Subject:Brimstone
Entries
Entry 3704
(If a man wants to regain his nature, what does he do now?) He takes sulphah an' brimstone an' sugah an' throw it ovah yore left shouldah fo nine mawnin's an' say, "Dead work to put chew - fo' whut chew tryin' tuh do me, go back where yo' come." An' instead of it bein' on 'im, it will be on 'er, yo' see.
(What did you say now?)
"Dead work to it, dead work to her."
("Dead work to her." That will turn it back on her?)
Sho'.
(That left shoulder, you said was what?)
De left shouldah, dat means yore heart. Turn it back to her.
Entry 3730
Well, yo' take de dishrag, if a woman has got a run-aroun' man an' she take de dishrag - aftah she take de dishrag, wipe him wit de dishrag. Wipe him wit de dishrag an' iron it with a very hot iron, an' bury it to de left side of a tree. When yo' bury it to de left side of de tree, dat will perish away all nature dey has fo' any woman. He can't run aroun' any mo', he'll have to stay at home. Well now, if he don't go to de graveyard an' den git de graveyard dirt from de head an' de foot, place a penny in de centah of de grave- pay de grave fo' whut chew git in de Name of de Lord. Take it back an' mix brimstone, sulphur an' sweet milk an' drink it. Well, if he don't do dat, he'll nevah be a man any mo'. He goes to T. B.
(But if he does that, it restores his nature.)
Entry 4531
Dey go tuh work an' take de lef'-footed stockin' an' git chew some brimstone an' some spice. An' cut de stockin', de heel of it on down tuh de toe, an' burn dat tuhgethah - burn de stockin' an' makes a powdah out of dat. An' den goes tuh work an' grin' up dat spice an' grind up - when yuh grin' up de spice, den yuh goes tuh work an' yuh grin' up dis brimstone. An' mix it all tuhgethah an' yuh kin take it an' rub it in a hat - in his hat whut he use. Dat will make him stay home.
Entry 4935
[Hanging can be a magic rite as here, but this action is not always recognized in indices.] Takes yore socks an' dress it wit de same thin' an' take it tuh de cemetery an' bury it. Drive a stake down an' hang dat stockin' on dere an' jis' yuh done dressed it wit dat stuff. [A woman buries a man's sock or socks, dressed with the following 4 ingredients, in the graveyard. She then drives a stake as a headboard over this simulated grave, and hangs on it her stocking or stockings. He is now beneath, ruled; she above, the ruler. A man may perform this rite against a woman.]
(What stuff?)
Dat brimstone, bluestone, cayenne peppah an' gunpowdah. Jis' rub it all in dat sock an' hang up dat stocking. Yuh done sweated in yore sock, or de woman sweated in de stockin'. An' jis' as dat rain come in dat stockin' [and] de socks molt away, dat's de way yuh'll molt away.
Entry 5037
Yo' kin take de socks or de stockin's an' bury it at de foot of yore steps. Write his name on a piece of papah an' put it in dem socks wit sulphur an' brimstone, wit a little bit of sugah tuh make it sweet. An' bury dat at de foot of yore steps. An' as he goin' an' as he comin' in an' out, see he gotta pass ovah dat. An' 'is min' den will be, yo' know, tuh come home.
Entry 5232
Yo' take brimstone an' put a li'le sulphur wit it, an' wear a li'le in yore shoes, an' de tendency of dat would keep anybody from tryin' tuh do any- thin' tuh yo'.
Entry 5239
Now, ah've nevah 'sperienced dat, but dey say yo' kin burn peppah an' shoe sole an' brimstone an' dat would keep 'em parafied [pacified? paralyzed?]. Yo' know, tuh keep 'em from doin' anythin'. Yo' know, dat will git dere mind kinda puzzled. Dey say dat would run a bad neighbah. Dat whut dey tell me.
(Well, where would you burn that stuff?)
Yo' carry it outdo's somewhere between yore house an' dere house, but don' let 'em see where de smoke comin' from, see. Now dat whut dey say.
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 6910
If dey do sumpin tuh hurt dere ahm [arm] an' it's swollen up or sumpin lak dat, dey could take some vinegah an' put it in a bottle an' some bluestone an' salt an' red peppah, an' jis' keep a-bathin' de ahm, rubbin', an' dat'll more or less cure it in dem. (What causes this swelling in the arm?) It will be jis' lak if dey wan' tuh poison yo' or: sompin, sompin dey puts down, an' yo' go an' put yuh hand on dis. See, dat makes dat stuff go through yuh ahm. It'll keep on a-workin' an' a-workin' till it git intuh yuh body. If [you] start in time - den let 'em take a lot of sulphur. Sulphur's good, too. Jis' take it, put it in yuh han' an' eat it. An' brimstone. Joo kin take a pill of brimstone an' eat dat an' yo' kin eat or drink poison an' it won't hurt choo. See, dat brimstone kills it out.
Entry 6912
An' yo' kin take kerosene an' bluestone an' brimstone an' salt an' rub wit it [the pains caused by conjuration] an' dat'll kill it, too.
Entry 6974
Put sulphur an' bluestone an' brimstone, tie all dat up tuhgethah an' put it in chamber lye an' throw it roun' yore house, an' nobody kin put down any cunjure fo' yo'.
Entry 7655
Ah hear 'em say dat dey takes some graveyard dirt, if yo' have any man in yore community an' yo' wanted tuh move 'em. Yo' take an' yo' go tuh a sinnah man's grave an' git some of de dirt from right off on 'is left side of 'is heart. Jis' go right down in de grave till yo reach clay, an' take it out, an' take dat clay an' mix it up wit some sulphur an' magic sand.
(Magic sand?) [A hoodoo store product.]
Yessuh, magic san'. An' some dragon blood an' brimstone, an' mix all dat tuh- gethah. An' go in dat house wit'out anybody knowin' dat chew in dere, an' sprin- kle it when all de folk gone from de house. See, in de rooms, an' walk out wit'- out nobody knowin' yo' dere. Yo' know dat chew in dere an' make yore wishes. An' dey say dat dey'll have tuh go 'way from dere.
Entry 7671
Yo' kin bring up confusion by goin' tuh de graveyard an' gittin' some graveyard dirt, but yo' have tuh run yore han' as fur down in dere as yo' poss'ly kin; but chew mus' carry three pennies, brass pen- nies. Dese pennies, yo' know, jes' carry dat 'long dit chew, when yo' go out dere. Den when yo' bring yore han' up dat pays off, a'yo' do's dat.
(What do you do with it then?)
Well, yo' kin jes' use it eithah way. Yo' kin make him stay home or yo' kin make him go wit de same dirt.
(Tell me how you would use it?)
Well, yo' could put some sulphur an' brimstone wit dat. Put dem three tuh- gethah. Yo' takes dat an' carry dat an' put it inside de house an' dat will cuz confusion.
Entry 7738
Ah think yo' put brimstone, camphor, bluestone, an' ah think graveyard dirt. Mix it up about soft enough tuh make li'le balls outa it, an' yo' keep dat till it git dry, an' yo' carry dat an' jes' powdah it. Jes' sprin- kle all roun' dere an' wish fo' whut yo' want it tuh do, tuh happen - whut yo' expect tuh happen.
(What do you expect of that?)
Yo' expect, jes' lak yo' want somebody tuh stay away from yore house, yo' could do dat den. Sprinkle it aroun', all roun' so dey can't see it, an' dey won't come ovah it.
Entry 7789
Ah know of a man gittin' a gravevine stick, but he have it dressed, dressed, load it up wit a piece of li'le small lodestone an' brimstone an' put it in dat stick wit graveyard dirt. Put it in, in de stick. Have yo' a separate hole bo'd [bored] fo' it. Yo' 'tend [attend] tuh dat yo'self an' nobody won' observe any hole 'bout it. An' if yo' knock a man wit it, why he'll lingah - dat cuz 'im tuh lingah an' pass away. [If I may guess at the intention here: the lodestone attracts the person to be present for the hitting, the brimstone sends him to hell, after the graveyard dirt has killed him.]
Entry 8935
Yo' get yo' a old shoe somewhere, see, an' yo' take an' yo' cut it up good - jis' want de sole of it. An' cut it up good. An' yo' get yo' some brim- stone, see that's a powder, jis' like steel dust. See. An' yo' get yo' some sweet cinnamon an' yo' mix that up together. Yo' takes dat shoe sole an' yo' lights it. See, make a smoke out of it. An' get yo' a little bit of, small quantity of sul- phur, yo' see, an' sprinkle that on that shoe sole. That's to make it burn, yo' understand. All right, then yo' takes this other powder and sprinkle that on there, an' yo' wraps it up in a cloth, preventing it from burn- ing out so soon, yo' see. An' yo' lights it, yo' see. Well, that's goin' burn to a smoke, yo' see. Well, when that smoke starts to smoking, there's nobody gona fool 'round that house atall. See, ever'body comes there an' 'tempts [at- tempts] to go in there, it creates a fear on 'em. See, they losing no time in bothering 'round there atall. Yo' kin leave your house wide open, there ain't nobody goin' in, yo' see.
(That will keep the thieves away?)
Keep the thieves away - ain't nobody goin' in.
Entry 9234
Jes' lak if yo' got a fren' an' he's away from yo', yo' use a chicken aig lak dis. Yo' put it in de mun of de house [under eaves] wit de end [small end of egg] down an' yo' writes 'is name on dat an' yo' puts it dat deep in de groun' [demon- strates]. (About as deep as your hand.) Yes sir, at de drain of yore house, an' yo' call 'im, an' yo' put sulphuh, sugah - all dat mixture is sweet don't chew know. Put sulphuh, sugah an' brim- stone. An' each mawnin' yo' call 'im fo' nine mawnin's. [Brimstone and sulphur raise hell with him, sugar sweetens him.] Yo' call 'im an' he boun' tuh come, he cain't stay away - he gotta come. One aig an' write his name on de aig. Ah'm goin' call yore name, see. Say, "Ah'm callin' yo' an' ah wan' chew tuh come on back home heah tuh me." Write dat on de aig. See, write his name on dere [egg]. Call 'is name an' write dat [name] on dat aig. An' put dat aig right down in dis guttah [in the ground under the eaves].
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
It would be bettah if it wuz a black hen aig.
Entry 9771
Well, ah've hear'd of settin' dem nails. Jes' lak comin' up tuh yuh do' dere [in interviewing room] yo'd set dem nail wit de point down - pointin' away [demonstrates]. (Pointing away from the door.) Yes. An' [you] have tuh boil all of dem nails in sulphuh, brimstone, peppah an' bluestone. Dey [unwant- ed person: law, rentman, etc.] can't come [in] tuh save dere life. [Here I turn- ed off recording machine too soon, missing the first few words of the demonstra- tion]...place dem up lak dat [demonstration continues]. (How? Have the point straight out like that? [I demonstrate]: And all this stuff is underneath there [the doorsteps]? This lime and all this stuff?) Yes.
Entry 9940
Dey take de frog an' parch it up - kill it an' parch it. Save some of de blood an' den yo' parch de frog an' grind it up, an' put dat blood back in it an' put it in watah [to drink] or put it in yore food. But dey have sulphuh in it - sulphuh an' brim- Stone in dis frog wit de blood. An' dey put it in yuh food or in yuh water [you brink] or somepin othah, or whiskey or somepin, an' give it tuh yuh an' dat would Huyuh.
(What would that stuff do when it got inside of you?)
It would eat on yuh intestines an' eat all de linin' out chore stahmuck an' yuh intestines, an' kill yuh.
Entry 10188
For success in business either at home or outside the house, bathe with 3 ingredients: bluestone, saltpeter and sugar. Or else bathe with blueing and sugar. Either bath is for personal protection. At place of business mop up with Red Seal Lye and burn brimstone as a purification. But before leaving home for work or opening the house for business, make wishes and light a yellow candle. [Did the maker of this rite realize that in some place during the late Middle Ages prostitutes legally had to wear yellow?]
Entry 10189
Bottle oil of bergamine [bergamot], box cooking soda, teaspoon salt- peter, take bath in that. Break a candle, make a wish, light [same] candle, let candle burn out. Then get brimstone, burn brimstone Monday, Wednes- day and Friday and make wish. Put sugar in it [brimstone], throw into fire. Can make money. [This is a rite for business.]
Entry 10765
Yo' git chew a piece of bluestone an' brimstone an' pound 'em up to- gether, an' take notice when dey [unwanted persons] come, git to 'em. Take yo' a pencil or a stick about de size of dat [pencil] an' stick it down in de ground all across dat [foot tracks] - cross [make cross on foot tracks with stick]. Git chew a little piece of pap- er, a little bit of trash, anything, an' lay it right on dem tracks [foot tracks made by visitor]. An' go on 'bout chure business. Dey can't send him [rentman], bill collector, police- man] back dere. (If they could get a hold of him they couldn't send him back to that house? Keep him away?) Yes.
Entry 10766
Gunpowder, bluestone, brimstone an' beat it up together an' burn it five days out on de edge of yore yard to kill yore stock. I'd do dat to kill yore stock - hogs, cows, chickens an' yo' people. Yo'd have a sick pile ovah dere, fast as one git sorta straight- en [out] de rest git down; all like dat, sompin happening all de time.
Entry 10907
Git de cat hair an' de dog hair an' mix it together, an'( den when yo' mix it toget- her, den yo' git chew some dis same brimstone; an' burn anywhere outdo's, an' it will 'sturb a community, 'cause confusion.
Entry 11028
Ah've heard of 'em usin' dem jest tuh bring luck to de bome.
(How do they do that?)
Dey burn de chicken feathers, yo' know, jest lak ah'd have me a pan an' ah jest git me some of dat same sulphur an' brimstone an' dem chicken feathers. Now, they are lucky. Ah know dat fo' a fact, ah've tried it. An' yo' burn dem around de house. Now, dey are lucky.
Entry 11227
Well, now, yo' kin use dirt dauber in confinement an' yo' kin use dirt dauber fo' runnin' people outa town an' around like that.
(How would you run a person out of town with dirt dauber?)
Well, yo' have tuh take - yo' know the dirt dauber nest has all that stuff inside of that clay there, inside of that clay. Well, yo' git the inside [lar- vae] an' yo' kin mix that with cemetery dirt. Mix that with the cemetery dirt an' yo' git chew a piece of brim- stone an' a piece of blue- stone, an' pound it up to a powder an' put in that. An' yo' kin sprinkle that wherevah - whoevah yo' wanta do. Yo' kin sprinkle that an' that will certainly run 'em outa town - run 'em an' they keep agoin'.
Entry 12057
In case if sometime a man an' wife is confused, yo' know, lak some confusion in de family. Some kinda dissatisfaction an' wanta bring peace an' harmony, den if yo' kin git a lock of de man's hair or a lock of de woman's hair, an' go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dust. An' den git some of de dust of dere insteps of dey individuals' feet, see.
(Where they walk in the ground, their track?)
Yes, whether dey bared feet or whether dey have on shoes, jes' so it's from de instep of dey feet. An' dey git some sulphur an' some brimstone an' mix all up. Beat dat brimstone tuhgethah fine an' mix all dose tuhgethah. Sew it up intuh a flannen rag - cloth. Sew it up good an' tight, an' yo' kin drop a few drops of camphor; dat's tuh keep it alive, quicken it. An' jes put dat roun' de do'step, bury it two or three inches in de earth. An' dat'll bring peace in de home.
Entry 12301
Pass a hole into a lemon an' squeeze de juice out of it an' full it up wit sulphur an' brimstone an' salt. Take nine pins an' put through it an' den wrop it up jes' as tight as yo' kin, an' tie nine knots in it - into de string dat yo' wrop aroun' it. An' stick nine pins in it an' go ahead. (What will you do with that then?) Well, jes' carry it with yo'. (What is that supposed to do then?) An' den ah'll go ahead an' attack whatevah busi- ness yo' wanta attack, an' dat supposed to help yo' accomplish it.
(Any favors or anything of that sort?)
Yes.
Entry 12539
Yo' take de red onion - dat's lucky fo' yore house - yo' take de red onion. It's lak if yo' got a friend, yo' kin rule him by usin' dat red onion. Yo' take dat red onion an' cut it in fo' parts an' git chew a little cup an' put dat in wit sulphur, brimstone an put dat in de corner of yore house - yo' know, where people don't have to be Worryin' roun' dere no way but chewself. An' his name write on a piece of papah understan' dat. An' dat will keep him, make him be nuthin but lovin' to yo', an' den dat will make him bring his money to yo'.
Entry 12620
Red peppah, brimstone, sulphur an' burn it an' blow de smoke [towards house] nex' to 'em an' [if people there] don' be in dey house - but if yo' burn it, yo' kin burn it in yore own house an' name it an' blow it nex' their house. Or git some of de garments of de house or somepin othah out of de house jes' since it's been worn. Well, yo' git a garment an' then yo' wrop de brim- stone, sulphur an' red peppah, an' wrop up in de garment. Take de garments to de woods an' bury it undah an' ole rotten log, an' that'll tear de home up altogethah.
(You mean after this stuff is burnt?)
Yes, in dat ole garment, jes' since it somepin out de house. Den de people all in de house - de man or de woman - well, yo' jes' take it an' bury it in de woods undah a ole rotten log.
(That is after you burn all that stuff?)
Yes, put it in that garment.
Entry 1133
If yo' think dat chew got something in yo', yo' know, poison; then if yo' take a dose of brimstone, it couldn't stay in yo' - yo'd have to throw it up. (What kind of poison do you mean?) Ah mean ordinary poison - ah don't mean drug poison. [He means cunjure or hoodoo poison, as drug poison and brimstone show. Since brimstone comes from the devil it is often used against his work.]
Entry 1451
Well, if they put this down and you walks over it - to keep it from taking effect to you - well, that'll be a spell that they put on you, see. Well then, to remove that spell you use brimstone, red cayenne pepper and then you put gunpowder in it. See. And you let it burn and you stand over it and that will remove that spell if you use it fer nine nights.
Entry 1664
(If you want to keep somebody from hurting you, what did you tell me before?) Tuh keep someone from hurtin' yo', yo'd wear garlic an' sulphur an' brimstone an' red peppah an' salt round yore waist, an' drink whiskey offa garlic[ii!].
Entry 1755
(What makes confusion?)
Brimstone. Yeah, yo' jes' take that an' if somebody dey are angry with yo' an' dey fussin' or quarrelin' an' yo' don't like it, why yo' put dat where they have to cross ovah it or pass by it - jes' put dat down fo' 'em, de brimstone.
(What will that do?)
That will make the two peoples angry with each othah - jes' say fo' instance, ah make it plain fo' yo', Doctor, so yo' know. [For the many times I was called doctor, see Hyatt, H. M., in Index.] Now, for confusion, lak de neighbors next do' - ah don't want 'em, lak dat. Well, ah'll put down dis brimstone where they have tuh cross ovah it an' they'll git together an' start fussin' an' quarrelin' - they nevah live in peace.
Entry 1756
Git brimstone an' burn it with some feathers an' yo' have good luck.
(Good luck for what?)
Anything yo' wish to. (You have to make a wish when you are burning them?) [Informant had said so while Telediphone turned off.] Yes, yo' kin parch it - it be a kinda brown stuff, yo' powder it up. Ah wish ah had some now.
Entry 1774
Yo' take dis black chicken - lak ah'd move, dis is a dwelling house an' ah'd move here an' sorta thinkin' somebody was trying to get me - get me a black chicken, take it round on de side where de sun rise an' kill him an' dress him an' eat de chicken. Take de head an' sprinkle it wit black peppah an' brimstone, bluestone an' salt, an' put it in a nice little sack an' bury it jes' like yo would somebody. Cover ovah [make a burial mound over] dat sack an' dey tell me dat nobody won't nevah interfere wit chew.
Entry 2666
You burn brimstone. Yo' use brimstone, bluestone, sulphur, rattlesnake marster, an' yo' git lowbush mercury[?] [myrtle?] - lowbush[?] - dat's a bush dat grows out. in de woods dey call it lowbush[?]. Well, yo' burn dat Sunday mornings three a'clock. Yo' burn that Wednesday night, Wednesday as the clock strike twelve. Yo' burn dat Wednesday. (Twelve o'clock night or noon?) At night. Three a'clock in de morning [Sunday], twelve a'clock at night [Wednesday], an' three a'clock Friday morning. Yo' burns dat in de middle of yore house. Yo' have yo' a pan dat chew use regu'ly [regularly]. Yo' use de brimstone, sulphur, bluestone an' dis lowbush[?]. Yo' burn dose things together. Yo' do dat fo' at least three munts. Den yo' skip an' de next three munts ketch it. [This is skip or staggered magic.] But if you are running a house, why yo' do that ev'ry week. Ev'ry week if yo' runnin' a house, if yo' have gambling, so on, don't chew see. Yo' runnin' yo' house, yo' do that ev'ry week.
(What is that supposed to do? Bring luck or what?)
Yeah, bring luck an' keeps ev'rything goin' smooth. Yeah, bring yo' plenty luck. Yo' have no trouble if yo' sellin' likker, anything lak dat. Yo' have nc trouble a-t a-l-l.
Entry 12933
If she's got his shoes, she'll git de inside of dat lining in dere [insole] dat he wear next to his feet. She will git dat, an' if she kin git 'at, she kin take 'at an' put some - git some brimstone an' sulphur. Put dat in a piece of rag or some tissue paper first. Wrap dis up in tissue paper, but urap coming to her, see. Wrap coming to her. Dis same thing, if she take it an' put it in under her bed, yo' understand, an leave it dere fo' nine sornings under her bed or - don't put it under her haid because dat would take as much effect on her haid as it would his'n. Put it about de middle of her bed [center of bed makes this a quincunx rite] about where her body rests, yo' kmoa, fo' 9 consecutive [days]. An' 'fore dat time, dey say dat he will be just back to her or goin' crazy fo' to git back to her. (After she wraps that material up in the tissue paper, what does she do with that shoe sole?) [My words shoe sole here confuses informant, we had been talk- ing about the inner lin- ing. Another rite for the same purpose now be- gins.l Dat shoe sole, after she fix dat up, put it in some red pepper now, an' brimstone, yeah. It's red pepper an' oil of rose, yeah. Yo' git dat in de drug store. [No- tice: red pepper in the drug store.] Oil of rose, wrap dat up. Course dat's liquid but chew wrap dat together an' dat sulphur will 'solve an' come to be a cake sompin like a flour dough, yo' know. Yo' understan' whut ah mean. Yo' wrap dat together an' bury it. Bury dat at her doorsteps - at her doorsteps. An' at de same time she wanta git her whut chew call a horseshoe an' fix it up. Put dat horseshoe de way it's coming in, not de way it's goin' out - de way it's coming in. An' let it stay dere, an' don't nevah take it down. Nine mornings let it stay dere an' aftah de 9 mornings, during 9 mornings, she must make her urinate 9 mornings. Yo' understand whut ah mean. But fo'evah leave dat horse- shoe dere. When he comes back she will leave de horseshoe dere contin[ual]ly, an' use dat chamber lye fo' 9 mornings right on. Keep a using it until dat head is on dat. Ah'm working on de hair proposition, yo' hair dat chew asked me about.
Entry 1157
I have a sister and she was hurt and she jis' started to screamin' an' hollerin' and we didn't know exactly what was wrong with her. And so we jis' run aroun' and ast diff'rent ones. And so they told us to get some caraway seed and bluestone and salt [three things] and rub her wit it; and ever time we rub her with it, that we must say, "In the Name of the Lord and the Holy Ghost," and rub her down; and give her brimstone in water - yo' know, the water drunkt off of that. Let her drink it. Of course we had to do other things. We used sulphur. We rub her with some of it and then let her eat some of it.
Entry 1383
Git chew a box of [Red] Devil Lye an' bury one at chure step, one at each corner yore house or either at each corner of yore yard where yo' comes in an' go out, an' bluestone an' brimstone, but open de top of it an' put de brim- stone an' bluestone an' de red peppah on de top. Yo' see, dat's good tuh keep 'em away, kill out all de germs an' everything an' take care of de home. It will destroy all dat wus dere.
Entry 1458
Now, if - when yo' wanta be lucky an' stay lucky so yo' kin jest - yo' know, thrive an' have prosperity, yo' jest git chew a nickel worth of saltpeter an' take a tablespoonful of that an' put into yore water, five quarts of water an' take a tablespoonful of table salt an' mix with that an' let it boil down. An' after yo' git dat five guarts of water, yo' heat it. Whenever it start tuh, look like it gon'a boil, yo' jest stir this salt an' brimstone together an' then when yo' begin tuh lie down, yo' take yore bath wit it. An' when yo' take yore bath with it, yo' save dat water an' throw it east. An' every time yo' throw yo' explain lak dis - say, "Lord, moves thine evil influence." An' that [is called] putting de enemies under yore feet.
Entry 1503
Well, now, if yo' moved in a ha'nted place an' yo' can't stay there in no peace but hearin' rackets in de walls, why yo' pick up all of yore shoes dat chew could find an' put some brimstone an' sulphur in it an' burn it - put it in a ole bucket an' burn it in all fo' corners of de house. An' dat will run ever' ole thing dat chew heah round dere.
Entry 1507
Yo' kin go out an' jes' lak yo' - yo' git chew some ole shoes anywhere in de streets or road, anywhere in town. Yo' burn dem - yo' take de soles off. Ah nevah have heard of 'em burnin' de whole shoe - take de soles offa dem shoes. Git chew some sulphur an' bluestone or brimstone - it's all near 'bout alike an' jest put chew a little fiah in de yard or put it in a tinpan or somethin' an' burn it out dere. An' dat keeps dem away from dere.
(What do you burn, the shoe or just the shoe sole?)
De sole - not de shoe. Burn de sole an' put dat sulphur an' bluestone or brimstone - either one, jest put it on dere. A woman showed me dat - ah couldn't tell yo' de name, but she burns dat.
Entry 1754
Yo' kin take de gunpowder an' de brimstone an' put dem together an' yo' kin tote dat - put dem together in a little sack. An' git a piece of John de Conker root, put dat in dere wit dat an' a little sulphur an' sew it up. Put dat Heart Cologne on it an' tote it wit chew. Dat's luck. If yo' go tuh anybody an' ask fo' anything dey won't turn yo' down.
(If you ask for a job or anything of that sort?)
Dey won't turn yo' down.
Entry 1944
Well, ah know that chew kin go to the graveyard, yo' understand, an' after yo' go to de graveyard, yo' find a wicked person - a man or woman, yo' see, an' yo' dig down on de left-han' side into dere heart an' yo' git 'bout dat much of dirt. Yo' see de idea. Den yo' have yo' a little salt 'long wit chew, yo' see. Yo' go tuh work an' yo' take dat salt an' yo' put it in dat hole, yo' see, whut chew dug, an' then yo' go tuh work an' yo' take a penny whut chew call a graveyard penny - some of 'em call it. Then yo' go tuh work an' yo take that penny an yo' put that in there, yo see. Den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' cover that up. Yo' go down an' walk roun' to de left an' take de footboard. Yo' takes de footboard an' yo' carries it to de haid. Yo' pull de headboard an' take that back down to de foot, an' yo' stick it back down there yo' see. Then yo' walk away. Now, yo' kin take dat dirt. Yo' goes to de drug sto' an' yo' buys somepin yo' call brimstone. See. Then yo' goes buy - we haven't got it at home, yo' know yo' go buy it to de hardware an' yo' git this black gunpowder. Then yo' carries it on back home. Yo' set down in a off-room to yo'self. Yo' goes tuh work an git chew a dish an' yo' mixes all that stuff together, yo' see. Then yo' stir it lak dis, yo' see. Yo' gits it thoroughly mixed yo' see. Now, if there's anyone that yo' can't git along with, yo' see, an' yo' want 'em tuh go. Well, yo' see yo' got a powder. Or anyone dat yo' wanta work in dere mind yo' see. Yo' have yore powder, yo' see. Well, yo' walk into dere home an' yo' talkin' all de same time, no one noticin' yo' see whut chew got on yo'. Yo' sprinkle dat right ovah de house, if yo' can git into dey home yo' see. Yo' goes tuh work den if yo' can't git into dey home, yo' sprinkle it right round de do'step, yo' see, an' so fo'th. Den dere gone, if yo' havin' any trouble yo' see.
Entry 2018
Git dat graveyard dirt - carry those three pennies down wit it an' go jes' as fur as yo' kin reach down an' bring up some of dat graveyard dirt. Git dat wit some brimstone an' sulphur an' put it together. Den if yo' kin git hold of dat Indian turnip [see later], jes' have some of it pound up an' [you] kin git inside de co'thouse - git in wit de man dat cleans up in dere befo' co't commence or dey's dere tuh take up co't. Go in an' sprinkle dat all around where all de officers stan' roun' in dere. Dey has benches up dere where de judge sit - have tuh sprinkle it all aroun' dere where de rest of de officers - go all roun' in dere. Dey throw it out.
(They throw the case out?)
Yeah. [Indian turnip, called Indian potato by an informant, is the root of jack-in- the-pulpit. I found the root rarely used.]
Entry 2454
Yo' kin take chicken feathers an' then yo' kin draw a crowd with that, too. De way yo' do that, yo' take those chicken feathers an' put 'em in some kinda instrument [utensil or vessel] an' yo' put 'em out in de'open air. Den yo' git chew a quantity of brimstone an' den yo' burn it an' hit'll bring yo' success an' also hit'll he'p yore business place.
Entry 2483
Ah wanta tell yo' now, ah run a bo'din' house once fo' a ole lady dat stayed dere, an' she went to de fo'ks of de road an' got de dirt outa de middle of de road - don't chew understand me. Den she took some bluestone an' saltpeter an' brimstone - git it all at de drug sto' an' then she takes them an' beats it up fine an' puts it into that pot an' some splinters ovah it.
(What pot?)
To a small pot whut'll hold 'bout two or three quarts.
(Of water?)
Yes. No, no - of de sand, don't chew understand from out de middle of de road. Yeah, de sand is under de bottom of dis heah, under de bottom of dese splinters an' dis heah stuff whut she sprinkles ovah dat, an' den she po's a little kerosene ovah dat an' burns it about three a'clock in de mornin' befo' day. That is to git roomers in her house. Yeah, dat has come from de fo'ks of de road. (She would put this dirt in the pot an' then she mixes this other stuff with that dirt.) That's it - de saltpeter, bluestone an' brimstone. (So that I understand perfectly what it is about: she brings this dirt back from the forks of the road, she puts it in this little pot, then she gets these various things and puts on top of this dirt.) Beats it all up together. (And puts it on top of the dirt in the Pot; then she lights this stuff, this mixture - burns it.) Yeah - three a'clock in de morning.
Entry 5831
[Similar to the margin title BURIED HAIR, only a few examples of burn- ing hair will be given here. Many other rites are scattered through the text.] Dey take mah hair an' put it wit some sulphur an' brimstone, an' dey put it in some of yore watah an' de sand - some of dat sand out de hollah of yore track, or eithah dey take a piece outa yore sock at de hollah of yore feet [if unable to obtain the foot track]. An' put it together an' if dey want chew tuh go, why dey throw it in a runnin' stream wrapped up, an' as long as hit run, why jes' de furthah yo' will go. An' when- evah it stop, yo' will stop until it start rainin' ag'in - till de stream start washin' it, see. An' if dey wanted yo' tuh stay or wanted yo' tuh kill yo'self, why dey'd take it an' put it in - bo' a hole in a tree an' put it in dere an' put a piece back in dere ovah it tuh hold - keep de air from it. Or, eithah dey would take an' burn it. An' if dey burn it, why whenevah - at a certain time de spell, dat spell would come on yo', a real full spell - kinda out of yore senses, an' yo' stick yore head in de fiah or maybe yo' jump ovah- bo'd an' kill yo'self or sompin. Well, dere wuz a boy ah know, hit wuz a girl he wuz goin' wit, an' he wuz leavin' for de CCC [Civilian Conservation Corps, of the U. S. A.] Camp. An' she'd taken 'is picture an' she put it in a - his picture an' some sulphur an' some brimstone an' some of de hair out 'is haid an' de bow outa his hat, an' dey [wo- men] put dis togethah an' burn it. An' aftah dey burn it, dey taken it out de fiah - jes' burn it, put it in a separate place an' burn it in a little box - an' den dey taken it an' wrapped it up good an' real tight an' wore it in dey clothes, in dere undahclothes. Well, as long as she wore it in 'er undah- clothes why he stayed dere. He couldn't stay 'way from 'er house. An' when she taken off 'er cloth [holding the ashes] an' put it - she'd throw it in de fiah, an' he'd taken an' stuck 'is haid in de fiah. It taken six people tuh hol' 'im out de fiah. An' den he got away an' got in de fiah an' caught afiah. An' whenevah dey could git 'im out, he'd ketch hold of de bed, jes' lak dat [may have demonstrated], dey said. An' he'd ketch de foot of it an' draw it togethah, jes' bend it [the 2 legs of the bed together]. An' he kept on lak dat till he died.
Entry 9658
Dey kin make yo' move wit saltpetah, brimstone an' table salt - jis' plain table salt. An' po' it by night, chew know, at de do' or sprinkle it roun' de do', an' yo' shuh of makin' 'em move.
Entry 11620
Put in bag 9 right foot tracks of man, add brimstone, wear around Waist. [Wilmington 115:4.]
Entry 12556
Burn some brimstone an' sugah together on yore stove wit red onion. Dat's tuh keep de law away. [Memphis 2719:4.]
Entry 1086
[Comment at beginning of preceding rite applies here:]
They say if anyone hurt choo, that you'd take twelve ten-penny: nails an' put it in a open can, an' nine new needles, an' sulphah an' brimstone. An' you put it [can] in your fireplace, in back of de fiahplace, an' fer nine mawnin' when you dress that place [where you are hurt], you take that, whutsomevah you take offa you [the wound] an' put it in that can; an' jis' let it stay there an' burn until you git well, an' then the spell'll go back on the person.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- LEFT-FOOT STOCKING ASHES - BRIMSTONE - SPICE; RUB INTO SWEATBAND OF MAN'S HAT — Volume 3, entries 4531. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → HAT - SWEATBAND - BOW → BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT.
- 3 INGREDIENTS BURNED: BRIMSTONE - PEPPER - SOLE — Volume 4, entries 5239. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- BRIMSTONE - EATING — Volume 4, entries 6711. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → CURES FOR AND PROTECTION AGAINST AILMENT AND DISEASE.
- LEFT SIDE OF 'IS HEART - DIRT FROM SINNER MAN'S GRAVE; MAGIC SAND - DRAGON'S BLOOD - BRIMSTONE - SULPHUR; SPRINKLE IN VICTIM'S HOUSE - MAKE YOUR WISHES — Volume 4, entries 7655. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → DIRT TAKEN FROM WHAT PART OF GRAVE.
- COMBINE FROG BLOOD AND POWDER WITH SULPHUR AND; BRIMSTONE - PUT IN PERSON'S FOOD OR DRINK TO KILL — Volume 5, entries 9940. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → FROG AND TOADFROG.