Subject:Alum
Entries
Entry 1096
Take alum, a piece about big as a dime an' pound it up an' put it in a little sack, an' write de name of dose parties dat chew think dat's interfering an' put dat name in de sack wit dat an' wear it in yore pocket. Dey said dat would eliminate dat trouble.... (They couldn't harm you - couldn't hurt you in any way?) Couldn't hurt chew. [Alum - like other chemical, metallic and organic substances listed later, occurs in many curative or protective combinations of ingredients.]
Entry 3244
Dere is de roots of de 'simmon tree. Yo' go out dere an' yo' git de roots offa dat. [A rooster began to: crow. I must have put up my hand asking for silence, be- cause informant inquires:] Suh?
(That rooster is crowing in the daytime. Means change in weather doesn't it?)
[I did not ask him what it meant because I was not collecting folklore uncon- nected with spirits or magic rites.] Yes.
[We continue.]
(Get that root of the persimmon tree?)
Yessuh.
(Any place?)
From dis side [demonstrates]. Always gits it from dis side, from de sundown side. An' in de mawnin' yo' git it from sunrise, see. An' yo' take dat off dere den an' yo' carry it back home an' yo' boils it - yo' make a tea out of it. When yo' make de tea out of it, den yo' kin put dat, chew know, into a bathe fo' a woman tuh bathe. Put jes' some in de watah in case she wants - she goin' wit chew [her husband] sompin. An' jes' a little teaspoonful of alum an' dat will make her close up - see, jes' draw up. An' he swears she won' have no- body but 'im. He swears nobody go dere but 'im. (You say if she takes a douche with this bath water, with this persimmon root boiled in it, it makes her close up?) Close up, an' a little piece of alum.
(And who would do this? The woman does that to herself?)
To herself, whut she do it fo'. An' when he go dere he swear she ain't messin' wit nobody but 'im. He ain't nuthin but a fool about it. She jes' ain't goin worry 'im 'bout it. An' she kin mess wit, have a hunderd diff'ren mens; but she nevah git it - close right down. An' he go right behin' dem an' swear she ain't nevah have no one.
(She is having those men. It would be too open if her husband [unexpectedly]
came around. She uses that and she closed it back up again. And he won't think anybody has been there.) Dat's right. [THE THEORY OF MAGIC HERE IS: A ROOT FROM THE SUNRISE SIDE OF THE TREE OPENS; FROM THE SUNSET SIDE, CLOSES.]
Entry 3721
He kin bathe in sweet milk fuh nine mawnin's - see, jis' de milk whut yo' milk out of a cow's bag whilst it's warm. An' bathe his privates down fuh nine mawnin's. An' take dat an' saltpetah, see an' alum fuh nine mawnin's, an' dat'll bring 'is nature back to him. (Do you take this milk bath separately or do you put this saltpeter and alum in it?) No, yo' see, yo' bathe in de raw milk by it- self warm, jis' as it come outa de cow's bag. An' aftah yo' do dat fuh nine mawnin's wit de milk, den yo' see when yo' take a bath, jis' a or'nary bath, yo' bath fuh nine days in dat saltpetah an' alum. An' dat'll restore yore nature back.
Entry 4185
See, yo' kin take a man's chamber lye, yo' undahstan' me, an' yo' kin put it in a bottle, an' yo' kin git 'if lef'-foot track, an' yo' kin git jes' a little tiny bit of powdah'd alum an' put dat in dere, an' yo' kin git a table- spoonfulla yores. (Of your what?) Of yore - yo' undahstan' me, yeah, of yuh chamber lye. An' yo' could step in one room an' let 'im be in anothah, an' yo' could call 'im. An' when he an- swah yo', jes' stop it up tight. An' bury it tuh de back steps or de front steps, an' dat will always keep 'im wit chew. Ah know dat mahsel' [myself].
Entry 4399
Take some borax, alum, salt an' do yuh fingahs disaway, put it [the three things] right dere [demonstrates]. (You put that [mixture] right on the index finger and then you lock your fingers.) An' yuh unloose 'em, yuh take it an' put it heah; an' do dat wit chure little fingah [auto horn sounds outside]. Dey tell me dese locks an' [demonstrates]. (The forefingers [in- dex fingers] inter- locked lock the bowels and the little fingers interlock them.) Yes sir. (I see. And to lock them put that substance under your index finger and to unlock them you put it under your little finger.) Dat's right. Lock an' lunlock.
Entry 4962
Yuh kin take a woman's stocking an' tie it in nine knots an' put it in a coffee can with live lodestone an' powdered alum an' a lick of dis heah Hearts Own Cologne an' one needle, sewin' nee- dle, an' yuh kin stop dat [coffee can] back up, an' yuh kin tie her dere jis' like she's lef' yuh an' she had come back. She'll stay dere jis' as long as dat, stay dere until dat stockin' molt away in dat can. [A lick of Hearts Own Cologne sounds unusual, even though lick can mean a small quantity. Previously I had never heard of a lick of perfume! Hearts Own here sounds like heartshorn, a pronunciation that confused me when I first started working in the South. I have discussed this elsewhere.]
(What do you do with that can?)
Well, yuh kin place it in yore trunk. Put it in yore trunk or any place like dat, yuh know, safe keepin' where nobody won't harm it.
Entry 5461
[This statement contains 3 separate rites, the last one the burning rite.] Well, now yo' kin use a track fo' love tuh hold a person, or yo' kin use it tuh run a person. Now, tuh hold a person yo' kin take a person's lef' track when dey are leavin' yore house. Yo' kin take it an' pull it backward, jis' a li'le of it back tuh- wards yo'. See, an yo' kin take dat track yo' kin mix it wit a li'le cookin' salt, an' yo' kin bury dat undah yore do'step or right down by yore do'step. Well, dat will hold a person an' make dem love yo', see. Or, yo' kin take dat track an' not use de salt but chew kin take yo' a li'le perfume or a li'le powdah - sweet yo' know, perfume powdah, an' mix it wit dat track. An' yo' kin take dat track an' yo' kin wear dat track. Keep it on yore person an' dat will make a person stick tuh yo'. An' den if yo' take.... If yo' wanta run a person wit dere track, yo' kin git dere track goin' from yore house. Don't put it tuh yore house. Yo' see, yo' wanta git rid of dat per- son. Like ah'm leavin' de house, pull it from yo', see. An' den yo' git yore track - yore own track - an' pull dat back towards yore house. Den yo' takes dose two tracks an' put it tuhgethah, an' yo' git chew nine peppah seeds. Git chew a li'le piece of bluestone an' a li'le piece of alum. An' if yo' kin git de cemetery dirt, yo' git dat. But if yo' can't git de cemetery dirt, den yo' jis' use dose ingredients. An' yo' put dat tuhgethah, mix it up tuhgethah, an' put a li'le salt in dat. SALT IS A WONDERFUL THING IF PEOPLE BUT KNOW HOW TUH USE IT. Take a li'le salt an' mix it in dat an' mix all dat tuhgethah. Den yo' jis' take an' ball it up an' burn dat. Burn it in de fiahplace or in de stove an' dat'll separate dat person from yo'. Dat is if yo' pull it from yo'. Now, pull dere track from yo'.
Entry 5686
They tell me that they can take the dust from under the right foot and mix that with High John de Conkah and bluestone and alum and aloes, and then use the word, "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, " will bring him back. And take that then and wrap it in a rag and bury it under their doorstep and let it stay there for nine days. And then take it out and put it in a rag and wear it around her body, and he'll be compelled to come back.
Entry 6103
Yore hair proposition - dey git chure hair right out de mole of yore haid, right out de mole of yore haid. An' aftah dey git de hair right out de mole of yore head, dey take dat an' wrap it up into some into a rag, some cloth. An' aftah dey wrap it up into some cloth, dey takes it an' puts some red peppah, undahstan'. An' aftah dey put de red peppah in it, dey takes hit, takes de - Put red peppah, bluestone, alum, an' mix it all togethah, an' sulphur, an' put hit in dere an' ties it up. An' dey ties dat up an' dey carries it. Dey'll eithah bury it right at chure do'step - bury it at chure do'step an' yo' walks ovah all dat. Den dat begin pains about chure haid, right about chure haid. Den when it begin painin' about chure haid, put chew in bad sickness.
Entry 6808
(Suppose I have come to you about taking a spell off?)
Well, ah nuse [use] dis salt, peppah, sage an' stuff - salt, sugah, sage, alum an' saltpetah. Ah got dat ovah in a box, see. An' ah take some new string, nuthin have been worn, an' ah tie dem, an' whatsomevah ah Want chew tuh do [demon- strates]. (Just tie a knot.) Yeah, tie a knot, an' den ah take dat, dis stuff an' sprin- kle it ovah dere, see. An' den if dis spell [is] on me [you], see. An' whosomevah put it on yo', if yo' know dere names, yo' jis' call dere name an' tell 'em yo' want 'em to take dis spell offa yo'. Well, if dey don't, yo' wish bad luck onto dem, see. An' yo' burn dis stuff. An' den YO' STRIP BUCK NECKED [NAKED] AN' DEN TAKE DIS BLANKET AN' PUT IT: OVAH YORE HAID. AN' DIS SMOKE, YO' CAIN'T HAR'LY [HARDLY] STAND IT. If dere's anything in yo' in any way, shape, form or fashion, it'll come out, see. [The preceding term suck necked [[naked]] may be its only use in Hoodoo.] An' den yo' take a li'le whiskey glass an' yo' boil dis heah gourd tea - yo know gourds - an' yo' boil dis gourd tea an' yo' take three glasses of dis gourd tea evah day. An' dat'll take de spell off yo'.
(Especially if they have something inside of you.)
Entry 6894
Ah have know of sompin about trees fo' makin' medicine, red oak an' beechnut an' sycamore. Mix dem three barks tuhgethah an' put it in a 'luminum pot an' boil it until it come tuh a certain amount, jis' as much 'mount as yo' want. Jis' lak if yo' wanta make a half gallon, why yo' put chew a gal- lon of watah in on dose barks an' let 'em boil down tuh a half gallon, an' den take it out an' git chew some dis heah brown sugah an' put it in dere, an' den strain dat dere bark out dere. Den put dat sugah on dere an' make a syrup. An' put chew jis' a li'le pinch of alum in dere. Well, dat's good fo' coughs.
Entry 6902
(What's the name of it?)
It's called de red shank.
(The red shank root?)
Yes, sir. It's called de red shank an' ah'll tell yo'. If ah came tuh yo' an' if ah've got a bad disease, see. Well, yo' take dat red shank, yu' undah- stan', if it's put out, why yo' take de top of it; an' if it's not put out, yo' take a grubbing hoe an' dig the root up an' wash de root. See. Put it intuh two quarts of watah, an' bile [boil] it down tuh one quart [the magic of diminishing amount]. Unnahstan'?
(I understand.)
Bile it down tuh one quart. Den yo' take - when yo' bile it down tuh one quart, yo' take it an' yo' set it off [the stove]. Unnahstan' dat?
(Yes.)
An' den when yo' set dat off, yo' git a li'le piece of bluestone, lak a speck- led pea, an' beat it up right fine an' stuff it in dere. Git chew a li'le piece alum about dat long. Put it in dere, but let de watah be good an' cool. See, don' put it in dere hot. An' den yo' takes it den, an' yo' give it tuh 'im an' tell 'im tuh take three swallows three times a day. Now de way a boy, or man eithah - whutevah he is don't yo' take it jis' lak yo' drinkin' watah, becuz if yo' drink it lak yo' drinkin' watah, well it don't do yo' any good, becuz it will git down in yore stomic an' it will be dere so much till it will sour. It will be de same as milk, when yo' drinks it. Dat buttahmilk when a man is in bad shape, it's jis' a dose of poison tuh 'im. It keeps sour on 'is stomic. Jis' take no more dan three teaspoonsful a day. Take it as [medicine] yo' know. If yo' take too much of it, why it don't do you any good. It'll do yo' harm.
(Three swallows. One swallow before each meal?)
Dat's right.
(I see, each day. All right.)
An' den don't eat so much grease.
(What did you say?)
I say, let de buttahmilk alone.
(I see.)
Entry 6972
Ah've hear'd dat if yo's [you is] tricked [in] any way, yo' could take yuh chamber lye an' put it in yuh - take some table salt an' some alum an' [urine and] mix it up tuh- gethah, an' sprinkle it all at each fo' cornahs of de house, an' dat'll kill it.
(If somebody has planted something for you?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8831
And they knows yore handwritin' - get holt of it, dey can.
(What will they do?)
Well, dey will take dat han'writin' an' dey kin cross-write yore han'writin', yo' see, so ah'm told. Cross-write yore han'writin', jes' like yo' write a lettah straight; well, now, dey'll go 'cross it.
(I'll write it straight?)
Straight, an' dey'll turn it [the paper upside down] an' go across it. (I see, just cross it - just turn the paper around and cross it.) Cross it, see. Dey turn de Papah aroun' an' cross it. Well, when dey cross it, den dey'll fold dat papah differently, yo' see. An' dey'll puts it in a draw, draw it with heat or watah, see. An' aftah drawin' it with heat or watah; de sweat from dat papah is what dey uses, yo' see. Well, if dey use dat sweat, dey got yore han' jes' de same, yo' see. An' dey put it in a bottle an' use it, cause yore han' tuh swell up. Dey put salt, peppah an' alum in it an' dey'll lay it in a place undah de step, an' it will cause yore hand to swell.
Entry 9156
Dat's if yo' git in a lawsuit an' yo' wanta win de case, yo' undah- stan', befo' yo' go. Befo' yo' go dere, why yo' jes' git chew some sulphuh, bluestone, alum an' borax. Beat it up right nice an' fine, an' yo' walk in dat room where de jedge an' de iury an' all of 'em. an' dey'll ask yo' tuh talk firs'. An' yo' git up an' talk an' let de prosecutor come on. Yo'll come out. [The preceding mixture is definitely carried into court and beaten up right nice shows that it was sprinkled.]
Entry 10633
Git a piece of alum an' a piece of saltpeter an' sew it up in a little Nammen rag together, an' dey tell me dat'll make yo' lucky - lucky in gambling. Tote it in yore pocket. [After machine turned off informant adds with Hearts Cologne.] Yes sir.
Entry 10634
"To keep the law away...takes nathin "To keep the law away...takes nuthin but the man's name and a piece of alun, and puts in a bag and tacks it up over his bed... mo keep law away."
Entry 10635
If yo' have a house to rent an' can't have no luck in keeping people i it, probably somecne had tricked yo' with de house, ah could tell yo' bog to Straighten it [out, the problem of renting house]. All right, yo' coald go to de drug store an' buy yo'self a cake of alum, buy yo'self a cake of cpbor gu O dat cake of camphor gum in fo' parts. Put one of those parts under yo' front do'step. Put one of dose parts in de right-hand corner of de house as yo' walk in, an' one of dose parts in de left-hand corner, den put one in dis last corner up heah - dat still is in de left-hand corner [the back-of-the-house left cor- ner as you walk in]. All right, after yo' do dat, yo' take dat alum an' pound it up, with a tablespoonful of alum to each one of dose [parts]. An' if dere any kinda junk [conjure] in dat house dat gives yo' hard luck, dat alum an' stull [camphor gum] will eat it up. [The more usual form of this rite is the four-corners-of-the-house one, it representing the four corners of the world (Revelation of St. John the Divine, 7:1). In the present rite the front doorstep appears as a substitute for the fourth corner. To balance this change the two left-corners are used and the symbolism of the 3 corners (the Three Holy Names) usurps the 4 angels, 4 corners and 4 winds of St. John. The four-corner rite often becomes a quincunx by adding a fifth point in the center.]
Entry 12747
Yo' kin take rattlesnake marster, spice an' yo' kin take Hearts Own Cologne an' alum an' yo' put dat in a little bag an' yo' kin carry it 'long wit chew in yore pocket, but chew wanta have yo' some Hearts Own Cologne aloag, yo' know, to 'noint it wit, yo' know, an' keep dat liven up. [Dressing or feeding a hand as here gives it life, power.] An' yo kin go an' yo' kin git a job most anywhere. An' when yo' git it chew be de last one to be cut off practically, if de [dey or dere] be any cutting off being done.
(You would be the last one fired.)