Browse:ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS (Volume 4, entries 8881–9440)/Part 6
ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS
Volume 4, entries 8881–9440. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 9281
Well, yo' kin take a aig, any kinda aig, black hen aig, any kinda aig. Jes' lak dose folks stay ovah dere dey fuss wit chew all de time an' yo' cain't live by 'em atall. Yo' wait until one night when dey go tuh baid, an' jes' take dat aig an' throw it ovah on top de house, an' let it break anywhere, say: Yo' son of bitch, go! De nex' mawnin' dey be moved.
Entry 9282
An' ah've hear'd 'gin, dat if yo' have enemies an' dey livin' close by yo', why yo' kin take a aig. Find a aig dat wuz laid tuhday an' write chure [his] name on it an' throw it up on top of de house. An' as yo' throw it, say, "Ah throw dis In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost, an' ah want chew tuh move from round heah." An' de aig bust on de top of de house it sure tuh rum down, an' dey jes' git upsot [upset] dey cain't stay.
Entry 9283
If yo' wanta run a person away or somepin, take a hen aig an' write dere name ovah it. An' if dey's in dere - jes' lak if dey's in dis room - throw it ovah de house an' let it fall an' bust on de othah side.
(What will that do?)
Dat will run 'em away.
Entry 9284
People say dat chew could take an' write a person's name on de aig an' throw it ovah de top of dey house.
(What will that do?)
Dat will cuz dem tuh move. An' den too, dey say it cuzes confusion. An' sometimes dey say, if yo' sellin' whiskey, it will cuz de law yo' know, tuh stay round de.house all de time. (It will cause the law to stay around?) If de aig busts, but if de aig don' bust, why dere ain't nuthin tuh it. (Do you use any kind of an egg?) Yo' use a black - no, it's gotta be a round aig, a real round aig; no square aig atall. It's gotta be round. [For shapes of eggs, see also R00STER EGG, No.9348f., p.3753.1
(From any kind of a chicken?)
Any kind of a chicken, jes' so's [so is] it a round aig.
Entry 9285
Yo' kin write a person's name on a aig. Dat's de onliest thing ah know, an' throw it ovah, yo' know, dere house, an' dat'll run 'em from dat place. Jis' lak, yo' know, if a person is quarrelin' wit a person or sompin an' yo' don't want 'em roun' yore place. Well, dat's de onliest thing ah know about writin' de name only.
Entry 9286
Well, ah'm goin' tell yo' whut ah kin do wit a chicken aig. Well, ah kin take a fresh chicken aig an' ah'll bet any man money if anybody livin' nex' do' tuh me, see, an' ah can't git along wit dem, see, an' durin' de time ah jes' make up mah mind tuh make dem move from dere. Ah'll take dat fresh chicken aig an' ah'll go tuh de house an' ah'll call dem, see. Dey will give me no anxiety. Ah take dat chicken aig an' throw it cross dey house. An' dey wouldn't be dere ovah three days, ah bet chew money.
(You call him first?)
Yes.
(Well, what if he comes out?)
Yes sir, if dey answah, yo' know dey owin' de house. If dey answah, ah take dat aig an' chunk it right cross dey house, an' dey wouldn't be dere ovah three days.
(He has to answer though? He has to answer else you can't do that?)
Yes sir, he has tuh answah.
(Well, if he doesn't answer, then you come back some other time?)
Yeah, some othah time. [Brunswick, Ga., (1249), 2120:1.2
Entry 9287
Or ah kin take a black hen's aig - see, lak de hens lay out dere, take a black hen aig an' throw it cross yore house, an' de nex' day at sundown yo'll be gone.
Entry 9288
Take de aig from de black hen, if yo' wanted a person tuh move outa de town ah [or] dey's [they has] messed yo' some way 'nothah wit some ' dirt. Jes' take dat aig - but ah know one thing, yo've gotta chunk dat black hen's aig across dat house in de mawnin' while de sun is risin'. See.
Entry 9289
If yo' wanta run a person off, dey say git chew a black hen aig an' go tuh a fellah's house, an' chunk it right 'cross de house jes' as hard as yo' kin at midnight or 'fore day - befo' sunrise.
(That will run him out? You throw this egg right over the house?)
Yes, throw it jes' as hard as yo' kin an' say, "Go!"
(Do you break it against the house or throw it over the house?)
Throw it ovah de house fur as it will go.
Entry 9290
Kin take a egg an' write de numbah of de yeah... [turned off machine - accidentally?]. (Take a chicken egg and write the number of the year and the date of the month.) An' dere name. An' throw it ovah de top of de house toward de sun- rise, an' dat will run yo' [named person] away.
Entry 9291
Yo' ties it up in a black cloth, dis black hen's aig.
(What are you going to do with that, now?)
Aftah yo' ties it up in de black cloth, yo' take it an' chunk it ovah de house tuh de sundown side. Dat's one way. (What will that do?) Dat will jes' break up de house an' family, jes' make 'em move.
Entry 9292
Yo' kin take a black hen aig an yo' kin - of co'se, If yo' an' yo' people can't git along good in yore home, yo' see, yo' could take a black hen aig. Now, a shu 'nuff [sure enough] black hen aig, yo' see, an' at a certain part of de wall, yo' could break dat aig in yore house an' yo' kin make de thing all right.
[Here comes a good example of my repeating informant's words.]
(What certain part of the wall?)
Dat 'cordin' [according] tuh how dey - on de right side dat git de sunrise on it. Break it tuh de sunrise [side] of it, de house.
(Outside or inside?)
Inside. (To bring peace into your house.) [The breaking of raw eggs inside a house is fairly rare, but see No.9398, p.3764.]
Entry 9293
If yo' be in trouble, yo' take a hen aig an' throw it up undah de house an' let it break apart.
(Any kind of a hen egg?)
A black hen.
(And that will get you out of this trouble?)
Yes sir.
(Just let it break up there and run down on the house - that the idea?)
[My preceding break up there followed by and run down on the house can be confusing, but informant's double preposition up under confused me at the time. Remember, we are talking about a special type of house. As I have said frequently in the text, most of these small houses in the lowlands along the coast are raised a foot or more aboveground. Mistakenly or not, I am here thinking of a person reaching down and smashing the egg so that it will run down one of the corner posts, rocks or bricks upon which the house rests; a sort of foundation or at least a reded- ication rite - for a foundation rite, see margin title BLOOD FOR THE SPIRIT, p.33, v.1.] Yes sir.
Entry 9294
Ah went an' seen dat one mawnin', where a lady throwed some chicken aigs out de house, an' said dey broke up housekeepin'. (Broke up the people that were in there?) Yes sir. (Did she throw any particular number or any particular kind of chicken egg?) No sir. [This rare rite I should have had explained fully. Presumably the lady wanted a separation from her husband. Or did she accidentally throw out a few eggs and only later connect them with the family breakup?]
Entry 9295
Jes' lak anyone stayin' by yo' an' yo' wants 'em tuh move, sompin lak dat. Now, yo' kin take a fresh hen aig an' write dere name on dat fresh hen aig an' den throw dat aig away. Well, dey'll move.
(Throw it away where?)
Throw de aig - jes' lak yo' jes' to dere house. But dey'll move.
Entry 9296
Yo' could write de name of whoevah is away dat yo' wanta come, on a egg wit an indelible pencil. An' bury it at yo' steps wit de name tuhwards de house, comin' in de house, an' dey'll come regardless of how far dey are away. [For name coming into or pointing towards house and how this can be done, see No.9409, p.3769.]
Entry 9297
Take a rotten aig an' 'delible pencils, lak if yo' don' lak a person, write dere name on it an' jes' let it stan' dere until it busts. When it busts dat'll kill dat person. (Where do you let that egg stay?) Jes' bury it anywhere in de groun', jes' anywhere in de ground an' when dat aig busts, why dat person will die.
Entry 9298
It will run you away.
(Well, how are they supposed to do that?)
Well, they say they write your name on it, on the egg - say they write chure name on the egg with indelible ink. An' they'll take it when de tide is goin' out an' say, as the tide goin' out, you'll be on shore yo' know an' throw it. An' let de tide go with it an' say, "Go, yo' rascal, yo', " or "go yo', enemy, yo', " or something like that yo' know. An' they say, they'il go on away from yo' - say they'll leave here. An' I tell yo' a few weeks ago - no, it was about a month ago now, a woman told me that a lady told her to do that to run a man away from here an' I know he's gone. An' I say, "What did yo' do?" She say, "Why the woman say she went out in de country an' got me a black hen's egg, she say no other egg will work 'ceptin' [excepting] a black hen's egg." I said, "Well, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WAS A BLACK HEN'S EGG FROM ANY OTHER EGG?" SHE SAID, See, be- cause people buys them so much from her to do that.
Entry 9299
Takes a aig an' write his 'nitial all ovah dat aig, jes' let it be written all ovah it. Take yo' some yellah homespun an' covah dat ovah dat [egg] an' bury it jes' de side-a [side of] dat gate, er [or] de do', an' dat'll bring 'im back home an' he won't leave no mo'.
(Is that for any kind of egg?)
Any kind of aig, don't make no diff'rence.
Entry 9300
Yo' kin take a hen aig - take a black hen aig an' yo' kin write de 'nitial or de name. Yo' write dat name on dis aig an' yo' make nine dots wit de pencil whut chew have in yore hand. Dat nine dots fo' dose nine mawnin's. [You make one dot on each of nine successive mornings.] Yo' go tuh a runnin' stream of watah... Now, yo' take a rotten aig... [I stop informant from starting a different rite.] (Wait a minute! After you go to running Water, what do you do then?) Yo' go tuh runnin' watah, aftah yo' put dose nine dots in dere wit de pencil. Den yo' go tuh runnin' watah an' throw it jes' as fur ovah yore haid as yo' kin git it. Jes' throw it up [into the air]. When it gon'a hit de watah it ain't gon'a break. Jes' throw it up. An' aftah yo' throw it up, don't look back, walk on off. Jes' long as dat aig go, dat person's goin'; long as dat aig goes, he's travelin'.
Entry 9301
Now yo' kin [take a] chicken aig from a black hen, a black hen aig an go tuh man house twelve aclock at night. An' jes' go dere - well, fo' a fact, ah know dat tuh be a fact. Jes' go right [there] an' jes' chunk it jes' as hard as yo' kin ag'in 'em [house] an' say, "Go." Name de person, "Ah want chew tuh go." An' yo' jes' chunk it hard as yo' kin.
(That will send them away?)
Dey be out dere less den nine days.
Entry 9302
Jes' lak anybody went away, yore husban' or anything, an' yo' wanta bring 'em back home. Yo' know, dey gone away a long time. Yo' gits a yolk of a aig, let it be jes' laid if yo' could, an' some white wine, an' Some quicksilvah, an' yo' mix it good tuhgethah. An' den yo' git chew a pencil an' a papah an' yo' start writin'. An' yo' write a lettah an' say anything in dat lettah dat chew Want him tuh know - or she. AN' YO' WON' SEE WHAT YO' WRITIN' WHILST YO' WRITING IT, YO' CAN'T SEE IT. An' de time yo' fold it up tuh put it in de lettahs [in the envelope] [the writing] will appeah an' den yo' kin put it in dis envelope an' send it anywhere yo' wanta, an' dey'll have tuh come to yo'...
[I stopped recording too soon but my comment explains.]
(You say you won't see it because you are using this other stuff [I did not care to say invisible ink], but it comes out [appears] after awhile and you can see it?) Yeah, yo' kin see. Dat'll bring anyone back. [My preceding comment in the original parenthesis, made during the recording, shows my understanding at the time. Invisible ink had been used. For several of my experiences with invisible ink, see Doctor Cunningham, Little Rock, Ark., introduction to his interview, p.1315, v.2; and Nos.791-792, Pp.264-266, v.1. Surely the 3 ingredients and invisible ink were not mixed; pretending to use the 3 merely being a part of the trick.]
Entry 9303
Take a chicken aig an' boil it, boil it done. An' yo' take dat chicken aig an' put it in de mattress, de side dat he sleeps on, an' he'll nevah leave. (Any kind of a chicken egg?) Yes sir, any kind. (This should be a black hen's egg.) [This comment of mine shows that I restarted recording machine to add the unrecorded black-hen information.]
Entry 9304
[For eggs and murder rites see No.7425-7470, pp.3276-3285 in MURDER section.] Wherevah dis [murdered] person lies, wherevah dey got killed at, yo' have de peoples tuh let 'l [dead person] hold a aig in 'is hand. See. An' when- evah, if dey evah bring dat person in whut kilt him, he'll squeeze dis aig in 'is han' - de daid man.
(What will happen when he squeezes that egg then?)
Dat's de one, whoevah come roun', uh-huh. Jes' lak if ah walk up tuh dis
[dead] man, undahstan' an' place de aig in 'is han', he'll [dead man will]
squeeze dis aig an' dat aig will burst. An' [or] eithah yo' kin - jes' lak yo' suspicious of sech-an'-sech-a-one, yo' take 'em all up dere [to the corpse] an' let 'im step back 'cross de [dead] man. An' his [dead man's] nose will start tuh bleeding, [if] de one who did de killin' [steps across the corpse.]
Entry 9305
Yo' take a black hen aig if a person has murdered somebody, take two. Lak if de person wuz murdered, yo' put a aig in each one of dere han's, a black hen aig. An' be shuh [sure] it's a black hen aig, an' put it in each one of dere han's. Git a piece of grass rope. (What's that?) Dese heah ropes whut people ties bundles an' things with. An' yo' git a piece of dat an' yo' make nine knots in it, an' yo' tie it on dere wrist. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury dat person, yo' turn dere face bottom upwards [back of head upwards]. An' de one whosomevah murdered 'em gotta come back where dey did dat murdah. Wit dat black hen aig.
(Do you tie that rope on just one wrist?)
On both of 'em, both wristses, put a aig in each han' an' shut dat han' up. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury 'em, yo' turn dere face down. Yo' see, dey gen'ly [generally] bury people wit dere face up, in place of puttin' de face down tuh de bottom of de coffin.
Entry 9306
Lak de man is daid, yo' put a aig in his han' an' de man's.name whut done it on dat aig, an' put it in his hand an' he supposed tuh come back in 24 hours.
Entry 9307
Take a chicken aig an' beat it up fine an' put plenty black peppah an' salt in it. Git chew two nails an' put it in dere mattress, if dere any way yo' kin git it in de mattress, an' sew de mat- tress back up. Anyone in dat house, dat'll run 'em outa dere.
(How would you put these two nails in that egg?)
[Since I did not kid my informant's, my mind here must have been tired!]
Yo' take two bran'-new nails an' jes' wrap it up wit de aig an' black peppah an' dat stuff an' jes' put it in de mattress.
(Use any kind of egg?)
Yes sir. any kind of hen aig.
Entry 9308
Ah haven't heard of 'em usin' pins an' needles [in answer to my unre- corded question about them], but ah've heard of 'em takin'a aig an' fo' ten- penny nails an' one aig, an' drive dose nails up in de ground. (You mean put the head down and let the point stick up?) Put de haid down an' let de point stick up, an' stick dat egg between dere an' den wrap it ovah. An' if yo' is in love wit someone, dat'll bust it up.
(That is if I wanted to break up some man and another woman?)
A man an' anothah woman, dat'll bust 'em up. (Well, you don't have to do anything else with that egg? You don't have to walk over it or anything of that sort?) Yo' don't have tuh walk ovah it or nuthin of dat kind. [Here is a rite of intention only. The 4 buried nails, points up, outline the coffin cradling the egg, intended victim. After the egg becomes rotten and bursts, the man or woman you have in mind will no longer annoy you.]
Entry 9309
Well, some folks say, it's jes' lak ah have a fren' an' de othah woman is gittin' de bes' time. Say, yo' write his or her name on de aig an' throw it ag'inst her house an' break it, an' it will break 'im an' 'er up.
Entry 9310
Git a hen aig an' take dat hen aig an' write dere name on it, both of 'em. Jis' write roun' an' roun', de man's an' de woman's tuh bust 'em up. Jis' write dat all ovah dat aig, jis' as many times as yo' see space dere tuh write it, if yo' have tuh tangle it up tuhgethah At twelve a'clock yo' gotta tote dat aig an' go tuh dere own house an' chunk it right up ovah de do' facin'. Dat aig will bust. Dat's de way dey will bust up.
Entry 9311
Yo' git a fresh aig an' yo' bust dat fresh aig. Yo' first write her name an' his name on dis aig an' yo' take dat fresh aig an' bust dis aig, yo' understan'. An' yo' take de yellah of de aig an' yo' throw de white away. An' take de aig shell, aftah yo' done bust it, an' Jis' crumble it up jis' as fine as yo' kin git it. An' den take de yellah of dat aig an' mash it all up in it, an' put chew a little black peppah in it. An' put it in a piece of papah an' rag an' bury it right up undahneat' de do'steps whah she passes in an' out, an' dere won't be no gittin 'long [along]. Dat'll separate dat man an' woman.
Entry 9312
Now ah tell yo' whut ah did heah. Dey say dat if yo' jes' take a black hen, she don't have tuh have no spot on 'em atall, gotta be solid black. Jes' lak if yore wife is goin' wit anothah man yo' see, she won't hardly stay home. Yo' put her name on dis side of de aig, see [demonstrates]. Den yo' turn it tuh yo', turn it ovah, an' put yore name on de othah side of it. An' bury dat right in de middle - it gotta be where she kin penetrate right back an' fo'th ovah it. She may go out fo' about one or two nights, but aftah dat she won't go no mo'. She'll be wantin' tuh stay home an' yo'll be ready tuh go, see.
Entry 9313
If yo' wan' tuh hurt[hoo- dool anybody or do anything tuh anybody, even yuh enemah, yo' got'a go tuh de sto' an' buy a aig, a fresh aig, an' come back tuh dere house, yuh enemah house. An' stand off from de front do', an' take an' throw dat aig up ov' [over] de do' an' bust it. An' let it drain down an' make a oath whah choo wan' 'em tuh do. Jis' lak if yo' wan' 'em tuh die. An' while dat aig. drainin' down, yo' make a oath, an' in nine days dey'll take sick, an' dere's no cuah [cure] fah [for] 'em.
Entry 9314
Well, dey kin go intuh a place dat's got plenty of chickens, intuh de yard, but it must be a place dat have chickens. Now yo' git one fresh aig outa dis place. Yo' take dis egg an' yo' mark de party's an' yo' go an' break it intuh de do', where dis party's livin' at, an' dey gotta go. (I see. Well now, why must we get that egg from a yard that has lots of chickens?) Well, yo' see, accordin' tuh - de reason why yo' must do it, becuz a cold- storage egg is not any good. It must be a fresh egg.
(I see.)
Entry 9315
They take black hen egg an' put yore name on it nine times an' bury it. It'll run yo' crazy, make yo' die.
(What's that?)
Control of yore mind.
Entry 9316
Git a egg from a black hen an' write dere name on it nine times, an' bear [bury] it undahneat' dere steps an' make dem move.
Entry 9317
Ah don' know how dat is. Say if its de p'liceman or some law on de beat, yo' know, dat yo' could write dere name on a egg an' bury it at de steps, an' dat will prevent 'em from comin' in. (You write their name on this egg and bury it. At your own steps?) At yuh own steps. (That will keep the law from coming in?) If yo' sellin' whiskey in dis house or somepin. An' whoevah is on dis beat, yo' could bury de egg. Write de name nine times on de egg an' bury it at de front steps, an' dey wouldn't come ovah dat egg.
(I see.)
Entry 9318
Ah say, mah mothah, she wus - lost 'ah [her] husban'. An' anothah woman got between 'ah [her]. An' de way dey moved 'ah wus dey took a aig an wrote on dat aig fo' nine mawnin's, huh name. (Wrote her name?) Yes, wrote huh name on dat aig fo' nine mawnin's. An' den she [mother] jis' didn't become crazy er [or] nuthin of de kind, she jis' didn't wan' tuh stay at home. She'd been separated from mah fathah fo' seven yeahs.
(What did they do with that egg after they wrote that name on it?)
Dey took dat aig an' she [other woman] put dat aig up undah de baid [my moth- er'sl. An' ah don' know whut else dat she did wit it, aftah she did dat.
Entry 9319
[Very much like the preced- ing belief is this one which I have only in a notation from an untranscribed cylinder: Person you do not like, name on egg, throw up under house after 9 mornings. It will break. (They) will leave.]
Entry 9320
(Begin that over again.)
When they wanta do harm to yo', they take an' write yore name on a chicken egg nine times an' they throw it in de Mississippi River, an' just de way it drift, it liable to get bust [that way]. Yo' kin take an' throw it thataway [if you want to]. Where dey pass an' walk all de time, dat be de safest way - where yo' kin pass an' walk all de time. (You say [said before I turned on recording machine] if it gets busted in the river, then it isn't any good?) No, that egg is destroyed then.
(Oh! I see. So it's safer to bury it [where the victim walks]. I see.)
Entry 9321
Yo' put a li'le hole in it [egg] an' draw dat [raw] egg out. Take a person's name an' write it nine times...put it in that egg [shell] an' stop de egg up...throw it in de rivah. An' as long as dat egg'll float, drift down [the river], dose peoples will drag, will drift.
Entry 9322
(What are you going to do this for? What is the purpose of this thing?) Dat's tuh make 'em commit suicide. Yo' take 'er undahclothes an' her name, an' put it down nine ways. Yo' jes' write de writin' out till yo' cain't undahstan' it. [The writing becomes illeg- ible.] Yo' don't know whatsomevah it is. Den yo' kin take an' put it in a aig, see, an' throw dat ovahbo'd. Dat make dere mind, dey jes' go an' commit suicide. (You put this underclothing and this name - written on a piece of paper nine times - and put that all into an egg and throw that overboard. Then she will commit suicide in nine days.) [This rite is similar to preceding one, the piece of underclothing being very small.]
Entry 9323
Well, yo' write a person's name on dere, write it nine times on de aig - jis' write de name on dere nine times. Ah don't care if he done did or didn't. Write it nine times an' yore name on it, an' dat person - don' care whah he is, if yo' haven't seen 'im in yeahs - he'll come home.
Entry 9324
Well, go dere an' break up people. Well, yo' gits a fresh egg. If yo' can't git a black hen aig, yo' git a fresh egg. Write de individual name on it nine times, an' write one name goin' dis way [away from you] an' don't write no name so dey comin' dis way [towards you]. See, dat writin' mean dey go de othah way. (They write one going away from writer, and one going down nine times.) [The first name is written away from the writer, the other eight names are written down and across the first name. This is an elaborate crossing of the victim.] Dey'll put nine "J's" on each one [one "J" on each name], go tuh de fork of de road twelve o'clock in day or twelve at night, eithah one, an' broke de egg an' call dere name. Smash it up. [The letter "J" could stand for the obsolete word "Holy Jakes" we met in No.9068, p.3676.]
(What will that do?)
Dat will smash up de life of de couple. De individual yo' wanta break up, put dere name on it.
Entry 9325
Take an aig - advance a aig an' turn it. Jes' if [for example if] a person off [away], yo' kin take a aig an' turn it on a new tinplate. Write de girl name in dat new tin plate nine times an' turn it [egg] fo' nine mawnin's. Turn it nine times fo' nine mawnin's an' dat bring 'em back, wit an aig.
Entry 9326
Take a aig - lak yo' wan' somebody tuh move, somebody wus livin' in a house an' yo' wanted 'em tuh move; or some woman wus lakin' yuh husban' an' yo' wanted 'er out chuh way or wanted 'er tuh git away from de neighbah- hood. Yo' take a fresh aig. Let de chicken lay de aig in de mawn- in', lak yo' go out in de chickenyard about seven a'clock, git dat fresh aig dat de chicken layed, yo' know soon in de mawnin', an' t'row it. An' git a fresh aig eve'y mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' t'row it on dat pō'ch. An' de tenth mawnin' when yo' look ovah dere, de person da' choo wan' tuh move will be gittin' ready tuh move.
Entry 9327
An' yo' kin take a aig an' run a person away from a place, if yo' got a neighbah an' yo' don't want 'em round dere. Yo' kin take dat aig an' bust it on dere house. Say fo' nine diff'ren' mawnin's yo' kin bust a aig on dey house an dey'll have tuh move.
(You just bust the egg on the side of the house, you mean?)
Yes.
Entry 9328
About de nine hen aigs. Well, if yo' want a person, lak ah'm livin' nex' do' tuh yo' an' givin' yo' trouble, why yo' take nine black hen aigs. Be shuh [sure] dey black hen aigs. An' write yore [my] name [on them and] evah mawnin' 'fo' day, bust one - chunk one at de do' an' let it bust an' run down. In nine day's time why yo'll [I'll] leave town. When yo' chunk de last aig, why yo'll [I'll] move out. [Waycross, Ga., (1141), 1856:2. J
Entry 9329
( Git nine black hen aigs an' write de 'nitial of de big low name on de two big: Sheriff, de chief of police, if yo' in a town, write dere name. Bury one [of the 9 eggs] undah yore back do'step, bury one in front, den lay one up ovah yore do', an' den chunk de rest east. Won't no law come round, yo' kin sell likkah. Ah've toted it up an' down dese streets heah by de gallons, dey ain't no law 'rest [me] yet fo' likkah. Ah've sold likkah right in mah house, ain't no law 'rest [arrest] yet fo' no likkah. [Informant is the same as in the preceding rite.]
Entry 9330
(Will you tell me that again, now?)
If yo' have someone dat yo' want tuh leave yo', git chew nine eggs. Evah mawnin' yo' write de person's name on de egg, evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey'll have tuh go, can't stay. (Well, then - what do you do with those eggs, then?) Well, dose eggs, throw 'em away; othahwise dey won't be no good no mo'.
(I see.)
Entry 9331
Dey tell, yo' kin take a aig, jes' take yo' a aig, a hen's aig, if dey's bothahin' yo' an' go tuh de house. An' go tuh de house an' git chew mo' [eggs], git chew nine aigs. Take nine of 'em - yes sir, nine aigs. An' den which- evah way dis person lives from yo', east or west - if yo' lives east, yo' git on de west side.of yuh house. An' he's comin' intuh yuh house maybe, say, talkin' tuh yuh wife, or keepin' a confusion in yuh family, an' yo' want 'im tuh stay 'way. Keep 'im from talkin' tuh dem, why yo' git on dis side of de house an' he stays east. Yo' git ovah on de west say evah mawnin' an' throw one dem aigs across de house, an' let it bust on de othah side. Says evah time dat he comes tuh do dat till yo' bust de whole nine aigs - nine mawnin's. Well den, if he come up, whoevah he is, dey say he can't stay in dat house no mo'.
Entry 9332
Chicken aigs, nine aigs. If it's tuh a place - yo' know, jes' lak if yo' livin' next do' tuh a person an' yo' don' wan' 'em tuh stay dere by yuh. Take yuh nine aigs an' break it up, whip it an' care [carry] it roun' dere house fo' nine mawn- in's. Break a aig, don' chew know, one aig evah mawnin' three a'clock, an' beat it up an' care it [round] de house fo' nine mawnin's, see. Ah've heard dat. Dey say dat'll run de person away, if it's a individual whut's stayin' nex' tuh yuh.
Entry 9333
Well, de way dey tells me, an' ah have seen it did. Dey gits nine eggs.
(Nine eggs.)
Nine mawnin's. Yo' start 'fo' day in de mawnin', on a Tuesday, evah Tuesday. Yo' git up 'fo' day in de mawnin' an' take one-a [one of] dem eggs. Co'se yo' take de eggs, dem nine eggs, yo soak 'em in de chamber lye... [Here informant leaves chair and starts to demonstrate away from interviewing table and micro- phone. I often describe such demonstrations, but here I wanted a repetition of the words given before recording began.]
(Wait a minute! Will you come over here?)
[Informant returns to chair and repeats.]
Take nine eggs an' soak 'em in chamber lye, see. An' nine mawnin's see, 'fo' day, yo' take one-a dem eggs evah Tuesday mawnin' an' bust it ag'inst dat house. An' den yo' bust de last one, dat be de ninth egg an' dat be de ninth Tuesday. See. Well, in nine davs. ah'll betcha dey'll leave.
(I see. After the last egg has been thrown, then nine days later they'll go?)
"Fo' dem nine days latah. (Oh! I see.) [They will leave long before the 9 days!]
Entry 9334
Well, jes' lak if yuh ole man's gone, yo' take nine fresh aigs an' de end of one of his shirttails an' two of his socks. An' point 'em an' put.dat aig right in between, yo' know, each toe of dat sock with his shirttaii. An' yo' bury it, bury dat right up undah de steps. Dat is sup- posed tuh bring him back. (You bury these socks with the toes pointing to each other. And right where those toes point to each other you put that egg?) Put dat aig an' his shirttail.
(The shirttail is wrapped around the egg?)
Yessuh.
(There are nine eggs though, aren't there?)
Nine fresh aigs, yessuh. Gotta be fresh aigs.
Entry 9335
Yo' mean tuh keep de officahs off. Well, it's jes' dis much about. it. Yo' kin go tuh work, yo' do's dat - supposed tuh be - wit hen aigs. Yo' kin go tuh work an' git chew nine hen aigs. No, don't make any diff'rence, any kinda aigs, yo' know. Yo' git chew nine aigs an' yo' kin go tuh work an' take yo' a hat whut chew weah on yore haid, an' yo' put dose nine aigs in dat hat an' set it at chure do' - ah mean, anywheres at chure do'. An' take yo' nine sewin' needles, stickin' needles. Put de needles intuh dat hat. An' den de really fac' 'bout it, keep it covahed up an' see dat nobody puts dere han's nowheres about it. An' 'long as it really sets dere, why co'se de law nevah goin' worry yo'.
(You don't have to keep that hidden?)
Oh yes, yo' must put sompin ovah it. Yo' know, have it some place or 'nothah where nobody's li'ble [liable to] 'sturb [disturb] it.
(Where do you put those needles now?)
Yo' drop dose needles right in de hat.
Entry 9336
Said dat dey kin take chicken aigs an' take nine needles. An' yo' have tuh soak dat aig in vinegah, where yo' put dem nine needles dere, an' bury 'em intuh somebody's gate or do'step, where dey go in at. An' dey'll step on 'em, mash 'em. Dey'll leave town. (Any kind of chicken egg?) Any kind.
Entry 9337
Yo' kin take a aig, lak now a person livin' in de nex' house ovah dere. Well, yo' kin take a aig an' mark it [write name of victim on, see later], dis aig an' make a wish, an' goes somewheres by dem at de crack of sunrise. Well, do dat fo' nine mawnin's an' let de sun be lak de same, an' carry dat aig. An' evah way yo' go back dere fo' de nine mawnin's, go back anothah way, see. If yo' hap- pen tuh go round or go back dis way, let it be a object [opposite or different] mawnin'. Evah mawnin' be a new way comin'. See whut ah mean. If it happen tuh be de las' mawnin' de way yo' went de firs' time, let it be a new way comin' roun' de same thing. [Never go over the same path or road twice during the rite.] Well, yo' kin take dat aig in de last ninth mawnin' an' jes' haul off an' chunk it up on dat house an' let it bust, an' make yore wish befo' yo' bust it, one of dem names in de house. Jes' make a wish an' chunk it up dere. Write his name on de egg. See, dey goin' tuh leave. (You first get you the egg, don't you?) Yeah, git holt de aig. Take dis aig, an' well, fo' nine mawnin's yo' take up dis aig an' walk to someone yo' don't like. See, whut ah mean. Yo' want 'em tuh move out from roun' dere, from dis heah home. Yo' don't undah- stan' why people leave, yo' don't want 'em disturb. Yo' git dat aig an' yo' says, "Ah want dese heah people leave heah wit'out fussin'." Take dis aig an' carry de aig ovah heah, well jes' de time yo' see de sun jes' comin' tuh be. Well, take it out...
(Take it out where?)
To de front - tote de aig tuh de sun. See, jes' take it out where yo' kin see de sun an' turn back - don't look back. An' yo' place dat aig right back in de same place. Well, de nex' mawnin' - yo' do dat fo' de nine mawnin's, goin' out...
(Just going out and seeing the sun?)
Yeah. But don' let de sun be no fu'thah den yo' see it de firs' mawnin'. Don't let it be too fer. Jes' do dat fo' nine mawnin's an' let de sun be de same object an' 'bout de same time. Set yore clock. Do dat fo' nine mawnin's. Make yore wish an' write his name on dat aig an' jes' walk out de same mawnin' 'bout de same time, throw it an' let it bust. Yo' won't have no trouble.
(Where do you throw that egg?)
Jes' throw it an' let it bust on de house. On de left side [as you stand in front of the house looking at the house].
(That will make them move out.)
Dey gone.
Entry 9338
Well, yo' take an' git chew some black peppah an' some cai-yanne [cay- enne] peppah, an' git chew a fresh yard aig. De one in dat house dat made yo move out an' tole [told] him some yarns [lies] on yuh, him an' dim [= dem = them] gonna be jis' lak cat's an' dogs, until dey go, see. Now, if yo' wanta git back tuh dat house [if you Want to move back into that house]. (What do you do with that yard egg and that stuff that you mix up?) Jes' throw it up 'ginst de gate or any- wheres inside de yard, if yo' kin git in dere, an' [when] dey gone off tuh make [a visit] or sompin lak dat. An' throw it down on de groun' in front-a dey do'. Yo' kin do dat.
Entry 9339
Yo' kin take a aig an' yo' kin do dis, if yo' have a husban' or any niggah man dat chew want money outa 'im. [My transcriber, Miss Hayes (her work- ing name, actually a married woman with young school children) put a question mark over the word niggah, being surprised that one black person would call an- other black, niggah. The word niggah probably appears about 3 times in Hoodoo.] Yo' git chew a hen aig. Some says dat, but de' way ah know of it, yo' takes a hen aig if yo' husban' uh [or] man is colahed, an' git chew yo' two switches an' yo' git dis aig. Some say dat chew...but dis de way ah knows. Yo' take dis aig an' yo' care [carry] it tuh de house an' yo' set it up tuh de side of it. Git chew a glass-a watah an' hold de egg ovah de glass wit' watah in de glass. Yo' pop dat egg an' let jis' de white run intuh dat watah an' dat egg [white] will show [di- vine by initial or other form] whoevah been givin' yo' trouble wit dat man. She'll come down [come round] jis' lak she mah friend. Dey'll sprung up, de switches [as soon as informant sees in the egg white the woman causing trouble and pretending to be a friend, the use of the following switches springs up in her mind.] Den yo' go an' take dem switches, two perslmmon switches, an' put 'em in yore baid where he's gotta go tuh baid at. Put yo' one undah de steps where he's comin' in. Put chew one, jis' [lay] it down across lak dat [demonstrates].
(Put it across that door.)
Yes, he comin' right in de do' an' de othah two is in de baid. Well, he'll git in dat bed an' start tuh talk wit chah an' he's goin' step on dere, dat one comin' in de do'. An' when he goes tuh baid, yo' an' 'im will lay down right on dat switch [2 switches] dere. Well, ef he got any money, ah assure yuh, he'll han' yo' evahthin'. He goin' pay yo' what money he got.
(How many of these switches do you git?)
Git two fer de baid an' one fer de do'.
(That is all you have to do and he will give you all his money?)
Yes, sir, an' he'll give it tuh yo', too.
Entry 9340
At a certain time of de yeah - ah tell yo' 'bout de hen aigs. Dey say yo' kin take de aigs an' draw peoples pitchures on 'em. Dat's whut ah hear'd. An' yo' know, put de person's 'nitials undah de aig. An' dey say yo' go where dat person walk an' put de aig dere, an' say whut chew wanta say an' throw it down. When dat person walk ovah it, it'll happen lak yo' wanted it tuh happen. Dat de only [thing] ah hear'd about de aig.
Entry 9341
Dey can do a lot of things with chicken eggs.
(Well, for instance?)
Ah saw a woman once with a chicken egg. She had 'im - her man an' her was mad an' she wanted him tuh, yo' know, die, bump him off. She had his pitchure drawed on dat egg, an' she taken dat egg an' she had hulled a lemon out, a large lemon, an' she put it in dere. An' she went back an' buried it in de cornah of de yard, undah de steps at de cornah of de yard.
(What happened?)
Well, he died.
(It killed him?)
Killed him.
(Was that all she had to do?)
Yes, dat was all she had tuh do.
Entry 9342
Lak if ah been workin' in a place a long time, an' ah wants tuh stay dere, ah gits me a fresh yard aig [chicken egg laid in an old-fashioned henhouse and not on the modern commercial production line!] right aftah de hen lay it. An' ah take some straight stickin' pins [ordinary pins], dey gotta [be] new, an' ah put one right through it lak dis, see [demon- strates]. An' den ah run one across it, yo' see [demonstrates]. An' fo'evah weah dat. Even in mah pocket, jis' lak ah have a pocket, an' weah dat in dere, see [demonstrates]. An' yo' be dere [on the job] fo' a long time. Dey'll nevah fiah [fire = discharge] yo'.
Entry 9343
Ah kin move yo' wit a black hen's egg. Ah kin take dat an' go tuh yo' po'ch now an' bust one ovah dere, an' yo' sho' won't be dere. Yo'll move. [Porch is mentioned in a number of egg rites given elsewhere.]
Entry 9344
Says take a black hen aig an' lay it on dey private. Dat whut she tole me. An' write de person's name on it, an' carry it to a runnin' watah, an' she says dey'll travel. [Here is one of the amazing rites of Hoodoo! Where did it come from? Is its origin a hoodoo book written by someone who understood Hebrew? It is quite Biblical except for the purpose intended: And Abraham said unto his eldest servant... Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord... Genesis, 24:1 (King James Version). Likewise The New English Bible uses under my thigh to translate privates or genitals. In the present rite a woman writes her man's name on the egg, lays it against herself and throws it into running water to get rid of him. His spirit in the name follows her spirit in the scent!]
Entry 9345
Sometime yo' got a enemy in yore way an' yo' don' have a chance tuh do anything, yo' git chew a aig. An' yo' write de firs' Psalms on it, an' write chure enemy's name on dat aig an' carry it tuh de swamp, de rivah, by de woods an' yo' cast dat from yo'. An' yo' see as dat goes, wherevah it goes, dey'll start tuh travelin' an' dey have tuh follah dat, until it don' git no place. [Psalm I is unsuitable here, being used out of context: "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, etc. ". King James Version.]
Entry 9346
Take a aig an' put some quicksilvah in it. (A chicken egg?) Yes, sir. Make a little hole in it, chew know, an' put quicksilvah in it chew know. An' stop de hole up an' plant it right down at de place wheah yo' workin' at, an' dere can't nobody take dat job away from yuh.
Entry 9347
Yo' kin roll it on yore hearth, a chicken aig. An' roll it on yore hearth an' say de Lord's Prayah. Call de guy's name dat chew wants. Whosomevah yo' want, he'll come. He will, so dey tells me wit dat chicken aig. [To roll is an important and common rite in Hoodoo. Rolling commonly means to you or away from you.]
Entry 9348
Well, yo' see, de aigs, dere are two kinds of aigs. A roostah's aig is long an' de hen's aigs are round. Well, yo' git two hen aigs an' some salt an' black peppah. Well, yo' git on dis hen aig whut chew want done. Den yo' go an dig a hole de way yo' want tuh run it - tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' dig a hole to- Wards runnin' watah an' den yo' put dis aig down in dere an' de black peppah an' salt, an' tell it evah whut chew want it tuh do. An' dey'll come back.
(You leave it there. You use two eggs though?)
Yeah, yeah, two aigs. Dey're round aigs. Yo' see, a roostah's aig is long an' de hen aig is round [the words long or round being words based upon sexual symbolism, not biology]. Well, yo' use de hen aigs. [For long eggs and round eggs see also following rite, and for round eggs and square eggs see also No.9284, p.3738.]
(You dig a sort of a ditch?)
No, a hole tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' know, sometime yo' have ditches run- nin'. Well, yo' kin tell which way de watah is runnin'. Well, yo' dig de hole tuhwards runnin' watah.
(You mean between your house and the running water?)
Well, if de ditch is runnin' between yore house, yo' kin dig it right in front of de ditch, jes' so's it's runnin' which way de watah is runnin'.
(You mean you dig the hole away from you, down the way the water is running?)
Yeah, well, yo' take nine steps tuhwards de runnin' watah an' dig yore hole, an' den aftah yo' dig yore hole, yo' put chure aig an' salt an' black peppah down in dere. Co'se dis aig already has on it whut chew want it tuh do. An' den yo' have it bring 'em back.
(That is to bring them back?)
Yes.
Entry 9349
Well, jes' if anybody yo' want tuh move, if any of yore neighbahs is not so good an' yo' wanta move 'em.] But chew have tuh git a aig from a hen dat's been wit a roostah. De diff'- rence in dose aigs - yo' know de diff'rence in dose aigs? (No, I don't. Tell me about them?) Well, de hen dat doesn't be wlt a roostah, her aigs are round. An' de hen dat does be wit a roostah, her aigs is long. [Here as in the preceding rite, the symbolism of added length to the egg is obvious.] Well, yo' take one of dose long aigs an' yo' gits tuh de front do', an' yo' throws it ovah her house an' if dat aig busts yo're gone.
Entry 9350
Ah heard dat yo' could take a rotten aig an' make a person move out of de house. Break it on dere do'sill an' dat will make 'em move.
Entry 9351
Take a aig an' if it's a person dat chew dislike livin' in a house, yo' take a rotten aig an' take it an' throw it on dat do' an' splattah it all on dat po'ch an' dey will move.
Entry 9352
If it's anything an' yo' wanta make 'em move out de house, dat [foot] track business is one thing. Bust rotten aigs on his do' [also] make 'im move.
Entry 9353
Yo' kin take a aig, a rot- ten aig or sompin lak dat. Yo' kin take it an' put it above yuh do' 'fo' [door before] day fn de mawnin' -'fo risin' of de sun - an' yo' shoh [sure] will hafta [have to] git out of dere.
Entry 9354
[This rite and the two following ones come from Vicksburg, Miss. These three informants bear informant numbers 734, 736 and 738. Three consecutive informants telling the same story is not a chance occurrence, one of them having given the material to the other two. Two persons occasionally did this, especially man and wife, sisters or brothers, but the present three are probably my only example. May I add that this sort of thing never happened among professional informants.] If yo' got a wife an' ah wants tuh separate yo'all... (If I have a wife and you want to separate me.)...an' wants to separate chew, see. Ah don't have tuh take an' go tuh work an' git no lodestone or nuthin tuh separate chuh. Ah come tuh yuh house an' sit down dere an' talk wit chuh. Ah have a rotten aig in mah pocket. Ah'll git tuh yuh baid an' ah'll slip it in yuh baid, right where yo' lay. Ah'll slip it in de middle of yuh baid. Yo' go tuh baid at night, yo'all. Yo' an' 'er may lay down dere laughin' an' talkin' an' playin'. See, good humored wit one anothah, but whenevah yo' turn ovah on dat aig an' bust dat aig, yo' see, it'll fill de baid wit scent. Right dere where's it's goin' tuh start de devil in yuh house, yo' see. De minute dat chew ketch dat scent, yo' gon'a wanta know from dat wo- man whut de heck. What kinda scent dis in heah. See. "Yo' done had some man in dis baid." See. Well, right dere where's be a fussin' an' fightin'. Yo' goin' tuh jump up an' beat dat woman right away from dere. Well, yo' see, dat woman ain't comin' back 'cuz yo' beat 'er up, accuse 'er fo' nuthin.
(I see.)
Entry 9355
Lak ah want a fellah's ole lady, see. Well, ah'll git me a - ah'm goin' visit dere house an' have me a rotten aig dere, an' when ah git a chance, ah put it in de baid. See, dey'll fall out of dat [not bed but relationship] den. An' she want 'im back...
(She wants him back.)
An' she want 'im back, well she have tuh go tuh de hoodoo den.
Entry 9356
Make a man an' 'is wife separate. Bust 'em up, yes, sir.
(How will they do that?)
Take a rotten aig an' do dat.
(How?)
Take a rotten aig an' - jis' lak ah go tuh yuh house an' ah want yuh wife tuh put chew out. Take dis rotten aig an' ah'm settin' aroun' an' prob'ly yo'all eatin' or somepin. [I'd] git outa de room an' I'd slip it in de baid an' tuh- night when yo'all go tuh baid an' lay on dere - yo' wouldn't know it was indere - an' bust it. An' when yuh bust it, why dat cuse [cause] confusion.
Entry 9357
Git a white hen aig an' let it git rotten, an' throw it on de house an' dey'll have tuh move. (How do you mean, throw it on the house - where?) Anywhere roun' de house, jis' long as it bust de aig, aftah it's rotten. [Compared to eggs from black hens, an egg from a white hen is rare in hoodoo.]
Entry 9358
Say fo' instance if yo' own a piece of property, or if yo' don' own a piece of property. Heah's a fellah livin' intuh a house dat chew would lak tuh move in. Yo' take a aig an' yo' write de person's name, whoevah it might be, on de aig three times. Yo' take dat aig, aftah yo' write de name, an' shake it lak dat [dem- onstrates] an' dat'll make it, de white an' yallah come tuhgethah yo' know. An' yo' put dat aig away fo' nine days, see, an' it'll spoil. An' den yo' take dis aig an' throw it on de top of de house dat de person is livin' in. An' dey'll move.
Entry 9359
Yo' could do dat - yeah, sure. All yo' gotta do, take yuh three rotten aigs, see. Take yuh three rotten aigs. Yo' bury one-a dem [one of them] right at de steps. De othah two jis' hit 'em against de house. Nobody come in dere. (That crosses up the landlord. He can't rent the house after I leave there.) Dat's whut ah'm talkin' about. Aftah yo' bury one in front of de steps an' yo' throw two against de house right ovah yuh shouldah. GOTTA THROW 'EM OVAH YUH LEFT SHOULDAH. See, IF YO' THROW 'EM FACEWARDS, DON' AMOUNT TUH NUTHIN. Jis' throW 'em ovah yuh left shoul- dah against de house, aftah yo' done bury dat one in dere [at the steps]. Can't rent, not at all.
Entry 9360
Yo' kin have a wife. Yo' an' yore wife - yo' kin have a wife an' she leave home. An' yo' kin take three rotten aig an' throw 'em up side de wall on de house an' dat will bring her back home. (That will bring her back home. On the outside wall?) Yes sir. [This rite of breaking eggs, normally to send away or cause confusion, is made legiti- mate only by the intention to bring the woman back.1