Browse:Coffeepot Rite Prayer (Volume 1, entries 1030)
Coffeepot Rite Prayer
Volume 1, entries 1030. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → FOLK MEDICINE (1) PRINCIPLES OF HEALING. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1030
[Although the following rite deals with love, the doctor uses this coffeepot method for all sorts of cases:] Now, listen. Dis woman an' her husband couldn't git along. He's very noisy an' he has - naturally he is diff'rent from her an' he do things she didn't like an' always cause an argument. So he goes away fo' foah months, yo' understand. He goes away fo' foah months. Well, dis woman she got in love - dis is Anna - Anna wus so much, yo' know, so crazy about him an' loved him an' want to live with him an' all lak dat, so she goes to dis woman an' tole dis woman how, whut an' ever'thing. Dis woman said, "Kin yo' come down heah eleven-thirty? Ah want chew tuh go to de cemetery. Bring two pieces of money - two pennies, an' take up dirt from de foot an' de haid an' bring it back to me. Ah'll put it in a coffeepot." She fixed it up - she put sulphur an' peppah or salt - ah don't know jes' what, but we'll say peppah an' she give it back to Anna. She put salt an' peppah with dis dirt - she put it in de coffeepot an' she prayed ovah it. Ah don't know whut de prayer. An' she give this dirt to Anna an' she said, "An' yo' write his name on a papah three times a day an' burn dis papah six a'clock in de mawnin', twelve in de day an' six in de evening" - see - "an' do dat fo' nine days, an'in de third day write him a lettah."
(The third day during those nine days?)
Yes - yo' understand. After ah do dis nine days [she reveals the identity of the woman going to the doctor], den after dat three days, write him a lettah on de third day, yo' understand. "An' yo'll hear from him, an' yo' an' him will git back together in three days or three months." An' in two months time dey wus back together. (When she went out to the graveyard, what did she do out there? She took some dirt and what?) She took dirt from de graveyard - dat wus supposed to be at twelve a'clock at night, but Anna had tuh go to dis place an' be there at eleven-thirty an' talk to dis woman. She had to go to dis place alone - de cemetery alone. Well, Anna is very nervous ~ er - ah had a lot of nerve, yo' know. She goes to de cemetery an' she gits dis dirt from de foot an' de head. Yo' understand me? An' she bring it back to this woman. She put it in a coffeepot wit, we'll say peppah - put peppah in it an' give it to Anna an' said, "Yo' write his name on a piece of papah."
(When she put it in the coffeepot did she do anything to it in the coffeepot?)
Not anythin' - jes' put it in dere an' pray ovah it an' take it out. No - no cookin'.