Browse:Defeated by War Water (Volume 1, entries 2979)
Defeated by War Water
Volume 1, entries 2979. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → SHRINES: ALTARS - CANDLES - SAINTS; NEW ORLEANS AREA → (2) CANDLES. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2979
[Some persons refuse to use ordinary means to put out candles burning against them, they must know the name of the culprit. There are two methods for learning this name; the better being a visit to a hoodoo. The latter will see the candleburner either in the cards or close his eyes and actually watch him at work. But - but the hoodoo is always cagey about naming names (2748, p.757). After all, the name is a spirit. What the hoodoo will do has been described previously many times. The second method is to doctor yourself.] All right. Yo' take yo' some sugah an' yo' take yo' some dis heah war water and yo' burn dat light [your candle] up in dere [in a container holding sugar and war water]. [You burn a candle against his candle (2954, p.853). This is also one of the many rites of divination (see Diagnosis, Pp.165-217).] An' when yo' burn dat light, whoevah got de light up on yo' [burning over your name], dat light gon'a burn in a cross-like, see. [My informant omits an important step here, perhaps assuming that I am a hoo- doo and should know what he is talking about. The operator must call or breathe out near the candle every name he can think of until flame looks like a cross; not a formal cross but a stylized fleur-de-lis with tits, the two laterals being the arms of the cross.] An' when yo' find it out who's de person, den yo' carry dere name [write it on a piece of paper] an' keep dat light upon dere name. Dat put out every candle dey puts on yo'. (How do you mean you burn that light in this War water and stuff? Where do you put that?) Yo' put it into a cup or saucer an' put dat light in dere. [First, drop melt- ed wax into the container, stand the candle in it and after it is firm, add the war water and sugar.]
(What color light?)
Yo' kin use a red light [blood against blood] or a green light [everything is clear].