Browse:BLOOD (Volume 3, entries 3829–3980)/Part 2
BLOOD
Volume 3, entries 3829–3980. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3909
He'd [author's contact man Carter] ask me if yo' wanta woman to stay wit yuh, how coot [could] cha make 'em stay wit yo'. Well, ah've been tole, see. Now jes' like she's - jes' like she goes an' have her, yo' know what I mean by dat. Well, yo' git dat rag an' yo' wrop it up into anothah rag, see, an' yo' tie it longways an' yo' bring it across [demonstrates]. Yo' put three knots in it, see. Bury in yore yard. Well, she couldn't leave yo' fer nuthin in de world. She goes, but she will have to come back. (Here's her rag, and you put it here and wrap it up. You have another rag there.) De longways first, one knot. No, don't put no knot longways. Yo' jes' - jes' like yo' tie a package, yo' see. Tie it longwise, an' come an' tie it across.
[Tying this package longwise and across makes sign of the cross.]
(You tie the string.)
Yes.
(I see.)
Sure, an' yo' put three knots in it.
(Three knots into that.)
Three knots onto dat cloth yo' tie up de rag in.
Entry 3910
Well, yo' kin take nine knots, yo' know. A woman kin take dat rag, yo' know, an' tie nine knots in it an' [or] she'll take a string an' tie nine knots in it, yo' know. An' when she make yo' coffee, see, she drop dat string in yo' coffee fo' about sev'ral mawnin's an' yo' become, yo' can't hardly bear 'er out of yore sight.
(What does she do with that string first?)
What she do wit de string, she take de string - yo' know whut wimmins have while dey be - an' git dat on de string yo' know, an' den put nine knots in it an' put it in de coffee. (That is from her monthly cloth. She puts nine knots in that and then puts it into your coffee.) Yo' drink of dat, see, an' yo' come to - yo' can't do wit'out 'er.
Entry 3911
I've heard dis-like, it seems purtty bad. I don't guess it would suit yore occasion. Now I heard talk of lotsa men an' girls dat I really been roun', an' said dat dey really did it, an' a boy couldn't go no place wit'out dey'd be right - yo' know, she couldn't go anywhere wit'out 'er husban' or man or fellah or whutsoevah it might be, be right where she wus. Yo' know, jis' like sometime a woman have periods, she would go to de stores an' buy some kin'a red meat, choo know, dat produce a lot of blood - sompin like livah or steak or sompin like dat. An' she said dat she'd taken dis steak [or liver] an' beat it up an' taken one dem things [menstrual cloth], yo' know, from roun' 'er concern, an' wrap dat thing up in dere, an' wore it jes about a half of day an' taken it right off. An' when 'er husban' come in she, yo' know, cooked it fo' 'i. An' he went on an' et [ate] it. An' she said dat she cain't even git rid of 'im, an' she don't wan'a stay wit 'im, or cain't git rid of 'im. Yo' know, some witchcraft tole her about it. An' she says [saz not sez] it really happens fo' a fac' [fact]. An' I do know dat he's stays tuh wery lovin'. But anothah man stay wit 'er right now. But 'er husban' cain't stay away from dere. He's goin' dere to care [carry] 'er some money dis aftahnoon. He tole me so. He gon'a bring 'er some money fer 'er an' 'er baby.
Entry 3912
[There is a fair amount of material about woman and de change of de moon (HOODOO p.946, line 40; p.359, Nos.956-957; also FACI, 2nd ed., p.220, No.4985, etc.).] Yo' take a woman, if yo' wanta change her periodic time, yo' kin change dat on 'er against de moon. Yo' kin take somepin [some of her blood], if yo' vanta put 'er in bad health on account of 'er periodic time. De firs' time yo' git one of 'er pieces, when she's menistratin' on de change of de moon, yo' bury it. De las' piece dat yo' got from 'er, from 'er las' ministration, bury it on de change of de moon - when de moon is fading away.
(When the moon is fading away.)
De moon is about to make its descent, yo' [can] see dat. Dey has got to de full moon an' dey come on down to de las' quartah. When de moon is about to make its nex' change, den yo' bury dis piece when de moon is changin'. Yo' bury dat pahtic'lah piece from 'er las' menstration an' she'll nevah menstrate propahly aftah dat long as she live. When dat's buried.
Entry 3913
On de changes of de moon, her sick time, she'll ketch dat. She'll git dat out de cloth an' she put dat into sompin, into anythin' yo' know. Some time she makes bread, sweetbread, she'll pour dis in dere. Dat'll run 'im crazy about 'er. As long as she keeps dat up, he'll be crazy about 'er.
(But it has to be done on the change of the moon?)
Oh, yes.
(Why the change of the moon?)
Well, yo' see dat's de time women wanta be roun' like dat, yo' know.
Entry 3914
(What do they say about that?)
Dey say dey kin take de dirt out from undah yore toenails, an' de dirt out from undah yore fingahnails, some hair outa yore haid, an' wit de lady people, yo' know, wit de changes of de moon. An' put all togethah an' put hit in a bottle an' stop it up, an' as hit grow old as dey fade away. (As it grows old they fade away. I see. Do you mean, get hold of a woman's monthly cloth?)
[I am asking for the meaning of his de changes of de moon.]
Yes, sir.
Entry 3915
I hears dis here now, on de change of de moon - accordin' to de moon change. Dey say if yo' wan'a woman to con [continue] stay wit choo, yo' git 'er nachure [nature, here her menstrual blood but some- time potency, sexual feeling, etc.] an' git 'er shimmy. An' when she minestratin' - she minastrate by de moon, see. An' dey take dis all an' work it up in boilin'-hot watah, an' make 'er sleep on it fah' five days - whut I mean, five nights - wit salt, table salt [not cattle salt] an' it conkers 'er in 'er minastrate. She don't wan'a bothah wit nobody. [This is a cause of sexual impotence but I have placed it here for the moon belief.]
Entry 3916
Ah'm goin' tell yo' somepin dat I saw here in '23 - was in '23. Ah wus workin' fo' Halstrom Brothers. An' my firs' wife - it was a girl lived right side of us named Theresa Jackson, an' my firs' wife helped to raise dis girl. Well, dis girl, she was a stout girl, an' she was workin' fo' Dr. Knox[?]. All at once she'd taken sick an' we couldn't undahstan' why she wus sick all de time. An' ah says to her, say, "You're workin' fo' dat doctah, say, "whyn't yo' tell de doc- tah 'bout it, how bad yo' feel?" Well, dere she would go to work an' have to leave work to come home. An' she tole de doctah 'bout it. Well, de doctah say he couldn't fin' no trouble - yo' know, what was 'er complaint. So she wus off on 'er off-day an' she said, "Ah'm goin' clean up my house. Ah'm goin' from de stern-wheel to de rudder" [surely an old Mississippi River expression]. Says, "All right." Ah was layin' down sleepin'. Ah been workin' at night. An' dis girl goin' to clean up 'er house. An' right behind de middle door, she found a bottle an' a little bag. Well, when she found dis bottle an' little bag, she brought it an' showed it to my wife. My wife said to her, "Ah'm goin' to wake Steve up an' tell 'im 'bout it." Which she did wake me up. When she woke me up, ah took it an' ah looked at it, say, "Dis looks mighty funny to me. I said, give me a knife." I said, "I'm goin' open dis bag." Ah opened de bag. It had a plat of 'er hair, outa her head. It had three pieces outa her pieces, yo' know, about dat size.
(Out of her monthly clothes?)
Yes. An' it had some lodestone in dere an' it had some needles an' some pins crossed dataway [demonstrates], see.
(Held that way with two crosses in it?)
Yes, sir. An' it had dat hair undah dere an' jes' like - jes' like my thumb is de hair, an' right along dere was de lodestone, see, into dis piece, an' dey had it sewed up. See. And he [the man who had tricked her] had de bottle wit 'er mon'ses [months] in hit.
(Which?)
[I either did not grasp mon'ses or wanted a fuller explanation.]
It had, yo' know, change over de moon in de bottle.
(I see.)
An' I opened it an' taked de stoppah outa de bottle an' it was jes' worsen [worse than] anythin' yo' evah smelled in yore life. Ah says to her, ah says, "Yo' take dis out dere" - ah always heard my ole uncle say dese things - ah say, "and throw it in dat runnin' watah." Dere was a little bayou - part of de bayou right back dere - part of de bridge an' de little bayou run undahneat' dere.
(Where?)
Little bayou right out chere on Rogers Street. An' she - ah say, "Now, you throw dat ovah yore left shoulder an' don't look back." An' she went out dere an' throwed it ovah her lef' shouldah in dat runnin' watah. An' he left. Dat fellow come home, but when he come home he rushed right on in de house. He says to her, "What yo' been doin' here?" She say, "Ah been cleanin' up." He say, "Yo' don't nevah clean up." He said, "Did yo' find anything of mine?" She said, "No, I find somepin of mine." He says, "What wus it?" Ah says, "If he hits yo today, I'm goin' woop 'im an' [or] he gon'a woop me eithah one." So he hauled away an' he hit 'er, an' when he hit 'er, I grabbed 'im. An' he lef' an' went to Paducah, Ky. He lef' dere an' went to Oil City, Ill. He lef' dere an' come back here to her an' stayed three days, an' went to Natchez an' she ain't been worried wit 'im since. An' she's married an' she is jes' as stout as she evah wus, an' de mothah of a child.
(She got rid of him, got rid of the fellow.)
Entry 3917
Take dey sanitary cloth an' roll it up aroun' dat hair wit de quick- silvah in it, an' den yo' stick dose needles in dere, yo' see, an' yo' put it in a secret place somewhere. An' dey'll be worried to death wit dat, an' natchly [naturally] it will run 'em crazy. (You told me something a while ago. How does it make them feel, you say?) Oh! it makes 'em feel lak pins is stickin' in 'em - in dey flesh or somepin all de while.
Entry 3918
I can send 'em away in dis mannah. Now, if I would - say fo' ninstance if I wanted to kill a person or somepin of dat sort, why den, man or woman. If it wus a woman, I could take an' - I'd take her pieces, yo' know, when dey dirty. I'd fold 'em up an' put nine needles in 'em. I'd take an' I'd go to de riv- ah, but when I get to de rivah, when I gets jes' about twenty feets of de end of de walk where I'm goin' to stand at - dere's de wall [of the room] heah, when I get jes' about twenty feets right heah, I'd back myself back to dat, see. An I wouldn't look back, jes' back up to dere. When I gets dere I throws dat over mah left shouldah. When I throw dat in de rivah ovah mah left shouldah. I throws a silvah dime behind me, an' dat'll make her drift. She'll pine away to nuthin an' when yo' look again, why she'll be in de cemetery.
(Well, what do you throw over your shoulder?)
[I know, but I am continuing for the dime later.]
I throw 'er pieces ovah my shouldah.
(Oh! What do you mean, her monthly pieces?)
Yes, sir.
(Her monthly pieces?)
Yes.
(Well, why do you throw that dime over your shoulder?)
Dat dime is fo' death. Dat dime is to carry her on - see, dat dime is to carry her on. She's got to go.
(Does anybody get that dime? Pay her?)
[Informant already has said that dime is: for death, but I am trying to obtain a fuller statement without suggesting what I want - the dime pays the spirit for doing the desired work.] No, no, sir, nobody gets dat dime. Dat dime goes in de rivah. Nobody gets dat dime.
Entry 3919
[HERE IS VERSION ONE OF THE RITE:]
Well, she goin' bring 'im home an' make 'im stay dere wit 'er. She'll take dat [sanitary] cloth an' take dem needles, dem nine needles an' cross 'em, take a silvah dime from 'i血m if she kin git it, an' take a piece of 'is hair outa his haid an' tie it, an' sew it all up in dat cloth togethah, an' cross it - crosses dose needles lak dat [demonstrates] - dat way. [The crossing of needles or pins in a cloth is a frequent magic act. Each needle or pin is stuck into the cloth so that it crosses over one or more needle or pin.] Well, aftah she do dat, she takes it an' puts it in 'er pocket. If it's nec- essary she wears it all de time.
Entry 3920
[HERE IS VERSION TWO OF THE RITE:]
Dey kin take yore hair an' put it into a cloth an' put some mo' things wit it. Put needle in dere. Take two or three gold-eye needles, take yore hair an' take a sanitary cloth, an' sew it all up in dere togethah an' a silvah dime. Git a silvah dime from me [a man] an' sew dat all up dere togethah, an cross dem nee- dles in dere an' keep 'em. Well, yo' would always be crossed. (Someone would do this to a woman. You said you put a sanitary cloth. Where Would you get this sanitary cloth? You mean her monthly cloth. Well, you Would have to be doing this to a woman then?) Yeah, yo' doin' it to a woman, or eithah to a man.
(How Would you do it to the man?)
Dat's whut ah'm tellin' yo' now, dat's de way yo' would do to a man.
Entry 3921
An' den a woman tole me dat she take an' she trick 'er husban' wit 'er periods. She take it an' she feed 'im wit fo' nine mawnin's. An' aftah dat nine mawnin's he would do anythin' dat she want 'im tuh do.[ When she tell 'im, "Yo' not goin' go no place, " he'd stay at home. She'd be able tuh change his mind.
Entry 3922
Yo' kin take a chicken gizzard an' take it an' let it dry up, jis' let it dry up an' make a powdah outa it. An' jis' lak if yo' wanta make yore husban' crazy about chew, well yo' take dat chicken gizzard an' git some of yore mon'ses [= month- ses = months] an' mix it wit dat chicken giz- zard an' - see, yo' put chure monthlies on dat chicken gizzard whilst it's green an' let it dry up. An' den jis' lak yo' make a pie or sompin else, yo' pound dat up into a powdah an' sprinkle it in 'is coffee or bread or anything, an' he'll jis' be crazy about chew an' follah yo' evahwhere yo' go. AN' EVAH TIME HE SEE A MAN WIT CHEW HE JUMP ON YO' AN' BEAT CHEW.
(Whowill?)
Yore husban' or any man yo' goin' wit.
Entry 3923
De othah way dey do dat, jes' lak a woman when she be's ministratin', she takes dat an' she puts it in a cake. An' she 'solve [dissolve] dat intuh dat cake, see. He eat dat an' he stop runnin' roun' wit evahbody else but.'er.
Entry 3924
I have heard dat dey kin take yore - take a sanitary cloth, rinsin' [it], put it in cake. Cook it in cake an' give it tuh whomsomevah yo' wants tuh love yuh. An' yo' give it tuh 'em de firs' time, hit takes effect; an' if yo' give it tuh dem de secon' time, if yo' want 'em tuh marry yuh, why dey'll marry yuh.
The informant reports hearing about a sanitary cloth in a cake account. The claimed love and marriage effects are unverified.
Entry 3925
An' dere anothah one. She kin take her monthlies an' if yo's eatin' dere, an' put it in a li'le bread, an' yo' go wit nobody else but 'er. It make no diff'rence how many wimmins or whut dey got, yo' don't care fo' nobody but 'er.
Entry 3926
A woman, dey kin take her min'stration an' a piece yo' know, an' dey kin throw it in de rivah or yo' kin bury it. If yo' bury it, it will kill 'er; if yo' throw it in de rivah, it will run 'er an' she'll nevah come back. But dey dresses it. See dey puts dis powdahs on it, incense powdah, an' yo' pin it up wit new pins, bran'-new pins in a bottle.
Entry 3927
Anyway, she lef' me. She wus good to me. I an' huh wus livin' togeth- ah good, an' it seems to me dat she lef' me becuz I couldn't get no money togeth- ah. (I see.) It seems like she lef' me becuz I couldn't get no money. An' I wanted mah ole lady becuz I loveded us. An' I went to dis same fellah on Messanine[?] an' Williard. Keeler[?] [Healer?] dey call 'im.
(What name?)
Messanine[?].
(I see. All right.)
[Useless to ask him to spell it.]
Well, anyway, when I went to him, I ast 'im what should I do to get mah ole lady becuz I like-ted 'er, an' she had been good to me. So he tole me. He said, "You get - try to get one of 'er pieces."
(What kind of pieces?)
Dat's one of 'er pieces dat she wears, yo' know, evah month. So I got a girl frien' of mine to get a piece - a girl frien's of 'er, too. I tole de girl, I didn't want to hahm 'er. She say, "Yo' don't wanta hahm [harm] 'er." I say, "No, I'm not gon'a hahm 'er." I say, "I wouldn't ha'm 'er, I want to do somepin to make peace, cuz I love mah ole lady." Anyways, she got dis piece fo' me. So, I took it an' I wrahpped it up in a cloth, clean cloth.
(Did he tell you to do this?)
Yes, sir.
(What did he tell you to do?)
He tole me to get dis cloth of hers an' wrop it up in a clean piece an' den sprinkle some powdah, jes' any kin'a sweet-smellin' powdah to kill odor, an' put it in mah left pocket an' wear it - jes' take it evahwhere I go, yo' know. An he guarantee me I'll git mah ole lady" - jes' evahwhere I heard talk of she's at an' soon she goin' commence followin' me places she know I be. Well, I did dat, an' I wasn't a week befo' me an' mah ole lady was back.
Entry 3928
An' a boy took a girl - a girl he wuz likin' at least - he taken 'er napkins an' stopped 'em up in a jar wit quinine an' sulphur, an' she cain't leave 'im. She tried evahtin' an she went to evah root doctor she could possibly go to, an' dey tole her dey couldn't do nuthin.
Entry 3929
Tell yo' whut dey did to me. See, yore shirttail - de man jes' take de scissors an' clip jes' about dat much off de end of de shirttail. (The front or back?) Cut off de front of de shirttail whut hang by his private. Den she tooks it an' she wrahps [wraps] it up in one of 'er periods rag, yo' undahstan', an' she fix it ovah de do', an' yo' be home.
(That's to keep the man home?)
Dat's right.
Entry 3930
Yore wife run off from yuh an' yo' kin get holt of some of 'er monthly pieces, yo' take it an' put it between yore innah sole an' yore outside sole of yore shoe. An' yo' kin wear dat an' she'll be undah yo'. She'll have to come back an' be aroun' yo'. She can't stay away, she have to come back - yo' be wearin' dat.
Entry 3931
Dat piece she wears, yo' know, durin' de time all wimmins have dat. Yo' take a piece outa dat an' yo' cut a place in yore left shoe, an' yo' wear dat cloth in dere, an' all de time she cain't go outa de house. She gotta stay in de house whilst yo' wear dat.
Entry 3932
A woman take a man's sock, yo' see, an' now she'll take dat man's sock an' she will come urwell. Well, now she'll take dat unwellness an' take an' dry it wit de man's sock. Well now, she'll take it, see, an' whenevah she let it git dry good in dere, she won't, say, wet it all ovah good, she'll jes' dampen it. Well, she'll take de sock den an' put it on de flo' or sompin an' press 'um, an' put 'em den where he kin git 'em. Well, now when he git dem sock an' put 'em on an' wear 'em, why his whole heart an' mind falls right onto her den. Dere's nobody else an' he ain't con- tented until he be's right wit 'er.
Entry 3933
Get de toe outa yore lef' sock an' de heel outa de right. If a woman wanta make love or somepin like dat wit a man an' keep in touch wit 'im, why - or whatevah she wanta do concernin' 'er home, take of dese thin's what dey used once a month. Say dey kin sew dat up in de pillah what de man sleep on an' he nevah will go away an' stay from 'em.
(I see.)
Entry 3934
[Take] de toe of de socks, an' git a piece of de middle, an' take dat socks an' 'er periods cloth.
(NoW you are taking her sock and her period cloth or are you taking my socks?)
Her socks an' her periods cloth. An' git some of de hair from roun' 'er pri- vate down dere, an' a little from offa heah, de mole of 'er haid, an' put it all togethah an' step to de do'. If yo' see her go outside in de yard, step to de do' an' ketch up as much of 'er track, lak dat, an' put it altogethah dere. An' ball it up an' sew it up tight as yo' kin git it, see. An' bury dat an' put in de mattress or de pillah right where she puts 'er haid. An' yo' got 'er jes' as yo' wanta - like a footstool.
Entry 3935
[The steak rite was found everywhere. I heard it several hundred times, often not bothering to record short statements of a sentence or two. Interviews also contain similar material. Here are a few examples of the belief:] An' he [my contact man] ast me concernin' 'bout de woman - 'bout havin' 'er. Did ah know anythin' 'bout 'er doin' [trick- ing] a man. Ah tole 'i, well, it wus kin'a bad. But he tole me he didn't [care] 'bout dat, jes' 'splain it tuh him. [The preceding he ast me concernin' 'bout de woman is one of many examples in HOODOO showing the precaution taken against unwanted visitors. My contact man, here Edward Bufford (see ILLUSTRATIONS at end of volume 2), as did I, varied the questions. To reach me in the interviewing room a prospective informant had to show my contact man that he knew something about what I wanted. I will discuss this method and its problems in the INTRODUCTION.] So ah tole 'im 'bout 'er takin' durin' 'er period come one, an' 'bout buyin' a piece of fresh meat steak an' usin' it [on her], an' den boilin' it tuh feed a man off it. Dat dat would hole [hold] him at de present time.
The source names boiling and feeding; the animal behind fresh meat steak is unspecified, and on her is an editorial insertion.
Entry 3936
Take - buy livah or steak an' tie it roun' 'twixt 'er laigs right chere, right in 'er groin. Tie it roun' dere an' wear it in de mawnin' - wear it till eventime tuh cook it. An' den she'll go an' cook dat an' yo'll eat dat an' den yo' can't leave her. Yo' jes' go crazy ovah her.
Entry 3937
An' jes' like if yo' workin' fo' some people an' dey mean tuh yo', too. An' jes' like if dey git a piece of steak. [They want you to] cook a steak. Take an' put it between yore laigs an' den take an' put it in de spidah [a frying pan with legs] an' fry it an' give it to 'em. An' dat'll make 'em come down underneat' chew.
(YOU MEAN, TO GIVE TO THE PEOPLE FOR WHOM YOU ARE WORKING?)
YES, WORKIN' FO'.
(YOU DO THAT TO THE BOSS?)
YES SIR.
(YOU ARE WORKING IN SOMEONE'S HOUSE?)
YES. [Notice how carefully I question her here at the end. I wanted to be certain that I understood her!]
Entry 3938
If she wants 'im back she kin git 'im back. She jes' go an' maybe git sweet wit 'i, sometime want 'im come ovah an' take a meal wit 'er. Well, she may den buy a piece of steak or piece of sompin - pork chop. An' take it some- time an' if it while her monthlies on her, jes' run it 'tween 'er laigs an' fry dat fo' him, an' give it to him. IN NINE DAYS HE'LL BE BACK DERE.
Entry 3939
Go to de sto' an' buy a piece of steak, an' take dat steak an' put it on her as a pad, jes' lak she wearin' a cloth, an' WEAR IT DERE FO' THREE DAYS [a rare length of time for this rite], an' take it an' cook it - don't hash it, jes' take it an' fry it. An' he eat. Don't care how he's been runnin' roun', he goin' stop an' commence stayin' home. But, HE WILL KILL 'ER OR SHE WILL KILL "ERSELF.
Entry 3940
Den a woman could take a - jes' like yo' go to market an' yo' git some steaks - yo' get steak. She know yo' like dat, or any kin'a meat yo' like. She wears dat right 'tween 'er laigs. She take dat an' leave her wear dat whole day an' she cook dat. An' she'll take dirt from undah her toenail an' she'll put it in yore food. She'll take an' she'll get some tomato paste an' put it into dat meat. De minute yo' eat dat, regardless of where dat woman at or where yo' at, but yo'll suffah wlt cramps in yore stomik. She done got dat, all dat filth down in yore stomik. Don't care where dat woman at, yo' want to see her, [even] if dere mens wit a fowl gun dere; but if dat woman in dat buildin', yo'll take a chance an' go on where she at. Dat's what yo' call she done fed yo' off 8ome of 'er 'pearance.
Entry 3941
A woman kin take an' go tuh de market an' she kin git a piece of steak or a piece of po'k [pork] livah, an' she kin put it on a cloth, jes' lak she put- tin' on a cloth fo' her monthly period - lay it between 'er laigs jes' lak she fixin' a cloth when she's sick. An' lay it right on dere an' pin it up on 'er, jes' lak she put on a towel. Put dat on dat mawnin' an' wear it until twelve a'clock. Take it off an' cook it an' give it to him, jes' 'nuff fo' him - nuthin tuh throw 'way, jes' 'nuff fo' him - an' let 'im eat it. An' when he eat, den she's got 'im so - she got 'im den.
Entry 3942
Well, wimmins trick a man by usin' dem ministrate [pieces]. All right, yo' take a woman an' she's ministratin', she cook tomatoes or she cook a cake, she only jes' take dat cloth an' squeeze one or two drops an' feed 'i. She kin do anythin' in de worl'.
Entry 3943
Jes' like you've got a wife an' she don't want yo' to git away from 'er, PROVIDIN' SHE THINKS SHE IS DOIN' GREAT; but yet still she is suffering yo' [making yOu Suffer]. See, SHE IS PUTTIN' AFFLICTION ON YO', BUT SHE DOESN'T KNOW IT. Now, she'll take her ministration an' she'll use if fo' a certain length of time. See, in your food, eithah in tomato soup or anythin' like dat. An' when yo' eat dat food, well den from time to time, if yo' continue on to take dat, well it will give yo' a pain in de stomick. A man, it will give him a pain in de stomick an' it will annoy an' he can't go, eithah come. Well, she is ruinin 'is health.
Entry 3944
An' say, fo' instance, if yo' wanta hold him ag'in, don' want nobody interferes wit 'im an' he cain't quit chew at all an' go tuh [some other woman]. Go tuh de market an' buy yo' a beefsteak. Jes' lak if yo' go dere dis mawnin an' buy it, yo's WEAR IT ALL DAT DAY AN' DE NEXT DAY takes it an' cooks it an give it tuh him. Yo' still got 'im, dere ain't no way he kin git away. He stay right dere.
Entry 3945
An' then ah've heard if he's runnin' aroun' - see, if a man's got an- othah sweetheart, an' he's got a wife an' he doesn't provide fo' his home as he should. She kin git a beefsteak an' she PUT IT UNDAH HER ARMS, an' de sugah IF HE DRINKS COFFEE, PUT DE SUGAH UNDAH HER ARM - PUT ONE UNDAH EACH ARM. Let It stay fo' 'bout a hour. Den cook dat steak an' take dat sugah an' sweeten his coffee, an' dat'll break up dat.
(She puts the beefsteak under one arm and the sugar under the other?)
Yes.
Entry 3946
If mah ole man wuz tuh go out an' wuz mean tuh me lak dat an' NO ONE GIVE ME NUTHIN, well ah could buy me a steak or sompin lak dat. Lak ah wanta cook 'is dinnah. Well, ah could wear it about two or three hours or sompin lak dat. Yo' know, cook it fo' him tuh eat his dinnah, sompin lak dat, see. An' jis' mah monthly sickness lak dat. Well, evah day lak dat, well ah pull off a fresh cloth. Well, ah squeeze de little blood-lak an' make him a cake or some kinda puddin'. Well DAT MAKE HIM GOOD TO ME AN' GIVE ME MONEY. If he be runnin' roun' wit wimmins lak dat, well ah kin make him stay at home wit me.
Entry 3947
Dat yo' could take an' do a man. Jes' lak if ah wuz doin' wit mah ole lady - ah goes runnin' roun', won't stay home, comin' in at twelve or one a'clock at night. She kin go ahead an' take - jes' go to de sto' an' git her some toma- toes. Take de tomatoes an' cook 'em. An' jes' lak dis periods be on 'er, take Some of dat, about two teaspoons fulla dat, an' put it in de tomatoes. An' she COuld dO 'im any Way. SHE CAN'T GIT 'IM OUTA HER TRACK. EVAH TIME SHE TURN ROUN' HE'S RIGHT DERE - won' nevah left home no mo'. Or eithah yo' could take disaway. Yo' kin go ahead, go to de sto' an' buy yo some Po'k meat lak dat. Take it an' wear it, wear it 'tween de laigs an' aftah wearin' i t'tween de laigs fo' about thirty minutes, take an' cook dat. An' she can't keep 'im 'way from 'er tuh save her life. WHEN HE GO TUH WORK, HE TURN ROUN' AN' COME RIGHT ON BACK HOME - have no trouble Wit. [Florence, S. Car.,
(1311).2223:5.]
Entry 3948
(Some fellow told you this?)
Yes sir, de fellah tole me dis, dat he caught 'is wife. She used [to] when she go tuh menstrate, [he] says she'd take a piece of steak an' wear it on her- self jes' if it wus a Kotex [trade name for a brand of sanitary cloth] or sompin lak dat - in place of a Kotex - all day long, until time fo' him tuh come home an' git 'is suppah. Den she take it off an' put it in de pan an' cook it an' give it to him tuh eat. See, dat create a whole lotta jealousy - make hi jeal- ous of 'er. Love - he be jealous of 'er.
Entry 3949
An' den ag'in if a man quit a woman an' she kin git 'im tuh eat tuh her house - lak a woman take sick once a month - she wear a piece of steak right fol ten minutes, an' take it an' beat it up an' fry fo' him. An' aftah she beat it up an' fry it fo' him, den he eat dis steak an' he'll be jes' as crazy 'bout 'er as he evah wuz.
Entry 3950
[This brief rite is merely to create a margin title for a common belief found everywhere - see preceding margin title and many places in HOODOO.] Den yo' kin take - like yo' got a man an' yo' wan' 'em love yo', wan' 'im go crazy 'bout chew. Yo' take some of yore monthly period an' put it in some of 'is tomatoes or eithah coffee or tea. Put a drop or two in dat tomatoes, yo' see, an' den when he come tuh eat 'em, he nevah know de diff'rence. He'd go crazy 'bout chew.
Entry 3951
I knowed a lady wus nevah straightened up, yo' know, an' anothah lady got holt of 'er cloth. Well, she taken dat an' she wrapped it up good in some papah, must have been, an' it wus somepin like a pine tree - had a lot of leaves but away at de top, it was skinny at de bottom. An' she took dat an' she hung dat up in de tree. Well, she lived a.good while aftah dat. But den she began to git sick an' went to othah people dat knowed more dan she did, an' a man [doctor] tole her where it wus. An' she sent anothah lady dere to de tree. Dat othah lady got it down outa de tree but it wus too late, an' she wus almost dead. Yo' see dat jes' dried up - it wus, her blood wus up dere dryin' up. An' dat jes' dried up on 'er on earth.
(It was just hanging up in the tree?)
Hanging up in the tree.
(I see.)
Entry 3952
Dey say dey take de stain of a person blood an' sew it up - make a li'le bag an' sew it up in dat li'le bag. Take it to any runnin' watah, eithah hang it high in a tree, where de dew an' de rain can lick [hit] ovah it an' drop ovah it. An' he kin git dem [periods] started an' dey won' evah stop. Dey always will run until it fin'lly run 'em crazy.
(The woman's blood on her monthly cloth?)
Yes.
Entry 3953
She [my mother] wuz fixed dataway. A woman got some spots outa her shimmy an' drawahs an' taken 'em an' den nailed 'em in a tree wit a great-big railroad spike. She says she nailed it east an' west. An' she jes' pined away. An' she had dose spots. An' [she] got hol' some of hair, some kin' or nothah vuz in dere wit it, wit dat balled up togethah. An' she said it wuz nailed in de tree wit a great big ole railroad spike. An' de tree wuz right at de haid of de windah. An' mah mothah wuz sick an' she jes' pined away, an' she pined away, an' it plumb stopped 'er from ministration.
Entry 3954
Well, dat's like if yo' wanta kill someone. Dat's whut dat is. Yo' kin take a woman ministratin' cloth, don't chew know, an' yo' kin care [carry] it to a pine tree as de sun go down an' yo' kin take a ten-penny nail an' drive it in de hollow of dis ole pine tree as de sun goin' down an' walk off an' leave it right dere. Den when de frog eat it up, den she'll die.
(What eats it up?)
De frog.
(The frog eats that up?)
Yeah, a frog will eat dat up, den yo'll die.
(Where would the frog come from?)
Yo' would have tuh carry de frog dere an' put de frog in dere. When de frog eat dat up, den yo'll die.
(You just put it in the hollow of a tree?)
De hollah of a ole pine tree.
Entry 3955
Ah hear dey say, take a woman's monthlies yo' know, an' bore a.hole in a tree an' put it in dat. Fo' nine mawnin's fore de sunrise an' - go an' hit it, drive it up. Dey say in de ninth mawnin' she'll be daid by dat. (Well, tell me the whole story.) Well, dey says dey take de monthlies an' bore a hole in a tree fo' nine mawnin's... (What about that hair though?) De hair? Well, now dey do de hair de same way.
Entry 3956
Dey take dat piece aftah yo' ministrate an' cut a piece out of it an' wrap it tight. Put de needles an' de pins through it. (Do you put any particular number or just any number?) Any number, jes' any of 'em. Yo' jab one one way an' den one anothah. An' take it tuh a tree an' bore a hole onto it. An' den take yo', yo' know, a wooden peg an' stop yo' [owner of cut-out piece] up in dere. I hear people say yo' kin do dat.
(What will that do?)
Say dat will stop yo' from ministratin' an' fin'lly it will kill yo':- [blood] commence comin' out chure mouth.
Entry 3957
I don't know whut side of de graveyard she got dat dirt off of but she want an' got de graveyard dirt.
(Why did she get that?)
She wus angry at dis woman about 'er husban'.
(Then what happened?)
Well she managed aroun' some way or nothah an' got a piece of dis woman used evah month, yo' know. Yo' undahstan' whut I'm talkin' about? (I understand.) An' she taken an' cut a piece outa dat, an' puts dat graveyard dirt in it an' wraps it up. An' went in de woods an' bored a hole in a tree on de north side, an' she put dis here piece of cloth an' dat graveyard dirt in dere an' stopped it up. Well, she did it to kill de woman, but it didn't kill 'er but she got small - well she got sickly from it.
Entry 3958
Or else yo' kin take de cloth whut she nuse [use] an' yo' kin dig a hole in a oak tree an' put dat piece in dat oak tree an' stop it up an' dat will stop it an' it [the blood] will rush to dey haid.an' kill 'em.
Entry 3959
Yo' kin do a lotta things [informant is answering my unrecorded ques- tion]. Yo' kin take dat an' bury it an' put it into a hole in a big oak tree, an' take [write] her name [and put with it] an' dat will run 'em crazy- make all 'er blood dry up.
(Put her monthly period in that hole in that tree?)
Yeah.
Entry 3960
Yo' kin take a woman, a woman's sickness yo' know, an' take a nail - ah mean put some on de end of a needle see, or de end of a pin, an' drive it into a green tree. An' dat will run 'er crazy. Jes' a little bit on de end of de point an' drive it into a green tree. Any kinda green tree.
Entry 3961
If she min'stratin', dey kin take her cloth an' put it in anythin', a hollow log an' stop it up whare it cain't git no air, an' she'll turn lak she got de consumption.
Entry 3962
Yo' could get a piece of a woman's bloomahs - yo' know, de seat of 'er bloomahs, an' 'er menstr'ation cloth, piece of dat. An' put dat togethah an' take it an' shut it up in a [pasteboard] box, or eithah a little small wooden box. Somepin lak, yo' know, one of dese little ole small wooden boxes made about dat round [size], yo' see, an' shut it up in dere. An' dey tell me, yo' kin take dat an' turn it bottom up- wards, an' bury it right undahneat' of a person's steps, an' it will stop dem from menstr'ation. [Box is a symbol for a coffin.]
Entry 3963
Take a piece from a woman dat she wear in her private time. An' she kin put dat in a can an' turn de can down, an' bury it in de yard anywhere an' let it stay dere. Well, dat woman dat dat piece come from, she's locked up all de ways roun'. She jes' swells up in heah an' she locked up down dere. She locked up evahwhere. An' den if yo' don't git dat thing up from dere, dat woman will die. She'll bu'st open an' after [afterwards] she die.
Entry 3964
Well, yo' kin take a woman ag'in. Dis woman an' some of - mah ole lady, an' yore ole lady didn't lak her, or sompin lak dat. Dey had a fallin' out wit 'er, an' [or] anybody dat wanta fallen out wit 'er, dey kin study roun' 'er an' git some of 'er min'strate, an' take dat an' put in a closed jar an' bury dat head-side down. She won' have no mo trouble wit her no mo'.
Entry 3965
An' git chew some vinegah an' nine drops of turpentine an' dat'll stop a woman's periods on 'er. (How would they give that to her?) Give it to her by de tablespoonful - yo' know, jes' lak [demonstrates]. (That is what you call root-working. She knows he is doing that.)
Entry 3966
Jes' lak ah wus goin' kill dis woman 'cross de street dere - she doin' me dirty. Ah takes an' hire somebody down heah tuh fumble round in 'er house an' git me her minstration, see. Well, now if dey got me her minstration, well ah take it an' bundle each cloth up an' take it in de back yard to a washpot an' bury it undah dis washpot, bury it deep so nuthin won't git it. Well now, yo' know evah week ah gotta do mah washin'. Well, as dat thing dry - see, as it dries, she'll begin tuh droop as it dry. Well, finely [finally] it dry an' molt away. An' when it [does], she jes' pine away. Dat's all ah kin tell yo' 'bout dat now, cuz ah don't wanta tell yo' no story. Ah wanta give yo' de straight tales.
Entry 3967
Jes' lak if yo' wanta kill a woman, jes' lak if she should be mini- stratin'. Co'se ah wouldn't lak fo' dese things tuh happen. Take a piece of her guard whutsomevah she have, an' yo' know deses holes whut bring watah tuh yore house. Put it in a quart jar an' bury it undah dere, an' she'll nevah see any mo'. Doctors [M.D.'s] wouldn't do her any good, she'll die.
(These what that come in your house?)
watah holes - yo' know, de pipes, watah pipes. Jes' lay it undah dat so hit will be undah runnin' watah. (And what do they get? A piece of her guard, you say? What do you mean by her guard?) Whut she ministrate on.
(They call it a guard.)
Yes. Jes' take dat an' put it in dat jar, if yo' wanted tuh kill a woman, see. An' bury it undah dat place, bury it undah de runnin' hose [or horse] an' she'll die. No doctor [M.D.] couldn't start on her [stop the flow]. (You call that pipe a running horse [or hose] that brings the water into the house.)
Entry 3968
Fixin' a woman where dey'd flow to death. Yo' take it an' stop it up airtight in a bottle an' put it to a pump where it stay wet, where yo' pump wa- tah, or to a spigot where watah run on it mostly all de time. An' dere can't a doctor [M.D.] 'twixt here an' Europe stop it, unless yo' git dat bottle an' take de stoppah out of it an' pour it out.
Entry 3969
Ah tell yo' anothah thin' - jes' lak if yore wife goin' wit a man an' yo' try tuh make her stay home an' not run around so much, an' yo' say, "Well, ah druthah see her daid den tuh be wit anybody else." An' when, yo' know her periods is on. Well, yo' know womens gen'a'ly [generally] have a little sack dat dey put de intahco'se rags in an' thin's lak dat. Yo' wait until yuh git a good fresh piece she jes' pull off, see. Jes' take dat an' squeeze jes' as much of dat out as yuh kin in a little ole cup, or sompin whut chew ain't goin' use no mo'. Stop dat up in a bottle jes' as tight as yo' kin, an' yuh go tuh de rivah where de rivah's goin' out [with the tide] an' throw it jes' as fur as yuh kin git it in de middle an' tell 'er, "Go, yo' damn son-of-a-bitch." See! Won't be long 'fore she be gone cuz dat'll stop it - bam! - on 'er. See, she won't become umwell any mo'.
Entry 3970
If yo' got one [a woman] on hand an' vanta git rid of 'er, git some of 'er period, ministrate, an' put it in a bottle an' carry it to a runnin' stream an' bury it right on de bank of it, an' dat'll put 'er mind tuh vanderin'. An' jes' lak dat she'll be gone.
(She'll leave you.)
Entry 3971
Dere a man, his wife wuz runnin' roun', an' aftah she got de ronin' fit, she didn't want 'im. An' he wuz wondahin' how would he do tuh make her wanta leave 'em off. So he jes' got tuh thinkin' roun' an' he said, "Well, ah'll know whut ah'll do." He says, "Ah'll git even wit 'er. Ah'll put 'er away." So he got a li'le dirt outa her laig track - got dat. Den he got a li'le of 'er monthly periods an' he put dat in a bottle, an' he stopped it up an' he taken dat tuh runnin' watah. He taken it down dere about sundown, right aftah it wuz dark, an' it wuz tied dere. An' as long as dat bottle bobbled [bobbed] on de watah, her mind would go. An' she finely [finally] went until she run crazy. Huh mind run clean away from huh. An' he nevah seen [her] from dat day he did dat until she died.
Entry 3972
If a man gits tired of a woman an' wan'a git out 'er way an' wan'a make her leave town, he'd go to work an' take dat sanitary cloth - yo' know whut dat is - if he kin git holt it, be wise 'nuff an' [get] hol' dat sanitary cloth. Take dis cloth, go 'cross any runnin' stream of watah an' bury it, he'll nevah have no trouble wit 'er in dat town or country or village or wheresomevah she live. [A part of this woman's spirit (the blood and the cloth that touched her), which can be the whole of her spirit (see margin title PART OF THE SPIRIT EQUALS WHOLE OF SPIRIT, p.21), has been carried across running Water. Her spirit can- not come back across this running water. Besides, her spirit was buried. What remains of.this woman will either try to join the other part of her spirit across water, or the ensuing spiritual conflict will soon kill her.]
Entry 3973
Dey tell me if yo' take one of woman's 'pearance rags, yo undahstan', while she ministratin', an' take it an' ball it up an' take it down to a running stream of watah an' throw it in it, dat runs her crazy.
(In what way will it make her lose her mind?)
Make her lose her mind, yeah.
Entry 3974
Well, he [my contact man when testing informant] ast me about did ah know about makin' a man love yo'. Ah tell 'im, yes. Yo' take de hair out of his haid an' wear it in yore shoe an' dat will make him love yo'. An' den yo' kin take 'bout runnin' anybody crazy. Yo' kin take dere, yo' know, ministratin' pieces an' wrap hit in de seat of a Woman's pants, an' wrap it togethah an' boil [ball] it until it's, yo' know, an' den put it in runnin' watah. Dat will run 'em crazy. (Well, do you throw those pieces in running water or [throw] the water that you boil them in?)
[They are not boiled but balled.]
No, yo' throw 'em in runnin' watah an' dat will run 'em crazy.
Entry 3975
Well, she kin take her menstr'al - take dis woman's cloth an' carry it an' put it in a runnin' stream, an' dat woman, she'll nevah stop flowin', she'll flow until she git pale.
Entry 3976
Ah heard dat chew cud [could] take some dere. wearin' apparels, an' it said in person dat yo' cud place dem, an' read certain po'tion of Scriptures an dey wud [would] be removed [killed].
(Where would they place these pieces of clothing?)
In runnin' watah an' when all dat blood wud wash away - dat's de way mah mothah wuz killed - an' dat chew'll pass away.
(You do this in particular to the woman?)
Yessuh.
(Do you know what portion of Scripture you read on that?)
Yas, de 37th Psalms of David. [Either Psalm 37 is a guess or quoted out of context: For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb (King James Version). With- er has little in common with running water.]
Entry 3977
An' ah heard dat dey could take a woman's period an' throw it in de rivah, see, an' let it stay in de stream, an' when de watah go down dat will cause her tuh go on away.
Entry 3978
A woman ministration, well, dey kin take dat, dey kin put it in runnin' watah, see, an' dat will keep it on - it [blood] will run all de time. Well, ah had a cousin did lak dat. We found out how it was did [by going to a root doc- tor].
Entry 3979
An' den yo' kin take de ministration blood, or eithah when a man have a connection wit a woman, jes' if yo' kin ketch dat. Yo' jes' ketch dat an' take it an' put it in a bottle, an' stop it up tight an' throw it into de runnin' watah, an' dat'll run 'em crazy.
(You don't do anything with the blood?)
Yeah, yo' kin do it wit dat.
(Oh, you do a woman the same way with her blood.)
Yes sir. [Florence, S. Car., (1324), 2268:9.] [As always in a section like URINE, more material is scattered through the text of HooDoO. What we have here will give us a general idea regarding the vastness of the subject. These rites are given in alphabetical order.]
Entry 3980
Now, yuh kin take certain chamber lye, an' if it's a man dat drinks, take de chamber lye an' put it in a - it's 'cordin' tuh who yuh wit [your pur- pose], yo' know. She kin whip yuh wit dat thin' or yuh kin whip 'er, yuh see. She gits some of 'er chamber lye an' put it in some whiskey an' let chew feast offa dat, it'll shuh [sure] draw yuh tuh 'er. An' if yuh wan'a draw 'er tuh yuh, yuh do de same thin' an' dat'll draw 'er tuh yuh. An' den she's jis' lak dat. Not only her, not only human bein'. Yuh kin take dat chamber lye an do de same thin' wit chickens an' hogs, if yuh got chickens or hogs dat dey won- dahin' [wandering] away from home an' won' stay at yuh home [see hog and water- melon story, 222, p.64]. Yo' feed yuh - yuh fill up dat stone [crock or small cement trough] wit chamber lye fo' yuh chickens an' dey keep right aroun' yuh do'step. Now, dat's been showed attention wit mahself [I know that from ex- perience]. Dey ain't gon'a go cross dat neighbor dere - ovah his yard. Dat yuh chamber lye.