ah didn't tole him - ain't no use. An' ah got St. Peter. Ah sent away and ah got St. Peter - ah couldn't buy St. Peter nowheres here in Mobile. Got a brand-new key and a piece of blue, you know, ribbon [and made] a bow-like.
(Wait a minute! You got a St. Peter's key. Where did you send to get that?)
No, ah got St. Peter's photo. Ah send to mah niece to New Orleans to get it.
(Where did you send to get that, the photo?)
From New Orleans. That was the only place. Mah little niece sent it back to me in a hurry. All right. Ah went down there to the Catholic church to Father X and told him to bless this photo for me of St. Peter, see. I wanted a holy candle right away. He blessed that all at one time. He blessed that key, too. He say, "You want de key blessed, too."
(What kind of key did you have?)
Key like you unlock de door with.
(Where did you get the key?)
Ah bought dat key.
(A new key?)
Yeah, a brand-new key ain't never been used. All right. Well he blest it and before he blest it ah tacked dis key on to St. Peter, see. Ah put on there any kind of bow mah mind made me. Tied a big bow, a brand new piece - ah got a halfa yard fer ten cents.
(A ribbon - blue ribbon.)
Tie on St. Peter and nailed St. Peter up right over mah door, where you come in. Light dat holy candle and ah burned it only three days, on Wednesday, Friday and Monday - only three days, jest had one candle. Ah sweeten it down wit some sugar. Ah burn dat and ah call mah brother's name three times, see; call mah brother's name three times and den ah put mah name on with it see, one time - only one time.
(You call your name once.)
Call mah name once and call mah brother's name three times; and dis woman's name, ah call her two times. Well, mah brother came home. In three days he came, and he say, "Sister, ah got something bad on mah mind." Ah say, "What is it?"
[Recording is bad but he was going to kill the woman.]
She was burning a black candle on him.... Well, he gave her up. He almost like tuh kill her. He hated her. He drew her blood and he left her. [Drawing blood is an old remedy to kill a witch's power, see 485-487, p.148 and Index.] He came to Mobile.
(How long ago did this happen?)
Well that happen about five years ago right here in Mobile.
Entry 3030
Yessuh, ah burns a red light to St. Peter or eithah a green light.
(How would you burn that?)
Ah burns a red light to St. Peter - ah burns it lak ah wants a job, ah wants mah do's tuh be open. Ah want mah man behin' me in mah work. Ah sets mah green light fo' nine days an' if ah wus in de night, ah'd raps fo' him an' ah calls him, 'St. Peter, open do's - let no man kin close 'em, because ah know yo' got de key. Ah know yo' have de key an' open do's." An' ah'll set him a bouquet of flowers an' ah'll let mah light burn fo' nine days. An' at de end of de nine days he'll give me mah wish.
(You burn these lights at any particular time?)
Ah burns 'em diff'rent days. Ah burns it on Wednesdays, Mondays - all day.
(All day, just during the daylight?)
Or de nighttime.
Entry 3031
St. Peter, he'll open the door for you.
(Well, how would you do that? What would you do for St. Peter?)
St. Peter, you carry him a key.
(Where? To the church or?)
Yeah, to the church. But if you got a key to your house - and you tell St. Peter to open the door for you, you give him that key. Well, you've got to give him that key. And if you tell St. Raymond to do good for you, you give him a flower or piece of money - dime like that, you give him that. Whatever promise you make him, you got to give it to him though; and if you don't, he take it away from you.
(Where do you buy these keys to give St. Peter?)
You have to buy it from the store. But don't let nobody use that key, but get that key and buy that key yourself.
(You can't buy those keys at the church then?)
No, you can't buy them at the church. (Now, if they have these saints at home, how would they do - what would they do wi th them at home?) They takes 'em and puts them on the mantelpiece - sometimes they puts 'em on the mantelpiece, sometimes they have a little altar. You know what an altar is. Well they have a little altar and they have a candle at each one of those saints, burning in there.
Entry 3032
St. Peter, he opens the doors for anybody - you know, who has bad luck and can't get anything. You have to get a key and put it up over the door, you see, and put a light to him. You put a green light for him, that's for money. They do this in the house, and then you can put it in the church too. [Informant does not mean Roman Catholic Church but the private church I call a public shrine (pp.770-773).] But you can keep all that I'm telling you in the house. But in the church too you can make your prayers. You can make the prayers at the house, it's all the same thing.
Entry 3033
(St. Peter with the key?)
Yeah. I kept it [his picture] in the corner on a little shelf-like - little altar-like. That's where I kept it at. [Here is another example of the cater-cornered altar - see 2870, p.827; p.129, line 45.]
(You promise him what?)
A bran'-new key. An' you promise him flowers or a light. If you ain't got the money right there an' then, when you have de money you put a key there or either put a nickel or light - anything tha' choo open de way to get.
Entry 3034
(You say if you don't give him [St. Peter] this promise.)
Promise what you give him - just like if you promised him a flower or any kind of a piece of money. At that day when you make him the promise, he'll give you enough to go out and get just what you ask for. Well, you see - well then, you failed in giving him what you promised him, then he'll set fire. That candle - you see, you have some little candles setting under the saint.
(Under the saint, yes.)
Yeah, well, the saint [is] over [above candles] that - well then, everything you promise him, if you promised to give him a flower or give him a rose - well then, when the time comes to you to give it to him - and you done be successful what you have asked for - well, you come and you put that flower there, you know, in some water. Well, then you'll always have luck. But the minute that you fail in giving him what you promised - that what you - that junk what you got around there, probably you may have some paper around there on the mantelpiece or wher- ever you got it, or in the corner - you might have a curtain or something like that - well, there's some kind of way it going to blow into that and ketch on fire - burn down - and after that you have worse luck than you ever had.
Entry 3035
(How do you do that in trying to rent them?)
Well, the onliest way you could do, you could take - just like if you knew anything, you go to the Crackerjack Drug Store and you use you some lights. You get you a green light and you burn in - like a altar - you know, like a little altar in your home? Well, you burn that [candle] and you make your wish, you understand, for to rent the house and you'll rent ev'ry one of your rooms. Your customers will pay you ev'ry day, like if they [rent-collector] come ev'ry week. (I see. You just burn that candle. You don't burn anything to a saint's picture or anything of that sort?) Yes, you burn it right to a saint - you burn it to St. Peter.
(You burn it to St. Peter.)
That's what those ladies burn to - to St. Peter.
(What do men burn it to?)
And men burns to the Virgin Mary. Understand?
(Well, why do the men burn to the Virgin Mary?)
Because she's a lady, you see. Well, she's the one helps the men; but St. Peter, he's don't help the men at all. See, St. Peter - just like if you have St. Peter in your home - St. Peter, if you try to light a light to St. Peter, he liable to set your house afire before he do a favor for you [a man], but a woman, he would do a favor for her.
Entry 3036
Well, St. Peter, he's good and he's bad, but you gotta handle St. Peter so rough.
(You got to do what with him? Handle him rough?)
Yes, you gotta treat him dirty, whatever words I mean. If you drink, you gotta wet him with liquor. [See BEER FOR ST. PETER], and if you curse and live a bad life, you gotta be cursing. You gotta git up and pull your clothes up and pat yourself down there and all that. Then, if you promise him something and don't give it to him, he'll set your house afire. He won't burn up the whole house but he'll burn everything you got in the house and then the fire'll go out.
(How do you mean you pull your clothes up and pat yourself?)
Your backside to him.
(You show him your backside?)
Yes. You have to treat him dirty, treat him mean, on account of he was so mean. He wasn't what he professed to be. He was a follower of Christ and when Christ got into the judgment hall he didn't know nuthin about him. He got outside and go to fightin'. He cut the man's ear off. He was just a bad man, don't you see. And so you gotta handle him just like now as when he was on earth. Then [after you "treat him dirty"], you gotta handle him nice or he won't be bothered with you. You gotta give him keys too, because if you don't give him a key he'll keep every door shut and he'll not open the door for you.
Entry 3037
There's St. Peter. St. Peter is a saint they use with a black candle.
(A black candle? What dc they do with St. Peter?)
You see, you set that candle to St. Peter and you light this candle to St. Peter and you say to St. Peter - and you make a prayer - make a prayer, but have these people - their name. When you are prayin', you call these people name, and you set this black candle there, and this black candle has got so many days to burn. And you begin to suffer with a headache or dizziness in the head - well, this black candle then is burnin' on you. After this candle is burned out, then you begin to feel droopy - feel like you don't care about gettin' up in the mornin'. Then, fin'lly, in the longer run you begin to get weak. The first thing, you'll take to your bed; but that can be stopped, if a person know how to stop it.
Entry 3038
Well, it's according - you can burn a pink one, you can burn a yellow one, you can burn a white one, for luck.
(Well, how do you burn those various candles?)
Now, you take - say for 'n'instance like when I was on my truck. I had a truck. I used to get me those yellow candles, you see. Either yellow or white will do. I get my candle and I'd light my candle in the mornings 'fore seven o'clock. I used to go to church for them. And 'fore seven o'clock I'm got my candle, I'd light my candle on my truck. I wouldn't got out of my truck. I'd burn the candle and whilst burning my candle, I'd use cinnamon and sugar. I'd burn that in my truck. I'd put that in the candle and I'd burn that in mv truck. I had St. Peter and I had St. Joseph. I'd light my candles to them and I'd pray to them.
(In your house?)
No sir, on my truck.
(Oh, you did this in the truck?)
In the street, no house at all - in the street, anywheres in the street, when the time comes. I would burn that. That was for my luck. All right. Twelve O'clock, I'd burn it - burn my candle again at three o'clock and during that day I never had a misfortune at all. During that day I made - if it wasn't but five or six dollars, I made that.
Entry 3039
(What about St. Peter?)
He is - he totes the key. He unlocks the door to yuh, but if you don't give him what you promise, he'll burn you out. He burnt me out once, that's how I know.
(How did he burn you out?)
Well, you see, I had promised him a quarter. Well, I wasn't able to give him that quarter that certain day, and I left a little bit of fire in my furnace in my room, locked up, and goes out. When I comes back - I didn't see no way in the world that that fire could pop out and set nothing afire. All my clothes and one side of the house was in a light blaze. You gotta give him what you promise him.
Entry 3040
(What about St. Peter?)
He'll do evil for anything you want done. He'll do it for you.
(St. Peter will?)
Yeah, St. Peter will do that. Well how, for example? Well now, if I wanted St. Peter to do something for me, I would take a pin and I will scratch my finger, or either my own self, and let it bleed, bleed, bleed, and I'll take a pen and write. And I'll write a letter with my own blood and I'll take it to the crossroads and I'll leave it there, and I'll get him fin'lly to do anything I ask him to do. He'll do it and then after that I kin do anything, too. See.
(You write a letter in your own blood and go to the crossroads and leave it.)
Yes, I'll leave it right there, I'll leave it.
(Then what? Then, what about it?)
He'll find it. St. Peter, he'll find that.
(Then what will he do?)
Anything that I ask for I'll get - see, don't care what it is.
[While my machine was turned off, informant began a candle rite.]
(Burn a candle to him and ask for that from St. Peter?)
Yes, after you - take a frog, get aholt of 'im - ev'ry mornin' take a broom and whup 'im, call 'im all kind of name an' whup 'im out the world till he [St. Peter? come up?] an' he'll [St. Peter will] answer you an' ask whut you want 'im to do. [Here, a well-known rite of whipping a frog is confusing - I return to the letter.] (Now, wait a minute - about this crossroad business. What would you say in that letter you would write?) Well, you would say, "Well, St. Peter, I want this woman do such and so. I want you to give me this and I want this done, and harm this certain fellow and move that man out of my way, ' or something like that. "I want you to do it." (And after you write this letter, do you have to go before St. Peter's picture to do anything?) No, you have to have him on your wall - have him on your wall to do that [letter at crossroad]. Keep him on your wall. Just keep him on your wall or highboy or bureau, or over in front of your door.
(Do you have to talk to St. Peter or anything before you write that letter?)
' Well, if you talk to him once, he tell you what to do. Then, get your blood and write him [a] letter with your blood. Put it up on the wall of - up over the door and he'll answer. He'll do anything you say. (I see. Well now, how do you work this up on the wall - in putting this picture on the wall what do you do to it?) Well, you get you a broom and just wham him out, just call him all kinds of names. "I asked you to do something and you didn't do it." Just whup him with that broom and he'll do it.
Entry 3041
(For St. Peter. Tell me how you do that.)
Well, ah gives him a light. Ah gives him a light an' pray to him an' makes an offer tuh him an' takes him down [from the mantelpiece or wall] an' turn him upside down an' give him a red candle. Put it up 'side de wall anywhere or down on de flo'. Turn him upside down, an' give him a red candle an' throw a glass of watah in his face, an' go 'head on to co't. Dat's de co't case now, if it ain't serious. But if it's serious, yo' gotta work harder yo' know - yo' gotta start in time. But ah kin take St. Peter down dis mawnin' an' yo' goin' tuh co't an' ah kin make it easy.
Entry 3042
Well, St. Raymond, he stand up like a big old saint. You burn green candles to him. You burn 'em Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays. He's for money - just like you ain't got no money, don't know where to get none. Well, you get down on your knees and you pray, you repeat them prayers - it's a prayer, you repeat them prayers nine times.
[Does the prayer come wrapped about the candle?]
(Each day?)
Yes, sir. Well, after you repeats them prayers, you take you a green candle and you set it to St. Raymond and you make your wish, and you can ask him for anything you want, but you means it from your heart though and you'll get it.
Entry 3043
Have a ceremony. But in case that you get an altar you have to take it to the priest and let him bless the altar before you bring it in your house. If you get St. Raymond's picture from the store where they buy the saint pictures, you got to take it to the priest and have it blest before you bring 'em in your house.
Entry 3044
Well, St. Raymond, he is a good saint. St. Raymond is the saint for the poor. St. Raymond will give you bread and if you got children, he will keep the way open that you should feed your children. Now, you give St. Raymond a green light. You give him a green light at home. Of course, when you go to church, you give him those little cup candles and they're yellow. Or you can set what you call a nine-day light. It's a little glass lamp with a globe on it.
(A nine-day light.)
But you gotta pay 25 cents for that nine-day light, and if you care to when the nine days is up, light another one. It is just the same. St. Raymond always keeps you with your preferment. He is a saint that will help you.
(You get these nine-day lights in the church?)
In the church.
(And you burn them there or at home?)
In the church you burn them first.
Entry 3045
(Before prohibition you did that?)
Before prohibition came here, yes sir. You see, you go to the sent [saint] store, you ask for a St. Raymond sent.
(st. Raymond sent.)
He's a fellow with a little short dress on, got a crown on his head. He got something down look like the devil - this thing he got on the ground. It got a tail and horns on its head. He got a sword in his hand like that [demonstrates]. See, if he would get up, he would cut his head off or something. [Informant is confusing St. Michael with St. Raymond.] Now, that sent is for to put in a. place like you are selling whiskey, or making whiskey, to keep the law from being wor- rying you. You put that sent up over your front door where he have to come in. And that sent suppose to protect your business.
(I see.)
Yes, sir. That what you call the - you been in the Catholic Church?
(Yes.)
You see them statues and things?
(Yes.)
Well, they have pictures drawed off with the same statues on them that you use in your home, cause I got 'em in my home now.
(This is a picture of St. Raymond?)
Of St. Raymond.
(You just tack it over the door, that will keep the law away?)
Over the door, that keep the law away. (I see. They did this before - this was during Prohibition days that you used that?) Prohibition days. The reason why I know 'cause I used it myself. I run a place of business down here for a fellow they calls Joseph Faranzi. You see, he's a Italian fellow, but I run it in my name, but it wasn't my place. And I used to sprinkle holy water every morning - when I sweep up, I sprinkle the floor down with holy water. Now, that holy water come from the Catholic Church. You gits it in a quart bottle. Then I take some of that holy water and I throws it on that picture.
(Over the door?)
Over the door, you see. You have to keep that picture damp with that holy water, you see. This here picture, it works by holy water. [Here this saint is a hand which must be kept damp - fed. See p.578 and whole subdivision Hands.] You sprinkle over that picture and that picture suppose to protect your place of business. Now, half of this city is run by sent pictures. Most every home you go in, you be lookin' up to see sents over the door.
Entry 3046
Ah know somepin 'bout St. Raymond. St. Raymond is de saint he's lucky fo' money: Some people makes a novena to him fo' nine Tuesdays, Thursdays an Saturdays. Dey gives him a green candle, if dey use a candle. If yo' want flowers, yo' gives him any kind of flowers. He's fo' money.
(You make that on nine Tuesdays?)
Nine Tuesdays fo' St. Raymond, or nine Thursdays, or nine Saturdays. Them his days. Yo' burn it [candle] straight, lak yo' would go into a church [and burn it] or anything - jes' lak yo' buy it in a sto', where yo' see de wick at, yo' jes' put a match to it an' light it. But chew don't blow de match out. See, take yore han' an' dampen it wit some spit, eithah one, an' mash it out. Yo' don't blow no light out when yo' light it lak dat, see.
(Where do you burn this candle?)
Right in front of St. Raymond [in your home].
Entry 3047
You burn a green candle to St. Raymond. You take your green candle and you got St. Raymond on your altar and you sit the green candle before the saint and then you make your wishes to him. If you want a job - and you want the boss to give you a job, if you know his name, you take his name and you write it down nine times. You get some cinnamon and you get some parsley and you get some of this garlic and you pound that all up together and you put that in. Put it before your candle, right in front of the'candle where your saint's at and burn that, and he'll give you a job and like you. You burn it before St. Raymond. You can use a green candle. Use the same green candle for him, that the onliest kind of candle to use. You burn a white candle for peace.
Entry 3048
(What color do you use for St. Raymond?)
Green, to take care of money - greenback money.
(What about silver money.)
Yes, sir. Well, lots of fellows give me silver money. [This is a hustling woman.]
Entry 3049
St. Raymond's can'le is sometime is for money.
(St. Raymond or St. Ramos?)
St. Raymond, yes sir. St. Raymond. You kin go to the Cath'lic Church an' make a novena to St. Raymond to open the way for a job or somepin like that. An' then you kin go to St. Raymond an' put somebody in bad luck dat's a enemy to you. St. Raymond or St. Michael, you kin use. You set lights an' burn on em.
(That's in the church?)
In church - in the church.
(To give them bad luck?)
To give 'em - to put 'em in tough luck.
(Suppose I went there. How would I give a person bad luck?)
You goes an' git a can'le that's got red - you know whut can'le you gon'a burn, jis' like red, sometime blue, sometime white; or, if, like you know whut choo gon'a do. If you go in there for good, you gon'a take a white can'le; but if you burn that for bad, you gon'a take black or red, or some other can'les - if you go in there to give a person bad luck. You understand.
(You light those right in the church?)
Yes sir. [Church to informant is not the Roman Catholic Church but the Public Shrine (p.770), whose custodian is sometimes called Mother.]
Entry 3050
(St. Raymond?)
You puts the pitchure of him [of St. Raymond] up, an' you puts the can'le in a little cup about that big. You set the can'le an' you lights it. An' don't wan'a blow your match out, knock it out an' put it in that cup. An' leave it [the candle] burnin'.
(Do you put the match in that cup and let it burn, too?)
No, jis' put it out, t'row it out like that an' put it in the cup.
(Well, why did you blow the candle out? Blow the match out?)
You should not blow it out.
(Oh, all you do is just shake it - shake that match right out?)
Yes, sir.
(And you put it into a cup, too?)
Yes, sir. After you burn the can'le why you have to git another one - that's to make a
[voyeyah or noyeyah = novena?].
Entry 3051
Now St. Raymond, you gotta give him a whole lot to drink, and a big. key:
[Informant is confusing or blending St. Raymond with St. Peter.]
(What do you mean "a whole lot to drink?")
Now, when you drink - if you don't drink, well you see, you have him hanging up on your wall, and you gotta take and get something to drink and you chunk it up there to him, St. Raymond.
(What do you mean '"something to drink?")
Like wine or beer or whiskey, or whatever it is you [buy].
(What do you mean "just chunk it up there?")
Just chunk it up on the picture. You see, you have him and you have a key. You see, a key and a piece of ribbon. If you had St. Raymond, now, you'd say, "St. Raymond, I'm in bad luck and I wish you'd open the way for me, that way I will have luck at, be successful and coming in luck." Well, you'd get you a key and you'd tie it on a piece of red ribbon and you have a nail and you hang it up on that nail.
[St. Peter's ribbon is blue and about his neck.]
(Then what do you do?)
Well, he's supposed to open the door for you, open the way for you.
(I see. Do you burn candles before him?)
Yes, sir, you burn candles. You have white candles, you burn for him.
Entry 3052
St. Rita is a woman, she never got a good husband. She had some of them but they were all cruel to her - they beat her and they give her black eyes and they were mean to her. She never could keep a husband. The last husband she had he beat her so bad it turned her against all men, and any woman that has got a husband, St. Rita is bad luck to them in the house. Now, if she is a single woman, St. Rita will help her. But she won't do anything for men at all because she don't like them.
Entry 3053
Yassuh, St. Rita's fo' chillren, she's not fo' men - fo' chillren an' winmins, but not fo' mens. St. Rita will drive a man out of a woman's house. She don't lak no man.
(Is there any particular reason why she doesn't like the men?)
On accounta she married - her parents made her marry a man an' she didn't want tuh marry him - she wanted tuh be a nun - an' her husband wus cruel to her. He hit her in de haid an' she had a hole in her haid. An' she had two sons, an' she said befo' she would see her sons live tuh be men - she asked God tuh take 'em out of dis world. An' when her son dies she went to a convent tuh be a nun. An' de rest of de nuns would scorn her, an' when dey'd scorn her - dey had a big feast at de church an' she wanted tuh go an' she asked God tuh heal dat [hole in her head] up so she could go tuh dis feast an' she went to dat feast. An' when she went tuh de feast de rest of de nuns didn't know her until aftah de feast wus ovah. An' when she wus comin' back, dis hole in her haid opened up. An' befo' she died she tole dem - dere wus snow on de ground - she tole 'em tuh go out an' look on de fig tree an' bring her a ripe fig an' bring her a red rose off of a bush. An' dey brought it.
(What did she want - to give them the flowers?)
Dat wus jes' whut she wanted, jes' tuh show 'em about whut she wus doin't. Dey scorned her on accounta whut she had dat hole in her haid, an' she Wanted tuh show 'em dat her religion Was pure, or whut she wus doin'.
(Well now - how do you approach St. Rita now?)
Well, yo' kin take St. Rita - yo' give her flowers, if yo' want her tuh do somepin fo' yo'. She's fo' chillren an' wimmins. Yo' makes a novena tuh her, but chew don't make no novena tuh her fo' a man if yo' got a man at chure house an' [unless] yo' wants tuh drive dat man away. If yo Wanta make a novena tuh her, she'll sho' run him away cause she don't lak men.
(Do you make that novena at any special time?)
Well, her days is Thursdays.
(You don't burn any candles to her?)
No suh yo' don't burn no candles to her, yo' gives her flowers.
Entry 3054
De saints dat de womens work with, into keepin' her man into her life - lak if a woman wanta keep a man an' she don't wanta give a man no filth tuh eat, or fix a man with no scrapin's offa his feet or his hat. Well, she keeps a light burnin' tuh St. Rita. St. Rita keeps de do's open fo' dis Woman, because her sympathy is with de woman jes' lak Noah wus fo' de world. He cried fo' de world jes' lak St. Rita is fo' de woman. She's something lak Noah. She a passionly [patiently] person an' lak tuh see de homelight burnin'. Long as yo' keep a light burnin' tuh her she'll he'p yo', an' if yo' been burnin' lights to her an' don't believe her, she'll he'p yo' right on.
Entry 3055
(St. Rita?)
Well, she don't like men. I [a woman] never have prayed to her, never have gived her a light and no kind of novenas.
(Why is that?)
Because she don't like men.
The speaker denies giving a light; the saint name appears in the interviewer question.
Entry 3056
(Well now, tell me about St. Rita.)
Well, you know, St. Rita, she don't like no man.
(Yes.)
Cause her husband was a man, you know.
(I see.)
Cause he deceived her when she had a son for him. She don't like no man. She do anything for a woman, won't do anything for a man.
(I see.)
All you have to do, get you St. Rita's pitchure in your house, and get you a white candle and put the candle there and put flowers there, and go there every morning and ask her to do it for you for nine mornings, and she'll do it. Give her money though, flowers too, and she'll do anything you ask her to do - don't care what it is.
Entry 3057
St. Rita, she don't like no man. Only one reason why she don't like a man, cause she had a man and he was very hard on her. And the man was so mean and cruel to her till he gave her a stone.
(He gave her what?)
He gave to her a stone.
(Yes.)
And he made her boil that stone until it got to be an Irish potato, and when that stone got to be an Irish potato, well then, that's where she got apart from this man, because now today she hates a man. Why does she hates a man? Cuz a man was such a cruel [person] to a woman. But she's good in a way and she ain't no good in this way - she'll take. If you make a novena to her that you don't want, that you wanta git rid of your husband, you'll git rid of the man; but there's a one in the family, such as your mother or your child or your grand- child, or someone like your father or cross-relative, she'll come in and step in and take her away from you, because you wanta git rid of him because she hates a man. And that's how she'll come in to do these things. She'll take that man away from you, but still and all she'll come right on in and take your mother or your child - the one that you love the best.
Entry 3058
There's only one saint you go to that doing bad and that's St. Rita.
(St. Rita?)
St. Rita, she's a woman. She don't like men and it wouldn't do you [the author] no good to go to her, to ask her to do you favors for you; but if you Want favors done, you go to St. Joseph, St. Peter, or Lady of Lourdes - any of those other saints. That's to do good for you for luck - you know, to be suc- cessful in whatsomever you undertake to do or something of that sort.
(Well, why doesn't St. Rita like men?)
Well, St. Rita, the reason why she don't like men is - according to Scriptures from what I'm got the understanding of - she never did like mens for one simple reason, on account of Christ, see. Christ is supposed to be her father, and he's not, see. She don't like men, she never did. When Christ was born, she looked and see that it was man. She walked away and they made her come back. But when they called him King Of Lords - that's how we have this thing [day] what we call carnival today. Well, they said, "Hail, King of the Jews, ' and all such things as that, she liked that because they Was going to kill him. She hated men. We have today what we call carnival, you know, carnival just passed. We have that on the [sakes?] of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, when he was born. He was born, so they claim, on the 25th of December. Well, I understood different. It was on a carnival that he was coming when they said, "Prepare ye for the kingdom of heaven is nigh at hand." That was Christ - he was coming. He was coming and he was coming on an ass colt. See. And they went around saying, 'Make way, for the kingdom of heaven is nigh," and they was talking about the Lord was coming, you see. And she seen who it was and that's what caused her to hate men today. But still and all, he came. Everybody had to - I think it was the ninth hour. I know I remember reading something about what he said at the ninth hour - about his time had not come yet, but at the ninth hour his time cometh. He hung on the cross from the sixth until the ninth hour. That's how it was. And when that ninth come - when the ninth hour was up - everybody had to pull off their masks and things. See, everybody had changed. Well, that's how we have what you call carnival today. See, after six o'clock you can't wear no more masks. See. Well that's Scriptures - that's the same thing as in the Bible. You see. Well, that is how she come to hate mens today, because he was born man and he supposed to be her father. See. But she don't like men, and that's the reason she don't like men because he supposed to be her father and he's not.
(Do the women go to St. Rita when they want a favor done?)
A woman can go there and have any kind of favor done she wants to, but a man can't.
(Well, what sort of thing would a woman have her do for her?)
Well, the saint - well, a saint could do mostly anything. St. Rita, for a woman, she'd do anything she wants. Generally, if the woman go to her and ask her to do these favors, she can have it done; but she'll have to go and go until she fulfill a promise she make to the saint. It just like you, if I tell you, "Loan me a ten-dollar bill today and I pay you back Saturday." Well, then Sat- urday come, you looking for your ten dollars, see. Well, that's how that is with this saint. You go to these saints and you ask 'em for a favor, just like, say for instance, you are out of work and you want a job, she'll open the Way for you to get the job. Well, you promise to give her flowers or promise to give her a quarter or half a dollar, maybe you promise to give her a candle. Well, she'll open the way for you to get the job, but when you get the job, it's up to you to go and give her that candle or flower or whatsomever you promised her. And if you don't give it to her, why then you going to lose that job again. Now, that's strictly facts.
Entry 3059
(What do you know about St. Rita?)
St. Rita is the best saint. I can tell you that St. Rita is one of the best saints. That I kin say that I have call on her after Jesus, after God and Jesus, the Son of God - after his heart [Sacred Heart]. She have done me some favors.
(Well, can you tell me something about her? Who is she? What does she do?)
She ain't nothing but a woman. She have been a bad woman all her days.
(Yes, what kind of a bad woman?)
She had been a sporting woman, goes with mens - you understand, different mens and that kind of thing. Every night she would lay with a man, she had a growing son. One night, here that son come just about one o'clock aknocking at the door, and at the same time she had a man - the man laying with her. And he [man with her] knew that she was doing those things - that why she so good to- day - and he didn't take no time, didn't ask who that was. They [the man and she] was more sure that was some of her mens - you know, had been knocking at the door. And it was her son. [The man] got up and he takes his gun and he shot the son - that's what the book [says] - shot the man at the door. That was her son. [He] opened the door and he who had been dropped dead by the shot, that was her son. That why she fainted.
(She fainted.)
She fainted. She say, "Now, from today on - from tonight on, I shall change my name. The only son that I had of mine - have seen the hand of [something]. But," she say, "before that I goes to that way, I was ready to send myself to that place there in hell. But he take my place. But I change my name from to- night on." She choose the very, very dirty place that you could of called to [stopped at] traveling along - what I mean in the [woods?] - everything [dirty].
(In the what?)
In the woods yes, alone. It was in January. You see in that kind of time there ain't no flowers. We don't see no flowers. We don't see such a - there's nothing blooming at that, in that month. She say, "I throw myself - I wanta be a saint or I wanta kill myself. I wanta do charity some kind of way." She con- tinue praying, praying. And she say, "From today on," she say, "my Savior, that you come to be the man, and give me the crown that I want. I be called many [something] in your heaven. I resigns everything. I throw myself in your arms. After the bad, I want the goodness as my [fort or forte] - it shall be my [fort or forte] until I die. But I'm going to change my name." That way she say, "I go especially for the poor. I have been poor. I have to throw myself in this position that I have to go make the death of my child - for my baby - and I'll do charity for the poor." And she says, "My Savior, at the end of my prayer, after you show me my way, good or bad, I want for you [to] represent it to me - just a kind of a something [sign] to let me know that you stand with me, and I'll stand with you, and I shall be saved from today on."
(What was her name before?)
Rita. Now it's Saint, you see.
(I see.)
They use Saint in it.
(Well, then she changed it to St. Rita?)
St. Rita. [At this point I stop the machine but she soon saying something about the sigr makes me restart recording.]
(All right. Did she have a sign?)
She got a sign. In February. Did you understand?
(I understand.)
Now, you know it's a month that there's nothing what blooms. One night she comes and she lays down. One morning, she get up and she say, "I'm going travel- ing along." When she come to get out from the door of that building where she Was, she had figured that she had carried - have carried it on her head like a veil and white around here. She have figured that. You understand. That was at the time of Jesus Christ, you see. She [was] walking along. Her heart have always - have a willing heart, you understand, for everything that would come along. She walked forth on that road about two or three miles before she get to a little pond that they have Water - that they used to have some flowers or something. She says, "Well, Lord, I asked my message through my prayers, to show me a sign and let me know if I was past through my bad days. Make a way which say if you was on my side." She say, "This morning, in the [picture - something about the rose]. Did you see - you done see the picture?
(No, I've never seen the picture of St. Rita.)
She have a beautiful rose on her little table - that's the first beginning of her life from - after He had changed her ways. Now, here comes - continuing - she say, "I ain't going to lose my way. I ain't going to give up." She say, "I don't want no company. The onliest company that I want with me is God. If I don't see him - just so that He lead me with prayer - that I foreseen the - and know that my redeeming lead in my heart, so that I kin say that I know it." One morning she gets up - that was the third morning.
(Are you repeating that part of the story?)
That was the third morning. I come with one morning like that - that was the third morning, again. She say, "Well, my Savior, here is a lamb." She say, "I promise Jesus I was going to be in the service of the poor people, bad people. He have heard me." She say, "Here, this is my way." She promise from that day on, "I wanta be a saint - not for the rich, not for nobody but all bad people. Whosomever know they have been dealing bad, whosomever know that they wanta be better, they goes to her and ask her if her [she will] beg Jesus for something to help them on the way. And you give her her prayers like you ought to, I'll guarantee that she'll answer you.
(You mean any person who is wicked - you go to her and she'll answer?)
I'm telling you.
(She won't do any dirty work, will she?)
Oh, not no more. Not no more. No, sir.
(Does St. Rita like men? Does she answer any man's prayer?)
Oh, yes, she like the men - she like man. She like all good dealing, but not bad dealing no more. Cause bad dealing have been the cause of - see, in one way, that her trouble have come through.
Entry 3060
(What did you do to get your husband back?)
Well, I went to her [St. Rita] again and prayed. Well, when I went to her and prayed, I burned incense in my house and scrubbed incense in my house. Well, it was a woman that took my husband clean from me. I couldn't do anything in the world with him. He wouldn't stay home. He wouldn't pay no rent at home. I is a mother with children for him and he wouldn't pay no rent, he wouldn't support me, and I didn't have no cause to go to the white folks to make him support me no nothing. But I took and went on there and prayed, and after I went there, I just took holy water and scrubbed my house out and sprinkled holy water in my house, and light that candle and got me a little altar and put her in there, got her saint and put her in there, and I had three lights. And I had his name writ nine times frontwards and nine times backwards, and I lighted her candle on him - you see, where a little base.
(Oh! What kind of a candle?)
A white candle. But I had one white candle what I had his picture and his name - you know, right on it. And I had his name nine times thisaway and nine times thataway.
(Across. In a cross?)
Yes, just like you'd make a cross. You understand?) Well, all right. I laid that down just like this [demonstrates]. See, that's his picture there. I laid his name over that and set the [white] light on top of it. (You laid the names crosswise, across the picture, and now you put the candle on top of that - this white candle.) Yes, sir.
(Was it a picture or a statue of the saint?)
No, it was a statue of my saint, but I had the picture of my husband - that was his'n.
(But the saint was a statue?)
A statue - little white statue. You can get it in any Catholic church; you can get a little white statue. They give you ary one you want - any one of them.
(I see.)
So, I had my light there, but I had her back here. You see.
(Her light.)
Her light - was supposed to put her light here.
(What color was her light?)
Her light was a blue light I give her. See, that's when you wanta get your husband back. And if you have a dark light, it's for the woman what's got your husband. That white light, that's hers [the saint's] but she's working on that for you. See, she's bringing him home. And my husband come home one night at twelve o'clock and I wouldn't get no upstirring about him - you see, one, two, three, my mind was gone off of him. He stayed away from me three weeks, and when he come back home, he come right home and went and called on the landlord and paid him hisself; asked the landlord how much I'd owed him, and the landlord told him, "Well, she owe for three week's rent." And I was paying $3 a week. And he went there and he paid him. He was working right there on the riverfront, and he really did come back home and I ain't never had no trouble wit him since. That's been three year ago and I don't never move that light - I always keep that light. I always go to church every morning at six clock. You'll find me in that church on Halsey Avenue and Cologne. I'll be to that Catholic church there on my knees.
(Do you do that every morning now?)
Every morning.
(Are you a Catholic?)
Yes, sir
(Well, were you Catholic before then?)
No sir, I was no Catholic then. I was a Methodist.
(I see, you become a Catholic.)
After. I came to be a Catholic after.
(Were you confirmed or anything in the Catholic Church or did you just go in?)
Well, I ioined the Catholic Church, you understand.
(Were you baptised in the Catholic Church?)
No, I wasn't baptised yet. I wasn't supposed to get baptised until Easter Sunday. That's when they supposed to baptize me, Easter Sunday Morning.
(You haven't been baptised yet. You are going to be though?)
Yes, sir. Easter Sunday morning.
(I see.)
Easter Sunday morning.
(And you have this altar in your house and you still burn these candles?)
Yes, sir.
(And you burn the blue and the white ones?)
Yes, sir.
(You put three candles?)
I put three candles for the man - like if you wants your husband back, like if a woman want her husband back.
(One was blue?)
One was blue and one was white and the other one was blue [black]. The blue one was for the saint, but the white one was for the husband [see later]. That dark candle - the black candle was for the woman what was, you know, have took your husband from you. That was against her. [Originally she says the white candle sat on her husband's picture and name - it being the candle for him. Later she calls the white candle the saint's, but only because the saint is working through it. The blue candle is for the saint alone.]
(How did you have this arranged on the altar?)
Well, you see, just have.
(Here's the altar.)
[To represent altar, I open my small spiral-bound Numbers Book on table.]
That's the altar. Now you see, just hold this up just like this here. That's the altar here. You understand?
(Yes.)
Well, all right. That's the Virgin Mary - the Virgin right here, see.
(That's St. Rita?) [She means St. Rita.]
Yeah, that's St. Rita, right there. All right, you takes right here, right in front of the altar, you understand, that's her in here.- in that little hole. Well, you take right in front of the altar, right here [also], that's where you put - lay your husband's picture there and the name nine times, one time cross- way like that, nine time crossway like that, and once like dis, and you lay that right up on here. And you take his picture - have his picture like that with it, but you have his picture laying crossways - see, just like his head would rise to the sun, well, you make his feet get to the sun and you put it right here. Lay that on top of that and put that white candle on top of this. Then you turn round and take that dark candle and put it right here.
(On the left hand [north] side of the altar you put the dark candle?)
Yeah, put it the side of the altar but on this side. See, [evil] all the time on the left side. On the right side put the man's candle - put it right here. That saint's candle, put it right here - that blue one, that's for her, see. (I see. The white one is in the center and the blue one is on the right side of the [statue of the] saint?) Yes, sir. Then, see when you light it, you can light.
(When you light those candles, you do what?)
When you light the candles, see, you light her candle first - that's that blue candle.
(I see.)
You see, all them candles are nickel candles apiece - cost a nickel apiece. Well, you see, you light her candle first. Well, you says your wish. You make your wish to her - just like you wish for him to come home, or you wish for him to stay away. See. Any wish that you make her, say, "Well, I wish that you would send my husband home. You understand, I am in need." And you make that wish for her and light her candle first, and you turn around and you come across there and pass him up, and light the dark candle after you light hers first.
(Then you light the black candle?)
Yes. And you come right on back [to the white candle].
(What do you say when you light that black candle?)
That black candle, "Take him away from this woman, if it's your spirit will." See, that's the way you have to have your hands - just thataway. (Up against the side of your face - folded [in prayer]. Yes, just thataway.
(After you repeat the prayer?)
And after you prays the Lord's Prayer. And after the Lord's Prayer is said, you takes and [hold a match like] that to the light. And you take another match, not the same match - take another match and light this husband's candle, the white candle. And you take and set ~ burn - take all them [matches] and burn them [matches] up. And you set right there and you make the Lord's Prayers to the saint.
(You use three different matches?)
Yes, sir.
(What do you do with those matches after you light them?)
You can't use but one on that one candle.
(No, what do you do with those matches after you use them?)
You take them and throw them in the fire and burn them up. See, you can't use the same [matches again] and drag 'em around. And you make your wishes and you prays to her. And I guarantee you in three days time your husband will be back home. [Here is the prepared or dressed altar: Parentheses in diagram = spiral binding that divides Numbers Book into halves
(p.886, line one) = little hole (line 8).]
Entry 3061
(St. Rita. What have you heard about St. Rita?)
Ah would set a pink light tuh her.
(Give me an example - a parable of how you would do that?)
Ah would send her de light - to St. Rita, an' ah would rap. Make up piece [prayer] in mah home lak, if me an' mah husban' misquarreled a lot at home. Ah would rap an' ah would call her name an' she would give me a rap, yo' see, an in three days time ah would git mah wish.
(You burn a pink candle for her. For what length of time would you burn it?)
Ah burn it fo' three days, from three tuh nine days to her.
(At any particular time during the day?)
Ah light it in de mawnin' at fo' an' ah light it agin at twelve an' ah light it agin at fo' in de evenin'. [For candle-burning time, see pp.828-831.]
(How long do you burn it each time?) [See p.829.]
Ah burn it each time about fifteen minutes.
(Who was St. Rita, anyway? Do you know anything about St. Rita?)
Ah heard dat she wus a honest woman an' her husban' didn't believe her an' she got mistreated through life. Then she run him off an' anothah man married her an' he mistreated her so she jes' went on tuh be a sister [nun].
The interviewer names a candle and the informant gives burning intervals. The practice, timing and Rita story remain attributed source accounts.
Entry 3062
St. Rita is not a woman's man - she don't want no man. She's not good fo' nobody that's got husban' an' wife. She don't improve in dat [approve of that]. Now, dat's all ah know of her.
(Why is that?)
Ah don't know. She musta been a whut chew would call dem people dat nevah had a man. See, an' she don't improve in dat.
Entry 3063
Now, I got a cousin. His grandmother sold him to a evil spirit.
(Do you know how she did that?)
Now, she went - she wanted money and she went down to St. Roc. They had a church down there long years ago and she went down there.
(Where? Here in New Orleans?) Yes, sir. (Where was this church years ago?)
Down there on St. Roc's Avenue. And she went down there and she sold this child to the evil spirit. It was a evil church, didn't do nothing but evil work. And she sold her grandchild to these evil spirits. And the poor little thing he couldn't go nowhere. If he was settin' here, they Wouldn't harm you; but they just would chunk - well, you wouldn't have nothing in there that would set still. Ever'thing would move - chunk bricks and ever'thing. He used to come home to my mama's house and be settin' there eatin' and they'd take all the dishes - we didn't see where they was comin' from though - they just would go chunk. Well, you have to get rid of the child. You had to leave the child go out and you couldn't follow him; they'd chunk you all up and down the street. And that child couldn't get that spell off of him. They had policeman and ever'thing at the house, watchin' to see where the things was comin' from, but nobody never seen them or nothin' else - not until his grandmother died. (Do you know how she sold him to the devil? What she did do to sell him to the devil?) No, we didn't go down there with her, 'cause she didn't let none of us know it. His grandmother did it. And she went down to that church - it was a old church down there, and they went down there and she sold him to a evil spirit.
(Is that church still there?)
No, sir, it's tore down.
(I see. That was years ago?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3064
Now, if yo' wanta draw de attention of anyone dat chew cares fo', yo git nine teaspoonsfula sugah an' draw a glass of watah an' yo' put it in there. Put de sugah in de watah an' yo' offer it up to de Sacred Heart of Jesus. Yo' offer dat glass of sweeten watah tuh de Sacred Heart of Jesus an' ah'll guarantee yo' it'll bring dere mind to yo' an' dey'll come to yo'. No names. Jes' offer it tuh de Sacred Heart of Jesus.
(How do you offer it? Where do you put this glass?)
Under there - undah de picture, see. Den yo' offer it to it, an' yo' set that glass there, ah guarantee yo'.
Entry 3065
(The Sacred Heart you say?)
De Sacred Heart of Jesus, yo' prays tuh him if yo' wants. Lak yo' got con- fusion in yore house an' yo' wants peace. Yo' gives de Sacred Heart of Jesus a red candle on Monday, Wednesdays an' Fridays, or yo' give him a red light. Yo kin buy these cups whut chew burns these lights in an' yo' gives him a red light, but it must be Monday, Wednesdays an' Fridays. Dat's de Sacred Heart days.
Entry 3066
(You do what?)
Use the Sacred Heart. You use a purple light to that saint and that's to get your wishes right away, too. [New Orleans, La., (857), 1364:10.] [Before I begin MY CONVERSATIONS WITH DOCTORS, I must find a place: for the fabulous Doctor Buzzard, old-timers like George Jackson and Zippy Tull, and the woman who got sanctified.]
Entry 3067
[This remarkable man we have already met, along with his friend who was equally adept at sudden disappearance. Perhaps you remember him by his more familiar name, Daddy Snakelegs, "cause he could run so fast and he could disappear." A precious pair! Sorry, I should also include the third member of the group, Ole Sal, the disappearing mule. See 845, p.293.] I've done hear [what you want]. I kin tell you most everything you ask me.
[I turn off machine and we talk until something of possible interest appears.]
(Burying you alive? How do they do that? Do you know?)
Burying you alive and you bound to follow the dirt.
(I see. Well, how do they say they do that?)
Well, I heard ole man Alexander tell that. He say he makes a coffin.
(Do what? Makes a coffin?)
Makes a coffin and puts this dirt in it.
(What kind of dirt?)
Graveyard dirt. Puts a needle catercorner there and puts another one cater- corner here.
(Like making an X in the coffin?)
No, just.
(Here - that's the coffin there.)
[I probably use my small oblong Nuonbers Book, used for altar, p.886.]
There's the coffin. Well, dey lay de two needles straight, right along here. And right between here they put a piece of cayenne pepper, table salt, and a piece of new salt [sulphur?] right there. Then they lay a piece of devil's root, dey call it - drive that down in there, you see, and they say that draws you up. (I see. Now, they put these needles like this [cross them], sort of making an X in the corners like that, and up here at this top part - up here at the top of the coffin.in that sort of a V there [one of the 4 angles of the crossed needles] they - what do they put up there?) They put a pinch of cayenne pepper.
(Cayenne pepper. What do they put down here in the left-hand corner?)
A pinch of sulphur.
(And what do they put in this corner - the right-hand corner of the coffin?)
New salt.
(And up here - where do they put the root?)
Up here - they put the root chere.
(Up in the.right-hand corner they put this root.)
And there's your head. (That's your head. And they put - what was the name of that stuff they put there?) Ah - ah devil's root. I suppose they want the devil to get that coffin.
(I see. And what [else] will they do for the devil to get that coffin?)
Carry it out and bury it - bury it in the dirt.
(What will that do?)
That's all - just carry that out and bury that down in the dirt. [See Coffin, PP.536-542.]