Browse:THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (Volume 4, entries 8055–8881)/Part 10
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 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.
Entry 8806
It's one thing they do to you. (What's that?) Dey kin take yore handwritin'. Dey'll take a plate or saucer or somepin an' burn it jes' lak yo' did dat othah a while ago, an' den get somepin - jes' a face towel or pocket han'ke'ch'ef - somepin yo' use about yore face, an' tie dat up in it, an' take it to a runnin' stream an' run yo' crazy.
(How will it run you crazy? You mean they throw that into the running stream?)
Yes, sir.
(And that will run you crazy, I see.)
Yes, sir. [See also later margin title WATER-RUNNING.]
Entry 8807
Dey say if dey git hold of yore han'writin', aniybody's han'writin' an put it in vinegah an' bury it, it'll upset 'em a lot; upset dey nerves an' dey can't write an' can't do any- thing.
Entry 8808
Oh, yes, dey kin take yore han'writin' so dey says. Take yore han'writin' an' drow it [see No.8836]. An' aftah dey git it, dey steam it, take it, some sort ovah steam, jes' lak yo' boilin' sompin, take it an' steam it. An' dey takes dat an' bury it. If yo' don' lak or yo' lak 'em - eithah one - dey kin take it an' git rid of yo' eithah way.
(If they don't like me what do they do with that?)
Well, if dey don't lak yo', yo' see, dey jes' git rid of yo'. If dey don' wanta kill yo', dey kin git rid of yo'. Jes' take it, yo' know, an' tie it up or burn it up.
(What will that do to you?)
Dat jes' throw yo' mind offa dem, so yo' don' care fo' dem.
Entry 8809
Den ag'in, ah heard a boy say dat he was goin' wit a girl an' dis girl Wrote 'im a lettah, an' he wasn't on such good terms wit dis girl. An' he took dis lettah an' burned it on de fo' cornahs, an' sent it back tuh 'er tuh let 'er know he didn't want to be bothered. Dat's supposed tuh give her all kinds of bad luck.
Entry 8810
Dey could take yore handwritin' on a piece of papah, but de way how it is, how it comes in, ah'm goin' give yo' de beginnin' of it. It's de same if yo' should happen tuh go - if somebody should happen tuh go away an' dey should write tuh yo'. Well, all right, dey'd put it in an envelope. Well, dey puts some kind of powdah in dere. Ah forgot de name of de powdah, but dey put dat powdah in dere to seal it, yo' know, an' dat powdah will come out de minute yo' open it. Yore handwritin' will be in it. If yo' should happen tuh go an' write a person a lettah [like that] an' dey. take it an' burn it on de fo' cornahs, or pro'bly burn it all up tuh dust, an' put it back in de mail an' mail it back tuh yo' - well, dey stay dere demself. Dey find dat dey jes' don't care tuh have nuthin to do wit choo.
Entry 8811
Well, when yo' burn de fo' cornahs of de lettah, dat's a insult. Dat's whut dat is, an' tuh break up whosomevah dat chure in love wit.
Entry 8812
Well, all ah heard about dat, wuz jes' yo' burn de fo' cornahs of de lettah an' send it back. Dat means dat chew don' want 'em no mo'.
Entry 8813
If yo' write a girl a lettah an' she don't wan' choo or don' want tuh have nuthin tuh do wid choo, she take an' burn dose fo' cornahs of de lettah, an' take an' mail it back tuh yuh, an' joo won' nevah intahfere wid 'er no mo'.
Entry 8814
Yo' burn de fo' cornah of de lettah [you receive from someone] an' fold it down tight an' put it away in any secret place, where it won't be misplaced. It'll make yo' [the reader] have yuh hands tremblin' lak yo' have de palsy an' yo' can't have de use of yuh hand.
Entry 8815
If somebody wrote yo' a lettah an' yo' didn't want 'em to write any more an' [want to] get rid of 'em, yo' take dis lettah an' burn de four ends an' dat'll make yo' [the writer] lose yore sight.
Entry 8816
Ah hear dat if dey git holt of yore han'writin' or anythin' lak dat, if yo'd write a lettah, dey take it an' burn fo' cornahs off it an' ketch de ashes, or sompin othah lak dat, an' send yo' de lettah back. Says dey got chew den. Says it will make yo' come back, as long as dey hold dem ashes dere. Jes' burn de cornah where yo' roll dat, say yo'll come back if dey want chew tuh come back.
Entry 8817
Why a person could write a lettah to yo' an' if dey don't wanta hear from yo', why they burn de fo' cornahs off dat let- tah, an' den dey boil peppah tea, steep dat lettah in it, an' seal it up an' send it back tuh yo', an' yo' can't write 'em no mo'. An' den dey will go blind from dat.
Entry 8818
Take yore han'writ- in' an' burn each cornah of it, an' put some perfume on it [of letter] an' let.it dry an' burn it up. Dat would cause yo' to go crazy.
Entry 8819
Cut de cornahs off of it, all fo' cornahs off of it, an' yo' kin do somepin wit 'em dataway. Well, yo' kin take 'em jes' lak anybody writin' yo' a love lettah. Jes' lak yo' git a lettah - jes' lak ah got a fren' boy [boy friend] an' he got anothah fren' girl [girl friend]. Well, jes' lak he goin' wit her an' goin' wit me but ah don't know nuthin 'bout it. Well, suppose she goin' write 'im a lettah. Well, if ah happen tuh git de lettah an' read it, an' don't lak whut she say on it, don't even know he wuz goin' wit 'er, well ah take dat lettah an' burn all fo' cornahs. All fo' cornahs off dat lettah an' singe it wit chure hair. Yo' know, not [don't singe it] on yore haid, but yo' singe it wit dat, an' wrap it up an' sleep wit it evah night. An' dat'll soon make 'i an' dis girl break up. Yeah, jes' lak yo' take a match an' jes' stick a fire tuh de hair an' singe it an' burn all fo' cornahs off it, de lettah, an' den yo' seal dis hair up in de lettah. An' yo' take it an' put it undah yore pillah an' sleep wit it undah dere evah night. An' dat'll make him an' dis girl soon break up. (You take some of your own hair an' burn this hair over that letter and let this dust fall on that letter. Then you fold that dust in that letter and sleep on it?) Yes.
Entry 8820
Well, we could take yore han'writin' an' put it ovah a lamp an' git it black wit de lamp an' burn it in sulphah. Put a little lye wit it, yo' undah- stan'. Take it an' burn it at all fo' cornahs. See, yo' take dat salt an' sulphah an' wipe it off aftah yo' put it on papah an burn it at de fo' cornahs an' mail it back tuh yo'. An' dat'll give yore arm a tremble, a tremble all in yore han', an' dere ain't a way in de worl' tuh git ovah it.
Entry 8821
Burn it in de centah - jes' take yo' a match an' burn it, burn a little hole in de centah [of letter]. Burn on de fo' cornahs an' den mail it any place. An' dat's bad luck tuh yo'. [This creates the 5 points of a quincunx.] (That is, this letter that you received from this person?) Dat's right. Dey don't have tuh send it back tuh yo'. It's bad luck tuh dis man at any place. It kin go back tuh de dead lettah office. It's bad luck tuh yo' [the writer].
Entry 8822
They kin take yore han'- writin' - dey kin receive a lettah from yo'. Dey take dat lettah an' dey clip all four cornahs of it, see. Don't clip the whole lettah, clip all fo' cornahs of it off like dat, see. Dey take dat lettah den an' dey burn a little hole in it right in de middle, see. Aftah dey have burnt dat den, dey goes out an' dey. gets a lizard, an' dey takes an' dey kills dis lizard, yo' see. An' dey parches 'im up to where dey kin make a powdah out of it. Aftah dey make dat powdah, den dey sprinkle it all ovah dat lettah, yo' see. Dey folds dat lettah up good, see, an' dey folds it up an' dey take it an' bury it some place in de ground, yo' see, an' yo' lose control of dat hand.
(I see.)
Entry 8823
Ah'll take yore han'writin', whethah it's chure name or what not, it's chure han'writin'. Ah'll turn de fo' cornahs in, if it's a lettah, turn 'em all in tuh me. Den ah'll fold 'em an' put 'em undah mah shoe.
(Turn these four corners in, then you fold them over once. Just once?)
Yes sir, tuh me all de time.
(Once or twice?)
Yeah, any way fold it tuh yo' all de while [until you have a convenient pack- age].
(Just make a little package. Always fold it to you.)
Yes sir, an' ah weahs it undah mah shoes. Co'se, whethah yo' a woman or man ah'll handle yo'.
(What shoe do you wear that in?)
Yo' weah dat in de right shoe.
Entry 8824
Lak if a girl write a lettah tuh mah boy fren', well ah'd git holt of it an' ah'd wanta break dem up. Well ah'd git dis lettah an' tear it up, tear de cornahs off it, or eithah burn de cornahs off, an' send it back tuh 'er. Dat would break dem up.
Entry 8825
Cut de fo' cornahs of dat lettah, see, an' put it in anothah envelope an' address it back tuh'er. See, send it tuh 'er. (Well, what will that do?) Means dat chew don't want Duthin else tuh do wit 'er no mo'.
Entry 8826
Lak if yo' write a lettah tuh someone an' dey git chure han'writin' or dey know yore han'writin', dey take dis han'writin' - take dis lettah an' cut each cornahs off it. Jes' lak yo' got a sheet of lettah an' yo' cut each cornahs off of it, an' take it an' fold it up intuh fo' parts, take an' fold it up dis Way. Den yo' take it - lak if she Wanted 'er husban' tuh come back tuh 'er. Den she take dis lettah aftah she fold it up - aftah 'er sonthly come on her - an' she take some of 'er monthly an' she take a small piece of flannel rag, an' tie it up in dat small flannel rag. Fold dat lettah, fold dat lettah fo' times, an' 'er monthlies in dis li'le flannel rag, an' den she take dat an' she weah it. Aftah she take an' fold it up, den she weahs it tuh 'er navel down heah - dis side of 'er navel.
[The navel is not meant, see later.]
(Which side?)
On 'er left side. An' den aftah she do dat, she weah it so many days. An' ah heahs women says, aftah she weahs it so many days, dey guarantee dat he will come back tuh dem, don't ca' where he's at, if he in New Yawk or anywhere. It will take effect on 'em an' dey come back. (Show me how that letter is folded with that piece of paper now? First, they tear the corners off, you say?) Dat's right, teah de cornahs. Den she take dis flannel rag an' 'er ministrate an' she put dat right in de centah of dat, an' she take it an' she fold it lak dat [demonstrates].
(She folds one corner to the opposite corner?)
Yessuh. (She folds every corner to the opposite corner, making a triangle. All right. Like making a little hat that you would wear.) Yes.
(Then she wears that right between her legs.)
Dat's it.
Entry 8827
Yes, ah've heard dat if yo' take dat han'writin' an' if yo' cut de fo cornahs - yo' takes de lettah an' yo' takes an' fold it tuhgethah an' yo' takes dose fo' cornahs an' yo' clip dose cornahs off. Yo' takes dose cornahs an' yo' puts 'em right tuhgethah an' cut 'em ag'in. Yo' have tuh cut 'em as many times as yo' got fingahs. An' evah time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de same way. An' den yo' take dis han'writin' an' yo' takes an' burns it. An' den yo' - whatsomevah, jes' lak yo' take an' hold it ovah sompin an' burn, den yo' takes de li'le ashes or dust from whatsomevah it is, an' yo' goes an' bury it. An' when yo' bury it, yo' bury it in a hole wit a cut jes' lak de lettah supposed [to] be cut. Yo' turn dese points jes' lak yo' have turnt dese points on de lettah. An' den dey say dat dat will make yo' so nervous, when yo' git ready tuh write ag'in, yo' couldn't write atall, couldn't write a scratch.
(In other words, the hole is in sort of the shape of a diamond?)
[A square or oblong with 4 cut off corners is scarcely the shape of a diomona!]
Yeah. (And you have to keep cutting those squares and keep putting those pieces to- gether.) Uh-huh, until yo' cut 'em ten times [for the number see comment later]. Den yo' take dose squares [triangles] an' yo' burn 'em. Den put 'em in de di'mond- square [hole] an' bury 'em.
(That makes you nervous in your hand?)
Yeah. [In this rite we are asked to accept a fantastic number of triangles. We begin with the original 4 triangles by cutting off the 4 corners of the let- ter. These we must cut 10 times, quite an exercise in geometric progression: (lst cut) 4 triangles, (2nd cut) 8, continuing the doubling with 32,64,128, 256,512, 1024, and 2048! Adding these 10 cuttings of triangles we have 4092 of them! And don't forget: each time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de Same Way!!! Had my informant said 3 cuttings,4,8,16, he would have remained within the realm of possibility; but not 10 cuttings! The ashes from these tri- angles are buried in the diamond-square hole, a hole shaped like the former old- fashioned coffin, the head part with cut-off corners. In the present rite the cut-off corners are also given to the bottom of the coffin symbol. Here again I think informant is mistaken. The coffin symbol should be the shape of the orig- inal envelope.]
Entry 8828
If ah wanted a job wit chew an' yo' didn't want tuh have me, if ah git aholt of yore han'writin', ah could take hit an' bury it where yo' have tuh walk, wit a li'le sul- phah in it. An' tuhmorrah mawnin' ah come back, yo' be jes' [friendly and give me a job].
Entry 8829
If yo' write a lettah tuh any- one an' dey git hold of yore han'- writin', dey kin bury dat. Dey kin jes' fole dat lettah, yo' know de cornah of it, an' take it an' bury it, an' dat will cuz yore han's tuh go bad on yo' [demonstrates].
(You mean fold that letter from one corner to the other.)
From one cornah tuh de othah, In de Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' go ahead an' bury it.
Entry 8830
With de lettah, ah say dey takes an' makes a cross mark. Dey don't burn it. Dey take an' put it in anothah envelope an' send it back tuh yuh.
(What will that do?)
Dat's insultin' yo'.
(Well now, what if they put it in the lamp, then what?)
Dat? Dey burn dem up, worry yuh.
(Do you actually burn it or just put it in the coal oil?)
Jes' put it in de lamp chimley an' de lamp burns it.
(What will that do?)
Worry yuh.
Entry 8831
And they knows yore handwritin' - get holt of it, dey can.
(What will they do?)
Well, dey will take dat han'writin' an' dey kin cross-write yore han'writin', yo' see, so ah'm told. Cross-write yore han'writin', jes' like yo' write a lettah straight; well, now, dey'll go 'cross it.
(I'll write it straight?)
Straight, an' dey'll turn it [the paper upside down] an' go across it. (I see, just cross it - just turn the paper around and cross it.) Cross it, see. Dey turn de Papah aroun' an' cross it. Well, when dey cross it, den dey'll fold dat papah differently, yo' see. An' dey'll puts it in a draw, draw it with heat or watah, see. An' aftah drawin' it with heat or watah; de sweat from dat papah is what dey uses, yo' see. Well, if dey use dat sweat, dey got yore han' jes' de same, yo' see. An' dey put it in a bottle an' use it, cause yore han' tuh swell up. Dey put salt, peppah an' alum in it an' dey'll lay it in a place undah de step, an' it will cause yore hand to swell.
Entry 8832
Take yore han'writin' an' take it tuh somebody [professional worker] yo' know. Jis' lak if yo's in love wit a girl an' she don't care fo' yo'. Well, yo' see she writes yo' a lettah an' yo' take it tuh dis person supposed tuh kin undahstan' de work, an' den dey'll dress it an' put - it's a powdah dey puts in dat lettah. An' aftah dey done dressed dis lettah an' dey sprinkle dat powdah - sprinkle it in dere an' yo' mail it back tuh 'em.
Entry 8833
Dey tell me dey could take yore han'writin' an' carry it tuh anyone [professional worker] an' have it dress- ed where a person couldn't be able to use dere han'. Jes' dress it wit a powdah.
Entry 8834
Yo' could write a lettah an' send it tuh 'er. Jes' lak yore wife would be off, sompin [like] dat, an' yo' want 'er tuh come home. Yo'd write dis lettah an' send it tuh a [person] who a rootman an' he would dress dis lettah an' send it tuh 'er an' [she would return].
Entry 8835
Well, ah have carried mens an' wimmins tuh de root doctors tuh cure cases lak dat, an' whut he does, he gives 'em some kinda powdah. [I stop ma- chine but informant then continues.]
(He tells them to write a letter?)
Write 'em a lettah an' dey open dat lettah an' find dere be in it a high per- fume an' dey'll smell it an' in nine days dey'll be back home.
(That is some sort of powder that he makes?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8836
They take yore han' - lak ah git chure han'writin' an' ah'll take yore han'writin', even if ah don't know whut tuh do, yo' git somebody else. Yo' take yore han'writin' an' put a smoothin' iron down on it an' take a smooth piece of white Papah an' put chure han'writin' down on it. Well, take a hot iron an' put it on de top [of the handwriting] an' dat'll draw jes' lak yore han' is kinda wet on de papah, dat will draw de dirt from yore han' on de clean papah. [For another example of drawing, see No.8831.] Yo' take dis clean piece of papah dat chew had de han'- Writin' in it. Den yo' take dis papah an' twist it lak dat once [demonstrates]. Git it jes' long as yo' kin till yo' git eight rolls [or twists] in dat papah. Yo' take dat papah an' yo' junk it down in a bottle. An' yo' take dat bottle dat chew put dat down in, in dere. Den yo' take salt in de pinch of yore fingah lak dis [demonstrates] eight times an' put in dere. Well, yo' take some watah lak yo' take a cowpas [see later for this word]. Boil de watah an' po' in dere off a cowpas. Yo' buys it, a cowpas, yo' buys it from de drug sto'. Dat's if somebody gittin' poisoned, yo' see, cowpassin'. Yo' buy it from de drug' sto'. (Is that what they give dogs? Something like that, what they give to the dogs?) Well, ah guess, but ah nevah see dem give it to de dogs. [I think informant is speaking about copperas, a word pronounced in many ways and occurring frequently in the text.]
(What color is it?)
It's jes' lak silvahwhite, funny-lookin' stuff. Well, yo' boil it an' puts it on dis papah. Well, see, dat stuff is tuh - eat, chew know, de papah by de- grees. Well, as it eat dis papah by degrees, dat's eatin' yo', puttin' de spell on yo' jes' as de papah eat. But yo' gotta put dis back in runnin' watah. Yo' can't keep it out until finely [finally] de papah's et [eaten] up an' de bottle is all busted an' yo' see it all gone tuh watah. Well, it's no cure fo' yo'.
(That eats you up, you say?)
It jes' eats yo' up. Yo' see people look lak dey has some kinda vener'al disease. Yo' know, look lak a sore break on yo' dere an' a sore break on yo' heah, an' when yo' git dat healed somepin else broke out on yo'. Firs' thing yo' know yo' pass away. (You put this clean piece of paper on the letter in order to draw out the perspiration - around this perspiration.) Wit a hot iron, not too hot iron, but jes' a...
Entry 8837
Well, dey say yo' kin take dat, yo' han'writin'. Dey say dey kin take yore han'writin' an' dey kin put - yo' see, yo' take yore han'writin' an' yo' roll dat up, an' yo' put dat in a bottle wit sulphuh, red peppah an' gunpowdah. An' yo' put chamber lye in dis bottle an' yo' set it up dis way [demonstrates]. Stop it up airtight an' den yo' put fire aroun' dere. It will shoot up in dere - de stoppah will shoot up in dere an' de bottle will bu'st. Dey say dat will take effect on yore nerves - dat will effect yore nerves an' stuff lak dat - yore hands. Kinda throw yo' in palsy-lak, whut dey tell me.
Entry 8838
( Git a flyin' squirrel [Glaucomys volans]. Git de heart of a flyin' squirrel, git some Hearts Cologne, an' git some red peppah an' answah dis lettah. [This is my only example of flying squirrel in Hoodoo.] (That is if I would write somebody a letter, you would get all these things?) Yes. (They would then go ahead and answer my letter.) Answer it. Den dey will sprinkle dis ovah dere, put it right ovah de lettah. See, aftah yo' - let dat squirrel heart stay in dere so many days. Stay in dere firs' until it git rot- ten, so dat dey could mix it up an' put it intuh de lettah, jes' lak yo' would make a big spot on de lettah while writin'. Den seal it [letter] an' carry it an' send it back tuh yo'.
(What would happen to me then?)
It would git chure mind, if dey wanted yo'. Why yo' come where dey want yo'. (Come to them. Use the heart of the flying squirrel. What other things did you say they put in there?) Heart Cologne an' red peppah.
(What do you do with that Hearts Cologne and that red pepper?)
Yo' mix it all tuhgethah, yo' see. Yo' know. when it rots an' make a lick- rish [= licorice = liquid] of it. Or eithah grind intuh a powdah an' sprinkle it intuh dere. An' send it tuh yuh. Purtty soon yo' git de lettah an' natchly [naturally] when yo' opens it yo' git de inhale of it. Yo' git uneasy den an' wants tuh go where dey are.
Entry 8839
Then again, dey wan'a draw yuh. Say a woman likes yuh very well an' she can't git up tuh yuh. Well now, she will git a love vine [the dodder], she'll git dose little candies [used for decorating a cake], an' holy watah, an' if possible she'll git a wishbone from a turkey, if she kin git it; if not, she will use a chicken [wish] bone. She'll set in de forks of dis road an' she'll place it dere jis' as neah as dat fork an' dat wishbone will match tuhgethah. An' she'll make a wish. An' if she kin Write, well - aftah makin' dis wish in de forks of de road - while she dere, she'll write a lettah. She'll have 'er three grains of rice. She seal dat lettah wit three grains of rice. She have de rice cooked sof' an' done, an' instead of wettin' wit yore tongue, why yo'll jis' mash - yo' ought tuh have it wet enough, yuh see. Yo' jis' lay it on dere an' mash it down an' let it seal [demonstrates]: one grain on one side [of letter flap], an' one in de middle of dat part, dat part here, an' one on de othah [side]. Seal it wit dat, wit a dash of Lovers Sashay. An' believe yuh me, he gon'a come.
Entry 8840
Yo' have tuh go tuh de grave tuh do dis. Go tuh de graveyard an' go down in a man's grave an' yo' have a penny in yore hand. Run yore han' down in de grave - it make no diff'- rent which han' - run yore han' down in de grave an' leave dis penny an' come up wit de dirt. An' take dis writin' an' sprinkle it [dirt] right 'cross dat writin', an' fold it up, an' lay it undah de lid [cover] of de Bible. An' ah don't care whut she done or nuthin, yo' kin 'tract [attract] her anywhere he want tuh by dis dirt. (You take her writing? Her handwriting, a letter she wrote to you, and you can make any kind of a wish and she'll do anything you want her to do?) Yes.
Entry 8841
Yo' kin use it out dere tuh de cemetery fo' one way dat ah know. Yo' kin take dat han'writin' an' take it tuh de cemetery an' push it down intuh de grave, an' put three pennies on de top of it an' covah it up, an' make yuh wish, In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. An' dat'll work. (Well, what would you wish?) If yo' git holt of it an wanted 'em come tuh yuh, or wish bad luck, or good luck; it's three ways of wishin', three forms.
Entry 8842
Dey taken 'er han'writin' an' go tuh de graveyard, a child's grave, an' dig a hole long enough tuh put 'is han' right through. An' take a piece of sil- vah an' tell dis silvah whut choo want it tuh do, an' sompin will happen tuh yuh hand [writer's hand] (You leave that handwriting and the silver right in the grave?) Yeah, don't bring it away. [In hoodoo or witchcraft a person may and frequentIy does talk to an inanimate object, such as the present silver, but at the grave the spirit of the dead per- son buried there controls all action and any dirt carried away. This power of the grave-spirit is abundantly displayed in Section DEATH-BURIAL-GRAVEYARD, Pp.3293-3385, and elsewhere in the total text. However, if informant believes that the silver does his or her work, that is the magic truth for him or her!]
Entry 8843
She could take a lettah of 'er [own] writin' an' burn de cornahs, burn all fo' cornahs of de lettah. Burn it right in de centah an' right in de middle of it. Aftah yo' burn de fo' cornahs, double it [fold twice] an' burn de centah of it - right in de centah of it. Write de address an' de name an' bury it in de middle of de graveyard, an' de person will soon die. [Let us understand what happens here. The woman of this rite writes a letter to herself and signs it the sup- posed sender's name. The outside of the envelope she addresses to herself. One thing only is lacking. She should have stamped it and sent it to herself through the postoffice.]
Entry 8844
Jes' lak yo' write me a lettah an' ah don' wan' chew tuh bothah wit nobody else, an' yo' will not go wit me. Ah take dat lettah whut chew write tuh me an' ah goes tuh a graveyard an' git some of dat graveyard dirt an' bluestone - yo' know whut dat [bluestone] is. Well ah'll beat dat bluestone up, see. An' ah'll take it an' put it in dat lettah an' fold it up jes' as tight as ah kin. Carry it in de lavatory [outside watercloset] an' put it up on dat cross- piece dere. An' she won' 'ave [won't have] no mo' trouble wit dem [other girls]. Yo' can't write tuh her atall no mo'.
Entry 8845
Yo' kin take nine nails every - [on the] night dat chew write dis let- tah, an' yo' take nine nails an' lay 'em in a glass crossways wit watah [lay them crossways in a glass of water] an' put some dirt [identified later] in de bottom of de glass an' sprinkle a little bit of dirt in de powdahs [identified later] in de envelope, an' dey say dat'll bring 'em back. Bring 'em back an' dey'll stay wit chew long as yo' keep it up.
(What sort of dirt do you use?)
It's graveyard dirt.
(What kind of powders do you use?)
It's some Lucky Heart Powdahs. [Lucky Heart is name of firm selling the powders - see interview AGENT FOR CURIOS (Jacksonville, Fla.) pp.1075-1085, first few paragraphs of text.] (You send the letter after you put these nails in the glass of water. You put this graveyard dirt in the water and this lucky powder. Then put this letter in the water, too?) No, yo' sprinkle some in de lettah, if yo' goin' send it tuh anybody.
(What do you put in the letter, just put dust?)
Yessuh. (If you write a letter to somebody, you put [in it] this graveyard dirt and this lucky powder. What do you do with these nails in the water? What do you do that for?) Dey say de nail keep dere till dey git dere or somepin lak dat, ah hear'd de ole people say.
(You keep these nails in the water.)
Until dey git de lettah, yeah, an' dey'll come. (They'll come back. But all you do is just put the nails in the water, nothing else?) De nail an' dat dirt.
(The dirt and the powder. Then you don't put anything in the letter?)
Yes sir, see yo' puts dat powdah an' a li'le dat dirt, an' call dere name.
(You put some of that dirt and powder into the water and also the letter?)
Yeah, an' call dere name.
Entry 8846
If dey git hold of yore han'writin', dey could take dis han'writin' an' put it in a gunshell an' shoot it, an' yo' will go den from dere.
Entry 8847
Dat's tuh git chure mind. All right, dey write chew, if dey kin write. Git in tetch wit chew through anyone, writin' yo' lettahs, see. Dey kin dress dem lettahs. An' say, if dey write chew a lettah dey'll make - maybe start off wit blue ink, maybe change wit red ink. Well, dat'll take yore 'tenshun [attention]. An' dey'll dress dat lettah an' dey'll keep awritin' yo'. An' evah time dey write maybe dey'll fold it diff'ren' tuh git chure 'tention.
Entry 8848
Tuh come back now if he's gone., Now yo' kin take a person, if he's gone away an' yo' want 'im tuh come back, yo' write him a lettah. An' when yo' Write him a lettah yo' git chew some dis heah Solomon King root [see later] an' put it up in some likkah. Listen good. An' aftah yo' put dat up in likkah, an' it be's in dere fo' 'bout a day - about twelve hours yo' might say. Now, aftah yo' writes dis lettah tuh dis person - lak ah'm writin' a lettah tuh yo' - why den yo' takes dat stuff an' dappen [lightly touch several times, not sprinkle - in any case dialect] dat lettah wit it, an' yo' fold dat lettah up an' send it tuh 'em. An' whenevah he reads dat lettah, why 'is mind'll git devoted right back tuh where dat lettah come from. An' it ain't gona be ovah six-seven hours, if he kin git some Way, he gona make haste tuh git dere. Dat'll bring 'im right back. [Solomon King Root is probably KING SOLOMoN ROOT p.597. We also have in Hoodoo the Solomon's-seal, any plant of genus Polygonatun (p.1025, line 8). Somewhere in Hoodoo you will also find two interlaced triangles forming a star with six points, but whether this is called Solomon's Seal I no longer remember.]
Entry 8849
Dey say dey kin take yuh han'writin', eithah yuh pitture [picture] an' hang it up on de wall, an' p'int [point] at choo fer nine mawnin' wit a knife, eithah icepick, an' some kin'a words dey use. An' aftah dey u' [use] dat - dey said yuh do dat fer nine mawnin' - an' dey call yuh some bad name jis' lak a bad cuss-word. Jis' whut dey don't lak, dey call yuh dat. An' somepin would happen tuh yuh bad.
Entry 8850
Take de lettah...
(This letter that I wrote to you?)
Yessuh, an' git a lamp - dey burn on yo' - burn it lak dey burn a candle [on you]. Dey put de lettah aroun' de lamp, outside de lamp an' put de lamp in a da'k [dark] cornah an' make a wish an' burn it 24 days, whatevah dey wan' tuh happen tuh yuh. [This hand- Writing is not wrapped round the lamp chimney, which would immediately cause a fire, but as informant says burn it lak dey burn a candle (for burning candles, see pp.797- 862). Unwatched candles are always placed on a saucer or tin lid of some sort beneath which the object burned on is placed.]
Entry 8851
Prob'ly yo' might write tuh somebody an' dey dislike yo'. Well, ah heard dat dey could take yore hand[writing] wit dis lettah dat chew sent dem. An' take a piece of cotton an' put a little sul- phuh or a little cayenne peppah on it an' hold it out in de sun. An' take a magnifying glass an' hold it up ovah it until all de words on dis lettah is burnt off - jes' burn it all de way round it, burn it off. Dey say yo' will git misfigured in yore hands some kind of way.
Entry 8852
Dey kin take yore handwritin' an' mess yo' up a great deal. An' maybe kin take yore handwritin' an' by takin' a glass an' holdin' ovah yore handwritin' like dat an' read yore writin' through a glass. An' aftah yo' read yore writin' through de glass - read down from about de second line - den cut de second line in a "v" shape an' throw it in de fire at sundown, an' dey say dat will give yo' a nervous feelin' in yore hand. (Like you would hold a mirror over this writing and you read that writing in the mirror. Read down to the second line. And then how do you cut that?)
[See my comment on word mirror at end of rite.]
Dat's right, cut it in a "v" shape.
(How do you mean cut it in a "v" shape?)
Jes' take a scissors. (Here's the letter now. [I hand my Numbers Book to informant.] Here, what would you do with that?) In a "v" shape...
(How do you mean you cut that in a "v" shape?)
Now, jes' lak dat's a line an' dat's a line an' dat's a line [informant is pointing to lines in Numbers Book]. Read tuh de third line an' den take a scis- sors an' cut a "v" shape in dat. (You cut a "v" out of it, make a hole like a "v". That's the little piece you throw into the fire?) Yes. [My word mirror in paragraph 2 was badly chosen, magnifying glass in the pre- ceding rite would have been much better; but best of all, the meaning here is surely an ordinary drinking glass. Few persons receiving letters and intending evil work with them had a magnifying glass handy. Quite different are these two glasses. Look through a magnifying glass and you see the real world enlarged; look through a cheap drinking glass, probably an ex-jelly glass in informant's case, and you behold a distorted world, the confused and unreal world of hoo- dooism. Understand, look through the mouth of the drinking glass and out through the bottom; use it as a magnifying glass. After three consecutive lines of the letter are read, a solid "v" shape is cut with two strokes of the scissors from the second line and dropped into a fire. This 'V' shape can be made on either edge or side of the page. Though informant says nothing, I suspect he did not touch the "v" with his hand, but clipped and carried it to the fire with the scissors. His own fingerprint Would not be burned. WHAT DOES OUR "v" SIGNIFY? First, since this trick produces a nervous feeling in yore hand, our 'v"', despite its solidity, symbolizes the Roman numeral V, the Arabic numeral 5, the 5 fingers of the hand. Second, our solid "v" is a triangle, showing that this rite works In the 3 Highest Names. True, the triangle should be equilaterial for the Trin- ity, but do not expect such theological accuracy of hoodoo. Three, our "v" as- sures Victory or success for the rite.]
Entry 8853
Well, ah knew dis much about it, dat dere mo' way 'sposed tuh be of usin' de smoke of nine matches. Dey use de smoke of nine matches intuh a bot- tle an' airtight it. Go tuh work an' git chew a han'writin' an' put it intuh a bottle, an' cut out nine matches an' git de smoke of dose nine matches intuh dat bottle an' airtight it. An' kin throw it intuh runnin' watah. Ah know dat's anothah thing dat will upset chew, block yore game in gamblin'. (HoW will that affect me if they took my handwriting and put in that bottle with that smoke? What would that do to me?) WELL, DAT WILL - DE REALLY FAC' 'BOUT IT, SUH, WILL PIZEN [POISON] YO' WITH ANYONE, 'SPOSED TUH BE DAT CHEW COULDN'T MAKE A TAP [OR TOUCH, PUT THE BITE ON ANYONE] COULDN'T GIT NO ENDS TUH MEET IN [COULD NOT MAKE ENDS MEET] NOWHERE. [I would be in a bad financial condition; could not mub two dimes together. That preceding expression cut out nine matches merely means, take 9 matches out of the matchbox, surely a new box of matches.]
Entry 8854
Yo' know when yo' writin' a lettah, an' yo' got chure han's on de pen, mah [your] wrist is on de lettah. Well, dey cuts dis off. Dey cuts dis heah off de lettah, see. Well, dey take dat lettah whut yo' done Wrote an' wipe it on a piece of fresh meat, a piece of fresh meat, an' take dat meat an' carry it somewheres an' put it up. Put dat meat up until it completely dry. When dat meat completely dry - yo' take dat meat an' keep it where de sun stay hot an' all - an' when dat meat dry up, yo take dat meat an' yo' put it in a can airtight. It's hard dry. Dat kill yo' right dere. Yo' lose control of yore han', yo' have no mo' use of yore hand.