Browse:THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (Volume 4, entries 8055–8881)/Part 3
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 8215
Ah heard, quite a while ago now - hit was a lady heah in St. Augustine, Fla., was up heah, but 'uh [her] husban' had quit 'uh. Her an' 'uh husban' ep- arated. Dis was [a] woman [who] was in a li'le busi- ness. Ah don' know whethah it was dry good or grocer- ies. But anyway, huh hus- ban' ruled 'uh outa dis by dis same identical thing ah'm talkin' about now, Witchcraftin'. He ruled 'uh out [of] dis. He went somewhere an' got some kinda stuff an' come back. An' he came back. Well, she didn't have no hopes er [or] nuthin, couldn't have no use tuh do nuthin any place. Well, dey even driven 'uh 'way but she was brought back. Dis woman aftah she came back, she had some money, an' dis man sold out all de goods of dis sto' whut dey had an' taken anothah woman an' lived wit 'uh. Ah had learnt dat he wus in some part a [of] Florida. Anyway, he wus goin' fo' good, goin' tuh sea. But she went an' she had 'im brought back. An' when he wus brought back, he gave huh de money dat he even carried fo' huh. Now, dat wus wit de photograph. Now, yo' take A LOTTA PEOPLE SAY, "AH DON' HAVE MAH PICHURE TAKEN AN' ALL DIS AN' DAT AN' DE OTHAH." NOW, YO' TAKE MAHSELF. HIT'S NUTHIN AH DO'S IN DIS WORL' TUH CUZ DE OFFICAHS AN' DETECTIVES OR ANYTHING LAK DAT TUH BE LOOKIN' FO' ME.
[This is caused by enemies through witcheraftin'.]
Now, ah've been 'rested twice right in dis town heah, one time fo' bein' drunk an' de othah time becuz me an' anothah fellah got intuh a fight. Now, ah has mah pichure, mah pichure's up dere, prob'ly in Atlanta, Ga. BUT NOW AH DON'T GUESS DEY'D DO ANYTHING TO IT AT ALL.
[Informant laughs.]
Well, now yo' kin take a pichure an' cut dis pichure half in two. Let dis li'le book heah now be de pichure. [One of my Nunbers Books I always kept on interviewing table; each informant having a number - see illustration at end of volume 2 of Hoodoo, which shows actual size and contents of one of these books.] Cut dis pichure half in two. See, heah's de pichure right on dere. Dat's de body of dis man's pichure. Cut dis pichure half in two. An' aftah yo' cut dis pichure half in two, git chew a pint flask. Go uptown an' git chew a pack of brand-new needles, a pack of brand-new safety pins, git chew 25 cents bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' aftah yo' cut dis pichure half in two, yo' write his name wit de pins - see, in dis part of de body, wit de pins, see [demonstrates].
(The upper part of the body.)
Dat's right, de uppah part of de body wit de pins, see. Yo' take de pins an' stick 'em dis way, an' dis way, an' one dat way, an' one de othah way, see. Sup- posed tuh be [able] tuh write dat, in de uppah part of dis body. Den yo' take dis part an' turn it haid foremost intuh de body, jis' lak if ah drap [drop] mah haid down lak dat. Yo' take dis part wit de needles an' yo' write wit seven - his name wit de needles in dis part of de pichure. Den instead of turnin' dis pichure down de same as de haid part turnin', turn it up, yo' see [demonstrates].
(Turn the feet up?)
Turn de feet up.
(Lower the head and turn the feet up?)
Dat's right. An' den yo' got de nails in dere. Well, yo' take an' put chew half of dis Hearts Cologne on dere. Yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' git chew some dirt outa de graveyard. Don't mattah if it's from de haid of de grave or from de foot of de grave or from de centah of de grave, but git chew some of de dirt. Puts it in dis bottle, jis' about a tablespoonful, but let it be sifted, not no tracks er nuthin, jis'.de dirt itself. An' yo' bury dis. Now, dese people kin be in Chicago, Illinois. Dey kin be in Paris, France, or England, dey'll be brought back in a length of time aftah dis is nine days old. Den a person kin take dis pichure ag'in an' dey kin run yo' crazy. Dey kin take dis pichure lak dey do wit chure hair, yo' see. Dey drive yore hair intuh a tree wit a peg.
Entry 8216
Git dey pichure an' it have tuh be a whole body; jis' lak dose pi- chures dere [on the wall of interviewing room] dat girl an' one de li'le chil'- ren, jis' de whole body of a person. Well, yo take it an' it have tuh be - not no papah, see. Jis' lak dem ole common [old-time] pichure. Yo' take a tintype an' yo' take it an' put it in a saucah wit de fellah, woman, or whosomevah it is, an' yo' write it nine times, see.
(What do you write nine times?)
Well, yo' put it on a piece of papah wit ink. See, yo' put it wit ink. (You write that name nine times on a piece of paper. Now where do you put that paper?) Yes, yo' put dat papah undah de saucah, see an' den yo' put de pichure on top of de papah, an' de saucah on top of all of it, mo' tuh de groun'. Den yo' take - yo' have tuh dig de hole six feet, an' den aftah yo' do all dat yo' see, well yo put de steel dust on top of it an' de red peppah, an' all dat diff'ren kind [of things]. Jis' lak dat, yo' know, fo' tuh keep dat tuhgethah, keep de whole thing tuhgethah. Yo' put de dirt on top of it an' when de nine days out, well debody's gone. He's goin' take sick befo' den, but in de meantimes he'll disappeah.
(Why do you put that saucer on top of those things?)
Well, dat saucah, dat's fo' tuh keep it down, yo' see. Tuh keep it mo' tuh de groun'. Mos' of 'em uses Saucahs. EVAHBODY MOS'LY USES SAUCAH WHEN YO' WANTA KILL SOMEBODY IN DAT LINE. (How do you put that picture in there? Do you [I probably demonstrate] put the face up like that?) No, yo' have tuh put de face down on de name.
(And how is the name? Is that name up or is the name down?)
De name is down. De whole thing is down, de pichure, de name an' evah'thing. An' yo' turn de saucah down. All dat down tuh de ground, tuh de earth.
(And you just go out and dig a hole any place?)
Well, YO' HAVE TUH DIG IT SIX FEET. YO' CAIN'T LET NO ONE SEE YO'. ANY PLACE IN DE GROUN', BUT IT HAVE TUH BE YO' KNOW AT NIGHT. Yo' wOuldn't Want nObody [to see you].
Entry 8217
They tell me yo' take a pichure of a man an' put it up ovah yuh do' an' write his name an' turn 'is face intuh de do' comin' [into house], an' call it three mawnin's, three times each mawnin'. Dey tell me he'll come back. I know positively dat's true. I know a lady did it.
Entry 8218
Take dat, de photograph, drive a pusson crazy wit dat photo- graph. Take dat an' turn it upside down right at de haid of de baid, an' call de indivjel [individual] name nine time, see - well, fer three days. An' wit'in dem three days dat pusson'll come tuh yuh.
Entry 8219
Dey take de pichure tuh hurt or tuh do good. Tuh do good, tuh keep yure man, yo' take dat pichure an' yo' take a needle, an' yo' stick a needle right through it jis' lak dat. Right through de pi- chure, right crossways of de pichure lak dat, a sharp needle. An' yo' weah it, jis' lak yo' has a sack [nation sack, See p.1449f., THE NATION SACK WOMAN, first quotation] or anywhere. Yo' kin put it in a li'le sack an' weah it on yo', an' yo' put it down in dat; but yo' turns 'is haid dis way, right dere, see. An' yo' weah dat. An' ah don' care whut direction he's in, dat keeps: 'is mind tumbled up. He's gotta come.
(You wear that any place on your body?)
Yes, in undah yure clothes.
Entry 8220
Take a needle or even a pin and stick in yure face an' bury it an' yo' sill die.
(Your photograph?)
Yes.
Entry 8221
Ah've heard two-three things about photographs. Ah've heard dat chew kin take anybody's photograph, say if yo' wanta 'flict dem some way. Take yo' a needle an' stick in dat part yo' wanta 'flict, an' bury it in de earth face down. See, yo' bury it three feet deep which would represent three things, de Fathah, Son an' de Holy Ghost. Bury it three feet deep. Say fo' in- stance now, yo' wanted 'im lame in de am. Yo' take dat photograph an' stick dat needle in dat arn an' bury it's face down; or in de laig, or in de eye.
(Any place you want them afflicted?)
Yes sir.
(Then all you do is bury it face down?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8222
An' jis' lak if yo' wanta a person tuh die, well yo' take their picture but it have tuh be on tintype an' den yo' bear [bury] it on it's face an' place two needles at de foot an' two at de haid an' jis' let it stay dere an' dey'll finely [finally] wizzle away.
Entry 8223
If it's a man dat's got a woman or a woman got a man, dey take de photograph [of himself or herself] an' git chew a white pocket han'ke'ch'ef [new] an' spread it out. Well, yo' put [stick] nine needles in dat han'ke'ch'ef in a row an' point all of 'ems [to the] name [of the person to be held] jis' lak dis [demonstrates]. Take nine needles an' point 'em, point tuh dat - write yore name first [if a man] an' 'er name. Write her name first [if writer a woman] an' 'is name down at de bottom. [Write on the handker- chief.] Well, yo' point dem nine needles right tuh de end of 'is name, all de Way, evah lettah of 'is name. Den yo' [the woman] take it an' take her pichure [photo of herself] an' put it in a [framed] photograph [or wall picture] an' take dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' dem nine needles an' fasten it up in dere [framed Wall picture] an' hang [rehang] it on de wall. Dat will hold 'im an' he'll nevah go until she lose dem needles. If she lose dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' [or] dat photograph [framed picture] den he'll be gone. [How confusing the preceding statement was can be learned from my first com- ment, all wrong!] (Here's your handkerchief and he takes a piece of paper and writes his name and her name, and she puts these nine needles in it pointing toward his name. Then she wraps that piece of paper either in the photograph or this handkerchief. Wraps them all up in the handkerchief?) Dat's right - no suh, takes dis photograph - [I mean] an' take dis han'ke' ch'ef an' spread it out in de back of dat [framed] photograph.
(This is the frame - in the photograph frame?)
Yessuh, an' den put 'er pichure in dat wit de frame. [Is this a framed photo of herself hanging on the wall, or does she put her photo and other articles inside the back of the wall picture?]
(She doesn't use his picture?)
Doesn't use his picture. (She puts her picture in this frame and then puts this handkerchief and needles [and 2 names] in the back of it. Takes off the back of the frame and puts that in there?) Yessuh.
Entry 8224
[Preceding informant gives another version of the nine-needle theme:]
Take his pichure an' write his name. Write chure name firs' an' den 'is; will follah yures, yo' know. (You write your name first?) Yes, an' 'is name nex'.
(Underneath?)
Yessuh, an' den yo' put nine needles an' put it in de closet, an' yo' put chure pichure aside of it an' dat'll make 'im stay stay. He can't go no place.
(You stick these needles into the picture?)
Yessuh, nine needles. (You write your name and then you write his name right underneath your name? And you put your picture right next to that picture in the closet.)
Entry 8225
I heard talk that you take a photograph and wrap it up in a new piece of material, and put it in a drawer; and if the person is away, they'll soon come.
Entry 8226
Use de photograph to gain love. Well, yo' photograph, if yo' like a gurl an' perhaps she tryin' tuh gain love wit yuh, an' yo', yo' know, might have de privilege of visitin' 'er. Well, she might have some kin'a small or large photograph in 'er home. Perhaps yo' might git a chance to take it, or steal it in othah words we call it. An' yo' take dis photograph. Yo' take dis photograph an' yo' bury it. Yo' see, yo' bury dis photograph fer nine days, but befo' buryin' it yo' takes [some sort of oil]. (What kind of oil is it? Is it something you mean - where do you buy this oil?) Well, yo' kin buy it in de drug store. (Well, go ahead with the rest of the story and give me the name when you think of the name later.) Well, yo' take dis [mineral?] oil an' yo' take it an' rub it on de face of de pichure. an' yo' let dis pichure. yo' know, stay buried fer nine days. yo' see. Dat's how to gain 'er love, to make a short story of it. [For 9 days, see alsc preceding margin title CIRCUMAMBULATE etc.]
Entry 8227
Bury it on de face.
(Bury it? What will that do?)
In nine days yo'll be buried. (I see.) On a tintype.
Entry 8228
If yo' kin git aholt of someone's photograph an' yo' got it in fo' dem, why yo' take dey photograph an' yo' clip de photograph in nine diff'ren' ways.
(How do you mean, cut it nine different ways?)
Yo' cut de fo' cornahs offa it. But yo' ain't gotta cut it plumb up. When yo' cut de fo' cornahs, dat's fo' ways. Well, yo' kin take it an' cut it five mo' diff'ren' ways. Cut it all de way round, but jis' don' cut it up [photo must be left inone piece]. Den take dat pichure an' carry it to runnin' watah. Well, dey'll be harmed, gits in a car wreck or sompin. Dey goin' git out chure way.
[Stopped machine. Informant added a remark. Restart to repeat the addition.]
(They get cut up or something of that sort?)
Yes.
Entry 8229
Tuh break up a home, well yo' kin take gunpowdah.
(How would you use that?)
Well yo' would take de gunpowdah an' yo' draw a pichure lak it's fo' two peo- ple. Yo' draw 'em jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight - yo' know how chil'ren kin draw funny pichures - jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight. Yo' takes de gunpowdah an' nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of red peppah, an' yo' put it in de stove an' make yure wishes. An' dat breaks 'em up. (Well, what do you do with the picture then?) Well, yo' take de pichure perhaps an' stand it on de head an' put it in a dark closet.
(No, this picture that you draw. What do you do with that?)
Oh, what you drew. Yo' burns dat. Yo' writes dere names on dis papah. Yo' draws on a plain piece of white papah, den yo' takes dis pichure, de man's havin' a fight, yo' puts de gunpowdah in dere, nine pinches, nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of cayenne peppah, red peppah. An' den yo' put it in de stove fo' nine mawnin's.
(I see, you put the stuff into the picture?)
Yeah.
(You have to draw that thing nine times?)
Uh-huh. Yo' don't have tuh draw it zactly [exactly] lak 'em, but yo' draw it lak a man if yo' kin or do it lak a woman, see.
(Well, do you do that over again and again?)
Ovah ag'in fer nine mawnin's.
Entry 8230
Yo' take yore pichure. Ah've heah dat yo' take yore pichure. See, jis' lak if a person didn't lak yo' or wanted tuh git chew outa de way. Yo'd take dat pichure an' go outdo's. If yo' wanted tuh, go right in yore yard at de lef' cornah, [or] de no'th cornah of yore chimley, an' dig a hole an' bury it on yore face. Bury de pichure on de face. Well, yo' see, as long as it lay on yore face, fades away, dat person will die.
Entry 8231
Well, yo' kin take a person's photograph - but chew gotta be mad wit 'em, yo' know, don' lak 'em no way. Yo' take dat an' take it tuh de no'th cornah of yore house. Dig a hole an' bury it bottom side upwards tuh de no'th cornah of yore house. Bury it bottom side upwards an' den, yo' know, curse 'em anything dat chew think of, an' yo' won' have no mo' trouble wit 'em. Dey be sickly all de time.
Entry 8232
Well, yo' take dat pichure an' put it in yore pocket, if yo' wanta carry it wit chew. Yo' kin take dat pichure an' yo' want dem tuh love yo'. Dat whut chew wanta know. Take dat pichure an' git some olive oil an' put nine drops of dat pichure right around, yo' know, right around de haid. An' put dat pichure in yore pocket an' tote it wit yo'. Den fo' nine days yo' read de 23rd Psalms ovah it, an' dat'll make dem people care fo' yo'.
Entry 8233
Take de photograph an' dey'll put it in- tuh a basin an' dey'll put cologne on it until it change it's face, dat chew'll fall in love wit 'em. Now dat's true. But dey keep it in dat basin till it fades. Yo'll fall in love wit 'em den.
Entry 8234
Yo' take de photograph an' take some perfume, put it on de pikture, an' a needle an' stick de needle in de pik- ture right acrost de fo'haid, an' hide it some place an' she'll love yuh.
Entry 8235
Jis' take a woman's hair an' pichure an' cut it all up an' put it in a bot- tle tuhgethah an' take an' po' dis Heart's Own Perfume on it. She'll nevah quit 'im an' she'll always run aftah 'im.
(What do they do with that bottle then?)
Well, hide it off in de loft of de house where she be goin' undah it or sompin lakdat.
Entry 8236
Take dere pichure an' put it undah yore baid, undah de haid of yore pillah an' sleep on it nine days, an' he cain't go nowhere or quit chew. (That will keep the man? Just place it under there any way, under the pillow?) Undah de pillah.
Entry 8237
Take a person's photograph an' take a pin an' stick dat pin in de heart of dat pichure, where de per- son's heart is on dat pichure, an' dat person will die. Dat will kill a person.
Entry 8238
Take dey photograph an' put brass pins in it an' bury it wit de face down an' dat'll cuz 'em tuh die. (How many brass pins do you take?) Fo' on each cornah.
Entry 8239
Yo' take a person's photo- graph an' take nine pins an' stick 'em in it, right through de heart, an' take an' carry it tuh runnin' watah an' throw it in. Why dat person will fall daid right anywhere dey at. Aftah nine days why dey'll fall daid.
Entry 8240
Dey kin take yore pichure - ah ain't nevah done it but ah've heered dis, undahstan'. Dey stick nine holes in it, one hole evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. An' de ninth mawnin' aftah dey stick dat las' hole in it - when dey put de firs' hole in dere, in dat pichure, in de heart of dat pichure - lak dis is mah pi- chure an' dis is mah heart. Jes' take dat pin an' stick a hole in dat heart on dat pichure. Stick one dis mawnin', one tuhmorrah mawnin', an' one de nex' mawn- in', until de ninth mawnin'. An' de ninth mawnin', when dat last hole will be stuck in dere, de man will be in bad condition. Dere can't nobody do him no good. Can't nobody do him no good nohow unless dey kin git dat air [that there] pichure an' kin remend dem holes. But if dey don't do dat, why dat'll kill 'im.
Entry 8241
I heard tuh give yuh bad luck an' misfortune, tuh take yure photograph an' turn de face of it tuh de earth, an' put it undah, yo' know, de things [ties] where de train track go along. Put it undah one a [of] dose posttus [posts railroad ties] down undahneath dere, an' turn it [photo] down an' yo'll [person of photo will] have all kin'a bad luck.
Entry 8242
Well, den yo' kin take a person's pichure at home [and make them love you].
(How could you make them love you with that picture. How do you do that?)
Well, yo' weahs de pichure an' keep it all de time, an' yo' dress it. In othah words, yo' kin dress dat pichure wit High John de Conkah vine, an' yo' kin take dat Eve an' Adam [Adam and Eve] an' dress it. Why den dere's a root dey call de devil's shoestring. Yo' kin take dat home an' dress it.
(What do you do with those roots?)
Well, yo' would have - said when yo' boil de roots, undahstan', an' soak dat pichure an' keep it in a dark room - a dark place all de time. An' dat person will soon be absent-minded. (Thought you were telling me that you could make them love you that way?) Well, yo' kin... [This rite is quite all right.]
Entry 8243
Tuh make a person lak yuh, yo' will take his or her photograph tuh a root workah an' have it dressed.
Entry 8244
Jis' lak düh [the] wife tak' 'er 'usban' pichure, an' lif' up duh en' of duh rug, an' t'ün [turn] duh face dun [down] tuh duh floah, an' valk ovah dat. She puts it dun var she kin valk ovah it - see, jis' put it in a place var she go mos'ly huhse'f. Dat's suppose tuh keep 'em hum [home].
Entry 8245
Ah hearn dat chew could take de photograph an' bury it in de sand, an' when dat photograph melt away offa dat whut it's taken on, yo'll die.
Entry 8246
(If a man leaves his wife, how would she make him come back?) Make him come back?
(How would the woman make him come back?)
Well, dey kin go buy a box of salt an' take his pichure. Take dat pichure an' de box of salt an' put dat pichure head foremost - put de head down an' feet up - dat [feet] on top, de top of 'is feet in dere. See, dis side up. An' aftah it set in dere nine days, yo' take dat salt off. Take dat pichure, aftah he come - soon as he come home - take dat pichure an' put it up. If yo' wan' tuh make him come quick, take dat pichure an' put it in a li'le frame, an' put it close tuh de stove, an' keep a fiah in dat stove. An' den, if yo' want's it hot, den yo' sprinkle peppah on de bottom part of dat pichure. I heah sometime dey put....
Entry 8247
I have heard of boys and girls being inti- mate together, and if this girl would have a pic- ture of this boy, and if she had any feelings of any kind against him, she would take this picture and scratch it all up to give him bad luck.
Entry 8248
Dey take dere undies an' shake it in 'is face [the face of his photo] any time she wan' tuh see him. Any hour of de night she jis' wish fo' him an' he'll come. An' jis' whutevah she want, if he have it, he'll give it tuh her.
Entry 8249
I worked in a place and lost my job. The man went out of business. I vas living with a very old colored woman and got behind in my rent. She had been going with a man. This man got mad at her and stopped her. When she found out I could draw pretty well, so she had me to draw his picture as near his likeness as I could. She would put this picture in the bottom of her shoe and wear it until ft Was almost porn out, and have me draw another. I don't know whether that caused him to come back or not, but he certainly came back. [Ocean City, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8250
Concernin' photographs: Now, heah's some photographs. Yo' may go ovah in town dere tuh New Orleans, an' yo'll have yore pichures taken on papah, some- whut lak celluloid or sompin othah. Dere's no harm at all tuh dat, no harm at all. It's de tintype, tin [that causes harm]. Now usin' dis, it's mos'ly used fo' gittin' rid of a woman. Dat's all. Yo' cannot bring 'er tuh yo', but yo' kin git rid of 'er. Now, see dis po'tion [portion] of yore shoe heah [demonstrates], dis heah?
(That inner sole?)
Yessuh, yo' raise dis [demonstrates].
(The heel of it.)
Dat's right. Place dat tintype pichure undah dere an' weah it. Now, dat's l yo' place it back on. Quite nature [naturally] de shoe is gonna weah jis' lak steel will, an' as yo' weah dat shoe, dat person weahs an' jis' withah [wither] off from yo'. Yo' won' know whut become of 'em, an' dey won' know whut become of yo'. Dat's de onliest way dey kin harm yo' wit a tintype pichure.
Entry 8251
Dat's if a woman's husban' should leave her, or sweetheart, anything lak dat, jis' take de photograph, see, an' put in 'er shoe an' jis' weah it. Beah it till it weah out. Den git anothah one an' den weah dat un', so long as yo' weah one, an' he'll follah yo'. He'll be so good tuh yo', he be too good tuh yo'. Yo' jis' put it - it's always bes' tuh put in undah de leathah of de shoe, becuz somebody else might see it, see.
(In what shoe does she wear it, either shoe?)
Yo' kin weah it in either shoe. Ah prefer de left shoe, though.
Entry 8252
Take dis photograph an' yo' kin put it in yore shoes an' weah it, an' if yo' want dis guy back, yo' kin git 'im.
(Whose photograph is it?)
It supposed tuh be de man or de woman or whosomevah dat chew want. If yo' a woman, yo' kin weah him in yore shoes an' yo' kin git 'im back.
(You wear this photograph in either shoe?)
In de right one, yo' mus' weah it in de right one.
Entry 8253
It's lak if a person mistreats yo' an' yo' wanta git even wit 'im, an' he's got yore pichure an' yo' got 'is. Ah mean if de girl is got yore [his] pichure an' yo' got one lak it, take it an' put it an' weah it in de bottom of yore right-foot shoe an' wear it, clean it...
(What will that do?)
Dat will make 'im sick.
Entry 8254
Git 'is photograph. She kin go tuh any place an' have anothah one taken. Put one in 'er right shoe, an' bury one undah de do'step. Bury it wit de face down, an' weah one in de bottom of 'er shoe, an' see whut results yo' git outa dat. (What do you do that for?) Dat's if yo' wanta bring 'im back, an' rule 'im, put 'im undah 'er command.
Entry 8255
Yo' take dere name as yo' do de othah re sēts' [= resLi-pes = rites] an' [if] yo' wanta keep 'em tuh yo'. Well, yo' use dat same ingrediment [in- gredient] an' yo' write it nine times an' put it undah yore lef' linin' of yore shoe an' weah it all de time. (That will bring them to you?) Yes, de photograph.
Entry 8256
It's prak'ally [practically] de same. An' dis woman she wuz jis' givin' me so much trouble wit mah husban', dat he wuz almos' out fo' good. Ah didn't wan'a 'sturb [disturb] mah place. Ah wondah'd whut tuh do. Ah loved mah husban' an' ah wuz jis' so crazy 'bout 'im, an' jealous ah guess. So it seem lak it come tuh me one night in mah sleep, say, Jis' take his pichure an' weah it. Ah got up through de night an' ah taken dat pichure an' ah put it in mah shoe, an' ah didn't tell anybody whut ah did. Ah put dat pichure in mah shoe an' ah wore it dere. Dat one wored out an' he com- mence tuh grow bettah. Ah looked roun' an' ah found 'nothah one, photograph, an ah put dat one dere. An' ah wanta tell yo' dere ain't a bettah man dat walks, dan mah husban'. Dat's mah one experience. An' ah tole two or three othahs de same things. (I AM LETTING THIS WOMAN GO FOR THE MOMENT BECAUSE THERE IS A SPECIALL HOODOO MAN JUST CAME THAT I WANT TO TALK TO. I AM AFRAID HE MIGHT LEAVE. I'LL TALK TO HER LATER.)
Entry 8257
[For the outstanding story of this margin title, though picture drawn on a shingle is shot, see the shooting of Uncle Mack's picture - No.3103, p.925.] Says dey kin take yore photograph. Dey kin take yore photograph an' take it an', if dey ti'ed [tired] of yuh or anythin' lak dat, dey kin take it off [some- where] an' shoot it fo' a target. Say yo'll git killed purtty soon. An' if dey want chew [want to keep you], say dey kin take it an' put it in de bottom of dey trunk, an' lay it flat down, an' dat chew'll nevah go nowhere. (How do you mean lay it down?) Lay it down on it's face.
Entry 8258
Yo' see when peoples dislaks [dislikes] yo' or somepin lak dat, undahstand, dey kin take yore pichure, an' take yore pichure an' shoot yore pichure an' yo' will die.
(How will they shoot that picture?)
Jis' take it an' shoot it wit a pistol or somepin lak dat, an' yo'll die. So dat's de way ah've heard dat.
Entry 8259
Take a person's pichure an' shoot it an' dey die. Wheresomevah dey be at, dey'll die.
(Where do they shoot that picture?)
Dey shoot it in de face, anywhere, yo' know.
(Where do they put that picture when they shoot it?)
Have it any place, eny place shoot it.
Entry 8260
I've heard that they could shoot your photograph and you'll die quick- ly; and if they bury your photograph, you'll die a slow death.
Entry 8261
Hear 'em say if dey Wanted tuh kill yo' quick, take yore track. Ah've seen dat. Says yo' bo' a hole in a tree, in a pine tree or oak tree. Cut de head off heah [hair off top of head] an' put it in dere an' den drive a peg in it. An' as 'er hair goes away, yo' go. [For my comment about this elderly man, see later. While recording machine was off, he began a photo rite:]
(The tintype. What did they use to say years ago?)
Take an' shoot at yore pichure an' shootin' de pichure would kill yo'.
(But they generally put that picture in a certain way you said.)
Yes, toward where he's at or she's at. (You have to put that picture up in the direction in which that person is liv- ing?) Yes. (THIS OLD MAN WHO WAS JUST IN HERE WAS 87 YEARS OLD AND WAS BAREFOOT.)
Entry 8262
Ah heard dat if yo' wanted tuh kill a person wit dere photograph, yo' could take his photograph an' set it behin' a burnin' bush or a pile of bushes, an' shoot it wit a rifle or pistol or sompin of dat sort. (Set it behind what kind of a bush?) Behin' a briar pile of bushes. Builds up de fiah an' put de pichure ovah tuh de side of it an' shoot through de fiah. Dat will kill dem. (You build a fire with the bushes and then you put this picture near the side. Right on the side?) On de side an' shoot right through de fiah.
Entry 8263
If someone wanta give yo' real bad luck, says dey kin take - if dey got a grudge ag'inst chew - dat dey kin go an' git chure pichure an' take dis pichure an' build a fiah, an' set de pichure behin' de fiah. Dat's [demonstrates] de pichure an' heah's de fiah. Dat's de pi- chure. Set it off lak dat. Yo' git ovah heah. Yo' [they] take a gun an' dey shoot through dis pichure, through dis fiah an' hit de pichure. Take a shotgun, scattah shots. An' shoot through de fiah an' shoot a hole through dis pichure. Well, when dey shoots a hole through dis picture, dey says den, dat gives yo' bad luck. It'll take dat - on dat time in evah yeah an' evah month, on dat day, yo'll have pains. Whatevah day of de month it was, dey say yo'll have pains, sharp pains jis' lak if yo' were shot. (Now this is the picture across the fire, and it is looking at you - face towards you?) Yes sir.
Entry 8264
Yo' take a photograph an' go in de woods tuh a tree, an' yo' jis' lay it up from de ground up side de tree. Yo' kin go dat high from de ground, eight feet high. Ah'd take a ten- penny nail an' drive dat through de forehead ontuh de tree. An' git choo some splintahs - fat-lighter [pine] splintahs [here, split pieces of wood, not small splinters] - some people call 'em torches - an' make a smoke right down here [at the bottom of the tree]. Jis' make a fiah, an' de smoke goes right straight on up [over the photo]. An' yo' git choo a shotgun an' go back about twenty-five or thirty feet from de tree, an' shoot right through that smoke at dat pitchure. Dey tell me dat'll kill yuh. [Large pieces of fat-lighter pine (several pines so called) were used at night as outdoor hand torches. This is described some- where in the text by a woman, from Orangeburg, S. Car., whose grandmother de- scribed a slave burial at night - a limited number of torches, no singing, etc.]
Entry 8265
Lak yo' got a pichure, see, jis a pichure of yo'. All right, lak dey love yo', see, an' don't want see any- body else wit chew. Dey go tuh de fo'k of de road an' take a pistol an' shootdat pistol right in de centah of yo' face. When dey come back yo'll be daid. (You shoot this picture at the forks of the road.)
Entry 8266
Yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, if someone done sompin tuh yo' an' yo' doesn't lak 'em, an' yo' wanta git rid of 'em fo' good, git 'em clean out de worl', yo' go dere fo' eight mawnin's wit dere pichure. An' den de ninth mawnin' yo' could take it an' shoot it on de lef' side, an' dey certainly are daid. Den yo' know yo' got rid of dem.
(You take that picture out each morning and bring it back?)
Yessuh.
(What do you do with the picture then?)
Yo' shoot it on de left side.
(Where do you put the picture when you shoot it?)
Carry it back home or eithah leave it down dere, but mos' de people says yo' leave it fo' nine mawnin's an' shoot it on de lef' side.
Entry 8267
Yo' kin take a man's pichure, anybody's pichure, an' go tuh de fo'k of de road an' shoot at dat pichure. Go nine times an' shoot at it nine mawnin's an' - eithah nine nights. An' yo' kin shoot at dat pichure nine times an' dat man will die.
(Where do you put that picture out at the fork of the road?)
Put it right at de fo'k of de road.
(Put it on the ground or up in the air or where?)
Put it on de ground. Yo' know, quite natural yo' kin take a stick yo' know an' pin it up so he kin see it, chew know, an' shoot at it.
Entry 8268
Take de tintype an' point de fo' cornahs an' shoot it an' yo'll soon die. (They do what to the four corners?) Turn it round, de fo' cornahs, dey meet de cornahs of it. (Show me. Say that's the tintype there.) Take de pistol dis way an' turn it ovah an' shoot it [this corner], an' yo' turn dis cornah an' shoot on dat cornah.
(Shoot it in all four corners turning it around?)
Turn it roun' an' den throw it in runnin' watah.
(What will that do?)
As dat go down yo's goin' go down den too.
Entry 8269
De nex' thing, if a person don' lak yo' an' wants tuh do yo' dirty, dey kin go tuh work an' take dat photograph an' shoot it right directly to de heart line, an' in nine days he'll be a daid man.
Entry 8270
Take dat photograph an' shoot it right in de heart, where de heart supposed tuh be, an' bury it face foremos', say dey'll die.
Entry 8271
Ah've heard dey take a pichure an' put it up an' shoot on de left side
[heart side] an' hit'll kill de person.
Entry 8272
A person's photograph, pichure, yo' kin take it an' care [carry] hit in de woods an' tack it up side a tree, an' yo' kin take yore gun an' yo' kin shoot hit. An' when yo' shoot hit, he's shore [sure] tuh die.
Entry 8273
Ah heard dat a person kin take yore pichure an' put it on a tree or a stump an' shoot dat pichure an' it'll kill yo'. Ah have heard of dat.
Entry 8274
Tack it up 'ginst a tree an' make a mark outa it an' shoot it.
(Shoot the photograph. What would that do?)
SayS WhOSOmeVah yo' DONE SHOT AT DEY BREAK OUT WIT CANCERS AN' CAN'T BE CURED OR EITHAH BE KILT.
Entry 8275
Well now, I've heard dey could take yure pitchure, take an' put it up aside a tree an' shoot it; see, yo'll git shot.
Entry 8276
Alcohol - put three drops of alcohol on it, on de photograph an' stick it up side a tree an' shoot it, an' yo' ain't goin' stay heah long.
(What will it do, drive you away or kill you?)
Kill yo'.
Entry 8277
Take a photograph an' take it down tuh a tree, mos' any kinda tree, an' cut a hole in de pine tree, jis' fer 'nuff [enough] fo' de photograph tuh set in, an' cuss dat photograph three time an' back off [walk backwards] from it, an' fiah toward de photograph. Ah've tried it. Dat will kill de person.
Entry 8278
Yo've heard of de oldtime gun waddin'? Dey put dis pichure [torn up] in dis gun waddin' an' dey care [carry] it tuh a tree in some lone isolated place. An' dey shoot de gun off. Dey shoot de tree. Instead of powder, yo' know, lak dey shooting someone. [Gunman pretends that this mixture of gun wad- ding and torn-up picture is a shell and the tree is the person being shot.] An' dey say dat'll cuz dat person tuh have bad luck.
Entry 8279
Take dat photograph, an' if yo' wants dem, woman or man, yo' wants dem out de way. DEY AIN'T GOT HEART ENOUGH FO' YO' AN' YO' WANTS EM TUH GIT KILLED IN A ACCIDENT, OR SOMEONE GIT IN A FIGHT WIT 'EM AN' KILL DEM. Take dat phot0- graph an' git chew one dese heah li'le beebee rifles, if yo' kin [git] holt of it, an' take it in de woods, an' jes' lak yo' tack it 'ginst de wall [of interviewing room, you tack it against a tree], an' take a good bead [on the target] wit de [beebee] shotgun - ain't evah'body kin do it but some kin - an' shoot dat pichure. Be sure dat yo' shoot it on de heart side. Be sure dat chew hit it wit dat beebee ball [shot], it's a li'le ball dat jis' [makes] a li'le bit of hole dere, dat chew hit it on de heart side. Well, WHEN YO' PLUG IT ON DE HEART SIDE LAK DAT, HE'LL GO AN' HE'LL GIT IN A FUSS; AN' WHERE DAT BULLET HITS 'IM ON DE HEART SIDE, DEY PLUG 'IM DERE DE SAME WAY.
(They will hit him right there.)
Don't care where yo' go, dat de end of yo' - right dere.
Entry 8280
Take it an' carry it in de woods an' cut a green pine - or any green tree - an' make it smooth [a smooth place] an' tack dat photograph up ag'inst de tree, an' git off at yore distance an' shoot dis photograph. Try tuh hit it in de haid or in de heart, dey say, an' jes' lak yo' do dat photograph, dat jes' lak whut would happen tuh de person. [Green tree is a common term for live tree, ordinary meaning avoid a dead tree or a tree not in leaf.]
Entry 8281
Ah've heard of a person takin' anothah person's pichure, a pichure of 'em, if dey dislak 'em, an' takin' it in de woods an' bo'in' [boring] a hole in dere an' stickin' de pichure in de tree, face downwards, an' den shootin' holes in it. Ah've heard of dat. An' dey'll soon die.
Entry 8282
Take dat an' nail dat up in a tree an', if dey wanta kill yuh, dey kin nail dat photograph up an', if yo' in New York or even Philadelphia or Boston, an' dey call yure name, an' put a pistol dere an' shoot dat photo- graph in de heart, won't kill yuh right off; but yo'll pine away, pine away, pine away until yo' die.
Entry 8283
Well, yo' see, yo' kin take dat 'ere [photo] an' [a note of mlne says informant very shaky, a stutterer] an' bury it down in dirt an'...meal buries... eithah meal. Dey eithah buries it in de groun' where dey walk ovah it fo' nine days, an' make any kinda wishes yo' wants fo' it, yo' see. An' den take it out, yo' see, an' nail it up side of de tree at de ninth day an' shoot it, sompin lak dat, wit No.8 shot.
(What is that supposed to do to you?)
Dey say de person will die. (You take this photograph first and you bury it in the ground, face down, you say. And then what do you put on that?) Make any kinda wishes yo' wants tuh.
(You said something about meal. What did you say about meal?)
Even if yo' don't want tuh bury it down in de ground, yo' kin bury it in de meal.
(Oh, if you don't bury it in the ground, you bury it in the meal. Corn meal?)
Yes, sir. An' den yo' leave it fo' nine days. Den yo' see, yo' kin make yere wishes, any kinda wish yo' want. An' de ninth day yo' kin take it up an' shoot it.
Entry 8284
Dey go ahaid an' tack it [photo] up on de tree an' shoot it, an' dat'll kill yuh. Dey go dere nine mawnin's an' shoot it. Dat'll kill yuh. Jis' turn it bottom upwards an' shoot it about de heart.
Entry 8285
Dey tell me dat dey kin take yuh photergraph an' carry it in de woods, an' put it on a pine tree. An' if dey kin shoot, yo' know, right in a serious part fo' nine mawnin's...an' dey say aftah dat it'll kill yuh.
Entry 8286
If yo' wanta harm a person, kill a person, say fo' instance, yo' kin draw de fo'm [form] of dat per- son as neah as yo' kin, yo' know. If it's a woman, yo' draw de fo'm of a woman; if it's a man, yo' draw de fo'm of a man. An' yo' git chew a tenpenny nail an' yo' kin go tuh a tree out some- where, an' yo' nail dat fo'm up on dat tree. An' yo' kin take dat powdah outa dat shell, an' yo' kin take a li'le of dat powdah. Yo' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' yo' take a li'le of dat powdah an' put it aroun' dat nail in dere. Den yo' shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll kill a person or eithah put 'em in such a shape dat dey'll jis' wanta be daid.
(You don't do anything with that powder at all?)
No, yo' jis' - aftah yo' use a li'le aroun' dat nail, when yo' firs' put de pichure up dere. Put a li'le of dat powdah right aroun' dat nail. Den yo' kin use dat - shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. But yo' kin use de powdah fo' woman, miscarriage...
Entry 8287
Dey take yore pichure an' draw it in willah [willow] tree an' run a speah through yer heart. See, shape yer heart an' put a speah through yer heart. An' dey shoot yer pichure nine times an' dat'll cuz yo' tuh drag until yo' die. Well, AH HAVE SAW DAT CUZ AH SAW IT ON DE BAYOU, de photo Wuz in de trE. (An ordinary photograph? Or do you draw the form of that photograph?) Yes [you draw the form as informant stated]. An' dey put it in de tree an' dey made dere wish, but dey put some kinda - dey put lode- stone in it, too, an' dey put dat blood, dragon's blood in it, an' dey had a speah through de heart. Yo' know, lak yo' speah it through de heart. An' dey shot it nine times, shot de heart nine times.
Entry 8288
Ah heard dat dey could take yore photograph tuh de woods an' nail it up on de no'th [north] side of a tree, an' shoot at it nine times an dat will kill a person. Yo'll have hemorrhage an' die.
(Well, do they shoot that nine times all at once?)
Nine times, nine days. See, yo' go dere nine times.
(You shoot it once each day?)
Yes.
Entry 8289
Well, I've heard of 'em takin' it [a photograph] an' takin' it out [to] de cemetery, an' puttin' it [head down with face out] up side a tree, an' shooten it nine times [once each day for nine days early in the morning]. The person will finally die.
Entry 8290
Take de photograph - yo' mean yo' pichure? Well, some folks say yo' kin take dis an' shoot it. Put it on de no'th side of a tree, sompin lak dat. Shoot it or sompin othah an' kill yo'.
Entry 8291
Dey take yore photograph an' dey wanta do somepin tuh yo' mean. Take dat photograph if it's on a tintype an' carry it off in de woods befo' sunup. An' nail it up on de no'th side of a tree an' take yore gun an' shoot it. Shoot chure heart be' fo' sunup. Ah don' care where yo' at, if yo' in New Yawk, dat'll kill yuh.
Entry 8292
Ah heard dey kin take a tin- type photograph an' carry it tuh de oak tree, an' if dey wanted tuh harm yuh, an' nail it dere wit a tenpenny nail an' den shoot. Say dat would kill yo'.
Entry 8293
[Quicksilver in hoodoo is rarely the. metallic element mercury; it is usually tin foil, or scrapings from the metallic amalgram backing a mirror. There are other examples of this quicksilver in Hoodoo, and perhaps one or two of the real substance.] Ah said dey take a gun an' load it wit quicksilvah an' shoot chure pichure, in yo' arm or somepin lak dat. Make a card, don't chew undahstand, an' if yo' don' do somepin fer it, why it will jis' keep arottin' an' rottin' till it ruin yo', yo' undahstand, wit bloodpoison. (How could you shoot quicksilver in a gun?) Take yore [gun] powdah an' put it in dere an' den yo' pack it. Now yo' [add] buckshot. Den yo' take yo' quicksilvah lak dat [put these 3 things in gun or shell] don't chew undahstand, an' put it in de gun.
Entry 8294
Ah heah mah gran'mothah use tuh say dat dey could take yuh photograph an' could take dat an' put it up side a tree. An' said yo' take a silvah bullet an' shoot at it, an' shoot yuh in yuh lef' side neah yuh heart. Shootin' yuh heart, it would kill right away.