Browse:Outline of Fingers with Names (Volume 1, entries 2832)
Outline of Fingers with Names
Volume 1, entries 2832. 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 2832
Yo' take an' git chew a candle an' yo' git chure lan'lord's name. Yo' fin' out de enemy whut's 'ginst yo'. Yo' take an' git chew a bran'-new tablet, linen tablet without de little lines. Yo' git chew a bran'-new indelibins [indelible] pencil [occasionally called indelicate], a bran'-new pencil have nevah been used. Yo' pull up yore sleeve an' jes' draw [demonstrates] from heah right roun' disaway - fingers.
(Outlining the fingers of your hand right on this tablet.)
Yas. Right on de tablet clean roun' to de j'ints heah, all right up dis way.
(Right up to the wrist.)
Den, aftah yo' git yore han' drawed off, yo' start markin' from yore thum' to de j'ints of yore fingers, wit little x's wit de lead pencil, an' den follow behin' 'em wit de indelibins pencil. In de pa'm of yo' han' yo' put fo' lines or five lines [for five fingers]. Yo' git all yo' enemies' names dat is 'ginst yo'. Yo' put 'em cross yore lines dat way. Den yo' put yore lan'lord up heah cross dese fo' fingers. Yo' place yore name on top of it to de heel of yore han'. (Your name will cross at right angles - cross all those names, making the form of an "x" like that. In a cross?) Yeah, yo' see [demonstrates] disaway. Dat's de way it work. Dem's de lines. Yore lan'lord heah, yo' enemy's heah. Den you take yore name an' draw it right through de middle of it dataway, right down dis way to de heel of yore han'. Den yo' git chew a candle an' git chew a papah of gold-eye needles.
(What kind of candle do you get? What color?)
Red. Git red. Yo' git chew a papah of gold-eye needles, a papah of large pins: Git chew nickel wuth new ten-penny nails. Yo' jes' set yore candle down an' den yo' take yo' a pair pliers an' grip dose needles an' shove 'em through an' make crosses in em [candles] dataway from de stem to de bottom, mix 'em up with de needles an pins. Den yo' light chure candle ovah dat han' on de dresser or wash-stand [which become an altar], somepin lak dat, or a center table, an' set it down dat way. [All of this is demonstrated.] Den yo' make yore wishes. When yo' git ready tuh put de candle out, don't blow it out, yo' ketch it an' pinch it to yo'. Yo burn it from five tuh ten tuh fifteen minutes. It goes up eve'y mawnin, don't yo' see, until it burns out. In de meantime when de candles is burnin' an' de needles an' pins is fallin out, leave 'em lay dere till de candle burn down. An'den joo got chure lan'lord.
(They can' t move you out of the house?)
Nawsuh, dey cain't move yuh.
(Do you light this candle at any particular time?)
Yassuh, yo' must light it on a time. Yo' see, yo' mus' light it in de mawnin' when de sun risin'. See, when de sun risin' yo' light chure candle an' yo' burn it. Yo' start at five minute up, as high as yo' wanta go, tuh twenty minute or twenty-five minute, yo' see. An' den yo' set dere an' make yore wishes as de candle burn. Hold yore watch on yore candle or yore clock, so yo' won't delay it none - yo' see, yo' won't run ovah yore minutes. Yo' see? Always put it on, on de exact minute. When de five minutes is out, put it out; or de ten minutes is out, put it out. Don't blow it out. Take yore fingah or yore thum' an' 'pit [spit] an' lay it on de stem [wick] an' pinch it ovah to yo' - break it off to yo' dat way, see. Den yo' got him.
(How long do you burn this candle? Until it burns all the way down?)
Till it burns all de way down. Yo' burn two an' dat's all. [For outline of hand or fingers, see 1988, p.583 & Index.]