Browse:SWEAT (Volume 3, entries 4478–5205)/Part 2
SWEAT
Volume 3, entries 4478–5205. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 4558
Say a man, or yuh say a sweetheart, an' yuh want dat man tuh love yuh. Yuh take de man, dat bow out of 'is hat an' yuh sew dat bow - a hat he'd wear - yuh sew dat up. An' a woman pins it dey say in yore inside cloths, yore bloomahs, an' wear dat nex' tuh yore skin. An' dat'll bring 'im tuh yuh. Now, dat's whut ah wuz told.
Entry 4559
Take dat little bow in de back of 'is hat an' sew it up in 'er slip an' wear it nex' tuh 'er. He'll be crazy about 'er.
Entry 4560
Well, ah could take dat little bow in de back of a man's hat, an'pin it in de seat of mah step-ins an' wear it, an' dat keep 'im from messin' wit any othah woman but me.
Entry 4561
Out chure hat. It's a certain thing about a woman, she kin take dat bow an' take it home an' run yuh stone crazy wit headache.
(What would she do with that bow?)
She would take it out an' sew in 'er undahskirt an' she tote dat bow. An when she tote dat bow yuh always have de headache, furious headache. Yuh don't know whut de mattah an' yuh look in yore hat, de bow's gone.
(What would she do that for?)
Dat's tuh keep 'im down.
Entry 4562
Yuh know, lak yuh hat layin' up some place, dey take yuh hat, know dat hat from me. An' she take dat bow yuh know, an' pin it in 'er bloomah laig lak dat an' turn it back down. Den ah goes right crazy ovah 'er, till yuh [I] kin git down dere. An'den yuh [I] git dat.
Entry 4563
Yuh make a person love yuh. A girl tole me dey take it outa dere an' sew it in 'er bloomah laig, an' dat will make him love yuh den.
(This little bow in the back of the hat?)
Yessuh.
Entry 4564
Well, dey say take dat, de bow outa de hat whut yuh speakin' about, an' yuh pin it in de seat of yuh teddies. Wear dat dere all de time. Dey say yuh got de man all de time.
Entry 4565
An' ah believe yuh take dat bow. Take dat bow an' wear it in yore bloomah laigs.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep de man followin'yuh.
Entry 4566
Woman will take dat an' run 'im crazy. Some says dey takes 'em an bring 'em back. Dey say if a woman takes de bow outa man's hat an' wear it intuh de seat of 'er pants, he will always - some says dey will stay an' some says dey will go. But ah had a friend of mine, she said she wo' hers until 'er husban' died; say he always jes' wanta be away from 'er an' say she brought 'im back dat way. Yuh takes de bow outa a man's hat an' yuh wear it intuh yore pants an' don't let 'im git holt of it. Say if he git holt of it, he'll kill yo'.
Entry 4567
Dey take dat dere little bow out of a man's hat an' weah dat intuh de seat of 'er undahweah an' cause 'im tuh stay right undah 'em. He wouldn't git out of 'er eyesight.
Entry 4568
Take dat an' fix it such a way dat no other woman can't have anything to do wit yuh but her.
(That little bow in the hat?)
Dat little bow in de back of yore hat. Dis is it right heah [demonstrates].
(What will she do with that?)
Well, ah tell yuh whut she do. She'll take it an' weah it down in 'er undah- clothes.
(That will keep you.)
Entry 4569
Dey takes dat bow an' wear dat bow down in de seat of dere drawahs, an' dat'll turn yuh ovah - dat'll bring yuh ovah. An' once dey got dat dere, why dey got chew.
Entry 4570
Yuh could take dat, de bow out dey hat. Yuh could take it an' sew it in any little thing, a Woman's britches or anything lak dat, where yuh could wear it. See what ah mean. An' den in othah words [another method], yuh could wear it in yore shoe. See, what ah mean, it would make him love yuh.
Entry 4571
A woman kin take de bow out of de back of a man's hat, an' sew it up in a piece of cloth an' wear it in de seat of her bloomahs. An' long as she wear dat, dat bow in 'er bloomahs, why he couldn't quit 'er. He couldn't go wit no othah woman but 'er.
Entry 4572
Take de bow out de man hat an' wear it down in de seat of dere bloomahs, an' dey say dat'll keep 'em down.
Entry 4573
Take dat bow, dat bow out of de hat. Dey take dat bow out of dere hat an' sew it intuh de seat of 'er bloomahs, an' he'll be prob'ly satisfied tuh stay wit 'is wife.
Entry 4574
Well, womens take dat, some of 'em, an' pin it on dey undahpiece an' wear it.
(What do they do that for?)
Dey say dat will make 'em come back.
(That is that little bow from his hat?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4575
Dey take de hat an' take dat ban' out of it.
(The band or the little bow?)
Yeah de little bow, jes' right heah [demonstrates]. Dat's a ole hat ah been hangin' up dere. Dey take dat little bow an' dey will take it an' cut fo' prongs intuh - dey cut fo' prongs intuh dis heah newspapah, jes' like dat little bow is [this makes an X or a cross]. Dey'll cut it jes like dat an den dey'll wrop dat in dere tight. Well, when dey wrop dat in dere, well, dey'll git some diff'ren' stuff an' put in dere an' dat'll make me go back. See, jes' like if I quit 'er, dat'll make me come back. She'll take it an' put it - take it an' sling it aroun' 'er wais' an' she's got me right off. See.
(By cutting out the four prongs, do you mean cutting all of that - like an X?)
Yeah, jes' an X - jes' like a X like dat.
Entry 4576
Cross two needles in dat an' run 'im crazy.
(Cross two needles in this bow in the hat.)
An' put about six aroun' de [inside of the sweatband] de linin' lak dis heah [demonstrates]. See, lak dis heah, an' it will run 'im crazy. (What about that little bow - you know, that little ribbon that is tied in a knot?) Yo' mean in de back part of de hat? Well, jes' lak dat bow ties, yuh take de two needles, two gold-eye needles an' dip 'em in chamber lye an' cross 'em dat way, an' yuh'll run 'im crazy. (Do you leave them right in the hat or do you take the bow out?) Nawsir [no sir], leave de bow in de hat.
(You put it under the bow so it can't be seen?)
So it can't be seen. Dip it in chamber lye.
Entry 4577
Yuh kin take dat bow out dat man's hat, an' yuh kin take a powdah called love powdah [later called movin' powdah] an' calcimine powdahs [calcimine], an' he's bound tuh come [to the woman]. He'll do anything yuh say do. Dey take dat bow [out of the hat, untie it - see KNOTS later for untying - put the powders on it] an' jis' double [fold once] dat bow tuh 'em, an' dey put three pins in dat bow [thus shutting up the powders inside the bow]. [Informant now demonstrates how these three pins hold in the powders.] Yuh stick one head dis way [up], an' yuh stick the othah head down, an' put dis one right across [the other two]. [This produces a double cross, even a triple cross or three daggers like this H. Joo take dat an put it in yer shoe an' wear it.
(What were the names of these powders?)
Dey call one of 'em de movin' powdah, all right, an' yuh call one calcimine. De movin' powdah is tuh move yuh back tuh dem; de calcimines powdah is tuh make things clean [as calcimine normally does, but here by symbolically cleaning the return road home of all difficulties]. [Come home, all is forgiven. But by wearing the bow in her shoe she indicates a determination to keep him under her foot!]
Entry 4578
Take dat bow. Hit stands in de back of de man's hat. Take dat bow an' take nine needles an' nine pins an' stick 'em evahwhah in dat bow crossed up yuh possibly kin. An' when yuh git 'em all fixed in dat bow lak it supposed tuh be - naow [now] a woman kin fix dat fo' a man an' run 'im crazy - an' take it an' put it in a bottle. An' put some, fill de bottle half up wit table salt, an' den fill de bottle clean up wit 'er urine an' stop dat bottle up. Turn it upside down an' stick it mos' any kin'a cornah or any kinda drawah or [place] up ovah de head or anywhere, but jes' since it's outa sight in a dark place. An' dat man'll go sta'k [stark] crazy.
Entry 4579
On a dog's tail an' cat's. Three stran's of dog hair an' three stran's of cat hair an' put it in dat bow. [See later.]
(This bow on a man's hatband?) Yes. An' dat'll run 'im crazy. (What you do is let it stay on thebow?)
Yes, put it in de bow of de hat an' let it stay dere.
(Three strands from the dog's tail and three strands from the cat's?)
Three stran's.
(From where?)
From undah 'is tail. Yuh know dat an' kinda plat it tuhgethah-like an' put it right in dat little bow on de hat.
Entry 4580
[These objects-over-the-door you walk under and objects-under-the-door you walk over are frequently important rites in hoodoo, yet quite a number of informants, including the present one, do not know the meaning of the word sill or doorsill.] Well, they say you can take that little bow in the back of a man's hat. You see, that's his sweatband, that's where you done sweat. Well all right, you take that bow on the back of man's hat an' he done wore that hat. And after you take that bow in the back of that man's hat, well you take that bow and you puts it up over the sill of your front door - see, like where he got to pass under. [The word over instead of under would have solved the problem here.] Well, that's to keep him home. He'll stay at home all the time and you can go out. Well he will never fuss with you about nothing, because you got him right down under your feet.
(I see.)
Entry 4581
Take dat little bow in a man's hat an' cut some de hairs off yuhself an' wrap de bow up.
(The hairs from your head?)
No, dey tell me de hairs off yuhself. An' wrap dat up an' put it up ovah yore do', careful. Stick it somewhere in some crack or 'nothah where dey can't git it. [For cracks and holes, see WALL later.] Say dat's tuh keep 'em. Whut dey tell me, say dat will keep a man.
Entry 4582
Dat bow be's right back dere. Now yuh kin take dat bow out chure hat, ah've heard dat. Yuh take dat bow out dat hat an' yuh kin, whut chew call dress it. Yuh dress dat bow an' yuh kin take dat.
(With what?)
Yuh take dat bow an' yuh kin dress it.
[As we now learn, it is dressed with sweat.]
Jes' lak a woman take a bow outa man's hat. She kin take dat bow yuh see an' den rub it undah her arm, also between 'er laigs [to dress it]. An' when she take dat bow an' do dat, take it an' wrap it up in a piece of red flannel. [This is now a hand, see p.519f.] She kin eithah wear it roun' 'er neck or roun' 'er waist or eithah put it ovah 'er do'. Well, now if she put it ovah 'er do' or wear it anywhere, keep it anywhere in a close place, it'll always keep 'is haid kinda wandahin' - his mind. He'll nevah have no good mind. Jes' keep 'im wan- dahin'. He's heah today an' tuhmorrah 'is mind jes' wanta go. He can't be con- tented nowhere he goes.
Entry 4583
Yuh take dis little bow here an' take some devil's-shoestring dey call it. Take dat devil's-shoestring an' dis bow an' some cinnamon bark an' salt [and] black peppah. An' dey takes dis bow an' put it in de sole of yuh shoe. See, like yuh got a shoe, a woman would do dat. Dat's tuh make her - make yuh stay. Yuh goin' tuh stay right wit 'er. An' she'll take dat an' put it in de sole of 'er shoe an' wear it dere. As long as she got dat thing in dere, yuh can't leave her.
Entry 4584
Dey takes dat bow an' dey carry it home an' dey bury it undah a brick in dey fiahplace, an' he can't no mo' stay wit dat woman no mo'. Evah time he goes tuh dat woman house, his haid begin tuh hurt 'im an' he cripple himself up an' den he fall. Evah time he see her he gits maddah an' maddah wit 'er. She puts it undah a brick, de cen- tah brick in de pipe [flue] - undah de centah brick.
(Well, who would do that?)
Now lak yo' wanted tuh - see heah, if she wanted 'im tuh leave dat house ovah yondah an' come heah. Well, she git dat bow an' she carries it an' put it right down dere undah dere. See, dat man can't visit yondah no mo'.
Entry 4585
(That little bow out of a man's hat, now?) Say yuh take it outa his hat an' make it in yore gartah an' he cain't - he'll lose all energy fo' any othah girl. He won't love nobody but chew. Sew it into de gartah.
Entry 4586
Take dat an' wear it aroun' yore wais' or on yore gartah somewhere, an' yuh got dat man.
(The sweatband from his hat?)
Yes, ( dat little bow, or de sweatban' eithah.
The interviewer asks about the sweatband from his hat. The informant names the little bow or sweatband as alternatives; the entry does not require both or make the objects synonyms. Earlier agent reviews of the printed page attribute the answer to the informant despite the extra opening parenthesis retained in this transcription. The reported outcome remains a historical source claim.
Entry 4587
Ah taken de bow outa de hat an' ah put some come wit it an' a little hair out from undah his arm dere an' wore it roun' mah laig heah, an' dat'll make him love yuh. (You mean you wear it as a garter or something of that sort?) Jis' a string, ah don't wear gartahs. [The length of the untied bow would be extended with a piece of string, and the hair would be threaded into a needle and woven, perhaps also tied, into the bow. For string addition, see 4597.]
Entry 4588
Dey kin run yuh crazy wit dat bow outa yuh hat easy, becus dey take dat bow outa de hat an' take it an' git some of dat stone outa graveyard - chip of stones off de [tombstone] out in de graveyard, graveyard dust, white sand out of de graveyard from de head of any grave. An' take it an' put it intuh a jar, altuhgethah, an' take it back an' plant it in dere, in de grave- yard. Dat easily kin run yuh crazy too, de same way as yuh hair.
Entry 4589
Take de bow outa dere hat an' trick 'em in any way yuh wanta trick 'em, an' dey kin keep 'em runnin' crazy or somepin lak dat. (What would you do with that bow?) Yuh take de bow an' yuh tie it up in a piece of cloth an' pin it up on yuh clothes nex' tuh yore heart.
Entry 4590
Dat bow out of a person hat, dat's de only thing tuh make a man love a woman. Dey kin take it an' put it in cologne, de Hearts Cologne. Dey kin use de bow an' Hearts Cologne an' carry it in a small bottle wit dem, an' dat will make a man crazy fo' dem.
Entry 4591
Git de bow out de hat an' take dat an' git chew some Heart Perfume. Yuh put it in dere an' keep it in de Heart Perfume.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll make 'em stay wit cha.
Entry 4592
Take dat li'le bow an' yuh dress it wit some - keep it sweeten all de time wit Heart Cologne, an' he think dat sompin dey put on 'em tuh make his hair stick, an' den dat will make him keep home - keep 'im from lovin' anybody else.
Entry 4593
Dat's anothah thing dat work wit Hearts Cologne, dat ll'le bow in de back of yore hat or cap. Take dat an' dampen [dress or feed] it wit Hearts Cologne an' wear it right on yuh. An' dey say long as yuh wear dat on yuh, if yuh got a wife or girl fren', dey'll [be] mo' den frien'ly. Dey stay right by yuh.
Entry 4594
Take dat bow an' dress it wit Hearts Cologne an' wear roun' 'er wais', an' jes' as long as she keep dat bow an' wear it, yuh can't stay from roun' 'er. An' she kin git all of 'is money an' kin treat chew any kinda Way she wants tuh an' yuh nevah will leave 'way. An' if she wears it till she lose it, den dere where she lose yuh lovin'.
Entry 4595
A man's hat - a man's bow outa 'is hat an' yuh kin take Hearts Cologne an' put it in. Yuh see yuh shoe heah has a last [insole] in it, see; an' yuh pull dat last up an' put it undah dere an' po' dis Hearts Cologne on dat bow an' yo' keep it wet. Dat will make him go crazy about chew, too.
Entry 4596
Git de bow of 'ls hat, de toe [toes] of 'is dirty socks, see. Put it in a bottle. Git dis Hearts Cologne an' stop it up, see; an' turn it on its haid. Well, it wouldn't be long 'fore he'd be back home an' acknowledge he did wrong.
Entry 4597
Dat bow - yuh take a bow out of a man's hat an' git chew a bottle of Heart Cologne, an' yuh dip it in de Heart Cologne an' yuh sew a cord string aroun' dat bow an' tie it round yore waist. Dat'll make 'em crazy 'bout chew, jes' love no one but chew.
Entry 4598
De bow of de cap or eithah de hat an' put it in a Hearts Cologne bottle an' bury it under de step an' turn it upside down, an' he will come back.
(Well, suppose the bow in his hat is worn away?) Take de bow of de cap, eithah de hat or de cap. (He has to leave them behind though before she can get them?)
Yes.
Entry 4599
Yuh take de bow out of a man's hat. Yuh take dat little bow out an' de seats of de woman's bloomahs. Dere's two partition in it. Jes' rip one dem li'le partition an' put it 'tween dere an' sew it back up, an' wear dat bow right down In dere right in dat drawahs. Wear 'em. An' den put Hearts Cologne on it, jes' sprinkle it right down in dere.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat Will MAKE HIM JES' FOOLIS' 'BOUT DEM UNTIL DEY GIT READY TUH GIT RID OF "IM.
(They wear that in the bloomers in the front or in the back?)
Right in de seat where de partition, right 'tween dere.
Entry 4600
Take dat little bow out of a man's hat an' dress it wit Hearts German Cologne [sometimes called German Hearts Cologne]. Ah think dat's whut dey calls it, Hearts Cologne, an' Crabapple Cologne [3 colognes], an' pin it inside of 'er shirt, an' wear it in dere. An' he will always love 'er. [German Hearts Cologne is unusual, I re- calling only two or three instances of its use.]
Entry 4601
She kin take dat bow an' she kin run yuh crazy wit it, or eithah make yuh love 'er. She kin take dat bow an' go uptown an' git 'er a bottle of Black Heart Cologne [this may be only time mentioned] an' she takes it an' drops about nine drops on dat, an' take it an' place it undah de middle of 'er bed [making a quincunx], right on de springs. Well, yuh have tuh stay dere. Yuh can't go nowhere. Yuh have tuh stay right dere. [This is merely Hearts Cologne with a black heart on the label, stamped solid black or hand drawn with a single line; not a heart-shaped bottle of black glass. The term is rare.]
Entry 4602
[While golng down the Atlantic Coast, I had a difficult time with what usually sounded like hearts horn, hah thorn, etc. I thought hawthorne was meant. In the following rite my transcriber heard something like high p'ah and transcribed it high power! Only after considerable expe- rience was I able to come up with Hearts Own.] Put High Power [= Hearts Own Cologne] wit it. Dey gotta keep dis thing - dey gotta keep it renewed, dey have tuh keep it up. [The bow is a hand (p.519) which must be kept alive by feeding (pp.519, 578).] But EVAH TIME DAT AH'D HAVE A HAT AN' DEY'D TAKE DAT BOW OUT OF IT, AH'D THROW DE HAT AWAY. Ah WOuldn't Wear de hat no mo'. Ah'd throw de hat away an' git anothah hat. Throw it away an' don't wear it no mo'. Dey can't do nuthin wit yuh. But if yuh wear it, dey kin ketch cheh.
Entry 4603
Dey say yuh kin take a man's hat an' take de bow out of a man's hat an' take dat bow an' put it in a bottle of Heart's Own Cologne. An' aftah takin' dat bow an' put it in a bottle of Heart's Own Cologne, yuh take dat bottle den an' put it de right side, not de left but de right, an' stand it on its haid lak dat, an' make yore wishes about it den. An' dat thing will bring a man home. An' dat thing will make a man do things.
Entry 4604
Say dey goin' wit a boy. Yuh snap dat bow outa his hat an' yuh jes' take it an' put it in Hearts Perfume an' let it stay. Let dat bow stay in dere fo' nine mawnin's an' nine nights an' yuh put dat perfume on 'im an let 'im comb it in' 'is hair. Dat's fo'love.
Entry 4605
Take de bow from de back of a man's hat, dat is [if] a woman is got a sweetheart an' she don' wants tuh git rid of 'im. She takes dat bow from de back of 'is hat an' sews it in de seat of 'er clothes, an' wears dat bow. She wears dat bow in de seat of 'er clothes an' when he wears 'is hat so long till dat bow gits sweaty an' greasy, well she takes dat bow an' untie it, an' takes an' puts some of 'er hair wit it, an' sews it in de seat of 'er clothes, or up undah 'er arm where her clothes sweats, an' wears it.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'im dere.
Entry 4606
Dey tell me back in [the old days] de girls used tuh take de bows out chure hat tuh make yuh love 'em. [They still did during my collecting days.] An' dey said dat dey would take dose bows an' tie it into a knot an' dey would keep it. An' evah time dat chew feel dat yuh wanta be weanin' off, dat dey would renew it ovah, dat dey had somepin dey would fix it wit an' dat dey'd always double dat knot ag'in. Evah time it seem dat yuh pull- in' away, dey double dat knot ag'in. An' dey had a way dat dey wear it intuh dere shoes.
(What did they put on that knot did you say?)
Ah don't know whut de stuff dey would use, but dey jes' tell me it wus some stuff dey would use. Still ah figure dat it wus de stuff from deyselfs - de periods or...
(Something of that sort.)
Entry 4607
[A woman] take dat little bow out de back of yore [his] hat right back heah. Tie three knots in it an' take dat an' WEAR IT AROUN" HER BREAST, OF 'ER NIPPLE dere. An' if it doesn't stick to dat, take yuh some tape an' an' dat'll make him come back tuh her, aftah he's worn it fo' de grease tuh come outa his head. [For some reason there is little material about wearing anything on the breast or between the breasts. Sometimes this could be included in worn over the heart.]
Entry 4608
(That little bow.)
Jes' tie about three knots in it. Jes' tie three knots in it an' wear it round yore waist. Den dey cain't go wit nobody else but chew. [Wilson, N. Car.,
(1471).2652:22.]
Entry 4609
(They tie this little bow.)
In three knots an' wear it roun' dere waist.
(What will that do?)
Dat will tie dem tuhgethah.
prompted physical bow knotting plus informant's intended interpersonal binding. Preserve the exact ordered role vector and never make the interviewer prompt informant speech. intended people-together relation, not ingredient mixing. The participants and relationship status remain unspecified; the effect is claimed, not proved. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified. The canonical source heading lists this entry under BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT. The interviewer says little bow; the informant supplies three knots and waist wearing. Hat attribution comes from that heading, not an informant quote, and creates no general little-bow synonym.
Read full source (printed page 2659) · Read full source (printed page 2648)
Entry 4610
Heard dat wimmins - de way dat dey would kinda trick mens yuh know. Jes' lak dat ah'd go tuh some gurl's house an' wuz a married man an' she wuz likin' me an' ah wouldn't take up very much time wit 'er on account mah wife. Why ah hang mah hat up an' perhaps ah may git up an' per- haps ah may git up an' go git a drink of watah, sompin, an' she'd pull de bow outa mah hat an' tie it on a string an' tie nine knots in it an' wear it roun' 'er waist, in ordah tuh make me leave 'way from mah ole lady an' come tuh 'er.
Entry 4611
Ah took evah one out of mah cap dat ah'm got now. Yeah, yuh know, mah grandfathah learned me dat long time ago. Dey takes dat bow out of dere an' dey ties it on a string. Dey ties nine knots in a string. An' in tying dat knot dey lets dat bow hang right between dere laigs, an' if yuh say yuh don't want 'em, dey runs yuh crazy wit dat - wit dat bow, dat little bow.
Entry 4612
(I didn't understand what you said at first.)
Dey take dat bow in de man's hat an' put it in a piece of new cloth, tie it round [with string], put nine knots in it [string] an' put it round yore waist. An' dey say yuh wear dat an' dat'll keep dat man dere an keep 'im from goin' off. If he gone off, yuh git somebody to git it fo' yuh an' he'll come back an' stay dere.
Entry 4613
Well, yuh take dat out of a man's hat, chew know, de little bow dat's right back of de hat heah, out of de man's hatband. Den yuh git a little hair from de mole [mold] of de head - no, yuh git three strands right out of de mole of de head. Chew wrap dat aroun' dis little bow an' git chew a piece of new cotton cord, cord string, an' yuh wrap dat aroun' an' tie nine knots in dat string. An' den yuh put undah de little flap of yuh shoe - yuh know dat inner sole, or de heel of de left shoe. An' as long as it remains in dat shoe, dat person's supposed tuh remain dere.
(That's all for love.)
Entry 4614
(What about that little bow?)
Yuh take dat little bow - it used to be olden times when yuh wore corsets - but dey don't wear corsets no mo'. Dey wears supports. Now, if yuh wants tuh... (Well, what did they do in the olden times with the corsets? Tell me that first, what they did with that; and then you can tell me what they do now. You see?) Yuh see, dey can take dat little bow an' dey can kill yuh wit dat little bow. An' dey can make yuh go crazy - no, not go crazy out of de mind, no. Jes' [like] if yuh got a wife an' she loves yuh, or ah got a husban' an' ah loves 'im. Ah'd fix 'im so he'll jes' stick wit me. He'd turn 'is mind clean offa evah body but me, an' he wouldn't keep a nickel in is pocket fo' hisself. It's all fo' me. Ah could take an' jes' be - ah could bring boy frien's in dere on 'im an' he'll jes' love me jes' dat much [more]. Well, DAT OLE HOODOO [MAN] DEN WHAT AH USIN' KNEW, AN' LIVES AROUN' HERE, he say he [husband] jes' love me dat much, but [I told him?] not tuh open 'is mouth an' say nuthin. [A NOTE OF MINE HERE SAYS DO SLOWER LATER. INFORMANT WAS TALKING FAST.] AH COULD TAKE HIS MONEY RIGHT IN FRONT OF 'IM AN' GIVE IT AWAY. HE'LL JES' LOVE ME JES' DAT MUCH BY BEING HOO- DOOED.
(How would you prepare that bow? That little bow?)
She takes it an' she put it in 'er pocket, down intuh dat little thing yuh see. Yuh untie dat bow an' yuh tie nine knots in dat bow, an' put it straight where it would have been weared down in dere. Well, dat's jes' as if yuh have a tool, yuh know, not what she love yuh; cuz if she love yuh an' if he loved yuh, dey wouldn't want tuh bring somebody else in de home an' go off an' have.... But yuh are jes' undah a muddle. Yuh can't say nuthin, yuh see. Yuh can't do nuthin, yuh see.
(Do you dress that little bow any Way?)
Yuh dress dat little bow wit love powdah. Dey got some powdah - dey got some cologne dey call love cologne. Well, yuh done use dat Follah-me-boys. Dat's good.
[Follow-me-boys appears several times in HOODOO.]
(What 1s?)
Follah-me-boys.
(Follow me, boys.)
Dat's good.
(Is that a powder or perfume?)
Dat's perfume. Now, dat Follah-me-boys - yuh kin use Follah-me-boys right now, yes sir, right now. Yuh kin Walk out from right dere - IF YUH DON'T BELIEVE DAT'S TRUE, an' [then] GO BUY YUH A LITTLE BOTTLE OF FOLLAH-ME-BOYS, AN' YUH JES' SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE BE FOLLAHIN' YUH. BUT DEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT DEY FOLLAHIN'. YUH SEE, DAT'S A HOODOO COLOGNE. (I see. Now, in the old days they used to wear the corset, nowadays they wear?) Dey weah dem girdles now. Yuh see, yuh take, if yuh want dat tuh control yuh man or yuh woman. Yuh put it in yuh girdle, weah it in yuh girdle. Nine knots.
Entry 4615
Dey kin take de bow outa yore hat, dose bows in yore hat, an' run yuh crazy. Dey take de bow in de hat an' run yuh blind, jes' make yuh blind. Take de bow outa de hat - inside of dat band, take dat bow. An' it's tied. An' un- tie dat bow, stretch dat bow out. Aftah yuh stretch dat bow, den yuh git chew some cologne. An' yuh take Heaxts Cologne, it's a powahful thing, an' put in dere, dat little ole flask - in dere wit dat bow of dat hat. An' aftah yuh put- tin' dat bow outa dat hat, den yuh takes - now dat's tuh be worn. Now, dat's fo' wimmin tuh do. Yuh takes mens, dey don't have nuthin like outa a hat fo' a man tuh do anythin' wit 'em. But dat's wimmins do dat. Yuh take - ah kin go wit a woman an' ah left 'er, ah quit her. Well, she take dat bow. Dat's tuh run me crazy or tuh drive mah love tuh 'er. Yuh undahstan'. Now, she'll take dat bow outa mah hat an' she'll untie dat bow an' she'll put dat bow in a little ole flask - little small flask. Dat's tuh wear on 'er. An' aftah she do dat, den she go uptown an' she git 'er some Hearts Cologne. Now, WHENSOMEVAH DAT AH GOES TUH INTAHCO'SE WIT 'ER, yuh see, den SHE'LL TAKE DE CLOTH DAT AH USE. AN' SHE'LL NUSE DAT CLOTH ERSELF, BUT SHE WON'T USE IT IN DE SAME MANNAH DAT AH USE IT AN' DE SAME PLACE DAT AH USE IT. See, jes' lak now she take de cloth heah [demonstrates with handkerchief]. Well, if ah nuse it heah, she ain't gonna use it dere. Yuh undahstan', she gonna move off furthah. SHE GOIN' TAKE DIS PART CHERE [used by man] AN' PUT IT IN DAT BOTTLE. See, wit dis boW off mah hat. Now, when she put dat in dat bottle wit de bow out de hat, she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' aftah she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's, she goin' take dat an' she goin' tie her nine knots in dat bow. Den she bury dat on de young moon - when de moon jes is young. An' aftah she bury dat, it stay buried dere until ah comes 'er way. NOW, de ONLIEST WAY DAT YUH KIN REMOVE DIS, YUH HAVE TUH GO DERE AN' GIT IT UP YORESELF. [First you must know where to look! This means a doctor or fortune- teller who has many methods for a problem like this.]
Entry 4616
Say dey could take dat bow outa yore hat an' said a woman could take a thread string an' tie it [bow] in de middle of it an' den tie knots on each side [of bow] an' wear it aroun' 'er wais', an' den he be crazy den about 'er.
(You tie knots on each side of the bow after that?)
Each side of de bow, yes.
(That's 18 knots altogether?)
Yes. [My statement about 18 knots does not come out of thin air. It indicates either informant is repeating the description of a rite, leaving out details as usual; or else I forgot to turn on recording machine in time to obtain opening details. My 18 knots means 9 knots on each side of the bow tied in the center of the string, making 19 knots, or counting the knot tied about the waist, 20 knots.]
Entry 4617
Well, ah seen a woman take a man's bow outen 'is hat, an' she sewed 'it up in a piece of cloth, an' she put some dis heah love powdah on it an' she wore hit roun' 'er waist.
(What did she do that for?)
Tuh make him love 'er.
Entry 4618
Yuh kin take de little bow out of 'is hat an' wrap it up in dis real, whut chew call Love Me Powdah, an' take de love vine. Dere's a love vine. Yuh pass by it, it grows in de woods. An' yuh kin take dat love vine an' take it an' wrap it roun' de bow of de man hat, an' tote it in yore Love Me Powdah box. An' dat'll make a man stay home or eithah make a man love yuh or anything lak dat.
Entry 4619
Dey kin take dat an' keep it, or run 'im away.
(How do they keep this little bow out of a man's hat?)
Yuh take de bow yuh undahstan' an' yuh take his name an' yuh put - she puts it in a lettah yuh see an' aftah takin' de name an' put de bow inside wit de lettah an' - well maybe yuh go tuh de drugsto' an' yuh git chew some lye yuh see. An' yuh dip dis bow in de lye an' dat pahticlah [particular] lye yuh put it in de lettah an' put it in 'er pillah. See, dat'll keep 'im, dat'll hold 'im.
Entry 4620
Now, put dat bow at de back of yore head [hat] - jes' take dat bow. Dey use yore name wit dat bow. An' women use dat an' use it fo' roun' de waist. An' de man do jes' what de woman do. If someone tell yuh somepin about 'er, if she be wanton woman, yuh does not believe dem. I Dat controls 'em. Dat's de powah from de haid, de control. (Just' ties this little bow on a string around her waist with the name in there three times.)
Entry 4621
Dey take dat bow out of a man's hat an' dress dat an' wear it aroun' dere waist, an' it keeps 'Im undah hypnotic [something] or hypnotic powah.
(What do they do with the bow, now?)
Take dat bow out, out of de back of yuh hat, but don't - don't cut it loose, jes' cut de hat loose an' let de bow work out of dere as it is. An' wrap it up in flannel, an' write his name across a piece of pa- pah an' write his name in four ways across de piece of papah. An' wrap dat bow up an' a little piece of bluestone an' brown sugah an' wear it nex' tuh dere waist, an' dey'll almos' have him undah powah dat dey kin make him do anythin' dey wants 'im.
(What do you mean write his name in four ways?)
See, write de name jes' like dis [demonstrates]. Write it dis way, den dis Way, den dis Way, an' den dis Way. Make two squares out of it, cross it like [demonstrates].
(Like, as if you were playing tick-tack-toe.)
Yeah, dat's it.
(Two lines up and two across?)
Dat's right. [Somewhere I have called his tick-tack-toe design a double double-cross. Split this design vertically down the center and you will see what I mean # = ± ‡.]
(I see.)
Entry 4622
Take dat little bow out de hat an' cut it out dere. An' take an' put it in de bottom of dey shoe an' wear it, an' write his: name nine times. An' make him leave, leave his home. He'll jes' walk an' walk.
Entry 4623
Dey take dat bow an' dey put it in a bag. Yuh know, jes' git a piece of cloth an' sew it up, an' dey put dat bow in dere. An' dey git a piece of asafetadee an' a piece of dis John de Conker root an' put dat in dere. An' make a little bag out of it, tie a string on it an' wear it aroun' dere stomach or eithah roun' dere navel, an' yuh'll nevah stay way from 'em - yuh always come back.
Entry 4624
Dey kin git chure hat an' git de bow out of yuh hat, a woman kin, an' take it an' wear it on dere neck. [The bow is] jis' lak a li'le tie. An' take it an' keep it up in a sack, an' dey [the man] can't fool aroun'.
Entry 4625
Take dat bow out de back a man's hat an' yuh kin take some needles, an' about two-three stran's of dere hair an' wrap it up in dem dere needles. Have dem needles turned all kinda ways, yo' see. An' put it in a bottle of perfume, see, an' jes'.keep it in a cornah somewhere, yuh know, where de sun kin kinda shine on it. An' dey tell me - say dat will make 'em love yuh.
(You put it so that the sun can shine on it?)
Where de sun kin shine on it, yes. Yuh know jes' in a place - yuh know jes' up on de top of de house. Yuh know somewhere in some close place, yuh see, where de sun kin hit it.
(You put any number of needles in it - any number?)
Yuh put about - ah think it is nine needles yuh put in dere.
Entry 4626
[The number of the size of a hat is rare in hoodoo, this could be my only example, though I am certain that many men while gambling have on the spur of the moment used his own or another person's number. The following rite, missed by my transcriber, is a pencil abstract of mine while checking cylinders.] "Take hat bow and the number out of hat - and put grain [ground or powdered] lodestone with it - make a bag - put [on it] old Hearts Perfune - wear next to skin - can't quit you."
Entry 4627
[Perfume - perhaps the most frequently used ingredient in hoodoo - surely deserves a margin title for itself! Usually perfumes are listed in HOODOO under brand names. The word brand name years ago never had a national or international label protected by patent; it was the name the local hoodoo drugstore chose to call the cheapest possible perfume he could sell in small quantities for the highest possible prices! Only hoodoo could think up John de Conker Cologne - see 4645.] Take dat little bow in de back of a man's hat an' put it in a bottle of per- fume [brand name usually given] an' wear it on yuh an' dey'll stay wit yuh. Dey can't leave, dey'll always be wishin' roun' yuh. [The meaning here is either Wishing always to be round you, or always be swishing round you.]
Entry 4628
Take dat little bow out de back of man hat, an' she goes tuh work an' buys 'er some cologne, yuh know sweet, an' she'll 'noint dat [with] it. An' she'll lodge dat in 'er pillah where she sleep. Dat fur as ah know 'bout dat. But dat's good. (And that will hold him and make him love her.)
Entry 4629
Jes' lak a woman take yore hat, jes' lak yo' put chure hat down dis way [probably points to my black hat on table], an' jes' take de bow out of de hat, an' den dey keep it. Dat will make yo' love 'em an' stay wit 'em.
(Where do they keep it?)
When dey go tuh bed at night dey put it undah de pillah, an' when dey git up dey take it out an' put it in a bottle or sompin.
Entry 4630
(Do you know how they do that?)
Well, dey take dat bow an' dey take dat bow away from yuh hat an' dat thread off dat bow. Dey take dat an' dey sew it up intuh de mattress. An' aftah dey sew it up intuh de mattress, dey'll git some of dis here essence of cinnamon. Yuh know, de essence of cinnamon from de drug store - from de Crackahjack Drug Store. (Yes.) [= continue.] Well, dey git some of dat an' dey git two brass pins an' dey stick intuh dat bow an' aftah dat dey sew it up - evahthin' intuh de mattress. An' dey fix yuh wit dat.
(What will happen? What does it do to you?)
Dey'll fix yuh so dat yuh won't nevah be no help tuh yuhself or nobody else.
(I see. What do they call that stuff you get from the drug store?)
[A mumbled answer was almost unintelligible but it was essence of cinnamon, which may be the same thing as oil of cinnamon (2458-2459, p.681).]
Entry 4631
Dey tell me if yuh kin git a chance, yuh know, tuh git 'is hat or any- thin' lak dat yuh know, an' take it an' wear it roun' in yore pocket, he come tuh like yuh an' care fo' yuh an' DAT'S DE WAY DIS LOVE COMES ABOUT an' dat's de way yuh gits de girl. (What do you wear in your pocket?) Dat bow out de hat.
Entry 4632
Yo' kin git de bow offen de back of a man's hat an' wear it in yore pocket or somepin othah, if yo' want 'im tuh love. DAT WILL CAUSE 'IM TUH LOVE YO'.
Entry 4633
Dey takes dat bow tuh ketch yo'. Dey ties it up where yuh can't git it, prob'ly carry it in dere pocketbook. An' she keeps dat. Long as she keeps dat, why he can't git away from 'er. He'll love 'er.
Entry 4634
Why she takes de little bow. Ah'm goin' tell yuh whut she do's wit dat, an' it'll work. If she wanta gain 'er sweetheart, if he won' notice her, she gits de little bow outa his hat an' she pins it right ovah - she pins it right ovah dere, right ovah her private place. An' he'll follah 'er all ovah dis worl'. He cain't git shet of 'er until she takes it outa dere.
Entry 4635
Ah've heard of 'em put it in a cloth yo' know an' wear it, dat little bow in dere. Take it an' git chew a piece of cloth an' put it on it an' wear it, jes' lak yo' wear a Kotex between yore laigs. Ah've heard of dat.
(What will that do?)
Well, dey say dat will make him care fo' yo', love yo', yo' cain't git rid of 'im. Dis little bow. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 4636
An' jes' lak if he's a frien' of yores, yo' kin git dat little bow out of 'is hat an' take hit an' put it in a 'bacca sack somewhere between yore laigs, always, an' he will always be yores. He cain't quit chew, he cain't leave yo' alone.
Entry 4637
Dey take dat little bow an' pin it tuh dere princess slip right ovah beneath dere crack an' wear it ovah dere an' he won't leave her. He'll contin'ly
[continually] stay dere wit 'er.