Browse:URINE (Volume 3, entries 3975–4373)/Part 2
URINE
Volume 3, entries 3975–4373. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 4055
Ah have took dere chamber lye, yuh know, mine an' her'n togethah an put it in a bottle, an' place it up ovah yore head - do'. An' den she will mos'ly [mostly] always be at home, yuh know, when yuh come in. An' den she would har'ly have any dealin's wit any- body cuz long as dat up ovah de do', yuh know, her mind on yuh.
Entry 4056
Dey tell me dey take yuh chamber lye tuh stop a person from makin' watah. Dey take dat an' put it in a bottle an' cork dat tight, an' tie it up ovah yuh do'. Dat's de way dey do wit de chamber lye. Dat's what dey tell me. Yo' can't make no watah.
(Over whose door do you tie that?)
Right ovah mah do'.
(Over your own door? But you have some other person's water in there?)
Yes.
Entry 4057
Jes' lak yo' stays heah an' yo' wanta make somebody stay at home, yo' jes' git chew a [Lowe's] piece 'bout dat long, an' jes' keep it wet in dat cham- ber lye an' lay it up ovah de do'. He ain't goin' nowhere. (What kind of a piece? Is that a piece of cloth? Or what is it?) Yes, dat's a piece of cloth, yessuh. [My transcriber called this a Louis piece. It is Lowe's cloth from which sacking is or was made. Either I have this name some- where else in the text or my note on this present transcription sheet was made while I still remembered the meaning.]
Entry 4058
[The general reader may not know that dripping is an important magic rite in folklore, the magic of various types of occurrence: continual, occa- sional, interrupted, regu- lated, etc. The best-known examples are probably the burial of an article where water from the eaves drip on it - see FACI, 1st ed. 362, p.14, rain-making rite; 847, p.34, divination of crop year; 4124, p.195, 4239, p.203, wart cures.]
(How would they do that?)
Dey jis' git aholt of some of yuh chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' put yuh a little trench in dat bottle stoppah.
(Put a little trench in the stopper?)
Yes, sir, where it yuh know, it won' run but it'll drip. An' yuh put dat bottle in a tilted position where dat kin drip an' drip an' drip. An' yuh'll become - git tuh de place where yuh cain't har'ly do anythin', lak a man do uhen he gits fixed [hoodooed or witchcrafted] you know. An' fin'ly dat all drips out. Well, if it molts [molds] in dere an' de molt [mold] gits ovah dat hole, an' it quits drippin' an' it stops de hole up, it stops yuh urine. He don' urinate no mo', unless he gits somepin done. An' yo' know a man don' have tuh miss doin' dat long befo' he dies.
Entry 4059
Yo' kin take a person chamber lye an' po' it in a bottle, an' take it an' bury it underneat' chure do'step. Have a little hole in dere, yo' know, where it will drip it lak dat. An' when de las' drop go out, drop out, DEY'LL LEAVE WIT DAT LAS' DROP.
(I would do that with their chamber lye to make them leave?)
Make 'em leave, see - git rid of 'em, kill 'em. See, dey'll lingah along yo' see.
The account places a bottle beneath a doorstep. This link retrieves that doorway location; it does not identify the doorstep with a door panel. The continuation describes making someone leave and killing them; these are source claims, with no established outcome.
Entry 4060
(What do they do with the urine?)
Well, jis' set it aside in a secret place an' let it sit dere fo' a long, long time. An' a-co'se [of course] it jis' aftah gits so ole an' stale, why dey jis' dreen [drain] it out graj'ly [grad- ually]. An' dey say dat makes yuh dreen away.
Entry 4061
Dey git holt some-a yuh chamber lye, yuh see, an' dey bur' [bury] it. Dey git holt-a yuh chamber lye an' dey put it in a bottle. Dey put somepin else Wit it. Dey put some kin'a Ceylon peppah [says my transcriber, and that is what it sounded like; but here we have a hoodoo drug store or mail-order house product - Sea Lion Pepper]. Kin'a white-liken peppah. [This pepper is white-like and the label probably shows the figure of a sea lion.] But dey have it fine. [The pepper comes ground.] Put dat [pepper] wit it. An' dey make a hole in de top of yuh chamber lye [bottle cork] an' dey turn it [bottle] upside down an' dey bury dat chamber lye. An' if yuh don' find 'at bottle of chamber lye in time an' unburies it, yuh'll die. Dis thing leaks, it will leak out. See, be leaking, but dey do make a hole in it fo' hit tuh leak. Dey bur' 'it. Dey try tuh git it tuh yuh home if dey kin. Dey'd ruthah [they had rather] fo' it tuh be tuh yuh home den be tuh dere house. An it leak out. An' WHEN DAT BE GONE, all dat chamber lye, YUH BE GONE.
[I start fishing for details.]
(What did you say they get for that, the stuff in the can - pepper?)
Be in a pasteboard box. It's white cayenne. Think tuh buy about 15c or 25c but it's kin'a high [expensive].
[Again I fish, for time, anything.]
(And when do they put this in - altogether?)
Put dat in de chamber lye.
[My third fishing trip catches a rare detail!]
(And where do you put that, then? That chamber lye, what do you put that in?)
Oh, any kin'a [bottle] - HOLY WATAH BOTTLE - if yuh leave a little bit of hole. [Use any bottle, but a holy water bottle is more convenient.] Yuh [see] DESE HOLY WATAH BOTTLE GOT DEM KIND, YUH KNOW CAPS, WHERE A LITTLE BIT OF HOLE COME OUT AN' LET IT LEAK.
Entry 4062
Stop it in a bottle.
(This chamber lye?)
Yessuh, yo' put it in a bottle. Ketch yore chamber lye an' put it in a bot- tle. An' put chew a little stoppah - little hole [in it] jis' enough tuh git a drop evah now an' den. An' bury dat bottle up, bottom- side up, an' evah now an' den, drop by drop, [will come] from dat bottle. An' dat will cut yore watah off an' pine yuh 'way tuh nuthin.
[As in the preceding rite, I begin to fish.]
(I see. You say you make a hole so that a drop will come out?)
Yes sir, one drop evah now an' den. Hold dat bottle up [and test it] 'fo' [before] yuh take it [and bury it].
(Oh, I see. Only one drop comes out of there.)
One evah now an' den.
(I see.)
Evah now an' den a drap will fall from dat bottle, but yuh bury dat bottle bottomside upwards.
[My fishing produced only the testing of the bottle. Good advice at that!]
Entry 4063
chamber lye is fo' all diff'ren things. Well, all right. Say fo' in- stance now, if yo' got a woman dat chew wanta 'er an' she's gone away from yo', an' she iis' come tuh yore house - ah mean at night dat way. Well any- hah, chew take yore slop jar an' set yore slop jar on de side of de bed, an' let 'er urinate in dat slop jar. Undahstan', she urinate in dere. ARE YO' GONA LET DESE BOOKS BE PRINTED CHERE?
[Same informant asks similar question elsewhere in text.]
(No, no.)
[All my informants, especially people known to be professional workers, were told I was writing a book - a book to them meaning a paperback hoodoo manual like the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses or Albertus Magnus. I was out in the field to learn from experts like themselves. This will partially explain why I was talked down to so much! At least I hope the reason was not, they had to talk down to me!] Well, she urinate in dat slop jar. Well, when she urinate in dere, yo' go down tuh de sto' an' git chew a nickel worth of whole grain black peppah. Don' git dis groun' peppah. An' yo' git chew a little vial an' po' her urinate, jis' about dat much [demonstrates] in dat little vial. An' den yo' put nine grains of black peppah in dere, see. Den yo' take yores an' put yores in dere on top of hers. See, dat's holdin' 'er down.
(Some of your urine?)
Yeah, put hers in dere firs' an' yores las'. Put dat nine grains of black peppah down in dere on dat. Den yo' git chew a little stoppah an' cut [demon- strates] one trench lak dis an' one trench dataway, yo' know so it'll ketch air. An' den yo' take dat an' bury dat undah de steps wit de mouth comin' dis way [demonstrates].
(With the mouth coming toward the house.)
She can't leave yo' tuh save her life.
Entry 4064
Ah heard dat wit chamber lye, if yuh would lak tuh blind a person, if yo' dash it in dey'r eye while dey sleep, see, er [or] dash it in dey'r eye whn dey not expectin' it, an' it'lll blin' dem. [I always asked in some form or other the important question: Have you ever heard of anything being done With human urine? Or if late during a long interview: What about urine? Never did I ask: What would happen if you [[or I]] threw urine into a person's eyes? The answer many times would have a guess. Consequently, how widespread this belief is, except here and following rite and perhaps one or two more, I do not know.]
Entry 4065
Ah heard of a man takin' 'is, yo' know, his urinate. He ketch 'er wit othah mens [womens? see later]. Ketchin' 'is urinate an' carin' [carrying] it back home, an' rubbin' in 'is han' an' placin' up ovah 'is wife haid. Huh hair wuz whut cuzin' [causing'er tuh run aroun' in de street. He ketched it in a [see later] an' care it back an' place it tuh 'er haid, an' he balled [balded] 'er haid. Well, aftah he balled 'er haid, he blin' 'er wit de same thin'.
(What did he catch her doing with other women?)
[For women trouble with women, see my comment at Florence, S. Car., v.1, INTRO, P. XXXVII.] He had... one-a dese ole... whut mens puts on 'em tuh protek [protect] dereself wit bad wimmins. [I am sorry about the two preceding lacunae. Evidently my transcriber thought them unprintable - they were unprintable back in the early 1940's - and unfortu- nately I missed rechecking this separate sheet with the original cylinder. For- tunately my following comment in the text reveals the deleted words:]
(Oh! a rubber bag?)
Uh-huh. [The deleted words were prick bag.] Well, he ketched it in dat. He ketched all 'is urine. See, he'd ketch it in dat. An' dat's whut he used on 'is wife's haid an' face. Well, he runned 'er blin'.
(You mean his urine or his other stuff?)
His urine, yes.
(You are sure it was his urine?)
Yes - yes, on 'uh hair an' right on 'uh face.
(And that ran her blind?)
Runned 'uh blin' an' cleaned 'uh haid [of hair]. [Sumter, S. Car., (1384).2460:2.] [Could this be an etiological story: the origin of a myth, name, place, and here a rite - something fabricated by a busybody or gossip to explain why a woman suddenly went blind and lost her hair at the same time?1
Entry 4066
Well, dey take dat - well, if dey git holt-a yuh fingahnail an' yuh hair, an' prob'ly maybe some-a yuh urinate, see. Well, dey stick 'em in a bot- tle an' dey bury dat in de groun', see. An' dat will do all de harm dey want. (What will that do for example?) Well, it will make yuh mindless.
Entry 4067
Yuh take some of dey fingahnails or toenails an' put it in a bottle wit some of yuh urinate an' keep it in yuh trunk or somewhere. Dat will cuz [cause] 'em tuh love yuh - be sweet on yuh. (Well, if some woman was doing that to me, would she take my fingernails or her fingernails?) Well, if she wanted yuh tuh love huh, she would take yuh fingahnails.
(And put it with my urine or hers?)
Yuhs.
(She would have both things from me?)
Yeah.
(And keep them?)
Yeah.
Entry 4068
(What do they do with this chamber lye? [Probably a long pause, then:]
What do they do now?) It won't kill yo' but it make yo' sick, see. What would dey do wit it? Well, yo' kin take it an' put it in a fiahplace. Dat's whut dey do's wit it.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will cuz yo' tuh be sick, see. It won't kill yuh. (Linger away. Sick in any par- ticular place?) Well, yo' be sick down in de private, see.
(Oh, with your urine, that way - bladder.)
Entry 4069
Takes dat person watah an' go to de fiah- place an' throw dat in de fiahplace an' den nevah look back at it. Dat'll run yo' crazy. Jis' throw it right in de fiah.
(That will harm the person whose water it was.)
Entry 4070
Den yo' kin jis' take his chamber lye an' jis' put it in a bottle an' put it down undah yore hearth right by de fiah yo' know, where it won't break. [They] say put it down in dere. Dat is if yo' wants tuh kill 'em or do sompin lak dat - wanta make him lingah or suffah 'fo' [before] he die, an' cuzin' [causing] dat watah tuh dry up in dat bottle from de heat. An' dat's how it dry up in 'is bladdah.
Entry 4071
An' if yuh don' wanta work it lak dat, yuh kin take a man's sock, if he's jis' as cruel, jis' so cruel yuh an' 'im can't hardly live togethah, yuh kin take his sock an' put it in - pick up one de bricks out de hearth an' yuh puts it in dis hole. Well, yuh goes dere an' yuh takes an' uri- nate on it, yuh know whut dat is - on it fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll make him jis' as nice tuh yuh as he kin be. He won' fight chew any mo' an' he'll jis' take ca' [care] of 'is wife or woman, jis' lak a man should. Yuh has tuh let it stay dere now fo' nine mawnin's, an' aftah yuh do dat, why yuh know dat chew got 'im.
Entry 4072
One fellow was telling me about it an' he claimed he was. They get some of your water in a bottle and cork it up, dig a hole in the corner of the chimney and bury this upside down; and when this water would boil, you die.
Entry 4073
(Any other way she can make him come back to her?)
She kin do - she take nine needles an' nine pins an' put 'em in a bottle head an' tail, an' call 'is name evah time [she drops a needle or pin]. An' full de bottle full wit 'er chamber lye. An' cork it up tight an' make a fiah an' put dat bottle in de fiah, an' when it bust, call dey name. In 24 hours time he has tuh come tuh 'er runnin' - no mattah where he be, have tuh come tuh 'er.
Entry 4074
Dey could do dat. De way ah know dey do dat, dey take a ole gun. Yo've seen dese ole-time guns, de ole muskets we call 'em, shot wit a cap on 'em. Yo take yore chamber lye an' den po' it in dat gun an' stop it up an' put de gun up de chimley. Let de barrel be pointed out. An' dat will hol' yo' watah - yo' can't make watah. [Freud would have had a field day, had a patient seen this rite in a dream!]
Entry 4075
In a old-fashioned house, yo' know, dey go roun' in de cornah of de chimley. Well yo' go roun' in de cornah of de chimley an' git a pinch of dat dirt roun' in dere, scrape it up from de earth. An' den yo take some of dat dirt an' go anywhere dat a person is livin' at an' make 'em leave. [For other ex- amples of this outside chimney watercloset, see 203, p.57, lines 3-11; 3092, p.913, lines 5-9.]
Entry 4076
Git de feathah from a black chicken, if yo' a man thirsty fo' a woman, in love wit 'er. Yo' take dat feathah from a black chicken an' yo' manage tuh git some of 'er ministra- tion. Now, de way ah've heard dis: if yo' kin git some of 'er ministration, an' yo' put dat wit dat feathah in dere. Den yo' take dat feathah an' put it in a bottle an' yo' put yo'self some spirits of tur- pentine in dere. Yo' put some dis othah stuff [urine? semen?]. Put some quinine in dere. An' den yo' take dat piece [hatband] or de bow, eithah one, outa yore hat, an' put it in dere. Let dat stay right dere nine days. [Auto horn.] Aftah nine days yo' bury dat thin' right somewhere 'bout de no'th cornah of yore chim- ley in de groun'. Den yo' go out dere an' yo' make watah on dat dere fo' nine days. Yo' pee on dat fo' nine days. Den dat dere - dat draws 'er 'fection to yo'.
Entry 4077
[Urine in food or drink is a widespread belief in hoodoo and witch- craft. Examples of it have already been given in HOODOO - see 2663-2364, p.661 and elsewhere. Here in the following rites the eater or drinker has been tricked; he does not know what he has eaten or drunk. Occasionally in HOODOO a person will purposely drink his own or another person's urine; a practice lin- gering on as a deviation (uralangnia) among a few persons. Superstitions similar to these urine ones will also be found regarding menstrual blood.1 Yo' kin take yore chamber lye. Jes' lak if ah wants tuh go wit a woman, or a woman wants me tuh go wit her, either one, see. Yo' kin take yore chamber lye an' put it in some watah, or either put it into sompin tuh eat, an' dat'll run yo' fool about her - all to- gethah a fool, yo' jes' wandah away [live in a dreamland] an' yo' jis' lose out on de world.
Entry 4078
A woman kin take chamber lye an' feed a man on it an' do 'im any way in de worl' she wanta. She have him he'pless [helpless]. He cain't do a thin'. She jis' have him gwinin' [going = running around in circles] all de time.
Entry 4079
Yo' kin take chamber lye an', yo' know, if yo' kin git a chance tuh cook fer 'im an' put it in 'is food, well he'll come back [if he has left home].
Entry 4080
Yo' could put it in a person's food.
(This chamber lye?)
Yes. Yuh could put it in de person's food, an' if yuh fuss or quarrel a lot, if yuh think he gon'a leave yuh, why it will make him humble an' make him stay wit yuh. Yuh could even stop 'im, if he wuz a man dat liked tuh go a lot an he's goin' wit othah wimmin. Why IT WOULD TAKE HIS MIN' OFFA DOSE WIMMIN an make him stay at home.
Entry 4081
Well, dat de same thin', aftah yo' git 'er tuh yo'. Well, aftah yo' git 'er tuh yo', aftah she gits tuh yo' an' gits a-goin' wit chew, aftah 'er love is come tuhwards yo' - tuh keep 'er is tuh take some of yuh urinate an' feed it in 'er food. Drops some in dere.
Entry 4082
[They] say dat she kin take, if she wanted tuh make him really love her, or he love her, dat he kin go take some of 'is, or she kin take some of 'er watah, anythin' lak dat, an' put it in somepin tuh eat an' cook it fo' him, yuh know, an' let 'im eat dat.
Entry 4083
An' den yuh kin feed 'im chamber lye. Dat'll make him crazy about chew. Intuh somepin tuh eat.
Entry 4084
Dey could use yuh chamber lye.
(All right, how could you do that?)
Dey tell me if yuh take de chamber lye an' mix it intuh whut chew eat - dey tell me a woomin kin take dat an' sprinkle a little of de chamber lye intuh whut chew eat an' let chew eat dat. Dat'll keep yuh from runnin' aftah othah wimmins.
Entry 4085
Dey says yo' kin take dat chamber lye an' if de woman's fond-a drink- in', anythin' lak dat, if yuh cain't git 'er tuh.yuh an' she's strayed away from yuh. Take it an' put it an' give it tuh some of yuh close fren's, an' let 'er git it an' drink it - de chamber lye. Says dat's whut dat's good fo'. Dat will make 'er 'tenshun [attention] go back tuh yuh.
Entry 4086
Yo' take a peach or banana, or lak if yore husban' lak bananas an cream, yo' know, lak dat fo' breakwus [breakfast]. Well yo' take dis banana, peaches - I won' say peaches becuz I haven't used dat, I use bananas. An' pee in a pan at night an let dese bananas soak in 'em ovahnight, an' de nex mawnin' use dem in corn flakes or cream. Dat's fo' love.
(Would he taste that?)
No, sir. Yo' cain't taste it at all.
(You mean the sugar kills the taste?)
Yes.
Entry 4087
DAT [URINE] ONE DE GREATES' THIN'S IN DE WORLD.
(Tell me one thing you can do with it and why you do it.)
Yo' kin put a little bit in de cookin' an' control 'im - put it in de cookin'. An' yo' kin put some in yore bathwatah. Dat makes 'im stay home.
(Some of that urine - chamber lye?)
Yes. Make him stick tuh yo' an' he won't leave yo'. Mix it up yo' know.
Entry 4088
An' jes' lak yore man will take a bath, yo' take dat watah whut he take a bath in an' take a little of yore pee, an' take it an' put it in 'is coffee; if he drinks coffee or tea, eithah one. He'll be crazy 'bout chew.
Entry 4089
Take chamber lye, jis' a little of it, an' mix it up wit flour [usually in bread]. Women did dat in ordah tuh give tuh dere husban's. An' dey say dat dat will make dem care fo' dem an' hold 'em. In othah words it gives dem powah ovah dem an' dey kin deman' any- thin' outa dem dat dey want.
Entry 4090
Well, people say yo' kin use chamber lye. Take dat an' take an' make it up in bread, an' have a man do jis' lak - have him undah yore coamand, if it's yore frien' or yore husban'.
Entry 4091
Take yo' pee an' do it up in bread an' feed 'im on dat; say dat will make him stay home.
Entry 4092
If a woman wants tuh make a man come undah her control, why dat's whut she use. Take it an' feed ' it intuh de food; make his food, lak she make bread.
(This chamber lye.)
Entry 4093
Take yore chamber lye an' make it up in bread, an' give it tuh a man or woman, anyone, tuh make 'em love yuh - do mos' anythin' yuh wan' 'em tuh do.
Entry 4094
If a fellah loved a gurl, he would take his chamber lye. She be jes' walkin' along [and you see her] an' HAVE YO' SOME CANDY. CHOCOLATE CANDY. WHY YO' KIN JIS' TAKE IT OUT - TAKE IT OUT AN' PEE ON DAT CANDY SEE AN' LET IT DRY OFF, AN' CARRY IT AN' GIVE IT TUH 'ER AN' LET 'ER EAT IT. Well, dat makes 'er love strongah fo' him. She love him.
Entry 4095
Onest ah wuz co'tin' [courting] a girl an' she didn't seem [to] like me so very well. So ah went an' got me some candy an' wet on dat a little bit, yuh know, care'd [carried] it tuh 'er an' give it tuh 'er, an' she fell in love wit me shuh [sure] 'nough.
Wet on dat remains the printed wording; no particular fluid or verified affection outcome is established.
Entry 4096
She'll go tuh de sto' an' git a piece of candy, an' take dat candy an' rub it down dere, see; an' care [carry] dat candy an' give it tuh 'i. An' evah time he eat dat candy, why he'll love her mo' an' mo'.
Entry 4097
Dey take chamber lye an' put it in food. Dey put chamber lye in a man's coffee. When a woman want a man tuh go crazy 'bout 'er, she kin jis' put chamber lye an' take it an' put it, yuh know, a little in 'is coffee or in 'is food or somepin an' he'll go stone crazy
[about her].
Entry 4098
Yuh kin take hit - take de chamber lye an' put it in 'is coffee or eithah sompin tuh eat, an' it will make him love yuh an' give yuh money.
Entry 4099
Whut ah heard women say - ah don' know but ah heard women say dey take dey chamber lye an' put it in dere husban' tea or coffee, an' dey say dat will make 'em love 'em an' make 'em stay at home.
Entry 4100
Ah've heard women say, if dey Want tuh git nex' tuh a man, dey put it in somepin tuh drink lak tea or coffee.
(This chamber lye?)
De chamber lye an' git de good will of dat man an' make him follah aftah dem.
Entry 4101
Lak if mah man has turn 'is back on me, ah take some of dat chamber lye an' ah put it in 'is coffee an' he drink it. Well, den he'll do anyvay ah say, an' he go wit nobody else.
Entry 4102
Ah've heard some of 'em say, yuh kin take yuh chamber lye. Dey take it an' git tuh some-a dem shoe, an' dey take dat an' sprinkle it down in dey shoes - yo' see, sompin lak dat. An' take it an' eithah po' it in coffee, slip it in some-a dems coffee, yuh know, an' make dem love yuh. An' den de women's take it an' make de mens bring 'em de money. See.
Entry 4103
Yuh kin go out if yuh wan'a woman tuh love yuh regardless tuh who she is. Yuh kin go an' take yuh urinate in a bottle, an' take dat an' po' it in somepin lak cream or anythin' - jis' enough dey won't tast'it [taste it] in it - an' yuh'll rule her dat way.
Entry 4104
If a man runnin' roun' wit a woman, if he's mah fren' or mah husban', ah'll take a little bit of mah chamber lye an' mix it all up, an' put jes' a little pinch of mah chamber lye an' wash de dishes wit it, fix de meals an' put a little drop of dis dragon's blood in it. Dat's how ah fix mine.
Entry 4105
If she wan'a hold a man she take a dishrag an' wash 'er ownself wit it, an' use it in de kitchen jis' lak she always [does]. He'll nevah cā'y 'is money from home. He'll bring it home jis' lak a chile. She cook 'im anythin' sweet, she'll put chamber lye or anythin' in dat, chew know, an' make him come home, bring 'is money in, see. Dat keep 'im 'umble [humble] undah 'er shoe. He'll always be lookin' up tuh 'er, yuh know. Yet he takin' cah [care] of 'er.
Entry 4106
Yuh kin take dat chamber lye an' if a woman wan's yuh tuh love her, or if yuh wan'a woman tuh love yuh an' lak dat now, dat's a simple thin'. Now, if yo' wan' de woman be settled down, yuh do dat, an' dey follah yuh from heel tuh heel. Ah'm gon'a tell yuh now, dey'll follah yuh from heel tuh heel. But yuh don wan' 'em follow yuh, but dey cain't he'p it follah yuh from heel tuh heel. Yuh go tuh work an' takes yuh a bottle of Coca-cola or anythin'-lak, an' take an' lay it out tuh yuhself. An' turn yuhself right dere tuh de east, where de sun rise in de east. Jis' lak ah'm settin' in [facing] de east right now. [To face the east or rising sun is a fairly common rite.] An' yuh take dat bottle an' po' out a li'le of it [or] yuh kin drink a li'le of it, yuh know. Jis' puts it [hold bottle] down, git it away from dere [you] at de top, an' yuh take an' take yuh penis, yuh undahstan', an' stan' tuh [facing] de east heah, an' hol' de bottle jis' lak dat an' shoot de pee in dere. An' when yuh do dat, say, "Dis is fo' us." All yuh got'a say, yuh standin' in de east yuh see, "Dis is fo' us." All right, yuh'll go back now. Yuh see, yuh stop it back up, shake it up. [For shaking bottled urine, see later margin title SHAKING BOTTLED URINE.] Go back, yuh undahstan', an' de ole lady say, "Whut's dis? Heah's one. Dis kin' all right?" "Yes, yes dis kin' all right." "Well, let me open it." Well, ah open it an' give her. Pull off of it dere [remove cap] an' shake it up an' po' in - serve it, yuh know, an' dey drink it down. AN' MAH FREN', in three day's time, she be tellin' evahbody, "Why, ah'm jis' crazy 'bout mah ole man."
Entry 4107
An' den put eithah a man or a woman chamber lye in tea or coffee or whiskey or whichsomevah it is, jis' feeds it tuh 'em - a teaspoonful at de time evah mawnin'. An' take a man - an' cut chure fingahnails, an' cut chure toenails, an' soak yuh feet in warm watah. An' take a razor blade or somepin an' shave dat dead skin from undah de bottom of yuh feet, an' yuh could put it on a little pan an' parch it on de stove. Yuh kin put dat in sompin, tea or coffee, an' dat will hold 'em togethah. AH KNOWS ALL DEM THIN'S CUZ AH'VE TRIED 'EM.
Entry 4108
Den yuh kin take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' de fingahnails an' toenails an' chamber lye an' put dat in a person's food. Dat'll make 'em love yuh.
Entry 4109
Yo' takes de dead skin off de bottom of yuh feet an' put it in a halfa pint of whiskey an' takes one teaspoonful of pee an' po' it in. Dat'll make dem become tuh love yuh.
Teaspoonful denotes a quantity in this reported recipe. No utensil, calibrated modern volume or demonstrated effect is established.
Entry 4110
If a person want's yuh tuh love 'em, tell me yo' kin take yore chamber lye an' put it on some of 'is food an' dry it [urine] in it [food] by de fiah- place. An' give it tuh 'em an aftah dey eat 'em, dey min' [mind] an' all will be wit chuh.
(They dry this food next to the fireplace after they put the chamber lye in it?)
Yes.
Entry 4111
An' dey say if she kin git a man's watah, if she take dat watah right aftah de man's had action an' GOT 'IS BLOOD MIXED WIT IT[!!!] she kin handle 'i wit it. She kin mix 'er watah an' 'is watah tuhgethah an' give it tuh 'im tuh eat, an' she keep 'im from goin' hithah - from goin' anywhere 'cept comin' home. Mix 'em tuhgethah. Give it tuh 'im tuh drink in drinks.
Entry 4112
Jis' lak 'if ah workin' on a job. See, DERE'S A BOSS ON DIS JOB. Now, ah'll gO to WOrk - IF DIS BOSS DRINKS, SEE - AH'LL GO TO WORK AN' TAKE SOME OF MAH WATAH AN' PUT IT IN DAT BOTTLE AN' HE'LL COME TO LOVE ME, See. (He'll what?) He'll come to love me jis' lak he love his mothah. Take mah watah in de bottle an' he'll drink off it an' he'll come to love me. An' ah kin handle him jis' lak a baby - jis' lak yuh take a horse an' give him sugah.
Entry 4113
Den, they say that when you're workin' aroun' [doing housework], if you Want TO KEEP CHURE JOB, Why yo' kin, yo' know. Yo' kin TAKE A LITTLE chamber lye AN' PUT IT IN DE FOOD OR WHEN WASHIN' OF DE DISHES.
Entry 4114
(You have good luck you say with red onions. Well, now what did you say you put into that?) Yuh put yuh own chamber lye, an' yuh puts sulphur intuh it, an' yuh put love powdahs intuh it an' a li'le sugah - granulated sugah, a teaspoonful. Dat makes a nice salve. An' yuh gi' dat tuh 'im an' dey'll love yo'. (What do you do with that?) Yuh kin take dat an' gi' [give] dat tuh de person. Yuh gi' tuh 'em tuh eat.
Entry 4115
Heard of 'em takin' dere chamber lye an' also dere monthly. An' put it - about two drops of dey monthly an' a teaspoonful of dere chamber lye in a man's or a woman's food. Dat's, if it's a woman, she puts it intuh de man's food, her monthly. If it's a man, lak if de woman drinks or somepin lak dat, he puts some of 'is chamber lye intuh 'er whiskey or Coca-cola or somepin lak dat. An' dat's tuh keep 'em tuhgethah.
Entry 4116
Jes' lak if yuh want a man tuh be wid jah an' stay wid jah. He may be pullin' off wid some othah woman. Yuh take chamber lye an' a little bit of yuh minstratin' an' put it in whiskey or coffee, eithah one of dose thin's, an' jis' give it tuh 'em. An' he drink dat an' he jis' be so fool about chew, he'll have tuh be dere.
Entry 4117
Dey takes dat an' let it set nine days, fo' nine days, an' put it in de man's coffee an' make 'im love dem an' make him come back. (That's the chamber lye.)
Entry 4118
Well, yuh kin take a person'8 chamber lye. If yuh got a good girl an' she won' have yuh, yuh take nine drops of dat chamber lye an' put it in likkah an' give it tuh 'er. Yuh an' 'er will nevah break up. Yuh live wit 'er de balance of yuh life.
Entry 4119
If yuh want yuh wife tuh be crazy 'bout chuh, yuh take yuh nine drops of chamber lye. Put it intuh a bottle an' evah time dat choo go tuhgethah, or anythin', yuh drop one drop in dere, yuh know, in some tea or whiskey - whut- evah she drink. She'll be crazy 'bout choo.
Entry 4120
Jis' lak, now, yuh run aroun' a whole lot. Yuh know, jis' lak yuh an ah, yuh wife, wan' chew tuh stay home. Well, all she have tuh do is tuh jis' make yuh some bread up sep'rate, an put a little of 'er watah in it, about nine mawnin's, an' yuh'll stay home. Yuh won' go nowhere. Dat break yuh.
Entry 4121
If yuh in love wit a woman an' cain't undahstan' it, an' yuh do' know why yuh love her - sompin lak dat - she given yuh some of 'er chamber lye. An' den [to free yourself] yuh taken yuh chamber lye, say nine mawnin's in suc- cessful [succession], yuh walk aroun' de house an' come back in, an' take a swallah yuh chamber lye. Dat'll kill de love fuh a woman who have ovahpowahed yuh. Yuh've seen men dat women jis' drag aroun', do' cāh [care] anythin' 'bout 'em, but dey cain't hep' dey- self. Well dey - dat whut makin' 'em [dragl. De woman put some of dat stuff, her monthly yo' might call [it, but here it is urine] intuh 'is coffee, yuh see.
[To be on the safe side, I fortunately summarize the rite.]
(Well, if this woman has used this chamber lye in his food, he can kill that by using his own chamber lye against hers. HE HAS TO TAKE A SWALLOW EVERY MORN- ING FOR NINE MORNINGS.) Fo' nine mawnin's tuh kill hers.
Entry 4122
Walkin' aroun' de house, ah heard dat. If a woman got chew fixed in love, so deep in love dat chew can't - dat chew can't git 'er off yuh mind, J jis' walk aroun' de house once in de mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' takes a drink of yuh own chamber lye. Nine mawnin's walk aroun' de house an' dat'll kill dat. [As you will See, THIS RITE IS IDENTICAL WITH THE PRECEDING ONE, THOUGH THE FORMER HAS MORE DETAIL AND INTEREST. DESPITE THESE TWO PERSONS APPEARING 35 INFORMANTS APART, I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THERE WAS ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM. Occasionally, a doctor especially, almost anyone, man or woman, would send a scout ahead to learn about my work and to evaluate the safety and reward problem. The present coincidence may be such an example. MY COMMENT NG ON TBE ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPTION SHEET IN THE "MS" MEANS A NUMBER OF THINGS; HERE PROBABLY SOMEONE HAVING LITTLE TO REPORT.]
Entry 4123
A woman down in Caroline [Co., Va.] had a husband always running about and he went to West Virginia, and he wrote to her and she sent him some tobacco. She said she had a good chance to make him come home. She took of her rumning nature - that's water, urine, and washed that tobacco and sent it to him. And he chewed it and in three days he was back in the yard. She brought him back home. She told me so herself. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 4124
If de woman - she wants a man to herself, an' dey [man] can't leave dey [her] home, why she gotta cook de meal. Well, wheresomevah dey cook de meal where de steam is on it, she kin jes' set down ovah it.
(Sets down over the food?)
Ovah de food, an' dat man ain't goin' leave dat house.
(She doesn't do anything in the food?)
No, dat's all - don't do nuthin in it. Whut ah'm tellin' yo' now, dey jes' set ovah it an' dat steam from her [does the work].
Entry 4125
Yeah, dat's right. Yo' take a dishpan, see yo' take a dishpan now, it's bran'-new - jis' git a bran'-new one. Yo' take a bran'-new dishpan. Yo' kin take dat dishpan - a woman will take dat dishpan up an' she'll take it an' set ovah it. See, she'll set ovah it jis' say, three times, an' de three time she set ovah it well, now anythin' - if she use dat dishpan fo' anythin' towards a man, 'tis no way fo' to keep 'im from bein' right dere to dat pan. He can't stay 'way. He might have a wife but when it come his time he gotta go by dere an' say sompin tuh her.
(Well now, what does she do when she sits over this dishpan?)
WHEN SHE SIT OVAH DAT DISHPAN SHE'LL EITHAH MAKE THREE DROPS OF WATAH - THREE DROPS OF WATAH EACH TIME. Well, now she'll take dat little watah, see an' put it into a little cake-flavor bottle. An' evah time she wants to see dat man or be wit 'im, or he stay off any length of time, she'll drop a little of dat watah into somepin, yo' see, an' he have to come on - he have to come home. [THIS 3 DROPS OF WATER 3 TIMES REMINDS ME OF MY REMARK ABOUT THAT FAMOUS EPI- SODE OF 1886, the old man who was advised to rid himself of that hag riding him every night by jumping up out of bed and urinating into a bottle before she could leave the room - good "trick", if you can do it (536, p.158)!]
Entry 4126
[Preceding rite is now simplified to 3 drops:] If he's mean or she's mean, yo' kin give dem three drops of chamber lye to make dem come ca'm [calm]. Put three drops of chamber lye in dey coffee or in dey milk tuh drink, or anythin' yo' want. Any time yo' fixin' dey coffee yo' kin do dat.
Entry 4127
A woman kin take her chamber lye an' put it in coffee fo' her man or fo' her hus- ban', de regular - dey says anyhow three times a week, an' in de new moon - wit de new moon assistance. Yo' always work in de moon becuz de moon governs de seasons. It controls from heaven to New York or any othah place, becuz where de moon is got dominion, why so in dis pow- ah it kin carry. So she takes dat an' she give him it in coffee say, three times a week, an' if she continue to do lak dat, HE'LL BECOME TO BE A COMPLETE SLAVE AN' SHE KIN DO HIM AS SHE PLEASE. He'll believe evahthin' she says is true an' evahbody else may be true, but what she says goes wit him. He don't believe whut nobody else says.
Entry 4128
If yo's wit a family of people an' dey has someone in heah dat didn't like yo' so well, an' dey drink watah, tea, or medicine, whatsomevah it is, well yo' take an' put [in] jis' a lit- tle chamber lye. Not too much, yo see, dat would make dem distrustin'. But yo' put jis' maybe a couple of tablespoonful in dere, an' yo' constantly do dat fo' 'bout fo' times. An' dey will come tuh love yo' an' nobody couldn't put dem against yo' in no kin'a way. An' it nevah would be broken except dey go tuh somebody an' take it off.
Entry 4129
Yo' kin take yore chambah watah an' put it in a little bit of watah. Jis' lak someone comin' to yore house dat chew think a lot of an' wants dem tuh love yo', yo' take dat an' put it in a little watah an' stir it up - not put enough in dere dat dey kin tell it. An' jis' keep doin' dat an' dey'll come to de place dat dey'll think a lot of yo'.
Entry 4130
Take a little yore urinate an' put it in some watah, sompin lak dat - glass of watah, somepin lak dat. An' dat will make 'er love yuh.
(I see, if she drinks that she will love you.)
Entry 4131
Now, dis chamber lye, dey kin take dat now - ah don't know dis from pers'nal experience but ah've heard of dis. If a person, say, might do dat, take it an' sprinkle it on a person's food, he would follow 'em from heah tuh Europe barefooted jis' tuh git a chance tuh be in 'is company.
Entry 4132
Ah've heard it tuh say, if someone is sellin' whiskey, why dey go tuh work an' mix a certain portion of chamber lye wit it an' give it tuh mens, so dat dey come back an' buy dere whiskey.
Entry 4133
Say yo' kin take - yo' put sulphur right in yore do', or eithah take an' put, jis' lak yo' sellin' whiskey or sompin, yo' put yore pee in de whiskey an' dat'll make 'em come back [to buy again].
Entry 4134
Ah heard dat if yo' were sellin' whiskey, dat yo' take yore chamber lye an' put it in de bottle. Why den, if de person drink out of dat bottle, den dat would bring dem straight to yore place of business. (That brings back trade. You mean you put your own chamber lye in that whis- key.)