Browse:Blacksnake Root (Volume 1, entries 1736–1738)
Blacksnake Root
Volume 1, entries 1736–1738. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1736
Ah went to a man fo' dat, too. He went an' gi' me a root - it wus a white bone. It wusn't a root, it wus a white bone. He give me a white bone whut chew call a blacksnake bone an' he said, "Yo' take dat bone an' yo' wrap it up in yore - put it in yore pocket an' tote dat bone." An' he say, "Fo' every nine mawnin's, yo' take some Hearts Cologne an' dip dat bone in it an' yo' have plenty of customers an' won't be worried. An' de law will come up an' yo' always know whut de law does." Ah taken dat bone an' kept hit until dat bone broke an' ah kept de bone on. An' he come back an' he give me anothah, an' he give me whut chew call a black- snake root de next time an' anothah bone. It's a little bone jes' about that long - jes' 'bout big as, whut yo' call a small little bone. Ah taken dat bone an' kept it an' de law come an' taken me. Dey come an' taken de jar of whiskey out de house an' dey tole me to meet co't. An' ah tole him ah didn't have no money, ah couldn't meet co't. He say, "Well, if yo' ain't got no money," says, "ah'll have tuh lock yo' up.' Say, '"But ah won't lock yo' up now." Said, "Go an' meet me up there next week." By de next week come, dat Sunday, ah taken de car an' went to anothah fellah an' he tole me - we went back to dis same fellah [first doctor], an' he said, "Well, '' says, "ah'm goin' fix yo' up." Says, "Then the only thing yo' kin do is jes' go outa town an' stay fo' three days an' come back an' he won't bother yo'." He give me that bone an' ah went outa town an' stayed three days, an' ah come back heah in town - dey had fo' cases against me an' dey laugh off ever' one.
Entry 1737
Yo' go to the woods an' git a piece of blacksnake root an' tie it up in a little hand'chief, put it in a cologne bottle and tote it in yore pocket three days and den take de bottle an' bury it. After three days yo' take it out chure pocket an' bury it under yore doorstep and dat will give you good luck. [Here is a buried hand.]
Entry 1738
Git a blacksnake root an' chew it lak chewin' chewin' gum an' if they were on dere way to yore home, dey would turn roun' an' nevah git there. (That would keep the law away if you were selling liquor or something of that sort?) Yes. [Here is one of several pieces of evidence that chew root (John de Conker) was originally a snakeroot.]