Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 3, entries 3110–5205)/Part 12
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 3, entries 3110–5205. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3990
At night, lak he [does not] wanta have sompin tuh do wit yuh, pee in yuh pan, yuh see, an' put chew about half-a han'a [hand of] sugah in dat pan. Well, yo' wanta make him have sompin tuh do wit yuh. Befo' yuh have anythin' tuh do, yuh git down ovah it [pan] an' wash yuhself. Don't dry it, jis' git on in de baid an' go ahead on wit 'im. Wipe yuhself off an' he'll start. An' [that will make him] bring 'is money, too. Dat's all yo' gotta do.
Entry 3991
Take de bathwatah an' mix it in lime wit it. [Here is one of those accidental treasures. The obsolete and now exclusively a dialect word, chamber lye, is known to almost everyone in the hoodoo world. It is usually pronounced chamber lye, because formerly it was used in making lye; but frequently the word is called chamber line or chamber lines - hence the preceding in lime. My transcriber had trouble with dialect at times, so did I for that matter; but in the present instance, after reading my comment which soon followed, she typed urine above in lime.] Stop it up in a tight bottle, place it undah de steps or any place by de street, whah [where] yuh have tuh walk along ovah, an' den dat will drive yuh away from home. (If they were doing it to me, they would have to take my bathwater and my urine to do it. That the idea?) Dere yuh are [= absolutely right]. [Had I not repeated the substance of the rite, I would never have solved the meaning of in lime. But out in the field I was not repeating for my transcriber, but for my own benefit at the very moment.]
Entry 3992
If.anybody bites chew, makes a bruise on yuh, all yuh gotta do is git some of dere own urine an' rub it on de place, an' den yo' kin wipe it off. [This is the hair of the dog that bit you!] Co'se ah'd hate tuh put mah han's in somebody else's an' rub it on dat place. Said evah tooth in dere head will fall out in de long run. (In other words, if I bit you, you'd have to get my urine and wipe it on the bite. My teeth will come out?) Rub it on. Yuh teeth will shed - rot out by degrees.
Entry 3993
Dey tell me yo' take an' pee in yore han's an' rub yore han's, see; an' put chure han's on de dice. Go an' pee in yore han's an' leave yore han's back; walk on, see. An' den yo' kin very well put chure han's between yore laig an' yo' snatch up right quick, an' yo' reach back ag'in - three times, see, an' shoot.
(How do you mean reach back 3 times?)
Reach back heah three times [demonstrates].
(You draw your hand three times between your legs.)
An' roll de dice in yore han's lak dis, see; an' chunk 'em out. Yo'll come lucky an' yo'll win.
(That is to give you luck in gambling.)
Entry 3994
( Git up soon in de mawnin', pee in yore han', an' if yo' gotta do [some- thing?], put dat stool in yore han' an' rub it [in your hand], go 'head an' go tuh de bossman, an' he'll give yo' a job. [My something? shows a lacuna of 10 periods left by transcriber for a colloquial expression meaning excrement, which I also did not fill in years ago. The word stool in the text indicates what the omission was. For- tunately there is at least one, if not two rites in HooDoO using excrement in the hand when asking for a job! Most amazing of all, we have one of the finest things in HOODOO, the incredible excrement rite of love - see 822, p.284f.]
Entry 3995
Ah have tried it workin' on mah han's in dealin' wit de cards an' ah have been prosperous. (You found it lucky?) Absolutely.
(You mean peeing on your hands?)
Yeah. (Well, now that's something I asked and you thought you didn't know.)
Entry 3996
Yo' put some yore chamber lye intuh a vial, an' put some Heart Cologne in dere, put some Eve-an'-Adam in dere. Den yo' po' de least bit of dat watah out of dat vial in yore han's an' rub it In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost, an' den goes tuh work an' shuffle yore cards. An' derefo' yo' will have luck ingamblin'. (What is the other way of getting a job?) De nex' way dat chew could git it, take yore same watah dat chew shuffle yore cards wit. Take some of yore chamber lye an' put it into a vial an' put some Heart Cologne in dat, an' Eve-an'-Adam into it - dat vial. Rub it into yore han's thoroughly, In de Name of de Fathah, an' dress yo'self down three times an' make yore wish. An' go an' have a talk wit 'im an' he'll think about it.
(You get the job from the boss?)
Yes.
Entry 3997
The same old gentlemen what I just spoke to you about [a root doctor near Columbus, Miss.], his method of bringing a person to you mediately [was] by taking your urinate. Take a bran'-new piece of red flannen, urinate on it and rub it through your hands, sit down and write a letter to the person to come at once. They will do so.
Entry 3998
Dey kin ketch yore watah an' drop some beans into it - yo' know whut beans is.
(Ordinary beans?) Yes, an' bury it in de earth. Dat will harm yo' too. (What is that supposed to do to you?) Well, it hurts yo' down here; yo' know, yore body down here. (Why do they put the beans in it?)
I don't know whut dat fo', but I've seen dat done. [Beans in your bottle urine will swell up your bladder.]
The informant says the described act will 'harm yo'' and hurt the lower body, while saying they do not know the beans' purpose.
Entry 3999
Yo' stop dat up in a bottle.
(This chamber lye?)
Yes, yo' stop dat up in a bottle an' dey'll have a hard time of urine [uri- nating], see. Jes' drops, yo' know, now an' den. An' den yore urine, if yore husban' or yore wife is purtty fussy an' 'noys 'im when he come in, yo' don't urine in dat same pan she do. Yo' urine in sompin else an' git 'ers, an' stop dat up an' set it to de haid of yore baid, ovah dere. Dat'll make her, yo' know, git 'erself togethah, see; an' won't be fussin' 'er mouth, growlin' all de time.
Entry 4000
[If dey] hoodoo yuh at yuh place, tell yuh whut yuh do. Yuh go, yuh take some black molasses or else black [dark brown crude] sugar - molasses. Yuh take some cinnamon an' yuh take dere urinate, like yuh urinate tuhnight. Yuh don't let nobody touch dat. Yuh mix all dat tuh- gethah an' yuh go an' yuh scrub it. An' yuh scrub it aroun' an' yuh put it all down. Dat's tuh keep de police - de policeman'll come an' yuh'll see de policeman will pass. It goin' tuh draw a lot of flies - yo' see, dat sweet'nin' goin' tuh draw a lot of flies. De policeman will git - he'll git mos' [most] dere an' he'll turn aroun' an' go back. He'll have a mind tuh go in - yuh see yuh got, yuh get dose policeman but on dat beat. Yuh undahstan'? Yuh git dat one on dat beat. Well, if like yuh say, he intahfere wit business. Dey wouldn't be, only it de govern- ment man. It's all de same, yuh know. Yuh jis' take dis an' yuh jis' keep 'em. All dat will jis' bring in a crowd [of customers], dat cinnamon an' dat sugah an' dat. An' take some, take a lodestone an' put it all aroun' dere an' yuh scrub wit it an' jis' take dat an' do like dat. When de policeman come, yuh'll stan' up an' yuh talk wit 'im. Let 'im walk right on it. Don't be scared. He'll talk wit yuh an' when he come in he'll look aroun'. De policeman will be doin', he'll look aroun'. Yuh take yuh some cinnamon [bark], an' yuh take dat an' yuh be chewin' it. Yuh see, as dey be comin' on in dere an' yuh let 'em look like dey goin' searchin', look fo' de likkah [liquor], all yuh be doin' jis' aroun', stirrin' aroun', chewin' yuh cinnamon. An' yuh'll take yuh - like yuh be's here an' yuh think dey are comin' an' yuh start tuh scrubbin' like yuh always scrub. Aftah while dey'll say, "Aw, come on, let's go. Dere ain't nuthin here. Dat jis' low-down done [information] we got. We didn't git de dope, de right dope." Yuh see, den dey go away. Yuh keep de policeman away. Well, dey won't come back.
Entry 4001
Yo' take chamber lye an' take it an' bottle it up, an' go an' bo' [bore] a hole in a tree, yo' know, an' po' [pour] it in dere. An' den yo' take a peg, a lighter a [fat lighter pine] peg an' drive it back in dere an' work it [tight- en it] up. An' dey say it'll cut chuh watah off an' constipate yuh bowels, so yo' couldn't have a action - it'll lock yuh bowels.
Entry 4002
Yo' kin do anythin' wit dat. Now listen, yo' kin take a person urinate an' say git chew a little ragful. Yo' could bo' a hole in a pine tree an' put a peg in dere an' drive dat up, an' dat would lock dere bowels jes' as doh [though] if he didn't have none. He would nevah have anothah passage as long as he live, an' yo' know it ain't goin' be long befo' he gone. Dat's a shuh [sure] bet.
(THAT chamber lye LOCKS HIS BOWELS DID YOU SAY?)
No, locks his urinate.
[Yet informant did say lock dere bowels.]
(YOU SOAK THAT RAG IN A PERSON'S chamber lye OR HIS PASSAGE?)
No, yo' wrap up 'is passage an' yo' bo' a hole in a tree.
(That locks his bowels.)
[As the reader can see, this informant equates urinate with bowels. He could have repeated preceding informant's statement about chamber lye stopped up in a tree: It'll cut chuh watah off an' constipate yuh bowels.]
The informant describes boring a hole in a pine tree. The exchange contradicts itself about urine, passage and bowels; those contradictions remain visible.
Entry 4003
Ah've heard dat people take an' bo' a hole in a tree an' takin' some of yore urine an' stuff it in a tree an' plug it up. Say dat'll stop - co'se ah've nevah seen it done.
(It will stop what?)
Dat will stop dey bowels.
Entry 4004
Now, ah heard dis. Dey could go tuh work an' take yore urinate. Yo' see, jes' lak yo' urinate anywhere [they take it] an' go into de woods an' bo' a hole into de tree lak dis, yo' see. Take a augah an' bo' a hole in dere. Make yo' a peg, yo' see. Take dat [urinate] on a little peg an' go dere an' stick dat in dat little hole, yo' see. Yo'll tap dat evah mawnin' - see, fo' nine mawnin's tap dat peg. Let it stay in dere fo' nine mawnin's. Dey tell me, say, in de nine mawnin' yo' gone. Yore bowels are locked, yo' see. Yo' can't do yore business at all, yo' see.
(WHAT DO THEY PUT IN THAT HOLE IN THE TREE, YOUR WATER OR YOUR BOWELS?)
Dey puts yore urinate - yo' see, yore bowels. Yo' see de idea - jes' lak yo do yore business somewhere. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (somewhere between 1388 to 1391), 2489:3.]
Entry 4005
Well, some folks dey do's diff'ren' thin's wit yore chamber lye; it's accordin' tuh whut dey wanta do tuh yuh.
(Well, tell me one thing they can do to you.)
Well, dey kin use de chamber lye de same way dey use de hair. Dey kin take some of yore chamber lye an' stop it up in a tree, an' yo'll have stomik trouble, see, down in yore stomik. An' it will kill yo' if, yo' know, yo' don't do somepin fur it.
Entry 4006
Dey stop up yore [urine, see later] - tie yore guts up. Take yore chamber lye an put it in a bottle an' bottle it up airtight, too - airtight. An' put sulphuh into it an' close it up tight. An' carry it in de east cornah of yore garden, an' turn de head [of the bottle] towards de east [and bury it] an' covah it up. Let it stay dere till dat it rot. Dat chamber lye slll rot. It will do de work fo' yo'.
(How will it affect you?)
It will kill yo'. It effects yore guts - tie yore guts all up in knots.
Entry 4007
Now, dey takes dat chamber lye an' dey puts it intuh a bottle, jes' de necked [naked] chamber lye. An' when dey puts it intuh de bottle, dey takeg a cork stoppah - don't put nuthin else in dat wit dis chamber lye but jes' de chamber lye hitself intuh dis bottle, an' stops it up airtight where no air in de worl' can't git in it. Now, dey kin bear [bury] it anywhere roun' yore house dey Wants tuh bear it, but now dey has tuh bear it undah de steps - de back do' or front do'steps - dat's fo' yo' tuh step ovah it. An' AFTAH YO' STEPS OVAH DIS FO' NINE MAWNIN'S DEN YO'RE TRAPPED. Undahstan', becuz dat's from yore body. NOW, AIN'T NO DOCTAH[M.D.] IN DE WORL' KIN MOVE DAT UNTIL DAT STUFF BE PO'D OUTA DAT BOTTLE.
(What will that do to you?)
Jes' lock de bowels - jes' lak if yo' wanted tuh urinate, jes' lock de bowels so yo' can't nurinate atall. [That n is frequently prefixed to urinate along the southeast coast.] Well dat's whut it do, jes' lock yore bowels an' yo' can't go an'urinate.
Entry 4008
Dat's de same thing [as excrement], stop it up in a bottle.
(This chamber lye?)
Yessuh. Dey take dat an' stop it airtight in a bottle an' dat'll stop yo' from urinatin'. - it'll lock yore bowels on yo'.
Entry 4009
Dey tell me yo' take some chamber lye an' bluestone, an' throw it 'roun' undah yore step, an' when a person put stuff down dere it will kill it.
Entry 4010
[One cylinder later, preceding informant gives another version of the bluestone rite.] Take some chamber lye an' put some bluestone in it an' some saltpetah an' mix it up, an' jes' throw it undah yore step. an' all in front of yore [front] do', where yo' have to walk, an' roun' yore back do', an' dey say while dat down dey can't do nuthin to yo'.
combining chamber lye, bluestone and saltpetah before distribution. Keep the opening editorial one-cylinder-later/preceding-informant note and this distinct numbered version. The neighboring4009 citation says1077 while4010 says1007; no identity or citation repair is authorized here. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 4011
Providen' if she wants men to go dere, like she wus a woman of good time, see; an' want some business. She'd take her own chamber lye an' put it in a can, sit it on a stove till it comes to boil, an' dat'll draw 'em.
Entry 4012
Well, it's a powdahs dat ah have used but ah don't know de name of dat powdah. Dey use de chamber lye fo' two-three diff'ren' things.
(Tell me one of them first.)
Well, yo' kin take - if yo' kin ketch any of dey own, jis' lak, yo' know, dey go in a bucket at night. Well, yo' kin go dere an' git it. Yo' go dere an' git it an' boil it. Yo' gotta boil it thoroughly. Yo' take de white of a aig an break it in dere. An' yo' take de white of de aig an' let it stay in dere till it cook up, an' take it right back an' put it in a bottle. Take some Hearts Cologne an' po' in dere wit it, an' yo' go right back an' bury it right at de gate where dey have tuh walk ovah it.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat's fo' givin' people luck when stayin' at a house, where dey been in bad luck an' been havin' confusion.
Entry 4013
In my house ah had a ole lady livin' dere an' she'd come downstairs every mawnin' early. So ah asked her what she's comin' down dere fo'. An' she had some of dat conkering root [John de Conker] an' salt an' some red pepper an' a little other stuff an' chamber lye an' boil it all together. An' every mawning she'd start to sweep, she'd sweep from de back on out to de front. She said that would give yo' good luck. [An old penciled note of mine reads: The process wrong, do not use unless something similar from elsewhere, this is only idea [[along this line]] from Washington, D. C. Normally a person sweeps good luck (customers) into the house, but here good luck comes by sweeping out bad luck any spell dropped in the house.]
Entry 4014
[Rites of bottled urine are many and scattered throughout HOODOO. In the present margin title I have placed a few not easily fitted in elsewhere. Among other bottle rites in this section on urine, see espe- Cially DRIPPING and SHAKING. Dey kin take yore chamber lye an' dey kin do dat jes' de same as dey did de [foot] track. Dey kin bottle dat up an' bury it. Jis' git a lit- tle speck of it an' perhaps cork it up in a bottle. Dat will cuz yo' to have some irritation from yore bladdah dat yo' can't urinate good.
Entry 4015
To stop 'em from makin' watah, yo' kin make 'em think it's a stone in dere bladdah an' kill 'em dataway.
(How do they do that with the chamber lye?)
Det take it an' stop it up in a bottle - it's de same thing, might as well say stop it up in a bottle - an' jes' bury it. Chew git to where yo' can't hole
[hold] yore watah.
Entry 4016
Now whut dey do wit dat, dat's anothah thing right prob'ly in de same direction as chamber lye. Dey take dat - dey take dat an' put it into a bottle an' dey kin hurt chew wit dat. Put dat into a bottle an' stop dat up. S'long as dey keep dat stopped up in dat vessel where it git no air, dat'll jes' - yo' jes' weaken, yo' git all outa sorts an' event'ly [eventually], if dey would nevah take it out [of the bottle], yo' would die from dat, from chamber lye.
Entry 4017
De chamber lye, well dey take hit an' dey put it in a bottle an' dey'll bury in de dirt. Well, yo' can't make no watah.
Entry 4018
If dey kin git chure chamber lye, why dey kin stop yo' from - dey stop it up in a bottle yo' know an' it be jes' lak a man have de gravel, yo' know. Yo' have to go an' have yore thing open up.
Entry 4019
Dey say dat dey kin take yore chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an stop dat bottle up real tight, an' dig a hole 'roun' yore home an' bury dat bot- tle wit de stopper - neck, yo' know, settin' up - tight. Now, jes' as long as yore watah stay in dat bottle, yo' will continue tuh dreen [drain] away. Dey hurt yo' den, yo' see. Normally you dreen away only when the bottle is tilted or slanted and has a stopper purposely made leaky [see margin title DRIPPING later], but in boodoo and witchcraft intention is everything.]
Entry 4020
Take dere chamber lye an' stop it up [in a bottle] an' bury it. Dey can't make watah, swell 'em up an' kill 'em.
(This chamber lye?)
Jes' dey necked [naked] watah.
Entry 4021
Jes' take it an' stop it up in a bottle. Dat is de common Way, jes' stop it up in a bottle an' bury it an' dat'll check yore watah up. Yo' couldn't make no watah tuh save yo' [life or soul].
(You put this chamber lye in a bottle and stop it up?)
Yes.
Entry 4022
Yo' git a person's chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up, it will stop 'em from makin' watah.
(Kill him?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4023
Take dey chamber lye, an' yo' could take it an' stop it up in a bottle an' bury it, an' dey'll nevah come straight no mo'.
Entry 4024
Takes it an' puts it in a bottle.
(This chamber lye?)
Yes. Takes it an' puts it in a bottle an' jes' keep it in de bottle, [they] say, an' dat would stop yo' from makin' any watah. Dat's whut ah heard long yeahs ago.
Entry 4025
See, when dey take yore chamber lye an' stop it up - some people take it an' stop it up. Well, dat stop dey watah.
Entry 4026
Git dis, yo' know - uh, chamber lye. An' dey kin put it in a bottle an' dey kin stop it up. See [demonstrates], dat whut yo' may call airtight. An' dat will cuz yo' tuh have bladdah trouble; dat is, if yo' do not git dat bottle an' git it open.
Entry 4027
(What about that?)
Dey kin take yore chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle an' it will kill yp.
(What will they do with that bottle?)
Dey kin take it an' stop it up an' bury it.
(I see.)
Entry 4028
Dey kin take some of yore watah [urine] an' [or] chamber lye, yo' undahstan', an' put it in a bottle. Dat'll run yo' crazy.
(That will do what?)
Run yo' crazy, have yore eyes jes' lak dis [demonstrates]. Always bug [Bulg- ing? Staring? Blinking?]. Yes sir, jes' take some of yore chamber lye.
Entry 4029
Stop it up in a bottle an' bury dat. Dat will stop 'em from urinatin'. Yeah, wit dey chamber lye.
Entry 4030
De urine - lak if yo' gotta urine [urinate]. Well, yo' take - lak fer instan' [instance], if yo' wuz mah sweetheart an' yo' urinate. Take dat an' stop it up in a bottle an' nevah let.dat git out, an' keep it an' he'll always stay wit chah.
Entry 4031
Dey jes' put - stop it up in a bottle, mos' any bottle.
(All right, this chamber lye. What will that do?)
Well, dat keep yo' at home - jes' keep yo' at home.
(What do they do with that urine after they stop it up in that bottle?)
Yo' kin lay it anywheres in de house so dey don' [find it].
Entry 4032
Yo' puts it in a bottle.
(You put this chamber lye in a bottle?)
Puts it in a bottle an' stop it up an' dat person will come to yo'.
Entry 4033
About de woman an' de bottle?
(Yes.)
Yeah. Well, her son wuz livin' wit dis woman, see, an' she wanted 'im tuh move 'way from dis woman - see, she wanted 'im to move. So she'd taken dis bot- tle, a pint bottle, an' she got some of 'is urine. She had 'i tuh - co'se he didn't know it, yuh see. She had a night-jar [any kind of glass jar used as a urinal] yuh see, an' she got some of 'is urine an' put it in dis bottle. An' den she went aroun' an' got snakeroot an' boiled it, an' she put some of dat in it, an' red peppah an' salt. An' she carried it to dis house 'bout one 'clock at night an' jes' made a wish dat he would move. An' he moved. She broke it in de vesti- bule.
Entry 4034
Jes' lak two person togethah use a slop pail. Well, if I wanta hurt a person in dey chamber lye, I wouldn't urinate dat night in dat slop pail. Well, I let chew urinate in dere. I'd take dat pail [oldtime pail with lid] an' stop it up tight. Den take dat pail from de room dat mawnin' when yuh goin' to work an' care [carry] it - an' take anothah bucket, small tin bucket [with lid], an' take dat [and fill] wit [your] urinated water an' stop it up maybe two weeks. An' aftah yuh stoppin' dat watah up fer - aftah two weeks it become jes' lak a drawin' wine. An' it go - jes' agitate. If it warm weathah, it agitate quickah den dat. But if it's cool weathah, it take a long time tuh draw. An' aftah bein' drawin', dat jes' lak drawin' a man dat - when yuh go tuh git yuh blood draw from de hos- pital or git shots, dat's tuh draw an' keep adrawin' an' adrawin' until it weakens a person body. Den aftah weaken' de body, if dey don't - if dis person continue tuh leave it jes' lak 'tis, dey would become jes' lak a person got consumption - complexion would change. If dis man wuz a dark-complected person, it would be lightah. Den people would claim dat dat fellah got T. B., an' [or] dey'd say he got chronical disease, but dat's dat stuff adrawin' an' adrawin'. Aftah while it will weaken dis person. Den maybe dat person [will say], "Well, ah think ah go tuh a doctor [M.D.] tuh see what de mattah wit me. Look lak ah'm gittin' sick an' ah cain't he'p mahself." Ah may go tuh a doctor. A or'n'ry [ordinary] doctor [M.D.] will give him medicine an' treat 'im but it wouldn't do him any good. See, dat stuff will be drawin' 'im an' drawin' '. An' aftah while he will die.
Entry 4035
(All right, go ahead.)
Well, dey git holt of some of yuh chamber lye. Dey take dat chamber lye an' go tuh de drug sto' an' git some calmels powdah [calomel].
(Get what kind of powder?) Calmels. (Cal - what they take for - in the stomach?) Nawsir [no sir], dis calmel yo' put on sores. Calomel. (Calomel. All right.)
An' put it in dere an' take dat chamber lye an' sprinkle it aroun' yuh house, an' yuh'll move.
(I see.)
Entry 4036
Yo' takes a man's chamber lye an' yo' puts it in a bottle. Git chew some cayenne peppah, an' yo' git chew some long red peppahs, an' yo'mu all dat up intuh dat chamber lye, see. An' yo' bury dat down In de ground by de steps, by de front steps or de back steps, or de centah underneat' de house [a quincunx]. Dey pass away, jis' molts away - see, jis' molts away tuh nuthin.
Entry 4037
Well, de fingahnails, yo' kin be lucky on dem, so ah heah. But ah haven't seen anyone try it but ah jes' heard dat. Dey say yo' kin take yore fingahnails an' parch 'em an' put 'em intuh a lil' bottle an' ketch a man's watah an' run 'im pure crazy. (Well, what would they do with that water then?) Dey stops it up in de bottle. An' ketch some of 'is urinate an' stop it up on de fingahnails, an' dey say dat'll run 'im crazy as a bedbug, if he don't go tuh someone tuh take it off. His fingahnails an' 'is urinate.
(What do you do with the bottle when you stop it up?)
Yo' take it an' bury it undah de centah of yore do'steps.
Entry 4038
Fer a instant [instance], ah wanted mah ole lady - she wuz doin' bad things, see. I would take an' place a aig up undah de steps an' ah would put it in some urinate. An' ah would place dat egg up undah de front steps, jes' put dis aig in dere - jes' de natchal [natural] eggshell - ah could make her stay at home. Ain't any way she could leave home, long as dat aig an' urinate is undah de steps. (You take just the fresh egg. You don't take the yellow or white or anything out. The whole egg. Just any kind of a chicken egg?) No, de whole aig, any kinda chicken aig. An' place - stick a pin into de end of it. Long as dat aig stay undah dere. See, put de urinate intuh a can, an' place de egg intuh de urinate, an' place in undah de steps.
(Where she can see it?)
Where she can't see it. An' evah time she walk ovah it, she'll gits worsah [worser]. Ain't no way she kin leave home, cuz when she walks dere fo' 'bout two-three mawnin's it takes de 'vantage of 'er.
Entry 4039
Dey usely [usually] take yuh chamber lye an' stop it up in a jar, but yuh have tuh use cinnamon bark tuh put wit it, see, in ordah tuh tie up de kidneys tuh stop 'em from makin' watah. (What do you do with that jar?) De jar, yuh bury it. Bury it. Yuh put it where no one kin find it, yo' undahstan', tuh open it.
Entry 4040
Use some cloth dat yuh have, if de party don't wash fo' yuh. Nobody'll evah wash fo' yuh, dey can't make yuh move out, 'cept come tuh yuh do' roun' five a'clock in de mawnin' an' throw de night- watah roun' de do' see. An' dey put salt in de night-watah, yuh see. Dat's fer tuh make 'em move out - an' de smell of de watah. Den yuh go an' dig up some dust an' put on de watah in de back of de house, an' taken some turpentine an' throw it on top of it, an' yuh cannot go.
(That is, if you don't do it, it will make you move.)
Yes, [if] yuh leave it stan' out dere.
(I.see. But if you do that, they can't make you move. I see.)
An' if anybody comes tuh yuh an' tell yuh dey comin' tuh 'rest [arrest] yuh fer dat crime, [you] say, "Dey won't come here." Yuh take yuh a mouthful of cold watah, undahstan', an' take a mouthful of hot watah behind dat wit a little salt in it. Salt in de hot watah aftah drinkin' de cold watah an' walkin' in acircle. AH'M GIVIN' YUH FAX [facts].
Entry 4041
It was a woman that had a fuss with another woman. Having this fuss with her she crossed her water [made in the liquid a cross mark or letter X] and stopped it up tight. This woman could not urinate. She got on her bed and swelling up, she kept swell- ing up. And after awhile the doctor [M.D.] couldn't do nothing for her. So this woman goes to her and told her that she would turn her loose, if she would only give her a job. She said, "I will." So she goes home and takes this cork out this bottle, and just laid it on the side and turn it down, and this water commenced to running and this woman commenced to urinating in the bed, and when the last of the water was out of the bottle she got up.
Entry 4042
Yo' take chamber lye an' peppah an' throw it undah de house at night, red peppah, an' if dey keep movin' in dere it'll burn it up - it'll ketch afiah
[afire]. (What did you put that under the house for?) Fo' movin'. (So when people come into the house, that'll cross the house up and.)
Cross de house up an' make it crossed. Make a cross jis' befo' throwin' dat undah - jis' befo'.
(Where do they make the cross?)
On de ground, near de house. (They cross the house up so that nobody can stay in it. If I had a fight with the landlord or anything of that sort?) Yes.
Entry 4043
If yo' wanta make a person move, yo' takes some chamber lye an' yo' leave it set. Yo' know whut ah mean, jis' leave it git lak it git ole. Yo' git chew some red peppah, [i.e.] cayenne peppah, some black peppah an' some salt, see. An' evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise, yo' go in front of dat person do' an' yo' throw dat disaway an' den yo' come back an' yo' throw it disaway - in a cross. Well, dat intahvidin' [inviting] tuh make a person move.
Entry 4044
Ah've heard 'em say dat choo kin take some chamber lye, cayenne peppah, sulphur an' go dere an' cross it fuh three times in de night, choo know, an' dey say dat'll make 'em move. Dat'll make 'em have a big fuss an' dey'll move.
(You go there and cross them?)
Yes sir, yuh go across [and cross] 'em three time.
(How do you mean?)
Jes' go dere - jes' lak dis de steps [demonstrates] po' it dis way, an' back by an' po' it ag'in [I interrupt].
(Making the form of a cross?)
Yes sir, a cross lak a [letter] X, three mawnin's straight, an' tell 'em to, "Go." An' de house will be vacant an' dey will move.
Entry 4045
[Rites at the door are important and many in folklore and hoodoo, the door being one of the great magic places where both good and evil are encounter- ed. Most of these rites will be found elsewhere. Here I mention door separately to establish its importance.] All right yo' take de chamber in de mawnin'. Have de person sleep in de room ovahnight. Jes' befo' dey git up, slip in de room an' take de chambah out, an' put [pour] it undah de do'- step, undah yore do'step or his'n, eithah one, an' let 'im walk ovah it. Den yo' have 'im trapped [cannot leave you].
Entry 4046
Take your chamber lye an' jes' po' it all around de do'.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'em from puttin' any roots down. Dey won't harm yo' at all.
Entry 4047
Take dat chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' bury it undah yore steps an' yo' hardly will - yo' cain't make yore watah good.
Entry 4048
She take an' throw chamber lye out de front an' out de back do', an' she say dat draws customahs.
(If she's selling likker?)
Yessuh.
Entry 4049
If dey kin git chure watah in a bottle any way an' stop it up, an' bury it undah de do'steps, an' all lak dat, dat'll run yo' crazy, if yo' don't some- Ways find out where 'tis [it is] an' git it outa dere.
(That will make you lose your mind.)
Entry 4050
Dey tell me whut dey kin do if dey git chure hair [see later]. Whut dey kin do, put it in a bottle, yo' understan' - put it in a bottle an' bury it under de steps.
(What else do you put in the bottle? You say just the hair?)
No, not de hair.
[I turn off machine but restart it when informant said chamber lye?)
(chamber lye?)
Yeah, an' put it under yore steps, an' dey kin do jis' whut dey wanta wit chew.
(Who would do that?)
Oh, she could do dat. Dey woman would do dat, who's in love wit choo.
Entry 4051
Yo' kin stop 'em from comin' dere, anybody come dere, too. Yo' jes' take a chambahpot an' go right front de steps, put it out dere on de groun'. Yo' do dat an' if he [the law, bill collector, etc.] come dere, it'll cut 'im off. He'll start tuh come dere but befo' he'll git dere he'll turn off.
The informant predicts that an approaching person will turn away before arriving. No actual visitor or effective deterrence is established.
Entry 4052
Well, ah kin even take a fellah's chamber lye an' bury dat at de - stop it up in a bottle an' bury it at de do', an' he'll continue hang aroun' dere where dat chamber lye is at.
Entry 4053
Wal, if yuh wife runnin' out on yuh an' talkin' about leavin' yuh, yuh kin go tuh work an' take yuh watah. Jes' lak she'd quit yuh an' go, yuh kin take yuh watah an' 'er watah an' stop it up in a bottle, an' bury it undah de steps an' den she can't leave. She'll come back. Dat's one way.
Entry 4054
Yo' take dat an' stop it up in a bottle. (Take what?) chamber lye - pee-pee. Yuh take dat an' yuh stop dat in a bottle, an' turn it upside down an' bury it in de groun' undah a step, an' dat'll swell 'em up. Dey cain't make watah - till dey die.
Entry 4055
Ah have took dere chamber lye, yuh know, mine an' her'n togethah an put it in a bottle, an' place it up ovah yore head - do'. An' den she will mos'ly [mostly] always be at home, yuh know, when yuh come in. An' den she would har'ly have any dealin's wit any- body cuz long as dat up ovah de do', yuh know, her mind on yuh.
Entry 4056
Dey tell me dey take yuh chamber lye tuh stop a person from makin' watah. Dey take dat an' put it in a bottle an' cork dat tight, an' tie it up ovah yuh do'. Dat's de way dey do wit de chamber lye. Dat's what dey tell me. Yo' can't make no watah.
(Over whose door do you tie that?)
Right ovah mah do'.
(Over your own door? But you have some other person's water in there?)
Yes.
Entry 4057
Jes' lak yo' stays heah an' yo' wanta make somebody stay at home, yo' jes' git chew a [Lowe's] piece 'bout dat long, an' jes' keep it wet in dat cham- ber lye an' lay it up ovah de do'. He ain't goin' nowhere. (What kind of a piece? Is that a piece of cloth? Or what is it?) Yes, dat's a piece of cloth, yessuh. [My transcriber called this a Louis piece. It is Lowe's cloth from which sacking is or was made. Either I have this name some- where else in the text or my note on this present transcription sheet was made while I still remembered the meaning.]
Entry 4058
[The general reader may not know that dripping is an important magic rite in folklore, the magic of various types of occurrence: continual, occa- sional, interrupted, regu- lated, etc. The best-known examples are probably the burial of an article where water from the eaves drip on it - see FACI, 1st ed. 362, p.14, rain-making rite; 847, p.34, divination of crop year; 4124, p.195, 4239, p.203, wart cures.]
(How would they do that?)
Dey jis' git aholt of some of yuh chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' put yuh a little trench in dat bottle stoppah.
(Put a little trench in the stopper?)
Yes, sir, where it yuh know, it won' run but it'll drip. An' yuh put dat bottle in a tilted position where dat kin drip an' drip an' drip. An' yuh'll become - git tuh de place where yuh cain't har'ly do anythin', lak a man do uhen he gits fixed [hoodooed or witchcrafted] you know. An' fin'ly dat all drips out. Well, if it molts [molds] in dere an' de molt [mold] gits ovah dat hole, an' it quits drippin' an' it stops de hole up, it stops yuh urine. He don' urinate no mo', unless he gits somepin done. An' yo' know a man don' have tuh miss doin' dat long befo' he dies.
Entry 4059
Yo' kin take a person chamber lye an' po' it in a bottle, an' take it an' bury it underneat' chure do'step. Have a little hole in dere, yo' know, where it will drip it lak dat. An' when de las' drop go out, drop out, DEY'LL LEAVE WIT DAT LAS' DROP.
(I would do that with their chamber lye to make them leave?)
Make 'em leave, see - git rid of 'em, kill 'em. See, dey'll lingah along yo' see.
The account places a bottle beneath a doorstep. This link retrieves that doorway location; it does not identify the doorstep with a door panel. The continuation describes making someone leave and killing them; these are source claims, with no established outcome.
Entry 4060
(What do they do with the urine?)
Well, jis' set it aside in a secret place an' let it sit dere fo' a long, long time. An' a-co'se [of course] it jis' aftah gits so ole an' stale, why dey jis' dreen [drain] it out graj'ly [grad- ually]. An' dey say dat makes yuh dreen away.
Entry 4061
Dey git holt some-a yuh chamber lye, yuh see, an' dey bur' [bury] it. Dey git holt-a yuh chamber lye an' dey put it in a bottle. Dey put somepin else Wit it. Dey put some kin'a Ceylon peppah [says my transcriber, and that is what it sounded like; but here we have a hoodoo drug store or mail-order house product - Sea Lion Pepper]. Kin'a white-liken peppah. [This pepper is white-like and the label probably shows the figure of a sea lion.] But dey have it fine. [The pepper comes ground.] Put dat [pepper] wit it. An' dey make a hole in de top of yuh chamber lye [bottle cork] an' dey turn it [bottle] upside down an' dey bury dat chamber lye. An' if yuh don' find 'at bottle of chamber lye in time an' unburies it, yuh'll die. Dis thing leaks, it will leak out. See, be leaking, but dey do make a hole in it fo' hit tuh leak. Dey bur' 'it. Dey try tuh git it tuh yuh home if dey kin. Dey'd ruthah [they had rather] fo' it tuh be tuh yuh home den be tuh dere house. An it leak out. An' WHEN DAT BE GONE, all dat chamber lye, YUH BE GONE.
[I start fishing for details.]
(What did you say they get for that, the stuff in the can - pepper?)
Be in a pasteboard box. It's white cayenne. Think tuh buy about 15c or 25c but it's kin'a high [expensive].
[Again I fish, for time, anything.]
(And when do they put this in - altogether?)
Put dat in de chamber lye.
[My third fishing trip catches a rare detail!]
(And where do you put that, then? That chamber lye, what do you put that in?)
Oh, any kin'a [bottle] - HOLY WATAH BOTTLE - if yuh leave a little bit of hole. [Use any bottle, but a holy water bottle is more convenient.] Yuh [see] DESE HOLY WATAH BOTTLE GOT DEM KIND, YUH KNOW CAPS, WHERE A LITTLE BIT OF HOLE COME OUT AN' LET IT LEAK.
Entry 4062
Stop it in a bottle.
(This chamber lye?)
Yessuh, yo' put it in a bottle. Ketch yore chamber lye an' put it in a bot- tle. An' put chew a little stoppah - little hole [in it] jis' enough tuh git a drop evah now an' den. An' bury dat bottle up, bottom- side up, an' evah now an' den, drop by drop, [will come] from dat bottle. An' dat will cut yore watah off an' pine yuh 'way tuh nuthin.
[As in the preceding rite, I begin to fish.]
(I see. You say you make a hole so that a drop will come out?)
Yes sir, one drop evah now an' den. Hold dat bottle up [and test it] 'fo' [before] yuh take it [and bury it].
(Oh, I see. Only one drop comes out of there.)
One evah now an' den.
(I see.)
Evah now an' den a drap will fall from dat bottle, but yuh bury dat bottle bottomside upwards.
[My fishing produced only the testing of the bottle. Good advice at that!]
Entry 4063
chamber lye is fo' all diff'ren things. Well, all right. Say fo' in- stance now, if yo' got a woman dat chew wanta 'er an' she's gone away from yo', an' she iis' come tuh yore house - ah mean at night dat way. Well any- hah, chew take yore slop jar an' set yore slop jar on de side of de bed, an' let 'er urinate in dat slop jar. Undahstan', she urinate in dere. ARE YO' GONA LET DESE BOOKS BE PRINTED CHERE?
[Same informant asks similar question elsewhere in text.]
(No, no.)
[All my informants, especially people known to be professional workers, were told I was writing a book - a book to them meaning a paperback hoodoo manual like the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses or Albertus Magnus. I was out in the field to learn from experts like themselves. This will partially explain why I was talked down to so much! At least I hope the reason was not, they had to talk down to me!] Well, she urinate in dat slop jar. Well, when she urinate in dere, yo' go down tuh de sto' an' git chew a nickel worth of whole grain black peppah. Don' git dis groun' peppah. An' yo' git chew a little vial an' po' her urinate, jis' about dat much [demonstrates] in dat little vial. An' den yo' put nine grains of black peppah in dere, see. Den yo' take yores an' put yores in dere on top of hers. See, dat's holdin' 'er down.
(Some of your urine?)
Yeah, put hers in dere firs' an' yores las'. Put dat nine grains of black peppah down in dere on dat. Den yo' git chew a little stoppah an' cut [demon- strates] one trench lak dis an' one trench dataway, yo' know so it'll ketch air. An' den yo' take dat an' bury dat undah de steps wit de mouth comin' dis way [demonstrates].
(With the mouth coming toward the house.)
She can't leave yo' tuh save her life.
Entry 4064
Ah heard dat wit chamber lye, if yuh would lak tuh blind a person, if yo' dash it in dey'r eye while dey sleep, see, er [or] dash it in dey'r eye whn dey not expectin' it, an' it'lll blin' dem. [I always asked in some form or other the important question: Have you ever heard of anything being done With human urine? Or if late during a long interview: What about urine? Never did I ask: What would happen if you [[or I]] threw urine into a person's eyes? The answer many times would have a guess. Consequently, how widespread this belief is, except here and following rite and perhaps one or two more, I do not know.]
Entry 4065
Ah heard of a man takin' 'is, yo' know, his urinate. He ketch 'er wit othah mens [womens? see later]. Ketchin' 'is urinate an' carin' [carrying] it back home, an' rubbin' in 'is han' an' placin' up ovah 'is wife haid. Huh hair wuz whut cuzin' [causing'er tuh run aroun' in de street. He ketched it in a [see later] an' care it back an' place it tuh 'er haid, an' he balled [balded] 'er haid. Well, aftah he balled 'er haid, he blin' 'er wit de same thin'.
(What did he catch her doing with other women?)
[For women trouble with women, see my comment at Florence, S. Car., v.1, INTRO, P. XXXVII.] He had... one-a dese ole... whut mens puts on 'em tuh protek [protect] dereself wit bad wimmins. [I am sorry about the two preceding lacunae. Evidently my transcriber thought them unprintable - they were unprintable back in the early 1940's - and unfortu- nately I missed rechecking this separate sheet with the original cylinder. For- tunately my following comment in the text reveals the deleted words:]
(Oh! a rubber bag?)
Uh-huh. [The deleted words were prick bag.] Well, he ketched it in dat. He ketched all 'is urine. See, he'd ketch it in dat. An' dat's whut he used on 'is wife's haid an' face. Well, he runned 'er blin'.
(You mean his urine or his other stuff?)
His urine, yes.
(You are sure it was his urine?)
Yes - yes, on 'uh hair an' right on 'uh face.
(And that ran her blind?)
Runned 'uh blin' an' cleaned 'uh haid [of hair]. [Sumter, S. Car., (1384).2460:2.] [Could this be an etiological story: the origin of a myth, name, place, and here a rite - something fabricated by a busybody or gossip to explain why a woman suddenly went blind and lost her hair at the same time?1
Entry 4066
Well, dey take dat - well, if dey git holt-a yuh fingahnail an' yuh hair, an' prob'ly maybe some-a yuh urinate, see. Well, dey stick 'em in a bot- tle an' dey bury dat in de groun', see. An' dat will do all de harm dey want. (What will that do for example?) Well, it will make yuh mindless.
Entry 4067
Yuh take some of dey fingahnails or toenails an' put it in a bottle wit some of yuh urinate an' keep it in yuh trunk or somewhere. Dat will cuz [cause] 'em tuh love yuh - be sweet on yuh. (Well, if some woman was doing that to me, would she take my fingernails or her fingernails?) Well, if she wanted yuh tuh love huh, she would take yuh fingahnails.
(And put it with my urine or hers?)
Yuhs.
(She would have both things from me?)
Yeah.
(And keep them?)
Yeah.
Entry 4068
(What do they do with this chamber lye? [Probably a long pause, then:]
What do they do now?) It won't kill yo' but it make yo' sick, see. What would dey do wit it? Well, yo' kin take it an' put it in a fiahplace. Dat's whut dey do's wit it.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will cuz yo' tuh be sick, see. It won't kill yuh. (Linger away. Sick in any par- ticular place?) Well, yo' be sick down in de private, see.
(Oh, with your urine, that way - bladder.)
Entry 4069
Takes dat person watah an' go to de fiah- place an' throw dat in de fiahplace an' den nevah look back at it. Dat'll run yo' crazy. Jis' throw it right in de fiah.
(That will harm the person whose water it was.)