Browse:DIRT TAKEN FROM WHAT PART OF GRAVE (Volume 4, entries 7635–7667)
DIRT TAKEN FROM WHAT PART OF GRAVE
Volume 4, entries 7635–7667. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 7635
They say they take this graveyard dirt, choo understand, take it an' put it in a box. Take a piece of yuh underweah whut choo weah nex' tuh yuh skin [and put it in the box], an' jis' put it in a trunk an' let it stay there. An' as this dirt turns this piece of yuh underweah yel- lah, dat's jis' de way yuh'll turn. Yuh'll jis' fade right away. NO DOCTOR
[M.D.] KIN CURE YUH!
Entry 7636
Prob'ly if yo' [a doctor] got girl [patient] an' she's worried up 'bout some man 'nother, an' she cain't git 'im tuh act right, cain't git 'im tuh do right, an' he won't treat 'er right or sompin 'nothah lak dat, den yo' kin go tuh a graveyard at night. Yo' have tuh go dere certain time of night, go at twelve a'clock at night an' git a han'ful of dirt an' tie it up in a han'kerchief an' bring it back dat same night an' be sho' dat yo' know de room dat she sleeps in. Say, fo' ninstance, she sleepin' in dis room, an' yo' come tuh de windah dere an' yo' 'sposed take a li'l' de dirt an' sprinkle it up on de windah sill an' take de rest of de dirt an' sprinkle up on de walk, where dey walk comin' intuh de house. An' he'll nevah treat her wrong no mo'. He will always be nice tuh her den.
Entry 7637
Yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt an' throw it aroun' in yore house an' throw all alongside of de bed, an' rub it on down dere. An' yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' kin make a man - ah mean work fo' yo' de balance of 'is life wit dat graveyard dirt. An' take a little of it an' tie it in de cornah of red silk han'ke'- chuf an' tote it on yo'. Jes' tote it on yo' enywhere an' he'll nevah be satis- fied till he back wit chew.... He git away from yo', he ain't satisfied until he git back where he wuz....
Entry 7638
Dirt from man's grave, at face part, pick up with silver spoon, go at just dark or just before day, sprinkle in 4 corners of house, or throw on top of house, to move.
Entry 7639
Jes' lak a man er [or] woman, anyone, say, if she really meant tuh kill dis man - wanta have him outa de way. She kin go tuh de graveyard - if he don't pertect [detect] it befo' she git too fah [far], see. She kin go tuh de grave- yard an' git dis dirt outa 'tween a grave. She gotta git from de grave doh [though], de head of de grave, de person head. Dey git dat dirt offa de head of de grave. Den she take dat dirt an' she take a small piece of cloth an' she sew dat up in dere, an' den she take dis cloth an' she weah it roun' her waist. Now, dis man, he Would contin'ly [continually] feel- in' bad an' weary an' stuff [similar feelings], but he don' know whut it come from. Now, dis woman she would weah dat an' weah dat until she git dis man tuh de place dat he would git puny, sickly an' jes' cain't he'p [help] hisself, an' den if someone don' tell 'im how tuh go out...says, "Well, bless me, yo' is lookin' very bad, yo' oughta go an' see de doctor. Why don' yo' go an' see a root doctor tuh see whut's de mattah wit chew?" Well, nachur'ly [naturally] dis man wouldn't believe it, becuz he don' think dat it nachur'l [natural] dat 'is wife or de girl dat 'e [he] goin' wit, er somepin, would do him any hahm [harm] lak dat. An' nachurly [naturally] he may, if he don't git tuh some of dose [hoo- doo] people, dis thing will finely [finally] kill 'im.
Entry 7640
Now, if yo' got a home happy an' someone wanta break yo' up, yo' [he] goes tuh de graveyard an' git some dirt off de left-han' head of a grave, an' take it an' sprinkle aroun' dose steps, an' yo' got a to'd [= tored = torn] up home.
Entry 7641
Dey go out tuh de fo'ks of de road, an' ah think dey speaks fo' times [recite an incantation of some sort] an' turns tuh de lef'. An' dey goes tuh de graveyard an' dey gits some graveyard dust from de left, from de head of de grave, an' put it in a li'le bag an' weah it in dey pocket- book. (What is that supposed to do?) Dat supposed tuh give yo' luck. (That will give you luck, I see. You go out to this crossroad and speak four times?) Yes, sir.
(What time do they go out there, any particular time or just any old time?)
Naw, five an' six o'clock in de mawnin' an' twelve o'clock at night, an prob'ly three o'clock in de mawnin'. [This means midnight or after, or before daybreak - the usual dark hour.]
(I see, and from the crossroads then they go to the cemetery.)
Yes, sir.
The informant thinks four utterances at road forks and a left turn precede taking dust from the left head of a grave and carrying it for luck. The account gives several possible hours; Hyatt summarizes a usual dark hour and interprets the utterances as an incantation. Keep the informant's uncertainty and times distinct from those editorial summaries.
Entry 7642
Well, dey takes a tombstone, from mah undahstandin', from a person dat dey knows is very evil an' lived a wretched life. Jis' lak if ah wanted tuh have disturbance in de home or anythin', well, ah take dat from dere an' ah put it anywhere aroun' yore house. (What do you take, the whole tomb- stone?) Take de whole tombstone - de dirt on it. (Oh, the dirt on it?) Yes, an' put it anywhere roun' yore house an' dat. Yo' ain't goin' tuh live in dat house. Yo' undahstan'?
(How do you get that dirt off this tombstone, how do you get it?)
Dig it.
(Oh, you dig it near the tombstone?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 7643
Well, yo' goes tuh de graveyard an' yo' gits some graveyard dust. Now yo' don't git it off de haid, yo' git it off de foot. Dat mean travelin', see. (When you get it off the foot, neans traveling.) Yo' git it off de foot of de person off de grave, see. All right, den yo' come back an' yo' mix dat up wit a li'le pot salt an' jis' go tuh 'er doah, yo' un'ahstan' [understand] an' yo' take dat jis' lak yo' would go in a field an' sow rice, peas or spring cotton or somepin lak dat, yo' know. Yo' jis' sprinkle it fronta her house, right on until all of it give out, an' she'll have tuh leave dere. She couldn't stay dere. She will be all mixed up; he or she, whosomevah it is. All mixed up, jis' couldn't stay dere.
Entry 7644
If yo' got somebody an' maybe yo' Wanta kill dat person or wanta harm dat person. Say now if yo' go up in de graveyard an' maybe it been some man dat have lived a rowdy life. Yo know some people live a very rowdy life, nevah attempt tuh be a Christian, a very rowdy person. Some people cuss tuh de last. Say yo' go tuh dat person an' go tuh de foot of 'is grave an' dig down one foot in de groun', she say. An' git chew a handful of dat dirt an' put it in a bag, an' bring it back home an' go round at dat man's back do', an' jes' take dat dirt an' throw it lak it wuz some flour or sompin. on de ground. Say, why dat man will come afflicted wit 'is laigs, or make his foot swell up, or he'll have some kind of ailment about 'is laigs account dat graveyard dirt bein' around de dō'.
Entry 7645
Way dey does it is dey take de dust from de footboard an' some of dem jes' tote it in dey pocket. Dat's tuh give dem good luck.
Entry 7646
Git some dirt. See, de grave is settin' dere lak dis. Well, yo' go right in de centah of dat grave an' run yore han' dat way an' git some of dat. An' carry it off an' put it on dey po'ch an' sprinkle it in dey yard.
(And the man will stay home.) [Wilson, N. Car. (1514), 2681:7.]
Entry 7647
Dey says dat yo' kin go tuh a graveyard an' take de dirt off de centah of de grave, an' put it intuh a box an' carry it a few days wit yo'; but put red peppah intuh dat box. An' yo' kin take dat same thing an' mix it up an' use it in de woman's mind tuh git 'er confused, an' she won't be satisfied wher- evah she goes.
Entry 7648
Whenevah dey's [there is] someone livin' at a place dat dey didn't Wan'em dere, wan'em tuh move or somepin. Dat dey'll go tuh a grave an' take de haidstone an' put it tuh de foot, an' take de foot- stone an' put it tuh de haid. An' reach down in de middle of de grave an' jis' as fah [far] a'zhoo [as you] kin reach - yeh ahm [arm] will go down - an' git some de dirt an' bring it up. An' mix it tuhgethah wit some cayenne peppah, an' sprinkle it aroun' de home where dey äh [are]; an' dey'll leave, dey won't come back.
Entry 7649
Ah heard 'em say, go tuh de graveyard an' git some de graveyard dust cleah [clear] out de man's breast an' bring it back an' put it undah 'is do'step. Dat'll run 'im away.
Entry 7650
Yo' dig down an' git some grave- yard dust an' yo' go down - git it from near de heart of de body of de person who might be layin' dere. An' keep dat in yore pocket an' yore bossman cain't hardly fire yo'. Dat's whut dat's kept fo'.
Entry 7651
Jes' reach dat deep in de grave right in de centah close tuh de heart. An' den yo' take it from de foot. An' yo' git dat graveyard dirt an' yo' take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' put black peppah in it. Yo' know dose [whole] black peppahs are very 'fective. An' yo' kin break up a person dat way.
(How?)
An' den aftah dey git dat graveyard dirt, dey put dat peppah in dere. An' dey take dat graveyard dirt in dere hand an' dey walk tuh yuh porch, an' throw it right at chure dō', where yo' goin' tuh walk out dere ovah it.
Entry 7652
Dey goes tuh de grave, dey go tuh de haid side, [I mean] on de heart side. So dey tell me. Ah've nevah done it but ah've heard of it. Dey go dere an' dey git dat dirt, come back, an' dey put dat dirt in a li'le bit of sack. An' dey take dat dirt an' mix some othah li'le stuff wit it, a li'le salt an' one t'ing or 'nothah; a li'le sulphur an' diff'ren' t'ings lak dat. Carry it wit yo' an' yo' kin take it an' put it in a place, a dwellin', an' dere's nobody kin git along in dere. An' dey take dat dirt an' dey go aroun' amongst people dat dey're neighbahs, an' see 'em gittin' along, an' throw datdirt all aroun' 'em, dere windah, where de windah's up, or in de do', when dey kin git a chance, or on de do'steps, or in front of de do's an' t'ings, dat choo'll have tuh walk ovah it. An' consequently it cuzes [causes] a confusion an' yo' can't git along wit yoreself or nobody else.
Entry 7653
Yo' could go tuh de graveyard at twelve a'clock at night an' go tuh somebody grave dat chew know dat wuz not very long buried dere - dat chew know 'em by der name personly [personally], see. An' jis' scratch chew a hole right on de lef' side of de grave tuh de haid part, right where yo' 'magine de heart would be, an' run yore han' down in dere tuh de elbow an' drop three pennies in dere. Git dat sand right on out an' come on back home. Put some cayenne peppah intuh dat graveyard dirt. An' on de side of de baid where he always lay, on de front or de back where he always lay, yo' jis' take dat sand an' sprinkle it on de mattress. An' make yo' bed back up an' let 'im lay on dat. Dat will run 'im right off from yore house.
(You will get rid of him then?)
Git rid of 'im.
Entry 7654
Well, ah hear'd dey say yo' kin take graveyard dirt - yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt - go down dere at night an' dig right ovah de heart of de grave. Den bring it back an' put it umdah de steps an' po' vhis- key on it fo' nine mawnin's. Den yo' go back dere an' yo' take dis dirt up an' put it in a piece of white flannel an' take de dirt an' bury it in de ground an' let it stay dere. After yo' take it up an' put whiskey on it an' put it undah de step in de groun'. An' if dere any- one [there] dat don' lak yo', dey can't stay dere. [Is whiskey on for 9 mornings a delayed payment for the graveyard dirt?]
Entry 7655
Ah hear 'em say dat dey takes some graveyard dirt, if yo' have any man in yore community an' yo' wanted tuh move 'em. Yo' take an' yo' go tuh a sinnah man's grave an' git some of de dirt from right off on 'is left side of 'is heart. Jis' go right down in de grave till yo reach clay, an' take it out, an' take dat clay an' mix it up wit some sulphur an' magic sand.
(Magic sand?) [A hoodoo store product.]
Yessuh, magic san'. An' some dragon blood an' brimstone, an' mix all dat tuh- gethah. An' go in dat house wit'out anybody knowin' dat chew in dere, an' sprin- kle it when all de folk gone from de house. See, in de rooms, an' walk out wit'- out nobody knowin' yo' dere. Yo' know dat chew in dere an' make yore wishes. An' dey say dat dey'll have tuh go 'way from dere.
Entry 7656
Dey take an' git, yo' know, it have tuh be a rank sinnah or a wicked person. Yo' don't git it off of a Christian. But chew take an' git dat grave- yard dirt off of a sinnah's grave an' off de left side. An' dey take dat an' sprin- kle it all roun' yore house. An' dey says it won't be long 'fo' [before]. some- body, yo' know, die or leavin'. Dey'll leave, anyway.
Entry 7657
Yo' kin take salt an' go tuh a graveyard an' git chew some real sinnah, a real sinnah dat chew know dat died. Yo' git some of de dirt off of 'is left side. Git it off 'is left side an' yo' go back tuh dis person house an' yo' git up early one mawnin' 'fore anybody stir. Don't let nobody see yo' do it, an' throw it ovah yo' shouldah three times [demonstrates].
(Over your left shoulder.)
De left shouldah. Take yore right hand and throw it ovah yo' shoulder three times.
(You mix the salt and the graveyard dirt together?)
YesSUh, SALT WILL RAISE 'STURBANCE. AH GUESS YO' KNOW DAT.
Entry 7658
Anyone dat's daid an' dere spirit worry yuh, why yo' go tuh dere grave an' git on de lef' side; an' git some of de dirt offa dere lef' side an' carry it on yore person, an' dey'll stop worryin' yo'.
Entry 7659
Go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dust from de sunrise [east] side an' put it in de left shoe of de person dat dey wanted tuh be made faithful, yo' undahstan'. If it's a woman dat's un- faithful or if it's a man dat unfaithful, put dat graveyard dust in dat left shoe an' dat will have de desired results. (That will make them stay at home. Take some old shoe that they won't know about?) Yes, some of de shoes dat dey weah, ah presume jes' de shoe dat dey weah. Jes' lak if it were mah left shoe an' mah wife could arrange tuh have somebody dat had dat craft [witchcraft] yo' know, tuh git dat [dirt] an' [I] wear it on me mos' evah day, why ah wouldn't run away. Ah have tuh be faithful. Git it from de east side, from de sunrise side of de grave.
(They go out there you say when?)
Sometime, yo' undahstan' about sundown.
Entry 7660
Git chew a li'le graveyard dirt, if yo' kin git on de east side of a grave. Git chew some white vaseline an' make yo' a salve [with this graveyard dirt]. Make dat salve an' yo' kin 'noint dat person unbeknown tuh 'im, an' he'll go lame. He'll nevah be no mo' good in dat foot as long as yo' 'noint 'im. But yo' have tuh 'noint 'im fer nine mawnin's wit dat graveyard dirt an' dis white vaseline an' de stuff dat chew scrape from undah 'is foot - kin'a dead skin-lak yo' gotta git from undah 'is foot. An' he'll nevah be no mo' good in dat foot.
(That foot is supposed to go lame. I see.)
Entry 7661
Well, ah don' know about keepin' 'em away but dere's somepin yo' kin do dat he won't bothah yo'. Go tuh de graveyard an' git chew some graveyard dirt, go as fur [far] on de east side as yo' kin git it. Take yo' a piece of bran'-new cotton an' sew yo' up a ball of it [graveyard dirt] intuh dis cotton an' leave yo' a tail [long piece of thread] tuh it dat yo' kin throw it. [Several rites in Hoodoo use tails for throwing.] Yo' come along, ah wan' cha tuh move. Ah'm goin' walk by yore house an' say, "Move, yo' devil, move, '' an' throw it acrost chure house [demonstrates].
(Throw it back over your shoulder, your left shoulder away over the house.)
It goes ovah any part, de low part; ovah yore porch or anythin'. Throw it ovah dere an' yo' nevah look back: 'Move, yo' devil, move.
(And they'll move out of the house?)
Yes, sir. [This is another one of those rare swinging in a circle about head and letting-go rites.]
Entry 7662
Go tuh de graveyard an' go tuh sundown part of de grave, an' git dat dirt an' carry tuh jes whoevah house yo' goin' carry it tuh. An' yo' sprinkle it all roun' de do'step where dey walks out, dey wouldn't [couldn'tl miss it. Put it down dere an' dey step in it, it wouldn't be ovah a veek 'fo' [before] dey die.
Entry 7663
( Git some graveyard dirt outa each end of de grave, yo' undahstan', an' den yo' kin take an' tie it up an' put it in de east end of de cornah of yore house. Dat fo' tuh bring luck. [Memphis, Tem.
(952), 1538:4.]
Entry 7664
Dey go tuh de cemetery, a person would, if dey try tuh do yo' mean. Jes' lak somebody's buried dis evenin', go dere an' git de dirt outa his grave. Go dere an' git it down nex' tuh 'is feet an' outa his stomach an' outa de haid. An' take it an' git chew a snakeshed an' put all dat - mix 'em tuhgethah an' cross 'em [throw dirt in form of a cross] an' yo' aim dat whare dey doin' yo' dirty. (Well, now you get this dirt from three places out of the grave, but it must be a grave that's been opened that day - must be a grave from that day. And you put this inside the snakeshed and you grind the snakeshed up like that. And then you mix the grave dirt with that. Show me what you do with this powder then.) Yo' take dis powdah an' put it, an' bury hit undah yore steps. If dat person come at night an' do anythin' dere, dat'll keep 'em away from dere. Dey'll jes' go an' travel an' travel, an' jes' come tuh be nuthin but skin an' bone. Always travel.
(What about the eyes going down?)
If yo' use snakeshed an' graveyard dirt. Yo' see, all dat jes' goes wit de body, yo' see. Dey ketches de same disease. De snake, yo' know, jes' lak he bit chew, see.
(Well how does it get into them? Does it get in through his eye or what?)
It will git intuh de eye, but people use it in diff'ren' kind [of ways]. Jes' lak yo's heah an' ah do's disaway. Well, when ah'm talkin' an' yore haid - take mah han' disaway, it will kill 'em [you]. (Which way are you going to do. After you get this snakeshed and graveyard dirt ground together, now what are you going to do with it? Are you going to throw it around that person or are you going to put it under your door. Which are you going to do with that? Or do you do both things?) Put it roun' yore home.
(And what is that supposed to do then?)
It 'sposed tuh break up whut dey wan' tuh do tuh yo'.
(And what will happen to them?)
Sompin happen tuh 'em, dey has bad luck.
Entry 7665
Dey kin take sulphur. Dey kin take sulphur an' dey run a row [trench] in front of dey do' wit some li'le stick an' sprinkle it aroun' lak seeds yo' know. An' den dey run a spade row in front of dat house an' turn it back, up de road or down de road, an' dey covah it up. Dey covah it up an' nobody pays po 'tenshun tuh it. Some claims dat will make dem move. (In digging this little ditch, they begin at the house with a stick and drag it right on out to the street.) Dey go right tuh de step an' take de stick, trim it sharp, yo' see, jes' lak mah knife, an' come clean across de do' dere. An' den dey come back in front of de do'step an' make a straight line tuh de edge of de street, an' turn it[trench] up or down [the street] an' sprinkle sulphur 'cross it dis way. An' turn it down one way or de othah. (They make a straight line right in front of the door, making the trench out from that straight line like the letter "T"? And at the end of that letter "T"
[the crossed part at the street] you go one way or the other?)
Make it "L" [instead of "T"] at de bottom, [then go] one way or de othah.
(That would move them out.)
Dere's a superior way, people says it's a surer way. Dey goes tuh de grave- yard where dey has relations buried an' dey git a pinch of dirt offa nine graves, jes' a pinch. An' put it in dat li'le box, a li'le pastebo'd box of some kind, or a jar or somepin. Den dey takes dis li'le pinch of dirt, git nine pinches of it, an' dey put three pinches on de step [demonstrates].
(In a row.)
In de centah an' at each end. An' dey puts six pinches - put three pinches in dis line an' two pinches in dis line, an' two pinches in de "L" line. An' dey call dat superior. Dere no Way he's gonna lose now.
(They use the same shape as that sulphur?)
De same way wit dat dirt as wit dat sulphur.
Entry 7666
If yo' want a person, tuh drive 'em away, yo' take de graveyard dirt. Take an' go tuh de centah of de graveyard an' git de graveyard dirt. If yo' wan'a person tuh drive 'em away, yo' name dem in de han's of God. Crawl halfway de dis- tance up undah de house. Bring de dirt tuh de front of de house an' cast it onto de front of de house. An' whatevah way dat chew go, yo' carry it right 'long wit chew an' name it as yo' go. An' de person will go de same distance. Dey will go, dey cain't stay.
(You carry that dirt and you scatter it as you go.)
Scattah it as yo' walk. Sow it jes' lak a person would sow oats.
(You crawl under the house first?)
Go undah de side of de house an' don't look back; jes' keep right on plowin' [crawling under housel, don' look back not atall.
(You crawl under the side of the house to the center?)
To de centah.
(And from the center where do you crawl?)
To de front, right on out tuh de front; right on out tuh de front, an' jes' keep right on. But don' look back.
Entry 7667
Dey said dey would take - jes' lak yo' kin go tuh de cemetery an' dey'd git dere a certain hour in de night, twelve a'clock in de night, an' git some dirt from a dead person grave. Dey moves de top of dat an' dig a hole about fo' inches deep, an' git some dirt den from dat, if dey wanted tuh make yo' sick or sompin. An' dey come tuh yore home an' be settin' down an' talkin' wit chew an' look undah yore desk or somewhere an' a pair of shoes or sompin othah dere. Dey jes' sprin- kle a li'le of dat dust, de dust of dat grave in yore shoe, an' it would cuz yore feet tuh become sore an' boily - break out in big sores.