Browse:Graveyard Dirt (Volume 1, entries 1919–1943)
Graveyard Dirt
Volume 1, entries 1919–1943. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1919
Now when yo' go to de graveyard, yo' go dere on de full of de moon or de first quarter. Yo' hear anybody talkin' 'bout gwine tuh de graveyard, gittin' dirt, dere ain't nobody knows whut tuh do wit it, it don't do's em good. Go down at de full of de moon or de first quarter. Go down dere. Yo' ain't comin' in dere dis way, understand - yo' see, yo' don't wanta go tuh de right, de right's always good; yo' wanta go tuh de left all de time. Yo' see, dere's nuthin good in de devil's work - always go tuh de left. Yo' go tuh de left, yo' walk in dere, in de cemetery on de left side as yo' enter lak dat, an' if yo' know anybody, yore friend or nuthin lak dat, dat'a bad fellah or something lak dat, yo' know where he's buried an' dat, yo' walk in tuh de left of yo', an' jes' go right on ovah, don't say a word. Take yo' five cents or ten cents - well, de ten cents is bestes', it's silver. Take yo' ten cents an' sit down an' dig down as fur as yore arm will go down in dat grave up to heah. Go on down as fur as it is, keep plowin' down in dere wit yore arm till yo' git down dat deep - way down. Yo' says dese words, says, "Ah didn't come tuh steal, ah didn't come tuh walk [I am not out here for exercise], but ah come honest an' wit faith an' truth, tellin' yo' de truth" - talkin' to de dead man - "tellin' yo' de truth, dog-gone it, an' ah wan'a git some of yore earth dat's yo's buried undah. Ah'm not stealin' it, ah wan'a borrow it, an' ah m leavin' ten cents heah. Ah'm not gittin' but a han'ful, an' ah don' disturb yo' an' ah know yo ain't goin 'sturb me." Take a han'ful. Dat's all. An' yo put de ten cents down dere. Take it an' kiver it up an' pack it back. Turns right around an' don't say anothah word an' walk off - don't look back, go home. Well, if ah want one of mah neighbahs where ah'm livia'.ah don't want 'em livin' dere togethah, ah goes - when ah go out de path, walk a ways with it, an' take some of that dust dere, an' when ah come in dis house, ah come in on which- ever de left side is. Lak ah stands dere on de left side an' ah go ahead up to de do'step - any night dey sleep, not in de daytime. Ah ease down an' ah takes some in mah han' an' ah sprinkles it undah dat do'step, right along, right along out ah go till ah hit de road, jes' sprinklin' dis sand. Ah wouldn't leave off till ah hit de road, till ah git off dat path leadin' outa de house, right 'long dere. Now, dey got'a walk ovah dat. Dey goin' walk ovah dat. All right, in a week or so, dat man an' his wife, all of 'em will git dissatisfied, fights be goin' on an' dey won't stay dere no mo' - jes' move.
Entry 1920
Wal, dey kin take yo' [foot] track and run yo' ev'ry place in de world. Ah have one boy he's been runned all over de United States. Dere's lot'a things people kin do to yo' feet.
(Well, how did they run your boy away? What did they do to him?)
Put a spell on him.
(Through his foot track?)
Yes sir.
(Well, how did they do it?)
Dey didn't git his track. Dey waits fer him at home, ah heard, and put him to bed sleep with her, measured him by another girl and [put] de dust from de bottom of grave in his shoes, and as dat spirit [in the graveyard dirt] wander it made him walk all de time. He's been walking all de time.
Entry 1921
Tell yo' re'lly fac' about it. Ah know a little 'bout graveyard dirt. Ah knew dis much, suh, dat graveyard dirt kin put chew in bad luck.
(How would you do that?)
Well, if yo' take a sewin' thimble an' yo' go tuh de graveyard an' de very freshest grave dat's buried, anyone dat's buried yo' understand, an' yo' git nine thimbles of dirt off de grave an' yo' carry 'em back. Well, de re'lly fac' about it, yo' git nine triin's of de person right track an' yo' kin put it into a sifter together an' yo' mix it. Put it in de sifter jes' lak yo' were goin' tuh sift meal or anything of de kind dataway, an' yo' kin take an' spread it anywhere across de crossroad or anywhere wherein dis person walks at, an' dat puts dem in tough with bad luck - see, jes' from hand tuh mouth. See, dat person makin' five dollahs a day an' spendin' ten.
(That puts them to walking you say?)
Puts dem tuh walkin', but chew gits dat an' put it into a sifter.
(And you sift it out there at the crossroads?)
Dat's right.
(And that give them bad luck of some sort?)
Oh yeah, puts'em in bad luck. Re'lly fac' about it - round an' round dey goin'.
Entry 1922
You goes tuh work an' git dat graveyard dirt an' yo' pays de dead when yo' go dere an' git it. Pay 'em 'leven cent or much as yo' wanta, den yo' git dat graveyard dirt. An' yo' goes into de graveyard backwards an' go up to one of de graves - jes' whatevah one yo' git to - go into to it backwards an' jes' call de dead an' tell 'em whut yo' want, an' carry a white piece of cloth an' put dat in dere. Den yo' carry dat white piece of cloth, yo' stoop down dere an' git dat graveyard dirt, git it right from de heart. Git dat graveyard dirt right in dere. Take dat dirt an' it do de work.
(What do they do with that dirt?)
Take dat dirt an' carry it an' wheresomevah yo' wanta put it, carry dat dirt dere an' put it down dere.
(What do you put that dirt there for?)
Yo' put it dere tuh run a person - a man or a woman off from dere home. Mah husban' wus run off from home.
Entry 1923
They say, if anybody bother me and my husband and I want to get rid of 'em, want 'em stopped, why just take a penny.
(A penny?)
One penny and go to the grave of somebody who you know died kind of wicked.... Go there and take up the headboard and put it to the foot, and hand the footboard back down to the head - take that down. This person who you working after - and take the penny - just take the fingers, you see, and make a hole down there in the middle of grave and put that penny down there and just - then, as I want you [to work for me], say, "Roll dis person fer me, Such-and-Such-a-Person." Call dere name. "Dead, I want you to roll dis person for me." And slap dat penny right dere and go on 'bout your business. Then in three days they'll be gone.... They'll leave towm. They'll leave from around where you is.
Entry 1924
Well, I've heard dat people could go where you make a step on de groun an' git de dirt outa de holler of your right foot. Would take it an' dig a hole in a fresh graveyard a foot an' a half deep an' bury dat dirt; an' take some of de graveyard dirt an' put it back in one of your tracks. An' dey say you'll be- come to have a pain in your leg an' you'll never git over dat.
Entry 1925
Yo' kin go tuh de drug sto' an' buy graveyard dirt an' yo' kin put it in dey shoes. All right, it will cause dem tuh either be cripple or yo' kin take it an' put it in de band of dey hat an' dey go stone blind from it.
Entry 1926
Graveyard dirt makes yo' lucky in gambling.
(How do you use it?)
Yo' take graveyard dirt. Go dere at twelve 'clock at night, go dere on some wicked person's grave yo' know an' reach yore hand as fur down in de grave as yo' could git it, an' take it an' bring it an' put it in yore shoe. Wear it in yore shoe. Long as yo' put it in yore shoe you will be lucky in gambling.
The informant describes dirt from a wicked person's grave after the interviewer's question. The gambling-luck claim remains source-reported.
Entry 1927
Well, fer as ah know about graveyard dirt, yo' could take dat an' make yo'self lucky an' successful. Well, use it jis' lak yo' use powder. See, yo' kin wear it in yore pocket and den yo' could take an' use it as yo' use powder - put it on yore face when yo' go tuh gamble or anything lak dat, when yo' wanta be lucky. An' co'se yo' gotta have a little lodestone wit it. Ah've got of dat heah in mah pocket.
Entry 1928
Well, ah've take an' ah went tuh de graveyard mahself. Ah went dere jes' 'fo day in de mawnin' to git somepin, yo' know, tuh gamble with. Ah knowed some wicked peoples. Ah put mah han' down in de graveyard lak dat right at de foot of 'em an' mah han' shet up lak dat [demonstrates], an' ah taken de qrave- yard dirt an' went tuh de game where dey wus gamblin' at, an' go all aroun' an jes' throw it all aroun', put it all on de cards, an' ah wus lucky lak dat.
The informant describes a personal graveyard visit and reports gambling luck. '[demonstrates]' is Hyatt's stage direction; the account's claimed result is retained as reported.
Entry 1929
If yo' wanta be lucky, if yo' is a gambler. If yo' know of some drunk- ard that's dead, see, an' yo' go there to his grave at midnight, yo' call his name twice. Dig, jest keep digging until you git to that clay - yo' know de stuff like clay - jest dig, dig, till yo' git to that clay, an' git chew a han'- ful an' put in one of dese tobacco sacks. Ah don't know whut's de name of de tobacco - yo' kin git 'em sacks, cloth sacks. Go on back to any gambling room. Ever' time yo' start tuh losin' jest touch that graveyard dirt lightly with yore hands.
The informant describes clay collected from a deceased drunkard's grave and calls it graveyard dirt in this account. This occurrence does not establish a global equivalence between clay and graveyard dirt.
Entry 1930
Well, ah have use it. Yo' take graveyard dirt an' put Hearts Cologne wit it an' use it fo' luck fo' gamblin'.
(Just how would you do that?)
Go to de graveyard where a grave's been - where de grave be about six months old, de dirt. An' yo' go dere an' git dat dirt an' bring it back. Git chew a piece of red flannel. Yo' sew dat dirt an' a dime up together, a dime an' de dirt up together, an' keep dat wet in Hearts Cologne or even in good whiskey.
(What does that do for you?)
Dat's tuh give yo' luck fo' any kinda games an' gamblin'.
The informant says the material has been used and describes dirt from a grave about six months old. Hearts Cologne and good whiskey are stated alternatives for wetting it; the luck claim remains source-reported.
Entry 1931
Ah heard 'em say yo' go to the graveyard an' git graveyard dust. An' jis' lak yo' wan'a make a bag fo' tuh gamble or somethin', yo' git graveyard dust an' yo' take it an' put it in a bag, an' put needles an' red peppah an' bluestone an' sew it up in dat bag with dat graveyard dust. An' dey say when yo' go tuh gamble, all yo' got'a do is jis' rub yore han's on it an' yo'll win ever' time yo' put chure han' on it.
Entry 1932
Graveyard dirt - that's good for gambling.
(How?)
You take the graveyard dirt and you takes needles, seven points of a needle - seven points of seven needles. Take that graveyard dirt and take some emery dust from the drug store and you get some lodestone and you put that together, and you make a wish and you sew that up and you wear it. As long as you have the confi- dence in this, it may bring you succeeding power, but if you don't believe in it it's not good.
The informant describes graveyard dirt among several ingredients and qualifies the claim with confidence, 'may', and the statement that without belief it is not good. The interviewer's question is separate.
Entry 1933
That's used for gambling.
(How do they handle that?)
They take graveyard dust and white sand and put it in a tobacco sack. Take a tobacco sack and wash it out in clear water and turn it wrong side out. And [take] two teaspoonful of graveyard dust and two teaspoonful of salt and a silver dime. And tie 'em nine knots - tie it nine times, which would make 81 knots in de sack and wear it in yore pocket.
(What do you do with that white sand?)
The white sand - that's a - they use that in place of steel dust.
(Well, do you put it in that sack, too?)
Yes, sir.
(How much?)
About a teaspoon and a half of white sand. (I see. What do you mean by tying nine knots? How could you tie nine knots in that sack?) Well, you see, there's two strings to it.
(Oh, yes.)
And you take and every time you tie a knot, you.tie it to you, you know. You see, tie nine knots in it, see. And after you tie the ninth knot, you see, well then you turn that sack like this.
(How do you mean, you turn the sack? How do you mean?)
Just take the sack like that and hold the strings - hold one string in this hand and one string in this hand and turn the sack over to you [demonstrates].
(You swing the sack over toward you. I see.)
Yes. Then you tie nine more, you see. Nine times nine is 81. (I see. You have to swing the sack at the end of each nine knots. You pre- pare that for what? Gambling you say?) Yes, sir.
Entry 1934
Dey tell me dat chew kin go to work an' if a man dies - jes' lak a gambler. We all could be in de gambling hall an' jes' gambling. Prob'bly dis man will be shot off, prob'bly ah may be shot off in gambling. Well now, dey tell me dat if he has a ring on his finger - if yo' got any money in yore pocket an' he has a ring on his finger - any kind of ring, doesn't matter if it's jes' little ole ten-cent ring - yo' gits dis: ring offa his finger. An' in pulling off dis ring yo' tell him - jest call him name, tell him, "John or Henry, ah'm buyin' dis ring fo' yore luck on gambling." Well, dat's gittin' luck offa dead man tuh gamble. Now, in buyin' dis ring yo' puts dis ring in yore pocket an' puts de money whut chew goin' tuh give him in his pocket. Well, after he'd be buried, yo' goes back to his grave den an' git chew some dirt - about three or fo' months after he done laid dere in de grave. Git chew some dirt an' tote dis dirt in yore pocket wit dis ring, yo' see. Well now, dat gives yo' a hand.
The informant introduces hearsay about acquiring a dead gambler's ring and later dirt from his grave. The quoted purchase words are prescribed speech; the gambling-luck claim remains reported.
Entry 1935
Ah've heard tell of 'em using, gittin' a chip off de headbo'd, gittin' a piece off de headbo'd of de grave an' using it fo' luck.
(Well, how do they use that?)
Well, yo' scrape it. Yo' take a knife an' yo' scrape de - shave it off de lefthand side of it. Git dat off de lefthand side, yo' scrape it tuh yo'. Yo' scrape it to yo' an' yo' say, "Lord, let dere be luck. Lord, let dere be luck." Yo' say dat three times an' yo' scrape dis knife to yo' - yo' bring it to yo'. Yo' bring yore knife to yo', not from yo' - dat's lucky.
(Well, what would you do with it after you get those scrapings?)
Well, yo' take dat scraping an' wear it. Yo' take yore little fine scraping an' put it in a little bag an' yo' wear it round yore waist, if yo' a person out fo' luck in numbahs or somethin' lak dat.
Entry 1936
Take graveyard dirt an' put it in yore pocket - graveyard dirt an' Sampson snakeroot an' blacksnake root an' measure it. [Three ingredients.]
(Measure what?)
De blacksnake root when yo' take it up. Yo' measure it de length of yore finger, de blacksnake root.
(Which finger?)
It either be's [these] two or dese two - this or the other one [demonstrates]. Ah don't know, don't want be positive.
(Either two of the fingers of the right hand.)
Yes sir. They take three of those Sampson snakeroot an' measure 'em, den dey take three of blacksnake roots an' measure 'em, an' weave 'em together with raw cotton thread, weave 'em together, an' put 'em in dey pocket, an' git some grave- yard dirt an' put in it.
(What is that supposed to do then?)
That is luck - luck to win. Or way back in slavery time that was luck to keep yo' boss from whuppin' yo'. Ole people carried dat - dat's all dey had to pertek deyself. [Informant born 1858.]
Entry 1937
See, ah'm gwine wit a girl. Ah have did dat mahself. An' go tuh de graveyard, carry nine pennies yo' see, an' yo' put dem nine pennies down three each time - one fo' de daid, an' one fo' de livin', an' one fo' de girl. See. An' den yo' pay a penny fo' dat graveyard bo'd, fo' dat headbo'd, an' yo' stick it down - walk backwards an' stick it down an' go home. Ah didn't have tuh use no dirt. An' ah did see her de nex' mawnin'. (Well, did you say anything or do anything out there when you were doing all this?) Ah went there an' - git somepin tuh dig a hole. Put three penny in one hole - dat's fo' de dead. It a good many yeahs since ah did it. Ah jes' remembah. Ah put down first de three penny in de girl name. Den ah put three penny down in my name, an' ah put three penny down fo' de dead, an' ah put three penny down fo' de headbo'd, yo' see. An' den ah take dis bo'd, de headbo'd up In de Name of de Lord an' ah stick it back down In de Name of de Lord, but ah stick it back down dere backwards an' walk on out of there, an' ah call dis girl name ever' time, an' de next mawnin' ah did see her.
(You do this in order to see this girl?)
Dat's it, yessuh.
Entry 1938
You kin go to a graveyard, but chew have to go before de sun rise they say, if you lose a job an' wants to git yore job [back], or if you wants a job. You go to a graveyard in de mornin', six mornin's, befo' de sun rise an' get a little bit of graveyard dirt an' throw it over left shoulder. You get dere befo de sun rise an' jes' as de sun start to peepin' up, then you throw it over your left shoulder. An' then you go back home and you dress up an' go on out to de job. An' jis' don't you say nuthin in de world to your bossman; jis' set dere an' they tell me he'll call yah.
The informant introduces the job account with 'they say' and 'they tell me'. '[back]' is an editorial insertion; the passage reports six mornings without establishing the claimed job outcome.
Entry 1939
Dat graveyard dirt, why ah've got it mahself to be lucky. Why ah take it an' some Hearts Cologne an' git me a silver dime an' put into it, an' wrap it up in some red flannel an' wear it in mah shoe fo' nine days - in mah left shoe fo' nine days. An' ah change it out an' put it in mah right shoe fo' nine days. An' de tenth day, why if ah felt like it, if ah had a job or gambling, ah'd go back to gambling, why ah'd always be lucky.
Entry 1940
You kin git chew a little dis talcum powder, git chew a little grave- yard dirt. Go as near de center of de graveyard as you can. It don't make any diff'rence where [whether] you git it off de grave or not, but you git from sandy dirt like. Take dis talcum powder and mix dat and de graveyard dirt together. Prob'bly you have to put it in de stove somewhere and let it dry out so's it'll be dust. You go and git chew a little of de best cologne dat you kin find and sprinkle into dere. Well now, if you kin git right on to dis boss or kin roun next to 'im, you may drop some of it roun' his feet like dat or run your hands - keep some in your pocket all de time. Run your hand in your pocket and sprinkle a little roun' dere. Well, you take dis same Adam and Eve root. It don't hurt cha if you put it in yo' mouth. You take and place one in each jaw, walk roun' de boss and talk to 'im. Spit ever' once in a while roun' in dere. If dere's anything on his desk or anywhere [like] dat, you kin prob'bly spit in your hand and go and lean on it - jes' like I'd come in chere and ask you for a job, I'd lean up here [against my work table] and talk to you. Now I got dat spittal in my hand you see and put it on his desk. He can't tell nuthin.
Entry 1941
You jes' go to 'im and - dat's if you kin git to 'im. Git to 'im and you got some of dis same graveyard dirt, but you git dis before de 12 o'clock tonight when you wan'a git a job. If you go to git a job, you go to dis grave at 12 o'clock in de night, fresh grave, and you go to 'im and you say to de dead man, "Will you let me have dis?" You say dat to 'im t'ree times before he give it. Den you takes dis direct fromst de middle, fromst de foot, and fromst de head, see. And you put dat in a little cup and you bring dat cup out [the grave- yard]. Now you know where dis bossman stay, you know dat he stay dere. Well you go to his house four o'clock.
(In the morning or at night?)
No, in de mornin' - four o'clock and you knock at de door t'ree times before you put dis down. Knock at de door t'ree times and put dis t'ing right on under- neath de steps and you go off. He comes out.
(He comes out.)
Yeah, and you gone and he ain't goin' see nobody when he come out. All right. Den next mornin' you go up to him, "Good morning, boss." "Good morning." 'Well, Boss, I's looking fer a job." 'You wan'a job?" 'Yes, sir." "What kin you do?" "Well most anything, suh, you want done." 'Well, I'll give you a week's trial." "All right, sir." That's all you want. Git in dere and after dat you is dere. [We have in this rite three actions, each performed three times.]
Entry 1942
They kin take this graveyard dirt, they kin take this camphah gum, with sulphah [three ingredients], an' they wear it in their pocket. Maybe they jis' dampen with whiskey an' stuff. An' jis' befo' you git to the white man you gon'a ax fer the job at, you take this stuff an' you rub all in your hand an' rub it ovah your face three times, an' you kin walk up to the man an' ax fer a job. He might deny you the first time he might, but the second time he can't deny you.
Entry 1943
Well, there's diff'rent things. They said that they take that grave- yard dirt and mix it with - just like if they working on a job and they wan'a get 'em away [from] there. Well they get the graveyard dirt, but they get it off a sinner's grave. And they take this graveyard dirt and you mix with pepper and salt, and get to where this person that you wan'a get off the job, and sprinkle on 'em and they won't be able to stay on that job.