Subject:Bat
Entries
Entry 5818
Take heart out of a bat, chew know, an' den yo' take some of 'er hair wit dat, an' yo wear dat undah yore lef' arm. Well, now, aftah yo' wear dat ondah yore lef' arm about nine or ten days, an' have a chance to have a intah- co'se wit 'er, den yo' ain't got no mo' trouble wit 'er. Dat'll lead 'er yore Way. IF SHE GOT MONEY, Or whatevah she got, AT CHURE COMMAN' SHE'LI NoW dat de heart of a bat. Hit brings good luck an' bring love.
Entry 6536
Yo' take dis bat an' put 'im in bucket or box or somepin an' let 'im dry - jis' perish tuh death. Den yo' take an' if it's a person dat chew wish tuh harm, yo' feed 'em dat dust in some of dat food or watah dat dey have tuh drink, an' it'll cuz a person tuh have live things in 'em.
(What kind of live things?)
Bugs. [Bats are supposed to be full of bugs - see FACI, 1841, p.83, 1st ed.; 2007, p.78, 2nd ed.]
Entry 6704
Git a bat an' cook 'im up. Cook 'im in olive oil, stir 'im up, an rub a person wit dat. An' if dere's anythin' about 'em swell up, it'll take de swellin' outa dem. (Anything that is ordinary swelling?) Dat's right.
Entry 6705
Ah've heard of de bat an' ah've heard of de frog. (What about the bat?) Well, dey say dat chew take a bat an' yo' git 'is heart, an' yo' keep de heart fo' tuh weah on yore person. But dere some kinda way dey say dat chew put it in alcohol an' dey keep it; but it supposed tuh be in a small bottle an' dey weah it on dey person. Dey take de rest of de bat an' salt 'im down lak yo' would a hide or sompin, yo' unahstan', until he petrifies. An' when yo' tack dat up in yore house somewhere, he [you] have de bat an' de heart. Dat supposed tuh pertec' [protect] yo' from all enemies an' show yo' special favahs [favors] aroun' yore home.
Entry 8954
When yo' in jail an' yo' gotta go out tuh go tuh trial, yo' ketch a bat an' swallow his heart. Cut him open an' swallow his heart while his heart's alive, an' de judge bound tuh discharge yo' or give yo' a light time.
Entry 9986
If a fellah wants tuh be lucky an' go tuh a place where dere's plenty of money at, an' he wants de othah fellah tuh fall, he go out an' kill 'im a toadfrog, an' he dries dat frog up. Den he go up, if he got a chimley, an' git one dese bats dat flies roun' de chimley - chimley bats. [Does informant mean chimney swallow?] Gits one of 'em. Den he'll dry it, an' he'll put dat frog an' dat bat in each one of 'is pockets. He's got a pair of dice in dere. [What informant means by preceding expression will be learned later.] Take dem dice out an' rub 'em in han' dat-a- Way [demonstrates] aftah he done tech de frog or eithah de bat. Now, yo' got a gamblin' house heah. Well, yo' 'lowin' [allowing] people tuh shoot dey own dice [not the house dice]. Well, ah'm yuh gamekeepah. Ah'm [I am = I have] got a stack of dollahs ovah heah [demonstrates]. Well, yo' come heah an' yo' say, "Ten dollahs fo' tuh shoot." Ah say, "Yo' want any dice?" "No, ah'm got a pair of dice." "Shoot 'em, "[I say]. Well yo' throw 'em out. Firs' time dey'll crap. Nex' time dey'll crap. He's back in 'is p'int [point] up dere. An' he say, "Ah ain't got no p'int [point] ah'll ketch mah p'int." Well, when he ketch a p'int, he might ketch a fo', six or eight or ten, an' right dere where ah'm done both. An' if ah speak up tuh 'im, he'll have de whole business. Dat's fo' a gamblin' han'.
(You use either of those?)
Eithah one of 'em. Gotta put one in each one of 'is pockets dis-a-wa y[demon- strates] an' when he gits ready - don' pull 'em out. He puts 'is han' on 'em an' rub 'em dis-a-way, see [demonstrates]. (Does he have both parts of the dice [the two dice] in one pocket, or one in each pocket?)
[Here I am surprised!]
Naw, he has two sets of dice, see. If he have one set of dice, he kin put 'em in each one [either] of 'is pockets - it mattahs ary [either] one of 'is pockets will do. But yo' gotta change it up sometime from one pocket tuh de othah, see. De frog he's dried up an' de bat he dried up.
Entry 10099
Dat black cat by de watah's got tuh be at twelve 'clock at night. An' if dey ain't good, dey can't stay dere. Cain't stay dere. Ain't no way fer yuh tuh stay dere. Yuh take dat black cat bone. Yuh take dat black cat an' yuh boil all de meat off 'is bone. Dey says yuh goes tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' put dat cat bones in dat place an' do dat business. Well, ah believe dat's a mistake. Dat's mah belief. But chew take dat black cat bone an' yo' boil dat black cat down, an' when all de meat fall off de bone, yo' take dat black cat up [from the pot] an' yo' wash dem bones off wit cleah watah. Aftah yuh wash dem bones off in cleah watah, yuh take evah bone, evah bone dat Was in de cat, an' put 'em in yore mouth. An' de right bone is goin' tuh turn yuh blind as a bat. Dat's de bone.
(That's the bone you use.)
Entry 10551
An' yo' could take a leather-wing bat an' kill 'im, yo' know. While he's live, take his heart out befo' he die good. An' tie it up in a red piece of flannen an' tie it undah yore right arm. An' yo'll be lucky in anything yo' wanta do. Yo'll be successful in it.
Entry 10552
Gits a leather-wing bat to run people 'way from dey house - jes' lak de person nex' tuh me. Git de leather- wing [never leather-winged] bat an' git de ashes of him. Burn de whole body. Burn him up an' git his ashes, an' take an' place dat [ashes] down in dere wit some good fresh hog lard. Put it [mix- ture] down in dere path an' dat will move dem.
(That will run them. They have to walk over that?) Yes.
Entry 10554
Well, yo' know a leather-wing bat. Well yo' kin take hit an' split him open, an' yo' kin git nine drops of blood from him, an' den git some Heart Cologne an' mix it together. An' yo' kin tote dat in yore pocket an' dat's very good luck. (Well, how would you carry all this stuff, in a rag or in a bottle or in a wallet, what?) Well, yo' take yo' a bottle whut chew buy de Hearts Cologne in an' yo' po'es dat in it.
(You put this blood in the Hearts Cologne bottle.)
Dat's right, an' den yo' see, yo' watch it an' yo' feeds it on dat all de time, yo' see, an' it, yo' know, grows an' grows, makes yore luck be stronger an' stronger.
Entry 10555
Take a bat an' kill him an' ketch de blood in a bottle of watah an' carry it in yore purse. An' let de bat dry an' hang it up in de no'th corner of yore house, an' cover it up, an' it always bring luck to yo' as long as yo' live there.
Entry 10556
Now yo' kin take a bullbat an' if yo' wanta tuh, jes' lak if some people, yo' know, dey play de bolito or somepin an' dey wanta dream a good num- ber. Well dey take dat bullbat an' dey goes out an' dey kill him an' git some of de blood, yo' know when it's running from him an' take it an' jes', anything yo' know, an' [with this blood] jes' write jes' whatever yo' wanta know, yo' see, onto dat paper, an' place it under yore head dat night, an't [and it] will come tuh yo' in yore dreams, jes' whatever yo' wanta know. Yeah, if yo' wanta git de right number.
Entry 10557
Well, yo' ketch a leather-wing bat an' he be live, an' yo' kill him an' yo' cut dat heart out of him while he's live. An' yo' carry dat 'round in yore pocket an' dat brings forth plenty good luck. (Luck in gambling.)
Entry 10560
Live things? Why sure, sure. You go to work and get you a bat.
(A bat that flies around?)
Yeah, take a bat, he got live things in him. You get you a bat - course it's bad person and things. You take that bat and you take it and stew him down with fresh lard. Stew it down and grease with it. You grease and why them things will leave, just like any kind of live things crawling. You feel somepin inside of you, you catch that in your nightgown. It [bat salve] brings 'em out.
(That brings these live things out.)
Yeah, it'll bring it out. [Since a bat is supposed to carry bedbugs, live and perhaps other things, its salve should bring out all crawling things, things perhaps caused by witchcraft.]
Entry 10561
Bury bat heart at your doorstep to keep law away. [Vicksburg, Miss., 1002:3.]
Entry 10562
Well, dey take dis bat an' kill him, an' let him dry; jest lak leather anyway, see. Jest let him dry an' jest [wrap] him up an' jest tote him in yore pocket. [For 3 dried bats see later.]
(The whole bat?)
De whole bat.
(What will that do?)
Well, dey tell me dat's lucky to yo'.
(In any particular way?)
In anything yo' start, any thing.
Entry 10563
Ah'm a turpentine distiller by trade.... An' on de corner of mah rosin shed in '28 [1928] in May, ah don't know what time but it Was in de month of May, coming updepathahhappento sight in de crack where dis rafter come down ah saw a leather-wing bat, an' ah took a sharp stick an' caught him jest out of mischief is all ah caught him fo' - cause he'll bite chew. An' de fellah ah had working de still wit me - ah had workin' a extra man Pamed Tom Willis. Tom asked me to give him to him. Ah said, "For whut?" He said, "Man, ah'm gonna win de money dis payday." So ah give him de bat an' he killed it an' he took his heart out an' split it open an' let de blood out an' let it dry. Wrapped it an' put it in his pocket. An' dat coming Saturday, was payday, Tom won all de money, every bit of it was on de place.
(Did he split that heart?)
Split it open an' let it dry. Put it out in de sun an' let it dry.
(He took the heart only.)
Jest took de heart out of de bat was all he used. Now, ah saw him do that, but he did win de money.
(This was at the turpentine camp.)
Right at de turpentine camp in Marden County [Martin Co., Fla.] doon in close in Indian Town.
Entry 10565
They [doctors] generally use that hot, but they - the biggest majority of people [I heard] from the "doctor" that I worked for - they never did knew how to use it. See. Now, those things what I'm outZing [= out- ing = revealing to author] to you there, if the individual don't know how to use it, it the same as you trying to sweeten the Mississippi River with a nickel's worth of sugar. It's too much water. You have to put the same amount of different things, you understand, to make it have any action. See, if not, it's got no power. Now, the bat heart, plenty of people would take the bat and kill the bat, then take his heart out. The heart was dead, it's no good. Have to ketch the bat and cut the heart out whilst the bat is alive. See.
(Then what do you do?)
You take that and you - after you cut the bat heart out, you get any kind of a good high-priced perfume, anoint that perfume with that [anoint bat heart with that perfume], take three pods of garlic, sewing that up together, and put it in your pocket and you're a lucky man. [The typed words "lucky man" and reference were originally on separate sheet, I put them in ink at bottom of typed page to save space. Did this a number of times. H. M. H., August 9, 1976.]
Entry 10566
Yo' kin use a bat an' git his blood under- stan' or either git a feather off of a bat an' it's luck; either git a feather off of a bat an' it's lucky. If yo' git a bat an' it stay in de house a certain length of time, it's a sign of death, if he fly in de house.
Entry 10567
Yo' gits a leather-[wing] bat an' yo' gits his heart an' yo' sew it up into a red flannel. An' gits a small piece of rock sulphur an' put it [in the flannel] together. Feed that, gi' [give] to 'em. Tell 'em [I am to tell my patient or client] while he losin', totes it in his left pocket so he kin lose. Well, when he lose as much as he wanta, change it ovah in his right pocket an' gamble right on an' he'll win.
Entry 10568
Yo' could take a leather- wing bat an' gut him alive, an' take his heart an' sew it up in a piece of red flannen, an' it vill make yo' successful in games of all kinds. Jes' while he 'live, cut him open 'live an' take his heart while it's bleedin', an' tie it up in a piece of - put it in a piece of red flannel an' it will make yo' successful in games.
Entry 10569
Ketch a bat an' take his guts out of 'im an' pack 'im with lodestone an' sompin else - ah dunno [= don't know] now [I forget for the moment]. Anyhow ah know dey say use a bat fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10570
Dey tuk a leather-wing bat, tuk his head and put it into a little something and put it under mah pillah. And ah laid - mah wife it was did dat in Tallahassee. When ah laid on dat pillah it wasn't long fo' ah got worried - been living well in mah home and me an' her be'd to- gether seventeen years. And dey parted us. Dat was done into dat pillah, and after a while ah got along; you know, left mah home - jest raised up [and left after] living together all dat time. Got up and left, left everything, and five children. Got two girls right chere in town to prove it. Yes, sir. Jest one voan [all because of her].
(Well, who did that?)
Who did dat? It was a man, [living] wit mah wife now. He's wit mah wife 0v. Yes sir, he did dat - [man] by de name of Berkin. He's de one did it. Yes, sir, he did dat. [At a later dat I probably would have asked informant: Did you find the bat heat under your pillow? Or after you had left home did 3i ask a fortuneteller what had made you leave?]
Entry 10571
Use his heart. Take him an' kill him an' take his heart. His heart De quivering jest lak dat [illustrates]. Ah don't know when it dies but it be's quivering aftah yo' clean it. An' then yo' sew that heart up. That's fo' gambling, that's fo' Ld, that's fo' jest anything that yo' wish to do, yo' see. But chew gotta have ething to keep it dressed after a certain time. What would you dress it with?) Becrts [hesitates]. Qou mean Hearts perfume. And you take this heart of the bat while he's alive L use that [Hearts] on it.) Ihat's right.
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 10574
Den, if yo' want luck wit winnin', say yo' kill a bat an' take de heart out of de bat, aftah yo' kill it. Den aftah yo' taken dat heart out, take dat heart an' make a toby, see, an' sew it. Yo' take dat heart an' git chew some good flannen, an' aftah yo' git some good flannen, den git some good perfume called Jockey Club - lucky perfume - an' a piece of lodestone. An' den yo' take an' dampen dat lodestone an' sew it togethah - sew it up. Sew it up in dat red flannen. An' den aftah yo' sew it up in dat red flannen, dat's a lucky piece [a toby]. Dat will bring yo' luck. Dat's whut chew call luck. An' all yo' gotta do is jes' grease yore han', jes' when yo' wanta go tuh gamble or sompin lak dat. Oil yore han's 'fore yo' go, den yo'll have luck. Now, if a man is got a lucky han', dey come tuh yo' [root doctor] an' say, "So-an'-so got a lucky han' an' ah wanta know how tuh stop him." All right. Yo' tum right aroun'& den an' git chew some salt an' red peppah an' sew it up in de same thing. an' give it to 'em [himl an' let 'im wear it in his right pock- et. An' when he goes tuh gamble' an' find de fellah dat's got dis luck, take his [own] bag an' hit his han' dat-a-way an' rub de dice. Dat will kill dat.
(Any kind of flannel?)
Yessuh. Jes' since it's de red flannen. Dat'll kill dat.
(Kill the other fellow's luck.)
Yessuh. Dat will kill, too.
Entry 10576
We have what you call, as I 'fore told you [told you before], is a silver dime - one silver dime and a bat. You'll find them goes round in the stable and all there. And you take that bat and take the heart out. He have a heart in him. Mostly everything that be found walking - every creater - if it's a creature, it's got a heart. And you take that heart out of there and take that heart there and you put it on top of this dime. Then you take this lodestone and tie it up in there, and after you tie it up, you find what you call this Star [or Stars] perfume [has stars on label] that's what you gotta feed it with. Then you [can] walk into any place, step in in any business you got, everything's going be [O.K.]. But at the same time, those people that you have dealt with, if you gamble with them [you have to be careful].
(That's for luck in gambling? This is for luck in gambling?)
Yassuh.
(I see.)
That's my way.
Entry 10577
(I don't understand what you mean. Tell me the whole thing.)
You take your underclothes. You ketch that bat and tame him, you know, and put that - your underclothes - in his mouth and let him go. And wherevah he go and travel, you gotta travel right on behind. (What do you - you put some underclothes in his mouth, you say?) Yeah, you take and cut the seat of somebody's underclothes out and let him swallow; if he can't swallow it, take a stick and push it down. And just let him go on.
(I see.)
Entry 10578
Catch live bat, cut out heart, put in pocketbook with money, and you will win.
Entry 10579
Yo' kin take a leather-wing bullbat an' cut his heart out whilst he 'live, an' put it on a straight pin [ordinary pin, not safety pin]. Run a straight pin through it an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' rub yore han'. Rub it on yore han' every time yo' go to a skin game an' yo'll win.
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 10581
Well, you could go to the river and get twelve grain of sand - twelve grain of sand. You go to the river and you get twelve grain of sand and you get a bat. You know what they call a bat. That's some little bird about. [In folk- lore and hoodoo a bat is always a bird.] (It flies around in the air?) Fly around in the air. (All right.) And after you git that bat heart - you git the heart out de bat. And then you take that twelve grain of sand and put it right in that bat heart, and you sew it up and slip it in your pocket. And you'll win all. You'll have the best success that is in gambling.
Entry 10582
Now another lucky hand, yo' git chew a small little - one of dese little bats dat fly around. Well, yo' git chew one of dose an' git his heart 'fore he die. Take his heart out befo' he die, an' sew dat up in a piece of Sea Island cloth - new cloth don't chew know. An' every time yo' make a stitch, why in sewing it, bring it to yo', don't chew know - jes' bring it dat way [demonstrates]. An' den yo' git some of dis perfume, Hearts Perfume, an' 'noint dat package wit dat every mornin' befo' sunrise, an' repeat de Lord's Prayer. An' dat's luck too, dat's another lucky hand.
(For what?)
For anything, any affairs.
(Gambling?)
Anything.
Entry 10584
Ah hear a real gambler say if yo' wants be real lucky in gamblin', kill yo' one of dese leather-wing bats an' cut de heart out of 'em, an' lay it up until it git good an' seasoned. An' go an' buy yo' a piece of pure red silk cloth an' sew it up in dat, an' keep it in yore pocket an' go to yore game. Nobody can't hardly ketch yo'. Fact [in fact] ah have seen dat tried.
Entry 10585
Jes' lak if yo' wanta gamble an' yo' don' wanta lose, yo' won't lose. Ketch a bat an' cut his heart out whilst he's - cut his heart out. Ketch de bat an' git his heart whilst it hot, an' put it in a piece of silk cloth, an' sew it up wit dis silk cloth an' tie it roun' yore arm. An' as long as - yo' can't lose in no game of cards yo' play.
Entry 10586
Git a leather-wing bat. Don't shoot him, git 'im alive an' git his heart. An' take his heart an' dry it in de sun an' put it in a silk string - jest a silk cloth wide as yore finger, an' tie it in it an' tie it round yore right arm. An' yo'll win in any game yo' go in. Yo're successful in it, yes sir, morely so on the average than any other way.
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 10588
Ah heard of anothah thing in gamblin' but it's a hard thing tuh git. But ah believe dis cus' de man dat tole me, cos' he's daid now, but he used tuh be a great gambler. He tried tuh git me one dem once. Yo' ketch a leather-wing bat. Dey say if yo' kin ketch a leather- wing bat an' kill him, an' take his heart an' wrap it in a silk han'kerchief, an' wrap it round heah [demonstrates], yo' can't be caught in no poker game yo' play in.
(Wrap it in a silk handkerchief you say, and tie it around your arm.)
Tie it round yore arm an' wear it jes' whilst yo' playing. Dis fellah gambled wit 'em. Ah didn't gamble wit 'im, an' he gambled wit white people, wit colored people, an' ah've known him tuh have as much as two an' three thousand dollahs at one time. [I turned off machine too soon. Informant mentioned name of hotel where this gambler had worked.l
(He was working at the.... Hotel?)
Yessuh.
Entry 10589
Dey tell me yo' kin take de heart of a leather-wing bat an' yo' kin tie it up in a piece of silk cloth, an' tie a little silk string to it, where yo' kin tie it on yo'. Tie dat round de left wrist. Dey say dat's wonderful to bring a gamblin' hand, a regular gamblin' hand.
Entry 10590
Well, you just take your bat, catch you a live bat, cut him open and take his heart. You gets you one yard of ribbon, red ribbon. Yes, sir. And anything you deal with, you take that ribbon and that heart and you tie it together. Take two brand-new needles and stick 'em an' make a cross in there like shen you going out, and that'll make you successful. Gambling success. That's called a gambling hand. You pin on the hand you use, on the hand you are using: if you deal with the left hand, on the left; and if you deal with the right, you use the right hand.
Entry 10591
A leather-wing bat, now, understan'. Now, if yo' wanta sell a fellah a hot hand fo' gamblin', go an' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat. Git him alive. Sometime dey go in people's house an' dey knock 'em down wit brooms, in de summertime, dey fly in [there being no screens]. Knock 'em down wit a ole broom, or yo' kin go in ole stumps or ole logs where dey roost at an' yo' kin git 'em out dat-a-way. Yo' can't find 'em in daytime. Yo' take de leather-wing bat an' yo' set right down an' take yore kife, a ole lknife or somepin lak dat an' split him right open in de back. Jes' split it right open while he's live, split him right open in de back jes' lak dat, zo'reach up dere in his left side an' git his little heart out. It's a little ean, de biggest one dey is about lak dat [demonstrates]. Git his little beart ota dere 'bout lak dat. An' he ain't even daid. While he 'live git dat heart ou of dere. Jes' take yore finger an' pull dat heart out. Take dat heart an' go on back wit it, don' wash de blood off, not nuthin. An' git chew a red, an' ah mean red, too; a red an' blue piece of ribbon. Jes' as red [informant points] as dat ring round dat big coffee cup. [In Fayetteville, N. Car., I worked in a kitchen-dining room and I still remember it vaguely.] Let it be jes' 'bout dat wide, an' take it an' set it right down an' lay dat heart in dere, an' sew dat heart up in dat ribbon. Have it long enough an' sew it up in dere good an' tight. Take dat bat heart an' yo' wear it on yo' right han' [see later]. Take dat bat heart in dat piece of ribbon, sew it, make it kind of a belt-lak an' carry it up dere round yore wrist yo' understand, above de elbow, up heah, understand. Fit it up dere, sew dat on dere tight so it fit lak a belt, won't slip off, an' wear it on dere. Sleep wit it on dere. As long as dat bat heart stays in dere lak dat, yo' kin do any kinda bettin' dat yo' want done. Yo' kin win money an' gamble wit it, understand, an' yo' kin go out an' steal it. Go out an' do anything lak dat, an' people could shoot at chew, an' nine times to one, dey nevah hit chew. Wit dat bat heart yo' kin dodge bullets yo' kin dodge a shot.
Entry 10592
Yo' go an' yo' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat an' yo' cut him open while he's alive an' yo' take his heart out. Yo' take red silk thread an' red flannel, yo' know, tie it up wit dat. An' yo' use Heart Cologne on it an' yo' always be lucky. Dat's right.
Entry 10593
When yo' first ketch him, yo' cut him open an' git his heart an' have yo' a sharp - sompin lak a ice pick an' place dat straight through de center of his heart. Take yo' a red piece of ribbon or string an' run it through dat - tie dat an' den yo' put it in a red piece of flannen an' say yore prayers ovah dat - aftah yo' say yore prayers ovah dat, yo' use de lodestone with it. Dat's fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10594
(How do you do that?)
Take a brand-new piece of silk. Ketch that bat, cut him open while he alive. Take the heart out of him and take that brand-new piece of silk [ribbon] and cut it [the size you need], Wash that bat's heart off and put it in there. And take it and wrap it up, and sew it up with pink thread - pink thread. And take it, if you don't want to make nine knots in it, and wear it around - let it drop right down, right down here [demonstrates] below your heart.
(Wear it around your neck so it will hang down near your heart?)
Yeah, yeah. And if you doesn't want to do that, why you take it and tie it [usually to the wrist or on the arm] and shoot dice with this hand [demonstrates].
(With your right hand.)
Yeah, with your right hand. You take it and tie it around [right wrist or a arm], and you always good for seven licks.
(Seven licks.) [Seven successive throws or attempts.]
Seven licks. After you've had them seven licks, why, you pass the dice. When they get back to you, you can taken 'em up, you good for [another] seven licks.
Entry 10595
You take the bat's heart, you understand. That's supposed to be luck. Take the heart from the bat before he is dead. Over that Jockey Club perfume wit Blue Di'mond, git from the pharmacy; it's a lickrish [liquid]. Saturate it, you see. Sew it up in a piece of red flannel, you see, with some steel dust. Well, if you are a gambling man, that will make you lucky.
Entry 10596
Dem little ole leather-wing bats. Well, ah heard dat chew kin - dem little ole leather-wing bats, dem little bitta ones dat goes all up in de corner of yore house. Well, ah learnt dat chew could take one of dem an' kill him, an' git his heart while it's hot, an' keep it until it git dry, an' put some salt an' black peppah an' bluestone onto hit. An' sew it up in a rag an' wear it in yore pocket, an' dat's good fo' gambling. Make yo' win money. [Waycross, Ga., (1136) 1850:5.]
Entry 10597
Dry a bat heart in the sun, put in tobacco sack with cayenne pepper, and carry for luck in gambling.
Entry 10598
Ah'll go ketch a bat an' ah'll cut his wing off an' ah'll wear it. (Which wing do you cut off?) De left one an' wear it in mah left pocket. Well, dat be luck fo' me, luck in gamblin'.
Entry 10600
Yeah, we call dem bullbats.
(What do you hear they say they do with those?)
Well, yo' take dat bullbat an' yo' take de wing of de bullbat - his vings - aa'yo' put dat with some graveyard dirt. An' put dat in a li'l' bundle an' yo' put it up anywhere umdah a person's house or anything lak dat. Dat'll cause 'em to be confusd an' fly around jes' lak de bullbat; case 'em to fly aroun' lak dey don't have good sense. [My note on this sheet reads: "R.D. (root doctor) unusual but legitimate. The man is not lying. No two per- sons work alike. R.D., good, but broke up his material, too late to preserve
(as a whole for an interview). Good.]
Entry 10601
[This is the only rite in HOODOO where informant pretends I am the proprietor of a gambling house. Several of these pretenses elsewhere in these volumes I have called my being a guinea pig; a willing one, if it produced a hoodoo rite.] You can take a bat and take and kill a bat. You can take the wing, you bury the wings. Just like if this is a house where you going to gamble at, you bury one wing on this side of the house, one wing on that side of the house. You take that backbone of that bat and you get you some emory dust, you get you some Hearts perfume [has a number of small red hearts on label] and you get the name of the man that's running that place.
(You mean that gambling landlord.)
Like you is the proprietor, I'll get your name.] I'll put all of that together and wrap it in a flannel, and I'll put that in my house. See.
(Not in the gambling house, but in your own house?)
In my house, and as long as I'm got control of that thing, I kin control that gambling house. I'll be winning. I may go in there and lose a dollar and a half today, lose a dollar and a half this evening. I'd go back there tonight [or to- morrow] and I would win.
(I see.)
Entry 10602
Now a fellah tell me fo' a fact dat chew kin ketch a bat an' yo' kin carry dat round wit chew jes' like: yo' would take dem wings off him an' don't have nuthin but de bat, jes' de little ole skin. Ain't nuthin but skin nohow. Take de little ole bat, de little haid, an' put him in a papah sack or a cloth. Tie it up - sew it up jes' lak yo Would sew up a little bow, an' carry it out in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go an' do most anything yo' want. Ah don't know whether dat's true or not.
(You take just the wings off the bat though?)
Take de wings off.
(And just tie up the body?)
Tie up de body.
Entry 10603
Well, now heah de othah day a friend of mine wus tellin' me. He axe me did ah know where he could - firs' he axe me could ah lend him fo' dollahs. Ah tole him, no, ah didn't 'zactly have de money. He says, "Well, ah know a fel- lah," said, "he claims he kin gi' [give] yo' a han' fo' gam- blin'." Ah wus on de steamship workin' den, see, an' ah met dis fellah on de street an' he jes' stop me. An' he jes' stop me - yo' know, stop me an' jes' spoke. So he axed me did ah gamble. Told him shure, sometime ah gamble. "Well, " he says, "yo' evah have any luck?" "Shure ah has luck?" sometimes, sometimes ah don't." He says. "Well. vo' wanta have luck all de time?" Ah tole him, "Yeah, ef ah'd like tuh win all de time." He said, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do." Says, "Yo' go tuh work an' ketch yo' one dese little bats. Dese little black bats, " yo' know, "an' cut his wings off." Say, "Den - an' don't lose any of his blood - ketch all de blood yo' kin, an' split him open. An' jes' split him open an' take his entrails out, but try tuh keep all de blood dat chew kin." Say, "An' after yo' split him open, let him dry wit de blood in 'im." Say, "An' den fill dat back up with cheese." Fill dat bat, chew know inside of him up wit cheese. "Sew hit up," say, "an' jes' keep it in yore pocket where yo' keep yore money at all de time." Says, "Yo'll have luck all de time."
(In gambling?)
In gambling. So ah thought ah might as well try dat. Ah wus on de steamship fo' foah yeahs.
Entry 10604
I've heard, once upon a time that if yo' - dere's an old sayin', I seen it established in a book once, that if yo' wants tuh have good luck in gaml bling, is to git a leather-wing bat, wrap it into a piece of flannel an' tie it round yore waist. (They take the whole bat and tie it around the wrist.) No, the heart of the bat. (What was the name of the book?) Well, this book is related to - handing out from a doctor. Ah don't know the name since - it's right help- ful literature. [St. Petersburg, Fla., (983), 1590:3.] [The title of this long division comes from one of the activities of a Jack or Smruel or any name you want to call this personal and living fetish - a divination devise fully described by my MOJO ExPERT on page 1254, one of the great pages of EOODOO. Do not confuse this spirit object with the impersonal ouija and planch- ette, which spell out answers to anyone. Jack belongs to and works for its owner only. Jack can have any shape. Years ago somewhere in HOODOO a man's Jack to find cunjure was a child's mechanical toy! Our Jack here is ball-shaped - hence called Jack-ball - held up in the air by a string. Our operator addresses it as Sqmuel. Any name could be used. The present Jack-ball answers questions by cer- tain movements: trembling, standing still, swinging back and forth, weaving, and hirling in a circle. This latter movement, called channel de world, describes the contents within, a little of everything - a final catch-all. Therefore, inl stead of our former sections and subsections, the following material has been ar- ranged alphabetically, beginning with the letter A and word ABORTION.]
Entry 10962
Dat chicken blood an' de bat heart, an' yo' take it an' put it in a bottle. An' take de chicken blood an' po' it into de bottle an' dat makes yo' lucky in yore home...an' de heart of a bat an' use de chicken blood.
Entry 13302
Well, even you could take, just like across the street. That's a man, he's got plenty of customers com- ing in his place. Your place is over on this side. You ain't got much customers. You don't know what's the matter. Every time you look around, you could see officers there. Well, this man over there, he hadn't oughta be there. You take some of this sinamint [cinnamon] and sugar and you take and get actual bat dust.
(Bat dust?)
Bat dust.
(Like a bat that flies around in the air.)
Yeah, that be's up in the fire-hearth [chimney]. Well, you git it and you take his heart and you burn it as a powder - down to a powder. You get any kind of fowl, duck or chicken and kill 'em. And you take that gizzard from a chicken, and you take that skin from off his gizzard, and you take it and you burn that down. You take the gill of a fish and you burns it down to ashes. You takes a piece of somepin like a bar, a piece of barring; you know, bar what you put on the bed for to keep the mosquitos [away].
(Mosquito bar?)
[I had never heard the word barring!]
Yeah, just like that curtain is there.
(Mosquito bar, something like cheesecloth.)
Yeah.
(All right.)
You take that and if you can't get over to that place, you send somebody in there with that all mixed up in there as a powder; you see, that bat-heart dust, that gizzard dust, and that fish-gill dust - with sinemint [cinnamon] and sugar. Hell, now, you take it and you send somebody over to that place. You got some com water. You get war water and he have it in his pocket - just like if you got [carrying] something to drink. You understand. And you take that fish-gill dust and for to keep the odor down, open that war water. He goes to the lava- tory - anywhere, you see - and sprinkle it down in there. And when you leave out of there, pretend just like there be something happen to his shoes, or pants leg or something of the kind like that. He got this here stuff wrapped up and he got a handkerchief in hand and he sprinkle it all the way there, back into your place. And you couldn't turn [round] for the people being in your place. And every morning, you take this stuff and from the end of your property where you at, just come back where you is and sprinkle it - sprinkle your sugar and Sprinkle you sinemint [cinnamon] and do it just after - but don't use no war uater at your place, that will make confusion at your place. You see. But that ear water going to make confusion over to the next place, then that bring the custiment [customers or custum] over at your place. (I see. Well, now do you sprinkle that stuff from his place over to your place?) Yes, just. You ain't got to put it all the way - just like you got...
(He wrapped it up in this cloth, this mosquito bar?)
Yes, just as it come through that. (You sprinkle this war water over his lavatory to cause trouble and then you sprinkle this sweet stuff all the way over to your place?) Yes, just every now and then you coming across the street, just [demonstrates].
(Shake it.)
Shake it and right into your house [place of business]. When you get to your hoase, you turn backwards and [back] into your door. That make a confusion - that war water going to make a confusion over there and that going to make peace Bne in your place. People leaving from there coming following that luck right orer in your place.