Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 19
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 6646
He wuz goin' wit dis girl an' ma'ied [married] de girl. Well, she goes tuh work an' gits dis rattlesnake dust. She gits 'er.some High John de Conkah an' she gits 'er some a [ofl de spittal from a daid man. (Spittal from a dead man?) Jis' gits intuh 'is mout', an' she makes a salve of dat. She takes 'er some of dis ole Vicks pneumonia salve an' makes a salve of it. When he come from work de doorknob - she have an'inted 'is doorknob an' reach ovah on 'is gate, it has one of dese li'le iron drops, latches thin's. She has dat greased wit it. Well he reached ovah an' unlatched de gate an' no- ticed he had somepin on 'is han'. He went tuh open de do' an' de doorknob wus full of it. Well he went in tuh put dat [hand] in hot watah. Dat [is] why it make it commence tuh go intuh de po's [pores]. He went in an' noticed it on 'is hands, greasy. He got some hot watah an' washed 'is face an' hands. An' aftah he had washed 'is hands, his hands commenced tuh sting an' burn, an' finely [fi- nally] it swelled up from 'is elbow down, swelled up an' he nevah got ovah it.
(Never got over it?)
His arm busted open.
Entry 6647
Yo' kin take dis Eve-an'-Adam an' burn it tuh a powdah. Co'se yo' got'a dry it out good an' den let it stay on de stove. Don't let it burn black. Git chew some of de powdah, de ashes of it an' sprinkle it on dis candle. Git chure candle warm dat chew kin kinda work it in dere-like. Git chew a li'le of dis rattlesnake, dust outa rattlesnake rattle an' mix it intuh dat, an' light chew a candle. An' dat will keep yo' sneezin' an' cough an' effect yore eyes, until yo' won't be able tuh do anythin'. Jis' burn yo' a candle right aroun' in de room. If I'd have a li'le animosity ag'inst yo', tuh keep from doin' anythin', insultin' yo' or somepin, I may light a candle. Got it dressed an' evahthin'. Yo' set chere an' inhale dat an' yo' don't know whut's happenin'. Don't know anythin'. [You] is partly out chure haid, worse'n [worse than] like someone doped chah. It's a long run 'fore yo'll git right ag'in, from inhalin' de poison from dem rattlesnake [buttons] an' from de Eve- an'-Adam, yo' know.
Entry 6648
A rattlesnake, well yo' know he has dose rattles on. Well dey carries a dust. Dere's dust in 'em. An' den yo' know a granddaddy. Well dere's dust in 'im. An' dey mixes it tuhgethah. An' dey tell me dat dey kin rub dat on yo' an' dat makes yo' paralyzed. An' dey take dat grand- daddy laigs or any part of 'is body an' dat creates live granddaddies. Dat's all ah've heard of dat. (You say they mix this dust from the rattlesnake [rattle] an' de granddaddy together?) Yes, it would simply put chure eyes out.
(How would it get into your eyes?)
Well, jis' have it on yore han'ke'chuf [for handkerchief trick, see 6642].
Entry 6649
[Similar to rattlesnake rattles we have the whole tail:] If yo' git up tuh a person an' [can] cut off dis rattlesnake's tail an' put it in some whiskey an' give it tuh someone else, in dat bottle of whiskey, an' let 'em drink dis whiskey, dat'll cuz de snake tuh be in 'em. [Let the tail soak in a bottle of whiskey, take it out, and then let someone drink the whiskey.]
Entry 6650
Yo' kin take a snake an' take de shell [shed] off a snake or anythin'. Jis' git de dust from it. An' if yo' kin git real clost [close] an' let 'im git dat snake dust in 'im- let 'im git dat snake dust in 'im tuh create a snake in 'is system. Or dat way, a woman gits a snake in 'er. [Is informant saying this dust can be given in inter- course, women being more vulnerable?]
The printed account explicitly mentions dust. Its claimed bodily effects remain reported belief; the bracketed clarifications and speculative question are editorial.
Entry 6651
Or yo' kin take a snake, a snake's shell, hull [shed] an' put it in whiskey an' dey drinks it, why dat'll make snakes grow inside of yo'.
Entry 6652
Well, dey tell me dat if a person wanta poison anothah one, jis' lak - AH RECKON DEY CALL IT WITCHCRAFT. AH DON' KNOW WHUT DEY CALL WITCHCRAFT. AH DON' KNOW EVEN WHUT DAT IS. But anyway, ah'm talkin' 'bout whut ah have heard, whut folks tell me. Say, jis' lak yo' might wanta poison a man or woman, or somebody else ah didn't lak, ah would hunt a snake, de skin offa dat snake, dey shed. Ah take dat shed an' ah would carry dat an' pound it up an' put it intuh dis an' hang dat up in de chimley where it keep warm an' hot fo' nine days. Den yo' take dat aftah yo' let it stay nine days, take it down an' yo' kin - dere'll come live thin's in it from dat shed. An' yo' take dat den an' put it in othah whiskies an' give it tuh someone an' dere come live things in 'em.
Entry 6653
Ah've seen 'em take de band whut be in a hat. Dey kin, yo' know, put dese heah snake shells [sheds], where dey fix mens blind lak dat. (Do they put the whole snake shed on there or what?) Well, they put it all de way roun' in yore hat. Or dey kin jis' take a piece where - see, when yo' sweat from de band of yore hat, well, dat will git most of dat snake shed, see an' den dat stuff will jis' run all in yore eyes, face, sompin lak dat. Git in yore eyes den an' it will blind yo'. Yo' go blind.
Entry 6654
Take a snake shed, see, most any kinda snake shed, an' beat dat snake- shed up real fine, an' puts it in a 'bacca [tobacco] sack an' go tuh mos' any man. Lak yo' go tuh a person an' yo' don' wanta [do nuthin] kill 'im - mean, he done hurt chew. Well, he take dat snakeshed an' go dere an' put it in 'is coffee, or any meal, or anythin' he kin git it in sompin tuh eat, an' name him, say, "Jim, John" - de one he name he wanta kill.
(Well, what will that snakeshed do to them?)
It'll swell yo' an' keep swellin' yo' till yo' start tuh - snakes start growin' in yo' till yo' die.
Entry 6655
Now, yo' take de blood from a animal - jis' lak if yo' got a stud now an' a person begrudge yore stud or dey wanta git tuh yo' some way 'nothah an' dey can't do it. [Begrudger] say, "Well, ah know whut ah'll do, ah'll kill dis mule." Go tuh work yo' see, an' he'll take de mule an' he'll cut jis' a place - enough on 'im, jis' about tuh git three drops of blood. Dey take dat blood den an' dey'll 中 carry it home an' dey'll take some of heah - jis' take a snake shed an' pound 'it up an' put it in dat blood. Well, aftah dey put it in dat blood, dey'll take it an' carry it tuh yore trough, yore watah trough an' put it in de trough. Well, now dat'll create any kinda germ in 'im an' he'll soon die.
(If the animal drinks this water.)
Yes sir.
Entry 6656
Whilst doin' dat, somebody gota go tuh de country an' git a he an' a she moccasin snake.
(Moccasin snake?)
Moccasin snake an' lays 'em head tuh tails, puts 'em down undah - buries 'em in de north cornah.
(North corner of what?)
Of de fence - right down undah de fence, undah a sill lak dis an' den...:
(Do they bury this under a sill or under a fence out in the yard?)
Out in de yard. It's nobody dat knows it dere but dem. It lays dere nine mawnin's an' dey'll begin to molt. Yo' go dere de nex' nine mawnin's an' turn 'em ovah, an' let 'em lay dere anothah nine mawnin's. After dat is ovah, dem nine maw- nin's, evah time dey touch 'em dey makes a oath. Dey goes dere den an' gits de snakes an' cuts de head off an' puts dem heads tuhgethah an' put 'em up ovah de do'sill an' let 'em dry - make an oath - lay 'em up there an' let 'em dry. Then they gets dry good, they crumbles them up right fine an' gets a powder - beats 'em up fine. Then they take 'em an' put 'em in a bag. Well, enybody they want, they go an' gets de dust of de snake head an' sprinkle it in whatever they gives 'em - they gives a party of some kind, an' they wants to go tuh, they gives it to 'em in somethin' to drink.
(What will that do to them then?)
Kill'em. [Richmond, Va., (?), 380:2. A similar method for killing with graveyard dirt is given by same informant in 300: l&3.]
Entry 6657
[In the following statement, as well as elsewhere in the text, the old belief about live things in you has been watered down to knots and things that look alive under the skin.] If yo' wanta damage anyone wit de snake, yo' kin kill de snake, pound it up an' put it in whiskey an' give it tuh someone. It will cause dem tuh go crazy, an' [have] knots look lak dey's 'live undah dere skin - knots lak dat, an' thin's lak lizards.
Entry 6658
Ah had a aunt. A man got 'er hair. See, he got mad becuz she wouldn't marry 'im. Well, he took a piece of hair from 'er mole [mold] while she wuz layin' down on 'er bed fast asleep. All right, took a piece undah 'er arm. (Both arms or one?) De lef'. An' den took a piece some- where else - down below. Dey took it tuh a new elm tree [at Algiers?].
(They took it to a new elm tree or to New Orleans?)
Yes, all right. Well, de only way, if dey didn't know nuthin 'bout it, it would liable been too late. Well, aftah dey [the man] went tuh someone in] Al- giers, dey had it fixed. Dey also had some glass, some kinda black glass [prob- ably broken from a black bottle]. Dat means fo' tuh kill 'er. An' it would have killed 'er, see, but she wuz saved by St. Anthony. Well, now, he came back [from Algiers or New Orleans] an' she begged an' begged an' cried. He told 'er dat he would not hurt 'er, see. She wus moanin' [molting?] an' moanin' [molting] away an' de only way wuz to git dat hair an' dat thin' back - dat wuz de only [way]. Well, all right. Aftah he done it, he wouldn't give her up. Well, twixt 'em, dey went out dere, way ovah de trees [in the woods] somewheres, an' got some root. A man wuz sellin' some kinda roots. He died [he is dead now]. Well, he got some root in a hurry an' made a poultice. He had some of 'er othah thin's, piece of 'er ministratin'. An' dis man got some kinda calomel [surely calamus] root. De drug stores got it [calomel], but any drug store don't got [calamus] becuz dey wouldn't know whut it is. Got some of dat an' made a tea. An' got some dog dirt, [also] yellah clay, cleah yellah clay, an' beat it up. She hadda take it though. Took it [dog dirt and yellow clay]. An' den got some new - bran'-new cloth an' bind 'er all arou', see. When he bind all aroun' 'er, well it somepin came outa 'er - through 'er bowels. Dey were kinda lak a rattlesnake - jet black. Dey had 'er fixed dataway in New Orleans-Algiers. [Algiers is a Ovah de mivah part of New Orleans.] But she pulled through an' de man came back. See, didn't know she would pull through. Aftah dat she lived ten years.
(What was the name of this doctor out here that is dead now?)
[A name informant couldn't pronounce or spell.]
Entry 6659
Ah heard dat yo' could take de hair an' take it an' put it in - jis' urap it up or tie it up in a cloth or somepin an' weah it on yo' some place. Weah it on de firs' piece yo' weah [wear next to skin] an' dey say dat will cuz yo' tuh come back tuh 'em. An' den ag'in yo' could take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up. An' put it in runnin' watah an' den it would turn tuh a snake. An' when it turn tuh a snake it would kill yo'.
Entry 6660
Sleepin' on a feathah mattress. Yo' kin take snake eggs an' put 'em in a chicken - [I mean] in a mattress where de feathahs is, yo' undahstan'. An' dem feathahs goin' birth dem eggs. Yo' undahstan'. See, dey got li'le bits of eggs an' dey'll birth dem eggs. An dem feathahs birth dem eggs. An' long as dem - aftah dem eggs hatched, dem snakes'll be in dere, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' sleep on dere an' it'll dry yo' up, jis' lak if yo' had consumption. An' yore lungs will be jis'as solid as dey is right now. [Solid lungs right now I do not understand.]
Entry 6661
Yo' kin have a live snake in ahm [arm] or chicken feathahs, but how dey put dat in yeh is by a dus'. Dey give dat tuh yo' in somepin tuh drink, an' den by 'umanation [incubation]. It breeds in yore skin.
Entry 6662
(He [my contact man] said that you told him a story.)
Yes. Well, now, heah's de story ah wanta tell yo' - sech as whut dey tell me an' whut ah learned, SECH AS WITCHCRAFT. Well, now, de story ah got tuh tell is sech a thing as spidahs. Yo' know whut ah'm talkin' 'bout, web spidahs yo' seen [not a fryingpan on legs called a spider]. Well, yo' kin take it an' take it tuh de fiah yo' know an' hold it. Tie a string tuh it, he can't crawl away, or put it in de stove yo' might say, in dere alive an' let it bake. [Here is the frequent rite of suffering before death.l An' aftah it git baked, den crush it up. Take dat an' crush it up intuh somepin an' put it in de whiskey. Yo' undahstan'. An' den yo' - ah'm yore enemy, yo' see. Well, aftah yo' taken an' do dat an' yo' kin git me tuh drink dat whiskey, well dere ah go, right dere. Dem spider gits in me an' create, an' dey gits an' eats mah insides out, yo' see. Dat's known tuh be de fact. Fo' me, ah hasn't tried tuh work it on no one. Anothah one, ag'in. Yo' kin take up dese qround dog whut chew fish wit. Some folks call 'em ground dogs, some folks call 'em ground puppies [the changa, or hellbender, a salamander, described elsewhere], see. Yo' take dat an' yo' kin crisp it up in a stove or sompin othah, an' yo' kin put it - grind it up intuh poudah, aftah yo' crisp it up. Jis' lak a locust, yo' see. Yo' kin take it an' grind it up an' yo' kin jes' put it - bury hit right at yore do'step. See, an' po' yo' about a mouthfulla whiskey on 'it, see. An' attah [after] yo' puttin' de mouthfulla whiskey on it, de nex' mawnin' yo'll wake up dere, yo'll find a thousand of 'em - young-uns. Dat's done, yo' know, it's done increase dat much. Jis' one, de one yo' take an' killed an' crisp it up, an' dig a hole an' bury it in, an' po' some whiskey on, put it down at yore do'step, an' de nex' mawnin' when yo' wake up an' go dere an' dig up undah dere, dey say dere'll be 'bout a han'fulla dem - de young-uns. Done create. Done create dat much.
(What do you do that for?)
Well, dat shows dat yo' might - yo' kin put it in me de same way. Dat jis' shoWS, yo' undahstan', JIS' SHOWS, PROVE OUT WHUT DESE THIN'S KIN DO. DEAD THIN'S DAT COME TUH LIFE.
Entry 6663
They kin take a spider an' they kin kill yo' with that. Well, they give it to yo' in lickrish [sometimes licorice, here liquid]. They put it in water or let him soak in there and die, or they put it in urine or whiskey, or they put it in food. An' that'll kill yeh, a spider will.
Entry 6664
Take a spidah, if yo' put it in somepin fo' a person. Dat, it will kill 'em, if he's 'live, yo' know, when yo' put 'im in dere. If dey drink it, it will kill dem from de spider.
Entry 6665
Mah aunt wus fixed wit a black spidah. Dey taken an' mashed dis spidah up an' give her in whiskey tuh drink. An' it swelled 'er foot, an' befo' we could git tuh do anythin' fo' her she died.
Entry 6666
Ah hear'd 'em say if dey wan' choo crawlin' up de side a house an' so aktin' [acting] jis' lak a spidah would ak [act], tuh have a spidah web an' have dem a spidah, an' take off 'is laigs an' put it in somepin, jis' lak some whiskey or ewer [either] somepin tuh eat, tuh have it on de inside of yeh. An' say, aftah dat's on de inside of yuh fo' sich a length of time, say den yeh'll start tuh aktin' funny in de way dat a spidah will ak. Say yo'd be crawlin' up, tryin' tuh crawl upon de wall, come down, gits on de flo', yah crawl fo'wards, come back. Say when dat stuff wus in yeh it's poison tuh yer system. An' dey say yo'd ak from dat time on until yo' die.
Entry 6667
Take a spidah fo' n'instance an' put 'im in yore pot an' cook 'im in yore pot. Jis' cook 'im in a quart of watah, let it cook an' cook an' cook until he come tuh pieces. An' den yo' take dat dere spidah an' yo'll see nuthin but jis' li'le teensy pieces on de bottom of de pot; where he done cooked tuh pieces yo' know, jis' about lak de end of mah fingah- nails, jis' about - about so [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take dat an' yo' set it aside till it git good an' cool. An' when it git good an' cool - until it's very cool - den yo' take dat dere. Take yo' a teaspoon an' yo' skim all de way roun'. Skim de top an' gft de top all de way roun', off de top where yo' boiled dat spidah intuh a quart of watah. Yo' skim de top an' den yo' take dat watah an' yo' po' dat watah off. Yo' take dat watah an' yo' put it in a jah [jar], see. Well, yo' take dat spidah watah dat yo' got already new an' put it in drinks, diff'ren' things.
(What will that do to them then?)
DAT'LL MAKE 'EM CRAWL, GIT ON DERE KNEES AN' CRAWL. HAVE FITS. HAVE ALL KINDS OF FITS. BE "FITTY" OFF AN' ON.
Entry 6668
A gentleman down town, he's dead now. There Wus a girl frien' of mine fixed, she had a thousand legs in 'er feet. Well, it wus some root medicine. He fixed 'er wit it. Ah don' know whut root it wus he used fo' de liquid medi- cine, but he give her dat medicine.
Entry 6669
[The best terrapin story in Hoodoo, a remarkable one, will be found in No.10, p.7.1 Yo' kin ketch a terrapin, dese streaked-laig terrapin. Dey tell me yo' kin ketch dose an' sech as gophahs lak dat. [Gopher along the coast of the southern states of U. S. A., is a burrowing land tortise Gopherus polyphemus.] Dey tell me dat it ain't but one way dat a person kin git dose live in yo'. Say dey'll take dem an' kill dem an' put dem out in de sun an' let 'em dry fo' so many days. Den take it an' pound it up an' put it in stuff fo' yo' tuh drink. Dey say when it mix in yore blood it'll commence tuh create dese live things.
Entry 6670
Ag'in dere was a woman dat had frogs put into her - not frogs but turtles. She was about to become de birth of a child. Dere was a ole wo- man dat lived next door to 'er an' by 'er being in that condition she Was quite disagreeable. And dis ole woman was supposed to be a hoodoo woman an' SHE WISHES THAT THE CHILD SHE WOULD HAVE WOULD TURN TO A FROG; BUT INSTEAD OF THE CHILD TURNING TO A FROG, DIS WMAN HAD DE CHILD AND THEN HAD THIS TURTLE AFTER. that's a fact because there was thousands of people went there to see it. It happened down in Louisiana, down in St. Bernard's Parish. Dat's where dat hap- pened. [Doctor Sims (see later), good as he was, surely misses the point here. The hoodoo woman did not fail. She changed the twin, the second child, into a turtle! If this story is true, someone had a quick hand.]
Entry 6671
(Tell me that story all the way from the beginning, make a parable of it. What are you going to do now with this turtle?) [That word parable I picked up at the beginning of my field work down the east coast. I found it everywhere, but sus- pected it was dying out. You can see how I qualified Tell me that story to make a parable of it. The words story and tale have a bad connotation in my type of field work.1 Well, ah go back ovah it ag'in. Yo' take an' yo' kill it an' yo' let 'im dry. Den yo' take an' soak it in whiskey - see, yo' gittin' 'is nature. Den yo' give it tuh me tuh drink.
Entry 6672
De way dat's done in de time dat it's matin'-time wit de terrapins. An' if yo' git it dat pahtic'lah time, yo' git a chance tuh git a terrapin an cook dat terrapin. An' take dat ter- rapin an' wheresomevah, jis' lak a woman, if she wanta hurt somebody - lak she wanta hurt anothah woman, sompin lak dat, see. At dat pahtic'lah time [mating-time] she kin take dat terrapin an' cook 'im, boil 'im good. An' befo' she boil 'im, she kin take 'im an' take some of de blood of dat terrapin, an' mix it wit some wine, some strong wine. An' give it tuh dis othah individual tuh drink in de wine, if she's a drinkah, yo' see. She kin be doped in dat. An' when she drink dat juice out dat terrapin in matin'-time wit dat wine - now when time come de terrapin aigs oughta be hatchin', well dat terrapin goin' from in dat individual. (That will form in them and kill them. That is, if some woman wants to get rid of another woman.) Dat's right.
Entry 6673
(A turtle. What do they do with a turtle?)
Well, ah see a person take a turtle aig. Take a turtle aig an' break it raw an' put alcohol on it, an' yo' save it. (You save it?) Yo' put it aside. But ah think a fellah mean an'( dirty enough tuh take dat few drops of al- cohol off dat turtle egg. An' yo' put it in some whiskey or somepin an' give somebody dat tuh drink. It will kill 'em right away. Dat's de way yo' kill people dataway.
Entry 6674
Ah tell yo', if yo' kin git a little of de watah or de spit from de terrapin - if yo' kin git de watah or eithah de spit from de terrapin, an' yo' kin use it in a person. Yo' kin put it in dere watah, anywhere yo' kin put it tuh git it in 'em. It will run 'em wild jis' lak a terrapin.
Entry 6675
Now a terrapin is a thing, he crawls late at night, an' he crawls at certain times of de day an' he go tuh sleep. Now, dat terrapin yo' wanta wakes 'im at night. Dat terrapin will crawl out de day, an' if chew wanta git dat terrapin tuh hurt chew at night, dey'll capsize 'im from 'is den. Dey'll grab 'im an' dey may cut off 'is right laig an' call yore name. An' dey carries it tuh dey house, bury dat [leg] an' dey'll turn dat ter- rapin loose live. An' quick as dat swell up, where he cut off dat laig, dat right foot - quick as dat swell up, why yo' is a sick man. (That is one way, they use it. What about the other way?)
Entry 6676
She [a woman living in Wilmington] has been hurt fo' 'bout twelve yeahs an' right now ven [when] de moon is young dey's [there is] somepin lak a coottah [= cooter, any of sev- eral turtles or tortoisesl, she calls it, somepin lak dese ali- gatah coottahs. She say it spluttahs [splutter = sputter or spatter from here- demonstrates on her side] an' goes up nex' tuh 'er heart, an' goes back down. An' she says ven it spluttahs lak dat, she kin heah it spluttahin' in watah [water], jis' lak if it runs up an' she cud [could] feel de li'le feets of it, yuh know, ven it's open-lak, lak it's scrattin' [scratching?]. It goes up from 'er right side crossways [right to left] up through 'er laig. [Does this symp- tom signify anything in scientific medicine? In any case, we have here again one of those psychology-and-time rites, see Pp.350-356, v.1.]
Entry 6677
See, de othah night ah had a young lady. Her an' 'er husban' went out tuh a dance, a party, all well an' hearty, but dere wus anothah girl dere got de [these] two in company wit dis - both in love wit de same boy. One slips a dose intuh de othah one. Now, how she did dat - she had wasps an' ants in 'er. Yo' take de wasps an' yo' set 'em in a tin cup an' yo' set 'em on de fire, stove or somewhere in de oven alive. Yo' fasten 'em up in dere an' let 'em stay in dere until dey are cooked, burn up, so dat yo' kin take 'em jis' like cigah ashes an' jis' crumble 'em up-like - jis' like dose ashes dere [in my cigar tray on interviewing table]. Well yo' kin take dose ashes den. Take de ants likewise if yo' want tuh. Or yo' kin jis' use one [wasp or ant]. An' jis' make a powdah outa dem. An' den yo' jis' [put] a li'le in a piece of papah, han'ke'chuf or anything an' take it on wit yo'. Well, yo' might ask fer a glass of watah, an' dey will be sellin' ice cream, cake, beer an' one thing anothah. Dey all settin' aroun' dere an' yo' slip aroun' an' yo' have yore glass settin', settin' dere talkin'. Yo' may done drink some outa it. Somebody stand- in' up behind yo', an' yo' don' pay no attention, or may walk by - may be standin' roun' dis side of de table. Somebody walk up behin' joo an' begin talkin' tuhyo' an' yo'll turn yore head an' dey reach across an' jis' drop jis' a pinch in it. Well, no soonah it hits, in de co'se of a second or five seconds, it's all vapor- ated an' yo' can't tell it from - it's all de same color yo' know, dere is no way of seein' it. Well, now yo' drink dat. DIS GIRL SHE HAD DOSE THINGS IN 'ER, AN' SHE COME TUH ME. DEY BROUGHT 'ER TUH ME FIVE 'CLOCK DAT MAWNIN'. HAD GONE INTUH FITS, HER HANDS TIED BEHIND 'ER, AN' A STICK ACROSS 'ER MOUTH. An' dat's hOW she got it. She got hers in ice cream.
Entry 6678
Yo' see dese ole waspses. An' yo' kin take a wasp when he's got young uns [ones], a wasp nest. Yo' know whut de wasp nest is. Yo' kin take a wasp nest when it's got young uns in it, an' each li'le hole is got a covah ovah de top of it dat look lak a stem. Well, now, yo' take dem an' boil dat an' strain an' put it in a bottle. All right, now, say yo' mah boss. Yo' says, "John?" Ah says, "Suh?" Says, "See dat fellah ovah dere?" Say, "Yes." Say, "Ah want chew tuh fix 'im." Say, "All right." Says, "He drinks?" Say, "Yeah." Well, ah'll go ovah dere an' git 'quainted wit 'im, 'Let's have sompin tuh drink." "All right." Ah go back dere, wanta git a bottle. All right. Well, ah'll go an' git a bottle of anythin' dat he drinks an' ah open it at de countah an' po' mine outa it an' drink mine. An' den ah po' some of dis in dere. See, ah po' some of dose wasps' juice in dere on it. An' den [they] begin tuh form waspses in 'is intestines.
(Is there any way of getting them out?)
Yes, de doctah operate on yo'. Dat's de onliest way yo' kin git 'em out.
Entry 6679
Ah know a girl dat wuz caught in some whiskey somehow or 'nothah. She ruz a frien' girl of mine, she stayed down heah. She wuz goin' wit a woman's husban' an' she [wife] didn't wan' 'im tuh go wit 'er. An' she [friend] drunk a lotta whiskey. An' so dis woman [wife], de way dis woman did tuh git dis snake in 'er - it wuz a li'le bit of snake jis' about lak a fishin' worm, an' she wuz poisoned wit it. She got dis snake inside a [of] dis girl. So dis girl commence tuh fallin' off. She commenced tuh gittin' po' an' it look lak dis snake would come right up tuh 'er [throat], come chokin' 'er or somepin lak dat. She couldn't eat nuthin; she pouldn't have no appetite or nuthin. So dey cared [carried] 'er tuh doctors an' de doctors couldn't do anythin' tuh [for] her. An' ah tole 'er, ah says, "Why don't chew go tuh dis root doctah in Orangeburg [S. Car.]? Prob'ly be might know whut tuh do." She said, "All right, ah'll go. Ah'll git mah mothah tuh take me." SHE HAD DONE FELL OFF TILL SHE WEIGHED ABOUT 80 OR 90 POUNDS - JES' NUTHIN BUT SHITCH. So she [mother] said, "Could ah [you] git someone tuh take mah daughtah up dere?" [She] said, "Ah'll pay yo' fo' gittin' 'im an' den ah'll pay 'im. Cos' dat's de only chile ah got an' ah'm crazy 'bout 'er an' ah jis' didn't want nuthin tuh happen tuh 'er." ". [She] say, "Ah believe [they] done somepin tuh 'er." So, well, we went attah [after] dis man, went on up dere. Dis man [owner?] said anybody could come in de house dat wan' tuh. So we went on in dis house an' dis man [doctor] wuz up dere [upstairs?]. He [doctor] tole us - de firs' thin' we set down. He went in dere an' he fixed up a hot - some hot boilin' watah, jis as hot as she [patient] could [stand it]. Said, "Pull down 'er [your] dress an' set ovah it." He said, "Yo' sit down on it." An' she set down on dis chambah of watah. An' he said, "Jis' set right dere till ah call yo'." An' he gone in de front. An' dis girl set down on dis chambah of hot steamin' watah, an' it wuz somepin she had in dis watah - she set on dis chambah of steamin' watah, she stayed in dere fo' fifteen or twenty minutes. An' he tole 'er. said, "Now. when yo' git up off dis watah, dere's goin' be a snake in dis chambah of watah." Says, "Don' be scared, don' git frightened."
Entry 6680
Yo' kin take nine new needles an' nine new pins an' nails - nine nails - an' put in a bottle. An' den yo' kin take one dese heah worm outa from undah de bottom [bark] see, think dey call 'em sawyah.
(Wood Sawyer?)
Yes sir. Dey got two little bills [horns] whut cuts in de wood. [These worms - the larvae of sawyers, several large longicorn bettles - bore large holes in timber or dead trees. Both worm and bettle are often called wood sawyers.] Put dat in dat bottle an' bury it down in de path where he walks. An' den, when he walk ovah dat, he'll ketch 'em in 'is foot. An' dat same worm [larva] whut chew see in dat bo'd, dat yo' put in dat bottle, jis' true as [what?]. [It will enter 'im an'] eat 'im up. [But this ailment can be cured.] Dat way [if you are in that condition] yo' got'a go tuh a root doctah de same way [as before]. Now a root doctor, he got'a take 'em out. A medical doctor don't do it.
(What would a root doctor do to get that worm out of him, I wonder.)
He goes an' git de root from de - dey call black haw an' red oak bark an' a stingin' nettle root. Put dat up in a bottle an' yo' got'a take. Dat stingin' nettle root, will run 'im out dere. [The other two help and also make 3 ingre- dients.]
(Well, what do you do with these roots? Make a tea of them or what?)
Yes.
Entry 6681
Yo' kin take a drop of frog blood, an' a drop of snake blood, an' a drop of dese here wood sawyahs. He's in dis ole rotten wood, wit a flat haid. (He's in the wood, sort of a worm. What color is the worm?) White, with a flat haid. Take dat blood an' put it on a sandwich an' give it tuh anybody; an' if dey eat dat, dose things will grow in 'em. (They take these drops from each one of these three things and put it on the sandwich, separately or what?) No, put 'em on dere tuhgethah.
Entry 6682
I have a cousin and someone put something in the boots he wore, an' in going home he couldn't get back sometimes without crawling back home. His leg got sore, and after it got sore he was taken down to his bed. And before he died worms came out of his leg, that big, as round as my little finger, and tvo inches long with black heads. They carried hin to a woman and the woman said this was put in the boots he wore. They were like maggots but they were bigger tham that.
Entry 6683
[This fortuneteller woman or healer] tole me dat somebody, a woman had taken mah sistah's hat an' dressed it, dressed it up fo' her, an' she suffabed Wit headaches. She tole us whut she done wit dese earthworms - yo' know, dese fishing worns about dis big [demonstrates]. Take dem fishin' worms an' parch 'em up. An' so dat dust wus sprinkled aroun' in mah sistah's hat, an' as she wore it, well, de perspiration got tuh it an' drive it on tuh 'er brain. An' SHE WENT JIS' AS CRAZY AS ANY FOOL IN DE WORLD. But aftah while We got 'er back again.
Entry 6684
chamber lye or 'is urine - well, dey kin take dat an' dey'll [a woman vill] mix dat wit yo' [a man's] food. Dat comes tuh yo' be vury weak. Normal [normally] yo'll have haidaches, yo'll have all kinda pains. Dat's when dey take an' dey'll go out an' git some earthworms. Dey take de earthworms an' den mix dat wit fresh lahd [lard], an' fry it up an' make a salve. An' dey rub dat intuh de man's skin. Dat'll form 'im tuh have earthworms in de skin. He is no good fer nobody an' den de woman leaves 'im den.
Entry 6685
Yo' take dat an' yo' ketch dem little worms an' yo' dry 'em. Yo' got'a dry 'em an' yo' put 'em in watah, whutsomevah anybody whare [where] dey drinkin'. Yo' put dat in de watah an' dat'll turn tuh little worms in dey belly.
The account names water as the medium. The claimed bodily consequence is reported belief; the bracketed wording remains editorial.
Entry 6686
De worm, de frog, yo' poun' dat up, some people do, an' dey sprinkle dat ovah de food. It will take effect on a woman more, becuz she will breed, yo' see, in a length of time it will form de form of a snake [worm or frog] inside de woman.
Entry 6687
They tell me that if you can get a hold of dog's hair and cat hair, and fix it so that it can get into the food of an individual, that after they eat it, if it stays in 'em for nine days, it turns to worms. And those worms get in their body on the inside and they finally die from the effect of it. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., (182), 554:9.] [Readers will notice I have changed the title of this subsection from the one originally given in volume 3 under CONTENTS FOR VOLUMES 3 AND 4. This change perely returns to my original title CURE AND PROTECTION in volume 1, pages 410- 519, emphasizing once again, as in the introductory comment that folk medicine in hoodoo or witchcraft has a protective or preventive side (p.3077). A com- plete list of cures and prevention of ailments and disease cannot be known until the completion of the INDEX to occupy all of volume 5.]
Entry 6688
Yo' kin take a penny an' if yo' havin' a intahco'se wit a woman an' if yo' don' wants 'er no mo', don' cä' [care] fo' her no mo', an' jis' wants tuh see her blat up, why yo' put dat penny in yore mout' an' put it undah yore tongue an' have intahco'se wit 'er, an' den yo'll give her some disease dat she nevah kin git rid of. Dat's whut chew kin do wit a penny. [The preceding word blat used only here in Hoodoo, is a variant of bleat, which means to cry out, as calf or sheep. Colloquially, blat could signify to utter loudly and indiscretly, or to be loud- mouthed. Perhaps the meaning in the present instance could be loud-mouthed or to blow her top. Or does informant intend to say she will bloat from the disease he gives her? As a matter of fact (hoodoo pathology says so), diseases are given by holding a penny in the mouth or under tongue during coitus: a woman holding the penny causes a stroke in the man (No.3240); prevents veneral disease (3241); makes a disease stronger (No.3242); etc.]
Entry 6689
(If a person that has a spell on you dies?) [I am repeating what inform- ant has already said.l Dies, they can't do anything about it. (They can't do anything?) No, they can't. [This belief is fairly common and known everywhere, see Nos.1039-1040, p.396, and elsewhere in the text.]
Entry 6690
If dey don't git it in yuh, it can't do yuh no harm. [This is also generally believed everywhere, even though to some it may be whistling while passing a graveyard at night.]
Entry 6691
You can dig Adam-and-Eve root up and keep it and let it dry, and when you want it you have it. If anyone puts a spell on you, you boil some of that on the stove and put a little whiskey with it and drink it, and that will cure you. [Fredericksburg, Va., cylinder 80, by Ediphone.]
Entry 6692
Drink tea from Adam-and-Eve and Old Hundred. Cures poison within nine days.
Entry 6693
Well, dey'll go tuh work an' git a root dey call John de Conkah an' one dey call Eve-an'-Adam [the name of this root is frequently given backwards as here], an' weah da' 'bout chew [that about you] an' dey say dey can't hurt chah.
The informant reports a claim of not being hurt, using dey say. This is a protective belief, with editorial glosses kept separate and no verified effect.
Entry 6694
[The informant who gave this cure was a root doctor who is marked good. Adam weed may be Adam-and-Eve, and black jack weed may be a common oak called black jack because of its black bark (Quercus marilandica) of the eastern U. S. A. Both these plants appear frequently in Hoodoo. It is also possible this root doctor bought all his roots from a root store or mail-order firm and was unfamiliar with the growing plant. The old-time root doctor who dug all his own roots was becoming rare in the late 30's or early 40's. I met few of them (see p.1620; MY FIRST DOCTOR, p.933; etc.). Presumably these four roots or some other four roots conquered anything within the four corners of the earth (Rev. 7:1).1 Yo' kin take de root of a hick'ry tree, Adam weed root [Adam-and-Eve] an' fig tree root an' blackjack weed root [blackjack oak?] an' take it an' boil it, boil it, jes' lak if anybody would have a bad accident or somepin othah, yo' know, an' jes' lak a girl happen tuh git a case of de clapps or somepin othah.
Entry 6695
Yo' kin take saltpetah an' yo' kin take whut chew calls, de medicine dey calls aloes, an' yo' put dat tuhgethah in some salts [salt] an' some warm watah. An' yo' kin take a good bath all ovah with dat stuff, make enough of it tuh give yo' a good bath. Bath [not bathe] yo'self all ovah. Den yo' kin take anothah, dis same medi- cine an' boil it, an' drink it. Drink it jes' as hot as yo' kin at night an' dat kills whutsomevah germ is in yo'. An' den aftah doin' dat, den yo' git chew a bottle of sweet milk an' a cup of lard an' lemme see - an' a teaspoon of salt- petah an' stir it all. Jes' stir it all up tuhgethah an' yo' drink dat. An' den five minutes aftah dat, if yo' hurt [hoodooed] yo'll throw it up. De white stuff, 'xactly [exactly] whut yo' done eat, yo' know, de milk will come back firs' lak dat. Den aftah dat it comes green, whole lotta green stuff vill come out of yo' system 'cuz yo' done vomit it up.
(What is that green stuff?)
Dat's dat poison dat is put down in yore stomic, dat's tyin' yo' up.
Entry 6696
( Git some sugah an' ammonia an' bathe yo'- self in it yo' know. Well, yo' bathe yo'self, dat keeps de cross off yo' - keep it from 'im.
Entry 6697
Yo' go tuh a druggist or grocery sto', eithah one, an' yo' git chew some saltpetahs, some ammonia, household ammonia, bluein' [three ingredients]. An' yo' take all dat an' yo' fix dat ingredients tuhgethah, an yo' use it in de watah whut chew bathe in. But in de meantime yo' supposed tuh bathe three times a week: Mondays, Wednesdays an' Fridays. [For this three evenly spaced days a week, see p.830.]
(At any particular time of the day?)
Well, say, six in de mawnin', twelve at noon an' six at night. [For this evenly spaced time-of-day formula, see p.830.]
(Any one of those times or three times?)
Well, yo' kin bathe once but eithah one of dem hours yo' kin, yo' see. An' den yo' take dis saltpetah an' yo' puts it in yore shoe an' yo' weah it. Dat'll perteck [protect] yo' from any kinda home or anybody tryin' tuh do yo' harm. (Well, there's also some of that saltpeter in the bath water, too. Those three things are all in the bath water?) Yessuh.
(Then you save some of that saltpeter and put it in your shoe?)
Put it in yore shoe an' weah it in yore shoe fo' pertekshon [protection].
Entry 6698
Lotta [lot ofl people, yo' know, dey urinate in de baid, cain't he'p it. Dey goes an' if dey uri- nate in a red ant's nest, it'll cuz dey urine to stop. It'll stop it.
Entry 6699
De red ants nest, dey say if anybody subject tuh peein' in de baid, why dat'll stop 'em from peein' in de baid.
Entry 6700
Ah heard dat dey kin take antses an' make a tea outa dem an' stop any- body from dripping watah. Dese red antses.
(That will cure them.)
Say dat'll keep 'em from wettin' de baid.
Entry 6701
Fo teas fo' sickness, lak yo' got de yallah jandice or sompin lak dat. Well, yo' ketch yore antses an' boil 'em an' yo' make a tea an' give it tuh 'em. (For yellow jaundice?) Yes.
Entry 6702
Dey tell me if yo' kin git some red antses, take an' carry 'em an' boil 'em. Boil 'em down therly [thoroughly]. Well yo' kin take dat watah an' give it tuh a person an' let 'em drink it. Dat's good fo' any kinda tricks. [For tricks, see TRICKS, p.280f., and elsewhere.]
(That cures them?)
Cures 'em, yassuh.
Entry 6703
Take some syrup in a bottle an' put it tuh a red antses bed. When it all git full up wit dem red antses, yo' scald. Put some hot watah in dat bottle an' po' it out in a pot an' boil dat, dat red antses. Yo' gits a piece a [piece of] garlic an' yo' puts it in dere an' let it boil. Well, dat is a dope dat it's nobody kin hurt chew. Yo' drinks dat, dere's nobody kin hurt chew. Unahstan' [understand] now, boil de red antses aftah yo' git 'em in de bottle. Put de piece a garlic in dere, strain it off an' drink it. Nobody kin hurt chew.
(What do you do with the syrup?)
De syrup draws de antses intuh de bottle.
Entry 6704
Git a bat an' cook 'im up. Cook 'im in olive oil, stir 'im up, an rub a person wit dat. An' if dere's anythin' about 'em swell up, it'll take de swellin' outa dem. (Anything that is ordinary swelling?) Dat's right.
Entry 6705
Ah've heard of de bat an' ah've heard of de frog. (What about the bat?) Well, dey say dat chew take a bat an' yo' git 'is heart, an' yo' keep de heart fo' tuh weah on yore person. But dere some kinda way dey say dat chew put it in alcohol an' dey keep it; but it supposed tuh be in a small bottle an' dey weah it on dey person. Dey take de rest of de bat an' salt 'im down lak yo' would a hide or sompin, yo' unahstan', until he petrifies. An' when yo' tack dat up in yore house somewhere, he [you] have de bat an' de heart. Dat supposed tuh pertec' [protect] yo' from all enemies an' show yo' special favahs [favors] aroun' yore home.
Entry 6706
Now ah tell yo ag'in, it have tuh be yo' unahstan' [under- stand]. Yo' have tuh git some earth from outa de groun', but yo' gotta be sure dat it's black dust - black earth, yo' see. Well, den yo' need tuh git halfa teaspoonfula dis sulphuh, den yo' have tuh git halfa teaspoonfula black peppah intuh a one-inch bag, yo' see, an' it have tuh be pure yallah homespun cloth. An' den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' puts dose tuhgethah, an' one red peppah. An' den yo' sew it up dere in de flannen [flannel]. Heah's a li'le bag dat yo' totes along in dat, yo' undahstan'. Well, it's no chance of no one playin' yo', anythin'. [This may be primarily a gambling hand, but it protects you against conjur- ation of any kind.]
(I see, eats it up.)
Eats it up, takes it 'way.
Entry 6707
[The following 3 beliefs I reduced years ago to short statements or footnotes: Carry black master root, no one can harm you (Norfolk, Va., 476: ll; chew black master, if given poison, brings up (Norfolk, Va., 530:11; informant says in North Carolina black master is called silkweed (Norfolk, Va., 477:4).] [Silkweed is the milkweed.]
Entry 6708
Yeah, ah heard dis heah whut [you do], chew blacksnake root. Ah heard if somebody gives yo' a drink of poison in ohiskey, yo' kin take piece a dis blacksnake root an' chew it up, an' yo'll vomick up whut dey have give yo'.
Entry 6709
Dey tell me dat if a woman wants tuh take de uppah han's [hands] of a gan an' take him in, dat chew [the woman] kin draw de blood from a' animal an put it in any kinda thing he eat or in 'is whiskey - jis' so long as yo' git it inside a him - an' dey have de upperturns of yo' in any way dey intend tuh do it. De only way dat yo' kin git loose from dat, whut ah learnt, jis' take somepin an' strike where yo' kin draw de blood from dem [the woman]. See, den yo' kin git loose from dat.
(They use the blood from any kind of an animal?)
Any creepin' animal [so that the man will creep or crawl at her command].
Entry 6710
De're [there are] things dat chew kin wish fo', things offa peoples, by things in de fo'ks of de road. Why yo' kin git a pretty [new?] han'ke'cheff or somepin, yo' know, draw peo- ple's 'tenshun [attention] dat yo' wanta [get]. An' drop it in de fo'ks of de road yo' know. An' jes' take it [handkerchief] an' pick dose place like a mole or a wart, an' pick it an' put a drop of blood on it [handkerchief]. An' drop it in de fo'ks of de road an' someone pick it up, why hit'll [mole or wart will] leave yo' an' dey gits it.
Entry 6712
[Articles buried are burnt up.] Put 'em [in] de fiah an' den dey git hot an' bus' an' shoot jis' lak a gun. [Shot is from bottle found by doctor!]
Entry 6713
[This case of witchcraft occurred near Leland, Brunswick Co. N. Car. It is not much of a story but the ingredients and cure are in- teresting. A doctor from Sumter, S. Car., cleared up the case by finding two packages, one buried at the front door and the other in the ground under the house and beneath the woman's bed. Each package contained 6 Adam-and-Eve roots, balls from devil's shoestring roots, running huckleberry vine roots, and 4 rusty nails, each package wrapped in red flannel. The root doctor burnt both packages.]
Entry 6714
Dey use buzzard oil tuh make people limbah, yo' know, in acts when yo' goin' on de stage or sompin lak dat - de show axe [acts]. [See also pp.42-423 and elsewhere.]
Entry 6715
Ah heard dat chew git a buzzard an' stew de grease outa him an' hit's good fo' de rheumatism or good fo' any kinda thing yo' wanta use it fo'.
Entry 6716
Yo' kin take a buzzard an' cut 'im in fo' pieces [to represent the 4 corners of the world, see Rev. 7:1] an' yo' take dat buzzard an' yo' kin fry him. Fry him an' yo' kin take de grease whut come from dat buzzard an' yo' kin cure any rheumatism. Heard dat concernin' buzzard.
Entry 6717
Take a buzzard, take 'im clean [clean him] an' boil 'im out tuh a li'le grease, an' take dis grease yo' unnahstan'. An' jis' take a li'le bottle - keep de bottle all de time. An' time yo' feel a stiff joint, rub de stiff joint, an' dat'll jis' remove yuh pains from yo'.
Entry 6718
Kill zim [kills him] yo' know. (Kills a buzzard?) Yes sir, an' take de grease an' grease yoreself, makes yo' limbah, yo' know, an' supple.
(What do you do that for?)
Dey say dat's jis' tuh make yo' supple an' able befo' de women an' diff'ren thin's lak dat, yo' know.
Entry 6719
Take cedah leaves an' burn dem an' git de odor in 'mongst yore clothes, an' dat will keep yo' from ketchin' any kinda germs. Lak yo' goin' in some places dat way an' burn cedah, an' git de odah [odor] in yore clothes, dat keeps yo' from ketchin' germs.
Entry 6720
If yo're hurt from sompin somebody have did yo' lak cunjurin' yo' lak dat, yo' take de dirt from undahneat' of yore toenails. An' take it an' wet it wit dis oil of cedah an' weah it in a piece of cotton in each one of yore ears. Yo' stop yore headache, if yo're hurt in sompin.
(That is if you have a headache from being hurt?)
Dat's whut ah said. Lak if somebody, yo' know, do sompin tuh yo' lak dat cunjure. Not if yo' jis' git hit about de haid [and get a headache]. [Even being hit on the head and getting a headache could be caused by conjuration, evil wishing, etc.]
Entry 6721
Yo' kin take cedah an' make a bath, in yore feets or laigs where yo' have swellin' lak dat. Yo' boil dat an' make a tea-lak an' bath. An' also grapevine.
Entry 6722
Black cat, a black chicken. An' if yo' git hurt, a snake bit chew or anythin', yo' cut dem open live an' put it on dere. It'll draw all de poison out.
Entry 6723
[To replace fallen womb, boil hen egg hard and stick up in womb. Fallen womb of course can be caused by conjuration or witchcraft. Womb and vagina frequently confused.]
Entry 6724
Yo' take a black hen aig an' write on it, if yo' think anybody is tryin' tuh rootwork yo' or anythin' lak dat. Yo' write on it whut chew want dat aig tuh do, tuh protect yo' in whut way, an' bury it at de centah of yore gate. An' if anybody come in yore yard wit anythin' dat means yo' any harm, why it will turn back tuh dem.
[This is called returning the spell.]
Entry 6725
Yo' take dat, but it must be a black chicken, black feathahs, an' yo' put it in a bucket. Take de feathahs an' put it in a bucket an' burn 'em while dey havin' spells. Jes' let 'em hol' dere nose right down ovah it lak dat, an' dey soon vell. Dey won' have no mo'.