Browse:ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS (Volume 5, entries 9441–10605)/Part 3
ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS
Volume 5, entries 9441–10605. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 9601
Salt, peppah, devil's snuff [all] in bag, carried in right-hand pocket to boss. Look 'im in eye when askin' fo' job. [Devil's snuff originally was the powder from puffballs - various fungi of the family Lycoperdaceae (class Basidiomycetes) - globular shaped, discharging ripe spores when pressed. As a boy I found their brown powder or smoke inter- esting, though warned that it was poisonous, and did not know puffballs were mushrooms. The plant must have been specially created for old-fashioned rootmen, but I suspect enterprising hoodoo drugstores in later years manufactured a devil's snuff of their own.
Entry 9602
Dey tell me that chew go to de east side of yore house an' yo' dig a small little pail full of dirt an' yo' pat hit full of salt an' peppah an' yo' put hit right out in front of yore door where yo' gotta enter de steps an' dey say hit'll keep it away but...
(That will keep the law away?)
[My use of word "law", already used by informant, causes nervousness.]
BUT AH DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT! AH'VE NEVAH TRIED IT! Your enemies, well dat's de laws.
Entry 9603
Well, yo' git some fish brine an' some gingah an' red peppah an' boil it tuhgethah an' put it about; wit a teaspoonful of spirits of turpentine which is hot, gives it powah, see. An' yo' take dat an' boil it an' go dere an' sprinkle yore house round yore do'steps. An' dey gotta go when dey git a place dey don't wanta stay dere, an' dey'll move without [giving you] any trouble. (There won't be any trouble getting them out of the house.)
Entry 9604
Take yo' some red peppah, sulphuh an' table salt, or eithah graveyard dirt, an' put it in a little cloth an' put it in de bottom of de shoe an' weah it. [That graveyard dirt is a part of preceding com- bination and not a substitute for it, see following rite about graveyard dirt from near headboard of grave.]
(What will that do then?)
Dey can't hurt chew.
(You walk over anything and it couldn't hurt you?)
Yes.
The informant describes a shoe-cloth treatment and protection claim, using the words 'or eithah graveyard dirt'. Hyatt's bracketed note instead treats dirt as part of the combination and refers to the next rite. Preserve that difference and the red pepper, sulphur and salt as distinct ingredients.
Entry 9605
I heard a woman said once that she could go in the graveyard and get the dirt from [at] the headboard of a sinnerman, not a Christian, and she said she could put salt and pep- per and sulphah wit that and throw it on the person, and they would never pay them a visit again.
Entry 9606
If he steppin' out 'is house, put dat [red] peppah an' put dat salt an' scrub 'is house out wit lye. An' sprinkle dat lye all roun' 'is house an' sprinkle dat salt all roun' yore house, an' put dat peppah roun' dere. An' anybody won't bothah nuthin.
(They won't steal anything?)
No. Jis' de red peppah.
Entry 9607
Ah've heard dat dey take salt or sulphur an' gunpowdah an' red pep- pah [and] by puttin' it down at yuh do' makin' yuh fortunate - make yuh have luck.
Entry 9608
Yo' kin git 'im back easy. Well, ah tell yo' 'zackly how yo' do dat. Yo'll git chew two pods of red peppah. One pod - yo' take dat peppah [inside] out'a it. One pod yo' put gunpowdah in; de nex' pod yo' put salt [in it]. (How many pods do you use now, two or three?) Yo' use one - two today an' two tuhmahrah. Well, yo' don' have tuh use any mo' of [more than] dat. Well, yo' take hit. Aftah yo' fill it wit de gunpowdah an' de salt, yo' tie it, de end of it. Whatevah she [her] name or whatevah he [his] name, she call he name. Don't use no plain [every-day] lan'wish [use religious language]. Jes' say, "Mah Lord, ah wants mah husban' or mah wife back home." Git right in de front of yore do' an' set fiah tuh it [this package]. Put fiah tuh it. An' den when hit burn - yo' see, dat powdah - say, "Wush" [sound of powder burning]. An' dat salt'll molt [dissolve] away. An' ah'll bet he'll come [back] an' stay. [This was informant's last rite. After she left the interviewing room, I comment to my machine: "End of 1217. This old woman almost ran me crazy." That sort of notation I rarely made. What she had done to disturb me, I no longer remember. Though not one of my better informants, her subject matter was not impossible. For some 0f it see: HOODOO, vol.1: p.24, No.38; p.111, No.375; p.425, No.1160; P.494, No.1565; p.522, No.1715; P.598, No.2049; p.599, No.2059; p.647, No.2297; etc.]
Entry 9609
[Take] de person name an' write it down an' git chew some salt an' peppah, an' when dey come in jes' sweep it back out. [Informant had started with a letter be- fore recording began.] (Why do you write that name down? What do you do with that?) Write 'em a lettah - jes' lak yo' gona write 'em a lettah - tell 'em stay away from your house, an' burn it up intuh a ashes. When dey come in, take dat salt an' peppah an' throw it down dere an' den sweep it back out.
(What do you do with the ashes then?)
Sweep it out 'hin' [behind]'em. (You mean with this salt and pepper [and letter ashes], sweep it out behind them. I see.)
Entry 9610
Dey'll go 'head an' come heah an' put some salt an' peppah. An' dey'll come to yore house - an' at night yo' know, or any time yo' know at chure ab- sence - an' dey'll sprinkle it all up dere. An' den dey'll put chure name in dat. Write it as dey goin' off fo' vacation. An' when dey do dat, dey kin leave it an' within nine days yo'll have tuh go. (They write your name on a piece of paper and say that you are going on a vacation?) Taking a vacation. An' den put salt an' peppah. When yo' leave an' when yo' walkin' dat way, an' yo'll move within nine days.
(Where will you put this paper?)
Put it in de shoes.
(Who wears it? Would you wear that if you were trying to harm me?)
Dey put it in yore shoes, see, 'cuz jis' lak dis, [if] dey couldn't git to yo'. An' dey put yore name in dey shoe, an' den dey put a little dat salt an' Peppah. An' when dey go dere dey'll sprinkle [salt and pepper], an' within nine days yore gone. [I turn off machine and then turn it on again for missed por- tion.] (When they sprinkle it, they just say "vacate." But you have my name on thi's Paper in your shoe, and you sprinkle this salt and pepper around my house?) In yore name.
Entry 9611
They say they take pepper and onions and table salt, and put that to- gether and name it, and throw it in the fire and burn it, and it will cause a confusion in the family between a man and his wife.
Entry 9612
If you want a person to move, you have to take a stormy night when it is raining real hard. But you gotta take a couple of pods of red pepper and nine pinches of salt and you gotta burn it. Parch it in the oven to look like dirt you know and just cook it right together. Brown it till it looks like dirt. And take a plain paper, if you know de person's name- - you don't, you find it out. Write his name nine times forwards and nine times backwards. [To write for- eards and backwards means to write the name normally turn the paper upside down, repeating the name on top of the first one. This is called crossing names.] Then parch the paper, salt and pepper all together and make a powder. Den a stormy night like we done having storms and all, don't care if it raining hard, you go up to their hall. Don't look back [going or returning] and throw this stuff and come on out. And they'll move in less time from three to nine days. They won't stay there. They kin own the property, they'll rent it out, but they gon't stay.
Entry 9613
Well, lak dey are goin' in a path - dey'll git in dat path an' de fo'ks of de road an' stop an' turn aroun' [turn around on your heel making hole in ground]. Put some pepper an' salt in dat [and spit] in de pathway [in the heel hole made in the pathway]. (What will that do?) Dat supposed tuh git chw confused. Dey have a cer- Cain scripture tuh read fo' dat dough. [If scripture (Scriptures) here means the Bible, it could be something like: Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity (Psa.6:8); but the scripture is more likely to be something like, Go! God damn you!]
(Well, what about that spitting?)
Dat spittin' is supposed tuh confuse yo'.
Entry 9614
They kin take salt, cayenne peppah an' saltpetah an' sprinkle it. Take off of [back of] old broken looking glass that quicksilvah-like, yo' know, an' mix it all togethah. They kin throw it right up in the door an' sprin- kle it all aroun' the door. An' that'll make yo' move.
Entry 9615
Get a ole shoe of a ole man an' burn it up, an' den take de ashes an' red peppah an' salt. An' if de law comes, whenevah he leaves [you have] tuh throw dis behin' 'im, an' he won' come back any mo'.
Entry 9616
Den if yo' - if somebody wus in some business, got a lotta trade-like, an' yo' wanta break it up. Well, yo' could git some soda an' salt an' red peppah an' put it togethah. Mix it up togethah. An' when yo' go into dis place where dey are at - where de business is goin' on at - yo' could sprinkle it round in dere on de flo'. An' ah know fo' a fact dat it is good.
(It will break up their business.)
Break up their business.
Entry 9617
(To make somebody move?) Yeah. Yo' git salt an' yo' git sugah an' yo' git cayenne peppah an' yo' mix dose tuhgethah. An' as dis person goin' outa de house, why yo' jis' sprinkle dat on behin' 'em. Dey're goin' some place.
Entry 9618
Wal, ah tell yuh how dey do dat. Dey take some salt an' sulphuh an' red peppah an' mix it tuhgethah. Go dere at night, chew know, an' sprinkle it ovah huh po'ch [her porch], right down in fron' of 'er do'step. Den she gits all intendin' tuh leave dere. She can't stay on account'a dat red peppah jis' runs 'er crazy.
(That will make her move out of the house.)
Entry 9619
Yo' kin take salt an' yo' kin take sulphuh and yo' git red peppah. An' yo' kin throw it aroun' peoples' do' an' dey cain't stay in de house. [Little Rock. Ark., (887).1461:6.]
Entry 9620
Take sulphur an' salt, cayenne peppah an' spread it roun' yore house - undah de house or roun' in de house. If yo' got any enemies or any- thin' put down dere, it'll kill it.
Entry 9621
Take cayenne peppah an' salt when yuh [visitor] go out de do', an' sulphuh, an' take yore broom an' sweep 'em out. An' let chure broom go on
[sweeping] out in de street behin' 'em an' dey won't come back soon. De way dey go, let de broom go [sweep] dat way.
Entry 9622
Jes' lak he visit de home backwards an' forwards [visits frequently]. Evah tue he leave yo' jes' take some cayenne peppah an' sulphuh an' salt, an' throw it behin' 'im an' make a curse or somepin or 'nothah an' sweep 'is track. He'll have tuh go away.
(That will make him stay away?)
Dat's right. He couldn't stay dere.
Entry 9623
Yo' git some sulphuh an red peppah an' strew roun' yore house fo' ten nin's befo' de sunrise - sulphuh an' peppah an' table salt, an' jes' throw it roun' yuh house fo' ten mawn- in's, evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise. An' if yo' know where dis man lives, yo' go tuh 'is house an' do de same thing. Jes' throw dat peppah jes' as yo' go in. Yo' jes' throw dat peppah up an' down until yo' git tuh de do'.an' yo' throw it out lak dat an' make yore wish. An' de 'leventh mawnin dey say yo'll git a job.
Entry 9624
Sulphah an' red peppah an' put nine teaspoonsful of salt in it, an' bary it to de back do' an' to yore front do', an' dey couldn't stay dere tuh ave dere life. Dey may stay two or three weeks but dey won' stay. (You mean in the house or around the house?) No, yo' jes' bury it right undah yore back steps. An' den go to yore front step an' bury it 'bout de same place - under de front steps. An' dey couldn't stay dere to save dere life.
Entry 9625
They always say if anybody is bothering you or making you git out de buse, they gets five cents worth of new cayenne pepper, five cents of sulphur, amd there's something else you stole, and a box of new salt. Sprinkle it in de doorsill every morning for nine mornings and make a wish and let 'em walk over that. (And this is to do what now?) Jes' to make 'em get dissatisfied, make 'em move out. (Move out of the house. I see.) In other words, you kin take the -e thing - sulphur, cayenne pepper and salt, and de stuff whatever you stole, aod burn it on your stove. And the scent goes out and they says that will run out.
(Run them out of the house.)
Entry 9626
An' den yo' take black [red?] peppah an' salt an' sulphuh - those three chings: red peppah, salt, sulphuh. An' burn it in yore fiahplace an' dat'll run enemies away from yore house.
Entry 9627
If yo' goin' tuh git a job, git up in de mawnin', or even if de sto's now open tuhnight, git chew a package of cookin' salt. Open dat salt. Po' some salt in de cornah of a large han'- kerch'ef. Yo' put red peppah in dere an' sulphuh, an' yo' tie it up. Put it In yore right pocket an' go [to see boss]. An' if de man don' hire yo' dat day, dey'll tell yo' tuh come [back], an' de nex' time yo' go back yo' git a job.
Entry 9628
Yo' kin git chew sulphuh an' salt an' red peppah an' tie it up an' whenevah yo' gits roun' 'im... (Round the boss.) Yo' be talkin' tuh 'im - an' Hearts Cologne, git dat Hearts Cologne. Yo' keep it wet chew know. Yo' talkin' tuh 'im. He give yo' a job.
Entry 9629
Well, git chew some salt- petah an' some table salt, a little sulphuh, an' take dat an' nine pods of red peppah an' yo' jes' make a little bag an' yo' weahs dat. Dat's all.
(What will that do then?)
Dat's to keep it back. Dat kill evahthin'. Can't git up to yo' 'cuz dat keep it off.
(That is to protect you.)
Entry 9630
Yo' kin take some salt an' some sulphuh an' some red peppah an' tote it in yuh pocket in a piece of red flannel an' can't nobody hurtcha [hurt you].
Entry 9631
If dey puttin' any- thin' down tuh hurt chew, yessuh, yo' could pertec' yo'self. Well, yo' could go ahead an' take sulphuh, red peppah an' salt an' weah it - put it in de bottom of yore shoe. Weah it up undah dat little bitta place, yo' know, dat's made in yore shoe - up undah dere, on de inside [under the insole]. Weah dat in yore shoe. Sat dat [cunjure] won' do yo' harm.
Entry 9632
Put sulphuh an' salt an' red peppah in yuh shoes an' weah it in dere all de time. Den yo' kin step ovah it an' it won't do nuthin tuh yuh. [Sumter, S. Car., (1345 0r 1346), 2328:8.]
Entry 9633
If anybody tryin' tuh harm yo', yo' take some sulphuh, use some cayenne peppah, dis cayenne peppah whut's grind up [ground up] an' dis sulphuh an' some new salt - cookin' salt [not the coarse salt fed to animals]. Yo' weah it in yore shoe an' dey can't harm yo'.
Entry 9634
Yo' weah sulphuh, salt or eithah cayenne peppah [or] red peppah in yore shoes.
(What would that do then?)
That keeps yo' from ketchin' anythin' dat's put down fo' yo' if yo' walkin' ovah it.
Entry 9635
Yo' kin take yo' some ground red peppah [cayenne pepper], sulphuh an' table salt. An' yo' kin throw dat roun' yore do', or yo' kin put dat in yore shoes - sulphur in yore shoes. Yo' kin walk on dat sulphuh an' nobody can't harm yo'.
Entry 9636
If dey put anything down fo' yo', yo' undahstan' to hurt chew or cripple yo' or anythin' so yo' can't walk. Yo' take dat peppah, cayenne peppah an' salt an' sulphuh, an' mix dat tuhgethah an' sprinkle it aroun' undah yore do'step, an' aroun' yore place whare yo' walk. Quite nec'sary [necessary] yo' weah some of dat in yore shoes. Well yo' see, dey can't do anythin' to yo', can't hurt chew when yo' got dat peppah in dere. It keeps dat down.
conditional threat of injury contrasted with a claimed protective negation. Preserve cripple/cannot-walk threat and can’t hurt negation; no diagnosis or proven protection. mixing cayenne pepper, salt and sulphur in a reported protective preparation. Keep the literal uppercase MIX destination, named ingredients, page order and the adjacent protection claim without efficacy. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3812) · Read full source (printed page 3813)
Entry 9637
If yo' know anyone tryin' tuh harm yo' roun' yore home, yo' git chew some dis heah bluestone, an' sulphuh, red peppah, an' salt. Mix all of dat up togethah. Evah mawnin' [you] come outa yuh house, befo' yo' hit de flo', [I mean] hit de groun', yo' take dat dust an' go along wit [use] dat dust - evah anin' befo' yo' come up. An' aftah yo' do dat, why take a li'le bit of it an sprinkle it right in de bottom of yuh shoes, both shoes. Put on yuh shoes an' go anywheres. Dey can't harm yo' none, regardless [of what they put down for you].
Entry 9638
Ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. Yo' read de 54th Psalm. Yo' evah read de Bible? [Since I do not answer, did I nod my head up and down, or shake it sideways. Informant did not know he was talking to a clergyman.] An' yo' takes saltpetah, take cay- enne peppah, an' yo' takes table salt. An' yo' take each one-a yore shoes an' yo' sprinkle yore shoes wit dat sulphur, a teaspoonful'a sulphur. Jes' sprinkle yore shoes wit dat an' walk anywhere yo' want. Nobody can't do nuthin tuh yo' about chew walkin' on anythin'. Nevah min' [mind] about dat [walking on anything].
Entry 9639
Take some peppah [seeds] an' salt an' take some of yore chamber lye an' scattah it aroun' de do' an' den sweep it. Yo' kin [will] go as de seed went - de peppah seed. (You go the same way the seed went. That is, if someone came to your house and you want to make him stay away, you put the stuff out and sweep it?) Scattah it ovah de flo' an' den sweep it out.
Entry 9640
Ah heard dat chew take yore chamber lye an' dis salt an' peppah, an' throu it evah mawnin' befo' sunrise at chure do'. Dat'll keep de laws from run- nin' on yo' an' all fren's will come to yo'. An' don't sweep no, none of de dust out chure house, out chure front do'. Don' nevah throw none out; throw it in de fiahplace. Dat always brings in luck. But nevah carries out any [sweepings]. (If you are in business of any kind, especially bootlegging?) Yes, bootleggin' an' gamblin'.
Entry 9641
It was once a rootworker told me to take some urinate some cayenne pepper and salt - half full from the urinate to de top of the bottle and the other [half fill] with sugar. An' take you a piece of cotton and stick down in there, and stick two needles in there, and keep that. That's luck to you.
Entry 9642
De nex' one wit sugah ag'in: if yo' got somebody a pusson yo' wanta make 'em stay at home, yo' mix dat wit allspice an' salt. An' put it in a li'le piece [of cloth] in de mattress, where de people gotta sleep, tuh make folks stay home. Put it in 'is mattress, jes' a li'le bit. Make 'em stay home.
Entry 9643
(How would you keep a spell from being put on you?)
Ah tell yuh dat. Go an' git chew a li'le ice cream salt hadn't been uses [used] an' assfessadee [asafetida], an' be sure tuh have a li'le piece-a John de Conkah. Dashes de salt [about house?]. Have John de Conkah in a li'le bag or eithah have a nutmeg roun' yore neck. Will hold de spell from relievin' tuh yo'.
(That will keep it from hurting you.)
Entry 9644
(This white man owned this farm?)
No suh. See, dis colored man own dis fawm wit dis white man an' it come tuh a settlement. An' it wuz de fall term an' de white man wouldn't settle wit 'im. An' dis colored man went tuh dis root man; wants tuh make de man settle wit 'im. (And what did this root man tell him to do?) [Root man] tole 'im - ast 'im [first] did he have de law ontuh 'im [white man]. "Yeah," [answered root man's client or patient]. [Root man] tell 'im, "Yo' know de cookin' salt an' black peppah." So he tole 'im tuh mix some of dat tuhgethah, yo' know, an' make a li'le hole roun' dere where - so he won' see it - on de top-a de earth, yo' know, where he [white man] walk roun' an' [won't] see it. Bury it dere at de well. Anywhere roun dere, yo' know, where he be's [is] goin' backwards an' forwards. An' so dis man fixed de well 'imself, 'cuz he knew dat's where he'd be, see, but dis colored man did know where he put it dere, 'cuz he know 'bout where he be goin' on. So he put dat where dis man walk ovah it. An' he tole me, firs' he went in 'is house an' when he walk ovah dat, aftah he walk ovah it - he step ovah it. An' 'bout two or three day aftah den, de [white] man settle wit 'im.
Entry 9645
Take some salt and black pepper and you mix it up and put in a salt shaker, and [as] they go out your door, you walk behind them and you sprinkle this salt and black pep- per behind them, and I guarantee you they won't come back again.
Entry 9646
Git chew some salt an' black peppah, evah time dey come - come in yore house - jes' slip it up behin' dem an' dey'll finely [finally] leave yo' alone.
Entry 9647
Ah've heard it said, yo' kin take table salt an' black peppah. As dey go out de do' yo' sprinkle it behin' dem, an' yo' take de broom an' yo' sweep it out behin' den. And dey say dey will leave an' dey won't evah come back dere no more.
Entry 9648
He comes an' [you] have a good frien'ly talk wit 'im in de porch or at de gate wherevah he stops at. An' den watch 'im, an' soon as he leaves, go right in de house an' git chew broom. An' sprinkle roun' dere, where he was, oit salt an' black peppah, an' sweep it de way he went. He won't come back.
Entry 9649
Ah've learned dat chew kin take black peppah an' salt an' if dey come intuh de back do' an' go intuh de house, why sprinkle dat black peppah an' salt behin' 'em. If dey goes out de front, jes' sprinkle it slowly behin' dem as dey go out an' sweep, an' dey'll nevah come back ag'in.
(But they must come in the back door before you can do that?)
Dey don' have tuh go in de back do' - de same do' dey go intuh. If dey come in de front do' an' jes' go in a room an' set or stan' dere, when dey git ready tuh go out, jes' go back out de same way dey came in, all yo' have tuh do is jes' sprinkle dis black peppah an' salt behin' dem an' jes' sweep it out, an' dey'll nevah come back.
Entry 9650
(Before the law comes, what do you do to keep them out?) It's not possible tuh keep 'em away. Dey have tuh come once in ordah tuh keep 'em away. Well, yo' use de black peppah an' salt an' sprinkle it behin' dem at evah footstep dat dey make, an' den sweep it out behin' dem lak dat.
(Then they won't come back again.)
Yessuh. An' sometime yo' kin use sulphuh 'long wit it.
Entry 9651
[To] make you move from out the house. Well, I see this happen al- ready. I see this fellah take some black pepper an' salt an' mix that together. An' yo' goes to the house an' yo' sprinkle it as yo' comin' from the house. Sprinkle it goin' in the direction you wants them to Dove from, an' those people they goin' to move out of that house.
Entry 9652
Take black peppah an' salt all roun' at chure do's. Dey cain't come ovah it. (They can't come in and steal things?) No.
Entry 9653
He say him an' 'is wife couldn't git along an' dey's fussin' an' fightin' all de time an' he wanted tuh leave huh. An' he say a man tole 'im tuh do dat an' she would leave.
(Tell me just what he did, now.)
Say, he tole me, git a teaspoon fulla black peppah an' a teaspoon fulla table slt an' mix it tuhgethah, an' throw it in de fiah three times an' leave dere. An' he [man supplying rite] say she would leave. An' he said he did it but she left.
(He did it three times in the same day?)
He done it fo' three days.
(Did he do it at any special time of the day?)
He tole 'im do it in de mawnin'.
Entry 9654
Take salt an' black peppah, tie it up mixed togethah. Jes' take it. Yo' got some made up: Yo' gamblin'. Put dat stuff right in yore pocket. Evah now an' den, when yo' shuffle de cahds or sompin, jes' run yore han' in yore pocket. Yo' ain't gotta pull out none [of the mixture], jes' git de dust of dat on yo'. (That will give him luck.)
Entry 9655
If I see a person I don't like and I don't want him in my house, I can take salt and bluestone and put it under the door and they can't come in. [Fredricksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 9656
[If anyone puts anything down for you] an' yo' wanta walk ovah it, jes' put chew some bluestone an' cookin' salt in yore shoe. Jes' take up dat little piece in de bottom of yore shoe [insole] an' sprinkle a little bit in dere an' put dat back down, an' yo' kin walk where yo' wanta walk.
(Nothing will hurt you?)
Nuthin will hurt yo'.
Entry 9657
Well, if you bothered by the law, you take - even for the law, any- body - you get you some parchment [paper]. Here's your door here. [Informant begins to demonstrate.] You hang you some parchment up by your door. [Imitation parchment was sold as genuine and often considered holy.] You hang that parchment up by your door, on this side, and hang you a box of salt on the other. Don't let the salt be - get you a fresh box of salt. Just like that nail is there [informant points to nail]. See that nail? Well you put you a nail up right there [demonstrates].
(On one side of the door.)
On one side of the door. And you hang that salt up there. And over that, between that parchment and that salt, you put you up a loaf of bread.
(You have the parchment on one side and the salt on the other.)
You see, you've got the parchment here and you got the salt here.
(The parchment on the right hand side and the salt on the left.)
And the salt on the left. Now, right in the center, you put you a loaf of bread [demonstrates].
(Above the door.)
Above the door. See. you put you up a loaf of bread. He can come in: the captain, the sergeant, the lieutenant - all of them can come in there when you do that. They ain't going to bother you. Now, when they come in, if they come in, but they might not get no further than right to the door. They might just look in, they ain't going to bother nobody. They going to go away. You see. And when they go away, you sprinkle sugar behind them, after they gone. When they turn their face to go, you sprinkle sugar behind them, you see. You sprin- kle sugar and that'll keep 'em going all the time. They'll never come back. If they come back, they won't bother you. You understand what I mean? They won't bother you. Just sprinkle that sugar behind 'em and they won't bother you at all.
Entry 9658
Dey kin make yo' move wit saltpetah, brimstone an' table salt - jis' plain table salt. An' po' it by night, chew know, at de do' or sprinkle it roun' de do', an' yo' shuh of makin' 'em move.
Entry 9659
Now we come tuh love affairs. Dis heah's anothah item ah'm gona give yo'. Ah've tried dis on mahself. Yo' kin take yo' some salt an' some cheese an' flour an' make a powdah outa it. Mix it all tuhgethah. An' yo' kin take dat Poodahs. Jes' say fo' a instant [instance] dere's a girl stayed heah dat yo' thought a whole lots of, an' yo' jes' can't get 'er lak yo' wan's tuh do. But chew kin visit 'er an' have all de fun othahwise dat chew want. Yo' kin take dat powdahs dat chew've made an' dust it aroun' in 'er room, an' dat'll bring 'er love tuh where yo' kin handle huh an' she won't deny nuthin dat chew ask. De same thing is mighty good luck in gamblin' too. Dat salt an' cheese an' flour, dat's good luck in gamblin' too. An' den it's a lodestone dat chew kin use dat's mighty good luck in gamblin', a lodestone called magic lodestone [trade name]. Dat's mighty good luck in gam- blin'.
Entry 9660
Sprinkle coal oil down and salt down. That makes a fuss. Now, to stop the fuss, how would you stop it? All right, I'd stop the fuss in this manner. If I find out they throw oil down there, anything like that, they got that down to fuss and fight. I'd take sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of that, and then I'd burn that. Right wheresomever the spot is where that oil is, I'd Pat the cinnamon and the sugar there and light it and let it burn. It's not going to burn the floor at all. It's going to burn until that floor come back natural just the same as it was before that oil got on there. And then that would be all over with, wouldn't be no more quarrelin' then.
Entry 9661
Heard talk of 'em usin' needles an' pins [omits pins later] an' red flannel an' cologne an' salt. Supposed tuh be nine needles. Yo' use dat. Well, I could take it, say fer in- stance, an' stick it in your bed an' whoever lays down dere, well de needles don' have tuh touch 'em, but yo'll feel jis' lak lots of needles an' pins is stickin' in yuh.
(You say nine needles. How many pins do you put in that?)
No. Well, ah nevah seen 'em use no pins, jis' only nine needles.
(Nine needles and what else?)
Den use a piece of red flannel an' nine drops of cologne an' a little salt. Jes' take a spinch of salt in yuh fingahs an' wrap it up in dat red flannel. Put it anywhere aroun' yuh baid. De needles don't have tuh touch yuh, but yo' feel de needles stickin' in yuh.
(You feel these pains.)
Entry 9662
Ah tole yo', when yo' want 'em tuh go [pauses].
(Yes.)
When dey makes de track, why yo' take a new broom an' sprinkle salt. Salt an' saltpetah, mix dat togethah an' sprinkle dat an' devil's snuff.
(Devil's snuff?)
Devil's snuff, yes sir.
(Where do you sprinkle that?)
Yo' sprinkle it right on behind. Jes' lak dey goin' out de do', yo' sprinkle it right on behin' dem. An' den yo' takes dis broom an' sweep it an' tell 'em - yo' make, make de wishes dat yo' want 'em tuh go an' stay [away]. Jes sweep 'im, jes' sweep 'im away. [The salt] outa box of salt dat's nevah been used out of.
(I see. Do you use salt? And what else did you say you used?)
Salt an' saltpetah an' devil's snuff.
(Devil's snuff. I see.)
Entry 9663
Take table salt now, when dey [policeman] jes' come aftah yo' an' be- hind yo' about chure stuff. When he comes in an' he turns 'is back, yo' throw it behind 'im. An' he would have tuh turn 'is back when he's goin' out. Throw it be- hind 'im on de flo' an' as he turns back, throw some on 'is back.
(Throw some on his back?)
On 'is back. An' burn dis dragon's blood in yuh house. Yo' burn it in yuh house tuh keep de law away.
Entry 9664
All right. Well, first, if they trying to harm you, you get you some Epsom salts, take you some table salt. All right. And you take you some warm water and let that set overnight. Then you take you a good bath with that. Well, they can't do anything with you.
Entry 9665
They takes the toenails and the fingernails, all like that, and wrap it up with sulphur and salt and burn it, and that will keep 'em away.
(Run them away.)
Burn it, just burn it around. You kin take and burn it around like in a heater or anything like that. That run 'em away.
Entry 9666
Yo' take an' git a salt [salted] fish an' put it in watah an' scale de fish an' clean 'll. If yo' wants tuh [have?]'i open or sompin lak dat an' take all dat [insides out] - if yo' don' wanta throw de guts an' all intuh yore, in fronta yore do', take dem out an' throw de fish watah an' evahthin' right out in front [of your house] an' de people will come tuh yo'. (That is for customers?) Yessuh. (For what - what kind of a business?) Well, any kinda business yo' want, whethah it's a whiskey business, or whethah it's business in a sto' or whut. Anythin'.
(You say you take a salt fish?)
[Informant's opening words: git a salt fish...put in water and scale...an' clean 'im had confused me, especially the words put in water.] Takes salt fish, scale 'im.
(What kind of a salt fish?)
We gen'ly use salt herring, or any kinda salt fish. We generally gits de real cheap ones. [Informant definitely means salted fish.in a can or tin. One fish at lease is soaked in water to obtain the brine, scaled or skinned, and then split open sad cleaned. The fish essence in the water fishes for customers, the salt in the water kills anything put down by an enemy to stop the arrival of customers.] An' den, ag'in [another way for trade], take urination an' put salt in it an' throu it de direction where yo' see big crowds. [Just as the urine of a dog attracts other dogs, likewise human urine attracts people or customers.] Do dat fo' nine mawnin's. De crowds will come right towards yo'. Ah saw dat done.
(If you are selling whiskey you do that?)
Yes.
Entry 9667
A shell - yo' see, w'at ah shoot in a gun. Git dat gunpowdah [out of the gunshell]. Git choo a box of sulphuh an' [a box of] salt, an' dig a hole right off down in dere in front dat-a do'. Don't put it on de step, dig a hole in fronta de do'. Put some tuh de back [door] an' some tuh de front [door]. An' ah bet chah, ah guarantee dat woman wouldn't stay tuh dat house fer one day 'fo' [before] she'd be huntin' huh anothah house. [Almost every- ohere in these volumes to get a box of sulphur, salt, anything, means a new or amused ingredient. Often the remainder must not be used for any non-hoodoo pur- pose.] [This man "said he was from the South and didn't speak well" - note made at time of recording.]
Entry 9668
Sulphur, table salt an' IN SHOES gunpowdah, jis' weah it in yore shoes. Use garlic in dat, chew laoc. Dey couldn't hurt chew tuh save dere life.
Entry 9669
Yessuh, dere's somethin' dey kin git tuh git 'em away. Git 'em high Life an' saltpetah an' salt an' sandalwood incense, an' mix it up an' throw aroun' yore house evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise. (What is high life?) Ah dunno. It's somethin' yo' git outa de drug sto'. It looks jes' kinda greenish lookin'.
(Is it a powder or a liquid?)
It's a powdah. It's kinda lak sulphuh but chew cain't sprinkle it down where it rains, 'cuz it swells 'way up. Yo' use it when it's dry weathah.
Entry 9670
Well, ah been tricked one time by some of mah things. A girl lived in our home an' she fell out wit me concernin' a man. She'd taken a dress of mine, one of mah monthly period cloths, an' some of mah hair an' got underneath de ahm [arm] where ah sweat at, an' taken it an' cared [carried] it across [town] tuh a man [cunjureman]. (Wait a minute! What did she get from under your arm, the hair or just the sweat?) De sweat from de dress. An' she'd taken it tuh a man an' she had it mixed wit graveyard dirt, peedles an' pins an', well one or two mo' thing but de man [healer I went to] didn't name 'em, see. He put it in a jah [jar] an' brought it back tuh our house unbeknown tuh all of us, late hour of de night, an' buried it. Now, it wus buried out 'bout along by de lavatory, see. Well, one Sunday mawnin' ah was sittin' on de po'ch an' ah got up an' ah went out tuh de lavatory. An' ah had a spell. From den ah commenced tuh feel as though....
(What kind of a spell did you have? How did you feel?)
Ah felt as though ah was dyin' fo' a few minutes. Well, ah started back tuh de house an' when ah got back home, ah tole mothah tuh call de doctah. Our lavatory was out from de house. An' she said, "Well, whut's de mattah? Yo' don't look sick?" Ah said, "Well, ah am." She said, "Well, yo' don't look sick." An' so ah went on de porch. She said, "Go back an' lay down, if yo' want me tuh call de doctah. Don't stan' on de front porch." Ah said, "Well, ah cain't lay down." While she was callin' de doctah ah went runnin' down tuh de drug store. Seemed as though mah mind wus leavin' me, see. An' all ah could have on mah mind right den was dyin' or eithah seein' mahsel' confined in a 'sylum. See? An', well ah got back home an' de doctah came out. He examined me thoroughly. He said nuthin was wrong. Well, ah knowed it was somepin wrong. Still, he said it wasn't anything wrong. Well, mah mothah tried two mo' doctahs. Both of 'em said dere wasn't anything wrong. She'd taken me crosstown tuh a man by de name of Mr. Lee [a root doctor].
(What town was this?)
Waycross, Georgia. Yes. An' ah went ovah dere on Lee Avenue tuh Mr. Lee. An' he tole me of dese things dat had been taken from me. An' tole me dat de onliest way dat he could get dis spell offa me was tuh dig dese things up. An' tole me de charges of diggin' it up. An' he say he knowed dat ah didn't have much money, an' ah could pay dis on installments. See, dat he would charge me $25 fo' takin' dese things up. See. So he charged de $25 an' mah mothah paid 'im ten of it down. He came ovah tuh our house an' he digged dese things up. Dug 'em up an' it was in a jar an' it was stopped up tight. An' it looked as though it had begin tuh kinda rot. See. He'd taken it out. He got a pan of warm watah an' put some lodestone in it an' a little salt. Taken dese things an' po'd 'em in dere. An' - well, ah don't know whut he done wit it. Ah know he'd taken it wit 'im whatevah it was, see. An' he didn't nevah give me anythin' tuh take, but grad'ly by degrees dis spell commence tuh weah off, until now ah'm fine.
(How long ago did that happen, did you say?)
That's been - ah imagine now - dat's been around seven or eight months. No longah, no soonah. [These are the experiences difficult to find.]
Entry 9671
Mah uncle tole me dat yo' go tuh de fo'k of de road an' yo' take sul- phuh an' yo' take salt. An' whichsomevah road he [criminal] went yo' sprinkle it [these 2 ingredients] down wit [Red] Devil Lye [Red Devil brand]. An' when yo' sprinkle it down, dey says, "Who be it, it was, dat did de crime, whichsomevah way he went, yo' [3 ingredients] fin' which way he went." An' he can't go no futhah.
(Did you use Devil Lye in that?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 9672
In cookin' an' usin' onion, take de onion an' put salt on it an' put it in de stove. It bring good luck tuh de house. (How do you mean put this onion in the stove?) See, yo' cookin' a pastry or soipin an' yo' use de onion, an' de outah peel yo' cut off de onion. Yo' take dat an' sprinkle salt ovah dat, an' wrap it up in a papah, an' put it in de stove an' burn it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Bring luck to de house.
(Just any kind of a house?)
Yeah, jes' any house. Don't be any particular house.
Entry 9673
If yo' wan'a a job, yo' don' wan'a eat no breakfus'. Jis' put a red onion in yuh pocket wit yuh salt, mos'ly in de right pocket. Keep it in a rag. An' go tuh a man fo' a job. Yo always be dere befo' he do.
Entry 9674
When yo' peel onions in yore home, yo' supposed tuh put sugah an' salt - sugah an' salt on it [the peelings] an' put it on de stove an' burn it. Dat's keepin' down de fuss [in the house]. An' if yo' havin' fuss dere, put salt on de onion an' burn it up, but yo' don't 'sposed tuh leave cut onion in yore house no kinda way.
(After you put salt on that onion, what do you do with that onion then?)
Put it on de stove an' let it burn up. Dat keepin' down fusses in de house.
Entry 9675
If dey move in dere an' yo' don't wan' 'em in dere, git chew some pea- nuts an' burn 'em. Take an' put chew some salt tuh 'em, an' put some right up undahneat' dat house. Dey'll move out. Keep dem out. Make it [house] crossed, too. (Cross the house up.) [The house is crossed so that no one can live in it, until some person uncrosses the house.]
Entry 9676
If ah wus in trouble, like ah wus wantin' tuh sell whiskey like evah- body is doin', wanted tuh have a success fo' mah business where de man wouldn't bothah me. Git me a package of salt an' bury it tuh mah front do'steps, bury one tuh de back where yo' have to come ovah - walk ovah it [them].: Take me a penny an drive it down, drive de penny right down on de do'stop; yo' know, like de do' [denonstrates], drive it right up dere. De police may come dere an' try tuh search me. He'd look a little bit - ah'll jest show yo' [demonstrates about roan]. "Well [says policeman] he ain't got nuthin. Let's go." [For pennies at door, see also many examples in vol.1, p.6llf., Nos.2108-2120 and elsewhere.]
Entry 9677
Well, some people take a penny an' dey nail it right down in front of de do' - a one-cent piece. Dey go tuh de back do' an' dey nail down anothah one. D go tuh de sto' an' git chew a box of Red Devil Lye potash. Yo' git chew a bran'-new box of salt. An' yo' go out in yore gate, right in de mid- dle of yore gate where de people transfah in an' out. Yo' dig a hole down dere at zakly [exactly] six inches, an' yo' take dis salt, dat whole box of salt, an' empty it right close tuh de box of lye. An' aftah yo' emptyin' it close tuh dat box of lye, yo' say lak dis: Three daid men looked outa de winda': One had no lung, de othah had no tongue; De third was deaf, druonb an' blind. Behold de spirit looked on me, As ah speak to yo' three times a day. Only goodness an' mercy shall follow me from dis day on. Yo' say dat all de while yo' po'ing dat salt on topa dat. An' aftah yo' git done why yo' cover this lye up - an' dat's also fo' bringin' customers - an' de potash will drive away de law, keep de law away.
Entry 9678
Yo' take de 'simmon bark. Ah heard dat one too, if anyone wants tuh trick yo' in any way. All right, yo' take de 'simmon bark an' yo' goes on an' yo' take nine tablespoon- fuls of table salt an' put it in dere wit dis bark. Yo' boils it. Den yo' take dis stuff an' go tuh dey house at night, chew know. An' when yo' backs out from dey house, yo' let it follah yo' from de do' tuh where yo' goin' - long as it leaks out. Well, if dey try tuh do anythin' dere's nuthin tuh dat.
(You put nine spoonfuls of salt in this persimmon bark?)
Yes.
Entry 9679
Well, den ah goes tuh work den an' ah worked a few plans. A fellah followed me an' ah tried it tuh see would it work. De fellah - ah wen' tuh work an' ah took dis heah sul- phuh an' ah took dis heah potash an' dis cookin' salt, an' put it in dis box an' where dis man place of business was. Ah went down dere an' turnt roun' nine times an' made a oath - cuss, cussed dis fellah. In three day's time dis fellah was out of dat place an' done moved. Had tuh move, he couldn't stay down dere. He had tuh move.
(What did you do with that box when you turned around nine times?)
Dat box? Ah took de box an' throwed it away. Ah had it in mah han' when ah wus turnin' roun' do [though]. But ah took de box an' throwed it away an' nobody knows whut it was all about.
Entry 9680
[Take] potash whut chew wash clothes with, an' take table salt, an' take dis here sulphuh, an' take one of dese here John de Conkah roots, an' put all dis tuhgethah, an' yo' take it an' bury it undah de steps. Don't let no one see yo'. If anybody move in dat house an' yo' don't want 'em tuh move in dere, dey ain't goin' stay in dere. Dey can't.