Browse:Crossroad - Fork of Road (Volume 1, entries 277–288)
Crossroad - Fork of Road
Volume 1, entries 277–288. Source context: SPIRITS → BLACK CAT BONE. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 277
You kin take a black cat an' carry him to de fo'ks of de road an' strip his tail down seven times [see No. 269], an' yo' throw 'em - jest turn [whirl] him round three times ovah yore haid an' throw him - let him go through de woods - don't cook hit, yo' see - an' let him go through de woods an' yo' go on back home. Don't look back. An' anything in de world dat yo' wanta do yo' kin do it. [Informant not knowing stroke uses strip - from stripping a cow at milktime; pulling, compressing down- ward on the tits.]
Entry 278
Well, dey goes out to de fo'k of de road, but yo' gotta go at twelve a'clock in de night - a dark night at twelve a'clock. Yo' goes out dere to dat fo'k an' yo' stan' up - yo' be's talkin' to de devil - de devil have tuh come up dere an' jes' whut chew want, yo'd ask de devil fo' it. Tell de devil whut chew wanted an' whut chew wanta do wit it - tell de devil yo' want him tuh go wit chew tuh do these things. An' den yo'll make a cross mark there an' yo' git some of dat dirt from dose fo'ks. Yo' take dat dirt den an' yo' carry it on back home wit chew. Then yo' git chew - yo' have tuh git chew a black cat, an' yo' put dat black cat in a pot of watah, hot boilin' watah an' let all de meat boil off him. Den yo' take it all an' yo' carry it to a stream of watah runnin' an' yo' empty all dem down dat stream. De one dat stay dere, dat de one yo' git, but de one whut float away you let dat go. Den yo' carry it right on back home an' put it in yore pocket an' tote it. Keep dat wit chew an' dat's lucky to yo'.
(What do you do with that dirt you bring back from the forks of the road?)
Yo' puts dat wit dat - wit de bone - tote dat wit chew. Put it in a little sack an' tote wit chew. That'll he'p yo' - yo' kin do most anything.
Entry 279
I heerd mah mother tell this here. I remember I was right good size. The ole fellah claimed he wanted to be a root worker. You hear 'em talk of root workers. So a fellah told him - he paid a fellah five dollar to learn him. The fellah told him, he said, "Now, I'll tell you whut choo kin do." He says, "You git choo a black cat, take him to the house, put him on, boil him, boil him till he come all to pieces, all de meat come off his bones. After all the meat come off his bones," he says, "you git" - I think t'was the left hip bone - "you git his left hip bone, the back, an' take it down to the crossroad." He says, "You make nine wushes [wishes]," he said, "an' break dat bone half in two." He said, "You go to a crossroad where's one goin' dat-a-way an' one goin' so." So he went on down there. He got down there an' he looked an' he looked, an' he stood there an' looked. Didn't see nobody. He broke de bone in half in two. An' he said, "Well, I'm goin' back dis-a-way." He come dat-a-way, but he said, "I'm goin' dis-a-way." So he took the bone, jis' broke it choo know an' threw it away.
[Informant demonstrates.]
(Facing the direction he intends to take, he throws one-half bone to the right and the other half to the left, at right angles to the intended road. In other words, the bones are thrown down the two forks that form the bisecting line of the crossroad.) "After you git sich a distant [distance] from there," he said, "don't choo look back," he said, "you keep a-goin'. After you git sich a distant down the road an' you don't see nobody, well, you stop an' pick up you nine pinches of dirt," he said, "an' ev'ry pinch of dirt you pick up" - he told him whut to say [informant could not remember the words] - "put it in a red han'kerchef an' tie it up" - he told how many knots to tie, I think it was nine knots - "an' tie it up an' care [carry] it to the runnin' water an' throw it overboard in the river an' let it go on down the river," he said, "an' you kin do anything you want."
The informant recounts a mother's story of a learner paying another person, a black-cat bone broken and thrown at a crossroads, then roadside dirt tied in a handkerchief and cast into running water. Direct instructions are nested reported speech; the informant cannot remember the required words and only thinks there were nine knots. Hyatt separately interprets the demonstrated directions.
Entry 280
Dey tell me yo' kin take a black cat an' put him in a pot 'live, see, an' boil him. Now, when all de flesh boil offa him, yo' takes him to a branch. See, take dose bones to a branch. De lucky bone hit comes to de top; it doesn't leave - it circle right round. Yo' gits that yo' see an' after that then yo' comes back to de fork of the road fo' fo' nights, an' those fo' nights yo' sees one of fo' diff'rent men - fo' [for] each night yo' come, a man tuh each night. See. An' he will give yo' somepin, speak to yo' plainly an' tell yo' whut that are, to keep yore enemies away from yo' - to keep anybody from doin' yo' any harm or whatevah.
(Four different men - what do you do with that black cat bone then?)
Well, on dat black cat bone yo' kin git money, go to stores an' things - nobody can't see yo' when yo' goin'. Ah've seen dat.
Entry 281
Ah heard dat chew could ketch a black cat an' take him an' boil him - dat's black all ovah - take him an' boil him in water. An' dere's a crossbone dat come out of him, but chew got'a take him to a stream somewhere an' let it wash off, an' den dere's a crossbone come out of him. Ah heard that chew could take an' go to a forks of de road fo' nine mawnin's an' den de ninth mawnin' whenevah yo' go there, why den yore luck'll change. Yo' jes' keep dat same bone if yo' go to de forks of de road nine mawnin's an' then whenevah yo' come back, why take that bone in de place yo' want de luck in. An' yo' wrap it up an' jes' put it in yore pocket an' tote it an' that will bring yo' luck an' success for many years. (You go to this crossroads after you get that black cat bone? Do you carry the bone with you there?) Yes - yo' carry de bone wit yo' fo' nine mawnin's after yo' done cook him to pieces and git dat bone. Dat brings yo' luck.
Entry 282
Yo' kin take a black cat - yo' boil him alive an' go to a stream of watah an' de first bone dat wash down de stream, dat's de bone fo' yo' tuh git. An' take an' go to de fo'ks of de road nine mawnin's an' chew dat bone, an' de last mawnin' yo' go dere, everything will turn dark an' different things will come to yo'. Then yo' kin do anything - yo' be's sold yo'self to the devil. Yo' kin be de ruler of anything an' git out of it.
The informant describes a black-cat bone taken to road forks on nine mornings and chewed, with a final darkening and encounters, followed by claims of broad powers and selling oneself to the devil. These are historical source reports; the neighboring accounts' different bone-selection methods and visit counts are not imported.
Entry 283
The way I heard it was this - that he takes a black cat that's black all over and throw him in boiling water and let all de meat boil off the bones. And suck one of them bones each morning for nine mornings and go to the forks of the road and make a wish for whatever you wanted. And at the ninth morning, the council of the devil would meet him there and make him ruler over black arts - the way I heard that, make him a ruler over black arts. He could go into a place and couldn't be seen and take what he wanted and go out and do anything of that kind.
The informant explicitly reports hearsay about a black-cat bone, nine mornings at road forks and wishes, followed by a claimed meeting with the devil's council, powers and invisibility. The neighboring accounts' different selection methods remain separate.
Entry 284
They claim you go to the fork of the road fo' nine mornin' straight. You walk backward. You curse the day you were born. You curse the sun, the moon. You curse God. Then they'll sell theirself to the devil. The ninth mornin' they'll take a black cat to de fork of that road an' they'll git a tea- kettle of water boilin'. They'll take dat cat an' they'll t'row him down in dat water an' let him cook to pieces. An' then they'll take a - somepin, an' they'll fin' one of them bones. an' they'll call that the black qat bone. An' they sell theirself to the devil an' they be able to do all kin' of matter.
The informant reports nine mornings at a road fork, walking backwards and cursing, with a black cat brought on the ninth morning and a bone sought. Selling oneself to the devil and gaining powers remain attributed claims; this sequence is not combined with different neighboring cat-bone accounts.
Entry 285
Dey says yo'll go an' yo'll ketch a black cat an' yo' take him an' yo' put him in a pot of water, live. Git one dese pots whut's got a neck to it, yol know, where yo' kin put his nose right in de neck where he won't die - where he won't drown.
(Sort of - like a teakettle? His nose is sticking in that spout?)
That's right - right whare his nose will stick in dere where he won't drown. An' then, say yo'll start - put him in cold water an' build yo' a fire after yo' put him in dere. Build yore fire an' den, dey say - den yo' boil him an' yo' boil him to pieces. Boil him till all his bones, hair, everything jes' turns loose - jes' be's a liquor - jes' be's afloatin' in dat liquor. An' dey say, den yo' take that then an' go to a runnin' stream of water an' yo' stand wit chure back to it - de left shoulder to it, an' yo' po' dis ovah yore left shoulder but don't look back at it. An' dey say whilst yore [you're] standin' dere right by it - wit chure left shoulder to it an' throw it over yore left shoulder an' po' it out - de bone dat goes - comes up de stream - whut yo' see comin' up, yo' git that bone but nevah look back. An' dey say yo' take that bone an' den yo' go den an' yo' go to a road dat's got fo' forks. Go to a crossroads dats got fo' forks to it. Yo' go dere in de mornin' - yo' go dere fo' nine mornin's. Dey say, yo' go dere an' yo' come to all de forks, go jes' right where them forks at - right in dat block [square], an' den yo' go backwards up one of 'em. Says, yo' got'a cuss God, den all yo' kin think of - jes' anything yo' kin say agin Him. Dat's fo'de firs' mornin'.
(You go into any one of those forks?)
Either one of those forks - go backwards. (When you cuss God do you stand right in the center, right where all these roads are?) Dat's where yo' starts at, yes sir. Den yo' goes backwards. Dat's de fust mornin'. Well, when yo' cusses Him de firs' mornin' dey says on de second mornin' de devil meet chew dere. He meet choo an' he'll talk wit choo, an' then he'll tell yo' - he'll show yo' then de glitter of de world - jis' whu' de world [is] an' what's in de world, an' jis' how yo' kin come to git to it - richness - jis' git rich. But still, yo' ain't not through den until yo' go to all fo' of de forks ev'ry mornin' - go up each one. De one yo' went up dis morning don't go up it de nex' mornin'. An' de second morning yo' come down dis road yo' cusses Him agin - yo' cusses Him fo' all yo' knows dat morning, an' de devil'll meet chew dere dat morning an' he promise yo' dat morning - he tells yo' tuh cuss Him an' whatever yo' promise - yo' got'a tuh make the devil a faithful promise dat chure soul is his'n when yo' cursin' God. Well, yo' go there for all nine mornin's, but de last morning - when yo' git to the ninth morning, yo' go back there, but don't run out on de fork of the road, yo' go back to the first fork where yo' started - yo' go back down that fork an' yo' curses Him agin. Well, devil dere an' yo' promise him dat chure soul is his'n. Well, dey says tha' chew take that bone an' yo' put it on a string an' tie it around yore neck an' let hang down in yore bosom heah an' yo' goes ahead on. Dey tell me yo' kin go to a lock an' jis' (puff) [demonstrates by blowing] - blow dat lock an' it'll come open. Yo' kin take dat bone then an' after yo' git everything whut chew want in dat building an' got out, yo' kin jes' take dat bone an' stick it in yore mouth an' walk out, cain't nobody see yo'. (Now while you are going down to this crossroad those nine mornings, where is this bone all that time?) Yo've got dis bone - yes sir, yo' got this bone then but dis bone won't begin to work until yo' curse God.
Entry 286
Ah could tell yo' dat story but not knownin' whether all of it's 'zactly true or not - about de cat. Ah hear dem say dey kin - dat chew boil a black cat an' yo' put de black cat in runnin' watah after yo' boil it an' yo' git de bones dat come towards yo'. An' den fo' nine mawnin's yo' go to five points - fo'ks of de road, an' when yo' go there, dey say yo' hear de wind, stormy like, an' on de ninth mawnin' if yo' kin stand an' hear an' see whut chew see, why den - after yo' done boiled dis cat an' go through this process, why yo've sold yore soul to de devil an' yo' kin do most anything.
(You take those bones to that road?)
Yes - yo' carry them with you. In de first place yo' carry dem to the runnin' watah, an' then yo' take 'em out. See, there'll be so many come to yo' an' so many go from yo', but de ones fo' yo' is de ones dat come towards yo'. An' then yo' go to those fo'ks of de road nine mawnin's.
(You just carry those bones with you when you go to the fork of the road?)
Yes - but then those three bones dat come towards yo', you supposed to keep dem bones with you always. That's fo' yo'. De othahs is fo' de othah fellah - providin' if it's a person sellin' dat kind of work.
The informant explicitly doubts whether the black-cat story is wholly true, describing bones moving toward the collector and nine mornings at 'five points' or road forks. The follow-up specifies three bones to retain, with others for another person if the work is sold. Claimed encounters and powers stay qualified by that uncertainty.
Entry 287
Well, de way ah've heard yo' have to do dat, yo' have tuh git a black cat an' put him in - git some real hot watah an' git chure watah tuh boilin' an' don't kill de cat. From whut ah heard about it, yo' don't kill de cat. Yo' takes de cat alive wit'out any white spots atall on him - no place atall, an' throw him in dat hot boilin' watah an' let him boil until all de meat boil off his bones. Aftah de meat boil offa his bones, den yo' take de bones - takes all his bones, all de laig bones - take all his bones an' carry him to a stream of runnin' watah. Yo' take dem bones an' throw 'em in runnin' watah an' den dere's one of de bones goin' go upstream. Well, yo' take dis bone dat goes upstream - one of 'em will run up de stream. Yo' take de bone dat runs up de stream an' yo' take it an' put it in yore left-han' pocket an' yo' goes back. When yo' go back, yo' start goin' to de fo'ks of de road every mawnin' - every Sunday mawnin' an' be dere at nine 'clock. An' yo' go dere fo' nine mawnin's, an' wear dat bone in yore pocket every mawnin' an' de last mawnin' yo' go dere, dey tells me, say, practi'ly ev'rything - all kinda animals an' ev'rything dat yo' kin think of will mostly come to yo', jes' come natchral right up befo' yo' face, an' if yo' don't git scared, if yo' kin stay dere an' make it out until de las' thing come, dey tell me dat de last thing come is de devil. But if he come an' yo' kin 'ford tuh see all dat, den yo' take dis bone an' dere prob'ly some marrow in dat bone an' yo' have tuh suck it out - yo' don' have tuh swallow it, spit it out. An' then yo' kin prob'ly do anything yo' wanta do - disappeah an' all dat stuff.
The informant reports a black-cat bone selected by upstream movement, carried in the left pocket to road forks for nine Sunday mornings at nine o'clock, and a succession of beings ending with the devil. Staying without fear and sucking then spitting marrow are described conditionally; powers and invisibility remain hearsay.
Entry 288
Well, dey take an' dey boil a black cat. An' dey takes de black cat bone from between his laigs dere - let it be a bull cat, a boy cat.
(Which bone between his legs - what do you mean by the bone between his legs?)
Well - dat little this heah when it runs out.
(His tool? That bone in there?)
Yassuh - git that bone an' yo' go tuh de fo'k of de road.
(What do you do out there at the forks of the road?)
Yo' turn yore back tuh the fo'ks of de road an' throw it ovah yore right shoulder an go on whare yo' goin an' nevah look back.
(What will that do?)
Well, that will keep yore enemies from ovahtakin' yo' - dat cat bone will take care of yo'.
(You don't keep that bone at all?)
No sir.