Browse:CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE (Volume 3, entries 3110–3699)/Part 3
CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE
Volume 3, entries 3110–3699. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3270
A man kin take de piece of his - when he through wit 'er, he kin take dat piece an' tote it in 'is pocket an' wrap it up wit a silvah dime an' she won't have no othah man but 'im as long as he tote dat piece. (What piece is he going to tote with him?) De piece dat he use yo' know, when dey have intahco'se wit one anothah. He steal one of dose pieces an' put a silvah dime in dere.
(You mean what they wipe with?)
Yessuh.
Entry 3271
Well, when a man is runnin' aroun', yo' ask 'im fo' a silvah dime. He [does not] give yo' a silvah dime an' he gives yo' two nickels. Well, yo' know, [say], "oh! honey, ah don't want dis becuz ah don't want it aroun'." Or somepin lak dat. Give him some kinda story in ordah to git a silvah dime from 'im. Well, yo' takes a dime of yore own, go to de drug store or any store dat sells Hearts Cologne an' git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. Git chew a piece of white cotton, jes' enough to covah a dime. Den go wash out a jar, yo' know, a vaseline jar dat's large enough. Whenevah at night de man have intahco'se wit de woman, well he kin take [the cloth], or she rathah - it [cloth] be [at] de woman's side. Most mens take first but in [this case] a woman must take first. She takes dis cotton an' jes gits - jes' sodge [massage] it in dat, see. Fold it ovah dis dime an' drops it in de bottom of dis little glass jar. Den po's de Hearts Cologne ovah it [cloth] an' tighten it [jar] up tight, an' den set inside in de clothet. Or if a man, he kin do lak dat. He kin keep it in 'is pocket jes' in ordah where nobody won't see where - where she won't see it. Dat will keep 'im where he won't go out any mo'.
(How many dimes do you use, just the one or two?)
Jes' one, but when yo' see it's dryin' out, why yo' jes' renew it wit Hearts Cologne, dat's all. Den jes' massage it ovah ag'in an' use de Hearts Cologne.
predicted keeping a partner from going out after a concealed preparation. No verified control These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 2376) · Read full source (printed page 2377)
Entry 3272
If yo' have a man an' he don't give yo' money lak he should, yo' buy yo's a bran'-new pocket han'schuff an' yo's fool wit 'im when yo' use him an' have a intahco'se an' yo' take de pocket han'- schuff an' put a silvah quatah in de pocket han'- schuff. Fold de pocket han'schuff to yo' - lay it in dere an' fold de pocket han'schuff to yo' an' weah it in de shoe, an' he kin be mean to yo' but he'll give yo' his money.
(You wear that in either shoe?)
Eithah shoe, it don't make any diff'rence.
Entry 3273
Ef anybody git connected wit 'is wife, he git a snakeshed an' he'll consult [advise] 'is wife befo' leavin'. Tell 'er to be nice an' evahthin whilst he's gone. He say, "Now ef yo' do enythin' ah'm goin' ketchuh." Well, he go ketch 'im a - he'll do dis befo' he goes - he go an' git 'im one dose dry snakeshed, an' he take a bottle an' he take de top out of it an' he takes de snakeshed by de mouth lak dat an' it go right dere an' it go down in de bottle [demonstrates].
[I describe informant's actions.]
(Then he would let the snake[shed] go round [in] the bottle. And snake vill twirl around, twist around [in] it.) Yeah, it will go dis way [demonstrates], jes' lak dat, till it gits all de snakeshed in dere. Den he'll put whiskey on dat snakeshed [feeding the splrit in this hand, see p.578], an' dat night befo' he goes away or dat day befo' he goes away, he will have communication wit 'is wife. Well, he will brush 'er wit dat whiskey - he'd wash hisself in it [snakeshed whiskey] befo' he coumunicate wit 'er an' it stick to her. [HERE WE HAVE THE OLD THEME OF A SNAKE OR A DRAGON GUARDING TREASURE - Pafner in Wagner's opera Siegfried immediately comes.to mind. Uninspired and lowly ex- amples will be found in HOODOO: p.112, line 34; p.118, line 28; p.122, line 52; p.123, line 9; etc. For Whiskey fed to spirits, see: 77, p.32; p.123, lines 2-5; etc.] Whenevah she has anythin' to do wit dis [other] man - have anythin' to do wit dis man - dat snake will ketch 'im, in fack [fact] it 'most [almost] tie dem. Ah know dat. Het'll fasten 'im tight, so dey can't git away. (Is there anything they can do to get them apart? How would they get them apart then?) Git a piece - git a hunderd pounds of ice an' put dat between 'em in de back an' let it stay at 'is back, ah think it's two hours, an' remove de ice [from] dere an' put it right 'tween 'em. Freeze 'em.
Entry 3274
Yo' [a woman] kin take a man's socks an', yo' know, have intahco'se wit 'im an' wipe 'im wit dat sock. An' take it an' put it in de bottom of a trunk or some place secret, an' he nevah will leave her. Ah know about dat. A man kin take a woman's stockin' an' do de same thin' wit it
[wipe with it and then] take an' drive it down - yo' know, take a stahb [stake]
an' drive it [stocking] down in de ground an' she nevah will quit 'im.
(Well, what does he do with that - the woman"s stocking?)
He takes de woman's stockin' an' do dat - yo' know, use jes' lak yo' usin' a cloth an' wipe wit it.
(Himself or her?)
Either one - himself, wipe wit it yo' know, unbeknownst to her.
Entry 3275
[Ah] broke up a man an' 'is wife.
(Tell me the whole story.)
How ah did it?
(Yes.)
Well, de reason ah'd taken a min' tuh do it, she messed wit a man of mine, an' 'er husban' wus away [in the army]. Durin' de time when dey got bonus [World War I] he come back. An' ah started goin' wit 'im. She start- ed runnin' roun' fo' tuh 'rest [arrest] me - put me in jail. Ah wus workin' fo' de law durin' de time [she was working in jail]. Well, ah jes' put in de ticket. Den aftah she made me pay a fine. An' ah would take 'im off an' ah would buy thin's fo' him. Ah would give 'im GON'A BLOW ON JUDGMENT DAY. Ah'd do anythin' in de worl' dat he'd ast me tuh do an' dat he didn't ast me tuh do. Well, ah jes' gained love wit 'im. Ah didn't stop 'im. Den ah told 'im to go tell 'er dat he didn't wanta take me up den, an' tell 'er dat he didn't wanta right befo' mah face. Well, he did. Dat was cold blood on gen'ral principles. Dat wus nuthin, jes' lak witchcraft fo' money. But dat wus jes' cold-blooded. But if ah hada done it [retaliated] ah woulda [here is what I could have done]: Ah'd have taken a string an' measured 'im an' tied nine knots in it an' wore it roun' mah waist an' he couldn'ta have nuthin to done wit 'er tuh save his life. He woulda had tuh go wit me. If ah couldn'ta got In gen'ral principles, ah knowed whut ah could git 'im wit. Why ah coulda took a snail - yo've seen dose snails. Yo' kin take a snail an' break de shell, break 'em in yore han', an' wipe de man down [wiping down is a magic rite] wit it an' he can't have nuthin tuh do wit nobody but chew. Yo' kin spit three times in a glass of watah an' give him tuh drink an' he can't have no love fo' nobody but chew. Dat'll break up a man an' a woman quick- ah den anythin'. WHY DESE WHITE PEOPLE WHUT RAISED ME, A WHITE WOMAN BROKE UP 'IM AN' 'IS WIFE DE SAME WAY. AH SAW WHEN SHE DID IT. SHE'D TAKEN DE DIRT OUT FROM UNDAH HUH FINGAHNAILS AN' SHE CUT 'EM.: SHE PUT IT IN DAT GLASS OF WATAH AN' SHE SPIT THREB TIMES IN IT, an' she carried it to Mr. H. D. [name in original mamuscript]. He wus in de bed sick down heah at OOO Teaboe [Thibault?] [address In origlnal manu- SCript]. SHE CARRIED IT TO HIM TO DRINK. HIS WIFE WUS SICK IN DE HOSPITAL, AN' WHEN 'IS WIFE COME OUT, HE DIDN'T PAY HER NO MO' 'TENTION DEN HE DID HE - AN' AH WUS A NIGGAH. He's wit dis woman in Miaml now - married. Daisy B. [last nane in original manuscript]. He sent 'er to de south. [Notice that informant of Georgia calls Miami de south.]
Entry 3276
I know anothah remedy, would stop 'im. I'll take a knife or fork an' go to bed an' he'll tell me, he say, "Come on, let's give a piece." But I say, "I don't feel lak it." I feel bad or somepin. He'll start to fussin'. I'll get up an' I go get me a fork dat yo' eat wit. I take dat fork an' I place it right back here in my back, an I lay down on it. When he get ready to go wit me, when he get right dere, he gona fall - fall. Dat fork, de way I've got dat fork, I've got dat fork stickin' de point towards mah head. But I'm layin' down right here - yo' see, right in dere [demonstrates].
(In the hollow of your back?)
In de hollah of mah back. So, he can't raise no heart. He'll have one when he git ready to go dere, but he won't - he can't put it in, he'll go fall evah time.
Entry 3277
Sech as, yo' know, havin' a intahco'se wit a man - yo' know, yo' wanta keep 'im an' have 'im tuh bring all 'is money home lak dat. Yo' have a intah- co'se wit 'im. Yo' git some brown sugah, yo' know, an' put it up lak yo's goin' take a douche. Yeah, put it up yo'self, yo' see. Jis' lak yo' goin' have him dat night, why yo'd put it up dat evenin', yo' see. An' den yo'd have Intahco'se wit 'im dat night.
(What will that do then?)
Dat would make him bring all 'is money home. But yo'd have tuh use dat as often as yo' have him, see. If yo'd have him twicet a week, yo'd have to do dat twicet a week.
(You put this powdered sugar itself?)
Yes - no, dis gradulated [granulated] brown sugah - don't mix it wit nuthin. Jis' take yore fingah, yo' see, an' run as fur as yo' kin up yo'. [SHE USES BROWN SUGAR BECAUSE: fo' colored [[person]] yo' git brown; an' white [[person]] yo' git white sugah, says Nahnee, a master of color symbolism, p.1351, line 22.]
Entry 3278
Dey says dat a woman kin keep a man. Whenevah dis man be wit 'er, she'll take one dese little six-pound sugah sacks whut dey taken sugah out of an' wipe herself wit dat sugah bag. An' den put it up ovah dis man's haid, up in a place ovah his haid, jes' anywhere jes' behin' dis man's haid, an' dat will git rid of 'is nature [for other women].
Entry 3279
Den yo' kin take anothah woman if yo' wanta make her love yo' - yo' see, yo' kin have dealin's wit 'er. In othah words, yo' wear yore hanscuff roun' yore neck all day long an' let it git good an' sweaty. An' when it git good an' sweaty, an' den yo' have dealin's wit dis woman, yo' take dat hanscuff an' wipe. An' den yo' take some watah an' yo' put dat hanscuff down in de watah an' squeeze it out. An' den yo' put dat in a bottle an' keep it in yore pocket all de time, an' she'll come to love yo' an' she wouldn't have no dealings wit no one else. See, all of dem t'ings [things] ah have, yo' know, sperienced [experienced] it - ah done it mahself.
(This handkerchief you use to wipe both yourself and her?)
Yourself an' her, an' den yo' put it in some water an' den you squeeze dat water out.
Entry 3280
[Three ingredients is only one of many groups of 3's in the text (pp.651-654 and elsewhere). Blackjack received it's name from the black bark of the common oak Quercus marilandica. Palmetto in the present case are the scrubby palm plants one sees in the coastal lowlands from North Carolina down into Florida. Turpentine weed can be one of several plants having an actual or a fancied odor of turpentine.] [To] fix dat up to keep de mens away from dere [his wife or woman] he'd go out in de woods an' he'd git 'im - jis' ast anybody, any of dem ole people. Dey tel] 'im right, yo' know, right where to git dat, dem kinda roots at. Yo' take a blackjack root - get de blackjack root an' a he palmetto root an' some of dis 'tentime [turpentine] weeds. Dey got some weed dey call de 'tentime weeds. An' yo' mix dat up, yo' understan', an' put it on yore private see, an' let it dry.
(You mean, you just mix the leaves up, themselves?)
Yes, jis' take nuthin but de leaves, see.
(You don't boil them, you just mix the leaves up?)
Mix de weeds [leaves] up, yo' undahstan'.: See, it'll come wit juice all ovah it. An' mix 'em up, put 'em on yore private, see, an' let it dry. Don't wash it off. An' go wit yore wife, yo' undahstan', an' go ahead on out dere an' work where yo' wanta work at. Evah time a man git ready to go wit yore wife - dey won't have it, but he'll get on her, yo' undahstan'. Well, he'll jis' straddle her an' 'is thing will fall - he can't have her.
Entry 3281
To keep a man away from yore wife, yo' git yore wife's undahshirt - see, like yo' goin' to leave [town]. Yo' git de sweat of 'er shirt. Yo' take de shirt an' yo' wrap dis shirt up an' carry it wit yo'. See, yo' carry dis shirt wit yo'. Yo' take it an' make a package wit it. Undah- stan'? An' yo' take yo' some sugah an' cinna- mon an' oil of clovah [3 ingredients], yo' see, an' yo' mix it up in dat. An yo' put dat in dat package, an' when yo' sleepin' yo' sleep on dat. An' ah bet yo' she won't worry 'bout no man, while yo' are gone.
Entry 3282
If yo' wanta be wit a woman a long time, yo' kin place it undah yore tongue an' dere nuthin she kin do. She jes' have a fit den an' yo' jes' continue tuh stay dere an' she can't make yo' [come], nuthin lak dat. (What kind of quicksilver do you mean? The silver paper that comes around tobacco like that - that kind of quicksilver? Or do you mean that liquid quicksilver?) Nosuh [not the liquid but] de silvah dat be roun' a cigarette package. Take it an' fold it an' put undah yore tongue. Yassuh [yes sir] up undah yore tongue. Jes' lak if yo' had a woman an' yo' wouldn't be satisfied up undah dere an' yo' still stay dere. [The preceding word guicksilver is one of numerous examples showing that I am merely repeating a word used by informant before recording began. Usually I try by question or other means to induce informant to repeat key word or idea lost in retelling part of rite.]
Entry 3283
Take 'is undahweah if he's runnin' roun' or anythin'. Take it an' run it through yore laigs three times an' den he can't have no connection wit no othah woman an' he'll stop runnin' roun'. (You run it through your legs?) Yeah, run it through yore laigs three times.
Entry 3284
Take his come [semen] an' put it in a 'bacca [tobacco] sack an' throw it up undah de house, an' he can't have nuthin tuh do wit no othah woman but 'er.
Entry 3285
She gotta go where he's at.
(Yes?)
[My (Yes?) means informant hesitated.]
Well, she's gotta have connection wit dis man. She gits dis [his] what-cha- call-it an' hers, an' be sure hit's gotta be a bran'-new han'chief or bran'-new cloth. An' she takes dat an' she puts sugah in an' cinnamon an' powdah [3 ingredients], an' put dat in a box an' she keep it all de time, weah it aroun' in 'er pocketbook or in 'er pocket. Don't let nobody put dere han's on it. An' he's comin' back.
(What kind of powder did you say she put in there?)
Sugah. [Informant probably misunderstood me. It would have been some kind of love powder.]
(What did she put the powder in?)
In a box. (End of 884 and end of my work in New Orleans, La. So-so. I'll try to get out tonight on the train [for New York City].) [Within the parenthesis I am speaking to the Telediphone. That So-so had to mean I had had a tremendous ex- perience: first my wife and I alone about the city, and after her departure, the hoodoo field work. I would return to New Orleans later.]
Entry 3286
Yo' kin have a' intahco'se wit a woman. A woman if she wants to, she kin have a' intahco'se wit yo' an' whenevah yo' go 'head, yo' know, an' she kin ketch some of it an' take it an' put it in a rag or sompin, an' go tuh any kinda tree an' cut a notch an' bury it in dere, an' close it up, said dat chew cain't rise fo' nobody but 'er.
Entry 3287
An' den if yo' wanta git a woman, or anybody in de family, why yo' kin a - de rag dat dey use, de towel rathah, an' go in de woods an' bo' a augah hole in a hick'ry tree an' put it in dere, an' stop it tight an' drive a peg in it tight, an' dat 11 carry 'em away.
(What did you put in that hole?)
De towel dat dey use.
(After they have been together?)
Dat's it, aftah dey have been togethah. Jes' a hole in a hick'ry tree jes' about one inch an' stop it up in dere tight, an' drive it in dere tight.
(What will that do?)
Dat will perish 'em away.
(Do you mean that monthly rag the woman has?)
No, de one whut dey use aftah dey git through.
(The one that she has wiped with?)
Yessuh.
Entry 3288
Yo' kin go to a tree where de lightnin' struck an' if yo' have intah- co'se wit a man, yo' kin take an' stop it up an' he won't nevah have no mo' intahco' se wit no othah woman. (Where do you stop this up?) Jes' lak yo' use a rag or sompin, tear it all tuh pieces an' take a nail an' nail it up ovah de tree.
(In this tree that was struck by lightning?)
No, he won' nevah have anybody.
[Answer to my ignored question is yes.]
Entry 3289
Well, dere was a woman her husban' used to run around quite a bit an' she couldn't understand it, see. Otherwise - yo' know some men jes' can't git enough trimmin'. Yo' see, every time yo' see 'em, jes' wanta go, wanta run, yo' see. An' so, ah don't know, some wimmin jes' can't take it [husband run- ning about] as much as others, an' someone advised dis woman tuh go down town an' buy whut chew call a new flannel rag or something, yo' see; an' so aftah yo' finish, jes' take an' wipe him off wit dis new rag, an' he can't have any desire fo' any othah woman, yo' see. He jes' can't raise heart fo' any othah woman, only fo' dis woman.
(Well, what did she do with that rag?)
She didn't do anything special wit it, only she jes' wiped him off - jes' wipe him off wit a new rag, flannel or something. Jes' wipe him off whenevah he git finish - jes' wipe him off an' dat would jes' absolutely keep him away from othah wimmin. Ah know dis woman. Her husband jes' didn't - ah don' know, aftah he married dis woman he jes' lost affection. In other words, while he wus goin' wit her, he wus jes' merely - it wus infatuation, an' aftah he married her he wanted tuh leave her. Dis woman bought some steak fo' him an' befo' she fried de steak, she took dis steak an' pulled it between her laigs an' den fried it fo' him, an' he thought it, no doubt - he thought no doubt it was de best steak he evah had in his life. An' so yo' know she didn't nevah have no mo' trouble after that.
(They call it trimming?)
Yes - yo' know lak in different sections of de country - trimmin', dey call it trimmin' down heah. (They call it trimming like trimming a stick [a piece of lumber]. Othahwise, intercoursin', yo' know. People have different names for it in different sections of the country.
(What about the egg8 in connection with that?)
Well, no mo' than maybe yo' jes' [take] certain eggs an' fix 'em in certain things. It will jes' maybe give yo' mo' energy. [Eggs here are believed to be an aphrodisiac - perhaps one of a nourishing meal.1 [At the end of informant's brief interview - he did not know much about the material I wanted - I speak to my Telediphone: "(This man in here,1389, is a school teacher. School is over now and he is going to work for us.)".]
Entry 3290
Now yo' take a woman, she'll take a man's nature dataway. She'll go to work - jes' lak yo' fool wit a woman. Well, now when yo' gits through fool- in' wit 'er, she'll take a piece of 'er undahwear an' wipe dis man wit it. Well, aftah she wipe him wit it, she'll take it den an she'll carry it, fold it up an' she'll put it undah 'er bed laig. Well, now she'll keep it in a secret place where nobody passes. Well, as long as hit dataway, she keep it dataway, he can't have no nature fo' nobody regard- less, but 'er.
Entry 3291
[Wal, yo' kin take yore undahclothes whut chew weah, yore bloomahs [for example], an' when yo' have intahco'se wit 'im yo' kin use dat. Wipe wit yore bloomahs an' put it undah de haid of yore baid, an' where yo' sleep - see, yore haid be layin' on dat. He can't have nuthin to do wit no one else but chew.
(You have that hidden so that he can't see it?)
Yeah, have it undah de mattress an' see, yo' lay on dat.
Entry 3292
An' if a woman wants tuh trick a man dat way, she takes at de time dat dey have finished, takes 'er slip an' cleans dis man - cleans 'im an' wear dat slip, an' he won' be able to have anythin' else to do wit anybody.
(Where does she wear the slip?)
Undah - jes' lak she wear it any othah time.
Entry 3293
Yo' take de dirty socks an' de dirty undahwear an' wash 'em, an' take dat watah an' put it in an airtight containah [usually a bottle] wit dere name an' seal it up, an' it makes a man lose nature fer any othah woman except de person dat put it dere.
Entry 3294
All right, if a woman or man - if it's anybody wit dere chamber lye, jes' lak yo' go tuh bed, well, she ain't goin' urinate at all in dat bucket, but he don' know no bettah, see. Well, she goin' put dat chamber lye in a little bottle. Dis is anothah thin' dat yo' can't raise no heart fo' nary [negative form of ary] 'nothah [inter- esting double negative] woman but de one dat's doin' dat. Take dat chamber lye an' put it in a bottle jes' about dat large [demon- strates], jes' enough not tuh feel it in de pillah or mattress. But place it on 'is side, see. Now he can't go out wit no othah woman - nuthin, no satis- faction at all.
Entry 3295
Yo' kin take a man's chamber lye - jes' lak mah husban' goin' wit dis woman ovah heah, an' make him sevah [sever] of de woman. Yo' take dat chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle an' he can go wit me an' nobody else. Yo've got 'im right dere [in the bottle] - he can't do nuthin'.
Entry 3296
Put 'em in a bottle an' stop 'em up an' put it down in de groun'. Dat kill yo' manhood.
(What do you mean kill my manhood?)
Yo' couldn't go nowhere near 'er. (I see - if they do that with my water, my urine.
Entry 3297
(What does she do with that urine then?)
I've heard of 'em gittin' a hold of de urine. She take it from de man dat she wanta git in dat stage [state] an' he [does not] belong to any othah woman ex- ceptin' 'er. She take it an' corks it into - put a few drops of watah, ah don't know zakly [exactly] how much, an' cork it into a bottle an' put it where yo' kin walk ovah it [this keeping man under her feet]. Some people says it is nes'ary [necessary] to have somepin else dere, but it isn't nes'ary to have more dan jes' de urine. Cork it up tight an' put it in 'tween de mattress or undah de do'step - anywhere dat chew walk ovah it. An' as long as dat bottle is corked up, yo' [the man] can't have no intahco'se wit any othah woman excep' 'er.
Entry 3298
By takin' 'is chamber lye an' takin' an' corkin' it up an' carryin' it off an' buryin' it, dat will take his nature 'way, see.
Entry 3299
She kin take a quart bottle an' she kin take jes' lak 'is chamber lye, she kin take dat an' stop it up in a quart bottle an' bury it about a foot down in de ground anywhere, jes' anywhere roun' de house, anywhere lak dat, an' 'is nature will go away.
Entry 3300
Dey say jes' lak ef ah wanta a woman tuh love me, well ah gits some of 'er chamber lye an' puts it into a bottle, see, an' stop it airtight an' put it somewhere in de house dere into de bed mattress or sompin lak dat. Well, ah could keep 'er from messin' wit anybody else.
Entry 3301
Take dat chamber lye an' bottle it up an' cause sompin bad tuh happen tuh yore bladdah. [I have indexed this rite here on the assumption that bladder trouble caused by witchcraft would in some way impair sexual potency.]
Entry 3302
She kin take some of 'is uri- nate an' stop it up in a bottle, yo' know, an' set it undahneath 'er bed fo' three days. Aftah dat she take it out from underneath de bed an' boil it. An' den she cut 'im off from othah women.
Entry 3303
Yes, dat's to stop '血, yo' see. Dat's how a man an' wife are fastened like dat - like I had a husban' an' he keeps runnin' aroun' wit diff'ren' women. Well, I'd git 'is watah an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up, turn it upside down. Well, he couldn't make connection wit no othah woman.
(I see, as long as you got that bottle.)
Take dat bottle an' turn it upside down.
Entry 3304
Like, say fer instance, I'm livin' here. I have a wife here. I'm a fellow, I'm accustomed to gittin' up at night an' urine in de night jug. Now, dis: woman wants to - she don't want to kill me or nuthin like dat. She jes wants to harm me so dat she could keep me. Now, she'll take dat, dat urine - see, it mustn't be no watah. She'll take dat urine an' she'll put dat into a quart bottle. She'll put needles into dat. She'll stand it up on de head, anywhere in a cornah. It must be in a cornah so dat yo' can't see it. An' she'll have yo' so dat yo' can't be wit anyone else but 'er. If yo' go to be wit any othah womean, yo' can't do it. Yo' gotta be wit 'er.
Entry 3305
Dey could git ahold [a hold] of yore chamber lye an' could stop it up in a dark bottle, yo' know, an' put nine nails in it, lak dat, an' keep it turned up on de head, an' quite natchly [naturally] dat would hurt yo', yo' know.
(Well, how would it hurt you?)
Well it could stop yo' from makin' watah. It would give yo' pains or things lak dat.
(I see. What kind of a bottle did you say you have to keep it in?)
Keep it in, you know, lak a beer bottle - dark bottle, any kinda dark bottle.
(It wouldn't do any good to put it in a white bottle, would it?)
No. Yo' would have to put it in de cornah of de house some place, in a dark place yo' know, an' turn it up. Dat will stop yo' from makin' watah an' keep yo' painin' [hindering sexual potency].
Entry 3306
She kin take a man's watah. (Take a man's urine.) Dat's right, an' stop it up in a bottle an' if he goes off from 'er, she kin shake it up - his own urine - he'll fall [his courage will] an' come on home.
Entry 3307
Well, dey'll take dey chamber lye, so dey say, an' dey'll put dragon's blood in it, nine drops. Dey'll put nine pins in it wit de points [up]. Dey'll drop de heads down in dere, an' nine goldeye needles. Den dey'll take dat, dat'll keep a man from havin' intahco'se wit any othah woman but de one dat does it, see.
(The woman who does this.)
De one who does dis. She kin take up de bottle, so she says, an' shake it an' anywhere's he is, he's comin'. If he see death in front of him, he can' [can't] prevent from comin'.
Entry 3308
In othah words, if dis mah wife or mah girl fren', if she want me tuh have her an' nobody else, she take mah watah an' 'er watah togethah an' put so much of hers an' so much of his'n [a change from first to third person] - put it in a bottle an' stop it up tight an' bury. He couldn't raise a heart fo' nobody else but 'er.
Entry 3309
In othah words, see, jes' if yo' got a woman an' yo' an' 'er - yo would like her, yo' undahstan'. Yo' would like dis woman an' yo' couldn't do nuthin in de world, yo' undahstan', to keep dis woman. But here what you'd do. Yo'll take dis woman an', yo' know, fool aroun' wit 'er, yo' see, an' you'll - jes' like yo'll discharge, de man'll discharge, eithah one of 'em [it depends upon which one wants to hold the other]. She take, yo' know, an' [keep it] herself. [Here informant changes from man to woman.] Den she takes a rag an' go off an' strap it down in a bowl, yo' undahstan'. Den she won't dis- charge wit it, yo' undahstan'. [I don't understand.] [This belief of hoodoo makes a woman into a sort of man, a lesser one at that. I have mentioned this problem several times in HOODOO.] An' aftahwards, she jes' take it an' go back an' urinate ovah herself, yo' see, [I mean] ovah hit [man's rag]. Den, aftah dat she take it [with him and her in the rag] an' rinse it out an' wash it, see. Well aftah she rinse it out an' wash it out, she take some of it an' put it down in a bottle, see. An' den when she stop it up, yo' [man] go where yo' want, yo' won't wanta see no othah woman in de world but her, yo' see.
(How can a man get rid of that?)
Well de way I get rid of dat, be jes' a-continue on - keep 'er.
Entry 3310
If it's 'is wife, he natch'ly [naturally] takes de nature of 'is ife away from 'er for anybody but 'imself. An' de way he would do dat, [is] when he has intahco'se wit 'is wife. He buy a bran'-new piece of domestic an' he doesn't use it 'imself, he lets 'er use it aftah dey're finished. An' he has a slop jar washed clean an' see dat he don't use it at all. He waits an lets 'er use it. He won't use it. Den he takes dat urine an' pours it in a fruit jar, an' he puts dat cloth, dat domestic dat dey use, in dere wit 'er urine. An' get a rubbah, put on dat jar an' seal it up tight. An' as long as no air strikes it, she has no nature but for de one dat put dat in dat jar. [Hemphis, Tenn., (973), 1575:4.]
Entry 3311
Dey takes dat chamber lye, yeah, from a man or coman, don make any diff'rent. Dey tell me - jes' lak ah got a wife an' ah vanta take her courage down offa her fo' anybodys else but me, an' ah git 'er urine an' stop it uP. Take a piece of 'er garment dat she wears nex' to her skin - see, make no diff'rent if it 'er stockin' or 'er drawahs or whatsomevah it may be. An' yo' burn dat, see. Yo' burn dat anywhere so yo' kin git de ashes. Well, yo' po' dat into dat chamber lye an' stop it jes' as tight as yo' kin stop it, an' yo' stop 'er courage right dere until yo' git ready fo' her. Den yo' holds 'er dere until yo' git ready to turn 'er loose, so she can't have any othah mans. She might try to an' would do it, but it wouldn' do her any - she would [not] find any result of it.
(What do you put her chamber lye in?)
In a bottle. Put dat burnin' [burned] stuff [ashes] - set it anywheres in de house commonly.
Entry 3312
Heard 'em say dey would use a simple little piece on dere shirt, yo' know, roun' by de tail of 'is shirt [near privates]. Yuh takes it an' dress it an' wear it de back of 'er shoes. (How would she dress that?) Dey tell me she dresses it wit some of 'er chamber lye, yo' know, fo' othah womens.
(What shoe does she wear that in, both shoes?)
She wears it in her left one.
Entry 3313
Now, yo' kin take dis heah man havin'a intahco'se wit a woman. Well, she wanta make him be so dat he won't have no one else but 'er. She kin take his socks an' take it an' git some of 'is watah an' mix it. An' she take his sock an' put it in dere, wad it in dere. An' when he gits 'sleep at night she take an' rub - rub 'is thing wit dat sock an' he can't have no intahco'se wit no one but 'er.
(Use either sock?)
Eithah sock - take ary [either] one of 'is socks.
(Does she rub it any particular way?)
[Informant does not understand my question and evidently does not know.]
Put it in dat chambah watah an' let it stay in dere three days. She take it out an' she put some Hearts Cologne on it an' vinegar. An' she take it when he sleep at night an' she rub it on 'im, rub it on 'is private. Dat'll gain 'im. When he put de sock back on, he can't have no one but 'er.
Entry 3314
An' den I've heard dat yo' go an' yo' git ten-penny nails an' a piece- I'M ASHAMED TO TALK.
(YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD, I'VE HEARD ALL THAT.)
Red flannen, piece of red flannen an' den dey get a piece of dis ah - ah dis root choo call...
[A long pause.]
(What?)
John de Conkah. Gits a piece of dis John de Conkah root an' yo' puts dat in dere an' den dey gits a piece - den if yo' kin git yore husban' when yo' have connection wit yore hus- ban', git a piece of towel an' yo' put 'em undahneath de steps an' den yo' throw - dey say yo' 'throw chamber lye undahneath dere fer nine mawnin's, see. An' on de ninth mawnin', if dat man's gone, dat man will be comin' back fast.
(Now, you do this after that bottle has been there nine days?)
No, yo' put dat dere - no, dat ain't got nuthin to do wit de bottle.
(Oh! this is something different, I see.)
It's somethin' diff'rent. (You put this John de Conker and that other stuff [semen] in this piece of red cloth, and put that under the step for nine days. And the nails in there?) Uh-huh, an' den yo' put 'em undahneath de steps, see. An' dan yo' take de chamber lye - yo' [this] suppose to be done so nobody see it, nobody kin see yo 'tall [at all], an' yo' throw it dere fo' nine mawnin's, nine straight maunin's. See now?
Entry 3315
Well, if a person wanted to trick yo' some way in de chamber lye. All right, yo' have to eithah ketch dere natchal [natural] chamber lye or either ketch where dey put de chamber lye at. It's lak if he go out dere an' he let it on de ground some place it will always leaves a little hole in de ground. Well, yo' prob'bly take a pocketknife or sompin an' cut dat hole out. Den yo' take itan punch it into a bottle, an' yo' take aftah yo' punch it into dat bottle, yo' git some John de Conkah root an' yo' put dat John de Conkah root in dat bottle an' stop it up. Den yo' walk fo' steps farwards, eight steps backwards, an' turn facin' to de watah stream, an' walk to de watah stream an' throw it in dere. Dat's de last of yo'.
(Well, just what would that do to me?)
It will take yo' courage clean from yo'. Yo' wouldn't have any courage fo' no woman whatevah, no mo', long as yo' live on land. No doctors kin bring it back, unlessen. (These steps forwards and backwards, do you do that before you go down to the running water? Or do you go down to the running water to do those?) Yo' go to de runnin' watah, an' den, aftah yo' git to de runnin' watah, yo make - jes' close enough fo' yo' to throw it in. Yo' make three [four] steps backwards, den eight steps farwards [informant inverts or transposes number of steps] an' den throw yo' bottle ovahbo'd.
Entry 3316
Yo' kin take a man's pitchure, his photo, an' yo' put it in de bottom of de slop bucket, an' yo' let 'em wet on it an' yo' wet on it. Dey say dat will [tie 'em up].
(Tie them up?)
Yeah, tie dem up. (You mean - suppose a woman will take a man's photo or picture and she'll put it in the bottom of the slop bucket?) Yeah, turn it bottomside upwards.
(And she'll let him wet on it, and then she will wet on it?)
Den she wet on it. (And that will tie whom up? This man and this other woman? Or this man and the woman who does it?) Yeah - no, dis man an' de othah woman. Not 'er [the woman who does it]. De Dan an' de othah woman. (If she wants to catch him and some other woman. A wife would do that. So he goes to some other woman and she catches him.) Yeah, so she ketch 'im ovah dere.
Entry 3317
Well, it's jes' like I'm got a woman here an' I ain't home daytimes, an' I'd urinate in a glass or anythin' an' put it undah de bed. Well, she would- n't use dat watah at all. She'd git up de nex' mawnin' aftah I leave. She'd take dat watah an' she'd put it in a bottle. She write my name nine times on a piece of papah an' take two needles an' cross 'em, an' drop it down in dat watah an' stop dat - stop it up tight an' bury it, see. Now, when she bury dat, I cannot have no connection wit no othah woman but 'er. Yo' see. She's got me tied up, yo' see.
Entry 3318
If a man or a woman wants tuh stop yo' from runnin' aftah anothah woman, she git chure urinate watah an' bottle it up, an' she'll take a auger an' bo' a hole in a tree [put the bottle in and stop it up]. It'll kill yore courage fo'evah. Yo' nevah have no nature - yo' wouldn't have any fo' her or nobody else.
Entry 3319
[The letter V like the equilateral triangle has three points or corners and both are magic shapes or forms in hoodoo. Usually the equilateral triangle signifies the Trinity - three sides, each equal - but originally and like the letter V it was a sign of the mons veneris. That such was the case can be substantiated by much historical evidence as well as the following rite: l A woman kin take a man's shirt, if she gon'a wash it fer Befo' she wash dis piece, she would fold de end of de shirt - de part dat hangs close to de front part of it. Fold it right near a V-shape [to fit mons veneris] as she can an' cut it off, an' dis man will be her slave. She supposed to wear dat piece of cloth on her body. Take it an' put in somepin an' tie roun 'er body nex' to her skin.
Entry 3320
Jes' lak yo' an' 'er havin' intahco'se, an' when yo' git through, jes' take a new pocket handkerchief, yo' undahstan' an'dry off wit it, an' yo' take an' fold it up in some little small piece an' put it where dere can't no one step ovah it.
(What does that do?)
Well, yo' kin rule 'em - jest handle 'em any way yo' want 'em. (You mean you use that handkerchief in wiping her.)
Entry 3321
Yo' take dis Lysol, dat whut woman douches [with].
(From the drug store, Lysol?)
Yes. De woman - now if a woman fix it up, she put a teaspoonful of it in a quart of watah an' douchin' wit it. Well, yo' [a man, if you can obtain this water] kin take dat watah an' carry it to a herb man. Well, he kin fix it so she can't fool wit nobody but chew. [Lysol is a trademark name for a solution of cresols in soap used as a disinfectant and antiseptic.]
Entry 3322
A man an' woman can't git along togethah an' he can't have sexual in- tahco'se like he wants to wit 'er, [the reason] is becuz some othah man is got 'er mind along wit 'im. An' de way she do to hold dat good husban' at home, she'll go to work an' have it wit 'il, intah- co'se wit 'er husban', an' she'll take dat rag an' go an' bury it undah de leaks of de house where de watah falls off de top, an' dat cuts 'im down wit any othah woman, an' she kin go have all she want wit de othah man.
Entry 3323
If yo' have a spigot - lak yo' got a spigot out in de yard, a hydrant or a pump, or a well, she do yo' dis way. She take dis heah same pocket han'ker- chuf or towel, she dry yo' off, jes' lak dat - damp it. All right, she fold it an' stick it in undah de bed lak dat. An' yo'll go ahead. Now, she'll take dat, aftah yore gone, she'll take dat thing long as it rolled up an' fresh an' wet, take dat thing an' go tuh dat hydrant, or spigot, or well, where yore watah hits de ground. Where it hits de ground dere a moist place dere all de time. Take dat thing an' bury it down in de ground, right down dere jes' lak dat. Dig a hole an' bury it right down udah dat watah. An' as long, undahstan', [as] dat watah hittin' dat rag dere, untll hit rot - co'se dat will rot in a yeah or two - yo' ain't no mo' good fo' nobody but 'er.
Entry 3324
I know a lady dat wus livin' wit 'er husban', dey were livin' very comfortable. An' he came in contact wit anothah lady, an' on evah Sundah aftah- noon he would go an' meet dis lady, an' tell 'is wife he wus goin' prob'bly tuh de show or goin' tuh see diff'ren' fren's of 'is. Well, fin'lly dis came tuh such an extent till he couldn't stay home at all, at night an' at certain times. So fin'lly he left. He jes' left home wit'out lettin' 'is wife know - all of a sudden. An' he left 'er in a bad state. An' when he left, he left tuh git rid of dis lady becuz she wus beginnin' tuh break 'is home up: No, he didn't leave tuh git rid of 'is wife, he still takes care of 'is wife. Dis is real. He still supports 'is wife an' wants tuh live wit 'er, but it was said dat he wus run away. Somepin in connection wit 'im an' dis lady put 'im - she throwed it in a stream of watah an' put 'im on de wandah [wander], aftah she couldn't git 'im. (Well, now just what did she do to make him leave that way? [Informant was evidently taken aback by my question and I surely turned off the recording ma- chine for a moment before beginning to talk again.] Why it's quite all right. You can say anything you want to. I've heard of ways that they do that, but you might know a different way.) Well, de way she got 'im wit 'er, she gave him a drink of wine. She'd pull 'im tuh 'er house dat way. An' den she gave him - while dey had connection wit each othah, she kept dat so many times.
(How many times?)
Nine times. An' den she would throw it in a stream of runnin' watah, an' of course he begin to worry, an' worry, worry more about leavin', leavin', aftah he wouldn't give her all 'is time. An' den he worried so much about leavin' until he jes' - it jes' looked like all 'is works an' evahthin' began tuh be a strain wit 'u. An' he left.
(Did he ever try to do anything to get rid of that spell?)
He didn't know fo' sure it was a spell. He didn't know what it wus. Dis wus unknown tuh 'im even till now. (Well what did she put that stuff in? Did she do anything special? Just take that stuff and throw it in running water, that all?) She wus supposed tuh have put dis in runnin' watah an' dey say dat would give him dat goin' mind; if he couldn't stay wit 'er, he couldn't stay wit 'is wife.
Entry 3325
Take a piece of new homespun an' let 'im wipe in it, an' den aftah he wipes in it, take it an' put it undah de bed mattress. Put it where he sleeps an' he can't have no connection wit no othah woman.
(Put it on the side on which he sleeps?)
Yeah.
Entry 3326
If yo' wanta hol' a woman, yo' git a piece of new homespun about dat uide[demonstrates].
(About a foot and a half wide.)
Yeah, 'bout a foot an' a half wide, an' when yo' have connection wit 'er, why yo' wipe three times - yo' gotta wipe three times. Yo' know, Jes' lak yo' be wit er - jes' lak yo' got yore pocket han'chif - understan', dat's lak a pocket han'chif, lak dat. (You wipe her three times.) Yeah, see when yo' git up offa her, understan'. Yo' gotta have dis three times, see. An' den yo' wipe her wit dat an' yo' take a jar - understan', a quart jar but it gotta be new, nobody use it atall. An' den yo' screw it up in dere tight an' bury it underneat' de house. An yo' don' have tuh worry no mo'.
Entry 3327
Dey say yo' take - jes' lak yo' mess wit dis one. Yo' lak de othah woman an' yo' wan'a love her. Well, yo' take some of dat stuff away from 'er [first woman] mess [nature] wid joo. Well, yo' keep it, choo see. Yo' take it from 'er, yo' take it an' try to mess it on de othah [second] woman. Dis [first] woman here won't have no use fer yeh - won't have no nature fer yeh.
Introduced with 'Dey say', the account names wanting to love another woman and describes an action said to change the first woman's response.
Entry 3328
Now, if a man know a woman do him lak dat, he kin go tuh work, if he have any sense an' - yo' know dis thin' whut dey call earthworm, yo' see dis little worm be's in de earth. Folks fishin' wit it. Yo' take dat earthworm an' yo' take it unbeknown tuh her when she goes out an' yo' dig enough, yo' see. An' yo' put dat earthworm in a cup an' yo' take dis castor oil an' put it in dere an' yo' cook dat wit dat castor oil. Ah've seen whut it wus. An' evah time when yo' go tuh fool wit her, yo' dress yo'self wit dat, yo' see. Yo' dress yo'self wit dat an' yo' fool wit 'er, an' evahthin' will be all right. (That will take off the spell she has on you and you will get your nature back again.) Yo' see, dat will turn it back on 'er. Dat will keep 'er - yo' see, when she go tuh have a man den, she'll have a cold nature.
Entry 3329
If 'er husban' havin' othah women, yo' kin take dat bait [= fishing- worm = earthworm] an' stew 'im down to a fat-like an' put 'im on 'is undahpiece in de crutch [crotch], an' he won't git ambitious fo' nobody but chew. An' a snail will serve de same thing.
(What do you mean by bait?)
Fishworms.
Entry 3330
[Wrapping - like folding, packaging, and to some extent rolling and sewing - is a confining rite. Many types of wrapping are scattered through the text.] Well, now, if he - when she an' 'er husban' meets togethah, well if she take some of 'is, yo' know. Well, all she gotta do is tuh wrap dat up an' jes' keep it. Yeah, jes' wrap it up an' keep it an' den he can't make it nowheres else - he can't make de grade at, evahwhere he goes he jes' lak [demonstrates].
(Limber?)
Yeah.
The informant explicitly describes wrapping and keeping unspecified material. The editor supplies a broader confinement interpretation; the claimed restriction remains unverified.
Entry 3331
Take a person's chamber lye an' stop 'em, like if yo' got a wife an' she runnin' aroun' wit anothah man. Yo' take dat an' put it in a cloth, jis' po' it on a cloth an' let it soak intuh dere, an' wrap it tight. Wrap it up in- tuh a piece of flannel.
(Which way do you wrap it?)
Wrap it always from yo'. [It is more likely wrap to you.] Den yo' take a needle an' sew it tuhgethah tight. An' den take dat an' put it inside of yore mattress an' sew it back tuhgethah. Or eithah take it out an' bury it behin' de house or behin' a tree or by a tree, any place like dat. Den yo' kin stop 'er from runnin' roun'.
[St. Petersburg, Fla., (1025), 1659:6.]
[Rites concerning dishrag or dishcloth, and occasionally dishtowel, will also be found under CURES FOR SEXUAL IMPOTENCE, the other subsection of this subject. As in the preceding subsection MISCELLANEOUS, I start this one by quoting a few introductory beliefs. The very first margin title, parts (1) and (2), show that sexual impotence like all disease and ailments in hoodoo is not caused by biolog- ical factors, but by someone capturing your spirit. Let me repeat what I said on the page facing the PREFAcE of volume 1: To catch a spirit, or to protect your spirit against the catching, or to release your caught spirit - this is the com- plete theory and practice of hoodoo. Parts (3) and (4) of the first margin title introduce us to the incredible ideas about penis captivus, a subject unknown to folklore a generation ago. FACI has no example of it.
Entry 3332
She kin dress it, yo' know. Well, she dress 'em wit a dishrag. See, she kin take a dishrag while he sleeps, yo' understan', an' she takes dat dish- rag - see, de dishrag is limbah-lak [limber-like], an' she take dat dishrag an' jes' pass it across 'im, yo' know, lak dat. Jes' pass it across 'is penis, yo' know. Yeah, jes' lak yo' wipe [him] off, see, an' it will become he can't use it on nobody else, yo' see, but de person dat wipe. Cuz ah been in dat fix mahself. Evah time yo' go dere yo' can't do it, can't git up. Well, de way it happens, yo' see, dat dressed [or dressing], yo' see it lasts a certain length of time, yo' undahstan'. See, cuz DEY GOT YORE SPIRIT, yo undahstan'. YO' GOTTA FEED UP YORE SPIRIT AFTAH DAT.
(How do they feed it?)
Well, dey repeat it, yo' undahstan' - jes' make a repeat, see. But AFTAH THIRTY DAYS OR SO WHEN IT RUNS OUT, IF DEY DON'T REPEAT IT, yOu'll cOme back to yore nature again, see. But dey can - but long as dey keep dat goin', it will keep yo' off [your nature], yo' undahstan'.
Entry 3333
Take a dishrag an' when she [he] go tuh sleep, he [she] take dat dish- rag an' wipe it ovah him. Carry dat dishrag all ovah him an' 'is lowah part. Take dat dishrag an' wash 'im down dere, wipe him down dere whilst she [he] sleep, an' aftah he [she] done washed wit dat dish - wipe wit dat dishrag, he [she] go tuh work an' throw - carry it to a branch an' throw it down de stream of run- nin' watah. Ah heared folks say dat.
[The preceding interchange of pronouns is not rare in hoodoo.]
(What will it do to that man?)
Cut 'is "spirit." (The woman does that. She rubs him down with the dishrag while he's asleep and then throws it into running water?) Yeah.
Entry 3334
[When dey git togethah dataway.
(The man and a woman?)
Yeah, man an' a woman dataway. Dere's no way to git 'em apart unlessen case one 'tother of 'em will have to die. Co'Be now, if dey could git a probe in de woman, dey could do it, but it be fixea [cwnjured] so dat dere's no way to git 'em apart unlessen one 'tuthah [or the other] of 'em have tuh die.
Entry 3335
I had one of dose case ovah heah an' I had wanted $500 to cure dem, see, an' dey wouldn't give it to me. I'd a turned 'em loose, see. An' by dey bein' diff'ren' in color, dey killed one an' dey saved de oddah, see. Well, I ain't had no part in dat, yo' know, Doc, becuz I'm heah to live an' let live.
(Well, who did they kill, the woman or the man?)
Dey killed de woman.
(I see. Was it a colored woman? She was a colored woman?)
Colored woman.
(Was the man a white man?)
Yes.
[I wanted to be certain about the color of each.]
(I see. And they killed the woman?)
IF DEY'D KILLED DE MAN SHE'D A DIED ANYHOW. Onnahstan' [understand]? Well, DEY HAD TO KILL 'ER, see; CUZ DEY COULDN'T DO IT NO OTHAH WAY. See, becuz if dey'd been tryin' to save de woman an' kill de man, de woman would have died any- hOW. Onnahstan'? CUZ DEY HADDA CUT ROUN' TO SAVE DE MAN. DE WAY DEY HADDA CUT SHE COULDN'T OF STAN' IT. Yo' Onnahatan'? Dey hadda die. [As you can see, there Io no racial prejudice here, merely the inability of Doctors of Medicine - says hoodoo. Later we shall learn that cases sent to the hospital fare no better, the woman always paying with her life. Only once does an informant tell how a woman was saved. By the way, the amazing Doctor Brown - the man who says he could have performed the unperformable operation - will also be found: pp.1289-1294, 2246-2253, and in a number of scattered rites.]
Entry 3336
Take de dishrag an' grease it good in lard an' put it in a airtight box an' de man nevah raiae a holler no mo', nevah in dis worl' be able tuh raise any holler Isee margin title of 3220, p.2365.] (That all she does with the dish- rag? What does she do with it then? Does she wipe him with it?) No, she don't have tuh wipe him wit it. Jes' grease it in lard, see. She kin jes' let it touch 'i - jes' [touch] him anywhere, when she have connection wit 'im. An' den she kin wipe wit it if she wanta wipe off wit it. But she kin jes take it an' grease it in lard an' jes' touch 'im anywhere.
Entry 3337
Now if yo' runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman, yore wife git holt of it she wipes yo' wit a dishrag. She git a chance tuh wipe wit de dishrag when dey go to bed an' have connection wit 'im. An' while she have connection wit 'im, dat time yo' know, she'll change dat rag [from one hand to the other] 'cross 'is back fo' 'im. Dat weaken 'im in de back. [Hand to hand across man's back is a magic rite of encircling or confinement.] An' den she'll wipe 'in wit dat rag. When she give him dat rag to wipe wit, dat killa 'is nature fo' any romsn but 'er. (She draws this rag cross his back before she gives it to him to wipe with. She puts her arms around his back.) She'll hand it jes' lak dis [demonstrates]. She'll hand it to him.
(She'll have it in her right hand like that and just throw it over his back.)
Jes' come 'cross an' put it in 'is hand - hand it to him tuh wipe wit.
Entry 3338
De way to deal wit 'er. She git 'er a dishrag an' he come out, she say, "Wait a minute fo' yo' git out." An' when he come out she would reach down, 'er han' down dere, an' she take dat rag an' she ketch 'im right dere right down close dere, an' he'll pull it out. Got 'im dere an' drop 'im to her. To keep 'im from othah womens, go to de windah dere an' throw it out an' don't turn aroun' an' walk back an' don't nevah look back. He's fixed den.
(Is there anything he can do to get rid of that?)
He kin do dis. Yo' kin fix up some way dat nobody deals wit 'er but chew, an' dat dishrag ain't goin' keep 'em apart.
(How do they do that?)
Don't use it - jes' got 'er. Yo' keeps dat wit yo', yo've got 'er. Aftah yo' take dat dishrag an' do dat an' den throws it out de windah.
[I stop machine and then informant continues about times.]
(How many times do they wipe with the dishrag?)
Wipe right across dere three times, an' when yo' do dat, go to de windah an' throw it out an' don't nevah look back.
(And nobody can fool around with her.)
Entry 3339
If he wus runnin' aroun' wit othah wimmin an' she wanted tuh stop 'im, all she'd have tuh do, she would have connection wit 'im 'erself an' instead of usin' a towel, she would use her dishrag. An' aftah usin' de dishrag, she would put dis dishrag in de stove an' bake it. Well, she wouldn't bake it to a powdah, she would jes' bake it so she could keep it - hold it 'erself. Well, dis man, he wouldn't know anythin' about it. Whenevah he'd go out to see whatevah woman he wanted tuh see, why he wouldn't be any good. He would rise befo' he git to dis woman an' soon as he touch 'er, he would fall. Well, den, if he'd go back to his wife, why he would be de same as he was befo'. He'd nevah fail wit 'er but he would wit othah wim- nn. An' aftah so many times he'd do dat, why he would see dat he couldn't be wit no othah wimmin an' it would stop 'im from runnin' out. {Fayetteville, N. Car., (1390), 2492:9.]
Entry 3340
Jes' lak if a woman's goin' wit a man an' he don't wanta pay her much min'. Why she kin take a dishrag an' not use it 'erse'f, but use it on 'im an' don't nevah wash wit dat dishrag. An' jes' leave it undahneat' 'er bed, den he can't go wit nobody else but 'er.
Entry 3341
Dey does dat BOTTLE - DISHRAG SOAKED - URINE - OPEN AND SHUT MAGIC mostly wit a dishrag. Dey git de dishrag yo' see an' in havin' connection wit a man, dey'll take dat whut come from 'em - yo' low, between dem two. An' dey'll put it in her watah an' let it soak - or in hambah lye, eithah one, an' let it soak. An' den dey ring dat watah out. An when dey ring dat watah out, dey'll have 'im lak dis heah rag. An' yo' see, den dey jes' have it away [hidden], yo' know, lak wimmins do's. Let 'im use dat an dere's no mo' chance fo' him. An' den dey put dat dishrag in a bottle. An' if she need 'im, she'll keep open dat bottle. If she need 'im, she'll open dat bottle; an' if she open dat bottle, why evahthin' is all right. An' if she don' need 'im, she'll keep dat bottle stopped tight; an' dere ain't nowhere else he kin go. [The words in italics are a part of the problem previously mentioned; what does a woman do - not according to science, but in accordance with hoodoo.]
Entry 3342
Take his discharge an' do some things wit it tuh keep im from runnin' aroun' wit othah women. Den she'll take a dishrag an' use it fo' a towel. An' she take dat dishrag an' she bury it dere 'bout dat house. Long as she keep dat buried dere, jes' if it's sompin he's done, why dat take care of 'im.
Entry 3343
Dishrag or either a linen rag - know what ah mean. An' whenevah he have discharges wit yuh lak dat an' [you] bury it, dey tell me dat he couldn't have anybody but yo'.
Entry 3344
Well, if a man wuz runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman - if mah husban' wuz runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman, why when he have an intahco'se wit me, why ah'd git mah DISH TOWEL an' use dat on 'im. An' dat would cuz 'im not to have any nature, dat would make his nature bad. Ah know dat.
(How would you use the dish towel then?)
Well, yo' would take de dish towel an' yo' would bury de dish towel an' dat buries 'is nature. [Dish towel is rare compared to dishrag.]
Entry 3345
Now, heah's anothah one. Now if yo' have a girl. It quite jes' nat- chel [natural], lak some of our menfolks dey have wimmin dat dey really love, yo' see de idea. An' we don' want anyone else tuh be wit 'em, yo' see. Well, now, yo' kin go tuh work an' yo' kin take a little simple thin' in yore home, dey calls a dishcloth. Someone calls it dishtowel - some folkses, yo' see. Well, yo' go tuh work an yo' steal dat. Yo' see, when yo' goes tuh work an' steal dat, yo' goes tuh work an' yo' puts it somewhere, put it away an' let it dry. Den say, tonight yo goin' out tuh have a date. Well, yo' see, quite natchel, some use pocket han'- cheffs yo' see, an' so fo'th, but yo' have yorn. She say, "Ah got a han'cheff." Yo' say, "No, ah have a largah han'cheff den yo' got, ' yo' see. Well, yo' take dat an' in de place of she wipin', yo' see, yo' goes tuh work yo' see an' yo' take dat an' yo' wipe yoreself - yo' wipe her yo' see. An' in wipin' her, DON' NEVAH WIPE HER DOWN - WIPE HER UP AN' CROSS 'ER. [The wiping makes the sign of the cross!] Yo' see whut ah'm talkin' about? An' den aftah yo' do's dat, yo' take it an' ball it. Don' chew wipe yoreself wit it. Chew take it an' ball it an' put it away. Next day - mawnin' befo' sun up, yo' make tuh de forsest an yo' fin' a pine tree. Drive yo' a nail into de pine tree lak dat on de sunrise side. Den yo' let it hang dere fo' nine mawnin's. Hang it so de wind can't blow it off yo' know. Let it hang dere fo' nine mawnin's. Den yo' go back, an when yo' go back dere, yo' dig a hole jes' about dat deep, yo' see [demonstrates].
(About as deep as your hand?)
Dat's right, about wrist deep, as yo' said. An' yo' take a stick an' knock it off, yo' see. [IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO TOUCH IT.] When yo' knock it off, yo' let it fall in dat nole, yo' see, an' den aftah yo' let it fall in dat hole, yo' cover it up an' walk right straight away. An' if yo' top 'er, yo' gotta pay somebody tuh loosen 'er.
Entry 3346
She kin take her dishrag an' she kin wash 'erself wit dat dishrag, an' evah time he go to try to do somepin [with another woman] he can't do a thing. He'd be jes' lak 'er dishrag yo' see. [To cure himself, he will] steal somebody's dishrag an' go wash wit it an' den dat'll stop it.
Entry 3347
Yo' kin take a dishrag whenevah a man an' woman have business togethah an' yo' kin dry yo'self - let de woman dry herself off wit dat dishrag an' take it an' put it up ovah de do'. She may leave but she'll come back.
Entry 3348
It have been said dat if a wumman has a husban', a bad husban' dat runs aroun' from wumman tuh wumman an' she wants tuh check 'im up, why she has a dish- rag. Instead of usin' dat dishrag whut she has been usin' fo' house purpose, she don't use it fo' dat no mo'. She take it an' may wipes 'im off wit it. An' Whensomevah he goes tuh someone else, why his nature will fall until he gits back tuh 'er.
(What does she do with that dishrag?)
Well, if she git dat dishrag an' 'serve [preserve] it an' wash it an' use it all along.
Entry 3349
Jes' lak wimmins wants tuh trick a man or sompin lak dat tuh keep 'im home. Well, dey'll take dey sickness, some of 'em, an' put it in sompin tuh eat. An' jes' lak yo' got a wife an' yo' runnin' aroun', why yo' go tuh have her, she'll take a dishrag an' clean yo' wit it. Well, yo' wouldn't be able tuh mess Wit anothah woman on de outside. Yo'll start but it will fall.