Browse:THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (Volume 4, entries 8055–8881)
THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY
Volume 4, entries 8055–8881. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 8055
Well, de pichure - see, lak mah pichure an' yuh pichure, it's in a frame, in a big frame.... Take dat pichure an' put it intuh a basket upside down, an' aftah dat, about three or fo' days, yo' begin tuh have a misery in yuh haid an' yo' don' even know whut it is all about. Come tuh find out, de pichure lak dis will run yo' stone crazy, if yo' don' go see [a doctor] about it right away... [I turn off machine too soon].
(You put this picture into what?)
Intuh a basket. Put chure face upside down, any kinda basket, turn yo' upside down.
Entry 8056
Sleep on it [a photograph] with the nights and the person can't rest and they'll just be dreaming and think- ing of you. See? That'll make them think of you all the time.
Entry 8057
During my childhood days I heard that a sick person who was very trou- blesome and worried them and worth a little money, the only thing you could do [to kill this person and] to stop the law from com- ing into it: This person went to a hoodoo, and he told her to take this person's picture and turn it upside down under the [sick] bed and watch its effect. In three days the person vas a corpse. You turn a photograph down like that, and you watch the person and see if he don't get weaker every day. When you lay it down you are turning the life down like that. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8058
Well, sho' [sure] but it's gotta be on tin [tintype]. Yo' take de one dat's on a tin. Yo' kin take dat photograph an' yo' kin take it an' lay it up undah yore bed fo' nine days an' night, an' dat photograph will fade. Dat photograph will fade away an' de people gona disappeah. Dat's when yo' want 'em tuh disappeah outa yore sight. Dat's when dey bothahin' yo'. Well, yo' take dat an' lay it undah yuh bed fo' nine days, an' de mo' dat photograph fade away, dem people git outa yore sight.
Entry 8059
I've heard that they could make a person follah them by means of using their pitchure. They claim that they would put that in the head of the bed, jis' take it an' tack it behind the bed in the headboard. An' that person whose pitchure it is, why [he] will be at their beck-an'-call at any time.
Entry 8060
I know what I can do to bring a girl back, if she wants to leave, so long as I got her photograph. I can take her photograph and bring her back. Well, I'd take the photograph, you see, and I'd put it bottom upward, you know, crossways underneath the head of the bed. I can take the photograph and put it under the head of the bed, bottom upwards, and put the head at the west and feet at the east [photo faces east as does a corpse], you see, and put dat dere for nine days. So when dat nine days are up and that starts to rus' [rust], you take that up and put it in your pocket. Wear in your hip pocket and she'll come back. She won't do nuthin till that rus'es, you see. When you put it, it rus'es crossways, you see, on the springs you know. It rus' with the springs. I don't know [how] it come to bring her back, but it will do it jes' as soon as that starts to rus'. And you take that out and put it in your pocket. The actual pitchure itself had to be against the springs, but it have to be a tintype. You see [demonstrates] the face is up this way and you turn it down [face to springs], you see, and let the head be to the west and the feet to the east [normal position for burial of corpse]. That's according to the direction as she went. If she went east, you do that; if she went west, you put the head den [to the east], jis' ever way she went. You put that [on the springs] underneath your pilloW. And WHEN THE NINE DAYS IS UP, THAT THING WILL TURN COMPLETELY AROUND, THAT PICTURE WILL. When the nine days is up and that thing [picture] turns around, she'll come home.
Entry 8061
They say if someone's away an' you have a photo [of the per- son], you place it in a white pocket han'chief an' put it in the Bible and they will come back on the ninth day.
Entry 8062
If dis party is off, 'way off, an' yo' wants tuh see dem, well if dat pichure - dey say is a tintype pichure - dat yo' could turn it up on it's haid in a Bible, upside down, an' if dey can, why dey'll come.
Entry 8063
Jes' lak a person wanta hurt somebody, yo' know, a lady dat dey don't iak. Dey kin take huh pichure an' take it an' put it in a bottle, an' turn dat bottle bottom upwards, bury it in de ground. An' de mo' dat pichure swell, de mo' she'll swell; an' when dat bottle breaks, de woman would bu'st wide open. Ah've seen dat done. (You simply take her picture and put it in the bottle and turn the bottle up- side down and bury it.) Yes sir, an' de pichure swells an' de mo' it swells, de mo' she swell, an' den she bu'sts open an' die from it. Ah've seen a woman die from dat. An' de way ah've seen people git live lizards put in 'em, ah've seen dat done.
Entry 8064
Yo' know dese cheap photograph where all de stuff kin come off. Ah mean de tintype. Well yo' put dat down in some watah an' all dat stuff shell of. Yo' don't put in so [too] much watah, a li'le bit of watah - see, jis' a li'le on it tuh soften it. Git all dat out an' yo' put dat in a bottle, see. An' yo' put some perfume in dat, an' den yo' put dere toe- nails, an' yo' puts de bow of de cap [3 ingred- ients added to photograph water]. Yo' know dat li'le bow at de bottom of 'is cap, li'le roun' bow. Take dat an' put dat in de bottle, an' yo' stop dat up an' bury dat.
(What will that do to you?)
Dat will kill yo'.
Entry 8065
[The rites of this margin title give the simple act of burning a photo- graph, usually in a fire already made. More complicated burning rites will be found later in this section and elsewhere in Hoodoo.l Jes' lak yo' have a photograph an' - say ah wuz goin' wit a girl an' ah had 'er photograph. Well, maybe ah'd keep it an' ah'd maybe start goin' wit anothah girl. All right, dis othah girl didn't like fo' me tuh have dis photograph. Ah take de photograph an' throw it in de fiah an' burn it up, an' it makes dis othah girl sick an' jes' lingahin' an' lingahin' 'long. An' firs' an' las' she dies, pales away.
Entry 8067
Dey say dat, but ah nevah seed dat natchel [natural] mahself. But dey say yo' kin take dere pichure, a tintype, especi'ly de tintype, an' yo' kin burn it an' dat person will die.
(Burn it?)
Burn it up.
(I see.)
Jis' take it an' burn it up. An' dey say dey will die. Well, now, ah nevah saw dat done. Ah've jis' heard talk of dat.
Entry 8068
A pusson cu'd take yo' photograph an' burn it. If dey burn it, well yo' jis' absolutely goin' be a man dat git burned. If dey throw it ovahbo'd yo's prak'ly [practically] goin' de same place dat chure pichure went, yo' undah- stan'. An' fin'ly [finally] de same dat [who] threw dat pichure ovahbo'd, dat one dat, chew know, gotta come an' git chew.
Entry 8069
Ah heard dey take de photograph an' throw it in de fire or throw it out somewhere an' do 'way it. An' yo's gone. Say, dey's eithah daid or dey'll trav- el.
Entry 8070
If dey are 'way from home, dey say yo' kin take dere pichure an' burn it up, an' yo' nevah will see 'em any mo'. Yessuh, if dey 'way from home. Yes- suh, if yo' burn up dere pichure, dey'll nevah come back any mo'.
Entry 8071
If anyone take yo' pitchure, dey say dey - jis' DE VAY DEY TREAT YO' PITCHURE, dey say DAT'S DE VAY DAT YO'LL BE TREATED. If anyone take yo' pitchure or burn it up or sumpin lak dat, dey say dat yo'll be treated lak dat BEFO' YO' DIE.
Entry 8072
Throw it [your photograph] in de fire an' burn it up an' dat'll make yo' fall in de fire an' git burnt.
Entry 8073
They take your picture and burn it, and take the ashes and take them and hide it, and you will lose your mind.
Entry 8076
[There are many simple statements about burying a photograph. The present ones are given here to establish the margin title. Later in the section we shall meet many burial of photo rites.] Dat's accordin' to whut it be taken on, yo' know. If it be taken on tintype, dey kin take hit, yo' know, in de groun'; an' as it fade, dat'll cause yo' tuh fade away. Yo' see, as hit fade away, as [so] yo' fade away. Yo'll git tuh go - look like, yo' know, somebody goin' intuh T. B. or somepin othah.
(Just how do they bury that? Any particular way?)
Jis' - dey kin jis' take it an' jis' bury it anyways, see, an' anywheres, yo' see.
(I see.)
Entry 8077
I heard that they could take your photograph and, if the person wanted to harm you, they could take your photograph and bury it; and that they thought you'd have bad luck or some ill omen would befall you.
Entry 8078
(What do they do with your photograph?)
Dey takes it an' turns it up. Dat's why ah don't give nobody mine. Dey takes it an' digs a hole an' turn yo' on yore face an' bury it.
(What will that do to you?)
Dey say dat kills yo'.
Entry 8079
Well, now, dere's two thing ah know dey kin do wit a photograph. Dat ah know. Dey kin go tuh work if dey wanta - if a man lef' dere wife, dey kin take dat photograph an' turn it upside down, an' den yere husban' will come back home to yo'.
Entry 8080
They take them [photographs], they say, and bury 'em in the ground and kill yeh.
Entry 8081
Ah've heard dat if it's on tin an' yo' bury it, dat gives yo' de head- ache.
(The photograph.)
Entry 8082
Bury it on de face tuh kill 'em. (Bury this photograph on its face and that will kill them.)
Entry 8083
Dey tell me dey take a person's photograph and buries it. It will run 'em crazy.
Entry 8084
Yo' kin git de photograph of me if dere is any dissatisfaction between I an' yo'. Yo' is de woman an' I'm de man, an' yo' kin git mah pichure. [Once again as so many times, I am a guinea pig - this time a female one!] Yo' kin carry dat pichure an' take up about half a tablespoonful of castor oil. Sprinkle de castor oil [demonstrates] ovah de pichure lak dat, turn it down on de face, dig a li'le dirt out de ground an' put it on topa de pichure lak dat. An' I'll go crazy. [For oil on photo, see later margin title 9 DAYS etc.]
Entry 8085
They take it [photograph] an' lay it flat on its face, an' then take two drops of chicken blood an' cross that, and then pray ovah that: Our Fathah who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, let thy kingdom come, let thy will be done. An' then that will work for you then on your photograph.
(What would that do?)
Well, according as they use it, jis' like I said; why then accordin' to what they wan'a do. If they wan'a be good to you or wan'a be mean to you, or somepin like that, well you could do that, choo see. [The cross is made by dipping the f an "x" or cross. finger into chicken blood twice, each time drawing the stroke of an "X" or cross. Yes the Our Father Prayer can be used for evil as well as good.]
Entry 8086
Turn 'im [his photo- graph] down tuh de ground an' make a wish wit dat black hen feathah an' yore wishes will come true. An' at de dawn of day, read a chaptah ~ read de 36th chaptah of de Psalms of David. Yo' pray tuh God an' ast 'im fo' whut chew want an' yo'll be purtty lucky tuh git it. (Use the person's photograph. How do you use that black feather? What do you do with that?) Lay it across de pichure, turn it [picture] down tuh de ground.
(Face it down.)
Entry 8087
Like if a lady or a man - a man wouldn't - or a woman wouldn't even hurt a woman like herself an' a man wouldn't hurt a man like himself. Now, if yo' got a lady friend, say for instance she's gone from here tuh London, Eng- land. Yo' cares fo' dis lady, an' she don't care fo' yo'. Yo' wants 'er back. Yo' kin git 'er back. Yo' go, yo' git choo - yo' got 'er photo already. Yo' git chew some John de Conkah's root. Yo' git choo some Mayfair Powdah [trade name, perfumed powder for body].
(What kind of powder?)
Mayfair Powdah, an' git choo some John de Conkah's root. Yo' take dis John de Conkah's root an' dis Mayfair Powdah. (You take the John the Conquer root and the Mayfair Powder. All right, then what?) John de Conkah's root an' dis Mayfair Powdah. Now, yo' gotta take dis John de Conkah's root an' yo' gotta roll it out 'till it git tuh a powdah like dis May- fair Powdah. Supposed tuh sell yo' Mayfair Powdah or de othah [John de Conkah]. Now, aftah yo' take dis powdah an' dis earth [John de Conkah Powder]. Yo' got 'er photo. Yo' go out in some private place at twelve o'clock. Yo' go in de daytime when de sun is beamin' hot. Yo' stan' dis pichure anywhere dat yo' could stand it, even if yo' gotta put a brick down tuh stand it up. Yo' go roun' [cir- cle] dis pichure nine times an' sprinkle it wit dis Mayfair Powdah an' dis John de Conkah's root.
(Do you have to sprinkle the picture or sprinkle a circle around it?)
A circle around it nine times.
(All right.)
Now, she's in London, England. An' aftah yo' do dat nine times fo' nine days, yo' don't have tuh worry no more. She's gotta come back regardless wherevah she's at. Dat's wit 'er photo. [I believe the person walks round (circumambulate) the propped-up photo once each day of the 9 days, sprinkling as he goes.]
(Why do you say London, England? Have you ever been there?)
I'se nevah been in London, England, but dat jis' [an illustration].
(I See. WERE YOU BORN IN THIS COUNTRY?)
WelI, I WASN'T BORN RIGHT ON DIS SIDE [IN NEW ORLEANS]. I WAS BORN ON DE LOW COAST OF ALGIERS [ON WEST SIDE OF MISSISSIPPI, AN "OVER THE RIVER" PART OF NEW QLEANS.]
(WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE LOW COAST OF ALGIERS? ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI?)
ACROSS DE MISSISSIPPI RIVAH.
(I see, I see.) )
Entry 8088
They say they kin take a tintype of a man or a woman that you're in love with an' turn it upside down in a dark corner an' keep it in the dark. Eventually they will pine away to nuthin an' their thoughts will be on you always.
Entry 8089
If a party writes a party a lettah an' sends 'is pitchure in it, an' he take it an' jab both of de eyes out of de party, an' burn two cornahs, dat's bad business
(What will it do?)
Give yo' hard luck de balance of yore days, an' yo' liable tuh go blind.
(What two corners do you burn?)
Burn de right an' left - burn de bottom one left an' burn de top one right.
Entry 8090
Have taken dat [photo] an' put it intuh a trunk. Bury it bottom down, [I] mean face down, an' cut two cornahs offa it an' write de name on de face, "I want chew tuh come home, '' or 'I want chew tuh die." I write dat on de photo, "Want chew tuh lin- gah." Write dat on de face of de photo. If dat face is down in de bottom of de trunk or down undah a step or anywhere, I could git jis' so I kin git de face down at, neah of de home or in de home... [I interrupt]. (That will have to be written down. Which two corners of the photograph do you cut off? Which two corners?) Got tuh lay it face dis way, see [demonstrates].
(Which two corners do you cut off now?)
All right [demonstrates]. Cut dis one here, an' cut dis one down here. (You cut opposite corners.) [Magic of the diagonal, see many examples in Hoodoo.] Yes, sir, opposite cornahs.
Entry 8091
Ah've heard dat dey kin take yo' photograph an' cut both cornahs, yo' know, each cornah an' pass it 'way tuh a individual. Jis' lak if ah had yore photograph, if ah was in company wit choo, ah would clip de fo' cornahs tuh it an' jis' put it away in a private place, where no one would git tuh it an' see it. An' dat would always bring yo' person'ly towards me. (You cut off the four corners. And what do you do with those four corners then?) What chew do wit de fo' cornahs? Well, yo' kin jis' cast 'em aside. Dey are no good.
(You just keep the photograph.)
Jis' keep de photograph yo'self.
Entry 8092
I heard 'em say dat dey kin take a photograph an' burn de cornah of it.
(Burn the corner?)
Burn de cornah, bend de fo' cornahs of de photograph dat way. Take de photo- graph an' jis' take it off an' jis' burn de cornahs. Strike a match tuh it an' burn de fo' cornahs. Take a stick an' pick dat up an'...an' throw dat in de fiah. "Fore de end of de yeah, why somepin will happen tuh dat man or dat woman. I've seen dat thing done mahself.
Entry 8093
If he's gone fah [far] off, yo' could...an' clip each cornah off it [photograph] an' stick it down, yo' know, lak in a crack an' sprinkle table salt ovah dat, an' yo' make urinate dere fo' nine mawnin's, an' he'll be back.
(Just stick it down in the crack?)
Yes.
Entry 8094
Dey say dat she could take de photograph an' nail it up, yo' know, in de fo' cornahs of de wall, an' if de man's off an' yo' [or she] want 'im tuh come back, yo' take it an' [demonstrates] put it in dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' den call de fo' cornahs of de walls, jis' lak no'th, so'th an' east an' west. [They] say in nine days he'll be back home. (You only do that once though? You put the photograph in one corner and call his name, then you take that off and put it in another corner. Then you take it off and put it in another corner.) An' den call de fo' cornahs, jis' lak dey say de fo' cornahs of de world.
[This expression is from Revelation of St. John the Divine, 7:1.]
(But you only use one photograph, and you call each corner?)
An' den call 'is name. Say in nine days he'll be back home.
Entry 8095
Yo' kin take a man's pichure or a man kin take a woman's pichure. If yo' wan' de person tuh stay aroun', yo' kin turn it up an' dey'll be aroun' if yo' walk on tuh 'em. If yo want 'em tuh come rushin' right tuh yo' at once, turn it down. Dat puts 'em on dere haid, dey can't stay away. Den yo' kin take de pichure ag'in an' punch de eyes out, put a "x" in de mouth, an' bury it on de face of it, but punch de eyes out an' dat'll run 'em blind.
Entry 8096
If yo' didn't like a person, take dat pichure an' make cross marks on de eyes an' bury it where yo' often walks ovah, an' dey will nevah bothah yo' any mo'. (Just make a cross over each eye?) Jis' make a cross ovah each eye an' bury it, yo' know, in de path dat chew trods ovah, an' dey'd nevah bothah yo' ag'in.
Entry 8097
Yo' take de pichure an' yo' plug both eyes out. Den yo' take an' yo' put two cross mark right across lak dat [demonstrates] an' den yo' carry it tuh de right- han' cornah of de house on de Do'theast side, an' carry it an' put it undahneat' of de house up on top of de sill an' turn de face down. An' dey'll perish [you] away. (Now, after you cut the eyes out of that picture, you just cross it like that [demonstrate] twice. You make diagonals across the picture in the shape of a cross like that twice. Then you bury it under - [demonstrate] here's the house and here's the northwest corner. Now, where would you bury it under the north- east corner?) Yo' jis' put it right along - now heah's [demonstrates] de no'theast cornah. Jis' put it about lak dat, up on top of de sill of de house an' turn it face down.
Entry 8098
Yo' kin take dat, jis' a tintype. Yo' kin take it an' bury it an' kill a person jis' as daid as dey evah have tuh die. Yo' take it an' carry it out somewhere an' yo' dig a hole an' put it in it, an' yo' jis' curse an' say, "Ah hope dat yo'll die an' nevah come back ag'in." An' bury it. Dat's de way tuh bury an' dey'll die. As dat tintype fade away, why dey'll fade away. Dey will shore die.
Entry 8099
Take de photograph an' put it befo' yo' face a certain time, certain hour of de day, whichevah hour yo' sets. Some of 'em sets seven in de mawnin', which dey claims dat's best. Set dat photo befo' yo' evah mawnin' an' curse it. Point chore fingah at it an' curse it, dey say, whatevah curse yo' may wish, fer seven mawnin's, an' bury it upon its face, face downwards, an' dat curse will come true.
Entry 8100
Ah heer'd dat yo' could take a photograph an' put, place it in de dark, yo' see. Place it in de dark with peppah an' salt. Sprinkle on dis photograph. Wrap it up an' put it in a dark place. Well, yo' say, throw it away an' it would cuz homes tuh be broken up or somepin lak dat. Ah hear'd of dat, too.
Entry 8101
Jis' lak mah wife wuz tuh leave me an' go tuh New York or somewhere, an' ah wanted 'er back, an' ah could git 'er photograph, an' could take it an' bring 'er back tuh me, an' all lak dat.
(Well, do you know what they would do with that?)
Dey say dey would take dat photograph an' turn it tuh go from de way she leave home; jis' backward, back. Ah tell how she, de way she leave. Dey could take dat photograph an' turn it, put de face towards de way she went an' de back to- Wards home, an' de face of dat pichure would draw 'er back tuh me.
(That's all they had to do?)
Yessuh, dey jis' take dat.
Entry 8102
Ah heard dat yo' could take yore photograph on a tintype - on a tin- type. Take yore photograph, if dey wanted tuh do anything tuh yo', an' keep it layin' on de face undah de do', an' dat'll make his mind, yo' know, ramble. He cain't stay dere, he gotta go. He'll wanta be goin' all de time. Jis' yore mind be's all aflustery an' yo' don't know whut tuh do. Yo' ain't satisfied an' yo' cain't do yore work, jis' unhappy.
(Why would that cause that?)
Well, de pichure is layin' on it's face. Dat's whut de ole lady tole me.
Entry 8103
Take dat p'otograph an' put it down on de face, an' bury it undah de doorsteps, an' walk ovah it. Dey say dat person'll jis' be gone.
Entry 8104
Yo' kin bury it on its face [the picture] at chure do' too, ag'in. Wrap it up in flannen an' bury it down dere an' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's yo' kin hit on it jis' lak dat [demonstrates by stamping foot], jis' as yo' walk, jis' hit on it lak dat, an' dat harms 'em. Yo'll fade away. Ah've seen 'em fade away.
(You just stomp [stamp] on it.)
Yo' be goin' but chew fades away tuh nuthin.
Entry 8105
Dey could take yore photograph lak if yo's a long Way off. Dey kin take it an' put it at de front do' where yo' live at an' read de 18th Psalm. In nine days yo'll come from where yo' is, ah don't care where yo' is. (How do they put that photograph at the front door? Just what do they do with that?) Dey will put it right at de front do' an' dey will cut dat, yo' know, jis' de size of yo' photograph - cut dat out, see. An' den would put dat piece right back ovah dat, dat same piece, an' put dat 18th Psalm, yo' know, written on a piece of papah, an' place it ovah dat. An' den dey Would read dat 18th Psalm in de Bible. An' den in nine days yo'll surely return.
Entry 8106
Well, if a woman don't like you an' go away, yo' turn it [photograph] upside down [face down?] an' nail it up over the door. It'll bring her back.
Entry 8107
I've heard tell of 'em takin' yuh photograph - of a tintype - an' bury- in' it at cheh do', an' it'a make sickness. "Yo' become swollen, yo' know. Yo' jis' run wild, see. An' if anybody kin git tuh it befo' it russes [rusts], why dey kin save yo' - jis' take it up. Dey bury it head-fore- most. Dey bury it about, yo' know, about fo' or five inches down in earth, down undahneath yuh do'step.
(What do you mean by head-foremost?)
De head leans out from de do'. Dat means dat choo'll die an' dey bring yuh out, yo' undahstand. It's bottom upward.
Entry 8108
Take a photograph an' dig a hole undah a bottom of a steps, an' turn it down undah dat step right on de face, an' dat will make yo' leave a place where yo' be at.
(How do you mean make you leave?)
Jis' lak if yo' stayin' tuh a house lak dis [where we were sitting] an' dey Want chew tuh go, say dey will bury it undah yo' step, undah yo' bottom do'steps. An' dig a hole an' turn it down, say dat will make yo' go.
Entry 8109
Dey git hold of dat photograph so as tuh do yo' any harm. Well, dey could take it an' take it home wit 'em an' bury it an' keep it about, say two or three days sompin, somewhere round de do'step. But it ain't nuthin tuh kill yuh or nuthin lak dat. But it will, yo' know, put chew in bad luck or give yo' a bad feelin' or somepin othah lak dat.
Entry 8110
Now, if yo' have a fren' - understan' me good - a girl fren' dat lovin' yo' an' she have yore photo. Well, she kin take de photo an' turn it down on de face an' put it undah de front steps, jis' undah de sill of de house, an' dat vill make yo' worry a lot about 'er.
Entry 8111
I heard of 'em gittin' hold of it [a photograph] an' buryin' it under the doorsteps so it with de face down, an' makin' yo' leave.
Entry 8112
Ah've heard dat dey would take dat an' bury it undah de step, dat photo.
(What would that do?)
Well, dat would bring yore lovah back, if he's left.
Entry 8113
A person could bury mah photograph bottom upwards undah mah steps an' ah'll run off but ah'll sho'ly [surely] come back, come right back.
Entry 8114
If a person got a photograph, if yo' kin git it an' burn it up an' have somebody tuh bury de ashes right back undah her steps, well dat will give her bad luck. Dat'll run 'er away from town, make her move out dat house.
Entry 8115
Git a person photograph on a tintype. Ah know dis one mahself. An' yo' stan' it on de edge, put it in de groun' where it will stan' on de edge, an' let it lay dat way 36 hours in dat one position. An' den aftah den yo' go back an' turn it ovah ag'in, see. An' if he's away, he'll show up. In de same lak mannah, if yo' wanta kill any person wit de tintype, yo' take it an' yo' lay it flat jis' lak dat on its face an' let it lay dere. In less dan 36 hours dat individual will git sick an' be daid. (Now, that first way, you put the photograph, you set it up like that [demon- strate]. Is the head up or down, or does it make any difference?) It doesn't make any diff'rence, jis' so it's settin' up on de edge. An' den de nex' time yo' turn it.
Entry 8116
They kin take a egg, draw their pitchure on dis egg, bury it with the face to the sun, an' it will cause 'em to be in trouble.
Entry 8117
Ah have mah pichure made an' den de person who made mah pichure would bring it an' ah refuse tuh take it out [to pay for it?l. Somebody would take dat pichure an' scratch out de eyes an' turn de head-part down, an' dat would run yo' blind.
(How do you mean put the head down? Where do you put it down?)
Ah don't know dat. Dey jis' tell me dat.
(Where do you set it down though?)
Yo' jis' set it down any place, anywhere yo' kin.
(You mean on a table or something of that sort?)
Jis' lak yo' walk tuh de house an' set it down tuh de side of de house lak dat.
Entry 8118
If it's a tintype, why dey kin kill yo' wit de photograph. Take de photograph an' punch holes in it an' bury it on its face.
(Would they punch that hole any particular place?)
Well, some says punch out de eye part of 'em, but ah don't know personally. But ah know 'em not tuh punch de eye part out, jis' through heah [demonstrates], somepin jis' look lak dey stick somepin through de neck of it.
(Right in the throat?)
Uh-hah.
Entry 8119
Ah've heard dat dey could take yo' pitchure from yo' house. Go dere an' steal yo' pitchure, take it tuh dere house an' put it at anywhere in dere house, an' take anything an' punch de eyes of it out, an' yo'll go blind.
Entry 8120
Take a straight pin an' scratch de eye of 'em on de photograph, dat will run a person blind.
Entry 8121
De photograph, turd it down yo' know. Yeah, bury it on its face. See heah, cut de eyes out an' bury it on de face, an' walk on off an' don't look back.
(What will that do?)
He'll die.
(What did you say about the eyes?)
Cut de eyes out de pichure. Yo' kin jis' mark cross dem, cut de eyes out. Carry it wherever yo' Wanta carry, don't let nobody see yo' [dig a hole], covah it up lak yo' bury a grave.
Entry 8122
Wal, ah understand that they take yore photo- graph, an' they take the photograph an' turn de pic- hure, de face to de ground, and they bury that. An' then when they do that yo' fades away an' yo' lose yore mind.
Entry 8123
Ah've heard of it, de photograph. Yo' kin take it, dey say an' bury it, an' bury it on de face. Dey say when dat pichure rot, why yo'll die.
Entry 8124
Well, yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin bury 'it on de face yo' know, an' yo' kin kill a person lak dat. Yeah, wit 'is photograph, jis' bury it somewhere on de face. An' tell me, say yo' kin run 'em crazy wit dat.
Entry 8125
Take de photograph an' yo' know, keep it turn on its face an' yo'... (What will that do if you turn that photograph on its face? [Pause.] What will that do? [Pause.] You said it would make them come back, didn't you?) Yeah, dat whut ah said.
Entry 8126
About dat photograph, ah had it done tuh me.
(What did they do with it?)
Dey done take dat photograph an' turn it on de face, an' if dey kept it on de face, dat's so yo'll be suffahin' a while an' die. Dat's what dey said tuh me an' ah found out.
Entry 8127
Jis' lak if yo' husban' happen tuh leave yuh, yo' could take his pit- chure an' lay on its face an' dat'll bring 'im back.
Entry 8128
Take a tintype, if yo' kin git a tintype, a pastebo'd don't do nuthin. But yo' kin take a tintype an' yo' kin take an' bury dat, yo' know, wit de face turned down tuh de earth. An' when dat pichure molds away, den yo' molds away.
(I see.)
Entry 8129
(What are you going to take now?)
Yo' take his pichure. Now yo' gon'a jis' take dat pichure an' yo' know jis' whut tuh do. Yo' take dat pichure an' turn it upside down, jis' tumn de face tuh de ground an' yo' bury dat. Dat's whut yo' do wit dat. Whut'll happen? Jis' lak it fade away, he'll fade away.
Entry 8130
If dey got holt of yuh photograph, if it wus a tintype, an' put it down, bury it on de face, why yo' wouldn't live long.
(I see.)
Entry 8131
Depends on de type of pichure it is. If it's a tintype pichure, dey Lin make dat person jis' fade away until dey jis' go intuh skin an' bones, an event'ly [eventually] jis' tire away tuh nuthin, by bur'in' it face down.
Entry 8132
Dey take yer photograph, an' dey take it an' yo' know, an' turn it down an' place somepin [a weight] on it yo' know, an' keep it turnt down. An' den, dey tell me dat will cuz people tuh lose dere mind lak dat.
Entry 8133
Dey take yer pichure - ah don' know it [from experience] but ah heah 'em say dey take yer pichure - an' wrap it up in a cloth an' bury it on de face, an' dat will kill a person.
Entry 8134
Ah've heard dat a woman could take yer photograph an' wrop it in one of 'er undahpieces an' turn it down on de face, an' as long as it lay dere, why dey say yo' can't do any- thing wit no othah woman but 'er.