Subject:Cedar
Entries
Entry 3708
The follow- ing informant gives 4 separate cures:] Dey say yo' kin take in measurin' a man - well now, in yore husban', if yo' don't want 'im tuh fool wit somebody, why yo' could take an' measure him when he's sleep, if yo' git a chance. Or eithah, yo' fix 'im to pay no 'tenshun - have connection wit 'im fo' a chance tuh measure 'im wit a piece of cord string, dis little cord string dat come off a wrappin'. An' take an' measure 'im wit dat - jes' de length of it. An' den yo' kin take an' tie nine knots in it, an' yo' kin wear it in yore shoe, or if yo' kin, put it down undah de innah sole of yore shoe, an' he can't have anythin' tuh do wit anybody else. Den yo' kin take a piece of new homespun. Jes' lak yo' be playin' an' yo' have a piece of new homespun about de bed, or sompin yo' wus sewin', an' dey kin use dat aftah dey git through. Put it undah yore mattress an' double it up in a piece of papah an' put it undah yore mattress an' he ain't goin' bothah 'bout anyone. An' den if a person gits where dey kin't bothah wit anybody an' wants it taken off dem, dey kin go an' steal a dishcloth - steal someone's dishcloth. An' if dey got greasy dishwatah dere, dey jis' skim off dat grease wit dat dishcloth an' squeeze it up in dere. An' den yo' kin take dat dishcloth an' use it an' wash it off yoreself an' dat will kill it out. An' den yo' kin take an' git some cedar - these cedar leaves. Don't chew know, yo've seen dese cedars in de cemetery. An' take sulphur an' sprinkle it ovah dem, an' put a little fiah undah it, an' yo' kin kinda stand ovah dat an' let dat smoke go ovah yo', an' dat'll kill it. (That will kill it, if his nature has been taken away from him - restore his nature. But you don't have to get that cedar from the cemetery, you can get it any place?) Yes, anywhere. Yo' ain't gotta git it from de cemetery. [Yet, informant prefers graveyard.]
Entry 3726
An' de dishrag in de same lak mannah. Take dat dishrag an' she'll wipe it, dry off wit dat dishrag. Don't make no diff'rence if it's dry or if it's been used in grease, an' dat takes 'er courage away. Takes all de nature away from 'em. Now if a woman ties yo' lak dat now de way dat she do, she'll wait till he's asleep an' she'll mess roun' wit chew an' she'll hang her gown or sompin ovah yore haid till yo' go tuh sleep yo' see [common rite]. An' she'll git a cord string an' she'll measure de length of yo', an' den when she measure de length of yo', she'll tie dat many knots in it, see. Den she'll tie it roun' 'er laig, right around de [calf] of 'er laig, or else roun' 'er wais'. Most of de time she tie it aroun' dere. Well, yo' find it an' yo' mistrust dat. Well den, yo' don't know whut tuh do, yo' tried evahthing, go to de doctors [M.D.'s] an' still dey ain't done any good. Well, yo' lay awake until yo' ketch 'er asleep, an' den yo' slip to her an' take dis cord string off of 'er. An' den when yo' take dis cord string off of 'er, while she's 'sleep, yo' kin take dis same [string] in lak mannah an' measure it [her] dis way, see. An'when yo' measure it dat way, an' den dis way, an' yo' tie it in string in dat shape.
(In a round shape?)
Yes, an' den yo' take dat same string an' yo' sew it; see, sew it from dis heah, dataway. Jes' cut it out an' sew dat togethah. An' dat will git off yo an' git on 'er. Den yo' take yo' some warm watah, as warm as yo' kin bear it, an' put table salt in it an'.wash yo'self real good. An' git cedar oil an' rub - jes' yo'self real good. An' take yo' a dry rag an' wipe down. Dry it off real good an' dat'll do away wit it.
Entry 4294
( On a Friday mawnin' befo' de sun rise.
(Yes?)
Yuh kin buy some [kind of] oil, use yuh chamber lye - don't evah empty yuh chamber lye [don't throw it away uselessly] - an' what yuh wash yuh face wit [water]. Mix dat [water] wit yuh chamber lye an' dis oil. An' scrub yuh house wit it - dress yuh house wit it in de mawnin', an' den at noontime right at twelve a'clock on a Fri- day. But be sure tuh scrub yuh house an' use it wit dat - dat's de inside. But in de mawnin' yuh-use dat prakly [practically] on yuh front.
(I see. What kind of oil is this, they get?)
Secret.
(Secret oil?)
Yeah.
(Secret oil. I see. And that's to keep the law away.)
[The oil is identified later.]
Dat's protection where yuh are at.
(What else do they do outside in the morning?)
[Scrub] yuh steps an' right on yuh sidewalk, right in front of yuh do'.
(And then [at noon on Friday] you scrub inside?)
Yes, sir. [Here I stop my recording machine to prepare for a repetition of details a clearer account of the rite.]
(All right.)
[We start all over again.]
In de mawnin's when yuh wash yuh face an' han's, well yuh slop jar dat yuh use durin' de night, jis' yuh po's dat [face-and-hands] watah intuh it. Den add dat oil intuh de same pot.
[There are the 3 ingredients of the "scrub".]
(What kind of oil was that?)
Cedar.
[We had worked out the oil problem while machine stopped.]
(Cedar oil, all right. Now, go ahead.)
In de mawnin's den, yuh use it right in front of yuh do'.
(What mornings?)
Well, dat's on Friday mawnin', but prakly evah mawnin' in front.
(I see.)
But de [main thing] is Friday mawnin' an' in yuh house. It's Friday at noon dat yuh scrub inside. (I see. You said you scrub your outside in the morning and the inside about noon.) Yes sir, on Fridays.
[The special inside scrubbing on Friday is for weekend customers.]
(I see.)
[Here after stopping machine, I decide to ask a question about protection.]
Use dat same oil.
(Cedar oil?)
Yes sir, dat same oil in de same way. Put it intuh a bottle an' shuttin' it real airtight [demonstrates] an' bury it. (Jerk the bottle from you [and bury it at the door to keep anyone from harming you].)
Entry 5240
Dey kin take - if yo've wore yore shoes an' got 'em good an' sweaty, dey git chure feet dirt from it an' de scent of yore feet lak dat. An' dey kin take dat an' weah it aroun' 'neath of dere waist an' thing lak dat, an' put some of dis oil of cedah in it, an' make de person follah dem an' ca' [care] mō' [more] fō' dem den dey do any- body else. Jis' lak dey would take dere hair outa dere haid... (You mean they wear it around their waist?). Right nex' tuh dere skin lak dis. An' dey puts it in a bandage an' puts it nex' tuh dere skin, an' put dat oil of cedah tuh it, an' weah it night an' day aroun' dere waist nex' tuh yore skin.
Entry 6719
Take cedah leaves an' burn dem an' git de odor in 'mongst yore clothes, an' dat will keep yo' from ketchin' any kinda germs. Lak yo' goin' in some places dat way an' burn cedah, an' git de odah [odor] in yore clothes, dat keeps yo' from ketchin' germs.
Entry 6720
If yo're hurt from sompin somebody have did yo' lak cunjurin' yo' lak dat, yo' take de dirt from undahneat' of yore toenails. An' take it an' wet it wit dis oil of cedah an' weah it in a piece of cotton in each one of yore ears. Yo' stop yore headache, if yo're hurt in sompin.
(That is if you have a headache from being hurt?)
Dat's whut ah said. Lak if somebody, yo' know, do sompin tuh yo' lak dat cunjure. Not if yo' jis' git hit about de haid [and get a headache]. [Even being hit on the head and getting a headache could be caused by conjuration, evil wishing, etc.]
Entry 6721
Yo' kin take cedah an' make a bath, in yore feets or laigs where yo' have swellin' lak dat. Yo' boil dat an' make a tea-lak an' bath. An' also grapevine.
Entry 8322
Well, de ole han's, de ole folks yo' know, dat ah've heard talk about dese things, dey usely [usually] take de photograph, but it have tuh be a tin- type. It cain't be no paste- bo'd. It have tuh be a tin- type, an' dey take it an' take sixpenny nails an' go tuh a cedah tree an' drive it. Don't hit but nine licks an' drive it on de sunrise side. An' dat person usely dies. But ah've nevah known it atchly [actually] tuh happen, 'cuz ah nevah seen it done.
(They drive one nail into this?)
Yeah, a sixpenny nail an' strike it nine licks.
(All at once, at the same time?)
Strike it nine licks an' drive it in de centah; right in de centah of de pi- chure, or in de centah of de fo'head, or eithah in de centah right in de stomic part of it yo' see.
Entry 8344
All right if yo' wants tuh kill a person, yo' gits yo' a pichure an' drive a sixtypenny nail through de haid an' through de body. Carry it to an ole cedah tree an' drive it in dat cedah tree. Ah'll guarantee yo' in twenty-fo' hours dey'll be daid. (How many nails do you drive in there, just one nail?) Two nails, one through de heart of de pichure an' one through de haid. An' ah'll guarantee yo' dey'll be daid in twenty-fo' hours.
Entry 8680
Then, what they would do to make yo' move out of that house, they would get yore - try to get some close friend of yours to get yore right shoe. They Would burn that right shoe. They'd get up before day in de mawnin' an' burn that right shoe. Before twelve or one o'clock, they'd take that, they'd sprinkle it at yore door, dat [shoe ashes]. (I understand.) Well, they'd go to work then an' they'd get oil of cedar. (Oil of cedar?) They'd take oil of cedar an' they would pour dat down. (Where would they pour that?) They pour it right at your door [where they put the shoe ashes], at yore front door, where yo' are bound to come out over. Well then yo' get 'em [they have you!]. They would take yore name an' they would write it nine times an' they would fold that from them. They'd take that name an' they would bury that. Yo' begin to drift. Yo' wouldn't like that place, yo'd want to stay away from dat place. Dat's de place they'd drive yo' off.
(Do they bury that in any special place?)
They'd bury it at de door where yo' - or in de path, so you'd have to come over. They'd bury it so you'd have to come over it. Yo' understand.
(I understand. That makes you move?)
That'd make yo' move.
Entry 8958
Yo' take a portion and yo' put it in each shoe.
(You mean the oil. The oil?)
Yes, yo' put it in each shoe. An' there's three oils yo' get. Yo' get this oil of muritel.
(You get what?)
Murotel, yeah. That [is] if you out, yo' understand, goin' to meet co't. If yo're not in jail, yo' can take oil of murotel and cedar oil an' labena [ver- bena]. An' yo' mix them three oils together. [First oil is surely myrtle!] (What kind? Labena?) Labena [verbena], yes sir. An' yo' bathe yoreself in it that morning before going before the judge. An' if yo' have any witness, well yo' take a beef tongue. An' yo' know the right names, yo' writes the name upon dat tongue. An' if yo' got a chimley anywhere in de house, yo' hangs dat up in there, an' your witness can't speak clearly. (Well, what do you hang that beef tongue in that chimney for? What - how do you do that?) Just take it and [first] you roll it around with your feet [it is kicked in No.8956] and hangs it up in there and smoke it.
(Oh, you smoke it! I see.)
Entry 10522
I've heard of people selling thereself to the devil when they wanted to be a musician. They go to a cedar tree and git under the cedar tree and that's where they commence using this music. They carry what they want to play with them. That's supposed to sell themself to the devil. The devil appears to them and shows them how to play this music.
Entry 10696
Git oil of Bergamine [bergamot] an' oil of cedar an' oil of cloves an' mix it all together, an' mop wit dat. Continually mop yore house in it an' yo' have luck that way. Jis' mop it, mop yore whole house.[ This is one of many scrubs in HOODOO.] (They do this for bootlegging. What does she do for luck to bring in customers?)
Entry 10709
De cedar tree an' de leaf from a Bible, an' jes' carry it with yo' an'.... Yo' git dose strips from a cedar tree an' de leaf from a Bible an' [leaf from] a fig tree, an' dat will make a person follow yo', when yo' in love with 'em.
Entry 10943
Dey take cedar an' buy [bury] undah - lak if yo' wanta do sompin tuh somebody, take cedar an' bury it undah de do'step or place where dey have tuh go in an' out. Or either put undah de do' an' it will cause a con- fusion or keep yore husband from runnin'. Lak if yore husband is goin' tuh dis woman's house, an' yo' jes' git some of it [wood] an' take it dere an' put it, dat'll cause 'em tuh break up.
(You put this cedar in her house?)
Yeah, go dere at night.
Entry 10944
A piece of cedar bush - take limb offa cedar tree an' slip it in a man house an' put it up ovah de do', up ovah de do' where he'd have to walk in at. An' ev'ry time dat man - if yo' wanta break him from his wife - ev'ry time he come in why hit'll cause confusion. An' eventually it will keep on until he can't stay dere. See, it'll run him 'way from dere. He jest can't stay dere at dat house.
(Some other man would be doing this to get rid of him.)
Git rida him, see.
(Just the ordinary branch of the cedar tree?)
A cedar bush.
Entry 10945
If yo' wanta make a person move, yo' go to de cedar tree an' yo' git de bough, a part of de cedar limb dat turn toward de sundown. An' yo' kin git [make] three pegs [from the branch] an' yo' take dese three pegs an' yo' put 'em to de front do' of a person dat chew want moved, an' dey won't stay dere. Dey'll move.
(What do you do with those three pegs?)
Yo' drive it [them] down to de step, front step if yo' can.
(What do you do with that cedar branch?)
Dat branch, dat's from de top of de tree, dat toward de sundown.
(Well, where do you get these pegs?)
Yo' git de peg from de branch.
(You take the branch off the tree then you make three pegs from the branch?)
Dat's it.
Entry 10946
If yo' wanta run off de whole family - well, if yo' move de head, why de body gotta go. Git chew three cedar limbs - gotta be long as dis arm [demon- strates]. Go right in front of dere threshold - in other words right in front of dere do'step where dey comin' in an' out - an' cross dem. Jes' put 'em in dere an' kiver 'em up. Dat'll drive 'em off. [Informant demonstrated rite, I repeat his actions.] (You take three of them - one down like that, and one on top, and one on the bottom. They are crossing, those three things. Why do you use three [to make a cross] instead of two?) [I had expected to hear the 3 Holy Nomes but informant came up with an unusual answer!] Why do you use three? Dere's Faith, dere's Hope, an' dere's Charity. An' in usin' dem, yo' lay dem down an' yo' call 'em jes' like dis, "Faith, Hope, Charity."
(And they have to move.)
Entry 10947
[She can] go to the root doctor and he'll give her a piece of the root from a cedar tree. An' she take that root an' bury it under her doorstep an' let it stay there fer three days. An' she take it up an' burn it an', if he left her, he'll come back home. [The root doctor does not tell her the name of the root or how he has dressed it.]
Entry 12058
Dey'll go an' dey'll git some kinda somepin dey call cedar bush, an' dey pound up dat an' dey sprinkle some of dat on yore han'writin'. An' dey tell me dat'll cause yore han' to be afflicted kinda-lak, say poisoned-lak yo' have palsy han's.
(You say a cedar bush?)
Yessuh.
(Do they use the bark or what? Or the leaves?)
The leaves. Pound up de leaves.
(Any cedar bush?)
Yessuh, jes' de cedar bush dat grow out in de woods.