Subject:Catch
Entries
Entry 3860
Now, yo' kin take - jes' lak if yo' wants tuh make 'em weak, weak- minded an' don' have no good health, jes' bad health all de time. Yo' kin take a rag an' yo' kin put it roun' de pot an' burn it. Put it roun' de pot or eithah put it in de chimley an' burn it. An' take de smoke, jes' lak if yo' ketch de smoke in a bottle an' stop de smoke up in de bottle, an' dat'll make dem weak- minded an' don' have real bright sense - an' bad health. (What do you do with that bottle then after this smoke is stopped up? What do you do with that bottle then?) Well, yo' take dat bottle an' yo' bury it right undah de center of yore house- lak de centah of de room heah. Well, yo' bury it right undah de center of de house by de middle block undah [supporting] de house. [Center of house makes a quincunx.] (Just that cloth, the woman's monthly cloth, get the smoke of it.)
Entry 4366
If de person know de man name - yuh goes an' know de man name. Yuh care [carry] a li'le bottle, dis cologne bottle, an' yuh call 'is name an' stop 'im up - jes' bottle up de man [see 38, p.24f.] in yuh fob pocket. An' den yuh [go] talk tuh 'im an' he say he ain't got no job. All right, chew go back home an' fer de nex' nine mawnin's - an' yuh got 'is name all right - yuh take a cord an' tie it aroun' yuh waist an' double it nine times. Make yuh chamber lye on it an' put it in de bottle. An' go back [to the boss] an' call 'is name ag'in, stop 'im up, an' den he'll give yuh a job.
(I see, you get the spirit of his voice in this bottle.)
[An old comment of mine in pencil about this rite reads Use with care. This rite is quite all right, except I failed to understand the word double when first checking transcription with the cylinder. Thinking that the waist measure was increased 9 times, I wondered how such a long string could be squeezed into one of those tiny bottles of perfume then sold for lOc at the Five-and-Ten-Cents Store. At the time of recording I probably knew the meaning of double because I do not ask a question about it, but I must not rule out knowledge coming from later experience. Here is what happens. The man wraps a piece of ordinary pack- age-wrapping string about his waist, ties a knot, and cuts off the two unneeded ends. He now has a loop or circle of string, say about 30 inches in circumfer- ence, which he pushes down over his thighs and off his body. This string he stretches out into a straight line of double string 15 inches long and at a right angle to his body; the knot being at one end, this end away from hi. This knot he now folds toward him until it coincides with the other end of the string. This once-folded string is now 4 parallel strings each 7 1/2 inches long. Turn- ing this shortened string 180°, so that the knot is again away from him, he a second time folds the knot to him, reducing the multiple strings to a 33/4 inches length. Remember, he is folding strings soaked with his urine. The strings are folded to him 9 times, at least theoretically. All this is not stated explicitly in the rite itself; it is implicit in this type of folding rite. No boss having his spirit triply captured - tied into a knot about applican'ts body, folded up towards applicant and in applicant's urine, and finally stopped up in a bottle - no boss could possibly resist such multiple magic.] [Charleston, S. Car., (519), 616:3.] [Human excrement rites are less numerous than those about urine. Numerically the ratio is perhaps 1 to 10. As a special feature, most of them concern trees - two-thirds to be exact. The best one, an unusual love story, will be found else- where in 822, p.284.]
Entry 4868
Well, if she wanta git 'im back, yuh see. Anyway, she gits some of 'is - gits 'is shoe sole or some of 'is undahweah, pants he weah nex' tuh 'is skin. An' git dat. Why den, she take an' jis' make a little, little ball, put a little piece enough tuh stick in a bottle. Jis' a little ball about dat much [demonstrates], jis' a little piece yuh undahstan'. Now, take yuh some thread, black silk thread, fine, an' turn de thread pieces all de time tuh yuh [demonstrates]. Yuh see, wrap aroun' de thread, dat thread tuh yuh - all de time so it is coming yore way. Go tuh a stream of watah an' let de watah be comin' yore way. See, yuh meet dis - see, yuh meet dere. Lak yuh comin' disaway [demonstrates] an' de stream come from disaway tuh meet [you], an' yuh throw de bottle an' it will come back tuh yuh. [If you throw the bottle upstream, it wil] come floating downstream to meet you.]
Entry 5665
Well, if yo's a person dat want a person tuh leave town or anything like dat, if yo' kin ketch 'is footprint in de evenin' when de sun's goin' down. Yo' gotta lay fo' 'im. Some- times it be weeks an' months, yo' know, when anything like dat goin' tuh occur, yo' gotta wait until yo' kin ketch 'im goin' dat way. An' yo' kin git de whole shapes - de whole shape.
(Either track?)
Eithah track, right or lef', an' de same thing ag'in. Carry it right down tuh de rivah. He lef' town but he won't be hurt.
(Well, how do you pick that up.)
Yo' gotta pick dat up wit 'is face goin', goin' west, his face turned from de sunrise tuh de west. Yo' pick up dis track.
(Then what do you do with that track?)
Yo' have tuh take it an' put it in a bag or anythin' an' carry it. Throw it ovahbo'd where de tide's goin' out an' he go right along. He [will suddenly] have a job [somewhere], he'll rush tuh go.
Entry 5721
(Have you ever heard of a person getting hold of your foot track and doing something with that to harm you?) Well, dey kin.
(What could they do with that?)
Well, dey kin take dat, take dat wit gunpowdah, an' while yo' are sleepin', call yo' an' yo' answah. Dat's yo'. Dey got yore spirit den. See, dey got chure spirit. See dat's all dey want. An' den dey kin take it tuh a tree, say a gum tree, an' dey kin split dat gum tree an' tack it up in dere.
(What do they tack up in there?)
Dey kin tack or eithah kin splice [split] it [tree]. Put dat right in.
(What do they put in?)
Put de track - put de track in dere. See, de tree will burn.
(What do they do with that gunpowder?)
Dat gunpowdah will keep it hot. Keep yo' hot. Yo' can't stay no one place. Yo' nevah be contented. [In the present rite a part of the victim's spirit, his foot track, has already been caught and mixed with gunpowder in a bottle - see PART OF SPIRIT EQUALS WHOLE SPIRIT, p.2lf. For good measure informant now catches spirit re- maining in victim's body by calling his name and closing bottle when he answers (see TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f.). Whether these two wholes or two parts of the spirit unite in the bottle, or the gunpowder keeps them dancing apart, I do not know. Evildoer pours contents of bottle into a split made in gum tree and re- moves wedge. The word gum adds to the confusion.]
Entry 6001
Well yo' jis' git a little Hearts Cologne. Why, yo' don't use de whole bottle now, yo' git a little Hearts Cologne. An' yo' git a little - well prob'ly yo' have to git 'er frien' to git a piece 'er hair - see, from 'er head. See. An' yo'll have to git 'er voice, too. (How do you get that?) Well, yo' git de Hearts Cologne an' yo' put it into anothah - yo' put some of it into anothah bottle, jis' about a half, yo' see. An' yo' git some of 'er frien' whut goes wit 'er to git a piece of hair. An' yo' git three little stick- pirs - dese little stickpins [ordinary not safety pins] dese wimmin use fo Clothes. Yo' git two bran'-new needles. See. An' yo' put it into a bottle. All right, yo' put it into dat bottle. Well, yo'll have to 'drop [eavesdrop] around 'er home at night, an' yo'll know 'er voice from anybody else, an' den she alk. When she git to talkin', why yo' jis' - EVAH TIME SHE TALK, WHY YO' STOP DAY BOTTLE. [This is an unusual and excessive opening and closing of bottle. Somally one catching of voice suffices.] Yo' got 'er voice, yo' see, an' she'll tve to come home.
[The voice caught in a bottle is catching the spirit - see p.24.]
(Well, what do you do with that bottle then?)
Hell, yo' jis' tote dat around in yore pocket, or yo' could leave it right e. De best to tote it in yore pocket.
Entry 6612
Ah heard 'em say yo' kin take an' ketch a blacksnake an' cut 'is head, yo' know, an' hang 'em up by de tail an' let dat blood drip in somepin. Put it in a bottle an' lak if yore frien's come roun', anybody come, yore frien's or prob'- ly yore enemies too, an' if yo' don' lak 'em, an' lak if yo' have a li'le coffee at dinnah or somepin lak dat, yo' put a li'le bit dat on dere cup an' dat will kill 'em instan'ly.
(What?)
De snake will kill 'em.
Entry 6613
Git a snake an' put a snake in yo'. Dey kin go ketch a snake an' kill it, cut 'is head off an' hang 'im on de limb [of a tree] by de tail. Tie a string aroun' 'is tail an' hang 'im up an' put a tin cup or tin plate undah 'im an' ketch 'is blood. Let 'im bleed in dat tin plate or tin cup, whutevah it is. Now dey take dat blood an' dey kin put dat blood intuh yore food or somepin tuh drink; or dey kin let dat blood dry until it comes jis' tuh a hard powdah. Dey kin sprinkle it in yore shoes. An' de perspiration from yore feet will such up de strength of dat blood an' cuz yore body tuh attract dat, an' it will go all through de body an' kill de body. An' it will be crawlin' jis' undah de skin, all about, mostly from de point where dey entered. Depends upon how long it is when it gits in de stomic an' come on up. An' he'll choke yo' tryin' tuh come on up.
Entry 6614
If you walk upon [meet] a snake or lizard, catch him, don't kill him, hang him up by his head with a string around his neck. Cut off the top [tip] of his tail, and put a bowl right under his tail and catch his blood, dry it. You have to catch all of this blood until he is dead. Then you take him and lay him up on a dry place and dry him. His bones and his flesh, after it gets dry, you powder it up. You take this and this blood and mix it, and they put it down for you. They'll dig a hole in front of your door and put this in that hole and call the Lord's Name: Lord, Jesus Christ, His Namesake. You fill it up, take three steps backward, and say: Now, I've got you; that will hold you, that will take you away to an unknown world. When he comes along and steps over that, he's gone. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8728
[Here is an unusual use of the terrapin-turtle rite.1 He in trouble, leave-like to keep yo' from ketchin' 'im. Yo've seen dese streaked-laig terrapin?
(Yes.)
Dem ole streaked-laig one. Ketch one an' cut 'is name on de back of de shell. Drop 'im back in de watah. He's gone. (You say this fellow is a criminal and that you want him to get away free. You cut his name on this terrapin, so that they can't catch him.)
Entry 8769
All yo' have to do, split dat in fo' parts.
(Split this match in four parts.)
Aftah yo' split 'em in fo' parts, yo' cut de sticks across. Dat will be eight, see. An' aftah yo' cut eight, yo' take one an' cut one in half. Dat'll be ten, see. All right, yo' cut de othah one in half. Dat will be 12 pieces. Dat's even, ain't it? See now, dose [are] twelve. All right, it will be even [number]. An' yo' take dem pieces an' yo' sew it up, yo' sew it up into a piece of cloth. Well, aftah yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth, yo' kin go to dat person house an' stick it in de block of de house [see later] fo' yo' kin bury it undah de block of de house, or yo' kin stick it in a crack [of the house] or somepin lak dat. An' yo' kin walk away. When yo' walk away from de house an' [then you] call dat person three times. See, call dem three times. De next time yo' call loud where he kin hear yo', he'll answer yo', see. Well, yo' got his voice right dere, see.
(What do you do then?)
Well, he come out dere. Yo' kin kill 'im den [not immediately but any time later], if yo' want to [because you have his voice in a bottle] or yo' kin do jes' what yo' want wit 'em [voice and bottle]. [Informant may have mentioned spirit-catching bottle earlier (for how this is done, see margin title TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f. and many places) or he assumed I knew enough about hoodoo to understand what he meant. Since you can stick it in or bury it undah, block of de house refers to the foundation sills under the house, not to the piZlars upon which the small lowland house rests aboveground.]
Entry 8773
If yo' want a man tuh leave town an' travel all his days an' don't stay no place long, yo' take yo' cord string whut chew git yo' round dese groceries. Yo' seen dat. An' when he git dat cord string, he put nine knots in it, but don't have none loose [have knots loosely tied]. An' den when yo' go to his do' an' call him three times, an' aftah callin' him three times, dodge [away from door] an' don't let him see yo' tightenin' dem knots. [The voice is caught in the tightened knots.] Git chew a gun an' anywhere de d'rection dat yo' want 'im tuh go, yo' put hit in dat gun.
(Put the string in the gun.)
Put de string in de gun an' stick a piece of papah in dere tuh wad it down - lak de ole muzzle-loadin' gun lak we used tuh have yeahs back - fifty yeahs ago [50 years before 1939, date of interview] an' shoot it in dat d'rection. He'll nevah stop travelin'.
Entry 8932
I've heard them say that you can take a red-hot poker and stick it in the chicken house and all the chickens will jump on it and you can take them out and no one will ever know it. [For another chicken-stealing rite, see 8936.]
Entry 9952
Yo' kin take a green frog. Yo' know, when a green frog git on a leaf, yo' kin take him an' ketch 'im an' put 'im in yuh pocket. But yo' git chew a bran'-new silk han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' put - yo' wrap 'im up in dat silk han'ke'ch'ef, an' put 'im intuh yuh pock- et. An' weah dat han'ke'ch'ef lak dat a couple of days, wit dat green frog in it. Jis' lak a girl don' want chew, don' lak yuh or somepin, an' yo' wanta make her lak yuh. An' yo' take 'im out of dere an' take de han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' whip it on 'er jis' lak dat. She go wild about chew.
(You whip her with the handkerchief?)
Yes, jis' fan it on 'er, yo' know.
(Just fan it on her?)
Yes, an' she git wild about chew. Dat green frog.
(What does the frog do to that handkerchief?)
Ah don't know what he do, but he makes love - make her love yuh.
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 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 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 10267
De snail, yo' know, he's got some ole wax on him, an' de earthworm. An' yo' mix de wax offa de snail an' de earthworm an' rub it on de woman, an' if she has an- other man yo'll ketch him - [one of the many folklore causes of penis captivus. For other snail rites and impotence, see pp.2458-2470, v.3, and later in this present section].
Entry 10279
There's another thing. They can take your chamber lye again and stop you from using a woman.
(How could.they do that?)
They take your chamber lye and put it into a little small bottle like that, and after they put it into a small bottle, they let it rest overnight. And after it rest in overnight, they take that [bottled] chamber lye and put it down into some warm milk and take it [bottle] up. Draw it [bottle] up and let that milk boil away, that it almost gone out that bottle [pan]. And take that [small] bottle again and ketch a owl and shove it up in that owl's throat until it kill him. And take that bottle [with urine inside] and bury it in the ground with his [owl's] head up. Then you'll go for the balance of your life.
(You do what?)
You locked up [impotent] for the balance of your life, you can't use a woman. (You put an owl in there, an owl, a bird, an owl that steals a chicken, an owl that flies around at night?) [I am wrong. Owl is not put in bottle but very small bottle with urine is put in owl's throat.] Yeah. (An owl? And this milk. Do you pour the urine into the milk or put that bottle down into the milk?) [Again I am wrong!] Put the bottle [with urine] down in there [the milk].
(But you don't let any milk get into the bottle?)
No, you have it sealed.
(Yes, but you let this [bottled] urine boil in the milk?)
Yeah.
(I understand, I see. But you have to kill this owl, inside the bottle?)
[As I explained, owl is not in bottle.]
Yes. (And bury the bottle [in owl's throat] with the owl's head up. You have to ase a large bottle for that [no!] I understand. [No, the urine is in very small bottle in owl's throat, but owl buried head up.]
Entry 10417
Keep hag away - 9 needles in bot- tle. [Caught hag] looked like jellyfish. Sot much of story.
Entry 10555
Take a bat an' kill him an' ketch de blood in a bottle of watah an' carry it in yore purse. An' let de bat dry an' hang it up in de no'th corner of yore house, an' cover it up, an' it always bring luck to yo' as long as yo' live there.
Entry 10556
Now yo' kin take a bullbat an' if yo' wanta tuh, jes' lak if some people, yo' know, dey play de bolito or somepin an' dey wanta dream a good num- ber. Well dey take dat bullbat an' dey goes out an' dey kill him an' git some of de blood, yo' know when it's running from him an' take it an' jes', anything yo' know, an' [with this blood] jes' write jes' whatever yo' wanta know, yo' see, onto dat paper, an' place it under yore head dat night, an't [and it] will come tuh yo' in yore dreams, jes' whatever yo' wanta know. Yeah, if yo' wanta git de right number.
Entry 10772
My grandfathah said one time it wus a lady, huh husban' runnin' aroun', she couldn't nevah keep 'im at home. So some ole lady a-nother tol' der... I don't know who it wus.... But she tol' der tuh git some bramble briers - git de root- cut 'em up, boil it in 'is coffee an' give it tuh 'im when he come in, tuh keep 'im at home.
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 10938
Yo' take it an' pick it up from de ground dis way first [demonstrates]. (From the toe back to the heel.) Yes, back to de heel, and den from de heel to de toe. Yo' carry it and get some black gunpowder, and you take it and go to a river and ketch a catfish. And when yo' ketch him, don't kill him, put dis in his mouth in a piece of paper. And sew his mouth up and throw him overboard and dey'll go until de fish stops. Wheresomevah he stop, dey'll stop; whether it be beyond de state, where dey come from.
(Do you put just a piece of plain paper?)
Yes sir, jest plain paper.
(How many tracks do you take?)
Jest one.
(Which one, any one?)
Right.
Entry 10939
Wal, ah'm goin' tell you dis now, 'gin [again]. Now, in cases a per- son was treatin' yo' dirty, ag'in, an' interferin' wit yore family, what would yo' do. Yo' wanta learn dat?
[I evidently nod yes.]
All right. Well, yo' go ahead and write dere names nine times - write it nine times.
(On what?)
On a piece of paper - on a piece of Bliss [trade name] paper.
(Bliss tablet paper?)
Dat's right. An' write it and den when yo' write dat, roll it under. See, any kinda bad words yo' wanta use on dat, yo' do dat. Wal, den yo' go tuh de river - understand me good now. Go tuh de rivah an' ketch yo' a catfish. See, dis is a catfish yo' ketchin', see. Yo' know he's gotta skin, yo' know. (You catch this catfish and you have this name written on this piece of paper.) Yo' write dis party's name on a piece of paper whut have done yo' dirty, whut chew wanta git rid of 'em at once.
(Now, what do you do with the catfish?)
See, yo' take dis fish, reach and git his skin now lak dis [demonstrates]. See, he's gotta skin. Yo' skins 'im. See, yo' lift up his skin. Yo' know, lift his skin up an' roll dat tight a little space; yo' know, jes' a little space tight as yo' kin, an' stick it [name] in dere up undah his skin an' put him back in de rivah. Well, when he [fish] gone - an' he's gone wit dat message yo' see - well, when he go, dis party jumps in de rivah. And de farther dey go, den dey's tryin' ketch dat fish an' dey jes' drown demselves - fall ov'bo'd an' drown.
(Do you cut this skin on the fish and put it under there?)
Jes' cut his skin an' lif' his skin up. Gotta stick a knife in dere - yo' know jes' a little bit - an' stick it [name] up undah dere, see, an' go to de rivah wit it.
(And turn the catfish loose again?)
He's gone.
Entry 11624
Jis' like if yo' - like if you are separated from your wife and the man is always getting in trouble about it, you catches a live fish and you write his name on it. And cut that fish open while him alive and sew him up with that name in it, and throw it in the pond where you catch him from. The more the fish go, the more they going.
(What do you do that for, now? If I'm separated from my wife and she's what?)
And uh - you and your wife - this man is always keeping your wife on distur- ban', in confusion all the time, and always with him. Write his name and catch that live fish and cut him open and sew him back up with that name inside of him and turn him loose.
(This other man - that will send the other man far away from your wife?)
Yes, it will run him away.
(When the other man's running after your wife.)
Entry 11625
Just like if [you wants to make drift].
(Make them drift, you said?)
Yes, anybody you wants to make drift. Well, you catches a live fish, or any kind of fresh fish, and you take that fish and you split that fish half in two. Then you take a ink [pen], pin but let it be red ink. You write that name down in that fish and you take that fish.... (Wait! What do you write it on? On a piece of paper or on the flesh?) On the flesh of the fish. (All right.) Then you take that fish and throw that fish back. You use the three words: Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and throw it in any running water. They'll be driftin, couldn't stay nowhere. Everywhere they go they're not satisfied.
Entry 11626
Like if I want a person to go on a drift and don't stay anywheres they go. Well, I ketch me a fresh fish and I cut him open. And after I cut him open, I take the full name and I write it upon this Venrick parchment and I puts it in that fish [a parchment-like paper made by or called Venrick (this may not be the exact name) and sold by a hoodoo shop]. And after I put it in this fish, I get some moving oil and I drap three drops on there. [And I goes to the river afterward.] And I sew the fish back up - put cayenne pepper in it and I sews it back up. And I goes to any - where it's a running stream, you see, and I throws it out in there and I speaks, I say, "As this fish go, I want you to do the same."
Entry 11633
They do this plenty of 'em if they want to start you to traveling, you know, something like that. Well, they take a strand of hair out your head or if they can't git it they git somebody what close friend to you to get it, you un- derstand if they can't get it themselves. A strand of hair from you, regardless of where it come from. Get something like a fish, you know and they'll thread it into his gills, like that, you understand. Leave the thread stay in there and throw that fish back into the water. Just like that fish go, you'll go, and the death of that fish will be the death of you.
Entry 12456
Den dere is other people believe dat dey kin take - track a mole and get him up and take dat shovel dat he uses off of him. And anytime after night- fall, go to de door and dig a trench from de door to de street, and dey'll [people within] leave. (I didn't understand ab about that mole. You take that...) De mole is got a peculiar foot to him. It's shaped somepin like a heavy shovel - one of 'em. Well, dat's de one he use to open his tunnel as he is going through, and it looks almost de same as ivory - solid white and sharp and curved-like. But you take de foot from de mole and go to de do', and you will dig a trench from de do'ah out to de street.
(With this foot?)
With dat foot. And dey claim dat whoever liyes dere will really leave dat house. Dey'll follow dat path out to de street - be gone. Dey'll vacate de premises, dey won't stay dere long.
Entry 12691
If a man wanta ketch 'is wife, jes' lak in some act or 'nothah, den yo' takes oak ashes. Take oak ashes an' pine straw [dried needle on ground, also called shatters in the South]. An' yo' take an' put dose oak ashes ovah dem an' yo' puts one hole in de can an' let de can leak aftah yo' puts watah in dere. Den yo' takes oil an' yo' puts oil - po's oil ovah dat an' let de oil run through, an' den as de oil meets wit dis heah straw an' oil an' straw mix wit dis watah dat he has po'd on dere, den dat will cause dis man an' woman tuh go tuhgethah. An' de day he would po' de oil in - see, he done put de watah in dere an' let de watah drip through de straw an' oak ashes. Den he puts de oil in dere, an' den at de minute dat he puts dis oil in dere an' de oil drip through tuh de ashes, den dis heah woman she'll be wantin tuh git tuh dis man, but now de woman she'll have tuh burn dese ashes. See, he'll git huh tuh burn de ashes fo' him. An' den she'll be wantin' tuh git tuh dis othah man, an' whenevah she gits wit him, den he goes where dey's at...tuh fin' dem den. Wheresomevah - if he fin' dem dey'll be tuhgethah.
(Just associating together.)
Yes.
Entry 12712
An' if dey wanta run yuh, dey take yore hair, cut hair out de mole [mold] of yore head. And sometime dey do be's fortunate enough to ketch a rab- bit live, split his hide, his skin, and put dat hair in dere. And sew it up in dere and turn him loose an' he [rabbit] run to briar. When dey fin' you [your hair in the rabbit], yo be having yo' head stuck in a briar patch.
Entry 12715
If yo' in a place an' sellin' whiskey - listen good den - yo' git a rabbit foot, yo' understand. An' when yo' git dat rabbit foot - understan' ah don' care if he jes' now got shot. Now, ah'm goin' jes' tell yo'. Yo' have de rabbit live. Ketch him in a box, a trap box [figure 4 trap?]. Yo' don't have tuh set it. If yo' git dat rabbit an' yo' git de left foot. Ah don' mean de right foot - mean de left foot, back foot. All right, yo' git dat rabbit, yo' understan', an' yo' go dere tuh de drugsto' lak ah tell yo' an' git yo' some Heart's Cologne - cost ten cents a bottle [during Great Depression] - jes' a bottle about dis big [demonstrates tiny bottle]. It smell lak a perfume. All right, yo' take dat rabbit's foot an' soak it in it all dat day - yo' under- stan', yo' soak it all dat day. De next day, don' care whut man yo' know, law or no law, yo' go on, go out there, say, "Ah think ah'll open up a likkah joint" - jes' lak dat yo' undahstan'. "Yo' know ah'm de law."
Entry 12716
Well, you ketch you a live rabbit and cut his left-hind foot off before you kill 'em, and take it and put it in a bag. Get you brick [make it into] dust - make dust out of it, and take the hairpins of whatever vosl en you want this to be, just take the hairpins she been using in her haid and put it in that and tie it up, and tote it in your left pocket. And as long as you do she can't leave you, she be right there all the time.
(I see, that's to hold a woman.)
Yes.
Entry 13257
All yo' have tuh do is tuh git chew some sulphur an burn an' all. Yo' ketch his [policeman's] eyes whensomevah he come in an' look after him, an' let him walk across it, see. (This burnt sulpbur?) Yes sir, burnt sulpbur, an' when he come in yo be lookin' after 'in. Try tuh ketch his eyes. An' he nevah come tuh yore house no mo'. Or yo' could jes' take some - if yo' sellin' whiskey, each maslin' befo' yo' open yore do', befo' anyone come in, yo' jes' take jes' a certain aomt of it [whiskey] an' jes' throw it ovah yore do', both doors, as de customers comes in an' out, see. An' then yo' be fixed - de law will nevah bother yo'.
(You mean you throw the salt and sulphur over the door?)
No, yo' kin take some of yore whiskey.
(Oh, the whiskey. That's to keep the law away, too.)
See, when yo' burn dis sulphur, den yo' throw de whiskey ovah de head - yo' know whut ah mean, jes' throw some ovah de head of de do' up there an' dey won't nevah bother yo'.
Entry 463
I remember one night I was living on a farm all alone. Whilst being there, I had been told that this place was witchy, so I minded it not. So I went there to live. And after staying there for a period of time a witch came to my home. And I was told how to capture this witch. So I captured this witch. So after capturing this witch I had her on my way to the stable and she turned into a horse, a beautiful grey nag. After I put her in the stable, I was so delighted with my new horse that I hardly could sleep. I wanted day to come so bad so I could go down to the blacksmith shop and have my nag shod all round. So finally, the next morning - I stayed all night by her in the stable - and the next morning before breakfast I take my nag to the blacksmith shop and had her shod all round. After she had been shod I carried her back to the stable and put her up in the stable. One of the neighbors round there had taken violently ill. What was the trouble, nobody knowed. So they sent for the doctor. The doctor came. I told the doctor about my new pony. So I went to the stable to get my nag to show the doctor and when I got there de nag was gone. When I heard of this neighbor being so sick, deathly ill, I went to see her. And when I went to see her she refused to let me look at her hands and also her feet. I persisted on doing that and den I got help so I should examine her. After I examined her I found she had horse- shoes on each feet and on each hand. She was deathly tormented with those nails. She had den turned to a natural human form. (About 1886, near Hampton, Virginia. This is an example of a folktale told as a personal experience.) [This is my comment in 1936, after informant left room.]
Entry 508
A broom what you sweep with, you leave that to yore feet an' a Bible at chure head and dey won't worry you. But, if you wanta ketch 'em, you sprinkle - you go to de drug store and you buy a nickel's worth of flaxseed and you sprinkle that around in de room, and if de come in dere, you'll wake 'fore he done pick up every one, 'cause dey got'a pick up every one of 'em an' 'fore he done pick 'em up you kin ketch him.
Entry 509
They tell me that you can take a broom or flaxseed. I think flaxseed is more better than a broom. You get about a half a pound of flaxseed or else mustard seed, they are small. If this hag comes in and you can manage to wake up before she goes out, you take these seeds, all loose, and you sprinkle them between her and the door, and she will have to pick up all these seeds before she can get away. While she is picking up these seeds you will be successful in capturing her.
Entry 527
Tuh ketch dat thing yo' call a witch - ah've known of 'em tuh ketch dat. Jes' lak if yo' 'custom to have a witch ridin' yo', yo' always have somebody notified. Jes' lak yo' will snore - yo' cain't holler, yo' kin snore, an' when dey ridin' yo', have somebody dere wit de sifter an' a whole lot'a mustard seed. An' no sonner [sooner] den dis witch startin' ridin' yo', dey come right on ovah an' jes' take dat sifter an' jes' lay it ovah dere.
(They do that while you are asleep?)
Take dat an' jes' lay dat ovah yo'. Now, when dey git offa yo', when yo' wake up den, yo'll find dem standin': Dey ate a hole in it an' dat mustard seed went through dat sifter. An' yo' kin git a - or if yo' kin git a silver ball, silver or copper or somepin lak dat, an' de person whosomevah it is dat jumped outa dere skin -
(That person whoever it is will jump out of their skin?)
Dat's right, dey call dat juonpin' out dere skin. An' if yo' see dat thing, don't kill 'em. Yo' kin go an' put some peppah an' salt on it, an' ev'ry time dev jump in dey got'a git right back out. An' dey stay dere lak dat seven or eight hours, trying tuh git in it. De black peppah burns 'em every time - de time dey jump in it.
(And that kills them?)
Yes.
Entry 3200
Dey says dat dey take a frog - ketch a frog an' put 'im in a can or a pot where yo' outdo's washin', while it's 'live, an' put 'im in dere an' jes' let im cook on down tuh a powdah, an' sprinkle a man wit dat, or a man could sprin- kle a woman wit it, an' dey won't have no intahco'se atall wit nobody atall but jes' dem. (That's all they have to do?) Dat's all - jes' take it when it gits, yo' know, it burn tuh pow- dah, jes' lak ashes, an' yo' put it in a cloth yo' know, an' evah time yo' have sompin tuh do wit 'a man or woman, yo' sprinkle some of it on 'em.
Entry 7275
When dey kill a man, if he fall on 'is face, why if he fall on 'is face lak dat, yo' step like dis [demonstrates] step backwards ovah him. If he fall any way [you step backwards over him], but more specially if he fall on 'is face lak dat. Yo' come round dis way [demonstrates] an' step back- wards ovah him. Dey won't ketch yo'.
Entry 7276
To keep from being caught, let murderer jump backwards across the corpse and then put turpentine on feet.
Entry 7277
Said dat he could take de man dat he killed an' jump ovah him dis way [demonstrates] an' den jump backwards, but he do's it fo' three times an' den he goes on away. An' dey said he can't be caught, de hounds can't trail 'im. [Forwards and backwards is one time; do three times.]
Entry 7278
Know whut dey do to keep 'em from ketchin' 'im? Well, soon as de man fall - ah've seen dat mahself an' ah ain't nevah hear'd of dem ketchin' 'im. Soon as de man fall aftah dey shoot 'im, yo' know, an' he dies, why he steps cross 'im three times. He goes an' step cross 'im an' goes right roun' 'im an' step right cross 'im ag'in, three times.
(Steps forward over him?)
Yes sir, step fahward an' come right on back de same way an' step cross 'im three times, an' den leave. Dey'll har'ly ketch 'im. (He doesn't walk around the corpse [I demonstrate]: Steps [forward], over him like that, comes back [steps back over body], and then back [steps forward over body second time].) Yes sir, three times.
Entry 7281
If a man killed anybody an' don't want 'em tuh ketch 'im, he kin - de one dat he killed, he kin step backwards ovah 'im three times an' hug 'im an' kiss 'im, go to de graveyard an' put some dirt in each one of 'is shoes, an' dey can't ketch 'im.
Entry 7282
Ah've undahstood it dis way, dat when dey kills a man - aftah dey kill de man - dey turn an' walk backwards ovah 'im, for five paces I believe, back- Wards ovah de man; den dey turn facewards an' go in de same direction dat you turned an' dey couldn't ketch chew. [The murderer faces his victim while killing him, and then with his back to the corpse so that he can take one step backwards over the fall- en body, he continues five more steps backwards. At this spot the killer again turns 180 degrees to look towards the original or attack direction, the direction in which he now walks or runs away.]
Entry 7426
If a man kill a man, see, ketch a raw egg quick an' bust it in de man, de dead man's han', dey'll ketch dat man in less time dan a hour if he gone.
(How do they do - I mean how do they catch him by doing that?)
Jes' git de egg an' bust it in 'is han'.
(In the dead man's hand?)
Yes, jes' de egg in de dead man's han', an' dey'll ketch 'im. If dey don't ketch 'im dere, dey'll ketch 'fore he kin git away.
(Any kind of a fresh egg.)
Entry 7446
Yo' take yo' a aig an' yo' write his name on it.
(Whose name?)
De fellah's name whut did de killin', nine times, an' yo' bury it. An' in nine days he will come back. Dat's if he's run away some place an' dey cain't ketch 'im, cain't git 'im. (Where do you bury that egg?) Yo' bury dat aig right undah yore steps.
Entry 7453
An' den yo' kin take a egg, or de same egg, same kin'a egg, if somebody kill someone, an' aftah dey kill someone - well a fellah killed one of us color- ed an' my grandfathah did dis. I know dis. An' he take dem eggs an' he put 'em in de person's han's an' cross de han's jes' lak dat, an' dey caught 'im. (When they put those eggs in the hands, they had to cross the hands?) Yes sir, cross de han's jes' dat way witeggs. (Cross the breast?) Cross de breast, an' he couldn't go away. Dey caught 'im.
Entry 10453
Take 12 needles in pile - put to head of bed - hag will count the needles - you catch her. Ev'ry time they count a certain distance they'll forget and must start over again.
Entry 12485
If murdered man falls on face, turn him on his back, step over him, and you will not be caught. [Mobile 974:6.]
Entry 13005
If dere has been a man an' yo' been seekin' fo' him, yo' take a dime an' shoot it in a gun an' yo'll be able tuh ketch him. [I forgot to ask or knew at the time what kind of man. This probably refers to finding a drown body or it may mean an escaped criminal.]
Entry 12904
Use male dog liver to catch man. [Mt. Vernon (on Eastern Shore), Md., by hand.] [Presumably the woman Was not caught by female liver or I was too inexperienced or too much of a doubter about these unusual beliefs. Even the folklore world had never heard of them!]
The short instruction states catching a man as its aim; the following bracketed doubts are editorial commentary rather than informant evidence.