Browse:THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF (Volume 4, entries 5206–8881)/Part 9
THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF
Volume 4, entries 5206–8881. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 5846
Ah've seen people roun' heah take feathahs or toothpick an' dey dress 'em some way an' den cross 'em in yore hair an' keep yo' wit a severe headache. It's not tuh kill yo' but it keep yo', yo know, a-lingahin' wit a severe headache. (Do you know how they dress them?) No sir, ah'm not positive.
Entry 5847
Dey'll go tuh de fo'k of de road [changed to crossroads later] - dey'll go to de fo'k of de road till yo' passes, yo' see. Dey kin take yore hair right to dat fo'k of de road an' make a cross mark, [a cross] jes' like de road is, an' dey'll drive dat hair down in dat cross- roads. Drive it down dere, jes' like wedge it down. Dat will keep yo' down long as yo' live. Yo' can't prosper wit nuthin.:
The informant describes a target's hair driven into a cross mark at road forks, later calling the place crossroads, with a claim of blocked prosperity. Hyatt explicitly notices that change in wording and supplies the cross gloss; no global junction or hair equivalence is inferred.
Entry 5848
Ah haven't heard dis'n [this one], ah saw dis'n. Ah saw a man wuz in love wit de girl an' he got holt dat girl's hair an' he carried it to de fo'ks of de road, an' he got some little shiney stuff. Ah don't know whut dis little stuff wuz, but he got it an' he got 'er hair an' he carried it to dere. It wuz a road runnin' dat way [demonstrates] - run dat way an' it run dis way.
(Crossed, crossroads.)
Un'hmm, yeah, where she could walk ovah it - chew know, evah time she come dat way, she walk ovah dat hair. An' he hasn't got shet [rid of] dat girl yet, an' dat's been about nine yeahs ago.
(Was that here?)
No, dat wuz ovah heah at Windsor, Ark.
(Do you come from Windsor? Near there?)
Yessuh, ah ma'ied [married] dere.
The informant explicitly claims having seen hair and unidentified shiny material placed at road forks, where a woman would walk over it, and reports continued attachment after about nine years. Questions distinguish the reported place from the interview location. The unknown material stays unidentified and the observation is attributed to the informant.
Entry 5849
Yes sir, take de dandruff of yore hair an' wrap it up in sompin an' tie it roun' yore waist, an' dey say dat will make 'em love yo'. (They take the what? Oh! the dandruff.) De dandruff, yassuh, take dat an' wrap it up in sompin, an' tie it roun' yore waist, right nex' to yore necked [naked] skin. Say dat'll make 'em love yo'.
Entry 5850
She gits somebody to go to dis woman's house an' gits 'er comb. She gits dis comb. She gits all of dis dandruff from dis woman's head out of dis comb. She takes it an' puts dis graveyard dirt in dere. Den she put some of 'er own chamber lye in it. An' she puts dis undah de step of dis woman. Well, dey thought dat dis woman had went into bad health, consumption. An' she went to de hospital an' she died.
Entry 5851
Ag'in, dey kin go tuh work an' take it, dis hair, an' dey kin sew it up in a piece of cloth or tie it up tight, an' take it an' put it in dere pock- etbook. Git some of dis root dey call de devil's- shoestring an' mix it wit dat hair an' dey'll take dat an' dey'll tie it tight, an' dey'll put it in dere pocketbook, an' dey'll follow dem wherevah dey go.
(Will follow them any place they want me to go?)
Yes.
Entry 5852
Ah heard dat dey would take yore hair an' dey could wear it in dere shoes until yore hair would rot. See, when yore hair would rot, it would run yo' in de insane asylum, in de crazy house. (They put that in both shoes?) In one, in de left shoe. An' den some- time yo' take it an' yo' put it in some vinegah, some devil vinegah. Don' fo'- git about de devil vinegah, an' yo' shake it an' use it.
(What will that do if you put this hair in the devil vinegar?)
It will run yo' crazy.
Entry 5853
If yo' have a wife dat won't stay at home, always ready tuh run off. Well, now, if yo' kin cut de hair off a dog's tail an' git chew some hair outa her haid, an' put dat hair togethah an' wrap it up in a flannel rag, an' yo' bury dat at de do'step, an' dey all of 'em stay dere. Dey won't leave.
Entry 5854
Well, de slobber off a dog. Yessuh, yo' take yore hair an' put it on de roof of 'is tongue, an' den yo' give 'im somepin tuh make 'im go mad, see. An' dat causes yo' tuh go crazy. (What about the slobber then? He only slobbers after he goes mad, is that the idea?) Yes.
(That is to run you crazy?)
Yes.
Entry 5855
Heard 'em say dat chew kin ketch a bird or a chicken or dog or hog or cow, an' cut a place back of de neck an' put yore hair in it an' let it cure up, an' dey say dat long as dey go, say yo'll go.
Entry 5856
Yo' split de tail of a dog or rabbit, anythin', an' put dat person's hair on dat tail - lay it in dere, fold it an' lay it in dere, an' den sew dat tail back up an' wrap it up so dat it cain't come out. He'll grow back togethah, an' long as dat varmit livin', why dat person will be crazy minded - go tuh de 'sylum.
Entry 5857
I've seen 'em git hold of haah an' put a runnin' fits on people by takin' dat hāah, ball it up in sausage. Jis' take some of yo' hāah an' ball it up in sausage meat an' give it to a dog. When dat dog eat dat meat an' dat sausage will pass out dat dog, but dat haah won't come out. An' when dat dog have runnin' fits, yo'll have rrnnin' fits. [A runnin' fit is a leaving-home or wandering-about spell.]
Entry 5858
[They take your hair] an' tie it, put it in a cloth 'bout dat long an' sew it up, an' let it hang down ovah yore do' - up dere where dey can't see it, Specially yore hair - an' yo' come dere out an' in all de time. Dat's whut ah heard. (What will that do then?) Say dat will make yo' come in - if yo' don't wanta stay, why yo' shore will come back ag'in an' stay.
Entry 5859
A woman kin take a man's hair an' run 'im crazy.
(What does she do with his hair?)
Well, she kin take his hair an' carry it tuh de woods maybe, an' put it in a tree, into a hole undahstan', an' stop it up an' no air kin git to it. Well, she'll run 'im crazy. An' a man kin take a woman's hair an' do her de same identical way. He kin take her hair comb an' run 'er crazy. Well, he kin take her hair comb an' bury It undah de do'steps, or he kin take her hair combin's an' bury it undah de do'- step an' run 'er crazy.
Entry 5860
Yo' takes yo' hair an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up tight. Dat's when he wanta gain yo' back an' come back close to him. Well, aftah be put dat in dis bottle to draw yo' back to him, he'll stop it down an' bury it Do de foot of 'is step. Dat will draw yo' back to him. Charleston, S. Car.,
(525), 627:6+85.]
Entry 5861
Ah tell yo' de way ah have known people to do people harm, dat's tuh git some of dere hair an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up tight. Put it undah de doorstep, dat will run people crazy. Ah've heard dat.
(Whose doorstep do they put it under?)
Yours.
(The person whose hair it is?)
Yassuh, dat's it.
Entry 5862
Take a person an' if he wants tuh do somepin to 'em, he could take her bir an' put it in a tin box an' bury it undah 'er do'step an' dat'll run a per- 900 crazy.
Entry 5863
Yo' kin take dey hair an' bury it undah de do'step. Dat will keep 'em me, anybody dat run about a whole lot.
Entry 5864
Take de hair an' stop it up in a bottle an' it will run yo' crazy. An' den yo' kin take de hair an' bury it undahneath de do'steps. As long as it keep moist, it's all right, but if it dry, why it will kill yo'. (What do they put that under the door- step for?) Well, jes' yo' come walkin' in an' out an' de one dat did it, chew know, yo'll walk in an' out, walk in an' out ovah it, chew know, an' yo' don't know it'sdere.
(Well, why would they do that to me?)
Well, dey put it undah dere tuh kill yo' - some of 'em do.
Entry 5865
Dey take it [your hair] an' bury it right at de side of de house jis' where de watah run down off de top of de house when it rain - right in dat lit- tle trench [made by the falling water from the gutter- less house] dey buries it dere. An' den, jis' like de watah run down, dat's de way yore mind an' things be runnin'. Dey will run yo' anywhere dey want wit yore hair.
Entry 5866
Yeah, if yo' kin git hold of some of 'is hair an' de seat out of 'is drawahs an' put 'em togethah an' bin' dat up an' put dat in de drippin' of de house - bury it down in de ground. Or put it underneath yore steps - bury it down dere in a bottle.
(What will that do?)
Dat will make him come back.
(Make the man come back home.)
Entry 5867
Dey kin take, yo' know, a little bunch of hair [demonstrates] outa de centah [and] outa de two sides heah [demonstrates].
(Right above the ears.)
Yes sir. Dat would make three bunches, see. All right, take dat an' yo' put 'em togethah an' yo' roll it up in sulphur. An' yo' take it an' put to de west cornah of yore house, to de right as yo' leavin' de house, so de rainy watah will be drippin' down on it all de time. [These 3 bunches of hair are buried under the eaves.l Leave it right dere where de rain'll drip. An' as long as dat stays dere, it will keep.yo' waverin' all de time, keep yo' prackly [practically] mindleSS. Yo' know, YO' KIN NEVAH BE YORESELF - LIKE WE ARE NoW.
Entry 5868
Yeah, ah'd git a stran' of hair out of 'er haid or 'is haid, if ah Wanted tuh run 'em crazy. An' ah go tuh de woods an' ah dig me some bait, an' ah take it tuh de rivah an' ah'd fish till ah'd caught a catfish. An' ah'd take him off de hook quickly befo' he injure hisself, put dis hair in 'is mouth an' ah throw 'im back an' he fly away. Dese people will go 'way, run 'em ravin' crazy.
Entry 5869
Yo' kin take de hair from undah yore man's arm or eithah in his haid lak dat an' ketch yo' a live fish an' put 'em in runnin' watah, see. An' dat'll run 'im 'way from home if yo' don't want 'im tuh stay dere.
(You get this hair from under a man's arm or from his head.)
Git some out 'is haid an' den undah his arm - one arm, his right arm. Yo' take hit an' put it in runnin' watah, see, an' dat'll keep [him] on de road all de time a-goin'. If yo' wanta git rid of 'im, ketch a live fish an' put dat hair in dat fish's mouth an' turn it back in de watah.
(Wouldn't that hair fall out of his mouth?)
No suh, push it fur 'nuff down fo' him tuh swalluh it, an' jis' turn 'im on back in dere. Any kinda fish an' dat'll keep 'im a-goin'.
Entry 5870
[This is one of several informants who stuttered.]
Lose yore strength wit chure hair. Ah hear 'em say dey kin do it. (What do they say they can do with that? How do they do that? What have you beardthem say?) [There was a considerable pause between each question. A stutterer was not casy to interview.] Ah heard 'em say dat dey kin take yore hair an' den put it in de rivah. Yes.
(Throw it into the water?)
Yes, sir, an' put it in a piece of bread, I hear 'em say.
(Put it in a piece of bread?)
Put it in a piece of bread firs'. Take de hair an' put it in a piece of bread, an' den dey wrap it around [with a cord], an' put a [small] rock around it a' drop it in de rivah, an' a fish will git it. Some big fish will git holt of it, an' when dey carries it dat run yo' crazy. Yeah, I heard 'em tell dat, too. Yes, I've heard dat.
Entry 5871
If dey kin git yore hair or anything an' put it in a fish mouth an' dg'im ovahbo'd - an' wheresomevah he go, why yo' gon'a 'way from heah. If r fish stay in dis vicenty [vicinity], why yo' won't leave heah; but if he evah Lve heah an' go tuh de Atlantic or anywhere, why yo' goin' too.
Entry 5872
Well, dey take yore hair - one of de details of it. A person maybe wanta drive yo' crazy. Well, dey'll e de hair an' take it out by a fish, a catfish, an' tie de hair into de gill dey'll turn de catfish loose - put him back in de water.
Entry 5873
I was in the barber shop one night at Eatonton, Ga., and a fellow said heroved a fellow that run another fellow out of town with this hair. The fel- low Was going with his girl, and a friend of his told him how to get rid of him. So he did what this friend said. He takes some of his [the rival's] hair on a Sunday morning; he has to get it on a Sunday morning. t time the barber shops used to be open on Sunday morning. And [he] went to Hshing that same Sunday, and caught a fish and put the hair in the fish gill, turned the fish back loose in the water. And they say that fellow left town t same Sunday evening. [For barbershop hair, see also margin title BARBERSHOP. p.2940.] [By hand, from Pullman porter, on train between Chester, Pa.and Baltimore, Md.]
Entry 5874
Ah heard dat dey take a strand of a woman's hair or a man's hair, an' take an' ketch a catfish " tie it on tuh 'is fin, an' s'long as dat catfish goin' yo'll be goin' - jes' shin' jes' lak a fish. As soon as de fish die, yo'll die.
Entry 5875
Dey kin take two stran's of yo' an' mine hair, or eithah yores, an' ketch chew a live, any kinda fish yo' could git - git yore hand on, even dis goldfish - an' Me de tail of it an' put [the hair] in dere, an' turn it back loose tuh run in de water, an' yo' goes off as he go.
Entry 5876
Dey could run yo' prackly [practically] crazy. Dey'll go an' git, ketch a fish outa de watah, a live fish an' git a strand of thread dat nevah been used. Tie dat hair to dat thread an' pump a needle wit dat in it through dat fish tail, de end of his tail. An' carry it fo'ty or fifty miles from dere an' turn 'im loose in de watah. An' dat is a crazy man. He'll go dat way an' when yo' find 'im he'll be dataway - crazy. An' de first days aftah yo' drop dat fish down in dat watah, he's gone. But chew do's dat on de waste of de moon. (You just take a strand of the man's hair and you tie it up in a string, a piece of thread that has never been used. Then pull it through this needle and then you run this needle through the fish's tail and let the man's hair go through the fish's tail.) Yessuh.
Entry 5877
Dey kin put choo in bad wit de hair. Dey take a strand of yore hair an' go to de creek an' ketch a fish. An' take a needle an' stick dat hair in dat needle, an' leave it prong [see later] out, an' throw dat fish back up ovah yore shouldah [into the creek] an' say, "Go!" An' dat fish evahwhere he go yo'll go.
(You put the hair in the needle and push the needle through the fish?)
Dat's right.
(And leave the hair in the fish?)
Yes sir, leave de prong [point] stickin' out, choo know. Evahwhere he go dat'll [prong will] hit against somepin, yo' know. He'll jis' be in dangah evah- where he go. He can't stay no place.
(A piece of hair will be sticking out, outside of the fish?)
Yes' sir. Tie it so it won't come out. Leave de needle stickin' out de prong, de sharp point.
[The prong or point of the needle sticks out of the fish.]
(You tie the hair in the needle?)
Yes sir, in de eye of de needle.
Entry 5878
Or yo' kin take a stran' of yo' hair an' cut a catfish open an' put it in a catfish an' yo' will, dat will make [you] worry along. Jes' as long as dat catfish wave his tail, dey tell, yo' be goin': (Be going - wandering away.)
Entry 5879
Jis' lak if yo' didn't wan' chure wife tuh evah leave 'way from heah, bo' a hole somewhere in de flo'. Don' bo' it clean through dere yo' know. An' take her hair an' punch it down in dere, an' jis' pack it down in dere an' stop it up, an' she won't be goin' nowhere. An' de same way wit de man.
Entry 5880
Dey say dey take three strand of yore hair an' dey would put dat in a piece of brown papah [for the black victim]. Dey would wrap some white bread Wit a piece of candy dat wus made up of coconut [sweets to entice victim's spir- it.] Dis thing is all wrapped togethah, [with] dis thread, an' den it would be cast behin' somepin dat wouldn't move, lak a piano, or some of dose thin's. Den fer nine mawnin's yo' go to dis place an' make a wish ovah dis thin', an' it would prob'ly make yo' suffah wit headaches, or prob'ly make yo' lose yore nid. Worry yo' so - evahthin' would worry, yo' jes' git vor- ried all de tlme. Dat is a thin' what dey clain Would do dat to yo' - wit chure hair.
Entry 5881
Why now, anyone's hair, why yo' kin take dere hair, about fo' or five stran's of dere hair, an' wrap it aroun' yore fo'fingahs [see later] yo' see [demonstrates].
(Just one hair.)
[But I also saw something else during demonstration - see later.]
Jis' one hair, jis' wrap it roun' yore fo'fingahs, see. An' aftah yo' doin' dat, well den yo' kin take a piece of bread or somepin othah an' wrap dose stran's of hair in dat bread an' swallah it. Yo'll eat dat, yo' know, in a way of speakin. An' den dose people will be wit yo' long as yo' in de worl'. Dey'll care fo' yo'.
[I now summarize the rite.]
(You just take these strands of hair and wrap them around your index finger, your forefinger [about forefingers, not 4 fingers], and then you put this hair in the bread and swallow it. That controls these people?) Yes.
Entry 5882
An' yo' kin take dat [his] hair an' wrap it aroun' candy, or yo' know, let it stay ovahnight an' take it off an' give it to a girl de nex' day. Dat will make her love yo'.
Entry 5883
Yo' take de hair wit lodestone, an' dese powdahs, an' some of de little candies [used in cake decoration], an' yo' put dat in a little bag. (What kind of powders?) De Lover's Sachet. [Whether this scented powder in 1938 was a local or wider known brand, I do not know.] An' yo' put dat [bag or hand] in de middle of de mattress. An' it don't make no diff'rence where on earth yo' go or nuthin about how de woman may abu'zhoo [abuse you], YO' GON'A COME BACK AN' GIT IN DAT BED. Yo' ain't gon'a stay aWay from 'er.
Entry 5884
Yo' kin git de hair out de mole of de haid an' yo' kin weah or eithah yo' kin put it in somepin tuh drink an' yo' got 'im dere. An' yo' kin jes' have him plumb crazy [about you].
Entry 5885
Take yore hair an' - cut a little piece yore hair out chure haid an' cut dese thin's off heah [demonstrates]. (Those fingernails.) An' offa dey toenail, don't chew know. An' take dose thin's an' parch 'em an' den mix it up togethah. An' aftah it parch, yo' mash it up, don't chew know, an' take a rag an' tie it up wit a white rag an' use it in de tea - anythin' dey drink. An' dat will make yo' have good luck. Dat's de way dey do it.
(Just good luck? What kind of luck?)
Hit will make 'im brin' yo' de money, or make 'er brin' de money to yo', yo' know.
Entry 5886
Yo' kin take a person's hair an' yo' kin parch it on de stove. Say, fo' instance, now - dis ain't de person dat chure are tryin' tuh do sompin wit. Yo' take yore own hair an' yo' parch it on de stove, an' aftah yo' git it parched it's jis' de same as black peppah. Den yo' take dat hair an' sprinkle it in coffee or whatevah de person might drink - whiskey or anything of de sort.
(What will that do?)
Dat's supposed to draw de person's attention to yo'.
Entry 5887
Yo' kin take a pinch of dere hair, out chure hair, an' den some undah yore arms, an' burn it up to a ashes. Yo' kin take it an' sprinkle it in dey food, or else yo' kin take it an' sprinkle it in dey plate, an' dat'll make 'em stay wit yo'. Jis' burn all dat hair togethah. [Memphis, Tenn., 1542:6.]
Entry 5888
Ah know yo' kin take some of de hair from undah yore arm an' some from othah places an' - yo' know de private, an' take somepin an' scrape some dead skin from 'tween yore laigs [see later] an' give it to a man in his watah tuh drink. An' dat'll keep 'im down. (What do you mean by dead skin between your legs? From the bottoms of your feet?) [My From the bottoms of your feet? is not a leading question. It is the only thing possible informant could have meant; see the many rites about dead skin from the bottoms of the feet, none concerning dead skin between your legs.] Yessuh, an' dat'll keep 'im down.
Entry 5889
Ah hear 'em say yo' kin go to de fo'ks of a road - jes' lak de road jes' fo'k jes' dataway. Well, now, yo' kin go to de fo'ks of de road an' yo' kin take some sand - yo' kin take some sand an' dig a hole jes' about dat deep [demonstrates]. (About four inches deep?) Jes' about fo' inches deep, an' yo' kin take yore hair or anything lak dat an' put it in dere, an' a person will nevah come to dere right mind no mo', yo' see. Well, now, people kin jes' be wandahin' about goin' crazy actin'. Well, DE DOCTORS [M.D.'s], NUTHIN KNOW WHUT'S DE MAT- TAH, BUT YET AN' STILL DAT'S WHUT YO' CALL CUNJURATION.[ Waycross, Ga., (1097), 1766:8.]
Entry 5890
(What do they do out there?)
Well, dere's sev'ral diff'ren' things dat dey do out at de fo'ks of de road.
(Well, tell me one of them, if you know one of them.)
Well, when yo' git to de fo'k of de road - co'se some people uses a lady's hair or her hose dat she wear or her urine or somepin lak dat. Well, in any way dat yo' wanta use her hair, yo' could take her hair when yo' git to de fo'k of de road, yo' could put 'er hair into de groun', but yo' must go dere evah day an' urine on dis hair, see. An' aftah yo' urine on it, yo' must curse it. Yo' have to curse it fo' it to work.
(What will that do?)
Well, yo' see - take fo' instance, yo' got a lady frien' dat yo' wants. When yo' git to de fo'k of de road, now yo' want dis lady frien' an' de lady frien don't want yo'. Yo' could make her want yo' by takin' - firs' yo' git three stran's of hair from 'er head, three from 'er eyelashes, three off any portion of 'er body dat yo' want, but it must be nine in all. Yo' have to take dese rine stran's of hair to do dis wit, an' if yo' got a lady an' yo' wants 'er, yo git dere an' yo' do dat wit it. An' if she's in China, she gotta come back to y~ Qou mean, you bury that hair out at the fork of the road?) At de fo'k of de road.
(I see.)
Entry 5891
Ah heard of 'em takin' table salt an' - if dey take de hair out of a person's haid an' git de dog an' cat bristles an' take table salt an' bury it in de fo'ks of de road, dey say dat will run a person crazy. (That's about the same as you told me at first?) Yes.
Entry 5892
Git a plait of woman's hair an' plait it into fo' strand - jes' plait it into fo' plaits, not into three an' put it in a bottle an' put it in runnin' stream of watah. Drive yo' crazy. [The number 4 sends the hair to the 4 corners of the earth - see for symbolism, The Revelation of St. John The Divine 7:1.]
Entry 5893
Ah knowed dis, pers'nal sperience. Ah give yo' dis firs'. Now, dis is not fo' love 'fairs, but dis is tuh make yo' leave heah. Yo' kin take some of yore hair an' yo' kin put it in a frog mouth an' yo' kin throw 'im ovahbo'd if it's on fresh watah, an' as long as dat frog go, yo' go be wanderin' somewheres. Well, if yo' put it in dis salt watah like de tide goes an' QES: IF DEY PUT IT ON DE GOIN' OUT TIDE, WHY YO' GOIN' LEAVE HEAH; BUT IF YO FUT IT ON DE COMIN' IN TIDE, YO' CAN'T GIT AWAY FROM HEAH. BrUNSWiCk, Ga.,
(1189), 2007:2.1]
Entry 5894
Well, dey take a toadfrog an' cut dat toadfrog open an' put chure hair fn dere an' sew it up an' put dat toadfrog into de watah. Dey say yo' would leave, yo' wouldn't stay dere. Ah've seed dat done. (You would take a live toadfrog and put this person's hair in there, and put the toad in the water, and that person whose hair was put in there would leave.) Would leave.
Entry 5895
Git hold of yore hair an' ruin yo'. Take yore hair an' ball it up an' Pt sulphur, black pepper an' an ole toadfrog dust in it an' throw it in de rivah r burn it up. Dat kill yo' or make yo' sick. Yo' couldn't do nuthin.
Entry 5896
Well now, whut about de frog. Dat's about a woman's hair. Well, yo' din take her hair an' TIE IT TO A TOADFROG an' he'll hop aWay wit it, an' DAT'LL DC HER SIT DOWN AN' SLEEP ALL DE TIME. An' if yo' TIE IT TO A BIRD an' let 'im fly away, dat'll MAKE HER HAVE DE aDaCHE all de time. Yo' PUT IT IN A BOTTLE AN' STOP IT UP an' go to runnin' watah an' throW it in rumin' watah, an' dat'll run 'er off. An' a man kin take it an' PUT IT IN 'IS WATCH FOB or EITHAH TIE IT UP IN A RAG, THREE KNOTS in a rag, an' put it in his Watch pocket an' dat'll make her love him.
Entry 5897
Dat is fo' a woman tuh git a whole lotta influence ovah 'er husban' or 'er sweetah' [sweetheart], so as tuh control 'im. She takes 'is hat an' bur- ies it in de graveyard. An' she re'lly, if he's vicious an' mean tuh 'er or sompin lak dat, an' if she's a woman dat lak tuh have her own way an' run aroun' wit othah men lak dat, why she'll git some of 'is hair an' bury it in de grave- yard, an' dey tell me he come right down undah 'er control.
Entry 5898
They could take a piece of your hair and carry it to the cemetery and bury it and it will run you crazy.
Entry 5899
THEY TOOK MY MOTHER'S HAIR AND BURIED IT ON A SINNER'S GRAVE. AND THIS MAN [DOCTOR] PROMISED TO GET IT, BUT HE NEVER DID GET IT. [This brief statement is quite valuable because it shows what happened. The doctor on being called in diagnosed the ailment as patient's hair having been buried in a sinner's grave. He evidently promised to remove the hair at once. Was he paid in advance? The mother's death proved to my informant that the doc- tor had broken his promise! It never occurred to informant that doctor could not remove what was not there! Is this sort of practice sheer fraud? Not always. In the strange mental background of hoodoo, some doctors believe they can see the cause of illness. The present doctor did not visit a sinner's grave to remove the hair; he magically killed (tried to kill) the effects of the sickness spell while remaining at home. For this make-believe world, filled with abnormal psy~ chology, see the opening quotation of interview Doctor Heard, p.1948f. If Doctor Heard could draw a blood specimen from the shadow of a man who was not there, surely our present doctor could manage the simple task of hair in a sinner's grave.]
Entry 5900
Dey'll take yore hair an' dey'll bur' it in dah graveyar' an' dey'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 5901
When dey bury it [your hair] in de graveyard, that run you away from home. You jis' go crazy, you know. They either got to put you in a 'sylum or you're gone all the time.
Entry 5902
Dey will take yore hair an' bury it, ah would say sixteen inches, in de cemetery. Well, den dat would make yo' feel dizzy in de haid.
Entry 5903
Say, if dey git some of de hair out of de comb an' dis graveyard dirt an' bury it underneat' chure do'step, but bury it tuh.de sundown, not sunrise.
[I interrupt.]
(What do you mean? Bury it at sundown?)
Dat direction [demonstrates].
(The direction of sundown.)
From where yore house is set at - see, at sundown. [Informant adds confusion! He means bury on the west side of your house at smdown. Despite the confusion I do not forget the purpose, as my question now shows.]
(What will that do then?)
That will cause yo' tuh wandah away, not be stationary - jes' wandah away an' all, don't stay one place atall.
Entry 5904
Right in de top of yore haid yo' git a certain stran' - git a stran' out de top of yore haid an' take an' put dat in a bottle. Fix it wit graveyard dirt an' salt an' stop it up, or eithah bury it undah yore do'steps, or else chip off a block on a tree, on de no'th side of de tree an' bury it - put it in dere. Dat will run yo' crazy.
Entry 5905
Now, so fer as de woman proposition - lak if yo' got a woman, or any man got a woman, an' yo' don't want 'er tuh leave, yo' understan'. Whut he do, he gits - dat mawnin' when he gits up, he'll call 'er Sweetheart an thin's, yo' know, an' job an' all wit 'er. Well, she might be havin' some outside man on 'im, see. De firs' thin' he'll do, he'll git up dat mawnin an' he'll plait 'er hair an' he'll take a couplah [couple of] grains of 'er hair, yo' see, an' put 'em in a can. Den go to de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt an' put in dere, an' go to de rivah an' git some watah, an' git some of de rivah watah an' let it soak. An' aftah it soaks in dere, yo' take an' carry it back to de lavatory an' put it back of de lavatory an' leave it stay dere. [Lav- atory here is a fancy name for outdoor watercloset.] She'll nevah leave, yo Tdahstan'. YO' AN' 'ER GIT ALONG JIS' LAK TWO PEANUTS IN ONE SHELL.
Entry 5906
Yo' take yore hair - ah know whut dey says - take yore hair if yo' mnta kill someone. Well, dey say yo' take yore hair, it's a certain place dey git it right from de front - right from de front. Yo' have to git [demonstrates] jes' a little bit right from heah, or ketch it right back dere, see. (Either right from the forehead or either in the back of the head.) Or eithah git a lock right from de neck. Den yo' git a little of dat, whut [hair] dey use, an' yo' tie it up an' have some graveyard dirt. An' yo' put dis togethah, dis thing, an' den yo' go ahead an Wrg it. An' den yo' goes aroun' an' [something - see later] fo' nine mawnin's.
(You what?)
See, yo' go aroun' dere an' yo' say - yo' mus' [must] go to it. Yo' see, yo' urite dis here [see later]. Aftah yo' git all dis mess of stuff mixed up, yore bir an' de graveyard dirt. Well, yo' see, yo' wrap it in a piece of papah an' yo' write de person name on it, an' den yo' bury it. Den yo' go to it an' take Yore chamber lye an' wet it fo' nine mawnin's.
(You go to this hair - where you buried this hair. What do you do with it?)
Take yore chamber lye, git chure chamber lye, an' yo' wet it fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey say in thirty day's time dose people will be daid or dey'll be gone. If de're [they are] enemies dey'll have tuh move - dey'll have tuh go.
Entry 5907
Well, yo' kin take de graveyard dirt an' yo' kin go out an' git it, see. An' den yo' kin take some of dis heah woman's hair from de mole of 'er haid. An' put it togethah. An' yo' kin den put it in a little ole sack sorta like a 'bacca [tobacco] sack, an' tote dat in yore pocket all de time. An' den yo'll come to be lucky an' all de time while yo' is out, why dis heah woman, she will come to be in love wit yo' an' have her mind on yo'.
Entry 5908
Yo' could take graveyard dirt an' take a dime an', if dere [there is] any woman haah, sew it up togethah an' dat'll make her can't git away from yo'.
Entry 5909
Well, yo' kin take de hair out de top of a woman haid an' go to de graveyard an' git some of dis graveyard dirt. Put a dime down in dere an' den yo' kin tie a little piece of new cloth - right new cloth. (You tie this hair and the graveyard dirt [and dime] together into this new cloth.) An' put it in a little bottle an' put dis stuff dey call Heart Cologne on it, an' yo'll keep 'em fo'evah - dey nevah will leave yo'.
Entry 5910
De graveyard dirt dey said take it an' throw it in de rivah, mix it wit yore hair an' throw it in de rivah. Dat's whut dey said, dat's if a woman wanta git away from a man or a man wanta git away from a woman. Well, ah know dat cuz ah know a woman done mah uncle dataway. She got rid of 'im, see.
Entry 5911
Yo' could take graveyard dirt. Now, yo' could take jes' lak graveyard dirt an' somebody's hair an' mix it togethah an' carry it to a rivah an' throw it ovah [into] de rivah an' dey'll run deyself plumb crazy.
(How do you throw it?)
Throw it disaway [demonstrates].
(Over your left shoulder?)
Yessuh.
Entry 5912
Yeah, yo' go tuh de graveyard at twelve a'clock at night an' yo' dig. down, dig de firs' dirt [topsoil] off, den yo' run yore han' down as fer as yo' kin git chure arm down in dere in fresh dirt, an' git a han'ful-a dirt an' bring it out. An' yo' take dat dirt an' yo' take it home an' yo' dry it out - put it up on sompin an' dry it out. An' take dat dirt an' some of de person's hair an' mix it togethah an' throw it in runnin' watah, an' dat'll put 'em tuh goin'.
Entry 5913
Dey say dey kin use yore hair tuh run yo' crazy - do things yo' ought not tuh do. Dey say yo' go foolish an' jump ovahbo'd - sompin lak dat.
(All right, how would they do that with the hair.)
Some of 'em say dey would take it an' bury it, or carry it - git some grave- yard dirt an' put it in a sack togethah an' throw it in de rivah, an' dat'll run yo' crazy or yo' go ovahbo'd yo'self.
Entry 5914
Well, dey kin take yore hair an' dey kin put a little cemetery dirt wit it an' dey kin put a little sulphur wit it, an' dey kin take dat hair an' wrap it right tight, an' dey kin bury it eithah in de cemetery, or dey kin throw dat hair in runnin' watah. See. An' dat will affect chew.
(How would that affect me? What would that do?)
Well, it will cause yo', it seem lak yore mind will - at times will go away from yo'. Yo'll git frantic an' feel nersiful [nervous], an' jes' look lak if yo' jes' git to de place yo' don't care fo' nuthin.
Entry 5915
Yo' kin take yore own hair, take a man's hair or a woman's hair [a man or woman can do this], put [wit it] graveyard dirt, three coppah cents, six pins - no needles - six pins - an' put it eithah in buckskin or eithah in red flannel. An' go to a runnin' stream, throw it wit yore left hand in dat watah. If it sink it's all right. But as long as dat stay in dere, yo've got to travel. Yo' ain't satisfied nowhere, yo've got to leave yore own home.
Entry 5916
(All right, you were going to tell me?)
If dey git some of yore hair. Now, sometime dey lose on dat an' sometime dey don't lose. If dey git de hair from yore head - remembah dey kin take dat hair. ALL BIRDS DON'T USE HUMAN HAIR. But dis guinea hen chick bird [I interrupt]. (What kind of bird?) Guinea hen chick bird. (Guinea hen chick bird?) Yes, if dey kin GIT DAT BIRD - TO TAKE DAT HAIR AN' PUT IT INTO HER NEST. YOU'LL SUFFOCATE WIT A HEAD- ACHE TILL YO' GO BLIND. I kin take dat hair. Oh my! An' bore holes - wrap it into a silvah thimble an' put a silvah dime against it [open end of thimble] an bury it in de ground an' make warts come out on yore head. (Now, that guinea hen. You mean the ordinary guinea hen that runs around the yard. I see.) Yeah, yeah.
Entry 5917
Well, if yo' wanta do dat, dat's very simple. Joo git chew nine pods of dis heah whut chew call guinea peppah an' den yo' slip it round dere, yo' see. Yo' git some of dis heah woman's hair an' put it in dere an' place it into her room where she sleep - into one of de cornahs where she'll nevah find it. An' it will cuz confusion dere, cuz confusion in de home, an' fin'ly in de long run dey'll break an' leave one anothah off.
Entry 5918
Ah've heard dat yo' could take a person's hair, whatevah it a woman or man or chile - jes' fo' instance it wuz a lady an' yo' wanted 'er tuh follah yo'. Yo' would take a shell an' po' dat shots out an' put dat hair back in dere, an' yo' put some mo' shots back in dere tuh fill it up. Put in de shot an' run an' shoot it 'cross de rivah, an' dat lady will follah de man any place.
(You have to shoot this across some river?)
Yes, jes' across some rivah an' she will follah 'im.
Entry 5919
Git a man [foot] track or some of his hair an' load de gun up an' shoot it lak de sun direc- da - back on de west. Shoot it in dat direction right ovah his house. An he'll leave wife an' chillern an' all an' go.
Entry 5920
Den yo' kin take de hair from de same place out of 'is haid an' put it in a shell - take it all out but de powdah, an' put it in dis shell wit 'is name in it, an' den as yo' go an' fiah dat, dat jes' kills 'im den.
Entry 5921
Take de girl fren' or boy fren' hair, if yo's in love wit 'em, an' take a lock of it an' wrap it up in yore pocket han'ke'chuf an' tote it; an' as long as yo' tote dat hair, dey will follow yo'.
Entry 5922
Yo' kin take a person's hair an' sew it up in a pocket han'ke'chuff an' tote it an' dey min' a [mind will] stay on yo' all de time.
Entry 5923
Well, I wuz goin' wit a gurl an', yo' know, I didn't lak 'er yo' know, much. An' so I tried yo' know to break away from 'er. An' I jis' kep' - it seem lak I couldn't git away from 'er. So one day I wuz rid- in' a bicycle, see, an' I had taken my hat off, an' it wuz yo' know, a patch of hair right in de ban' [sweat- band] of mah hat. An' so I taken it out an' looked at it. Yo' know dere's a fellah dat used to live at Seventh an' Sewanee, I think. Well, I car'ed it out dere an' he tole me to take a - 'e taken it an' put it in a bottle, an' tole me to bus' [= bust = burst] it up, yo' know, in front of 'er do'. An' I bus' it up an' I ain't had no trouble wit 'er since.
Entry 5924
Dat's de way it 'sposed to 'a [have] been. Yo' kin take mah hair now, lak a girl frien' of mine, an' ah've got 'er bes' boy frien', [or] ah'm goin' wit 'er husban'. She'd taken dis hat of mine an' she has it fixed, she taken an' put dis stuff in it.
(What stuff? What does she put in it?)
Whut she put in it? Take some of mah hair an' stuff an' put it all 'round in de ban' of dis hat.
Entry 5925
Yo' kin take a stran' of 'er hair - whut chew might say two or three stran's an' wear it in yore handban'. Or yo' kin take whut chew might say, a tassel off 'er undahweah yo' know, an' wear it in de top of yore hat, an' yo'll nevah git rid of 'em.