Subject:Box
Entries
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 4358
I've seen this experimented to get rid of a man. I mean to make him leave town. Get a little of his urine, be sure it's all his, put it in a bottle, get a cigar box, put it in that, and one of his socks, just one of his socks, in the box, let it be dirty, wrap that box up, wrap it just the same as a piece of paper, throw it in running water so it'll go down the stream, it will not sink, and he'll leave town. Both the bottle and sock in there.
Entry 5350
Tuh git mah wife outa sight, dat is tuh kill 'uh - ah guess yo' imagine [ah] meant rathah yo' take 'uh track dat make yuh jis' walk out de do', yo' know, an', ah come behin' 'uh an' git 'uh track. Well, ah'd [I would] git some san', yo' know, right out - he [doctor?] tole me tuh up both of 'em. Jis' sweep off de top of dat earth, dat is whah [where] she made a track, an' put it right in - jis' [make a] shingle outa a li'le piece of wood, make a li'le box, an' take dat track an' po' right in dere an' seal it up. Tack it up - dat is, seal it up, yo' see, an' go bury it. He said dat would settle it.
Entry 5432
If yo' wanted tuh do away wit anybody, run 'em off from yo', anyways lak dat, yo' would take de dirt outa - undah 'is lef' feet an' put it in a box, a tin box. An' carry it tuh dat fo'ks of de road, an' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah in dat road an' say, "Go, tuh come no mo'." Dey say dat is a true thing fo' it.
(To run you away?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5543
(I am going to talk to a girl now who was here the other day, by the name of Mary Magdalene. I am not certain that I have her material on the rec- ords, so to be certain I am going to take it down again. Her number was 679.) (All right, go ahead I want to be ableto hear you.) It's a man - if yo' want him to come back, yo' know, and if he goes out chure house, well yo' pick up the left-foot track, the dirt. Put it into a box and shut it up. And get to de right-foot track and get yo' a pine stick - about this long a stick - and take it and nail underneath of de steps. And take that dirt and bring it into your house, and put it right underneath - place it right underneath of your mattress, if you want him to come back, and he can't get away from you. [THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH IS VERY COMMON IN HOODOO, SOMETHING IS MISSING. THESE FREQUENT MISSING SOMETHINGS REQUIRE TOTAL CONCENTRATION ON WHAT THE SPEAKER SAYS. FOR THIS REASON I ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:]
(You said something about a pine stick?)
Yes, sir.
(What do you do with that?)
Measure that stick just as long as his right foot. And nail it underneath of your step. [Informant's answer is quite evident in her original statement, but her ex- planation was necessary for the record.]
(I see.)
But the bottom where you measure it - the bottom of it, turn it towards the ground. [That part of the stick touching ground during measurement must when tacked under step face downwards towards ground.l
(I see.)
Underneath the step, tack it up underneath the step. And you place that dirt in your bed mattress where you sleep.
(That's the dirt from the left foot?)
Yes, sir.
(And what do you measure with this stick?)
The right one.
[This is merely checking, not trying to trick informant.]
(The right one, and what is that to do?)
That's to make him stay. (Make him stay. Now, what kind of tracks do you get? His tracks out there, any track?) When he leaves out, yes sir - just right where he steps on de dirt.
(Oh, when he's going away?)
Yes, sir.
(I see.)
Entry 5635
About de track, ah know about de track. De' [dey = they] takes nine pods of red peppah an' de' take nine pinches of sulphur. De' take nine pinches of salt an' git dat track, de right-foot track, when dey're leavin' home. An' mix all dat togethah. Ah seen 'em do it, mix all dat togethah yo' know. An' dey take it an' box it up, an' dey chunk it in de rivah. Den dey'll go. In nine days dey'll leave town an' nevah come back.
Entry 5693
Now, jis' lak yo' say at de start back dere, ah would wan'a do yo' some evil. An' ah'd git up between midnight an' day jis' befo' de sun rise, but ah'd have tuh have some of yore urine watah or yore track. An' ah'd take dat an' ah'd mix it wit - it ain't powdah, it's a quick- silvah [and] brimstone. Yo' take dat brimstone an' ah'd have some of yore urine watah an' yo'd mix some bluestone wit, jis' lak yo' say. An' yo' take dat an' yo' git chew a tin box, yo' know, whut de lid will fasten down on, an' yo' put dat in dat box. Yo' bo' li'le holes in de bottom of de box. Yo' don' put no liquid in dat, jis' dat powdah. An' den set dat - de sun goin' tuh rise, yo' set it dis way [demonstrates]. Yo' don' lay it complete down, jis' kinda tilt it. Yo' set it so when de sun rise it'll come ovah it. Brimstone, bluestone an' quicksilvah.
(You bury that towards the sunrise.)
Yes, toward de sunrise. Yo' see de sun rise on it an' go ovah. Dis part of it tuh de sunrise. An' dat li'le box, whosomevah is doin' dis, dey got some words dey use three times a day: in de mornin' dey uses some words, dinnahtime dey use some words, when de sun go down dey use dose same words.
(What do they use?)
Entry 6452
All right, now, heah's anothah one yo' kin take. Yo' be's roun' some person an' yo'll say, "Lemme look at yore feet." Yo' kin take - yo' know dis heah thick skin dat be's in de bottom of a person's feet. Yo' kin scrape out dis thick skin. Jis' scrape a li'le bit offen dis thick skin an' hold it in yore han'. An' if yo' wanta trick a person, undahstan', jis' lak yo' roun' an' someone sleepin' heah, an' yo'all had a argu- ment or sompin, see. Yo' take dat dere scale offen de bottom of dere skin an git chew some sulphuh, undahstan', an' yo' git chew some red peppah. Well, yo' mix dat tuhgethah. All right, den yo' go an' git chew some wild animal blood, an' put dat in dere. All right, aftah yo' mix dat up good, yo' git chew a li'le box, an' put it in a li'le box an' carry it in yore pocket. An' de nex' thing yo' do wit it, yo' carry it tuh a graveyard. See, yo' goes tuh de graveyard an' yo' do's lak dis, yo' go tuh de graveyard an' yo' stan' up [demonstrates], an' de grave is back dere, yo' stan' up by dis grave [like this].
(You stand up with your back to the grave.)
Wit yore back to de grave, an' yo' chunk dat an' yo' say, "Ah hope yo' go 'vay from me. Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, go 'way." Yo' throw dis back when yo' speak de las' words. Dey gone an' yo' don' have no mo' trouble wit 'em.
(What will that do to them then?)
Well, he'll leave yo' an' yo'll nevah see 'im any mo'. Yo'll nevah see him any mo' an' nevah have no mo' [trouble].
Entry 6454
Some [graveyard] dirt an' some crawfishes an' snakedust. Mix it tuh- gethah an' some of yore toenails an' yore fingahnails an' some of yore strength. (Some what?) Some of yo' strength yo' - WHAT HAVE SOME OF YORE STRENGTH IN SOME OF YORE FINGAH- NAILS. An' take it an' put it up ovah de do' or up ovah yore head, anywhere. An' jis' lak dose things pine away, dat person pine away. Yo'll pine away an' die. Or either put it on a toadfrog in a box wit dat graveyard [dirt] an' put it undah de steps. Go out yo' home an' put it undah de steps an' dat frog will stay dere nine days until he pass away an' die. Dat person will die. Jis' lak de graveyard dirt an' de crawfishes molt away, yo' molt away.
Entry 7633
Dey could go an' git some graveyard dirt, an' dey have whut dey call a Way of dressin' A BOX LAK DIS THING [my Telediphone recorder on the table be- tween us], like puttin' it in a box, if dey wanted tuh do harm tuh yuh. If yuh were a woman or if yuh wus a man, eithah way, yuh take it vice-a-versy. Put it in a box an' - put dis graveyard dirt in it an' go tuh yuh home when dere wus not no one aroun'. An' lift up yuh bottom step, de firs' one dat yuh walk on, an' place it down in dere. Den dey will manage some way not tuh go back dere de same day, but dey will go back maybe in de evenin' tuh stir yuh aroun' an' maybe send yuh fer a drink of watah or somepin lak dat. An' den dey will dress yer whole house an' yuh won't stay dere. Dere is no Way fer yuh tuh stay dere.
(How will they dress the house?)
Well, dey dress it wit de same dirt dat dey have dat dey gits in de graveyard, but dey git it near [the] heart.
Entry 7634
Go tuh de graveyard an' git me some graveyard dirt. If dey bury hishaid lak dat toward de east, an' ah'll jis' straddle dat grave an' ah'll git dat dirt in a tin box. Well, ah'll git dat dirt in a tin box an' ah'll take dat dirt an' ah'll put it undah mah arm. Ah'm comin' on home. Ah'll fasten dat dirt up an' when ah git a chance ah throw it in dere house. Dat's whut ah do.
(What do you mean you straddle that grave?)
Jis' straddle it lak dat [demonstrates].
(Where do you dig the dirt from?)
Right off de grave, right on top of it. Ah'll go to a person dat died bad an' went tuh hell.
Entry 7635
They say they take this graveyard dirt, choo understand, take it an' put it in a box. Take a piece of yuh underweah whut choo weah nex' tuh yuh skin [and put it in the box], an' jis' put it in a trunk an' let it stay there. An' as this dirt turns this piece of yuh underweah yel- lah, dat's jis' de way yuh'll turn. Yuh'll jis' fade right away. NO DOCTOR
[M.D.] KIN CURE YUH!
Entry 7647
Dey says dat yo' kin go tuh a graveyard an' take de dirt off de centah of de grave, an' put it intuh a box an' carry it a few days wit yo'; but put red peppah intuh dat box. An' yo' kin take dat same thing an' mix it up an' use it in de woman's mind tuh git 'er confused, an' she won't be satisfied wher- evah she goes.
Entry 7963
Measure a person's foot with any kind of string and tie a knot in each end of it...put it in a box the shape of a coffin...bury it; as hit grow old, as
[in like manner] you fade away.
Entry 7965
If a person dat chew dislike an' don't want 'em be round yo', yo' take a small box an' make it jes' like yo' casket [coffin]. Take yo' some Epsom salts, right in yore yard, [I mean] in dere yard. An' dat'll keep 'em from round joo. (Keep them away from there?) Yes.
Entry 7968
They can take your photograph an' can make you pine away...they'll take a box and make it like in the shape of a coffin, an' they'll put that photo- graph in that face down an'... bury it.
Entry 7971
Cut a pasteboard box in shape of coffin, put in tintype face down, bury, you would pine away.
Entry 7977
Dey take yuh photo an' jis' put it in a bottle - not dat, yo' kin put it in a box. Shape dis box like a casket [coffin] an' yo' could bury dis box in de dirt, an' call yuh name an' in nine days time yo'll die.
Entry 7978
Yo' takes a photograph, see, an' writes on de back of de photograph yore name, her name cross it. Don't write 'em straight. Yo' write chure name down an' yo' come back an' write her name on top of it. Yo' go to de grave- yard an' take yo' two han'- fulla dirt an' sprinkle it ovah dis picture, an' fold dis photograph up an' puts it in a envelope an' sprinkle dat dirt in de envelope, jes' 'nuff tuh put in dere an' fold it up an' puts it in de box. An' in seven days, regardless tuh where she is or who she is, she cain't be still - she'll return. She gotta come.
Entry 7981
Take dey photograph an' git a piece of white linen cloth dat ain't been used, an' put de photograph in dere - lay it on dere. An' den yo' git fō' pins, jis' lak yo' gon'a measure a casket, an' yo' put a pin at each cornah an' all lak dat. An' yo' take dat photograph an' put it in a little box or sompin an' bury it. Dat kills a person.
(How do you put that photograph in that white piece of cloth now?)
Dis is de cloth [demonstrates], de square cloth an' yo' lay de photograph in dat. Lay it with de face up. Yo' see, when yo' put it in de ground, yo' put de face down. Yo' take dat photograph an' yo' place it right in de middle. Yo' put a pin heah, an' one heah, an' yo' put one heah, an' one heah, an' yo' take dat linen den an' fol' de cornahs ovah it. Den yo' bury dat photograph.
Entry 8006
[I have two versions of the story about Bowizer and his two wives, a tale concerning his mistreatment of first wife and his enslavement by second wife. Whether this is the remnant of a folktale or the beginning of a new one, or something actually factual, I do not know.] FIRST VERSION OF BOWIZER TOLD BY COUSIN Mah Cousin's brothah's wife [not speaker's cousin but cousin by marriage who had a brother who had two wives, this one the second], she taken down sick an she had doctors an' doctors an' doctors of all kind, an' none of 'em seemed tuh not tuh do 'er any good. An' he wus settin' down one day an' - dat wus 'is sec- ond wife. He wusn't good tuh 'is firs' wife, but 'is second wife, he wus so good tuh 'er. He'd wash an' scrub fo' her an' evah- thing. Jis' cook an' evahthin'. So somepin come tuh 'im an' tole 'im, say, "Yo"go an' look in de bottom of yuh trunk. Go look in de bottom of yuh trunk." Well, he'd set down dere an' nod, an' nod, an' nod. Be settin' up wit 'er an' nod, an' nod, an' he'd drowse, an' sompin would tell im ag'in. "Go an' look in de bottom of yuh trunk." So fine'ly sompin tole 'im, "Go look in de bottom of yuh trunk, " fo' about two weeks. An' so de nex' time sompin tole him, "Go look in de bottom of yuh trunk, " he got up an' went on an' looked in de bottom of 'is trunk. All kinds of fine things, jis' fine dresses, de finest kind of step-ins, bloomahs an' a big ole automatic, he didn't even know it wus in de house, wus in de bottom of dat trunk. An'.den dere wus a li'le coffin down in dere - a li'le coffin. Dere wus de seat of 'is undahweah, de centah of undah each ahm [arm] in dere, an' some of dis here, whut dey call cayenne peppah sprinkled down on dere. An' it wus de image of a person made from a stick.
(From a stick?)
Right on a piece of a board, yo' know, jis' in a image. Yo' know, jis' lak yo' take a board an' cut a image of a person, yo' know. An' den dey had dat private an' evahthing cut down dere. Yo' know, had it crossed. An' so dey had jis' down in dere jis' lak a coffin, made in de shape of a coffin. An' it wus closed up an' dere wus 'is name wrote in dere nine times. His name wrote down in dat, right down in dat coffin nine times. Some kind of a powdah wus in dere. A li'le bottle about dat high of urinate wus in dere an' de cork, li'le cork stoppah wus in it, yo' see, well it wus cut on each side, see cut on each side fo' de air tuh git in dere, an' it kin come out, yo' see. An' it wus settin' right straight up right by dat li'le image of 'is private, yo' know, settin' right by it. An' it wus closed up right in de bottom of de trunk. An' so dat's whut had 'im, kept 'im down. He couldn't git away from 'er. She would do anything dat she Wanted tuh do an' he'd be pleased at it, he jis' stayed at home, but wit 'is firs' wife he didn't do it.
(What did he finally do? Did he get the spell off of him or anything?)
Yes, he took dat li'le box out of dere an' took it tuh two-three fortune- tellahs. An' dey tole him, ast 'im who fixed 'im, an' he tole 'em, said, "It wus mah wife." Dey say, "Well, do yo' want 'er?" So he tole 'em, 'Yeah, ah loves 'er." Dey say, "Well, if yo' love her, yo' take dat box right back, set it right back where yo' got it from; but if yo' don't want 'er no mo', yo' take a jar an' put dat box in dere dat jar big enough jar tuh slip dat box in dere" - dat box no biggah'n jis' lak dat - "an' den yo' close it up an' go tuh a runnin' stream an' throw it in dere an' say, "She'll leave yuh wandahin'.
(Leave you what?)
Leave yo' wandahin', she'll wandah away. An' he did dat an' dat woman got up dere one mawnin', she got well an' evahthin'. She wusn't all dat sick. She wus jis', yo' know, actin' lak dat, playin' sick fo' him tuh do de work. She got up from dere an' left, tole 'im dat she wus goin' tuh town. An' she left from dere, didn't eat or nuthin. She didn't even take time tuh git 'er clothes. She jis' got worried an' jis' half crazy, an' she left from dere an' he don't even know where she's at.
(I thought he wanted to keep her?)
You say, if he wanted to keep her?
(I thought he told the fortunetellers he wanted to keep her?)
Said he loved 'er. He [fortuneteller] ast 'im did he love 'er.
(Yes?)
An' he tole 'em, said, yeah, he loved 'er. "So, well, yo' take dat box den an' put it right back where yo' - where it wus.
(Well, why didn't he do that?)
Well, he wanted tuh git out of de fix he wus in. but he didn't.know it wus goin' tuh run 'er away.
(I see.)
[If the reader missed it, do turn back to the first sentence of this first version: "she had doctors an' doctors an' doctors of all kind." These are unique words because the usual expression is, with variations, 'she had every doctor in town. "[Mobile, Ala., (679), 975:3.] So mah brothah, Bowizah, had a wife, firs' wife. He didn't do nuthin jis' run roun' all de time. But ah'm tellin' yo' dis here whut ah know from experience. Ah ain't tellin' somepin whut somebody say dey know. So he ma'ied anothah woman an' she had 'im so she'd go out, she run roun' an' she do whut she please. He couldn't he'p 'imself. He wash an' he scrub an' sweep - do evahthin' in de worl' he could an' he couldn't quit 'er. So one day he wus 'tendin' our garden an' somepin tole him look in 'is trunk. So he went tuh de trunk an' looked in it an' seen all kin' raimints - clothes, shoes - evah- thin' wus in dere. An' he didn't know it wus in de house. So dis [same inner voice] says somepin tuh 'im, "Look in [the bottom of] dis trunk." An' so he looked in de bottom an' dere wus a small casten [or castit = casket] 'bout dat long [demonstrates].
(What?)
Casten - coffin. An' it had de seat of 'is undahweah cut out an' right up undah his sleeve [demonstrates].
(Under his arm, the left arm.)
Yes, sir, his left ahm. An' he got it out an' ca'd [carried] it tuh one of de men's [a doctor] an' de man put it in one dese fruit jahs [jars] an' screwed it tight an' put it in a runnin' stream. So he say one mawnin' she woke up an he run 'er out dat house an' he ain't saw 'er since.
Entry 8017
Take de frog an' put 'im in a box, an' take a piece of yore clothes an' put in dis box wit it, de clothes dat's nex' tuh yuh.
(Put his frog in the box and put some of my old clothing in it?)
Yes, put some of yuh ole undahclothes pieces, yo' know dat chew have worn, in de box wit dis frog. An' wrap 'im up airtight an' put 'im somewhere where no air kin git tuh 'im, an' yo'll pine away. (If I wanted to fix you, I would put some of your clothing with this frog?) Uh-huh, some of yuh clothes [not informant's!], an' fix it so de air cain't git tuh it.
Entry 9080
Ah hear'd dey kin git dis root dey call John de Conkah root, see, an' Eve-an'-Adam root, an' take dat root an' boil [usually sounds like ball] it up tuhgethah. If dey kin git tuh de co'thouse see, when dey un- lock it, git it an' sprinkle a aisle around de judge seat. [Sprinkle a circle about judge's chair.] Den dey will set back when yo' come in tuh where de prisonahs is. Den dey'll sit back an' eye de judge right in de eye. See, hol' [hold] dere hand on de vial what have de John de Conkah root an' Eve-an'-Adam balled [boiled] up in it. See. Dey go tuh co'thouse in de mawnin'.
(You said at an hour didn't you? What do you mean by that hour?)
Dey go dere jes' befo' de co'thouse unlock, befo' dey come in. An' dey sprinkle de aisle. Dey take de watah what dey boil up: de John de Conkah an Adam-an'-Eve root, an' gingah, & an' ten grains of black peppah. Dey'll take dat an' sprinkle it - wit de aisle an' aroun' ovah de prisonah box.
(Oh! The prisoner's box. I see, up the aisle.)
[Informant's eye or letter i had bothered me! Aisle!]
An' where de judge goes up intuh his seat, see dey do dat, an' den when de judge is talkin' tuh yuh, yo' gotta look 'im right in de eye. See [if] dey kin git de judge's eye, look 'im right in de eye. An' if de sentence - it Ziminated down. [All this reduces the sentence.] If it's ten yeahs, it Ziminated down tuh three or fo' yeahs. Ah've hear'd dat.
Entry 9144
Ah said if yo' wanta throw out a case, why yo' kin git a box of soda [see also No.91491 an' yo' kin put a tablespoonful of salt in dat soda. An' don} let nobody use none out of it. An' take an' carry it in a lavatory an' throw it - yo' know, empty evah bit of it in dere an' throw de box away. An' in nine days yo'll heah nuthin else from it, becuz dey would have tuh throw it [court case] out, cuz ah seen dat done. (Well, when you throw this stuff into the lavatory, is there anything you do or say or anything of that sort?) Don't say anythin'. Jes' don' let nobody see yo' when yo' do it. Yo' do it complete tuh yoreself.
(But you have the case in mind while you are doing it?)
Dat's right. (That is to throw the case out of court. All you use is just ordinary salt with just ordinary soda?) A tablespoonful of cookin' salt inside de box of soda, an' don' let nobody use any out of it. Jes' throw it away. An' throw it, yo' know, make it de sun- rise side [throw to the east].
Entry 9461
Dey say if a man is away from yo' an' yo' want him tuh come back, yo' git a new pack of salt dat has nevah been used out of, an' yo' burn it an' call his name, fo' him tuh come. An' jes' nex' yo' leave outa yore house, start where he left an' sprinkle dis salt, an' den turn round an' walk right back in dere, an' call 'is name an' throw some in de fiah. He'll come back ag'inst his mind.
Entry 9896
If yo' wuz a young man an' wan'in' [wanting] a girl an' love der [loved her] an' she wuz not yore class [she was above you] but still yo' wanted 'er, yo' take yo' a toadfrog an' git chew a nice li'l cigah box. Take yo a icepick an' put chew maybe two dozen holes, some in de side an' some on de top, so he git air yo' know. Shet 'im up in dere an' make some airholes in de box. Well, he'll 'vently [eventually] perish tuh death, an' de ants will eat de flesh off 'is bones. De ants will eat all de flesh, dere jes' be de carcass dere. He's got a hook in 'im jes' 'zactly [exactly] lak a fishhook. De ants eat all de flesh off 'im - dere be no skin dere, no nuthin but jes' 'is carcass - in about fo' months. It take about fo' months in de summah. In de fall of de yeah yo' kin git de carcass. Well, he's got a bone right in 'is hip back dere jes" 'zackly lak a fishhook. It shaped jes' lak a fishhook. Well, whut dey wanted de ants tuh do is tuh show 'em de bone, de fishhook. Dey take dis li'l bone an' put it anywhere in yore clothes. If it's 'er, when yo' go tuh see 'er, she'll hang it in yore clothes; or yo'll hang it in 'er clothes. Well, den she's got yo' tied. Dat's whut dey use de toadfrog fo'.
Entry 9898
Tuh make dem have a tendency tuh love anyone - yo' know, gain de in- fluence of anyone yo' wanta love - yo' gits a grown live frog. Let 'im be well- grown, healthy. An' gits yo' a pastebo'd box an' a darnin' needle an' thread. An' take yo' a pair of scissors an' cut a deep hole in dis box, an' yo' put dis live frog in dis box, but let it be at de twilight of de night. An' take yore scissahs an' cut holes in dis box. An' den take dis needle an' thing an' sew up dis box. An' take it an' don' say nuthin tuh nobody. Yo' take it an' go tuh a ants nest an' den yo' put it right in de ants nest. An' den aftah seven days yo' go back tuh de frog an' den de frog will be a skeleton. An' den it's two pieces about de skeleton yo' want. One look lak a fish scale an' one look lak a fishhook. An' yo' git dem two pieces an' yo' keep de fish scale. An' den yo' take de fishhook an' jes' lak if yo' wanta - intend tuh love anyone, yo' pin it anywhere on 'em fo' about thirty seconds, an' yo' tote it den. An' 'long as yo' keep dat fish scale yo'll have dem undah con- trol an' do anything yo' want 'em tuh do.
(What do you do with that fishhook?)
Yo' take that fishhook an' put it on his shirt or anybody dress or anything. Yo' know, hook it roun' dere. Yo' leave it dere fo' thirty seconds.
(Then what do you do with it?)
If yo' wanta yo' kin take it off.
Entry 9903
There was one trick they had. They used to ketch a frog and take this old frog, kill an ole land frog, an ole toad. And put him in a little box and make holes in it supin like yo'd a pepperbox. Little ants would crawl in there and them ants would go in there and destroy the body of this ole frog. And after he was dead, eat him up. You put that box into run- ulag water, whare there's a place of water running right steady down, until it washed all that ole filth, that ole eat-up flesh, away from that frog, yo' know, and leave nuthin but de bone there. And there was a certain bone there, I don't know what it was, but I've heared them tell it. There was a certain bone in that frog that they'd take that out and go around de girl's house. And if she was walkin' around, cookin' an' doin' anything, she had no knowledge of what was goin' on, why you could hang that in her dress.
(Hang it on the clothesline?)
No, her dress on her. She'd have a dress on. But, if you's to take that ole bone and stick it in her clothes somewhares, she passin' around de house an' you's settin' there talkin' with her, and she couldn't git clear of you.
Entry 9954
Dey could take a frog an' put 'im in a box an' git nine goldeye needles an' bur'[ [bury] 'em am [around] a chimley or some place lak dat. An' go dere evah mawnin' about nine o'- clock, an' fuh nine mavnin's. Yo' bur' de box, den stick de needles up on top, an let it be crossed up; stick de nee- dles [crossing one another] all aroun' on top of it [box]. Yuh go dere nine panin's an' pray fuh de person tuh die. [In country districts years ago around the chimney was sometimes the toilet and a convenient place to hoodoo a person by buried object. For a remarkable example of this see the woman haunted by a buzzard.]
Entry 9982
(What sort of toadfrog? What sort of frog do you take?)
Jis' or'nary frog. Yo' take him an' yo' kill 'im an' yo' jis' salt 'im down. Ah 'magine yo' gits a five-cent box of salt. Jis' take an' scattah dat salt, jis' wad 'im ovah dit it tuh de time yo' think yo' got all dat salted don. An' yo' put 'im in one pocket an' yo' put de salt yo' didn't give tuh 'in in de othah pocket. An' if yo' go in a room roun' anywhere dey gamblin', jis' take dat salt, an' if yo' lucky an' got money, take dat same salt an' put it ovah 'im lak dat [demonstrates] an' dat'll give yo' luck. But chew have tuh pve salt in yore pocket.
Entry 10504
Dey say, go tuh de fo'k of de road in de late hours at night, if yo' wanta learn how tuh pick a box, or learn how tuh dance. Dat's sellin' yo'self tuh de devil. Ah've heard of dat.
(What do you do when you go out there?)
Ah don' know anything dey did, jes' go out dere.
Entry 10516
Well, ah had a friend, he wanted tuh learn how tuh play music. An' he said dat he went tuh de fo'k of de road an' carried a rooster in a box; an he had a little - made him a guitar. An' when it twelve a'clock dat box wus layin' ovah dere, an' he [it] went tuh playin' music - de roost- er crowed first - an' dat box went tuh playin' music. An' when dat box went tuh playin' music, he went an picked it up. An' den de devil come up dere, he says, an' he showed him how tuh play dis.
(He went out there at any time?)
No, went at night, twelve a'clock at night.
(Any day of the week?)
All 'cept Sunday.
(You can't go on Sunday? Any day but Sunday?)
Yes.
Entry 10517
Know one thing dat happen to de fo'k of de road, if a man wanted tuh go out an' learn how tuh pick de guitar. So he used tuh carry de guitar roun' all de time from "joint" tuh "joint" [from one fun drinking IT place to another]. So he went to a party one night an' on de Way comin' back he met a man op at de bridges [at the fork of a road] an' de man got de box from him, an' he picked it pretty well. He picked de purttiest [prettiest] music he evah heard. Bell, he [stranger] give him de box back an' den aftah dat he could pick it [much better than he had picked it before].
Entry 10533
Well, ah heard if anybody wanted tuh learn how tuh play music or any tind dat dey could jes' take dere music fo' nine mawnin's an' go to de fo'ks of de road an' sit dere an' begin tuh play. An' as dey begin tuh play, den sompin adl come along an' tune dis music [instrument] fo' 'em an' cause dem tuh play anythin' dey Wanta play.
Entry 10547
If yo' wanta be a guitar picker or sompin lak dat. If yo' wanta be a guitar picker, yo' go to de fo'ks of de road fo' nine mawnin's. An' when yo go dere fo' nine mawnin's wit chure guitar, yo' be standin' in de fo'k of de road tryin' tuh be pickin' on it, an' dere will be a man come up an' pick on yore box, axe yo', say, "How long dat chew wanta do dis?" An' so yo' tell him, "Well, ah wanta do dis fo' sech an' sech a time." An' he say, "Yo' gotta cuss God an' give solomn warnin' an' tell Him yo' goin' sell yore soul to de devil. Den yo' kin pick de guitar." Dat whut ah heard about dat.
Entry 10646
Take dose antses, see, ketch 'em, an' dat [ant] bed dey done made - some of dat [ant] bed yo' see, an' yo' git it [some of that ant bed] in a box an' yo' bring it back. An' dey tell me yo' jes' keep dat sittin' ahin' yore bed all de time. See. Well, dey say dat's jes' tuh run yo' crazy - yore mind bad, see.
(You do that at some other person's bed?)
Yeah, doin' othah people harm.
Entry 10816
Yo' take a new broom, yo' see. Yo' take a new broom, if yo' go move in a house, an' always have a new broom an' have a loaf of bread an' a box of salt. An' it's lucky, a new broom, if yo' sweep yore house. An' nevah tuh go, tuh go [to] work an' leave it [when you move]. Nobody will have it, because it will bring evil into de house. A new broom.
Entry 11318
Lak de manure from a dog, why yo' take dat manure an' yo' git chew a nickel's wuth [worth] of peanuts an' git chew a box of salt. An' yo' take dose peanuts an' hull all of 'em an' mix de peanuts up an' yo' take dat whole box of salt an' put in dere an' yo' take de dog manure an' mash it all up in dere together - lak yo' got a jar with a cover on it.... Lak yo' see a dog do his business out dere, de hah'd [hard] hah'd, yo don't git dat soft. Yo' git de hah'd one, an' yo' take dat an' yo' git chew a bag of peanuts. Yo' git chew a box of salt ain't nevah been used out of. Yo' take dose peanuts an' de dog manure an' yo' have yo' somepin yo' kin beat it up in real fine tuhgethah - hammah [hammer] it up tuhgethah.
(What do you beat up, the peanut shell or the nuts?)
No, de nuts. De peanuts an' de dog manure, yo' put dat salt in dere. Yo' git chew a box of red peppah an' yo' put dat whole box of red peppah in dere. An' if yo' don't use it all, yo' take it an' po' it in de toilet: an' turn [flush] de watah on it. Well, yo' mix all of dat up tuhgethah. Well, yo' have sompin dat yo' kin.always keep it in. Yo' have dat, dat's tuh mun a person. Yo' kin take dat if anybody come in an' yo' kin use a little pile of dat. Put some quicksilvah in it an' mash all dar tuhgethah. Dat makes yo' go. Yo' gotta go.
(You take that mixture and scatter it around in there?)
Yo' cain't stay. [For peanuts and bad luck see Nos.2574, p.710, v.l, etc.]
Entry 11673
Say yo' kin go to de fo'ks of de road an' take, yo' know, dat crossin' sand. [sand from crossroad used in crossing person]. An' go an' git 'im, say, a box about foah inches square. An' git a piece of flannen cloth. An jest lak it wus me, dey take mah name [write it] and [write] whatsomevah dey wanta do tuh me; lak dey wanta kill me or wanta lingah me. Dey kin take dat an' read de 35th Psalm fo' nine days at sunrise, an' [while reading it] turn yore haid to de sunrise, an' dey kin kill yo'. (What would they do with all these things in that box? You didn't tell me vhat they did with those.) Well, dey would jest go an' dey would take dat crossing sand [sand from cross- road] yore name, yo' understand, an' dat jest be closed up [in the box]. Yo understand me. Go out an' put dat ingredients in deah. It's a dragon's blood dat chew kin git - dragon's blood - put it in dere. An' put dat box back to- gether, yo' know, jest like yo' kin use dat sand an' dat dragon's blood an yore name an' read dat - yo' understand, dat 35th Psalm.
(Where do you put that box then?)
Well, yo' jest place it most anywhere about in de house, ain't got no certain place.
Entry 12393
Well, every mawnin' yo' want people tuh come into yore place. Yo' go tuh de sto' an' git chew dis same bottle of dis heah cologne - Hearts Cologne - an' a box of lye. [No- tice - new articles are purchased.] Well, in de mawnin' 'fore de sun rise, scrub yore house thoroughly - good - befo' de sunrise in de mawnin' soon - wit dat Hearts Cologne an' dat lye. Scrub yore house soon dat mawnin' 'fore de sun rise. Pur chure pee [urine] in dere too. Scrub yore house good every mawn- in' when yo' git up. After den, take yore lye [I] mean yore chamber lye, yo know, an' throw dat out on de front po'ch, right on out tuh de do'. Dat bring plenty customers. Dat fo' bootleggahs - sompin lak dat.
Entry 12695
[Keeps all harm away. Originally home- made potash was used but in my time Red Devil Lye had become one of the substi- tutes.]
Entry 12781
First day of each month buy new box of salt, hold in right hand and throw in every corner, all four corners of the world, [throw in the 4 directions oa throw into 4 corners of room or 4 corners of house] nobody can harm you. [Informant got this in New Orleans, went there with lady friend for 3 days.]
Entry 12987
De best luck is a silver dime. Git chew a silver dime an' git chew some dis heah stuff yo' cut outa a hank[?] - cheap boxes yo' know. Take dat dere stuff [packing] an' dat silver dime... [interviewer interrupts].
(Is it sort of sawdust or shavings?)
An' put hit an' de dime an' some salt an' a piece of red flannel, an' sew it an' wear it round yore laig.
(What will that do?)
That will keep you lucky...
[I ask what kind of luck and restart machine.]
Any kind of luck - most any kind of luck.