Browse:Candle and Left Sock (Volume 1, entries 2934)
Candle and Left Sock
Volume 1, entries 2934. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → SHRINES: ALTARS - CANDLES - SAINTS; NEW ORLEANS AREA → (2) CANDLES. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2934
When yore ole man is gone away an' yo' wanta bring him back, if he left any ole dirty socks - if yo' kin git any of his ole socks, git de left sock. It Wants tuh be dirty though, not clean. An' yo' take it an' yo' go out in front of yore do'. Well, yo' do it 'bout between three an' fo' a'clock in de mawnin'. Go out in front of yo' do' an' dig a hole an' bury dat sock an' cover it up. Yo' go in de house an' yo' git chew a piece of tablet an' yo' write his name nine times on dat tablet. Den yo' git chew a black candle, put dat piece of papah down an' set de candle on it.
(Just a moment. Do you put the names up or down?)
Put the names right across.
(No. Do you put the names up so that you can see them, or down?)
Put the names [face] down. Then set the candle on it an' burn that candle, an' in three days dey'll return. Dat's whut ah know 'bout dat.
(But you must leave that sock out there?)
Yo' leave that sock out there until dey return. Ah've heard of men takin' a woman's stockin's an' makin' her come back. Ah've heard of men takin' 'em an' do em in de same manner.