Browse:Holy Oil (Volume 1, entries 1078–1080)
Holy Oil
Volume 1, entries 1078–1080. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → FOLK MEDICINE → FOLK MEDICINE (1) PRINCIPLES OF HEALING. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 1078
But on mah husband's side, he went to a woman in Tampa an' she gave him some holy oil an' she tole 'im to put that holy oil - make a cross in his hand in de mawnin' an' make a wish an' wish de bad luck away, an' make cross on his feet at night fo' goin' tuh bed, an' in de mawnin' when he got up tuh read the 37th Psalms fo' nine mawnin's, an' that would kill de bad luck; an' read de 35th Psalms if he wanted something to happen to the person that did it. An' so he tried that an' his luck begin tuh change.
(Did he make this cross in both hands?)
Well, yo' kin make it in both or yo' kin make it in the strongest hand, which would be the right hand. (What about the cross in the palm of the feet?) [Palm of the feet, a common expression, shows she is retelling rite and I am repeating unrecorded words of hers.] Both feet an' make a wish.
Entry 1079
I order me incent [incense] an' a bottle of holy oil. This incent [demonstrates] I set it in this corner, this corner, this corner and this corner.
(The four corners of the room.)
Yes. An' ah burns them down at that corner. I git down dere an' ah wish fo' whut ah want - success, prosper, money. An' by burning that an' have yore whole heart an' min'on it, why it would - it comes true. An' when yo' burning that incent an' with the holy oil, yo' po's that holy oil on that incent, yo' see. Yo' order that. Ah don't buv it out de drug store. ah orders it mahself. An while it's burning yo' wishes. It's jest lak de Cath'lics, yo' know, by yore faith yore saved aren't [or not] an' by yore faith yore damned. An'by mah faith I always has success an' prosper an' everybody mostly likes me.
Entry 1080
Take de graveyard dirt an' carry it an' git de black cat's bone an' carry it fo' luck.
(For gambling?)
For gambling. Ah sells stuff dey call lodestone an' ah sell another one call High John de Conker, an' each satisfies 'em. Ah explains it so dey jes got faith in it.
(How do you prepare that? How do you fix it up then?)
How yo' prepare de High John de Conker? Well, yo' wear dat chew know. It's a root somepin 'bout dat long an' yo' put it in yore pocket an' wear it wit chure money. An' de lodestone yo' puts dat in a purse. Yo' know dere's a purse goes with it. Den ah has anothah stone dat comes in de oil called de holy oil. When yo' go in at night, lak if ah wanted to have luck, yo' uncork dis. It's in a little jar lak dat an' set it up ovah de mantelpiece an' when ah'm goin' out, take de lode- stone out an' wrap it up an' put it in mah pocket. When ah come back in at night, ah go to de jar an' drop it back in de holy oil. [Informant is a small- time curio products salesman: "Wilson, N. C., Fri., June 16, 1939...1468 - man 50 - sells articles - ng [[= no good, meaning he knew his own work but little about hoodooll" - Numbers Book 1291-1515. For an expert seller of curios, woman in Jacksonville, Fla., see Agent for Curios in Interviews Section.]