Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 45
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 8726
Well, yo' can keep a woman de same way. If yo' want to draw a woman to you, yo' take nine tacks an' nail 'em up ovah yore door, wit her name on a piece of paper. Put them nine tacks around it and puts it down at the door underneath of a piece of mat. See. An' yo' nails it down there. Dat's called nailin' [over the door] an' puttin' yo' under yore [their] feet [beneath mat]. An' yo' see, anythin' ah want to do or go out anywhere or anythin', she ain't goin' to worry about. Ah could do jis' what ah want, she ain't goin' to leave me.
(You put this either over the door or down below?)
Yo' put it ovah de door an' den this [demonstrates] jis' like dis mat [in interviewing room]. Jis' put it underneath of de mat, see. An' jis' put de [carpet] tacks aroun' it; wit the name on dere, but always have mine on de top.
(Where's your name?)
Mine is on top of hers.
(On that paper?)
Over de door, see.
(And what's down on the floor?)
De same way on de floor.
(You do it twice? You put one above the door and one down there?)
It always be a odd times: three, seven or nine.
(I see.)
Entry 8727
Yo' kin take a turtle or terrapin an' yo' kin write a person's name on dat turtle dat, yo' know, dat yo' don't want to stay in town. Go write dere name on dat turtle an' turn 'im loose in de water an' every time dat turtle move dey'll move.
Entry 8728
[Here is an unusual use of the terrapin-turtle rite.1 He in trouble, leave-like to keep yo' from ketchin' 'im. Yo've seen dese streaked-laig terrapin?
(Yes.)
Dem ole streaked-laig one. Ketch one an' cut 'is name on de back of de shell. Drop 'im back in de watah. He's gone. (You say this fellow is a criminal and that you want him to get away free. You cut his name on this terrapin, so that they can't catch him.)
Entry 8729
Yo' see, yo' can take a terrapin an' write-like my name nine times backwards, if somebody don't like me, yo' know. An' catch 'im alive an' open his mouth an' put dat down in his mouth, an' den throw 'i back in de watah. Jes' as long as he stay in de watah, dat will make yo' drift, drift up an' down de watah, jes' make yo' go first one place to anothah.
(Just write this on a piece of paper?)
On a piece of papah.
Entry 8730
Take a sewin' thimble an' git chew three sewin' thimbles of ants' nest, an' ants an' all, an' yo' go tuh work an' yo' put it into a envelope an' write de person name an' put de envelope an' seal dat up den. An' yo' go tuh work den, de really fac' 'bout it, an' yo' take a spoon dat chew use anywheres on yore table gen'ly [generally]. Yo' lay dat envelope down an' yo' don't squench [= crush, see comment at end of rite] it no way atall, no way. Yo' dig de width of dat envelope - it 'sposed tuh be three inches in de ground. Yo' lay dat envelope in dere but chew don't - yo' know, yo' don't have it where yo' squench it nowhere an' yo' have dis full length, an' yo' bury it an' yo' cover it ovah. An' yo' take a ten-penny nail an' stick down In de ground to de haid. [The buried envelope is a grave symbol, the nail the tombstone.] An' dat Will - DE REALLY FAC' 'BOUT IT, SUH, IT WILL UPSET DE DEVIL, MUCH LESS ANYTHING ELSE.
(You put that before somebody's house?)
See, yo' put dat anywheres where dere's any path or - anywheres dat person travel or walk ovah. It don' make no diff'rence whether it's anywheres close tuh his home. Anywheres where he travel ovah.
(What will that do to the person, then?)
WHY ABSOLUTELY, DERE'S NO WAY DAT HE KIN REALLY STAY AT HOME IN ANY PEACE. Can't stay home wit no peace: Him an' his folks can't git along. It will pizen [poison] de minds of 'em. [The preceding word squench is a dialectal form of quench, this latter meaning: to quench a thirst, or to put out a fire, or to cool suddenly by plunging hot steel into water to temper it. A former meaning of quench was to crush, a meaning that was rare back in 1939 when I collected the word.1
Entry 8731
[Three is a numeral we have already met in this section about nomes. Here I have gathered together a few examples temporarily overlooked or not easily placed elsewhere. The rite preceding this one, THIMBLEFULS 3, could have been included here, but I preferred to index it under thimble:] If she want 'er husban' tuh stay home, she goes tuh work an' get her a strip of papah, a little strip of papah. She puts her name at de top an' she puts her husband name right underneat' of hers." She gits her a thin piece of cloth, yo' know, lak in de linin', lak in de linin' of a coat. Stick it right in dere. An' she'll sew it down into de seat of her bloomers. Den she'll git de same thing, her name at de top an' his'n to de bottom, an' she'll wear it in her shoe fo' three days. An' if he don't leave off runnin', ah don't know what [she could do].
(She makes both those and puts one in her bloomers and one in her shoe?)
Yes.
Entry 8732
Yo' kin take his name an' place it into her mattress on a piece of tablet paper on which yo' write his name. Spell his name forward and backwards three times, referring it to de mattress of de bed, or eithah de pillah. Dat will draw 'im.
Entry 8733
Jes' like yo' write yore name on somepin dat chew want 'em tuh do. Well, yo' kin take a pencil an' write their name on a plain piece of papah. Den yo' take dat papah an' fold it tuhwards yuh, yuh know. Some of dem say in de Name of de Lord, Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, but yo' fold it tuhwards yo'. Den yo' put it undah yore shoe sole [insole] undah yore feet an' weah it like dat.
(What will that do?)
Say dat'll jest conquer 'em any way dat yo' wants to.
Entry 8734
This what they have done, when they want yo' to move out de house an' de neighborhood where dey livin' at. Dey goes to de Crackerjack Drug Store an' gets bluestone. Understan'? Gets bluestone an' gets some incense, an' fix dat up together, an' put it in de bottle. An' takes their name an' write it nine times an' put it in de bottle. An' turn de bottle upside down 'neath de steps an' they have to move.
(I see. In how long?)
In nine day's time they leave dere.
Entry 8735
Take a piece of paper an' write their names nine times on dis an' ah have used some of dat Three S Love Powder an' nail it up, in a tree or somepin, yo' know, an' finally he'll come back if de tree doesn't die. Long as it lives they'll [he'll] come back, but if it dies they'll [he'll] never come back. (You write this person's name on this paper, then put this powder on it, and nail it up in a tree? That's all you have to do to make him come back?) Yes.
Entry 8736
If a boy would go off from home an' stay a long time an' his mother want 'im back, an' he jis' won't go home, an' she Want to see him: She kin take a nail an' a hammer, an' go to de front doah an' hit dat nail three time, an' call your [his] name three time. An' wheresomevah he is in de world, gon'a git worried up until yo' [he] git back there where she at.
Entry 8737
Like if anyone yo' love real good an' yo' wan'a bring 'em back to yo', for three times a day when yo' fix [prepare] zhor meal or set de table yo' kin set their plate an' de spoon an' fork [and knife] jes' like yo' set for 'em when they were there. An' call their name three times an' tell 'em to come to their dinnah or somepin or breakfas', whichevah it is, an' in nine mawnin's dey'll be back.
Entry 8738
Take dat photograph of dis individual. Den yo' want peace, yo' wants love, Wants happiness. Yo' take dat photograph but chew gotta steal it. Don't let no one give it tuh yo', yo' steal it, or else let someone else git it fo' yo', if yo' wants peace or wants dat individual. Yo' write his name three times on it. An' keep it in yore pillah an' turn it down on.its face. An' it will be peace dere tuh yo', if it's yore sweetheart or yore wife; or whoevah it is, whoevah he may be.
Entry 8739
Either yo' kin write de name down three times on a piece of papah, any kind of papah, an' put it in a lamp an' burn it in a dark place, an' dey'll return. Anything containin' oil, yo' kin burn it, yo' know, an' dey'll return.
Entry 8740
Yo' take lump incense. It's stuff dat looks lak kind of a crys- tal-lak. An' yo' use dat sugah an' dat wisterias perfume. Yo' burn it an' call yore man's name three times. Dat'll - Memoirs of Alma Egah Hyatt Foundation - bring him back home. Dat will [bring] peace in de house, too.
(Wisteria perfume?)
Wisterias.
Entry 8741
Ah've heard of a person kin write chure name on a piece of papah, an' go to a tree dat's growin' an' bo' a hole or eithah split a place big enough, an' drive dat name in dere on dat papah, an' let it grow up in dere, an' aftah so long a time dat person'll go clean away an' yo'll nevah see 'em or heah from 'em no mo'. Ah've heard of dat being done.
Entry 8742
If a person's in a house an' yo' want 'em tuh move or somepin like dat, yo' go in de woods an' cut a hole in a tree an' wish 'em some [bad] luck an' come back an' throw it [the sawdust or shavings from the hole] on dere house an' dey'l] move.
[Name is implied in the wish.]
(What kind of a tree do you go to?) A pine tree or oak tree or any kinda tree. (You cut a hole in that tree, you say, and what do you do then?) Yes sir, yo' wish dis person bad luck, an' come back home an' throw it under dere house.
(What do you throw on the house?)
Whatsoevah yo' cut in de tree. (You mean that sawdust and stuff from the hole. I didn't know what you were throwing under the house. You throw this stuff from the hole under the house. That's to make them have the bad luck, whatever you wish them.
Entry 8743
Dat chew kin take an' go out into de woods, if yo' want tuh keep yore girl fren', so's people say - if it seems lak she's gittin' off from yo', goin' wit anothah fellah - take some of de young boughs on dat tree an' tie yo' a knot in dat tree an' make yore wishes, an' name it. An' she goin' stay dere wid joo until dat tree's cut down, or until somebody come along an' break dat limb off de tree, so dat knot will come untied. (You take one of those limbs and tie it in a knot.)
Entry 8744
Yo' know trees, a switch offa each tree, dat is not alike an' go tuh a runnin' watah an' throw dese switches in dere one by one an' call de person name, jes' lak yo' want 'em tuh leave, an' jes' say, "Ah hope tuh God So-an'-so will leave, In de Name of de Father an' de Holy Ghost." An' yo' repeat it ovah, ovah an' ovah, till yo' throw de last nine switches in de watah. [You take one switch from each of nine trees: maple, oak, pine, etc.]
(That's all you have to do. You don't say, The Name of the Son?)
No suh, jes' De Name of de Father an' de Holy Ghost.
Entry 8745
Jes' go to de sunrise side of a tree an' graze dat side.
(Smooth the side off?)
Yes sir, an' take [these grazings from] dat side of de tree. Now if de person livin' dis direction, an' de sunrise dis, yo' take de sunrise side of dat tree - take dat off, see. Dey call his name. Take a horn, a cow horn, an' scrape a little off it an' put it in dat horn, an' den scrape some offa de sunrise side of dat tree; an' call his name an' every time yo' call it, yo' blow dat horn - about eight times. An' aftah de eight time - de eight times - like yo' blows it easy, an' de ninth, blows it loud as yo' wanta. But turn - if yo on dat side [see later explanation], yo' turn it dis side, if yo' want 'em come ack disaway. Yo' blow it, de dust out dat horn. He'll come home. (You blow that dust toward where he is and then he'll come back. If he's over Chere, you blow it this way to bring him back; if he's over in that direction, you slou the dust in the opposite direction to bring him back.) [A cow-horn expert will be needed to explain what happens here, just how the oov horn is held and handled. It has been 60 years since I saw and tried to blow a cow horn!] Jes' like he ovah dis side, yo' turn yore back an' blow de dust tuhward 'im. (You put htat - some scrapings from the cow horn in the horn and some scrap- igs from the tree into the horn, and blow it ou on the ninth time.) Yo' take de scrapings of de tree - go tuh de sunrise side - an' if he on de lgoin'-down [side] yo' work it from de sun-goin'-down, if he out dat way. See. 血 de way he is yo' gotta blow dat dust ovah heah. (But you must get these scrapings from the sunrise side of the tree, always, matter which direction he is?) Dat's right, take it from de sunrise side of de tree if he's... [I have had cmough and interrupt.] (Suppose he's at the sunrise side, then what side would I take it - now wait inute! Suppose he's on the sunrise side. Now what side of the tree would I te those scrapings from?) At de sunrise side. Take it from dis side, de west side, de sun-goin'-down. (Otherwise, in whatever direction he is - no matter what direction he's in - roa take these scrapings from the opposite side of this tree from where he is. Esean, you don't always take it from the sunrise side?) No sir.
(That's what I wanted to find out.)
It's foah [four] ways to dat, dat he kin go. (And you will take it from the opposite side of the tree from which he is - scrapings?) Yes.
Entry 8746
A person kin take a new tin plate an' write a person's name in it dat's e from aroun' yo'. An' if yo' wanted tuh see 'em an' turn it down in a trunk or keep it some way where nobody Would nevah trouble it, an' dat person'll come. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 8747
Now if a woman's husband left her, dere's several ways dat she could bring him back. She could write his name an' her name on a tin pan, a brand-new one nevah has been cooked in, an' turn it down undah de bed, an' he'll come back. Dat's a good one.
Entry 8748
Common cookin' pan, tin pan, an' yo' kin write a person's name on dere. An' if it anybody dat chew wanta come back or somepin like dat, yo' kin write it on dat tin pan an' place it in de stove, in yore cookin' stove an' jes' keep dat pan. Don't care whut chew cook dere, keep dat in dere an' dey'll come back.
Entry 8749
Ah heard yo' take a little tin plate an' write de individual name on it about nine or ten times an' put it undah yore mattress an' it will be peace dere in dat house. Or eithah yo' kin work it fo' peace, or yo' kin work it fo' evil.
Entry 8750
Ah've heard dat in case yo' wanta bring someone back to yo', who left or run away, dat chew take yo' a brand-new tin pan an' engrave on dat tin pan dey name an' lay dat tin pan right up ovah yore do'.
(That will bring them back. That all you have to do?)
Jes' whut ah tole yo'.
Entry 8751
Yo' git a new tin pan an' yo' write de name on de back of dat pan an' yo' write de 27th Psalms of de Bible, an' when yo' want dem to come, return, an' dey will return. (What do you do with the tin pan?) Aw yo' puts hit behin' yore do' or in yore room, jes' most anywhere, yo' know, where it won't be [seen].
Entry 8752
Write his name on one of dose little fryin' pie-a-pans, tin plates, yes sir. Write his name in dere an' write de 13th chapter of Psalms. An' den write his name three times an' Write de Psalms twice, but chew must read dose verses backwards. Place 'em underneath of de steps with very little over earth over it, dat means de dirt over it, an' leave it underneath of dere from nine to eight- teen days. He'll be back dere.
Entry 8753
To bring back, git choo a tin pan or tin plate whut choo use fo' cookin'. Write his name on dat nine times an' write de 85 Psalm on dere, on dat tin plate, an' put it any place dat secret place in de house. [Charleston, S. Car., (518, Doctor Nelson, see p.1599f., 2260, etc.) 611:9.]
Entry 8754
Fo' example, yo' take two tin plates an' yo' write de 23rd Psalm upon de back [of one] an' de 42nd Psalm upon de back of de [other] tin plate, an' yo' place it [them] under yore pillah an' sleep dere an' he'll shortly return. [The word name does not appear in the text of this rite but it is surely intended. It may have dropped out before recording began.]
Entry 8755
Jes' lak if somebody did sompin tuh yo' an' yo' didn't like it or sompin of de kin'. In othah words, if yo' got a man off some place or 'nothah an' yo' take a new tin plate. Git it tuh de Five-an'-Ten-Cent Sto'. An' yo' write dis chapter out de Bible, de fo'th chapter of Psalms [Psalm 4]. Yo' write dat out de Bible on dat tin plate an' write his name down de bottom [and an unusual construction of In 3 Holy Names 'De Father bids yo' come, de Son bids yo' come, de Holy Ghost bids yo' come, an' yo' must come back home tuh me in Jesus' Name." An' yo' turn dat plate an' put it undah yore mattress, where yo' gotta sleep on every night.
Entry 8756
De 88th Psalms an' de 85th Psalms. YO' EVER READ DE BIBLE? [I either did not answer or answered with my head. Perhaps informant did not give me time to answer.] An' yo' go down to de Ten Cent Store an' yo' buy yo' a ten cents pan [tin pan]. An' yo' write three words on there, God, de Father; God, de Son; god, de Holy Ghost. An' write his name there. In nine days he'll be back there, but yo' still gotta read de 88th Psalm and de 85th Psalm.
(What do you do with that pan then?)
Yo' place it in de corner of yore home.
Entry 8757
Write chure name in it, in dat tin pan - brand-new tin plate - an whirl [or spin] it tuh yo'. Every mawnin' write chure name - have to write it fo' nine mawnin's - if yo' 'way an' dey wanta see yuh. Yo' take dat brand-new tin pan an' write chure name an' turn [spin] it to yo'.[ Whirl [or spin] it ovah three times to yo', say[ing], "Ah do dis In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, fo' yo' to come an' nevah return [to where you were]." An' ah don't care if yo's in Europe, yo'll come.
Entry 8758
Ef ah had someone a long ways from me an' ah wanted 'em back, ah would have three ways tuh git 'em back. One way, dat ah'd write dere name on tin an' lead an' hang it up on de do', an' dey supposed tuh return in from nine tuh twenty-one days. Write dey full name, dey birth- name on tin, on a piece of tin, an' tack it up on mah do', In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' in from 9 tuh 21 days dey 'sposed tuh 'peah 'fore me.
(Do you write the name on a piece of tin or on a piece of lead?)
On lead or eithah tin.
(You tack it up over the door with the name out?)
Yessuh, wit de name out. Ah kin write it with a lead pencil or a nail.
Entry 8759
Well, yo' kin use it. Jes' lak yore husband is got a woman or whut not - anything dat chure husban' is doin' an' yo' don't want 'im tuh do it. Yo' kin go tuh de hardware [store] an' buy a pie pan, a little cheap pie pan an' yo' writes - well, we'll say he's got a woman an' yo' don't want him tuh have 'er.[ Well, den yo' go an' buy dat pan an' yo' name it 'im. An' yo'll come back home an' yo'll take a ink pen an' yo'll write his name nine times cross dat pan. Den yo'll write dis woman's name nine times undah de bottom of de pan. Den yo' turn yore mattress back an' lay it on yore bed slats, yo' might say, or de springs, an' let 'im sleep on it. An' he'll fo'git all about de woman.
Entry 8760
If yo' could go an' buy a new tin pan, pie pan dat nevah been used, an' yo' put dat up ovah de door piece where yo' keep John de Conkah. Yo' [have seen] John de Conkah root? (No, I've heard of it but I ' have never seen it.) Well, yo' get a piece of John de Conkah an' wrap it up in a little cloth an' yo' put de smooth part of de pan, an' yo' turn de smooth part, de in part to yo' an' outer part goes to de dō'
(The back of the pan goes to the wall?)
Yes, an' yo' put dis John de Conkah behin' dis pan an' say, "Ah wan' choo in pahtiklah [particular] to stay away from me." Yo' makes dat wish. But whethah dat works or not, ah haven't had anything to [especially to keep the law away].
Entry 8761
A tin plate. If me an' yo' had done fall out or ah had sompin yo' Want an' yo' nevah could git it from me, ah come tuh yo' an' borrah [borrow] one of yore pans. Take dat pan tuh de house. Ah take it an' nurinate [urinate] in it. Keep it fo' all night wit dat nurinate an' let it set in dere. Ah take it de next mawnin' an' wash it out good an' drop some. Heart Cologne on it an' carry it back tuh yo'.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's tuh gain de influence of me an' yo' back.
(Bring us back together again? To restore former relations?)
Yes.
Entry 8762
Ah tell whut chew kin do, if yo's outa yore home right now an' ah Wanted yo' tuh come back heah in yore home. Ah don't think yo're treated right, dat somebody has runned yo away. Ah'm goin' write chure name on a tin plate an' mah name, but me an' yo'd be good friends an' bring yo' back in dis home. An' turn dat new tin- plate an' write chure name in it an' den dere's a brass thimble an' three teaspoons. [The name is written on and the thimble and 3 teaspoons are in the right-side-up plate.] An' turn dat plate an' turn it fo' nine mawnin's - turn it roun' nine times fo' nine mawnin's. An' sleep wit it up undah de head of yore bed. He'll come back home. [The right- side-up plate is turned on its bottom and probably turned anti-clockwise, revers- ing time to bring man home.]
Entry 8763
Yo' buy a brand-new tin pan out de stā' an' do' nuse [don't use] it fo' nuthin an' don' set it dwon on nuthin [don't touch the earth theme]. Yo' git it an' come right back home. Yo' gits yo' a pencil an' mark it disaway an' data- way. [I interrupt.] (Just like you were quartering a pie - into four parts.) [If informant did not under- stand guartering, I added four parts.j Yes sir. Yo' put his name heah, put chure name heah, an' den yo' put his name ovah dere an' his name heah... (Wait a minute! In this [I demonstrate on paper] upper left-hand corner as you are looking at it, you put his name. Underneath that you put your name. Then up above in the right hand corner you put your name, and then his name underneath. In other words, his name and your name are opposites.) [See my diagram for quartered pie.] Yes sir.
(All right. Then what do you do with that pan?)
Yo' take it an' turn it bottomside upwards an' walk out de do' backwards, see, an' shove it right underneat' yore do'step. Yo' don't bury it. Jes' put enough sand ovah it, yo' see, to keep anybody from seein' it. It won't be two weeks [2 seven-day periods] befo' he'll be back there. Ah've tried dat mahself.
Entry 8764
Ah've heard of 'em usin' dem tin plates tuh make a person come home. Yo' take a new tin plate - take two of 'em an' write dere names in 'em. Yo' write 'em an' jes' lak yo' cut lak dat, yo' write in fo' corners, fo' places. An' say dat plate den - dem two plates an' put 'em 'tween yore mattress on yore bed.
(Put them separately right there or together?)
Uh-huh, separate. An' yo' let 'em stay right dere an' don't nobody tetch dem, an' don't make dat bed. Don't bothah till dose folks come back. (You write those names on these two pans just as if you were quartering a pie?) Yes, dat's right, fo' parts.
(Cutting it into four pieces?)
Uh-huh, yo' write it up dere. Yo' write it on dose lines.
(You write it four times on each plate then?)
Yeah, but don't nevah let it - always jam it up in dat corner in de middle of dat plate.
Entry 8765
(How did they do that?)
He went tuh a man [doctor or fortuneteller] and this man had taken a bran'-new tin plate, a common tin plate, an' he write on de back of dis tin plate in red- ink writing. Ah couldn't read de writin' but ah - when dey come - ah was livin' wit de people. Dis girl, she didn't leave de state, but she stayed aftah she left. An' he brought dis tin plate dere an' asked 'im to sign 'er name. An' he said he couldn't sign it [he could not write]. An' so, he got me to sign de girl's name at de bottom. An' he'd taken her coat - she had a little velvet coat - an' wrapped it up in dat an' put it in behin' de ceilin's in de wall. An' told 'im when she come back, tuh take it [coat] an' bring it back tuh 'im an' he [would put] 'em tuhgethah again. (And bring it back to him?) Bring it back tuh 'in. An' he tole 'im tuh go in dat room, yo' see, an' turn tuh de direction where she was, an' pray three times a day. An' said, dat inside of fo' days she would be back. An' she certainly was. (WILL YOU TELL ME THE STORY RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. HOW IT ALL STARTED - THE WHOLE STORY, THE DETAILS.) Of dis? (Yes, the whole story. How it happened. About her leaving and that sort of thing. Tell all the story.) When she left, she didn't go tuh stay.
(She didn't go to stay?)
No, sir, she didn't go tuh leave, yo' know. At least, she didn't tell 'im she was. She had tole othah people when she left dat she wasn't comin' back.
(I see.)
An' so, her brother-in-law died an' dat's how she got away. She went tuh Louisiana.
(To Louisiana?)
Yeah. An' aftah she got over dere...
(Where was she living?)
She was livin' here in Vicksburg.
(Oh, I see. All right.)
Yes, sir. An' aftah she got ovah dere, she didn't come back an' she wrote, keep encouragin' 'im dat she would be back. An' so she wrote fo' 'im tuh send her things dere. An' he did do it. An' aftah he sent her things dere, she still didn't come back. An' so he went tuh dis man an' dis man tole him dat she wasn't thinking about comin' back.
(Did he go to a man here in town?)
Yes, sir. An' he told 'im dat she wasn't thinkin' about comin' back. An' so he told 'im dat he could brin g'er back fo' 'im. An' he went tuh 'im an' he come. Dis man come tuh 'is house an'
(YOU MEAN THIS "DOCTOR" CAME TO THIS MAN'S HOUSE?)
YES, SIR, CAME TO HIS HOUSE AN' HE BROUGHT DIS TIN PAN WIT 'IM, WIT DE WRITIN' ALREADY ON IT.
(Well, how Was it fixed up, this pan?)
De pan? Jes' a plain tin plate, yo' know pie plate, an' de writin' was on de back of it, jes' like, jes' like yo' would write a letter tuh somebody. But ah couldn't read it, but it was writin' jes' like yo' would write a lettah tuh somebody, an' at de bottom of it he wanted - somebody else had tuh sign 'er name.
(And how was it written, you said before? Written with what?)
With red ink.
(Red ink?)
Yes.
(Did it look like English writing or what?)
Yes.
(You really think it was Written in English, but you couldn't read it?)
No, sir.
[The words may have been written with English letters but meaningless.]
(I see. All right. And they [he] brought this pan back to the man's house?)
Yes.
(And then what happened?)
He took this pan and got one of her pieces, had tuh have somepin dat she wore, an' wrap dis pan up in it.
(But you signed that name though?)
Yes, sir, at de bottom, an' put it ovah behind de ceilin' of de wall.[ Vicks- burg, Miss., (775), 1066:3.]
Entry 8766
Yo've got to get a plain piece of papah wit no lines drawn on it. Now, ah'm goin' tuh give yo' an idea. Ah'm goin' tuh write yore name. If yo' want tuh get even wit [someone], ah'll write yore name dis way nine times, an' ah'll turn dis papah aroun' an' ah'll write my name nine times until ah get it across yores. Den ah'll fold dat papah two turns, an' den ah'll put dat in a lamp...
(Fold that paper kitty-corner.)
[I try a folk term rather than catercornered.]
Now, dis what yo' call kitty-corner, see [demonstrates] ah'll take it jes' lak dis an' den ah'll take it again jes' lak dis. An' now when it's off, dat gives me a cornah here an' a cornah here. When dis is off, dat'll give me a cornah here.
(It's in the shape of a triangle.)
[Here as often, I am annotating for my future understanding.]
Ah'll put dat in a lamp or undah a candle an' ah'll burn it an' ah can make whatevah ah burn it fo'. Ah can wish fo' what ah want an' ah'll get it in dat papah what yore name wrote on. [For names in oil bowl of burning lamp, see, many rites under margin title LAMP RITES AND NAMES in present section NAMES; for ob- jects beneath burning candles, see section CANDLES, Pp.797-862.]
Entry 8767
(Yes, what do they do about that?) Ah've heard of dat. De way I undahstood it was dis way. Jes' like if yore name or mine, if ah wanted to see yo' an' yo' were away. Well, ah'd set down an' write yore name nine times three ways, an' fold de papah three ways, an' burn each end fo' three days, an' de ninth day ah'd see yo' - don't care if yo' was in New York. (I see.[ Well, now, here's the sheet of paper. [I demonstrate with my Numbers Book.] And you write the name how many times?) Nine times that way.
(This way?)
The same name, that's right.
(Nine times this way, one right under the other?)
Dat's right, nine times dis way.
(And then nine times this way, right over it?)
Over again.
[Informant demonstrates.]
(You are writing it backwards then nine times?)
Dat's right.
(Then, what do you do? Then what?)
Den write it nine times again, back de same way crosswise. See.
(Back this way again?)
[I demonstrate.]
See, write it dis way [informant demonstrates]. See? Den yo' write it dis way, den yo' bring it back cross dis way.
(I see.)
Den yo' fold in what yo' might call a angle.
(You fold it this way?)
In a angle, sure.
(And then this way?)
Dat's right. An' burn each end. Burn this end today, an' keep it fold, an'...
(You burn each one of those ends off [one] each day.)
Each day fo' three days.
(I see.)
An' de ninth day - inside of de ninth day, yo'll see de one, dat name yo' wrote. (I see. Now, I write it lengthwise of the sheet of paper and then crosswise, and then I bring one corner down to the opposite corner, three ways..) Den fold it.
(Then I fold it three ways: that way, and that way, and another way?)
It [folded paper] have three points. Burn each cornah off.
[I summarize.]
(And this will be shaped like a triangle and have three points, and you burr one point each day for three days, and the ninth day the person will come back, whose name you wrote down?) Which name yo' wrote on dere.
(You only write the name of the person that is absent?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8768
You write your name down on a piece of paper, an' yo' write de othah party's name down on de other piece of papah. Well, if dat's someone dat yo wanta get back, an' yo' folds it [to you] three different ways. Well, because of the Way yo' foldin' it, yo' want dem tuh come back. Well, yo' have dere name turnt in de house, yo' see, an' every time, dey walk, yo' see, dey always goin' back in de house all de time, cause dere name is joined dat way. Well, if yo' want dem to stay out of de house, yo' turn de names up lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' see, just like a... turn it up lak dat.
(You turn the names out if you want them to stay outside.)
If yo' want 'em to stay outside, yo' turn de names out de house. Jes' like yo' put it up ovah dat door [points to door of interviewing room]. Well, yo' turn de name out like dat. If yo' want dem to stay in, always come in yore house, turn de name dis Way [into house].
(I see.)
Entry 8769
All yo' have to do, split dat in fo' parts.
(Split this match in four parts.)
Aftah yo' split 'em in fo' parts, yo' cut de sticks across. Dat will be eight, see. An' aftah yo' cut eight, yo' take one an' cut one in half. Dat'll be ten, see. All right, yo' cut de othah one in half. Dat will be 12 pieces. Dat's even, ain't it? See now, dose [are] twelve. All right, it will be even [number]. An' yo' take dem pieces an' yo' sew it up, yo' sew it up into a piece of cloth. Well, aftah yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth, yo' kin go to dat person house an' stick it in de block of de house [see later] fo' yo' kin bury it undah de block of de house, or yo' kin stick it in a crack [of the house] or somepin lak dat. An' yo' kin walk away. When yo' walk away from de house an' [then you] call dat person three times. See, call dem three times. De next time yo' call loud where he kin hear yo', he'll answer yo', see. Well, yo' got his voice right dere, see.
(What do you do then?)
Well, he come out dere. Yo' kin kill 'im den [not immediately but any time later], if yo' want to [because you have his voice in a bottle] or yo' kin do jes' what yo' want wit 'em [voice and bottle]. [Informant may have mentioned spirit-catching bottle earlier (for how this is done, see margin title TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f. and many places) or he assumed I knew enough about hoodoo to understand what he meant. Since you can stick it in or bury it undah, block of de house refers to the foundation sills under the house, not to the piZlars upon which the small lowland house rests aboveground.]
Entry 8770
Take dis bossman whut yo' got in yore mind - yo' got it in yore mind fo' tuh go tuh dis bossman. Yo' goin' dere tuh git a job. Yo' take dis man's name an' yo' write it an' yo' write de twelve apostle. Dese are de twelve apostles. Yo' write de twelve apostles first an' den yo' write dis man's name twelve time, an' each apostle [demonstrates] each apostle heah an' yo' write his name heah. Dis de 'postle heah, an' yo' write his [boss] name dere, dis 'postle heah, an' yo' write his name dere. Continue dat an' yo' put dat in de bottom of yore shoes, an' yo' weah dat three days 'fore yo' go tuh 'im. An' when yo' go tuh 'im, he'll give yo' de job.
Entry 8771
Yo' kin take de twelve names of de twelve disciples an' write it on a long list, yo' understand, jes' lak de names yo' use behin' dem dis- ciples. An' de person dat chew angry with, write his name under dere, aftah writin' one verse out de Bible between de twelve disciples name an' de person dat chew sō' [sore] wit. An' wrap it up an' weah it in yore shoe. Yo'll conkah dem an' keep dem down easy. (You write the twelve apostles' names and some verse from the Bible, and then the person's name that you want to keep down?) Yes sir, let de verse of de Bible be between the 'postles' name an' dat per- son's name, an' dispose of it. Put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' weah it.
Entry 8772
They say if yo' take de twelve apostles an' write 'em on [a piece of paper or twelve sage leaves?] an' put 'em in yore left pocket or eithah yore left shoe, why dey say dat'll keep harm from comin' to yo'. [A note following write 'em on reads: A noise made here so do not know what they were written on.]
Entry 8773
If yo' want a man tuh leave town an' travel all his days an' don't stay no place long, yo' take yo' cord string whut chew git yo' round dese groceries. Yo' seen dat. An' when he git dat cord string, he put nine knots in it, but don't have none loose [have knots loosely tied]. An' den when yo' go to his do' an' call him three times, an' aftah callin' him three times, dodge [away from door] an' don't let him see yo' tightenin' dem knots. [The voice is caught in the tightened knots.] Git chew a gun an' anywhere de d'rection dat yo' want 'im tuh go, yo' put hit in dat gun.
(Put the string in the gun.)
Put de string in de gun an' stick a piece of papah in dere tuh wad it down - lak de ole muzzle-loadin' gun lak we used tuh have yeahs back - fifty yeahs ago [50 years before 1939, date of interview] an' shoot it in dat d'rection. He'll nevah stop travelin'.
Entry 8774
Write name nine times on piece of papah, dress it [with perfume or something], turn de name down [up- side down] an' put away in piece of furniture. Keeps a fussy an' disagreeable person quiet.
Entry 8775
Ah heard dey take new war watah an' dey sprinkle it aroun' yore do's an' dey'd call yore name. An' den when yore husband or yore wife come in de night, yo' an' dem would have de biggest kind of humbug. Yo' wouldn't know whut is all de fuss. De' sprinkle war watah all up onto de do'.
Entry 8776
[Late in turning on recording machine] put chew some cayenne peppah an' some steel dust in dat [lemon, see later] an' yo' sews it up an' throw it in de rivah. Now, if yo' can't git de lemon an' yo' wants tuh use a bottle, yo' gits dat bottle an' yo' git chew some war watah. Yo' puts dere name down up in dere. All right, yo' use dis cayenne peppah an' git chew nine tacks down up in dere vinegah. All right, yo' kin stop dat up an' throw 'em in de rivah.
Entry 8777
Dey could write chure name on a piece of papah, plain piece of white papah, an' take it in [to] any runnin' watah, yo' undahstan', an' jis' throw it ovah yore left shouldah. An' den yo' 'sposed [supposed] tuh be out in about eight [nine] days. (That'll run me out of the house?) Yessuh.
Entry 8778
Write person's name nine times on paper, throw into running water. Runs crazy. [To write a person's name 9 times occurs in many rites. This is a simple and basic form of the rite.]
Entry 8779
Jis' lak if yer girl is away an' she's in de same town yo're in; but if she's outa de town, why ah don't know way [whether] it'll work or not. But yuh kin jis' take a glass of watah. Yo' puts de glass full of watah, jis' as full as yuh kin tote [carry] it, an' set it undah de baid, middle-way de baid, in de centah of de baid, an' call 'uh [her] name three times; an' in three days dey'll be dey [there].
Entry 8780
If yo' wants tuh make a person move ag'in [another method] eithah [or] make 'em live bad - it goes fo' both de things. If yo' wanta make 'em live bad, ah break some ice up, an' ah take dat beef gall, an' de dirt dauber - yo' knows dat - an' yo' roll it [dirt dauber]. Yo' know, yo' take a bottle an' put it [dirt dauber nest] in a piece of papah an' roll it up, yo' know lak yo' do bread crumbs. An' yo' take dat beef gall an' yo' take de same cayenne peppah. Yo' use a whole box of it an' de beef gall, an': yo' mix all dat up togethah. An' yo' write de individual name down nine times each way. Yo' see, yo' could write it nine times straight lak dat [demonstrates]. An' den whosomevah yo' breakin' up from, yo' could write dem on top. An' den yo' write 'em down nine times each way yo' see. Yo' write it straight lak dat, an' den urite it, yo' know, catacorner [catercornered]. Yo' undahstan' how ah mean? Write it across jis' lak a seal lak yo' make. [These 2 groups of names cross each other making an "x" or cross.] An' den yo' put it in dat piece of papah, but chew git a white piece of papah an' yo' write it in ink. An' yo' git it in dat papah an' yo' fold it up, an' when yo' fold it, don' fold it towards yo', always fold it from yo'. An' yo' put it in a jah. Yo' put all dat togethah in dat papah an' yo' put it in a jah an' yo' stop dat jah up tight an' yo' put it in a ole country toilet. Have tuh be shure tuh find a country toilet tuh put it in where nobody won' find it.
(What would that do then?)
Dat would break yo' up. Dat would break anybody up, if yo' want 'em tuh live bad an' not prosper or nuthin. Dat'll make 'em, yo' know, live bad.
(These two people.)
An' den ag'in, dat same thing yo' could do ag'in, if yo' wants tuh put some- body against - lak yo' have friends an' de people heah lak [like] yo'. If yo' put de othah person ag'inst dese othah people, yo' kin take dat same thing an orite dere name down an' den write de othah individual name on top an' put it down, an' dey'll come tuh lak yo' an' hate de othah one.
(You don't throw that in the toilet do you?)
Yes, de same thing. Yo' know it diff'ren ways yo' could do.
Entry 8781
Dese witches, dey use tuh do dat. Now, dey go tuh work an' cut out a figure, yo' undahstan', an' name it joo.
(Out of what? Paper or something?)
No, dey mos'ly [make it] outa wax. Dey'd make it outa wax an' name it joo, see. An' dey set dis back befō' de fiahplace jis' tuh heat chew tuh kill yo'. An'stan'dere an'melt it down. Dey still keep callin' dis yuh, callin' yuh all de names, bad names, dey could think of. An' evah time dis would melt yo'd git dat much worse off, an' when dat all melted away yo'd melt away wid it.
(Where did you hear this?)
Ah hear'd dat in - dat was in Leesburg, Virginia.
(Who told it?)
Oh, dat was a ole fellah, a ole [former] slave fellah, tole me dis.
(Where did they do that?)
From de way he spoke dey done it aroun' Virginia, dere where he was.
(Some of the old colored people do this?)
He said it was an old lady aroun' dere, ah fergit now whut 'er name was. Ole Nancy Parker, ah believe it was.
(Was she a colored woman?)
Yes, sir. Make this image of anybody. All yo' had tuh do was tuh go an' tell 'er, yo' know, whut chew wanted done an' she'd make dis waxen image, see, an' name it chew. An' make it an' set dere befo' de fiahplace an' let de heat, yo' undahstan', melt dis wax down.
Fire is the retrieval label for fireplace heat in this secondhand account; direct flame contact is not stated.
Entry 8782
Well, if yo' got a person - yo' kin take peoples' name an' put it in a bottle. Well, yo' take de name an' yo' write de name as ah tole yo', nine time, but yo' write it on a straight [ruled] piece of papah. Yo' kin put it in a bottle an' yo' kin take dat bottle an' yo' kin stan' anywheres off where yo' kin whip it; but yo' sup- posed tuh put peppah, vinegah an' Epsom salts an' gunpowdah wit anythin' evil dat yo' wants tuh do. Dat's in de bottle. See, yo' put all dat in dat bottle wit vinegah. An' yo' takes dat bottle an' git it on anythin' soft lak a cushion or pillah, anythin', an' yo' whips dat bottle. An' as yo' whip it yo' call dere name. An' when yo' do's dat, yo' doin' dat tuh make confusion. (And in writing those names, you write one right under each other nine times. And what do you write that with?) Yo' write it wit any kinda pencil.
Entry 8783
Dey do dat. Well, yo' jes' - lak yo' be's whippin' a natchel [natural] person, yo' whippin' on a bush. Yo' name dis bush dis person. Well, yo' could do dat, too. Yo' take dat an' yo' git up early in de mawnin' befo' de sun rise, an' takes yo' a hick- ory switch. An' yo' kin name dat bush dere my name or yore name or whosomevah it 'tis. Yo' could whip dat bush tuh death, an' tell it whut yo' want it to do or don' want it to do. An' dey'll go down jes' lak dat [demonstrates]. Jes' by whippin' it an' tellin' 'em why it'll do jes' lak dat. (In other Words that bush will die, and when it dies just whatever you want done will be done?) Dat's right.
Entry 8784
Ah heard a lady say once dat chew could git up jis' AT DE TWIL OF DAY an' say yo' could turn round three time an' look east an' west an' if dere's any- body way off, dat cey'll come back. All dat yo' gotta do is call dere name. An' if yo' wanta git up at eight 'clock in de mawnin' an' some of yore folks daid, jis' call 'im an' tell 'im whut time yo' wanta git up an' he'll wake yo' up at dat time. [The preceding phrase at de twil of day is its only occurrence in Hoodoo. Never hav- ing heard this expression before, I can only assume that twil is a clipped or slurred twilight; the complete expression being "at the twilight of day."]
Entry 8785
See, lak yo' start today. Well, yo' jes' git chew some steel dust an' sprinkle it all roun' dat house. An' git dere name an' some cayenne peppah an put it all - mix it all up dere togethah, wit some brown cinna- mon an' sugah. An' shake all dat aroun' dere. Throw it all up on dat window sill. An' curse 'em. Yo' know, give 'em a bad name. An' den take dey name an' jes' bring dat name in de window, yo' know, an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'ch'ef. See, lak dat, an' ah guarantee yo' in two days he done left. He be walkin'. He cain't find no place in world tuh stay. Nobody want 'im. Wanta git rid of 'im an' all. Won't leave him stay. [To get rid of the man in the house, his spirit is tricked by carrying his name, his captured spirit, into house through a window. This confuses the spirit so that it no longer knows how to enter normally through the door. We have a similar piece of magic in the funeral rite in which coffin is' removed from house through window instead of door.]
Entry 8786
If you want to make a person jis' drift an' jis' become a vagabond going here and there an' nevah content in one place, yo' write dere name wit evil wishes on a teeny piece of board, wood joo know, thin board, an' yo' git choo a lots of nails an' put anothah piece on. Dere name is tacked on dat first piece of board. An' den yo' put a thin piece of board on top of dat an' nail it down fine, jis' put plenty nails in rotation. An' at 12 o'clock at night yo' throw dat in de rivah, an' as dat board floats an' drifts down de stream, why dat person will drift. Dere mind will become unsettled an' dey'll jis' go to an' fro.
Entry 8787
If yo' want to make 'em drift, yo' jes' take it an' get dat. Yo' always got to get dat name an' get dere right name, an' fix it up. Yo' put it into a bottle an' yo' get yo' some vinegar, strong, good vinegar, an' stick dat name down into dat vinegar, wit nine pods of red peppah - red peppah, not a strained peppah.
(Nine pods of red pepper?)
Yeah, an' stick it down into dat bottle wit his name in it an' dat old Epsom salts an' dat peppah. An' yo' can take it an' go to de rivah. Yo' seal dat bottle up an' yo' go to de rivah an' pitch it right in de channel. It'll float. An' as long as de bottle will float, dey'll always be goin' - dey goin' to keep goin'. Dey won't stay in no one place. Dey'll go to one place an' den dey'll come back to anothah place. Dey'll keep a-goin' an' dey'll nevah stop goin' until somepin gets dat bottle an' knocks dat stoppah out of dere. It goin' to get loose some way, if dose [things inside] won't keep it [afloat]. (I see. Now, you only write the name once on that piece of paper? You only write it once?) No, write it nine times, an' den make yore wish when yo' are writin' it.
(Oh, I see.)
Entry 8788
[Here we are concerned with the great magic rite of wrapping, folding, rolling, turning, and twisting something to you or from you. I have added infor- mant's foot-track rite to show the "from you" aspect of the action.] Concernin' de moon, yo' wants tuh pick de new moon, growin' early, when de moon is in its infancy. Den yo', when yo' cravin' fo' luck, write chure name on a piece of papah, see, an' yo' begin tuh fold it. Roll it tuhwards yo', yo' undahstan'. An' yo' roll it tuhwards yo' an' den yo' wrap anothah piece of papah askin' or expressin' yore desire. Ask dem tuh be good enough tuh accomplish whut chews aftah. An' yo' wrap dat in a sepa- rate paper towards yo' den. Den yo' make a wish on de third papah. Roll it tuhwards yo', fold it up all de time. Yo' understan'.
(You make this wish on the third piece of paper. You write that down.)
Den yo' take dis piece of papah wit yore wish on it an' yo' bury it at chure front do', see. Bury it exactly at de centah of de steps so dat yo' could always walk ovah it, even if yo' not thinkin' of it at dat time. Yo' do dat especially fo' three mawnin's in succession, one right behin' de othah. Try to arrange tuh have tuh do all dis in de time of de new moon. Dat's de end of dat person.
(What do you do with those other two pieces of paper then?)
Dese two pieces of papah dat yo' have first written, yo' wrap dem up tuhgethah den in anothah piece of papah. Fold dat outer papah towards yo' ag'in at de same time. Den yo' repeat de 37th Psalm three times, an' each mawnin' yo' undahstan', but in de meantime yo' weah dat in yore right pocket. Keep dose two writin's in yore pocket, whilst de othah one is layin' at chure front door. (Then, how long are you supposed to wear those papers and keep that other paper under the steps?) Let dose papahs stay dere until dey have exhausted. Only yo' kin every mawnin' make yore urinate an' pour it right where yo' have dat buried.
(And what do you do all this for?)
Fo' good luck, tuh accomplish, tuh be successful in anythin' dat chew Want.
[Foot-track or "from you" rite begins:]
Dey will take dat, dis foot track an' dey will try to git every bit of it; yo' undahstan', don't leave any of it. Git dat an' put dat in a piece of papah - yes, papah. Wrap it up in three wrappin's, an' if dey wants to run yo' away, dey will take dat an' put it in de nearest runnin' stream of watah an' throw it ovah- bo'd an' den dey go ahead.
(What do you mean, wrap it in three wrappings - just one, two, three?)
Yo' wrap dat from yuh. An' den dey'll wrap it in three different papahs, see. Dat same wrappings. An' den take dat an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' dey do dat, too, in de new moon.
(And they get this dirt out of how many tracks or any particular track?)
Out of yore right track. (And do they take these three pieces of paper altogether, one, or just throw them separately into the water?)
[I knew what was done. This is merely a search for further details.]
No sir, put dem togethah, wrap 'em up. Dat is, ah mean dey wrap all dese three tuhgethah. An' every one of dem dey wrap, dey will wrap 'em goin' from dem. An' when dey wrap de last one, dey wrap it goin' from dem. An' den dey throw dat in a stream dat is goin' from de do' [throw downstream]. Dey don't throw it de way dat [stream is coming]. Dey always throw it behin' de stream. Yo' see, dey throw it so dat wrappah - so it goin' from yo', not comin' to yuh. Yo' undahstan' whut ah mean?
(I understand.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1051), 1705:6.]
[Closely connected with the preceding section NAME is the present section LETTERS AND HANDWRITING, the letter part of the latter title being concerned with the names of the writer and the person to whom the letter was written. Here in the written word we have magic action second only to the spoken word. As usual in hoodoo or witchcraft or magic, nothing belongs exclusively in one action, condition or location. Both letters and handwriting, therefore, are scattered throughout the complete text.]
burial of the written wish at the center of the front steps in the first rite. Preserve new-moon timing and three mornings; do not merge burial with the later from-you track rite. repeating the specifically named37th Psalm three times each morning in the first rite. No psalm text, translation, verse interpretation or outside scripture is supplied or consulted. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3588) · Read full source (printed page 3589)
Entry 8789
Lak yo' would write a lettah to somebody an' if dey wanted yo' to come where dey wuz or somepin lak dat. Well, dey take an' open it [Bible] to a cer- tain chaptah in de Bible an' place it in dere - on a certain chaptah. An' fo' nine mawnin's git up an' read anothah Psalm in de Bible fo' nine mawnin's an' she'll come where dey are. [For Bible, see also No.8840.]
Entry 8790
If somebody writes yo' a lettah an' yo' don't want tuh hear from dem, yo' take bluestone an' cayenne peppah an' seal [reseal] it an' send it back to dem, an' when it's opened dey'll lose dere eyesight. [Fredericksburg, Va., cyl.80.]
Entry 8791
De finger, dat finger right dere [demonstrates], pick it till it bleed. (That middle finger in the left hand.) An' write 'im a lettah. Jes' take a pencil an' daub it in dere an' write 'im a lettah an' he come back home.
(What would she do with that letter after she writes it?)
She don't do anythin', jes' mail it tuh 'im. [For writing with blood, see also Nos.8485-8489, etc.]
Entry 8792
(Suppose you want to bring them back if they are gone?)
Oh, yo' kin do dat.
(How do they do that?)
Well, yo' kin, don't care where dey are, even if dey are dead; yo' see dey [dead], yo' know, dere spirit. Yo' kin take dis way: on yore left hand, tuh yore heart [demonstrates]. (Take the middle finger?) Yes, dat's supposed tuh be yore heart, lead [immediately] tuh yore heart. Well, yo' git a ink pin [pen often called pin and pin called pen] bran'-new ink pin wit a point dat's nevah been used fo' nuthin, writin' pin. Well, yo' take dat pin [pen] an' yo' pierce dat right in until yo' git enough of blood tuh write wit, yo' see. Yo' git a plain piece of papah an' yo' take an' write wit chure blood - write dere name an' yore name an' yo' buries dis papah at midnight wit de writin' down. No mattah where dey'll be dey'll come. Dey'll come. If dey dead, de spirit, yo'll see it.
(You'll see the spirit.)
Entry 8793
Ah heard dat ef yo' write, if yo' stick yore finger an' yo' had a lover dat was goin' away. An' yo' kin stick yore fingah, draw some of yore blood an' write 'is name. Den write chure name undah dat an' put it in anothah papah. Fold it in de shape of a heart an' put it in a lettah an' send it tuh 'im. [If you did this] that he would come home.
(Do you stick any finger?)
Yeah, dis weddin' fingah, weddin' ring fingah [finger next to little finger on left hand], dis here engagement fingah.
Entry 8794
A man promised tuh marry dis woman's daughtah, an' he got 'er messed up an' he went away. So she went an' got 'er a bumblebee. Took dis bumblebee, cooked dis bumblebee, put 'im in de stove an' parched 'im an' rolled de powdahs of dis bee [rolled parched bee to a pow- der]. Took de powders an' dusted it all ovah lettahs. An' he wuz in Phila- delphia. An' she dust dis lettah good wit dis powdahs an' den wrote on it, jes so he wouldn't pay any 'tenshun [to the powder]. An' he come back three days aftah he got de lettah.
(What was the idea of the using the bumblebee on it?)
Dey said de bumblebee brought 'im back, de powdahs of dis bumblebee. Jes' take de powdahs of de bumblebee an' bring 'em back. [The spirit of the bumblebee Would sting him back.] [Wilson, N. Car., (1492), 2662:17.]"
Entry 8795
Somebody [wrote them] lettah. An' dey take it an' look at it an' see where it came from. An' if dey don't wanta read de lettah, why jes' take it an' throw it in de fiah an' burn it up, an' don' read it. Say it will make yo' tremble in de han' an' yo' can't do no plain [legible] writin' any mo'.
Entry 8796
Take his han'writin' an' po' gas on dat an' burn it. Dat would make 'is hands tremble.
(Pour gasoline on it?)
Yes, an' burn it.
Entry 8798
Dey kin take yore han'writin' an' cuz yo' to lose - burnin' it up an' lose de strength of yore han'.
Entry 8799
They burn it [hand- wmiting] an' make dere wishes an' it'll cause yore hand tuh tremble.
Entry 8800
If yo' got a purtty han'writin' an' a person don't lak it, an' if dey get a holda yore writin', dey'll take yuh writin' an' burn it up wit cayenne peppah an' salt, an' dat'll get choo nervous in yuh writin', yo' know, when yo' start tuh write, an' yo' can't write a nice decent hand as yo' once did, yo' know, cuz yo' can't hold it [pencil or pen] level.
Entry 8801
Dey tell me dey take yore han'writin' an' put some sulphur in it - whut ah heard now; ah dunno - an' put it in dat fiah wit [red] peppah an' yo' can't write no mo'. Ah heard dat.
(They put pepper in it and they put it in the fire and burn it.) ' Sulphur an' peppah, yessuh.
Entry 8802
Take that... (This letter.) Yes, an' wet it in vinegar an' cayenne peppah. Wet it in vin- egar an' sprinkle cayenne peppah on it an' put it undah a press [heavy weight]. An' aftah it stay under dat press nine days, say they go dere an' life dat press up an' yuh fingerprints are plain on it.
(I see. What is that supposed to do to you?)
Den dey takes dat an' some way or anothah dey burn it an' fix it, an' say dat it draws yuh hands up.
(Draws your hands up. I see.)
Entry 8803
If a boy is goin' wit a girl an' she writes tuh 'im an' she don't like "im, she take dis lettah [from him] an' burn it up. Throw it in de fiah an' burn it, an' he'll nevah go near 'er any mo', cuz she don't lak 'im.
Entry 8804
Jes' lak ah'd set down heah an' write a lettah. Well, me an' 'er [livingl togethah. Bell, perhaps ah may not send dis lettah nowhere, yo' see, an' ah'm gone. Ah run away an' leave 'er an' leave dat lettah dere. Well, if she wanted [to] git me back, why she would take dat lettah, yo' see, an' write 'er 'nitial on it; set dom an' burn it up in de fiahplace dere to ashes, an' take one-half of 'em an' at "em in de bottom of 'er shoe an' weah it, an' de othah half of 'em an' put in dat lettah an' send it tuh me. An' when ah git dat ah will come back tuh 'er.
Entry 8805
If she write a lettah, yo' take dat lettah an' write chure name on it. Write her name [she has already written her name in the signature] an' take an' burn it. Take part of de ashes an' send it back to her an' yo' keep part of it, an' dat'll bring her back home. (That is, if this woman writes a letter to me - my wife's left and she writes a letter to me. I will write my name on that letter. Well, I will burn the letter and I will keep part of the ashes and send part to her. Then she would have to come back to me.)
The informant describes keeping and sending parts of the ashes. The parenthesized first-person version is interviewer paraphrase, and the predicted return is not established.