Browse:Fig Tree (Volume 1, entries 1247–1252)
Fig Tree
Volume 1, entries 1247–1252. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → CURE AND PROTECTION. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1247
Yo' go to a fig tree an' dig yo' some roots from three diff'rent ways of de world - take some from de no'th, some east an' some south. Yo' don't want nuthin from de west - don't want nuthin tuh carry yo' down, yo' wanta build yo'self up. An' tote dem roots in yore pocket - pocket book. An' de longer yo' tote dem roots de better it will smell. Anybody will tell yo' to put Hearts Cologne on dere, but chew kin take dem fig tree roots an' long as yo' tote dem de better it will smell. Den yo' kin let chure wife or somebody else smell it an' yo' can't smell it - it's dead. [As in any hand, to let anyone touch it, smell it, even sometimes to see it - kills its power.]
(Why do you carry these roots?)
Fo' luck - protection - fo' friends.
(Would this protect me against any bad luck?)
Yes, it's good. People whut will hate yo' will come to be yore friends.
Entry 1248
(How are you going to cure this snake bite?)
Why yo' take that bark an' boil it - de bark from de fig tree, an' yo' boil dat an' yo' give that tea to the person who's bit by the snake. That'll drive de poison out.
Entry 1249
Yo' know, yo' see people has bumps all broke out in dere face. Yo' wanta [should] learn dis. Well, yo' go 'head if yo' got bumps on yore face - broke out all on yo' face jes' wit bumps - yo' know whut's a cure fo' dat?
(No.)
Go to a fig tree and git de fig leaves off dat and git de milk in de fig leaves - jes' git dat milk out dem fig leaves an' tech all over dem places and cure 'em. Dat'll cure dat.
Entry 1250
Dat's good tuh cure any poison. Yo' take de fig tree - first yo' take de leaves an' then yo' go an' git the root. Yo' git de root an' de leaves, stir it together an' make a tea. Aftah yo' stir it together an' make de tea, yo' git brimstone, sulphur, sweet milk, an' fifty cents in silver, a ole fifty cents, an' boil it together. Make a tea an' drink the tea three times daily. Take the fig root - boil de fig root an' bathe wit de water an' always throw it to sunrise; if yore poisoned, every bit will come out - it couldn't stay in.
(You drink this tea only from the leaves?)
Outa de leaves.
(And the root tea you use just for bathing?)
Fo' bathing - dat's right.
Entry 1251
[The following beliefs are ordinary folklore:]
On Christmas night yo' kin go to a fig tree about twelve a'clock an' dat chew could hear Eve an' Adam on de fig tree quarrelin' an' fussin' on de fig tree.
(Where did you hear that?)
Mah father tole me dat.
Entry 1252
Yo' mustn't cut down one - a fig tree. Say dere'll be a death in de family. Den dey say no girl mustn't climb it, because it will pine away an' die - no girl, no woman must nevah climb a fig tree.