Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 44
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 8646
[To rub is an important magic rite we often ignore, despite our early acquaintance with Aladdin's lamp. In some cures rubbing - up or down, in a cir- cle, or number of times - shows its own importance. Even so, in the first edi- tion of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, the word mub does not appear in the Index! How could I have missed the well-known couplet: When your left hand itches Rub it on wood And it will come good. (No.3356) Moreover, there are other examples of rubbing in this division about HANDS: Nos. 3339-3342.] De shoe sole - if yo' don' want somebody at chure house, take de shoe sole an' yo' rub it till de bottom of de foot git hot. Yo' call de person name nine times. Yo' git a lemon an' yo' Write de name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. Sew it up wit black thread an' bury it undah any step or do' whut dey gotta come by. An' bury it undah dere. An' everytime dey go out, yo' take dat left-foot shoe an' yo' rub it until de shoe sole git hot an' call dere name nine times.
(Whose shoe sole do you rub?)
Anybody dat yo' don' want at chure house. Any individual, woman or man, any- body dat yo' don' want dere.
(And the name you say...?)
Yo' jes' writes it down nine times wit a indelible pencil.
(And put that in a lemon?)
In a lemon an' sews it up wit black thread, No.8 black thread, coarse black thread, an' then bury it.undah a do'step, or a step, anywhere where dey gotta come in.
(That is to keep them away from your house?)
Keep 'em away from your house.
Entry 8647
Now, yo' take a lemon an' put nine needles - nine goldeye needles - an' take cinnamon an' cayenne peppah an' sugah. Aftah dat chew take an' sew it up. Aftah yo' sew it up. take 'an' put it into de sock. Yo' Write de name nine times an' put it into dat sock. Aftah dat yo' jes' keep it. Dat is really goin' tuh stop de fellah from gamblin' an' won' fool aroun' wit any woman, anybody. If he have anything to say about anybody [woman] he see, he hate 'em, git against 'em. An' along fin- ally, naturally he leaves away. He leave heah lak on Friday, an' yo' won' see him no mo' at all, he disappeah. An' yo' come tuh find 'im an' he's somewheres layin' on de road daid.
Entry 8648
Yo' take a lemon an' yo' cut it open an' yo' write a person [name], jes' lak anybody enemy to yo' an' yo' wanta git rid of 'em. An' yo' write their name nine times. Git chew a square piece of papah, write it nine times cross disaway an' nine times disaway, an' nine in all fo' corners - jis' cross 'em nine times. Den fold it nine times to yo'. An' den yo' put it in dat lemon. Den yo' put de lemon back togethah. Sew it up wit black thread an' throw dat in de rivah an' yo' git rid of it.
Entry 8649
Yo' kin take a name, a person name an' sugah, if yo' want 'em wit chew, an' bury undah de steps, front, eithah back, wit de lemon. Well, dat make 'em stay wit chew if yo' want 'em wit chew.
(Do you put this stuff in the lemon or don't you put it in?)
Yo' put de stuff in de lemon. Ah say tuh put it in de lemon.
Entry 8650
Yo' take dis party's name an' yo' write it three times. Yo' put dis name in de lemon an' yo' walk to runnin' water, an' throw it over yore left shoulder an' call dere name three times, an' dey will go [makes person leave town].
Entry 8651
That will break up a per- son, too. (Well, how do they do that?) Well, they put the woman's and the man's name. They cut the lemon and make a hole, you dig it out, an' yo' put this person's name on it. An' yo' write their name, each name, an' yo' put it in de lemon. An' yo' sew it up an' yo' bury it upside down, under dere step, where dey have to pass back an' forth. An' dat break 'em up.
(You just write the name once?)
Yes.
(Of each person.)
Yeah.
(This man and the woman?)
Yeah.
(And you bury this name upside down.)
claimed breakup of the named woman and man. Do not call this breaking the lemon or physically breaking a person. The separately selected Cut/Dig claims describe the object preparation. cutting the lemon to make a cavity. The object is the lemon, not either named person. digging out the lemon, a hollowing action. Do not replace lemon hollowing with grave/ground digging or infer a digging implement. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 8652
If yo' don't want a person, yo' take a lemon an' yo' put it in de name - de coconut de same way, too - an' yo' go direct to de Mississippi Rivah. Yo' go to de runnin' watah an' yo' take dat lemon an' yo' throw it. Now dose people, jes' like yo' see dat lemon driftin' down de stream
[they will drift away].
Entry 8653
Yo' take a person's name an' write it nine times an' put it in dis lemon an' get in de middle of de ferry - [I mean] get on de ferry an' get in de middle of de rivah an' throw it ovah yore left shouldah. Dat will run dem clean out of de city. Or eithah yo' do it wit a coconut...de same way.
Entry 8654
If yo' wanta drive a person away from there, yo' kin take such a thing as a lemon. Yo' take this lemon an' yo' write their name down nine times. Yo' put their name into this lemon. Yo' put some cayenne pepper, which is red pepper into this lemon, an' yo' go to de rivah an' throw it ovah yore shouldah back- wards, an' they gotta go.
Entry 8655
They use bluestone into a lemon, an' salt, black pepper, an' cayenne pepper, an' the woman's an' man's name, an' throw it in the river. That makes them drift. (You put this all inside the lemon?) Yes, sir.
Entry 8656
Just like if yo' wanta dere's a woman dat ah was livin' wit an' she's livin' wit someone else an' ah want tuh put 'em in hot watah. What ah mean, ah want tuh keep 'em afightin' dat dey can't git along. Ah go an' ah gets me a lemon, an' ah cuts dis lemon open. Ah get me a fresh box of cayenne peppah an' gunpowdah. Ah mix 'em up de same amount an' puts it intuh dis lemon. An' ah puts dere name in it. Dat is if ah ain't got none of 'er wearin' [clothes], see. Ah buries dis upside down. Every mornin' ah boils me a pot of watah 'fore sunrise an' ah pours it on dat. Yo' see. An' dat keeps 'em in a uproar all de time.
Entry 8657
If he leaves 'er an' go away, an' she find out whar he is. All right, if he write her - all right, she write 'im an' he will write 'er back. Well, she knows his name, he takes an' writes de firs' lettah, capital lettah, an' de others is following. Write her name under it. She takes it to de left, jest like she coming down de steps, corner of her steps, dis way to de left bottom step, she'll bury dat. (The left of the steps coming in?) [No, left side of steps as she comes down.] Comin' in whar he used tuh go. All right, she bury it. She Wrap de papah up an' she turns it on its face thataway, yore [her] name an' 'is name, an' yo' count de days dat he's been gone if yo' kin remember, an' de length of days, if it's a hundred or if it's 150. In 150 more he'll be walkin' right back in dat do' from de time dat he left.
Entry 8658
Ah know yo' take a weepin' willow an' yo' put as many notches on it as lettahs in yore name, an' den tie it across an' throw it in de yard where yo' Work at, an' de woman dat yo' think's got yore job, say, "Yo' shall leave dere." An' yo' kin git chure job de next mawnin'. (That is to get the other per- son's job?) She take [took] mah job. Ah Want mah job back. (To get your job back, you take a willow switch and you tie as many notches in it, cut notches in it as many letters as she has in her name.) Yes, an' den tie it dataway an' tro' [throw] it in de yard an' she'll leave dere.
(You tie it like this? What - you cut it in two then?)
Yes. Nawsuh [no sir], we don' cut it in two. Jes' take de two willows an' tie a string aroun' 'em an' throw it in de yard an' dey'll leave dere.
(And you cut the notches in these willows?)
Yessuh, as many [notches as] lettahs in her name yo' see. If she got five lettahs in her name or six or seven lettahs, maybe, cut dem many. (Here are two willow switches. Now she has five letters in her name. You cut five on each stick then?) Yessuh, an' den tie it togethah an' tro' it in de yard where she take de job 'way from yo', an' she'll leave dere.
(You just make an "x"?)
[After restudying this rite I am afraid my questioning may have complicated it. Surely one switch instead of two was used, this stick being bent and tied in a circle so that the two ends formed a cross. To regain her job my informant vas crossing her successor out of the job. Two separate willow switches could have been crossed and tied for the same purpose.]
Entry 8659
You take his name an' write it nine times, an' git choo a he an' she lodestone an' put it in there with his name, an' git a silver dime from 'im. An' he'll give yo' ever' nickel of money he kin make or scrape. (What do you do with that after you get this stuff together?) Yo' make it like in a little bag an' yo' pin it on yo'. Yo' see, yo' write his name first, yo' make yore wish jis' w'atevah yo' want done, yo' understan', an' den yo' wrap it up to yo' an make yore wish an' sew it up an' wear it on yo'.
(What do you do with this dime?)
Put it in there with dat - dat lodestone. Draws it, draws his money to yo'.
Entry 8660
(How do they do that?)
Well, they makes up a little bag an' takes an' puts lodestone in it, an' this here Conkah Root; put Conkah Root Powdah, cinnamon an' things, an' if dey wanted a man they sew de man's name up in dat, with a dime in dere an' den dey weah it. (I see.) [A gambling hand becomes a love hand by the addition of a person's name.]
Entry 8661
Yo' could put three matches, three pods of red pepper, an' a man an' Woman name, an' put it in de 'east [yeast] powder cup [can] an' bury it. That breaks them up. Bury it under de house somewhere, under de steps. "East powder. Yo' know, what dey put, 'east powder in a can, what yo' make bread. Yo' stop it into de can an' bury it anywhere in yore backyard, but say it's best to be under de house.
Entry 8662
Ah kin take three matches an' stick 'em up - see, let de head be up. Yo' may walk by me. Yo' walk on by me. Ah wants to take de upper hand of yo'. Well, now ah'll take dem three matches an' when yo' git by me, if ah know yo' name, ah'll call yore name three times. Yo' Won't look back but one time. De other time yo' ain't going to look back. That's when ah wanta take de upper hand of yo'. WelI, all right, chew go on to de second block or yo' may walk to de third block. Yo' stop, yo' stop right still an' yo'll turn back. But when yo' git back to where ah'm been, ah'm gone; but ah done got de scent of yo' an' yo' do jest what ah want, an' ah kin git anythin' yo' got.
(What do you do with those matches then?)
Ah take dem three matches an' ah'll jes' let 'em - an' call yo' back. Ah'll take dem three matches an' carry dem to my house an' put 'em down an' bury 'em. [The preceding rite evidently derives from the well-known spirit-catching one in which a person's name is called and his answering voice is stopped up in a bottle. Here we catch a passing person's scent by calling his name three times. He does not answer, merely looks round once. I do not recall another example of the rite. The informant, a good one, evidently believes it.]
Entry 8663
(Measure you with cords? How do they do that?)
Well, jest like if I know yo' is five feet or [and] six inches, or three[!] feet six inches, ah'll walk by yo' an' ketch de height of myself. [He compares his height with that of his victim's.] Ah take a length of cord an' go [step] back an' put it in nine [loose] knots. Den ah'll call yo name. [Then the knots are tightened.] Den ah'd go back an' get me dat stuff [previously mentioned] and get some graveyard dust an' set it up dere, right dere. Run yo' away or make yo' do enythin' ah wantcha [want you] tuh do - leave de town [for example].
Entry 8664
A man tole me he knew how to git a person who's away, if he's in love enough an' want to come, Want to take yo' back. Why yo' - he say nail up a nail ovah de do' which dey went out de last time. An' each night before yo' retire, dat yo' must stand an' look at dis nail an' call dis par- ty's name nine times, an' says each time, 'Come back, ah WANT CHOO TUH COME back." An' do dat fer nine nights, nine times each night. An' if dey had anythin' to come wit, dey'd come back.
Entry 8665
If yo' Want to kill a person - if yo' got it in fo' dem - git chew a nail an' go to a tree. Turn jes' towards de sun, de sunrise see, an' yo' nail dat nail in de tree see, an' call his name three times. In nine day's time why he'll be dead.
(Well, now, does he nail to- Ward the sun or does he nail it on the sunrise side of the tree?) Well, jes' lak [demonstrates]
de sun risin' disaway. See de tree settin' dat way. Yo' nail dat right in de tree towards de sunrise. (While you are facing the sunrise? Or on that side of the tree which faces the sunrise?) See, de tree will face de sun.
(And you put it in that side of the tree?)
Yo' nail it right in de side where de tree face de sun. [Florence, S. Car., (1318), 2263:3.].
Entry 8666
Ef [if] yo' don' know who is in co't [court - a witness against you] but chew wanta kill 'im. When yo' know his name - well, if yo' know his name [the whole rite changes], take a tenpenny nail an' stick it up side of a pine tree. An' hit it eighteen times an' de nineteenth time he is a dead man.
(If you want to kill him.)
Yes. (I see. You call his name how many times did you say?) Eighteen time an' de 20th time - call 'im 18 time an' de 19th time yo' drive it to de butt [the head of the nail all the way].
Entry 8667
If yo' nail nine nails an' call a person name, dey'll always be down. (Where did you say they nail them down?) Nail nine nails down. (Where?) Nail 'em down on de floor. (Yes.) An' as yo' nail 'em down, call dat person's name. Don't care where yo' nail 'em at. An' call dere nail nine times as yo' nail dem nine nails. Dey'll always be down. Yo' see, when yo' nail 'em in, yo'nail 'em down.
Entry 8668
Well, yo' use needles in a.way dat a - say fer ninstance [an instance] yo' courtin' a young girl, an' yo' want tuh gain influence in a decent Way wit de girl, yo' understan', an' want 'er mind direct attached tuh yo'. Yo' take two needles an' cross 'em. Take her name - yo' first get 'er name an' 'er name's on a papah. Den yo' take two needles an' cross those two needles [through that paper] an' yo' wear dem inside of yore vest pocket, coat pocket, or shirt pocket. Den she will come an' influence with yo'.
Entry 8669
Yo' take an' git chew a pack of bran'-new needles an' yo' buy yo' a beef tongue. An' yo' put nine needles in it an' yo' take dat beef tongue an' yo' bury it toward de east coast of de tree, or right undah de tree in de no'th corner of yore garden or yore fence. Dat's tuh kill dem. Rill me or anybody else. It'll rot. Yo' put de name on de tongue. (All right. You didn't tell me that.) Well, ah'm tellin' yo' now. (Now, how do I know?) We-ll, ah'm tell yo'. (How do you put the name on the tongue, now? Tell me.) Nine time, an' on a piece of papah, an' pin it wit dem needles nine times. Nine needles, see. An' yo' pin dat an' yo' bury dat tongue upside down. An' when dat tongue rot, dey rot.
Entry 8670
Yo' take nine needles.
(Nine needles.)
An' yo' take de name of de person, yo' write his name down. Yo' see, dat's a man an' a woman's affair, too. Yo' see, yo' write yore husband's name down nine times an' yo' write yores three time ovah dat. Den yo' put de nine needles an' yo' fold it tuh yo', an' yo' wrap it up in de sock, an' yo' keep it undah linoleum or somethin' where he has to cross ovah it - pass ovah it - an' dat's to keep 'im kind [and easy to handle] yo' see.
(How do you write those names? You write his name nine times.)
No, yo' write his name nine times like dat [demonstrates]. Well, all right. Den yo' come three times across [demonstrates].
(Make it like - your name and his name forms an "x".)
Yeah - see - look. Look [demonstrates] dat's nine times, nine times, an' write three times [across]. Mine [a woman].
(You form an "x" - like a cross.)
Yes, like dat [demonstrates].
(And then you fold it to you.)
Yes, to yo'.
Entry 8671
(Take a brand-new piece of cloth.)
Write a person's name on it an' stick nine needles an' nine pins into it. That will keep them down, they can't have any luck.
(You mean it keeps them from having luck and all that sort of thing, keeps them in trouble all the time.) [Mobile, Ala., (653?) 855:2.]
Entry 8672
They put nine needles, nine pins, nine new tacks, nine loaves of sugah, a spoon of honey, a halfa spoon of drawin' powdah, a teaspoonful of John de Conkah Root Powdah [all in a bottle]. An' dey'll stop dat up fer nine day. [Afterwards, to perform the rite] they'll git to de door [their own door] an' dey'll knock three times, an' dey will call de person [your name] - wit yore name [written on a piece of paper] in dat bottle. Dey turn dat bottle upwards [upside down] [during the ceremony] an' dat's supposed to keep yo' wor- ried. An' dey call yo', whenevah dey wan' choo [want you] to come by knockin'.
[Preceding loaves = Zwmps of sugar.]
Entry 8673
(Will you tell me just what they did?) Yeah, dey planted mah name an' buried me undah de steps. (How did they do it? How do you mean they planted your name?) They write mah name down on papah an' dey buried me undah de steps. (What did that do?) Dat made me move. (Oh, that made you move?) Yes. (Just write your name on a piece of paper and that made you move out?) Yes sir. Dey put mah name down, so dey say, nine times. Ah don't know [what they did].
(How many times?)
Nine times.
(I see.)
With my name...cayenne pepper.
Entry 8674
Yo' take a plain piece of papah.
(A clean piece of paper.)
Yo' take a piece, yo' see. A man take a papah, a sheet of papah or anythin', yo' undahstand. Why yo' could write. his name nine times or most anything else [such as come home, etc.]. GIVE ME A PIECE OF PAPAH AN' AH SHOW YO' SOMPIN. [I tear a sheet from my Numbers Book.] Yo' see yo' fold dat an' see, she Write dat name nine times on nine lines. An' she write his name - just, yo' know, write it nine times, an' fold dat different ways [demonstrates].
(Fold it to you.)
Fold it to yo' all de time. Well, aftah yo' fold dat to yo', stick it up ovah dere. She's comin' back tuh dat man in no time. She can't stay away.
[His stick it up over there was too indefinite.]
(Where do you stick it? Where do you stick the paper up?)
Well, yo' kin put it anywhere yo' want. Yo' just - she's gotta come back.
(I see.)
Entry 8675
Take that name and put it nine times, and she wear it in the bottom of her foot. She keep her stockings on all day long and she keep that name right under the palm of her foot. An' keep her stockin' on, dat's to keep it from vorking out. That draw her husband back home to her.
(I see. She writes the name nine times as you showed me before?) Yes, sir, nine times.
Entry 8676
Yo' kin write his name nine times an' make a wish an' den yo' kin wear it in yore right shoe an' he'll come back.
Entry 8677
Yo' kin take a pencil an' write a man's name nine times an' whoevah yo' is, if yo' want 'im, yo' write 'is name on a piece of papah nine times an' write her name on de top of dat papah - on top de line dat his'n is wrote on. Write it on dere an' take an' let 'er wear it nex' tuh 'er skin on 'er princess slip, an' he will always have 'er on his mind.
Entry 8678
Take his name down nine times on a piece of papah an' yo' write her name down three times. All right an' she git her some sugah an' some cinnamon an' she put dat on dat papah an' fold it three times to her an' wear it in 'er left shoes. Dat's tuh git him back home. Now, when she gits him back home, tuh keep him from goin with any othah woman, she takes her fingernails an' her toenails an' git a part of her hair. An' grate dat all up togethah an' put it in whatevah she cooks, an' give it to him an' he cain't leave 'er.
Entry 8679
[The doctor in the following rite for a job has an organized mind, though I was too recent in New Orleans at that time to realize it. In face, on this original transcription I formerly had a note use with care, which can still be seen despite my later erasure.] When yo' go to get a job - ah'll tell yo' about de job proposi- tion. It just like if yo' was out of a job an' yo' runnin' in bad luck. Yo' can't be success- ful in nuthin dat yo' start. Well, yo' get yo' some of dis seniment. Yo' get some of dis seniment with this rain water. (What is seniment? What is that?) Dat's a powder. (What does it look like?) It look just like - yo' ever seen this powder what they call that brown-skin powder? (You mean cinnamon powder?) Yeah. (Cinnamon powder. All right.) [How did I ever guess it!] Yo' take dat seniment powder. An' yo' get some of dis seniment powder an' yo' get what yo' call this lodestone; but ask for lodestone, see, with candy stripes. It's got a little stripe.
(What kind of stripes?)
Candy stripes. Just say, "Give me some of de lodestone." (Like this candy - now wait a minute! It's like this candy they got in the country stores, candy stripes?) Yes, just like that; round, see.
(And what do they call that?)
Lodestone.
(You said something about four-something. Four what?)
[Informant said it while recording machine turned off.1 Fo' corners. Yo' just get de fo' corners. Well, if it ain't got fo' corners, vell yo' just take anything, a file or somepin like dat an' put 'em there.
(You have to make it square. Four corners. All right.)
Yeah. Yo' go anywhere they got them rams - yo' see, them rams, or anywhere yo' know them ramhorns at. [Cowhorn appears several times in Hoodoo. This could be the only ramhorn.] Yo' gets a file an' yo' file some of that dust down there [with the lodestone dust]. Then yo' get some of this here oil what yo' call that green - Wintergreen Pasture Oil.
(Wintergreen?)
Wintergreen Pastures Oil.
(GREEN PASTURES OIL?)
[SURELY THE ENTERPRISING HOODOO-PRODUCTS SALESMAN SHOULD HAVE NAMED IT "PSALM 23 OIL"!] Yeah, an' yo' take some sugar an' seniment an' lodestone. An' take a silver dime an' yo' file dat silver dime on a piece of paper just where yo' got this stuff [various ingredients] at. Yo' take a piece of yellah paper - it [lode- stone?] comes with yellah paper - an' yo' wrap it up twice. Yo' fold it coming to you. Then, after yo' take this Wintergreen Pasture Oil an' yo' put over it, am' yo' put it in your pocket. Keep that in yore left pocket. Then yo' goes back an' yo' get this he Eve [Adam and Eve] root, see. He Eve root.
(He Eve root?)
Yeah, yo' go back an' get that an' yo' got hit, yo' got de she root in yore pocket, yo' understand. Yo' take that - powder up that. piece there - an' yo' get some rain water an' river water or hydrant water [3 running Waters], or anything like that, an' yo' put it in two glasses. Put it in two glasses like that an' yo' let it set, after yo've mixed it. Well, heap up just about de same amount in each glass. Yo' leave it set there fo' three days. Aftah yo' leave it set there fo' three days, yo' take it an' yo' pour it into one glass. Then yo' take this here - this seniment, lodestone an' dis Wintergreen Pasture Oil. Well, yo' Put it in de glass, in one glass, an' yo' let it set there fo' three days. Den take that water off - take dat watah off before yo' go out to see about a job. Just like, if yo' know the foreman's name, yo' take his name an' yo' write his name nine times backwards, just like if yo' write it backwards this Way nine times [demonstrates]. Then yo' fold it, fold it comin' to yo' like dat [demonstrates]. Then yo' write yore name on de top of it, but yo' must write yore name forwards.
(Write your name what?)
The right way.
(You write your name forwards. All right.)
Then yo' take dat an' yo' put it down in dat water where all yore stuff is in the morning when yo' going out - just when yo' going out to the foreman. Yo' got his name. Well, when yo' get ready to go there, yo' take this water out of Chere. Yo' pour it out in a basin or anything like that, an' yo' take it an' yo' wash yo' hands good with it, an' yo' wash yore fingers. Yo' takes this here lodestone an' yo' put it in yore pocket with this she Eve root. Yo' walk to him a'when yo' get there, before yo' ask, just like yo' take a piece of chewing tobacco, cut a little piece off dat she root an' put it in your mouth. An' get this here lodestone thing in your hand like that an' rub it, an' make yore wishes, as yo' walk up to him an' ask 'im for a job. Probably he may not have nuthin to do right then, but he'll run his hand in his pocket if he got any money an' he'll give yo' a piece of money. The first opening that he have - WHEN YO' LEAVE FROM THERE, YO'LL MAKE A WISH FOR ANY - JUST LIKE ANY JOB YO' WANT AROUND THERE, YO' MAKE A WISH FOR ANY BAD LUCK TO HAPPEN TO 'EM PEOPLE AT THAT PLACE. SAY PRAYERS, AN' IN A WEEK'S TIME [7 DAYS] YO'LL HAVE A JOB. There no favor that yo' ask 'im that he could turn yo' down. If he ain't got it at de present time, he will tell yo' a way to come an' get it.
foreman’s name written nine times backwards, contrasted with own name forwards. Keep foreman nine-times-backwards versus applicant forwards on top; not all names backwards. manually inscribed arrangement of foreman’s and applicant’s names. Retain foreman backwards nine times and own name forwards on top, followed by the use of the inscribed paper in the preparation. employment sought from a foreman, with conditional intermediate outcomes and harmful wish. No immediate job guarantee: preserve probably no work, money if he has it, the first opening, and the subsequent one-week claim as attributed. river as a stated possible source of water, alongside rain/hydrant wording. Keep literal rain water an’ river water or hydrant water and or anything like that; do not convert ambiguous conjunctions into an all-three requirement or flatten all alternatives. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3556) · Read full source (printed page 3557) · Read full source (printed page 3558)
Entry 8680
Then, what they would do to make yo' move out of that house, they would get yore - try to get some close friend of yours to get yore right shoe. They Would burn that right shoe. They'd get up before day in de mawnin' an' burn that right shoe. Before twelve or one o'clock, they'd take that, they'd sprinkle it at yore door, dat [shoe ashes]. (I understand.) Well, they'd go to work then an' they'd get oil of cedar. (Oil of cedar?) They'd take oil of cedar an' they would pour dat down. (Where would they pour that?) They pour it right at your door [where they put the shoe ashes], at yore front door, where yo' are bound to come out over. Well then yo' get 'em [they have you!]. They would take yore name an' they would write it nine times an' they would fold that from them. They'd take that name an' they would bury that. Yo' begin to drift. Yo' wouldn't like that place, yo'd want to stay away from dat place. Dat's de place they'd drive yo' off.
(Do they bury that in any special place?)
They'd bury it at de door where yo' - or in de path, so you'd have to come over. They'd bury it so you'd have to come over it. Yo' understand.
(I understand. That makes you move?)
That'd make yo' move.
Entry 8681
Well, yo' can do a heap with onions.
(What for example?)
Yo' can take a onion an' write names an' open dat onion an' sew it up, put that in there an' sew that onion up. An' take that onion and put it somewhere where nobody walks. That does a lot of harm - mean things. (Do you just write the name once on a piece of paper?) Once only on the paper for that.
Entry 8682
Yes, yo' could take a sheet of papah wit lines on it an' write. Now, if she wuz a married woman an' yo wanted her, yo'd write her name [demonstrates] on dis line an' yo' turn de papah ovah an' write his name on dat line. See, her name would be goin' disaway an' 'is name dataway.
(Which way would her name be going?)
Yo' see, both sides [of the paper] has lines. Well, yo' write 'er name on dis line an' yo' turn de papah ovah an' write his name [over her name]. Well, yo' see both names wouldn't run togethah. One would run dat way an' one dis way [in the opposite direction]. Well, dat's de breakin' up [opposite of putting together] part. An' yo' would wear these names in yore shoe fo' three days, an' on de third day yo' take it out befo' de sunrise an' jes' tear it in small pieces an' bury it. Yo' wouldn't bury it very deep. Jes' rake back a li'le dirt, enough tuh keep de wind from blowin' it away. An' ever' mavnln' befo' de sun rise, why yo' put jes' a li'le chamber lye on it, an' yo' would say a prayer. (What kind of a prayer?) Yo' would say, "Lord, ah'm doin' dis in Yore Name fo' peace." An' yo' see dat "peace" would mean yo' wouldn't mean de man no harm, but chew would jes' want dis woman. An' yo' would do that fo' nine mawnin's an' de ninth mawnin', why dis woman would come to yo'. An' de way her an' her husband would split up, why he wouldn't have any suspicions of anyone. Then her mind would go from him an' his mind would go from her, an' would [go] to the one that wuz doin' this, that she loved. An' she would nevah know, or he would nevah know jes' how they broke up. But then yo would git de woman that yo' wanted.
Entry 8683
Dey kin take a person's hair an' bury it an' cause 'em tuh die. Cut de hair outa de top de haid. Yo' can't git any othah part of de hair. Yo' gotta git it from de top of de haid, understan', an' wrap it in brown papah. An' write dere name on dat papah, an' cause 'em tuh - yo' know, jes' anything dat chew wish would go wrong with de body. Dat whut chew do wit a person's hair.
(You just write that name once on the paper?)
Yeah - yeah, jes' once. On some different things yo' have tuh write it three times, but jes' with de hair yo' kin write it once, on brown papah. It's gotta be brown papah, jes' ordinary wrappin' papah, lak dat. {Memphis, Tenn., (1518), 2695:2.]
Entry 8684
Well, yo' go out there [to a crossroad] for whatsomevah yo' want [to] be done. Yo' make a cross in dat road. Yo' go to a 'simmon [persimmon] tree an git a 'simmon tree an' cut [a piece off] about 3 inches, yo' know what 3 inches is. Yo' make a split in that, in that piece yo' cut off, if yo' wan'a stop 'em from goin' de way they're goin', if dey goin' roun' some woman, somepin like dat. Yo' always urinate on it an' make yore wish an' write de name. Stick it [name] right down in dat cut chew made an' drive it in de ground.
[This is one of a number of split stick rites.]
(Where?)
Right in that cross, where you make dat cross.
(At the crossroad.)
Yes sir, under dat cross an' cover it.
The informant describes a split persimmon stick with urine, a wish and written name, buried beneath a cross mark to stop a person's going. The final exchange confirms the crossroad location; Hyatt supplies several initial explanations and classifies it among split-stick rites. The source tree name is retained without a botanical authority assertion.
Entry 8685
A persimmon? Why yo' kin take a 'simmon tree an' go on de east side of a 'simmon an' dig a root, an' whilst yo' diggin' dat root yo' name it. Jes lak if yo' wanta do sompin to a person, yo' name dat root while yo' diggin' dat root. An' aftah yo' git dat root dug, yo' carry it home an' dry it. When yo dy dat root, yo' name it as yo' put it up tuh dry. Yo' name dat root. An' in nine day's time yo' kin take dat root an' jes' whichsomevah way yo' throw dat root, name it. As yo' throw it, name it. Jes' whichsomevah way yo' throw dat root, dat person will go de way yo' throw dat root, an' yo' nevah see 'em no mo'. Yo'll nevah see 'em no mo'.
[I restart recording machine to add further information.] (You can use the root of any tree?) Any tree.
Entry 8686
[To stop a person influencin' in de world an' cut his success off, de way yo' do dat. Yo' git, yo' know, some of dis copris [copper] wiah. Yo' know dis roun' wiah kinda lak gold wiah. (Like the electric light wire?) Yes. Well, yo' take dat an' den yo' call this individual's name an' yo' tie three knots in it an' tie it roun' a green 'simmon tree. His success or his influence will be cut off. (A piece of copper wire, any kind of copper wire.) [These two notations of mine emphasize the confusion some informants had between copperas and copper. Present informant says copris.]
Entry 8687
Yo' kin go to a 'simmon tree an' go on de east side of dat tree an' cut chew a switch. Cut it up an' - yo' kin be in New York an' yo' kin take dat switch an' yo' kin notch dat switch wit nine notches. Jes' lak [demonstrates] yo' cut one heah, one heah - jes' cut it all roun' until yo' git dose nine notches on dere. Den yo' kin take dat 'simmon switch an' grease it in olive oil, an' go to de head of a person - yore bed, if yo' gonna use it yoreself. Go to de bed an' stand it up, jes' lak dis is it [demonstrates] behin' de bed. Stand it up lak dat.
(You stand that switch up behind the head of your bed.)
An' den in de mawnin' yo' go turn de switch dat way, an' den yo' go call dat person by name an' stand it up on de othah end. (You call that switch by the person's name and then turn it up on the other end.) That [is] if yo' wanta bring a person to yo'. Yo' don't have to go [to the tree] any [special] time. After dey come [back home] an' when dey come in, yo' take dat switch an' yo' break dat switch in nine pieces [at the notches?]. An' when yo' break it in nine pieces, yo' wrap dat wit de cord towards yo'. An' yo' take it an' yo' put it in a li'le bottle an' cord dat switch up right tight in dat li'le bottle. An' yo' kin keep it in yore house in yore trunk, or yo' kin bury dat. An' as long as yo' keep dat, dey will stay dere. (Now, I have that switch behind the head of my bed. Here's the switch [I demonstrate] and when I call the name, then I turn it upside down like that, on the other end. The next morning I turn it upside down again and call the name. Do that every morning until...?) Until dey come. Dey won't be long comin' either.
(And you must cut this switch off the east side of a persimmon tree.)
Off de east side.
Entry 8688
Ah heard tell of 'em takin' a nail an' drivin' it in a tree, in a 'simmon tree, about halfway, till it git to dem li'le notches-lak [just below head of nail] an' dey they stops. An' dey take an' name dat nail whosomevah dey want it tuh be, an' dey'll nail it down. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (1428), 2577.1
Entry 8689
Now, ah tell yo' 'bout de stockin's. He could take her stockin's - [she could] take his socks an' put 'em undah 'er do'step. Git a beef tongue, yo' understan', an' stick pins in it; but she gotta stick a pin dere every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's till she git nine pins in dere. An' den take a pencil an' a piece of papah an' sign his name all ovah dat beef tongue [see correction later] an' take an' wrap it up an' den put it - jes' bury it in de groun' right at 'er do'. He'll come back.
(She also puts his socks under the door?)
Undah dere.
(Do they point them any particular way or just....?)
Jis' put 'em dere - jes' so he walk ovah dere to go back an' forwards. (Well, now. She doesn't write on that beef tongue, she writes on the paper doesn't she?) She writes on de papah.
(What does she do with the paper then?)
She takes de papah an' den she folds de beef tongue up in de papah. An' den she bury it.
Entry 8690
Yo' git nine pins an' put ovah de do', an' call 'em every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's befo' sunup. That will bring 'em back.
Entry 8691
De quicksilver. A woman use quicksilver when she Wants tuh keep a man. [Whether quicksilver here is quick- silver or tinfoil or back of mirror scrapings, I failed to ask.] She take dat quicksilver an' she puts it in a perfume bottle, one dem li'le perfume bottle, an' when she puts it in dere, she writes dat man's name down. Write it down on one piece of papah but jes' big enough tuh fit into dat perfume bottle. She writes it down nine times, but jes' big enough tuh fit into dat perfume bottle. Write it down straight, one right behin' de othah.
(Like Sam Jones, Sam Jones?)
Yassuh. An' she put dat in a piece of papah an' she put dat quicksilver in dere. She takes dat quicksilver an' she stops it up tight so it won't come out or nuthin. An' she bo's a hole in 'er mattress, on de side where he supposed tuh lay, an' she puts dat quicksilver right down in dat bed on de side where he lays. Dat'll keep 'im. Dat whut de wimmins do. Dey uses dat concernin', dat concernin' say, lak yo' would de yellah cotton.
(Did you tell me about the yellow cotton?)
Yassuh, ah tole yo' 'bout de yellah cotton.
Entry 8692
(What's that?)
Somepin like that, if they Want to see somepin bad happen to a person, get kilt or somepin. Then you goes to"a [train] track an' yo' take their name an yo' bury it at de track an' somepin bad will happen to them then. They're liable to get runned over by a train, or knocked off de track, or an automobile or somepin will run over 'um. That's what that's for.
Entry 8693
They can go to the end of a railroad track and put your name down in there an' yo'll drift. Yes, right up on the side of the [railroad] tie. Well, you write the name backwards [last name first]. You write it up an' then yo' write it across [write it in the form of an 'x or cross] an' let it be nine times. Put it right there [on the railroad track]. Put it in a can, though, see, so it won't blow away.
Entry 8694
[There was] a man [a doctor] and he write - wrote in red ink.
(He had red ink?)
Yes, sir. Not ink, yo' know a red pencil, but red center. An' he write mine name, hers name an' - wrote de boy's name, an' de girl's name, an' then my name across it. And he [this doctor] said that would make them humble unto me. Yo' see, give me no more trouble. Well, it look like it did, see. Ah don't know. Ah know ah never did [have any more trouble with them].
(Then after he wrote those names, then what did he do with that paper?)
Fold it, fold it to him. Every time he turn it, fold it to him. Don't fold it away from him, to him. And [he] sewed it up in a little sack an' ah wore that, wore it out. That's what I experienced individually.
(You had to wear that?)
Yes, sir. (He wrote this girl's name and this boy's name like that [I demonstrate] on parallel lines.) Yes, sir. (Then he crossed - then diagonally he crossed your name on it with this red pencil? I see.) YeS, Sir. [THE READER MUST REALIZE THAT THE PRECEDING "PARALLEL LINES" AND "DIAGONALLY" ARE NOT FOR INFORMANT BUT FOR MY FUTURE UNDERSTANDING. MANY OF MY COMMENTS ARE ANNOTATIONS.]
Entry 8695
Take some red peppah an' put it in his lef' shoe, an' write his name on a piece of paper an' lay it over that red peppah. Dat'll make yo' [a woman] get his money.
Entry 8696
It absolutely does bring about dat, bring about dissatisfaction in de home. De really fac' 'bout it yo' kin go tuh work an' take red peppah, DE SEED OF RED PEPPAH, to bring about hys- terical state wit a man an' his woman, dat dey absolutely can't git along dere in de home no mo'. But chew could take two red peppah [seed] an' it 'sposed whut dey call planted dat in roun' his do' - anywheres roun' his do'. Yo' would name 'em. (You would name those peppers?) Yes, yo' really name dose peppahs. It's 'cordin' [according] to how many he has in his family. If it's no one but jes' him an' his wife, well, yo' only plant two grains [2 seeds] of dat red peppah, an' den yo'll go tuh work an' yo' name 'em. Dat is, yo' know whut his name is, why yo' go tuh work an' yo would call dat peppah, name dat peppah; an' evah whut her name is, do de same. An' den if he's got any chillun upstairs in de home, why yo' go tuh work an' try tuh find out whut dose chillun name is. Well, dat whut yo' use de red peppahs fo'. [Notice the simple means used here!]
Entry 8697
Well, now, she gits some rough rice - rice dat's nevah, de chaff has nevah been taken off - an' she walk roun' her house at sunrise an' call his name, an' open both do's an' throw. Jes' sprinkle dat rice in de house an' she go on roun' de house. Don' turn back. Come right roun' until she go roun' five or six times. An' throw dat rice in de house an' call his name. Den dat will 'tract [attract] his 'tenshun [attention] wheresomevah he may be. He gits worried den about home, an' he'll come back. [Rice was grown in the lowlands of South Carolina and Georgia for generations. This un- husked rice rite could be an old rite.]
Entry 8698
Then you can git a bottle of vinegar an' write de name upon a piece of Venrick parchment.
(What kind of parchment?)
Venrick [a trade name?] parchment. An' they put this in this bottle of vine- gar with cayenne peppah, see. An' they roll this bottle aroun'. Go to de back door an' roll it all de Way tuh de front. (Just a moment. Do they roll it with their hands or feet?) De feet. Dey kick it wit de feet an' as dey kickin' it, dey use de words, "As dis bottle rō' [rolls] ah wan' choo to do de same." (I see.) An' they take it an' dey bury it on de science [signs of the Zodiac]. Dey will do this work by science, by de twelve science [signs].
(Well, what sign would they use on that?)
On de Balance.
(Oh, the sign of the Balance.)
Yes, on de Balance; yes, sir. See, dat's when de earth has power. An' dey buries dis bottle bottom upwards. An' de next mawnin' they get up before de sun rise an' dey pour dat hot water on dat an' de bottle busts [bursts]. Den dey move.
(I see, it will make them move.
Entry 8699
[To] make them move out of that house, tell you, yo' go an' get some of that olive oil.
(Wait a minute! Olive oil?)
Olive oil, and get some of dis here steel dust. Get a fresh bottle of vinegar.
(Get a fresh bottle of vinegar.)
Yes, sir. Yo' get the neighbor's name, either one in de family name [the man's or woman's]. Take a piece of papah an' cut it off just how many letters in that name. [The name is writ- ten and then each letter of the name is clipped off as a separate slip of paper.] An' take it an' put it down in that bottle. An' after puttin' it [these slips of papers] down in the bottle, take it an' roll it on de floor. After rollin' it on de floor, yo' take dat bottle an' set it up. If yo' ever could get anywhere close to de house, yo' set. it at sunrise. An' when yo' set it there, in three days dem people goin' from there.
(They will move away?)
Done gone away without any confusion at all. Yo' [they] wouldn't know how it was did. [New Orleans. La., (829).1221:1.]
Entry 8700
Dey takes a person's chxmber lye an' puts it in a bottle. Git some of dat an' puts it in a bottle, an' den takes it an' put sugah in it or honey, ei- thah one. Write dere names down nine times wit a indelible pencil but write it frontwards. As ah 'fore tole [be- fore told] yo', in place of put- tin' de entire [name], yo' put de given name first. Yo' put John an' den yo' put Edwards, see. Yo' write dat down nine times an' yo' put dat in dat bottle an' yo' stop it up. An' whenevah dey go somewhere, an' yo' want 'em tuh do anythin' fo' [you] whenevah they go somewhere, yo' take dat bottle an' yo' roll it jes' lak yo'd roll a lemon or sompin tuh git de juice out of it. An' yo' roll dat bottle nine times an' every time yo' roll it yo' call dere name. Dat's when a woman wants a man tuh do sompin fo' her.
(How do you mean?)
See, lak if a woman's got a husband an' he's mean to her. He believe in run- nin' about an' diff'ren' thing lak dat, an' she wants tuh draw 'im tuh 'er, an' Wants tuh git his earnin' [earnings, his wages]. She do's dat. (What did you put in there now? The chamber lye? And that nine, now you wrote that nine times? How do you write it, just one right under the other?) Yessuh. Jes' write it on one sheet of papah.
(You put the names right under each other?)
Yassuh.
(And you write it with what?)
Well, yo' writes it wit any kinda pencil [former indelible pencil withdrawn]. It don' make no diff'rence.
Entry 8701
Put some salt in there an' bluestone an' yore name mixed wit it. An' tie it up an' put de [Red Devil] lye over it an' set it afiah. Yo' burn a whole can of lye. Dey take dat an' run people crazy with it.
Entry 8702
De 85 Psalm from de Bible will make a man care a great deal fo' yuh.
(When do you read that, do you say?)
On a Sunday mornin', face de east, seven times, an' call his name seven times.
(What will that do then?)
Now yo' use de 85 Psalm an' call 'is name an' yo' read it seven times an' every time yo' read yo' call 'is name. Well then THAT SENDS OUT A SPIRIT AND HIS MIND WILL FOLLOW AND THINK jest keeps his mind on yo', until he kin see yo' or come back to yo'. IT'S DE SPIRIT WORRIES HIS MIND WHEN YO' DO DAT.
Entry 8703
In case if a person is gone 'way from yo' an' yo' want 'em tuh come back, yo' write dere name seven times an' put it in a lamp an' burn it. Burn it fo' four days an' dey'll come back home. [See Nos.8578-8612.]
Entry 8704
They say dat yo' kin write a per- son's name on a piece of papah seven times an' place it ovah a doah, aftah dey comes in. Wait till dey get inside an' den place it ovah de doah. An' dey say, when dey go out, dey can't stop comin' back, where dey go undah.
(They keep coming back and forth?)
Keep comin' back where dey go [under] dere name.
(Write it like this right in a row [column?] seven times, that name?)
Seven times.
(One right after the other, I see.)
Entry 8705
Git dere name. An' yo' take dere name an' yo' take yore name an' yo' put it down in de bottle. An' git chew some honey whut chew sells in de groc'ry stō'. An' every time dat person come aroun' yo', jis' take dat bottle an' shook it up, an' dey go away from yo' an' dey won' bothah yo' no mō'. (You do that with the bill col- lector or the law or anyone?) Anyone. (How do you put those names down now?) Take dose names an' git chew a ink pin or a indelible pencil an' yo' write yore name down three times straight an' dere name down nine times dat way. An' yo' roll it up an' yo' fold it an' yo' put dat honey down up in dere. An' yo' shake dis bottle up an' keep it corked dat way. An' every time dat person come aroun', yo' shake dat bottle an' dey won't bother yo'.
(If you are in business?)
Yes.
Entry 8706
Yo' take dey name. Yo' kin find out dey laws' name or people whosoml evah botherin' yo' aroun' in dat neighborhood. Yo' git chew some loaf sugah, dat dey call Domino Sugah [trade name] dat's in de block. Yo' take dat an' yo' put it in a bottle an yo' write dis individual name down wit a indelible pencil. Yo' Write it down nine times but yo' orite chure name - write dere name down nine times. Lak say if it wuz Sam Jones, yo' put Jones an' den put de Sam behin' it, see. An' den yo' write chure name jes' lak yo' wuz goin' [to] back a lettah. If yore name wuz James Joseph, see yo'd write James Joseph, jes' lak yo's backin' a lettah. Write it on a piece of Papah. Yo' write de individual name down nine times straight, an' yo' write yore name down nine times across it, see. But chew put chure given name first. An' yo' take dat sugah an' put it in a bottle in some watah. An' when yo' put it in dere wit dat watah, yo' put it in a cornah somewhere where nobody kinnot tech [cannot touch] it. An' every now an' den yo' take dat bottle an' yo' shake it up. Dat sweetens dere min' an' keeps dem from bothahin' yo'.
(Do you use any number of lumps of sugar or just....?)
No, yo' jes' puts enough tuh make it sweet, jes' enough tuh make de watah sweet.
Entry 8707
(Will you tell me that again?) Ah said, that if yo' wanted to run somebody away from a town, ah've heard dat yo' could write dere name on a shingle an' throw it in runnin' watah - a new shingle an' throw it in runnin' watah, an' dey would leave de city.
(I see, leave town.)
Yes.
Entry 8708
Yo' have to know their name. Yo' could take their name an' write it on a new shingle an' turn it ovah an' bury it at yore door, an' dey'll come back an' put it dere. (I see, if they stole this article from you.)
Entry 8709
(You want to stay on the good side of your boss?) Yes. Yo' wanta work continually wit chure boss. Jis' put his name in de bottom of yore shoe an' yo'll wear dat.
Entry 8710
Like yo' got a woman or anything like dat, yo' kin write her name an' wear it, an' she can't quit yo' for nobody else. (Where do they wear that name?) Jest wear it in your left shoe. (And she can't quit you.) Jes' write her name an' put it in yore left shoe.
Entry 8711
Yo' go to a place - if yo' know de place where yo're goin' an' know de people's name [name of person who hires]. Yo' git chew a piece of pastebo'd an' yo' cut it down as a shoe sole, de print of a shoe sole [an insole]. Yo' write dem people name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. (You just write one right after the other?) One right aftah de othah, nine times. (Now, if the boss's name was Sam Jones, you just write Sam Jones right underneath Sam Jones?) Yassuh, an' den aftah yo' do dat, yo' git chew some cinnamon an' yo' git chew some sugah. An' yo' puts dat in yore shoe an' yo' weah dat. An' yo' git yo' a piece of John de Conkah root, an' yo' chews dat root, an' as yo' go in dere yo' spits, an' make yore wish fo' whut chew goin' dere, whut kinda job yo' goin' dere tuh be successful. Yo' git dis job.
(You just make one sole [insole] or two?)
Jes' one sole.
(For either shoe?)
Fo' either shoe, it don' make no diff'rence.
(It doesn't make any difference what shoe.)
Either one.
Entry 8712
Yo' git up at sunrise, befo' yo' speak to anyone at all, wash yore face or anything, jes' as de risin' of de sun, dey go out to de step like de sun risin dis way, an' yo' call dere name three times. An' after yo' call dere name three times, don't make none other step towards dat way. Jes' turn right aroun' an' come on back. Say, an' after yo' come back yo' kin speak to anyone yo' want to, wash yore face an' anything if yo' want tuh.
(You called their name out there didn't you?)
Yeah, call dere name three time, which person yo' wants tuh come back home. See, jes' lak mah name is Walter. Jes' call mah name, jes' plainly, de full name three times. An' dey do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' den de mawnin' yo' hear from 'em, yo' begin about de fifth until 'bout de 15th, yo' hear from 'em some Way or 'nother by friends. Somebody bring yo' some kinda message.
Entry 8713
Write anybody name six times on a piece of papah an' go an' put it up ovah de front do'. An' call dere name six times an' write dat down on dat papah an' dat will bring 'em to yo'. Ei- ther - if yo' want 'em tuh come to yo', yo' jes' say, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, ah hope dey will come. An' if yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin jes' say, "Go." See, write it six times forwards an' put it ovah yore do'.
Entry 8714
Well, yo' take her name an' yo' write her name down three times. Yo' write yore name three times. Yo' want her now, yo' want her. (Now where would I write my name?) Yo' write her name here first [demonstrates]. Put chure name heah [underneath]. Yo' Yo' write her name heah an' put chure name in dere. Yo' write it three of each, three of each. An' yo' take den an' yo' sprinkle a li'le salt an' a li'le sugah on dis, white sugah. De sugah tuh sweeten it. Salt saves it an' sugah sweetens it. An' sprinkle dat. Yo' put dat on top of a heater an' yo' let dat brown. When yo' let dat brown, her mind will come to yo'. Dat sveetness of dat sugah will sweeten her mind tuhwards yo'. Yo' git 'er. Well, now, if yo' wanta jes', say, carry her off from where she stayin' or make confusion ovah dere first, yo' put red peppah, sulphur an' gunpowdah on dere. Put 'er husban' name or whosomevah man she got, yo' put dat on dere. Dat's tuh confuse dem. Den when yo' confuse 'em, yo' got 'em. Den yo' put dat sugah on dere to sweeten, an' dat salt to save 'er fo' yo'. Yo' put dat on dere tuh bring 'er tuh yo'.
Entry 8715
Jes' lak if a person want 'em [to] leave, wanta run a person outa town, yo' take a brand-new bar [of] Octagon [trade name] soap an' write in de fo' cor- ners of it. Yo' take it an' go to de rivah. (You do what on the four cor- ners?) Write de person name whut chew Wanta leave, want 'em leave outa town. Write dere name on de fo' corners of de soap, an' throw it ovahbo'd when de tide be goin' out. An' dat will make dem leave town. (How do you write that name on the corner? Here's the soap [I demonstrate]. Do you write it like this, or like that?) De fo' corners [demonstrates].
(Like that, catercornered in the four corners.)
Yes.
Entry 8716
Yo' kin take a woman's stockin' or a man's sock dat dey done wore, an' yo' takes dat an' write dere name down nine times straight, jes' on a straight piece of papah [demonstrates]. (Write one and the next one after it right under the other.) Yessuh. An' yo' put it in dat sock or stockin' an' yo' fold it from yo'. An' as yo' fold it from yo', at twelve a'clock at night, yo' go somewhere where dere's a fig tree. An' yo' dig a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' puts dat stockin' undah dat tree an' covah it up. An' when yo' covah it up [you say] "As dat stockin' melt away, dey wastes away." See, dey'll jes' dry up an' Waste away lak a person dat got some kinda disease.
(You must say those words?)
Yessuh, as yo' put de stockin'. Yo' wrap up as ah 'fore tole yo' wit de name in it. An' den when yo' put de name in dere, yo' wrap it from yo'. An' yo' find de fig tree. But it must be twelve a'clock at night. An' yo' digs a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' buries it. An' when yo' buries it, yo' say, "Jes' lak ah put dis stockin' heah tuh rot away, dat's de way ah want de individuals tuh waste away."
(That will kill them then?)
Yessuh, an' as dat stockin' rot away, dey health be gittin' bad an' dey'll first an' last, final[ly], an' jes' die off, an' nobody will know whut dey died wit, if dey don' go find out 'bout de stockin'.
Entry 8717
Well, de socks, yo' take de man's socks but yo' don' have tuh nuse
[use] all of it if yo' don' wan' tuh. Yo' write his name down an' yo' [lay]
dose nine needles, de goldhead needles, an' yo' roll dat sock up. But chew put de cayenne peppah in dat name - de salt an' cayenne peppah in dat. An' to take an' nuse yore cross- in' yo' cross 'em up in dat. An' aftah yo' cross 'em up, yo' take dat an' yo' put it in dat sock. An' yo' roll it an' yo' take de pins an' yo' stick 'em, but evah time yo' stick 'em yo' cross dem. An' dat - dat part would make de man, if yo' want tuh keep de man at chure house, tuh always [stay there] when yo' bury. But yo' don' have tuh bury it all de time. Yo' could jis' put it ovah a joice [joist] somewhere. [Burying the sock could be a nuisance, if you wanted to get rid of the man later; but I suppose the sock could be dug up.]
Entry 8718
Write de name [of the prospective renter] under your name. First you go to the Bible an' yo' take any chaptah out of it, jis' take yo' any word jis' like Peter, James or John, or anything like that, an' yo' write it down. All right. An' yo' know their names. Yo' want 'em to rent de house. Yo' write dere name down, see. Well, den yo' take anothah verse out de Bible. Write jis' de word yo' see an' den write your name again den. Well, all right. Aftah yo' do dat, den yo' take an' write dere name an' spit in dis bottle 3 times. As yo' roll dis up, take dese names an' roll 'em up right tight. Stick 'em down in dis bottle, stop it, an' bury it undah yore doorstep. Dey'll have to rent de room or yore house from yo'. Yo' call on de Lord [= don't forget to pray]. [This rite has special interest because my original first transcription, a first hearing of the cylinder, is attached here to the final manuscript. I had to transcribe by hand and pencil because my transcriber missed a number of the Hemphis cylinders.]
Entry 8719
(To get the job?)
Yo' write his name, de boss name, an' yore name, too, if yo' wants. If yo' don' want, yo' don' need tuh write chure name, but long as yo' git de boss name, yo' understan'. (You write his name down once?) Nine times. Yo' git chew cinna- mon [chewing cinnamon] an' yore sugah. An' git some cinnamon tuh chew [stick cinnamon] an' spit nine times goin' tuh 'im an' nine times when yo' git tuh 'im.
(After you have written this name, what do you do with this name?)
Yo' jis' keep dat name folded tuh yo' an' weah it in de bottom of yore shoe. Eithah shoe will do.
Entry 8720
Ah tell yo' what choo do fo' yoreself fo' tuh cross a person.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Well, dey take it an' write dere names on a hot stove with this stick [lump] sulphur. But if yo' gon'a use de powdered sulphur, jis' sprinkle dat on de stove an' make yore wishes. An' if yo' don't do like dat, yo' burn it wit some asfitidee [asafetida]. Get some asfitidee an' put it in de top an' put dat sulphur in dere, an' burn it togethah an' make yore wishes. Jis' like if yo' want 'em to separate or if yo' want 'em to stay together.
Entry 8721
Yes, ah heard dat chew kin take some sulphur an' burn it. Git chew some sulphur an' put it in a saucer or a plate of somepin dat it kin burn it, a'yo' stan' ovah it an' say tuh it whut chew want done, an' it will happen. Bat chew gotta stan' ovah it an' turn from east tuh no'th, an' talk to it. Yes, yo' gotta start from de east an' yo' swing it right on roun' till yo' git to de no'th, talkin' to it as yo' runnin' roun', an' call[ing] dere name three times. (That is if you Want to cross up that house, so that nobody else could move in there, after they make. you move out?) Yes.
Entry 8722
They take sulphur and saltpeter and incense an' burn it together, but chew got to name it, dey claim. An' as it goes up, de effect of it, de scent dat goes out, comes out from it, de individual dat happens to inhale it, why dey get to a place dat dey can't stand anythin'. Makes dem fickle-minded dey tell me. An' dey get so after while dat yo' get 'em confused about anything. They finally lose dere mind.
Entry 8723
If de man leave an' yo' Want 'im tuh come back, yo' git chew some sulphur an bluestone an' a piece of papah - writin' papah. Yo' write his name on it three times an' yo' put dis sulphur an' dis bluestone on dis papah an' yo' burn it fo' nine mawnin's.
(This same paper or do you take a new piece each morning?)
New each mawnin'. Yo' burn dat fo' nine mawnin' an' de nine mawnin' he'll come back.
Entry 8724
(Dog hair and cat hair, how do they use that?)
Well, yo' take dat dog hair an' dat cat hair together, an' yo." put maybe sompin, my name or yore name, anybody dat chew wanta call. Dey will fight lak cats an' dogs, man an' his wife. Yo' jes' put dere names together, an' yo' take dat cat an' dat dog hair an' yo' put it together, an yo' put red peppah an' sulphur wit dat an' yo' burn dat. Dat will cause 'em tuh fight lak cats an' dogs.
Entry 8725
A fellah tole me dat would git de woman back, too. Call 'er, yo' know, nine morn- ings befo' de sunrise.