Browse:THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (Volume 4, entries 8055–8881)/Part 9
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 8695
Take some red peppah an' put it in his lef' shoe, an' write his name on a piece of paper an' lay it over that red peppah. Dat'll make yo' [a woman] get his money.
Entry 8696
It absolutely does bring about dat, bring about dissatisfaction in de home. De really fac' 'bout it yo' kin go tuh work an' take red peppah, DE SEED OF RED PEPPAH, to bring about hys- terical state wit a man an' his woman, dat dey absolutely can't git along dere in de home no mo'. But chew could take two red peppah [seed] an' it 'sposed whut dey call planted dat in roun' his do' - anywheres roun' his do'. Yo' would name 'em. (You would name those peppers?) Yes, yo' really name dose peppahs. It's 'cordin' [according] to how many he has in his family. If it's no one but jes' him an' his wife, well, yo' only plant two grains [2 seeds] of dat red peppah, an' den yo'll go tuh work an' yo' name 'em. Dat is, yo' know whut his name is, why yo' go tuh work an' yo would call dat peppah, name dat peppah; an' evah whut her name is, do de same. An' den if he's got any chillun upstairs in de home, why yo' go tuh work an' try tuh find out whut dose chillun name is. Well, dat whut yo' use de red peppahs fo'. [Notice the simple means used here!]
Entry 8697
Well, now, she gits some rough rice - rice dat's nevah, de chaff has nevah been taken off - an' she walk roun' her house at sunrise an' call his name, an' open both do's an' throw. Jes' sprinkle dat rice in de house an' she go on roun' de house. Don' turn back. Come right roun' until she go roun' five or six times. An' throw dat rice in de house an' call his name. Den dat will 'tract [attract] his 'tenshun [attention] wheresomevah he may be. He gits worried den about home, an' he'll come back. [Rice was grown in the lowlands of South Carolina and Georgia for generations. This un- husked rice rite could be an old rite.]
Entry 8698
Then you can git a bottle of vinegar an' write de name upon a piece of Venrick parchment.
(What kind of parchment?)
Venrick [a trade name?] parchment. An' they put this in this bottle of vine- gar with cayenne peppah, see. An' they roll this bottle aroun'. Go to de back door an' roll it all de Way tuh de front. (Just a moment. Do they roll it with their hands or feet?) De feet. Dey kick it wit de feet an' as dey kickin' it, dey use de words, "As dis bottle rō' [rolls] ah wan' choo to do de same." (I see.) An' they take it an' dey bury it on de science [signs of the Zodiac]. Dey will do this work by science, by de twelve science [signs].
(Well, what sign would they use on that?)
On de Balance.
(Oh, the sign of the Balance.)
Yes, on de Balance; yes, sir. See, dat's when de earth has power. An' dey buries dis bottle bottom upwards. An' de next mawnin' they get up before de sun rise an' dey pour dat hot water on dat an' de bottle busts [bursts]. Den dey move.
(I see, it will make them move.
Entry 8699
[To] make them move out of that house, tell you, yo' go an' get some of that olive oil.
(Wait a minute! Olive oil?)
Olive oil, and get some of dis here steel dust. Get a fresh bottle of vinegar.
(Get a fresh bottle of vinegar.)
Yes, sir. Yo' get the neighbor's name, either one in de family name [the man's or woman's]. Take a piece of papah an' cut it off just how many letters in that name. [The name is writ- ten and then each letter of the name is clipped off as a separate slip of paper.] An' take it an' put it down in that bottle. An' after puttin' it [these slips of papers] down in the bottle, take it an' roll it on de floor. After rollin' it on de floor, yo' take dat bottle an' set it up. If yo' ever could get anywhere close to de house, yo' set. it at sunrise. An' when yo' set it there, in three days dem people goin' from there.
(They will move away?)
Done gone away without any confusion at all. Yo' [they] wouldn't know how it was did. [New Orleans. La., (829).1221:1.]
Entry 8700
Dey takes a person's chxmber lye an' puts it in a bottle. Git some of dat an' puts it in a bottle, an' den takes it an' put sugah in it or honey, ei- thah one. Write dere names down nine times wit a indelible pencil but write it frontwards. As ah 'fore tole [be- fore told] yo', in place of put- tin' de entire [name], yo' put de given name first. Yo' put John an' den yo' put Edwards, see. Yo' write dat down nine times an' yo' put dat in dat bottle an' yo' stop it up. An' whenevah dey go somewhere, an' yo' want 'em tuh do anythin' fo' [you] whenevah they go somewhere, yo' take dat bottle an' yo' roll it jes' lak yo'd roll a lemon or sompin tuh git de juice out of it. An' yo' roll dat bottle nine times an' every time yo' roll it yo' call dere name. Dat's when a woman wants a man tuh do sompin fo' her.
(How do you mean?)
See, lak if a woman's got a husband an' he's mean to her. He believe in run- nin' about an' diff'ren' thing lak dat, an' she wants tuh draw 'im tuh 'er, an' Wants tuh git his earnin' [earnings, his wages]. She do's dat. (What did you put in there now? The chamber lye? And that nine, now you wrote that nine times? How do you write it, just one right under the other?) Yessuh. Jes' write it on one sheet of papah.
(You put the names right under each other?)
Yassuh.
(And you write it with what?)
Well, yo' writes it wit any kinda pencil [former indelible pencil withdrawn]. It don' make no diff'rence.
Entry 8701
Put some salt in there an' bluestone an' yore name mixed wit it. An' tie it up an' put de [Red Devil] lye over it an' set it afiah. Yo' burn a whole can of lye. Dey take dat an' run people crazy with it.
Entry 8702
De 85 Psalm from de Bible will make a man care a great deal fo' yuh.
(When do you read that, do you say?)
On a Sunday mornin', face de east, seven times, an' call his name seven times.
(What will that do then?)
Now yo' use de 85 Psalm an' call 'is name an' yo' read it seven times an' every time yo' read yo' call 'is name. Well then THAT SENDS OUT A SPIRIT AND HIS MIND WILL FOLLOW AND THINK jest keeps his mind on yo', until he kin see yo' or come back to yo'. IT'S DE SPIRIT WORRIES HIS MIND WHEN YO' DO DAT.
Entry 8703
In case if a person is gone 'way from yo' an' yo' want 'em tuh come back, yo' write dere name seven times an' put it in a lamp an' burn it. Burn it fo' four days an' dey'll come back home. [See Nos.8578-8612.]
Entry 8704
They say dat yo' kin write a per- son's name on a piece of papah seven times an' place it ovah a doah, aftah dey comes in. Wait till dey get inside an' den place it ovah de doah. An' dey say, when dey go out, dey can't stop comin' back, where dey go undah.
(They keep coming back and forth?)
Keep comin' back where dey go [under] dere name.
(Write it like this right in a row [column?] seven times, that name?)
Seven times.
(One right after the other, I see.)
Entry 8705
Git dere name. An' yo' take dere name an' yo' take yore name an' yo' put it down in de bottle. An' git chew some honey whut chew sells in de groc'ry stō'. An' every time dat person come aroun' yo', jis' take dat bottle an' shook it up, an' dey go away from yo' an' dey won' bothah yo' no mō'. (You do that with the bill col- lector or the law or anyone?) Anyone. (How do you put those names down now?) Take dose names an' git chew a ink pin or a indelible pencil an' yo' write yore name down three times straight an' dere name down nine times dat way. An' yo' roll it up an' yo' fold it an' yo' put dat honey down up in dere. An' yo' shake dis bottle up an' keep it corked dat way. An' every time dat person come aroun', yo' shake dat bottle an' dey won't bother yo'.
(If you are in business?)
Yes.
Entry 8706
Yo' take dey name. Yo' kin find out dey laws' name or people whosoml evah botherin' yo' aroun' in dat neighborhood. Yo' git chew some loaf sugah, dat dey call Domino Sugah [trade name] dat's in de block. Yo' take dat an' yo' put it in a bottle an yo' write dis individual name down wit a indelible pencil. Yo' Write it down nine times but yo' orite chure name - write dere name down nine times. Lak say if it wuz Sam Jones, yo' put Jones an' den put de Sam behin' it, see. An' den yo' write chure name jes' lak yo' wuz goin' [to] back a lettah. If yore name wuz James Joseph, see yo'd write James Joseph, jes' lak yo's backin' a lettah. Write it on a piece of Papah. Yo' write de individual name down nine times straight, an' yo' write yore name down nine times across it, see. But chew put chure given name first. An' yo' take dat sugah an' put it in a bottle in some watah. An' when yo' put it in dere wit dat watah, yo' put it in a cornah somewhere where nobody kinnot tech [cannot touch] it. An' every now an' den yo' take dat bottle an' yo' shake it up. Dat sweetens dere min' an' keeps dem from bothahin' yo'.
(Do you use any number of lumps of sugar or just....?)
No, yo' jes' puts enough tuh make it sweet, jes' enough tuh make de watah sweet.
Entry 8707
(Will you tell me that again?) Ah said, that if yo' wanted to run somebody away from a town, ah've heard dat yo' could write dere name on a shingle an' throw it in runnin' watah - a new shingle an' throw it in runnin' watah, an' dey would leave de city.
(I see, leave town.)
Yes.
Entry 8708
Yo' have to know their name. Yo' could take their name an' write it on a new shingle an' turn it ovah an' bury it at yore door, an' dey'll come back an' put it dere. (I see, if they stole this article from you.)
Entry 8709
(You want to stay on the good side of your boss?) Yes. Yo' wanta work continually wit chure boss. Jis' put his name in de bottom of yore shoe an' yo'll wear dat.
Entry 8710
Like yo' got a woman or anything like dat, yo' kin write her name an' wear it, an' she can't quit yo' for nobody else. (Where do they wear that name?) Jest wear it in your left shoe. (And she can't quit you.) Jes' write her name an' put it in yore left shoe.
Entry 8711
Yo' go to a place - if yo' know de place where yo're goin' an' know de people's name [name of person who hires]. Yo' git chew a piece of pastebo'd an' yo' cut it down as a shoe sole, de print of a shoe sole [an insole]. Yo' write dem people name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. (You just write one right after the other?) One right aftah de othah, nine times. (Now, if the boss's name was Sam Jones, you just write Sam Jones right underneath Sam Jones?) Yassuh, an' den aftah yo' do dat, yo' git chew some cinnamon an' yo' git chew some sugah. An' yo' puts dat in yore shoe an' yo' weah dat. An' yo' git yo' a piece of John de Conkah root, an' yo' chews dat root, an' as yo' go in dere yo' spits, an' make yore wish fo' whut chew goin' dere, whut kinda job yo' goin' dere tuh be successful. Yo' git dis job.
(You just make one sole [insole] or two?)
Jes' one sole.
(For either shoe?)
Fo' either shoe, it don' make no diff'rence.
(It doesn't make any difference what shoe.)
Either one.
Entry 8712
Yo' git up at sunrise, befo' yo' speak to anyone at all, wash yore face or anything, jes' as de risin' of de sun, dey go out to de step like de sun risin dis way, an' yo' call dere name three times. An' after yo' call dere name three times, don't make none other step towards dat way. Jes' turn right aroun' an' come on back. Say, an' after yo' come back yo' kin speak to anyone yo' want to, wash yore face an' anything if yo' want tuh.
(You called their name out there didn't you?)
Yeah, call dere name three time, which person yo' wants tuh come back home. See, jes' lak mah name is Walter. Jes' call mah name, jes' plainly, de full name three times. An' dey do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' den de mawnin' yo' hear from 'em, yo' begin about de fifth until 'bout de 15th, yo' hear from 'em some Way or 'nother by friends. Somebody bring yo' some kinda message.
Entry 8713
Write anybody name six times on a piece of papah an' go an' put it up ovah de front do'. An' call dere name six times an' write dat down on dat papah an' dat will bring 'em to yo'. Ei- ther - if yo' want 'em tuh come to yo', yo' jes' say, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, ah hope dey will come. An' if yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin jes' say, "Go." See, write it six times forwards an' put it ovah yore do'.
Entry 8714
Well, yo' take her name an' yo' write her name down three times. Yo' write yore name three times. Yo' want her now, yo' want her. (Now where would I write my name?) Yo' write her name here first [demonstrates]. Put chure name heah [underneath]. Yo' Yo' write her name heah an' put chure name in dere. Yo' write it three of each, three of each. An' yo' take den an' yo' sprinkle a li'le salt an' a li'le sugah on dis, white sugah. De sugah tuh sweeten it. Salt saves it an' sugah sweetens it. An' sprinkle dat. Yo' put dat on top of a heater an' yo' let dat brown. When yo' let dat brown, her mind will come to yo'. Dat sveetness of dat sugah will sweeten her mind tuhwards yo'. Yo' git 'er. Well, now, if yo' wanta jes', say, carry her off from where she stayin' or make confusion ovah dere first, yo' put red peppah, sulphur an' gunpowdah on dere. Put 'er husban' name or whosomevah man she got, yo' put dat on dere. Dat's tuh confuse dem. Den when yo' confuse 'em, yo' got 'em. Den yo' put dat sugah on dere to sweeten, an' dat salt to save 'er fo' yo'. Yo' put dat on dere tuh bring 'er tuh yo'.
Entry 8715
Jes' lak if a person want 'em [to] leave, wanta run a person outa town, yo' take a brand-new bar [of] Octagon [trade name] soap an' write in de fo' cor- ners of it. Yo' take it an' go to de rivah. (You do what on the four cor- ners?) Write de person name whut chew Wanta leave, want 'em leave outa town. Write dere name on de fo' corners of de soap, an' throw it ovahbo'd when de tide be goin' out. An' dat will make dem leave town. (How do you write that name on the corner? Here's the soap [I demonstrate]. Do you write it like this, or like that?) De fo' corners [demonstrates].
(Like that, catercornered in the four corners.)
Yes.
Entry 8716
Yo' kin take a woman's stockin' or a man's sock dat dey done wore, an' yo' takes dat an' write dere name down nine times straight, jes' on a straight piece of papah [demonstrates]. (Write one and the next one after it right under the other.) Yessuh. An' yo' put it in dat sock or stockin' an' yo' fold it from yo'. An' as yo' fold it from yo', at twelve a'clock at night, yo' go somewhere where dere's a fig tree. An' yo' dig a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' puts dat stockin' undah dat tree an' covah it up. An' when yo' covah it up [you say] "As dat stockin' melt away, dey wastes away." See, dey'll jes' dry up an' Waste away lak a person dat got some kinda disease.
(You must say those words?)
Yessuh, as yo' put de stockin'. Yo' wrap up as ah 'fore tole yo' wit de name in it. An' den when yo' put de name in dere, yo' wrap it from yo'. An' yo' find de fig tree. But it must be twelve a'clock at night. An' yo' digs a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' buries it. An' when yo' buries it, yo' say, "Jes' lak ah put dis stockin' heah tuh rot away, dat's de way ah want de individuals tuh waste away."
(That will kill them then?)
Yessuh, an' as dat stockin' rot away, dey health be gittin' bad an' dey'll first an' last, final[ly], an' jes' die off, an' nobody will know whut dey died wit, if dey don' go find out 'bout de stockin'.
Entry 8717
Well, de socks, yo' take de man's socks but yo' don' have tuh nuse
[use] all of it if yo' don' wan' tuh. Yo' write his name down an' yo' [lay]
dose nine needles, de goldhead needles, an' yo' roll dat sock up. But chew put de cayenne peppah in dat name - de salt an' cayenne peppah in dat. An' to take an' nuse yore cross- in' yo' cross 'em up in dat. An' aftah yo' cross 'em up, yo' take dat an' yo' put it in dat sock. An' yo' roll it an' yo' take de pins an' yo' stick 'em, but evah time yo' stick 'em yo' cross dem. An' dat - dat part would make de man, if yo' want tuh keep de man at chure house, tuh always [stay there] when yo' bury. But yo' don' have tuh bury it all de time. Yo' could jis' put it ovah a joice [joist] somewhere. [Burying the sock could be a nuisance, if you wanted to get rid of the man later; but I suppose the sock could be dug up.]
Entry 8718
Write de name [of the prospective renter] under your name. First you go to the Bible an' yo' take any chaptah out of it, jis' take yo' any word jis' like Peter, James or John, or anything like that, an' yo' write it down. All right. An' yo' know their names. Yo' want 'em to rent de house. Yo' write dere name down, see. Well, den yo' take anothah verse out de Bible. Write jis' de word yo' see an' den write your name again den. Well, all right. Aftah yo' do dat, den yo' take an' write dere name an' spit in dis bottle 3 times. As yo' roll dis up, take dese names an' roll 'em up right tight. Stick 'em down in dis bottle, stop it, an' bury it undah yore doorstep. Dey'll have to rent de room or yore house from yo'. Yo' call on de Lord [= don't forget to pray]. [This rite has special interest because my original first transcription, a first hearing of the cylinder, is attached here to the final manuscript. I had to transcribe by hand and pencil because my transcriber missed a number of the Hemphis cylinders.]
Entry 8719
(To get the job?)
Yo' write his name, de boss name, an' yore name, too, if yo' wants. If yo' don' want, yo' don' need tuh write chure name, but long as yo' git de boss name, yo' understan'. (You write his name down once?) Nine times. Yo' git chew cinna- mon [chewing cinnamon] an' yore sugah. An' git some cinnamon tuh chew [stick cinnamon] an' spit nine times goin' tuh 'im an' nine times when yo' git tuh 'im.
(After you have written this name, what do you do with this name?)
Yo' jis' keep dat name folded tuh yo' an' weah it in de bottom of yore shoe. Eithah shoe will do.
Entry 8720
Ah tell yo' what choo do fo' yoreself fo' tuh cross a person.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Well, dey take it an' write dere names on a hot stove with this stick [lump] sulphur. But if yo' gon'a use de powdered sulphur, jis' sprinkle dat on de stove an' make yore wishes. An' if yo' don't do like dat, yo' burn it wit some asfitidee [asafetida]. Get some asfitidee an' put it in de top an' put dat sulphur in dere, an' burn it togethah an' make yore wishes. Jis' like if yo' want 'em to separate or if yo' want 'em to stay together.
Entry 8721
Yes, ah heard dat chew kin take some sulphur an' burn it. Git chew some sulphur an' put it in a saucer or a plate of somepin dat it kin burn it, a'yo' stan' ovah it an' say tuh it whut chew want done, an' it will happen. Bat chew gotta stan' ovah it an' turn from east tuh no'th, an' talk to it. Yes, yo' gotta start from de east an' yo' swing it right on roun' till yo' git to de no'th, talkin' to it as yo' runnin' roun', an' call[ing] dere name three times. (That is if you Want to cross up that house, so that nobody else could move in there, after they make. you move out?) Yes.
Entry 8722
They take sulphur and saltpeter and incense an' burn it together, but chew got to name it, dey claim. An' as it goes up, de effect of it, de scent dat goes out, comes out from it, de individual dat happens to inhale it, why dey get to a place dat dey can't stand anythin'. Makes dem fickle-minded dey tell me. An' dey get so after while dat yo' get 'em confused about anything. They finally lose dere mind.
Entry 8723
If de man leave an' yo' Want 'im tuh come back, yo' git chew some sulphur an bluestone an' a piece of papah - writin' papah. Yo' write his name on it three times an' yo' put dis sulphur an' dis bluestone on dis papah an' yo' burn it fo' nine mawnin's.
(This same paper or do you take a new piece each morning?)
New each mawnin'. Yo' burn dat fo' nine mawnin' an' de nine mawnin' he'll come back.
Entry 8724
(Dog hair and cat hair, how do they use that?)
Well, yo' take dat dog hair an' dat cat hair together, an' yo." put maybe sompin, my name or yore name, anybody dat chew wanta call. Dey will fight lak cats an' dogs, man an' his wife. Yo' jes' put dere names together, an' yo' take dat cat an' dat dog hair an' yo' put it together, an yo' put red peppah an' sulphur wit dat an' yo' burn dat. Dat will cause 'em tuh fight lak cats an' dogs.
Entry 8725
A fellah tole me dat would git de woman back, too. Call 'er, yo' know, nine morn- ings befo' de sunrise.
Entry 8726
Well, yo' can keep a woman de same way. If yo' want to draw a woman to you, yo' take nine tacks an' nail 'em up ovah yore door, wit her name on a piece of paper. Put them nine tacks around it and puts it down at the door underneath of a piece of mat. See. An' yo' nails it down there. Dat's called nailin' [over the door] an' puttin' yo' under yore [their] feet [beneath mat]. An' yo' see, anythin' ah want to do or go out anywhere or anythin', she ain't goin' to worry about. Ah could do jis' what ah want, she ain't goin' to leave me.
(You put this either over the door or down below?)
Yo' put it ovah de door an' den this [demonstrates] jis' like dis mat [in interviewing room]. Jis' put it underneath of de mat, see. An' jis' put de [carpet] tacks aroun' it; wit the name on dere, but always have mine on de top.
(Where's your name?)
Mine is on top of hers.
(On that paper?)
Over de door, see.
(And what's down on the floor?)
De same way on de floor.
(You do it twice? You put one above the door and one down there?)
It always be a odd times: three, seven or nine.
(I see.)
Entry 8727
Yo' kin take a turtle or terrapin an' yo' kin write a person's name on dat turtle dat, yo' know, dat yo' don't want to stay in town. Go write dere name on dat turtle an' turn 'im loose in de water an' every time dat turtle move dey'll move.
Entry 8728
[Here is an unusual use of the terrapin-turtle rite.1 He in trouble, leave-like to keep yo' from ketchin' 'im. Yo've seen dese streaked-laig terrapin?
(Yes.)
Dem ole streaked-laig one. Ketch one an' cut 'is name on de back of de shell. Drop 'im back in de watah. He's gone. (You say this fellow is a criminal and that you want him to get away free. You cut his name on this terrapin, so that they can't catch him.)
Entry 8729
Yo' see, yo' can take a terrapin an' write-like my name nine times backwards, if somebody don't like me, yo' know. An' catch 'im alive an' open his mouth an' put dat down in his mouth, an' den throw 'i back in de watah. Jes' as long as he stay in de watah, dat will make yo' drift, drift up an' down de watah, jes' make yo' go first one place to anothah.
(Just write this on a piece of paper?)
On a piece of papah.
Entry 8730
Take a sewin' thimble an' git chew three sewin' thimbles of ants' nest, an' ants an' all, an' yo' go tuh work an' yo' put it into a envelope an' write de person name an' put de envelope an' seal dat up den. An' yo' go tuh work den, de really fac' 'bout it, an' yo' take a spoon dat chew use anywheres on yore table gen'ly [generally]. Yo' lay dat envelope down an' yo' don't squench [= crush, see comment at end of rite] it no way atall, no way. Yo' dig de width of dat envelope - it 'sposed tuh be three inches in de ground. Yo' lay dat envelope in dere but chew don't - yo' know, yo' don't have it where yo' squench it nowhere an' yo' have dis full length, an' yo' bury it an' yo' cover it ovah. An' yo' take a ten-penny nail an' stick down In de ground to de haid. [The buried envelope is a grave symbol, the nail the tombstone.] An' dat Will - DE REALLY FAC' 'BOUT IT, SUH, IT WILL UPSET DE DEVIL, MUCH LESS ANYTHING ELSE.
(You put that before somebody's house?)
See, yo' put dat anywheres where dere's any path or - anywheres dat person travel or walk ovah. It don' make no diff'rence whether it's anywheres close tuh his home. Anywheres where he travel ovah.
(What will that do to the person, then?)
WHY ABSOLUTELY, DERE'S NO WAY DAT HE KIN REALLY STAY AT HOME IN ANY PEACE. Can't stay home wit no peace: Him an' his folks can't git along. It will pizen [poison] de minds of 'em. [The preceding word squench is a dialectal form of quench, this latter meaning: to quench a thirst, or to put out a fire, or to cool suddenly by plunging hot steel into water to temper it. A former meaning of quench was to crush, a meaning that was rare back in 1939 when I collected the word.1
Entry 8731
[Three is a numeral we have already met in this section about nomes. Here I have gathered together a few examples temporarily overlooked or not easily placed elsewhere. The rite preceding this one, THIMBLEFULS 3, could have been included here, but I preferred to index it under thimble:] If she want 'er husban' tuh stay home, she goes tuh work an' get her a strip of papah, a little strip of papah. She puts her name at de top an' she puts her husband name right underneat' of hers." She gits her a thin piece of cloth, yo' know, lak in de linin', lak in de linin' of a coat. Stick it right in dere. An' she'll sew it down into de seat of her bloomers. Den she'll git de same thing, her name at de top an' his'n to de bottom, an' she'll wear it in her shoe fo' three days. An' if he don't leave off runnin', ah don't know what [she could do].
(She makes both those and puts one in her bloomers and one in her shoe?)
Yes.
Entry 8732
Yo' kin take his name an' place it into her mattress on a piece of tablet paper on which yo' write his name. Spell his name forward and backwards three times, referring it to de mattress of de bed, or eithah de pillah. Dat will draw 'im.
Entry 8733
Jes' like yo' write yore name on somepin dat chew want 'em tuh do. Well, yo' kin take a pencil an' write their name on a plain piece of papah. Den yo' take dat papah an' fold it tuhwards yuh, yuh know. Some of dem say in de Name of de Lord, Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, but yo' fold it tuhwards yo'. Den yo' put it undah yore shoe sole [insole] undah yore feet an' weah it like dat.
(What will that do?)
Say dat'll jest conquer 'em any way dat yo' wants to.
Entry 8734
This what they have done, when they want yo' to move out de house an' de neighborhood where dey livin' at. Dey goes to de Crackerjack Drug Store an' gets bluestone. Understan'? Gets bluestone an' gets some incense, an' fix dat up together, an' put it in de bottle. An' takes their name an' write it nine times an' put it in de bottle. An' turn de bottle upside down 'neath de steps an' they have to move.
(I see. In how long?)
In nine day's time they leave dere.
Entry 8735
Take a piece of paper an' write their names nine times on dis an' ah have used some of dat Three S Love Powder an' nail it up, in a tree or somepin, yo' know, an' finally he'll come back if de tree doesn't die. Long as it lives they'll [he'll] come back, but if it dies they'll [he'll] never come back. (You write this person's name on this paper, then put this powder on it, and nail it up in a tree? That's all you have to do to make him come back?) Yes.
Entry 8736
If a boy would go off from home an' stay a long time an' his mother want 'im back, an' he jis' won't go home, an' she Want to see him: She kin take a nail an' a hammer, an' go to de front doah an' hit dat nail three time, an' call your [his] name three time. An' wheresomevah he is in de world, gon'a git worried up until yo' [he] git back there where she at.
Entry 8737
Like if anyone yo' love real good an' yo' wan'a bring 'em back to yo', for three times a day when yo' fix [prepare] zhor meal or set de table yo' kin set their plate an' de spoon an' fork [and knife] jes' like yo' set for 'em when they were there. An' call their name three times an' tell 'em to come to their dinnah or somepin or breakfas', whichevah it is, an' in nine mawnin's dey'll be back.
Entry 8738
Take dat photograph of dis individual. Den yo' want peace, yo' wants love, Wants happiness. Yo' take dat photograph but chew gotta steal it. Don't let no one give it tuh yo', yo' steal it, or else let someone else git it fo' yo', if yo' wants peace or wants dat individual. Yo' write his name three times on it. An' keep it in yore pillah an' turn it down on.its face. An' it will be peace dere tuh yo', if it's yore sweetheart or yore wife; or whoevah it is, whoevah he may be.
Entry 8739
Either yo' kin write de name down three times on a piece of papah, any kind of papah, an' put it in a lamp an' burn it in a dark place, an' dey'll return. Anything containin' oil, yo' kin burn it, yo' know, an' dey'll return.
Entry 8740
Yo' take lump incense. It's stuff dat looks lak kind of a crys- tal-lak. An' yo' use dat sugah an' dat wisterias perfume. Yo' burn it an' call yore man's name three times. Dat'll - Memoirs of Alma Egah Hyatt Foundation - bring him back home. Dat will [bring] peace in de house, too.
(Wisteria perfume?)
Wisterias.
Entry 8741
Ah've heard of a person kin write chure name on a piece of papah, an' go to a tree dat's growin' an' bo' a hole or eithah split a place big enough, an' drive dat name in dere on dat papah, an' let it grow up in dere, an' aftah so long a time dat person'll go clean away an' yo'll nevah see 'em or heah from 'em no mo'. Ah've heard of dat being done.
Entry 8742
If a person's in a house an' yo' want 'em tuh move or somepin like dat, yo' go in de woods an' cut a hole in a tree an' wish 'em some [bad] luck an' come back an' throw it [the sawdust or shavings from the hole] on dere house an' dey'l] move.
[Name is implied in the wish.]
(What kind of a tree do you go to?) A pine tree or oak tree or any kinda tree. (You cut a hole in that tree, you say, and what do you do then?) Yes sir, yo' wish dis person bad luck, an' come back home an' throw it under dere house.
(What do you throw on the house?)
Whatsoevah yo' cut in de tree. (You mean that sawdust and stuff from the hole. I didn't know what you were throwing under the house. You throw this stuff from the hole under the house. That's to make them have the bad luck, whatever you wish them.
Entry 8743
Dat chew kin take an' go out into de woods, if yo' want tuh keep yore girl fren', so's people say - if it seems lak she's gittin' off from yo', goin' wit anothah fellah - take some of de young boughs on dat tree an' tie yo' a knot in dat tree an' make yore wishes, an' name it. An' she goin' stay dere wid joo until dat tree's cut down, or until somebody come along an' break dat limb off de tree, so dat knot will come untied. (You take one of those limbs and tie it in a knot.)
Entry 8744
Yo' know trees, a switch offa each tree, dat is not alike an' go tuh a runnin' watah an' throw dese switches in dere one by one an' call de person name, jes' lak yo' want 'em tuh leave, an' jes' say, "Ah hope tuh God So-an'-so will leave, In de Name of de Father an' de Holy Ghost." An' yo' repeat it ovah, ovah an' ovah, till yo' throw de last nine switches in de watah. [You take one switch from each of nine trees: maple, oak, pine, etc.]
(That's all you have to do. You don't say, The Name of the Son?)
No suh, jes' De Name of de Father an' de Holy Ghost.
Entry 8745
Jes' go to de sunrise side of a tree an' graze dat side.
(Smooth the side off?)
Yes sir, an' take [these grazings from] dat side of de tree. Now if de person livin' dis direction, an' de sunrise dis, yo' take de sunrise side of dat tree - take dat off, see. Dey call his name. Take a horn, a cow horn, an' scrape a little off it an' put it in dat horn, an' den scrape some offa de sunrise side of dat tree; an' call his name an' every time yo' call it, yo' blow dat horn - about eight times. An' aftah de eight time - de eight times - like yo' blows it easy, an' de ninth, blows it loud as yo' wanta. But turn - if yo on dat side [see later explanation], yo' turn it dis side, if yo' want 'em come ack disaway. Yo' blow it, de dust out dat horn. He'll come home. (You blow that dust toward where he is and then he'll come back. If he's over Chere, you blow it this way to bring him back; if he's over in that direction, you slou the dust in the opposite direction to bring him back.) [A cow-horn expert will be needed to explain what happens here, just how the oov horn is held and handled. It has been 60 years since I saw and tried to blow a cow horn!] Jes' like he ovah dis side, yo' turn yore back an' blow de dust tuhward 'im. (You put htat - some scrapings from the cow horn in the horn and some scrap- igs from the tree into the horn, and blow it ou on the ninth time.) Yo' take de scrapings of de tree - go tuh de sunrise side - an' if he on de lgoin'-down [side] yo' work it from de sun-goin'-down, if he out dat way. See. 血 de way he is yo' gotta blow dat dust ovah heah. (But you must get these scrapings from the sunrise side of the tree, always, matter which direction he is?) Dat's right, take it from de sunrise side of de tree if he's... [I have had cmough and interrupt.] (Suppose he's at the sunrise side, then what side would I take it - now wait inute! Suppose he's on the sunrise side. Now what side of the tree would I te those scrapings from?) At de sunrise side. Take it from dis side, de west side, de sun-goin'-down. (Otherwise, in whatever direction he is - no matter what direction he's in - roa take these scrapings from the opposite side of this tree from where he is. Esean, you don't always take it from the sunrise side?) No sir.
(That's what I wanted to find out.)
It's foah [four] ways to dat, dat he kin go. (And you will take it from the opposite side of the tree from which he is - scrapings?) Yes.
Entry 8746
A person kin take a new tin plate an' write a person's name in it dat's e from aroun' yo'. An' if yo' wanted tuh see 'em an' turn it down in a trunk or keep it some way where nobody Would nevah trouble it, an' dat person'll come. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 8747
Now if a woman's husband left her, dere's several ways dat she could bring him back. She could write his name an' her name on a tin pan, a brand-new one nevah has been cooked in, an' turn it down undah de bed, an' he'll come back. Dat's a good one.
Entry 8748
Common cookin' pan, tin pan, an' yo' kin write a person's name on dere. An' if it anybody dat chew wanta come back or somepin like dat, yo' kin write it on dat tin pan an' place it in de stove, in yore cookin' stove an' jes' keep dat pan. Don't care whut chew cook dere, keep dat in dere an' dey'll come back.
Entry 8749
Ah heard yo' take a little tin plate an' write de individual name on it about nine or ten times an' put it undah yore mattress an' it will be peace dere in dat house. Or eithah yo' kin work it fo' peace, or yo' kin work it fo' evil.
Entry 8750
Ah've heard dat in case yo' wanta bring someone back to yo', who left or run away, dat chew take yo' a brand-new tin pan an' engrave on dat tin pan dey name an' lay dat tin pan right up ovah yore do'.
(That will bring them back. That all you have to do?)
Jes' whut ah tole yo'.
Entry 8751
Yo' git a new tin pan an' yo' write de name on de back of dat pan an' yo' write de 27th Psalms of de Bible, an' when yo' want dem to come, return, an' dey will return. (What do you do with the tin pan?) Aw yo' puts hit behin' yore do' or in yore room, jes' most anywhere, yo' know, where it won't be [seen].
Entry 8752
Write his name on one of dose little fryin' pie-a-pans, tin plates, yes sir. Write his name in dere an' write de 13th chapter of Psalms. An' den write his name three times an' Write de Psalms twice, but chew must read dose verses backwards. Place 'em underneath of de steps with very little over earth over it, dat means de dirt over it, an' leave it underneath of dere from nine to eight- teen days. He'll be back dere.
Entry 8753
To bring back, git choo a tin pan or tin plate whut choo use fo' cookin'. Write his name on dat nine times an' write de 85 Psalm on dere, on dat tin plate, an' put it any place dat secret place in de house. [Charleston, S. Car., (518, Doctor Nelson, see p.1599f., 2260, etc.) 611:9.]
Entry 8754
Fo' example, yo' take two tin plates an' yo' write de 23rd Psalm upon de back [of one] an' de 42nd Psalm upon de back of de [other] tin plate, an' yo' place it [them] under yore pillah an' sleep dere an' he'll shortly return. [The word name does not appear in the text of this rite but it is surely intended. It may have dropped out before recording began.]
Entry 8755
Jes' lak if somebody did sompin tuh yo' an' yo' didn't like it or sompin of de kin'. In othah words, if yo' got a man off some place or 'nothah an' yo' take a new tin plate. Git it tuh de Five-an'-Ten-Cent Sto'. An' yo' write dis chapter out de Bible, de fo'th chapter of Psalms [Psalm 4]. Yo' write dat out de Bible on dat tin plate an' write his name down de bottom [and an unusual construction of In 3 Holy Names 'De Father bids yo' come, de Son bids yo' come, de Holy Ghost bids yo' come, an' yo' must come back home tuh me in Jesus' Name." An' yo' turn dat plate an' put it undah yore mattress, where yo' gotta sleep on every night.
Entry 8756
De 88th Psalms an' de 85th Psalms. YO' EVER READ DE BIBLE? [I either did not answer or answered with my head. Perhaps informant did not give me time to answer.] An' yo' go down to de Ten Cent Store an' yo' buy yo' a ten cents pan [tin pan]. An' yo' write three words on there, God, de Father; God, de Son; god, de Holy Ghost. An' write his name there. In nine days he'll be back there, but yo' still gotta read de 88th Psalm and de 85th Psalm.
(What do you do with that pan then?)
Yo' place it in de corner of yore home.
Entry 8757
Write chure name in it, in dat tin pan - brand-new tin plate - an whirl [or spin] it tuh yo'. Every mawnin' write chure name - have to write it fo' nine mawnin's - if yo' 'way an' dey wanta see yuh. Yo' take dat brand-new tin pan an' write chure name an' turn [spin] it to yo'.[ Whirl [or spin] it ovah three times to yo', say[ing], "Ah do dis In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, fo' yo' to come an' nevah return [to where you were]." An' ah don't care if yo's in Europe, yo'll come.
Entry 8758
Ef ah had someone a long ways from me an' ah wanted 'em back, ah would have three ways tuh git 'em back. One way, dat ah'd write dere name on tin an' lead an' hang it up on de do', an' dey supposed tuh return in from nine tuh twenty-one days. Write dey full name, dey birth- name on tin, on a piece of tin, an' tack it up on mah do', In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' in from 9 tuh 21 days dey 'sposed tuh 'peah 'fore me.
(Do you write the name on a piece of tin or on a piece of lead?)
On lead or eithah tin.
(You tack it up over the door with the name out?)
Yessuh, wit de name out. Ah kin write it with a lead pencil or a nail.
Entry 8759
Well, yo' kin use it. Jes' lak yore husband is got a woman or whut not - anything dat chure husban' is doin' an' yo' don't want 'im tuh do it. Yo' kin go tuh de hardware [store] an' buy a pie pan, a little cheap pie pan an' yo' writes - well, we'll say he's got a woman an' yo' don't want him tuh have 'er.[ Well, den yo' go an' buy dat pan an' yo' name it 'im. An' yo'll come back home an' yo'll take a ink pen an' yo'll write his name nine times cross dat pan. Den yo'll write dis woman's name nine times undah de bottom of de pan. Den yo' turn yore mattress back an' lay it on yore bed slats, yo' might say, or de springs, an' let 'im sleep on it. An' he'll fo'git all about de woman.
Entry 8760
If yo' could go an' buy a new tin pan, pie pan dat nevah been used, an' yo' put dat up ovah de door piece where yo' keep John de Conkah. Yo' [have seen] John de Conkah root? (No, I've heard of it but I ' have never seen it.) Well, yo' get a piece of John de Conkah an' wrap it up in a little cloth an' yo' put de smooth part of de pan, an' yo' turn de smooth part, de in part to yo' an' outer part goes to de dō'
(The back of the pan goes to the wall?)
Yes, an' yo' put dis John de Conkah behin' dis pan an' say, "Ah wan' choo in pahtiklah [particular] to stay away from me." Yo' makes dat wish. But whethah dat works or not, ah haven't had anything to [especially to keep the law away].
Entry 8761
A tin plate. If me an' yo' had done fall out or ah had sompin yo' Want an' yo' nevah could git it from me, ah come tuh yo' an' borrah [borrow] one of yore pans. Take dat pan tuh de house. Ah take it an' nurinate [urinate] in it. Keep it fo' all night wit dat nurinate an' let it set in dere. Ah take it de next mawnin' an' wash it out good an' drop some. Heart Cologne on it an' carry it back tuh yo'.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's tuh gain de influence of me an' yo' back.
(Bring us back together again? To restore former relations?)
Yes.
Entry 8762
Ah tell whut chew kin do, if yo's outa yore home right now an' ah Wanted yo' tuh come back heah in yore home. Ah don't think yo're treated right, dat somebody has runned yo away. Ah'm goin' write chure name on a tin plate an' mah name, but me an' yo'd be good friends an' bring yo' back in dis home. An' turn dat new tin- plate an' write chure name in it an' den dere's a brass thimble an' three teaspoons. [The name is written on and the thimble and 3 teaspoons are in the right-side-up plate.] An' turn dat plate an' turn it fo' nine mawnin's - turn it roun' nine times fo' nine mawnin's. An' sleep wit it up undah de head of yore bed. He'll come back home. [The right- side-up plate is turned on its bottom and probably turned anti-clockwise, revers- ing time to bring man home.]
Entry 8763
Yo' buy a brand-new tin pan out de stā' an' do' nuse [don't use] it fo' nuthin an' don' set it dwon on nuthin [don't touch the earth theme]. Yo' git it an' come right back home. Yo' gits yo' a pencil an' mark it disaway an' data- way. [I interrupt.] (Just like you were quartering a pie - into four parts.) [If informant did not under- stand guartering, I added four parts.j Yes sir. Yo' put his name heah, put chure name heah, an' den yo' put his name ovah dere an' his name heah... (Wait a minute! In this [I demonstrate on paper] upper left-hand corner as you are looking at it, you put his name. Underneath that you put your name. Then up above in the right hand corner you put your name, and then his name underneath. In other words, his name and your name are opposites.) [See my diagram for quartered pie.] Yes sir.
(All right. Then what do you do with that pan?)
Yo' take it an' turn it bottomside upwards an' walk out de do' backwards, see, an' shove it right underneat' yore do'step. Yo' don't bury it. Jes' put enough sand ovah it, yo' see, to keep anybody from seein' it. It won't be two weeks [2 seven-day periods] befo' he'll be back there. Ah've tried dat mahself.
Entry 8764
Ah've heard of 'em usin' dem tin plates tuh make a person come home. Yo' take a new tin plate - take two of 'em an' write dere names in 'em. Yo' write 'em an' jes' lak yo' cut lak dat, yo' write in fo' corners, fo' places. An' say dat plate den - dem two plates an' put 'em 'tween yore mattress on yore bed.
(Put them separately right there or together?)
Uh-huh, separate. An' yo' let 'em stay right dere an' don't nobody tetch dem, an' don't make dat bed. Don't bothah till dose folks come back. (You write those names on these two pans just as if you were quartering a pie?) Yes, dat's right, fo' parts.
(Cutting it into four pieces?)
Uh-huh, yo' write it up dere. Yo' write it on dose lines.
(You write it four times on each plate then?)
Yeah, but don't nevah let it - always jam it up in dat corner in de middle of dat plate.
Entry 8765
(How did they do that?)
He went tuh a man [doctor or fortuneteller] and this man had taken a bran'-new tin plate, a common tin plate, an' he write on de back of dis tin plate in red- ink writing. Ah couldn't read de writin' but ah - when dey come - ah was livin' wit de people. Dis girl, she didn't leave de state, but she stayed aftah she left. An' he brought dis tin plate dere an' asked 'im to sign 'er name. An' he said he couldn't sign it [he could not write]. An' so, he got me to sign de girl's name at de bottom. An' he'd taken her coat - she had a little velvet coat - an' wrapped it up in dat an' put it in behin' de ceilin's in de wall. An' told 'im when she come back, tuh take it [coat] an' bring it back tuh 'im an' he [would put] 'em tuhgethah again. (And bring it back to him?) Bring it back tuh 'in. An' he tole 'im tuh go in dat room, yo' see, an' turn tuh de direction where she was, an' pray three times a day. An' said, dat inside of fo' days she would be back. An' she certainly was. (WILL YOU TELL ME THE STORY RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. HOW IT ALL STARTED - THE WHOLE STORY, THE DETAILS.) Of dis? (Yes, the whole story. How it happened. About her leaving and that sort of thing. Tell all the story.) When she left, she didn't go tuh stay.
(She didn't go to stay?)
No, sir, she didn't go tuh leave, yo' know. At least, she didn't tell 'im she was. She had tole othah people when she left dat she wasn't comin' back.
(I see.)
An' so, her brother-in-law died an' dat's how she got away. She went tuh Louisiana.
(To Louisiana?)
Yeah. An' aftah she got over dere...
(Where was she living?)
She was livin' here in Vicksburg.
(Oh, I see. All right.)
Yes, sir. An' aftah she got ovah dere, she didn't come back an' she wrote, keep encouragin' 'im dat she would be back. An' so she wrote fo' 'im tuh send her things dere. An' he did do it. An' aftah he sent her things dere, she still didn't come back. An' so he went tuh dis man an' dis man tole him dat she wasn't thinking about comin' back.
(Did he go to a man here in town?)
Yes, sir. An' he told 'im dat she wasn't thinkin' about comin' back. An' so he told 'im dat he could brin g'er back fo' 'im. An' he went tuh 'im an' he come. Dis man come tuh 'is house an'
(YOU MEAN THIS "DOCTOR" CAME TO THIS MAN'S HOUSE?)
YES, SIR, CAME TO HIS HOUSE AN' HE BROUGHT DIS TIN PAN WIT 'IM, WIT DE WRITIN' ALREADY ON IT.
(Well, how Was it fixed up, this pan?)
De pan? Jes' a plain tin plate, yo' know pie plate, an' de writin' was on de back of it, jes' like, jes' like yo' would write a letter tuh somebody. But ah couldn't read it, but it was writin' jes' like yo' would write a lettah tuh somebody, an' at de bottom of it he wanted - somebody else had tuh sign 'er name.
(And how was it written, you said before? Written with what?)
With red ink.
(Red ink?)
Yes.
(Did it look like English writing or what?)
Yes.
(You really think it was Written in English, but you couldn't read it?)
No, sir.
[The words may have been written with English letters but meaningless.]
(I see. All right. And they [he] brought this pan back to the man's house?)
Yes.
(And then what happened?)
He took this pan and got one of her pieces, had tuh have somepin dat she wore, an' wrap dis pan up in it.
(But you signed that name though?)
Yes, sir, at de bottom, an' put it ovah behind de ceilin' of de wall.[ Vicks- burg, Miss., (775), 1066:3.]
Entry 8766
Yo've got to get a plain piece of papah wit no lines drawn on it. Now, ah'm goin' tuh give yo' an idea. Ah'm goin' tuh write yore name. If yo' want tuh get even wit [someone], ah'll write yore name dis way nine times, an' ah'll turn dis papah aroun' an' ah'll write my name nine times until ah get it across yores. Den ah'll fold dat papah two turns, an' den ah'll put dat in a lamp...
(Fold that paper kitty-corner.)
[I try a folk term rather than catercornered.]
Now, dis what yo' call kitty-corner, see [demonstrates] ah'll take it jes' lak dis an' den ah'll take it again jes' lak dis. An' now when it's off, dat gives me a cornah here an' a cornah here. When dis is off, dat'll give me a cornah here.
(It's in the shape of a triangle.)
[Here as often, I am annotating for my future understanding.]
Ah'll put dat in a lamp or undah a candle an' ah'll burn it an' ah can make whatevah ah burn it fo'. Ah can wish fo' what ah want an' ah'll get it in dat papah what yore name wrote on. [For names in oil bowl of burning lamp, see, many rites under margin title LAMP RITES AND NAMES in present section NAMES; for ob- jects beneath burning candles, see section CANDLES, Pp.797-862.]
Entry 8767
(Yes, what do they do about that?) Ah've heard of dat. De way I undahstood it was dis way. Jes' like if yore name or mine, if ah wanted to see yo' an' yo' were away. Well, ah'd set down an' write yore name nine times three ways, an' fold de papah three ways, an' burn each end fo' three days, an' de ninth day ah'd see yo' - don't care if yo' was in New York. (I see.[ Well, now, here's the sheet of paper. [I demonstrate with my Numbers Book.] And you write the name how many times?) Nine times that way.
(This way?)
The same name, that's right.
(Nine times this way, one right under the other?)
Dat's right, nine times dis way.
(And then nine times this way, right over it?)
Over again.
[Informant demonstrates.]
(You are writing it backwards then nine times?)
Dat's right.
(Then, what do you do? Then what?)
Den write it nine times again, back de same way crosswise. See.
(Back this way again?)
[I demonstrate.]
See, write it dis way [informant demonstrates]. See? Den yo' write it dis way, den yo' bring it back cross dis way.
(I see.)
Den yo' fold in what yo' might call a angle.
(You fold it this way?)
In a angle, sure.
(And then this way?)
Dat's right. An' burn each end. Burn this end today, an' keep it fold, an'...
(You burn each one of those ends off [one] each day.)
Each day fo' three days.
(I see.)
An' de ninth day - inside of de ninth day, yo'll see de one, dat name yo' wrote. (I see. Now, I write it lengthwise of the sheet of paper and then crosswise, and then I bring one corner down to the opposite corner, three ways..) Den fold it.
(Then I fold it three ways: that way, and that way, and another way?)
It [folded paper] have three points. Burn each cornah off.
[I summarize.]
(And this will be shaped like a triangle and have three points, and you burr one point each day for three days, and the ninth day the person will come back, whose name you wrote down?) Which name yo' wrote on dere.
(You only write the name of the person that is absent?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8768
You write your name down on a piece of paper, an' yo' write de othah party's name down on de other piece of papah. Well, if dat's someone dat yo wanta get back, an' yo' folds it [to you] three different ways. Well, because of the Way yo' foldin' it, yo' want dem tuh come back. Well, yo' have dere name turnt in de house, yo' see, an' every time, dey walk, yo' see, dey always goin' back in de house all de time, cause dere name is joined dat way. Well, if yo' want dem to stay out of de house, yo' turn de names up lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' see, just like a... turn it up lak dat.
(You turn the names out if you want them to stay outside.)
If yo' want 'em to stay outside, yo' turn de names out de house. Jes' like yo' put it up ovah dat door [points to door of interviewing room]. Well, yo' turn de name out like dat. If yo' want dem to stay in, always come in yore house, turn de name dis Way [into house].
(I see.)
Entry 8769
All yo' have to do, split dat in fo' parts.
(Split this match in four parts.)
Aftah yo' split 'em in fo' parts, yo' cut de sticks across. Dat will be eight, see. An' aftah yo' cut eight, yo' take one an' cut one in half. Dat'll be ten, see. All right, yo' cut de othah one in half. Dat will be 12 pieces. Dat's even, ain't it? See now, dose [are] twelve. All right, it will be even [number]. An' yo' take dem pieces an' yo' sew it up, yo' sew it up into a piece of cloth. Well, aftah yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth, yo' kin go to dat person house an' stick it in de block of de house [see later] fo' yo' kin bury it undah de block of de house, or yo' kin stick it in a crack [of the house] or somepin lak dat. An' yo' kin walk away. When yo' walk away from de house an' [then you] call dat person three times. See, call dem three times. De next time yo' call loud where he kin hear yo', he'll answer yo', see. Well, yo' got his voice right dere, see.
(What do you do then?)
Well, he come out dere. Yo' kin kill 'im den [not immediately but any time later], if yo' want to [because you have his voice in a bottle] or yo' kin do jes' what yo' want wit 'em [voice and bottle]. [Informant may have mentioned spirit-catching bottle earlier (for how this is done, see margin title TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f. and many places) or he assumed I knew enough about hoodoo to understand what he meant. Since you can stick it in or bury it undah, block of de house refers to the foundation sills under the house, not to the piZlars upon which the small lowland house rests aboveground.]
Entry 8770
Take dis bossman whut yo' got in yore mind - yo' got it in yore mind fo' tuh go tuh dis bossman. Yo' goin' dere tuh git a job. Yo' take dis man's name an' yo' write it an' yo' write de twelve apostle. Dese are de twelve apostles. Yo' write de twelve apostles first an' den yo' write dis man's name twelve time, an' each apostle [demonstrates] each apostle heah an' yo' write his name heah. Dis de 'postle heah, an' yo' write his [boss] name dere, dis 'postle heah, an' yo' write his name dere. Continue dat an' yo' put dat in de bottom of yore shoes, an' yo' weah dat three days 'fore yo' go tuh 'im. An' when yo' go tuh 'im, he'll give yo' de job.
Entry 8771
Yo' kin take de twelve names of de twelve disciples an' write it on a long list, yo' understand, jes' lak de names yo' use behin' dem dis- ciples. An' de person dat chew angry with, write his name under dere, aftah writin' one verse out de Bible between de twelve disciples name an' de person dat chew sō' [sore] wit. An' wrap it up an' weah it in yore shoe. Yo'll conkah dem an' keep dem down easy. (You write the twelve apostles' names and some verse from the Bible, and then the person's name that you want to keep down?) Yes sir, let de verse of de Bible be between the 'postles' name an' dat per- son's name, an' dispose of it. Put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' weah it.
Entry 8772
They say if yo' take de twelve apostles an' write 'em on [a piece of paper or twelve sage leaves?] an' put 'em in yore left pocket or eithah yore left shoe, why dey say dat'll keep harm from comin' to yo'. [A note following write 'em on reads: A noise made here so do not know what they were written on.]
Entry 8773
If yo' want a man tuh leave town an' travel all his days an' don't stay no place long, yo' take yo' cord string whut chew git yo' round dese groceries. Yo' seen dat. An' when he git dat cord string, he put nine knots in it, but don't have none loose [have knots loosely tied]. An' den when yo' go to his do' an' call him three times, an' aftah callin' him three times, dodge [away from door] an' don't let him see yo' tightenin' dem knots. [The voice is caught in the tightened knots.] Git chew a gun an' anywhere de d'rection dat yo' want 'im tuh go, yo' put hit in dat gun.
(Put the string in the gun.)
Put de string in de gun an' stick a piece of papah in dere tuh wad it down - lak de ole muzzle-loadin' gun lak we used tuh have yeahs back - fifty yeahs ago [50 years before 1939, date of interview] an' shoot it in dat d'rection. He'll nevah stop travelin'.
Entry 8774
Write name nine times on piece of papah, dress it [with perfume or something], turn de name down [up- side down] an' put away in piece of furniture. Keeps a fussy an' disagreeable person quiet.