Browse:Broomstraw (Volume 1, entries 1758–1759)
Broomstraw
Volume 1, entries 1758–1759. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1758
In de 'bacca country, yo' heah of certain - yo' jes' have harm 'ginst 'em, yo' go out dere an' cross dem sticks [broonstraws] - take one dis way an' one de othah, cross 'em lak dat. An' if he [a worker] an' de boss- man is gittin' 'long purtty good an' yo' want him [worker] to leave, yo' or de othah man [worker] want [to influence] dis foreman, why he [you] lay de straws. An' if he [worker] step across 'em an' not knowin', well fo' de yeah is out he an' his bossman dey crossed up, yo' know, so bad he have tuh leave his home. Dat used a whole lot by de country peoples - gits far from one 'nothah. (He just takes these two broomstraws and crosses them out here in road for this fellow to walk over. You say that is used a good deal in the tobacco country?) Yessuh.
Entry 1759
Ah hear talk of that. Yo' kin work lawsuits with that even much. Take 'em an' tie 'em in de center - de broomstraws, dem short pieces. Yo' git a piece - Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft.- Rootwork - of shame brier root an' put in between dem straws, an' if yo' wanta come out ahead in anything lak dat, an' yo' got de broom straws, yo' tie 'em together. But yo' always lay it - if he killed an' yo' wanta win, yo' gotta come up higher. Dem othah joints gotta be shorter den yours. An' when yo' git 'em up dere high, yo'll be above, an' even yo' above dat shame brier root. Den yo' kin take de rattlesnake master or a piece of root of hit an' yo'll hold them right together, an' then yo'll tie nine knots in dat string an' yo' tie 'em well. An' then yo wrop it up. Yo'll fix them things an' yo'll tie 'em up. When yo' tie 'em up den yo'll wrop 'em up in a piece of red flannel an' yo' tie it up: An' all you have to do den whenevah yo' go, always, if yo' have to meet a lawsuit or anything, yo' put it in yore pocket an' yo' nevah have to be tried. Ah seen 'em work that.