Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 39
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 8246
(If a man leaves his wife, how would she make him come back?) Make him come back?
(How would the woman make him come back?)
Well, dey kin go buy a box of salt an' take his pichure. Take dat pichure an' de box of salt an' put dat pichure head foremost - put de head down an' feet up - dat [feet] on top, de top of 'is feet in dere. See, dis side up. An' aftah it set in dere nine days, yo' take dat salt off. Take dat pichure, aftah he come - soon as he come home - take dat pichure an' put it up. If yo' wan' tuh make him come quick, take dat pichure an' put it in a li'le frame, an' put it close tuh de stove, an' keep a fiah in dat stove. An' den, if yo' want's it hot, den yo' sprinkle peppah on de bottom part of dat pichure. I heah sometime dey put....
Entry 8247
I have heard of boys and girls being inti- mate together, and if this girl would have a pic- ture of this boy, and if she had any feelings of any kind against him, she would take this picture and scratch it all up to give him bad luck.
Entry 8248
Dey take dere undies an' shake it in 'is face [the face of his photo] any time she wan' tuh see him. Any hour of de night she jis' wish fo' him an' he'll come. An' jis' whutevah she want, if he have it, he'll give it tuh her.
Entry 8249
I worked in a place and lost my job. The man went out of business. I vas living with a very old colored woman and got behind in my rent. She had been going with a man. This man got mad at her and stopped her. When she found out I could draw pretty well, so she had me to draw his picture as near his likeness as I could. She would put this picture in the bottom of her shoe and wear it until ft Was almost porn out, and have me draw another. I don't know whether that caused him to come back or not, but he certainly came back. [Ocean City, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8250
Concernin' photographs: Now, heah's some photographs. Yo' may go ovah in town dere tuh New Orleans, an' yo'll have yore pichures taken on papah, some- whut lak celluloid or sompin othah. Dere's no harm at all tuh dat, no harm at all. It's de tintype, tin [that causes harm]. Now usin' dis, it's mos'ly used fo' gittin' rid of a woman. Dat's all. Yo' cannot bring 'er tuh yo', but yo' kin git rid of 'er. Now, see dis po'tion [portion] of yore shoe heah [demonstrates], dis heah?
(That inner sole?)
Yessuh, yo' raise dis [demonstrates].
(The heel of it.)
Dat's right. Place dat tintype pichure undah dere an' weah it. Now, dat's l yo' place it back on. Quite nature [naturally] de shoe is gonna weah jis' lak steel will, an' as yo' weah dat shoe, dat person weahs an' jis' withah [wither] off from yo'. Yo' won' know whut become of 'em, an' dey won' know whut become of yo'. Dat's de onliest way dey kin harm yo' wit a tintype pichure.
Entry 8251
Dat's if a woman's husban' should leave her, or sweetheart, anything lak dat, jis' take de photograph, see, an' put in 'er shoe an' jis' weah it. Beah it till it weah out. Den git anothah one an' den weah dat un', so long as yo' weah one, an' he'll follah yo'. He'll be so good tuh yo', he be too good tuh yo'. Yo' jis' put it - it's always bes' tuh put in undah de leathah of de shoe, becuz somebody else might see it, see.
(In what shoe does she wear it, either shoe?)
Yo' kin weah it in either shoe. Ah prefer de left shoe, though.
Entry 8252
Take dis photograph an' yo' kin put it in yore shoes an' weah it, an' if yo' want dis guy back, yo' kin git 'im.
(Whose photograph is it?)
It supposed tuh be de man or de woman or whosomevah dat chew want. If yo' a woman, yo' kin weah him in yore shoes an' yo' kin git 'im back.
(You wear this photograph in either shoe?)
In de right one, yo' mus' weah it in de right one.
Entry 8253
It's lak if a person mistreats yo' an' yo' wanta git even wit 'im, an' he's got yore pichure an' yo' got 'is. Ah mean if de girl is got yore [his] pichure an' yo' got one lak it, take it an' put it an' weah it in de bottom of yore right-foot shoe an' wear it, clean it...
(What will that do?)
Dat will make 'im sick.
Entry 8254
Git 'is photograph. She kin go tuh any place an' have anothah one taken. Put one in 'er right shoe, an' bury one undah de do'step. Bury it wit de face down, an' weah one in de bottom of 'er shoe, an' see whut results yo' git outa dat. (What do you do that for?) Dat's if yo' wanta bring 'im back, an' rule 'im, put 'im undah 'er command.
Entry 8255
Yo' take dere name as yo' do de othah re sēts' [= resLi-pes = rites] an' [if] yo' wanta keep 'em tuh yo'. Well, yo' use dat same ingrediment [in- gredient] an' yo' write it nine times an' put it undah yore lef' linin' of yore shoe an' weah it all de time. (That will bring them to you?) Yes, de photograph.
Entry 8256
It's prak'ally [practically] de same. An' dis woman she wuz jis' givin' me so much trouble wit mah husban', dat he wuz almos' out fo' good. Ah didn't wan'a 'sturb [disturb] mah place. Ah wondah'd whut tuh do. Ah loved mah husban' an' ah wuz jis' so crazy 'bout 'im, an' jealous ah guess. So it seem lak it come tuh me one night in mah sleep, say, Jis' take his pichure an' weah it. Ah got up through de night an' ah taken dat pichure an' ah put it in mah shoe, an' ah didn't tell anybody whut ah did. Ah put dat pichure in mah shoe an' ah wore it dere. Dat one wored out an' he com- mence tuh grow bettah. Ah looked roun' an' ah found 'nothah one, photograph, an ah put dat one dere. An' ah wanta tell yo' dere ain't a bettah man dat walks, dan mah husban'. Dat's mah one experience. An' ah tole two or three othahs de same things. (I AM LETTING THIS WOMAN GO FOR THE MOMENT BECAUSE THERE IS A SPECIALL HOODOO MAN JUST CAME THAT I WANT TO TALK TO. I AM AFRAID HE MIGHT LEAVE. I'LL TALK TO HER LATER.)
Entry 8257
[For the outstanding story of this margin title, though picture drawn on a shingle is shot, see the shooting of Uncle Mack's picture - No.3103, p.925.] Says dey kin take yore photograph. Dey kin take yore photograph an' take it an', if dey ti'ed [tired] of yuh or anythin' lak dat, dey kin take it off [some- where] an' shoot it fo' a target. Say yo'll git killed purtty soon. An' if dey want chew [want to keep you], say dey kin take it an' put it in de bottom of dey trunk, an' lay it flat down, an' dat chew'll nevah go nowhere. (How do you mean lay it down?) Lay it down on it's face.
Entry 8258
Yo' see when peoples dislaks [dislikes] yo' or somepin lak dat, undahstand, dey kin take yore pichure, an' take yore pichure an' shoot yore pichure an' yo' will die.
(How will they shoot that picture?)
Jis' take it an' shoot it wit a pistol or somepin lak dat, an' yo'll die. So dat's de way ah've heard dat.
Entry 8259
Take a person's pichure an' shoot it an' dey die. Wheresomevah dey be at, dey'll die.
(Where do they shoot that picture?)
Dey shoot it in de face, anywhere, yo' know.
(Where do they put that picture when they shoot it?)
Have it any place, eny place shoot it.
Entry 8260
I've heard that they could shoot your photograph and you'll die quick- ly; and if they bury your photograph, you'll die a slow death.
Entry 8261
Hear 'em say if dey Wanted tuh kill yo' quick, take yore track. Ah've seen dat. Says yo' bo' a hole in a tree, in a pine tree or oak tree. Cut de head off heah [hair off top of head] an' put it in dere an' den drive a peg in it. An' as 'er hair goes away, yo' go. [For my comment about this elderly man, see later. While recording machine was off, he began a photo rite:]
(The tintype. What did they use to say years ago?)
Take an' shoot at yore pichure an' shootin' de pichure would kill yo'.
(But they generally put that picture in a certain way you said.)
Yes, toward where he's at or she's at. (You have to put that picture up in the direction in which that person is liv- ing?) Yes. (THIS OLD MAN WHO WAS JUST IN HERE WAS 87 YEARS OLD AND WAS BAREFOOT.)
Entry 8262
Ah heard dat if yo' wanted tuh kill a person wit dere photograph, yo' could take his photograph an' set it behin' a burnin' bush or a pile of bushes, an' shoot it wit a rifle or pistol or sompin of dat sort. (Set it behind what kind of a bush?) Behin' a briar pile of bushes. Builds up de fiah an' put de pichure ovah tuh de side of it an' shoot through de fiah. Dat will kill dem. (You build a fire with the bushes and then you put this picture near the side. Right on the side?) On de side an' shoot right through de fiah.
Entry 8263
If someone wanta give yo' real bad luck, says dey kin take - if dey got a grudge ag'inst chew - dat dey kin go an' git chure pichure an' take dis pichure an' build a fiah, an' set de pichure behin' de fiah. Dat's [demonstrates] de pichure an' heah's de fiah. Dat's de pi- chure. Set it off lak dat. Yo' git ovah heah. Yo' [they] take a gun an' dey shoot through dis pichure, through dis fiah an' hit de pichure. Take a shotgun, scattah shots. An' shoot through de fiah an' shoot a hole through dis pichure. Well, when dey shoots a hole through dis picture, dey says den, dat gives yo' bad luck. It'll take dat - on dat time in evah yeah an' evah month, on dat day, yo'll have pains. Whatevah day of de month it was, dey say yo'll have pains, sharp pains jis' lak if yo' were shot. (Now this is the picture across the fire, and it is looking at you - face towards you?) Yes sir.
Entry 8264
Yo' take a photograph an' go in de woods tuh a tree, an' yo' jis' lay it up from de ground up side de tree. Yo' kin go dat high from de ground, eight feet high. Ah'd take a ten- penny nail an' drive dat through de forehead ontuh de tree. An' git choo some splintahs - fat-lighter [pine] splintahs [here, split pieces of wood, not small splinters] - some people call 'em torches - an' make a smoke right down here [at the bottom of the tree]. Jis' make a fiah, an' de smoke goes right straight on up [over the photo]. An' yo' git choo a shotgun an' go back about twenty-five or thirty feet from de tree, an' shoot right through that smoke at dat pitchure. Dey tell me dat'll kill yuh. [Large pieces of fat-lighter pine (several pines so called) were used at night as outdoor hand torches. This is described some- where in the text by a woman, from Orangeburg, S. Car., whose grandmother de- scribed a slave burial at night - a limited number of torches, no singing, etc.]
Entry 8265
Lak yo' got a pichure, see, jis a pichure of yo'. All right, lak dey love yo', see, an' don't want see any- body else wit chew. Dey go tuh de fo'k of de road an' take a pistol an' shootdat pistol right in de centah of yo' face. When dey come back yo'll be daid. (You shoot this picture at the forks of the road.)
Entry 8266
Yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, if someone done sompin tuh yo' an' yo' doesn't lak 'em, an' yo' wanta git rid of 'em fo' good, git 'em clean out de worl', yo' go dere fo' eight mawnin's wit dere pichure. An' den de ninth mawnin' yo' could take it an' shoot it on de lef' side, an' dey certainly are daid. Den yo' know yo' got rid of dem.
(You take that picture out each morning and bring it back?)
Yessuh.
(What do you do with the picture then?)
Yo' shoot it on de left side.
(Where do you put the picture when you shoot it?)
Carry it back home or eithah leave it down dere, but mos' de people says yo' leave it fo' nine mawnin's an' shoot it on de lef' side.
Entry 8267
Yo' kin take a man's pichure, anybody's pichure, an' go tuh de fo'k of de road an' shoot at dat pichure. Go nine times an' shoot at it nine mawnin's an' - eithah nine nights. An' yo' kin shoot at dat pichure nine times an' dat man will die.
(Where do you put that picture out at the fork of the road?)
Put it right at de fo'k of de road.
(Put it on the ground or up in the air or where?)
Put it on de ground. Yo' know, quite natural yo' kin take a stick yo' know an' pin it up so he kin see it, chew know, an' shoot at it.
Entry 8268
Take de tintype an' point de fo' cornahs an' shoot it an' yo'll soon die. (They do what to the four corners?) Turn it round, de fo' cornahs, dey meet de cornahs of it. (Show me. Say that's the tintype there.) Take de pistol dis way an' turn it ovah an' shoot it [this corner], an' yo' turn dis cornah an' shoot on dat cornah.
(Shoot it in all four corners turning it around?)
Turn it roun' an' den throw it in runnin' watah.
(What will that do?)
As dat go down yo's goin' go down den too.
Entry 8269
De nex' thing, if a person don' lak yo' an' wants tuh do yo' dirty, dey kin go tuh work an' take dat photograph an' shoot it right directly to de heart line, an' in nine days he'll be a daid man.
Entry 8270
Take dat photograph an' shoot it right in de heart, where de heart supposed tuh be, an' bury it face foremos', say dey'll die.
Entry 8271
Ah've heard dey take a pichure an' put it up an' shoot on de left side
[heart side] an' hit'll kill de person.
Entry 8272
A person's photograph, pichure, yo' kin take it an' care [carry] hit in de woods an' tack it up side a tree, an' yo' kin take yore gun an' yo' kin shoot hit. An' when yo' shoot hit, he's shore [sure] tuh die.
Entry 8273
Ah heard dat a person kin take yore pichure an' put it on a tree or a stump an' shoot dat pichure an' it'll kill yo'. Ah have heard of dat.
Entry 8274
Tack it up 'ginst a tree an' make a mark outa it an' shoot it.
(Shoot the photograph. What would that do?)
SayS WhOSOmeVah yo' DONE SHOT AT DEY BREAK OUT WIT CANCERS AN' CAN'T BE CURED OR EITHAH BE KILT.
Entry 8275
Well now, I've heard dey could take yure pitchure, take an' put it up aside a tree an' shoot it; see, yo'll git shot.
Entry 8276
Alcohol - put three drops of alcohol on it, on de photograph an' stick it up side a tree an' shoot it, an' yo' ain't goin' stay heah long.
(What will it do, drive you away or kill you?)
Kill yo'.
Entry 8277
Take a photograph an' take it down tuh a tree, mos' any kinda tree, an' cut a hole in de pine tree, jis' fer 'nuff [enough] fo' de photograph tuh set in, an' cuss dat photograph three time an' back off [walk backwards] from it, an' fiah toward de photograph. Ah've tried it. Dat will kill de person.
Entry 8278
Yo've heard of de oldtime gun waddin'? Dey put dis pichure [torn up] in dis gun waddin' an' dey care [carry] it tuh a tree in some lone isolated place. An' dey shoot de gun off. Dey shoot de tree. Instead of powder, yo' know, lak dey shooting someone. [Gunman pretends that this mixture of gun wad- ding and torn-up picture is a shell and the tree is the person being shot.] An' dey say dat'll cuz dat person tuh have bad luck.
Entry 8279
Take dat photograph, an' if yo' wants dem, woman or man, yo' wants dem out de way. DEY AIN'T GOT HEART ENOUGH FO' YO' AN' YO' WANTS EM TUH GIT KILLED IN A ACCIDENT, OR SOMEONE GIT IN A FIGHT WIT 'EM AN' KILL DEM. Take dat phot0- graph an' git chew one dese heah li'le beebee rifles, if yo' kin [git] holt of it, an' take it in de woods, an' jes' lak yo' tack it 'ginst de wall [of interviewing room, you tack it against a tree], an' take a good bead [on the target] wit de [beebee] shotgun - ain't evah'body kin do it but some kin - an' shoot dat pichure. Be sure dat yo' shoot it on de heart side. Be sure dat chew hit it wit dat beebee ball [shot], it's a li'le ball dat jis' [makes] a li'le bit of hole dere, dat chew hit it on de heart side. Well, WHEN YO' PLUG IT ON DE HEART SIDE LAK DAT, HE'LL GO AN' HE'LL GIT IN A FUSS; AN' WHERE DAT BULLET HITS 'IM ON DE HEART SIDE, DEY PLUG 'IM DERE DE SAME WAY.
(They will hit him right there.)
Don't care where yo' go, dat de end of yo' - right dere.
Entry 8280
Take it an' carry it in de woods an' cut a green pine - or any green tree - an' make it smooth [a smooth place] an' tack dat photograph up ag'inst de tree, an' git off at yore distance an' shoot dis photograph. Try tuh hit it in de haid or in de heart, dey say, an' jes' lak yo' do dat photograph, dat jes' lak whut would happen tuh de person. [Green tree is a common term for live tree, ordinary meaning avoid a dead tree or a tree not in leaf.]
Entry 8281
Ah've heard of a person takin' anothah person's pichure, a pichure of 'em, if dey dislak 'em, an' takin' it in de woods an' bo'in' [boring] a hole in dere an' stickin' de pichure in de tree, face downwards, an' den shootin' holes in it. Ah've heard of dat. An' dey'll soon die.
Entry 8282
Take dat an' nail dat up in a tree an', if dey wanta kill yuh, dey kin nail dat photograph up an', if yo' in New York or even Philadelphia or Boston, an' dey call yure name, an' put a pistol dere an' shoot dat photo- graph in de heart, won't kill yuh right off; but yo'll pine away, pine away, pine away until yo' die.
Entry 8283
Well, yo' see, yo' kin take dat 'ere [photo] an' [a note of mlne says informant very shaky, a stutterer] an' bury it down in dirt an'...meal buries... eithah meal. Dey eithah buries it in de groun' where dey walk ovah it fo' nine days, an' make any kinda wishes yo' wants fo' it, yo' see. An' den take it out, yo' see, an' nail it up side of de tree at de ninth day an' shoot it, sompin lak dat, wit No.8 shot.
(What is that supposed to do to you?)
Dey say de person will die. (You take this photograph first and you bury it in the ground, face down, you say. And then what do you put on that?) Make any kinda wishes yo' wants tuh.
(You said something about meal. What did you say about meal?)
Even if yo' don't want tuh bury it down in de ground, yo' kin bury it in de meal.
(Oh, if you don't bury it in the ground, you bury it in the meal. Corn meal?)
Yes, sir. An' den yo' leave it fo' nine days. Den yo' see, yo' kin make yere wishes, any kinda wish yo' want. An' de ninth day yo' kin take it up an' shoot it.
Entry 8284
Dey go ahaid an' tack it [photo] up on de tree an' shoot it, an' dat'll kill yuh. Dey go dere nine mawnin's an' shoot it. Dat'll kill yuh. Jis' turn it bottom upwards an' shoot it about de heart.
Entry 8285
Dey tell me dat dey kin take yuh photergraph an' carry it in de woods, an' put it on a pine tree. An' if dey kin shoot, yo' know, right in a serious part fo' nine mawnin's...an' dey say aftah dat it'll kill yuh.
Entry 8286
If yo' wanta harm a person, kill a person, say fo' instance, yo' kin draw de fo'm [form] of dat per- son as neah as yo' kin, yo' know. If it's a woman, yo' draw de fo'm of a woman; if it's a man, yo' draw de fo'm of a man. An' yo' git chew a tenpenny nail an' yo' kin go tuh a tree out some- where, an' yo' nail dat fo'm up on dat tree. An' yo' kin take dat powdah outa dat shell, an' yo' kin take a li'le of dat powdah. Yo' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' yo' take a li'le of dat powdah an' put it aroun' dat nail in dere. Den yo' shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll kill a person or eithah put 'em in such a shape dat dey'll jis' wanta be daid.
(You don't do anything with that powder at all?)
No, yo' jis' - aftah yo' use a li'le aroun' dat nail, when yo' firs' put de pichure up dere. Put a li'le of dat powdah right aroun' dat nail. Den yo' kin use dat - shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. But yo' kin use de powdah fo' woman, miscarriage...
Entry 8287
Dey take yore pichure an' draw it in willah [willow] tree an' run a speah through yer heart. See, shape yer heart an' put a speah through yer heart. An' dey shoot yer pichure nine times an' dat'll cuz yo' tuh drag until yo' die. Well, AH HAVE SAW DAT CUZ AH SAW IT ON DE BAYOU, de photo Wuz in de trE. (An ordinary photograph? Or do you draw the form of that photograph?) Yes [you draw the form as informant stated]. An' dey put it in de tree an' dey made dere wish, but dey put some kinda - dey put lode- stone in it, too, an' dey put dat blood, dragon's blood in it, an' dey had a speah through de heart. Yo' know, lak yo' speah it through de heart. An' dey shot it nine times, shot de heart nine times.
Entry 8288
Ah heard dat dey could take yore photograph tuh de woods an' nail it up on de no'th [north] side of a tree, an' shoot at it nine times an dat will kill a person. Yo'll have hemorrhage an' die.
(Well, do they shoot that nine times all at once?)
Nine times, nine days. See, yo' go dere nine times.
(You shoot it once each day?)
Yes.
Entry 8289
Well, I've heard of 'em takin' it [a photograph] an' takin' it out [to] de cemetery, an' puttin' it [head down with face out] up side a tree, an' shooten it nine times [once each day for nine days early in the morning]. The person will finally die.
Entry 8290
Take de photograph - yo' mean yo' pichure? Well, some folks say yo' kin take dis an' shoot it. Put it on de no'th side of a tree, sompin lak dat. Shoot it or sompin othah an' kill yo'.
Entry 8291
Dey take yore photograph an' dey wanta do somepin tuh yo' mean. Take dat photograph if it's on a tintype an' carry it off in de woods befo' sunup. An' nail it up on de no'th side of a tree an' take yore gun an' shoot it. Shoot chure heart be' fo' sunup. Ah don' care where yo' at, if yo' in New Yawk, dat'll kill yuh.
Entry 8292
Ah heard dey kin take a tin- type photograph an' carry it tuh de oak tree, an' if dey wanted tuh harm yuh, an' nail it dere wit a tenpenny nail an' den shoot. Say dat would kill yo'.
Entry 8293
[Quicksilver in hoodoo is rarely the. metallic element mercury; it is usually tin foil, or scrapings from the metallic amalgram backing a mirror. There are other examples of this quicksilver in Hoodoo, and perhaps one or two of the real substance.] Ah said dey take a gun an' load it wit quicksilvah an' shoot chure pichure, in yo' arm or somepin lak dat. Make a card, don't chew undahstand, an' if yo' don' do somepin fer it, why it will jis' keep arottin' an' rottin' till it ruin yo', yo' undahstand, wit bloodpoison. (How could you shoot quicksilver in a gun?) Take yore [gun] powdah an' put it in dere an' den yo' pack it. Now yo' [add] buckshot. Den yo' take yo' quicksilvah lak dat [put these 3 things in gun or shell] don't chew undahstand, an' put it in de gun.
Entry 8294
Ah heah mah gran'mothah use tuh say dat dey could take yuh photograph an' could take dat an' put it up side a tree. An' said yo' take a silvah bullet an' shoot at it, an' shoot yuh in yuh lef' side neah yuh heart. Shootin' yuh heart, it would kill right away.
Entry 8295
(Now what are you going to do with the photograph?) Yo' puts it on a black gum tree an' dat's purely tuh harm yo'. An' den yo'll tell it [tree] whut chew want. [You talk to the tree spirit.] Yo' kin nail it on dat tree an' den yo' shoot it. Dat fer as ah know of dat. It's a black gum an' [or] a short-leaf pine, jes' dem two, either one, but let it be in de swamp.
Entry 8296
Yes sir, yo' kin take a pichure, take it down tuh runnin' watah an' tack it on a tree an' shoot it, if yo' wanta kill 'em. Well, now, yo' kin kill 'em lak dat. Yes sir, jis' take it an' carry it tuh runnin' watah, jis' tack it on a li'le tree right by de runnin' watah, yo' know, de face of it. Shoot it. Well dat kills 'em. Dat's whut ah learnt from an ole man.
Entry 8297
They put them [a tintype] in a pan of water, with the face up, and shoot at them. That disfigures their face and makes them moult away. [Fred- ericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8298
At least ah know about de photograph. Well yo' take a person's photo- graph, dat's providin' if it's on a tintype. Yo' take a person's photograph an' prob'ly yowanta git shet [rid] of 'em out de worl' where dey won't worry yo' no mo'. Take dat photograph an' carry it tuh a - prob'ly some ole field or nothah, an' bury it on de face." An' aftah yo' bury it on de face, yo' prob'ly could walk away ahummin' some ole re- ligious song. An' aftah yo' bury it on de face an' walk away, hummin' dat ole religious song, it won't be long befo' dey be throwin' dirt in dere face. It won't be long befo' dey be daid.
(Well, what do you do with the photograph?)
What would yo' do wlt it? Yo' bury it. Yo'll die!
Entry 8299
Dey could do two things tuh yo' [with photograph]. Dey could kill yo' or dey could drive yo' away.
(Suppose somebody wants to kill me, now?)
Bury it face downwards.
(Bury the photograph with the face down?)
Yes.
(Well, suppose you want to drive me away?)
Well, if dey wanta drive yo' away, dey bury it standin'; yo' heah [in the interviewing room of Eureka Hotel, for blacks, see v.1, p. XxxIII]. Bury it standin' up, wit de face away from yo'. No, not on its haid, jis' lak it is standin' upward, lak dis pichure heah. Wit de face away.
Entry 8300
Well, yore photograph, dey kin weah it in de hose tuh make yo' love 'em or eithah put it ovah a glass of watah, if yo' off from 'em an' draw yo' tuh 'em. (You just lay this photograph over the water?) Yes sir, turn it down ovah a glass of watah an' dat'll draw yo' tuh 'em.
Entry 8301
De photograph, yo' kin po' [pour] sugah on dat an' burn dis photograph an' in nine days, whosomevah pichure dat is, dey must be daid in dem nine days. (You burn that photograph with the sugar on it.
Entry 8302
Take dat [photograph] an' bury it on it's face nex' tuh de sundown. Dat will kill yo'. (How do you mean they bury this photo- graph next to the sundown? What do you mean by that?) Jes' take de pichure where de sun go down an' bury it on de.face, an' turn de face towards de sundown.
(Turn the head toward the sundown?)
Yes suh.
Entry 8303
Dey always tell me tuh take dis man pichure, if yo' got 'is pichure in yore house. Take dis man pichure an' wrop it up in a piece of papah an' stick a pin in it, a clothes pin [not clothespin], jis' a stickin'- pin, stick anywheres dere. Take it an' pin it tuh de haid of yore bed or 'er bed, an' all she den gotta do, tell 'im now, co'se she know 'er husban' name. "Yo' stayed 'way long 'nuff. Ah think yo bettah come back home." Dey say dat will bring 'im back home. Jes' a straight pin, one of dem straight pins, an' stick in dat an' pin it tuh de haid of yore bed.
Entry 8304
Dey [a woman] said dey could take yo' pitchure. Jis' lak if a woman husband leave huh or eithah a man leaves 'is wife, or somepin, dat dey could take de pitchure an' turn it on de haid, turn de pitchure down on its haid, somewhere where it kin stan' up undah de bed outa sight. An' tell it [she, who told informant the story] said dat, "Yo' lef' me but choo're comin' back; yo'll be on yer haid tuh see me." She [woman who told her experience.to informant] said dey'll come back or be on dere haid tuh come back. An' dey will come back.
Entry 8305
Ah don't know where he [the doctor] come from, but he told me tuh take his photograph an' put up ovah de do', bottom upwards, an' talk tuh it nine mawn- in's an' he'd come back. (That's to make him come back. They turn it upside down for nine mornings and talk to it?) Yes.
Entry 8306
Go an' git 'is pichure an' stand it on it's haid undah de haid of 'er bed an' talk tuh it. Call 'im back nine mawnin's an' he'll come back.
Entry 8307
Yo' could take a pichure. Now, if yo' wanta do good, if yo' wanted de person tuh love yo' or somepin an' - yo' put dat pichure tuh de haid of yore bed, an' call de person's name nine mawnin's. An' wit a pin dat's nevah been used, a new pin, yo' put nine holes intuh dis pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' while yo' punch dose holes, yo' talk tuh de pichure jis' lak yo' talkin' tuh de person. An' aftah de nine mawnin's, jis' whatevah de statements were dat chew made, dat person will do jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do, but chew must keep dat pichure dere.
(You punch one hole each morning or nine holes?)
Nine holes for nine mawnin's.
(That's nine times nine?)
Eighty-one.
(And you keep it at the head of the bed?)
Yo' keep it dere tuh de haid of yore bed.
(Now you do harm you say with the photograph. Tell me about that.)
Well, if yo' wanta do harm wit de pichure, yo' could take dat pichure an' yo' take dat tuh de graveyard, an' yo' go an' yo' call de spirits of de dead. When yo' think dat de spirit is dere, yo' take out nine han'fuls of dirt out of dat grave. Den yo' place dis pichure down dere an' yo' explain tuh de spirit jis' whut yo' want 'em tuh do tuh dat pahticlah [particular] person, see. An' what- evah yo' say, den yo' pay dat spirit.
(Well, now. What do you usually pay the spirit?)
Well, it goes - Well, NOW DE FIRST DEGREE IS THREE PENNIES. DE SECOND IS NINE AN' DE THIRD IS THIRTEEN. [I do not recall that these sums of money paid the spirit are called degree elsewhere in Hoodoo.]
(Then you cover that picture up in there?)
Let it stay dere. An' yo' have tuh explain tuh dis spirit whut tuh do tuh dat pahticlah person, an' pay dem tuh do dat. Dey'll do it jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do.
Entry 8308
Well, dere sev'ral things dat chew kin do wit dat. Now yo' kin take a person's - now lak if a person is off an' yo' wanta draw dem tuh yo' wit dere photograph. Yo' kin take dat pichure an' yo' kin turn it - it will show yo' see. Yo' kin take dat pichure lak dis tuh de east part of de world - yo' kin take dat pichure an' turn de face of it lak dat [demonstrates] in de dark. (The face to the east?) To de east. See [demon- strates] lak dis is de face here. Yo' do dat, see, lak, an' let it be in de east part, an' let de face be towards dat way. An' nine mawnin's yo' go tuh dat pi- chure an' lak, if yo' face de haid up dere, yo' go tuh it lak dis [demonstrates and talks].
(Have that part upside down, turn it upside down and talk to it.)
Talk tuh it.
[Informant demonstrates while I describe demonstration.]
(Now this picture is upward on the mantel [of the interviewing room], but the face is against the wall facing to the east and the head is up. When you go there these nine mornings, you pick up the picture and just turn it back so that YOU ARE TALKING TO THE FELLOW WHOSE HEAD IS UPSIDE DOWN. ALL RIGHT, NOW, WHAT DO YOU SAY?) Well, now, yo' call 'im by his name.
(You call this picture by his name.)
Jis' lak, fo' instance, say his name is John. Yo' jis' take his pichure up an' say, "John, ah mean fo' yo' tuh come home, '' say, "yo' heard me talkin' tuh yo'. Come home, In de Name of de Lord." See, an' if yo' use a holy name, why yo' kin call, CALL DAT HOLY SPIRIT'S NAME, yo' See, SUCH AS JACK OR WHATEVAH SPIRIT NAME YO' USE. Call it dat way. When, if yo' not dealin' wit de spirits, why den yo' call 'im [the man]. Jis' call 'im, say, "John, ' say, "ah mean fo' yo' tuh come home." Say, "Yo' know ah want chew tuh come home. Ah mean fo' yo' tuh come. Yo' heerd me callin' yo'. Come home!" See, an' talk tuh 'im dat Way. Turn it [photo] an' leave back up dere; but do dat as early as yo' kin in de mawnin' 'fore twelve aclock, see. An' if yo' don't ketch it in de mawnin' 'fore twelve aclock, den yo' ketch it at nine aclock at night or eithah right aftah twelve at night.
(And you say you do this for nine days?)
Yes sir, fo' nine days.
(And that will bring him back?)
Dat'll bring 'im back. An' den again yo' kin use salt, jis' common cookin' salt tuh bring a person back whatevah direction. If yo' know whatevah direction de party is in - say, north, east or south - whatevah direction, yo' kin jis' take a li'le pinch of salt an' go tuh de do' in de yard where yo' kin throw it. All right, throw it in dat direction an' call 'em by dere name. An' call 'em in dat way an' dey'll git so restless an' uneasy, an' dere mind will jis' git on dat place where yo' want 'em tuh come, cuz dey'll have tuh come.
Entry 8309
It has been said dat if yo' take de photo- graph of a person an'.shuts it up in a enclosed tight place, an' de nex' day dey takes it an' tear it up tuh pieces an' throw it away, say dat will also cuz de person tuh be hurt some way lak dat. [For tearing up photo, see preceding margin title GUN WADDING, p.3460.]
(Why do they put this photograph in some tight place?)
In some tight place - wedge it up in some close place somewhere where dere no draft. An' take it de nex' day an' tear it up. Tear it up in pieces an' throw it away.
Entry 8310
If yo' have a photograph of 'em, yo' could take dat photograph an' burn it bottomside upwards, which an' why, turn de haid part down, an' put chure right hand tuh yare heart, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, dat chew wan' 'em tuh return back tuh yuh. An' dey will come back.
Entry 8311
Take de photograph an' bury it in de ground, in three days yo' will be daid. (How do you bury it in the ground?) Bury it wit yuh face turned tuh de groun', in three days yo' will be daid.
Entry 8312
Dey kin take yore photograph, lak it be a li'le small pichure, an' take some - if dey Wanta hurt cha, dey kin hurt cha wit yore photograph. An' den dey kin bring yuh home tuh dem wit de photograph. But de way dey hurt chew wit de photograph, dey take de photograph an' dig a hole an' put it down in de hole. Bury it an' about five inches down in de ground, an' put salt an' peppah on it, cayenne peppah, dis here pulvahized cayenne peppah an' saltpetah [3 ingredients]. An' bury dat down in dere an' dat will make yuh git down sick, jes' on a drag. An' de mo' dat photograph rot, de mo' closah tuh de grave yo' will be goin'; an' aftah de photograph rots, yo' will be daid.
Entry 8313
If ah had 'is pichure, ah could take it an' bury it wit a horsehair or somepin lak dat undah 'is do'step an' put a li'le vinegar in it an' salt [3 ingredients] an' ah's fix 'im - li'le vinegah an' salt an' den bury it undah his do'step. An' when he come out de house in de mawnin', he's be paralyzed in 'is laigs.
(They bury this photograph with a horsehair, you say?)
Wit a horsehair an' some vinegah an' salt. An' put it undah 'is do'step. An' when he come out he'll be paralyzed in 'is laigs de nex' mawnin'.
Entry 8314
Yo' kin take a person's pichure an' cut dey throat of de pichure - cut de throat. (Cut the throat?) Yassuh, an' dey say de person will git murdered 'fore dey die.
Entry 8315
It depend upon if yo' know de hour or purtty much de time of dat dat de photograph was taken. Dey kin take it an' do whatevah dey wanta. If dey don' know de hour, purtty much de hour, when yo' had yore photo- graph taken, it's hard tuh do. But if dey kin come an' say, in [within] two hour's time, dey'll take dat photograph an' turn on its face, bury it on its face, an' it will - from time tuh time yo' will jis' begin tuh Wonder [wander], jis' begin - yo've seen people wonderin' [wandering], jis' goin' an' it don't look like, dey treats evahbody nice but 'is mind, people say, "Well, ah knows when yo' was a fine fellah. Ah knows when yo' was jis all right." Do enything fer yuh in de world. Look lak he's lost 'is mind or somepin. Well, dat's de trouble.
Entry 8316
Take a man's pichure an' go tuh dis open toilet. Take dat pichure an' push it down in dere, dat'll make him leave dat place. He won't stay roun' dere no mo'. (Do you push it down any special way?) No, jis' push it down in dere, in de open toi- let.
(Out in the back yard.)
Entry 8317
She kin take his pichure an' tear it in fo' parts, an' put it in de commode an' flush it fo' times, an' call his name fo' times, an' he'll come home. (You mean, put it in the toilet and flush it?) Pull it fo' times, jis' as many parts as she have it cut in, see an' den call 'is name fo' times, an' he'll come back tuh her. (If he's out of town, he's left her. You mean, she puts it in the toilet and you [she] flush [flushes] the water.)
Entry 8318
[We have already met in this section on photographs a considerable number of rites concerned with shooting them on a tree - see Nos.8272-8295. Here are non-shooting ones in a workable order, a logical one being impossible.] Ah heard talk of 'em drivin' a nail in a tree, but now yo'd have tuh have yore pichure. Now, yo' see, dey tell me dat yo' takes a pi- chure an' if it's a tintype pichure - a pichure made on a tin - say yo' take dis heah pichure an' yo' takes a nail. An' yo' goes tuh dis heah - puts it on a apple' tree. An' yo' jes' sticks it in dis mawnin' an' hits it. An' yo' goes tuh it fo' nine mawnin' an' yo' drive dat nail, an' say on de ninth mawnin' dat chew drive dat nail [all the way into tree]. Dey say den it would kill yo'. An' den, say if yo' make it on a - jes' a papah or pastebo'd, den fo' de ninth mawnin' yo' go dere an' hit it, say it would make yo' sick.
(Do they put that nail any special place in the picture?)
Put it right in de heart, right through de heart of de individual whosomevah dey is on de pichure, jes' as neah in de heart as dey kin git it. Jes' imagine de heart an' put dis nail in de heart.
Entry 8319
Take a person's photograph an' yo' go on de no'th side of a tree. An' yo' take dat tree an' hew dat bark offa dere, an' put dat photograph in dere an' nail it up. An' yo' Walk back from dat tree nine times [steps] an' cuss, an' say whutevah yo' cuss, an' whosevah name yo' call, dat person die.
(You just fasten that on the north side of the tree?)
Yes, cut de bark out an' put de photograph intuh it. (And walk backwards nine steps and cuss and call their name.)
Entry 8320
Take de pichure an' cut a piece out of de tree an' put it in dat place whut chew cut - jis' a piece out de tree an' den nail it back up dere. An' dey say dat will kill 'em.
(Cut a hole in the tree and put this picture in and nail it back up?)
Yessuh.
Entry 8321
She [his grandmother] say, "Put chure pichures up, son, don't let chure pichure hang around, if ah got holt of 'em" - she tell me about dis, say, "people kin take dat pichure an' run yo' crazy." Ah say, "Yeah?'" Ah wants tuh know it, yo' know. She say, "Dey kin take dis pichure an' run yo' crazy, boy. Yore pichure should be put up." [Informant now tells what he heard from his grandmother.] Dey take dis pichure heah an' dey go tuh de toilet, an' git some of dat stuff out of de toilet an' put on dis pichure. An' dey'll go way out in de woods some- where an' cut a little piece of bark off a tree, dat is hangin' down lak dis [demonstrates] yo' know, an' put dat pichure up dere. An' tack it up dere an' put dat bark back up dere. An' since dat tree is constantly growin', yo' know, an' dat pichure being wit dat stuff dere, why see, dat will constantly make dat thing go back ovah dere. Say it will run yo' crazy, dat pichure being in dat tree dere.
Entry 8322
Well, de ole han's, de ole folks yo' know, dat ah've heard talk about dese things, dey usely [usually] take de photograph, but it have tuh be a tin- type. It cain't be no paste- bo'd. It have tuh be a tin- type, an' dey take it an' take sixpenny nails an' go tuh a cedah tree an' drive it. Don't hit but nine licks an' drive it on de sunrise side. An' dat person usely dies. But ah've nevah known it atchly [actually] tuh happen, 'cuz ah nevah seen it done.
(They drive one nail into this?)
Yeah, a sixpenny nail an' strike it nine licks.
(All at once, at the same time?)
Strike it nine licks an' drive it in de centah; right in de centah of de pi- chure, or in de centah of de fo'head, or eithah in de centah right in de stomic part of it yo' see.
Entry 8323
Dey said dat sometimes if people git hold of yer pitchure, an' dey said dat dey could take yer pitchure, seal it up intuh a tree an' stop it up tight, let dat pitchure stay dere fer nine days, den aftah nine days go back dere an' cross dat pitchure, dat means cross dat stop [wooden peg], put a cross mark on it [peg]. Den dey say aftah dat he comes tuh be crazy.
Entry 8324
(You bore a hole into what?) Jis' about a inch hole in a dogwood tree, jis' about a inch augah or bit chew know. An' bo' it jis' big enough tuh stuff de pichure in it tight an' den stop it up. Dat'll perish 'em away.
Entry 8325
Ah don't know whethah it's true, but ah heer'd dis, see. Yo' kin take a photo- graph an' yo' kin take it an' put it undah de steps an' yo' kin walk ovah it, or eithah yo' kin take it an' carry it tuh a tree facin' east. Bo' a hole an' put in dere an' in a length of time yo' will die.
(Why do you put that photograph under the step?)
De person have tuh walk ovah it - see, dat photograph belongs tuh - walk ovah it. An' den aftah dey walk ovah it, dey know dey come outa de house sometime, see, den dey take it tuh dat tree an' bo' de hole in it. (You put it under the step, then you put it in the tree. Do you stop it up in the tree in any way?) Aftah yo' take de bolt outa dere, den put dat bolt back in - bolt or plug - dat peg back in dere.