Browse:Goofer Dust (Volume 1, entries 657–683)
Goofer Dust
Volume 1, entries 657–683. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → DOCTOR AND DOCTOR: TWO OPPOSING SYSTEMS OF THOUGHT. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 657
[Closely associated with graveyard dirt and also dangerous is goofer dust. Since descriptions of this substance are usually brief and inadequate, I begin with an account by a doctor:] An' agin we carry de dust wit us [probably John the Conker], we carry de Adam and Eve root and whut we call goofer dust. (What is goofer dust?) Goofer dust is dust right from de cemetery, but it's gittin' out from undah de footstone - whut ah mean, de footboard yo' see. Yo' go down undah dere an' git de dust out from undah dere. Yo' tie it up an'. Yo' go tuh run - yo' cross runnin' watah an' yo' bless it in de watah. Yo' carry it through de watah an' de watah puts whut chew call a Christian spirit on it. An yo' carry dat an' during de time yo' gamblin' yo' keeps yore mind on de gamblin', it's true, but chew let chure mind think about whut chew got - de dust in mah pocket. Think about yore dust. Den luck will come.
(Do you combine the dust with this Adam and Eve root?)
No, dat's separate.
(This is separate. All you need is the goofer dust for luck in gambling?)
Yes. (But you have to get it in a special way - from under the footboard of the grave?) Yessuh.
(Then you have to carry it through running water?)
Dat's right.
(You just carry this dust loose in your pocket?) )[He had said, "Tie it up."]
Yo' give it a spirit of imagination wonder - den yo' carry it in yore pocket. [So far as I can recall, this is my only example of graveyard dirt being carried across running water - a brillant operation, a daring use of the magic of the contrary or opposite, because everyone knows that the spirit in this grave- yard dirt can not cross running water. Yet, if the doctor says, "You bless it in de watah...carry it through de watah...de watah puts...a Christian spirit on it," that is just what happens. A doctor's intention can violate any magic law in hoodoo or create a new law. This is actually a baptismal rite. All graveyard dirt being of uncertain spiritual quality for our doctor, he gives it a Christian spirit. Spirit of imagination wonder = power = the primitive mana.] (Now what about that Adam and Eve root? Do they use that in any special way for luck in gambling?) Well, yo' use Adam an' Eve root - chew carry it fo' luck in gamblin' an' luck in any kinda thing; use it in anything, business or anything.
(How do you do that - just carry it loose in your pocket?)
No,- yo' sews it in a lil' bag an' carries it. It's put up lak a little fuzzy nut of some kind. [This is a hand.] Now, when people talk of putting de goofer on yo', they do that to either run yo or bring yo' undah dere control. Lotta people say, "Well, we'll goofer sech an' sech a person because ah cares fo' dem" - cause dey care fo' a person, prob'bly loves 'em an' wants dem tuh be around all de time. Lotta po' people use dat word goofer. Dey has somebody workin' fo' 'em pract'lly all de time, settin' up. Yo' know it's a lotta people has a ole man settin' around. He ain't fittin' fo' nuthin' but tuh work an' dey jes' wanta git whut support dey kin git outa him, so dey puts de goofer dust on him. Dey ties him so he can't git away. He wants tuh go free yo' see, but dat stuff is workin' on his conscience an' mind so strong so dat he jes' hang all round dere. An' dey git dat goofer dust tuh workin' - prob'bly bury it undah de step, in de back yard or somewhere else. Conceal it from him where he won't know nuthin' about it an' jes' keep it right dere, an' long as dey hold it dere dey got him.
Baptismal rite is the editor's characterization of the water-blessing account; the informant's descriptions remain separate.
Entry 658
(Have you ever heard of goofer dust?)
Yessuh, ah've heered tell of that.
(What is it supposed to be?)
Well, ah heered - it was a preacher preachin' round town one time, dis town now, by de name of [So-and-So] an' he practice - he wus practicin' root doctorin' an' he had people fooled an' dey thought he wus a preacher. He had a big church down heah on mah street on West Street. So he had a church down heah by de name of de Temple. So he wus a great preacher. He wus from some parts up No'th. His name was [So-and-So] an' so he taken an' he practi'lly had all de wimmins in de church, practi'lly kept him up - he wus buyin' cars an' ridin' round. An' dis man an' his wife dey go to dis church 'cause he figured dere wus some- thin' good in dis man - he figured there wus somethin' to dis man. Well, him an' his wife had several fusses, an' she went back an' she went back an' told dis preacher 'bout it. Well, dis preacher said, "Well," said, "dat's all right. Ah'll fix dat up." Says, "Yo' come roun' aftah church tuhnight." So she come on out from de church dat night an' when she came out dere he tole her whut tuh do - had her tuh bring some salt 'long wit some sulphur an' some turpentine. So she brought dat stuff tuh him an' he tuk dis stuff an' he gone to a graveyard dat night. Some people had died in his church an' he went to de graveyard an' tuk some of de dirt from de west side - de west side is dat way from de west side corner of de grave. He tuk dat an' he fixed it all up into jes' somethin' lak a powder. An' he went - ah know dis fo' mah ownself, co'se ah stayed roun' dere an' ah seen him on de street. An' he went tuh dis man's house an' sprinkle dis stuff all round de porch dat nex' mawnin'. An' he tole dis woman, said, "Yo' let him come outdo's first. Don't yo' come out." See. Say, "Let him git outdo's first." So he tuk dis stuff an' sprinkled it all round de front porch an' on de side of de front porch - sprinkled it round 'nuff so he could walk in it when he come out. Well, he came out an' he walked in dis stuff. Well, he'd gone on tuh work an' he come back an' dey had a big fuss about it. He tole her dat he wus goin' leave dis time. So on dat Thursday night dey had a big fuss about it - dat he didn't want her tuh go to dat church or somepin othah. But it seemed dat his mind wus wandering from whut he [preacher] had done. So he tole her, says, "Well, ah'm goin' leave heah - dis game wit de preacher. So dat Friday mawnin' he packed up his things an' left. Aftah dis preacher died outa [left] heah - it's been 'bout a yeah ago - he died. Dey stayed apart as long as dis preacher lived an' after, a long while aftah de preacher died, den him an' his wife wus stayin' tugethah right on Plum Street.
(What did they call that stuff that he sprinkled around?)
Well, he said it wus some kind of goofer dust. Ah understood dat he had turpentine an' dis graveyard dirt an' salt in it. Three diff'rent things he had- three or fo' diff'rent articles he had mixed up in dat.
(What did he sprinkle that around the porch for?)
He sprinkled it roun' dere so he could break him an' his wife up.
Entry 659
(What is goofer dust?)
Dey tell me - now if - goofer dust is jes' lak if yo' have loved somebody - this is whut they tell me, if yo' loved 'em an' they have died an' been dead fo' a number of yeahs, then yo' goes to this graveyard where they's been buried an' yo' dig right down underneath dis bo'd, or undah - jes' lak it was a rock [tombstone] dere of some kind. Yo' git the dust from there an' yo' sprinkle it on yo' jes' lak yo'd wanta go fo' somebody. Then yo'd sprinkle it on the next person that chew wanta love. That will make them fall in love with yo'.
(You get this dirt from under the headstone or the headboard of the grave?)
Yes. Jes' lak if yo' loved 'em, but'yo' have to be in love with 'em. (You goofer them you say. [I am repeating what informant said while machine turned off.] What do you mean by goofer them?) Well, ah don' know dat.
(If I wanted to goofer somebody, what does that mean?)
Yo'd have tuh git this dust - now dey tell me.
(Well, is that doing them good or doing them harm?)
Well, yo'd be making them love yo' - see, jes' lak somebody dat chew had loved has died an' then yo' - (Put a goofer on you. [Again I repeat what was said while machine off.] What does that mean?) Dat means dat's chew be in love wit me - jes' lak if ah would wanta make yo' love me, den ah'd have tuh continue jes' keep it on yo'. (Do the people around here in Fayetteville ever speak about putting the goofer on you?) Yes.
(Were you born around here?)
Yessuh, ah wus born in [something].
[I am rather insistent and not too satisfied.]
(Because that is something that I never heard of in any other part of the country: It seems to be just the usual thing around here.) Yes. [I comment at a later date, "I want more evidence for this."]
Entry 660
Well, dey say for ninstance, dat you go to de cemetery and de first seven grave dey come to, at de foot of de seventh grave, dey git down about seven inches and get out some of de dust. See. Den you take it home and put it into some salt and den you make seven steps into de home.
(Into whose home?)
De home dat you wanta put de bad luck on, see. And den you begin de seven steps back you begin sprlnkling yo' [your] whut dey call goofer dust. See, dat's de beginning of de hard luck. An' den to offset it it's practi'lly de same way.
(How do they do that?)
It's de same graveyard dust, see, to offset it. And den to make it stronger, why you puts salt into de four corners of de home and you make a wish to each corner and name dem. You see, dat's where you have salt. And den some people dey so much suspicious towards salt dat dey won't loan salt. I myself, you know, I won't loan salt. I'd rather give you a nickel and let cha buy some salt.
The account reports an intention to put bad luck on a home and a separate counterprocedure; neither is verified.
Entry 661
Dat's whut we call dat graveyard clay, goofer dust.
(You mean that's what you call it down here?)
Yes slr.
Entry 662
They take graveyard dirt, they say, and make goofer dust out of it and gave you a lingering cough.
Entry 664
It's suppose to be dirt come out de bur'in' groun'. An' yo' git little roots right from the root of a tree in de bur'in' groun' - jis' cut de root off de tree. An' yo' take an' keep dat an' let it git kin'a ole, yo' know. Yo' take dat an' ball it up lak dat [demonstrates].
(Grind it up by rubbing it in your hands.)
An' yo' take it [with the graveyard dirt] an' den you sprinkle it right roun' de front cher [someone's] house an' yo' [that person] have bad luck. That's goofer dust.
Entry 665
(What is goofer dust?)
Well, goofer - dis stuff a graveyard dirt, red peppah an' black peppah. Ah call all dat stuff - yo' kin git a snail an' powder him - all of 'em goofer dust.
(Why do they call it goofer?)
Call it goofer - it do things dat yo' cain't jis' ordinary things can do.
Entry 666
They claim they'll make it from bones, dried bones from people. They call it goofer dust at home. They sprinkle a little goofer dust in your tracks and you're sure goin' wrong.
Entry 667
Rattlesnake dust. You know, if the rattlesnake die in the dust [snake shed?] you sprinkle that all around and moving powder.
(They call that goofer dust, rattlesnake dust?)
It's a rattlesnake dust.
Entry 668
They claim they take serpents heads and grind them up and powder them up and they supposed to bury that under your doorstep. That's goofer dust. That's supposed to cunjure you. You're supposed to walk over that.
Entry 669
(Goofer dust is what?)
Jest a - yo' see yo' git a snake - yo' kin take a rattlesnake an' dry his haid up, pound it up, an' den yo' kin go to work an' use dat as goofer dust. Kill anybody.
Entry 670
(Goofer dust - what is goofer, what is that?)
Goofer dust is snake haid, scorpion haid, lizard haid - listen, snake haid dust, scorpion dust an' lizard dust. Dat's whut yo' call goofer dust. Yo' git them things an' yo' kill 'em an' yo' cut de haids off an' yo' dry that. After yo' dry that, yo' powder that up. That's whut dey call goofer dust.
(Do the people around here talk about putting the goofer on you?)
Yes.
(What do they mean by that?)
Well, dey mean do yo' harm - when de say goofer dey mean do yo' harm. Dey don' mean tuh do nuthin' good to yo'.
(That's just doing you harm; they want to goofer you?)
Yeah, dat's jes' doin' yo' any kinda harm.
Entry 671
Ah have heard that goofer dust is jes' diff'rent roots for whatevah kinda work it is yo' wanted tuh do or anything bad; dat's de kind of roots dat chew would git. Dere's some kinda root - devil grass root.
(It has no other name?)
No othah name. Take devil grass an' snake's head an' grind it up togethah an' make a powder out of it. See, fo' instance, if yo' wanted tuh hurt someone or somepin othah lak dat, an' sprinkle it in dey hat, de bandin' of dey hat. It Would run 'em blind. Do different things with it.
Entry 672
(What is goofer dust?)
Well, now yo' take goofer dust - dat's jest whut chew might call cunjuration, jest lak yo' take a snake shed. Yo' know snake shed. Yo' take dat snake shed an' yo' put it up somewhere where it will dry - git right good an' dry. An' yo' take it an' pound it up - jest pound it up. Well, now yo' kin take dat an sprinkle it ovah anything - anything a person eat or drink. Well, yo' see, dat's puttin' goofer dust in 'em - dat's whut chew call de goofer dust. Jest lak a man go out huntin' a job - walk up where a big work gwine on, "Wanta see de boss." Says, "Well, ah'm de boss heah." All right, yo' walk up to him, "How are yuh, Captain?" Say, "All right." Says, "Captain, ah'm lookin' fo' a job." Well, he might answer, "Well, whut kin yo' do?" "Well, Captain, ah kin do so-an'-so." He might be fulled out. "Well, ah'm kinda fulled out." But yet an' still yo' got some dis goofer dust right on wit chew. See, yo' kin take dis goofer dust an' yo' kinda rub it on yore hand dat-a-way, rub back yore ear, back of yore ears three times. Walk right up to him regardless to how many mens he got. He goin' give yo' a Job - if yo' don't stay dere but three days he goin' give yo' a job, he can't let chew pass.
(You say this goofer dust is just a snake shed ground up.)
Jest a snake shed. [Almost anything is possible but snake-shed dust is most unusual when seeking a job.]
Entry 674
(Do these people talk about goofer dust down here? In New Orleans what is it supposed to be?) Well, ah tell yo', it's so many things kin answer in de place of it - ah wouldn't wanta tell yo' no story.
(Any kind of dust is goofer dust?)
Yes, any kinda stuff lak dat in hoodooism is de goofer dust.
Entry 675
(What is goofer dust?)
Goofer dust? Well, goofer dust is just - it just a kind that people use. At any time you use anything from hoodoo - some call it hoodoo, some call it goofer. But anything [any time] that you use a dust that you use to sprinkle - like if you come to me and say, "I'm upsetted in my home it seems like things ain't going right. I want you to give me something to sprinkle my home wdth, see if I can bring peace." Well, I'll give you something that you go into your house. I give you anything to scrub, that would cause peaceful power. Well, you just take that and sprinkle it round. People call that goofer dust. Well, that just the common term they got - the term that is ordinary used is hoodoo.
Entry 676
(What do they call goofer dust?)
Well, you can get steel dust - mostly any dust, you understand, that you mix.
(They call that goofer dust?)
Yes sir, dat's the meaning of goofer dust.
Entry 677
Dat's somepin de same thing dat ah have jes' told yo' - whut chew make UP, peppah an' salt.
(That's all goofer dust - any kind of dust?)
Yeah, any kind of dust.
Entry 678
Take that charcoal - brick dust and charcoal. You know, anything you beat up and make a dust out of it, that goofer dust.
(I see.)
Entry 679
That's tis' this fine dirt.
(Goofer dust is almost anything put down.)
Anything that would be to have influence - like you get from dis dirt dauber nest and de pepper I told you about and mix it up, that would be goofer dust.
(Well, what is goofer supposed to be?)
What they mean is to make you goofy.
(Oh, it's goofy dust?)
So now, say, for instance I want you to lose your memory, if you were going. to court or something with [against] me - it would get you where so you would prob'bly forget what you's talking about.
Entry 680
(What is goofer dust?)
Dat's whut yo' also buy from one of dose order houses, yo' see. It's supposed tuh put whut chew might call tricks on a person. Dat's supposed to be, aftah yo' obtain it, put it in de mattress of a person where dat dey have tuh sleep on, an yo' supposed to jis' go away - jis' pine away.
Entry 681
I have heard that cunjure doctors put goofer dust in your shoes to put affliction on you and sometimes it causes you to have a bad foot, a sore foot. It'll never be healed, a swelling or something, unless you go to another cunjure doctor. And he will give you another dust supposed to fight this dust and try to get it out of your system.
Entry 682
The way I have heard it, that a hoodoo bag is a bag that one carries and it contains a dust called goofer dust, and whatever they put it on they can conquer. Some wear it in their bosom and some in their pocket. They get these goofer bags from root doctors or cunjure doctors. You give them a certain sum of money. Some call them roots, some call them rabbit's foot. Some people wear these roots around their legs sometimes for luck.
Entry 683
Yo'.take de dust from a ant hill an' sprinkle it on anybody, it will make dem be in bad condition an' give 'em bad luck, because a ant will rustle fo' his food. Well, dey will practi'lly git lazy an' dey won't try tuh feed demselfs. [Here is contrary or opposite magic.] Dat always keep dem from han' tuh mouth all de time. Dey nevah has anythin'.
(You take that dirt from the ant bed - out of the ground.)
Jes' de dirt from de ants - jes' lak, yo' know how dey is, weaves up dere dirt aroun' dere little hole. Well, yo' jes' rakes dat dirt into a piece of papah or on a piece of pastebo'd an' take an' put it in a cloth an' carry it on wit chew. Wherevah anybody is doin' fine, doin' well in life, throw dat dirt an' dat starts dem tuh travelin'. [Here is similar (sympathetic) magic - ants travel, your victim travels.] Dey jes' continue tuh goin' an' always will be from hand tuh mouth an' nevah has anything.