Browse:Fishhead Rock (Drumfish or Gaspergou) (Volume 1, entries 1853–1859)
Fishhead Rock (Drumfish or Gaspergou)
Volume 1, entries 1853–1859. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1853
Git chew some lump incense. Some people don't use red flannel - yo' kin use shammy skin an' yo' make yo' a little luck bag. Yo' put chew a little silver dime in dere. An' yo' put chew about three pieces of that lump incense in dere and yo' put yo' some guinea peppahs in dere, an' if yo' got a fishhead rock yo' put that in dere. Den yo' sew it up on a piece of garlic.
(Fishhead rock?)
Yeah, dat only comes in a drumhaid. Dere be's two little rocks in a drumhaid.
(Drumhead fish?)
Yessuh. An' yo' sew that up. Yo' kin po' yo' some bergamint [bergamot] on it or eithah some Jockey Club perfume - yo' have tuh keep it oiled up [fed] lak dat. Dat's fo' yore luck. Yo' kin wear it in yore pocket. Gamblin' luck.
Entry 1854
De gaspergou - yo' know dere's two rocks in his haid. Dat's a feesh [fish]. Yo' git dat fish anywhere out de rivah. It looks lak de buffalo - yo' have tuh look close tuh see it's not buffalo. Some people sell 'em fo' buffaloes dat don't know de diff'rence. It's a goo - gasper goo. De rock outa - those two rocks out of his haid, wearnin' 'em in dey pocket is supposed tuh be lucky. [This is the fresh-water drumfish (Aplodinatus grunniens) of the Great Lakes and Mississippi Valley - weight up to 50 lbs. Gaspergou [gou = goo], similar to the French gasparot (a kind of herring), is the local name in Louisiana.]
Entry 1855
[The preceding informant was correct about gaspergou and buffalo being confused:] Take a feesh, a buffalo feesh an' inside of that buffalo feesh's haid is two little pearls about lak that. Yo' git them little pearls outa there an' tote dem in yore pocket an' that'll draw money to yo', too. [Memphis, Tenn., (1541). 2787:15.]
Entry 1856
I have tried dis when ah first came to St. Petersburg - go an' look me round, couldn't git me a job nowhere. One fellah tells me, says, "Now yo' go an' take yo' a dime, '' he say, "an' buy yo' a crocus fish [fresh-water drumfish]." After yo' git dat fish, yo' cut de head off dat fish an' yo' kin do whut yo wish. Yo' kin eat de fish or yo' kin throw it away. But be shure yo' git de head of dat fish an' cut it open an' git dem two rocks outa dere an' put it in a sack an' wear it in yore pocket. Dere can't nobody turn yo' down fo' a job.
Entry 1857
A man learnt me, a hoodoo man, to take a crocus fish - it's a little fish called crocus fish, an' yo' take dat head off, an' yo' take a knife an' split dat head open an' dere's two rocks in dere. Well, yo' git dem two rocks out an' yo' put dem two rocks in a little bag an' yo' sew dat bag up. Well, when yo' sew dat bag up den, yo' give it to de party an' den he goes to de man an reports for a job, an' yo' can't hardly be turned down. An' ah have seen dat an' he have done me dataway de reason ah know. An' dat's de way he said and dat was de end of dat.
Entry 1858
De catfish haid - de rock out de haid, yo' know. Ah always see dese women in dese loose houses git them an' put 'em in dere pocketbooks - says it draws de men an' keep luck to 'em. Ah've caught catfish fo' 'em fo' dat busi- ness.
Entry 1859
Dere's a fish he's got two stones in his head. Outa dem two stones, you wanta be sure when you open him to git de right-hand stone. Dere's two white stones. You'll take dat right-hand stone and you'll put it in yore pocket and put some red pepper with it - put red pepper with that right-hand stone. And take de left-hand stone and take a handful of sulphur, nothing but sulphur, and you'll wrap dat up good and hid it and put it down by yo' bed - on de left corner of yo' bed, de north corner of yo' bed inside of yo' mattress. But de right-hand stone, you wants to tote dat - gains everything you wants and everything you go after. Actually you got'a git it.