Browse:FOLK MEDICINE (Volume 4, entries 6524–7262)/Part 9
FOLK MEDICINE
Volume 4, entries 6524–7262. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 7164
Take dat an' put 'em undahneat' chore house in de midnight, but yo got'a do dat on de young moon. An' take one of dem headbo'ds an' bring 'em an' put 'em, right jis' lak it wus yore bed here, an' shove 'em undahneat' dere. If yo' wanted tuh git up in de maw- nin' on time, YO' WOULD SLEEP AN' SLEEP UNLESSEN SOMEBODY WOULD WAKE YO'. Yo' can't - yo' wanta git up but choo can't. Yo' go back tuh sleep.
Entry 7165
Take some graveyard dirt an' sprinkle it ovah de house. Dat will put 'em fast asleep, dey say. Ah nevah experienced it but ah jis' heard whut dey would say.
(You mean it would put this man asleep?)
Puts 'im fast asleep an' she kin git up an' go jis' where she wanta.
(Where does she sprinkle that stuff?)
Sprinkle it ovah yore house.
(Oh, all around the house - inside the house.)
Yeah.
Entry 7166
She'll go in de graveyard an' git 'er a li'le graveyard dust an' use it. An' when she come back she take it from undah dere an' he wake up. (Oh, you do the same thing if a woman wants to step out, put that graveyard dirt underneath the bed.
Entry 7167
Git a li'le graveyard dirt an' put on a person, an' when yo' put it on 'em - git a li'le graveyard dirt an' carry it, tie it up real tight, an' put it up undah de pillah an' let 'em sleep on it at night. An' if he's got a wife an' 'is wife wanted tuh go out, she could put it up undah dere an' let 'im go tuh sleep. If he's got whiskey in 'im or anythin' - anythin' at all lak whiskey on 'im, she kin go on off an' stay jis' long as she wanta. An' when she comes back she'll pull it out an' he wakes up.
(That is to keep him asleep while she is gone.)
Entry 7168
Take graveyard dust...sprinkle it...over your hair...that will make you sleep.
Entry 7169
A woman kin have her husban' an' jis' go - it's lak he's workin' at night, an' he be here sleepin' an' she may wanta go off, yo' see, wit some other man or somepin othah. An' she - aftah he goes tuh sleep, she wan's tuh keep 'im asleep. She kin take a plate an' a knife an' fork, an' put it undah de head of dat bed right dere. De knife an' fork cross- ed in de plate undah de head of de bed. She kin put a candle undah de foot of dat bed an' light it, an' take her shimmy or 'er petticoat or somepin lak dat, an' hang it right up ovah 'is face - say prob'ly eight or ten inches from 'is face. An' he'll be sleepin' right dere when she come back home an' wake him up. He won' even wake up while she's gone. She be gone all day an' he'll sleep all day.
(She puts the candle on the foot of the bed?)
Yes, sir, puts de candle right on de foot. Yes, sir, he'll sleep.
(A candle of any particular color or just any kind of candle?)
Oh, jis' git dese big white - two for a nickel candles. [This was back in 1937 during the Great Depression!] Go dere an' buy a candle.
(All right, I see.)
See, she's going tuh make it back dere befo' dat candle goes out.
(I see.)
NOW, DIS IS BY EXPERIENCE. I SAW MAH BROTHAH'S WIFE DO DIS. See. An' she tol' me, say, "Brothah, he don' wan' me tuh go up tuh 'is mothah, " she say, "an' ah'm goin' an' ah know whut tuh do tuh keep 'im asleep." I SAY, "WELL, DO ANY- THIN' YO' WANTA DO ONLY DON'T KILL 'IM." An' ah sits dere an' looked at 'er do dis an' ah walked out an' set on dose row boats right ovah dere across de river in Bellpoint 'till she come back. An' when she come back, I come on ovah dere an' meet 'er an' went in de house, an' de candle done burned down about dat much [demonstrates]. An' he jis' alayin' dere dead to de world. An' she did all dem thin's.
(What did you say? Bell - where is that?)
Bellpoint. It's a li'le small town jis' across de rivah.
(Over in Louisiana?)
Yes, sir - tothah [the other] end of de bridge.
(I see.)
Entry 7170
[This is my resume' of rite transcriber failed to copy.] "Cross knife and fork under his pillow or under mattress. Shimmy over head. Broom stood in corner with brush part up. Keep asleep."
Entry 7171
Yo' take three matches an' cross 'em undah 'is haid - right up undah 'is haid. He'll sleep right dere until she come back an' move dose matches.
Entry 7172
I have heard them say sometimes you [a woman] take a lady's difficulty and put it under a man's nose [while he sleeps] and he won't wake up until she removes it. And she can get this money and do anything.[Ocean City, Md., Ediphone.]
Money is a reported opportunity in a hearsay account, not a required material or a verified result.
Entry 7173
De ministratin' rag an' put it undah- neat' de mattress where he sleep at, an' den take a nightgown or sompin an' throw in 'is face.
(What will that do?)
Den she kin go out an' stay out all night long an' come in de nex' mawnin'. She kin stay out all mawnin' too, from whut ah heard.
Entry 7174
Well, yo' kin place three names, yo' undahstand. Take it an' put it in 'is pajamas ovah 'is heart, an' he'll sleep sound until de nex' mawnin', slap [right to the moment] until yo' come back an' wake 'im up tuh git dat [piece of paper with the names] outa his pajamas. (What three names do you use?) Any three names dat choo know personal. Dose three names jis' lak yo' said John, Henry, Mary or Jane, anythin' lak dat. Yo' write it down on a piece of papah. Excuse me, ah'll show yo' how's it [how it's] done [demonstrates]. [Here I probably push my Numbers Book (numbers of inform- ants) over to speaker.] Oh! Ah kin show yo' here. Yo' see, write de three names; one dere, one dere, an' one dere. Den yo' fold it an' put it jis' ovah in 'is pocket dere, or if he is sleepin' in pajamas or undahsuit, or anythin' lak dat. Jis' lak yo' be playin' wit 'im an' slip in 'is, intuh where it would git ovah 'is heart. He'll go off tuh sleep. An' den he won't wake until yo' come back. [I suggest that these 3 names could originally have been the 3 Holy Names.]
Entry 7175
Write his name three times an' take it an' stick it into his shoe an' put it under his head.
Entry 7176
Yo' know de time de snake's sheddin', yo' know, well yo' kin take an' use his shed an' grind it up into powdahs - right fine powdah-lak dust an' sprinkle it roun' in yore hat. He'll jis' make yo' sleep all de time.
Entry 7177
A man say, fo' an' instan', if he got a wife an' he wan'a go out at night an' wan'a keep 'er home. Well, say fo' instan', if de night is real hot, she will perspire. Ah do dis now mahself. Well, ah tell yo' jis' lak yo' come tuh me dis way. Well, all right. Yo' go home now an' sleep wit chore wife, sleep on one side of de baid. Now, heah's whut chew wan' do in case if yo' wan' chure wife tuh stay home at night. Like yo' wan'a go out an' have a nice time or go out wit some othah woman, maybe. In othah words, yo' won wanta hurt 'er or anythin' but chew goin' out. All right. Well, now, yo' let 'er sleep on one side of de baid fo' three nights an' be shore she slept dere long enough so dat puspire [perspiration] would go through de mattress. In othah words, her scent go through de mattress an' git into de cotton. Well, natchly [naturally], yo' know, she git up an' yo' tell 'er tuh go fix breakfas' - anythin', jis' tuh git 'er out de room fo' a short uhile. An' when she do dat yo' git a small 'mount of de cotton - not a big piece, jis' a small 'mount.
(How do you get that?)
Well, YO' JIS' SPLIT DE MATTRESS, an' yo' jis' take yore fingahnail an' jis' do lak dat on de mattress. Quite natchel [natural] de lint'll come up jis' fas' as yo' do dat. Well, when it come up lak dat, yo' jis' git a small 'mount of it. In othah words, sompin 'bout lak dat. Den yo' brings it tuh yo' place, den yo' puts it in a piece of wool cloth, see. An' aftah yo' put it in a piece of wool, sew it up, an' go up undah de house in de same direction where she sleeps an' bury it. In case, maybe, it's a house dat a li'le on de ground, sometimes - say fo' instan' lak she sleeps heah [in house where we were sitting], yo' can't git up undah heah. Well, yo' kin git roun' de house on dat side dere, an' put it on dat side tuh de restin' of 'er haid. Maybe she sleep tuh both end, but one end of de baid she sleep tuh mo' den de othah one. Put it tuh dat end. An' den she'll continue tuh stay home until yo' come back. An' de minute yo' git in de bed she wakes up. Long as yo' stay out she'll always sleep. (In other words, all you have to do is to get some of this cotton out of the mattress and bury it under the house, under where she sleeps, and that'll keep her asleep while you are out?) Dat's right.
Entry 7178
If she has connection wit 'im an' take her a towel - use a towel an' hang it ovah de baid an' she kin go an' he'll sleep dere till she comes back.
(But she has connection with him first though? Then she hangs that towel over his head?)
Yes.
Entry 7179
She kin take a dishrag an' wet it fairly good wit 'er chamber lye an' slip it intuh de pillah or de cotton where he really sleeps on. An', why he'll go in dere [the cotton he sleeps on]. Well, de fac' [fact] about it, stay in dere. An' he'll nevah come out regardless tuh whut she even doin' on de outside. Let i sleep dere till daylight.
(He's going to sleep while she's gone out?)
Yes sir.
Entry 7180
Take an' cross 'is han's across 'is breast.
(Cross his hands across his breast when he's asleep?)
Yes, sir, an' take a li'le bottle of watah. Yo' cross ovah 'im, step all ovah 'im an' he'll stay asleep fo' hours. Jis' take dat li'le bottle of watah an' set it somewhere neah de head, anywhere near his head. Dat keeps 'im asleep.
Entry 7181
An' dey kin [go] right straight along ag'in, an' yo' kin go tuh sleep. An' yo' have any money, yo' kin go tuh sleep, an' if ah kin git tuh yo' - yo' done dead tuh de worl' when yo' drop tuh sleep. Dere's dis han' layin' on de kivah [cover], dis han' - dere's de right han' [demonstrates]. De lef han' is jis' lak dat [demonstrates]. An' yo' sleep dere till ah git anythin' dat ah want in yo' home.
(What do you do with that left hand?)
Git a basin of watah - an' yo' be sleepin' now - an' set it right side de baid an' lay yo' han' in it jis' lak dat [demonstrates] in yo' sleep, an' yo' sleep right on dere until dey git jis' whut de wants. Den when dey gits whut dey wants, dey'll make a li'le racket an' throw de watah out an' yo'll wake up. Ah knowdat, mahself.
Entry 7182
She could take her step-ins an' hang 'em up ovah de head of de bed. Wash 'em an' hang 'em up ovah de head of de bed an' put 'is han' down in a cold pan of watah. He'll sleep dere until she come back. (She must wash those things first?) No sir, jis' hang 'em. An' den she kin take her undah- Weah an' spread 'em ovah 'is face, an' put 'is han' in a cold pan of watah an' he'll tell evahthin' he done dat night.
Entry 7183
Take some clear water an' put it underneath of his bed, while he's sleepin', an' see he won't be able to wake up.
Entry 7184
Take de watah an' sweeten it an' have salt in it an' set it by de bed, an' he'll stay asleep until yo' come back. (You put each of these in a separate thing or?) No, yo' put a little watah in a little bottle eithah a little glass an' set it undah yore bed. Dat'll keep 'im asleep.
Entry 7185
Yo' kin take yore drawahs, yore bloomahs, an' hang 'em ovah de head of de bed, an' yo' take a pint of watah an' yo set de pint of watah down tuh de foot of de bed. Den yo' kin go on out an' go anywhere yo' Wanta, an' come back in an he's still asleep, 'cuz ah've tried it.
Entry 7186
Git chew some whiskey, some anvil dust an' vinegah jis' where he lay down. Yo' lay down wit 'im an' leave it up undah 'is bed, an' he won't wake until yo' come. Jis' undah de bed. [Memphis, Tenn., (949), 1530:15.] [This fifth and final subsection of section FOLK MEDICINE gathers fragments either from doctors themselves or from patients or their relatives or friends talking about doctors. Actually, similar fragments scattered throughout Hoodoo, show that many of these brief statements could have been placed elsewhere.]
Entry 7187
Yo' uses High John an' yo' uses five fingahs grass an' yo' make charms outa dem, an' den yo' put lodestone all on dat. An' if yo'd make a seal an' wear dat - when yo' read parts of de Bible. "Co'se [of course] dat's de way a lotta people do, but ah go by de Bible. See, whut ah do, ah based on de Bible - prayahs, see, an' sech. [The preceding word charm rarely appears in Hoodoo. For the word seal, see SEALS AND HANDS, p.643 and elsewhere.]
(How would you use this High John and five finger grass?)
Oh, yo' jis' put it in a li'le bag.
(Put it in a little bag and that piece of lodestone with it?)
Yes. An' den put it wit - wet it wit dis lodestone perfume, yo' see, an' weab it.
(And what about the seal?)
Or yo' kin weah a seal. De seals are made outa de Six an' Seven Books of Moses. (And then what do they do with this little bag they wear? That is something separate again, isn't it?) Dis li'le bag, dat's somepin sep'rate.
(What do you wear this little bag for?)
Dat's fo' pertection [protection]. An' prayah too. All de othah [people] weah a prayah. Prayah'll pertect chew too.
(What kind of prayer do you use while you are wearing that bag?)
Well, yo' kin weah a prayah at any time [not only while wearing that bag]. Yo' kin weah a prayah outa de Bible, de 91 Psalms on parchment papah. An' yo' have it wit certain kinds of ink. Yo' write dese prayahs outa de book of de 91 Psalm; mos' any prayah dat's suitable. An' yo' weah dat prayah all de time an' God'll pertec' chew. Yo' kin even put a prayah behind - on parchment - put it behin' jore do' an' no one cain't come an' do yuh any harm. (You say they have to write with certain kinds of ink. Can you tell what kinds of ink they have to use to write that?) Well, ah fergit de kinda ink. Dey have reg'lah ink fo' dat. Ah tell yuh - dove's blood.
(Do you get the blood from a dove or do you buy this?)
Well, yo' cain't very well git it from a dove, yo' have tuh buy dat. See, EVAHBODY CAIN'T GIT DOSE THIN'S. DEY SEN' TUH CERTAIN PLACES.
[Is dove's blood ordinary or special red ink with a dove label on bottle?]
(They send to some firm.)
An' git dose thin's an' dey even make dose parchments. (What firm do you buy these things from? Do you happen to know the name of any firm? There were several down in Memphis and one in Chicago.) Ah know one in Chicago.
(What one do you know there?)
AH DON'T LAK TUH CALL DESE NAMES, AH DON'T KNOW WHETHAH AH'D BE DOIN' RIGHT DEN.
(Oh, I'd just send and get a catalog, that's all.)
Well, de Lawrence [Laurence]. (What is their address? What street do they work on? State Street?) [A penciled note of mine, made soon after the transcription was typed, reads: Use with caution. Later I write in red ink: How cautious I was in the earlier days of collecting!!! This informant is O.K. (signed) H. M. H.]
Entry 7188
(Find out the names of those people.)
Madam Helen, Madam Kaye [Kate?], Madam Louise. Dey got anothah named Madam Fouche, anothah named Madam Queenie. Anothah named [something] an' dey got one live away, away back here by huhself. She is de one whut deal wit pure hoodooism. She kin do anything dat is wrong wit a person. Dey call her Madam Rossin [Ruskin?]. She has de last house on Pelican Avenue in Algiers. Dat is neah de Berman Higbvay. She is 9 miles out of Algiers, she is more neah Meraux[?] dan she is Algiers. Yo' kin git anything yo' want ovah dere, dose guys is tough. Pelican Avenue an' Berman Highway, dat is where de cutthroats hang out. [There have been a number of Helens: Madam, Miss, and Mother. For the toughness of Algiers, see INTRODUCTION vol., p. XLf., and p.776, and illustration of detective agency at end of vol.2.]
Entry 7189
Take dat - say, now, if dere is a woman dat wuz runnin' wit a man an' yo' don' want it done, yo' see. Dat's de othah woman, yo' know, wit a married man. Dis man is runnin' wit anothah woman. His wife have got aholt [a hold] of it. She kin dress 'er husban' fo' de othah woman. (Well, how would she dress him? What would she do that with?) She dress 'er husban'. She would take, she put 'erself in contact wit 'er husband now an' use 'im 'erself. An' when she's done wit 'im, den she smote [rub] 'im down, by puttin' dis innocent oil in 'er han's an' smote 'im down.
(She'll only do that after she's finished?)
Aftah she done wit 'im, herself; yo' know, de wife.
(She puts this oil on her hands?)
Yes, an' smote 'im down. An' aftah she smote 'im down, den she'll turn 'im loose. He kin go. Now, den, he kin go aftah dis othah woman. He cain't raise a heart fer'er, see. Den he'll come den an' looks - go on an' beat 'is wife, knowin' dat he don't wan' nobody else but 'er an' [that] he cain't mark time now lak he used tuh; knowin' dat somepin's wrong somewhere, don't chew see. But dat's de way she kin do.
(Well, what kind of oil would she use to do that? Put on her hands?)
Innocent oil. (Innocent oil. Well, where do you get that? Where do you buy it? How do you get it, make it?) Yo' know whut a innocen' is. Innocen' [as] a lamb. A lamb is innocen'. Yo' kin take a knife an' go tuh 'im fo' tuh cut 'is throat, he won't say a word. He's innocent. (Well, they call it innocent oil, yes, but you have to buy that some place, don't you? Where do you get that?) Oh! Yo' make it yuhself. Take a piece of lamb.
(Oh!) You get a piece of lamb. I see.)
Git a piece of lamb an' take a piece of fat off it an' stew it up.
(Take the fat and stew it up.)
AH DO'S DAT. AH MAKES A LI'LE MEDICINE NOW, YO' KNOW, TUH CURE "BAD DIS- EASES." (That's all you use, just that oil from that lamb? This mutton or lamb oil, you don't put anything with it or anything?) Don' put nuthin else wit, except dere's somepin else yo' wanta do.
Entry 7190
Now, ah'll tell yuh tuh show yuh dat ah kin know somepin. Ah were born in dis world feet foremost. Ah wuz wrapped in a veil three times. [This means] yuh talk tuh anyone in three tongues an' yuh kin sing ole-time songs, mah mothah said. Mah parents an' both mah gran'parents said ah had plenty hair on me befo' dey had dern [theirs]. Well, ah wuz born between de legs [of my mother] as a woman. Yes sir, ah wuz born wit mah teeth. Ah'd [I had] it [them] pulled an' nevah shed a tooth in mah life. Ah wuz de seventh chile outa seven daughtahs, born on de third day of de new moon. An' yuh know, mahself as a virgin should be wise [a woman of 55-60 years old]. Ah kin rub [you] if anybody did anythin' tuh yuh an' it'll all go away. Ah know ah wuz born tuh work [hoodoo]. No one taught me. Ah wuz born in North Carolina, in Salts- ville [lake?] where's dere nuthin but Geechees [gē'chē, singular]. Mah fathah wuz a full- blooded Geechee, mah mothah wuz a Amasha woman, black Creek Indian, etc., etc. [This woman, quite eccentric, was a professional worker and excellent. Unfortunately, except for the preceding account and No.2328, p.652, I lost all of her material. She claimed to be a Gee- chee (ge'chē), word from Ogeechee, a dialect originally of Negro slaves on the Ogeechee River, Georgia, formed of English and native African words. I found it difficult to understand either the Geechee or the Gullah, the latter along the lowlands and off-shore islands of South Carolina, Georgia and the northern coastal tip of Florida. A black man I interviewed at Ocean City, Md., in 1926, he working for his M. A. at Howard University, had spent several weeks in Charleston, S. Car. His opinion to me was: Those people down there are not Americans, they are Africans. I could scarcely understand a word they said.]
Entry 7191
[The following Doctor Marcus or William Brown will also be found on Pp.1289-1294 and 2246-2253.] Well, ah tell yah whut dey do. Dey took de right track, see. Listen good, now. Dey take yuh right track, dey got tuh git de whole middle of de track. Dey take dat track, dey put dat in a bottle, unnahstan', an' when dey put dat in a bottle, den dey gits some of dis ah - yah know de thin', dey call 'em, a thing grow in de wood. Dey call 'em de scorpion wine [vine]. See, yah'll git dat scorpion wine, yuh beat dat up an' put dat in de bottle, an' yah throw dat ovahbo'd, see. An' yuh got dat, yah'll run 'em finely away, see. [The scorpion vine could be: (1) scorpion grass, a forget-me-not, several small plants; (2) scorpion weed, the Indian he- liotrope; or (3) any plant the root seller calls the scorpion vine.] [587:1.] Dat's a pizen.
(What's a poison?)
Unnahstan' good - listen fore ah go on, fore ah tells yuh. DERE A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUN IN DE WORLD BUT DERE'S GOODNESS IN DEM. ALL OVAH DE UNITED STATES.
(I know, I understand.)
Dere's Doctor Brown, he shore [sure] kin tell yuh about me. Now dey recognize me, yuh see, [as] anothah fellah [doctor]. AH DON'T MEAN TUH TALK OF BEIN' A SNOB. (Well, there's a Doctor Peter Brown. Who is this fellow here [in Charleston], Peter Brown?) Well, he jis' git in touch wit me 'bout two or three mont's ago. See, ah tell yuh how he come in touch wit me, see. Dere's a woman he used tuh be wit, see. She did sompin tuh 'im, see, an' ah had tuh cure him. Dat's how he come in touch wit me, see. Ah don't really know 'im, yuh see. See, AH'M A PLAIN MAN BUT MAH WORK IS MAH WORK, AN' AH WANTA STAY DAT WAY. [He prefers to work alone.]
(Well, what is your first name? His is Peter Brown.)
MAH NAME IS WILLIAM BROWN, BUT EVAHBODY CALL ME DOCTOR BROWN.
(I see, you are Doctor William Brown.)
Yes sir, dat's mah name. YUH KIN FIN' ME ANY DAY AT 43 NORMAN STREET, WELL KNOWN DERE, COME ANY TIME. (Were you born right here in Charleston? Did you learn your work right here in Charleston?) No, ah - mah workman [person who taught me my work] always diedin' out [my teachers are dead]. Thomas [Promise?] Washington an' 'is wife. Dey died now seven yeahs ago. Yes, sir, ah'm prackly [practically] come up from [hoodoo] school trainin'.
(Where did they live?)
Dey died now. Well, dey did live in de same town. Dey from Tanner[?] Island. Dey home wuz from Tanner Island. Dat on de nex' side of, right nex' tuh BEAUFORT COUNTY UP DERE. DAT'S WHERE ALL DE WORK COME FROM. (And they are dead now. I see. What was their name? Washington was their name?) Thomas [Promise?] Washington wuz a man, he worked [taught] me, an' Nancy Wash- ington. Both of 'em died now.
(Who was the other man? You mentioned someone else?)
[I am probably thinking of the preceding Peter Brown.]
Ah said Promise [Thomas?] Washington give me mah schoolin' [in hoodoo]. Nancy Washington is 'is wife. An' mah name is William Brown. But evahbody call me Doctor. [58:3.] Now, yo' know whut chew do wit de chicken aig, yuh see. Now, yuh take jis' a pin, yuh unnahstan' an' yuh take de same thin' whut chew take from yuh fingahnail [demonstrates].
(That dirt under your fingernail.)
[Stick] in de pin an' dat same match, see, an' yuh tap [make a hole in] dat aig. Evah time yuh take dat pin an' do lak dat, an' den yo' threw [throw] it back inside. Now, yuh done put pizen dere, yuh see, down in dere [in the hole in the egg]. Well, when yuh goin' do dat, yuh take a li'le bit of sulphuh an yuh cork dat up. See, yuh cork dat up. Yuh haul[!] dat aig intuh yuh house now - yuh goin' pizen de person ovah yondah. Yuh keep de aig in yuh house, see. Now, yuh git a can of dis [Red] Devil Lye an' yuh set dat aig in it an' yuh cook dat aig. See, till it cook. [The lye is supposed to cook the egg.] Well, when dat aig is kinda cooked, yuh keepin' it till it be kinda daid [dead = rotten here], see. Yuh care [carry] dat aig an' yuh bury 'em undahneat' dat step [over yonder].
(Bury at the other house?)
Right tuh de step undah de house so when it bust, all dat stink gas is in de [victim's] house. An' soon as it bust, dat gas'll spread an' evahbody in dere pizened.
(Everybody is poisoned?)
An' if yuh once tetch it, yuh daid. (Well, how would you cure a case of that kind, if a person was poisoned that way?) Well, ah tell yuh; yo' see, TUH BE CURED, SEE, PIZEN DRAW PIZEN. But dese PeOple don' know it. Now, AH MIX DE SAME THIN' WHUT IN DERE AN' DRAW IT ALL FROM "EM. Let 'em drink it.
(You fix the same thing and let them drink it.)
Yes, sir, de same thin', see, 'cuz ah know aftah de aig bust, ah know whut it take tuh bust de aig. Well, ah'll make up de same thin' an' draw it [the poison] from dem. Onnahstan'? Ah'll mix up a scraped fingahnail an' cut off de match [head] an' put it in a glass an' drink wit de milk. An' ah'll have a li'le bit sulphur an' li'le bit of killback [calabash] wit watah ovah it. An' soon as ah give 'em dat tuh drink an' soon as dat pizen - anybody dat sick of all de pizen, ah give 'em dat an' it all come up. Evahthin' in 'em. Cannot stay.
Lye is named in an editorial explanation of the reported preparation; the cooking action is presented as supposed.
Entry 7192
Mah mothah's [mother wasl poisoned. In cloudy weathah lak dis she got a frog run up an' down 'uh ahms [arms].
(Only in cloudy weather?)
[We have had TIME AND HOODOO SPELL: (1) Pyschological, (2) Chronological, and
(3) Spiritual, pp.349-361). Here the weather influences hoodoo spells.]
Only in cloudy weathah. An' yo' kin see dem jis' plain runnin' up an' down 'uh ahms. A woman gave huh snake blood on account of mah fathah. Dis woman doin' [that] fuh [on account of], fathah. An' she gave huh snake blood in tomatoes an' she et it. An' dat's whu' cuz [what caused] dem frogs tuh run up an' down 'uh ahms. Yo' cain't see [them] until it's cloudy weathah. Mah mothah only weighs 75 pounds. She's vury pō' [poor in health] an de' [dey = they] killed mah fathah. (They killed him? Well, has your mother gone to a root doctor to find out what's wrong?) Yes.
(What does he do for it, anything?)
He did take some money but ah don' think he kin cure huh. He's a man over at [some place I could not understand and considered it fruitless to ask for a spelling] an' dey call 'im Doctah Buzzard. Ah've guess yo've hear'd speak about 'im.
(I've heard of him. He used to be in Beaufort [Bu-fěrt] County.)
He still ovah in Beaufort County. Well, HE'S A GENUINE "ROOT MAN," yo' see. [Notice the word genuine, indicating some doctors are frauds or use few roots. Notice, too, how informant changes my root doctor to the older root man.]
(Does he come into Charleston?)
He don't come ovah here. Evahbody has tuh go ovah dere tuh see him. [For more about Doctor Buzzard, see pp.891-905.]
Entry 7193
[Somewhere in Hoodoo I probably mention the Doctor Buzzard of Richmond, Va., a man who doctored a short time in the city a few years before I collected there. While personally transcribing the Richmond cylinders I made the follow- ing note about him:] [The] story [I just heard on the cyl- inders is] about Dr. Buzzard - tran- scribe later - important because this man - because he put fire in his mouth - is probably the Dr. Buzzard I met in Norfolk [Va.] - I had forgotten the account here and did not recall it when I met Buzzard in Norfolk - the description here of a tall brown man and goatee sounds something like the man I met - who was a little off in his head. [Richmond, Va., (389), 338:4.] A notation on this sheet reads do not copy whole story. Some of Norfolk Buzzards material is or will be in Hoodoo.]
Entry 7194
[Caffrey's interview will be found on Pp.1459-1470. There in an intro- ductory comment I give the reader a favorable opinion about him. The following rite was removed from his material years ago be- cause it concerned a man's vitality, dirty words back in those days, smelling of evil thoughts or deeds. Usually cases of so-called social diseases were left for a sex special- ist, but more reputable doctors like Caffrey Would accept vitality deficiency or impotence trouble. An early advertisement of "Father" Caffrey, when only 29 years old, appears among the ILLUSTRATIONS at end of Hoodoo, vol.2.] All right. I'll look that condition over. I'll look that condition over an I'll say, "What instances did you see that you tied up? You say, "Well, I' tied up." say, "I believe that I'm tied up in some way or other." Say, "I can't make connection with no other woman but my old lady." You see? Well, all right. I'll look that condition over an' then I would go to work an' I would fix up, I would get me a bottle of - let me, now. I get me a bottle of well water. See, vell water.
(Well water?)
Well water. Mix that with ammonia. You understand me? Then I will go to pork an' I put some antiseptic in that an' I will have you to take some baths. You get the idea about that? An' have you to take baths three times a week. An' I'll get you Boston Compeller an' make an ingredient of that.
(What did you get?)
Boston Compeller.
(Boston what?)
Boston Compeller.
(What's that?)
That's to give you vitality. That's Boston Compeller, you see.
(What does it look like?)
Well, that's somepin like a oil that you get from the drug store.
(I see. All right, go ahead.)
Boston Compeller. Then you get about a - a small bottle of turpentine an' yo' get a small bottle of antiseptic. You get the idea about that? An' I fix that up and then I go to work an' I go out into the country somewhere an' I'll try to get in contact with some milkman or another at a milk dairy that got a cow that give rich milk. You see? Then I put about two tablespoonful of sugar in that. Get the idea about that? And in putting two tablespoons of sugar in that, I'll try to get [something]. [He is acting out everything.] [He claps his hands, uhispering "All right several times.] And then [get] an ingredient of some kind of creosote and shake that well, you see. And you'll take that three time a day. And in taking that three times a day I'll come to you and then you'll get you a bar of soap; you see, that Octagon soap, you see, and you wash yourself three times a day with that: at six in mawn- in', nine in the mawnin, and six in the evening, an' that will reduce that con- dition in you and you can go anywhere you want to go.
(I see. What was the name of that soap?)
Octagon soap.
(I see.)
Now, what ingredient I left out, but I'll bring it right back. You put about, sasewhere round about three tablespoons of whiskey or gin into that. See, that bring that vitality back.
(That restores a man to his vitality?)
His vitality.
(The woman can't keep him tied up. I see.)
Entry 7195
Well, now, you uses flaxseed for one, slippery elm for two and then you get you some filet gumbo.
(Some what?)
Filet gumbo.
(Filet gumbo?)
[Filet (ground sassafras leaves) for gumbo is described several places in Boodoo.] Yes sir, that's green stuff that you uses for to cook with, see. And then you takes that and then you throws it around; around the house, see. And then you walks - steps in that and then you walks back and gets in the house with that, and that stuff will make you move. Now, another question is, if yo' don' wanta move. If I want you to stay, I just will get you some vinegar and the landlord's name, and fix that up with cayenne peppah, and then put his name down in there in a lemon, and then roll this lemon. And then take you a carrot and plant it.
(A what?)
A carrot.
(A carrot?)
Carrot, a carrot what you eat. Carrot. And take that carrot and plant it 'fore your door, and let it grow there. And just as it grows, you will remain there, right there. You never will move out of there, out of that house.
(Out of that house. Who will do this? The landlord, is he doing that?)
No.
(Who would do this to keep me in there?)
I would do that.
(I see.)
I would do that, make you stay there. You never would move, don't care how they don't like you, and how they would find fault of you. But you would stay there as long as that carrot is there with the landlord's name in the carrot and growing.
(I see.)
Entry 7196
[I do not know whether this doctor's given name Was Tobey or it came to him because he made Tobeys, meaning luck pieces or hands or jomoes. He is the man who drives out disease spirit on p.2259f., vol.3.]
(Doctor Casson?)
Cating.
(How do you spell it?)
Casing[?]. (I am glad to see you, Doctor. I want you to talk loud to me, I don't hear so well.) Me too. (All right, we will both talk loud then. All right. Well, tell me something about yourself.) About mahself? Me or mah trouble? [Dis Cason come to tell me his own troubles thinking as some informants before and after him did, that I was a root doctor from New York City:] (Anything. I've talked to a lot of very good root doctors and I - just tell me anything you want to tell me. I want to hear about how they say people harm you, you know; or how they say to cure you; or things of that sort.)
[There being a brief silence I continue.]
(Did you know old Doctor Buzzard?)
Ah know 'im but he died.
[The ice having been broken I continue.]
(How long has he been dead?)
He wuz about sixty some odd yeahs ole, but he wuz a good doctor. Ah learned many incidents from undah 'im 'fo' he died away. He'd git a man outa trouble. Ah learned a few turns from 'im.
(Well, would you tell me some of the things you learned from Doctor Buzzard?)
Ah learned usin' a bee.
(All right, how did you use that?)
[A unique technique follows:]
Has yo' got a hive of a bee, yo' kin take one of bee drones outa de hive, take a paah [pair] an' yo' kin learn 'em some a [of] de people. Ah putten sveet- nin' tuh de table an' putten dat bee intuh it tuh feed. When yo' wan' 'in tuh go out, yo' kin name a puhson [person] man, jis' call 'is name an' putten spots of white on 'is ahm, his back, not on 'is haid. An' he goes tuh dat same puhson dat chew call 'is name. An' when he's got through wit yo' business dat chev'd sent 'im, he'd come back tuh yo' an' yo'd undahstan'. If yo' say tuh 'im tuh come back, he'll come back; an' if yo' say tuh 'im tuh stay, he won' come back. But he's [he has] two [things he can do]. One, tuh travel wit chew 'cordin' tuh yo' case, whut yo' case would be. See whut ah mean. Ah wan' 'im tuh bring a message back when yo' conkah yo' bettah [when you outwit the enemy]. If yo' is in a lawsuit an' is sent intuh de jail fo' tuh be in co't [court] an' if yo' miss an' tell tuh 'im 'fo' [before] yo' git dere, yo' trail'll almos would be ovah den. But chew see in dose time dose people used tuh walk - work at short ends 'fo' yo' could start a trial dat yo'd be dere. De jury'd cut chew off, dat [becausel yo' shall not come up tuh de requirements. [In olden days it was sometimes difficult to meet the requirements for attend- ing courts and juries would not wait. To be on the safe side you either slept the preceding night in jail or had Doctor Buzzard send his bee specially fed to delay jury action. This information Was on a cylinder pause but is known from my following questions.]
(You say Doctor Buzzard taught you that, told you that?)
Yeah.
(What did you say you fed this bee?)
Feed dese bees on honey an' syrup, but use de ingredients of yo' scent.
(Of your what?)
Of yo' scent.
(Scent? You mean sweat of the body? Perspiration?)
Yeah. Put it on a piece of bread dat has sorghum an' dey suck dat from it. AN' ALL DE TIME DEY COME JIS' LAK A PET CAT TUH YO', AN' WHEN HE LET DOWN [ALIGHTS], YO' KIN RUB YO' HAN' ON 'IM AN' HE'D KNOW YO' FROM ME. See whut ah mean?
(And then you send this bee out to do your work?)
Anythin' yo' wanta send 'em [to do] an' dey care [carry] it out.
(DOES HE CARRY MESSAGES THEN?)
CARE A MESSAGE - JIS' WHUT CHEW TELL 'IM.
(HE'D TELL THE PERSON?)
ALL YO' GOTTA DO IS TUH TALK TUH DE BEE JIS' LAK YO'D TALK TUH RADIO OR ANY- THIN' DAT CAIES [CARRIES] A MESSAGE. AN' CALL DE MAN NAME. TEACH 'IM DAT.
[Few more lines to this but nothing new.] [Charleston, S. Car., (503), 547:1.]
Well, listen here an' ah'll tell it tuh yo'. AH LISTEN N IN DE WORLD ON DIS. DEY ARE IN DE WORLD. DERE'S A STORY SAYS DAT DIS WORLD IS KINDA ROUND, FO'[FOUR] CORNAHS OF IT. DERE AH HAS A FO' [FOUR] SQUARE [PROPOSITION]. Here is eas', sō't, no't - eas', wes', sō't, nō't - fō' [four] part[s] an' DE TERR'TORY WHEAH YO' HAS TUH GIT A PERSON OR KNOW A PERSON. [You are WOrking in a four- sided world.] [To] git a puson [it is necessary] DAT CHEW KNOW DERE NAME. Yo' Wan' 'em tuh come back home. Dey go off an' yo' wan' 'em tuh come back home. Make a fo' square [draw a square]. Write in dere: 1 an' 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7- 8. [He draws a square and writes in the numerals.] SEE, DIS IS DE WORLD, IF DEY IS IN DE WORLD AT ALL. DAT IS, HERE'S DE CENTAH OF DE EART'. All right.
[He begins to fold up the paper.]
(You fold that up.)
Fold it up, see. Yo' fole dat fo' cornah up an' de way dat chew put dat, de way dey come back. Now here is some question ah have tuh tell yo' 'bout. OUR MOTHAH HAS TUH TOTE US NINE MONT'S TUH BRING US IN DIS WORLD, SO DEY GOTTA CALL [A PERSON'S NAME] NINE TIMES. An' aftah [as?] dey call nine times, dey gotta stay in a cer- tain position, somepin lak dis [demonstrates]. Not lyin' up by raisin' it ovah yo' haid, an' puts it down. Put it down undah de foot of de do' [door]. An' in nine days time he'll walk in de house.
(Walk in the house. That's to bring the man back.)
Or a woman back.
(DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT PIECE OF PAPER?)
WELL, AH GOTTA KEEP DIS BECUZ DIS IS SOMEBODY ELSE'S STUFF DAT AH'M USIN'.
(OH, WELL, COULD YOU LET ME COPY IT BEFORE YOU GO?)
YEAH, YO' KIN COPY IT. [I believe that piece of paper, the world diagram, is copied in my Numbers Book.]
[Doctor Cason's material on p.2259f. in vol.3 comes in here.] [548:1.]
(What can I do to keep them from harming me?)
Well, yo' is travelin' ovah de worl'. Yo're travelin' ovah de world, yo' UndahSaN', de WOrld. AH TOTES A LI'LE BAG AROUN' MAH WAIS'. AH TOTE NINE KNOTS, ONE DIME AN' TWO PENNIES. Dem li'le articles stuck in dere. An' when ah gwine out, regardless of where ah goes, ah fin' dat somebody has done talk about me or no.
(Well what if they put something in the ground for you to walk over?)
Dat don' make no diff'rence. (What else do you put in that bag, besides those dimes and pennies? What else do you put in that bag?) I put a powdah in it. (What do you call that powder? Do you know the name? Can you think of the name?) Ah don' know. Lemme see.
(And a string that has nine knots.)
No string, a cord.
[He produces a ball of cord string.]
(Is that the cord, the ball of cord that you use?)
See [demonstrates] ah double dat up. Make nine knots outa dat. [Tie nine knots in the doubled cord, 1 Den ah ties a li'le roots.
(You tie some roots on that cord?)
Naw, ah don' put dat on dere.
(This powder that you use, what is the name supposed to be?)
Well, ah buy it an' den ah'll use diff'ren' article dat ah fix.
(Well has this powder a name?)
Yah, is a name but ah jis' cain't call de name of de powdah now.
(You send away and get it some place?)
Yes, any one of dese ten-cent box, big boxes, ten-cent box. Ah use dat. An', if dey not frien'ly an' yo' wan'a be coaxin' a pusson, yo' mix up certain amounts of dat an' about two teaspoonsfula cocoa.
(For to drink?)
Yes, sir. Dat says yo're coaxin' de mind of a pusson wit dis powdah. Yo'll use one or two spoonsfula powdah in dere. (You take one or two spoonsful of this powder. And then what do you put that in? What do you do with that?) Well, yo' fix up dat. Put roots an' stuff an' yo' pennies an' things whut yo' gona put in de bag. See whut chew kin make a bag outa firs'.
(What do you do with that cocoa [powder] then?)
Well yo' put about a teaspoonful in dat. Put it in, mix it wit de powdah.
(I see. Well, what sort of roots do you put in there?)
Well, yo' use de devil's-shoestring. Yo' unnahstan' dat? Do yo' know dat?
(I understand. Yes, ah know that.)
If yo' see it, yo' know it? (No, I wouldn't know it if I saw it, but I know of the root. I mean I've heard of it.)
(This is to coax the person?)
[I refer to the doctor's preceding words: yo're coaxin' de mind of a person.]
Yas. He comes tuh yo' ways. He's gotta come. Dey ain't no way in de worl' dat he kin git aroun' from it. An' while he might have made up in 'is mind tuh do harm, he's gotta come tuh do good.
(What did you just say, if things are what?)
[I had turned off machine and am now asking him to repeat.]
Ah said if thing goin' bad wit chu, yo' goin' tuh be at trial in de mawnin', yo' put a piece of dat root in de mout' an' pass it between yuh laigs. PASS IT BETWEEN YUH LAIGS ONE TIME.
(Pass it between your legs one time.)
Care [carry] it in yuh mout' - care it in yuh hip pocket on de wrong side an de case'll be thrown out. [549:4.] (Now suppose I'm not feeling well and I come to your house and I say, "Doctor, I don't know whether I'm sick or whether someone has put a spell on me." Now, COULD YOU TELL WHETHER I'M JUST ORDINARY SICK OR WHETHER I HAVE A SPELL ON ME?) Yas.
(How would you tell that?)
I'd feel yuh breath [pulse?].
(What do you do then?)
Well, ah tell yo' by yuh breath an' ah test yo' by yuh speakin'. An' ah come aroun' an' tell yo' whut it is.
(Well, how would you test me by speaking?)
Well, yo'd have tuh talk an' ah test yo'. Ah kin tell yo' feelin' 'cuz yo' son't be feelin' all right. Yo' kin talk so's ah kin git anythin' outa yo'.
[550:2.]
Ah nevah have experienced dat aroun', but ah have take de linin' outa man's bat an' put watah on 'is brains.
(Well, how do they do that?)
Well, dey do's somepin wit dat.
(What for example?)
Well, dey git dat linin' out - see, of co'se [course] ah don' follah dat [he does not do evil work].
(I understand.)
AH THINK AH'VE GOT TUH GO BACK TUH MAH BOOK TUH GIT DAT.
[To do this type of work he would have to consult his hoodoo book.]
(I see. What book do you use?)
AH USE DE "PSALM OF MOSES."
(The 6th or 7th Book of Moses?)
[I turned off recording too fast for an answer.] [551:1.]
(HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED THIS WORK?)
WELL, AH WUZ ABOUT FORTY.
(HOW DID YOU HAPPEN TO GET INTO IT? HOW DID YOU HAPPEN TO TAKE UP THIS WORK?)
Well, I WaS - had a jOb. AH WUZ 'TENDIN' TUH DIFF'REN' SICK. AH LEARNED TUH NURSE. Ah used tuh tend tuh git medicine fo' womens dat wuz havin' de baby. Ah took dem up by mah brain. An' ah studied a whole lot of it, dat tell about de practice of it. Ah didn't have tuh study no book fer dat, but ah knows a whole lot. Ah learned about John de Conkah, Adam-an'-Eve, rattlesnake root [I mean] mastah. All diff'ren' thin's. An' ah know whut dey fer. [551:2.] (WHEN YOU MEET ANOTHER ROOT DOCTOR AND HE HAS SOME GOOD REMEDY, WILL YOU USE THAT REMEDY THEN FOR YOURSELF?) WELL, AH TELL YO'. DON'T CARE WHO AH MEET, AH DON' WORRIES [BOTHER] WIT NONE OF DEM. DEY HARDLY WORRIES ME BECUZ DEY ARE NOT TUHGETHAH. [THERE IS NO ORGAN- IZATION OR FRIENDSHIP AMONG DOCTORS.] YO' WALKS AT ME AN' AH WALKS AT YO'. AH TRY TUH GIT IN YUH PATH AN' YO' TRY TUH GIT IN MINE. AN' AH DON' WORRY WIT CHEW. (I see, you work for yourself alone. Some of these root doctors will do things against you?) Yes, sir.
(And I suppose there are some who claim to be root doctors and are not.)
AH - AH'VE GOT MORE [TO MY WORK THAN BE] WIT 'EM. DEY ONLY TRY TUH MAKES MONEY AN' DAT'S ALL, BUT AH TRIES BY DE GOOD LORD TUH DO WHUT AH SAYS.
(I understand.) [551:3.]
Take yuh chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' cork it up tight. An' goes tuh de watah's side an' [when] de tide goin' down. Yo' wave dat ovah yuh haid nine times an' throw it back ovah de shouldah an' walk aways from dere. An' wherevah de tide care [carry] 'im, it'll care dat outside; an' wherevah it'll lodge, wherevah de chamber lye drop out, [that] draps yo'. Ah knows. Ah hear'd dat done all right.
(You throw it back over your left shoulder or your right?)
Left. [551:6.] An' de way dat dey used - dere's two wavs tuh usin' 'em.
(There's two ways [I begin by repeating his words] to use these chicken eggs?)
Yes, two ways dat ah know of. Dey will write yuh name on dere an' yuh street an' yuh numbah. An' dey will write out de numbah of yuh days on dere.
(The number of your day. What day?)
Any day dey Wanta give, nine days or ten days, or anythin', any days dey Wanta give. An' dey'll take dat an' put it in a careful place, a certain place where no one kin see it. Or dey kin bury it where dey don't want 'em tuh see. Den, if anybody do anythin' tuh yo' fam'ly, any of yuh fam'ly people, yo'll write on de egg an' 'is street numbah of 'is place. An' anybody yo' know daid, yo' go out tuh de cemetery 'fo' he's buried, an' put dat [egg] in 'is lef' han' an' shut 'im [egg with name] up. An' put 'im [named egg] in. An' dey cain't stick [the town]. "When dat breaks, dey gone.
Entry 7197
Yo' see, jis' lak if yo' been messin' wit a woman an' she take yore nature 'way lak dat, de way fo' her tuh do dat, she git some dis heah clovah root. She takes some of dat clovah root an' boil it intuh a tea. Well, quite natchel [natural] in de sum- mahtime yo' drink ice tea. She'll take some of dat an' go ahaid an' she put it in dat [tea] watah, an' yo' drink it an' yore courage will leave. An' de fus' thin' yo' know, yo' cain't [do] nuthin. An' it's quite natchel she'll say attah while, say, "Yo' know, Conn, ah'm goin' leave yo'." An' she'll leave yo'. Dat de way Women do. An' anothah thin' she kin do, she kin take red shank root. She'll take dat red shank root an' gi' yo' dat air [give you that there] an' three raw aigs a day herself. Not have a thing on 'em. An' yo' suck dem aigs fo' nine days, an it'll bring yo' [nature] back. She'll bring yo' back.
Entry 7198
Yo' take an' make a circle wit chalk an' when yo' make dat circle, den yo' make a "x" yo' know. When yo' make dat "x" - when yo' make de circle dat's God. (The circle is God?) Yes sir, an' de "x" de firs' lettah is de - circle is God an' de firs' cross is God de Father, an' de nex' one is God de Holy Spirit. (Where do you make this circle with the cross? Where do you make it? Where do you draw that?) Well, right in de room where whutevah wus taken from it. [Here I turn off recording machine. What informant says, I restart machine and repeat the lost information.] (You make a circle on the wall or on the floor. And you put an "x" inside. And then inside the "x" you do what?) Well, when yo' done make dat "x" in Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, den yo' wish whut chew want 'em tuh do. Jis' carry it right roun' jis' lak dat. (You mean just carry this circle around. You mean you keep marking the chalk around?) Yes, jis' make a roun' ring. Have yo' got a pencil? An' ah give it tuh yo' aftah [return it] right away. (Wait a minute! You draw the circle [I demonstrate]. That's God the Father. Then you [I demonstrate]. That's the Son. And [I demonstrate] Holy Ghost.) An' make yore wishes whut chew want. (And you keep going around and around and around. Like turning a wheel around.) Yo' do dat three time, three Godhead.
[I demonstrate again.]
You draw a line right through that circle and call the son, then you draw another line across it and say the Holy Ghost, and then you keep drawing that circle around and around and around, while you make your wishes for them to bring that article back that they have stolen.) Long as yo' speakin' of whut chew want done, yo' jis' keep yuh han' goin' roun' an' roun'.
Entry 7199
Yo' take a fellah now dat wan's chew tuh move out dis house an' he don' lak yuh atall [at all]. He come in de mawnin' an' he git some ashes, yo' know whut burn in de chimley; oak ashes dō [though], it cain't be pine ashes. He take dat ashes an' he takes somepin dey call - ah cain't remembah de name of it, but it's jis' lak ink. [For this ingredient see later.] An' he take dat ashes [author interrupts].
(Incense? Gunpowder?)
No, not gunpowdah. It's somepin lak potash. But he uses dis instrument in dis ashes. Den he took it an' he come aroun' tuh yuh dō' wit a li'le of dis black-oak ashes de firs' mawnin', an' he sprinkle it aroun'. De second mawnin' he come an' he take a li'le bit of black an' red peppah an' sulphuh, an' he sprinkle dat aroun', aroun' yuh house - walk aroun' - walk aroun' dere nine mawnin's.
(Walk around what?)
Aroun' yuh house. Yo' know, jis' come from de back dō tuh de front - jis' lak somebody come in yore yard befō' yo' wake an' walk tuh de back an' walk back out tuh de front [circumambulates the house]. Den aftahwahds, it looks jis' lak nuthin in dat house - yo' be upsot [upset], yo' cain't do anythin'. Yuh mind is turrible an' jis' lak someone got chew crazy, until yo' move out, if it isn't a lease.
(You can't think of the name of that stuff that they get?)
Ah cain't remembah de stuff jis' at de present time, but ah knows it jis' as good as ah knows - it somepin lak ink. But it's not ink.
(Is it liquid like oil?)
Crela - creosote! Dat's right, yes sir. Supposed tuh use dat instrument in dere. But dey pō it out an' dat stuff'll git hard jis' lak tar; yo' know, when dey beat it up.
Entry 7200
[Informant says something about a locust tree.] (What do they say about the locust tree?) Ah heard dat de locust tree wuz a tree - de ole lady tole me dis - IT'S A TREE DAT CHEW READ IN DE BIBLE AN' IT WUZ HANDED DOWN FROM GOD. IT'S A HERB YO' GIT FROM DE LOCUST TREE DAT NOBODY KIN CONKAH BUT GOD. An' she give me dat herb.. "An' dis herb," she say, "ah'm not chargin' anythin' fo' it, but yo' a man ah lak." Ah loaned her ten dollahs Once. An' SHE CROSSED HER BREAST [with this herb]. [Somewhere in Hoodoo I tell the story about my contact man Edward Bufford, while we. were working in Savannah, Georgia. He had sealed some money in a letter to send home to his wife but feared she might not receive it. His landlady, where I interviewed during the day, took the sealed envelope and crossing it over her breast, said to him, "Mail it, now your wife will get the money." The money ar- rived safely.] Ah asked, "Whut kinda herb dis?" She said, "Dis is a herb from de locust tree, " an' she say, "ah want chew tuh keep dis herb fo' as long as yo' kin."
(Is this for luck or something?)
Fo' luck.
Entry 7201
[Before I turn on recording machine informant says he knows about some- thing done at the forks of the road.]
(What do they do at the forks of the road?)
All right, yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road [crossroad here] an' yo' kin take salt an' throw it fo' diff'ren' [rooster crows on cylinder] ways in de fo'k of de road. Make fo' mahks [marks] at defo'k of de road an' throw dat salt an' sprinkle dem marks. An' eithah [whichever] way dat yo' wan' dat person tuh go, dey'll go dataway. Jis' de direction yo' wan' 'em tuh go, he'll go dat direction, yo' see. He ain't nevah goin' tuh come back, yo' see. [Vicksburg, Miss., (725), 993:5.] [Cylinder 993:6 followed without containing any information I could use. In some manner dissatisfied with the preceding crossroad rite, I decided to return to it.} (Now, you were talking a moment ago about making those marks on the crossroad. What kind of marks would you make out there? What kind of marks?) Yo' jis' - yo' kin make straight mahks, cross 'em. Make 'em an "x".
(Like an "x"?)
In an "x" in de middle fo'k of de road where...
(In the fork of the road. The road goes four ways?)
Yes, sir.
(And you put some of that stuff in each road?)
Each road. (And if you want him to go in a certain direction, do you have to point the direction you want him to go?) Point out dat direction, jis' point 'em straight. An' if yo' wan' 'em tuh go dis direction [demonstrates], yo' kin point dataway. An' put dat stuff dataway an' throw it dataway, an' dat's de way yo' gwine.
(You only throw it in one fork of the road?)
Yes, sir.
(You only throw it one way?)
One way.
(The way he's going?)
De way he's gwine, an' he'll go dataway an' he won't nevah come back. He be gwine all de time, gwine.
Entry 7202
Ah wus goin' wit a girl 'long [along] at dat time an' - well, ah wus engaged tuh marry de girl, an' de boy she wus goin' wit, she tole 'im. He tell 'er, "If yo' don' marry me, "' say, "yo'll nevah do dat othah fellah no good." Well, ah got in a li'le trouble an' ah got on a chain gang fo' six mont's. An' den when ah come back... [I interrupt.]
(Over this girl?)
Yes. Well, he wus livin' wit 'er, see. Ah come back on de 'leven day of March, he wus livin' wit 'er out cheah [here] tuh 'er house. She come tuh me, ah say, "Well, whut chew want?" She says, "Well, ah cain't ha'p [help] mahself." She say, "Ah don' love 'im, ah cain't he'p mahself." Ah say, "Ah don' see how come yo' cain't, yo' goin' wit 'im." Say, "He cain't pake yo' live wit 'im." She say, "Dere somepin othah wrong." Ah says, "Well, ah'll see 'bout dis." Ah jumps an' goes back tuh dis same fellah [in another story] an' tole 'im, ah says, "Heah, '' ah says, "ah has a girl fren' an' she's livin' wit a man, ah'm engaged wit 'er." He say, "Ah knowed all dat." An' he say, "Ah kin git 'haid [ahead] of dat if yo' want." Ah say, "Well, ah would lak fo' yo' tuh do it." Ah say, "How much will dat be?" "Five dollahs, " he says. Cheap. [He says this to me not to the doctor.] He got somepin in a jah [jar], a half-gallon jah, an' he gived me 'bout halfa pint outa dat. An' de way de stuff did look, ah couldn't tell whut i'twas. Dere li'le things jis' about dat long, look lak crawfishes. Well, he give me two drinks outa dat dat day ah wuz dere, an' he put a pint in a bottle. An' he tole me tuh give her a drink of dat fo' nine mawnin's, an' he tole me tuh git a piece of'er step-ins. Yes, ah got a piece of 'er step-ins, an' de sand offa 'er[foot] track, an' take some sulphur, salt an' black peppah an' red cayenne peppah, an' mix it tuhgethah, an' tote it aroun' nex' tuh mah waist. An' he say ah would git 'er back. An' she come back, she quit 'im.
(She quit the other fellow and came back to you?)
She come back tuh me. An' in '37 on de third day of April, she took sick. Well, now, when it came - it started in 'er thumb an' it went from 'er thumb tuh 'er wrist, an' from 'er wrist, in 'er shouldahs. An' ah carried 'er tuh.a doctor [M.D.] an' he says it's de rheumatic rheumatism. Dat's whut de doctor say. He give me some medicine, an' de medicine he give me tuh rub her an' fo' her tuh take, it would do mo' harm den it would good. [Everywhere in Hoodoo we learn that a medical doctor's medicine is useless for hoodoo.] An' it lef' out 'er shouldahs an' it went tuh de bottom of 'er foot, right in de centah [de pam (palm) of the foot it is often called]. An' it lef' from de centah an' it com- mence tuh workin' in de joints. Den ah carried 'er back an' ah said, "Dis medicine didn't do her no good." Ah said, "De misery goin' all ovah 'er." He took a x-ray pichure of 'er an' [it] goin' - nex' she had tuh be cut down undah heah, nex' tuh 'er foot down undah heah [demonstrates].
(Right under her knee?)
Yeah. Ah tole 'im, "Well, ah wouldn't wish fo' her tuh be cut, fo' if she cain't walk now, she nevah will walk if yo' cut 'er undah dere." He say, "Yes, we kin treat 'er, we kin git 'er up." Well ah say, "Ah haven't got no money right now tuh put 'er in de hos'pital." Say, "Yo' kin come down an' see her 'bout once a day." Say, "Dat even much as ah know yo' kin stand." Well, he come down an' he didn't do her no good. An' ah tried Dr. [Somebody]. He didn't do her no good. He jis' tole me - he come out an' say, "Well, ah cain't do her no good. Ah don' know whut's wrong wit 'er." Well, ah jumped up an' went to a place, an' dis fellah tole me.
(Here in town, did you go?)
No, outa town. [Out-of-town doctor] said, "Well, how long has she been sick?" Ah said, "Got 'er down now so she cain't walk." Ah said, "Ah have tuh he'p 'er up an' down jis' lak a baby. She lak a baby." He got sompin. It wus about as large a thing - about lak dat [demonstrates] an' he goes an' looks in it.
(What did it look like?)
It look lak a great big ole glass marble. Marble pichures. Look lak one of dese things yo' call 'roun' de worl'.
(The globe?)
Yes. An' he looked in dat an' he say, "Yeah."
(It was glass though Wasn't it?)
Yes. "Yes, " he [doctor] say, "he got 'er." Ah said ah didn't git 'im [didn't understand what he meant]. He said, "He got 'er through by a drink."
[Suppose we stop here to see what happened.]
[Informant's great big ole marble or round de worl' and my the globe show that the doctor now looks into his crystal ball. Seeing something in the glass he says, "Yeah, " meaning I now understand what happened. To my informant puzzled by the "Yeah, " he explains clearly that the woman had been tricked in a drink. Informant's marble pichures bothered me. I thought these were small pictures a doctor sometimes pasted on the ends of his fingers and held various places against his crystal ball, so that a client looking into the ball could see them! For an example of this tricky, as well as skillful work, see margin title CRYSTAL BALL, p.172. Actually, marble pictures were merely the pictures the doctor could see in the great big ole glass marble!]
[We now return to the doctor's, "He got 'er through by a drink."]
Ah said, "Drinkin' watah?" He said, "Drinkin' likkah." He said, "He [did not] give it tuh 'er - anothah woman give her." An' he said, "Ah'm goin' give yo' some medicine 'cuz it'll take a long time tuh git 'er well, 'cuz she's strong an' weak," say, "it take a long time tuh git 'er up." An' he give me a quart of sompin look lak shoe polish - slick looks to it. Tell me give her dat three times a day.
(Was it liquid?)
Yes. An' he got some - he went out in de hollah of a ole log an' he got nine snails, an' he sont [sent] - give me some money an' tole me go tuh de drug sto' an' git a nickel wuth of Epsom salt an' a bottle of Sloan linament an' a nickel wuth of camphor gum, an' ah come back. Den he put dat stuff on an' he heat it all up tuhgethah - ground it up an' put it in a li'le silver[!] pot an' boil it, an' boil it an' made a liquid outa it. An' he tolt [told] me tuh run 'er [What? See that she urinated?] evah night at nine a'clock when she wus ready tuh go tuh baid. An' take a saucah, a coffee saucah, an' fill it roun' half fulla salt an' slide it undah de baid.
(Why did he do that, did he say?)
Say dat salt would keep down de fevah. An' dat's de only thing got 'er up.
(That helped her?)
Yessuh, got 'er up.
Entry 7203
All right, a man take an' do wit a woman de same way. A man cut de seat, a piece where she sweat undah here, undah de ahm. (Under her arm. Both arms or just one?) Both ahms. All right, he takes dat an' he puts some li'le roots in dat - some kinda li'le roots.
(Do you know the name of those roots?)
Dey put - whut's de name of dat root now? Some kinda - devil's-shoestring. Cut dem tuh be short. See, dem shoestring dat long [demonstrates].
(The devil's-shoestrings about three feet long?)
Yes, sir, some is dis long. Some is long accordin' as jis' how much yo' take out de groun' an' dey will pop off.
(You cut them about an inch or two inches long?)
Yes, sir, dat much off see. An' yo' put 'em in de bottle. Well, dat's tuh keep 'em at home. Dat's tuh make a woman dat run about tuh dance an' shows, lak dat, run aroun' lak dat, dat keep 'em home. De mō' [more] he feed dat bottle, dat keep 'er down. If - he don' do it tuh kill 'er, yo' know, jis' tuh keep 'er home.
(And what does he feed that bottle with?)
With cologne.
(And where do you keep this bottle?)
Keep it in 'is pocket. Yo' don't bury dat, keep it in 'is pocket. (That all he puts in there, these pieces of her clothing and the devil's-shoe- string?) Yes sir, an' he shake dat bottle up, yo' know. Yo' see, de man [the doctor] tell 'im tuh shake it up, an' feed it. Feed it an' put it back in 'is pocket. Don' put it in nobody's hand. Keep it in 'is pocket jis' a small ole cologne bottle.
Entry 7204
See, it's been about a month maybe. He had a girl he wus goin' wit 'er an' she fixed 'im. Aftah he went tuh sleep - when he went tuh sleep, he said dat he dreamt about dis bottle dat she had fo' him, an' he'd gotten right up an' went an' got it. An' he'd fell off an' he looked so bad as if he was about tuh die. HE'D GOTTEN A AWFUL SMALL LOOK, terrible small, bone 'bout tuh come through 'is skin. An' he went tuh sleep an' he dreamt about dis bottle an' co'se [of course] he got up den an' went right in de bathroom an' found it. An' dis bottle had red flannel in it an' a couple of pins an' needles, an' he'd taken it an' broke it. He brought it an' showed it tuh me, an' ah don' know whut could a been in it, but it smelled lak evahthing wus in it, ah guess. Ah reckon it wus urine in it - guess was in it. An' aftah he found 'at bottle he begin tuh git bettah.
Entry 7205
[For Doctor England's interview see pp.1386-1401.]
But ah see dem use. Well, it's mos'ly used, is dis yere - well, de manure from a ole white mule. It is known tuh be de drawin' problem. Dey do's it up an' use it as an incense mo' [more] of a white horse or [than] a white mule. (What do they use that for?) Drawin' powah, tuh draw eny person, see. Yo' kin perfume it up. It is vury good to use dis Mary Garden Perfume, Mary Garden. An' also yo' have tuh use a portion of dis Hearts [Cologne]. LET IT DRY OUT AN' WET IT AG'IN. LET IT DRY OUT AN' WET IT AG'IN, TILL YO' GET IT CURED AN' DEN USE IT DAT WAY. (What do they usually do with that manure, carry it around, or do they burn it or what for drawing?) Well, fo' drawin', dey leave it intuh de home. See, tuh draw 'em on. If a girl's frien' have been here an' she wan' 'im come tuh 'er, den dey place it on de house stove. Den, by right an' all it's used wit it a composition of all whut ah used mahself is, dey uses oil of rose - oil of rose an' oil of Mary Garden. See, an' let it burn.
Entry 7206
It wuz about twenty yeahs ago ah got off de train in a very small town an' ah went tuh find a place tuh stay. Ah went tuh 'nothah place where dere wuz a double tenement house, 'nothah fellah an' mahself. Didn't know dis fellah. Ah met 'im on de train. Ah greeted 'im. He says, "Yo' gittin' off heah." Ah say, "Ah'm changin' heah." We went tuh de station tuh see whut time de train would leave de nex' mawnin'. So we blundahed roun' tuh try tuh find place tuh stay at, an' finely, so-an'-so, an' went tuh a house. She has a room heah an' a room heah. Ah knocked on de do' an' tole de lady dat ah wanted tuh stay. She says, "Yes, de change is fifty cents an' twenty-five cents. So, ah not knowin' de fellah an' he didn't know anything about me. He said tuh me, "Fellah, do yo' drink?" Ah tole him, "No." He said, "Whut do yo' do fo' a livin'?" Ah tole him ah wuz a plasterer. He says, "Well," he says, "do yo' play cards?" Ah tole him, "No." An' so he says, "Yo' got any money?" Ah tole him, "No." He says, "Well, ah tell yo', ah'm up against it." He says, "Ah got a funny story ah wanta tell yo'." He said, "Loan me twenty cents." Ah give it tuh 'im. He went an' got 'im sompin tuh eat an' come back wit a dime an' he say, "Ah wanta git chew tuh pay mah room rent." Ah wuz afraid, an' paid it. De lady tole me, she said, "Somehow," says, "de Lord tole me depend on yo'." She say, "Ah don' know dat othah fellah." Ah say, "Ah don't eithah." She says, "But ah'm leavin' in de mawnin' at five a'clock an' goin' tuh work." [Ah] say, "When yo' leave, slam de do'." So jis' when she left, about five minutes aftah she left, ah heard a rattlin' on de next do' an' dis boy woke up an' say, "Yo' heah somebody knockin'?" Ah say, "Yes." An' befo' we could answah, de woman nex' do' came in, open de do'. Her daugh- tah came home, she say, "Ah'm worried tuh death." We say, "Whut's de mattah?" She say, "Sam, he work in de meat yard an' he stole some meat an' he buried it by de branch, " an' she say, "de law is lookin' fo' him." An' dey talked it ovah an' she left. So dis boy says tuh me, says, "Did jew heah whut she said?" Said, "Yes." He said, "Yo' wait a minute, ah'm goin' git some money." Ah said, "No, ah'm goin'." Said, "No, yo' wait." Said, "Yo' sit right heah an' listen whut ah say." He puts on 'is clothes an' gits up an' goes outen do', outa de house an' come back an' knocked. He went out about five minutes an' came back an' knocked on de do'. He knocked on de do' an' he said tuh dis ole lady, said, "Good mawnin', madam." She says, "Good mawnin'." He says, "Ah don' profess tuh be a medical doctor, neithah a surgical doctor, but ah do profess tuh bein' a herb doctor." He said, "Ah came tuh yo' dis mawn- in' tuh tell yo' a strange case." He said, "Some of yore folks are in trouble an' de trouble is buried by a runnin' stream of watah." She said, "Come in, son,"' she said, "Jesus sent yo', ah know." He walked in an' sat down, an' he tole her evahthing whut happened, whut he heard through dat wall. He say, "Now, ah tell yo' whut ah'll do," says, "yo' gimme twenty dollahs an' ah'll fix it so de sheriff or nobody won' tetch 'im." He began tuh git out de herbs tuh show 'er, an' gave her some an' wrapped 'em up. She give him de twenty dollahs. Now, dere's nuthin in de worl' could make her believe, but nuthin, but he's a root doctah. She believed 'im. Den he came tuh me an' says - so ah wuz ready tuh go [leave town] - "Whut did yo' do?" Ah knew all along. Well, ah found out he wuz a crook, wanta see whut he says. "Well, she give me ten - she give me twenty." He say, "Heah's five." Say, "Ah tell yo' whut chew do." Ah says, "Yo' kin take yore twenty, ah'll keep nuthin." Well, ah caught a train an' left him dere.
The narrator reports the woman’s belief that the man was a root doctor, while describing him as a crook.
Entry 7207
Yo' kin take a sock.
(Take a what?)
Take one yuh socks an' now, what dey put in dat sock, now ah couldn't tell yuh. Take one of dose socks an' pin it. Ah know personally dis wuz done becuz it wuz quite natchel, yo' know, ah had a brothah a [that way], yo' undahstan'. Ah'm explain' tuh yuh good. He had a vein, a open vein, here, along here, along here an' right up dere [demonstrates]. [He was] hurt [tricked], yo' see. Dat's called swollen veins. (What kind of veins, swollen?) Swollen veins. Undahstan'? Well, yo' take dat sock. An' now, whut yo' put it in [in it], ah couldn't tell yo'. Dey put it - but take one of yuh socks. It wuz a black sock ah had, black silk sock. Mah sistah bring- ed it up chere. Ah wuz down dere two yeahs ago. Ah wuz down dere in '36. Well, ah'm gittin' it straight now. Dat yeah, dat's about right, ah wuz down dere in '36. We found dat sock, las' yeah: was '37, round, oh ah'd say round about de 20th of July, an' dat sock had - ah couldn't even lay on dat pillah [pillow]. Yo' undahstan', if yo' lay on dat pillah it hurt yuh haid, but now aftah - if yo'laid on it, an' den if yo' lak dat, if yo' don' git dat cured, yo' stay lak dat. One mawnin', see, when she found dat sock, it wuz balled up wit de feathahs in it. But whut wuz in dat sock wit dose feathahs, we couldn't tell, yo' know. It's quite natchel dat yo'd be scared. Cuz it only cost me $50 tuh git rid of dat. Well, now, ah tell yo' what she [doctor] did tuh git rid of dat. Ah went tuh a lady, undahstan'. She told me, say, "Ah'll cure yo'." An' told me where ah goes. Told me ah wuz hurt an' ah cain't stand tuh drink whiskey long, account dat vein bein' swollen, yo' undahstan' [demonstrates].
(This vein runs right?)
Straight through me.
(Right straight along your back, that swollen vein?)
Yes, sir. An' ah went tuh dis lady, see, an' she tole me, say, "He's got a thing hid." Told me jis' lak whut it wus lak. She live on 923 [Something Street]. Ah'm try- in' tuh think of de name. Yo' kin put dat down, two diff'ren' things. But any- way, nevah mind about dat.
(Oh, that's all right.)
An' she commence right here an' measured dat place right here, right dere [demonstrates]. She say, "Dere's a knot dere."
(Right here, where?)
Dere's a knot or somepin. Well, she massaged dat knot an' rubbed it an' she tell me, say, "Yo' go home an' go tuh de druggist." Now, listen good. "Go tuh de druggist an' git a bottle of household - do yo' heah dat?"
(Yes.)
Household ammonia.
(Household ammonia.)
Household ammonia. You git a box of Epsom salts. Yo' git chew dat much salt- petah. Yo' won't want make too much. Dat much saltpetah. Yo' put dat in yuh bath watah. Don't put no salt in it - ah mean not salt, don't put no soap in it. But aftah dat, dat cleah ammonia. Dat's all. Jis' lak in place of puttin' soap in it, put dat household ammonia in dere an' dat saltpetah an' de Epsom salts in dis watah. An' takes yuh bath in it. Nine nights do dat.
(Nine nights?)
Nine nights an' throw de water tuh wherevah de sun risin' at. An' it'll soor cure yo' of de trouble. Well, dat's whut ah did. Well, it cured me.
(That's what cured you?)
It cured me. Now, here's de way. Now, ah'll take, jis' lak, yo' got tuh start it. It deal wit pain [demonstrates].
(Right from the top of your head.)
See dat li'le knot dere, see dat knot dere. It's a pain right dere. Well, now, yo' jis' put dat [mixture] on. It'll move from dere, start from right dere tuh here [demonstrates]. (It'll move from the top of your head down to the bottom - the back of your neck.) Back tuh dis here [demonstrates]. Dat narrah [narrow] eyeball bone.
(The pain is right behind the eyeball?)
Eyeball. Leads from dis eye right chere, right chere. Here's de othah. An' right along dere it's knots be showin' dere, an' it feels though dere's somepin inside. Some knots showin' dere. Well, dis lady tole me dat it wuz done through whiskey. Say, "But chew looks an' yo' will find it in yuh mattress," she say. But it wusn't in no mattress. It wuz in a feathah pillah; an' yo' would find vhutevah it is in dere. It wuz wrapped up. An' she tole me when ah find it, burn it up. Well, dat's quite nachel, 'cuz ah did dat, see. Ah burned it up in de fiah. Well, now, mah sistah, yo' see, when she slept on dis pillah, it burt 'er haid so dat she'd move dat pillah. But it wasn't fo' her, it wuz fixed fo' me. Whut fer? Yo' see some people wanta hurt me. An' ah wanta explain dis sah way, 'cuz yo' know ah nevah done used explainin'. An' ah, ah'se jes' explain zahself.
Entry 7208
Ah've hear'd sev'ral diff'ren' things about de fo'ks of de road. Ah bear'd dat when people wan' tuh separate people, dey go tuh fo'ks of de road; an' when dey wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah dey go tuh de fo'ks of de road, but it depends on whethah dey work on eithah de left or de right hand side. If yo' want people tuh separate, well dey'll write de person's name, de woman's name, nine dues on a piece of brand-new papah wit a brand-new pencil, tablet an' pencil dat nevah been used. If dey wan' tuh separate dem, dey'll write de man's name nine times an' den dey'll write de woman's crosswise nine times. Den dey take de pencil an' dey think all de evil dey kin: I jis' hope yo' son-of-bitches jis' fuss an' fight an' scratch lak cats an' dogs. [Informant scratches all over the [paper.] An' dey go dere an' dey dig down a few inches.
(They scratch that paper all up.)
Yes, jis' scratch up lak yo're mad at it an' curse dem an' think all de evil yo' kin. An' den yo' dig a hole dere an' yo' bury dat on de left-hand side of de road at de fo'k where de fo'ks meet. An' aftah buryin' it yo' po' watah on L, yo' know, tuh pack de groun' down where dat kin rot. An' by de time dat papah rots, dose people'll begin tuh disagree, an' in from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dey're separated. An' if yo' wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah, yo' write dere names nine times an' yo' fold it tuh yuh. Of co'se de lady involved has tuh do dat huhself. She has tuh be told. An' she writes 'er lovah's name nine times an' huhs acrost it, an' she folds it tuh 'er nine times. Den she turns it aroun' an' folds it small way, dis way; an' turn it aroun' an' fold it to 'er dis way. Den she takes it an hides it on de right-hand side of de road wit all good wishes.
(Then what happens?)
Well den aftah de same period of time, aftah from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dis person'll become vi'lently attached tuh 'er.
Entry 7209
Many yeahs ago [this happened]. An' dis woman tole me. She wuz mah fathah's sistah. She tole me dat a man came from de country tuh de city an' stopped wit a woman, yo' know, an' got work heah an' stayed in de house wit 'er. Dat Woman Wanted 'im tuh stay dere [per- manently] an' dat man couldn't git tuh 'is wife. He couldn't go home. So he talked tuh a frien' an' he says, "Don' chew know ah've got a wife an' ah cain't go home. Evah time ah start tuh go, it seems dat dere's somepin dat ah cannot go." Well, dis man tole 'im somebody did sompin tuh 'im. He tuk [took] 'im some- whah whah he found out - some fortunetellah, ah guess or medium. Dey [fortuneteller or medium] says, "Yes, dis woman has done somepin tuh yo' tuh keep yo'." Says, "She has a bag sewed up in a flannel an' she keeps it 'roun 'er laig." He says, "If yo' kin git dat, yo' kin git back tuh yer wife." So dis woman had a way of settin' up wit 'er laigs crossed, so Aunt Julia tole me. So he jis' watched an' had a penknife an' he jis' saw dat bag. An' he clipped it an' ran outa de house, an' she woke up an' right behind 'im. He flew. An' he took de train an' went home tuh 'is wife. She dashed aftah 'im fer evah inch of 'er life, but she didn't ketch 'im.
(What did she have in that bag?)
Ah don't know whut wuz fn dere. [Hoodoo has a hundred examples of what a woman or man can put in similar bags or hands.]
Entry 7210
(All right.) = [Ready to start.]
Ah had a pair of socks an' ah had a undahsuit. Ah came from mah work an' ah rolled it up, ah couldn't git in mah room, an' ah jis' shoved in between de screen an' de do'. An' ah left. When ah come back, mah undahsuit an' mah socks wuz gone. An' ah do know whut taken place wit me aftah dat, an' ah do know whut ah wuz told through fortune- tellahs.
(All right, tell me all about it.)
De fortunetellah told me dat ah were hurt in some a mah clothes. She did not say whut kinda clothes, but it fell back tuh mah remembrance dat if ah wuz hurt, it must have been mah undahsuit an' mah socks. (Well, how did you know you were hurt? Why did you go to this fortuneteller? Did something happen to.you? Were you sick or something before you went to the fortuneteller?) No, sir, ah wuzn't sick den. Ah wuz not sick den.
(What did you go to that fortuneteller for?)
Well, ah went tuh de doctor. Went tuh Natchez Mississippi Hospital in [nine- teen] thirty an' ah stayed ovah dere 'bout thirteen or seventeen days. An' de doctor seemly dey couldn't fin' de complaint, whut wuz de mattah wit me. He said dat ah wuz all right. Well, ah wúz still sick. Well, ah decided in mah mind - ah hear'd de people talkin' about hoodoos an' witchcraft an' fortune- telZahs. It came tuh me in mah mind by a friend of mine, he said, "Why don' chew go an' see such-an'-such a one?' He said, "Dey kin tell yo' things." Well, ah decided tuh go. Well, ah went tuh dem an' dey told me dat ah wuz hurt through clothes. An' ah ast dem, "Well, whut could yo' do fer me? Could yo' cure me?" Dey tole me, "Yeah." Dey believe through de powah of God dat dey could cure me. An' dey made me up a tea. Now, ah don' know whut kinda tea it 'twuz, but any- way dey give dat tuh me fer tuh drink an' ah drinked it an' ah really hadn't rest fer [so many] nights.
Entry 7211
A gamblin' han' [the best] dat yo' evah had, if yo' wan'a gamblin' han'. Well, yo' might go intuh a graveyard where dere somebody dat yo' know well, an' dey been buried fo' several days or several yeahs, yo' might say. Yo' take dere fingah dey call a dog fingah. (Which is the dog finger? Point it out to me. Which is the dog finger?) Here 'tis, right cheah [here]. (Well, which hand?) On de right han' [demonstrates]. (All right, I see the index fin- ger of the right hand.) Dat will be de right han' dere. Dat is de third fingah from de front. (The middle finger, then, on the right hand?) Dat is de thing. (All right, the middle finger.) All right. Den yo' take dat fin- gah an' clean de bone in milk - git de li'le bone out, but yo' gotta do all dat work at twelve o'clock at night. An' yo' find yo'self dere when yo' boilin' dat. WHILE BOILIN' DAT BONE DERE, YO'LL FIND YO'SELF FEEL FEAHIN' [FEARING]. WHUT AH MEAN BY MIS[TERIOUS? OR MIS- ERABLE?] YO'LL FEEL YO'SELF - YO'LL FEEL WARM. AH DON' CARE HOW COLD YO' BE. YO' KIN DO IT IN DE MIDDLE OF DE STREET, OR IN DE MIDDLE OF DE BANQUETTE [=SIDE- WALK IN NEW ORLEANS, LA.] OR IN DE YARD DERE; AN' IF IT BE COLD AS ICE, BUT YO'LL FIND A GREAT HEAT RIGHT AROUN' YO', BECUZ WE HAVE WHUT CHEW CALL THREE WITCHES DAT RUNNIN' IN DE AIR DERE. AN' IF YO' DEALIN' WIT DEM, WHY DEN IT COMES HEAT. DEY'LL BRING HELL FLAMES TUH DERESELF AN' TUH YO'. Yo' are dealin' wit dem.
(Oh, I see, you're dealing with three witches. Oh, all right.)
An' quite natchel, if ah'm dealin' wit chew, yo' have a right tuh go ovah dere an' see aftah me [see what I am doing]. An' yo' are wit me.
(I see.)
Now, maybe all three of 'em come tuhgethah. An' TUH GIT DEM [WITCHES], YO' GOTTA SET A SUPPAH, A DINNAH. YO' HAVE TUH MAKE A DINNAH, AN' DE DINNAH WHICH DEY EAT'LL BE A TURTLE HEART.
(A turtle heart.)
An' one thing again would be cel'ry whut chew eat aroun' - make salad.
(Celery?)
Yo'd git cel'ry. An' we have one thing, which de nex' would be, three grass- hoppahs. Yo'd have tuh put dose things in yuh mouth, dat is, tuh make de suppah; cuz yo' couldn't make de dinnah if yo' wouldn't do dat. An' in othah words, yo' hardly kin make de dinnah in de wintahtime. Yo' have tuh make it in de sumah, becuz we haven't much grasshoppahs who run in de wintah. Yo' undahstand?
(I understand.)
An' aftah dis suppah is made an' is started, yo' would fin' dem. Yo' would take a glass [mirror], but yo' - dat glass have tuh be bran' new, dat nobody nevah look intuh it.
(A looking-glass?)
Yes, sir. An' yo' could see dem lookin' intuh dere aftah yo' begin tuh eat. Yo' kin see three people but chew couldn't recognize yo'self, but chew dere. But chew cain't recognize yo'self, but chew see three people; but chew dere, but chew don't see yo'self. Yo' wouldn't count yo'self 'cuz yo' cain't see yo'self. But chew see three people dere, but one of dem dere is yo'. Den yo' see upset one person, den dat'll be de dragon. He look very proud, very nice-lookin' fel- lah, standin' right dere but den he's a destroying angel. Dat's de truth ah'm tellin' yo'. Den, aftah dat yo' won't see nuthin dere. Evahthin' disappeah from dis glass. Den yo' able den fo' tuh go on an' do anythin' whut chew wanta do. (I see. They'll call the witches. After that you use your power to do these things.) Why certainly.
(Well, what about using that bone? What do you do with that bone, now?)
Well, whichevah bone dat dey call de middle bone. Many people, if dey know whut de bone is, dey kin find ft, dat is, in de black cat, wit'out goin' tuh work an' takin' it an' usin' dem all; but some people by not knowin', dey'll have tuh use all of dem until dey git tuh de right one. But, de sense, if yo' know whut de right bone is, yo' kin go right tuh it an' git it. Maybe yo' might miss one, but yo'll git de nex' one an' dat'll be it. Undahstand? An' dat bone carries three fo'ks [forks]. Dat is, three j'ints tuh it. Whut ah mean by three j'ints, three rows, an' yo'll find between de edges of de bone, yo'll find three crosses. Dat's supposed tuh be main powah. An' yo' fin' dat dey use dat in more Mason lodge and Odd Fellahs, lotsa people do, tuh do dere work. [New Orleans, La., (861), 1374:7 to 1375:4.]
Entry 7212
[Two weeks after margin title RATTLESNAKE OIL received its typing for the printer's photographic process and had been followed by other material in final page form, I found the missing page mentioned in lines 24-26, page 3098, volume 4. Here it is:] (This is Tuesday, June 29, 1937, working in Charleston, beginning the morning's work, testing the machine. In case I lose these slips [of paper] in my note book [later called Numbers Book, a book numbering each informant and making a comment about him] written out by Doctor D. Giles, root doctor, Number 512. [Here] is his recipe for making rattlesnake oil. Calls [for a] bottle of mint lOc, witch hazel lOc, sassafras root lOc. That makes snake oil.) [As the reader can see, I am testing the stylus by repeating what Doctor Giles had said the day before just in case I lost the slip or slips of paper he had written out. He had not been the last informant of the preceding day.l Now, for [the bath or the anointing you] strip [take off clothing], put two [both] hands back of the head, [then] wash hands in [sassafras] root water [wash- ing] forwards [that is, away from you]. Turn over [hands and wash other side]. Get glass [a mirror] and hold hands before mirror, and [if] they get black, why you are all right [a spell has not been put on you]; if they don't [get black] why you are not [all right]. [This is merely one of many methods of diagnosis used by doctors; see DIAGNoSIS, Pp.165-217, especially MIRRoR, p.193 and the danger of looking into it.] [To end this rite] put glass [mirror] over hand and spell root, spell root three times - R-0-0-T. (Another root doctor says [not R-O-O-T but] M-0-N-Q-T-O-N-Y or it looks like monotony. Don't think I've ever heard it before. [After repeating the word three times] the little [hand mirror] answers, "I live [by the power of God or something similar].")
Entry 7213
Ah'm purtty shure 'bout dat becuz ah'm constant comin' in contact wit somepin lak dat. Maybe it be rattlesnake mastah, High John de Conkah an' Low John de Conkah, wild sprig of Sweet John - some people call it St. John. Dat's- ain't evahbody knows, but dey would know, yo' know, whut color it has. Git chew dose, yo' know, five or six tuhgethah, an' den have real good gin. Three times a week. An' red flannel. (You take red flannel. I see. You get this good gin then?) Yes, sir. Yo' know, yo' don' sew it. Be sure not tuh sew it becuz in sewin', why yo' might stick de needle in de roots don't chew know. Yo' don' wan'a sew wit de needle becuz dat is steel, unlessen yo' wan'a include somepin in it. But chew fold it up propahly tight an' yo' roll with black thread [demonstrates].
(And you roll it towards you.)
An' don't make no knot. Roll it an' carry de ends loose. Yo' know, don' tie a knot. IF YO' TIE A KNOT, WHY YUH WORK IS BROKEN. An' whenevah yo' gO out lookin' fer a job, why, when yo' dress, take it [this hand] in yuh hand befo' yo' left de house. Yo' be on hand an' made de wish lak yo' desires, an' take dat [hand] an' put it back intuh whatevah pocket yo' carry it an' den yo' wipe it right down tuh yuh waist [privates] three times. An' ah don' cā [care] if dey don't hire anybody else on de job, yo' will be hired.
(You will be hired?)
Cuz dat's not takin' advantage of no one. [597:5.] Whut ah learned ah learned from a well-learned man, great-experienced man, an' who really did delivah de goods.
(Where, by the way, did you learn?)
Part of what ah learned, in Jamaica.
(Oh, in Jamaica. Where were you born?)
Born and reared right in this city.
(Oh, you were born in this city.)
But ah wuz travelin' at large aroun' de Bahamas and down de British West Indies as far as Kingston, Jamaica. Ah begin tuh practice wit a girl, whut ah supposed tuh be a girl, but ah found she wuz a woman. She really could do things. An' dey wuz so simple an' so - lak it wuz impossible.
(Where was this? Where was this girl?)
In the Bahamas.
(Oh, she was down in the Bahamas?)
And dat's all right. An' ah come on up an' came tuh Kingston, Jamaica, an' ah found many more. Dey could meet chew an' look yo' up an' down, an' dey could do certain things, an' tuhmorrah yo'd be as crazy as a fool. An' ah wasn't sat- isfied until ah learned dat. An' de thing tuh do, yo' know, wuz tuh git right intuh 'em. Aftah ah could git dem tuh undahstand me [my English] an' ah undah- stand dem. An' dey simply do dis. Ah tried dat out while it wuz not mah desire, an' ah tried dat out an' ah found it true tuh de lettah. (Well, did you learn all these things in the West Indies, or have you learned some of them in this country?) In dis country. Now, dis partic'lah thing is de question dat chew ast me 'bout takin' a person's track tuh harm 'em. [Charleston, S. Car., (514 Doctor Glover) 597:5 and 594:1.]
Entry 7214
Dat whut chew call tyin' down. Dey'll wait until de man come in an' go tuh sleep, an' dey git a bran'-new ball of cot- ton yarn an' puts it on de inside of de baid, where de man gotta sleep. Why dey measure from de tip of 'is haid tuh de sole of 'is feet. Tie a knot tuh de neck, an' tie a knot tuh de waist, an' tie a knot tuh de knees, an' tie a knot tuh de ankles, an' tie one tuh de sole of yuh feet [5 knots]. An' den dey take dat an' dey care [carry] it undah de baid tuh de side dat he sleeps on an' tie it, yo' know, undah de springs wit de two ends tuhgethah double. Tie it right undah where [demonstrates]. Dis part of de body.
(Near the backside?)
Yes. Dat keeps 'im down, dat keep 'em from runnin' aroun'. [Charleston, S. Car., (514), 599:5.] [For more material by Doctor Glover, see Pp.2258-2259; No.112, P.41; No.272, P.79; and No.335, p.99.]
Entry 7215
If she measure a man while he layin' down in baid alive, well inside of at least a year's time de undah- takah 'imself will be measurin' dat man fer a casket [coffin]. He really will.
(What do you mean, measuring him how?)
Well, he'd be daid.
(Well, how would she measure him?)
[I am asking for details.]
If she measured 'im from haid tuh foot wit a kinda extension rule, well he'd be daid in a yeah's time.
Entry 7216
Git de width of yore body [demonstrates]. Git a cotton string lak dat an' put nine knots in it, an' take it out an' tie it tuh a tree, or sompin else [fence, etc.]. An' when dat string rots or comes apart, why it'll cuz yo' tuh fall in sickness or prob'ly dead sometime.
Entry 7217
Dey say dat if yo' ord'nar'ly measure a person whilst dey is layin' down sleepin' from time tuh time, dat'll cuz dere health tuh come bad an' lotsa times will cuz dem tuh lose dere life.
(Well, how do they measure you?)
Jis' measure dem as though yo' standin' up. Yo' five feet eight or five feet ten. Jis' take yo' measure, an' yo' go 'way [demonstrates].
(What do they do with that measure, have you any idea?)
Well, dey tote dat aroun' in dere pocket. Evah time dey takes dat measure dey tote it aroun'.
(Do they use a different string or the same string?)
De same tape [measure].
Entry 7218
Well dey go tuh de store an' git dese wire nails. Ah calls 'em tins [made of tin or tenpenny?]. An' dey git de lengt' of de man an' de lengt' of de Woman, from up here at de haid all de way down tuh de foot. Well den wrap dat man tuh yuh lak dat [demonstrates].
(Wrap this length - the string around to you, all around this nail.)
Yes, de string tuh yuh lak dat, aroun' dis nail clean until yo' wrap it right even wit de point. Den yo' take it an' nail it right down in de centah of yuh do' an' make yuh wishes. Yo' say, "Jis' as ah drive dis nail down heah ah means fer yo' tuh stay here." An' he goin' stay dere. How ah know about dat, ah got mah husban' nailed down right now. Dat's how ah know.
(Now, you say...)
[I am interrupted.]
Right now.
(Well, does it work? Well, how did you get his length?)
While he asleep. Ah got one fer me an' one fer 'im nailed right in de centah of de do'.
(And you wrap both these strings together right around the nail?)
Tuh yuh, wrap 'is tuh yuh an' yours tuh yuh, too. An' den when yo' wrap down tuh de bottom of de nail, stick it right down tuh de centah of de do', an' hit it nine times an' let de ninth lick drive it up tuh de haid.
(In the wood?)
In de wood. (In wrapping these strings around, do you wrap them both together or first one and then the other?) No, wrap de man's first, den mine.
Entry 7219
(You say you used to say your prayers?)
Yes, sir. Ah believe in God, ah trust in Him. Yo' know, God Himself...
[I turn off my recording machine too quickly.]
(What did you say about God?)
God, Himself, wuz de best hoodoo evah wuz known. [Madam Collins of Memphis, Tenn., says something similar: De sacrifice dat yo' offer up tuh Jesus removes de "trick, " fo' he is de "trick" giver an' de "trick" taker (p.994, line 6 fol. from bottom of page).] Yo' have tuh have faith intuh mos' anythin' yo' go intuh. If dere's no faith, dere's very li'le hopes, an' yo' have tuh put God in front. Now, He's de Supreme Being of de world, an' certainly in dis life we have tuh use God; but if we don't, we cain't git along. If it wasn't fo' Him, we couldn't breathe, den we couldn't live. He must open de way fo' us, give us our health an' strength.
Entry 7220
An' a girl, she wuz wantin' tuh leave. She wuz goin' tuh leave me lak on a Friday evenin' an' ah wuz lovin' 'er real hard an' ah didn't wan' 'er tuh go. She wuz goin' tuh leave me an' ah didn't Wan' 'er tuh go. So ah goes tuh a man [doctor] an' he tells me tuh go ahead an' go tuh a grave- yard befo' dat dat mawnin' an' git some dirt from undah - from off a man's breast, right off 'is heart, an' put it in a piece of flannel cloth; an' go tuh a grave where a woman hadn't been long died an' git some dirt offa her heart. An' den take it [both dirts] an' sew it up in a piece of red flannel cloth an' tote it on me. Tie it on mah lef' side, an' he guarantee dat she wouldn't leave. An ah did dat an' she didn't go nowhere. Yo' kin take graveyard dirt an' go tuh a stream of runnin' watah an' turn yore back an' throw it upstream, crost yore lef' shouldah, an' if dey wanted tuh go some place dey couldn't go. (Well, wouldn't you do something else, use someone's hair or something of that sort?)
[Informant ignores my leading question.]
Dat if ah wuz in love wit somebody an' she wuz fixin' tuh leave, an' prob'ly ah would heah dat, an' couldn't git 'er not tuh leave, an' ah could git some graveyard dirt an' go tuh any stream of runnin' watah, an' turn mah back an' throw it behin' me upstream. An' she wouldn't wanta leave, she can't go.
(You don't say anything while you are doing it?)
[Again my leading question is ignored.]
No suh, not anything at all. Jis' go by yo'self an' throw it crost yore left shouldah, an' she'll stay dere. [The intention of the rite is sufficient here.]
Entry 7221
Well, ah've heard 'em say dat if yo' bootleggin' an' yo' wanta keep de law away from yuh house, yo' git out soon in de mawnin'. Yo' take incense. Yo' kin buy dat, an' yuh burn dat, but here's de nex' thing yo' kin do dat ah suggest dan incense. Yo' kin take an' go tuh work an' git dat dirt whut ah suggest tuh yuh.
(What dirt?)
Soon in de mawnin' dat chew go out an' yo' mix up.
(What dirt?)
De dirt dat chew go an' stand on. Aftah yo' make dis dirt, aftah yo' make it up in a mixture. Yo' understand. All right, an' yo' stand on it, an' yo' reach down an' yo' git some of dat dirt. All right. An' aftah yo' reach some from undah de bottom of yuh feet - dis is whut chew call, whut ah told choo 'bout dose twelve head of dose officials, high offi- cials.
(I see.)
But yo' mus' call twelve high officials in de city which yo' live in - names, yo' mus' call dere names. An' yo' put dis dirt in dis pan an' den yo' brings dis pan back. [Then you] goes tuh de graveyard an' git some dirt outa de graveyard. An' den yo' takes dat salt an' yo' sprinkle dat salt ovah dis dirt. An' as yo take dis dirt soon in de mawnin', den de nex' mawnin' 'fo' de sun rise, yo' go all de way roun' yuh house an' sprinkle dis dirt an' say, "As ah cast dis dirt out, ah wants tuh cast [then call some of those officials' names] from dis groun' dat ah stand on." An' dey won't - yo' won' be worried wit 'em. (Will you tell me that story again - over again - you told in the beginning about standing out in a certain part of the house and calling those names. I don't quite remember that.)
[This was a part of the story told before recording began.]
All right. Here it is. Yo' go tuh de east side of de house - de east side, now - an' yo' dig dis dirt [the dirt upon which you stand]. Yo' make it up jis lak yo' wuz makin' a bread; git it good an' crumbly an' soft, yo' see, an' - but choo mus' stand. Yo' want me tuh show yo' how tuh stand?
(Yes.)
Ah'll show yuh [demonstrates]. See? Yo' mus' - aftah yo' git yuh dirt made up good, an' all, den yo' stand upon it lak dis [demonstrates]. See?
(With your shoes on?)
Wit yuh shoes on.
(I see. All right.)
Yo' stand upon it. An' see, when yo' standin' upon it, yo' supposed tuh be standin' on de high officials' heads, becuz dey comes from dust, accordin' tuh de Bible. An' den yo' reach down an' yo' take... [I interrupt].
(Well, didn't you say something about calling names or something?)
Call twelve of dese names of de high officials in dis town, or in de town yo' live. Ah wouldn't know whut dose names is.
(I see. Well, go on again with the story.)
In de town yo' live, see. Yo' call twelve high officials - rulin' powahs in dat town - an' yo' git dat dirt. An' whenevah yo' gits dat dirt from right undah de bottom - de sole of yuh feet - yo' put it in dis pan. An' den yo' takes dis pan an' yo' goes directly from dere tuh de cemetery an' yo' gits some dirt offa de daid body. An' yo' put dat in dere an' yo' mix it wit dat whut choo got from de east side of yuh house. An' aftah yo' do dat, yo' go tuh de table - tuh yuh table or wherevah yuh salt is - an' yo' git some salt an' put in it. An' yo' po [pour] dat salt in it an' den de nex' mawnin' yo' git up soon 'fo' de daylight, den go out an' yo' throw dis aroun' yuh house an' yo' say, "As ah throw dis salt" - jis' throw it out - "dat good fo' nuthin, aftah he [salt] done losed [lost] his savor, but tuh be trampled undah de feets of men." An' den yo' call some of dose twelve officials, high officials, an' yo' won't need worry.
(I see. He would go away, not make him move.)
Yes, keep from makin' yo' move or keep from any officer [keep any officer away] - anything.
(Keep the officers away?)
Yeah, away from your house.
(Trouble of any kind?)
Dat's trouble of any kind.
(I see.)
Entry 7222
[My memorable trip to visit Madam Griffin I mention in the Introduction to volume 1, p. XxIx. She had a tremendous reputation, a well-deserved one,: as you can see from my incomplete in- terview of her on pages 1309-1314. I say incomplete because there were constant interruptions and she was already tiring, though it was only late morning. A white woman had preceded me. Behind me waited a number of automobiles filled with people. And we were out in the country - out in the middle of nowhere. What faith these mortals have! Was her name Griffith or Griffin or something on either side or in between? Surely the mythological beast that flies suits better a woman who could call spirits to her presence and send them out on special missions.] ([The number of people] seeing you all the time - I saw this white woman this morning come in. How many colored people and white people [do you seeJ? What is the proportion? I mean, do you have two colored to the one white person, or do you have one white person to one colored person? How does the proportion rm?) [Sorry for my confusing questions. I was in a confusing atmosphere! Besides, I still had much to learn.] All de same. Do all de same. Jis' whut ah'd do fer a white person, ah'd do fer a colored. (No, I mean in numbers, the people who come here in the day to see you. How nany would be colored and how many would be white?) Well, sometimes ah have 25 of white and sometimes ah have 50 of colored. Now, last Saturday ah had 80 odd people an' ah wuz so tired ah didn't know whut tuh do.
(Eight what?)
80 odd. Well, dey wuz 15 of dem white. [Eighty persons on Saturday in summer surely represents an estimation or count of persons present, but not all of them would have had fortunes told. Some of them came along for the ride. Remember, Madam Griffin, a grown girl during the Civil War, was past 80 in 1937. After two intervening rites, I ask her how a man could keep other men away from his wife. Here is her answer:] He dresses it.
(What does he dress it with?)
Well, he goes an' gits some stuff from de drug store - yo' kin do dat, from de drug store - an' he playin' wit 'er lak he's playin wit 'er. Dress 'er so nobody else can't fool wit 'er, it will be so tight.
(What will he get at the drug store? What sort of stuff would he get there?)
It's called slick eel, somepin lak dat. [Here is further evidence that the loodoo drug store used a pharmacopoeia unknown to normal pharmacology! Slick eel? Does she mean slippery as an eel?]
Entry 7223
Say lak a hoodoo come tuh yuh house. Ah could stop any hoodoo, know how tuh stop it. Git choo fo' - yo' know runnin' grapevines run up a tree - yo' git choo fo'. Cut fo' pieces off about so long [demonstrates]. (Four inches long.) Take yo' fo' pieces an' yo' cross 'em. Yo' take 'em in de house an' yo' cross 'em. Take a nail an' tack 'em tuhgethah an' cross 'em. An' hang 'em ovah yuh do'. An' dere ain't no hoodoo will walk undah dem. (You take four of them [pieces 4 inches long] and nail them in a cross, like that [I demonstrate], and put them over the door.) Dere ain't no hoodoo comin' in, he'll turn back. [Is the grapevine run up a tree an American wild grape or the scuppernong (a form of muscadine) trained as a tree with branches spreading in all directions on an overhead trellis? In any case, a hoodoo fears either being whipped by the vine or its form of the cross. Doctor Frank Hall says a bath with the juice from the fox grapevine will cure witchcraft (see No.1304, p.447). There are two in- digenous fox grapevines in America, the northern (Vitis labrusca), ancestor of varieties Concord, Isabella, etc., and the southern (V. rotundifolia), origin of the scuppernong.]
Entry 7224
Well, ah don' know how ah got it in me. A lady brought me a piece of fish an' she claim, "Mah husban' jis' caught dis fish." An' she said, "It's al- ready salt an' peppahed." Yo' know ah always look at mah food an' ah said, "My, de grains of peppah are large." She said, "Oh, dear, dat's all right, jis' go ahaid an' eat it." So ah washed some of it off, see, an' it all stuck so close, ah couldn't git it off. So anyway, ah said, well ah'll try de fish, 'cuz ah couldn't eat nuthin but fish an' chicken. An' ah ate dis fish. An' ah had no more den finished eatin' it when ah jis' drew up in knots, cramp knots, an' ah fell tuh de floor, an' mah heart start tuh palpitatin' very fast. An' ah tole mah mothah, ah said, "Ah cain't live wit dis cramp." An' so she went aftah anothah lady, one dem HOODOO LADIEs. She called 'er. An' she tole mah mothah tuh go right away an' git me a pint [of] milk. Dat help- ed me some. An' den she fixed me some mustard watah an' - but de only thing ah knew dat cured me wuz a fresh aig [probably from a black hen].
Entry 7225
[This woman was called Humpadee [= Hwmpty] without the Dumpty because of her great size. As an unconscious defensive mechanism, she laughed from the moment she entered the room until she left. Hers was an agile mind. Later I would meet two women of similar size: A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE (No.1257) in Savannah, Ga., PP. 1268-1276, and THE LAUGHING DOCTOR (1125) of Waycross, Ga., Pp.1470-1500.] She kin take de milk outa huh breast an' when he come in fah [for] eatin' food, joo know, she jis' put dis right in 'is coffee or in 'is tea, an' make a wush [wish]. Well, afo' [= afore = before] she do it, she got tah take an' grease huh dis rag - listen at me good - grease huh dis rag in lahd [lard] w'ah [what] she cook wit. Den aftah greasin' in lahd, she gota rub it undah huh lef' ahm [arm]. Git all dat stench from undah 'eah [heah] wipe de cup wit it. Den aftah she wipe his cup out, den she milk 'uh breast in 'ere, jis' put so many drops
[number not given]. Dat'll make him love huh an' keep 'im dere [in her house]
too. [Richmond, Va., (404), 358:9.] [For 2 other rites of hers, see No.1338, p.453, and No.1711, p.521.]
Entry 7226
Git diff'ren' kinda stuff an' put it in a bottle, an' take dem matches an' put it in dere aftah dat stuff is strong enough - jis' lak... [I interrupt to rename some of the ingredients mentioned before recording began.] (You take camphor gum and Listerine and?) An' bluestone, lodestone, steel dust. Put all dat stuff in dere an' mix 'um; mash it, yo' see. Dat gits strong, yo' see. Dat cuts dem matches, yo' see. Yo' shake it up, yo see, an' it sparks - jis' sparks. Slap it down. Evah time yo' shake it up, it'll spark.
(What will that do for you?)
Dat gits choo luck fo' a man whut gambles, yo' see.
(What do they call that in this part of the country?)
Call it a Joe Mo - Jomo.
(A Jomō, I see.)
Yeah, dat's a Jomo. [A jomō is a hand, a luckpiece, a toby, a guard, etc.]
Entry 7227
Now, dat wus experience too, becuz ah had a lovah 'bout fifteen or ō' yeahs ago an' he went away, an' ah didn't know whut become of 'im. An' he always say if he evah went away he wus gon'a Write me. An' ah sure loved dis man. Ah wus young den, yo' see. An' when he went away ah didn't know where he wus. Ah seen 'is frien' an' he says he didn't know where he wus, he said, but he hear'd he wus gone tuh Chicago. An' ah said, "Whut in de world Frank wanta go 'way dere?" An' ah said, "Well, do yo' know anybody kin bring 'im back?' He says, "No, ah don't know enybody." 'Well, '' he say, "yo' kin go tuh Berkley [home of hoodoo doctors and fortunetellers]" he said, "but why don't chew learn some things yuhself?" Ah said, "Well, dere is nuthin ah kin learn. Dey do so much tuh me, ah'm always got tuh go tuh somebody tuh git cured mah- self." An' he say, "Well, ah tell yuh, " he says, "kin yo' git any King of de World?" Ah says, "Yes, ah guess ah could ordah some." He say, "Well, yo' kin git some High John de Conkah?" Ah said, "Well, certainly." Ah wus in No'th Ca'lina but who tuh git it from ah don' know. An' he say, "Well, git some a dat an'" he say, "fo' nine nights, " he say, "when daid hours of de night, when nobody stirrin' much, ' he says, "fin' de fo'ks of de road durin' de daytime dat yo' know won't nobody disturb yo'." An', he says, "Yo' go dere nine nights. Fo' nine nights yo' go dere an' call Frank Glasgow by 'is name." An', he say, Yo' chew dis [root] an' den rub it in yuh hands," he says, "an' press yuh hand, yuh right hand ovah yuh heart an', " he said, "an' call 'im nine times evah night fo' de nine nights." An' he say, "Yo' see won't Frank come home." Well, ah didn't have much faith in dat but ah gon an' did dat. An' I'd go out nights. Ah go an' found a place. An' ah'd go out nights an' it seemed ah could jis' see Frank, yo' know. Fō' ah didn't have any othah frien' but 'im an zh'd go out an' call 'im an' ah would cry an' go out. So ah tole de man one day, ah say, "Ah reckon ah cried so much ah run 'im away." He say, "Oh yo' mus' not Cry," he said, "dat won't take no 'fect," he said, "but chew do dat. An' lemme tell yo', ah declare it will do good." An' one Satiday night ah wus jis' come from de job an' ah wus busy tryin' tuh clean mah room, an' somebody rang de doorbell. An' ah said, "Who come?" He say, "One." Dat's whut he say, foolin' me, yo' know. Ah say, "Who is one?" Ah don' know no 1 nor 2." He say, "Come an' see me." Well, ah left de room alone an' go on down[stairs] tuh de dō' an' seen. It wus Frank Glasgow standin' at de dō'. oh, ah wuz so glad. Ah wuz jis' ovahrejoicin'. Ah jis' broke down an' went o cryin'. An' ah wus thinkin' of dat, an' so since den ah always think of dat. Ah don't fo'git it. [Our informant gave three other good stories, warmly and vibrantly human: No.867, pp.305-306, handbills and Professor Purvis; No.888, pp.319-321, Vander (her second husband) bit me and black chicken manure (the locus classicus for teeth dropping out); and No.3068, Pp.889-891, Doctor Armour of Berkley (the home of doctors and fortunetellers). This elderly woman, with experience of the hoodoo world, tells an excellent story. She belongs to black folk-literature.]
Entry 7228
[I met a galaxy of doctors in Charleston, S. Car., before I had suffi- cient experience to handle them. Two years later I would have been better pre- pared. Moreover the weather was excessively hot and the hotel rooms noisy at night. There was little rest. The fol- lowing doctor, Maguin or San Mongain was rather strange. At that time I thought all of them were! This man has already appeared in: No.1221, p.434; No.1417, p.464; No.1638, p.507; and No.2209, p.629.] (Well, now, how would a person harm me if they got a hold of my foot track? How would they hurt me with that?) How would he hurt chew wit dat? He'd take yore foot track an' carry it tuh de graveyard. An' tuh take it back from de graveyard, yo' gotta throw dis dirty watah undah yore house. An' tuh kill de spell from dere an' [to] drive de evil spirit, den begin burnin' dragon blood at twelve o'clock at night in dat ole shoe [this rite partially given in No.1221, p.434, v.1.]. (What would he do with this track if he took it to the graveyard? What would he do with it out there?) When he take de track to de graveyard, he put it tuh de haid of de graveyard [grave] an' pay dem one cent, calls yore name an' tole 'em tuh mind 'im. An' durin' de time dat he done take it tuh de graveyard, yore foot track, yo' come back home an' throw it ovah [under]neath yore house. An' go an' git dis gum-bush an' let it stay in yore house fer three days an' burn it. An' de pusson will come back an' go back tuh de graveyard an' git dis track an' turn yo' loose.
Entry 7229
My grandmother lived across the road from my father and mother, and they found this old woman [Millie, the Witch] burying things under my father's house. And my grand- mother saw her doing it and she went over, and she must of got it, for she got sick and she stayed sick for six months. And someone told my father about a man. They called him a hoodoo doctor I think. Be went to see my grandmother and he told her Millie had planted something under my father's house. He went and dug under the house and found something in a little bag. The bag was about two inches square. My father said it had a draw string. She called it powder, some called it roots. It must grow somewhere. It looked like snuff. Then he fixed some medicine for my grandmother. It was liquid. And real snakes came out of her. [This happened near Gaston, N. Car., in 1890, and concerns the witch previously mentioned in rite No.l, p.1, from informant Julia, collected by hand,1936, in New York City. Did her parents use the term hoodoo doctor as early as 1890? Julia undoubtedly picked up the expression at a much later date.]
Entry 7230
[I heard] tell of 'em goin' tuh dese mulberry trees. An' jis' lak de fo'k - yo' know dey got fo'ks on 'em; yo' know, lak dis way [demonstrates] one limb disaway an' one linb datavay. [Get one of those forks and] point it right tuh de house. Well, tuh make yore husban' not go wit nobody else, yo' cut dat [fork] off. See, cut it tuh yuh in fo'ks. Den bend 'em tuhgethah lak dis [demonstrates] an' tie 'en wit a cord string.
(Take those two prongs [of the fork], bring them together.)
Yes sir, tie dem tuhgethah. Den yo' curse 'em fo' evarthin' yo' kin think of. Den yo' kin stick dat anywhere in de house where he will not find it, see. Well, he won't bothah wit - jis' lak if he goin' wit me, see, well he won't have no m Min' fo' me atall.
(Well, now, you must let this fork....)
Yes, jis' point it tuh de house.
(It must be pointing to the house and no place else, no other place.)
Yes sir, point it right at de house.
Entry 7231
[Doctor Nelson we have already met in the following: No.2226, p.632; No.2503, p.693; Pp.1599-1600; and 2260-2261.] Dey kin trick yuh wit dem, yuh [FINGAHNAILS and TOENAILS]. Dey take dem an' burn 'em, gits a powdah outa it an' make dem - mix dem wit de LOCUST an' put 'em in de individual food; yo' know, in de individual food, or put it ovah chewin' gum, anythin' yo' wanta git 'em, intuh dem yo' know, dat'll make de individual follah yuh.
(What kind of locusts do you mean, those bugs?)
Bugs dat fly around a lamp or a tree. In de forest yo'll fin' dem on de s'uth side of a pine tree. Go dere an' see 'em. An' leave de hull dere yo' know, de hull wha' chew git. (Oh, you leave that hull. What do you do with that hull then?) Yo' parches it. (Oh, you just grind that all up?) All tuhgethah. (I see. Mix it with that powder from the fingernails and toe- nails.) [607:3.] Dey take nine - dey got notches lak knots on dey fingah. Dey ake nine of dose notches in de mistletoe. Dey'll notch de devil's-shoestring.
(Nine devil's-shoestrings notches?)
Bope [no], cut 'em off lak de j'int of de fingah.
(I see, nine of these joints of the mistletoe.)
An' nine pieces of devil's-shoestring lak de j'int of yuh fingah.
(The piece of devil's-shoestring is the size of the joint of your finger?)
Each one, yeah [here] [and demonstrates] - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 - until dere be nine. dey bin' dem tuhgethah, one tuh de othah. In de Name of de Fathah, de Son: de Holy Ghost. Put 'em away, an' keep away whichevah yo' lak...
[I tumed off recording machine too soon.]
(You hang it up on the door? Now, how many pieces of mistletoe do you take?)
Nine.
(And you get one joint of devil's-shoestring?)
Yes, of each fingah. Dat be nine of dem too, yo' know. (Oh, you get nine of the devil's-shoestring too. That's 18 altogether. And you bind them all together. What do you tie them up with?.) Yeah, dat's right. Cord, yo' wind 'em tuh yuh.
(I see. Where did you learn this remedy?)
Dat, mah grandfathah told me dat too, yo' know.
(Did he learn that down in the West Indies or up here?)
Right here.
(Where did he practice?)
He practice in Sumter, S. Car., all de time - all around [that part of the country].
(What was his name?)
Samuel Ozias [Isaiah?] Weathahspoon. Yes, ah named aftah him, see, but mah mothah married a Nelson. [607:7.] Well, females do dat gen'ly [generally] tuh control a man. Dey measure from de haid tuh dey shouldah, from shouldah tuh de waist, waist tuh de knees, an' knees tuh ankle, an' ankle tuh bottom of de foot. Dey take dat from de elbow down tuh de wrist. An' takes dat an' puts it wit three pieces of devil's-shoe- string from de sundown side of de bush when dey go tuh it. De devil's-shoestring grows in a patch, chew know; but go tuh sundown side of de patch, chew know. Take a piece an' dey pays up an' tell it whu' chew wanta do when yo' git it. Yo' wind it roun'. An' measure three yards of cord an' win' dat measure up, yo' know, roun' dat devil's-shoestring an' wind it tuh yuh. Yo' wind it tuh yuh an' tell it whu' chew wan' it tuh do. An' dat. make dat pusson stay wit chew. A pusson commit suicide 'fore dey quit chew, unless yo' throw it away.
(That holds him.)
Unless yo' go tuh someone [a doctor] tuh let chew loose, yo' know. [608:1.] A pusson could git dis heah weed, dey call it snail weed, yeah. [Snailclover, one of several species, has spirally coiled pods like a snail. This is the first and probably will be the last appearance of this plant in Hoodoo.] Dat grows right on de groun' an' it grows jis' as fast as a snail grows, yo' know. An' yo' tetch a snail, yo' know, an' he go back in 'is shell. Dey git dat weed yo' know an' dey git it, dey pull it tuh yuh - lak yo' pullin' 'em tuh yo', yo' know. An' boil dat an' put some a dat likkah on anythin' wha' de individual eat or chew, chewin' gum, anythin'. Den all de tooth becomin'loose, yo' know.
(That makes the teeth, all come out.)
Dat cuz [an attempt at pyorrhea] of de gums or anythin'. [608:3.] Yo' go tuh de male mulberry tree an' yo' measure nine inches from de ground an' den skin dat bahk [bark] down. An' take dat an' boil dat, chew know, an' anythin' yo' rub - [put] some on de hand an' rub it on de individual haid, when yo' git a chance, makes yo' waste. Lak dey scale de bahk down, make yuh hair fall out de same way.
(Makes the hair fall out the same way.) [608:4.]
De nex' thin', yo' kin take dat [urine] an' stop up dere watah wit it. Jis' put it up in a brass pipe.
(Get a brass pipe.)
Dat'll stop 'is watah. Airtight [the] brass pipe.
(That will stop his water. Well, what sort of a brass pipe do you mean?)
Any kinda [plumbing] coupling, pipe; but not coupled brass [an uncoupled brass elbow]. Ah mean, have somebody ketch it, see. [Does this mean, have someone find (pick up the elbow) or have someone ketch, get the victim's urine?] [608:7.]
(How do they make that? What do they do?)
Well, yo' git it an' make outa wax or enythin' yo' kin suit yo'self tuh make it outa, undahstan'; but dis thin' dey put chew intuh, dat wheah de povah is.
(What do they put into that?)
Dey'll git de dirt from three graves: haid, chest an' foot of three graves, of a pusson who died wicked, yo' know. Den yo' put de devil's blood wit dat.
(What's that?)
Sompin yuh git at de drug store, yo' know. Yeah, an' dey'll put de dog an' cat hair wit it. An' den dey'll put it any place wheah dat pusson goin' come by, so dat de pusson git possession of it. When dey pass by it, dey mind is dissatisfied. Put 'im in a roamin' mind. Teah [tear] up de business an' make enemies.
(This is that little doll they make.) [609:5.]
Wal, dey'll git de box - dey makes de coffin, undahstand, an' dey'll draw a pusson's face. Dey'll write de pusson name on it an' lay it at de do'. It'll bring a pusson tuh yuh; it'll make a pusson stay in one place. If yo' wanta make a pusson stay from yo' place, yo' do de same thin', but yo'd have tuh git it from de house. Draw it [head] from de house tuh keep dem from de house. If yo' wanta bring dem tuh de house, turn de haid tuh de house, yo' know.
(What do they draw this on do you say?)
Write dere name an' draw de pichure on it.
(On what?)
On de coffin. Yo' draws 'em in de shape of a coffin, de board cut de shape of a coffin, yo' undahstand.
(Oh, you put a picture of him.)
Dat's it, zactly [exactly]. [609:6.] An' den dis anothah way tuh git rid of de spell, tuh make de pusson tell yo' vho de one done it. Go an' git some gum-bush an' let it dry fer three days, an put it in a cup an' burn it. Den de person will come back an' tell yuh dat he's de one done it tuh yuh.
(I see, you use gum-bush. And you put it in a pot?)
Tomato can. An' let it dry. [Charleston, S. Car., (518, Doctor Nelson, 613:2.]
Entry 7232
De Ole Man dat ah went tuh wit de addition [concerning the condition] of mahself - an' ah had a li'le piece of propahty [property] in Georgia - an ah wus figuhin' [figuring] dat somebody wus rootworkin' me, puttin' bad luck on me. An' he [de Ole Man] tole me, he said, "Didjoo see de tracks of de pusson?" [Ah] said, "Ah shure seen tracks." An' he said, "Well yo' git me some dirt outa de heel an' den outa de flat a [of] de shoe." Dat's de sole of de feet. Well, ah did so. He say, "Yo' place it intuh a piece of papah, put de heel in firs'." Ah did dat firs'. All right. An' den ah take anothah piece of papah an' got de middle of de track. All right, an' carry dat tuh 'im. Den he sont [sent] me back tuh measure de shoe track whut ah got de dirt from. An' ah taken a string an' ah measured it. But jis' how long it wus ah don't recall. He tole me tuh take dat string an' dat dirt an' mix it tuhgethah. Place it intuh a pile an' place it undah mah haid dat night. An' ah did so. Ah wus sleepin' in de baid. He said, "Don't put it undah yuh haid. Now, " he said, "set it undah yuh haid undah de baid." I did so. WHEN AH GOT UP NEX' MAWNIN', DE STRING WUS GONE AN' AH FOUN' SOMPIN DAT LOOK LAK A HORSE HAIR. AN' IT HAD SOMPIN LAK A WORM'S HAID, AN' DE DIRT WUS IN DE BOTTLE. [If all this happened, the Ole Man named Ole Wondah was a good cunjureman!] It wus yellah, it looked lak clay. An' de watah looked muddy, kinda lak clay.
(What water?)
It wus in a bottle.
(Did you have water in this bottle?)
Yes, he [Ole Manl put watah intuh de bottle. All right. An' now dat's de nex' mawnin'. All right. He said, "Now, whut ah wan' chew [want you] tuh do, is tuh go tuh a frien' of yuhs [yours] house, de frien' whut named John Thomas." Ah went tuh John's house as he said. "Yo' set dere maybe ten minutes, jis' lak yo'd [you had] come aftah sompin." Ah did so. All right. When ah went tuh John's house, he axed [asked] me dis question: He said, "Did joo sleep good las' night?" Ah tole him yes, vury good. He said, "Whut did joo dream?" Ah said, "Ah didn't dream anythin'." He said, "Well, whut did joo see?" Ah said, "Well, ah saw lots of thin's dat is dere in de house." An' he ast [asked] me dis question, said, "Did joo see anythin' of a bottle?" Ah tole 'im, no. An' den ah walked away [from friend] an' came back an' tole him [Ole Man] whut he'd [friend had] tole me. Den dis man [friend] lef' town. Ah didn't have no bothah [trouble] wit 'im.
(Where was that in Georgia?)
Dat wuz in Custah [Custer?], Georgia, in 1931.
(Well, who was this fellow that you went to see that morning?)
Dey called 'im Ole Wondah. He wus livin' in Macon [Georgia], a fellah, a high-hatted dark fellah [he wore a high hat].
(That was the doctor?)
Dat's right.
(Who was the man - whose house you went to see?)
George [John?] Thomas. He wus a farmah [liyed on a farm]. (He was the one that was trying to harm you. An' what did he ask you those questions for?) Ah jis' don't know, jis' as tuh how or whut. But he [Ole Wondah] tole me he would ast me some questions.
(Did you see anything that night at all?)
Ah didn't see a thing but de bottle whut wus placed undah de baid. Didn't see anythin' at all, jis' perfectly [quiet] as ah remembah. Ah dreamt a dream dat led me tuh a ox an' a few cows, but ah remembah ah had more steers dan ah did cows. An' dat wus de las' thin' ah seen dat would entahtain mah spirit to- Wards dat.
Entry 7233
Yo' see dem li'le red onions, but chew git chew one dat's small; yo' know, got a li'le tail tuh it, lak dat, [demonstrates] chew know. Yo've seen 'em?
(I've seen them.)
Now, de way yo' gotta do, yo' [go] up to 'im - now, listen good. Yo' kill it [the trouble]. Ah had de claps right tuh mah.... So yo' take dis red onion. Now mix dem good. An' yo' know a coman's vury weak anyway, say, "This ain't goin' hurt choo. Wipe dis on yo' so ah won' have tuh come back no mō'." Now, listen good. Now, aftah yo' take dat onion, yo take yo' a cord string an' tie it up somewhere where nobody won' see it. Now listen good, where it won' touch de wall anywhere. An' ah'll betcha, if she have any other man, ah'll eat chew up. She won' [have] any, anothah man, betcha.
(Now, you have that onion and she takes that onion, doesn't she?)
He has tuh tell 'er, see, say, "Ah have de claps, here. De doctor tole me tuh git some of yuh [your] wiping." Yo' know, it ain't goin' hurt 'er. Yo' know, put it between....
(But you have her take that onion and wipe you?)
Shore. Undahstan', yo' know, jis' lak yo' have a woman, yo' say, "Baby wid dis, will ya? Ah have de claps so bad." An' yo' takes dat [red onion] away from 'er an' yo' take a cord string, an' tie it up somewhere where nobody - not even yuh wife won' see it. Where it won' touch de wall nowhere. An' ah betcha evah day an' evah night she be right on yo'.
(I see. You wipe the woman with the red onion.)
Shore, an' den git roun' dat li'le ole tail of it [onion], git chew a cord string an' yo' tie it, an' hang it up somewhere where nobody can't see it.
(You hang up that red onion.)
Yes.
(I understand now.)
Entry 7234
Ah wus goin' wit a girl about six yeahs ago an' ah quit dis girl. An aftah ah quit dis girl, ah started goin' wit anothah girl. An' dis othah [first] girl got acquainted wit dis othah [second] girl. An' so she [first girl] got acquainted wit de girl ah wus goin' wit, dis othah [second] girl. Co'se [Of course] ah didn't tell 'er dat ah had evah been wit dis girl. An' so dis [first] girl had a party one Satiday night an' she got me dis girl dat ah didn't wan' 'er tuh know of. Quite natchel ah wen' tuh de party. So she had a Victrola, wusn't no radio den. In fac' [fact] she didn't [would- n't?] have one no way. An' she had a li'le whiskey fer de party dat night. An' so, all de while ah wus goin' wit 'er de ole Victrola, de spring 'ud [spring would] jump off sometimes an' ah used tuh fix it fer 'er, while ah wus goin' wit 'er. So she, aftah de music stopped, she tole dem dat ah could fix de Victrola. An' she'd [she had] taken de Victrola in de kitchen an' put it on de table. An ah went in dere an' see zactly [exactly] whut wus de mattah wit it an' fixed it. An' she put a pint of whiskey on de table up dere. Well AH DIDN'T PAY NO 'TEN- TION 'CUZ AH NEVAH DID BELIEVE IN DIS STUFF [HOODOO]. SO AH DRINK SOME OF DIS WHISKEY. MATTAH OF FACT AH'D TAKEN SEV'RAL DRINKS OF DIS WHISKEY. An' so, aftah ah got de Victrola completed an' evahbody got tuh dancin', an' den ah started takin' a couple a dances mahself. Well, when ah started takin' dese few dances mahself, ah got dizzy; got a li'le dizzy an' got a haidache an' got out mah haid some. An' de girl frien' ah wus goin' wit den, she'd taken me tuh 'er apartment. Aftah she'd taken me tuh 'er apartment, ah woke up nex' mawn- in' an' found mahself dere. So ah kinda come tuh mah haid a li'le bit. An' den she rent de cah [car] tuh take me home. So dey'd taken me home. An' when ah got home - ah don' remembah when ah got home or nuthin of de kin' lak dat. So 'bout nine o'clock Sunday mawnin', well ah started havin' fits, one right behin' de othah. So dey tell me, ah don' know anythin' about it. Ah fell unconscious den. So dey spent dat Sunday. DEY HAD ALL KINDA DOCTORS. DEY SPENT $74 ON ME DAT SUNDAY ON DIFF'REN' DOCTORS AN' NOBODY WOULD TAKE DE CASE. SOME DOCTORS WOULD COME IN AN' TREAT ME FER SOMPIN - DIABETES AN' DIFF'REN' THIN'S - AN' MAH REG'- LAH FAMILY DOCTOR, HE COULDN'T TAKE DE CASE. So he tole mah uncle an' evahbody dat he didn't know whut wus de mattah. It wus a case tuh 'im. So den ah stayed unconscious from dat Sunday mawnin' at nine o'clock until dat Monday night at half past eleven. Well a frien' of mine - didn't tell me - ah wus still unconscious, but he tole mah uncle. "WE DONE TRIED EVAHBODY ELSE CHERE [HERE], SUPPOSE WE TRY A HOODOO DOCTOR. IF HE DON' DO NO GOOD, WE JIS' WON' PAY 'IM. He [this doctor] run worms out mah mothah, but she [mother] said, "Ah know anothah good lady [but she is too far away], but anyway, by he bein' so bad off, we'll go up an' see dis one firs'." So dis fellah came in - so dey tell me, see ah wus still unconscious - said, "Yes, " S SAID AH WUS POISONED, AN' HE WOULD HAVE ME ON MAH FEET IN 45 MINUTES. Well, it wus about eleven-thirty den.
(In the morning or night?)
In de night. An' dis wus on a Monday night. Ah had been unconscious since Sunday mawnin' nine o'clock till ovah dat Monday night at eleven. SO HE COME IN AN' COMMENCES TUH WORKIN' ON ME. SAYS MY BOWELS WAS LOCKED AN' DIFF'REN' THIN'S. HE GIVE ME SOAP AN' BITTAH ALOES...
[I interrupt.]
(How did he give you the soap?)
He taken de soap an' he jis' mixed it up in a glass; yo' know, jis' watah enough tuh make de soap dissolve. Yo' know, Octagon soap, an' made somepin lak a pill outa it an' jis' held mah mouth an' rubbed mah throat - so dey tell me - until ah swallah dat. An' den dey give me bittah aloes an' dat unlocked mah bowels. AN' SOON AS IT UNLOCKED MAH BOWELS, AH COME TO. When ah cOme to, ah knows mahself. When ah wus on de party ah wusn't able tuh go tuh de bathroom. AN' [AFTER MY BOWELS MOVED] DEY SHOED ME A ANIMAL COME OUTA ME 'BOUT - AH GUESS ABOUT DAT LONG [DEMONSTRATES].
(As long as your little finger.)
YEAH AN IT LOOKED SOMEPIN LAK DE COLAH OF A ORANGE PEELIN', AN' IT RAN UP ON DE MEDICINE GLASS TRYIN' TUH GIT OUT. Ah [had] come tuh, den. Co'se ah wuS weak aplenty. Ah wus weak aplenty from havin' dose fits. Ah wusn't any good. De fact is, he tole me it would take aroun' a couple a yeahs tuh git so ah wus well ag'in. In fact it did. So ah commence tuh askin' question Who did it. HE'D TAKEN A NEWSPAPAH AN' PLACED IT IN A PAN OF WATAH AN' LET IT SET IN DIS PAN A WATAH SOMEWHEAH ROUN' ABOUT AH THINK - IT WUS NINE MINUTES AH THINK, AN' DIS WOMAN'S PICHURE COME ON DAT NECKED [NAKED] JIS' LAK SHE WORN NUTHIN ON 'ER - NECKED ABSOLUTELY.
(The woman that did this to you?)
Yeah. So he ast me did ah know dat woman. Ah say, "Yes." He say, "Well do yo' wan' tuh have her tuh come here an' confess tuh yo'?" DE PICHURE APPEAHED ON DE NEWSPAPAH RIGHT LAK DAT AN' HE TOLE ME TUH LOOK AT IT QUICK. AN' AH LOOKED AT. IT QUICK AN' AH RECOGNIZED IT AN' IT JIS' FADED AWAY AN' JIS' STAYED LAK DAT. [Before proceeding to the doctor's magic-mirror trick, let me pause in an attempt to explain his pan-of-water trick, the latter an excellent example of hydromancy. The doctor had brought in his usual medical kit a newspaper folded into folds about 3 inches wide; the top fold containing type only, the bottom fold also the picture of a scantily dressed woman. He then holds the newspaper several inches under the Water, type side up and picture side down. Patient is instructed to free his mind of all thought except the identity of the spellcaster soon to be revealed. Gaze at the water constantly without blinking. After a long period, as much as 9 minutes, the doctor begins to rotate the newspaper so that the picture suddenly appears and disappears. He tole me tuh look at it quick an' ah looked at it quick an' ah recognized it an' it faded away.] So he said, now ah'll have her tuh come here an' confess tuh yo' dat she did it, if yo' want me tuh. Ah tole him, ah said, "Yeah, ah'll be glad tuh." He'd taken a mirrah an' turn it bottom upwards; taken a mirrah an' turn de face up lak dat [demonstrates].
(The face of the mirror up.)
Lak dat. An' he said - ast me whut wus 'er name. An' ah tole 'im 'er name. Ast me whut wus mah name, an' ah tole him mah name. He wrote mah name at de top an' 'er name at de bottom.
(On this mirror?)
On a piece of papah an' placed it on topa dis mirrah. An' den he'd taken a clock an' turned it face down, almos' right on topa de mirrah, an' let dat stay dere fo' five minutes. An' he'd taken it up in fo' an' a half minutes, an' put it down fō' a few seconds, den picked it up. He tole me she would be dere in five minutes. Ah don' know where she wus. She wus away cross town, somewhere. But he tole me tuh watch out fer 'er, she would be dere in five minutes. Ah Wus wondahin' how she goin' tuh git dere. She lived on Marshall Avenue 'bout fō' or five blocks from dere. Well in fō' an' a half minutes from de clock she wus dere. She come up on - man had a automobile, a taxi. Ah don' know whethah she wus on 'er way dere or whut, but in fō' an' a half minutes she wus dere. She tole me dat she did it an' she wus sorry. She says she didn't do it 'erself, said she got somebody else tuh do it, an' tole me his name an' evahthin'. (Do you know what they put in the whiskey to hurt you that Way? What she put into the whiskey?) Yes, dis fellah had taken two grains of snake dust an' put in de whiskey. But dat wasn't did dat Satiday night. Had it been did dat Satiday night, it wouldn't a worked so fast, see. She had did it somewhere roun' about three months agO, an' DAT LIVE ANIMAL HAD BEEN PERFORMED FROM DAT SNAKE DUST. An' den ah had been away from 'er fō' fō' or five months, an' had been goin' wit anothah girl an' had passed 'er up. Well dis girl wus teachin' school. Well ah wouldn't let dis girl know dat ah had evah been wit 'er, cuz ah thought dere would be a lot a jealouSy dere. WELL, WHEN AH WENT BACK DAT NIGHT, DEY STIRRED IT UP, YO' SEE, AN' DAT MADE DIS LIVE ANIMAL LOCK MAH BOWELS. AN' IT HAD TUH PASS THROUGH OR ELSE AH'D A LIVED SO MANY HOURS HAVIN' DOSE FITS AN' DIED.
Entry 7235
Dat would be whut de root man, dis hoodoo doctor - dat would be whut he would do.
(What will he do? Will you tell me that again? What would he do?)
Now in case dat yo' wus hurted by anyone an' yo' would go tuh a root doctor. Well, dis doctor, he would draw dis pichure of de individual who did dat tuh yo' an' den, aftah dat, he would build a fire an' in front of de smoke, yo' see, he'll hold de pichure up yo' undahstan'. Put it, yo' know, on a stick or somepin an' den yo' shoot [the picture drawn by the root doctor].
(Who does the shooting, you or he?)
Yo' do it. Yo' will do it yuhself.
(That keeps away trouble.)
Entry 7236
[Playing cards is hoodoo's greatest method for revealing your past, present and future fortune. These professional manipulators of cards are usually called a reader or fortuneteller, though both latter terms may include crystal ball, pan of water, all sorts of special gifts, etc. The present rite, however merely starts with cards to discover the sex of a thief. For similar methods of divina- tion, See PLAYING CARDS, p.195f., and PLAYING CARDS SPECIAL, p.196f., both a part of DIAGNOSIS, Pp.165-217.] Yo' git chew a deck a [of] cahds [cards] playin' cahds, pu' [put] dem out dere lak in gamblin', an' yo' kin tell if it's a man or a woman. See, yo' cut [demon- strates], yo' shuffle dem cahds; yo' turn dem around an' den yo' shuffle de. Yo' cut dem three times an' yo' turn de face up. If it's a man, it goin' tuh be a jack; if it's a woman, it goin' tuh be a queen dat chew turn up, yo' see. A queen is fσ' a woman, lak dat. Now, if she is a colahed puson - it's a colahed woman - it goin' tuh be spade, queen a [of] spades; an' if it's a white woman, it goin' tuh be a queen a [of] di'monds, see. If it's a bright woman, it: s de queen a[of] hearts. See. De same wit de jack an' de king. See. Well, all right. An' aftah yo' cut dem cards an' find out how [who] it is, yo' take yo' dis S-lax [see later] powdah.
(What? Where do you get that?)
Yo' buy it at de drug sto'. It's HOODOO STUFF. Doctor Thomas [proprietor of the drug store] got it down dere.
(What do you call it?)
S-Lax powdah.
(Ex-lax?)
Yeah, it's a powdah.
(Not Ex-lax?)
No, not Ex-Zax. Dat's a candy. Dat's fo' - dat's candy. It's Ex-Zax powdah.
(And what is it called, this powder?)
Ex-lax powdah.
(All right.)
[Author gives up, resigns, etc.]
An' yo' buy it at Doctor Thomas Drug sto'.
(Doctor Thomas' Drug Store?)
Yeah, right down heah on Ramport Street. Yo' take dat stuff. An' aftah yo' take dat powdah - yo' take dat powdah an' yo' puts it on a lamp, yo' see, an' yo' burn it. Yo' see, yo' burn it ovah dere in a li'le pan, see. Well, aftah yo' burn it in a pan, yo' take dat an' yo' puts it - yo' take a red candle - not no black candle - see, yo' want dat back, a red candle, an' yo' burn dat. Yo' burn dat candle an' dat woman - yo' put [that] woman [her name] on de papah, yo' see. Yo' burn it ovah dat [lamp] an' ah betchah dat stuff'll come back tuh yuh.
(That they [she] stole.)
Yeah.
(What do you mean by "woman on that paper?")
[I want to be certain about this. My preceding understanding was wrong.]
Yo' see, yo' jis' put 'woman" - jis' write [the word] 'woman" on de papah. If it's a woman dat stole it [according to the preceding playing cards rite of divination] yo' write "woman" on dere. Yo' don' know 'er name. But if yo' know 'er name - it's bettah fo' yo' tuh know 'er name. If yo' know de puson's name, yo' put de name dere, an' yo' got 'er.
(I see. Where do you put that paper?)
Yo' put dat papah undah de li'le pan wit de candle on topa [top of] it an' yo' burn it. An' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back tuh yuh.
(I see. What do you do with that powder?)
De powdah - yo' git de powdah at de drug sto'. See, yo' mix de powdah in wit dat stuff, yo' see.
(With what stuff?)
Mix de powdah an' burn it, yo' see, ovah de lamp. Yo' see, yo' burn dat pow- dah, see, in de pan. Den yo' stick de candle right up in de centah of dis [panl an' put 'er name right undah dat, yo' undahstan', an' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back. [This burning brings dat stuff back.]
Entry 7237
Dere a preachah stayed in Boyce, Mississippi, Scotts County, an' some- one stole his suitcase an' he went tuh one of de gentlemen [doctors] an' de gen- tlemen tole him he'd git 'is suitcase back. An' so de fellah [doc- tor] went an' cut some cahds [cards] an' tole him tuh go tuh de stō' an' git 'im some sulphur, an' git 'im some salt, an' he give it tuh 'im. Den he [doctor] sprinkle dat ovah him [preacher] an' rubbed 'is [preacher's] hands an' [they] says he [preacher] throw it up in air where de wind blow it. An' he got 'is suitcase an' dere wusn't a thing tuk [taken] outa it. Dat's a true fac', he got 'is suitcase. [For wind- blowing rites, see Nos.5713-5718, Pp.2917-2918, etc.]
Entry 7238
[The following statement is a penciled note of mine made back in 1937 while transcribing cylinder recently recorded in Wilmington:] Fortuneteller - while eating breakfast in this woman's house [who was hurt] - the woman who he said had hurt her sent over some biscuits - he ate them and told his hostess [and patient] they would have killed her if she had eaten them - long story not worth copying. [Wilmington, N. Car., (215, the story occurring in Evans Co., Ga.), 121:2+85.] [The story should have been cop- ied because it showed that a doctor was immune to poison. It also shows a spell must be prepared for a particular person, a common belief in hoodoo.]
Entry 7239
(Where did you come from?) Why ah came from Nassau City, Nassau. Ah wus born dere an' in Nassau an' raised up in Miami.)
(You were born in Nassau and you were raised in Miami, Florida.)
Yes, sir.
(How old were you when you came to Miami, Florida?)
Well, ah wus only three yeahs old.
(How did you learn this work? From some other person?)
Through my dad.
(Was he a root doctor in Nassau?)
Yeah, a root doctor intuh Gongi Islands dey call it. He wus dere. An' he had dose four disks, yo' know, li'le roun' disks lak li'le silvah-lookin' things. Mah dad wus usin' dose but he'd nevah give me dat one. He would nevah give me dat. Well, he's daid now. But he died in Miami, at 555 N. W. 15th Street.
(He did root doctoring in Miami?)
Yes.
(HoW long ago did he die?)
Been daid fo'teen yeahs.
(His name was what?)
Doctor Walter Parsons [originally Porie.]
(How do you spell your name?)
Willie - P-O-R-I-E. (You have only been here five months, but before that you worked mostly in Florida.) Yes, sir, St. Petersburg.
Entry 7240
Well, mah sistah got hurt once in 'uh han' [hand]. Also one a [of] mah brothahs got hurt. He [doctor] come tuh de house. Mah daddy went [to Ouincy] an' got 'im. An' he tole fathah, say, "Yo' make me a fiah in de stove." He got nine needles in a li'le bottle of watah. Ah don' know whut else he done tuh 'uh. He say de people's been here [who caused her trouble]. An' fō' many mō' minutes dat thing got tuh boilin'. He says, "Dere's a woman goin' come in, ast yo' tuh give her somepin." He say, "Don' give her nothin. She goin' come in aftah some salt." Dat woman did come dere an' it jis' pō'in' down rain. She come in de rain, an' ast mah daddy fer tuh give her a li'le bit of cookin' salt. He tole 'er, "No, ah'm sorry." "Well, all right, goodbye." An' she went right off in de rain, see. Well now, HE WUS TAKIN' DE SPELL OFFEN MAH SISTAH AN' SHE [visitOr] CARRIED IT RIGHT BACK WIT 'ER. Dat's true. [The preceding story, simply and briefly told, is one of the finest statements in Hoodoo. I consider it a work of black literature, beautiful, saying much with little. Consider those two groups of five words each: it jis' po'in' down rain when the woman arrived, immediately repeated as she come in de rain. Within a few minutes the whole world changed. Before the woman's arrival the rain poured, after her immediate departure the rain fell gently, because she carried it [the spell] right back wit 'er. Remember, the informant is speaking extemporaneously. Try to rewrite this story using the same number of words. The doctor's equipment also amazes me. Nine needles in a small bottle! Yes, the woman was a confede- rate, quite worthy of the doctor. After her request for salt is refused, she answers, Well, all right, goodbye. Simplicity is everywhere, exaggeration no- where. Some day I hope a black Lady Gregory will discover this tale and trans- form it into a vehicle for great black, not white-folks acting.] [For a parallel to the preceding story, see NEVER LEND TO A WITCH, in which the witch also comes to borrow salt (FACI 2nd ed., p.875, story of Germanorigin). In our present hoodoo story we have, not some neighbor dropping in to borrow; but the appearance of the mysterious stranger, an awesome theme as old as history.] [A penciled note of mine on the transcription reads R.D. (= root doctor) near Quincy, Fla.]
Entry 7241
It's experience, ah knows. Ah wus goin' tuh a place one time tuh a skin game, an' so de boys says, "Whutcha got?" Well, de day befo' dat ah went an' caught me a rabbit, caught 'im alive. An' ah took de rabbit an' cut de lef' foot off an' lef' 'im still livin'. (Which left foot, the front or back?) De back foot. See, got de back foot on de left-hand side an' put it in mah pocket. Well, ah wus goin' tuh dis game an' ah didn't have but one nickel. Well, ah got down dere. Ah says, ah ain't got but a nickel, ah chance dis. Well, de firs' drop ah caught de firs' fellah an' ah still had mah rabbit in mah left pocket - dis rabbit foot. So well, we went tuh work den an' we gambled an' we gambled an' we gambled. An' so when de thing ended up, ah win de money. An' ah had faith dat vus mah rabbit de cause of it see, cuz it's lucky, de lef' hin' foot. [Doctor Nelson of Charleston, S. Car., says the left hind foot of a graveyard rabbit, No.2226, p.632.]
Entry 7242
Wal yo' goes an' use de devils-shoestring, black root, rattlesnake mastah, an' use de calomel [calamus] root [sweet flag (Acorus calamus)] dat goes on a - yo' kin take a li'le whiskey an' yo' put dat on dere. Dat goes through an' through de human body - which an' why it is de only way de most in de haid, yo' see, it flusteratin' through de jungle vein. An' from de - from it functions tuh de bowels it goes on an' den it gotta take effect on de kidneys. Den de kidneys git wrong an' den it gotta take effect on de bladdah. An' den she take dat line an' it goes up tuh de lungs. Den fore dey git de heart pertected [protected], yo' see, dat makes a function tuh it - dat makes it a slow. Den dat goes up in de haid. Den dat goes an' make dem absent-minded. But now, aftah yo' give dem dat, dey gon'a use yo' gon'a use yore method den. An' de firs' thing yo' have tuh do is give dem salts from Central America. A teaspoonful an' dat take it 'way, which an' why dat gon'a make de othah fellah whut done it - yo' see he goin' tuh know but he cain't tell whut's de trouble. An' one [once] yo' take it [spell] off, it will nevah come back no mō'. (How do you give her these roots? Do you put them in a bottle of whiskey or does she drink it or what does she do?) Nah, yo' let [her] take dat - yo' let 'er drink it.
(And then you use this powder too?)
Dat salts from Central American.
(How do you use that powder?)
Yo' jis' take it an' give it tuh - give dem a dose, jis' lak yo' take in yore hand a halfa teaspoonful.
(That will cure her then?)
Dat will cure her cuz dat will got through all de art'ries, all de jungle veins. Yo' see, dat goes when de heart is vaporating de bloods from de lungs. Dat will go tuh de brains, dat will go tuh de cap of de brain an' dat will cuz de - dat will work on de bowels an' git all de stuff whut is in dem. Dat'll empty it. Den yo' give dem de rattlesnake mastah or John de Conkah; an' den yo' give dem de blackroot, supposed tuh be anothah method whut yo' kin use in anothah way.
[While recording machine is turned off, something is said about spirits.]
(Well, now suppose you tell me this method first. Whose spirit do you call? The person who had this spell put on the person? Or do you call a root doctor or a conjurer?) Yo' jis' make a prayah: Lord, heah ah am an' whosomevah put de spell on me, Lord ah wan' chew tuh achly [actually] he'p 'em tuh take it off. Den dat will come tuh be, reveal [itself]. See, de spirit will go wit de man doin' de right thing. (Well, after the woman is cured, then what do you do with the spirit that you caught?) Wal, when she cured, turn 'im loose.
(How do you turn him loose?)
All yo' gotta do, unscrew it [bottle] an' let 'im go.
Entry 7243
Now, yo' take me, ah wuz fixed. Ah kin prove mine. Mah wife done it tuh me. But she done it, yo' know, wit mah private, yo' unnahstan'. Now it's [private is] no good fo' me. We had a fuss, yo' know, an' she jis' fixed me while ah wuz sleepin', see. An' now de whole haid of it's no good.
(I see. Well, what did she do to you?)
She put some HINDU STUFF on it. She sent tuh Chicago fo' it. (Well, what effect did this have or how does it act?) Well, it didn't verk on me fo' 'bout fo' [four] days; an' aftah ah found out whut it wuz, ah went tuh de rootman. See, mah mothah sent me tuh de root man an' he tole me he couldn't do me no good, ah wuz too fah [far] gone. Dat stuff had et [eaten] in dere, see. He couldn't do me no mo'[more] good.
(HAVE YOU EVER GONE TO A REGULAR DOCTOR ABOUT IT?)
YES, SIR, AH WENT TUH A REG'LAH DOCTAH.
(WHAT DID HE SAY ABOUT IT?)
SAID, DERE WUZN'T NUTHIN TUH DO BUT CUT IT OFF.
(Did he say it wuz any kind of disease or anything?)
No, jis' poisoned. Yes, sir, jis' poisoned.
(Well, what did your wife do then? Did she leave you or what?)
Ah lef' 'er [I left her].