Browse:CURES FOR SEXUAL IMPOTENCE (Volume 3, entries 3695–3831)
CURES FOR SEXUAL IMPOTENCE
Volume 3, entries 3695–3831. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3695
He kin go an' git 'im a pound of alum an' git 'im a cloth an' mess wit 'er all he kin an' wash dat cloth in dat alum an' wear it round him.
(Wear it around him?)
ALUM Yes sir, it'll bring 'er to 'im - it'll take dat up. Dat'll kill dat othah [impotence] dead, dat's whut dey say.
Entry 3696
[As ants cause (No.33llf.), so they cure impotence.]
Yo' kin git nine red ants an' boil 'em an' dey will give yo' courage, if yo' drink that tea three times a day.
(If a woman has taken your courage away?) Yes, it will give you courage.
Entry 3697
[To draw blood is a common remedy against witchcraft - see Nos.485-487 and elsewhere in HOODOO. That explains the use of many of the sharp-pointed instruments in hoodoo; the witch being afraid of cutting herself and drawing blood. Penis captivus and impotence, like all ailments and disabilities - in fact just about every misfortune in life - comes from a spell put on you.]
(Well, is there any way of getting them apart?)
De only way to git 'em apart is fer dem to git a ole doctor - young doctor don't know of it, but git a ole doctor. Ah've been told by mah fathah to take a penknife, a penknife an' stick it right in de hollah of de foot, an' den he'll bleed an' dat will disconnect 'im.
(What is a penknife?)
[Even in my boyhood penknife was becoming rare.]
Very small.
Entry 3698
De doctor kin do it by splittin' de bottom of his [patient's] feet.
(To get them apart.)
Yes sir.
Entry 3699
If any confusion come up between 'im an' de woman, an' if it be a fight an' HE DRAW ANY BLOOD FROM 'ER, he would be able aftah dat tuh go wit de [other] woman. See, he git a drop of blood from dat - drawin' any de blood from 'er yo' undahstan', DAT UNBIND 'IM FROM 'ER, an' he go on wit dis [other] woman. (If she tied him up, and he actually draws blood from her, that would kill that [impotence spell].) Kill it.
The informant links drawing blood in a conditional fight account to an alleged release. No actual violence, diagnosis or resulting effect is verified.
Entry 3700
Ah heard a fellah say if a woman take his nature datavay, if he wants tuh git it back, he have tuh go tuh work an' git some of 'er ministrate. If he git dat, yo' see, an' he'll git it on a rag, an' he'll go tuh work an' take him some gin- whiskey an' put it in qin-whiskey. an' give it tuh 'er tuh drink. When she do dat she'll go tuh work an' release it offa him.
Entry 3701
Yo' kin take yo' a little bluestone an' put it in some watah, not too strong, an' yo' kin jes' mop dat. Keep dat mopped wit dat bluestone watah an' dat will bring it back. (Bring your nature back?) Yes sir, or yo' kin use sweet milk. Sweet milk is good. Yo' kin jes' bathe in dat sweet milk. Sweet milk will bring it back.
Entry 3702
Yes sir, ah heard jes' like if yo', yo' know, yo' be wit a woman yo know an' can't do nuthin - yo' undahstan' whut ah'm talkin' about? (You've lost your nature?) Yes sir. Well, jes' befo' yo' go tuh bed at night wit dis woman, whosoevah it is, an' if yo's sleepin' wit 'er, well jes' befo' yo' goes tuh bed, well from de way de sun rise evah mawnin', well yo' goes out at night chew know an' bow back ovah lak dis three times in de way de run rise [demonstrates].
(You turn your back to the sunrise and turn your head back toward the sun.)
An' bow lak dat three times but don't mess wit 'er dat night, but from den on why yo' won't have no trouble. [See bowing to the new moon 3 and 7 times, FACI, 2nd ed., 8399-8400, p.373.]
Entry 3703
An' den ag'in, anothah thing dey kin do, lak if yo' have intahco'se wit 'em, dey kin go to work an' take dat an' put it in a bottle. An' jes' lak if yo' wanted go fool wit anothah woman, why evahthing would stan' all right until yo' got dere, an' de moment yo' git dere, evah- thing would fall dead. De way dey handles dat - de way yo' would have to do to stop dat, why yo'd have to search de place where yo' stay, where yo' eatin' gen'ly [generally], an' yo'd fin' dis bottle. Dey got it airtight in a bottle. Dat is de way dey puts it up, airtighted in a bottle. An' long as it airtight in dere - co'se he kin have, be in action wit 'er all right, but he can't have no action wit no othah woman. Evah time he go to have one, evahthing will go dead on 'im. An' de way dey do to git dat, why yo' has to search de place an' git it, an' break it an' throw it in running water.
Entry 3704
(If a man wants to regain his nature, what does he do now?) He takes sulphah an' brimstone an' sugah an' throw it ovah yore left shouldah fo nine mawnin's an' say, "Dead work to put chew - fo' whut chew tryin' tuh do me, go back where yo' come." An' instead of it bein' on 'im, it will be on 'er, yo' see.
(What did you say now?)
"Dead work to it, dead work to her."
("Dead work to her." That will turn it back on her?)
Sho'.
(That left shoulder, you said was what?)
De left shouldah, dat means yore heart. Turn it back to her.
Entry 3705
Well, when she have intahco'se wit a man, well she kin take dat string yo' see, aftah evahthing is ovah, an' she'll jis' dry wit dat string, yo' know [wiping] to huh. Git it right wet an' she'll tie a knot in it an' jis' as many ties as she has interco'se wit dis man, she'll tie a knot in dat an' jis' keep on till she git nine knots an' wear it roun' her laig or eithah roun' her waist an' he cain't bothah nobody else.
(She just uses a string for this doesn't she?)
Yessuh, a cord string.
(She doesn't measure him or anything of that sort?)
She measured 'im, she measured 'im first.
(She ties it later on?)
Yessuh, aftah. Aftah wearin' dat string aroun' 'er waist or eithah roun' 'er laig, take dat an' burn it up an' he'll git rid of dat.
(He'll get his nature back again.)
Yes sir.
Entry 3706
He kin use his wlfe in a way dat she won't have othah men.
(How does he do that?)
How does he do it? Uses wlt de tongue. Dey call it goin' to de bushes. He goes down when he go to goin' down. She won't have anothah man. [That next-to-last sentence means: He goes down to the bushes, resorts to cunnilingus, when he begins to lose his nature. My informant, though marked professional and excellent is mistaken. Cunnilingus is neither a sign of ap- proaching impotence nor a mark of impotence.]
(Why?)
Well, DE HEAT FROM 'IS BREATH DRAWS DE LIFE FROM DE OTHAH MAN AWAY FROM 'ER. [To breathe, to heat, to suck, and to lick - these can be magic actions; but in this rite I see only intention or wishing. Protection against the other man, like all similar devices, is nonsense. As a matter of fact, all rites in HOODOO are wishful thinking - a dangerous mental activity.]
Entry 3707
(Calamus roots. And what do you put with it?)
Whiskey. (How do you prepare that?) Yo' boil it. Yo' put it in about a quart of watah an' yo' boil it down to a pint [magic diminishing amount] an' yo' put chew about a dime or 15c worth of whiskey in it. Den yo' po' it out, aftah yo' put dat whiskey in - po' it out an' put it in a bottle. Den yo' take it. An' dat'll bring 'is nature back.
Entry 3708
The follow- ing informant gives 4 separate cures:] Dey say yo' kin take in measurin' a man - well now, in yore husban', if yo' don't want 'im tuh fool wit somebody, why yo' could take an' measure him when he's sleep, if yo' git a chance. Or eithah, yo' fix 'im to pay no 'tenshun - have connection wit 'im fo' a chance tuh measure 'im wit a piece of cord string, dis little cord string dat come off a wrappin'. An' take an' measure 'im wit dat - jes' de length of it. An' den yo' kin take an' tie nine knots in it, an' yo' kin wear it in yore shoe, or if yo' kin, put it down undah de innah sole of yore shoe, an' he can't have anythin' tuh do wit anybody else. Den yo' kin take a piece of new homespun. Jes' lak yo' be playin' an' yo' have a piece of new homespun about de bed, or sompin yo' wus sewin', an' dey kin use dat aftah dey git through. Put it undah yore mattress an' double it up in a piece of papah an' put it undah yore mattress an' he ain't goin' bothah 'bout anyone. An' den if a person gits where dey kin't bothah wit anybody an' wants it taken off dem, dey kin go an' steal a dishcloth - steal someone's dishcloth. An' if dey got greasy dishwatah dere, dey jis' skim off dat grease wit dat dishcloth an' squeeze it up in dere. An' den yo' kin take dat dishcloth an' use it an' wash it off yoreself an' dat will kill it out. An' den yo' kin take an' git some cedar - these cedar leaves. Don't chew know, yo've seen dese cedars in de cemetery. An' take sulphur an' sprinkle it ovah dem, an' put a little fiah undah it, an' yo' kin kinda stand ovah dat an' let dat smoke go ovah yo', an' dat'll kill it. (That will kill it, if his nature has been taken away from him - restore his nature. But you don't have to get that cedar from the cemetery, you can get it any place?) Yes, anywhere. Yo' ain't gotta git it from de cemetery. [Yet, informant prefers graveyard.]
Entry 3709
Well, yo' kin mix yo' a glass of sweet milk an' yo' kin crack yo' a aig evah mawnin' befo' yo' git up an' drink it evah mawnin'. Dat's fo' yore nature. An' in othah words yo' kin suck it raw.
Entry 3710
Lak yo' got a husban' an' he go off an' mess wit a woman, an' she fix 'im so dat yo' can't have connection wit 'im - can't discharge himself. (How would she do that?) Well, I don't know how she do dat but I kin tell yo' how to untie it. (Well then, how do you untie it then?) Yo' go an' get yo' about that much twice of bluestone, get 1Oç bottle of sweet oil [= olive oil], an' get de white of two eggs [three ingredients], an' put it all in dere an' mix it togethah, an' shake it up an' dat bluestone will 'solve, an' take it an' rub yoreself down lak dat, an' all around up in yo', an' it will be all gone.
(That's for a man to do? Or the woman?)
It's a woman. Man kin do it too, if a man is tied up so he can't do nuthin.
(That will take off the spell if some other woman has put it on him?)
Yes.
Entry 3711
Gunpowdah. Well, dat's fo' nature - de gunpowdah an' de yellah of a aig, it's fo' nature.
(You take that?) Yassuh, take dat fo' nature.
Entry 3712
Go out to de henhouse an' git yo' nine dry hen turd an' put 'em in sompin an' let dat watah git lukewarm. Take dat an' stroke yo'self down good. Jes' lak yo' expect to go dere tomorrah, why yo'll do dat today. Den say, dat aftah tomorrah, de nex' day, yo' go an' buy a little bottle of Heart Cologne, an' go on back an' bathe wit it.
(That will restore his nature?) Yessuh, an' he do dat mo' den one time.
Entry 3713
An' anothah thing, yo' could take a young rooster off de yard dat jes' startin' tuh crowin', git de gizzard. An' yo' take dat gizzard out an' ' peel dat inside skin, dat rough skin in dere, an' jes' poun' dat up an' put it in corn whiskey, good corn whiskey or gin, an' dat will make him stan' up right away.
(That will bring his courage back?)
Yes, bring it right up. One dat jes' start tuh crowin', start comin' [growing] up. An' de man who's takin' it, why it'll grow, it will increase evah day.
Entry 3714
Go an' git 'im some coon root [see later] an' put it on some whiskey an' drink it three times a day, or eithah git 'im some lion tongue [lion's tongue - the spotted wintergreen]. (What is that, lion tongue?) Some dis li'le string stuff dat grows in de woods, it's got three or fo' leaves on it an' all of 'em runs out diff'ren ways, one runnin' dis way an' one runnin' dat way - runnin' east an' west an' no'th an' south.
(What does he do with that root then, just chew that or?)
Chew it or eithah put it on whiskey an' drink it.
(This will bring back his nature.)
[I can see why anything called lion's tongue would be good-magic medicine, especially when soaked in whiskey; but coon [racoon] root does not sound promis- ing. If coon root is not a root-trade name, could it be: (l) the coon grape of southeastern U. S. A., the Ampelopsis cordata, a woody vine with grapelike foliage bearing inedible bluish fruit; or (2) the fox grape Vitus labrusca?]
Entry 3715
Beef gall is sometime that is used to bring a man's nature back when a woman done tied knots aroun' - nine knots aroun' 'er stomach. (Well, how would you handle that? How would he get his nature back?) You use - take ordinary beef gall, if a man drink coffee, or whatevah drink he drink. Take or'nary beef gall an' make coffee or whatevah it is, make it strong enough dat yo' kin put one drop into dat an' he won't taste dat gall in dere, an' let 'im drink it, yo' see. An' if a woman is got a knot aroun' 'er stomach, an' she wears dem nine knots aroun' 'er stomach to kill a man's nature, yo' give him dat beef gall. Jis' continue givin' 'im dat beef gall, an' when dat string bu'st on 'im, he'll become a normal man when dat string bu'st on 'er. Long as he take dat beef gall an' urinate through 'is penis, dat string will continue wearin' - wearin' - [away].
Entry 3716
Ah tell yo' whut he kin do. Whut dey tell me is very good. Yo' take dat cow's horn, yo' know whut belong on a cow's haid, an' yo' scrape it up an' let it - don't scrape it down. Git de shavings up dat way an' make a tea out of it, an' he drink that. Dat's as good a medicine as yo' want.
(That's to bring his nature back.)
Bring it back.
Entry 3717
If yo' got a husban' an' he's runnin' roun' too much an' not, yo' know, any service to yo', why yo' kin take a cord string an' measure his thing. An' aftah yo' measure it, take an' tie it up in ninekmots an' den wear it roun' yore laig. An' den yo' wear it roun' yore laig an' whenevah he git ready tuh have a woman or anything, why he can't have 'em an' he won't know whut's de mattah wit 'im. An' he'll be dat way as long as yo' keep dat string. BUT IF YO' EVAH LOSE DE STRING, WHY HE'LL BE JES' LAK HE ALWAYS WUZ. He take sweet milk an' bathe himself in it an' he kin git rid of it - dat if he wants tuh. Put cream or sweet milk.
(If he was tied up that way by being measured?)
Yes.
Entry 3718
Den if he wants tuh git rid of dat, he takes an' gits 'im a quart of sweet milk an' washes 'isself down wit it. Then he kin go an' have anybody he wants to. (He washes himself down. His whole body?) Jes' 'is private, yo' know.
(Couldn't he wash them up?)
Ah don't know, but dat whut dey always say, whenevah he wanta git rid dat. If anybody put anything lak dat on 'im so yo' can't use yo'self, jes' git chew a quart of sweet milk an' jes' bathe yo'self down wit it. An' let dat stay dere.
Entry 3719
(Is there anything that a man can do to get his nature back?)
Well, ah've had a woman took a dishrag an' kinda fixed me so ah couldn't have no othah woman but 'er. Ah've tried othah women. Ah've been a railroad man all de time, lak ah runnin'[from here] in to At- lanta. No mattah how badly ah wanted dis woman, how much powah ah had, de minute ah lay down on dis woman - be wit 'er yo' know - come to be jes' as limbah as de end of mah fingah [demonstrates] dataway. But de onliest way dat ah evah cured mahself of dat, git me some sweet milk an' bath mahself down wit it nine mawnin's Dat'll give me as much power as ah evah did have. Or ah'll go to some runnin' watah, watah dat's runnin', an' bath off dataway. Dat'll give yo' powah.
(You go to running water and bathe?)
Bathe, or bathe in sweet milk.
(How could you bathe there in running water?)
Evah nine mawnin's.
(Do you bathe up or down?)
Down, bringin' yo' out all de time. Yo' don't want nuthin tuh draw back. Let it stretch out.
Entry 3720
Dis is a story of mahself. Well, ah felt lak ah wuz messed up an' ah sent to a ole man down heah in de country an' he tole me dat time, says, "Well, Ton, yo' take some sweet milk an' take a bath wit it." Ah say, "Well, how long?" He says, "Well, yo' take dat three maonin's. An' take yo' bath wit it an' bring me de milk back, de las' milk yo' use." Well, ah tuk de milk an' carried it back to him an' den he put sulphah in dis milk an' den give it back to me, an' tole me co'se milk will clabbah, an' fo' me aftah tuh use it up to de ninth mawnin'. An' so ah did so, an' co'se de milk had clabbahed an' dat whey - dat sulphuh wuz in dere, kept it from turnin' all to whey. It would not turn tuh whey, see. An' shortly aftah, ah don' know whut ah done tuh make it do dat, but ah be dogged if ah didn't git straightened out on it all right.
(You got your nature back?)
Got it on back, doggone right.
(What did you do with that clabber then?)
AFTAH DE NINE MAWNIN'S WHY AH CARRIED IT BACK TUH 'IM, See. CO'SE HE BURIED IT.
(Well, what did you do with the clabber after that?)
Ah use dat milk right straight on.
(You kept bathing with this clabber then until the ninth morning?)
Yes.
Entry 3721
He kin bathe in sweet milk fuh nine mawnin's - see, jis' de milk whut yo' milk out of a cow's bag whilst it's warm. An' bathe his privates down fuh nine mawnin's. An' take dat an' saltpetah, see an' alum fuh nine mawnin's, an' dat'll bring 'is nature back to him. (Do you take this milk bath separately or do you put this saltpeter and alum in it?) No, yo' see, yo' bathe in de raw milk by it- self warm, jis' as it come outa de cow's bag. An' aftah yo' do dat fuh nine mawnin's wit de milk, den yo' see when yo' take a bath, jis' a or'nary bath, yo' bath fuh nine days in dat saltpetah an' alum. An' dat'll restore yore nature back.
Entry 3722
(Now what would a man have to do to get rid of that, if he wants tc regain his nature?) Bathe hisself, his person in sweet milk an' spirits of turpentine nine nights or nine mawnin's. An' it'll come back to him, natch'ly [naturally].
Entry 3723
(To remove this spell, if a man has put this spell on the woman.)
To keep 'er from havin' intahco'se, see. An' evah time a man would go to her, his nature, yo' know, his nature won't rise on 'im. (And you were going to tell me how a man would regain his courage, his nature.) Yes, or a woman, see. Now, if yo' trick 'em wit dat snail. (Yes, what about that milk now? This is to get the person's courage back again. All right.) All right. Yo' take - yo' buy a guart of sweet milk, see, an' yo' wash wit it. Eithah one kin wash wit it, see an throw dat away - jes' wash wit milk see. De next, drink half of de milk out first; an' den do it wit dis third bottle, an' den yo' kin use it. An' yo' kin- see, yore courage go back to yo'. See, dat's to break de spell off a person.
(You use three bottles of milk.)
Yo' use three bottles of milk.
(The first bottle you wash with.)
De nex' yo' drink half of it an' den wash wit it, see. (Wash with the other half and the third bottle you drink, and after the third bottle you are all right.)
Entry 3724
[Some of the cylinders containing the interview of informant 962 were missed by my transcriber. While I was rechecking them I transcribed in pencil several of the rites and made a few brief notes of others, intending to return to the cylinders later for complete transcriptions of special material. My origlnal penciled note attached to this present statement in the original manuscript reads: Coal oil & sweet milk bathe down Memphis, Tenn., 1554:5 - 962 good.]
Entry 3725
For manhood weakness, well dat female takes advantage.
(How do you mean they take advantage?)
In dey transport demselves an' invite him to have action wit dem an' dey ketch de stuff an' store it away, see. Might take it in a cloth an' let 'im - maybe he lay down on it, sleep on it. Well, I'll advise him to go an' steal from 'is own - from 'is home a ole dishrag, yo' know, such a common thing, wipe hisself nine times or nine nawnin's dataway and dataway [demonstrates]. (Nine times each morning he wipes down and wipes across his... Nine times down this. Each and across, or?) No, nine times. See, fer nine mornings nine times, see; but heah yo' go.
[Demonstrates.]
(I see, make the cross.)
Yes, dat's one time - jes' count it as one, see.
(In other words, you make a cross nine times?)
Yeah, nine mawnin's an' each nine mawnin's. Yo' do dis each mawnin'.
(What else does he do then?)
Dat restores 'is manhood, yeah. Dat wipes it away. An' den, when yo' git on dat, den yo' takes de ole rag an' yo' supposed to do away wit it. Dat mostly come from de female sex, see.
Entry 3726
An' de dishrag in de same lak mannah. Take dat dishrag an' she'll wipe it, dry off wit dat dishrag. Don't make no diff'rence if it's dry or if it's been used in grease, an' dat takes 'er courage away. Takes all de nature away from 'em. Now if a woman ties yo' lak dat now de way dat she do, she'll wait till he's asleep an' she'll mess roun' wit chew an' she'll hang her gown or sompin ovah yore haid till yo' go tuh sleep yo' see [common rite]. An' she'll git a cord string an' she'll measure de length of yo', an' den when she measure de length of yo', she'll tie dat many knots in it, see. Den she'll tie it roun' 'er laig, right around de [calf] of 'er laig, or else roun' 'er wais'. Most of de time she tie it aroun' dere. Well, yo' find it an' yo' mistrust dat. Well den, yo' don't know whut tuh do, yo' tried evahthing, go to de doctors [M.D.'s] an' still dey ain't done any good. Well, yo' lay awake until yo' ketch 'er asleep, an' den yo' slip to her an' take dis cord string off of 'er. An' den when yo' take dis cord string off of 'er, while she's 'sleep, yo' kin take dis same [string] in lak mannah an' measure it [her] dis way, see. An'when yo' measure it dat way, an' den dis way, an' yo' tie it in string in dat shape.
(In a round shape?)
Yes, an' den yo' take dat same string an' yo' sew it; see, sew it from dis heah, dataway. Jes' cut it out an' sew dat togethah. An' dat will git off yo an' git on 'er. Den yo' take yo' some warm watah, as warm as yo' kin bear it, an' put table salt in it an'.wash yo'self real good. An' git cedar oil an' rub - jes' yo'self real good. An' take yo' a dry rag an' wipe down. Dry it off real good an' dat'll do away wit it.
Entry 3727
[Here is Surely ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL CURES IN FOLK MEDICINE, my only example of it - a man making the sign of the cross with his whole body over the whole body of a woman!!!] If a man loses 'is na- ture an' wants to have a woman, why he kin take an' git 'im a aig an' a bottle of gingerale or two aigs: a bottle of gingerale, an' git him some Hearts Cologne, an' take nine swallows eight mornings. Dat'll give him nature. An' de first woman dat he evah have communication wit, de first woman, why he jes' lay right 'cross 'er. Lay wit 'is head to de west an' 'is feet to de east [body facing east as in burial, to see rising sun on resurrection dayl. An' den turn roun' an' lay straight up an' down jes' before he uses 'er. Dat will bring 'is nature back.
Entry 3728
If dey is bind togethah dat way, an' de individual dat bind 'em, if dey [he] dies, well, dey'll always stay togethah. See, it's no way tuh git it off aftah de individual is dead, yo' see, dat de one dat did it, see. [See margin title IF EVILDOER DIES SPELL INCURABLE, p.396.]
Entry 3729
Mine wus caught. Mah watah wus caught in a bottle an' wus buried, an' dey took it up an' put graveyard dirt wit it, an' ah didn't have no nature to- wards mah life. Well, on account of dat ah wus in bad luck. Me an' mah wife couldn't git along, an' dey [a rootman] tole me dat it wus somepin wus against me. An' dis man told me dat de only thing dat ah would do, ah would have tuh go at twelve a'clock at night in de cemetery. Well, dat's somepin ah wus scared tuh do, but ah had tuh do it. An' ah went an' found - [this man] say, ah must find where a little one wus buried an' jump across de grave three times, jes' frontwards dis way an' dis way backwards, an' frontwards ag'in, an' walk away from it an' don't look back at all, jes' keep on goin' regardless to whut chew hear, don't look back, until yo' git to de public highway and dat mean [here, public] street, an' den mah [bad] luck leave me. Ah [before this] wus out of a job, couldn't git no job or nuthin. An' ah felt dat it [the spell on me and the cure] wus true, 'cuz ah got a good job an' been workin' evah since.
(What cemetery did you go to?)
Laurel Grove, colored section dere. Yes sir, dere's white an' colored yo' know dere.
Entry 3730
Well, yo' take de dishrag, if a woman has got a run-aroun' man an' she take de dishrag - aftah she take de dishrag, wipe him wit de dishrag. Wipe him wit de dishrag an' iron it with a very hot iron, an' bury it to de left side of a tree. When yo' bury it to de left side of de tree, dat will perish away all nature dey has fo' any woman. He can't run aroun' any mo', he'll have to stay at home. Well now, if he don't go to de graveyard an' den git de graveyard dirt from de head an' de foot, place a penny in de centah of de grave- pay de grave fo' whut chew git in de Name of de Lord. Take it back an' mix brimstone, sulphur an' sweet milk an' drink it. Well, if he don't do dat, he'll nevah be a man any mo'. He goes to T. B.
(But if he does that, it restores his nature.)
Entry 3731
Dirt dauber nest will cure a person if dey's hurt. Take dem waspses out dere, dem little waspses lak dat yo' know, an' if yo's want tuh be wit a woman an' she's dressed [by her husband], why yo' go an' git a dirt dauber's nest an' git some young spidah's out dere, jes' one or two of dem, an' rub yore han's lak dat, an' go an' rub 'er ovah heah. An' when yo' rub dat, take de no'th cornah of yore shirttail an' rub it off dere. Yo' put dat on dere an' yo' go right on doin' jes' whut chew came to do.
(If the woman is hurt what do you do for the woman then?)
She ain't hurt, she's jes' dressed. Yes, jis' dressed. Well, if yo' take an' put dat on a woman dressed lak dat yo' know, yo' couldn't have nuthin tuh do wit er tuh save yore life. (If I thought some other man was fooling around with my woman, I would rub it where the stuff won't hurt her.) Yeah, jes' take dat an' smear it on 'er lak dat - on her person [privates].
(But you have to rub that over your own privates first?)
Yeah, an' yo' take de no'th cornah of yore shirttail an' go dere an' - dat stuff ah tole yo' - an' rub it off lak dat. Take de shirttail, de no'th cornah of it, an' spread it out lak dat. An' yo' kin go right on to her.
Entry 3732
Well, ah hear tell of people takin' dere dishrag an' usin' de dishrag an' carryin' it back in de kitchen an' usin' it de same as dey had evah used it befo' an' dat stopped it.
(After they had wiped with the dishrag they would keep on using it?)
Use it jes' de same [for the dishes].
Entry 3733
Dey say if a man can't git up a heart, say if he take a dishrag an bathe hisself down wit it - yo' know, nobody don't know it but jes' 'isself, an dey say dat whatevah 'is wife or whoevah fixed 'im lak dat, why he kin git right lak he always wus. (That is all he has to do?) Yes, take dat dishrag, dat's all he do wit de dishrag.
Entry 3734
(How could they get their nature back?)
Ah brought a fellah back. Git hole of a dishrag dat lay on de table, jes' wash wit it, jes' take de dishrag an' wipe hisself down heah.
Entry 3735
Whenevah she heah of 'im makin' love [elsewhere], she wipe 'im down wit a dishrag, an' he cain't bother with nobody but her. (If he's been tricked, if he's been tied up with this dishrag. Now what can he do to get rid of it, you say?) Steal a dishrag from anothah house. He wipe himself up dataway. See, she wipes 'im down, an' he wipes 'isself up dataway.
Entry 3736
[They] say, if a woman loves a man so much dat she don't want 'im tuh go nowhere, jis' wit, except 'er, [here is] whut she did. She have got de dish- rag an' wipe dat man, don't chew understan', an' she put it ovah de do' or undah de step, don't chew understan'. When he go out why evahthin' jes' stays [as it was, he being unable to have another woman]. But now, fo' dat man tuh git rid of dat. He goes to some of 'is neighbor's house, yo' understan' an' steals a dishrag unbe- knownst to any of 'em an' he gits off from de house, why den throw it down [dem- onstrates], an' den dat relieves 'im of dat trouble. (All he has to do after he gets this dishrag is to leave the house where he stole it from. An' he just [wipes with it and] throws it down behind him?) Dat's right.
Entry 3737
Well, yo' wit wimmin folks an' can't - can't even, yo' know - yo' ain't even got no nature. Well, it's some othah wumman workin' dat fo' yo'. Yo' take a man dat runnin' roun' all de time, see wit dis wumman an' dat wumman. Well, it's some wumman gonna mess wit im some way or 'nother. Well, jes' lak dis othah wumman is workin' on 'im. well yo' take an' go tuh anybody's house an' steal a dishrag an' wipe off wit it. Wipe yo'self down, see. Well yo' go on out den an' yo' take it in yore left hand an' chunk it ovah yore left shouldah an' don't look back at it, an' dat'll break dat up.
Entry 3738
A man kin take an' kin slip a dishrag outa de kitchen an' wipe hisself down wit dat dishrag, out some place to hisself, an' throw it back lak dat [dem- onstrates] [over his shoulder] an' don' look back at it. Den yore nature will come back.
Entry 3739
An' den anothah way yo' could stop 'er again. It jes' lak if yo' an' 'er combine togethah, an' yo' ca'd [cared] anything about 'er. Well, yo' may all git through. De minute yo' git through wit de intahco'se, yo' undahstan' what I mean, jes' take it an' go to anybody house an' steal a dishrag. See, a dishrag. See, a dishrag dat dey would argue 'bout - wondah who de dishrag an' so on. Yo' undahstan' what I mean. Well yo' take dat an' yo' let it dry if it's wet, de one dat dey wash de dishes wit. An' when dey all have intahco'se, yo' take an' jes' slip dat on here, yo' undah- stan' an' let 'er wipe wit dat, see. An' when she use dat, why den yo' take an' throw it across de left side of 'er, see. Yo' know, make out lak yo' use it an when yo' gits through, throw it ovah on de left side, on de left side of 'er. An' den she nevah will have no use fo' no othah man. No othah man will suit 'er outside of yo'. (You mean you throw it over on the left side of her on the bed or on the floor or what?) Right ovah de bed on de floor, on de left side of 'er. [Charleston, S. Car.,
(525 to 530), 638:2+85.]
Entry 3740
Yo' kin steal a dishrag an' wipe on dat dishrag an' throw dat dishrag away an' dat'll take his nature until yo' git dat dishrag back.
(The woman would wipe the man with that?) Yessuh, on de dishrag. (If he wants his nature back he has to find the dishrag, you say?)
[My question shows that I have stopped recording machine and am merely repeating what informant has said during stoppage.] Yassuh, but chew throw dis dishrag where yo' kin find it if he [you] want 'is nature back. If he [you] jis' don' want 'is nature back, jis' throw it anywhere. If yo' nevah git dat dishrag, his nature will nevah come back.
(Well, if he gets it back, then what?)
Well, he be jis' lak he always been, if he git 'is nature back.
Entry 3741
"Cuz ah have tried it. Dey tells me dat chew kin take de cloth - yo' kin have connections wit a woman or couldn't have it. If yo' couldn't have it, jes' couldn't have - jes' got limp, couldn't do any- thing. Well, yo' take a dishrag, stole it - even from your wife or from someone else, an' wipe wit it. Wash wit it an' throw it in runnin' watah.
(What will that do?)
Dat will raise yore nachure.
(Bring it back?)
Yes.
Entry 3742
Well, he have tuh go tuh work den an' jes' be sharp enough to know whut it 'tis, an' when she bring dat rag back to him de nex' time, do dat den he shet it off 'im. He have to take dat rag an' keep it, an' when yo' git dat rag yo' has to go to swift runnin' watah. Put sompin to it to make it sink, go to swift-runnin' watah an' put a weight in it an' chunk it from yo' right out in de stream. Dat'll carry dat right off yo'.
(That will carry that spell away and have his nature back again?)
Yes.
Entry 3743
If a man is goin' away from home an' he don't [want] nobody to fool wit 'is wife but 'isself, he take a dishrag what he wash dishes wit, an' jes' stroke his wife down three times an' he carry it in 'is back pocket, an' when he come back - she wouldn't have no nature fer nobody but 'im - when he come back jes' take de rag an' wipe it up three times an' den he go on 'er, she got de nature again.
Entry 3744
She best tuh [has to] fold it three time once and set there - set de iron on it fer thirty minutes an' fold it three times ag'in an' set de iron on it fer thirty minutes an' den she take it off. (What can I do to take that spell off? What can I do to get rid of that?) Yo' know what yo' have to do? It's been on me, see. Ah'm tellin' yo' what ah knows about it. Ah went to a root man an' ah paid 'im plenty an' he tole me what to do. To take it [spell of sexual impotence] off from yuh, yuh go tuh somebody house - jes' lak yore frien's - tell 'em yuh want a drink of watah. If he trust yuh, yuh go on in de kitchen an' yuh look aroun' until yuh see a dishrag. Steal dat dishrag an' yuh go on out somewhere in de night aftah sundown, an' wipe yuh- self up three times lak dat. See, up - three times up. An' take it an' go tuh somebody's house, an' hide it up undah de sill of 'is house. Dat'll break it.
Entry 3745
Yo' takes a dishrag. Go tuh anybody's home an' de dishrag is hangin' lak dey use it dis morning, yo' go tuh dere 'long 'bout now so hit's damp. Yo' steal de dishrag. Don't ask fo' it jes' steal it. An' go out tuh de way de sun rise an' turn yore face, turn yore face dat way [to east], turn yore back sunset, an' yo' takes an' yo' wipes three times straight down wit de dishrag, den across jes' lak dat [dem- onstrates].
(That will cross it out.)
[Informant's words down and then across, and my words cross it out, show in- formant makes sign of cross 3 times.l Across yore stomic.
(Oh, cross your stomach. From left to right or right to left?)
Bring it from de left tuh de right. An' yo' fold it tight, take it in yore lef' han' an' throw it ovah yore head an' go straight, don't look back. Go two blocks or mo' straight. Don't look back, jes' keep straight walkin'. Don' say nuthin to nobody. It's purtty hard tuh do 'cuz yo' might meet somebody, but place yo'self in a place whah yo' won't have tuh even speak tuh nobody. An co'se whatsomevah she got on yo' crossed up, she gotta redo it ag'in. But dat'll uncross yuh.
Entry 3746
A dishrag is fo' dis. If ah wuz goin' wit anothah woman an' mah wife wanted me tuh stay at home an' tried tuh hold me, she'd take dat dishrag aftah she had a intahco'se wit me. Take 'it an' wipe him off wit it an' take hit - she goes an' steals de dishrag from someone else house, an' takes it an' aftah he have intahco'se, he wipes it off an' throws it away. An' if he don' go an' have it changed off, he'll nevah be any good. He'll go an' steal a dishrag de same way an' fix 'er. [This is called return- ing the spell.] An' if he wants tuh fix 'er wit'out dat, he'll go an' git 'im two snails an' grind up de shells in a dust an' when he git ready, git through havin' a intahco'se wit 'er, he powdahs 'er wit dis - same as talcum powdah. An' it's mo' trouble fo' her tuh have anyone else.
(She can't have anyone else?)
She can't have anyone else.
Entry 3747
(How could he get rid of that condition?)
De onliest thing dat I heered talk of dat, dat dey could do wit dat, is dat he'd have to steal. He'd have to steal de dishrag - git him a greasy dishrag, but he'd have to steal it. Steal de greasy dishrag. An' he'd have to wash 'is belly in greasy dishwatah, de watah dat she used, fo' about nine mornings, see, to wash dat off. Dat's de only way dat he could git dat out of de skin. (What do you mean by saying he'd have to get the greasy dishwater? What do you mean by that?) Dat's de watah dat yo' wash dishes wit.
(Well, does he use that water?)
Yes, sir, de watah dat she used. Git de watah dat she used. Well, dat's de watah dat she would have to use to git dat off of 'er. (Oh, I see. He wouldn't have to do anything - use this dishwater. He doesn't need that. He'd use the dishrag.) Yes, sir. Dat's all he'd have to do, jis' use dat dishrag - jis' keep dat dishrag. Take dat dishrag an' carry it off somewhere an' when he git ready to use it, why he don't have to do nuthin but dampen it in dat dishwater.
(Did he take the dishwater, too?)
Yes, he take dat dishwatah an' put it in a can or somepin othah, an' put it in a place where he kin go, where dere ain't nobody won't know it, yo' lmov, an keep it.
(He must get the dishwater that she has used?)
Yes, sir. An' when he git ready to use it, an' dis dishrag be dry, he would- n't do nuthin but soak it in dere, yo' know, an' take it out an' wash 'imself. Carry it an' put it back up until he git rid of dat.
Entry 3748
Ah know dis heah. If yo' think yo' got a woman an' she's indiff'ren', yo' take her wit dat snail. An' at night when yo' happen tuh be foolin' aroun', handlin' ovah 'er, yo' press dat snail ovah 'er, grease dat snail ovah 'er, an' den de nex' man - if she has othah ones about 'er, when he go tuh 'er, he can't git up no 'rection [erection], yo' see. Hit'll fall evah time. An' de onliest way now - now here's where tuh conkah 'it. When he finds out dat he can't have no intahco'se wit 'er, he'd steal a dishrag. He steal a dishrag from some wumman, somebody's place, an' bathe hisself down nine mornings - bathe hisself down nine mornings wit dat rag, an' den take it an' bury it at de do'step - dis same fellah's do'step now. An' den aftah de nine days - he bury it an' let it stay nine days. - aftah nine days he kin take 'er an' screw 'er jis' as much as he wants.
Entry 3749
All right, if yo' got a woman or a man an' yo' don't want nobody else tuh have dem but chew. Take yo' a dishrag out chure kitchen, yo' know, lak de people use - not de dishtowel, mean dedishcloth - an' when yo' make an' intahco'se wit dem, well yo' take dat an' dry yo'self an' dem, too, an dey couldn't have nuthin else tuh do wit nobody else. Dey'll fall evah time dey go tuh make de intahco'se. Dey'll be jes' de same as de dishrag - limbah.
[Now comes the cure.]
Jes' take dis same dishcloth - dey have tuh back de way dey git it from, an' yo' wash it an' starch an' iron it perfect, an' evahthing will be all right.
(That is if he will do that?)
Yes.
Entry 3750
Take a dishrag - jes' a dishrag. Lota women, yo' know, wipe de rag off - take dat rag an' dry him off 'erself wit dat dishrag. An' when he go to go wit anothah woman, it will fall on 'im evah time. Well, de same thing work one way an' it will work de othah. He take - if he feel dat she did 'im dataway, why he take a dishrag ag'in - yo' know he must steal one from somebody, or eithah if he got a home of 'is own, he kin take de dishrag outa his house, an' wash 'isself down wit it. An' take pure coal oil an' rub 'isself down, an' sweet milk. aftah dat - fresh sweet milk. It's all gone.
Entry 3751
Ah've been did lak dat. Yo' kin take a man an' he kin have intahco'se wit a woman, say at night, an' prob'ly yo's a man dat look aftah deyself [your- self] [but] don't pay attention to yoreself lak yo' should all arnun' peoples yo' undahstan'. Yo' kin have intahco'se wit a woman but dey not bad. Well, now, prob'ly she might have a wet towel layin' up dere, see. Well, yo' prob'ly done seen it. Well, she wipe yo' off. An' yo' figure she'd use dat towel. Well, she got a dishrag, undahstan'. Well, now she take dat dishrag an' wipe off yore privates an' jes' fold it - wrap it up in a piece of papah or sompin lak dat an' put it up Ovah de do'. An' jes' AS LONG AS IT STAY DERE AN' YO' DON'T WAKE UP TO DE INSIDE DOPE, well, yo' can't have no othah woman but 'er. Well now, yo' kin take dat - jes' yo' yoreself, not de woman dat did it - yo' kin take dat rag down. An' den fo' nine mawnin's wash dat rag in sweet milk, an when yo' wash de rag in sweet milk, bath [not bathe] yo'self in it, yore privates, an' throw it sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. (You wash this rag in sweet milk, and then you take this sweet milk and bathe yourself.) An' bath yore privates wit it, an' when yo' git through why jes' put de rag right back up, an' throw it sunrise.
(Throw the milk to the sunrise.)
Fo' nine mawnin's.
(What will that do?)
Takes it off. It go away den.
Entry 3752
This boy was goin' with a girl and this girl was very much in love with this boy, and she thought he was in love with someone else. And she didn't want him to be in love with anyone else, and so she decided to fix him so that he couldn't have anything to do with anyone else excepting her. Well one day - one night, that they were hav- ing intercourse with each other, she done away with the cloth that they had used. And this boy was [became] impopetent [impotent]. And so he didn't know what the trouble. He went to a doctor [M.D.]. The doctor told him it was in his back. Finally, one day he met a boy, and the boy told him what was the matter; and told him to use an onion and split it in half, and use it on each side of him. And take and steal a dishcloth. (How would he use the onion on each side of him? Oh, I see. I understand. Yes, I know. All right, go ahead.) [A half of the onion is bound on each side of his penis. "It is not stated on the Telediphone cylinder that the dishcloth served as a bandage, but I tran- scribed the cylinder soon after it was recorded and remember this detail" Ori- ginal pencil note made at the time of transcription and now in original Ms.] And steal a dishcloth from a neighbor, a kitchen, but do not let the neighbor know it. He did as the boy instructed and finally he got all right. But it took three months before he was cured. [After the rite was recorded, informant explained: "It didn't happen here but it didn't happen far from here about one year ago, " 1936.]
Entry 3753
Dere wuz boy, he wuz goin' wit a girl, an' he went wit anothah girl an' she [first girl] caught up wit it. An' so de nex' time she [first girl] had intahco'se wit 'im she took dis - his discharge, stopped it up in a bottle wit de han'ke'chuf [used in wiping]. An' de nex' time he tried to make an' have intah- co'se wit someone else he couldn't. So he went to de doctor [M.D.] an' de doctor tole him he didn't know why it is. So he went to a root doctor, an' de doctor tole him to git one onion an' cut it in half an' rub it - take one half in each hand an' rub it [penis] down, keep on rubbin' it down till he got wet wit de juice off de onion; an' den, steal someone's dishcloth an' wipe it, an' throw it ovah 'is left shouldah, an' he'd be all right.
Entry 3754
A woman kin make a man lose his nature by taking a dishrag off de table an' washin' 'im undah 'is clothes aftah he gits through wit 'er.
(Then what does he do to get his nature back?) Bathes in chamber lye, dat'll kill it. (Bathe what?)
De same way she wash 'im, aftah she git through wit 'im wit a dishrag. He take a dishrag an' bathe in 'is own chamber lye. Dat'll kill it.
(Any kind of a rag?)
Any kind of cloth. It kin be a piece of clothes.
Entry 3755
Tuh git 'em apart, yo' gotta go right den, an' if dey stand it dey gotta eat a piece of dog. Jes' - git a - kill anothah dog an' git a piece of de meat outa de backbone right from de small part of de back. 中 Git a piece of dat an' cook it an' give it to dem. (What will that do then?) Dat will shrink 'em down an' dey come apart.
Entry 3756
(How would you take that away?)
Well, de first thing yo' would do, would git dis thing - it's in a powdahed form an' den it's in a lump form, but dey call it dragon blood. Yo' take dat an' yo' wear dat intuh yore shoes, jis' de same as ah wuz tellin' yo' 'bout dat othah thing. Yo' wear dat nine days. Den yo' suppose tuh take dat out, an' den yo' supposed tuh take it an' put it on a piece of papah wit dose names written jis' lak ah done tole yo' befo'. Now yo' write mah name in one direction [demonstrates]. Dat's one person's name nine times.
(What one do you write first?)
Write eithah one, don't make any diff'rence, jis' since dey crossed. Yo' undahstan', yo' cross de othah name wit de othah nine. An' aftah yo' do dat yo' supposed tuh take dis piece of papah an' sprinkle it wit dragon blood dat yo' wo' in yo' shoe on it. Den yo' supposed tuh put a half box of salt on dat. Now yo' know how cookstoves are made, dose dat burn wood. Yo' supposed to put it in de ashpan of dat. An' it ain't supposed tuh burn all at once, but as de hot coals drop down, yo' undahstan', den yo' supposed to be rid of dat. (That will get rid of this thing, that woman did to tie him up - [this re- stores] his nature.)
Entry 3757
De root of de fig tree is good, yo' know, when a man - when he lose his feelin's. Dey takes it an' boil it an' make a tea out of it, an' den put a little, if yo' kin git holt of it - but yo' hardly kin git it now - but put hit an' dis fig root togethah, if yo' kin git holt of it. Dey call it - a little Spanish fly. Yo' have to put dat an' make a tea out of it, an' dat will bring 'im up.
Entry 3758
(Well, suppose a man is tied up that way, how could he git rid of that?) Git rid of dat? He would take dat perfume whut de call Hearts Perfume, cinnamon, saltpetah an' chamber lye, his own, wit nine ten-penny nails. Takin' a bath from head to feet an' throwin' it out to- Wards sunrise. Den she cain't do anythin' unless she gits wit 'im [again]. Dat untie him.
Entry 3759
[As a piece of magic, what could be more logical magically than the following 5 ingredients: 1 of them prickly, 3 of them red, and the 5th called life everlasting?] But I anticipate. The doctor who is instructing me will explain why he uses each of the 5 ingredients.] Well, now - case now dere's some man or some woman may come tuh yo' an' tell yo' dis [my instruction by the doctor begins]. He say, "Listen, yo' know one thing, "" says, "ah haven't got no nature left at all - I ain't go no nachure left. Ah wants tuh have feelin' fo' mah ole man or mah ole woman, an' ah ain't got no feelin's left." Yo' say, "Well, all right, right. Ah'll tell yo' whut ah'll do." Yo' say, "Yo' come ovah heah an' ah'll give yo' somepin." Well, all right. Yo' walk out dere an' yo' go to a tree, an' git dis prickly ash. Yo' know whut prickly ash is. Git dat inside bark - undahstan' good - see, dat rough side yo' know is got stickahs on it lak pins. Git de inside of dat prickly ash bark. An' go in de woods an' den git chew a [wild] cherry tree an' git dat cherry bark. Git chew some cherry bark an' de inside of a red oak bark, an' it's a kinda brier dat dey call de life evahlastin' [the cudweed (not a kinda brier) - see hayfever cure, FACI, 1st ed., 4498-4499, p.216.] Git dat an' boil dat togethah an' when yo' boil dat togethah, den yo' strain dat. But yo' wanta git rain watah. Don't git dis hydrant watah, git rain watah an' yo' boil all dat togethah. An' yo' put about a half, jes' about dat much, as much cayenne peppah in dere as yo' kin hold in yore two fingahs, see. An' shake dat up togethah an' let 'em take dat, see. An' dat will give dem nature. An' see, dis peppah is fo' tuh give yuh nature, an' dis red-oak bark is fo' tuh cleanse yore blood, an' dis prickly ash is tuh make de man's thing stand. See, DAT'S WHY DEY CALL IT PRICKLY ASH. An' dis life evahlastin' is supposed tuh work yo', tuh work de filth an' stuff offa yo' kidney's an' yo' bladdah. See, evahthin' yo' gotta do wit dat is wrong.
Entry 3760
A fellah tole me that chew kin go to work an' jest ketch a toadfrog - an' if yore nature gone, jest take a toadfrog an' jest rub in betwixt yore legs three times [demonstrates]. (Down or up? That way?) Up. Thataway three times, an' then throw it ovah yore left shoul- der an' walk right on off an' don't nevah look back an' say that will bring yore nature. [As the discarded frog springs up and hops away, so will the man's instrument spring up - provided he does not look back to see what the frog is doing.]
Entry 3761
He kin git 'is nature back ag'in through de same way ah said. He kin take some gourds or one gourd an' beat it up wit saltpetah an' sulphur an' jes' bathe himself down dere - pahtic'lah dova. An' take it to a rivah an' throw it gsMr, an den dat'll be.off of 'im an' he'll becoe jes' as he once wus.
Entry 3762
Well, he kin take a new pocket handkerchief and let his wlfe ddpe ber face with it and watch where she puts it down. Take dis handkerchief wit him put it in his lefthand pocket until twelve 'clock that day and then take it out and put it in his right hand pocket and call her name three times. They claim that that will control her and stop her [from other men]. (If she is fooling around while he is gone.)
Entry 3763
Yo' kin go where a bo' hog has been.
(A boar hog and you use his urinate.)
No suh, git his, where his bowels move. An' she take dat an' use it about herself, an' den don't take no wash off or nuthin lak dat an' den be wit him. He cain't go wit no othah woman. [This rite could confuse a few readers, it momentarily confused me - the reason for my comment in the parenthesis. My informant says go where a bo' hog has been. To be certain that I understood, I immediately interpreted the words bo' hog as boar hog, not bored, a castrated one. Informant did not correct me. But looking back through the years, was I correct? She wants him to be bo'd except when with her. Perhaps a parallel has been or will be found.]
Entry 3764
He can undo it [impotence] with holy watah an' dese flag lilies dat has de big red an' yellow flowers dat grow in de yard. [Holy water in New Orleans can be consecrated water from a Roman Catholic Church, or water blessed by professional spirituals or shrine keepers; but commercial sellers here and elsewhere prefer holy oil.] Well, jis' git one or two of de buds, little leafs, an' de small leaf of de lily, an' yo' put it in a little hot watah an' let it steep an' make a tea. [The water becomes holy by reading Scripture over it, usually part of a Psalm, or sometimes a prayer.] Yo' wash off wit dat an' it [ailment] will be all gone. Dat will remove de spell. Dat will relieve. [New Orleans, La.,
(803 0r 804), 1126:1.]
Entry 3765
If a man loses 'is nature from trickery, dis is one case yo' go to de place yo' buy dese things. An' git some John de Conkah an' boil it an' slip it on de side [of] bed at night jis' lak it's a pan of watah or somepin. An' he goes to sleep an' bathes 'is stom- ach nightly, yo' know, wit dat, or eithah make him do it thinkin' dat it's or- dinary watah an' soap. An' aftah he's bathed wit dat, say nine times - dat's a clean number, nine - an' he bathes wit dat nine times, he begins to git 'is na- turn back, becuz dat John de Conkah kills de thing dat de othah person put on ' im to make him lose his nature.
Entry 3766
Mandrake root is a mighty powerful root fo' to build up yore nature. Hit's a kinda blood root, an' green of [something] root, hit's good fo' blood, too.
Entry 3767
She can measure a man's privates an' this man won't be able to go with another woman until he finds out [that he has been measured] and measures her [the woman who did the measuring]. Then he can go with another woman. They tie this string in a tree root.
Entry 3768
Heah's whut she do, she git de gizzard of a mockin'bird an' [or] de dog gizzard, an' if de man is tied up, yo' know, Doc, an' yo' wanta git loose. Is dat whut chew mean? (That's right.) If de man is tied up an' he wanta git loose, an' de woman whut he goin' wit wanta git 'im loose, an' de woman or he git a gizzard from de mockin'bird. An' he take de gizzard while it's bloody - lak it is jes' from de bird. Don't cook it or do anythin' wit it. An' put on 'isself an' jes' take de gizzard an' put nine times. Draw dis gizzard down 'is penis nine times. An' dat will bring his nature back.
Entry 3769
Whilst he's asleep at night, takin' a cord an' takin' de full length of 'is private, tyin' nine knots in it, wearin' ti aroun' 'er waist, an' he'd lose all ambition fer outside women. He kin go.... (What did you say?) He'll be dataway, no use fer outside women, until he take some penny nail - five penny-nails.
(Wait a minute! The penny-nails, you take five of them?)
Five of 'em.
(Yes?) = [Continue.]
Put 'em in a quart bottle of watah an' drinkin' de watah off it. Dat will release him.
(That will give him the advantage, take that away from him?)
Absolutely.
Entry 3770
Nine penny-nails, put [in] a quart bottle of watah an' take it three times a day, see. Dat will kill dat what she give yo'. De way she goes in dat way - undahstan', whenevah yo' have connection wit 'er, any discharge she wipe wit a han'ke'ch'ef of some kind, an' you [she] tie nine knots in it an' tie it aroun' 'er waist, see. Well, dat makes 'im lose ambition fer de [other] woman. He may be hard an' he may aim to get on to marry de woman, den he fall, loses ambition fer no one else but 'er.
Entry 3771
Well, if a woman got a man tied up an' he comes tuh yo' an' he's yore fren' an' cain't, yo' know, go tuh bed wit yo' an' cain't do no business. Well, if he don' wear no tie, make him wear a tie when he comes tuh yore house, an' when he cain't git up an' still cain't do nuthin, let 'i go home an wear dat tie tuh 'is house, back tuh 'is house where he come from an' untie dis tie, an' tie it on de foot of de bed, anywhere on de bed in a hard knot. He take de tie off an' when he take it off, jis' tie it in a hard knot. Den leave it dere an' let de white folks, or whosomevah works dere untie it. Yo' see. Don't chew untie it. Let 'er untie it. She tie yo', let 'er untie yo'. Den yo come.back. Yo' go back an' don' go tuh bed wit 'er, cuz yo' see she'll take it off de nex' day. Den dat night yo' go back tuh yore fren' an' den yo' go tuh bed an' yo' kin go wit 'er.
(He leaves his tie on the bed and his wife will untie it? Then he's untied?)
Yeah.
Entry 3772
Dere's somepin in de woods dey call a bull nettle. Yo' go in de woods an' git chew some bull nettle an' take yo' 'bout a halfa pint of whiskey, an' yo' let dat bull nettle settle in dere an' evah mawn' in' or two yo' git up an' take a teaspoonful. Drink about a teaspoonful evah maunin' an' carries it along. It'll bring yo' nature back to yo'.
Entry 3773
Go to de cemetery an' he git de two nettles call bull nettle - one's a he an' [the other's] a she. He git dat bull nettle out de cemetery close by somebody's grave an he chew dat. (Which does he get, the he or the she?) De he, an' he chews dat. An' he'd make him a tonic of dat an' drink it an' evah- thing will be all right fo' a while, but go to de bank an' git chew a bran'-new two-dollah bill an' take it an' rub it dat way about ten minute, an' go on 'bout 'is business.
(HE RUBS HIS TOOL WITH THAT NEW TWO-DOLLAR BILL?)
BRAN'-NEW ONE NOBODY AIN'T USED - TWO-DOLLAH BILL. HE'LL COME [ACTIVE AND SPRY] AN' TELL YO' "GOOD MAWNIN'" AN' "HOWDY."
(But he has to use both the bull nettle and the two-dollar bill together?)
[My assumption was probably based upon the double greeting!]
Yo' don't have to. Well, if he can't git dis, he gits de bran'-new two-dollah bill. Yes sir, he gits one or de othah. (If he can't get this bull nettle out of the graveyard, then he will get this new two-dollar bill and he rubs up with it. That the idea?) Take it an' rub de haid of it [demonstrates] till he gits hot as....
(Twisting around the head.)
Keep it [up] until he jes' commence tuh.... [It is evident that this small-time R.D. (I call him small-time root doctor in my notes) was demonstrating, rubbing an imaginary two-dollar bill in his right hand against his upright left thumb or fist substituting for the ailing member. The lacunae, deletions by transcriber of cylinders not restored by me, can be guessed.]
(That brings his nature back.)
An' den, see heah - den he goes tuh work, somebody [root doctor] will show 'im dat [he has been tricked]. He goes tuh work an' find dat cloth [she used].
Entry 3774
Well ah'm tellin' yo' facts about dat, but ah'm tellin' yo' some things dat ah have heard - but it's actually. But now, would yo' lak to know how to remove dis spell? (What I could do or any man could do.) Anyone. Well, ah tell yo' somepin dat ah have heard about last year - year befo' last. An' dere ouz a man dat had some serious disease an' dey didn't know about, an' a lady wuz tellin' me what [would] it cost to remove dat. It would be a very small sum. Cost yo' prob'ly 15c. Well, I told de lady, I said, "Well, I know someone could relieve de spell." She said, "He's got money becuz he draws money from de Gov- ernment, an' he would be able to pay any amount - any price." I said, "Well, I know a person dat would remove de spell an' he wouldn't charge ovah $25, but I'm jes' a person, of co'se." [The preceding, I'm jes' a person, of co'se, means the speaker was not a doc- tor. She sold medicine, roots, powders, etc. Every aspect of the hoodoo field was known to her. She also had personality and brains.] She said, "Go ahead, ah'm goin' send 'im aroun' to talk to you." An' ah said, "Well, now, if yo' know de person really would have de money, ah'll talk to him, but if not, ah wouldn't care to talk to him; but ah know dat dis spell will be removed wit'in nine days." SHE SAID, "WELL, COULD YO' GIT IN TOUCH WIT DE MAN?" AH SAID, "YES, I SELL MEDICINE FO' HIM SOMETIMES. An' I could go to him wit de money an' I could git de medicine fo' him." Well, so when she sent 'im down, he wuz very anxious to talk wit 'im an' HE ACTUALLY PAID ME $25. WELL, NOW, AH TELL YO' WHUT CHEW GIT. DAT DOESN'T MEAN DIS PAHTIK'LAH SPELL REGARDLESS TO WHUT KIND OF WAY DEY PUT DAT SPELL ON YO'.
(THEY PUT IT ON IN DIFFERENT WAYS.)
MORE DAN TEN DIFF'REN' WAYS. Well, now, say fer instance, do yo' know whut bull's nettle are?
(It's a plant that little prongs [thorns] on it?)
[I WAS THINKING OF HORSE NETTLE WHICH I KNEW QUITE WELL.]
Has stingahs on it. Stingahs. Has somepin in de form of de way a bull's [something hangs]. Yo' see dat.
(It's a plant, isn't it?)
It's a plant, an' if yo' touch one of dose ball's, it will sting yo'.
(It's called the bull nettle?)
Bull nettle. Well yo' git de root of dat. It has de very form of a man's privates. Yo' have nevah seen dat?
(I have never seen that.)
[I have a few examples of root shapes in HooDoO, snake and man and woman being important. These and other shapes known and sought for centuries had been dying out in my time, with the disappearance of the old herb or root doctor who gather- ed his own roots. Perhaps the recent revival of witchcraft, all kinds of isms and superstitions, will revive the root trade.] Were yo' born in de South?
(No, I wasn't born in the South.)
Dey grow mostly in dis state [Alabama], Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia - roun' lak dat. Well, now, yo' go an' dig dis root up. It has de very shape of a man. Yo' take dat root an' dry it. Yo' keep it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' yo' git - it's anothah little plant, ah can't git it's name right dis minute, but ah will tell yo' latah.
[I turn off recording machine until she says, '"Like a tomato."]
(Like a tomato? Is it the castor oil plant?)
No, no, it's a plant dat has stickahs on it. (Tell the plot [rite or cure] to me. You might think of the name of the plant later on.)
[She tells another remedy for the same ailment.]
It's fer de same thing. But yo' know what cockleburs are?
(Yes.)
Yo' kin git nine cockleburs an' yo' kin mix 'em wit dis same root dat ah tole yo' an' put it in a bottle.
(You get the nine cockleburs and put them in this bottle with the bull nettle?)
Dat's right, an' put de contents of a 15c bottle of Hearts Cologne in dis bottle, an' den three tablespoons of urine.
(Whose urine?)
Dis person's urine, whoevah has dis spell on dem. An' yo' take a piece of new linen cloth, aftah dey have had dere bath in de mawnin' an' jes' bathe demselves wit dat pahtiklah stuff.
(This liquid.)
Dat's right. An' den make a tea of dis bull's nettle an' drink a swallah of it evah mawnin' fo' nine mornings, an' it will absolutely disappear.
(Take that spell off?)
Dat's right. An' WHEN DIS PERSON IS TAKIN' DIS TREATMENT, DEY ARE NOT SUP- POSED TO MENTION TO ANYONE DAT DEY ARE GOIN' UNDAH IT.
(They must keep it secret.)
[Several days later I asked Mrs. Brady to come for another interview, some of her material had been badly recorded.] Yo' remembah me tellin' yo' about de bull nettle. An' yo' remembah ah tole yo' dere wus anothah weed dat grow in de yard dat chew use in connection wit dat one pahtiklah weed. It's called tread salve - t-r-e-a-d s-a-l-v-e. It has a little yellah ball growin' on de weed somepin lak a tomato. Yo' know what dat [tomato] is. Well, yo' kin ask any southerner, dey kin tell you. Dey grows in all southern yards an' in de commons out in de fields or in de yards. [For the identity of this plant, see later.] Now dat is somepin fo' removin' de spell dat we were speakin' of - yo' know, dat people place on people. [I once thought preceding yellow tomato was the mayapple, Podophyllum pelta- tum, a plant I had known from childhood, having eaten its tasteless egg-shaped fruit. Later I realized it must be the maypop, a passionflower (described some- where in HOODOO), the Passiflora incarnata of the southern U. S. A.; also an in- sipid, yellow, applelike fruit.]