Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 3, entries 3110–5205)/Part 2
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 3, entries 3110–5205. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 3190
Yo' kin take a bran'-new pocket han'kerchief an' dry 'im on de pocket han'kerchief an' den fold de han'kerchief. Fold yore han'kerchief lak dis. Yol fold it disaway, even, an' always fold it to yo'.
(It is supposed to be put in a square?)
Yeah, fold it to yo' disaway. [My supposition about the square is wrong, despite informant's yeah. What follows shows the handkerchief folded into triangles, meaning the handkerchief lies before her like a baseball diamond, not a square. She does not fold a hori- zontal line but a right angle.] Den when yo' turn it, yo' fold it catercornah till yo' fold it lak dat, see. An' wear dat nex' to her skin, right on de top of 'er pussy [the folded piece must be shape of triangle]. An' dat won't let 'im have nobody.
Entry 3191
If a man wants tuh have a woman undah 'is jurisdiction fo' his life- time! He jes' - when yo' go an' mate wit dat woman an' take whut chey vdpe wit, yo' see. An' when yo' take it - dat whut yo' wipe wit, wit a clean pocket han'-scuff dat nevah been stained - yo' dry off wit dat, yo' see. An' when yo' dry off wit dat, yo' kin take dat an' take a little watah, yo' see, an' wet it, an' jes' drain dat into a little whiskey. Den give dat to her, den yo' can't git rid of 'er. It take death tuh part chew den. Yo' might git tired of 'er an' wanta quit 'er, but she goin' plague yo'.
Entry 3192
I went to a man [root doctor or wise man or two-header]. A woman had done quit me. An' he ast me if dis woman drink whiskey. I tole him she does. He said, "Well, yo' go back home, git choo a half a pint of whiskey." He said, "Yo' git in a close place so kin nobody see yo'." He said, "Yo' go in dat room, shut up in dere, jack yore fist [masturbate], see; an' take about three or four drops of dat stuff an' put it in de whiskey, an' shake it until yo' can't see it in dere, an' jes' keep on givin' it to her, yo' know. Absolutely bring 'er love back."
Entry 3193
De mens whenevah dey have an intahco'se wit wimmin lak dat, why dey kin git some of it an' put dat in sompin an' give it to a woman sweet-like, an' yo' know, she jes' almost go crazy about 'em.
Entry 3194
Dey tell me if a man wants a woman - dis is a real fak cuz ah always - ah'm not able to have none now, but ah nevah did have to do dis, but ah had plen- ty of 'em when ah wus young. Dey tell me yo' kin take yo' ownself off an' git some of dat stuff an' put it in somepin an' let 'er eat, she'll always be crazy 'bout chew. Dey all say dat's def'nite. Dey said yo' git dat stuff into her stomic, it jes"fectin' [affecting] 'er haid. Yo' can't hardly keep outa her sight. Dey said dat's de bes' thin' in de world. Ah've had hunderds of people tell me dat, fo' [in later years] ah have ast de question fo' he'p, an' dey tel] me. But ah didn't do dat.
Entry 3195
An' den ah've learned ag'in dat yo' kin take an' go an' urinate, see. An' den git chure come [semen] an' put jes' a lil' taste [of] dat in dat Coca- Cola an' put it somewhere on ice an' keep it cold, see. An' if yo' got a frien' dat chew wanta git up wit, well, have dat Coca-Cola in yore pocket an' walk into somebody place an' say, "Ah wan'a leave dis Coca-Cola on ice." Dey's a frien' of yo', leave de Coca-Cola on ice, unlessen dat yo' goin' to her house. Yo' got two Coca-Colas, one yo' goin' take, an' dis girl ain't lovin' yo' so good. Say, "Honey, ah got two Coca-Colas heah tuh drink. Yo' take an' put 'em on ice." Well, yo' give her de one dat's got dat dere Heart Cologne an' dat come an' dat pee in it [three in- gredients]. Boy, she'll take dat an' she'll die by yo'.
Entry 3196
[The words female semen in the margin title are not used in this rite, but such a non-existent substance is clearly in- dicated. I previously hinted at this possibility back in No.3138. We shall be told later, yo'all have yore correction dere togethah an' aftah yo'all DISCHARGE.... (see No.32ll). The implication here is that a woman emits or ejaculates her vital substance in the same manner as a man. More evidence of this belief will be found elsewhere in HOODOO. We must remember that woman's part in procreation - ovulation, not the discharge of semen or something similar - became known only in modern times.] Say a woman take a chicken aig an' she'll [do] somepin othah wit it, take somepin an' wrap it up in some cotton in a cloth. Jab [rub] huhself until she git chere [has an orgasm] an' take a leetle dat stuff [put] it on de chicken aig an' don't put much of it on dere, an' put a saucah - break de aig an' put it in a saucah an' put anothah one [saucer] ovah it, an' put a leetle bit watah in it. An' de nex' mawnin' she'll put a leetle bit mo' watah in it, an' den put it [egg] on de stove an' let it come tuh a heat an' turn it ovah. Den - don't let it git good an' done - an' den when 'er husban' or de man come in, "Oh, ah have a aig fo' yuh." She give him dat aig an' she got 'im.
(What will she put on that egg from her?)
Dat stuff whut's in 'er. Yo' know, when a person comin' yo' know.
(You mean her [menstrual] blood?)
Yes sir.
[He means nothing of the kind.]
Yo' know dat stuff, yo' know when yo' come.
(You mean when she comes?)
Yes sir, she take dat thing an' jump up [and down?] until she come, an' git some of it an' put it on dis aig.
(On the outside of the egg?)
[This sort of question, one already answered, may sound stupid; but Ifrequent- ly wanted repetition, always hoping for further bits of knowledge, or clarifica- tion as here.] On de inside. Break de aig an' put it in de saucah. She take some of dat stuff den an' drap it on dat aig, yes sir, an' den de nex' day, she....
Entry 3197
Or you kin take a woman's undahclothes, yo' know whut yo' sit down on, an' yo' cut a plug outa each one, her dress, her princess, her bloomahs an' yo' cut it jes' in a four-cornahed piece, an' yo' fold it up. An' now, jes' as long as dat man weah dat piece in 'is watch pocket, she's got no nature fo' no- body else but 'im.
(I see. A piece out of each of her [3] things?)
Yes, each one of 'er [3] pieces.
(Where she sits?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3198
If a man gwine wit a woman. An' he'd ketch a toadfrog an' wrap 'im up in 'is pocket han'chef an' tote him in 'is pocket. An' when he have connection wit dat woman - she'll not know whut he doin' - take dat han'chef quick outa dere an' dry off dat woman. Dry 'er off wit dat from dat frog. An' de nex' man come dere, he'll be all right till time he gits up dere, den he fall. He cain't he'p it. But yo' gotta do dat mo' den one time. Jes' as it happen [do it each time it happens]. Dat's fur as ah know 'bout dat.
Entry 3199
Yo' know, dat chew wanted 'em joined togethah - yo've heard tell of people bein' joined togethah, man an' a woman. [They] say, dat perhaps [you] have to ketch dat frog. Take dat frog an' kill it an' [but] while he's raw - yo' know lak he is [while he's alive] - rub a cloth on 'im. Git dat part of de cloth an' den when a lady an' a gentleman, yo' know, have dat intahco'se, don't chew [a lady] do nuthin wit it but let 'im wipe hisself. Purtty soon dat man an woman be togethah. Yo' know, yo' heard tell of people gittin' togethah.
(Stuck together?)
Stuck togethah - can't git 'em out. Ah've heard tell of dat - wit dat cloth. His wife's got 'im so dat he can't - move. Wit de frog, but it's gotta be when he's live. [This last statement shows a live frog rubbed on a cloth and then killed.
Entry 3200
Dey says dat dey take a frog - ketch a frog an' put 'im in a can or a pot where yo' outdo's washin', while it's 'live, an' put 'im in dere an' jes' let im cook on down tuh a powdah, an' sprinkle a man wit dat, or a man could sprin- kle a woman wit it, an' dey won't have no intahco'se atall wit nobody atall but jes' dem. (That's all they have to do?) Dat's all - jes' take it when it gits, yo' know, it burn tuh pow- dah, jes' lak ashes, an' yo' put it in a cloth yo' know, an' evah time yo' have sompin tuh do wit 'a man or woman, yo' sprinkle some of it on 'em.
Entry 3201
Jes' lak anothah woman goin' wit mah man, ah take dat toadfrog an' kill 'im an' let dat - let 'im dry - let 'im dry an' take dat dust an' scrape it off an' take an' rub it on yore husban' private, an' when he go an' have dat woman, li'le skippahs will jump outa her. Ah see a woman do dat.
(Jump out of the woman?)
Yeah, goodness! [GOODNESS! is the proper exclamation here. Skippers are usually any insect of Hesperiidae, a large family of order Lepidoptera, the latter also including the true butterflies (Phopalocera), with which skippers are popularly confused. However, in the Southern States of the U. S. A., skippers are either any maggot in- festing meat or a water skipper. The latter is meaningless here. I am certain that our skipper means the one hatching in home-cured hams, because on one of my trips south I bought a home-cured ham at a crossroads country store. They were hanging up in the back of the store. No one told me a ham unprotected from a certain fly or flies could cause trouble. I shipped the ham home to New York City. On reaching home and opening the package, the maggots began to jump! Here was an animal 1/2 inch long, twisting itself into a U, and jumping 1 foot up into the air! Soon there were lOO of them jumping all round the kitchen! No wonder my informant exclaimed GooDNESS! How skippers could come from toadfrog powder I do not know.] [For HooDoO's classical example of putting live things, a turtle, in the other woman, see 10, p.7.]
Entry 3202
And there's a way where women dress their husbands when they don't want them to go with other women. Well they do that by catching a live toadfrog, and they put the toadfrog alive in a container and put a top with a brick on top of it so he can't jump out, and they cook that frog down to just natural grease, and fer nine nights they dress their husband's private with that grease from the frog. It doesn't make any diff ren' if he washes the nex' day, she continues to do that every night and when she doesn't have anything to do with him herself, because it would be detrimental to her, too. And when he comes in contact with this other woman, aftah nine days, the same amount of nights she greased him, there'll come a ball on her privates like your fist and it baffles the doctors, they don't know what it is, because it's somepin very unusual. The toadfrog is used for lots of things.
Entry 3203
Ah heard dat yo' git a toadfrog an' yo'od, kill 'im, an' put some black peppah an' some salt on 'in, an' carry 1m to a red ants bed an' put 'im down in dat - lay him right down in dat bed - go know, dem big bed yo' know - lay him right down in dat bed an' let de ants eat 'im up all but de skin an' bones. Den yo' kin take dat sharp bone - yo' low, let 'im stay dere though fo' nine days - an' take dat sharp bone an' carry it an stick in yore wife's garment, her nightgown, can't nobody else mess wit 'er atall but chew. [Waycross, Ga., (1136), 1850:3.] 3203A. If he had a ole shirt, an' iron a frog - yo' know a ole frog - on de tail of it...he'll stay dere... [These 3 separated periods show that I stopped my recording machine twice. A later copy of an original comment explains Why: "THE WOMAN HAS BEEN HOPPING ABOUT LIKE A FROG [[demon- strating the rite]]. Iron him [[the man represented by his shirt]] as you do the frog and his nature will be killed."]
(IRON A FROG ON THE TAIL OF THIS OLD SHIRT OF THE MAN?)
YESSUH. [This woman is marked prof? (professional) and good, but SHE EVIDENTLY HOPPED ABOUT DURING THE WHOLE INTERVIEW. This sort of thing Was Wonderful when Words accompained actions, but in the present case she was pretending that my inter- viewing table was an ironing board. But with my recording machine, switch con- trol, notebook, and old black hat on the table, I preferred demonstration a little farther away.]
Entry 3204
If a woman wants a man tuh drive away - well if yo' kin git in touch wit 'er, if him an' 'er have a intahco'se, yo' git de rag where dey use an' yo' take dat rag, an' yo' go to de graveyard or cemetery where dere somebody jes' fresh buried, an' git some of dat dirt an' mix it wit it an' put some Heart Cologne on it, an' bring it right back an' drop it right undah de step where dey walk ovah. It will take 'em on away.
(That is to separate the man and his wife, the man and woman.)
De man an' woman.
Entry 3205
They go to the buryin' groun' w'ere the grave is sunken an' dig about six inches down in there an' git some of dat dirt. An' they claim dat they mix dat up with it [semen] an' it'll either run you out of town or will stop you [make you impotent]. Stop lt up. An' can't no- body le' choo loose until somebody break the bottle an' throw it in runnin' water.
Entry 3206
Jes' lak yo' have a intahco'se wlt a man - a woman would, see, an' she wanta make dis man love her. Well, when she use dis towel tuh wipe wit, see, she wipe her han's on dis towel an' take her han's an' run 'em through dis man's hair - run it ovah his haid, see, jes' lak dat. An' dat will make a man love yo'. (Well, how does that affect you, you say?) Wal, ah figured it must - in 'is haid ah guess - jes' goes to 'is braln or sompin. But ah guess it in 'is haid - whut a person study, quite nat- urally it is in dere haid.
Entry 3207
Well, de othah is, yo' kin take halr from roun' yore private an' use in a way, say a man or a woman, if she runnin' aroun' an' yo' in love wit 'er or somepin, an' yo' wanta stop 'er. Say yo' use dat tuh stop 'er. (Do you know how they would use it?) Take it - yo' have tuh git it durin' intahco'ses an' git it an' keep it tuh yo'self. Take it an' put dis hair in a bottle an stop it up, an' den somepin othah goes with it - take a cloth or rag, anythin' she use. Take dat an'.
[Informant was so long trying to finish sentence, that I suggested:]
(You carry it with you, that the idea?)
No, yo' kin stop her tuh make her stay where yo' is, have no connection wit nobody but chew...
[I stop machine and let him talk (see dots) and then attempt to summarize:]
(By taking some of her private hair and a piece of her monthly cloth, and putting it in this bottle and stopping it up, and keeping it on your person. Wearing it.) No suh, place it in a secret place right ovah de do' dere or anywhere yo' kin hide it - up ovah her, where she goes through.
(That will keep her from running out with men?)
Yes.
Entry 3208
Now, yo' takes a man dat runs aroun' wit de wimmin an' she wanted 'im always to stay home. An' dere's [when] she git 12 or 15 diff'ren stran's of bair dat she gits from aroun' 'is private, yo' undahstan'; an' she gits about de same amount from 'ers, yo' see; an' she combines both togethah, yo' undahstan'. Den she makes a bag an' she carry on 'er. Dat'll keep 'im dere.
(That will keep him home.)
Entry 3209
Ah said she could take some of yore [pubic] hair an' some of your come [semen], an' put it togethah an' wear it aroun' 'er wais', an' let it swing down 'tween 'er laigs an' dat make yo' love her.
Entry 3210
[If I] have intahco'se wit a woman an' she git de hair offa me, well she could do it wit dat.
(What would she do with that hair?)
Take it an' wear it - tie it up an' wear it up in dey...
(What will that do to you?)
Well, dat jes' mess me up where ah ain't no mo' good.
Entry 3211
Co'se dis is diff'ren hair do [a different way of doing or using hair]. Tell me yo' kin take when yo' messin' wit a woman an' git a stran' of hair offa her down heah an' git a stran' from yo', an' when yo'all have yore connection dere togethah an' aftah yo'all discharge, jes' take an' put dat hair in it an' tie 'em togethah an' put it in a li'le sack - a flannel sack an' tie it aroun' yore wais' an' wear it. Dat keep love right tuh yo'. She won' love nobody but chew all de time.
Entry 3212
She could cut some of 'is - his hair from de lowah part of 'is body. Take an' cut some of it off an' she'll take it an' go out an' burn it, an' she'll take his nature 'way fo' anybody else 'cept 'er. (She will take and burn this hair she took from him, take his nature away for any other woman.) Yes.
Entry 3213
Why she jes' take 'im an' cut de seat outa his drawahs an' wash it an' take de watah an' goes dere wit 'im. Aftah dey go to bed at night, jes' lak she wus playin' wit 'im an' put dat watah ovah 'im. Take de hair, yo' know - burn some of 'er hair offa her, yo' know, burn it an' put it in dere, why he couldn't ride nobody.
(The hair from her head?)
De hair from under her clothes.
(And she puts that in the water from his drawers.)
Shore.
(Just what would that do then?)
Take it jes' lak she wanta wash 'im good, lak she gonna have communication wit 'im. She have dat an' - so's [so she] could put it in de basin, yo' know, an' [he could] wash hisself wit it. An' aftah he wash wit it, she pore de watah out an' den taken watah an' washes 'erself. An' he couldn't have no othah woman.
(The man loses his nature.)
Entry 3214
(Tell me that again now. What would you do?)
Take de bow out of a man hat. Yo've seen mens when dey buy hats, pull de bow out de hat an' burn it up, haven't chew? Dey won't nevah - very seldom yo' see a man wit a bow in 'is hat. Take dat bow an' tie it an' wear it right roun' heah, roun' yore private, wit a string. Jes' wear it right roun' an' he can't raise no heart fo' no heart fo' nobody but chew.
Entry 3215
Yo' kin take de bow out of a hat an' transfer [to another job] an' take dat bow wit yo', an' evah day whilst yo' gone yo' pee on it. Yo' undahstan' what ah mean?
(The bow out of her hat?)
De little bow outa her hat. Pee on dat bow and he can't do a thing in de world.
(Who can't do a thing?)
De man.
(The man who comes to see her?)
Can't do nuthin.
(I See, that prOteCts, THAT KEEPS MEN AWAY FROM HER WHILE YOU ARE GONE.)
Can't do nuthin. He kin try all he wanta. SHE GIVE UP TO HIM BUT DAT'S ALL.
Entry 3216
"Yo' could take dat little bow, yo' know, an' wear in de back of yore, in de calf of yore laig, when yo' rollin' yore stockin', yo' know, an' wear it in de calf of yore laig an' dat would git yo'. But yo'd have to be [use it], yo' know, wit intahco' se.
(What would happen? What sort of thing?)
Listen! Yo' umnderstan'. Yo' take de little bow outa de back of a man's hat.
(Yes.)
An' jus' lak yo' have intahco'se wit dat fellah, an' yo' could wear it in de back of yore stockin', yo' know, in de calf of yore laig an' use it, yo' know, 'casionly [occasionally] lak dat - use it once in awhile lak dat. (You mean get some of that off this fellow, when you have intercourse with that man?) Yes.
(And you put it in that stocking?)
In de back of yore stockin, yo' know, in de calf of yore laig. An' quite natchly [naturally], dat would hold 'is nature towards yo' - his nature toward yo'.
(I see.)
Entry 3217
Now a woman kin take a man, she livin' wit 'm - she take a little bit of 'is shirttail, an' take dat same bow out his hat, an' git a little sand, jes' a little plain sand, an' a little garlic, an' a silvah dime, an' sew it up in a little bag an' wear it, an' no othah woman in de world he kin mess wit but 'er. Cuz ah know dat mahself, cuz ah done be fixed dataway an' ah took de bag an' cut it up an' looked at it an' seen whut was in it.
Entry 3218
She takes a cord string.
(She takes a cord string.)
An' she ties nine knots in dat string. She takes a cord string an', yo' know, she [informant hesitates]....
(What does she do with it, measure him?)
Yassir. Dere's two or three diff'ren' ways yo' kin do dat.
(Tell me the two or three different ways. Tell me the first way.)
She kin measure him an' tie nine knots in dat string an' den she kin - she ties it aroun' 'er wais'. Den she kin git a new domestic piece [a piece of new domestic] of cloth when she have - yo' know, when she - whenevah she have intah- co'se wit 'in. She don't have intahco'se, she'll let 'in have it. An' den she take dat an' she cuts it out in a heart - de shape of a heart. She puts it in 'er. shoe an' he sure can't - he can't go, he can't do anythin'
[with other women].
Entry 3219
It was said that a woman took rosin an' take a hoof of a hog or any kind of cattle an' grind it up fine, an' rub it on that person would cause 'em to draw up so that they would connection an' they couldn't be wntied.
Entry 3220
Lak yo' loves a man an' wanted 'im, yo' know, alone fo' yo'self, why yo' an' 'im - yo' have intahco'se wit 'im. Why don't chew wipe wit de towel, yo' let 'im wipe wit it, see. An' den yo' take dat towel an' bury it down in de dirt undah de steps somewhere. Why he couldn't raise a holler wit nobody but chew, undahstand. He'd try tuh be wit othah women but when he git dere, he'll fall. He might raise up, but he'll fall. [This raise a holler will also be found later among the opening expressions of subsubsection DISHRAG.]
Entry 3221
Take de rag whut she nuse - take it an' yo' know, press it yo' know, iron it real hard yo' know, jes' press de stuff in dere an' put it up somewhere underneat' chure bed or sompin othah lak dat, an' de' tell me dat will take yore nature away. [For another ironing rite with the same purpose, ironing a live frog, see 3203A.]
Entry 3222
Git one dese linen han'kerchuffs, a ten-cent one, an' jes' lak yo' an' 'er have'n [have an] intahco'se togethah. Yo' go back home an' sew dat up an' put it in yore pocket. Yo' go home an' hitch up yore 'lectric or any kinda iron an' iron it, see, an' spread it right out undahneat' de mattress on de springs. She couldn't git rid of dat man to save her life.
Entry 3223
She kin take a new piece of homespun an' let 'im have a connection wit 'er. When he git through wit 'er, den she take dat, take a smoothin' iron an' dry hit out on de palm of her han', an' den she keep dat an' put it in 'er bed. An' den he cain't have no othah one but 'er.
Entry 3224
Jes' lak dey have a man an' yo' don't want 'im tuh go out wit anybody else. Well, yo' a, yo' know, an' yo' kin take a new han'chuf an' use dat. Iron it an' fold it up - eithah a little towel - fold it up roun' an' sew it up tight as yo' kin an' stick dat in de mattress, an' he cain't go out wit nobody else. Yo' kin take an' eithah use his pocket han'chuf an' use it - iron it an' put it under yore rug an' dat will cause him tuh bring in 'is money an' stay home. (You would use this the same as you use the handkerchief you mean. You mean wipe him with that and then iron it and put it under the rug to make him bring his money home.)
Entry 3225
A lemon is for when yo' want to have a woman an' if dere's somepin wrong wit 'er, an' yo' - lak yo' want to put it in. Yo' squeeze dat lemon on 'er, see. Well, she can't stomik [stomach] it, she got to hold it.
(What do you do that for?)
Dat's for disease. See, dat's like if she got a dose an' she have to have yo', vell, yo' squeeze dat lemon on 'er. She can't finish, she got to [something] an' evahbody know what it's all about.
Entry 3226
Yo' use a lemon, dat is, if yo' wanta find out if it's anything wrong wit a woman, if she got any kinda disease. Dat is, yo' kin squeeze a little of dat lemon juice on 'er, see. If she got any kinda disease, well she'll holler.
Entry 3227
If yo' be's wit a woman or man an' tuh keep from ketchin' any kinda disease, yo' take a lemon an' squeeze de juice an' bathe yo'self wit it.
Entry 3228
While dey have a intahco'se deyself. (The very first time?) [The words first time are not mine but those of the informant before I decided to start my recording machine.] Yessuh, den she ketches de contents, see, on a little rag - a little han'- chuff - but let it be clean, yo' see, an' she wrap it up good an' tight an' small [magic rite], yo' see, an' she'll put it in 'er mattress, an' dat'll keep 'im at home tuh serve 'er.
Entry 3229
If he [a husband] goes to his wife - to keep 'im [any other man] from havin' intahco'se wit 'er, [they] say yo' kin go to a - dere's a kinda bush out in de woods called de mullein. (The mullein vine.) Take a mullein an' put chure han' tuh de top of it an' strip it right down lak dat [demonstrates], an' take dat stuff yo' strip down lak dat, an' put it right in a pot an' boil it an' draw some tea outa it, an' put chure fingah in de tea an' stick it down in dere.
(You put your finger in this tea and then do what?)
Have de tea where yo' kin do it on 'er. Put chure fingah in it an' put it down in 'er yo' see. An' de man cain't git up de heart tuh go wit 'er.
(Who would do this?)
Her husband.
(You mean her husband would do it and [but] that man wouldn't. He [other man]
Wouldn't be able to do anything with her then?) No, de outside man couldn't do it. (Oh! the outside man couldn't. Yet the husband dresses her with this mullein tea. Then no outside man can come.) (And in getting this mullein, you've got to strip it right from the top, you have to strip it right down.) Jes' as de sun rise in de mornin'. (Just at sunrise In the morning, you have to strip it all down. Any number of times or just once?) No, jes' once, jes' take yo' hand an' come right down wit it.
(Just once, all at once.)
Entry 3230
[To] take a man's courage or sompin lak dat, why yo' kin take a rag, jes' a rag whut chew wipin' wit, an' yo' kin take dat an' take it an' wrap it roun' dere nails an' wear de nails roun' yore waist fo' nine days, an' dat'll make a man stay home - eithah dat or keep 'is courage. (What kind of a nail do you use?) Use a six-penny nail.
(Just one?)
Yeah, jes' one six-penny nail.
(And this rag that you use, you wrap around that nail?)
Yeah, roun' dat nail an' wear it round yore waist fo' nine days.
(Then what do you do with it?)
Well, dat will take a man's courage.
Entry 3231
Take nails an' cross 'em up in de seat of a man's underweah an' bury it in any parts about de house, yuh know, an' he cain't have nobody bat chew.
(How do you mean, cross these nails in the seat of his undervear?)
Well, yuh know yuh jis' take 'em an' cross de fo' cornahs right doo in de strotch [crotch] of 'is undahweah.
(How many nails do you take?)
Fo'[four] [demonstrates].
(Two parallel like that and two across there.)
[This designs a tick-tack-toe, or double cross or many crosses.]
Dat's right. In some of 'is dirty undahweah whut he's wo'n [worn]. See, don wash 'em. Whut he wo'n. An' jis' roll 'em up an' lay 'em up undah de side of de baid, direc'ly where he sleep at. An' he'll git tuh de place he won' wan' nobody but chew. An' re'lly de fac' of de business, he cain't go wit nobody but chew.
Entry 3232
Lak yo' wanta fix somebody tuh make 'em stay home, keep 'em from rel nin' aroun' in de streets, yo' kin jes' git chure wife or yore sweetheart or any- body tuh write her name, or eithah git er han'writin' wit 'er name. Take an break dat aig an' put 'er name intuh dat shell an' bury in de ground undahneat' de front step. Dat will stop 'er from runnin' aroun' or havin' anybody tuh have intahco'se wit 'er at all.
(Any kind of chicken egg?)
Jes': any kinda chicken aig.
Entry 3233
Dey'll git a new piece of cloth, see, an' dey place undah dere feet an' dey'll cut dat out. See, cut dat out in de shape of yore feet an' write de name of de person on dat an' dat also - an' den yo' write yore name across it, see. An' den yo' use dat fo' nine nights jes' lak if yo' have a connection or anythin' lak dat, dey also use dat. An' dey'll wear it in dere shoes, or dey'll bury it at a lonely crossroad.
(They write the name how? Like this?)
Yes, cross and den cross. See, dey write de person's name up and down de foot of de cloth [the cloth foot], see; an' den dey write dere name across dat. Yeah.
(And how did you say they use that now?)
An' den dey use dat jes' lak if yo' an' I are frien's, see, an' yo' an' I have connection togethah. Why we use dat, see, fer nine nights.
(I see. And what is this supposed to do now?)
An' den yo' take dat an' yo' take it to a crossroads where dere are wagon ruts at de crossroad, an' yo' bury it right dere in de middle of dat an' dat also will keep yo' lovable towards 'em.
(A woman uses that for men.)
Entry 3234
Take a new piece of domestic cloth. Yo' write on it 3 times a man'g name dat yo' want. Yo' write dere name an' wear 9 days in yore shoe an' dat'll draw 'im back to yo'. An' when he gits dere, yo' take dat little piece of cloth an' wipe yore pri- vates wit it. An' yo' wear it contin'us an' he can't leave yo'.
(You wear it in either shoe?)
Well, I would wear mine in de left shoe.
Entry 3235
Jis' lak if yo' have a man, a fren' or somepin, yo' kin git 9 needles an' wear 'em an' he cain't have no othah woman but chew. (Where would you wear those 9 needles?) Yo' kin wear 'em roun' yore neck or sew 'em in a bag, yo' undahstan'. But chew have tuh wear 'em where he cain't see 'em. See, at nights when yo' go tuh bed yo' have tuh hide dis bag tuh keep 'im from seein' it.
Entry 3236
Jis' lak if yo', yo' know, take yo' a little small towel. All right, an' yo' an' 'im do business togethah - at least [I mean] yo' don't do no business wit 'im yo' undahstan', he do de business, see. Well, if yo' goin' do de busi- ness, yo' do it aftah he do it. Undahstan', don't do it wit 'im. Well, yo' take dat towel an' yo' takes it an' ROLL IT TO YO' NINE TIMES, jis' lak yo' do a snake [demonstrates], yo' know [see later]. An' aftah dat, all right, yo' take nine needleS an' yo' PIN DEM NINE NEEDLES IN [IT], YO' KNOW, COMIN' TO YO'. An' den aftah yo' pin de nine needles in it, well yo' take it den an' roll it roun' nine times lak dat an' den git chew a fruit jar.
(You mean you would roll it around like you would coil a snake.)
Yes sir.
(The first time you roll it towards you nine times?)
Yassuh. An' git chew a package of brand-new needles [demonstrates]. (And after you get these needles in it, then you take that roll like a jelly roll, a cake, and you make it like the coil of a rope [or lak yo' do a snake].) Den yo' take an' git.chew a fruit jar an' put chew jis' enough watah in dere to covah dis heah towel, yo' undahstan', an' den take an' put chew a little sugah in dere an' airtight it, an' take an' bear [bury] it undah yore steps. He goin come back home - bring dat money.
Entry 3237
She say if yore husban' is runnin' aroun' aftah any othah women, she say whenevah yo' an' im jis' 'ave connection, have yo' a new piece of homespun dat is nevah been use, an' take a hot ahn [iron], jis' press dat in dere 'y [where] it wet, press it [semen] right dry into dat piece of new homespun. She say yo' leave it undah yer pillah [pillow] fer nine mawnin's, an' de ninth mawnin' tie it aroun' yer wais' an' weah it dere fer nine mawnin's. She say he'll nevah run aroun' aftah nobody else no mo'.
Entry 3238
Ah know dis wuz positive cuz ah have tried dis. Ah've known mah hus- ban' tuh run out a lot, an' ah took - an' a lady [doctor] tole me somepin tuh do, it wuz worryin' me so, yo' know. An' quite nachural it wuzn't nuthin tuh hurt 'im at all, it wuz jes' tuh gain 'im back tuh mahself, see. An' she tole me tuh go uptown an' git a nickel worth of dis cheap homespun, but let it be bran'-new an' take it an' come home an' tear a piece off an' don' use it fo' nuthin but dat. An' she tole me tuh take dis piece of homespun an' dry him off wit it fo' nine times. An' aftah ah dry 'im off dat ninth time, jump up right off de bed - don't care if it twelve a'clock, one a'clock or whut hour of night it is - while dat dishrag is wet, ah mean dat new homespun is Wet, an' take it an' BURY IT UP UNDAH DE STEPS AN' SAY, JOE, AH'M BURYIN' YORE NATURE HEAH BECUZ YO' HAVE LEAVE ME, AN' ALTOGETHAH YO' DIDN'T WANT ME. YO' WUZ GIVIN' MINE'S WHUT BELONG TUH ME TO SOMEONES ELSE. AN' AH'M BURYIN' YO' HEAH NOW FO' YO' TUH COME BACK HEAH AN' BE WIT ME AN' BESIDES ME NO OTHAH, AN' WHENEVAH YO' GO TUH GIT UP ON TOP ANOTHAH WOMAN YORE HEART WILL FALL. An' evah time he go tuh git up on anothah woman, tuh save his life he couldn't have it. Don't care if de Judgment comin' an' dat wuz goin' save him, he couldn't have 'er 'less he die, an' he cain't have her den. He jes' be up dere tryin'. Evah time he go tuh put somepin dere it jes' buckle back, couldn't do anythin' wit 'er. Ah've tried dat mahself. An' aftah ah did it fo' a limited time, ah watched 'im to see how it wuz goin' act yo' know - tuh see whut he goin' do. An' lak ah did it dis mawnin' an' on de nex' third day, he would be wit me an' all befo' he wuzn't bein' wit me. He'd be out yo' know, othahwise.
Entry 3239
You see, if a woman has a man an' she wants to fool a long time, you understan' - don't want him to git there an' git right away - w'y she jis' take this penny an' put it right on her tongue - you under- stan', on top of de tongue - an' he can have all de fun he want but every time he starts to git there, you know, she'll suck down on that penny, that'll go back. [For holding breath, see also margin titles on p.2348.]
Entry 3240
If a woman wants tuh kill a man - jis' lak if dat's 'er sweetheart an' she wants to git 'im out 'er way, [they] say she kin take a penny an' put it undah her tongue while dey's makin' a connection togeth- ah an' says, whenevah he goes to make his end, well she's gwine [to] hol' 'er breath while dat penny's undah de tongue. An' dey say dat'll paralyze him. Say it won't kill 'im right den, it'll jis' give him a stroke, he can't walk - he won't be no mo' service to hisself.
Entry 3241
Makin' connection wit othah woman, in case any- thin' won't happen to him, hol' a penny in 'is mouthan' it'll kill de germs - ketch anythin'.
(Hold a penny in his mouth while he is doing this.)
Entry 3242
(Begin at the beginning.)
A bad disease. See, her have a pox.
(She has it?)
Yes, she has it. He hasn't got anythin'. Now, she'll take a penny, a brass penny, an' put it into her mout' undah her tongue, an' she'll lay down in bed wit dis man. Now, when he git up outa baid, from affiliatin' wit 'er, he's got a dose dat he'll nevah git rid of. (What has that brass penny got to do with it?) Well, dat penny, dat gives it - you know, dat makes it mo' strongah dan what it would, if a man bein' ketched wit it jis' by himself.
(I see, that makes it stronger.)
Strongah.
Entry 3243
How to git rid of 'em? Yo' have a Indian head penny an' buy a pocket han'skuff or eithah a piece of domestic, jis' so it a new piece of cloth. When yo' have a intahco'se wit 'im, why den yo' don't make connection, jes' let 'im make de connection. An' den yo' try to handle [the cloth] in a way da choo [That you] git all dat [semen] on [in?] one sass [sauce, try to collect the semen in one spot]. Yo' put dat Indian head penny right in de middle of dat stuff, an' den yo' tie it. All right, an' yo' sleep on it. Well, dis hol's 'im. An' de minute choo wan'a git rid of 'im, yo' jis' turn it loose, jis' throw de rag away an' take de penny an' spend it.
Entry 3244
Dere is de roots of de 'simmon tree. Yo' go out dere an' yo' git de roots offa dat. [A rooster began to: crow. I must have put up my hand asking for silence, be- cause informant inquires:] Suh?
(That rooster is crowing in the daytime. Means change in weather doesn't it?)
[I did not ask him what it meant because I was not collecting folklore uncon- nected with spirits or magic rites.] Yes.
[We continue.]
(Get that root of the persimmon tree?)
Yessuh.
(Any place?)
From dis side [demonstrates]. Always gits it from dis side, from de sundown side. An' in de mawnin' yo' git it from sunrise, see. An' yo' take dat off dere den an' yo' carry it back home an' yo' boils it - yo' make a tea out of it. When yo' make de tea out of it, den yo' kin put dat, chew know, into a bathe fo' a woman tuh bathe. Put jes' some in de watah in case she wants - she goin' wit chew [her husband] sompin. An' jes' a little teaspoonful of alum an' dat will make her close up - see, jes' draw up. An' he swears she won' have no- body but 'im. He swears nobody go dere but 'im. (You say if she takes a douche with this bath water, with this persimmon root boiled in it, it makes her close up?) Close up, an' a little piece of alum.
(And who would do this? The woman does that to herself?)
To herself, whut she do it fo'. An' when he go dere he swear she ain't messin' wit nobody but 'im. He ain't nuthin but a fool about it. She jes' ain't goin worry 'im 'bout it. An' she kin mess wit, have a hunderd diff'ren mens; but she nevah git it - close right down. An' he go right behin' dem an' swear she ain't nevah have no one.
(She is having those men. It would be too open if her husband [unexpectedly]
came around. She uses that and she closed it back up again. And he won't think anybody has been there.) Dat's right. [THE THEORY OF MAGIC HERE IS: A ROOT FROM THE SUNRISE SIDE OF THE TREE OPENS; FROM THE SUNSET SIDE, CLOSES.]
Entry 3245
She say kin take a pin an' put it in her mouth. An' dat's whut she did do to make a livin, an' no man could evah, yo' know, bring 'er atall. She could have a hunderd mens a night. Jes' put a pin undah- neat', yo' know, her tongue.
(Hold it there?)
Yassuh.
Entry 3246
A pin, a brass pin. You can take a brass pin - like if she - if a woman's goin' an' she get after you and she wants to give yo' a vener'al disease, you understand. (She wants to give you a venereal disease?) Yes. (I understand.) She take dat pin - she'll take a brass pin when yo' havin' intahco'se wit 'er. An' she'll take dat brass pin an' she'll hold it in 'er mouth, see. Well, she hold it in 'er mouth. Well, all right. Aftah yo' have yore intahco'se wit 'er, see, well nine days aftahwards, if yo' don't have no idea about it, why dat thing will start to run, an' stay on if, if yo' don't know what to do. If yo' don't know whut to do to cure it, why it, jes keeP gIttin' WOrSe. An' I DON'T CARE NUTHIN ABOUT DOCTORS [M.D.'s]. HEDICINE WILL NOT CURE IT.
(I see. That's if she wants to give you a venereal disease.)
Yes, if she want to give it to yo', yo' undahstan'.
(Well, ISN'T THERE ANY WAY YOU GET RID OF IT, if she gives it tO you?)
Yes. Well, de way yo' git rid of dat, yo' go to de woods. Yo' go to de woods or a swamp somewhere an' yo' git Swamp root or de watah lily.
(The what?)
De watah lily root - swamp root.
(Water lily. All right.)
[This is probably the swamp lily, a white flowered lily (Crinum americanun) of the southern United States.] Swamp root, yo' boil dat. Yo' boil it down an' yo' take one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of sulphur. Yo' mix dat togethah into a quart of watah. Yo' take three tablespoonsful a day. Before each meal yo' take a tablespoonful. Dat'll cure it. But not wit'out some Swamp root. Somepin ah'll do it wit, it'll nevah nOt cure It. DOCTORS SHOOTIN AN' ALL DAT KIN'A SHOTS WILL NOT GIT RID OF IT, AN' I HAD IT. SO MANY PERSONS A DAY IN TOWN DAT DIES FROM DAT GOIN' TUH HOS- PITALS AN' NEVAH BE'S CURED. YO' GOTA GIT SOME MAN OUTA DE WOODS, OR SOME MAN TO GIT SOMEPIN OUTA DE GROUN' TO CURE DAT.
Entry 3247
Say fuh ninstan' [instance], if mah husban' had some othah woman dat he's runnin' aroun' wit an' won' do de right thin', stay shet [shut] at home. In havin' dealin' wit 'im, ah kin git a towel dat's long enough tuh reach aroun' me, an right in de middle of dat towel ah kin use it on 'im [wipe him], an' den pin it aroun' me, an' wear it fer sixteen days. Dat will break dat othah place up [break up the affair with the other woman].
(Wear it for sixteen days, then what do you do with it?)
Den yo' wash it aftah yo' wear it de sixteen days. But chew have tuh wear dat aroun' jew.
Entry 3248
Jes' lak mah wife figures dat ah'm messin' wit anothah woman an' she wants tuh stop me. She'll go ahead when we done have connection an' she'll take an' wipe me when ah - den she'll take de rag, an' take de rag an' wear it in 'er pocket. An' when ah go to anothah woman, jes' lak ah go to anothah woman, ah would nevah have any nature fo' de othah woman. Ah would have no nature fo' no woman but mah ole lady, or if dis wuz mah woman - sompin lak dat.
Entry 3249
Dis here is one way. Dey tell me yo' send a man off, too. Say yo' go to work an' if a woman wanta git a man off in dat respect, why yo' go to work an' yo' fool wit one anothah, yo' know. She won't wipe wit de same cloth he wipewit. She wipes 'im off yo' know. Den she'll take dat an' tack it or somepin lak dat - yo' know, sew it up in a cloth an' den go to de railroad track or somepin lak dat wit a boxcar open or somepin lak dat, an' throw it in dere. An' dey tell me he'll drive along somewhere, cuz lotsa time dey take a boxcar, yo' know, an' dey carry it off - put it on some diff'ren track. Maybe dey carry it to de Mississippi valley 8ome- wheres or nothah befo' dey evah lose it. An' dey go off wanderin'.
Entry 3250
If a man wants tuh fix a woman so she can't have any- thin' tuh do wit anybody else. At de time dat dey have fin- ished it, dey said if he uses a red pocket han'cheff an' cleans de woman an' den he folds it an' wear it in de bottom of 'is shoe, he'd have dis woman fixed so she won't be able tuh go out wit anybody else.
(He wears it in his shoe. Either shoe?)
Yeah, either shoe. [Folding is a confining rite like tying a knot.]
Entry 3251
Yo' kin take that him an' her, yo' know, use, an' wrap it up in sulphur an' some sugar an' some red onion. Take it an' pu'tit [put it] in your pocket an' wrap it up. Take dat cloth an' she won't have any other use for no other man.
Entry 3252
If he is away from home dataway, yo' see dose red peppah pod, split de peppah open an' hull it out well - only one. Durin' de times he's sleepin', yo' take de scissors an' cut a little piece of hair off of dat, way down below. Put it in dat peppah, sew it up in a little band, an' wear it aroun' yore waist dat way. She may talk to men but huh mind will have no dealin's wit: 'em, yo' see.
Entry 3253
Well, ah tell yo' whut chew kin do tuh break a man up wit a woman. Yo' buy a bran'-new pocket han'chuf, if yo' wanta break up 'im from intahco'se wit 'er. Take yo' a bran'-new pocket han'chuff an' have intahco'se wit 'im. See, ketch it [semen] all in dis new pocket han'chuff an' take it home wit chew. Yo' take dat han'chuff jis' lak dis [demonstrates] an' roll dis to yo'. See dis, evah time. Yo' turn it roun' an' yo' roll it right back to yo'. Den yo' turn an' yo' roll it ag'in. Fold it up, see. Take yo' nine pods of red peppah [9 dried finger peppers - hot peppers] an' put it on dere an' two spoonsfulla table salt. Dig yo' a hole in de fiahplace or cookin' stove. Do dis at twelve a'clock in de night, zackly twelve, an' don't talk tuh nobody, be by yo'self. Dig dat hole an' put it in dere. An' whosomevah build a fire - yo' don' have tuh build no fiah [if there is a fire, use it; if not] build a fiah dere an' burn dat up an' don't even look back, an' if yo' don't do whut chew wan'a do, dat's yorn [man or woman]. Ah had a man ah vuz re'lly crazy about. Ah re'lly loved 'im an' he done rid- ded [got rid of me] me fo' anothah woman. A Mistah John Cook [Mistah indicates a white doctor], ah nevah will fo'git, he tole me fis' whut tuh do an' ah tried it. Ah thought he wuz jis' lyin'. So ah went home an' ah tried it. He quit dis woman. He moved up dere wit Miz Wallace. He worked fo' dem [Wallace family] a long time in de garden. He said, "Honey, ah jis' don' feel satisfied if ah ain't wit chew." An' ah went off an' left 'im mahself, come ovah heah [to Little Rock]. He lef' [the Wallace family] an' he come home tuh me [followed me to Lit- tle Rock] an' he stayed dere.
Entry 3254
Dey tell me if yo' git chew a new piece of homespun an' use fo' him tuh wipe wit, aftah dem be togethah. Take dat piece of homespun an' roll it up tight, an' take it an' put it up ovah de do' or in some dark place, somepin othah. Dat'll bring 'im in - make him come back. He can't have nobody but chew. Say he would come back if he's in New Orleans den.
Entry 3255
(Do they get it out of any particular track, or doesn't it make any difference?) No, it don' make any diff'rence jis' since it de hollah of dey track, yo' undahstan'. See, right in de hollah of dey track. Dey take dat dirt, yo' undah- stan' an' wrap it up in a rag, see. Take dat rag, if yo take it out a girl's track, yo' take it to yore home, yo' undahstan', an' put dat rag up undah de baid in de rollah.
(You take the roller out and put it up in that hole and put the roller back?)
Dat's it, an' dat girl won' take nobody else, have nuthin tuh do wit inter'- co'se atall. [Bed leg, roller not mentioned, will be found later under margin title UNDERWEAR.]
Entry 3256
Jes' lak yore ole man is about tuh git away from yo', yo' git a new piece of white cloth an' jes' lak yo' know, yo' use a towel at night, an' in- stead of usin' dat, yo' use dat cloth fo' nine mawnin's. Jes' whenevah, yo' know, yo' have any dealin's wit 'im, yo' use dat cloth. If yo' want it tuh be nine days, yo' kin. An' den yo' take it aftah de ninth day an' yo' use it. Well den yo' take some sugah an' spread it out an' put it in dis new cloth an' yo' fold it to yo' an' den yo' sew it [to you] an' then yo' carry [turn] it dis- away an' bring it back [to you] disaway an' sew it. An' den de place he sleeps on, de side he sleep on, yo' put dat new cloth an' dat sugah an' that othah stuff into it, right where he lays.
(You roll that to you and then you fold the ends together?)
Yessuh, always bring it to yo', don' nevah go 'way from yo', an' jes' fold it always to yo', an' when yo' sew, sew it to yo'. An' yo' jes' let it stay right on de side where he sleeps on. Jes' cut de mattress an' put it in dere an' let it stay right on de side where he sleeps on.
Entry 3257
Of co'se I don't believe in it now, I'm gonna tell yo' de troof, but I heard a girl said [and] men said. To keep yo' from havin' any intahco'se wit Womenfolks, dat chuh wife or yore girl frien', whoevah dey might be, kin take a part of yore undahweah, see de part dat be down nex' to yore privates. Dey take dat an', yo' know, git some yore - I don't know wha' choo call it, yo' know jis' lak when it comes aftah yo' havin' intahco'se wit degirls, see. Well, dey kin take a clean piece of homespun - not have nuthin on it, jis' clean homespun - an' take it, yo' know, an' dey'll wipe demselves wit it, see. An' den take de part of yore undahweah where he had it, an' put it all in de same piece an' sew it up wit a bran'-new needle an' some new thread an' weah it. Dey weah it, yo' know, in dey [he doesn't know the name here either]. An' dey say, den yo' can't raise no mo' nature fo' no othah woman outside dem. I know two or three boys cain't even do it, nuthin at all. Cain't do nuthin only wid de ole lady - de wife.
Entry 3258
[This margin title SEXUAL is placed here merely to call attention to the fact that, because of comparative scarcity, I have had to scatter a number of sexual endurance rites among those of SEXUAL IMPOTENCE.] For to have endurance with a woman during sexual intercourse: If she will hang a pair of her bloomers or teddies, either one, over the head of the bed - over your head, too - your endurance will last indefinitely. [Fredricksburg, Va., by Ediphone, meaning I repeated informant's words into speaking tube.]
Entry 3259
Well, if dis man have any - if he's runnin' aroun' an' if he have any dealin' wit dis woman, she [wife] could take dat piece he use, yo' see, an' put it in some lukewarm watah an' it would clab- bah jis' lak buttahmilk. An' she puts it in a pint bottle. Yo' know, put dis watah in a pint bottle an' let 'im sleep on it three nights an' shake it up each night he sleep on it. An' well, he cain't have nuthin tuh do wit no othah woman. He cain't do dat.
(Who does this now? The wife does that?)
De wife do's it. (When he has connection with her, then she does it. Then he won't have any dealings with any other woman.) See, she have tuh use it. When he gits through, she shouldn't git through. See, jis' let 'im git through, an' den she wipe, yo' know dis rag whut he use it. Well, den she take it an' put it in some lukewarm watah an' it'll clabbah, an' den she puts it in a pint bottle an' den let 'im sleep on it three nights. Put it in de bed where he cain't see it - yo' know, all unknown tuh him, an' let 'im sleep on it three nights, an' den shake it up each mawnin' an' sleep on it, an' it ain't no woman he kin have.
(What would she do with that bottle after he sleeps on it three days?)
She has dat bottle, keeps dat bottle. She kin bury it in de ground, but it ain't nuthin he kin do.
Entry 3260
He kin take dat inside sole of 'er shoe. Yo' know de piece inside. Take de inside outa her shoe, take her right one, an' he kin put on dere, write on dere, an' take jis' lak he gittin' 'is han'skuff or somepin or a piece of rag, a small piece of rag, an' make lak he's wiping, an' wipe her. An' wrap dat all up tuhgethah. But he writin' on it [before wrapping everything up he has written on the insole], say, I don't want no man to take her away from me - an' have her name down - an' give me no trouble about it. An' he keep dat so she won't put 'er han' on it. Well, kin no man take her away from 'im.
Entry 3261
[AS YOU KNOW, THE READER WHO HAS MORE THAN DIPPED INTO HOODOO, I AM FREQUENTLY USED AS A GUINEA PIG. THE FOLLOWING EXAMPLE IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL!] I will tell yo' - of co'se yo' could - maybe if yo' have to - now, yo' know what yo' do? It's a sure sign - yo' could try it. Now, lak if me [a man] an' yo wus a woman - listen good! - yo' an' me lie in de bed an' go to bed. Now, well, yo' know she'd use de hair. Soak it in watah. Well, she give yo' one rag an' he take one. Well, while yo' [who?]. Yo' undahstan', don' chew [the woman] wipe wit dat, undahstan'. Listen good! Yo' wipe wit de one what yo' have.
(Well, what would she use then?)
No, what you use.
(I see. [I see that I am still the guinea pig.])
An' yo' cut a piece out right dere an' wear dat in yore shoe. I betcha she do dat evah day.
(I see - that's to hold her [or him].)
Entry 3262
An' den [in] othah words, let 'im have a intahco'se wit 'er an' she not have an' interco'se wit him. An' take dat rag whut wuz used an' stick it in de toes of her shoes an' she has 'im locked dat way [he cannot have another woman].
Entry 3263
(What do they do?)
He'd have dealin's wit 'er - jis' take a piece of lint cotton.
(Lint?)
Lint.
(A piece of lint cotton, yes.)
[Lint cotton years ago used to be raw cotton after it was ginned - seeds re- moved by a cotton gin.l An' jis' use it. An' he'll git dat, yo' know, an' take it an' put it 'tveen de big toe an' dat othah toe an' put 'is sock on ovah it. An' as long as he wears dat dere, she can't have no other man. (Where?) Put it between dem two toes. (Oh! then he wears his sock over lint cotton [used as bedcloth] between his big toe and that other toe. Which foot? Or both feet?) This here foot [demonstrates].
(Right hand.)
Ary [either] one.
(Either foot.)
Yes, sir, eithah foot.
(I see.)
"Tween de big toe an' de next toe to dat, 'tween 'em like dat.
(I see. And that will keep other men away?)
Yes sir. No sir, dat won't keep 'em away, but dat will keep 'er from playin' wit othah men. She can't have anothah man.
(I see.)
Entry 3264
[You] kin take a new han'chuff an' put it in a man's left-foot shoe an' let it stay dere all night long aftah yo' done had somepin tuh do wit 'im. Yo' use dat han'chuff an' put it in 'is left-foot shoe, see, an' he cain't fool wit nobody but chew.
(Well, he would find that handkerchief in the shoe, wouldn't he?)
No sir, yo' supposed tuh take it out.
(You get up before he finds it?)
Why certainly. A new han'chuff dat's nevah been used fo' anythin' but de business.
(What will you do with the handkerchief then?)
Bear [bury] it.
(Where?)
Put it undah de house. Dat make him always wanta be comin' dere. He won't fool wit nobody an' bring de money home.
Entry 3265
You can take a dime, a silver dime, an' put it underneath your tongue when you're on top of a woman, and keep that dime under your tongue all the time [during intercourse], and she'll have no nature for any other man, and no man, can raise a head for her. [I would say the preceding word head is rare in HOODOO, heart or hard being the coron term. But I was not collecting sexual language, merely recording speech as it cme.
[Fredricksburg, Va., No. OO, by Ediphone.]
Entry 3266
To give a man a disease, she kin take an' hole [hold] a silvah dime in 'er mouth. See, she take an' hole a silvah dime in 'er mouth. She take de wax out of 'er years [ears] an' when she go to fool aroun' wit yoreself [with a man] yo' undahstan', she kin put dat on de head of it, if she gits a chance to do it she put dat on de head of it, yo' see. Now, when yo' go to have any connections wit 'er, yo' undahstan', an' when yo' go to discharge, she's got dat dime in de cornah of 'er mouth. An' when yo' 中商 goes to dis- charge, she put it in de roof of 'er mouth. She hole it in de roof of 'er mouth an' dat's goin' to strain yo', see. It'll strain yo' an' by strainin' yo', dis here wax what she'd taken outa her years an' put on yo', yo' see, dat's goin' to burn. Dat burn, dat make yo' tendah dere dat's goin' to give yo' a cut, see. An' den dat strain yo' in de back an' when yo' git through, when yo' git up from dere, de nex' mawnin' when yo' look at yore self, yo' got what yo' call a cleft. Yo' see, yo' got a cleft. An' den from a cleft it'll turn into maybe a shingle. An' dat'll cause maybe fer yo' to be op- erated on. If yo' let it run, come too bad, dey might have to operate on yo'. She give it to yo' dataway. An' de shankle is de worst disease dat a person kin have, excusin' de pox. See? Well, den yo' kin git de pox off of de same thin'.
(That same way? That same woman?)
Yes, sir.
(What do they use to get rid of those things?)
Well, now, if she wuz givin' yo' anythin' of dat sort - shankle, or pox or somepin of dat sort, yo' git yo' some of dis brown healin' powdah, dey call it.
Entry 3267
You hold a silver dime in your mouth and when a man is dischargin, yo' hold that dime on him, an' he'll take the claps.
Entry 3268
This is so, I done tried that myself. If you wan'a be wit a woman an don't wan'a discharge so quick, yo' take a dime, jis' put a dime in your mouth an' hold it underneath your tongue there, an' yo' kin screw that woman I reckon about two or three times as long as you would if you didn't have it. Dong if yo' can't whip 'er almos' to death.
Entry 3269
Wal, ah heard if yo' wanted 'im tuh come right quick, jes' put it undah yore tongue.
(What would you put under there?)
A dime, yes sir, or either a needle. Yo' kin put a needle in yore mouth[!!!]. (Well, that isn't the way I heard it.) [I was thinking of endurance rites for men.]