Browse:MURDER (Volume 4, entries 7261–7516)/Part 3
MURDER
Volume 4, entries 7261–7516. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 7421
Cross 2 straws on de murdered man's stomach, an' lay a pair of new scissors so dat its closed points point to his toes, an' say, "Whut's did in de dark shall come to de light." This will bring the murderer back. [For cross of straw, see also No.7367, p.3259. Why the closed scissors instead of open ones, always a symbol of the cross? Either my informant has made a mistake, which I doubt, or the closed scissors indicate one cross of straw was enough for the purpose. Already the closed scissors sig- nify that the life thread of the murderer has been cut.]
Entry 7422
An' yo' kin take parsley an' do de same thing [catch a murderer].
(How do you do that?)
Yo' take de parsley, green parsley an' yo' - yo' don't put de leaves part in it, de root part, an' yo' put one root in dis han', put jes' lak dis [demon- strates] lak dis is. Jes' carry 'em disaway, an' take de othah one disaway, an' close de han'. Put it back dere dataway. An' dey won't go away. (Just cross their hands with parsley in it, across their breast, and the fellow can't go away.) Yes, can't go away. (I see.) [A piece of fresh parsley root is placed in each hand of the corpse and then the hands are crossed across the breast making separate crosses with folded hands and roots - a type of dou- ble-cross. The intention to bring back murderer is also there.]
Entry 7423
See, whenevah a puhson [person] do's [does] a killin' an' dey wan' dis othah one [kiiler] tuh die; it's accordin' to whut way he kill 'em dough [though]. Even so, if yo' poison 'em or even if yo' shot 'im or anythin' lak dat. I'm goin' tell yo' firs' de way yo' poison 'im. If yo' poison a puhson an' dey wan' chew tuh die behin' 'im [follow him in death] it's jes' acco'din' to whut yo' poison 'im in, yo' see. If yo' poison 'im in peas, beans or okree [okra] or anythin' lak dat - see, eggs or anythin'. Whenevah yo' git ready to dyin'- ah mean when dis puhson dead an' bein' buried, jes' whutsoevah yo' wus poisoned in, dey throw one of dem same thin's, or eithah a han'ful of it, right into grave - greens, peas, anythin' lak dat, see. An' den when de time - when dat stuff grows, yo' undahstan', sprout up - see dey won't plant on de top of yo' grave, yo' undahstan'. Jes' lak when it grow up [in garden], sprang up lak any othah peas or beans or somepin lak dat gen'rally do, jes' as soon as it git ready to die away, yo' begin to take sick, see. An' den whenevah yo' take sick, when dat thin' is dead sure enuff, den yo' will lay down an' die.
Entry 7424
[The preceding rite from Charleston - throwing into the murdered per-. son's grave the vegetable believed to have caused death by poison - I have pre- viously met and collected at Petersburg, Virginia. Here is an unusual variant: If yo' kin git some black peas... (Black peas?) Black corn-peas [peas planted in a corn (= maize) field, to be identified later]. Den go here some place tuh yo'- self an' dig yo' - yo' don' wan'a go tuh de old-time grave dey used tuh have. Dey used tuh have a coffin built wit cornahs lak dis, yo' know [demonstrates].
(The [upper] corners were sort of cut off.)
[Beveled or slanted would have been better.]
Dey have cornahs in de coffin made dat way, lak a elbow an' come down narrah [narrow] tuh de feet, yo' see. [Excellentt] Den dey used tuh dig a...fo' dat, didn't dig a square [oblong] flat grave lak dey do now. An' dey make a fo'k [fork] down in dere, yo' undahstan', in de bottom of dat [grave] enough tuh take dis box in. [Box is the old word for coffin because the coffin was a box.] Den dey put a plank ovah dat an' put dirt on de plank.
(They put what over that?)
Take a flat piece of junk jis' as long as dey dig de hole.
(Oh, I see.)
Yo' dig de hole an' yo' dig a fo'k in dat, yo' know.
(A something?)
[I failed to understand his variety of fo'k or fahk for fork!]
Yo' know, what ah call de fo'ks in de grave wit de hole in tuh fit de box.
(Oh, I see! Sort of dig out the sides so that box will fit it?)
Yeah, de box comes down, yo' see. Dey dig a square [oblong] hole...
[I interrupt.]
(You dig out the corners so that the box corners will go down in - that's the idea, isn't it?) No, [if] yo' had a piece of papah, ah'd show it tuh yo'.
[I probably tear a blank page out of my Numbers Book.]
(All right, write here.)
Yo' dig dis square [he draws a square]. Now, here's de nex' one. Plants dat down in de bottom of it.
(Oh, down in the bottom of the grave! I see.)
Den yo' dig a li'le one in dat, yo' know, same as dat's down in de bottom of de firs' one. But yo' don' dig de firs' on...dese peas supposed tuh come up an' sprout. Den yo' put de peas ovah on de rough ends of de bo'd, yo' see.
(How many peas do you put in there?)
Put one in each hole. An' yo' put sompin ovah dat - yo' see, ovah dose peas - piece of wood or anythin'. An' den put dirt on all of it, yo' see, but not dese, an' den when dem peas sprout, de corn will be gone.
(I see.)
It's six of one...
(Is that all you have to do?)
Dat's all, yes. BEFO' YO' TELL ANYBODY, FIRS' THING YO' DO WHEN YO' GIT UP IN DE MAWNIN', KNELL [KNEEL] DOWN AT DE DO'STEP AN' TELL DE DO'STEP, THREE TIMES, WHUT YO' DO. It's a simple thing but it's true.
(HOW LONG AGO DID YOU SAY THAT HAPPENED? HOW LONG AGO SINCE YOU HEARD THAT?)
IT'S BEEN OVAH FIFTY YEAHS.
(Fifty years.)
Yeah, when ah wuz young - [I am now] goin' on 76 yeahs.
[This interview occurred in 1937.]
(Was that here in Virginia?)
NO, nO, DAT WUZ DOWN IN NORTH CAROLINA. [If the purpose and details of the foregoing rite appear hazy, blame my scanty experience with hoodoo up to this time. The proper questions and explanatory notes for the recording cylinder would improve with more time. As I restudy this rite, a few afterthoughts arise: (l) Is informant talking about black corn-peas, as recorded, or does he say or intend to say black cowpeas? Surely one of our several cowpea rites confronts us. The cowpea (Vigna sinensis) I have already discussed somewhere in Hoodoo. Sometimes called black-eyed pea, black-eyed bean, etc., it is or was an extensive forage and green manure crop of the Southern States in the U. S. A. The seeds are or were often used for food. (2) Since the cowpea plant is more nearly related to the bean, we have here a historical con- nection with ancient death beliefs. (3) Notice that our peas or beans are not planted in or thrown into an actual grave, but in a mock grave between two rows of growing corn, i.e.maize. Here we have a reason for calling them cornpeas, if this latter word was meant. Our informant digs a small oblong hole, at the bot- tom of which he makes 6 small square holes, one for each pea. At first I thought we had an example of Chinese-box planting, square hole within square hole sort of thing; but informant corrects me with 6 separate holes, each separately covered with a small piece of wood - each of the latter a coffin symbol. Did this orig- inally bring back the murderer on the seventh day? At least we are told: When dem peas sprout, de corn will be gone. Presumably only the ears of (sweet?) )corn are gone, which permits the peas or beans to climb up the denuded cornstalks - hence the cornpeas. (4) The purpose of the rite is not given. Most likely this information was supplied before recording began and I forgot to repeat this de- tail to the cylinder. But certainly all becomes clear at the very end. WHY DOES INFORMANT "KNELL" DOWN AT DE DO'STEP AN' TELL DE DO'STEP, THREE TIMES, WHUT YO' DO? HE ACTUALLY KNEELS AT THE DOORSTEP OF THE MURDERED MAN TO TELL HIM HIS DEATH WILL SOON BE AVENGED! That is the reason for the secrecy until after the actual rite has been performed. Informant knew about this rite back in the 1880's. In some form it must be much older.]
Entry 7425
Jes' lak somebody killed a person an' he'll git away, an' yo' know, yo' cain't find 'im an' yo' don' know who it is. Befo' dat, befo' yo' bury dat corpse, yo' put a aig in it, in de body; jes' de aig down in [with] de corpse befo' it's stiff, an' dat person is boun' tuh come back. He cain't stay away.
Entry 7426
If a man kill a man, see, ketch a raw egg quick an' bust it in de man, de dead man's han', dey'll ketch dat man in less time dan a hour if he gone.
(How do they do - I mean how do they catch him by doing that?)
Jes' git de egg an' bust it in 'is han'.
(In the dead man's hand?)
Yes, jes' de egg in de dead man's han', an' dey'll ketch 'im. If dey don't ketch 'im dere, dey'll ketch 'fore he kin git away.
(Any kind of a fresh egg.)
Entry 7427
De man what dey bury, whut got killed, bury 'im wit a - wit a egg in his lef' han', a egg, an' dis fellah cain't stay away.
Entry 7428
Well, yo' know dat dead fellah, yo' kin put a aig in 'is han' an' dis is fac's an' a bran'-new pair of scis- sors undah 'is haid. When dat aig busts he'll come back an' give up. Ah know dat happen right heah in Memphis.
(What hand is that egg in?)
In de left han'.
(Any kind of an egg?)
A hen aig, gotta be a fresh aig, see.
(And a scissors under his head?)
Undah de dead woman's haid, an' de aig in de dead person's han', see. An' dey buried wit dat aig in dere han's.
Entry 7429
(Why is an egg placed in a dead person's hand?) They go ahead and take an egg and put it in the dead man's hand - you see, he know who done it and that egg makes him come back. Turn him on his face.
Entry 7430
Put egg in hand, tie hands together, murderer can- not escape. [Mobile, Ala., (669 t0 671), 883:8.]
Entry 7431
De man whut's daid, yo' take a fresh hen aig an' put it in 'is right han', an' close 'is han' up wit dat fresh hen aig in it, an' place it across 'is heart, see wit 'is han' close up, an' when dat aig bustess in 'is han' dis man will come an' give up.
(Put it in his hand and then lay his hand right over his heart?)
Dat's right.
Entry 7432
I used to hear it said, that if you get a black hen's egg and put it in his hand that was killed, either hand, you can tell exactly who killed him. That will keep him from nmniag away. He will come right back to that house. If that party touches him [corpse] it will bleed where he touches then. [This old woman was a young girl (almost grown) before Civil War, near Woodville, Mississippi. I interviewed her in my study, 130 East End Ave., N. Y. C., in 1936, March?]
Entry 7433
If somebody kill yo', well yo' [someone] takes a black hen aig an' put it in yore han' an' shet it up. Dat brings 'em [murderer] back.
Entry 7434
Jes' lak if a man gits killed, some man gits killed, somebody gits killed an' yo' don't know who killed 'em. Fin' somebody dead an' dey run off an' don' know who kill 'em. Yo' take a black hen egg, but have to be sure it's a black hen. Yo' take a black hen egg an' yo' bury de people wit de egg in 'is lef' han', an' in two week's time, jes' wheresomevah dat people bury dat, well, whosomevah kill 'im will come dere an' give hisself up. Ah've seen dat did.
Entry 7435
Yo' go to work an' yo' git choo a black hen's aig. Yo' take dat aig an' yo' bring it back to de party whut dat he killed, if yo' could git to 'em [the corpse]. Yo' put dat aig into his right han', yo' shet dat han' up on it, an' bury 'im wit dat aig in dere han'. An' he [the killer] boun' to come back to 'im. He'll come right back to dat same house where dey killed dat pusson [person].
Entry 7436
If he foun' dat man dead an' dat dead man jes' dere. Well, if dat dead jes' layin' - Jesus Christ said, "He dat kill shall be killed." Yo' git a fresh black hen's aig an' put it in, bind it in dat dead man's han' an' turn dat dead man ovah on 'is face, an' dat murderer will come dere.
(You put it in either hand?)
Put it in 'is right han'.
Entry 7437
I would git a fresh yard egg from a frizzly hen an' I would take an' place it in dis man's right han', de dead man's right han', an' I would bury 'im on 'is face. An' aftah nine days he be in de groun', de egg would bust an' dis man would come an' give himself up.
Entry 7438
Bury murdered person wit egg undah left arm. [The usual rite is an egg buried in each armpit.
Entry 7439
Lay an egg on the dead man's breast. When that egg busts, the murderer will return. [Vicksburg, Miss., (?), 986:4.] Bury dead man with a black hen's egg on his breast. [Vicksburg, Miss., (?), 1032:5.] [For original notes, see attached pages in original manuscript.]
Entry 7440
Yo' jes' go right an' take a aig.
(Any kind of an egg?)
Jes' any kinda aig but let dat aig be lay on Friday. Bury it to de no'th cor- nah of de house in a piece of cloth an' dat bring dat person back.
(Bring who back?)
De person who killed de man. (Whose house do you bury that at?) Well, yo' bury it to yore house.
Entry 7441
Now, yo' kin do dis. Dis anothah thing. If a pusson poison somebody belongin' to yo' an' yo' feel dat dat pusson have been poisoned, dat pusson near [to you] is a corpse. Yo' git choo a fresh hen aig - see what I mean - an' yo' put it undah dat pusson, in de corpse, undah dat pusson dat is in de corpse. Put it undah dere, don't break it dough [though]; but chew gotta do dat in secret, see. An' yo' let dat aig stay in dere an' bury 'im wit dat egg in dere, in de corpse, an' if dat pusson was kilt or poisoned, immediately aftah de egg break, de pusson who done de poisonin' will die.
Entry 7442
Jes' lak if ah had a frien' now an' he should git killed an' de man should escape, jes' put a aig in 'is mouth - any kinda aig yo' kin git from de sto', de grocery sto'. He'll come back.
(Put an egg in whose mouth?)
In de man who's daid.
(Just one egg, you men, in his mouth. Any kind of an egg?)
Any kind.
Entry 7443
Take a' aig an' bury dat man wit 'is face down an' put dat aig right back on de corpse [demonstrates]. (Right in the center of the neck, right in the hollow of the neck.) Right heah in dat centah, right dere in dat little low place.
Entry 7444
[Well, when dey bury de man dat's dead, well, dey gen'ly [generally]
write de man's name dat is gone an' put it undah 'is feet an' up undah 'is haid, an' put a aig in 'is right han', an' when dat aig bust, an' as long as dat paper wit dat name is dere, when dat name goin' to rot, de man will re- turn. He got to come back. (You mean when the name is going to rot?) Rotten in dat papah, dat will cause him to [come back].
(You put one paper at his foot and one at his head.)
De man's name dat did de killin'.
Entry 7445
[My recording machine was 3 or 4 words late starting.] An' runs away, yo' take a dead person, yo' bury 'em on dere face, lak dat. Yo' take de man dat killed 'im an' yo' write his name three times. If it's possible dat chew kin git dis [dead] person's han' open, yo' put one name in dis han' [demonstrates].
(The right hand.)
See, an' yo' take a egg from a hen, white hen, if yo' kin git it. (A white hen.) If yo' kin git it, an' put dat egg in dat hand [demon- strates]. (In the left hand.) [Explained later.] If yo' can't git it in de han', put it as neah de body as yo' kin. Be sure dat dis name is in dis han' an' dat party'll come back an' give up.
(There's one thing about that. What do you do with the other two names?)
Jes' write de three names in dere an' put it in dis right hand. An' yo' put de egg in de lef' han'.
(You put the name three times on a piece of paper?)
Yes.
(I see.)
An' put it in dis han' [demonstrates].
(In the right hand.)
An' den yo' put de egg in dis han'.
(Put the egg in the left hand. All right.)
Entry 7446
Yo' take yo' a aig an' yo' write his name on it.
(Whose name?)
De fellah's name whut did de killin', nine times, an' yo' bury it. An' in nine days he will come back. Dat's if he's run away some place an' dey cain't ketch 'im, cain't git 'im. (Where do you bury that egg?) Yo' bury dat aig right undah yore steps.
Entry 7447
Ah've hear'd dis about a person dat got killed. Jes' lak ah would kill somebody an' nobody roun' know who done it, but de way tuh find out who done it, who really done it, is wit dis dead person. Yo' put an aig in dey han' an' write on de aig. "Mur- derer come back." An' let it stay 24 hours an' dey'll ketch 'im.
Entry 7448
(How long ago did it happen?)
Long as they make [I interrupt].
(This story that you are going to tell me, how long ago did it take place?)
What about, de eggs?
(Yes.)
Of a man killin' a man?
(Yes, well, you said it was about three months ago?)
Yeah, about three months ago I saw dat happen, jes' whut I'm speakin' about now.
(Well, tell me the whole story.)
[This murder occurred near the end of 1937.]
A man, he wus livin' wit a woman an' him an' dis woman had separated. Dis wo- nan mixed up wit anothah man. An' so, well, dis man what had been livin' wit de woman come by de house. So dis [new] man, he hadn't been roun' dere long, no one knows nuthin of 'im. So he told dis man, he say, "Listen," he said, "I'm livin' here now," he say, '"I don't wan' choo to come nowhere roun' where I'm livin' at, I don't wan' choo a-comin' wit dis woman." So, he [former man] say, "All right." So he leaves dere. So one day de man wus off workin' an' he came by dere an' somebody told 'im dat de nan had been by dis house again. So it wus dat Saturday night. So dat Saturday night he couldn't fin' dis fellah. Dat Sundah jes' about twelve o'clock, he finded dis fellah. He wus playin' cards - him an' anothah fellah vus playin' a game dey call Coon Can.
(Coon Can?)
Coon Can, yes, dat's a game dey play wit ten cards - [something] was 'leven. An' when dis [former] fellah saw 'im - he had told people all up an' down Morris- town, dat anywhere he see dis fellah, he wus goin' to kill 'im.
(That was here in New Orleans?)
No, dis was out in de country at a little town dey call Morristown. I was done raised dere. An' so when dis fellah gits near 'im - some of 'is frien's had told 'im dat dis fellah had been lookin' fer 'im wit a pistol to kill 'im. Well, when he saw dis fellah, he wus settin' down behind a barrel. An' when dis fellah walked aroun' de barrel, well, dis fellah saw 'im an' he jumps up an' run. But he had de seven of di'monds in 'is han'. He shot 'im four times - four times - shot him twice through de heart, once in de leg an' in de side - killed 'im an' lef'. Nobody knows nuthin of 'im, didn't know where he had came from or nuthin of de kin'. So, a old lady, she took two eggs an' put 'em in 'is han's befo' he got stiff, put two eggs. Dey waked 'im [held a wake for the corpse] wit two eggs in 'is han's. Well, when dey comin' down to bury 'em dat nex' day, dey buried 'em - she told 'em, she say, "Now listen, dis man gone. We knows nuthin' about 'im, don't know whut way he gone, or nuthin of de kin'." An' so dey buried dis man on 'is face. An' she say, "De day when dem eggs bust, dis man will be back." Sure 'nuff, dey did dat, de family agreed to do it. Well, in about eight or nine days, close as I could guess, dem eggs must-a busted, cuz de man comes an' gives up 'imself. He walked into a big old, tavern-like, a white fellah has. Mr. Tim [Somebody], he runs a big ole place of business, yo' know, like dat, an' he walks up in dere. So, Stinwall was de sheriff, yo' know. Someone undah 'im [deputy], so he told 'im, he said, "Well, I come to give myself up." An' he wus speakin' to Stinwall's brother at de time - dey call 'im Amos. He said, "Give yourself up?" He said, "Yeah." Well, he didn't know 'im. He said, "Who are yo'." An' he said, "I'm de one dat killed de fellah in Morris- town." He said, "Well, mah brothah ain't here, "' he said, ''but wait a few min- utes." Like dat - which he didn't have no business comin' up in dat white de- partment, you see. So dey rings 'is brothah up an' de brothah came down dere an' got 'im an' carried 'im to Pepulo? jail. Dey ast 'im why had he come back. He said, he jes' couldn't have no peace of 'im leavin' from dere. He didn't think he'd done jes' right, dat he had taken somepin dat he couldn't give. (HOW DO THEY WAKE A PERSON UP THERE IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY? What do they do?) Well, jes' like you die. Well, out in de country dere ain't no place fo' to embalm 'em, see. Dey jes' have to keep yo' ovahnight, but here dey takes yo' an' jes' like de undahtakah gits us - well, dey take yo' an' dey embalm yo'. Well, dey don't have nuthin but singin' an' prayin' ovah yo', yo' know, like dat. Jes' like if any of yo' is Baptist or Methodist or Cath'lic, or anythin' like dat. Well, if dey's Cath'lic, well dey don't have no wake, dey'll jes' be a-settin' up dere wit yo'. Den de priest - befo' yo' die, de priest comes an' gives yo' a blessing.
(Well, how do they wake them out in the country?)
[I want a few more details about the country wake.]
Out in de country, well dey jes' preach a funeral or tell 'em yore life - yo' know, jes' de life yo' lived, if yo' wus a Christian.
(If you had a good or bad life?)
Yeah, if yo' followed Christianity.
[I do not forget the eggs!]
(Well, when they buried this fellow, did they take the eggs out of his hand?)
Left 'em in 'is han' - buried 'im wit de eggs in 'is han's.
Entry 7449
If de man daid an' dey wanta know who killed 'im. Well, dey take dis daid man an' put a aig in each one of 'is han's an' yo' bury'i on 'is face. De person dat done dat will return an' acknowledge dat dey did dat. Dat's whut dey tell me.
Entry 7450
Put an egg in each hand of the murdered man, bury him face doon, and that will bring murderer back.
Entry 7451
All yo' do, go whah dey got, yo' know in de country whah dey got fresh- laid aigs. An' dat daid man, yo' take 'im an' bury 'im wit one fresh aig in each han'. An' in two or three weeks time, dat man whut did de killin', he gon'a come right back.
Entry 7452
Ah tell yo' whut chew do, if a man git killed an' yo' don' know who did it, tryin' tuh find out. Yo' kin take two fresh hen aigs an' put 'em in each han'. Now lotsa times yo' jes' write de man's name yo' think it is, or sompin lak dat, but de main point, yo' jes' write, "Murderer give up. ". Jes' write on it, "Murderer, give up, " an' "In the Name of God." An' put it in 'is han's. Keep 'im out de groun' 36 hours, den go 'head an' bury 'im, if he's not come. But ah'd be willin' tuh bet he'll be dere befo yo' bury 'im.
(You don't bury him with those eggs in his hands?)
Yessuh, de aig in each han', let 'em stay in dere, hen aig. Jes' so it's a fresh one. Now yo' don' want no cold storage aig. Yo' wants a fresh hen aig. An' if he hasn't give up in de 36 hours, he will give up an' it 'twon't be long.
Entry 7453
An' den yo' kin take a egg, or de same egg, same kin'a egg, if somebody kill someone, an' aftah dey kill someone - well a fellah killed one of us color- ed an' my grandfathah did dis. I know dis. An' he take dem eggs an' he put 'em in de person's han's an' cross de han's jes' lak dat, an' dey caught 'im. (When they put those eggs in the hands, they had to cross the hands?) Yes sir, cross de han's jes' dat way witeggs. (Cross the breast?) Cross de breast, an' he couldn't go away. Dey caught 'im.
Entry 7454
When you put him in this casket [cof- fin] jis' put two hen aigs - fresh hen aigs - [one] under each arm [in each armpit].
Entry 7455
Put an egg under each arm of the mur- dered man and leave three days and break them just before burial.
Entry 7456
De aigs from a black hen. (Get two eggs from a black hen.) Yo' bury 'em, one undah each pit of de dead man's arm, an' when yo' bury 'em dat way, den dis fellah wandah back.
Entry 7457
Ah've heard 'em say if a person killed a person, befo' yo' bury 'em, if yo' take a aig from a black [hen] an' put it undah each arm befo' yo' bury de body, whosomevah it is kilt 'em will come; if de aig busts befo' yo' bury 'em, dey'll have tuh come an' give deyself up. Both of 'em yessuh, up undah de arm- pits.
Entry 7458
Yo' take two black hen aigs. Yo' take one an' put it at his haid on de left side in de coffin or casket or whatevah it is, an' yo' take one an' put it in his left hand. Dat's whut ah've heard, an' say when dat aig bursts, dey'll have tuh come back. Say, dey'll have tuh come back an' surrender.
Entry 7459
Yo' take a black hen aig, jes' lak anybody git killed, an' yo' put one in de man's han' when yo' bury 'im. Den yo' bury one at de haid of de grave an' de person cain't go no place. Dey'll come back an' admit whut dey did.
(Which hand do you bury it in, either hand?) Let's see, ah think it's de left hand. Turn it down, yo' know de sharp point down. (When you bury these eggs, at the head of the grave, bury with the sharp point down.) At de haid of de grave, yes.
Entry 7460
(Do you take these two black eggs from the same hen, then?) No, sir. Yo' have to get a egg from each hen. (From each black hen?) Each black hen. (That you put in this man's hands?) In his hands. (To bring back the fellow that ran away, that killed this man?) To bring back the fellah dat killed 'im.
Entry 7461
Get two black hen eggs, Write mur- derer's name all over eggs, put one in each hand.
Entry 7462
Dey put two fresh eggs in de dead person's hands an' bury 'im wit dem two fresh eggs - black hen eggs - an' he'll come right straight back to where he done it den.
Entry 7463
This is only a small parable I want to give as an idea. If a young girl would go out wit some boy [if] he would drown this girl. Af- ter this girl had been drowned, she would rise in three day's time. All right. They go to some foreteller an' she say, "Yes, that's what you want." Well, the final facts - if the people want to see the facts - wants this boy to do the same thing that this girl did, commit suicide. Yo' may go to work an' take a rope, before buryin' dis girl, an' place aroun' 'er neck. Tie it, bring through each arm an' tie each arm.
(Tie her arms behind her?)
No, tie 'em down.
(I see, tie them down.)
The next knot goes in around her waist, but a piece of new rope. Then tie the legs together. May look an' git two black hen eggs, put in each hand an' cross 'em up in each hand. Bury the girl on 'er face. In nine days time or five days, this fellow will be floatin' round the same place where this girl was picked up from.
Entry 7464
Bury 'im on 'is face wit a aig in each han' an' tie him wit a piece of seagrass rope. Dat wuz done heah not so long ago right in dis town, ovah de ri- vah at least. (What will that do then?) Dat'll make 'im come back an' give himself up. (You tie that on his hands or?) Tie de feets togethah wit dat piece of seagrass rope, an' dey han's wit de two aigs. Not at dey face, but dere han's wit de two aigs, an' dey'll sho' come back. Any kinda chicken aigs, hen aigs, yo' know.
(You bury the man on his back?)
On 'is face.
Entry 7465
Yo' kin take, yo' see, lak if a man would kill a person, go to a stream an' take three eggs, jes' git yo' three eggs an' bur' 'em in de watah in somepin dat de eggs'll stay down dere 'til dey rot. Take dem eggs an' bur' 'em until dey git soaked in watah. Take three eggs while dis pusson is bein' waked - lak at a wake. An' bur' 'em. Bury dat per- son wit dem eggs in dere han's. Put de eggs in dere han's. An' when dat pusson is buried, if dem eggs bu'st in dere han's, aftah dey are buried - when dem eggs bu'st, aftah dem eggs bu'st, dat pusson dat kill dat pusson is comin' back to dat same scene at where he committed de crime.
(What did you bury those eggs in the water for?)
Yo' take dose eggs an' bur' dem in de watah, if yo' don't bur' dem, don't git a chance to bur' dem in de pusson's han's when he's bein' bur-ried, yo' kin take dose eggs an' wrap 'em in somepin an' bur' 'em in de watah. Yo' undahstan'?
(Oh! I see.)
An' bur' dem in de watah. But be sure dat de eggs dat yo' use come out of de house where's de pusson who is waked. Dat's been - dat's in dat house dat night, dat pusson who is waked in dat house. An' bury 'em undah watah, bury 'em in somepin so dey can't come up on de top of de watah. An' when dem eggs bu'st undah dat watah, dat pusson'll come back jes' de same if dose eggs were buried in de han's of dat pusson.
(How many eggs did you say you used?)
Take yo' three if yo' bury 'em in de watah. If yo' bury de pusson [use two eggs], put a egg in each han' - in each han' of de pusson.
(Well, why do you take three if you bury them in the water?)
Becuz yo' got no body - yo' buryin' two eggs wit de body. But when yo' bury de three eggs, one egg represents de body, an' de othah two eggs represent de han's of de pusson dat dey in.
(Oh! I see.)
Yo' undahstan' now? How it is?
(Yeah, I undahstan'.)
Yo' got no body in de watah.
(Any particular kind of eggs?)
Hen eggs.
(From any kind of a chicken?)
Take a black chicken. Eggs from a black chicken. Git yo' three eggs from a black chicken.
Entry 7466
If a man killed somebody an' run away, yo' will take de daid one an lay 'im on 'is face. An' yo' git three fresh aigs an' put one in each han'. Put one in each one of 'is han's an' lay one undah heah, right up undah his chin heah. Lay 'im on 'is face, de daid one. Dat's if yo' cain't identify de fellah, yo' lay de dead one on 'is face an' put one dem fresh aigs in each han' an' lay de one right undah his neck heah undah his face. If dat man, if he won' come back dere, he be put where he kin be seen.
Entry 7467
Yo' take three black hen eggs an' yo' shore [sure] dey black hen eggs, an' yo' take an' yo' put - yo' half boil it [them] an' yo' put [demonstrates] one undah dis heah an' one dere an' one 'tween 'is legs. [One...heah an' one dere are quite all right while I watch informant's actions of pointing under each arm, but next week or next year I may not understand the words. That is the reason why I must always describe actions when possible, as follows:] (Wait a minute! You put one in his left armpit, and one in his right armpit, and one there, next to his privates.) In dere, yes. An' den yo' put on 'is clothes an' bur' 'im, an' whoevah killed 'im, dey got to come to dat spot an' dey be picked up.
(I see, they'll be picked up.)
Dat's for sure.
(I see.)
Well, yo' have to half boil dose black hen eggs - jes' halfways - to control dat dey won't be so easily rotted. Dey -yo wants 'em good enough to stan awhile. Use half-boiled eggs.
(I see.)
Cuz if dey are raw in handlin' de dead dey bu'st. A half day dey are bu'sted. (I see. Don't use raw ones because they might bu'st in handling the dead. That's the reason they boil them, so that they will be harder?) Yes, a little bit. An' de party will natchly [naturally] come back where he killed dat man an' want to be [taken].
[Informant now adds a variant of what can be done with the third egg.]
Put de party's name on a piece of papah - de one who killed 'im, write 'is name on de papah an' put it 'tween 'is legs wit a egg 'tween 'is legs. He has got to come to dat spot.
(I see.)
Entry 7468
Well, if a man kill a man an' yo' know where he's at an' yo' want 'im to die, at de same moment durin' de right time, yo' takes three eggs. (What kind of eggs?) Black hen eggs. Yo' go to 'is house an' yo' throw dat egg on 'is house an' call 'is name an' cuss 'im de same time. Nex' mawnin' de undahtakah dere - de coffin man.
Entry 7469
Lak he be dere. Well yo' kin put two aigs in each 'is han', bury 'im Wit two aigs in each han'. An' yo' kin put a bran'-new pocket han'chuf ovah 'is face, an' whoevah dat kill 'im, dat will draw dat person back.
(How do you put that handkerchief over his face?)
Jis' put it catah-cornah [here diamond-shaped to face] ovah dey face lak dat [demonstrates]. (One point to the head [forehead], one to the throat, and one tovard each shoulder. You mean put two eggs in each hand. Use four eggs. Any kind ofeggs?) Yes, any fresh hen aigs.
Entry 7470
Put two eggs under each arm and one under the head of the murdered aan, and after these five eggs rot and bu'st in the grave the murderer will return.
Entry 7471
If a man happen tuh kill a man an' he fall of his face. If he fall on 'is face, if yo' kin go dere tuh de spot where he fall, an' git some of dat dirt where his face wus lyin', an' take dat dirt an' carry it right tuh dis person house whut kill 'im, an' sprinkle it roun' in de yard, or undah de step where some of 'is family prob'ly walk ovah it, dat'll bring 'im back.
Entry 7472
Turn the murdered man on his face an' leave him on his face until the next day. [If the man fell on his face, leave him face down until following day. In former days and until recently in isolated communities, the body was buried the day after death.]
Entry 7473
Jes' lak if a man is dead, killed, an' yo' wanta keep 'im [murderer] from runnin' away, dere ain't - yo' ain't got but one thing to do. Jes' like ah'd kill a man an' dey wanted to ketch me an' didn't want me to git away, he wouldn't have but one thing to do. Bury de man on 'is face. Bury 'im on 'is face an' dere ain't no ways fer 'im to git away. Might go off but he'd have to come back.
Entry 7474
Jes' lak yo' kill some of mah fren's. Ah dunno [don't know] who done it, but ah got-a idea dat sech-an'-sech-a-one done it. Ah'll take de dead per- son an' turn 'im on 'is face an' de man who done it [I interrupt]. (Where are you going to turn him on his face? Where?) Turn 'im on 'is face in de coffin. Co'se yo' don't want it tuh be public. Yo' kin git de undahtakah to turn dis person on 'is face when he go tuh bury 'im. Covah 'im on up, an' aftah dat de fellah who done it will go tuh lingahin'. He'll go to lingahin' an' he'll nevah stop till he die an' follah shortly aftah. An' if dere fo' or five in de crowd dat kill.dis man - fo' or five in de crowd dat kill 'im - all who in dat crowd will certainly follah [because they did not help victim or report the crime, etc.].
Entry 7475
If he kill dis man an' put 'is han' on 'im [abuses body after the kill- ing] an' go away, why when dey bury dis man an' turn 'im on 'is face, den dis per- son hav to come [back] an' dey git 'im.
(What do you mean that if he put his hand on him?)
Lak if he killed dis man an' knock or move him aroun' aftah he kill 'em an' 'is han' went on 'im, why den when dey bury dis person dey turn 'im on 'is face an' dis person will have tuh come back.
Entry 7476
Lay de man on 'is face, put 'im in 'is casket [coffin] an' bury 'im on 'is face, an' dey says dat de man dat killed 'im will come back an' confess.
Entry 7478
Bury dat [murdered] man on 'is face an' he'll [murderer will] come back.
The account says to bury a man on his face. The murdered and murderer identifications come from editorial insertions; no burial or return is established.
Entry 7480
Bury murdered man on face to bring murderer back.[ Vicksburg, Miss.,
(?), 1034:1.]
The printed statement presents burial on the face as intended to bring a murderer back. Its attached citation remains separate; no burial or return is established.
Entry 7482
If the murdered persons falls on his face and is buried on his face the murderer will return.
Entry 7483
Yo' kin kill a person an' go to a fig tree an' git some of de leaves off dat fig tree an' put 'em in each one of yore shoe. No mat- tah whut chew done done, dey can't ketch yo' den.
Entry 7484
Ah know two diff'rent ways yo' kin use a file. Perhaps yo' is out some place an' yo' is run intuh somepin. Yo' might be in de road yo' might say, an' yo' might be afraid tuh stay in de road or on de highway, yo' know, an' yo' might have tuh take to de woods. Well, yo' wouldn't wanta do dat. If yo' had a bran'-new file, yo' could jes' stick dat: file in a telegram [telegraph] post an' dey couldn't call [telegraph] nowhere. An' dat'd give yo' a chance tuh git away until dey'd come an' fin' dat file in dat post.
Entry 7485
Jes' lak if a person's goin' - jes' say yo'd walk ovah dis flo' heah. Now, yo' could take yore square yo' know an' yo' could take de measure of dat. Take de measure of dat shoe [foot track]. Take de measure of dat shoe an' yo' cut dat, cut dat jes' lak dis heah, yo' undahstan', jes' de shape of dat shoe. See [demonstrates], heah yo' go. See, yo' take dat shoe [track]. Yo' take dat shoe an' yo' measure dat. Yo' take dat up an' yo' watch it, yo' watch de shape of dat shoe. An' yo'll take, say a horseshoe an' yo'll nail dat right up ovah as yo' come - forty inches about dat gate dere - nail dat up dere. An if dey done did anythin' dishones', dey'll come back jes' lak a dead man, de per- son who made dat track, dey'll come back to dat place.
(If they killed anybody?)
If dey killed anybody dey'll come right back to dat place. (Do you put up this shoe track you make [from measurement] under the horse- shoe?) Yes, put dat undah de horseshoe. Nail dat horseshoe.
Entry 7486
Ah've heard of dem takin' de man's tracks, de one dat done de killin', taken 'is tracks an' puttin' dat dirt into de casket, jes' sew it up in a bag, an' put it right into de casket, an' dey claim dat man, if he leaves, he will come back. (The man that did the killing, he will come back if his foot tracks are buried in the casket.) In de casket wit de dead man dat he killed.
Entry 7487
(What do you do now when this man is killed?)
Get dis niggah's tracks what killed 'im an' put 'em right by dis man's grave, an' turn dis man ovah face on dat track. He can't go.
(He can't run away.)
[The word nigger is used four or five times by black persons in HOoDoo.]
Entry 7488
Dere's a way dat dey could bury 'im. Ah know dat a personal fact. A frien' of mine got killed an' dey turned 'im on 'is face - dey buried 'im on 'is face. An' it's a known fact dat if somebody killed anybody, an' if yo' bury 'em on dey face an' yo' turn dey haid eastward an' face it westwards, dey can't go nowhere - dey gotta come back. (The fellow that killed him will come back?) Yessiree. It ain't no if about dat business. Dat Big Boy Brown killed a frien' of mine. Big Boy wus a friend of mine an' also dis ole man dat he killed. Ah know becuz ah got in some trouble right chere mahself at de time an' ah had tuh go to jail. Me an' 'im wus in jail at de same time. Had 'im in dere firs' an' ah got in a little trouble aftah.
(This other fellow that killed the old man?)
Yes sir.
Entry 7489
It depends upon how he fall. If he fall wit 'is face to de groun', yo' can't help but come back. But in ordah to bring 'im back, yo' take dis man an' keep 'is body laid east - head east an' feets west. An' yo' reads de Ten Commandments wit dat, an' wit'in de nex' nine days he'll have to come back.
Entry 7490
Ah tell yo' it make sure yo' wouldn't last long. Dat's de easiest method. Ah seed dat done right in mah home. (In Orangeburg.) In Orangeburg [S. Car.]. Ah knowed dey [normally] dig dat grave lak dat - digs de grave up an' down, east an' west. Well dey turn it lak dat [demon- strates north and south, see later], see, an' drives de footstep, de footpost [footboard] down so yo' can't see dat atall, an' leave de head [headboard] stand- in'.
[I now explain preceding demonstrations.]
(You make this grave north and south and you drive the footboard all the way down.) All de way down an' de head [board] you leave high. Den yo' go back home, now, an' yo' done find out dis fellah git killed, an' yo' goes an' yo' turns - jes' lak yo' dies on dis bed [in interviewing room]. Dat's dere three days. Yo' lay ovah a couple of days. Yo' take dese clothes whut he gits killed in an' bury de clothes. Bury de same clothes. Be sure dat yo' bury 'em at, right by 'is do though.
(By whose door?)
By de fellah who do de killin'. Well, he cain't git away dere cuz he have to walk both ways. An' de firs' time dat he walks ovah it, or de firs' day dat he be's neah around it, he'll git right up an' say, "Ah don't feel good," an' he start tuh throw up. He start tuh throw up in is sleep, yo' know, "Sech-an-sech- a-one bothahin' me. Oh, ah gotta go pay dis man. Ah gits sick." Dat wus fer de - dat wus fer de murderer's death sure. Ah see dat happen. Ah standin' in de room right nex' to - lak dat room dere, an' he's talkin' to me. He's dead but he - he gotta go to pay a debt. Now, dat ketch 'im, he ain't gonna live long cuz yo' done crossed 'im 'cross de world, see [with the north-south grave]. But he's goin' follah 'im down. Dis man [his spirit] gonna worry 'im. Soon as he see dat, he goin' - well he ain't goin' live long: He'll die about a day or two aftah.
Entry 7491
Bury 'im on 'is face crossways of de worl' - no'th an' south. Yo' know, prack'ly [practically] dey buries 'em east an' west, but chew jes' bury 'im on 'is face, bury 'im no'th an' south an' he'll come back.
(That fellow who killed him will come back?)
Yes sir, he'll come back.
Entry 7492
Lak if ah wus to kill a man an' tried to git away, an' yo' want me caught. Why yo' jes' when yo' bury dis man, don't place dis man east an' west. Jes' take him an' bury 'im on 'is face north an' south, an' if ah go anywhere why ah turn an' come back.
Entry 7493
Well, dey takes 'im, de dead man who got killed an' bury 'im on 'is face. Den dey cut a lock of hair out de mole of 'is haid. Den dey bury dat near as dey kin find neah where dis man killed dis man at, an' dat man will be caught. An' den de person who bury him, de kinfolks, will walk ovah aroun' dis man three times an' bury de thing, dis lock of hair, an' he will be caught in three months or three years. (After they find this dead man they bury him and they walk around him three times and then bury his hair out where he was killed?) Yes. (Do they walk around the dead man as soon as he is killed or after he is buried or what?) After he is buried.
(Then they catch the fellow who has killed him.)
Entry 7494
I know how to do dat if dey wanted tuh ketch dat man. Said yo' go to de cemetery where dey bear [bury] dat man. Jes' lak dey bear de person. Den yo' go dere an' change dem stakes, change dat footbo'd an' dat headbo'd. Jes' lak yo' take de footbo'd an' put it tuh de haid an' take de head- bo'd an' put it to de foot. An' said dey would have tuh come back if dey gone.
(You go to the grave of the man who was killed?)
Yes.
(And do that to bring back his murderer?)
Yes, an' he have tuh come dere.
Entry 7495
Yo' kin take an' go to dat grave where dat man whut got kilt. Go to his grave an' yo' kin take de headbo'd an' carry it to de foot. Take de foot- bo'd an' carry it to de head, an' say, "Whosomevah kilt dat person." He's shure tuh come back an' admit dat he did de crime.
Entry 7496
Mah gran'mothah says, she says, it's a devil's shoestring. She say yo' tie dis roun' yore waist - roun'about, yo'know right 'long heah [demonstrates], an' yo' git chew a little bag a sand an' put on each end of dis devil's shoestring, an' de man dat'll appear - yore mind will jes' come to 'im [your mind will show you a. picture of the killer]. De man dat did dis to yo', yo'll see 'im. An' in othah words yo' be lookin' out fo' dat. An' de first man dat chure 'tention [attention] strike an' he gits in yore mind, vell dat's de man dat really did de killin'. Yo' kin take, lak dis [dead] man dere, yo' kin git some of de dirt offa his grave an' jes' scattah it round, yo' know, lak.
(This dirt now, what about that?)
Three days aftah de man is buried yo' kin take dis dirt an' scattah it along dis road, an' if dis man evah comes along dis road ag'in, he'll show 'imself up. In othah words, if he evah cross where yo' scattah dis dirt, in othah words, de spirit is not normal till three days aftah, den yo' git it offa dere an' scattah it 'cross de road.
Entry 7497
Go tuh de graveyard ag'in an' take a piece of silvah. Yo' take a large piece of silvah when yo' want chure work done. Yo' go tuh a baby's grave - yo know, a child's grave, an' yo' say - face de risin sun - an' yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah, an' Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Ghost, de man dat killed mah husban', brothah, sis- tah or whoevah it wuz, ah want chew tuh bring 'im back befo' de sun sets." An' dey say gen'ly [generally] comes. Come back an' connect aroun' where he kin be caught.
Entry 7498
Dey says if yo' kin git dis man track, yo' kin bring 'im back. If yo' can't git 'is track, take anythin' belongin' to dis man an' anythin' lak dat. (The man that did the killing?) Yes sir, an' he gone. But, jes' lak yo' kin take de bow off 'is hat. If yo' kin git any hat or anythin' dat belongs to de man, yo' take dat an' wheah dis crime is committed an' wit graveyard dirt, yo' bury it dere.
(You bury it where?)
At de graveyard. [No], yo' git de graveyard dirt an' yo' bury it wheah dis crime is committed, yo' know wheah he did de killin', an' he'll have to come back; if not, to dat house, he'll come back in dat neighborhood.
(Out of what graveyard do you get that dirt?)
Yo' git it out from on top of a wicked grave, a person dat chew know died wicked. Yo' go an' git 'is dirt.
Entry 7499
If you git his [the murderer's] dirty clothes, you kin take his dirty clothes an' yo' kin carry 'em to de cemetery an' yo' bury dem clothes.
Entry 7500
An' jes' lak if a murdah' [murderer] have did somepin, why go tuh de cemetery tuh a fresh grave, de freshest grave dat chew kin fin'. Go dere an git chew some graveyard dirt an' take two pennies an' some watah an' put it into a bottle an put that graveyard dirt in dere an' shake it up an' set it aside until yo' see bubbles come from it, until bubbles from dem pennies in dat watah. When dem bubbles start, 'is min' is gittin' bad. He'll come right straight back tuh where he killed dis fellah.