Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 43
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 8566
That's where you're [they're] supposed to bury your name out there at the forks of the road. Well, you [they] write your name down nine times and put it in a can and bury it there, walk away and leave it. Well, that's [to] make you drift.
Entry 8567
If you want to conquer someone, go to the forks of a road before sunrise, call his name, say what you Want done, wishing.
Entry 8568
Go back to de fo'k of de road an' yo' kin take a nail, two nails an' cross dose nails, an' bury 'em right at de fo'k of de road. An' de person who wanta harm - an' dat will harm de person.
(Do you put anything with those nails or what?)
Jes' go dere an' put dose two nails cross In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost. An' de person whut chew wanta run away, well yo' could say dat [say or call victim's name]. An' dat'll carry dem. Jes' cross dem nails out dere.
(You mention the person's name, you say?)
Yes sir, name de person name, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost.
(That will drive them away.) [Florence, S. Car. (1308), 2212:4.]
Entry 8569
Ah had a woman yo' see an' ah loved 'er an' she quit me an' she went off. An' a fellah [doctor] tole me dat if ah wanted tuh git 'er back yo' know, tuh go tuh de fo'k of de road at twelve a'clock at night an' look in de same direction she went, or which fo'k [I thought] she was, yo' know. An' call her three times in de fo'k of dat road at twelve a'clock at night an'.she would come back. Ah've heard dat much about de fo'k of de road.
(Did you do that?)
Yes sir, ah tried it an' she come back all right. Ah don't know whuthah dat dud [done] it or not.
Entry 8570
[Forked stick, the letter "Y" with a long stem or handle, does not appear often in general folklore collected in The United States. Here is one example and several more will be found scattered through the text of Hoodoo. For the forked stick, the Greek tau cross or the Hebrew tav or taw (= sign or cross), see my introductory coiment to the 'MARCUS BROWN' interview, p.1290. Here again we have in fork of the road and forked stick two "Y"s, or the cross doubled, or what I call the double-cross in Hoodoo:] At de forks of the road...if they after hurtin' you, they go to the forks of the road and they get 'em a forked stick, you see. And just whoever wants you to go, will hang your name in that forked stick. See. Get aholt of a piece of your underwear and put it in there in that forked stick, and have your name in there, and burn it, and you going that way.
(Where do you burn it?)
Burn it with fire.
(Well, where - where?)
At de forks of de road.
(I see.)
Entry 8571
Fur ninstance [for an instance] yo' kin take an' yo' kin write a pusson name frontwards an' den yo' kin write it backwards. An' den yo' could take some salt an' put in dat an' yo' could keep dat pusson down by putting it under yo' feet. (What do you mean under your feet?) Well, yo' see, jes' like my name David. Yo' write David Chislow, den yo' write backwards Chislow David. [This is the normal writing backwards and not preceding margin title BACK- WARDS.] See what yo' mean. Then yo' take some salt an' yo' put in dat, a little piece of cloth, an' yo'll fix dem. Make a little flat piece of cloth an' lay it right in yo' shoe, an' then yo' put on your shoe, an' yo' put your foot right on that an' keep me right down.
Entry 8572
Well, if it's so that yo' kin rightly do so, 'tween 'leven-thirty an' twelve a'clock at night, if it ain't no mo' den he...git dere names on a little piece of papah, git chure Luger. (Get their names on this piece of paper, the people you want to make move out of that house?) Yessuh, an' shoot ovah dat house. Don' shoot at de house, jes' shoot ovah de house at sundown. Dey'll leave dere. Dey gotta go. [The word Luger, a German revolver, shows this rite does not concern a name being shot from a gun, but a name held on a stick in front of a Luger pointed over the house. A blank shell is surely used. A similar rite, a simulated shooting, will also be found elsewhere in Hoodoo.]
Entry 8573
If yo' wants them to come there, sign their name on plain paper. Then they'll put this gunpowder in there and light and burn it. That brings 'em back. And repeat de Lord's prayer 9 mornings.
(Do you burn that just for one morning or for nine mornings?)
Naw, yuh burn it fer just one time but juh have to say de prayers for nine mornings.
Entry 8574
Well, yo' jes' take dat stuff out of a gunshell. Take dat stuff out of de gunshell to put a person - a person yo' don' like - put a person name in dere. Yo' stuff it back in dere an' go somewhere an' yo' shoot dat stuff. An' dey tell me, yo' gotta shoot in de dir- ection dis person live at, an' dey say dat will drive him away from home. Dat will run a man too.
Entry 8575
Ah heard that you could put sugar on the stove nine mawnin's an' after nine mawnin's, yo' write his name on a piece of paper an' stick it in de keyhole.
(In the keyhole?)
Yes, an' call 'im.
(Well, what do you do with this sugar on the stove?)
Burn dat nine mawnin's, dat's all.
(Just one of his shoes?)
No, sugar, SUGAR. (Oh, sugar. You burn sugar for nine mornings. And after that you write this name on this paper and put it in the keyhole.) Jes' write his name over it an' fold it to yo', an' hang it right over de key- hole. [Don't tell me the man is coming back through the keyhole! His spirit rather. The keyhole is the entrance for witches.]
(And you call his name?)
An' yo' call 'is name.
(Just once?)
Just as many times as yo' wanta.
(And he will come back.)
Yeah.
Entry 8576
Take yo' a thread string an' put chew nine knots in it an', as ah would say, use a cat an' a dog, an' yo' git some hair from de back of dere neck, an' jes' make a bundle of it, yo' know, altogether an' put chew nine knots in de thread an' bury it right in dat do' there. An' yo'll nevah come inside chere. Yo'll always pass by, yo' wouldn't nevah have no visitors to stop heah.
(That's to keep somebody from coming in or to make them leave the house?)
Dat's if yo' heah, yo'll leave heah an' yo' won't nevah come back heah; or if: it's anybody yo' don't want tuh come in heah, yo' do dat an' dey won't come in heah. But yo' should have dey name, de person name in that. (Now you tie the nine knots in the thread after you have wrapped it in this bundle?) [That was not a sensible thing to say, even though informant's words about the knots are ambigious.] Yeah, yo' tie nine knots in de thread an' put it in de bundle wit de hair of de dog an' de cat.
Entry 8577
Yo' could take a silk stockin' dat anybody's used an' had dey sweat on it, an' go tuh de fo'k of de road at twelve a'clock at night an' bury it. Yo'll take a brand-new pocket han'ke'ch'ef, any kin' dat a person is got dat sweat on, an' yo' kin put dere name down wit it an' tie it up nine times, an' bury it right at de fo'k of dat road at de hours of twelve a'clock at night. (What will that do?) Whut dat do? Well, dat's if yo' wants tuh do a person harm. Yo': see, dat's whut dere sweat take, any- thing dat have been used. But chew kin git de new pocket han'ke'ch'ef, an' dey don' have tuh use it, an' git dere name an' yo' kin do 'em harm.
(You tie that handkerchief nine times.)
Yo' tie it nine times lak dis. Say fo' instance if dis is de han'ke'ch'ef. Well, if yo' wanta do anythin' an' yo' wanta do anybody harm, yo' don' bring it to yo', yo' bring it from yo'. See, an' evah time yo' tie it, lak yo' take de end of de pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' tie it once. Yo' have dat one piece of papah dere wit de names on dere. Yo' take an' put anothah piece 'cross dat an yo' tie it ag'in, until yo' make dem nine. Git de han'ke'ch'ef big enough dat chew kin make dem nine knots. An' yo' buries hit. Nine pieces of papah wit de name on it.
(The name of the person on each piece of paper written once.)
See, until yo' put nine pieces of papah, an' each piece of papah wit de knot. An' yo' bury it.
Entry 8578
[The lamp rites of this margin title once belonged to the New Orleans area of influence; itself and across the Mississippi River in Algiers, Mobile, Vicksburg, and Memphis. Whether these beliefs collected more than a generation ago are still popular, I do not know at the moment - June 12, 1974. Fashions in magic and witchcraft are constant- ly changing.] (What about that?) Well, that's like - the same as that is, but yo' is separated because yo' got another wife and she [the first wife or woman] loves yo' an' she wants yo' back. An' she write your name [nine times] - her name nine times backwards, an' yours nine times forwards on top of yours [see later expla- nation]. Well, yo' see, then she takes that and she folds it to her an' puts it in a lamp an' burns it. That cause zhoo to come back.
(What will she write first nine times, her name or his name?)
She writes your name first.
(The man's name first?)
First.
(Then - the woman writes her name then?)
On top of yours.
(Which one does she write forwards and backwards?)
WRITE BOTH OF 'EM BACKWARDS.
(Both of them backwards.)
Entry 8579
I don't know about de candles, but ah do know of people burning lamps. Say, now, that chure in New York, I want you to come back. I get me a piece of dis paper that yo' make lamp shades with. (Parchment, sort of?) Ah get a piece of parch- ment paper and cut it, cut a strip about an inch and a half. And I hold mah finger right tight like that and puncture it, so a drop of blood will come out. An' I take my ink- pen and I write chure name. Either at six a'clock in de mawnin' or six 'clock at night, I write chure name on dere. An' [I] says, "I want chew to return as soon as possible, " an' I roll that up an' I stick it down in de lamp, an' I set dat lamp.
(Right inside of the lamp?)
[Paper with name is in the lamp bowl with the coal oil.]
An' I set that lamp behind de bed, or any place in a secret closet and I burn dat lamp. An' before de oil is burnt out of that lamp, that person returns or yo' will get some very good message from them.
(Do you burn that lamp at any particular time or anything of that sort?)
Well, yo' set it either at six or twelve, an' yo' let it continually buro until that oil is all gone.
(It keeps burning all night long?)
All night an' all day, continually to burn, but yo' keep it in a secret place yo' understand, because naturally people wanta know what yo' are doing. An' that's always generally kept a secret.
Entry 8580
They tell me to take a piece of brown stuff - yo' see these brown paper bags - just likes yo' want somebody to come back to yo'. Take an' write yore name coming to you like this nine times. (Coming to you like this. How do you mean, coming to you? You mean, writing toward me?) Uh huh. (Do you write it toward you that way?) Uh huh. Yes. Instead of writing from you [demonstrates] like that, write to you like this.
(I see, sort of writing backwards.)
Uh huh.
(You write it nine times?)
Uh huh.
(What'll that do?)
You take and fold that to you, you don't fold it from you, and you put that in a lamp. And you keep that lamp burning with that in it until he come back, or she. And then you take and do the same thing with a bottle with gin in it. You put that gin in a corner and you puts some nutmeg in it and you say, when- ever you think about the party, you say, "Let" - call the name and say, "Please come back to me." Well, I have never tried that.
(You put this gin - in the gin bottle with some gin in it?)
And in the lamp too.
(You put gin in the lamp?)
No! No!
(Just the name in the lamp?)
Uh huh.
(But if you want to, all you need to do is put it in the gin bottle?)
YO' HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE GIN BOTTLE AN' IN DE LAMP TOO.
(Oh, both those?)
Yes, sir. An' yo' have to keep that lamp where people can't get because they'll be suspicious.
(Do you put any gin in the bottle?)
Yes, sir. Gin and that piece of paper with de name on it, just like in de lamp.
(Let it soak in the gin?)
Just let it stay in there. An' every time yo' think about those parties, yo' look at it an' say, "Ah, " just like if yo' are near them, say, "Please come back to me."
(You use both the lamp and the bottle together.)
Yeah.
folding inscribed paper toward oneself, explicitly not away. They tell me and I have never tried that limit source authority; no firsthand use or efficacy. desired single he-or-she return in a reported untried method. Preserve They tell me and the explicit statement that the informant has never tried the method. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3525) · Read full source (printed page 3526)
Entry 8581
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' write that down nine times on a piece of brown paper an' yo' fold it. Always fold it to yo'. Bring it to yo'. Make a wish every time yo' fold it. Wish that. An' put that in a lamp an' burn it. (Just burn the light in there?) Burn it, a low light all day. Never let it go out. And if yo' see it ain't workin' quick enough, then yo' take an' get yo' a candle. An' get yo' a pink candle an' bite de [bottom] end off it an' light it. An' put that - lay that [paper with names] down under it an' set that [candle] right on top like that.
(What do you mean bite the end off it?)
Just take it in your teeth and bite the [bottom] end off, that end what lights. Light it from de other end. Then take a knife an' cut down - make it, light it from de bottom.
(I see, turn the candle upside down.)
Entry 8582
Sho', ah kin show yo' somepin dat make 'em come back. Yo' take nuthin but a brown papah an' write her name nine times. Wrap it up wit brown sugah, not dis regular sugah we git. Yo' git de brown undryed [old- fashioned crude] sugah an' yo' wrap it up in dat name, aftah yo' write it nine times an' den cross it once. Dat'll make ten. If yo' got 'lectric [lamp] yo'll have tuh git a [coal oil] lamp an put dat name down in dat coal oil. Put it down in dere an' let de lamp burn. Let it burn fo' 24 hours an' in 48 hours she'll be back or tryin' tuh git in tech wit chew. If she don' be back, she'll try tuh git in tech wit chew. Yo jes' take her name on dat brown sugah, bag papah, not no papah yo' buy: Jes' lak yo' got sompin wit brown papah. Write her name on it nine time an' den write yores once 'cross dere. Fold it up an' put it down in de lamp, an' let dat lamp burn 24 hours; an' if she don't be back in de 24 hours, she'll be tryin' tuh git in tech wit chew.
Entry 8583
[Before turning on my recording machine I had evidently asked how a murderer could be brought back to the scent of the crime. Informant, unable to answer my question di- rectly, gave me a new version of the lamp rite, which must have started: There are ways to bring a man back:] but de law don't prefer that kind of way of getting a man. They put out a man-hunt at him. But like if his wife want him back, well all she would have to do is write his name on a black piece of paper, and put it under her lamp and burn that lamp for nine days. And each day that lamp is burning, if she burns that lamp twenty-four hours, when the oil goes out in that lamp, she puts more in it. And inside of nine days time he is going to come creeping around that house where she is, because that lamp and that nine Writings on that paper, that brings him back to her. And then the law gets him, if he has killed somebody. Write his name nine times on a black piece of paper, like yo' take some of those form sheets of paper, yo' know, like de indelican Part of it [carbon paper].
Entry 8584
They get yore handwritin' wit yore proper name signed to it. They vill reverse it, see. They will take dat name what yo' signed to dat an' they will put it on de bottom of a wick in a lamp wit different colors. They won't take a plain lamp cause de party may visit they house an' they will see dat in there an' wants to know what for. Get a lamp wit a blue bottom, or yellow, or different colors, so it can't be seen through it - it won't be transparent no way yo' kin see it, see. An' they'll pin dat [hand- oriting] at de bottom of de wick, an' they'll burn it slow, slow, slow - con- tinually. Dat's if yo' away from home. Dat will draw yo' back. Ah have saw it plenty of time, fellows dat's been off dataway an' had position, not no job, an' they would just give up at once an' go on back home - not doing a thing. Burn continually and slowly. An' as it burn, yo' understan', yore mind will refer back home an' finally yo' jest get on back home.
Entry 8585
Get her a - get his name, just like ah tole yo'. Write it nine times, orite hern across it. Take her - an' then take it - she can put it into 'er lamp, if she can get her some lump sugar. An' she can take her nine lumps of dis lump sugah, an' get her a piece of lodestone, con- quering root [John de Conkah], conquering root powder, cinnamon. Mix ali dat togethah an' his name, an' put it down into 'er lamp, an' put de necked [naked = real] coal oil on it an' set it to burnin'. An' he will come back.
Entry 8586
Yo' kin write a person's name on a piece of papah, jes' write it this oay [one way] an' that way [the other way]. Cross it all up an' fold it to yo an' put it down in de lamp. An' dey say it will draw 'im back to yo'. It will draw 'im. [The name is written 9 times, each name crossing the other making one "x" or form of a cross. This Is another of the frequent double-crossing rites in hoodoo.]
Entry 8587
Uncork [untwist or unscrew] de light [wick holder of lamp] an' put chure name in it [the oil] an' call de evil spirit; lak if yo' know somebody who died, who lived an' died bad. Yo' call 'em an' dey come to yo'. An' yo' bury dat box [snuffbox] right where dey [evil spirit] barled. An' in a length of time, who yo' put dere name in it, dey goin' down. [Very small snuffbox was used in those days - see many places in Hoodoo.]
Entry 8588
Then if ah want this woman an' ah can't get to her, ah kin take mah e 'er name first at de top, my name second at de bottom, her name third an' my name fourth. See, ah ain't got to write it but four times. An' ah fold dat papah. Every time ah fold dat papah, ah fold it to me, an' ah leave it wit three corners, an' have all three of those corners turned to me. An' ah put dat in de lamp, an' ah lights dat lamp, an' ah'll burn dat lamp slowly. Ah turn dat lamp on at seven o'clock. (Seven o'clock in the morning or the evening?) Seven o'clock in de mawn- in'. Ah burn dat lamp slowly till six in de evening. Den ah turn dat lamp down low. See, ah won't blow dis lamp out. Instead of me blowing de lamp out, ah ketch it an' pinch de wick of it. An' see every time ah pinch de wick of it, dat makes it burn on your mind. Dat burn yore name into mine an' my name into yours. Well, dat draws de mind of yo' to me, see. Dat drawin' yore mind.
(You pinch the wick out?)
Ah pinch de wick out.
(Out of where?)
Pinch it plumb out, pinch it till it goes out. See.
(I see.)
As long as it burn - pinching on dat wick [demonstrates] ah'll pinch dat lamp, pinch dat wick plumb out.
(You pinch it with both hands?)
Yassuh, wit both hands till ah pinch it out.
Entry 8589
Yo' can draw a man to yo'. Like a woman an' her husban' is broke up, an' another woman done cause 'em to break up, see. Well, jest like yo' take an' bury his sock, well yo' take an' write his name nine times an' put dat cinnamon, sugar an' steel dust, an' dat white rum, an' put it into a lamp. An' put dat lamp in de corner of her house. An she knock fo' three times, every day see, fo' nine days, because he return dat ninth day. Dat sock belong wit it. Yo' know, yo' do dat wit it. Dat goes along wit dat.
Entry 8590
If a man leaves home, leaves his wife and he wants - she wants him back. Well, she will take his name an' she will write it nine times backwards. See, she take his last name and bring that first. And de woman dat he is goin' wit, well, she'll write her name on top of his name, an' she'll get her some he lodestone. (He lodestone?) He lodestone. See, they got two kinds. They got the she an' they got de he. Get de he lodestone an' yo' put it in a coal-oil lamp. An' yo' take an' attach it into dat wick. An' yo' keep dat lamp burnin' all day, but yo' turn dat lamp down low. An' yo' see yo' got his name burning in dat he lodestone, an' dat draws him right back tuh yo'. (And whose name - did you write that woman's name he is running around with, or the wife's name?) No, yo' write de woman's name when he is runnin' wit an' his name.
(I see, that'll bring him back. Bring him back.)
Entry 8591
~ Den if he's in Chicago, Detroit, or any place, sits down an' gits chew a clean sheet of papah, an' write his name nine times on dat piece of papah. An' aftah writin' it nine times, yo' walks tuh de do' an' yo' says de Lord's Prayer nine times. Takes an' lights yore lamp an' put it in dat lamp, an' 'bout one grain of sugah in dere. Yo' know whut ah mean, not a grain but nearly 'bout a half a teaspoonful, into dat lamp wit dat coal oil in it. Light dat lamp an' turn it down real low, an' burn dat fo' nine days, nine days an' nights, an' wherevah he may be, he come dere. He cain't stay away.
Entry 8592
A light, a light - she take this lamp an' she write your [a man's] name nine times, an' she take: de steel dust, dat's to draw; lodestone, dat draws; put it in dis lamp. She takes his name an' she pins it on de wick.
(On the wick of the lamp?)
Yes. After she write his name nine times, she write hers on top of his name. Always she'd be on de top (I see.) Pin that on the wick an' set this light. When she decided to set this light.... [I interrupt.] (She lights the light?) [I want to know, does set mean light the lamp.] She puts that name on there and she puts lodestone and steel dust over it right in the bottom of this light, some sugar. [To set this light means to prepare the lamp.] And she lights this light and whilst lighting it she - she light it and make the Lord's Prayer. An' say, "In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, I want this man back to me, '' an' light it an' leave it light- ed. Don't let it go out an' he'll come back.
Entry 8593
Git nine matches an' yo' put 'em in a lamp wit coal oil an' yo' write de name of de person yo' workin' 'em on nine times, an' yo' burn dat. Dat's fo' peace. (You put these matches right in the oil?) In de oil, an' yo' write de name nine times on a piece of new tablet dat nevah been used, an' yo' fold it to yo' nine times an' yo' drop it down in dere, an' yo' fill dat lamp fulla oil, fresh oil. An' yo' burn it nine times. Jes' let it burn low. Yo' blow it out an' light it. Let it burn three hours at de time each day. Light it at nine a'clock an' let it burn three hours, at nine a'clock in de mawnin', an' burn it three hours. Den yo' put it out. Den yo' burn it ag'in de next mawnin' fo' [from] nine. Well, dat's peace. In nine days peace is in yore home.
(How long did you say you burn that?)
Fo' nine days.
Entry 8594
Yo' take a brand-neW lamp - EVERYBODY DON'T SAY DE SAME THING. Every- body don't take no lamp; dey burn de candles, yo' see. Get a brand-new lamp. Yo' take a piece of white paper whut ain't go no lines on it, pure white paper without any lines. Yo' writes it with ink. Yo' write de persons name - initials - what yo' wanta come back to yo' nine times. See, yo' cross it though. Write yore name three times, see. (Do you cross that?) Yo' cross on dere name. Don't write yore name but three time, but write dere name nine. Clean dat lamp of de oil yo' know. Be sure yo' never burned any of dat kerosene - get it, yo' know, for whatevah amount yo' wanta burn. An' yo' put dat in dere. Before yo' put de oil in dere, take de papah an' roll it tuh yo' - see.
(You roll this paper to you.)
Yes, an' den make a wish dat in so many days yo' want 'im to show up, in nine days. De tenth day he ain't comin'. He come on dat ninth day. Well, yo' kin put in dere, a woman's name, depending on de way yo' want dem to come. Yo' put dat down in dere an' turn yore bottom upwards - turn de name down bottoms.
(Turn the names down inside of this lamp.)
All right, den yo' fill it up, but don't let it get without oil in nine days.
(You must burn it right along for nine straight days.)
When he come on dat ninth day, yo' go in dere - don't blow yore lamp out, yo' pinch it out, when he done come.
(You pinch it out with saliva.)
An' dat de way yo' kin get 'im back an' say: In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Dem person ain't going to stay from yo' to save dere life. Don't care who dey are.
(Are you Roman Catholic?)
Ah's Roman Catholic an' ah believe it an' ah work by faith. Mobile, Ala.,
(651) 849:1.]
Entry 8595
(Could you tell what to do if a man left home? What a woman could do to bring him back?) Take a piece of papah an' write 'is name on it nine times. Yo' write it dis way [demonstrates] comin' back to yo'. (Sort of make it in a circle. Write it towards her?) [These names are written like the leaves of a fan, semicircular on the outside, all pointing to her.] Yes, sir. An' then yo' take an' git chew a lamp. Have to buy a brand-new lamp an' fill it up with kerosene an' put this down in de glass [bowl of lamp] an' put de lamp in a close dark corner, an' turn it very, very low an' call 'im. Yo' light it dis mornin' an' burn it. Call 'im dis mornin', light it at six 'clock an' call 'im an' let it burn till twelve. Yo' go an' make yore wish an' call 'im again at twelve. An' at night chew call 'im. He'll be dere before de next day.
(What time at night would you call him?)
Call 'im at twelve 'clock at night. He be dere before day.
Entry 8596
If a man leaves home an' yo' want him to come back, yo' buy yo' a brand-new lamp, a wick an' a burner. An' yo' write dat man's name down dere nine times an' yo' sign de name of a very dear person to him, even though they're dead, his mother or father, de person yo' know he's more attached to than anybody else in de world. An' yo' put de name of dat person at de bottom, an' yo' put dat lamp in a place where nobody will see it. Of course yo' put this paper in de bottom of de lamp an' yo' fill it wit coal oil. Yo' buy a brand-new box of matches an' light dat lamp, an' sit in a place an' let dat lamp burn. Jis' turn it down low so it can burn very slowly, consume de oil slowly, an' when dat lamp is completely dry dat person should be walking in de door. Makes no difference where he's gone. If he's too far to come to yo' at dat time, yo'll receive a message dat he is comin'. [In- formant probably forgot to add that new oil should be used.]
Entry 8597
(That is the first way. Now what is the second way?)
Well, de second way is, ah put his name, write his name nine times in a lamp, an' burn de lamp from nine tuh twenty-one days; an': if he in town he'll come in three, an' if he outa town he bound tuh come in twenty-one. See, yo' write his name nine times. Put his name in a lettah or piece of papah. Put it in de lamp an' turn de lamp down an' fill it up fulla coal oil. Turn it down low an' set it some place an' burn it fo' nine tuh twenty-one days. An' if he mad wit me, when he git dere, tuh make him pleased, ah put sugah in dere an' fold de papah tuh me.
Entry 8598
Ah heard dat dey kin take yore name an' put it in a lamp an' burn it fo' a length of time, fo' about nine days or nine weeks, an' keep yo' home or either run yo' away.
(It all depends upon what you wish?)
Yes. Dey put it in some honey an' put it down in de lamp an' set [light] de lamp on it an' he'll stay home.
(That is to make him stay home?)
It draw his 'tenshun home an' he stay home, an' sweeten his mind. [New Orleans, La., (1558).2835:4.]
Entry 8599
An' then lak yo' wanta make a man come back home, lak he's gone an' yo' wanta make him come back home, yo' write his name nine times on a piece of writin' papah, tablet papah with lines on it, an' write chure name ovah it nine times. Fold it up a little an' put it in a lamp with oil in it an' burn it all de time. That'll make him come back home. (You mean, you. write this name nine times like that and you write yours right on top of it.) Right ovah it nine times. That'll make him come back home.
Entry 8600
Dat supposed tuh be jis' as fur as he kin go. She supposed to be draw- ing back tuh him by - remembah how ah tole yo' tuh write those names: Write thosé name, 18 names. (Nine one way and nine the other.) Den yo' take this papah that chew write 'em on in this case an' fold the papah to yo', fold it very small. Yo' take jis' a ordi- nary lamp dat burns kerosene an' yo' wrap this papah around de wick. An' yo' pin de papah to de wick an' yo' put it back down in a full lamp. An' yo' set it in a da'k corner an' burn it, jis' constantly burn it. When it - don't even let it go out fo' tuh [put] mo' kerosene in there - fo' nine days. Then dat draws a person back.
Entry 8601
Well, mah experience. A stepdaughter of mah husband's, her an' her husband had got on a fuss an' he was workin' on de river-front. She used tuh often come to mah house for me to go off down there to look for him. He wouldn't come with- out her. So we goes over on Menassas Street by one of de river-front foremans an' we ast 'im where - a river-front fore- men, dat one of de men was overseeing of de work. So we goes by one of the foreman's house an' we ast 'im where was Billikin - dey called him fo' a nick- name. So he tole us where he was. He ast us, says, "Whut's de mattah wit chew an' him now?" She said, "He jest walked off an' he left me." He says, "Now ah wanta tell yo' what ah want chew to do." He suggested a plan to her. "Yo' go back an' git chew a writin' tablet an' yo' write his name nine times."
(Was this a colored foreman?)
Dis was de colored foreman. He says, "Now if yo' wanta bring 'im back, " he say, "yo' take an' write his name nine times on a piece of papah." He says, "Tear it [the ruled sheet] with nine lines." Say, "Yo' write his name nine times on that paper. Then yo' turn de papah an' write chure name nine times across his." Says, "Yo' take dat papah an' fold it nine times 'wards yo'. Yo' take yore pin an' pin this note dat chew have wrote onto de end of a lampwick, de lamp dat chew burn in yore room." An' says, "Number', says, "if yo' want 'im to come back in three days." four days." Says, "Yo' put dat number on de outside of dat papah, after it's been refolded an' pinned to de lamp. Den yo' put dat wick back in de lamp an' fill it wit kerosene oil, an' light it an' set it on yore dresser." He say, "he'll come back home." So we tried it an' he did an' he's back there yet an' hasn't gone back.
Entry 8602
Ah tole yo' yo' could wirte de person's name or yo' could eithah use a picture of this person, and you plaster this on this parchment paper. You write de name down under that. (You write the name on the parchment paper and then you put the picture down on top of that?) Dat's right, yo' can sew it down or plaster it down so it will be combined together. (Face down or up.) Face it inside next to de lamp, yo' see. Don't have it outside. Then yo' light that lamp if this person is away an' YO' SET THAT IN THE CLOSET SOME PLACE AN' SET IT BURNING. See, where nO one will suspicion. An' they will continue to be worried, their mind will be towards yo'. Well, they will eventually come. They are supposed tuh come in de course of nine days.
Entry 8603
Putting their name on that parchment paper, putting it down in the bottom of the lamp, burning the lamp slowly, and I'll guarantee yo' in de future he'll come back.
Entry 8604
If yore man is gone away from yo' an' if he don't come back fast enough, jis' write his name 9 times an' yore [9 times] on top, an' keep dat lamp burnin' low, [name] in oil. Put a piece of red flannin [flannel] on top of it, yo' know, tuh keep anybody from seeing de papah, an' burn it continue an' he'll come back in nine days.
Entry 8605
Now wit chure hair, lak if yo' an' yore ole man's tuhgethah an' if some woman is tryin' tuh bust yo' up from 'im, yo' kin take some of his hair an' put it in a lamp. An' yo' kin write this woman's name an' his name on a piece of papah an' fold it tuh yo', an' put it in dat lamp an' burn it fo' nine mawnin's. An' aftah de ninth mawnin', yo know, put de lamp out. An' den yo' 'noint chure room wit oil of [verbena probably]. Hearts Co- logne, an' scrub roun' yore flo' wit some urinate, sugah an' a li'le cinnamon. An' dat breaks dat [affair] up.
(You put his hair in this lamp?)
Yo' put his hair in de lamp an' yo' write dis woman's name who he's goin' with. Write her name crossways [this is crossing them up] an' bring his'n - yo' know write hers down first an' den bring his'n cross. An' yo' put it in a lamp an' burn off it fo' nine mawnin's. [A great many scrubbing rites are scattered through Hoodoo. That oil, instead of verbena, could be a word I eventually dis- covered was oil of Bergamot, this last word appearing in a variety of forms: bergamine, Essense instead of oil might have helped the decipherment.]
Entry 8606
If yo' wants a job - an' yo' wants a job an' yo' make de boss give yo' a job. Well, yo' get his name, see, an' yo' write his name seven times. An' yo' put his name in de lamp, right on [or in?] the lamp an' yo' burn his name. An' yo' visit his job after that. Yo' can be stand- ing up there, he going to call yo'. An' he going to hire yo'. Take'a papah an' write his name seven times, yo' see, an' put it in de lamp and let it burn. [Burning on lamp would mean holding the slip of paper over top of lamp chimney until it ignited, then letting it burn out in a pan or shovel.]
Entry 8607
Well, she'd take an' write his name down in nine times an' write hüz [hers] down nine. Well, then she take an' put dat in a little bottle of sweeten [sweetened] water, sugar. She'll sweeten de watah an' then let it set fer nine days. Then, if he [is] not back in nine days, well she could take that same paper out of dere [the bottle] and put it in de lamp, an' let de wēk [wick] - set it right over de wek [but in the coal oil]. Let de wek burn fer nine days over it [the paper with names is under the wick]. He's bound to come back, cuz after it happens more than once that ah know of.
Entry 8608
Well, yo' could take a person an' jis' put sugah, cinnamon an' steel dust, an' yo' put it in de lamp. An' write dere names fo' so many days, nine days or.three days or anything, an' put some oil of cinnamon or oil of rose. They have those kinda oils. Den yo' put it in dere. Well, that's fo tuh draw these people back to yo' ag'in. See, dey have tuh come back.
Entry 8609
If a man got a wife an' she's away from him an' he wants tuh bring her to him, he gits cinnamon an' he gits sugah an' he git honey an' he puts it in dat lamp an' he'll write his indivi- dual name down nine times on a piece of papah straight one aftah de othah... [demonstrates]. (The first name first and the last name last.) Yassuh. An' then he'll write his name down across that with a indelible pencil, an' he takes dat papah...
[I interrupt.]
(How many times does he write his own name?)
His name nine times right cross hers. Den he takes dat papah an' he folds it three times towards him. An' he'll git him some No.8 black thread an' he wraps it roun' dat papah an' ties it up, an' put it in dat rag an' burn it [in the lamp]. An' that'll draw de individual to him.
Entry 8610
If a person is 'cross de watah an' yo' want 'em an' if yo' got their picture, yo' take dat picture an' lay it on its face in yore bed undah yore sheets an' yo' sleep on dat. An' yo': take a piece of tablet papah an' write his name on it one time an' write chure'n on it twice. Fold it to yo'. An' then take it aftah yo' write dat name on it, den yo' take it an' put it in a lamp. An' put some oil in it enough tuh kiver it. An' burn it nine mawnin's, make yore wishes nine mawnin's, an' sleep on dat picture [9 nights]. If he's cross de watah, he's comin'. If he ain't sick or if he got money he goin' write chew. Yo' goin' heah from 'em some way or 'nothah. Yo' goin' heah, if he don't come. (Now you write his name down on this piece of paper. Then where do you write your name?) On top of his, twice. Write it on top twice. De same thing, if he runnin' out an' yo' want him tuh stay at home. Yo' write his name on a piece of papah an' fold it to yo' this way [demon- strates] an' then back that Way, an' put it up ovah de do' up ovah yore do'. An' he ain't goin' - yo' cain't git him outa dat [house]. He's there. [I finally have a chance to describe her demonstration.] (You fold it toward you and then you double it?) Dat's right, double it.
Entry 8611
I wouldn't have to come back over this at all would I? Yo' know, there wouldn't be no hereafter [bad consequences for me] about it would there? (Oh! No! No! You just simply tell me as if you were talk- ing to anybody on the street or to any of your friends.) [This is the latter part of the preliminary. conversation I had with all informants as soon as they entered the interviewing room. These becoming-acquainted conversa- tions Varied in length and substance. UNFORTUNATELY IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME YEARS AGO THAT ANYONE, EVEN MYSELF YEARS LATER, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THESE PREPARATORY DETAILS. FORTUNATELY, HOWEVER A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MY CONVER- SATIONAL METHODS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED IN THE INTERVIEWS THEMSELVES. Well, ah tell yuh, ah have heard 'em say that they could write his name nine times, de husband's name. De wife could do dis. She could write his name nine times an' then she would write her name nine times across his, so that his name Would be first and be lookin' up towards her. An' put it in de bottom of a lamp, oil-boinin' lamp, an' let this boin an' refill de lamp. Jes' put it in de bottom of a lamp under de wick an' as dat boin - let this boin night an' day, an' finally, they say, yo' know, dat he'll come home.
(Do you put that piece of paper in the lamp in any particular way?)
Yo' jes' drop it - let this writin' be up. De writin' must be up. (Do you put the oil in the lamp before you put the note in or do you put the note in and then put the oil on top of it?) [There is no answer and I did not continue for one that evidently would have been a guess or made no difference.]
Entry 8612
Yo' kin take a person's name, if yo' lovin' a man an' he don't ca' [care] fo' yo'. Yo] take yore name an' write it on a piece of papah first an' yo' write his name all 'cross on it, an' fold it up an' put salt, saltpeter, an' bluestone an' wrap it round nine times wit white thread an' go tuh yore lamp fo' nine days.
(What will that do?)
Dat will call 'im back an' make 'im come home.
Entry 8613
Yo' git chew some honey an' some sugah, some brown sugah - gotta be brown sugah. An' yo' write dat person's name nine time, yore landlord name nine times, an' yo' puts it in a bot- tle. Put enough on it, in sugah, where it will ovahflow it, yo' see. An' stick it in de left corner of yore bed. See, lak yore bed's at de left way, yo' take it an' stick it right behin' dere where no one wouldn't see it. But don' put de bottle dis way [demonstrates] turn it upside down an' leave it stay dere. An' yo'll stay dere fo' a long time an' yo'll nevah worry about movin'. Nevah Worry about money dat chew got. He'll nevah worry yo' about it.
Entry 8614
De landlord - just like as if de landlord say he didn't want yo' to move, just say he was dunnin' yo' about money, yo' didn't have it. Yo' take a piece of white paper. [Long pause.] (Yes.) An' yo' put dat landlord's name down dis way nine times [demonstrates]. (One name right under the other?) Yes, sir. De same name, just put it down nine times. Den yo' take dat papah dataway [demonstrates].
(Turn the paper around, yes.)
An' go through dere three times.
(With what, his name?)
His name. (His name again, just his name again, three times. Altogether it's nine times.)
[Not 9 times but 3 times, informant corrects.]
Nine times thisaway an' three times thisaway [demonstrates].
(Making a cross, all right.)
Makin' a cross. An' just take dat an' put it undah a rug, or anythin' dat's in de house, where's [where it is] concealed. Just let it stay right dere.
(With the names down that way?)
De name's upside down like dat [demonstrates].
(I see.)
It's a chance dat he'll come dere an' collect next door an' pass yo' up.
Entry 8615
Ah've heard dat chew kin take a person, like yo' might have somebody dat's always botherin' yo', de landlord or sompin jes' runnin' yo' down about de rent or sompin lak dat - dey jes' won't give yo' a opportunity or chance to pay dem. Chew jes' git his name an' write it down on a piece of fat-lighter bo'd jes' big enough to put 'is name on it, an' take it out in de woods an' tie it to a young sapling tree an' leave it out dere. It jes' turn from branch to branch. [The wind will do this.] Ah've heard dat dey will leave yo' alone, not bothah yo' so much. (You just tie it onto that tree - that's all, on this piece of fatlighter - Hoodoo - Conjuration - Witchcraft:- Rootwork - pine.) Fatlighter pine bo'd.
Entry 8616
If yore landlord comin' as ah tole yo', write his name - write chure name an' write his name first. Write chure name twice on top of his'n an' take yo' a bottle about dat tall [demon- strates] or eithah a Coca-Cola bot- tle. Now, dis is fo' de rent. An' take yo' teaspoonful of dat lead sugah. [For lead sugar, see end of rite.] An' aftah yo' write dat name, yo' fold it dat way [demonstrates] an' den fold it dat way. Den take an' set dat bottle on top of dat name. Yo' put dat sugah [lead sugar] on dere first. Den yo' set dat bottle on top of dat. Den in less - in nine days dat'll take effect. In nine days yore rentman come, yo' kin tell 'im, "Ah ain't got all yore money, today." "Well, all right, dat's all right." Well, de next time he come yo' tell 'im yo' ain't got none. Well, yo see how it works.
(How do you fold that paper, now? Show me again?)
Jes' fold it lak dis [demonstrates].
(You fold it to you once.)
Yes, fold it to yo' dat way an' den yo' turn to de othah side an' den yo' fold it ag'in [demonstrates].
(Fold it to you again.)
Den yo' fold it back dis way [demonstrates] jes' enough fo' de bottle tuh sit on dat. [Here I turn off recording machine but turn it on again pick up the additional information.]
(You put the bottle and everything under the steps?)
Everythin' undah de steps. Yo' gotta put dat undah dere at night or sometime when dere ain't nobody around. [Since I did not ask for the identity of lead sugar, I must have assumed that it was sugar of lead or lead acetate, formerly used in dyeing and calico printing, a poison with a sweet, astringent, and me- tallic taSte. PUTTING A BITTER-SWEET POISON ON THE RENT COLLECTOR'S OR LANDLORD'S NAME I CAN UNDERSTAND, BUT WHY STAND AN EMPTY BOTTLE ON BOTH? COULD THE EMPTY BOTTLE BE A THREAT TO BOTTLE HIM UP NEXT TIME AND KILL HIM?]
Entry 8617
Yo' kin meet dat lan'lord. Yo' go tuh dat lan'lord an' yo' write his name nine times, call 'is name, an' write it nine times, an' put it ovah de sill of yore do'. An' he cain't put chew out.
Entry 8618
Ah take his name an' put it in some sugah, de landlord's name, an' put it in some sugah an' shake it fo' three days an' keep it in dere. Yo' under- stan'. An' den aftah dat name rots he cain't put chew out... (You keep that name right in there, you leave it in the sugar?) Till it rots. (That's so the landlord can't move you out of the house.)
Entry 8619
People from different places write me letters for dif- ferent things. Now, ah'll tell yo' what yo' do for dat. Jes' like yo' go in a place of boot- - Memoirs: of Alma Egan Hyatt Foundation - leggin' [you become a bootlegger] an' yo' don't want de police to bother yo', or de sheriff to bother yo'. Yo' find out his name, yo' understand. Yo' get his name an' yo' write his name seven times backwards. Yo' take dat name an' yo' place it in de bottom of yore shoe, yore left foot shoe. Just wear it right [in] yore shoe an' wear it continual in yore place [of business] yo' understand. He never will worry yo'.
Entry 8620
Ef yo' worried about de law comin' round, yo' take yo' some sugah an' some - understan', an' a quart beer bottle an' yo' put one [of the two articles] at de front do' an' one at de back do'. If de law is botherin', take dem names an' Write it [them] on a piece of papah nine times. Take jis' about a bottle of turpentine an' put it [names] in dere an' jis' throw it behin' 'em an' tell 'em don't come back no mo'.
Entry 8621
Yo' git chew half a pint of whiskey an' yo' git chew a tablespoon con- sitrated [concentrated] lye an' jis' lak de - git chew a plain piece of papah an' write three, jis' lak it wus de sar- gint, poleeceman [policeman] lak dat. Well, yo' write dat on dat piece of papah, but yo' don't have tuh shake dat up. Write dat on a piece of papah an' bury it at de lef' side of yore steps wit de bottle. Lak dese heah yore steps right chere [demonstrates]. Dis [jis'] dig a hole deep 'nuff tuh put hit down an' let de bottle stoppah stay up jis' 'nuff to covah it in dere. An' let de bottle stoppah stay up an' yo'll nevah be worried no mo'. An' den let 'er set right ovah dere whilst dey [talking to her]...
[I demonstrate.]
(As you are going into your house, this is your step. You bury it at the left-hand side of your steps?) As yo're goin' into de house.
Entry 8622
(Suppose I want to keep the law away from that bootlegging joint, what would I do? How would I keep the law away? Any particular way?) Well, they have several dif- (4) ferent kind of way to keep de law away, if yo' want de law dat is on dis beat. Now, well, let's fix up - we want de law away. Of course, if we go to work an' work direct on de police on de force, dat Wouldn't stop 'em from raidin'. Now, listen! Let's see what we going to do about stoppin 'em raidin' in general. All right. Yo' going to get de chief of detectives, yo' goin' to get de chief of police, yo' goin' to get de captain's name, yo goin' to get everybody dat's in authority over dat group, which, if they goin' to raid, dey'd have to go up to dese particular men before dey can make a raid. Do yo' get de idea?
(I see.)
It got to come from dem. Well, we'll start wit dem. We are not concerned wit de ordinary man, dat is, de common ordinary police officer. We get de head of 'em. Well, we take dat head in dere an' we are goin' to draw a round ring six inches from de centah - a round ring. We goin' to place all dose names in dat ring on parchment papah.
[No ordinary paper for the important police!]
(Six inches from the center - that is, the diameter will be twelve inches then?) Yeah, just de same [demonstrates] if yo' say six inches from here [center of circle] an' yo' just hold it [a string] dere an' yo' go aroun' [draw the circle].
(The circle is twelve inches in diameter?)
Yeah, twelve inches in diameter.
(All right.)
Now, yo' going to take each one of dose officers - see, de twelve of 'em dat's in authority. [Informant is surely thinking of the 12 signs of the Zodiac rather than the 12 Apostles; the signs to protect place of business from police all year.] Yo' goin' to place 'em direct in dat center an' yo' goin' to sweeten 'em up. An' aftah yo' sweeten dem up.
(How do you sweeten them up?)
Well, yo' can takd dis Lureen Oil [surely Zuring oil, an oil to lure the police], dat Oil of Lureen, when it come for anything beneficial, all good things, this is to use for dat most particular purpose [beneficial to oneself]. Like yo' can use seven drops of dat Oil of Lureen, an' aftah yo' use it round in dere, why yo' goin' to take what yo' call a tappan[?] beans come from Central America.
(What kind of a bean?)
Dat's a bean come from.... Central America, from Las.... G....de capital of Las....
(What do you call those beans, what is the name of them?)
Santoine[?] beans.
(Santoine[?] beans and where do they come from?)
Central America.
(From where? You said some place in Central America?)
Well, sir, G....is the capital of Las....but dey bring 'em from G....to Las.... an' dat's de seaport.
(I see. All right.)
Now, why each one of dose names I done going to take pure white thread. It made kind of like wit four corners an' it grows in a bean [pod] an' dere may be twelve in one bean [pod], eight or ten, like dat. Yo' take it an' yo' sew it right in de center of dat name. Like my name would be Paul B. Dickson. Where the "D" at, yo' could write it twixt de "D" right in de center. An' whosomevah [whatever policeman] go back there [in your place of business, you complain to him] an' say, "Well, this is a quiet zone an' they raisin' Sam an' singing over there. Ah can't sleep at night. How yo' want me to work an' I'se lonesome an' all of that stuff." "Well, all right, " [says the officer] "we'll take care of dat." An' before he [officer] gets out of there [your place of business], dat stuff [you prepared] got him. (How do you do that? You sew one of these beans on each one of those names? Then what do you do with that parchment, then?) On [a bean on] each one of dose name. Den yo' take dat parchment an' yo' just fold it in like that an' just take it ovah dere an' put it in [your] show- case. Just keep it anywhere. Then it has a tendency to - wheresomevah your funds at, yo' can keep it right in yore funds an' it has a tendency to draw funds.
(You mean, the money?)
Yeah.
(In your money box where you keep your money?)
Yeah.
(I see.)
Entry 8623
Well, yo' see, jis' like a person asleep, they'll take this hair out de mold of yore had. Dey put it in a bottle. After dey put it in a bottle, dey take a lemon. Dey squeeze dat lemon juice in dat bottle, an' take yore name. Yo' write dat name nine times an' put it in dat bottle, an' shake it up, an' set in de sunrise side of de worl'. Jis' as de sun goes [from sunrise to sunset], dey say yo' lose yore mind.
Entry 8624
Just like ah may have a friend. I could be a woman an' I'd have a friend, an' I wants to part from my friend. I'll take de lemon. I'll get me some beer. After I'd get de beer, I get me a candle. Well, I take de candle an' take de lemon an' bore a hole through de lemon. Put de lemon [candle] down in de candle [lemon]. Put dat beer down in de can. When. I get the beer down in de can, an' start tuh burnin' my black candle, well, de woman couldn't stay dere ten days.
[I now try to understand the preceding confusion.]
(Now wait a minute. Here's your can of beer. Now where's your lemon?)
Yo' see, I put my beer first.
(Yes.)
Put de note second.
(What note?)
De woman name.
(Well, you didn't tell me that before.)
Yes. Mark nine times backwards. After yo' mark it nine times backwards yo' put de note in dere. After yo' put de note in dere, yo' stick de candle down in dere, an'.leave it down in dere fo' ten days, she can't stay wit yo' no more.
(What happened to the lemon?)
De lemon'll be right dere in de beer. Yo' see, like. (I see. Now, wait a minute, let me untwist these things for you: Here's the can of beer. You put this woman's name in there. You take a lemon and you put this black candle in the lemon and put that lemon down in the beer, and then you light the candle. How long do you burn that candle?) Yo' burn dat candle ten days.
(I see. Then what happens?)
De woman can't stay there no mo'.
(You just drive the woman away?)
Dat's to drive 'er away.
(Why do you use beer?)
De beer is down in de can.
(Well, why do you use the beer?)
Yo've gotta use so de lemon could have some kind of different juice to it. Dat de reason yo' use de beer.
Entry 8625
Well, ah heard some people say dey kin take yore name an' put it in a lemon, ah' shet [shut] dat lemon up an' den dey go on an' bury. Dig a hole an' bury it. An' when dat lemon rots, yo'll rot. (You just write the name once on a piece of paper?) No, nine times. Write it crossways, an' bury it. When de lemon rot, chew'll rot. [Crossways here means: one over the other in the same direction; one under the other; one over the other in different directions but on same line; or written to form the letter "X".]
Entry 8626
What other way they say they can do?
(Yes.)
They can take your name and write it nine times and write the landlord's name nine times on top of your name. Then they takes a lemon, and they gets graveyard dust, Epsom salts, red pepper, black pepper, plain salt and takes a lemon and hulls it out and puts that name down in there and bury it in de ground de butt end up, an' when that name rots, that landlord will put yo' out.
(I see, the landlord will put me out?)
Yes. Yo' an' 'im fall.out. (Now, you say - you write my name nine times in a row, then you write the landlord's name?) Across it.
(You turn it like that [I demonstrate] and cross it?)
Cross it.
(You cross it like that or just write over it?)
No, over it but cross it.
(Oh, you cross it. You turn the paper upside down and write across it?)
[Names are on same line but upside down.]
Yes.
(Well, why do you put his name on top of mine?)
To make him fall out wit yo':
(Oh, I see.)
Entry 8627
Yo' kin take an' break anybody up if it's a woman or a man, if yo' wants tuh break 'em up. Yo' take an' yo' write dere name down nine times wit indelible pencil, but chew make nine strips, an' as yo put one strip - yo put one strip straight an' yo' put one strip across. See, lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' git chew some gunpowder, Epsom salts, some cayenne peppah an' some vinegar an' yo' puts dat in dat lemon. Yo' bo's [bores] a hole in de lemon an' yo' stick dat name down in dere an' po' all dat ingredient on top of it. But yo' have dem papahs crossed. Po' [pour] all dat ingredient on top of dat. When yo' po' it on top of dat, yo' git chew a cork stoppah an' yo' put it on dere. An' den yo' take dat piece of skin, de top skin, dat chew cuts back [end of lemon cut back as lid], an' yo' takes an' yo' sew it wit some black thread, an' yo' buries dat to de sunrise. Dat make confusion within de hour. (Now, the name is written once on nine different strips of paper. The name is written like John Edwards, just as we would write our name?) Yessuh.
(And you write this with just ordinary pencil?)
Yo' write dat wit indelible pencil.
Entry 8628
A lemon is a sour thing, 'vided [provided] whut chew wanta do wit it. Yo' take dis lemon an' yo' take all de fillin' out of it, an' yo' fill it up fulla salt, table salt. An' yo' carry it to a crossroad an' den yo' call dis indivi- dual's name. If it's three or fo' [times] it makes no difference how many it is. Yo' call dere name de third time In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. An' den mention whut cheW want tuh be done. An' den turn yore back on it an' GO ON BACK [HOME] AN' TRUST IN DE LORD. It'll be done.
(What do you do with that lemon out there at the crossroad?)
Yo' leave it dere, jes' leave it dere. Don't chew pick it up at all.
Entry 8629
My husband has - [suppose] my husband has this here woman and ah want to break 'em up. Ah take 'er name an' his name, ah'll put it in a lemon. Red brick - right in my alley, if I'm livin' in a alley, right up out of dat alley, ah'll get, ah'll pick up a brick. Ah will dig a hole, turn dem [in. the] lemon down fo' nine mawnin'. Ah'll walks ovah it. Ah'll say, "Yo' son-of-a-bitch, ah'll keep yo' down." Ah'll walk, ah've got tuh do dat fo' nine mawnin', every mawnin', an' den he'll separ- ate from 'er. When he separate from 'er, he'll say - he'll tell his friends, he say, "Yo' know one thing, ah been mistreatin' my wife, but somehow or anothah she must be - ah don't know what she doin' - she must be prayin' or going to church or somepin. Do yo' know ah ain't got no more feelin' fo' dat woman an' ah can't go wit nobody but just my wife." De reason why he can't go wit nobody but me because ah'm got 'im like dat.
Entry 8630
Yo' take some de entrails out [of the lemon] yo' know whatsomevah it [inside of lemon] is [called] an' yo' take a person name. Yo' could take it three times. Yo' could write it three times or else nine, de most is nine, but yo' could take it at three. An' yo' puts anyone yo' want. Heah's anothah separation. Dere plenty ways fo' separation. 1 make 'em confuse an' angry wit anothah, tuh keep 'em apart. Well, yo' put dis down in dere, put de name down in dere. Yo' don' have tuh take ink, yo' could put ink or else a pencil lak dat ink - yo' know, indelible or any kind. An' yo' do it zactly lak ah said wit dis othah one. Put nine time or three time wit one on top each othah. Den yo' take dis steel dust an' dis pePpah, de same red peppah. RED PEPPAH IS REAL HELL. Well, yo' put dat red peppah an' salt an' all dat togethah, an' dis steel dust togethah, an' yo' take it an' put it down in dat lemon, see. An' yo' take de top of de lemon whut chew cut off an' yo' pin it togethah, see. Hit don' have tuh be six feet of dirt where yo' could make a little hole about dat deep [demonstrates].
(About a foot deep.)
Yessuh. An' yo' put it down in dere an' yo' curse it. AN' YO' HAVE TUH BE DRUNK. Yo' have tuh git drunk, an' let de evil come up, yo' undahstan', an' curse it while puttin' it in. When yo' be puttin' de dirt on be cursin' it, yo' undahstan'. Any kinda ole dirty cursin' yo' wants tuh do.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's separation ag'in, dat's fightin'.
(While you are doing this, you have to be drunk to do it.)
Yo' have tuh be good an' - not say good an' drunk. WHUT AH MEAN, KNOWIN' WHUT CHURE DOIN'; BUT YO' HAVE TUH HAVE PLENTY LIKKER IN YO'. An' jis' curSe it, yo' know, while puttin' it any place in de ground.
Entry 8631
All right. Yo' take dere names an' git chew a aig [means lemon] an write it [name] down nine times on some brown papah. an' yo' take dat an' yo put some steel dust in it, yo' put some cayenne peppah, Epsom salts. Yo' take dat lemon an' yo' sew it up wit black thread, an' yo' bury it where dey have mud at to- Wards de sunrise. Dat's tuh make 'em git out de house. (You put this all in the lemon?) Yassuh, all into a lemon.
Entry 8632
(All right. Now, you are going to tell something else, now? All right, go ahead.) Now, at that price, again, if yo' cannot break 'em, yo' get yo' three chicken eggs - three. Yo' write de names nine times on de chicken eggs, but let it be de yard eggs - fresh eggs. Yo' write dem [the man's name] nine times on that [informant demonstrates and I explain later]. Den yo' write her name nine times on de eggs, till yo' make it meet to de point of de eggs. (NoW Wait! You write - her name across his?) Yes, sir, always across. Now, when yo' git through dat - yo' see, dat's de point of de egg [demonstrates]. Yo write 'em just on de point of de egg until so far as yo' get.
(Right around the point of the egg.)
Right around de point. An' den at de othah point yo' do de same thing. Den yo' get yo' a bottle of dat french vinegar [wine, not apple, vinegar].
(French vinegar.)
Dat's de strongest vinegar they have. Den yo' get a dime of cayenne peppah. Den yo' get a - three lemons an' yo' cut dose lemons in four parts. De lemon....
(In four parts?)
In four parts. Den yo' take in de eggs [put eggs in bottle]. Den yo' take a piece of papah an' den yo' write dem nine times crossways like dat. See, an' den when yo' do dat, den yo' take a handful of de cayenne peppah an' set it right in de center - an' in de center of it. An' den yo' roll it to yuh. Den yo' makes yo' [a stopper] - yo' cuts, yo' gotta cut dis. An' when yo' get through it, den yo' put it in de mouth of de bottle, an' den yo' seal it up. Now, I guarantee yo' dat dat'll cook dat egg. It will cook. An' in de ninth day it'll give yo' de satisfaction, dey'll fight until dey bloody one anothah or murder one anothah, an' quit an' nevah go back any more, 'cause ah have did it. Ah have seed [seen] it.
(You use these three eggs.)
Yard eggs. (There's just one thing, one part of it that I don't understand about. Here're the eggs. Do you write the man's name [I demonstrate] around this way or this Way? You write this way?)
[Informant demonstrates.]
(You write it the length of the egg, from the two ends [from one end to the other]. And that woman's is written around the fat, small round part [breadth] of the egg. And you keep writing it up and down until you cover the whole egg.) The whole egg.
(I see. All right.)
Entry 8633
If he be done left her, you mean?
(Yes.)
An' he living with another woman? Well, yo' take an' write his name down again, an' yo' get yo' some red peppah - yo' see, this cayenne red peppah. Well, yo' get yo' some red peppah an' yo' get yo' nine needles, brand-new needles what have never been used. An' yo' get yo' nine new pins. An' yo' stick all of dem needles an' dem pins in de wall cater- corner. An' yo' put it in dere, wit yo' know, hot peppah what yo' put on yore food [pepper sauce]. Yo' take de cayenne red peppah an' de hot peppah [sauce] an' de nine needles an' de nine pins [and the name see later] an' yo' put dat in a lemon. An' yo' bury it anywhere in de back yard, see. An' dat will break dem two people up, an' make yo' an' him come back to- gethah again. I done seen dat did.
(Well, how did she write his name in the beginning?)
Write his name? Well, just like a person's first name, like somebody is named Andrew Edmund or any name like dat. Well, yo' see, yo' put [instead of putting] Andred Edmund, put Edmund Andrew. See, yo' put it backwards, till yo' write it nine times. An' den yo' FOLD IT LIKE A HEART, COMIN' TO YO', & an' dat foldin' 'im to yo' all de time. An' yo' bury it in de backyard. An' yo' just leave it stay dere until it molds away. An' in about nine or ten day's time, his mind gets off of this othah woman an' gets back on yo', an' dat makes him leave 'er an' comes back to yo'.
(I see.) You put this name and that other mixture?)
Yes, de pins an' de needles all togethah.
Entry 8634
Dey say that chew kin take a lemon an' write they name nine times, an' put it underneath of the house. Dat would make 'em move.
Entry 8635
Now, ef ah see a person livin' good togethah an' ah want 'em confused, ah kin take a lemon. Take a lemon an' cut it in half, write their two names, the woman and the man. Then ah'd put it in there, saying, Depart, be confused. Then sew it back together with black thread and bury that. And that will cause that party, that woman to be con- fused. (You write their names on a piece of paper and put this paper in the lemon and sew it up.) An' sew it back up.
Entry 8636
Well, you can take a lemon and put your name and his name - not his, but jes' like he got some woman; yo' understand [and you, a woman, want] to separate them. Well, yo' write it [her name] down nine times all kinda ways, and then you put aloes. Yo' can put cayenne peppah an' salt, some dat have never been used, a fresh box of each - that have never been used. An' yo' take that an' yo' put it in de lemon, an' yo' put it [lemon] in a vinegar, in a bottle of vinegar. [To put lemon in bottle, cut it in 4 parts - see No.8632.] An' yo' shake it like that, an' kick it all around de floor, like yo' dog it. AN' JES' LIKE YO' "DOG" THAT BOTTLE [TREAT IT LIKE A DOG] THAT JES' DE WAY HE'LL "DOG" HER and [they will] break up. Jes' like yo' kick de bottle, yo' know, knock it around - jes' take your feet, yo' see, an' kick it an' curse it - that is the way he'll do to her. An' then they'll separate.
Entry 8637
Yeah, new live lemon. Go to de store an' buy dem eny price, an' yo' kin cut it. Take an' buy a new-brand [brand-new] knife, cut into it [lemon] an' stop it up an' cork it up with a nail, an' will cause 'em to have heart trouble.
(What do you put in that lemon?)
Nothin' in de worl' absolutely.
(Cut into it, that all?)
Jist a lemon an' a new-brand knife.
(Well how would you cut into that lemon?)
Stobb [stab] it like yo' stobbin' a person, an' call dey name.
Entry 8638
Yo' take his [murderer's] name an' write it down nine times, de party dat did de killin'. Yo' write it [murdered man's name] down nine times across his [murderer'sl name. An] den yo' stick dis into a lemon. On top of dis lemon yo' put a spoonful of salt, an' yo' bury dis at de place where he committed de crime, an' he won't leave. [This rite could have been placed under subsection (2) HOW MURDERER CAN BE CAUGHT, p.3258f. A lemon rite at this date in Washington, D. C., merely means that our informant, Doctor Sims, had come from New Orleans. For some of his material, see Nos.23,532,2091, and especially margin title IT'S A GIFT ETC., No.2742, p.746f.]
Entry 8639
De needles - lak if yo' have a girl an' yo' wants tuh stay wit her an' yo' want her tuh be wit yo', why yo' take nine needles an' put it in a lemon. Put 'em in a lemon an' put it right ovah de do'sill lak dat [doorsill sometimes in Hoodoo means over door above your head]. Well, she always will visit yo'. She always will come aroun' an' she nevah kin desert chew. (That is all you have to do, is just put those needles in the lemon?) Yes, but chew have tuh write her name. Yo' know whut ah mean, on a piece of papah, yo' know. Write her name on a piece of papah an' den put her name an' dose nine needles in dat lemon.
Entry 8640
Well, a lemon, if yo' wanta break somebody up ag'in, lak a man an' 'is wife or sompin lak dat, yo' could take such a-thing as a lemon an' yo' could take that same cayenne peppah. An' yo' write their [man's] name down nine times an' de woman who yo' wanta break 'em up from Yo' could write their name, but whosomevah doin' it, well, dey could do it, dey could fold it, fold it but always fold it from dem. An' if yo' wants tuh put some- body togethah, yo' take that man's name, if it's a woman, an' yo' write his name down first an' that woman, write her name down. An' den she takes de papah an' she fold it comin' tuh her, see. Lak yo' take a papah an' fold it comin' tuh yo' an' make yore wish when yo' fold de papah. An' den yo' take nine dressin' [ordinary] pins, eithah yo' could use needles, but de goldhead needles would be bettah - nine goldhead needles. An' de top whut chew cut off de lemon - see, yo' cut de top off de lemon an' yo' fold dat papah tight an' yo' push it down in dat lemon. An' yo' take de top whut chew put an' stick dem nine needles, yo' know, shut it back up but stick it all de Way roun'. An' if yo' got anyway a [old-fashioned] icebox an' yo' [have a drain to the outside for] dis icebox an' [or] yo' have de foam [gutter or drainage ditch] go through [by] yore house. Well, yo' dig a hole an' yo' put it [lemon] in a moist place where it goin' be wet all de time, so it could rotten. See, an' as dat lemon rot away, yo' see, it'll break 'em up.
Entry 8641
Well, if a woman's got a man - well jis' like I've got a husband an' a woman wants to break me an' my husband up. I'll say like that. Yo' get a lemon an' get yo' some cayenne pepper an' get yo' some gunpowder. Yo' take that lemon, you wouldn't cut it half in two, you only cut that top around the top, yo' know, an' yo' raise it up like that and yo' bore a hole in that lemon. (You cut the top like a lid and you bore a hole under that?) Yes. Then yo' will write this man's name nine times, and yours nine times over it, an' yo' stick that down in that lemon an' put that gunpowder - that gunpowder's for confusion, that what's it for - an' the red pepper. Then yo' would take that lid an' put it back over there like that. Yo' get yo' some black thread an' yo' tie that lemon tight, so to be sure that nuthin that's in there won't come out, an' put it up over the door anywhere. An' when [as] that lemon dries up, they'll fuss an' fight an finally dey'll break up an' never go back together again. (Do you put your husband's name in there and your name, or your husband's name and her name?) My husband's name and her name.
Entry 8642
How long yo' goin' to be here?
(I'm going to be here all this week, I think.)
WELL, YO' KNOW THIS FELLOW CALLED MACK [SEE LATER] THAT BROUGHT ME HERE. WELL, JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO LEAVE THIS TOWN, YOU COME SIT DOWN TO ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU A WHOLE LECTURE. NOW, I KIND OF KNOW WHAT YOU WANT [ARE] BUT I DON'T LIKE TO TALK TOO FAST. An' I [was brought up with this] an' my grandfather could de practically any- thing that he wanted to in that line. Yo' see, an' before he dies he instruct me a great deal and since he died I have improved more in that line. Well, you can learn more. Now, for instance, if yo' stayin' in this room here, an' someone would want to make yo' move out of this room, they would get a lemon, they would get parchment paper, an' they would sign your name nine times, five one way and four the other [an unusual arrangement], with black pepper, red pepper, an' fold it up an' put it down in that lemon, an' thrown the lemon under the house, or either bury it. An' yo' won't be there very long. [The preceding fellow called Mack we have met before: We reached New Orleans at night... "I told Edward" (my contact man from Mobile) "I would not work for several days (I wanting to be with my wife), but he was to meet me for instruc- tions next morning. I wanted him to find an old-time taximan, thoroughly reli- able, who knew the underworld of fortunetellers, doctors, healers, and the like. He came up with Mack Berryhill (see ILLUSTRATIONS). No other person would have been better and without him we could have failed" (vol.1, INTRODUCTION, p. XXXI).]
Entry 8643
Hullin' dat lemon out, an' puttin' de partchment papah in dere wit de party's name on dat, an' puttin' some red pep- pah, salt, black peppah, sewin' it up an' buryin' it anywhere in de soil, or else tro' it in de rivah." Dat break up any party dat livin' togethah in comfort.
(That is to break up a man and woman?)
Yes.
Entry 8644
(What do you do with that lemon?)
Take yore lemon - jis' 'long as de pin [as many pins as you have] will go roun' it - an' put de name of de individual dat chew want. Cut de lemon in half an' put dat name in dere, an' den stick it all roun' wit pins an' bury it. Dat'll bring 'em back, too.
(You mean you stick this lemon together by sticking pins through it?)
Yessuh. Cut it [lemon] in half.
Entry 8645
They takes the lemon and they roll it soft, and they take that name and they write it nine times, just like I showed you just now. And they take that name and they shove it down in that lemon, and they put them some cayenne pepper in there. And they get a little small stopper and they stop that lemon up, and they keep it up in the corner of the house. And every day, three times a day, they get that lemon and they roll it backwards and forwards. They roll it to them and they roll it from them. That's their husband name they got up in there. That's to keep their husband there with them.