Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 14
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 6246
Dey kin take yuh hair an' bury it, yuh see, an' dat'll run yuh crazy. Dey'll bury it wit de same hot stuff, gunpowder, red peppah. Dat's when dey wan'a run yuh crazy. An' dey'll take dat wasp nestes. Yuh know de wasp look lak dey goin' fly at chew an' goin' sting yuh. Yo'll take de wasp nestses an' take dat [wasp] powdah. Take dem little waspses outa de nest an' takes de dirt an' dey makes a little powdah. Dey makes a little powdah wit dat an' dey'll go tuh work an' dey'll.... Whut did yuh ast me? Uh-huh, yuh hair. An' dey'll take dat hair an' dey'll put all dat togethah an' dey'll bury it, or eithah put it in [a tree]. Dey'll go in de woods somewhere an' dey'll put it in a tree toward de sunrise, an' yo'll always have achin's an' achin's in yore haid an' be crazy.
Entry 6247
I've heard 'em speak about 'em cuttin' hair out de mole [mold] of de head an' takin' nine nails, nine new nails, an' care-in' [carrying] it tuh de sunny side of a tree - I've heard of dat - an' drivin' it in. Drive these nails in dis tree. An' I hear 'em say dey go nine mawnin's an' drive these nails in de tree [one each morning], at de last mawnin' dey said then you'd pine away, yo' know. Yo' don't die right at once. Dey stop this hair up in dis hole an' put de nail in de hole.
Entry 6248
They run yuh crazy.
(How do they do that?)
They take a tree - they take de sunny side of de tree, when de sun rises on de tree, makes a hole wit a auger, den put dat hair in dere. Den take a ten- penny nail, yuh got'a have a ten-penny nail, den put dat hair in dere an' drive dat nail in dere. An' aftah de ba'k [bark] begins tuh grow dere ag'in, de weak- ah yuh git an' craziah [crazier] and foolishah. Dat causes yuh tuh be foolish, dat makes yuh lose yuh mind.
Entry 6249
Anothah way - yuh kin take a woman's hair, if yuh wants tuh git inlove wit 'er. Jis' take 'er hair an' jis' take yuh a augah, an' jis' go tuh a tree jis' at sunrise, an' bo' yo' a hole in dere an' put it in dere, an' jis' take yuh a peg an' jis' push it right in dat hole in behin' it. An' jis' long as it stay dere evahthin' is okay.
(That will make her love you?)
Yes sir, yuh holdin' 'er dere. But if yuh put [pull] it out why it's allovah. Bou ah know dat tuh be positive [fact].
Entry 6250
Take dey hair an' go tuh a oak tree on de west side, an' bo' yuh a hole in dere, an' put dat hair in dere, an' aftah so long a time dat person will go crazy.
(This person's hair.)
Entry 6251
Dey take de hair an' go tuh de sundown side of a sweet gum tree. Go ovah dere an' dey'll put [that] hair wit some graveyard dirt on tuh it. An' den dey'd have a augah an' bo' a hole in dat tree, an' have a peg de same size de augah, yuh know, an' drive it in dere. Tap it - got'a hit a lick evah day nine days, de ninth day yuh goin' drive it all de way down - way down, way down. Dat's when dey lose dere mind.
Entry 6252
Ef dey kin git de hair from de mole of yore haid, an' take an' put it into a bottle, an' bury it beside de green tree where de sun die - de side of de tree where de sundown - an' yo' become to losin' yore mind.
Entry 6253
Well, anyone git holt of yuh hair, why dey kin take yuh hair an' dey kin go in de swamp tuh some tree anothah [or other]. An' take a augah an' bo' a hole in de tree, an' put yuh hair in dere an' put a plug back in dat tree. Yuh'll go crazy.
Entry 6254
I knew a girl. Shewuz goin' wit a boy an' dis othah girl wuz goin' wit 'im too. An' she didn't like it. So she says she got some dis girl's hair, see an' climbed a tree an' tied it on a limb. When de wind blow like dat [demonstrates].
(Swinging the hair back and forth.)
Dis girl jis' finally left town. Den she's crazy too, she ain't got goodmind.
Entry 6255
(What can they do with my hair?)
Well, I hear 'em say dey take yuh hair an' dey take it an' put it in de heart of a tree, an' dey say it runs yuh crazy.
(Is that all you have to do?)
[Informant misunderstands and gives another rite.]
Hang it up in a tree, yuh know, an' dey say dat runs yuh crazy.
(I see.)
Entry 6256
Dey would take de hair out de mole [mold] of yuh haid an' go hang it in a tree an' yuh'd go, an' as yo'd go....
Entry 6257
Take a person's hair an' git one dem green gourds. DID CHEW EVAH SEE A GOURD GROW? Cut a place out an' take de hair an' place it in dat gourd, an' put dat gourd back tuhgethah an' hang it up. Dat will make a fellah go crazy. (Where do you hang it?) Up in a tree, yessuh. When de weath- ah is calm, well of co'se dey won't rage much, but any time dere's a wind blowin', why dey have de fits. Dey jes' crazy. No less den a green gourd [will do this].
Entry 6258
Yuh wanta put 'em in de road - 'cordin' tuh how yuh want it. If yuh want 'em tuh stay home, yuh bury it. [Here, having heard buried hair so often, I turned off recording machine; but informant continuing with something about first hair, I restarted machine.] (Where do you take the first hair?) Git it from undah yo' arm, undah yuh lef' arm. Yuh put it in a tin can an' screw it tight. Hang it up in a gum tree an' evah time de wind blows an' blow it aroun' lak dat, an' when dat string pop loose an' it fall, den yuh gone.
Entry 6259
But dis story says, if ah hate chew, envy yuh an' ah wanta git rid of yuh, ah git a stran' of hair outa yuh haid. Put it in de feathah of a buzzard, wrahp it wit a wire an' 'tach it to a dead tree. An' as de wind blows an' de feathah waves wit dat stran' of hair, yuh mind will wandah. An' yuh'll go wit it. (Well now, how do they put that hair in this feather?) Jis' split de feathah, de stem of de feathah. Put it in dere an' wrahp it. [See splitting stick or tree limb, Nos.6243, 6242, 6158, 6157, 6156.]
(Inside of the quill?)
Yeah sir, dat's it zackly [exactly]. An' dey says, as dat wavahs in de wind, yuh mind goes lak dat - yuh wandah.
Entry 6260
[To swing, either oneself or something else, can be a magic rite.]
An' anothah way yo' kin git 'er, if yo' kin jes' git three stran's of 'er hair from de mole of 'er haid an' stick it into a cologne bottle an' let it stay dere. Don't airtight it, jes' let it stay dere, jes' so dat it, yo' know, kin be a li'l bit of air gittin' to it all de time. She'll love yo' right out. But if yo' wanta quit 'er an' don' want 'er be worrying aftah yo' an' follahin' aftah yo', de way fo' yo' tuh do. Yo' carry dat hair down tuh a stream of watah, where de watah runnin' swift; an' tie it an' let it swing dere. An' long as dat hair swing dere, she'll swing 'way from yo'. She won' gi' [give] yo' no trouble. Yo' kin go wit whoevah yo' want an' she won' say a harmin' word 'ginst yo' - have nuthin tuh say 'ginst yo'. [Please notice the man's Christian act of leaving the bottle open so that the Woman would not suffocate or lose her mind!] [This belief could also have been placed under the hair and running water rites given later.]
Entry 6261
Dey'll fool roun' an' soon git a scissor [or] somepin an' cut off some of yore hair. Git dat hair an' put nine pins wit it an' some graveyard dirt an' hang it up in a tree. An' in nine days, eight or nine days, yo' loses yore mind. Well, dere's a way tuh stop dat, ef dey git it [your hair] an' yo' ketch de idea dat dey got it [your hair] befo' it's too late, or aftahyo go to de [doctor] an' bring yo' back [how to cure yourself]. Yo' kin go tuh de drag store an' buy dis ole rose watah an' mastah dat rose watah.
(How do you mean master it?)
Yo' kin go tuh de drug store an' buy yo' some old rose watah - smells good - a' yo' mastah it. [Mix it with] a quart of watah an' a teaspoonful of table malt. An' yo' use dat on yore head an' at nighttime. If yo' don't want'a do dat, yo' kin git chew somepin on yo' dat chew kin do without buyin'. Well, yo' arah [urine] penetrates through yo', yo' know. Well, YO' TAKE A PINCH OF SALT A'KETCH YORE WATAH WHILE IT'S HOT AT NIGHT, AN' PUT IT ON YORE HEAD 'FORE YO' 00 TUH BED, AN' ON YORE FACE. WELL, DAT HAIR WILL FALL OUT OF DAT TREE. YeS, su, hit'll fall out of dat tree. Dey run yo' crazy when dey hangs dat up dere. IF SOMEBODY DON'T BE SO BRIGHT, T'S GOIN' STAY UP IN DERE. As long as it stays up in dere, yo'll goin' [lose yoar mind]. [I turned off machine here and had to repeat substance of informant's words S y following statement.] (If you do that at night, then this spell will be turned back on the other person.)
Entry 6262
[After that long parade of submargin titles about TREES, we now return to our normal alphabetical order with TWISTING, an important magic rite often Ignored. Probably ten or more examples of it will be found in HOODOO. Twisting, of course, is related to knot tying, also to bending - the bending of nails and plns for instance.] Well, yo' kin take hair from a person's haid - say ah like 'em, see, an' carry it in yore hip pocket. Yo' twist up an' twist up de hair an' put it in yore hip pocket an' carry it in yore hip pocket. [Informant gives another rite.] An' den yo' kin take an' go tuh a tree an' bo' a bole in de tree an' put dat hair in de tree an' dat person - whut chew mean? Tnyin' tuh drive somebody crazy or what? Well, dat whut dat hair do. Yo' kin cate dat hair an' jes' take yo' a lil' auger an' bo' a hole in de tree. See, jes' put chew a hole right in de tree an' put dat hair in dat tree an' stop it. where it airtight an' nuthin will git to it, an' dey'll suffer wit de head- ache. Dey will keep on wit it an' dey'll die wit it. DERE AIN'T NO DOCTAH IN LHORL' KIN CURE 'EM.
[We return to twisted hair.]
(Now what about twisting that hair and putting it in your pocket. What will
(dhat do?)
Hell, now yo' take de hair an' put it in yore pocket. An' well, dat will pt dem people tuh come tuh love yo'. Yo' carry 'em all de time. Make 'em lore yo'.
Entry 6263
Eithah a man or woman, eithah one, git holt of yore hair, undahstan', an' weah aroun' dem. Take an' wet it wit dere pee, yo' undahstan', an' weah it tuh a string, weah it aroun' yo'. Yo' wanta git 'er, yo' see, where yo' wanta. (What do you do that for?) Well, yo' do dat tuh keep anybody else from intahferin' wit yo' an' 'er. Urine de bes' stuff in de worl' tuh wet it.
Entry 6264
Dey tell me, say, jes' lak yo' got a wife, whut chew could do tuh make her stay home an' all. Jes' say, yo' could take a piece of 'er hair out, or yore wife cut yore hair off, see. An' put it undah de steps wit chamber lye, an' yo' gotta stay home.
Entry 6265
Ah heard dat dey kin jes' clip some outa de top of yore hair an' git dat an' some of yore urinate, put it tuhgethah an' stop it an' bury it undah de steps, fo' yo' tuh walk ovah it. Dey say dat will make yo' love 'em,
Entry 6266
Yo' git a Adam-an'-Eve [root] an' put it in a bottle, an' git a stran' off de haid, [or] down below - mostly [they get] de hair de bes' [best] way dey kin, if dey have any con- nection wit it, dey'll git a piece. An' dey'll put dat in a bottle an' urinate a li'le in dere. Den dey stop dat up an' put dat undah de fron' step. Dat'll make dem part.
Entry 6267
Now, jes' lak if dey wanted yo' or loved yo' or somepin, dey would take yore hair an' put it - yo' know, jes' put it in a li'le bag or somepin - li'le ole red flannel or somepin lak dat, sew it up. Put cologne on it, jes' a li'le Hearts Cologne, an' keep it - jes' weah it, keep it. An' den dey take dere watah - yo' know, pee on it. Dat's whut dey tell me dey do wit dat.
(Why Would they do this?)
To make dem love yo'; yo' see, care fo' yo'.
Entry 6268
Dey tell me dat yo' kin take hair yo' know an' tie it up an' put cologne on it an' yo' know, make watah on it, an' dat'll create love - make yo' love who- evah did dat.
(You would get my hair to do that?) Yes sir.
Entry 6269
Dey tell me yo' kin take a woman, she pluck yore hair an' git a plait of it. Ah know dat, ah've know'd of it bein' done. Plait of chure hair right in de mole of yore haid, an' keep it, an' yo'll nevah leave her - yo' can't leave her. (What will she do with it?) She keep it, yes sir. She'll take dat an' weah it. She'll put dat wit a little chamber lye an' she'll wrap it up, [or] sew it up. She'll git some of yore fingahnails.
(Are you telling me the same thing or something different?)
No, she goin' put dat in a sack.
Entry 6270
Well, yo' take - jes' lak yo' want someone go blind, or ah want chew tuh go blind, see. Well, yo' take mah hair an' some of mah urinate an' a little of whut pass from mah bowels, an' yo' put it in de stove an' yo' brown it. Well now, yo' brown it an' git it up tuh a good powdah. An' jes' lak [I] pass yo', yo' see, an' yo' standin' at a place an' ah see yo' pass. Well, ah may pass an' ah'll see.yo' an' ah'll throw mah han' lak dat [demonstrates]. Well, yo' see, when ah throw mah han' - have it in mah han' - an' ah do dat wit it. Yore eyes is - [changes person] dis is in mah eyes an' ah'm goin' blind.
(Makes you go blind.)
Entry 6271
Jes' fo' instance, say, if yo' were livin' wit a woman an' jes' say, yo' wanted tuh leave 'er an' she wanted yo' back. She had a lock of yore hair. Den she would put in some nails, rusty - dey'd have tuh be rusty - rusty nails an' about nine or ten rusty needles. Put 'em in a bottle an' urinate see on it. Den whenevah she's ready fo' yo', she'd prob'ly shake de bottle an' git it all upset. It won't be long 'fore yo' git back dere. [The shaking of bottled urine, also other substances is a common rite, shaking should be indexed as a magic rite.]
Entry 6272
Dey say dat yo' kin take some hair from undah yore arm, on yore haid, an' yo' know [pubic], put it in a bottle an' a little urinate in it an' put it, yo' know in some close place dey say in de no'th cornah of de room an' cause yo' tuh love 'em. (Take some hair from the head, hair from under the arms and hair below - hair from the three places?) Yes.
(Hair from under one arm or both?)
Yo' kin take some from each arm.
Entry 6273
Dere's a way to run a woman crazy so dey say. Dey take a small bottle an' put urine in it, an' put de hair down in it an' stop it up, an' throw it in a stream of water. It will go an' yo' will nevah git chure mind back unless somebody will discovah where dat bottle went an' bring it back an' uncork it. [For 2 remarkable examples of doctors recovering floating spells and destroying them, see 920, p.338; 921, P.339.]
Entry 6274
(Who would do this?)
A man or woman, eithah one. Dey take some of yore hair out de top heah an' put it in a bottle, an' put about fo' or five drops yore watah [urine] in dere, an' put it in some runnin' watah. Stop dat bottle up tight an' chunk it in dat rivah yo' see. Yo' couldn't come back no mo' an' yo' wouldn't know whut de cause.
Entry 6275
Dey kin take dat. (That chamber lye?) Yes, an' git a strand of a woman's hair an' put in de bottle an' den put dat chamber lye in de bottle.
(The man would put his own chamber lye on her hair?)
Yessuh, he puts 'is chamber lye on 'er hair in de bottle an' put fo' or five grains of peppah in dere - dat pod peppah, red peppah, see. Yo' put dat in dere an' yo' stop dat up airtight, an' if she leave, she'll come back. If she wants tuh go, she may go, but she cain't stay.
(That's to hold her.)
Entry 6276
If yo' want a person tuh be crazy about choo, yo' kin take dere hair an' a roun' piece 'bout dat big [demonstrates] outa dere sock, of each sock. (About the size of a dollar?) No, about de size of aquartah or half [dollar]. Den yo' ball dat hair up tight an' yo' put it in dose two pieces of sock an' yo' sew it up tight. An' aftah yo've done dat, yo' take dat an' yo' soak it in 'is urine nine days. Put it in today, let it stay, an' take it out; put it in tomorrah an' take it out, fo' nine days; an' den yo' weah dat about yore per- son, as close to yore privates as yo' possibly kin, an' dat'll make dat person automatic'ly crazy about choo as long as yo' weah it. An' of co'se if yo' happen tuh lose it or throw it away, dat breaks de spell.
Entry 6277
Now, one shuah way of makin' love dat ah do know. If a man git holt of a woman's hair, he kin urinate on it fo' nine times an' she will stick tuh 'im. Dat's a shuah thing.
(What do you do with that hair then?)
He keep dat wit him all de time.
Entry 6278
Well, dey kin take de hair from a woman haid an' make her hair come out. Yo' take hit an' yo' carries it an' yo' put dis heah hair in some of yore water - chamber lye. Put dat hair in dere an' let it stay in dere nine days. Yo' take dat hair back out an' carry it back an' wherevah kin yo' put it - in one of dose rooms dataway where she kin git holt of it an' burn it. Well dat make her hair come out.
(Well, now after you do that with this hair, you bring it back to her house.)
Jes' lak yo' got a frien' or anybody dat yo' kin sen' it back in dere an' git it back. Yo' have tuh take it out de chamber lye an' let it dry. Well, yo' jes carry it back dere where she kin git it off de dressah somewhere, an' she kin handle dat hair ag'in. Well, dat run 'er plumb foggy [not fogy as in old fogy, but her mind will be like a fogl.
(Well, how will she - will she burn that hair when it comes back?)
She'll burn it or eithah she'll throw it out. Anyway dat yo' kin git dat hair back intuh de house.
Entry 6279
Dey kin take yore hair an' run yo' crazy. Dey cut chure hair right out de top of yore haid an' take it an' put nine grains of red peppah an' nine grains of black pepper, an' git a cup of yore watah [and soil] where yo' wet [urinated] an' put it togethah an' bury it. (Get some of your urine.) An' bury it. or eithah put it in runnin' watah, or eithab stop it up in a tree. Dat will cause yo' - commence de haid tuh ache an' have misery in yo' haid till yo' go crazy.
Entry 6280
De way dey'll take dat hair, dey'll take dat hair an' dey'll call it [by name], will call yo', an' dey will make a dressin' of it an' will git chure mind. An' in gittin' yore mind dey got chew.
(How do you make a dressing of it?)
Dress yore hair?
(How do they dress it?)
All right, yo' take nine thimblefulla chamber lye an' yo' take nine thimble- fulla salt an' put it in a bottle an' yo' dress dat. Yo' do it up in a rag an geah it aroun' yore waist, an' evah three days yo'll dress it an' call it, say, Ah wants tuh rule, control So-an'-so." See, yo' callin' it. Well, QUiTE NAT- CHAL WHEN YO' CALL A PERSON YO' GIT DERE MIND. An' sO dat's de Way yo' do it.
(And you do this, as you say, for love?)
Fo' love.
Entry 6281
[Hair and water joined in a rite is fairly common in hoodoo. There are many kinds of water: ordinary (the Water in a bucket or still water), running, hydrant (considered running), rain, eaves, spring, well, tide, dew, etc. One example of gutter running water will be found (No.5695, p.2913). I do not recall any snow water or snow rites. Holy water, bathwater, dishwater, clotheswater, and scrubwater have been omitted because they do not occur in the following list of hair-water rites.] Take a strand of hair out de haid an' put it in a bottle of watah an' shet it up in a bottle of watah. It will run yo' crazy.
(Just ordinary Water?)
Jes' take it [hair] out an' put it in a bottle of watah an' stop it up.
Entry 6282
Yo' gits yo' [your] hair [not your own but the hair of your victim], Put it in a bottle an' den go tuh de Mississippi [River], a watah, a runnin' stream, even if it runs dirty, an' git dat watah an' put it in dat bottle an' yo' hair [the hair you are using from someone else], an' stop it up real tight an' it'll run yo' [the other person] crazy.
(Where do you put the bottle then?)
Tote [carry] it in yo' pocket. [To carry this bottled hair in your pocket normally suggests that the victim is run crazy with love for the person wearing the bottled hair.]
Entry 6283
Take yore hair, a lock of hair, an' put it in a quart of watah, yo' lmou, an' it would run yo' crazy.
(What kind of a quart of water?)
Yo' jis' - fresh watah, yo' know, jis' runnin' watah out of a branch, yo' tov, an' put it in a quart bottle an' stop it up. Dat hair will turn to - begin to go to work den an' run yo' crazy.
Entry 6284
Well, ah've heard sev'ral times if a person git hold of yore hair an' Put it in runnin' watah, don't yo' see. YO' [the author] HAVE SEEN A RUNNIN' STREAM OF WATAH? AH 'MAGINE [they] said, if dey carry it to a ditch or, yo' know, any place dat de watah continue runnin', a creek or sompin lak dat, oby it will run yo' crazy. [Hoodoo has many informants, especially doctors, down- talking to me. This sort of treatment is surely the greatest compliment I ever received, I being one of them.]
Entry 6285
A man or a woman kin ketch a stran' of yuh hair, one stran' an' ball it, an' put it in runnin' watah. [That will] lighten yuh brains, yo' nevah be standin' still any mo'. [This rite evidently sends you crazy and away at the tue.
Entry 6286
Dey say if dey git holt of yore hair an' throw it in de rivah dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 6287
Take a stran' of a woman's hair, anybody's hair dat chew be goin' wit lak dat, an' den throw it in runnin' watah an' it will run dem crazy. [Wilson, N. Car. (1461), 2650:9.]
Entry 6288
Well, ah've heard dat chew kin cut a small plait of hair in de top of yore haid, de mole of yore haid, an' put it in runnin' watah. It will run yo' crazy.
Entry 6289
Ah've heard dat chew kin take hair an' put it in a runnin' stream whicb would drive a person crazy.
Entry 6290
Dey take jes' a piece of yore hair an' put it in a runnin' stream of watah, an' dat'll cuz a person tuh lose 'is mind.
Entry 6291
Heard 'em say dey could git holt of yore hair an' run 'em [you] crazy.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Well, dey say dey could put it in watah, in runnin' watah.
(Run them crazy?)
Yes.
Entry 6292
Dey'll take yore hair an' put it in runnin' watah an' dat'll cuz yo' to leave home, cuz yo' to run away. Sometime, ah've heard 'em say, it'll cuz yo' to go in a 'sylum. But ah do know, dat it run yo' 'way.
Entry 6293
Kin take yore hair. Take yore hair an' take it an' put it in, chunk it in de rivah, in runnin' watah. An' dat will run yo' 'way.
Entry 6294
Take yore hair an' put it in runnin' watah. Dat make yo' go away, yo' know - leave, jis' wondah, yo' know.
Entry 6295
If yo' git holt of dere hair, why yo' kin put it in runnin' watah - anyone givin' yo' trouble - an' dey have to go outa town.
Entry 6296
Git some of dat person's hair an' take it an' throw it in a stream of watah, an' dat will run de person away, dey can't stay dere.
Entry 6297
A person could take a stran' of hair outa mole of yuh haid, direc'ly outa de mole, an' put it in a glass vial - sompin lak a li'le vial dey use at de drug sto' fo' dang'rous medicine. Put dat hair in dere an' cork it up right tight an' throw it intuh run- nin' watah. An' dey say it will run yuh wit a bad haidache all yuh live, an' almos' run yuh crazy.
Entry 6298
Wal, dey take yore hair, git it from de mole of de head in yore sleep. An' dey git dat out de mole of yore head an' bottle it up and take it to a run- ning stream, an' dey throw dat in a runnin' stream an' dey say dat got a bad effect on yore brains some way. (They bottle it up and just throw it in that running water.)
Entry 6299
Git chure hair an' kin stop it up in a bottle, throw it ovahbo'd an' it'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 6300
Dey kin git de hair out de mole of yore haid, an' dey kin take it an' stop it up in a bottle an' throw it in runnin' watah, an' dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 6301
If yuh git hold of it, yuh see, yuh kin take it, hair, an' put it in a bottle, stop it up: Put it in a bottle an' stop it up an' den yuh carry it an' throw it in runnin' watah. Dat way yuh could run 'em crazy.
Entry 6302
Ah heard dat dey kin take a stran' of yore hair an' close it in a bot- tle an' throw it in runnin' watah an' dat will put chew tuh goin', too.
Entry 6303
Heard dat dey says yo' take de hair an' close it up in a bottle an' all lak dat, an' put it in runnin' watah an' all dat stuff.
(What was that supposed to do?)
Ah dunno, drive a person crazy.
Entry 6304
Dey say yo' kin take hair an' stick it in a bottle, an' go to a run- nin' stream an' throw dat bottle in de watah, an' let dat watah on it an' yo' kin run a person crazy lak dat. Yo' kin take a plait of hair an' do de same.
Entry 6305
Take yuh hair an' dey bury it an' put - even dey kin put it in a bottle am' stop it up an' take it tuh driftin' watah. Dey'll throw it in dere. It'll keep yuh wit de headache an' make yuh drift.
Entry 6306
Take yore hair an' put it in a tight bottle an' stop it up in dere an' throw it in runnin' watah. Dat'll take yore mind, run yo' crazy.
Entry 6307
Ah kin take yore hair an' put it in a bottle, in tiny li'le bottle, an' ah kin throw it in de rivah an' yo' goin' move - sech a thing.
Entry 6308
An' if dey wanta drive yuh away, dey kin take yuh hair an' take it tuh a runnin' stream of watah. An' don't nevah go fa'wahds, go backwahds. Take dat hair an' go tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' throw it ovah de lef' shouldah an' nevah look back. Dat'll drive yuh away. It will cause yuh tuh wandah from place tuh place - all lak dat.
Entry 6309
Den yuh kin take some hair outa de mole of de head an' take an' go tuh a runnin' stream. An' walk down dere an' when yuh git down dere, jis' turn yuh back an' throw de hair in de stream an' walk right on away from it. An' den jis' as long as dat hair will run, why dey'll go.
Entry 6310
Why ah've know dat tuh be so. Take his hair off de mole of 'is haid, an' turn yuh back tuh a stream of watah an' throw it ovah in de watah, an' he'll travel an' nevah have no home.
Entry 6311
Dey tell me dat dey could take yuh hair an' put it in a bottle. Den. take de bottle out dere an' stop it up, an' take it tuh some runnin' watah, an' throw it in any runnin' watah wit'out lookin', an' let it float on down stream, see. Dat's dat.
(What will that do?)
Says dat will continue 'em wit a headache.
Entry 6312
Well, yuh take a lock of yuh hair an' yuh lef' track. Yuh take it from de heel. Pull it disaway an' git dat dirt [demonstrates]. (Pull it from the heel to the toe.) Yes sir. Put dat in a box. Fasten dat up an yuh go tuh de rivah, tuh a runnin' stream goin' out. An' jis' a li'le befo' yuh git dere, yuh walk - make nine [steps] backwards, an' throw it ovah yuh lef' shouldah. Den walk an' don't nevah look back. Well, dey won't have no mo' trou- ble wit yuh. Dat's whut ah'm tellin' yuh now. Lak if ah wanta do dat, seedat'l run yuh away. Dat'll give yuh a walkin' spell.
Entry 6313
[Take hair] outa de top of yuh haid, de mole of yore haid. Now dey kin take dat hair an' kin run yuh crazy. Dey take dat hair an' take it an' jis' sew it up in a piece of cloth, an' den take dat hair an' take it tuh de runnin' watah, an' dey kin throw it in dere. An' it will run yuh clean crazy - run yuh 'way from dere.
Entry 6314
Take it an' take his hair an' tie it up [in cloth or other article such as paper] an' putting it in running water an' let it go down a running stream, dat'll git chure mind all messed up.
Entry 6315
Aw yuh kin take it, ah heard 'em say, an' tie it up in a rag, a piece of red flannel, an' carry it tuh de rivah tuh runnin' watah, an' throw it ovah yuh lef' shouldah an' don't look back, an' dey say hit'll run yo' crazy.
(This is your hair?)
Yes sir.
Entry 6316
Well, dey kin git a-holt of a stran' of yuh hair an' wrap it up in a red flannen cloth, an' put a little red peppah in it, an' tie it up an' throw it in runnin' watah an' yo' goin' as dat - jis' long as hit run, why yo' gone.
Entry 6317
Ah heard dey take yuh hair an' put it in a bottle. Yuh know take yuh hair an' sew it up in a piece of white homespun cloth, bran'-new, an' put it in a bottle an' throw it down runnin' watah. An' long as dat box wit dat hair in it run, well yo' got'a run away an' yuh nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 6318
Dey kin take yuh hair, so ah learnt, an' yo' kin take it an' put it in a piece of new white homespun. Yuh kin throw dat in de rivah. Dat kin run yo' crazy.
Entry 6319
Cut de top of yuh hair off [from the mold] an' tie it up in a piece of rag an' throw it ovahbo'd.
(What will that do?) Dat'll run yuh away.
Entry 6320
Git a plait of hair an' plait it tuhgethah, an tie it wit a rag or string of any kin' an' throw it in de rivah, or eithah bury it undah yuh do'-steps.
(What will that do?)
Dat will cause yuh tuh fade away.
Entry 6321
Dey could take yuh hair an' tie it up in a rag an' wear it nine days in dat rag, an' throw it in runnin' watah an' dat run yo' crazy.
Entry 6322
Git dat hair an' yuh plat it. An' yuh plat it undah- han'. Don't plat it ovah-handed, plat it undah-handed. An' if yuh plat it undah-handed, when yuh git it plat undah-handed, den yuh git a li'le red piece of ribbon, li'le tiny piece of ribbon on dat hair, see. Yuh puts dat into a bottle. Den yuh stop it up tight an' yuh throw it in de watah, nmmin' watah, IN DE BIG MISSISSIPPI RIVAH. An' dat'll run yuh crazy or run yuh oata torn.
Entry 6323
Ah've heard dat chew take de hair an' git a lock of hair an' pat salt an' peppah wit it. How yuh wanta know about de hair? (Well, what are you going to do with that hair now, after you put that salt and pepper with it? To harm them some way? All right.) Dat's whut ah wanta know. Ah wanta know did yo' wanta know tuh harn dem or [hrt them].
(Burt them. Either one.)
Well, yuh put salt an' peppah in dat hair, an' den yuh git dat track an' put wit dat, an' den yuh take it an' sew it in a piece of new Sea Island cloth [see later], Sea Island cloth, an' den yuh throw it in de divah. Dat's if yuh want dem tuh not think anythin' about chew atall - jis' don' vorry wit chew, don't chew know, jis' don't bothah yuh. Do dat an' throw it in de rivah an' run dere min' away from yo'.
(You take either track?)
No, yo' take de left track.
(ou want to put all those details in, in telling your story.)
[Sea Island cloth, made from Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense), was so alled because this cotton with an unusually long and silky fiber Was grown on certain islands off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina, until the boll wee- lll made its culture unprofitable. If I remember correctly, this (and some in- formant under BAT) is the only occurrence of the term in Hoodoo.]
Entry 6324
Dere's three thin's dat yuh could use of dis person dat would cause 'a tuh do dat. Yuh could use his track or 'is hair or any part of 'is clothes dere's any sweat in, an' put it dere, an' 'is mind will jis' begin waverin', an' he won't go crazy nor it won' kill 'im. Yuh wrap it up in a piece of silk cloth a' take it down tuh de runnin' watah an' anchor it dere so it could move about en de watah's runnin'. [For anchoring hair in running water, see elsewhere f text.]
Entry 6325
Take a person's hair right outa his haid, 'bout de mole of 'is haid, an' put it into a silk pocket han'ke'ch'ef, an' yuh kin drop it in runnin' watab. An' dat will run 'im plumb crazy. See, dat would run 'im crazy. [Fay- etteville, N. Car., (1407),] 2528:2.]