Subject:Catfish
Entries
Entry 6054
Jes' lak yo'd cut de hair out de mole of yore haid an' take de hair from de othah place, an' put both of dem hair togethah an' take dat hair an' sew it up in a bag. Dat's when yo' wanta keep yore man, yo' see, or yore wife or whoevah it is. An' seu it up in hah pillah or 'is pillah. Well, dat'll keep 'em right dere. But of co'se if yo' wan' 'im tuh leave, yo' wan'a run 'im off in de rivah, why yo' take dat hair an' yo' ketch a catfish. An' yo' take a stick an' jes' stuff it down in dat catfish's mouth right good an' den throw dat catfish, throw 'im backwards [demonstrates] out in de rivah. An' jes' as fur as dat fish goin', dat person, uboevah goin', tryin' tuh ketch up wit dat catfish, an' aftah while he'll drown.
(You throw that over your left shoulder.)
Yessuh.
Entry 7000
[One of these catfish-blood rites to make a person stop drinking whis- key tells us: de female catfish min'strates lak a woman evah munt - see p.1869, lines 11-20, v.3.] Well, yo' kin take a man dat drinkin' whiskey all de time, why yo' kin ketch a live catfish any time, an' yo' jis' cut 'im right 'crost 'is tail or somepin-lak or anythin'. An' den let de blood drop right down in a bottle an' puh [pour] de whiskey in it, an' shake it up an' give it tuh 'im, an' let 'im drink an' he'll vomit. If yo' keeps dat up fo' a while, an' evah time he drinks it'll make him sick an' prob'ly break 'im off from drinkin'. Evah time yo' do dat, it'll make him sick.
(I see.)
Entry 7003
Well, she go tuh a market where she kin buy a catfish, a small-size cat. Bring 'im home an' wash 'im off nice an' clean. Split 'im on both sides of 'is tail about a inch an' a half down tuh de end of 'is tail. Hol' a saucah, a white saucah undah dere an' let de blood drip in dere. Git 'im a half a pinta whiskey an' put dat in de whiskey an' put it where he kin drink it. An' he'll nevah tech no mo' as long as he live, an' ah'll guarantee he won't.
Entry 7004
Yo' git a catfish. An' it's got one drop of blood in it, in fron' of it between 'is eyes. Yo' take yuh ice pick, yo' git dat dropa [drop of] blood outa de catfish while he's alive. An' yo' drop it in dat likkah. Yo' shake it an' give it 'im tuh drink. An' whenevah he drink it, dat'll make him sick.
Entry 7005
Mah sistah did it tuh make huh husban' stop drinkin' - wit it - becuz he wuz a pure drunkard. Dere wuz a ole fortunetellah woman wuz comin' along de street an' he always wuz drunk an' would throw 'is money away. An' he tole huh - she tole mah sistah tuh go tuh de rivah an' git 'uh a catfish, an' take two dropsa his blood an' drop it intuh dat whiskey whut he drink. An' he ain't nevah drink a drop since.
(Two drops of blood?)
Two dropsa live catfish blood. An' he ain't nevah drink a drop since.
Entry 7006
Ket' choo [ketch choo = catch you] a live catfish or garfish, an' while he alive, an' git choo a halfa pinta likkah an' put three dropsa blood in it, while he's [the fish is] alive, an' give it'im [the man]. (That will stop him from drinking?) Stop 'im from drinkin'. [This may be the only reference in Hoodoo to the gar, or billy gar as we used to call it during my childhood at Quincy, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. The fresh-water gars of the U. S. A. are ga- noids of the order Holostei family, Lapisosteidae, widely distributed in eastern and central U. S. A., as long-nosed gar and short-nosed gar. Our present gar may be the alligator gar, a much larger fish found farther south.]
Entry 7007
Plenty times dat happen dat way. Yo'll git a bunch of fishes an' yo'll sometimes find a live fish on dere; yo' know, dat's not daid. Yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll git dat fish an' yo'll gut dat fish. An' yo'll take nine drops of 'is blood [see correction later] an' yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll put it in a bottle or somewhere yo' kin keep. An' yo'll give him a drop or two drops evah mawnin'. He won' wanta see any mo' [whiskey].
(Stops him from drinking.)
Yes. [A correction follows.] Ah mean fo' nine days. Give him two drops yo' see, but yo' see yo' make it fo' nine days.
(What kind of fish?)
Catfish, but he must be 'live.
Entry 7008
Take beef gall. Take some beef gall an' a catfish; yo' know, dese ole big long-head mud cats. Take dat mud catfish gall, yo' undahstan', an' take a [chicken] egg an' beat it up wit dis; keep it from bein' so bittah, yo' undahstan'. An' take [add] dis whiskey, beat it up good, good, good; so it won't foam much, yo' undahstan'. An' shake it up in de bottle of whiskey an' let 'im drink dat. It'll stop 'im from drinkin' all de whiskey in de world.
Entry 7009
Yo' kin take a catfish or use some of de slime offa his hide, or eithah cut 'im an' git somea his blood - maybe a teaspoonful an' put it in 'is drink an' git even wit 'im. Or, if yo' wanta stop 'em from drinkin', yo' see, well, yo' see, yo' don't use quite as much, jis' a li'le. Give him dat in a drink an' he'll nevah drink no mo'. Put it intuh whiskey an' let it stay in dere fo' prob'ly, well, twenty-fo' hours. Den yo' strain it if yo' see anythin'aroun' through it. An' if dey drinks dat whiskey wit dat fish blood in it, he'll go an' throw up [vomit] - he'll try tuh turn 'is insides out. Dat's worse den eatin' [too much]. An' dat's somepin yo' kin do [to stop a person from drinking].
[Record very indistinct here so last few lines cannot be transcribed.]
But [if] yo' don't use nuthin but de slime, dat's [to] stop yo' from drinkin'; but if yo' use dat dere catfish blood, it'll kill yo'.
(It'll kill you, but the slime will cure you from drinking.)
De slime will absolutely stop yo' from drinkin'. Dat make 'im heave up a li'le, but dat blood [will kill him].
Entry 8506
If you want to bring a person back, like a lady friend or gentleman friend, you get a catfish and you take that catfish and you bury it. And when he soon rot away, he finally will come back. Just take the fish and bury it, put his name in it - in the fish, that's all.
Entry 8507
Well dey use a catfish bone. It's one dose li'le fo'ked bones an' it's kinda shaped lak a ink pen. Yo' seen some fish bones dat's kinda shaped lak dat. (When you get this bone out of the catfish, what do you do with that then?) Yo' dip it in ink an' write chure name wit dat catfish bone, an' fole dat papah tuhwards yo' lak dat. An' yo' stick it down in de fo'k of dat bone, an' yo' place it wit a string aroun' [demonstrates]. (I will write your name with this fishbone on a piece of paper, and just keep folding it to me. Then, what do I do with that paper then?) Well, yo' weah dat in yo' hat. Dat's tuh draw dem.
(Do you use ordinary ink in that pen?)
Yes.
Entry 10931
Yo' take de blood out of a catfish, an' say fo' instance, if yo' wanta make friends wit somebody, or a woman or man, or anybody yo' wanta make friends wit. Well, nou, yo' take dat up [after blood has dried] an' powder it up, an' git close enough to dem an' jes' throw some of it on 'em, an' dat'll draw friends. Yo'll pretty much accomplish yore intention.
Entry 10932
Yo' takes a person dat's heavy drinker. Yo' git chew a live catfish- alive, any kinda fish. It don' have tuh be no special kind of fish. Yo' cut de tail off an' yo' ketch some of dat- jes' ketch three drops of that blood, an' yo' put dat blood into dat. Yo' git some likker, whatsomevah likker dey likes, an' put dat blood in dere an' give it to 'em to drink. He goin' drink it. [Catfish blood to cure alcoholism is a common belief along the Mississippi River from Memphis down through New Orleans. For cat fish blood and alcohol, see also Nos.7000-7007, p.3156-3158, v.4.]
Entry 10933
Like a man is a heavy drinker. You go to the river and catch you a catfish and git home with him as quick as you can, before he dies. Now, buy gin, wine - whaever he drinks. And take a knife and put it in that catfish's tail and hold him up and let three drops of blood drop in that whiskey or wine, whatever you [he] drink. And shake it up and put there for you [him] when you [he] come. Now when you drink this, it's goin' to make you sick. It make yo' so sick it'll almost kill yo'. And it'll give yo' no more taste for liquor.
Entry 10934
Catfish blood is supposed to be lucky fo' a gamblin' hand. Well, dey take de catfish an' cut him, an' de blood comes out, see, bleeds out. Den yo' take dat blood an' yo' wrap it up into a rag an' yo' bury it an' let it stay buried fo' eight days, so ah learnt, an' den take it up out of there an' put it in yore pocket an' dat supposed tuh be lucky [probably if you gamble on the 9th day].
Entry 10935
Okey. You kin take a catfish - a fresh catfish - and if someone done did you somepin and you wanta make 'em leave town, you take their name and write it down. And take that catfish and cut him open and sew their name up in that catfish. And go to the river and throw it overboard. And he going to, to drift away from town i that person, after you get their name. He going. He don't leave with somebody, he going leave.
Entry 10936
Write de name nine times on a piece of parchment [paper] and you take it to de water and throw it in de water. And den you take a live catfish and take his tail and cut de tail [cut piece of fin off]. And write de nane of dis Person and put it on - cut de tail of de fish and put de paper in de catfish sooth, but it must be done when de fish live. And de tail of de fish and de name dat is wrote on dis piece of parchment nine times and take it to de swift running water and throw it away and dey will leave. (I didn't understand how you do that. You put this in a live catfish?) Yes, get de fish live and you cut de tail off. To cut off piece of tail fin keeps fish from steering itself; in like manner victim wanders about aimlessly.] Den you write de name nine times of de person which you wanta leave - on parch- ment [paper] nine times. Put it in de mouth and take it to de deep water and throw it away, and don't look at it [turn your back]. Let de fish go. And you'll visualize it. Den you'll jest see 'em going.
(What about the tail of the fish?)
Put dat down in de mouth, too.
Entry 10937
Take a catfish entrails, split him open while dey alive - channel cat - an' take dat entrails an' put it in a bottle, or else bury it undah yore do'steps; jes' lak yo' had a place an' wanted tuh stay dere, why yo' kin stay dere as long as yo' wanta, if yo' bury dat undah dere, wit dere name.
(The name of the landlord on it?) Den yo' kin stay at dat place as long as yo' want to.
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 10940
If yo' in a house an' de man's hard on yo' wit chure rent, yo' take one dese channel cats.
(A channel catfish?)
Dat's right, an' whilst it's 'live, cut him open. Yo' cut dat channel cat open an' whilst it's hot, yo' take an' bury dat undah de steps where de rentman gotta tuh come ovah, an' yo' kin stay dere jes' as long as yo' wanta. Yo' gotta bury it undah de steps.
Entry 10941
Ah would jis' simply - ah would make me a smoke, an' dat would knock evahthing in de haid. (How do you make that smoke?) Ah would make it wit de fish livah an' heart. Ah would take de fiah an' ah would put de heart in a saucah an' leave dat set fo' 'bout nine days. An' aftah dat ah would take a furnace an' ah would take jis' a li'le small pinch of it. An' it drives all evil spirits clear away. Absolutely.
(What kind of fish do you use, any kind of fish?)
Catfish. De oldah de catfish is, de bettah it is.
(Now you make this smoke, then what do you do?)
Dat explores all ovah de house where yo' live. De party dat wants tuh git chew out, dey cain't be successful.
(If I want to stay in the house, I make that smoke and they can't move ne out?)
Can't move yo' out.
Entry 1257
Dey say if yo' kin ketch a catfish, yo' know, an' ketch him 'live an' yo' jes' cut 'im open an' git de gall of dat out. An' yo' kin take dat gall an take it an' put it on a person eyes an' cure dere eyes with it. Dat's all de further ah heered 'bout dat.
Entry 2177
Take your onion, a raw onion and put it in the middle of the fish, don't sprinkle it, just take a whole onion and put it in there. You clean it and put it on in the fish, and you ain't going to have none left - all them going to be sold out.
(That's when you're having your fish fry. Do you put it in each fish?)
That? No, just put that in the skillet in the first fish you fry - just that whole onion in the middle of it when it's frying. Put it on top of the fish there and let your fish fry. And your next one [skillet] you fry, just put it on there, all your fish will be eat.
(Each fish that you fry?)
Not each fish, just in the front of the skillet. Turn your fish over and take the onion up and set it back, don't set it where it'll burn, set it on top of there. You clean it but you don't cut it up. Use catfish and buffalo. All of them will sell out.
Entry 5868
Yeah, ah'd git a stran' of hair out of 'er haid or 'is haid, if ah Wanted tuh run 'em crazy. An' ah go tuh de woods an' ah dig me some bait, an' ah take it tuh de rivah an' ah'd fish till ah'd caught a catfish. An' ah'd take him off de hook quickly befo' he injure hisself, put dis hair in 'is mouth an' ah throw 'im back an' he fly away. Dese people will go 'way, run 'em ravin' crazy.
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 1858
De catfish haid - de rock out de haid, yo' know. Ah always see dese women in dese loose houses git them an' put 'em in dere pocketbooks - says it draws de men an' keep luck to 'em. Ah've caught catfish fo' 'em fo' dat busi- ness.
Entry 5872
Well, dey take yore hair - one of de details of it. A person maybe wanta drive yo' crazy. Well, dey'll e de hair an' take it out by a fish, a catfish, an' tie de hair into de gill dey'll turn de catfish loose - put him back in de water.
Entry 5874
Ah heard dat dey take a strand of a woman's hair or a man's hair, an' take an' ketch a catfish " tie it on tuh 'is fin, an' s'long as dat catfish goin' yo'll be goin' - jes' shin' jes' lak a fish. As soon as de fish die, yo'll die.
Entry 7001
[The rite under the present number and the rite to follow under a sep- arate number are almost identical, yet each comes from a different person and trip to Memphis. For a similar situation, see my introductory note on p.1872 to interVieW EUREKA HOTEL WHERE I INTERVIEWED IN MEMPHIS BUILT BY THE DEAD.1 Git a catfish whilst he's live an' stick 'im in de tail, an' ketch dat blood an' put it intuh - make it up firs' 'fore yo' put it in dere cuz de whiskey'll cook it an' make it lumpy. But chew make it up in jis' a li'le watah an' den yo' put it intuh dis whiskey an' shake it up. An' give it tuh dat man an' he won' want no mo' whiskey.
Entry 7002
Take a catfish an' git 'is blood. Stick de fish in 'is tail - he have tuh be 'live - stick 'im in 'is tail an' ketch dat blood an' mix it up in watah first, becuz de whiskey will cook de blood. Mix it up in watah an' den put it in whiskey an' shake it up an' give it tuh 'em. Dat'll prevent 'im from drink- in'.
Entry 11631
If someone writes my name on paper, sprinkles gunpowder over it, folds and puts in catfish mouth, then throws overboard: "Ah'll run mah life out; ah won't live at home at all." [Mobile 881:3.]
Entry 11632
If someone ties a strand of your hair round the neck of a live catfish and turns it loose, "you'll be a downded man." [Wilmington 229:2+85.]