Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 11
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 6006
If yo' know someone dat chew wanta git rid of 'em an' dey are casin' confusion in yore home, why yo' kin take dere hair an', yo' know, git jis' fo' needles. Yo' cross dose needles somepin lak dat [demonstrates]. Make a square. [This square or oblong is a symbolical coffin or grave.] (Put two parallel needles like that, and two parallel - on the top and the bottom.) Dat's right. An' den yo' take dere hair, an' cut de hair out de mole of dere haid, an' put it in a little bot- tle [originally a tiny bottle of perfume sold at Five and Ten Cents Stores] an' stop it up, an' place it direck [directly] between dat square of dose needles. An' den git chew a red piece of rag or flannin an' sew it up in dere, an' walk tuh de rivah an' chunk it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' dey will leave. Dey jis' gotta go an' dey cain't stop. Dey cain't res' contented nowhere dey go.
(What holds these [needles] in place?)
Yo' wrap 'em wit some thread, wit a piece of red cord.
(Like you were making a picture frame?)
Dat's right. An' aftah yo' fix [tie] dat up lak dat, den yo' place dis bot- tle in de centah.
(Then you wrap the whole thing up?)
Wit a red piece of rag [red flannel]. An' den yo' chunk it direck ovah yore lef' shouldah in runnin' watah.
Entry 6007
Yo' take fo' needles an' yo' have a ball. Yo' know, make a ball of yore hair or toenails, sompin lak dat If yo' kin git holt of 'em. An' aftah yo' make de ball - make de ball roun' - jes' stick de needle wit de point dat way. Jes' have it so eithah way it turns, one dem points will be pointin' out. Try tuh make fo' points: points it to de no't, de nex' one to de sout', one to de wes', an' one to de eas'. An' plant dose somewhere where yo steps ovah it. Dey tells me dat will run yo' crazy. Wrap it up in yore fingah- mails or hair wit jes' a piece of red flannel.
Entry 6008
An' jis' lak if someone in yore church is givin' yo' trouble in de chrch, yo' know, causin' confusion an' splits in church lak mos' people do's. Why yo' go out in de woods an' yo' ketch yo' one of 'em whut chew call dese heah red-back scorpiens [scorpions]. Ah mean a red-belly. Dey got a red stripe undah 'is stomic. An' yo' take dat scorpien an' put 'im into a pillah where dey sleep, see.
(Alive or dead?)
"Live. Den yo' git some hair outa dere haid. Git someone - if yo' cain't git tuh 'em - tuh git some hair outa dere haid an' place it in a piece[of cloth]. An' yo' take fo' pins an' - not needles but pins - an' jis' win' dat hair an' twist it up yo' know in dem pins, an' jis' ben' dem pins jis' as many ways, jis' bend 'um lak evah way yo' kin. Den yo' take dat live scorpien an' dose pins an' dat hair an' sew it up in a piece [of cloth]. An' den place it in dat pillah whare he sleep at an' he'll take a deadly misery in dere haids an' event'ly [even- tually] dey'll jis' - yo' know IT NO USE GOIN' TUH DOCTAHS [M.D.'s]. NO DOCTAH [M.D.] KIN DO ANY GOOD. An' event'ly dey jis' 中 start to pinin' away an' dat's de end of 'um.
Entry 6009
Dey say yo' take dis hair an' a piece of shed off a rattlesnake - rat- tlesnake shed an' take dat hair an' some five pins an' five needles an' put it down in a bottle of Epsom salts an' fill dat bottle up wit watah an' turn dat bottle upside down in de groun' an' bury it an' yo'll [go] stone crazy.
(Do you bury that any place?)
Bury it in de north cornah of de yard.
Entry 6010
If dey git hold of yore hair, why dey'll tie dat hair up jes' lak dey do wit chure [foot] track. Dey'll tie dat hair up in a bottle. Dey'll put six needles in dere wit dat hair an' dat'll keep yo' goin' crazy all de time. (What will they do with that bottle then?) Dat bottle - dey put dat bottle down in de ground, or in a trunk.
Entry 6011
They claim that peoples got it from under your doorstep with your hair mixed in with it. Well, they say that is to cross you away. Just like, you know, I was in love with a man and another woman wanted dis man. Well, if she could get some of my hairs, she'd go and get her a dozen new needles that never been used and pins. She'd stick the pins this way and stick the needles this way [cross them], and when she get ready to put it down, she'd stand it on its head on de sharp part, cuss it and tell it to go.
(Where would she put that?)
Put that at your door.
(And she uses twelve new needles and pins - six new needles and six new pins.)
Entry 6012
Some people kin take yo' hair, dey take seven needles, brass-eyed needles, an' dey will do dat hair up wit dose seven brass-eyed needles, naming evah one of dem yo' name. An' put 'em into somepin an' take em down by de watah stream. Not in de watah, but dig a hole In de groun' an' put it [these things] in a bottle or tin box or somepin an' close it up. Turn de top [of bottle or box] down. Let de eye of dose needles be down. Bury dat six to nine inches in de ground, down by de side of dat watah, an' make a drain where de watah will pass by it - barely runnin' ovah it.
(A little channel.)
An' aftah so many days - nine days - yo' will feel de effects of it. An' dose who know yo' will begin notison [noticing] somepin dat peculiar about chah, somepin diff'ren', somepin unusu'l. An' from time to time it will cuz yo' to dvin'le away an' die.
Entry 6013
Dey have hair in dat - dey git a lock of a lady's hair, men usin' dis. An' git a lock of lady's hair an' den dey git dis lodestone an' dey gits nine needles an' Hearts Perfume. Dat's whut ah heard now. An' den dey wrap it, feeds [see p.578] dat thing wit whiskey, an' wrap it in a ball, an' tie dat black string aroun' it.
(What do they wrap it up in?)
Flannel, red flannel, an' den put de black thread aroun' it an' put a string aroun' dat, an' let it hang down in dere bosom or breast an' wear it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Dat will draw love.
Entry 6014
Yo' kin take a person's hair now, an' yo' kin take yo' nine needles up an' down [demonstrates], an' wrap dat hair between 'em wit black thread. (One needle is pointed that way and one that way.) Dat's right. Head an' tail dey call it. Yo' take dat an' wrap dat an' put chew - git chew a little red flannel bag an' git chew a dime's wut [worth] of lodestone dust an' put in dat, an' put dat in yore pocket. Yo' have de headache de balance of yore days.
Entry 6015
From mah undahstandin', yo' take nine strands of hair off de mole of yore head an' dey kin run yo' crazy wit it. Dey takes yore hair an' dey mix it up, puts it in a bottle wit nine needles, an' git some lodestone dust, an' dey puts it in dis bottle wit dis. An' dey takes an' dey bury de bottle upside down. See, it will run [you] crazy an' yo' apt to die.
Entry 6016
Yo' take a lock of yore hair, yo' git nine brass needles.
(You mean brasseye don't you?)
[They are usually called qoldeyed.]
Yes sir, an' a piece of red flannen. Yo' put dat in any kin'a little small bottle, an' yo' put dat ovah de do'. At night when he come in [for example] it jes' yo' comin' in an' ah meet chew tuh de do'. Ah be lovin' tuh yo' fo' nine mawnin's, see. Den ah won't have no mo' trouble wit chew 'bout dat. See, don't fo'git nine needles wit de outen flannens [with the flannel out- side]. [Note: Dr. Hyatt I think maybe this informant meant (outing flannel) - a term I have heard used often. Webster says (A flannelette, often with some wool). Mrs. Harry Dyel - see v.3, ILLUSTRATION 4.]
(You put that up over the door?)
Yes sir, right ovah de front do'.
Entry 6017
Dere two things dat ah hear'd dat yo' could do wit de hair. Dey kin take nine strands of yore hair an' put it in a bag an' sew it up wit nine needles an' cross dese needles in dat hair - break 'em an' cross 'em in a little bag. Sew de bag up an' bury it somewhere. Dat is to make yo' stay. Bury it where yo' go out ovah, walk ovah it. Dat'll make yo' stay wit 'em. An' if dey don' want chew wit 'em, dey'll take it an' git it an' sew it up in a bag an' throw it in runnin' watah, or eithah carry it to a oak tree an' cut a little hole in dere an' wedge it up in dere an Stop it up. An' dat Will run yo' crazy. DAT'S WHUT AH HEAR'D A OLE WOMAN TELL A
Entry 6018
[It happened] here in Wilmington, an' dey say dat she wuz hurt [witch- crafted, rootworked, etc.], an' it wuz put undah 'er baid, undah de range[?] of de house [see later]. An' said dey give huh doctor's medicine [medicine from a M.D.] an' it wouldn't do huh any good. So dey went an' dey see about some de othah doctors, an' he [this Othah doctor] sent a white lady dere. [To send a white lady was most unusual unless the doctor himself was white.] An' she went undah [crawled under] de house an' got dis package. [As I have noted several times in HOODOO, houses in the lowlands along the coast rest on pillars - large stones, bricks, wood posts - a foot or two above ground.] An' it [package white woman found (?)] had three grains of brimstone [for devil's work] an' nine needles, an' a little piece of huh hair in it, an' wrapped up in a papah an' tied down tight. An' dat wuz buried undah huh baid. [To plant cunjure beneath the house under the bed - cen- ter of, a quincunx - is a frequent device.]
Entry 6019
Dey say, yo' know, if yo' wanta put a person in hard luck, yo' take nine new needles an' stick 'em in a piece of cloth an' git some of de hair outa dere haid, if yo' kin git it, an' put it in dere, an' bury it at de fo'ks of de road. Say dey'll be in de hardest luck dat a person kin git - hard, shure 'nuff hard luck.
Entry 6020
He'll take his undershirt, an' take a strand of her hair an' thread it through nine needles an' stick it in thiscloth [undershirt] an' hide it some place. She'll love him.
Entry 6021
Dere one thing yo' kin do wit hair. Yo' kin take hair, nine stran's of hair out de top of yore haid. Ah'm tellin' yo' de way ah know, now. Ah don' know de way anybody know it, tell yo' de way ah know. Take nine stran's of hair out de top of yore haid an' git a white pocket han'kercheff, a bran'-new white pocket han'kercheff, an' put nine pins in it. An' wrop dat nine stran's of hair up tight wit dat nine pins, an' put five drops of Heart Cologne fo' nine days. An' put it into a dry place an' let it stay about nine days an' den take it up an' put it anywhere on mah body. Or de Woman could put it anywhere on 'er body where it won' git wet an' wear it. An' dat'll gain a man fo' yo'. A man'll go tuh her an' nobody else cain't git dat man but 'er. Dat man go tuh 'er.
Entry 6022
(What do they say they do with that?)
Dey say dey takes yore hair. An' dis lady [root doctor] tole me dat dey take yore hair an' git nine pins, an' say dey will wrap it an' git chure tracks, an' say dey will wrap it up an' put it in a bottle, an' den dey'll put somepin lak, lak if dey could git yore urine, dey will do dat, an' stop it up in a bottle an' carry it away from dere an' bury it. Sometimes dey bury it right at chure doorstep, be- cuz dey say dat's what wuz did fer me. An' she warned me always be careful how or what I do wit mah hair. Comb it. An' I tole her, yes, becuz somebody had taken out all mah hair. She says she knowed it, says dat's why she tole me to be careful. An' dey take dose pins an' take dat hair an' put dose nine pins an' stick 'em in dere an' dey wrap it. An' dey put yore track in dere an' puts in a bottle. An' say if dey can't git any of yore urines [often called ureen], dey'll try to git some watah from de place where yo' use, yo' know, lak yo' might have a well or spiggot or somepin an' dey'll - sometimes people will come an' [say], "Ah wants a drink of watah, please." Dey jis' want some of yore watah from yore house where yo're at. An' den dey've got all dey want to do wit - dey got de othah parts. (What would they do with this hair and pins after they got it? What would they do with it?) Dey buries it.
(What is that supposed to do to you then?)
Well, it 'fect yo' some way about yo' head, give yo' pain an' miseries.
Entry 6023
Yo' take dat hair.
(Do you take this hair from a man's head?)
Yeah, eithah a man or anyone dat yo' wants to do anything to. An' yo' take his hair out of his [mold of his head], yo' take nine pins an' nine needlesain't nevah [been] stuck [= new]. An' yo' take dat hair. Yo' git chew - yo' ball dat hair up wit dem needle in it. Stick 'em in de hair so dey stay togethah. Stick dem needles all in dat hair. An' de pillah dat he sleeps on, yo'll put a hole in dat pillah an' yo' seu it back up again, an' let dat stuff [be] in dere, an' let 'im sleep on dat stuff. Well dat's trickin' 'em, dat jes' trickin' 'em. Keep 'em wit yo'.
Entry 6024
[Among the many doorstep rites in HOODOO, here is a rare one about the right and left hand sides of the steps.]
Dey tell me yo' kin take yore hair out chere [head] an' put it in a bottle wit nine needles an' nine pins, stop it up, an' bury it undah de steps an' dey 'long gone [along gone = go along, go away].
(That is to send them away?)
Dat's whut dey said. (You bury it under your own steps. And if I would get your hair and bury it under my step?) Wait a minute! An' if dey bury it on de right-han' side - on de right side of de steps, yo'll stay dere, yo'll stop down. (If you bury it on the right-hand side, you stay there. What if they bury it on the left-hand side?) Yo'll go.
Entry 6025
If a woman wants 'er man back, well she takes 'is hair off de top of 'is head an' down on de bottom, yo' know, of 'is trousers. [andl put de needles an' pins an' mind watah in a can, a ole can, any kine of can. Shut it up an' put it in a cornah of de house. Dat's what dat is fo' - 9 needles an' 9 pins. Well, dey bury yore hair in 9 nee- dles, 9 pins, an' cinnamon, an' put it in mind watah." Shet it up in a can. Dat's to keep yo' wit 'em. Dey put dat can in a cornah.
(Did you say mind water?)
Yes sir. Yo' buy dat. It's to keep yore mind wit 'em. Yo' put dat in a can wit 9 needles, 9 pins, an' yore hair, an' dey'll git yore hair from down in, yo' know, when yo' sleep. Dey put dat in a can where nobody kin run across it. Dat's jis' to keep yo' wit 'em, keep yore mind towards 'em. [These ingredients can also be put in a bottle.]
Entry 6026
Git a plait of hair an' yo' plait it undahwards, yo' know, lak dat [demonstrates]. Don't plait it ovah lak we plait our hair, plait it undah lak dat. Den tie a little bow of ribbon on dere. An' aftah yo' tie dat hair in dere, yo' take an' put a piece of lodestone wit it, an' yo' put nine pins an' nine needles in dere, an' yo' sew dat up in a flannel bag, an' yo' puts a little sugah in dere, too - ah'd fo'gotten dat - an' anvil dust lak at de blacksmith shop, dat dust where dey grind.
(From the anvil?)
[From the hoodoo drug store or mail order firm I should have said.1 Yes. Put dat anvil dust in dere an' a silvah dime. Dat's tuh keep de person dat chew love, yo' know, keep dere minds contented towards yo'.
Entry 6027
If yo' kin git a stran' of hair out of a person's haid, out from de top of de haid, yo' git a stran' of dere hair. An' take dat an' git nine nee- dles an' nine pins, an' yo' git a piece of red flannel, an' git some lodestone, an yo' could git some of dere sweat - perspiration yo' know - on a piece of cloth, a bran'-new piece of cloth, an' put it in dere. Stick dem pins in dere, stick 'em cross dis way. Stick 'em cross lak dat [demonstrates].
(Like making a cross - X's.)
Dat's right. Stick dem pins in dat piece of cloth, if it don' be but jes' a small piece of it, jes' so it be's dat perspiration on it. An' yo' stick dem pins in dere an' lodestone an' dat anvil dust. Anvil dust keeps de lodestone live. An' put dat in dere an' put dat hair in dere in dat thing [cloth] an' sew it up [into a bag], an' yo' kin have a person most anywhere yo' want 'em.
(What do you do with that?)
Jes' carry it [bag or package] in yore pocket. Yo' carry it reg'lah fo'about eight or nine days, an' whenevah yo' takes it out of yore pocket, yo' put it ina real pahtic'lah place where no one will bothah it but chew. An' dat will rule a person.
Entry 6028
If a person dislikes yo' an' wanted tuh do yo' some harm, well if dey kin git some of de hair out de mole of dey haid, an' take dat an' take some nee- dles an' parcel 'em up right both tuhgethah [demonstrates] jis' on an' on yo' know lak dat. (Alternate the needle - cross them.) Yes sir, an' stick it in dat hair an' put it into a piece of flan- nel, an' put dat somewhere in yore bed on de side dat chew sleep on yo' know. An' jis' as long as dat hair an' needles are dere, yo'll jis' can't rest. Ah lgu dat fo' a fac'.
(Do you use any particular number, kind of needle?)
Aw - jis' 'bout five or six.
Entry 6029
Someone who used to live on the Riprap Road found a box at the gate one morning and brought it to my house and said, "Look what I dug up at my gate." I said to her, "What's in it?" And she open- ed it and there were pins in there and neodles and some of her hair and sulphur in a bag in there, and a piece of red flannel that had four sticks sewed up into that and a dime in it. It was a wood- en box [coffin] about that long [demonstrates].
(Eight inches long and four inches wide, probably a cigar box.)
She said she was going to take and see who put it there, SHE WAS GOING TO TAKE IT OVER TO NORFOLK TO A FORTUNETELLER. AND WHEN SHE CAME BACK SHE TOLD ME HER TOLD HER.
Entry 6030
Out de mole of yore head. (They get the hair out of the mold of your head?) Yes, sir, an' take it an' d wit some cayenne peppah, put some needles in dere, git a papah of new needles Ahut's nevah been used, an' put 'em in a sack, git some lodestone, an' yo'll rua 'en crazy.
(I see. What do you do with that sack then?)
Yo' jes' carry it on yo', an' dat'll cause dem to go crazy. (I see. Well, how many needles do you put in that? The whole paper of nee- dles?) No, fo' or five - sompin lak dat. Git fine needles, an' don' break 'em.
(I see.)
Entry 6031
(What would that do?)
Well, dat would run yo' crazy.
(Well, just how would they handle that?)
Yo' see, dey take yore hair an' dey wrap it up, an' dey git a bran'-new pack of needles an' pins, an' dey wrap it up in dat hair an' pin it up wit der needles an' pins an' dey bury dat.
(I see. Any number of pins and nee- dles? It doesn't make any difference?) Don' make no diff'rence.
Entry 6032
Ah've heard of people takin' an' goin' tuh yore house, yo' know, an' gittin' a little bit of each one of 'ems hair an' mixin' it togethah as well as dey could, yo' know, an' puttin' it in a jar or little glass [bottle] or sompin of dat kind, an' puttin' some needles in it an' some salt an' some pins, sulphur an' some cayenne, red pep- pah, an' takin' it out buryin' it undah de steps. An' dat keeps up a quarrel 'tween dem all de time until dey realize it's undah dere an' git it out.
Entry 6033
[It happened] here in Norfolk, an' I GUESS 'ER HUSBAN' HAD EVAH DOC- TOR [M.D.] IN NORFOLK BEFO' DAT, AN' DIDN'T DO ANY GOOD, AN' SO DEN DEY BEGIN TO GO AN' GIT T DESE OTHAH DOCTORS. So one old doctor tole her, he said, "Dere's some parts of yo', " he said, "dat's stopped up in a bottle." He said, "Yo' may live five years an' yo' may live ten." He says, "I'm not tellin' yo' so yo'll git scared an' fall off an' die, " but he said, "yo' may live five years an' yo' may live ten but dat bottle will nevah be discovered until you are gone." So, sure 'nough, [it was found] where we wuh livin' at. An' she died. She wuzn't in dis house [where she had been trickedlbut she had moved, an' mahself an' mah mothah had de[tricked] house. So 'bout six mont's aftah she died, I reckon, mah mothah goes out de back do' an' slams de do', an' when she slammed de do', see, de plastahin' fell out right by de do'. An' in dat piece of plastah inside of de lath - it wuz a patch- ed piece of plastah - inside of de lath lay a little bottle. She calls me an' I goes dere an' she says, "Look at dat bottle layin' up dere. Do yo' reckon dat's what de man wuz talkin' about?' I said, "Ah don't know. Let's git it." We got it an' inside of dat bottle dere wuz hair, dere wuz needles an' dere wuh pins, an' dey wuh all stuck through evah what dis wuz - evah which way. "Aftah yo' are gone" [the old man said]. An' so when mah mothah discovered dis bottle, I got it. It wuz a little small- ONE OF DESE LITTLE, Well yo' kin say TEN-CENT PERFUME BOTTLES [the uSual little bottle in HOODOO]. An' dere wuz a woman lived right 'cross from us. Mah mothah called 'er an' she came to de fence. So we broke it open, an' WHEN WE BROKE DE BOTTLE, WE BURNED IT, AN' EVAH COLOR, I reckon dat yo' evah thought of, CAME FROM DAT BoTTLE. [Colored lights from burning cunjure is rather common.] But now what it wuz, we didn't know. We jis' burnt it.
Entry 6034
If yo' wanta be wit a woman an' yo' laked 'er an' yo' wants to git 'er undah yore control, yo' could take nine plats [not plaits, pronounced plātes] of 'er hair, yo' see, an' jis' wear it in yore pocket, put it in yore pockets. Some of 'em have diff'ren' ways. Dey kin take dere shoes. Jis' lak if she wuz workin' fo' yo', kin put it in dere shoes, an' jis' where dat woman at, kin pass by 'er. Her mind will - her mind will attraction 'er to come to de do'.
Entry 6035
Dey could take de hair offen de - 9 strands of hair out de mole of dere haid, an' shet it into a bottle an' stop it up, an' run yo' crazy.
(What would they do with that bottle after they stop it up?)
Jes' throw it away - 9 strands.
Entry 6036
Hair out of dere head - hair anywhere off of dem. An' dey take dat hair an' dey bury it in de north cornah of dere house undahneat' de house. An' aftah dey bury it down dere an' put nails on top of it, well it's a cinch dey ain't goin' to stay here.
(I see. Well, how many nails do they put on top of there?) Dey put ten, but dey got to be bran'-new nails. (I see. That'll send them away.)
Send 'em away.
Entry 6037
(What do they do with that bow?)
Take de bow out of a man's hat an' a little bit of de hair out of de mole of 'is head, an' put it in a bottle an' bury it in de north cornah of yore yard, an' he'll nevah leave yo'. He'll go but he can't stay. [Here is a good and brief example of a rite that could have been indexed or ordered under either the pre- sent hair or under the later hat bow in section SWEAT. If a little urine had been added to the bottle, we would have had three possible classifications.]
Entry 6038
Dey take hair outa yore haid an' twist it up with needles or pins an' take it to de railroad track, yo' know, on de no'th side of de railroad, an' dey bear [bury] it up undah dere, an' dey say dat'll kill yo'. Aftah it stay dere a sich [certain] length of time, yo' have sich [such] severe headache it drive yo' crazy - it'll run yo' insane.
Entry 6039
Dis hair business. Why of co'se a person kin git holt of de hair out de mole of yore haid an' sew it up into a piece of new cloth an' put it into yore pillahcase. Why of co'se dat will absolutely, really draw love. Dat will draw love to yo'. (The woman would take my hair and put it in her pillow- case to make me love her?) Dat's right. She sew it up into a piece of new cloth. [A note of mine on original transcription reads: This is not a small-time worker - queer in head - had reputation [[as a doctor]] - worked for 40 years - see conversation between Edward[[Bufford, y contact man]] and me under INTRO. [[These were original notes and comments for the INTRODUCTION. I do not know where they are at the moment.]] He may have been the man Edward followed to the corner. After informant left interviewing room, Eduard disappeared for about 10 minutes. When he reappeared I asked where he had been. I had been sitting there without anyone to interview! Edward said he was afraid of the man. He had followed him to the corner (the old country crossroads) to prevent his dropping any powders for us to walk in!]
Entry 6040
Dey take a lock of yore hair out de mole of yore haid. If yo' vanta ake love, dey could take dat hair an' plait it as much [many] times as dey kin git it. Dey sew it up in white cloth an' den in a flannen [flannel] cloth. (What kind of a flannel cloth?) A red flannen. Dey take dat hair -' SEW IT INTO DE TICK OF PILLAH, dey pillah whut dey sleeps on, an' dey keeps it moist thoroughly wit spirits of turpentine an' dat'll make love. [This love hand is fed (p.578) spirits of turpentine because of the word pirits says an informant somewhere in text.]
Entry 6041
Git a stran' of a woman's hair while she sleep, if yo' an' 'er are liv- in' disagreeable an' can't git along. Take hit an' wear it in yore right-han' pocket or put it in yore pocketbook. Yo' know dey keep dese little purses in yore pocketbook, an' keep dat in dere. An' dat will git her mind sort of waver- ed back [to you]. An' den if she do take a notion to go off, an' yo' kin githold of a piece of 'er garment dat she wear close by her skin, an' keep it to de head of yore bed, an' sleep wit it undah yore pillah, dat will bring 'er back.
Entry 6042
Ah have heard dat chew kin take, jes' lak yo' do me dataway. Jes' take yore hair out chure haid, comb it out, an' take it an' put it in a papah an' wad it up, jes' a little bit of it yo' undahstan', an' take an' wad it up an' take an' tie it up in a rag, an' tote it in yore pocket. An' ah have heard dat chew could - ah haven't done tried dat - but ah have heard dat chew kin take it an' do dat, an' if yo' wanta love a woman, yo' kin do wit her any way yo' wanta.
(You get that hair off the woman and do that with her hair?)
Yes sir, if yo' do dat wit 'er hair, yo' kin do anything yo' want wit it [her].
Entry 6043
(Now, what about the hair?)
An' de hair de same. Yo' git dat while yo' playin' wit 'em. Take a piece of hair. Clip it off an' ball it up an' put it in a little bag, when yo' git to de house. Now, she ain't goin' wit nobody else atall. She ain't got no feelin's fo' nobody else but chew.
(Bury that hair?)
No, no. Keep it in yore pocket.
Entry 6044
Yo' [she] kin git some of a man's hair an' she kin take it an' git a piece of 'er undahweah an' put dat hair in dere, an' sew it up an' slip it in'is pocket, an' dat will make him love her ag'in.
Entry 6045
De hair out chure head, dey kin do sev'ral things wit it. Now, dey kin take de hair out chure head an' dress it an' dey'll have'yo' jes' lak dey wanta. Well, dey'll take dat hair an' dey'll tie it up, an' put a cord roun' dat hair, an' dey'll put dat hair in dere pocket. If dey wanta lead yo' de way dey go, dey'll put dat hair in dere pocket an' dey'll wear it in dere pocket. An' den dey kin take dat hair ag'in an' put it in dere shoes, keep yo' undah dey. foot. Dat gives yo' bad luck, keep yo' undah 'em.
Entry 6046
Ah tell yo' about de hair question. A man kin git a woman's hair an' he kin sew it up an' put it in his fob pocket an' carry 'er jes' 'is way.
(In his fob pocket, which side?)
In de right side.
Entry 6047
Yo' kin take a person's hair an' yo' kin run 'em crazy.
(How do you do that?)
Yo' kin take a person's hair ag'in, but all de time take it from de mole, see. De mole of anybody's head. Fact, dat's a tendah spot about a person in de head, is de mole. Anybody yo' kin git to, git dere hair, yo' git it from de mole. Yo' gits dere hair, if yo' wants to git rid of 'em. Yo' take dat hair an' yo' git yo' what yo' call - we call it prickly pear - wit de stickahs on it, dey're green [unripe ones are]. Yo' git yo' one of dose pieces of prickly pear an' yo' lays dat down an' yo' cuts it as thin as yo' pos- sibly kin do ft. Yo' cuts yo' nine pieces of it. An' yo' try de bes' yo' know bou, when yo' plat dat hair, to plat dat hair wit dat nine pieces of de prickly pear [demonstrates]. (YOU'RE SORT OF WEAVING THAT HAIR AROUND AS YOU ARE DEMONSTRATING WITH YOUR FINGERS.)
[Informant continues demonstration.]
(You weave that around?)
Yeah, DAT HAIR HAS GOT TO COME IN BETWEEN EACH PIECE OF DAT DERE PRICKLY PEAR. SEE.
(I SEE, AS YOU'D MAKE A SANDWICH?)
Yes, sir. Now, den when yo' git dat in dere, yo' take yo' a piece of black thread an' yo' wrap each one of 'em jis' lak dat [demonstrates]. But it's all goin' to be togithah when yo' git through. Yo' wrap each one, an' as yo' wrap it close - now, when yo' git it all close togithah, yo' take yo' white thread m' yo' come disaway wit it. See, yo' wind up on dere an' den yo pull it dis- away, an' yo' wind up on dis end, an' yo' cross it disaway an' yo' come back. Den yo' wind it up ag'in dis way, see.
[I SUMMARIZE LAST DEMONSTRATION.]
(You wind that black thread around it one way.)
One way.
(And then you take the white thread and wrap it around the other way.)
T'othah way.
(As you would tie up a package.)
Yes, yo' wrap dat white thread de othah way, yo' see. Now, when yo' git dat done, yo' take an' yo' git yo' a piece of de reddest flannel yo' kin find - which flannel don't git no reddah, I don't think. Yo' wrap dat up in dere [the flan- nel] an' dat party's name. Yo' take dat name an' yo' git yo' a indelible pen- cil an' yo' write dat name down on dere fo' nine times disaway [demonstrates].
(Nine times that way.)
An' nine times disaway [demonstrates].
(Make it in [the form of] a cross.)
Makin' it across, yo' see. Now, when yo' do dat - aftah yo' do dat, yo' dig a crench where dey goin' to pass [over] dat, an' yo' bury it right where yo' know dey goin' to pass. Yo' bury it an' bury it as deep as yo' kin. Yo' bury it an' leave it dere, an' when yo' bury it an' git ready to walk ovah dat, yo' jis' say: In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost.
(What do you do - you say?)
When yo' walkin' away - when yo' bury it an' are walkin' away, yo' jis' say: Ie de Name of de Father.
(In the Name of the?)
In de Name of de Father. See, when yo' walk away, yo' say: In de Name of de Rtrer. Now, when yo' git jis' about ten feets away from dere, yo' says: de Son, 'de Holy Ghost. See. An' say: We'll depart. An' dat's dat person dat I'm dOIn' de harm tO. AN' DEY'LL GO MAYBE TO DAT RIVAH DERE, JUMP OVAHBO'D AN' DROWN; ° DEY MAYBE TAKE A GUN AN' BLOW DERE BRAINS OUT. See. Somepin goin' to be doe. Dey'll do somepin to demself to kill demself. If dey lose a dollah, dey y take an' kill dereself by losin' dat dollah.
Entry 6048
I'll tell you one thing that was asked my grandmother. There was a lady that called on my grandmother in Macon, Ga.], and there had just been a divorce proceedings in the paper, so hese two old ladies got to talking. And the visiting lady said, "Frances, did you hear the terrible disgrace in the paper?" Of course my grandmother said, "No." She said, "Miss So-and-so got a divorce." So this old lady said, "Well, it beats my time." She says, "Since these new- fangled things come about you can't expect the men and women to stay together." She said, "In my day they had a whiskey barrel sawn in two and made two tubs out of it, and took our baths in those tubs and got their hidden hair together, and wore it in a little bag in our corsets, and we never heard of divorces. Since the bathtub has come in fashion, of course this has gone out of style, and men and women will never stick together because they can't keep their hidden hair together." [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6049
Take dere han' an' put it between dere laigs. Yo' know, jes' lak if yo'd rub yore han' between yore laigs lak dat, an' rub it ovah anybody's hair, why dere hair will come out.
Entry 6050
If a man runnin' roun' why she could git some of 'is hair, yo' know from undah 'is arm or sompin lak dat. Take it an' sew it up into a sack an' wear it some- wheres close by 'er. Why dat will keep 'im home.
Entry 6051
Take dat hair undah de arms when a man wanta tie a woman. Dey git de hair from undah a woman's arm an' dey put it in a little bag. Put it in de bag wit Hearts Cologne. An' when dey wear dat undah dere arm where dey per- spire an' let de two combine togethah. Well, dey gen'ly [generally] lak yo' sew it - yo' see, if it's thick undahwear. Dis woman nevah knows it. Well, see, when he's in de presence of dat woman an' she inhale dat cologne an' dat perspi- ration togethah, why she jes' fall fo' dat man in evah way. Dat hold's 'emclosah togethah.
(He doesn't put that in anything? In the urine or?)
[Informant probably had been speaking about urine before I turned on machine.]
No, jes' de scents off de body.
Entry 6052
Take de hair from undah a person's arm. Jes' lak if yo's mah man, ah would take de hair from undah yore arm an' plait it up undah de hairs undah mah arm, an' wear it. (What will that do then?) Dat'll make yo' love me. (And would you get my hair from any particular arm, or does it make any difference?) Well, yo' kin take it from down heah - de best. Yo' kin git it from down heah an' wear it.
(From the privates. Then where would you wear that, then?)
Where ah wear it.den? Ah jes' take it an' plait it wit mine. Yo' mus' wear it on yo' or eithah wear it on a string roun' yore waist.
Entry 6053
An' ag'in dey could do dis, dey could take yore [hair] out from undah yore arms an' down in de love hole.
(Below?)
Yes sir, an' dey would take dat an' squeeze in bread. An' make up bread an' give it to a man an' dat will run 'im crazy [about you].
Entry 6054
Jes' lak yo'd cut de hair out de mole of yore haid an' take de hair from de othah place, an' put both of dem hair togethah an' take dat hair an' sew it up in a bag. Dat's when yo' wanta keep yore man, yo' see, or yore wife or whoevah it is. An' seu it up in hah pillah or 'is pillah. Well, dat'll keep 'em right dere. But of co'se if yo' wan' 'im tuh leave, yo' wan'a run 'im off in de rivah, why yo' take dat hair an' yo' ketch a catfish. An' yo' take a stick an' jes' stuff it down in dat catfish's mouth right good an' den throw dat catfish, throw 'im backwards [demonstrates] out in de rivah. An' jes' as fur as dat fish goin', dat person, uboevah goin', tryin' tuh ketch up wit dat catfish, an' aftah while he'll drown.
(You throw that over your left shoulder.)
Yessuh.
Entry 6055
Yo' take a little hair out de mole of yore haid an' take a little strand from heah.
(Down below?)
Yeah, yo' take dose two an' yo' cross 'em ovah, jes' lak dat yo' see [demon- strates].
(Cross one over the other in the shape of a cross.)
An' yo' git chew a brass-eyed needle an' yo' run it right through dere - one of dose strands, yo' see [demonstrates], right through dere. Den yo' put it in 1 snuffbox an' take it out to yore front po'ch an' bury it right undah yore do'- steps, right undah yore do'steps. (What will that do?) Dat will make 'em come all de time. (You take one of the hairs and thread a needle with it? The other [six] hairs you just leave them as they are?) Dat's right. Put 'em in de snuffbox. (YOU HAVE THREE HAIRS CROSSING THREE HAIRS AND THE SEVENTH HAIR YOU PUT IN THE NEEDLE?) Dat's right.
Entry 6056
Well, I was running around with a girl. That was when I was young. I bad some of her hair - no, her private hair. No, I didn't do it for any purpose, just crazyness I guess. And I kept it in a little velvet box in my trunk. That girl died. I went to look at that hair just after that and it vas dust. I heard several fellows say that, that if you have some of that hair aod that girl dies, it will turn to dust right away. That's a fact. [This is Probably my only example of the belief.] [Informant 25, Hampton, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6057
Ah hear dat [they] kin take a piece hair out de man's - chice[?] of a man an' de man is sich of dem. Tell me dey git aholt of de hair.
(Of the head?)
From de head.
(Yes?) [= continue, because informant had stopped.]
An' dey git holt of de hair from down below.
(That's right [= keep talking]. Now, what do they do with that?)
An' den dey take dem two an' put it in a bag, an' ah don't know what dey do's. Dey takes dose two [kinds of hair] an' put 'em in a bag, an' put a dime intuh it. An' put dat same othah root whut ah tell yo' 'bout [pronounced boat].
(John the Conquer?)
Yes. Put some of dat an' dey git dis [informant unable to remember].
(And what else do.you put in there, then?)
Yo' put dis John de Conkah in dere an' den yo' git holt of dere hair - de two hairs - an' den yo' git a dime. An' yo' sew it up in a bag an' yo' wears it aroun' yo'. Yo' eithah put it aroun' yo' waist or wear it aroun' yo' neck. An' den yo' feed it wid dis same - de same cologne ah tell yo' about.
(That Hearts Cologne, you feed it?)
Yo' feed it wid dat. Eveh once in a while yo' feed it wid dat, see.
(And what is that supposed to do?)
Suh?
(What will that do then?)
What'll dat do? Well, if yo' got a husban' or anythin', or any man or any- thin', he gotta dump [give] evahthin' he got tuh yo' - couldn't git aroun' [with other women, gamble away his money, etc.l. He's gotta come home.
(That's to hold him, to keep him.)
Entry 6058
(If this man has left home, you cut some hair from below and bury it under the front steps and he'll come back.) [I am repeating what informant had said while machine stop- ped. To bury objects under the front door- steps is a common rite.]
Entry 6059
Heah's anothah thing. Dey tell me dat yo' kin take duh hair of a wo- man's, yo' know, private see, down dere an' take hit an' put it in a bottle. Go to de drug sto' an' ask fuh alco- hol, not de wooden [wood] alcohol, de pure alcohol yo' know, an' take hit yo' know an' bear [bury] it up undah yo' back do'step, yo' see, an' dat'll tie huh to yuh where she cain't leave yuh.
(Do you bury this bottle in any particular Way or just bury it?)
Nawsir, jis' any way, an' as long as yo' keep dat bottle dere yo' see, den she will always, yo' know, COME UNDAH YO' OWN JURISDICTION an' stay right wit chew. Nobody cain't 'suade [persuade] huh away an' den she cain't leave. Don't care hoW mad she git, Why it Won't do no good. Jis' HAVE HUH UNDAH YO' OWN CON- TROL.
Entry 6060
Lak yore fingahnails. An' yo' take a Woman's private, yo' know, de hair off a Woman's private, yo' know. An' dat, yo' kin wear dat in yore shoes, yo' know; an' den she can't git away from yo', ah betcha dat. (You mix your fingernails with her hair from down in there. Your fingernails or her fingernails?) Her fingernails, yo' know, an' 'er private hair.
(I see. What fingernails do you take of hers?)
Any - take any of 'em off, don't make any diff'rence in usin' 'em.
(I see.)
Entry 6061
If yo' has a frien' an' yo' loves 'er now, an' yo' wants 'er tuh be wit yo' - yo' take a lotta men, dey don't wanta work, dey wanta sit down an' let de women folks bring in de money. All right. Yo' take dis girl, or woman, who- somevah she is, an' yo' want 'er fo' a wife. Yo' don't want 'er fo' jes' a sweetheart or fo' whut she got - yo' want 'er fo' a wife. Yo' don't know how to drive yo'self up tuh 'er. Yo' prob'ly have a lotta property, lotta money, but still she not aftah dat. Yo' kin take dese foah fingahs, don't cay[care] whut han' it's on - jes' right or lef'. Jes' take dese foah heah [demonstrates], any of 'em, an' cut dose fin- gahnails off. Now, fingahnails sompin not supposed tuh rot. An' put dese fingah- nails into a half a pint or pint of whiskey, an' puttin' dis in dis pint of whis- key, yo' takes some of yore hair from down heah.
(Private hair?)
Dat's right, an' put it on de stove an' parch it, an' put in dis bottle wit dis heah fingahnail, an' den let hit set fo' nine days. Aftah nine days yo' take an' strain it off. Now, yo' kin drink it yo'self an' it ain't gonna hurt chew, an' den yo' kin give it tuh 'er an' let 'er drink it. Aftah de nine days, de tenth day yo' give it tuh 'er an' let 'er drink it.
Entry 6062
Take a man's hair an' cut it off an' put it in 'is hatband - an' put yore hair from offen yore stomach an' place it in de band of 'is hat, an' put 'is hair whut chew got from 'im an' sew it up in a cloth an' wear it vex' tuh yore skin. Well, dat would keep 'is mind always on yo', too. See, dat keep 'im always excited-minded 'bout chew - he cain't stay 'way from yo'.
Entry 6063
Yo' take de hair out de mole of yore haid an' some offa yo'self.
(Where from yourself?)
From dem, if yo' kin git it.
(From the mole of the head and where else?)
From offa deyself.
(From down below?)
Yes. An' put it in de band of dey hat. Put it up in de [sweat] band of dey hat where dat bow is an' let 'em wear it. Jes' undah dere. Well, dat makes 'em ale tuh be ca'm [calm]. Dat makes 'em stop from runnin' aroun'.
Entry 6064
An' dey say, an' take - yo' asked me duh question - dey say [I did not ask or say] take some of de hair off yo' down dere an' turn de rim [sweatband] of 'is hat up, an' put dat hair right in dere undah dat piece, an' when he wear it 'is haid, it will make him come to be crazy about chew.
(A woman would do that?)
Yes.
Entry 6065
(Tell me that whole story.)
She took some hair off a person an' she lift up 'is hat an' she put dis undah de sveatband, an' all dat sweat, dat would sort of run in 'is face. Well, dat moald make 'im - he nevah would leave her, yo' know, as long as dat wuz dere, yo' oc. He would be always crazy about 'er.
(I see. She put some of her private hair in there?)
[The hair was identified before recording began.]
Uh huh.
Entry 6066
Dey git de hair off de haid, or de hair from undah de pit of de left arm, an' yo' take it an' put it in a bottle wit Hearts Cologne, an' yo' stop it up an' keep dat wit yo', or put it in a pahtic'lah place somewhere in yore house, if yo' wanta bring dese parties back. An' dey are away from yo', it will bring de people back - de hair off de haid.
Entry 6067
[The following rite is probably the only one given by my informant. It was the one told to my contact man so that she could enter the interviewing room. We wanted everyone to know before seeing me, what kind of material I want- ed, what kind of work I was doing. De- spite this information we have here one of many examp les in which I am thought to be a hoodoo doctor or fortuneteller or wonder-worker of some sort. This woman knew I did not take money from anyone or offer advice, but she still thought I might be able "to tell her something to do for a living." Here was the social problem confronting me everywhere during these years of THE GREAT DEPRESSION - sheer POVERTY: Yes, we had doles and re- lief then, we still have them in 1972, more than 30 years later. Proper relief we shall always have for a small section of the public, but what we need is work, equal justice, and proportionate taxation for all.] An' yo' know whut chew kin do ag'in [to hold a man]. Yo' kin take dat hair from undah de left arm, an' hair from on de left side of yore, down heah, an take de left fingahnails, all of 'em. Cut all five of 'em off an' all five of de [left] toenails off, an' put dat in de stove an' brown dat, too. An' yo' gotta mix dat wit black peppah, too; an' whoevah yo' want, yo' feed dat to 'em. See. Well now ah show yo' how come. Ah tell yo', yo' use black peppah 'cuz dey won' taste de taste of dat, see. Dat's how come yo' have to use de black peppah wit it, undahstan'. Jes' lak de bottom of de scrapin' of de foot. An' dey say yo' can't even tell de diff'rence. An' ah could put dis peepee [urine] an' dey couldn't even tell dat. [This left-side-of-the-body rite is excellent, unusual, and probably my only erample of it.] (THIS WOMAN WHO JUST LEFT WANTED ME TO TELL HER SOMETHING TO DO FOR A LIVING. JUST THE SAME OLD STORY [poverty everywhere].)
Entry 6068
Dey kin take yore hair from down at chure privates. All right. Now, dis heah is love now. Whut dey drove in de tree is [to make you] crazy. All right, dis is fo' love. All right, yo' take it an' put it in somepin, wrap it up tight, an' put it in de lef' foot of yore shoe an' wear it. An' den yo' takes Hearts Cologne an' dress dat hair fo' nine mawnin's. Den yo' in love jes' as hard as yo' evah wanted tuh git in love.
[Savannah. Ga., (1252).2124:6.]
Entry 6069
Dey take yore [a man's] hair - yo' see, dis hair [demonstrates from his head] [and wear] right across yore [a woman's] private.
(The hair from [at] the privates.)
An' wear it around yore waist. Let chure head [hair] hang right heah. Tie it roun' wit a string an' tie it roun' yore waist an' jes' wear it. An' as long as yo' wear dat hair de man'll run yo' down [chase or run after you]. (You mean the woman wears a man's hair from his head, right across her privates, and that will keep him as her lover?) Dat's right, shure will.
Entry 6070
[Take a piece of] de petticoat an' [or] de bloomahs an' cut de - a little top of dere hair off. Well, an' git de same thing off a man [his under- clothes]. An' mix it togethah in a soda-watah bottle. An' take it an' carry it to de end of de do'step an' put it - not too deep, jes' a little deepah 'nuff where yo' know dey could not tell it. An' let 'im walk ovah it fo' nine mawnin's. Dey say dat will come to keep 'im at home an' he'll come to love yo' an' can't no othah woman git 'im.
(Wait a minute! You take the hair from the top of a man's head, you say?)
De mole of 'is haid, yes. Den dat from right on yo'self down dere, yo' know, jes' cut about two stran's.
(From a woman?)
Yeah, an' mix it togethah, an' git chew half a bottle of 'logne [cologne] an' so' dress it wit dat. Well, yo' go right - cut 'er bloomahs right in de seat of 'em. Well yo' git it out de seat of de man de same. An' put it togethah. Well, aftah yo' do dat, chew take about a little teaspoon - not a little, jes' a drop, but not so much, an' let it be kinda graveyard dirt. Put it in de bottle an' shake it up. Well, yo' go right to de end of de do'step an' yo' call a person nine times. Well, when yo' call 'em nine times, take it an' stick it right to de front of de do'step - put it down dere yo' know, kinda deep undah where yo' couldn't tell it. An' nine mawnin's - fo' nine mawnin's, well, when yo' git up yo' [call?] 'im [his name] about six [nine] times. Well yo' take it out from dere an' carry it to a cornah right where yo' know he comes out backwards an' forwards - dat same route road - come right to de cornah. [Does informant mean corner of the outside chimney, the old-fashioned country toilet, where he would urinate on this conjure or hand? I do not believe corner of a path or crossroad is meant, where other people would walk over the buried object. Bottle was orig- Inally buried at "corner" of doorstep. This is cornering a man.] Why yo' bury dat an' let it stay dere fo' so many days, certain days. Well, aftah yo' do dat, see, dat'll keep dat man an' woman togethah. See. [A comment of mine made while checking cylinder reads, "Talking too fast."]
Entry 6071
Anything lak a man's wife is gone off an' he wanta git 'er back. Well, de way he git 'er back, why he take a stran' of hair out de mole of 'er haid, an' a stran' outa heah, an' put it in a needle whut chew sew wit. (A strand of hair from the top of her head and the hair from below.) An' stick it in a needle An' stick it up in de do'step. De mo' where she come out an' go ovah it, de mo' de mo' think about chew. So she can't leave him, she'll go back to him.
Entry 6072
Ah've heard tell of folks who take pins an' needles an' break 'em up y' know, snuff, sugah, an' hair from down in front of yo', an' wear it, wear dere husban's hair in a bag an' pin it to dey clothes right where it be nex' to dere skin. An' dey husban' couldn't object to 'em goin' out wit othah men if dey want to.
(Do they have their husband's hair in that bag?)
Dey [husband] don't know dey got it yo' know.
(Whose hair do they put in there?)
His'n, yessuh - from down heah, see. Steal it yo' know in his sleep.
Entry 6073
De nex' story ah know. A man an' his wife gits ma'ied an' dey live good. Well, yo' know, people git mad 'cuz when dey gittin' 'long good in de home.[ Well, ah'm goin' tell yo', dere's people don' lak dat: "She's gittin' 'long good ovah dere," says, "an' all ah kin do [is to make ends meet]." Co'se ah'm goin' tell yo' de whole business. Well, dis woman ovah yondah she's cryin' an' wantin' 'er husban' tuh come back an' she can't git 'im tuh come back. "Ooh, ah don't know whut to do. Mah husban' won' come back, ah want 'im tuh come back." Well, ah tell yo' a good plan yo' kin do. Ah tried dis an' dey tell me it's good. Yo' kin try it. Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do. Yo' git some hair offa him down dere an' yo' sew it up in a flannel rag, an' yo' tote hit fo' nine mawn- in's, an' evah mawnin' yo' git up an' yo' speak to it an' says, "Ah totes dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come back to me, ah'll tote dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come to me, [surely said a third time], In de Name of de Father, Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Ghost. Amen." Yo' say dose words nine mawn- in's an' tote dat. He'll come on back.
Entry 6074
Dey say yo' take a silvah dime an' git nine stran's of a man's hair from 'is private down heah, an' some John de Conkah root, an' yo' chews it up good, an' puts it in dis bag wit dis dime, one dime, an' sew it up anl tie it aroun' yore waist. An' dis man cain't git rid of me, cuz he don't wanta git rid of me, an' still yo' cain't git rid of 'im. Yo' wear dat nine stran's of hair. Well, ah know dat's a fac' 'cuz ah tried it tuh see would it come out.
Entry 6075
She could git 'is hair from 'is private an' de hair from undah 'is left arm an' nine stran's outa his head an' bury it undah de steps. Dat'll make him be's home; he goin' stay roun' home.
Entry 6076
Ah have heard dat chew could take a person hair an' gain de influence of 'em by carryin' dere hair in yore pocket. Yo'could take dere hair an' git chew a piece of bran'-new cloth, piece of bran'-new white cloth sech as be de - yo' know, don't be flowered lak dis. Yo' know, jes' any kin'a bran'-new cloth dat don't cost but 5c a yard - plain cloth. Yo' kin take dat an' take nine stran's of a person's hair an' carry dat nine stran's of a person's hair in yore pocket nine days, an' DE NINTH MAWN- IN' yo' git up outa de bed an' yo' say de THREE GOD MANHEAD: God de Father, God de Son, God de Holy Ghost - de ninth mawnin'. An' yo' take dem nine stran's of bair an' WALK TO DE BACK DO'. Wit yure left han' throw dem nine stran's of hair away. Don't look back aftah yo' throw 'em away, jes' throw 'em anyuay. Don't look back aftah yo' throw 'em. An' de person who yo's in love wit, y jes' lak yo' throw dere hair away, dey'll come back to yo'. [Even cloth at 5c a yard vas amazing back in 1939 - see INTR0., p. XXXV for date.] An' if it's a person dat chew wanta git away from yo', de seventh day yo' cake dat hair an' walk to de front do' jes' at sunrise an' say de THREE GOD MANHRAD, an' put it right in de centah of de do'step - right in de centah of de do'step. Den take a horseshoe - YO'VE SEEN A HORSESHOE - an' lay dat horseshoe right down ovah it; jes' yo' know square each way, jes' so it'll extend each way an' it'll be level each way. Yo' take dem nine stran's of hair an' dig a little hole an' bury it. Put dat horseshoe ovah it. Take yo' nine pins an' drive down in dere. Jes' try tuh drive 'em on top of de head of each othah it'll be bettah. An dat'll drive 'em away from yo', so yo' won't have any trouble wit dat person any
(You cover up that horseshoe so it can't be seen?)
Yes sir, yo' covah it up lightly so it can't be seen. [Despite the absence of pubic or armpit hair in this rite, I have placed it here because of 9 hairs snd9 days.]
Entry 6077
Ah heard dat chew take nine stran's of yore hair, lak yo' wanted yore basban' or sompin lak dat to stay wit chew. Take nine stran's of yore hair from undah yore arm, undah yore left arm, an' nine from down heah, an' trim mine of yore fingahnails, an' put 'em on de [stove] lid an' parch it, an' sift it op in some dough or cake or sompin an' let 'em eat it. He'll nevah leave yo'.
Entry 6078
Take it outa de hollah [hollow = mold] out from de middle of dey haid, an' take dat an' put dat wit dey hair offen dey body an' tie it up. (You mean down below?) Yes, an' tie it up an' wear it fo love. Make dat person love yo'. Qou get this hair from the other person's head and use your own private hair?) Yes.
Entry 6079
Yo' got a wife an' yo' wanta keep 'er, see. Now, if yo' wanta keep er regardless of wahr she go, she comin' back. Yo' kin git some hair outa her haid, see, an' from 'er stomic [pubic hair]. Put it in a bag an' wahr it in yore umdabr clothes nex' to yore skin, an' don't care wahr she go, brothah, she comin' back.
Entry 6080
Take de hair out from 'twix yore laigs yo' see an' undah yore arn, an' parch it yo' see. All right, den yo' put it in a papah-lak. Yo' want chure ole man tuh stay wit yo'. Put it down on de tracks yo' see, an' when de train run ovah it lak dat, well dat'll stick it togethah an' make yo' an' yore ole man stick togethah. Git de hair out from undah yore arm, eithah arm or eithah in 'twix yore laigs lak dat, an' put it on de stove an' let it brown. Aftah yo' put it on de stove an' let it brown, put it in some papah, an' put it on a track. An' see when de train run ovah it, well dat stick togethah an' dat'll make yo' an' yore ole man stick togethah, if yo'all don' live togethah.
(Whose hair do you get, just your own?)
Jis' mah own. [If this hair belongs to the woman only, then intention is the magic power. Usually his and her hair is needed - see No.6078.] [Memphis, Tenn.,
(942)1525:3.]
Entry 6081
Well, dey said yo' kin take yore hair an' some of yore hair down below an' put it togethah, parch it an' put it in - an' a piece of saltpetah. An'dat's to make love. An' sew it up [in a bag] an' wear it nex' to yo', nex' to yo', nex' to yore flesh. An' tie it aroun' yo' - wear it aroun', pin it to yo' some way. An' dat makes de man or wumman love dat person, whoevah dey want.
Entry 6082
If yo' got a man an' wanta keep 'im an' he's runnin' roun' on yo', de way yo' do. De fus' [first] thing yo' do, yo' git seven stran's of hair out de mole of 'is haid; yo' git seven stran's of hair from down heah, be's playin' wit 'im yo' know in de baid. Yo' git chew a piece of cloth. Go uptown an' buy yo' a piece of sompin lak dis bran'-new [homespun?]. Yo' cut it in de length of a towel. When yo' an' 'im go tuh baid tuhnight, don't chew do nuthin, jes' let 'im do sompin, an' wipe off dat on dat towel, see. Yo' take dat an' yo' cut dat spot out aftah it dries. Yo' take it an' cut it up in five pieces, an' put dat hair in dere, an' git chew nine needles an' put in dere, an' sew it up in a bag an' put it between yore mattress, an' yo' have him till he die - yo' will have him till he die.
Entry 6083
Ef ah didn't want mah old lady to leave, ah'd take whilst she sleep - ah'd git a little of de hair out de mole of 'er haid an' a little out of each temple an' a little ovah heah. (Down below?) Yes, suh. An' ah'd take it an' ah'd git me a 'simmon [persimmon] switch an' ah'd split it an' ah'd stick dat hair right in dat switch. Undahstan' me good. An' when ah'd put it in dat switch, ah'd git me a little piece of flannel about dat long - about Iak, about dat wide. An' ah'd take an' wrop dat [small split stick] in dere, an' ah'd put a hole in de bindin' of mah shirt, an' ah'd take dat an' ah'd stick it up indere an' - wrop it tight an' slip it right up in dere. She wouldn't go nowhere. AH COULD BEAT 'ER ALL AH WANT, SHE WOULDN'T GO ON OFF.
(Where do you keep that now? In your shirt, you say?)
Yes sir, right in de bindin'. (Right in the lining - around your waist.)
Entry 6084
Well, ah heah 'em say dat dey take de hair from undah yore arms an' de top of yore-haid, an' dey say take an' tack it on a piece of pastebo'd - put it in a little bag an' tack it on a piece of paste- bo'd. Den throw it in runnin' watah an' dey say dat'll, jes' lak if yo' wanted tuh drift 'em away from yo', dey say dat would make 'em walk off in de rivah.
Entry 6085
Make them come back? I don't know about the track [foot track to bring a person back], I jes' know about de sock.
[I turn off machine but decided to hear about the sock.]
About de sock? Take a sock, a dirty sock, an' take it an' put hair from undah is arn, 'is head, an' on 'is private, in de toe of it, an' take an' roll it to yo', an' roll it an' roll it 皿til yo' git to de end. Aftah yo' git to de end, why mke yore wish. Wish he'd come back or wish he'd stay dere, an' bury it undahde foot of yore steps. Dat'll make 'im come back an' he'll stay.
(Either sock is all right?)
Eithah sock is all right.