Subject:Broomstraws
Entries
Entry 2910
Take nine broomstraws - in fac' yo' kin take one straw an' break it up into nine pieces, an' yo' kin take dat straw an' lay it on a plate. An' lay dat straw on de bottom of a plate an' yo' set a candle light, an' yo' burn dat candle light eve'y mawnin' fo' 'bout twenty or thirty minutes. An' have it set right in de midst of those straws, an' yo' burn it eve'y mawnin' fo' 'bout nine mawnin's. Den yo' put it out. When yo' put it out yo' put dat name in de bottom of it, an' dat's fo' food. Yo' always keep plenty food in de home.
(What color candle do you use?)
Yo' use a white candle. Yo' could use a green candle - it's mo' faster, but yo' use a white candle.
Entry 5351
Git two of dose straws an' put 'em tuhgethah. (Two straws from the broom?) Yes sir. Put 'em tuhgethah, which an' why, lay 'em 'cross one anothah, an' stick a pin through 'em, an' put 'em out intuh where de tracks is runnin'. An' make yore wish: In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' call de individual name dat yo' mean tuh git rid of. An' dat will git rid of 'em. (They will leave.)
Entry 7064
If de man lay down an' go tuh sleep an' dey want chew tuh stay dere, dey take two broomstraws an' cross 'em. Put 'em cross yo' an' yo'll stay dere. (Stay asleep. Where do you cross them?) Jis' take 'em an' lay 'em up heah lak dis heah [demonstrates]. Cross 'em dat way when yo're [you are] asleep... [A stop. Cylinder change.] (That would keep a person asleep. So if a woman wants to go out at night, her husband wouldn't wake up if she put two broomstraws [crossed over] him. That the idea?)
Entry 10826
Put 2 broomstraws crossways [make cross with 2 broomstraws] over door and sweep behind, for unwelcome visitor. [For 2 broomstraws crossed and buried to be walked over in the tobacco fields near Wilson, N. Car., see No.1758, v.1.]
Entry 10827
Take three straws out of a broom and throw it [broom] across yore left shoulder backwards. Throw it back off yo' and make yore wish. Yo'll git dat wish. [Mobile, Ala., 963:9.]
Entry 10828
It's like my husband and I is separated. I would take four straws of the broom and he came home, I put 'em before the door. He comes in [over the 4 broomstraws] and he'll never leave. (All you got to do, just take four straws from the broom?) Four straws of the broom, before [in front of] the door. (And he won't leave any more. I see.)
Entry 10829
Ah heard dat chew take nine straws an' lay it up ovah yore husban's haid to make him, yo' know, stay home. (Nine straws of what?) Of a broom. Lay 'em up ovah de do' so dat he could walk in an' out undah 'em. Says, now yo' keep 'em dere so he'll stay home.
Entry 10830
Take de broomstraws an' name 'em an' put 'em undah de do'steps, an' dat will keep a man from goin' off. He go off but he'll come back. Put 'em out dere undah de back of de steps where he goes by ever' mawnin'.
(What do you name them?)
Name dem de man's name or whoevah it is goin' off. (Each straw you name the same man?) No, yo' name 'em jes' lak yo' talkin' tuh 'em, yo' know, whut chew want 'em tuh do an' ever'thing.
Entry 10831
Well, if yo' want somebody tuh come in de same do' of yore house all de time, yo' git chew a straw out of a broom. If it's a man, git de bow out of his hat; if it's a woman, jes' take one of her tracks. An' take dat straw an' stick nine straws around yore front, an' dey [man or woman] won't nevah come in yore back do', dey will jes' come in de front do' all de time. (Well, what do you do with that stuff that you get from them? Where do you put that?) Put that? Yo' put it with de straws. If it's a man, yo' take an' put one up ovah de do' - see, one of dem straws. Yo'd have tuh have nine straws from yore broom, yo' understand. An' if it's a man, yo' take one [broomstraw] with de bow of his hat an' stick it up de do'. If it's a woman, jes' take her track an' where yo' put dis straw, put some of dat dirt right down aside of dat [foot track] right round in front of yore house. An' dey coming dataway all de time.
(Well, why don't you want them to come into the house any other way but that?)
Well, dat's in case a man got a woman an' she messin' with anothah man, an' she kin always have him tuh go out de back do'. See, make him come in de front do' an' he kin go right on out de back do'. Have it locked an' he won't nevah go to de front do' - see, nowhere but de front do'.
Entry 10832
And then you take a card, playing cards, you see; you know, like you [picture of man: jack or king].
(Playing cards?)
Yes. Well, you take him out and you'll turn him up behind your bed, you understand.
(Behind your bed, yes.)
Behind de head of your bed on de same side that you [man] sleeps. Now, this is a woman fer a man, and then on de other side, he kin do de woman de same way, you see [he uses female card]. And you'll put it there and then you'll take a broom what you have never swept with. I mean a new broom. You git nine straws out of that. And then you'll talk to him every morning. Everything you eat, you feed him and says good things about him. Don't say anything harsh. And he'll be compelled to come home to you.
(What card do you take out of that deck?)
Take de card that run for you.
(Oh, you have to run the cards?)
Yeah, now like you might run a spade. You might run a diamond. You might run a heart. You might run in a jack and you might run in a king, you see.
(I see.)
Well, you take de card that run for you.
(And you put that up behind your bed - upside down, you say?)
Oh, no! Don't turn dat upside down. You nail it behind your bed. Like I lays on de right side of de bed, well, you nail it on de right side of de bed.
(Behind the bed?)
Yeah, behind de bed, out of search from everyone. No one knows it but you. You do that to yourself. No one sees it.
(Is the face against the bed or the face out?)
The face is out. No, the face is out. The back of de card is against de bed. And you feed that with everything that you eat. Even now, like you would get water - just like you was really feeding him sure enuff. And you talks sweet things - like you 'pologizing, you know.
(I see, to this card?)
Yeah, to that card, for ninr mornings and he will be forced to come back. As to the woman [if a man is working this rite] she'll be forced to come back.