Subject:Call
Entries
Entry 2839
(Well, how do they burn those black candles on you? How do they do that?) Well, those black candles, you take them and roll them in saltpeter, and cay- enne pepper, and cook[ing] - table salt. You roll them good in there but you dampen this candle 'fore you, 'fore you do that. You dampen it just a little bit - you know, just pass the rag over it, dampen it. (With water?) Yes, with a little damp rag, you know, so it'll stick to it. Just roll it good - roll it good and then you light it, you light it and burn it. Don't put it out - just let it burn all day. Just burn all day and you'll just worry that person so that he'll just - he don't know [what] he do, almost wanta kill hisself.
(Well, how do you know whom that candle is for?)
You call their name and be cursing them, what you want to happen to 'em - want 'em go and jump overboard.
Entry 2897
The black candle is fo' evil. That black candle does all the harm in the world. Well, yo' jest - say, if yo' wanted to do someone harm, in the day at twelve a'clock, make it no later, yo' go into yore room, pull yore blinds down, set chew a dark candle behin' yo'. An' yo' set wit chure face pointin', say to the east an' yo' set there. Yo' set there until - if yo' haven't got their picture, yo' set there until yore mind jest kinda picture them. An' yo' take that picture, say if yo' wanta cause them to git killed some way - by running into a car, by running into a train, or land somewhere where de train kin run ovah them. Well, jest whut chew want, that one particular thing to do, why yo' jest call dat an' dat black candle will be burning behind yo', see. All right, chew call dat persons name nine times. Den yo' crosses - take yore fingers an' cross it like dat. Pull it, see like dat - pull the fingers together. (Pull your fingers together like that - these big index fingers.) [Crook index fingers and pull.] Uhmm. Say, "To hell, to hell, yo go. Drift forever. No content. There's no rest for the weary." And then turn, blow the candle out an' then kneel in front of the candle an' say, ask for six feet. Then that gives that candle time to cool off. See, ask for it slowly - s i x f e e t. Why den all de smoke from dat candle an' everything will go off. Take yore candle an' go on back about yore business.
Entry 2900
My husband left me and stayed five months. But I didn't burn the can- dle myself, but his cousin burnt the candle. I never saw that before. She take a pink candle and instead of burning the candle as it is sup- posed to [burn] like, she cut that top off there and she turned it upside down and burn the bottom of the candle first, you understand, and when that candle burnt out - he went away from home, hadn't had no fuss or nothing, and stayed five months. Well, I tell you what I did - and not knowin' that she [cousin] suppose to do me no harm - I wanted to be sure there was nobody wanted to do me no harm. I went and got three white candles. [Demonstrates.] I burnt his name under the candles nine times, as I showed you just then on that piece of paper. And I would light the candle at night to burn while he was sleeping - of course, he wasn't with me, and when I would light the candle, I would knock on the wall three times and I would call his name. And when I burnt nine candles he came back, and he been back ever since.
Entry 3762
Well, he kin take a new pocket handkerchief and let his wlfe ddpe ber face with it and watch where she puts it down. Take dis handkerchief wit him put it in his lefthand pocket until twelve 'clock that day and then take it out and put it in his right hand pocket and call her name three times. They claim that that will control her and stop her [from other men]. (If she is fooling around while he is gone.)
Entry 3854
If yore man is well 'way from yo' an' yo' want 'im tuh come home an' yo've evah had anythin' tuh do wit 'im an' yo've nevah washed up de cloth, take it an' wash it an' git de small amount of watah, jis' enough fo' tuh dampen de cloth an' let it soak an' git it out of it. Take it an' put it in a bottle an' put chew jis' about a tea- spoonful of sugah in it. Den yo' set it up ovah de do' where he came in at. Do dat in de evenin' time an' de nex' mawnin' yo' grab de bottle an' call 'is name three times. Shake it up. In 24 hours he'll be at chore residence, if he's anywheres lak he kin git dere. If he don't come in 24 hours, he'll be close enough tuh drop yo' a card an' let chew know he's comin'. [This rite should have gone under IMPoTENCE, following No.3259.]
Entry 4073
(Any other way she can make him come back to her?)
She kin do - she take nine needles an' nine pins an' put 'em in a bottle head an' tail, an' call 'is name evah time [she drops a needle or pin]. An' full de bottle full wit 'er chamber lye. An' cork it up tight an' make a fiah an' put dat bottle in de fiah, an' when it bust, call dey name. In 24 hours time he has tuh come tuh 'er runnin' - no mattah where he be, have tuh come tuh 'er.
Entry 4267
Anothah' way dat dey take it an' control of love wit it.
(This chamber lye.)
Kin control love wit it. An' den dey use it tuh draw a person tuh yuh. Tuh draw a pusson tuh yuh, yuh take dat an' put in it nine needles an' nine pins an' nine nails in a bottle, wit dat, jis' stop it [up]. An' drop de nails in head an' tail, de pins head an' tail, an' de needles head an' tail, callin' 'em evah time [you drop], an' make yuh wishes. An' den jis' stop de bottle up tight. Pusson apt tuh be settin' dere all alone, yuh shake dat bottle, yuh know, an' call dere name an' turn it upside down. Any place dey is, if dey ain't got de fare, dey be walkin', comin'." If dey ain't got de fare, dey try tuh be walkin' comin'.
Entry 4366
If de person know de man name - yuh goes an' know de man name. Yuh care [carry] a li'le bottle, dis cologne bottle, an' yuh call 'is name an' stop 'im up - jes' bottle up de man [see 38, p.24f.] in yuh fob pocket. An' den yuh [go] talk tuh 'im an' he say he ain't got no job. All right, chew go back home an' fer de nex' nine mawnin's - an' yuh got 'is name all right - yuh take a cord an' tie it aroun' yuh waist an' double it nine times. Make yuh chamber lye on it an' put it in de bottle. An' go back [to the boss] an' call 'is name ag'in, stop 'im up, an' den he'll give yuh a job.
(I see, you get the spirit of his voice in this bottle.)
[An old comment of mine in pencil about this rite reads Use with care. This rite is quite all right, except I failed to understand the word double when first checking transcription with the cylinder. Thinking that the waist measure was increased 9 times, I wondered how such a long string could be squeezed into one of those tiny bottles of perfume then sold for lOc at the Five-and-Ten-Cents Store. At the time of recording I probably knew the meaning of double because I do not ask a question about it, but I must not rule out knowledge coming from later experience. Here is what happens. The man wraps a piece of ordinary pack- age-wrapping string about his waist, ties a knot, and cuts off the two unneeded ends. He now has a loop or circle of string, say about 30 inches in circumfer- ence, which he pushes down over his thighs and off his body. This string he stretches out into a straight line of double string 15 inches long and at a right angle to his body; the knot being at one end, this end away from hi. This knot he now folds toward him until it coincides with the other end of the string. This once-folded string is now 4 parallel strings each 7 1/2 inches long. Turn- ing this shortened string 180°, so that the knot is again away from him, he a second time folds the knot to him, reducing the multiple strings to a 33/4 inches length. Remember, he is folding strings soaked with his urine. The strings are folded to him 9 times, at least theoretically. All this is not stated explicitly in the rite itself; it is implicit in this type of folding rite. No boss having his spirit triply captured - tied into a knot about applican'ts body, folded up towards applicant and in applicant's urine, and finally stopped up in a bottle - no boss could possibly resist such multiple magic.] [Charleston, S. Car., (519), 616:3.] [Human excrement rites are less numerous than those about urine. Numerically the ratio is perhaps 1 to 10. As a special feature, most of them concern trees - two-thirds to be exact. The best one, an unusual love story, will be found else- where in 822, p.284.]
Entry 4503
Ah heard about 'um takin' de watah yuh wash in, bath in, an' yuh take it an' throw it in a certain direction. Yuh step back - dey step back certain amount of step, ah think it's seven, an call de indiwidual name. If dey git a holt dat watah now, dey gotta git dat watah in a jug or somepin, er a basin. But it gotta be in [when] evahbody absent, when only yuh de one, yuh alone. Yuh take dat watah an' yuh step back seven times an' yuh call de indiwidual name, an yuh throw dat watah tuh de sundown side, an' dat will cause dat person tuh becom Puny, Puny, Puny, puny. Dey will nevah keep good health, dey always will be puny.
Entry 4766
Ef, jis' like now, ef yuh husban' quit cha, go off an' don't wan' cha. Well, ef he lef' any his dirty clothes, why yuh kin take dem clothes an' yuh kin sleep on 'em, an' yuh call 'is name all de time. An' in de nighttime, ef he lef' any old shoes, take dem shoes an' yuh put 'em undah de haid of de baid, an' yuh turns 'em roun', yuh know, diff'ren' time, an' call 'is name an' he comes back. He come back.
(How do you mean turn them around?)
Cuz ah've did dat once.
(Those shoes, what do you mean you turn them around?)
Jis' like ef dere undah de dressah dere [points to dresser in the room], yuh move 'em from undah de dressah an' put 'em undah de baid. An' yuh call 'is name an' make 'im come back.,
Entry 4827
Dis is yore room [the rented room in which I was interviewingl: Well, if ah wus tuh pick up one of yore, YORE HAT [MY BLACK HAT ON INTERVIEWING TABLE], or a pair of yore socks or sompin, an' walk out wit it. Well all ah got'a do - now dis heah is true, yuh know. All yuh got'a do, yuh pull off yore undahweahs - yuh got'a use dem. Yuh ball dem things up. Well, jis' befo yuh go tuh bed yuh make yore watah on dese, on dat undahsuit. Yuh ball it tight, wrap it nine times. An' as yuh wrap it nine times, dat person dat chew have a idea dat stole dose goods, yuh call dere name, see. An' when yuh call dere name, yuh take an' lay dis in a cornah, [and] wit yore laigs [demonstrates].
(You lay it in a corner and stamp your feet on it.)
An' as yuh stomp - dat's all de stuff yuh got'a do. An' evah who did it, dey'll come an' bring it back - come an' tell yuh 'bout it.
(They will bring back whatever they took from me.)
Yes sir, evahwhere dey wus, down tuh - anything, dey comin' tuh tell yuh. Now, dere wus a man workin' wit mah husban' de othah day, an' he stole three paint brushes from Mr. Beasley, a man dat run a paint shop. Well, he carried it back, but he don't know how he carried it back. But he carried it back.
(You did this to him?)
[Informant I describe in note as small-time worker.]
He carried it back.
Entry 4869
She'll git sompin dat he wore tuh 'im. An' she git a piece of 'is undahweah, anythin', an' she'll take [and] she wrop it, fold it up. An' she'll take a piece of silk, black thread, an' she'll wrop it tuh 'er 365 times. An' she gits three sticks from de pins [3 stick pins from a new package of pins]. She stick one dat way [demonstrates] an' one dat Way, an' take an' wrop 'em comin' back toward 'er.
(She sticks one in the side of this package?)
Sticks one right lak dat, an' turn aroun' an' stick de othah one right lak dat, an' stick de othah one right by dat one, an' turn 'em back right lak dat [demonstrates].
(Two of them are turned back toward her. Then what does she do with that?)
Put it right in front of de house in a safe place an' call 'is name. Tell 'im tuh come back. Call 'is name three times an' tell 'im tuh come back, come back, [come back].
Entry 4946
Aftah dat yuh kin take his socks, de left-foot sock an' bury it undah de steps, an' put de foot in like he come up de steps [foot of sock pointed to door]. An' take dat sock, de sweat from de sock - an' wash it an' put it [water with sweat] intuh a bottle, an' stop it up wit some cayenne peppah an' cinnamon [and name - see later]. An' shake it up well evah mawnin'. An' yuh kick it from de do' nine times an' bring de face of de bottle an' de name [men- tioned for first time] in tuhwards yuh. Don't nevah put de back of de bottle, de bottom of de bottle, tuh yuh. Always put de mouth of de bottle tuh yuh. Be kickin' it an' namin' it, an' call it, dat dis will draw 'is 'tenshun from de [othah] woman. [The name written on paper is in the bottle and the name is also called.] Jis' keep 'im on away from dat woman all de time. He won' even wanta see her. Come tuh find out he'll be lovin' yuh mo' an' mo' den he did evah.
(You take that sock and you get that water from the sock. Either sock?)
Either one.
Entry 4951
A [dirty] stockin', yuh takes it an' ties three knots [one on top of the other - a threefold knot] in it. Dey say yuh take yeh right one. Gits yuh some Hearts Cologne, po' it in dere. Gits yuh nine pins, nine needles, an call dis person by name, whosomevah it is. Make yeh heart wish. See, jis' like if yuh wants yeh sweetheart tuh do sompin, tie dis tuh yuh. Every time yuh make a knot, pull yeh string [stocking] tuhwards yeh an' call dere name three times. An' put dem pins an' needles in dere [in the threefold knot]. Yuh takes dem pins, yeh lays de pins dis way [demonstrates].
(Alternate heads and points.)
An' yuh puts dis cologne on dere. An' yuh kin weah dat in yeh pocket. Dat'll make yuh - if yeh girl away from yeh, she'll come tuh yeh.
Entry 4968
Tuh bring a man back wit de sock, yuh take a lef'-foot sock. Yuh take an' put it down, put it down undah a rug, jis' lak yuh got lino- leum. Yuh put one down - yuh put de firs' sock down comin' in [at the front door]. Yuh go tuh de reah do' an' yuh put de othah sock down goin' out - shoot it [straight] goin' out. Yuh git up [in the morning] an' yuh take yuh some chamber lye an' yuh sprinkle, jis' lift it up soon in de mawnin' an' sprinkle a little chamber lye on dere, see. Go tuh dis [other] one an sprinkle a little bit of chamber lye on it. All right, yuh say, "Now, Lord, combine me an' mah man tuhgethah wit union an' love." Say, "Leave out all stum- blin' blocks, hindahin's an' causes." An' if he as fur away as mah han' he is got'a come. He's got'a come. Yes sir, ah know he's got'a come. Don' care whut direction he is in de worl', yuh take dem socks an' put 'em down lak ah said. Put 'em on down, de firs' sock comin' in dis way, an' dis one goin' out dat way.
(What do you mean by the middle door? Do you mean the back door?)
Jis' lak dat do' right dere [points].
(That back door, away out at the end of the house?)
No, inside de house. [Informant thinks my end of the house means outside the back door. Back door is meant.] (You call that man by name when you are saying that little [I WAS GOING TO SAY INCANTATION BUT STOPPED] - theSe WOrds?) Yeah, yuh have tuh say dose words.
Entry 4983
An' so in de line of bringin' a man back, yo' take an' take his sock - take his sock an' nail it up in a da'k place in de cornah yer house, behin' de haid of yer bed. Yo' nail fo' nails an' yo' drive one right in de toe. Stretch it up bot- tomside downwards. Yo' drive one right in de toe, an' yo' drive one in de centah of de heel, an' yo' drive one on each outah edge of de heel. See, stretch it lak dat. An' yo' go to it fo' nine mawnin's an' call dis man's name, an' tell it: Bring 'im back to yo' In de Name of de Lord. An' aftah which - aftah nine mawnin's, dey say dat will bring 'im back.
(Do you use either one of his socks?)
Either one of de socks.
Entry 5072
[Wash his] sock an' rench [rinse] it out, put de watah in a bottle an' put sugah an' cinnamon in it. An' shake it like dat [demonstrates] an' call 'is name nine times. An' turn it upside down an' he'll come back.
(The man'll come back to this woman, but where'll she put the bottle?)
Well, yuh kin set it in a cornah.
Entry 5073
Take an' git dere socks. An' take his socks an' wash 'em. An' take de watah an' put it in a bottle wit de soft watah, sompin lak rain watah, in a kinda crystal watah. Let half of it be de watah from washin' de socks an' half of it be's de crystal watah.
(Soft water?)
Yeah, take dat an' put a little sugah.in it an' put Epsom salts in dat. An' yuh take an' burn de incense an' de red onion - lump incense - on de stove, an' sprinkle a little sugah in it. Dey mos'ly use sugah mos' in anything. An' yuh burn dis lump incense an' de red onion on de stove an' call de name three times. Burn dat fo' 'bout nine mawnin's an' he'll come back an' dere won' be no trouble.
(What did you do with that sock water? What did you do with that?)
Take dat an' set it in de no'th cornah of de house an' keep it dere fo' three days - three tuh nine days. An' yuh take it out an' yuh po' it 'cross de do'- steps an' aftah it dries... [I turned off recording machine too soon or accidentally and had to restart it to repeat informant's words.]
(He'll come back?)
Yessuh.
Entry 5168
Yo' git de inside sole of a man's shoe. All right now. Yo' git some lightnin'-struck wood an' yo' take some sweet milk, an' yo' soak dat three days. Den yo' make a dress of dat [dressing or hand of wood and milk] an' yo' go tuh de crossroad where hit like dat, see [demonstrates a crossroad]. Den yo' call - git some salt.
[Here is an example of details often omitted in an interview.]
(Wait a minute! What do you mean you call?)
Call 'is name, say, "Ah wanta run So-an'-so." YO' HAVE TUH CALL 'EM TUH RUN "EM. Git chew some salt an' yo' make a dressin' of dat an' yo' bury dat. An' YO' TELL IT WHUT CHEW WANT IT TUH DO. An' evah - in about three days yo' go back there an' make yore dressin' an' tell it whut chew want it tuh do. DAT LIGHTNIN'-STRUCK WOOD GIT'S 'EM CONFUSED IN 'IS MIND. Yo' haVe tuh work 'is mind to do anythin' wit it. [This piece of wood dressed with lightning, milk and salt, 3 things, becomes a hand.]
Entry 5177
Den yo' git de shoes, yo' take - cut a li'le piece outa de bottom of dat shoe. When yo' cut a li'le piece outa de bottom of dat shoe, yo'll fix dat up in a li'le piece of cloth, a yellah homespun cloth. An' yo'll wind dat, yo' know, wit a string. An' yo'll have in dat nuthin but sulphuh an' eatin'-salt. An' yo'll put dat in dere, an' yo'll tie hit tuhgethah intuh dat li'le piece whut yo' cut out dat shoe. Well, now, if yo' hit [aim] tuh bring 'im back, well yo'll take a li'le piece of saltpetah an' yo'll put [make] dat in a powdahs - all dem into a powdahs, an' yo'll fix dat into dat li'le package. An' aftah, yo' wind dat li'le package up an' yo' bury dat at de back of yore house. An' when yo' put all dat in de back of de house, den yo' call 'im three times - woman or man - an' dey cain't he'p but follahin' back. Now, dat's fer as ah know 'bout dat.
(Do you wind it in any special way?)
No pahtic'lah way but jis' long as yo' know it tied.
(And can you send them away with the same thing?)
No suh, ah don' know if yo' send 'em away wit dat.
(You mean that piece in the shoe, that piece inside [insole] that you pul]
up?) Dat's right.
Entry 5252
Well, now, if yo' wan'a person tuh leave, say leave town, yo' kin take 'is shoe. Take one of 'is shoes an' take it tuh de railroad an' turn de shoe de way de train's comin', de way yo' want 'em tuh go. An' when de train runs ovah dat, yo' call 'is name an' have some graveyard dirt. An' jis' drop three pinches down in 'is shoe an' slip dat shoe on de railroad an' de train will run, yo' know, hit runs ovah de shoe, an' he's wit dat [train] crew. Yes sir, dat will lose him. (You don't put that on the rail, you just put that on the track? Between the rails?) Yeah on de track - NO, PUT IT ON DE RAIL!
(Oh! the train actually runs over it.)
Yes sir, runs ovah it.
(Either shoe is all right?)
Don' make any diff'rence.
Entry 5298
You can take their shoes and carry them down to the river at noontime and let the water run over them. Take them back and let them dry. On a full moon go down to this river, call, and keep calling them. And when they have them shoes on they'll walk into the river and drown them- selves.
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 5431
Dey say yo' kin take a shahp [sharp] stick an' put dat in yore track. Dey kin go tuh each fo'ks of de road - lak de road dat got fo' forks tuh it [a crossroad] an' yo' kin drive a stake down at each one of dem fo'ks of de road, an' dey saydat will hurt chah too. (They have to put one down in your foot track too. Then you go to the four forks of the road and put them there.) An' call yo' names.
(What is that supposed to do to you?)
Dat hurts chah.
Entry 5433
Dey do dat sometime in ordah whenevah dey wan's a person tuh leave aroun' 'em - a enemy.
(All right, tell me the whole story.)
Whenevah dey have a enemy an' dey wan's tuh git rid of dat enemy, dey go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' dey take dere track wit 'em. Dey git both tracks an' take out dere tuh de fo'ks of de road befo' day in de mawnin', see. Yo' know, befo' daylight - sunlight - 'tween two an' fo' a'clock lak dat. An' yo' take dat track out dere an' yo' turn yore face tuh de east, an' yo' say three, repeat three words, In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost. [Say] whut chew want dese people tuh do, dey doin' yo' harm, an' yo' call dis person name an' den yo' throw it dat way.
(What way?)
Dere tuhwards de east.
(You throw this track toward the east?)
Yes, throw it tuhwards de east.
Entry 5438
Dey take yore track, yore right track, an' carry it in de graveyard an' name it aftah yo'. Call yore name, yo' know, tuh some of dose whut dey known in de graveyard whut's dead. Put it down side de person grave an' tell 'em tuh take dis track an' take dat person away from heah. [Wilmington, N. Car., (243), 165:14 0r 240:10.]
Entry 5484
Yo' git 'is track an' git 'er track an' git chew gunshells, an' jis' put dem two tracks tuhgethah an' stick yo' a light undah it, say, "Ah wants one of yo' tuh go tuh de east an' de othah one tuh de west." Take dat gunshell an' put one on dis side, dis gunshell heah now in de middle. An' heah one track heah an' heah de othah one dataway, say, "Ah want one tuh go tuh de east an' one t-h go tuh de west." An' call dere names. An' stick a fiah undah dem an' dey'll say dey'll go evah way. Dey can't stay tuh- gethah, dey would have tuh go.
(This is to break up a man and his wife?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5553
Yo' take a person dat yo' dislike an' yo' wan' 'em away from yo'. Yo' seet 'im. He's comin' dat way an' yo's comin' dis way. Take a bran'-new piece of papah, a piece like dat [he changes this for cloth later]. Take a bran'-new easpoon. When ah say bran'-new, ah mean one dat was nevah used fo' any purpose. An' yo' put it - take a piece of cloth, white cloth dat yo' have nevah used fo y othah purpose. Take dat wit yo'. An' prepare tuh meet yore man, whomsoevah ir is. An' meet 'im dere, an' git a smile if yo' kin. Pass 'im an' pass 'im a certain distant [distance]. But gauge yoreself so as tuh not allow 'im tuh git ay too far. An' yo' take de track up wit dat teaspoon. Begin right at de toe, don' cha know an' pull it directly back tuh de heel. An' git de spoonful an' put it intuh dis cloth, an' wrap it up so it won't - yo' know, it will be out of de way. An' yo' take a rusty nail an' yo' cross de track directly in de centah, an' den cross it ag'in from de heel tuh de toe - away from yo', directly. An' throw de nail ovah yore left shouldah. Den yo' keep de stuff dat yo' got in de cloth, take dat an' take de spoon an' throw dat ovah yuh right shouldah. Take dat cloth right on, roll it up tight, tie it away from yuh, don't cha know. Take a piece of rock an' put in it, in de othah part of it, an' yuh care [carry] it an' yuh throw it ovah yuh lef' shouldah, right ovahbo'd intuh runnin' watah. Or if de tide is goin' down, on de tide, when yuh throw it ovah. An' yuh mention de person's name. Dey goes right on out like dat [with the tide]. As it go ovahbo'd, dey die. An' if it's comin' up, yuh know what yuh call a spring tide, huh, when it's comin' up, why dey'll git almos' crazy until de tide turns. An' as soon as de tide turns ag'in, dey gone.
(Where did you learn this?)
Ah learned dat in de Bahamas.
(At Nassau?)
At Nassua.
(From this girl?)
From dis girl.
Entry 5561
Take a ten-penny nail an' tell it whut chew want an' drive it right in de hollow of dey feet when dey leavin' home, drive it up, an' jes' tell it whut chew want it tuh do, call their name, an' say dey'll move way from dere. But ah've nevah tried dat...
(But you must put it in the foot track as they leave...?)
Yeah...
(Either track?)
Aw, de right track. [Wilson, N. Car. (1470), 2652:14.]
Entry 5572
Take de foot track from de end of yore feet. Yo' kin take dat an' put it intuh a cloth. It's all right tuh hold it at home, too. Take it an' put it intuh a cloth an' weah it. Make yo' a bag an' weah it, an' he will always follah yo'. Evah- where yo' go, he'll go wit yo'. Evahthin' yo' [have] a mind tuh do, he's ready tuh do dat. Jis' 'is foot track. Take his left-foot track from de toe back tuh de heel. Take dat an' take it an' fo' nine mawnin's, if yo' don' wanta weah it fo' nine mawnin's, walk through yore house an' throw it ovah yore shouldah, yore lef' one, see, jis' lak dat an' don' look back. An' call dis man three times, an' he'll come tuh yu' if he's in Chicago or any place. Yo' use it dat long. (You throw it over your shoulder and then you pick it up, and throw it over your shoulder again. That the idea? You do that nine times?) Do dat nine times, throw it ovah yore shouldah.
(Nine times each morning?)
Fo' nine mawnin's, once each mawnin' 'fore de sunup fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 5596
Well, some of 'em goes out dere to git some of dose leaves [from holly bush], dey uses 'em fo' a tea. Dat's part too of dis WITCHCRAFT BUSINESS. An' some of 'em goes dere to git some of dose balls [berries]. Dey git nine balls from dere each time dey goes. Some uses dat. Dey take dose holly balls an' fin' nine of yore foot tracks an' dey'll go ahead an' place nine of dese in 'is track [one in each track], an' give [call] his name, an' tell 'im to go. Well, dat will put 'im to movin'. [See also 2004, p.588, margin title HOLLY TREE, p.107, etc.]
Entry 5619
Carry away yo' tracks - if he git chore foot track to hur' chew, take it up an' turn yo' toes back to yo' heels an' bury it. He'd make yo' sick. But if he'd take it from yo' toes back to yo' heels an' don' do nuthin wit it, an' yo' could nevah feel sick de fus' [first] time, take an' take yo' some salt, table salt, sprinkle it down in yo' yard an' call dat person name, if yo' kin. Squash it. He can't do no harm den.
Entry 5629
Take dey track.
(Either track?)
No sir, de track outa de right foot. Take it up from yo', put it in a jah [jar]. Put chew some salt an' red peppah wit dat, stop it up tight. Go down tuh de rivah when de tide's goin' out an' stan' wit chure back lak dis [demon- stratesl, an' pitch it ovah yure lef' shouldah an' call dat person name. An' dey'll leave out jis' lak dat - dat bottle go down wit de ebb tide.
Entry 5634
Dey say yo' kin take dere track an' put it wit some salt an' [red] peppah an' sulphur an' put it in a bottle, an' go to runnin' watah an' throw it in backwards, an' tell de person - call dere name - tell dem to go jis' lak dat track go down dere, down de rivah. An' long as dat watah runnin' carr'in' dat track, why dat person always wundahin' [wandering] roun' an' goin'.
(You use the dirt out of either foot?)
Either one.
Entry 5687
Ah wuz stayin' by a wumum one time. She wuz a disappeahed [dissipated] sumum.
(What kind of woman?)
A bad wumum. She wuz a mighty bad neighbah. An' ah didn't lak 'er. Ah thought ah would try whut wuz tole tuh me tuh try on 'er. Ah got some of 'er track, her lef' feet, put it in a snuffbox. Go tuh de rivah, calls de Lord's Name three times: By de Name of de Lord: By de Name of de Lord: By de Name of de Lord: Throw it right ovah de lef' shouldah, don't look back, keep right straight on in front of yo'. She lef' dere.
Entry 5721
(Have you ever heard of a person getting hold of your foot track and doing something with that to harm you?) Well, dey kin.
(What could they do with that?)
Well, dey kin take dat, take dat wit gunpowdah, an' while yo' are sleepin', call yo' an' yo' answah. Dat's yo'. Dey got yore spirit den. See, dey got chure spirit. See dat's all dey want. An' den dey kin take it tuh a tree, say a gum tree, an' dey kin split dat gum tree an' tack it up in dere.
(What do they tack up in there?)
Dey kin tack or eithah kin splice [split] it [tree]. Put dat right in.
(What do they put in?)
Put de track - put de track in dere. See, de tree will burn.
(What do they do with that gunpowder?)
Dat gunpowdah will keep it hot. Keep yo' hot. Yo' can't stay no one place. Yo' nevah be contented. [In the present rite a part of the victim's spirit, his foot track, has already been caught and mixed with gunpowder in a bottle - see PART OF SPIRIT EQUALS WHOLE SPIRIT, p.2lf. For good measure informant now catches spirit re- maining in victim's body by calling his name and closing bottle when he answers (see TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f.). Whether these two wholes or two parts of the spirit unite in the bottle, or the gunpowder keeps them dancing apart, I do not know. Evildoer pours contents of bottle into a split made in gum tree and re- moves wedge. The word gum adds to the confusion.]
Entry 5792
Git de feet track meetin' it.
(Pick it up meeting it - that is, they are coming to you.)
Yes. Yo' pick it up on a paddle or yo' know somepin. Pick it up whole. Yo' duap it intuh yo' lef' han'. An' take it on in [house] an' mix black peppah an' salt wit it. An' call yo'[victim's] name three times as yo' mix it. Now, yo' will have tuh take dat fer nine mawnin's an' go out wit de sunup. An' in de evenin's wit de sundown. An' cast it befo' de fo' winds, yo' know, an' put down certain words.
(What words would you put down?)
Ah don' know whut de words are. [There are many examples of these words of dismissal in HOODOO: Go, never return, etc. Often a curse is added.] Now, den, dat will put chew tuh wandahin', run yo' away, or run yo' crazy. Yo' ain' touched [in the head], yo' won' have no mind tuh do nuthin, yo' ain't crazy; [you] jes' wandahin'.
(Restless.)
Entry 5996
She kin take one bran'-new needle an' run 'is hair [one strand] out of 'is head through dat needle, an' chunk it [demonstrates] to a sundown side
[throws it to the west] an' call 'is name. In two day's time, why he'll be back home. (She chunks it over her shoulder that way. Which shoulder?)
Left shouldah, an' don't look back as yo' coming [away].
Entry 6070
[Take a piece of] de petticoat an' [or] de bloomahs an' cut de - a little top of dere hair off. Well, an' git de same thing off a man [his under- clothes]. An' mix it togethah in a soda-watah bottle. An' take it an' carry it to de end of de do'step an' put it - not too deep, jes' a little deepah 'nuff where yo' know dey could not tell it. An' let 'im walk ovah it fo' nine mawnin's. Dey say dat will come to keep 'im at home an' he'll come to love yo' an' can't no othah woman git 'im.
(Wait a minute! You take the hair from the top of a man's head, you say?)
De mole of 'is haid, yes. Den dat from right on yo'self down dere, yo' know, jes' cut about two stran's.
(From a woman?)
Yeah, an' mix it togethah, an' git chew half a bottle of 'logne [cologne] an' so' dress it wit dat. Well, yo' go right - cut 'er bloomahs right in de seat of 'em. Well yo' git it out de seat of de man de same. An' put it togethah. Well, aftah yo' do dat, chew take about a little teaspoon - not a little, jes' a drop, but not so much, an' let it be kinda graveyard dirt. Put it in de bottle an' shake it up. Well, yo' go right to de end of de do'step an' yo' call a person nine times. Well, when yo' call 'em nine times, take it an' stick it right to de front of de do'step - put it down dere yo' know, kinda deep undah where yo' couldn't tell it. An' nine mawnin's - fo' nine mawnin's, well, when yo' git up yo' [call?] 'im [his name] about six [nine] times. Well yo' take it out from dere an' carry it to a cornah right where yo' know he comes out backwards an' forwards - dat same route road - come right to de cornah. [Does informant mean corner of the outside chimney, the old-fashioned country toilet, where he would urinate on this conjure or hand? I do not believe corner of a path or crossroad is meant, where other people would walk over the buried object. Bottle was orig- Inally buried at "corner" of doorstep. This is cornering a man.] Why yo' bury dat an' let it stay dere fo' so many days, certain days. Well, aftah yo' do dat, see, dat'll keep dat man an' woman togethah. See. [A comment of mine made while checking cylinder reads, "Talking too fast."]
Entry 6445
Ah have heard dat yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, an' take yore fingah- nail or a corn off yore toes, an' make yore three wishes. Yo' know, say, "Ah wish dis one would nevah in- tahfere wit me no mo'; ah wish dey would go 'way from me an' nevah come no mo'." An' drop it an' dey'll go. Firs' thing yo' know, if dey's roun' about chew, why dey'll leave. [During brief stoppage of recording machine, victim's name is called - see later.]
(What do you do with the fingernails or the corn? What do you do with those?)
Jis' drop 'em down in dere an' say, "Ah wish yo' tuh go an' ah may nevah seen any mo'."
[Here I add the person's name previously dropped.]
(You just call this person's name, so they won't be around you any more.)
Entry 6588
Now yo' take a scorpion, he's poison. Now yo' got sompin ag'in me an' yo' got sompin ag'in a man on King Street. Yo' may got sompin ag'in a man on Spring Street. Well, now, ah'm de fust [first] one yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Dis man on Spring Street de secon' man yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Well, yo'll take dat SCOrpion an' kill 'im. WHEN YO' DONE KILL DAT SCORPION, YO' BRING 'IM HOME HALF LIVE. YO' AIN'T KILL 'IM ALTUHGETHAH. He half live when yo' bring 'im home, but yo' finish killin' 'im when yo' bring 'im in yore house. Aftah yo' finish killin' 'im, de last lick yo' hit 'im yo' know yo' goin' kill 'im, yo' goin' call mah name. Yo' call mah name. Ah'm yore enemy. Ah'm yore dead [deadly] enemy. Ah'm de one yo' Wants tuh git nex' tuh altuhgethah. But when yo' kill dat scorpion an' call mah name, ah'm goin' take sick. Now dat man ovah heah on Spring Street, yo' goin' call 'is name by dat scorpion's tail. Yo' goin' cut dat scorpion's tail off jis' about dat much [demonstrates]. Well, yo' goin' tuh hold dat scorpion an' yo' wrap dat wit silk thread, silk thread. An' [as] yo' hit it, yo' cast it in yore yard an' say, "Go, yo' bastard, yo'." An' he's gone.
(And would it do anything to the person living on King Street, then?)
Dat man on King Street goin' work wit me.
Entry 6808
(Suppose I have come to you about taking a spell off?)
Well, ah nuse [use] dis salt, peppah, sage an' stuff - salt, sugah, sage, alum an' saltpetah. Ah got dat ovah in a box, see. An' ah take some new string, nuthin have been worn, an' ah tie dem, an' whatsomevah ah Want chew tuh do [demon- strates]. (Just tie a knot.) Yeah, tie a knot, an' den ah take dat, dis stuff an' sprin- kle it ovah dere, see. An' den if dis spell [is] on me [you], see. An' whosomevah put it on yo', if yo' know dere names, yo' jis' call dere name an' tell 'em yo' want 'em to take dis spell offa yo'. Well, if dey don't, yo' wish bad luck onto dem, see. An' yo' burn dis stuff. An' den YO' STRIP BUCK NECKED [NAKED] AN' DEN TAKE DIS BLANKET AN' PUT IT: OVAH YORE HAID. AN' DIS SMOKE, YO' CAIN'T HAR'LY [HARDLY] STAND IT. If dere's anything in yo' in any way, shape, form or fashion, it'll come out, see. [The preceding term suck necked [[naked]] may be its only use in Hoodoo.] An' den yo' take a li'le whiskey glass an' yo' boil dis heah gourd tea - yo know gourds - an' yo' boil dis gourd tea an' yo' take three glasses of dis gourd tea evah day. An' dat'll take de spell off yo'.
(Especially if they have something inside of you.)
Entry 7284
Aftah he wuz killed, ah heard dat he could take an' step nine steps backwards, an' when he steps nine steps backwards, he would whirl round on de left heel an' pick up a strand of hair outa dat track an' call 'is name - name an' a lock of 'is hair. Ah heard dat's de way yo' git 'em back. (You call the man's name that wus kill- ed?) Call de nam dat killed 'im. (Well, how did they know it was that man?) Well, when dey step backwards nine steps an' whirl round an' dey git de strand of 'is hair, dey would know dat hair on account dey have seen dat man. An' den, his 'nitials - his 'nitials be cut in dat hair.
(You mean that would be the hair of the man that did the killing?)
Yessuh. [To whirl round on the heel (usually right) and find a hair in the heel mark is a common rite: In the hole you make by turning around three times on your right heel you will find a hair like that of your destined mate's (FACI 1st ed., No.7037; cf.7038-7039). For finding hair in shoe or stocking, see 2nd ed., 9105-9115.1 [Informant is describing the work of a doctor, who could recognize the hair and see the initials; a simple task for a gifted person, as anyone familiar with these volumes of Hoodoo knows.]
Entry 7399
If a man do any murderin' or anythin', yo' kin take dat ole shoe an' bury it bottom upwards; dey say, jes' in de ground an' bury it bottom upwards. Dey say he'll go crazy - wit 'is clothes.
(Whose shoes do you bury?)
Bury de ones dat done de murder.
(If you know who did the murder?)
Yes, yo' have to know he done. Bury dat shoe, he go crazy. Call dis man name all de time. (In this case you just suspected the man did the killing, and in order not to take any chances, you'd bury his shoe or either his clothing, calling his name, and if he did do it, then he'll go crazy.)
Entry 7468
Well, if a man kill a man an' yo' know where he's at an' yo' want 'im to die, at de same moment durin' de right time, yo' takes three eggs. (What kind of eggs?) Black hen eggs. Yo' go to 'is house an' yo' throw dat egg on 'is house an' call 'is name an' cuss 'im de same time. Nex' mawnin' de undahtakah dere - de coffin man.
Entry 7506
Dere's things yo' kin do to de dead man. If yo' go to dis dead man, dey claim to his grave, nine mawnin's an' call 'is name an' ast 'im who killed 'im, dey claim dat he'll tell yo' in de ninth mawnin'. (What time do you go out there in the morning? You go out there in the ' morning, you say.) Yes, go out to dis body jes' 'fore day - jes' since it's night.
Entry 7507
Shot to death. Well, now if yo' is shot to death, yo' jes' take an' go in de woods an' dey git somepin dey calls scrubby oak [second-growth oak?] switch. Well yo' git one of dose switches, an' de very person whut's dead in de coffin, yo' take an' put dat in 'is han'. Put dat switch in 'is han' in de coffin, see, an' tell 'im, say, "Whip dis person across de whole worl'" - jes' who his name wus, yo' undah- stan' - "whip him until he git enough." Jes' call de dead person name an' also dis othah man's name - see, what did de killin' - an' den yo' close 'is hand on it. See [demonstrates] jes' close his hand right up on it, an' he'll finish drawin' up [!!!]. See. An' den when yo' bury 'im, in spirit dis same scrubby- oak switch an' dis fellah in spirit will whip dis othah fellah until he die. He won't live very long. If he live six months he doin' good. [Charleston, S. Car.,
(?).639:2+85.]
Entry 7617
Wal, ef yuh know dere names, yuh kin take an' go tuh de graveyard an' Write dere initials an' carry yo' fo' pennies an' pay de dead. Whosomevah 'tis died, yuh know dere names. Yuh call dere names an' tell dem yuh want 'em tuh bring dese person back an', "Ah'm payin' yuh fo' pennies." Well, in less time den two months wheresomevah dey be at, dey will come back. (Where do you write the name of this person that stole the thing? Where do you write that name? Do you write that name on a piece of paper?) On a piece of paper.
Entry 7621
Wal, dey learnt me dat if yuh wants tuh do any harm wit graveyard dirt, dat chew take ten cents [dime] an' go tuh a graveyard early in de amin' jis' befo' day, an' run yore han' down in dere jis' as deep as yuh kin. Have de dine in yore han' an' drop de dine dosn in. If yuh gu dem person name, yuh call dem name an' tell 'em yuh wants tuh buy a dime's wor' of dust an' do so- an'-so wit it. An' dey say when yuh git dat han'ful of dust, leave de dime dere an' take dat dust an' care [carry] it an' strike it round yore [victims] house. Jis' throw it roun' dey place of business.
(What will that do?)
Dey say that will run dem out or kill 'em, jis' whatsomevah dat yuh tell 'em
[the dead] tuh do - yuh wants tuh do wit it.
Entry 7682
Tuh put evil spirits behin' yo', yo' goes tuh a graveyard an' yo' gits de dirt off of a grave but chew do not git it offa a person grave dat died - dat wuz a Christian an' vent tuh heaven. Yo' gits it off a sinner's grave, a person dey know God won' pardon dere sins. See. An' when yo' goes tuh git dat dirt chew leaves a dime, an' yo' takes dat dirt an' sprinkle it anywhere where anybody's dead [alive] an' call dat person name whut's daid an' tell 'em yo' want 'em tuh to'ment 'em. An' dey will tō'ment dat person an' dey won' be able tuh stay no- where roun' where yo' puts dat dirt.
Entry 7683
Ah know in one instance 'bout de graveyard dirt. In case yo' wanta see somebody an' yo' wuz away an' dey would die [while you were absent] or somepin lak dat, ah know of an instance. Yo' git dis grave- yard - jis' find out whut grave or cemetery it is, jis' de spot dey is buried, an' yo' git dis dirt from dis place an' take it home wit chew. If it clay, an' it more den apt tuh be clay, yo' take an' powdah it up lak black snuff or sompin lak dat. An' put it in a cloth an' say, dat chew wanta see dis person or de person wants tuh see yo'. Den yo' take dis when yo' git ready tuh go tuh see dis person, or dat person [in the spirit] come tuh see yo' [because his spirit follows his dirt]. Yo' take dis heah, lak if yo' goin' out tuh de graveyard, an' call de person tuh see yo'; [or] take dat wit chew, take dat back tuh de same place where yo' got it at. An' call dat per- son an' talk tuh dem, an' tell 'em whut chew wanta tell 'em, or he kin tell yo'.
(You dig that out of the grave to call them out of the grave?)
Yessuh, ah saw a man do dat once.
Entry 7705
If yo' wanta hurt anybody, yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' call de person name. An' carry a piece of [his] ole clothes, leave dat dere, an' bring [a small piece] eidah [either] de haidboard or de footboard; an' yo' kin go tuh a person house an' put it right undahneat' 'is pillah, [but] undahneat' de baid. An' he'll go tuh sleep dat night an' he'll take a pain an' he wouldn't nevah be no good tuh hisself. He wouldn't fin' out until he die. Somebody goin', but she'll nevah let 'im, unless yo' wanta turn 'im loose. Den yo' kin go an' tum 'im loose if yo' don't wanta harm 'im. (How do you mean put that footboard under the pillow. Wouldn't they feel it under there?)
[Actually only a splinter from the board is used.]
No, sir, dey ain't goin' feel it. Dey ain't goin' have sense enough tuh feel it. [This rite is unusual. The man's old clothes has contact with the grave- yard dirt, and the graveyard board splinter is taken to the house as a substi- tute for the dirt.]
Entry 7720
Well, yo' goes - yo' have tuh go dere twelve a'clock in de night an' git dat [dirt]. An' yo' bring dat back. Yo' go tuh de graveyard an' yo' takes it [board] from de haid - yo' takes de haid, put de haid tuh de foot [board] an' de foot [board] tuh de haid. Den yo' go right down in de middle [of the grave] wit three cent in yore han'- go down in de middle. Yo' turn 'em loose dere an' yo' bring up dat dirt. Den yo' carry dat back home. An' yo' - jes' lak yo' wanta put it, yo' carry it tuh anyone's house; if yo' wanta run 'em off, throw it round de house. Jes' spread it roun' de house an' jes' call dere name, an' tell 'em yo' wan t'em tuh, "Go, yo' devil." Tell 'em tuh keep goin'. Cain't stay dere.
Entry 7739
Well, they said, just like this; now, you living here and I wanted you to move, I want this house. Well, I'd go to the graveyard and I will get some dirt, and I will cross it up near the doorstep. (How do you cross it up? How do you mean?) Throw it like this [demonstrates]. (You sprinkle it in the form of a cross.) Yes. And make a wish and call your name. You'll move, can't stay there no more.
Entry 7771
Well, ah heer'd, if yo' wanted graveyard dirt fo' luck, tuh go tuh some bad man. Jes' lak ah wanted tuh git some graveyard dirt fo' luck fo' gambling, go tuh 'is grave an' call 'im by his name. An' dig down in 'is grave an' tell 'im dat ah want some of dis dirt fo' luck an', "Ah'm goin' pay yo' fo' it." An' drop two cents in dat hole an' pay him fo' it an' kivah hit back up. Take dat dirt an' go on gamble wit it. Dat is lucky.
(How do you carry it?)
Take dat dirt an' tie it up in a rag an' tote it in yore pocket.
Entry 7955
Like if someone stole sompin from yo', why yo' kin go tuh dat fig tree. Yo' have tuh git nails outa a casket an' drive three nails in de fig tree. An' while yo' drivin' 'em in dere, co'se yo' gotta be trimmin' de fig tree limb an' callin' de person's name; see, de one dat done dat. An' in dem nine days dat person who done stole sompin from yo', dey'll done try tuh git it back tuh yo' 'fore den.
Entry 7961
Prackly [practically] on de same thing, dey jes' take an' make a arti- ficial, yo' know, a li'le casket. An' den dey kin go an' git chure, pick [up] yuh track an' put it in dis casket. An' dey'll commit dat tuh de ground, jes' lak dey wus buryin' a body jes' so. An' jes' say - dey say, when dey commit chew tuh de ground, "Ashes tuh ashes, dust to dust." But dey gotta call yuh name an' den dey bury dat.
(What will happen then?)
Well, de person who dey bury, why he won' live long.
Entry 8007
Make dummy, make a cross on it, call name, say what is to be done - to kill, harm, or anything - and stick in nine needles, or pins, or thorns. [Washington, D. C., (627 0r 628), 805:3.]
Entry 8094
Dey say dat she could take de photograph an' nail it up, yo' know, in de fo' cornahs of de wall, an' if de man's off an' yo' [or she] want 'im tuh come back, yo' take it an' [demonstrates] put it in dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' den call de fo' cornahs of de walls, jis' lak no'th, so'th an' east an' west. [They] say in nine days he'll be back home. (You only do that once though? You put the photograph in one corner and call his name, then you take that off and put it in another corner. Then you take it off and put it in another corner.) An' den call de fo' cornahs, jis' lak dey say de fo' cornahs of de world.
[This expression is from Revelation of St. John the Divine, 7:1.]
(But you only use one photograph, and you call each corner?)
An' den call 'is name. Say in nine days he'll be back home.
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 8160
Ah hate tuh explain dis 'cuz ah wouldn't lak tuh have dat on mah han's.
(I won't do anything with it, I just wanted to know.)
Oh, yo' jis' wanted tuh know. Ah hate tuh explain dis. It's jis' lak if yo' have dere photograph. Well, yo' take dis an' bury it fo' feet in de ground on de face an' repeat dere name three time; jis' whosomevah it is, woman or man. Jis' lak mah name Justine Richardson, jis' take yo' an' dig a hole fo' feet in de ground an' turn it down dere, an' dey'll be daid in nine days time.
Entry 8307
Yo' could take a pichure. Now, if yo' wanta do good, if yo' wanted de person tuh love yo' or somepin an' - yo' put dat pichure tuh de haid of yore bed, an' call de person's name nine mawnin's. An' wit a pin dat's nevah been used, a new pin, yo' put nine holes intuh dis pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' while yo' punch dose holes, yo' talk tuh de pichure jis' lak yo' talkin' tuh de person. An' aftah de nine mawnin's, jis' whatevah de statements were dat chew made, dat person will do jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do, but chew must keep dat pichure dere.
(You punch one hole each morning or nine holes?)
Nine holes for nine mawnin's.
(That's nine times nine?)
Eighty-one.
(And you keep it at the head of the bed?)
Yo' keep it dere tuh de haid of yore bed.
(Now you do harm you say with the photograph. Tell me about that.)
Well, if yo' wanta do harm wit de pichure, yo' could take dat pichure an' yo' take dat tuh de graveyard, an' yo' go an' yo' call de spirits of de dead. When yo' think dat de spirit is dere, yo' take out nine han'fuls of dirt out of dat grave. Den yo' place dis pichure down dere an' yo' explain tuh de spirit jis' whut yo' want 'em tuh do tuh dat pahticlah [particular] person, see. An' what- evah yo' say, den yo' pay dat spirit.
(Well, now. What do you usually pay the spirit?)
Well, it goes - Well, NOW DE FIRST DEGREE IS THREE PENNIES. DE SECOND IS NINE AN' DE THIRD IS THIRTEEN. [I do not recall that these sums of money paid the spirit are called degree elsewhere in Hoodoo.]
(Then you cover that picture up in there?)
Let it stay dere. An' yo' have tuh explain tuh dis spirit whut tuh do tuh dat pahticlah person, an' pay dem tuh do dat. Dey'll do it jis' lak yo' ast dem tuh do.
Entry 8317
She kin take his pichure an' tear it in fo' parts, an' put it in de commode an' flush it fo' times, an' call his name fo' times, an' he'll come home. (You mean, put it in the toilet and flush it?) Pull it fo' times, jis' as many parts as she have it cut in, see an' den call 'is name fo' times, an' he'll come back tuh her. (If he's out of town, he's left her. You mean, she puts it in the toilet and you [she] flush [flushes] the water.)
Entry 8431
De reason ah know dat, a woman, she tell me dis. Her husban' went away an' leave her an' she want 'im tuh come back home. An' she had a pichure of his'n an' she take a glass of watah an' set it in a dark corner in de house an' turn de pichure down ovah it an' call his name. An' when dem nine mawnin's wuz up, he came home. (Did she just call his name once?) Three times. (How did she call his name?) She call his name three time. (Just that one time when she put that picture over there?) When she put dat watah, de glass of watah in a dark cornah, turn de pichure down ovah it an' she call 'is name three times.
Entry 8438
Lak if yo' 'way an' dey want chew tuh come back. Dey kin take a pitchah of watah an' take dis pichure an' set it be- hin' dis pitchah of watah. An' fo' nine mawnin's befo' sunrise, dey git up an' call yo' three times - call yore name three times. In nine days yo' mo' den apt tuh be back.
Entry 8474
When yo' call a person's spirit, twelve 'clock at night, yo' draws on a person.
(Draw her picture?)
Draw his pichure. Git 'is name an' address. Yo' set [in] a dark room by yo'- self. Yo' take a sheet an' put it ovah yo' haid, wit chure eyes out so yo' kin see. Yo' set a li'le bit of whiskey in a glass [to draw his spirit back, spirits lov- ing whiskey, see ALCOHOL FOR an' yo' gotta memorize de person name, an' yo' call 'is name three times. Durin' de time yo's callin' 'is name, take a needle wit chure lef' han' an' punch nine holes in it. (Nine holes in what?) Nine holes in de pichure, in de form what chew draws. An' when yo' done cut de nine holes in it an' yo' watch de pichure an' blow on it. An' durin' de time aftah yo' done blowin' on it, an' if yo' hit it again tuh [do something] den chew light yo' lamp. Aftah dat, den yo' set a match tuh it. See what side she [match] bendin'; if she bend going, if she bend comin' back. She'll [match will] fall back in yuh hands. If she [match] bend goin', goin' de direc- tion she [or hel was [had departedl. she'll [match'll] fall dat way; an' if she [match leans to] dis side, she'll fall dat side; an' if she's [woman's] comin' back, she'll [match'll] fall right up in de woman form. [She] come right on back tuh you. [Informant alternating the sexes is confusing.] An' durin' de time dat dey bring 'er back, yo' git up an' yo' take yo' dishrag an' wring it ovah de do' an' call 'er name. Dat's cases if she gone an' leave yo'. If she gone an' leave yuh, if she leave any she [not her] clothes in dere lak a dress or pettycoat, lak dat, jes' take an' ball it up an' put it 'neat' chure pillah an' she will come back less dan three day's time, if she's able tuh, if she's in de city.
(That's to bring the woman back. You are calling her spirit back that way.)
Yes sir.
Entry 8481
Dey kin walk backwards an' call a person name, an' if dey continue tuh do dat fo' a certain many days, dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 8491
Now dey kin write a piece of de bossman's name befo' yo' gittin' tuh him, read it three times an' call 'is name three times, when yo' git dere. Why he mo' den apt tuh give yo' a job an' raise yore wages. (What do you write?) Jis' write his name an' call it three times befo' yo' git dere. An' aftah yo' git dere, why he put chew tuh work or raise yore Wages [if you already have a job.]
Entry 8499
Perhaps someone come tuh yore house an' yo' didn't want 'em dere any mo', yo' could take a broom, make yore wishes, an' call 'im a bad name. An' take yuh a broom an' sweep )'im out an' he won't come back any mo'. [This is not the ordinary rite of sweeping behind a departing person. The departing is pretended and the person's name is intended or wished at least.]
Entry 8500
Befo' de sun rise of a mawnin's yo' kin sweep yore porch off an' call a person's name three times, dat chew wanta see an'dey'll come.
Entry 8509
Dey take dat an' dey put it in a coconut.
(This bath water?)
Dis bath watah.
(What else do they do?)
An' dey write yure name nine times each way [forwards and backwards] on a piece of papah, an' put it in a coconut an' chuck it in de rivah. An' dey call it a dirty name, what- evah dey wanta call it, an' tell it tuh go. Well, dat floats yuh on away, dat coconut. Long as dat coconut go, it keeps yuh on de go.
Entry 8526
(With the coconut, how do you do that?) Well, you take this coconut - get a fresh coconut with the Water in it and you punch out one of them eyes, and.you takes the name and you push it in there. If you want 'em to come to you, why you rolls, take and kick it and roll it to you, thataway. And you call this person name three times. You do's that for three morning on the full of the moon. If you want 'em to go from you, you put the name in there and you kicks it from you thataway. That's what you use the coconut for.
Entry 8538
Ah say jes' lak if yo' got a loved one an' he's gone away. Yo' know, sometimes people be co'tin' [courting] yo' know each othah, an' dey go off ex- pectin' tuh be right back. An' dey may git a job or sompin, undahstand an' hold dem a little longer den dey wanta. Or some- times dey jes' quit an jes' tell yo' ah'll be back tomorrow an' yo' leave tuh not evah come back no mo'. Well, yo' go to de no'th- west side of yore house an' yo' turn yore face to de direction dat dis person is at. An' yo' place yore hands up ovah yore heart an' yo' call dis person's name three times, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, an' Name.of de Holy Ghost, an' yo' tell 'em tuh come on to yo', Oh, ye loved one. An' in nine days' time dey'll be home, will be back to where yo' want 'em to be. Dey say yo' have to do this three mawnin's in succession at de hour of three a'clock each mawnin'.
(Did you say something before about a cross mark?)
Yes sir, yo' jes' make this cross mark.
(Where?)
At de no'thwest side of de house, an' yo' stand, yo' know, by de mark or - it don' make no diffunce [difference] jes' so long as yo' make it by de house on de no'thwest side an' turn yore face to de direction [person has gone].
(Do you make that cross mark on the house or on the ground?)
Yo' make it on de ground.
Entry 8540
They said they make nine marks and cross 'em.
(How do you mean nine marks and cross 'em?)
Just make nine straight marks, you know, an' cross 'em tHHHHH+ ttItitt or That makes ten. The tenth mark, that's ten. (What is it supposed to do?) Well, that will put 'em to traveling, yo' know. (Well, how - where do they make these marks?) Well, yo' could make 'em with a stick or anything, yo' know, and make a wish, yo' know. Call de person's name an' make a wish, an' cross those things an' they say that it's more than apt to come true. Make a evil wish towards 'em.
Entry 8569
Ah had a woman yo' see an' ah loved 'er an' she quit me an' she went off. An' a fellah [doctor] tole me dat if ah wanted tuh git 'er back yo' know, tuh go tuh de fo'k of de road at twelve a'clock at night an' look in de same direction she went, or which fo'k [I thought] she was, yo' know. An' call her three times in de fo'k of dat road at twelve a'clock at night an'.she would come back. Ah've heard dat much about de fo'k of de road.
(Did you do that?)
Yes sir, ah tried it an' she come back all right. Ah don't know whuthah dat dud [done] it or not.
Entry 8575
Ah heard that you could put sugar on the stove nine mawnin's an' after nine mawnin's, yo' write his name on a piece of paper an' stick it in de keyhole.
(In the keyhole?)
Yes, an' call 'im.
(Well, what do you do with this sugar on the stove?)
Burn dat nine mawnin's, dat's all.
(Just one of his shoes?)
No, sugar, SUGAR. (Oh, sugar. You burn sugar for nine mornings. And after that you write this name on this paper and put it in the keyhole.) Jes' write his name over it an' fold it to yo', an' hang it right over de key- hole. [Don't tell me the man is coming back through the keyhole! His spirit rather. The keyhole is the entrance for witches.]
(And you call his name?)
An' yo' call 'is name.
(Just once?)
Just as many times as yo' wanta.
(And he will come back.)
Yeah.
Entry 8617
Yo' kin meet dat lan'lord. Yo' go tuh dat lan'lord an' yo' write his name nine times, call 'is name, an' write it nine times, an' put it ovah de sill of yore do'. An' he cain't put chew out.
Entry 8628
A lemon is a sour thing, 'vided [provided] whut chew wanta do wit it. Yo' take dis lemon an' yo' take all de fillin' out of it, an' yo' fill it up fulla salt, table salt. An' yo' carry it to a crossroad an' den yo' call dis indivi- dual's name. If it's three or fo' [times] it makes no difference how many it is. Yo' call dere name de third time In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. An' den mention whut cheW want tuh be done. An' den turn yore back on it an' GO ON BACK [HOME] AN' TRUST IN DE LORD. It'll be done.
(What do you do with that lemon out there at the crossroad?)
Yo' leave it dere, jes' leave it dere. Don't chew pick it up at all.
Entry 8646
[To rub is an important magic rite we often ignore, despite our early acquaintance with Aladdin's lamp. In some cures rubbing - up or down, in a cir- cle, or number of times - shows its own importance. Even so, in the first edi- tion of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, the word mub does not appear in the Index! How could I have missed the well-known couplet: When your left hand itches Rub it on wood And it will come good. (No.3356) Moreover, there are other examples of rubbing in this division about HANDS: Nos. 3339-3342.] De shoe sole - if yo' don' want somebody at chure house, take de shoe sole an' yo' rub it till de bottom of de foot git hot. Yo' call de person name nine times. Yo' git a lemon an' yo' Write de name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. Sew it up wit black thread an' bury it undah any step or do' whut dey gotta come by. An' bury it undah dere. An' everytime dey go out, yo' take dat left-foot shoe an' yo' rub it until de shoe sole git hot an' call dere name nine times.
(Whose shoe sole do you rub?)
Anybody dat yo' don' want at chure house. Any individual, woman or man, any- body dat yo' don' want dere.
(And the name you say...?)
Yo' jes' writes it down nine times wit a indelible pencil.
(And put that in a lemon?)
In a lemon an' sews it up wit black thread, No.8 black thread, coarse black thread, an' then bury it.undah a do'step, or a step, anywhere where dey gotta come in.
(That is to keep them away from your house?)
Keep 'em away from your house.
Entry 8662
Ah kin take three matches an' stick 'em up - see, let de head be up. Yo' may walk by me. Yo' walk on by me. Ah wants to take de upper hand of yo'. Well, now ah'll take dem three matches an' when yo' git by me, if ah know yo' name, ah'll call yore name three times. Yo' Won't look back but one time. De other time yo' ain't going to look back. That's when ah wanta take de upper hand of yo'. WelI, all right, chew go on to de second block or yo' may walk to de third block. Yo' stop, yo' stop right still an' yo'll turn back. But when yo' git back to where ah'm been, ah'm gone; but ah done got de scent of yo' an' yo' do jest what ah want, an' ah kin git anythin' yo' got.
(What do you do with those matches then?)
Ah take dem three matches an' ah'll jes' let 'em - an' call yo' back. Ah'll take dem three matches an' carry dem to my house an' put 'em down an' bury 'em. [The preceding rite evidently derives from the well-known spirit-catching one in which a person's name is called and his answering voice is stopped up in a bottle. Here we catch a passing person's scent by calling his name three times. He does not answer, merely looks round once. I do not recall another example of the rite. The informant, a good one, evidently believes it.]
Entry 8663
(Measure you with cords? How do they do that?)
Well, jest like if I know yo' is five feet or [and] six inches, or three[!] feet six inches, ah'll walk by yo' an' ketch de height of myself. [He compares his height with that of his victim's.] Ah take a length of cord an' go [step] back an' put it in nine [loose] knots. Den ah'll call yo name. [Then the knots are tightened.] Den ah'd go back an' get me dat stuff [previously mentioned] and get some graveyard dust an' set it up dere, right dere. Run yo' away or make yo' do enythin' ah wantcha [want you] tuh do - leave de town [for example].
Entry 8664
A man tole me he knew how to git a person who's away, if he's in love enough an' want to come, Want to take yo' back. Why yo' - he say nail up a nail ovah de do' which dey went out de last time. An' each night before yo' retire, dat yo' must stand an' look at dis nail an' call dis par- ty's name nine times, an' says each time, 'Come back, ah WANT CHOO TUH COME back." An' do dat fer nine nights, nine times each night. An' if dey had anythin' to come wit, dey'd come back.
Entry 8665
If yo' Want to kill a person - if yo' got it in fo' dem - git chew a nail an' go to a tree. Turn jes' towards de sun, de sunrise see, an' yo' nail dat nail in de tree see, an' call his name three times. In nine day's time why he'll be dead.
(Well, now, does he nail to- Ward the sun or does he nail it on the sunrise side of the tree?) Well, jes' lak [demonstrates]
de sun risin' disaway. See de tree settin' dat way. Yo' nail dat right in de tree towards de sunrise. (While you are facing the sunrise? Or on that side of the tree which faces the sunrise?) See, de tree will face de sun.
(And you put it in that side of the tree?)
Yo' nail it right in de side where de tree face de sun. [Florence, S. Car., (1318), 2263:3.].
Entry 8666
Ef [if] yo' don' know who is in co't [court - a witness against you] but chew wanta kill 'im. When yo' know his name - well, if yo' know his name [the whole rite changes], take a tenpenny nail an' stick it up side of a pine tree. An' hit it eighteen times an' de nineteenth time he is a dead man.
(If you want to kill him.)
Yes. (I see. You call his name how many times did you say?) Eighteen time an' de 20th time - call 'im 18 time an' de 19th time yo' drive it to de butt [the head of the nail all the way].
Entry 8667
If yo' nail nine nails an' call a person name, dey'll always be down. (Where did you say they nail them down?) Nail nine nails down. (Where?) Nail 'em down on de floor. (Yes.) An' as yo' nail 'em down, call dat person's name. Don't care where yo' nail 'em at. An' call dere nail nine times as yo' nail dem nine nails. Dey'll always be down. Yo' see, when yo' nail 'em in, yo'nail 'em down.
Entry 8686
[To stop a person influencin' in de world an' cut his success off, de way yo' do dat. Yo' git, yo' know, some of dis copris [copper] wiah. Yo' know dis roun' wiah kinda lak gold wiah. (Like the electric light wire?) Yes. Well, yo' take dat an' den yo' call this individual's name an' yo' tie three knots in it an' tie it roun' a green 'simmon tree. His success or his influence will be cut off. (A piece of copper wire, any kind of copper wire.) [These two notations of mine emphasize the confusion some informants had between copperas and copper. Present informant says copris.]
Entry 8690
Yo' git nine pins an' put ovah de do', an' call 'em every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's befo' sunup. That will bring 'em back.
Entry 8697
Well, now, she gits some rough rice - rice dat's nevah, de chaff has nevah been taken off - an' she walk roun' her house at sunrise an' call his name, an' open both do's an' throw. Jes' sprinkle dat rice in de house an' she go on roun' de house. Don' turn back. Come right roun' until she go roun' five or six times. An' throw dat rice in de house an' call his name. Den dat will 'tract [attract] his 'tenshun [attention] wheresomevah he may be. He gits worried den about home, an' he'll come back. [Rice was grown in the lowlands of South Carolina and Georgia for generations. This un- husked rice rite could be an old rite.]
Entry 8700
Dey takes a person's chxmber lye an' puts it in a bottle. Git some of dat an' puts it in a bottle, an' den takes it an' put sugah in it or honey, ei- thah one. Write dere names down nine times wit a indelible pencil but write it frontwards. As ah 'fore tole [be- fore told] yo', in place of put- tin' de entire [name], yo' put de given name first. Yo' put John an' den yo' put Edwards, see. Yo' write dat down nine times an' yo' put dat in dat bottle an' yo' stop it up. An' whenevah dey go somewhere, an' yo' want 'em tuh do anythin' fo' [you] whenevah they go somewhere, yo' take dat bottle an' yo' roll it jes' lak yo'd roll a lemon or sompin tuh git de juice out of it. An' yo' roll dat bottle nine times an' every time yo' roll it yo' call dere name. Dat's when a woman wants a man tuh do sompin fo' her.
(How do you mean?)
See, lak if a woman's got a husband an' he's mean to her. He believe in run- nin' about an' diff'ren' thing lak dat, an' she wants tuh draw 'im tuh 'er, an' Wants tuh git his earnin' [earnings, his wages]. She do's dat. (What did you put in there now? The chamber lye? And that nine, now you wrote that nine times? How do you write it, just one right under the other?) Yessuh. Jes' write it on one sheet of papah.
(You put the names right under each other?)
Yassuh.
(And you write it with what?)
Well, yo' writes it wit any kinda pencil [former indelible pencil withdrawn]. It don' make no diff'rence.
Entry 8702
De 85 Psalm from de Bible will make a man care a great deal fo' yuh.
(When do you read that, do you say?)
On a Sunday mornin', face de east, seven times, an' call his name seven times.
(What will that do then?)
Now yo' use de 85 Psalm an' call 'is name an' yo' read it seven times an' every time yo' read yo' call 'is name. Well then THAT SENDS OUT A SPIRIT AND HIS MIND WILL FOLLOW AND THINK jest keeps his mind on yo', until he kin see yo' or come back to yo'. IT'S DE SPIRIT WORRIES HIS MIND WHEN YO' DO DAT.
Entry 8712
Yo' git up at sunrise, befo' yo' speak to anyone at all, wash yore face or anything, jes' as de risin' of de sun, dey go out to de step like de sun risin dis way, an' yo' call dere name three times. An' after yo' call dere name three times, don't make none other step towards dat way. Jes' turn right aroun' an' come on back. Say, an' after yo' come back yo' kin speak to anyone yo' want to, wash yore face an' anything if yo' want tuh.
(You called their name out there didn't you?)
Yeah, call dere name three time, which person yo' wants tuh come back home. See, jes' lak mah name is Walter. Jes' call mah name, jes' plainly, de full name three times. An' dey do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' den de mawnin' yo' hear from 'em, yo' begin about de fifth until 'bout de 15th, yo' hear from 'em some Way or 'nother by friends. Somebody bring yo' some kinda message.
Entry 8713
Write anybody name six times on a piece of papah an' go an' put it up ovah de front do'. An' call dere name six times an' write dat down on dat papah an' dat will bring 'em to yo'. Ei- ther - if yo' want 'em tuh come to yo', yo' jes' say, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, ah hope dey will come. An' if yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin jes' say, "Go." See, write it six times forwards an' put it ovah yore do'.
Entry 8721
Yes, ah heard dat chew kin take some sulphur an' burn it. Git chew some sulphur an' put it in a saucer or a plate of somepin dat it kin burn it, a'yo' stan' ovah it an' say tuh it whut chew want done, an' it will happen. Bat chew gotta stan' ovah it an' turn from east tuh no'th, an' talk to it. Yes, yo' gotta start from de east an' yo' swing it right on roun' till yo' git to de no'th, talkin' to it as yo' runnin' roun', an' call[ing] dere name three times. (That is if you Want to cross up that house, so that nobody else could move in there, after they make. you move out?) Yes.
Entry 8725
A fellah tole me dat would git de woman back, too. Call 'er, yo' know, nine morn- ings befo' de sunrise.
Entry 8736
If a boy would go off from home an' stay a long time an' his mother want 'im back, an' he jis' won't go home, an' she Want to see him: She kin take a nail an' a hammer, an' go to de front doah an' hit dat nail three time, an' call your [his] name three time. An' wheresomevah he is in de world, gon'a git worried up until yo' [he] git back there where she at.
Entry 8737
Like if anyone yo' love real good an' yo' wan'a bring 'em back to yo', for three times a day when yo' fix [prepare] zhor meal or set de table yo' kin set their plate an' de spoon an' fork [and knife] jes' like yo' set for 'em when they were there. An' call their name three times an' tell 'em to come to their dinnah or somepin or breakfas', whichevah it is, an' in nine mawnin's dey'll be back.
Entry 8744
Yo' know trees, a switch offa each tree, dat is not alike an' go tuh a runnin' watah an' throw dese switches in dere one by one an' call de person name, jes' lak yo' want 'em tuh leave, an' jes' say, "Ah hope tuh God So-an'-so will leave, In de Name of de Father an' de Holy Ghost." An' yo' repeat it ovah, ovah an' ovah, till yo' throw de last nine switches in de watah. [You take one switch from each of nine trees: maple, oak, pine, etc.]
(That's all you have to do. You don't say, The Name of the Son?)
No suh, jes' De Name of de Father an' de Holy Ghost.
Entry 8745
Jes' go to de sunrise side of a tree an' graze dat side.
(Smooth the side off?)
Yes sir, an' take [these grazings from] dat side of de tree. Now if de person livin' dis direction, an' de sunrise dis, yo' take de sunrise side of dat tree - take dat off, see. Dey call his name. Take a horn, a cow horn, an' scrape a little off it an' put it in dat horn, an' den scrape some offa de sunrise side of dat tree; an' call his name an' every time yo' call it, yo' blow dat horn - about eight times. An' aftah de eight time - de eight times - like yo' blows it easy, an' de ninth, blows it loud as yo' wanta. But turn - if yo on dat side [see later explanation], yo' turn it dis side, if yo' want 'em come ack disaway. Yo' blow it, de dust out dat horn. He'll come home. (You blow that dust toward where he is and then he'll come back. If he's over Chere, you blow it this way to bring him back; if he's over in that direction, you slou the dust in the opposite direction to bring him back.) [A cow-horn expert will be needed to explain what happens here, just how the oov horn is held and handled. It has been 60 years since I saw and tried to blow a cow horn!] Jes' like he ovah dis side, yo' turn yore back an' blow de dust tuhward 'im. (You put htat - some scrapings from the cow horn in the horn and some scrap- igs from the tree into the horn, and blow it ou on the ninth time.) Yo' take de scrapings of de tree - go tuh de sunrise side - an' if he on de lgoin'-down [side] yo' work it from de sun-goin'-down, if he out dat way. See. 血 de way he is yo' gotta blow dat dust ovah heah. (But you must get these scrapings from the sunrise side of the tree, always, matter which direction he is?) Dat's right, take it from de sunrise side of de tree if he's... [I have had cmough and interrupt.] (Suppose he's at the sunrise side, then what side would I take it - now wait inute! Suppose he's on the sunrise side. Now what side of the tree would I te those scrapings from?) At de sunrise side. Take it from dis side, de west side, de sun-goin'-down. (Otherwise, in whatever direction he is - no matter what direction he's in - roa take these scrapings from the opposite side of this tree from where he is. Esean, you don't always take it from the sunrise side?) No sir.
(That's what I wanted to find out.)
It's foah [four] ways to dat, dat he kin go. (And you will take it from the opposite side of the tree from which he is - scrapings?) Yes.
Entry 8769
All yo' have to do, split dat in fo' parts.
(Split this match in four parts.)
Aftah yo' split 'em in fo' parts, yo' cut de sticks across. Dat will be eight, see. An' aftah yo' cut eight, yo' take one an' cut one in half. Dat'll be ten, see. All right, yo' cut de othah one in half. Dat will be 12 pieces. Dat's even, ain't it? See now, dose [are] twelve. All right, it will be even [number]. An' yo' take dem pieces an' yo' sew it up, yo' sew it up into a piece of cloth. Well, aftah yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth, yo' kin go to dat person house an' stick it in de block of de house [see later] fo' yo' kin bury it undah de block of de house, or yo' kin stick it in a crack [of the house] or somepin lak dat. An' yo' kin walk away. When yo' walk away from de house an' [then you] call dat person three times. See, call dem three times. De next time yo' call loud where he kin hear yo', he'll answer yo', see. Well, yo' got his voice right dere, see.
(What do you do then?)
Well, he come out dere. Yo' kin kill 'im den [not immediately but any time later], if yo' want to [because you have his voice in a bottle] or yo' kin do jes' what yo' want wit 'em [voice and bottle]. [Informant may have mentioned spirit-catching bottle earlier (for how this is done, see margin title TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f. and many places) or he assumed I knew enough about hoodoo to understand what he meant. Since you can stick it in or bury it undah, block of de house refers to the foundation sills under the house, not to the piZlars upon which the small lowland house rests aboveground.]
Entry 8779
Jis' lak if yer girl is away an' she's in de same town yo're in; but if she's outa de town, why ah don't know way [whether] it'll work or not. But yuh kin jis' take a glass of watah. Yo' puts de glass full of watah, jis' as full as yuh kin tote [carry] it, an' set it undah de baid, middle-way de baid, in de centah of de baid, an' call 'uh [her] name three times; an' in three days dey'll be dey [there].
Entry 8782
Well, if yo' got a person - yo' kin take peoples' name an' put it in a bottle. Well, yo' take de name an' yo' write de name as ah tole yo', nine time, but yo' write it on a straight [ruled] piece of papah. Yo' kin put it in a bottle an' yo' kin take dat bottle an' yo' kin stan' anywheres off where yo' kin whip it; but yo' sup- posed tuh put peppah, vinegah an' Epsom salts an' gunpowdah wit anythin' evil dat yo' wants tuh do. Dat's in de bottle. See, yo' put all dat in dat bottle wit vinegah. An' yo' takes dat bottle an' git it on anythin' soft lak a cushion or pillah, anythin', an' yo' whips dat bottle. An' as yo' whip it yo' call dere name. An' when yo' do's dat, yo' doin' dat tuh make confusion. (And in writing those names, you write one right under each other nine times. And what do you write that with?) Yo' write it wit any kinda pencil.
Entry 8784
Ah heard a lady say once dat chew could git up jis' AT DE TWIL OF DAY an' say yo' could turn round three time an' look east an' west an' if dere's any- body way off, dat cey'll come back. All dat yo' gotta do is call dere name. An' if yo' wanta git up at eight 'clock in de mawnin' an' some of yore folks daid, jis' call 'im an' tell 'im whut time yo' wanta git up an' he'll wake yo' up at dat time. [The preceding phrase at de twil of day is its only occurrence in Hoodoo. Never hav- ing heard this expression before, I can only assume that twil is a clipped or slurred twilight; the complete expression being "at the twilight of day."]
Entry 8845
Yo' kin take nine nails every - [on the] night dat chew write dis let- tah, an' yo' take nine nails an' lay 'em in a glass crossways wit watah [lay them crossways in a glass of water] an' put some dirt [identified later] in de bottom of de glass an' sprinkle a little bit of dirt in de powdahs [identified later] in de envelope, an' dey say dat'll bring 'em back. Bring 'em back an' dey'll stay wit chew long as yo' keep it up.
(What sort of dirt do you use?)
It's graveyard dirt.
(What kind of powders do you use?)
It's some Lucky Heart Powdahs. [Lucky Heart is name of firm selling the powders - see interview AGENT FOR CURIOS (Jacksonville, Fla.) pp.1075-1085, first few paragraphs of text.] (You send the letter after you put these nails in the glass of water. You put this graveyard dirt in the water and this lucky powder. Then put this letter in the water, too?) No, yo' sprinkle some in de lettah, if yo' goin' send it tuh anybody.
(What do you put in the letter, just put dust?)
Yessuh. (If you write a letter to somebody, you put [in it] this graveyard dirt and this lucky powder. What do you do with these nails in the water? What do you do that for?) Dey say de nail keep dere till dey git dere or somepin lak dat, ah hear'd de ole people say.
(You keep these nails in the water.)
Until dey git de lettah, yeah, an' dey'll come. (They'll come back. But all you do is just put the nails in the water, nothing else?) De nail an' dat dirt.
(The dirt and the powder. Then you don't put anything in the letter?)
Yes sir, see yo' puts dat powdah an' a li'le dat dirt, an' call dere name.
(You put some of that dirt and powder into the water and also the letter?)
Yeah, an' call dere name.
Entry 8886
Use de Bible an' git de 50 Psalms [Psalm 50] of David in de Bible an' yo' read it three times. An' yo' git chew a do' key, a large do' key. Aftah yo' read dat Psalms, yo' write dat Psalm down on a piece of papah. An' yo' take dat do' key an' yo' put it on dat Psalm, an' yo' tie it wit string an' yo' read de Psalms. An' aftah yo' read dem Psalms, yo' call dis person name three time an' yo' hold dat do' key; an' if it's de individual name yo' call, dat done took sompin from yo', when yo' read de Psalm, dat do' key goin' turn roun' in dat Bible. Jes' lak yo' turn it in de lock of a do', jes' turn; an' if it ain't de individual whut took it, de do' key goin' tuh stay still. But if it's anyone dat took it an' yo' know dere name, yo' call dere name, dat key is gonna turn in dat Bible. (You write this 5Oth Psalm on a piece of paper and then you wrap that around the key?) No suh, de key is tied intuh de Bible on de 5Oth Psalm aftah yo' write it down. See, yo' write it down so yo' kin read it, an' yo' readin' it three times. An' aftah yo' read - while yo' readin' it, yo' don' call de individual [name]. Aftah yo' read it, den yo' call de individual name an' yo' hold dat key. Hold de Bible an' hold de top end of de key, an' when yo' hold dat key yo' have it tied tight in dat Bible; an' if it's dat individual, dat key's gonna turn in dat Bible jes' lak it would in de do'.
[Since key does not fall, By St. Peter rhyme not used.]
(This key though is put into the Bible where this Psalm is. The only reason that you write that 5Oth Psalm is that - so when the Bible is closed, you can read the 50th Psalm?) Yes.
Entry 8889
Yo' go an' git chew a brass key. Yo' walk on an' yo' git de Bible. Yo' look up on de Ten Commandments. Yo' place dis key dere on dis Bible, turn de Bible. If yo' got 'em on one [a Bible], yo' turm 'em upside... (Wait a minute! You say you look up the Ten Commandments. Then what do you do with them?) Put de key on de Ten Commandments. All right. Brass key. Den yo' turn de Bible up an' call dis fellah by his name, an' 20 minutes from den he may don't come. If he won't, yo' git two brand-new needles - needles, yo' know, dat yo' sew wit. An' yo' stick dem dataway - open de Bible an' yo' stick dem dataway in de Bible [demonstrates].
(Under the leaves.)
Yeah, undah de leaves, by de key - one on each side of de key. Den yo' call dis fellah. Soon he may don't come, but a couple of hours he come an' ast yo fer somepin, lak he wanta borrah somepin. [To borrow something is from well- lmown witch rites.] He may ast yo' to lend 'im a iron or any kind of instrument in de house, see. [To borrow iron is unusual.] Well, now yo' know dat's de fellah cuz yo' done call 'is name on dat commandment. (You know that's the man that stole the thing from you.)
Entry 8895
Yo' kin take de Bible an' lay it down open. Open tuh David's [Psalms] uh [orl eithah tuh St. Luke. Jes' let it be layin' heah on de table an' yo' be sayin' yore prayahs. Say de Lord's Prayah. An' yo' sayin' yore prayah. Dat's when it fus' [first] start tuh work. An' so yo' sit dere an' yo' call dese names as ah fus' said, By St. Petah, by St. Paul, by de Lord dat made us all; now ah wanta be true in whut ah'm doin'. Says, Now, Lord, ah wants yo' tuh be true. Say, Ah don' wanta beah [bear] no false witness. Ah don' wanta 'cuse [accuse] no one wrong. An' yo' set dere an' yo' call names, an' when yo' git tuh de right person's names, dose Bible leaves jes' go turn ovah jes' lak yo's [you is] turnin' 'em.
(Then you can find out who stole the article by doing that?)
Yes. Sometimes yore mind will jes' come tuh yo', yo' jes' know dat ah'm
[I have] got yore hat.
Entry 8897
Then, you want to find out who it was, stealing? Well you get the Bible and put the key on the Seven Songs of Moses [whatever that is] and turn it [key] nine times. [Does in- formant mean the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, the hoodoo or witchcraft man- ual?] If you think of that person - you mean, if you want to know who it was?
(Yes, and then I want to make them pay [bring] it back, too.)
Turn that key on 'im an' jes' say: By St. Peter, by St. Paul, by the Lord and God who made us all; if So-and-so took it, turn key, Bible, and fall. If it's him, it'll fall. If it's this man it'll fall. And if it falls on this man [when his name is called], what you do, you get some lodestone; if you know where he lives. You got'a know where he lives to make him bring it back. Get some lodestone and put it up under his step in a little sack. Put nine pearl buttons in there. And if he walks over that, he will bring back whatever he took, right back where he got it from. But you got'a put that name what you called in that sack at the bottom step.
Entry 8912
Den if yo' got a idea dat I stole it - yo' know, like if I steal somepin from yo' an' yo' got a idea - I seen yo' come aroun', I mean. Yo' kin get some of my foot track or anythin' an' I'll bring it back, but if yo' don't know.... [I tum off recording machine here because rite did not sound promising. Then he says something about foot track and I begin to record.]
(What do they use?)
Well, yo' know, wheresomevah yo' step like dat, see right between de palm of yore foot an' de heel; see, yo' get a knifebladeful an' yo' put it in a handker- chief an' fold it.
(How do they fold it?)
[Informant begins to demonstrate.]
Fold it to yo' an' den fold it...yo' fold it like dat, an' den back like dat, but yo' don't want a rag as large as dis, see. An' den double it over like dis, back like dat. Well yo' won't want no - no piece no bigger'n [bigger than] dat in dere. An' den put it undah yore do'step an' cross it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' name it, like if my name are John, see. Yo' cross it evah mawnin fo' nine mawnin's an' call my name 'fo' sunrise. De ninth mawnin' yo' go dere an' take it up, an' den yo' pick it up an' put it in yore pants, anyhow yore belt, an' de ninth mawnin' ah'll be dere.
Entry 8928
If yo' is in time, he ain't git rid of it, yo' understand. Dere's whole lotta time a person steal somepin from yo', why - now jes' like ah came in here, yo' might have a pin or sompin. I might take dat pin [I had no pin but a cheap fountain pen lying near my Numbers Book on interviewing table.] [I] done steal it an' carry it to a pawn shop an' pawn it, sompin lak dat; or done sell it to somebody, see. But now, if I ain't sell it, if I jes keepin' it to wear it fer myself; well, dere's a way fer me to make yo' bring dat back, yo' see. Yo'll wonder [wander] around de house an' wonder who taked dat pin off chere [here, off the table]. Wonder who carried dat knife or somepin of mine - dis whatsomever be steal. "Well, So-an'-so been heah today. He must be him. He must be he carried it." Jes' like yo' might have a girl friend or somepin like dat. She might come in dere an' she might take it away, see. Well, yo' go to work an' yo' call dat person name three times, see. Yo' call de name three times as yo' walk to dat do' an' den yo'll walk back into de house. Yo'll walk to de windah dere. Yo'll walk to dat windah an' I'll call her name again, twice see. Right from de do'. Yo' walk in de do' first. All right, yo' walk back from de do' to de windah. When yo' walk to de do', yo' call her three times. Yo' walk back from de do' an' yo' walk to de windah an' yo' call her twice. All right, yo' walk, well, perhaps yo' might have - yo' might go to de windah in de room. Yo' go to de windah in de room an' yo'll say, "Oh, Daisy! Oh, Peters!" er [or] sompin like dat. Or "James." Well, yo' jes' don't make a big call, yo' understand. People think yo' might be crazy or sompin like dat. But, yo' see, when yo' make dat last [call], perhaps she might be back to see yo' in an hour, be back in de mawnin'. She jes' couldn't keep it, or he, who- somever got it.
(The last time you call right out the window?)
Loud. Yes, de last time yo' call one time. The first time yo' call three times, the second time yo' call twice. Jes' like yo' go to de do', walk to dat, etc.
Entry 8929
I know a case about a fellow name of William Mitchell. He broke in a fellah's house an' he stole some suits. An' he [a hoodoo investigator] goes on to this house there an' he seen where he broke in that house. An' they suspected this man, which it was. An' they took William Mitchell name an' they buried William Mitchell name at the back steps. They bury this at the back steps an' walks on down, an' they sprinkle some sugar, yo' know, out to de trail. An' as yo' go out, say, "William Metchell, Willy Mitchell, Willy Mitchel." Yo' gotta say it nine times, yo' see. "Yo' re- turn them goods." Yo' see. But he did return de goods, but I'll tell yo' how he did return them goods. He returned them goods in another party's house - under de house, yo' know. So he [doctor] told de party [hiring him], he say, "I seen de people who broke in dat house an' I seen where they cached de stuff." [Doctor saw this in a vision or by other means]. Yo' see? But dat sugar - yo' see when yo' sprinkle it out there, yo' see [you sprinkle] behin' 'im. An' they had his name down there nine times an' they had it crossed - across it nine time an' with that circle. Well, he couldn't get rid of de stuff. De stuff was found at another house before they was - under de house - but he did take de stuff, all right.
Entry 8940
Somebody stealin' anything from you an' he passes.through de door - he's gotta, yo' know. Yo' take a axe an' go right over de door, on de inside an' on de outside, cut off little splinters, don't care how small it is. An' go right out into the yard where there's a cart, or a wagon or automobile or anything. If it's a automobile, you've got to jack the wheel up. Then yo' lose it so yo' kin pull it off de axle an' put de two splinters right in there, an' shove it right back on. An' yo' call this thief: Thief, turn your ways backwards. Oh, Thief, yo' shall be turned back. Yo' shall stand up in your track. Yo' shall not walk one inch front nor back until yo' come back an' bring my stolen' goods to me. Say that three times. An' stop asking him to bring it back and walk away. In less time than thirty minutes, yo'll see someone coming.
Entry 9011
An' anothah thing, jes' lak yo' got somepin in co't, yo' kin take a aig an' throw it on de side of de co't when it is on [during the triall.an' jes' one time. An' throw it up dere, an' call de person name dat chew had fuss wit an' dey have sue yo' yo' say, "Ah hope tuh God,"' call her by name, 'dat dey will throw dis outa co't, In de Name of de Father, [omitted and the Son] an' de Holy Ghost," an' throw it up dere on de co'thouse an' let it jes' scattah. (And that person will be dismissed. They won't be put in jail.)
Entry 9098
Well, jes' lak yo's got a great big case on hand an' yo' can't hardly do nuthin wit dat case. Yo' git all dem, yo' git de judge's name; yo' git de district attorney's name; yo' git all dose p'licemans on dat beat, on yore beat. See, de one dat 'rested [arrested] 'em an' evahthin'. Yo' writes all of dere names down an' yo' take dere names an' yo' weah dere names; see, aftah yo' write 'em down. See, yo' turn all of 'em dis Way. See... [demonstrates].
(So they are headdown.)
Yeah, turn 'em down lak dat, see. An' jes' weah 'em right cross heah, right 'cross de stomach. Dat's all. Yo' ain't got a thing tuh do... [demonstrates]. Put it in a li'le "NATION SACK" [see THE NATION SACK WOMAN, Pp.1449-1459, vol.2] see an' weah it right 'cross de stomach lak dat. An' evah mawnin' soon as yo git up, yo' say de Lord's Prayahs behin' dat an' yo' call all of 'ems name. An' evah night yo' git on yore knees an' say de Lord's Prayah, an' yo' call dere names behin' dat. An' dat's really good.
Entry 9111
[The red onion is one of the well-known objects in hoodoo, having been inherited from folk medicine as well as what passed for the scientific medicine of the day. A few examples of its use will be found in margin title ONION, Pp.622-626, v.1. 0n p.625, line 6f., I find a note of my own: 'Red onion - like red flannel ball or (red) bag for hands - symbolizes the human heart." Where that came from I no longer remember. Perhaps an informant in Hoodoo says it. Since the rite about to be given is a squeezing rite (another type of magic often ignored and unindexed), see No.2188, p.625, for another red onion squeezed in court.] If yo' goin' up befo' de judge an' yo' don' want de judge tuh put no sentence on yuh atall, yo' wanta come cleah of whut chew done. Git chew a red onion an' yo' cut a roun' hole in dere, cut a roun' hole in dat onion. An' aftah cuttin' de hole in dat onion, yo' take yo' some salt an' full it up, full dem holes wit dat salt.
(How many holes?)
Fo' [demonstrates]: one heah, one dere, one dere, an' one dere - de fo' holes. An' evahone dat yo' thinks ag'inst chew, yo' take yo' pins - stickpins [ordinary pins], an' evahone yo' learn ag'inst chew, call dere name an' punch it down in dere. Evahone yo' thinks ag'ins' chew, call dere name, "By de he'p [of God] ah wan' chew tuh git me off." Do dat in de mawnin' or any time in de day, jes' put 'im down in dere. Put 'im down in dere, evahone yo' think ag'ins' yuh, jes' stick 'em down in dat onion. An' aftah stickin' 'em in dat onion, take dat onion an' take an' put it in yore pocket. But be sure tuh hold it [keep your hand on it]. Jes' lak yo' put dese pins down in dere, be sure tuh hold it in yore han's jes' lak dat [demonstrates] jes' dat-a-way. (Bring your fingers over the top of the onion, and have the heads of the pins under them.) Yes, dat's right. Keep it in yore pocket. Keep it tight an' he can't do anything wit chew. He'll turn yo' loose.
Entry 9180
Ah hear'd dat chew could take a chidken aig an' carry it tuh a red ants baid an' break it an' yo' know, dat's if yo' wanted anybody tuh leave a place. An' po' it down in dere an' call dere name an' tell 'em tuh go an' not come back. Jes' po' it. Yo' know it take it a long time tuh drip. An' jes' po' it. Dey say soon as dem ants tote de las' bit of it down in dere [the person named] dey'll disappeah.
Entry 9183
If somebody is troublin' yuh an' yo' don't wants 'em aroun' heah, yo' take a aig an' yo' write dey name on it nine times. An' yo' go tuh runnin' watah an' turn yuh back tuh it befo' yo' git tuh de watah, an' yo' make nine steps backwards tuh de watah an' yo' tell 'em, jes' call dey name: "Ah wants chew tuh go an' stay from aroun' me, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, an' Name of de Holy Ghost." An' throw it ovah yuh left shouldah jis' as fur as yo' kin. Don't look back. Yo' walk right on off. Now, dat'll work. Dat will run yo' off.
Entry 9193
Ah know dis much about a nest of hen aigs, dat yo' kin go tuh work an' take a nest of hen aigs. Jes' lak, now, if ah wanted tuh really git chew, make yo' lost yore job, or git chew out wit anyone atall [at all], all de way roun' where yo' won't have any friends. Ah knew dat yo' kin take one of dose eggs outa dat nest, an yo' kin stand off an' yo' kin name 'em. Call dat aig a name. Jes' lak evahwhat are my name [whatever my name is], why den yo' call dat aig dat same name, an' set it back intuh de nest. An' den yo' will notice, see, jes' how many aigs. Well, de really fac' 'bout it, how many aigs yo' upsot wit dat. Yo' may really upsot two or three or fo'. One Way, dey says, crack 'em or break 'em wit dat [named egg]. An' dat will put chew where yo' can't git along wit nobody nowhere. Ah knews dat tuh be de fac'.
Entry 9194
Den yo' kin take a aig, a fresh laid aig dat de hen, de fowl, laid. Well, jes' so it's an' aig of some little fowl on de yard - guinea or turkey or fowl-hen, eithah one - so it fresh, laid tuhday. An' yo' kin take it an' go out, if dis person goin' roun' makin"sturb- ment wit chew an' havin' a con- fusion in de neighborhood. Call dere name, yo' have dere name down good in yore mind an' says, "Now, by de he'p of de true livin' God, ah want dis thing settled. Wham! Pow! Bamm!" He's set- tled, don' know anything 'bout dat 'tall.
(You hit him any place you want to?)
Any place.
Entry 9203
Yes sir, yo' kin take sulphuh an' de aig an' table salt an' some kinda perfume. Ah doesn't know whut kinda perfume dey use intuh it, but dey git it from de drug sto'. Dey say it's lucky perfume. Yo' kin take dat perfume yo' see an' po' dat perfume in [on] dat aig but yo' jes' wrap dat aig up in de sulphuh an' de salt, an' put it undah de do'step. Dat brings 'em back.
(Well, do you do anything with that egg, write their name on it or anything?)
[I am not asking a leading question here but trying to make informant repeat what had already been said. A note of mine on the original manuscript reads: This was explained in egg rite C688:14 (informant's rite preceding this one) which I am unable to find at the moment. It may be that C688:14 was discarded, everything being in present rite, or it may turn up in the printed text.] Yes sir, yo' write de name on it an' call 'em. Yo' know if yo' put call on dere it'll bring dem back. Jes' take dat aig tuh bring 'em home; yo' put chure sulphur an' yore table salt an' yore red peppah in dere. Well, yo' see, yo' don't break de egg an' put it in dere, yo' jes' wrap de egg up in dere. Yo' write de name straight up an down de aig. An' den yo' put de name cross de aig [making a cross]. Den yo' write on de side of it. Call "Come back," see. An' den yo' place it in dat cloth an' bury it down undah de do'step to about dis deep [demonstrates].
(What do you do with that perfume?)
Yo' wet it in de perfume. Dat's lucky. Wet de aig an' de sulphuh [etc.] an' wrap it all an' put it underneat' de step.
Entry 9224
Git a chicken aig an' take it tuh dere home an' bust it up 'ginst de do' an' call de person name dat dey wants tuh leave from dere an' dey will leave.
(Just one egg?)
Yes sir, but it will be A FRESH EGG. (Any kind of a chicken egg.) From a black hen, special. (And you call the name once, to run them away.) An' throw it up 'ginst de do' an' it would make dem leave from dere.
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 9249
Ah hear'd of 'em usin' chicken aig an' makin' men love yo' an' come back home. Yo' take dat chicken aig an' yo' write dis man name fo' times on dat aig, an' yo' bury it in de no'th; jes' lak on de no'th side yo' see of where yo' live at, in yore yard or eithah on de outside of de yard, an' call dis man name. An' he'll come back home. Or call dis lady name an' she'll come back home.
Entry 9286
Well, ah'm goin' tell yo' whut ah kin do wit a chicken aig. Well, ah kin take a fresh chicken aig an' ah'll bet any man money if anybody livin' nex' do' tuh me, see, an' ah can't git along wit dem, see, an' durin' de time ah jes' make up mah mind tuh make dem move from dere. Ah'll take dat fresh chicken aig an' ah'll go tuh de house an' ah'll call dem, see. Dey will give me no anxiety. Ah take dat chicken aig an' throw it cross dey house. An' dey wouldn't be dere ovah three days, ah bet chew money.
(You call him first?)
Yes.
(Well, what if he comes out?)
Yes sir, if dey answah, yo' know dey owin' de house. If dey answah, ah take dat aig an' chunk it right cross dey house, an' dey wouldn't be dere ovah three days.
(He has to answer though? He has to answer else you can't do that?)
Yes sir, he has tuh answah.
(Well, if he doesn't answer, then you come back some other time?)
Yeah, some othah time. [Brunswick, Ga., (1249), 2120:1.2
Entry 9324
Well, go dere an' break up people. Well, yo' gits a fresh egg. If yo' can't git a black hen aig, yo' git a fresh egg. Write de individual name on it nine times, an' write one name goin' dis way [away from you] an' don't write no name so dey comin' dis way [towards you]. See, dat writin' mean dey go de othah way. (They write one going away from writer, and one going down nine times.) [The first name is written away from the writer, the other eight names are written down and across the first name. This is an elaborate crossing of the victim.] Dey'll put nine "J's" on each one [one "J" on each name], go tuh de fork of de road twelve o'clock in day or twelve at night, eithah one, an' broke de egg an' call dere name. Smash it up. [The letter "J" could stand for the obsolete word "Holy Jakes" we met in No.9068, p.3676.]
(What will that do?)
Dat will smash up de life of de couple. De individual yo' wanta break up, put dere name on it.
Entry 9347
Yo' kin roll it on yore hearth, a chicken aig. An' roll it on yore hearth an' say de Lord's Prayah. Call de guy's name dat chew wants. Whosomevah yo' want, he'll come. He will, so dey tells me wit dat chicken aig. [To roll is an important and common rite in Hoodoo. Rolling commonly means to you or away from you.]
Entry 9397
Dey kin take yuh han'writin' an' draw yuh from home, an' dey kin run yuh from home.
(Well, how do they do that?)
Dat's by - jis' as ah fo'say, ah kin take dat an' calls yuh name. Callin' yuh name ah go tuh de shop an' ah buy me three aigs, but ah gotta guarantee dey gotta be black hen aigs. [How informant knows eggs come from a black hen is not explained.] An' twelve 'clock at night, jes' de direction yo' is, ah throw dat aig an' bust it. An' jis' where she fall, SHE RUN YUH AWAY OR BRING YO' BACK.
(Well, how do you accomplish that?)
Becuz yo' are comin' - write chure [= victim's] name on de aig: "God de Fathah, God de Son an' God de Holy Ghost, Power." Den yore name come aftah it on de aig. De direction yo' are tuhward de street outside, twelve 'clock on de minute.
(You throw the three eggs?)
Throw de three aigs.
(That's to bring you?)
Bring yuh or run yuh, eithah one, whichevah yo' want done. Dat's right. (Well, how do you signify that you Want to run them away or to bring them back. How do you do that?) Tell dem on de egg, yo' write it. If yo' right in town - jis' right heah now yo' wanta run dat feliah dat be nex' do', yo' jis' come right by an' if 'is baid in de middle room, yo' throw dat right dere. Well he gone.
Entry 9527
Why, if yo' is gone away from yuh wife an' [often equals Or] she gone away from yo', why yo' kin git up soon in de mawnin', mos' any mawnin'. Don't speak tuh anyone. An' jes' go back dere an' git salt - a box. Git some salt an' call 'er name fer three mawnin's. De foth mawnin', if she is a li'le mind of it, [if she has the slightest intention of returningl, she comin' back.
(What do you do with that salt?)
Take dat salt an' throw it de way she went.
Entry 9536
Dey tell me, git chew some salt when dey goin' [from your house]. Start where dey got up from an' carry it on an' sprin- kle. Throw it out de do' an call dere name an' tell 'em tuh go. Den take up de broom an' sweep dat same salt out chare do'. Dey won't come back.
Entry 9608
Yo' kin git 'im back easy. Well, ah tell yo' 'zackly how yo' do dat. Yo'll git chew two pods of red peppah. One pod - yo' take dat peppah [inside] out'a it. One pod yo' put gunpowdah in; de nex' pod yo' put salt [in it]. (How many pods do you use now, two or three?) Yo' use one - two today an' two tuhmahrah. Well, yo' don' have tuh use any mo' of [more than] dat. Well, yo' take hit. Aftah yo' fill it wit de gunpowdah an' de salt, yo' tie it, de end of it. Whatevah she [her] name or whatevah he [his] name, she call he name. Don't use no plain [every-day] lan'wish [use religious language]. Jes' say, "Mah Lord, ah wants mah husban' or mah wife back home." Git right in de front of yore do' an' set fiah tuh it [this package]. Put fiah tuh it. An' den when hit burn - yo' see, dat powdah - say, "Wush" [sound of powder burning]. An' dat salt'll molt [dissolve] away. An' ah'll bet he'll come [back] an' stay. [This was informant's last rite. After she left the interviewing room, I comment to my machine: "End of 1217. This old woman almost ran me crazy." That sort of notation I rarely made. What she had done to disturb me, I no longer remember. Though not one of my better informants, her subject matter was not impossible. For some 0f it see: HOODOO, vol.1: p.24, No.38; p.111, No.375; p.425, No.1160; P.494, No.1565; p.522, No.1715; P.598, No.2049; p.599, No.2059; p.647, No.2297; etc.]
Entry 9704
Well, yo' take, get one - yo' callin' all de time - yo' git chew some sulphuh an' git chew some table salt, an' mix dat tuhgethah an' make yo' a dust. Be callin' all de time. [Call anything you want to: Quarrels in this house must stop.] Jes' cake it an' scattah it right in front dat do'. Always scattah it all ovah de house an' jes' bend as yo' walk all ovah. [Why performer bends over I do not lmov. Like a wounded bird is operator deceiving the spirit working the spell?]
(What will that do?)
Dat'll stop de fuss. (Stop the fuss in the house.) [Kills whatever conjure started and continues the quarrels.]
Entry 9718
Take a nail, a ten-penny nail, jes' about de height of dis [demon- strates] an' cut it off. Cut off de top [head] of it an' wrap it [headless nail] aroun' wit a piece of black thread nine times. An' stick in de cornah of 'er house an' call 'er name, an' in nine days she'll return. Regardless tuh where she is, she'll come back. Her min' jes' git worried up an frettin' so she cain't stay [away] an' she have tuh come.
(Cut off the top, the head of that nail?)
Cut it off. [This rite could have been placed under NAME, Pp.3497-3589, v.4.]
Entry 9801
Take fo' pins - jes' lak if yo' would rent me a house or somepin lak dat; if yo' would rent me a house an' ah'd git behin'. All right, yo' came down - in de mawnin' when ah come down, yo'd be gone. See, sompin lak dat, yo' goin' put me out, undahstan'. Well, now, ah lak de place an' ah wanta stay dere. Well, de thing ah'm goin' do, ah'm goin' git me fo' pins - fo' straight pins dat's nevah been used. Ah kin take 'em an' drop 'em in a kinda of a cross-lak; one heah, one heah, one dere an' one dere.
(Like a cross - like four points in a cross?)
Dat's right. Den ah kin call De Three Godhaid.
(How would you do that?)
Ah would say, drop dis one, "Name of de Son, Name of de Fathah, Name of de Bleesed Holy Ghost. Amen." Den walk on tuh yore do' an' knock an' say, says, "Well, Captain [evah whut chure name be] ah haven't got all yore money: Ah got so much an' so much." Well, he say, "Well, all right. Stay on an' pay up when yo' can."
(Where would you bury those pins?)
Oh, don't bury 'em atall. Yo' jes' drop 'em in dem fo' angles.
(Where do you drop them, in his house or your house?)
In front of 'is do'.
(In front of the owner of the house - in front of his door?)
Dat's right, right in front of 'is do' an' knock on de do', an' den yo' tell m about de money whut yo' has. [I failed to ask whether these 4 pins formed 2 separate crosses + + or a cross with 8 arms or spokes, a rimless wheel; for 6 spokes see No.9796; v.4, No.5720.]
Entry 9808
Yo' take seven needles an' yo' take seven straight pins an' yo' take three nails. An' yo' kin take a quart of watah an' de stoppah tuh shet [shut] de quart bottle. An' y'o kin put dem dere seven needles an' dem dere straight pins an' dem three nails in dat quart of watah. An' yo' put dat stoppah in dere. Stop it up, but don' try tuh stop it tight. An' yo' place it at sun risin' undah yore baid. An' if yo' wanta kill a puh- son - lak yo' wanta kill 'im- yo' kin hit dat stoppah wit a hammah. But yo' don' want no iron hammah, yo' wants a kinda wooden hammah, yo' undahstand. [Wooden hammer is rare in HOODOO.] An' yo' hit dat a certain many times evah mawnin' tuh kill a puhson, an' yo' hit it one time aftah it's gone down, dat sun, jes' tuh lingah dat person - jes' tuh put 'im sick, where he be Bo mo good, jes' lingahin'. An' when dem needles rust out, he rust out. It won't kill 'im right away. Take dem nails an' needles in dat quart bottle, an' yo' kin hit dat stoppah three times where de sun rise an' in seventeen days he'll be daid.... [Here I turned off machine too quickly and had to reopen conversation with a qoestion.1
(Where do you put this bottle then? Do you put it under the victim's bed?)
No sir, yo' put it undah yore baid, an' when yo' hit dat, take it out evah sasnin'-time yo' git up, an' hit dat stoppah an' jes' call [the name of] which ane yo' wanta do [kill]. If yo' want 'im tuh lingah, yo' kin hit dat stoppah ane time, as de sun goin' down, de sun settin' in de weat; an' if yo' wanta Hul 'im, yo' kin hit it early in de mawnin' three times.
Entry 9865
All right. Chew take a long homespun string jes' about long enough tuh make nine knots. Den yo' ketch dis frog an' a - yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive. An' which is dis about, if yo' wanta run a person? If yo' take dis heah homespun - take a string an' tie it nine times an' yo' tie it tuh 'is laig. Den yo' go tuh de person's house, dere do'step, dere front do'step, an' put it undahneat' of de do'steps. Den yo' let de frog stay dere till nine mawnin's an whosomevah de party dat [is] yo' calls dere name, an' let 'em walk ovah dat fo' nine mawnin's, den dey will die, if de frog dies. If de frog is goin' tuh die de ninth mawnin' yo' goin' also die.
(You simply tie this string around the frog's leg?)
Aroun' de lef' laig, nine times [demonstrates]. (You just loop this around his leg and tie a knot. Then loop it around his leg and tie a knot again. And you tie nine knots in string on frog's leg and bury frog under the door.)
[Here for informant's word put I substitute bury!]
Bury him undah de door right at de steps lak when yo' come out. Put it right up undah de sill of de steps. [The frog is not buried but kept alive: yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive.] Well, when he come out well - well, he kin stay dere nine mawnin's, nine days, dat frog is compelled tuh die wit'out food. Well, he'll die an' den yo'll pass also wit de frog.
(You actually bury that under the ground?)
[Here again I am suggesting the frog is buried!]
Yo' bury de frog under de ground.
(That's to kill the person living in the house?)
Yessuh. [Magically we have enough here to kill anyone: the intention, home- spun = new string, 9 knots in, tied about left [back] leg, animal buried under step victim must walk over, victim's name called, etc. For something similar, including steps, see No.9871, six rites forward.]
Entry 9943
Yo' got a enemy an' yo' don't want 'em an' [or] yo' jis' lak a man come in an' take yuh wife. Now, it's two ways tuh do it. Yo' ketch a toadfrog dat hops an' yo' take a brass pin an' scratch 'er left laig. An' yo' git a raw [not spun or twisted] thread. Tie yuh 9 knots in it. Scratch de left laig an' ketch 9 drops of blood, see. All right, yo' tie it [thread with blood] on de hind right laig an' yo' meet de sun before it rises in de mawnin' [you do this before sunrise]. An' make a wish, call dis person's name an' turn yer haid toward de rivah [the Mississippi] an' tell 'uh [her] tuh go. Call it three times jis' lak it's Mary, say: Mary go! Mary go! Mary go! Well, de way dat frog go [after you turn him loose] dat's de way whoevah it is vill go.
Entry 10019
Take a black cat an' have oven heated hot, dat's got a lid on it, an' take dat black cat an' put 'im in dat oven, see. An' put de lid on it an' cook 'im. Call 'im [cat] by name whutevah it might be. It may be Tom an' it may be Jim. Dey have diff'ren names. Whatevah 'is name be, yo' call it, an' he'll answer yuh! He'll tell yo' 'zakly what bone tuh take. Dey tell me he'll tell yuh tuh take de short bone. Take all de - aftah yo' burn 'im up, take de bones an' carry 'em tuh swift watah, see. An' pour all dese bones in de watah. An' de bone dat goes up de stream, dat is de bone fer yuh tuh take. Dat's whut chew do. [This is probably the only black-cat-bone rite in which the name of the cat is called! Lid on an Oven is unusual!]
Entry 10193
[They] burn dem candles an' call yuh name. An' what chure name, yuh got yore mind on dem, if dey done done sompin tuh yuh. Yuh undahstan', jis' who is done done somepin tuh yuh, an' dey want chew tuh git dat, dey'll burn dem candles about two hours an' a half, an' call yuh name, an' yuh done forgot evahthin' what chew evah had said.
(What kind of candles do you burn?)
Dese five cent candles, jis' about dat high.
Entry 10414
Do somebody dat way - take a bottle an' put a green leaf in it.
(Any kind of a green leaf?)
Any kind of a green leaf. Call dis fellah an' he answer yo'. Stop it up, den yo' got his voice in dere. Take some runnin' water an' throw it in dere [throw the bottle into run- ning water], an' he'll be gone. (But the fellow must answer you, you call and he must answer you?) [He had said this on first giving the rite.] Yes.
(Why do you put that green leaf in there? Do you know why it's done?)
To hold his voice.
Entry 10489
Take a new sifter and turn it aroun' nine times from you and call dere name, and then turn the handle from you this way, and then turn the sifter part that way, and they will never come back to your house no more.
(You turn the sifter toward them?)
Turn it away from you, turn it nine times away from you.
(Then do you lay that sifter down or what?)
After you does that why you takes and lays it down, but you turns the sifter part this way and the handle thisaway [demonstrates]. The handle back towards the house, the sifter part away from the house.)
Entry 10641
Red antses - jes' lak if, yo' know, yo' wit 'em an' yo' wanta git rid of dose people, jest anybody. If yo' don't wanta put 'em on de go [become a wanderer] yo' jest git - dey [ants] bores a hole in de ground. An' yo' jest stay right dere an' git jest a weed [or] sompin - not a stick - weed of any kind an' yo' jest continue tuh stir when dey come out dat hole, jest lak dat. An' de person dat chew don't want, yo' jest call dere name as yo' stir. Well, when yo' quit stirring, now when dey come out, if dey comes out an' go dis way or dat way - or dat way, dey ain't comin' back dere any mo'...dey goin' make [a new nest] 'long as dey kin git tuh de church or some place lak dat...but dey goin' tuh leave dat place. See, when dem [ants and] things come out dat hole like dat, see dose people is going.
(Those people whose names you called, that will drive them away.)
Dat's one de easiest way dey'll go den.
(These are big red ants.)
It's a big red ant, it a cow ant.
(Oh! Cow ant. A cow ant?)
Yeah, it made like a cow. When yo' cut his head off de other part will go right on, yo' see, dis part go an' dat part go. Well, yo' take dat an' yo sew it up.
(Sew up what? Sew up the head?)
Dat's right, dat other part will keep agoing.
(And what do you do with that head then?)
Yo' call dat person name an' watch it. See how long he be dere.
(You take this head from it [ant] while you call this person's name.)
You have tuh sew it up an' put it in yore left pocket. (And that person whose name you called will be going the same way that ant's body is going?) Jest lak he's going.
(This is the cow ant? Why do you call them the cow ant?)
Dey made lak a cow. Dey got laigs lak a cow, got a haid lak a cow. Look lak his eyes big as a big head. [Two parts of cow ant working in opposite directions is no more wonderful than the doctor who could see a tombstone rock in section HEADBOARD OF GRAVE ANSWERS DOCTOR GLOVER BY ROCKING, p.2258f., v.3.]
Entry 10645
An' den yo' kin take dem big red antses bed an' run a person crazy. Yo' kin go dere in de day when sun rising, jest like yo' go dere fo' 'em tuh come back, only yo' call his name in a different way - calling 'im in de name of[some- body] in de Bible.
(Who?)
Silas[?]. Yo' kin use dat name.
(That will run them crazy?)
Dat will run 'em crazy [to come home].
Entry 10779
Take a broom an' turn dat broom bottom upward - de part dat chew sweep wit, turn it upwards, an' git chew a clean towel an' put ovah dat broom an' call dere name. Call de person name an' dey cain't cross de sill of yo' door. Dey kin stay outside an' wanta come in, but dey cain't come in. (You leave this towel right over the broom?) Right ovah de broom. An' yo' call de name just once. Call it mine times. Anything yo' do in dat line yo' supposed to use nine or seven.
Entry 10811
If yo' in jail, take a broom - an' yo' git in jail. If yo' in jail an' someone out chere yo' don' like, yo' kin jump de broom in jail an' call dere names, an' it won' be 48 hours fo' dey be right in dere in jail. (How do you mean, jump the broom?) See [demonstrates with imaginary broom] jes' hol' de broom an' jump ovah it, jes' hol' it in yore han' an' jump right ovah it, call dere name.
[Author explains demonstration for microphone.]
(Like this: stretch your hand out and hold the broom [end of handle]. Then you jump right over the broom.) Hol' it an' jump right through dere. See [informant demonstrates] dat's ovah de broom, see. If yo' call dere name, dey cain't he'p from comin' dere.
(That will make them come to jail?)
Yes. [Broom] whut chew sweep de floor wit. Dey have tuh come dere. [Some- where in HOODOO is a similar rite from Wilmington, N. Car.]
Entry 10883
If yo' wuz in dis house an' ah wuz in dis house an' ah wanted tuh make yo' move. Yo' know a cat an' a dog can't git 'long, if both stay at de same place, unless dey's raised tuhgethah, an' dey enemies against each othah anyway. Well, yo' take de dog hair an' de cat hair an' put it together. Take yo' some Red Devil Lye an' cuss 'em out. Tell 'em, "Go, yo'all can't stay tuhgethah, mus' go." Call his Dame. Jes' yo' wanted tuh move 'em an' cuss dem out. Sprinkle it down where dey gotta walk at, see. Cuss 'em out.
Entry 10959
Ah know 'zactly how tuh do dat. Co'se ah gits ten dollahs fo' dat. [This woman is a root doctor.] "Co'se ah don't tell nobody. De way dey do dat, dey take a black chicken an' kill dat black chicken, an' take a piece of paper, don't chew know, an' write dere name wit dat blood. An' den when yo' write dere name, yo' nail it down by de do'. Nail it down by de do' an' call dere name three times. An' ah don't care where dey is dey gotta come. A black chicken.
Entry 11122
Draw a coffin, draw the person image in the cof- fin they want to die, then call [victim], then write their name, burn under incense smoke.
Entry 11134
Take it [manure] from a bull and yo' mix cayenne pepper and salt and saltpeter together, and carry it tuh someone's home dat you dislike. Yo' mix it all together and you put it out and let it dry. After it dries you crumble it up and powder it. Jest like someone would live here. You wouldn't want all tuh come out; jest want one person tuh leave dis place. Well, you would take it den and go and sprinkle in de yard and around de do' and call dis person's name. Dey can't stay dere. Dey'll have to move out, go some- where. Dey can't stay dere.
Entry 11213
Take the dirt dauber and take dis man's name.
(Yes?)
And you write the man's name and you set this in the bottle, and when you puts this in the bottle...
(Now what do you put in the Bible?)
You puts - in de bottle!
(Oh, in a bottle. You put all this in a bottle?)
All this in a bottle. Well, I call a bottle a jar - one of these pickle jars - and put the vinegar in there with the man's name in there. That's the dauber dust. Then you takes this man's name and you just put the pin and the tacks and the needles in there. And then you put it in there, and every day at twelve o'clock you shake it up and call this man's name. Every day you do the same thing until the ninth day that you see that you get your wishes.
(What kind of wishes do you make?)
Well, the wishes that I would make, would be the bad destruction on him. That'd be bad luck for him to have. That's the bad wishes.
Entry 11336
(Well, tell me about the dove's heart then.)
Just like I and you is enemies. I get me a dove and I'll take the dove and call your name, you see, at twelve o'clock at night. And I'll take that dove and I'll stab that dove through the heart and call your name In the Name of God, the Father, the Son. And when that 股中 dove - when that pain hit that dove it supposed to hit you, you see, and that will effect you, and you will wilt down just as that dove die. You see. But you gotta call your name and hit that dove through the heart with the knife. (I see.) [This is only one of many times in HOODOO I was used as a guinea pig.]
Entry 11658
When yore man's wit a woman an' yo' want her tuh quit him or sompin, jes' git chew a ole brass fo'k an' go tuh de do' late at night. Jes' knock on de do' an' curse, say, "Come outa dat, come outa dat," three times. An' dey say dat'll break 'em up. (What do you do with the fork?) Jes' stick it in de do', "Come outa dere." Junk it in de do' lak dat, 'Come outa dere," an' curse it. Dey say dat'll really break 'em up. Dat jes' cuts 'em right in two.
Entry 11683
Dey go tuh de fo'ks of de road. Dey calls yore name an' de' drives a stäb [stake] in de fo'ks of de road. Well, dat jes' keep yo' goin'. Yo' can't stay in one place, jes' keep agoin' - goin' all de time.
Entry 12153
Ah heard of a person takin' a hickory stick an' if dey give - jes' 1 lak yo' an' dem in a fight or sompin lak dat. Well, dey hit chew wit dat stick, an' dey take dat stick an' bury dat stick an' call yore name three times. An' dey tell me dat in nine days - ah didn't see dis done, but ah heard some people say dey have witness de same thing. Dey say in nine days dat person will be dead.
(All you do is hit that person with the stick?)
An' call dere name an' bury dat stick by de man's relative dat las' died, yo' know, in de graveyard. But chew bury it right by de person dat las' died, an' call dere name.
(Call the name of the person you hit?)
Yessuh. An' in nine days, why, if dey don't drop dead, dey jes' die sudden.
Entry 12203
Now, listen, she kin take nine horseshoe nails, some sulphur and lard, put those nails in de lard and sulphur at six 'clock in de morning. And then leave 'em there until six 'clock in de evening, standing at chure do' dere, an' call it. Put dem nails up on top yore door like that [demonstrates]. (Lay them along the ledge at the top of the door?) Yes, den you lay them up there and then you call him three times by his name. Jes' like you'd say, "Sam! Sam! Sam! Come heah!" And he would come. Ah don't care where he's at, he'll come.
Entry 12245
Now yo'd haf tuh [have to] - yo' kin git a piece of High John de Conkah an' yo' put dat in yore mout' when it's green [see comment later], ef yo' git done [down?] dere when it's [plant is] green an' yo' kin be standin' way ovah yondah [down?]. Yo' ain't gotta git right upon dem, jest stay anywhere de air is stir- rin'. An' yo' got that in yo' [your mouth] an' yo' breathin' an' he's [boss is] standin' up dere on dat stand [platform] an' he'll look ovah all dat crowd an' he'll call yo' jest like dat [demonstrates] with his finger. (And he's got [you have] the job.) [This same informant mentions green John de Conkah, the plant in season, in No.9077, p.3679, v.4.]
Entry 12284
Yo' kin git saltpetah, sage, alum, sugah an' salt - yo' know - stuff, yo' know, whut he nuse [use]. Yo' know, salt an' sugah an' stuff lak dat whut chew wanta know in dose strings. Yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son, ah'm bringin' yo' back tuh me." Call his name, see, an' say, "Long as yo' eat sage, as long as yo' eat sugah, drink sugah in yore coffee" - sompin lak dat. An' call dose names, an' tie dose strings, an' tell him yo' want him tuh come back tuh yo'. Well, he'll come den. An' aftah yo' tie dose strings, put dose strings in a pile an' sprinkle dis saltpetah an' stuff ovah it, an' red peppah, an' yo' take kerosene. An' den yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son, ' an' burn it. An' put it out in de yard an' let it smoke.
Entry 12452
Yo' kin take a mockin'bird an' tell him - like yo' want him tuh go some place an' care' [carry] a note. All yo' gotta do is put it, yo' know, a little strip up under his laig, an' tell him tuh go an care' it to de person. An' call dere name three times an' he'll go dere an' light on dere house an' put it dere.
(Where do you put that note now? Do you attach it to the bird?)
Yes sir, yo' ketch a mockin'bird...
(And where do you put that note now?)
Jes' tie it on him anywhere. Tell him three times an' call de person name to him plain an' he care' it dere.
Entry 12510
An' ah have heard a fellah [tell this]: De girl dat chew want an' is in love with, an' yo's in trouble wit de [law] officer an' she don' wanta come nowhere round yo'. [This is a unique situa- tion in HOODOO!] Yo' go git chew a red onion, a real one, not a white one - a red onion. Take hit [a needle] an' stick it right down in de center of dat onion - stick yore needle. Take yo' a brand-new needle that nevah been used, sewed a stitch or nuthin. Take it an' stick it in de center of dat brand- new onion. Let de onion be new an' de needle be new. Stick all those right down through it. Take hit an' put it down. Take yo' some fiah an' build a fiah around it, an' let dat onion burn to a fire-coal [unusual word!] an' when dat onion burn to a fiah-coal, yo' takes that onion an' goes to a secret place where nobody won't bothah yo' an' throw it undah dere. In a week's time she'll be back to yo'. Where she ain't nevah visit chew, she'll come an' see yo'. (That is if the fellow is in trouble [with the law] - is in jail or some- thing.) In trouble, or if he's outa trouble - in trouble or outa trouble, either one. Jes' take dat onion. Jes' buy yo' a [new] red onion an' take that onion [needle] an' stick it straight down in de center of dat - dat needle in de center of dat onion, an' call dere name three times. Den take that onion an' put it in de fiah. An' when yo' put dat onion in de fiah, [say], "Ah hope an' trust de Lord she will come back." An' burn dat onion. An' take dat onion out an' wrap it up an' dat needle an' stick it in a closed place an' dat needle leaves. Yo'll nevah see dat onion an' needle any mo' but she'll come back. Yo' can't find hit no mo'.
Entry 13218
Dat's done dis Way. Say, fo' ninstan' now, dat a spirit is worryin yo', maybe yo' done perhaps kill somebody maybe yeahs ago, an' dey spirit keep worryin' yo'. Yo' go to a small stream where it's a bridge an' yo' git a lighter [fat-lighter stick] an' peg, an' drive it down at chure left toe, den yo' walk backwards cross dat stream an' drive an- othah peg down at chure right toe, an' yo' tie dat spirit betwixt dere - cross de water an' dey won' follow yo' no mo'. (What do you mean you tie it across the water?) Well, yo' see, when yo' drive de peg down, an' yo' call de person's name three times, den yo' know he's wit chew, dat de spirit is. Den when yo walk backwards, cross de bridge, he still following yo' in front, but when yo' stoop down an' drive anothah peg at chure toe, yo've got him. In othah words, dat's whut chew might call dat chew bury de spirits. [As I say in margin title, our doctor here is a law unto himself, since a spirit cannot cross running water; but here doctor pegs sprit across running water so that his client can return to his own side of the stream. Nice Work!]
Entry 13431
Jes' lak yo' may have people in New York or othah foreign distance place, an' yo' want 'em tuh come home or yo' want tuh see 'em. Yo' take a clean watah glass an' yo' full dat glass wit watah an' yo' take dat, glass right be- hin' de lamp - see. Dat lamp should be shaded very plain - no flowah or nuthin', jes' a plain white shade, yo' know, a plain glass. Jes' have it clean. Yo' know, sterilize it so yo' kin see through it. An' have dat glass full of watah, an' yore lamp shade is clean so yo' kin see through dat. Den yo' take a lookin' glass an' put behin' dat watah, understan'. An' yo' jes' always say, "Come home." Call dem by dere name, 'Come home, come home. Ah vants tuh see yo', ah wants tuh see yo'." An' dey'll appeah right in dat watah behin' dat lookin' glass. Ah'm tellin' yo' dem things, ah've done it mahself.
(The lamp is lighted?)
Yessuh, gotta be light. An' do it midnight in de night.