Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 38
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 8166
Yo' kin take a person's pichure jis' lak ah take yer pichure yo' see. Yo'd gimme yer pichure tuh keep. Ah'd take dat pichure an' ah goes tuh de grave- yard on de firs' Friday of de month. Ah take dat photograph an' ah digs a hole right un- dahneath [over] a person's haid. Yo' know where dey wuz laid out at in de graveyard. Jis' dis be de face [demonstrates] ah take dat an' ah turns dat bottom upwards an' ah plants dat.
(The face planted down.)
Jis' planted downward. Ah mean, yo' know, buries it. De face is down. An' ah buries dat. An' when dat pichure rots, well yo' goes jis' lak dat pichure. Yo' go crazy.
(Would it kill you or what?)
Sho'[sure].
Entry 8167
Take dat photograph an' bury it. Go tuh a cemetery an' bury it right at de haid of de grave an' co'se dat will kill yo'. Heah a person say yo' have a sweet- heart or relative daid, take dat photograph an' take an' carry it tuh a dead man's grave, or a wumman's, dat had died recently an' bury it dere an' make yore wishes. Dat person, dey will die.
Entry 8168
Dey take yore photograph an' write chure name on it an' carry it tuh de cemetery an' put it under a tombstone an' turn yer face downwards. Yo' goin' from heah. (You put under the tomb- stone?) Awrr-right undah it, undah de tombstone [headboard]. Jis' shev [shove] it up undah dere.
(Face down?)
Face down, an' [as] hit goes away, yo' goes away. [Or] take it an' put it bot- tonside upwards an' put it undah yer steps, dat bring 'em home tuh yo'.
(This photograph.)
Entry 8169
Yo' kin take dat pichure ag'in, dat whut ah'm tellin' yo' 'bout, carry it tuh a grave. Now, dis is somepin dat will run a person from yer house, too. Take dat pichure an' carry it tuh a new grave an' turn dat pichure sundown side on its face. See, dat now, an' covah it up wit dat same dirt an' put a penny on top of it. An' dat'll run 'em jis' as crazy as kin be, dey go tuh de 'sylum.
[We now struggle to understand one another.]
(How do you mean turn down to the sundown?)
Yo' see yo' turn dat pichure down on its face. See dat? [Demonstrates.] Put 1 penny on top of dat.
(What happens on the sundown side?)
It will run 'em crazy.
(Well, how does that picture face?)
Well, yo' know dis [demonstrates] is de face of de pichure, ain't it? Well, yo' see yo' put it in de grave an' yo' turn it down lak dat on de face an' put a penny on top of it.
(Which way is that picture pointing?)
Which way it pointin'? Where de sundown - southeast. (You put that picture down. You told me you put it to the sundown side. What do you mean by the sundown side?) Ah mean turn de pichure towards sundown.
(The head towards sundown?)
Uh-huh - yes.
Entry 8170
Now, if's a pasteboard, they can't do so much with it, but if's a tin- type, they take that tintype pitchure an' care it to the graveyard an' dig a hole, an' turn the face down an' cover it up. Go thah every mawnin', put a handful of dirt on it. Go every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. An' yo'll pass on away. Yo' talkin' of goin' away like somebody [with] T. B., yo'll go away then. Yo'll go away in a hurry.
Entry 8171
Yo' kin take dere picture, take de pichure an' bury dis pichure. Now if someone jis' don' lak 'em roun' heah or wants tuh git rid of 'em, jis' take dis pichure fo' nine mawnin's an' jis' take it tuh de graveyard, tuh de offside of de grave, see. De graveyard got fo' cornahs tuh it; any place, see. Take it tuh de offside, it's on de right side. Evah grave got all cornahs. See whut ah mean? Take it tuh de offside as yo' come up on dat side. It's got a offside on de right side of it on de fo' cornahs evahwhere yo' go. Take it tuh de offside an' bury it on its face. An' fo' nine mawnin's go dere an' dump a li'le dirt down in on it, fo' nine mawnin' an' make a wish evah mawnin', say[ing] dat yo' wan'a send 'em away. An' turn roun', don' look back. Walk off an' don' look back when yo' go 'way. An' in nine mo' mawnin's dis fellah be's somewhere, he cain't he'p hisself.
(What will happen to him?)
Sompin will happen. He jis' runned away. Yes, he jis' gone 'way fo'evah.
Entry 8172
Dey kin take yore photo- graphs an' dey kin bury it intuh a graveyard, an' in de length of time, about nine days or nine weeks, yo' goin' fade away.
Entry 8173
Jis' lak ah'd take yer pichure. Well, ah could go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt right off from de sinnah's, yo' know, where a sin- nah is buried at, right in 'is chest. Git hit an' sew hit an' de pi- chure up intuh a piece of cloth, an' keep it fo' nine mawnin's, an' bury at chure do'step, an' dat'll bring yo' love.
(That's for love?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8174
Dey could take yure pichure an' put it 'tween two cream jars upside [head] down an' no mattah how fah yo' away from 'em, as long as dey keep dat pichure of yures 'tween two cream jars upside down, well yo'll be thinkin' about only dem all de time. An' graj'ly [gradually], yo'll always be tryin' tuh come back tuh 'em, becuz it seems lak she jis' ha'nts [haunts] yo'. Seems lak she jis' callin' yuh all de time. (What do you mean between two cream jars? One cream jar and the picture up- side down and the other cream jar on top of it?) Naw [no], two cream jars standin' side by side an' de pichure between it, upside down wit de haid pointin' tuh de ground.
Entry 8175
Dat yo' have tuh take dat on a tintype, no othah kinda pichure will do 'less [unless] it's a tintype pichure. An' yo' kin take dat tintype pichure an' plant it anywhere yo' choose tuh, upside down wit yure haid down, an' it will keep yo' worried an' troubled. Yo'll travel from one place tuh anothah as dat pichure - yo'll nevah be satisfied. Yo'll be on yure haid, nevah make friends Yo'll break yure home up. (You mean [demonstrate] this is the picture, and there's the head. Bury it that way [on the head] upside down that way. I understand.) But it have tuh be a tintype pichure. No othah pichure will do.
Entry 8176
Suppose yo' had a girl friend an' yo' didn't want tuh be in contact wit 'er an' yo' go away. An' yo' leave yure photograph wit 'er. She take yure photograph an' turn it haid down an' yo' will come back.
Entry 8177
Turn it bottomside upwards - stand it on its haid. Dat will kill a person.
(The photograph.)
Entry 8178
Take his pichure an' quite natchel [natural] she kin keep dat pichure an' jis' - wherevah yo' at, she kin turn it upside down an' she kin run yo' crazy by having dat pichure upside down. If she's a good-hearted person, have yure pichure standin' up. Long as dat pichure's up, yo' won't be bothahed. She kin take dat pichure an' set it down in a cornah somewhere, or eithah hide it. Long as she's got dat pichure.... [The inference here is this photo standing up can be turned on its head.]
Entry 8179
Well, if it's on a tintype, take an' turn it upside down [here head dowal in coal oil, takin' red flannel an' red di'mond an' buryin' dat photo, dat photograph upside down yo' see. Dey claim dat dat man aftah a certain length of time, he will git so yo' undahstand, his mind will nevah be stationary on one thing; he will nevah be satisfied at anything he do. See, anything dat he would do look lak, look lak he could do bettah, an' jes' keep 'im an' he'll go from bad tuh worse.
(This photo is buried, you put it in the ground?)
Upside down wit de haid down an' de feet up. Yeah, but it cain't be done unless it's on a tintype.
(And you put this coal oil on it?)
Coal oil, kerosene oil, yeah, an' red di'mond.
(What is red diamond?)
Dat de same thing as de blue diamond an' de blue di'mond an' de red di'mond. It's some kinda thing, yo' git at de drug sto'. It's a kinda powdah.
Entry 8180
Yo' could take photograph an' take it an' - ah've heard yo' could take a photograph an' cut de head off of it; jes' lak ah got chure photograph or yo' got mine, an' cut de head off. An' ah head dat [cut the head off your photo] by an' by, jis' lak yo' do dat [to] dat photograph [of mine]. If somebody do dat, see, yo' run upon dat same thing. Jis' lak yo' cut mah head off mah photograph, somebody do dat same way [to yours]. Dat whut ah heard about dat.
(Who would do that to you?)
Who would do dat tuh me? Ah would git intuh trouble or git in a argument wit someone an' someone would cut me jis' lak dat photograph is cut. Somebody cut me de same way. Cut mah throat, see.
Entry 8181
If a boy wan'a girl or a girl wan'a boy, git 'is pitchure an' cut off all but de haid. An' fol' de haid up an' put it in a bottle of cologne, an' tote it in yure pocket.
Entry 8182
Well, dey kin take yure photograph. Well, dey kin cut it all out roun' but chure haid, see. An' put dat in a bottle of alkyhol [alcohol] an' let it stay fo' awhile an' burn it up. An' dat'll ruin yo'. Dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 8183
De only thing ah know 'bout photo- graph, ah heard 'em say - say, if yo' poke a pin, or othahwise a knife right through a pusson's heart, chew know, poke a hole through it, say dat pusson wouldn't live long aftah dat, aftah 'bout two days aftah dat. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (1403). 2527:7.]
Entry 8184
I was in Georgia - Savannah, Georgia - with a company an' I was kin'a in touch wit a girl. An' she says tuh me, "Whitey, yo' goin' home?" "Yes." She says, "I would give yuh mah photograph but I afraid dat yo'll take an' let somebody have it an' yo'll do me harm." I said, "No, I wouldn't let..." Well, I said, "De bes' thing fer yo' tuh do is tuh not tuh give it tuh me." Yo' could take a tintype - yo' kin take a tintype an' have yure photograph on it, an' yo' kin take [it] up intuh de country roads [in those days (1937) mostly dirt roads] country roads where horses travel, an' bury it wit de face down. Dat horse tramples ovah it, dat will kill yuh, too.
(I see. Must the horse tramp over it to kill you?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 8185
Now, fo' example, dey tells me yo' takes dat photograph an' yo' bury it undah de house face upside down. Dat'll eithah molt chew away or run yo crazy. Whosoevah dis photograph belongs to, it eithah molt 'em away, be sickly an' soon die, or else dey will go crazy. Well, ah've seen dat done.
Entry 8186
Take it an' bury it.
(This photograph?)
Yes sir. Jes' take it an' take it tuh de east side of de house or wherevah dey is, an' turn it bottomside upwards an' bury it. Now, dey's quite a few young peoples do dat tuh make girls love 'em, too. Take de photograph an' bury it in de ground yo' know, bottomside up- wards. (That's to bring love.)
Entry 8187
Dey kin take yore photograph an' dey kin tote it aftah dey put some of dis dust off dat Indian 'tater [potato]. [For this plant, see later.]
(Indian potato or Indian turnip?)
[Informant does not understand my question.]
Yeah, jes' put some of de dust of dat - pound it an' carry dat 'long tuhgethah, an' yo' kin always keep in touch wit 'em.
(The person whose photograph it is?)
Yessuh. [This plant also appears elsewhere in Hoodoo. It is one of four roots eaten by the original American Indians: (l) ground nut (Apios tuberisa), (2) giant sunflower (Helianthus giganteus), (3) breadroot, the plant (Psoralea esculenta), the pomme blanche of Canadian voyageurs. Indian turnip also occurs in Hoodoo. It is either breadroot or jack-in-the-pulpit. When I was in first grade at a country school, an older student, a practical joker, gave me a piece of Indian turnip to chew. My tongue stung for an hour. I am sure in those days I used the archaic form stang.]
Entry 8188
Take de photograph an' stick it up de side of a post an' say yo' could shoot at it, an' it will cause yo' to be run out. Somepin will happen to yo' soon. (What about that cutting?) Or eithah dey take a pocketknife an' gash it up in diff'ren' ways an' yo'll git cut lak dat.
Entry 8189
De photograph dey turnt it upside down in a dark room, night er day. Light a lamp, turn [down] a lamp an' make a slow light, yo' know, by de photo- graph. Dat git chew worried an' yo' come home. Dat gotta take tuh bring yo' home. [To turn a photo upside down in a dark room before lighting the lamp confuses the spirit of the photo.]
Entry 8190
An' den yo' kin take a persons's photograph an' jes' lak ah'd [Iwould] take yure photograph, an' yo'ere [you were] mah fren'-lak, an' yo' wuz away from me an' had treated me wrong. Well, ah'd take yure photograph an' stand it up on de mantel. Well, now, yo'd [you bad] tuh come back tuh me, or eithah worry yo'self tuh death.
(How would you stand it up on the mantel?)
Stand it up on it's haid. See, it be up lak dat [demonstrates], see, yo' ondahstan', an' he'd be standin' down on 'is haid, upside down. Dat'll make him cme back.
Entry 8191
Take his photograph an' turn it on it's face an' dat will bring 'im back tuh yuh. Yo' know, if anyone is gone from yuh, husban' or people lak dat, friends. Dey gone an' yo' don' know where. Say turn it on de face. Turn dat pichure on de face an' keep it in de middle of yure baid mattress, don' chew undahstan'. An' dey say dat'll bring 'im back home tuh yuh.
Entry 8192
Yo' kin take yure photograph an' bury it. Ah taken mah husban' photo- graph an' buried it undah mah mattress. Put de face on de mattress. Ah went tuh work an' let it stay dere three mawnin's, an' a Sunday mawnin' he sont [sent] me $16.
Entry 8193
Take de pichure of yure love an' put dat pichure undah de mattress right where dey lay down at an' do de work at. Put it right undah dat spot. Den yo' tell it [picture] yo' doin' dat [de work]. Den yo' take de pichure out an' yo' tote dat pichure right in heah [demonstrates].
(Right on your breast.)
Right heah [demonstrates].
(What will that do then?)
Dat will hold 'im [pronounce hol' dim], all dat sweet love.
Entry 8194
Well, yes. Ah tell yo'. Now yo' kin take a man's pichure an' carry it an' put it in yure mattress, an' sew it up; an' if he bit wit choo an' lay on dat mattress, undahstan', dat wo would cuz 'im tuh love yuh.
Entry 8195
Yo' measure de person. (You mean, measure the length from the head to the foot.) [This is not a leading ques- tion but information obtained before recording began.] Dat's right, yo' measure de person, an' yo' give dem so many things [bad spot in recording]. You take dis person's measure wit some; jis' say now, yo' git a string dat size [demonstrates] an' yo' measure dat person. An' yo' wrap dis around a pichure of de person an' bury dem wit a ceremony as yo' would de daid. Yo' know, yo' jis' take dis, but chew have tuh carry it up on some hill, as ah wus tellin' yuh 'bout where yo' put de hair [in 841:4]. An' yo' use'ly [usually] git some of de hair of de person's haid an' bury it wit it. An' [that] somepin else ah didn't tell yuh.
(What will this do, then?)
[Informant thinks I am asking about the hair.]
Well, dey claim it jis' rots, de person [hair] will. But dey [person] fin'ly [finally] git mindless. Dey git where dey lose dere appetite. Now, ah don know whethah dat's true.
Entry 8196
If a person is away an' yo' wan' 'em back, yo' could take a photograph, no mattah whethah it's tin or pastebo'd. No mattah if it tin or papah, dey kin take dat an' put it on top of de dressah, what choo call de bu- reau. Git ready, yo' take dat. Take a pichure, male or female, an' yo' could take dat an' wrap it up. If a woman wan' tuh bring 'im back, take a piece of 'er clothes an' weah it nex tuh him. [Informant has right idea but may have had a drink.] An' he wrap dat pichure up an' turn it on de haid an' rip dat piece, yo' know whut ah mean, be- hind de glass [of the mirror] an' put it dere lak dat [demonstrates]. Ah don' [care] whäh he is, aftah nine days he'll come, or twelve days, soon as he kin git dere.
Entry 8197
Take yure pitchure an' put it in a looking glass [the carboard behind the small.hand mirror having been removed]. An' turn it [photo] upside down [against mercury backing of mirror, restoring card- board back] an' put it undahneat' [you] an' sleep on it or walk on it or put it somewhere somebody'll tread on it an' break de glass, an' yo' [person of photo] got tuh come back. Go tuh de do' an' burn some disinfect [disinfectant] an' make yure wish [wish] an' burn it in de house. Den go to de do' an' make yuh wush [again] an' come back. An' 'at [that] been done in Short[?] William Street alley [here in Richmond]. Den [another method] yo' put it [photo without mirror] undah- neat' de carpet or in a trunk upside down tuh draw yuh back. Well keep yuh on yure haid or yuh feet till yuh git back home. An' use dat powdah, insex, love insex [love incense] dey call it. Burn it on a stove.
Entry 8198
Jis' lak if yo' got a daughtah run away from home, yo' undahstan', an' she might run away wit some young man dat married, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' don' know where she at an' don' know where she gone, an' she won' write chew or come. See, lak yo' got 'er pichure dere. All yo' gotta. do, take dat pi- chure dat's dere an' turn it bottom upwards. Turn it bottom upwards [demon- strates].
(Take the picture and turn it like that?)
Dat's right.
(Turn it on its face.)
Thah's de pichure right dere leanin' back 'ginst de wall lak dat, yo' see. Bell, all yo' gotta do - some of 'em say take dat pichure an' put it 'ginst de nirror lak dat [demonstrates].
(Put the face to the mirror?)
Dat's right. Well, now, de way ah heah it. See, lak dat [demonstrates], de pichure's facin' yo'. All yo' gotta do, turn de haid down dataway.
(Have the picture standing on its head?)
Dat's right.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat'll make her git on de haid about chew, an' den she'll come back home.
Entry 8199
Well, ah learnt dat chew kin take a person's photo an' if yo' wants to do dem any harm, sech as killin', dat maybe yo' kin take it an' hold it ovah a lookin'-glass twixt - aftah de sun raise one hour, an' take an' carry it back tuh yure mantelpiece an' put it ovah yore mantelpiece. Turn de glass down ovah it. An' dey say in nine mawnin's he'll be a daid person.
(What kind of a glass do you turn over it?)
A lookin'-glass.
Entry 8200
(What would they do with my photograph?)
Take yure photograph an' place it intuh a small lookin'-glass, face intuh de glass lak yo' would look intuh de glass, an' put it intuh a runnin' place of watah two or three weeks, an' it will run yuh crazy.
Entry 8201
Use it fo' back luck, by scrapin' dat silvah offa dere; well, dat silvah offa [the back of] dat lookin'-glass. Dey take dat an' scrape it offa pichure. Jis' lak if dey wanta harm yo', dey take an' scrape dat silvah off dat pichure [mirror] an' put it in yure face, on yure pichure.
(On the face of your picture?)
Dat's right, an' den dey take it an' put it in sompin, [anything to hold the scrapings and photo], an' bury it, bury it [face] down. Dat'll make yo' dwindle down an' die. Make yo' stay sick an' nuthin will cure yo' unlessen somebody [hoodoo doctor or healer] take an' find whut's wrong wit chew.
Entry 8202
Well, dere's a certain type of people dat believe in de wanishin' [van- ishing], dat yo' kin do away wit a person through an' by a photograph. Yo' could git de actual photograph of a person. Yo' take it an' on de first of de new moon, yo' carry it anywheres where dere's a tree or a stone, anything dat choo kin mark an' know it won't be moved. An' plant it face downward in de soil. An' dey claim dat when dat moon passes away, de nex' new moon will cuz some kinda affliction tuh ovahtake de person, an' dey will grajly [gradually] drift away tuh nuthin. Nuthin will relieve 'em. It impossible tuh cure 'em, until dey will fine'ly
[finally] jis' waste away de same way de photograph do.
Entry 8203
Take a nail an' drive it intuh de left side of a pichure [demonstrates] an' jis' - yo' kin take hit an' drive hit dere fo' de rest of nine mawnin's, an' dat will take a person's life. (You drive it right there in the heart, right where you are pointing.) Right at de point where de heart supposed tuh be.
Entry 8204
Yo' kin take a fellah's photograph an' take it out intuh de woods an' dig yo' a hole down. An' den take a nail, nine nails, an' stick right through it where it come through his heart. An' turn it on its face an' bury it, an' in nine days dis fellah will come tuh fadin' away. In de long run he will come tuh be a dead soul. (Put those nine nails all around his heart.) An' den turn it ovah on its face, turn it down on its face.
Entry 8205
Well, dey can't do anything now wit de photograph, not de late one dat's made, but de one wit de tintype, dey would take dem an' bury dem upside down, see, wit two nails. Look [demonstrates] two nails crossed dataway, an' bury de photograph upside down. An' dat would keep yo' wit a mixed-up mind always, an' prack'ly [practically] wit a bulgin' headache, contin'ly [continually].
(I see.)
BUT RECENTLY DEY DON'T USE DOSE TINTYPES ANY MORE. WELL, DEY DID ONCE UPON A TIME. DEY HAD DE BIGGEST PART OF DE PEOPLE, YO' COULDN'T GIT 'EM TUH TAKE DERE PHOTOGRAPH, UNLESS YO' JIS' STEAL UP ON DEM TUH TAKE IT, BECUZ DEY KNOWED WHAT WOULD BE DE RESULT.
(I see.)
Entry 8206
Suppose yo' want a person tuh live about two months aftah yo' take it. Yo' kin take a tintype an' yo' dig two feet in de ground, an' yo' tell it, "Ah wan' chew tuh die wit'in two months." Yo' write his name, whethah yo' kin see it or not, yo' know how tuh spell dat name. Yo' know yo' kin be writin' it, whethah yo' kin read it on dere, yo' lnow, on dere or not. Yo' write it anyhow, "Ah wan' chew tuh die in two months." Den cross it, 'in two months.' [Cross the first words in two months with the second in two months.] Den yo' take dis. photograph an' do dis, dig dis two-feet hole. Den yo' turn it down on de face of it an' den yo' make yore wish, "Ah want chew tuh be daid in two months." Den yo' covah it up. Slap yore right feet on it an' stomp it fo' six times, 'Ah want chew tuh die in two months, ah want chew tuh die in two months." Dey'll die.
Entry 8207
Well, yo' take - git chew dis name on a tintype an' turn dat bottom upwards, an' bury it undah jis' six inches of soil [symbolical of 6 feet]. An back off ten steps, ah mean nine steps befo' yo' turn yuh back tuh it. An' den walk away an' don't evah look back tuh it ag'in. (And what will that do?) Well, dey claim dat if dey tryin' tuh do somepin tuh yuh, say anything dat dey want did, it will happen dat way. (Well, will that do anything particular to you, burying the photograph that way, that tintype?) It won't even kill yuh or anything, jis' make yuh be through wit 'em so ah undahstand.
(I see.)
Entry 8208
(To make the man come back?)
Well, if yo' have his photograph, yo' kin bring 'im back. Well, yo' kin take his photograph an' sleep wit it an' use dat photograph upside down, see. An' EVAH NIGHT AT TWELVE A'CLOCK CALL "IM DE SAME AS HE WUS DERE. Jis' don' tell 'im anything, but continue callin' 'im. WHEREVAH HE AT, AT DAT PAHTIC'LAH TIME OF DE NIGHT, HE'LL GIT UPSETTED, AN' WHICH AN' WHILE [uSua11y Which and why] DE SPIRIT WILL BRING 'IS MIND ON HOME, AN' HE WILL COME HOME.
(Where do you keep that photograph?)
Well, yo' kin keep it - jis' say fo' a' instan' [instance] if ah want chew tuh do it. See, YO' BRING ME DE PHOTOGRAPH AN' AH'LL DO DE WORK, See. But quite natchly [naturally] if he come tuh Savannah yo' goin' tuh see 'im, see.
Entry 8209
An' den yo' would take an' write a person's - draw a person's pitsture am'write dere name on a tree.
(Do you draw their picture on the tree?)
Yo' draw dere pitsture on a tree, jis' lak yo' would take an' go dere an' draw a pitsture on de tree. If yo' don' wanta skin it where anybody would take notice, yo' would draw a pitsture on de tree, namin' it him, an' den write undah it dat it him. An' take a nail, a fo'-penny nail, an' drive right in de centah of 'is haid. An' says yo' nail dat fo' nine mawnin's, yo' go dere an' tap it, an' de ninth mawnin' yo' drive it plumb in. An' dis person will die.
(You write his name and just say It's him on it?)
[He may have said It's him before recording began. He now says person must not be plainly identified.1 Yo' write his name, yo' make it kinda a sign. Don't make it plain where peo- ple kin read it an' all lak dat, don't chew know, but jis' lak imitatin' writin'. Well, yo' name it. Dat's 'is name. An' yo' draw dat pitsture, jis' - yo' know. An' den yo' take an' drive dat nail in dere an' - fo' nine mawnin's yo' would go dere an' tap dat nail an' de ninth mawnin' yo'd drive it in.
Entry 8210
Now if a man's wife leave him, or 'is sweetheart leave him an' he can't git her back, he takes an' he git a piece of papah an' he write her name. Write his name first an' hers second an' he writes each name three times, an' den call 'er by name. An' he goes an' he git 'er photo an' he goes an' git a glass of cleah watah. An' take dat pichure an' turn it head foremos', turn it head down tuhwards dat watah, jis' don' let it tech de watah. An' in three days why she'll be back.
(What do you do with that paper?)
[A rite of diagnosis (see pp.165-217) follows:]
Take dat papah an' yo' drop it in de watah first, an' if she's comin' back, why dat papah will, when yo' drop it in dere, yo' know, it go tuh de bottom when yo' drop it. When - if she comin' back, it'll rise up tuh de top an' it rise up tuh tech dat pichure. In three days den she'll come back.
Entry 8211
(How would you make a person move out of the house?)
Well, de way ah would do dat - dere's two or three diff'ren ways of doin' it, but de plain way, dey say, fo' instan' maybe yo' live nex' do' tuh me, well ah'm gon'a wait until night, see. An' den yo' kin git some sulphur - in othah words some sulphur an' gun- powdah an' mix dat up. An' about de noon hour of twelve at night, midnight, well yo' kin sprinkle dat befo' de do' an' let it goes in de do'. An' undah nine days time dey'll move. An' dere's anothah way dat chew kin take dat track. Yo' kin take dey track or eithah dey photo or eithah dey name, an' put a rattlesnake mastah root, an' wrap it up wit dey name in it an' dat track. Dey tie it up real tight an' have it so dat it wouldn't sink, not immediately, an' cast it in a runnin' stream of watah. DE SWIFTAH DE STREAM IS DE QUICKAH DEY WILL MOVE. Some people says sompin about aigs, but ah don't use dat. (Well, now, to make them move fast, do you put that rattlesnake master and the photograph together and the foot track or just one of those with the root?) Well, yo' take rattlesnake mastah, de name, an' de dirt dat chew git. Well quite natchly [naturally], if yo' wrap it up in wool, it take quite a bit fo' dat watah tuh soak in dat wool, yo' know.
Entry 8212
They get a hold of your picture, a tintype frame, and draws blood from one of her fingers and write your name and her name on it, and buries it in the ground four feet and cov- ers it up and makes a wish. In two month's time the wish will come true. If you want her to come back to you, if you want her to hate you, anything you wish will come true. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8213
Yo' got de photograph head foremost jis' lak de [this is de] photograph [demonstrates]. Yo' turn it over lak dat an' put dat in de ground. Jis' lak a woman whut yo' wan' tuh handle [con- trol]; a man, anybody yo' wan' tuh handle. Yo' take de photograph an' yo' git tuh yer home where, where yuh home is at, take an' bury it down in the ground. Yo' write huh [her] name dat same way three times. Yo' write de name right on a piece of papah. Pick up a piece a [of] papah or pastebo'd an' put it in wit de photograph, den yo' turn it down. Dat's tuh keep huh down. She cain't do no mo' 'an [= dan = than] yo' say do.
Entry 8214
Yo' put it [photograph] catacornah'd [catercornered], joo know cata- cornah'd across, not hang it straight. Yo' see [demonstrates] lak dis is de cornah heah, an' dere, yo'll hang it ovah diag'- nal dis Way. [The photo hangs with sides tilted.1 An' write dere name three times across dis way [demonstrates]. [These names are written diagonally, each three crossing the other three at the center of the photo, making a six-pointed star-like or wheel-like figure which in a similar form, the dotted triangle, will be found in v.2, p.1833.1 Well, dat'll run 'em crazy.
Entry 8215
Ah heard, quite a while ago now - hit was a lady heah in St. Augustine, Fla., was up heah, but 'uh [her] husban' had quit 'uh. Her an' 'uh husban' ep- arated. Dis was [a] woman [who] was in a li'le busi- ness. Ah don' know whethah it was dry good or grocer- ies. But anyway, huh hus- ban' ruled 'uh outa dis by dis same identical thing ah'm talkin' about now, Witchcraftin'. He ruled 'uh out [of] dis. He went somewhere an' got some kinda stuff an' come back. An' he came back. Well, she didn't have no hopes er [or] nuthin, couldn't have no use tuh do nuthin any place. Well, dey even driven 'uh 'way but she was brought back. Dis woman aftah she came back, she had some money, an' dis man sold out all de goods of dis sto' whut dey had an' taken anothah woman an' lived wit 'uh. Ah had learnt dat he wus in some part a [of] Florida. Anyway, he wus goin' fo' good, goin' tuh sea. But she went an' she had 'im brought back. An' when he wus brought back, he gave huh de money dat he even carried fo' huh. Now, dat wus wit de photograph. Now, yo' take A LOTTA PEOPLE SAY, "AH DON' HAVE MAH PICHURE TAKEN AN' ALL DIS AN' DAT AN' DE OTHAH." NOW, YO' TAKE MAHSELF. HIT'S NUTHIN AH DO'S IN DIS WORL' TUH CUZ DE OFFICAHS AN' DETECTIVES OR ANYTHING LAK DAT TUH BE LOOKIN' FO' ME.
[This is caused by enemies through witcheraftin'.]
Now, ah've been 'rested twice right in dis town heah, one time fo' bein' drunk an' de othah time becuz me an' anothah fellah got intuh a fight. Now, ah has mah pichure, mah pichure's up dere, prob'ly in Atlanta, Ga. BUT NOW AH DON'T GUESS DEY'D DO ANYTHING TO IT AT ALL.
[Informant laughs.]
Well, now yo' kin take a pichure an' cut dis pichure half in two. Let dis li'le book heah now be de pichure. [One of my Nunbers Books I always kept on interviewing table; each informant having a number - see illustration at end of volume 2 of Hoodoo, which shows actual size and contents of one of these books.] Cut dis pichure half in two. See, heah's de pichure right on dere. Dat's de body of dis man's pichure. Cut dis pichure half in two. An' aftah yo' cut dis pichure half in two, git chew a pint flask. Go uptown an' git chew a pack of brand-new needles, a pack of brand-new safety pins, git chew 25 cents bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' aftah yo' cut dis pichure half in two, yo' write his name wit de pins - see, in dis part of de body, wit de pins, see [demonstrates].
(The upper part of the body.)
Dat's right, de uppah part of de body wit de pins, see. Yo' take de pins an' stick 'em dis way, an' dis way, an' one dat way, an' one de othah way, see. Sup- posed tuh be [able] tuh write dat, in de uppah part of dis body. Den yo' take dis part an' turn it haid foremost intuh de body, jis' lak if ah drap [drop] mah haid down lak dat. Yo' take dis part wit de needles an' yo' write wit seven - his name wit de needles in dis part of de pichure. Den instead of turnin' dis pichure down de same as de haid part turnin', turn it up, yo' see [demonstrates].
(Turn the feet up?)
Turn de feet up.
(Lower the head and turn the feet up?)
Dat's right. An' den yo' got de nails in dere. Well, yo' take an' put chew half of dis Hearts Cologne on dere. Yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' git chew some dirt outa de graveyard. Don't mattah if it's from de haid of de grave or from de foot of de grave or from de centah of de grave, but git chew some of de dirt. Puts it in dis bottle, jis' about a tablespoonful, but let it be sifted, not no tracks er nuthin, jis'.de dirt itself. An' yo' bury dis. Now, dese people kin be in Chicago, Illinois. Dey kin be in Paris, France, or England, dey'll be brought back in a length of time aftah dis is nine days old. Den a person kin take dis pichure ag'in an' dey kin run yo' crazy. Dey kin take dis pichure lak dey do wit chure hair, yo' see. Dey drive yore hair intuh a tree wit a peg.
Entry 8216
Git dey pichure an' it have tuh be a whole body; jis' lak dose pi- chures dere [on the wall of interviewing room] dat girl an' one de li'le chil'- ren, jis' de whole body of a person. Well, yo take it an' it have tuh be - not no papah, see. Jis' lak dem ole common [old-time] pichure. Yo' take a tintype an' yo' take it an' put it in a saucah wit de fellah, woman, or whosomevah it is, an' yo' write it nine times, see.
(What do you write nine times?)
Well, yo' put it on a piece of papah wit ink. See, yo' put it wit ink. (You write that name nine times on a piece of paper. Now where do you put that paper?) Yes, yo' put dat papah undah de saucah, see an' den yo' put de pichure on top of de papah, an' de saucah on top of all of it, mo' tuh de groun'. Den yo' take - yo' have tuh dig de hole six feet, an' den aftah yo' do all dat yo' see, well yo put de steel dust on top of it an' de red peppah, an' all dat diff'ren kind [of things]. Jis' lak dat, yo' know, fo' tuh keep dat tuhgethah, keep de whole thing tuhgethah. Yo' put de dirt on top of it an' when de nine days out, well debody's gone. He's goin' take sick befo' den, but in de meantimes he'll disappeah.
(Why do you put that saucer on top of those things?)
Well, dat saucah, dat's fo' tuh keep it down, yo' see. Tuh keep it mo' tuh de groun'. Mos' of 'em uses Saucahs. EVAHBODY MOS'LY USES SAUCAH WHEN YO' WANTA KILL SOMEBODY IN DAT LINE. (How do you put that picture in there? Do you [I probably demonstrate] put the face up like that?) No, yo' have tuh put de face down on de name.
(And how is the name? Is that name up or is the name down?)
De name is down. De whole thing is down, de pichure, de name an' evah'thing. An' yo' turn de saucah down. All dat down tuh de ground, tuh de earth.
(And you just go out and dig a hole any place?)
Well, YO' HAVE TUH DIG IT SIX FEET. YO' CAIN'T LET NO ONE SEE YO'. ANY PLACE IN DE GROUN', BUT IT HAVE TUH BE YO' KNOW AT NIGHT. Yo' wOuldn't Want nObody [to see you].
Entry 8217
They tell me yo' take a pichure of a man an' put it up ovah yuh do' an' write his name an' turn 'is face intuh de do' comin' [into house], an' call it three mawnin's, three times each mawnin'. Dey tell me he'll come back. I know positively dat's true. I know a lady did it.
Entry 8218
Take dat, de photograph, drive a pusson crazy wit dat photo- graph. Take dat an' turn it upside down right at de haid of de baid, an' call de indivjel [individual] name nine time, see - well, fer three days. An' wit'in dem three days dat pusson'll come tuh yuh.
Entry 8219
Dey take de pichure tuh hurt or tuh do good. Tuh do good, tuh keep yure man, yo' take dat pichure an' yo' take a needle, an' yo' stick a needle right through it jis' lak dat. Right through de pi- chure, right crossways of de pichure lak dat, a sharp needle. An' yo' weah it, jis' lak yo' has a sack [nation sack, See p.1449f., THE NATION SACK WOMAN, first quotation] or anywhere. Yo' kin put it in a li'le sack an' weah it on yo', an' yo' put it down in dat; but yo' turns 'is haid dis way, right dere, see. An' yo' weah dat. An' ah don' care whut direction he's in, dat keeps: 'is mind tumbled up. He's gotta come.
(You wear that any place on your body?)
Yes, in undah yure clothes.
Entry 8220
Take a needle or even a pin and stick in yure face an' bury it an' yo' sill die.
(Your photograph?)
Yes.
Entry 8221
Ah've heard two-three things about photographs. Ah've heard dat chew kin take anybody's photograph, say if yo' wanta 'flict dem some way. Take yo' a needle an' stick in dat part yo' wanta 'flict, an' bury it in de earth face down. See, yo' bury it three feet deep which would represent three things, de Fathah, Son an' de Holy Ghost. Bury it three feet deep. Say fo' in- stance now, yo' wanted 'im lame in de am. Yo' take dat photograph an' stick dat needle in dat arn an' bury it's face down; or in de laig, or in de eye.
(Any place you want them afflicted?)
Yes sir.
(Then all you do is bury it face down?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8222
An' jis' lak if yo' wanta a person tuh die, well yo' take their picture but it have tuh be on tintype an' den yo' bear [bury] it on it's face an' place two needles at de foot an' two at de haid an' jis' let it stay dere an' dey'll finely [finally] wizzle away.
Entry 8223
If it's a man dat's got a woman or a woman got a man, dey take de photograph [of himself or herself] an' git chew a white pocket han'ke'ch'ef [new] an' spread it out. Well, yo' put [stick] nine needles in dat han'ke'ch'ef in a row an' point all of 'ems [to the] name [of the person to be held] jis' lak dis [demonstrates]. Take nine needles an' point 'em, point tuh dat - write yore name first [if a man] an' 'er name. Write her name first [if writer a woman] an' 'is name down at de bottom. [Write on the handker- chief.] Well, yo' point dem nine needles right tuh de end of 'is name, all de Way, evah lettah of 'is name. Den yo' [the woman] take it an' take her pichure [photo of herself] an' put it in a [framed] photograph [or wall picture] an' take dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' dem nine needles an' fasten it up in dere [framed Wall picture] an' hang [rehang] it on de wall. Dat will hold 'im an' he'll nevah go until she lose dem needles. If she lose dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' [or] dat photograph [framed picture] den he'll be gone. [How confusing the preceding statement was can be learned from my first com- ment, all wrong!] (Here's your handkerchief and he takes a piece of paper and writes his name and her name, and she puts these nine needles in it pointing toward his name. Then she wraps that piece of paper either in the photograph or this handkerchief. Wraps them all up in the handkerchief?) Dat's right - no suh, takes dis photograph - [I mean] an' take dis han'ke' ch'ef an' spread it out in de back of dat [framed] photograph.
(This is the frame - in the photograph frame?)
Yessuh, an' den put 'er pichure in dat wit de frame. [Is this a framed photo of herself hanging on the wall, or does she put her photo and other articles inside the back of the wall picture?]
(She doesn't use his picture?)
Doesn't use his picture. (She puts her picture in this frame and then puts this handkerchief and needles [and 2 names] in the back of it. Takes off the back of the frame and puts that in there?) Yessuh.
Entry 8224
[Preceding informant gives another version of the nine-needle theme:]
Take his pichure an' write his name. Write chure name firs' an' den 'is; will follah yures, yo' know. (You write your name first?) Yes, an' 'is name nex'.
(Underneath?)
Yessuh, an' den yo' put nine needles an' put it in de closet, an' yo' put chure pichure aside of it an' dat'll make 'im stay stay. He can't go no place.
(You stick these needles into the picture?)
Yessuh, nine needles. (You write your name and then you write his name right underneath your name? And you put your picture right next to that picture in the closet.)
Entry 8225
I heard talk that you take a photograph and wrap it up in a new piece of material, and put it in a drawer; and if the person is away, they'll soon come.
Entry 8226
Use de photograph to gain love. Well, yo' photograph, if yo' like a gurl an' perhaps she tryin' tuh gain love wit yuh, an' yo', yo' know, might have de privilege of visitin' 'er. Well, she might have some kin'a small or large photograph in 'er home. Perhaps yo' might git a chance to take it, or steal it in othah words we call it. An' yo' take dis photograph. Yo' take dis photograph an' yo' bury it. Yo' see, yo' bury dis photograph fer nine days, but befo' buryin' it yo' takes [some sort of oil]. (What kind of oil is it? Is it something you mean - where do you buy this oil?) Well, yo' kin buy it in de drug store. (Well, go ahead with the rest of the story and give me the name when you think of the name later.) Well, yo' take dis [mineral?] oil an' yo' take it an' rub it on de face of de pichure. an' yo' let dis pichure. yo' know, stay buried fer nine days. yo' see. Dat's how to gain 'er love, to make a short story of it. [For 9 days, see alsc preceding margin title CIRCUMAMBULATE etc.]
Entry 8227
Bury it on de face.
(Bury it? What will that do?)
In nine days yo'll be buried. (I see.) On a tintype.
Entry 8228
If yo' kin git aholt of someone's photograph an' yo' got it in fo' dem, why yo' take dey photograph an' yo' clip de photograph in nine diff'ren' ways.
(How do you mean, cut it nine different ways?)
Yo' cut de fo' cornahs offa it. But yo' ain't gotta cut it plumb up. When yo' cut de fo' cornahs, dat's fo' ways. Well, yo' kin take it an' cut it five mo' diff'ren' ways. Cut it all de way round, but jis' don' cut it up [photo must be left inone piece]. Den take dat pichure an' carry it to runnin' watah. Well, dey'll be harmed, gits in a car wreck or sompin. Dey goin' git out chure way.
[Stopped machine. Informant added a remark. Restart to repeat the addition.]
(They get cut up or something of that sort?)
Yes.
Entry 8229
Tuh break up a home, well yo' kin take gunpowdah.
(How would you use that?)
Well yo' would take de gunpowdah an' yo' draw a pichure lak it's fo' two peo- ple. Yo' draw 'em jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight - yo' know how chil'ren kin draw funny pichures - jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight. Yo' takes de gunpowdah an' nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of red peppah, an' yo' put it in de stove an' make yure wishes. An' dat breaks 'em up. (Well, what do you do with the picture then?) Well, yo' take de pichure perhaps an' stand it on de head an' put it in a dark closet.
(No, this picture that you draw. What do you do with that?)
Oh, what you drew. Yo' burns dat. Yo' writes dere names on dis papah. Yo' draws on a plain piece of white papah, den yo' takes dis pichure, de man's havin' a fight, yo' puts de gunpowdah in dere, nine pinches, nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of cayenne peppah, red peppah. An' den yo' put it in de stove fo' nine mawnin's.
(I see, you put the stuff into the picture?)
Yeah.
(You have to draw that thing nine times?)
Uh-huh. Yo' don't have tuh draw it zactly [exactly] lak 'em, but yo' draw it lak a man if yo' kin or do it lak a woman, see.
(Well, do you do that over again and again?)
Ovah ag'in fer nine mawnin's.
Entry 8230
Yo' take yore pichure. Ah've heah dat yo' take yore pichure. See, jis' lak if a person didn't lak yo' or wanted tuh git chew outa de way. Yo'd take dat pichure an' go outdo's. If yo' wanted tuh, go right in yore yard at de lef' cornah, [or] de no'th cornah of yore chimley, an' dig a hole an' bury it on yore face. Bury de pichure on de face. Well, yo' see, as long as it lay on yore face, fades away, dat person will die.
Entry 8231
Well, yo' kin take a person's photograph - but chew gotta be mad wit 'em, yo' know, don' lak 'em no way. Yo' take dat an' take it tuh de no'th cornah of yore house. Dig a hole an' bury it bottom side upwards tuh de no'th cornah of yore house. Bury it bottom side upwards an' den, yo' know, curse 'em anything dat chew think of, an' yo' won' have no mo' trouble wit 'em. Dey be sickly all de time.
Entry 8232
Well, yo' take dat pichure an' put it in yore pocket, if yo' wanta carry it wit chew. Yo' kin take dat pichure an' yo' want dem tuh love yo'. Dat whut chew wanta know. Take dat pichure an' git some olive oil an' put nine drops of dat pichure right around, yo' know, right around de haid. An' put dat pichure in yore pocket an' tote it wit yo'. Den fo' nine days yo' read de 23rd Psalms ovah it, an' dat'll make dem people care fo' yo'.
Entry 8233
Take de photograph an' dey'll put it in- tuh a basin an' dey'll put cologne on it until it change it's face, dat chew'll fall in love wit 'em. Now dat's true. But dey keep it in dat basin till it fades. Yo'll fall in love wit 'em den.
Entry 8234
Yo' take de photograph an' take some perfume, put it on de pikture, an' a needle an' stick de needle in de pik- ture right acrost de fo'haid, an' hide it some place an' she'll love yuh.
Entry 8235
Jis' take a woman's hair an' pichure an' cut it all up an' put it in a bot- tle tuhgethah an' take an' po' dis Heart's Own Perfume on it. She'll nevah quit 'im an' she'll always run aftah 'im.
(What do they do with that bottle then?)
Well, hide it off in de loft of de house where she be goin' undah it or sompin lakdat.
Entry 8236
Take dere pichure an' put it undah yore baid, undah de haid of yore pillah an' sleep on it nine days, an' he cain't go nowhere or quit chew. (That will keep the man? Just place it under there any way, under the pillow?) Undah de pillah.
Entry 8237
Take a person's photograph an' take a pin an' stick dat pin in de heart of dat pichure, where de per- son's heart is on dat pichure, an' dat person will die. Dat will kill a person.
Entry 8238
Take dey photograph an' put brass pins in it an' bury it wit de face down an' dat'll cuz 'em tuh die. (How many brass pins do you take?) Fo' on each cornah.
Entry 8239
Yo' take a person's photo- graph an' take nine pins an' stick 'em in it, right through de heart, an' take an' carry it tuh runnin' watah an' throw it in. Why dat person will fall daid right anywhere dey at. Aftah nine days why dey'll fall daid.
Entry 8240
Dey kin take yore pichure - ah ain't nevah done it but ah've heered dis, undahstan'. Dey stick nine holes in it, one hole evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. An' de ninth mawnin' aftah dey stick dat las' hole in it - when dey put de firs' hole in dere, in dat pichure, in de heart of dat pichure - lak dis is mah pi- chure an' dis is mah heart. Jes' take dat pin an' stick a hole in dat heart on dat pichure. Stick one dis mawnin', one tuhmorrah mawnin', an' one de nex' mawn- in', until de ninth mawnin'. An' de ninth mawnin', when dat last hole will be stuck in dere, de man will be in bad condition. Dere can't nobody do him no good. Can't nobody do him no good nohow unless dey kin git dat air [that there] pichure an' kin remend dem holes. But if dey don't do dat, why dat'll kill 'im.
Entry 8241
I heard tuh give yuh bad luck an' misfortune, tuh take yure photograph an' turn de face of it tuh de earth, an' put it undah, yo' know, de things [ties] where de train track go along. Put it undah one a [of] dose posttus [posts railroad ties] down undahneath dere, an' turn it [photo] down an' yo'll [person of photo will] have all kin'a bad luck.
Entry 8242
Well, den yo' kin take a person's pichure at home [and make them love you].
(How could you make them love you with that picture. How do you do that?)
Well, yo' weahs de pichure an' keep it all de time, an' yo' dress it. In othah words, yo' kin dress dat pichure wit High John de Conkah vine, an' yo' kin take dat Eve an' Adam [Adam and Eve] an' dress it. Why den dere's a root dey call de devil's shoestring. Yo' kin take dat home an' dress it.
(What do you do with those roots?)
Well, yo' would have - said when yo' boil de roots, undahstan', an' soak dat pichure an' keep it in a dark room - a dark place all de time. An' dat person will soon be absent-minded. (Thought you were telling me that you could make them love you that way?) Well, yo' kin... [This rite is quite all right.]
Entry 8243
Tuh make a person lak yuh, yo' will take his or her photograph tuh a root workah an' have it dressed.
Entry 8244
Jis' lak düh [the] wife tak' 'er 'usban' pichure, an' lif' up duh en' of duh rug, an' t'ün [turn] duh face dun [down] tuh duh floah, an' valk ovah dat. She puts it dun var she kin valk ovah it - see, jis' put it in a place var she go mos'ly huhse'f. Dat's suppose tuh keep 'em hum [home].
Entry 8245
Ah hearn dat chew could take de photograph an' bury it in de sand, an' when dat photograph melt away offa dat whut it's taken on, yo'll die.