Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 3, entries 3110–5205)/Part 21
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 3, entries 3110–5205. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 4710
Lotta things dey kin do wit dat, too. Dat little bow right in heah, right dere [demonstrates], dey kin take dat an' git chure sweat [in the bow]. Dey kin take dat, dat sweat, an' dey kin - git chew a little sack an' sew dat up in dere. An' take some moonshine likkah an' jis' keep dampened ovah - jis' wet it wit dat an' throw it away. An' dey tell me dat will run yuh crazy.
(Keep it dampened with moonshine liquor. And they throw it away?)
Throw it away.
(That makes you lose your mind.)
Entry 4711
She take de bow outa a man's hat an' she takes an' put it in a small bottle, yuh undahstan'. An' she take dat bottle, yuh undahstan', an' takes some whiskey an' po' in dere on it roun' about every month, see [feeding this hand - see p.578]. he'll jis' be worried aftah her all de time.
[HERE A BLACK PERSON CALLS A WHITE PERSON, "BOY."]
(What would she do with that bottle?)
Well, she'll take dat bottle up dere yuh know, an' she keep dat bottle an' feed it all de time.
Entry 4712
Take dat bow an' yuh git chew rock sulphur [a molded cake of sulphur] an' yo' git some spice, spice an' rock sulphur, an' powdah it up togethah, an' yuh sew it up intuh a bag an' yuh feed it on red whiskey [not white moonshine]. Tote it anywhere 'bout chew or pin it tuh yore clothes nex' tuh yore skin. Dat keep dem home, dey Won't go. [Brunswick, Ga., (1224), 2080:6.] [Perhaps most hoodoo believers would say that clothing is a substitute for the human body only if it contains sweat - it must be dirty. On the other hand there are cases of a clean garment being stolen from the clothesline (p.92, lines 5-12) because it has merely touched the human body.]
Entry 4713
Jis' lak yuh got a woman an' yuh can't stay wit 'er, an' if yuh got any dey clothes whut dey wear. If yuh kin git holt of any of 'em, dat sweat place undah yore arm, yuh undahstan', cut it out. An' take an' put it [a piece of his armpit and any of her clothes] in a box, a little match box, an' keep it in dere fo' 'bout - maybe 'bout a week [7 days]. Aftah a week, go away, yuh could feel a change in 'er. See, aftah yuh keep it in yore Pocket. Yuh gotta keep it in yore pocket though, an' yuh take it an' wear. An' aftah while yuh an' 'er became to love.
Entry 4714
She used it tuh bring 'er man back. Heah's whut she does. She eithah take a piece of undahshirt where he sweats undah heah, undah de lef' arm. An' she takes dat an' balls it up in a knot an' dress it wit Hearts Cologne an' buries it undah de step. An' usely [usually] he comes back.
Entry 4715
A guy cut a piece out of a woman's bloomahs, out de seat of it, an wear it on de left side [in armpit, see later] right down in his coat; an' wear it, an' nobody else couldn't be wit 'er but 'im. (You said before [while recording machine turned off] that he wore it under his left arm, didn't you?) Yessuh, den he wore it undah 'is lef' arm. An' nobody could be wit 'er but 'im.
Entry 4716
Take an' cut yore sleeve whut chew sweat undahneat' chure arms. She'll take dat an' she'll mix it wit 'er undahweah - yo' see, wit de seat of 'er undah- weah yo' know an' ties it up, see. An' she'll weah it, see. Dat's one way.
(To bring him back.)
He be worried about her all de time.
Entry 4717
(Tell me something about that.)
Dat little pocket?
(No, the other.)
Whenevah he go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er somepin, well he jis' put it undah 'is lef' arm heah. Let it hang down ovah it lak dat, an' keep it undah dere. Don't let nobody take it out till he git tuh 'er. When he git tuh 'er, he give it tuh 'er lak dat an' she'll lak 'im. She'll always lak 'im, always be wit 'im.
(Well, what would he buy her for example?)
Jis' anything - jis' some candy or stockings or anything she weah, jis' any- thing.
(But he must keep it under his left arm.)
Keep it undah 'is lef' arm, yeah.
Entry 4718
Git dat sweatban' out from undah heah, undah yer arm, dis heah lef' one. (Cut that out of the armhole. And what do they do with that?) Takes dat an' puts peppah wit dat an' salt an' buries dat. Dat's to run anybody, to git [rid] of 'em - yer enemies wit dat.
Entry 4719
Yuh has some dirty undahweahs. Dey will go take yore undahweahs an dey will burn 'em. Dey have tuh burn 'em tuh ashes. Dey take it an' take 'em [ashes] wit 'em, see, an' blow it away dataway an' dat'll keep yuh on de drag, so when yuh got shoes, yuh need a hat; when yuh got a hat, chew need a coat; when yuh got coats, yuh need a pants. Dat keep yuh on de drag. Now, if yuh kin - if anybody yuh suspect, yuh undahstan', or whosomevah dat did so, yuh see, yuh take yuh dat parchment papah an' yo'd write dere name on dat. Den yuh write chure name roun' dat. See [demonstrates].
(You write the [your] name right around the [in a] circle?)
Yeah, yuh got dem in a circle. Take dat same papah an' burn it tuh a powdah. Put it in a plate an' blow. Yuh blow dat same luck back on 'em [this is return- ing the spell].
Entry 4720
If she kin git any of 'is clothes dat he weah, she kin git 'im back. Now, if he done lef' home an' aftah he lef' home, if she want 'im back - she feel dat he didn't do right, an' she try tuh git'im back. She'll take de seat of 'is undahweah an' cut dat out an' den she'll fold it, blow 'er breath on it an' fold it. An' she'll sit down - wheresomevah he may be or where he live - if she writes 'im. She'll heah where he at, she'll git 'im a lettah. He's gotta git de lettah. She'll go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er some love powdahs an' put in dat lettah. An' den she'll fol' dat piece an' weah it undah 'er right-foot shoe, nex' tuh 'er flesh between 'er stockin' an' 'er shoe. An' five days from de day he sees dat lettah, he'll come home. (She puts the love powder in this letter, and she wears this piece of the drawers in her shoe.) Yes, in 'er right-foot shoe.
Entry 4721
If yuh kin git holt of 'is photograph or anythin', yuh kin git 'im back ag'in.
(Do you know just how they do that?)
Well, yuh git holt a piece of 'is clothin'. Now, if it's a woman dat wants 'im back ag'in, yuh git aholt of a piece of 'is clothes an' yuh dress it in cologne. Yuh take it an' fold it de way [direction] he is. If he is east, no'th, west, or south, yuh take dat piece of clothin', a small piece of it, an' fold it [demonstrates] an' make yore wishes.
(Fold it toward you.)
Towards yuh evah time. Points it de way he is an' fold it back evah time. An' yuh git yuh a couple of needles an' pin it each way, bottom an' top, an yuh split dat needle. Lets 'er wear one in 'er right shoe here, an' give her de othah one an' let 'er hold it in 'er han'. An' she kin walk - an' let 'er go straight tuh runnin' watah an' drop it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind - she has tuh do dis on de grown [growing] of de moon an' ketch de wind blowin' towards de way she wants 'im tuh come. If she is in New York, ketch de wind blowin' disaway.
(Blowing south?)
Dat's right. Drop dis ovahbo'd an' walk backwards from it about nine steps, turn tuh left an' go on. Make her wishes an' he'll come right - in nine days he'll be dere.
(I didn't quite understand you about putting these needles?)
Yuh see, if yuh fold de clothes, prob'ly fold it dis way. Well aftah yuh git a little pad of it made, git yuh a needle on each side of it. Git chew a pair of keen - anythin' dat's sharp an' split dem needles in two.
(Oh, I see! You cut the whole package in half.)
De needles den will be on each side of it.
(Two halves of the needles will be in each side of the package.)
An' have dem needles so dey won't injure her foot an' let 'er wear it right in 'er shoe. Fasten it in dere in a way dat it won't slide backwards an' for- wards. Take dis half an' fold it in yore han' an' when it gits warm, when yuh go tuh de watah wit it - an' throw it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind blowin' from de Way dat yuh want 'im tuh come home.
Entry 4722
Anybody you love is away and you want to bring them back, just burn a piece of his clothes and he'll come back. You take some clothing next to his skin. [Newport News, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 4723
If yo' got a house an' if yo' wanted tuh rent it an' want tuh put de people out of it, yo' go dere an' git some of dere ole clothes. Yo' carry 'em off an' burn 'em. An' while yo' burnin' de clothes, yo' take an' keep asprinklin' sulphuh on it. An' yo' burn it up an' yo' git dem ashes an' carry 'em back dere an' dey can't stay in dat house. Dey won't stay in dere long.
(What do you do with those ashes when you carry them back?)
Yo' carry 'em right an' sprinkle 'em right in de yard.
Entry 4724
Becuz if she tie yo' up an' yo' wanta git loose from 'er, jis' all yo' gotta do, git somepin belongs tuh 'er. Yo' git somepin belongs tuh 'er. Git chew some red peppah an' sulphuh an' table salt. PUT IT TOGETHAH, UNDAHSTAN' ME, 'CUZ AH'M NOT GOIN' Undahstan' it. An' put in a tin an' yo' burn it. An' when dat peppah an' dat salt an' dat gunpowdah [sulphuh] flies, her min' goes away from yo' jis' dat way.
(You put some piece of hers with those.)
Yes.
Entry 4725
[To bury clothes in the ground is a common rite in HOODOO. Some of these rites are complicated; others simple, such as those following, which estab- lish the margin title.] Yuh take a woman's stockin' an' a piece dat she worn near tuh 'er, we'll say 'er step-ins or 'er bloomahs. An' ah heard dat chew could bury 'em, an' dat would make de woman pay attention tuh de man - special, yuh know.
Entry 4726
Anywhere dey bury yore clothes at, DE SWEAT OF YORE CLOTHES, dat is goin' tuh make yuh wondah [wander] dere. Yuh goin' tuh wondah tuh dat place, see.
(Well, why would they bury those clothes out at the railroad track?)
Well, dat if dey want tuh git yuh out dere tuh kill yuh.
(Get you out there to kill you?)
Yuh see, if dey want tuh git yuh out dere tuh kill yuh, see, dey bury yuh out dere like dey want tuh git yuh out dere. Now, like if yuh de person an' yuh goes out dere where dey done got yore clothes, dey goin' tuh git yuh out dere so dey kin knock yuh in de haid or kill yuh.
Entry 4727
A woman will take some of de man's undahclothes an' some of 'is halr offa his haid, an' put it in a bottle an' bury it somewhere aroun' dere 'bout de house. If she wan' 'im, dat's tuh keep 'im at 'er house mos' all de time.
Entry 4728
Dey husban' run aroun' an' dey don' wan' 'em tuh run aroun', dey take some of 'is clothes an' - take pieces of de undahclothes an' bury it. An' dat's all ah heah 'em say.
(His underclothes.)
Entry 4729
If dey's workin' wit chure wife, dey kin git chew back, becuz if dey git any of yore ole socks or undahweah pieces, why she kin have dem tuh bring yuh back home. Yuh jis' cain't he'p yuh'self.
(How do they do that? Bury them, you say?)
Bury 'em.
(As you told me before?)
Yes.
Entry 4730
Take de shoes - ah mean de stockin's an' piece of de shirttail an' bury it an dat will keep [em down.
Entry 4731
[As far as I can remember there are few rites concerned with buttons in HOODOO. General folklore has a fair number of them - 21 in FACI, 1st ed., lndex.] Takin' a button off 'is undahwear down dere an' wearin' it. (You take that off this man, the button down in front. What do you do with it?) Yuh take an' wear it aroun' yuh on a string an' dey say he cain't leave yuh.
Entry 4732
Well, jis' lak yuh would have a lady fren' - yuh undahstan' whut ah mean. She would ran off from yuh, but she'd be in de neighbahhood in de town some place - yuh know whut ah mean. Well, if it wuz possible yuh could git a pa'r of 'er step-ins - yuh undahstan' whut ah mean. Well, yuh would take dose step-ins an' yuh take intuh de laig, well about dat fur. Yuh take yore razor blade or knife an' yuh cut a hole roun' intuh it. Yuh would take 'cordin' tuh how many sills undah de house, maybe it be three or maybe it be five or six. Anyway it would be, yuh would have tuh put it in de centah of dat house. Undah- stan' whut ah mean. Well, yuh would bury dat, well dey say about six inches. Well, yo'd go tuh any hardware place an' git chew one dose ole nickel [5 cents!] files, an' right in de centah of de file - dose nickel files whut chew use tuh file de knife wit. Git one dose nickel files. Ah guess it would be 'bout dat long. Well, in bearin' [buryin'] dat, it gotta be in de centah of dat hole yuh dug wit dat. Drive it down an' leave jis' about dat much on top, an' in de run of 13 days, if she's livin' an' could walk, she come back.
(You just peg this file down with this piece of round cloth from her step-in?)
Dat's right.
(And you bury it under the center of the house?)
Right undah de centah of de house. In de run of thirteen days, ah guarantee yuh, she'll return.
Entry 4733
Take dat chicken an' bury 'im alive undahneat' de hearth. An' yuh take, see yuh take all de insides of de chicken out, an' yuh take de person's undah- clothes. Take de person's underclothes, as much of it, yuh know, dat's got'is, whatevah it is, yuh see. Yuh kin take dat, in de seat of it, an' put it in de chicken an' sew 'im up, if he's alive. An' yuh kin put 'im undahneat' de hearth, or any place, or bury 'im, undahstan'. An' whoevah dat person is, when dis chicken dies, yuh'll die, too.
(The chicken is alive?)
Yessuh, a live chicken, an' a roostah. Yuh don't kill 'i. Yuh jis' cut 'im Open an' take it out jis' as quick as yuh kin, an' push de chicken back tuhgethah an' bury 'im in dat hole while he's alive an' kickin'.
(Any kind of a chicken will do?)
Any chicken will do.
Entry 4734
[Here is a rite from George Jackson, the outstanding "high man" on the Eastern Shore at the end of the 19th century - see p.912.] He'd cut a piece [out of her underclothes] close tuh de heart in a coffin shape. Uncle George used tuh tell 'em how tuh do it. An' dey'd [the man would] care [carry] dat tuh 'im. An' if he wanted - yuh undahstan', he's tuh a place an' can't git along. Two women dere yuh know an' yuh can't git along, an' yuh want tuh git [one of them] away from dere an' don't know how tuh git [her] away. Yuh go tuh see Uncle George. An' Uncle George would tell 'im jis' whut tuh bring 'i. An' when [then] he'd bring dat piece cut from 'er clostes' gar- ment - right ovah 'er heart - undahclothes. Aftah he [Uncle George] fixed dis he'd [the client would] take dis tuh a runnin' stream an' send it adrift wit de wind an' tide. An' she wouldn't stay dere long neithah. She'd soon pull away from dere.
Entry 4735
Git a piece of somepin whut chew wear nex' tuh yere skin an' dey kin cut a piece outa dat, but it's certain dat dey cut it fo' cornahs [a coffin or four corners of the world symbol], jis' a fo-cornah piece, an' dey take dat an' bury it. An' dey tell me dat will make yuh sick.
Entry 4736
An' den if she don't wan'a do dat, she washes 'is shirt. She cuts jis' a half a length outa de shirt in front, right where it dangle down in front, right heah, jis' one end, an' she take dat an' she makes fo' cor- nahs out of it, sew hit an' put dat. Well, jis' as long as dat cloth stan', dat's 'er man.
(Where does she put this piece of cloth now?)
Put it undah de lef' arm or de lef' feet, an' jis' wears it.
Entry 4737
Now, if I got any of 'er undahweahs or anythin', well I takes dat an' I buries it. An' she ain't goin' tuh rest in peace until she come back tuh me. See, I takes it an' I mix it wit- git some cobweb. (Cobweb, spider web.) Yeah, dat's whut I mean. An' I gits me a white of a egg. I beats it up an' I mix dese up tuhgethah. Well, I takes dis - yo' know whut I mean - I mean 'er clothes, an' I folds dat tuh me an' I take an' I bury it right by de steps. An' she ain't goin' tuh be satis- fied until she come back.
(Comes back to you.)
She ain't goin' tuh git along wit no othah man. Den I kin take dat cloth, dat same cloth, an' git me some lodestone - git a live lodestone, got life in it - an' I makes a powdah wit it, an' I wraps dat up wit dat. See? I puts mah name on dis end an' 'er name here - goin' tuh make a separation, yo' see. An' I folds it so it be jis' dat much apart. See? An' I draw it tuhgethah. An' when I draw it tuhgethah dataway, well she comin' on back. No mattah where I'm at, she is comin' back.
Entry 4738
[In] fac' [fact] ah have known it tuh be a fac'. Ah've known people tuh say so dat were very superstitious of dat so't [sort] of thing. Dey say dat dey git a piece of yore - some piece of yore clothes dat chew wear close tuh yore body. Take dem an' bury 'em undah yore do'steps so many days, an' go tuh a crossroad in de mawnin' an' turn roun' nine times, an' aftah den dey say yuh cain't stay dere. Jis' diff'ren' so't of invisible things will appeah dere an' jis' evently [eventually] drive yuh away.
(They would bury this piece of clothing under the person's own step?)
Bury it undah dere step. Jes' sneak up in de night an' bury it undah de step, undah whos'evah steps yuh wanta move.
The informant reports others' belief in bodily clothing buried beneath the target's steps, followed by a morning crossroad visit and nine turns for a claimed departure through invisible things. A follow-up identifies whose steps. The opening assertion and hearsay qualification both remain explicit, with Hyatt's word completions separated.
Entry 4739
If a cook has got a job an' wan'a hold it, she'll take her undahweah an' boil 'em where - in de same watah dat chure dishes is boiled in, an' wash de dishes in dat watah. She stay dere long as she please. Dat's true.
(She'll hold her job.)
Entry 4740
Git hold of yore shirt or somepin lak dat an' make yuh leave dis part, section of de country where yuh live, an' yuh'll nevah come back. Well dey said, yuh take it an' wrap it up wit dog manure. Jis' take de dog manure an' heat it or somepin an wrap dis piece of cloth up in it, see. An' put it in a tin can, bur' [bury] it at de foot of a oak tree good. An' fer five night an' five day yuh walk dat dog - dat same dog where yuh got de stuff from - walk 'im ovah dat place fer five days an' five nights. An' yuh'll nevah come back home no mo'. Yuh're runnin' away. Den aftah yuh git through wit dat dog, run 'im away, run de dog away den. [This running away a dog, not responsible for running away the person, looks like the Old Testament scape-goat rite, transferring your own sin to some living creature (see Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26).]
Entry 4741
Well, yuh see, if yuh leave yore undahsuit dere an' yuh jis' pulled it off an' she have nevah washed it, well she kin take dat an' she kin take deundah- suit an' eithah do dis. She kin git de undahsuit. An' yuh see where it is sewed up in de seat, see where, right where it fits right tight on yuh. She kin take dat an' cut de seat out of it, an' hang it right up ovah de do' where yuh bin goin' in an' comin' out. An' in nine mawnin's time yuh'll be right back dere wit 'er.
Entry 4742
Dey take a piece of yuh undahweah an' put it ovah de sill of yuh front do'. No mattah where yuh go yuh always will be comin' back tuh dat house de same as yuh footprints did.
Entry 4743
Ah heard tell of dat, too. Well, jis' if yuh kin git any piece of a part dat he wear, lak undahclothes, yuh know, an' yuh cut de piece right out 'is undahweah down nex' tuh 'is privates, or sompin lak dat, an' den yuh take it an bury it undahneat' chure steps, an' he'll have tuh return home.
Entry 4744
A lady got a hold of a fellow's drawers and cut out right where the two legs come together, right in front, and taken and put it in a bottle, and put a new stopper in the bottle, and put that in the center of the door where he come over. That fellow couldn't leave there. They claim they take a piece of your clothes, that you wear next to your skin, and put it in a bottle and put a new stopper in, they've got you. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 4745
An' den yuh kin take a man's undahwear dat he wears, an' take it an' jis' ball it up in so - yuh know, jis' tight as yuh kin ball it. An' if he's runnin' aroun' an' yuh want 'im tuh stay at home - an' bury it right at de front do'steps as he come in, an' he'll git tuh de place he jis' won't leave home. An' he git so jealous dat yuh cain't go no place. He stay right wit chew all detime.
Entry 4746
Jis' lak yuh has a run-about husban' an' jis' lak ah'm telled [I have told] 'im an' ah cain't stop 'im. Jis' take yore piece of 'is undahshirt, yuh know, nex' tuh 'is skin, an' git de right track an' some of 'is hair an' bury dem undah yore do'steps. An' ah guarantee he won' go wit nobody else.
(Any piece of your undershirt?)
Yes, nex' to his skin - yes, under 'is arm.
Entry 4747
Jis' lak a woman got a husban' runnin' roun', or yuh got a woman run- nin' roun' an' yuh wanta stop 'er. Yuh know wha' chew kin do wit dey socks or dey undahclothes. Yuh kin take de socks or eithah dey undahclothes wha' dey wore nex' tuh 'um an' bury dem. Put dat salt on it. Put a boil aig in it. Take a boiled aig an' put in dere an' dat salt.
(Leave the shell on or off?)
Leave de shell on - jis' a boil aig hot. Wrap it right up in dat clothes, see, an' bury it down undahneat' de front steps. MAN, DAT'S ONE OF DE WORST THINGS YUH EVAH. IT WEAKENS DOWN YUH MIND, YUH THINK YUH GOIN' DIE. Dey gits sick, jis' weaken down. Don't have no mo' strength atall. Dat's if a man is runnin' roun' an' yuh cain't stop 'em, see. An' yuh kin take it up, if yuh wanta ease de pain; but if dey start in ag'in, put it right back down an' dey git right back down ag'in. (That is if they are running around.)
Entry 4748
Ah've heard of dat. Yo' take de seat of a person's undahweah an' break a aig in it an' let it stand fo' 24 hours an' dat will stop de man from runnin' aroun'.
Entry 4749
Git a person's clothes an' dress 'em an' let 'im wear 'em, wear dose clothes an' yuh kin make 'im love yuh dac way. [To] dress de clothes, why yuh take dat love powdah an' jis' sprinkle it in 'is clothes, an' git chew fo' fish- hooks an' tie 'em up, an' put 'em inside de pad of de linin' of 'is coat chere. An' put dat Hearts Cologne on it. Yuh kin dress 'em lak dat.
Entry 4750
Dey go tuh de fo'k of de road an' if dey git any of yore clothes, dey kin bury it in de fo'k of de road where yuh pass at, an' it will run yuh crazy. (I see. They bury my clothes out at the forks of the road. If I walk over them?) Yuh'll go crazy.
Entry 4751
Steal de seat from a person's pants an' carry it tuh de fo'k of a road an' plant it in de fo'k of de road, an' dey'll eithah go crazy or die.
Entry 4752
Fo' tuh hur' [hurt] chew? If dey wan'a hur' chew tuh kill yuh, dey'll git a piece of yores - wha' chew weah tuh yore skeen [skin]. (Piece of what?) Git a piece of whut yuh weah when yuh [not mentioned]. An' dey'll take dat piece an' dey'll bury it. An' aftah dey bury dat piece, dey'll take a stick an' nail down [drive down into the ground] at de head of dat stick, at [the head of] dat piece. An' dey'll take a cross, a stick of a cross [the horizontal piece or crossbar of the cross] an' tack it at de head of dat. You'll bloat up.
(Where do they bury that?)
Bury it right at de end of dat fo'k - [bury] a piece of yore clothes.
(End of what fork?)
At de fo'k of dat road.
(Oh! I see.)
Uh huh.
(And they put a stick, peg down?)
Peg down, an' den put de sign [crossbar] of de cross on it.
(Oh, then you put another piece [of stick] across there?)
Cross on tuh dat, right.
(Now wait a minute. You drive that stick down.)
Down into de groun'.
(And you take another stick.)
Take anothah stick, an' put...
(And tie that cross [crossbar] there.)
An' cross dat [first stick with another one].
(Oh, to make a sort of sign of the cross.)
[Did I mean a cross sign for a crossroad?]
Uh huh. An' aftah yuh tie dat [horizontal stick] across dat [vertical stick], yuh covah dat dirt ovah dat cross, so no one kin see dat. Well, yuh goin'. (Oh, I see. Now wait a minute! You tie that one stick across the stickthat's down in the ground and leave the cross standing up from the ground.) Uh huh [though I am mistaken about the visible cross]. An' yuh covah dat cross ovah.
(So nubody can see it.)
[This rite is one of the many forms of symbolical or mock burial in HOODOO, some of which include a doll baby in a coffin.]
Entry 4753
Ah heard dat chew kin git de seat of 'is drawahs or 'er drawahs an' take a hickory stick wit a fo'k an' place dat in between dere. Dig a hole undah yore step an' place it undah dere an' dere where he'll be. Place him at home, yuh see [demonstrates]. (You take this [forked stick], do the [stick] like this [hold upright] and place it [each leg] right in that fork. And bury it with the fork up like that, standing up.) Standin' up. [As in the preceding rite, here is another symbolical burial. Similarly we have another cross, the forked stick being a Y cross.]
Entry 4754
A man undahshirt, a dirty undahshirt. An' jis' lak if yuh wuz a wo- man's husban', an' a woman got a sweetheart an' wanta keep yuh down, when dat sweetheart come home. She kin take one yore dirty undahshirt, an' take it right out dere in dat yard an' jes' dig a hole. Jis' dig a wide place where dat shirt will open out sompin lak dis [demonstrates].
(Spread out.)
An' bury dat shirt right tuh dat stick, an' yuh kin be in heah, disde husban'- man now, yuh kin be in heah an' yuh see dat sweetheartman comin'. Yuh li'ble [liable] tuh go out dere in dat back yard until dat man go.
(You go out in the back yard until the man leaves.)
Ah've seen dat happen.
Entry 4755
Well, yo' kin put a man down yo' know by takin' some of 'is clothes dat he weahs. Take de feet outa his drawahs an' dat'll make him humble an' nicah tuh yo', whutevah way yo' wan' 'em tuh do, an' weah it. (What do you do with that?) Yo' kin tie it aroun' yore laig, de muscle of yore laig above yore knee, or weah it aroun' yore waist.
Entry 4756
Dey tole me a story an' ah seen dat, but ah didn't know it till it wuz aftahwards. Take de man's drawahs, his dirty drawahs he pull 'em off, an carry 'em in de graveyard an' bury 'em right down by a grave. An' jis' as yuh lay 'em down dere, he'll travel until he die. He nevah live. (You mean you just lay those drawers down there without cov- ering them up?) Yeah, yuh gotta covah 'em up. Dig a little trench an' lay it right down 'long dat way, jis' lak dey pull 'em off, but dey must be dirty. Yuh covah 'em up an' he'll travel an' travel till he travel away.
Entry 4757
(What do they say about that?)
What dey say about dat?
(Yes.)
All right, dey take - git de seat of yore drawahs, yuh undahstan' yore undah- clothes, an' cut it out an' take it tuh de graveyard an' bury it.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll make yuh couldn't stay dere.
(Couldn't stay where?)
In dat house.
(That will make you move from the house?)
Yes sir, dat's tuh make yuh move from de house.
Entry 4759
She cud [could] take his clothes an' put 'em in - BORE A HOLE IN DE SIDE OF DE HOUSE OR ROOM where she live at an' take his underwear an' put 'em in dat bo' [bore]. Cut de seat out of 'em an' put 'em in dat thing [hole] an' puts some red peppah in dere wit 'em. Kin use it dataway. An' he'd come back. It make it hot fo' him. He'd come back.
(The woman could bring the man back.)
Entry 4760
Dey says yuh kin go tuh work an' dress dat house an' it will draw people dere.
(How do you do that?)
Well, dey says yuh go an' git some dust from about dey house, git dat dust. An' den yuh git dat dust an' yuh git some of dere clothes an' put it in a bottle. Go dere an' fasten it tuh dat house some way inside of de house, or jis' fasten it on de step anyway, an' dey say dem people will stay dere. Or else if dey out dere, it will draw somebody dere.
(That is to make a person stay in this house.)
Entry 4761
Well, ah've heard ag'in, if yuh've got a man away an' yuh want 'im tuh come back tuh yuh, an' he leaves some of 'is clothes dere, said yuh take clothes tuh make him be on 'is haid. Put de clothes - put 'is undahweah an' 'is shirt, put de haid of it down towards 'is feet [dem- onstrates]. (On the bed?) Yessuh, yuh've gotta lay on dere yuh see. Put it down dere tuhwards 'is feet. Dey take his undah- weah an' take de bottom part - take de laigs of it an' put 'em up tuhwards de haid of de baid, an' let de body go down tuhwards it. Den yuh take his socks an' yuh take one an' bring it 'cross dis way an' let it be tuh de front of de baid.
(The head of the bed?)
No suh, de front. Yuh see - listen. Heah's whut ah mean. Now, yuh layin down dat way.
(Here's the bed. This is the head and that's the foot?)
Yessuh, now yuh lie dat sock dat way.
(Which is the foot and which way does the other part of the sock point?)
De foot part of de sock goes at de haid.
(That points to the head of the bed?)
De toe goes tuh de haid of de baid. Den heah comes de othah, de mouth of de sock, yuh know, where yuh put chure foot in. Let it be out tuh de front [demon- strates].
(One sock crosses the other.)
Yessuh. An' den aftah doin' dat. Let's see - man's sock, undahweah an' de top-shirt. Dat, she might lay in it, an' de rest of 'em yuh lay on top of 'em. Don't put a thing on top of 'em but a sheet. Den befo' yo' git in baid, make yore wishes. Put one needle up an' de othah one cross at de haid [demonstrates], 'tween de haid. Lak dis is de haid of de baid, put it down in dere, in between in dere. Don't let it git down by yore haid, but let it be up above.
(At the top of the head of the bed, you cross two needles.)
Yessuh. An' so yuh lay on dose things, an' ah think she said, in nine days he would come home.
Entry 4762
If yuh leave home an' she got yore undahclothes, de sweat of yore clothes - co'se she got it. When it's clean, she cain't do nuthin wit it. But if she got de sweat off yore clothes, yore undahsuit, she put it between de two mattress. She spread de suit out an' she lay on it - sleeps on it evah night, yuh see. An' yore sock, yore left-foot sock go dis way an' heel go dis way. An' yuh'll come back home.
(Well, how do you mean your "left-foot sock goes off this way?")
Yuh see, yuh put - yuh turn - yuh put a sock dis way an' de othah one dis way. Yuh see.
(You put one sock this way and?)
An' de othah one dataway, yeah. An' yore undahsuit spreads out jis' lak yuh were layin' in de baid. She sleep on dat.
(Where do you put the socks?)
The sock?
(Where does she put those socks?)
She puts 'em right up, lay 'em right at de bottom of yore foot.
(Oh, she puts them right at the bottom of your feet.)
Of the undahsuit, yes. An' dat'll bring - dat'll bring yuh back home. Yuh'll always be stayin' by home. (She puts one sock this way at the foot of the underwear, and the other one right here?) Dat's right.
(And puts them together like that.)
Entry 4763
Ah've heard a woman say dey, she would jis' give him aplenty tuh eat an' take his clothes, keep his clothes, an' put 'em undahneat' de bed by 'er where she could lay on 'em, or somepin like dat. Keep 'em warm an' he would come back home. (What clothes would she take?) Such a' undahweah, socks.
Entry 4764
If she got 'is bottom piece of 'is pants an' lay 'em in yore bed jis' same as a man layin' down 'sleep. An' say he shore will come back. An' take his undahweah an' put it between de mattress, or lay on 'em evah night 'tween de sheet an' de mattress, an' dey say he shore will come back.
Entry 4765
Anothah thing she do. Take his clothes, eithah his undah piece an' put in de baid iis' lak he got 'en on, undahneat' de mattress, an' call dey name nine times. Wherevah dey may be, dey git troubled an' dey gotta come back home.
Entry 4766
Ef, jis' like now, ef yuh husban' quit cha, go off an' don't wan' cha. Well, ef he lef' any his dirty clothes, why yuh kin take dem clothes an' yuh kin sleep on 'em, an' yuh call 'is name all de time. An' in de nighttime, ef he lef' any old shoes, take dem shoes an' yuh put 'em undah de haid of de baid, an' yuh turns 'em roun', yuh know, diff'ren' time, an' call 'is name an' he comes back. He come back.
(How do you mean turn them around?)
Cuz ah've did dat once.
(Those shoes, what do you mean you turn them around?)
Jis' like ef dere undah de dressah dere [points to dresser in the room], yuh move 'em from undah de dressah an' put 'em undah de baid. An' yuh call 'is name an' make 'im come back.,
Entry 4767
Dey turns dat fo' luck.
(Their clothing Inside out?)
Yes. If dey puts dere clothes on in de mawnin' on de wrong side, dey keeps it on till twelve. Keep it on till twelve. An' when twelve comes, den dey'll take 'em off an' change 'em back on de right, wish fo' whut yuh want, an' durin' dat week yuh'll git it.
informant-stated luck from reversed clothing, timing and a wish, with clothing referent confirmed in dialogue. No guaranteed outcome changing wrong-side clothing back to its right side at twelve. Keep morning wrong-side wear until twelve, then changing back; no all-day or nine-day import from neighbors. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 4768
Why dey turns dere clothes befo' dey go tuh bed, whatsomevah dat piece dey gon'a wear nex' tuh dem. Why when dey gits up in de mornin', dey jis' picks up dat garment an' puts it on. Dat undah garment, jis' put it right on 'em, jis' like dey find [it].
(They put that on wrongside out for luck.)
Entry 4769
If a person steal somepin from yuh an' yuh figure dat he got it, if yuh kin git 'is sock or 'is shirt - dat's true, ah know. Yuh git eithah one of 'em, if yuh kin git it. Yuh turn it wrongside out an' regardless tuh where it is, if: it's tuh mah house or wheresomevah it is, jis' turn it wrongsides. out an' put it up undah de baid an' he'll bring it back. But chew got'a git whut he wear - jis' git whut he wears.
Entry 4770
If yuh feel like yuh needs it, all right, jis' take yore undahclothes an' wear 'em nine days an' make yore wishes. Yuh turn 'em wrongside outwards, yuh kin take anything yuh want an' no one cain't do yuh anything at all.
Entry 4771
Ef ah see dat somebody look like dey movin' me out, why den ah'd take mah tablecloth an' mah undahclothes an' put 'em on de wrong side. An' ah go down [to rent office or court], if ah done spected [suspected] dey ruled me out. Ah would change mah undahclothes an' put 'em on de wrongside an' go down, an' ah wouldn't be worried no more. An' ah kin talk wit 'im an' he sees how ah'm back.
Entry 4772
Co'se sometime it be a hard proposition, but still yuh kin win. When- somevah yuh goes fo' a job, yuh have yore clothes, yore undahwears turn on de wrong side. Den when yuh speak tuh 'im, yuh have a match-stick, anythin' lak dat, in yore mouth, an' yuh talkin' tuh 'em. He won' turn yuh down. He'll tell yuh, "if it's any way dat ah kin put chew tuh work, " an' If it's possible why yuh'll git a job.
Entry 4773
(What can they do to make the man come back?)
She kin take her [under] clothes an' put 'er clothes on de wrong side, an she'll go tuh de sunrise an' talk wit 'im. She has sulphur an' red peppah in er shoes. An' she kin talk wit 'im befo' de sunrise. In about three days aftah dat he will come home an' he don't know how he come home. (She turns her underclothes inside out and she has to wear them - while she is talking to him - turned that way.) Tuh de sunrise.
Entry 4774
An' den ag'in yuh kin read about De Lord is mah shepherd an' anyone's away an' yuh wan' 'em tuh come back. Yuh pull off yuh clothes at night an' turn 'em on de wrong- side an' say, "De Lord is mah shep- herd fo' three mawnin's, an' dey'll come back.
Entry 4775
Jis' lak a lady want chew tuh love her. She wash yore clothes an' things, yuh see, an' when she iron yore shirt tuh de tail yuh know, don't pull de iron up, jis' push it down de length of it an' push it back. (Iron it down toward the tail?) Yes, iron it down toward de tail but don't pull de iron. Evah time yuh push it down, lift it up an' ketch aholt an' push it down lak dat. Don't nevah pull it up yuh see. Dat'll make a man go crazy about a woman an' make him stay home.
Entry 4776
When she presses de shirt out, doesn't iron de tail of it. See, dey don't hardly iron yore shirttail. Dat will make yuh stay at home all right.
Entry 4777
Well, if ah'm a enemy tuh yuh an' wants tuh confuse yuh in yore home, ah mah- self, ah cain't do it. Got'a git someone tuh help me tuh do it, an' dat's by goin' an' gittin' a piece of yore clothes, sompin othah dat chew wears, don't chew know - sompin dat chew wears. An' ah takes dat an' tear it up, makes a very small string out of it. Take it an' twist it.
(Tear the whole piece of cloth up?)
Not de whole cloth, jis' git yuh a strip off about lak dat [demonstrates], whatevah it is, an' jis' tear it up in small strips. Take an' twist it dis away [demonstrates]. One [strip] dis way an' one dis way, jis' lak dat, yuh know. Jis' keep atwisting it till yuh git right intuh a fine - down-lak yuh know, tuh a string. Yuh take it den an' yuh put it - draw a knot intuh it. Yuh know how yuh tie a knot intuh anything. Well, yuh take dat an' git it intuh whatevah yuh kin git it intuh [a jar, see later]. Den yuh take some salt an' take some vine- gah an' anything dat dey'd use lak a garlic. Yuh git yuh some garlic tuh put in dere an' nine drops of turpentine. An' tighten dat up real - tighten it down howevah yuh wanta tighten it down.
(Tighten that jar down?)
Tighten de jar down, yassuh, an' den yuh prob'ly cain't git tuh de house; but git somebody tuh bury it tuh de back of de steps.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will - dey cain't git along in dere.
Entry 4778
Take an' cut off de end of 'is shirttail an' tie it in nine knots an' put it right in de house. Take jis' a little bit of 'er chamber lye an' cook it in some bread. An' he'll nevah go nowhere. [We have here two separate rites used as one for good measure.]
Entry 4779
A woman could take a man's shirt an' tie nine knots in it, yuh know. Dem knots tied, see. (What does she do with the shirt then?) She take de shirt an' put it undah 'er pillah see, an' sleep on it.
Entry 4780
She git 'is undahweah, tie nine knots in it, an' put it undah 'er pil- lah. She kin make him come back. [Wilmington, N. Car., (334), 273:7+85.] [This cylinder, 273:7, appears with informant No.268 on p.215 of HooDoO, beginning, "One time I was cunjured, I was about sixteen years old." Knots do not appear. This is the first conflict of cylinder numbers I have found in HOODOO.]
Entry 4781
Tie nine knots in yore - jis' lak yuh pajama strings or sompin lak dat. Jis' tie nine knots in it an' it'll make yuh successful.
Entry 4782
When anyone leave home, jis' lak de man leave home an' gone, de woman she'll take his, some of 'is clothes, his drawahs whut he's had, his undahweah, an' tie it nine knots tuh her, an' take an' put it in some secret place undah de house, or undah de sill undah de house, or in de bedroom flat down undah de dressah, an' he cain't stay away. He got'a come, he got'a come. Ah know dat.
Entry 4783
Git some of yore undahclothes an' git de seat of 'em right out where it right 'twixt yore laig. Well, dey kin tie nine knots in 'em an' dey tell [say] de doctor [M.D.] has tuh op- erate on yuh. Dey [these knots] tie nine knots in yore stock [= stuk = gut], in yore intestine, yuh know.
(You mean they get the back part of the seat?)
Yeah de back part.
Entry 4784
Knot an' tie it nine times, an' drive it ag'in in a hole. Bo' a hole [in a tree] an' hit off yuh. Aftah yuh git it roun' a person's wais' or somepin, somepin puhtainin' [pertaining] tuh 'is wais' or laig or somepin of dat kine [kind], git a piece of 'is clothes. (What will that do then?) Dat will kill yuh. (You mean, they take a piece of my clothing an' tie it in nine knots, and then put it in this hole in a tree. And then what will it do?) Den go dere an' hit it evah mawnin', once evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat kill yuh.
Entry 4785
Yuh kin take a pocket han'ke'chuf an' tie de fo' cornahs of it.
(Tie knots in the four corners?)
In de fo' cornahs of de pocket han'ke'chuf. Well, yuh take a stran' of No.8 thread an' needle, an' yuh run dat needle through dat [demonstrates].
(Right in the center of the handkerchief.)
Dat's right, an' jis' lak yuh say, "Ah see dat woman 'cross yondah. Well, ah lak tuh tak wit 'er, but looks lak it's a hard fo' me tuh git tuh 'er." Well, all right, yuh may tell me, "What are dat lady's name ovah dere. Go an' see whut 'er name is." Well, dey don' know whut chew up tuh, but dey'll come an' tell yuh 'er name. Well, evah time when yuh git 'er name, yuh take dat needle an' double it an' tie dem nine knots, jes' tie dem nine knots - jerk it, yuh see [demon- strates], lak dat. Well, dis woman is comin' tuh yuh an' pick a conversation wit chew. Ah know dat's true, ah've tried dat. (But first in this handkerchief you tie a knot in each corner of the handker- chief.) In each corner.
(Then you run the needle through the center of the handkerchief.)
Wit No.8 thread.
(No.8 thread. Then you call her name and make a knot in the thread.)
An' draw it to yo', don't draw it from yuh. See, yuh draw it tuh yuh.
(You call the name nine times.)
She comin' tuh yuh. Yuh ain't got'a go tuh 'er.
Entry 4786
Diff'ren' ways tuh do dat. Yuh take an' ketch any live animal dat yuh know dat is a ramblin' animal dat goes away. Yuh git somepin dat belongs tuh a man an' yuh knot it up an' fasten it tuh 'im [wild animal]. Well, as long as it stays fastened tuh what- evah animal yuh fasten it tuh an' he continues tuh go, why whoevah it belong tuh is goin' tuh follah, is goin' right along behin' 'im.
Entry 4787
I have had de luck tuh see 'em brought back. If dat man leaves dat house an' he leaves any of 'is clothes dere, especially socks, undahweah or 'is top-shirt, or SOMPIN DAT REALLY HE OWNS, yuh kin cut a piece outa de seat of dose undahweahs, or a piece outa de tail of 'is shirt - anywhere roun' de privates, yuh see. Put it in a alcohol bottle an' stop it up, preserve it, an' hide it somewhere he cain't see it. Git it intuh dat lamp. An' dat man's comin' back dere, if yuh kin preserve 'im [preserve his piece of clothes]. Well, when he comes, yuh know what he's goin' tuh say? Yuh know what I heered a fellah say? An' ah seed de woman do dis. Ah know she done dis. I seed de woman when she done it. An' he come back, back dere on about de fo'th day, an' he walks up de steps he says tuh 'er, he says, "Hello, Honey." She says, "Lawd, where did yuh come from?" He sayed, "Ah come home tuh die." He say, "Looked lak ah'd git worried tuh death. Couldn't stay away no more." He say, "Ah'll nevah leave yuh no more long as ah live." He say, "Ah wanta stay here."
Entry 4788
Now, if ah an' mah husban' git tuh disagree an' he leave me. Jis' lak he leave his undahclothes dere or somepin dirty, well, ah tell yuh whut ah'll do wit dat. Ah'll take dat an' - ah'll take dat an' fold it jis' lak, jis' lak it be yore shorts. Mos'ly [mostly] mens weah shorts. If yuh leave dat dirty dere, ah'll take it an' weah it between mah laigs an' in nine day's time he be back dere - bring 'im right back.
Entry 4789
If she wanta stop 'im - if she don' wan' 'im tuh run aroun' wit othah women, she kin cut a piece outa de seat of 'er drawahs an' tack [sew] on 'is undahshirt right ovah 'is heart. Jis' lak dis undah- suit he weahs dis week, sew it in dere. Jis' take it, take his undahshirt an' sew it right ovah 'is heart. An' den 'is othah undahsuit, sew anothah piece ovah 'is heart. An' he'll finely [finally] stay right at home, he won't go nowhere. She'll take a piece of 'er drawahs outa de seat of 'er drawahs right below her manie, an' sew dat on 'is undahshirt right ovah 'is lef' titie.
(What do you call that? Her manie?)
Yeah, her manie. MANIE AH CALL IT. DAT THING BETWEEN 'ER LAIGS, yuh know. Jes' tack it ovah dere, an' he'll stay at home. [This is my only example of the self-explanatory term manie or Manie. I had never heard it before, have never heard it since.]