Browse:Name Nine Times Barber-Poled on Candle (Volume 1, entries 2827)
Name Nine Times Barber-Poled on Candle
Volume 1, entries 2827. 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 2827
Well, if dey wanta git chew down - if yo' doing all right and ain't bothering nobody and a person begrudge yo's gettin' along, dey'll burn black can'les. Dey'll take dose black can'les and dey'll git chure full name and dey write yore full name nine times around dat can'le - write it straight like dis Idemonstrates], and turn it around and den write it like dis, and turn it around an' write it like dat. Write it nine times around de can'le. (Just a moment now. Here's the candle up and down. I write the name across like that. Then I turn the candle upside down and then write it across like that.) Up and down de candle. It's gen'lly like dis [demonstrates] - write it down like dis and den turn it up and write it like dat all de way around. Nine times. (Like a barber's pole. Only, you write it down and then you turn the candle upside down and write it the other way - [each time] around like a barber pole.) Yes sir. [The names are written up the candle and then down the candle, four names one Way and five the other. The candle is slowly twisted as the names are scratched and turned upside down only once.] And den yo' put dat can'le in some olive oil and kerosene and put dis olive oil and kerosene in some kind of deep can where it be jest about half full. And jest burn dat can le out until hit down to dat oil in dat can, and dat will make de person - whosomever dat chew hate or anything lak dat - make 'em jes' git down in hard luck and no way dey do dey can't git no kind of break atall - on de beg- ging list you might say, jest be down. See, dat's what chew call putting a per- son on [off] dey feet - chew know, dragging 'em, making 'em drag.
(Now, you only burn one candle for that - one black candle?)
One.
(Do you burn that at any special time or just any old time?)
Burn it at nine 'clock at night.
(And how long do you let it burn?)
Lets it burn five minutes at a time. Until it burns clean on out - like you burn it five minutes tonight, de next night chew burn it five minutes, and every night for five minutes, until it gits eaten down wit dat oil.