Browse:BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN (Volume 5, entries 10009–10157)/Part 2
BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN
Volume 5, entries 10009–10157. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 10089
De black cat bone, ah've always heard dat wus good. Ketch a black cat about midnight in de night an' throw 'im in a hot pot of boilin' watah. An' yo' git befo' a mirrah an' yo' be- gin fittin' de bones 'cross yore mouth whilst lookin' in de mirrah; an' when yo' git tuh de right bone, den yo' vanish - yo' cain't see yo'self in de mirrah. Dat's de way ah've heard it.
Entry 10090
See, jis' lak dis black cat bone - yo' kin disappeah. (How do you do that?) Well, dey tell me yo' kin take dat black cat bone an' yo' keep agoin' till yo' git de right bone; an' when yo' git de right bone, yo' rub yore face on it an' look in de glass [mirror] an' can't see yuhself, yo' disappear. Can't no one else see yo'.
Entry 10091
That fer stealin' also. Yo' take a black cat with notta white spot on it. Yo' understand what I mean. Yo' take this black cat an' yo' have a hot boilin' pot of water. Yo' put this black cat in there. Cover him up, and let him cook all to pieces. After he cooks all to pieces, then you take him out and pour that water off of it. Dash them bones in some cold water and take a looking glass, and put that stuff before this looking glass. And take ev'y bone and pass it between yore teeth and look in this glass. An' the bone that yo' pass between your teeth and yo' can't see yourself in this glass, that's the right bone. Yo' can tote that bone and do anything you wanta.
Entry 10092
Dey ketch a black cat with not a spot on 'im an' put it in a pot, put 'im in a pot 'live an' boil 'im till all de meat, yo' know, drop off de bones. An' den dey go to a runnin' stream, a swift runnin' stream of water, an' dey say dey chunk dem - pitch dose bones [into the Water]. An' dey say de one, yo' know, dat comes back down de stream - not go up it - de one dat come back down de stream, turns an'. comes back down de stream or runs back against de water, say dat's de one. Yo' kin put it in yuh mouth an' yo' disappears. Say yo' kin go
[unseen] into banks [and rob them].
Entry 10093
Put a black cat in boiling water while he is alive and keep him there, and when the meat comes off, you take the bones and stand before a mirror. And put them bones through your lips, yes, one at a time, and when you can't see your- self in the mirror, that is the right one, the black cat lucky bone. All black cats have it. If you are gambling or anything and losing and want to leave, if you run a black cat lucky bone through your lips, suck it, out you go and they can't see you.
Entry 10094
Cats? Dey took one of 'em an' throwed 'em on de inside of a pot of hot boilin' watah, an' aftah - ah mean, aftah dis cat done boiled tuh pieces, yo' undahstan', dere'll be two bones whut swims upon de top of de watah. Yo' see, in de pot. Well, now yo take dose two bones an' yo' carries dem befo' de mirrah, an' yo' looks intuh de mirrah. An' de one derein dat chew could see yuhself in de glass, well dat, it not de bone. But de one where yo' cannot see yuhself intuh de glass, dat will be de one yuh want. Yo' cannot see yuhself. Well, all right, [that is] sellin' yuhself [to the devil]. [Could there be concealed here a forgotten catch or trap? Originally did you have the choice of either bone? If you failed with the first one, you had to start all over again, possibly meaning ad infinitum.]
Entry 10095
Dey take de cat an' boil it till all de bones come apart, an' yo' take an' git dat lil' bone. An' yo' take an' cross it an' wrap it up in flannel. An' dey take dat bone an' sell it tuh somebody, an' whatsom- evah dey got intuh...
[Here I turn off machine not expecting much, then start it again.]
(You say the person who buys this bone puts it in a red flannel bag. Then ohatdotheydo?) He takes it an' - lak if de law gits aftah dem or sompin lak dat, he takes dat bone an' gits befo' a mirror; an' rubs it cross his teeth an' goes on off 'bout his business. An' walk all roun' de law an' dey don' seem tuh know 'im or don' bothah 'em [him].
Entry 10096
I heard one fellow tell that too. As near as I can recall what he said. You take a black cat at twelve o'clock at night, boil the cat in hot Water until the flesh is boiled away from the bones. The first bone that floats up to the top of the water, you say certain words - I don't remember the words. You tie a string to the bone and keep the bone in your outh a certain length of time. Then tie that string around your neck with the bone hanging to it. That puts the person in the power of what they call...in ocher words he sells himself to the devil. He can work wonderful miracles. Be can do anything he wishes. It gives luck in gambling, too. [Fredericksburg, Ta., by Ediphone,62.]
Entry 10097
Now, ef ah wanted tuh sell mahself tuh de devil, so ah kin be a hoodoo ' do all kinds of tricks, ah would go tuh de fo'ks of de road at tvelve 'clock Inight - on a Sat'day night. An' dere [at forks] ah'd stay an' leann dese tricks an' git a black cat bone. Boil de black cat chew undahstan', an' git 'is bone. An' when ah see dat bone through a looking ' glass until ah turns dark, ah git dat bone in dere. An' ah'd do whut dat bone tell me to. An' ah kin do anythin' ah wanta do, an' go anywhere ah wanta go.
(What do you mean about turning dark in the glass?)
When yo' see yuh got a certain bone an' yo' pull it through yore mouth, dat glass turn dahk, yo' undahstan'. Makes 'im know dat he's got de right bone.
(Makes what turn dark, the man?)
De glass will turn dahk [everything disappears!].
The informant presents a hypothetical Saturday-midnight road-forks visit and black-cat-bone test, initially describing himself turning dark before clarifying that the glass turns dark. The interviewer's questions and Hyatt's disappearance gloss remain separate; the wording is not silently reconciled.
Entry 10098
All right, yo' ketch a black cat an' yo' put 'im in a boilin' pot a watah, an' yo' - till dat flesh cook off 'im. Cook 'im while he alive. Git chew a lookin' glass an' all dem bones, an' go tuh a runnin' stream a watah. An' put all dem bones cross yuh mouth, an' de bone yo' fail tuh see in dat glass - lak yo' lookin' at me - dat's de bone yo' keep. Well, yo' take dat bone an' yo' supposed tuh go - ah supposed tuh take dat bone an' come in here, an' do anything ah wanta an' yo' couldn't see me. Yo' see, yo' can't see me. It a spirit, spiritualist, yo' see. Yo' can't see me long as ah got dat bone in mah mouth.
(But you have to go down to running water?)
Runnin' watah.
(And hold that glass in front of you?)
Yes, sir. An' yo' see, an' throw dem bones - float all dem bones in dat run- nin' watah. An' yo' throw dem bones in dere an' de one dat float back tuh yuh, yo' git dat. An' den yo' take it an' put it in yore mouth, an' look in de glass; an' if yo' can't see yuhself, dat's de bone.
(I see. That's checking up, in the looking glass.)
Entry 10099
Dat black cat by de watah's got tuh be at twelve 'clock at night. An' if dey ain't good, dey can't stay dere. Cain't stay dere. Ain't no way fer yuh tuh stay dere. Yuh take dat black cat bone. Yuh take dat black cat an' yuh boil all de meat off 'is bone. Dey says yuh goes tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' put dat cat bones in dat place an' do dat business. Well, ah believe dat's a mistake. Dat's mah belief. But chew take dat black cat bone an' yo' boil dat black cat down, an' when all de meat fall off de bone, yo' take dat black cat up [from the pot] an' yo' wash dem bones off wit cleah watah. Aftah yuh wash dem bones off in cleah watah, yuh take evah bone, evah bone dat Was in de cat, an' put 'em in yore mouth. An' de right bone is goin' tuh turn yuh blind as a bat. Dat's de bone.
(That's the bone you use.)
Entry 10100
Now, dis is not mah personal experience. Dey take a black cat down by a stream of runnin' watah an' a pot, piece of glass an' so forth. An' put de cat in dis pot full of watah. Aftah yo' build a fire an' de watah begin gittin' warm, put dis cat in dere an' have a top on it. Now, yo' must hol' dis cat in a certain way an' slip 'im in dis pot, an' git dat lid down befo he hollahs as yo' do dat. An' den let 'im boil den until he's thoroughly [done] an' de meat absolutely floatin' aroun' in de pot. Den yo' take dat glass an' look through it [it is a piece of glass and not a mirror] an' jis' take up each bone in dere an' bite it. Bite de meat offa it umntil yo' come tuh de right bone. An' yo' git dat bone an' de glass will dis- appeah from befo' yuh. Then yo' take...
(Then you get the right bone. How do you know it's the right bone?)
Well, at de disappearance of de glass. Den yo' take dat bone an' do certain articles wit it. Ah don' know jis' zac'ly what dat is. An' it will enable yo' tuh become in de knowledge of how tuh slip out of dere hide. [I turn off machine too soon.]
(Whom do you say does this? Do the witches do this?)
Yes, den dey become de witch when dey become so dat dey kin slip outa dere hide. An' yo' can't ketch 'em. Yo' know what ah mean.
(You can catch them?)
Yo' know what ah mean. Lak if he'd kill somebody out dere. He come in de store an' steal somepin or othah lak dat. Yo' can't run 'im down an' ketch 'im. So law kin ketch 'im. If dey ketch 'im an' put 'im in jail - dey locks 'im up in dere - an' den walk down de street an' he's standin' aside of 'im pattin' 'im an de shouldah. Walk along an' say "Hello' all dose kinda things. Now dat's vbat chew call tuh mah knowledge witchcraft.
Entry 10101
But you have tuh git a bone from a black cat. Well, yo' take a black cat an' yo' have a pot wit a lid on it. Air-tight [it] so dey can't knock it off. But de process dat chew go through in dat is tuh - all kinda evil things comes tuh yuh. Yo' takes dat cat an' yo' put 'im in dere alive an' den yo' shut dat lid back. If yo' kin stand it, stand all dose diff'ren' things - snakes all kinda wild things comes up in fronta yo' an' tries tuh hahm yuh; if yo' kin stan' dat an' go through wit it. An' atah dat, aftah it boils out all de bones an' evahthing is sep'rate dere, yo' ate dat stuff an' yo' drain it off. An' yo' take dose bones in some watah an mle dem in yuh han' lak dat. Git tuh a stream of watah wheah de watah is ni aia' all de time an' hole dose bones in it. An' de bone dat try tuh git auay fro yuh de most, de one dat goes up de stream, yo' best go an' git dat. Qou just hold these bones in your open hand and it's the one that tries to t away from you.) Den yo' take dat one dat is tryin' tuh git away from yuh. An' take de siple bone, jis' take it somewheah an' dry it off, an' jis' keep it moisted with Hearts Perfume. An' if yo' wan' tuh keep dat bone - an' if yo' wanta go any place an' don' wan' anybody tuh see yuh, as invisible, yo' put dat in yuh mouth. Yo' gotta keep yuh mouth shut. An' yo' go in dere an' nobody kin see yuh, but dey kin heah yuh talk.
Entry 10102
Yo' take a live black cat an' tie 'im, an' put 'im intuh a large pot what have a covah - live. An' yo' boils 'im alive. Yo' kill 'em [by boiling]. Co'se dat's jis' de same as goin' tuh de crossroads. When yo' boil 'em, yo' boil 'im so's [so he's] right off de bones - meat comes right off de bone. Yo' git a mirrah, yo' know a small mirrah an' yo' put it right between yuh two laigs. An' yo' takes evah one of dem bones, one by one, an' pass it through yuh teeth. An' de one dat yo' passes through yuh teeth lak dat an' yo' cain't see yuhself, dat's de one dat yo' want. Dat de bone dat yo' keep, see. Dat's fo' yuh appearance an' disappearance.
Entry 10103
Yo' git chew a black cat an' takes 'im - ah done done dat. Yo' takes yo' a black cat at twelve a'clock in de night. Don' chew kill 'im. Let someone else do dat. [This is rare.] Let someone else kill 'im. Don' chew kill 'im, undahstan', but dat chew git 'im. An' take 'im twelve a'clock in de night an' put 'im on in some kinda ole pot or somepin an' boil 'im. Aftah yo' git 'im boiled, den yo' take 'im up. Dere's 52 bones in 'im [one bone for each card in a deck of playing cards]. An' outa dem 52 dere ain't but three yo' takes out. Yo' take dis bone chere. [This man must have brought a cat with him! A black one?] (You take the left. Front paw or the back one?) De left front. [Demonstration continues.] (From the elbow up to the shoulder.) Yo' takes dat now. An' yo' takes from 'is knee on de back - down. (From the knee down to the ankle.) Dat's right. An' takes out one of de ribs - take out de left rib. Take hit out. An' anybody troublin' yo' lak yo' a farmah, bothah yo' wit chure stuff, well yo' take dat an' take dat lef' rib an' git chew a black spool of thread an' tie it. Jis' go roun' dit twice an' say lak dis: "No tramp! No tramp! No tramp." An' tie it. Yo' done say whilst yuh turnin' it yo' undahstan', turnin' it 'way from yuh. It don' come tuh yuh no time, no sir. "No tramp! No tramp! No tramp!" Now, ah'm fixed [ready to proceed]. Put chure han' down jis' anywhere yo' wanta lay it down, an' put chure han' up dere, say, "Lord, de most Heavenly Father, dis is mah undahtakin'. Whut come befo' de devil, dat chew kin take it off." Take dat same thing an' turn it. Yo' won' have no mo' trouble, not a bit. Git 'long jis' fine. [I now explain informant's demonstration:] (You hold that cat bone down on the ground and your right hand over your heart and you say that prayer.) Yes sir.
(Who did you say did that, a farmer?)
Any farmer, or in yore place. Jis' lak mah place, jis' lak anybody intah- ferin' wit chew.
(What would you do with the rest of the [three] cat bones?)
Take eithah one of dose an' use 'em fo' de same thing. Dis elbow joint, yo' gits dat all out dere. Dat's de high [highest] Jomoo dere is in existence. Dat's bad.
Entry 10104
(When you boil this black cat, these bones fall apart?)
All a 'em fall off [the flesh].
(Which bone do you take?)
Take...izza [it's a] bone shape lak de wishbone in de chicken. Yo' call it de night bone. [As I have explained elsewhere, there is no black cat bone the shape of a chicken wishbone: "One informant said the black cat bone was 'made lak de breast of a chicken' (No.316, p.94), meaning the furculum or wishbone in front of but not a part of the chicken breast- bone. Similarly, another informant de- scribed black cat bone as 'gon'a have three forks [prongs or tines]...two long forks an' a little small fork' (No.299, p.88). I suggested this three-pronged fork could have been a 'devil's trident.' Actually the 'little small fork' could have been the hypocleidium - the end adhering to the winning half of the broken wishbone. Despite informants, wishbone appears only in most birds; it appears in black cats only by the grace of hoodoo merchants (Vol.1, No.1732, p.527, lines 15-23).]
[We now return to the preceding night-bone.]
(The ninth bone or the night?)
De night, n-i-g-h-t.
(The night bone?)
Yes, sir.
[It is called night bone because it makes you invisible.]
An' yo' keep dat in yuh pocket, an' wherevah yo' go de people don't [see you]. Yo' kin do anything dey want lak a majjint [magician].
(They can't see you?)
Dey can't see yuh.
Entry 10105
Well, you could take a cat - some people say a black cat, but it don't have to be a black cat. Take any kinda cat. Understand? Take this cat. You put you on some water - a big pot of water - boils it up good. When that water gets to boiling good, get you a can of lye. You empty about half of it in that water, as it boils, you see. You takes this cat and tie all four of his feet togeth- er like that, see [demon- strates]. Tie all four of his feet together, but don't kill him - let him be alive. You takes him - but you'll have to have a top over him, you understand. You takes him and you slams him down in that water while it's boilin', see. Set your top down good so he can't get out. You let him boil in there awhile. Well, it's natchal that lye is going to cut all the meat off the bones, you see. As soon as you've boiled all them bones clean and everything, it's a certain bone that you get. It comes from right under here [demonstrates].
(Right from the throat?)
Right under the throat chere.
(Right under the throat.)
It's a forked bone and it's got a piece cross it like that [demonstrates]. Lays jest like that right under his throat chere. You gits that bone out.
(Like the yoke of an ox, like a wishbone?)
Yes, sir. Yes, sir, it is. [A chicken-wishbone shape in a cat is impossi- ble.] You gets that bone out. After you take that bone out, you get you some salt.] Put it in some water. You soak that bone in there for nine mornings - about an hour every morning. That salt water will harden it. See. Then it will petrify, so it won't spoil. [This is curing the bone as you would a ham.] After you soaks it in that, then you take it and you lay it in the rays of the sun, for three mornings. Let the sun dry it, petrify it. After then, take you a piece of white silk linen [silk or linen?] and you sew it up in that, and wear that bone on you.
(What will that do then?)
Well, you'll be invisible then - can't see you.
Entry 10106
Take de black cat an' git one of 'is eyes, his lef' eye, an' take it an' boil it an' yo' git dat bead. Yo' know it's a li'le white hard bead in it, dat's whut dey sight is. Yo' take dat an' mix it up wit - put some lodestone in it an' put some lucky oil, an' take dat an' weah it. (What do you wear that for?) Dat's fo' tuh keep any luck, a job or anythin' yuh wanta keep. Dat's fo' tuh be successful in mos' anythin' yo' want. [For eye of black cat and its hardness, see No.10046.]
Entry 10107
Kill black cat, remove collar bone, boil this until mid- night, "if they kin stand to see all the imps and stuff that ap- pear, '' kin wear it, do anything. [wilmington, N. Car., resumé, 91:12.]
Entry 10108
Heard dat yo' kin git a bone from a black cat's foot an' wear in yore- sew it up in some of yore wearin's yo' un'erstan', dat chew kin mostly be able tuh carry it ovah...
[I turned off machine too quickly and had to add:] (You win in gambling.) The bone from any foot.
Entry 10109
Boil black cat, take out front right foot, put in red flannel bag and wear in right side. [Richmond, Va., resume, 331:5.]
Entry 10110
Boil black cat, bone from right paw [foot], a.crooked bone, suck until you become blind. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., résumé, 395:1.]
The account, marked résumé, says 'until you become blind'; it does not establish blindness or a reliable effect.
Entry 10111
Jis' lak if yuh wan'a git a bone from a black cat. Jis' lak if yuh got a black cat shut up tuh yuh home heah. Yuh cud take dat black cat an' kill in. An' jis' lak if yuh got a li'l assafitadee [asafetida]. Yuh ought tuh shet 'im up an' let 'im stay dere nine days [with asafetida - a bad or good smell for the devil]! An' dey say in de nine days ven [when] yuh take dat cat an' yuh'll kill dat cat, an' yuh git dat bone from right out 'is hip, right heah [demon- strates]. Yuh kin git two of 'em out one cat, outa each hip. An' yuh take dat bone den, an' yuh cud take yuh a li'le roun' sumpin - got [to punch] a hole in it, see; yuh know, a roun' sompin, yuh punch a hole - jis' lak a icepick, yuh see. An' yuh take it an' yuh punch holes in it. An' yuh go tuh de drug sto' an' git chew some a -w'ut-a yuh call dat sweet thin'? Some a -w'a chew call it? But anyhow it jis' a root [John de Conkah?] yuh found in witchcraft, yuh know. Yuh put on de bone, yuh feed dat bone wit dat. (You put this stuff in that hole in the bone?) Yes sir. Ah'll remembah it [dat sweet thin'] in a few minutes. Yuh take dat bone den - jis' lak if yuh wus gamblin', yuh kin take dat bone. An' jis' as long as yuh feed it befo' yuh go. An'yuh take a li'le bit of dat an' put it in yuh left pocket. An' yo' couldn't lose.
(How do you carry this bone?)
In a li'le sack in yuh lef'-han' pocket. Yuh put some salt in yuh right-han' pocket. An' don' nevah let nobody see de bone an yuh'll be lucky.
(What do you get at the drug store?)
Foom. Foom. Yuh go tuh de drug store an' call fo' a bottle of foom - de sweetest thin'. He giv't yuh.
(Is it perfume?)
Yes sir! Yuh go dere an' call fo' a bottle of foom an' he'll give it tuh yuh. It looks lak watah in a bottle, but it's de sweetest thin' yuh evah did put on yuh in yuh life. [The fisherman from down the Sound was difficult to understand. My contact man felt sorry for him saying he was so backward - un- educated and naive, primitive.]
Entry 10112
They claim you go into a graveyard about midnight. The first black cat that crosses in the graveyard, you ketch it and kill it and get the main bone. The main bone will be a knuckle bone called the black cat wishbone. [All black cat bones are wishbones but they never look like a chicken wishbone - see No.10104, p.3939.] [Fredericks- burg, Va., Ediphone cyl.47.
Entry 10113
You get hold of a cat to do different things with. You can use a - take a cat, a black cat. You take a black cat and you kill the black cat. And you kill this black cat, you boil it. And you take a bone from him after you boil 'em. You boil 'em until every bit of the meat [here, having heard this much many times, I stopped recording. The words "round bone" restarted machine].
(You get that round bone, you say?)
Yes, sir. (Any kind of a - you mean a bone like the tip of your finger, or it's round that way?)
[Here I may have demonstrated a circle.]
Yes, sir.
(Then do you do anything with that bone?)
I'll cut four corners in it.
[Informant must have gone through motions of filing.]
(Then you file those?)
I'd file the sides, make it good and round. I don't want no rough edges, no corners on it at all. (Oh, I see, you round each end of that round bone?) Yes, sir. (I see.) Then I... [pauses]. (Then what do you do?) Then I'm going to cut it. You see, I cut it [demon- strates] thisaway; cut it like that, and then disaway. (Make four notches in it?) Four notches on each end. Now, when I get them four notches in this bone, I take - well, I get me a piece of silk thread. See, I get silk thread and I'm going to wrap that bone thisaway nine times into them notches. (Now, this bone is like the little stick that you wrap your fishing cord around?) Yes, sir.
(You have the notches - the notches don't run round the [thickness of the]
bone, but it [the notch] goes out to the end [the length] of the bone.) My notches come on the end, you see, and my notches set like this [demon- strates]. See, I got four notches on each end.
(I see, go ahead.)
See, the notches cut in the bone cross the two ends thisaway, see [demon- strates]. Well, I'm using this bone different. I'm going to wrap this bone thisaway [demonstrates]. (You only have two notches in that bone, in the end of that round - it's like a cross [+] on each end of the bone?) Yes, sir.
(0r like grooves, one groove across the other one.)
Yes, sir. They cross.
(That makes four grooves?)
Yeah, four grooves.
(All right.)
Well, I'll take and use silk thread; see, blue or pink. I take and I cross it this way for nine times. I wrap it for nine times thataway and then I come back nine times thisaway. I gets me [I interrupt to annote]. (You wrap the thread nine times around one of those notches at each end and you turn around like that and wrap it nine times through the other notches in the opposite end?) You see, I'm wrapping it by the straight...
(I understand that.)
Jest come down straight thisaway, not thisaway.
(I understand.)
Thisaway. And I get me - after I wrap it around that bone, I get the thread around the bone thataway, I go and I get me some of this war powder. I'll get me war powder and with this powder that I'll scrape off of this bone, I'm going to mix that together, see. I lay this bone into a piece of silk paper.
(What kind of paper?)
Silk.
(Silk paper.)
Silk paper, see. And I lay that bone in there and I gets me one of these small candles. Small candles. You know them little bit of yellow candles. They are about three for a nickel.
(How high are they?)
They little bit of candles about this [high].
(Oh, just small candles. All right.)
Little small candles, about little bit bigger than a match stick. They about that long. Get you one of those - three, I mean. And I'm going to lay two - one on each side of this thing - this bone, you see. But I'm going to lay it in a Way, I'm going to put it in a frame-like, but it ain't going to burn, and I'm going to light them candles. Light all three of them, but I'm going to light two here and I'm going to light one on the top.
(You have these candles in a triangular form, and the bone's inside the form?)
In the center. I lights those and now when I lights these, I let 'em burn. I light 'em at twelve o'clock in the day. Every day for twelve o'clock - no more, no less. I light 'em at twelve an' let 'em burn 'till about twelve-thirty, see. Twelve- thirty, if the work ain't done, I put 'em out, an' the next day I light 'em at twelve-thirty. And then for about three or six days, whatsomever I'm after, it's got to come in the six days. In the sixth day I get whatsomever I'm after. (Here's your - now, let me talk. Here's your cat bone - it's round like that. [I should have given description!] You file off both ends and you make the both ends round. Then you make a groove, you put a cross on top of the groove. At each end make a groove. Then you wrap the thread nine times around this way and nine times around that way - just like you wrap fishing tackle.) That's right.
(All right.)
Entry 10114
Ah have heard dat yo' kin take - ah had a fellah tell me, he wuzn't goin' do it, but ah have known fellahs dat have done it. Yo' undahstan'. If yo' wants tuh be lucky in yuh life, jis' take yuh a black cat an' take 'im, carry 'im down to a rivah or any runnin' watah, yo' undahstan', an' take 'im an' hold 'im down in de pot. Hold 'im down in de pot until he die. An' take him an' hold 'im down tuh de bottom of de pot until he hollah 'fore he die. Turn 'im loose den - turn de pot loose, de lid on de pot loose. An' 'is body den will rise up, his body will be bobbin'. "Cos [of course] though, by an' by de things will be comin'. All kinds of things be comin' up dere; de devils an' cows an' hogs an' all kinda things lak dat will come up, see. But yo' jis' don't bothah. Let 'em go right on until yo' bile [boil] dis black cat up, yo' undahstand. An' when yo' bile 'in good, yo' take den de bones outa dere - de laig bones. An' take 'en tuh runnin' watah an' any bone dat go down stream, don' chew bothah wit it; but de bone whut [you] take, turn roun' an' roun'. All de rest of 'em no good dat go an down, but de bone whut chew want will turn roun' an' roun'. Well, yo' take dat bone, dat black cat bone. An' take it den an' tie it up in a piece of - black piece of cloth. When yo' gits de bone, tie it [in] black, den yo' tie it red. Git dat an' tote it in yuh pocket. An' dey tell me yo'll nevah have ooh vorry any mo' about livin'. Dat's whut ah know 'bout dat.
Entry 10115
First you catch the cat, kill it, then you take the bone out of the front right leg. Take this bone and let it dry and tie it around your leg, either leg, and wear it all the time. That'll bring you luck.
[Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 50.]
Entry 10116
There was a fellow who used to say - a long time ago a fellow was not so very lucky, and another man told him to go and git hisself a black cat bone. He told him to go over into the graveyard and find whatsoever he could of a bone from a person, and then come back and git a black cat bone, and keep them in his pocket. He told him to git the fore right-hand arm of the black cat and keep it and the other bone in his pocket and his luck would change.
Entry 10117
After a black cat gets killed anywhere, you pick the cat up and cut the right hind leg. The're [there are] three bones in there like a rabbit [like leg of rabbit]. Then you get the mid- dle bone out of that, then dry it, polish that, and put it in his purse and put it in his hip pocket. He don't think anybody can bother him then at all.] He will go into a dice game and put this pocketbook down, there's nothing in it at all, no money, just this bone, and he will keep his hand on it, and he will win all the money in the game.
Entry 10118
Get a black cat, cut the right hind leg and get a bone out...and carry that around your neck, and there won't be any evil spirit harm you, and it will keep cunjures away. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 10119
Ah've had a fren' of mine - ah've seen dat. Ah've had a frien' of mine kill a cat, black cat. Jis' taken an' put 'im in de watah live - jis' put in de watah live an' let 'im cook all tuh pieces. But dat's de devil [devil's work]. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces an' put a lid ovah 'im, [keep] dat down. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces when he's live. He took dat cat, when he cook all tuh pieces, he took de right hin' laig of 'is bone den an' throw it in de watah. Hit'll run up [stream]. It shore do. Hit'll run up an' den come back, an' stop an' turn aroun' [and surely bows to you!]. Dat's de lucky bone. But chew don' fin' [find] dat done evah day.
(The right hind leg.)
Dat bone by de j'int [joint].
Entry 10120
Ah heard dat yo' kin kill a black cat an' git de right han' back laig, an' suck de marrah out 'is back laig, an' go tuh five fo'k of de road nine mawn- in's, an' yo' kin do anything yo' wanta do wit anybody. Yo' kin turn any kinda nachure [nature] yo' kin turn tricks, yo' kin do things.
(You go to five what?)
Five fo'k of a road - jis' a road runnin' dis way an' a road dat way, jis' five fo'k.
(Five roads coming together?)
Yes sir, jis' lak five points out chere; yo' know, de Timl bleville highway, dat's a five fo'k road, see. Well, yo' go down dere nine mavn- in's at nine a'clock. (You can do anything then?) Yes sir.
Entry 10121
Get a black cat, cut the right hind leg and get a bone out of the right hind leg and carry that around your neck and there won't be any evil spirit harm you and it will keep cunjure away from them. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 48.]
Entry 10122
(After you boil this cat you do what?)
Yo' take de cat aftah yo' boil 'im - see, yo' boil all de bones dat comin', comin', joinin' tuhgethah, an' dere's one pahtic'- lah [particular] bone in dere yuh gits out an' tote it in yuh hip pock- et. Dat's de hin' lef' laig of de black cat.
Entry 10123
Boil black cat at running water, take left hind foot. [Mobile, Ala., 844:4.]
Entry 10124
Boil black cat, take left hind leg bone, put in pocket, can do any- thing - get a job. [Wilmington, N. Car., 97:2.]
Entry 10125
They say you catch a black cat and boil him alive. And you take the bone from the left hind leg and wrap it in a piece of rag, and always carry it wherever you go. That makes you lucky in gambling always. If you do that you've sold yourself to the devil. [Petersburg, Va., first collecting visit there, Ediphone 34.1
Entry 10126
The way I heard of that, you get the lucky bone of a black cat. You get the bone out of his left hind leg. You have to kill him and skin him and get this out, and you wear that. [Fredericks- burg, Va., Ediphone 39.]
Entry 10127
Take a [black] cat and cut off its hind leg, either [one], and wear it in a bag for luck. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 60.]
Entry 10128
Yo' see, yo' have tub take a black cat an' boil 'im at twelve a'clock in de night an' take de bone, one li'l bone out 'is back hin' laig. Ordabxtm' me. An' yo' take an' cg dat Ob a li'l stream of watah dat goin' tuhwards de sundown an' jis' let it float an off in dat watah a li'l piece. Den yo' ketch dat an' tote dat iny pocket. Dat's luck. Dat's whut ah heah 'bout it.
(You get the bone of either back leg?)
Jis' eithah one de back laig, yo' know, long as yo' kin git a bone out dem.
Entry 10129
I have heard the old people say you get the two hind bones of a black cat's leg, both legs, they should be dried, and sew up into a woolen rag and they should be carried all the time. And you use these bones as your guard against evil spirits.
Entry 10130
If a person bury somepin roun' yore house lak dat an' yo' wan'a find where's [where there is] a rivah, an' carry yo' a pot an' boil dat cat. An' take yo' a bone, de left bone out his laig. An' aftah yo' git it, den tote it, an' dat cat will tell yo' tuh where go find dat bottle at, or whut it 'tis undah yore house, an' yo' git tuh find an' it be dere. Yo' git de left bone, yo' know, out de left laig.
(The hind leg or the frong leg?)
De front laig in de front side[!].
Entry 10131
Ah hear'd 'em say dat dey take a black ket wit not a white spot about it anywhere. An' take it an' put it in a pot alive, an' b'il it till de meat falls offa de bones. [Bones not thrown into running water.] An' take dose bones an' dat Zi'le roun' cur'ous bone dat's in de ket, take it an' weah it in yore pocket. Keep it in dere wrapped up from all dirt an' evah- thin' an' dat wuz good luck tuh yuh, couldn't nobody harm yo' or do nuthin tuh yuh.
Entry 10132
Get a black cat's tail and wear it between your shirt and breast and no one can cross your path [put a spell on you or make you unlucky]. [Fredericks- burg, Va., Ediphone 48.]
Entry 10133
Boil black cat, third joint from his tail bone will float to top, only bone that comes to top. [Richmond, Va., 386:3.]
terse printed instruction to boil a black cat with a claimed tail-bone result. Do not borrow neighboring leg-bone, pot, live-animal, running-water or road details. This entry supplies only its own brief claim. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 10134
[Well, jis' say fo' instance if yo' had done kilt a man or somepin lak dat, well now heah's [what you do]. If de road goin' no'th an' so'th - well, prob'ly if it's goin' east an' west. Well, [demonstrates] heah come de mainline road comin' down heah. All right, heah come two fo'ks comin' intuh de mainline road right chere. (Making a big "Y".) Yeah. Well, now, dis man - if yo' done kilt a man an' don' want 'em tuh hahm yo', yo' ketch yuh a black ket an' yo' cut 'bout, well yo' may say about three inches of his tail off. Well, when yo' git tuh de fo'ks of dis road - now, mind yo' now, dis is de mainline road comin' down heah. If dat's a pale [dirt?] road, if it's goin' east an' west, or eithah no'th an' so'th; well, now, if dat's a hard road or concrete road, yo' step right back tuh de right. Now, yo' git de undahstandin'. Yo' come when yo' get tuh de fo'ks of dis road, yo' go right back tuh de right. Back back, don't go fahwards. Yo' go right back six feet from de hard road, jis' backwards. Well, right down dere yo' dig jis' about a half a-feet an' bury dat black ket tail right dere, an' complete de Lord's word, say, "Fathah, stan' by." All right. Now listen. Now, yo' do dat an' - don' go back dere de nex' mawn- in'. Let it be roun' about three or fo' 'clock, but don' go back dere de nex' mawnin'. Come back de third mawnin' an' do dat same thing, jis' back back - yo' ain't gotta bothah dat tail - jis' back back six feet [from the road] an' say, "Fathah, stan' by." Well, yo' do dat three days in a week, until nine mawnin's. Evahthin' will be all right. (That is, the law won't track you or won't get you. Now, you [I] do that this morning, then I wait three mornings before coming back, or I wait only two morn- ings. before coming back?) Now, de firs' mawnin' yo' go, when yo' put it down dere de firs' mawnin', don' go back de nex' mawnin' but go back de nex' mawnin' [the morning after the next morning] yo' undahstan'. De firs' mawnin' yo' bury it down dere. Well, de nex' mawnin', de second, don' go back de secon' mawnin', but go back de third mawnin' yo' undahstan'.
(Then you don't go back the fourth morning?)
De fo'th mawnin' an' den de fit' mawnin' an' - now don' go back no mo' dat week. Jis' go three days in de week. Jis' go three days in de week until nine [days]. See, three an' three is six an' three's nine.
(It takes you three weeks to do that, then?)
Jis' put it in in three weeks, yessuh. (You only go there three times in one week and then you have to wait until another week.) Anothah week an' den de next week.
(You leave that black cat tail there?)
Yeah, jis' let it stay right dere.
Entry 10135
Take a bone, the dead man's bone, and take a black cat bone. That's tvo bones; a certain bone in the black cat, a certain bone in the dead man. And you'll be... (You use them together?) Yes, sir. (I see. All right.) Listen. Take a: certain bone of the dead man and certain bone of the black cat, tying them across [in the form of a cross], wearing them in your pocket. After wearing them in your pocket, you'll be a mystery man at least. You'll do things that it look impossible to do. For instance, I would walk in here - come in and walk on out and I wouldn't see yoo aad you wouldn't see me. But it's a certain bone.
(What bone is that?)
That's a certain bone of that black cat you have to take, you see. They got a bone in that cat - it come from the shoulder, from the left shoulder, that bone. You take that bone, and after taking that bone, to find out if you have the right bone, you takes a mirror, see, passing those bones that way [demonstrates passing che through mouth]. And long as you see yourself in the mirror thar isg't the right one. The moment you get the right one, you don't see yourself my nore. gell, that's supposed to be that bone that you kin absolutely disappear. You'll be coming in the street there and you don't disappear, but anyhow the party you hope don't see you, won't see you. When they do see you again, you'll be a dis- tance off.
(What bone do they take out of the body? Out of that person's body?)
Out of a person body? That bone they got right here, it's a small bone near to your spine.
(At the end of the spine?)
Yes, sir.
(Where you sit down on?)
Absolutely! [Some place else in HOODOO I have another example of the "inde- structible bone, " but I cannot recall where it is.] Take that bone and that black cat bone from the left shoulder and tying them acrosst. But the bone of the cat, to be sure that you have the right one, you have to use a mirror.
Entry 10136
They say you must shoot a cat going right, a black cat crossing your road going right. Shoot him dead and then get that main bone what's called the thigh bone or femor bone of a cat, the right leg, front. And then get the bone right back of the head, and one of the right-foot bones also. Three bones. And put them to- gether and wear them in a sack around the waist, and a person can do anything he Wants to do that's devilish and tricky.
Entry 10137
You kin sell yourself to the devil with the black cat by killing a black cat and taking the heart out before she die and swallah it.
Entry 10138
" They take the heart out of black cat, like when her husband is a drunkard. Well, they take that heart out of the black cat, which is not much more bigger than an oyster. Well, they will take that and put it in an oyster, you see, and - like some women they feeds their husbands ~ and the husband likes for the woman to feed them. Well, the first thing she will stick in his mouth is that black cat heart, and after: he eats that black cat's heart down, he will soon go out somewhere and some man will kill him, because it makes him very mis- chievious and makes him meddlesome. Perhaps if he is colored, he will go and meddle with some white gentleman and the white people will kill him. Well, that is what she give him that for, because he loses his conscience the minute he swallows that and he will go and get rough with anybody and meddle with anybody and that is why he gets killed and that is why [what] she perhaps will want. That is what she does that for, to bring his death.
Entry 10139
I have heard of the scalp of a black cat being used. They take that and sew it in a bag and keep it for luck. [Ocean City, Md., Ediphone 14.]
Entry 10140
They can get this hand by killing a black cat and boiling him. And after they had boiled the bones, they crush the bones up into a powder and sewed up in a bag.
Entry 10141
Dey go down an' take a black cat an' take an' boil 'im. Take him down side of a creek an' boil 'im. Boil 'im all tuh pieces an' take his bones out an' throw 'im intuh three streams of watah. (You throw these bones into three streams of water?) Yessuh, throw 'em in intuh three streams of watah an' de third bone dat come up tuh de top, an' yo' take dat third bone. Yo' take dat bone an' carry an' take it an' have it beat up, jes' groun' up lak yo' would shavin' somepin othah. Aftah dat, yo' take peppah an' take salt, an' yo' does dat way [sprinkles] ovah it fo' ten times. Den yo' take dat an' put it in a red flannel rag. Aftah yo' take dat red flannel rag an' put it [this mixture] in dat. den yo' take it an' tote it in yore Watch pocket al] de time. If yo' decide tuh gamble, yo' take it out chure watch pocket an' put it in de pocket where yo's money's in. Dat's lucky.
(That's lucky in gambling?)
Yes.
Entry 10142
Git dat same oil whut ah wuz speakin' of jis' a minute ago. Ah did nah fathah dat-a-way when he left [this part of the country]. Ah took dat same oil an' rubbed 'im wit it, an' he spent de night in mah sis- ter's home. He walked right on out de street, an' de sher- iff wuz lookin' fo' 'im. He nevah did come back. Went tuh Texas an' nevah come back.
[I now repeat what informant had said before recording began.]
(You took some of this oil that came from the black cat when you boiled it. [Most black-cat oil comes from hoodoo shop!] You had to rub some all over him. Then he had to stay some night, 13 hours in one night, at some place before he vent?) Yes sir. It wuz jis' rubbed on 'is face. Yo' can't track dat. [For black axt oil see also No.1121, p.417, v.1.]
Entry 10143
All right, you turn right around again, and you buy you - you buy you siack cat powder. And you take that and you put it in your hat, the band of your hat. You can walk by the law out there and he turn his back on you. And he be looking for you and you walk by him and he turn his back on you. You get out of the way. That's the Black cat powder. [For black cat powder, see also vol.1, No.327, p.96; and No. 1731, p.526. Back in the late 1930's black cat powder was usually a brand of alcum powder displaying the picture of a black cat on the container. A similar Sles picture will be found in margin title LYE: RED DEVIL AND RED SEAL, No.1377, p.459.]
Entry 10144
Black cat ashes [surely a preparation sald by a hoodoo dealer!], left hind foot of rabbit.9 claws from rabbit. 9 needle points, 9 pin points, all in red flannel bag, which is fed with Jocley Clob per fe. Wear when gambling.
Entry 10145
For a lucky hand boil black cat, throw bones in running water. The bone that come on top will turn around...an' spins." You must have it dressed by someone. [For example of bone being dressed by professional work- er, see No.308, p.92, v.l; there are other examples.] [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 119:9.]
Entry 10146
A root doctor wrapped up a black cat bone in cloth, put in sack with salt, put in pocket on right side, go to boss for job. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 109:2.]
Entry 10147
If dey fixin' to throw sompin down fer you to walk on, you can git you some dead cat bone an' bury it under your back step. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 185:5.]
Entry 10148
You kill a black cat, boil it, then dry the bones. Put it in a luck bag and carry it around your neck for good luck. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone cyl.45.]
Entry 10149
Ah've heard dat chew kin wear a certain charm called black cat bone dat will ward off all evil an' bad luck.
(Where do you get this black cat bone?)
It is possible dat chew kin take a black cat, dey tell me, an' cook 'im until tuh pieces at least. Aftah yo' cook 'im yo' take dis bone an' threw 'em in a runnin' stream, an' it will come back tuh yo' at a certain place. Yo' supposed tuh take dis bone an' wear it on yo' as a charm.
Entry 10151
(This black cat lucky bone?) Yes. Yo' take some sugah an' some salt an' put it on dis bone, an' let dis bone soak in it fo' an hour. An' den yo' take it an' yo' take dis bone an' put it in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go anywheah yo' wanta, an' do anythin' yo' wanta wit dat, tuh anybody yo' wanta, an' dis bone won' let nuthin hurt chew.
Entry 10152
Hold it [a black cat bone] in your hand, in the palm of your hand - until it sweat, and just smooth it [bone surely, not palm of hand] over your face; and anything that you undertake to do, that you'd be successful with.
[Vicksburg, Miss., resumé, 989:8.]
Entry 10153
(Tell me that again. What did you hear?)
Ah hear'd yuh could take a black cat bone an' give someone a stroke.
(Give them a stroke?)
Yes.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Take de bone an' it's some kinda 'gredient, turpentine, dey mix in wit de bone. Says, if yo' git a chance tuh rub de person, dat part of dere body'll ache dem. Dere's a lady out in Kings now, she suffahs from a black cat bone.
(It gives them a stroke?)
Uh huh. She has a stroke from 'er body on down. (All they do is to rub that bone on a person?) Dat bone an' grease an' turpentine, pure lard. (Pure lard and turpentine?) Yes. (I see. How would you get that black cat bone? Where would you get that?)
Entry 10154
Wha' choo may call witchcraft...take a cat, a black cat, and boil him down to get a black cat bone. An' jis' apply that bone to a certain part, to your body or the affected part of your body, why that will cure you. That'll have the power to drive those witches out, to drive that conditions out of your body. That's what I was told years ago by some of the old relatives. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 174:1.]
Entry 10155
They tell me witches have those bones. An' yo' kin go right w'ere you want to an' not be seen. [Wilmington, N. Car., résume, 71:1.]
Entry 10156
A black ket, yo' take him tuh a place from yuh home at twelve o'clock at night an' would cook 'im alive. Jis' put 'im in a pota hot watah an' cook 'im alive. An' at twelve o'clock de nex' night, in twenty-fo' hours time, go back an' git 'im an' bring 'im back. An' what he [black cat] be tellin' yo' along [the way], which ah don' know, yo' keep dat tuh yuhself. An' dey say, yo' take dose bones an' suck 'em all, each one of 'em, until yo' git tuh a certain bone. An' when yo' git tuh dat bone yo' look in de glass, an' when yo' can't see yuh- self, well, which dat is de right bone.
(Then what do you do with that bone?)
Well, yo' take dat bone an' tote it aroun' jis' lak it's magic - disappeahin'.
(You can't see him?)
Yes. [Vicksburg, Miss., (744), 1014:1.] [Previous candle rites will be found principally in volume 1, pages 744-888, der division called ALTARS - CANDLES - SAINTS. Similiar material occurs among rhe interviews of volume 2 pages 933-1843, and volume 3 pages 1859-2339. The falogig beliefs have been divided into 5 subsections:]
Entry 10157
You take the photograph and you take a new glass of water [new glass fllled with water] and a new saucer, white saucer, and you take the photograph yoa turn it upside down on top of [against] the glass of water. You take a F] red candle and you light it and write [on new paper] his name nine times demeath and write yours nine times on top, and you burn that [candle] three das a day. (What'll that do?) That is to bring him back, bring him to you. (Now I place the glass of water and this photograph I turn it upside down?) You hand [lean] it up with the feet up [head down] and the glass of water in the center of the photograph [photo centered against glass] and the name underneath it and the candle right in front of it. The name is under the glass. You write the name nine times on a piece of parchment paper, and nine times write yours on top. See, you always got yours on top and you got him underneath you. And put the paper under the saucer, and the water in the glass, and the picture upside down. And you burn that candle three times a day - a red candle. You burn it at six in the morn- ing, at twelve o'clock [noon], six in the evening; only three times a day.