Browse:BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT (Volume 3, entries 4531–4717)/Part 3
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 4691
Take dat bow out of a man's hat, like dey take dis bow heah [demon- strates]. Well, dey kin take dat bow - a woman kin git dat bow out 'is hat. She take an' put it in some choambah watah an' she put some Hearts Cologne on dere. Well, if she kin git dat bow back in yore hat wit'out chure knowin' it, dat will make yuh fall in love, really in love wit 'er.
Entry 4692
[Take hat bow, buy Hearts Perfume, pour 1/2 out, but don't use for anything else, fill rest of bottle with urine, wear 9 days and keep. (Authors abstract of informant missed by transcriber).]
Entry 4693
(A woman does what?) She take dat bow, yuh know, an' she'll tie it in a piece of flannel, yuh undahstan', an' she'll take it an' she'll urinate on it, an' take it an' tie it aroun' 'er waist, an' she kin keep it right straight up an' down 'er navel-like. Dat would keep - don't keer where yuh go or whut yuh do, yuh min' will be back dere on 'er all de time. See?
Entry 4694
Take dat little bow right out de back of yore head [hat] an' dey'll take it an' tie - a woman will take it an' when she tie it up, she take it an' she'll put it right in 'er bloomahs an' wear it. Wear it right dere right close up tuh 'er, nex' tuh 'er. An' when she git ti'ed of wearin' it, she'll take it tuh 'er do'step an' she'll bury it. An' evah mawnin' she'll go out dere an' she'll throw chamber lye on it. An' it won't be mo' dan three weeks befo' yuh'll go crazy. (And she wears that long as she wants you, and when she doesn't want you, she'll bury it under the door.)
Entry 4695
Take dat little bow an' make anyone love yuh. Yuh could take dat an' put it in de toe of a sock an' take a dime an' put it in dere. An' yuh fold it dis way [demonstrates]. Yuh jis' fold it dat way an' den yuh fold de toe dat way, comin' in de house, an' den bury it up undah yore do'step, yuh undahstan', an' den take a leak on it evah mawnin'. An' ah guarantee dey won't leave yuh.
Entry 4696
Take dat li'le bow in de back of a man's hat an' take an' put sulphur on it an' wear it [in a bag - see later] nex' tuh yuh - right tuh yore heart. An' dey say dat will bring 'i back tuh yuh, make him love yuh. An' den yuh take an' urinate on it fo' nine mawnin's an' put it back in dat - have a little bag ah reckon about de size of dis box [box of matches I had on interviewing table]. Put it in dere fo' nine mawnin's.
(After you put that sulphur on there.)
Yuh put de sulphur on dere an' yuh let it stay lak tonight. Well, de nex' mawnin' yuh start [to urinate on bow] fo' nine mawnin's, evah mawnin', an' den put it back in dat bag. An' den dat will make him love yuh.
Entry 4697
Ah heard dat if yuh take dat little bow out of de hat, de wimmins [take it], an' dey take it an' dey wear it aroun' dere waist - on aroun' dem, wheresomevah she may keep it all de time. Dat will cuz de man tuh love her.
Entry 4698
Say dey could take dat bow out de back of a man's hat an' wear it aroun' dere waist, an' dat would make yuh love 'em.
Entry 4699
Yuh kin take it an' tie it roun' yore waist an' dere mind will stay on yuh all de time. Yuh kin take de bow outa anybody's hat, or eithah de band.
Entry 4700
Take dat little bow out of a man's hat an' put it into a bag. Wear it roun' dere waist an' dat make de man jealous.
Entry 4701
A woman kin take de bow out of a man's hat an' tie it aroun' 'er waist - put it in a ribbon an' tie it aroun' 'er waist. Wheresomevah she goes, he'll go wit 'er. He will follah 'er.
Entry 4702
Dat little bow inside of 'is hat? If a person git dat bow, provided yuh [can] git yuh han' on it, well yuh goin' tuh take dat. An' if yuh take it tuh yuh house - an' yuh CUT A HOLE IN DE WALL an' put dat in dere. But yuh'll have tuh put a card [paste- board] stoppah in dere. Yuh put a card stoppah in dere or yuh put a cork stoppah in dere, an' it will kill de person, kill 'im dead.
Entry 4703
Well, dey kin take dat bow an' dey kin put it in a piece of cloth, anythin' dey wanta put it in. Take dat bow an' carry it to runnin' watah an' dey kin throw it in dat. Long as dat bow stay in dat runnin' watah, yuh will be runnin'.
Entry 4704
Ah've heard - jis' lak dat little bow dat be in de back of yore hat back heah - ah've heard dat dey take hit out an' put it in runnin' watah an' make folkses leave home.
Entry 4705
Well dey say dey takes dat bow. Take dat bow out an' dey puts dat in Hearts Cologne. Aftah dey put it in Hearts Cologne, git it in somepin airtight where no watah cain't git in it. Dey put it [in] sompin lak a rivah dat's runnin' an' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah, make yore wish an' walk away from it an' don't look back. Dey say dey'll go crazy. (That is to make that person go crazy? Who owned the hat that the bow came from?) Yes.
Entry 4706
Ah've heard dat chew kin take de bow out of a man's hat an' put it in runnin' watah, an' den wear it in yore shoe an' yuh won't have much trouble git- tin' rid of 'im. Ah heard dat. (You take this bow from his hat and put it in running water?) Yes, an' put it in runnin' watah. Firs', git it, jis' hold it in dere, an' den take it out an' put it in yore shoe an' wear it.
(Do you put it in either shoe?)
Eithah one.
(That's to get rid of him?)
No, dat's tuh make him love yuh. [Is holding it in running water a threat or warning of what could happen to him? Or is it a purification ceremony?]
Entry 4707
Dey take dat little bow out chure hat an' carry it an' put it down to de edge of de rivah an' tie it wit a string, an' jis' like dat watah is raisin' dat bow in dat hat, dat de way yuh hair will be raisin', long as somebody don't git dat bow. Yuh will be sick in yuh haid an' yuh wouldn't nevah come tuh yuh right senses no mo'. But de sweatban' of yuh hat is jis' like dat, jis' about de same [you can do the sweatband the same way].
Entry 4708
Yuh take de little bow. Yuh take de little bow an', if they kin git it out of dere jis' as it's in, dey take dat bow an' dey'll make what chew call a twist. Yuh see, if dey kin twist it like dey want, tuh keep from tyin' it, dey'll twist it. An' if dey kin git de edges, de ends, de way dey want it, dey take dem ends an' dey twists until dey cut - till dat end is jis' as thin as one stran' of yore hair, jis' by twisting it, but it'll be locked. [The weave of the bow will still be there, twisted into one thin string.] It'll be locked an' yuh twist till it gits thin as one stran' of yore hair. Now, if yuh leave [you do leave] a hole in between, see [demonstrates].] Now, yuh leave dat hole in between dere an' yuh take an' yuh git yuh a stick, an' yuh cut dat stick as roun' as yuh kin an' yuh put dat hair [twisted bow] on dat stick. When yuh put dat hair [twisted bow] on dat stick, yuh put it in de centah of de stick. Put dat hair [twisted bow] in de centah of dat stick an' carry it tuh where dey got runnin' watah, an' yuh take an' yuh hang - yuh git chew a string an' yuh put it on each end of de stick an' yuh let it hang in dat runnin' watah, but don't sink, yuh see. Evah day yuh go dere, evah twenty-fo' hours, see, yuh go dere. When yuh go, yuh let down on dat, see. Yuh let it down evah time - evah twenty-fo' hours yuh go an' yuh let it down until de length of yore thread would give out, which would be about two feets of string dat yuh would have on each end of de stick. See. An' when dat thread give out, yuh see, yuh go an' yuh give de same party dat yuh got dere hair [twisted bow] you git dem, an' yuh carry 'em jis' about two blocks tuh dis runnin' watah. See. Well, when yuh carry dem de two blocks tuh dis runnin' watah where yuh got dere hair at - see, dey goin' tuh go wit chew all right, dey'll have good intentions. Dey'll go, but when dey git jis' about two blocks from dere, dey ain't goin' tuh go. Dis party, dey goin' tuh turn aroun' an' come back. See. Now, when dey come back, yuh know yuh got 'em den. Dey goin' tuh come back. Don't beg 'em, don't force 'em tuh go at all. If dey want tuh come back, let 'em come back, but dey goin' tuh come back dere own indi- vidual self. Dey'll come back demself tuh see what it's all about. Dey'll jis' have - yuh want tuh lead 'em tuh come back, see. An' dey'll go dere an' dey'll set. Set right dere an' dey goin' tuh wondah maybe fo' days an' days, jis' stay dere wit'out nuthin tuh eat or nuthin, maybe prob'ly sleep. People will be won- dahin' where dey at, wondahin' what's de mattah, tellin' 'em dey're makin' a tramp of yoreself an' all sech things as dat, but dey won't know what it's all about, see. But dey'll stay dere as long as dat hair is dere an' until he die. He would not move from dere - starve tuh death.
[I stop recording to ask a question or two, then start machine again.]
I'm got it on a stick.
(The little bow from the hat?)
Yes, I'm got it on a stick, see.
(What about the hair?)
I'm talkin' about de bow of hair - yuh see, de hair an' de bow.
(Talking about the hair and the bow?)
I'm got it wrapped up on de stick, yuh see. I'm got it wrapped up an' I'm got a hole in dere an' I'm got de stick. Yuh see here?
(Yes.)
I'm got dat stick 'tween dat dataway an' I've thread on each end of it - jis' about two [feet on each end].
(You've got hair in that bow?)
I'm got de hair in dere.
(Oh!)
Yes.
(And did you put a hole in the stick or did you split the stick?)
De stick is not split, I'm only got de stick. Yuh see like dis here ridge in mah fingah [demonstrates]. I'm got de stick. I only got a ridge [groove] jis' all de way round it dataway.
(I see.)
An' I'm got thread on each end of it. See [demonstrates], on each end I'm got jis' about two feets of thread - on each end of de stick. (And you hold the stick over the water and it swings? You hold it and it swings over the water?) Yes, jis' let it swing. But evah twenty-fo' hours, evah twenty-fo' hours, go dere an' lowah it down until de two yards - or rathah de fo' yards of thread is gived out. Undahstan' (I see. YOU HAVE THIS BOW WRAPPED AROUND THAT STICK THEN? THAT YOU LOWERED DOWN IN THE WATER?) Yes, sir.
(I see.)
[This informant is not lying, he has a confused mind - often from long addic- tion to alcohol. Versions of this rite - lowering or floating objects in running Water - occur elsewhere in HOODOO.]
Entry 4709
She likes yuh very much an' she wants tuh keep yuh. Well, she takes dat bow out see, an' she puts dat in a rag. She puts it in 'er mattress an' keeps it. She do dat in ordah tuh keep yuh. An' if yuh go away from 'er, evah time yuh go tuh go across watah, why it will cuz yore head tuh have an ache in yore head all de time. [That hat bow contains a part of the man's spirit and therefore his whole spirit (see HooDOO p.21). A spirit cannot cross water (see FACI, 2nd ed., p.754, and several places in HOODOO).l (If you go across water, you will get a headache; then, while she has this bow tied up in the mattress, you will come back to her.)
Entry 4710
Lotta things dey kin do wit dat, too. Dat little bow right in heah, right dere [demonstrates], dey kin take dat an' git chure sweat [in the bow]. Dey kin take dat, dat sweat, an' dey kin - git chew a little sack an' sew dat up in dere. An' take some moonshine likkah an' jis' keep dampened ovah - jis' wet it wit dat an' throw it away. An' dey tell me dat will run yuh crazy.
(Keep it dampened with moonshine liquor. And they throw it away?)
Throw it away.
(That makes you lose your mind.)
Entry 4711
She take de bow outa a man's hat an' she takes an' put it in a small bottle, yuh undahstan'. An' she take dat bottle, yuh undahstan', an' takes some whiskey an' po' in dere on it roun' about every month, see [feeding this hand - see p.578]. he'll jis' be worried aftah her all de time.
[HERE A BLACK PERSON CALLS A WHITE PERSON, "BOY."]
(What would she do with that bottle?)
Well, she'll take dat bottle up dere yuh know, an' she keep dat bottle an' feed it all de time.
Entry 4712
Take dat bow an' yuh git chew rock sulphur [a molded cake of sulphur] an' yo' git some spice, spice an' rock sulphur, an' powdah it up togethah, an' yuh sew it up intuh a bag an' yuh feed it on red whiskey [not white moonshine]. Tote it anywhere 'bout chew or pin it tuh yore clothes nex' tuh yore skin. Dat keep dem home, dey Won't go. [Brunswick, Ga., (1224), 2080:6.] [Perhaps most hoodoo believers would say that clothing is a substitute for the human body only if it contains sweat - it must be dirty. On the other hand there are cases of a clean garment being stolen from the clothesline (p.92, lines 5-12) because it has merely touched the human body.]
Entry 4713
Jis' lak yuh got a woman an' yuh can't stay wit 'er, an' if yuh got any dey clothes whut dey wear. If yuh kin git holt of any of 'em, dat sweat place undah yore arm, yuh undahstan', cut it out. An' take an' put it [a piece of his armpit and any of her clothes] in a box, a little match box, an' keep it in dere fo' 'bout - maybe 'bout a week [7 days]. Aftah a week, go away, yuh could feel a change in 'er. See, aftah yuh keep it in yore Pocket. Yuh gotta keep it in yore pocket though, an' yuh take it an' wear. An' aftah while yuh an' 'er became to love.
Entry 4714
She used it tuh bring 'er man back. Heah's whut she does. She eithah take a piece of undahshirt where he sweats undah heah, undah de lef' arm. An' she takes dat an' balls it up in a knot an' dress it wit Hearts Cologne an' buries it undah de step. An' usely [usually] he comes back.
Entry 4715
A guy cut a piece out of a woman's bloomahs, out de seat of it, an wear it on de left side [in armpit, see later] right down in his coat; an' wear it, an' nobody else couldn't be wit 'er but 'im. (You said before [while recording machine turned off] that he wore it under his left arm, didn't you?) Yessuh, den he wore it undah 'is lef' arm. An' nobody could be wit 'er but 'im.
Entry 4716
Take an' cut yore sleeve whut chew sweat undahneat' chure arms. She'll take dat an' she'll mix it wit 'er undahweah - yo' see, wit de seat of 'er undah- weah yo' know an' ties it up, see. An' she'll weah it, see. Dat's one way.
(To bring him back.)
He be worried about her all de time.
Entry 4717
(Tell me something about that.)
Dat little pocket?
(No, the other.)
Whenevah he go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er somepin, well he jis' put it undah 'is lef' arm heah. Let it hang down ovah it lak dat, an' keep it undah dere. Don't let nobody take it out till he git tuh 'er. When he git tuh 'er, he give it tuh 'er lak dat an' she'll lak 'im. She'll always lak 'im, always be wit 'im.
(Well, what would he buy her for example?)
Jis' anything - jis' some candy or stockings or anything she weah, jis' any- thing.
(But he must keep it under his left arm.)
Keep it undah 'is lef' arm, yeah.