Subject:Brick
Entries
Entry 1441
[Red-brick powder is an ordinary red brick (soft baked) ground to a powder. Redding is sometimes used as a substitute. Both could be bought at a hoodoo drug store.] If you stay and that wouldn't work, wouldn't do no good, you take your lye water - you see, water that you urinate out. [This is usually called chamber lye.] Take that water and you pour it on your step, rinse your step down - Wash it, scrub it off with that and let it drip.
(And it what?)
Yeah, lye water - your pee water, you see. And you put it on your step and you wash it off with - rinse off your step with it and that [hoodoo] won't hurt you.
(And then sprinkle red brick around?)
Red brick all around - scrub your step with red brick.
(Oh, you scrub your step with red brick?)
Yeah, and you put your urinate water in - your water in, you see, and scrub. And that'll move it [hoodoo] away.
Entry 3812
Go an' git a bran'-new brick dat has nevah been used, an' yo' put it in yore fire an' git it red-hot. While dat brick is heatin', he make him a pep- pah tea wid dese pod peppahs. Git nine pods an' make a peppah tea of it, an' he po' 'bout a ten-cent drink of likkah into dis an' drink it hot. Well, when he drink it hot, he urin- ate on dat brick - take it out an' urinate on dat brick, an' dat'll bring it back. Dat's one way. (That will restore his nature, his courage that has been tied up by some woman.) Yes.
Entry 4071
An' if yuh don' wanta work it lak dat, yuh kin take a man's sock, if he's jis' as cruel, jis' so cruel yuh an' 'im can't hardly live togethah, yuh kin take his sock an' put it in - pick up one de bricks out de hearth an' yuh puts it in dis hole. Well, yuh goes dere an' yuh takes an' uri- nate on it, yuh know whut dat is - on it fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll make him jis' as nice tuh yuh as he kin be. He won' fight chew any mo' an' he'll jis' take ca' [care] of 'is wife or woman, jis' lak a man should. Yuh has tuh let it stay dere now fo' nine mawnin's, an' aftah yuh do dat, why yuh know dat chew got 'im.
Entry 4386
Ah heard dat if - now jis' lak if yuh love a person an' dey mistreat yuh or sompin othah. Jis' lak ah may love yuh an' yuh don't love me. Dere man yuh know of dat kind, don't love 'em. Why - an' yuh love 'em an' do all yuh kin tuh git 'long wit 'em an' can't. Why yuh jes' takes most - well, any 'mount chew want of - well, food yo' know dat pass through dem. Yuh kin take dat. Yuh take dat an' yuh put it intuh a little rag, any kinda rag, or maybe a papah, anythin'. An' yuh take it down an' jis' lak yuh take up a brick outa yore chimley, an' yuh bury it undah dat brick an' let it stay undah dere fo' 'bout three days. Yuh take it out. Yuh take dat up den an' yuh burn it.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will bring 'im back.
(You burn his passage to bring him back?)
Yassuh.
Entry 4584
Dey takes dat bow an' dey carry it home an' dey bury it undah a brick in dey fiahplace, an' he can't no mo' stay wit dat woman no mo'. Evah time he goes tuh dat woman house, his haid begin tuh hurt 'im an' he cripple himself up an' den he fall. Evah time he see her he gits maddah an' maddah wit 'er. She puts it undah a brick, de cen- tah brick in de pipe [flue] - undah de centah brick.
(Well, who would do that?)
Now lak yo' wanted tuh - see heah, if she wanted 'im tuh leave dat house ovah yondah an' come heah. Well, she git dat bow an' she carries it an' put it right down dere undah dere. See, dat man can't visit yondah no mo'.
Entry 4937
Ef she has any dealin's wit dis man an' he leaves home, of co'se she kin take his socks or anythin' dat he wears nex' tuh 'im an' take de sweat from 'is thin's, see. All right, she would take 'is dirty sock an' fill it wit salt, an' lay it intuh de chimley hearth an' put a brick on it, see. An' ef she leaves it dere, he may be gone for some days; but he won' stay away, he'll come back.
Entry 4938
Take a sock, take yore lef' sock an' put it up in de middle of a - take a brick up in de middle of a hearth an' put chure sock down. An' yuh urinate on dat sock fo' nine mawnin's an' yuh stop it up. Yuh take it up an' den stop it up. Dat's fo' a man dat's runnin' aroun'. Yuh take dat an' git a dirty sock - have tuh have de sock dirty - an' put it in dis hearth, put it down dere an' yuh urinate on dat fo' nine mawn- in's, an' it will turn 'im aroun' all de way diff'ren'. He'll be a diff'ren' man in de home.
Entry 4939
[An informant in the same cityadds a time detail.1 Ah've heard 'em say dat she could take de man's socks an' take a brick up out de fiahplace an' bury it an' make yore watah on it fo' nine mawnin's. Ah've heard dat.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Well, dat's in a love affair, too. Yuh take an' put dat sock down, an' den go dere evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise an' make watah on it fo' nine mawnin's, an' dat will make him stick closah tuh yuh. Fayetteville, N. Car., (1411), 2535:1.]
Entry 4940
Ah heard dat if yo' take a man's sock - 'SCUSE ME, BUT AH DON'T MEAN NO HARM BY IT. AH HEARD A WHITE PEOPLE SAY DIS. DAT'S DE REASON AH ASK YUH TUH "SCUSE ME. She said tuh take a man's sock an' take some sugah, an' take up de lef' brick on de lef' of de fireplace, an' put dat sock down in dere wit sugah in it. An' make yore wishes dat he'd come home. She said take dat.
Entry 5291
Den he'll take his left-foot shoe. Dat'll he'p, too. Take his left- foot shoe an' carry it tuh a rivah an' tie it up in a rag an' put a brick tuh it an' carry it tuh a rivah an' throw it ovahbo'd. (What will that do then?) He can't stay dere, he'll leave town.
Entry 5411
Take dey ole lady's shoe track up, right up in heah. Dey take dat track up right in dere an' carry it tuh de fi'place an' lay it up in dere. Yo' know, in de fi'place up ovah dere, de whole track up dere. An' yo' could go wit 'er, 'cuz she'll lak yo'.
Entry 5415
Take a man or a woman's track. Git three lef'-foot tracks an' some sugah. Ah heard dat chew take it an' throw it in de centah of de fiahplace, dat track an' de sugah, an' say tuh itwhut chew want done. Dat will keep 'im or 'er home.
Entry 8138
Dat photograph, yo' ain't gotta do nuthin wit dat but one thing. It gotta be taken perfect though [be a real photograph] see. Jis' lak dese Zi'le snappahs [see later], Zi'le snappahs don' do yo' no good. Yo' gotta take dat photograph an' turn it upside - backside - jis' lak as if dis [points to] wus yer chimley heah. Yo' lifts one of dose bricks an' put it [photo] undah dose bricks upside down. But long as yo' got dat upside down, de pusson dat dat photograph is be- longin' tuh will nevah be no good. Yo' gotta turn it upside down. [If I remem- ber correctly, this is the only place where a snapper, snapshot, is mentioned. A photograph by a professional photographer must be used.]
Entry 8139
An' den yo' kin take dat man photograph an' yo' kin take it an' bury it in de hay [I mean] in yo' fiahplace undah a brick. An' in buryin' dat undah a brick, when yo' put dat down dere yo' turn 'is face down an' say, "Ah want chew tuh stay down heah" - call 'is name - "an' ah wan' chew tuh stay down heah. Ah wan' chew tuh come uadah mah com- mand, to do as ah say do, In de Name of de Lord, bring peace an' love in our home." An' jis' put it down dere, an' as long as yo' got dat pichure buried in yo' fiahplace, de fiah, if he nevah move it [photo] he'll always be humble down undah yore feet.
(Just how do you put that picture down in there?)
Yo' jis' turn it down as yo' take up a brick, yo' turn 'is face down.
Entry 8546
(Give me that parable again now. Tell me the whole thing.)
Just like I come to see you to your house and your fire hearth got a end of brick loosened somewhere. Well, I take a piece of paper and write your name down on it unknowst to yo', an' I slip your name up under that brick, and they say, your wife would leave you. (My wife would leave me and go with you?) Yes, go away. [We must remember here, that name is not enough; there is also the mental intention for woman to leave and come to you.]
(Well, is there any way, you can check that? Cross that up?)
Yes, yo' kin check that, cross it up.
(How would you do that?)
Well, the way yo' do that, yo' get yo' some parsley, and yo' tell her put: 'er underclothing wrongside out, after yo' get de parsley. Yo' put that parsley in de bottom part of her shoe an' put some garlic in de bottom part of her [other] shoe an' make her wear that. That'll check it up. [Wrongside out, parsley and garlic are well-known witchcraft deterrents.]
Entry 8549
A rock, not a brick, but a rock - yo' kin take a brick too, either one of 'em, so it's hard, sompin won't bust to pieces when one of 'em is throwed in de fire or in de stove, an' let it stay in dere. An' yo'll leave my house, yo' won't be there many days. Leave my house, love de town, an' yo' keep goin'. (That's all you do, just throw that rock or brick in the fire?) Just put it in de fire an' name it yo'. (Oh! Name it you.) Like your name is - name it yo' an' put it in de fire, an' let it stay in dere. An' yo'll leave an' yo' won't come back dere.
Entry 8629
My husband has - [suppose] my husband has this here woman and ah want to break 'em up. Ah take 'er name an' his name, ah'll put it in a lemon. Red brick - right in my alley, if I'm livin' in a alley, right up out of dat alley, ah'll get, ah'll pick up a brick. Ah will dig a hole, turn dem [in. the] lemon down fo' nine mawnin'. Ah'll walks ovah it. Ah'll say, "Yo' son-of-a-bitch, ah'll keep yo' down." Ah'll walk, ah've got tuh do dat fo' nine mawnin', every mawnin', an' den he'll separ- ate from 'er. When he separate from 'er, he'll say - he'll tell his friends, he say, "Yo' know one thing, ah been mistreatin' my wife, but somehow or anothah she must be - ah don't know what she doin' - she must be prayin' or going to church or somepin. Do yo' know ah ain't got no more feelin' fo' dat woman an' ah can't go wit nobody but just my wife." De reason why he can't go wit nobody but me because ah'm got 'im like dat.
Entry 8960
I have went to jail for fighting and lotsa time never stayed in no longer that then I could get word [to someone] which they got some dust they call this murlee dust.
(Morlee?)
[Name impossible to transcribe; probably a local hoodoo-store dust.]
Morlee dust, tell you. But the trouble [is] jis' lak if yo' happen to be fightin' somewhere an' go to jail. Take some of this Morlee dust an' yo' let your people bring you a shirt, and put it in that [shirt]. Yo' understand. (A clean shirt?) Yes, any kind you got, so long as you wears it - a brand-new shirt. And you put it [this dust] down in the lining of the sleeve or anywhere around the collar lak dat, about nine different places and you wear it. See. Yo' get it an' yo' put it on there when yo' going to court there. Yo' wants to be cut loose from that place. Well, yo' get a beef tongue. Let 'em get a beef tongue an' yo' put jes' as many needles in that beef tongue as yo' could. Set it in yore grate." Jes dig a hole down in de grate, if yo' have a grate. Take a brick out to put it [tongue] down in there.
(In your fireplace?)
Yes, sir. Then, when yo' going to court, when yo' walk in there, yo' have this shirt on with that stuff [in 9 places]; when yo' walk in an' enter into that place, where de lawyer done turn yo' over to be tried. He [is] talking With the jury, who are going to try yo'. He'll be pretty easy with yo'. If yo' got any jurymen on yore case or anything like that, first thing yo' know, yo' have this beef tongue [at home working for you] an' this beef tongue is by yore fire. Well, it be frying; yo' know, hot. Well, that make them needles get red hot an' they couldn't but just fine yo'. The judge do nuthin of de kind. They just have to turn yo' loose, let yo' out of dat jail. (In the jail you wore that shirt there, and at home someone is cooking the beef heart. Is it a beef heart or beef tongue?) Yes, the beef tongue. Get up in de mawnin' an' put [in tongue] as many needles as yo' can. De more needles yo' [can put in, the better]. An' yo' jis' stick the needles all down in it; yo' know, to de limit. An' yo' - if yo' have to, take up a brick - an' yo' put it down in de fire hearth an' put the brick back on. And the time when yo' going to court, light a fire in there. An' when that beef tongue commence to cooking like that, any, evahbody just as calm with yo' as evah. Couldn't find no evidence against [you] and won't find yo' guilty. All they could do, jis' [let] yo' loose without bail. An' they'll never come against yo' no more.
Entry 9485
Git chew a new box of table salt. Listen good! Git chew a new box of table salt an' yo' jes' take it an' open it. See, no one haven't nused [used] out of dat. An' when de' both are leavin' yore house, yo' jes' take some of dat salt an' chunk, stirrin' [magic action] yore salt lak dat [demonstrates circular motion, saying], "Go." An' den when dey - yo' jes' throws out yore arm lak dat [demonstrates], yo' jes' sprinkle it aroun' in each cornah of de house, in all fo' cornahs, an' dey'll finely [finally] break up. An' den yo' take up one of de bricks in yore chimley an' jes' put some undah de bottom of dat, an' set it right back down dere. An' dey won't be dere long - no, dey won't be dere long tuhgethah.
(That will separate them?)
Yes, separated.
(I would do that?)
Yes, separated, fuss all de time till dey separated. Ah'll pull 'em apart. (If I wanted to do that, I would wait until this man and his wife walk out and then I would sprinkle it in their house. Do all that?) Yes.
Entry 9842
(Tell me how they make a person stay at home?)
Wit dere sock. Well, take dis sock an' put chure sugah an' yore cinnamon in dis sock, an' take yo' nine needles an' nine pins an' - fold yore sock an' put [in] dem nine needles an' nine pins. An' yo' use 'em all, gotta git 'em all in dere. See, dem eighteen sticks [sticking ob- jects] gotta be in dere. An' yo' take three tacks an' nail 'em down at de front of yore do', or eithah if yo' got a fiah hearth, yo' take a brick up an' yo' lay dat brick dere. Lay it dere an' put it on top dat. An' yo'll nevah git rid of 'em. Dat'll hold 'em.
Entry 10750
Yo' kin write his name in your monthlies an' bury it up undah de south part of your house an' put a brick ovah that an' he nevah will leave yo'. (You write this with the blood of your monthlies. What do you write it on?) Write it on papah. Write his name an' yore name both. [The original typed word preceding the word part was side, the two words transcribed side part. On checking the cylinder, side was actually something like sud or sut, actually south, which I corrected in pencil. Years later, just now (1976), I inked in south. The sun now keeps warm the two names buried on the south side of the house. An excellent ritel]
Entry 11197
Dirt dauber powder in bottle, put under brick of house, "dey leave dere." [This probably means under a house but covered by a brick, not to hide it, but to add weight to your intention. Also under the house would mean removing a brick from one of the piers on which lowland houses rest; the bottle then being under a brick. Also possible but more difficult, unless everyone was away for the day, would be the removal of a brick from the hearth.] [Wilmington, N. Car., 261:4+85.]
Entry 12600
An' den anothah thing dat chew kin do, to cause 'sturbance in de home dat will break up a man an' a woman. Yo' kin take dis cayenne peppeh an' some red peppah out de garden. Let dis [garden] peppah dry an' get dis [cayenne] peppah an' mash it all up togethah, an' put it in a piece of papah or eithah a piece of cloth. It will do it bettah if it a piece of cloth. An' roll it up an' tie it up good. An' den yo', if yo' kin git in de house, git somebody tuh bury it in de hearth. Jes' take up a brick yo' know an' place it undah dat brick, so when dey'll build a fiah, it will keep dat stuff warm. An' yo' be su'prised at de racket yo' heah in dat house yo'self. It will be a few days befo' yo' see [them] go apart.
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 13141
Take a man's sock or a woman's sock an' bury it. See, where yo' have a fireplace, take up a brick an' sprinkle sulphur an' salt on dat brick an' sprinkle sulphur an' salt on dat brick an' graveyard dirt, an' uri- nate on it fo' 9 mawnin's, an' tell it whut chew want it tuh do. If yo' want him tuh love yo', not leave yo', be right dere undah yore foot an' all, he can't do it, 'cause he's buried right dere wit dat stock- in' an' de minute he takes it up why yo' kin go. But long as hit stays down dere, why he stays dere.
(You bury that stocking right under that brick?)
Yeah, right undah dat brick. Anywhere where yo' kin git tuh it an' urinate on it fo' 9 mawnin's.