Browse:DISHRAG (Volume 3, entries 3332–3415)
DISHRAG
Volume 3, entries 3332–3415. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3332
She kin dress it, yo' know. Well, she dress 'em wit a dishrag. See, she kin take a dishrag while he sleeps, yo' understan', an' she takes dat dish- rag - see, de dishrag is limbah-lak [limber-like], an' she take dat dishrag an' jes' pass it across 'im, yo' know, lak dat. Jes' pass it across 'is penis, yo' know. Yeah, jes' lak yo' wipe [him] off, see, an' it will become he can't use it on nobody else, yo' see, but de person dat wipe. Cuz ah been in dat fix mahself. Evah time yo' go dere yo' can't do it, can't git up. Well, de way it happens, yo' see, dat dressed [or dressing], yo' see it lasts a certain length of time, yo' undahstan'. See, cuz DEY GOT YORE SPIRIT, yo undahstan'. YO' GOTTA FEED UP YORE SPIRIT AFTAH DAT.
(How do they feed it?)
Well, dey repeat it, yo' undahstan' - jes' make a repeat, see. But AFTAH THIRTY DAYS OR SO WHEN IT RUNS OUT, IF DEY DON'T REPEAT IT, yOu'll cOme back to yore nature again, see. But dey can - but long as dey keep dat goin', it will keep yo' off [your nature], yo' undahstan'.
Entry 3333
Take a dishrag an' when she [he] go tuh sleep, he [she] take dat dish- rag an' wipe it ovah him. Carry dat dishrag all ovah him an' 'is lowah part. Take dat dishrag an' wash 'im down dere, wipe him down dere whilst she [he] sleep, an' aftah he [she] done washed wit dat dish - wipe wit dat dishrag, he [she] go tuh work an' throw - carry it to a branch an' throw it down de stream of run- nin' watah. Ah heared folks say dat.
[The preceding interchange of pronouns is not rare in hoodoo.]
(What will it do to that man?)
Cut 'is "spirit." (The woman does that. She rubs him down with the dishrag while he's asleep and then throws it into running water?) Yeah.
Entry 3334
[When dey git togethah dataway.
(The man and a woman?)
Yeah, man an' a woman dataway. Dere's no way to git 'em apart unlessen case one 'tother of 'em will have to die. Co'Be now, if dey could git a probe in de woman, dey could do it, but it be fixea [cwnjured] so dat dere's no way to git 'em apart unlessen one 'tuthah [or the other] of 'em have tuh die.
Entry 3335
I had one of dose case ovah heah an' I had wanted $500 to cure dem, see, an' dey wouldn't give it to me. I'd a turned 'em loose, see. An' by dey bein' diff'ren' in color, dey killed one an' dey saved de oddah, see. Well, I ain't had no part in dat, yo' know, Doc, becuz I'm heah to live an' let live.
(Well, who did they kill, the woman or the man?)
Dey killed de woman.
(I see. Was it a colored woman? She was a colored woman?)
Colored woman.
(Was the man a white man?)
Yes.
[I wanted to be certain about the color of each.]
(I see. And they killed the woman?)
IF DEY'D KILLED DE MAN SHE'D A DIED ANYHOW. Onnahstan' [understand]? Well, DEY HAD TO KILL 'ER, see; CUZ DEY COULDN'T DO IT NO OTHAH WAY. See, becuz if dey'd been tryin' to save de woman an' kill de man, de woman would have died any- hOW. Onnahstan'? CUZ DEY HADDA CUT ROUN' TO SAVE DE MAN. DE WAY DEY HADDA CUT SHE COULDN'T OF STAN' IT. Yo' Onnahatan'? Dey hadda die. [As you can see, there Io no racial prejudice here, merely the inability of Doctors of Medicine - says hoodoo. Later we shall learn that cases sent to the hospital fare no better, the woman always paying with her life. Only once does an informant tell how a woman was saved. By the way, the amazing Doctor Brown - the man who says he could have performed the unperformable operation - will also be found: pp.1289-1294, 2246-2253, and in a number of scattered rites.]
Entry 3336
Take de dishrag an' grease it good in lard an' put it in a airtight box an' de man nevah raiae a holler no mo', nevah in dis worl' be able tuh raise any holler Isee margin title of 3220, p.2365.] (That all she does with the dish- rag? What does she do with it then? Does she wipe him with it?) No, she don't have tuh wipe him wit it. Jes' grease it in lard, see. She kin jes' let it touch 'i - jes' [touch] him anywhere, when she have connection wit 'im. An' den she kin wipe wit it if she wanta wipe off wit it. But she kin jes take it an' grease it in lard an' jes' touch 'im anywhere.
Entry 3337
Now if yo' runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman, yore wife git holt of it she wipes yo' wit a dishrag. She git a chance tuh wipe wit de dishrag when dey go to bed an' have connection wit 'im. An' while she have connection wit 'im, dat time yo' know, she'll change dat rag [from one hand to the other] 'cross 'is back fo' 'im. Dat weaken 'im in de back. [Hand to hand across man's back is a magic rite of encircling or confinement.] An' den she'll wipe 'in wit dat rag. When she give him dat rag to wipe wit, dat killa 'is nature fo' any romsn but 'er. (She draws this rag cross his back before she gives it to him to wipe with. She puts her arms around his back.) She'll hand it jes' lak dis [demonstrates]. She'll hand it to him.
(She'll have it in her right hand like that and just throw it over his back.)
Jes' come 'cross an' put it in 'is hand - hand it to him tuh wipe wit.
Entry 3338
De way to deal wit 'er. She git 'er a dishrag an' he come out, she say, "Wait a minute fo' yo' git out." An' when he come out she would reach down, 'er han' down dere, an' she take dat rag an' she ketch 'im right dere right down close dere, an' he'll pull it out. Got 'im dere an' drop 'im to her. To keep 'im from othah womens, go to de windah dere an' throw it out an' don't turn aroun' an' walk back an' don't nevah look back. He's fixed den.
(Is there anything he can do to get rid of that?)
He kin do dis. Yo' kin fix up some way dat nobody deals wit 'er but chew, an' dat dishrag ain't goin' keep 'em apart.
(How do they do that?)
Don't use it - jes' got 'er. Yo' keeps dat wit yo', yo've got 'er. Aftah yo' take dat dishrag an' do dat an' den throws it out de windah.
[I stop machine and then informant continues about times.]
(How many times do they wipe with the dishrag?)
Wipe right across dere three times, an' when yo' do dat, go to de windah an' throw it out an' don't nevah look back.
(And nobody can fool around with her.)
Entry 3339
If he wus runnin' aroun' wit othah wimmin an' she wanted tuh stop 'im, all she'd have tuh do, she would have connection wit 'im 'erself an' instead of usin' a towel, she would use her dishrag. An' aftah usin' de dishrag, she would put dis dishrag in de stove an' bake it. Well, she wouldn't bake it to a powdah, she would jes' bake it so she could keep it - hold it 'erself. Well, dis man, he wouldn't know anythin' about it. Whenevah he'd go out to see whatevah woman he wanted tuh see, why he wouldn't be any good. He would rise befo' he git to dis woman an' soon as he touch 'er, he would fall. Well, den, if he'd go back to his wife, why he would be de same as he was befo'. He'd nevah fail wit 'er but he would wit othah wim- nn. An' aftah so many times he'd do dat, why he would see dat he couldn't be wit no othah wimmin an' it would stop 'im from runnin' out. {Fayetteville, N. Car., (1390), 2492:9.]
Entry 3340
Jes' lak if a woman's goin' wit a man an' he don't wanta pay her much min'. Why she kin take a dishrag an' not use it 'erse'f, but use it on 'im an' don't nevah wash wit dat dishrag. An' jes' leave it undahneat' 'er bed, den he can't go wit nobody else but 'er.
Entry 3341
Dey does dat BOTTLE - DISHRAG SOAKED - URINE - OPEN AND SHUT MAGIC mostly wit a dishrag. Dey git de dishrag yo' see an' in havin' connection wit a man, dey'll take dat whut come from 'em - yo' low, between dem two. An' dey'll put it in her watah an' let it soak - or in hambah lye, eithah one, an' let it soak. An' den dey ring dat watah out. An when dey ring dat watah out, dey'll have 'im lak dis heah rag. An' yo' see, den dey jes' have it away [hidden], yo' know, lak wimmins do's. Let 'im use dat an dere's no mo' chance fo' him. An' den dey put dat dishrag in a bottle. An' if she need 'im, she'll keep open dat bottle. If she need 'im, she'll open dat bottle; an' if she open dat bottle, why evahthin' is all right. An' if she don' need 'im, she'll keep dat bottle stopped tight; an' dere ain't nowhere else he kin go. [The words in italics are a part of the problem previously mentioned; what does a woman do - not according to science, but in accordance with hoodoo.]
Entry 3342
Take his discharge an' do some things wit it tuh keep im from runnin' aroun' wit othah women. Den she'll take a dishrag an' use it fo' a towel. An' she take dat dishrag an' she bury it dere 'bout dat house. Long as she keep dat buried dere, jes' if it's sompin he's done, why dat take care of 'im.
Entry 3343
Dishrag or either a linen rag - know what ah mean. An' whenevah he have discharges wit yuh lak dat an' [you] bury it, dey tell me dat he couldn't have anybody but yo'.
Entry 3344
Well, if a man wuz runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman - if mah husban' wuz runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman, why when he have an intahco'se wit me, why ah'd git mah DISH TOWEL an' use dat on 'im. An' dat would cuz 'im not to have any nature, dat would make his nature bad. Ah know dat.
(How would you use the dish towel then?)
Well, yo' would take de dish towel an' yo' would bury de dish towel an' dat buries 'is nature. [Dish towel is rare compared to dishrag.]
Entry 3345
Now, heah's anothah one. Now if yo' have a girl. It quite jes' nat- chel [natural], lak some of our menfolks dey have wimmin dat dey really love, yo' see de idea. An' we don' want anyone else tuh be wit 'em, yo' see. Well, now, yo' kin go tuh work an' yo' kin take a little simple thin' in yore home, dey calls a dishcloth. Someone calls it dishtowel - some folkses, yo' see. Well, yo' go tuh work an yo' steal dat. Yo' see, when yo' goes tuh work an' steal dat, yo' goes tuh work an' yo' puts it somewhere, put it away an' let it dry. Den say, tonight yo goin' out tuh have a date. Well, yo' see, quite natchel, some use pocket han'- cheffs yo' see, an' so fo'th, but yo' have yorn. She say, "Ah got a han'cheff." Yo' say, "No, ah have a largah han'cheff den yo' got, ' yo' see. Well, yo' take dat an' in de place of she wipin', yo' see, yo' goes tuh work yo' see an' yo' take dat an' yo' wipe yoreself - yo' wipe her yo' see. An' in wipin' her, DON' NEVAH WIPE HER DOWN - WIPE HER UP AN' CROSS 'ER. [The wiping makes the sign of the cross!] Yo' see whut ah'm talkin' about? An' den aftah yo' do's dat, yo' take it an' ball it. Don' chew wipe yoreself wit it. Chew take it an' ball it an' put it away. Next day - mawnin' befo' sun up, yo' make tuh de forsest an yo' fin' a pine tree. Drive yo' a nail into de pine tree lak dat on de sunrise side. Den yo' let it hang dere fo' nine mawnin's. Hang it so de wind can't blow it off yo' know. Let it hang dere fo' nine mawnin's. Den yo' go back, an when yo' go back dere, yo' dig a hole jes' about dat deep, yo' see [demonstrates].
(About as deep as your hand?)
Dat's right, about wrist deep, as yo' said. An' yo' take a stick an' knock it off, yo' see. [IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO TOUCH IT.] When yo' knock it off, yo' let it fall in dat nole, yo' see, an' den aftah yo' let it fall in dat hole, yo' cover it up an' walk right straight away. An' if yo' top 'er, yo' gotta pay somebody tuh loosen 'er.
Entry 3346
She kin take her dishrag an' she kin wash 'erself wit dat dishrag, an' evah time he go to try to do somepin [with another woman] he can't do a thing. He'd be jes' lak 'er dishrag yo' see. [To cure himself, he will] steal somebody's dishrag an' go wash wit it an' den dat'll stop it.
Entry 3347
Yo' kin take a dishrag whenevah a man an' woman have business togethah an' yo' kin dry yo'self - let de woman dry herself off wit dat dishrag an' take it an' put it up ovah de do'. She may leave but she'll come back.
Entry 3348
It have been said dat if a wumman has a husban', a bad husban' dat runs aroun' from wumman tuh wumman an' she wants tuh check 'im up, why she has a dish- rag. Instead of usin' dat dishrag whut she has been usin' fo' house purpose, she don't use it fo' dat no mo'. She take it an' may wipes 'im off wit it. An' Whensomevah he goes tuh someone else, why his nature will fall until he gits back tuh 'er.
(What does she do with that dishrag?)
Well, if she git dat dishrag an' 'serve [preserve] it an' wash it an' use it all along.
Entry 3349
Jes' lak wimmins wants tuh trick a man or sompin lak dat tuh keep 'im home. Well, dey'll take dey sickness, some of 'em, an' put it in sompin tuh eat. An' jes' lak yo' got a wife an' yo' runnin' aroun', why yo' go tuh have her, she'll take a dishrag an' clean yo' wit it. Well, yo' wouldn't be able tuh mess Wit anothah woman on de outside. Yo'll start but it will fall.
Entry 3350
[If he's] runnin' aroun', she kin cut 'is nature off. Well, yo' take up - if yo' wanta keep 'im home, all yo' gotta do, she fool wit 'im. If anybody go home an' fool wit mah ole lady - see. She kin take whut chew call, wit de rag she use, yo' know. Git one of 'er dishrags an' jes' take it an' dry me off wit it, yo' see. Den when she take dishrag an' dry me off, she jes' keep it dere [hidden somewhere] an' when ah go out yondah tuh fool wit de othah woman, ah jes' be as greasy as dat dishrag yo' know [and] limbah yo' know. An' dere's nuthin ah kin do dere. Fo' whut need of me gwine den, ah can't do nuthin. An' ah'll soon stop. When ah go to bothah wit 'er, be jes' lak dat [probably demonstrated by hold- ing up a straightened forefinger], but when ah go tuh see dis woman out yonder, ah'll be, yo' know - all limber [like a dishrag].
[To cure himself:]
Ah'll fish roun' dere an' fin' dat dishrag.
Entry 3351
She do dat wit a dishrag. Whenevah dat chew has a connection wit 'er, she'll take a dishrag an' dry yo' wit it, den she'll put dat dishrag away. If she use dat dishrag to dry yo' wit it an' den put dat dishrag away, why yo' can't have no nature nowhere but right where dat dishrag is - jes' in de house where dat dishrag is. Outside dat house yo' can't fool wit no one.
Entry 3352
See, if a woman wanta take a man's measure; she'll git a dishrag an' she'll wipe herself wit it an' den she'll wipe dis fellah, an' den she'll take it an' put it in 'er mattress an' keep it dere, an' see, evah time he have any dealin's wit anothah woman 'stead of he stayin' hard, he'll fall.
Entry 3353
If he's runnin' aroun', how she kin make him stay home, she kin do him dis way. She kin do him so dat he - dere two or three Ways of doin' it. He might go out but he come right back. He might done try tuh run aroun', he might be in min', but he can't have no connection wit none othah woman, an' she knows dat. She kin take him, whenevah dey havin' dere lunch, dere tea or coffee, DON'T USE NO MILK, let 'im drink tea or drink coffee. Kin take him ag'in, lak if he's runnin' out, an' she goin' tuh break 'im up of it, she kin fix 'im where he can't have connection or no intahco'se wit no woman but: 'er. DAT'S A DIRTY TRICK TUH DO. She go tuh work, undahstan', when she's wipin' 'er - git 'er a dishrag whut she wash 'er dishes wit. An' she use it lak dat fo' tuh dry off wit when he has connection wit 'er. An' jes' ketch 'imself, she says, "Ah'll wash yo'." She's got 'er dishrag an' wash yo'self. Yo' don't know if it ain't a dishrag [the man does not know it is a dishrag], it jes' lak anythin'. Now YO' KIN GO, MAH FREN', tuh any othah house an' yo' kin have a sweetheart anywheres yo' want tuh, an' yo' kin [be] AMBITIOUS GREATLY FO' HER, an' yo' go tuh bed, an' yo' all right, an' yo' jes' crawl right ovah her jes' lak a man do do, yo' 'come [become] jes' lak dat, dat dishrag. Yo' say, "Wait a minute, ah'll be all right." [He never be all right.]
Entry 3354
Dey'll take when a man have connection wit 'er. She'll take a dishrag. Quite natural he'll come back if she ain't a lady, so to state. Yo' know he'll come back, an' she'll ketch dat in dat dishrag, an' she put it up ovah de do. Ah wuz livin' in Richmond, Va., an' dat wuz where ah heard dat one. Well, ah got up dere - ah wuz stayin' wit mah auntie. Well, ah couldn't have nuthin tuh do wit a girl tuh save mah live. Well, ah tole mah auntie about it an' she said, "Somepin or othah fixed yo'." An' ah said, "Dere's a woman at Clinton [N. Car.] kin tell me." Well, ah come all de way from Richmond, Va., back tuh Clinton - about 30 an' some miles - an' a man [doctor] workin', tole me, said, "Yo' go back to yore bro- thah's house," said, "don't chew walk in," said, "yo' go tuh de front do' an' feel up ovah dat do' an' yo'll find a dishrag."
Entry 3355
Lak yore husban', he goin' off wit some udder [other] wimmins, an' if she wanta have him, wants 'im stopped - yo' see, he go roun' wit 'em but he cain't do whut he wants to. Yo' take an' use dis rag aftah yo'all make connec- tion togethah an' yo' take an' put it up ovah de do' an' he walks undah dat rag dere, den if he goes to any wimmin, he cain't do a thing.
(With this dishrag.)
Entry 3356
Sompin about usin' a dishcloth, see. Jes' lak a man messin' aroun', yo' kin take a dishrag an' wipe him wit it an' put it up ovah de do' an' dat'll make him fall.
Entry 3357
Fix 'im so's he cain't bothah wit nobody else. If he bothahs wit 'er, she'll git a dishrag an' wipe herself off wit it good all up in heah. She stow it ovah de do' an' he can't run aroun' wit nobody else.
Entry 3358
Yo' know, jes' lak if a woman got a hus- ban' an' he runnin' aroun' an' won't stay at home. She can't keep 'im home, worried wit 'im all de time. Jes' lak when dey have intahco'se yo' know togethah, she take an' use de dishrag instead of a towel, or sompin. She use dat an' take it an' bury it undah de step aftah she use it, an' den dat holds 'im home.
intercourse as the stated context preceding dishrag use. No specific sexual act beyond the source term, bodily-fluid identity or personally performed event is inferred. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified. The source says to use the dishrag instead of a towel. Towel is a rejected alternative; the subsequent use and burial refer to the dishrag. The comparison continues across the two linked pages.
Read full source (printed page 2396) · Read full source (printed page 2397)
Entry 3359
If a woman leave a man an' yo' wanta git her back, well it ain't but one way ah know to do dat, but chew have to have dealin's wit 'er. See, if yo' have dealin's wit 'er an' de rag yo' vipe wit - let it be a dishrag. See, an' yo' take dis dish- rag den an' come back an' bury it undah yore back do'steps an' she'll fin'lly come back. It Wouldn't be ovah a day or two befo she'll be back.
Entry 3360
Dey tell me dat whenevah him an' 'is wife, yo' see, would have an in- tahco'se, dey tell me dat she could take a dishrag, yo' see, an' aftah she git through yo' see, wipe him down wit it an' evah- thin', yo' see. An' take it yo' know an' put it up yo' know ovah de do' in a private place, where it can't be seen dat way. An' dey tell me he can't have nobody but 'er.
Entry 3361
Ah've heard now - not dat ah know. Say when a man runnin' aftah a woman an' if yo' wanted tuh break 'im up from it, say git chew a snail or adish- rag, ary [either] one, an' rub dis snail on de dish- rag an' when he have connection wit 'er, gib 'im dat rag - steal de dishrag - an have him wipe, straighten hisself down wit it dat way. Wipe himself aftah he git through wit 'er. An' dey say he can't have no connection wit nobody but 'er.
Entry 3362
She takes de dishrag - he fast asleep, fast asleep. Jes' take dat an' jes' wipe it down 'im an' call his name. Wipe it down, don't wipe it up, cuz hit'll come up. Yes, wipe it down, an' it'll be jes' lak de dishrag.
Entry 3363
Yo' could use eithah a bran'-new pocket han'cheff or eithah de dishrag, lak ah tole yo', tuh keep 'im from foolin' wit any othah woman, see. Yo' kin take an' wipe him down wit a bran'-new pocket han'cheff, an' take fo' nails an' nail it down undah de flo' undah yore rug, an' dat'll keep 'im. He couldn't raise a heart fo' othah women. Ah know yo' kin do dat.
Entry 3364
Yo' kin go buy a new pocket han'kech'ef an' yo' kin wash de dishes wit it once, an' take an' strip 'im down [when wiping him]. [Strip here means to deprive of equipment or power.] Don' strip 'im up. Evah whut way yo' wanta do it, git it [foot track] toward yo' - git 'is tracks an' toenails, an' put dem in a cloth an' sew it up an' keep it. An' he git tuh de place hewouldn't Wanta go nowhere. He stay home dere an' nevah treat chew bettah den he evah have treated joo.
Entry 3365
Dere's things she could do to make him love her. She could take a dishrag, she could pet 'im up to have intahco'se wit 'er. Take a dishrag an wipe him down an' bury one undah de do'steps an' put de other one undah de mattress or on de springs, an' he couldn't have no feelin' fo' no one but 'er. He'd have to love her cuz he couldn't git a passion fo' nobody but 'er, as long as she kept dat dishrag buried.
(Did she use one or two?)
She use two - yessuh, she uses two. She buries one undah de front do'steps an' uses de othah undah de mattress.
Entry 3366
Yo' wanta learn how a man can't have no nature fo' a woman outside de woman dat he goin' wit dere? All right, jes' lak yo' have connection wit each othah. Dey take dat dishrag an' use it, see. All right, dey don' let dat dishrag git dry. Dey keep dat dishrag moistahin' [moistering] becuz she an' 'im done used it, see, an' he can't use it wit no othah woman. Yo' undahstan'?
(That's all she has to do, just keep that rag moist - damp.)
When it git dry, keep it damp right off.
(What does she dampen it with?)
Jes' dishwatah.
[Informant now gives a cure:]
He might feel suspicion. Well, now, if he fin' de dishrag - he goin' look fo' things if he a sensible man, undahstan'. All right, he might say, "Ah believe yo' done sompin tuh me." All right, he goin' look fo' - see, he can't raise, can't do nuthin, see. An' he goin' look fo' dat dishrag, see, 'cuz he figures, sometimes he knows a lots about it, see. All right, well, he finds dat dishrag. Undahstan'? If he fin' dat dishrag, take an' hang it out an' let it dry, an' den he's all right ag'in. But he gotta fin' dat.
Entry 3367
Or eithah yo' could take a simple thing as a dishrag. Yo' could wipe him wit dat dishrag an' put it undah de side of de mattress, on de side dat chew sleep on. An' keep it wet, see. Whut ah mean, evah time it dries, yo' damp it ag'in - jes' wipe him right down ag'in. An' long as yo' do dat he'll nevah raise a heart for anothah woman, until yo' take dat dishrag from undah dere.
(But you must wet it with him?)
Yeah, when yo' wit 'im evah time.
Entry 3368
If a woman don't want a man to run aroun' wit nobody but 'er, it's a certain, it's a thing, true fact dat she kin do. She kin use a cloth, yo' know dishrag, an' any two-time [two-timing] dat he wants, to go to work an' start wit anyone else, he'll fail evah time. She take dat dishrag an' put right back where she got it from [in the kitchen] an' when she git through washin' all de dishes, she puts it back in dere an' git it wet ag'in tuh bring it back an' use it ag'in. An' dat keep him perfec'ly in de attitude dat she want 'im. An' he can't go wit no one but 'er. An' de man kin do de woman de same way.
Entry 3369
Git a dishrag. Take a dishrag if a man go messin' wit anyone. His wife wipe wit dat dishrag an' put it where it'll git dry. He'll go to de doctor
[M.D.or hoodoo?] den.
The informant names a dishrag and describes its use. The predicted doctor visit is unverified, and the editor leaves the kind of doctor unresolved.
Entry 3370
She take a dishrag, a dishrag dat chew wash dishes wit an' she dried it good, an' she took an' put it undah 'er pillah at night. An' at night when he went wit 'er, she take an', yo' know, wipe wit it an' she take an' throw it right out de bed. An' evah time she mess wit 'im she use dat dishrag, an' it stop 'im where he couldn't be wit no one else but 'er.
Entry 3371
Well, ah tell yuh firs' how dey do dat. Dey take a man when dey have intahco'se wit a woman, de clot' dey use. Dey take dat clot', de woman take de clot', yo' know. When yo' git through wit de clot', she don't wanna use it. Den she take dat clot' or towel, an' she put undahneat' de pillah, aftah usin' it - aftah yo' git t'rough wit it an' git up. She take an' cut dat stain out of it dat yo' havin' intahco'se wit 'er. Den she take dat clot' an' she fold it up, an' she put it in a dishrag what she wash de dishes wit an' she put dat tuhgethah. Take dat an' wrop it up good an' den put it somewhere keerful in de boae. An' yo' is all right when yo' come tuh her, to be wit 'er; but wit anybody else yore nachure wouldn't rise. But enytime yo'd come to be wit 'er, yore nachure oald be all right.
Entry 3372
She would take a cloth or sompin lak dat an' she would take his nature, see. Some of de hair so dat he couldn't mess wit othah ooen. She'd take a white plain cloth an' she would place it into de bottom of a trunk an' she'd place dat - well, he's lost 'is nature, see. She'd place it dere.
Entry 3373
Dey take yore hair an' dis - yo' know whut ah mean - an' yo' wrap it up in a dishrag or any kinda cloth an' yo' bury it undah de do'step which he travel through an' from, an' he cain't have anything tuh do wit any othah person but dat pahtic'lah one.
Entry 3374
If he have connection wit anothah woman an' she know it, she kin take de dishrag an' wipe 'im an' put it up ovah dere [informant points to high piece of fur- niture] in a can, lak dat. Jes' since she put it up ovah yore haid. Don't have tuh be undah lock nowhere.
Entry 3375
[The following margin titles could also have been indexed later under subsubdivision KNOTS AND TYING, but they logically belong here.] Yo' say, now, to influence a person - yo' wouldn't want dis person to leave, or dis person would go away an' yo' want dis person to come back. Say, now fo instance, yo' were mah husban' an' have decided prob'bly dat yo' didn't want me. I say, "Well, yo' an' I come back home an' stay - anything. Yo' prob'bly say, "No, I don't want chew." Well, now, ah go to a neighbor's house unaware - when de neighbor steps out. I go in de neighbor's house and steal 'er dishrag. I let dis dishrag dry. Well, den when yo' come back ag'in, if yo' do come back - well, yo' said yo' don't want me or anything. Well, sup- pose I ask yo' to do me a favor. Yo' come in an' I let chew be wit me, yo' see.
(The last time. I understand.)
Well, now, I use dis towel [dishrag as a towel].
(On yourself or on him?)
[I evidently was not too keen about being the guinea pig!]
On mahself aftah yo' do what chew do. But ah don't do anythin'. Well, I take dis an' even wet it an' let it dry, an' den I take dis an' bring it ovah lak dis [demonstrates]. I tie a knot in dis an' ah pull dis tuh me, yo' see [demon- strates].
(YOU TIE THE KNOT TOWARD YOU.)
Yes, an' den ah say, "Now, ah want chew to stay wit me always, an' should ah be no mo' service to yo', no one evah will." Ah twist dis. Ah tear a place in ah pillah an' ah put dis in de pillah, an' ah sew dat up. An' ah put dat on de side dat yo' sleep on when yo' are dere, if yo' are not dere. It is a positive fact dat yo' will nevah be able to be yoreself.
(With any other woman.)
Not wit - whenevah yo' start, yo' might have a desire, but jes' at dat pah- tic'lah time when yo' get to [approach] dat person, yo' will fail. BUT DAT IS NO JOKE. (I've heard about the dishrag, but you are telling me something that is a different version of it.)
Entry 3376
Take de dishrag when yo' mess togethah, only de woman mustn't dis- charge. Gen'ally de men do all dat. Den yo' take dat dishrag an' yo' clean 'i off wit it. An' take de hair out de top of 'is haid an tie it togethah, an' put it up 'tween de mattress an' put one knot in it in de cornah, an' put it right in de middle of de mattress. An' he stays dere, he won't go. (You said the hair from the top of his head and the hair from down below, and you put it in the dishrag - tie it up in the dishrag. Then you put one knot in the dishrag.) Dat's right.
Entry 3377
Well, jes' lak yo' has a husban' an' yo' don' wan' 'im tuh make no co'se [intercourse] wit no othah woman, yo' go somewhere an' yo' steal a dish- rag - doesn't use yore own dishrag, yo' steal some othah woman's dishrag. An' why latah in de night when yo' wit 'i, make lak [pretend] yo' also wit 'im an' yore not. See, yo' git yores an' not his'n. Well, yo' take yo' a piece of money an' tie it up in a rag an' yo' wipe 'im off wit dat same dishrag. Well, ah would tote it an' ah wouldn't throw it away. An' he couldn't have no othah woman den but chew [me].
(You say he doesn't wipe with that rag at all?)
No sir. Yo' wipe him, see. Yo' don't wipe yores atall. He won't undahstan' whut chure doin', see. Yo' don't make connection wit 'i - may pertend yo' do's. (And you put a piece of money in that rag and TIE IT UP IN A CORNER. WHY DO YOU PUT THAT MONEY IN THAT RAG?) Yes - well, de rag will keep him down. See, dat's money, an' dat makes yo' git de money.
Entry 3378
Take a string an' measure 'im when, yo' know, de full length. She'll measure 'im wit dat string, wit 'er undahskirt string. If she have a undahskirt on, she'll have a string on dat. She'll take dat undahskirt string an' she'll measure his length. She take it an' tie it in a hard knot to dat same length. Tie it right in a hard knot an' tie it to her waist, an' at night she take dat string an' break it off. She go to her table an' she git a dishrag, an' she take dat dishrag an' wipe it down by dat string. Pull de string through dat dishrag three times an' roll de string up an' throw it behind de door - or hang it up ovah de door. Throw it behin' dere an' dat will tie him up. He nevah kin have any truckin'. (Now she takes this string from her underclothes and she gets his measure. Then she ties one knot in it. And what piece does she bring out of that, then?) De same end - jes' see [demonstrates] lak he's [his] length heah, she tie it right dere. She tie de knot in dat string to jes' de length of 'i. Yes, she break dat off.
(It's his length then that she pulls through the dishrag?)
Pull through de dishrag.
Entry 3379
Dey tell me dey ties three knots in a string an' wear dat. Dey tell me dat will hold somebody.
(What do they do with the string?)
Dey take an' put three knots in it an' gits a dishrag an' tie it roun' dere wit dat. (What will that do?) Dat will hold a man an' keep 'im from runnin' aroun'. (They just take a string and a dishrag. That's all? She doesn't use it on him or anything?) No, jes' wear it.
Entry 3380
Or eithah take a dishrag aftah yo' use it washin' dishes wit it. Yo' kin take dat dishrag an' wipe a man wit it an' fold it up an' put it ovah yore do', or eithah put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' wear it. Well, he can't raise no heart fo' no one. (Which do you tie?) Jes' tie de dishrag in nine knots, or eithah yo' could fold it an' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe, or eithah up ovah de do'.
Entry 3381
(TELL ME THE ONE ABOUT THE DISHRAG, THAT MY BOY [Sorry! No disreSPect.]
SAID YOU TOLD HIM. Begin right at the beginning and tell the whole story now. About the dishrag.) About de dishrag, now. If yo' wanta keep - say yore husban' home from bein' wit any othah woman, or anythin' lak dat, why yo' supposed to, while he's asleep, yo' take de dishcloth an', yo' know, have it a little damp - not too wet, jes' kinda damp- an' yo' supposed to wipe him wit dat. Yo' see, yo' wipe 'im down dere wit it. Den yo' take it an' yo' double it up - fold it up. Yo' has a cord string an' yo' wrap it nine times, yo' know de long way down. Ah show yo' [demonstrates]. Jes' fold it up lak dis, an' yo' carry de string roun' dat nine times, see. An' den aftah carryin' it dis nine times, yo' take it an' yo' tie nine knots in de end of it. An' when yo' take it, dn yo carry it out. Yo' know, carry it out de do' when yo' goin' out an' bury it at de side - lak if yo' goin' out, lak dat gate, yo' bury dere. Well, when he goes out, why he ain't no good no mo' in dis house, but whenevah he came back on de inside to yo' why he's all right. But when he go out, why dere nuthin 'tall to it.
Entry 3382
When he runnin' aroun' - well, it tain't but one thing fo' tuh do fo' him, an' ah hate tuh tell yo' dat. Ah'm goin' tell yo' dat now, an' den ah'm goin' leave yo'. Yo' know whut dat is? (No.) Have intahco'se wit 'im wit a dishrag. An' aftah de intahco'se is made wit de dishrag an' yo' wipe 'im wit dat dishrag, place it into de bed, LIKE YO' LIVE IN A HOTEL, an' TAKE A SAFETY RAZOR BLADE AN' SPLIT DAT BED, DAT MAT- TRESS OPEN, an' make him lay right on dat dishrag, an' his will nevah git stiff fo' nobody else but 'er.
(Well, isn't there any way that he can get rid of that?)
No. [This was the end of her information. She is marked not much. My answer no to her opening question is an honest one. I did not know what she was going to tell.]
Entry 3383
Kin use a dishrag on him to stop 'im from dat.
(How would she do that?)
She'd take dat dishrag an' have intahco'se wit 'im, an' wipe him off wit dat dishrag. Take de dishrag an' put it in de mattress at home, an' he'll have to stay dere, too.
Entry 3384
An' yo' couldn't fool wit nobody else but dem. Well, dey take de rule an' dey measure it an' jes' how long it is. Dey call de inches, an' as dey call de inches, dey measure it 'cross. [To measure with a rule is rare.] After dey measure it 'cross, why dey take de rule an' double it up. After dey done dat, why dey will go to work - dat's when yo' 'sleep, now - dey will go to work an' git a dishrag, yo' undahstan', an' wipe yo' private wit it, see. Dey wipe yo' private wit it, why dey'll take dat dishrag an' put it in a cornah or some part of de house where yo' can't git holt of it, see. Aftah dey's done dat, why yo' jes' couldn't git no heart fo' nobody else but 'er.
(What will they do with that rule, then?)
Dat rule, dey don't do nuthin wit de rule, jis' measure yore dick an' dey'll close rule back up, see. [My informant, marked good, thinks magically. This rite, like many others, contains a number of magic actions: measuring (magic of limitation); length and Width (makes a cross), crossing up according to operator's desire or wish; closing the rule after measuring [[this is like opening and closing a pocketknife in some rites]] (magic of enclosing); double (magic encircling), cornering the dishrag
(cessation of movement); etc.]
Entry 3385
Dey takes de dishcloth, yo' know whut dey use in de kitchen, an' when dey fools wit one anothah on de bed, she'll wipe wit dat yo' see - she wipes 'im off wit dat. He'll have no feelin' for nobody else. (What does she do with that dishcloth then?) Dat dishcloth? Why she weahs it awhile roun' 'er waist, yo' know right 'fore her place dere yo' know, an' den fer three- fo' days yo' know. Den she quits. De only way yo' kin rid of dat, yo' has to steal yo' someone else's dishrag an' wipe yo'self wit it. Dat's de only way yo'll git rid of it. If yo' don', yo' cain't have no feelin' fo' nobody but 'er.
Entry 3386
Take a dishrag an' evah time he mess wit 'er, why she wipe wit dat dishrag an' take an' ball it up, an' put it right back undah de mattress. Do it fer nine times an' ah cain't mess wit no woman on de outside atall. But ah kin mess wit 'er but no one else.
Entry 3387
Den again, if a woman got chew so dat yo' can't have nobody else an' don't want chew tuh have nobody else, yo' go tuh somebody's house an' steal a dishrag; dat, if it mean ah can't have nobody else, if ah can't have no one but one woman. Ah would go to a person house an' steal a dish- rag, where dey be washin' dishes [the rag must be damp], an' ah'd take dat dishrag, an' wash mahself off good for nine mawnin's. Dat will make mah courage come back to me.
Entry 3388
Jis' like if I come here to dis lady's house an' steal 'er dishcloth, an' take it back home an' wash dat dishcloth out so dey won't be no fat on it [to] make the man suspicious]. Den, yo' see, use it ovahnight on 'im. Yo' got to use it for nine nights, or use it nine times - it's all right. Den take it an' put it into a pan of grease an' fry it. Take de cloth an' ball it up an' put it into a can where it'll stay hot - yo' know, not let it git cold - an' go an' bury dat can. An' he cain't leave dat house to save his life. A man ain't gon'a leave home. An' when he do go, he can't have nopleasure.
Entry 3389
Gits her a bran'-new piece of cloth an' she use dat nine times fo' a dishrag. She use dat nine times wit 'im, an' she take dat piece of cloth an she put it in her bosom, an' she wear it all de time. Now, when she wear it he can't do nuthin.
(She doesn't actually use it as a dishrag?)
No.
(Just for wiping?)
Yeah, jes' fo' a dishrag.
Entry 3390
He kin take de dishrag whut she nuse [use], an' if he's smart enough tuh git 'er monthlies cloth an' put it [both see later] ovah de do' - ovah 'er back do' - an' evah time she go out dat do' will bring 'is nature back tuh 'im. Aftah nine mawnin's he count tuh 26 - fo' nine mawnin's - soon as he git outa bed 'fore he speak tuh anybody. Fo' nine mawnin's he'll count tuh 26, an' aftah dem nine mawnin's, he take dis back down, an' throw it ovah 'is left shouldah an' walk away an' don't look back, an' IT WILL RESTORE HIS BACK TUH 'IM, an' she can't do anythin' tuh it no mo' - no mo'.
(What does he put over the door, now?)
De dishrag, yeah, dat she use in de kitchen, an' 'er monthlies cloth, tied togethah. Put it ovah.
(The door as [where] she walks out?)
Where she gotta go out dat do'.
Entry 3391
Whut could yo' do wit a greasy dishrag. Well, if yo' got a man an' yo' don't want 'im tuh care fo' anybody else, yo' kin take a greasy dishrag an' let 'im drink off an' yo' don't. Take dat greasy dishrag an' wipe him fo' nine times wit it an' den fold it in nine different Ways tuh yo', fold it all de time tuh yo'. Den yo' put it up ovah anywhere dat he's gotta walk in an' out undah. Dat'l keep 'im from goin' wit othah women.
Entry 3392
If a man is runnin' aroun' an' 'is wife wanta stop 'i, she gits is Washrag or Washcloth - de man's, not hers. Den she puts wit dis, de nex' time she have anything to do wit 'im, she put dat wit 'i whut dey wipe wit, wit dis washcloth, an' bury it underneat' de steps. Fo' nine mawnin's she will evah mawnin', when she use her bucket - she won't go to de lav- atory - she'll use a nightglass an' po' it on dere nine mawnin's. He can't have anything to do wit no othah woman but 'is wife. Finally, he'll find out dat he can't. He'll come back home an' be satisfied an' stay dere fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 3393
Well, ah tell yo', it's very simple - it's nuthin very much to do. If yore husban' - if a woman's husban' have anothah woman an' she kin jis' fix 'i, he can't bothah no woman but 'er, cuz a ole lady tole me dat years ago when ah were quite young. An' she said, "Any time yo' wants yore husban' tuh stop goin' wit othah women an' stay home more, '' she say, "yo' take yore dishrag." Yo' know yore dishrag'll git right greasy, if yo' don't change 'em offten. An' she said, "Yo' take yore dishrag." She said, "Don't wash it, leave it git right greasy - whut yo' wash dishes wit." An' she say, "Any time he have - always carry dis dishrag to bed." She said, "Don't leave it in yore kitchen any more, " she said, "but yo' carry it to bed an keep it by yore bed where he won't see it." An' she say, "An' when he have a connection wit yo', " she say, "yo' always use it yoreself an' bring [wipe] it to yo'. Yo' dry 'im yoreself. An', " she say, "when yo' dry 'im, bring it to yo
(Oh! bring it out to you?)
Uh-hmm, bring it to yo' dat way. "An', ' she sayed, '"den if yo' have a towel or somepin, give it to 'im an' let 'im take to 'imself, " she said, "but yo' always do dat [wiping] first." An' she sayed, "He can't bothah no othah woman but choo." Well, I know dat by experience becuz when I married my second husban' he wuz awfully - yo' know, he wuz much older dan me an' he quite natchly he had othah womens befo' he evah met me. But he got where it seemed dat he got so careless, he wouldn't stay home like he ought to, an' ah loved 'im dearly. An' he would go away an' stay an' stay. An' one night ah wuz cryin' an' all dis come to me, as dis ole lady tole me dat, when ah had my first husban' an' ah wuz in my teens. An' ah did dat thing. An' so finally, he [second husband] wuz named John Jen- kins. An' finally John commen' [commense] tuh stayin' home. Sometimes ah said, "Why don't yo' go on out" - jis' tryin' 'im, yo' know. Ah say, "Yo' don't nevah stay home, " ah said, "Ah'm surprised at yo' bein' home." He said, "Well, ah don't care to go out any more much an' ah thought ah'd try to: stay here at home." He say, "Ah want to stay here an' watch yo'." Ah said, "Well, stay here an' watch me den." We jis' pass it off dat way. An' finally one night he tole me, he say, "Ulah." I say, "Huh?" He say, "Yo' always aftah me 'bout othah wimmins." He say, "Yo' all ought not to bothah me 'bout othah wimmins." He say, "Ah used to would run aroun' bad, ' he said, "but ah tell yo', '' he says, "here of late, " he says, "ah got where, "' he say, "ah want to tell yo' de truth." He say, "Ah've tried, '' he said, "but ah can't bothah no woman in de world but yo'.' He say, "Ah have tried - all my old friends ah used to be roun' wit, ah can't do anythin' to dem.' He say, "But when ah git to yo', " he said, "ah'm all right." Ah said, "Well, maybe dat's de way God intends it." An' ah know fer myself an' ah'll nevah forgit dat. Co'se ah ain't got no husban', no friends, nuthin now, but ah won't forgit dat.
(What did you do with the dishrag then?)
Take de dishrag aftah yo' use it wit 'im fer nine times an' bury it undah de do'step.
(And after that, then he's no good?)
Ain't no good. He's no good. [Why? See informant's remarkable story about his biting her, 888, p.319.]
Entry 3394
Dey kin use a dishrag on a sweetie, jis' lak if a sweetie's runnin' aroun'. Well, an' she ketch 'l 'sleep, yo' see. Yo' know jis' lak some men do sleep real fast. [The preceding fast = deep or sound; but to sleep fast is still an unusual expression in my experience - to go to sleep fast or quickly, yes.] Well, yo' take dat dishrag an' git at de end of dereself an' bath it up. Jis' lak dis hisself, lak dis [her] fingah, well yo' go to de end which is de haid of it, see, an' bath it up to his stomach. Bath it up nine times. An' den yo' hang it up in de cornah of yore house an' don' use it, see. An' dat rag'111 jis' dry up an' he cain't have no intahco'se wit nobody - no one.
Entry 3395
Ah've tried dat mahsel', ah've 'sperience dat. Go tuh anybody's house, ah don' care who 'tis, an' take dere dishrag whut dey wash dere dishes dt, an take it nine times. Jes' take it lak dis an' rub it right up lak dat nine times. Don' rub it down, take an' rub it up nine times an' put it [dishrag] right back in dat same place. [I need not say, except to the dirty-minded, that informant when demonstrating was holding an imaginary dishrag in one hand and using it on his other hand.] (After you do that, you take the dishrag and bring it back to the house where you stole it?) Jes' where yo' pick it up at, take it an' put it right back in dat same place. Ah've did dat.
(That will bring back the fellow's courage.)
Entry 3396
Well, if he lose 'is nature an' cain't nevah git up no heart or nuthin lak dat, well, yo' slip aroun' tuh yore sistah's house [anyone's house], an' slip in de kitchen an' git [steal] a dishrag an' wipe 'is prick down fo' nine mawnin's straight. It'll come back.
Entry 3397
It's a ole story. Ah reckon so many [times] yo' heahs about dat. So many people do's it. Well, de only thing ah've heard dat a wumman take, use a greasy dishrag, an' she would take dat dishrag aftah she'ud [she would] be wit 'im an' use it. Co'se she'd soak it in cold watah an' make her wishes on de wumman dat she had trouble 'bout, fo' nine mawnin's, an' she use it on 'im den de ninth day, see. Aftah she use it eight mawnin's, de ninth mawnin' she must have some connection wit 'im, see. An' den she use, an' den she would take it an' de nature from de othah wumman, an' den she use on 'im, an' use it on herself. Well, dat bring 'is nature to her. Ah've reckon yo' heard it dat way. (First she takes the dishrag and she put it in cold water and makes her wishes on it for eight days. The ninth day she takes that rag and uses it on him.) Use it on 'im an' den she uses it on 'erself, an' makes 'er wishes dat he wouldn't have anythin' wit no othah wumman but 'er. See. An' she takes dat rag an' den she buries it, see. Jes' as long as dat rag stay buried, why he wouldn't want nobody else.
Entry 3398
Well, de way a woman use dat, she comes in contact wit 'er husband, she uses de dishrag, yo' know, an' he won't have any feelin's fo' no one but 'er. (What does she do with that dishrag, then?) When 'im an' 'er gits through she wipes wit it an puts it 'way, yo' know, an' sticks it umdabneat' 'is pillah where he kin lie his haid on it evah night. He'd nevah have no mo feelin's fo' no othah woman but 'er.
Entry 3399
Mah husban' wuz mistreated me fo' an- othah woman an' ah didn't want 'in to have dis woman. Ah wet mah dishrag an' ah washed my whole self wlt it an' ah wipe 'is plate out wit it an' let 'im eat out of it. He ain't goin' wit nobody but me.
Entry 3400
Jes' lak if a person is mean an' cruel - a man is mean an' cruel tuh 'is wife or sweetheart or sompin lak dat. When yo' cook fo' 'im, take her [your] urine an' put it in 'is food, if yo' want 'im tuh still love yo'. Jes' take her [your] ministratin' an' put it into meals - put dat into meals. An' take de dishrag an' wipe his plate out wit it. An' dat'll make him come undahneat' cha.
(That urine in his food is supposed to make him be kind?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3401
A woman use a dishpan - a new dishpan an' a dishrag. Evah time she feed 'er ole man, why she rub dat dishrag in 'tween 'er laigs an' wipe his plate wit it an' 'is cups whut he use, to keep 'im.
Entry 3402
I don't want 'im to have nobody but me. An' I will have dealings wit 'im at night. [I do] not come, but I take dat piece, aftah I git up an' wipe wlt it, an' jis' cut dem pieces out an' put 'em into mah shoes an' wear it.
(In both shoes?)
Both mah shoes.
Entry 3403
[Snail and impotence is quite a collection of material in itself - see later. The present snail rite I have decided to include here.] I've heard of people takin' snails. Take dat snail an' mash ' up fine. Yo' git a dishrag out de kitchen, I've heard, take an' wrap 'im up in dat dishrag. An' when yo' fool wid a woman yo' wipe her wid dat an' bury dat, an' she no good. Den if she happen to fool wid anudah [another] man on yo', she's gonna git hung jis' lak de dog.
Entry 3404
[To steal a dishrag is a common rite that will be found elsewhere in the text.] Now, when yo' have a intahco'se wit her, why yo' take a dishrag - steal some- one's dishrag, see. An' den when yo' an' 'er gits through havin' intahco'se, why yo' wipe her wit it an' take it an' throw it away - jes' bury it right off where dere can't nuthin git to it. An' dere can't nuthin git to it [the woman]. An' dere can't no man have her but chew.
Entry 3405
She kin take a dishrag an' jes' wipe it [him] three times. He won't have no use fo' nobody but 'er. (What would she do with that dishrag then?) She jes' keep dat dishrag an' stick it in 'er pillah an' sew it up in dere. She won't let 'im see it, though.
Entry 3406
A woman can take a dishrag from a man's house she loves, wash it out and bury it in the ground. Let it stay for three weeks [21 days or 3x7 days]. Then go back and dig it up and wear it around her neck, and this man won't have anything to do with any other woman except her. That's how she can keep him.
Entry 3407
It wuz man an' wife had a fuss, dey said, an' 'is wife, she wuz a woman dat liked to run aroun' a lot yo' undahstan' wit othah men. An' he went to a fortunetellah an' see whut - yo' know, how he could stop her from runnin' aroun' wit so many men. So she tole him, she said, "Yo' steal a dishrag. Steal one from someone else, not 'is own - jes' like yo' steal anythin' else. So he steals a dishrag. An' she tole 'im, she said, "At night when yo' go to bed wit 'er, befo' yo' intahco'se wit 'er yo'self, " she say, "yo' play wit 'er an' take a part of de rag - jis' tear it off - an' rub it aroun' in dere, an' den put it in a bottle an' stop it up wit some of 'er watah, not yore own. She said, "Dat night when yo' go to her, ' she said, "don't use [put] yore watah in dere [chamberpot] - yo see, don't mix it [yours with hers]. An' den take hern [her water] an' put it in a bottle wit diz [this] rag. Yo' stop it up an' put it in de rivah. No othah man could have a chance to have intahco'se wit 'er. Soon as he git to de place, he'll jis' drop right down."
Entry 3408
Ah don't know how true dis is but ah heard whut wimmins tole me, dat if a woman got a husban' an' don't want 'im tuh be wit no one but 'er - jes' lak he goin' [a] bit [little] wit 'er. Well, she gits a dishrag an' she will wipe 'i wit dat dishrag an' throw it out undah de bushes where de dew an' evahthin' kin fall on it. He stay limbah all de time. Why he couldn't be wit no woman but 'er. Well, den durin' de time dat it wuz out dere, if de sun happen to strike it an' dry it off, why he wuz jes' as good fo' anybody else as he wuz fo' her.
Entry 3409
Wal, she kin take a dishrag dat she usin' in de kitchen an' let 'im an' 'er have connection togethah an' use it an' take it directly undah de eaves of de house where it rains, an' he won't have feelin' fer nobody else but 'er. She buries dis undah de eaves of de house right whare de rain drips.
Entry 3410
Yo' take an' go in dere an' take dere dishrag. Take dey dishrag an' use it on yoreself an' de man's self an' take it an' throw it in runnin' watah.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat will separate 'em. Dat's whut ah heard. (Separate a man and his wife?) Separate dem. (That is, some other woman that would want to separate a man and his wife, she Would take their dishrag - go to the house and get their dishrag. Then she would use it on this man and herself when they were together, and throw it into running Water. That would separate a man and his wife?) That's right.
(So this woman would get the other woman's husband?)
Dat's right.
Entry 3411
An' a woman take a man, if he mess wit anothah woman, an' she take a dishrag tuh wipe him wit it. If she want it tuh last always, take an' soak it in sugah, den wipe him wit it. Den yo' put it in a quart jar an' throw it in runnin' watah. Well, it jes' work fo' about thirty days. Jes' take de dishrag an' put it in a bottle up ovah 'is haid, yo' know, where no one won't git to it. It lasts thirty days.
(Where do they usually put it over his head?)
Jes' lak yo'd go out dis do' an' lak yo' comin' in from work, yo' come in dat do' - go back an' come in dat do'. He cain't mess wit no othah woman. Ah know dat's tuh be true. (You put that over the door, but if you soak that dishrag in sugar before you use it on him, then throw this into running water it will last all the time.) Yes. [Fayetteville, N. Car. (1504), 2571:11.]