Browse:ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS (Volume 5, entries 9441–10605)/Part 15
ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS
Volume 5, entries 9441–10605. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 10561
Bury bat heart at your doorstep to keep law away. [Vicksburg, Miss., 1002:3.]
Entry 10562
Well, dey take dis bat an' kill him, an' let him dry; jest lak leather anyway, see. Jest let him dry an' jest [wrap] him up an' jest tote him in yore pocket. [For 3 dried bats see later.]
(The whole bat?)
De whole bat.
(What will that do?)
Well, dey tell me dat's lucky to yo'.
(In any particular way?)
In anything yo' start, any thing.
Entry 10563
Ah'm a turpentine distiller by trade.... An' on de corner of mah rosin shed in '28 [1928] in May, ah don't know what time but it Was in de month of May, coming updepathahhappento sight in de crack where dis rafter come down ah saw a leather-wing bat, an' ah took a sharp stick an' caught him jest out of mischief is all ah caught him fo' - cause he'll bite chew. An' de fellah ah had working de still wit me - ah had workin' a extra man Pamed Tom Willis. Tom asked me to give him to him. Ah said, "For whut?" He said, "Man, ah'm gonna win de money dis payday." So ah give him de bat an' he killed it an' he took his heart out an' split it open an' let de blood out an' let it dry. Wrapped it an' put it in his pocket. An' dat coming Saturday, was payday, Tom won all de money, every bit of it was on de place.
(Did he split that heart?)
Split it open an' let it dry. Put it out in de sun an' let it dry.
(He took the heart only.)
Jest took de heart out of de bat was all he used. Now, ah saw him do that, but he did win de money.
(This was at the turpentine camp.)
Right at de turpentine camp in Marden County [Martin Co., Fla.] doon in close in Indian Town.
Entry 10564
[The following material, read in transcription during the year after its collection, I marked n.g. (no good). At that time I still had most of my hoodoo experiences ahead of me, field work that would change many of my earlier judgments. To explain what I mean, I am giving this rite in two versions; first the original text and then my annotated text for the reader's benefit.] ORIGINAL VERSION: We have one there; myself there, what I use myself for my people, from the city.
(One what?)
One....we would take a bat.
(A bat.)
You see, the bat that flies.
(Yes.)
Now, we got two bats. We got a bat they calls, that is, the chimley bat. Then we got what you call a root bat, which got skin-like on him - look like a mice. (Yes.) That's the bat I'm talking about. I'm speaking about that bat. You take that bat. Then you take three of them and you dry them. (You dry them.) Yeah. And quite natural, if you wanta dry 'em, it would be better if I'm dry by the sun than to dry by in the heat or anything like that, 'cause if you dry it by the sun, that will give 'em a firmer drying.
(A what dry?)
A firmer drying.
(A firmer.)
Yeah, firmer drying, you see. But if you would go to work and get a drying by the oven, that would be a fourth of 'um. Then that wouldn't get a good dry- ing. All right. Then you take those three bats and you go to this place there where you wanta, that is, stay. Then you'll go to work and sew that into your clothes. When you sew it in your clothes, then when the time comes for you to come into this place there to stay, then you must go to work and take it out when you get in there. Takes it out in the middle of the floor before you puts any furniture in there. Understand that? Then you would go to work and take that bat and put it down in that gallon of water, cistern water, rain water what I mean. Have standing up. Then you take that cistern water or rain water and let it set for awhile there. Then you scrub that place out, clean on out, and let it stay for nine days. See. And you scrub that place out. Quite naturally, those bat would be den destroyed through the water. Then you scrub your place out and it would give a bad scent, but we have a - that is - a perfume that they calls The Stars.
(The what? The Stars? The Stars perfume?)
Perfume, yeah. The Stars perfume. Then you would take that and throw it in the house, just throw it out. Then that will kill all scents.
(I see. I see. That's if you want to stay in this house?)
Yeah, if you wanta stay in there.
(I see. When you rent it.) [New Orleans, La., (861), 1372:2.]
ANNOTATED VERSION: We have one [leather-wing or bull-leather-wing surely the missing words here] there [where he lives]; myself there [near New Orleans], what I [a root doctor or root worker] use myself for my people [clients or patients] from the city. (One what?) [Either leather-wing meant nothing to me at the time, or his pro- nunciation confused me, or I was telling him to continue.] One [thing we could do] we would take a bat.
(A bat.)
You see, the bat that flies.
(Yes.)= [Continue.]
Now, we got two bats. We got a bat they calls, that is, the chimley [chimney] bat. Then we got what you call a root bat, which got skin-like on him - look like a mice. [The chimney bat is the chimney swift, not a chimney swallow. The root bat with skin-like on him, look like a mice is the leather-winged bat. This is the only place I have a root bat. First let us remember that in folklore a bat is always a bird, not a mammal. Why a root bat? Let me make 3 guesses: (1) Hy informant did not say root but roost. (2) Root, because the bat is used by rootman for working roots. (3) There are stories even here in HOODOO, about stealing an egg from the nests of certain birds, this theft causing the bird to find a lucky stone to test her eggs. A bat of course lays bird eggs and has a nest only in folklore.]
(Yes.)= [Continue.]
That's the bat I'm talking about. I'm talking about that bat. You take that bat. Then you take three of them [3 bats] and you dry them. [For drying bats also see Nos., etc.]
(You dry them.)
Yeah. An' quite natural, if yo' wanta dry 'em, it would be better if I'm [to] dry by the sun than to dry by [stove or outdoor fire] in the heat or any- thing like that, 'cause if you dry it by the sun, that will give 'em a firmer drying.
(A what dry?)
A firmer drying.
(A firmer.)
Yeah, firmer drying, you see. But if you would go to work and get a drying by the oven, that would be a fourth of 'um [they would get only 1/4 of the sun drying]. Then that wouldn't get a good drying. All right. Then you take those three bats and you go to this place there where you wanta, that is stay. [A person preparing to move into anew, another house, should do all this, but it would be better to let a root doctor handle the situation.] Then you'll go to vort and sew that [3 dried bats] into your clothes. When you sew it in your clothes, then when the time comes for you to come into this place there to stay, chen you must go to work and take it out [of your clothes] when you get in there. Iakes it out in the middle of the floor before you puts any furniture in there. [Bere is a quincunx rite, middle or center of the floor being the fifth point githin four corners - many examples of them given in HOODOO - see etc.] Understand that? Then you would go to work and take that bat [3 dried bats] and put it down in that gallon of water, cistern water - rain water vhat I mean. {Before continuing, the preceding two words must be explained: cistern water is rain water. A cistern is a hole dug into the soil near a house to catch water from the roof gutters, a sort of large rain barrel sunk into the groumd. This glindrical hole is dug 8 or 10 or 12 feet deep, 4 feet wide, dimrensions vary- ing. The side walls and circular bottom are covered with a layer of bricks, which are plastered over to keep this sort of underground jug from leaking. Over this excavation at ground level is a wood platform with chain pump turned by hand. Rain water of course, clean water falling from the sky [formerly clean!], is a magic water. After house cisterns in cities were abandoned for city water pipes, turning on the water gave running water! There are examples of the latter in HOODOO.1 Understand that? Then you would go to work and take that bat [3 bats] and put it down in that gallon of water [previously mentioned], cistern water, rain water what I mean. Have [pail of water] standing up. Then you take that cistern water or rain water and let it set for awhile there. [This dried-bat water now becomes one of hundreds of scrubs in New Orleans.] Then you scrub that place out, clean on out [through the door and sidewalk if there is any]. And let it [house] stay for nine days, see. And you scrub that place out. Quite naturally, those bat [3 bats] would be den destroyed [broken up] through the water. When you scrub your place, your [place] out, and it would give a bad scent; but we have a - that is - a perfume that they calls the, The Stars [the label has a number of small stars, probably red, perhaps blue, on it].
(The what? The Stars? The Stars perfume?)
Perfume, yeah. The Stars perfume. Then you would take that [perfume] and throw it in the house, just throw it out. Then that will kill all scents.
(I see. I see. That's if you want to stay in this house?)
Yeah, if you wanta stay in there.
(I see. [You do this.] When you rent it.)
Entry 10565
They [doctors] generally use that hot, but they - the biggest majority of people [I heard] from the "doctor" that I worked for - they never did knew how to use it. See. Now, those things what I'm outZing [= out- ing = revealing to author] to you there, if the individual don't know how to use it, it the same as you trying to sweeten the Mississippi River with a nickel's worth of sugar. It's too much water. You have to put the same amount of different things, you understand, to make it have any action. See, if not, it's got no power. Now, the bat heart, plenty of people would take the bat and kill the bat, then take his heart out. The heart was dead, it's no good. Have to ketch the bat and cut the heart out whilst the bat is alive. See.
(Then what do you do?)
You take that and you - after you cut the bat heart out, you get any kind of a good high-priced perfume, anoint that perfume with that [anoint bat heart with that perfume], take three pods of garlic, sewing that up together, and put it in your pocket and you're a lucky man. [The typed words "lucky man" and reference were originally on separate sheet, I put them in ink at bottom of typed page to save space. Did this a number of times. H. M. H., August 9, 1976.]
Entry 10566
Yo' kin use a bat an' git his blood under- stan' or either git a feather off of a bat an' it's luck; either git a feather off of a bat an' it's lucky. If yo' git a bat an' it stay in de house a certain length of time, it's a sign of death, if he fly in de house.
Entry 10567
Yo' gits a leather-[wing] bat an' yo' gits his heart an' yo' sew it up into a red flannel. An' gits a small piece of rock sulphur an' put it [in the flannel] together. Feed that, gi' [give] to 'em. Tell 'em [I am to tell my patient or client] while he losin', totes it in his left pocket so he kin lose. Well, when he lose as much as he wanta, change it ovah in his right pocket an' gamble right on an' he'll win.
Entry 10568
Yo' could take a leather- wing bat an' gut him alive, an' take his heart an' sew it up in a piece of red flannen, an' it vill make yo' successful in games of all kinds. Jes' while he 'live, cut him open 'live an' take his heart while it's bleedin', an' tie it up in a piece of - put it in a piece of red flannel an' it will make yo' successful in games.
Entry 10569
Ketch a bat an' take his guts out of 'im an' pack 'im with lodestone an' sompin else - ah dunno [= don't know] now [I forget for the moment]. Anyhow ah know dey say use a bat fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10570
Dey tuk a leather-wing bat, tuk his head and put it into a little something and put it under mah pillah. And ah laid - mah wife it was did dat in Tallahassee. When ah laid on dat pillah it wasn't long fo' ah got worried - been living well in mah home and me an' her be'd to- gether seventeen years. And dey parted us. Dat was done into dat pillah, and after a while ah got along; you know, left mah home - jest raised up [and left after] living together all dat time. Got up and left, left everything, and five children. Got two girls right chere in town to prove it. Yes, sir. Jest one voan [all because of her].
(Well, who did that?)
Who did dat? It was a man, [living] wit mah wife now. He's wit mah wife 0v. Yes sir, he did dat - [man] by de name of Berkin. He's de one did it. Yes, sir, he did dat. [At a later dat I probably would have asked informant: Did you find the bat heat under your pillow? Or after you had left home did 3i ask a fortuneteller what had made you leave?]
Entry 10571
Use his heart. Take him an' kill him an' take his heart. His heart De quivering jest lak dat [illustrates]. Ah don't know when it dies but it be's quivering aftah yo' clean it. An' then yo' sew that heart up. That's fo' gambling, that's fo' Ld, that's fo' jest anything that yo' wish to do, yo' see. But chew gotta have ething to keep it dressed after a certain time. What would you dress it with?) Becrts [hesitates]. Qou mean Hearts perfume. And you take this heart of the bat while he's alive L use that [Hearts] on it.) Ihat's right.
Entry 10572
Ketch yo' a live bullbat an' take an' sew him right up in a rag - a Retber one [batl. Dere's a leather bullbat an' den dere's a bullbat a - dey all be's up in de chimley, an' make connection lak dat. Jes' ketch one of dem. Says dat he's got a lodestone, says yo' take an' cut him right open alive an' take dat lodestone, an' dey says yo' kin git 'em [other gamblers] out wit dat. [This lodestone in a bat probably came from someone who found a dead bat that had a piece of lode- stone in it; someone's lost hand.]
Entry 10573
Yo' kin take a bat an' yo' kin put him in a stove, yo' know, an' bake him until he git kinda crusty like dat. An' put it in a little bag an' put a piece of lodestone in dere, an' dey tell me - say, dat will give yo' good luck.
(Good luck for what?)
Gamblin' an' shootin' dice.
Entry 10574
Den, if yo' want luck wit winnin', say yo' kill a bat an' take de heart out of de bat, aftah yo' kill it. Den aftah yo' taken dat heart out, take dat heart an' make a toby, see, an' sew it. Yo' take dat heart an' git chew some good flannen, an' aftah yo' git some good flannen, den git some good perfume called Jockey Club - lucky perfume - an' a piece of lodestone. An' den yo' take an' dampen dat lodestone an' sew it togethah - sew it up. Sew it up in dat red flannen. An' den aftah yo' sew it up in dat red flannen, dat's a lucky piece [a toby]. Dat will bring yo' luck. Dat's whut chew call luck. An' all yo' gotta do is jes' grease yore han', jes' when yo' wanta go tuh gamble or sompin lak dat. Oil yore han's 'fore yo' go, den yo'll have luck. Now, if a man is got a lucky han', dey come tuh yo' [root doctor] an' say, "So-an'-so got a lucky han' an' ah wanta know how tuh stop him." All right. Yo' tum right aroun'& den an' git chew some salt an' red peppah an' sew it up in de same thing. an' give it to 'em [himl an' let 'im wear it in his right pock- et. An' when he goes tuh gamble' an' find de fellah dat's got dis luck, take his [own] bag an' hit his han' dat-a-way an' rub de dice. Dat will kill dat.
(Any kind of flannel?)
Yessuh. Jes' since it's de red flannen. Dat'll kill dat.
(Kill the other fellow's luck.)
Yessuh. Dat will kill, too.
Entry 10575
In a gambling outfit is de foot I spoke of just now, de mole's foot and a bat's heart. Dey are about two of de hardest things to get dere is in de country. But dey take a bat, kill him and open him while he's still warm, and take his heart out. And dat shoveZ I Was speaking about just now [in 478:8 to move], well most gamblers will carry dem as a charm. Dey claim dat de money dat comes in contact with de bag dat dey carry dese things in, even if dey lose, it'll [the bag carrying the charm] come back to 'em. Dey got dat belief in it. A bat's heart and a mole's foot makes de greatest gambler's charm dey is. [There are several places in HOODOO where we have the belief about lost charms, hands, jomos, etc., coming back to the owner. It is of no use to finder. A hand or helper is made for a particular person, or was in the days when doctors made them.]
The account names a bag carrying charm materials. The interpretation of what returns is supplied editorially, and no return or gambling effect is established.
Entry 10576
We have what you call, as I 'fore told you [told you before], is a silver dime - one silver dime and a bat. You'll find them goes round in the stable and all there. And you take that bat and take the heart out. He have a heart in him. Mostly everything that be found walking - every creater - if it's a creature, it's got a heart. And you take that heart out of there and take that heart there and you put it on top of this dime. Then you take this lodestone and tie it up in there, and after you tie it up, you find what you call this Star [or Stars] perfume [has stars on label] that's what you gotta feed it with. Then you [can] walk into any place, step in in any business you got, everything's going be [O.K.]. But at the same time, those people that you have dealt with, if you gamble with them [you have to be careful].
(That's for luck in gambling? This is for luck in gambling?)
Yassuh.
(I see.)
That's my way.
Entry 10577
(I don't understand what you mean. Tell me the whole thing.)
You take your underclothes. You ketch that bat and tame him, you know, and put that - your underclothes - in his mouth and let him go. And wherevah he go and travel, you gotta travel right on behind. (What do you - you put some underclothes in his mouth, you say?) Yeah, you take and cut the seat of somebody's underclothes out and let him swallow; if he can't swallow it, take a stick and push it down. And just let him go on.
(I see.)
Entry 10578
Catch live bat, cut out heart, put in pocketbook with money, and you will win.
Entry 10579
Yo' kin take a leather-wing bullbat an' cut his heart out whilst he 'live, an' put it on a straight pin [ordinary pin, not safety pin]. Run a straight pin through it an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' rub yore han'. Rub it on yore han' every time yo' go to a skin game an' yo'll win.
Entry 10580
Takin' de bat yo' understan' an' capturin' him wit'out killin' him, see. An' cuttin' him open an' takin' his heart out. Takin' his heart an' sewin' it in a little red bag. An' put some perfume in dere wit de bat heart. Put some of dat cinnamon powder in dere an' put de controllin' powder in dere. An' make a little bag an' wear it in yore pocket. An' every game yo' go, yo' understan', yo'll be [something] lucky fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10581
Well, you could go to the river and get twelve grain of sand - twelve grain of sand. You go to the river and you get twelve grain of sand and you get a bat. You know what they call a bat. That's some little bird about. [In folk- lore and hoodoo a bat is always a bird.] (It flies around in the air?) Fly around in the air. (All right.) And after you git that bat heart - you git the heart out de bat. And then you take that twelve grain of sand and put it right in that bat heart, and you sew it up and slip it in your pocket. And you'll win all. You'll have the best success that is in gambling.
Entry 10582
Now another lucky hand, yo' git chew a small little - one of dese little bats dat fly around. Well, yo' git chew one of dose an' git his heart 'fore he die. Take his heart out befo' he die, an' sew dat up in a piece of Sea Island cloth - new cloth don't chew know. An' every time yo' make a stitch, why in sewing it, bring it to yo', don't chew know - jes' bring it dat way [demonstrates]. An' den yo' git some of dis perfume, Hearts Perfume, an' 'noint dat package wit dat every mornin' befo' sunrise, an' repeat de Lord's Prayer. An' dat's luck too, dat's another lucky hand.
(For what?)
For anything, any affairs.
(Gambling?)
Anything.
Entry 10583
Kills de bat...git his heart an' put in a little shammy skin an' let it dry...fōh gamblin'.
Entry 10584
Ah hear a real gambler say if yo' wants be real lucky in gamblin', kill yo' one of dese leather-wing bats an' cut de heart out of 'em, an' lay it up until it git good an' seasoned. An' go an' buy yo' a piece of pure red silk cloth an' sew it up in dat, an' keep it in yore pocket an' go to yore game. Nobody can't hardly ketch yo'. Fact [in fact] ah have seen dat tried.
Entry 10585
Jes' lak if yo' wanta gamble an' yo' don' wanta lose, yo' won't lose. Ketch a bat an' cut his heart out whilst he's - cut his heart out. Ketch de bat an' git his heart whilst it hot, an' put it in a piece of silk cloth, an' sew it up wit dis silk cloth an' tie it roun' yore arm. An' as long as - yo' can't lose in no game of cards yo' play.
Entry 10586
Git a leather-wing bat. Don't shoot him, git 'im alive an' git his heart. An' take his heart an' dry it in de sun an' put it in a silk string - jest a silk cloth wide as yore finger, an' tie it in it an' tie it round yore right arm. An' yo'll win in any game yo' go in. Yo're successful in it, yes sir, morely so on the average than any other way.
Entry 10587
Yo' kill a bat. Yo' shoot a bat. Git him whilst he's hot an' cut dat heart out. Put dat heart into a red silk bag an' sew it up an' wear it round yore left arm an' yo' will win in all yore games.
Entry 10588
Ah heard of anothah thing in gamblin' but it's a hard thing tuh git. But ah believe dis cus' de man dat tole me, cos' he's daid now, but he used tuh be a great gambler. He tried tuh git me one dem once. Yo' ketch a leather-wing bat. Dey say if yo' kin ketch a leather- wing bat an' kill him, an' take his heart an' wrap it in a silk han'kerchief, an' wrap it round heah [demonstrates], yo' can't be caught in no poker game yo' play in.
(Wrap it in a silk handkerchief you say, and tie it around your arm.)
Tie it round yore arm an' wear it jes' whilst yo' playing. Dis fellah gambled wit 'em. Ah didn't gamble wit 'im, an' he gambled wit white people, wit colored people, an' ah've known him tuh have as much as two an' three thousand dollahs at one time. [I turned off machine too soon. Informant mentioned name of hotel where this gambler had worked.l
(He was working at the.... Hotel?)
Yessuh.
Entry 10589
Dey tell me yo' kin take de heart of a leather-wing bat an' yo' kin tie it up in a piece of silk cloth, an' tie a little silk string to it, where yo' kin tie it on yo'. Tie dat round de left wrist. Dey say dat's wonderful to bring a gamblin' hand, a regular gamblin' hand.
Entry 10590
Well, you just take your bat, catch you a live bat, cut him open and take his heart. You gets you one yard of ribbon, red ribbon. Yes, sir. And anything you deal with, you take that ribbon and that heart and you tie it together. Take two brand-new needles and stick 'em an' make a cross in there like shen you going out, and that'll make you successful. Gambling success. That's called a gambling hand. You pin on the hand you use, on the hand you are using: if you deal with the left hand, on the left; and if you deal with the right, you use the right hand.
Entry 10591
A leather-wing bat, now, understan'. Now, if yo' wanta sell a fellah a hot hand fo' gamblin', go an' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat. Git him alive. Sometime dey go in people's house an' dey knock 'em down wit brooms, in de summertime, dey fly in [there being no screens]. Knock 'em down wit a ole broom, or yo' kin go in ole stumps or ole logs where dey roost at an' yo' kin git 'em out dat-a-way. Yo' can't find 'em in daytime. Yo' take de leather-wing bat an' yo' set right down an' take yore kife, a ole lknife or somepin lak dat an' split him right open in de back. Jes' split it right open while he's live, split him right open in de back jes' lak dat, zo'reach up dere in his left side an' git his little heart out. It's a little ean, de biggest one dey is about lak dat [demonstrates]. Git his little beart ota dere 'bout lak dat. An' he ain't even daid. While he 'live git dat heart ou of dere. Jes' take yore finger an' pull dat heart out. Take dat heart an' go on back wit it, don' wash de blood off, not nuthin. An' git chew a red, an' ah mean red, too; a red an' blue piece of ribbon. Jes' as red [informant points] as dat ring round dat big coffee cup. [In Fayetteville, N. Car., I worked in a kitchen-dining room and I still remember it vaguely.] Let it be jes' 'bout dat wide, an' take it an' set it right down an' lay dat heart in dere, an' sew dat heart up in dat ribbon. Have it long enough an' sew it up in dere good an' tight. Take dat bat heart an' yo' wear it on yo' right han' [see later]. Take dat bat heart in dat piece of ribbon, sew it, make it kind of a belt-lak an' carry it up dere round yore wrist yo' understand, above de elbow, up heah, understand. Fit it up dere, sew dat on dere tight so it fit lak a belt, won't slip off, an' wear it on dere. Sleep wit it on dere. As long as dat bat heart stays in dere lak dat, yo' kin do any kinda bettin' dat yo' want done. Yo' kin win money an' gamble wit it, understand, an' yo' kin go out an' steal it. Go out an' do anything lak dat, an' people could shoot at chew, an' nine times to one, dey nevah hit chew. Wit dat bat heart yo' kin dodge bullets yo' kin dodge a shot.
Entry 10592
Yo' go an' yo' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat an' yo' cut him open while he's alive an' yo' take his heart out. Yo' take red silk thread an' red flannel, yo' know, tie it up wit dat. An' yo' use Heart Cologne on it an' yo' always be lucky. Dat's right.
Entry 10593
When yo' first ketch him, yo' cut him open an' git his heart an' have yo' a sharp - sompin lak a ice pick an' place dat straight through de center of his heart. Take yo' a red piece of ribbon or string an' run it through dat - tie dat an' den yo' put it in a red piece of flannen an' say yore prayers ovah dat - aftah yo' say yore prayers ovah dat, yo' use de lodestone with it. Dat's fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10594
(How do you do that?)
Take a brand-new piece of silk. Ketch that bat, cut him open while he alive. Take the heart out of him and take that brand-new piece of silk [ribbon] and cut it [the size you need], Wash that bat's heart off and put it in there. And take it and wrap it up, and sew it up with pink thread - pink thread. And take it, if you don't want to make nine knots in it, and wear it around - let it drop right down, right down here [demonstrates] below your heart.
(Wear it around your neck so it will hang down near your heart?)
Yeah, yeah. And if you doesn't want to do that, why you take it and tie it [usually to the wrist or on the arm] and shoot dice with this hand [demonstrates].
(With your right hand.)
Yeah, with your right hand. You take it and tie it around [right wrist or a arm], and you always good for seven licks.
(Seven licks.) [Seven successive throws or attempts.]
Seven licks. After you've had them seven licks, why, you pass the dice. When they get back to you, you can taken 'em up, you good for [another] seven licks.
Entry 10595
You take the bat's heart, you understand. That's supposed to be luck. Take the heart from the bat before he is dead. Over that Jockey Club perfume wit Blue Di'mond, git from the pharmacy; it's a lickrish [liquid]. Saturate it, you see. Sew it up in a piece of red flannel, you see, with some steel dust. Well, if you are a gambling man, that will make you lucky.
Entry 10596
Dem little ole leather-wing bats. Well, ah heard dat chew kin - dem little ole leather-wing bats, dem little bitta ones dat goes all up in de corner of yore house. Well, ah learnt dat chew could take one of dem an' kill him, an' git his heart while it's hot, an' keep it until it git dry, an' put some salt an' black peppah an' bluestone onto hit. An' sew it up in a rag an' wear it in yore pocket, an' dat's good fo' gambling. Make yo' win money. [Waycross, Ga., (1136) 1850:5.]
Entry 10597
Dry a bat heart in the sun, put in tobacco sack with cayenne pepper, and carry for luck in gambling.
Entry 10598
Ah'll go ketch a bat an' ah'll cut his wing off an' ah'll wear it. (Which wing do you cut off?) De left one an' wear it in mah left pocket. Well, dat be luck fo' me, luck in gamblin'.
Entry 10599
Gamblers carry it. Dey git dat wing, dat leather-wing an' dey sew it up in red flannel an' tote hit. It make 'em lucky in winnin' in a skin game, gamblin'. (Do they sew the whole bat up, do you say?) No sir, jest de wing, de leather- wing. Yo' knows dem bats dey ketch dat got de leather-wing. Dey git de leather-wing, de right wing. Jes' de right ging an' sew it up in red flannen an' dey tote it, says it lucky fo' [skin or skin game].
(Only the right wing is leather. The left wing isn't leather then?)
[What prompted that question!]
Ah don't know but dey says tuh git de right one.
Entry 10600
Yeah, we call dem bullbats.
(What do you hear they say they do with those?)
Well, yo' take dat bullbat an' yo' take de wing of de bullbat - his vings - aa'yo' put dat with some graveyard dirt. An' put dat in a li'l' bundle an' yo' put it up anywhere umdah a person's house or anything lak dat. Dat'll cause 'em to be confusd an' fly around jes' lak de bullbat; case 'em to fly aroun' lak dey don't have good sense. [My note on this sheet reads: "R.D. (root doctor) unusual but legitimate. The man is not lying. No two per- sons work alike. R.D., good, but broke up his material, too late to preserve
(as a whole for an interview). Good.]
The informant describes a bullbat wing bundled with graveyard dirt beneath a house, with a claimed confusion effect. The interviewer asks what people do. Hyatt's separate quoted notebook appraisal describes this informant and the broken-up interview material; it does not independently establish the rite's effects.
Entry 10601
[This is the only rite in HOODOO where informant pretends I am the proprietor of a gambling house. Several of these pretenses elsewhere in these volumes I have called my being a guinea pig; a willing one, if it produced a hoodoo rite.] You can take a bat and take and kill a bat. You can take the wing, you bury the wings. Just like if this is a house where you going to gamble at, you bury one wing on this side of the house, one wing on that side of the house. You take that backbone of that bat and you get you some emory dust, you get you some Hearts perfume [has a number of small red hearts on label] and you get the name of the man that's running that place.
(You mean that gambling landlord.)
Like you is the proprietor, I'll get your name.] I'll put all of that together and wrap it in a flannel, and I'll put that in my house. See.
(Not in the gambling house, but in your own house?)
In my house, and as long as I'm got control of that thing, I kin control that gambling house. I'll be winning. I may go in there and lose a dollar and a half today, lose a dollar and a half this evening. I'd go back there tonight [or to- morrow] and I would win.
(I see.)
Entry 10602
Now a fellah tell me fo' a fact dat chew kin ketch a bat an' yo' kin carry dat round wit chew jes' like: yo' would take dem wings off him an' don't have nuthin but de bat, jes' de little ole skin. Ain't nuthin but skin nohow. Take de little ole bat, de little haid, an' put him in a papah sack or a cloth. Tie it up - sew it up jes' lak yo Would sew up a little bow, an' carry it out in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go an' do most anything yo' want. Ah don't know whether dat's true or not.
(You take just the wings off the bat though?)
Take de wings off.
(And just tie up the body?)
Tie up de body.
Entry 10603
Well, now heah de othah day a friend of mine wus tellin' me. He axe me did ah know where he could - firs' he axe me could ah lend him fo' dollahs. Ah tole him, no, ah didn't 'zactly have de money. He says, "Well, ah know a fel- lah," said, "he claims he kin gi' [give] yo' a han' fo' gam- blin'." Ah wus on de steamship workin' den, see, an' ah met dis fellah on de street an' he jes' stop me. An' he jes' stop me - yo' know, stop me an' jes' spoke. So he axed me did ah gamble. Told him shure, sometime ah gamble. "Well, " he says, "yo' evah have any luck?" "Shure ah has luck?" sometimes, sometimes ah don't." He says. "Well. vo' wanta have luck all de time?" Ah tole him, "Yeah, ef ah'd like tuh win all de time." He said, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do." Says, "Yo' go tuh work an' ketch yo' one dese little bats. Dese little black bats, " yo' know, "an' cut his wings off." Say, "Den - an' don't lose any of his blood - ketch all de blood yo' kin, an' split him open. An' jes' split him open an' take his entrails out, but try tuh keep all de blood dat chew kin." Say, "An' after yo' split him open, let him dry wit de blood in 'im." Say, "An' den fill dat back up with cheese." Fill dat bat, chew know inside of him up wit cheese. "Sew hit up," say, "an' jes' keep it in yore pocket where yo' keep yore money at all de time." Says, "Yo'll have luck all de time."
(In gambling?)
In gambling. So ah thought ah might as well try dat. Ah wus on de steamship fo' foah yeahs.
Entry 10604
I've heard, once upon a time that if yo' - dere's an old sayin', I seen it established in a book once, that if yo' wants tuh have good luck in gaml bling, is to git a leather-wing bat, wrap it into a piece of flannel an' tie it round yore waist. (They take the whole bat and tie it around the wrist.) No, the heart of the bat. (What was the name of the book?) Well, this book is related to - handing out from a doctor. Ah don't know the name since - it's right help- ful literature. [St. Petersburg, Fla., (983), 1590:3.] [The title of this long division comes from one of the activities of a Jack or Smruel or any name you want to call this personal and living fetish - a divination devise fully described by my MOJO ExPERT on page 1254, one of the great pages of EOODOO. Do not confuse this spirit object with the impersonal ouija and planch- ette, which spell out answers to anyone. Jack belongs to and works for its owner only. Jack can have any shape. Years ago somewhere in HOODOO a man's Jack to find cunjure was a child's mechanical toy! Our Jack here is ball-shaped - hence called Jack-ball - held up in the air by a string. Our operator addresses it as Sqmuel. Any name could be used. The present Jack-ball answers questions by cer- tain movements: trembling, standing still, swinging back and forth, weaving, and hirling in a circle. This latter movement, called channel de world, describes the contents within, a little of everything - a final catch-all. Therefore, inl stead of our former sections and subsections, the following material has been ar- ranged alphabetically, beginning with the letter A and word ABORTION.]
Entry 10605
[Out in the field I rarely if ever asked directly for self-perfor ed abortion rites; what I wanted was miscarriage, delayed birth, malforation or death caused by an enemy's witchcraft. The rite now following is a piece of folk medicine or practice a hoodoo doctor, fortuneteller or wise womas ooeld sggest to a client:] Some green coffee, coffee what you drink, she'll make a tea out of that and put some whiskey in there and turpentine and drink it hot - hot, hot as she can. And take a slop-bucket of hot boiling water and sit over it. Go to the store and buy her a lead pencil, brand- new, have never been used. And take that pencil and open her womb and spill that water. And when that pencil - the mouth of it is closed, you know. She take that pencil and put - she can do that herself better than anybody can, you know. Take that pencil and shove it until the mouth of her womb is open, where the heat can get in there, stay in. When she take the pencil and shove it, well she going to take the end of the pencil and make a little hole to open it, you know. And when - while she's doing that, she still over the bucket. Well, you see, the heat is going in there. You see, that heat hit there, that make the womb open like that and there come all - what was in there, going to come out. You see. Well, now, after hit come - well, it's according to how many months she be. Well, if it be four months, it's a baby. Now, it done come and she got to get that afterbirth out [and if] she can't get nobody [to help her], she take her fist and blow hard as she can. And still stay over that. After while that afterbirth come.