Browse:BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT (Volume 3, entries 4531–4717)/Part 2
BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT
Volume 3, entries 4531–4717. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → HAT - SWEATBAND - BOW. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 4611
Ah took evah one out of mah cap dat ah'm got now. Yeah, yuh know, mah grandfathah learned me dat long time ago. Dey takes dat bow out of dere an' dey ties it on a string. Dey ties nine knots in a string. An' in tying dat knot dey lets dat bow hang right between dere laigs, an' if yuh say yuh don't want 'em, dey runs yuh crazy wit dat - wit dat bow, dat little bow.
Entry 4612
(I didn't understand what you said at first.)
Dey take dat bow in de man's hat an' put it in a piece of new cloth, tie it round [with string], put nine knots in it [string] an' put it round yore waist. An' dey say yuh wear dat an' dat'll keep dat man dere an keep 'im from goin' off. If he gone off, yuh git somebody to git it fo' yuh an' he'll come back an' stay dere.
Entry 4613
Well, yuh take dat out of a man's hat, chew know, de little bow dat's right back of de hat heah, out of de man's hatband. Den yuh git a little hair from de mole [mold] of de head - no, yuh git three strands right out of de mole of de head. Chew wrap dat aroun' dis little bow an' git chew a piece of new cotton cord, cord string, an' yuh wrap dat aroun' an' tie nine knots in dat string. An' den yuh put undah de little flap of yuh shoe - yuh know dat inner sole, or de heel of de left shoe. An' as long as it remains in dat shoe, dat person's supposed tuh remain dere.
(That's all for love.)
Entry 4614
(What about that little bow?)
Yuh take dat little bow - it used to be olden times when yuh wore corsets - but dey don't wear corsets no mo'. Dey wears supports. Now, if yuh wants tuh... (Well, what did they do in the olden times with the corsets? Tell me that first, what they did with that; and then you can tell me what they do now. You see?) Yuh see, dey can take dat little bow an' dey can kill yuh wit dat little bow. An' dey can make yuh go crazy - no, not go crazy out of de mind, no. Jes' [like] if yuh got a wife an' she loves yuh, or ah got a husban' an' ah loves 'im. Ah'd fix 'im so he'll jes' stick wit me. He'd turn 'is mind clean offa evah body but me, an' he wouldn't keep a nickel in is pocket fo' hisself. It's all fo' me. Ah could take an' jes' be - ah could bring boy frien's in dere on 'im an' he'll jes' love me jes' dat much [more]. Well, DAT OLE HOODOO [MAN] DEN WHAT AH USIN' KNEW, AN' LIVES AROUN' HERE, he say he [husband] jes' love me dat much, but [I told him?] not tuh open 'is mouth an' say nuthin. [A NOTE OF MINE HERE SAYS DO SLOWER LATER. INFORMANT WAS TALKING FAST.] AH COULD TAKE HIS MONEY RIGHT IN FRONT OF 'IM AN' GIVE IT AWAY. HE'LL JES' LOVE ME JES' DAT MUCH BY BEING HOO- DOOED.
(How would you prepare that bow? That little bow?)
She takes it an' she put it in 'er pocket, down intuh dat little thing yuh see. Yuh untie dat bow an' yuh tie nine knots in dat bow, an' put it straight where it would have been weared down in dere. Well, dat's jes' as if yuh have a tool, yuh know, not what she love yuh; cuz if she love yuh an' if he loved yuh, dey wouldn't want tuh bring somebody else in de home an' go off an' have.... But yuh are jes' undah a muddle. Yuh can't say nuthin, yuh see. Yuh can't do nuthin, yuh see.
(Do you dress that little bow any Way?)
Yuh dress dat little bow wit love powdah. Dey got some powdah - dey got some cologne dey call love cologne. Well, yuh done use dat Follah-me-boys. Dat's good.
[Follow-me-boys appears several times in HOODOO.]
(What 1s?)
Follah-me-boys.
(Follow me, boys.)
Dat's good.
(Is that a powder or perfume?)
Dat's perfume. Now, dat Follah-me-boys - yuh kin use Follah-me-boys right now, yes sir, right now. Yuh kin Walk out from right dere - IF YUH DON'T BELIEVE DAT'S TRUE, an' [then] GO BUY YUH A LITTLE BOTTLE OF FOLLAH-ME-BOYS, AN' YUH JES' SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE BE FOLLAHIN' YUH. BUT DEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT DEY FOLLAHIN'. YUH SEE, DAT'S A HOODOO COLOGNE. (I see. Now, in the old days they used to wear the corset, nowadays they wear?) Dey weah dem girdles now. Yuh see, yuh take, if yuh want dat tuh control yuh man or yuh woman. Yuh put it in yuh girdle, weah it in yuh girdle. Nine knots.
Entry 4615
Dey kin take de bow outa yore hat, dose bows in yore hat, an' run yuh crazy. Dey take de bow in de hat an' run yuh blind, jes' make yuh blind. Take de bow outa de hat - inside of dat band, take dat bow. An' it's tied. An' un- tie dat bow, stretch dat bow out. Aftah yuh stretch dat bow, den yuh git chew some cologne. An' yuh take Heaxts Cologne, it's a powahful thing, an' put in dere, dat little ole flask - in dere wit dat bow of dat hat. An' aftah yuh put- tin' dat bow outa dat hat, den yuh takes - now dat's tuh be worn. Now, dat's fo' wimmin tuh do. Yuh takes mens, dey don't have nuthin like outa a hat fo' a man tuh do anythin' wit 'em. But dat's wimmins do dat. Yuh take - ah kin go wit a woman an' ah left 'er, ah quit her. Well, she take dat bow. Dat's tuh run me crazy or tuh drive mah love tuh 'er. Yuh undahstan'. Now, she'll take dat bow outa mah hat an' she'll untie dat bow an' she'll put dat bow in a little ole flask - little small flask. Dat's tuh wear on 'er. An' aftah she do dat, den she go uptown an' she git 'er some Hearts Cologne. Now, WHENSOMEVAH DAT AH GOES TUH INTAHCO'SE WIT 'ER, yuh see, den SHE'LL TAKE DE CLOTH DAT AH USE. AN' SHE'LL NUSE DAT CLOTH ERSELF, BUT SHE WON'T USE IT IN DE SAME MANNAH DAT AH USE IT AN' DE SAME PLACE DAT AH USE IT. See, jes' lak now she take de cloth heah [demonstrates with handkerchief]. Well, if ah nuse it heah, she ain't gonna use it dere. Yuh undahstan', she gonna move off furthah. SHE GOIN' TAKE DIS PART CHERE [used by man] AN' PUT IT IN DAT BOTTLE. See, wit dis boW off mah hat. Now, when she put dat in dat bottle wit de bow out de hat, she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' aftah she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's, she goin' take dat an' she goin' tie her nine knots in dat bow. Den she bury dat on de young moon - when de moon jes is young. An' aftah she bury dat, it stay buried dere until ah comes 'er way. NOW, de ONLIEST WAY DAT YUH KIN REMOVE DIS, YUH HAVE TUH GO DERE AN' GIT IT UP YORESELF. [First you must know where to look! This means a doctor or fortune- teller who has many methods for a problem like this.]
Entry 4616
Say dey could take dat bow outa yore hat an' said a woman could take a thread string an' tie it [bow] in de middle of it an' den tie knots on each side [of bow] an' wear it aroun' 'er wais', an' den he be crazy den about 'er.
(You tie knots on each side of the bow after that?)
Each side of de bow, yes.
(That's 18 knots altogether?)
Yes. [My statement about 18 knots does not come out of thin air. It indicates either informant is repeating the description of a rite, leaving out details as usual; or else I forgot to turn on recording machine in time to obtain opening details. My 18 knots means 9 knots on each side of the bow tied in the center of the string, making 19 knots, or counting the knot tied about the waist, 20 knots.]
Entry 4617
Well, ah seen a woman take a man's bow outen 'is hat, an' she sewed 'it up in a piece of cloth, an' she put some dis heah love powdah on it an' she wore hit roun' 'er waist.
(What did she do that for?)
Tuh make him love 'er.
Entry 4618
Yuh kin take de little bow out of 'is hat an' wrap it up in dis real, whut chew call Love Me Powdah, an' take de love vine. Dere's a love vine. Yuh pass by it, it grows in de woods. An' yuh kin take dat love vine an' take it an' wrap it roun' de bow of de man hat, an' tote it in yore Love Me Powdah box. An' dat'll make a man stay home or eithah make a man love yuh or anything lak dat.
Entry 4619
Dey kin take dat an' keep it, or run 'im away.
(How do they keep this little bow out of a man's hat?)
Yuh take de bow yuh undahstan' an' yuh take his name an' yuh put - she puts it in a lettah yuh see an' aftah takin' de name an' put de bow inside wit de lettah an' - well maybe yuh go tuh de drugsto' an' yuh git chew some lye yuh see. An' yuh dip dis bow in de lye an' dat pahticlah [particular] lye yuh put it in de lettah an' put it in 'er pillah. See, dat'll keep 'im, dat'll hold 'im.
Entry 4620
Now, put dat bow at de back of yore head [hat] - jes' take dat bow. Dey use yore name wit dat bow. An' women use dat an' use it fo' roun' de waist. An' de man do jes' what de woman do. If someone tell yuh somepin about 'er, if she be wanton woman, yuh does not believe dem. I Dat controls 'em. Dat's de powah from de haid, de control. (Just' ties this little bow on a string around her waist with the name in there three times.)
Entry 4621
Dey take dat bow out of a man's hat an' dress dat an' wear it aroun' dere waist, an' it keeps 'Im undah hypnotic [something] or hypnotic powah.
(What do they do with the bow, now?)
Take dat bow out, out of de back of yuh hat, but don't - don't cut it loose, jes' cut de hat loose an' let de bow work out of dere as it is. An' wrap it up in flannel, an' write his name across a piece of pa- pah an' write his name in four ways across de piece of papah. An' wrap dat bow up an' a little piece of bluestone an' brown sugah an' wear it nex' tuh dere waist, an' dey'll almos' have him undah powah dat dey kin make him do anythin' dey wants 'im.
(What do you mean write his name in four ways?)
See, write de name jes' like dis [demonstrates]. Write it dis way, den dis Way, den dis Way, an' den dis Way. Make two squares out of it, cross it like [demonstrates].
(Like, as if you were playing tick-tack-toe.)
Yeah, dat's it.
(Two lines up and two across?)
Dat's right. [Somewhere I have called his tick-tack-toe design a double double-cross. Split this design vertically down the center and you will see what I mean # = ± ‡.]
(I see.)
Entry 4622
Take dat little bow out de hat an' cut it out dere. An' take an' put it in de bottom of dey shoe an' wear it, an' write his: name nine times. An' make him leave, leave his home. He'll jes' walk an' walk.
Entry 4623
Dey take dat bow an' dey put it in a bag. Yuh know, jes' git a piece of cloth an' sew it up, an' dey put dat bow in dere. An' dey git a piece of asafetadee an' a piece of dis John de Conker root an' put dat in dere. An' make a little bag out of it, tie a string on it an' wear it aroun' dere stomach or eithah roun' dere navel, an' yuh'll nevah stay way from 'em - yuh always come back.
Entry 4624
Dey kin git chure hat an' git de bow out of yuh hat, a woman kin, an' take it an' wear it on dere neck. [The bow is] jis' lak a li'le tie. An' take it an' keep it up in a sack, an' dey [the man] can't fool aroun'.
Entry 4625
Take dat bow out de back a man's hat an' yuh kin take some needles, an' about two-three stran's of dere hair an' wrap it up in dem dere needles. Have dem needles turned all kinda ways, yo' see. An' put it in a bottle of perfume, see, an' jes'.keep it in a cornah somewhere, yuh know, where de sun kin kinda shine on it. An' dey tell me - say dat will make 'em love yuh.
(You put it so that the sun can shine on it?)
Where de sun kin shine on it, yes. Yuh know jes' in a place - yuh know jes' up on de top of de house. Yuh know somewhere in some close place, yuh see, where de sun kin hit it.
(You put any number of needles in it - any number?)
Yuh put about - ah think it is nine needles yuh put in dere.
Entry 4626
[The number of the size of a hat is rare in hoodoo, this could be my only example, though I am certain that many men while gambling have on the spur of the moment used his own or another person's number. The following rite, missed by my transcriber, is a pencil abstract of mine while checking cylinders.] "Take hat bow and the number out of hat - and put grain [ground or powdered] lodestone with it - make a bag - put [on it] old Hearts Perfune - wear next to skin - can't quit you."
Entry 4627
[Perfume - perhaps the most frequently used ingredient in hoodoo - surely deserves a margin title for itself! Usually perfumes are listed in HOODOO under brand names. The word brand name years ago never had a national or international label protected by patent; it was the name the local hoodoo drugstore chose to call the cheapest possible perfume he could sell in small quantities for the highest possible prices! Only hoodoo could think up John de Conker Cologne - see 4645.] Take dat little bow in de back of a man's hat an' put it in a bottle of per- fume [brand name usually given] an' wear it on yuh an' dey'll stay wit yuh. Dey can't leave, dey'll always be wishin' roun' yuh. [The meaning here is either Wishing always to be round you, or always be swishing round you.]
Entry 4628
Take dat little bow out de back of man hat, an' she goes tuh work an' buys 'er some cologne, yuh know sweet, an' she'll 'noint dat [with] it. An' she'll lodge dat in 'er pillah where she sleep. Dat fur as ah know 'bout dat. But dat's good. (And that will hold him and make him love her.)
Entry 4629
Jes' lak a woman take yore hat, jes' lak yo' put chure hat down dis way [probably points to my black hat on table], an' jes' take de bow out of de hat, an' den dey keep it. Dat will make yo' love 'em an' stay wit 'em.
(Where do they keep it?)
When dey go tuh bed at night dey put it undah de pillah, an' when dey git up dey take it out an' put it in a bottle or sompin.
Entry 4630
(Do you know how they do that?)
Well, dey take dat bow an' dey take dat bow away from yuh hat an' dat thread off dat bow. Dey take dat an' dey sew it up intuh de mattress. An' aftah dey sew it up intuh de mattress, dey'll git some of dis here essence of cinnamon. Yuh know, de essence of cinnamon from de drug store - from de Crackahjack Drug Store. (Yes.) [= continue.] Well, dey git some of dat an' dey git two brass pins an' dey stick intuh dat bow an' aftah dat dey sew it up - evahthin' intuh de mattress. An' dey fix yuh wit dat.
(What will happen? What does it do to you?)
Dey'll fix yuh so dat yuh won't nevah be no help tuh yuhself or nobody else.
(I see. What do they call that stuff you get from the drug store?)
[A mumbled answer was almost unintelligible but it was essence of cinnamon, which may be the same thing as oil of cinnamon (2458-2459, p.681).]
Entry 4631
Dey tell me if yuh kin git a chance, yuh know, tuh git 'is hat or any- thin' lak dat yuh know, an' take it an' wear it roun' in yore pocket, he come tuh like yuh an' care fo' yuh an' DAT'S DE WAY DIS LOVE COMES ABOUT an' dat's de way yuh gits de girl. (What do you wear in your pocket?) Dat bow out de hat.
Entry 4632
Yo' kin git de bow offen de back of a man's hat an' wear it in yore pocket or somepin othah, if yo' want 'im tuh love. DAT WILL CAUSE 'IM TUH LOVE YO'.
Entry 4633
Dey takes dat bow tuh ketch yo'. Dey ties it up where yuh can't git it, prob'ly carry it in dere pocketbook. An' she keeps dat. Long as she keeps dat, why he can't git away from 'er. He'll love 'er.
Entry 4634
Why she takes de little bow. Ah'm goin' tell yuh whut she do's wit dat, an' it'll work. If she wanta gain 'er sweetheart, if he won' notice her, she gits de little bow outa his hat an' she pins it right ovah - she pins it right ovah dere, right ovah her private place. An' he'll follah 'er all ovah dis worl'. He cain't git shet of 'er until she takes it outa dere.
Entry 4635
Ah've heard of 'em put it in a cloth yo' know an' wear it, dat little bow in dere. Take it an' git chew a piece of cloth an' put it on it an' wear it, jes' lak yo' wear a Kotex between yore laigs. Ah've heard of dat.
(What will that do?)
Well, dey say dat will make him care fo' yo', love yo', yo' cain't git rid of 'im. Dis little bow. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 4636
An' jes' lak if he's a frien' of yores, yo' kin git dat little bow out of 'is hat an' take hit an' put it in a 'bacca sack somewhere between yore laigs, always, an' he will always be yores. He cain't quit chew, he cain't leave yo' alone.
Entry 4637
Dey take dat little bow an' pin it tuh dere princess slip right ovah beneath dere crack an' wear it ovah dere an' he won't leave her. He'll contin'ly
[continually] stay dere wit 'er.
Entry 4638
De way dey do de love, dey natchly [naturally], de man has sweated through de hat. Well anything dat he has sweated on, a woman kin take it an' wear it close tuh her privates. An' she sweat on it, mingled wit de sweat dat he sweat on it, an' keep dat close 'bout 'er on 'er person an' dat man should love.
(What else did she do with that bow?)
She could run 'im crazy wit dat bow, too, but I don't know jes' how dey run it.
Entry 4639
Dey take dat bow an' dey bury dat bow. Dey takes dat bow an' deyburies it, if a woman gits it. Ah guess she musta puts it - wears it in 'tween 'erlaigs or sompin or othah like dat [first], if she wan'a man tuh be crazy about 'er an' jes' go crazy about 'er. She takes it an' wears it so many days right 'tween 'er laigs. An' dey said she takes dat bow an' she ties it up in a little ole - jes' sews it up in somepin an' she puts it in 'er pocketbook an' she wears it in 'er pocketbook. Dat's de way she did.
Entry 4640
Well, dey takes dat little bow an' cut it out, an' dey tie it up in a little piece of rag of any kin'. An' she takes it an' she takes, wears it right up in 'er crutch [crotch]. An' yo'll become crazy 'bout 'er. Yo' can't leave her, yo' don' even wanta see nobody talk tuh 'er or nuthin.
Entry 4641
Take de bow outa yore hat, de woman kin. Take de bow outa a man's hat an' git some of 'is hair an' take de seat outa his drawers an' weah hit. Only way she kin do tuh keep 'im, yuh know, feed 'im. Take fo' instance, her monthlies yo' know.
(What did she do with this bow? Did you say? How will she wear those things?)
She weah dem undah - right 'tween 'er laigs. Put 'em in a sack an' weah dem 'tween 'er laigs.
Entry 4642
Ah've heard dat a woman could take dat, dat little bow from de back of yore hat, an' take it an' tie it up in a rag an' tote it 'twixt 'er laigs. An' she kin do yo' anyway in de worl' she wanta do. Now, dat's whut ah heard about dat.
Entry 4643
Ah heah dat a woman could take dat li'le bow in de back of a man's hat, an' wear it ovah her private an' keep it dere, tuh make a man go wit 'er.
Entry 4644
Kin take dat little bow an' sew it up in a piece of cloth an' wear it in 'tween dere laigs, an' dat will make 'em love yo'.
Entry 4645
Dey take dat bow - de wlmmin take dat bow of yore hat, see, if dey want chew tuh continue go wit 'em, can't go wit nobody else. Dey take dat little bow in de hat an' dey take dat bow an' dey'll put it in - yuh know, put it up in 'em, in de hole where a man have connection wit 'em. Den take dat an' put it in a bottle.
(They take it out then and put it in a bottle?)
Take it out an' put it in a bottle, see, an' put some cologne - John de Conker Cologne. Dis heah cologne, what chew call it?
(Hearts Cologne?)
Hearts Cologne in de bottle 'bout half full. Keep it stopped up an' yuh cain't go wit nobody else but 'em.
Entry 4646
[There are many rites in which one or more substances must be new, or new and used only for that one particular time - not the same rite repeated. Any remainder of this substance must be discarded in one of various ways. At times a substance can be reusa- ble, but only in the same kind of rite; for example, Hearts Cologne, in the following rite:] Git dat bow out de back of 'is hat an' git chew some Heart Cologne. Dip dat bow in Heart Cologne an' yuh take dat bow an' yuh wear dat bow. An' as long as yuh wear dat bow evah wheresomevah yuh goin', put dat Hearts Cologne on it. But don't use dat fo' nuthin else but dat Heart Cologne. Don't use it fo' nuthin but dat pahticulah [particular] thing. An' even in usin' de salt [is some other rite].
(Where does the woman wear that bow?)
She kin eithah wear it - jis' lak she - on 'er bloomahs. Pin dat on 'er bloomahs so it will tetch down nex' tuh 'er private; see, wit a little small safety pin.
(That will keep him.)
Entry 4647
Take dat bow outa de inside of a man's hat an' yuh put de Hearts Per- fume on it. An' yuh take dat bow an' yuh wrap it intuh a red silk, a little piece of red silk cloth, an' yuh sew dat bow up. An' yuh put dat bow, if yuh wanta make a man love yuh an' stay wit yuh too, yuh put dat bow in de toe of yore left shoe an' yuh wear dat bow in de toe of yore left shoe.
Entry 4648
(What will they do with that little bow?)
Well, dey take dat an' dey totes it. Dey put it in a little bit of bag, a little Durham sack [Bull Durham tobacco sack known since the days of rolling your own cigarettes]. An' tote dat nex' tuh 'em all de time. Does 'im an awful lot of harm. Put de hair wit it - an' de hair, toenails - evahthing dey kin git wit it. Dat jes' makes 'im drag aroun', drag till he die. Won't do 'im no good an' nobody else.
Entry 4649
(The woman would take that?) Dat little bow outa a man's hat, yeah. She kin take it out an' put it in de ban' of 'er dress - yuh know whut ah mean, in de seam of 'er dress an' wear it dere all de time. An' dis man would come tuh be a lovah fo' her, an' wouldn't love anyone else.
Entry 4650
Take dat bow offen a man's hat an' wear it in yore garment, in de seam nex' tuh yuh in yore skirt.
Entry 4651
Tuh hold 'em, take de bow or de band of a man's hat. Yuh could take dat an' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe. [To wear a sweatband in the shoe could be a problem.] Jis' lak yuh want a sweetheart or tuh hold a man, jis' when he come tuh yore house yuh jis' take de bow outa his hat an' put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' wear it. An' dat'll hold 'im.
(Either shoe?)
Eithah one of yore shoes - yore own shoes. [Bottom of the shoe usually means in the hallah = palm = center or middle of the shoe, the article worn being con- cealed under the insole; and if no insole, a false one is made from paper or cardboard - even a cigarette paper can cover the hidden object.]
Entry 4652
She take dat bow out chure hat. Dat's a little bow in yore hat, de [sweat] band of yore hat. Chew [she] take dat bow out an' sew it in de bottom of 'er lef' shoe, an' when she sew it in de bottom of 'er lef' shoe, it's no woman in de world kin take yo'.
Entry 4653
Git de bow of 'is hat an' put it in yore shoe an' wear it in yore shoe. Dat will make him love yo'.
Entry 4654
Dey tells me dat yuh take dat bow out an' put it in yore right shoe an' wear it in yore right shoe, an' dey says dat'll keep 'im home.
Entry 4655
Take dis bow, see dat sits back dere in yore hat, an' put it in yore shoe an' wear dat in yore shoe. Wear dat an' make love.
(Who would do that?)
A man, eithah a woman. Dat whut ah use. Eithah one of 'em.
Entry 4656
Take dat bow an' wear it in de bottom of 'er shoe, de wimmins do.
(What does that do?)
Well, he love 'er. He goin' come tuh love 'er an' he follah 'er roun' or want tuh follah 'er roun'.
Entry 4657
Take dat bow an' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe. Wear dat bow in de bottom of yore lef' shoe. Dat'll make him crazy about chew.
Entry 4658
Take dat bow an' make him bring all 'is money home tuh yuh.
(How do you do that?)
Jis' take it out, see, an' put it in yore shoe, de bottom of yore left shoe an' wear it, an' dat'll make him bring all 'is money home tuh yuh.
Entry 4659
A woman kin take dat bow an' jes' run yo' crazy wit it. She kin take dat bow an' she wear dat bow in her shoes. She wear dat bow way up in de mouth [toe] of 'er shoe, dat same little bow whut a man got in 'is hat back dere.
(That's all she has to do?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4660
Ah heered tell de woman would take de bow outa man's hat an' put it up in de toe of 'er shoes, an' she always keep 'im down underneat' 'er foot. He be dere an' she always keep 'im down. Ah've heer'd tell of it.
Entry 4661
Take dat bow out of a man's hat an' put it in de toe of 'er right shoe, an' wear dat an' he'll always love 'er, until dat bow wears out in 'er shoe.
Entry 4662
Put it in de left feeted shoe, right in de heel. Walk on it an' he won' be so easy tuh leave yuh. He'll be awful good tuh yuh.
(This bow from the back of a man's hat.) De left foot of his shoe right in de heel. [Sumter, S. Car.,. (1384), 2459:13.]
Entry 4663
Well, dey take de bow out of a man's hat an' wet 'em [perfume or urine] an' wear it in dey shoe. (Either shoe, it doesn't make any difference?) Wear it in de lef' shoe. An' nevah take it out, jis' wear it till yuh lose it. An' dat will make de man stay wit yuh. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (1390), 2998.
Entry 4664
Git de little bow from yore hat. An' dey supposed tuh take an' put - prob'ly yuh may say a little black [pepper] or eithah a little salt an' soda, an put it in a little small rag, jis' small as it kin git. An' take yore right shoe off, put it in yore shoe an' take a little piece of thin, yuh may say a cigarette papah, an' plas- tah dat in de bottom of yore shoe. An' dey claim dat supposed tuh make love - bring fo'th luck lak dat [in love]. [Cigarette paper - dating this rite - 1s used because shoe is so old it does not have an insole!]
Entry 4665
Yuh kin take dat li'le bow out of a man's hat. Ah've tried dat mahself. Ah jis' tried it on a person tuh see would really [happen]. Ah didn't care nuthin about de fellah. Ah taken an' slip de bow out of 'is hat an' walks wit it two days in mah right shoe an' three in mah left. Dat's five days. Yuh know in six days it's broken [he fell in love with her].
Entry 4666
Ah kin tell yo' 'bout mahself, ah have used it. Mah husban' wuz a man, he wuz runnin' about. Mah husban' used to make gud on evah job dat he got on, an' ah couldn't see where his money went tuh. He wuzn't givin' me not a thing. All ah could see, he would buy a little groceries. He'd say he wuz gittin' two week's groceries an' dey wouldn't last a week. An' ah took de bow outa his hat - ah stole it out dere an' put it undah de bottom of mah foot, an' den put mah stock- in' on. An' aftah den, when ah put dat in dere, ah took 'is dirty drawahs an' cut de seat out of it, an' ah buried it undah de step where he walked in at. He nevah did stay home, an' aftah ah did dat - ah did dat jes' lak today, an' ah didn't know whut it 'twas fo' him tuh come in de early part of de night. His early part would be one aclock; if not dat, all night. Aftah ah done dat lak today, he went ag'in. When he come in de night, he nevah took time hardly tuh eat. He went out dat night. So aftah dinnah - he commence comin' in den, an' ah jes' got tired of 'im stayin' home. He stayed home so much an' he wuz so nice to me - he'd bring me his check den to have it cashed; if not dat, he'd tell me tuh meet 'im tuh de Union Station, goin' wit 'im an' havin' 'is check cashed. An' he done so nice an' we stayed home so much, dat ah couldn't turn. Ah went back an' dug it up fo' him tuh go some, an' took de bow out from undah mah shoe. Dat's whut ah done.
(What shoe did you wear it in?)
In mah right shoe.
(Didn't do anything else with it? Anything?)
Didn't do anything else to it.
Entry 4667
If a woman wants a man an' she cain't git 'i, she'll take de bow out of 'is hat lak when he's settin' on top of sompin, settin' ovah heah. An' she jis', she'll take dat bow out of it. An' when she takes dat bow out, she jis' takes an' gits talcum powdah, yuh know. An' she take an' satu- rate dat bow in dat powdah, an' she take an' wrap it up in a thin silk han'ke'- ch'ef, an' she wear it right up undah her heart an' save it. An' dey says dat he'll go crazy 'bout 'er.
Entry 4668
Take dat bow an' git a silvah dime an' wrap dat bow aroun' dat silvah dime, an' wear it undah yore gartah in yore stockin' yuh know, an' dey say dat'll make a man give yuh money.
Entry 4669
A woman kin take dat bow if she wants de man tuh be crazy 'bout 'er, an' don't want 'im tuh mess wit no mo' wimmins - jis' follah her. She kin take dat bow an' sew it up in a little rag an' wear it nex' tuh her meat an' he nevah will follah no one but 'er.
Entry 4670
If any individual take dat, dis little bow right dah outa yore hat - take dat out an' wear dat anywheres nex' tuh 'em. Put it in sompin othah an wear It nex' tuh dere skin. Prob'ly be in dere pocket right nex' tuh dere skin. An' dat brings 'em controllin' poWah ovah yuh. DEY HAS DE DISADVANTAGE OF YUH all de time.
Entry 4671
Yuh take de bow out of a man's hat an' carry it home an' put it in matchbox an' put it undah yore haid, an' dey say dat will make 'em love yo'. [I stopped machine too soon and had to add:] (You said sleep on it.) [The matchbox, a coffin symbol (confinement) and the match, a sexual one - a frequent combination in HooDoO - explain them- selves.]
Entry 4672
Ah heard dat yuh kin take dat little bow an' take it an' sleep on it. An' aftah yuh git through sleepin' on it - yuh heah whut ah say? Yuh take it out an' yuh wrap it up an' yuh put it in yore shoe an' yuh walk on it. Yuh see, yuh walk on it fo' a length of time an' dat makes de man crazy 'bout chew. (You put that in your shoe?) In yore left shoe. [Yuh heah whut ah say? in some form or other occurs often in HOODOO, because I was not supposed to hear well. Call this an unfair ruse, if you like, but I often had trouble with people talking too low or too fast for my comprehension, hand over mouth, mumbling, occasionally stut- tering, dialect, unknown plants and animals, etc.]
Entry 4673
(How do you do that?)
About de hatban' dat yuh use. Yuh ast [asked] me 'bout de hatban' a minute ago. Yuh take de person dat yuh have de name out of de hat - dat little bow-like in de hat? An' yuh gO tuh de bird's nes'. LET IT BE DE SPARRAH'S NES', WHICH IF IT'S A SPARRAH'S NES', DE SPARRAHS USE DE SAME NEST ALL DE YEAH ROUN'. BUT A BLUEBIRD CHANGES "IS NES', AN' ALSO A PIGEON. Aftah a pigeon has used 'is nest, de pigeon tears de nes' up an' makes a fresh nest, but a sparrah use de same nes'. As long as de sparrah use de same nest, de person will con- tinue tuh have de headache, if yuh put dis bow of de hat intuh de sparrah's nes'.
(Just go to the sparrow's nest and put the bow into the nest?)
Jis' put de bow intuh de nes'. Dat's all. An' yuh could constantly happen tuh have a headache. But if - YUH KIN TRY IT YUHSELF SOMETIME OR EITHAH HAVE SOMEBODY EXPERIMENT IT FO' YUH. AN' WHENEVAH YUH REMOVE DAT OUT OF DERE, DE HEADACHE WILL BE BROKEN. BUT YUH KINNOT BREAK DAT HEADACHE BY BURNIN' CANDLES OR ANYTHING. DAT NES HAS TUH BE TORN UP, EITHAH DE BOW TAKEN OUTA DE NES'. Eithah one of de two will stop de headache, but nuthin else. An' ah betcha, becuz mah grandmothah tried it on 'er own daughter, mah sistah. [The latter relationship frequently happened, the sister being the mother whose child
(informant's) was brought up as the grandmother's.]
Entry 4674
Yuh could use yore chamber lye an' dat'll cause 'im tuh love yuh. Take yuh chamber lye befo' yuh speak tuh anyone early in de mawnin' an' yuh dampen dat little bow an' wear it. Wear it in yore right-foot shoe. Dat will cause de man tuh love yuh.
Entry 4675
Take de bow out 'is hat an' dat insole of yore shoe, an' put dat bow right up undah dere. Take a pinch of sulphur an' put it down in dere. Ah guar- antee yuh dat boy goin' stay right by yuh cuz ah've tried dat mahself. (Just put this bow in your shoe. Eith- er shoe?) Yessuh, eithah shoe.
(And put a little sulphur with it. Put it up under that inner sole?)
Yessuh.
Entry 4676
Well, yuh take dis little bow dat's right in de back of man's hat. Dat's de little bow right dere [demonstrates]. Yuh take dat an' take it an' put it in a bottle of sweet spirits of nitah, an' take an' shake it up good. An' den take it, an' yuh know dese women dey got a pocket or somepin in some of dere bloomahs, yuh know. Take it an' put it in dat pocket an' sew dat pocket up an' weah in dere. An' dey say dey nevah will go wit anothah woman.
Entry 4677
De bow an' a dirty sock - out de hat an' 'is dirty sock, lef' foot sock. An' git some Eve-an'-Adam [Adam-and-Eve], some High John de Conkah, some love powdahs, an' roll 'em to yuh. Make yore wishes as yuh roll 'em. Den yuh take it an' put it in yore pillah or in yore mattress, de woman, an' sleep on it an' he'll stay dere.
Entry 4678
Yuh kin take dat little bow out of 'is hat an' put it in some bluestone an' sugah an' burn it in de lamp fo' nine days, an' dat change s'is min'. It'll
[mind will] stay right on yuh, see.
Entry 4679
Dey take a piece of red flannen an' a piece - an' dey take his intahco'se [semen] an' dat Jockey Club Perfume an' puts it in dat red flannen, an' a piece of lodestone in it, an' dey wrap it. Dey make it [package] flat, tight enough tuh go inside of dat bow. See, it go inside of dat bow, an' when it git in dat bow, dat will trick dem right dere. He cain't git rid of 'er.
(She will put that in the bow of the hat and tie it back in the hat?)
Yessuh, take an' sew it back on dere.
Entry 4680
Yuh [she] take dat bow, an' applyin' oil of verbena wit dat bow, she kin put some sugah wit dat bow an' she kin put some sweet spirit of nitah wit dat bow. An' puttin' it in a little bag, see, an' wearin' it roun' 'er waist or anywhere near tuh her skin, an' she'll have him jis' lak she wanta. Ah mean anythin' dat she do, regardless of whut dey tell 'im, he will take her statement fo' it.
Entry 4681
Dis little bow here [demonstrates] dat ah've got 'im mah hat chere, a woman kin take dis bow an' - an' take it an' put some peppah in it an' salt an' some incense, an' take it an' bury it, yuh see. An' bury dis bow accordin' tuh de moon. But she gotta bury de bow when de moon is young. An' as de moon go down, de old- ah it git, de more it take effect on me. Ah'd git a misery in mah head, yuh see, until de moon go down. When de moon go down in darkness, well ah'm certain tuh lose mah memory. Do yuh hear? [My hearing is supposed to be weak.]
(I see.)
Entry 4682
Dey kin take dat, take dat bow from mah hat, if anybody git holt of it, lak dat [shows his hat]. Yuh see, dere it's hot now. Yuh see ah'm sweatin'. Sit down dere, yuh undahstan', an' takin' a knife an' scrape it outa dere, jis' lak dat, an' take all dat dirt an' sweat out of dere tuhgethah, an' git it outa dere till dey git quite a nice bladeful. Git about a knifebladeful out de bow of de hat, yuh undahstan'. An' yuh take dat an' yuh go tuh work, yuh undahstan', an' go tuh a tree an' digs yuh a hole in dere. Gits yuh somepin othah tuh gouge yuh a hole in dat tree lak dat dere. An' den take dat knife an' wipe dat thing off on a li'le piece of rag, an' take an' shove it back in dere. An' git chew a stoppah, make yuh a peg tuh fit dat hole an' drive it in dere. Drive it in dere tight jis' lak dat. Yuh kill 'em, bash it - hit ovah 'is haid.
(That gives him a bad headache and kills him?)
Kill 'im.
Entry 4683
Dat little bow in de back of a man's hat, take dat an' go tuh a green pine tree an' bo' a hole wit a augah, an' drive it wit sompin back dere tight. It will run 'im crazy.
Entry 4684
["Hat bow - take new nail - nail up in right side of tree - run him away or go crazy." [Author's note from untranscribed cylinder.]
Entry 4685
(Dey take that bow from the back of a man's hat and do what with it?)
An' tack it on a tree an' git some of yore hair an' tack it right on de end of dat bow, an' put dat hair on dere. When dat hair go all de way roun' dat tree, it'll meet back to dat bow. Den yuh'll go crazy. (They have to go to the tree with the bow and have some hair in [on the end of] the bow. Then that hair grows all the way round the tree?) All de way roun' de tree. [For detached human hair to continue growing under all sorts of conditions, See examples at the beginning of long section HAIR.]
Entry 4686
Take hit an' put it - yuh know chamber lye - put it in chamber lye, dis little bow. An' keep it in dat chamber lye an' dis man go crazy ovah dat woman. He cain't guit 'er fo' no othah woman in de worl'.
(Whose chamber lye does she put that bow in?) Put it in 'ers - 'er chamber lye.
Entry 4687
Well, ah've heard dey take dat li'le bow out de hat an' put it in de bottom of yore shoe, an' keep it wet wit chamber lye, yore cham- ber lye, an' jis' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe, twixt de sole an' yore foot. (What will that do?) Dat will keep a man home; he won't leave 'er. She's lyin' onto [she can rely on] him all de time.
(Either shoe?)
No, de left shoe.
Entry 4688
Takes dat an' soaks it in chamber lye, de bow from de back of man's hat. Soaks it in chamber lye an' puts it in de bottom of 'er shoe. She got de man. Evahwhere she go, he's follahin' 'er.
(She can wear it in either shoe?)
Either shoe. Jis' de innah sole yuh know, take dat out an' soak it in chamber lye, eithah put chamber lye in dere an' put de innah sole down ovah it, an' he follah her evahwhere she wants tuh go.
(Whose chamber lye does she put in there?)
Hers. She use her own chamber lye.
(She puts that in the man's shoe?)
[My question or statement shows me napping, caught by the words he follah her, I momentarily forgetting what went before.]
Entry 4689
Now ah heard 'em say about dat little bow - ah always caution mah boys about dat bow. Ah don't know whut dey kin do, but ah heard 'em say dat dey take dat bow. In fact a ole wumman tole me dat. Say, yuh take dat bow an' rip up dat thin sole [insole] in yore shoes an' put dat bow undah dere. An' yuh know, jis' keep it perfumed wit dis ole Hearts Cologne an' keep dat - put chure chamber lye, put chure pee on dat, an' keep dat bow in dere, in de bottom of yore shoe. An' dey say, dat boy or man can't leave yuh tuh save his life. Say, he jis' can't go off.
Entry 4690
Dey tell me yuh take dat bow out dat hat an' puts Hearts Cologne on it an' a little of yore chamber lye. An' put it in a flannen rag an' wear it right nex' tuh yore flesh. Say dat will make a man love yuh.