Browse:TIME FOR TAKING GRAVEYARD DIRT (Volume 4, entries 7585–7605)
TIME FOR TAKING GRAVEYARD DIRT
Volume 4, entries 7585–7605. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → HOW TO OBTAIN GRAVEYARD DIRT. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 7585
[This rite should be classified under candles, but graveyard dirt from a woman's grave is so rare I prefer to place it here. Our rite comes from an excellent professional worker whose cylinders were missed by my transcriber. Later I made notes from them. Here is the present note: to keep woman - dirt from woman's grave - scrape a little from top - take home - light 2 black candles - set under bed where she [[woman who left home]] has been sleeping - put graveyard dust and sprinkle a ring [[of it]] around candles - and a piece of her clothes and lay where she sleeps - turn mattress up and lay the clothes on springs on a paper - take Bible and say prayers and read Bible - when candles go out she'll come home.]
Entry 7586
Now, it's no special time tuh entah dis graveyard tuh git dis dus'. Yuh kin be walkin' roun' de cemetery an' perten' [pretend] yuh be lookin' ovah yore belove' ones dat gone tuh rest. Now, in passin' yuh git chew a han'ful of it an' yuh go on. An' yuh an' yore wife or yore lady fren' - somebody lak dat - if it's quarrelin' [or] yuh may have caught 'er Vrong. Yuh don' wanta kill 'er, dat's gon'a put chew in trouble. Yuh jis' wanta git rid of 'er. Yuh'll take dat dus' an' when she go tuh bed at night an' dere's "er shoes, a pair of shoes dat she wears mo' den othahs. Yuh jis' sprinkle dat dus' in dose shoes. Quite natchel [natural] by sprinklin' dat dus' in dere, she's gonna pesspire [perspire] in 'er feet. Jis' lak yuh or ah would pesspire mdah de arm or on de haid, our po's [pores] would be open. If it wusn't dat, ve wouldn't nevah ketch a cold, yuh know. De dus' will dissolve jis' lak a aspirin. Well, when dat dissolve, her po's will be open an' 'er feet is right nex' tuh dat - might as well say dat. See. dat [is al little silk stockin'. See, it may be a pair of bedroom slippahs she may have on. Dat'll git right on intuh 'er po's an' 'er po's will close up wit dat in dere. An' she'll jis' withah away jis' lak anythin' else - jis' leave [this world].
Entry 7587
Go tuh a graveyard at nine a'clock [at night] an' git dat dirt out of [a grave onl de no'th side of de graveyard. An' carry it tuh a person's house where it's a woman dat got a husban' an' yuh wan' dat husban'. Yuh git some of yore frien's tuh take dat dirt dere. An' if she kin git in wit [become friendly with] dis woman in de house an' git a chance tuh sprinkle a little of it roun' 'er baid, roun' in de house, so she'll have tuh walk ovah it, dis woman, dis man's wife, will dwindle away an' die. Den yo' have de opportunity of gittin' 'er man.
Entry 7588
People say dat if yuh be's in tough luck an' haven't got a success, go [to] de graveyard at de midnight hour an' git some graveyard dirt, an' put it in little bitta sacks - little bitta ones - an' weah it roun' yore wais'. An' from time tuh time yuh will be mo' successful dan yuh would if yuh didn't do it. [Midnight is the usual time - see following rite and elsewhere.]
Entry 7589
At twelve a'clock at night yuh git graveyard dirt, yuh see. An' git graveyard dirt. Dat's mos'ly [mostly] fer harmin', dat's fer nuthin good. Yuh go dere at twelve a'clock at night, but not when de moon's shinin'. Yuh go dere on a dark night. An' yuh take dat graveyard dirt. If yuh jis' wan' a person in bad luck, yuh jis' take graveyard dirt an' throw it at a person - strictly wit'out anythin' else. It's strictly bad luck. Dey'll nevah be successful in nuthin dey undahtake tuh do. Anythin' dey undahtake tuh do, dey won't be suc- cessful - be disappointed.
Entry 7590
Git dat dirt - go tuh de graveyard. Well, yuh takes a new grave, kinda new, about say a week old. An' dey goes - goes down tuh de haidbo'd, de haidbo'd of de grave, an' dey get dat dirt. Well, dey gits some of yore hair an' some of yore gar- ments [3 ingredients] an' dey take dat an' put it where yuh have tuh walk over it. An' by changin' - do's dat, do it jis' befo' de moon change. When de moon changes, de spell be comin' on yuh. Well, den it come tuh gittin' wuse [worse] an' wuse, an' yuh'll git so cain't no- body do anythin' wit chew an' yuh jis go crazy - die off from it.
Entry 7591
If she war: 'a run aroun', well shc.'ll take an' go tuh de cemetery on a new moon an' git dirt offa innocent's grave, an' take sulphur an' take table salt - nine spoons of table salt. An' as she go out [leaves the house] go intuh de room an' throw it in de room; an' [as] she go out de do' [door] throw it In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' in de Holy Ghost, an' go on. Yuh know, go out de house. He ain't gon'a come out [the door after her].
(What does she do this for?)
Jis' lak she come in at night - yuh know, lak she goin' out, an' she goin' out tuh be out at night an' she don' wan' 'im tuh come out tuh look fo' her. Well, she git it fresh. She go dere on de new moon.
(She does this so that he won't bother her while she goes out at night?)
Go anywhere she wants.
Entry 7592
Ah've heard dat on de new moon dat chew kin go tuh de graveyard, if a person died wit a certain disease, perhaps tuberculosis, yuh kin git de dirt from roun' de grave an' possibly plant it in someone an' dey'll git de disease. (How would you plant it on this person?) Yuh kin possibly put it in dere clothin', or possibly roun' any object dat dey will put dere ban's on.
Entry 7593
(To bring in customers.)
Yo' use de dead man an' de way dey mix it, yo' mix it wit de clay taken from a fresh grave at de full of de moon. Mix de clay an' sulphur an' red peppah an' bury it undah de foot of de step, an' it use'ly brings in per- sons.
Entry 7594
Ah heard dat chew could go tuh de graveyard. Yuh have tuh go at one a'clock in de night tuh git graveyard dirt. An' yuh git de dirt, graveyard dirt, an' yuh bring it back an' yuh sprinkle dat dirt on people's po'ch, anybody's po'ch, an' make 'em move.
Entry 7595
Go tuh de graveyard roun' 'bout fo' clock in de mawnin' an' buy a penny's worth of graveyard dirt. An' come back an' sprinkle it roun' de house, all roun', an' sweep off de do'step behin' 'im. Dat will move 'em ['em, 'im and 'um are usually the same meaning. Sweeping graveyard dirt is both an uncommon and dangerous rite. The wo- man here, who wants to rid herself of an unwelcome roomer or friend, sprinkles graveyard dirt about the house outside, leaving her- self a dirtless entry. Coming indoors she closes the dirtless entry, the door- step, with graveyard dirt. She is a prisoner in her own home! But, as soon as he walks over the dirt, entering or leaving, she sweeps it away. The spirit in graveyard dirt, not liking to be swept by a dirty broom, flees back to the grave- yard; the man, having crossed the dirt, must go away forever; and the woman, now imune from the graveyard-dirt spirit, is free - for another roomer or frierd.]
(How much dirt do you get from the graveyard?)
Penny's worth.
(How much would that be?)
Dat be - uh two ounces.
Entry 7596
Hear'd 'em says graveyard dirt at fō' 'clock, if yo' go dere. Jes' lak yo' - now yo' [the boss] got a job an' ah wanta git mō' salary. Ah might ast fo mo': salary an' yo' make out lak yo' don' wanta give it tuh me. An' yo's de boss. An' if ah kin git - co'se ah do' [don't] nevah do dat - an' run yore arms down jes' as fur as yo' kin. It don' make any diff'r- ence - some folks say dey be gun folks [evil person who carried a gun}, but it doa' make any diff'rence. Yo' run yore han's down jes' as fur as yo' kin reach lak dat down in de middle of de grave, from de haid tuh 'bout de middle of de grave an' git it. An' git some of dat on 'im [the boss] somehow a [or] 'nothah, why den he mo' 'en apt tuh raise yo' pay an' yo' all be good friends.
Entry 7597
Dey kin do mos' anythin' wit it, such as hurtin' a person. Yuh kin take graveyard dirt an' yuh kin cuz a person tuh - if yuh don' wan' 'im tuh stay dere - yuh kin cuz 'im tuh move tuh diff'ren' othah places. But yuh mus' go tuh de graveyard soon in de morning befo' de risin' of de sun, an' git de dirt an' cast it in de direction dat de person lives. An' if yuh cast it in de direction dat de individual live, why - an' say some portion of de Bible, some po'tion [portion] of it. Den he will move immediately.
(Did you say any portion or any particular portion?)
Jes' any po'tion of de Bible - don' make any diff'rence, jis' any po'tion of de Bible tuh drive away mos' anythin' wit graveyard dirt.
Entry 7598
Dere's lotsa people always say dat if yuh go tuh de graveyard 'long about - well, 'fo' [before] day in de mawnin' an' dig down right about de heart of de person, right about de breast of de person, dig down way down deep intuh de grave an' git de graveyard dirt, no doubt, an' put it in yore shoes or wrap it in a rag an' tote it in yore pocket, dey always say - dat anothah sayin' - dat is good luck fo' gamblin' also.
Entry 7599
"Fore sunrise in de mawnin' yo' kin go. tuh de graveyard an' take a pen- ny an' put it in de centah of dat grave. An' run yore han' down dere an' take up some of dat dirt, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. An' yo' kin bring it back tuh dat person house dat chew wanta run away. an' sprinkle it all roun' dere house. In de Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' dash it an' don't look back.
(That will run them away?)
Dat'll run 'em away.
Entry 7600
Dey say - some dey buy thin's tuh make yuh move. Some, dey go in de graveyard an' git thin's tuh make yuh move. Yuh supposed tuh go in de grave yard - now dis is one ah'm gona tell yuh. Yuh supposed tuh go in de graveyard at noon of de day, reach down intuh de bosom [of] any grave dat chew kin reach down, an' git a han'ful of dirt down tuh which yuh think would be tuh de body of dat person, or neahest [nearest] dere heart as yuh could git. Yuh take dat dirt out, den yuh put in two or three pennies. Tell dem dat chew didn't come tuh beg nor tuh borrah [bor- row] yore way, but chew payin' yore Way tuh make such an' such a party move - put 'em tuh movin'. Den yuh place dose pennies in dere an' shut dat hole up. Yuh take dat dirt an' take it home. Put some salt wit dat dirt an' de name of de party an' sprinkle it wherevah dat person is. Dey tell me dat dey can't stay dere.
Entry 7601
[Among the many graveyard-dirt rites in Hoodoo, here we have a rare and unusual one, my only example of it - see my comment at the end of rite.] When yuh go tuh de graveyard in de aftahnoon tuh git dis dirt, yuh have tuh go at sundown, see. An' when yuh go at sundown, yuh have tuh git middleways of dis person. Middleways is the center or fifth point of the four-pointed or four- cornered grave, which makes a quincunx.] Git dis dirt an' yuh put a nickel [or] dime down. An' when yuh put de nickel down dere yuh git de dirt, yuh payin"en fo' de dirt. An' if yuh vanta run anybody away, yuh git dis dirt an' walk on back tuh dere house. Sprinkle dis dirt all de way roum' dere house [the rite of circumambulation]. An' aftah yuh sprinkle dis dirt all de way roun' dere house, yuh turn off an' walk sideways an' walk on back tuh de street. [Somewhere in Hoodoo I have explained why a person walks sideways, if he has en- closed himself within a circle.] An' aftah yuh git tuh de street yuh go hone. An' den aftah yuh go home, den yuh throw some of dis dirt roun' yore do' an' dey'll leave. Dey can't stay roun'.
[Our informant says sprinkle dis dirt all de way roun' dere [[victim's]]
house. This means the graveyard-dirt sprinkler goes completely round the house. Here we have a rite of circumambulation, also a circle of graveyard dirt about the house. As soon as the dweller within passes over the graveyard dirt, he will be driven permanently from house and perhaps town. But the sprinkler himself has trouble. He is inside the graveyard-dirt circle! If he walks out of the circle, crossing the dirt, he breaks his spell against the dweller; moreover, the spell automatically turms back upon the sprinkler, who now will be chased by the spirit! Our sprinkler solves his problem with a magic rite I have never recorded or met before. He proceeds neither forwards nor backwards; he sidles sideways. If sprinkler moves forwards or backwards across the dirt, at some point of each step his legs and feet pass and are at the moment of passing in a straight line. In an instant the spirit pounces upon him! But if sprinkler slides his right foot sideways to the right, then his left foot sideways to the right, not letting left foot touch right, then legs and feet are never in a straight line. He always presents to the waiting spirit only one half of his body at each step. The spirit is tricked! Why does sprinkler on reaching home sprinkle some of the same graveyard dirt at his own door? Graveyard dirt is a protective device against a possible call from departing victim and chasing spirit.]
Entry 7602
Den it's de las' one ah know - pahtic'ly [particularly] good, yo' see. Ah wanta tell yo' sompin whut ah done experienced mahself. Now, if yo' goin' off anywhere an' yo' goin' wit some mean folks, befo' yo' go, yo' goes yo' knows people at de cemetery becuz mos' any cemetery - people dat lives in a city or anywhere dey come tuh know somebody dat buried in a cemetery. Yo' goes dere first dark an' yo' carry one penny wit chew. An' yo' goes right tuh de head of 'is grave an yo' call 'im three times, yo' say, "So-an'-so, So-an'-so, [So-an'-so], ah come fo' some of yore dust, an' ah goin' pay yo' fo' it." See, an' yo' take it right off 'is breast right heah [demonstrates]. (Right off the middle of his breast.). An' yo' stick dat penny down an' - stick dat penny way down fur as yo' kin git it. Den yo' take dat dirt an' put it in whut chew wanta put it in [the container unimportant here], an' covah dat grave back up.
(What do you do with that dirt after you get it?)
Yo' kin take dat dirt an' yo' jis' kin sew it up in a red flannen or any piece of brand-new - yo' gotta sew it up in a brand-new piece of cloth, not no cloth dat been used. Jis' go an' git a nickel worth of some kinda cloth, an' sew dat dirt up in dere good an' yo' totes it. [This becomes a hand.] An' about once a week, yo' take a little bit of dis ten-cent cologne, yo' know, an' yo' puts on it [you feed it], an' yo' totes it in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go anywhere in any crowd of mean people, dey won't say a word tuh yo', an' yo' git 'long jis' as good as yo' want tuh.
Entry 7603
Ah say yuh kin [go] tuh de grave- yard an' git some graveyard dirt an' gun- powdah an' sprinkle it roun' dere place. An' if dey git [dirt] comin' from de head, dat takes 'em from de house; but if dey git it comin' tuh de house, dat brings yuh dere.
(Get what coming from the head?)
De dirt.
(What dirt?)
Ah say, tuh make a person move sometime yuh goes out dere an' git dat dirt an' sprinkle it roun' wit gunpowdah. Dat makes a person restless an' give 'em a mind tuh go, not tuh stay.
(You said something about nine days, didn't you?)
Yes, nine days aftah de party's buried. Yeah, nine days yuh go dere an' git it right out de chest. Den yuh kin go dere an' git it an' put it in a pile of chips. Put it in a pile of [wood] chips an' [if your victim] go dere an' rake dem chips up an' put 'em in de fire, yuh [the victim] liable tuh ketch afire an' burn tuh death. (If someone wants to do you that harm, they sprinkle this in the chips and you are liable to burn.)
Entry 7604
Yuh kin [go] tuh de graveyard three or nine or fifteen days aftah any- body is dead, an' git some of dat graveyard dust, if yuh wanta harm anybody or kill 'em. Yuh dig a square hole [or oblong one, both a grave sym- bol] an' put dat dirt in it, an' take dis little bo'd an' covah dat hole up, an den put some othah dirt on top of dat, an' dey really got chah.
(Where do you put that dirt, this graveyard dirt?)
Well, yuh kin put neah tuh de do' - tuh de front do', or tuh de back do', or any de alley [gallery?], any place where dey gotta walk at, an' yuh know dey've gotta walk across it.
conditional intent to harm or kill in a described account. The source expresses conditional intended harm; no actual injury, target identity or perpetration is established. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 7605
An' den dey say, if yuh wanta run a person, tuh take some dirt out from undah dere steps, an' go tuh de cemetery an' go tuh a sinnah's grave. Dat's whut ah heard. Ah haven't tried dis one, 'twuz told. People have been to folks [doc- tors, fortunetellers, etc.] lak dat. Go tuh de cemetery an' go tuh a sinnah's grave, an' go tuh de breast an' run yore han' down in de grave, as far as yuh kin git chure han' down in dat grave. Take up a han'fulla dirt outa dere an' den yuh pay dat daid a penny. Put it down in dere, say, "Now, ah'm payin' yuh fo'dis." Take dat dirt an' bring it roun' de house an' dat dirt from undah de steps. Take dat dirt an' put it intuh a cloth an' sew it into somepin. Dis box an' dat dirt will drive dat person away from dere. (Do you put that graveyard dirt and this dirt from under the steps into the same box?) Intuh de same box.
(Then what do you do with that box?)
Yuh take dat box - yuh put it in a box or eithah sew it up. Wear it aroun' yuh. Dat drives a person away from yuh, too. Dat's whut ah was told. Ah've nevah tried dat.