Browse:THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (Volume 4, entries 8055–8881)/Part 4
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 8295
(Now what are you going to do with the photograph?) Yo' puts it on a black gum tree an' dat's purely tuh harm yo'. An' den yo'll tell it [tree] whut chew want. [You talk to the tree spirit.] Yo' kin nail it on dat tree an' den yo' shoot it. Dat fer as ah know of dat. It's a black gum an' [or] a short-leaf pine, jes' dem two, either one, but let it be in de swamp.
Entry 8296
Yes sir, yo' kin take a pichure, take it down tuh runnin' watah an' tack it on a tree an' shoot it, if yo' wanta kill 'em. Well, now, yo' kin kill 'em lak dat. Yes sir, jis' take it an' carry it tuh runnin' watah, jis' tack it on a li'le tree right by de runnin' watah, yo' know, de face of it. Shoot it. Well dat kills 'em. Dat's whut ah learnt from an ole man.
Entry 8297
They put them [a tintype] in a pan of water, with the face up, and shoot at them. That disfigures their face and makes them moult away. [Fred- ericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8298
At least ah know about de photograph. Well yo' take a person's photo- graph, dat's providin' if it's on a tintype. Yo' take a person's photograph an' prob'ly yowanta git shet [rid] of 'em out de worl' where dey won't worry yo' no mo'. Take dat photograph an' carry it tuh a - prob'ly some ole field or nothah, an' bury it on de face." An' aftah yo' bury it on de face, yo' prob'ly could walk away ahummin' some ole re- ligious song. An' aftah yo' bury it on de face an' walk away, hummin' dat ole religious song, it won't be long befo' dey be throwin' dirt in dere face. It won't be long befo' dey be daid.
(Well, what do you do with the photograph?)
What would yo' do wlt it? Yo' bury it. Yo'll die!
Entry 8299
Dey could do two things tuh yo' [with photograph]. Dey could kill yo' or dey could drive yo' away.
(Suppose somebody wants to kill me, now?)
Bury it face downwards.
(Bury the photograph with the face down?)
Yes.
(Well, suppose you want to drive me away?)
Well, if dey wanta drive yo' away, dey bury it standin'; yo' heah [in the interviewing room of Eureka Hotel, for blacks, see v.1, p. XxxIII]. Bury it standin' up, wit de face away from yo'. No, not on its haid, jis' lak it is standin' upward, lak dis pichure heah. Wit de face away.
Entry 8300
Well, yore photograph, dey kin weah it in de hose tuh make yo' love 'em or eithah put it ovah a glass of watah, if yo' off from 'em an' draw yo' tuh 'em. (You just lay this photograph over the water?) Yes sir, turn it down ovah a glass of watah an' dat'll draw yo' tuh 'em.
Entry 8301
De photograph, yo' kin po' [pour] sugah on dat an' burn dis photograph an' in nine days, whosomevah pichure dat is, dey must be daid in dem nine days. (You burn that photograph with the sugar on it.
Entry 8302
Take dat [photograph] an' bury it on it's face nex' tuh de sundown. Dat will kill yo'. (How do you mean they bury this photo- graph next to the sundown? What do you mean by that?) Jes' take de pichure where de sun go down an' bury it on de.face, an' turn de face towards de sundown.
(Turn the head toward the sundown?)
Yes suh.
Entry 8303
Dey always tell me tuh take dis man pichure, if yo' got 'is pichure in yore house. Take dis man pichure an' wrop it up in a piece of papah an' stick a pin in it, a clothes pin [not clothespin], jis' a stickin'- pin, stick anywheres dere. Take it an' pin it tuh de haid of yore bed or 'er bed, an' all she den gotta do, tell 'im now, co'se she know 'er husban' name. "Yo' stayed 'way long 'nuff. Ah think yo bettah come back home." Dey say dat will bring 'im back home. Jes' a straight pin, one of dem straight pins, an' stick in dat an' pin it tuh de haid of yore bed.
Entry 8304
Dey [a woman] said dey could take yo' pitchure. Jis' lak if a woman husband leave huh or eithah a man leaves 'is wife, or somepin, dat dey could take de pitchure an' turn it on de haid, turn de pitchure down on its haid, somewhere where it kin stan' up undah de bed outa sight. An' tell it [she, who told informant the story] said dat, "Yo' lef' me but choo're comin' back; yo'll be on yer haid tuh see me." She [woman who told her experience.to informant] said dey'll come back or be on dere haid tuh come back. An' dey will come back.
Entry 8305
Ah don't know where he [the doctor] come from, but he told me tuh take his photograph an' put up ovah de do', bottom upwards, an' talk tuh it nine mawn- in's an' he'd come back. (That's to make him come back. They turn it upside down for nine mornings and talk to it?) Yes.
Entry 8306
Go an' git 'is pichure an' stand it on it's haid undah de haid of 'er bed an' talk tuh it. Call 'im back nine mawnin's an' he'll come back.
Entry 8307
Yo' could take a pichure. Now, if yo' wanta do good, if yo' wanted de person tuh love yo' or somepin an' - yo' put dat pichure tuh de haid of yore bed, an' call de person's name nine mawnin's. An' wit a pin dat's nevah been used, a new pin, yo' put nine holes intuh dis pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' while yo' punch dose holes, yo' talk tuh de pichure jis' lak yo' talkin' tuh de person. An' aftah de nine mawnin's, jis' whatevah de statements were dat chew made, dat person will do jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do, but chew must keep dat pichure dere.
(You punch one hole each morning or nine holes?)
Nine holes for nine mawnin's.
(That's nine times nine?)
Eighty-one.
(And you keep it at the head of the bed?)
Yo' keep it dere tuh de haid of yore bed.
(Now you do harm you say with the photograph. Tell me about that.)
Well, if yo' wanta do harm wit de pichure, yo' could take dat pichure an' yo' take dat tuh de graveyard, an' yo' go an' yo' call de spirits of de dead. When yo' think dat de spirit is dere, yo' take out nine han'fuls of dirt out of dat grave. Den yo' place dis pichure down dere an' yo' explain tuh de spirit jis' whut yo' want 'em tuh do tuh dat pahticlah [particular] person, see. An' what- evah yo' say, den yo' pay dat spirit.
(Well, now. What do you usually pay the spirit?)
Well, it goes - Well, NOW DE FIRST DEGREE IS THREE PENNIES. DE SECOND IS NINE AN' DE THIRD IS THIRTEEN. [I do not recall that these sums of money paid the spirit are called degree elsewhere in Hoodoo.]
(Then you cover that picture up in there?)
Let it stay dere. An' yo' have tuh explain tuh dis spirit whut tuh do tuh dat pahticlah person, an' pay dem tuh do dat. Dey'll do it jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do.
Entry 8308
Well, dere sev'ral things dat chew kin do wit dat. Now yo' kin take a person's - now lak if a person is off an' yo' wanta draw dem tuh yo' wit dere photograph. Yo' kin take dat pichure an' yo' kin turn it - it will show yo' see. Yo' kin take dat pichure lak dis tuh de east part of de world - yo' kin take dat pichure an' turn de face of it lak dat [demonstrates] in de dark. (The face to the east?) To de east. See [demon- strates] lak dis is de face here. Yo' do dat, see, lak, an' let it be in de east part, an' let de face be towards dat way. An' nine mawnin's yo' go tuh dat pi- chure an' lak, if yo' face de haid up dere, yo' go tuh it lak dis [demonstrates and talks].
(Have that part upside down, turn it upside down and talk to it.)
Talk tuh it.
[Informant demonstrates while I describe demonstration.]
(Now this picture is upward on the mantel [of the interviewing room], but the face is against the wall facing to the east and the head is up. When you go there these nine mornings, you pick up the picture and just turn it back so that YOU ARE TALKING TO THE FELLOW WHOSE HEAD IS UPSIDE DOWN. ALL RIGHT, NOW, WHAT DO YOU SAY?) Well, now, yo' call 'im by his name.
(You call this picture by his name.)
Jis' lak, fo' instance, say his name is John. Yo' jis' take his pichure up an' say, "John, ah mean fo' yo' tuh come home, '' say, "yo' heard me talkin' tuh yo'. Come home, In de Name of de Lord." See, an' if yo' use a holy name, why yo' kin call, CALL DAT HOLY SPIRIT'S NAME, yo' See, SUCH AS JACK OR WHATEVAH SPIRIT NAME YO' USE. Call it dat way. When, if yo' not dealin' wit de spirits, why den yo' call 'im [the man]. Jis' call 'im, say, "John, ' say, "ah mean fo' yo' tuh come home." Say, "Yo' know ah want chew tuh come home. Ah mean fo' yo' tuh come. Yo' heerd me callin' yo'. Come home!" See, an' talk tuh 'im dat Way. Turn it [photo] an' leave back up dere; but do dat as early as yo' kin in de mawnin' 'fore twelve aclock, see. An' if yo' don't ketch it in de mawnin' 'fore twelve aclock, den yo' ketch it at nine aclock at night or eithah right aftah twelve at night.
(And you say you do this for nine days?)
Yes sir, fo' nine days.
(And that will bring him back?)
Dat'll bring 'im back. An' den again yo' kin use salt, jis' common cookin' salt tuh bring a person back whatevah direction. If yo' know whatevah direction de party is in - say, north, east or south - whatevah direction, yo' kin jis' take a li'le pinch of salt an' go tuh de do' in de yard where yo' kin throw it. All right, throw it in dat direction an' call 'em by dere name. An' call 'em in dat way an' dey'll git so restless an' uneasy, an' dere mind will jis' git on dat place where yo' want 'em tuh come, cuz dey'll have tuh come.
Entry 8309
It has been said dat if yo' take de photo- graph of a person an'.shuts it up in a enclosed tight place, an' de nex' day dey takes it an' tear it up tuh pieces an' throw it away, say dat will also cuz de person tuh be hurt some way lak dat. [For tearing up photo, see preceding margin title GUN WADDING, p.3460.]
(Why do they put this photograph in some tight place?)
In some tight place - wedge it up in some close place somewhere where dere no draft. An' take it de nex' day an' tear it up. Tear it up in pieces an' throw it away.
Entry 8310
If yo' have a photograph of 'em, yo' could take dat photograph an' burn it bottomside upwards, which an' why, turn de haid part down, an' put chure right hand tuh yare heart, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, dat chew wan' 'em tuh return back tuh yuh. An' dey will come back.
Entry 8311
Take de photograph an' bury it in de ground, in three days yo' will be daid. (How do you bury it in the ground?) Bury it wit yuh face turned tuh de groun', in three days yo' will be daid.
Entry 8312
Dey kin take yore photograph, lak it be a li'le small pichure, an' take some - if dey Wanta hurt cha, dey kin hurt cha wit yore photograph. An' den dey kin bring yuh home tuh dem wit de photograph. But de way dey hurt chew wit de photograph, dey take de photograph an' dig a hole an' put it down in de hole. Bury it an' about five inches down in de ground, an' put salt an' peppah on it, cayenne peppah, dis here pulvahized cayenne peppah an' saltpetah [3 ingredients]. An' bury dat down in dere an' dat will make yuh git down sick, jes' on a drag. An' de mo' dat photograph rot, de mo' closah tuh de grave yo' will be goin'; an' aftah de photograph rots, yo' will be daid.
Entry 8313
If ah had 'is pichure, ah could take it an' bury it wit a horsehair or somepin lak dat undah 'is do'step an' put a li'le vinegar in it an' salt [3 ingredients] an' ah's fix 'im - li'le vinegah an' salt an' den bury it undah his do'step. An' when he come out de house in de mawnin', he's be paralyzed in 'is laigs.
(They bury this photograph with a horsehair, you say?)
Wit a horsehair an' some vinegah an' salt. An' put it undah 'is do'step. An' when he come out he'll be paralyzed in 'is laigs de nex' mawnin'.
Entry 8314
Yo' kin take a person's pichure an' cut dey throat of de pichure - cut de throat. (Cut the throat?) Yassuh, an' dey say de person will git murdered 'fore dey die.
Entry 8315
It depend upon if yo' know de hour or purtty much de time of dat dat de photograph was taken. Dey kin take it an' do whatevah dey wanta. If dey don' know de hour, purtty much de hour, when yo' had yore photo- graph taken, it's hard tuh do. But if dey kin come an' say, in [within] two hour's time, dey'll take dat photograph an' turn on its face, bury it on its face, an' it will - from time tuh time yo' will jis' begin tuh Wonder [wander], jis' begin - yo've seen people wonderin' [wandering], jis' goin' an' it don't look like, dey treats evahbody nice but 'is mind, people say, "Well, ah knows when yo' was a fine fellah. Ah knows when yo' was jis all right." Do enything fer yuh in de world. Look lak he's lost 'is mind or somepin. Well, dat's de trouble.
Entry 8316
Take a man's pichure an' go tuh dis open toilet. Take dat pichure an' push it down in dere, dat'll make him leave dat place. He won't stay roun' dere no mo'. (Do you push it down any special way?) No, jis' push it down in dere, in de open toi- let.
(Out in the back yard.)
Entry 8317
She kin take his pichure an' tear it in fo' parts, an' put it in de commode an' flush it fo' times, an' call his name fo' times, an' he'll come home. (You mean, put it in the toilet and flush it?) Pull it fo' times, jis' as many parts as she have it cut in, see an' den call 'is name fo' times, an' he'll come back tuh her. (If he's out of town, he's left her. You mean, she puts it in the toilet and you [she] flush [flushes] the water.)
Entry 8318
[We have already met in this section on photographs a considerable number of rites concerned with shooting them on a tree - see Nos.8272-8295. Here are non-shooting ones in a workable order, a logical one being impossible.] Ah heard talk of 'em drivin' a nail in a tree, but now yo'd have tuh have yore pichure. Now, yo' see, dey tell me dat yo' takes a pi- chure an' if it's a tintype pichure - a pichure made on a tin - say yo' take dis heah pichure an' yo' takes a nail. An' yo' goes tuh dis heah - puts it on a apple' tree. An' yo' jes' sticks it in dis mawnin' an' hits it. An' yo' goes tuh it fo' nine mawnin' an' yo' drive dat nail, an' say on de ninth mawnin' dat chew drive dat nail [all the way into tree]. Dey say den it would kill yo'. An' den, say if yo' make it on a - jes' a papah or pastebo'd, den fo' de ninth mawnin' yo' go dere an' hit it, say it would make yo' sick.
(Do they put that nail any special place in the picture?)
Put it right in de heart, right through de heart of de individual whosomevah dey is on de pichure, jes' as neah in de heart as dey kin git it. Jes' imagine de heart an' put dis nail in de heart.
Entry 8319
Take a person's photograph an' yo' go on de no'th side of a tree. An' yo' take dat tree an' hew dat bark offa dere, an' put dat photograph in dere an' nail it up. An' yo' Walk back from dat tree nine times [steps] an' cuss, an' say whutevah yo' cuss, an' whosevah name yo' call, dat person die.
(You just fasten that on the north side of the tree?)
Yes, cut de bark out an' put de photograph intuh it. (And walk backwards nine steps and cuss and call their name.)
Entry 8320
Take de pichure an' cut a piece out of de tree an' put it in dat place whut chew cut - jis' a piece out de tree an' den nail it back up dere. An' dey say dat will kill 'em.
(Cut a hole in the tree and put this picture in and nail it back up?)
Yessuh.
Entry 8321
She [his grandmother] say, "Put chure pichures up, son, don't let chure pichure hang around, if ah got holt of 'em" - she tell me about dis, say, "people kin take dat pichure an' run yo' crazy." Ah say, "Yeah?'" Ah wants tuh know it, yo' know. She say, "Dey kin take dis pichure an' run yo' crazy, boy. Yore pichure should be put up." [Informant now tells what he heard from his grandmother.] Dey take dis pichure heah an' dey go tuh de toilet, an' git some of dat stuff out of de toilet an' put on dis pichure. An' dey'll go way out in de woods some- where an' cut a little piece of bark off a tree, dat is hangin' down lak dis [demonstrates] yo' know, an' put dat pichure up dere. An' tack it up dere an' put dat bark back up dere. An' since dat tree is constantly growin', yo' know, an' dat pichure being wit dat stuff dere, why see, dat will constantly make dat thing go back ovah dere. Say it will run yo' crazy, dat pichure being in dat tree dere.
Entry 8322
Well, de ole han's, de ole folks yo' know, dat ah've heard talk about dese things, dey usely [usually] take de photograph, but it have tuh be a tin- type. It cain't be no paste- bo'd. It have tuh be a tin- type, an' dey take it an' take sixpenny nails an' go tuh a cedah tree an' drive it. Don't hit but nine licks an' drive it on de sunrise side. An' dat person usely dies. But ah've nevah known it atchly [actually] tuh happen, 'cuz ah nevah seen it done.
(They drive one nail into this?)
Yeah, a sixpenny nail an' strike it nine licks.
(All at once, at the same time?)
Strike it nine licks an' drive it in de centah; right in de centah of de pi- chure, or in de centah of de fo'head, or eithah in de centah right in de stomic part of it yo' see.
Entry 8323
Dey said dat sometimes if people git hold of yer pitchure, an' dey said dat dey could take yer pitchure, seal it up intuh a tree an' stop it up tight, let dat pitchure stay dere fer nine days, den aftah nine days go back dere an' cross dat pitchure, dat means cross dat stop [wooden peg], put a cross mark on it [peg]. Den dey say aftah dat he comes tuh be crazy.
Entry 8324
(You bore a hole into what?) Jis' about a inch hole in a dogwood tree, jis' about a inch augah or bit chew know. An' bo' it jis' big enough tuh stuff de pichure in it tight an' den stop it up. Dat'll perish 'em away.
Entry 8325
Ah don't know whethah it's true, but ah heer'd dis, see. Yo' kin take a photo- graph an' yo' kin take it an' put it undah de steps an' yo' kin walk ovah it, or eithah yo' kin take it an' carry it tuh a tree facin' east. Bo' a hole an' put in dere an' in a length of time yo' will die.
(Why do you put that photograph under the step?)
De person have tuh walk ovah it - see, dat photograph belongs tuh - walk ovah it. An' den aftah dey walk ovah it, dey know dey come outa de house sometime, see, den dey take it tuh dat tree an' bo' de hole in it. (You put it under the step, then you put it in the tree. Do you stop it up in the tree in any way?) Aftah yo' take de bolt outa dere, den put dat bolt back in - bolt or plug - dat peg back in dere.
Entry 8326
Yo' kin take dat, de pichure an' pluck out ev'ry eyes. Carry it in de woods to a tree to de sundown side an' nail it on dat tree an' fo' nine mawnin's ev'ry mawnin' go dere an' give a tap on dat nail fo' nine mawnin's. In nine mawnin's dey'll drift on away.
(You first pluck out the eyes?)
Yes.
Entry 8327
Nail it tuh de.tree - nail de face up tuh a tree. In othah words, nail it up backwards, an' dat supposed tuh run 'em crazy.
Entry 8328
Yo' kin take his pichure an' make him come back.
(How would they do that?)
Well, yo' kin go tuh a tree an' cut it on a certain side an' nail 'is pichure up in dere wit de face tuhwards it, an' dat'll make him come back.
(The face toward what?)
De tree. Cut de tree an' put 'is pichure right up dere, an' nail it up in dere - up in dat tree. (Well, you said, the face towards what?) De inside of de tree - inside. (And what side of the tree did you make that hole in?) Well, it depend on which way yo' think he's gone; de south side, de north side, eithah one [whatevah direction].
(I see, to make this man come back, when he's run away from that...)
An' dey said yo' could bury de person on dey face an' dat'll make him come back.
(I see.)
Entry 8329
Ah heard dat chew could take dat photograph an' climb up a tree an' turn it bottomside upwards an' nail it tuh a forked limb an' dat would make yo' go crazy.
Entry 8330
Well, in a gum tree. Well ah think befo' de sun rise - yes, yo' stick it [photo- graph] in de tree an' shut it up, wit dat person's name in it, but where dey cain't git it among othah trees.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat will set 'em crazy an' dey cain't git tuhgethah, yo' know.
Entry 8331
Den yo' kin take - if he's 'way from yo' an' yo' worried, mad becuz he's gone - yo' kin take his pichure or her's an' go tuh a tree, an' put it on de side dat de sun rises on. Well, yo' gits up early in de mawnin' 'bout six 'clock or six-thirty an' don' say a word tuh anyone. Well, yo' goes out dere den an' yo' hit dis heah pichure, drive a nail through dat in de heart, an' yo' hit it right on dere. Well, now yo' hit it fo' nine mawnin's an' in nine mawnin's yo'll die.
Entry 8332
Yo' kin take a per- son's photograph, a tin, on a tintype, an' yo' kin take it an' turn it downwards an' put it on de north side of a tree. An' nail it up an' shot it right by where yore heart is an' yo' will die.
(Where do you put that on the tree, up high or low or what?)
Yo'll put it up about six foot from de ground.
[The person of the photo will soon be 6 feet underground.]
[This rite should have gone under preceding margin title SHoOTING.]
Entry 8333
Dey kin take an' bo' a hole in de side of a tree an' dey kin kill yo' wit dat. Bo' a hole wit a brace an' bit chew know, 'bout dat size [demonstrates] an' take a piece of wood an' plug it up in dere. (What do you put in that hole?) Put de pichure in dere, den take a piece of wood an' drive it in an' plug it up.
Entry 8334
Well, yo' see if yo' git anybody tuh snap a person's photograph - now, ah don' keep mah pichures. If ah take a pichure, an' ah lets people look at it - ah'll keep it an' ah'll take it an' ah'll do 'way wit it, becuz yo' could take a man's pichure, jes' have somebody snap it, den go tuh a tree an' bo' a hole in it - a fast-growin' tree - roll it [snapshot] up, an' take an augah, a very small one. Yo' jes' take a li'le bit a [augerl, li'le five-eights [of an inch] an' bo' a li'le hole in a fast growin' tree. An' put it in dere an' jes' grab a li'le dirt tuh smear ovah de end of it. [Hole is filled with dirt, not wooden peg.] Dat's de last of 'em. If yo' don't git it outa dat, he'll die. Dat shows yo' cut it off, cover it
[hole] ovah.
Entry 8335
Well, yo' kin take her pichure an' carry it tuh a tree an' nail it three times, nail a hole in it three times. An' take it an' put it in runnin' watah, an' dat will make a person leave yo'. (You take this picture to a tree an' you take one nail?) Yeah, yo' nail it three times. (Against the tree?) Against de tree, an' den yo' take de pichure down an' put it in runnin' watah an' dat person will keep goin'.
(You only use one nail though? Just make three holes in it against the tree?)
Yes, against de tree, an' den yo' jes' take de pichure out an' put it in run- nin' watah. (This is the woman that went out when the root doctor came in.)
Entry 8336
Dey take yore photograph tuh a tree an' on de east side hew out a place in dat tree an' cut dat pichure small enough tuh go intuh dat place. (Sort of a crack?) No, no, must be in dere flat-lak. Yo' take a horseshoe nail an' stick as neah as yo' - yo' kin guess about where de heart is an' hit it. Yo' gotta go dere nine mawnin's an' hit dat nail wit a hammah, an' turn an' walk way from it~ Yo' gotta do dat jes' as de sun peepin'. Turn an' walk away from it an' don't look back at it. As yo' hits it call dere name. An' de ninth mawnin' when dey hit dat, dey must drive it all de way up wit dat one lick. An' in nine hours yo'll be daid if yo' don't drop daid immediately.
Entry 8337
Takes de photograph an' carry it out tuh a tree an' stick a ice pick in it, right intuh de fo'haid. An' dat person will git killed.
Entry 8338
Kin do in de tree. Co'se now yo' kin take if yo' kin git a tintype photograph, yo' know, whut takes only dese li'le tencent tintypes, see. An' dat will do anything. An' if yo' wanta ruin a person wit it, yo' kin go right tuh a young pine, a young tree, an' yo' kin jes' take yore knife an' yo' cut chew a deep hole in dat tree, see. An' yo' drive yo' a li'le tack. Yo' tack dat tintype pichure upside down on dat tree, yo' see. Den, if yo' wanta, yo' kin tack sompin ovah it, yo' see. An' dat tree be drawin' [growing] up. An' yo' kin mess a man up, yo' see. Yo' kin lock 'is bowels or yo' kin jes' keep 'im....
Entry 8339
Yo' take a tintype an' go tuh a tree, make yuh wishes whatsomevah [where] yo' want dis person tuh go, what time yo' wan' 'em tuh go. Git chew a brand-new tenpenny nail an' scrape it on de left side of a tree, clean it off, clean de bark off. An' nail dat pichure dere as neah de heart as yo' kin an' judge it as neah as yo' kin tuh drive dat nail. Den yo' only hit it once a mawnin', fer 9 mawnin's. Yo' hit it an' make yuh wish. Dat evil wish dis person an' evah mawnin' yo' go dere an' hit dat nail. De ninth mawnin' try tuh judge it so dat yo' kin drive it tuh de haid de ninth mawnin'. An' dat person will be lak a bug on de watah, jes' dead from de world [like a dead bug floating on the water].
Entry 8340
(What do they do with a person's photograph?) Well, yo' kin take one an' nail it de height of a person on de tree. Git de height an' put dis pichure on de tree an' nail de nail through de haid, an' kill de person - through de haid of de photograph. Or yo' kin shoot it an' person will die.
Entry 8341
Say yo' could take dat pichure - a woman or a man, eithah one, could take de individual's pichure an' stick it in a tree. An' put a nail right in de middle of it, an' hit dat nail fo' nine mawnin's, an' say in de ninth mawnin' yo'll drop daid.
Entry 8342
Lak if yo' don' lak nobody yo' kin take it [photograph] an' [put] it upon a tree, an' nail it an' put dat nail right in its mouth, an' nail it nine mawnin's an' dey'll die.
Entry 8343
Dey tell me yo' takes it [photograph] an' yo' stick it up on a tree, right up on a tree, an' git a nail, a tenpenny nail, an' stick it right heah in de photo an' drive it right in dere fer as yo' kin git dat haid tuh go down in dere, 'an' dat'll kill dem, he'll die.
Entry 8344
All right if yo' wants tuh kill a person, yo' gits yo' a pichure an' drive a sixtypenny nail through de haid an' through de body. Carry it to an ole cedah tree an' drive it in dat cedah tree. Ah'll guarantee yo' in twenty-fo' hours dey'll be daid. (How many nails do you drive in there, just one nail?) Two nails, one through de heart of de pichure an' one through de haid. An' ah'll guarantee yo' dey'll be daid in twenty-fo' hours.
Entry 8345
Dey say if dey git holt [hold] of de pitchure, jes' lak now ah be mad wit joo, take it an' care [carry] it tuh a tree. An' go right tuhwards de way de sun rise, an' nail it intuh de tree. An' den yo' name de day, an' say when dem days is out de person will be out.
Entry 8346
Dey kin take yore photograph an' tack it up on a tree or anywhere in de house an' jes' about - yo' kin tell jes' about where yore heart lay, an' yo' kin drive a nail dere. An' yo' start de nail wit one lick an' evah mawnin' yo' call dat person's name an' hit dat nail one lick - evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. But evah time yo' hit de nail one lick, call de person's name an' sompin will happen tuh him. He'll eithah fall an' git killed, git run ovah, or gits done 'way wit.
(That kills him?)
Yes sir. [Brunswick, Ga., (just before No.1240). 2104:9.]
Entry 8347
I heard they say they kin take it [photo] an' nail it up side a tree, I think. An' they say fer nine mornin's, I think, they go there an' nail a nail, I think, in the heart of it. An' name it, call this person name. An' they say they'd die.
Entry 8348
Or yo' kin take a person pichure an' put it intuh a tree. Bo' a augah hole intuh a tree an' put it in dere, an' put a tenpenny nail in dere at de middle of it, about where de navel be in de pichure, an' drive one lick on dat nail evah day fo' nine days. An' de last day yo'll drive dat nail in de tree, dat person ceases out - it will kill dat person.
Entry 8349
Dat photograph - yo' take dat photograph an' yo' judge by de person's heart, jis' if yo' kin kill 'em. See, yo' take a pin or needle dat's nevah been used an' yo' stick it right zactly where yo' think dat dere [heart] stands at. Find a young saplin' an' yo' skin dat bark an' shove dat pichure behin' dat bark, an' stick dat pin right through it. Graj'ly [gradually] dey will pine away.
(You stick that pin through in order to hold that bark back on the sapling?)
Dat's right, right zactly where de heart is at. An' when dat sap go down an' come up, dey'll die.
Entry 8350
Whut chew kin do wit dat. Yo' take dis heah pichure whut yo' made yo know, if a fellah wants tuh do sompin real bad tuh yo', he kin take dat pichure an' go 'bout, chew might say, "cross de woods up 'ginst a long tall pine tree. An' he kin take, whut chew might say, dese eight- penny nails, an' he kin take dat pichure an' stick it 'ginst de tree an' nail dat dere. An' go dere fo' nine mawnin's, yo' might say, hit dat nail on de haid. An' it will run yo' stone crazy.
Entry 8351
Take a nail an' go tuh a pine tree an' drive dat nail in it nine times. Drive it nine times in dat pichure an' in nine days, dat person will have to come home. Ah don't care where dey is.
Entry 8352
Take yer pitchure an' carry it an' nail it up to a tree or some place, a small pitchure. Yo' put a nail about where yer heart is an' go hit dat pit- chure fo' nine mawnin's. An' yo'll soon be gone.
Entry 8353
Yo' kin take dat photograph an' put it up an' stob a tenpenny nail intuh it. Put de tenpenny nail right about de heart an' yo' go dere nine days, nine mawnin's an' drive dat; or nine evenin's jes' befo' de sun go down. An' hit it jes' one lick, an' yo' keep dat up until yo' drive it down tuh de haid.
(What will that do to you?)
It will kill yo'.
Entry 8354
Well, dey say dey take yore photograph an' take nine nails an' carry it tuh a pine tree an' yo' stab nine nails down in dat photograph. Dat would kill a person, dat will kill yo'. Dat will kill yo' if dey do dat. In nine days yo'd be daid.
Entry 8355
Well, a person kin take yore photograph an' take it an' put it up, nail it up on de tree fo' nine mawnin's. De ninth mawnin' drive dat last [nail] in, don't put 'em in all de way at once; de last mawnin' drive dat dere nail clean in. An' whosomevah dat is, he'll die.
(You only use one nail?)
Dat's right, a nail a day.
(You use nine nails?)
Yes.
Entry 8356
Ah learnt dat chew kin take dose nine nails an' dey would be rusty nails, undahstand. Ah learnt dat chew kin take an' drive 'em intuh a person's pichure, undahstand, an' dat would injure dem. In othah words dey would die, wit dose rusty nails, nine of 'em. (Where would you drive them? Into that... Where would you tack them? Against the wall or what?) No, intuh a tree.
[I stop machine too soon and must restart to add word heart.]
(All nine nails into the heart you say?)
Well, as neah as yo' kin git 'em intuh it.
Entry 8357
If she wants tuh kill yuh, she kin take it in de woods an' tack it up agin a tree an' hit it nine times, an' de tenth time she hit, it kills yuh.
(I see, your photograph.)
Entry 8358
Dey tell me yo' kin take it, de photograph, take it an' carry it tuh de no'th side of a tree, an' nail it in de no'th side of a tree. As long as dey keep it in dere, long as dey keep it in, it almos' run yo' crazy.
Entry 8359
Upside down on de no'th side of a.tree. Jis' lak if it's a woman's photograph an' yo' dislak dese people, an' as it fades yo'll fade away wit it. On de no'th side of de tree bury it bottom upwards. An' as dat pichure fades yo'll fade away wit it.
(You mean standing on their head bottom upwards?)
Bottom upwards on its haid.
Entry 8360
Yeah, yo' takes a pichure. Well, yo' take de person pichure even if yo' in love wit 'em an' even if yo' see where dey don' mean tuh stay wit choo, an' yo' Wanta git rid of 'em fo' good. Yo' takes de pichure an' yo' goes tuh whut dey call a'simmon tree, an' de firs' two [limbs forming a] no'th fo'ks yo' see, den yo' takes de pichure an' tacks it up in de no'th fo'k. De no'th fo'k. Yo' find two fo'ks [limbs] run out jes' lak dat [demonstrates]. Put de pichure right in de daid centah.
(In the center of that fork?)
Yeah, right in de centah of dat fo'k. De fo'k may be a long ways up yondah, but still yo' kin see dat pichure.
(Well, how would you put it in that fork?)
Yo' don't put it intuh dat. Yo' nails, it, drive a nail through de centah. Den yo' walk back tuh it three days. Yo' pass dat same tree three days. An' when yo' pass dere yuh mind will git on dat tree forcible. Den aftah de third day, yo' take de pichure down an' conceal it from yo' fo' good.
(Hide it any place?)
Yes, anywhere, anywhere dat chew won' come in contact wit it any mo'.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat'll put off whatevah yo' goin' through ovah wit. Dat will send 'em away fo' good.
(They won't come back again?)
Dey won't come back.
Entry 8361
Yo' wan'a take a oak tree an' take a tintype photo - only got'a be a photo on tintype. Any yer cardbo'd wouldn't work. An' dig a hole undah dis tree an' put dis photo in dere. An' as long as de photo is in dere, it continue [to] sink. Nachure [naturally] yo'll begin tuh be sickly an' will sink along wit de photo.
Entry 8362
Ah heah dey say dey take a person's photograph an' carry it tuh de woods tuh a tree, an' stick a knife in de side an' stick nine pins in dere, an' dat'll kill yo'...
[Recording stopped too soon for following north side.]
(It must be on the north side of the tree?)
Yes.
Entry 8363
Take yore photograph picture, tintype. Yo' go out in de woods tuh a pine tree an' take yo' nails, see an' put dat pichure up in de tree wit de hammah an' nails. An' yo' nail dat pitchure tuh a tree, yo' see. An' evah time, evah place where dat nail go therough [through] dat pitchure, dat person will have a pain in dat spot, yo' see. Yo' kin kill 'em wit dat.
Entry 8364
Dey tell me dat yo' kin take a person's photograph an' carry it jes' 300 yards away from dere house, git right at de root of a tree, an' dig a fresh hole an' turn it face down, an' covah it up. Dey will follah shortly tuh de grave. Tuh save yo'self would be dat if yo' know 'em or had de idea of de people who dey had went tuh, tuh beat it dere [rush] as quick as yo' could an' have it turned roun' [turn spell back on spell caster]. Doesn't remembah whut dey say yo' could do wit it aftah yo' take it up.
Entry 8365
Dey say dat if dey take yore pichure an' put it up on a tree where no one kin see yo', dat it will run yo' crazy.
(How do you put it up in the tree?)
Nail it up wit a tack. (What else did you say they do with the picture?) Or eithah take it an' put it in run- nin' watah. Or eithah take some of yore watah an' po' it in some runnin' watah, an' run yo' crazy.
(They put your photograph in running Water and that will run you crazy.)
Entry 8366
Yo' kin take a photograph an' yo' kin put it in a pine tree wit a twen- ty-penny nail an' - an' a hammer. See, yo' go dere an' yo' hit dat twenty-penny nail fo' nine mawnin's, an' each time yo' hit dat twenty- penny nail, yo' kin look back ovah yore left shoulder, so dey says, an' de ninth mawnin' yo' hit dat twenty-penny nail, drive it all de way in. Dat person will die.
(Why do you look back over that shoulder, do you know?)
No suh, ah don'. [You will probably see the devil or the spirit of the person being killed. Or this lays the ghost of the dying person.]
Entry 8367
Dey tell me yo' could take it in de woods an' put it on de sunrise side of a tree an' tack it dere, an' dey'll die.
(This photograph?)
Yes.
Entry 8369
Dey say dat dey could take yore pichure an' put it in a tree on de sunrise side, an' nail it fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey say yo'll drizzle away.
(That will kill you?)
Yes.
Entry 8370
Dey take dat [photo] out in de woods an' put it on de east side of de tree. Den take a nail an' stick it right dere [through the heart (see later)] an' go dere nine mawnin's jis befo' sunrise an' hit it. De firs' time yo' put it up dere jis' hit lak dat [demonstrates i hit]. Let it be right through yuh heart. An' yo' go dere nine mawnin's [hitting it once each morning]. An dey tell me on de tenth mawnin' dat yo'll be a corpse.
Entry 8371
Den anothah thing ah wanta tell yo' 'bout de pichure. Ah got sompin else tuh tell yo' 'bout a pichure - dat pichure ag'in. Yo' take a man's pichure or a woman's pichure or whutsomevah pichure or whosomevah pichure i'tis [it is]. If yo're [you arel mad wit dat person, an' yo' intend doin' sompin tuh 'em on de sly, an' don' let dem know it. Yo' jis' go an' take dat pichure an' as de sun is risin' in de mawnin', an' yo' put it on de side de sundown on. An' yo' take a tenpenny nail, a new nail, an' stick it right about de heart, an' yo' hit dat nail nine times at dat time. An' go back dere evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' hit it nine time each mawnin'. An' de las' lick yo' give it de ninth mawnin', dat person will fall dead.
(Where do you nail this picture?)
Nail it on a tree on de sundown side. Yo' goes when de sun rise. An' yo' see, evah mawnin' when yo' goes dere, yo' goes when de sun's jis' risin'. Hit it nine times.
Entry 8372
Den, if it was a tintype pichure, yo' kin take dat an' carry it out an' cuz a person tuh fade away. Dat kin cuz death, kill a person. Yo'll take dat an' tack on a tree. Put tacks all through de body an' dat cuz de person tuh have actual pains. Yo' see some people doctorin' an' nobody kin cure 'em? Well dat's why a lotta people ain't havin' pichure made tuhday.
Entry 8373
[They say it was that piece, an' then he had all them things in it going off. They say they take that [photo] an' carry it in de country jis' like you do the hair, an' turn it upside down [on a tree] an' drive a nail in it ev'ry mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. An' make a oath, drive this nail into it till they git tuh the end of that. (How many times do they drive this nail in it then?) They hits it three licks ev'ry mawnin', an' de last mawnin' they hits it nine licks.
(And then they die.)
Entry 8374
Yo' take de pichure an' turn de pichure upside down an' yo' bury it undahneat' de tree, not in de bark lak ah wuz tellin' yo' 'bout de hair. Yo' put it undahneat' de tree bottom upwards. Turn de face down an' de back part up jis' lak dat [demonstrates], dis de face, turn it upside down. In nine days dey cain't make it. Dey dies.
(You put that down under any kind of a tree?)
No, a fig tree.