Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 37
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 8086
Turn 'im [his photo- graph] down tuh de ground an' make a wish wit dat black hen feathah an' yore wishes will come true. An' at de dawn of day, read a chaptah ~ read de 36th chaptah of de Psalms of David. Yo' pray tuh God an' ast 'im fo' whut chew want an' yo'll be purtty lucky tuh git it. (Use the person's photograph. How do you use that black feather? What do you do with that?) Lay it across de pichure, turn it [picture] down tuh de ground.
(Face it down.)
Entry 8087
Like if a lady or a man - a man wouldn't - or a woman wouldn't even hurt a woman like herself an' a man wouldn't hurt a man like himself. Now, if yo' got a lady friend, say for instance she's gone from here tuh London, Eng- land. Yo' cares fo' dis lady, an' she don't care fo' yo'. Yo' wants 'er back. Yo' kin git 'er back. Yo' go, yo' git choo - yo' got 'er photo already. Yo' git chew some John de Conkah's root. Yo' git choo some Mayfair Powdah [trade name, perfumed powder for body].
(What kind of powder?)
Mayfair Powdah, an' git choo some John de Conkah's root. Yo' take dis John de Conkah's root an' dis Mayfair Powdah. (You take the John the Conquer root and the Mayfair Powder. All right, then what?) John de Conkah's root an' dis Mayfair Powdah. Now, yo' gotta take dis John de Conkah's root an' yo' gotta roll it out 'till it git tuh a powdah like dis May- fair Powdah. Supposed tuh sell yo' Mayfair Powdah or de othah [John de Conkah]. Now, aftah yo' take dis powdah an' dis earth [John de Conkah Powder]. Yo' got 'er photo. Yo' go out in some private place at twelve o'clock. Yo' go in de daytime when de sun is beamin' hot. Yo' stan' dis pichure anywhere dat yo' could stand it, even if yo' gotta put a brick down tuh stand it up. Yo' go roun' [cir- cle] dis pichure nine times an' sprinkle it wit dis Mayfair Powdah an' dis John de Conkah's root.
(Do you have to sprinkle the picture or sprinkle a circle around it?)
A circle around it nine times.
(All right.)
Now, she's in London, England. An' aftah yo' do dat nine times fo' nine days, yo' don't have tuh worry no more. She's gotta come back regardless wherevah she's at. Dat's wit 'er photo. [I believe the person walks round (circumambulate) the propped-up photo once each day of the 9 days, sprinkling as he goes.]
(Why do you say London, England? Have you ever been there?)
I'se nevah been in London, England, but dat jis' [an illustration].
(I See. WERE YOU BORN IN THIS COUNTRY?)
WelI, I WASN'T BORN RIGHT ON DIS SIDE [IN NEW ORLEANS]. I WAS BORN ON DE LOW COAST OF ALGIERS [ON WEST SIDE OF MISSISSIPPI, AN "OVER THE RIVER" PART OF NEW QLEANS.]
(WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE LOW COAST OF ALGIERS? ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI?)
ACROSS DE MISSISSIPPI RIVAH.
(I see, I see.) )
Entry 8088
They say they kin take a tintype of a man or a woman that you're in love with an' turn it upside down in a dark corner an' keep it in the dark. Eventually they will pine away to nuthin an' their thoughts will be on you always.
Entry 8089
If a party writes a party a lettah an' sends 'is pitchure in it, an' he take it an' jab both of de eyes out of de party, an' burn two cornahs, dat's bad business
(What will it do?)
Give yo' hard luck de balance of yore days, an' yo' liable tuh go blind.
(What two corners do you burn?)
Burn de right an' left - burn de bottom one left an' burn de top one right.
Entry 8090
Have taken dat [photo] an' put it intuh a trunk. Bury it bottom down, [I] mean face down, an' cut two cornahs offa it an' write de name on de face, "I want chew tuh come home, '' or 'I want chew tuh die." I write dat on de photo, "Want chew tuh lin- gah." Write dat on de face of de photo. If dat face is down in de bottom of de trunk or down undah a step or anywhere, I could git jis' so I kin git de face down at, neah of de home or in de home... [I interrupt]. (That will have to be written down. Which two corners of the photograph do you cut off? Which two corners?) Got tuh lay it face dis way, see [demonstrates].
(Which two corners do you cut off now?)
All right [demonstrates]. Cut dis one here, an' cut dis one down here. (You cut opposite corners.) [Magic of the diagonal, see many examples in Hoodoo.] Yes, sir, opposite cornahs.
Entry 8091
Ah've heard dat dey kin take yo' photograph an' cut both cornahs, yo' know, each cornah an' pass it 'way tuh a individual. Jis' lak if ah had yore photograph, if ah was in company wit choo, ah would clip de fo' cornahs tuh it an' jis' put it away in a private place, where no one would git tuh it an' see it. An' dat would always bring yo' person'ly towards me. (You cut off the four corners. And what do you do with those four corners then?) What chew do wit de fo' cornahs? Well, yo' kin jis' cast 'em aside. Dey are no good.
(You just keep the photograph.)
Jis' keep de photograph yo'self.
Entry 8092
I heard 'em say dat dey kin take a photograph an' burn de cornah of it.
(Burn the corner?)
Burn de cornah, bend de fo' cornahs of de photograph dat way. Take de photo- graph an' jis' take it off an' jis' burn de cornahs. Strike a match tuh it an' burn de fo' cornahs. Take a stick an' pick dat up an'...an' throw dat in de fiah. "Fore de end of de yeah, why somepin will happen tuh dat man or dat woman. I've seen dat thing done mahself.
Entry 8093
If he's gone fah [far] off, yo' could...an' clip each cornah off it [photograph] an' stick it down, yo' know, lak in a crack an' sprinkle table salt ovah dat, an' yo' make urinate dere fo' nine mawnin's, an' he'll be back.
(Just stick it down in the crack?)
Yes.
Entry 8094
Dey say dat she could take de photograph an' nail it up, yo' know, in de fo' cornahs of de wall, an' if de man's off an' yo' [or she] want 'im tuh come back, yo' take it an' [demonstrates] put it in dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' den call de fo' cornahs of de walls, jis' lak no'th, so'th an' east an' west. [They] say in nine days he'll be back home. (You only do that once though? You put the photograph in one corner and call his name, then you take that off and put it in another corner. Then you take it off and put it in another corner.) An' den call de fo' cornahs, jis' lak dey say de fo' cornahs of de world.
[This expression is from Revelation of St. John the Divine, 7:1.]
(But you only use one photograph, and you call each corner?)
An' den call 'is name. Say in nine days he'll be back home.
Entry 8095
Yo' kin take a man's pichure or a man kin take a woman's pichure. If yo' wan' de person tuh stay aroun', yo' kin turn it up an' dey'll be aroun' if yo' walk on tuh 'em. If yo want 'em tuh come rushin' right tuh yo' at once, turn it down. Dat puts 'em on dere haid, dey can't stay away. Den yo' kin take de pichure ag'in an' punch de eyes out, put a "x" in de mouth, an' bury it on de face of it, but punch de eyes out an' dat'll run 'em blind.
Entry 8096
If yo' didn't like a person, take dat pichure an' make cross marks on de eyes an' bury it where yo' often walks ovah, an' dey will nevah bothah yo' any mo'. (Just make a cross over each eye?) Jis' make a cross ovah each eye an' bury it, yo' know, in de path dat chew trods ovah, an' dey'd nevah bothah yo' ag'in.
Entry 8097
Yo' take de pichure an' yo' plug both eyes out. Den yo' take an' yo' put two cross mark right across lak dat [demonstrates] an' den yo' carry it tuh de right- han' cornah of de house on de Do'theast side, an' carry it an' put it undahneat' of de house up on top of de sill an' turn de face down. An' dey'll perish [you] away. (Now, after you cut the eyes out of that picture, you just cross it like that [demonstrate] twice. You make diagonals across the picture in the shape of a cross like that twice. Then you bury it under - [demonstrate] here's the house and here's the northwest corner. Now, where would you bury it under the north- east corner?) Yo' jis' put it right along - now heah's [demonstrates] de no'theast cornah. Jis' put it about lak dat, up on top of de sill of de house an' turn it face down.
Entry 8098
Yo' kin take dat, jis' a tintype. Yo' kin take it an' bury it an' kill a person jis' as daid as dey evah have tuh die. Yo' take it an' carry it out somewhere an' yo' dig a hole an' put it in it, an' yo' jis' curse an' say, "Ah hope dat yo'll die an' nevah come back ag'in." An' bury it. Dat's de way tuh bury an' dey'll die. As dat tintype fade away, why dey'll fade away. Dey will shore die.
Entry 8099
Take de photograph an' put it befo' yo' face a certain time, certain hour of de day, whichevah hour yo' sets. Some of 'em sets seven in de mawnin', which dey claims dat's best. Set dat photo befo' yo' evah mawnin' an' curse it. Point chore fingah at it an' curse it, dey say, whatevah curse yo' may wish, fer seven mawnin's, an' bury it upon its face, face downwards, an' dat curse will come true.
Entry 8100
Ah heer'd dat yo' could take a photograph an' put, place it in de dark, yo' see. Place it in de dark with peppah an' salt. Sprinkle on dis photograph. Wrap it up an' put it in a dark place. Well, yo' say, throw it away an' it would cuz homes tuh be broken up or somepin lak dat. Ah hear'd of dat, too.
Entry 8101
Jis' lak mah wife wuz tuh leave me an' go tuh New York or somewhere, an' ah wanted 'er back, an' ah could git 'er photograph, an' could take it an' bring 'er back tuh me, an' all lak dat.
(Well, do you know what they would do with that?)
Dey say dey would take dat photograph an' turn it tuh go from de way she leave home; jis' backward, back. Ah tell how she, de way she leave. Dey could take dat photograph an' turn it, put de face towards de way she went an' de back to- Wards home, an' de face of dat pichure would draw 'er back tuh me.
(That's all they had to do?)
Yessuh, dey jis' take dat.
Entry 8102
Ah heard dat yo' could take yore photograph on a tintype - on a tin- type. Take yore photograph, if dey wanted tuh do anything tuh yo', an' keep it layin' on de face undah de do', an' dat'll make his mind, yo' know, ramble. He cain't stay dere, he gotta go. He'll wanta be goin' all de time. Jis' yore mind be's all aflustery an' yo' don't know whut tuh do. Yo' ain't satisfied an' yo' cain't do yore work, jis' unhappy.
(Why would that cause that?)
Well, de pichure is layin' on it's face. Dat's whut de ole lady tole me.
Entry 8103
Take dat p'otograph an' put it down on de face, an' bury it undah de doorsteps, an' walk ovah it. Dey say dat person'll jis' be gone.
Entry 8104
Yo' kin bury it on its face [the picture] at chure do' too, ag'in. Wrap it up in flannen an' bury it down dere an' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's yo' kin hit on it jis' lak dat [demonstrates by stamping foot], jis' as yo' walk, jis' hit on it lak dat, an' dat harms 'em. Yo'll fade away. Ah've seen 'em fade away.
(You just stomp [stamp] on it.)
Yo' be goin' but chew fades away tuh nuthin.
Entry 8105
Dey could take yore photograph lak if yo's a long Way off. Dey kin take it an' put it at de front do' where yo' live at an' read de 18th Psalm. In nine days yo'll come from where yo' is, ah don't care where yo' is. (How do they put that photograph at the front door? Just what do they do with that?) Dey will put it right at de front do' an' dey will cut dat, yo' know, jis' de size of yo' photograph - cut dat out, see. An' den would put dat piece right back ovah dat, dat same piece, an' put dat 18th Psalm, yo' know, written on a piece of papah, an' place it ovah dat. An' den dey Would read dat 18th Psalm in de Bible. An' den in nine days yo'll surely return.
Entry 8106
Well, if a woman don't like you an' go away, yo' turn it [photograph] upside down [face down?] an' nail it up over the door. It'll bring her back.
Entry 8107
I've heard tell of 'em takin' yuh photograph - of a tintype - an' bury- in' it at cheh do', an' it'a make sickness. "Yo' become swollen, yo' know. Yo' jis' run wild, see. An' if anybody kin git tuh it befo' it russes [rusts], why dey kin save yo' - jis' take it up. Dey bury it head-fore- most. Dey bury it about, yo' know, about fo' or five inches down in earth, down undahneath yuh do'step.
(What do you mean by head-foremost?)
De head leans out from de do'. Dat means dat choo'll die an' dey bring yuh out, yo' undahstand. It's bottom upward.
Entry 8108
Take a photograph an' dig a hole undah a bottom of a steps, an' turn it down undah dat step right on de face, an' dat will make yo' leave a place where yo' be at.
(How do you mean make you leave?)
Jis' lak if yo' stayin' tuh a house lak dis [where we were sitting] an' dey Want chew tuh go, say dey will bury it undah yo' step, undah yo' bottom do'steps. An' dig a hole an' turn it down, say dat will make yo' go.
Entry 8109
Dey git hold of dat photograph so as tuh do yo' any harm. Well, dey could take it an' take it home wit 'em an' bury it an' keep it about, say two or three days sompin, somewhere round de do'step. But it ain't nuthin tuh kill yuh or nuthin lak dat. But it will, yo' know, put chew in bad luck or give yo' a bad feelin' or somepin othah lak dat.
Entry 8110
Now, if yo' have a fren' - understan' me good - a girl fren' dat lovin' yo' an' she have yore photo. Well, she kin take de photo an' turn it down on de face an' put it undah de front steps, jis' undah de sill of de house, an' dat vill make yo' worry a lot about 'er.
Entry 8111
I heard of 'em gittin' hold of it [a photograph] an' buryin' it under the doorsteps so it with de face down, an' makin' yo' leave.
Entry 8112
Ah've heard dat dey would take dat an' bury it undah de step, dat photo.
(What would that do?)
Well, dat would bring yore lovah back, if he's left.
Entry 8113
A person could bury mah photograph bottom upwards undah mah steps an' ah'll run off but ah'll sho'ly [surely] come back, come right back.
Entry 8114
If a person got a photograph, if yo' kin git it an' burn it up an' have somebody tuh bury de ashes right back undah her steps, well dat will give her bad luck. Dat'll run 'er away from town, make her move out dat house.
Entry 8115
Git a person photograph on a tintype. Ah know dis one mahself. An' yo' stan' it on de edge, put it in de groun' where it will stan' on de edge, an' let it lay dat way 36 hours in dat one position. An' den aftah den yo' go back an' turn it ovah ag'in, see. An' if he's away, he'll show up. In de same lak mannah, if yo' wanta kill any person wit de tintype, yo' take it an' yo' lay it flat jis' lak dat on its face an' let it lay dere. In less dan 36 hours dat individual will git sick an' be daid. (Now, that first way, you put the photograph, you set it up like that [demon- strate]. Is the head up or down, or does it make any difference?) It doesn't make any diff'rence, jis' so it's settin' up on de edge. An' den de nex' time yo' turn it.
Entry 8116
They kin take a egg, draw their pitchure on dis egg, bury it with the face to the sun, an' it will cause 'em to be in trouble.
Entry 8117
Ah have mah pichure made an' den de person who made mah pichure would bring it an' ah refuse tuh take it out [to pay for it?l. Somebody would take dat pichure an' scratch out de eyes an' turn de head-part down, an' dat would run yo' blind.
(How do you mean put the head down? Where do you put it down?)
Ah don't know dat. Dey jis' tell me dat.
(Where do you set it down though?)
Yo' jis' set it down any place, anywhere yo' kin.
(You mean on a table or something of that sort?)
Jis' lak yo' walk tuh de house an' set it down tuh de side of de house lak dat.
Entry 8118
If it's a tintype, why dey kin kill yo' wit de photograph. Take de photograph an' punch holes in it an' bury it on its face.
(Would they punch that hole any particular place?)
Well, some says punch out de eye part of 'em, but ah don't know personally. But ah know 'em not tuh punch de eye part out, jis' through heah [demonstrates], somepin jis' look lak dey stick somepin through de neck of it.
(Right in the throat?)
Uh-hah.
Entry 8119
Ah've heard dat dey could take yo' pitchure from yo' house. Go dere an' steal yo' pitchure, take it tuh dere house an' put it at anywhere in dere house, an' take anything an' punch de eyes of it out, an' yo'll go blind.
Entry 8120
Take a straight pin an' scratch de eye of 'em on de photograph, dat will run a person blind.
Entry 8121
De photograph, turd it down yo' know. Yeah, bury it on its face. See heah, cut de eyes out an' bury it on de face, an' walk on off an' don't look back.
(What will that do?)
He'll die.
(What did you say about the eyes?)
Cut de eyes out de pichure. Yo' kin jis' mark cross dem, cut de eyes out. Carry it wherever yo' Wanta carry, don't let nobody see yo' [dig a hole], covah it up lak yo' bury a grave.
Entry 8122
Wal, ah understand that they take yore photo- graph, an' they take the photograph an' turn de pic- hure, de face to de ground, and they bury that. An' then when they do that yo' fades away an' yo' lose yore mind.
Entry 8123
Ah've heard of it, de photograph. Yo' kin take it, dey say an' bury it, an' bury it on de face. Dey say when dat pichure rot, why yo'll die.
Entry 8124
Well, yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin bury 'it on de face yo' know, an' yo' kin kill a person lak dat. Yeah, wit 'is photograph, jis' bury it somewhere on de face. An' tell me, say yo' kin run 'em crazy wit dat.
Entry 8125
Take de photograph an' yo' know, keep it turn on its face an' yo'... (What will that do if you turn that photograph on its face? [Pause.] What will that do? [Pause.] You said it would make them come back, didn't you?) Yeah, dat whut ah said.
Entry 8126
About dat photograph, ah had it done tuh me.
(What did they do with it?)
Dey done take dat photograph an' turn it on de face, an' if dey kept it on de face, dat's so yo'll be suffahin' a while an' die. Dat's what dey said tuh me an' ah found out.
Entry 8127
Jis' lak if yo' husban' happen tuh leave yuh, yo' could take his pit- chure an' lay on its face an' dat'll bring 'im back.
Entry 8128
Take a tintype, if yo' kin git a tintype, a pastebo'd don't do nuthin. But yo' kin take a tintype an' yo' kin take an' bury dat, yo' know, wit de face turned down tuh de earth. An' when dat pichure molds away, den yo' molds away.
(I see.)
Entry 8129
(What are you going to take now?)
Yo' take his pichure. Now yo' gon'a jis' take dat pichure an' yo' know jis' whut tuh do. Yo' take dat pichure an' turn it upside down, jis' tumn de face tuh de ground an' yo' bury dat. Dat's whut yo' do wit dat. Whut'll happen? Jis' lak it fade away, he'll fade away.
Entry 8130
If dey got holt of yuh photograph, if it wus a tintype, an' put it down, bury it on de face, why yo' wouldn't live long.
(I see.)
Entry 8131
Depends on de type of pichure it is. If it's a tintype pichure, dey Lin make dat person jis' fade away until dey jis' go intuh skin an' bones, an event'ly [eventually] jis' tire away tuh nuthin, by bur'in' it face down.
Entry 8132
Dey take yer photograph, an' dey take it an' yo' know, an' turn it down an' place somepin [a weight] on it yo' know, an' keep it turnt down. An' den, dey tell me dat will cuz people tuh lose dere mind lak dat.
Entry 8133
Dey take yer pichure - ah don' know it [from experience] but ah heah 'em say dey take yer pichure - an' wrap it up in a cloth an' bury it on de face, an' dat will kill a person.
Entry 8134
Ah've heard dat a woman could take yer photograph an' wrop it in one of 'er undahpieces an' turn it down on de face, an' as long as it lay dere, why dey say yo' can't do any- thing wit no othah woman but 'er.
Entry 8135
Dey take dat pichure an' bury it on de face an' as dat pichure fade away yo' will too. Dey have tuh go tuh a hoodoo tuh do it. Dey cain't do it demselves dō [though].
Entry 8136
Photograph, dey buries dat on yuh face. Go ovah tuh de cemetery an' bury it on dey face, wit de face turned facin' hell. Say, '"Hell is now undah- neat choo." (What will that do?) Well, accordin' if yo' put it deep, why den it will kill yuh; an' if yo' don't put it deep, why it will always make yuh in a lingahin' pain. [I make a one word comment about informant after he leaves: drinking.]
Entry 8137
Yo' kin take a person pichure - if yo' wan' dat person tuh love yo' an' don' love nobody else but chew - yo' kin take dat pichure an' in yore home, if yo' kin git aholt [a hold] in de ceil- in' of de buildin' an' put a nail, a brand-new tenpenny nail, right through dat pichure an' nail it right up ovah de fiahplace, on de studdin' up dere, an' put de ceilin' back on it, in nine days yo' kin handle dat person any way yo' wanta. [We learn about the condition of some houses: if yo' kin git a holt in de ceilin'...put de ceilin' back on it.]
Entry 8138
Dat photograph, yo' ain't gotta do nuthin wit dat but one thing. It gotta be taken perfect though [be a real photograph] see. Jis' lak dese Zi'le snappahs [see later], Zi'le snappahs don' do yo' no good. Yo' gotta take dat photograph an' turn it upside - backside - jis' lak as if dis [points to] wus yer chimley heah. Yo' lifts one of dose bricks an' put it [photo] undah dose bricks upside down. But long as yo' got dat upside down, de pusson dat dat photograph is be- longin' tuh will nevah be no good. Yo' gotta turn it upside down. [If I remem- ber correctly, this is the only place where a snapper, snapshot, is mentioned. A photograph by a professional photographer must be used.]
Entry 8139
An' den yo' kin take dat man photograph an' yo' kin take it an' bury it in de hay [I mean] in yo' fiahplace undah a brick. An' in buryin' dat undah a brick, when yo' put dat down dere yo' turn 'is face down an' say, "Ah want chew tuh stay down heah" - call 'is name - "an' ah wan' chew tuh stay down heah. Ah wan' chew tuh come uadah mah com- mand, to do as ah say do, In de Name of de Lord, bring peace an' love in our home." An' jis' put it down dere, an' as long as yo' got dat pichure buried in yo' fiahplace, de fiah, if he nevah move it [photo] he'll always be humble down undah yore feet.
(Just how do you put that picture down in there?)
Yo' jis' turn it down as yo' take up a brick, yo' turn 'is face down.
Entry 8140
Take dey photograph an' git dis gunpowdah out of a shell, wit sulphuh an' salt, an' go out in de field or in de house, wherevah yo' want to. Co'se de gunpowdah makes sech a noise. Yo' kin put dis pichure face down on dis an' make a fiah undah it. (Face down on what?) On de fiah. See, yo' make a fiah an' den yo' put dis pichure face down on a piece of papah wit de gunpowdah an' sulphuh, an' salt an' graveyard dirt. Tell it dat, "Ah want chew tuh run dis person away. Ah want chew tuh kill 'em." But mos'ly tuh kill de person. When de fiah ketch on de pichure, it will kill de person.
Entry 8141
Now, if yo' wanta kill somebody wit dat, yo' take de photograph. Yo' don' wan'a use but jis' part of it. Jis' take off, if it's got a foot, yo' know some got a whole photo- graph, some got jis' a part, some got jis' de haid. Some got jis' de body, some got de whole an' some got jis' de haid. If yo' wants to kill somebody, an' it's de whole one, yo' cut off, jis' clip off de right foot, an' take dat whole photograph an' take it an' turn it, jis' turn it.
(You take off the right foot. And then how do you turn that, now?)
Jis' take it an' turn it tuh yo', jis' roll it, lak yo' take one roll, two rolls, three rolls [to you]. Understan'?
(Keep rolling it to you. The foot part or the rest of the photograph?)
No, de rest of de whole photograph. Yo' undahstan'? Jis' roll dat lak dat three times an' jis' carry it anywhere, don' care where yo' throw it, jis' throw it out somewhere. Well, now, hit's gone on away. All right. Yo' takes dis right foot, an' bring it on back tuh de house, but chew do nuthin wit it den. Let it stay dere, at least six or seven hours, sompin lak dat. "Bout six or seven hours aftah yo' done dis, hold it, take de pichure of dis foot, takes an' puts it down in a bottle, jis' de smallest bottle yo' kin find, an' puts ah reck- on 'bout dat much of mustard seed, lak yo' ketch dat much [demonstrates].
(Just a little pinch of the mustard seed.)
Drop it in de bottle, wit'out anything in it - jis' say about nine, if it ain't but jis' a haid [means foot]. Drop it in dere an' stop it up, an' jis' keep dat wit choo all de time. Dat's tuh influence dat person. Keep dat wit chew. An' yo' weah it a while. Well, no quickah den dey die, yo' gon'a feel dat right shouldah jump, jump jis' lak sompin skip ovah it. Soon as it do dat, yo' must take it [bottle] an' throw it away lak dat. Throw it lak dat. [If informant demonstrated, I missed it.] De safest way, de spirit comin' tuh yo' an' givin' yo' a notice dat dey daid. Don't care where dey are. (Right after this notice that they are dead, you must throw this bottle away right then?) Right then, de right arm will move when dey come.
(You will have that little kick then in the right arm?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8142
Well, lak if dey got enemy people an' dey have a tintype pichure of de person whut dey tryin' tuh do hahm [harm] tuh, well dey'll take dat pichure out tuh de forks of de road, an' yo'll bury dat pichure wit de face down. An' de person whut dey doin' hahm tuh yuh, as dat face is down, dey will always have a upstirred mind, an' dey'll feel lak dat dey wan'a kill dem- selves. But dere is a way outa dat, wit dis pichure buried. Dey got two-headed people - in our, all diff'ren' towns - kin do away wit dat wit'out gittin' de pichure, by goin' gittin' methods from de whut choo call de fortunetellah people. Dey got methods fo' dat, dat 'casion [occasion]. [This is my only example of a two-header having to consult fortunetellers for methods. Here, this shows the tendency in Hoodoo to rid itself of the twoheader badge by replacing it with fortumeteller and other names, all of which were old. Was the term twoheader originally a white or a black word?]
Entry 8143
Take dey photograph an' yo' kin go tuh a point of a road [fork of road] too, wit dat. Yo' go tuh a point of a road wit dat photograph an' yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll write dat per- son's name on dat photograph, an' yo'll turn it upside down, an' yo'll put it dere wit bad wishes. Yo' gotta say bad things an' yo'll bury dat photograph an' put it dere wit bad words, an' yo'll turn it upside down fo' nine days. [Here recording machine turned off momentarily while informant spoke about name mentioned later.]
(You do that at the fork of the road?)
Yessuh, at de fo'k of a road.
(How do you write that name on the back? Just write one name?)
Jis' dat fellah name. Yo' don' wan' chure name dere.
Entry 8144
Yo' kin take a pichure an' yo' kin take some love stuff powdah an' yo' kin take dat. Take de pichure an' burn all fo' cornahs off of it, an' yo' kin wrap it up in dat love powdah an' wrap it up an' weah it roun' yore waist, an' dat'll bring love. (Make a person love you?) Yes. [See also margin title CORNER.]
Entry 8145
Ah have heard dat dey would take yuh photograph an' burn off de cornahs an' carry it out tuh de cemetery an' bury it underneat' de earth, an' let it stay dere fo' three days, an' den tuh bring it back. Why? If dey wanted dat person. If dey was wishin' fo' dat per- son tuh die, why dat person would die. Yo' see.
(Well, when they brought that photograph back, what would they do with that?)
When dey brought it back, why dey kept it. Dey kept it in dere possession.
Entry 8146
(And then what?)
Dey could take yuh pichure an' take fo' leaves.
(Leaves?)
Yes, lak green leaves.
(What kind of leaves? From what? From a tree in the woods?)
Yes sir, a tree.
(What kind? Any particular kind?)
Yes, sir. Dem ole tree ovah here. Tree ovah here, dat eldahberry tree [I am looking atl right where ah'm settin' here now. (Elderberry tree. Take four elderberry leaves?) Yes, sir. (All right.) An' wrap 'em around each cornah of dat pichure, an' take it tuh runnin' watah. Yo' go tuh any watah whut's runnin', not de rivah only, a bayou, an' chunk it in. An' dat will run yo' away if dey didn't want yo' fo' tuh stay.
Entry 8147
Cut - dey could cut it in fo' parts. Well, dey could take it an' tro' [throw] it ovahbo'd. Dey could take it an' tro' in de fiah hole or sompin lak dat, yo' undahstand, an' make dey vishes when dey doin' dat, yo' undahstand. An' jis' whut dey vishin' - an' tro' it ovah- bo'd or in de fiah or cut it in fo' parts. Well, somebody vill cut cha tuh death. If dey tro' it ovahbo'd why yo' vill go ovahbo'd an' git drownded. If dey tro' it in de fiah, vell prob'ly maybe yuh clothes may ketch afiah from yuh cigarette chew smoke or yo'll ketch afiah somehow an' git burned up. [The word photograph is not mentioned but clearly meant.] [Charleston, S. Car.,. (511), 576:4.]
Entry 8148
Yo' kin take a person's pichure an' put it on a new piece of lumbah, an' put it up undah yore do'step, an' put a piece of dere hair in de toadfrog mouth, an' drive a nail in hit, in de toadfrog heart an' de pi- chure heart, on de new piece of lumbah whut chew got drive down. Drive a peg through 'is heart an' through de heart of de tin- type pichure. An' aftah dat toadfrog die, yo'll die. An' put dat up undah yore do'step so yo'll come out ovah it evah mawnin'. When dat toadfrog die, yo'll die. (You put this picture on a new piece of lumber, then you put the frog on the picture. Then you drive a nail [or peg] right through the hearts of all of them.) Right through both of 'em heart an' put a hair out 'is haid in 'is [toad- frog's] mouth.
Entry 8149
Well, dey take yuh pitchure. Why dey git a big one a [of] dem big frogs, great big green frog. Dey'll take him an' take yuh photograph, an' dey'll take nine needles wit gold eyes dat nevah wus used. Jis' take dem right out de package. An' dey'll take dat frog's feet an' tie it back of 'is back, jis' lak dat [demonstrates].
(Bend the living frog's hind legs over his back and tie them there.)
An' aftah tyin' 'em back dere, both of 'em, tie dem back dere an' stick dem needles. Put 'is pitchure in dat frog's mouth, an' stick dem needles all through dat frog. An' dey'll bury dat frog three feet in de ground, any place in de ground, jis' at sundown. An' it'll keep yo' sick an' worried, an' yo'll die.
Entry 8150
[This margin title about graves and graveyards shows how difficult the arrangement or ordering of material in Hoodoo has been. All the following rites could have been placed under section DEATH - BURIAL - GRAVEYARD, Pp.3293-3419. These beliefs, however, actually emphasize photographs.] Lak if yo' got a person an' yo' don't lak 'em an' yo' want 'em tuh stay from yo', when yo' go dere an' git dere hat, pichure or anything an' take it tuh de grave- yard an' bury it - an' dey will be gone fo' good. Yo' will nevah have no more trouble wit 'em.
Entry 8151
Yo' kin take person's photograph an' yo' kin kill 'em wit it. Take de photograph of a person an' take it tuh a cemetery an' bury it; an' when yo' bury it, bury it on it's face. It may be prob'ly two weeks or three, dat people will die. Dey cain't live becuz dat pichure is buried dere. As dat pichure fade away, dey passin' away; jis' as dat pichure pass away, [they pass away (I turned off machine too soon to catch last 3 words)].
Entry 8152
Well, yo' go in de graveyard an' bury dat. Dig it [ground] up an' put 'em down, yo' know whut ah mean, put dere face down jis' in it [hole] an' it will disappeah by de rain.
(Put this photograph face down in the graveyard and they will die?)
Yes.
Entry 8153
Take dat photograph - now yo' kin take de face of it an' bury it down in de cemetery dirt. Go out dere an' bury it. Take de face of dat pichure an' bury it down an' kivah [cover] it up.
(What do you mean, the face of it?)
Yo' know de face, lak when yo' have a pichure taken. De face whut chew look on, not de back. Where de pichure is faced, lak de pichure facin' - jis' lak dat pichure up dere [points to wall] de face of it, yo' see, turn it down. Dig a hole an' bury it.
Entry 8154
Take yer photograph an' put it in de cemetery bottom upside down an yo' soon gone.
Entry 8155
Well, yo' kin take a person's pichure, jis' lak a person mad wit chew. Jis' lak takin' li'le pieces, yo' take de li'le pieces [of torn-up photo] an' go tuh any graveyard where dey [few indistinct words] an' turn [unclear words] an' bury dat pichure, dey'll die. Yo' bury de pichure in de graveyard an' in nine days dey'll be daid.
(You bury it with this salt?)
De salt an' dis peppah. [The photo is torn into pieces, sprinkled with salt and pepper, wrapped or tied in a piece of paper, and buried in a graveyard.]
Entry 8156
Yo' could write dere 'nitials on de photograph an' yo' could take it tuh de cemetery an' dig yo' a hole an' bury it. Den aftah yo' would bury it, yo' see when hit go 'way, yo' see, de person go 'way - dey would have tuh. De pichure fade away, yo' see, dey goes jis' lak de pichure did.
(Where do they go to?) Dey die.
Entry 8157
Take de photograph an' if yo' wanta hurt 'em or kill 'em, take dere photograph an' bo' [bore] a hole six foot in de ground an' plug out chure [photo's] eyes, an' bury it on its face. Dere yo' are. See, covah it up. [The preceding word plug in the slang of U. S. A. could mean to punch out the eyes. That could be the meaning, but in- formant back in 1939 lived in and near Watermelon country - early melons shipped north. I suggest informant took out a pocketknife and with four strokes cut a square about each eye, lifting out a coffin symbol. As a boy in Illinois, I plugged many watermelons out in truck-garden country.]
Entry 8158
Yo' kin take a photograph, write dat name on de back of it, say three times, call fo' a six feet grave - call fo' her [a] six feet grave. [But actual- ly] dig a hole aroun' seven inches deep. Turn 'er face goin' down tuh de pits [hell] of de earth. Covah it back up, put yer left feet on it, make a cross an' turn away. [I do not know why informant calls for - asks the spirits or God - for a 6 foot grave and then proceeds to dig a grave 7 inches deep. Does this signify the 7 gates of hell? The latter ex- pression is not used in Hoodoo.]
(And what happens to her?)
She dies. She dies within nine days.
Entry 8159
Well, if ah had a girl an' loved 'er yery much an' ah wanted tuh kill 'er, ah take her photograph - ah won' have tuh go tuh de graveyard or no place, yo' know, jis' any place out in de fiel' an' ah walk fo feet no'th, fo' feet west, fo' feet so'th, fo' feet east, an' back up fo' feet no'th, yo' undahstan', an' dig six foot deep [surely means 6 inches, symbolical of 6 feet] an' bury dis pichure on it's face. An' as dat pichure fade away, she will fade away wit it. (Now, when you walk to the north and the west and the south, you walk forward from where you are going to dig the hole. Then from the [intended] hole you Walk back four steps toward the north?) Back fo' steps no'th. [Informant selects a spot out in the country where he will dig the simulated grave. This spot is the lower right-hand corner of a square. From this corner 0r future grave spot, he walks forwards 4 feet north, 4 feet west, 4 feet south, aod 4 feet east back to the starting point. A four-foot square has been marked off, a square symbolizing a grave and the four corners of the earth (Rev.7:1). After reaching the intended grave site, informant turns his back and walks back- vards 4 steps or feet north, retracing his steps to the upper right-hand corner of our square. By walking backwards he has confused any evil spirit that could have been lurking at the proposed grave site. [The latter of course was not 6 feet but 6 inches deep. Hoodoo has a number of 6 inch deep graves symbolizing 6 feet. Was the grave dug at the lower or upper right-hand corner of the square? Either would have been a safe place.]
Entry 8160
Ah hate tuh explain dis 'cuz ah wouldn't lak tuh have dat on mah han's.
(I won't do anything with it, I just wanted to know.)
Oh, yo' jis' wanted tuh know. Ah hate tuh explain dis. It's jis' lak if yo' have dere photograph. Well, yo' take dis an' bury it fo' feet in de ground on de face an' repeat dere name three time; jis' whosomevah it is, woman or man. Jis' lak mah name Justine Richardson, jis' take yo' an' dig a hole fo' feet in de ground an' turn it down dere, an' dey'll be daid in nine days time.
Entry 8161
If I want tuh kill yo', I git somebody tuh take a tintype of yo', pho- tograph. Yo' know I want it. It's got tuh be a tintype. I wan'a put me some graveyard dirt an' I'll bury dis tintype pitchure of yo' headforemos' down. First, put de tintype in de hole, covah it wit dis graveyard dirt, an' put de othah dirt on top of it, but let joo be face foremos'. An' when dis dirt undah dat groun'll rot an' jis' takes all dis here whare dat yuh pitchure been drawed, dis'll mold, yo're gone.
Entry 8162
Take it tuh de graveyard an' bury it. But it's supposed tuh - some people say yo' put it right in de graveyard. But choo, well yo' puts it in dere, too, but it supposed tuh be buried sometime on top of somebody, somebody dat's in dere, wit de [photo not corpse] face down. Nevah turn it wit de face up.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat would sometime cuz yo' tuh... [turned off machine too soon] to die.
Entry 8163
Take dis pichure - jis' lak me an' yo' go down heah an' take a kodak, a pichure, down heah tuh any place dey take pichures at. Yo' know, dere some places dey take pichures at. An' bury it on it's face, bury dat pichure on its face in de grave. Yo' undahstand, suh? An' [they] say dat pichure will cuz me tuh lingah an' lingah until ah die. Bury it down face, yo' undahstand, on its face.
Entry 8164
I've heard they can take your photograph and bury it in a grave and wish you would die and you'll perish away.
Entry 8165
Take yo' photograph an' take an' bury it in de cemetery an' bury it lak [dem- onstrates]. Jes' lak if yo' got, [not] ef yo' die Christian. Dey'll bury it in a sinnah's grave.
(Down in the chest.)
Yes, right in de chest an' dat jes' - dat got chew.
(What will that do to you?)
Oh! Run yo' stone crazy. Git chure mind out chew, yo' know.
(How do they bury that?)
Dey bury it on de face.