Subject:Bag
Other forms: Bags
Entries
Entry 2008
That is a hoodoo bag. People have those things to sell. (What are they supposed to do with that hoodoo bag?) Well, they will either give it to you to carry in yore purse - most times they give it to yo' to wear around yore neck, swing it down an' hang it in front of your chest.
(What is that supposed to do for me? I mean that bag?)
Well, that supposed - jes' lak if dey wishin' fo' yo' to leave town, why then yo' supposed to wear that bag an' stay in town.
(Oh, that is supposed to protect you against this kind of work.)
Yes sir.
(Well, what do they usually put in that hoodoo bag?)
Well, they put in there diff'rent kinds of roots - they put in there what they call John de Conker, lodestone and it's another kind of a root but ah can't think of it. [Lodestone is not a root, but some persons called any hoodoo or witch- craft object buried or carried - roots.]
Entry 2081
Some of these little bags they call lucky bags. Yo'll string that an put it aroun' yore neck an' let it fall inside.... (Get that fresh rabbit foot.) [He had called it fresh.] A fresh rabbit, yo' know, an' cut off his foot, an' yo' string it on a cord yo' see, an' yo' tie it on yore waist underneath yore clothes.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's good luck.
Entry 3278
Dey says dat a woman kin keep a man. Whenevah dis man be wit 'er, she'll take one dese little six-pound sugah sacks whut dey taken sugah out of an' wipe herself wit dat sugah bag. An' den put it up ovah dis man's haid, up in a place ovah his haid, jes' anywhere jes' behin' dis man's haid, an' dat will git rid of 'is nature [for other women].
Entry 3483
If he an' 'er could have dealings, den she would take a rag an' she would let 'im wipe wit it mostly. Den she take an' tie it up, or seal it in some kin'a sealed bag, an' put it up ovah de do' dat goes into her room so he kin walk undah it, walk in undah it, an' den dat would fix 'im where he couldn't do nuthin wit nobody but 'er. When he go to go wit othah women, why it would fall.
Entry 3510
Well, jis' like if she wanted havin' a man, yo' know, an' yo' don't wan' 'im to have no one else. Dey say dat dere's two ways yo' kin do dat, but de surest way to do it is to go to de store - yo' don't have to buy but about a half a yard of white homespun. I've tried dat mahself. An' when yo' make connection, jis' before he have a good time, dat he takes it out - an' of co'se some draps on de baid. Yo' take an' grab like dat an' wipe it choo know. An' den yo' tie yo' a hard knot in dat homespun. I guess it'll be about dat long. Yo' got to buy about a half a yard anyhow. Yo' might have to splice it, yo' know, so it be long enough to go roun' yore waist an' tie it, an' also tie de knot [here are the two knots]. Yo' wear it nine days an' den yo' take it an' put it somewhere 'bout chah baid, an' he can't mess wit nobody else. He be on level all de time. I did it fer curiosity. I did a man like dat an' he had to pay a man, he told me, ten dollars to git dat thing offa him.
Entry 3538
Dey say, jes' lak if yo' got a man an' yo' think a whole lot of 'im, an' yo' don' want 'im tuh run roun'. An' dey said when yo' an' 'im have any- thing to do wit each othah, jes' take dis han'ker- cheff or cloth an' tie a knot in each cornah. Take it an' sew it up in yore mattress an' dey say dat sould - jes' lak if he go an' makes a date wit anothah woman, he would fall, yo low. But it's some kinda perfume dat yo' git. Yo' kin git it at any Five an Ten Cent Sto'. Ah fo'git de name of it. Ah know it when ah see. Take dis per- fume an' yo' put on dis stuff [in the handkerchief]. An' yo' git it an' yo' supposed tuh fold it dis way: to yo' half way, an' fold de othah part back. An' den take a string an' tie aroun' it tight. Carry it up ovah yore head three times an' put dis Lucky Heart Powder [trade name] in it, if yo' have any, an' den take it an' sew it up. An' den yo' got 'em.
(How do you fold that handkerchief, now?)
Fold it three times dis way an' three time back dat way. Double it de two cornah lak dat. (You have the handkerchief out flat like that. Then you fold it three times. Now, here's the handkerchief. Suppose you show me how it's done.) Yo' fold it three times here: one, two, three, till yo' get it exactly in de centah of de han'er'cheff. All right. Den yo' fold it three times away from yo': one, two, three. Den yo' take dese two ends an' fold 'em as yo' kin. An' git it jes' as tight as yo' kin possibly git it. Yeah, an' take a cord string an' tie it around. Wrap it jes' as tight as yo' kin git it.
(What do you do with that then?)
Jes' sew it up in anything. If yo' have little bag, den sew it up in a little bag, or in yore mattress or sompin.
Entry 3613
Tie knots on a string an' tie it on to de lowah part of de body, an' tie a piece of cloth to dat, an' evah time - why dey have anything to do wit de fren', why dey take whut dey got fixed lak dat an' let him, yo' know, wipe wit it first. An' he wouldn't have mood, no wants fo' no othah woman but 'er. (Well, would she tie those nine knots first into the string?) [She had said nine knots before machine began to record.] She tie dose nine knots first, an' den yo' sew it onto a little bag, an' keep it right aroun' yore waist. An' evah time dat she be wit im, she would let Tim use it but not she use it. An' do dat fo' 'bout nine times. Well, aftah nine times, why yo' take an' bury it undah yore do'step, an' he wouldn't have no use fo' no othah woman.
Entry 3617
Ah have lived wit a woman in dis city, an' ah found some hair, colored man's hair or coman's hair, an' one penny sewed up in a sack an' a string wrapped aroun' it, an' de string had nine knots in it an' a rabbit's foot. But ah knows one thing dat ah couldn't have nuthin else to do wit no othah woman but 'er. But how dat wuz, whut she did, ah don't know. But ah foun' it in 'er purse.
(She did this to you?)
She did dat to me.
Entry 3653
Jes' lak yo' had a woman an' she wuz havin' mens. Yo' distrust dat she wuz goin' wit some man an' yo' couldn't stop 'er, yo' git dis slime from dat snail an' yo' wait till she goes tuh sleep an' den yo' rub 'er good 'tween 'er laigs wit it until yo' kill de snail. Do dat wit it 'live an' yo' rub it good until yo' kill de snail. Den when yo' kill dat aftah rubbin' her, den yo' take dat snail an' sew it up in a sack an' den put it, if yo' got a shelf lak dat, put it right behin' dat shelf an' let it stay dere. An' every man dat go tuh her, he'll be ready fo' her until he git ready to git on 'er. Den when he git on 'er, 'is nerves will fall. Nevah will have no intahco'se wit 'er.
Entry 3814
Wal, dere wuz a gurl ah started correspondin' wit in a - an' she wuz a purtty nice gurl an' we got along purtty tuhgethah [at first]. Well, ah dunno, we jes' couldn't git 'long tuhgethah an' she - ah guess she felt dat she wuz losin' me, see. So, well she used to cook fo' me. Well ah would eat from 'er an' ah would eat from othahs. It didn't make much diff'rence. Ah nevah did pay much 'tenshun tuh how she cooked anything fo' me cuz ah didn't [think] she'd try tuh poison me or do anythin' tuh me. So she fixed me up some meals one day, an' it wuz 'long about de 20th - 'bout 'tween de 29th an' de lst - fixed mah meals fo' me. An' right aftah ah eat dat meal ah got sort of sick. Well ah came out it an' den - well, while ah wuz goin' roun' wit anothah frien' of mine, ah met anothah girl. An' well, she wanted me tuh come an' live wit 'er. So ah would go an' spend nights wit 'er. An' well, ah'd sleep in de same bed. An' it seemed dat evah time dat ah'd wanted tuh have intahco'se wit 'er, it seemed jis' lak ah couldn't git mah mine [mind]. Mah mine jis' seem to fall, jis' couldn't git mah mine set on havin' intahco'se wit 'er. So ah went to a doctor [M.D.] heah an' ast 'im whut could be de mattah. An' he said dere wasn't anythin' de mattah wit me - took a blood test an' all, an' say he couldn't fin' anythin' wrong wit me. So a frien', he heard about dese thin's [women do], so he ast me whut all had she been doin', an' ast me could ah have intahco'se wit 'er. Ah tole 'im suah [sure], anytime ah'd go home an' git in bed ah could easily have intahco'se wit 'er, but othahwise any strange woman ah couldn't. So he wuz astin' me had ah noticed any funny thin's about 'er. Ah tole 'im ah nevah notice anythin' funny about 'er. So he ast me what kin'a food had she been feedin' me. So ah tole him diff'ren' meals. Well one special food she wuz feedin' at least twice a week an' dat be tomatoes. So ah tole him about dat. So he ast me did ah notice anythin' funny 'bout de 'matoes de nex' time she fixed 'em. So ah paid 'tention when she wuz fixin' 'em, but ah nevah noticed anythin'. But ah noticed she strained de tomatoes. Ah didn't pay any 'tention at it becuz ah figured she knows whut she's doin'. So ah tole him about 'er strainin' de tomatoes. So he say, whut kin'a rag did she strain it through. Tole me ah shoulda paid 'tention. So he tole me tuh go ovah heah an' ast 'is brothah 'bout it. So ah ast 'is brothah an' tole his bro- thah what happened. So his brothah ast me de nex' time roun' about de firs' of de mon' tuh pay close 'tention tuh see whut she would do. So it went on lak dat fer about six mont's an' ah wus goin' - still goin' ovah heah tuh see dis othah [second] gurl, an' ah wus livin' on wit 'er. She wus try- in' tuh do evahthin' [about my impotence] she could fo' me. So ah went on an' paid 'tention closah tuh 'er [first girl], an' one day ah caught 'er in dere an' she wus strainin' de 'matoes through some of 'er undah- weah. So ah ast 'er whut wuz de cuz of dat. She said, nuthin, she jis' couldn't fine 'nothah rag tuh strain de tomatoes in lak dat dat wuz clean. Wal, ah seen stains in de undahweah, but ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it. Ah figured de tomatoes put de stains in dere. So ah tole mah frien' about it an' he said, well, she's been usin' 'er reg'lah rag dat she had on, when 'er reg'lah mont'ly sickness come on, strainin' de tomatoes through it, an' dat's whut wus cuzin' [causing] me tuh feel lak ah did tuhwards 'er an' couldn't do anythin' tuh any othah woman. So he tole me to go see a fellah, a fellah used to be a herb doctor. He's daid now. He died a few years ago. Tole me to go ast 'im whut ah should do. So ah'd seen 'im an' he tole me tuh take - tole me tuh try git holt of a good- size jar of 'er urinate an' take dat, an' boil it an' put plenty a salt in it, an' drink it at least twict a day. So it happen ah got holt of some. One night when she wusn't payin' attention tuh me, she got up an' urinated in a basin [she] had dere, yo' know. So de nex' mawnin' she went outside [away from home] tuh go tuh de baker's [to work?]. So ah'd taken it an' ah boiled it, an' ah boiled it an' strained it lak he tole me. Fixed it jis' lak he tole me tuh fix it, put some salt, an' ah drank it twict a day. An' purtty soon ah begin tuh feel mah- self ag'in. So ah left 'er, an' den ah went tuh stay wit dis othah woman. An' ah stayed wit dis othah woman one night.... [Remainder of this [[cylinder]] cannot be transcribed because of defective reception.[[comment by transcriber]].] See, we [informant and second girl] had been usin' de same towel all de time. So ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it an' well, de nex' mawnin' when she got through wit dat towel, she took it an' folded it up careful an' put it away in de drawah dat ah'd used. Well ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it cuz ah wus young an' didn't figure a woman would try any kin'a tricks on a fellah. So ah looked to be gittin' sorta po' [poor] an' skinny. An' ah used tuh go roun' tuh dis othah gurl [first one] an' we wuz lak we wuz goin' go back tuhgethah ag'in.
(The first girl or the second girl, you mean?)
De firs' gurl. So de secon' gurl she kep' on arguin' wit me an' arguin'. We fight an' fuss, back an' fo't' [forth] all de time. So ah went on - kep' on bothahin' dis secon' gurl. So one night ah went ovah an' stayed all night wit 'er, but still an' yet, when ah went to do somepin wit 'er, ah'd have dat strong feelin' until ah'd git right in bed wit 'er, an' den when ah git in bed wit 'er, seemed lak all hopes would drop an' ah jis' couldn't do anythin'. Ah'd Jis' lose mah nerve all de way roun'. So ah'd kep' on goin' lak dat an' she tole mah frien', mah close frien', dat she wuz livin' at 'is mothah. [Informant's first girl was rooming with the mother of the male friend who advised him to see a herb doctor.] She tole him about it. So he ast me [at the place where both worked - see later] whut wuz happ'nin' tuh me. Ah looked to be gittin' lak ah wanted to die [or] sompin. So ah tole him ah didn't know. Ah jis' seem to be gittin po'ah [poorer] an' po'ah an' mah healt' jis' wouldn't seem tuh build up atall. Ah'd eat de right thin's an' all. So he ast me wuz ah eatin' from home. An' ah tole 'im no, ah didn't eat from home cuz ah nevah had time, as mah wife, she didn't fix anythin' fo' me. So he ast me wuz dis othah gurl an' me on bad terms. Ah tole him yeah. Well, we wuz, 'cuz ah wuz about tuh quit 'er. (This was the second girl you were about to quit. The first one was your wife?) Yes, de firs' one wuz mah wife. So - an' ah wuz about tuh go back tuh mah wife, see. Aftah a while he ast me did ah know some man to cure me by. Ah tole him no. So one day he wuz up tuh de house an' we wuz jis' aftah takin' a showah. It wuz real hot [shower or day?], so ah gave him some towels. Ah didn't pay much 'tention tuh it, a towel wit a hem in it, an' ah happened tuh han' 'im a towel dat she had took dat night. An' he noticed dat right outa de centah, a hole wuz cut outa it. An' so he ast me how did dat happen. Ah tole him ah didn't know. So he begin tuh think. He's experienced on it 'cuz he wuz lots oldah dan ah wuz an' dat's one thin' [tricks of women] dat he always believe. Ah called 'im smart. Ah figured he wuz tryin' tuh be smart. Well, anyhow he really did know a lot of thin's. So he tole me de nex' time dat ah noticed, whethah she wuz un- dressin' or not, tuh notice whethah she had anythin' tied aroun' 'er neck or vais' or laig or anythin', an' if she did, tuh come an' tell 'im. Well, ah stayed wit 'er dat night, ah wouldn't stay out dat night. Ah stayed wit 'er dat night an' ah noticed dat when she got in bed, she had a little black bag tied right down in de centah of 'er stomach. So ah ast 'er what it wuz. An' she said dat [was] to keep 'er from havin' pains in 'er stomach. So ah tole mah frien' de nex' day when ah went tuh work. An' he tole me, he sayed dat he believe dat [in the] bag she had wuz a piece of dat towel out [without] de bag. [He now explains this confusion.] Said a woman could take a piece of towel dat a man would wipe on, an' could take it an' put some kinda black-cat-bone dust [see BLACk CAT POWDER, p.526], from a young black cat wit dat piece of towel in a sack, an' hang it in front of 'er an' de man nevah could leave her, no mattah where he go he'd always have tuh come back tuh 'er, an' dat he nevah could have anythin' tuh do t no othah woman but 'er. So ah jis' laughed at 'im. An' ah thought he wuz jokin'. An' ah went on tuh dis othah girl de nex' night an' went tuh 'er house. Well, ah wuz feelin' good an' ah felt lak ah wanted tuh have intahco'se wit 'er. An' so we got in bed all undressed. Well ah had high hopes until de minute ah got in bed wit 'er an' den evahthin' flopped. An' ah laid in bed fer half de night an' still an' yet ah couldn't git up nerve enough tuh have anythin' tuh do wit 'er. So ah tole him about it de next day. So he tole me tuh go back an' see could ah have anythin' tahdo wit mah wife. So ah went back dat day at dinnah time [noon]. Mah wife got off dat day at dinnah time an' I went ovah dere. An' she wuz home in bed, so ah got sweet wit 'er an' got in bed along wit 'er. Well, when ah went tuh have intahco'se wit 'er she took dis here bag from aroun' 'er wais'. Well ah got in bed an' ah jis' had high hopes an' ah jis' carried thin's right on through. Well, ah come back an' tole 'im about it, an' he tole me dat dat whole thin' wuz de trouble. Said where she had dat bag aroun' 'er wais' an' said fer me to git dat. So his bro- thah wuz de same way [impotent by trickery], but 'is brothah didn't believe in dis othah one. Some of 'em don't like dat [drinking the woman's urine]. [A bad spot in the cylinder follows. The next bracket contains my pencil notes made while checking original cylinder against transcription.] [Bad recording from here. [[Substance of informant's words follows.l] So ah went home. Ah ast 'er whut wuz dat bag. She said it was none of my business. So [[ah tried to take it.]]. Well she got mad an' said if I take it she'd kill me...didn't pay any 'tention tuh 'er...aftah awhile I was goin' wit anothah woman.] [To take a woman's hand, called a nation sack in the New Orleans area up to Memphis, can be a dangerous venture - see p.1449f.] So dat night ah come home jis' lak ah goin' stay dere. An' she got undressed, ah grabbed 'er an' got de string an' ah snatched it. When ah snatched it ah took an' run into de kitchen wit [it] an' put it in de stove an' burn it up. De min- ute ah did dat, it seem lak she jis' seemed to have lak a reg'lah fit. She jis' started runnin' all ovah, got real... [Here is a typical reaction - other than outright death - to the destruction of a witch's power. Yes, this woman is technically a witch, she having caught the man's spirit. There are many ways given in HOODOO to break a witch's spell; See also FACI, 2nd ed., Pp.790-920; and for burning the object she uses, Pp.882- 886. DE DOCTORS COME AN' DEY COULDN'T DO NUTHIN FO' HER. DEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WUZ DE MATTAH WIT 'ER. She continued to keep on fer about six mont's an' aftah dat she seemed gradually to come back tuh 'erself... [small remainder of recording bad].
Entry 3892
Yo' git dat graveyard dust an' yo' mix dat in, yo' mix dat wit de live - what de man or de woman does. Yo' goes dere an' git de graveyard dust an' git some of dat piece from jes who yo' wanta hurt. Git dat an' mix wit dat graveyard dust an' put it wit 'er toenails. Yo' see, yo' kin git dere toenails. Dey tell, "Well, ah Want cha to cut all of my toenails off." She was dat shweethearty. All right den when yo' cut all de toenails, an' some diff'ren' strands on de floor an' den cut 'er slips - stained piece of 'er slips - cut dat an' pull all dat togethah wit dat grave dust, wit a piece of hair out of de head. An' jes' take all dat an' mix all dat togethah an' yo' put dat an' yo' sew it up in a bag. Yo' see, yo' make a little bag, yo' know, an' sew it up an' throw it undah de step. Dat's to keep you down.
Entry 3900
If a man got a woman an' he wanta keep her down, ah heard dat he'd take a piece of 'er ministration rag, an' de hair from underneat' 'er ahm [arm], an' a dirty sock, an' a piece outa huh haid, an' sew it up in a bag an' nail it 'cross de do', an' she could nevah go 'way.
(Could never leave.)
Entry 3919
[HERE IS VERSION ONE OF THE RITE:]
Well, she goin' bring 'im home an' make 'im stay dere wit 'er. She'll take dat [sanitary] cloth an' take dem needles, dem nine needles an' cross 'em, take a silvah dime from 'i血m if she kin git it, an' take a piece of 'is hair outa his haid an' tie it, an' sew it all up in dat cloth togethah, an' cross it - crosses dose needles lak dat [demonstrates] - dat way. [The crossing of needles or pins in a cloth is a frequent magic act. Each needle or pin is stuck into the cloth so that it crosses over one or more needle or pin.] Well, aftah she do dat, she takes it an' puts it in 'er pocket. If it's nec- essary she wears it all de time.
Entry 3952
Dey say dey take de stain of a person blood an' sew it up - make a li'le bag an' sew it up in dat li'le bag. Take it to any runnin' watah, eithah hang it high in a tree, where de dew an' de rain can lick [hit] ovah it an' drop ovah it. An' he kin git dem [periods] started an' dey won' evah stop. Dey always will run until it fin'lly run 'em crazy.
(The woman's blood on her monthly cloth?)
Yes.
Entry 4144
Dey say yo' [a woman] kin take a man's wee-wee, ah mean 'is wet, an yo' know, watch 'im as he wets, dey say, an' go dere an' git dat an' put it into a rag an' den yo' wear it on yo'. Put it in a rag an' wear it right dere. Sew it up an' wear it. What will dat do? Dat'll keep 'im from goin' wit any othah woman but chew. So dey say.
(YOU TAKE UP THAT DIRT WHERE HE'S WEE-WEED AND YOU WEAR IT DOWN BELOW?)
Yassuh, put it into a rag.
Entry 4145
Dey watah yo' know where dey pee on de groun'. Say yo' kin take a man's watah lak dat or a woman's - eithah side. Yo' kin take dere watah lak dat an' take up dat dirt down dere an' put it in a little ball, bag or somepin. Den yo' wear it on yo' an' evah night, well fo' 'bout nine maw- nin's dey say yo' pee on it yo' know. Take yore pee an' pee on dat sand in dat bag of de man's. Say dat will make 'em stay wit yo'. Dey jis' cain't leave yo'. Yo' wear it fo' a length of time den yo' take it off. Den yo' go back an' git it an' wear it ag'in.
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 4648
(What will they do with that little bow?)
Well, dey take dat an' dey totes it. Dey put it in a little bit of bag, a little Durham sack [Bull Durham tobacco sack known since the days of rolling your own cigarettes]. An' tote dat nex' tuh 'em all de time. Does 'im an awful lot of harm. Put de hair wit it - an' de hair, toenails - evahthing dey kin git wit it. Dat jes' makes 'im drag aroun', drag till he die. Won't do 'im no good an' nobody else.
Entry 5053
Take a man's sock befo' he wash it - yuh know, he git de scent of it. An' yuh kin take dat sock an' yuh kin take an' sew it up inside a little bag or somepin lak dat. Take an' carry it an' nail it on a pine tree on de sundown side, but be sure yuh got it tied in de bag. Yuh kin bring 'im tuh yuh tuh any- where yuh want. (You just take these socks and put them in a bag?) An' take dat bag an' nail it in a pine tree at de sundown side, an' make a wish, an' dat man supposed tuh be de one man tuh yuh.
Entry 5093
Yuh burn dem ole shoes an' git de ashes, an' yuh buries dat, if yuh know any cleahin' [clearing] lak on some concrete or somewhere, yuh know, eithah in de stove. [If you do not have a stove, look for cleared concrete like a sidewalk.1 Clean out all de ashes an' sweep it out. Yuh kin burn it in dere an' git all dem ashes of it, an' put 'em in a little bag an' sew it up. An' put it in some Jockey Club, Hearts Own Perfume in it, an' bury hit undah de do'steps. Dat'll make him stay at home.
Entry 5137
Well, yuh wearin' dat shoe when yuh come in an' yuh take it off. Well de moisture from yore feet is still in dere, an' yuh take dat [insole] an' fold it up. Fold dat to yuh. An' yuh use a piece of flannel. Put dat in de flannel an' keep dat wet [dress it] wit - put Epsom salt or anything. See, dat [is] salt. By me carry [carrying] some salt, well dat salt keeps it moist wit dat perfume. [Perfume either had been mentioned before recording began or this was just a mental lapse.] Dat keeps it moist so it stay alive. Sew dat up an' bury somewhere, or anything [or again], yuh kin jis' put it in a little [tin] can an' keep it on de opposite side of de bed where dey sleep on. He'll nevah notice it, won't know whut it's all about. Dey will keep )'im dere all de time. ANY WOMAN GOT A MAN SHE WANTS TUH KEEP 'IM, A HARD WORKING MAN. Well, dat's whut she do. She got de big advantage of 'im.
(She takes this inner sole out of his shoe. Either shoe?)
Eithah shoe.
Entry 5176
Dat's not handy fo' yo' tuh do. Yo' git de inside piece of 'is shoe, yo' undahstan', yo' kin git dat inside piece of 'is shoes an' yo'll take dat inside piece of 'is shoe wit 'is name an' yo'll write his name in dere on a piece of paper. But yo' got de measure of dat whole feet, yo' got de whole measure [when you have the insole]. Now, yo'll git chew a piece of papah an' yo'll put 'is name nine times. Yo'll put - lak if it wuz me - my name at de top, an' den yo'll write it crossways heah ag'in, nine times. Den yo'll take dat measure an' yo'll put cinnamon in it an' yo'll put White Rose Perfume, an' yo'll dampen it good, an' yo'll put dat an' yo'll roll it towards yo'. See, yo' fold it towards yo' jis' as many times as yo' kin. See. Den yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll put a bran'-new needle. Yo'll pin a bran'-new needle in dat yo' see, an' yo' kin eithah put it in a bag or eithah put it in yore pil- lah or yore mattress. Dat'll keep 'im home. (You take the inner sole and you write his name nine times and yours across it. You put that paper and the sole together, and put those ingredients in, and then you roll it to you. And you can put it anywhere around you or put it in the mattress.) Anywheres.
Entry 5190
Dey say dat chew could take a li'le shoe sole an' burn it, an' den scrape it aftah yo' burn it, an' it wus good fo' good luck.
(Just how would they prepare that? Then, after they have got it scraped?)
Well, ah don't know sir, only jes' know dey put it in a little bag an' wear it.
(You mean the shoe sole, that thick sole at the bottom?)
Yessuh, yo' parch it lak yo' would peanuts or anythin' lak dat. Well, yo' kin scrape it tull [till] yo' scrape a dust off it.
Entry 5328
Dey take yore foot track an' put it in a little bag, see. Throw it in derivah down de stream de way de rivah run. An' fur as de rivah carry dat, why yo' would go dat distant. Yo' would have tuh leave dat place wheresomevah yo' wus at.
Entry 5450
Ah knowed a fellah once said if yo' watch a gurl [girl] - he said if she stepped in de sand, he said take three fingahs, dip down in de sand li' cat [like that], jerk it back tuh yuh an' say de words 'ah got chah, '' he said. An'yo'ta'cat [take that] sand an' take it tuh de graveyard, an' git some graveyard dirt an' put it lit it. Den yo' take it an' tie it in a bag, an' bury it in de bottom of a dirt spring - a spring wit a sof' [soft] bottom tuh it - where dis gurl drinks outa, see. An'.yo'll have de gurl so da' she [that she] couldn't leave yuh. She'd have tuh stay wit chew all de time. [Baltimore, Md., (154).61:4.]
Entry 5466
Now, if a person is a enemy tuh yo' an' yo' wanta git shet of 'em, yo' take dat footprint an' go tuh de graveyard an' git chew some graveyard dirt. Yo' sews dat up in a bag an' yo' goes tuh a runnin' stream of wa- tah an' yo' takes dat dere bag an' throws it in dat runnin' stream of watah an' keep yore face farwards, an' yo' nevah be bothahed wit 'em any mo'. [The admonition to Keep face farwards is rare. Usually it is don't look back.]
Entry 5498
Well, yo' take a stran' or two of yore hair out chure haid an' dey'll take an' git de bow out de back of yore hat. Yo' take dat hair an' de bow out chure hat an' yo' git a few grains of sand outa yore shoe track - out de streets an' den take an' put it tuhgethah. Sew it up in a little bag an' put it undah yore steps an' yo' cross ovah it. Why dat jes' upsets yore mind altuh- gethah. Dat's de way dey trick yo' dataway.
(Now whose steps would they put this under, mine or...?)
Dey put it undah de steps where yo' come ovah. (Well, now suppose they got all that stuff from me. Would they put it under Ty step or under your step?) Undah de step dat chew goes ovah.
(That is to upset my mind?)
Yassuh.
Entry 5501
Dey say dey take up yo' shoe track, take up de shoe track right from de door on back. Yo' take ahold of dat an' put dat in a bag. An' yo' take yore toenails, cut yo' toenails off. Yo' see: 'em trim dey toenails off. An' a piece of hair out chure haid, an' cut some of de hair undah de arm an' 'tween yore laigs. An' put all dat tuhgethah. An' yo' sew dat up in a li'le bag an' yo' buries de bag about dat deep in de groun' [demonstrates].
(About that deep, about nine inches.)
Yes sir, about dat deep. Well yo' buries it at de first step dat yo' come to.
(The first step as you come out?)
Yes sir. No sir, bury it at de bottom step when yo' come. Dat's tuh keep 'im undah 'er. Yo' see, when a woman's husban' go out too fast an' he won't try tuh come home, yo' do dat. Dat's tuh keep 'im from runnin' about.
Entry 5506
Take some of yore hair off down below an' take some of dat [foot track] dirt; an' some of dat hair down heah, git some hair from undah yore arm. Take all dat an' put it in a little bag an' sew it up, an' take it an' bury it in de cemetery. Den yo' got 'em lak yo' wan' 'em.
(What will that do?)
Run them crazy - yo' know, jes' make yore min' jes' - yo' know, jes' make yo' go crazy.
(Whose hair would you use?)
Uh, anybody's hair.
(Whose foot track would you use?)
Lak ah'm Wit yo' - LAK AH HAD DIS FRIEN' GIRL AN' AH'M MAD WIT 'ER, AN' AH IAN'A GIT DE SPITE OUT, AH WOULD TAKE SOME OF 'ER HAIR AN' DO DAT.
Entry 5508
Well now, if yo' got a man an' yo' wan's tuh drive him away - ah mean, If yo' wan'a git rid of 'im, yo' git some dirt outa his shoe track an' git some Wdr out of haid, out de top of 'is haid, an' tie dat intuh a rag an' throw it ia rummin' stream of watah, goin' downstream, an' dat will carry 'im away.
Entry 5527
Ah'm tellin' whut experienced. Dey take de dust, de dirt out from yure lef' foot, an' dey put it in a li'le small bag an' mix wit Devil Lye. An' put it in a secret place dat chew kin walk ovah it, an' dat'll cuz pain in yore foot. Yo"mem- bah [remember] readin' duh Bi- ble whah [where] it says, in Numbahs [Nuonbers] de 27th and 15th [chapter 27, verse 15].
(What Was that? From the Bible?)
De Numbahs, ah say, de 27th an' 15th, say, "Warned he dat hideth anything in a secret place dat yore neighbor finds it not."
(That's from Numbers, 27th chapter,15 verse?)
[The preceding guotation comes not from Numbers but from Deuteronomy as fol- lows: Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen" - King James Version.] [While recording machine was stopped I must have asked informant, "Where did you hear this?" He evidently answered, "From my uncle."]
(Where did he live, here?)
Oh, he daid now. He used tuh live in Perry County, in Perry County, Ala., Scott Station.
(What was his name?)
His name Jim Herod. An' one [another uncle] named Winston Williams. Well, he daid.
(Well, he wasn't your uncle?)
Both of 'em mah uncle. Both uncle on mah mothah's side, but dey had diff'- ren' fathahs, see.
(Well, whose remedy was this? Who told you this?)
Mah uncle Jim Herod.
(Well, you tell me which one of your uncles you learned these things from?)
[This man Was brought to me as a root doctor. Two comments of mine are on the original transcription: "not much" and later "may use as [[an example of]] a fake R.D.[[root doctor]]. THE LATTER CRITICISM IS UNJUST. I WAS TOO SEVERE ON THESE EARLIER INFORMANTS. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS LYE-TRACK RITE, AS THE PRECEDING AND LATER-IN-DATE EXAMPLE FROM BRUNSWICK, GA., SHOWS.]
Entry 5572
Take de foot track from de end of yore feet. Yo' kin take dat an' put it intuh a cloth. It's all right tuh hold it at home, too. Take it an' put it intuh a cloth an' weah it. Make yo' a bag an' weah it, an' he will always follah yo'. Evah- where yo' go, he'll go wit yo'. Evahthin' yo' [have] a mind tuh do, he's ready tuh do dat. Jis' 'is foot track. Take his left-foot track from de toe back tuh de heel. Take dat an' take it an' fo' nine mawnin's, if yo' don' wanta weah it fo' nine mawnin's, walk through yore house an' throw it ovah yore shouldah, yore lef' one, see, jis' lak dat an' don' look back. An' call dis man three times, an' he'll come tuh yu' if he's in Chicago or any place. Yo' use it dat long. (You throw it over your shoulder and then you pick it up, and throw it over your shoulder again. That the idea? You do that nine times?) Do dat nine times, throw it ovah yore shouldah.
(Nine times each morning?)
Fo' nine mawnin's, once each mawnin' 'fore de sunup fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 5589
De only thing ah evah heard about dat - ah ain't nevah seen dat tried - but de only thing ah've heard about dat, jes' lak if ah wanted to do sompin to a fellah to gain de influence of 'em. Yo' take jis' de middle of de hollah of 'is track an' put it in a small bag an' tote it fo' so many days.
(How many days?)
Ah think it's nine days.
Entry 5590
Ah've heard 'em say dat yo' could git de - if dey wan'a fix yo' fo' dere own benefit, to bring 'em to dem, yo' take dere lef' track from de toes. Yo' wan'a take it up wit a shovel or a hoe. Take it from de toe back to de heel. Dey takes dat den an' put it in a li'le bag. An' dey take dat bag an' secure dat fo' nine days. Den dey open it. Dey puts a li'le salt, table salt in dat bag, an' dey carry dat bag wit 'em. Dey weah dat aroun' de waist.
Entry 5592
Take his track fo' nine days an' put it in a little bag an' bury it, an' he goes away.
(Take his track for nine days. What do you mean by that?)
About nine days. Jis' lak yo' want 'em tuh go 'way, jis' take his track - jis' take nine of 'em an' put in a little papah bag an' bury it. He'll move. Dat'll run 'im off.
Entry 5611
Yo' kin take up a person track an' put it in a bag, an' put red peppah in dere on yore track, an' dat'll make yo' lose yore mind, almos' run yo' crazy.
Entry 5621
Dey say if yo' goin' anywhere an' a person don' wan' choo dere, an' yo' leave, dey walks right back out on yore foot track; an' take de firs' two track, an' takes up one han'- ful of dirt from de lef' an' den throw some salt in de right one. Dey take de sand [from left track] on back to de house wit 'em an' put it in a bag: an' keep dat. An' dey say yo' can't come back to de house no more.
Entry 5626
Pick up de lef' foot jis' in de centah, in de middle of de track, an' put it into a bag. An' put a little salt, a little [red] peppah an' throw it into de rivah. An' dey say dat will do yo~ harm - make yo' go away, don' chew know, run yo' outa town sompin lak dat.
Entry 5638
Yore left track - if yo' goin' down 'er steps, she could rake yore left track to her an' jis' mix a little sugah an' salt wit it, an' yo' jis' keep yore min' on 'er all de time. (What would she do with that track?) Heah it, Weah it in a little bag, an' dat jis' keep yore min'.
Entry 5647
If yo' wan'a make love yo' take his right - if he's comin' towards yo', take de dirt out 'is right foot track when he comin' towards yo'. Put it in a bag wit sugah an' spice in dere, an': sleep wit it undah yore haid, undah yore mattress undah yore hair where yo' lies.
Entry 5695
Yo' take de foot tracks aftah it rains. Wait till it rains. An' when it rains yo' watch fo' dat person whosomevah yo' wanted tuh harm. Yo' watch fo' dem, an' when he done pass an' gone by on 'is business, why yo' come out an' git three tracks up. (How do you pick them up now?) Well, yo' pick 'em up wit chure han', jis' de whole track, yo' see. Yo' pick one up [demonstrates] lak dis an' yo' go an' yo' pick de othah one up. Yo' have a papah bag an' put dat in dere.
(You pick up three tracks?)
Yeah, an' yo' take a papah bag an' put dat in. All right yo' take dat an' put dat in, an' yo' go home an' yo' git chew a aig, yo' git chew some hot stuff an' some yeast box - de ten-cent box yeast box, do' [though] dey got a big box, an' yo' be ballin' dat up. An' yo' take dat an' throw dat in de rivah.
(What do you throw in the river?)
De tracks.
(What do you do with the stuff you whip up?)
Yo' whip all that up tuhgethah, yo' undahstan', den yo' put it back in a heaviah papah bag, an' yo' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah out tuh de Miss'ippi Rivah, yo' undahstan'. Or if it's a guttah where it's runnin' watah it's all right. [RUNNING WATER IN A GUTTER IS MENTIONED HERE THE FIRST TIME IN HOODOO.] Well, dat'll be all of it, see.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll jis' send 'im down, dat he won' talk. Yeah, dat cripples 'im.
(It won't send him away or anything?)
No, it jis' sends 'im down, he cain't do nuthin.
Entry 5696
If yo' wan' 'em tuh go, yo' don' wan' 'im tuh stay, git choo a table- spoonful of salt, a tablespoon whut dey call cayenne peppah. Git choo a red flannin rag now, an' git saltpeter - woman salt- peter. Yo' know it's two kinds, a she saltpeter an' dere a he saltpeter. Yo' git de she. Take yo' a teaspoonful an' put it dere an' put it - make a li'le. red-flannin sack an' put it down in dere. Well, now if yo' know dis party, yo' watch 'er walk. Yo' count de tracks as dey walk. Yo' count de tracks lak dey 3 right-foot tracks. Yo' jis' take it from de toe. An' take it up, po' it in dat sack. Sew it up. Yo' meet de sun three mawnin's as it rise, an' wet on it. Take it tuh de rivah befo' de rise de fo'th day, an' throw it in dere. Ah don' care where yo' wan' 'em tuh go, dey'll leave dere. Dey can't stay.
(WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "SHE" AND "HE" SALTPETER?)
DE "SHE" IS A LARGE LUMP AN' DE "HE" IS IN LI'LE BITA CRUMBS.
Entry 5715
Jis' lak ah'm on de way now uptown. Ah'm on mah way up an' mah min' is toum. Ah got some pahtic'lah business ah wanta 'tend [attend] tuh, an' ah'm on de way, now. Den yo'll git some of 'is track, undah- stan'. Yo' stan' where he's goin', de direction dat he's goin'. Take some of 'is tracks three times - take dat dirt P outa his track three times, an' den put dat in a piece of new cloth an' bind I up. Put three pods of red peppah in wit it. An' den take dat an' sew it up a' put a long string about dat long an' so it kin swing it. Sew dat string jis batavay an' evah time de win' blow, dat swing. He's agoin'.
(Where do you tie that up?)
Ties it up on a white oak in de woods. Jis' take it, tie it up in dere. He can't stay becuz 'is min' altuhgethah from dere. (In other words you take that track, you take it three times out of three different tracks - one right after the other?) Yessuh. (The same thing as that other one you told me about, about taking all the dree tracks?) Dat's right.
Entry 5716
Yo' take a mockin'bird's nest an' yo' burn it an' git de ashes out of it, an' use it in makin' a man or a woman go 'way. Yo' take dat wit some of dere tracks an' hang dat up ag'in wit a long string. Tie it up wit a piece of new cloth. Put it in a cloth have nevah been worn, an' put dat in dere wit a long string on it. Hang it up on a white oak an' it will swing. Hit will make 'em go off. DERE SO MANY WAYS TUH MAKE A PERSON GO OFF.
Entry 5813
Dey tell me dey take hair out de top of yore haid an' dey mix it wit Hearts Cologne an' den sews it up wit a new piece of homespun an' wears it undah dere arm. Dat's fo' love.
(Which arm do they wear it under?)
That arm there [you are holding up], that's the left arm.) Yes sir.
Entry 5885
Take yore hair an' - cut a little piece yore hair out chure haid an' cut dese thin's off heah [demonstrates]. (Those fingernails.) An' offa dey toenail, don't chew know. An' take dose thin's an' parch 'em an' den mix it up togethah. An' aftah it parch, yo' mash it up, don't chew know, an' take a rag an' tie it up wit a white rag an' use it in de tea - anythin' dey drink. An' dat will make yo' have good luck. Dat's de way dey do it.
(Just good luck? What kind of luck?)
Hit will make 'im brin' yo' de money, or make 'er brin' de money to yo', yo' know.
Entry 5932
I say, dey say dey kin take yore hair, see, jes' a clip of yore hair Octa yore head - I think it's on de lef' side, see - an' take it an' bury it wit some soda an' table salt fo' nine days. An' den dig it up an' sew it in a bag an' wear it. An' what- eah dey say dey wanta to it [whatever they tell the bag they want done], why yo lin be wishin' it. Dey say it'll come true - if dey run yo' crazy or make love Tvhatevah dey desire.
Entry 5958
If yo' wanted to keep a person, yo' take de hair out of de mole of dere head, an' yo' take dis wit othah things dat I tole yo' 'bout concernin' de cloth dat dey use. An' yo' wrap dis togethah around. Jes' take yo' a cotton string an' ball dis hair togethah an' tie it jes' as tight as yo' kin. An' tie it in a little bag wit de bow of de hat.
Entry 5976
If she got holda some of yore hair, hit's a powdah dat she could go tuh de drug sto' an' git, dat we call Sweetheart Powdah. An' she could take dat piece af hair an' sew it up in a bag, an' she could wear it on her left side, an' yo ooaldn't stay 'way from 'er tuh save yore life. (Where would she wear it on the left side? Any part of the left side?) Any part - round her waist, or she could pin it intuh one of 'er undahpiece, an'
[or] wear it right nex' tuh 'er heart, don't yo' see.
Entry 5991
Say, fo' instan', if a man's got a woman an' he's got a little compe- tition an' den he git her fingernail or her toenail, an' den he gits some hair from de mole of her haid an' he take this toenails an' hair an' he'll put it in a bag, say, of a piece of red flannel an' sew it an' he'll write this person name nine times. (Whose name does he write?) He writes the individual that he's interested in. Be write dere name nine times one way. Write his name nine times across that name uhich make 18 names altogether. An' then he fold this piece an' he put this bag on top of this piece an' wear it right next to his heart, say, fo' instan', he pin it on de inside of 'is undahshirt.
(What is that supposed to do then?)
Dat's supposed to keep dis woman's mind to him all de while.
(The paper on which the name is written is not put in the bag itself?)
No suh, it's put on de outside.
(Next to his skin?)
Yessuh.
Entry 5994
Git chure hair an' put chure hair wit a needle, a steel needle. Jes' dt it from de mole of yore haid - be sure dat yo' git de hair from de mole of de haid an' wrap it wit a steel nee- dle, an' put it in a little bag an' put dat hair, an' a little peppah or somepin in it an' sew it in de bag. Dyput it up ovah de sill of a door, dat hair. Dey got chew wrapped up de way want chew, dat hair an' peppah, an' sew it in a red flannel an' dey keep it re, an' de thread, [use] red thread.
Entry 6014
Yo' kin take a person's hair now, an' yo' kin take yo' nine needles up an' down [demonstrates], an' wrap dat hair between 'em wit black thread. (One needle is pointed that way and one that way.) Dat's right. Head an' tail dey call it. Yo' take dat an' wrap dat an' put chew - git chew a little red flannel bag an' git chew a dime's wut [worth] of lodestone dust an' put in dat, an' put dat in yore pocket. Yo' have de headache de balance of yore days.
Entry 6026
Git a plait of hair an' yo' plait it undahwards, yo' know, lak dat [demonstrates]. Don't plait it ovah lak we plait our hair, plait it undah lak dat. Den tie a little bow of ribbon on dere. An' aftah yo' tie dat hair in dere, yo' take an' put a piece of lodestone wit it, an' yo' put nine pins an' nine needles in dere, an' yo' sew dat up in a flannel bag, an' yo' puts a little sugah in dere, too - ah'd fo'gotten dat - an' anvil dust lak at de blacksmith shop, dat dust where dey grind.
(From the anvil?)
[From the hoodoo drug store or mail order firm I should have said.1 Yes. Put dat anvil dust in dere an' a silvah dime. Dat's tuh keep de person dat chew love, yo' know, keep dere minds contented towards yo'.
Entry 6027
If yo' kin git a stran' of hair out of a person's haid, out from de top of de haid, yo' git a stran' of dere hair. An' take dat an' git nine nee- dles an' nine pins, an' yo' git a piece of red flannel, an' git some lodestone, an yo' could git some of dere sweat - perspiration yo' know - on a piece of cloth, a bran'-new piece of cloth, an' put it in dere. Stick dem pins in dere, stick 'em cross dis way. Stick 'em cross lak dat [demonstrates].
(Like making a cross - X's.)
Dat's right. Stick dem pins in dat piece of cloth, if it don' be but jes' a small piece of it, jes' so it be's dat perspiration on it. An' yo' stick dem pins in dere an' lodestone an' dat anvil dust. Anvil dust keeps de lodestone live. An' put dat in dere an' put dat hair in dere in dat thing [cloth] an' sew it up [into a bag], an' yo' kin have a person most anywhere yo' want 'em.
(What do you do with that?)
Jes' carry it [bag or package] in yore pocket. Yo' carry it reg'lah fo'about eight or nine days, an' whenevah yo' takes it out of yore pocket, yo' put it ina real pahtic'lah place where no one will bothah it but chew. An' dat will rule a person.
Entry 6051
Take dat hair undah de arms when a man wanta tie a woman. Dey git de hair from undah a woman's arm an' dey put it in a little bag. Put it in de bag wit Hearts Cologne. An' when dey wear dat undah dere arm where dey per- spire an' let de two combine togethah. Well, dey gen'ly [generally] lak yo' sew it - yo' see, if it's thick undahwear. Dis woman nevah knows it. Well, see, when he's in de presence of dat woman an' she inhale dat cologne an' dat perspi- ration togethah, why she jes' fall fo' dat man in evah way. Dat hold's 'emclosah togethah.
(He doesn't put that in anything? In the urine or?)
[Informant probably had been speaking about urine before I turned on machine.]
No, jes' de scents off de body.
Entry 6054
Jes' lak yo'd cut de hair out de mole of yore haid an' take de hair from de othah place, an' put both of dem hair togethah an' take dat hair an' sew it up in a bag. Dat's when yo' wanta keep yore man, yo' see, or yore wife or whoevah it is. An' seu it up in hah pillah or 'is pillah. Well, dat'll keep 'em right dere. But of co'se if yo' wan' 'im tuh leave, yo' wan'a run 'im off in de rivah, why yo' take dat hair an' yo' ketch a catfish. An' yo' take a stick an' jes' stuff it down in dat catfish's mouth right good an' den throw dat catfish, throw 'im backwards [demonstrates] out in de rivah. An' jes' as fur as dat fish goin', dat person, uboevah goin', tryin' tuh ketch up wit dat catfish, an' aftah while he'll drown.
(You throw that over your left shoulder.)
Yessuh.
Entry 6057
Ah hear dat [they] kin take a piece hair out de man's - chice[?] of a man an' de man is sich of dem. Tell me dey git aholt of de hair.
(Of the head?)
From de head.
(Yes?) [= continue, because informant had stopped.]
An' dey git holt of de hair from down below.
(That's right [= keep talking]. Now, what do they do with that?)
An' den dey take dem two an' put it in a bag, an' ah don't know what dey do's. Dey takes dose two [kinds of hair] an' put 'em in a bag, an' put a dime intuh it. An' put dat same othah root whut ah tell yo' 'bout [pronounced boat].
(John the Conquer?)
Yes. Put some of dat an' dey git dis [informant unable to remember].
(And what else do.you put in there, then?)
Yo' put dis John de Conkah in dere an' den yo' git holt of dere hair - de two hairs - an' den yo' git a dime. An' yo' sew it up in a bag an' yo' wears it aroun' yo'. Yo' eithah put it aroun' yo' waist or wear it aroun' yo' neck. An' den yo' feed it wid dis same - de same cologne ah tell yo' about.
(That Hearts Cologne, you feed it?)
Yo' feed it wid dat. Eveh once in a while yo' feed it wid dat, see.
(And what is that supposed to do?)
Suh?
(What will that do then?)
What'll dat do? Well, if yo' got a husban' or anythin', or any man or any- thin', he gotta dump [give] evahthin' he got tuh yo' - couldn't git aroun' [with other women, gamble away his money, etc.l. He's gotta come home.
(That's to hold him, to keep him.)
Entry 6072
Ah've heard tell of folks who take pins an' needles an' break 'em up y' know, snuff, sugah, an' hair from down in front of yo', an' wear it, wear dere husban's hair in a bag an' pin it to dey clothes right where it be nex' to dere skin. An' dey husban' couldn't object to 'em goin' out wit othah men if dey want to.
(Do they have their husband's hair in that bag?)
Dey [husband] don't know dey got it yo' know.
(Whose hair do they put in there?)
His'n, yessuh - from down heah, see. Steal it yo' know in his sleep.
Entry 6073
De nex' story ah know. A man an' his wife gits ma'ied an' dey live good. Well, yo' know, people git mad 'cuz when dey gittin' 'long good in de home.[ Well, ah'm goin' tell yo', dere's people don' lak dat: "She's gittin' 'long good ovah dere," says, "an' all ah kin do [is to make ends meet]." Co'se ah'm goin' tell yo' de whole business. Well, dis woman ovah yondah she's cryin' an' wantin' 'er husban' tuh come back an' she can't git 'im tuh come back. "Ooh, ah don't know whut to do. Mah husban' won' come back, ah want 'im tuh come back." Well, ah tell yo' a good plan yo' kin do. Ah tried dis an' dey tell me it's good. Yo' kin try it. Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do. Yo' git some hair offa him down dere an' yo' sew it up in a flannel rag, an' yo' tote hit fo' nine mawn- in's, an' evah mawnin' yo' git up an' yo' speak to it an' says, "Ah totes dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come back to me, ah'll tote dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come to me, [surely said a third time], In de Name of de Father, Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Ghost. Amen." Yo' say dose words nine mawn- in's an' tote dat. He'll come on back.
Entry 6074
Dey say yo' take a silvah dime an' git nine stran's of a man's hair from 'is private down heah, an' some John de Conkah root, an' yo' chews it up good, an' puts it in dis bag wit dis dime, one dime, an' sew it up anl tie it aroun' yore waist. An' dis man cain't git rid of me, cuz he don't wanta git rid of me, an' still yo' cain't git rid of 'im. Yo' wear dat nine stran's of hair. Well, ah know dat's a fac' 'cuz ah tried it tuh see would it come out.
Entry 6081
Well, dey said yo' kin take yore hair an' some of yore hair down below an' put it togethah, parch it an' put it in - an' a piece of saltpetah. An'dat's to make love. An' sew it up [in a bag] an' wear it nex' to yo', nex' to yo', nex' to yore flesh. An' tie it aroun' yo' - wear it aroun', pin it to yo' some way. An' dat makes de man or wumman love dat person, whoevah dey want.
Entry 6098
Take yore hair, cut de hair out de top of yore haid, near de mole of yore haid, an' den dey would take dat hair an' would put it into some Hearts Per- fume. Git de Hearts Perfume an' take dat hair an' put wit dat hair some whut is known as John de Con- kah, an' rattlesnake marstah. An' den yo' would take dat hair an' put it in a bag an' yo'd wear dat hair round yore waist to make someone love yo'.
Entry 6178
Well, it's anothah thing about de hair. Dey kin take de hair an' gain de influence or love of a woman, by yo' takin' it eithah to a lovedove [love- bird]. Git dat lovedove an' take de feathahs from 'im wit'out 'im bein' bushin' up or anythin' - yo' know, pick dem. Put 'em in de stove an' let 'em parch yo' know good an' dry. Den yo' take some of de hair from de lady - woman. Well, she take all dat an' make a powdah of dat. Well, first she'll put some of dat on yo' an' den she take de rest of it wit dat Adam-an'-Eve root. Den she wear dat in a bag, see. Well, dat will gain de influence of love wit 'er - well, it cause two peo- ples tuh come to git married.
(She put some of her water - urine did you say?)
She put some of her [hair].
(From her head?)
Yes.
(And she puts them with these dove feathers that have been burnt up?)
Yes - yo' know, make a powder of it.
(And put it in this bag and wear it?)
Yeah, aftah she put some on de othah - on de man.
(Where does she put them on him?)
Jes' anywhere on 'is body while he's sleep. Den she take de rest of it an' she wears it in heah jes' in a bag, but she have to take a Adam-an'-Eve root, yo' know, tuh git de rest of de good out of it.
Entry 6194
Ah heard dat dey could take dat hair of yores an' put it in a bag, an' go tuh a cherry tree an' bo' a hole in dat tree, an' make a peg tuh fit it an' drive it up in dat tree, an' dat would run yo' crazy. [To put hair into a small bag before inserting it into tree is rare, but see 6196 which also requires a cherry tree.]
(Must it be in a cherry tree?)
Dat's whut dey tole me - a cherry tree.
Entry 6267
Now, jes' lak if dey wanted yo' or loved yo' or somepin, dey would take yore hair an' put it - yo' know, jes' put it in a li'le bag or somepin - li'le ole red flannel or somepin lak dat, sew it up. Put cologne on it, jes' a li'le Hearts Cologne, an' keep it - jes' weah it, keep it. An' den dey take dere watah - yo' know, pee on it. Dat's whut dey tell me dey do wit dat.
(Why Would they do this?)
To make dem love yo'; yo' see, care fo' yo'.
Entry 6352
Git chure hair an' take dat hair - she kin take dat hair, an' if it's yore hair an' she wants yo' tuh love 'er, she kin take dat hair an' sew it up in a piece of cloth, an' take an' weah dat cloth an' wherevah dat he goes, why yo' [she] will long aftah 'im.
Entry 6444
Yuh take yoah toenails, den yuh put 'em in a li'le rag yuh see an' tie 'em up re'l tight. Cu' [cut] choo a fo'ked stick - yuh see, has two fo'ks tuh it - an' go right undah dere doah step. An' pu' dat rag right in dis fo'k an' drive it down so de fo'k will hol' de bag down tuh de groun', see. An' pu' tit in de groun' jis' enough, yuh know, jis' fer nobody can't see it, yuh know. An' [they] tell me dem toenails'll grow as yuh go away. An' yuh fall off an' go 'way tuh nuthin jis' like dem toenails grow.
Entry 6449
Well, dey could take yore toenails an' put 'em on a fire; parch 'em up an' make a powdah outa dem, see. Dey could take a frog, take dat frog an' put 'im in somepin where he can't git out, yo' see. Dey puts 'im on a fire an' parches 'im up tuh a powdah. Dey mixes dose two things tuhgethah, yo' undahstan'. An' aftah dey mix 'em tuhgeth- ah, den dey'll take 'em an' put 'em in a red flannel bag, a little small bag, an' dey will bury dem, see. When dey bury dem, it takes effect on yo' right away. Yo' git founded in yore feet. Yo' can't git about an' yore feet will begin tuh swell on yo'.
(I see.)
[Since I did not ask for the meaning of the preceding founded, I must have understood it as confounded in your feet (found being an obsolete form of con- found); or as fZoundered (flounder = stumble) or to stumble and go lame, as a horse.]
Entry 6455
Puts 'em in a bag, dese.
(These fingernails and toenails?)
Yes, takes yore fingahnails an' toenails. Dey git holt of 'em an' puts 'em in a bag. Aftah dey puts 'em in dis bag, dey take an' go tuh de graveyard an' git some dirt in dem an' hang 'em up ovah yore door- sill. An' aftah hangin' yore fingahnails ovah de doorsill, stay up dere awhile, den dey take an' sprinkle dem down by yore do'.
(And what will that do?)
Dat will run yo' away from someone dat dey don' wan' chew tuh be wit.
Entry 6469
[The two rites following explain each other:]
They say, kin get your fingernails. If you kin get a man's fingernails, or his toenails, or a piece of hair, you know, say, you get a piece of red flannen, I think, an' sew that up. An' you get chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' I think you get that on the day when the moon's on the last quarter, I think. An' you fix that up and sew that up between nine and ten, an' make your wishes. An' then I think they wear that somewheres near the body, near the heart.
[Informant starts another hair rite:]
(I see. And what do they put in that bag? What would they put in that?)
Well, they's put in that a bag, it's some kind where they got their finger- nails and toenails or some of the hair where they - it's a kind of root they get dey call de Eve-and-Adam. See, those roots are twin roots together. They name one the man and the other one the woman. And then they keep it saturated, I think, in Hearts Cologne. They wear that near the body and make a wish for every stitch they make, sewing up that bag. They makes a wish. They make a bag an sews on it. They make a wish an' puts nine stitches each way [demonstrates]. (Nine stitches in the bag. This is a square bag, nine stitches on each side, nine stitches on each of the four sides of the square bag. I see. And that wish would get them, or something of that sort?) Yes, then they wear that near the heart. (That's different from the - adding that root? That's different from the first thing you told me?) Yes.
Entry 6481
If dey could git holt of dat - an' if dey git holt of dat, why dey'll scorch it, see.
(These fingernails or?)
Or toenails, see, in ordah if dey wants tuh trick yo'. Dat's if a person is sellin' whiskey or somepin lak dat an' dey wants de customah tuh continue or tuh come on tuh love den, why dey'll burn dat. Dey'll scorch it, yo' see. An' aftah dey scorchin' it, den dey put de spice wit it, see. An' dey tie it in a li'le bag, see. An' maybe, if it's a woman an' she wants tuh use it, she'll [put] her dis- charges in it. An' den she'll jis' put it in a li'le whiskey an' soak in dere. See. An' aftah soakin' it well, she'll take de juice from dat an' den she'll po' it in dis whiskey. An' she'll shake it an' if yo' drink it, yo'll continue tuh go back.
Entry 6706
Now ah tell yo ag'in, it have tuh be yo' unahstan' [under- stand]. Yo' have tuh git some earth from outa de groun', but yo' gotta be sure dat it's black dust - black earth, yo' see. Well, den yo' need tuh git halfa teaspoonfula dis sulphuh, den yo' have tuh git halfa teaspoonfula black peppah intuh a one-inch bag, yo' see, an' it have tuh be pure yallah homespun cloth. An' den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' puts dose tuhgethah, an' one red peppah. An' den yo' sew it up dere in de flannen [flannel]. Heah's a li'le bag dat yo' totes along in dat, yo' undahstan'. Well, it's no chance of no one playin' yo', anythin'. [This may be primarily a gambling hand, but it protects you against conjur- ation of any kind.]
(I see, eats it up.)
Eats it up, takes it 'way.
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 6890
If someone's tryin' tuh hahm [harm] yo', take 23rd Psalm an' read it three times evah day fo: nine days, an' write it an' put it down in a li'le bag an' weah it on de right side. Dat'll keep 'em from hahmin' yo'.
Entry 7496
Mah gran'mothah says, she says, it's a devil's shoestring. She say yo' tie dis roun' yore waist - roun'about, yo'know right 'long heah [demonstrates], an' yo' git chew a little bag a sand an' put on each end of dis devil's shoestring, an' de man dat'll appear - yore mind will jes' come to 'im [your mind will show you a. picture of the killer]. De man dat did dis to yo', yo'll see 'im. An' in othah words yo' be lookin' out fo' dat. An' de first man dat chure 'tention [attention] strike an' he gits in yore mind, vell dat's de man dat really did de killin'. Yo' kin take, lak dis [dead] man dere, yo' kin git some of de dirt offa his grave an' jes' scattah it round, yo' know, lak.
(This dirt now, what about that?)
Three days aftah de man is buried yo' kin take dis dirt an' scattah it along dis road, an' if dis man evah comes along dis road ag'in, he'll show 'imself up. In othah words, if he evah cross where yo' scattah dis dirt, in othah words, de spirit is not normal till three days aftah, den yo' git it offa dere an' scattah it 'cross de road.
Entry 7628
Ah learnt dat yo' could git dirt out of a graveyard an' put it roun' a person's house an' run dem away. An' yo' could put it undah de house an' someone would burn de house down. (This graveyard dirt under the house?) Undah de house would burn de house down. An' if yo' sprinkle it roun' de house, why it would make de person move, dey couldn't stay dere. Ah heard dat when yo' git it, yo'd have tuh git it in a bag, put it in a paper bag, an' yo'd have tuh keep it separate from any othah dirt.
Entry 7629
Graveyard dirt in de mawnin' - 'long in de mawnin' jes' befo' day, yo' kin go out to de graveyard an' dig into a grave an' jes' at de end of dey foot wheresomevah a person is buried into dis grave, an' git three handsful of dat sand. An' put it into a red papah bag an' bury it. Keep it three or fo' weeks [first], [because] dis person dat chew love, it's [the length of burial time of dirt in red bag is] 'cordin' [according] to how colored dey are. Yo' kin make dem come back home in a certain length of time.
(What would they do with that dirt after they got it, could you tell me?)
[I wanted a detailed account of how time of keeping dirt depended upon the darkness or lightness of a person's shade of black or brown or lighter shades of a person's skin. My preceding question was a bad one because I ask for a repeti- tion of general information rather than the specific details about intensity of color. THERE ARE RITES IN HOODOO DEALING WITH COMPLEXION, especially those about candle colors.] Ah really don't know. Ah hear lots of 'em say how it's done. Dere so many Ways, ah would really not know exactly how it's done. Ah heered lots of 'em say it.
(Well, what do you get this dirt for?)
Yo' git dis dirt to make a person [come back home].
(You put this dirt in the red paper bag. Then what do you do with it?)
Yo' wrap it an' bury it jes' lak yo' would a package. Yo' know, Wrap up a package an' bury it undah de ground somewhere near about where yo' stay at.
Entry 7630
Yo' kin take graveyard dirt if yo' is a gambler, if yo's a bolito player or if yo's a poker player or somepin like dat. Yo' kin dig down an' git some graveyard dust an' tie it up in a red bag - see, understand, a red bag an' yo' carry dat in yore pocket. Now, we often wins wit dat, 'cuz dat's where we come from [from the dust of the earth]. An' tote it in yore right-hand pocket. If yo' won't git lucky from dat yo' won't git no luck.
Entry 7641
Dey go out tuh de fo'ks of de road, an' ah think dey speaks fo' times [recite an incantation of some sort] an' turns tuh de lef'. An' dey goes tuh de graveyard an' dey gits some graveyard dust from de left, from de head of de grave, an' put it in a li'le bag an' weah it in dey pocket- book. (What is that supposed to do?) Dat supposed tuh give yo' luck. (That will give you luck, I see. You go out to this crossroad and speak four times?) Yes, sir.
(What time do they go out there, any particular time or just any old time?)
Naw, five an' six o'clock in de mawnin' an' twelve o'clock at night, an prob'ly three o'clock in de mawnin'. [This means midnight or after, or before daybreak - the usual dark hour.]
(I see, and from the crossroads then they go to the cemetery.)
Yes, sir.
The informant thinks four utterances at road forks and a left turn precede taking dust from the left head of a grave and carrying it for luck. The account gives several possible hours; Hyatt summarizes a usual dark hour and interprets the utterances as an incantation. Keep the informant's uncertainty and times distinct from those editorial summaries.
Entry 7644
If yo' got somebody an' maybe yo' Wanta kill dat person or wanta harm dat person. Say now if yo' go up in de graveyard an' maybe it been some man dat have lived a rowdy life. Yo know some people live a very rowdy life, nevah attempt tuh be a Christian, a very rowdy person. Some people cuss tuh de last. Say yo' go tuh dat person an' go tuh de foot of 'is grave an' dig down one foot in de groun', she say. An' git chew a handful of dat dirt an' put it in a bag, an' bring it back home an' go round at dat man's back do', an' jes' take dat dirt an' throw it lak it wuz some flour or sompin. on de ground. Say, why dat man will come afflicted wit 'is laigs, or make his foot swell up, or he'll have some kind of ailment about 'is laigs account dat graveyard dirt bein' around de dō'.
Entry 7725
Take de footbo'd an' put it tuh de haid an' de haidbo'd an' put it tuh de feet, an' let it stay fo' [for] fo' [four] days. Go back an' reverse de footbo'd tuh de left-side an' de haidbo'd tuh de right-side, an' name de othah per- son - name de per- son [victim]. Take de length of dat grave from de haid wit a rule [string can be used]. Carry it back through a [paper bag suggested later] an' pass it tuh dem [the victim]. Give it tuh dem or some of de ones in de house - or de one dat shure tuh be condemned. Dat'll be de one who'll soon pass out of de house. (How do you mean? You go there and put the headboard to the foot and the footboard to the head?) That's right. (Then you go back there in four days. And then what do you do with those boards?) Take 'em an' jes' place 'em tuh de side, one tuh de left an' one tuh de right Iside of grave].
(Well, which is which?)
De haidbo'd tuh de left [heartside] an' de footbo'd tuh de right. Jes' take dem an' jes' push 'em dere; jes' push 'em dere an' name 'em.
[Somewhere along here informant said something about a sign on the grave.]
(That you make a sign on the grave?)
Yo' make a "x" on de grave, dat's right. Carry it [measurement] back an' give tuh de person.
(What do you give to the person?)
De measure. Yo' measure it wit a rule or a string; anything yo' want tuh, jes' since yo' git it back [to the house]. Yo' take de measure an' give it tuh dis person, somebody in de house. Yo' gotta give it tuh 'em in a papah bag or sompin - in de bag or sompin. Be sure dat chew give it tuh 'em. [Sumter, S. Car. (1384), 2460:5.]
Entry 7731
Dey put de li'le bag - yo' sleep in anywhere - in yo' baid in yo' mat- tress, anything. Dey'll slip dat graveyard dirt in it an' put it in de mattress, sew it up intuh de mattress. An' if dey wanta run yo' outa town, run yo' away from dere, den yo'll leave dere, if yo' sleep in dat baid.
Entry 7817
If a person away an' - yo' could take yo' a cotton string an' yo' tie dose nine knots tuhgethah. Yo' sew dose nine knots up intuh a bag an' yo' take graveyard dirt wit'in dose knots. An' yo' take dat bag an' put it some- place in yuh clothes whut chew veah nex' tuh yo'. An' yo' weah dat bag wit dat string in dere twixt yo', an' dat'll bring 'em back.
Entry 7826
I have heard of them getting a hold of graveyard dust and putting it in a bag. And they wear that on the left side of the breast, in a woman; and if it is a man, they put that in his [left] pocket. They want to wear that next oo the skin and they will get them.
Entry 7842
Dey go tuh de graveyard an' dey git some dust. Dey go tuh de store an' dey buy a new pack of needles whut ain't be used. All right, dey take dose needles an' dey cross dose needles, an' den dey sews 'em up intuh a piece of red flan- nel. An' dey: make whut dey call a bag outa it, an' dat's fer good luck.
(How many needles do they cross?)
Two of 'em, jis' two needles. Dey cross 'em. When dey put dose two needles in dere, dey put's a piece of lodestone about so big [demonstrates] in dere wit it, see. Dat's fer good luck.
Entry 7844
Yo' could use a needle, dey said, fo' breakin' up a home. (How would they do that?) Take nine needles an' nine ten- penny nails. Yo' undahstan' me? An' yo' could take dat same graveyard dirt. An' sew dat intuh a li'le bag an' bury it anywhere tuh de front of de steps. An' dat will tear up de home, tear it right up.
Entry 7863
Dey git graveyard dirt an' sew it up in a li'le piece of red flannen an' wet it fo' nine mawnin's wit Hearts Cologne an' weah it in yore pocket. Dat brings yo' luck in gamblin' an' on dese [playing] cards.
Entry 8025
A dead person bone, a small dead per- son bone [a small bone from a dead person], an' dey put it in a bag an' a couple of red beans an' steel dust, an' dey tie it up an' give it tuh yo' or sew it up. Dat's fo' luck.
Entry 8032
Git chew some Heart Cologne, git chew some black gunpowdah. Go tuh de graveyard an' go down dere as fer as yo' kin reach. If yo' kin reach de casket an' git a bone - jis' any bone yo' git - take it, specially a ole graveyard where de bones is awfully rotten. Git it an' make a dust [of it]. Jis' git bone enough tuh make a dust out of it. Make it kinda in a powdah. Go dere - [I mean] go back home an' put it in a flannel [cloth] an' weah it undah yuh left arm. Git chew a piece of blacksnake root dey calls it, git hit an' put it in yuh mouth. Chew it up. Aftah six days yo' dere, go tuh dis place where yo' wanta git dis job an' git tuh talkin' tuh dis fellah, an' evah now an' den yo' spit. An' he might herd joo off de firs' time, but de second time yo' go back dere an' yo' git a job.
(You wear this stuff under your arm?)
Yo' weahs it fo' six days, goes down tuh de office an' carries it on. Nevah take it off until nine days aftah yo' git chure job. (Don't take this away until you have been on the job for nine days. And then you don't have to wear it any more.)
Entry 8043
Take de dead man's bone, take fo' of 'is fingahs. Yo' see, dese: one, two, three, fo' fingahs here. An' take each one of 'em j'ints. Yo' undahstand. Yo' take de end of dem fingahs, aftah all de meat's done faded offa dem.
(Either hand?)
No, no, take off de right hand.
(All right.)
Dat's 'is gamblin' hand, makes a gamblin' hand outa it. Dat's tuh make yuh win, undahstand. Dat's supposed tuh make yo' lucky, make yo' win. Take dem fo' fingahs here an' dey chip 'em right in half. When dey chip dem fo' j'ints in half, dey puts 'em intuh a li'le bag, yo' undahstand. An' put some steel dust in dere an' lode- stone an' six needles, gold-eyed needles, an' sew dat up an' give it tuh yuh. Call dat a lucky hand.
(For gambling.)
Entry 8456
Yore photograph is yore pichure. Well, ah've heard dat people have taken yore pichure an' some quicksilvah an' throwed it in watah an' run yo' crazy or make yo' leave home. (Well, what would they do with that quicksilver?) Dey taken an' put it on de pichure [quicksilver here probably tinfoil] an' put it in a li'le sack, an' throw it in a stream of cleah runnin' watah. Jes' lak dis watah's runnin' downstream an' throw it in dat stream of watah, an' turn yo' back on it an' go on back. An' it'll eithah run yo' crazy or make yo' leave home.
(You just spread that quicksilver on the picture? The back of it or?)
On de back of it.
Entry 8659
You take his name an' write it nine times, an' git choo a he an' she lodestone an' put it in there with his name, an' git a silver dime from 'im. An' he'll give yo' ever' nickel of money he kin make or scrape. (What do you do with that after you get this stuff together?) Yo' make it like in a little bag an' yo' pin it on yo'. Yo' see, yo' write his name first, yo' make yore wish jis' w'atevah yo' want done, yo' understan', an' den yo' wrap it up to yo' an make yore wish an' sew it up an' wear it on yo'.
(What do you do with this dime?)
Put it in there with dat - dat lodestone. Draws it, draws his money to yo'.
Entry 8660
(How do they do that?)
Well, they makes up a little bag an' takes an' puts lodestone in it, an' this here Conkah Root; put Conkah Root Powdah, cinnamon an' things, an' if dey wanted a man they sew de man's name up in dat, with a dime in dere an' den dey weah it. (I see.) [A gambling hand becomes a love hand by the addition of a person's name.]
Entry 8694
[There was] a man [a doctor] and he write - wrote in red ink.
(He had red ink?)
Yes, sir. Not ink, yo' know a red pencil, but red center. An' he write mine name, hers name an' - wrote de boy's name, an' de girl's name, an' then my name across it. And he [this doctor] said that would make them humble unto me. Yo' see, give me no more trouble. Well, it look like it did, see. Ah don't know. Ah know ah never did [have any more trouble with them].
(Then after he wrote those names, then what did he do with that paper?)
Fold it, fold it to him. Every time he turn it, fold it to him. Don't fold it away from him, to him. And [he] sewed it up in a little sack an' ah wore that, wore it out. That's what I experienced individually.
(You had to wear that?)
Yes, sir. (He wrote this girl's name and this boy's name like that [I demonstrate] on parallel lines.) Yes, sir. (Then he crossed - then diagonally he crossed your name on it with this red pencil? I see.) YeS, Sir. [THE READER MUST REALIZE THAT THE PRECEDING "PARALLEL LINES" AND "DIAGONALLY" ARE NOT FOR INFORMANT BUT FOR MY FUTURE UNDERSTANDING. MANY OF MY COMMENTS ARE ANNOTATIONS.]
Entry 8985
Yo' take beef tongue an' dries it. Yo' make a dust out of dat, under- stand. Yo' take that an' dries it. Yo' take it - just like yo' take it an' lay it, let it just wither up. Hang it so it wither up, yo' see. Well, yo' take it, yo' take blood of dragon - dragon's blood. Yo' take lodestone. Yo' take that an' grind it up. An' yo' takes a piece of red flannel an' yo' puts them in there an' makes yo' a bag out of that. An' yo' sew it up an' yo' tote it in your pocket. He always be's lucky an' successful man, never being bothered or worried or caught up when he's out walking around. See, he ain't got no job or nothing, he's out hustling for his living. Laws and things don't pick him up an' ask him a lot of questions or any- thing. If they ask him, all he's got to do is to tell him, why he's goin' tend- ing to his business, an' they let's him go.
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 9108
Ah heard dat jes' lak if yo' wuz tuh git in trouble, somepin lak, an' dey prob'ly let chew out on a bond. Well, ah hear'd dat chew would jis' go in de woods an' git chew de heart outa red oak tree. An' yo' takes de heart of dis tree an' yo' takes an' trims it down, an' yo' puts it in a bag, an' hangs it right ovah yore heart. An' den whenevah yo' git ready tuh go down fo' dem tuh try yuh or anything, says, "Now yo' have dese two hearts tuhgethah." Den dat'll be three hearts, yo know: his heart, yore heart an' de red-oak-tree's heart, supposed all tuh be as one. Well, yore mind is goin' be fo' tuh free yo', an' den, says dis heah heart of de tree will work wit de heart of de man. An' dey says, den dat'll cuz yore case tuh be lagged, cuz dem tuh give yuh lightah terms. (Well, now, what do you mean by the heart of the red oak? What do you mean by the heart?) De heart of de tree. See, yo' cuts de tree, cuts it down, jes' lak yo' cut it right down. Well, dey gits de middle outa dis tree. Yo' takes an' cuts a piece of dis heah tree, jes' trim it down an' shape it wit yore heart jes' lak a heart.
(You make it in the shape of a heart.)
Yo' take dis heah an' put it right ovah yore heart. Den yo' goes down tuh trial an' dese three hearts...
Entry 9120
Yo' goes tuh a palm tree an' go on de side de sun rise on, an' yo' chop dat down, right tuh de root of it. An' yo' gits some of dat [root] an' yo' could sew some of dat up wit six sage leaves. Yo' gits six sage leaves. (You get some of this palm root and then you mix these six sage leaves in there. All right.) Yo' mix it up an' put it tuhgethah an' yo' kin sew hit up - sew it up tuhgethah. An' yo put three intuh dat - three of those six [sage] leaves - three of 'em. Yo' mix it up tuhgethah an' give a person one tuh weah in each one of his shoes. Dat is fo' trouble, lak yo' got a case in co't, a bad case. Dat'll kinda he'p yo' out in co't. (In this bag you have three sage leaves with this palm root and he has one [sage leaf] in each shoe. All right he has one left over. What is he going to do with that?) He takes dat othah one an' he keeps hit till he go inside [court], an' when he go inside, he puts it in a knot undah his tongue - undah his tongue - an he be talkin'.
Entry 9126
Kin take de twelve disciples name an' yo' kin git some sage leaves. Git twelve of dose sage leaves an' yo' write one of dose disciples name on each one of dose leaves an' yo' sew it up in a little bitta bag. An' place it in each one of yore shoes - dem twelve disciples an' twelve sage leaves - an' yo' kin win any case dat chew go in. In any case, ah don't care whut kind...
(Don't you put twelve leaves in each shoe or six in each shoe?)
Put six in each shoe.
Entry 9221
If ah wanted tuh run a pusson [person] outa de house, ah'd take me a aig an' put it in a brown papah bag an' ah'd thrash it up against de do', see. Break it, see. an' let dem sweep it out. See, an when dey sweep dat out why quite natchel [natural] it takes effect. (That makes them move out of the house. You throw this egg against their house before sunrise?) Jes' at sunrise. [My knowledge of sunrise came from before recording began. Since informant did not repeat word, I had to include it on the cylinder by a question. For another egg rite, but before sunrise, see No.9377.]
Entry 9467
An' den, dey says, yo' kin take some table salt an' put it in a piece of new homespun. An' yo' kin put - open up yore mattress an' put it right in de centah of yore mattress. An' sew dat mat- tress back up on it an' let 'im lay on dat salt bag. Say. An' yo' talk tuh dat salt fo' nine mawnin's an tell it whut chew wan' it tuh do. Jis' PAT IT [new-homespun bag containing salt] an' den make a cross-mahk across it, yo' see. An' dey says he'll always stick tuh yo' lak dat.
(You just tell that salt anything you want done with that man?)
Wit dat'man. Make a cross-mahk across it. (You only talk to that salt while you are putting it in there, you don't talk to it each morning?) Yo' talk tuh it each mawnin', yo' make a cross-mahk each mawnin'. [This may be the only patting rite in H00DOO.]
Entry 9596
If de law's bothahin' yo', yo' kin take de onion an' de garlic an' cut it in fo' equal parts. Yo' jis' take de garlic, yo' don't cut it all; yo' jis' take diff'ren' pods, pieces [cloves] yo' know. An' yo' use eithah de white or de red onion, an' yo' kin jis' cut it yo' know, in fo' parts: An' go an' yo' po' a whole box of table salt ovah it, an' den yo' po'a whole box of red peppah ovah it, an' sprinkle a li'l saltpetah an' a li'l bluestone on it. Dat'll keep de law out chure house.
(What do you do with that garlic?)
Well, yo' take dat garlic an' burn it. It's fo' luck. Yo' take dat garlic an' put it in a li'l bag an' fold it up an' wit all kinds - all kinda diff'ren' li'le pieces of stuff dat chew use wit it. Weah it. Yo' know weah dat garlic. (How do you keep the law away with that onion after you prepare it? What do you do with that onion?) Yo' take dat onion an' continue tuh burn it till de third mawnin', an' dat'll keep de law away.
(Where do you do that - burn that?)
Well, yo' take it de firs' night an' let it burn up dere, yo' see. Sprinkle it all round yore house. [In preceding subsection see 3 pepper pods halved, No.9587.]
Entry 9597
Well, now, yo' see, jes' lak yo' had a house. Yo' wanted tuh rent it an' yo' wanted tuh be lucky on it. Well, yo' take an' go tuh a person, say, "Well, ah'll rent yo' dat house fo' so much." Well, now yo' wants tuh be lucky in rentin' it. Yo' go tuh work den an' yo' take yo' some black peppah, some salt, an' take yo' nine pods of red peppah, an' yo' take yo' three grains of calomel.
(Is that the stuff you take for your bowels?)
Dat's right. Take dat an' yo' put it all tuhgethah an' yo' put dat in a bag [making a hand]. Yo' take den an' yo' carry it tuh yore home an' yo' lay it right up ovah de do', or eithah put it right undah de right cornah of yore do'- step. Well, yo'll always be lucky in dat home.
Entry 9629
Well, git chew some salt- petah an' some table salt, a little sulphuh, an' take dat an' nine pods of red peppah an' yo' jes' make a little bag an' yo' weahs dat. Dat's all.
(What will that do then?)
Dat's to keep it back. Dat kill evahthin'. Can't git up to yo' 'cuz dat keep it off.
(That is to protect you.)
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 9696
One of the greatest things for luck, you get a little sulphur an' a little lard an' a little salt, an' put that together an' wear that in a bag around your neck. That will keep all hoodoos, all cunjures and all evils away from you.
Entry 9697
Now in case yo' want a job, yo' coming on de job [you are at the place where you want the job], put de footprint of yuh boss between dis sulphuh an'black peppah. Yo' will make a bag out'a it an' keeps it aroun' yuh neck, yo see, an' de spirit of yuh boss will always be along wit chew; yo' see. An' fer dat reason, he will nevah have yuh runned aay, as long as he have any incidental business [usually called odd jobs] at aWl. An' now, in ordah tuh fin' dout [find out] from any man de truth about dese chings. It's nuthin but such a simple thing as sulphuh an' salt, dat chew'll put In yuh pocket. An' if he [boss] wants yuh aroun', he will tell yuh; an' if not, dy he'll run yuh out'a dere.
(That's if you are hunting a job?)
Yes. No suh! Dat in case dat chew huntin' one: jes' de same uh [as] many as [men], yo' know, goin' aftah a job an' dey [boss] always puttin' yo'off puttin' yo' off. Well, if yo' directly wanted tuh find out if he gona give yo' dis job or not, den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' put a li'l' sulphuh an' a li'l' salt in dis papah, an' yo' wrap it up verah carefully an' keep it in yuh Ppcket. An' when yo' go tuh 'im, why he'll have tuh tell yo' what he's goin' tuh do; vhethah he goin' tuh give somepin.
(I see. He has to tell you whether he is going to give you a job or not.)
Entry 9754
A man an' a woman had a fuss an' got mad. An' dey'd fuss an' dey'd fuss, an' fuss an' fuss. An' dey come say whut dey goin' do. He say, "Yes, ah will take somepin an' ah'll put it round mah do'step, guess she'll be hoppin'. Okay. So, aftah he [he now changed to she] put it down, she got onto it - undah- stood it. She says, "Well, it's a two-handed game. It's jes' as much fo' me as it is fo' her. So now de first one gits de mos' of it, be de first one tuh go doon." So she goes an' she gits nine nails an' nine needles an' nine pins, an' she pat it in a red flannel rag, an' she put it undah de do'step an' let it stay dere nine mawnin's. An' de nine mawnin's, dis woman she passed by dis house an' she goes - jes' lak ah wuz walkin' 'long de street chew know, jes' lak ah wuz goin'aftah sompin, she passed right on by. So she goes off where she wuz goin' an' she turned off an' come back an' she went on home. So she laid down fo' a spell fo' a rest. When she went tuh git up, she couldn't git up. That wuz the last of dat. So dat stayed dat way fo' awhile. So she commence tuh study herself an' she says, "Ah think someone musta done opin tuh me." Says, "Ah feel very peculiah an' don't feel lak ah should feel lak dis. Ah ain't hurt nowhere, ah jes' can't use dis laig. Jes' weak in dis laig." Says, "Ah believe ah'll be smart if ah go someplace. So she goes somewhere to try tuh git relief. So she went [to a hoodoo doctor Gbo told her what had happened, the substance of this present rite]. So de man jes', he jes' kept right on tellin' stories, kept right on tellin' stories. He aoaldn't do nuthin fo' 'er. Finally she died.
Entry 9820
Latsa people dey take nine needles, bran'-new needles an' dey git a piece of lodestone an' put 'em in dis way an' dat-a-way [demonstrates].... (Now wait. [I try to repeat informant's demonstration.] Put in this way and that way?) [I am making a cross.] Yes sir, cross [demonstrates].
(Cross them all.)
An' den yo' go tuh a blacksmith shop an' git chew some anvil dust, de steel from de anvil where dey make de iron, an' put it in dere. An' git chew a piece of lodestone an' put ten cents [a silver dime] in it. It's lucky tuh yuh if yo' keep it an' let nobody touch it. Feed it wit whiskey. Yo'll always have silvah money. [Even during my collecting days back in 1938 the preceding anvil dust never saw an anvil; it came from ma- chine-shop filings. Anvil dust and steel dust were the same thing, depending upon age, size, color, etc.] [In the following comment I am not talking for informant's benefit, I am an- notating for the future.] (Now in putting these needles, you put one needle like that, and then you put another needle on there like that - like a cross, sort of like little squares, like tick-tack-toe.) Yes. [Everything is arranged or sprinkled into the form of a cross before the combined materials are put in the bag.]
Entry 9825
[That] create dissatisfaction in a man's home. They kin take and bot- tle them. Take so many pins and so many needles - about nine [each] - so it's a odd number. You put them pins and needles, stick them through a piece of flannel. Roll 'em up and drop 'em in a bag. Well, natchly in pass- ing in de house, in and out, if you kin get some of de dust that they sweep up off the floor, yo' puts that in that bottle too. And as long as you keep it, why it causes a great dissatisfaction in the home, so as to completely break it up. It's never known but dey use them needles and pins that way to cause dis- satisfaction in the home.
Entry 9828
Yo' take de needles an' yo' git chew nine new needles an' yo' take yore bag, a li'l piece outa red flannen [flannel]. An' yo' take dis red flannen an' sew it jis' lak a li'l bag. Well, anythin' of 'is soiled clothes, whut he sweats, somepin nex' tuh 'is flesh. Well, yo' put dat in dis bag. An' now yo' take dose nine needles. Turn all de p'ints tuhgethah. Well, it's lak if ah know yo' room heah [in the home where I was interviewing]. Well, ah'll come roun' an' put dis heah anywhere inside. If dis is yore room, ah come an' put it in yore room, undah de room - yo' know, bury it. [In the South small lowland houses are built off the ground.] Well, [as] long as yo' stay dere - well, yo' not goin' stay dere much longah becuz, yo' know, when dose needles begin - yo' know, any needles dat's in de groun' where it's kinda wet, it's goin' tuh soon rust. Well, when dey rust, yo' gonna git gone.
Entry 9846
(What's that?) Take nine needles... [I interrupt.] (You take nine needles.) Put 'em in a cross [form] - see, right across dataway; jis' dataway, see. An' put 'em intuh a bag of red flannel an' keep it 'nointed; good perfume, not de cheap, yo' umdahstan'. Put it intuh a bag an' put anothah bag aroun' dit. An' keep it 'nointed wit incense in dat red-flannel bag. [This red-flannel bag here represents the heart. Small needles can be placed head to tail or point, a symbolical crossing; or actually cross them through material in the bag. For this type of hand or mojah, see No.2163, p.621, vol.1 and elsewhere.]
Entry 9901
Yo' kin take a frog an' put 'im in a pot an' boil 'im. Git chew nine red ants an' put in dere. Aftah yo' boil 'im, yo' take de frog out an' strip 'is laigs. Jes' lak yo' ketch de frog in dis han' [demonstrates] yo' ketch 'im by his laigs an' strip 'is laigs. Pull 'is laigs through de soup - de watah dat boilin'. [I describe informant's demon- stration.] (You hold him up by the legs and pull his feet down tovard the body.) Take dat, aftah yo' git de meat off - take his haid off - strip 'im enough tuh git de meat off wit'out teahin' 'im too bad. Take him an' git chew some cologne an' some linseed oil. Yo' 'noint 'im good wit dat linseed oil an' cologne. Take an' tie him in a bag. Put dat bag undah yore mattress. If yo' wan'a keep it from fallin' out, [put] 'tween de spring an' mattress. Gits a cloth an' put it up 'tween de mattress an' he [man] lie on dat.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'im wit 'er.
(Do you take this meat off all the bones or what?)
Jes' offa one, his lef' hin' laig.
(And you put the whole frog under there?)
De whole frog undah de baid. An' take de meat dat chew got off 'is lef' hin' laig an' one dose bones, an' tie hit an' weah hit between dere in a bag. Weah it roun' 'er waist in a bag, let it hang down in front of 'er.
(This is to keep the man.)
Reep de man, yeah, at 'er place.
Entry 9904
Well, you take a frog, you take you a nail, or take a knife and peg him down alive jes' like that with a peg right at your house. Take some sugar and just sprinkle it good, you see. The worms, the ants and things will eat all the flesh off it. And after they eat all the flesh off it, you will find a forked bone at the back tail of it. Then you take that oil of clover, van van and fast luck, see. Now you take that and sew them together and make you a little bag, and put it in your pocketbook. But that fast luck. you must keep a little bit out when you going out, on the side, and scrape in your hand like this [demonstrates]. That gives you gambling hand; power in gamb- ling.
(Is fast luck a liquid or a powder?)
That's lickrish [liquid]. When you put it on your hand it burns shoe [burns you]. Now, when you look at it, when you put it on your hand and rub it, you see that curl up, sort of yellowish. It gives you satisfaction.
Entry 9930
And then you kin take, ah - now this is self experience. Not for my- self but when I was a kid growing up; I guess round about fourteen, twelve, thir- teen, fourteen years. See, I was raised in the country and worked on a farm. My father died when I was small in 1903 and nothin' but a woman raised me. My mother and I didn't have anything, she and me had to work. Well, this was a ageable [elderly] nan and he was able to pay high wages for, you know, a full-grown man and he'd work lotsa children, you see. You see, where those large farmers didn't bother with we children, he'd work us in turnin' [sweet potato] vines and settin' out his potatoes like that. And this was a green frog. It's not a bullfrog. It's between a toadfrog and a bullfrog. I expect you've seen him. He's green and has those black specks on his back. It's long-legged though. Some say eventually after they get old they turn to a bullfrog. But he used to ketch those frogs and he'd tell we children to catch 'em. But if he didn't tell us to ketch, we could ketch 'em. But he'd tell us to ketch 'em and we would ketch 'em and he'd put it in his pocket and it wouldn't jump out. And he said you take those frogs and put it up in a bottle and make your wish. And set him on de stove and dry him out and take that and do anything you want to do with it. Well, of course, dis man I knew was pretty good and he always seemed to be lucky. He tolt another girl and I one day - we was pretty good in settin' out potatoes. So he asked us to ketch every one of those frogs that we could see. See, we'd have to go to the ditch to dip out water, you know, to water those sprouts that was planted there. So we come to him, we asked him. "Well, '' he says, "Well, I'll tell you-all something if you'll [not] tell." Ah says, "Well, What's that?" Ah says, "Never is a long time." He says, "Well, if you-all want those boys you going with," he say, "why go ahead and marry 'em, '' says, ''but I'll tell you, '' says, "Viola," says,"'this boy you going with, '' he says, ''he ain't goin' make you any good husband at all." Says, "They is fast, but you get these little spring frogs, you see, these little green frogs where you kin squeeze 'em and they goes way up into water." He says, "You catch every one of those you Kin find." He says, '"If you all have a fig bush, you kin get plenty of 'em in there." And he says, "And you get that frog," he says, "and put him in a box ad make your wish." And he says, "And set him in de stove or onto the back of the stove." He says, "In a small can like a five-cent or ten-cent baking-pouder box [can] where you kin close it up. Put him in there alive," he say and he Bys, "you doesn't open him in nine days," he says, "but each day make your wish for this man." He says, "When you open that frog, '' he says, "you have you a piece of yellow cotton. Go to the store and buy you five-cent piece of yellow Cotton, or you might buy two or three cents worth if you kin get it." Three oeats worth - that was during wartime [World War I] - was just about as wide as yoar chin[?]. He says, "And make you a little bag and make it four corners, ' be says, "jis' so it won't be anything but the form of the frog." He says, "Sew all that dust in there," he says, "and you'll always have good luck, and get any man you want and go anywhere you want to." And ah know hr made it for real. She really did it. An' she came there and she bought five dollars worth of figs when she got one of those frogs. We [man informant worked for] had a large fig orchard, and she come there and threw the money down. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., (438), 391:5+].
Entry 9953
(Will you talk louder?)
See, scrape de bottom of yuh foot.
(Yes?)
Git dat dirt out from under de track dere, see, an' put it in a bag, yo' uni dahstan'. Sew it up, yo' see. An', so ah'm told, git a toadfrog. Sew 'im up in dere wit dat bag. Dat is what dey call a hoodoo bag. See, dat's got chew hoodooed den. Dey'll take dat, take dat an' tote it. Yo' undahstan'. An' takes it an' yo' weahs it dere in yuh house, put it some place in yuh cornah, an' dat'll bring about dat, yo' see.
(Well, what will that do to me, if they put that in the corner of my house?)
Well, dat'll cuz yuh - yo' can't stay at home. Yo' go mindless, yo' udah- stan'. Prob'bly set chew crazy or somepin lak dat. Yo' ain't at yuhself. Always runnin'. Can't stan' still.
(How many foot tracks of mine would they take up, I wonder?)
They wouldn't want but one.
(One?)
One.
(Would they take the right one or the left? Either one?)
Either one.
Entry 9967
Yo' kin take a frog an' put 'im in yuh pocket alive an' yo' kin go tuh a skin game an' yo' kin win all night long. Yo' kin keep dat frog, put 'im in a papah sack an' keep 'im till he dies, continue tuh keep 'im, an' yo' kin make any woman in de world do jes' lak yo' wan' 'em. (How do you do that?) Wal, yo' jes' keep dat frog - yo' see, yo' ketch 'im when he's live an' yo' gamble by 'im. An' den, if yo' keep 'im until he dies an' jes' put yuh hand on dat - he'll dry up tuh a powdah. He ain't nuthin but a powdah. Ah know yo've seen 'em layin' out in de road some- vberes daid. An' yo' kin jes' put yuh hand on 'em an' jes' lay it [hand] up on a woman, on 'er haid or face, anywhere, an' yo' can't run away from 'er. She'll do anythin' in de world dat yo' say.
Entry 9980
Jis' lak a fellah's gamblin' an' wan'a han' tuh gamble an' lak dat, he kin take - he wants tuh win in gamblin' - take a frog, one dem small green frogs, an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Put 'im in a papah sack an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Rub 'is han' ovah 'im about three time an' den put 'im in dat papah bag. An' put 'im in 'is pocket an' go on tuh de game an' break de gaime.
Entry 9988
Live frog, rabbit foot, lodestone, steel dust, red pep- per - in red flannel bag. Frog is put in alive.
Entry 10127
Take a [black] cat and cut off its hind leg, either [one], and wear it in a bag for luck. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 60.]
Entry 10139
I have heard of the scalp of a black cat being used. They take that and sew it in a bag and keep it for luck. [Ocean City, Md., Ediphone 14.]
Entry 10140
They can get this hand by killing a black cat and boiling him. And after they had boiled the bones, they crush the bones up into a powder and sewed up in a bag.
Entry 10144
Black cat ashes [surely a preparation sald by a hoodoo dealer!], left hind foot of rabbit.9 claws from rabbit. 9 needle points, 9 pin points, all in red flannel bag, which is fed with Jocley Clob per fe. Wear when gambling.
Entry 10148
You kill a black cat, boil it, then dry the bones. Put it in a luck bag and carry it around your neck for good luck. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone cyl.45.]
Entry 10215
After she measures that [man's penis], she gets some of your [man's pubic] hair, mixes that together, puts it in a little bag and wears it between her legs down here, and thereon he's her man. [Freder- icksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 10580
Takin' de bat yo' understan' an' capturin' him wit'out killin' him, see. An' cuttin' him open an' takin' his heart out. Takin' his heart an' sewin' it in a little red bag. An' put some perfume in dere wit de bat heart. Put some of dat cinnamon powder in dere an' put de controllin' powder in dere. An' make a little bag an' wear it in yore pocket. An' every game yo' go, yo' understan', yo'll be [something] lucky fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10587
Yo' kill a bat. Yo' shoot a bat. Git him whilst he's hot an' cut dat heart out. Put dat heart into a red silk bag an' sew it up an' wear it round yore left arm an' yo' will win in all yore games.
Entry 10615
Ah hear'd a fellah said he could take some Adam-an'-Eve an' John de Conkah an' put it in a red bag an' weah it aroun' yuh neck. De foreman he'll have some kinda feelin' or sompin an' let chuh go back tuh work.
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 10767
Bluestone - dat bluestone is lucky. Gunpowder is lucky, but you have to use it in such a peculiar way. Yo' know gunpowder is dangerous. Well, all right, you take dat blue- stone and gunpowder to- gether - dey call dat [bluestone] de lucky stone. Yo' mix dis bluestone an' gunpowder together an' put it in a little bag an' jes' tote dat in yore pocketbook. Well, all right, jes' lak yo' may walk off to a big poker game. Yo' walk aroun' de poker game an' yo' got yore hands in yore pocket, an' he laugh an' say, "How about it?" or "Take a chair." Yo' say, "Well, ah don't mind." Bang! Take a shot. Well, yo' bettin' on what chew got in yore pocket. Yo' ain't bettin' on what dis othah fellah got. Well, dat bluestone an' dat gunpowder - see, dat's hot, sure be luck fo' de winner. Now, ah knowed a man - mah uncle used to try dat. Dat wus good.
Entry 10834
Yo' go to somebody an' yo' git a little ole sompin dey calls a buck- eye, an' yo' tote dat in yore pocket. Sew it up in a lil' sack. An' yo' go to de drug sto' an' git some Heart Cologne an' po' dat on dere, an' jes' go an' ask fo' a job an' he git chew a job.
Entry 10873
Well, de hair from a black cat - a real black cat dat ain't got no white spot on him. Yo' know a black bone is lucky. Well, now, yo' tote dat in yore pocket in a gamblin' game. Git de hair from under de fo' laigs. (Under the four legs? Each one of the four. Each one of de fo' laigs.
(The hair from this black cat?)
Dat's right. An' dey tell me yo' go right behin' his ear an' pull it out, an pull it to yo', an' clip it from each one of his ears.
(Each one of his ears. Do you cut off the hair or the ears?)
Cut de hair.
(Cut the hair from each ear?)
From behin' each ear, an' de tip-end of his tail. An' dey tell me yo' kin do anythin' yo' wanta do.
(Well, what do you do with that hair after you fix it up?)
Fix it up, jes' keep it in yore pocket. Yo' wouldn't need to have no big bag, jes' a little small bag. Have it in yore pocketbook, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh git in a big poker game - a big gamblin' game.
Entry 11207
Well, ah'll tell yo' whut tuh do wit dat. Go tuh a ole house an' yo' sees de dirt daubah build a nest. Yo' git nine an' yo' powdah it up an' yo' git chew a nine [cents] 股 worth of rock sulphuh [small cake of] an' yo' powdah hit up an' yo mix dat all up tuhgethah an' sew it up intuh a bag an' yo' put it right undahneath - intuh de mattress. Cut a hole intuh de mattress where he gen[eral]ly sleep at. An' he'll come home an' he'll sleep right on dat dat night, an' he wouldn't nevah leave home no mo'. He'll stay right dere wit yo'. Ah've seen dat done.
(They don't do anything else?)
Nuthin else.
Entry 11264
[As I said in No.7228, p.3216, v.4, "I met a galaxy of doctors in Charleston, S. Car., before I had sufficient experience to handle them. Two years later I would have been better prepared." This man has also appeared in the preceding text as follows: No.1221, P.434; No.1417, P.464; No.1638, p.507; and No.2209, p.629. Here follow other parts of the interview:] Dey take de watah yo' take a bath in, tuh do anythin' tuh harm yuh. Dat's only de occasion of if a man wanta woman, don't want nobody else tuh be wid'er. (How would you do that?) Well, dey take de [bath] water and put it in a bottle, nine needles, and de sill of yo' doorway - cut a piece of [a splinter from] de sill of yo' doorway, [dat] piece of stick dere [points to the saddle], de sill of yo' door - and dey put dat in de bottle. And you call her names and [informant shakes imaginary bottle].
(While you shake it up.)
While you shake it up. And den maybe she wanta go. Yo' turn 'em [bottle] back [to you] and she come dere - towards yo' place [demonstrates].
(You turn the head of the bottle back to you and she will come back?)
Dat's right. If he know de person and he steal it - if de person [from whom it was stolen] know him, know his [thief'sl name - if he haven't git rid of it, you kin make dis person, dis other person, and he will give it up, because he figured on it and he'd be in trouble. And in doing dat you'd have to have de root chew call Indian Conker [Conquerer].
(Indian Conquerer? What do you do with that root then?)
You take dat root, de Indian Conker and Devil's shoestring and put it toget- her [in a bag with string?] and tote it in yore pocket, and she [bag] spin around jest like a top and tell yo' who in dis section, who got it.
(You spin this around?)
You spins it around and until you asks it any question you wanta, according to how you feel it. [Here we have ubiquitus Jack - an individual, companion, fetish - who answers questions by swinging out the answers. Our great example of this device I have mentioned several times, the Jack-ball (ball hanging from a string) of informant No.1534, the doctor I interviewed in Memphis, who gave us that great page 1254 in volume 2.1
(Then after you have found out who has it, then what do you do?)
You go to the person and he'll give it up. [Yes, at the time of this interview, the average thief would restore the article if a doctor was working on the case.]
(That's when you found out who stole it?)
Yes.
(Where did you learn? Who taught you how to cure? From whom did you learn?)
My grandma Was a West Indies.
(Oh, your grandmother was a West Indian. I see. What part did she come from?)
Kingston, Jamaica.
(Where did she live when she came to this country?)
Why she came down here in slavery time....she died 1909 - see - in dis part of de country - to Meggetts [Meggett], South Carolina, Posting Line [postal ad- dress].
(Where did she live during her life in South Carolina?)
Over to....[?] South Carolina.
(What was her name?)
Flora Linton, Milton....
[I must have turned off machine accidentally.]
(Flora Milton. And she could heal people. She knew all this work. And you learned from your grandmother?)
(And she came over here in slavery time.)
Slavery time.
(Did you ever hear of Doctor Buzzard?)
I have known Doctor Buzzard.
(Was he good?)
Aw, his method all right. Some things was all right and some was not. Any man is good to kilt. Any man kin take a shotgun and write a man name and blow his brains out twelve clock at any time.
(How did he do that?)
With powder!
(And he boosted that kind of work?)
That's his daily occupation.
(I see. How long has he been dead?)
It's round about seven - eight years. A root doctor meet a root doctor dey kin tell one anothah. Why? Because de' use a stick dey calls de gum-bush sticks.
(What?)
Sweet gum.
(They call it gum?)
Gum-bush stick and that come to crossing their mind. You don't tote dat stick, but you cut dat off when yo' first start out and bury it in de ground. Hell, dey may have it buried in New York and may not go dere no more through life, and if I'd meet chew and you do mine [my line], well I kin tell if you outen my line [of work]. I kin tell.
(Well, how can you tell, then?)
By de spirit, using different points.
(You wouldn't question me or anything? You just let the spirit tell?)
That's right. See, I'd git mad wit chew; jest like two dog would meet one another an' git mad. Know then you was out of my line. You ain't not in my line. But I'm better 'em you but you ain't got to won yo' point. Yo' can't hurt me, but I kin hurt chew, but then I don't want you to be long wit me be- cause the other fella think I'm doing the same work you doing. That's how we tell one another. (You bury this stick when you first begin your work before you take your first case up?) That's right. (And always leave it buried the rest of your life, you never go back there again.) No mo'.
(Who cuts this stick?)
You cut it yo'self.
(And you bury it yourself?)
That's right. Cut it with your left hand? (You cut it with your left hand. And where do you bury it? How do you bury it?) At sundown.
(What do you mean by that?)
Jest like you stick a stick in de ground when de sun go down. See, it be dat tall [demonstrates] maybe dat tall, and you beat it down dere until you git it down to the ground. (And then you beat it down to the ground in the sunset - sundown - all the way into the ground, and then what do you do?) Well, then you jest throw a penny in the hole and yo' tole 'em what chew wanta do....whether you want to be de master king or such and such a thing, or you wanta be de master king of....of all roots, and don't want chures root to sour on hand - that's why yo' bury yo' stick. See, if yo' medicine sour and a person bring it back to you next Monday, "This medicine ain't no good - it sour." And you take it back and cure it again. Give dem the same medicine back and ther carry it back there. (You never go back to that stick again, and you drive down all the way into the ground.) That's right.
(Do you do anything before you leave this stick?)
No, jest pay it and then go on about chure business. [No other person men- tioned such a gum stick.]
Entry 11294
Ketch a dog and git his - see, de place in a dog's face right heah where [demonstrates]. Pull dat hair out. An' jes' in de middle of his back, de same amount of hair dat yo' pull out of his face. An' put it into a rag, a spotless white cloth er rag. An' yo' put chew some sulphur an' yo' put chew some gunpowder in dere - gunpowder and sulphur. Yo' tie dat up in dere and make out lak yo' workin' in de yard. As yo' workin' roun' de yard, take a look an' see if yo' see either one of dem would have yore - ef yo' worried about yore husband. If yo' see either one of dem comin' past yore house, yo' jest take it up an' take it ovah to heah an' throw it dis way [demon- strates]. Jest drop dat thing down.. "Co'se it got a little gunpowder an' it will pop an' it will break 'em up. Dat will break dem up, ah know dat. (That is if this woman is fooling around with your husband, you do that to break them up.)
Entry 11327
(Your mother was sick?)
Uh-huh an' de doctor said dat somebody had put somepin down for 'er. So I kin remembah dat he dug up - you know, dey had dese fireplaces, an' he had taken up threw whole bricks. [I] remembah when he'd taken up dese bricks. Dey had a bot- tle buried an' had a form as a baby wit feathahs. Dat Was sewed up in a piece of yellah cotton [or unbleached homespun] an' in dat - see, he opened it - an' in dat dey had a red piece of flannen an' red cayenne peppah intuh dis bag. An' dis baby had its legs an' feet an' arms made outa feathahs.
Chicken feathahs. An' some of 'er hair was in dis bag. An' so he tole my mothah tuh leave it tuh him, dat he would 'tend tuh dat bag. So, well, I don' think he did anythin' good enough. But still he put somepin else down dere, but my mothah always said dat whoevah put dat stuff down; dat dis man instead of workin' fuh 'er, he was workin' fuh de people what put it down. An' she didn't give him dat. [Patient keeping doll baby is most unusual. Poor doctor!] (Well, how was your mother sick? I mean - how did she happen to call him in? How did it start?) She had, she was kept wit dese wretched headaches, you know, an' she had de [medical] doctor, couldn't do nuthin. She kept sick all de time an' was jes' pinin' away tuh nuthin. An' so somebody told 'er tuh see one of dese root doc- tors. An' so she got one. An' de time he come dere, he says, "Yes, dere's somepin right here." An' she [said], "Dere's somepin dere? Go get it." He went an' got it. Looked like he know right where 'twas.
(Was it inside of the house or outside?)
Inside de house, in dat hearth, 'neath de three bricks, an' dere it was all laid out fer 'er. (Was this thing in a - what did you say the name of the thing, this feather thing was in?) In a, you know, a bag, in a yellah cotton bag. Was made on purpose fer it, so it would be shaped all of de baby.
(The bag was in that shape, too.)
[The bag was a baby doll form stuffed with feathers.]
Uh-huh. Dey done fixed it an' had made it out of feathahs, an' put it down fer 'er. Now, my mother's ['s = was] sick all de time.
Entry 11370
Ah heah mah grandfather say dat evah yo' workin' fo' a man an' felt lak he wanted tuh git rid of yo' or somepin othah, it slow on de job, yo' jes' go an' take a fig leaf an' Write de 23rd Psalm, ah think, an' put it in a lil' red bag an' keep it an' let it stay in a stream of runnin' watah fo' about eight days. Say he won't fiah yo'.
Entry 11579
Get a person's foot tracks and cause 'em to wander away, and that they don't want nothing atall.
(Well, what would they do with that track?)
They take about nine pinches of it from your right foot and that causes you to gettin' worried, you wanta go. And in nine days, if somebody don't do somepin fer you, you'll just wander - you ain't satisifed no place you go.
(After they get the dirt out of the track, what do they do with that?)
Well, you see when you [they] get those nine pinches of dirt out of the track, they take it and they sew it up in a bag. Well, the person, you know, don't care for you, they'll wear that with them. Well, you can't get it, but if someone gets ahead of you [some- one tries to get it for you], like you go to some witchcraft person [who] is ahead of you, they [culprit] can avoid [him] by throwing it in running water.
Entry 11672
Take de dirt out de fork of de road, if you don't want 'em to leave. Take de dirt out of de fork of de road and put it in a bag and hold it there. Keep it, that will keep them from going away. (You just go out to the forks of the road and pick up that dirt.) Yes, an' put cayenne pepper with that, and hold it. That's what ah heard.
Entry 11719
I know a root I will get and it makes you lucky, successful in life. That's the root you call, it's a little small root that grows, it...you know, gingsing [ginseng]. You take that root, you have to be mighty careful with it, you wrap it in cotton and sew it in a nice lit- tle cloth, make a nice little pocket [bag], you can even carry it in your purse. You have success in life and in traveling, absolutely. I've been all over. I was born in Tennessee. I know all about all this business. [I have very few examples about this well-known root.]
Entry 11854
Yo' kin take a girl's hair an' black lodestone an' yo' kin lead her cross [cross what? I interrupt too soon]. (What would you do with that hair?) Totes de lodestone with the hair, with a piece of solid silver money, and she will follow [wherever you go and any time]. She'll git up an' follow if it's one a'clock in de night.
(You mix those together?)
Yessuh. Jis' keep 'em in a bag an' she will follow.
Entry 12171
A hoodoo bag you're supposed to drop it either in the house or under the steps of those you wish to bring ill luck to. Of course the hand you carry for good luck. A hoodoo bag doesn't look like a hand at all. It looks like a sache bag. You sew them and you put them around the waist or around the leg. [These definitions are too absolute, too exclusive. Some persons would call a nand a hoodoo bag, or this latter the former.] [Fredericksburg, Va., No.43, by Ediphone.]
Entry 12229
They says to have luck: well you know you kin take a piece of lode- stone. You kin take a lodestone an' git choo piece of'High John de Conkah root. An' yo' kin take dat an' put it in a piece of red flannin [flannel], an' take an' sew it up. An' git choo some perfume an' pour it over there. An' you'll have good luck in any games you go in. You will win. That's to draw luck - lodestone would. Jis' bathe [usually feed] it [with the perfume] say about 3 times a week to keep it kin'a mossted [moist]. An' that lodestone will grow. See, that would grow...jis' as long as you keep [feeding it] the larger it be. An' as it grow, little hairs will come out, little teenny hairs. Yo' kin see 'em comin' out. It's a lodestone, look jis' lfke a piece of coal [several places in HOODOO this is called black lodestone]. But only them hairs...an' they will move too. You could take a piece of that an' lay it on this table [between us] in one place, an' then you go back about a half an hour after, it'd be done moved.
Entry 12232
Git you White John de Conkah root - piece of white - piece of white root and it's hard. [Only time I ever heard of white!] You take a knife or hatchet or somepin and cut it. And you put it in your mouth and whilst you goin' round to dose person where you wants a job, you talk to 'um, but you kinda spit real fine and let it get on dere clothes.
(Spit?)
Yes.
[I turn off recording machine but soon restart it.]
(To help you with this, to get that job, you get some lodestone.)
Get some lodestone. You get dat lodestone and put it in de red flannel and you ties it up with a ten cent piece [a silver dime] and needle point. When [then] you wear dat in de pocket separate from anything where no tobacco or noth- in' kin git with it, if you have to make you a little pocket [bag] you just wear it with dat, and you - de person you go to 'em and talk to 'em with dat, why you'll finally draw dere attention and you'll get de job.
Entry 12246
You git you a assafidadee [asafetida] see, an' beat it up fine, an' put some turpentine in it, some Hearts Cologne. And git chew a piece of John de Conkah root, and cut dat up fine and sew it up tight, and wear it right around yo' neck, an' leave it lay right on yo' chest, and nothin' kin nevah harm yo', if somebody goin' poison you.
(Nothing will ever harm you, I see.)
Even if somebody give you [him] sompin to eat, it couldn't go into his stomach. His stomach like a stone.
Entry 12346
Make a little scap [scapular] to wear on you to make luck.
(What's a scap?)
You [know] jis' like a piece...you make it an' you put...jis' like you say, "Ah come to you an' ah wants somepin for luck, an' ah want a hand from you." Now you ass me what ah wants to do with this hand, but ah say, "Mah husband is a man that don't give me money." Well, you gon'a tell me how to fix that. [You are going to make a hand for me so that my husband will give me money.] An' ah'm gon'a wear that on me. Dat's to make him bring me his money.
(How Would you fix that?)
You see, you take dat...dat is jis' w'at ah'm tellin' you about. You go to the CRACKERJACK DRUG STORE - right down here. You git choo a he an' a she lode- stone, a pod of garlic - git a red garlic - an' you put dat with a dime [silver one] an' his name. You write his name furce an' your name on top, an' wear that on you an' he'll give it yuh [his money].
Entry 12363
Now, ah tell yo' if a pusson git holta [hold of] yore hair. Dey kin [git] yore hair and dey kin take dat piece of hair maybe and wrap it up tight. Sew it up inna piece of cloth, use some oil on it, pin it down - jis' like yo' love a pusson an' yo' wanna make a pusson love yo', yo' see. Yo' git dat piece a hair an' yo' gits some dis powdah yo' calls love powdah. Yo' take dat love powdah an' yo' puts dat piece a hair an' dat love powdah in de clot', an' yo' sew it up tight an' yo' use cologne - a certain kin'a high-class cologne yo' use on it. An' evah day yo' gotta fed [feed] it [this hand] dat. Evah da' po' a lil' dat cologne on. Pin it right to yo' side; an' why yo' kin git dat pusson. Yo' want 'em.[ Charles- ton, S. Car., (?), 643:1.]
Entry 12498
Nation sack is a private purse worn by some women - always con- cealed and untouchable by other hands - in which hands, mojohs, keepsakes and all sorts of treasures are carried. Both fol- lowing accounts came from resume's of another in- formants material before all her cylinders were lost - these original pencil copies attached: (l) "Take garlic and piece about a person (fragment from clothing of person you want to hold) and your urinate, keep it wet (keeping this cloth wet with own urine is called feeding it), keep in nation sack or pocketbook." (2) "Sulphur, red pep- per, put together and sugar and wear it in nation sack, can't do yo' no harm."
Entry 12505
Yo' have to be dressed [with a hand]. Make sompin disaway. Jes takin' a nutmeg, an' ah don' know if yo' know - yo' know dose little seeds dat grows in a natural six, takin' dem while dey's green, three of dem, which represents De Name de Father an' de Son an' Holy Ghost. Take yo' nutmeg, dose three seeds an' 45 cents [in silver = 1 quarter, 2 dimes] an' put dat in a little bag, an' he'll come so he kin be as rapid as he want, but he'll come to de place where yo' an' him will be friends yo' see. An' anything dat yo'd undertake to do, look like jes' whut yo' says, he would be perfectly satisfied of it. See. Well, yo' keep de othah fellah's name an' thing on yo', because yo' be at different things an' yore [juke] box may be playin', an' he'll come an' git at them from playin'. Yo' always have cents [money] wit yo'.
(Always the law won't bother you or anything else?)
No.
Entry 12615
Take red pepper an' sulphur, put it in a little bag, put it all to- gether, sew it up. An' yo' lay it right down at de step where yo' have to walk over it, goin' in an' comin' out. Dat'll make yo' [man and woman] separate sure as de worl' [goes round or something]. (That will cause confusion?) That will cause confusion dere. Bust up.
Entry 12692
Yo' heard of de polecat - a skunk. [Informant assumes they are the same animal, but some comment later.] Yo' git dis polecat muss [musk]. Dis [this] muss of a pole- cat is lak a perfume [like the muskox] yo' know. It smell, yo' know - loud yo' know. Git dat an' when he [rent collector or some unwanted person] comes back to yore house de second time - he ben [been] up dere, been dere de first time but he came back de second time. Take dat polecat muss [from an animal's scent bag] an' jes' sprinkle it aroun' - sprinkle it to 'em [sprinkle it away from your house]. Yo' won't be bothered wit him no mo'. [Magically this tremendous odor falls into some of visitor's first-visit footprints, which are still a part of the visitor and will affect him, driving him away if he returns.] (You mean anybody that is bothering you, or collecting bills or anything of that sort?) Take de polecat [musk or scent] an' sprinkle on his [visitor's tracks], why den yo' through wit him fo'evah. [The names polecat (Mustela putorius) an European animal, and skunk (Mephitis mephitis) a North American animal, are frequently in general speech interchange- able in the United States of America. Our animal here is a skunk. I have in- dexed or located it here in the "P" rather than in the "s" division of CHANNEL DE WORLD because it will precede a somewhat similar rite, one about the drop- pings, not any musk scent from the porpoise. Yet to both informants both sub- stances are evacuations.]
Entry 12716
Well, you ketch you a live rabbit and cut his left-hind foot off before you kill 'em, and take it and put it in a bag. Get you brick [make it into] dust - make dust out of it, and take the hairpins of whatever vosl en you want this to be, just take the hairpins she been using in her haid and put it in that and tie it up, and tote it in your left pocket. And as long as you do she can't leave you, she be right there all the time.
(I see, that's to hold a woman.)
Yes.
Entry 12717
Take graveyard dirt an' dey would go an' git it an' put it in a bag. Co to de head of a sinner's grave, dat is someone in hard luck [goes]. Dey go to de head of dis sinner grave an' dig down to de marshy dirt. Yo see dat on top is dry an' den why when you dig down in de ground it's marshy. An' dey dig down an' git some of dis marshy dirt off of a sinner grave from de head. An den dey would put it in a bag an' git whut dey call a rabbit foot an' put in dere with it, an' dat would cause to bring good luck. (If you are out of luck, you wear it or carry that. What foot do you get from the rabbit?) De left foot, de back.
Entry 12721
An' anothah thing, yo' ketch a rabbit an' yo' cut his foot off, his left foot, an' turn him loose an' let him go. An' git chew a piece of devil's- shoestrings an' a piece of five-finger root. An' yo' put them three things tol gethah. An' yo' jes' take it an' wrap dat devil's-shoestrings round dat rabbit foot, an' yo' sew it up in a piece of red cloth, an' yo' make a sack out of it, bag-like, an' yo' feed hit on Hearts Col Ogne. An' dat's anothah thing fo' a job - good luck. Long as yo' tote dat yo'll git a job anywhere.
(You get the left foot. Which one? He had two left feet.)
De left front feet.
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.)
Entry 12772
Yo' wanta git a job from de boss. Yo' take dat prickle feet an' yo' make chew a small bag an' take an' put nine drops of Hearts Cologne an' drap it in yore hand. Rub yore prickle feet befo' yo' go. An' when yo' go to de boss, yo' go to him wit it in yore hand - talking to him. An' when yo' gits through talkin' to him, yo' cast yore hands out like dat [demonstrates] an' he can't do no mo' den say yes.
[Remember, you rub prickle feet only after you have removed the prickles.]
(How do you use this prickle feet?)
Yo' go in de woods an' git dat - go in de woods an' git dat prickle feet. Yo' cook dat prickle feet. Yo' kin cook it or yo' kin use it dry. Or yo' hn pinch off a little piece an' rub it [demonstrates]. (Do you rub it with that liquid, too? Do you rub them together or [leave them] separate?) Yo' kin rub it. After yo' git it - it's about dat long [demonstrates]. Yo' kin pinch off a little bit of piece, a little piece of it, an' yo' kin rub it in yore [demonstrates] han'. An' whenever yo' gotta go, yo' git dat nine drops of Hearts Cologne an' rub it in yore hand like dat, de whole tine dat chew talkin' to dis man. Want dis job. He will talk to yo'. An' quick as yo' done open yore hand, dat odor done hits his face, yo' see. Understand? Well, he gotta say yes.
Entry 13000
Take bluestone an' alum an' make a - an' take nine silver dimes an' sew it up together, an' anywhere yo' go, any kind of game yo' play, yo'll win all de money dey have. (What do you sew that in?) Red flannel.
Entry 13078
Yo' ask him fo' a job an' he says, "No, ah ain't got a job fo' yo'." Well, yo' go out in de woods an' find yo' a rattlesnake an' take off dose rattles, an' take an' cut one rattle an' bust it open, an' git de dust out from one dose rattlesnake rat- tles [or buttons] yo' know. An' git some gunpowders an' puts 'im in a little sack, an' tie it round yore waist an' go back to him. He'll give you a job, put chew to work.
Entry 13133
Ah heard dat they have, that they sell hands. They go out and the git - they go out and they git - jest like a man - ah don't know if you have seen dem aroun' dis part of de country, but dey go out and dey git a root dey calls snipe root. Dey git dis snipe root. (Snipe root?) Snipe root. A snipe is a long thing like a crane [bird]. Well, you take this snipe, de snipe w'at flies. Take dis snipe and cut de snipe neck off and dey pick it - jes' like, most like a crow or somepin like that. And dey pick dis snipe and dey cut dat bone out of it. De bone is somepin like a fork, jes' like a chicken bone. Den dey take dat bone and dey let dat bone set for awhile, and after settin' for awhile, dey take some sulphur. Take dat sulphur and place it on top of dat bone. After taking dat sulphur, take a little bit of red pep- pah and put on dat sulphur, a little gunpowdah and put on sulphur. Rub dat bone in dere. Then they will take a saw or sompin an' cut half that bone off. Then take that sulphur an' red peppah and combine it together and sew a little sack around it. Wear it. Don't wear it around de neck, let it drop between yore laigs. That supposed to keep de law away from de home. [Not every bird has a chicken wishbone; better check about snipe.]
Entry 13136
Yo' kin take a woman's sock, an' yo' take de left sock, an' yo' take it an' burn it. Yo' burn it in [into] de ashes an' make a powdah outa dat, an' yo' take it in a bag an sew dat bag up. An' yo' kin take dat powdah [bag] an' put it on yo'. Now, dat's goin' make her do anything yo' want her [to do] - mind yo' in any way. An' yo' kin fix it so she cain't have no man Wit dat, de same powdah. Den yo' kin, jes' lak yo' git in bed at night, yo' take dat little powdah an' dust it on her, an' she cain't have - any othah man git up on her, he'll fall.
Entry 13236
That is only used in a drink. Now if you know a person is an ex- cessive drunkard, you know that you can always give them in something to drink- mostly using wine, or where eggnogs or cocktails are concerned. You get a little bag, a little new bag - linen or domestic white cloth, cotton. You put three tablespoons of sugar in this little bag and sew it up. You have seen a sachet bag. You make a sachet bag out of that and wear it under the arms, where you know nearly everyone will perspire under de arms. (Which arm do you wear it under?) Under the left. You wear that for nine days and then you take this and add it to the per- son - well, even if they drink coffee, you mix that in the coffee. But be sure that chew don't drink it, you see. [In hoodoo is is always dangerous to sample any of your own work!] But you'll put that in the sugar dish after you wear it, but if not, if they drink, you put it in their drink. That is the way that is done. [Despite this reference this rite continues as follows: Mobile, Ala.,
(650), 866:3.]
[The preceding account comes from a Mrs. Brady, a woman with great experience in the world I wanted to meet, she having sold curios, given advice to women in trouble, told fortunes, made hands, etc. In fact she became one of my helpers. Unfortunately my first day recordings were so bad I had everyone back for another session. Here is what she said the secone time - substantially the same, but of greater interest.] Git chew a piece of new domestic, any kind of new white cloth, and you make these little bags [as I said, she made hands]. You've seen little sachet bags. Put about three tablespoons of sugar in each one and sew it up, and then you pin it under the pits of the arms.
(Both arms?)
Sure.
(One under each arm.)
There are other people wear 'em other places but it's not so nice. They do that. But ah tell you it really does have a strange effect on people. Ah've seen things carried out like that - it really does. And then after they have worn that nine days, then it will absolutely do the work.
(Then what do they do with that?)
You put it in the coffee or in wine, anything that you have to use anything sweet in.
(And what will that do - hold them?)
It will hold them, influence them towards you.
Entry 250
Ah had a cousin dat wus hurt like dat - mah first experience to it. They taken some of her hair an' dey put it in de back of a frog, an' her finger- nails an' toenails, an' they got that frog an' put him into a 'bacco sack an' dey put a piece of frog bread - dere's de stuff whut chew call frog bread.
(Frog bread - what is that?)
It's somethin' grows in de woods - jest comes up jest like a sprout. Yo' ever seen celery grow? Well, yo' know how when celery come up outa de ground it's right white. Well, dat's de way dat frog bread comes up but it spreads yo' know, as it gits up outa de ground - it spread kind round like a parasol [a mushroom, always called toadstool in folklore]. Dey put a portion of dat in dat. An' afterward dey taken dat frog to mah cousin house an' dey sewed it up in de bed mattress an' dey had some pins in dat frog - [pins in dat] frog bread, tacked down. An' as dat frog - after it got in action - after dey sewed dis up in mah cousin bed - dis frog de longer it go - after it was fixed - an' as dis frog would Jump, she would fits right after one another. An' she wus jest wizlin' away to nothin'. Well, we could take her 'way from home, we could take her 'way from there an' she would git along pretty well, an' we thought she wus well enough to take back home; we'd taken her back dere an' no quicker'n she hit dat bed, she begin havin' dose fits. Dere wus a ole doctor, Mr. Marlborough.
(White or colored?)
Colored - we'd taken her tuh him. So he sont us back an' he tole her he'd be to her house de next day. Well, on de same day dat he promised us dat he would be dere, he wus dere on de noonsday hour. He goes [in] dere - he wouldn't let her see him take it out - he'd taken mah mother an' aunt an' also her husband. He went into de mattress an' he cut dat frog outa dere which dey had - dey says dey had examined it but dey refused [failed] tuh find [anything] but he went in dere an' seem to let 'em see it. So he bring it from de middle room back tuh where mah mother lived an' he'd taken it out an' he cut dat sack open an' out come de [live] frog: He tole us, says - before he ever did it - he said, "When ah open dis sack - de direction dat de ones who done it, dat direction dat dis frog gon'a try tuh go." An' sure 'nuff jest lak he did - it wus true. So he'd taken it out an' [there was] stuck in dere bluestone, stuff de color of graveyard dirt, her hair, fingernails an' all - I'll never forgit it - he po'red it down in de yard. An' he said, "Now, when ah burn dis stuff, when ah say, "strike a match to it, '" say, "hit gon'a burn like fire in all colors it gon'a be." Ah nevah see nuthin' like it befo' or since. He said, "It gon'a be a snake come heah an' dis snake he is gon'a venture to bit her" - a great long black one. He sot dat stuff afire an' it wus a long blacksnake come runnin' up an' he did his best tuh make it tuh her but he kilt it - ah reckon he jest didn't even know whut he wus doin' an' he kilt it. So he burnt dat up. He say, "In three days' time from dis day, de ones who done it, dey will leave outen de roof of dat house." De ole lady name Charlotte an' her daughter wus named Mamie, an' dey would be wanderin' from place tuh place. Course ah nevah - ah wus young den - ah nevah did learn how he done it, understand - dey have been wandering. But ah do - ah take a man oath - ah know dat's true.
The informant reports pins in the frog, followed by Hyatt's bracketed insertion and frog bread. Placement remains ambiguous; all three source layers are retained. Read the complete cousin narrative for its reported events and treatment claims, which remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 72) · Read full source (printed page 73)
Entry 2750
[Here is another example of the glove-shaped hand, but unlike the former rite (1990, p.584) we now have one in a candle atmosphere - New Orleans is near. More important, the following story shows some of the listening prob- lems of collecting, among them - speedy talker, confusing pro- nouns and references to persons, delayed explanation, all sorts of things.] Well, they say if you were living here and they wanted tuh move you and run you away - well ah know of a lady, she fo' every morning fo' 'bout nine mornings - she bought a bran'-new box of salt and she took dis salt and cayenne pepper and she would sprinkle it, yo' know, from de front to de back and fo' that reason it would cause a confusion, you know, in the house and they all wouldn't live so good, you know. An' so she would take it and she would sprinkle all over when everyone, say, Wouldn't be noticing, you know. She would do that and then when they all would leave, she would take. She went out to the graveyard early one morning and she got some graveyard dust offa someone's grave, and she brought this dirt back, yo' know, and she'd taken it and where this landlady lived, slept, she unraveled [took out a few stitches of] her pillah and she put it [graveyard dust] in dis pillah. And she had a glove - [look] like it was a han' - and it [the graveyard dust] was in this. And she stuffed it with this graveyard dirt. And she says she mixed it [the graveyard dust] with a - wherever she got dis rattlesnake dust from, ah don't know, but she musta got it from a rattlesnake or something, and she mixed it with somethin' and she stuffed, sewed it in dis pillah while de landlady was gone. [She starts to say the graveyard dust was mixed with rattlesnake dust. Was it? For snake dust, see No. 690, p.230; also No. 1433, p.468 - "an original and brilliant piece of therapeutic thinking."] So after, for about a couple of weeks this lady suffered from her head laying on dis pillah. She suffered severely from her head, you know, and she didn't know what it was, you know. She begin to git dizzy and feel bad, and so she said she was going to see what caused dese headaches. And everything she could take Wouldn't do her any good and so she went tuh a couple of fortunetellers. And so finally a ole lady tole her, fortuneteller told her, said, "Well, yo' ought to look about yore bed," say, "it look like you can't get along in de house, there's always a confusion and everything." And so she said, "You go look up in your mattress, your pillahs or something." So she didn't pay any attention to it all [atall = at all]. So finally she made up her mind to do that. Took her pillahs out and she un- raveled de pillah and she found dis glove stiff like a hand, yo' hand, and so she opened it and she found all de stuff in dere, those different things. An' she didn't know what de cause of it, you see. And so she was afraid and she got someone to look after it fo' her. Well, she'd taken it to dis lady and ast her, and de lady tole her it was graveyard dust and rattlesnake dust and she wanted tuh - someone wanted to make her move or either kill her or something like that. [The preceding account is one of our many examples of that important element in hoodoo theory and practice - the doctor's ability to analyze and identify immediately the nature and cause of an ailment. To look at a handful of dirt and say that it is a mixture of graveyard dust and rattlesnake dust is quite a trick. Only our former doctor-druggist-chemist could have done as well (see No. 1593, p.498). To say these two dusts in a glove in a pillow caused the headache is quite a - well, even doctors admit this knowledge is a gift. At least, though on a lower level, we can now answer our former question - "Was it?"] An' so dis lady [roomer] in de house, you see, she would every morning [for 9 mornings] she would sprinkle dis here cayenne pepper and dis salt all ovah de house. And so after a while they [landlady] asked - cause dey [landlady and roomer]didn't 'gree, yo' know, 'count de fuss and everything - after while they asked her to move out and she [roomer] said she was going to return it back to this person [landlady].
(Was that here in Alabama?)
Yes.
(Well now, go right ahead.)
Well, after she did that - yo' know, she [landlady] did that to make 'em [her] move or to keep her [landlady's] husband, you see. So she [landlady] kept her
[own] husband. And so this other hoodoo lady [roomer because she used hoodoo]
tole her [landlady] that she would return it back. So she [evicted roomer] comes and gits dis hen's aig - a black hen laid dis egg, and she wrote the name [see later] on it. They were living in a house kinda lak dis [house in which I was interviewing] wit a glass do' in de front, chew know, in de house. So soon, early one mawnin' she comes an' throws dis aig up side de door and broke de glass, yo' know - throw de black hen's aig up there. So when he [landlady's husband] goes out - get up dat mawnin' soon - he didn't know - so when he looked all de egg spattered in front of de do' and de glass was out, yo' see, and he walked ovah it befo' he knew it, yo' see, so he looked on de shell and saw where de name was wrote chew know - her [his wife's] name and his name was wrote on dere. And so she said, "Well, dey did dat to break us up - broke dat aig up side de do' to break us up." So she said - an' so she got lye and swept - yo' know, swept it all out an' cleaned it up, yo' know. An' so dis lady [roomer] wrote her a letter and tole her that "Seven years wouldn't be too long for a raccoon to weah a ruffle-bosomed shirt. That's the way she spoke. (Wait, will you talk a little bit slowly. "Seven years wouldn't be too long for a raccoon to wear a ruffle-bosom shirt?") That means she would get her, yo' know. An' so dat was de words she wrote to her. [I know nothing about this stylish raccoon. He sounds like early American ruffled shirts, but the saying or proverb may come from the stage or radio.l An' so finally she would - yo' know, she would burn candles on dis man. She went got - an' got a candle and every time on a certain hour, noonday an' like dat, she would burn dese candles wit his name wrote on it. Black candles, yo' know, and she wrote it on dere. Well, he couldn't stay here and he couldn't stay there, yo' know. He was jest kept, yo' know, like he was, yo' know, de mind up- set all de time, yo' see. And so he got so that he didn't [live] peacefully wit dis woman, because every morning fo' nine mornings, she would come there and had something like - ah don't know whut kind of dust it was - but it was - when you look at it, it looked something like black peppah, yo' know, powdered peppah. She'd sprinkle it all roun' dere do'step, yo' know, fo' nine mawnings. An' he came there and so she took one little piece of his hair out de top of his head while he was asleep, and she sewed that up, and had that fixed with something and put it in a little red bag and sewed dis little red bag up, an' taken a cord string like and put nine knots in dis cord string and she wore it around her waist.
(What else did she do with that string first? Anything else?)
When she took dat string she rolled it in something, yo' know, in some kinda dust, yo' know. She rolled dis string in some kind of a dust, dipped it in dis dust and jest as yo' tie those knots, jest like dat dust would be in dose knots, too, yo' see, because it would wear off, you know, say, just straight round her Waist, but it would be in dat knot, yo' see. An' nine knots she tied it around her waist wit dis little red bag wit his hair in it. An' she took one of his socks - yo' know, one his left socks, and she carried it and had dis sock dressed, vo' know, and she buried dis sock at de foot of her steps, underneath her steps, she buried his sock so he couldn't stay 'way from there, yo' see. Said that she had him so that he had tuh come there. See. And so yo' see, well, he would get so he wouldn't give her any money and some- thin' like that, and so dis ole hoodoo lady tole her to get him to give her one silver dime, yo' know, of his money. And so he didn't know what she wanted him to give her dis dime fo', but she got a dime out of him. And she went an' she had dis dime dressed until it turn almost black like a penny, and she put a hole in it and she wore it around her laig, yo' know. And that's where so she could git his money, you see. She was trying to git him away from dis yere woman [his wife], yo'see. An' so, see, she didn't know that this other woman had his sock buried at her do'step. She had his sock buried there and she was still continuously burning dose candles. And every time she'd come roun' she had some kind a powder tied up in her hans'cuff that she would sprinkle. He thought it was jest powder whut chew powder yore face. It smelled sweet but it was some kin' of love powder yo see. An' she had a little somethin' like a tablet. She'd offer him meals. She would [drop] that in his tea or his coffee.
(Like a tablet?)
Like a little tablet, yes. It would dissolve, you know, an' you couldn't see the mixture in there. You couldn't see the mixture, you know, and you couldn't taste it, see. Well, he would drink this, see. Well, he would drink this and therefo' he couldn't stay away for she had that in him, yo' see. Well, see, she wanted to git dis other woman [wife] out de way, and that's [the reason] she went there and broke dis aig up side her do'. An' she give him those little tablets in his coffee or tea to drink, see, and he begin to suffer wit his stomach badly, an' all like that, and he began to look frail, and look bad, yo' know, because she said if she didn't have him, he could not do her [his wife] no good. See. An' he begin to look frail and bad, an' so no doctor's medicine didn't do him any good. Every time he'd go tuh a doctor, it would make him worser. Yo' know, when you've hoodooed anybody, doctor's medicine not good fo' you, you know. An' so he went - and every time he'd take a doctor's medicine, it would make him worser. And so an' ole lady came by one day and tole him dat he was fixed, chew know, that he was hoodooed, see, because he never would git well, yo' know. And on a certain kinda moon he would git like - git in a fit chew know, kinda rave. And so the ole lady told him that if he'd pay her a sum of money, she could cure him - yo' know, she could git him outa dis kinda fix: An' so, he finally jest scuffled up de money some kind of way. And so she'd taken and brought some saltpeter an' tole him fo' 'bout nine or ten mawnin's to take a bath every mawnin', every day, in dat saltpeter - bathe in that. An' she went out and got some roots out of de woods, some kin'a calomel roots and every- thing and he had to chew dose roots, yo' know - calomel roots, like white-look- ing roots, and she tole him to chew a piece of dat, chew know. An' he had to chew dose roots and he had to take a bath in saltpeter fo' nine mawnings. She made him up a mixture of medicine, chew know. She put so much of turpentine - looked like coffee, somethin', where you see it would settle at de bottom. Well, he had to shake it up and yo' know he would take that, chew know. And after he would bathe in dat saltpeter, he had to take dat medicine and then chew dat root, chew see. An' den she told him at certain time - if he would chew it often - that would pass from him. See, when he chews dose roots, dat calomel yo' know worked up in him. Well, yo' see, after he'd taken that and she tole him that ninth or de tenth day something would pass from him, yo' see - but sure enuff it did. When hit pass from him, yo' know, like de calomel worked him yo' know, it passed somethin' looked like little worms - passed from him little bita worms. An' she tole him that if those worms hada stayed [in] him, it would form like little frogs, and things like that was goin' form in his intestines, inside, chew know. And it pass from him like little worms. And when it passed out, she showed it to him, iThis whut pass from yo', this whut they was puttin' in yo'." [There is one strange feature about so many of these passages of worms, snakes, or lizards. The patient does not see them until the doctor has made an examination and then shows them, or sometimes merely tells about them. No doc- tor has ever gone so far as to say, "If you see them you will die." For further accounts, see Live Things In You, Pp.227-239, and Index.] See, that would kill him slowly, yo' know, and so he was pinin' up and every- thing. So he passed little worms from him in de tenth day - little worms and little somethin' she said was gon'a form frogs. Whatever this was dis woman put in his coffee for him, yo' see, that was forming in him - that would form in him, see, because she got these little tablets and she got this rattlesnake dust - some dust from under a rattlesnake, wherever she got it from and say - and put it in dere, put it in him, fix him so he would stay with her. [Choppy place in cylinder. The old hoodoo woman told wife] if she could get holt of him, she say, if she could get a holt of him and git a little piece of his shirt, she could, yo' know, could stop dis fit on him. See, every change of moon he'd have these spells. [Here are four similar beliefs about fits from general folklore: (1) "Epilep- tic fits...more frequent and...severe during the increase of the moon...." (2) "If anyone has fits, take off their shirt...while having it, cut out the piece over their chest and boil...when cool...give to the person to drink...." (3) "He was having one of these fits. She pull his shirt off over his head, put it on a pan and set it on fire...took the ashes...to feed him a spoonful before each meal...." (4) "Remove the person's undershirt...after an attack, let it smolder on live coals, mix a teaspoonful of these ashes in a glass of holy water, and say In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost...must be administered three times a day." From FACI, 2ed., p.248.] Well, this ole lady, finally this ole lady died, see - dis ole lady whut was fixing him, yo' know. Well, she died. Well, yo' see, dey found all kinds of stuff, different hoodoo stuff in her place, where dey went tuh see, yo' know, when she died, an' everything. [For finding spells at hoodoo woman's home when she dies, see No. 239, p.66.] Well, this lady, every change of de moon, she still havin' fits. Yo' know, when de person die and fixed yuh, yo' know, yo' don't nevah git ovah it, yo' see. Yo' see, because dey died befo' dey could take it off dem. See. An' she still had those fits after and nobody couldn't take it off because dis was de woman dat put de spell on, see. [See If Evildoer Dies Spell Incurable, p.396.] And so everytime de moon would change she would go crazy-like and see dis man. See. And then when she seen, she didn't want him. Well, finally, this woman went crazy and nobody couldn't do anything for her because she was de one put de spell on her, yo' see, and after she went crazy, well, dey sent her to asylum and after she went tuh de 'sylum, den she died, you see. But de spell was still on dis man, yo' see, after she died. Yo' see, she never did git her mind back. An' so dis man, yo' see - after he come back - he was already heah, and so after she died, it was still on him. He couldn't git it off him because dis ole lady was de one had buried his socks fo' him and he didn't know where. Differ- ent fortunetellers had tole him that she had somethin' of his'n buried somewhere and if he could find it and dig it up, why that could git him bettah, yo' see, because she had got the worms out of him. See. So she had his left sock buried, took his left dirty sock. She fixed it an' buried it underneath de step. And so he would dig all in de yard to try to find where she had buried it. Well, finally, he jest - seemed like he said he had a dream one night to look under his step: They something tole him to look under his steps. [For spirits warning in dreams, see pp.27,116, and Index.] An' so he got up early hisself one morning and went out there an' was digging around under his steps. And when he dug aroun' he struck something like a little can, and when he opened de little can - de top of dat little can, de dust jest flew out, and when he pulled it out he saw one his dirty sock had been buried under there. And in that sock, he opened it, it had some kind of powder and a little rag, and it had nine needles and nine pins sticking in it - nine wit de heads down and nine needles wit de head up. See - in dat sock and so it was sewed up in dat little rag in his sock. And he'd taken dis sock, de whole thing and he carried it tuh a ole man. Yo' see, he carried it tuh a fortuneteller and tole him, say, "Well, dat's whut she had buried, yo' see - why you couldn't stay away from her." An' so, when he'd taken dat and dose little needles - dose needles been in dere so long dey was rusty. An' sos he'd taken dat herself and she washed it in saltpeter - see, she washed dat in saltpeter and he thought she was curing him, but she was making him worser fo' it - 'cause he wanted tuh go back to his wife, yo' see. De woman died dat broke him from his wife. Dat's de one made him move out de house and break up his home, yo' see. An' so he went back then to his wife and try to live with her, see, an' everything. Well, he couldn't live with her because they both died and de spell was on him, yo' see.
(This happened right here in Mobile?)
Yes.
(All right, go right ahead now.)
Well, he'd gone back to his wife, yo' see, after a certain length of time - so many years, yo' see. An', yo' know, he begged her pardon for the way he did her and de woman. She knew dis woman had broke up her home, yo' know, what she did, because afterwards she found out what she had sprinkled all around in her home, yo' know, fo' de confusion and fo' him tuh mistreat her, yo' see. Well, he'd gone back to try to live with her again, yo' see. And so his wife was afraid and so she thought she would have him fixed her- self. After this woman had him that way, she thought she would go an' git some- one to do him the same way, see. So she goes to a fortuneteller and dey tell her that the only way she could do anything with him was to have him dressed. See, was to have him dressed so that - if she don't, he would leave her again because dis spell was still on him and de woman was dead and every change of de moon, he would leave her. See, he had dis spell on him, and said de woman was dead and she was de one had to git it off him. Well, sure enough, every change of de moon he would leave her but she wanted tuh have him dressed. So this fortuneteller wouldn't tell her whut to do, but she sent her to some- body else. So she went - say she jest tell de fortune but de lady had to go to an ole hoodoo. So she goes out in de woods to an ole hoodoo lady and dis ole lady tole her that yes, she could dress him and fix him so that he couldn't leave her. He would have to stay right there, you know, he couldn't leave her. And so she tole her to git her a sum of money and bring it back and she would dress it. [In the preceding paragraph: (1) Some fortunetellers do all types of hoodoo work, or put another way, some hoodoos and doctors tell fortunes; other fortune- tellers, like this one, refer patients to a hoodoo doctor or a specialist. Even I the, Author Becomes a Specialist, on page 278. Is there another example of hoodoos imitating modern medical practice? Yes and no. Specialization in heal- ing is as old as primitive medicine-man and witch-doctor. Temple incubation Was a speciality of early Greek healers, ancestors of present-day Doctors of Medi- cine. (2) "out in de woods." Here is the old witch of fairy tales and reality. For this isolation as well as personal appearance, see pp.294-301, especially Nos. 849 and 859. (3) For dressing the money, see one man's remarkable version of this rite - Trickery by Doctor. Cast it into Oblivion, p.268. However, not all dressing of money is trickery.] Well, she did that. She went to this ole lady, and dis ole lady tole her that every three hours - she give her some kind of something like incense to burn. Tole her to burn this incense every three hours, and sulphur. Tole her to burn incense and sulphur and write his name on a white candle and roll it in some sugar. See, she said sugar, seemed like that would make everything sweet fo' him, yo' see. Salt is for confusion, chew know and sugar is for sweet. See, that's the way it works. Tole her to roll dis candle in sugar and write his name backwards on dere, yo' see, and stick it in a little saucer and put it in de cor- ner of her room. See. And jest 'bout time de spell come on him, fo' her to burn it. See. An' dat would make it sweet and de spell wouldn't be on him. An' so tole her to take dat candle and burn it and then to burn dis here sulphur every three hours in her home - this here sulphur and this incense. The incense is sweet too. That makes a sweet smell in yore home. Well, she did that. An' she tole her whenever he take a bath - see, next time he'd take a bath - tuh bring a little of his bathwater. Put it in a little cup or something, stop it up and bring it tuh her - what he bathe in. Well, she fixed his water. He didn't know, yo' know, she was goin' tuh pore de water out after he'd taken a bath. She took some water in de cup, some of his dirty water, and she carried it to dis lady. She stopped it up in a little bottle and carried dis dirty water to dis ole woman. Well, dis ole woman, she took his bathwater that he bathed in and she mixed it with something else in a bottle and shook it up and tole her to take dis bottle and bring it back and stand it up in de corner of her room where ain't no one kin see, and everytime he'd go out de do', she goes an' watch his feet and git his left track and bring de dirt back to her. Yo' know, jest take her han' and rake dat track back and wrap it up in some paper and keep it in her purse. Well, every time he would leave dat would make him come back. See, when you git his tracks dat'll make him come back. Well, whenever he would leave out, sure enough she went and got his track. See, she got dat track and she wrapped it up in de paper and had it in her purse and she had dis water in her room, yo' know. An' so, every three hours in de day she would burn dis here stuff, yo' know [this candle and incense and sulphur]. It acted all right for a good long while but see, every once a while, it would die down - it would die down and den she had to go an' do it again. Dis acted all right for a little while, till he begin to git in a rage agin, yo' see. So dis lady tole her that on the way she had to get something in him. See, she had to fix him in that way. Yo' see. [The preceding paragraph reveals one of the great principles of magic, perhaps the greatest after intention - magic power is not permanent. Our best examples of this are those magic objects closest to the believer's heart and mind - the hands. Among their many characteristics, these helpers: (1) have degrees of power (p.576), (2), observe a time limit (p.577), (3) must be fed (p.578f.), and (4) need recharging, which sometimes requires a doctor or a specialist, a hand- maker. A hand lives and helps only because a spirit dwells in it. Even when all amenities and regulations have been kept and the indwelling spirit is contended, it can be killed - chased from its temporary home - by the spirit of a stronger hand. Killing happens often in a gambling game where every man carries a hand. So, here is another rule of magic - a weaker spirit cannot function in the presence of a stronger spirit. But the owner of the weaker hand can kill the spirit or power of the stronger hand - page 641 and Index.] Well, she thought she was fixing hi - instead of fixing him fo' good, she was fixing him fo' bad looked like, don't you see, because whut dis woman give her, de mixture in his food, see. She wouldn't eat what he eat, yo' see, because she Was putting it in his stuff and sprinkling it on his meat. You see she would put it on de meat that he would eat. An' so when he taste it - de different taste in de meal yo' know and wanted her to taste, she proclaimed that she didn't like that kind of meat. Yo' know, she'd make excuse to keep from eatin' it herself. See. And see, every time he'd eat dis meat hit would make him sicker, see. But she put it on his meat. Dis woman give it to her and told her to put it on there and so he found dis here dirt in her purse, yo' see. He opened de pa- per - he went in her purse and he found dis dirt in dere, see, but she didn't know that he found the dirt. He kept the dirt fo' to carry it tuh see what it was. See. An' so he carried dis dirt to see whut it was. And dey told him it was his tracks - one dem hoodoos, another one, tole him it was his tracks, and says, this woman is giving him something in his food. Well, see, he would eat this food, yo' see, and he got so that he would dry up - dried up jest as little as he could be. It was whut she was feeding him off of.
(Put them [his foot tracks] in the grave?)
Yes. An' she tole him - dis hoodoo lady tole him that it wouldn't be long 'fore dey be burying her by she burying dese tracks. And so dis hoodoo woman gave him something. Yo' know, he didn't know that this woman was dressing dis other one fo' him, see, an' so when he goes back to her, something she puts on him, well he got it on her, see, by being close together, got it on her and she come with something like a itch, yo' know, all over her. [For an amazing example of this common trick, see No. 10, p.7.] She had an itch all over her and she'd go to doctors an' everything and de more they would treat her fo' dis itch, de worser it would git. And so it kept itching till all between her fingers got sore - see, all between her fingers become broke out like you would have pellegra yo' know, all that itch. But it would git between her fingers and all her nails and it got between her toenails. See. An' she broke out in sores, sores all be- tween her nails an' everything tull they had to bathe her hands and wrap 'em up in a piece yo' know. And all between her body - all down there between her body, she broke out in sores and everything, yo' see. And so she thought about this letter dis woman wrote an' tole her that seven years wouldn't be too long for a raccoon to wear a ruffled-bosom shirt. See, that whut she meant, she was goin' tuh kill her - see, tuh get dis man, see. An' she had dis man dressed fo' her. See. Well, after she broke out in sores and everything like dat, well, see, he had done buried her tracks to de graveyard, you see. Well, finally dey couldn't cure her and she broke dese sores all out and it come on de inside eatin' her up. Whut she had got inside her, it would just ete her on through, ete her up. An' she died. Finally she did bury her. See. An' so this woman told her dat, see, and dey all remembered whut she said - that she would do that to get her. An' after she do that - after she [roomer] got this man, yo' see, then this man disliked her. After he had done killed his wife and hoodooed her, well, he disliked her, see. He turned against her then, and so after he turned against her, he say, jest like she killed his wife, he would turn that right back on her and do her de same way, and she told him that he couldn't do it. See. An' so he said, "Surely could." Well, after dis man tried to fix her she would go an' git cured, see, bathing in dat saltpeter and salt, see, and that would keep everything off of her. And she wouldn't eat anything from him, see. An' so finally, he brought her some ice cream and she ate the ice cream. She didn't think anything Would hurt her, see. An' she ate de ice cream and after she ate de ice cream, dis man tole her he would get her. See, 'cause he had done went back to dis ole [hoodoo] lady dat killed his wife, to fix her. An' dat ole lady put de stuff in de ice cream - gave it to him and he put it in de ice cream.... [The hoodoo woman told the wife to] "Get a piece of his shirt-tail and his bathwater." Yo' got whut she got, yo' know, from him. She had tole her to take that bathwater and she put dat piece of shirt-tail in dis bottle, see, and she sticks nine needles and pins in it and shook it up and told her to take that and go in one fo' corner of de house and bury that.
(One of the four corners of her house.)
Outside - not under the steps - de fourth corner of her house and bury it and then jest, as she burying it, she had to say some kind of hoodoo and put a evil curse on. Cause she knew that the water had him fixed - his bathwater - and he had to go cross de water. So finally he takes a notion to leave - to leave her, see. And so she said, well, to cross water - well, that would make all that go back [on person fixing his bathwater]. So he left here and so he went an' got on a ship and went away cross de water. He was leaving across de water to git dat off him. Said that this woman know that he was going away, said she'd rather fo' him to leave and not come back. The one he went back to - de woman died.
(The woman killed his wife and then he killed this woman. That the idea?)
No, de woman got killed - dat de one he was running around wit. He couldn't git de spell off him an' so he goes back and makes up with his wife. See. This woman was living in the house and broke his wife and him up, yo' see, and tore up de home and the wife left and that give her a chance. See, she put dis stuff in her pillah, and so then after the woman got out, de wife turned it back on her. See. An' so she [roomer] lost her mind an' everything and de ole woman dat fixed de wife, she died, see, and dey couldn't git de spell off [the wife]. See. And dis woman [roomer] went crazy and dey sent her away and she died. Then he finally makes up his mind to go back to his wife, yo' see, to git a reconcilia- tion with her, yo' know, tuh beg her pardon, after so many years. Well, you see after he went back with his wife - she knew that this woman had done her that and broke up her home - well she didn't care for him much. But he wanted - but he had dis spell on him - dey both [women - roomer and hoodoo woman] died and dey couldn't git de spell off him. And every change of de moon he'd have these spells, see, because dis woman throwed dis egg and put dis spell on him. He had these spells and so the wife said that she would go have him fixed so she could keep him. So she goes tuh have his fixed, yo' see, and dis woman tole his wife to git his bathwater, see; and then git dis candle and roll it in sugar - see, that was to make him sweet.
(Well, now, whose track was buried out in the grave?)
Oh, it was this woman's track that was buried out in de grave.
(Which woman, the first one?)
The first woman - she was de one.
(There are only two women in the story?)
That was all - one man - two womens and one man. De wife and de woman and dis man. (The woman who was trying to take him away died in the asylum. Then the wife died too, didn't she?) Well, later - after - but he went back to the wife. See. And after de wife didn't care fo' him, see, then she fixed him so he wouldn't have these spells - she tried to git these spells off him, so she would git de candle and roll it in sugar an' everything. An' so then she seen she didn't care for him and then [he] goes and has her tracks buried in de graveyard, see. Dis man fixed her.
(What was he fixing her for?)
Cause she didn't want him. (Was she trying to kill him or was he trying to kill her? Or was he trying to make her take him back or what?) Well, he wanted her to take him back. Well, after she took him back, you see he would git dem spells on the change of de moon and he would leave again. He wouldn't act right. See.
(When did he cross water?)
Well, he crossed water when de woman tole him dat de only way he would git dis spell off him, he would have to cross de water. See.
(The spell his wife put on him or the spell the other woman put on him?)
It's de spell the other woman put on him.
(The part that was in the beginning of the story?)
Yes, that goes in the beginning of it. You see, de wife is de one that burned de candles on him and tried to git de spell off him. So he goes and gits his wife track - he's de one - de hoodoo woman told him to bury it in de graveyard, and he went and buried it out dere like she told him.
(That's what killed her?)
That whut killed her and that's whut made her think of de letter that she re- ceived a long time ago. See, dis ole lady was working on 'em both. See, she was pretending to be friends to each one of 'em, but she wasn't. [For doctor "pretending to be friends to each one of 'em," see two excellent examples, No. 780, p.257, and No. 782, p.258.] See, dis same ole lady died, yo' see, who was pretending to be friends to both of them, but she wasn't. Yeah, he had to cross water to git rid of his sins, because she had his water and everything buried in de fourth corner of her house. So, that itch when she broke out like that, that whut killed her. And he couldn't git those spells off at de change of de moon - he would go crazy and everything. They both [women] got out of dere [died] and dat's when dis [hoodoo] woman [told] him he would cross water. See, he took a voyage away cross water - see, he left to get rid of this. And de last that they heard from him, dey said he was gittin' better of those spells.
intended household discord attributed to salt/cayenne sprinkling. No clinical diagnosis, proven causation or definite aggressor/victim identity is inferred. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
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Entry 3082
I came here to find out. (Will you sit a little bit closer so I can hear you?) [To bring him nearer the microphone.] [The following paragraph will introduce you to the problem I faced every day while collecting the material of this investigation - see also Introduction.] I came here to find out what your work may be, if there is any help I kin git in connection - if there is any of your help or whatnot in connection with what has happened to me in my business. [He is a bootlegger.] That's what I wan'a know. If it's anything 'at I've to tell or go through. I wan'a know that an' I'll begin my story jis' like I started off before [before I turned on machine]. There's so much of dis recently, I thought I jes' couldn't understand it you see. Lots of people come here an' say you's someone who tryin' to trap someone, an' this is tryin' to git someone in trouble. Well, I say, "Well, I don't know what in the world it's all about, but if he, that is to say, [does] things to help me, why I don't mind goin' over an' explain myself." ['Here I explain my work." These words are my penciled comment made at the time I did the original transcription in pencil. Here I also made one of my many mistakes. I failed to transcribe my explanation. My failure however Was excus- able - hand transcription being such a tedious and impossible task I had to call in an expert transcriber for the post-Wilmington cylinders. Yet one explaining sentence does remain, "I don't heal anyone, I don't sell anything." As you will now learn, this man Was in serious trouble. My lost explanation at least set him more or less at ease.] You mind if I light my cigarette?
(No, go right ahead.)
[I was smoking a cigar, why should I mind him smoking a cigarette. A woman later over in Memphis "came in...smoking a big cigar" - see MAMMY: THE CIGAR SMOKER in INTERVIEWS.] Now first, I'm a married man. I've got a wife an' three children - jes' as well say five because I've two to take care of that's my wife's sister's, dead, an' they stayed with me from the first, each one of them, so that makes me have five [children] to take care of. Now my wife, she's sick an' has been for a long period of time. Her first [sickness] was believed by medical experience was pelegra, an' after that, why I found out something else; an' I went on an' kep' - go see her an' I kep' finding out something else. I went to work at Wrightsville Beach six years ago [1931], right down here ll miles from the city, where I was workin' for Doctor W. there. An' one day, after knowin' that my wife had been sick so long - I kep' tryin' to, wonderin' what in the world's the matter - finally I found out from Doctor H., that it was pelegra. [Here informant is returning to something already said.] Thereon he subscribed that I take her to the country for her health. No doubt it would be a little beneficial to her, an' where it was quiet an' didn't hear the runnin' of the cars, the streetcars an' so on, an' jis' git out of all that stuff, an' it would make her no doubt so she recover. An' so I carried [her] on over to Atkinson, North Car'lina, an' she stayed there for a long long time - in fact the whole summer through an' partly of the fall. An' one day I got a telephone call - it come at ten o'clock jes' before I carried [her] to Atkinson. [Informant again returns to something already men- tioned. For the difficulty in following this type of thinking, see confusing story, No. 2750, Pp.758-767.] An' that was while I livin' away from home in the country right out here. In fact she was jis' like her mother, my daughter's god- mother [grandmother?] as fer as that concern [whatever this means]. Tom T., it was his wife [who. telephoned]. She say, "Come to town at once. Eliza is crazy."
[This may be why "she was jis' like her mother."]
An' I didn't believe it. When I got in town she didn't know me from [some- thing, not Adam] or nobody else. So after havin' consulted with Doctor H., as I foresaid, I carried her on up de country. She lived up there fer a while an' I'd go there. She jis' got in such a wreck, kickin' up so, an' jis' nobody could go around 'er. She didn't want to hear what they had to say. She jis' git to the place she dispised 'er father, you know. An' even to 'er sister or to herself or anybody. She didn't wan'a see nobody. Well we goes there to Clinton, North Car'lina. There's ole man up there, they call 'im Mr. Wickins[?]. He read the cards. He also give me a dose of medicine to take.
(What did he give it to you for?)
He told me when I took that dose of medicine - after readin' my palm - he said, "This dose is goin' work for you an' not her [it is not MEDICINE BY PROXY, p.365]; and besides, you goin' get it in house when you get back home. [This is preventive medicine - see PREVENTIVE MEDICINE CARRIED TO EXTREMES, p.328.] Well, I wonderin' what he meant by that. He told me, he said, "There's someone has thrown for you," he said, ''but they're not tryin' to kill your wife in connection with you, but they're durin' [doin'] somethin' to keep her puny, ailin' along." He said, "They'll give it to you, if they're havin' a whole lot of trouble with her." He said, "Now, it's a black-skin woman an' a dark-skin woman that's doin' this." [A doctor is always vague when identifying culprit - see MADAM JACKSON ACROSS DE CREEK, p.757.] An' besides, de black-skin woman is the woman that want joo, an' de dark-skin woman don't visit chore house very often but she's helpin' fo' this people." He said, "Now, the way they did this - goin' to git it goin' their way - they went there an' sprinkled somepin in de baid while you were away [in the country].
(Did he tell you what they sprinkled there?)
He said some kin'a powder. He couldn't - he don't - he set some kin'a thing in front of him. It was a little thing that looked to me like a little horses settin' up there, an' a little somepin looked like a crab, another thing looked like a little fish, another little thing looked like a little serpent. He could touch them little things, you could see them shiver all around in - looked like to me they was settin' in a little basin or a little [over shape? = over size?] bowl of water.
(Was it a bowl of water?)
Looked to me like it was water. An' he talked to me. Den directly he go startin' talk to these little things in there, an' they kin'a quiver. [See photograph, supposedly in crystal ball, "trembled like a leaf," p.173, line 5.] An' then he start to tell somepin else. ["I suggest that these figures were magnetic, shaped in forms of the zodiac, and that they quivered whenever the root doctor holding a concealed magnet passed his hand over them. There was no water in the bowl." This comment is a part of original transcription in pencil. The evidence or experience for it I no longer remember. These quivering figures may be a diagnostic device (pp.165-217) like the trembling photograph in the crystal ball just mentioned. It is certainly one of the many tricks to impress the patient - like invisible writing (p.265).] So he told me, he said, "You weren't all right, don't sleep well at night, an' neither one of you don't sleep good at night." I said, "Well, you're right." He said, "Well, don't answer me." He said, "I know what I'm talkin' about." I have given many examples of a doctor knowing or foreseeing everything - see YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME, p.316.] I says, "Well, I must tell you, she don't sleep at all at night." He said, "Well, that's why that was sprinkled in your baid for. An' the way this black-skin woman had the dark-skin woman to do, to give it to you, were to sprinkle some of the same stuff under your door, an' that's why it got choo an' it fix you. Then I told him exactly [all that had happened.] He give me some kin' of little roots - he called one [of] them John de Conker. Then he also give me some kin' of little stuff called wood mold. It grows in the little pine [something - could be thickets?] like tha' choo go to rake it up an' you use it for makin' fertilizer - like the farmers use. [In Maryland this "little stuff is called shadders (= shatters), "fallen pine leaves or needles," used for animal bedding, which turns into manure or fertiZizer - 723, p.240.] An' he told me to take that [wood mold] an' red oak bark [frequently used for medicine, p.462 and elsewhere] - take that stuff an' boil it, make a tea out of it, an' feed her off of it. Give her all salts that I could get her to take - physic salts. An' so I did it until she got to the place that she wouldn't even take that. An' I went back to him again an' he said get Vita-Food east [brand of yeast] that come in a big tall can about that tall - somepin tha' choo sprinkle over de food when she gits ready to eat. Not de Fleshman [Fleischmann] east, something in comparsion, but it was yellowish lak sulphur maybe an' had a very strong odor. An' he had somepin called Eastborn [yeast-born or Eastbourne] tablets. Well, she had then fallin' from a hunderd an' seventy-six pounds down to a hunderd an' twenty. Well, I was feedin' [her] on that stuff an' she went back to a hunderd and fifty. An' I come on back to town. An' afterwards I brought her back from de country here an' we lived together fer a good while. My house be the second doah to my brother-in-law - from her brother house, my brother-in-law. I was at 905, where he was 909. An' rather than stay home, she'd stay over there; but when she goin' eat she'd come home, an' jes' as soon as she eat she'd be right out an' gone. Well I got worried over the gait[?]. So I told my father-in-law about it an' he says, "Well, any steps you wan'a make, why go on an' make it." So then I got into another [acquainted with] boy that was workin' there with me. We called him Skeet. Skeet told me of a woman down South - Madam Rachel - Dillon, South Car'lina. [Note that a man in North Carolina calls South Carolina down South. This was frequently done - see Introduction.] An' he also made men- tion of a old man called Doctor Buzzard.
(Where was he?)
Florence, South Car'lina. First, before I got to this Madam Rachel, this Doctor Buzzard came to my house [in Wilmington].
(He came to see you?)
He came here ordinary passin' by. An' another person he goes by [visits pro- fessionally]. An' someone told him that I'd care to see somebody of that kind. So he came in. He had a little hand bag, not a big case. [Was he referring to my 3 large cases - recorder, transcriber, and cylinder carrier?] It was a hand bag [in imitation of a M.D.'s medical kit then in use]. He had a whole lot of little snakes in that bag. [See SNAKE, Pp.66-73, and elsewhere.]
(Alive or dead?)
Alive. That snakes scared her. She's frighten anything that kind. My wife was there. She was lyin' right in de baid an' he told her, he said, "Now, I'll put choo to walkin' by tomorrow for four dollers and one cent.' I ast him what was he goin' do with de one cents. He says, "Well, the four dollars is for me; the one cent is the cure." "I says, "If you put my wife to walkin' by tomorrow, I'll give you four dollers an' one cent." [For this type of payment, see DOCTOR ARMOUR, p.891, line 2.] He say, "Well git me a pint of liquor." I say, "That'll cost you a dollar." I got a pint of liquor. He took a needle an' two straight pins an' crossed them. He crossed all three of 'em an' tied 'em together with a red piece of string an' put em into a little bag. Then he took out some little seed that appearently looked like flaxseeds. An' he told me take these seeds; if it's any time you want to go, be with some Woman. He say you drop one of these seeds in the liquor or somepin that she's drinkin' an' make her do anything you want her to do. I said, "I didn't ask you to come here to cunjure me an' wife. I ask you to come here to aid." He said, "I don't mean that." Well, I went on an' give him de four dollers an' one cent, an' [he] took all this stuff an' sewed it up in that bag [thus making a hand]. Then he took the snake out of it [iar], which [snake] he had already wrapped one around my wife's leg an' throwed [throwing] some liquor over it he wrapped it around the right leg jes' above the knee. Besides, when I got that second pint of liquor for him, he poured some down the table an' poured those snakes out of a little jar he had 'em in, an' begin to talkin' to those snake, an' they stood right straight up an' go over to him. There's where I vacate out of de room fer a few minutes. [I repeat preceding reference, SNAKE, Pp.66-73, and elsewhere. Besides after one drink of raw moonshine whiskey a person could see a few things; after two pints of it, anything.] So I came back. In a few seconds later an' he told me, "All right. Now, by tomorrow, as I told you [she will be out of bed]." Well, he went home an' she seemed to be recoverin' a little. But then this Madam Rachel, about two weeks later, she came there. This was the third party [root doctor] now. [She had been called from Dillon, S. Car., to wait on a case in Wilmington, and had heard about my informant.] An' she told me to go to the drug store to Doctor Mason [druggist], the Ideal Pharmacy. I was livin' aroun' there at that time. [This is a normal drug store, not a hoodoo store.] She tole me to git a dime worth of bluestone an' red pepper. An' she put out some dirt, some kin'a lookin' - I called it sand. She poured out a little bottle, but she tole me it was graveyard dirt. So she mixed it all together. Then she ask me before she give me that stuff, she said, "Do you know any officers in this town?
(Officers?)
Officers. Policeses. I said, "Yeah, I know jist about every one of 'em." I told her the name of them. An' [she said], "Write them down on this piece of paper I'll give you. De's somepin I wan' choo to do with it." I said, "All right." So I wrote down every one that I could think of. She said, "Now, on this set of names, how many is it that you think would do you harm, an' he goes out an' make it his business an' come arres' chew jes' out of ordinary [for no purpose at all?]?" I said, "I don't know. I hate to go through that part of it; but still, since it's personal, why I guess I'll have to tell you." So I named the one or two that I thought wasn't very good friends of mine an' knew the whole family an' my wife and her [people] before I even knew her my own self. So I named 'em down fer her. She told me, she said, "Now, you take these names on this piece of paper, go to the northeast of this house an' bury it down there, then come back to me. Then she took that dirt, that mixture she had there, an' circle all the way aroun' my house entirely. [To circle the house with salt or other substances is a fairly common protective device.] An' told me then - she says, "There somepin under your front doorstep tha' joo an' your wife are walkin' over ev'ry day is what cause you not to be gittin' along any better, an' I'm gon'a stop it. An' besides, the officers been runnin' in here on you all the time an' claim that choo have a lot of liquor an' you doin' this an' that an' de other thing you' re not doin'." She said, "I'm gon'a stop that. Besides, Im gon'a fix it so when they come to the front door they can't come in." I said, "How much is that gon'a cost me?" She said, "Give me three dollers an' you pay for the goods an' a doller on my gas bill back home." Well, she had a big Buick car out in front. I did that. Well, I found out I was gittin' along very very good then an' really my wife did come out of bed, stayed up fer a long time, gittin' along gran'. So after she'd gone, I decided then I'd move an' change houses. I thought the house was bad luck to me. I didn't know if there any other stuff [sprinkled or buried] along there. So I moved. No sooner than I moved, I got in other house, [it Wasn't] three months before I in [jail] agin. That [this] time I cooked 60 days in the county jail up here in town. I cooked up there when the cook got sick.
[At least this tells us something about the informant - he was a fair cook.]
An' when I came back, to be sure whether I was right or wrong, I moved right back in that same house. [Which house?] Then [I] started to fallin back [into the same bad luck] right away. I had a ole - sister's dead an' gone now. She came to me one day an' tole me, she said, "Let me tell you somepin. She always did call me brother. [She Was not his sister.] She say, "Let me tell you somepin, brother." She say, "There's somepin aroun' this house that it interfering with chor life an' you can' be happy. You can't live with your family like you want to," she says. "I'm goin' find it," she say. She went up under my front doorstep an' got a pair of scis- sors out from under there with one of the points broke off of it, an' ole rusty nails au' needles all tied together. An' she brought them in the house with her, "Here it is, I've got it at last." [He did not see her find the articles.] I said, "Now, Mama Annie, do you reckon that's true?" She say, "Well, here it is."
(What was her name?)
Mama Annie, we called her. Her name was Annie P. We called her Mama Annie.
[She was a root doctor.]
So she tole me then to take that, break it up, burn it up, do anything I knew to do an' I would stop that stuff goin' on then. So I ask her what it was an' she tole me it was [some]thing that somebody still tryin' to git between me an' my family. I took that pair of scissors - I had a good hot fire in the stove - needles and nails, an' I thought that stove would melt. It turnt red-hot. An' I let it there fer two or three days till I was sure it was gone. I got rid of that. Well now, a little later on comes the nex' part of it. I got in some more trouble. A man 'cused me then of sellin' 'im whiskey. This happen recently, too. This party - he's dead, the one that said it; but this party lives right here in the city now. [I am unable to straighten this out - the man will appear again.]
(How long ago was all this happening - these stories?)
It happened to an' fro within the last five or six years - right along, all up an' down the sides, right up an' down. It's right now so. Jis' like I told Mr. Gavin out here [in my waiting or reception room in the Gavin home] jis' a while ago. [Mr. Gavin, my contact man in Wilmington, N. Car., Was the husband of the sister of Julia, page one. I interviewed in the Gavin home and had lunch there each day.] I said, "I've a tendency maybe today I want my wife any second an' I'll go to her. We are sweet and loving together. An' directly another feelin' jump right [up in] me an' I'm out and gone. Maybe she'll be talkin' nice an' lovin' to me. Directly she jump right up, "Oh! So-an'-So." An' I'm out an' gone. Well, I go around to her brother's house an' go to bed an' sleep or some- where, anywhere, at some friend, an' go on to sleep. So I told her one day, I said, "Let me take you down South. I had a party aroun' there in Walnut Street by the name of J. He told me a place up [down] here between Southport an' here, that I could go to a man that he was - well, that he could clear all that stuff where I lived at. [Southport - being south of Wilmington - equals informant's "down South."] Somebody agin! [Another root doctor!] An' that [meeting with the doctor down toward Southport] was suppose to have happened this last Thursday, but I was sick - had no more than come out of the hospital. I had a rectal abscess. I'd jes' been operated on. Come out last Monday an' I wasn't able to go. I didn't have any money to go with - the first part of it. I had to pay little bills you know. An' about this last party, to git back to de same trouble'as I started to say. This man claimed that I sold him some whiskey on the 21st day of November, an' I Wasn't even in the house that day or that night. An' so dis same [Walnut Street] Mammie J., he told me that, "I know a party that you ought to see right here in town. Maybe he kin help you a little." I said, "Who is it?" [No answer.] They [the rootworker between Wilmington and Southport] were supposed to be here in town this last past Thursday, but didn't come an' I didn't have any way to get to 'em. But I did see the party here in Wilmfngton. An' they told me also that it was things down aroun' my house; that's why I couldn't live happy an' peaceful at home.
(What do you think about it?)
Well, I do think there [is something] in it. An' I'll be frank with you. There had been a time way back, when I was much younger, I didn't believe any doze kin'a things; but I still now, since I found things buried - there is so much. An' that when I'd go as I foresaid, an' try to make love to my wife, seem like ev'rything is all right, right at first an' directly things occurred in an- other different way. An' then I would come an' try to humor her along, "Honey, what's de matter? What's de occasion? Sittin' in de dining room, huggin' wit 'er as sweethearts do. We'll talk things over an' directly she'll say, "Well, let's do so-an'-so, let's be sweethearts again." She'll forgit it an' I'll do anything fer you. You kin bet chor life right on the same schedule agin. So I went to this party [in Wilmington] an' he read the cards out fer me, an' told me that there was somepin down at my house to cause to bein' this way, an' I couldn't help myself, an' give me a root, an' got it with me now as fer as that's concern. He told me to keep it wit me anywhere I went. An' I got another thing, I got two other articles at de house that I keep. An' whenever I go roun' my wife, he told me to always wipe my face down with that powder. It's a little sweet perfume powder. An' then there's a little ball somepin like you got it sewed up in a little bag. You can't tell what's in it. I didn't cut it open to see. [This is a ball-shaped hand.] I leave it at home unless I'm goin' round to her house.
(What's the name of that root?)
I don't [know] what de name of the thing. I got it here in my pocket. An' she told me to chew a piece off of it an' spit around the door before I walked in, to kill my enemies before I got dere. That's what she give it to me fer. She said that would kill my enemies before I got dere; an' if it's anyone to do any harm, it'll change their mind. That I would also find a little dark-brown-skin man there. I didn't intend to tell you about that. That's de trouble over me an' my wife. An' [she said] I would certainly find that man there. An' she also told me she did it [whatever this means]. An' my wife sometime would mention this man ["rootworker is my transcription notation] to me. She said she liked me but she never [was untrue tol me an' didn't live no man in the world but me. Well, I know that of it's true [truth]. An' the thing that - so far [the marriage?] would last three or four years jis' about perfectly right up to the minute [trouble began]. This little bag I pinned that on the inside of my clothes nex' to my flesh. Then sometime it would smell like a onion an' agin it would smell like perfume - change odors all kin' of ways, like turpentine an' agin you don't know what you smellin'. Jes' the way that thing smell. Well, as I tell you, I didn't open it up to see what was in it, because it was sewed down there. Then she give me a prayer. It was written on a piece of paper down onto the 24th Psalm, called Ezekiel, I believe it is. An' I'd read that an' memorize as much of it as possible when I'm goin' aroun' my wife - like I'm away there now an' I should happen to think [trouble Was brewing]. That [is] to quite fusses down or anything in case you may start anything. Read that as I start towards my house, an' when I git to my yard I finish it an' then go in. An' they told me when I paid her a dollar and a half more, that she would go in there an' git this thing up an' show it to me. An' I told this weekend I'd let her complete her part of the job. An' [I] found that ev'rything she told me has worked out right. Even now in this case that I have now, she told me that this case was gon'a be put off three times. An' she said, "Let's put it off some more."
(That case in court now against you?)
Yes sir, that this man J. accused me of sellin' him some whiskey, bottle of liquor on the 23rd day of November of last year, which I wasn't even in my house, as I aforesaid a while ago, dat day or night. An' she told me and said, "Well, I'm gon'a show that I'm right before I clear you completely. I'm gon'a put off your case some more." An' she has put it off eight times successfully. Now this comin' Friday will make the ninth time that I'm goin' to be tried.
Entry 16
My uncle, he was awful scared of ghos'es, and he stayed that-a-way for about three year'. After them three year' was up he sent and got some man, who never tried religion, to see if he couldn't do somepin. So he went and got this fellah - de fellah come from down de South. He got him to see if he couldn't break him from being so scared. So we went and got some graveyard dust, sand, got a rabbit's foot or somepin - this fellah told him a graveyard rabbit, and took and fix it up [dressed it] for him. He took the rabbit foot and put it in a little bag and put de sand in there with it. He was to take it and wear on a belt. About two year' he got he'd see 'em right on but he wasn't scared of 'em.
Entry 314
Well, ah heard dey ketch de black cat an' dey'll kill him an' dey take it outa his rib, de bone. An' dey'll smoke dat black cat bone an' dey'll wear it den. Dey'll smoke it an' wash it. Aftah dey washin' it dey gits some devil's [vinaigre?] out de drug sto'. Dey soak it in dat agin. Den dey'll take it an' dey'll wear it an' dey'll make lak a bag an' put it in dere an' wear it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Dey would do anything dat dey wanta do. Dey'll come in heah an' yo' won't know it an' dey'll go out chere an' yo' won't know it. Dey'll do anything dey feel lak doin'.
(They just take this cat and they take one of his ribs out.)
Yeah, one his bones out.
Entry 315
In de gambling line dat yo' cud [could] git chew a black cat but yo' have to ketch dat cat when he 'live, an' put him in a pot of water an' boil him an' boil dat cat till all de meat boil off his bones, an' go to a runnin' stream of water an' throw him in dat water. An' all dat bone will gone down de stream but de lucky bone will come back up to yo'. Den yo' git dat bone an' git chew a little sack an' take a little bottle of heart's coZogne an' put dat bone in dat sack an' yo' keep dat bone jes' wet [feed it] wit dat cologne, yo' know, 'bout once or twice a week. [This is a hand or mojo or toby.] A boy tell me dat - said he did it an' when he went to a skin game. He broke up every skin game he'd git into.
Entry 317
Take a black cat an' take a pot of hot boilin' watah an' take dis cat alive. Yo' mus'n't kill 'im - yo' take him alive an' put him in dat hot boilin' watah live an' let him boil all to pieces. An' take dem bones an' hold dem 'fore de mirror an' de one dat shake in de mirror dat's, yo' know, dat's de right bone. Or yo' either take it to runnin' water an' de bone dat go down de stream dat's not de right bone, but de bone dat go up de stream an' de water running dat's de right bone. Take it an' put it in a black bag - sew it up in a real black bag an' jes' when yo' wanta do a trick or anything, put on a real black shirt an' yo' kin go in a store or anywhere an' git anything yo' want - nobody will nevah see yo', yo' disappear. (Now when you hold that bone in front of the mirror - what happens to that bone when you hold it in front of the mirror?) It will shake in front of de mirror.
(Oh, the bone will shake.)
De right bone will jes' shake in front of de mirror. (You do either one - you either hold it before the mirror or you go to running water.) Yo' do either one of those an' yo' git de right bone.
Entry 318
Yo' kin take a black cat - ketch a black cat an' kill dis black cat an' git her right foot bone, de front foot. Git this bone an' put dis bone in a sack an' wear it roun' yore neck. Yo'll be lucky in jobs, lucky in anything yo' go fer. Jes' wear dat black cat foot bone - de right foot bone, de front bone.
Entry 397
He and two men - there were three men together and they of course had located this money [informant did not know what method was used.] This man was telling my father. And when he went out and started to dig, they dug about an hour, and when they got a hole big enough for the three men to be down there, they heard these little heifers, these little calves; and they said they Was just jumping over the hole [in which the three men were] and making all kinds of noise. They Were not real - they was some kind of ghosts. Two of the men ran away and one stayed and dug until he got this little pot. He got it. And when he got up out of the hole, a woman appear in rags and tags. She was so ragged, and had no teeth, and her grey hair was standing all over her head. And she looked at the man and said, "Damn it to hell. You got it." And he said he walked on and he stumbled over a bag. one of those burlap [bagsl, and he said he picked it up and put [it] in the pot, and the woman disappeared. When he went home he opened the pot and there was five-hundred dollars in silver and gold. He gave the other men seventy-five dollars each. [New York City, (1), Ed., second interview, March 19, 1936; near Wilmington, N. Car.,1905.]
Entry 515
If de hag rides yo', yo' gits a piece of dis rusty iron an' yo' take it an' cut it de length of de first joint of middle fingah yoah lef' han' - yoah middle fingah, an' yo' sew it up in a sack an' wear it roun' yoah neck, an' de hag won' ride yo'. Jes' lak if de hag be ridin' yo', have yo' cryin'.
(You mean that tin that comes off of roofs?)
Dat tin-iron.
Entry 582
I used to go to an old man's house and he had a bag and he called that bag Jack. It was long and big at one end and kinda small at the other end. The string Was tied to the small end - red flannel covered the bag. And then when you would ask him any questions he would take this bag and hold it up [by the stringl and stand still and let it strike the question you asked. If you asked him if this person was hurt, this bag would spin around like a top; if he wasn't hurt, it would stand still. You asked the question, he didn't say anything at all.
Entry 682
The way I have heard it, that a hoodoo bag is a bag that one carries and it contains a dust called goofer dust, and whatever they put it on they can conquer. Some wear it in their bosom and some in their pocket. They get these goofer bags from root doctors or cunjure doctors. You give them a certain sum of money. Some call them roots, some call them rabbit's foot. Some people wear these roots around their legs sometimes for luck.
Entry 734
Jockey Club [perfume] an' John de Conker root an' yo' keep 'em in yore pocket all de time an' put chure numbers in dere with it.
(Policy numbers?)
Yes sir, an' yo' keep dat stuff undah yore haid where yo' sleep an' yo' mo' den apt tuh dream 'bout policy, if yo' crazy 'bout playin' 'em all de time yo mo' den apt tuh dream somepin, an' if yo' git up an' play 'em yore shore lucky, 'cause ah've done it. Ah've caught a-plenty money playin' policy. (You keep this tuff - you don't keep it in there loose do you, this John de Conker root?) No suh,- yo' got it in a little bag folded up.
(And you sleep on it?)
Yessuh. Dat Jockey Club is really lucky - it's got a horseshoe on de bottle. Put it on de men when dey come in - jis' lak yo' know - perfume - dey wouldn't know no bettah. On de person whutevah come in yore place of business where yo' sellin', tryin' tuh make money - put it on dem when dey come in an' dey always wanta come back agin, yo' know, an' be kinda nice to 'em. Treat 'em nice.
Entry 736
The way I have heard it, that a hoodoo bag is a bag that one carries and it contains a dust called goofer dust and whatever they put it on they can conquer. Some wears it in their bosom and some in their pocket. They get these goofer bags from root doctors or cunjure doctors. You give them a certain sum of money. Some call them roots, some call them rabbits foot. Some people wear these roots around their legs sometimes for luck.
Entry 835
I have heard by having this root bag they can disappear and a shot won't get them, strike them, and the one that is shooting them will miss their shot.
Entry 1105
They carry assafitidee in a bag round their neck to pertek 'em from hoodooism.
Entry 1107
Take and sew a piece of assafitidee and a piece of red flannel into a bag: You make a bag of the flannel, wear it in your pocket next to your heart and, if you have any enemies or anything, that will keep them down.
Entry 1112
Whut ah was sayin' 'bout luck, yo' kin go in de left-hand side of yore fireplace an' take a fire coal, take two fire coals an' wear 'em in yore - put 'em in a little sack an' wear 'em in yore left pocket an' no one can't do yo' no harm. [These fire coals in country districts were small pieces of charred wood.]
Entry 1154
Now yo' take a buzzard, long [about] - yo' know dere's a time of de year dat de buzzards are nestin', if yo' kin git chew a buzzard alive an' carry him to some secret place where nobody knows nuthin about it. Well, yo' know a buzzard is a kinda funny thing. Yo' feed him diff'rent things an' some he vomit some an' some might come out de othah way. Well, yo' take some of both an' put it together an' put it in a sack of some sort to where yo' kin tie it. Maybe some of yore people long ago had some of these things did to 'em - de tricks yo' know, had 'em walkin' like a frog or hoppin'. Jest keep it, yo' know, where he [patient] kin sleep on it fo' several days an' he not knowin' anything about it. An' den yo' take it an' make him a belt of some sort where he kin wear it round his waist until dat stuff became hard - jest hard like a brick, hard jest like a brick. An' de thing dat dey have did to him dat causin' him tuh be dat way will go up in dat bag where dat stuff is.
(That is to cure him.)
Dat's tuh cure him.
Entry 1243
Gits de eel[skin] an' jes' ground it up an' they mix peppah an' salt - jes' de red peppah. They git that an' grind that up with the eel and they tie that up in a sack an' they will wear it around them. (What is that supposed to do?) Keep all dere enemies away from 'em an' keep dem from bein' harmed dem- selves. [The eel makes the wearer slippery like an eel, difficult to hold.]
Entry 1444
After I came here, they told me it was 'bout some hoodoo or something. Well, this is a case which I had a stepfather. (Just a little louder, please.) My stepfather, he was terribly mean. Well, he and my mother separated. Well, he had been talking to a lady that believes in this stuff and he got her to come to my mother to talk to her, but when she got there, my mother didn't know the lady and naturally anybody would come to my mother and talk to her because she was a hairdresser. And she came and she talked and she said sh wanted her hair dressed and she asked what was the price, and she didn't bring all the money. She said she would bring the rest of it later. So my mother went on and fixed her hair, and before she went she asked my mother to give her something to eat - say she was hungry. So my mother got up and fixed her some dinner and brought it in there and gave it to her. So she' told her, say, "That's too much - take part of it off." And she insisted that she take part of it off, so she went back in de kitchen and take some of it off. Well, when she come back, the lady had gotten out of the dining room and she was gone in the bedroom, and she never thought anything about it because she was puttin' a drapery on the bed and she thought maybe she was looking at the time. Well, she come on back in the room and she sit down to eat and she tasted. She had a little boy with her and said, "Do you mind if I give it to my boy? I have enough." So my mother says it all right with her. She gave it to the little boy and the little boy ate it. So when she got up she went on home and then next week she sent the money. So my mother got sick. We didn't know what was the matter with her - she was just ailin' around, didn't any special thing hurt her, she Was just weak. She Was in the bed. She was talking to a lady friend of ours and just how she was feeling and telling her about her sickness.
(I see. All right.) [Something may have disturbed us.]
And she happened to bring up about dis lady coming to see her. And what made her bring that up, they was talking about - this lady [who had her hair done] spoke about her husband that she had been with [but was with no longer] and she was saying he was a good man. And my mother asked her [present visitor] did she know him, and she turned around and told her, no, she didn't know him. Well, they was wondering why did she [woman who had her hair done] come there with that kind of talk, so this lady asked my mother, said, "Don't you know she believes in that hoodoo stuff?" My mother said, "No." So she said, "You get up out of bed," said, "we are going to see if anything is around." So she came in the room and she called me and she say, "Let's look." And we took all the things off the bed and didn't see anything and looked all under the mattress and everything, and under the rugs and everything - looked everywhere we thought for and couldn't find anything. So, we stopped looking for awhile. And then she had a little drop rug on de floor right at the head of the bed and she turned the rug back and found this little black bag in there. There was something in it - it was black, it looked like charcoal and something in there like fine grains of salt or some- thing. I really don't know what it was but that's what it looked like. And so my auntie took it and carried it out on de back porch and we looked at it and so we took it and threw it away. So this lady told my mother to get some hot water and red pepper and mop de floors. She did and after that she was all right. It didn't hurt her or anything other than being sick and just weak.
(Where did this happen? Where?)
It happened right here in Vicksburg.
(Oh, in Vicksburg. How long ago?)
This was in the summer - wait a minute, I will tell almost exactly - summer, 1936.
(1936, I see. Your mother got well?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 1716
Some peoples ketch one dese flyin' bats yo' know, one dese leather bats an' cut him an' take his heart out 'fore it - yo' know, while he's warm - while his blood is warm an' wrap it up in a piece of cloth an' den put a needle in dere - git three needles, cross 'em. Den sew that up in anothah bag an' - den git chew a piece of cotton ah mean, an' wrap it round dere an' den sew it all up together. Ah know dat's good cause [I] see dat used wit success.
Entry 1746
Take de bow out de back of yore hat an' make yo' love 'em.
(What would she do with that bow?)
She takes an' puts it into a bag an' puts Hearts Cologne on it an' she wears it roun' her neck jes' lak yo'd wear a neckpiece or somepin lak dat.
Entry 1771
If yo' see somebody - some folks dat want a lucky piece, dey goes to work an' take a eggshell wit [from] a hen dat nevah went wit a rooster, see. Take dat hen dat nevah touch a rooster an' yo' boil dat aig an' after yo' boil it, yo' take de top offa dat shell an' yo' put it in dat little bag an' po' some Heart Cologne on it, an' keep it long as de money's wit chew - whut chew workin' in de game. See. Well, dat have happen - ah don't know whether dat's real but ah've seen it done.
(That's for luck.)
Yeah, dat's fo' luck. (Now, you take this egg and after you boil it, take the shell off the egg? Or do you take the egg out of the shell?) Yo' take de egg outa de shell an' eat de egg if yo' wanta eat it - throw it away if yo' don't want it. But take dis shell an' yo' kinda bundle it up yo' know an' mash it up an' put it in a piece of bag yo' know - leather bag or shoe tongue or somepin like dat. It jes' make a small thing. An' yo' po' Heart Cologne on it - somepin dat it will go through. An' keep it lingering round wit chure money. But dat aig - de rooster not supposed to touch dis individual hen. Yo' rubs it in yore han' yo' know like dat - dat little package yo' know.
(This little package you made?)
Yeah, rub it in yore hand like dat an' go off somewhere [to gamble]. An' yo' lay dat in yore han' an' rub it - rub it down yore pants if yo' want, an' yo' go in to gamble. Dat's all yo' do fo' dat.
(All you do is put some dirt on it.)
Yassuh, each time - jes' like yo' comin' in dis game now.
Entry 1829
All right, yo' kin take Hearts Cologne. Yo' git chew Hearts Cologne an' yo' go to de - yo' know de devil's-shoestring. Yo' git de devil's-shoestring an' yo' cut it in fo' pieces to a inch - one inch long, an yo' put it into yo' little sack an' yo' keep dat devil's- string. Wear it in dat Hearts Cologne, keep it where it'll smell loud, an' whensomevah yo' go to gamble why yo' renew it ovah wit dat Hearts Cologne. Keep it where it will scent - where everybody kin git de scent of it. Dat's lucky in gambling.
Entry 1830
Dey say if yo' git some devil's-shoestring an' nine shots out of a shell - nine shots an' three lengths of devil's-shoestring. Yo"sposed to keep dat with yo' an' yo' kin put most any kind of perfume on it. An' yo' have a piece of lodestone with it - dat makes it bettah. Dat's whut ah hear a man say he wus doin' - ah seen some of it.
(How did he carry that?)
Jes' put it in a little bag an' put it in yore pocket.
Entry 1857
A man learnt me, a hoodoo man, to take a crocus fish - it's a little fish called crocus fish, an' yo' take dat head off, an' yo' take a knife an' split dat head open an' dere's two rocks in dere. Well, yo' git dem two rocks out an' yo' put dem two rocks in a little bag an' yo' sew dat bag up. Well, when yo' sew dat bag up den, yo' give it to de party an' den he goes to de man an reports for a job, an' yo' can't hardly be turned down. An' ah have seen dat an' he have done me dataway de reason ah know. An' dat's de way he said and dat was de end of dat.
Entry 1860
Well, for gambling I've taken and get me a new nee- dle and get me a piece of five-fingered grass, and get me a piece of lodestone and some steel dust, and take it and sew it - that needle, brand-new needle, not no needle that's been used - in a little piece of leather bag. And use this here fast luck - keep it damp whenever I go to gambling
Entry 1903
Jes' lak yo' go to de race track bettin' on de horse races, yo' ketch - yo' have two toadyfrogs - jes' have 'em wit chew, see. An' Jes' lak yo' bettin', take an' pat 'em on de horse an' de horse yo' want to win he will win every time.
(How do you carry those frogs?)
In yore pocket - either in a papah bag, both of 'em together so long as dey live. If dey's live it all right; if dey's daid dey ain't goin' be no good.
Entry 1911
Yo' kin git chew a piece of garlic, yo' know whut dat is, an' yo' takes dat garlic an' yo' git nine pieces of garlic an' make yo' a little sack like if yo' were canvassing. Yo put that garlic in yore pocketbook. Quite natural it's gon'a smell. An' anything yo' doin' an' wants tuh bring luck in yore place, why yo' use that garlic. Tote it in yore pocket or in yore pocketbook or in yore sample case or anything like dat.
Entry 1929
If yo' wanta be lucky, if yo' is a gambler. If yo' know of some drunk- ard that's dead, see, an' yo' go there to his grave at midnight, yo' call his name twice. Dig, jest keep digging until you git to that clay - yo' know de stuff like clay - jest dig, dig, till yo' git to that clay, an' git chew a han'- ful an' put in one of dese tobacco sacks. Ah don't know whut's de name of de tobacco - yo' kin git 'em sacks, cloth sacks. Go on back to any gambling room. Ever' time yo' start tuh losin' jest touch that graveyard dirt lightly with yore hands.
The informant describes clay collected from a deceased drunkard's grave and calls it graveyard dirt in this account. This occurrence does not establish a global equivalence between clay and graveyard dirt.
Entry 1931
Ah heard 'em say yo' go to the graveyard an' git graveyard dust. An' jis' lak yo' wan'a make a bag fo' tuh gamble or somethin', yo' git graveyard dust an' yo' take it an' put it in a bag, an' put needles an' red peppah an' bluestone an' sew it up in dat bag with dat graveyard dust. An' dey say when yo' go tuh gamble, all yo' got'a do is jis' rub yore han's on it an' yo'll win ever' time yo' put chure han' on it.
Entry 1935
Ah've heard tell of 'em using, gittin' a chip off de headbo'd, gittin' a piece off de headbo'd of de grave an' using it fo' luck.
(Well, how do they use that?)
Well, yo' scrape it. Yo' take a knife an' yo' scrape de - shave it off de lefthand side of it. Git dat off de lefthand side, yo' scrape it tuh yo'. Yo' scrape it to yo' an' yo' say, "Lord, let dere be luck. Lord, let dere be luck." Yo' say dat three times an' yo' scrape dis knife to yo' - yo' bring it to yo'. Yo' bring yore knife to yo', not from yo' - dat's lucky.
(Well, what would you do with it after you get those scrapings?)
Well, yo' take dat scraping an' wear it. Yo' take yore little fine scraping an' put it in a little bag an' yo' wear it round yore waist, if yo' a person out fo' luck in numbahs or somethin' lak dat.
Entry 1971
You kin go right ovah heah to Mt. Pleasant - I guess you heard talk about dat.
(Where?)
Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. You kin go ovah dere and dere's a man ovah dere has a little bag about dat roun' - cost yuh five dollahs, and you'll be in luck fer de next six months.
(What is this man's name?)
His name ls William Green.
(Where does he get these bags from?)
He can't get enough of 'em.
(This Doctor Green over here at Mt. Pleasant - what does he call those bags?)
Iuck charms.
(Luck charms - and how much did you say you paid for them?)
Five dollars. You wear it around your neck. (I see. And he's probably got dust or something in there. [He said this while Telediphone turned off.] And they only last six months?) Only last six months at a time.
(And then you have to get a new one?)
You have to get a new one every six months.
(Well, what would you do if you don't renew it then?)
You jes' in bad luck again - that's all there is to that, your luck is gone.
Entry 1979
Mostly they give them to gamblers. It's a little square bag of no particular color. And they tell them to wear it next to their skin and that you will win. They don't tell you what's in that. They tell you if you open it you will have bad luck.
Entry 1981
The forefinger of the dead man. (Which hand?) The right hand.
(The right hand - the forefinger.)
First joint. And make a hand of it and put it in a little bag, you know, and sew it together. Calls it a hand. I've done that myself.
(Do you put anything else with that? Or just that bone alone?)
Just that bone alone, and give it to him and let him carry it long enough for the bone to get acquainted with him, which you know, when I git it, I gits it off a man who was a gambler. I got it off a man who was a gambler. Now, that thing, I ought not to tell 'cause I makes money off of dat.
(Well, I m not going to use it anyway.)
What - huh?
[I explain my untactful remark.]
(I say I'm not going to stay here and go into business as a gambler or any- thing of that sort. I say I'm not going to use it in any way.) I don't care whether you use it or not. You kin use it if you want to. But then such things as that I don't talk it around home here because folks, you see, would head me off by doing it deyself.
(I know. So this is confidential between us, it doesn't go any further.)
Now, I went to work and I got the dead man's finger, the first ioint, and made a hand and stayed at home here and sent it to him by his lady friend. And he went to - he was a gambler. And I told him, "Don't bet much money on that now, the first off, before this fellow get acquainted with you." He went off the first night he got it and made a $100 on it the first night, and he sent me $10 to fix it and then sent me $5 after he made the $100. I made $15.
Entry 1995
At Williamsburg, Virginia, at the Colonial Hotel, the place I was work- ing at, I was working with a boy called Massey. He was about the luckiest boy around the job. He would go away from the job, stay as long as he want, come back to the job and still hold a good hand with the boss. One evening on a dice game I was betting in the game with Massey. Massey and I were good friends. So after the game Was over, I having lost all my money, Massey having won all the money in the game, he gave me my money back and warned me not to play in a game again if he was in the game. I wanted to know why. He opened his shirt at the collar and showed me a little bag, a little dirty bag, of some contents I don't know what, pinned over his heart. It was the shape of a heart. II saw one heart-shaped hand ~ see No. 1053, p.399.] He told me that this little bag Would always pro- tect him in any game, for love or for money. He told me that he bought this little bag from an old man that lived far back in the woods and the path that led to his home was well travelled because there was always seen cars about his home. He told me that he paid this man fifty dollars for this little bag, two dollars down on deposit, and if it worked he paid the other forty-eight dollars. One afternoon I told him that if his bag could work let me see him work it on a white man. He was working for Dr. B. Dr. B. was the owner of the hotel. He had a nice automobile, an automobile that he had just paid $3300 for; and we had been accustomed to renting a car at a garage about four blocks up the street when we wanted to go to a ball game, dances and things of that kind. On this partic- ular afternoon the car that we had rented, somebody else had rented it already. I said to Massey, "Now, your bag, if it is working, let me see it work now." "I told him I would give him five dollars if his bag worked on Dr. B, so far as us getting his car. He told me to come on and lay the bet and go with him, and I when I saw him rub his hand on the bag I would know that the bag Was Working. He went to the doctor and asked him to let us use his car. He was doing the talking. I have know Dr. B's daughter ask him to let her use the car and he Would turn her down. After Massey had spoken to the doctor, he suddenly rubbed his hand over his heart. The doctor told him he couldn't let him take the car because the tire had been condemned. In fact he had to return it to the people he had bought it from and get another for it. Massey ran his hand over that bag again. Quickly the countenance on the doctor's face changed and he began to smile, and said to Massey, "Take that car, go on to the ball game and bring it back, take it to the garage and take the tire to those people and tell them that I want another one." If the bag Worked I don't know. I only know that I lost five dollars.
Entry 2016
Well, dey tell me yo' take some red peppah, sulphur an' salt an' mix it together an' put it in yore pocket. An' after yo' git it in yore pocket, well, yo' git dis lucky incense. Ah've got some up to de house now - it's really good. Ah wish ah could git a chance tuh give yo' de number of dis company. Well, ah'll maybe git a chance tuh give it to yo' befo' yo' leave. Well, all right, yo' give it to 'em in a little bag an' let 'em put it in dere pocket, see.
(You put all that stuff in a little bag?)
Yeah, a little bag, jes' lak yo' take a little piece of homespun an' have dese in a little bag, but put it in yore pocket. Den when dey put it in dere pocket, jes' lak dey goin' tuh gamble, run yore hand down in dere an' git dis bag an' rub it all ovah yore han's - see, rub it all ovah yore hands an' put it back in yore pocket. Den yo' kin start tuh dealin' yore cards - say, brothah, yo' got 'em.
(What do you put in that bag now?)
Red peppah, black peppah, a little bit of salt, an' incense - in yore pocket. [Incense in a bag hand is unusual; usually incense is burned for business - see margin-title Incense in subsection Business and Customers.]
Entry 2039
Dey goes out dere long about twelve. (Where do they go?) To de fo'ks of de road 'bout twelve or one a'clock in de night an' git some sand right out de fo'ks of de road an' carry it an' put it in a bag an' wrop it up an' put it ovah yore mantlepiece. Go tuh de graveyard an' run yore arm in de cemetery to yo' elbows an' git some dirt an' sew it up wit dat. An' dat'ud [that would] make yo' lucky - good a jomo as yo' want.
(That's luck for anything - luck in the home.)
Yes, sir - yes sir.
Entry 2064
You take some lodestone powder, tie it in a bag 'bout: like a 'bacco sack and put it right behin' your door - right behind your door and the people that draws 'em - you see, that brings them. (Draws the trade?) Draws the trade - come in all de time, people dat be coming in back and forth all de time.
Entry 2065
I mean you get some lodestone like dust, carry de lodestone in a little bag. You get [can buy] dat already sewed up in a little bag: Get chew a bottle of perfume - Hearts Cologne. Well you feed dat bag and whenever you go to a man fer a job, when you talk with the man, you just squeeze on de bag while you talk- ing to him and you see, when you squeeze on it all dat perfume go in his face, and you give him a look. He'll say, "You want a job?" 'Yes, sir." "You not working?" "No, sir." Without fooling around he will give you a job. Man don't need have anything but that tote [toby] in your pocket.
Entry 2161
Hull de peelin's offen de red onion lak dat an' yo' kin tote 'em in yore nation sack an' dat brings luck to yo'.
Entry 2166
They take two needles an' some black peppah an' put it in a bag an' put it under the front do', one in the front an' one in the back do', in a red flannel bag, an' that keeps the law from the front an' back.
Entry 2317
I know a way you kin keep 'em away. Well, you kin git nine rocks - jis' common little gravel you know - an' they kin put it in a bag, an' jis' way- somevah that person travels 'long, you kin put it down 'is path. Bear [bury] it undahneat' de ground, you know, way he can't see it - put it down in 'is path. An' if he evah steps ovah it, if he [the law] evah move to [toward] you' house, he'd turn aroun' an' go back.
Entry 2341
Yo' take that hair an' yo' bury it, yo' see, an' when yo bury that hair yo' puts it into lak a little bag, an' yo' make a toby lak yo' would make a toby, put a little hair in there an' bury it; but chew bury dat in de grave- yard.
(What will that do then?)
That will run yo' crazy.
Entry 2349
The foot of a turtle, you see.
(The foot of a turtle?)
Yes. Take the foot of a turtle and they make hands out of 'em - luck hands out of 'em, see.
(How do they do that?)
Well, you see they cut that foot off the turtle and dry it out, you see. They dry it out and they takes and beat it up and put lodestone in and make a bag with it, see, and put a medal in that bag, you see.
(What kind of a medal?)
One of them holy you know, holy medals. They puts a medal in that bag and sew that bag up, see. And they sew that bag up and they puts perfume on it - oil of cinnamon perfume and they sells it.
(What is it supposed to do?)
It supposed to give you luck.
Entry 2394
Now, I have heard of them in this way, if they wanted their husband to leave town or wife, either sex, why they would go and get someone to come with the same kind of diff'rent ingredients in a bag of some kind.
(What do you call this sort of thing?)
Witchcraft.
(Around here do they ever use the word hoodoo?)
Hoodoo an' witchcraft.
(They are all the same thing?)
First cousins. [Informant is woman who managed hotel in which I interviewed. I questioned her, as I did all landladys and landlords, to give an idea of my work.]
Entry 3095
Uncle George [Jackson] always called for wah choo calied a jack. This jack is a magnet, a magnet jack. Magnets dey called jacks them days. This mag- net, you know, [is] a piece of little steel in pickin' up pins. He'd tell you git him a magnet, an' he'd take this hair [which client brought from woman], an' this magnet, an' gits de - I'm sure he had other things put with it, you know. But anyhow, that was fixed up in a bag. An' when he'd give you that you wore that an' they'd always [be] success[ful] ever he'd fixed that for 'em. You couldn't fool with a woman. I don't care how many tried to beat it, they could not git her away from him. [Ten dollars was charged from this protective device. It is interesting to learn that formerly magnets were so commonly used as jacks that a magnet in some places was called a jack. But this device is not a jack, it is a hand; a type of CHASTITY HAND, p.534, which contains two other examples of Uncle George's love hands, Nos.1767-1768.]
Entry 3208
Now, yo' takes a man dat runs aroun' wit de wimmin an' she wanted 'im always to stay home. An' dere's [when] she git 12 or 15 diff'ren stran's of bair dat she gits from aroun' 'is private, yo' undahstan'; an' she gits about de same amount from 'ers, yo' see; an' she combines both togethah, yo' undahstan'. Den she makes a bag an' she carry on 'er. Dat'll keep 'im dere.
(That will keep him home.)
Entry 3217
Now a woman kin take a man, she livin' wit 'm - she take a little bit of 'is shirttail, an' take dat same bow out his hat, an' git a little sand, jes' a little plain sand, an' a little garlic, an' a silvah dime, an' sew it up in a little bag an' wear it, an' no othah woman in de world he kin mess wit but 'er. Cuz ah know dat mahself, cuz ah done be fixed dataway an' ah took de bag an' cut it up an' looked at it an' seen whut was in it.
Entry 4680
Yuh [she] take dat bow, an' applyin' oil of verbena wit dat bow, she kin put some sugah wit dat bow an' she kin put some sweet spirit of nitah wit dat bow. An' puttin' it in a little bag, see, an' wearin' it roun' 'er waist or anywhere near tuh her skin, an' she'll have him jis' lak she wanta. Ah mean anythin' dat she do, regardless of whut dey tell 'im, he will take her statement fo' it.
Entry 4700
Take dat little bow out of a man's hat an' put it into a bag. Wear it roun' dere waist an' dat make de man jealous.
Entry 5387
An' den yo' kin take - an' take yore lef' track. Yo' kin take a man's lef' track, if he don' wan'a stay wit chew - yo' an' 'im busted up. Yo' kin take it an' take an' put it in a new piece of cloth or eithah jes' put it in a li'le bag of some kind, li'le new bag. Make a li'le bag. An' lay it up ovah de do', see. An' he'll come back home.
Entry 5394
Ah heard dat yo' kin, if yo' wanta drive a person away, yo' kin git in fron' of dere track an' pull it tuh yo'. Take it up outa de hollah of dey feet, an' carry it home an' put it in a li'le bag, an' wear it on yo' so many days, an' den take it off an' lay it undah de eve [eaves] of yore house. Dat will bring 'im back tuh yo'. If yo' wanta drive him away, yo' git in fron' of de track an' pull it disaway [demonstrates].
(From the heel to the toe.)
Tuh de toe. An' see, if yo' wanta bring 'im back, why yo' git jis' - lak if yo' goin' dataway an' ah'm comin' on behin' yo', ah jis' gits behin' dat track an' sta't [start] from de toe an' pull it back tuh de heel. Well, see, dat turns 'im aroun'. Dat'll change yore min' [mind]. Dat'll make yo' come back. Do wit dat dirt from undah de bottom of yore feet, yo' do wit de same way yo' do, if yo' wuz drivin' 'em away. Yo' wear it somewhare close 'bout chure body. Well, yo' wear it jis' about three days. Den yo' take it an' lay it undah yore do'steps. Put it whare cain't nobody see it, undah de sill of de house or de do'steps, an' dey'll come back.
Entry 5641
Ah heard 'em say yo' could take some dirt out right in de bottom, right in de palm of de lef' feet, choo know. Take it an' put it in a bag an' fix yo' so yo' couldn't walk. Yo' jis' weah it in de bottom of yo' shoe.
Entry 7772
If a person wanta, yo' know, wanta know how tuh gamble an' be a wondah- ful gamblah, yo' go tuh de graveyard at night. An' go tuh dis wicked man, yo' know, grave. An' ast 'im, yo'know, tell 'im whut chew want, dat yo' wanta learn tuh be a gamblah. An' dig right down by his left side, an' git some of dat dirt outa, yo' know, his grave - by his left side. An' den yo' git three pennies an' put in dere an' give 'im. An' den yo' git de dirt an' carry it on, an' yo' be one de best gamblahs dey is in de worl'. Nobody beat chew no way - can't win, can't git chew no way.
(What do you do with that dirt then, after you get it?)
Yo' take it an' put it in a bag an' keep it in yore pocket. Evahwhere yo' go jes' carry dat dirt in dat bag an' evah game yo' git in yo'll win.
Entry 10926
Cut hair off end of tail of black cat, put in bag - "somepin like a mojo bag"' - carry it for gambling.. [Longer item, check if it can be transcribed for text.] [Richmond, Va., 365:3.]
Entry 10979
Put an egg in a bag, drop bag between man and woman so it will spatter, and say, "Separate." Black hen egg not necessary.
Entry 11099
Wear man's hat bow around your neck in a bag, or hang any of his garments on the front of the bed or make a pillow of it, and he'll come back.
[Wilmington 123:4.]
Entry 11155
A piece of skull bone or dust ground from skull bone is pat in a bag with roots: John de Conkah, St. Elizabeth root, devil's shoestring, etc.; and kept wet with Hearts Cologne for gambling luck. [Charleston 609:10.]
Entry 11250
[Only later did I realize the humorous and ghastly implication of those words: a prescription to go to the graveyard! Only once in HooDoO is this sort of thing called a prescription!] Name of Magee... (Who was?)....name of Magee.
(Who was he, your granddad?)
My granddad.
(All right.)
[Informant before recording started had identified our doctor as his granddad (a word I would not have used) as a man who knew tricks. To make informant re- peat this information to recording machine was the purpose of my questions.] And he was sort of a fellow that knew somepin about tricks, you know. Well, in fact, he used to get - earn part of his living like that.... [in other words he was a doctor.] (I see. Where did he live?) He lived in New Orleans. (Oh, he lived in New Orleans.) Yeah. (All right.) And my father always did tell me - leastways he would be talking and I would be 'round the house, you know, and he said once that granddaddy had - his father had given a lady a prescription to go to the graveyard and get some graveyard dust. Well, anyway, her husband - this lady was going with another lady's husband and she Wanted to fix this lady so that she wouldn't be bothered with him...put her on a sickbed, and so... [cylinder changes] and so he tells her to go to the graveyard and get some graveyard dust. She had to go before sunrise in the morning and get this dust. And she brings it back and she gets some spiderwebs and spiders and she mixed all this up in a little bag...
(Did she get the spiders or the spiderweb?)
She got the spiderwebs and the spiders too, and this graveyard dust, and she put this in a bag and at that time, you know, people used these cotton ticks - you know, you could open... [I interrupt.]
(Cotton ticks?)
Ticks, yes, and she had slipped this in this woman's bed [by cutting the bed- tick cover and slipping bag into the cotton]. Well, this woman was sleeping in this bed and she - well, it gave her a backset [a relapse in whatever ailment she hadl, you might say. And this woman stayed in the bed for about three months and no doctor [M.D.] or nothing could do her any good. That's - that was back trouble. And so, well this woman - well, her husband didn't know what was the matter with her, either. And so she had him to come to my granddaddy and he did and stated her case and everything, axed him could he help out any. Well, he found out actually how it was, you see - he knew all about it, see. Well, and he told her he would cure her - i t [culprit] was a friend of my mother's. And so he told her exactly what to do, and where she would find this here [cunjure]; right up about, nearly by the pillow. And so she goes there and looks in there and there was this dust and stuff right in up there [4 theres!].
(What did she do with that?)
Well, she took this out of there and he told her to take this stuff and empty it out in [the toilet under another name] and it would be all gone away. She did that and well, there was nothing more about it... [she recovered].
Entry 11333
Get a dove feather from right wing and use three of those feathers [slivers of the feather] and turn them up like platting[?] and tie one end. Put in bag and wear round neck and let hang between breasts. Whatever woman asks of man she'll get.
Entry 11452
Cut several fingernails from left hand, scrape skin from left foot and piece of right inner sole, wear in bag, and you can control the person.
[Vicksburg 989:5.]
Entry 11597
If you drop person's foot track in bag, throw it on a train leaving toun, he sill follow the train. [Wilmington 72:5+85.]
Entry 11617
To bring a man back, a woman puts his left foot track in a paper bag and wears it on her bosom. [Wilmington 197:3.]
Entry 11620
Put in bag 9 right foot tracks of man, add brimstone, wear around Waist. [Wilmington 115:4.]
Entry 11621
Sew up right foot track with gunpowder and wear bag on your right side. [Wilmington 271:5+85.]
Entry 11622
Measure man's foot track with handkerchief and wear in bag around waist. [Newport News 502:8.]
Entry 11850
If you get his hair and some of his underweah, you kin take it and put it all in a sack with some kind of roots. I don't know what. And put it in a corner [outside house] to- wards de rising sun, and go back to it every morning and pour sweet spirits of niter on it every morning [for 9 mornings] and in 9 mornings he'll come in the door. He'll come back home. [A number of these corner-of-the- house rites are scattered through HOODOO.]
Entry 11864
She takes hair from a man's head and some from her own head, ties it with thread, puts it in a bag with her fingernails, and wears it on her bosom for love. [Wilmington 252:4+85.]
Entry 11876
To hold woman, man cuts hair from her privates and wears it around his neck in a bag made from old carpet. [Richmond 371:2.]
Entry 12035
A woman may cut hair from a man's head, put it in a sack, keep it on her side of the bed in the mattress, and sleep on it all the time for love.
[Memphis 1560:3.]
Entry 12036
Woman wraps some of man's private hair around a hairpin or two small pins, adds graveyard dirt, sews into a bag, and hides it in the bed. [The 2 prongs of the hairpin or 2 ordinary pins probably symbolize the man and woman bound together.] [Richmond 374:3.]
Entry 12172
Hoodoo doctors put needles and pins in these bags. They tell you it gives you sharp luck. [Fredericksburg, by Ediphone.]
Entry 12173
Mostly they give them to gamblers. It's a little square bag of no particular color. And they tell them to wear it next to their skin and that you will win. They don't tell you what's in that. They tell you if you open it you'll have bad luck. [Fredericksburg, No.43 by Ediphone.]
Entry 12585
An' then you kin take a new bag an' put 9 pennies in it, 9 new pennies. Put a whole head of garlic an' a little sugar. An' tie it up over the door. That will keep all law out of the house. [Memphis 1544:3.]
Entry 11420
"Just like you wash your feet good, take and scrape good and hard and get plenty of that scraped off. Put in a bottle or a bag, take it to the grave- yard and bury it, that will MAKE YOU "WALKIFIED, " jes' walk all the time."
[Vicksburg 1007:6.]
Entry 11499
Take up dey foot track and put it in a bottle or a sack, bury under steps, "will hold you around the house or job." [Vicksburg 990:12.]
Entry 603
Now, ah had dat done tuh me. Now, ah'll tell yo' de truth. In Alexan- dria, Virginia, mah privates used to ache when mah wife would go off or somepin lak dat - be off any length of time. An' ah couldn't even bothah wit nobody but her, an' ah couldn't do so much tuh her. So, we separated an' dey jis' went tuh swellin' up on me down dere. Ah called de doctah an' de doctah ast me did ah evah had a cramps or anythin' lak dat. Ah tole him, "No suh." So he give me a suscription [prescription] for a suspensor bag [suspensory] an' some medicine. An' jis' [it] ordinarily leave, yo' know - it didn't las long. So, ah wus on mah way tuh hunt mah wife - yo' know, ah had tuh go fin her. She wus in South Ca'lina down heah an' ah wus in Marylan'. So ah stop in Virginia an' someone tole me 'bout a ole woman named Stu-art ovah on de Canal in Alexandria - it's right dere [near] Washington. So, ah went ovah tuh see her - ole woman. Ah reckon she wus roun' 75 or 80 yeahs ole. She say, "Come in, son, ah know why yo' come." Say, "Sit down." An' she took a rock an' put it in mah han' jis' lak dat, an' say, "Yo' shet it tight an' think about yore trouble an' make some wishes." Ah think 'bout mah trouble an' take it out. Ah've nevah seen a rock look lak dat. An' she took it off an' she went tuh readin' dis rock.
(What color was the rock she put in your hand?)
"Bout a dove colored rock.
(Did it change while it was in your hand?)
Naw suh, it didn't change. She say, "Yo's a long way from home." Ah say, "Yes'm. She say, "Ah'm goin' stop yo' heah, now [ambiguous]. An' she say, "Yore mothah's uneasy 'bout chew." ' Say, "Dere she is - can't yo' see her? She got a big white apern [apron] on." Ah couldn't see nuthin' [on the stone]. Say, "Can't yo' see her dere?" Say, "Yo' got somebody daid in yore family?" Say, "Yes'm, mah sistah wus." Say, "Can't yo' see her dere?" Say, "She dressed all in white." Den she come down heah to de bottom of de rock an' she say, "Think now - yo' evah seen anythin' lak dat befo' in yore life?" Ah say, "No-mam." She say, "Think." Ah say, "No'm, ah can't think." "A ole rock," she say, "dat's yore wife pussy." She say, "Didn't she play deceitful wit chew when yo' git ready tuh have sexual interco'se with her? She had tuh go out in anothah room or somepin lak dat?" Says, "Well, she dressed herself fo' yuh" - she didn't tell whut she dressed it wit but she dressed her- self wit somepin - an' she say, "Yore dragged in dat while yo' wus havin' her." An' she say, "She didn't intend tuh kill yo' but in othah words, her intention wus fo' yo' tuh follow wit her wherevah she go. She's a woman wants tuh have her way." Say, "But it would event'ly [eventually] killed yo' if yo' have nevah gone back to her an' hadn't seen me. She say, "Ah'll take yore case fo' $41.50." An' ah paid her whut ah had an' she tole me, say, "Now, yo' may have tuh go tuh Baltimore" - yo' might know it - say, "Yo' go tuh Washington tuh de ole Dutch Center Market an' yo' git chew a package of mayapple root. [I interviewed a Washington root seller, also one in Mobile - see Root seller in Index.] Yo' boil it down - put it in a quart of watah an' boil it down to a pint" [diminishing amount magic - opposite of increasing amount]. An' said, "Yo' take a" - think she said it wus a tablespoonful de first night. She said, "De next night yo' git chew a package of pure apple vinegar - boil a quart of pure apple vinegar an' a package of Sensation tubacca."
(Sensation tobacco - what is that, smoking or chewing?)
Well, yo' kin chew or either smoke it. An' say, "Yo' shave yore hair off easy on yore han'." Say, "Make a syrup out dat. [You have] a syrup out dis Sensation tobacca an' de vinegar. Put it [the two syrups] togethah an' boil it an' make a syrup an' see, yo' 'noint chure haid good wit it - all yore privates an' ever'thing wit it." An' say, "De next night, see, yo' git yo' a bottle of sweet oil an' yo' drink ever' bit of it." Ah did jes' lak she said. So one day, 'bout de last day dem pains, de pains got on top me an' ah went tuh hollerin' upstairs. Mah cousin came up an' she say, "Whut's de mattah?" When she came upstairs ah wus down - ah had de foot of de bed jes' lak dis - she say, "Whut's de mattah?"
(Hanging onto the bed.)
Hangin' on de bed jes' lak dat - wit de suspensor bag on me.
(What kind of a bag on?)
Had on de suspensor bag - ah still had on dat suspensor bag de doctah had give me in Baltimore.
(What's that?)
Dat's tuh hol' dem balls up - dat's a truss, dey call it. So ah look roun' after her lak dat an' ah said, "Dat woman tole me dat mah haid wus damn big an' all - dat ah couldn't hear but ah'd feel somepin dere - somepin dere - an' maybe ah ain't feelin' it now." She laughed an' says, "Ef yo' don' treat dese wimmin right, dey'll kill yo'." So she rushed dis one man next do' to dis wumman cross de Canal dat had give me dat suscription tuh use an' tole her whut a fix ah wus in an' he said she laughed at him when he got dere an' tole him, "He'd be all right when yo' go back." An' sho' 'nuff when he came back ah wus all right. An' de next day ah went tuh work at de shop fo' five hours, an' ah throw 'way dat suspensor bag or dem trusses an' ah nevah had dem pains any mo' since. Naw suh. An' jes' mah ordinary nature came back to me an' ah could go wit any woman ah wanted, an' befo' ah could hardly rear it up an' anothah woman seem jes' lak a man. Dat de truth.
(What kind of a iob did you have with the Southern Railroad - firing?)
Firelighter in de roun'house.
(Oh, you were lighting the fires in the engines.)
In de engines.
Entry 785
During slavery my father told me he knew a man who was a cunjure and his master and mistress trust him with everything, and he was boss over the rest of the slaves as well as being a cunjure. And he could tell many tales and never get caught. His mistress lost her gold ring and asked him to find it for her. And he said, "Missus, if you give me three days off from work, I'll find your ring" which he already had by being tricky. So he laid in bed and slept as much as he want, and got the best food from master's table. On the third day he took the gold ring and a fishhook - at first - to work the trick. So he changed off and got a grain of corn and corn meal. And he put the gold ring inside of the meal and the grain of corn and give it to a certain duck, which he had marked that he may know from the rest. And he give the duck that corn meal, grain of corn, all rolled up together, and went to his master's room and said, "Get your madam, for I'm going to find your ring right here this day. Come and go with me to the chicken yard." He told him to kill a duck which he knew did not have the ring, neither the second duck, but the third one which he killed had the ring inside. So he said, "Master, what are you going to give me for this job?" He said, "Anything you ask." He said, "One month off, boss, to court the gals." When he had killed the third duck and opened it, he found the ring. And then he got thirty days off and the ducks which he had killed. So his master after this went coon [racoon] hunting one night and caught a coon. And the other men that went with him got a bet of five-hundred dollars that his nigger couldn't tell what his master had in the bag. So he called his slave John out of bed that night that he might win the five-hundred dollars. So John got up and come indoors with a dozen other men that was in the coon hunt and also had a part in the bet that John could not tell what was in the bag. So his master said, "John, tell these men what is in the bag: So John scratched his head and lit his pipe, knowing not what was in the bag and that his master had caught him this time. So he said, "Well, master, you have got the ole coon at last." [Near Fredericksburg, Va., (71), by hand; supposed to have happened in King George Co., Va.; a folk story.]
Entry 903
I know mah brother he vus [was] sick an' he stayed sick a long time, too. An' he vent [went] to de hospital jis' like I did [in another story] an' nothin' couldn't help 'im. So it jis' come to his min' [mind] that somebody had tried to fix im - you know, poison 'im. An' dey vent an' seed [seen] about 'im. An' de doctor she came over dere - you know, de root doctor, an' she vent under de house an' she found it vus somepin in a little bag tied up, an' stuff down under [near] de pillah [one of the stilts on which the house rested a foot or more aboveground]. This vus way [way] back up under a crack in the house. She tole 'em to burn it, but it vus somepin grainy lookin' - but dey didn't open it. An' she tole dem to take it - of course he vus re'l sick - an' put sulphah an' red peppah, camphah an' salt; put that togethah an' put it in a can an' burn it until it get to a powdah, an' take it an' put it back in de same hole where dey got it from an' that would help 'em. An' sure 'nough it did.
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 1362
You put dis dime and den if you use de same root what I tell you about.
(John the Conquer?)
Yes - John de Conker and dis dime and call it a bodyguard. A dime and dis John de Conker and dis same Hearts Cologne use that together, and den yuh take dat and you make dat up like a bag, and den you got'a put John de Conker and dis dime, fix dat together and put 'em in a glass, in the chamber lye and let it lay over all night. See, leave that lay over all night and den de next morning dey take and dey feed it and dey wear dat around dere waist. See, den nobody can't hurt cha. [To feed is to dampen, letting the cloth soak up liquid - see Feed in Index.]
(What do you feed that with the next morning?)
You feed that with that same Hearts Cologne. Now, dey take dis and dey get a bottle of de Hearts Cologne, see and they put that in that, and you draw that together and put that aroun' - and dey put 'em around dey waist and then you take the Hearts Cologne and put it in another bottle. You do that over your face in the morning-time when you go out in de morning-time - dress your face. You go out like dat and ain't nobody can't worry you - you see, if you got a enemy and you puts that thing on your face like that, you see, it will stick there.
(I see, and they can't harm you.)
Entry 1533
If someone is tryin' tuh do yo' evil, well yo' begin tuh take yo' some prayahs. Yo' takes a prayah outa de Bible. Yo' takes one pod of peppah, red peppah, two silvah dimes - dat's twenty cents. Yo' takes de pod of de peppah an yo' puts it into a cloth an' yo' grinds dat peppah an' salt togethah jes' as a powdah an' yo' sews it up in a bag an' yo' keeps it undah de bottom of yore feet always - don' nevah go without it. Take dat dime [two dimes] an' dat peppah an' put it all undah yore foot an' always wear it, an' de ones dat is trying tuh do it, if yo' git their name, yo' kin write their name down, which is nine times, an' put hit in yore shoes. An' wear it jes' with that peppah an' it's no harm dat dey kin do to yo'.
(You wear one of those pods under each foot then?)
Under each feet. (Each has a dime an' each has a piece of pepper and each has some salt in it and their name?) Yassuh, each one of their name in dat shoe.
Entry 1853
Git chew some lump incense. Some people don't use red flannel - yo' kin use shammy skin an' yo' make yo' a little luck bag. Yo' put chew a little silver dime in dere. An' yo' put chew about three pieces of that lump incense in dere and yo' put yo' some guinea peppahs in dere, an' if yo' got a fishhead rock yo' put that in dere. Den yo' sew it up on a piece of garlic.
(Fishhead rock?)
Yeah, dat only comes in a drumhaid. Dere be's two little rocks in a drumhaid.
(Drumhead fish?)
Yessuh. An' yo' sew that up. Yo' kin po' yo' some bergamint [bergamot] on it or eithah some Jockey Club perfume - yo' have tuh keep it oiled up [fed] lak dat. Dat's fo' yore luck. Yo' kin wear it in yore pocket. Gamblin' luck.
Entry 1856
I have tried dis when ah first came to St. Petersburg - go an' look me round, couldn't git me a job nowhere. One fellah tells me, says, "Now yo' go an' take yo' a dime, '' he say, "an' buy yo' a crocus fish [fresh-water drumfish]." After yo' git dat fish, yo' cut de head off dat fish an' yo' kin do whut yo wish. Yo' kin eat de fish or yo' kin throw it away. But be shure yo' git de head of dat fish an' cut it open an' git dem two rocks outa dere an' put it in a sack an' wear it in yore pocket. Dere can't nobody turn yo' down fo' a job.
Entry 1980
You take a pair of Adam and Eve and you put it in a bag, you put a piece of John de Conker in dere, and you put a piece of Gall of Earth, and you put a piece of King Solomon - dem dere three in dat bag, and put a dime in dere. [See margin-title Three Roots, later.j Dat bag gotta be made outa red flannel or pink silk. Well you sew it up tight after you put dat dime in dere. Den you take some of dis conker root and boil it. Well, you make 'bout a quart. Or either you git yourself a bottle of Hearts Cologne. You put a lot of dat cologne in dere but keep it. Den you git a ole glass and put a little water and put dis conker root juice into it and one or two drops of your own urine - dat's fer to draw - and saturate dis bag in it [this is feeding the bagl. Dat'll do business, too. Dat make so many people lucky on de numbers and things.
(Well, what's the bag supposed to do? Just luck for numbers?)
Naw, lucky bag. Yeah, you gotta carry it on yo'. Don't let nobody put dere hands on it - ain't let nobody know it's on yo'.
Entry 2128
[A few prices for hands have already been given - here are more:]
I had one man make a hand for me once. He tole me he was going to make me a lucky hand and he charged me $50 for it. As long as I had that hand he claimed I'd always be lucky. I was lucky for about three weeks and luck began to change with me. I'd paid him for his hand then. So I went to see what was in this hand. And I began to look. And there was some black pieces of stuff that looked like lodestone, and a whole lot of hair, it looked like horse's hair, and some clay, red blood it looked like, all wrapped up nice in two pieces of rag and sewed over again with a piece of canvas bag. I paid $50 for that. The canvas bag was grey and the rags was black. I was supposed to put that around my neck and keep it over my heart. Wear it all the time, even at night. You keep that hand so no- body can fix you, and you will always be lucky.
Entry 2251
If de law's botherin' yo', yo' go to work - see, yo' happen to go to another fellah yo' hear talk of [from] somebody dat he kin do [your work]. Well, he'll tell yo' dis - say, "Well, ah tell yo' whut ah do, '' say, "now, if he's botherin' yo', ah'li stop him for so-an'-so much." Yo' say, "Well, if yo' stop it ah'll pay yo'." He'll go to work an' he'll fix yo' up a little bag about dat long - jest about fo' inches long. He'll put chew some black pepper in it, put chew about eight grains of spice an' he puts chew nine grains of red pepper, an' he'll put chew in about a little piece of saltpeter 'bout big as a black-eyed pea, an' he'll put chew in about three grains of'sulphur. An' he'll take dat, see, an' den he'll wrop a silk thread string - sew it wit silk thread. Yo' take dat den an' yo' wear it in yore pocket. An' any time de officers come by yore place, why, yo' have nuthin tuh do when dey come in talk wit chew - run yore han' in yore pocket an' jest kinda roll dat round in yore hand, in yore pocket. Every once in a while kinda take yore hand out an' do somepin lak dat [demonstrates]. Yeah, jest rub it ovah yore face, yo' see, an' put it back. An' he'll pass right on by yo' an' dere's no kick to come. [Rolling is a common magic rite - see following margin-title St. John's Water.]
Entry 2336
Lak a thunderbolt hit a tree, it blazes all de way down an' goes down to de ground. Dey take dat tree fo' trickeration - fo' trickin' people, an' giv 'em ramblin' min's - spells lak.
(What does a thunderbolt look like?)
A thunderbolt looks lak a flintrock - it's kinda shaped lak a Indian [arrowhead], lak a glaze rock. Yo' see a glaze rock. (An Indian rock?) Yeah, it's made somepin lak dat. [For another description, see p.214.] (What could you do with one of those thunderbolts? What are they good for - anything?) Use graveyard dust. Tie it up in a little bag. Sew it up with luck oil an incense, an' that'll be very lucky fo' de house fo' gamblin'.
Entry 2368
To make luck for gambling, there's quite a few articles you get to put together. Well, you get you some - get you some red flannel and you get lode- stone, steel dust, you see, and cinnamon. You put this together and a silver dime - put that in that little - put it in a little red bag, right in there. You sew it up. After you sew it up and [then] you pass it in a saucer in some luck you buy in the drug store.
(Luck?)
Yeah - it's luck, they call it. It's van-van. You put it in there and roll that in there like that. Then you present [sell] it to the person and you tell them ev'ry two or three weeks it have to be rubbed in some of this luck. That'll make 'em come to you. You'd have to get you - rub it over, you see, that luck.
Entry 2369
Yo' could git chew some lodestone, some bluestone an' - not bluestone but saltpeter, and some red peppah [three ingredients] and put all dat together and put it in a little sack and wear it in de bottom of yo' foot. Git chew some Van-van, rub yo' face and yo' hands with it. Ev'rywhere, ev'ry time yo' gotta go out, go fo' anything, jes' rub yo' face and hands with dat all ovah.... Well, yo' go wheresomevah yo' goin' an' whatevah yo' wan'a do, whatever yo' goin' tuh do, it leaves de way open fo' yo' tuh do whatevah yo' wants tuh do, whatevah yo' got in yore mind to do. An' yo' see yore way looks dark, why when yo' git dere de way be opened fo' yo'.
Entry 2466
Git a codfish an' boil it. Git chew codfish an' sugah - codfish, cinnamon, sugah, bluein' an' van-van. Well, yo' boil yore codfish first an' yo' take yore watah an' yo' scrub wit chure watah. Yo' put all yore fixin's in dere an' scrub wit chure watah an' yo' take yore codfish an' put it up in a bag or somethin' an' hang it up in de place where nobody won't notice it so much - but back. Yo' know dis is de front do' an' hang
[it near] an' dat'll draw customers - any kinda business.
Entry 2625
People they take a dime and some white lodestone and a needle broken in three parts and you know these little miniature dice - you want to gamble with dice - those little minature dice and sew it up in a little flannel bag. And you get that Seven-Eleven Perfume, there is a perfume Seven-Eleven, and you wet that little bag with that Seven-Eleven Perfume and you're supposed to throw mostly sevens and elevens with dice. And of course with cards you cut a diamond out of a card and put it in instead of the dice if you want to be lucky with cards.
Entry 3090
My husband was hurt. Of course he's dead now. And my husband was hurt. But his first wife - he was married the second time, I'm his second wife. And his first wife, after the death of her, why his people you know how people are. You know when some people - that after the death of [in] the family, they want people to dis- tribute and jis' give everything they got away. And so his first wife, after the death of his first wife, his first wife people - he had three children and he decided that he would give their girl to the grandmother and he keep the two boys and still keep house and his things together. Well, they didn't want him to do that. They wanted him to give them all the children and the household furniture and everything and jis' break up housekeeping, and he wouldn't do it. Well after he wouldn't agree to do it, then his sister-in-law come to stay with him and keep house for him, and gonna call herself helpin' him. So he was out workin' one day and she cooked some molasses bread. And he came in that evenin' and was out takin' out his team, takin' 'em out to feed 'em, and one of the little - the oldest boy came out to the stable and he says, "Papa, he says, "Aunt Dinah got some molasses bread, cook some molasses bread today, and he said, "Aunt Dinah put somepin funny in that bread." As God should have it, He let that child told him - "Aunt Dinah put somepin funny in that bread." Still he didn't make de child any answer. He goes on in de house, he went on in and wash up and dress in the house. When he got through, Dinah call him. She says, "Come on to supper, Andrew, '' she says. He said, "No, I don't think I want any supper tonight." He says, "Dinah, I'm feelin' bad, I don't think I want any supper." So he dressed and went on out to a restaurant and got his meal. [He lived on the edge of Wilmington.] And he stop eatin' at home. And next evenin' he came and the molasses bread was up in [the] safe. The next night she says, "Andrew, don't choo want a bit [of] some molasses bread?" She says, "I cook it for yah." Still it wasn't cut. [The fact that she had not taken a slice of it was suspicious - to Andrew.] He said, "No, I don't think I want anything to eat." He says, "I don't feel good tonight." And he stop eatin at home all together. Well, that molasses bread stayed up in safe, he said, roun' 'bout three or four days. And one evenin' he came home and the molasses bread was out in the horse stable - nobody didn't eat any of it. Well, they couldn't get him like that. Well, they [went] on [trying to fix him]. After a while he got down. He begin to linger. He couldn't sleep at night. He couldn't go for to work. He began to be helpless as a newborn baby. When he'd get off his bed in the mornin' he was jis' like - when he put his feet on de floor it was jis' like stickin'-pins and needles was stickin' in de bottom [of his feet] and he was achin' like dat all ovah. And so a friend of hissen, a woman friend of hissen [by the name of Harriet] came to him and says, "Andrew, she say, "there's somepin wrong. [She] came to see him. She says, "Andrew, there's somepin wrong wid joo." Says, "I got a uncle on de Sound [Wrightsville Sound]" - between here [Wilmington] and Wrightsville Beach - "and he's name [by the name of] ole man Church Hines." But he's dead now. "And," she say, "zhoo come on and go with me." she says, "I know Uncle Hines kin do you some good, I believe." and so he says, "Well, I'll go anywhere to get somepin cure me." So when he goes down there next mornin', [after] Harriet came to see him, it all he could do to hitch his horse to his buggy. And he goes on down to the Sound. And when he got out at ole man Hines, he says, "My boy, did zhoo come to see me? You's in a bad fix, ain't choo?" [See THIS WUS BAD FIX, p.316, and MAN YOU'RE RUINED, p.314.] He says, "I's certainly is." He says, "I don't know what's ailin' me," he say. And he [Hines] say, "And I mean you's in BAD FIX!" So he says, "I tell you wha' choo do." He says, "Got any money?" He said, "Yes, I got a little." [Hines says], "How much choo got?" He says, "I got $15.00 now with me." He says, "Well, I'm gon'a char' joo $30.00." He said, "I'll pay you any price zhoo charge me, if you do me any good." He says, "I'll give you the $15.00 now, and then I'll bring you de rest when I come back agin." He say, "No, I don't want any now," he said, "but I tell you what choo do. You go on back home this evenin', and [when] you get back home, you take a little stick and look right down to left side of your front doorsteps. And jis' take dis - don't put cheh han' on it - you don't have to dig fer, jis' got to pull de dirt off it. And when you dig a little bit, jis' de least bit, you'll find a little bag." And he say, "Don't choo put yer han' on that bag. You take a stick, take it between two sticks." And he said he was so anxious to git back home he trotted de horse ev'ry step of the way from the Sound. When he got back home he dragged [himself] out de buggy. He had de stick befo' he got home. And as he said, he jis' went and pulled de dirt, and time he'd pulled de dirt, it was a little bag. And he said it was nine pins and nine needles, and somepin looked like a whole lot of little dust and stuff. He didn't know what it was. He says ole man Church Hines tole 'im to take dat bag between two sticks and carry it down to the river, and throw it cross his left shoulder and cuss it when he throw it overboard. And he said he did it. Now, he said to him to go back down to him nex' mornin'. Nex' mornin' he goes back. He say, "Did joo fin' whut I tole yah?" He says, "Yes." He says, "I know you fin' it." Well, he said he went [felt] better that night than he did fer six mon' - aftah he got dat bag. And dat de way he was. When he put his feet on de flo', it was jis' like needles and pins was stickin' in de bottom of it [because he has been walking over the needles and pins buried at the left side, the evil side of his front doorstep]. And so he said he went on back down there, and he say, "Did you fin' de bag?" And he say, "Yes, sir." [Hines says] "I know you fin' it." And he said, "Now, you come on in here." And he take 'im in de room. He says, "oh!" he says, "it's a man and a woman got choo fixed like dis" - which he didn't tell 'im none of dat de day befo'. You see, he jis' tole 'im what to do. And he said, "A man and a woman got choo fixed like dis." Says, "It's a sister and a brother. They wanted joo to do, and you wouldn't do jis' like they wanted joo to do, and they were pretend [intended] to kill yah." And he says, "Now," he says, "I got to kill one." He says, "One dem gon'a die, if I take it offa you." And he said he didn't care which one die, jis' since he get offa him. And so he said, "Now, well I charge you $30.00." And he tole 'im to go on back home now.
(What did that root doctor do to kill them?)
Well, it jest a mystery now. He never did know. He'd never did tell, don't choo see. He jis' do de work and you never knows what he did. [I evidently ask while machine stopped, "Who were the sister and brother that fixed Andrew?"] That was the sister and de brother - his mother-in-law and his mother-in-law brother. You see, the sister-in-law [Dinah] tried to get him first, but after she couldn't git him, den de mother-in-law and de brothah stepped in. And dey was intend to get him. He says, "The one got to die and the othern'll be in a bad condition, a critical condition - but she won't die right away." And so he come on back home. And it wasn't long before the ole man died bellin' [bellowing] like a bull and howlin' like a dog (see 775-776. p.256). And de mother-in-law walked on crutch[es] fer six mont's and she died.
Entry 5148
Yuh take de lef' shoe an' cut a square outa de centah of de shoe.
(The center, the bottom or the top part of it?)
De bottom, jis' where yore feet fit right in de bottom of dat shoe. Yuh jis' cut a square outa de inside of de bottom of de shoe. [A square piece is cut out of the center of the insole.] An' yuh bury it.
(What will that do?)
Yuh cut de square outa de shoe an' put it in a li'le sulphuh an' red peppah an' graveyard dirt, an' yo' sew it in a li'le bag an' bury it. An' if yuh wanta hurt a person, well dat will cuz whatevah shoe it is, if it's de right shoe, why dey'll grow lame in dat side. An' dere's no doctah [M.D.] kin cure dem until yuh fin' de person dat has dat [square piece of insole] an' git it from dem. An' de only way tuh find out is tuh [see a] fortunetellah an' let 'em tell yuh how tuh git it.
(I thought it was the left shoe?)
Well, it's de left shoe dat ah'm speakin' about.
(This is out of the left shoe?)
Yes.
(You don't get the right then at all?)
Well, ah nevah learn of de right. It's de left.
Entry 7534
[Depending upon the type of work you are doing, it can sometimes be easier to bury the article in a fresh or new grave:] Well, dey said tuh run yuh crazy, why dey take yore hair an' go an' git graveyard dirt an' mix yore hair - git a little bag, a little piece of new homespun, sew it up, about dat long, an' put chure hair in it. An' put de graveyard dirt in it an' carry it an' bury it in a new grave, an' in nine days yo' will go crazy.
Entry 9004
[Logically the story within this number follows the preceding one, and for continuity both should be read in that order.] Ah went tuh a hoodoo workah sometime ago in Ca'lina [South Carolina]. Ah was intuh a lotta [trouble]. Ah didn't know jes' what dey did wit it, but dey tole me. Dey giveded me a black cat. Ah was drivin' a Ford car an' dey tole me when ah git to two fo'ks [forks] of de road, de cat would be gone, tuh come on back home. Ah didn't wants tuh come back, ah was 'fraid of de law; but he insisted on me tuh come back, dat evah'- thin' would be all right. Ah come on an' when ah got tuh de two fo'ks of de road, why dis cat disappeahed from me. An' dat cat disappeah an' ah don't know where de cat did go. Well, anyway ah come back an' he tole me - dat was in de month of July - an' he tole dey would have mah trial on de 9th day of Novembah, which was purtty much tuh three months. He tole me dat dey would set it fo' de ninth day but it would be a mistrial. He was goin' make 'em be a mistrial. An' he giveded [me] some sulphuh an' he giveded me twelve [12] goldeye needles, an' he tole me tuh weah mah garment tuh mah skin turned wrongside out three mawnin's.
(Three mornings when?)
Three mawnin's befo' de trial. An' pin dōse needles, six of 'em tuh each side wit de points turned tuhwards de earth, an' ah would be all right. Well, ah did so. So ah was all right. (Well, when you went to see this man, how did [the subject of] that black cat happen to come up? Just try to remember when you went there, what he said to you.) Well, when ah first - he giveded me a bag, a li'le bag tuh tote. Tole me tuh git a bottle of perfume, of Hearts Perfume an' po' a li'le on it, po' it on it 'bout seven 'clock dat night. Evah evenin' about seven 'clock ah must dress it. An' he calleded dis cat tuh me an' he ginen [given] it tuh me. He sont dis cat wit me. He tole me dat he wasn't worryin' but he was gonna send somepin wit me. An' he tole dat when it git tuh de fo'k [fork] of de road - aftah goin' about twenty miles, he said, he'll come back. He'll be back here. An' so ah did care [carry] dis cat about twenty miles.
(How did you carry it?)
In mah left ahm. He giveded it tuh me in mah left ahm [arm].
(He told you to hold this cat in your left arm?)
Dat's right, in mah left ahm. An' ah cared [carried] it about twenty miles an' it disappeahed.
(Were you walking or riding?)
Ah was ridin'.
Entry 10078
Well, yo' ketch a cat - a black cat - an' yo' take 'im tuh a runnin' stream somewhere off in some desolated place, an' yo' build yuh a fiah an' yo' heat watah an' yo' boil dis cat. Yo' boil all de bones off dis cat. An' aftah dis cat boiled an' all de meat fall off 'is bones, den yo' take dese bones an' yo' put dese bones in a bag, an' po' dese bones in dis stream of runnin' watah. An' den yo' sit dere. Dey say dat sev'ral things supposed tuh happen uhile yo' doin' dis. Various horrible apparitions will appear trying to fright- en you.] An' all dese bones will go downstream in swift watah, an' dis one bone come back up against de stream, dat's de bone yo' git. Den yo' git dat bone an yo' carry dat bone. Yo' carry dat bone diff'ren' places. Yo' suck it in yuh zouth when yo' wanta do things, an' carry it in yore pocket in yuh han'. Dat bone supposed tuh do sev'ral things; sech make a man invisible or any othah things dat yo' wanta do.
Entry 11523
"They take that out of you right track...git some graveyard dust and a little sulphur and a little salt and a little pepper, put it in a bag...and if they want to run you crazy, they take and throw it in running water." [Wil- mington 148:3+85.]
Entry 12355
Lodestone, John de Conkah, five-finger grass, Low John de Conkah and White Rose Oil in a bag. [Mobile 967:10.]
Entry 249
Ah haven't heard 'em say nuthin' much about it, but ah has understandin' in dis way. Ah've been travelin' wit roots purtty good fo' awhile [for a pretty good while]. Ah'm twenty-eight years old an' ah had about eighteen years in it. See. An' ah went tuh a root man an' he explained it tuh me in dis way: Jes'if yo'wanta have luck yo' kin tote some de roots, dey say, "De Lawd is mah green pasture - -ah shall not want. He'p me to de green pasture." An' walk around de house three times befo' goin' tuh bed. Seven steps from de do' walk in back- wards, an' den he give de stuff to rub ovah yo' - yore han's, an' den yo' go to bed. De next mornin' yo' go roun' one time - dat's fo' luck.
[I did not record his story; now I want him to repeat it.]
(What kind of luck?)
Well, fo'gambling.
(You went to this fellow to get this luck?)
Ah went tuh him fo' two kinda lucks. Ah went to him fo' gamblin' an' ah went to him 'cause ah wus runnin' a business.
(This is what he did for you - told you what to do?)
Yes sir.
[Cylinder changed - I talk while changing.]
(You went to this root man for luck in gambling and luck in business. Now, just what did he do when you went there? Tell me the whole story.) When ah went dere, it was a good while befo' ah could see 'im, an' after ah went in an' tole mah position an' tole him whut ah needed an' everythin', he grabbed me in de pam of mah hand an' when he grabbed me in de pam of mah han' he tole - tole me de history of mah life an' tole me whut kind of shape ah was in - whut wus gon'a come an' whut was gon'a be happen, an' he say it'd [it would] take twenty dollahs tuh stop it. So after ah paid him, he fixed up de little bag of roots an' give 'em tuh me, an' ah left. An'befo' ah left he wrote me a story tuh tell [Psalm 23?] an' so after ah left den, he wrote me den fo' tuh come back up dere an' ah went back up dere an' ah tole him dat de officers wus givin' me right smart of trouble. An' he tole me, said, "Well, it will cost yo' eight dollahs to stop it." An' he wrapped me up a bag of dat tuh stop de officers, an' dey did stop. Dey stopped botherin' me any atall, after ah used it, an' he tole me how to use it. Drink three glasses of watah.
(Well now, wait a minute - the story. I want to straighten it out.)
The whole limit [?] of it?
(That's right.)
Well, mah uncle come from Florida an' he wus goin' down dere an' he tole me, said, "Come on, git in de car an' let's go down dere." So ah went down dere wit 'im. He went in dere first an' he give me twenty dollahs tuh go in dere. So after [afterward], ah went in dere an' explained it to de fellah an' he explain it back tuh me 'bout how much it cost.'Well," he say, "yo' be fixed up an' ah guarantee it - if yo' don't, yo' git chure money back." So after he [doctor] went in dere, him an' his wife fix up de stuff, a snake - whut ah mean, he brung a cup in dere but it turn into a snake an' it crawled through mah han'. An' he said, "Don't git nervous - if yo' do, it won't work so good." An' after ah did it, did whut he say, ah wus a little nervous; but ah kinda changed it when he brung de second snake in, an' ah got brave an' ah left. So dat worked pretty good. (Forget what you told me before. I want to begin right at the beginning and tell the whole thing. I don't know a thing about it, now. Now, tell me right from the beginning, all the details, the whole story. First, why did you go down to see this man? Tell me from there.) ['My voice a little exasperated" - this is my notation when I listened to the cylinder to check the transcriber's tran- scription.] Well, ah wus in bad luck, an' mah uncle come by an' ah told him 'bout it. An' he say, "Well, ah'm goin' tuh see a man to he'p me out on mah bolito in Florida. An' us went down dere an' after us got to de man, he [uncle] went in first. An' he give me twenty dollahs fo' me tuh go in. An' ah went in dere an' den de man commenced tuh workin' on me an' tole me how much he would charge. An' after he tole me how much he charge an' ah tole him it would be all right, he got de Bible an'read a verse in it. An' he went back an' got his wife. She brung a cup in dere an' it turnt into a snake or de snake wus in de cup. De snake crawled through mah han' an' he tole me not to git nervous. Well, ah did got nervous.
(Why did he tell you not to get nervous?)
Well, he said it wouldn't work, if ah got nervous - dat it wouldn't work. So de second time ah did not git nervous of de snake. So he fixed up fo' de gambling an' ah come on out.
(What did he give you?)
He give me a little root - a little bag full.
(Well, didn't he tell you how to use this stuff - or something?)
Yes sir.
(Well, tell me what you told me before - how you were to use this stuff.)
Well, yo' take it an' yo' walk around de house three times, walk seven steps away from de steps an' walk in backwards an' go in an' lay down. De next mawnin' vo' hol' a quarter up to de sun or a dollah - either one, it don't make not much diff'rent. An' after you hold dat quarter up dere yo' say, "Lawd he'p me through de green pastur [pasture]." An' after yo' say dat, yo' walk around de house one time - yo' say, "Lawd is mah shepherd, ah shall not want." Den run yore han' an' take some of dat stuff - yo' put it [the root bag] in whiskey [this is feeding the hand] an' den yo' rub it ovah yore face, yore arms. An' dat's for de luck in gamb ling.
(Then what happened - you said you went back the second time?)
Yes sir.
(What happened - you had a little trouble again?)
Yes sir - de polices wus givin' me trouble 'bout selling whiskey an' gambling. Well, ah went to him de second time an' ah told him. He wrote to me an' ah wrote him dat ah would be up dere on a Wednesday. Ah went up dere on a Wednesday an he tole me - ah tole him dat ah wus havin' bad luck from de polices runnin' me an' getting me fo' whiskey. An' he say, "Well, ah got a idea fo' dat." An' so ah went on in den - went in dis little room an' he got a room to tell yo' every diff'rent thing in. So ah went in one room an' ah tole him how de polices did tuh ketch me, an' so he tole me, say, "Well, it take eight dollahs to stop it." An' after he tole me it would take eight dollahs to stop it ah paid him, an' he give me a little hand to tote in mah right pocket all de time, an' when de polices - during de time dey supposed to travel dat beat, jes' roll mah jomoo an' dey'd pass on by. Well, ah tried it an' it worked. So ah left.
Entry 6043
(Now, what about the hair?)
An' de hair de same. Yo' git dat while yo' playin' wit 'em. Take a piece of hair. Clip it off an' ball it up an' put it in a little bag, when yo' git to de house. Now, she ain't goin' wit nobody else atall. She ain't got no feelin's fo' nobody else but chew.
(Bury that hair?)
No, no. Keep it in yore pocket.
Entry 6079
Yo' got a wife an' yo' wanta keep 'er, see. Now, if yo' wanta keep er regardless of wahr she go, she comin' back. Yo' kin git some hair outa her haid, see, an' from 'er stomic [pubic hair]. Put it in a bag an' wahr it in yore umdabr clothes nex' to yore skin, an' don't care wahr she go, brothah, she comin' back.
Entry 242
If people keep coming there and you don't want 'em there, well, you kin go to a hoodoo. Miss Young, this lady I know.
(You go to Miss Young, you say?)
Yes.
(What does she do, you say?) [I am asking him to repeat.]
Say, she sit you down and have a long snake. Well, dis isn't much about it what I know about it. See, that snake have - talk like a human, and she say [to the snake], "What he ask you, you tell it to him." And so then she give you a little bag. And she say, "You go there and whilst they setting down, ' say, "you just take this little powder out of this and just sprinkle on their back behind." And she say, "They'll stay away from your house." (You said, when you go to see this Miss Young, you see a snake - you say a large snake?) Yes, a large snake.
(Well now, a large or a live one?)
A large and a live one - he's large and he's alive.
(And you say that snake talks?)
Yes sir.
(What did he talk about?)
Well, they never told me that.
(You said, it told you [not my informant] what to do.)
Whatever you tell - whatever that snake tell you, you tell dem.
(Tell whom?)
Tell de people you wanta stay away from your house.
(I see.)
[The client asks Miss Young's snake a question. The snake answers. Ventril- oquism? I doubt it. The snake talks into Miss Young's ear and she repeats what the snake says to her. A good example of the routine will be found under the margin-title Earphone in subsection Diagnosis.]
Entry 546
This was in Caroline [County, Virginia]. This is a cunjuring thing. It Was two sisters. One sister took the other sister's husband. So this sister had a spell put on the sister who took the husband. So she became suddenly ill and sent for her son and he came. And she grew so ill they sent for the doctor and he came, but did not do any good. So finally, the son sent for a neighbor and the neighbor thought she was going to die so she sent for the older son. And when he came his suggestion was to send for an old colored woman who's supposed to be a cunjure. So they sent for her. And she came in a buggy with her grandson driving. And she called for the woman to come out to the buggy that was sick. And they said she could not come. So she insisted on her coming. But she said she could go anywhere in the house except to the front door. Every time she moved toward the front door she got worse. So this cunjure woman got out of her buggy and stood at de front gate opening her bag of fixtures, and she took out a ball about the size of a apple - a wood ball, and asked for a hoe, after which she talked to the ball and said, "Go where I send you and when you have found the spot stand still." So she tossed de ball. It went a few steps and stopped right in front of the front door. And she told the boy to dig two feet right under that ball and there that he would find a bottle and bring it to me, which he did. So she said to her [sick woman's] son, "Go, tell your mother to come to the front door." So she got up and came immediately. She didn't say what was in the bottle she found. And the cunjure said to her, "Let your sister'S husband alone." [Near Fredericksburg, Va., (71), by hand; in Caroline Co.,1886.]
Entry 580
I remember when the town [Hampton, Virginia] first went dry and they didn't allow any bootlegging, so they said, and two or three people got caught with their whiskey and a stiff fine was put upon them. So thereafter there came a man from Newport News [Virginia] to Hampton, going from one place to another, saying he could prevent the law from coming to my house and that I could go and sell all the whiskey I wanted to and the law could not bother me. So I took it in my charge that I would try him. I had taken in my house fifty gallons of liquor and I began to distribute it from one place to the other. Sometimes I would look out and see the law coming and was wondering whether or not they were coming to my house. I can say with a clear conscience that the day I saw the man and paid him one hundred and fifty-three dollars and fifty-three cents for this instrument, and I can say and witness the fact, that the law has never been to my house since that occasion. He gave me an instrument and told me to hang it by my stove and leave it stay there, and whensoever I saw the law coming, to take it down and put it on the table and the law would turn around and go back. It kin'a resembled a hog bladder or something of that sort. When the law was coming in your direction, this instrument would puff out, and you could always look out your casement and see the law; and then you would take it down and put it on the table, and the law would turn around and go back. Then this bag would come down to its normal size.
Entry 735
A man dat workin' cunjures an' things lak dat, up in mah country, dey take an' go an' git some peppah, sulphur, salt, an' goes in de woods an'gits a root dey calls de Friendly John - ah knows it, Friendly John. Yo' go in de woods - it grows on a ridge on a hill.- Yo' go git dat Friendly John an' break yo' off about six limbs of it. Make no diff'rence if yo' git de root of it or not - break off, git de limbs of it an' break off six of 'em an' mix 'em together an' carry dem in yore pockets or anything lak dat. An' yo' kin put some of that devil's-shoestring with that, if yo' want to, an' yo'll go fo' twelve months lak dat an' yo' kin jes' go ahead an' tear down anywhere yo' want to - yo' got a arm, whut chew call a goofer bag or a hand. Yo' got a strong one, yo' understand. Ah bought one one time.
(If you want to do any cunjuring work, that's strong?)
Dat's strong.
Entry 832
Sometimes all they have to do is to touch you. I wanted to remember a boy and after he [a cunjure man] touched me I couldn't remember him. I didn't know what he [boy] looked like. This [spell] lasted over a year. I couldn't see [remember] this boy. I was in a family way. His mother got this cunjure man to make me forget him. He came to my house, I was in this condition, and he put his hand on my stomach and thinking of the boy when he did it, and after he removed his hand I couldn't think about him [boy]. I would see his pitchure but I couldn't think of anything of him. When this [spell] work off [after a year] it turned back on this boy - he got so he was loving me. After this spell was broken this man [cunjure man] came to me and told me he did it. He told me to put it back on the boy, the boy was in New York and would come back. He came back. I didn't marry this boy. He also gave my mother a little bag to wear on her stocking. My mother's thinking of putting me in trouble [worrying about daughter's condition]. After he gave her this bag she seemed to forget all about me being in trouble. She didn't think of it until the year was up. He told her to wear this bag. He put it there himself, on her left stocking. It had a string on it. He tied it around [her] himself. It was a little black bag. It contained something that smelled like spice, like cinnamon. Whenever he come in contact with you he kinda hypnotized you. I don't know where the hoodoo man came from. This happened in Newport News [Virginia]. His [boy's] grandmother did most of it. She died about two years afterwards. The last time I seen her she had great big knots on her face like some animal. She died a horrible death. It must of went back on her, too. I thought it'd come out on the baby but it didn't take any effect. Only he has funny little spells. Ev'ry night when he goes to bed he'll holler in his sleep. He always did do that from a little baby on up, even now. He's eleven years old.
Entry 985
Well, this party had a shawl and she loaned it to another friend of hers and when that friend brought it back - she Worn it over her head and whutever was in that shawl caused her to lose all of her hair. She became bald and blind. And she went to a so- called hoodoo doctor and that doctor gave her something to take, and then she went to running water nine mornings and washed her eyes, and threw that bag over the left shoulder and in the running water, and she began to have sight. She was to wear that for nine mornings but she must Wash her eyes in this running water with this bag around her neck.
third-person report of repeated eye washing in running water. The bag differs from the earlier borrowed shawl. Preserve the source sequence including left-shoulder disposal without rewriting its timing. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 1106
A good many of 'em use assafitidee and pepper and salt and dey put it in a little bag around dere neck and dat supposed to keep 'em from hurtin' you, too. They put all these things together in this bag. Dey sew it up in dere and put it around dere neck.
(I see. Any kind of a colored bag or any kind of cloth?)
Yeah, a yellow homespun bag. It have to be a yellow homespun an' it has to be new.
Entry 1358
Yo' would go ahead an' yo' would git chew some John de Conker an' yo' would git chew some salt an' yo' would git chew some peppah an' yo' would git chew some sage or somepin, an' put it in a bag an' tie it roun' yore waist - sew it around yore waist.
(They couldn't harm me?)
Couldn't harm yo'.
Entry 1475
Get a bag of salt and put it under your pillow, open your window and put a spoon under it, and he [a ghost] can't cross that.
Entry 1732
Wal, dey say it's something whut you could fix uP as a bodyguard, but chew fix it up in a bag. Take a piece of shamry skin, something like hide, like dis shamry skin gloves - you know jis' tough skin. Take that and git diff'rent kind of roots and bark. All right, you git de John de Conker root. You git de lodestone and git de devil's- shoestring root and de black cat wishing-bone, and den you take de John de Conker and a piece of dragon's blood and take all of that and mix it up fine - yo' know, beat it up, mostly powder enough to go in a bag. And den you take that and after you git all that fixed up good, git whut chew call dis here Seven-'leven Oil and put seven drops of that. And mix it up all together and put in dis bag and sew it up. See. And take it and put it - and git a piece of red flannen and sew dis bag up in dat red flannen and jes' put a string around it and tie it and wear it around yore waist or around yore neck and dere won't nothing bother yo'.
(That's to keep people from bothering you.)
That's pertection fo' you.
(Where do you buy this Seven-'leven Oil? Where do you get that?)
You supposed to could - de woman told me that she got some from New Orleans but whut part of New Orleans ah don't know. [All black cat bones are hands (see pp.74-97) and therefore they are also in a sense wishing-bones. But wishing-bone here means form as well as power. As to form, one informant said the black cat bone was "made lak de breast of a chicken" (No. 316, p.94), meaning the furculum or wishbone in front of but not a part of the chicken breastbone. Similarly, another informant described black cat bone as "gon'a have three forks [prongs or tines]...two long forks an' a little small fork" (No. 299, p.88). I suggested this three-pronged fork could have been a 'devil's trident." Actually the "little small fork could have been the hypo- cleidium - the end adhering to the winning half of the broken wishbone. Despite informants, wishbone appears only in most birds; it appears in black cats only by the grace of hoodoo merchants. Among other black cat products I should mention black cat oil (No. 1121, p.417), black cat powder (No. 326, p.96), and black cat water (Nos.328-329, p.96f.).]
Entry 1819
[In my earlier collecting days a hairball among white inform- ants was: "A cow licks her hair and that hair goes down in the left side of the pouch and that forms a ball, and if you have one of those in your hand you can bewitch anyone." This object is sometimes called a witch-ball: "One morning the cow didn't come up for milking and they went out to find the cow and found it dead. It had been shot in the thigh with a hair-ball.... You see, a witch always uses a silver bullet or a hair-ball to kill anything, and this man [witch] had shot the cow with one of those witch hair-balls." FACI, 2ed., Nos. 15884 & 15885, p.797; see also No. 16151, p.827.]
[In the following account we have a different hairbalZ:]
Now, dere's a hairball - dat's concernin' a lady, misfortune between yo' an' her. Now, yo' kin wear dis hairball tuh keep in contact with her an' yo' kin wear it dat chew may nevah git in contact with her no mo'.
(What kind of a hairbalZ do you mean?)
It's an ordinary hairball.
(Well, where do you get that hair?)
Well, it's hair dat's from ole dead people, yo' know, befo' it's event'lly decayed - it's spoiled. Put it in a thimble or somethin' round that chew may put it in a ball. Quite natural, by it gittin' air it will not, yo' know whut ah mean - fade away. Quite natural if yo' know de person that die - everythin' all right. Now, this hairball - it comes in a ball. To keep in contact with this party, yo must put this in a bag - yo' know, somethin' lak a Bull Durham sack. [The latter was a small cloth sack containing a cigarette mixture used in "rolling your own" - making your own cigarettes. The paper label on the sack had the picture of a bull.] Yo' make a small bag small enough fo' it tuh git in. Now, tuh keep in contact with this person, yo' must put this hairball in that bag an' sew it. Make nine stitches, an' dere's three words yo' must say while sewin', "With me Fo'evah." Yo' know, as yo' make a stitch, jes' say a word. Now at de end, when yo' git tuh de end of de bag, do not make a knot in it. Make three turns wit chure needle - yo' know, lak yo' be sewin' dis, jes pass it roun dere three times. Den yo git chew a string an' put nine knots in dis string an' de ninth knot, yo' take a needle an' attach it to dat bag an' wear that next to yore skin. Now, tuh git rid of dis lady event ally, wear dis hairbalZ jes' outright - don't put it nex' tuh yore skin. Fo' instant [instance], lak yo' got chure coat on dere, dis top pocket heah - jes' keep it in dat pocket, jes' outside from yo'. See. An' yo' wear it thataway yo'll nevah come in contact with her. That's all it is to the hairball.
Hyatt quotes earlier FACI material comparing a silver bullet with a hair-ball as alternatives. The quoted cow account uses the hair-ball. The following Algiers informant describes a different hair-ball; the quoted bullet is not part of that later recipe.
Read full source (printed page 544) · Read full source (printed page 545)
Entry 1873
Dey take that fo' leaf clover and whut chew call wish bean - wish bean. (Like a bean you eat?) It's somepin similar to dat but it's made altogethah diff'rent chew know an' it grows altogethah diff'rent. It's kinda - it's pretty good size. It's kinda round but it's fat an' lopsided an' it has speckles on it.
(Does it grow in the ground or on a tree or what?)
Well, jis' how it do, ah don't know, but yo' know yo' go to those places yo' know an' yo' git it. [I do not know the identity of this commercial product.] Den yo' put that wish bean an' that fo' leaf clover with yore name written three time on dere. Yo' make a bag of it an' jis' lak dis is de back of yore bed heah, yo' fix yo' some way to hang dat so it hangs behin' de bed where dat yo' sleep. Dat supposed tuh bring special luck to yo'.
Entry 1958
[Here is mv first knowledge of Doctor Frank Hall, whom I searched for and found the following year - a feat coupled with the finding of Madam Griffin, an experience described in the Introduction.] There's an old man by the name of Hall, a very rich man. He has I guess fifteen farms. He has some very palitable[?] [palatial] houses on these farms. He lives in a little shack. Each day there will be seen many cars around his home, both white and colored. He is known as a cunjure. He is able to keep the law away and many people going to court to be tried always have him to sit in the courtroom. [This practice has been fairly common; see Court in Index.] There is something he does. Nobody can see what he does. His fame has gone out that he clears the person because most every time he's in the courtroom the person being tried gets out light or becomes clear. This old man is known to sell a little bag to law breakers and bootleggers. In every bootlegger's home that is prosperous in this town can be seen one of these little bags hanging up on the side of the wall. You need not worry about the law coming in as long as you see that little bag. This little bag is known as Hall's Hand, Hall's Lucky Hand. That's what they call it. That's down in Suffolk, Va. [Informant came from Suffolk, seat of Nansemond Co., but Hall lived out in the country.] [Ocean City, Md., Ed.]
Entry 1993
Dey would go to a man fer to get good luck. So when dey go to dis guy, dis guy would tell 'em you know. It would be a little black bag, have a whole lot of little things in it. It would look somepin like little pieces of stone, and a little piece of dried leaf Would be all cut up, you know, in there. I seen 'em. I seen one of 'em and I tore de thing open, I didn't know what it was, fer to see what it was. It was a little fine pieces of stone and it looked like some little leaves was into it and some little gravels looked like offen de ground. So they said de fellah says fer to hold it tight, keep it in your pocket all de time; an' if you leave it to git loose, it would git away from you and go back to 'im and you wouldn't have no luck.
(What do they call this bag?)
A qood-luck bag. You kept it in your pocket where you keep de money. You know, it would be mos' fer a man. Well, if a woman would carry one, they would have to keep it in de pocketbook.
Entry 2057
[The best known of living hands is the toadfrog, but there are more - chicken, louse (human), snake and others.] Git chew nine - git chew nine red ants, put them in a red bag, use them fo' luck. Go to de red ant hole an' yo' git chew nine red ants. It's luckier tuh git 'em as dey come out de hole. Yo' set there an' ketch yo' nine. Ketch yo' nine red ants an' sew 'em up in there live. That'll make yo' luck fo' anything - yo' jis' be lucky in gamblin', anything lak dat.
Entry 2082
You go get you some luoky seed. I'll get you a piece of lodestone.
(What are lucky seed?) A lucky seed. (What's that?)
It's a lucky bean, they calls it. And you get you a piece of lodestone.
(What does that lucky bean look like?)
It looks something like a pink bean - beans.
(Is it a real bean?)
No sir, it ain't a real bean - it's a bean but it ain't a real bean.
(What's it made of?)
It's hard, chew can break it.
(All right, then what do you do?)
Now, you get you a piece of lodestone - you get she lodestone, and you get you some gunpowder and you get you a piece of red flannel and you put all that to- gether, and a little cayenne pepper and stuff, and put it in that bag and sew it up and put it in your pocket. That's lucky.
(For gambling?)
For gambling.
Entry 2136
Fo' luck in gamblin' yo' use de John de Conker. Yo' take dat an' yo' kin put it in a bag an' yo' put chew a little steel dust in dere an' put chew 45 cents - two dimes an' a 25 cents piece, nuthin wit even money. See. An' put dat in a bag an' wear it in yore pocket. An' yo' take any high [smelling] perfume an' yo' 'noint dat wit dat, wit dat perfume. It seems lak yo' would give de man a ambition, an' give him dose silver [pieces], an' when he bet he bet always right until de othah fellah dat is playin' wit chew - understan', he beats him so many times until he lose ambition, see. An' he be a certain amount loser thataway an' he will always play. When he first start losin' he plays tuh win, when he find out he's losin' he plays tuh ketch back. An' he gits so far around de fellah, he beat him so much until he jes' lose all ambition.
Entry 2314
For luck in gambling you get you some lodestone, you get you some steel dust, and you mix it together and you get you some paradise seeds, and you put all that together in a flannel bag and you sew it up. It's a bag about that size. And after you sew it up in that flannel bag, you take it and you put it down in a saucer - a round saucer and you pour some whiskey - or either good gin on it. You see, you gotta pour that on it. That's to season [feed] it. And you sprinkle a little steel dust on it - you see, that's to season it, and that is supposed to give you luck in gambling. You see, the steel dust supposed to draw and the lodestone. The paradise seeds - well, they include help to make it a success. I got lots of that stuff.
Entry 2366
Red peppah an' ashes an' saltpeter an' dey cain't come ovah it. Pin it up( ovah yore do'. Dey'll come in but dey won't be mad.
(Where do you put that, you say?)
Jis' up ovah yore do'.
(Well, it would fall out wouldn't it?)
No, yo' gon'a put it in a bag an' tie a string aroun' de bag an' hang it on de nail, an' every day yo' got'a pee on dat.
(Not up there!)
Naw. Yo' take it down an' pee in a pan, an' pee on it, an' den yo' put it back up there. Dey cain't bother yo'. Dey kin come in but dey Won't do nuthin to yo'. Dey'll be jis glad.
suspending the tied bag from a nail above the door. Retain visitors can come in but are claimed not to be angry/harmful; do not rewrite the account as absolute exclusion. predicted mitigation of visitors’ angry or bothersome conduct while allowing their entry. No total visitor exclusion These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 661) · Read full source (printed page 662)
Entry 2395
Someone who used to live on the Riprap Road found a box at the gate one morning and brought it to my house and said, "Look what I dug up at my gate." I said to her, "What's in it?" And she opened it and there was pins in there and needles and some of her hair and sulphur in a bag in there and a piece of red flannel that had four sticks sewed up into that and a dime into it. It was a wooden box about that long. (Eight inches long and four inches wide.) [Probably a cigar box - symbolic coffin.] She said she was going to take it and see who put it there, she was going to take it over to Norfolk to a fortuneteller. And when she came back she told me that her husband put it there. That's what the fortuneteller told her.
Entry 3916
Ah'm goin' tell yo' somepin dat I saw here in '23 - was in '23. Ah wus workin' fo' Halstrom Brothers. An' my firs' wife - it was a girl lived right side of us named Theresa Jackson, an' my firs' wife helped to raise dis girl. Well, dis girl, she was a stout girl, an' she was workin' fo' Dr. Knox[?]. All at once she'd taken sick an' we couldn't undahstan' why she wus sick all de time. An' ah says to her, say, "You're workin' fo' dat doctah, say, "whyn't yo' tell de doc- tah 'bout it, how bad yo' feel?" Well, dere she would go to work an' have to leave work to come home. An' she tole de doctah 'bout it. Well, de doctah say he couldn't fin' no trouble - yo' know, what was 'er complaint. So she wus off on 'er off-day an' she said, "Ah'm goin' clean up my house. Ah'm goin' from de stern-wheel to de rudder" [surely an old Mississippi River expression]. Says, "All right." Ah was layin' down sleepin'. Ah been workin' at night. An' dis girl goin' to clean up 'er house. An' right behind de middle door, she found a bottle an' a little bag. Well, when she found dis bottle an' little bag, she brought it an' showed it to my wife. My wife said to her, "Ah'm goin' to wake Steve up an' tell 'im 'bout it." Which she did wake me up. When she woke me up, ah took it an' ah looked at it, say, "Dis looks mighty funny to me. I said, give me a knife." I said, "I'm goin' open dis bag." Ah opened de bag. It had a plat of 'er hair, outa her head. It had three pieces outa her pieces, yo' know, about dat size.
(Out of her monthly clothes?)
Yes. An' it had some lodestone in dere an' it had some needles an' some pins crossed dataway [demonstrates], see.
(Held that way with two crosses in it?)
Yes, sir. An' it had dat hair undah dere an' jes' like - jes' like my thumb is de hair, an' right along dere was de lodestone, see, into dis piece, an' dey had it sewed up. See. And he [the man who had tricked her] had de bottle wit 'er mon'ses [months] in hit.
(Which?)
[I either did not grasp mon'ses or wanted a fuller explanation.]
It had, yo' know, change over de moon in de bottle.
(I see.)
An' I opened it an' taked de stoppah outa de bottle an' it was jes' worsen [worse than] anythin' yo' evah smelled in yore life. Ah says to her, ah says, "Yo' take dis out dere" - ah always heard my ole uncle say dese things - ah say, "and throw it in dat runnin' watah." Dere was a little bayou - part of de bayou right back dere - part of de bridge an' de little bayou run undahneat' dere.
(Where?)
Little bayou right out chere on Rogers Street. An' she - ah say, "Now, you throw dat ovah yore left shoulder an' don't look back." An' she went out dere an' throwed it ovah her lef' shouldah in dat runnin' watah. An' he left. Dat fellow come home, but when he come home he rushed right on in de house. He says to her, "What yo' been doin' here?" She say, "Ah been cleanin' up." He say, "Yo' don't nevah clean up." He said, "Did yo' find anything of mine?" She said, "No, I find somepin of mine." He says, "What wus it?" Ah says, "If he hits yo today, I'm goin' woop 'im an' [or] he gon'a woop me eithah one." So he hauled away an' he hit 'er, an' when he hit 'er, I grabbed 'im. An' he lef' an' went to Paducah, Ky. He lef' dere an' went to Oil City, Ill. He lef' dere an' come back here to her an' stayed three days, an' went to Natchez an' she ain't been worried wit 'im since. An' she's married an' she is jes' as stout as she evah wus, an' de mothah of a child.
(She got rid of him, got rid of the fellow.)
Entry 4300
She said she cut dis piece of 'is clothes, cut out a roun' plug. Ah reckon de plug mus' have been dat roun' [demonstrates], jis' 'bout de size of a dollah. Cut it outa de seat of 'is drawahs. She said she took it an' put it in a bag an' put some fish brine salt in dere wit it. An' she said, an' carried it on de no'theast cornah of 'er house an' dug de hole an' put it in dere. She said evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise she'll go roun' dere an' make watah on it. She done it fo' nine mawnin's, she said. An' dey say he left here an' nevah did come through here [Richmond] no more. [Richmond, Va., (340), 373: l, about 1929 in Richmond.]
Entry 4624
Dey kin git chure hat an' git de bow out of yuh hat, a woman kin, an' take it an' wear it on dere neck. [The bow is] jis' lak a li'le tie. An' take it an' keep it up in a sack, an' dey [the man] can't fool aroun'.
Entry 4710
Lotta things dey kin do wit dat, too. Dat little bow right in heah, right dere [demonstrates], dey kin take dat an' git chure sweat [in the bow]. Dey kin take dat, dat sweat, an' dey kin - git chew a little sack an' sew dat up in dere. An' take some moonshine likkah an' jis' keep dampened ovah - jis' wet it wit dat an' throw it away. An' dey tell me dat will run yuh crazy.
(Keep it dampened with moonshine liquor. And they throw it away?)
Throw it away.
(That makes you lose your mind.)
Entry 4816
Take de shirttail of anothah man's shirt an' 'er husban' shirt, or anothah man lak 'is frien', an' cut de tail off even, both of 'em even. She kin take it an' sew it up in a little sack an' tote it roun' 'er wais', an' de man kin come an' be dealin' wit 'is wife or anythin', an' he nevah git mad wit de othah fellah atall. Dey be frien's altuhgethah. Dey might git in a argument, but it seems aftah while dey come right back an' dey be good frien's.
Entry 4842
Jis' lak a man go out, yuh see, an' yuh cain't make him stay at home. Well, yuh take his undahsuit an' yuh scrape dat cotton lak dat - yuh see, dat lint. Take dat lint where yuh kin scrape it, see, an' put it in a little bag an' some sugah, an' wear it on de side an' dat'll make 'em stay at home. Wear it on de side nex tuh yore skin, jis' eithah side - ary one. Dat'll make him stay at home an' give yuh 'is money. "
Entry 5303
Ah heard sompin on dat line. Dey say yo' could take an' git chew Adam- an'-Eve root an' High John de Conkah, see. An' git chew some Hearts Cologne, dis [just a] little - called Hearts Cologne - an' take an' put dis heah root on dis. An' evah time yo' git ready tuh go out wit - git close tuh 'ah [her] enough, in conversation somewhere, an' let 'ah [her] git de scent of dat. An' if she come anywhere about chew, pick up 'ah tracks see, an' put 'em in a bag yo' undahstan'. Take an' put 'em in de sack yo' see an' take an' bury 'em undah de cornah of yore house, an' dat will keep 'ah love. Dat will make hah come dere all de time. Jes' stay right roun' yo'.
Entry 5405
Now, say if yo' got'a employah - sompin lak dat - an' he's gittin' bad wit chah an' yo' wan's tuh git 'em down. Wall, yo' kin - don' git 'is track goin' from yuh, git 'is track comin' tuh yuh. Jis' take yore fingah an' pick up 'is track dat way, de right-foot track an' put it in yore han'. Take some sulphuh an' sugah wit it an' sew it in a sack, an' 'noint dat track wit Hearts Cologne an' jes' tote it in yore pocket. An' he'll come calm.
(He becomes quiet.)
Yes.
(His mind changes toward you.)
Entry 5496
Now, ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. If ah taken some man - ah tell yo' yo' kin let a person walk away form yo' or sompin lak dat an' yo' kin take dere lef'-foot track an' pull it back tuh de heel. Yo' pick up jis' as much as yo' kin pinch in yore fingah lak dat [demonstrates] an' if yo' kin ketch 'im 'sleep, see [demonstrates] yo' git chew some hair from right up heah.
(From the top of the head.)
Yassuh. An' yo' take an' yo' put it in a bag, an' yo' weah it aroun' ovah yo' yo' know whut ah mean.
(Right over your private?)
Yeah. Weah it daily an' anythin' in de worl' dat yo' got in yore view tuh worry dat person, it will surely come tuh rest dere. Cain't he'p it. Some thin's [I know are true]. Dat's whut ah have did.
Entry 5517
Jes' lak someone yo' don' lak in yore home an' yo' wan' 'em tuh stay from roun' yore home. Yo' watch dey track. Yo' kin git eithah one of dere track, or yo' kin git both of 'em. An' yo' kin put dis same sulphur an' salt wit it an' throw it back. Yo' walk aroun' yore house nine times, an' back at de sunrise [side] on de right side of de house, an' jes' [throw track, sulphur and salt] on top of yore house. Den dey'll stay from roun' dere. Ah have did dat. (If somebody comes to my house and I don't want them around, I will take that dirt from two of their tracks and put the sulphur [and salt] with it. Then I Would walk around my house nine times, and then do what on the sunrise then?) Go on de sunrise side of de house. (You go on the sunrise side of the house, and then you throw that stuff against the house or over the house?) Ovah de house.
(All the way over the house.)
Have it kinda lak a sack. Yo' put it in a sack.
(That keeps them away.)
An' tie de sack tuhgethah, an' dere ain't no ways 'bout it - none atall
[they'll stay away].
Entry 5525
Yo' take de lef' track jis' undah de palm ["hollow" or "ball" of foot], jis' lak [palm of] mah han'. An' den yo' kin sew it up in a li'le cloth, if yo' wan'a weah it undah yore clothes, see. Den yo' kin - well, yo' jis' keep it 'nointed wit Lucky Mojoo Perfume. Well, dat tuh keep yore luck good. Some folks weah dem in a li'le bag roun' dere neck.
(What do you wear that thing for, that fellow's foot track?)
Well, yo' weah it - yo' see, if yo' wan's de man, if he don' wanta stay wit cheW. AN' DEN SOMETIME YO' JIS' WAN'A A MAN ANYWAY. Yo' gO Out dere an' gits dat fo' luck.
Entry 5660
Well dey have to git it while he's 'sleep, cut it while dey sleep.
(And how would they use those tracks?)
Jis' take de hollah of de right-foot track an' put it in a li'le bag, an' jis' take it an' bury it undah de steps. Put it undah a stone so de rain won' Wash it away. But chew see when yo' dig a place undah de steps an' bury it - git dat track an' bury it, yo' see, dat will make him come back.
Entry 5752
Take de dirt outa yore tracks an' put it in a tobacco sack, an' dey'll write on it an' stick it up. An' dey'll put urinate on dat, stick up dere, an' let it dry. An' dat'll cuz yo' tuh be jis' awandahin' an' leave. An' lak dat, dey could take yore tracks, take up yore tracks lak dat, an' persons dat wuz - lak two persons wuz goin' togethah. Dey ould separate two persons by takin' de dirt outa yore track lak dat.
(And what would they do with that dirt that they took up like that?)
Dey'd make watah on it an' tie it up. Let it dry an' den scattah it about. Dey would scattah an' dey would jis' leave.
Entry 5758
KIN DO DAT THREE DIFF'REN' WAYS. (Well, how would they do that?) Well, de way ah undah- stan', dey measures yo' feet [lengthwise], den crosswise, an' den make a triangle outa it. An' den tie dat up in bags an' bury it. Say dat will make yo' leave eithah de country or state where yo' are.
(I see. What foot tracks do you measure?)
Ah think it's de lef', fah [far] as ah undahstan'. (You measure them lengthwise. [I demonstrate.] Here's your foot track. You measure it lengthwise and then across?) Across, an' den make a angle out of it.
(Oh! Then you sort of...)
Sort of angle from de toes...
(You mean you come across this way?)
[I demonstrate.]
Yes, dat's right.
(You measure it this way and then that way, then you measure it this way?)
Jis' a angle - don't bring it all de way down dat time. Dat's de way ah andahstan'it.
(Bring it down like this?)
Dat's right.
(Sort of a...)
[I am still demonstrating.]
Jis' an' angle - a "v", see.
(A "v", I see.)
Supposed tuh be...
(You make a "v" in it like that...and...)
An' de way yo' wan' de parties tuh go, why de way de angle point, dat's de way dey'll travel. (I see. You make that angle - the way that angle points, that's the way they'll travel. I see.)
Entry 5837
Dey kin take yo' head, dey take some hair right from de roots of yo' hair an' take dat an' burn it. An' den dey git some hair from a black cat an' burn along wit dat. An' dey take de ashes an' put in a tobacco sack. An' den dey take an' put it in a tin can an' throw de can right on straight out [into the water] and [so that it] don't come back in [with] tide. Well, dat will run 'em crazy inside of three months.
Entry 5907
Well, yo' kin take de graveyard dirt an' yo' kin go out an' git it, see. An' den yo' kin take some of dis heah woman's hair from de mole of 'er haid. An' put it togethah. An' yo' kin den put it in a little ole sack sorta like a 'bacca [tobacco] sack, an' tote dat in yore pocket all de time. An' den yo'll come to be lucky an' all de time while yo' is out, why dis heah woman, she will come to be in love wit yo' an' have her mind on yo'.
Entry 5956
Anything like a person's hair, you take that, you see, and you get this srahpin' twine. Now, then you take a red flannel or new yellow cotton, it's a homespun, and just a square, and make the little bag, four cor- ners. And you wrahp it up. You kin wrahp ar eitherwise you kin sew it. But always bring it towards yah, and tie it in a fat knot and make your wish. If you're wrahping it, chew know, why evah knot, cvah time you wraap, you wish that he may come to you, and you wish that he may be yours, and you wish that he may be mine and do whatever I want him to do, and sish that he may gave me mah money, and this In the Name of God. I wish that he Se united in holy matrimony, or anything like that. You see, just whatever your Tishes is. And then, you see, you tie it. And each time you wrahp it towards Rh, why that's bringing him to yah, bringing the person to yah. And you tie 1. And the last knot you tie is the last wish that chew make. You wish that Lemay be yours or may be mine all entirely and do just as I say In the Name Of God.
Entry 6050
If a man runnin' roun' why she could git some of 'is hair, yo' know from undah 'is arm or sompin lak dat. Take it an' sew it up into a sack an' wear it some- wheres close by 'er. Why dat will keep 'im home.
Entry 6084
Well, ah heah 'em say dat dey take de hair from undah yore arms an' de top of yore-haid, an' dey say take an' tack it on a piece of pastebo'd - put it in a little bag an' tack it on a piece of paste- bo'd. Den throw it in runnin' watah an' dey say dat'll, jes' lak if yo' wanted tuh drift 'em away from yo', dey say dat would make 'em walk off in de rivah.
Entry 6269
Dey tell me yo' kin take a woman, she pluck yore hair an' git a plait of it. Ah know dat, ah've know'd of it bein' done. Plait of chure hair right in de mole of yore haid, an' keep it, an' yo'll nevah leave her - yo' can't leave her. (What will she do with it?) She keep it, yes sir. She'll take dat an' weah it. She'll put dat wit a little chamber lye an' she'll wrap it up, [or] sew it up. She'll git some of yore fingahnails.
(Are you telling me the same thing or something different?)
No, she goin' put dat in a sack.
Entry 6369
For instance, if I had a wife and she was in love with me and I was running around with other women and I vent to sleep, she would pull three strands of my hair and put them in a bag, and put sugar and lard, and make it just the size of a dime in a little pad, and wear it around her leg, either leg. I would have no more use for any other woman.
[Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6825
Tuh git graveyard dirt, dey say go out tuh de graveyard whah some of yoh relatives die. Well, dey tells me dat dat'll kill double pneumonia. Ah had a baby die yestiday mawnin' wit double pneumonia, an' ah were in mah home Sunday an' a lady came tuh mah house, an' say, "Ah tell yo' whut chew do," she say, "yo' git in yuh cah [car]." She came dere Satiday night. She say, "Come an' git in yuh cah an' come go wit me, an' go out whah a man is buried, whah yuh mothah-in-law is buried, an' git some of dat graveyard dirt an' put it in a bag. Git some from right undahneat' de lef'-han' comah of 'er grave. An' put it in a bag an' take it tuh hospital an' sprinkle it undahneat' dat baby's mattress, an' he won't die."
(What do you mean by the left-hand corner of the grave?)
Well, dat whut she tole me. She say, "Git it from de lef'-han' cornah." Ah say, "Whut de lef'-han' cornah?" Wal, she tole me dat evahtime yo' beah [bury] a person, YO' JIS' BEAH 'EM A CERTAIN WAY. AH HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT DAT. DID JOO? All right. She says, "Now yo' go an' git it out de cornah, " an' says, "yo' scattah it undah huh [her] haid. Git it from de lef'-han' cornah of de grave an' put it in jis' a li'le bag. An' go an' slip it undah dat mattress an' dat baby won' die."
[While machine turned off informant gave information I now repeat.]
(Get the dirt from the left-hand side near the heart.) [This means, while standing at head of the grave looking to the foot, the left-hand corner would be the heart corner.]
Entry 7196
[I do not know whether this doctor's given name Was Tobey or it came to him because he made Tobeys, meaning luck pieces or hands or jomoes. He is the man who drives out disease spirit on p.2259f., vol.3.]
(Doctor Casson?)
Cating.
(How do you spell it?)
Casing[?]. (I am glad to see you, Doctor. I want you to talk loud to me, I don't hear so well.) Me too. (All right, we will both talk loud then. All right. Well, tell me something about yourself.) About mahself? Me or mah trouble? [Dis Cason come to tell me his own troubles thinking as some informants before and after him did, that I was a root doctor from New York City:] (Anything. I've talked to a lot of very good root doctors and I - just tell me anything you want to tell me. I want to hear about how they say people harm you, you know; or how they say to cure you; or things of that sort.)
[There being a brief silence I continue.]
(Did you know old Doctor Buzzard?)
Ah know 'im but he died.
[The ice having been broken I continue.]
(How long has he been dead?)
He wuz about sixty some odd yeahs ole, but he wuz a good doctor. Ah learned many incidents from undah 'im 'fo' he died away. He'd git a man outa trouble. Ah learned a few turns from 'im.
(Well, would you tell me some of the things you learned from Doctor Buzzard?)
Ah learned usin' a bee.
(All right, how did you use that?)
[A unique technique follows:]
Has yo' got a hive of a bee, yo' kin take one of bee drones outa de hive, take a paah [pair] an' yo' kin learn 'em some a [of] de people. Ah putten sveet- nin' tuh de table an' putten dat bee intuh it tuh feed. When yo' wan' 'in tuh go out, yo' kin name a puhson [person] man, jis' call 'is name an' putten spots of white on 'is ahm, his back, not on 'is haid. An' he goes tuh dat same puhson dat chew call 'is name. An' when he's got through wit yo' business dat chev'd sent 'im, he'd come back tuh yo' an' yo'd undahstan'. If yo' say tuh 'im tuh come back, he'll come back; an' if yo' say tuh 'im tuh stay, he won' come back. But he's [he has] two [things he can do]. One, tuh travel wit chew 'cordin' tuh yo' case, whut yo' case would be. See whut ah mean. Ah wan' 'im tuh bring a message back when yo' conkah yo' bettah [when you outwit the enemy]. If yo' is in a lawsuit an' is sent intuh de jail fo' tuh be in co't [court] an' if yo' miss an' tell tuh 'im 'fo' [before] yo' git dere, yo' trail'll almos would be ovah den. But chew see in dose time dose people used tuh walk - work at short ends 'fo' yo' could start a trial dat yo'd be dere. De jury'd cut chew off, dat [becausel yo' shall not come up tuh de requirements. [In olden days it was sometimes difficult to meet the requirements for attend- ing courts and juries would not wait. To be on the safe side you either slept the preceding night in jail or had Doctor Buzzard send his bee specially fed to delay jury action. This information Was on a cylinder pause but is known from my following questions.]
(You say Doctor Buzzard taught you that, told you that?)
Yeah.
(What did you say you fed this bee?)
Feed dese bees on honey an' syrup, but use de ingredients of yo' scent.
(Of your what?)
Of yo' scent.
(Scent? You mean sweat of the body? Perspiration?)
Yeah. Put it on a piece of bread dat has sorghum an' dey suck dat from it. AN' ALL DE TIME DEY COME JIS' LAK A PET CAT TUH YO', AN' WHEN HE LET DOWN [ALIGHTS], YO' KIN RUB YO' HAN' ON 'IM AN' HE'D KNOW YO' FROM ME. See whut ah mean?
(And then you send this bee out to do your work?)
Anythin' yo' wanta send 'em [to do] an' dey care [carry] it out.
(DOES HE CARRY MESSAGES THEN?)
CARE A MESSAGE - JIS' WHUT CHEW TELL 'IM.
(HE'D TELL THE PERSON?)
ALL YO' GOTTA DO IS TUH TALK TUH DE BEE JIS' LAK YO'D TALK TUH RADIO OR ANY- THIN' DAT CAIES [CARRIES] A MESSAGE. AN' CALL DE MAN NAME. TEACH 'IM DAT.
[Few more lines to this but nothing new.] [Charleston, S. Car., (503), 547:1.]
Well, listen here an' ah'll tell it tuh yo'. AH LISTEN N IN DE WORLD ON DIS. DEY ARE IN DE WORLD. DERE'S A STORY SAYS DAT DIS WORLD IS KINDA ROUND, FO'[FOUR] CORNAHS OF IT. DERE AH HAS A FO' [FOUR] SQUARE [PROPOSITION]. Here is eas', sō't, no't - eas', wes', sō't, nō't - fō' [four] part[s] an' DE TERR'TORY WHEAH YO' HAS TUH GIT A PERSON OR KNOW A PERSON. [You are WOrking in a four- sided world.] [To] git a puson [it is necessary] DAT CHEW KNOW DERE NAME. Yo' Wan' 'em tuh come back home. Dey go off an' yo' wan' 'em tuh come back home. Make a fo' square [draw a square]. Write in dere: 1 an' 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7- 8. [He draws a square and writes in the numerals.] SEE, DIS IS DE WORLD, IF DEY IS IN DE WORLD AT ALL. DAT IS, HERE'S DE CENTAH OF DE EART'. All right.
[He begins to fold up the paper.]
(You fold that up.)
Fold it up, see. Yo' fole dat fo' cornah up an' de way dat chew put dat, de way dey come back. Now here is some question ah have tuh tell yo' 'bout. OUR MOTHAH HAS TUH TOTE US NINE MONT'S TUH BRING US IN DIS WORLD, SO DEY GOTTA CALL [A PERSON'S NAME] NINE TIMES. An' aftah [as?] dey call nine times, dey gotta stay in a cer- tain position, somepin lak dis [demonstrates]. Not lyin' up by raisin' it ovah yo' haid, an' puts it down. Put it down undah de foot of de do' [door]. An' in nine days time he'll walk in de house.
(Walk in the house. That's to bring the man back.)
Or a woman back.
(DO YOU WANT TO KEEP THAT PIECE OF PAPER?)
WELL, AH GOTTA KEEP DIS BECUZ DIS IS SOMEBODY ELSE'S STUFF DAT AH'M USIN'.
(OH, WELL, COULD YOU LET ME COPY IT BEFORE YOU GO?)
YEAH, YO' KIN COPY IT. [I believe that piece of paper, the world diagram, is copied in my Numbers Book.]
[Doctor Cason's material on p.2259f. in vol.3 comes in here.] [548:1.]
(What can I do to keep them from harming me?)
Well, yo' is travelin' ovah de worl'. Yo're travelin' ovah de world, yo' UndahSaN', de WOrld. AH TOTES A LI'LE BAG AROUN' MAH WAIS'. AH TOTE NINE KNOTS, ONE DIME AN' TWO PENNIES. Dem li'le articles stuck in dere. An' when ah gwine out, regardless of where ah goes, ah fin' dat somebody has done talk about me or no.
(Well what if they put something in the ground for you to walk over?)
Dat don' make no diff'rence. (What else do you put in that bag, besides those dimes and pennies? What else do you put in that bag?) I put a powdah in it. (What do you call that powder? Do you know the name? Can you think of the name?) Ah don' know. Lemme see.
(And a string that has nine knots.)
No string, a cord.
[He produces a ball of cord string.]
(Is that the cord, the ball of cord that you use?)
See [demonstrates] ah double dat up. Make nine knots outa dat. [Tie nine knots in the doubled cord, 1 Den ah ties a li'le roots.
(You tie some roots on that cord?)
Naw, ah don' put dat on dere.
(This powder that you use, what is the name supposed to be?)
Well, ah buy it an' den ah'll use diff'ren' article dat ah fix.
(Well has this powder a name?)
Yah, is a name but ah jis' cain't call de name of de powdah now.
(You send away and get it some place?)
Yes, any one of dese ten-cent box, big boxes, ten-cent box. Ah use dat. An', if dey not frien'ly an' yo' wan'a be coaxin' a pusson, yo' mix up certain amounts of dat an' about two teaspoonsfula cocoa.
(For to drink?)
Yes, sir. Dat says yo're coaxin' de mind of a pusson wit dis powdah. Yo'll use one or two spoonsfula powdah in dere. (You take one or two spoonsful of this powder. And then what do you put that in? What do you do with that?) Well, yo' fix up dat. Put roots an' stuff an' yo' pennies an' things whut yo' gona put in de bag. See whut chew kin make a bag outa firs'.
(What do you do with that cocoa [powder] then?)
Well yo' put about a teaspoonful in dat. Put it in, mix it wit de powdah.
(I see. Well, what sort of roots do you put in there?)
Well, yo' use de devil's-shoestring. Yo' unnahstan' dat? Do yo' know dat?
(I understand. Yes, ah know that.)
If yo' see it, yo' know it? (No, I wouldn't know it if I saw it, but I know of the root. I mean I've heard of it.)
(This is to coax the person?)
[I refer to the doctor's preceding words: yo're coaxin' de mind of a person.]
Yas. He comes tuh yo' ways. He's gotta come. Dey ain't no way in de worl' dat he kin git aroun' from it. An' while he might have made up in 'is mind tuh do harm, he's gotta come tuh do good.
(What did you just say, if things are what?)
[I had turned off machine and am now asking him to repeat.]
Ah said if thing goin' bad wit chu, yo' goin' tuh be at trial in de mawnin', yo' put a piece of dat root in de mout' an' pass it between yuh laigs. PASS IT BETWEEN YUH LAIGS ONE TIME.
(Pass it between your legs one time.)
Care [carry] it in yuh mout' - care it in yuh hip pocket on de wrong side an de case'll be thrown out. [549:4.] (Now suppose I'm not feeling well and I come to your house and I say, "Doctor, I don't know whether I'm sick or whether someone has put a spell on me." Now, COULD YOU TELL WHETHER I'M JUST ORDINARY SICK OR WHETHER I HAVE A SPELL ON ME?) Yas.
(How would you tell that?)
I'd feel yuh breath [pulse?].
(What do you do then?)
Well, ah tell yo' by yuh breath an' ah test yo' by yuh speakin'. An' ah come aroun' an' tell yo' whut it is.
(Well, how would you test me by speaking?)
Well, yo'd have tuh talk an' ah test yo'. Ah kin tell yo' feelin' 'cuz yo' son't be feelin' all right. Yo' kin talk so's ah kin git anythin' outa yo'.
[550:2.]
Ah nevah have experienced dat aroun', but ah have take de linin' outa man's bat an' put watah on 'is brains.
(Well, how do they do that?)
Well, dey do's somepin wit dat.
(What for example?)
Well, dey git dat linin' out - see, of co'se [course] ah don' follah dat [he does not do evil work].
(I understand.)
AH THINK AH'VE GOT TUH GO BACK TUH MAH BOOK TUH GIT DAT.
[To do this type of work he would have to consult his hoodoo book.]
(I see. What book do you use?)
AH USE DE "PSALM OF MOSES."
(The 6th or 7th Book of Moses?)
[I turned off recording too fast for an answer.] [551:1.]
(HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED THIS WORK?)
WELL, AH WUZ ABOUT FORTY.
(HOW DID YOU HAPPEN TO GET INTO IT? HOW DID YOU HAPPEN TO TAKE UP THIS WORK?)
Well, I WaS - had a jOb. AH WUZ 'TENDIN' TUH DIFF'REN' SICK. AH LEARNED TUH NURSE. Ah used tuh tend tuh git medicine fo' womens dat wuz havin' de baby. Ah took dem up by mah brain. An' ah studied a whole lot of it, dat tell about de practice of it. Ah didn't have tuh study no book fer dat, but ah knows a whole lot. Ah learned about John de Conkah, Adam-an'-Eve, rattlesnake root [I mean] mastah. All diff'ren' thin's. An' ah know whut dey fer. [551:2.] (WHEN YOU MEET ANOTHER ROOT DOCTOR AND HE HAS SOME GOOD REMEDY, WILL YOU USE THAT REMEDY THEN FOR YOURSELF?) WELL, AH TELL YO'. DON'T CARE WHO AH MEET, AH DON' WORRIES [BOTHER] WIT NONE OF DEM. DEY HARDLY WORRIES ME BECUZ DEY ARE NOT TUHGETHAH. [THERE IS NO ORGAN- IZATION OR FRIENDSHIP AMONG DOCTORS.] YO' WALKS AT ME AN' AH WALKS AT YO'. AH TRY TUH GIT IN YUH PATH AN' YO' TRY TUH GIT IN MINE. AN' AH DON' WORRY WIT CHEW. (I see, you work for yourself alone. Some of these root doctors will do things against you?) Yes, sir.
(And I suppose there are some who claim to be root doctors and are not.)
AH - AH'VE GOT MORE [TO MY WORK THAN BE] WIT 'EM. DEY ONLY TRY TUH MAKES MONEY AN' DAT'S ALL, BUT AH TRIES BY DE GOOD LORD TUH DO WHUT AH SAYS.
(I understand.) [551:3.]
Take yuh chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' cork it up tight. An' goes tuh de watah's side an' [when] de tide goin' down. Yo' wave dat ovah yuh haid nine times an' throw it back ovah de shouldah an' walk aways from dere. An' wherevah de tide care [carry] 'im, it'll care dat outside; an' wherevah it'll lodge, wherevah de chamber lye drop out, [that] draps yo'. Ah knows. Ah hear'd dat done all right.
(You throw it back over your left shoulder or your right?)
Left. [551:6.] An' de way dat dey used - dere's two wavs tuh usin' 'em.
(There's two ways [I begin by repeating his words] to use these chicken eggs?)
Yes, two ways dat ah know of. Dey will write yuh name on dere an' yuh street an' yuh numbah. An' dey will write out de numbah of yuh days on dere.
(The number of your day. What day?)
Any day dey Wanta give, nine days or ten days, or anythin', any days dey Wanta give. An' dey'll take dat an' put it in a careful place, a certain place where no one kin see it. Or dey kin bury it where dey don't want 'em tuh see. Den, if anybody do anythin' tuh yo' fam'ly, any of yuh fam'ly people, yo'll write on de egg an' 'is street numbah of 'is place. An' anybody yo' know daid, yo' go out tuh de cemetery 'fo' he's buried, an' put dat [egg] in 'is lef' han' an' shut 'im [egg with name] up. An' put 'im [named egg] in. An' dey cain't stick [the town]. "When dat breaks, dey gone.
Entry 7209
Many yeahs ago [this happened]. An' dis woman tole me. She wuz mah fathah's sistah. She tole me dat a man came from de country tuh de city an' stopped wit a woman, yo' know, an' got work heah an' stayed in de house wit 'er. Dat Woman Wanted 'im tuh stay dere [per- manently] an' dat man couldn't git tuh 'is wife. He couldn't go home. So he talked tuh a frien' an' he says, "Don' chew know ah've got a wife an' ah cain't go home. Evah time ah start tuh go, it seems dat dere's somepin dat ah cannot go." Well, dis man tole 'im somebody did sompin tuh 'im. He tuk [took] 'im some- whah whah he found out - some fortunetellah, ah guess or medium. Dey [fortuneteller or medium] says, "Yes, dis woman has done somepin tuh yo' tuh keep yo'." Says, "She has a bag sewed up in a flannel an' she keeps it 'roun 'er laig." He says, "If yo' kin git dat, yo' kin git back tuh yer wife." So dis woman had a way of settin' up wit 'er laigs crossed, so Aunt Julia tole me. So he jis' watched an' had a penknife an' he jis' saw dat bag. An' he clipped it an' ran outa de house, an' she woke up an' right behind 'im. He flew. An' he took de train an' went home tuh 'is wife. She dashed aftah 'im fer evah inch of 'er life, but she didn't ketch 'im.
(What did she have in that bag?)
Ah don't know whut wuz fn dere. [Hoodoo has a hundred examples of what a woman or man can put in similar bags or hands.]
Entry 7229
My grandmother lived across the road from my father and mother, and they found this old woman [Millie, the Witch] burying things under my father's house. And my grand- mother saw her doing it and she went over, and she must of got it, for she got sick and she stayed sick for six months. And someone told my father about a man. They called him a hoodoo doctor I think. Be went to see my grandmother and he told her Millie had planted something under my father's house. He went and dug under the house and found something in a little bag. The bag was about two inches square. My father said it had a draw string. She called it powder, some called it roots. It must grow somewhere. It looked like snuff. Then he fixed some medicine for my grandmother. It was liquid. And real snakes came out of her. [This happened near Gaston, N. Car., in 1890, and concerns the witch previously mentioned in rite No.l, p.1, from informant Julia, collected by hand,1936, in New York City. Did her parents use the term hoodoo doctor as early as 1890? Julia undoubtedly picked up the expression at a much later date.]
Entry 7486
Ah've heard of dem takin' de man's tracks, de one dat done de killin', taken 'is tracks an' puttin' dat dirt into de casket, jes' sew it up in a bag, an' put it right into de casket, an' dey claim dat man, if he leaves, he will come back. (The man that did the killing, he will come back if his foot tracks are buried in the casket.) In de casket wit de dead man dat he killed.
Entry 7674
Dey say if yo' wanted luck, if yo' havin' bad luck, dat chew could go tuh de graveyard an' dig down wit chure hand a certain depth an' git some dust near where de corpse lay at. An' tie dat up in a bag an' carry it roun' wit yo', an' yo' kin lead anybody roun' wit yo' lak dat. Dey would believe in yo' most gener'ly [generally].
Entry 7737
Git graveyard dirt an' put it in a bag wit blackroot an' black dirt - de kind yo' buy from lak places lak de island black dirt - an' blackroot. An' put dat in a bag an' go out in de voods at twelve a'clock at night fo' three an' foah nights at de time an' pray tuh evil spirits, etc. [In the southern United States black- root is the perennial plant (Chaenolobus undulatus) with black tuberlike root- stocks used medicinally by herb and root doctors.l
(Down on what island? Where do they sell this black dirt?)
Right on de island ovah dere. Yo' have tuh git dat special shuah [sure] becuz dat is why dey call it black dirt. [This black dirt is top soil washed down from higher land during the years.]
Entry 7785
(What do you go out to the forks of the road for?)
Yo' go out tuh de fo'k of de road tuh git a kinda root. Yo' git a kinda root de' calls de Conkah root. Aftah yo' git dat conkah root, yo' goes on back tuh de house. Dat's when yuh madam done quit yuh - lak yo' mä'ied [married] an den yuh madam done quit yuh. An' aftah yo' git dat root, why yo' goes on back an' yo' take de root an yo' parch it-lak, yo' undahstand. Yo' make a kinda dust outa it, jis' make a dust an' yo' mix it wit graveyard dust, yo' undahstand. An' den yo' gotta rejoin dat tuhgethah.
(Well, what do you do with that, after you mix all this stuff?)
Aftah yo' fix it, yo' jis' take it in a li'le sack. Take it in a li'le sack an' jis' wash it roun' yuh waist-lak, yo' see.
(I see. That's to bring the woman back?)
Yes.
Entry 7866
Well, ah've heard some of 'em say dat yo' could take a penny an' go tuh de cemetery, an' say one or two words an' [say to] jes' de person in de cemetery dat chew want 'em tuh work fo' yo'. An' yo' git a li'le bit of dat dirt an' come back home, an' take yo' some red peppah an' sulphuh an' put it in a sack, an' stick it undah- neat' de house. An' it supposed tuh move 'em in nine days.
Entry 7873
Dey kin git jis' some plain bakin' soda wit salt, an' use dat wit a li'le graveyard dirt, an' dat will usely [usually] run a person away. (How would they use that?) Well, yo' use it - jis' take de salt an' de bakin' powdah [soda?] an' graveyard dust, make it in a bag an' hang it by dere do' where dey have tuh pass in an' out, an' dat will cuz dem tuh be wondahin' [wandering] from den on. (You just hang it near their door, where they'd have to pass under.)
Entry 7891
Take dat graveyard dirt an' put dat graveyard dirt in a li'le bag an' sew it up. An' den dey'll, yo' know, dey put dis in a, yo' know, put some in - [if] dey kin git tuh yo', dey put some of dat grave- yard dirt in yuh shoe, put it in de shoe. Well, dat run yo' crazy.
Entry 7926
Ah heard dat if yo' wanted a sweetheart, lak yore husban' or anythin' - if yo' love him an' yo' want him tuh stay wit yo' - yo' takes de graveyard dirt an' yo' wears it, jes' git chew a li'le bit in a bag. Ah seed [= seen = saw] a lady one time wearin' some of it. An' yo' wears it in a bag an' that will make the man wanta stay wit yo'.
Entry 8458
Yes, ah've heard 'em tell of dat. Lak if yo' got dey pitchure an' yo' wanta git rid of a man, want 'im tuh leave or somepin lak dat, yo' take dis pitchure an' yo' cut it up. Jes' take an' cut it up in fine pieces. Take an' cut it up in a jumple. Well, yo' take an' fix yo' a kinda a li'le sack, kinda lak a woman has fo' change - keeps a li'le money sack about dat long an' it got a zippah on it. Dey take dat pitchure an' dey chip it up fine an' take yo' some salt an' jes' mash it on dere. Sprinkle dat salt intuh dat pitchure. An' den take yo' some sulphuh an' put dat sulphuh intuh it. Den yo' take an' put dis zippah on dere an' tie it up good an' tight. Well, yo' leave home, ah reckin, 'bout twelve aclock, jes' long as it round midnight on a dark, cloudy night. When yo' leave dere, go right straight tuh a stream of strong runnin' watah. An' yo' take dis zippah [sack] whut dis pitchure an' stuff is in, an' yo' take yore pocket han'ke'- chef an' yo' blindfold yo'self. an' den yo' throw it right in dat stream of run- nin' watah. An' dat's de way yo' git rid of 'em.
(That's to get rid of them. That means to run them away, send them away?)
Dat's right, tuh drive 'em outa dere.
Entry 9034
Ah know a whole lot mo' about de frog. Yo' take a frog an' yo' take a cigarette papah an' yo' pinch out de papah, an' yo' put on dere whut chew want dis frog [called toadfrog later] tuh do: tuh bring Carrie back home or declare Carrie in co't or somepin lak dat. An' yo' take dis toadfrog be round dere [the nearby toadfrog], ole toadfrog. An' yo' take dis cig- arette papah an' make a ball, an' yo' put dis in dis frog mouth. An' if yo' goin' tuh co't, or yo' goin' an' want Carrie back home, yo' take dis frog an' put it undah where Carrie is stayin'. An' if yo' goin' tuh co't, yo' put de frog tuh de step [of the house where Carrie is staying] befo' co't, or have someone tuh do it. An' take 'im in a papah bag an' drop 'im down, on de can [if you carry the frog in a can], an' walk on an' don't look back, an' go out: 'bout chure business, an' Carrie will come home, or yo'll come cleah in co't.
(You make her go to court, you mean?)
No, ah mean, fo' instance Carrie has got a case in co't, fightin' [arrested for fighting] or somepin lak dat, an' dey got a whole lotta knives on Carrie [instead of a sword, knives are hanging over her head]. An' yo' git a frog an' yo' make dis [cigarette-paper] pill, an' yo' put it in his mouth an' put de frog tuh de step. Dat's fo' de co't. Den, if yo' wanta bring Carrie back home. Carrie is staying somewhere else an' she left yo'. Yo' take dat same frog an' yo' put it on dis papah an' yo' put it in 'is mouth, an' yo' walk by dis stoop late hours in de night an' between de hours of nine an' eleven-thirty. Jes' lak she stayin' heah, yo' put chure package undah de stoop whut chure frog would be in - in dis bag or in dis can or how yo' have 'im. Don't kill de frog. An' den yo' go on an' don't look back an' dat frog will bring er home tuh yo'. She'll come back home to yo'. Dat's anothah one - see, de co't an' de woman.
Entry 9205
Put seven marks on it an' git chure lef' track.
[Make 7 crosses like letter "x" - see later.]
(You put seven marks on this egg, chicken egg.)
Chicken egg. Put seven marks on dat an' dey will take it down [I interrupt].
(What about that track? What do they do with that?)
Well, dey'd take it tuh de rivah an' throw it ovah de lef' shouldah. (Well now, they get the egg and get the track. What do you do?: Do you use those separately? Or how do you handle them?) Yo'use dat, Yo' know, jis' wit de track. Dey'd put dat in a sack to- gethah. (This egg and the track?) Yes. Dey take it down tuh de rivah an' throw ovah yore lef' shouldah in de rivah. Dat cuz tuh keep yore trouble. Always on de wandah. Keep yo' dis- satisfied.
(What sort of marks do they make on that chicken egg?)
Well, jis' cross dem. Jis' lak yo' mark heah [demonstrates], take an' make a cross dere [demonstrates].
(Make a cross mark, like an "x".)
[The X cross, a roughly drawn St. Andrew's cross, is normally used. This design can be made by rapidly crossing two diagonal lines. Also usable is the plus-sign cross + called the Greek or St. George's cross, a horizontal line vertically bisected by a line of the same length. To draw a cross in hoodoo crosses a person.] Jis' mark dat egg seven times.
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 10072
(After you have boil- ed this black cat, you take these bones and limbs. Then what do you do with those bones?)[I am summarizing what informant had said be- fore I: turned on machine.] Yo' has tuh suck evah one of 'em, evah one tuh git tuh de right one. When yo' git tuh de right one, it's a short j'int bone, somepin lak dat [demonstrates]. When yo' git tuh dat, it goin' burn yore mouth. When yo' burn yore mouth, yo' take it an' yo' force it roun' - put it in a sack an' reseal [seal] it up wit some garlic an' salt an' some sugah an' some red dirt [reddish clay unless one buys a special red dirt somewhere; in any case it is a substitute for blood]. An' if yo' goin' play dice wit dat or any kinda game, dere's two words yo' say out de Seven Book of Moses: If ah could win, ah'm goin' win; an' if ah happen tuh win, ah'm trustin' yo'. [Whether this is from Seventh Book of Moses, I do not know.]
(What kind of a sack do you put that in did you say?)
In a mink skin! [After informant leaves room, I say to machine: End of 1604. I think this fellow was a liar. Liar is a little strong, but I did concentrate upon every Word said. That I did not believe everything is shown by the section on made- up material in this present volume.]
Entry 10136
They say you must shoot a cat going right, a black cat crossing your road going right. Shoot him dead and then get that main bone what's called the thigh bone or femor bone of a cat, the right leg, front. And then get the bone right back of the head, and one of the right-foot bones also. Three bones. And put them to- gether and wear them in a sack around the waist, and a person can do anything he Wants to do that's devilish and tricky.
Entry 10214
I hear dat she could take a strand of häh out of a boy's head an' - this is a little bad - put it down an' [while he is asleep] measure hisself [she measures his penis with his hair]. An' she took that hah an' put it in a bag, an' put it up under huh ähm where she sweat at, an' he couldn't do nuthin to no other woman but her.
Entry 10321
Woman puts man's semen in small bottle, keeps in small red bag, ties string to and wears around waist [Richmond, 278:1].
Entry 10573
Yo' kin take a bat an' yo' kin put him in a stove, yo' know, an' bake him until he git kinda crusty like dat. An' put it in a little bag an' put a piece of lodestone in dere, an' dey tell me - say, dat will give yo' good luck.
(Good luck for what?)
Gamblin' an' shootin' dice.
Entry 10626
Adam-an'-Eve an' High John, an' make a bag of it, an' put it cal gethah an' put a li'le sagah dd it - a teaspoonful of sugah vid it - or salt wid it. An' mix it tuhgethah an' sew it up an' care it wid joo. To'll git a job dat way.
Entry 9599
Well, ah tell yo', yo kin git chew some salt an' red peppah an' oil of citronella an' weah dat bag intuh yuh pocket each night when yo' go out gamblin'.
Entry 9891
Yo' take a toadfrog alive an' yo' sew it up. Yo' puts 'im in a sack, sew 'im in a sack 'live. An' den ah cain't git tuh yuh bed, see, but dere is a fren' woman dat kin git tuh dere dat is a pers'nal fren' of mine. Ah give huh dat, tell 'uh tuh put it in yuh bed, in yuh mattress, see. An' when she slip dat, put dat in dat mattress, yo' become restless an' dose things will come tuh be in yuh flesh, becuz ah got de frog in dere. An' ah got de needles in dere, dat make de pain come. An' den dat git chew restless on de bed. Don't care when yo' git in dat bed, yo' gotta git out an' gits dressed. An' den all ah got- ta do den, aftah ah got it in dere, ah'll come tuh yuh house; an' when ah come tuh yuh house, if ah ketch yuh back tuh me, see, ah sprin- kle yuh bed wit dese [some kind of] powdahs. Ah sprin- kle dat, else ah drop one or two drops of dat perfume on dere.
Entry 9975
Fo' luck in gamblin', why yo' kin take a toadfrog an' sew 'im up in a sack an' put 'im in yore inside pocket some- where an' dat'll make yo' lucky in gamblin'.
Entry 9991
High John de Conkah root, red and white lodestone, frog dust, in bag, vet [feed] with Ole Hearts Perfume, sometimes with whiskey, luck hand for gamb- lers.
Entry 11709
Well, it's a powder yo' go tuh de drug sto' an' git which in - it's a plain powder called calomus [calamus = sweet flag] powders - jest a common powder. Yo' go tuh de drug sto' an' yo' kin git de powders in de drug sto', an' yo' kin git de Heart Perfume, an' yo' mix it up tuhgether. An' take yo' a little piece of gar- lic an' chip it up an' put it in dere. An' put it in a little sack an' wear it. An' yo' walk in dere, he [boss] mo' 'en [= then = than] apt tuh put chew tuh work.
(This is calamus?)
Yes, jes' plain calomus. (It's not calomel? Calamus that they put around a baby's neck - to wear? What do you use calamus for otherwise? What do you use it for?) Well, yo' kin jes' take it fo' a bad cold or tuh clean out chure system or anything. Ah have used it mahself wit Heart Perfume an'....
Entry 11856
To make the man stay home, you takes a piece of the strand of the hair right in the mole of the head, and get you two copper cents - but let it be two women's faces.
(Two pennies that have a woman on them. All right.)
And take the strand of the hair and then put it in between the women's faces. You get a piece of string or thread [demonstrates].
(You place these two pennies face to face.)
Face to face.
(And put that hair between them. All right.)
And then you wind the thread all around it until it holds together. Then you take a bag and you put it in a little bag with your name and his name in there, wrapped up in a single. paper, and every time you take a drink, you gotta give it something to drink. [There are a number of these rites in HOODOO of- fering food or drink or both to absent person.] (Water or liquor?)
Entry 12050
[I hold in my hand and will attach to this manuscript an original notation made in 1937 while transcribing cylinders recently recorded at Wilming- ton, North Carolina. All these transcriptions are pencil written so that I could reduce the number of playbacks. Here is the brief nota- tion: '50ç for (hoodoo) bag to get job. Tel. (Telediphone cylinder No.) 221 (+85). Wil. (Wilmington) No.227 (informants number)." As you know, this hoodoo material of mine was collected out in the field, in the homes and hotels of black people during the Great Depression. Let no one tell you Black people preferred the meager dole to a job. There must be 200 rites in HOODOO for get- ting or keeping a job! That price 5Oç also shows the scarcity of money.]
Entry 12142
She [root doctor] tell me. Ah'm goin' tell yo' whut she tole me 'bout de gamblin'. She gimme a bag an' tole me go tuh de drug sto' an' git a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' ever' time ah go in a game wet it wit dat Hearts Cologne; an' say wet it wit de Hearts Cologne an' rub it on yore han's, de Hearts Cologne - rub de bag on it.
(What was in the bag?)
Well, she [told me] yo' wusn't 'sposed tuh open it.
Entry 12343
Tuh git a job, yo' jis' have tuh dress yo'self an' ah tell yo' jis' whut chew have tuh do. Yo' have tuh dress yo'self wit lodestone an' quicksilvah an' Jockey Club Perfume - both togethah. Ah tell yo' jis' how yo' do now. Yo' git chew a red piece of flannel aftah yo' beat it all up dere to- gethah. Git chew a red piece of flannel an' den take a thread outa yore sock. See, jis' lak yo' got a pair of socks, but let it be a pair of socks yo' done worn amn' take a thread from dat sock an' tie it aroun' dis, an' den befo' yo' go in dere, yo' know, yo' kin'a run yore han's lak dis [demonstrates]. Yo' see, yo' rub yore han' lak dis an' den when he [boss] git tuh talkin' tuh yo', yo' have tuh kinda hold yore face lak dat. An' when yo' go, yo'll kin'a throw yore fingahs lak yo' kinda throwin' yore fingahs tuh him yo' know, an' he'll git de odor of it all right. Dat Jockey Club Perfume dere. The're [there are] two chances tuh one yo' won' be turned down.
(You rub this bag in your hand?)
Dat's right.
Entry 12350
[Here is a hand from an excellent hoodoo woman whose material was lost before it could be transcribedl: Lodestone, John de Conkah, saltpeter, dime (silver one), make wish while sewing bag to you, anoint every 9 days with whiskey or Jockey Club Perfume, "feed it, ' a bag. [This is my original resume of the rite in pencil, attached to final manuscript.]
Entry 12465
[To guard against unfulfilled desires during pregnancy:] Take the [Spanish] moss down and the woman wears this here moss across her breast, under her bubbies there; and of course, if things that she wish to want, and differ- ent [things] like that, why she wouldn't wish for that, and it won't bring her a birth-marked child.
(She just wears that moss on her breast.)
In a little bag or anything that she wants to wear it in. [For birthmarks, cause and removal, see FOLKLORE FROM ADAMS COUNTY ILLINOIS, 2nd ed.,965, Pp.111-130.]
Entry 12732
I have heard of a fellow getting a 'coon [racoon] and taking his privates and wrapping it up in a bag, and keep that in his pocket, and he would go and take the private advantage of a woman. [Hampton, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 11580
A lady [doctor came here and] rub his feet...she said somebody had got his tracks. And she come here and ketch him and [had him] take and make a track out in de door. And she'd taken de track up and taken de track and put it in a bag. She put de track in a bag and carried it to a old log in de woods and buried it under dere. He got well from dat.
(But who got this track under the log, the woman that was curing him?)
De lady dat was doctorin' him, and she was named Minnie Begrun, de same lady dat cured myself.
(That's all she did to cure him.)
Entry 12718
Get a rabbit leg. Go to the graveyard and get the left-hind foot of a rabbit and get some of that graveyard dust and put it in a sack and mix some - ah forget what the man did. But dey mixed it in with it. And you know, you'll die. You'll go crazy and be buried at de same graveyard where dey go - to a colored graveyard or white graveyard. Go to a colored graveyard for colored and go to a white graveyard for a white person [and do this] and you'll die. But I don't believe that. (But they have to catch this rabbit in the graveyard?) [This catching and blood mentioned later came before recording or while machine stopped.] Yes, sir.
(And what else did they put there besides the graveyard dust? What?)
And that little - three drops of blood.
(Of what?)
Rabbit's blood, you know, gotta ketch de rabbit.
(Oh, of the rabbit?)
Yes, sir.
(And did they put something else in it too or was that all?)
That's all I knows they put in it. That's all I've heard them say. I've never tried that. (Now, they use this graveyard dirt and this left rabbit foot. The hind or the front leg?) The hind left foot of a rabbit.
(And three drops of his blood. And then you put in - a sack or what?)
In a sack.
(And then you just bury it out there?)
Bury it at the person's doorstep. But they must go either to a colored or white grave, according to whether you are a colored or a white person?) Yes, sir.
Entry 12819
If you put salt in a bag and lay it over the top of the door, that will keep the law away. [Richmond 375:2.]
Entry 12853
Keep cunjure away by wearing salt and sulphur in a bag round waist or neck. [Wilmington 171:5+85.]
Entry 12854
Mix salt, sulphur and lard and wear it in a bag about your neck to protect against cunjure. [Fredericksburg, by Ediphone.]
Entry 13003
Usin' a bull dollah - a silver dollah.
(They call it a bow dollar? Why do they call it a bow?)
Dey always claim they could work roots with it. (That's what they call a silver dollar: a bow dollar - bull dollar? Do you mean like a bow - like this kind of a bow?) [I demonstrate either by holding and drawing a bow, or drawing design on paper.] Ah don't know how yo' spell it. It jes' a bow. Git chew a bow dollah an' go to any sto' an' git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' yo' take this heah bow dollah an' yo' take an' rub it with this heah Hearts Cologne. An' take an' put it in a red flannel sack an' wear it round yore waist, where it will 'cumu- late money to yo', bring happiness to yo', an' yo' jes' be lucky all de time.
Entry 2132
They get a dime from a rich man - and he went, who he went to I don't know, and take it to a woman. And she taked it and put it in a little bag and put some other stuff in - what all she put in there I don't know - and give him, I think it was eight verse out de Bible, to read that ever' mornin', and go down and let the man see him and that he would hire him. A man told me that.
Entry 3235
Jis' lak if yo' have a man, a fren' or somepin, yo' kin git 9 needles an' wear 'em an' he cain't have no othah woman but chew. (Where would you wear those 9 needles?) Yo' kin wear 'em roun' yore neck or sew 'em in a bag, yo' undahstan'. But chew have tuh wear 'em where he cain't see 'em. See, at nights when yo' go tuh bed yo' have tuh hide dis bag tuh keep 'im from seein' it.
Entry 1706
An' ah got somepin right chere now in mah pocket - course ah'll show it to yo'. [He shows it.] (What do you call that?) Ah couldn't tell you exactly. (It's wrapped up in a piece of cloth with rubber [elastic band] around it - like a little bag.) Yes sir, an' yo' tote that in yore right pocket an' anything yo' go in you will be successful - 'fore yo' git there yo'll know it: if it on yore mind to don't do that, don't do it; if it on yore mind to do it, go ahead an' do it an' yo'll be successful.
(Do you know what's in the bag?)
No sir, ah don't know.
(You bought it from somebody?)
Yes sir.
Bag is the interviewer description; the informant says he cannot name the object exactly or identify its contents.
Entry 12354
Live lodestone and pod of Adam-and-Eve root, put in bag "an' you feeds it ev'ry mawnin' with Van-Van or either good whiskey." [New Orleans 1261:5.]
The bag is named outside the printed quotation. The quoted feeding direction remains separate context; the opening source notes attribute unbracketed text to informants without establishing verbatim wording.
Entry 10575
In a gambling outfit is de foot I spoke of just now, de mole's foot and a bat's heart. Dey are about two of de hardest things to get dere is in de country. But dey take a bat, kill him and open him while he's still warm, and take his heart out. And dat shoveZ I Was speaking about just now [in 478:8 to move], well most gamblers will carry dem as a charm. Dey claim dat de money dat comes in contact with de bag dat dey carry dese things in, even if dey lose, it'll [the bag carrying the charm] come back to 'em. Dey got dat belief in it. A bat's heart and a mole's foot makes de greatest gambler's charm dey is. [There are several places in HOODOO where we have the belief about lost charms, hands, jomos, etc., coming back to the owner. It is of no use to finder. A hand or helper is made for a particular person, or was in the days when doctors made them.]
The account names a bag carrying charm materials. The interpretation of what returns is supplied editorially, and no return or gambling effect is established.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- MAN RUBS SNAIL ON WOMAN UNTIL SNAIL DIES; SEW SNAIL INTO BAG - HIDE IT BEHIND SHELF — Volume 3, entries 3653. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- (2) WOMAN PUTS MAN'S DIRT IN BAG AND WEARS — Volume 3, entries 4144. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- (3) DIRT IN BAG AND WEAR - URINATE ON IT 9 MORNINGS — Volume 3, entries 4145. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- TREE; MAN'S DIRTY SOCK IN BAG; NAIL TO SUNDOWN SIDE OF PINE - WISH — Volume 3, entries 5053. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- GRAVEYARD DIRT - 3 FINGERS TO JERK BACK TRACK; INCANTATION - TIE IN BAG - BURY IN DIRT-BOTTOM SPRING — Volume 4, entries 5450. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- NAME - HIS LEFT TRACK TOE TO HEEL - PUT IN BAG - WEAR IT; FOR 9 MORNINGS BEFORE SUNUP WALK THROUGH HOUSE - THROW BAG; OVER LEFT SHOULDER - DON'T LOOK BACK - CALL HIS NAME 3 TIMES — Volume 4, entries 5572. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- RED PEPPER - TRACK - IN BAG — Volume 4, entries 5611. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SALT: AFTER YOU WALK IN VISITOR'S FIRST 2 TRACKS LEAVING; SALT IN RIGHT - HANDFUL DIRT FROM LEFT INTO BAG AND KEEP — Volume 4, entries 5621. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SALT - SUGAR - LEFT TRACK TO YOU - BAG - WEAR — Volume 4, entries 5638. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SLEEP ON - TRACK IN BAG WITH SUGAR AND SPICE — Volume 4, entries 5647. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- TREE - TO SWING ON WHITE OAK - TIE WITH LONG NEW STRING; BAG WITH TRACK AND MOCKINGBIRD-NEST ASHES — Volume 4, entries 5716. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- GRAVEYARD DIRT - FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - IN BAG - OVER DOOR; LET HANG AWHILE - SPRINKLE AT DOORSTEP — Volume 4, entries 6455. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- EXCHANGE GRAVEBOARDS - LET STAY 4 DAYS - THEN PUT FOOTBOARD; TO LEFT [HEART] SIDE OF GRAVEYARD - HEADBOARD TO RIGHT SIDE; MAKE CROSS MARK ON GRAVE - MEASURE GRAVE HEAD TO FOOT; HAND MEASUREMENT IN BAG TO VICTIM OR SOMEONE IN HOUSE — Volume 4, entries 7725. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD.
- BED - BAG AND SEW GRAVEYARD DIRT INTO MATTRESS OF — Volume 4, entries 7731. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- KNOTS 9 - GRAVEYARD DIRT - SEWED INTO BAG — Volume 4, entries 7817. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- LEFT BREAST FOR WOMAN; LEFT POCKET FOR MAN; GRAVEYARD DIRT IN BAG FOR LOVE — Volume 4, entries 7826. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- NEEDLES 9 - TENPENNY NAILS 9 - GRAVEYARD DIRT; IN BAG - BURY IN FRONT OF DOORSTEPS — Volume 4, entries 7844. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- DEAD PERSON'S BONE WITH RED BEANS; LUCKY IF TIED OR SEWED UP IN BAG — Volume 4, entries 8025. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → COFFIN - DOLL BABY - BURIAL - BONES → BONES FROM THE DEAD → WHAT BONES FROM THE DEAD DO.
- OAK: FROM RED-OAK TREE HEART WOOD CUT A PIECE; AND SHAPE IT LIKE A HEART - WEAR OVER YOUR HEART; IN BAG - AT COURT THERE WILL BE 3 HEARTS; YOURS - WOOD'S - JUDGE'S A LIGHTER SENTENCE — Volume 4, entries 9108. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → COURT CASES.
- ASAFETIDA - JOHN DE CONKAH - NEW ICE-CREAM SALT; IN BAG ABOUT NECK - OR SUBSTITUTE A NUTMEG — Volume 5, entries 9643. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- EITHER HIND LEG OF BLACK CAT IN BAG FOR LUCK — Volume 5, entries 10127. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN.
- BLACK CAT SCALP IN BAG FOR LUCK — Volume 5, entries 10139. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN.
- BLACK CAT BONE IN BAG ABOUT NECK FOR LUCK — Volume 5, entries 10148. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN.
- ALUM - MAN'S NAME - IN BAG; OVER HIS BED KEEPS LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 10634. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BUCKEYE IN BAG - CARRY - "FEED" HEARTS COLOGNE - JOB — Volume 5, entries 10834. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- MAGUIN OR SAN MONGAIN - ROOT DOCTOR OF CHARLESTON; USES ORIGINAL "JACK" = FETISH = BAG HOLDING 2 ROOTS; INDIAN CONQUER AND DEVIL'S SHOESTRING - SWINGING OUT; ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS - ORIGINAL TOO IS HIS SWEET-GUM; STICK CUT WITH LEFT HAND - BURIED - NEVER SEEN AGAIN; HE CLAIMS TO HAVE MET THE FAMOUS DOCTOR BUZZARD — Volume 5, entries 11264. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- NUTMEG - 3 SEEDS AND 3 HOLY NAMES - 45 CENTS SILVER; IN BAG - HAND FOR POLICE AND RUNNING JUKE-BOX JOINT — Volume 5, entries 12505. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- ROOTS: PRICKLE FEET - BAG - HEARTS COLOGNE 9 DROPS — Volume 5, entries 12772. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- WOMAN'S LEFT SOCK - MAN BURNS - SEWS UP ASHES IN BAG; WEARS ON HIM - MAKES HER DO ANYTHING HE WANTS DONE; MIND HIM IN ANY WAY - SHE CAIN'T HAVE NO MAN WIT DAT; FOR SAME PURPOSE HE CAN DUST POWDER ON HER AT NIGHT — Volume 5, entries 13136. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
Source passage
printed interview with editorial and production layers · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
fold away from you. Here we have a special magic rite of overlapping or corre- sponding or accordion folds.]
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(You put his handkerchief in the pot and you put this piece of paper in, too?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
In too - into it an' tie it nine times.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(Tie that handkerchief nine times.)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[Make nine knots in it.]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
But yo' put dat sugah in dere now, remembah. An' yo' put de sugah in dere an' put it on in watah an' start it tuh cookin'. Den yo' call 'im by 'is name, say,
recited or prescribed formula · Current practitioner speaking in this passage · So-an'-so (prescribed addressee); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
"Come on back heah, So-an'-so, "
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
an' so on.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(After this water has finished cooking, you take it out and scrub with it.)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Scrub yore front steps. He'll come on back. Yo' take de right-foot sock an' put it right up in de front of de do' an' yo' pee on it nine mawnin's an' yo' leave it dere. Dat's tuh keep 'im from gittin' away. Dat's one way of
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[doing]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
it.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(Do you put it down any special way?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Put de toe tuh de do' an' spread it out wit de toe tuh de do', wit de nail in de middle of each toe, so it will be smooth. Ah don' take no 'mount of nails. Ah jis' nail it down till it's smooth, so it won't be no wrinkle undah yore rug, becuz de man is a superstitious
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[suspicious]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
thing. Yo' have tuh look fo'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[watch]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
hin as well as he do yo'. Yo' pee on it fo' nine mawnin's. Dat's one way. But de way ah have of doin', ah bear
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[bury]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
it undah de steps, de same way
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[with the nails]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
, but ah druthah
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[rather]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
bear it undah de steps becuz he won't hunt it dere.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(He won't see it there.)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Yo' kin pee in front of dere fo' nine mawnin's. Yo' kin run people away wit dey shoe. Yo' kin go on down heah to de railroad an' git abo'd one dem flatcars, an' take yo' five 20-penny nails an' nail it down dere jis' tuh de box
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[over the hotbox]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
, an' when dat car roll yo'll roll - yore an'will roll an' keep yo' rollin'. Ah burn 'em.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(What do you burn the shoe for?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Aw, fo' luck. Ah take sulphah, sugah, cinnamon an' bluestone an' burn 'em an' puts money an' burns money in 'em - take some nickels or dimes, pennies or Ohatevah yo' got. See, de money is jis' as good as it evah wuz. Put it in dere am'take a little oil of cedar an' put in dere an' burn it - see, opposite de do' lak dat
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[demonstrates]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(Right in the middle of the front of the door, the saddle of the door. What Ls that supposed to do?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Fo' luck - spo'tin'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[sporting]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
houses, fo' transits
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[transients]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
, anythin'. If he's done quit chew an' gone off - see, dis bed heah.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[On my first trip to Memphis, I interviewed in a bedroom of the down-town hotel for black people, Eureka Hotel - see INTRO., v.1, p. XXxl11.]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Yo' take his pichure an' git chew fo' pins. Yo' turn 'is haid down, undah- stan', pin it on de back of dat bed, an' go on an' lay down. Dat keeps 'is min on yo' in dat bed.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(Which way do you stick it, looking outside
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[away from]
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
or facing the bed?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Tuh de bed.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
[The man in the photograph at the back of the bed, his head down, looks chrough the bed headboard at the woman on the bed!]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(What else can you do with the picture?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Well, yo' kin take it an' put it ovah watah an' draw 'im back.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
(How do you do that?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1863
Take de glass an' take de pichure an' set de watah lak dat, but if it's a
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
small one, smallah dan de glass, den yo' know whut chew do, yo' git chew a little whiskey glass an' put watah in it but don' let de pichure tech it. An' yo' double dat lil pichure on dat lil whiskey glass an' set it in de inside - yo' know, let it spread out enough dat it will hold itself. Put it undah yore bed.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(Do you put that.picture in
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[the glass]
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
just any way or do you put the head standing up?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
On 'is haid alway8. Dat
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[dragon's blood]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
one de greates' thin's yo' kin use. Yo' kin use it fo' peace or yo' kin use it fo' de devil. Fo' peace ah use it wit sugah, but dragon blood will stop it
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[devil work]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
. Any time yo' don' want a fuss, yo' gotta put sugah in it.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(What do you do, burn it?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Burn it. Den yo' covah it. Dere lotta thin's yo' mix wit it tuh keep people from knowin' whut it is - Balt. An' yo' dig roots, but chew don' wan' people tuh know whut de roots are.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[The FOLLOWING STATEMENT ABOUT THE UNUSUAL BLACK CAT ASHES IS AMAZING. My informant first tells how she or rumor says these ashes are made and then, after our brief digression with the black cat bone we return to the use and price of black cat ashes.]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Git chure own black ket aahes, Yo' git some undahtakah to take de ket
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[cat]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
an' fill it fulla fohnenhide
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[= foam-en-hide = formaldehyde]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
, joo know, an' den yo' go where dere de crematory an' git 'im tuh burn dat, an' den yo' ketch all de ashes. See, yo've made yer own ashes. An' jis' git chew a ket yo'self an' kill 'im
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[and take him to the undertaker]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(What about the black cat bone?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Aw, well, yo' put 'em in boilin' hot watah an' cook 'im an' de bone dat rises tuh de top, yo' take it tuh a gtream of watah. All de rest of dem will sink, sho'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[sure]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
as ah'm livin', but chew mus' sell yo' soul tuh de devil tuh mastah dat.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(How do you sell your soul to the devil?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Ah've nevah learn tuh do dat. But sellin' yo'self to de devil, yo' know whut dat is don' chew? Yo' don' believe dere is a God, dere nevah wuz a God.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(How do you use these black cat ashes?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Dat black ket ashes ia 'bout one de highest
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[hoodoo ingredients]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
yo' kin buy. Yo' cain't buy undah five dollahs right roun' at de cornah heah.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(You mean at the drug store?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Five dollahs.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(What do they use it for?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Well, sometime dey use it fo' success - dey fo' drawin'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(Mostly hands?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Gamblin' han's.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(How would you make a good gambling hand?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Well, sometime ah'd git bat hearts, dry 'em. Yo' know dey'll dry if yo' jis' take 'em an' lay.'em in de sun an' dey'll wizzle
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[= wizen]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
up. An' yo' take dat bat heart an' yo' take nine needles an' yo' break dose needles off at de top. An' yo' stick nine needles right aroun' dat heart. Yo' take yo' a piece of lode- stone - it's cordin' tuh whut colah it is, whoevah yo' makin' a han' fo'. When yo' read
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[the cards]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
fo' 'im yo' kin
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[tell]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
what he needs. Yo' kin take white lodestone or black lodestone an' dere is a she lodestone made lak a woman. Dat's a she lodestone
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[demonstrates, or does she show me one?]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
(Just in the shape of a woman.)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Yeah. Yo' kin git dat at Dahinton
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[Darlington?]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
Bros., Natchez, Miss.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[She lodestone in the shape of. a woman is rare in my experience. This would
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
be powdered she lodestone pressed into the semblance of a woman, a very small form so that it could fit into a hand. This figurine appears to have been a spe- ciality (or specialty) of this business firm. See margin-title LODESTONE: HE AND SHE, Pp.601-603. [We now return to the gambling hand made with a bat heart.]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Yo' take de nine needles, yo' break 'em off sho't
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[short]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
yo' know, but yo' stick 'em in de heart. Den yo' put yore heart in cloth, silk an' flannen - red flannen
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[flannel]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(You use both of them?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Uh-huh, one's de inside bag an' one's a' outside bag. Some of 'em use shammy. An'den yo' take dat
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[heart]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
out an'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[as a substitute]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
yo' put dat lodestone in dere an' yo' keep a silvah dime in dere. Dat silvah dime, dat'll las' yo' a long time, not gratin' it. An' yo' put a lil dat silvah money in dere, an' yo' put dis lodestone an' nine needles, an' yo' put a lil piece of John de Conkah, an' yo' take a lil piece of devil's-shoestring, an' yo' sew dat bag up an' wish. An' den yo' dress it. Wish success tuh yo'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(What do you use specially to dress it?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Hell, ah use - sometime ah use bergamine
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[bergamot]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
an' wintahgreen mixed, but ah us'lly use oil of cedar an' Jockey Club
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[Perfume]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
. But yo' see in some in- stance, tuh make yore stuff go fur
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[further]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
, yo' git chew toilet watah an' halfa bottle of Jockey Club, becuz it's
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[a full bottle is]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
mo' expensive. But chew Hn make it
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[go further]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(The inner bag is of silk and the outer one is the flannel?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
No suh, innah bag is flannen, an' de outah bag is de silk. Take a bath in sweet spirits of nitre fo' nine days an' garlic. Yo' take it an' po' it in yore bath watah. Yo' take a little Red Seal Lye, yo' know. a lil lye on a knife. Yo' put it into yore bath watah an' den yo' po' de sweet spirits of nitre in dere an' nine pods of garlic cut up, an' take a bath in dat. Den yo' Hn go tuh de rivah an' take a bath in runnin' watah, an' dat's luck.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(After you take the bath?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Bo, ah say eithah one of dose. Dey are two diff'ren' thin's dat ah'm tellin'. One if yo' in a stream of bad luck an' yo' want chure bad luck
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[to change]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
. Some people
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[doctors]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
send dere customahs to de
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[Mississippi]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
rivah tuh take a bath in runnin' watah tuh wash de jinx off an' it'll roll on down
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[the river]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(Hou of ten do you do that?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Fell, one or twice, but yore luck will change.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
{For bathing in the Mississippi River at New Orleans on May 1, see p.381, No. 986.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(For this luck in gambling
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[I mean]
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
for this bath nine times, do you take it at any special time?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Any time you kin make it
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[= any time you get ready]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
. De furse thin' yo' do, yo' git chew some love powdahs, yo' kin buy 'em at Mff'ren' places,
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[and]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
peace powdahs. Den anothah way yo' kin do, if yo' know de man's name. Den jis' lak yo' know bo yo' goin' tuh work fa', well yo' go dere, an' yo' go to de icehouse an' yo dt chew a dime piece of ice, an' write his name an' put it in dat ice, an' wrap at ice up tight an' don' 'low
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[allow]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
nobody tuh break dat ice. Dat cools 'im Ian' he'll talk wit yo'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(hat do you do with that love powder in the meantime?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
gell, dey use it sometime an' women use it tuh make men love 'em, tuh make boevah yo' meet be cool, peaceful.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Do you make your own love powder?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1865
Bo suh, ah don't make mah own love powdahs but ah do makes some powdahs.
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
Yo' kin go - jis' lak yo' git up in de mawnin' an' take jis' nine clear buck- ets Of watah. YO' DO SOMETHIN' DIFF'REN' EVAH TIME YO' MAKE LUCK IN BUSINESS.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[This is an unusual rule, probably informant's own, one that will keep an expert operator like the informant mentally agile. For this type of luck, see BUSINESS AND CUSTOMERS, Pp.669-744.
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
Yo' throw nine buckets of watah on yore front po'ch an' sweep. Don' nevah sweep yore po'ch off, always sweep it back. Cleah watah from de hydran'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[con- sidered running water]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
. But don' speak to nobody while yo' doin' it. But evah time yo' do somethin' diff'ren'. Well, de nex' time ah do it, ah use bergamine an' wintahgreen mixed; scrub mah front wit it, dat an' one bucket of watah. A dime's worth will be enough fo' two scrubbin's. Go an' git chew some pure hick'ry an' take dat hick'ry an' burn it in de stove, an' yo' rake it out an' git chew some bluein', de stick bluein'. It blue clothes, yo' know. Yo' wanta keep de blues away
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[cops wearing blue suits]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
. Yo' take dat hick'ry an' bluein' an' mix it togethah an' yo' put it ovah yore do'. Put de ashes an' de bluein' ovah yore do'. Pulvahize it tuhgethah, in any- thin' yo' want. Eithah put it in a lil box so it ovah dat do'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
(That will keep the law away.)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
Den lak yo' wanta win a suit or anythin'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[any court case]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
. Yo' go down heah
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[the market]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
- yo' know whut double pansy whut grows in gardens an' thin's.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
(Double pansy.)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
Well, yo' git chew nine new leaves of double pansy an' yo' put it in yore shoe an' yo' write six Disciple names an' wrap dat double pansy up in dat papah where de six Disciple names are in. Yo' write de Twelve Disciple name an' weah six in each shoe an' put a piece of double pansy in each shoe. Undahstan' me, but chew fold it in papah an' den put it in yore shoe. Now, de furse six take an' put it in yore right shoe, de nex' six yo' put dem in yore left shoe, when yo' go into co't Or anythin' lak dat. ANYTHIN' DAT CHEW WANTA MASTAH, YO' WEAH DEM TWELVE DISCIPLES. De way tuh do lak yo' got a lotta enemies. In dat case an' yo' wanta git rid of 'em so dey cain't talk, yo' go git chew a beef tongue. Yo' take dat beef tongue an' yo' write dere name, all dere names, an' yo' stick a hole in dis part of de tongue - de tip of de tongue - an' yo' stick dose names up in dere. Dat's used personal, understan'. Den yo' take it to a flue an' let it down dere an start chew a hot fiah, an' go on to co't
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[court]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
. Yo' kin jis' put it on a wire yo' know, so it will hang dere. Yo' hangin' 'em.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
(Well, why do you want to warm then?)
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
Ah'm hangin' 'em
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[not warming them]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[This rite causes a hung jury.]
informant · Current practitioner speaking in this passage; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1866
Ah know from experience. Yo'll laff when ah tell yah. A fellah killed mah uncle heah, two of 'em, an' ah drawed em back heah. Ah tole 'em, ah said, "Dey goin' ketch 'em, ah ain't goin' put mahself tuh no trouble." See, yo' gotta have fo' aig an' dey mus' be de aig of a black hen. Dey cain't stay 'way. Yo' put two undah his [murdered man's] arm, two undah his haid. Yo take yo' a pair of scissahs an' cross it in his back - steel. [To open the closed scissors makes a cross of steel.] It done wit steel, an' shet dem han's up an' let dem arms tight down on dem aigs. When dem aigs bus' he cain't stay still. Dey'll git back heah. He'll come back hisself, yo' don' have tuh hunt fo' 'im. (This case with your uncle, did you get the man?) Yessuh. (Did that happen right here in Memphis?) Right heah in Memphis. Dere a piece in de papah about hoodoo hero[ine] dis
Nested source context: recited or prescribed formula · Vol. 3, p. 1863
"Come on back heah, So-an'-so, "
Nested source context: continuing window edge · Vol. 3, p. 1863
fold away from you. Here we have a special magic rite of overlapping or corre- sponding or accordion folds.]
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 3, p. 1866
"Dey goin' ketch 'em, ah ain't goin' put mahself tuh no trouble."
Nested source context: continuing window edge · Vol. 3, p. 1866
Ah know from experience. Yo'll laff when ah tell yah. A fellah killed mah uncle heah, two of 'em, an' ah drawed em back heah. Ah tole 'em, ah said, "Dey goin' ketch 'em, ah ain't goin' put mahself tuh no trouble." See, yo' gotta have fo' aig an' dey mus' be de aig of a black hen. Dey cain't stay 'way. Yo' put two undah his [murdered man's] arm, two undah his haid. Yo take yo' a pair of scissahs an' cross it in his back - steel. [To open the closed scissors makes a cross of steel.] It done wit steel, an' shet dem han's up an' let dem arms tight down on dem aigs. When dem aigs bus' he cain't stay still. Dey'll git back heah. He'll come back hisself, yo' don' have tuh hunt fo' 'im. (This case with your uncle, did you get the man?) Yessuh. (Did that happen right here in Memphis?) Right heah in Memphis. Dere a piece in de papah about hoodoo hero[ine] dis
Nested source context: cross page editorial continuation · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[She lodestone in the shape of. a woman is rare in my experience. This would
Nested source context: editorial expansion · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[con- sidered running water]
Nested source context: rumor or informant qualification · Vol. 3, p. 1864
[The FOLLOWING STATEMENT ABOUT THE UNUSUAL BLACK CAT ASHES IS AMAZING. My informant first tells how she or rumor says these ashes are made and then, after our brief digression with the black cat bone we return to the use and price of black cat ashes.]
Nested source context: condition and negation qualification · Vol. 3, p. 1864
as ah'm livin', but chew mus' sell yo' soul tuh de devil tuh mastah dat. (How do you sell your soul to the devil?) Ah've nevah learn tuh do da
Nested source context: substitution qualification · Vol. 3, p. 1865
[heart] out an' [as a substitute] yo' put dat lodestone in dere an' yo' keep a silvah dime in dere. Dat silvah dime, dat'll las' yo' a long time, not gratin' it. An' yo' put a lil dat silvah money in dere, an' yo' put dis lodestone an' nine needles, an' yo' put a lil piece of John de Conkah, an' yo' take a lil piece of devil's-shoestring, an' yo' sew dat bag up an' wish. An' den yo' dress it. Wish success tuh yo'.
Nested source context: answer correction qualification · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(The inner bag is of silk and the outer one is the flannel?) No suh, innah bag is flannen, an' de outah bag is de s
Nested source context: alternative baths qualification · Vol. 3, p. 1865
(After you take the bath?) Bo, ah say eithah one of dose. Dey are two diff'ren' thin's dat ah'm te
Nested source context: editorial interpretation qualification · Vol. 3, p. 1866
[This rite causes a hung jury.]
partial continuing interview window with context only edges
This passage contains part of a continuing interview; neither the complete interview nor every topic is included.
The opening editorial discussion of folding continues from the preceding page; it is included as context only.
The closing recollection about an uncle and a murder continues on printed page 1867; it is included as context only.
Missing bracket/brace and malformed prompt delimiters remain literal; authored bounds distinguish editorial and live source.
Hyatt explicitly frames cat-ashes preparation as informant or rumor; do not infer personal practice.
Retain cat-bone sell-soul qualification and never-learned answer; bat-heart/lodestone substitution; reversed bag correction; alternative baths.
Local practitioner identity only; no resolved person, plant or business identity.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 3, p. 1862 · Vol. 3, p. 1863 · Vol. 3, p. 1864 · Vol. 3, p. 1865 · Vol. 3, p. 1866 · Vol. 3, p. 1867