Subject:Cat
Entries
Entry 262
Yo' take de black cat - ya' ketch him alive an' takes a crocus bag an' yo' puts him in it.
(What kind of bag?) Crocus sack - dey call it crocus bag in de North - sacks. (What do you put in that sack?)
Put de black cat in it after yo' ketch it. An' den yo' puts chure water on, see, an' yo' has yore water boilin' an' yo' put dis perfume - dere's a perfume dat chew git fer it - it's all in de book [hoodoo manual or catalogue]. Yo' drops seven drops in dere with that water jes' lak if yo' making anything an' put that in there to color it. An' yo' drop that cat in there an' all de meat will boil off dem bones until it gits to dat bone. When it gits to dat bone, dat bone gon'a whine, an' when dat bone whines, dat's de bone to git.
(That bone will what?)
Whine lak a cat.
Entry 325
A lady that lived in mah part de country, she was a wicked ole woman - she was as wicked as all out of door. An' dat [woman got] the cat in the family, they got a black cat in the house, an' there anyone in that family she don't like him - and you kin [take] that black cat - git the cat - sit you a hot boilin' pot of water on de fire - have it boiling - git that cat - throw him in that pot an' put de lid on him. Boil him until he boils all to pieces, until you kin git his flank-bone. An' the road that person travel - say fer in'ance [instance] there's one in the house name Mary, one name Jane, an' one name Tom - this goin' make me a parable [example] - an' dat [is] de road they travel - you take those bone an' bury 'em in that path an' the one that in de house tha' choo wanted to hurt - jes' says while you buryin' the bone that, "This is Tom" or "This is Mary" [or] "This is Jane" - an' soon as they walk over dere, why dey say it's too bad.
Entry 328
Well, ah've heard of de black cat. Yo' take dat black cat - ah've heard of dis. Yo' take him whilst he's 'live, take him an' boil him. Ketch him an' put him in hot watah an' boil him. An' yo' take dat watah an' let it cook down an' yo' take an' mix it wit sugah an' oil of bergamot an' oil of cinnamon. Aftah yo' git dat lucky bone - ah'll tell yo' dis first. Yo' take that an' have yo' a pan of watah, aftah yo boil him all tuh pieces. Den yo' take an' put it all in dat watah an' dat lucky bone will stay on top an' de others will go to de bottom. Yo' take dat bone out an' den yo' kin go by polices or anybody else. Yo' take that black cat bone an put it ovah yore do', up ovah yore do', or either undah yore step: De polices ain't comin' no further den dat. Dat's de way yo' got'a git dat bone.
(After you boiled that black cat, what do you do?)
Take an' mop yo' flo' with it [demonstrates while I comment]. (After you put that black cat bone over your door, then you use this black cat water and this oil of bergamot, that's to mop with.) With the sugah an' the concentrated lye. Put a teaspoonful dat concentrated lye in dat watah an' yo' mop yore po'ch early in de mawnin' befo' sunup. Dat keeps de police away an' draws de luck to yore house. [This is one of many ways to bring in customers - see Scrubbing and Mopping in Index.]
Entry 552
I've know a woman to do that.
(What?)
Take a little girl's photograph - a little grow awful fast, you see. And she disliked her and she shoved her finger at her and told her, says, "I'll keep even with your daughter" [see Bad mouth in Index]. And she go into her mother's house and it was a friend of her mother's, you see, see, that had her photo on a tintype, and she'd taken this photo and she buried it with de face down. See. And buried it with de face down but before she buried it, she got her some feathers.
(What kind of feathers?)
Turkey feathers, just turkey feathers, and she got those turkey feathers and she cross-laid those turkey feathers.
(How do you mean cross-laid them?)
Just like my hand is laying 'cross my fingers there now [demonstrates].
(Made a sort of X?)
Yes, sir.
(All right.)
And she laid those things down there, and then she covered them, see.
(Well now, what did she do - lay them in the ground with the picture on that?)
The picture on that and then she put some over de picture, and covered 'em up and she stuck one right straight up in de center of it, after she covered it, in de shape of a grave - she stuck one right straight up in the center of it.
(One of what?) [I knew what, but I want a definite statement from her.]
One of those feathers.
(I see. All right.)
Right straight up and down in de center of it. Well, the girl then, she began in the next ten days lingering. They'd taken this girl to the doctor and they'd taken the girl to the doctor. The more they d taken her to the doctor, the more doctor medicine she take, the worse she get. Finally, it was a fellow come along and told 'um - old colored fellow, he come along and told this girl's mother that she was hurt and she never would get over it. See. And told her one of her friends did it, and told her to give him a dollar and he would cure her. So she done what he told her [gave him a dollar]. So when she done that the old man set something at the door like a black cat. See. Set that thing at the door and he went to saying magic and something, calling de Lord's name, and something just fell all out of that thing just like shots, running all over dat house. [In- formant now confuses logical order by giving conclusion before final details.] And that little girl got up and she walked - she hadn't been up walking - she got up and walked and she got all right. Well, this old man then, see - and he told her, "Now, the one what hurt your daughter will be here, but she'll be here before she [daughter] get out de bed."
[The culprit would soon appear but the victim would not become well until later.]
Shore enough she [culprit] walked in, and when she walked in, her husband [not the culprit's] took a wing of a chicken, with the bone in it, and hit her right in de forehead, and when he hit her in de forehead, it got de blood from her, and he taken some of her blood and give to dis man, and dis man throwed [daughter's] spell on hog he had out in the lot [cf. healing of demoniac in Mk.5:1, Mt.8:28, Lk.8:26; see Transference in Index.]
(On a hog?)
On a hog he had out in the lot - the hog went crazy - Just runned - just hollered and just went plumb crazy.
(Where did that happen?)
That was up here at Kings - right up here at Kings' Crossing.
(I see - right near Vicksburg?)
Yassuh.
(How long ago did it happen?)
Well, that's been about four years ago. (I see. Now, what do you mean something like a black cat? Was it something alive?) No, it wasn't alive, but it was in the shape of a black cat, you see, just cloth - showed up just like a black cat, just like you got on dat black coat dere [informants frequently mentioned my black coat - see Coat, my black, in Index], but he had it in the shape of a black cat and he set it on the floor. You see.
(And something fell out of it?)
Yes sir - something come out of it just like little balls - just like little shots, and run all around over de floor.
(I see. Well, did he find this thing that was buried or not?)
This woman brought it - this woman come and brought it - she come and brought it. See.
(I mean, did he find that stuff that this woman had buried?)
That this woman had buried on the girl? Well, she come,: see. Well, she come to visit dis woman dat morning before the child get up. She had it in her hand. She had went.and took it up. See, this man had been there, you see, he made her take it up, you see. And she took it and when her husband hit her, she dropped it out of her hand.
(What did that man hit her on the forehead for? Who told him to do that?)
This man what had cured the child.
(Told him to do that?)
Yassuh.
(Use the chicken wing?)
To use the chicken wing and hit her with the bone of it, so he could get her blood so he could throw the spell on a hog. (I see. Do you know how he put the spell on the hog?) [Fortunately she does not know, the story would have been too complete.] Well, I see the hog hollering and hootin' - never see do nothin' like that.
(I see.)
Entry 1121
( Coming ovah agin - ah goes on an' take some of de same stuff, some of dat oil. Ah rub mah wife nine mawnin's with it. De black cat oil - yes sir. Rubs her nine mawnin's with it an' ah give her several High John de Conker Tablets - several. (Where do you get those?) Ah orders dem from Chicago, from King Neverson [Neilson?]. Ah give her seven of dem. She been up goin' ever since. [Small- time root worker. For protective Black Cat Wishing-Bone see subsection Hands.]
Entry 1729
If you got a bootleggin' still out in de woods and if you don't want de law to come near it, you kin git a lot of black cats and you keep em tied round in diff'rent spots in dat woods only at night - dat law wouldn't even come round dere in night er day atall, dey'll come jest about dat far. It seem like dere's always a sort of a heavy black mist to keep 'em away from dere. But chew always have to keep dose cats fed offen nothin' but jest daid rotten catfish dat dey ketch in de ribah heah. If you don't keep 'em well-fed wit dat catfish, dey'll soon die right quick on yo'. But always keep 'em tied - nevah turn 'em loose, keep 'em tied dere all de time in diff'rent spots.
Entry 1730
[The well-known dead hand from a black cat, the Black Cat Lucky Bone, has been given (pp.74-97).] (How am I going to keep the law away?) Well, yo' kill him, de real black one - find one ain't got a [white hair on him], a black cat. Kill a black cat an' bury him under yore do'step, 'cept don't let nobody see yo'. When de law come by heah, dat'll banish him - keep him right on away.
Entry 1731
Tuh git a job. Well, now yo' git chew some lodestone an' yo' set down an' yo' git chew a screenin' wire - lak dat screen up dere. (The screen in the window.) [Hotel window.] Co'se it take yo' a long time tuh do it but yo' set down an' yo'rub it an' rub until dat lodestone come tuh dust an' yo git chew some cologne - yo' know dis heah Jockey Club. Yo' take it an' put it in a bottle lak ah got heah now. See, dat lodestone. [He shows a small bottle.]
(What is the liquid you have in there?)
That's that Jockey Club Perfume. And den yo' could put yo' - if yo' wanta, yo' kill you a black cat an' git his bone an' grind dat up jis' lak yo' do de lodestone. Put it in dere an' den yo' kin go to a man, talkin' to him, an' he'll git ovah tuh yo' - give yo' a job.
(You have that black cat dust in this bottle? Both of them together?)
Yessuh.
(Any bone from the cat?)
Any bone? Yo' see yo' gotta git a bone from roun' his shoulder - up heah, de left shoulder, from in front. Grind it to a powder an' take dis heah bone an' rub it on dis heah screenin' wire until it comes [to a powder]. It goin' take yo' a long time tuh do it. But hit'll do it. Ah use dis fo' luck in gamblin an' luck an' successful in meetin' mah fren's an' everythin'. Ah make fren's, ah don't make no enemies. [If this man had black cat powder in his hand, it was surely a talcum or similar powder with a label showing a black cat and reading Black Cat Powder (see No.1377, p.459).]
Entry 1732
Wal, dey say it's something whut you could fix uP as a bodyguard, but chew fix it up in a bag. Take a piece of shamry skin, something like hide, like dis shamry skin gloves - you know jis' tough skin. Take that and git diff'rent kind of roots and bark. All right, you git de John de Conker root. You git de lodestone and git de devil's- shoestring root and de black cat wishing-bone, and den you take de John de Conker and a piece of dragon's blood and take all of that and mix it up fine - yo' know, beat it up, mostly powder enough to go in a bag. And den you take that and after you git all that fixed up good, git whut chew call dis here Seven-'leven Oil and put seven drops of that. And mix it up all together and put in dis bag and sew it up. See. And take it and put it - and git a piece of red flannen and sew dis bag up in dat red flannen and jes' put a string around it and tie it and wear it around yore waist or around yore neck and dere won't nothing bother yo'.
(That's to keep people from bothering you.)
That's pertection fo' you.
(Where do you buy this Seven-'leven Oil? Where do you get that?)
You supposed to could - de woman told me that she got some from New Orleans but whut part of New Orleans ah don't know. [All black cat bones are hands (see pp.74-97) and therefore they are also in a sense wishing-bones. But wishing-bone here means form as well as power. As to form, one informant said the black cat bone was "made lak de breast of a chicken" (No. 316, p.94), meaning the furculum or wishbone in front of but not a part of the chicken breastbone. Similarly, another informant described black cat bone as "gon'a have three forks [prongs or tines]...two long forks an' a little small fork" (No. 299, p.88). I suggested this three-pronged fork could have been a 'devil's trident." Actually the "little small fork could have been the hypo- cleidium - the end adhering to the winning half of the broken wishbone. Despite informants, wishbone appears only in most birds; it appears in black cats only by the grace of hoodoo merchants. Among other black cat products I should mention black cat oil (No. 1121, p.417), black cat powder (No. 326, p.96), and black cat water (Nos.328-329, p.96f.).]
Entry 2421
You get the Black Cat Drawing Oil. Yes, sir. And you can start at the - you have to start at the back and come to the front, scrubbing with this oil.
(What will that do?)
It will draw customers. [See, Black Cat Oil, No. 1121, p.417.]
Entry 3423
Yo' git de wax outa de cat's ear an' git de wax outa de dog's ear an cut jes' a little piece of hair off de dog's tail an' den de half way of his back, an' den de back his neck [hair from 3 places], an' put it in dey shoes. Dey put in de woman's shoe. (What happens then?) Dey git stuck to 'em lak doge. Yah, de' [dey] put dat in dere shoe, de woman's shoe. (They don't get any hair from the cat then?) Git de cat hair an' de dog halr togethah.
Entry 3424
De halr from a dog an de hair from a ket [cat] an' dey duap it into de food of a person. Dat will cuz a tyin' between a man an' a run-aroun' woman, but not at home.
(Cause what?)
Tie 'em up jes' lak a dog tie up.
Entry 3814
Wal, dere wuz a gurl ah started correspondin' wit in a - an' she wuz a purtty nice gurl an' we got along purtty tuhgethah [at first]. Well, ah dunno, we jes' couldn't git 'long tuhgethah an' she - ah guess she felt dat she wuz losin' me, see. So, well she used to cook fo' me. Well ah would eat from 'er an' ah would eat from othahs. It didn't make much diff'rence. Ah nevah did pay much 'tenshun tuh how she cooked anything fo' me cuz ah didn't [think] she'd try tuh poison me or do anythin' tuh me. So she fixed me up some meals one day, an' it wuz 'long about de 20th - 'bout 'tween de 29th an' de lst - fixed mah meals fo' me. An' right aftah ah eat dat meal ah got sort of sick. Well ah came out it an' den - well, while ah wuz goin' roun' wit anothah frien' of mine, ah met anothah girl. An' well, she wanted me tuh come an' live wit 'er. So ah would go an' spend nights wit 'er. An' well, ah'd sleep in de same bed. An' it seemed dat evah time dat ah'd wanted tuh have intahco'se wit 'er, it seemed jis' lak ah couldn't git mah mine [mind]. Mah mine jis' seem to fall, jis' couldn't git mah mine set on havin' intahco'se wit 'er. So ah went to a doctor [M.D.] heah an' ast 'im whut could be de mattah. An' he said dere wasn't anythin' de mattah wit me - took a blood test an' all, an' say he couldn't fin' anythin' wrong wit me. So a frien', he heard about dese thin's [women do], so he ast me whut all had she been doin', an' ast me could ah have intahco'se wit 'er. Ah tole 'im suah [sure], anytime ah'd go home an' git in bed ah could easily have intahco'se wit 'er, but othahwise any strange woman ah couldn't. So he wuz astin' me had ah noticed any funny thin's about 'er. Ah tole 'im ah nevah notice anythin' funny about 'er. So he ast me what kin'a food had she been feedin' me. So ah tole him diff'ren' meals. Well one special food she wuz feedin' at least twice a week an' dat be tomatoes. So ah tole him about dat. So he ast me did ah notice anythin' funny 'bout de 'matoes de nex' time she fixed 'em. So ah paid 'tention when she wuz fixin' 'em, but ah nevah noticed anythin'. But ah noticed she strained de tomatoes. Ah didn't pay any 'tention at it becuz ah figured she knows whut she's doin'. So ah tole him about 'er strainin' de tomatoes. So he say, whut kin'a rag did she strain it through. Tole me ah shoulda paid 'tention. So he tole me tuh go ovah heah an' ast 'is brothah 'bout it. So ah ast 'is brothah an' tole his bro- thah what happened. So his brothah ast me de nex' time roun' about de firs' of de mon' tuh pay close 'tention tuh see whut she would do. So it went on lak dat fer about six mont's an' ah wus goin' - still goin' ovah heah tuh see dis othah [second] gurl, an' ah wus livin' on wit 'er. She wus try- in' tuh do evahthin' [about my impotence] she could fo' me. So ah went on an' paid 'tention closah tuh 'er [first girl], an' one day ah caught 'er in dere an' she wus strainin' de 'matoes through some of 'er undah- weah. So ah ast 'er whut wuz de cuz of dat. She said, nuthin, she jis' couldn't fine 'nothah rag tuh strain de tomatoes in lak dat dat wuz clean. Wal, ah seen stains in de undahweah, but ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it. Ah figured de tomatoes put de stains in dere. So ah tole mah frien' about it an' he said, well, she's been usin' 'er reg'lah rag dat she had on, when 'er reg'lah mont'ly sickness come on, strainin' de tomatoes through it, an' dat's whut wus cuzin' [causing] me tuh feel lak ah did tuhwards 'er an' couldn't do anythin' tuh any othah woman. So he tole me to go see a fellah, a fellah used to be a herb doctor. He's daid now. He died a few years ago. Tole me to go ast 'im whut ah should do. So ah'd seen 'im an' he tole me tuh take - tole me tuh try git holt of a good- size jar of 'er urinate an' take dat, an' boil it an' put plenty a salt in it, an' drink it at least twict a day. So it happen ah got holt of some. One night when she wusn't payin' attention tuh me, she got up an' urinated in a basin [she] had dere, yo' know. So de nex' mawnin' she went outside [away from home] tuh go tuh de baker's [to work?]. So ah'd taken it an' ah boiled it, an' ah boiled it an' strained it lak he tole me. Fixed it jis' lak he tole me tuh fix it, put some salt, an' ah drank it twict a day. An' purtty soon ah begin tuh feel mah- self ag'in. So ah left 'er, an' den ah went tuh stay wit dis othah woman. An' ah stayed wit dis othah woman one night.... [Remainder of this [[cylinder]] cannot be transcribed because of defective reception.[[comment by transcriber]].] See, we [informant and second girl] had been usin' de same towel all de time. So ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it an' well, de nex' mawnin' when she got through wit dat towel, she took it an' folded it up careful an' put it away in de drawah dat ah'd used. Well ah didn't pay any 'tention tuh it cuz ah wus young an' didn't figure a woman would try any kin'a tricks on a fellah. So ah looked to be gittin' sorta po' [poor] an' skinny. An' ah used tuh go roun' tuh dis othah gurl [first one] an' we wuz lak we wuz goin' go back tuhgethah ag'in.
(The first girl or the second girl, you mean?)
De firs' gurl. So de secon' gurl she kep' on arguin' wit me an' arguin'. We fight an' fuss, back an' fo't' [forth] all de time. So ah went on - kep' on bothahin' dis secon' gurl. So one night ah went ovah an' stayed all night wit 'er, but still an' yet, when ah went to do somepin wit 'er, ah'd have dat strong feelin' until ah'd git right in bed wit 'er, an' den when ah git in bed wit 'er, seemed lak all hopes would drop an' ah jis' couldn't do anythin'. Ah'd Jis' lose mah nerve all de way roun'. So ah'd kep' on goin' lak dat an' she tole mah frien', mah close frien', dat she wuz livin' at 'is mothah. [Informant's first girl was rooming with the mother of the male friend who advised him to see a herb doctor.] She tole him about it. So he ast me [at the place where both worked - see later] whut wuz happ'nin' tuh me. Ah looked to be gittin' lak ah wanted to die [or] sompin. So ah tole him ah didn't know. Ah jis' seem to be gittin po'ah [poorer] an' po'ah an' mah healt' jis' wouldn't seem tuh build up atall. Ah'd eat de right thin's an' all. So he ast me wuz ah eatin' from home. An' ah tole 'im no, ah didn't eat from home cuz ah nevah had time, as mah wife, she didn't fix anythin' fo' me. So he ast me wuz dis othah gurl an' me on bad terms. Ah tole him yeah. Well, we wuz, 'cuz ah wuz about tuh quit 'er. (This was the second girl you were about to quit. The first one was your wife?) Yes, de firs' one wuz mah wife. So - an' ah wuz about tuh go back tuh mah wife, see. Aftah a while he ast me did ah know some man to cure me by. Ah tole him no. So one day he wuz up tuh de house an' we wuz jis' aftah takin' a showah. It wuz real hot [shower or day?], so ah gave him some towels. Ah didn't pay much 'tention tuh it, a towel wit a hem in it, an' ah happened tuh han' 'im a towel dat she had took dat night. An' he noticed dat right outa de centah, a hole wuz cut outa it. An' so he ast me how did dat happen. Ah tole him ah didn't know. So he begin tuh think. He's experienced on it 'cuz he wuz lots oldah dan ah wuz an' dat's one thin' [tricks of women] dat he always believe. Ah called 'im smart. Ah figured he wuz tryin' tuh be smart. Well, anyhow he really did know a lot of thin's. So he tole me de nex' time dat ah noticed, whethah she wuz un- dressin' or not, tuh notice whethah she had anythin' tied aroun' 'er neck or vais' or laig or anythin', an' if she did, tuh come an' tell 'im. Well, ah stayed wit 'er dat night, ah wouldn't stay out dat night. Ah stayed wit 'er dat night an' ah noticed dat when she got in bed, she had a little black bag tied right down in de centah of 'er stomach. So ah ast 'er what it wuz. An' she said dat [was] to keep 'er from havin' pains in 'er stomach. So ah tole mah frien' de nex' day when ah went tuh work. An' he tole me, he sayed dat he believe dat [in the] bag she had wuz a piece of dat towel out [without] de bag. [He now explains this confusion.] Said a woman could take a piece of towel dat a man would wipe on, an' could take it an' put some kinda black-cat-bone dust [see BLACk CAT POWDER, p.526], from a young black cat wit dat piece of towel in a sack, an' hang it in front of 'er an' de man nevah could leave her, no mattah where he go he'd always have tuh come back tuh 'er, an' dat he nevah could have anythin' tuh do t no othah woman but 'er. So ah jis' laughed at 'im. An' ah thought he wuz jokin'. An' ah went on tuh dis othah girl de nex' night an' went tuh 'er house. Well, ah wuz feelin' good an' ah felt lak ah wanted tuh have intahco'se wit 'er. An' so we got in bed all undressed. Well ah had high hopes until de minute ah got in bed wit 'er an' den evahthin' flopped. An' ah laid in bed fer half de night an' still an' yet ah couldn't git up nerve enough tuh have anythin' tuh do wit 'er. So ah tole him about it de next day. So he tole me tuh go back an' see could ah have anythin' tahdo wit mah wife. So ah went back dat day at dinnah time [noon]. Mah wife got off dat day at dinnah time an' I went ovah dere. An' she wuz home in bed, so ah got sweet wit 'er an' got in bed along wit 'er. Well, when ah went tuh have intahco'se wit 'er she took dis here bag from aroun' 'er wais'. Well ah got in bed an' ah jis' had high hopes an' ah jis' carried thin's right on through. Well, ah come back an' tole 'im about it, an' he tole me dat dat whole thin' wuz de trouble. Said where she had dat bag aroun' 'er wais' an' said fer me to git dat. So his bro- thah wuz de same way [impotent by trickery], but 'is brothah didn't believe in dis othah one. Some of 'em don't like dat [drinking the woman's urine]. [A bad spot in the cylinder follows. The next bracket contains my pencil notes made while checking original cylinder against transcription.] [Bad recording from here. [[Substance of informant's words follows.l] So ah went home. Ah ast 'er whut wuz dat bag. She said it was none of my business. So [[ah tried to take it.]]. Well she got mad an' said if I take it she'd kill me...didn't pay any 'tention tuh 'er...aftah awhile I was goin' wit anothah woman.] [To take a woman's hand, called a nation sack in the New Orleans area up to Memphis, can be a dangerous venture - see p.1449f.] So dat night ah come home jis' lak ah goin' stay dere. An' she got undressed, ah grabbed 'er an' got de string an' ah snatched it. When ah snatched it ah took an' run into de kitchen wit [it] an' put it in de stove an' burn it up. De min- ute ah did dat, it seem lak she jis' seemed to have lak a reg'lah fit. She jis' started runnin' all ovah, got real... [Here is a typical reaction - other than outright death - to the destruction of a witch's power. Yes, this woman is technically a witch, she having caught the man's spirit. There are many ways given in HOODOO to break a witch's spell; See also FACI, 2nd ed., Pp.790-920; and for burning the object she uses, Pp.882- 886. DE DOCTORS COME AN' DEY COULDN'T DO NUTHIN FO' HER. DEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WUZ DE MATTAH WIT 'ER. She continued to keep on fer about six mont's an' aftah dat she seemed gradually to come back tuh 'erself... [small remainder of recording bad].
Entry 4579
On a dog's tail an' cat's. Three stran's of dog hair an' three stran's of cat hair an' put it in dat bow. [See later.]
(This bow on a man's hatband?) Yes. An' dat'll run 'im crazy. (What you do is let it stay on thebow?)
Yes, put it in de bow of de hat an' let it stay dere.
(Three strands from the dog's tail and three strands from the cat's?)
Three stran's.
(From where?)
From undah 'is tail. Yuh know dat an' kinda plat it tuhgethah-like an' put it right in dat little bow on de hat.
Entry 5744
Ah know about whut chew do wit de tracks. If yo' have a enemy or any- thin', anybody dislak yo' or anythin', an' dey wan' chew tuh leave town or sompin lak dat. Dey'll meet chew an' git chure track an' take it an' mix some dog hair an' cat hair. Yo' know cats an' dogs disagrees in anythin' lak dat. An' takes nine straight pins an' ben' dem tuhgethah, an' put dem in de fo'ks of de road, an' yo'll leave town. An' if it's a woman an' a man dat loved one anothah an' de' meet one 'nothah ag'in, dey be hatin' one 'nothah jis' lak cats an' dogs, be mad an' wanta fight an' kill up one 'nothah. No mattah how good dey is in love, dey git apart.
(This is to separate a man and his wife. Whose foot track do you take?)
Take his'n an' hers. Take his'n, yo' know, de lef' goin', an' bring it up ob yo' lak dis, an' take hers an' bring it up tuh yo'. An' mix it tuhgethah dt de hair out yore haid, if yo' kin git it. Eithah if yo' cain't git de hair oat dere haid, den git de dog's hair - yo' know, de bristles an' de cat's bris- tles, an' mix it tuhgethah wit nine straight [bent] pins.
(Wait a minute! You take the man's left foot, you say?)
De lef' foot track.
(And what about the woman's?)
Take de lef'. Uh-huh, take one goin' an' de othah one comin'. Dere's one aiie' one way an' de othah one comin' de othah way.
(Whose do you take going?)
Take de man's goin' or eithah de woman - it don' make no diff'rence, so dere's e goin' one way an' de othah one comin' de othah.
(And you bury this out at the forks of the road?)
At de fo'ks of de road, but chew mix dem cat bristles an' dog bristles wit dat track. Den take nine straight pins an' bend 'em. [Waycross, Ga., (093, 1760:6.]
Entry 5836
Take some of dere hair an' mix it wit some cat hair an' put it in a Boctle of vinegah an' shake it up an' bury it undah de do'step an' let chew walk ovah it. Dat will run yo crazy. (That is if you took my hair you would bury that under my doorstep? Under my own doorstep?) Tes sir.
(That would set me crazy?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5837
Dey kin take yo' head, dey take some hair right from de roots of yo' hair an' take dat an' burn it. An' den dey git some hair from a black cat an' burn along wit dat. An' dey take de ashes an' put in a tobacco sack. An' den dey take an' put it in a tin can an' throw de can right on straight out [into the water] and [so that it] don't come back in [with] tide. Well, dat will run 'em crazy inside of three months.
Entry 5838
Yo' kin take cat hair an' yo' kin make a person love yo'. Well, yo' kin take de cat hair but yo' firs' gotta git a plait of hair, a stran' of hair from de person who yo' Wanta love yo', an' yo' take, burn dem togeth- ah. An' den yo' take some hair grease - dey call it hair grease. Yo' mix dat up togethah, undahstan'. An' den aftah mixin' it up togethah, den yo' tryin' tuh make yore lady fren'. Yo' try tuh git holt of some of 'er sickness, some piece, if 'er clothes dirty, some of 'er sickness, an' tie it up an' wear dat in yore fob [watch] pocket. Dat will cause her tuh love yo'.
Entry 5891
Ah heard of 'em takin' table salt an' - if dey take de hair out of a person's haid an' git de dog an' cat bristles an' take table salt an' bury it in de fo'ks of de road, dey say dat will run a person crazy. (That's about the same as you told me at first?) Yes.
Entry 6544
Dey take cat hair an' dog hair an' place it intuh a man's food, an' if dat'll remain dere 'bout nine days, well, it'll turn, yo' know, lak hair worms. An' den it'll stay dere 'bout six or seven months, den it beginnin' tuh form snakes. Whenever dose things get live, yo' know, dey jis' crawl an' crawl about. Well, it's quite natchel [natural] den dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 6687
They tell me that if you can get a hold of dog's hair and cat hair, and fix it so that it can get into the food of an individual, that after they eat it, if it stays in 'em for nine days, it turns to worms. And those worms get in their body on the inside and they finally die from the effect of it. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., (182), 554:9.] [Readers will notice I have changed the title of this subsection from the one originally given in volume 3 under CONTENTS FOR VOLUMES 3 AND 4. This change perely returns to my original title CURE AND PROTECTION in volume 1, pages 410- 519, emphasizing once again, as in the introductory comment that folk medicine in hoodoo or witchcraft has a protective or preventive side (p.3077). A com- plete list of cures and prevention of ailments and disease cannot be known until the completion of the INDEX to occupy all of volume 5.]
Entry 6722
Black cat, a black chicken. An' if yo' git hurt, a snake bit chew or anythin', yo' cut dem open live an' put it on dere. It'll draw all de poison out.
Entry 6874
Dey kin take dat aftahbirth, or whutevah waste dat she have when dat baby wuz bo'n, an' give it tuh a dog an' [or] let a cat git holt tuh it, an' den she's nevah no mo' good. (What do you mean, she's never no more good? In what way?) Well, she'll live, yo' know, but she won't - huh periods will nevah be right any mo' an' she'll always be backward an' she'll nevah be any 'count [account]. She'll jis' be po' yo' know an' skinny until she dies. Dat's jis' suffahin' an' Zingahin'.
Entry 7211
A gamblin' han' [the best] dat yo' evah had, if yo' wan'a gamblin' han'. Well, yo' might go intuh a graveyard where dere somebody dat yo' know well, an' dey been buried fo' several days or several yeahs, yo' might say. Yo' take dere fingah dey call a dog fingah. (Which is the dog finger? Point it out to me. Which is the dog finger?) Here 'tis, right cheah [here]. (Well, which hand?) On de right han' [demonstrates]. (All right, I see the index fin- ger of the right hand.) Dat will be de right han' dere. Dat is de third fingah from de front. (The middle finger, then, on the right hand?) Dat is de thing. (All right, the middle finger.) All right. Den yo' take dat fin- gah an' clean de bone in milk - git de li'le bone out, but yo' gotta do all dat work at twelve o'clock at night. An' yo' find yo'self dere when yo' boilin' dat. WHILE BOILIN' DAT BONE DERE, YO'LL FIND YO'SELF FEEL FEAHIN' [FEARING]. WHUT AH MEAN BY MIS[TERIOUS? OR MIS- ERABLE?] YO'LL FEEL YO'SELF - YO'LL FEEL WARM. AH DON' CARE HOW COLD YO' BE. YO' KIN DO IT IN DE MIDDLE OF DE STREET, OR IN DE MIDDLE OF DE BANQUETTE [=SIDE- WALK IN NEW ORLEANS, LA.] OR IN DE YARD DERE; AN' IF IT BE COLD AS ICE, BUT YO'LL FIND A GREAT HEAT RIGHT AROUN' YO', BECUZ WE HAVE WHUT CHEW CALL THREE WITCHES DAT RUNNIN' IN DE AIR DERE. AN' IF YO' DEALIN' WIT DEM, WHY DEN IT COMES HEAT. DEY'LL BRING HELL FLAMES TUH DERESELF AN' TUH YO'. Yo' are dealin' wit dem.
(Oh, I see, you're dealing with three witches. Oh, all right.)
An' quite natchel, if ah'm dealin' wit chew, yo' have a right tuh go ovah dere an' see aftah me [see what I am doing]. An' yo' are wit me.
(I see.)
Now, maybe all three of 'em come tuhgethah. An' TUH GIT DEM [WITCHES], YO' GOTTA SET A SUPPAH, A DINNAH. YO' HAVE TUH MAKE A DINNAH, AN' DE DINNAH WHICH DEY EAT'LL BE A TURTLE HEART.
(A turtle heart.)
An' one thing again would be cel'ry whut chew eat aroun' - make salad.
(Celery?)
Yo'd git cel'ry. An' we have one thing, which de nex' would be, three grass- hoppahs. Yo'd have tuh put dose things in yuh mouth, dat is, tuh make de suppah; cuz yo' couldn't make de dinnah if yo' wouldn't do dat. An' in othah words, yo' hardly kin make de dinnah in de wintahtime. Yo' have tuh make it in de sumah, becuz we haven't much grasshoppahs who run in de wintah. Yo' undahstand?
(I understand.)
An' aftah dis suppah is made an' is started, yo' would fin' dem. Yo' would take a glass [mirror], but yo' - dat glass have tuh be bran' new, dat nobody nevah look intuh it.
(A looking-glass?)
Yes, sir. An' yo' could see dem lookin' intuh dere aftah yo' begin tuh eat. Yo' kin see three people but chew couldn't recognize yo'self, but chew dere. But chew cain't recognize yo'self, but chew see three people; but chew dere, but chew don't see yo'self. Yo' wouldn't count yo'self 'cuz yo' cain't see yo'self. But chew see three people dere, but one of dem dere is yo'. Den yo' see upset one person, den dat'll be de dragon. He look very proud, very nice-lookin' fel- lah, standin' right dere but den he's a destroying angel. Dat's de truth ah'm tellin' yo'. Den, aftah dat yo' won't see nuthin dere. Evahthin' disappeah from dis glass. Den yo' able den fo' tuh go on an' do anythin' whut chew wanta do. (I see. They'll call the witches. After that you use your power to do these things.) Why certainly.
(Well, what about using that bone? What do you do with that bone, now?)
Well, whichevah bone dat dey call de middle bone. Many people, if dey know whut de bone is, dey kin find ft, dat is, in de black cat, wit'out goin' tuh work an' takin' it an' usin' dem all; but some people by not knowin', dey'll have tuh use all of dem until dey git tuh de right one. But, de sense, if yo' know whut de right bone is, yo' kin go right tuh it an' git it. Maybe yo' might miss one, but yo'll git de nex' one an' dat'll be it. Undahstand? An' dat bone carries three fo'ks [forks]. Dat is, three j'ints tuh it. Whut ah mean by three j'ints, three rows, an' yo'll find between de edges of de bone, yo'll find three crosses. Dat's supposed tuh be main powah. An' yo' fin' dat dey use dat in more Mason lodge and Odd Fellahs, lotsa people do, tuh do dere work. [New Orleans, La., (861), 1374:7 to 1375:4.]
Entry 7613
They take a little graveyard dirt, gather it just like I explained an' [I interrupt].
(With the three pennies, you mean?)
Yes sir, and a little cat manure and they mix that up together and you put it anywheres around in de yard - where the're [they are] bound to step into it, and they will be in one of the worst lucks they'll ever Wanta be in all their life. They will always be desti- tute for everything.
Entry 7684
Yo' go tuh a - if somebody troublin' yo' an' yo' jis' want 'em tuh git in trouble, see. Yo' go tuh a sinnah - yo' gotta know somebody wuz a wicked sinnah an' got killed - yo' see, a gamblah. Yo' go tuh 'is haid an' dig down about wrist deep. An' put three pen- nies dere an' jis' tell it - jis' lak yo' talkin' tuh in - jis' lakyo' know'im, say, "so- an'-so-an'-so, ah wan' chew tuh go tuh Such-an'-such-a-one an' give dem hell, jis' give dem hell. Wham! Fight 'em, make 'em fight. Make 'em kill if it's necessary." An' yo' put de pennies dere. Kivah [cover] de hole up an' go off. Walk off an' nevah look back. Yo' take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' ketch yore dog an' cut some hair off de end of 'is tail, see. All right, yo' ketch chew a ket [cat]. Yo' cut some hair off 'is haid an' 'is tail. An' yo' take dat dog an' cut jis' a li'le bit of hair out 'is fo'haid. Yo' git some of dis urinate, see. All right yo' git yo' some red peppah, table salt, put wit dat. An' yo go by where dem people stay an' jis' tell 'em [dirt and its ingredients] what chew want 'em do wit it. An' throw it.] Don't evah look back, keep goin'. An yo' ain't goin' be a minute off fo' yo' see 'em raisin' Sam [Sam = devil]. Dey goin' move from dere. Aftah while dey goin' move from dat state.
(That is to run them out of there, run them away.)
Dat's tuh run 'em away. Dat's hard tuh ovahcome. Now ah heah'n [heard] a man tell dat an' ah seen it work. See, fo' a fact he used tuh git me tuh go by dere sometime an' throw it dere. Dis ole Doctor Bush.
Entry 7791
If yo' wanta break up anybody, if yo' kin git de black cat hair an' black dog hair an' gunpowdah, an' graveyard dirt, an' wasp nest an' dirt daubah nest, put it tuhgethah an' mix it, an' shoot it an' dat'll break 'em up. (Where do they shoot this stuff?) Jes' put it on a li'le shovel an' throw it up out- do' at night. [The preceding word shoot has been retained by present informant in the baseball sense: he shot the ball to second base, meaning he threw it as hard or as fast as he could. Shoot can mean to send swiftly along as to shoot guestions at someone. Here we have an example of how original rites can be changed: A person may not own a gun, es- pecially the old-fashioned muzzle-loader implied here. Besides, shooting a gun at any time could attract attention. By using a shovel we return to rites of letting the wind blow things away.]
(Where do you do this?)
At chure home or anywheres.
(If I were trying to break up somebody, I would do that at my home?)
No, at dere house.
Entry 8576
Take yo' a thread string an' put chew nine knots in it an', as ah would say, use a cat an' a dog, an' yo' git some hair from de back of dere neck, an' jes' make a bundle of it, yo' know, altogether an' put chew nine knots in de thread an' bury it right in dat do' there. An' yo'll nevah come inside chere. Yo'll always pass by, yo' wouldn't nevah have no visitors to stop heah.
(That's to keep somebody from coming in or to make them leave the house?)
Dat's if yo' heah, yo'll leave heah an' yo' won't nevah come back heah; or if: it's anybody yo' don't want tuh come in heah, yo' do dat an' dey won't come in heah. But yo' should have dey name, de person name in that. (Now you tie the nine knots in the thread after you have wrapped it in this bundle?) [That was not a sensible thing to say, even though informant's words about the knots are ambigious.] Yeah, yo' tie nine knots in de thread an' put it in de bundle wit de hair of de dog an' de cat.
Entry 8724
(Dog hair and cat hair, how do they use that?)
Well, yo' take dat dog hair an' dat cat hair together, an' yo." put maybe sompin, my name or yore name, anybody dat chew wanta call. Dey will fight lak cats an' dogs, man an' his wife. Yo' jes' put dere names together, an' yo' take dat cat an' dat dog hair an' yo' put it together, an yo' put red peppah an' sulphur wit dat an' yo' burn dat. Dat will cause 'em tuh fight lak cats an' dogs.
Entry 9003
[The following two remarkabie stories in numbers 9004 and 9005, both stories about a disappearing black cat, complement each other and should be read in the order listed here. The first story is a second-hand account, a valuable one, the one that was floating about in the air. Then by sheer luck I found the actual man, the man of the story, and persuaded him to relate his personal account of what hap- pened. For this, read following 9004.] Dere was boy heah [St. Petersburg, Fla.] killed a fellah 'bout fo' yeahs ago [1935], shot 'im peepin' in de window. He was peepin' in de window watching fo' somepin an' he shot through de window an' killed dis fellah an' put 'im in de car [automobile]. He didn't think he was dead. An' he carried 'im out heah on a lot an' throwed 'im off, aftah he found out he was dead. An' he went up heah to Charleston, S. Carolina. He may have went to dis same man mah uncle went tuh, ah don't know. But it was done about fo' yeahs ago, an' dey said he went dere. Ah did know de fellah's [killer's] name. Some of dese boys out heah [waiting to be interviewed] probably do know dat fellah's name. But anyhow, he went dere [to Charleston] an' he talked wit dis man [doctor] an' he tole 'im how it was. De man charged 'im five dollahs. Says, "Yo' gimme five dollahs an' yo' kin go right on back to St. Petersburg." He says, "Don't go an' give up but drive round wit yore car" - he had de same car an' ever'thing - "an' let de officah 'rest yo'." He [killer] said de man put a black cat in his [killer's] auto - a real black cat didn't have a white spot on 'im. He said, "When dis cat jump out, yo' jes' go 'head. Don' yo' put 'im out, let 'im jump out." Winnie Miles! Dat's de negro's name. He says - Winnie tole me, me an' Winnie is good frens, he says, "We driv 'bout 40 miles outa Columbia [Winnie was passing through Columbia, South Carolina, on his way home to St. Petersburg] an' dat cat layin' dere. An' directly ah looked round, de cat was gone." An' he come on to St. Petersburg. An' he druv all around an' dey 'rest 'im on [Something] Drive, dat was 'fore it was built up, up heah. An' dey 'rested 'im an' carried 'im down dere, an' dey carried 'im tuh Clear- Water an' he come clear. Dey turned 'im loose. He says dere's somepin to dat man [the doctor]. He didn't tell me de ole man's name but dat he he'ped [helped] 'im.
(Was his name Buzzard?)
Ah've heard of Dr. Buzzard but it wasn't Buzzard.
Entry 9005
Heard of 'em say yo' take a black cat, yo' know, an' kill 'im an' put 'im up on de do'. Say yo' cain't stay dere. Nail him up on de do', say yo can't stay dere. (Well, I would see them if they did that, wouldn't I?) No, dey fix so yo' couldn't see, yo' wouldn't know it wuz dere. Ovah de do' or on de do', ah disremembah.
Entry 9878
[This belief contains 2 parts, as the separate references indicate.]
Git dat green frog. Yo' ketch 'im out de swamps. Hang 'im up by his laigs until he dies. Let 'im hang right on dere until he dry up in good fashion, an' den yo'll pulverize 'im dat way. An' if yo' jis' wanta come in dis house, yo' don' have tuh do nuthin but put it on [in] a li'l' quill, yo' know, a li'l' pipe stem an' whuff [infor- mant blows]. De do' open an' yo' come on in an' do whut chew wanta do an' go on back out an' close de do'. But chew must have dat thing whut ah tell yo' 'bout on yore thumb so nobody can't see yo'. Yo' kin jis' go in anybody's do' yo' wanta go in in de night an' nobody can't keep yo' from goin' in dere. Yo' jis' - hit'll unlock.
(What do you blow that dust on?)
Blow it right through de keyhole an' yo' hear it [the lock] clack-clack. Yo' walk right on in an' do whut chew wanta do an' come on back an' close de do' an' go on 'bout chure business. But chew must git a green one. [Brunswick, Ga.,
(1223), 2079:6.]
[Here is what informant had previously told me about dat thing...on yore thumb so nobody can't see yo']: If yo' jis' [want to] pass by a crowd in de street or anywhere, git chew a real black cat dat ain't got no spots about 'im an' cut his ear off, an' boil it in a black cow's milk - jis' a li'l bit chew know - an' make a stole [a stall = covering or sheath for finger or thumb] lak yo' fingah stab an' put it on yore thumb. An' when yo' gits ready tuh go by dat crowd, slip dat ovah yore thumb an' nobody see yo' when yo' pass. [Several examples of this stole or stab from a black cat's ear are given elsewhere. I described this informant in note as a small-time R.D. = root doctor.] [Brunswick, Ga., (1223), 2076:2.]
Entry 10014
De way dey git de black cats lucky bone, kill de cat alive an' put 'im in a pot befo' he dies thoroughly dead - in a pota boilin' hot watah. All right. Let 'im boil till all de meat come off 'is bones, an' po' all de meat an' bones all in de [stream of] watah. An' de bone dat go upstream, take dat. Dat's de lucky bone, de black cats lucky bone. [Presumably cat is knocked senseless be- fore being dropped into hot water.]
Entry 10015
Dey says ketch a black cat wit not a white spot on 'is body an'- dat's a perfectly thing [cat is totally black]. An' says, put 'im in a pot live an' boil 'im live till all de meat come off 'is bones. An' he take dat bone, all dem bones tuh a runnin' stream of watah, an' de bone dat sink yo' git it. An' say he could do anythin'.
(The bone that sinks. What will the other bones do?)
Float on top.
(The bone that sinks you take?)
Yes sir.
Entry 10016
[In the preceding rites we are not told where the person boiling the cat finds his water. Since one cat is boiled in the woods, we must assume that water was near in a running stream, or a not too distant well, which is running water. Similarly another cat apparently, though not neces- sarily, was boiled near running water. We now come to what originally was prob- ably a fundamental requirement]: In boiling black cat you must use water from a rnning stream and throw the bones back into the same stream. [Wilmington, N. Car., resumé, 133: l+85.] [This rule is maintained in some of the following rites in which the black cat must be boiled on the bank of a running stream.]
Entry 10018
Well, ah hear'd dat dey take dis black cat - ketches a black cat wit not a white streak on 'im any place. An' dey takes 'im an' puts 'im on - starts 'im off tuh boil. An' when yo' git chure watah boilin', jis' drop dis live cat in de watah. An' den when yo' drop dis live cat in de watah, den yo' lets it boil all tuh pieces. Yo' take it tuh a swift stream, tuh a stream dat is runnin' swift, an' yo' po's it in dere. An' den de bone dat goes up de stream, yo' git dat bone. An' den dey say yo' kin go do anythin' dat chew wanta do.
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 10022
If yo' wanta hurt 'em without - yo' don' wanta hurt 'em. Ah tell yo' whut ah've experienced. Yo' take dat black cat an' yo' kill 'im an' yo' boil dat cat. An' when yo' boil 'im yo' git de bone. Yo' gotta git de right bone, but if yo' ain't nevah experienced it, gittin' de bone, yo' don' know which one tuh git. So, ah've done had dis one fo' li'le bettah den foah yeahs. Well, people mightn't know which one tuh git or not. An' ah keeps it in mah pocket, jis' as ah wuz tellin' yo' an' ah has it all de time fo' foah yeahg an' nevah seen a bum day: [Did he have the bone with him? Strange I do not ask about it. Unfortunately machine was turned off here and any comments were missed.] Yo' reach down, when yo' boil dis cat. Yo' wait till it gits cold an' yo' reach down dere an' yo' git de right bone. Yo' don' know if yo' gittin' de right one if yo' ain't nevah seen it befo'. Some people might tell yo' sompin 'bout a glass [mirror] or sompin yo' look it in [in it] an' disappeah. Well. dey doa kaow dat, but if yo' ain't nevah seen de bone, yo' won't know whut chew gittin'. So ah seed it befo' an' ah knowed whut ah wuz gittin'. So it took me a whole day tuh git dis bone.
Entry 10023
Dey say take de black cat an' kill 'im, an' boil 'im an' wake ot all de bones, an' whatevah bone is de lucky bone, why yo' throw 'en all in see watah, runnin' watah, an' all of 'em 'ill sink tuh de bottom but de locy bone will stay on top. Dey said yo' kin take dat bone an' open any kinda do'.
Entry 10024
Dey take dat black cat an' dey kills dis black cat an' boil 'im down, an' one'll sit an' suck dose bones. Jis' suck dose bones until dey begin tuh cain't see. When dey cain't see, den dey'll know it wuz de right bone. Den dey git up an' go on do dere work.
Entry 10030
Dey tell me it's very lucky, it's de luckiest bone in de world. Ah tried it one time but ah jis' didn't have de ingredients. Yo' take a black cat an' have boilin' hot watah, an' have a cat wit not a white hair on 'im. When dat watah git tuh boilin' good, yo' grab dat cat in a sack or somepin an' throw 'im in dere an' put de top.on 'im. An' he'll boil an' he'll boil all tuh pieces. An' de bone whut chew want'll float an' de rest'll sink, but chew use dat wit lodestone. But now ah nevah did git de full ingredient but ah did cook de black cat an' got de bone. Dat bone shore will rise. Ah know dat. (It didn't work.)
Entry 10032
Yo' take de black cat an' yo' take 'im down by de run- nin' watah. An' yo' boil 'im until all de meat come off 'is bones. Den yo' take all de bones an' dump it into de watah, an' de bone dat swims - dat comes up an' swim down de stream wit de watah - why dat's de bone dey gits.
Entry 10035
It's awful [dreadful] tuh say so, but chew kin take a black cat. Ah've seen a fellah dat did try dat. Ah had a brothah dat tried it. Put it in de watah an' boil it an' take de bone out, see. Take all de bones. Boil it till it's boiled all tuh pieces, see. An' den aftah it's boiled all tuh pieces - don't go in de home of no one, boil it out [outdoors]. An' let all de meat fall from de bones, an' take it an' carry it tuh a branch - a creek, a small creek ~ an' put it in dere. An' de bone dat go backwards, yo' kin take dat bone. An' den yo' [can] go an' steal an' all lak dat [probably because you can make yourself invisible].
Entry 10040
De way ah've heard it, yo' ketch chew a black cat. It must be black cat an' when yo' ketch dat cat, yo' take it to de fo'ks of de road at twelve a'clock. Have yore watah hot. Don't kill 'im. Dive 'im in dat pot of hot watah an' shet it up, an' let 'im cook till hit cook de meat off 'is bones. Den yo' take all dose bones an' taken 'em down tuh de runnin' stream, de stream goin' dis way [demonstrates]. Dat's down, backwards is upwards. An' yo' po' dem bones intuh dat runnin' stream one at de time. An' de bone dat goes back up de stream, dat's de lucky bone an' yo' git dat.
(What do you do with that bone?)
Well, dey tell me yo' kin take dat bone an' tote it in yore pocket an' it brings good luck in love affairs, gamblin' an' sech lak as dat.
[While machine turned off informant says something about disappearing.]
(Use that same bone you say?)
Yes sir, yo' put it in yore mouth an' it makes yo' invisible, people can't see yo'.
Entry 10044
All right, if yo' wan's tuh be a man dat chew kin do anythin' dat chew want, yo' git chew a black cat an' yo' boil 'im. Go down tuh a crossroad at twelve a'clock at night an' yo' boils 'em. An' when yo' boil dis cat yo' see evahthin' all aroun' dere, maybe yuh coffin, or yo' may see all kinda spooks. Go down tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' throw dese bones in it. Well, all dose bones dat no good, dey go downstream, but de bone, dat lucky bone, it comes up- stream. Yo' take dat bone an' put it in yuh pocket, an' yo' kin do anythin' wit dat bone dat chew want.
Entry 10045
Well, jis' lak yo' wanta be a rootworkah or somepin lak dat, yo' go in de fo'k of de road an' yo' take a black cat [with you]. An' ketch 'im alive an' boil 'im. Boil 'im live an' take 'im an' take de bone whut run upstream. Take dat bone an' take it an' stand in de fo'k of de road till twelve of midnight at night. An' whatsomevah happen, dey say it will come tuh yuh dat night, an' de devil will tell yo' whut tuh do wit it.
(Tell you how to do the rootwork?)
Yessuh. (After you get this black cat bone, you take it out to the fork of the road and stand there until twelve o'clock at night?) Yessuh, an' if yo' kin stand evahthing whut come about, yo'll be a good one.
Entry 10047
Take a black cat - ketch 'im an' put 'im in a pot'a boilin' watah alive, an' den let 'im stay in dat pot'a boilin' watah until he dies. Den take him down tuh a stream of runnin' watah an' cos [of course] quite natchal he'll be's intuh bone [bones will be separated from flesh] an' dere'll be a bone dat'll stay on top'a de water. An' yo' take dat bone an' take it an' keep it in yuh pocket. An' den yo' gone a week from dat, dat day dat chew did dis [= 7 days later] go down tuh de fo'ks of de road an' sell yuhself tuh de devil. An' yuh be able tuh do anythin' yuh want tuh do. (What do you do down at the forks of the road? [Pause.] Do you know? [I am not making myself clear.] When you go down with that bone in your pocket, is there anything that you do at the forks of the road?) Well, yuh jes' - yo' hold it [bone] in yuh lef' han', an' dat de time yuh sellin' yuhself tuh de devil.
Entry 10048
People do dat when dey sell dereself tuh de devil. Dey go out dere 'tween de fo'ks of de road. An' dey kills a black cat, yo' know, an' take a certain bone in 'im, an' dey take dat bone an' go out tuh de fo'ks of de road. An' when dey git tuh de fo'ks of de road, dey have sold deyself tuh de devil. He will come down [one of the roads]. Dat's why dey doin' dat, dat's de correct thing [to sell yourself to the devil]. People do dat, yo' know, who is notorious. It's not fo' good people tuh do dat.
Entry 10052
(You what?)
Goes tuh de fo'ks of de road an' learn how tuh play music, an' dey will play right dere. Take a black cet bone, ah believe it is, an' as dey play an' as dey talk, dey draw it across dem, yo' know, until dey find dat main bone. Den dey fin' dat main bone an' ah think it's - dey'll heah a roostah crow. An' den dey 'ave sold dereself tuh de devil.
(I see.)
An' den dey kin play music jis' as good as a pursun dat's been playin' all de time. (What do they do to the cat first, before they pull all those bones through their mouth?) Well, yo' see, dey boils de ket. (And then they take each bottle while they are playing and put it through their mouth?) [This was inferred from informant's dey draw it across dem.] Yes, sir, put 'em through dere mouth.
(And when the right bone appears, a rooster will crow?)
A roostah 'ill crow.
(I see. And they have sold themselves to the devil?)
Yes sir.
(I see.) [For rooster see also 10066.]
Entry 10053
After killing black cat and sucking bone, go to three- pronged road 7 mornings before day, you will meet devil. Luck for seven years..[Deal Island, Md., resumé, 19:3.]
Entry 10054
Go to a three-forked road at night, on the 9th night kill [boil] a black cat there. While sucking the bones the devil will appear and "give you all the tricks you want."
[Norfolk, Va., resume, 448:8.]
Entry 10055
Ketch a black cat an', yo' know, put 'im in a hot pot of watah, see. An' dey say de lucky bone'll rise, yo' know, tuh de top of de watah. Dey take dis [bone] an' go tuh de forks of de road nine mawnin's. Say yo' go dere tuh meet de devil. An' say, if yo' go, yo' know, in any place [to rob it or where you could meet trouble] an' long as yo' keep dis bone wit 'im [you], yo' know, nuthin wouldn't hahm [harm] 'im [you].
Entry 10056
Dey git a black cat an' care 'im tuh de fo'ks uh de road fuh nine mawnin's about six a'clock. An' dey come back home an' bile dat cat. An' dey says den dey kin do mos' anythin' dey want. Dey bile dat cat an put 'im a - take all de bones, yuh know, aftah dey boil de cat, an' care it down tuh a creek am trow all de bones ovahbo'd. Well, all de mos' a dem bones'll go tuh de botto. save de bone w'ut float. Dey say dat be de lucky bone.
Entry 10058
Take a black cat an' throw it in a pot of hot watah... [I turn off machine here be- cause rite did not appear to be promising. This was a frequent habit of mine to save time and cylinder space. Once more I shall stop machine before letting it continue to the end. My questions show what had been omitted.]
(After they boil this black cat what do they do?)
Take 'is bones, all de bones an' carry it down tuh de...
[I stop machine and then begin again.]
(After they get this bone that goes up the stream, then what do they do?)
Dey take it an' goes tuh de fo'ks of de road fo' nine mawnin's an' pray tuh de Lord an' say dey sell deyself tuh de devil. An' den dey kin do anythin' dey wan'a do an' can't nobody hahm 'em.
Entry 10060
Ah hear'd if a man wanted any luck, wanted tuh learn how tuh be a ex- pert or a musician, or if he wanted tuh be a expert gamblah or what not, dey goes out tuh dat crossroads fo' nine mawnin's. An' de ninth mawnin' when he go out there - but befo' he go out dere, he goes den an' he git 'im a black cat. Ah bettah [begin again] so yo' kin undahstan' it good. Befo' he goes tuh de crossroads dat nine mawnin's, he goes de firs' mawnin' an' he git 'im a black cat. An' he takes dat black cat an' he cares 'im out dere wit 'im tuh de crossroad nine mawnin's. An' when he cares 'im dere nine mawnin's, de ninth mawnin' when he git dere, dey says dat de devil 'imself meets 'im dere. An' dey says he'll tell 'im anything dat chew wan'a do or anything yo' wan'a know. Says, he'll give me anythin' between de sole of yuh haid an' de crown of yuh feet. [With a mixup like this between sole [soul] and crown, devil still must have been working.] He says, "It shall be granted tuh yo'." An' so when- evah he do dat, he takes dis black cat, which he's got alive, an' he gits 'im a pot.
(After he has gone there nine mornings, he takes the cat and gets this pot?)
Yessuh. An' when he gits dis pot, den he goes den tuh a stream of watah dat's runnin'. He makes 'im a fiah on de hill right up above de watah. An' when he makes dis fiah an' git dat watah boilin', he throws dat black cat in de pot alive an' lets dis cat cook alive. An' when de cat cooks until all de flesh has come off de bone, he takes de carcass of dat cat an' throw it in de runnin' watah. An' all de bones an' all de ones dat goes down de stream, he let 'em alone. He takes de - an' de bone dat runs up de stream, dat goes back up de stream de object [opposite] way, why he takes dat bone den an' he totes dat in 'is lef'-breas' pocket. An' when he tote it in 'is lef'-breas' pocket why anythin' he desires den, he'll git dat.
Entry 10061
Ah hear'd of people takin' a black cat an' boil 'em in a pot of hot boilin' watah alive an' den take 'im out. Take his bones out, all 'is bones, an' carry 'em tuh a stream of watah. An' throw 'em in dat stream of watah an' de one whut go upstream, take it out, an' de rest of 'em'ill go downstream. Let 'em go 'bead. An' de one dat go upstrea yo' take dat out an' put it in yore pocket. An' go tuh de fo'ks of de road evah Sunday mawnin' fo' nine Sopday mawnin's, an' de ninth mawnin' yo'll meet de devil dere. An' if yo' don' y My Duthin tuh 'im, he won' say nuthin tuh yo'. An' yo' turn rou' a'cone on back. An' yo' kin go down heah tuh de National Bank, any bank yo' want tuh - so ah've hear'd - an' take anythin' out. De law won't bothah yo'. Yo' disappeah. Yo' kin 'tempt [attempt] de cashier, yo' kin 'tempt de dogs, anythin' yo' wanta 'tempt.
Entry 10062
Whut chew call gittin' de black cat bone. Yo' take him intuh de fo'k of de road. Yo' take 'im out tuh de fo'ks of de road an' make a fiah, an' a pot, an' boil it. An' den yo' would take all dese bones, when it boil all tuh pieces, tuh a runnin' stream. An' yo' would put all dose bones in de stream an' de one dat floats up de stream, dat's de one tuh git. An' aftah dat dey'll go back tuh de fo'ks of de road nine nights. Go back evah night fer nine nights an' talk wit de devil. Yo' go dere an' meet de devil dere. An' den aftah dey do dat fer nine nights, dey is through. Dey kin do any- thin' dey wanta do.
(Well, what time do they go out there at night?)
Roun' nine 'clock.
Entry 10069
Kill a black cat an' take him away out in de graveyard, build a fire an' stew him down an' git 'is bones - out de lef' hind laig. An' wrap dat up an dat's what de' call de black cat bone. An' dat makes yuh husban' or yuh boy friend - jis', he's right wit chah. Nobody kin git 'im. [Evidently a woman must manage this rite, though I never heard of a woman attempting the ordeal. In theory the person who wants a black cat bone must obtain it himself, but I am certain a hoodoo person or shop could arrange the business.]
Entry 10070
You take a black cat and you kill it and pass with it through the graveyard.
(You pass it through the graveyard?)
Through the graveyard.
(How do you do that?)
Just like you go by a graveyard, when you'd have it; see, you is passing through the graveyard when you is going to a place for a job, and you pass it [cat] through there [graveyard] when you go there [for job]. And just like you got to go up to the office, right at his office, and you'd have some of that blood in a piece of paper, which you may call a little can. [The dead cat is not carried into office.] Well, you drop that blood on the [office] floor and you bury that cat right at his steps [steps of his house] overnight, what you may call "overnight" [is] at midnight. He'd be looking for you to give you a job.
(Just through that cat.)
[Informant having told story before recording began, I now start questions to check veracity. He is marked "ng" but here his tale held together.] (Now, what do you do? You take and catch [I am unknowingly using informant's ands] a black cat, don't you?) Yes, you ain't got to have no white one or brown one.
(Then you kill it. Then you carry him to the graveyard?)
Yes.
(Then you go and bury this cat under the boss's steps?)
Under his steps.
(That's all you have to do?)
That's all you have to do to him.
(To get a job?)
Yes, you get a job. (I thought you said something about cutting the hair off the cat's tail for something?) You cut the end, the end of his tail off - just like you see, the little tip end of his tail?
(Yes.)
Well, you would cut that off, and you would keep that with you.
(Oh! You keep that part.)
Keep that part with you. And the other, you bury it like that.
(I see, at the bottom of the step.)
At his step, and nobody can knock you from getting a job.
Entry 10071
Yo' [some enemy] kin take yore track an' a black cat's bone an' bury it in de cemetery, an' in about nine or ten days - about a week latah - yo'll suffer. Yo' will have dis same cat, of yore own, in- side of yo', if yo' don't try to git shet of 'em.
Entry 10073
Ah heard dey take a black cat bone, aftah dey done kill de black cat, an' take it an' put it in dere mouth. Pass it dere a couple of times. an' den set [itl back in dere pocket an' go in tuh win.
(That is for luck in gambling?)
Yeah.
Entry 10074
They says yo' kin go to a four-fork road - you've seen them - for nine mornings after you suck this black cat's bone. Suck the morrow [marrow] of it, then you be lucky and do whatever you want to do. [The marrow is swallowed. You evidently visit the crossroad to receive the devil's left-handed bless- ing.] [Deal Island, Md., (109), 25: l. This cylinder reference was also given for margin title POWER FROM BROTHER'S SKULL, v.1, p.283, informant's number here, a day later, being 125. Numbers of cylinders and informants were for collector's conveience only.]
Entry 10075
I heard yeh had to kill a black cat. A certain bone yeh had to git. I think the story went yeh had to suck that bone. And then you had to go to a three-prong road, a crossroad - [dem- onstrates] a prong this way, and a prong that way, and a prong this way - seven mornings before day, and yeh supposed tuh meet the devil there. That's people that is trying to git Over for to do anything they want to do. And he [devil] was supposed to meet yeh at a certain time. And yeh meet sompin other dere dat was supposed tuh be the devil himself. And he was to set jeh free [to do anything]. And then you could do anything, have any kind of luck you wanted for seven years.
Entry 10076
Yo' put chew a pot of watah on an' boil it. An' ketch a black cat, a all-black cat, an' put 'im in de pot of boilin' watah an' put 'im in dere 'live. Boil 'im until - boil 'im tuh pieces. An' de lucky bone will come on top. An' dis bone dat come on top, yo' take dis bone out an' suck de bone [suck out marrow?] an' den lay it up an' let it dry. An' carry it in yore pocket an' yo'll be lucky enough tuh git anythin' yo' want or do anythin' yo' wanta do. Yo' kin even disappeah.
(Why did you suck it?)
Jis' suck de bone aftah it comes tuh de top. De only way yuh'll know dat bone, yo' see, aftah de cat boils, de meat boils off de cat an' dis bone will come to de top, an' all de resta de cat'll go tuh de bottom.
(You don't suck it at any particular place?)
No, yo' jis' put it in yuh mouth an' suck it. An' aftah yo' suck it, den yo' lay it out on anythin' an' let it dry out.
Entry 10077
Yo' git a black cat without any white spots an' take dat cat an' a pot - ketches dat cat an' puts 'im in a pot of hot boilin' watah an' boils dat cat. An' yo' boils him until all de meat comes offa his bones. Den yo' takes dat cat out of de pot an' yo' goes tuh a runnin' stream of watah - jis' let it be a li'le small stream - an' yo' suck each one of de bones [on bank of stream] until yo' come tuh de bone. An' throws 'em all [into stream] until yo' come tuh de one dat goes up de stream. An' de one dat goes up de stream dat's de lucky one if yo' kin git it. An' yo' takes dat an' keeps dat one.
Entry 10082
[I heard of] people using a cat.
(All right, how do they use that?)
Well, yo' git a real black cat. Dat's now in regard if yo' wants tuh hurt someone, yo' undahstan'. Ah've heard yuh git a real black cat, an' yo' heat yuh some watah. Yo' git de watah real hot an' yo' put de cat in dere alive. Yo' put a lid on topa de pot an' jis' drop de cat in dere alive. An' aftah he's in dere alive, let 'im boil 'til evah bone in 'im - 'til it come all off de meat, therly [thoroughly] done. An' aftah yo' boil 'im therly done, den yo' take 'im out an' yo' suck evah bone in de cat 'til yo' git tuh de right bone. Whenevah yo' git tuh de right bone, it'll cuz yuh [to disappear] by yo' cannot see yuhself - yo' can't see yuhself in a mirrah. Yo' kin look in a mirrah an' yo' fail tuh see yuhself.
(Then what do you do?)
Well, yo've got de right bone, an' yo' kin do mos' anything den yo' wants tuh. Yo'll accomplish mos' anything yo' want tuh accomplish.
Entry 10088
You get a real black cat, jet black, and throw him in a pot of hot water and let him stay there until the bones all come to pieces. You take all the bones out then and put them in your mouth, one at a time, and when you strike that bone, the lucky bone, you'll become blind. Then you have struck the right bone. You carry that for luck. [This is a tricky rite! After I draw each bone through my lips and still see, what happens then? Are some black cats without lucky bones? Am I supposed to continue in rotation or haphazardly redrawing the bones through my lips ad infinitum? Is this merely a folk trick? A practical joke?] [Hampton, Va., Old Point Comfort, Ediphone cyl.30.]
Entry 10089
De black cat bone, ah've always heard dat wus good. Ketch a black cat about midnight in de night an' throw 'im in a hot pot of boilin' watah. An' yo' git befo' a mirrah an' yo' be- gin fittin' de bones 'cross yore mouth whilst lookin' in de mirrah; an' when yo' git tuh de right bone, den yo' vanish - yo' cain't see yo'self in de mirrah. Dat's de way ah've heard it.
Entry 10091
That fer stealin' also. Yo' take a black cat with notta white spot on it. Yo' understand what I mean. Yo' take this black cat an' yo' have a hot boilin' pot of water. Yo' put this black cat in there. Cover him up, and let him cook all to pieces. After he cooks all to pieces, then you take him out and pour that water off of it. Dash them bones in some cold water and take a looking glass, and put that stuff before this looking glass. And take ev'y bone and pass it between yore teeth and look in this glass. An' the bone that yo' pass between your teeth and yo' can't see yourself in this glass, that's the right bone. Yo' can tote that bone and do anything you wanta.
Entry 10092
Dey ketch a black cat with not a spot on 'im an' put it in a pot, put 'im in a pot 'live an' boil 'im till all de meat, yo' know, drop off de bones. An' den dey go to a runnin' stream, a swift runnin' stream of water, an' dey say dey chunk dem - pitch dose bones [into the Water]. An' dey say de one, yo' know, dat comes back down de stream - not go up it - de one dat come back down de stream, turns an'. comes back down de stream or runs back against de water, say dat's de one. Yo' kin put it in yuh mouth an' yo' disappears. Say yo' kin go
[unseen] into banks [and rob them].
Entry 10093
Put a black cat in boiling water while he is alive and keep him there, and when the meat comes off, you take the bones and stand before a mirror. And put them bones through your lips, yes, one at a time, and when you can't see your- self in the mirror, that is the right one, the black cat lucky bone. All black cats have it. If you are gambling or anything and losing and want to leave, if you run a black cat lucky bone through your lips, suck it, out you go and they can't see you.
Entry 10096
I heard one fellow tell that too. As near as I can recall what he said. You take a black cat at twelve o'clock at night, boil the cat in hot Water until the flesh is boiled away from the bones. The first bone that floats up to the top of the water, you say certain words - I don't remember the words. You tie a string to the bone and keep the bone in your outh a certain length of time. Then tie that string around your neck with the bone hanging to it. That puts the person in the power of what they call...in ocher words he sells himself to the devil. He can work wonderful miracles. Be can do anything he wishes. It gives luck in gambling, too. [Fredericksburg, Ta., by Ediphone,62.]
Entry 10099
Dat black cat by de watah's got tuh be at twelve 'clock at night. An' if dey ain't good, dey can't stay dere. Cain't stay dere. Ain't no way fer yuh tuh stay dere. Yuh take dat black cat bone. Yuh take dat black cat an' yuh boil all de meat off 'is bone. Dey says yuh goes tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' put dat cat bones in dat place an' do dat business. Well, ah believe dat's a mistake. Dat's mah belief. But chew take dat black cat bone an' yo' boil dat black cat down, an' when all de meat fall off de bone, yo' take dat black cat up [from the pot] an' yo' wash dem bones off wit cleah watah. Aftah yuh wash dem bones off in cleah watah, yuh take evah bone, evah bone dat Was in de cat, an' put 'em in yore mouth. An' de right bone is goin' tuh turn yuh blind as a bat. Dat's de bone.
(That's the bone you use.)
Entry 10100
Now, dis is not mah personal experience. Dey take a black cat down by a stream of runnin' watah an' a pot, piece of glass an' so forth. An' put de cat in dis pot full of watah. Aftah yo' build a fire an' de watah begin gittin' warm, put dis cat in dere an' have a top on it. Now, yo' must hol' dis cat in a certain way an' slip 'im in dis pot, an' git dat lid down befo he hollahs as yo' do dat. An' den let 'im boil den until he's thoroughly [done] an' de meat absolutely floatin' aroun' in de pot. Den yo' take dat glass an' look through it [it is a piece of glass and not a mirror] an' jis' take up each bone in dere an' bite it. Bite de meat offa it umntil yo' come tuh de right bone. An' yo' git dat bone an' de glass will dis- appeah from befo' yuh. Then yo' take...
(Then you get the right bone. How do you know it's the right bone?)
Well, at de disappearance of de glass. Den yo' take dat bone an' do certain articles wit it. Ah don' know jis' zac'ly what dat is. An' it will enable yo' tuh become in de knowledge of how tuh slip out of dere hide. [I turn off machine too soon.]
(Whom do you say does this? Do the witches do this?)
Yes, den dey become de witch when dey become so dat dey kin slip outa dere hide. An' yo' can't ketch 'em. Yo' know what ah mean.
(You can catch them?)
Yo' know what ah mean. Lak if he'd kill somebody out dere. He come in de store an' steal somepin or othah lak dat. Yo' can't run 'im down an' ketch 'im. So law kin ketch 'im. If dey ketch 'im an' put 'im in jail - dey locks 'im up in dere - an' den walk down de street an' he's standin' aside of 'im pattin' 'im an de shouldah. Walk along an' say "Hello' all dose kinda things. Now dat's vbat chew call tuh mah knowledge witchcraft.
Entry 10104
(When you boil this black cat, these bones fall apart?)
All a 'em fall off [the flesh].
(Which bone do you take?)
Take...izza [it's a] bone shape lak de wishbone in de chicken. Yo' call it de night bone. [As I have explained elsewhere, there is no black cat bone the shape of a chicken wishbone: "One informant said the black cat bone was 'made lak de breast of a chicken' (No.316, p.94), meaning the furculum or wishbone in front of but not a part of the chicken breast- bone. Similarly, another informant de- scribed black cat bone as 'gon'a have three forks [prongs or tines]...two long forks an' a little small fork' (No.299, p.88). I suggested this three-pronged fork could have been a 'devil's trident.' Actually the 'little small fork' could have been the hypocleidium - the end adhering to the winning half of the broken wishbone. Despite informants, wishbone appears only in most birds; it appears in black cats only by the grace of hoodoo merchants (Vol.1, No.1732, p.527, lines 15-23).]
[We now return to the preceding night-bone.]
(The ninth bone or the night?)
De night, n-i-g-h-t.
(The night bone?)
Yes, sir.
[It is called night bone because it makes you invisible.]
An' yo' keep dat in yuh pocket, an' wherevah yo' go de people don't [see you]. Yo' kin do anything dey want lak a majjint [magician].
(They can't see you?)
Dey can't see yuh.
Entry 10105
Well, you could take a cat - some people say a black cat, but it don't have to be a black cat. Take any kinda cat. Understand? Take this cat. You put you on some water - a big pot of water - boils it up good. When that water gets to boiling good, get you a can of lye. You empty about half of it in that water, as it boils, you see. You takes this cat and tie all four of his feet togeth- er like that, see [demon- strates]. Tie all four of his feet together, but don't kill him - let him be alive. You takes him - but you'll have to have a top over him, you understand. You takes him and you slams him down in that water while it's boilin', see. Set your top down good so he can't get out. You let him boil in there awhile. Well, it's natchal that lye is going to cut all the meat off the bones, you see. As soon as you've boiled all them bones clean and everything, it's a certain bone that you get. It comes from right under here [demonstrates].
(Right from the throat?)
Right under the throat chere.
(Right under the throat.)
It's a forked bone and it's got a piece cross it like that [demonstrates]. Lays jest like that right under his throat chere. You gits that bone out.
(Like the yoke of an ox, like a wishbone?)
Yes, sir. Yes, sir, it is. [A chicken-wishbone shape in a cat is impossi- ble.] You gets that bone out. After you take that bone out, you get you some salt.] Put it in some water. You soak that bone in there for nine mornings - about an hour every morning. That salt water will harden it. See. Then it will petrify, so it won't spoil. [This is curing the bone as you would a ham.] After you soaks it in that, then you take it and you lay it in the rays of the sun, for three mornings. Let the sun dry it, petrify it. After then, take you a piece of white silk linen [silk or linen?] and you sew it up in that, and wear that bone on you.
(What will that do then?)
Well, you'll be invisible then - can't see you.
Entry 10106
Take de black cat an' git one of 'is eyes, his lef' eye, an' take it an' boil it an' yo' git dat bead. Yo' know it's a li'le white hard bead in it, dat's whut dey sight is. Yo' take dat an' mix it up wit - put some lodestone in it an' put some lucky oil, an' take dat an' weah it. (What do you wear that for?) Dat's fo' tuh keep any luck, a job or anythin' yuh wanta keep. Dat's fo' tuh be successful in mos' anythin' yo' want. [For eye of black cat and its hardness, see No.10046.]
Entry 10112
They claim you go into a graveyard about midnight. The first black cat that crosses in the graveyard, you ketch it and kill it and get the main bone. The main bone will be a knuckle bone called the black cat wishbone. [All black cat bones are wishbones but they never look like a chicken wishbone - see No.10104, p.3939.] [Fredericks- burg, Va., Ediphone cyl.47.
Entry 10113
You get hold of a cat to do different things with. You can use a - take a cat, a black cat. You take a black cat and you kill the black cat. And you kill this black cat, you boil it. And you take a bone from him after you boil 'em. You boil 'em until every bit of the meat [here, having heard this much many times, I stopped recording. The words "round bone" restarted machine].
(You get that round bone, you say?)
Yes, sir. (Any kind of a - you mean a bone like the tip of your finger, or it's round that way?)
[Here I may have demonstrated a circle.]
Yes, sir.
(Then do you do anything with that bone?)
I'll cut four corners in it.
[Informant must have gone through motions of filing.]
(Then you file those?)
I'd file the sides, make it good and round. I don't want no rough edges, no corners on it at all. (Oh, I see, you round each end of that round bone?) Yes, sir. (I see.) Then I... [pauses]. (Then what do you do?) Then I'm going to cut it. You see, I cut it [demon- strates] thisaway; cut it like that, and then disaway. (Make four notches in it?) Four notches on each end. Now, when I get them four notches in this bone, I take - well, I get me a piece of silk thread. See, I get silk thread and I'm going to wrap that bone thisaway nine times into them notches. (Now, this bone is like the little stick that you wrap your fishing cord around?) Yes, sir.
(You have the notches - the notches don't run round the [thickness of the]
bone, but it [the notch] goes out to the end [the length] of the bone.) My notches come on the end, you see, and my notches set like this [demon- strates]. See, I got four notches on each end.
(I see, go ahead.)
See, the notches cut in the bone cross the two ends thisaway, see [demon- strates]. Well, I'm using this bone different. I'm going to wrap this bone thisaway [demonstrates]. (You only have two notches in that bone, in the end of that round - it's like a cross [+] on each end of the bone?) Yes, sir.
(0r like grooves, one groove across the other one.)
Yes, sir. They cross.
(That makes four grooves?)
Yeah, four grooves.
(All right.)
Well, I'll take and use silk thread; see, blue or pink. I take and I cross it this way for nine times. I wrap it for nine times thataway and then I come back nine times thisaway. I gets me [I interrupt to annote]. (You wrap the thread nine times around one of those notches at each end and you turn around like that and wrap it nine times through the other notches in the opposite end?) You see, I'm wrapping it by the straight...
(I understand that.)
Jest come down straight thisaway, not thisaway.
(I understand.)
Thisaway. And I get me - after I wrap it around that bone, I get the thread around the bone thataway, I go and I get me some of this war powder. I'll get me war powder and with this powder that I'll scrape off of this bone, I'm going to mix that together, see. I lay this bone into a piece of silk paper.
(What kind of paper?)
Silk.
(Silk paper.)
Silk paper, see. And I lay that bone in there and I gets me one of these small candles. Small candles. You know them little bit of yellow candles. They are about three for a nickel.
(How high are they?)
They little bit of candles about this [high].
(Oh, just small candles. All right.)
Little small candles, about little bit bigger than a match stick. They about that long. Get you one of those - three, I mean. And I'm going to lay two - one on each side of this thing - this bone, you see. But I'm going to lay it in a Way, I'm going to put it in a frame-like, but it ain't going to burn, and I'm going to light them candles. Light all three of them, but I'm going to light two here and I'm going to light one on the top.
(You have these candles in a triangular form, and the bone's inside the form?)
In the center. I lights those and now when I lights these, I let 'em burn. I light 'em at twelve o'clock in the day. Every day for twelve o'clock - no more, no less. I light 'em at twelve an' let 'em burn 'till about twelve-thirty, see. Twelve- thirty, if the work ain't done, I put 'em out, an' the next day I light 'em at twelve-thirty. And then for about three or six days, whatsomever I'm after, it's got to come in the six days. In the sixth day I get whatsomever I'm after. (Here's your - now, let me talk. Here's your cat bone - it's round like that. [I should have given description!] You file off both ends and you make the both ends round. Then you make a groove, you put a cross on top of the groove. At each end make a groove. Then you wrap the thread nine times around this way and nine times around that way - just like you wrap fishing tackle.) That's right.
(All right.)
Entry 10114
Ah have heard dat yo' kin take - ah had a fellah tell me, he wuzn't goin' do it, but ah have known fellahs dat have done it. Yo' undahstan'. If yo' wants tuh be lucky in yuh life, jis' take yuh a black cat an' take 'im, carry 'im down to a rivah or any runnin' watah, yo' undahstan', an' take 'im an' hold 'im down in de pot. Hold 'im down in de pot until he die. An' take him an' hold 'im down tuh de bottom of de pot until he hollah 'fore he die. Turn 'im loose den - turn de pot loose, de lid on de pot loose. An' 'is body den will rise up, his body will be bobbin'. "Cos [of course] though, by an' by de things will be comin'. All kinds of things be comin' up dere; de devils an' cows an' hogs an' all kinda things lak dat will come up, see. But yo' jis' don't bothah. Let 'em go right on until yo' bile [boil] dis black cat up, yo' undahstand. An' when yo' bile 'in good, yo' take den de bones outa dere - de laig bones. An' take 'en tuh runnin' watah an' any bone dat go down stream, don' chew bothah wit it; but de bone whut [you] take, turn roun' an' roun'. All de rest of 'em no good dat go an down, but de bone whut chew want will turn roun' an' roun'. Well, yo' take dat bone, dat black cat bone. An' take it den an' tie it up in a piece of - black piece of cloth. When yo' gits de bone, tie it [in] black, den yo' tie it red. Git dat an' tote it in yuh pocket. An' dey tell me yo'll nevah have ooh vorry any mo' about livin'. Dat's whut ah know 'bout dat.
Entry 10115
First you catch the cat, kill it, then you take the bone out of the front right leg. Take this bone and let it dry and tie it around your leg, either leg, and wear it all the time. That'll bring you luck.
[Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 50.]
Entry 10116
There was a fellow who used to say - a long time ago a fellow was not so very lucky, and another man told him to go and git hisself a black cat bone. He told him to go over into the graveyard and find whatsoever he could of a bone from a person, and then come back and git a black cat bone, and keep them in his pocket. He told him to git the fore right-hand arm of the black cat and keep it and the other bone in his pocket and his luck would change.
Entry 10117
After a black cat gets killed anywhere, you pick the cat up and cut the right hind leg. The're [there are] three bones in there like a rabbit [like leg of rabbit]. Then you get the mid- dle bone out of that, then dry it, polish that, and put it in his purse and put it in his hip pocket. He don't think anybody can bother him then at all.] He will go into a dice game and put this pocketbook down, there's nothing in it at all, no money, just this bone, and he will keep his hand on it, and he will win all the money in the game.
Entry 10118
Get a black cat, cut the right hind leg and get a bone out...and carry that around your neck, and there won't be any evil spirit harm you, and it will keep cunjures away. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 10119
Ah've had a fren' of mine - ah've seen dat. Ah've had a frien' of mine kill a cat, black cat. Jis' taken an' put 'im in de watah live - jis' put in de watah live an' let 'im cook all tuh pieces. But dat's de devil [devil's work]. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces an' put a lid ovah 'im, [keep] dat down. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces when he's live. He took dat cat, when he cook all tuh pieces, he took de right hin' laig of 'is bone den an' throw it in de watah. Hit'll run up [stream]. It shore do. Hit'll run up an' den come back, an' stop an' turn aroun' [and surely bows to you!]. Dat's de lucky bone. But chew don' fin' [find] dat done evah day.
(The right hind leg.)
Dat bone by de j'int [joint].
Entry 10120
Ah heard dat yo' kin kill a black cat an' git de right han' back laig, an' suck de marrah out 'is back laig, an' go tuh five fo'k of de road nine mawn- in's, an' yo' kin do anything yo' wanta do wit anybody. Yo' kin turn any kinda nachure [nature] yo' kin turn tricks, yo' kin do things.
(You go to five what?)
Five fo'k of a road - jis' a road runnin' dis way an' a road dat way, jis' five fo'k.
(Five roads coming together?)
Yes sir, jis' lak five points out chere; yo' know, de Timl bleville highway, dat's a five fo'k road, see. Well, yo' go down dere nine mavn- in's at nine a'clock. (You can do anything then?) Yes sir.
Entry 10122
(After you boil this cat you do what?)
Yo' take de cat aftah yo' boil 'im - see, yo' boil all de bones dat comin', comin', joinin' tuhgethah, an' dere's one pahtic'- lah [particular] bone in dere yuh gits out an' tote it in yuh hip pock- et. Dat's de hin' lef' laig of de black cat.
Entry 10125
They say you catch a black cat and boil him alive. And you take the bone from the left hind leg and wrap it in a piece of rag, and always carry it wherever you go. That makes you lucky in gambling always. If you do that you've sold yourself to the devil. [Petersburg, Va., first collecting visit there, Ediphone 34.1
Entry 10126
The way I heard of that, you get the lucky bone of a black cat. You get the bone out of his left hind leg. You have to kill him and skin him and get this out, and you wear that. [Fredericks- burg, Va., Ediphone 39.]
Entry 10127
Take a [black] cat and cut off its hind leg, either [one], and wear it in a bag for luck. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 60.]
Entry 10128
Yo' see, yo' have tub take a black cat an' boil 'im at twelve a'clock in de night an' take de bone, one li'l bone out 'is back hin' laig. Ordabxtm' me. An' yo' take an' cg dat Ob a li'l stream of watah dat goin' tuhwards de sundown an' jis' let it float an off in dat watah a li'l piece. Den yo' ketch dat an' tote dat iny pocket. Dat's luck. Dat's whut ah heah 'bout it.
(You get the bone of either back leg?)
Jis' eithah one de back laig, yo' know, long as yo' kin git a bone out dem.
Entry 10131
Ah hear'd 'em say dat dey take a black ket wit not a white spot about it anywhere. An' take it an' put it in a pot alive, an' b'il it till de meat falls offa de bones. [Bones not thrown into running water.] An' take dose bones an' dat Zi'le roun' cur'ous bone dat's in de ket, take it an' weah it in yore pocket. Keep it in dere wrapped up from all dirt an' evah- thin' an' dat wuz good luck tuh yuh, couldn't nobody harm yo' or do nuthin tuh yuh.
Entry 10133
Boil black cat, third joint from his tail bone will float to top, only bone that comes to top. [Richmond, Va., 386:3.]
Entry 10135
Take a bone, the dead man's bone, and take a black cat bone. That's tvo bones; a certain bone in the black cat, a certain bone in the dead man. And you'll be... (You use them together?) Yes, sir. (I see. All right.) Listen. Take a: certain bone of the dead man and certain bone of the black cat, tying them across [in the form of a cross], wearing them in your pocket. After wearing them in your pocket, you'll be a mystery man at least. You'll do things that it look impossible to do. For instance, I would walk in here - come in and walk on out and I wouldn't see yoo aad you wouldn't see me. But it's a certain bone.
(What bone is that?)
That's a certain bone of that black cat you have to take, you see. They got a bone in that cat - it come from the shoulder, from the left shoulder, that bone. You take that bone, and after taking that bone, to find out if you have the right bone, you takes a mirror, see, passing those bones that way [demonstrates passing che through mouth]. And long as you see yourself in the mirror thar isg't the right one. The moment you get the right one, you don't see yourself my nore. gell, that's supposed to be that bone that you kin absolutely disappear. You'll be coming in the street there and you don't disappear, but anyhow the party you hope don't see you, won't see you. When they do see you again, you'll be a dis- tance off.
(What bone do they take out of the body? Out of that person's body?)
Out of a person body? That bone they got right here, it's a small bone near to your spine.
(At the end of the spine?)
Yes, sir.
(Where you sit down on?)
Absolutely! [Some place else in HOODOO I have another example of the "inde- structible bone, " but I cannot recall where it is.] Take that bone and that black cat bone from the left shoulder and tying them acrosst. But the bone of the cat, to be sure that you have the right one, you have to use a mirror.
Entry 10136
They say you must shoot a cat going right, a black cat crossing your road going right. Shoot him dead and then get that main bone what's called the thigh bone or femor bone of a cat, the right leg, front. And then get the bone right back of the head, and one of the right-foot bones also. Three bones. And put them to- gether and wear them in a sack around the waist, and a person can do anything he Wants to do that's devilish and tricky.
Entry 10137
You kin sell yourself to the devil with the black cat by killing a black cat and taking the heart out before she die and swallah it.
Entry 10138
" They take the heart out of black cat, like when her husband is a drunkard. Well, they take that heart out of the black cat, which is not much more bigger than an oyster. Well, they will take that and put it in an oyster, you see, and - like some women they feeds their husbands ~ and the husband likes for the woman to feed them. Well, the first thing she will stick in his mouth is that black cat heart, and after: he eats that black cat's heart down, he will soon go out somewhere and some man will kill him, because it makes him very mis- chievious and makes him meddlesome. Perhaps if he is colored, he will go and meddle with some white gentleman and the white people will kill him. Well, that is what she give him that for, because he loses his conscience the minute he swallows that and he will go and get rough with anybody and meddle with anybody and that is why he gets killed and that is why [what] she perhaps will want. That is what she does that for, to bring his death.
Entry 10139
I have heard of the scalp of a black cat being used. They take that and sew it in a bag and keep it for luck. [Ocean City, Md., Ediphone 14.]
Entry 10140
They can get this hand by killing a black cat and boiling him. And after they had boiled the bones, they crush the bones up into a powder and sewed up in a bag.
Entry 10141
Dey go down an' take a black cat an' take an' boil 'im. Take him down side of a creek an' boil 'im. Boil 'im all tuh pieces an' take his bones out an' throw 'im intuh three streams of watah. (You throw these bones into three streams of water?) Yessuh, throw 'em in intuh three streams of watah an' de third bone dat come up tuh de top, an' yo' take dat third bone. Yo' take dat bone an' carry an' take it an' have it beat up, jes' groun' up lak yo' would shavin' somepin othah. Aftah dat, yo' take peppah an' take salt, an' yo' does dat way [sprinkles] ovah it fo' ten times. Den yo' take dat an' put it in a red flannel rag. Aftah yo' take dat red flannel rag an' put it [this mixture] in dat. den yo' take it an' tote it in yore Watch pocket al] de time. If yo' decide tuh gamble, yo' take it out chure watch pocket an' put it in de pocket where yo's money's in. Dat's lucky.
(That's lucky in gambling?)
Yes.
Entry 10142
Git dat same oil whut ah wuz speakin' of jis' a minute ago. Ah did nah fathah dat-a-way when he left [this part of the country]. Ah took dat same oil an' rubbed 'im wit it, an' he spent de night in mah sis- ter's home. He walked right on out de street, an' de sher- iff wuz lookin' fo' 'im. He nevah did come back. Went tuh Texas an' nevah come back.
[I now repeat what informant had said before recording began.]
(You took some of this oil that came from the black cat when you boiled it. [Most black-cat oil comes from hoodoo shop!] You had to rub some all over him. Then he had to stay some night, 13 hours in one night, at some place before he vent?) Yes sir. It wuz jis' rubbed on 'is face. Yo' can't track dat. [For black axt oil see also No.1121, p.417, v.1.]
Entry 10143
All right, you turn right around again, and you buy you - you buy you siack cat powder. And you take that and you put it in your hat, the band of your hat. You can walk by the law out there and he turn his back on you. And he be looking for you and you walk by him and he turn his back on you. You get out of the way. That's the Black cat powder. [For black cat powder, see also vol.1, No.327, p.96; and No. 1731, p.526. Back in the late 1930's black cat powder was usually a brand of alcum powder displaying the picture of a black cat on the container. A similar Sles picture will be found in margin title LYE: RED DEVIL AND RED SEAL, No.1377, p.459.]
Entry 10144
Black cat ashes [surely a preparation sald by a hoodoo dealer!], left hind foot of rabbit.9 claws from rabbit. 9 needle points, 9 pin points, all in red flannel bag, which is fed with Jocley Clob per fe. Wear when gambling.
Entry 10145
For a lucky hand boil black cat, throw bones in running water. The bone that come on top will turn around...an' spins." You must have it dressed by someone. [For example of bone being dressed by professional work- er, see No.308, p.92, v.l; there are other examples.] [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 119:9.]
Entry 10146
A root doctor wrapped up a black cat bone in cloth, put in sack with salt, put in pocket on right side, go to boss for job. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 109:2.]
Entry 10147
If dey fixin' to throw sompin down fer you to walk on, you can git you some dead cat bone an' bury it under your back step. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 185:5.]
Entry 10148
You kill a black cat, boil it, then dry the bones. Put it in a luck bag and carry it around your neck for good luck. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone cyl.45.]
Entry 10151
(This black cat lucky bone?) Yes. Yo' take some sugah an' some salt an' put it on dis bone, an' let dis bone soak in it fo' an hour. An' den yo' take it an' yo' take dis bone an' put it in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go anywheah yo' wanta, an' do anythin' yo' wanta wit dat, tuh anybody yo' wanta, an' dis bone won' let nuthin hurt chew.
Entry 10152
Hold it [a black cat bone] in your hand, in the palm of your hand - until it sweat, and just smooth it [bone surely, not palm of hand] over your face; and anything that you undertake to do, that you'd be successful with.
[Vicksburg, Miss., resumé, 989:8.]
Entry 10153
(Tell me that again. What did you hear?)
Ah hear'd yuh could take a black cat bone an' give someone a stroke.
(Give them a stroke?)
Yes.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Take de bone an' it's some kinda 'gredient, turpentine, dey mix in wit de bone. Says, if yo' git a chance tuh rub de person, dat part of dere body'll ache dem. Dere's a lady out in Kings now, she suffahs from a black cat bone.
(It gives them a stroke?)
Uh huh. She has a stroke from 'er body on down. (All they do is to rub that bone on a person?) Dat bone an' grease an' turpentine, pure lard. (Pure lard and turpentine?) Yes. (I see. How would you get that black cat bone? Where would you get that?)
Entry 10154
Wha' choo may call witchcraft...take a cat, a black cat, and boil him down to get a black cat bone. An' jis' apply that bone to a certain part, to your body or the affected part of your body, why that will cure you. That'll have the power to drive those witches out, to drive that conditions out of your body. That's what I was told years ago by some of the old relatives. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 174:1.]
Entry 10410
"'They tell me witches have those [a black cat lucky bone] wit 'em an yo' kin go right where yo' wan'a an' not be seen a heap of times." [Here we have hag, witch and owner of black cat lucky bone grouped together. There is not too much material telling us how a witch or hag changes shape or disappears.]
Entry 10856
Bury "blackcat ashes, " obtainable from a mail-order house in Memphis, Tenn., sprinkle where victim walks, saying "move, '' causes that person in mind to move. [All this was years ago. The label on the box did not read "Black Cat Ashes but "Ashes only - with the picture of a black cat on the box!] [Mobile, Ala., 882:2.]
Entry 10857
That I worked my ownself. I take - I worked it myself.
(Oh! All right. What do you do?)
I takes nine tacks. Listen, nine tacks, and then I would take me a [dead] black cat, and I would bury that cat underneath the steps. Understand? And after I bury that cat under- neath the steps, den anybody what live in dat house, they couldn't live in there, they would have to move; but you yourself that owned the place, even if you would ogve in there, you would have to go to work and take even that cat and dig it ap [Informant with one stroke of an imaginary shovel dig up imaginary cat and throws it away.]
(Throw it away, like that?)
Throw it away.
(Well, what do you do with those nine tacks?)
The nine tacks? If anybody move in, they would move in and move out.
(Well, where do you put those nine tacks?)
You put them at the front of the door.
(How do you mean, you tack them to the door?)
Nine - you make 'em crossed, that is, five one way and four the other. That would be nine, you see. (Under the door? Under... the steps or on the side of the steps?
[There they could not be seen.]
On the sill.
(I see, where you couldn't see them?)
Yassuh. Just when they coming inside there, put them on the sill like there - on the sill, there [points].
(I see. I understand.)
And quite naturally, when their feet would step there, why they couldn't see the tacks because the reason why, their feet would hit [rest] on the tacks and they couldn't see [them]. When they look down, they wouldn't see nothing but their feet.
Entry 10858
( Git de hairs from a black cat's neck, right back of de neck an' take a aig. Take a black hen's aig, hairs from a black cat's neck - dat's if yo' wanta draw a person - an' write dat per- son's name on dat aig. An' put dat hair in dere, wrop it up, an' bury it undah yo' do'steps, an' dat'll draw 'em.
(Do you put the hair on the inside of the egg or just on the outside?)
Write de name on dere an' put de hair right on top of where yo' write de name on it, an' jes' put chew a little cloth around it.
Entry 10859
I know they say if you start to get a job and a black cat crosses you [crosses your path], you might as well go back home be- cause you goin' have bad luck. The man doesn't goin' hire you. He'll turn you back.
Entry 10860
When I was gambling, I always would get me a jet black cat and I would stroke his tail seven times with the hand I was going to gamble with, before I went to the game. (The hand you use? Do you mean the little bag or your own hand?) My own hand, yes. (Oh, your own hand.) Yes, if I was going to use my left hand most in the game, I would stroke it seven times with my left hand, and if I was going to use my right hand, I'd use my right hand. But so far as me being fixed or anything, I never have been. Nothing Was wrong with me but once, and everbody said that I was fixed.
Entry 10861
Like if you want a cat, you take his hair and cut it off from his head, and bury it under your doorstep and he will always stay wit you.
(Always stay home.)
Entry 10863
Cut hair from black cat's tail, mix with black pepper, if un- desired visitor comes, burn this on stove, won't come back; also keeps law away. [Norfolk, Va., 476:6.]
Entry 10864
Git de hair offa cat. Dey say yo' kin put dat in de food where dey eat an' dat makes hair grow in 'em an' dat'll kill 'em.
Entry 10865
Take de hair from a cat - hair from a cat an' salt an' throw it in a room an' start fusses an' fights in a room, but yo' supposed tuh git it from undah his tail.
Entry 10866
(What do you do with that black cat?)
See, jis' lak he's in de house an' come where yo' is, yo' jis' ketch a little bunch of that hair with chure finger thataway [demonstrates]. Jis' snatch it out that way an' snatch it towards his haid. An' yo' put that in with yore luck piece of yore lode- stone, whatevah yo' got, an' yo' carry that in yore pocket fo' success.
Entry 10867
De luckiest animal dat ever made by God: a black cat, and a black hen, an' a frizzled chicken. Ef a frizzled chicken - if anybody put any- thing aroun' yo', a frizzled chicken and a black hen will sure go dere an' pick it up.
(Well, how is a black cat lucky?)
Ah couldn't tell!!!
(Just lucky.)
Entry 10868
See, ah kin be walkin' down de street. An' jes' lak ah walk down de street an' a black cat would cross de road to de right, ah'm goin' have good luck somewhere in mah travels 'fore ah git back home. Now, ah have been goin' tuh games tuh gamble an' didn't have but ten or fif- teen cents in mah pocket, an' a black cat would cross goin' to de right, 'fore ah go back home ah have $25 maybe or $30.
Entry 10869
You see, you take the cat's hair. (Where from?) Off her tail. (Off her tail, I see.) You take the cat hair off her ail and you see, you scrape this [demonstrates] but you scrape off four of 'en.
(Four corners of the table?) [The work table between us.]
Off the table. And you wrap it up in a little piece of [meat?] skin amd yoo yary that up under the back step. That's if you got a cat and done like it and nt it to stay home.
Entry 10870
Git a black cat an' git de hair. Git a strand of hair out of a black at an' - don't git as many as yo' kin, but yo' kin git 'bout one or tso scraods of hair out of a black cat. An' take somepin that kin float on de vatzh. Take at hair, sulphur, salt an' red peppah an' graveyard dirt, an'srite oo a piece of papah whut chew want done, an' put it with cat hair; all dat in a container dat will float on de watah. An' throw it in de watah, runnin' watah, whichevah watah yo' want it. An' whichevah yo' want done, it will be done. Ah've tried that.
Entry 10871
If yo' were asleep, a person kin take dat cat - pretend like yo' playing with de pet cat or somepin like dat. Well yo' [they] put dat cat hair in yo' food, see. An' yo' [someone] kin take a cat, if yo' sleeping, and lay dat cat right up dere aside of yo', and let dat cat inhale yo' breath an' yo' inhale de cat's breath. See, dat cat inhale yore breath, dat cat will draw yore breath jes' like yo' will draw anything else an' yo'll draw de cat. Jes' let him git close tuh yo' tuh inhale yore breath, jes' like anything else, an' den aftah he inhale yore breath yo'll nevah be de same. Jes' like yo' see a cat be, yo'll be jes' like dat.
Entry 10872
Take the fur. (Cut the fur?) From under the black cat's left leg or the left quarter. (From the front or behind?) Behind, and let it get right dry and you kin fix in a way. Clip it fine and you kin throw it over somebody, but you gotta make the black cat laugh. (I see, before you cut that hair. And then when you throw it over somebody, what will that do?) Well, that goes in your flesh - sticks in your flesh.
(I mean, what is it supposed to do to you?)
It works in your flesh, they say it'll work in you and it effect the flesh so that you taken with a certain disease in your skin and you'll die.
Entry 10873
Well, de hair from a black cat - a real black cat dat ain't got no white spot on him. Yo' know a black bone is lucky. Well, now, yo' tote dat in yore pocket in a gamblin' game. Git de hair from under de fo' laigs. (Under the four legs? Each one of the four. Each one of de fo' laigs.
(The hair from this black cat?)
Dat's right. An' dey tell me yo' go right behin' his ear an' pull it out, an pull it to yo', an' clip it from each one of his ears.
(Each one of his ears. Do you cut off the hair or the ears?)
Cut de hair.
(Cut the hair from each ear?)
From behin' each ear, an' de tip-end of his tail. An' dey tell me yo' kin do anythin' yo' wanta do.
(Well, what do you do with that hair after you fix it up?)
Fix it up, jes' keep it in yore pocket. Yo' wouldn't need to have no big bag, jes' a little small bag. Have it in yore pocketbook, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh git in a big poker game - a big gamblin' game.
Entry 10874
If yo' happen to see a cat - if it passes dat road, if it's a black cat, walk backwards, dey says, an' yo'll always succeed. But if he's a gray cat or a white cat, says step right on ovah it. (Over the cat.) Yeah, step right on ovah where he walks, but walk backwards if he's black an' yo' shore will have better luck.
Entry 10876
Ah heered people say tuh ketch a black cat, hold him back of his neck an' strip yore han' down de tail seven times an' count 'em, an' throw him from yo' an' cuss at him, an' don't look back at him. An' dat as good a luck fo' work as a man could do. (Well, after you have done this with the cat, then what do you do?) After ah throwed de cat away, yo' [ah] cuss at him. Why zh'd git out an' go an' ask some man fo' a job, an' ah would be lucky enough to git a job by dat.
Entry 10878
Yo' take a black cat, de same cat yo' got de [lucly] bope [froa]. Yo take dat hair an' yo' tie it up. Yo' gotta tie it in a rag an' yo' wear it in yore shirttail. When yo' wear it in yore shirttail, yo' kin conker anybody. (You get the hair from the top of his tail?) Right from de top of his tail, right from de butt of his tail. (And the man will give you a job?) "Cause him tuh give yo' a job or yo' kin git anything that chew want.
Entry 10879
Now, yo' see dis heah - dis may sound crazy tuh yo'. Yo' kin ketch yo a cat an' git two of his whiskers, any kinda cat black or white. Yo' kin git two of his whiskers. Jis' lak i yo' mah husban' an' ah want chew fo' mah man. Jis' take 'em in de house an' have 'em crossed, an' jis' walk on de flo' lak dis, jis' lak yo' sittin', an' drop 'em down behin' [you], yo' know, an' walk on out. An' he'll strictly leave there. [Did she demonstrate this rite!] Ah'm tellin' yo' whut ah know. See, mah daddy befo' he died [told me things?]. He wuz kinda smart... Ah don't know things good enough but some things ah really knows. Yo' ketcha live cat an' pull 'em outa his whiskers; see, a live cat, an' drop 'em an' walk on outa dere. Drop 'em in there. They can't git along fo' quarrel- in' an' arguin'. Quite natural yo' cain't live with a person fo' quarrelin' an' arguin'. Yo' ain't goin' stay there no mo'. It'll sure break it up [the home].
Entry 10880
Heah's anothah instan' [instance]. Yo' kin take a black cat an' cut some of de hair from right undah his tail. Well, yo' take some Hearts Cologne or eithah whiskey. Well, yo' bury it. Yo' taked dat cat hair an' yo' sew it up, put it wit dat whiskey. But chew bettah, if yo' kin git any part of her undahweah, or if it's a man, any of his clothes, yo' kin make 'em go like dat. Jes' bring it right back dere an' jes' drop it right in de yard, any place dat he kin walk ovah it. Or eithah yo' kin git some of dere dirt. Jes' watch hin an' whenevah he come out - man or woman - git some of de dirt of one of de shoe where he track ovah an' mix dat. Mix it in wit dat hair. Yo' kin make 'em move out de house like dat. (This cat hair - suppose you are driving me away - you get some of my hair and the cat's hair and put this in some of my clothes and put it out where I can walk over it. That's to drive me away?) Dat's to drive you away. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2002:8.]
[Two cylinders later informant returns to black cat hair:]
Ah always heah 'em say keep dat same black cat hair, keep it round yore place an' keep it wet in vinegah - ah mean in Hearts Cologne or good whiskey - dat black hair. Keep it round yore place. Tell me dat's lucky fo' yore business.
(How do you get that black cat hair?)
Why, yo' ketch a black cat, any black cat, an' jes' cut de hair from undah his tail or his belly part. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2004:11.]
Entry 10881
Well, jes' lak dis, if ah wus de type of dis kind, dat ah wouldn't wanta see a woman an' a man gittin' along, see, an' ah wanted tuh part dem. Listen good - an' when dis dog an' ket. Yo' know kets an' dogs will quarrel some- time. Well, when dis dog make dis ket kinda angry, dis cat will bring up her fur on her back. Well, an' de same time yo' take a knife or scissors - shears, at least yo' should call 'em, an' cut a little piece of dat.
(Cut a little piece of what?)
De hair out de ket's back. Listen, an' a little of de dog, when dey in dat angry nood [mood] - jes' lak dey would be angry, yo' know. An' yo' take dat an' sew it up in piece of black cloth, whut chew would call broadcloth. An' bury it under de steps, an' dey couldn't git along nohow in de world.
Entry 10882
Well, if yo' livin' heah an' somebody want chew tuh move out, ah know whut dey kin do tuh make yo' move. Well, de way ah've heard it an' de way ah've seen it did, yo' git a black cat an' a dog an' make dem fight, an' git some of dat hair. Den yo' git some of whut dey do, de passage, an' dry it up tuhgether, an' put dat hair in it. While dey all growled up an bristeld up, yo' git some dat hair out dey back. Rub it tuhgether an' let it dry until it git plumb ontuh a powder. Put it in de stove an' parch it until it git tuh a powder. When it git tuh a powder, den yo' git somebody if yo' cain't go tuh de house, yo' git somebody else tuh go dere, yo' understan'. Dey go dere wit dat powder, have it hid, an' sprinkle it in de fo' corners of dat house. Dey'll move undah five days. Dey cain't stay dere. [I would call this a quasi- quincunx rite, the fifth point being the 5 days. At the moment I do not recall anything similar, though I am almost certain that there is.]
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 10886
Take a black cat hair, dog hair - don't make no difference whut kinda dog - an' nine grains of peppah an' some of dey urinate, an' put it in a bottle. An' if yo' wanta break up any- body, take dat nine grains of peppah, Heart Cologne, an' dat dog an' cat hair, an' bury it where dey walk, either one of 'em. Dey git so dey soon bust up.
Entry 10890
Take cat hairs an' dog hairs an' mix it together an' throw it around undah that house, an' nobody lives there. (Why won't they live there?) Why? Because when they git in there, it'll be confused so they cain't stay there. Dog and cats don' like each othah. Dat's whut chew call a black art trick.
Entry 10891
Yo' kin put cat hair in a person's whiskey or coffee or tea or somepin lak dat an' dey'll begin tuh have fits an' act lak a cat or somepin. Den too, yo' kin take dog hair an' do de same thing, an' de dog hair git in it [drink] an' it'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 10892
Well, the first thing that happened, this girl, other girl, was going with the woman's husband; and she [other girl] wanted the woman's husband for herself, and the woman wanted the husband at home. And she [other girl] told me that she was going to make them [husband and wife] get along bad. So she put some dog hair and some cat hair dat - you know, caught 'em fighting and cut the hair out of the dog and the cat, and put this hair together and put it in there, in his coat lining. And she say, whenever he go home that would cause he and his wife to get along bad, and they'd set up argue, fuss all the dune. Quite natural nobody wants to stay with anybody like that. After which, ohen they separated - the man and wife - den she wanted him back.
(The wife wanted him back?)
The wife wanted him back. And to get him back, she decided to get to him and soft talk, you know, love and talk to get him back home to have intercourse with hin, and then she was going to take part of his and keep it at home. She say she tie it in a rag and put a silver dime in the corner of the rag, and she stick it under her bed mattress, and that would make him to come back to where be left froa.
(Well, then, did he come back?)
Yes, he came back.
(Oh, he came back all right.)
Entry 10893
Take some of yore hair an' wrap it up wit some of your dfscharge an' put it on a dog's back or either a cat. Jis' take a strand of thread an' take yore hair an' tie it in a little knot right to their [the dog's] hair. (Tie to them in the back and the back of a dog?) Yessuh. (Well, what is going to ' happen then?) Well, the dog runs - he goes about an' dat puts chew tuh walkin' an' den yo' jis' wander on away.
(And the cat the same way?)
Yes. (That is all you have to do, use this hair and this discharge and tie it. What do you mean by discharge?) [I have discussed this problem elsewhere.] Yes. Well, it's jis' lak yo' know, yo' know if yo' have a interco'se, yo' see. (You do that if you want to get rid of the person? Who does this, the woman to the man or the man to the woman?) They both kin do it - de either one de same way.
Entry 10894
Any kind of cat hair and a he dog and a she cat to run a person away - break 'em up.
(How do you do that?)
You take this hair and you mix it all up together like that - the hair of the dog and the cat. The dog and cat don't mate together. Call this man John. Jis' say, Mary, you and John can't stay together. Well, then you get this gunpowder and you get nine pods of red pepper, and you put that all together. Don't burn it in de house. Make a fire out in de yard and burn it, and make your wishes and they gone apart.
Entry 10895
He cat hair, she dog hair, make man and woman love each other; tie them [their] hairs together, put urine and Hearts Cologne on, wrap in red flannel, wrap to you. At each wrap, wish. Wrap 9 times. At each wrap wish: "I'm tying my head and your heart together etc." Choose light or dark shade of Hearts Cologne [here Hearts Powder, box with hearts on outside and several shades mentioned] as near color of person [man] as possible.
Entry 10897
I've heard of dey usin' cat hair or dog hair or - I'll tell you. You kin take a dog and you git some hair right from her rear end, you understand; right near where at she do busi- ness, you understand. All right. You take dat hair and you swinge [singe] it, you see. You gits enough [hair] so you kin swinge it, where you kin find it after you done it. You put it on a piece of clot'. Why you jes' set a match to it and swinge it, see. "Fore [before] it burn too much, why you put it out, you smother it you see. After you smother it, de clot' you burn it on, why you don't take it off dat cloth. You jes' tie it up right in dat same cloth, you see. All right, you put nine knots in dat. After you tie it up you put nine knots in it, and perhaps you tie it around your waist, or you could make a sling and put it around your neck, or you could sew it up in your weskit [vest] lining, or sompin like dat, or coat linin', or dere's several ways to tote it. See. Why dat's de way you do wit dat [cat] hair proposition.
(What good will it do you to carry that hair?)
That stand fer a lotta things: dey kin pass poison [you] and it won't hurt you. You can do anything you want with it.
Entry 10898
[Here are two versions of the same rite by the same informant, an excellent professional worker, they being on separate cylinders:] Version (l) Ketch you a black cat that's a rambler an'... (That's a what?) Tha's wha' choo call a rambus, that's wha' choo [call] rambler, or black cat, he's the luckiest thing you kin do. Pull out vha' choo got an let him lick right - jis' lick it right well.
(What do you pull out?)
You know, wha' choo got between your legs.
(A man?)
Or either a woman. Let her lick it [instead of the cat]. Then she wet in this bottle. Yo' want to cross de house up don' choo? Well, yo' get the persod's Dame whoever in the house. Yo' got to know the name, yo' see. Write it down an put it in this bottle. Yo' see, take it right out them back doorstep an' bury it chere. Yo' wan'a cross the house, yo' wan'a start disturb[ment] in the house don' choo? [Memphis, Tenn., (967), 1562:7.] Version (2) A similar version: If you want to have luck in the house you git choo a black cat, they call that a rmbler. An' every morning before the sun rise for nine mornings, take it. if it's a woman, let him lick dat, an' if it's a man let him lick it. Nov he ain't gon'a bite choo. An' turn him loose and luck you wana git hold of sill be right dere in that house. Yo' won't have a bit of trouble. [This woman. born in Borth Carolina, able, excentric, tough, gave an excellent and long interview. a transcriber missed all these cylinders. I transcribed a feu rites by band - dese scattered through HOODOO - intending to return to them. Similarly I lost another informant in Memphis, and my best one in Jacksonville.] [Memphis, Tenn.,
(967).1563:3.]
Entry 10899
[Here is another person whose cylinders were missed, an excellent pro- fessional worker:] Cat and dog, mix hair after making mad, put salt and pepper with, sprinkle across yard saying, "Niggers and whites don't agree, and cats and dogs can't agree, move."
Entry 10900
Say, for instance, if you was mah husband and you was living with another woman and ah didn't want chew to live with this woman, and I could get familiar enough with this woman to get in her house, or get someone to go to her house. I would cut the hair from under the chin of a dog, right under here [dem- onstrates], and under the chin of a cat, and under their tails, and wrap it up into a cigarette paper. And when I go to their house, have occasion to smoke or do something, if they have fire in the grate, I throw that hair in the fire. Put a little pepper in it - red pepper. And they positively will fight, [even] if they haven't been used to it. They will continue to fight and be in confusion all the time.
Entry 10901
Well, you see you gotta ketch a bulldog when he is mad...a real furious dog - gotta ketch a bad dog, and you ketch a cat and take the hair off his [cat's] back and the hair off the dog's back and you mix them together and you will put gunpowder in that and you burn them down.
(Where do you burn that?)
Burn dat in your stove. If you got a fireplace in the stones.
(What are you supposed to do then?)
That supposed to make anger, fuss, the one who you want to break up. (Well, how do you know which one to do that to? Do you do anything about that?) Well, like if I know you and I wanted to break your home up, I'll take your name and put it down and write, you have to write your name practically with most of the witchcraft work. (Oh! I see, you have to burn that with the name then? This paper and this hair together.) All in there and the gunpowder. Makes them fighting and fussing. Just like the cat and dog will fight, dat's de way you will do. Well, one or the other of you going get tired and leave.
Entry 10902
You clip de hair off de dog W'ere he bris'led up, a bad dog, an' a he cat. An' yo' mix that hair together jis' like yo'd mix up salt an' peppah. Then mix that wit de person name. You kin use like that an' yo' kin make a per- son move. You take de dog hair an' cat hair, an' yo' mix it jis' like yo' do salt an' peppah, an' yo' put this red ciyine [cayenne] peppah wit it. Yo' git bitter aloes, Yo' git yo' some John de Conkah root; not the powder, yo' git de root, yo' boil that. Yo' mix this dog hair an' cat hair together, an' yo' have that in a big bucket with hot peppah [pepper sauce] in there and war watah. An' whosomevah it is you want to move you take it to de house an' sprinkle de porch, chuck it back under de steps. An' de next day they cross over it, de next mornin', comin' out. It jis' make 'em move.
Entry 10907
Git de cat hair an' de dog hair an' mix it together, an'( den when yo' mix it toget- her, den yo' git chew some dis same brimstone; an' burn anywhere outdo's, an' it will 'sturb a community, 'cause confusion.
Entry 10908
An' den, too, ag'in, if yo' want 'em tuh move, if yo' wanta upset peoples an' have confusion, yo' git chew a small little [young] cat an' a [young] dog: Yo' know, when a cat an a dog git tuhgethah, his bris- tles raises. Well, yo' takes dat cat an' put him tuh where a dog kin see 'em; an' when dey bristles raise up, clip de bristles off de cat an' offa de dog an' mix it tuhget- hah. An' if yo' kin git in dey house, why yo' carry it in dere an' throw it about in de house an' walk on out. Well, dat breaks 'em up an' keeps 'em always stirred up, confused tuh death.
Entry 10910
Used for back luck, too. They take a dog's hair and a cat's hair and put it together, and the person's name with it, and sew it up together an' bury it close to that person's house. And they'll want to kill everybody in that house. They get together like cats and dogs and they're fighting and killing one another and scratching and biting going on something terrible.
Entry 10911
Dog manure an' dog hair - see, dey gotta git dat dog an' cat tuh fightin'; see, if yo' Wanta separate a man an' a woman. See, yo' git - lak mah, ah have two little white dogs now. Well, yo' git a cat an' git dem tuh fightin' an' clip de hair right quick while dey both mad. Yo' put dat tuhgethah, dat cat hair 'de dog hair, an' dog manure an' cat manure, an' rat manure. Well, yo' ba de three things don' git along, don't chew? Yo' know de cat hates de rat 'de dog hates de cat. So yo' throw dat in dere. It really separate any man wife an' it will make 'em move. Throw it in de room, jis' lak ah come in ah. Fo' instance, ah wanta have sompin in mah han'. Ah could be sittin' heah 'd coald be jis' sprinklin' it aroun'. [I replaced the original four-letter odd by amure.]
Entry 10913
Jes' lak if yo' got a dog an' a cat - ain't chew seen two dogs and two cats meet, an' de cat make up his bristles an' de dog make up his bristles? An' while dey got dere bristles made up, yo'll git de hair behin' both of 'em's neck, see; an' put it in a piece of cloth an' fold up de cloth, an' pin nine straight pins in it - one each way. See [demonstrates] pin one in it [cloth] dat way - an' one in it dat way [heads and points, alternated] an' dat jes' will make 'em fuss an' fight. (Well, now what do they do with that cloth after they pin it up? Where do they put that?) Yo' tote dat in yore pocket, see. When dey git together jes' lak dat dog an' cat fight yo' see; jes' fuss an' fight, be mad [every] time dey see one 'nother. Do dat wit de hair. (But they have to get near one another.) [Here without suggesting an answer, I am asking informant how all these concerns the two victims. Do they walk over Package? Is it thrown into their house? Does he name pins them? Without some such device all this is done by informant's intention.]
Entry 10914
I know what they do with that. Just like if you has a sweetheart and she done left you and is living with someone else, well you take this dog hair and cat hair and you mix it to- gether, see. And you get you a lemon. (A lemon?) Yes, and you cut this lemon open and you stick this dog hair and cat hair in there with their name - their full name. Put it in there and mix it together with cayenne pepper - in the lemon - and bury it and they never get along.
Entry 10915
Like if I got a woman and she living with another man and I want her to break up with him. Well, I take some hair from a dog and from a cat and I gets me a lemon. I cuts this lemon open and I put them two party's names in there - this woman and this man - names down in this lemon and this dog [and cat] hair. And I takes a candle and I light it, and I close it back up [see later] you know, so they won't fall from it. Close it right up and I bury it. On the dark of the moon, I do that. And they won't get along.
(Where do you bury that?)
I just take and bury it anywhere in my yard.
(I see. You seal that lemon back up with this wax from the candle?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 10930
A cat or a dog, when yo' see 'em round in yore yard, it's either a sign of death or sickness. [At the moment I do not recall ever having heard this rite before. It shows the fear or awe of strange animals, the unusual of any kind!]
Entry 13411
Well, in case ah wuz makin' love or had made love with a woman, ah kin tell dat ah guess. Ah starts at de house an' ah stump mah left foot befo' ah git dere. Ah'll go right on an' ah says, "Why do ah stump mah left foot?" Ah say dat in mah Mind. See. When ah git dere ah find othah troubles. Ah find some othah man is seekin' tuh cut off mah progress an' probably he will be dere when ah git dere, an' ah can't git tuh carry out mah aims, an' so on. Dat's de sign of stumpin' mah left foot 'fore ah git dere. An' now if ah stump mah right foot in de same direction, everything is in de cleah. Or, in going tuh a place in de mannah... [I interrupt].
(If you are going to see a woman?)
Yessuh, in de same mannah, ah meets a cat an' dat cat runs out from dat side of de road from de left going tuh de right, an' ah cut him off before he git clean cross de street or de road an' he turns back. Now, dat mah greatest enemy if ah wuz right-handed. Dese are experiences ah'm tellin' yo' now, suh. Well, ah go an' ah find mah success great.
Entry 13447
Take a horseshoe an' some sage leaves an' a black cat bone an' olive oil, an' yo' git some [whiskey].
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' jes' put it anywhere secretly aroun' yore place of business wherevah yo' at [and saturate it].
(You saturate it with what?)
Wit de whiskey, see. Dat supposed tuh keep it 'live an' tuh 'tract dere attention, of people. It's very attractive wit dat.
(If you want to bring in customers?) Yes.