Browse:FROG AND TOADFROG (Volume 5, entries 9859–10013)
FROG AND TOADFROG
Volume 5, entries 9859–10013. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 9859
Yo' kin kill a person wit a toadfrog. Yo' kin git a toadfrog an' jis' lak yo' had a enemah [enemy] an' yo' didn't wanta go tuh 'im an' jis' shoot 'im down perhaps. Yo' would git chew a toadfrog an' tie 'im up an' den talk tuh 'im jis' lak yo' wuz talkin' tuh dat individual [you intended to kill]: [1] YO'S MAH ENEMAH AN' YO'S DIS, [2] DAT, [3] AN' DE OTHAH, AN' YO' DONE DIS THING. [1] AN' AH'M GOIN' KILL YUH, [2] AN' AH WAN' CHEW TUH LEAVE, [3] AN' AH DON' WANT CHEW TUH BE IN MAH WAY. An' take a bran'-new knife dat hasn't been used, an' aftah yo' git through talkin' wit 'im, aftah yo' tied 'im [toadfrog] up lak dat, talk tuh 'im lak yo' wuz in a fuss wit dis enemy of yores. Yo's re'lly mad wit 'im an' yo' start tuh cuttin' 'im wit dat bran'-new knife, jis' sayin' things tuh 'im: [1] AH WAN' CHEW TUH DIE, [2] AH WAN' CHEW TUH DIE, [3] AH WANT CHEW TUH TAKE SICK AN' DIE. Aftah yo' git through cuttin' 'im, call 'im [toadfrog] a bad name. Dat individual will take sick an' jis' dwindle away, jis' lak yo' killed dat frog [toadfrog] an' named 'im dat individual.
Entry 9860
An' yo' take dat same frog an' yo' tie 'im tuh a lightwood [pine] splintah of a tree struck wit de lightenin'. Yo' git a splintah, a fat splintah [pine splinter filled with pitch] an' yo' git chew some black thread - black silk thread - an' yo' tie dat frog aroun' dat. Yo' don't kill 'im. Aroun' dat splintah. An' yo' buries dis frog tuh de do' [of] de girl [you] is tryin' tuh make or marry an' yo'll soon marry dis girl, or yo' an' 'er will be sweethearts an' stay tuhgethah - live tuhgethah. [The splinter here is not the ordinary small sliver that runs into your finger; it can be large enough to hold a frog and much larger, a stick of wood to burn in the stove. This splinter should come from the actual wood split by lightning, not from any other part of the tree.]
Entry 9861
Yo' kin trim a fat-lightah splintah, lak a peg outa it, an' yo' ketch dat toadfrog befo' de sun rise. Anyway, kill 'im befo' de sun rise. Yo' push dat peg through 'im an' yo hold 'im dere until he dies. Den yo' take de peg outa dere an' tie a cord roun' 'is feet, an' yo' kin hang 'im up any- where on a bush. Or jis' take a stake an' put 'im on it an' make yore wish, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an'Holy Ghost. If yo' wan'a person tuh move, yo' kin stick it up an' make dem move; if yo' want luck, yo' kin stick it up an' make yore wish fo' luck.
Entry 9862
Yo' git chew fo' toadfrogs an' yo' tie dem by a laig - by one laig, not tuhgethah but one laig at de time - an' yo'll hang dat fellah [frog] deah wit 'is haid down. Yo' tie de othah one an' yo' hang 'is haid down. An' yo' tie all fo [frogs]. Hang 'em separates [separately] down. Pluck dere eyes out an' dat'll run somebody crazy in dey house. (Wait a minute! You are not telling the story the way you told it before. How long do you leave them there and all that sort of thing? Tell me the whole story now.) All right. Dey hangs dere fo' day, foah nights. Lak yo' put 'em heah tuh- aight. Starts from tuhnight. Be shuh [sure] yo' got dose foah nights out. Well yo'kow de days is gotta come in. Each day yo' go dere an' pluck out one's eye [the eyes of one frog]. Dat takin' de eyesight from whosomevah in dat house from 'e. [4 frogs and 4 nights here does not mean 4 victims but thoroughness, deriv- ed from the "4 corners of the earth" (in Biblical Apocalypse of John,7:1) or 4 directions everywhere.]
(Wouldn't they see those frogs hanging there on the wall?)
Uell, ah don't think she saw 'em. But she cert'inly went blind.
(When do you pick out the eye, in the daytime or at night?)
[I am afraid my question was a little disconcerting.]
Night. Ah think it's night becuz yo' have dem dere dat foah nights. [In- formant himself has not performed this rite; he merely heard about it, saw the frogs, and knew the woman went blind.]
Entry 9863
Ah'd get me a frog an' ah'd squeeze the left eye, squeeze de milk out of it...ah'd put it in a bottle an' put it right by my steps an' de law can't come in my house. [This blinding of frog blinds the law!]
Entry 9864
[As another protective device by using a frog eye, we have the follow- ing rite:] If someone wants tuh harm you, to keep 'em from harming you, you must get a frog. You gets a frog and you kill de frog. After you kill the frog, you just take the heart and the gizzard out. You take the heart and the gizzard out. [I failed to ask for a description of a frog gizzard, probably assuming stomach was meant. The true gizzard of course, is the second (posterior) stomach of birds.] Then you dry it - you dry it right in the sun-like. Just good sunny days put it out. After you dry the frog eye and it's heart, you take...
(Just a moment, you said the frog's heart and gizzard before?)
Heart and gizzard, yes.
(Yes.)
[Yet, I still think the word is eye rather than gizzard.]
After you dry it thoroughly, then you put it - you could put it in your purse and just tote all the time and no one can harm yuh.
Entry 9865
All right. Chew take a long homespun string jes' about long enough tuh make nine knots. Den yo' ketch dis frog an' a - yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive. An' which is dis about, if yo' wanta run a person? If yo' take dis heah homespun - take a string an' tie it nine times an' yo' tie it tuh 'is laig. Den yo' go tuh de person's house, dere do'step, dere front do'step, an' put it undahneat' of de do'steps. Den yo' let de frog stay dere till nine mawnin's an whosomevah de party dat [is] yo' calls dere name, an' let 'em walk ovah dat fo' nine mawnin's, den dey will die, if de frog dies. If de frog is goin' tuh die de ninth mawnin' yo' goin' also die.
(You simply tie this string around the frog's leg?)
Aroun' de lef' laig, nine times [demonstrates]. (You just loop this around his leg and tie a knot. Then loop it around his leg and tie a knot again. And you tie nine knots in string on frog's leg and bury frog under the door.)
[Here for informant's word put I substitute bury!]
Bury him undah de door right at de steps lak when yo' come out. Put it right up undah de sill of de steps. [The frog is not buried but kept alive: yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive.] Well, when he come out well - well, he kin stay dere nine mawnin's, nine days, dat frog is compelled tuh die wit'out food. Well, he'll die an' den yo'll pass also wit de frog.
(You actually bury that under the ground?)
[Here again I am suggesting the frog is buried!]
Yo' bury de frog under de ground.
(That's to kill the person living in the house?)
Yessuh. [Magically we have enough here to kill anyone: the intention, home- spun = new string, 9 knots in, tied about left [back] leg, animal buried under step victim must walk over, victim's name called, etc. For something similar, including steps, see No.9871, six rites forward.]
Entry 9866
Lak ah was mad wit chew an' we lived purty neah where we could git tuh each othah. Ah'd take a toadfrog an' git me a quart bottle an' wash it out good an' clean. An' he may be large but he'll go in; jes' mash [squeeze] 'im an' he'll go right on in alive. Take an' tie a string or wire aroun' de neck de bot- tle, an' climb up in a tree close tuh yuh place - 'long as it's about yuh place - an' hang it dere. Let it hang right dere until dat frog dies. Den take dat bottle down. Take dat bottle down an' take de frog out, an' bury de frog an' put de bottle back up dere. An' if yo' won't leave, yo'll nevah be able tuh work roun' dere; yo' jes' be dere, dat's all.
(Where do you put that bottle?)
Put it right back up, up in de tree.
(What do you do with the frog?)
Burry him.
(Where?)
Right down dere at de root of dat tree, burry de frog. An' if yo' stay dere yo'll nevah be able tuh do nuthin an' yo' more den able...
(Where would you do all this, at your own home?)
At de home - lak ah was mad wit chew, ah would do dis at chure home.
Entry 9867
If a person wanta kill yo', name dat frog dis person. An' yo' hang dat frog up in a bucket or cup or somepin where he can't git out dere. An' when dis frog begin tuh git hungry, starve, he pine away an' de person will pine away. When de frog die, dat person will die.
Entry 9868
Yo' kin run a frog up tuh yuh do'. An' whip an' talk tuh 'im. Talk about evah'where he [victim] stays. He's bad. An' take dat frog den an' care [carry] him out tuh a hick'ry tree. Take a [young] hick'ry tree an' beah [bear = bend] it down an' put dat frog on dat tree. Tied dat frog on dat tree an' when dat frog dry up, den yo' [victim] will dry up an' travel. Yo jes' dry up an' yo' won' have no mind tuh stay at one place. (What else do you do with that frog when you are whipping him? What else do you do to him?) Jes' talk tuh 'im an' tell 'im whut chew whippin' 'im fo', an' tuh do whut chew want done. Talk jes' lak, yo' know, lak somebody talkin'. Whip 'im till yo' kill 'im.
(Well, what if I get the wrong person?)
[I am fishing here to learn whether frog is named victim or victim's name is called, etc.] Yo' have tuh talk tuh 'im an' tell 'im whut tuh do.
Entry 9869
You get the frog and you whip it and you beat it, and you put it under the person's step before it die. And, I guarantee, that will make 'em move.
(I see.)
Entry 9870
Den anothah thing, yo' kin take a toadfrog an' tie him by his laig, hin' laig, an' call de person name. If his name James, jis' call 'is name an' whip de frog jis' 'bout tuh death, an' take him an' throw him away, an' in about six months time dat person will hop jis' lak dat frog, see.
(You tie that around either leg?)
Eithah laig.
Entry 9871
A lady told me that if I want my next door neighbor to be moved, to get a frog. And you whip him underneath her step and make him stay there until he dies. And when the frog dies, that the neighbor would move. You beat him an' make him go under the step and if he comes out, make him go back again and leave him stay under there until he dies. And when he dies and dries up why that will make the people move away.
Entry 9872
Now yo' kin cure disease wit a frog an' yo' kin make love wit a frog.
(How do you make love with a frog?)
Well, now yo' kin take dat frog an' cut dat frog open an' it's a li'l stone, a li'l rock, a li'l stone-lak dat's in dat frog. An' yo' kin take dat li'l stone an' any woman dat chew wanta git up tuh 'er dat yo' cain't git tuh, yo' wanta git up tuh 'er, yo' jis' take an' yo' have dat stone in yore hand - anywhere dat yo' could touch 'er. Yo' could shake hands wit 'er, er anywhere yo' kin touch 'er wit dat stone in yore han'. Yo' got 'er yore way. [Informant does not know that this stone-lak is supposed to come from a toad, not a frog: The foul Toad hath a fair stone in his head, from John Lyly, Euphues, p.53, (1579); an old belief made immortal by Shakespeare in As You Like It: Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head. Act ii, sc.1, L.12. (1599).]
Entry 9873
Yo'll take dat toadfrog an' yo'll dry 'im, yo' see, an' dere's two ways yo' dry dem toadfrogs. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' let it be lak - makes a powdah outa it, yo' see, an' yo' sprinkle dat. Dat's fo' gittin' outa a home, too [making a person move]. Den, yo' kin ketch a toadfrog an' don' kill 'im, if yo' wants tuh send a person away ag'in. Ketch a toadfrog an' don' kill 'im, an' den let 'im go off an' die. Yo'll cut 'im at a place whah [where] yo' kin put dese names in dere; lak yore name or some- body yo' have wanta send 'em 'way from dere. Yo' see, yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll cut dat toadfrog, an' it's a way dat dey kin put dat papah up in dat toadfrog an' turn 'im a-loose an' let 'im go, an': jis' [the way] as he goes dem people'll go.
Entry 9874
Jis' take his name on a papah an' open de frog's mouth, an' put dat man's name down dat frog's throat, an' jis' hold 'im right dere until he dies. An' den pass outa de house an' throw it somewhere neah de house, an' den he hops lak a frog.
(That man will hop like a frog.)
Yessuh.
Entry 9875
Yo' kin take a toadfrog an' write de name of a person an' stick it in dat frog an' bury it in a crawfish hole. Yo' know, push it [toad] backwards in de crawfish hole an' shet dat hole up, an' den what dat toadfrog bust open dey'll bust open. (You just write that name once on a piece of paper?) Write de name once or twice or three times jis' lak yore mind leads yo', an' jis' put it [paper] down in it
[frog]. Den put him down in dat hole an' cover it up. Fix it so dat dey [toad]
cain't come outward, yo' know, an' he's bound tuh die. When he die, yo're gone.
Entry 9876
Dey have used frogs wit de hard lumps on dem [toads?].
(How would they do that?)
Let 'em dry an' throw it undah de house. Yo'll nevah go an' neithah come.
(How would you get rid of that?)
Well, all yo' got'a do, jes' take de frog an' pays 'im a [silver] dime. An' when yo' pays 'im a dime, yo' ketch 'im alive an' yo' stick im on yo' do's. Stay wit chew a length'a time an' den he goin'a run dem out de house. (You do what?) Stick 'im alive on de backa yo' do'. Yo' ketch 'im an' take 'im swallah a dime. An' take a picket [stake] an' put a picket in 'is haid two han's [feet], bottom 'ands [back legs], until he come tuh be dry. When yo' want 'im tuh go out dere, den yo' go out dere an' den throw im dat same distance [direction] where dey is. Den he do yo' work.
(He'll [second toad will] throw off the other frog.)
[Two toads are used here, the first one thrown under victim's house so that he can nevah go and neither come. To counteract this spell, victim or his doctor catches and pays another live toad to work for him.] Yeah.
Entry 9877
A green frog. All right, yo' kin put dat green frog - take him an' othah 'im in a towel. (Smother him in a towel.) Smothah 'im. Jis' smothah 'im an' yo' take dat same - den yo' take 'im an' cut 'im an' let 'im bleed, an' drop jis' nine drops in watah, er in whiskey, an' let 'em tuh drink it. An' dat frog'll come in 'im, jis' hatch in 'im jis' lak it would in de watah. [Live frogs will be born in the victim.]
Entry 9878
[This belief contains 2 parts, as the separate references indicate.]
Git dat green frog. Yo' ketch 'im out de swamps. Hang 'im up by his laigs until he dies. Let 'im hang right on dere until he dry up in good fashion, an' den yo'll pulverize 'im dat way. An' if yo' jis' wanta come in dis house, yo' don' have tuh do nuthin but put it on [in] a li'l' quill, yo' know, a li'l' pipe stem an' whuff [infor- mant blows]. De do' open an' yo' come on in an' do whut chew wanta do an' go on back out an' close de do'. But chew must have dat thing whut ah tell yo' 'bout on yore thumb so nobody can't see yo'. Yo' kin jis' go in anybody's do' yo' wanta go in in de night an' nobody can't keep yo' from goin' in dere. Yo' jis' - hit'll unlock.
(What do you blow that dust on?)
Blow it right through de keyhole an' yo' hear it [the lock] clack-clack. Yo' walk right on in an' do whut chew wanta do an' come on back an' close de do' an' go on 'bout chure business. But chew must git a green one. [Brunswick, Ga.,
(1223), 2079:6.]
[Here is what informant had previously told me about dat thing...on yore thumb so nobody can't see yo']: If yo' jis' [want to] pass by a crowd in de street or anywhere, git chew a real black cat dat ain't got no spots about 'im an' cut his ear off, an' boil it in a black cow's milk - jis' a li'l bit chew know - an' make a stole [a stall = covering or sheath for finger or thumb] lak yo' fingah stab an' put it on yore thumb. An' when yo' gits ready tuh go by dat crowd, slip dat ovah yore thumb an' nobody see yo' when yo' pass. [Several examples of this stole or stab from a black cat's ear are given elsewhere. I described this informant in note as a small-time R.D. = root doctor.] [Brunswick, Ga., (1223), 2076:2.]
Entry 9879
An' if a woman got a husban' an' he got a outside woman, git a female frog an' a male frog. Yo' hang de female frog up firs' an' den hang de male frog right up where yo' [he] kin scratch her right on de back lak dat... [I interrupt.] (Wait a minute) [and then turn off machine and infor- mant starts again]. If a woman got a husban' an' he got a outside woman an' yo' wanta break 'em up, wanta make dis man beat dis woman up an' quit 'uh. Yo' take dis female frog an' yo' hang it up firs', right where dis he-male [demonstrates].
(You hang up the female frog with the head up or down?)
Hang 'uh [her] haid down, by de two laigs lak dat [demonstrates] wit a string. Yo' put 'uh up undah a tree. Take 'uh tuh a oak tree, tuh de lef' side of a oak tree. Yo' hang 'uh laigs up lak dat an' hang it in a way where yo' kin hang de he-male frog's laigs right up ovah de top of dis female frog. An' [as] yo' put it dere, yo' say, In de Name of de Lord, ah put dis heah tuh scratch until yo' die. Well, dat frog will scratch right dere on dat [female frog representing the] woman until she dies. An' de wife will nevah have no mo' trouble wit 'uh, an' huh husban' at home wit 'uh, an' have all de money an' evah'thin'. (You tie this male frog up so that he'll scratch the back of this female frog and kill it?) Dat's right, kill it. Jis' let 'im scratch dere an' tell 'em, Ah hang yuh heah in de Name of de Lord tuh scratch until yo' die. [This rite would have been more potent if the frog had been named the Outside woman - if name known.
Entry 9880
Yo' take a toadfrog an' yo' split 'im open in de back, see, an' put 'im tuh [point head to] sunrise an' dry 'im out. He's de bes' luck in de world.
(Luck for what in particular.)
Gamblin'.
(Then what do you do then after he is dry.)
Stuff 'im back wit incense an' sulphuh.
(What do you do to him then?)
Put 'im in yore pocket.
Entry 9881
Yo' takes an' go out an' yo' ketches jis' a or'nary frog an' yo' turn 'is haid toward de wall, an' 'is tail from yo'. Bring 'is tail see, an' cut him open dat way [demonstrates]. [To record informant's ac- tions required a question.] (You cut him open in his belly or his back?) Cut 'im open in de back. Cut 'im( open an' den open 'im up an' find 'is li'l heart. An soon as yo' git it - don' say a word whilst chew cuttin' 'im. Jis' lay him back out dere an' let 'im [leave him] kickin' an' back back from 'im three steps. Turn on roun' an' go on 'bout chure business. An' yo' takes jis' a piece of bran'-new flannel an' sew it [heart] up. When yo' sew it up yo' lay it so [demonstrates] an' yo' lay yore han' on it lak dat - carry yo' han' lak dat [demonstrates]. Ah do dis In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. (You just sort of move your hands back and forth with the flat of your hand over it, back and forth?) Yes. An' yo' go on about chure business an' yo'll back up anybody.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Dat? Well, now, jis' lak if yo' goin' tuh back somebody or sompin lak dat, dat would bring 'em back. Jis' give it tuh 'em an' tell 'em tuh weah it in de right side in de chest. Dat'll bring 'em back.
(Will it do more things than that?)
Oh yes. Jis' lak if yo' want tuh git 'em 'way, if it's a man, den she weahs it in huh lef' pocket. Jis' tell 'er [informant assumes I am a doctor] tuh weah dat in 'er lef'-han' pocket. Dat'll bring 'im all de time. An' if she wan's tuh keep dem away, put it in de right pocket. Remembah dat. Well, now, yo' kin take de bull bat an' do de same thing - one dese ole leath- ah-wing bats, yo' know dese li'l things dey's got on de end. Cut 'im an' git de heart an' yo' kin do de same thing, but hit mo' fo' gamblin'. Yo' take dat li'l heart an' sew it up, dress it wit Heart's Cologne an' whis- key, but chew use it de same way.
Entry 9882
If yo're poisoned yo' use a frog. Yo' take dat frog an' yo' cut 'im half in two, an' lay 'im on de place where - yo' know, jis' lak it wuz a li'l swollen or sompin lak dat some place. Yo' lay dat frog on top dat place an' de one dat chew had a idea dat did do it, yo' jis' cuss 'em out an' tell 'em, "Ah want chew tuh be jis' lak dis frog is, daid an' in he-ell." An' he'll swell up jis' lak de frog would. Jis' lak yo' are, dat's jis' how it would be happen tuh dem.
Entry 9883
Ah heah a guy say one time he had had some arguments wit a man an' he Wanted tuh git a way tuh git 'im. He went down tuh de side of a creek-kinda or lak a li'l swamp, an' got 'im a toadfrog. He tuk dis toadfrog an' brought 'im back tuh de house, an' put 'im in a matchbox an' stuck nine straight needles in dis toadfrog's back. An' he stuck nine straight needles in dis toadfrog's back an' he 'sposed tuh stay in dis matchbox nine mawnin's, an' de ninth mawnin' dis toadfrog would die. So he did dat, an' de ninth mawnin' dis toadfrog died. An' he said he went where dis man wuz, aftah dat nine mawnin's an' he said dis man hopped lak a toadfrog. He fixed 'im dat way, so he jes' hop- ped long, long lak a toadfrog. [He cunjured him that way so that he would hop along like a frog.] (Well, is that all he did, just stick the needles in the toadfrog? Nothing else? That's all he did?) Yes, dat's all - jes' went an' caught 'im an' put him in a matchbox an' stick nine needles in 'is back an' fix [here meaning to arrange, not to cunjure] him in a matchbox so he wouldn't git out. An' de ninth mawnin'... (Well, what connection would that toadfrog have with this man? How would he know he Was getting the right man?) [The man's intention was sufficient.] Well, he an' dis man had had a fuss an' dis man beat 'im outa de fuss. He beat 'im an' he wanted tuh git even wit 'im - jes' git dis man.
Entry 9884
Say fer instance if dere somebody livin' in dis house dat chew wanted tuh run 'em crazy. Well, yo' would git chew nine frogs an' put 'em in a jah. Covah dat jah up. Say [for instance] yo' know who's sleepin' in dis bed chere. Yo' take dat jah of frogs an' put it right undah de house, bur' it right undah dere baid, an' dey tell me dat in six days dat individual will go crazy an' de ninth day he'll die. [In dis bed chere means the bed in my interviewing room at a private home. Not my bedroom; I stayed at a hotel.]
Entry 9885
Take a toadfrog an' make anybody be out dere mind. Cut off 'is feet - yo' know, cut 'is toenail - ah call it toenail, an' put 'im in parchment [paper]. Tie 'im up an' bury 'im in a stump. [Informant may have omitted something here, such as writing victim's name on the parchment paper; but intention alone would be sufficient to power the rite.]
Entry 9886
Yo' kin take a toadyfrog an' split it open an' put it undahneat' de centah of yuh steps as yo' goin' in. Well, dat toadyfrog will be mortified tuh yuh all de time. Yo' can't go no time. Yo' can't go up nor come down. Dat will make yuh be's sickly all de time.
Entry 9887
A frog? An' if yo' have bone felon on yuh fingah lak ah had on dis one heah - an' yo' take dat frog whilst he's alive an' yo' split 'im open an' yo' run de fingah dat ails yuh, see, intuh 'im. Dat will draw de misery out.
Entry 9888
If anyone poisoned, yo' kin take a live toadfrog and split 'im wide open an' bind 'im up on dere, it'll take dat 'fect away.
Entry 9889
If a snake bite chew, [I will] start on dat firse [first]. If a snake bite chew an' yo' kin do yore goodsness [aid] fur dat bite right on de minute [immediately], it would he'p tuh git [it] out chew; but if yo' don't [have im- mediate aid] it might run a long ways. Yo' hardly git shet of it. [Without immediate aid a snake bite may be fatal.l But yo ketch yo' a toadfrog an' tie 'em a lettle above dat place dere [the bite]. Take yo' a string an' tie hit up above [the bite]. Don't have it too small [tight] tuh stop yore blood from runnin', yo' know. But have [do] dat an' jes' [as] de poison gwine out from dat frog, de mo' de poison he gwine out [you] chew know, an' it [poison] go right on out [of you]. [Here is the principle of poison kills poison.] An' move yore string, move it all. An' when it [poison] git out good, go tuh de drug stop, an' git chew white smellin' - ah fo'got de name yo' call it. Anyhow yo' go dere an' git it, tuh he'p [help] tuh git chure flesh smooth - yo' ou, lak it was.
Entry 9890
Dey say dat yo' kin take a toadfrog an' tote him till he dies, an' yo' kin cure any kinda complaint dat yo' wants; any complaint, if yo' ketch 'im an' tote him till he dies. (Then what do you do with him?) Yeah, jis' don' squeeze him, but yo' tote him till he dies. Any kinda complaint come tuh yore hand, yo' kin cure it.
Entry 9891
Yo' take a toadfrog alive an' yo' sew it up. Yo' puts 'im in a sack, sew 'im in a sack 'live. An' den ah cain't git tuh yuh bed, see, but dere is a fren' woman dat kin git tuh dere dat is a pers'nal fren' of mine. Ah give huh dat, tell 'uh tuh put it in yuh bed, in yuh mattress, see. An' when she slip dat, put dat in dat mattress, yo' become restless an' dose things will come tuh be in yuh flesh, becuz ah got de frog in dere. An' ah got de needles in dere, dat make de pain come. An' den dat git chew restless on de bed. Don't care when yo' git in dat bed, yo' gotta git out an' gits dressed. An' den all ah got- ta do den, aftah ah got it in dere, ah'll come tuh yuh house; an' when ah come tuh yuh house, if ah ketch yuh back tuh me, see, ah sprin- kle yuh bed wit dese [some kind of] powdahs. Ah sprin- kle dat, else ah drop one or two drops of dat perfume on dere.
Entry 9892
Yo' take dat frog an' yo' write dis name on a piece of papah. (What name?) Anybody's name. An' yo' tie it roun' dis live frog an' carry it an' throw it in de runnin' stream of watah. Tie it tight where de papah won't git off in a runnin' stream of watah. Dat's a party dat yo' wanta do harm tuh. Well, dat'll carry him right on off in dat rivah.
Entry 9893
Now, if yo' got a girl an' yo' wan' 'er tuh love yo', yo' kin go tuh one dem red ants baid. Ketch yo' one dem toadfrogs, dem ole rough toadfrogs an' kill 'im. Put dat toadfrog in dat ants baid an' let 'im stay in dat ants baid until dem antses eat 'im up, till he gits tuh where he ain't nuthin but a shell [skeleton]. Den yo' take dat frog den an' yo' git dat straight bone dat runs down 'is back. An' yo' kin take dat bone den an' any woman dat chew want or any man dat chew want, whilst me an' yo' talkin' or me an' 'er talkin', ah stick dat bone in dat garment dat she had on or dat he has on. If ah'm a woman ah stick it in a man [garment] or if ah'm a man ah stick it in a woman [garment]. Yo' see, stick dat bone in dere, jes' a small piece of dat bone, an' leave it in dere. Den yo'll come tuh be mah sweetheart if ah wan' chew, or yo'll come tuh be 'er sweetheart if she wan' chew.
Entry 9894
If yo' have someone dat yo' desire dere affection an' dere love, dey say now yo' could ketch a bullfrog an' put 'im intuh a box where he's confined and put holes. Set dis box where ants kin eat 'im up. Aftah dey eat 'im, dere's a bone in 'im. Yo' take dis box up an' look in dere [among the bones]. Dere's a bone-lak, lak a "T". Yo' take dis bone an' go tuh dis person an' put it somewhere in de lining, somewhere in dere clothes where dey won' know it, an' let dem weah it nine days in dere clothes. Aftah dat yo' take it an' keep it, an' as long as dey live, yo' can't git rid of 'em. Don't care whut chew do or how mean yo' be or how cross yo' be tuh 'em, as long as yo' keep dis "T" dere, yo'll nevah git rid of 'em in de world.
Entry 9895
There is something else that ah didn't tell you, they has a peculiar influence on people, an' that is the frog. Did chew evah hear that? You get a toad. You know what a toad is? [I probably nod my head yes.] You take him and you go to - you seen these large ants. You take him while he's alive an' carry him to a bed of these creatures, you know, an' put an ole bucket over him so he can't get out. And they'll jes' eat him completely up, and den they will leave the bones there. It's a bone that come out of his back; it looks like a shoe- buttoner, has a little hook-like in it. You take this and get a piece of this person's clothing. Say, for instance, if you could steal a pair of a lady's stepins or jes' anything that chew have of theirs - that chew can get of theirs, small that chew can wrap up. You wrap that up into a package of some kind like it was something very precious. And as long as that bone remain there, this person will remain very near to you. Now, that is something that has been tried by millions, an' also by myself - something to be substantiated.
Entry 9896
If yo' wuz a young man an' wan'in' [wanting] a girl an' love der [loved her] an' she wuz not yore class [she was above you] but still yo' wanted 'er, yo' take yo' a toadfrog an' git chew a nice li'l cigah box. Take yo a icepick an' put chew maybe two dozen holes, some in de side an' some on de top, so he git air yo' know. Shet 'im up in dere an' make some airholes in de box. Well, he'll 'vently [eventually] perish tuh death, an' de ants will eat de flesh off 'is bones. De ants will eat all de flesh, dere jes' be de carcass dere. He's got a hook in 'im jes' 'zactly [exactly] lak a fishhook. De ants eat all de flesh off 'im - dere be no skin dere, no nuthin but jes' 'is carcass - in about fo' months. It take about fo' months in de summah. In de fall of de yeah yo' kin git de carcass. Well, he's got a bone right in 'is hip back dere jes" 'zackly lak a fishhook. It shaped jes' lak a fishhook. Well, whut dey wanted de ants tuh do is tuh show 'em de bone, de fishhook. Dey take dis li'l bone an' put it anywhere in yore clothes. If it's 'er, when yo' go tuh see 'er, she'll hang it in yore clothes; or yo'll hang it in 'er clothes. Well, den she's got yo' tied. Dat's whut dey use de toadfrog fo'.
Entry 9897
If yo' wanta make a gurl love yuh, [they] say yo' git chew one dese big toadfrogs an' put it in a cigarbox, yo' know. An' put holes in it. Yo' see, all round it so de ants kin go through, dese large red ants. Yo' know, not de real large ones but dese li'l small red ants. An' put it right ovah de hole where nobody won't bothah it, off somewheres or 'nothah. An' dem ants will eat off all de - eat 'im up yo' know. Sting him an' den dey'll eat - feed off him, see, until dey git all dem bones tuh dereself. An' it'll be one bone dere jes' lak a fishbone. Ah've seen it mahself. It look jes' lak a fishbone.
(How does it look now?)
A li'l crooked - yo' know how a fishbone got a li'l crook in it. An' dey'll take dat fishbone an' - sometime yo' know yo' kin git up tuh a gurl an talk wit 'er but she don' care nuthin much 'bout chew; but den de same time, yo' kin git closah yo' know. Well, den when yo' git closah, yo' take dat bone yo' know an' stick it in 'er clothes anywhere, an' yo' can't git rid of 'er.
(That will make her love you.)
Entry 9898
Tuh make dem have a tendency tuh love anyone - yo' know, gain de in- fluence of anyone yo' wanta love - yo' gits a grown live frog. Let 'im be well- grown, healthy. An' gits yo' a pastebo'd box an' a darnin' needle an' thread. An' take yo' a pair of scissors an' cut a deep hole in dis box, an' yo' put dis live frog in dis box, but let it be at de twilight of de night. An' take yore scissahs an' cut holes in dis box. An' den take dis needle an' thing an' sew up dis box. An' take it an' don' say nuthin tuh nobody. Yo' take it an' go tuh a ants nest an' den yo' put it right in de ants nest. An' den aftah seven days yo' go back tuh de frog an' den de frog will be a skeleton. An' den it's two pieces about de skeleton yo' want. One look lak a fish scale an' one look lak a fishhook. An' yo' git dem two pieces an' yo' keep de fish scale. An' den yo' take de fishhook an' jes' lak if yo' wanta - intend tuh love anyone, yo' pin it anywhere on 'em fo' about thirty seconds, an' yo' tote it den. An' 'long as yo' keep dat fish scale yo'll have dem undah con- trol an' do anything yo' want 'em tuh do.
(What do you do with that fishhook?)
Yo' take that fishhook an' put it on his shirt or anybody dress or anything. Yo' know, hook it roun' dere. Yo' leave it dere fo' thirty seconds.
(Then what do you do with it?)
If yo' wanta yo' kin take it off.
Entry 9899
About de frog. Now, if ah had a girl, seed [saw] a woman dat ah wanted an' ah co'dn't [could not] git 'er no othahwise, ah'd take me a frog an' put 'im in a box. Cut some holes in de box an' care [carry] it tuh a red ant baid, one dese big raid ant baids. Put 'im dere an' let dose antses sting 'im tuh death. Stay away a couple, or three or fo' days until ah find he's done rotten an' quit stinkin'. Ah goes back in dere an' ah pulls dat hide off 'im an' dere's two bone in dere. One bone look lak a hook an' one is made lak a spade. Well, ah comes on back where dis woman is an' ah take dis hook an' pass by an' happen tuh scratch 'er ahm wit it. Hook it in 'er clothes an' ah go on. She'll follah me. She be mah woman from den on, until ah gits mad wit 'er or wanta git rid of 'er. Den ah could use de spade. De spade will bring hatred, make her hate chew. Lak yo' made her love, dat spade will make her hate chew. She'll hate tuh even see yo' comin'.
(What do you do with that spade to make her hate you?)
Ah keeps de spade all de time. Den ah take de spadebone an' do de same way wit it, yo' know, strike her, scratch 'er anywhere wit de spadebone, see. Den throw it away.
Entry 9900
Yo' git a frog, a toadfrog, an' yo' put 'im in a can. Yo' put some holes in de can an' yo' put 'im ovah a red ants nest, an' let de ants eat de frog. An' when de ants through wit it, yo' go dere an' gits de skeleton of de frog, an' yo'll find a bone in dere, in dis skeleton dat looks lak a fish- bone - a wishbone. [There is no bone in a frog or toad looking like the wishbone in a chicken.] An' yo' takes dis bone an' go out talk- in' wit de girl dat chure tryin' tuh git. If yo' kin hang it in 'er clothes jes' fo' two seconds, why she'll be crazy about chew. An' de only way tuh git unsundah [asunder] from 'er is take dat same bone from anothah frog, an' make a tea an' put some of de watah in sompin lak a bottle of soda watah [a sweet carbonated water of various flavors] or sompin lak dat - nine drop of dis. Den she'll git chew off 'er mind. Othah den dat, she'll stay wit chew.
(That is all she can do to get rid of that.)
Dat's all yo' kin do tuh git rid of dat girl.
(Oh! if you want to get rid of her.)
Yes, if yo' wanta keep 'er, why don't make de tea. (If you want to get rid of her, you get another frog and take it out to the ants bed.) Dat's it.
Entry 9901
Yo' kin take a frog an' put 'im in a pot an' boil 'im. Git chew nine red ants an' put in dere. Aftah yo' boil 'im, yo' take de frog out an' strip 'is laigs. Jes' lak yo' ketch de frog in dis han' [demonstrates] yo' ketch 'im by his laigs an' strip 'is laigs. Pull 'is laigs through de soup - de watah dat boilin'. [I describe informant's demon- stration.] (You hold him up by the legs and pull his feet down tovard the body.) Take dat, aftah yo' git de meat off - take his haid off - strip 'im enough tuh git de meat off wit'out teahin' 'im too bad. Take him an' git chew some cologne an' some linseed oil. Yo' 'noint 'im good wit dat linseed oil an' cologne. Take an' tie him in a bag. Put dat bag undah yore mattress. If yo' wan'a keep it from fallin' out, [put] 'tween de spring an' mattress. Gits a cloth an' put it up 'tween de mattress an' he [man] lie on dat.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'im wit 'er.
(Do you take this meat off all the bones or what?)
Jes' offa one, his lef' hin' laig.
(And you put the whole frog under there?)
De whole frog undah de baid. An' take de meat dat chew got off 'is lef' hin' laig an' one dose bones, an' tie hit an' weah hit between dere in a bag. Weah it roun' 'er waist in a bag, let it hang down in front of 'er.
(This is to keep the man.)
Reep de man, yeah, at 'er place.
Entry 9902
In gamblin' if yo' wanta be lucky aroun' a skin game, yo' take yo' a frog an' kill it an' go tuh ant's bed, dem ole big red ant, an' put 'im in dere, an' leave him fer nine days. An' he goin' be hard [a skeleton], dem ants goin' eat 'im all up. Jes' take dat frog an' tote 'im in yore lef' pocket. Dat's one of devilest hands yo' evah see.
(You are going to be lucky.)
Yes, sir, yo' goin' ruin dem gamblahs. [Jacksonville, Fla., (549(, 687:7.]
Entry 9903
There was one trick they had. They used to ketch a frog and take this old frog, kill an ole land frog, an ole toad. And put him in a little box and make holes in it supin like yo'd a pepperbox. Little ants would crawl in there and them ants would go in there and destroy the body of this ole frog. And after he was dead, eat him up. You put that box into run- ulag water, whare there's a place of water running right steady down, until it washed all that ole filth, that ole eat-up flesh, away from that frog, yo' know, and leave nuthin but de bone there. And there was a certain bone there, I don't know what it was, but I've heared them tell it. There was a certain bone in that frog that they'd take that out and go around de girl's house. And if she was walkin' around, cookin' an' doin' anything, she had no knowledge of what was goin' on, why you could hang that in her dress.
(Hang it on the clothesline?)
No, her dress on her. She'd have a dress on. But, if you's to take that ole bone and stick it in her clothes somewhares, she passin' around de house an' you's settin' there talkin' with her, and she couldn't git clear of you.
Entry 9904
Well, you take a frog, you take you a nail, or take a knife and peg him down alive jes' like that with a peg right at your house. Take some sugar and just sprinkle it good, you see. The worms, the ants and things will eat all the flesh off it. And after they eat all the flesh off it, you will find a forked bone at the back tail of it. Then you take that oil of clover, van van and fast luck, see. Now you take that and sew them together and make you a little bag, and put it in your pocketbook. But that fast luck. you must keep a little bit out when you going out, on the side, and scrape in your hand like this [demonstrates]. That gives you gambling hand; power in gamb- ling.
(Is fast luck a liquid or a powder?)
That's lickrish [liquid]. When you put it on your hand it burns shoe [burns you]. Now, when you look at it, when you put it on your hand and rub it, you see that curl up, sort of yellowish. It gives you satisfaction.
Entry 9905
Tell yo' about frogs. Take a frog an' put 'im in a snuffbox an' punch holes in it, an' ca' it down tuh de fo'ks of de road. An' at de twil of day go back fo' nine mawnin's, an' de las' mawnin' he'll be et up by de antses. An' take him den an' take de bone outa his haid, an' keep it in yuh pockit. An' if yo' wan' someone tuh do whut chew ast 'im [ask him] take an' put dat somewheah neah dem, an' dey'll do anything yo' as'cum [ask them].
(When do you take that frog down there to the road?)
At de 'twill of day - yes sir, jis' befo' daylight. (The twill of day, that means just before daylight.) [This last remark of mine is merely an editorial comment for the future. I may have another example of twil but I am not sure. Does it mean at the twilight of day? Somewhere in HOODOO I think we have the expression first Light. Does the latter equal dawn?]
Entry 9906
Yo' kin take a toadfrog. Now, I had dat - dat wus done tuh me. A man wus co'tin' [courting] me an' he wus co'tin' anothah lady. An' we co'ted fo' a good long while an' ah tole 'im, ah says, "Why don't chew let's git ma'ed?" He say, "Well, ah'm engaged tuh anothah lady tuh git ma'ed." Ah ast 'im, ah say, "Why yo' co'tin' me so long when yo' know yo' wus engaged tuh anothah lady?" He says, "Well, ah guess ah lak yuh." Ah say, "Well, dat ain't busi- ness." Say, "Ah thought chew wus co'tin' me fo' a wife. If ah hadda thought chew wusn't doin' dat, we'd abeen [we would have been] quit long ago, becuz a husband [was] whut ah wus lookin' fo'." He says, "Well, ah'm already [TORTOISE IN GEORGIA] engaged tuh git ma'ed." Ah say, "Well, when yo' goin' git ma'ed?" "Well, we's tuh git ma'ed in June." Ah tole 'im, ah says, "Well, when June come if ah live, yo' won' git ma'ed." He say, "Well, if ah live, ah will git ma'ed." Ah say, "Well, if yo' live yo' won' git ma'ed." So when June come - de lady wus down south - she came. He come ovah an' he tole me, he say, "Well, de lady ah tole yuh about ah wus tuh ma'y, she have come."
[Cylinder change causes the following repetition.]
Ah say, "Well, when yo' goin' git ma'ed? He say, "We's tuh git ma'ed in June." Ah say, "Well, ah tole yuh, yo' wouldn't ma'y her." He say, "Well, Ah don't see how yo' [can say] ah'm not gonna ma'y 'er. If ah live ah'm gonna ma'y huh." Ah say, "Well, if ah live yo' won' ma'y huh." So ah goes tuh a fortunetellah an' dis fortunetellah tole me tuh ketch a toad- frog an' git me a coffee can, a tin coffee can, an' drive holes in de bottom of dat can an up aroun' in dat can tuh 'bout halfway. An' ketch dat frog an' put 'in in dat can an' name him dat puhson's name three times. An' take it tuh a black antses baid an' stir it up, an' set dat can in dere; an' evah two or three days fo' me tuh watch dat can. Go an' look in it evah two or three days. An' when dem antses eat all de meat offa dat frog, tuh bring 'im dat frame [skeleton] in dat can. An' when dat wus done, ah ca'ed it tuh 'im. An' he tole me dere wus some bones in dat frog dat he wus gonna fix in a li'l package fo' me tuh weah shere it'll keep warm nex' tuh me, an' he would nevah ma'y dat wumman. An' he fised de package an' ah went tuh weahin' it. So when de time come fo' him tuh ma'y dis wumman, he come ovah an' he tole me, he sayed, 'Miss Cartah, '' he sayed, "De lady didn't ma'y me." Ah said, "Well, why she didn't ma'y yo'?" He said, "Ah dunno." Ah said, "Well, did yo' buy de papahs?" He say, "Yes, ' say, "Ah bought mah license an' dey cost fo' dollahs an' fifty aents, an' ah went ovah tuh ma'y her an' she tole me she 'clined [declined] de idea of gittin' ma'ed." Ah said, "Well, when did she say she would ma'y yuh?" "She didn't say." Ah said, "Well, yo' oughta make huh tell yuh when she gonna ma'y yuh. She 'clined de idea right now, maybe a li'l latah she might ma'y." He say, "She don' mean tuh ma'y' Ah say, "Yo' reckon she don't?" He say, "No." Ah say, "Why?" "Cuz she given me mah money back. Ah paid fo' dollahs an' fifty cents fo' de license an' she give it back tuh me." Ah say, "Oh well, she don't mean tuh ma'y yo' den." An' den he commence tuh worryin' me tuh ma'y 'im an' ah wouldn't ma'y him den, 'cuz de fortunetellah dat ah'd gone tuh tole me it would happen dat way. An' he tole me, "When he ast chew 'bout ma'in' don' chew ma'y him." Said, "Becuz he wouldn't live long. He would soon stricken an' die an' yo' would soon be a widow ag'in." An' jis' lak he tole me 'bout it, he would ast me 'bout ma'in' 'im, he did. But ah kep' 'im shooed off, an' re'lly, latah he did taken sick an' died. [Here I changed the cylinder. Informant begins by returning to an episode she had omitted, what she had done to make her rival refuse the man.] So dis fortunetellah tole me dat dis woman dat he wus supposed tuh ma'y, she wouldn't ma'y him. He tole me tuh git some li'l boy tuh go on in de swamp or somewhah an' fin' me a gophah - wit fo' laigs, a gophah, yo' know. So ah come back an' got de boys tuh hunt de gophah up an' dey wouldn't fin' one. [The preceding word gopher may confuse the reader. Here in Georgia where I was interviewing, people called the gopher a salamander. What informant means by gopher is a burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), the animal and eggs edible.] So ah went back an' tole 'im about it. Ah said, "Well, don' seem lak ah kin git a gophah." Ah say, "It'll have tuh be some othah 'rangements made." Ah said, "Dis man sweahs dat he gonna ma'y dis wumman." He said, "Yo' needn't worry about dat; he ain't goin' ma'y huh." He say, "Well." He got some dirt, some red-lookin' dirt, an' he showed it tuh me. He said, "If ah give yuh some of dis dirt an' tell yuh whut tuh do wit it, would jew be scared tuh do it?" Ah said, "No, ah won't be scared. Ah'll try tuh do it." An' he fixed so much of de dirt in a papah an' give it tuh me. An' he said, "Aftah dahk [dark] - yo' know wheah dis wumman live?" Say, "Yessuh." "Aftah dahk yo' go tuh huh house wheah she live. Don' let no one see yo', if yo' kin he'p it, an' yo' throw dis dirt tuhwards 'er front do', as much as yo' kin, tuh spattah it on de do' an' de porch aroun'. An' she won't nevah ma'y." So ah did dat. So dey didn't ma'y. (You said this was another case where a woman was going to marry the man. This is the same story?) Yes sir, dat's de woman's part of de graveyard dirt. [The reader may recall that my informant told us her rival de lady was down south. Here we were in southern Georgia not too far from Florida! I found this down south all along the Atlantic coast from Maryland southward. The south was always somewhere farther south!]
Entry 9907
Dey say yo' kin take a red ants bed an' cut a frog up an' let de red ants eat up dat frog - eat all of 'em [pieces]. An' den yo' could take cer- tain bones from 'im, lak a laig bone, lak dat an' carry it fo' luck. Dey say dat's very successful fo' a luck charm.
(Luck in anything?)
Yes sir, luck in anything.
Entry 9908
Yo' kin ketch a toadfrog an' yo' bur' 'im [bury him]. Dere's two or three ways about a frog. Yo' ketch a toadfrog an' yo' bur' 'im, an' put 'im in a ants baid an' de ants done pick 'im bad. An' den aftah dat, why yo' takes 'is bones. Don' want no flesh on 'is bones. An' weah it in yore pocket. An' den if it's a woman dat chew wanted tuh be wit, why yo' jes' tetch 'er wit dat frog [bones].
Entry 9909
Well, now, if yo' kin, yo' kin take as li'l a thing as a toadfrog, an' ketch 'im an' put 'im in a box. An' jis' let 'im stay dere, you see, until de ants eat all of 'is flesh offa his bones. An' it's a li'l forked bone in 'im dat yo' kin git. An' if yo' kin git anywheres neah dat man an' put dat bone on 'im, an' he'll come back. Yes, sir, he'll come right back home tuh stay dere.
Entry 9910
Yo' know dese ole rough frogs dat hop. Well, yo' take dem an' yo' put 'em in a tin can an' cut some holes in dere. An' yo' git a bone out dere dat shape lak a fishhook. An' yo' could hang dat on anybody's clothes an' dey'll follah yo' regardless who dey is woman or man, an' love yo'.
Entry 9911
Well, now, yo' take a frog. Hit's a bone in dat frog lak a fishhook an' dere's anothah one in dere's a scale. Yo' see a man an' yo' wanta use him jis' lak yo' wanta. Yo' ketch yo' a toadfrog an' yo' lay 'im up on de shelf. Well, yo' turn 'im on 'is back. Lay him ovah on de shelf where he cannot turn ovah an' he perish tuh death an' he rotten. An' yo' go dere an' yo' fin' dis fishhook an' yo' fin' dis scale. Well, yo' take dis scale an' yo' keep dis scale. De fishhook, yo' hook it intuh de man's coat, an' as long as he tote dat he stay wit yo'. An' when yo' git ready fo' him tuh go, yo' take dat fish- book out dere an' strike it on de back of dis scale an' he'll go.
Entry 9912
Dat is tuh have yuh husban' undah yore feet, treat 'im lak yo' wanta an' yo' kin do as yo' please. Catch dat frog or yo' kin kill 'im alive an' take dat bone out. (What kind of bone?) De laig bone. Yo' takes one of dat left laig. Yo' skin 'in an' yo' take dat backbone an' dey gen'ly [generally] keeps it in watah. We got a case of dat by us right now. Keeps it in watah in a quart preserve jah. An' each in dere wash, gits dat an' wash 'er husband's clothes in it. If it's nothin but a undahshirt an' he wants a clean undahshirt, she does dat. An' dat po' fellah is jis' a footstool.
Entry 9913
Dey use frogs fo' luck. Peoples carry it around in dere pockets fo' &blin', an' as long as dis frog jumps, it's lucky tuh yo'; but whenevah dis frog stops, it's bad luck, if yo' wanta gamble. Or eithah, yo' could nm [ase it on] a person sick, an' as long as dis frog jumps, de person will recovah; but if yo' go roun' an' it don' jump, dat's a sign of quick death.
Entry 9914
If ah be in de baid sick - ah hear'd dat if yo' be in de baid sick an' yo' are poisoned, yo' ketch a live frog an' wherevah de misery is, yo' put dat frog dere an' dat frog turn green, but if yo' are not poisoned, why he won't. [To understand this remark- able frog-turning-green rite, let us examine a similar rite previously given, the hoodoo woman from Bergen Junction (reference later). Here the victim, having exchanged shoes with another man, wore them to work next day: Dat night he wasn't able to walk home. He was hoppin'. His laig was hurtin' all up, clean up tuh 'is knee. An' yo' kin hear 'im hollerin'. Ah hear 'im my ownself...two blocks. De doctor [M.D.] he come. De doctor couldn't do no good. Dey had to go git...big [prob- ably both in size and importance] hoodoo woman stay out from Bergen Junction... she come dere and she put her han' on 'im jes' lak dis heah [demonstrates] an' drag it over 'is face - we all standing dere lookin' at 'em - bring 'er han' right down ovah 'is face jes' lak dat an' carried it straight on down, right ovah dat laig. An' she done dat three times, an'...two toadyfrogs hopped outa dat man's laig, an' dat man got all right. Come out [the frogs came out] back dere where de two places 'bout tuh come to a haid - where it done, you know, formed a corruption. Here we have one of those head-down-to-feet rites that drives di- sease or evil out of the body through the feet, often the big toe, into or on to the ground. How a sleight-of-hand artist would have performed this trick I do not know, but I can suggest a possible method. The hoodoo woman, probably saying she worked In the Name of the Lord, opened her right hand, turned it about to show it empty, and laid it on top of the man's head In the Name of the Father. Then slowly the open palm went down over the man's face, neck, shoulder, side of body to hip, thigh, knee, leg, foot and finally rested open palm on the ground. There may have been verbal mumbo jumbo along the descent. Next our hoodoo oper- ator saying she would now use more force, closed her hand loosely and began at the man's head again; this time In the Name of the Son. Her half-closed hand going down this time pressed heavier against the man's body. A third time and In the Name of the Holy Ghost, she laid her hand on the man's head, but now hand was a closed fist pressing heavily on its downward journey over the man's body. When she opened her fist on the ground it was empty but two frogs, young ones probably the size of hulled peanuts were jumping about. (Yes, I have seen many of these small frogs.) She then pointed out de two places 'bout tuh come to a haid, where it done, you know, formed a corruption. Surely the corruption on the man's leg was the misdirection permitting the release of the frogs. (For this hoodoo woman from Bergen Junction, see No.1263, p.441, v.1.) The reader will now understand how in our present rite the non-green frog suddenly could turn green. And finally the reader should notice how the present informant quickly changes from if ah be in de baid sick to if you be in de baid sick. This change occurs frequently in HOODOO. After all I was a total stranger to my in- formants, many of whom considered me a hoodoo doctor! Reference for green-frog rite: Brunswick, Ga., (1219), 2061:8.]
Entry 9915
"To take off spell - boil frog - bathe down - then mix some water with this and let patient drink it."
Entry 9916
[Despite the excellent hoodoo woman from Memphis in the preceding rite, drinking frog-water could be dangerous]. To put frog in person, boil frog and put this water in person's food.
Entry 9917
[Similar to the preceding rite is this one in which a frog is dressed for you]: I've heard they kin dress a frog an' if that frog get anywheres near you, yo'll get it. [This dressing of an animal to carry cunjure to you was once fair- ly common, making every wild or stray an- imal suspect; but no such rite can equal the one in which a woman with a stick chased a wandering chicken in the 3 Holy Names and killed it - one of the finest things in HOODOO, No.205, p.58, v.1.]
Entry 9918
Well, once a man went picking huckleberries an' he got bit by a rattle- snake, so he run to a woman's house an' de woman said, "Ah'll git a bullfrog right quick." So she went out in de bushes an' caught a big bullfrog an' cut 'im an' jes' laid 'im right on de place where he was bit at. Let dat [bullfrog] blood run down on dat place. An' so he made it tuh de doctah an' de doctah saved 'im.
Entry 9919
Put frog eggs in food; creates frogs inside. [Mobile, Ala., 945:4]. Tuo drops of frog blood in drink creates frogs in person. Can be cured by sweet milk, saltpeter, and alum. [Mobile, Ala., 920:4]. Starve frog to death, parch head to powder, feed to a person, frogs inside you. [Vicksburg, Miss., 997:3]. Frog burned to powder, mix with graveyard dirt, across enemy's path for bad luck. [Snowhill, Md., from man born and lived early life near Sewanee, Tenn., 9:1].
Entry 9920
Yo' kin take a hen aig an' rub it ovah de stomach of a frog an' den cook it in anybody's food an' dat will kill 'em.
(Cook what in the food?)
Cook de aig. Jes' chip de aig in de food an' it will kill 'em.
(You just rub the whole egg?)
[My whole egg could include the shell!]
Yeah, jes' rub de raw aig ovah dis frog's stomach an' dat will kill 'em. [In- forant surely means toad, an animal considered poisonous in folklore. The words r aig indicate that the cook, after cracking the egg, lets the yolk run down orer the belly of the animal and then cooks it for the victim.]
Entry 9921
Take a frog's blood an' squeeze it in somepin [to eat or drink] an' give it tuh yuh an' dere came de live frogs in yuh.
Entry 9922
Ketch a toadfrog an' kill 'im an' drop nine drops of blood in a blf pint of whiskey, an' dat'll stop him.
(From drinking - a heavy liquor drinker.)
Entry 9923
Ketch a toadfrog an' put warts all ovah yo'. Take dat an'.git 'is oranoah lye, yo' know, when he make watah, an' git warts all ovah yo'. Take dat an' put dat chamber lye on yo' an' dere comes warts all ovah yo'... (How would they put that on a person?) They would throw it on 'em. [Wilson, N. Car., (1573),! 2680:3.]
Entry 9924
Ketch a frog an' put 'im on somebody, yo' know, an' when he makes watah, dat makes de warts. [Warts are usually attributed to a toad, not frog.]
Entry 9925
Take a toadfrog an' squeeze him an' take his watah [urine] out of 'im, if a person yo' don't like, see. Squeeze him till yo' git 'is watah outa him. An' when yo' git 'is watah outa 'im, take a li'l blue- stone an' mix it up wit dat toadfrog watah, an' add some of yore watah [urine] tuh it. It will cause de person tuh swell up. Yo' give it tuh 'em in a drink or somepin, dey'll swell up an' bust.
Entry 9926
Jis' lak dey say if yo' poisoned, yo' take a frog an' split 'im open alive an' tie 'im on. Dey say dat will kill dat poison.
Entry 9927
[To] stop a man from makin' watah, yo' could take dat frog an' split 'im open an' fill 'im up fulla salt an' peppah; an' pull 'im back tuhgethah an' hang 'im up. Split 'im open 'live. Why dey couldn't make watah 'long as dat wuz done. (Do they do anything with the person's water at all?) No sir. [Since the victim's urine is not used on the frog or in any way here, magic power is one of intention verbally unexpressed.]
Entry 9928
(Oh, the shoe! You mean the rubber tire - automobile, the inner tube, the inside tube?) Yes, sir. Well, all right. Well, yo' take dat an' burn it an' git de ashes of it an' take sompin - take a little ole rock camphah an' put wit dat. See. All right den, well, now an' den yo' ketch yuh a toadyfrog. Yo' understand now. All right, ketch yuh a toadyfrog an' ef yo' don' wanta kill de toadyfrog - ah done fry de toadyfrog, fry him in a pan. An' git de grease outa 'im an' put dat in dere. An' rub dat on de bottom of yore foot [feet].
(What will that do then?)
Dey can't harm [cunjure] yo'. [The burning of the rubber tire, causing a bad odor, deters witchcraft; see Scatologic Methods to Repulse Witcheraft, Nos.16481- 16499, PP.903-909, FOLKLORE FROM ADAMS COUNTY ILLINOIS, 2nd ed., 1965.]
Entry 9929
Ef yo' got any idea dat anybody's doin' anythin' tuh yuh, yo' kin take dat frog an' keep 'im in de house fuh nine days.
(Keep him right inside of the house?)
In de house - fuh nine days. Well, aftah keepin' dat toadfrog fuh nine days intuh de house, dem people whut tryin' tuh do yuh hahm [harm] dey'll come tuh yuh home evah - each an' evah day an' try tuh bahrah somepin from yuh. Don't nevah len' dem nuthin, see. If yuh len' dem anythin', dey kin do yuh anythin' dey wantuh. Long as yuh don lend nuthin it's all right.
Entry 9930
And then you kin take, ah - now this is self experience. Not for my- self but when I was a kid growing up; I guess round about fourteen, twelve, thir- teen, fourteen years. See, I was raised in the country and worked on a farm. My father died when I was small in 1903 and nothin' but a woman raised me. My mother and I didn't have anything, she and me had to work. Well, this was a ageable [elderly] nan and he was able to pay high wages for, you know, a full-grown man and he'd work lotsa children, you see. You see, where those large farmers didn't bother with we children, he'd work us in turnin' [sweet potato] vines and settin' out his potatoes like that. And this was a green frog. It's not a bullfrog. It's between a toadfrog and a bullfrog. I expect you've seen him. He's green and has those black specks on his back. It's long-legged though. Some say eventually after they get old they turn to a bullfrog. But he used to ketch those frogs and he'd tell we children to catch 'em. But if he didn't tell us to ketch, we could ketch 'em. But he'd tell us to ketch 'em and we would ketch 'em and he'd put it in his pocket and it wouldn't jump out. And he said you take those frogs and put it up in a bottle and make your wish. And set him on de stove and dry him out and take that and do anything you want to do with it. Well, of course, dis man I knew was pretty good and he always seemed to be lucky. He tolt another girl and I one day - we was pretty good in settin' out potatoes. So he asked us to ketch every one of those frogs that we could see. See, we'd have to go to the ditch to dip out water, you know, to water those sprouts that was planted there. So we come to him, we asked him. "Well, '' he says, "Well, I'll tell you-all something if you'll [not] tell." Ah says, "Well, What's that?" Ah says, "Never is a long time." He says, "Well, if you-all want those boys you going with," he say, "why go ahead and marry 'em, '' says, ''but I'll tell you, '' says, "Viola," says,"'this boy you going with, '' he says, ''he ain't goin' make you any good husband at all." Says, "They is fast, but you get these little spring frogs, you see, these little green frogs where you kin squeeze 'em and they goes way up into water." He says, "You catch every one of those you Kin find." He says, '"If you all have a fig bush, you kin get plenty of 'em in there." And he says, "And you get that frog," he says, "and put him in a box ad make your wish." And he says, "And set him in de stove or onto the back of the stove." He says, "In a small can like a five-cent or ten-cent baking-pouder box [can] where you kin close it up. Put him in there alive," he say and he Bys, "you doesn't open him in nine days," he says, "but each day make your wish for this man." He says, "When you open that frog, '' he says, "you have you a piece of yellow cotton. Go to the store and buy you five-cent piece of yellow Cotton, or you might buy two or three cents worth if you kin get it." Three oeats worth - that was during wartime [World War I] - was just about as wide as yoar chin[?]. He says, "And make you a little bag and make it four corners, ' be says, "jis' so it won't be anything but the form of the frog." He says, "Sew all that dust in there," he says, "and you'll always have good luck, and get any man you want and go anywhere you want to." And ah know hr made it for real. She really did it. An' she came there and she bought five dollars worth of figs when she got one of those frogs. We [man informant worked for] had a large fig orchard, and she come there and threw the money down. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., (438), 391:5+].
Entry 9931
Like for instance, you would take a bullfrog, leave him dry, pound that up to a powder, giving it to the individual. (I see.) After giving it to the individual, crossing two nails under their step where they go in and from. And their bowels will lock. [The crossed nails and sacrificed-bullfrog ashes under the steps indicate serious trouble here. Since bullfrog ashes are not so common as those of ordinary frogs, I suggest that the victim here will die a horrible death, croaking like a bullfrog!]
Entry 9932
Well, it's 'cordin' tuh whut dey put down fo' yuh tuh walk ovah. Well, dey kin put diff'ren' things down fo' yuh tuh walk ovah. Well, jis' fo' instant [instance] say yuh kin take frogs de way dey hops. Well, dey takes dat frog. It's how dey fix de stuff. Yuh see dey takes dat frog an' kills 'em an' dey lay dat frog in de sun an' let 'im dry up, yuh see - jis' dry up dry. An' dey powdahs dat up yuh see. When dey powdahs dat up, dey put dat down dere fo' yuh tuh walk ovah, yuh see. Or else dey take it an' throw it in yore room some place an' yuh walk ovah dat, why dat supposed tuh make yuh move, yuh see. Dat'll move yuh, run yuh away, yuh see.
Entry 9933
Yo' kin take a person's stockin's an' take de same thing, toadfrog dust an' bury it in de root of a tree, a young tree while it's yet growin', an' in a few yeahs dey'll pass away. Dey daid. (You mean you put this frog dust in this stocking?) No, yo' take de same dust an' wrap it up in de socks an' pick yo' a good little place in de root of de tree, whah de root growin' whah it's goin'a covah it up. Well, fin'ly dat root covah it up an' smothah it so it cain't git no air, yore gone.
Entry 9934
Ah'd get me a frog an' ah'd squeeze de left eye, squeeze de milk out of it...ah'd put it in a bottle an' put it right by mah steps an' de law can't come in mah house.
Entry 9935
Git de toadfrog. Yo' take him an' kill 'im an' aftah yo' kill 'im, plug 'is eyes out an' leave it dry an' makin' a powdah wit it. Yo' throw dat in de person's stockin's or in dey undahweah or anywheah [in clothing] an' in a length of time it'll go in de po's [pores] dat-a-way, an' it'll create one de baddest so [sores] an' ah don' care whut de phi-si-ci-an will give yo', he ain't goin' tuh stop it. It'll become tuh be kinda lak a cancah.
(Just a bad sore?)
Yes.
Entry 9936
Lak a frog or a fish dat dries. It must be dried intuh a dust. De frog killed an' let it go tuh a dust an' kin put dat intuh people an' it be a frog. Give it tuh 'em in dey food or drink. (Is there any way of getting those out?) Well, ah don't know.
Entry 9937
Yo' kin take a toad- frog, an' in takin' dat toad- frog, yo' kin bake de toady- frog an' take his ashes. An' yo' kin rub lak yo' rub yore han' on a piece of papah, rub it right lak dis [dem- onstrates], an' yo' kin drop dose ashes in watah. See. If dey have enemies, dey give 'em dat. Give 'em tuh de person dat dey wanta give 'em tuh, yo' kow, an dey drink 'em. Well, perhaps in a few days dey'll be coughin' up toadfrogs, spittin' out toadfrogs.
Entry 9938
Well, yo' take a frog an' if yo' wanta jes' kill somebody an' don' Vanta, yo' know, jes' kill 'em right now, yo' ketch a frog an' put it in de cook- stove an' bake him real hard. An' when he gits cool enough, yo' take de frog out an' jes' mash it intuh a powdah. An' de person [to be killed], whatevah room de person sleep in, yo' put it in each fo' cornahs. An' each time dey eat, yo' sprinkle jes' a pinch in dey food. If it's a well, hearty person, dey'll jes' git tuh de place where dey won't have a appetite, an' dey'll grad'ly [grad- ually], de appetite grad'ly will grow po'ah [poorer] yo' know, an' dey'll die - jes' pine away. If it's a sick person, why dey already sick an' it don' take den long tuh die. An' dis frog [dust], if dey eat much of it, will grow a live frog in 'em. Dey [frogs] will move all about in dey body but it will kill 'em.