Browse:THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG (Volume 4, entries 9176–9440)/Part 2
THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG
Volume 4, entries 9176–9440. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 9256
[A frizzly hen egg] take it an' write de name on de egg an' bust it in front of de person's do', will cuz a separation in de home.
(That has to be a egg from a...?)
From a frizzly hen. Only one ah was evah tole dey could use. Ah don't know about othahs.
Entry 9257
Take a black hen's egg and take a needle, punch it. Take a little of gingsing oil an' pur [pour] it in an' take de cement an' plaster it right up. Take it an' drop it right on top of de house an' it bursts, an' dey will move, yo' understand. [I understood at the time but uncertainty came with the transcription, in which the key word sounded like gingsing oil. Oil? Was this oil from the aromatic ginseng root, perhaps sold by a hoodoo shop? Even with one having a Chinese proprietor? They did exist, though primarily as incense and curio centers. Ginseng, known among root collectors for years before my work began, appears rarely in Hoodoo. The importance of root shapes, once considered desirable in Chinese medicine, is also known in hoodoo, but none of these examples concerns ginseng, as far as I know. The North American plant is Panax quinquefolium, the Chinese P. schinseng.]
Entry 9258
What ah heard 'em say, said dey take a hen egg, a black hen's egg an' some - an' tuh go out tuh de graveyard an' git a han'ful of graveyard dirt, an sprinkle dat dirt on de porch, an' take de egg an' bust it up side de do'. Dat sup- posed tuh make yo' move, if dey didn't lak yo'.
Entry 9259
Ah heard dat if yo' - jes' lak yo're workin' on a job an' dere's somebody dere dat try tuh work ag'inst yo', an' yo' wanta put 'em away from dere (2)1 an' yo' take his place, dey tell me dat yo' kin take a fresh hen aig an' go tuh de graveyard and git some graveyard dirt, an' bury it tuh de pahticlah [particular] place dat he always stand at, an' in a few days time he'll be gone from dere an' yo' have his place.
(You use any kind of a chicken egg?)
A black hen aig.
Entry 9260
Eithah yo' kin take a aig an' rub graveyard dirt on it, an' throw it ovah from de front tuh de back an' if it busts, dey'll move or git sick; most of 'em die.
(Throw it over the house from the front to the back?)
Yessuh.
Entry 9261
Dey take graveyard dust, dey take a aig. Dey take dis aig an' dey wind [roll] dis aig all ovah dis graveyard dust. At twelve 'clock in de night dey take dis egg an' dey throw it up on de top of yo' house. An' jes' [like] yo've seen a quarrel or fussin' or sompin lak dat all day long in de house, well yo' throw dat aftah yo' go git dis graveyard dust. Yo' take dis aig an' put it [graveyard dirt] tuh- gethah an' event'ly [eventually] de nex' day er [or] dat night, twelve 'clock, yo' throw it on de top of de house. De nex' - well say 24 hours, de person dis- appeahs.
Entry 9262
If yo' got a man an' he runs out, yo' kin take a chicken, hen aig, an' den yo' kin take an' write his name on it good as yo' kin. An' den yo' kin go tuh de graveyard tuh a wicked person's grave, an' dig as fur as yo' kin git chure han' down in dere, an' git some of dat dirt, an' yo' put a dime in dere. An' den yo' come back an' yo sprinkle dat dirt undah de do'steps. See. Den yo' take dat aig an' yo' throw it hard as yo' kin an' break it [against the door of the other woman]. Dat'll break dem up an' yo' won't have no mo' trouble at all. She'll have tuh leave town. (You throw that egg against the door under which you have buried this grave- yard dirt. That's the black hen egg.)
Entry 9263
Yo' kin take a aig, jes' lak a settin' hen yo' know, an' jes' lak yo' know somebody yo' wanta run crazy or yo' wanta kill, sompin othah lak dat, yo' kin write de name on dis aig, an' carry it tuh a grave dat chew know an' bury de aig, see. When de aig bust, dey tell me dem folks will die.
(You mean you have to know the grave?)
Yo' have tuh know somebody.
(You have to know who is buried in that grave.)
Yo' have tuh know who buried in dat grave.
Entry 9264
Dey tell yo' kin take a fresh hen aig - black hen - dat jes' fresh laid, an' take dis person's name, whosomevah it is, is a enemy tuh yo' an' yo' wanta git rid of 'em, don't wanta see 'em live. Write dere name [on it] goin' an' write it on comin' [see ex- planation later]. Well, yo' take dat egg an' dis grave- yard dirt an' take it tuh dey house an' bear [bury] it undahneath dey do'step. An' when yo' leave don't look back towards 'em. An' dis aig should lay undah dere fo' nine mawnin's, dey tell me. An' dey say aftah dem nine mawnin's dat egg will bust [a common belief that an egg becomes rotten and bursts on inth day]. An' dey say whosomevah dat was whose name yo' had on dere, when dat egg bust dey'll bust.
(What do you mean by writing the name going and writing the name coming?)
Lak dis is de top of de aig [demonstrates], well yo' take it an' write it dis way an' den yo' bring it back dis way.
(You write it forward across the top of the egg and then write it backwards.)
[Back and forth.]
Entry 9265
Git a hen aig an' some graveyard dirt an' bluestone an' jes' keep a-throwin' it on dere front - yo' break dat aig in de front do'. Dat graveyard dirt yo' throw it all aroun' de house an' dat bluestone. Dey can't stay dere tuh save dere life.
(That drives them away.)
Yes sir.
Entry 9266
Dey tell me dey take a black hen aig, if yo' wanta run a person. Ah'm using mah seriance [experience] 'bout dis. Ah believe dat dis graveyard dirt an' gunpowdah dey puts in dat egg, dat black hen's egg, bust it in yore do'. Jis' throw it ag'inst yore do' an' bust it. Dat'll bust yo' an' dat woman up.
Entry 9267
Dey tell me dat dey bust rotten eggs on yore do' an' put graveyard dirt from dere to de gate. [For more rotten-eggs rites, see following rite and later in section.] (What's that for?) Tuh make yo' move.
Entry 9268
Yo' kin take a chick- en aig an' it kin be dressed wit sulphuh, graveyard dirt an' peppah, but it has tuh be a rotten aig. An' if ah don' wan' chew tuh come in dis do' no mo', aftah ah git dat dressed, ah come 'long heah early in de mawnin' an' throw it up 'ginst dat do'. Yo' know, right ovah de facin' of dat do' an' let it bust ovah dat do'. Yo' ain't comin' in heal no mo'. (How do you dress it with that graveyard dirt? Just roll the egg around in that sulphur?) [Here is a leading question, more to keep the conversation going than anything else.] Yo' make a hole in it yo' see, jes' a small hole in it, if it wus a rotten aig. Jes' lak yo' goin' suck it [if it was fresh instead of rotten]. An' den yo' pinch dat graveyard dirt in dere, jes' a li'le bit. Yo' know, don' take verah much, an' a li'le sulphuh. Take a match stem or a toothpick an' shove it down in dere. Yo' take a small piece of papah an' wet it an' put ovah dat hole an' stop it up. Put it in yore han' an' come on by dis do' in de mawnin' soon [early] or at night, an' throw it up 'ginst dat do'. Jes' say right in de middle of dat do' where it will bust, an' jes' let it run down dere. Yo' ain't comin' heah no mo'. [Intention is everything here. A woman throws this egg against another woman's door to keep a man or husband from going there, or a man similar- ly drives away another man from some woman's door. Sucking a fresh raw egg, an old custom, may be unknown to a few readers in modern cities. During my boyhood at the turn of the century, when even a city boy could live among chickens and horses, and farms were only a mile or two away, some people would make a small hole in the end of a fresh egg to suck out the contents. From this custom comes the well-known proverb: Go teach your grandmother to suck eggs.]
Entry 9269
Take graveyard dirt an' sulphah an' put people back tuhgethah, an' yo' kin take it an' part 'em. Well, yo' take dat sulphuh an' table salt an' grave~ yard dirt, take it an' break yo' a aig an' put jes' a lit- tle of it in a aig if yo' wanta run 'em now. An' den yo' stick nine pins in dat aig. Den yo' take dat aig an' write de name cross it an' den write de name straight up an' down dat aig. Den yo' take dat aig at twelve'clock in de night an' bust it up onto dere house. Dey gotta go.
(How do you get those pins into the egg?)
Jes' punch 'em in dere, jes' stick dem in dere till de haid go down.
Entry 9270
Tuh make yo' move out of de house, kin go git a black hen's egg an' bust dat egg on yuh porch an' spattah de egg on it. Gotta be de black hen's egg. An' throw dat egg on yuh porch. Yo' gotta move, yo' cain't stay dere. Take dat black hen's egg an' throw it at chure do' an' say fer nine times: Ah hope yo'll nevah stay here, yo' cain't stay.
(Do you do that all in one day.)
In one day. Yo' won't stay. An' git a little dirt from de cemetery. Go tuh de cemetery an' git chew a little dirt. An' de aig of a black hen.
Entry 9271
Yo' take a black hen egg. Yo' boil dat. Yo' git graveyard dust. Yo' git dirt dauber. Yo' boil dat togethah. Den yo' git war watah. An' yo' mix that up together an' put it back in this egg shell. Yo' put it in red, a flannel yo' know, [in] somepin or othah, [because] yo' t'row it [and the mix- ture must not fall outl. In nine days time de person will move aftah dey walk over dis. Yo' t'row it on top of de house.
(What do you do with that egg?)
Yo' break de egg. Yo' boil it see, first. Den yo' break it in dis dirt dauber.
(I want to know just how they use the egg.)
Yo' take de whole [boiled] egg out de shell. Den mash it like yo' gon'a mash- mash potato wit a fork. Yo' take de dirt dauber nest. Yo' mash dat up in dere. Yo' take graveyard dirt off a bad sinner's grave. An' yo' mix dat all up tuh- gethah an' yo' put it in de stoVe. An' yo' kin GIT SOME OF DIS RED GROUND PEPPAH [ground red pepper] FROM DE HOODOO DRUG STORE an' yo' mix dat [in there]. Den yo' stuff dis shell back wit dat egg an' tie it up [in the red flannel] dis way [demonstrates, probably wrapping the string away from you, though a notation of the manner was not made at the time]. An' yo' gon'a t'row it upon dat house. Yo' t'row it in a manners so it'll roll [off and break]. An' de folks won't stay dere long.
Entry 9272
(This is to separate people?)
Yes. Take a aig. Ah uses de aig: Ah'm talkin' 'bout whut ah use mahself. Ah ain't talkin' about whut nobody tell me. Ah use de aigs fo' separation. Yo' take three aigs regardless tuh how fresh dey is an' how ole dey is. Yo' take three aigs an' write de person's name. If it's yore wife an' yo' wanta separate her from a man, or sbe Wants [to] separate chew from a woman, well both dere names should be written, yore name an' dis woman's name or de man's name or de woman's name. Yo' understan' whut ah mean. Dat's tuh separate chew [man] from dis.othah woman fo' yore wife, or separate yore wife from dat man. Yo' take her name an' 'is name an' put it on de aig, take three aigs.
(Do you write my name any number of times on each egg? Once?)
Once all around each one. Yo' know, each one de name. Yo' make as much as fo' or [I mean] three time, each one of de names, [one] on each one of de aigs, on de three aigs. An' den yo' take yore needles, yore nine needles an' yo' pass 'em through cross [crossed]. Cross dem nine needles through de aigs, all de way through, all three of dem aigs [demonstrates], one dis way an' one dataway an' one dataway.
(You put three needles in each egg?)
In each aig an' den yo' take 'em an' yo' put 'em in a sack or pan where yo' gonna carry 'em, an' yo' got 'em far apart. But it's mostly done at de grave- yard. Yo' bury 'em a foot apart an' dat's a broke up scrape [a broken up affair]. (That is to separate this woman and this man. His name is written on the egg and her name is written on the egg? Just once on each egg?) No, two an' three times on each aig. See, ah could put between de needles - de needles gotta go between de two names, don't chew understan', go through dem names. See, her name at de top or his at de top, anyway, see, an' gotta go in between dem. Turn it lak dat [needle is forced through egg by turning] an' go in between it [the names]. See, an' when yo' turn it lak dat go in between it. Yo' write disaway an' disaway an' write it 'cross lak dat. Jis' lak yo' stick yore needles, jis' lak yo' make yore names - three of yore name an' three of 'er name yo' see on each aig.
(On each egg, and you stick three needles in each egg?)
Three needles. (You write those two names three different places on the egg so that you can cross those needles three times on the eggs, and the needles are crossed through those names.
Entry 9273
Ah said, three aigs, graveyard dirt, if he or she are gone away, it will bring dem back.
(What do you do with those three eggs to bring them back?)
Bury them.
(Where?)
Anywhere.
(Anything else you have to do?)
Nothing.
Entry 9274
An' den if a woman wants a man tuh leave ag'in, why she kin git a aig an' she break dat aig jis' roun' - roun' jis' as neah as she kin, yo' know, in half a shell, an' po' de inside of it out. An' when she po' it out why take dat shell an' write his name in dat shell - inside of it. Yo' see yo' drēne [drain] all dat out an' den take yore fingah an' wipe it out, so yo' kin write. An' write it on de inside of dat shell an' git chew some 'hesive [adhesive] tape an' put aroun' dat shell so it won' - stick it back tuhgethah an' den put dat 'hesive tape, so no watah kin git in it. An' den walk tuh a stream of watah dat's runnin' an' throw it in dere an' say: In de Name of de Fathah, go! An he'll go an' won' evah come back.
(Does she do anything with that raw egg she has taken out?)
Nawsuh, she jis' use it fo' anything she want. She only use de shell, dat's all.
Entry 9275
[For more house-and-egg rites, see margin title DooR in this section.]
Dey say if yo' got somebody in de house an' yo' do wan'a [want to] see dat some- body in de house, well yo' git yore- self a fresh egg - a thoroughly fresh egg: An' yo' take dat egg an' jes' slam it against de house, an' go on about chure business. An' jes' soon as yo' go, dat same somebody, who yo' Wanta see in dat house, is comin' where yo' is.
(The person who is in that house is coming to where you are?)
Yes, sir, if dere's a woman dere an' yo' wanna see dat woman, why all yo' gotta do, take dat fresh egg an' smash it right against de house. An' she gon'a come zactly where yo' is, or if she can't find yo', she will inquire until she do.
Entry 9276
Git a black hen aig. Yo' take it an' throw it on de house an' dat'll make 'em - make 'em all stir up in de house, an' make 'em fuss all de time wit dat.
Entry 9277
Take a fresh aig an' throw it - jes' throw, jes' at de house where dat chew feel dat yore enemy at. Throw it tuh de house where dey at an' don't nevah look back at it, jes' go ahead an' dey'll nevah harm yo'. A fresh hen aig.
Entry 9278
Take a black hen's aig an' write de person's name on it an' bury it. An' den take it an' throw it 'ginst de house, an' dey'll move out. (You bury this egg until it's rotten. Then you take it and throw it against the house.) Have dat person's name wrote on dat aig, an' bust dat aig 'ginst de house an' dey'll move out.
Entry 9279
Dey kin jes' take a fresh aig an' write on it an' tell 'em, 'Ah want chew tuh bust sech-an'-sech a one up." An' take it an' throw it up 'ginst de house an' let it bust up, an' dat will bust 'em up.
Entry 9280
Go an' git chew a fresh hen aig. Take it an' write dere name on it, see. Take it an' chunk it up on top of de house. In de nex' day or two dey gone
[move away].
Entry 9281
Well, yo' kin take a aig, any kinda aig, black hen aig, any kinda aig. Jes' lak dose folks stay ovah dere dey fuss wit chew all de time an' yo' cain't live by 'em atall. Yo' wait until one night when dey go tuh baid, an' jes' take dat aig an' throw it ovah on top de house, an' let it break anywhere, say: Yo' son of bitch, go! De nex' mawnin' dey be moved.
Entry 9282
An' ah've hear'd 'gin, dat if yo' have enemies an' dey livin' close by yo', why yo' kin take a aig. Find a aig dat wuz laid tuhday an' write chure [his] name on it an' throw it up on top of de house. An' as yo' throw it, say, "Ah throw dis In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost, an' ah want chew tuh move from round heah." An' de aig bust on de top of de house it sure tuh rum down, an' dey jes' git upsot [upset] dey cain't stay.
Entry 9283
If yo' wanta run a person away or somepin, take a hen aig an' write dere name ovah it. An' if dey's in dere - jes' lak if dey's in dis room - throw it ovah de house an' let it fall an' bust on de othah side.
(What will that do?)
Dat will run 'em away.
Entry 9284
People say dat chew could take an' write a person's name on de aig an' throw it ovah de top of dey house.
(What will that do?)
Dat will cuz dem tuh move. An' den too, dey say it cuzes confusion. An' sometimes dey say, if yo' sellin' whiskey, it will cuz de law yo' know, tuh stay round de.house all de time. (It will cause the law to stay around?) If de aig busts, but if de aig don' bust, why dere ain't nuthin tuh it. (Do you use any kind of an egg?) Yo' use a black - no, it's gotta be a round aig, a real round aig; no square aig atall. It's gotta be round. [For shapes of eggs, see also R00STER EGG, No.9348f., p.3753.1
(From any kind of a chicken?)
Any kind of a chicken, jes' so's [so is] it a round aig.
Entry 9285
Yo' kin write a person's name on a aig. Dat's de onliest thing ah know, an' throw it ovah, yo' know, dere house, an' dat'll run 'em from dat place. Jis' lak, yo' know, if a person is quarrelin' wit a person or sompin an' yo' don't want 'em roun' yore place. Well, dat's de onliest thing ah know about writin' de name only.
Entry 9286
Well, ah'm goin' tell yo' whut ah kin do wit a chicken aig. Well, ah kin take a fresh chicken aig an' ah'll bet any man money if anybody livin' nex' do' tuh me, see, an' ah can't git along wit dem, see, an' durin' de time ah jes' make up mah mind tuh make dem move from dere. Ah'll take dat fresh chicken aig an' ah'll go tuh de house an' ah'll call dem, see. Dey will give me no anxiety. Ah take dat chicken aig an' throw it cross dey house. An' dey wouldn't be dere ovah three days, ah bet chew money.
(You call him first?)
Yes.
(Well, what if he comes out?)
Yes sir, if dey answah, yo' know dey owin' de house. If dey answah, ah take dat aig an' chunk it right cross dey house, an' dey wouldn't be dere ovah three days.
(He has to answer though? He has to answer else you can't do that?)
Yes sir, he has tuh answah.
(Well, if he doesn't answer, then you come back some other time?)
Yeah, some othah time. [Brunswick, Ga., (1249), 2120:1.2
Entry 9287
Or ah kin take a black hen's aig - see, lak de hens lay out dere, take a black hen aig an' throw it cross yore house, an' de nex' day at sundown yo'll be gone.
Entry 9288
Take de aig from de black hen, if yo' wanted a person tuh move outa de town ah [or] dey's [they has] messed yo' some way 'nothah wit some ' dirt. Jes' take dat aig - but ah know one thing, yo've gotta chunk dat black hen's aig across dat house in de mawnin' while de sun is risin'. See.
Entry 9289
If yo' wanta run a person off, dey say git chew a black hen aig an' go tuh a fellah's house, an' chunk it right 'cross de house jes' as hard as yo' kin at midnight or 'fore day - befo' sunrise.
(That will run him out? You throw this egg right over the house?)
Yes, throw it jes' as hard as yo' kin an' say, "Go!"
(Do you break it against the house or throw it over the house?)
Throw it ovah de house fur as it will go.
Entry 9290
Kin take a egg an' write de numbah of de yeah... [turned off machine - accidentally?]. (Take a chicken egg and write the number of the year and the date of the month.) An' dere name. An' throw it ovah de top of de house toward de sun- rise, an' dat will run yo' [named person] away.
Entry 9291
Yo' ties it up in a black cloth, dis black hen's aig.
(What are you going to do with that, now?)
Aftah yo' ties it up in de black cloth, yo' take it an' chunk it ovah de house tuh de sundown side. Dat's one way. (What will that do?) Dat will jes' break up de house an' family, jes' make 'em move.
Entry 9292
Yo' kin take a black hen aig an yo' kin - of co'se, If yo' an' yo' people can't git along good in yore home, yo' see, yo' could take a black hen aig. Now, a shu 'nuff [sure enough] black hen aig, yo' see, an' at a certain part of de wall, yo' could break dat aig in yore house an' yo' kin make de thing all right.
[Here comes a good example of my repeating informant's words.]
(What certain part of the wall?)
Dat 'cordin' [according] tuh how dey - on de right side dat git de sunrise on it. Break it tuh de sunrise [side] of it, de house.
(Outside or inside?)
Inside. (To bring peace into your house.) [The breaking of raw eggs inside a house is fairly rare, but see No.9398, p.3764.]
Entry 9293
If yo' be in trouble, yo' take a hen aig an' throw it up undah de house an' let it break apart.
(Any kind of a hen egg?)
A black hen.
(And that will get you out of this trouble?)
Yes sir.
(Just let it break up there and run down on the house - that the idea?)
[My preceding break up there followed by and run down on the house can be confusing, but informant's double preposition up under confused me at the time. Remember, we are talking about a special type of house. As I have said frequently in the text, most of these small houses in the lowlands along the coast are raised a foot or more aboveground. Mistakenly or not, I am here thinking of a person reaching down and smashing the egg so that it will run down one of the corner posts, rocks or bricks upon which the house rests; a sort of foundation or at least a reded- ication rite - for a foundation rite, see margin title BLOOD FOR THE SPIRIT, p.33, v.1.] Yes sir.
Entry 9294
Ah went an' seen dat one mawnin', where a lady throwed some chicken aigs out de house, an' said dey broke up housekeepin'. (Broke up the people that were in there?) Yes sir. (Did she throw any particular number or any particular kind of chicken egg?) No sir. [This rare rite I should have had explained fully. Presumably the lady wanted a separation from her husband. Or did she accidentally throw out a few eggs and only later connect them with the family breakup?]
Entry 9295
Jes' lak anyone stayin' by yo' an' yo' wants 'em tuh move, sompin lak dat. Now, yo' kin take a fresh hen aig an' write dere name on dat fresh hen aig an' den throw dat aig away. Well, dey'll move.
(Throw it away where?)
Throw de aig - jes' lak yo' jes' to dere house. But dey'll move.
Entry 9296
Yo' could write de name of whoevah is away dat yo' wanta come, on a egg wit an indelible pencil. An' bury it at yo' steps wit de name tuhwards de house, comin' in de house, an' dey'll come regardless of how far dey are away. [For name coming into or pointing towards house and how this can be done, see No.9409, p.3769.]
Entry 9297
Take a rotten aig an' 'delible pencils, lak if yo' don' lak a person, write dere name on it an' jes' let it stan' dere until it busts. When it busts dat'll kill dat person. (Where do you let that egg stay?) Jes' bury it anywhere in de groun', jes' anywhere in de ground an' when dat aig busts, why dat person will die.
Entry 9298
It will run you away.
(Well, how are they supposed to do that?)
Well, they say they write your name on it, on the egg - say they write chure name on the egg with indelible ink. An' they'll take it when de tide is goin' out an' say, as the tide goin' out, you'll be on shore yo' know an' throw it. An' let de tide go with it an' say, "Go, yo' rascal, yo', " or "go yo', enemy, yo', " or something like that yo' know. An' they say, they'il go on away from yo' - say they'll leave here. An' I tell yo' a few weeks ago - no, it was about a month ago now, a woman told me that a lady told her to do that to run a man away from here an' I know he's gone. An' I say, "What did yo' do?" She say, "Why the woman say she went out in de country an' got me a black hen's egg, she say no other egg will work 'ceptin' [excepting] a black hen's egg." I said, "Well, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WAS A BLACK HEN'S EGG FROM ANY OTHER EGG?" SHE SAID, See, be- cause people buys them so much from her to do that.
Entry 9299
Takes a aig an' write his 'nitial all ovah dat aig, jes' let it be written all ovah it. Take yo' some yellah homespun an' covah dat ovah dat [egg] an' bury it jes' de side-a [side of] dat gate, er [or] de do', an' dat'll bring 'im back home an' he won't leave no mo'.
(Is that for any kind of egg?)
Any kind of aig, don't make no diff'rence.
Entry 9300
Yo' kin take a hen aig - take a black hen aig an' yo' kin write de 'nitial or de name. Yo' write dat name on dis aig an' yo' make nine dots wit de pencil whut chew have in yore hand. Dat nine dots fo' dose nine mawnin's. [You make one dot on each of nine successive mornings.] Yo' go tuh a runnin' stream of watah... Now, yo' take a rotten aig... [I stop informant from starting a different rite.] (Wait a minute! After you go to running Water, what do you do then?) Yo' go tuh runnin' watah, aftah yo' put dose nine dots in dere wit de pencil. Den yo' go tuh runnin' watah an' throw it jes' as fur ovah yore haid as yo' kin git it. Jes' throw it up [into the air]. When it gon'a hit de watah it ain't gon'a break. Jes' throw it up. An' aftah yo' throw it up, don't look back, walk on off. Jes' long as dat aig go, dat person's goin'; long as dat aig goes, he's travelin'.
Entry 9301
Now yo' kin [take a] chicken aig from a black hen, a black hen aig an go tuh man house twelve aclock at night. An' jes' go dere - well, fo' a fact, ah know dat tuh be a fact. Jes' go right [there] an' jes' chunk it jes' as hard as yo' kin ag'in 'em [house] an' say, "Go." Name de person, "Ah want chew tuh go." An' yo' jes' chunk it hard as yo' kin.
(That will send them away?)
Dey be out dere less den nine days.
Entry 9302
Jes' lak anybody went away, yore husban' or anything, an' yo' wanta bring 'em back home. Yo' know, dey gone away a long time. Yo' gits a yolk of a aig, let it be jes' laid if yo' could, an' some white wine, an' Some quicksilvah, an' yo' mix it good tuhgethah. An' den yo' git chew a pencil an' a papah an' yo' start writin'. An' yo' write a lettah an' say anything in dat lettah dat chew Want him tuh know - or she. AN' YO' WON' SEE WHAT YO' WRITIN' WHILST YO' WRITING IT, YO' CAN'T SEE IT. An' de time yo' fold it up tuh put it in de lettahs [in the envelope] [the writing] will appeah an' den yo' kin put it in dis envelope an' send it anywhere yo' wanta, an' dey'll have tuh come to yo'...
[I stopped recording too soon but my comment explains.]
(You say you won't see it because you are using this other stuff [I did not care to say invisible ink], but it comes out [appears] after awhile and you can see it?) Yeah, yo' kin see. Dat'll bring anyone back. [My preceding comment in the original parenthesis, made during the recording, shows my understanding at the time. Invisible ink had been used. For several of my experiences with invisible ink, see Doctor Cunningham, Little Rock, Ark., introduction to his interview, p.1315, v.2; and Nos.791-792, Pp.264-266, v.1. Surely the 3 ingredients and invisible ink were not mixed; pretending to use the 3 merely being a part of the trick.]
Entry 9303
Take a chicken aig an' boil it, boil it done. An' yo' take dat chicken aig an' put it in de mattress, de side dat he sleeps on, an' he'll nevah leave. (Any kind of a chicken egg?) Yes sir, any kind. (This should be a black hen's egg.) [This comment of mine shows that I restarted recording machine to add the unrecorded black-hen information.]
Entry 9304
[For eggs and murder rites see No.7425-7470, pp.3276-3285 in MURDER section.] Wherevah dis [murdered] person lies, wherevah dey got killed at, yo' have de peoples tuh let 'l [dead person] hold a aig in 'is hand. See. An' when- evah, if dey evah bring dat person in whut kilt him, he'll squeeze dis aig in 'is han' - de daid man.
(What will happen when he squeezes that egg then?)
Dat's de one, whoevah come roun', uh-huh. Jes' lak if ah walk up tuh dis
[dead] man, undahstan' an' place de aig in 'is han', he'll [dead man will]
squeeze dis aig an' dat aig will burst. An' [or] eithah yo' kin - jes' lak yo' suspicious of sech-an'-sech-a-one, yo' take 'em all up dere [to the corpse] an' let 'im step back 'cross de [dead] man. An' his [dead man's] nose will start tuh bleeding, [if] de one who did de killin' [steps across the corpse.]
Entry 9305
Yo' take a black hen aig if a person has murdered somebody, take two. Lak if de person wuz murdered, yo' put a aig in each one of dere han's, a black hen aig. An' be shuh [sure] it's a black hen aig, an' put it in each one of dere han's. Git a piece of grass rope. (What's that?) Dese heah ropes whut people ties bundles an' things with. An' yo' git a piece of dat an' yo' make nine knots in it, an' yo' tie it on dere wrist. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury dat person, yo' turn dere face bottom upwards [back of head upwards]. An' de one whosomevah murdered 'em gotta come back where dey did dat murdah. Wit dat black hen aig.
(Do you tie that rope on just one wrist?)
On both of 'em, both wristses, put a aig in each han' an' shut dat han' up. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury 'em, yo' turn dere face down. Yo' see, dey gen'ly [generally] bury people wit dere face up, in place of puttin' de face down tuh de bottom of de coffin.
Entry 9306
Lak de man is daid, yo' put a aig in his han' an' de man's.name whut done it on dat aig, an' put it in his hand an' he supposed tuh come back in 24 hours.
Entry 9307
Take a chicken aig an' beat it up fine an' put plenty black peppah an' salt in it. Git chew two nails an' put it in dere mattress, if dere any way yo' kin git it in de mattress, an' sew de mat- tress back up. Anyone in dat house, dat'll run 'em outa dere.
(How would you put these two nails in that egg?)
[Since I did not kid my informant's, my mind here must have been tired!]
Yo' take two bran'-new nails an' jes' wrap it up wit de aig an' black peppah an' dat stuff an' jes' put it in de mattress.
(Use any kind of egg?)
Yes sir. any kind of hen aig.
Entry 9308
Ah haven't heard of 'em usin' pins an' needles [in answer to my unre- corded question about them], but ah've heard of 'em takin'a aig an' fo' ten- penny nails an' one aig, an' drive dose nails up in de ground. (You mean put the head down and let the point stick up?) Put de haid down an' let de point stick up, an' stick dat egg between dere an' den wrap it ovah. An' if yo' is in love wit someone, dat'll bust it up.
(That is if I wanted to break up some man and another woman?)
A man an' anothah woman, dat'll bust 'em up. (Well, you don't have to do anything else with that egg? You don't have to walk over it or anything of that sort?) Yo' don't have tuh walk ovah it or nuthin of dat kind. [Here is a rite of intention only. The 4 buried nails, points up, outline the coffin cradling the egg, intended victim. After the egg becomes rotten and bursts, the man or woman you have in mind will no longer annoy you.]
Entry 9309
Well, some folks say, it's jes' lak ah have a fren' an' de othah woman is gittin' de bes' time. Say, yo' write his or her name on de aig an' throw it ag'inst her house an' break it, an' it will break 'im an' 'er up.
Entry 9310
Git a hen aig an' take dat hen aig an' write dere name on it, both of 'em. Jis' write roun' an' roun', de man's an' de woman's tuh bust 'em up. Jis' write dat all ovah dat aig, jis' as many times as yo' see space dere tuh write it, if yo' have tuh tangle it up tuhgethah At twelve a'clock yo' gotta tote dat aig an' go tuh dere own house an' chunk it right up ovah de do' facin'. Dat aig will bust. Dat's de way dey will bust up.
Entry 9311
Yo' git a fresh aig an' yo' bust dat fresh aig. Yo' first write her name an' his name on dis aig an' yo' take dat fresh aig an' bust dis aig, yo' understan'. An' yo' take de yellah of de aig an' yo' throw de white away. An' take de aig shell, aftah yo' done bust it, an' Jis' crumble it up jis' as fine as yo' kin git it. An' den take de yellah of dat aig an' mash it all up in it, an' put chew a little black peppah in it. An' put it in a piece of papah an' rag an' bury it right up undahneat' de do'steps whah she passes in an' out, an' dere won't be no gittin 'long [along]. Dat'll separate dat man an' woman.
Entry 9312
Now ah tell yo' whut ah did heah. Dey say dat if yo' jes' take a black hen, she don't have tuh have no spot on 'em atall, gotta be solid black. Jes' lak if yore wife is goin' wit anothah man yo' see, she won't hardly stay home. Yo' put her name on dis side of de aig, see [demonstrates]. Den yo' turn it tuh yo', turn it ovah, an' put yore name on de othah side of it. An' bury dat right in de middle - it gotta be where she kin penetrate right back an' fo'th ovah it. She may go out fo' about one or two nights, but aftah dat she won't go no mo'. She'll be wantin' tuh stay home an' yo'll be ready tuh go, see.
Entry 9313
If yo' wan' tuh hurt[hoo- dool anybody or do anything tuh anybody, even yuh enemah, yo' got'a go tuh de sto' an' buy a aig, a fresh aig, an' come back tuh dere house, yuh enemah house. An' stand off from de front do', an' take an' throw dat aig up ov' [over] de do' an' bust it. An' let it drain down an' make a oath whah choo wan' 'em tuh do. Jis' lak if yo' wan' 'em tuh die. An' while dat aig. drainin' down, yo' make a oath, an' in nine days dey'll take sick, an' dere's no cuah [cure] fah [for] 'em.
Entry 9314
Well, dey kin go intuh a place dat's got plenty of chickens, intuh de yard, but it must be a place dat have chickens. Now yo' git one fresh aig outa dis place. Yo' take dis egg an' yo' mark de party's an' yo' go an' break it intuh de do', where dis party's livin' at, an' dey gotta go. (I see. Well now, why must we get that egg from a yard that has lots of chickens?) Well, yo' see, accordin' tuh - de reason why yo' must do it, becuz a cold- storage egg is not any good. It must be a fresh egg.
(I see.)
Entry 9315
They take black hen egg an' put yore name on it nine times an' bury it. It'll run yo' crazy, make yo' die.
(What's that?)
Control of yore mind.
Entry 9316
Git a egg from a black hen an' write dere name on it nine times, an' bear [bury] it undahneat' dere steps an' make dem move.
Entry 9317
Ah don' know how dat is. Say if its de p'liceman or some law on de beat, yo' know, dat yo' could write dere name on a egg an' bury it at de steps, an' dat will prevent 'em from comin' in. (You write their name on this egg and bury it. At your own steps?) At yuh own steps. (That will keep the law from coming in?) If yo' sellin' whiskey in dis house or somepin. An' whoevah is on dis beat, yo' could bury de egg. Write de name nine times on de egg an' bury it at de front steps, an' dey wouldn't come ovah dat egg.
(I see.)
Entry 9318
Ah say, mah mothah, she wus - lost 'ah [her] husban'. An' anothah woman got between 'ah [her]. An' de way dey moved 'ah wus dey took a aig an wrote on dat aig fo' nine mawnin's, huh name. (Wrote her name?) Yes, wrote huh name on dat aig fo' nine mawnin's. An' den she [mother] jis' didn't become crazy er [or] nuthin of de kind, she jis' didn't wan' tuh stay at home. She'd been separated from mah fathah fo' seven yeahs.
(What did they do with that egg after they wrote that name on it?)
Dey took dat aig an' she [other woman] put dat aig up undah de baid [my moth- er'sl. An' ah don' know whut else dat she did wit it, aftah she did dat.
Entry 9319
[Very much like the preced- ing belief is this one which I have only in a notation from an untranscribed cylinder: Person you do not like, name on egg, throw up under house after 9 mornings. It will break. (They) will leave.]
Entry 9320
(Begin that over again.)
When they wanta do harm to yo', they take an' write yore name on a chicken egg nine times an' they throw it in de Mississippi River, an' just de way it drift, it liable to get bust [that way]. Yo' kin take an' throw it thataway [if you want to]. Where dey pass an' walk all de time, dat be de safest way - where yo' kin pass an' walk all de time. (You say [said before I turned on recording machine] if it gets busted in the river, then it isn't any good?) No, that egg is destroyed then.
(Oh! I see. So it's safer to bury it [where the victim walks]. I see.)
Entry 9321
Yo' put a li'le hole in it [egg] an' draw dat [raw] egg out. Take a person's name an' write it nine times...put it in that egg [shell] an' stop de egg up...throw it in de rivah. An' as long as dat egg'll float, drift down [the river], dose peoples will drag, will drift.
Entry 9322
(What are you going to do this for? What is the purpose of this thing?) Dat's tuh make 'em commit suicide. Yo' take 'er undahclothes an' her name, an' put it down nine ways. Yo' jes' write de writin' out till yo' cain't undahstan' it. [The writing becomes illeg- ible.] Yo' don't know whatsomevah it is. Den yo' kin take an' put it in a aig, see, an' throw dat ovahbo'd. Dat make dere mind, dey jes' go an' commit suicide. (You put this underclothing and this name - written on a piece of paper nine times - and put that all into an egg and throw that overboard. Then she will commit suicide in nine days.) [This rite is similar to preceding one, the piece of underclothing being very small.]
Entry 9323
Well, yo' write a person's name on dere, write it nine times on de aig - jis' write de name on dere nine times. Ah don't care if he done did or didn't. Write it nine times an' yore name on it, an' dat person - don' care whah he is, if yo' haven't seen 'im in yeahs - he'll come home.
Entry 9324
Well, go dere an' break up people. Well, yo' gits a fresh egg. If yo' can't git a black hen aig, yo' git a fresh egg. Write de individual name on it nine times, an' write one name goin' dis way [away from you] an' don't write no name so dey comin' dis way [towards you]. See, dat writin' mean dey go de othah way. (They write one going away from writer, and one going down nine times.) [The first name is written away from the writer, the other eight names are written down and across the first name. This is an elaborate crossing of the victim.] Dey'll put nine "J's" on each one [one "J" on each name], go tuh de fork of de road twelve o'clock in day or twelve at night, eithah one, an' broke de egg an' call dere name. Smash it up. [The letter "J" could stand for the obsolete word "Holy Jakes" we met in No.9068, p.3676.]
(What will that do?)
Dat will smash up de life of de couple. De individual yo' wanta break up, put dere name on it.
Entry 9325
Take an aig - advance a aig an' turn it. Jes' if [for example if] a person off [away], yo' kin take a aig an' turn it on a new tinplate. Write de girl name in dat new tin plate nine times an' turn it [egg] fo' nine mawnin's. Turn it nine times fo' nine mawnin's an' dat bring 'em back, wit an aig.
Entry 9326
Take a aig - lak yo' wan' somebody tuh move, somebody wus livin' in a house an' yo' wanted 'em tuh move; or some woman wus lakin' yuh husban' an' yo' wanted 'er out chuh way or wanted 'er tuh git away from de neighbah- hood. Yo' take a fresh aig. Let de chicken lay de aig in de mawn- in', lak yo' go out in de chickenyard about seven a'clock, git dat fresh aig dat de chicken layed, yo' know soon in de mawnin', an' t'row it. An' git a fresh aig eve'y mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' t'row it on dat pō'ch. An' de tenth mawnin' when yo' look ovah dere, de person da' choo wan' tuh move will be gittin' ready tuh move.
Entry 9327
An' yo' kin take a aig an' run a person away from a place, if yo' got a neighbah an' yo' don't want 'em round dere. Yo' kin take dat aig an' bust it on dere house. Say fo' nine diff'ren' mawnin's yo' kin bust a aig on dey house an dey'll have tuh move.
(You just bust the egg on the side of the house, you mean?)
Yes.
Entry 9328
About de nine hen aigs. Well, if yo' want a person, lak ah'm livin' nex' do' tuh yo' an' givin' yo' trouble, why yo' take nine black hen aigs. Be shuh [sure] dey black hen aigs. An' write yore [my] name [on them and] evah mawnin' 'fo' day, bust one - chunk one at de do' an' let it bust an' run down. In nine day's time why yo'll [I'll] leave town. When yo' chunk de last aig, why yo'll [I'll] move out. [Waycross, Ga., (1141), 1856:2. J
Entry 9329
( Git nine black hen aigs an' write de 'nitial of de big low name on de two big: Sheriff, de chief of police, if yo' in a town, write dere name. Bury one [of the 9 eggs] undah yore back do'step, bury one in front, den lay one up ovah yore do', an' den chunk de rest east. Won't no law come round, yo' kin sell likkah. Ah've toted it up an' down dese streets heah by de gallons, dey ain't no law 'rest [me] yet fo' likkah. Ah've sold likkah right in mah house, ain't no law 'rest [arrest] yet fo' no likkah. [Informant is the same as in the preceding rite.]
Entry 9330
(Will you tell me that again, now?)
If yo' have someone dat yo' want tuh leave yo', git chew nine eggs. Evah mawnin' yo' write de person's name on de egg, evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey'll have tuh go, can't stay. (Well, then - what do you do with those eggs, then?) Well, dose eggs, throw 'em away; othahwise dey won't be no good no mo'.
(I see.)
Entry 9331
Dey tell, yo' kin take a aig, jes' take yo' a aig, a hen's aig, if dey's bothahin' yo' an' go tuh de house. An' go tuh de house an' git chew mo' [eggs], git chew nine aigs. Take nine of 'em - yes sir, nine aigs. An' den which- evah way dis person lives from yo', east or west - if yo' lives east, yo' git on de west side.of yuh house. An' he's comin' intuh yuh house maybe, say, talkin' tuh yuh wife, or keepin' a confusion in yuh family, an' yo' want 'im tuh stay 'way. Keep 'im from talkin' tuh dem, why yo' git on dis side of de house an' he stays east. Yo' git ovah on de west say evah mawnin' an' throw one dem aigs across de house, an' let it bust on de othah side. Says evah time dat he comes tuh do dat till yo' bust de whole nine aigs - nine mawnin's. Well den, if he come up, whoevah he is, dey say he can't stay in dat house no mo'.
Entry 9332
Chicken aigs, nine aigs. If it's tuh a place - yo' know, jes' lak if yo' livin' next do' tuh a person an' yo' don' wan' 'em tuh stay dere by yuh. Take yuh nine aigs an' break it up, whip it an' care [carry] it roun' dere house fo' nine mawn- in's. Break a aig, don' chew know, one aig evah mawnin' three a'clock, an' beat it up an' care it [round] de house fo' nine mawnin's, see. Ah've heard dat. Dey say dat'll run de person away, if it's a individual whut's stayin' nex' tuh yuh.
Entry 9333
Well, de way dey tells me, an' ah have seen it did. Dey gits nine eggs.
(Nine eggs.)
Nine mawnin's. Yo' start 'fo' day in de mawnin', on a Tuesday, evah Tuesday. Yo' git up 'fo' day in de mawnin' an' take one-a [one of] dem eggs. Co'se yo' take de eggs, dem nine eggs, yo soak 'em in de chamber lye... [Here informant leaves chair and starts to demonstrate away from interviewing table and micro- phone. I often describe such demonstrations, but here I wanted a repetition of the words given before recording began.]
(Wait a minute! Will you come over here?)
[Informant returns to chair and repeats.]
Take nine eggs an' soak 'em in chamber lye, see. An' nine mawnin's see, 'fo' day, yo' take one-a dem eggs evah Tuesday mawnin' an' bust it ag'inst dat house. An' den yo' bust de last one, dat be de ninth egg an' dat be de ninth Tuesday. See. Well, in nine davs. ah'll betcha dey'll leave.
(I see. After the last egg has been thrown, then nine days later they'll go?)
"Fo' dem nine days latah. (Oh! I see.) [They will leave long before the 9 days!]
Entry 9334
Well, jes' lak if yuh ole man's gone, yo' take nine fresh aigs an' de end of one of his shirttails an' two of his socks. An' point 'em an' put.dat aig right in between, yo' know, each toe of dat sock with his shirttaii. An' yo' bury it, bury dat right up undah de steps. Dat is sup- posed tuh bring him back. (You bury these socks with the toes pointing to each other. And right where those toes point to each other you put that egg?) Put dat aig an' his shirttail.
(The shirttail is wrapped around the egg?)
Yessuh.
(There are nine eggs though, aren't there?)
Nine fresh aigs, yessuh. Gotta be fresh aigs.
Entry 9335
Yo' mean tuh keep de officahs off. Well, it's jes' dis much about. it. Yo' kin go tuh work, yo' do's dat - supposed tuh be - wit hen aigs. Yo' kin go tuh work an' git chew nine hen aigs. No, don't make any diff'rence, any kinda aigs, yo' know. Yo' git chew nine aigs an' yo' kin go tuh work an' take yo' a hat whut chew weah on yore haid, an' yo' put dose nine aigs in dat hat an' set it at chure do' - ah mean, anywheres at chure do'. An' take yo' nine sewin' needles, stickin' needles. Put de needles intuh dat hat. An' den de really fac' 'bout it, keep it covahed up an' see dat nobody puts dere han's nowheres about it. An' 'long as it really sets dere, why co'se de law nevah goin' worry yo'.
(You don't have to keep that hidden?)
Oh yes, yo' must put sompin ovah it. Yo' know, have it some place or 'nothah where nobody's li'ble [liable to] 'sturb [disturb] it.
(Where do you put those needles now?)
Yo' drop dose needles right in de hat.