Browse:KNOTS ONE (Volume 3, entries 3476–3511)
KNOTS ONE
Volume 3, entries 3476–3511. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → KNOTS AND TYING. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3476
A woman kin git a man's seap [penis] an' measure it. Don't measure yo' roun' but measure disaway [lengthwise], an' war [wear]. Put a hole in a silvah dime an' put dis string [used in measuring] through dis silvah dime, an' war dat cord aroun' 'er leg [left ankle]. An' as long as she war dat cord dis man would nevah have no dealin's wit dat [any other] woman - no feelin's fuh 'er.
Entry 3477
Men and women?
(Yes.)
A woman dat anothah man - dat she got a husban' an' anothah woman wants dis man. Well, she can persuade, she kin make him lose his nature fer 'is wife an' have all de nature fer her by buyin' a square of yellah domestic-lak. De yellah domestic is de only kin' dat'll do. An' when she has connec- tions wit dis man she lets 'im use dat yellah domestic. An' she ties it in a knot jes' as tight as she kin tie it where the spots are. An' she puts it undah de side of de bed dat she lies on, an' sleeps right on dat knot, an' she has 'im tied up where 'is wife can't git any service outa 'im at all. He can't do any- thing at home. De only time he kin do anything is when he come an' lie on de side of de bed where dat piece of domestic is. She lies right on dat when she has dealings wit 'im an' he can't git up any courage fer anybody but 'er. He naturally mistakes dat fer love an' leaves 'is wife an' comes to her.
Entry 3478
Yo' take a string an' measure de man while he's 'sleep an' measure de length of 'im, if he's a normal man. Yo' tie dat to de springs to yore bed. He nevah kin stretch out unless'n he's in dat bed.
Entry 3479
Even if she want 'im an' don't want 'im tuh mess wit no othah wimmins de cloth whut dey connect wit, she ties dat on de springs of 'er bed, throw 'er mattress ovah it, an' he can't go wit nobody but 'er.
Entry 3480
Jes' lak yo' a man an' yo' wife wuz runnin' aroun' - jes' lak a man would run aroun'. Well, when he sleep, de woman could take a cord string an' measure de end of 'is thing an' tie it on de slat undah de bed slat, an' he couldn't mess wit nobody but 'er.
Entry 3481
Takes yo' a piece of string an' measure de root from de end up to yore stomach, an' take it an' tie it aroun' a li'le bottle an' set it up ovah yo' do. An' hit'll - a man can't have no othah woman but 'is ole lady.
(The woman would do this?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3482
She kin have him follahin' 'er. Take de seat of 'is underwear an' take an' cut 'er a di'mond out of dat - jes' cut a little place in de seat dat's in de shape of a di'mond. She'll have a connection wit 'i an' git some of 'is discharge an' roll it real tight in dat di'mond dat she cut. Take a little piece of 'is hair an' bind it aroun' dere, take a new thread an' bind it - jes' wrap it aroun' dere an' place it in 'er shoe. She tear de linin' in 'er shoe to git in dere. An' he'll stick aroun' 'er lak baby sticks aroun' 'is mothah when he wants a tit. He won't leave 'er. Sometime I believe my ole lady got me dat way. Yes siree, he ain't goin' aftah nobody an' she can't drive him away.
Entry 3483
If he an' 'er could have dealings, den she would take a rag an' she would let 'im wipe wit it mostly. Den she take an' tie it up, or seal it in some kin'a sealed bag, an' put it up ovah de do' dat goes into her room so he kin walk undah it, walk in undah it, an' den dat would fix 'im where he couldn't do nuthin wit nobody but 'er. When he go to go wit othah women, why it would fall.
Entry 3484
Jes' lak now if yo' wanta keep 'im an' yo' have a intahco'se wit 'im, jes' lak yo' mess up wit 'im, why yo' git chure han'scheff yo' know an' git dat [semen] an' tie it in de cornah of de han'- sheff an' bury dat undah yore do'step. An' see, dey can't leave but so fur, dey can't go outa town or nuthin, until yo' git ready tuh go yoreself, ah reckon.
Entry 3485
If a man leaves yo' an' yo' wants 'im back, de thing about it, yo'll have tuh git in wit 'im an' go tuh bed wit 'im, undahstan'. Well, if yo' go tuh bed wit 'im one time, yo' could buy a halfa yard of yellah homespun cloth an' aftah yo'all finish whut chure doin', yo' kin jes' stick dat yellah home- spun, dat halfa yard of yellah homespun an' wipe him down wit it three times. Yo' undahstand me, wipe him down three times an' git a thin [well-worn] dime from 'im. An' take yore time, take dat yellah homespun cloth to de cornah an' double it. Evah time yo' fold it, fold it towards yo'. An' git a piece of thread an' tie dat an' bury it at chure do'steps. He come right on, straight on back tuh yo'.
(You put that little dime in the corner of this cloth and keep folding it up.)
Towards yo' evah time. [This woman spoke in a whisper all through interview.]
Entry 3486
Dere's several diff'ren' ways about dat. Dere's such a thing as a woman takin' a gartah dat she wears 'erself, an' if she kin measure de man wit it, she will tie it in a knot; an' as long as dat knot is tied in 'er gartah an' she keeps it anywhere on 'er body, all de nature dat he has for any person is gone. (I see. You said they just take either garter?) Eithah one of 'em, jes' so it's somepin she person'ly wears. An' as long as she keeps dat gartah wit dat knot in dere, she kin trust 'im any- where in de world.
Entry 3487
Jes' lak yo' have a sweetheart an' yo' wanta hold 'im, well yo' take some bran'-new pins dat nevah been used, an' yo' fix dem haid an' haid [tail], but dey must be even, see. (You mean one goes this way [I demonstrate] and one goes that way - they alternate.)
[Informant misunderstands alternate, a word I should not have used.]
Yes sir, dat's right. Yo' have a connection wit chure frien'.
(How many of those pins do you use?)
Yo' make a gartah of dose. An' yo' fix 'em de haid an' haid - lak de stuck right on de haid - dey can't stick yo', see. An' yo' take dis string an' yo' measure him while he's asleep an' yo take dat. Well, when he have connection wit chew, YO' DON'T HAVE NO 'MUNICATE [COMMUNICATION] WIT 'IM BUT HE JES' HAVE ONE WIT CHEW. Well yo'wrap dat roun' an' yo' ketch dat. Well, now yo' nuse [use] dat fo' a gartah, tie it roun' yore laig. He can't have nobody else but chew.
(What do you put those pins in?)
In dat gartah. (In this piece of cloth that you make the garter with, you put those pins in there after you wipe him? And then you make that garter and you wear it?) Yes.
Entry 3488
I've heard that a woman could measure a man while he's asleep and tie that string around her leg and wear it for three weeks; then take the same string and burn it, and take the chars from the string and put them in an envelope, and seal it and write his name on it, and put it under her pillow. And he wouldn't have any use for any other girl.
Entry 3489
Take a little grain of hair off 'im an' put a little bit of dat stuff wit it - a little bit of dat stuff, yo' know lak yo' mate togethah, an' tie it up an' make him come back. (You tie it up. What do you do with it then?) Put it roun' yore waist.
Entry 3490
Well, usely [usually] when a man don't want 'is wife to be in service to anothah man, or a woman don't want 'er husban' to be of service to anothah woman, well usely when dey go in an' have a intahco'se, she'll take a han'ke'chuf. De han'ke'chuf dat she use, why she'll tie a knot in it, an' when she ties dat knot in dere, if he don't know about it - ah don't care who he goes wit, why it won't do him any good.
(What does she do with that handkerchief after she ties the knot?)
She don't do anythin' wit it, jes' tied it an' let it stay in dere. Long as dat knot stays in dere, why he's no good - no one but [to] her.
Entry 3491
De way yo' do tuh stop 'im is to have intahco'se wit each othah an' take a bran'-new pocket han'ke'chuf an' yo' use it fo' yo' dry cloth. Dey say yo' take dat an' yo' tie it up in a knot, an' yo' kin hide it anywhere about chure home an' dat will keep yo' [him]. Or, eithah - some people say yo' kin take a dishrag an' dat would keep 'im from havin' intahco'se wit anybody else except yo'self.
Entry 3492
He kin 'eep 'er from havin' any man in de world while he's gone.
(How does he do that?)
He take, go to bed wit 'er - see, intahco'se wit 'er. Jes' go an' git a bran'-new white linen han'ke'chuf an' don't let 'er use no towel lak she been or'nary [ordinary] usin'. She say, "Well, Baby," say, "I ain't got nuthin in de bed." Yo' say, "Well, here mah Pocket han'ke'chuf." Yo' take dat pocket han'kechuf, see, an' use hit. Yo' see. Don't let 'er use it on yo'. She use it on 'erself. All right. An' den yo' take dat pocket han'ke'chuf an' yo' go to de north cornah of de house, an' yo' dig a hole eight inches in de groun'. An' yo' git some of dat last dirt yo' got out dere an' tie hit up in dat pocket han'ke'chuf. An' yo' bring dat pocket han'ke'chuf an' yo' put it undah de doorstep befo' yo' leave, an' let 'er walk over it two days, two nights. An' dat last night dat yo' stay wit 'er, yo' take it an' put it undah 'er head. An' she sleep on it but she don't know it. An' den when yo' git up dat mawnin' when yo' leavin', yo' take dat pocket han'ke'- chuf - yo' take dat pocket han'ke'chuf an' carry it on wit chah. An' evah man dat she - yo' see, she might try to have some man but she can't have 'em. She'll turn wrong side out wit 'em, yo' see. She can't [take] dat man, she'll turn out. Dat ties 'er. Dat ties 'er, she can't intahco'se, yo' see.
(But what happens to her?)
Yo' see, dat makes 'er turn out - yo' see.
(Turm out?)
Turn out. Evah time a man start foolin', it hurt 'er yo' see. She'll tell 'em, say, "Gee [something]." See, ah'm got her fixed, yo' see. She can't stan fo' nobody to mess wit 'er. She can't stand it. She can't stand it to have no Dan, yo' see. Dat's got 'er fixed where she can't - she tied up. She ain't got Do int'rest fo' no man. Yo' see, won't have none. She don't want nobody but choo, yo' see.
Entry 3493
Ah've heard dat chew kin take a cord string an' measure de man an' tie a lnot in de centah, an' de woman could tell aftah he had gone out. She could tell aftah he'd leaver [leave her] where he wuz tryin' to have a connection wit dis woman. Dey said dis knot, why she could tie it as tight as she could, but it would loosen. She could tell if he tried, bat he couldn't have dis woman.
(That is, if he were trying, this knot would get loose in the string?)
Git loose in de string. See, she would keep de string dat she measure. She beasured de length of 'im an' den she'd tie a knot in de centah of de string. An' if he goes, wherevah he goes, de minute dat he'd try to have de woman, why dis knot would loosen. An' dat's why - or how she could tell whut he wuz doin'.
Entry 3494
When he's layin' asleep take an' measure his privates wit a cord. Take de length of it an' take de roun' of it. An' take it an' tie a knot dere on it an' wear it aroun' 'er below 'er knee. An' dat will stop 'im from runnin' aftah othah women.
Entry 3495
Ah tried dis mahself, yo' know. Now, havin' a intahco'se, yo' takes string, any- ching dat be's long enough an' measure hisself to de...
(You measure him?)
Yeah, wit de string. An' yo' take dis string an' wear it up above yore knee, an' he kin not have anothah person, no othah one but yo'.
Entry 3496
If yo' wanted 'im ag'in, yo' could take a piece of new yellah domestic an' use de intahco'se, use it nine times, an' take an' cut out a piece about as big as a quarter [25 cent piece] an' put it in yore left-foot shoe an' wear it in dere, an' yo'll come tuh conker 'im lak yo' want 'im, if yo' wanted 'im. Yo' could take, say fo' in- stance - yo' could take a piece of cloth an' nuse [use] it an' tie a love knot in it. Take a teaspoon fulla sugan an' put in dere an' tie a love knot an' put it in yore mattress, an' dat'll make him be closer to yo' an' no one else.
(What kind of cloth do you take did you say?)
Yallah domestic - new, dat nevah been nused. An' yo' nuse dat nine times, an' when yo' have it, YO' NOT SUPPOSED TUH HAVE NO INTAHCO'SE WIT 'IM YO'SELF, YO' KETCH HIS'N. An' den yo' take an' put hit undah yore bed in yore mattress where yo' sleep on it. An' dat'll make him close to yo'. De man kin do it if he wants a woman. He kin take his new pocket han'ke'chuf an' nuse dat, han'ke'chuf dat ain't nevah been used, an' take it an' nuse it all de time an' tote it in 'is pocket, an' dat woman, she cain't have nuthin tuh do wit nobody but 'im.
(How does he use that handkerchief?)
He jes' nuse it in wipin' 'isself. See, it's a bran'-new han'ke'chuf, a white linen han'ke'chuf dat ain't nevah been nused. An' he take dat han'ke'chuf, see she jes' ain't payin' no 'tenshun, he jes' take, yo' know, an' dry hisself off. An' den he take an' put it in 'is pocket an' wear it.
Entry 3497
Now, it's somepin how to make a person cold towards de othah one, cold towards evahone. Yo' go git chew a piece of new cloth, linen cloth, white cloth, 18 x 18 inches, an' yo'hem dat. An dis pahtic'lah person dat chure inter- sted in, yo' wan'a use dem - yo' use dat, yo' see. Yo' put it out an' let it dry an' den yo' tie dat as ah tole yo' about de dishrag. "Membah me tellin' yo' 'bout de dishrag? [Informant's material had been badly recorded several days before, she is now repeating.]
(Yes, but you better tell it over.)
Well, but dis doesn't go wit dat, dis is diff'ren' thing. Yo' use dat as yo' did dat, an' yo' tie de knot in it aftah yo' dry it, an' yo' stick dese points in lak yo' make a love knot, yo' know. Do it at twelve 'clock at night, if yo' have some person or frien' dat chew know is dead, yo go to dat grave of someone dat chew know dat have kept secrets fer yo'. Yo' stick yore han' down in dis grave wit a new dime. Yo' say, "Yo' have always been a friend to me, indeed an' yo' have always kept mah secrets. Now dis is one thing ah want chew to keep always, an' ah want chew to keep dis person evah near me an' no one else." An' yo' bury dis wit dat there person.
(The handkerchief you bury there?)
Dat's right, an' dis person will remain cold to evahone except yo'. Dat new dime, yo' pay 'em fer keepin' de secret.
(Where do you put that new dime?)
Right where, yo' know, where yo' dig de place to bury dat - de silvah, an' not two nickels but a dime.
Entry 3498
All right, dey tell me dat when yo' have intahco'se wit 'er, dat she could take a piece of new cloth of any kind an' use it an' let chew use it, den could take it an' tie it in a little knot, ball it up an' put it undah de mattress right undah yore haid, dat chew will nevah go out any mo'.
(With other women?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3499
Tuh make yore man love yo', ah tell yo' whut chew do. Yo' go tuh bed wit 'im an' yo' git chew a bran'-new white pocket han'ke'chuf dat has nevah been used. Well, yo' have a intahco'se wit 'im, yo' know. Well, yo' git up an' yo' have yo' a bottle of olive oil an' yo' git chew a bottle of oil of cin- namon. Yo' take it - yo' know, don't let 'em see yo' - drop 15 drops of oil of cinnamon in dat nasty spot, an' yo' drop 15 drops of oil of olive oil. Den yo' take dat an' yo' tie it aroun' yore laig, an' yo' wear it aroun' yore laig three days, an' if he hasn't been comin', he will come an' cain't quit comin'. He cain't quit comin' an' he'll bring all 'is money home, an' he'll give it to yo'. He'll be good to yo' when yo' do dat.
(You tie that around either leg?)
No, one laig, de right laig.
Entry 3500
She be wit 'im an' she jis' takes, yo' know, his discharge [on a cloth] an' she folds it up or ties it up [which makes the 1 knot] an' wears it in 'er right-foot shoe; an' [or] she'll take some of 'er, yo' know, her period, an' she feeds 'im dat; or eithah some of 'er water an' give him dat. Dat breaks 'em up.
(That breaks him up with this other girl, you say.)
An' [or] take some of 'is hair an' put it in a bottle an' keep it wit 'er. Dat breaks 'em up.
Entry 3501
He have a intahco'se wit 'er an' she take a piece of new cloth an' take bis come on dat an' tie it in dat new cloth an' den she bury it undah de steps, an' when he steps ovah it three times, she take an' carry it to de cemetery an' bury it in de cemetery, an' den he be tied to her an' he Can't have anothah woman tuh save his life. IF SHE'D DIE AN' LEAVE HIM LAK DAT, BE CAN'T HAVE ANOTHAH WOMAN [see 1039, p.396]. Ah've seen dat done.
Entry 3502
Ah know dat chew kin take a rag when yo' have intahco'se wit 'em, an ulpe 'im an' bring it towards yo', an' tie it up an' put it in de middle of yore bed undah de mattress, an' dey can't go wit nobody else but chew. (What do you mean by bringing the rag toward you?) Yo' wipe it, his thing, towards yo' an' den ball it up dght in a hard knot, an' den put it in de middle of de mattress up undah de bed, an' he can't go wit nobody else. [The middle of the mattress and its 4 corners are the 5 points of a quincunx, see p.710 and many places in HOODOO.]
Entry 3503
Gittin' a woman down - ah mean down in mah part of de country, down dis side [southeastern Atlantic coast] down heah, ah'm goin' tell yo' whut dey does. See, go to yo'self an' want action an' all, don't tell 'em 'bout no othah man atall. Jes' look 'em in de eyes an' tell 'em, an' ah tell yo', if she'd make a date wit chew, yo' take a bran'-new pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' use dat fo' de rag. De man will carry de han'- ke'ch'ef off, he carry de han'ke'- ch'ef off 'er an' tie it roun' in a knot, turn it in a knot an' put it up ovah de do', anywhere ovah de do'. Or tie it in a green tree. Dat be all de got'a do. Be wit nobody but chew. De man do dat, yes sir.
(Over the door or where?)
Ovah de do' or tie it on a green tree. If yo' git to a little green tree dat's slindah enough in de woods, kin draw it roun' dere, draw it in tight dis way. Git a new pocket han'ke'ch'ef, one ain't not been used.
Entry 3504
Ah heard dat once it wuz a man, yo' know he'd run about, he wouldn't stay home wit 'is wife aftah dey ma-ied [married]. He run all about at' [after] othah 'umens [women], yo' know. He'd come in twelve a'clock, one a'clock, two a'clock, three a'clock, an' sometime de nex' mawnin'. So dis 'uman ['oman = woman] she git tied [tired] of it. An' so she didn't wan'a, yo' know, kill she 'usban', so she jis' wait till she an' he vent [went] tuh baid, yo' see. An' den, aftah dey vent tuh baid an' he git on dis lady, yo' see, an' he vent tuh doin' somepin wit 'er, yo undahstan' me, vy [why] she jis' take de thing dat, choo know - if I wan'a say a - she take 'is dick, yo' see, an' wipe it on huh undahcoat - undahcloz [under- clothes] yo' see, so he couldn't, yo' know, git up any courage fuh nobody else den but huh. An' so dat [remedy] wuz tole huh he'd haf to stay home, see. She jis' put it on huh undahcoat, joo see. An' den, aftah ven [when] he gone off, he gone tuh verk sometäme [sometime], an' she jis' take it de undahcoat, an' jis' cut dat piece off, yo' see, bǒl [ball] it up an' put it on a long string, an' put it aroun' she waist. It res' [rested], yo' know, on she [her] necked [naked] meat, hangin' down on de right side.
Entry 3505
Ah know dis is true. Yo' kin go tuh work an' yo' kin fix dat man in a way dat he cain't have no dealings wit no othah woman. Jis' git chew a string an' measure him an' tie it aroun' yore waist [this is tying 1 knot in string] an he kin go on any othah woman he wan'a, but he cain't have no dealin's wit 'er. Come back home an' he's all right wit 'er [his wife or woman.]
Entry 3506
(What will she do?)
Take de cloth dat she use an' be sure dat she gits it. She goin' to cut it out, de piece of it out while it's damp, an' she know what she got. An' she'll put it on a belt or somepin an' jis' wear it aroun' 'er waist. Dat tie him to her. Evah time he go to go wit any othah woman, as long as she get dat piece on 'er, he can't. If he's ready, why he soon become unready befo' he kin do any- thing.
Entry 3507
" If yo' wanta person tuh love yo', yo' kin git 'em. Yo' kin buy yo' a piece of white cloth [therefore it is new] an' jes' lak if yo' have a dat wit dis person, whenevah yo' git through wiping wit it, an' take it an' wear it. Tie it aroun' yore waist an' wear it. Dat'll make 'em love yo'. [The tying about waist is the one knot.]
Entry 3508
All right, chew take a white had- ke'chuf an' jes' lak a man an' a woman is - urinate togethah [see later], well yo' take de urinate an' tie it in de middle of de han'ke'chuf, tie it in a hard knot an' den yo' wet it evah mawnin' fo' nine - wit watah fo' nine mawnin' an' keep it in de hot sun.
(What will that do?)
Dat makes [them] love yo' an' dey can't git rid of yo'.
[URINATE USUALLY MEANS URINE BUT NOT ALWAYS.]
(You don't use their urine, do you?)
Yes suh, dat's whut ah mean.
(How do you mean that?)
Jes' lak if dey go wid yo', yo' jes' take dere urinate an' jes' tie it in de middle of a han'ke'chuf. (WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THEIR URINATE? DO YOU MEAN THEIR PEE WATER OR WHAT?) No sir, dey come. (You mean the other stuff [semen from man] that comes out.)
Entry 3509
Well, if it's a man - if a woman wanta trick a man where he can't have anyone else. Well, she have intahco'se wit 'im an' den she use a cloth, she dries 'im. She takes de cloth an' she folds it see, an' ties it an' she wear dat as she would a sanitary piece, see. An' quite natch'l [natural] he'll come in an' he'll raise, until he git ready tuh git in de baid. When he git in de baid an' git tuh crawl on dis woman, it will fall. [Sumter, S. Car. (1364), 2405:8.]
Entry 3510
Well, jis' like if she wanted havin' a man, yo' know, an' yo' don't wan' 'im to have no one else. Dey say dat dere's two ways yo' kin do dat, but de surest way to do it is to go to de store - yo' don't have to buy but about a half a yard of white homespun. I've tried dat mahself. An' when yo' make connection, jis' before he have a good time, dat he takes it out - an' of co'se some draps on de baid. Yo' take an' grab like dat an' wipe it choo know. An' den yo' tie yo' a hard knot in dat homespun. I guess it'll be about dat long. Yo' got to buy about a half a yard anyhow. Yo' might have to splice it, yo' know, so it be long enough to go roun' yore waist an' tie it, an' also tie de knot [here are the two knots]. Yo' wear it nine days an' den yo' take it an' put it somewhere 'bout chah baid, an' he can't mess wit nobody else. He be on level all de time. I did it fer curiosity. I did a man like dat an' he had to pay a man, he told me, ten dollars to git dat thing offa him.
Entry 3511
I've heard dat if a man sup- posed to leave a woman, she don't want 'im to go, why she does 'is washin', see. Of course he could go away, but he Won't be no good to nobody else but 'er. See, she'll cut a piece of shirttail outa his shirt, cut right outa his testicles, cut out dat. Take dat an' wear dat in a - tie sompin aroun' it an' wear it aroun' 'er, see [pubic region]. Yo' kin go anywhere yo' choose, but yo' can't do anything.