Browse:THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (Volume 4, entries 8055–8881)/Part 2
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 8135
Dey take dat pichure an' bury it on de face an' as dat pichure fade away yo' will too. Dey have tuh go tuh a hoodoo tuh do it. Dey cain't do it demselves dō [though].
Entry 8136
Photograph, dey buries dat on yuh face. Go ovah tuh de cemetery an' bury it on dey face, wit de face turned facin' hell. Say, '"Hell is now undah- neat choo." (What will that do?) Well, accordin' if yo' put it deep, why den it will kill yuh; an' if yo' don't put it deep, why it will always make yuh in a lingahin' pain. [I make a one word comment about informant after he leaves: drinking.]
Entry 8137
Yo' kin take a person pichure - if yo' wan' dat person tuh love yo' an' don' love nobody else but chew - yo' kin take dat pichure an' in yore home, if yo' kin git aholt [a hold] in de ceil- in' of de buildin' an' put a nail, a brand-new tenpenny nail, right through dat pichure an' nail it right up ovah de fiahplace, on de studdin' up dere, an' put de ceilin' back on it, in nine days yo' kin handle dat person any way yo' wanta. [We learn about the condition of some houses: if yo' kin git a holt in de ceilin'...put de ceilin' back on it.]
Entry 8138
Dat photograph, yo' ain't gotta do nuthin wit dat but one thing. It gotta be taken perfect though [be a real photograph] see. Jis' lak dese Zi'le snappahs [see later], Zi'le snappahs don' do yo' no good. Yo' gotta take dat photograph an' turn it upside - backside - jis' lak as if dis [points to] wus yer chimley heah. Yo' lifts one of dose bricks an' put it [photo] undah dose bricks upside down. But long as yo' got dat upside down, de pusson dat dat photograph is be- longin' tuh will nevah be no good. Yo' gotta turn it upside down. [If I remem- ber correctly, this is the only place where a snapper, snapshot, is mentioned. A photograph by a professional photographer must be used.]
Entry 8139
An' den yo' kin take dat man photograph an' yo' kin take it an' bury it in de hay [I mean] in yo' fiahplace undah a brick. An' in buryin' dat undah a brick, when yo' put dat down dere yo' turn 'is face down an' say, "Ah want chew tuh stay down heah" - call 'is name - "an' ah wan' chew tuh stay down heah. Ah wan' chew tuh come uadah mah com- mand, to do as ah say do, In de Name of de Lord, bring peace an' love in our home." An' jis' put it down dere, an' as long as yo' got dat pichure buried in yo' fiahplace, de fiah, if he nevah move it [photo] he'll always be humble down undah yore feet.
(Just how do you put that picture down in there?)
Yo' jis' turn it down as yo' take up a brick, yo' turn 'is face down.
Entry 8140
Take dey photograph an' git dis gunpowdah out of a shell, wit sulphuh an' salt, an' go out in de field or in de house, wherevah yo' want to. Co'se de gunpowdah makes sech a noise. Yo' kin put dis pichure face down on dis an' make a fiah undah it. (Face down on what?) On de fiah. See, yo' make a fiah an' den yo' put dis pichure face down on a piece of papah wit de gunpowdah an' sulphuh, an' salt an' graveyard dirt. Tell it dat, "Ah want chew tuh run dis person away. Ah want chew tuh kill 'em." But mos'ly tuh kill de person. When de fiah ketch on de pichure, it will kill de person.
Entry 8141
Now, if yo' wanta kill somebody wit dat, yo' take de photograph. Yo' don' wan'a use but jis' part of it. Jis' take off, if it's got a foot, yo' know some got a whole photo- graph, some got jis' a part, some got jis' de haid. Some got jis' de body, some got de whole an' some got jis' de haid. If yo' wants to kill somebody, an' it's de whole one, yo' cut off, jis' clip off de right foot, an' take dat whole photograph an' take it an' turn it, jis' turn it.
(You take off the right foot. And then how do you turn that, now?)
Jis' take it an' turn it tuh yo', jis' roll it, lak yo' take one roll, two rolls, three rolls [to you]. Understan'?
(Keep rolling it to you. The foot part or the rest of the photograph?)
No, de rest of de whole photograph. Yo' undahstan'? Jis' roll dat lak dat three times an' jis' carry it anywhere, don' care where yo' throw it, jis' throw it out somewhere. Well, now, hit's gone on away. All right. Yo' takes dis right foot, an' bring it on back tuh de house, but chew do nuthin wit it den. Let it stay dere, at least six or seven hours, sompin lak dat. "Bout six or seven hours aftah yo' done dis, hold it, take de pichure of dis foot, takes an' puts it down in a bottle, jis' de smallest bottle yo' kin find, an' puts ah reck- on 'bout dat much of mustard seed, lak yo' ketch dat much [demonstrates].
(Just a little pinch of the mustard seed.)
Drop it in de bottle, wit'out anything in it - jis' say about nine, if it ain't but jis' a haid [means foot]. Drop it in dere an' stop it up, an' jis' keep dat wit choo all de time. Dat's tuh influence dat person. Keep dat wit chew. An' yo' weah it a while. Well, no quickah den dey die, yo' gon'a feel dat right shouldah jump, jump jis' lak sompin skip ovah it. Soon as it do dat, yo' must take it [bottle] an' throw it away lak dat. Throw it lak dat. [If informant demonstrated, I missed it.] De safest way, de spirit comin' tuh yo' an' givin' yo' a notice dat dey daid. Don't care where dey are. (Right after this notice that they are dead, you must throw this bottle away right then?) Right then, de right arm will move when dey come.
(You will have that little kick then in the right arm?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8142
Well, lak if dey got enemy people an' dey have a tintype pichure of de person whut dey tryin' tuh do hahm [harm] tuh, well dey'll take dat pichure out tuh de forks of de road, an' yo'll bury dat pichure wit de face down. An' de person whut dey doin' hahm tuh yuh, as dat face is down, dey will always have a upstirred mind, an' dey'll feel lak dat dey wan'a kill dem- selves. But dere is a way outa dat, wit dis pichure buried. Dey got two-headed people - in our, all diff'ren' towns - kin do away wit dat wit'out gittin' de pichure, by goin' gittin' methods from de whut choo call de fortunetellah people. Dey got methods fo' dat, dat 'casion [occasion]. [This is my only example of a two-header having to consult fortunetellers for methods. Here, this shows the tendency in Hoodoo to rid itself of the twoheader badge by replacing it with fortumeteller and other names, all of which were old. Was the term twoheader originally a white or a black word?]
Entry 8143
Take dey photograph an' yo' kin go tuh a point of a road [fork of road] too, wit dat. Yo' go tuh a point of a road wit dat photograph an' yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll write dat per- son's name on dat photograph, an' yo'll turn it upside down, an' yo'll put it dere wit bad wishes. Yo' gotta say bad things an' yo'll bury dat photograph an' put it dere wit bad words, an' yo'll turn it upside down fo' nine days. [Here recording machine turned off momentarily while informant spoke about name mentioned later.]
(You do that at the fork of the road?)
Yessuh, at de fo'k of a road.
(How do you write that name on the back? Just write one name?)
Jis' dat fellah name. Yo' don' wan' chure name dere.
Entry 8144
Yo' kin take a pichure an' yo' kin take some love stuff powdah an' yo' kin take dat. Take de pichure an' burn all fo' cornahs off of it, an' yo' kin wrap it up in dat love powdah an' wrap it up an' weah it roun' yore waist, an' dat'll bring love. (Make a person love you?) Yes. [See also margin title CORNER.]
Entry 8145
Ah have heard dat dey would take yuh photograph an' burn off de cornahs an' carry it out tuh de cemetery an' bury it underneat' de earth, an' let it stay dere fo' three days, an' den tuh bring it back. Why? If dey wanted dat person. If dey was wishin' fo' dat per- son tuh die, why dat person would die. Yo' see.
(Well, when they brought that photograph back, what would they do with that?)
When dey brought it back, why dey kept it. Dey kept it in dere possession.
Entry 8146
(And then what?)
Dey could take yuh pichure an' take fo' leaves.
(Leaves?)
Yes, lak green leaves.
(What kind of leaves? From what? From a tree in the woods?)
Yes sir, a tree.
(What kind? Any particular kind?)
Yes, sir. Dem ole tree ovah here. Tree ovah here, dat eldahberry tree [I am looking atl right where ah'm settin' here now. (Elderberry tree. Take four elderberry leaves?) Yes, sir. (All right.) An' wrap 'em around each cornah of dat pichure, an' take it tuh runnin' watah. Yo' go tuh any watah whut's runnin', not de rivah only, a bayou, an' chunk it in. An' dat will run yo' away if dey didn't want yo' fo' tuh stay.
Entry 8147
Cut - dey could cut it in fo' parts. Well, dey could take it an' tro' [throw] it ovahbo'd. Dey could take it an' tro' in de fiah hole or sompin lak dat, yo' undahstand, an' make dey vishes when dey doin' dat, yo' undahstand. An' jis' whut dey vishin' - an' tro' it ovah- bo'd or in de fiah or cut it in fo' parts. Well, somebody vill cut cha tuh death. If dey tro' it ovahbo'd why yo' vill go ovahbo'd an' git drownded. If dey tro' it in de fiah, vell prob'ly maybe yuh clothes may ketch afiah from yuh cigarette chew smoke or yo'll ketch afiah somehow an' git burned up. [The word photograph is not mentioned but clearly meant.] [Charleston, S. Car.,. (511), 576:4.]
Entry 8148
Yo' kin take a person's pichure an' put it on a new piece of lumbah, an' put it up undah yore do'step, an' put a piece of dere hair in de toadfrog mouth, an' drive a nail in hit, in de toadfrog heart an' de pi- chure heart, on de new piece of lumbah whut chew got drive down. Drive a peg through 'is heart an' through de heart of de tin- type pichure. An' aftah dat toadfrog die, yo'll die. An' put dat up undah yore do'step so yo'll come out ovah it evah mawnin'. When dat toadfrog die, yo'll die. (You put this picture on a new piece of lumber, then you put the frog on the picture. Then you drive a nail [or peg] right through the hearts of all of them.) Right through both of 'em heart an' put a hair out 'is haid in 'is [toad- frog's] mouth.
Entry 8149
Well, dey take yuh pitchure. Why dey git a big one a [of] dem big frogs, great big green frog. Dey'll take him an' take yuh photograph, an' dey'll take nine needles wit gold eyes dat nevah wus used. Jis' take dem right out de package. An' dey'll take dat frog's feet an' tie it back of 'is back, jis' lak dat [demonstrates].
(Bend the living frog's hind legs over his back and tie them there.)
An' aftah tyin' 'em back dere, both of 'em, tie dem back dere an' stick dem needles. Put 'is pitchure in dat frog's mouth, an' stick dem needles all through dat frog. An' dey'll bury dat frog three feet in de ground, any place in de ground, jis' at sundown. An' it'll keep yo' sick an' worried, an' yo'll die.
Entry 8150
[This margin title about graves and graveyards shows how difficult the arrangement or ordering of material in Hoodoo has been. All the following rites could have been placed under section DEATH - BURIAL - GRAVEYARD, Pp.3293-3419. These beliefs, however, actually emphasize photographs.] Lak if yo' got a person an' yo' don't lak 'em an' yo' want 'em tuh stay from yo', when yo' go dere an' git dere hat, pichure or anything an' take it tuh de grave- yard an' bury it - an' dey will be gone fo' good. Yo' will nevah have no more trouble wit 'em.
Entry 8151
Yo' kin take person's photograph an' yo' kin kill 'em wit it. Take de photograph of a person an' take it tuh a cemetery an' bury it; an' when yo' bury it, bury it on it's face. It may be prob'ly two weeks or three, dat people will die. Dey cain't live becuz dat pichure is buried dere. As dat pichure fade away, dey passin' away; jis' as dat pichure pass away, [they pass away (I turned off machine too soon to catch last 3 words)].
Entry 8152
Well, yo' go in de graveyard an' bury dat. Dig it [ground] up an' put 'em down, yo' know whut ah mean, put dere face down jis' in it [hole] an' it will disappeah by de rain.
(Put this photograph face down in the graveyard and they will die?)
Yes.
Entry 8153
Take dat photograph - now yo' kin take de face of it an' bury it down in de cemetery dirt. Go out dere an' bury it. Take de face of dat pichure an' bury it down an' kivah [cover] it up.
(What do you mean, the face of it?)
Yo' know de face, lak when yo' have a pichure taken. De face whut chew look on, not de back. Where de pichure is faced, lak de pichure facin' - jis' lak dat pichure up dere [points to wall] de face of it, yo' see, turn it down. Dig a hole an' bury it.
Entry 8154
Take yer photograph an' put it in de cemetery bottom upside down an yo' soon gone.
Entry 8155
Well, yo' kin take a person's pichure, jis' lak a person mad wit chew. Jis' lak takin' li'le pieces, yo' take de li'le pieces [of torn-up photo] an' go tuh any graveyard where dey [few indistinct words] an' turn [unclear words] an' bury dat pichure, dey'll die. Yo' bury de pichure in de graveyard an' in nine days dey'll be daid.
(You bury it with this salt?)
De salt an' dis peppah. [The photo is torn into pieces, sprinkled with salt and pepper, wrapped or tied in a piece of paper, and buried in a graveyard.]
Entry 8156
Yo' could write dere 'nitials on de photograph an' yo' could take it tuh de cemetery an' dig yo' a hole an' bury it. Den aftah yo' would bury it, yo' see when hit go 'way, yo' see, de person go 'way - dey would have tuh. De pichure fade away, yo' see, dey goes jis' lak de pichure did.
(Where do they go to?) Dey die.
Entry 8157
Take de photograph an' if yo' wanta hurt 'em or kill 'em, take dere photograph an' bo' [bore] a hole six foot in de ground an' plug out chure [photo's] eyes, an' bury it on its face. Dere yo' are. See, covah it up. [The preceding word plug in the slang of U. S. A. could mean to punch out the eyes. That could be the meaning, but in- formant back in 1939 lived in and near Watermelon country - early melons shipped north. I suggest informant took out a pocketknife and with four strokes cut a square about each eye, lifting out a coffin symbol. As a boy in Illinois, I plugged many watermelons out in truck-garden country.]
Entry 8158
Yo' kin take a photograph, write dat name on de back of it, say three times, call fo' a six feet grave - call fo' her [a] six feet grave. [But actual- ly] dig a hole aroun' seven inches deep. Turn 'er face goin' down tuh de pits [hell] of de earth. Covah it back up, put yer left feet on it, make a cross an' turn away. [I do not know why informant calls for - asks the spirits or God - for a 6 foot grave and then proceeds to dig a grave 7 inches deep. Does this signify the 7 gates of hell? The latter ex- pression is not used in Hoodoo.]
(And what happens to her?)
She dies. She dies within nine days.
Entry 8159
Well, if ah had a girl an' loved 'er yery much an' ah wanted tuh kill 'er, ah take her photograph - ah won' have tuh go tuh de graveyard or no place, yo' know, jis' any place out in de fiel' an' ah walk fo feet no'th, fo' feet west, fo' feet so'th, fo' feet east, an' back up fo' feet no'th, yo' undahstan', an' dig six foot deep [surely means 6 inches, symbolical of 6 feet] an' bury dis pichure on it's face. An' as dat pichure fade away, she will fade away wit it. (Now, when you walk to the north and the west and the south, you walk forward from where you are going to dig the hole. Then from the [intended] hole you Walk back four steps toward the north?) Back fo' steps no'th. [Informant selects a spot out in the country where he will dig the simulated grave. This spot is the lower right-hand corner of a square. From this corner 0r future grave spot, he walks forwards 4 feet north, 4 feet west, 4 feet south, aod 4 feet east back to the starting point. A four-foot square has been marked off, a square symbolizing a grave and the four corners of the earth (Rev.7:1). After reaching the intended grave site, informant turns his back and walks back- vards 4 steps or feet north, retracing his steps to the upper right-hand corner of our square. By walking backwards he has confused any evil spirit that could have been lurking at the proposed grave site. [The latter of course was not 6 feet but 6 inches deep. Hoodoo has a number of 6 inch deep graves symbolizing 6 feet. Was the grave dug at the lower or upper right-hand corner of the square? Either would have been a safe place.]
Entry 8160
Ah hate tuh explain dis 'cuz ah wouldn't lak tuh have dat on mah han's.
(I won't do anything with it, I just wanted to know.)
Oh, yo' jis' wanted tuh know. Ah hate tuh explain dis. It's jis' lak if yo' have dere photograph. Well, yo' take dis an' bury it fo' feet in de ground on de face an' repeat dere name three time; jis' whosomevah it is, woman or man. Jis' lak mah name Justine Richardson, jis' take yo' an' dig a hole fo' feet in de ground an' turn it down dere, an' dey'll be daid in nine days time.
Entry 8161
If I want tuh kill yo', I git somebody tuh take a tintype of yo', pho- tograph. Yo' know I want it. It's got tuh be a tintype. I wan'a put me some graveyard dirt an' I'll bury dis tintype pitchure of yo' headforemos' down. First, put de tintype in de hole, covah it wit dis graveyard dirt, an' put de othah dirt on top of it, but let joo be face foremos'. An' when dis dirt undah dat groun'll rot an' jis' takes all dis here whare dat yuh pitchure been drawed, dis'll mold, yo're gone.
Entry 8162
Take it tuh de graveyard an' bury it. But it's supposed tuh - some people say yo' put it right in de graveyard. But choo, well yo' puts it in dere, too, but it supposed tuh be buried sometime on top of somebody, somebody dat's in dere, wit de [photo not corpse] face down. Nevah turn it wit de face up.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat would sometime cuz yo' tuh... [turned off machine too soon] to die.
Entry 8163
Take dis pichure - jis' lak me an' yo' go down heah an' take a kodak, a pichure, down heah tuh any place dey take pichures at. Yo' know, dere some places dey take pichures at. An' bury it on it's face, bury dat pichure on its face in de grave. Yo' undahstand, suh? An' [they] say dat pichure will cuz me tuh lingah an' lingah until ah die. Bury it down face, yo' undahstand, on its face.
Entry 8164
I've heard they can take your photograph and bury it in a grave and wish you would die and you'll perish away.
Entry 8165
Take yo' photograph an' take an' bury it in de cemetery an' bury it lak [dem- onstrates]. Jes' lak if yo' got, [not] ef yo' die Christian. Dey'll bury it in a sinnah's grave.
(Down in the chest.)
Yes, right in de chest an' dat jes' - dat got chew.
(What will that do to you?)
Oh! Run yo' stone crazy. Git chure mind out chew, yo' know.
(How do they bury that?)
Dey bury it on de face.
Entry 8166
Yo' kin take a person's pichure jis' lak ah take yer pichure yo' see. Yo'd gimme yer pichure tuh keep. Ah'd take dat pichure an' ah goes tuh de grave- yard on de firs' Friday of de month. Ah take dat photograph an' ah digs a hole right un- dahneath [over] a person's haid. Yo' know where dey wuz laid out at in de graveyard. Jis' dis be de face [demonstrates] ah take dat an' ah turns dat bottom upwards an' ah plants dat.
(The face planted down.)
Jis' planted downward. Ah mean, yo' know, buries it. De face is down. An' ah buries dat. An' when dat pichure rots, well yo' goes jis' lak dat pichure. Yo' go crazy.
(Would it kill you or what?)
Sho'[sure].
Entry 8167
Take dat photograph an' bury it. Go tuh a cemetery an' bury it right at de haid of de grave an' co'se dat will kill yo'. Heah a person say yo' have a sweet- heart or relative daid, take dat photograph an' take an' carry it tuh a dead man's grave, or a wumman's, dat had died recently an' bury it dere an' make yore wishes. Dat person, dey will die.
Entry 8168
Dey take yore photograph an' write chure name on it an' carry it tuh de cemetery an' put it under a tombstone an' turn yer face downwards. Yo' goin' from heah. (You put under the tomb- stone?) Awrr-right undah it, undah de tombstone [headboard]. Jis' shev [shove] it up undah dere.
(Face down?)
Face down, an' [as] hit goes away, yo' goes away. [Or] take it an' put it bot- tonside upwards an' put it undah yer steps, dat bring 'em home tuh yo'.
(This photograph.)
Entry 8169
Yo' kin take dat pichure ag'in, dat whut ah'm tellin' yo' 'bout, carry it tuh a grave. Now, dis is somepin dat will run a person from yer house, too. Take dat pichure an' carry it tuh a new grave an' turn dat pichure sundown side on its face. See, dat now, an' covah it up wit dat same dirt an' put a penny on top of it. An' dat'll run 'em jis' as crazy as kin be, dey go tuh de 'sylum.
[We now struggle to understand one another.]
(How do you mean turn down to the sundown?)
Yo' see yo' turn dat pichure down on its face. See dat? [Demonstrates.] Put 1 penny on top of dat.
(What happens on the sundown side?)
It will run 'em crazy.
(Well, how does that picture face?)
Well, yo' know dis [demonstrates] is de face of de pichure, ain't it? Well, yo' see yo' put it in de grave an' yo' turn it down lak dat on de face an' put a penny on top of it.
(Which way is that picture pointing?)
Which way it pointin'? Where de sundown - southeast. (You put that picture down. You told me you put it to the sundown side. What do you mean by the sundown side?) Ah mean turn de pichure towards sundown.
(The head towards sundown?)
Uh-huh - yes.
Entry 8170
Now, if's a pasteboard, they can't do so much with it, but if's a tin- type, they take that tintype pitchure an' care it to the graveyard an' dig a hole, an' turn the face down an' cover it up. Go thah every mawnin', put a handful of dirt on it. Go every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. An' yo'll pass on away. Yo' talkin' of goin' away like somebody [with] T. B., yo'll go away then. Yo'll go away in a hurry.
Entry 8171
Yo' kin take dere picture, take de pichure an' bury dis pichure. Now if someone jis' don' lak 'em roun' heah or wants tuh git rid of 'em, jis' take dis pichure fo' nine mawnin's an' jis' take it tuh de graveyard, tuh de offside of de grave, see. De graveyard got fo' cornahs tuh it; any place, see. Take it tuh de offside, it's on de right side. Evah grave got all cornahs. See whut ah mean? Take it tuh de offside as yo' come up on dat side. It's got a offside on de right side of it on de fo' cornahs evahwhere yo' go. Take it tuh de offside an' bury it on its face. An' fo' nine mawnin's go dere an' dump a li'le dirt down in on it, fo' nine mawnin' an' make a wish evah mawnin', say[ing] dat yo' wan'a send 'em away. An' turn roun', don' look back. Walk off an' don' look back when yo' go 'way. An' in nine mo' mawnin's dis fellah be's somewhere, he cain't he'p hisself.
(What will happen to him?)
Sompin will happen. He jis' runned away. Yes, he jis' gone 'way fo'evah.
Entry 8172
Dey kin take yore photo- graphs an' dey kin bury it intuh a graveyard, an' in de length of time, about nine days or nine weeks, yo' goin' fade away.
Entry 8173
Jis' lak ah'd take yer pichure. Well, ah could go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt right off from de sinnah's, yo' know, where a sin- nah is buried at, right in 'is chest. Git hit an' sew hit an' de pi- chure up intuh a piece of cloth, an' keep it fo' nine mawnin's, an' bury at chure do'step, an' dat'll bring yo' love.
(That's for love?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8174
Dey could take yure pichure an' put it 'tween two cream jars upside [head] down an' no mattah how fah yo' away from 'em, as long as dey keep dat pichure of yures 'tween two cream jars upside down, well yo'll be thinkin' about only dem all de time. An' graj'ly [gradually], yo'll always be tryin' tuh come back tuh 'em, becuz it seems lak she jis' ha'nts [haunts] yo'. Seems lak she jis' callin' yuh all de time. (What do you mean between two cream jars? One cream jar and the picture up- side down and the other cream jar on top of it?) Naw [no], two cream jars standin' side by side an' de pichure between it, upside down wit de haid pointin' tuh de ground.
Entry 8175
Dat yo' have tuh take dat on a tintype, no othah kinda pichure will do 'less [unless] it's a tintype pichure. An' yo' kin take dat tintype pichure an' plant it anywhere yo' choose tuh, upside down wit yure haid down, an' it will keep yo' worried an' troubled. Yo'll travel from one place tuh anothah as dat pichure - yo'll nevah be satisfied. Yo'll be on yure haid, nevah make friends Yo'll break yure home up. (You mean [demonstrate] this is the picture, and there's the head. Bury it that way [on the head] upside down that way. I understand.) But it have tuh be a tintype pichure. No othah pichure will do.
Entry 8176
Suppose yo' had a girl friend an' yo' didn't want tuh be in contact wit 'er an' yo' go away. An' yo' leave yure photograph wit 'er. She take yure photograph an' turn it haid down an' yo' will come back.
Entry 8177
Turn it bottomside upwards - stand it on its haid. Dat will kill a person.
(The photograph.)
Entry 8178
Take his pichure an' quite natchel [natural] she kin keep dat pichure an' jis' - wherevah yo' at, she kin turn it upside down an' she kin run yo' crazy by having dat pichure upside down. If she's a good-hearted person, have yure pichure standin' up. Long as dat pichure's up, yo' won't be bothahed. She kin take dat pichure an' set it down in a cornah somewhere, or eithah hide it. Long as she's got dat pichure.... [The inference here is this photo standing up can be turned on its head.]
Entry 8179
Well, if it's on a tintype, take an' turn it upside down [here head dowal in coal oil, takin' red flannel an' red di'mond an' buryin' dat photo, dat photograph upside down yo' see. Dey claim dat dat man aftah a certain length of time, he will git so yo' undahstand, his mind will nevah be stationary on one thing; he will nevah be satisfied at anything he do. See, anything dat he would do look lak, look lak he could do bettah, an' jes' keep 'im an' he'll go from bad tuh worse.
(This photo is buried, you put it in the ground?)
Upside down wit de haid down an' de feet up. Yeah, but it cain't be done unless it's on a tintype.
(And you put this coal oil on it?)
Coal oil, kerosene oil, yeah, an' red di'mond.
(What is red diamond?)
Dat de same thing as de blue diamond an' de blue di'mond an' de red di'mond. It's some kinda thing, yo' git at de drug sto'. It's a kinda powdah.
Entry 8180
Yo' could take photograph an' take it an' - ah've heard yo' could take a photograph an' cut de head off of it; jes' lak ah got chure photograph or yo' got mine, an' cut de head off. An' ah head dat [cut the head off your photo] by an' by, jis' lak yo' do dat [to] dat photograph [of mine]. If somebody do dat, see, yo' run upon dat same thing. Jis' lak yo' cut mah head off mah photograph, somebody do dat same way [to yours]. Dat whut ah heard about dat.
(Who would do that to you?)
Who would do dat tuh me? Ah would git intuh trouble or git in a argument wit someone an' someone would cut me jis' lak dat photograph is cut. Somebody cut me de same way. Cut mah throat, see.
Entry 8181
If a boy wan'a girl or a girl wan'a boy, git 'is pitchure an' cut off all but de haid. An' fol' de haid up an' put it in a bottle of cologne, an' tote it in yure pocket.
Entry 8182
Well, dey kin take yure photograph. Well, dey kin cut it all out roun' but chure haid, see. An' put dat in a bottle of alkyhol [alcohol] an' let it stay fo' awhile an' burn it up. An' dat'll ruin yo'. Dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 8183
De only thing ah know 'bout photo- graph, ah heard 'em say - say, if yo' poke a pin, or othahwise a knife right through a pusson's heart, chew know, poke a hole through it, say dat pusson wouldn't live long aftah dat, aftah 'bout two days aftah dat. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (1403). 2527:7.]
Entry 8184
I was in Georgia - Savannah, Georgia - with a company an' I was kin'a in touch wit a girl. An' she says tuh me, "Whitey, yo' goin' home?" "Yes." She says, "I would give yuh mah photograph but I afraid dat yo'll take an' let somebody have it an' yo'll do me harm." I said, "No, I wouldn't let..." Well, I said, "De bes' thing fer yo' tuh do is tuh not tuh give it tuh me." Yo' could take a tintype - yo' kin take a tintype an' have yure photograph on it, an' yo' kin take [it] up intuh de country roads [in those days (1937) mostly dirt roads] country roads where horses travel, an' bury it wit de face down. Dat horse tramples ovah it, dat will kill yuh, too.
(I see. Must the horse tramp over it to kill you?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 8185
Now, fo' example, dey tells me yo' takes dat photograph an' yo' bury it undah de house face upside down. Dat'll eithah molt chew away or run yo crazy. Whosoevah dis photograph belongs to, it eithah molt 'em away, be sickly an' soon die, or else dey will go crazy. Well, ah've seen dat done.
Entry 8186
Take it an' bury it.
(This photograph?)
Yes sir. Jes' take it an' take it tuh de east side of de house or wherevah dey is, an' turn it bottomside upwards an' bury it. Now, dey's quite a few young peoples do dat tuh make girls love 'em, too. Take de photograph an' bury it in de ground yo' know, bottomside up- wards. (That's to bring love.)
Entry 8187
Dey kin take yore photograph an' dey kin tote it aftah dey put some of dis dust off dat Indian 'tater [potato]. [For this plant, see later.]
(Indian potato or Indian turnip?)
[Informant does not understand my question.]
Yeah, jes' put some of de dust of dat - pound it an' carry dat 'long tuhgethah, an' yo' kin always keep in touch wit 'em.
(The person whose photograph it is?)
Yessuh. [This plant also appears elsewhere in Hoodoo. It is one of four roots eaten by the original American Indians: (l) ground nut (Apios tuberisa), (2) giant sunflower (Helianthus giganteus), (3) breadroot, the plant (Psoralea esculenta), the pomme blanche of Canadian voyageurs. Indian turnip also occurs in Hoodoo. It is either breadroot or jack-in-the-pulpit. When I was in first grade at a country school, an older student, a practical joker, gave me a piece of Indian turnip to chew. My tongue stung for an hour. I am sure in those days I used the archaic form stang.]
Entry 8188
Take de photograph an' stick it up de side of a post an' say yo' could shoot at it, an' it will cause yo' to be run out. Somepin will happen to yo' soon. (What about that cutting?) Or eithah dey take a pocketknife an' gash it up in diff'ren' ways an' yo'll git cut lak dat.
Entry 8189
De photograph dey turnt it upside down in a dark room, night er day. Light a lamp, turn [down] a lamp an' make a slow light, yo' know, by de photo- graph. Dat git chew worried an' yo' come home. Dat gotta take tuh bring yo' home. [To turn a photo upside down in a dark room before lighting the lamp confuses the spirit of the photo.]
Entry 8190
An' den yo' kin take a persons's photograph an' jes' lak ah'd [Iwould] take yure photograph, an' yo'ere [you were] mah fren'-lak, an' yo' wuz away from me an' had treated me wrong. Well, ah'd take yure photograph an' stand it up on de mantel. Well, now, yo'd [you bad] tuh come back tuh me, or eithah worry yo'self tuh death.
(How would you stand it up on the mantel?)
Stand it up on it's haid. See, it be up lak dat [demonstrates], see, yo' ondahstan', an' he'd be standin' down on 'is haid, upside down. Dat'll make him cme back.
Entry 8191
Take his photograph an' turn it on it's face an' dat will bring 'im back tuh yuh. Yo' know, if anyone is gone from yuh, husban' or people lak dat, friends. Dey gone an' yo' don' know where. Say turn it on de face. Turn dat pichure on de face an' keep it in de middle of yure baid mattress, don' chew undahstan'. An' dey say dat'll bring 'im back home tuh yuh.
Entry 8192
Yo' kin take yure photograph an' bury it. Ah taken mah husban' photo- graph an' buried it undah mah mattress. Put de face on de mattress. Ah went tuh work an' let it stay dere three mawnin's, an' a Sunday mawnin' he sont [sent] me $16.
Entry 8193
Take de pichure of yure love an' put dat pichure undah de mattress right where dey lay down at an' do de work at. Put it right undah dat spot. Den yo' tell it [picture] yo' doin' dat [de work]. Den yo' take de pichure out an' yo' tote dat pichure right in heah [demonstrates].
(Right on your breast.)
Right heah [demonstrates].
(What will that do then?)
Dat will hold 'im [pronounce hol' dim], all dat sweet love.
Entry 8194
Well, yes. Ah tell yo'. Now yo' kin take a man's pichure an' carry it an' put it in yure mattress, an' sew it up; an' if he bit wit choo an' lay on dat mattress, undahstan', dat wo would cuz 'im tuh love yuh.
Entry 8195
Yo' measure de person. (You mean, measure the length from the head to the foot.) [This is not a leading ques- tion but information obtained before recording began.] Dat's right, yo' measure de person, an' yo' give dem so many things [bad spot in recording]. You take dis person's measure wit some; jis' say now, yo' git a string dat size [demonstrates] an' yo' measure dat person. An' yo' wrap dis around a pichure of de person an' bury dem wit a ceremony as yo' would de daid. Yo' know, yo' jis' take dis, but chew have tuh carry it up on some hill, as ah wus tellin' yuh 'bout where yo' put de hair [in 841:4]. An' yo' use'ly [usually] git some of de hair of de person's haid an' bury it wit it. An' [that] somepin else ah didn't tell yuh.
(What will this do, then?)
[Informant thinks I am asking about the hair.]
Well, dey claim it jis' rots, de person [hair] will. But dey [person] fin'ly [finally] git mindless. Dey git where dey lose dere appetite. Now, ah don know whethah dat's true.
Entry 8196
If a person is away an' yo' wan' 'em back, yo' could take a photograph, no mattah whethah it's tin or pastebo'd. No mattah if it tin or papah, dey kin take dat an' put it on top of de dressah, what choo call de bu- reau. Git ready, yo' take dat. Take a pichure, male or female, an' yo' could take dat an' wrap it up. If a woman wan' tuh bring 'im back, take a piece of 'er clothes an' weah it nex tuh him. [Informant has right idea but may have had a drink.] An' he wrap dat pichure up an' turn it on de haid an' rip dat piece, yo' know whut ah mean, be- hind de glass [of the mirror] an' put it dere lak dat [demonstrates]. Ah don' [care] whäh he is, aftah nine days he'll come, or twelve days, soon as he kin git dere.
Entry 8197
Take yure pitchure an' put it in a looking glass [the carboard behind the small.hand mirror having been removed]. An' turn it [photo] upside down [against mercury backing of mirror, restoring card- board back] an' put it undahneat' [you] an' sleep on it or walk on it or put it somewhere somebody'll tread on it an' break de glass, an' yo' [person of photo] got tuh come back. Go tuh de do' an' burn some disinfect [disinfectant] an' make yure wish [wish] an' burn it in de house. Den go to de do' an' make yuh wush [again] an' come back. An' 'at [that] been done in Short[?] William Street alley [here in Richmond]. Den [another method] yo' put it [photo without mirror] undah- neat' de carpet or in a trunk upside down tuh draw yuh back. Well keep yuh on yure haid or yuh feet till yuh git back home. An' use dat powdah, insex, love insex [love incense] dey call it. Burn it on a stove.
Entry 8198
Jis' lak if yo' got a daughtah run away from home, yo' undahstan', an' she might run away wit some young man dat married, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' don' know where she at an' don' know where she gone, an' she won' write chew or come. See, lak yo' got 'er pichure dere. All yo' gotta. do, take dat pi- chure dat's dere an' turn it bottom upwards. Turn it bottom upwards [demon- strates].
(Take the picture and turn it like that?)
Dat's right.
(Turn it on its face.)
Thah's de pichure right dere leanin' back 'ginst de wall lak dat, yo' see. Bell, all yo' gotta do - some of 'em say take dat pichure an' put it 'ginst de nirror lak dat [demonstrates].
(Put the face to the mirror?)
Dat's right. Well, now, de way ah heah it. See, lak dat [demonstrates], de pichure's facin' yo'. All yo' gotta do, turn de haid down dataway.
(Have the picture standing on its head?)
Dat's right.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat'll make her git on de haid about chew, an' den she'll come back home.
Entry 8199
Well, ah learnt dat chew kin take a person's photo an' if yo' wants to do dem any harm, sech as killin', dat maybe yo' kin take it an' hold it ovah a lookin'-glass twixt - aftah de sun raise one hour, an' take an' carry it back tuh yure mantelpiece an' put it ovah yore mantelpiece. Turn de glass down ovah it. An' dey say in nine mawnin's he'll be a daid person.
(What kind of a glass do you turn over it?)
A lookin'-glass.
Entry 8200
(What would they do with my photograph?)
Take yure photograph an' place it intuh a small lookin'-glass, face intuh de glass lak yo' would look intuh de glass, an' put it intuh a runnin' place of watah two or three weeks, an' it will run yuh crazy.
Entry 8201
Use it fo' back luck, by scrapin' dat silvah offa dere; well, dat silvah offa [the back of] dat lookin'-glass. Dey take dat an' scrape it offa pichure. Jis' lak if dey wanta harm yo', dey take an' scrape dat silvah off dat pichure [mirror] an' put it in yure face, on yure pichure.
(On the face of your picture?)
Dat's right, an' den dey take it an' put it in sompin, [anything to hold the scrapings and photo], an' bury it, bury it [face] down. Dat'll make yo' dwindle down an' die. Make yo' stay sick an' nuthin will cure yo' unlessen somebody [hoodoo doctor or healer] take an' find whut's wrong wit chew.
Entry 8202
Well, dere's a certain type of people dat believe in de wanishin' [van- ishing], dat yo' kin do away wit a person through an' by a photograph. Yo' could git de actual photograph of a person. Yo' take it an' on de first of de new moon, yo' carry it anywheres where dere's a tree or a stone, anything dat choo kin mark an' know it won't be moved. An' plant it face downward in de soil. An' dey claim dat when dat moon passes away, de nex' new moon will cuz some kinda affliction tuh ovahtake de person, an' dey will grajly [gradually] drift away tuh nuthin. Nuthin will relieve 'em. It impossible tuh cure 'em, until dey will fine'ly
[finally] jis' waste away de same way de photograph do.
Entry 8203
Take a nail an' drive it intuh de left side of a pichure [demonstrates] an' jis' - yo' kin take hit an' drive hit dere fo' de rest of nine mawnin's, an' dat will take a person's life. (You drive it right there in the heart, right where you are pointing.) Right at de point where de heart supposed tuh be.
Entry 8204
Yo' kin take a fellah's photograph an' take it out intuh de woods an' dig yo' a hole down. An' den take a nail, nine nails, an' stick right through it where it come through his heart. An' turn it on its face an' bury it, an' in nine days dis fellah will come tuh fadin' away. In de long run he will come tuh be a dead soul. (Put those nine nails all around his heart.) An' den turn it ovah on its face, turn it down on its face.
Entry 8205
Well, dey can't do anything now wit de photograph, not de late one dat's made, but de one wit de tintype, dey would take dem an' bury dem upside down, see, wit two nails. Look [demonstrates] two nails crossed dataway, an' bury de photograph upside down. An' dat would keep yo' wit a mixed-up mind always, an' prack'ly [practically] wit a bulgin' headache, contin'ly [continually].
(I see.)
BUT RECENTLY DEY DON'T USE DOSE TINTYPES ANY MORE. WELL, DEY DID ONCE UPON A TIME. DEY HAD DE BIGGEST PART OF DE PEOPLE, YO' COULDN'T GIT 'EM TUH TAKE DERE PHOTOGRAPH, UNLESS YO' JIS' STEAL UP ON DEM TUH TAKE IT, BECUZ DEY KNOWED WHAT WOULD BE DE RESULT.
(I see.)
Entry 8206
Suppose yo' want a person tuh live about two months aftah yo' take it. Yo' kin take a tintype an' yo' dig two feet in de ground, an' yo' tell it, "Ah wan' chew tuh die wit'in two months." Yo' write his name, whethah yo' kin see it or not, yo' know how tuh spell dat name. Yo' know yo' kin be writin' it, whethah yo' kin read it on dere, yo' lnow, on dere or not. Yo' write it anyhow, "Ah wan' chew tuh die in two months." Den cross it, 'in two months.' [Cross the first words in two months with the second in two months.] Den yo' take dis. photograph an' do dis, dig dis two-feet hole. Den yo' turn it down on de face of it an' den yo' make yore wish, "Ah want chew tuh be daid in two months." Den yo' covah it up. Slap yore right feet on it an' stomp it fo' six times, 'Ah want chew tuh die in two months, ah want chew tuh die in two months." Dey'll die.
Entry 8207
Well, yo' take - git chew dis name on a tintype an' turn dat bottom upwards, an' bury it undah jis' six inches of soil [symbolical of 6 feet]. An back off ten steps, ah mean nine steps befo' yo' turn yuh back tuh it. An' den walk away an' don't evah look back tuh it ag'in. (And what will that do?) Well, dey claim dat if dey tryin' tuh do somepin tuh yuh, say anything dat dey want did, it will happen dat way. (Well, will that do anything particular to you, burying the photograph that way, that tintype?) It won't even kill yuh or anything, jis' make yuh be through wit 'em so ah undahstand.
(I see.)
Entry 8208
(To make the man come back?)
Well, if yo' have his photograph, yo' kin bring 'im back. Well, yo' kin take his photograph an' sleep wit it an' use dat photograph upside down, see. An' EVAH NIGHT AT TWELVE A'CLOCK CALL "IM DE SAME AS HE WUS DERE. Jis' don' tell 'im anything, but continue callin' 'im. WHEREVAH HE AT, AT DAT PAHTIC'LAH TIME OF DE NIGHT, HE'LL GIT UPSETTED, AN' WHICH AN' WHILE [uSua11y Which and why] DE SPIRIT WILL BRING 'IS MIND ON HOME, AN' HE WILL COME HOME.
(Where do you keep that photograph?)
Well, yo' kin keep it - jis' say fo' a' instan' [instance] if ah want chew tuh do it. See, YO' BRING ME DE PHOTOGRAPH AN' AH'LL DO DE WORK, See. But quite natchly [naturally] if he come tuh Savannah yo' goin' tuh see 'im, see.
Entry 8209
An' den yo' would take an' write a person's - draw a person's pitsture am'write dere name on a tree.
(Do you draw their picture on the tree?)
Yo' draw dere pitsture on a tree, jis' lak yo' would take an' go dere an' draw a pitsture on de tree. If yo' don' wanta skin it where anybody would take notice, yo' would draw a pitsture on de tree, namin' it him, an' den write undah it dat it him. An' take a nail, a fo'-penny nail, an' drive right in de centah of 'is haid. An' says yo' nail dat fo' nine mawnin's, yo' go dere an' tap it, an' de ninth mawnin' yo' drive it plumb in. An' dis person will die.
(You write his name and just say It's him on it?)
[He may have said It's him before recording began. He now says person must not be plainly identified.1 Yo' write his name, yo' make it kinda a sign. Don't make it plain where peo- ple kin read it an' all lak dat, don't chew know, but jis' lak imitatin' writin'. Well, yo' name it. Dat's 'is name. An' yo' draw dat pitsture, jis' - yo' know. An' den yo' take an' drive dat nail in dere an' - fo' nine mawnin's yo' would go dere an' tap dat nail an' de ninth mawnin' yo'd drive it in.
Entry 8210
Now if a man's wife leave him, or 'is sweetheart leave him an' he can't git her back, he takes an' he git a piece of papah an' he write her name. Write his name first an' hers second an' he writes each name three times, an' den call 'er by name. An' he goes an' he git 'er photo an' he goes an' git a glass of cleah watah. An' take dat pichure an' turn it head foremos', turn it head down tuhwards dat watah, jis' don' let it tech de watah. An' in three days why she'll be back.
(What do you do with that paper?)
[A rite of diagnosis (see pp.165-217) follows:]
Take dat papah an' yo' drop it in de watah first, an' if she's comin' back, why dat papah will, when yo' drop it in dere, yo' know, it go tuh de bottom when yo' drop it. When - if she comin' back, it'll rise up tuh de top an' it rise up tuh tech dat pichure. In three days den she'll come back.
Entry 8211
(How would you make a person move out of the house?)
Well, de way ah would do dat - dere's two or three diff'ren ways of doin' it, but de plain way, dey say, fo' instan' maybe yo' live nex' do' tuh me, well ah'm gon'a wait until night, see. An' den yo' kin git some sulphur - in othah words some sulphur an' gun- powdah an' mix dat up. An' about de noon hour of twelve at night, midnight, well yo' kin sprinkle dat befo' de do' an' let it goes in de do'. An' undah nine days time dey'll move. An' dere's anothah way dat chew kin take dat track. Yo' kin take dey track or eithah dey photo or eithah dey name, an' put a rattlesnake mastah root, an' wrap it up wit dey name in it an' dat track. Dey tie it up real tight an' have it so dat it wouldn't sink, not immediately, an' cast it in a runnin' stream of watah. DE SWIFTAH DE STREAM IS DE QUICKAH DEY WILL MOVE. Some people says sompin about aigs, but ah don't use dat. (Well, now, to make them move fast, do you put that rattlesnake master and the photograph together and the foot track or just one of those with the root?) Well, yo' take rattlesnake mastah, de name, an' de dirt dat chew git. Well quite natchly [naturally], if yo' wrap it up in wool, it take quite a bit fo' dat watah tuh soak in dat wool, yo' know.
Entry 8212
They get a hold of your picture, a tintype frame, and draws blood from one of her fingers and write your name and her name on it, and buries it in the ground four feet and cov- ers it up and makes a wish. In two month's time the wish will come true. If you want her to come back to you, if you want her to hate you, anything you wish will come true. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8213
Yo' got de photograph head foremost jis' lak de [this is de] photograph [demonstrates]. Yo' turn it over lak dat an' put dat in de ground. Jis' lak a woman whut yo' wan' tuh handle [con- trol]; a man, anybody yo' wan' tuh handle. Yo' take de photograph an' yo' git tuh yer home where, where yuh home is at, take an' bury it down in the ground. Yo' write huh [her] name dat same way three times. Yo' write de name right on a piece of papah. Pick up a piece a [of] papah or pastebo'd an' put it in wit de photograph, den yo' turn it down. Dat's tuh keep huh down. She cain't do no mo' 'an [= dan = than] yo' say do.
Entry 8214
Yo' put it [photograph] catacornah'd [catercornered], joo know cata- cornah'd across, not hang it straight. Yo' see [demonstrates] lak dis is de cornah heah, an' dere, yo'll hang it ovah diag'- nal dis Way. [The photo hangs with sides tilted.1 An' write dere name three times across dis way [demonstrates]. [These names are written diagonally, each three crossing the other three at the center of the photo, making a six-pointed star-like or wheel-like figure which in a similar form, the dotted triangle, will be found in v.2, p.1833.1 Well, dat'll run 'em crazy.