Browse:TREE (Volume 3, entries 4321–4338)
TREE
Volume 3, entries 4321–4338. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 4321
Ah've heered dat. Ah've hear 'em tell if he me mean or somepin othah - lak if he do somepin tuh 'im an she git mad, well she tell 'im, say, "Well, dat's all right. Ah'll fix 'im up fo' dat." An' so, well de nex' time he go dere an' have a 'nection [connection], take off 'is clothes an' do somepin lak dat, dey [she] go git some of 'is urine. Dey [she] take dat an' take 'em [her] one dese big long bo'in's [augers] an' take an' bo' a hole intuh a tree, but bo' dat hole so fur into dat tree an' den take dat stuff.
(What do you call that stuff?)
Ureenes.
(You mean the passage?)
[My word passage is too indefinite. Informant is talking about urine.]
Yes. An' dey take dat stuff an' dey bo' a hole intuh a tree. Well, yuh take dat passage an' yuh take it an' stop it up in a tree. An' take an' stop it up in a tree, an' aftah yuh do dat, git chew a stick an' make it big 'nuff tuh git in dat hole, an' nail [peg] it up an' wedge it up in dere. Dey say dat when yuh wedge it up in dere lak dat, dey said it takes effect on yuh. Dey say yuh can't do nuthin till yuh go tuh see some doctor an' he take it [the spell] off. Say dat will stop dem right den.
Entry 4322
Ah've heard talk of 'em bo'in' a hole in a tree. Says, if yuh wanted tuh kill someone, yuh git de urinate from 'em, an' bo' yuh a hole in a tree, an' cut yuh a wedge an' wedge it in dere. Yuh see, put de stuff in an' wedge it in tight. Say dat will kill 'em.
Entry 4323
Tell yuh one thing whut ah've seen done wit mah own eyes. Ah seen 'em take a person's urine, yuh know, an' make a roun'hole in dat tree, an' take an' fill it up [with urine], an' put a stäb in it an' stäb it up, an' dat kill people goin' an' comin'.
The informant describes actions they claim to have seen and alleges a killing effect. No actual death or causal effect is independently verified.
Entry 4324
Ah heard of people's boin' a hole in a tree an' gittin' some of dere urine or some yore come [man's semen] - sompin lak dat - an' put dat in dere an' dat person would love 'em. Stop it up in a tree.
Entry 4325
Yuh could take a person's urine an' bo' a hole in de 'simmon tree, an' when yo' bo' it in dere, bo' a hole an' put it in dere an' stop it up, an' dey can't do anythin'.
(It must be a persimmon tree?)
A persimmon tree or any kin'a hard tree.
Entry 4326
[The following rites are only a few of the many examples of HOODOO of pegging or wedging urine, excrement, hair and other objects into a hole made in a tree.] Well, dey kin stop it [up] - take some of yuh chamber lye. It's a lot of people doin' dese things, but dey don't undahstan' it; but de person dat really knows de way tuh do it, it really taken effect. Dey kin take a augah, a bran'-new augah an' [pauses, hesitant].
(I understand.)
Take a bran'-new augah an' go tuh a pine tree, or a gum tree, or a oak tree, an' bo' it wit de augah up like dat [demonstrates].
(THE AUGER BORES DOWN INTO THE TREE AT AN ANGLE.)
Yeah.
(All right.)
Yeah, an' aftah dey bo' dat hole, dey gotta - an' bo' dat hole deep enough, dey kin take some of yuh chamber lye an' place it - an' dump it.
(Dump it into that hole.)
Into dat hole. Yes?) [= continue.] An' cuz yuh tuh stop urinatin'. An' de doctah operate on yuh an' yuh die. But dere's a diff'ren' ways dey kin do dat.
(I see.)
Entry 4327
An' den people kin take dat chamber lye an' go tuh a tree, de fo'k of a tree an' where it can't be seen, an' dig a hole down in dat tree. An' have it [urine] in a bottle an' stop it up, an' turn it wit its haid down [into the hole] lak dat [demon- strates]. An' whoevah [whose urine] it is it.will stop 'is watah, [keep him] from urinatin', an' yo' know, cuz 'em [him] tuh have a complaint dat nobody kin cure. An' he die unless it's moved [by a doctor able to see and kill the effects of the spell or cunjure].
Entry 4328
Dey git hold of dere chamber lye an' po' it intuh - bore a hole intuh a stump, or somepin lak dat, an' po' it in dere an' stop it up so it will pene- trate down through dat stump. It gits no air. Dey say dat will intahfere wit de bladdah an' check yuh watah so much, so dat de doctah kin har'ly start it ag'in.
Entry 4329
Yuh kin take a woman's watah, tuh run 'is wife 'way from de othah man. An' yuh kin take dat watah an' put it intuh de dirt, if it not already on de dirt. Take it an' put it in de dirt an' make a kinda mud-like outa it, see. Yuh take de watah intuh de dirt an' yuh kin bo' a hole intuh dat tree, an' put it in dere an' stop it up In de Name of de Fathah, [and the Son] an' de Holy Ghost, an' make yuh wish de way dat chew want it tuh work. It will work.
(Any kind of way?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4330
Ah heard dat yuh could take a person's urinate an' stop it up in a bottle airtight, an' go an' bo' a hole in a maple tree an' put dat bottle in dere. Stick it in wit de stoppah in dere tuhwards de tree, until it gits tuh de heart of dat tree. An' den go den an' saw off a piece of hick'ry. Yuh know hick'ry's hard. An' when yuh do dat, why yuh take an' jam it in dat hole. Wedge it in dere airtight so de air can't git tuh it. An' dat will bust dere bladdah. Ah heard dat.
Entry 4331
Take dat chamber lye - yuh could take it an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up, an' put it in a tree, an' take dis fertilizah [manure of any kind] an' put it in dere an' dey'll soon die.
Entry 4332
Bury yuh hair down in a bottle an' dey kin turn aroun', dey kin go. Jis' like yuh live off in de country-like - yuh understand, off at de edge of town, say. Well, dey take it atop - right up chere [demonstrates], de mole of yuh haid. Dat's de part right chere dey wants - see, dat's de mole of yuh haid [demonstrates]. Dey kin take dis an' take a - jis' about three stran' of it, dey wants. An' take dat an' stop it up in a little small bottle, an' put up some holy water an' a little urinate an' things up in it. Yuh own urinate now. Kin take yuh own urinate an' po' it up in dere. Jis' like yuh git up in de mawnin' an' leave yuh wife. Well [she] go on aftah de chambah [you used] an' [get the] thing [urine] herself. An' she pour dat out dere herself, see. An' [she] kin go, jis' like dey got a ole tree. She kin dig a hollah right down side of de tree an' bury dat [threefold mixture] an' I guarantee when dat thing rotten out, yuh'll die.
Entry 4333
Tells me dey stop it [urine] up in a bottle an' goes tuh de no'th side of a tree, an' take a augah an' bore a hole in dat. An' stop it - stop de bottle up wit a stoppah, an' den trim yuh a peg an' drive it in dere, in dat hole, an' yuh can't make watah, can't make watah until yuh let it out [of the bottle].
(They fix up [cunjure] your water in that bottle.
Entry 4334
Dey will take yuh urinate an' put it intuh a glass about dat high [dem- onstrates]. An' ah kin take dat an' ah kin take it tuh de no'th side of a green tree an' bore a hole in it, an' pour it in dere an' stop it up. Den yuh watah will nevah pass no mo' until yuh take it out of de tree - until yuh po' dat out. An' it'll fin'ly have yuh goin' tuh de doctah tuh draw de watah from yuh, see. [Presumably this hole is bored slanting downwards, other- wise urine could not be poured into hole.]
Entry 4335
Take a person dat wan's tuh hur' chah [wants to hurt you]. Dey'll take - jis' lak yuh go out an' urinate. A person take yuh urinate an' go tuh a tree - go tuh de no'th side of a tree an' yuh'll bo' a hole in dere, an' put it in dere. An' aftah dey put it in dere, dey'll put a peg in dere. An' fo' nine mawnin's go dere an' tap dat peg one time, an' de ninth mawn- in' regardless tuh how a person look, when dey fuss [first] start, yuh git tuh de place yuh think yuh constipated [usually called waterbound]. De doctors can't do yuh no good. An' de ninth mawnin' when dey tap dat peg, dat's de day de per- son die.
(You mean where a person makes his water on the ground? Pick that up or what?)
No, jis' take his urinate.
[I am trying to solve the problem: bladder or bowels?]
(The liquid out of a pot or something? You mean the urine? You don't mean the action?) Jis' yuh watah. Anything out de [whatever informant calls it].
Entry 4336
Now, if ah don't want 'im, ah'm gonna turn 'im loose an' let 'im go. Now, if de woman [that had this man] done did me so bad, know what ah'll do? Ah'll try tuh git one of mah frien's tuh git some of 'er urinate tuh stop it [up] tuh try tuh kill 'er, if ah wan' tuh kill 'er. Ah don' wan'a walk up an' kill 'er; but kill 'er, yuh know, through hoodoo. Take her urinate an' put it in a bottle. Ah'll go tuh a peach tree, a tree what bears peaches, on de sunset side dat is. Put it dere when it saps. An' as it goes up, dat'll make her have cramps all in de stomic an' she'll wan' tuh urinate. She'll jis' do a drop. Well, she'll go tuh de doctah. She'll see de doctah [M.D.] an' de doctah will say somepin ail 'er bladdah. Hit's not dat, hit's me done tied er up wit 'er urinate.
Entry 4337
Take dere chamber lye an' make dem stay wit yuh or love yuh or be roun' yuh. Or yuh kin take dat chamber lye - well, ah know dey done mah brothah-in-law lak dat one time. Dey took 'is chamber lye an' put it in a bottle, an' den put it up in a tree above his haid, an' had 'im hangin' up dere all de time. Said dat'd keep 'im sick an' stop 'is watah jis' lak he had gravels or sompin lak dat.
Entry 4338
Take de persimmon an' dogwood an' boil it an' make a tea outa it. Place chamber lye an' sulphur tuh it an' gives Dentine paste - Dentine tooth- paste. An' dey say yuh kin go anywhere yuh wanta an' yuh gain luck. (Where do you keep all this stuff?) Well, yuh jis' take it an' keep it jis' where- somevah yuh wan' tuh. Yuh have it fixed an' set lak yuh want it tuh set. See, always jis' take a little part of it. Yuh dress it lak yuh wan'a tuh yore own bouse [dress your house with it in any way you want to]. An' when yuh git ready tuh go [away from home], why yuh take yuh luck an' fix [dress] yuh han's wit yuh luck, an' den yuh go.