Subject:Asafetida
Entries
Entry 2405
An' then ah heard agin that if yo' want tuh keep - jes' lak say if ah wus runnin' a house, yo' know, an' sellin' whiskey or somethin' lak dat, to keep de polices off yuh, yo' go tuh de sto' an' buy yo' a box of asafetidy an' take it an' cut it in a small little quantity, an' put it on a piece of new homespun - sew it up in a piece of new homespun an' wear it round yore waist. Dey said absolutely dey can't come about chew.
Entry 4623
Dey take dat bow an' dey put it in a bag. Yuh know, jes' git a piece of cloth an' sew it up, an' dey put dat bow in dere. An' dey git a piece of asafetadee an' a piece of dis John de Conker root an' put dat in dere. An' make a little bag out of it, tie a string on it an' wear it aroun' dere stomach or eithah roun' dere navel, an' yuh'll nevah stay way from 'em - yuh always come back.
Entry 5325
Dat is about a girl, yo' know. Take dis girl out yondah [yonder] an' yo' wan'a go wit 'er. Yo' kin take huh track an' take a teaspoon fulla de sand outa huh track an' a tea- spoon fulla sulphuh an' a little ball of asafitidy. An' tie it up in a black cloth an' put it in yore pocket, an' weah it in dere fo' 'bout nine mawnin's - eithah seven mawnin's. [They] say she'd come tuh yore house. But yo' jes' keep it in dere de ninth mawnin'. But [they] say aftah seven mawnin's yo'd make good wit 'uh. An' jes' weah dere until de ninth mawnin' an' yo'll have 'uh den.
Entry 6867
So anyone won't hurt chew, git a piece of red flannel, pure flannel. See, git a piece of root. Ast fo' corkin' [porcupine?] vine root. Yo' evah hear of it? (Coffin vine? Corkin' [porcupine] vine.) Put dat an' put a dime, a silvah dime. See, put dat in dere an' put a li'le piece of asafitadee [asa- fetida] an' sews it up an' weahs it right dere [demonstrates] an' put a medal wit it, chew know, a St. Anthony [medal].
(Where do you wear that?)
No, sir, right dere.
(Right here on the front of your breastbone. Against your skin or?)
Right by yore meat. Yo' nevah git harmed. [The 4 preceding objects are sewed up into a red flannel bag, making a hand (see Pp.519-669), here a protective device to be worn about the neck. Suppose we analyze this hand: (1) The porcupine root I do not know, but it surely means a pointed article that will wound an intruder. Could this be a small piece of porcupine wood, the outer wood or the coconut palm with markings resembling por- cupine quills? Or have we here any root with quill-like projections. Similarly, years ago I had trouble with the identity of the alligator tree (mentioned some- where in Hoodoo), the sweet gum, so called because its bark supposedly imitates the hide of an alligator. In the present instance, however, we must remember that our informant is not a root digger, but buys this root from a hoodoo drug store or root seller. (2) The dime? This is the old silver dime, not the pre- sent [1973] dime of base metal. Hoodoo is filled with the miraculous powers of the old silver dime, any silver. (3) Asafetida? During my childhood, say 1902- 1910, and even before my time, many children wore a small piece of asafetida in a bag about the neck. This was to guard the wearer against communicable dis- eases. Actually We have here a bad smell to ward off witches. Why witches dis- like odious odors, excrement and urine for examples, I am unable to explain. (4) St. Anthony medal, a holy object, would be a useful addition to our hand. (5) Red flannel, the red alone symbolizes blood, life and power.]
Entry 7728
Ah hear'd dey could take graveyard dirt an' some gin an' assafetadee [3 ingredients] an' mix it tuhgethah, an' go tuh a person's house where a family. Jis' lak a man an' woman livin' dere an' dis woman - he got anothah woman yuh know, an' she [latter woman] go an' git dat an' sprinkle all aroun' de do'. Dey say dat'll break peace, dey [the two inside] always fussin' an' fightin' one anothah. [The gin is for the spirit in the graveyard dirt - see ALCOHOL FOR THE SPIRIT, p.32].
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 8952
(Well, how would you handle a court case?)
How would I handle a court case? The sinner could be dead guilty, if he want- ed to be, you know. If the charges are up. Now, when you git to the courthouse, you kin git to the courthouse, you kin have you a nickel's worth of asafititee. After yo' get a nickel's worth of asafititee, yo' kin git yo' a bottle of vine- gar - bottle of vinegar. Now yo' sprinkle [vinegar] on that asafititee. Yo' have it done soaked, yo' have it done soaked in dat vinegar an' yo' have it in a small bottle, an' yo' jes' tote that in yore pocket an' have de stopper with a hole in it, an' jes' sprinkle it. They'll have no case up, no case at all. Dey keep putting it off, keep putting it off. Every time yo' go they keeps putting it off. Jes' have it [the bottle] in your pocket. [As in the preceding rite, once again we have witch deterrents; for vinegar see FACI, p.889, for asafetida, sev- eral places in Hoodoo.]
Entry 9097
When yo' go befo' de judge, yo' know, yo' have tuh make a vow tuh yo'- self. Now, ah'll tell yuh how yo'll have tuh do dat. Now, jis' lak now, yo know yo' goin' tuh have trial. Well, how yo' have tuh dress yuhself? Yo' have tuh git chureself some camphor balls. Yo' know dose camphor balls yo' put in clothes. Well, yo' git dose camphor balls an' git choo a piece of asafitadee. When yo' git dose camphor balls, yo' gotta beat dose camphor balls up fine; an' den when yo' beat dose camphor balls up fine, den yo' put chew some lodestone in dere wit it. An' den yo' beat dat camphor ball up, an' dis rag yo gonna put dis camphor ball in, [put rag] in gasoline, see. An' now when yo' take an' git it an' put it in dat gasoline, git de rag wet. Don' wet de camphor balls jis' wet de piece [rag] see. An' den yo' jis' use dat, jis' hold it down in yore pocket - jis' carry it right wit chew in yore pocket. An' den if yo' kin git a piece of sweet basil, carry dat 'long wit choo. Dat sweet basil gonna come in lucky. (What do you do with that camphor after you beat it up? And the lodestone, what do you do with that?) Take it an' put it in dat rag, where dat gasoline's been dipped in dere. Seu it up lak a li'le bag, A SMALL LI'LE BAG, an' yo' see, jis' lak WHEN DE JUDGE IS TALKIN' TO YO', YO' TALK TO IT LIKE YO' ARE TALKIN' TO SOMEONE.[ MEMphIS, TEN.
(936), 1515:9.]
Entry 9250
Yo' can take yore fingahnails an' cut nine pieces - cut off nine fin- gahnails - an' get nine pieces of yore toenails, an' put it into a little bag put some asafetida in there with it. Then you bust a hen egg an' get de thread [the skin in the end] of it an' put in there, an' that'll be all right fo' de purpose. Yo' take an' carry it an' put it at or undah de house. Dat'll make dem leave, put dem to walkin'. [Out in country from Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., (Doctor Frank Hall) by hand.1
Entry 9643
(How would you keep a spell from being put on you?)
Ah tell yuh dat. Go an' git chew a li'le ice cream salt hadn't been uses [used] an' assfessadee [asafetida], an' be sure tuh have a li'le piece-a John de Conkah. Dashes de salt [about house?]. Have John de Conkah in a li'le bag or eithah have a nutmeg roun' yore neck. Will hold de spell from relievin' tuh yo'.
(That will keep it from hurting you.)
Entry 10671
Put red peppah in dere shoes; it's gotta be pod peppah. If yo' can't put red peppah in dere shoes [shoes guarded too well], yo' kin git chew some of dis asafitidy [asafetida]. Dat's plain asafitidy an' dis heah bor- acic watah, an' use it an' sprinkle it aroun' anywhere dat dey have tuh cross, anywhere in dere path. Yo' kin use dat to make 'em lose out [lose a job or have bad luck].
Entry 10673
Take some cayenne pepper and asafeda- tee and sulphur, and as soon as you get a chance, put it in each four corners of the room, and they'll have to move out. Can't stay there.
Entry 10674
Asafetida in red flannel [bag, or hand or mojo]. Urinate on that [from time to time to feed it, give it power]. Keep it. Lucky in gambling.
Entry 11202
Git 'em out of a house. Dey got some of 'em back dere now. Yo' kin git dirt dauber nest. Yo' know whut dey call dirt daubers. Well, yo' git dat an' cayenne peppah, but yo' have tuh git in de house tuh do dat. Yo' cain't do dat on de out- side of de house. See, cayenne peppah, Epsom salts, sulphur an' powdered asafetidy. Yo' know whut dey call powder asafetidy. Well, dey mix dat tuhgether. Well, if yo' cain't git chure tobacca, yo' kin git dis scotch snuff an' yo' mix dat, but chew gotta git in de house dat yo' kin sling it back in dere. Yo' know, an' 'noint de house, an' dey'll move.
(You just throw that in the house and these people will move away.)
Yes.
Entry 13366
Take chamber lye an' assafedidee an' bury that with ten needles an' put that under their door- step.
(What is is supposed to do?)
That were supposed to make you do, whether you want to do or not. An' she kin go off an' have her fun with men, you see, an' then anytime you want to go out, you see, a big argument start.
Entry 11436
"Dey kin take dat [fingernails and toenails] and put it in de stove an' parch it...den take it an' tie it up in a piece of rag, an' put a piece of assafitadee in it an' a little sulphur, an' dey kin bury dat aroun' de house... dat will make yo' come to dat house all de time an' yo' can't stay away."
[Mobile 951:6.]
Entry 1328
He used black gunpowder, and ah know ah was chafed in here and he tole me, he says, "I'm goin' fix you up something," says, "and I'm goin' tell you what I'm goin' put in it and then I'm going let you see." He says, "Now, you get me a half pint of whiskey." And I got the whiskey and carried it to him. He says, "Now, you see this ain't anything but black gunpowder." And he took that gun- powder and emptied the gunpowder into the whiskey and he shook it up right well, and he anointed me down there and all the way across and then, after that - after he anointed me, he gave me a little bag and he had asafitidee, bluestone and gun- powder in de bag. He said, "Now, you wear this bag next to your skin." And ah took the bag and ah put it on me. And, he says, '"And every morning and every evening," he say, "you anoint yourself with this gunpowder and whiskey." And I used this gunpowder and whiskey. And he says, "And you husband - you goin' get rid of your husband." And he was going to kill my husband for me and I didn't know it, you know, with this little bag he give me to wear. And so after mah husband got sick and stayed sick so long - you know how you kin just dream things. In fact, don't nothing else. I always dream things. And I just saw where my husband going to die, and something told me to pull that bag off and throw it in some running water. And I did, and after I throwed the bag away, then my husband got well. But that gunpowder and whiskey forever kept me from chafing and I haven't never chafed since.
(What caused the chafing?)
I don't know. I imagine just perspire or something - don't know what it was.
(Do you think that somebody did something to you for the chafing or what?)
Ah didn't know - that's why I went to somebody that I thought would know.
(I see. You went to a root doctor?)
Ah think so.
Entry 2697
Ah worked once in a woman's sportin' house in South Ca'lina in Sumter, South Ca'lina, de name of Annie H. In her house wus where ah worked, an' she said tuh me, she said, "Ah like yo' heah." She wus de houselady. Ah says, "Yes mam." She says, "An' aftah ah like yo', ah'm trustin' mahself. Luck been bad an' ah reckon dat ah'll let chew make me some." Ah didn't know whut tuh say, yes or no, cus ah didn't understand whut she meant. She first went in de house an' she brought out a - yo' know dis Red Devil Lye, she brought out a box of dat. Ah didn't ask her no questions. Yo' know asafetidy. A package of asafetidy is about de size of dat, an' it's a nickel. She took dat an' she chipped it up right fine. She took jes' about dat much watah an' she put it in a little bit of a pot an' she took about a tablespoonful of Red Devil Lye an' she took three bottles of Hearts Own Cologne an' she come tuh me an' she said, "Mamie?" "Yes mam." She said, "Yo' gotta go an' git us some dirt out de grave." Yo' know ah wus scared. Ah thought ah had done something. Ah didn't know whut in de worl' wus de mattah, whut ah done. An' she 'solve [dissolved] dis an' melt, an' aftah she melt it she made a lather out it. An' den when she made dat lather she po'ed it into a bucket - one of dese buckets whut chew might call a watah bucket. It's de size of a watah bucket but it nearly - dat wus de size of a watah bucket but - yet an' still aftah she made it up she po'ed dem in it - but dey had dat ring on de side an' a lock. Well, at dat time ah could use both mah han's. Now ah has three stiff fingahs - dey call it stiff-j'int rheumatism. An' ah said, "Miss Annie, whut mus' ah do?" She says, "Well, by God," she says, "scrub." Ah says, "Yes'm, ah don't min' scrubbin'." An' ah didn't bring no insult [retaliate] ~ no hard feelin's. Ah wanted tuh be nice endurin' dat house. She says, "All right, Mamie?" Says, "Yes mam." She said, "Did you know it's fo' a'clock now?" Ah said, "No'm, ah didn't. But it's all right. If it's all right wit chew, it's all right wit me." An' she said, "When de sun rises ah want dem beddin' rooms in de clear, so de company will be jes' de same as any day - if we havin' any company." Ah went roun' tuh every bedroom an' emptied every one of de chambers dat had de watah in it or anythin' - not de othah but jes' dat, an' ah scrubbed wit dat.
(What did you do with that water from the chambers?)
In that lye watah.
(Put it in that tub?)
Yes. An' ah scrubbed wit it an' brothah, ah wouldn't tell yo' one lie. Ah didn't git bit further den de front po ch, an' the hall clean up, an' ah started in anothah lady's room round de walls - jes' tuh wipe roun' dem. Ah couldn't do it. She says, "Mamie, yo'll have tuh set away dat till she git ovah." Ah says, "All right."
(Why couldn't you do it?)
Cause de room wus so fulla mens wantin' tuh go tuh bed wit dem wimmins till ah couldn't have chance tuh do dat. An' it jes' smelt so good an' wonderful, ah says tuh mahself, "If dis de way dey does, ah'm goin' tell ever'body." An' ah declare to goodness when time fo' me tuh go home, ah didn't think no mo' 'bout it. Now, ah 'sure yo', ah didn't know why ah wanted to. Dat wus mah aim to tell mah folks at home 'bout it an' some othah people ah know, but ah nevah thought a word about it. Ah told nobody. Ah don't think ah told nobody till ah'm tellin' yo' now. An' it had done left me. Ah nevah even thought about it no mo'. It jes' - she had up befo' sunrise. She had me clean all de rooms out befo' sunrise an' 'fore fo' a'clock struck. She said fo' me tuh be through an' be down to de kitchen tuh ketch all dese people goin' out. But ah didn't git no further den de second woman's bedroom. Some of de ladies in dere had friends with 'em by den. Dey called 'em de Catbone Wishers, an' ah waited on de three of dem ladies privately. An' so ah really know dat.
(These were white women, weren't they?)
Ever'one of 'em.
(And the madam was white?)
Ever'one of 'em. Ever'one of 'em in dat home an' all. Dere weren't nobody dere colored but me an' de cook. [I am unable to explain either bucket ring and lock or Catbone Wishers. Since I do not ask a question about the latter, I must have assumed the women each had or shared a black-cat lucky bone. Whether catbone wisher was then or now pro- fessional argot for anything else, I do not know.]
Entry 5119
Take de linin' [inner sole] outa fellah's right shoe, tote hit in yore pocket, see. An' take hit an' some devil's shoestring root an' wrop it up tuh- gethah. (Do you wrap it any special way?) Any special way? Jis' as [so] it wropped aroun' wit some asafitadee. Put it in dere an' wrop it away [from you].? Tote it in yore pocket. If yo' wanta run 'im away put red peppah an' salt in it.
(Then what do you do with it?)
Keep a-carryin' it. Has it on a string hangin' down on yore left side. Keep a fellah jis' hangin' dataway. Dat will keep 'l away from dere. Dat's like yuh have a case in co't an' want somebody tuh do somepin.
Entry 10919
Mix cat and dog hair with seven ingredients: pepper, bluestone, sulphur, salt, asafetida, etc., put at door; people living there will fight like cats and dogs. [Richmond, Va., 303:10.]
Entry 712
This girl had two snakes in huh.
(Did she get them out?)
Yes, sir.
(What did they do to get them out?)
Give huh some silvah - jis' take silvah an' scrape it an' give huh five doses of silvah on de young moon. An' 'en, aft' she done dat, she took asafitadee on some whiskey an' give 'er some asafitadee nine mawnin's befo' de sun rise. Well, you see, aftah she do dat, dat'll make dis snake turn down [in the body so that it can be passed through the bowels]. He can't stand asafitadee. [Wilmington, N. Car., (196), 101:4; near Darlington, S. Car.,1921.]
Entry 1108
You can get some assafitidee and gunpowder and wear it around your waist, and sprinkle a little in your shoes; that'll keep the spell off of you.
Entry 1499
Yo' take a ole shoe an' sulphur an' asafitidy - yo' know, dat ole stinkin' stuff dat chew take. Dey say yo' take a shoe an' burn it an' make a ash with that - dey say, with the asafitidy an' sulphur, an' dey say it will cure de asthma. Dat's all ah know about de shoes.
(What do you do with that stuff after you burn it, then?)
Yo' have tuh put it in a pipe an' smoke it.
(After you burn the stuff?)
Yessuh, after yo' burns it.
(Then you smoke what's left?)
Yes.
Entry 12622
If you mix cayenne pepper, sulphur, asafetida and sprinkle this com- pound in the 4 corners of a room, the person living in it will move out.
[Rich-mond, 293:2.]