Browse:Coffin Nail (Volume 1, entries 1806–1808)
Coffin Nail
Volume 1, entries 1806–1808. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1806
You can take a coffin nail and do anything that chew wish to do as long as you use that coffin nail. If it's a man, he gets the coffin nails from a wo- man's, outten a woman's coffin; and then he can do anything he wish to with that nail whenever he wishes to. And if it's a woman, she gets it from outten a man's coffin and wishes whatever she want to do. Well, they carry that nail with 'em. They keep that nail in they personal affairs somewhere here where the nail'll keep warm. They wrap that in flannel or anything. And they keep that saturated in Hearts Cologne.
Entry 1807
I've heard though of taking nails from a coffin and wrapping it in red flannel, and give it to a person either for luck or ill luck, whichever you want them to have. They sell from twenty-five cents to a dollar.
Entry 1808
Coffin nails is good luck. You nail three of 'em ovah de top of yore door where you come in at. Each and every morning and every night you stop under these nails and make a wish and they claim that will keep all good things coming to you.