Browse:BLOOD (Volume 3, entries 3829–3980)
BLOOD
Volume 3, entries 3829–3980. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3829
If she gits yore fingahnails an' she gits de dirt in [under] which dat [dirt under fingernails] - much as she kin git wit dose fingahnails. Jis' lak if yo' wuz settin' down an' she tell yo', say, "Let me trim yore fingahnails." Well, she will trim yore fingah- nails off. Prob'ly yo' might not be thinkin' of any- thin'. Say, "Yore toenails needs trimmin', too." Well, she'll keep all dat. Well, de nex' thin' she'll do, she'll have intahco'se wit yo'. Well, she'll keep dat, but chew wouldn't think dat - no idea of how she would keep dat. (You said something about bringing it back. You said something about her bringing it back or something - the woman bringing it back.) Yes, sir.
(Well, what did you say about that?)
Well, she take dat an' she keep it. She put dat intuh a rag [making a hand] an' she'll keep dat fer - see, sev'ral times she'll do dat. Yo' see. An' it come tuh be a certain amount. Well, aftah she git dat certain amount, well she'll take dat certain amount den an' she'll take it off somewhere, intuh de house, an' she'll tie it up. [Here are the knots and tie up.] An' she tie dat up fer sev'ral yeahs. Yo'll come tuh be in a way dat yo' kinnot leave dere or leave her wheresomevah she is. If she go away, well yo' will go an' hunt 'er until yo' find 'er to be outa yore sight. Well, when yo' gits dataway, why den she wants tuh turn yo' loose. De day dat she gits ready tuh turn yo' loose, why she'll walk an' ketch de air blowin' a certain way - no'th or east or sout'. Well, she will take dat den an' she will shake it in de air. Well, yo' are loose den. When she shake dat in de air, well yo' git so den yo' won't care anythin' abou Ter atall in de world. Well dat's de way dey do dat part of dat.
(You put these fingernails and stuff in that rag with the other.)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3830
[This is a brief note made of a rite on an untranscribed cylinder:] ["Wood sawyer, boiled with lard, makes salve to untie.] [Memphis, Tenn., (966), 1561:3.]
[I have divided this section into two subsections: EVERYDAY BLOOD and HER PRIVATE TIME. Neither subsection holds all material on its subject. Such mat- ters as drawing blood from a witch, the bleeding corpse, and others had to be classified elsewhere. Even menstrual blood will be found scattered throughout HOODO0.]
Entry 3831
Take some of yore blood, yo' know. Take de blood an' take it...
(What blood?)
From de woman, yo' know, when dey birth a baby. Take de blood from dis woman - yo' git chance to steal some of dat blood. An' take dat, yo' know dat piece, an' den go ahead an' bury it in de graveyard. An' hit'll stop a woman, keep a woman - nevah will come no mo'. Nevah will come, an' fin'ly firs' thing yo' know she'll be daid. (This is - part of your monthly rag?) [My question is misleading. This is def- initely childbirth blood.] Any kinda monthly rag.
Entry 3832
Take an' go to a dogwood tree, if a person dislikes 'im. An' if yo' jes' take a piece - jes' git one drop of blood anyways [anyway] dat is if yo' kin git holt of it anyways. An' yo' take an' cuts yo' a plug outa de tree, jes' 'longside dat tree. Yo' know, pull de plug out an' drop de blood in dere, an' drive dat plug back on dere. Drive dat plug right back on dere an' nevah look back to see which way yo' goin'. Jes' leave an' go right on off from dere. An' jes' 'bout roun' thirty days - it take 'bout thirty days den - an' dat man dere, if he's anywhere aroun' yore place or anythin', why he'll move away. He'll leave off an' yo' nevah heah sight or tell of 'im no mo'.
(What tree do you use for that?)
De dogwood tree... [I stopped recording too quickly here, missing north side, which I had to in- clude by restarting machine and adding parenthetical question or comment. I am not asking a leading question.]
(On the north side?)
Yes.
Entry 3833
Put it down roun' in de leak of a house. Well, jes' lak if yo' take a person's blood an' stop it up in a bottle, an' turn it down on its haid, turn de bottle upside down on de mouf [mouth]. An' let it be upside down an' put it in de leak of a house, an' see, dat'll run a person crazy.
(What do you mean by the leak of the house?)
Jes' lak, yo' know, where de watah leak down on de ground - yes, off de roof.
Entry 3834
[Take] dat blood an' put it on a rag er somepin an' bury it up undah 'is house. Dat'll keep 'im down. (Blood from any part of his body?) Any part of 'is body. (How do you mean keep him down?) Well, how yo' keep )'im down - see, dat's buried undah de earth, undahstan'. Well, dat keeps 'im painful - jes not able to work, not go.
Entry 3835
Well, yo' could take some of de man's blood an' some of de woman's blood an' wrap it up. Jes' take some of it in a rag, of each one of 'em's blood, an' wrap it up an bury it up undah de house, anywhere up undah de house, an' dem people will stay togethah until de' die.
(Who would do this?)
Anyone.
Entry 3836
Well, dey say yo' take a piece of string, not a rag string but a cotton string yo' know, an' yo' tie a knot. Now, evahone says if yo' wan'a man tuh love yuh, or a woman, yo' kin jes' squeeze dat little thing [finger] on yore lef' han' [demonstrates]. (Squeeze the little finger on the left hand.) Squeeze it till it git kinda dead [numb], yo' know. Den yo' take a needle an' jes' keep pickin' till yo' git one drop of blood. An' yo' take dat drop of blood an' put a little bit on all nine of dem knots, an' weah it roun' yore waist. Dey'll run crazy ovah yo'.
(You take that blood from your own finger?)
Yes.
Entry 3837
I heard say yo' kin take a match an' trim de haid all off real close, sharpen 'er right down on dat point, an' pick yore fingah wit it an' carry it. An' if yo' stick it in a girl enough fo' it tuh bleed, dey say dat she'll love yo'. Den keep de match stem wit de blood on it.
Entry 3838
Ah know about one thing, yo' kin write a person's name. Yo' kin take it - now if yo' wanta be ovah a woman or a man, yo' take an' write his name in a piece of papah wit 'ers. Now, if yo' want de woman tuh be ovah de man, write de woman's name tuh de top an' write 'is name undahneat' 'ers. Den pick yore lef' arm, an' pinch enough blood outa dat lef' arm tuh spell dose names out. Den when yo' git dose names spelled, yo' take it an' wrap it up tuh yo', dat piece of papah. Fold it comin' tuh yo'. Whutevah way yo' fold it, let it be comin' tuh yo'. An' take it an' put it in a corked bottle an' bury it at nine 'clock at night. An' dat man an' dat woman nevah will quit one another. An' if dey quit one anothah, dey'll go crazy. Dey love one another so good as long as dey live. S'long as dey live, dat las' 'em fo'evah. Bury it undah de do'step at night. If yo' can't git chance tuh bury it, jes' throw it undah de do'step, an [or] in a place where dey gotta walk in an' out. An' dey nevah will quit one another, an' jes' go crazy wit dat han'writin'.
(You must get this blood out of your left arm?)
Pick it out - yore lef' arm, yo' jes' gotta pick it.
Entry 3839
[Ah] heah 'em say, if yo' got a man, someone yo' love an' he leave yo', yo' haven't got 'is pichure, why yo' take a needle an' pick till yo' git de blood out de little fingah heah [demonstrates].
(That's the little finger of the left hand.)
Yes, an' yo' git de blood out of it an' yo' have a pen, yo' know a ink pen, an' a piece of papah. An' yo' write it jis' like yo' would be writin', an' write his name, an' denwrite yores undah it; an' draw 'is pichure, if yo' haven't nary one of 'is pichure. An' nine a'clock at night yo'll put it undahneat' de chimley, de no't [north] cornah, de no't side of de chimley. Put 'is pichure dere an' 'is name an' yore name. An' put it - life up de foot of yore baid an' put it undahneat' dere nine days. He comin' back.
Entry 3840
Ah heard yo' could take a hen aig. Take an' draw blood out dis fingah [demonstrates]. (The index finger of the right hand.) An' take an' write chure name an' 'is name on dat aig an' it would make him love 'er.
(What would you do with that egg then?)
Well, yo' would take an' bury dis egg, bury it undah yore steps.
(You write his name and your name in the blood.)
Entry 3841
In case of a man an' 'is wife separatin', well yo' kin set down some- time an' pinch de end of yore fingah or anywhere enough tuh git blood, enough tuh write wit. Git chew a pen an' use it [blood] as a ink, an' write chure name an' 'is name an' weah it right ovah heah, ovah yore lef' side, ovah yore heart. He'll come back.
Entry 3842
Yo' take a pin an' scratch yo'self until yo' bleed, an' den take de blood an' write de girl's name. Jis' like if it's a girl yo' in love wit, write dat name wit dat pin wit de blood, an' send 'er dat lettah an' she would come regardless tuh where yo' wuz. She would come an' see yo'. (Do you mean you just write her an ordinary letter first, or just write her name on it?) Jis' write a or'nary lettah firs' den sign yore name wit dat blood.
Entry 3843
If a man's runnin' aroun' an' so yo' git a needle an' put it in some watah an' some of 'is blood. Why ah'll mix dat togethah. Put de needle in dere, in a bottle wit some watah [and blood] an' bury it undah de do'step. Dat'll cuz 'im - dat'll keep 'im from runnin' aroun'. (This woman has to stick the needle into him and get some of his blood, and put it in this bottle of water - plain water?) Uh-huh, an' bury it undahneat' chure step, down beside de do'step. Dat'll make him stay home.
Entry 3844
Prick yo' fingah an' git chure blood.
(Which finger?)
Dis fingah [demonstrates].
(The finger with the ring on, the ring finger of the left hand.)
Dat's it. Yo' prick it an' yo' git chure blood an' yo' write his name full an' yore [woman'sl name full. Den yo' make three rings aroun' dat wit de blood. An' yo' fold dat papah, yo' know, dis way, de two ends in, an' yo' bury it undah de no'th end of de house. Dat'll bring a person back tuh yo' regardless tuh who it is. It'll make him come back tuh dat pahtic'lah place. Dat'll bring anybody back. (If your husband has left, if you put the two names together.)
Entry 3845
Take de lef' third fingah - dis fingah [demonstrates].
(Which one is that?)
[Informant demonstrates.]
(That's the ring finger, the finger next to the little finger on the left hand.) An' yo' take yo' a needle [demonstrates] an' pick dis fingah till it bleeds, an' yo' would write her name on de top line an' 'is name on de bottom line. Now, jes' say mine, an' draw a small ring aroun' it de first time, an' den one a li'le bit largah, an' de nex' a li'le largah [magic of increasing size] till yo' draw three rings aroun' de names wit yore blood. Den yo' would bury dis papah undah yore do'step. If yo' do dat in de mawnin', why dat night he would come back tuh 'er. He'd stay wit 'er an' wouldn't leave. Jes' de blood from yore lef' fingah.
Entry 3846
Yo' take de firs' fingah from de lef' han' an' yo' take a new needle an' yo' stick dis fingah [demonstrates].
(The index finger of the left hand.) Yes, an' yo' git three drops of blood an' it will bring love. (What do you do with that blood after you get it?)
Give it to them in soda watah or whiskey.
Entry 3847
De blood, yo' could take dat an' yo could put dat in a bot- tle. Yo' stop dat up, yo' put dat in a bottle. An' yo' put red peppah, sulphuh an' gunpowdah in dat. An' yo' stop dat up airtight, a person blood, an' dat stop dat blood from trans- mission. Dat stop dere passin' of de blood.
(The blood from any part of the body?)
Yeah.
Entry 3848
I have heard of a class of people who would get a hold of your blood. They get that from any part they can get it: from your finger, your feet or your head. And they would bury it on the shore at ebb tide, an' when the tide came in, that would flow with the tide and make them crazy. [Hampton, Va., (24, informant 8 when Civil War began), by Ediphone.] [The preceding words, all meaning the same thing, are a few of the terms to be found in the following material. White people used the same and other expres- sions. Remember, these names were collected a generation ago (before the present moment, March 1973) and are not exhaustive for their time. A careful examination of HOODOO will show that sex was not gathered for the sake of sex, but as a part of the total study.]
Entry 3849
[Here is one of those rites saying much in few words. Either the briefness of the rite deceived me or I was too tired to react immediately with questions.] (What do you do with the woman's period now?) Take it an' put it on a little piece of cloth, jes' LAK YO' WANTA EXAMINE YO'SELF AN' SEND YORE BLOOD OFF. PUT IT ON A PIECE OF PAPAH WHERE YO' KIN SEE IT, WHERE YO' DON'T SEE BUT NINE PIECES OF IT. Take it an' sew it up in a piece of cloth, an' drop it in runnin' watah. [Informant tells me a woman worried about her condition and wanta examine yo'- self (have yourself examined) can have her blood tested by putting 9 pieces or drops of it on a piece of paper where yo' kin see it and send (or mail) yore blood off. Several times in HOODOO I speak about doctors aping M.D.'s: the old medical kit, diploma on wall, calling themselves doctors, labeling medicine, the bright light, examining urine, etc. In the present instance we have a clever Operator who presumably gives blood tests by mail! Actually he avoids United States postal law by not appearing in the transaction, using a second person who may add another go-between. Or, if he becomes involved, he is a spiritual healer, who answers by letter: The specimen merely means God cures everything. I am working on your case. I cannot accept money for God's work. You feel bet- ter even now and soon will be cured. That will be time to send a thank offer- ing to help God's work along etc.
Entry 3850
[We are so concerned with the ordinary magic rites of walking back- wards, counting, throwing over shoulder, and others, that we seldom think of the rarer magic actions (not omens) such as anger and temper. Here are several examples from FACI 1st ed: "Peppers can be grown only by a person who has a violent temper" (1057); "Unless you are angry while planting peppers, they will not grow" (1058); and "Stop a person's hiccough by making him angry" (5419). The following rite is the rare one of pretended anger:] A woman kin take her sickny [sickness] rag, yo' undahstan'. She kin take dat off it an' put it in 'is rations, an' give it to him to eat. An' whilst he's eatin' it an' befo' he git through eatin' an', she scold at 'im, yo' undah- stan'. Well, jes' anythin' she wanta do den, she got 'im. He be scared of 'er from den on.
(But she must do that while he is eating it?)
Whilst he eatin' it, yassuh. She gotta scold at 'im whilst he eatin' it.
Entry 3851
Ah says, if a man got a woman an' also, if he can't rule de woman, he kin jes' take a woman when a woman's periods rise, an' carry it an' find a big red ants' nest an' bury it direct in dat ants' nest. Dat's all he gotta do wit dat, jes' bury it right in dat ants' nest an' walk off. Back up to ten feet an' turn yore face an' go on about chure business, an' evahthin' is okay den.
(What will that do then?)
Keep her home - yes sir, keep 'er undah yore jurisdiction.
Entry 3852
If a woman wants yo' an' yo' don't want 'er, she'll make yo' follah 'er anywhere in de worl'. Git a piece of yore undahweah an' git some of 'er stuff [menstrual blood] an' put on it, an' she'll weah it right undah heah [demonstrates].
(In her left armpit.) [Wilmington, N. Car., (228),222+85.]
Entry 3853
I've heard dat if a woman leaves home - I mean a man leaves home, an' de woman wants to make him come back. De biggest idea in dealings such as dat, yo' deal wit de pieces yo' wears - de clothes yo' wears. Yo' takes de man's clothes, but yo' must wanta have an' undahpiece dat he wore. Yo' take dat undahshirt or pajama suit or anything dat de man have worn. Yo' takes it - she'll take dat, I heard, an' she will mix dat wit some of 'er personals. Yo' know vhat dat is?
(No.)
Her monthly personals.
(Her monthly personals. All right.)
Her monthly personals, yo' understan', an' she will take his shirt an' she will wrap it, yo' know, aroun' some of 'er personals. See! An' den she will take dat an' she will dig a hole jes' about undah de centah about where de bed sets [a quincunx]. Dat will be up and undah dere house - see, right in de soil. See, dig a hole down dere an' she'll bury dose two pieces togethah an' it's im- possible fo' him to stay away.
Entry 3854
If yore man is well 'way from yo' an' yo' want 'im tuh come home an' yo've evah had anythin' tuh do wit 'im an' yo've nevah washed up de cloth, take it an' wash it an' git de small amount of watah, jis' enough fo' tuh dampen de cloth an' let it soak an' git it out of it. Take it an' put it in a bottle an' put chew jis' about a tea- spoonful of sugah in it. Den yo' set it up ovah de do' where he came in at. Do dat in de evenin' time an' de nex' mawnin' yo' grab de bottle an' call 'is name three times. Shake it up. In 24 hours he'll be at chore residence, if he's anywheres lak he kin git dere. If he don't come in 24 hours, he'll be close enough tuh drop yo' a card an' let chew know he's comin'. [This rite should have gone under IMPoTENCE, following No.3259.]
Entry 3855
Yo' see, an' here's anothah question dat people always say, yo' see, about wimmen people. Yo' know whenevah de period is on 'em dat way, dey say yo' kin take some of dere period, yo' see - in a bottle yo' see - an' stop dat up, yo' see, an' dig a hole, yo' see, an' turn de mouth of it right down into de ground, yo' see. An' dey say as long as dat stay in dere, say dat'll pass dat woman away. An' evah month yo' know 'er period come on 'er, dey claim it won't come er [or] nuthin but jes' reg'lah big clods [clots] of blood. An' it will keep 'er in a way dat she nevah can have intahco'se wit a man, not no mo' in 'er life, unless yo' have to go back dere an' release dat bottle - dig it up.
Entry 3856
Now a woman like me, a female woman, dey would git mah ministration, or cloth, an' wash it an' dreen [drain] it out of dat. Ah've seen dat dug up, an' buried. But now de way dey bury dat, dey bury it like dat [demonstrates], caticornah [catercornered = slanted downward here]. Leave jes' a little hole fo' it to dreen out chew know. An' jes' as dat dreen outa dat bottle, jes' dat way yo'll dreen away.
washing and draining the source-described ministration or cloth. Keep ministration or cloth wording and the later dreen language rather than flattening all menstrual-source alternatives. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 3857
An' dis girl, if it's a girl an' she say whether she's goin' knock fer yo' [knock a nail into your picture against a tree] an' tell yore business, an' [if] yo' could ketch 'er whenevah she, yo' know, stayed dere [at your house], if yo' git hold of one of dose cloths an' put it in a milk bottle, an' let dis but- tahmilk dreen, an' be sure it's buttahmilk an' not sweet milk, an' half put de stoppah on dere, like a papah stoppah, an' let it [have] enough room fer it to dreen out, an' she'll die, too.
Entry 3858
Well, ah'm married, an' people has been tellin' me dat mah husband wus goin' wit a woman. So ah didn't believe it, ah said ah wanted tuh see fo' mah- self. So one night ah were out an' ah went tuh a friend of mine's house an' ah met 'em dere togethah. Co'se ah didn't ack anyway spicious. Ah know whut dey would think. So dis woman dat he wus goin' wit, she wus a friend of mine an' she visited mah house often. An' so one day she came dere an' she happen tuh be ministratin' at de time, an' she ast me did ah have somepin dat she could use. So ah tole her yeah, an' ah gave her a piece. So de piece dat she had on, she gave it tuh me. Ah say, "Yo' give it tuh me an' ah'll throw it away fo' yo', put it in de trash." She said all right. So, since den, ah were out an' ah met 'im an' 'er togethah. So ah tole her, ah SAY, "DE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TELLIN' ME DAT YO' WERE GOIN' WIT MAH HUSBAND, BUT AH DIDN'T BELIEVE IT. NOW AH KNOW IT FO' MAHSELF." AH SAID, "AN' AH WILL FIX YO' IN A WAY DAT YO' WON'T HAVE ANYTHIN' TUH DO WIT MAH HUSBAND AN' NO OTHAH WOMAN'S HUSBAN'.' So whut ah did. De piece dat she left dere, ah got some sulphur an' red pep- pah an' put in it an' burned it. An' in a month's time - ah had tole her dat in a month's time she wouldn't know anyone. So, during dat month aftah ah had burned it, she pined - went tuh pinin' away. An' WHEN DE MONTH WUS UP, DEN SHE DIED.
Entry 3859
If ah had a woman an' ah want 'er tuh stay at home - want 'er tuh stay at home - yo' kin take dat. Yo' know, jes' lak she's ministratin', yo' kin take dat rag an' burn it up - burn it up in de ashes. Take it [ashes] an' carry it to de front yard an' bury it. Dat'll keep 'er at home. Yo' would have to steal it [dat rag].
Entry 3860
Now, yo' kin take - jes' lak if yo' wants tuh make 'em weak, weak- minded an' don' have no good health, jes' bad health all de time. Yo' kin take a rag an' yo' kin put it roun' de pot an' burn it. Put it roun' de pot or eithah put it in de chimley an' burn it. An' take de smoke, jes' lak if yo' ketch de smoke in a bottle an' stop de smoke up in de bottle, an' dat'll make dem weak- minded an' don' have real bright sense - an' bad health. (What do you do with that bottle then after this smoke is stopped up? What do you do with that bottle then?) Well, yo' take dat bottle an' yo' bury it right undah de center of yore house- lak de centah of de room heah. Well, yo' bury it right undah de center of de house by de middle block undah [supporting] de house. [Center of house makes a quincunx.] (Just that cloth, the woman's monthly cloth, get the smoke of it.)
Entry 3861
Ah know oncest it wus [a] woman hurted anothah girl wit some of 'er pah'tic'lah pieces in 'er coz [cloz = clothes]. She wus goin' wit dis woman husban'. An' she took dis coz befo' she washed 'em, an' stole 'em out de house, an' she took 'em an' bur-ried 'em. An' dis girl she goin' aroun', she went to feelin' bad. She didn't know whut wuz de mattah. She didn't pay no 'tention to huhself. An' dis woman she died. Yo' know IF ANYBODY HURT CHOO AN' DE PERSON DIE, YO'LL NEVAH GIT WELL. An' dis girl she jis' stayed sick, sick, sick. An' when dey did find out it wus too late, dat dey had some of huh cloz bur-ried, be- cuz de woman was done dead. An' dis girl she stayed sick, sick, sick. An' she dried to nuthin but jis' skin an' bones. An' she died.
Entry 3862
Well, jes' lak a lady's 'pearance [appearance], yo' know. Well, yo' kin be careless wit dat an' somebody could git dat an' take it an' bury it. Well dat destroy yore whole health. Yo' can't nevah been well, cuz it stop yo' from menistratin' - can't ministrate.
Entry 3863
Take de rag. Yo' take it an' bury it, dey say, an' dat will make a person jis' dry up.
Entry 3864
Well, ah heard dat dey kin take - lak a man wants tuh do sompin wit a woman - he kin take a woman sanitaries an' put it into a black bottle an' bury it an' kill de woman. (He would take the sanitary piece from her and put it in this black bottle and stop it up and bury it and it would kill her.) Put devil vinegah wit it an' some cinnamon an' some steel dust [3 ingredients].
[For black bottle see BLACK BoTTLE, p.523.]
Entry 3865
See, yo' kin take a hen, a black hen see, an' cut 'er see, an' put sulphur in 'er see, an' takes a lady's ministrate see, her monthly period, a woman yo' dislike or anything, an' put it in dere. An' see, sew dat hen back up an' turn 'er loose, an' as dat hen go 'way an' pine 'way an' die, dat person [woman] will do de same thing. She be sickly until she dies like dat.
Entry 3866
Jis' lak yo' kin take a woman's sanitary napkin an' put it in a bucket or a can - anything containin' a top - an' jis' stop it up. An' see, dat stop 'er blood up an' she jis' - cain't no doctah [M.D.] start it. It won't start. Dey won't know whut tuh do about it. An' event'ly [even- tually] she'll go in bad health.
Entry 3867
Mah gran'fathah taught me about it - fo' de woman, fo' instan', woman when she has 'er co'ses [courses] on see. Dey take one of dose pieces whut she have - listen well! - if dey hang it up in de chimley where it smokes by de fiah, she will dry up in de smoke. Yo' see women dat git so small an' thin, an' take treatment from de doctor [M.D.] an' don' get any bettah. She dries up. Now, take dat [piece] an' burn it to a powdah. Take a augah [auger] an' bo' a hole in a tree. [Stop that powder up] when dat sap is down, an' when dat sap goes up dat's whut stops [it]. She's biowed [bloated] up. When de sap goes up, she's blowed up, yo' undahstan'.
Entry 3868
I've heard dat dey'll go to work an' git a hold of a woman's blood - yo' undahstan', take de piece, shoo under- stan' - an' bury it in de ground. She'll come so she don't want nobody, see. Dat woman, yo' don't want de use of 'er, yo' say, "Damn yo', woman, I don't want chah, I'll fix yo' so nobody kin git chah." She won't want nobody aftah dat.
Entry 3869
Maybe yo' kin jes' ketch hold of 'em, yo' see, git hold of 'er - her sickness, yo' undahstand what I mean. Ministratin', yo' take dat an' yo' put dat in a bottle. Yo' un- dahstan', piece of it, piece of cloth or whatsomevah she use - cotton, whatevah it be. Take dat an' put it in a bottle. An' git yo' some of dis, de same thin' yo' call devil's-shoe- string see, [and] one of dose bottle of Hearts Cologne, an' one of High John de Conker. An' put dat in dere an' git yo' two nails an' one needle, see. If yo wanta, yo' could put three nails an' two needles, see. Den when yo' put de three nails an' two needles, why one of de nails counts fer de - one fer de Fathah, one fer de Son, an' one fer de Holy Ghost. An' put dat in a bottle togethah an' dem two nails [needles] count fer de conkerin' of de world. Put dat in a bottle to- gethah wit yore urinate, see. An' mix 'em an' stop it up tight, an' bury dat undah yore steps. An' whenevah she kin go; but she won't stay gone, see.
Entry 3870
Ah know it tuh be a fac', if a girl break up - lak if yo' didn't love 'er so good, yo' know, an' if she be sick or sompin othah lak dat. Well, dere's one thin' dat she kin [do], if she's sick, to he'p'er- self. If she kin git yo' tuh eat anythin', or drink watah, den she take a little of 'er sickness, in 'bout a teaspoonfulla watah, an' a li'le bit of red shank, an' boil it intuh de watah. She kin po' dis stuff, jes' 'bout a halfa teaspoonfulla in some watah an' gi' yo' [give you]. Why yo's a fool about 'er, see.
(You put a piece of red shank root into that water?)
Dat right. An' if yo' wanta, dere's a way dat yo' find out dat she did do yo' dat way. Yo' goes in de woods an' gits yo' de devil's shoestring. Den yo' comes back wit dat an' yo' boil it an' take yo' a piece of mullein. Dem [mullein plant] a flat weed sompin lak 'bacca [tobacco], lak a head of 'bacca, yo' know, but it be's somewhut flattah yo' know - it don't be high, yo' know. An' yo' take dat an' yo' take nine strands of dat mullein root an' ball [boil] it, an' two leaves. De way yo' gotta do, yo' git some whiskey an' put on it, on dat, an' git chew a piece of camphor an' put it on it. Well, yo' tote dat in yore pocket fo' 'bout two or three days an' pass 'er do', an' she'll tell yo' she got de headache one day when yo' pass dere. Inside of eight days she'll tell yo' she got de head- ache. Well, yo' jes' say to her, says, "Well, dat's mighty bad but ah got some camphor heah." Well, yo' go ahead by dere an' let 'er rub 'er haid wit it. Yo got 'er an' it's offa yo' den. Well, she git tuh lovin' yo' den. Maybe, if yo' wanta love 'er an' want 'er tuh love yo' - well, it jes' quite natural if a man love a woman, he want 'er tuh love him yo' know.
Entry 3871
Now, dey said if it's a person - if it's mah wife or if ah go an' eat to someone's house, if dey wanta git me tricked, dey take de dishrag when dey ministrate or have dere monthlies on. Dey take an' rub some of dat on an' rub it on mah dish or mah spoon or fo'k or sompin ah nuse [use] an' ah go an' eat wit it. Or eithah put a drop of it in mah food. Well dat will git me.
Eating is explicitly described within a conditional reported account; use is a bracketed editorial insertion.
Entry 3872
She was - yo' know, she'd git someone firs' to git somepin about 'im, some of 'is clothes, his garments, some of 'is undahgarments - yo' know, of de clothes. Yo' know, cut a piece of it an' git some of 'er frien's to git dat. She'd take it an' do what she wanted. [She'd] git some of 'er monthlies, yo' know, an' put on it. An' den she'd bury it undah- neat' de do'step or whutsomevah. An' well, den when he'd come in dere, he'd jis' be crazy about dat woman. He'll come right back jis' like dat.
Entry 3873
If he jis' wants 'em [a woman] to lingah an' die, take a towel wit chew an' GREASE her wit fresh hog lard, wit 'ER CLOTH - A DIRTY ONE dat she jis' used. Grease her [cloth] WIT FRESH HOG LARD an' wrap it up tight an' put it IN A JAR an' bury it UNDER DE STEPS. Dere can't no doctor [M.D.] cure her. She jes' lingah an' lingah an' lingah.
(You mean [grease] her monthly cloth, don't you?)
Yes.
Entry 3874
Well, yo' kin take de ministrate cloth. Yo' take dat an' yo' wet it, jes' enough to wrings de stuff out of it, an' have it real thick. Well, yo' put it in a bottle an' yo' stop dat bottle up an' yo' take it an' bury it. Put it undah yore back do'step. An' dat'll make a woman weak or eithah sickly, or eithah make dem lose dere courage. Jes' lak if a woman goin' wit a man of mine yo' see, an' yo' don't want 'er tuh have no courage. Yo' take it an' put it undah yore back do'step an' have it airtight, an' yore man will stop wit de wo- man. Or eithah she'll won't have no courage fo' him er [or] nuthin lak dat, if he don't stop 'er.
Entry 3875
Dey take de dirt from underneath de fingernails an' place it with periods an' give it to menfolks to cause 'em to love 'em an' give them all their earnings.
Entry 3876
She kin take her sickness an' her fingernails an' cook 'em in 'is food an' he'll stay with her.
Entry 3877
Ah heard of people takin' women's monthlies an' hide it - put it in a tree an' smoke.
(How do you mean smoke it?)
Well, dey build a fiah up undah it an' leave it stay dere. Well, de fiah gotta go out, but den ag'in dat'll kill de tree, an' den it will kill de person. (Where do they put that cloth?) Put it in de hollow of a tree, see. Dey put dat cloth in dere an' when dat rottens, it rotten de tree an' dey rots down an' dey dies.
(How do they smoke it?)
Well, dey smoked it first fo' a purpose.
Entry 3878
Ah heard dem talk about usin' a fish. Now yo' take a fish. Well, now, yo' take a fish. See, jis' lak if a man an' a woman love one anothah, dey'll [a woman will] go to work an' take a fish, an' she'll cut 'im right straight down 'is back. Cut dat fish down 'is back an' she'll put in dat fish sompin lak black peppah. She split 'im down de back an' she'll put a little black peppah in 'im, an' she put buttah in 'i - cow buttah. She'll put dat in 'im [fish]. She'll go to work den an' she'll git some of her ministrate an' smear in dere. An' jes' by - say whut chew call a baked fish, see she'll bake it. See, dat makes somepin go all through it. When he [fish] git come, lay it on one side. Well de suction will go in dere. Well now, fish is special fo' one person. Well, now when he eat dat one fish - he eat dat fish, why regardless to who it [he] is, an' who it [she] is, dey goin' be togethah unless one 'tuthah [or the other] of 'em dies. Dere ain't no way fo' to keep 'em from bein' to- gethah.
Entry 3879
Mah husban' lef' [left] me an' he lef' me sick an' ah couldn't undah- stan', but de Woman had 'im crossed yo' know. AN' SO BY HIM LEAVIN', HE COULDN'T HE'P IT. Firs', ah went tuh lady dat she read cards, an' so she tole me tuh git 'is sock an' bury it. An' when ah buried 'is sock, he wrote a lettah back home, but he didn't write it tuh me. He wrote tuh someone de rest of mah fren's. An' ast 'em tuh come in heah an' talk wit me tuh see would ah let 'im come back home. An' den aftahwards ah went ovah heah tuh Jefferson, Ark., tuh Mr. DeHorn, an' in three weeks aftah ah went ovah dere tuh him, mah husban' came home. Ah went tuh Mr. DeHorn.
(How did this woman have your husband crossed, do you know?)
Well, she feedin' 'er, yo'know.
(Her monthly?)
Yessuh, in sompin tuh eat yo' know, an' givin' 'im a little powdah an' stuff lak dat. An' so Doctor DeHorn had tuh stop 'im from eatin'. It looks funny tuh stop a man from eatin', but it stopped 'im from eatin' 'er cookin', an' he came home. [See remarkable story about a woman who was unaccountable for being an alcoholic, because a drinking spell had been put on her by someone who wanted her husband (75, p.33).]
Entry 3880
So well, dey do so much wit chure footprints. Now, dey say perhaps, if dey wanted to git aftah yuh sure 'nuff [enough], dey would have to git sompin inside of yuh. Dey would have to git sompin othah inside of yuh to make it work, to make it take well. Now, dey go to work to get somepin othah in yuh now. Ah tell yuh how it is. Dere's nuthin too low fer some wimmin to do's - nuthin in de world. Now, ah've seen wimmin, ah've known wimmin, dey even totes livah undah dere dress, all-like dis mawnin' until prob'bly time fer yuh [a man] to come in [to eat]. An' cook it an' a little of dere, yo' know, in wit it an' season it up wit onion. An' yo' eat dat, why dey hardly [= strongly here] got chew fixed dere way.
Entry 3881
A woman, she take an' give yo' a drop of blood, if she's ministratin'. Dey say if she give yo' any of dat, say as long as she live dat yo's goin' be wit 'er. If she evah git dat an' give it to yo' in coffee or molasses bread, or any- thing lak dat, says yo'all will die togethah or kill one 'nothah or sompin lak dat. If she evah give yo' anything lak dat, if she wanta quit chew an' do yo' lak dat, says she kin go 'head on somewheres an' yo' gonna always be behin' 'er, be on her track, until she kill yo' or somebody else [kills you].
Entry 3882
Dey do dat lotsa times. Well, ah tell yo', dey takes dere monthly due an' dey fix it - prepare it in de man's meals. Well, it's no way in de world dat he kin git away. She'll have destroy - break away from 'im, he can't git away from 'er.
Entry 3883
Ah have heard about dat, de way yo' takes it. An' jes' like a woman's blood, yo' takes it an' strain it. Jes' put de cloth in a pan or sompin an' strain it out an' give it to 'em, jes' whomsoevah yo' wanta love yo'. Jes' take it an' put it in dere sompin tuh eat.
Entry 3884
Ah do know things that will make a man stay at home an' ah know he will give yo' all he has. Yo' kin give him yore periods once a month. Git it as natural an' as fresh as yo' kin. An' even aftah yo' quit 'im fo' a yeah or two, dey jis' hang to yo'. Once a month.
Entry 3885
Well, she could jes' give him a little of her periods every month, but give it to him on de last day. See, on de last day yo' know, dat's de bad part of it. Give it to him on de last day, dat'll always keep him home wit chew. Ah know dat's de best.
Entry 3886
Ah've been told dat at 'er monthly periods dat she kin use dat some way in 'is food. He'll nevah leave her.
Entry 3887
A woman kin jes' take her periods, ketch some of it an' kin give yo' [him] jes' a drop every time she want yo' [him] break off drinkin', see. Jes' give him a drop in de whiskey. An' ah don't care how good he love whiskey, he will break off from it. HE WOULDN'T BREAK OFF FROM IT RIGHT JES' DAT MINUTE.
Entry 3888
Go to the fork of the road - people go there specifically for this reason: They go there for matrimony more than they do anything else. And for matrimonial trouble, they go there mostly for that - to unite or to separate somebody in matrimony. (How do they do that, do you know?) Now, if you got a person that's married, and you wants to separate that particular individual. Now, the best way you do, you've got t get a close piece on the woman. You've got to get a menistration piece that she has used, and bury that there. And she have - there is no way on earth she could stay with her husband 'cuz she have no sexual nature that give satisfaction to him. [This is perhaps the only example of the word nature preceded by the word sexual.] It would almost take her nature from her completely. And after that is achieved, you can even take that up if you want to do so; and if they went back together again, use the same thing again - bury that against her. That's one thing about a woman, if you take that and bury that in that particular way where it's passed over by anything, even a horse, or a person, or any way, it takes the natural sex power over her through her nature.
Entry 3889
Lak a lady, yo' know, could take yo' periods lak dat an' carry dat to de cemetery an' bury it. Jes' stop it up tight an' it would kill yo'. Dat's all dat ah heard.
Entry 3890
Once a woman come to mah sistah's house from a hoodoo. De hoodoo sent 'er dere to take mah sistah's menistration piece. Mah sistah stop menistratina. She menistrate through 'er bowels 'fore she died. Evah mawnin'-time fo' her to pass, she'd have pains in 'er stomick an' she couldn't. A woman tooked 'er piece an' carried it to de graveyard in de fo' cornahs an' buried it, an' when she - when dat piece rotted, mah sistah died.
(What do you mean, the four corners of the graveyard?)
De fo' cornahs, lak, yo' know, it's got fo' cornahs of dis house, yo' know?
(Yes.)
Well now, jes' lak ah'd come in dis do'. Well, ah'd go jes' lak dis [demon- strates]. Yo' see, ah'd put a piece dere, a piece dere, a piece dere, an' a piece dere. (Oh! YOu PUT A PIECE OF THIS CLOTH IN EACH OF THE FOUR CORNERS - a pieCe in each corner.) Yeah. Yeah, dat's what she did an' mah sistah, she went away. Mah mothah take her to a hoodoo an' de hoodoo say, "Well, your daughter is hurted. Someone taken 'er piece." Mah mothah say, "Well how did she do it." An' she [hoodoo] tole mah mothah how she take it. She say, "By yore daughtah havin' a frien', a trustin' frien'." She say, "Her enemy couldn't take it. She pull 'er piece off an' put it in away in de cornah or sompin. An' aftah while she have her frien' an' she come an' take it, an' give it to her frien', an' her frien' give it to her frien'. Dat's how she did to get it away."
Entry 3891
Take a cloth, yo' know lak a woman menstrate, an' yo' kin take dat cloth an' get [go to] a fresh-dug grave, an' wrap dat cloth in dat. An' dig dat dust up, an' put dat cloth in dere, an' put dat dust back down on dat cloth, see. When dis cloth rots undah dis dust, dat person will pine away to nuthin.
The source links the cloth to menstruation in the instruction; the later pining-away statement is a claim. [go to] remains editorial.
Entry 3892
Yo' git dat graveyard dust an' yo' mix dat in, yo' mix dat wit de live - what de man or de woman does. Yo' goes dere an' git de graveyard dust an' git some of dat piece from jes who yo' wanta hurt. Git dat an' mix wit dat graveyard dust an' put it wit 'er toenails. Yo' see, yo' kin git dere toenails. Dey tell, "Well, ah Want cha to cut all of my toenails off." She was dat shweethearty. All right den when yo' cut all de toenails, an' some diff'ren' strands on de floor an' den cut 'er slips - stained piece of 'er slips - cut dat an' pull all dat togethah wit dat grave dust, wit a piece of hair out of de head. An' jes' take all dat an' mix all dat togethah an' yo' put dat an' yo' sew it up in a bag. Yo' see, yo' make a little bag, yo' know, an' sew it up an' throw it undah de step. Dat's to keep you down.
Entry 3893
Yo' could take a person's monthly cloth, take it an' stop it up. Bury it in de graveyard. An' yo' kin go to dat place fo' nine mawnin's an' do de same way each time dat chew go dere. Do de same thing each time dat yo' go dere. Evah time yo' go dere, why yo' put a little bit mo' dirt on it - each time, fo' nine mawnin's. An' dey'll nevah do nuthin in dis worl' no mo'. [Here we have the symbolic grave mound, made by the magic of in- creasing amount, the opposite of magic of decreasing amount.]
Entry 3894
Takes it [blood], buries it. Aftah yo' puts graveyard dirt wit it an' cayenne peppah, dey buries it; an' aftah dey buries it, why it molts away. Why yo' molts away wit it. (What sort of blood do they get?) Why dey use, yo' know, dis women's from de soiled clothes. Yo' see, when dey lay aroun' why dey get 'em.
Entry 3895
Dey say yo' kin take a woman's piece to de cemetery an' put [on it] some saltpetah, some cayenne peppah an' some turpen- tine an' bury it. Put it in a piece of papah an' bury it an' it will rot. When it rots it'll turn yo'. It rots in yo', yo' won't be no mo' good fo' nuthin.
(What will it do?)
It'll rot chew down heah.
(It rots you and the doctor has to operate?)
Yeah, see, yo' won' have no mo' mens, it turn yo' outside.
(It turns them inside out.)
Entry 3896
Dis is true. I've seen dis experienced. If yo' wan'a hurt some woman, when 'er sickness come on 'er, yo' git one piece of 'er sickness, dig a hole in de groun', put dis graveyard dirt on top of it an' bury de piece, dirty piece, cover it up, put zher own chamber lye on five mawnin'. She'll jis' drinel [dwin- dle] away. If you'd - when dat rotten, when dat grown [grows] rotten, she's gone - when dat cloth'll rotten in dat groun'. She may leeve [live] - it may take a year, it may take it a couple of years to rotten, but she won't be worth nuthin - but she won't be worth nuthin. Evahbody says she's gone into bad health. It's jes' dirty work dat done to her.
Entry 3897
Tole yo' 'bout dey mon'ses [= monthses = months], yo' know. (If a person is tricked with this blood, menstrual blood, how can you cure it then?) Well dey drunk gunpowdah an' sweet milk.
(How would they do that?)
How dey use de gunpowdah an' sweet milk? Yo' git black gunpowdah, yo' know, an' yo' use - put aboot [about] a teaspoonfulla to a pint of milk.. "Solve [dis- solve] it well an' drink it fer nine mawnin's - a watah glassful fer nine maw- nin's. Dat will really cure yo'.
(If that man has been tricked by a woman putting blood into his food.)
DEN YO' KIN COME TO - BUT DE WAY YOU FIND OUT DE WOMAN DAT ACT'LY [ACTUALLY] DID IT, YOU'LL HAVE TO GO DE SAME ROUND OF WIMMINS DAT YO' KNOW [MAKE A TOUR OF THE KNOWN WOMEN] AN' DE ONE DAT YO' KIN ACT'LY IN- TAHCO'SE WIT, DAT'S DE ONE DAT ACT'LY DID DE TRICK, yo' see. Den if yo' can't recovah dis bottle, den milk an' gunpowdah, but not to de extent dat yo'd taken it before. See, gunpowdah an' milk is act'ly de cure fo' it jes' de same as befo'; but den if instead of puttin' one teaspoonfulla tuh a pint of watah, ah mean of milk, yo' put two of black gunpowdah - de same gunpowdah. (That is, if this woman tricked a man with her urine [mon'ses] - that is, by hiding this bottle of urine [mon'ses] under the doorsill or the mattress?) Dat's right.
Entry 3898
If it's a woman, yo' kin git some of 'er sanitary things of hers an' keep 'em yo' know. Jes' keep 'em in a close place an' put - either jes' wash 'em an' put de water in a little bottle or somepin, an' mix it wit dis Heart Cologne. An' den if yo' kin git some of de hair, put it in dere an' keep it. She goin' come back.
Entry 3899
Dey said dat a person take yore hair. Dey could take yore hair an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' keep it an' yo'll always think swell of 'em. An' ah heard dat a person could take yore hair an', or part of yore ministration rag, an' put it togethah an' one yore dirty socks, an' throw it ovahbo'd an' yo'll go crazy.
(Now somebody would do that to a woman. Take her hair and what else?)
Her ministration rag.
(And her sock. All these things [three things] belong to her?)
Yeah. Yore dirty socks definitely belongs to the woman; the man not adding his own sock to her hair and blood. He would also have driven himself away!]
Entry 3900
If a man got a woman an' he wanta keep her down, ah heard dat he'd take a piece of 'er ministration rag, an' de hair from underneat' 'er ahm [arm], an' a dirty sock, an' a piece outa huh haid, an' sew it up in a bag an' nail it 'cross de do', an' she could nevah go 'way.
(Could never leave.)
Entry 3901
Dey'll take one of de cloths dat she uses. Yo' know, her sickness, yes sir. Dey take dis cloth while she's - it dirty yo' know while she's got dat on 'er. An' den dey'll take dis an' put it in a bottle, in a small bottle. An' take dis cloth - but dis heah cloth will fill it up, make it plumb full. An' den dey'll take dat an' dey'll go tuh her house, wherevah she lives, an' put it up anywhere ovah her haid - up ovah her haid. An' den dey'll put a tight stoppah in dere an' put some watah in dere. An' put some watah in dere wit it, put a tight stoppah in dere wit dis cloth whilst it in dere. An' dey say dat'll stop 'er sickness from coming down on 'er; jes' keep it dere till it kills 'er, if dey don't nevah pull dis stoppah out. [For this folk-medicine condition, see comment in bracket later.] But when dey evah did pull dis stoppah out, if dey gits de evil dat dey got agains' 'er off an' wants tuh let 'er go free, why den dey take dis out an' let dis watah out an' den she'll live; but if dey don't, it'll kill 'er. [The preceding rite illustrates one of the great pairs of complementary rites in hoodoo; here of opposites, above and below - the walking under or over some- thing belonging to your body or having been touched by your body. In either case your spirit is divided. The menstrual blood over your head in the present rite, keeps the menstrual blood still in the body from going down. Is menstrual blood different from other blood in the body? Presumably so in folklore, for: Menstru- al blood is poisonous (FACI, 1st ed., p.248, No.5103). The term going down - coming down used in present rite - belongs to folk medicine: "When my mother was about twelve [1845] [[in or near Quincy, Ill.]], an old Indian doctor told them to wear black beads around their neck to keep the blood from going to the brain. All the girls in that time wore black beads all the time to get their monthly to come when coming into womanhood, for it made the blood come down." (FACI, 2nd ed., P.219, No.4969.] [After writing the preceding bracket, I happened to be watching the University of Michigan television program, which for us appears off and on, and comes just before my 7AM news. This was probably towards the end of 1972. A group of women were talking about the problems confronting the first American college women. One woman spoke of a Harvard professor, M.D., who in 1873 wrote a book condemning brain work for women. He maintained that mental effort by a woman made the blood rush to her head, a condition that could dry up her ovaries!]
Entry 3902
[The following rite is good illustration of one of the many headaches of hoodoo field work.] Dey feed 'im on dey period... [Three dots show that I had heard dey feed 'im on dey period so often, I turned off my machine. Informant continues talking, until I restart machine after ask- ing, How can a man get rid of that?] Well, yo' takes tuh git rid of dat, a man quit eatin' - don't eat fro 'em, an' when yo' do eat... [Again I stop machine until informant begins a cure. Just before restarting machine I ask for a repetition of the lost words:] He gits a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' evah time he eat from her, he'll take a little bit of dat, jes' [demonstrates] like, an' wipe down in his body, an' dat kill evah bit of it.
(If she is using some of her monthly?)
Yes, kill all of it.
Entry 3903
Yo' kin [take] anybody's - jes' lak a woman ministratin', yo' kin jes' take dat an' stop it up in a bottle an' bury it roun' undahneat' of 'er house.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll run 'er crazy.
Entry 3904
Well, ah have 'sperlence yo' know dealin' wit wimmins an' makin' 'em love yuh. An' so ah have, yo' know, got dere sick rags, yo' know. Yeah, ah have got dem an' den ah got some halr outa dere heads. An' so when ah put it undah de cornah of dere house where dey sleep - yo' see, right undah de cor- nah - an' when hit [sick rags] come to die [rot], well dey'll die dereselfs. When it rots dey'll die dereselfs. (Walt a minute! Did you bury both the sick rag and the hair together, or do you do that separately?) Aw, ah bury both of dem togethah, yeah. See, when it rotten, well time hit rotten well den dey'll come tuh die.
Entry 3905
Well, yo' know when de month's on, why she ministratin' like dat, he kin git dem pieces an' carry it tuh de no'th cornah of de kitchen an' bury it, run her stone crazy. (The north corner - outside of the kitchen?) Yes, dig a little hole an' put 'em right down in dere, an' de nex' three or fo' hours she be crazy as a lunatic.
Entry 3906
De only thing ah heard of 'em usin' a person's blood is fo' love. Dey generally use dat an' take nine ole keys, an' sprinkle it ovah dose nine ole keys an' tie it up with a cloth, an' put it undah yore bedhead. Yo' usually git 'long wit dat person quiet [quite] well. (Where do you get this blood?) Where do yo' git it? Easy enough. All yo' gotta do, yo' know, de womens - from dey periods.
(Put it on the nine keys. Well, what is that supposed to do?)
Dat supposed tuh make a woman [man] love yo'.
Entry 3907
Get menstrual cloth [one of her old ones], write [a note into it], "1 don't want choo to deliver this baby." Then yo' tie knot in it an' twist. Bury.
Entry 3908
Git a string an' tie three knots, a man would do dis, an' git a drop or two of blood from a woman an' wear it aroun' 'is waist, an' he'll be able tuh hold dat woman. (Where would he get the blood from her?) Durin' de time of 'er ministration.