Browse:SEXUAL IMPOTENCE (Volume 3, entries 3110–3831)/Part 9
SEXUAL IMPOTENCE
Volume 3, entries 3110–3831. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3750
Take a dishrag - jes' a dishrag. Lota women, yo' know, wipe de rag off - take dat rag an' dry him off 'erself wit dat dishrag. An' when he go to go wit anothah woman, it will fall on 'im evah time. Well, de same thing work one way an' it will work de othah. He take - if he feel dat she did 'im dataway, why he take a dishrag ag'in - yo' know he must steal one from somebody, or eithah if he got a home of 'is own, he kin take de dishrag outa his house, an' wash 'isself down wit it. An' take pure coal oil an' rub 'isself down, an' sweet milk. aftah dat - fresh sweet milk. It's all gone.
Entry 3751
Ah've been did lak dat. Yo' kin take a man an' he kin have intahco'se wit a woman, say at night, an' prob'ly yo's a man dat look aftah deyself [your- self] [but] don't pay attention to yoreself lak yo' should all arnun' peoples yo' undahstan'. Yo' kin have intahco'se wit a woman but dey not bad. Well, now, prob'ly she might have a wet towel layin' up dere, see. Well, yo' prob'ly done seen it. Well, she wipe yo' off. An' yo' figure she'd use dat towel. Well, she got a dishrag, undahstan'. Well, now she take dat dishrag an' wipe off yore privates an' jes' fold it - wrap it up in a piece of papah or sompin lak dat an' put it up Ovah de do'. An' jes' AS LONG AS IT STAY DERE AN' YO' DON'T WAKE UP TO DE INSIDE DOPE, well, yo' can't have no othah woman but 'er. Well now, yo' kin take dat - jes' yo' yoreself, not de woman dat did it - yo' kin take dat rag down. An' den fo' nine mawnin's wash dat rag in sweet milk, an when yo' wash de rag in sweet milk, bath [not bathe] yo'self in it, yore privates, an' throw it sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. (You wash this rag in sweet milk, and then you take this sweet milk and bathe yourself.) An' bath yore privates wit it, an' when yo' git through why jes' put de rag right back up, an' throw it sunrise.
(Throw the milk to the sunrise.)
Fo' nine mawnin's.
(What will that do?)
Takes it off. It go away den.
Entry 3752
This boy was goin' with a girl and this girl was very much in love with this boy, and she thought he was in love with someone else. And she didn't want him to be in love with anyone else, and so she decided to fix him so that he couldn't have anything to do with anyone else excepting her. Well one day - one night, that they were hav- ing intercourse with each other, she done away with the cloth that they had used. And this boy was [became] impopetent [impotent]. And so he didn't know what the trouble. He went to a doctor [M.D.]. The doctor told him it was in his back. Finally, one day he met a boy, and the boy told him what was the matter; and told him to use an onion and split it in half, and use it on each side of him. And take and steal a dishcloth. (How would he use the onion on each side of him? Oh, I see. I understand. Yes, I know. All right, go ahead.) [A half of the onion is bound on each side of his penis. "It is not stated on the Telediphone cylinder that the dishcloth served as a bandage, but I tran- scribed the cylinder soon after it was recorded and remember this detail" Ori- ginal pencil note made at the time of transcription and now in original Ms.] And steal a dishcloth from a neighbor, a kitchen, but do not let the neighbor know it. He did as the boy instructed and finally he got all right. But it took three months before he was cured. [After the rite was recorded, informant explained: "It didn't happen here but it didn't happen far from here about one year ago, " 1936.]
Entry 3753
Dere wuz boy, he wuz goin' wit a girl, an' he went wit anothah girl an' she [first girl] caught up wit it. An' so de nex' time she [first girl] had intahco'se wit 'im she took dis - his discharge, stopped it up in a bottle wit de han'ke'chuf [used in wiping]. An' de nex' time he tried to make an' have intah- co'se wit someone else he couldn't. So he went to de doctor [M.D.] an' de doctor tole him he didn't know why it is. So he went to a root doctor, an' de doctor tole him to git one onion an' cut it in half an' rub it - take one half in each hand an' rub it [penis] down, keep on rubbin' it down till he got wet wit de juice off de onion; an' den, steal someone's dishcloth an' wipe it, an' throw it ovah 'is left shouldah, an' he'd be all right.
Entry 3754
A woman kin make a man lose his nature by taking a dishrag off de table an' washin' 'im undah 'is clothes aftah he gits through wit 'er.
(Then what does he do to get his nature back?) Bathes in chamber lye, dat'll kill it. (Bathe what?)
De same way she wash 'im, aftah she git through wit 'im wit a dishrag. He take a dishrag an' bathe in 'is own chamber lye. Dat'll kill it.
(Any kind of a rag?)
Any kind of cloth. It kin be a piece of clothes.
Entry 3755
Tuh git 'em apart, yo' gotta go right den, an' if dey stand it dey gotta eat a piece of dog. Jes' - git a - kill anothah dog an' git a piece of de meat outa de backbone right from de small part of de back. 中 Git a piece of dat an' cook it an' give it to dem. (What will that do then?) Dat will shrink 'em down an' dey come apart.
Entry 3756
(How would you take that away?)
Well, de first thing yo' would do, would git dis thing - it's in a powdahed form an' den it's in a lump form, but dey call it dragon blood. Yo' take dat an' yo' wear dat intuh yore shoes, jis' de same as ah wuz tellin' yo' 'bout dat othah thing. Yo' wear dat nine days. Den yo' suppose tuh take dat out, an' den yo' supposed tuh take it an' put it on a piece of papah wit dose names written jis' lak ah done tole yo' befo'. Now yo' write mah name in one direction [demonstrates]. Dat's one person's name nine times.
(What one do you write first?)
Write eithah one, don't make any diff'rence, jis' since dey crossed. Yo' undahstan', yo' cross de othah name wit de othah nine. An' aftah yo' do dat yo' supposed tuh take dis piece of papah an' sprinkle it wit dragon blood dat yo' wo' in yo' shoe on it. Den yo' supposed tuh put a half box of salt on dat. Now yo' know how cookstoves are made, dose dat burn wood. Yo' supposed to put it in de ashpan of dat. An' it ain't supposed tuh burn all at once, but as de hot coals drop down, yo' undahstan', den yo' supposed to be rid of dat. (That will get rid of this thing, that woman did to tie him up - [this re- stores] his nature.)
Entry 3757
De root of de fig tree is good, yo' know, when a man - when he lose his feelin's. Dey takes it an' boil it an' make a tea out of it, an' den put a little, if yo' kin git holt of it - but yo' hardly kin git it now - but put hit an' dis fig root togethah, if yo' kin git holt of it. Dey call it - a little Spanish fly. Yo' have to put dat an' make a tea out of it, an' dat will bring 'im up.
Entry 3758
(Well, suppose a man is tied up that way, how could he git rid of that?) Git rid of dat? He would take dat perfume whut de call Hearts Perfume, cinnamon, saltpetah an' chamber lye, his own, wit nine ten-penny nails. Takin' a bath from head to feet an' throwin' it out to- Wards sunrise. Den she cain't do anythin' unless she gits wit 'im [again]. Dat untie him.
Entry 3759
[As a piece of magic, what could be more logical magically than the following 5 ingredients: 1 of them prickly, 3 of them red, and the 5th called life everlasting?] But I anticipate. The doctor who is instructing me will explain why he uses each of the 5 ingredients.] Well, now - case now dere's some man or some woman may come tuh yo' an' tell yo' dis [my instruction by the doctor begins]. He say, "Listen, yo' know one thing, "" says, "ah haven't got no nature left at all - I ain't go no nachure left. Ah wants tuh have feelin' fo' mah ole man or mah ole woman, an' ah ain't got no feelin's left." Yo' say, "Well, all right, right. Ah'll tell yo' whut ah'll do." Yo' say, "Yo' come ovah heah an' ah'll give yo' somepin." Well, all right. Yo' walk out dere an' yo' go to a tree, an' git dis prickly ash. Yo' know whut prickly ash is. Git dat inside bark - undahstan' good - see, dat rough side yo' know is got stickahs on it lak pins. Git de inside of dat prickly ash bark. An' go in de woods an' den git chew a [wild] cherry tree an' git dat cherry bark. Git chew some cherry bark an' de inside of a red oak bark, an' it's a kinda brier dat dey call de life evahlastin' [the cudweed (not a kinda brier) - see hayfever cure, FACI, 1st ed., 4498-4499, p.216.] Git dat an' boil dat togethah an' when yo' boil dat togethah, den yo' strain dat. But yo' wanta git rain watah. Don't git dis hydrant watah, git rain watah an' yo' boil all dat togethah. An' yo' put about a half, jes' about dat much, as much cayenne peppah in dere as yo' kin hold in yore two fingahs, see. An' shake dat up togethah an' let 'em take dat, see. An' dat will give dem nature. An' see, dis peppah is fo' tuh give yuh nature, an' dis red-oak bark is fo' tuh cleanse yore blood, an' dis prickly ash is tuh make de man's thing stand. See, DAT'S WHY DEY CALL IT PRICKLY ASH. An' dis life evahlastin' is supposed tuh work yo', tuh work de filth an' stuff offa yo' kidney's an' yo' bladdah. See, evahthin' yo' gotta do wit dat is wrong.
Entry 3760
A fellah tole me that chew kin go to work an' jest ketch a toadfrog - an' if yore nature gone, jest take a toadfrog an' jest rub in betwixt yore legs three times [demonstrates]. (Down or up? That way?) Up. Thataway three times, an' then throw it ovah yore left shoul- der an' walk right on off an' don't nevah look back an' say that will bring yore nature. [As the discarded frog springs up and hops away, so will the man's instrument spring up - provided he does not look back to see what the frog is doing.]
Entry 3761
He kin git 'is nature back ag'in through de same way ah said. He kin take some gourds or one gourd an' beat it up wit saltpetah an' sulphur an' jes' bathe himself down dere - pahtic'lah dova. An' take it to a rivah an' throw it gsMr, an den dat'll be.off of 'im an' he'll becoe jes' as he once wus.
Entry 3762
Well, he kin take a new pocket handkerchief and let his wlfe ddpe ber face with it and watch where she puts it down. Take dis handkerchief wit him put it in his lefthand pocket until twelve 'clock that day and then take it out and put it in his right hand pocket and call her name three times. They claim that that will control her and stop her [from other men]. (If she is fooling around while he is gone.)
Entry 3763
Yo' kin go where a bo' hog has been.
(A boar hog and you use his urinate.)
No suh, git his, where his bowels move. An' she take dat an' use it about herself, an' den don't take no wash off or nuthin lak dat an' den be wit him. He cain't go wit no othah woman. [This rite could confuse a few readers, it momentarily confused me - the reason for my comment in the parenthesis. My informant says go where a bo' hog has been. To be certain that I understood, I immediately interpreted the words bo' hog as boar hog, not bored, a castrated one. Informant did not correct me. But looking back through the years, was I correct? She wants him to be bo'd except when with her. Perhaps a parallel has been or will be found.]
Entry 3764
He can undo it [impotence] with holy watah an' dese flag lilies dat has de big red an' yellow flowers dat grow in de yard. [Holy water in New Orleans can be consecrated water from a Roman Catholic Church, or water blessed by professional spirituals or shrine keepers; but commercial sellers here and elsewhere prefer holy oil.] Well, jis' git one or two of de buds, little leafs, an' de small leaf of de lily, an' yo' put it in a little hot watah an' let it steep an' make a tea. [The water becomes holy by reading Scripture over it, usually part of a Psalm, or sometimes a prayer.] Yo' wash off wit dat an' it [ailment] will be all gone. Dat will remove de spell. Dat will relieve. [New Orleans, La.,
(803 0r 804), 1126:1.]
Entry 3765
If a man loses 'is nature from trickery, dis is one case yo' go to de place yo' buy dese things. An' git some John de Conkah an' boil it an' slip it on de side [of] bed at night jis' lak it's a pan of watah or somepin. An' he goes to sleep an' bathes 'is stom- ach nightly, yo' know, wit dat, or eithah make him do it thinkin' dat it's or- dinary watah an' soap. An' aftah he's bathed wit dat, say nine times - dat's a clean number, nine - an' he bathes wit dat nine times, he begins to git 'is na- turn back, becuz dat John de Conkah kills de thing dat de othah person put on ' im to make him lose his nature.
Entry 3766
Mandrake root is a mighty powerful root fo' to build up yore nature. Hit's a kinda blood root, an' green of [something] root, hit's good fo' blood, too.
Entry 3767
She can measure a man's privates an' this man won't be able to go with another woman until he finds out [that he has been measured] and measures her [the woman who did the measuring]. Then he can go with another woman. They tie this string in a tree root.
Entry 3768
Heah's whut she do, she git de gizzard of a mockin'bird an' [or] de dog gizzard, an' if de man is tied up, yo' know, Doc, an' yo' wanta git loose. Is dat whut chew mean? (That's right.) If de man is tied up an' he wanta git loose, an' de woman whut he goin' wit wanta git 'im loose, an' de woman or he git a gizzard from de mockin'bird. An' he take de gizzard while it's bloody - lak it is jes' from de bird. Don't cook it or do anythin' wit it. An' put on 'isself an' jes' take de gizzard an' put nine times. Draw dis gizzard down 'is penis nine times. An' dat will bring his nature back.
Entry 3769
Whilst he's asleep at night, takin' a cord an' takin' de full length of 'is private, tyin' nine knots in it, wearin' ti aroun' 'er waist, an' he'd lose all ambition fer outside women. He kin go.... (What did you say?) He'll be dataway, no use fer outside women, until he take some penny nail - five penny-nails.
(Wait a minute! The penny-nails, you take five of them?)
Five of 'em.
(Yes?) = [Continue.]
Put 'em in a quart bottle of watah an' drinkin' de watah off it. Dat will release him.
(That will give him the advantage, take that away from him?)
Absolutely.
Entry 3770
Nine penny-nails, put [in] a quart bottle of watah an' take it three times a day, see. Dat will kill dat what she give yo'. De way she goes in dat way - undahstan', whenevah yo' have connection wit 'er, any discharge she wipe wit a han'ke'ch'ef of some kind, an' you [she] tie nine knots in it an' tie it aroun' 'er waist, see. Well, dat makes 'im lose ambition fer de [other] woman. He may be hard an' he may aim to get on to marry de woman, den he fall, loses ambition fer no one else but 'er.
Entry 3771
Well, if a woman got a man tied up an' he comes tuh yo' an' he's yore fren' an' cain't, yo' know, go tuh bed wit yo' an' cain't do no business. Well, if he don' wear no tie, make him wear a tie when he comes tuh yore house, an' when he cain't git up an' still cain't do nuthin, let 'i go home an wear dat tie tuh 'is house, back tuh 'is house where he come from an' untie dis tie, an' tie it on de foot of de bed, anywhere on de bed in a hard knot. He take de tie off an' when he take it off, jis' tie it in a hard knot. Den leave it dere an' let de white folks, or whosomevah works dere untie it. Yo' see. Don't chew untie it. Let 'er untie it. She tie yo', let 'er untie yo'. Den yo come.back. Yo' go back an' don' go tuh bed wit 'er, cuz yo' see she'll take it off de nex' day. Den dat night yo' go back tuh yore fren' an' den yo' go tuh bed an' yo' kin go wit 'er.
(He leaves his tie on the bed and his wife will untie it? Then he's untied?)
Yeah.
Entry 3772
Dere's somepin in de woods dey call a bull nettle. Yo' go in de woods an' git chew some bull nettle an' take yo' 'bout a halfa pint of whiskey, an' yo' let dat bull nettle settle in dere an' evah mawn' in' or two yo' git up an' take a teaspoonful. Drink about a teaspoonful evah maunin' an' carries it along. It'll bring yo' nature back to yo'.
Entry 3773
Go to de cemetery an' he git de two nettles call bull nettle - one's a he an' [the other's] a she. He git dat bull nettle out de cemetery close by somebody's grave an he chew dat. (Which does he get, the he or the she?) De he, an' he chews dat. An' he'd make him a tonic of dat an' drink it an' evah- thing will be all right fo' a while, but go to de bank an' git chew a bran'-new two-dollah bill an' take it an' rub it dat way about ten minute, an' go on 'bout 'is business.
(HE RUBS HIS TOOL WITH THAT NEW TWO-DOLLAR BILL?)
BRAN'-NEW ONE NOBODY AIN'T USED - TWO-DOLLAH BILL. HE'LL COME [ACTIVE AND SPRY] AN' TELL YO' "GOOD MAWNIN'" AN' "HOWDY."
(But he has to use both the bull nettle and the two-dollar bill together?)
[My assumption was probably based upon the double greeting!]
Yo' don't have to. Well, if he can't git dis, he gits de bran'-new two-dollah bill. Yes sir, he gits one or de othah. (If he can't get this bull nettle out of the graveyard, then he will get this new two-dollar bill and he rubs up with it. That the idea?) Take it an' rub de haid of it [demonstrates] till he gits hot as....
(Twisting around the head.)
Keep it [up] until he jes' commence tuh.... [It is evident that this small-time R.D. (I call him small-time root doctor in my notes) was demonstrating, rubbing an imaginary two-dollar bill in his right hand against his upright left thumb or fist substituting for the ailing member. The lacunae, deletions by transcriber of cylinders not restored by me, can be guessed.]
(That brings his nature back.)
An' den, see heah - den he goes tuh work, somebody [root doctor] will show 'im dat [he has been tricked]. He goes tuh work an' find dat cloth [she used].
Entry 3774
Well ah'm tellin' yo' facts about dat, but ah'm tellin' yo' some things dat ah have heard - but it's actually. But now, would yo' lak to know how to remove dis spell? (What I could do or any man could do.) Anyone. Well, ah tell yo' somepin dat ah have heard about last year - year befo' last. An' dere ouz a man dat had some serious disease an' dey didn't know about, an' a lady wuz tellin' me what [would] it cost to remove dat. It would be a very small sum. Cost yo' prob'ly 15c. Well, I told de lady, I said, "Well, I know someone could relieve de spell." She said, "He's got money becuz he draws money from de Gov- ernment, an' he would be able to pay any amount - any price." I said, "Well, I know a person dat would remove de spell an' he wouldn't charge ovah $25, but I'm jes' a person, of co'se." [The preceding, I'm jes' a person, of co'se, means the speaker was not a doc- tor. She sold medicine, roots, powders, etc. Every aspect of the hoodoo field was known to her. She also had personality and brains.] She said, "Go ahead, ah'm goin' send 'im aroun' to talk to you." An' ah said, "Well, now, if yo' know de person really would have de money, ah'll talk to him, but if not, ah wouldn't care to talk to him; but ah know dat dis spell will be removed wit'in nine days." SHE SAID, "WELL, COULD YO' GIT IN TOUCH WIT DE MAN?" AH SAID, "YES, I SELL MEDICINE FO' HIM SOMETIMES. An' I could go to him wit de money an' I could git de medicine fo' him." Well, so when she sent 'im down, he wuz very anxious to talk wit 'im an' HE ACTUALLY PAID ME $25. WELL, NOW, AH TELL YO' WHUT CHEW GIT. DAT DOESN'T MEAN DIS PAHTIK'LAH SPELL REGARDLESS TO WHUT KIND OF WAY DEY PUT DAT SPELL ON YO'.
(THEY PUT IT ON IN DIFFERENT WAYS.)
MORE DAN TEN DIFF'REN' WAYS. Well, now, say fer instance, do yo' know whut bull's nettle are?
(It's a plant that little prongs [thorns] on it?)
[I WAS THINKING OF HORSE NETTLE WHICH I KNEW QUITE WELL.]
Has stingahs on it. Stingahs. Has somepin in de form of de way a bull's [something hangs]. Yo' see dat.
(It's a plant, isn't it?)
It's a plant, an' if yo' touch one of dose ball's, it will sting yo'.
(It's called the bull nettle?)
Bull nettle. Well yo' git de root of dat. It has de very form of a man's privates. Yo' have nevah seen dat?
(I have never seen that.)
[I have a few examples of root shapes in HooDoO, snake and man and woman being important. These and other shapes known and sought for centuries had been dying out in my time, with the disappearance of the old herb or root doctor who gather- ed his own roots. Perhaps the recent revival of witchcraft, all kinds of isms and superstitions, will revive the root trade.] Were yo' born in de South?
(No, I wasn't born in the South.)
Dey grow mostly in dis state [Alabama], Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia - roun' lak dat. Well, now, yo' go an' dig dis root up. It has de very shape of a man. Yo' take dat root an' dry it. Yo' keep it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' yo' git - it's anothah little plant, ah can't git it's name right dis minute, but ah will tell yo' latah.
[I turn off recording machine until she says, '"Like a tomato."]
(Like a tomato? Is it the castor oil plant?)
No, no, it's a plant dat has stickahs on it. (Tell the plot [rite or cure] to me. You might think of the name of the plant later on.)
[She tells another remedy for the same ailment.]
It's fer de same thing. But yo' know what cockleburs are?
(Yes.)
Yo' kin git nine cockleburs an' yo' kin mix 'em wit dis same root dat ah tole yo' an' put it in a bottle.
(You get the nine cockleburs and put them in this bottle with the bull nettle?)
Dat's right, an' put de contents of a 15c bottle of Hearts Cologne in dis bottle, an' den three tablespoons of urine.
(Whose urine?)
Dis person's urine, whoevah has dis spell on dem. An' yo' take a piece of new linen cloth, aftah dey have had dere bath in de mawnin' an' jes' bathe demselves wit dat pahtiklah stuff.
(This liquid.)
Dat's right. An' den make a tea of dis bull's nettle an' drink a swallah of it evah mawnin' fo' nine mornings, an' it will absolutely disappear.
(Take that spell off?)
Dat's right. An' WHEN DIS PERSON IS TAKIN' DIS TREATMENT, DEY ARE NOT SUP- POSED TO MENTION TO ANYONE DAT DEY ARE GOIN' UNDAH IT.
(They must keep it secret.)
[Several days later I asked Mrs. Brady to come for another interview, some of her material had been badly recorded.] Yo' remembah me tellin' yo' about de bull nettle. An' yo' remembah ah tole yo' dere wus anothah weed dat grow in de yard dat chew use in connection wit dat one pahtiklah weed. It's called tread salve - t-r-e-a-d s-a-l-v-e. It has a little yellah ball growin' on de weed somepin lak a tomato. Yo' know what dat [tomato] is. Well, yo' kin ask any southerner, dey kin tell you. Dey grows in all southern yards an' in de commons out in de fields or in de yards. [For the identity of this plant, see later.] Now dat is somepin fo' removin' de spell dat we were speakin' of - yo' know, dat people place on people. [I once thought preceding yellow tomato was the mayapple, Podophyllum pelta- tum, a plant I had known from childhood, having eaten its tasteless egg-shaped fruit. Later I realized it must be the maypop, a passionflower (described some- where in HOODOO), the Passiflora incarnata of the southern U. S. A.; also an in- sipid, yellow, applelike fruit.]
Entry 3775
She git a dishrag an' she'll tie three knots in it: ONE ON DE END AN' ONE IN DE MIDDLES AN' ONE ON DE OTHAH END - make three knots. She'll have dat rag damp. When yo' make a connec- tion wit 'er dat night, she won't come herself. Yo' understan' whut ah talkin' about. She'll make yo' do it. When she do's dat she'll tie it up an' she'll put it undahneat' her mat- tress right undah yore haid, where yo' won't know nuthin about it. An' prob'ly yo' go dere to anothah woman to try to make a connection wit 'er. It'll be hard when yo' git up dere, but aftah yo' git up an' start it'll jes' fall right down.
[Here follows the cure for the preceding rite.]
Dere's a weed grows in de woods, dey call it a horse nettle. It's a little weed dat has a little button on it - little berry, yo' see - an' de root is about dat long. An' dat root got little lumps in it. Evah two or three inches dat root got a little knot in it. Well yo' take dat an' yo' drink dat fo' about nine mawnin's.
(What do you do with that root?)
Well, if anybody know it, dey kin go out in a country place an' git it. Yo' takes it an' yo' cuts it up, an' puts it in a bottle, an' yo' PO' SOME OF DIS GOOD WHISKEY ON IT, an' drink it fo' nine mawnin's, an' dat'll bring it back to yo'.
(Bring his nature back.)
Entry 3776
To cure tied up [use] a root round like a carrot. Chew call 'em horse nettle. Cut it up jes' lak carrot an' put it in whiskey an' den dat brings a man's powah back up ag'in.
(You cut like what?)
Jes' lak yo' cut okra - jes' lak yo' cut up okra an' drink it [with whiskey], an' dat will bring yo' powah back ag'in. An' when yo' git yo' powah back ag'in, yo'll have no feelin's fer dat [whiskey?].
Entry 3777
Go out in de woods an' git a bush whut chew call a stingin' nettle, an' dig it up an' git de root off it, an' chew de root an' swallow de juice. It will bring mos' any man nature back - ole man, young man - mos' of 'em.
Entry 3778
Git chew some stingin' net- tles - know dose thing ah mean. Git chew a root of dose an' boil 'em, an' put some honey, sugar an' salt in dere, an' take it fo' nine mawnin's - nex' nine mawnin's an' dat'll bring it back.
(What kind of salt did you put in that?)
Table salt.
(That will bring his nature back.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1043), 1693:5.]
3778. If he's runnin' roun' wit wimmin, she could take his courage away from 'im. Well, she could take his courage by wipin' 'im. Him an' 'er have a connec- tion an' she could take it wit 'er undahcloth, or she could take it wit de dish- rag. Each one of de ways is diff'ren'. Yo' would have to use a diff'ren' remedy on each one of de ways to git dat han' offa yo'. [Informant calls the undercloth and dishrag hands (see pp.519-669), which they are.] If she take it with de dishrag, why yo' kin go out in de woods an' git chew a stingin' nettle root. It got roots on it jes' lak a nut branch, jes' lak nut branch, an' yo' go down until yo' git to de third nut an' yo' take dat nut an' make a tea out of it, an' dat'll knock dat out. (You mean you swallow the tea then and that will bring back the courage, if you have been fixed up with the dishrag.) Den if yo' been fixed up wit 'er undahclothes, den yo' have to take de sandy pea root. An' hit don' have any nuts atall on it. It's jes' a root dat goes off lak dat. Ah've been in dat condition. Well, now yo' take dat stalk up an' den git de root of it, an' jes' clip de whole root off an' den put it in a bottle of watah, about a quart of watah an' take drinks offa dat. Now, dat ain't nuthin - jes' as quick as dis othah one, yo'll have to take drinks offa dat, too.
(This sandy pea root, is that the same as that they call the shame briar?)
Ah 'clare ah don' know, De onliest name ah know is de sandy pea root.
Entry 3779
De same as dey would have a connection wit 'i, an' take dat cloth an tie it into nine knots, an' wear it in de toe of dere shoe, but now whut else dey would do wit it ah don't know.
(That is to take away a man's nature?) Take his nature from him. [Informant continues but I turn off machine until he begins something of promise:] (You went to a fellow, you say?) Yes. (Was he one of these wise people?) Yes sir, an' he tole me some things tuh do. (What did he tell you to do?)
He tole me tuh go on back an' evah mawnin' when ah rise from de bed, go on an' git me a towel. In othah words tuh buy me nine new towels an' evah mawnin' take one dose towels an' wash good wit it, an' when ah git through wit it, throw it away an' don't use it any mo'. Fo' nine mawnin's. So ah did dat an' it kinda brought me back.
(You did that and it brought back your nature?)
Yes sir.
(Well, now, you didn't wash with anything special? You just dry with that?)
Jes' a common towel. (And you think that this woman fixed you up by tying those knots in that towel?) Yes sir.
Entry 3780
If a man have a bad disease, yo' kin git de bark from de no'th side, outside, of a gum tree, an' de bark from de east side of red oak tree, an' mix 'em togethah an' make a tonic, an' dat will cure him of de bad dis- ease. Yo' put a few drops of turpentine in it.
Entry 3781
He can't git loose, somebody have to take him loose. Now, yo' take den some of dat sweet oil an' po' it right down between 'im, he'll come out. (When they are stuck together, you put the sweet oil between them. Just plain sweet oil or with this drop in it? Or just plain sweet oil?) Yo' gotta break in undah dere an' let it run down in 'er, he'll come on out. (Just plain sweet oil this time. The first time you use sweet oil and this dog stuff?) [For this cure see 487:1 (No.473), somewhere in text.] Yes.
(Well, the next time you use just plain sweet oil?)
Plain sweet oil but take undah it.
Entry 3782
Yo' know whut olive oil is. Well, git olive oil an' oil of bergamine [bergamot] an' let 'im rub, yo' know, from dem balls on out to de end of it, but don't let none of it git into de haid of it, yo' see. [This is the magic rite of outward - rubbing the spell out of the body.] (Well, does he mix these two oils or use them separately or what?) No suh, mix 'em.
(And that will take off this spell that made him lose his nature?)
Yea, suah.
Entry 3783
Wal, if yo' run aroun' wit a woman an' yore wife didn't want chew to go out dere, she kin take, when yo' have communication wit chure wife, she kin jis' only go git a dish towel an' wipe yo' wit it. Yo' can't go wit no othah woman but 'er. (Is there any way I can get rid of that?) Yes sir. Wal, yo'd have to go to work an' git chew some Hearts Cologne, an' some dis powdah called love powdah, an' some pure olive oil, an' dis heah pure lard, an' mix it togethah an' jis' saturate yoreself. An' yo'll come to where yo' kin go out; but not dat [if you don't do that], yo'll nevah will bothah wit no othah woman but dat one. Evah time yo' start to covah 'er, why yo'll fall.
Entry 3784
Take de seat of 'er panties an' put it up on de stove, yes sir, at night when he's 'sleep an' 'is nature's purtty near gone.
Entry 3785
Yo' kin take a penny yo' see, an' drill a hole in it yo' see, an' put a string in it yo' see, an' tie it down - tie it chew know where it will rest, yo' know right in yore privates down dere, an' dey tell me dat will kill it. (That is if his wife has tied him up.)
Entry 3786
Yo' kin take a pineapple, co'se it's diff'ren' to all kinds of - plenty diff'ren' things, plenty diff'ren'. Yo' take a pineapple. Now, a lady's got yo' so dat yo' don't wanta be wit anybody else but 'er, she's got yo' tied in nine knots, which, whut I mean, she'd have a string, she done meas- ured your private. She got dat tied in nine knots an' wears dat aroun' 'er waist. Now, yo' take a pineapple, yo' buy yo' one pineapple. Yo' take her name an' yo' write in nine times on a note. Yo' put it into dis pine- apple [demonstrates].
(Just nine times like that, one right under the other.)
Right on top of one anothah. See [demonstrates]. Yo' put it once dis way, jes' go right on down - not a large piece - den yo' come back right on top of dat again. See, nine times, an' yo' say yore prayers ovah dat. An' aftah yo' say yore prayers ovah dat, den yo' take it an' yo' go to de rivah an' throw it ovah yore shouldah backwards [demonstrates].
(Over your left shoulder.)
Ovah yore left shouldah. An' den yo' reach in yore right pocket an' take a silvah dime an' say, "In de Name of God de Father, God de Son, an' throw it ovah behind dat, ovah yore right shouldah. An' den yo' walk away wit'out lookin back. Don't look back. An' when yo' get back home, yo' beginnin' to feel all right, an' dat night yo' kin tell de diff'rence. Yo' kin tell yo' done broke dat [spell]. But yo' must do dat.
Entry 3787
(Can he get cured of that condition?)
De only thing ah would recommend to him to git cured of dat wuz to use de rattlesnake mastah, de gall of earth an' about [how many?l eggs an' beer. (How would he use that?) Well, ah'd take de rat- tlesnake mastah an' dem othah herbs an' boil 'em togethah, an' ah'd take dem on occasion as ah felt dat ah needed 'em. An' de beer, of co'se, ah'd take early in de mornings.
(Just ordinary beer?)
Jes' ordinary beer an' bust a egg an' put in it.
(That would restore his nature.)
Entry 3788
Now, I kin tell yo' somepin dat'll make yore courage rise, if a man falls, yo' know. Yo' know some people say yo' kin fix a man where he can't have nobody but chew. But chew take a red onion an' yo' wrap it up in a wet rag an' put it in de fiah an' roast it, an' when it git done lak a roast aig, yo' take an' let it git cool. Take dat an' squeeze dat juice all de way on yore private an' yo' rise lak dat.
(That will cure it?)
Kills anything. If dey hang up de rag lak some do's, dey take de dishrag an' run yo' wit it.
Entry 3789
Yo' take onions an' sulphur - a piece of a red onion an' make a stew out of it. Make a sort of a tea an' drink it, an' yo'll kill dat.
(Get your nature back.)
Entry 3790
Ah've heard dat she kin gain mah thoughts. She kin take some sulphur - take some sulphur an' vinegar an' a red onion an' cook it up. Put a white of a aig wit it an' give it to him an' let him eat it. (What will that do then?) Dat will take his nature away from him. He kin git it back if he go tuh someone. Dat dere [is] where he tell 'im. He git a red onion, he git six aigs - a dozen aigs. Mix de onions an' de aigs. Eat de onions raw an' six raw aigs a day - two in de mornin' an' two at twelve a'clock an' two at night - five days, red onions an' de aigs.
(That'll bring his nature back.)
Entry 3791
(You eat these red onions raw?)
Eat red onions raw. Jes' cut 'em up yo' understan' an' eat 'em. Yo' undah- stan', wit vinegar an' black peppah. Yo' seen 'em lak dat. Dey mostly be able tuh give a man courage.
Entry 3792
Yo' git hot watah jis' lak yo' goin' take a bath an' red peppah - cayenne pep- pah - wit salt an' saltpetah an' put it in de watah. Salt all ovah it. See, throw it dataway. Dat wash it off an' kill it. But chew gotta do dat befo' yo' evah git ovah it.
(That is to bring his nature back?)
Yes.
(How do you throw that water, just any way?)
No, throw it dis way, don't chew know. Dat's west. [You have to throw it to the west] befo' de sun rise. Keep it wit yo' dat night, keep it until befo' de sunrise an' yo' git up befo' de sunrise an' throw it dat way [to the west].
Entry 3793
A woman kin give a man some of 'er - sickness. But de way dat chew have to do is git yo' some red shank.
(Red shank. That's a root?)
Yes, kin git dat red shank - lak rusty when yo' dig out de ground, an' as far as it bein' rusty, why it's got plenty of blood in it yo' know. Yo' kin take dat an' make a tea out of it an' yo' drink dat, an' yo' drink a good mouthful of dat tea evah night twelve nights, an' aftah dat twelve nights, aftah de twelve nights is ovah yo' kin go out an' try it. Yo' kin do a little bettah, de nex' night bettah, de nex' night bettah, an' on an' on until yo' jes' cooperate things lak yo' wanta. (That is if a man has lost his nature because some woman has put a spell on him. This restores his nature?) Sure.
Entry 3794
Why he can git a dose of saltpetah, see, an' fix it an' take a drop or two evah morning, see, fo' nine mornings, an' if she's fixed 'im, where he can't have no 'co'se [intercourse], why dat will kill de taste of de othah woman an' build 'is curbed up nature. Yo' know saltpetah will entirely kill yore nature. But if yo' take it jes' a little bit, it will fix yo' straighten back up.
(How would I take this? Inside of me each morning?)
Take a drop or two an' put it in watah evah mawnin' fo' nine mornings. Dat'll straighten 'im up.
(That will bring back his nature.)
Entry 3795
Ah wuz talkin' wit dis lady. Ah dunno but 'er husban' jes' had a weak- ened nature. An' othahwise she wuz a passionate woman. An' othahwise she real- ly - nightly of each week would be all right wit 'er. Othahwise, he didn't have any surplus energy to satisfy 'er. An' so some- one told 'er to jes' exactly take de [come semen] an' stick up 'is nose, so dat he might jes' smell it yo' see, an' dat will cause his passion to rise, an' he could sat- isfy 'er at sech-an'-sech a time. So dat wuz 'er method in bringin' back 'is courage. (Well, now, did she do this when he was asleep? Or did he know that she was doing it? Or what?) Well, he knew she wuz doin' it. Yes, indeed.
(And she put it on a cloth or something and held it under his nose?)
See, IT WUZ 'IS ANYWAY. BECAUSE NO DOUBT HE WOULD DRUTHER SMELL 'IS OWN MAYBE DEN SMELL SOMEONE ELSE'S. Dat worked.
Entry 3796
Take de towel [used for wiping] an' put it between de mattress an sheet an' let 'im sleep on it. Dat'll bring it back.
(His nature?)
Yessuh.
(Does he do that or does she?) His wife does. (In case somebody has taken it away from him?) Yessuh.
Entry 3797
Dis shaneful brier.
(What kind of brier?)
Shameful brier. (Shameful brier. No, I never heard of that.) [Afterward I heard of it many times - see p.646 and else- where.] Dey gits dat, dey gits de root of it an' boils it. An' now, if yo' wanta have intahco'se wit 'er, see, an' yo' rub 'er downwards - yore hand, rub yore hands right on down nine times, an' he'll kneel, an he wants to, see, but he'll fall. She'll be so anxious fer 'im, but he'll fall.
Entry 3798
How yo' do tuh git loose? All right. De way yo' do tuh git loose from dat, yo' go an' git chew a sheep. Have tuh go an' git a sheep an' git a - kill dat sheep, yo' undahstan', an' yo' git a half a teacup of dat sheep's blood. Undahstan' good, git a half a teacup of dat sheep's blood an' den yo' puts ten drops of sweet milk in dere, an' yo' mix it all up togethah. Git chew a silk pocket han scuff - gotta git a silk pocket han'scuff an' go dere an' wipe all aroun' up in dere good wit dat han's- cuff. But chew gotta have it into dat stuff what ah tole yo'. Do lak yo' bath- in'. It'll come out. If yo' don't do dat, DE DOCTOR HAVE TUH KILL ONE TO SAVE DE OTHAH [see Nos.3334-3335 and 3460-3465.]
(What would he do, kill the man?)
He have to kill, den it will come loose.
Entry 3799
Oh, dat is when people fix yo' so, yo' know, so yo' can't have intah- co'se wit anyone but dem. I don't think I told you dat. Yo' go wherevah dey have sheep, an' de male sheep, yo' cut dere hair from aroun' 'im - yo' know all aroun' 'im lak dat. (Around his private-like?) Dat's right, an' den if possible to get some of de water [urine]. Of co'se sometimes yo' can't get de urine so handy, but if yo' can, yo' get dis an' bottle it up an' keep it, an' whenevah yo' know anyone has a spell of dat kind put on 'em, yo' heat dis wit a teaspoonful of salt in it an' give dat to dem to bathe in, an' dat will come back natural. (That is if they lose their nature, they bathe themselves with it.)
Entry 3800
A woman kin have a intahco'se wit a man an' git some of 'is stuff, aftah he be's wit 'er, an' take it an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'chuf, an put some silvah money in dere an' tote it roun' in 'er pock- etbook an' say yo' cain't have no interco'se wit no othah woman - nobody but 'er. Say yo' git up a heart an' evah- thing an' de time fo' 'im tuh git tuh have intahco'se wit de woman, say when he go tuh git on 'er, he'll fall, he cain't raise up. (She just takes the handkerchief with that stuff on it and the silver and wears the whole thing?) Dat's all, yessuh.
Entry 3801
Git a bran'-new silvah dime from dis man whut chew goes wit, an' yo' git chew a large piece of white cloth an' tie it up in dis cloth. An' whenevah yo'd have intahco'se wit dat man, yo' used dis cloth wit dis same dime in it. When yo'd git through usin' it, yo'd put it in yore pillah an' let it stay in dere length of time, an' den yo' take it outa de pillah an' wear it down between yore laigs, see or eithah in yore nation sack. [For nation sack, see interview THE 'NATION SACK' WOMAN, p.1449, introductory comment.]
(What will that do then?)
Dat'll make de man come back.
Entry 3802
Well, if a person go tuh work an' take de measure of yore private an place it on a piece of paper, yo' take an' go tuh work an' git to de place dat chew can't be social wit no othah man, yo' take de five dimes an' swallah dem. When de five dimes came back in passes, why yo'll be a perfect person ag'in. Yo' kin go all de way an' love wit anyone dat chew want to:
(You say a woman will take a man's measure on what?)
On de private.
(How does she measure that?)
Wit 'er fingahs.
(Then what does she do with that, then?)
Take dat an' tie nine knots wit a cord string.
(Then what does she do with that string?)
She take dat string an' place it aroun' 'er waist.
(And that takes the man's nature away?)
Yes.
(Now, how is he going to get his nature back?)
He will have to go tuh work an' [provide himself] wit de five silvah dimes, jes' lak she will. Swallah five silvah dimes.
(Swallow the whole dime?)
All whole.
Entry 3803
A man tole me dat dey had him fixed so he couldn't git nuthin from an- othah woman, an' he took about five or six half-a-dollah - silvah half-a-dollahs an' put 'em in a vessel an' let 'em boil down to a quart of watah [magic of diminishing amount] an' he drinked it an' he come to be all right.
(He just drank the water that was boiled with the silver?)
Yes sir, say he boiled dat money. [Silver-water shows that the man thought his condition was caused by a spell - see p.484f.]
Entry 3804
Take de smartgrass weed [smartweed] an' take an' make a powdahs of it, an' take an' dry it an' powdah it, an' put love powdahs in it an' take an' use dat. Eat dat an' dat will give him all de nature he wants.
(Get back his nature.)
Entry 3805
Take a snail an' put 'im on a blacksnake shed, de shell of de snake. Saturate it good wit dat snail an' give it to a man dat have lost 'is nature - couldn't raise his nature fo' a woman. Saturate it good an' rub it all roun 'is waist an' let it come down a point to his penis. De next time he goes to a woman, his nature is all right. (What do they do with that snake shed. Do they tie it around them or just rub it?) Jes' tie it in a loop, yo' know, so it will hang down dis way. Or yo' could Wrop it aroun' if yo' wanta. Ah believe dat is so.
Entry 3806
Somepin dat'll give a man all de courage he wants is snake- root. How would joo 'pare [prepare] dat? Jes' as it is, dry like it is now. Take it in yore mouth an' chew it. If your courage is not good, it will uplift it. It works direct through de kidneys.
Entry 3807
She takes like - like when yo' have intahco'se wit 'er, yo' know. All women always has a towel or something in dere bed what dey use. If yo' want to - if yo' want to run aroun' wit othah women, yo' take dis woman an' new- ah allow 'er to wipe yoreself. Always watch yoreself. If she takes yo' an' measure yo', takes a string an' ties nine knots in it an' wear on 'er laig or aroun' 'er waist. I don't care how much pep yo' have in yo', yo won't have pep fo' no othah woman.
(Well, can you get rid of that?)
Yeah, yo' kin git rid of it, but de onliest: way dat chew kin git rid of dat, yo' gotta steal dat - yo' gotta git dat string from 'er.
Entry 3808
He kin take cream of tartar, sulphur an' a lil' sugah. Mix dat togethah. Make a powdah of dat an' take a teaspoonful of dat three times a day an' dat will bring it back - bring back 'is nature.
Entry 3809
(Well, how do you get rid of that?)
How could yo' git rid of dat? Well, yo' git one of dem turnips, dem green turnips.
(Get a green turnip - green, turnip green.)
Yes, sir. An' take one of dem green turnips an' yo' squeeze it - yo' squeeze it. An' yo' take some of dis same snail dust lak dat, an' yo' mix it up an' yo' rub it, jes' tryin' to get juice out of de turnip lak dat wit dat snail dust. Yo' take dat an' yo' bathe yoreself wit it, jes' be- fo' yo' go to fool wit 'er. Yo' bathe yore- self wit it unbeknowst to her. An' when yo fool wit 'er, prob'ly she may want to put yoreself in 'erself. Yo' say, "No." Pretend. Make out yo're playing wit 'er an' fool aroun' wit 'er. An' when yo' get dat stuff, yo' try to get some hair. When yo' get dat hair, yo' take it an' rub it wit dat turnip. She have to turn yo' loose, de way it burnin' 'er, yo' undahstan'.
(You get a piece of her hair?)
Yeah, yo' get dat hair an' yo' mix it up wit dis turnip an' dis snail dust, an' den yo' rub it, jes' lak yo' rubbin', an' yo' jes' put it down In some pep- pah. It burns 'er all de time. Den she wants to know from yo', she say, "I'm got a burnin' down here all de time." Jes' lak dat. Den she say lak dis here, "Huh, yo' know what's it all about? Yo' got a idea whut's it all about?" An' yo' say, "Well, de last time yo' had yore panties on." She say, "Well, I ain't had my panties on since dis time." Yo' say, "Well, I feel a cord roun' yo'." Yo' say, "Prob'ly dat's by yo' wearin' dis here cord." Yo' undahstan'?. [This last to the author.] Yo' say, "Whyn't yo' [why don't you] cut dat off?" She say, "Oh, no, dat don't make dat. Dat's jes' to keep my back from hurtin'." [Somewhere I have given a rite in which a dime with 9 knots is worn about ankle for love under the pretence of a cramp cure.] Yo' say, "Oh, here, I'm going to cut it." Yo' take yore [pocket] knife an' have a [blade] dere an' befo' she say, "No, don't cut it." Well, yo' make a [reach] fer 'er an' yo' cut it. Jes' cut yo' loose right from dere.
[While recording machine turned off, informant explains how he was tied.]
Yo' take a person's length [with a string].
(You mean that's to tie? You call it keeping them tied?)
Yes. When yo' got 'em tied, meanin' dat yo' can't fool [with other women].
Entry 3810
An' he told me. I knew de girl dat did it. Well, I'm goin' to tell yo' now how it started. I heard of it befo'. I wuz goin' wit 'er, an' I had been goin' wit 'er, an' I wuz in good health, evahthing. An' de way I wuz, dis girl wuz crooked on me, an' I say, "I'm goin' quit messin' roun' wit yo', I ain't goin' to" - well I got me anothah girl, started wit 'er, went wit 'er a time or two. An' I got hold of dis girl's pit- chure whut I wuz goin' wit. I had been messed up in dat stuff befo' but not wit dis girl. An' she wuz from de same place dat I wuz. She knowed broad people, all dose people down dere roun' South Carolina an' way to Georgia. Dere's a whole lot of people down dere dat knows a lot of stuff, dere's lot of em down dere dat knows plenty. I says - I been wit dis girl a time or two - I says, "I ain't goin' to hide yore pitchure, goin' to leave it in my pocket." Dis girl got dis girl's pitchure. She seed it but she wuz scared to bother wit it. I says, "Well.... [A short lacuna appears on the cylinder, probably an accidental rather than intended stoppage.] Seem lak evah time I'd go roun' where she wuz - where she wuz at - I would get cowardah [cowarder] an' cowardah [more and more he lacked courage], didn't have any manhood atall. I goes on. I [finally] went to a doctor [M.D.] an' he gived me some medicine. Kept on havin' de medicine, kept on havin' it. Well, I'd taken it fer about six months an' nevah seen it [the ailing member], gotten no manhood atall. I wuz workin' an' I says, "Hell, somepin's gotta be done." I went to see dis person [a man mentioned later] an' [he] says, "What's de mattah wit yo'?" [I] say, "He's [ailing member is] sick. He can't do nuthin. He haven't [had] a woman. It must be woman [causing this trouble]." I kept a- thinkin' about 'er if I didn't seen 'er [he kept thinking about the first woman though he had not seen her]. I wuz talkin' to a man about dis an' he told me who to go to. I went to a ole lady dat had one leg longah den de othah, an' she told me, said, "Boy," said, "time yo' got here." [Her opening words are quite professional - see CONSULTATION TECHNIQUE, Pp.307- 319. Her long leg and short leg were good for business - see NAMES FOR DOCTORS and PERSONAL APPEARANCE, PP.293-301.] She told me how I wuz messed up wit - how my manhood wuz cut down, an' she said, "But I kin fix yo' all right." I says, "Yo' can?" She say, "Yes." says, "Well, what yo' goin' do?" She says, "Well, dat's all right about whut I do. I'll fix yo' all right." An' she say, "Well, I tell yo' what yo' do. Yo' go an' buy me a half pint of whiskey." I say, "Sure enuff." I says, "If yo want a drink of whiskey, " I say, "I'll give yo' a drink of whiskey, but yo' say yo' kin fix me. Yo' told me somepin an' yo' must know somepin, ain't it?" She say, "Yo' go an' buy me a half pint of whiskey, an' if yo' wanta give me a drink, buy yo' one an' me one, an' I'm goin' to give yo' nuthin out of dat." She told me - she took a knife, jes' about a, lak a case knife, an' black gun- powdah, an' a little bit of sulphur, an' a little bit of salt, an' a little bit of red peppah, an' told me how to use it - how to take dis, put it in de whiskey an' shake it up. She got a piece of flannel - said white flannel or eithah red flannel would do, which she preferred white flannel. She had de scissors an' she cut it off an' had taken some mutton suet. She told me to take dis den an' jes' lathah [lather] it wit dis mutton suet befo' a hot stove, or anything, dat a lamp would do if it were hot enough, an' put in on jes' lak dis [demonstrates] an' give a wish.
(And pull it up three times.)
An' it would stay dere, keep it stayin' dere. Told me if when I got dere, if it would fall down, to come on back. So. I didn't pay, didn't pay 'er a thing until I came back - if I didn't want to, see. Well, it did an' it's been stand- in' evah since.
(Well, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THIS WHISKEY, then?)
I take a swallah of it three times a day. An' it nevah bothahed me no more. Told me evah time when I started wit anybody dat I wuz payin' attention to, if I thought dey had any underworld ideas - but I nevah had nuthin to do ag'in. [The preceding experience was given on cylinder 482:9. Before that, on 482:6, came the tying-up rite, and now follows on 482:7, the pre-statement for the ex-perience:] Dere's a way dat yo' kin take some salt, an' a little bit a pinch of sulphur on a knife blade, an' somepin lak some sheep suet an' heat it ovah a red hot - somepin lak a red-hot stove. If yo' reach down lak dat an' git it when it cools, an' make a wish, yo' see if it stand up [demonstrates].
(How do you pull it down?)
No, yo' pulls it up, three times.
(Three times?)
Pull it three times an' make a wish.
(And then it stays up itself.)
Yeah.
Entry 3811
Dey claim dat brings yo' luck.
(What do they do?)
Well, dey takes dis chamber lye, yo' know, an' let it set, set fo' five or six mawnin's, yo' know, an' take a axe an' heat red-hot an' drop into it, an' throw it out de way de sun rise, an' dat bring yuh luck. (They throw this chamber lye out there. They put the axe in it?) Yes, put de axe into it. Well, de same story ah jes' spoke about, de axe an' de chamber lye, yo' know. Yo' take dat chamber lye an' leave it cuinate [cumulate] in de bucket, an' let it set fo' nine mawnin's, an' git chure axe an' heat it red-hot an' throw it out - put it in dat chamber lye until it git cold an' throw it out de way de sun rise, an' dat will bring yore nature back fo' de wimmins.
Entry 3812
Go an' git a bran'-new brick dat has nevah been used, an' yo' put it in yore fire an' git it red-hot. While dat brick is heatin', he make him a pep- pah tea wid dese pod peppahs. Git nine pods an' make a peppah tea of it, an' he po' 'bout a ten-cent drink of likkah into dis an' drink it hot. Well, when he drink it hot, he urin- ate on dat brick - take it out an' urinate on dat brick, an' dat'll bring it back. Dat's one way. (That will restore his nature, his courage that has been tied up by some woman.) Yes.
Entry 3813
Jis' lak dey take a snail, if dey kin fin' 'im an' take him. Well, jis' lak she lay down an' plays wit yo' an' go along wit yo'. Well she'll rub yo' an' play wit yo' lak dat. Well, now when yo' go out wit someone else, yo' cain't have any - somepin to do wit 'em; but when yo' come back home wit 'er she is ready. Dat's de way it is wit 'er, wid dat.
(Well, how will that man get rid of that?)
Well, dey way dat a man gits rid of dat, I'm told, is by usin' 'is own watah an' soap. Dat's de way to git rid of dat.
(Wash with that?)
Yeah, wash wit dat. An' sometimes dey [piss in somepin] an' drink 'is own watah an' dat'll git rid of dat. But he don't fool wit 'er no more.
(You mean, wash with your own water and drink some of it to get rid of that?)
Dat'll get rid of dat, but dat'll certainly keep 'im from [being with her again].
Entry 3814
Wal, dere wuz a gurl ah started correspondin' wit in a - an' she wuz a purtty nice gurl an' we got along purtty tuhgethah [at first]. Well, ah dunno, we jes' couldn't git 'long tuhgethah an' she - ah guess she felt dat she wuz losin' me, see. So, well she used to cook fo' me. Well ah would eat from 'er an' ah would eat from othahs. It didn't make much diff'rence. Ah nevah did pay much 'tenshun tuh how she cooked anything fo' me cuz ah didn't [think] she'd try tuh poison me or do anythin' tuh me. So she fixed me up some meals one day, an' it wuz 'long about de 20th - 'bout 'tween de 29th an' de lst - fixed mah meals fo' me. An' right aftah ah eat dat meal ah got sort of sick. Well ah came out it an' den - well, while ah wuz goin' roun' wit anothah frien' of mine, ah met anothah girl. An' well, she wanted me tuh come an' live wit 'er. So ah would go an' spend nights wit 'er. An' well, ah'd sleep in de same bed. An' it seemed dat evah time dat ah'd wanted tuh have intahco'se wit 'er, it seemed jis' lak ah couldn't git mah mine [mind]. Mah mine jis' seem to fall, jis' couldn't git mah mine set on havin' intahco'se wit 'er. So ah went to a doctor [M.D.] heah an' ast 'im whut could be de mattah. An' he said dere wasn't anythin' de mattah wit me - took a blood test an' all, an' say he couldn't fin' anythin' wrong wit me. So a frien', he heard about dese thin's [women do], so he ast me whut all had she been doin', an' ast me could ah have intahco'se wit 'er. Ah tole 'im suah [sure], anytime ah'd go home an' git in bed ah could easily have intahco'se wit 'er, but othahwise any strange woman ah couldn't. So he wuz astin' me had ah noticed any funny thin's about 'er. Ah tole 'im ah nevah notice anythin' funny about 'er. So he ast me what kin'a food had she been feedin' me. So ah tole him diff'ren' meals. Well one special food she wuz feedin' at least twice a week an' dat be tomatoes. So ah tole him about dat. So he ast me did ah notice anythin' funny 'bout de 'matoes de nex' time she fixed 'em. So ah paid 'tention when she wuz fixin' 'em, but ah nevah noticed anythin'. But ah noticed she strained de tomatoes. Ah didn't pay any 'tention at it becuz ah figured she knows whut she's doin'. So ah tole him about 'er strainin' de tomatoes. So he say, whut kin'a rag did she strain it through. Tole me ah shoulda paid 'tention. So he tole me tuh go ovah heah an' ast 'is brothah 'bout it. So ah ast 'is brothah an' tole his bro- thah what happened. So his brothah ast me de nex' time roun' about de firs' of de mon' tuh pay close 'tention tuh see whut she would do. So it went on lak dat fer about six mont's an' ah wus goin' - still goin' ovah heah tuh see dis othah [second] gurl, an' ah wus livin' on wit 'er. She wus try- in' tuh do evahthin' [about my impotence] she could fo' me. So ah went on an' paid 'tention closah tuh 'er [first girl], an' one day ah caught 'er in dere an' she wus strainin' de 'matoes through some of 'er undah- weah. So ah ast 'er whut wuz de cuz of dat. She said, nuthin, she jis' couldn't fine 'nothah rag tuh strain de tomatoes in lak dat dat wuz clean. Wal, ah seen stains in de undahweah, but ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it. Ah figured de tomatoes put de stains in dere. So ah tole mah frien' about it an' he said, well, she's been usin' 'er reg'lah rag dat she had on, when 'er reg'lah mont'ly sickness come on, strainin' de tomatoes through it, an' dat's whut wus cuzin' [causing] me tuh feel lak ah did tuhwards 'er an' couldn't do anythin' tuh any othah woman. So he tole me to go see a fellah, a fellah used to be a herb doctor. He's daid now. He died a few years ago. Tole me to go ast 'im whut ah should do. So ah'd seen 'im an' he tole me tuh take - tole me tuh try git holt of a good- size jar of 'er urinate an' take dat, an' boil it an' put plenty a salt in it, an' drink it at least twict a day. So it happen ah got holt of some. One night when she wusn't payin' attention tuh me, she got up an' urinated in a basin [she] had dere, yo' know. So de nex' mawnin' she went outside [away from home] tuh go tuh de baker's [to work?]. So ah'd taken it an' ah boiled it, an' ah boiled it an' strained it lak he tole me. Fixed it jis' lak he tole me tuh fix it, put some salt, an' ah drank it twict a day. An' purtty soon ah begin tuh feel mah- self ag'in. So ah left 'er, an' den ah went tuh stay wit dis othah woman. An' ah stayed wit dis othah woman one night.... [Remainder of this [[cylinder]] cannot be transcribed because of defective reception.[[comment by transcriber]].] See, we [informant and second girl] had been usin' de same towel all de time. So ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it an' well, de nex' mawnin' when she got through wit dat towel, she took it an' folded it up careful an' put it away in de drawah dat ah'd used. Well ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it cuz ah wus young an' didn't figure a woman would try any kin'a tricks on a fellah. So ah looked to be gittin' sorta po' [poor] an' skinny. An' ah used tuh go roun' tuh dis othah gurl [first one] an' we wuz lak we wuz goin' go back tuhgethah ag'in.
(The first girl or the second girl, you mean?)
De firs' gurl. So de secon' gurl she kep' on arguin' wit me an' arguin'. We fight an' fuss, back an' fo't' [forth] all de time. So ah went on - kep' on bothahin' dis secon' gurl. So one night ah went ovah an' stayed all night wit 'er, but still an' yet, when ah went to do somepin wit 'er, ah'd have dat strong feelin' until ah'd git right in bed wit 'er, an' den when ah git in bed wit 'er, seemed lak all hopes would drop an' ah jis' couldn't do anythin'. Ah'd Jis' lose mah nerve all de way roun'. So ah'd kep' on goin' lak dat an' she tole mah frien', mah close frien', dat she wuz livin' at 'is mothah. [Informant's first girl was rooming with the mother of the male friend who advised him to see a herb doctor.] She tole him about it. So he ast me [at the place where both worked - see later] whut wuz happ'nin' tuh me. Ah looked to be gittin' lak ah wanted to die [or] sompin. So ah tole him ah didn't know. Ah jis' seem to be gittin po'ah [poorer] an' po'ah an' mah healt' jis' wouldn't seem tuh build up atall. Ah'd eat de right thin's an' all. So he ast me wuz ah eatin' from home. An' ah tole 'im no, ah didn't eat from home cuz ah nevah had time, as mah wife, she didn't fix anythin' fo' me. So he ast me wuz dis othah gurl an' me on bad terms. Ah tole him yeah. Well, we wuz, 'cuz ah wuz about tuh quit 'er. (This was the second girl you were about to quit. The first one was your wife?) Yes, de firs' one wuz mah wife. So - an' ah wuz about tuh go back tuh mah wife, see. Aftah a while he ast me did ah know some man to cure me by. Ah tole him no. So one day he wuz up tuh de house an' we wuz jis' aftah takin' a showah. It wuz real hot [shower or day?], so ah gave him some towels. Ah didn't pay much 'tention tuh it, a towel wit a hem in it, an' ah happened tuh han' 'im a towel dat she had took dat night. An' he noticed dat right outa de centah, a hole wuz cut outa it. An' so he ast me how did dat happen. Ah tole him ah didn't know. So he begin tuh think. He's experienced on it 'cuz he wuz lots oldah dan ah wuz an' dat's one thin' [tricks of women] dat he always believe. Ah called 'im smart. Ah figured he wuz tryin' tuh be smart. Well, anyhow he really did know a lot of thin's. So he tole me de nex' time dat ah noticed, whethah she wuz un- dressin' or not, tuh notice whethah she had anythin' tied aroun' 'er neck or vais' or laig or anythin', an' if she did, tuh come an' tell 'im. Well, ah stayed wit 'er dat night, ah wouldn't stay out dat night. Ah stayed wit 'er dat night an' ah noticed dat when she got in bed, she had a little black bag tied right down in de centah of 'er stomach. So ah ast 'er what it wuz. An' she said dat [was] to keep 'er from havin' pains in 'er stomach. So ah tole mah frien' de nex' day when ah went tuh work. An' he tole me, he sayed dat he believe dat [in the] bag she had wuz a piece of dat towel out [without] de bag. [He now explains this confusion.] Said a woman could take a piece of towel dat a man would wipe on, an' could take it an' put some kinda black-cat-bone dust [see BLACk CAT POWDER, p.526], from a young black cat wit dat piece of towel in a sack, an' hang it in front of 'er an' de man nevah could leave her, no mattah where he go he'd always have tuh come back tuh 'er, an' dat he nevah could have anythin' tuh do t no othah woman but 'er. So ah jis' laughed at 'im. An' ah thought he wuz jokin'. An' ah went on tuh dis othah girl de nex' night an' went tuh 'er house. Well, ah wuz feelin' good an' ah felt lak ah wanted tuh have intahco'se wit 'er. An' so we got in bed all undressed. Well ah had high hopes until de minute ah got in bed wit 'er an' den evahthin' flopped. An' ah laid in bed fer half de night an' still an' yet ah couldn't git up nerve enough tuh have anythin' tuh do wit 'er. So ah tole him about it de next day. So he tole me tuh go back an' see could ah have anythin' tahdo wit mah wife. So ah went back dat day at dinnah time [noon]. Mah wife got off dat day at dinnah time an' I went ovah dere. An' she wuz home in bed, so ah got sweet wit 'er an' got in bed along wit 'er. Well, when ah went tuh have intahco'se wit 'er she took dis here bag from aroun' 'er wais'. Well ah got in bed an' ah jis' had high hopes an' ah jis' carried thin's right on through. Well, ah come back an' tole 'im about it, an' he tole me dat dat whole thin' wuz de trouble. Said where she had dat bag aroun' 'er wais' an' said fer me to git dat. So his bro- thah wuz de same way [impotent by trickery], but 'is brothah didn't believe in dis othah one. Some of 'em don't like dat [drinking the woman's urine]. [A bad spot in the cylinder follows. The next bracket contains my pencil notes made while checking original cylinder against transcription.] [Bad recording from here. [[Substance of informant's words follows.l] So ah went home. Ah ast 'er whut wuz dat bag. She said it was none of my business. So [[ah tried to take it.]]. Well she got mad an' said if I take it she'd kill me...didn't pay any 'tention tuh 'er...aftah awhile I was goin' wit anothah woman.] [To take a woman's hand, called a nation sack in the New Orleans area up to Memphis, can be a dangerous venture - see p.1449f.] So dat night ah come home jis' lak ah goin' stay dere. An' she got undressed, ah grabbed 'er an' got de string an' ah snatched it. When ah snatched it ah took an' run into de kitchen wit [it] an' put it in de stove an' burn it up. De min- ute ah did dat, it seem lak she jis' seemed to have lak a reg'lah fit. She jis' started runnin' all ovah, got real... [Here is a typical reaction - other than outright death - to the destruction of a witch's power. Yes, this woman is technically a witch, she having caught the man's spirit. There are many ways given in HOODOO to break a witch's spell; See also FACI, 2nd ed., Pp.790-920; and for burning the object she uses, Pp.882- 886. DE DOCTORS COME AN' DEY COULDN'T DO NUTHIN FO' HER. DEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WUZ DE MATTAH WIT 'ER. She continued to keep on fer about six mont's an' aftah dat she seemed gradually to come back tuh 'erself... [small remainder of recording bad].
Entry 3815
You take a piece of mullein stick and watch for anybody else you love and you want to catch up with them. When you see them pee somewhere, you take the mullein stick and stick it right in the middle of it [the pool of urine], and if a man have connection with this girl [whose urine has been transfixed with the mul- lein stalk], he'll be hung up with her. They'll be stuck together and you'll catch them.
Entry 3816
Take a bran'-new knife an' po' - make urinate [urinate] down dat knife- blade evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' wash 'isself wit whut chew call dis stuff dey use in prison. (Saltpeter?) Saltpetah. Take dat an' wash it [his tool] an' throw it to de sundown. Take dat an' wash it an' throw it to de sundown. If he done wash 'isself off an' throw it de way de sun goes down, he kin git ovah [cure] it dataway - git along to where he kin handle anybody he want to.
(That will take off this spell that took his nature away.)
Dat'll take off dat.
(He did that before sunrise did you say?)
[He did not give the time, that is what I wanted to learn.]
Aftah sun risin' an' jes' as de sun liable to set, see yo' put it in dere den, den it [ailment] will go away den. Yo' have to do dat fo' nine evenin's an' po' dat watah down dat knife fo' nine mawnin's.
(You urinate down the knife in the morning, and you throw it away at night?)
Yeah, yo' washes wit dat saltpetah in de aftahnoon. [For the general reader may I add:. The peter part of saltpeter, being one of the many names for the penis, has magic value in this impotence cure; so also has the magic salt portion of saltpeter.]
Entry 3817
Yo' kin take an' take yore own watah, sulphur an' Hearts Cologne, ah heard dat chew could use to bring yo'self [nature] back to yo'. Take yore own watah, Hearts Cologne an' sulphur an' bath [not bathe] wit it. Yo' know sulphur is a peculiah thing anyhow, sulphur is, an' take an' bath.yo'self wit it an' dat'll bring yo' - restore yo'self back an' evah- thing.
Entry 3818
(How could he get his nature back?) If he not too ole, why dey kin. He kin go tuh de sto' an' buy 'im maybe five-cent white pocket han'ke'chuf, an' git 'im a pint of clear watah an' wash 'isself down three times wit dat bran'-new pocket han'ke'chuf, an' don' use it any mo'. Throw it away. He kin go an' mess wit anybody he wanta den. (That is if this woman has taken his nature away, he can do that and then his nature will come back to him.) Yeah, if he not a ole man.
(Just use clear water?)
Yes.
Entry 3819
[The sense of this badly recorded cure can be restored:] If woman has man tied up by measurin' an' wearin' [measuring] string, [if she] cross watah - when yo' [she] cross watah, she [nature] come back to yo'. [But otherwise] as long as she wear dat [you won't have any nature except for her.] [For a better insight into crossing water in witchcraft, I recommend an unusual rite, which I will quote in full because it comes from an out-of-print and limited-edition book to be found only in university, college or large library:] [When my boy was little we lived up here near Ursa [[Adams County, Illinois]]. We had an old aunt that was terrible. Well, the truth is, she was a witch. She often said when she milked her cow, she milked every cow in the neighborhood, which is true. Everyone knew it, for if she was milking her cow, no one around could get a drop of milk. Everyone was afraid of her too, afraid she would put a spell on them. I didn't think she would hurt us, but she did. My little boy was strong. He took sick in the legs, he got so weak he could not walk at all. We would put him down and he would fall right over, could not stand on his legs. We took him to the doctor in Ursa, he could not find anything wrong with my boy. We waited several days, then we brought him to Quincy to Dr.x. He could not find a thing wrong. Then I started to thinking maybe our aunt had a spell on our boy and had him in her power. My husband said, "We will take him to one more doctor and if he does not find anything wrong, we will know he is bewitched and will have to take the spell off some way. Well, we took him to the third doctor [M.D.]. It was just the same answer, nothing wrong. It's an old saying, a witch can't follow you over a body of water, if you go one way and come back another way. As soon as you start over the water, she loses her power; but if you come back the same way, she gets her power back. We came to Quincy with the boy, went down to the river, took the ferry boat across the river, carrying my boy - he could not walk, was so weak. Then we walked up to the old bridge and started to walk back to Quincy on the wagon side of the bridge. WHEN WE GOT HALF OVER THE BRIDGE THE BOY WANTED DOWN. WE PUT HIM DOWN. I AM TELLING YOU THE TRUTH, HE STARTED RIGHT OUT TO WALKING AND WALKED ACROSS THE BRIDGE WHEN HE HAD NOT WALKED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. The spell was broken and he was strong in the legs again. Right after that, the old aunt - I should say witch - got down sick and could not walk for several years. So we knew she was the one that had our boy in a spell. She is dead now [[FACI, 2nd ed., p.893.]].] [If I am not mistaken, another crossing-water rite will appear in volume 3 or 4 of HOODOO.1
Entry 3820
Cuz I had it happen to me, see. I wuz goin' wit a woman an' I'd stop- ped. Well, she got hold of de tape measure, yo' know, an' she took mah nature an' put it in a bottle an' wore it in 'er stockin'.
(Wore it in her stocking?)
Wore it in 'er stockin'. Like dis is, right in de middle, right at de knee of de stockin' - yo' know, here [demonstrates - in hinge of knee]. (I see.) Yes, put it in dere an' put a string below de knee an' one above de knee. An' she had me about six or eight months. Dere wuz anothah thing she wuz doin' too. But aftah dat I got - somebody told me about it, told me to get dis bottle soon as I could. Dey says dat would get mah nature back. I wuz in bed wit 'er an' jes' took it off. Told me took it an' put it in runnin' watah. I keep away from her den.
Entry 3821
Well, now, yo' take ag'in, yo' kin go tuh work an' have a date. Yo' kin go tuh work an' have a date wit a woman, see. Now if she is smooth enough, she kin go tuh work an' take her undahskirt, yo' see, jes' de undahskirt she have on - some of 'em don' even, yo' know, don' have no gown, yo' see. Jes' dere undahskirt. Dey kin take de undahskirt an' wipe yo' off wit de undahskirt an' dat'll take yo' nature. Yo' go home an' have connection wit anothah fumblin', an' yo' can't git straightened - whut's de mattah! Yo' ain't sharp enough to know whut's de mattah. Dey always keep it up. Evah time yo' go tuh 'er, yore yo' [self again].
(You are all right?)
Yessuh, yo' all right. But chew go tuh dat woman out yondah - ah done been in dat shape. Yo' goes tuh dat woman out yondah - yo' see, jes' lak a ole man. De ole man make up de fiah an' say, "All right, ole lady, git straight, ah be dere directly." An' den befo' he could git to de bed, it - he say, "Wait a minute ole lady, ah gotta go back in de fiah." [This sounds like the remnant of an old tale.] So dat's de idea when yo' be messed up. If yo' don't study fo' 'em, dey al- ways have yo' fo' a good thing. An' yo' tote yore li'le money in. Yo' go in an dey take evahthing yo' kin raise an' scrape. An' den she mess aroun' wit some- body else. What's de mattah? She got yo' so yo' can't go out yondah. Yo' won't have no nature fo' nobody else, see. Well, now ah tell yo' how yo' have tuh go tuh work an' git chure nature back. Now, aftah she got chew lak dat, if yo' smooth enough an' kin ketch 'er. See? Quite natchal [natural] some of 'em when dey do dat, dey take down dere skirt yo see, an' dey have dat fo' a special undahskirt. Dey have it undah de haid of de baid. Well, now yo' take dat undahskirt an' yo' take it on out. Take it to somebody dat's a li'le wisah [wiser] den yo' is. Why dey'll tell yo' whut tuh do wit it, yo' see. Dey'll go tuh work an' tell yo', say, "Now listen, yo' take dis heah undah- skirt. Don't take it back to de house. Yo' carry it to runnin' watah, see. Yo' may take it to runnin' watah, yo' see. Yo' take it tuh runnin' watah an' wad it up jes' as tight as yo' kin git it. Yo' see, jes' as tight as yo' kin git it. Yo' carry it on to dat runnin' watah, yo' see. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' tie it. Yo' tie it in a ball yo' see. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' throw it ovahbo'd in dat runnin' watah. When yo' throw it, whirl yore back on it jes' as quick as dat an' go ahead on about chure business. Well, now don't chew have nuthin to do wit 'er no mo' soon. Let it be three or fo' weeks. Go on out an' try yore luck wit dis othah woman. Quite natchal, when yo' go back to try dis othah woman, yo' don' been dere befo'. See, she ain't goin' let chew tuh be playin' wit 'er, if yo' can't do it. [She wil 1 say], "Git out de way an' let chure brothah come 'long, heah.' See. Dey'll [women will] tell yo'. [Women are blunt about it.] Well, now, yo' git dere an' yo' all right. Well, now de minute she miss dat [underskirt you took], she goin' fly hot. Well, now when she fly hot, she say, "Lookit heah! Yo' see, ah miss one of mah undahskirt or, "ah miss sech-an'-sech a thing." Yo' say, "Well, ah knows nuthin 'bout it." Yo' see, yo' don' know nuthin 'bout dat. See. Well, now, yo' always be sharp enough to stay outa dem kind of ax [acts], yo' see. An' dat's de only way yo' could git chure nature back ag'in. But if yo' go 'head an' jes' keep right on, she'll contin'ly [continually] keep yo' down.
Entry 3822
(What do they say about tying knots?)
My boy said a girl tied knots on 'im, but ah don' [know] wha' 'tis, how she did anythin' lak dat. Ah've heard it. An' he foun' de co'd [cord] tied aroun' 'er wais' an' it had three knots in it. An' he jis' made 'er pull it off. [He] said dat a wo- man [hoodoo he had consulted] tole him tuh, dat if he would search 'er, she would have dat on. Said, "When yo' fine hit, take it an' run right on tuh de rivah an' put it in de rivah, say, "she goin' tuh jump on 'im [you] an' be mad an' goin' on, '' she say, "but jis' keep right on runnin' an' throw it in de rivah. Dat will break 'im [you] loose from 'er.' But he didn't throw it in de rivah, he jis' made huh pull it off.
Entry 3823
[I am repeating what informant told me before I turned on recording machine:] (You get this cord away from this woman - from around her waist. What do you say you do with it?) Yo' take it out an' throw it in de rivah. Yo' go tuh de rivah bank an' make three steps backward, throw it ovah de lef' shouldah intuh de rivah. Aftah yo' throw it ovah yo' lef' shouldah, den yo' go right on an' come on back. An' den yo' go right on home an' lives lak yo' have no mo' trouble atall. Yes, that takes the spell off you.
Entry 3824
Oh! Well, if he's been fixed like dat an' de one - ah've heard de way tuh cure it is fo' hin tuh cure 'isself, is tuh git up soon in de mawnin', go down tuh a runnin' stream of watah, where de watah is runnin' swift an' a very cleah stream, an' wash in dat watah three times - three mawnin's straight.
(You mean wash once each morning for three mornings?)
But use no soap.
[Informant did not answer my important question.]
(You wash just once each morning?)
Each mawnin' fo' three mawnin's but use no soap. Use no soap, jis' take 'is han' an' goes out tuh dat watah, runnin' watah, an' use dat watah. Wintah or summah, don' make any diff'rence what is de month, jis' use it fo' three mawnin's an'...
(His nature will come back?)
His nature will come back jis' de same as it wuz befo'.
Entry 3825
Yo' have tuh go den to de runnin' watah. Yo' should go tuh runnin' watah fo' nine mawnin's an' let dis watah be runnin' west den, fo' nine mawnin's an' stick 'er fingah intuh dis runnin' watah an' 'noint 'erself down dere nine times fo' nine mawnin's - nine times, once each mawnin', fo' nine mawnin's. Aftah de nine times den 'er feelin' come back jis' lak it evah wuz. Anythin' dat's tied it up, maybe it somepin else.
(That will bring her nature back or bring his nature back?)
Eithah way, eithah case.
Entry 3826
Bath [not bathe] yoreself wit runnin' watah an' ammonia fo' nine maw- nin's - dis cleanin' ammonia an' cinnamon. Bathe yo'self fo' nine mawnin's wit three diff'ren' mixed watah. Whut I mean by three diff'ren' mixed watahs' yo' git rivah watah, rain watah an' well watah. Do dat fo' nine mawnin's, an' aftah yo' finish bathin', yo' takes an' throws it ovah yore shouldah towards de sunrise. (Which shoulder? [Demonstrates.] That right shoulder?) Yes, sir. Your right shoulder. [The reader will notice this rite has no purpose, an omission that rarely happened. If I turned on my recording machine too late or stopped it too soon, I always managed to add the purpose to the cylinder. I have two written comments in the original MS about the present instance: the one, an early pen- ciled note small piece added to this, the other, a recent self-evident note transcriber omitted my comment. Here it is:] (Now, you just gave me one [a cure] of this - for when a woman has a man tied up. That [3 waters] will bring back his nature. That's the idea isn't it?)
[True, I am asking for a yes answer, but the answer is in the rite itself.]
Yes, sir.
Entry 3827
Yo' walk up on a person all of a sudden, yo' know, an' yo' kinda scare dem an' jeer dem. Well, dat will make 'em pull a-loose.
(With what?) Wit a peachtree switch. Well, dat tuh part 'em, see. Use a peachtree switch tuh unhinge 'em jes' lak dogs. (Can they use any other kind of switch?)
Well, no suh, couldn't use any othah kind, jes' de peachtree switch.
Entry 3828
(What do they call this plant?)
Dey call it de hedges. Dey ain't no thorn on dat. It's got a purple blossom.
[Someone can surely identify this plant used as a hedge.]
(Then what do you do with that switch?)
[Switch was mentioned before I turned on recording machine.]
Yo' whips 'em till dey come apart.
(That whips them apart if they are stuck together.)
Aftah dey gits 'em apart, dey throws it down on de ground an' dey [released couple] goes walkin' away.
The interviewer asks about a plant; the informant calls it hedges and describes a purple blossom. Its botanical identity remains unresolved.
Entry 3829
If she gits yore fingahnails an' she gits de dirt in [under] which dat [dirt under fingernails] - much as she kin git wit dose fingahnails. Jis' lak if yo' wuz settin' down an' she tell yo', say, "Let me trim yore fingahnails." Well, she will trim yore fingah- nails off. Prob'ly yo' might not be thinkin' of any- thin'. Say, "Yore toenails needs trimmin', too." Well, she'll keep all dat. Well, de nex' thin' she'll do, she'll have intahco'se wit yo'. Well, she'll keep dat, but chew wouldn't think dat - no idea of how she would keep dat. (You said something about bringing it back. You said something about her bringing it back or something - the woman bringing it back.) Yes, sir.
(Well, what did you say about that?)
Well, she take dat an' she keep it. She put dat intuh a rag [making a hand] an' she'll keep dat fer - see, sev'ral times she'll do dat. Yo' see. An' it come tuh be a certain amount. Well, aftah she git dat certain amount, well she'll take dat certain amount den an' she'll take it off somewhere, intuh de house, an' she'll tie it up. [Here are the knots and tie up.] An' she tie dat up fer sev'ral yeahs. Yo'll come tuh be in a way dat yo' kinnot leave dere or leave her wheresomevah she is. If she go away, well yo' will go an' hunt 'er until yo' find 'er to be outa yore sight. Well, when yo' gits dataway, why den she wants tuh turn yo' loose. De day dat she gits ready tuh turn yo' loose, why she'll walk an' ketch de air blowin' a certain way - no'th or east or sout'. Well, she will take dat den an' she will shake it in de air. Well, yo' are loose den. When she shake dat in de air, well yo' git so den yo' won't care anythin' abou Ter atall in de world. Well dat's de way dey do dat part of dat.
(You put these fingernails and stuff in that rag with the other.)
Yes, sir.