Browse:Chicken (Volume 1, entries 1160–1194)
Chicken
Volume 1, entries 1160–1194. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → CURE AND PROTECTION. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1160
Take a black hen an' bury it alive. (Where?) Bury it under de steps an' that will stop everything.
(What do you mean - stop what?)
Stop 'em if a person wanted tuh harm yo' - dey couldn't git up to yo'.
Entry 1161
Go in the fowl coop - you know, go in backwards while the chickens are in there, an' as the chickens start to flyin' out, why you come out an' let them fly over you one by one as they comin' out. You jis' come from the back of the coop, an' comin' out like that an' let them fly over you, an' that care [carry] the chickenpox away.
Entry 1162
My uncle was fixed oncest and they took a chicken, a black hen - he had a black snake in his arm.
(He had a black snake in his arm?)
Yes, sir - lady that had 'em [him] fixed put it there, and when the snake came out - when the hoodoo had the snake to come out, she say, "You kill a black chicken' - we had a black-feathered chicken - 'and take that blood and cook it and put over dat place. It healed dat - where dat snake had came out. Jest take and use it as a salve, you know.
Entry 1163
Then ah've used a black hen's blood fo' dat - like dat. Jes' cut de hen's haid off. Ah jes' took de hen up an' jes' let it bled on it, an' it killed de shingles.
Entry 1164
A black hen, now, dat's for when anything - a snake or rattlesnake bites you. Wanta see what a rattlesnake is, you jes' go out here in de woods. If you is goin' huntin' purtty soon you see a rattlesnake down here [in this part of the South]. You know a rattlesnake look green-grayish; you know you can't hardly know it's a rattlesnake lessen you look down good. Well, if he bites you, if you kin git to a frog or a black hen and cut him open while he is alive - cut him open and put him on dat, it will draw all dat pizen out. [The blood is the essential element in these split live-animal rites, which cure just about everything.]
Entry 1165
We had [here in the neighborhood] once [about 1886] a sick boy and they said somebody hurt him and he was very low. Someone told him to get a black chicken and cut that chicken open - don't kill it, and bind it alive to his feet. They say that cured him of cunjuration. They said it would draw it out [through the feet]. [Boxiron, Md., by hand; my note "old cunjure-woman" in parentheses indicates she handled the case.]
Entry 1166
Ah've heard dat chew could take a black hen's aig an' it would cure a hunyun [hernia] on a baby's navel. Yo' know, jes' like a baby have a large navel an' dey wear a bandage around it - dat chew could take a black hen's aig, a fresh hen aig soon as she lay it an' take it an' rub it on a baby's navel. Rub down his navel three times an' bury it under de do'step, an' it will carry dat away.
(You mean that big bump on the navel?)
Yes sir - it would carry it away.
Entry 1167
Yo' kin take a chicken aig - if yo' have a young child born, take a fresh chicken aig an' tie it up ovah de do' an' he cut all his teeth an' yo' won't know when he cut 'em.
Entry 1168
Whenevah yo' have a snake bite, yo' jes' take [a] black chicken dat, chew know, her aig an' bust it an' put it in - plaster [broken egg] anywheres on yo'[!] an' band it tight dere an' it draw de poison good out - de black chicken aig.
The instruction specifies a black chicken's egg; its claimed effect on snakebite is unverified.
Entry 1169
De aig of a black hen is fo' de smallpox [probably means chickenpox]. Take an' boil de aig - boil de aig an' drink de watah of a black hen [egg] fo' de smallpox.
The item instructs boiling a black hen's egg; its stated medicinal use remains unverified.
Entry 1170
They say if you've got a spell on you, you take a black hen egg - jis' wear it in your bosom for three days. Then, at night, take it out an' put it under your bed, under your bed on the floor [each night during the three days]. They say that spell'll leave right on you an' go into that egg. Go out in the morning [of fourth day] and put it in de runnin' water - break it.
Entry 1171
A fresh aig an' git to de middle of dem steps an' dig yo' a hole an' turn de sharp end of it up an' cover it up wit salt - cover it up an' all de roots an' things dey put down can't hurt me. Dat fresh aig an' salt sucks it all up.
Entry 1172
Anybody would be botherin' yo', git chew two aigs, yessuh, an' have some of yore fren's tuh throw 'em at chew. Yo' walk from yore place yo' see, an' have dem jes' throw dose aigs in yore back an' vo' feel dey bust, an' den dere's nobody kin trouble yo' or nobody will bother yo' atall.
(They just have to break these eggs on your own back.)
Jes'- no suh, don't break 'em on yore back, jes' throw 'em right tuh yore feet chew know.
(Break them behind you?)
Right behin' yo' at chure feet - any kinda chicken aigs. (Two of them. That'll keep the law away or anybody that is trying to disturb you?) Yes, dey even cain't fin' yo' wheresomevah yo's at.
Entry 1173
Kin take dem chicken feathers - oh, prob'bly six or eight, ah've been told and burn 'em together; see, an' enhale dat smoke and that will heal yore misery in de head.
Entry 1174
A black hen's feathah is good fo' dizziness, if a person has a fit. An' yo' git de feathahs off dat black hen an' yo' keep her in yore home, an' when he go tuh have one of these fits yo' git these feathahs an' yo' burn 'em. Jis' as yo' set 'em afire an' dey start tuh burn, yo' blow de fire out an' let de smoke escape up dere nose an' dat'll surely cure 'em.
Entry 1175
Black chicken feathers, they burn them tuh drive evil spirits, dey say.
(Drive them away?)
Yes sir - tuh drive them away.
Entry 1176
If yo' have a lotta ghosts an' things, or yore house is hanted, well, at night yo' take a pan of chicken feathers an' sulphur an' put it in a pan an burn it. Dat'll [also] keep all de insex [insects] from round yore house.
(All these ghosts and things?)
Yessuh - dat'll shore keep dem away.
Entry 1177
When yo' think anybody has done anything to yore home, yo' burn chicken feathers and sulphur there.
(What will that do?)
Say that wards off what they have did. (You mean if they are trying to plant anything around there or sprinkle anything?) You set, yo' know, jest like if yo' were going to fumigate the house and burn that; yo' put pepper, sulphur and chicken feathers together - rather, to get black feathers is the best feathers.
Entry 1178
Well, yo' jes' have to strip up necked an' light de fire an' burn her feathers - stan' ovah it an' burn dat [bad] luck off her.
(What do you burn?)
Black hen an' sulphur.
(Black hen what?)
Feathers.
(And she stands in that smoke - that is just to give her luck?)
Luck an' successful.
Entry 1179
Well, yo' kin put dat in hot water, yo' know, an' den let de patient sit ovah dat to draw down dat afterbirth. Yo' know, when yo' find a woman dat can't pass dat afterbirth, yo' kin take those chicken feathers an' make a hot bath out of 'em an' put it in dat hot water an' let her jest sit right ovah dat pan an' dat'll jes' clear her right up.
(Any kind of chicken feathers?)
Yes sir.
Entry 1180
Heard of 'em using chicken feathers fo' trouble round de home. Dey take de feathers of a black hen an' saturate it wit sulphur an' yo' bury dat under yore do'step. Dat will run off all de trouble an' harm round yore home.
Entry 1181
Dey use chicken feathers, dey say to take spells off people - dappled. dese speckled feathers. Yo' take 'em an' yo' put 'em in a pot or a pan an' yo' fry 'em down to a medicine lak, an' if dere anybody dat swole up or root worked or somethin' lak dat, yo' bathe 'em down with that. Yo' cook dat [feathers] down in pure lard.
Entry 1182
(These fingernails and toenails?)
Toenails an' parch 'em - put 'em in de stove an' parch 'em - cut 'em up real fine befo' yo' parch 'em an' then yo' take an' put 'em in de stove. An' they'll put i-dene [iodine] on 'em - i-dene - aftah dey done dried out. Jis' sew 'em in a red flannel an' then git a little piece of feather from a chicken an' put that in there with it.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep dem from harmin' yo'. [This is a protective hand - see next subsection Hands.]
Entry 1183
Yo' git de inside of de chicken gizzard, see - yo' know when yo' clean a chicken, yo' got a skin yo' pulls out dat gizzard. Well, dat's de part yo' Want - dat skin. Yo' keep dat. Well, yo' pound dat up an' if yo' were doctorin' on anybody dat had any kinda poison in 'em, yo' jes' pound it up an' put it in his medicine or in water, whatsomevah yo' givin' 'im, an' let him drink dat an' yo' would see dat poison leave.
Entry 1184
Any chicken that you kill, they say burn the head of it. They say, but I don't know - this what they call hoodooism - couldn't bother you or nothin'.
Entry 1185
Heard of 'em usin' chicken dirt - it's good take hives offa babies, or eithah nuse [use] for jis' any kinda, yo' know, bumps that chew break out with. Yo' kin take that an' give hot tea an' it will break 'em out on 'em.
Entry 1186
(How do you handle chickenpox?)
Well, yo' boil this tea - yo' kin make it outa hen manure. Git dat white - dat little white speck on dere an' yo' make tea outa it an' den yo' give it tuh de individual. Dat breaks it out an' also dey begin tuh dry up.
Entry 1187
All you have to do is go to the henhouse and get some of that white hen manure. Jes' take and rub it on your forehead and stroke your jaws with it, and they can't do a thing in the world to you.
Entry 1188
You take a snake bite - and if a snake bite you, you can take chicken manure and make a poultice out of it, you understand. See, like you got a sore in amongst there and the doctors can't cure that sore, take chicken manure and put it on that sore. You understand. And it'll draw that sore and take all the inflammation out of it and heal it up.
Entry 1189
Chicken manure? They use that to rot people teeth out.
(How would they do it?)
Well if, a person bite another person, they get just enough for 'em to do that.
(What do they do?)
Rub 'em - like chicken manure and sugar. You burn that sugar till it turn a dark brown, mix it with that chicken manure and rub it on that sore, and it rot that person's teeth out sure as hell.
(You mean. if they bite you?)
If they bite you. [The story told by Vander's wife is surely an unsurpassable account for this rite - see No. 888, p.319.]
Entry 1190
Yo' bite 'em [he bites you] like tonight and dey [you] got a nice bunch of chickens - jest any kind of chicken, you know. Ever' mornin' fer about nine mornin's yo' go out and you says yore prayers right at the chicken coop and jest as yo' go - jest as yo' say de last prayer, last work in de prayer, say, "Lord have mercy, ' you rub some of dat chicken manure over dere - right fresh chicken stuff and dat will rot yore [his] teeth out.
Entry 1191
If a person should bite chew, go tuh de (dere)[transcriber's comment] chicken coop on a dark night an' git some chicken dung an' put on it an' dere teeth will rotten out.
(Must.it be on a dark night?)
Yes.
(Any kind of chicken manure?)
Any kinda chicken manure. [De and dere meaning the and their or there are occasionally so much alike it is impossible to distinguish them. Neither transcriber nor I was certain whether the bitten victim went to his own or the biter's chicken coop. Dark night looks like biter's - if so, it is unusual.]
The informant specifies chicken manure in a bite-related account; the location of the chicken coop is explicitly uncertain.
Entry 1192
Dey say dey take chicken manure. Dey take it and dey mix some of it with anything dat chew drink - take and mix it up and you drink it. If you ever drink any of it all yore teeth will fall out chure haid. A lotta people do's it fer revenge.
Entry 1193
[The preceding teeth rites using chicken manure are usual; not so usual are teeth rites using chicken eggs that follow:] A black hen egg is for to rot your teeth out, something like that if a person bites cha.
(How would you do that?)
Well, if I'd bite you and put a bad bite on you, you would take a black hen's egg: You'd take that egg and break the egg and rubs it on this place. When this place gets well your teeth gon'a fall out. But you gotta shorely get a black hen's egg.
Entry 1194
If yo' happen to kiss her - if you kiss a woman and she happen to love you so hard and another woman got de best right of her, she [first woman] kin take and kiss you and den go and take a black hen egg and wash her mouth wit it and you kiss again and yo' lose yore teeth.
(Take a black hen egg and wash her mouth with it. You mean with that yolk?)
No, de white.
(Oh, the white of the egg. And you kiss her again, you'll lose your teeth.)
You'll lose all your teeth - they will rot down all one by one.