Browse:Holy Water Puts Out Candle (Volume 1, entries 2957–2962)
Holy Water Puts Out Candle
Volume 1, entries 2957–2962. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → SHRINES: ALTARS - CANDLES - SAINTS; NEW ORLEANS AREA → (2) CANDLES. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2957
Take a little holy water and then sugar and ammonia, and you put it in the mole [mold] of your head like that, "In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost." [I comment on his actions.] (You make a cross on the top of your head while you are putting that [mixture] on.) Yes, "In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost. In the Name of God put this light out." And it will go out.
(I see - and the candle will go out.)
Entry 2958
You take and cross two new needles in your head - two new needles in your head and get some holy water, see, and just take that holy water for nine mornings and throw it backwards over your head - over them new needles.
(Over? You just throw it back over the needles?)
Over the needles - over your head.
(I see, and what will that do then?)
That would cause the candle - if the candle been burning, the candle would do no harm. It make it burn out and it wouldn't do you no harm.
Entry 2959
Take two needles and put across your head and get you a bottle and put you nine needles in there and nine new pins - [he corrects to] nine new needles and some holy water and put it in there. Shake it and stop it up. An' turn it bottom up and set it in a corner. Leave it stay there. And every morning you go and shake it. [Magic rite of shaking.]
(What will that do?)
Well, that keeps him from - you know.
(Well, what do they do with those candles?)
What you do with the candles?
(Oh, what do you put those needles in your hair for?)
Somebody is burning candles on you and that is to stop 'em from burning candles. ["To stop 'em from burning candles" - though informant does not say so - are preceding nine needles and holy water in bottle turned upside down and shaken. For other versions of this water rite, see following margin-title AGAINST BURNING CANDLE USE WATER.]
Entry 2960
(Tell me about burning that candle now.)
If somebody burning a candle, how to put it out? You could take you some holy water. After you take the holy water - and you goes to work, your head will be hurting you all the time if they be burning that candle. They'll be burning the candle and you take that holy water and you put the holy water - but you gotta go to a two-headed person to find out who is that that burning that candle on you. After they burning that candle on you, you carries that holy water there and after you let that holy water there three nights, that candle'll go out.
(What do you mean that holy water will be let there?)
Put it with the holy water.
[The preceding it means another candle, we learn later.]
(Oh, you put it with the holy water?)
Yes, sir. (And you take this to the two-headed person and you leave it with them three nights?) Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
(Then what do you do with it?)
Then, what he going to - he going to put a candle, another candle, in the cup and burn that candle and have the white of the egg in the bottom of de cup. Just like you'd stick a candle [to the bottom of the cup with egg white instead of melted candle wax] and have de holy water [in the cup], you know. [Candle is often burned in a cup of water.] And when that holy water drain [evaporate] - you put about this much - then, why, the candle'll go out. That why the other candle will go out on you.
Entry 2961
Light choo a blue moun' [small incense come colored blue] to [Our] Lady [of] Lourdes, an' then you take the holy water an' go over your house each week, "In the Name of the Father, Son an' Holy Ghost." That'll make it [the candle being burned against you] go out. [For blue mound, see 2507, p.695; for various types of incense, see pp.700-705.]
The editor identifies the candle referred to by the informant's prediction that it will go out. The house practice and protective result remain unverified source claims.
Entry 2962
Well, yo' kin take - if yo' see a person's tryin' tuh do yo' anything or somethin' like dat, yo' go an' git chew some holy water and have it blest. See. If you have this holy water blest and bring to yore home, and yo' sprinkle it in each fo' corners of yore house - jes' sprinkle dis holy water in each fo' corners, underneath yore steps an' on yore porch. An' while yo' be's saying dat - well it's a piece in de catechism yo' has to say wit dis holy water, some- thin' about Holy Mary. Yo' sprinkle at each fo' corners of yore house an' dey can't - a person can't burn any candles or can't do anything long as yo' keep dis holy water and keep it sittin' behin' yore bed. (Well, what do they say? How does that piece from the catechism go - Holy Mary?) Well, it's "Hail Mary, conceived without sin, pray fo' me."
(It isn't, "Hail, Mary, full of grace?")
Yeah, it's, "Hail, Mary, full of grace, conceived without sin, pray fo' me."