Subject:Chamber Lye
Other forms: CHAMBER-LYE
Entries
Entry 8837
Well, dey say yo' kin take dat, yo' han'writin'. Dey say dey kin take yore han'writin' an' dey kin put - yo' see, yo' take yore han'writin' an' yo' roll dat up, an' yo' put dat in a bottle wit sulphuh, red peppah an' gunpowdah. An' yo' put chamber lye in dis bottle an' yo' set it up dis way [demonstrates]. Stop it up airtight an' den yo' put fire aroun' dere. It will shoot up in dere - de stoppah will shoot up in dere an' de bottle will bu'st. Dey say dat will take effect on yore nerves - dat will effect yore nerves an' stuff lak dat - yore hands. Kinda throw yo' in palsy-lak, whut dey tell me.
Entry 10625
You get 'em - two together, you know.
(Oh! It's a root that grows together.)
Two of 'em together; one's Adam, the other Eve. Now those, the things they are used for, will keep a man and woman together - they will keep them together. (Well now, how would they use that?) They go to work and get that Adam-an'-Eve root, get it green [fresh], and you name one Adam and the other one Eve, after you wash it off good. And you put it in a bottle, ay old bottle, and don't break 'em loose. One Adam and the other one is Eve. Dren they put perfume in there.
(Any special kind of perfume?)
No, any kind. Put the perfume in there. They name [one] for the woman and Che other the man, when they are speaking about 'em. They may use chamber lye ad perfume in it. Stop it up. Long as you keep that, you will hold the man if you want to.
Entry 12886
To keep the laws away, stick that lye and keep scrubbing lye - chan- ber-lye [urine] - use that and scrub well with it, all around the door place, the doors and on the porch where they go backwards and forwards at. And then you - you get some oil of bergamine [bergamot].
(Oil of what?)
Oil of bergamine.
(Berg...)
Bergumine - oil of bergumine.
(What's that?)
[Here may be the first time I ever heard this troublesome word bergamine. Other hearings of the word followed. The long process by which I came up with bergamot I no longer remember. Many words gave me trouble.] That's a oil jest like oil of cinnamon. It's got a scent, only de scent is different. See. And you put that in your bath water and bathe with it.
(What do you do that for?)
What do you do that for? Well, anytime you come in contact with the law, you kin almost - always square 'em up.
(I see.)
Entry 4216
Dey takes de chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle an' bury it undah de steps of de house at de no'th corner an' dat, yo' know, stops dere watah an' all.
Entry 6972
Ah've hear'd dat if yo's [you is] tricked [in] any way, yo' could take yuh chamber lye an' put it in yuh - take some table salt an' some alum an' [urine and] mix it up tuh- gethah, an' sprinkle it all at each fo' cornahs of de house, an' dat'll kill it.
(If somebody has planted something for you?)
Yes sir.
conditional target of an alleged planted trick and reported countermeasure. Ah've hear'd and if retain both hearsay and conditionality; being tricked is not established as an actual diagnosis. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 39
Oh, yes, dey take dat chamber lye and stop it up and call yo' name. After yo' answer dey stop dat chamber lye up and den dat'll stop you up. See, long as dat chamber lye is runnin', why yo' is gotta luck; but de time dat dey stop dat and call yo' dis way, dat's jes' like yore spirit. Well, dey ketch yore spirit and put it away with dat jug. Well, dat stop yo' bowels from moving altogether - you can't make no water. [This confusion between bowels and bladder is common.] No way in de world fer you to make water 'till dey take dat stopper out.
Entry 40
De spirit like - yo' kin ketch dere voice. Yo' kin ketch a person's voice - jes' lak if yo' in love wit someone an' somebody else is.after 'em an' yo' wants 'em - yo' call 'em. Yo' gits yo' a black soda watah bottle - it jes' be a dark brown beer bottle, an' yo put dat chamber lye in dat; put dey chamber lye, not yores, an' yo' call 'em. An' after yo' call 'em an' dey answer, yo stop it up an' yo' keep it on it's haid all de time. Ah don't care where dey is, yo' kin make 'em come to yo'.
(You keep this bottle on it's head all the time.)
An' when yo' git ready fo' 'em - jes' lak if dey out an' yo' want 'em tuh come on home, make haste, yo' jes' shake it an' call 'em - call dere name three time an' dey'll come to yo' five minutes after yo' do it.
Entry 645
See, yo' kin take yore chamber lye - take dat chamber lye an' - person take hit to a red ants' bed. Yo' take it an' yo' po' it into somepin an' yo' takes some [corn] meal an' make it up as a dough, an' yo' take it to a red ants' bed an' yo' sprinkle it in dat red ants' bed, an' jest long as it in dat ants' bed, yo' see, dem antses will work dat dough up - up an' down dat-a-way. Well, dat'll create germ to work inside of a person, an' jest work, work, work, till it kills 'im. Well, yo' see de doctors don't know whut dat is. De doctors will be working on it fo' one thing, but still it's dat germ - de cunjuration. [For this germ theory, see No. 654.]
Entry 1595
Ah heard that yo' could take chamber water, chamber lye - jes' lak yo' got sores anywhere on yore flesh or on yore skin, yo' kin take yore chamber watah an' 'noint 'em sores each day an' fin'lly at last yo'll git rid of 'em.
Entry 1596
If yo' got a bad cold an' yo' nostrils all stopped up - somepin lak dat, yo' kin jes' take yore chamber lye, yore own chamber lye an' wash yore face an' it will help yo'. Some people use it fo' rough skin, dey chamber lye.
Entry 1598
Use chamber lye an' stop poison. Jes' take it an' boil it - grate a dime an' put it in it an' boil it wit red peppah an' wash, bathe it down. Dat'll kill poison. (You mean poison that someone has put into you like live things, things of that sort?) Yes sir, like skippers - something like dat.
Entry 1606
Ah hear dey say if yo' git hurted an' it ain't inside yo', yo' 'noint wheresomevah dis mis'ry is fo' nine mornin's an' de last morning dat chew 'noint it, why yo' throw de chamber lye whut yo' 'noint yoreself with - throw it sunrise an' it would kill it.
Entry 1607
Why they dress that hat fo' yo' head, an' they take that same chamber lye, as ah tole yo', an' bath that hat in it, saturate it in that water, and then bath yore head fo' nine mornin's that way. That relieves yo', yo' see in de haid.
(If they dressed your hat.)
Entry 1608
Yo' kin take and get saltpeter, you kin get the brine offa mack'rel fish, mix chamber lye with this. Now, I know this is real 'cause I did this - that happened to me. You bathe in that but you set in yore door, if you got a door facing the east. You set there, you bathe whatever parts that hurts you or that feels peculiar. You bathe that for nine mornings and yo' be all right.
(But you must sit right in that door facing the east?)
As the sun rise and do that for nine mornings, and as you do that, you mention the Lord's Name - say this, "In the Father, Son and de Holy Ghost."
(And you bathe. What time do you bathe yourself?)
Jest as the sun rise.
Entry 1612
Dey kin take yore chamber lye - jes' lak anybody go tuh work an' poison yo' or anything, yo' see. Well, yo' kin git some sweet milk, yo' see, an' honey, yo' understan', an' a lil' likker an' mix dat chamber lye - jes' a little, yo know - an' likker an' honey an' vinegar. Well, yo' take dat yo' see an' dat would make yo' vomit it up yo' see.
Entry 1623
That ah know one thing 'bout chamber lye - throw chamber lye at chure front do' 'fore sunrise an' dat'll keep yore enemies away.
Entry 1626
Mah auntie had to use that. They say when a person tryin' to poison yo', they say git up ev'ry mawnin' fer nine mawnin's an' throw yore chamber lye out backward over yore left shoulder backwards an' don't look back at it an' that will keep 'em from poison yeh. Yo' do that before the sunrise.
Entry 1639
If a person poison yo', give you some kind of deadly poison, yo' know, tuh poison yo', take yo' a hoecake of [corn]meal out chure flour an' take yo' jes' any amount of chamber lye dat chew have from de night ovah an' mix it up. But chew buy yo' a brand-new yard of homespun cloth [almost always homespun; cloth rarely added] an' right at chure fireplace mix it up jes' like yo' mixing up dough. An' yo' make, yo' know, jes' a flat roun' hoecake an' put it in de backside of yo' fiahplace. Dat befo' yo make yo' fiah in de mornin', yo' under- stand, an' den builds yore fiah on top of it. An' whosomevah done anything to yo' - whosomevah poisoned yo', say dat'll turn it back on dem.
Entry 1645
Yo' use dis stuff ammonia an' lye - concentrated lye, an' chamber lye, that's yore watah, an' wash round dat place. Yo' takes a can of lye tuh cut out all devilment dat anybody would throw, 'cause if dey goin' throw dey goin' always mostly throw undah - lak a buildin' dat's made yo' know lak this where it's a steps. Yo' takes dat can of lye - yo' don't use none of it - yo' take it an' yo' open it an' sprinkle so much all around undah dere, dry. Den yo' take that can an' yo' bury it upside down, an' that ketches all de devilment that's throwed around.
(What do you do with that other stuff, that other stuff you spoke about?)
Yeah, dat's tuh wash - if yo' think anybody's doin' devilment, wash aroun' an' dat cleans all de devilment out. Don't care whut dey put down, dat cut it up.
Entry 1718
The water that you take a bath in. Well, you take that when you takes a bath - just like if you, your husband or your wife, if you want 'em to go, you are tired of them and don't want to be bothered with them, and it seem like they just a knock to you. You take the bathwater and take a piece of saltpeter, just about half as big as a teaspoon, and put it into that water. Get a little of his chamber lye and put in there, and then you take a bath in that water - right straight down from here [demonstrates while I describe the action].
(Right from the top of your forehead.)
Yes sir, from there on all the way down.
(Down your face and down your body.)
All the way down. Take a bath all the way down - don't never rub up like that [demonstrates].
(Why?)
Well, if you rub up like that, you see, that will make him come back to you, if you rub up. Don't never rub up - down, just like that.
(And why do you rub it down then?)
Rub it down, you see, that's washing his care and everything he had away from you. And then you take it and put it into something and keep it in there nine days. Then you take it and go and pour it out in a running stream, or either take it and pour it in a barrel and keep it closed for nine days. And then he gets on away from you and keeps, you know, from worrying you to death - just seem like he's a knock to you.
(He's a what to you? A knock? Knot?)
Yes, sir - keeps you from - look like he keeps you from getting holt of any- thing, and he's just there and he's not giving you anything hisself - he just be a knock to you.
(Knock - k-n-o-c-k - like you knock on the door?)
Yes sir, like a knock on the door.
(Be a knock to you?)
Yes. [This is a send away or get-rid-of hand.]
Entry 1742
Yeah, yo' git a bluestone [see later] - a little stone about lak dat an' yo' take that an' yo' blow yore breath on it and put a little yore chamber lye on it, an' rub it in yore han's an' blow in de cards an' wrestZe 'em, an' yo' don't fall aftah dat. (What do you mean by bluestone? Do you mean the ordinary bluestone that you buy at the drug store?) No suh, ah mean de main bluestone - ah mean lodestone, [de] lodestone lak dat.
[For bZowing and breath, see p.400.]
Entry 1836
For luck in gambling, I used to buy hands.
(Yes?)
One hand I bought, it was full of charcoal - there wasn't nuthin to dat one. But the other hand, it was purtty good. Ah bought me a ring, see, and my birth- stone was in it. And I would use lodestone and I could soak dice in pepper and chamber lye - keep those dice soaked in 'em, you see. And just like I run a gam- bling house and you come dere, well, you see I'm always got two pair of dice. Well, the dice what you shoot, they're soaked in that stuff - in that lodestone and chamber lye. But now, when it come round for me to shoot the dice, I'm going to shoot that other pair. Well, you see, you losing all de time; you can't make a point on it, but I'm going make a point because I'm shooting a diff'rent pair. See.
(I see. The pair you see, you don't do anything to at all?)
No, sir. I don't do anything to hit at all. And I keep my table, just like I got this cloth on here. I take and get me some silver - 'bacco silver.
(What's that?)
Silver off of tobacco, you know, chewing tobacco.
(Silver paper off of tobacco [tin foil], I see.)
Yassuh, take that silver and I pad it under this here tablecloth, see. I keep a shooting on de cloth all the time. Well, I pad that under there and I get me some - some pound - you see, it's pound lodestone, pound lodestone.
(You mean like powder?)
Yes, it's made up like dust. Well, I get some of that and I put dat silver down and I sprinkle dat lodestone under dat silver and put dat silver over it.
(I see.)
I put dat cloth over dat. See. Well, you don't know what's under dat. But it's all in my favor, none in yours - it's coming in my favor all the time but it's none in yours.
(I see - in shooting the dice.)
In shooting de dice. And you shoot dem dice on dat table, you kill 'em; you'll get a point, but it's three to one that you make that point. See, I can give you - ah'd give you odd bets on it. Why? Because I know ah'm got cinches on you, you ain't got none on me; but ah'm got cinches on you because I just natch'ly know. Then, after I give you odds on it, I kin turn in and switch dem dere - ketch dem dice and throw dat - send another pair out - the same dice but not the same dice what you got the points with. See.
(I see.)
And you going miss. (That silver [tin foil] under the table[cloth] then makes the fellow you are playing against - makes him miss?) Yes, sir.
Entry 2358
Wash his hands in his own chamber lye. That makes a good gamblin' hand. Also Hearts Perfume is used in that same way. [The liquid itself - not a liquid in a container (a bottle hand) is called a hand. J
Entry 2363
Well suh, yo' kin git chamber lye an' yo kin quick witchcraft a person in dat, so as to even quit dere home an' take tuh yo'. Dat is, jes' lak a woman, if yo' want de re'lly fac' 'bout it, sur. Dey take chamber lye an' take a eye- dropper - a woman kin take a eye-dropper an' take her chamber lye an' take nine drops of chamber lye 'sposed to be, an' she kin drop it into wine or in anything drinkin' kind, or anything of de edible kind, an' gives tuh a man. An' it will make him quit home and take up with her.
Entry 2616
Jis' lak if yo' bring in trade an' de jinx would git on yo'. Yo' take a dime an' git chew a box of saltpeter an' take yo' a bath in it - wash down good in it. All right, fo' two or three evenings. Den yo' see how yore luck, yo' know, changes - understan' [see No. 1492, p.480]. An' den take yore chamber lye yo' understand an' ever' night 'fore yo', yo' know, go tuh bed, yo' take yore mop - an' don't take nobody's chamber lye an jis' yore own chamber lye - an' take an' always mop it back in yore house. Don't evah mop it out. Mop it in - jis' lak if yo' stay upstairs, start tuh mopping down when ever'body got tuh sleep, plumb on up wit dat chamber lye. Dat'll bring it in. Don't evah mop it out though. Dat'll bring luck to yo'. [Here, first proprietor and then business is purified.]
Entry 2618
(What would you do to keep the law away?)
Well, then ah'd get me a can of - two of these five-cent metal cans [new cans must be used]. Ah put 'em both full of chamber lye and put one to de right and one to de left corner - ah'd put one in de front door, behind it, and put one in behind de back door. Then ah would get me some saltpeter and jes' go to de sun- rise [face east]. Ah'd take mah saltpeter and ah'd scatter it across de yard an' ah would say, "O, St. Peter - yo' hear me, St. Peter - yo' hears a sinner calling an' ah knows, St. Peter, you hears me. Well, ah wants to tell mah thoughts to yuh, cross mah yard both ways." Well, then ah won't be worried no more. Dat's 'fore de sunrise...ah'd set-up a five-cent metal can to mah front door full of chamber lye and ah'd set one to mah back do' full of chamber lye. Well, when de law comes dey won't touch mah house. Dey might touch next do'. Dey will talk to me and speak to me. Ah nevah be worried one bit.
Entry 2677
Ah know jes' lak if a person sellin' whiskey an' if he wants luck to his house, why ah know a lady she used tuh - ev'ry mornin' she'd git up yo' know an' she'd jis' sprinkle right round wit chamber lye - sprinkle round de corners of de house on de inside. Said dat would hold yore luck wit de laws an' bring customers.
Entry 2681
When yo' git up in the morning if you is worried with the polices or most anything like that, you'd git up early before de sun rise and scrub yo' porch wit chamber lye and dey not supposed to worry yuh.
Entry 2684
Well, you have to dress the house. Now, that chamber lye which you was speaking about a few minutes ago - if you bootlegging or selling something, you takes that chamber lye which you were speaking about. All right. You takes it soon in the morning, no one around, you take that chamber lye and you wash from your door - porch-step on back. Never, never sweep out your trash out on the outside; always sweep back, going back in the house. Sprinkle that chamber lye every morning for seven mornings and you will have so many people at your place until you just won't have seats for 'em.
Entry 2687
Yo' kin take chamber lye - fresh chgmber lye. Jes' lak yo' is runnin' a business, a whiskey place or whutnot, an' tuh gain influence of people an' de laws. Yo' kin take yo' chamber lye in de mawnin', not mixed wit no one else, an' make a weesh [wish] whut chew desire tuh do an' how yo' desire yo' business tuh come out - tuh improve. Yo' kin take hit an' sprinkle it ovah de place fo' nine mawnin's. An' den take de leavin's of it an' throw it to de front an' make yo' weesh - yo' know how yo' want chure business - an' yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' de laws or whutnot will come tuh be yore friends 'stead of enemies. An' dey will boost yo' business. People will come dere an' den buy, trade wit yo' mo' den evah befo'.
Entry 2691
If you want to have good luck, you kin take your chamber lye and yo' sprinkle it - burn incense and put it in there, the ashes, and sprinkle it every morning before you speak a word, out in front of your door, and that will give yo' good luck and bring people to your house.
(Bring trade to you, if you are selling something?)
Yes, sir.
(I see, if I were bootlegging or something of that sort.)
Yes, or running a rooming house - renting a few of the rooms.
Entry 3298
By takin' 'is chamber lye an' takin' an' corkin' it up an' carryin' it off an' buryin' it, dat will take his nature 'way, see.
Entry 4005
Well, some folks dey do's diff'ren' thin's wit yore chamber lye; it's accordin' tuh whut dey wanta do tuh yuh.
(Well, tell me one thing they can do to you.)
Well, dey kin use de chamber lye de same way dey use de hair. Dey kin take some of yore chamber lye an' stop it up in a tree, an' yo'll have stomik trouble, see, down in yore stomik. An' it will kill yo' if, yo' know, yo' don't do somepin fur it.
Entry 4025
See, when dey take yore chamber lye an' stop it up - some people take it an' stop it up. Well, dat stop dey watah.
Entry 4046
Take your chamber lye an' jes' po' it all around de do'.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'em from puttin' any roots down. Dey won't harm yo' at all.
Entry 4048
She take an' throw chamber lye out de front an' out de back do', an' she say dat draws customahs.
(If she's selling likker?)
Yessuh.
Entry 4078
A woman kin take chamber lye an' feed a man on it an' do 'im any way in de worl' she wanta. She have him he'pless [helpless]. He cain't do a thin'. She jis' have him gwinin' [going = running around in circles] all de time.
Entry 4079
Yo' kin take chamber lye an', yo' know, if yo' kin git a chance tuh cook fer 'im an' put it in 'is food, well he'll come back [if he has left home].
Entry 4084
Dey could use yuh chamber lye.
(All right, how could you do that?)
Dey tell me if yuh take de chamber lye an' mix it intuh whut chew eat - dey tell me a woomin kin take dat an' sprinkle a little of de chamber lye intuh whut chew eat an' let chew eat dat. Dat'll keep yuh from runnin' aftah othah wimmins.
Entry 4085
Dey says yo' kin take dat chamber lye an' if de woman's fond-a drink- in', anythin' lak dat, if yuh cain't git 'er tuh.yuh an' she's strayed away from yuh. Take it an' put it an' give it tuh some of yuh close fren's, an' let 'er git it an' drink it - de chamber lye. Says dat's whut dat's good fo'. Dat will make 'er 'tenshun [attention] go back tuh yuh.
Entry 4090
Well, people say yo' kin use chamber lye. Take dat an' take an' make it up in bread, an' have a man do jis' lak - have him undah yore coamand, if it's yore frien' or yore husban'.
Entry 4098
Yuh kin take hit - take de chamber lye an' put it in 'is coffee or eithah sompin tuh eat, an' it will make him love yuh an' give yuh money.
Entry 4099
Whut ah heard women say - ah don' know but ah heard women say dey take dey chamber lye an' put it in dere husban' tea or coffee, an' dey say dat will make 'em love 'em an' make 'em stay at home.
Entry 4101
Lak if mah man has turn 'is back on me, ah take some of dat chamber lye an' ah put it in 'is coffee an' he drink it. Well, den he'll do anyvay ah say, an' he go wit nobody else.
Entry 4102
Ah've heard some of 'em say, yuh kin take yuh chamber lye. Dey take it an' git tuh some-a dem shoe, an' dey take dat an' sprinkle it down in dey shoes - yo' see, sompin lak dat. An' take it an' eithah po' it in coffee, slip it in some-a dems coffee, yuh know, an' make dem love yuh. An' den de women's take it an' make de mens bring 'em de money. See.
Entry 4108
Den yuh kin take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' de fingahnails an' toenails an' chamber lye an' put dat in a person's food. Dat'll make 'em love yuh.
Entry 4113
Den, they say that when you're workin' aroun' [doing housework], if you Want TO KEEP CHURE JOB, Why yo' kin, yo' know. Yo' kin TAKE A LITTLE chamber lye AN' PUT IT IN DE FOOD OR WHEN WASHIN' OF DE DISHES.
Entry 4122
Walkin' aroun' de house, ah heard dat. If a woman got chew fixed in love, so deep in love dat chew can't - dat chew can't git 'er off yuh mind, J jis' walk aroun' de house once in de mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' takes a drink of yuh own chamber lye. Nine mawnin's walk aroun' de house an' dat'll kill dat. [As you will See, THIS RITE IS IDENTICAL WITH THE PRECEDING ONE, THOUGH THE FORMER HAS MORE DETAIL AND INTEREST. DESPITE THESE TWO PERSONS APPEARING 35 INFORMANTS APART, I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER THERE WAS ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM. Occasionally, a doctor especially, almost anyone, man or woman, would send a scout ahead to learn about my work and to evaluate the safety and reward problem. The present coincidence may be such an example. MY COMMENT NG ON TBE ORIGINAL TRANSCRIPTION SHEET IN THE "MS" MEANS A NUMBER OF THINGS; HERE PROBABLY SOMEONE HAVING LITTLE TO REPORT.]
Entry 4183
Yuh kin take dat [urine of his] an' write his name nine times on a piece of papah, right in de same place jis' nine times, an' yuh fold it tuh yuh each way. Each way yuh fold it, yuh fold it tuh yuh, an' yuh put it in dat chamber lye an' yuh put it in a perfume bottle an' turn it on its haid. An' long as dat piece of papah wettin' 'im down dataway, why yuh'll nevah git shet of 'im.
(Now, you mean writing his name nine times, you keep writing right over it?)
Right in dat same place. Jis' lak yo' write it right dere [demonstrates]. Well go right back an' write it right dere ag'in, nine times in dat same one place. Den yuh fold it tuh yuh an' each way yuh fold it tuh yuh - each time yuh fold, why yuh jis' fold it tuh yuh. (You fold it like this [I demonstrate]. Then you fold the little corners here and fold it there.) Yeah, jis' lak disaway [demonstrates]. Fold it tuh yuh. Den yuh turn roun an' fold it de othah side, den yuh fold dis cornah tuh yuh, an' den yuh turn roun' an' yuh fold dat cornah tuh yuh, yuh see. Eithah way yuh fold it, jis' fold it tuh yuh. An' den yuh put it in a perfume bottle an' turn it on de haid, turn dat little bottle on its haid. An' long as dat's wettin' 'im down, why yuh'll nevah git shet of 'im. [HERE IS A UNIQUE HAND (see P.519f.). THE MAN'S CAPTURED SPIRIT (see p.24f.), HIS NAME, IS FED (see p.578) BY HIS URINE, ANOTHER PART OF HIS SPIRIT (see P.21, No.24).]
Entry 4251
Take some chamber lye an' scrub yuh steps off wit it, scrub yuh po'ch off wit it, an' throw it ovah yuh lef' shouldah an' throw some ovah yuh right shouldah, an' don't look back at it an' go back in de house. Dey won't come dere no mo'. (That will keep this person from coming back to your house.)
Entry 4263
Dey say if she want 'im sometime, yo' know, jis' take dere chamber lye an' put it in a bottle. An' take nine needles, new needles outa papah [of nee- dles]. Put 'em down in 'ere [there] on de points in de bottle an' stop it up tight. Whenevah yo' wan' 'im an' he don' come - an' yo' wan's 'im - jis' shake dat up. He git worried [and come].
Entry 4287
Ah've heard dat evah mawnin' 'fo' sunrise, jis' lak yuh - yuh git up an' take yuh chamber lye an' throw it tuh de right-hand side of yuh do' 'fo' de sunrise, an' dat'll make yuh lucky.
Entry 4301
Git de sole of de shoe when de sole wo' 'way on de bottom, parch 'em in ashes an' put 'em in chamber lye. Parch 'em intuh ashes an' drop it down in a bottle an' put in chamber lye an' stick it [bottle bottom] up.
(What will that do?)
Say dat gits 'em down. Dat breaks up a man an' 'is wife.
(Whose shoes would they do that to?)
Jis' lak if anybody wanta break me up an' ah throw mah ole shoes out, dey gits 'em. Dey git mah shoes an' burn de sole.
(And whose chamber lye do they put on that, then?)
Yores, yore own.
(The person that is trying to harm you?)
Dat's right.
Entry 4310
Sweep out chure house wit chure chamber lye; dat'll make yuh have customers an' make de policeman stay 'way from yuh house.
Entry 4311
chamber lye, yuh watah - take de chamber lye from de night when yuh'all would git up. An' take in de mawnin' when yuh sweep out de house, sweepin' out de do', when yuh git through, empty de watah, throw it undah de house. (What will that do?) Dat bring 'im in, dat brings in luck.
(Customers?)
Yes.
Entry 4327
An' den people kin take dat chamber lye an' go tuh a tree, de fo'k of a tree an' where it can't be seen, an' dig a hole down in dat tree. An' have it [urine] in a bottle an' stop it up, an' turn it wit its haid down [into the hole] lak dat [demon- strates]. An' whoevah [whose urine] it is it.will stop 'is watah, [keep him] from urinatin', an' yo' know, cuz 'em [him] tuh have a complaint dat nobody kin cure. An' he die unless it's moved [by a doctor able to see and kill the effects of the spell or cunjure].
Entry 4328
Dey git hold of dere chamber lye an' po' it intuh - bore a hole intuh a stump, or somepin lak dat, an' po' it in dere an' stop it up so it will pene- trate down through dat stump. It gits no air. Dey say dat will intahfere wit de bladdah an' check yuh watah so much, so dat de doctah kin har'ly start it ag'in.
Entry 4686
Take hit an' put it - yuh know chamber lye - put it in chamber lye, dis little bow. An' keep it in dat chamber lye an' dis man go crazy ovah dat woman. He cain't guit 'er fo' no othah woman in de worl'.
(Whose chamber lye does she put that bow in?) Put it in 'ers - 'er chamber lye.
Entry 4843
(Anything else now?)
Oh yes, she kin take her watah, or she kin take her monthlies. Dat's de big- gest way de mos' of 'em do, an' mix wit 'is food. She stirs it wit a little chamber lye an' put in 'is coffee. She kin put milk in it an' keep 'im doped on dat. Dat's if he don' care nuthin about 'er. She want's tuh take 'im in, see, wal she jis' takes dat. An' if she don't wan'a do dat, she don' have tuh do it. [When] she washes, she takes 'is undahclothes, his drawahs, an' right in de seat she clips, yuh know. Jes' lak pants sewed up, yuh know, dere's a little seam. Well dat run right up dere. She jis' clips jis' dat much of it off [dem- onstrates]. Dat's all she got'a have, an' bind it up in a red flannel, jis' a small piece, an' place it undah 'er arm an' [or] undah 'er feet.
(Which arm does she place it under?)
Undah de lef' one. Always put it undah de lef'.
Entry 5056
Yo' kin take a man's sock. AH'M TALKIN' FROM EXPERIENCE, an' wet it in chamber lye an' write his name an' put it in de middle of yore bed where he sleep, an' dat man will continue sleepin' [there]. (You take either one of his socks?) Eithah one of 'em, but people prefah de lef'. Write de name on a piece of papah an' wrap it up in dat sock, his name, an' put it in de middle of yore bed [Quincunx] where yo' have a chance tuh - between he an' yuh. It makes a good fellah out of 'im.
Entry 5060
Gits yore sock an' dey bury it undah yore do'step. If dey wants yuh tuh stay home, wit de foot yuh know tuhwards de house. Now if dey wanted yuh tuh leave, dey bury hit undah yore do'- step wit de foot goin' away. An' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's dey po' chamber lye on it.
Entry 7053
A woman could take her watah or chamber lye an' put it in a man's coffee or anythin' lak dat, if he's a bad likkah drinkah, an' he'll quit off right den; won't know whut's de mattah wit 'im tuh cuz 'im - he'll think he jis' quit it.
Entry 7179
She kin take a dishrag an' wet it fairly good wit 'er chamber lye an' slip it intuh de pillah or de cotton where he really sleeps on. An', why he'll go in dere [the cotton he sleeps on]. Well, de fac' [fact] about it, stay in dere. An' he'll nevah come out regardless tuh whut she even doin' on de outside. Let i sleep dere till daylight.
(He's going to sleep while she's gone out?)
Yes sir.
Entry 12075
Hat bow from man's hat, a woman kin dress it with chamber lye 3 times a day an' carry [wear]...that will keep them [him]. [Little Rock 1468:7.]
Entry 13375
Use chamber lye fo' luck, chamber lye an' lye. Scrub yore house all with that an' throw it on yore front po'ch an' on yore yard, on de concrek in de front of yore yard, where peoples have tuh walk across. [Memphis 2695:8.]
Entry 13402
Take it an' jis' t'row it all aroun' yah house - jis' de chamber lye - to have yeh good luck. [Wilmington 209:5+85.]
Entry 4031
Dey jes' put - stop it up in a bottle, mos' any bottle.
(All right, this chamber lye. What will that do?)
Well, dat keep yo' at home - jes' keep yo' at home.
(What do they do with that urine after they stop it up in that bottle?)
Yo' kin lay it anywheres in de house so dey don' [find it].
Entry 923
Now mah wife, I an' her wus togethah heah year befo' last. We separated Christmas gone a year ago. Ah reckon we lived heah three months ago. Now, she wus fixed, although she's impregnant - understand. Sometimes she would grow out an' den sometimes she would go back in. Ah could lay mah han's on her stomach an' I could feel somepin knockin' lak dat - jes knockin'. Well, ah tried doctors - de doctors stayin' in town heah now - Dr. Fields, Dr. Olson, Dr. Roach. She wus workin' in de Georgia Power an' Light Company. So she came home an tole me, she say, "Well, now," says, "ah don't feel no bettah." She say, "Ah jes' have de fainting spells, ah don't feel no bettah atall." Well, dose peoples next do' to us would come ovah an' he'p do fo' her. Well, ah wus a man an' ah had no business doin' all those things fo' her. Some things I could do an' some things ah wouldn't do, although ah wus her husband. Well, dey would come ovah an' dey would do fo' her. So ah tole 'er one day, ah said, "Say, listen, whut de doctor say?" Ah say, "Did yo' went to him?" She say, "Yes, ah went to him." She say, "Dr. Fields say an' also Dr. Walker say I was impregnant. She say, "Well, ah tried Dr. Whitman, an' he say de same identical thing," she say, ''but ah can't understand it, ah'm not impregnant." Well, ah say, "Ah don't know - dis way is funny - mahself - but," ah say, "de blame is on yo' - ah don't know." She went like that fo' seven months an' she come out well. Well, she had to be operated on fo' first of October - Dr. Louis told her she had to be operated on de first of October, also Dr. Whitman, an' wus operated on. So ah tried an' tried an' tried an' tried an' at de main time dat de chile Wus supposed to be born, if it wus a chile; but it wusn't no chile, wusn't nuthin. So ah goes to a fellah - de fellah's in town now. Ah goes to him an' ah walk to de do' an' look round. He say, "Hello there." [I] say, "Hello." [He] say, "How yo' feelin'?" [I say] "All right." He says, "Well, yo' comin' tuh see about chure wife?" "Yes, ' ah say, - "Yessuh, '' [I] say, "she's come with a little condition." Ah say, "Well, from whut ah kin learn, ah can't understand de matter she's in, can't understand de sickness." He say, "Her sickness is not nach'ral," say, "she wus run home - dat's where [when] she got her dose - yore wife is a woman dat she loves tuh run round" - well now, he wus tellin' me wit dis on cards. He says, "Yore wife loves to run round," he says, "she's not a woman true to one man, she wants yo' an' fo' or five or six men." An' he say, "She messed wit a man's wife up dere an' jumped on de woman about her husband an' de woman had her fixed like dat. Now, she's fixed an' perhaps she is pregnant." Well, ah know de girl - tell yo' de truth, Boss, she nevah come in de house [came home] at all. He said, "But chew go back to de house an' yo' go up under about three feet," he say, "under de do'step." He say, "Go up under de house an' stop, dig jes about dat deep." He says, "Dat's where de mess lays - all messed up." He say, "Can't chew smell somebody's chamber lye all round yore house?" Ah tole him, "Yes sir." He say, "All right, den yo' go back to yore house an' git dis." He give me some kinda thing like vaseline, but it wasn't vaseline 'cause ah smelled it - it wasn't vaseline. It was greasy - to keep de misery from comin on me, yo' see. [This thing like vaseline was to protect him, especially his hands, while digging up the mess.] He said, "Yo' git this an' yo' bring it to me." He said, "Yo' go in de woods an' git me three," he say, "git me three piece of cedar-tree root, jes' about dat long," he say, "an' bring dem back to me. Ah tole him, "All right, sir." He say, "Co'se ah won't have it fixed fo' yo' till tomorrow," see, "sometime," he say, "but tonight at twelve a'clock zactly, yo' go out chure back gate, come all round de streets dat chew come in de front do' an'," he say, "have yo' some salt an' some red peppah." He say, "Sprinkle dat salt all de way through yore house from de gate on out to back an' back round de house again." He say, "Make a round ring," he say, "an' den put some dat peppah de same identical way." He say, "Now, dese people will go to yore home tomorrow to git a match. In case yo' don't let dem have de match, dey gon'a be back ovah dere to borrah some lard." Ah tole him, "All right." He say, "Now, yo' have to give me chance - tomorrow ah'll have her all right." He say, "Co'se she gon'a be operated" - she wusn't operated on den. He say, "Co'se, she got'a be operated on - operation do her good, but still ah do somepin an' let somebody else [the surgeon] do something fo' her, or," he says, "she'll be in a terrible condition till she die."
[This is my only example of cooperation between doctor and doctor.]
An' ah went back an' got dis stuff from under de house an' carried it back tuh dis man, an' dis man fixed it. Now, what he put in it - ah don't know whut he put in de stuff. But ah tell yo' whut was in de stuff dat wus fixed fo' her. Dey had a piece of her hair. Dey had some of dis heah cut from de seat of her underclothes. Somebody had eithah slipped in de house an' got dat stuff - see, she wouldn't let nobody do washin' or anything - co'se dey prob'bly had a chance tuh cut it off de line out dere while it hangin' up on de line dryin'.
(The seat of her underwear?)
Dat's right, an' dey got a piece of her underskirt - right up undah heah [demonstrates].
(Under her arm?)
Dat's right, dat wus in dis mess - now, ah'm tellin' you whut ah seen in dis mess. Dat wus inside dis mess whut dey had fix fo' her. An' a little somepin - ah don't know whether it wus tomatoes or don't know whether it was some of her ministration or whut, but hit wus inside a little rag, it wasn't in no bottle, it was in a rag. An' ah carried it on back ovah dere an' gave it tuh him. So after ah gave it tuh him, he say, "Well, now, don't chew git uneasy," he say, "in a few days she'll be all right." An' so - well, it wus on a Friday when ah had taken it back ovah dere to him. An' dat Sunday, she got 'long jest as - nevah been sick no mo'. (Do you know what he did with those three pieces of cedar root that you took to him?) Ah don't know, suh. He wouldn't even tell me whut he did wit it. After ah'd taken her back dere wit me, he wouldn't even let me come in de room whilst she's in dere. When ah got de cedar tree root ah give it tuh her. Yo' see, ah went back ovah dere wit dem all right but ah give it to her, an' him an' her went in a room, like yo' in heah now [and no one else in the room], an' he wouldn't let me come in dere at de time he fixin' dat fo' her. An' he tole her tuh wear dat. Cause she's living now - ah reckon, if she's not daid - but ah haven't seen her in 'bout a year an' three months, cause I an' her separated.
Entry 1059
Dey tell me you kin take a bottle - listen good now - take a bottle with your husband's chamber lye. Just don't let him spit in it - just like he pass de water, don't let him spit in dere, see. And you take a piece of de underclothes - piece of his underclothes and you take one piece of his stocking from heel side, one piece off de middle, one piece to the bottom see, and den put them three in it and then you gets six needles - gold-eye needles and this - some kind of old-time cologne dey call - some kind of old-time cologne dey call - it's real sweet cologne. (Heart's Cologne?) [Informant could not remember. I had to suggest a name to get along with the story.] I'll say. Get dis Heart's Cologne and dey put dat in dere and then they put six needles, and they put six new needles - gold-eye needles see, and you put - then you take it and bury dat late at night. And den dey put 'em down at de head of yer step like dat and when you put 'em down you say, "You son-of-bitch, I want you to come back....
(The head of the bottle is upside down. There is a cork in it though?)
Yas suh, cork in dere too - airtight. Nobody - nothing can get into it. And say, "You son-of-a-bitch, I want you to come." And he won't have no nature for no other woman, just have to come back to you. [While checking transcription against recording I made a note "lowland dialect," meaning that the transcription is approximate.]
Entry 1304
You can take the chamber lye and mix spirits of turpentine with it and then put it on and boil it until it dries up. That'll swell you up. {This bewitched condition, retention of the urine which causes hollering spells, is cured as follows:] You go right out and get one of these old fox grapes - some calls them tangle vines. Cut it off just about as high as your privates. Then you bend it over and put that right into a jar - the piece that's in the ground you bend over and put in the jar - and let stay twenty-four hours. Then, whatever [juice] you find in jar, you take a bath [with it] all over. That'll kill any 'craft [witchcraft] and hoZlering spells.
Entry 1362
You put dis dime and den if you use de same root what I tell you about.
(John the Conquer?)
Yes - John de Conker and dis dime and call it a bodyguard. A dime and dis John de Conker and dis same Hearts Cologne use that together, and den yuh take dat and you make dat up like a bag, and den you got'a put John de Conker and dis dime, fix dat together and put 'em in a glass, in the chamber lye and let it lay over all night. See, leave that lay over all night and den de next morning dey take and dey feed it and dey wear dat around dere waist. See, den nobody can't hurt cha. [To feed is to dampen, letting the cloth soak up liquid - see Feed in Index.]
(What do you feed that with the next morning?)
You feed that with that same Hearts Cologne. Now, dey take dis and dey get a bottle of de Hearts Cologne, see and they put that in that, and you draw that together and put that aroun' - and dey put 'em around dey waist and then you take the Hearts Cologne and put it in another bottle. You do that over your face in the morning-time when you go out in de morning-time - dress your face. You go out like dat and ain't nobody can't worry you - you see, if you got a enemy and you puts that thing on your face like that, you see, it will stick there.
(I see, and they can't harm you.)
Entry 1609
How dey cure it - well it's very easy. Yo' use your own chamber lye, salt and red pepper and bath in it nine times - nine mornings.
(Nine times?)
No, jes' nine mornings, and you bath over running water - you know, either has a hydrant or anything where the Water is running. [In Brunswick, Georgia, a Woman buried something over the waterpipe coming from the street into the house.] And you bath in it and then you say a prayer when you bath in it and it'll carry that away, because nothing kin go against salt and pepper.
(What sort of a prayer would you use?)
Jest the Lord's Prayer.
(You say this happened to you?)
That happened to me.
(How was your hand harmed? How did they fix your hand that way?)
Don't know how they fixed it - don't know whatever they do to you, don't you know.
Entry 1643
I went to a lady onest an' it was a place I couldn't stay in de house, an' she told me to get up every morning and soon an' sprinkle a box of table salt all around the house, and leave that go until it penetrated into the place, you see. An' then around twelve o'clock, get out there with a box of lye, Red Seal Lye, and broom and some chamber lye, you know, and you scrub it. And said after that then throw nine buckets of water, clean water, and that will wash it all away - that's if somebody tricked around your place.
Entry 1719
At night befo' yo' go out tuh gamble yo' bathe in some bluestone, salt- peter, sugah an' yore chamber lye, an' bathe from de head heah all de way down an' yo' say the Lord's Prayer three times, an' yo take dat an' put any kinda oil whut chew believe in an' rub it on yore.ca'ds lak dat.
(What kind of oil would you use for that?)
Well, ah tell yo' whut ah do's, believes in - ah believes in de oil of rose. Yo' buy it at the drug sto'.
Entry 2412
Well, you kin take chamber lye, stale beer, or something like that, or they kin take your bathwater - just like, say, you set it up overnight. And then yo' po' all that together and mop your house with it. Then you kin burn a little luck powder or something like that in there.
(That is to bring in trade?)
That will bring in trade. (Do you mix all those things together? That bathwater and all those things together? And mop with it?) And mop with it.
Entry 2630
Yo' kin git some bluestone an' a can of sulphur. Yo' take that blue- stone an' sulphur an' saltpeter, an' put it undah de front do'steps an' de back do'step an' as fur as dey kin go up undah de house - see, round inside the house. Now, yo' burn some sulphur an' put yo' some essence of pennyroyal on that sugah, wit garlic an' a red onion. Don't nevah throw a onion peelin' outa de house. Always keep onion an' garlic. Burn it in dat stove with sugah. It brings luck in the house. An' de law ain't goin' bother yo'. Mop dat front steps - it don't take but a little time. Put yo' some garlic, cut up some garlic, an' chamber lye an' mop that be- fo' seven every mawnin', befo' seven. Do dis befo' seven an"leven. Dat brings yo luck - seven an' 'leven. Do yo' burnin' 'fore seven an' 'leven.
Entry 2690
Dat good to make a linament out of it - anything of garlic lak dat. Git six red onions an' she kin boil all dat up some day when dere ain't nobody dere, an' git a bunch of cedar [branches] an' mop yore flo's wit it; keep it secret yo' know from anybody. Mop up flo's an' dat's luck - make her have hustlin' luck - customers, anything she wants - sellin' whiskey or anything.
(Now what would she boil up together, you say?)
Cedar, garlic - one dose little burr of garlic, an' git a nickel worth of red onion an' jes' chop it up, an' chamber lye - git a whole quart of chamber lye. Mop dat flo' wit it. Don't mop outside an' don't sweep de dirt out de room out- side - take it up on a dustpan an' burn on de flo'. Always go backwards wit de mop. Don't mop out. Yo' know a lotta people mop out. Dat's yore luck goin' outdo's - mop back.
Entry 2696
Yo' kin take a person's chamber lye an' put sugah in it an' lye an' oil of anise, an' sprinkle dat an' make yore wish. Sweep yore po'ch back to yore house an' that brings good luck to yo'. Do dat fo' hustlin' people - bring money in yore house.
Entry 2707
You use saltpeter, blood root, chamber lye, salt, pepper and alum. You mix it all altogether and you boil dis. You boil it in your own water MondayS, Wednesdays and Fridays and after you have boiled it down, you take the bottom of it - let it boil dry - de bottom will be a powder and you jest put it to de front door. Throw it out and rub it on yore door, and dey [officers of the law] won't come. Dey'll pass by and go to next house.
Entry 2927
Yo' git up every mawnin' at 'fore six a'clock an' scrub an' den yo' burn yore candles. Yo' scrub wit chamber lye an' oil of anise, sugah an' lye an' saltpetah, an' garlic an' cinnamon. Yo' do dat aroun' six 'clock in de mawnin'. Yo' buy all dese things. It'll bring luck to yore place. [Many examples of scrubbing for business, as well as the ingredients used here, will be found in subsection BUSI- NESS AND CUSTOMERS, pp.669-744. Candles are usually not added to the scrubbing.]
Entry 4012
Well, it's a powdahs dat ah have used but ah don't know de name of dat powdah. Dey use de chamber lye fo' two-three diff'ren' things.
(Tell me one of them first.)
Well, yo' kin take - if yo' kin ketch any of dey own, jis' lak, yo' know, dey go in a bucket at night. Well, yo' kin go dere an' git it. Yo' go dere an' git it an' boil it. Yo' gotta boil it thoroughly. Yo' take de white of a aig an break it in dere. An' yo' take de white of de aig an' let it stay in dere till it cook up, an' take it right back an' put it in a bottle. Take some Hearts Cologne an' po' in dere wit it, an' yo' go right back an' bury it right at de gate where dey have tuh walk ovah it.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat's fo' givin' people luck when stayin' at a house, where dey been in bad luck an' been havin' confusion.
Entry 4220
chamber lye is fo' success. Dey put it in de watah dat chew mop yuh flo's wit. Put chamber lye an' put sugah in de watah an' oil of cinnamon, an scrub yuh flo's. Start at chure front do' an' scrub on back in de house. Scrub yuh do' facin's an' all, wash 'em down. If yuh got varnish do's an' yuh cain't scrub 'em, why yuh jis' sprinkle 'em; but yuh scrub yuh flo's wit it, mop 'em yuh know lak dat.
Entry 4266
Well, if yo' wan'a person jealous of yo' - yo' know how womenfolks are.
(You want to make a man jealous of you?)
Jes' love yo', yo' know, an' don't want 'im tuh go out. Well yuh git 'is chamber lye. Yuh git nine bran'-new goldeye needles, nine pins - bran'-new pins, straight pins. An' yuh take nine of dese spices, whole spices [all- spices], nine cloves an' about nine teaspoonful of sugar an' cinnamon [9 each] wit dat. Yuh stop it up in a bottle an' den turn dis bottle on de head in a cornah or secret place. Ah don't care where dey at - jes' lak if yo' say, "Ah wanta see So-an'-so, if dey on de job," an' dey could be jes' lef' [left the job]. Yo' shake dis bottle, see, shake dis bottle up an' cāre [carry] it aroun' yuh head three times, an' bring it tuh yuh dis way three times [demonstrates], an' den yuh jes' shake, shake it, shake it, yuh know, three times, down tuh de flo' [floor], yuh see, an' always keep it [bottle] on de head [upside down], an' dat'll make 'em jes' go crazy [about you].
[Here's my immediate comment, at this point, about the demonstration.]
(Turn [instead of informant's care] this bottle round yuh head three times like a halo.) [Circle would have been a better word, but halo fully describes the action and also shows me commenting to cylinder, not to informant who probably would not have understood halo.]
Entry 10746
They say it'll stop your periods.
(Well, how do they do that?)
They say they take your chamber lye and put turpentine in it...
[While machine is off I ask for repetition.]
They take chamber lye and they put turpentine in it and they put cayenne red epper [to distinguish cayenne pepper from garden red peppers ground up] in it and there's some way they do with that that stops you. (Well, do you know how they fix it up?) Yeah, I seen it. (How?) They takes your chamber lue and put the cayenne pepper and the red pepper [the 2 peppers now separated] and they put it in a bottle and they bury it and that stops the periods on you.
(You heard this stops your water?)
Your periods.
(Oh, it stops your periods?)
Yeah, and it dries you up - just drift you away.
Entry 2729
Take one penny an' nail it down here [demonstrates].
(Under the doorsill.)
Under de do'sill. Won't put chew out cus he [Indian of penny] standing on it - he standin' on de do'sill. Ev'ry mornin' when you git up, take yore chamber lye an' throw it out dere. Dat's if you runnin' sportin' house an' men's comin' dere an' ev'rythin'. Take dat runnin' water [from the faucet] an' throw it out. Dat'll bring 'em all in an' den de customers will come an' de law ain't comin' dere. Dey can't come over dat. If you walk around Charleston, you wanta see dese pennies dere. (On the doorsills.) [For this use of penny, see p.6llf.]
Entry 497
Yo' takes dis chamber lye an' yo' puts it in somepin an' stops it up an' let it stay fo' nine days, an' ev'ry mawnin' dis witch will come to yo' to borrah somepin. Slong [so long] as yo' keep dat dere, don' nevah lend 'er anythin', an' if yo' do not lend 'er anythin', well, den she'll bust. But if yo' jes' keep dat den she'll bust. But if yo' - she'll come to yo' fo' nine mawnin's an' if yo lend 'er somethin' ev'ry time she come to yo, den she kin git ovah it. But if yo' don't lend 'er anythin', why it's nuthin' she kin do.
(Whose water do you put in that bottle?)
Yo' put de witch's watah - oh! yo' put chure watah in de bottle - yo' know, yore chamber lye, yo' put hit in de bottle.
(You have this bottle by your bed when you sleep at night?)
Yes sir, an' yo' turn two fo'ks up - yo' take a fo'k an' a knife an' yo' stick de knife in de fo'k [making a cross] an' lay it undah yore pillah, an' den if she starts ridin' yo' yo'll see her, yo'll wake an' she'll appear tuh yo'. (You use both the fork an' the knife, an' this bottle of chamber lye - all together?) No sir, yo' leave de chamber lye yo' put hit in de bottle de next morning, after yo' see this witch.
(Oh, you have to see her that night.)
You will see her if yo' put dat fo'k dere.
Entry 910
My father, he got hurt. He 'uz [was] carin' a sore on his ankle an' - it jis' wus small - an' it kep' inflammin' an' he went to de physical doctor. An' he give 'im medicine an' de more he'd put on it, de worser hit got, so he stopped. An' his brother came an' took 'im an' car'ed 'im to a witchcraft. So de witchcraft doctor he fixed 'im some medicine an' tole 'im to nuse [use] dat on it. It wus red an' it smelt funny; in fact I don't know de name of it. So he nused it on dat. An' he tole 'im to bathe it in chamber lye an' salt. An' he bathed it in chamber lye an' salt befo' he put de medicine on it. So he could walk. An' in a few days he isn't gettin' bettah, so he went back to 'im again. An' he give 'im some kin'a salve to put in dat place - it was a hole right in his ankle, right at bone - an' it commence healin' up. So he put de salve in an' it healed up. An' he got so he could walk aroun'. An' dey [doctor] tole 'im he wus hurt an' tole 'im to look under de side of de baid. An' he found somepin down dere. But he [doctor] wouldn't turn nuthin back on 'em; he would jis' show 'im an' tell 'im whut to do to turn it back. An' he tole 'im somepin to do to turn it back an' -
(What did he tell him to do? But first, did your father look for this thing?)
Yes. He found some kin'a little balls sewed up; out of cloth - it wus dirty - it wus five in a sort of bag [a hand] an' hit sewed up an' de top wus tied with a string - it [bag] wus white but hit wus dirty - looked like hit had been toted a long time. An' a bottle of perfume in it [bag]. [This was one of those tiny bottles formerly sold at the lOc store.] He [doctor] tole 'im to git it an' bring it to him. So he got it an' car'ed it to 'im. An' he tole 'im to go back home an' take a half-a-gallon jar an' to do dirty in de jar.
(Water or the stool?)
The stool. An' take it an' care it an' bur' it in [the] people's path, an' de one whut did dat [witchcraft] would walk over it an' would git in de same fix he wus in. An' so he did it. An' dey [it] wus a lady did it, an' so she took de sore on her ankle. An' den [by this sore] dey found out who did it. So de man tole 'im to come back to 'im after he found out who did it. An' he got cured of hissen an' he git so he wus walkin' aroun'.
(Whatever happened to this bag with the balls in it?)
He took de bag an' took an' burn it up, I think de witchcraft. [Wilmington, N. Car., (222), 136: l; between Florence & Sumter, S. Car.,1930.]
Entry 1099
I have known a woman who had a swelling from her knee down - from her knee down she was miserable. It hurt her, it kept her in terror, until she got so she could not walk. Finally, when the people had tried everything they knew to rub with and to bathe her legs with, her foot continued just to be swollen in such a nature of misery until she could not bear any weight on it. On a certain day an old woman came by the house. She said, "What have you done for that leg?" She asked how about her foot. They said, "We have done everything we know." She said, "Will you do this?" She said, "I will tell you what to do. You go out in an old field and when you find where these big red ants have made their nest" - it has a big hill, usually there is a lot of young ones in that hill - "you carry a pot with you, take a shovel, go around four ways around the nest and let it go in the ground. Then you just scoop that nest right up on the shovel and put it in that pot, all the live ants you can get, and cover the pot up and take it home. Put it over the fire, get some chamber lye, put the pot on the fire, put the chamber lye in, shut it up tight, let it get hot with the ants in there. When it gets hot and you know the ants is all dead and the dirt is hot through, open the pot, take a piece of cloth, spread this ant hill out on the cloth hot, apply it to the leg, as hot as she can bear it, bind it there and in her instep, bind it good and let it stand. I guarantee you that it will take the misery out of the swelling, because she has been cunjured." That was in Orangeburg County [South Carolina]. I saw the person. I saw the ant hill. I saw the poultice. And the next day she could put her foot to the floor. In four days she could walk. They repeated that twice and the leg Was healed. [New York Citv. (10, Ed.]
Entry 1330
Heah's another one - this is important an' this is worth a heap, too, because this is true. In de event yo' say, now if a person had turnt a - cast some evil spell upon a person, dey was undah dere spell. Dis is a sure Way of dem turnin' dat spell, breaking dat spell an' turning it back to de one whomsomevah did it. Yo' take then - let him take about a cup or two cups of meal, make him a small hoecake of bread which we say. But he makes that up using a level cupful of salt an' his own chamber lye. He gits white homespun an' lay that - take away all the ashes out de fireplace an' he lay dat homespun down first an' he jest pat - put's dat bread down in dere an' he pads [pats] it out down dere see, after he's mixed it up, an' he turns dat - has it long enough that he folds that cloth back ovah, jest towards de chimley: An' that turn that back an' burns it until it all burn up. An' den dat turns dat same spell back to de person whosomevah did it. [The baker cleans a place on the hearth by removing ashes, lays a piece of white (unbleached) homespun on the cleaned place, spreads or pats out his hoecake on the homespun, has the homespun long enough so that by lifting up the outer edge and bending it back towards the chimney the hoecake is turned completely over towards the chimney.]
(Where did you hear that?)
Well, ah got dat from a ole master craftman.
(It sounds old.)
Yes, sir. Well, it's not so old but dat's de truth.
Entry 1483
And den, how you dress yo' feet. Yo' through wit dat part. How you dress yo' feet, you takes bluestone, beat up fine - not so much, just a leetle bit of piece and sulphur and salt. Put in each one of your shoes, put it under- neath the lining in your shoes. See. Well, you know what dat is fo'? That is for to keep dem from hurting you. See, dey kin hurt chew all kind of ways and dey can hurt chew on your feet so bad, if you don't hurry roun' and use dat chamber lye and things, saltpeter, you shore will get hit - you'll be out dere in de cemetery, for dey re'lly kin do it. Dat's de only thing whut kin pertect yore feet.
Entry 1597
At one time I was off from my work and my wife was sweeping our back yard and she swept over a jelly jar. It was stopped up and turned bottom up in the yard. By the sun shining I see that jar and I stopped and asked her what was that shining. I thought it was a piece of money. So I went there and dug it up out of the ground in my back yard. I came to the steps and I opened it. It had some kind of powder.
(Do you know what the powder was?)
No, I don't know what kind - it was a brown powder.
(All right - go ahead.)
And something like a sponge was mixed up and stopped in there. When I opened it, it knocked me down when I inhaled it. [As I explain elsewhere, this sort of thing is a hyperbole, not a lie.] Later on, my wife's leg broke out - swole up rather, and my leg swole up. And we heard of a man who could tell you things, and we went there and he told me that I had stepped over something. And I asked him what could he do for it. He told me that he believed through the help of God that he could cure me. And I told him that I would be pretty glad if he would. And he got some ashes, some salt, some red pepper and some chamber lye and he mixeded that up in a pan - stirred it thoroughly well and he took and got us there to the pan and washed our leg down, washed this leg down. So later on, two or three days maybe, the leg went down, and it broke out little skin - little dry lookin' skin on there. Well, all of that come off and my leg began to get all right.
Entry 1599
Well they claim, if you near-sighted or somepin like that in your eyes an' mis'ry in yore haid all the while, they say you take chamber lye an' heat wit salt you know for pains. You bathe the haid an' the steam that choo - hol' [hold your head] you know over the bucket like that. You put salt in it. Sometime it git ole. They say the older it gits you know an' smell [the better]. A man, his daughter use it one day. She was near-sighted. She couldn't see atall. An' she bathe in that for a week [7 days] an' when de week out after she'd used it, then she could see.
Entry 1604
An' right in mah laig heah - ah couldn't move an' ah couldn't walk but mah sistah would bring whut ah'd tell her tuh me. Ah tole her, ah said, "Now yo' bring me a basin an' when ah urinate," ah said, "ketch dat fo' me." See, she Saved it twice, that made enough you know tuh bathe wit yo' see. An' then ah had her tuh bring me some salt an' some saltpeter. Den ah sent her tuh de drug sto' an' bought me some John de Conker an' ah had her tuh bathe me from heah out to de end of mah toes on both laigs. Ah jis' couldn't walk.
(What did you do with that John the Conker?)
Ah kept it roun' in mah pocket - jis' keep it in yore pocket.
(Why did she bathe you down that way?)
[Informant does not understand my question, I do not reask it. I wanted her to answer, "That made the cunjure go out through my toes."] She bathe me down dat way. Yo' know that cured it. Yo' see, this saltpeter an' this chamber lye an' table salt, it'll cure it. An' aftah she bathe me three times in dat ah got so ah could stretch out mah laigs an' jis' kept on an' kept on an' fin'lly till ah got up from bed an' went tuh walkin'. An' dat's whut cured me.
Entry 1617
Lak yo' scared someone goin' hurt chew - yo' know, if yo' got enemies. Jes' take some red peppah an' salt an' sulphur - take an' sprinkle a little bit of chamber lye ovah dat an' wear dat in yore right-footed shoe. Yo' kin walk ovah anything in de world an' nuthin will evah harm yo'.
Entry 1620
Ah tell yo' whut chew kin do. Yo' kin stop a person from comin' where yo' is if yo' go to dere foot track. Yo' git chew some chamber lye an' yo' take some chamber lye an' yo' kin drop nine drops in dey track. Dat'll stop dem from comin' where yo' is if dey's comin' tuh kill you or do anything: Yo' turns 'em aroun' wit dat. Nine drops in each one of dey tracks when dey's walkin' dere walkin' to yore place. Yo' kin stop 'em if dey walk backwards an' forwards right at dat time if yo' know dey track. "Yo' see dere track anywhere, all yo' got'a do is drop dat in dere.
Entry 1624
I had a cousin. He say he 'us poison. He say they had to put some graveyard dirt on him or somepin or other, you know, to break him an' his wife up. They got him so he couldn't stay with his wife; he couldn't go home without fussin'. A ole lady tole him they went to de graveyard an' got some graveyard dirt an' throwed on him an' sprinkled it around his house to keep him fussin' an' fightin' all the time. So she told him to get some chamber lye an' keep it around his house an' that would kill it.
Entry 1629
A woman was mad at my sister and I was staying across the street from her and she came by my house. And I got up next morning to go out and she had a whole lot of graveyard dirt throwed all over my porch. And do you know, I had to move out of that house - made me move. They sure make you move. I didn't know she put it there but someone tole me after I moved that she did. Of course, if I knew it, I wouldn't move I reckon. They tell me how to kill that out - to get some chamber lye and salt and pepper, and throw it all around yore house and that'll kill that out.
Entry 1630
I had a sister-in-law her husband tried to hurt her and she'd taken a simple thing - there was table salt, and red pepper and chamber lye and mixed it together, and sprinkled it all around her house - in her house (see No. 1634), and it killed what he had put down for her.
Entry 1631
To protect yo'self against dat if someone had put somepin down fo' yo' to walk ovah, why yo'd git joo some red peppah an' salt an' git joo some chamber lye an' put in that red peppah an' salt, an yo' would put that red peppah an' salt aroun' yore do' fo' nine mornings. This is, if something was planted aroun' yore do', yo'd put dat salt, red peppah an' chamber lye.
Entry 1632
All yo' have tuh do is take some chamber lye an' red peppah an' nine drops of turpentine an' some salt an' take yo' a halfa can of potash - probably a can of potash an' git up soon dat mawnin' an' sprinkle it all de way around yore house an' under yore step. Den dere's no way fo' no roots tuh take effect of yo' at all.
Entry 1633
Yo' kin take chamber lye an' sulphah an' cayenne peppah an' mix it all up togethah, an' go out one dark night, a real dark night, an' jes' throw it all roun' yore house, an' will jes' drive all enemies an' things from yore home.
Entry 1634
Yes sir, ah hear it. Well, yo' take de chamber lye an' yo' take it an' place into a can, an' yo' take some sulphur an' yo' take cooking salt an' place into dis heah pot [can], an' yo' take it an' put it into de house an' take yo' a little old sprayer like an' jest spray it all round into de house (see No. 1630). An' dat would bring luck.
(Any particular kind of luck?)
Bring luck into yore home, see.
Entry 1637
Ah wus fixed. Ah wus dressed one time an' ah wus tole to take some table salt an' go roun' an' roun' mah buildin' three time a week an' jes' scatter it 'long. An' take some of my chamber lye at night an' in de mawnin' throw a han'ful in de fire an' jes' sprinkle dat chamber lye right in de fire behin' yo' an' don't look back at it - jes' back up to de fire an' throw it in an' don't look back. An' it 'move mah misery - it painful all ovah.
(You threw that handful of salt in the fire every morning [for three mornings]
and then you threw that chamber lye behind it?) Yes - fo' three mawnin's, befo' sunrise.
(And you threw that salt around the house three mornings in the week?)
Three mornin' in de week.
(One morning right after the other or what?)
Yes sir, three mornin': Monday mornin', Tuesday mornin', an' Wednesday de last momin'.
Entry 1644
Take an' sprinkle that aroun' yore do' - take chamber lye an' salt an Hearts Cologne, when yo' scrub off de step. Jes' keeps de evil from takin' effect, whut de mean people put down. Dat's whut ah hear dey say.
Entry 1726
Could take your chamber lye and stop it up in a black bottle and put cayenne pepper, red pepper, in it and go to an old bridge.
(An old what?)
An old bridge where automobiles run across.
(An old bridge?)
Yeah, and take it and shoot it up under there and it has a tendency to.
(Just throw this bottle up under the old bridge?)
Throw it up under an old bridge.
(Just leave it there?)
Leave it right there - an old sloppy place where sewage and silt stops under there. Just leave it up under there - it's already in the slush and why.
(What did you say that does to you then?)
Well, it has a tendency to make you lose your nature.
Entry 1842
Dis whiskey an' sugah - fo' a man if he's runnin' round. Yo' cut dat yellah domestic - ah mention dat, an' yo' cut chew a little man out. Dat's right in de shape of a little man an' put it in dat bottle.
(What bottle?)
In de bottle whut chew put dat whiskey in, yore whiskey an' yore chamber lye an' de sugah. An' take dat an' set it back, if yo' want him tuh stay dere; an' set it in a cloth in a corner, jes' let it set down jes' lak de man do an' let it stay dere seven days. An' if he's out anywhere in town, he'll come back. But yo' got'a have de shape of de man altogethah.
(He doesn't drink that whiskey or anything? Just keep it in the bottle?)
No suh - dat's all.
Entry 2165
Yo' kin take yo' nine eye needles an' iron nails, put it in a vial, bottle, an' put it up in de chimley corner - hang it up de chimley an' no law or nuthin wouldn't come dere to 'sturb yo' atall.
(What else do you put in that bottle? You said before.)
chamber lye, iron nails an' eye needles. Put in one dose vials about dat large. [Urine in chimney, needles and nails are well-known protective devices against witches. Eye needle - informant does not mean the normally used qoldeye needle of hoodoo - is very unusual, meaning it is not the eyeless needle for knitting.]
Entry 2359
If this fellah heah had three or fo' hunderd dollahs an' ah had three or fo' hunderd dollahs, jes' take that salt an' sprinkle on each one of 'em, an' jes' go on tuh gamblin'. Well, when de deal is done, if they ain't sharp, yo's got all de money. Or either yo' kin be a gambler an' say, "Well, he's lost his luck - done lost his luck an' de biggest part of yore money." If yo' ain't taken it out where yo' kin git salt an' stuff, why take a lil chamber lye an' jes' rub it on yore han's lak dis. Rub it all ovah yore han's lak dat, an' come back dere an' shuffle de cards up an' draw one, an' den dis othah man kin git his'n. Have anothah deal down an' yo' got practic'lly all de money that is in de game.
Entry 2383
If dere a person you wants a get a job from, dere diff'rent roots that you kin git, that are used in Heart's Cologne. Now, if you wanta job, go to a white person for it, you go looking fer a root called White Man de Conker. Then, if you go in to get a job at a colored place, you bring along High John de Conker. Well, you kin take that root, and if it's a white man, conquer de white man's mind. You cut it up fine and put it in a little vial. You let it soak over night and you put that on you and that will calm the person's mind towards you. Don't care how angry they are, that will kinda calm their mind towards you. But it's very seldom you kin get dat root without a person know exactly what it is, cause some people sells you fakes. (And you do the same thing in getting a job from a colored man, with the other root?) The Hiah John de Conker and the White Man's Conker.
(Well, do you put anything with that root?)
The Heart's Cologne and a little of your chamber lye.
(Well, what do you do with that?)
Well, after it's soaked all night, you don't have nuthin to do with it but take it with you and sprinkle it on you.
Entry 2518
Takes a horseshoe an' dress it in red.
(Dress it in red?)
Dress de horseshoe ovah in red an' place it in front of de do' backwards an' farwards, an' yo'll run good business. (How do you mean dress it in red? What do you do?). Yo' take an' git - have tuh git ovah at de sto' - git a red piece of cloth an' yo' jest wind dat, yo' know, dat horseshoe all ovah in dat an' place it up ovah de do', an' to de back, an' yo' won't have any trouble by yore customers - yo' draw mo' den all. Yo' takes - go in de sto' an' gits yo' Red Devil Lye an' salt, an' yo' place it at de front do' an' de back. Dat go wit dat horseshoe, an' yo' takes chamber lye, a handful of sugah, salt, an' yo' goes round dat jest befo' day, all round dat house wit dat, an' yo' got no trouble wit de sheriff or with yore house. [Perhaps the largest hand ever wrapped in red, except the treasure hunter who insulted the devil by wearing a red shirt - see No. 424, p.127.]
Entry 2587
Now de way yo' do dat - yo' jest git chew some table salt an' stroll round yore do'steps an' mix it wit a little ashes an' strew it all round yore do'step. An' yo' git chew some saltpeter an' use yore chamber lye all round dat house. An' den yo' read - read de 23rd Psalms an' den yo' won't have no trouble. (You won't have any trouble with the law? And anybody can't do you harm if you are in business?) Shore - no, no. An' use dat stuff in yore shoes - dat pepper an' salt.
Entry 2678
They takes de chamber lye and salt and mix it together and dey takes that, if they have a collector or anything comin' yo' know, dey kin scatter that every morning in front of they do'steps an' back steps, that'll keep them away - won't have no collectors.
Entry 2680
Things will work mighty easy wit him [policeman], if the law wus comin' there perhaps tuh raid joo out [and] yo' didn't have any money. Then yo' could take some of yore fast chamber lye.
(What do you mean by fast chamber lye?)
Well, that aftah a night yo' lay down an' git up in de mawnin', then yo' use that - that's fast, that'll work right now. Well, yo' put three pinches of sugah in there an' make yore wishes whatevah - yo' know, yo' don't wanta be raid out or put out dis mawnin'. Den yo' take it to yore front steps an' yo' throw it an don't look which way yo' throw it - jes' throw it out. Yo' made yore wish an' yo' jes' go on. He'll come in jes' as calm, "It's all right if yo' haven't got any money. Can't chew give me some?" [Some what? Money in the future or liquor now?] [Memphis, Tenn., (1542), 2790:9.}
Entry 2682
Take the chamber lye, that is yore own chamber lye an' let it set up three days, an' a little salt in it an' wash yore house good, an' that will bring luck to the house.
Entry 2688
Dirt dauber nest is awful lucky tuh women (see p.432). Women kin take dirt dauber nest an' dey kin take it an' Hearts Cologne an' alum, an' dey kin use dat in de mornin' at dey front. Dey use chamber lye wit it too. An' use dat at dey front an' back do' an' dat place - women [do] dat, spo'tin' women dat way - plenty men will come round dere an' give it to 'em, have plenty friends.
Entry 2701
Fo' luck yo' take de chamber lye an' yo' put chew some oil of bergamot dey call it - yo' but it at de drug sto', oil of bergamot. Put dat in de chamber lye an' put chew some sugah in it an' yo' put chew some bluein'. An' yo' take that an' yo' scrub yore house all out good wit it, see. An' aftah yo' scrub yore house with it, then yo' take an' drop three drops in each corner an' make a wish. That's success fo' yore house.
(You mean for bringing in customers to buy from you?)
Yes.
Entry 2705
You use Hearts Perfume an' chamber lye - sprinkle it all around in yore place fo' sunrise in de morning. Yo' git up an' yo' sprinkle dat around in yore place. An' then yo' use salt - sprinkle salt around in yore place. If yo' have any rug, anything dat chew kin put dat salt undah, it is very lucky. An' dat chamber lye an' dis Hearts Perfume it's very, very lucky to bring in customers. If yo' use dat chamber lye an' dat Hearts Perfume, an' if yo' will burn some sulphur - if yo'll burn some sulphur into yore place in a pan, right in de middle of de flo', an' use yore Hearts Perfume an' yore chamber lye, why yo'll bring in yore peoples.
Entry 2709
Jes' like yore customer yo' want tuh come to yo', yo' selling whiskey, yo' kin take a little of yore chamber lye an' put in dat whiskey an' dey always come back dere.
Entry 2978
You take your chamber lye for nine mawnin's and take it out and throw it over your left shoulder nine mawnin's, sunrise [to the east]. (At sunup or before?) Before sunrise, nine mawnin's. Throw it east, throw it the way the sun rise [rises]. Go to de north cormer of de house and throw it for nine mawnin's over your left shoulder and don't look back. And the last mawnin' that you throw it, that candle'll burn - will go out. They goes on out - that drowns 'em out, you see.
(The candle that they are burning on you.)
That goes out.
Entry 3139
But now, if ah wan' chew tuh bring evah penny yo' makes tuh me, well yo' fool wit me in de baid an' ah git a cloth an' dry yo' off. An' [I] cut out dat spot an' shut dat up tight in a bottle, an' git yore toenail an' fingahnail an' a li'le bit chure chamber lye an' shake dat up. Well yo' can't git away from me.
(You put all that in the bottle?)
Yeah, gotcha [got you]. Long as yo' got dat he gotta come back.
Entry 3294
All right, if a woman or man - if it's anybody wit dere chamber lye, jes' lak yo' go tuh bed, well, she ain't goin' urinate at all in dat bucket, but he don' know no bettah, see. Well, she goin' put dat chamber lye in a little bottle. Dis is anothah thin' dat yo' can't raise no heart fo' nary [negative form of ary] 'nothah [inter- esting double negative] woman but de one dat's doin' dat. Take dat chamber lye an' put it in a bottle jes' about dat large [demon- strates], jes' enough not tuh feel it in de pillah or mattress. But place it on 'is side, see. Now he can't go out wit no othah woman - nuthin, no satis- faction at all.
Entry 3299
She kin take a quart bottle an' she kin take jes' lak 'is chamber lye, she kin take dat an' stop it up in a quart bottle an' bury it about a foot down in de ground anywhere, jes' anywhere roun' de house, anywhere lak dat, an' 'is nature will go away.
Entry 3300
Dey say jes' lak ef ah wanta a woman tuh love me, well ah gits some of 'er chamber lye an' puts it into a bottle, see, an' stop it airtight an' put it somewhere in de house dere into de bed mattress or sompin lak dat. Well, ah could keep 'er from messin' wit anybody else.
Entry 3301
Take dat chamber lye an' bottle it up an' cause sompin bad tuh happen tuh yore bladdah. [I have indexed this rite here on the assumption that bladder trouble caused by witchcraft would in some way impair sexual potency.]
Entry 3305
Dey could git ahold [a hold] of yore chamber lye an' could stop it up in a dark bottle, yo' know, an' put nine nails in it, lak dat, an' keep it turned up on de head, an' quite natchly [naturally] dat would hurt yo', yo' know.
(Well, how would it hurt you?)
Well it could stop yo' from makin' watah. It would give yo' pains or things lak dat.
(I see. What kind of a bottle did you say you have to keep it in?)
Keep it in, you know, lak a beer bottle - dark bottle, any kinda dark bottle.
(It wouldn't do any good to put it in a white bottle, would it?)
No. Yo' would have to put it in de cornah of de house some place, in a dark place yo' know, an' turn it up. Dat will stop yo' from makin' watah an' keep yo' painin' [hindering sexual potency].
Entry 3307
Well, dey'll take dey chamber lye, so dey say, an' dey'll put dragon's blood in it, nine drops. Dey'll put nine pins in it wit de points [up]. Dey'll drop de heads down in dere, an' nine goldeye needles. Den dey'll take dat, dat'll keep a man from havin' intahco'se wit any othah woman but de one dat does it, see.
(The woman who does this.)
De one who does dis. She kin take up de bottle, so she says, an' shake it an' anywhere's he is, he's comin'. If he see death in front of him, he can' [can't] prevent from comin'.
Entry 3311
Dey takes dat chamber lye, yeah, from a man or coman, don make any diff'rent. Dey tell me - jes' lak ah got a wife an' ah vanta take her courage down offa her fo' anybodys else but me, an' ah git 'er urine an' stop it uP. Take a piece of 'er garment dat she wears nex' to her skin - see, make no diff'rent if it 'er stockin' or 'er drawahs or whatsomevah it may be. An' yo' burn dat, see. Yo' burn dat anywhere so yo' kin git de ashes. Well, yo' po' dat into dat chamber lye an' stop it jes' as tight as yo' kin stop it, an' yo' stop 'er courage right dere until yo' git ready fo' her. Den yo' holds 'er dere until yo' git ready to turn 'er loose, so she can't have any othah mans. She might try to an' would do it, but it wouldn' do her any - she would [not] find any result of it.
(What do you put her chamber lye in?)
In a bottle. Put dat burnin' [burned] stuff [ashes] - set it anywheres in de house commonly.
Entry 3314
An' den I've heard dat yo' go an' yo' git ten-penny nails an' a piece- I'M ASHAMED TO TALK.
(YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD, I'VE HEARD ALL THAT.)
Red flannen, piece of red flannen an' den dey get a piece of dis ah - ah dis root choo call...
[A long pause.]
(What?)
John de Conkah. Gits a piece of dis John de Conkah root an' yo' puts dat in dere an' den dey gits a piece - den if yo' kin git yore husban' when yo' have connection wit yore hus- ban', git a piece of towel an' yo' put 'em undahneath de steps an' den yo' throw - dey say yo' 'throw chamber lye undahneath dere fer nine mawnin's, see. An' on de ninth mawnin', if dat man's gone, dat man will be comin' back fast.
(Now, you do this after that bottle has been there nine days?)
No, yo' put dat dere - no, dat ain't got nuthin to do wit de bottle.
(Oh! this is something different, I see.)
It's somethin' diff'rent. (You put this John de Conker and that other stuff [semen] in this piece of red cloth, and put that under the step for nine days. And the nails in there?) Uh-huh, an' den yo' put 'em undahneath de steps, see. An' dan yo' take de chamber lye - yo' [this] suppose to be done so nobody see it, nobody kin see yo 'tall [at all], an' yo' throw it dere fo' nine mawnin's, nine straight maunin's. See now?
Entry 3331
Take a person's chamber lye an' stop 'em, like if yo' got a wife an' she runnin' aroun' wit anothah man. Yo' take dat an' put it in a cloth, jis' po' it on a cloth an' let it soak intuh dere, an' wrap it tight. Wrap it up in- tuh a piece of flannel.
(Which way do you wrap it?)
Wrap it always from yo'. [It is more likely wrap to you.] Den yo' take a needle an' sew it tuhgethah tight. An' den take dat an' put it inside of yore mattress an' sew it back tuhgethah. Or eithah take it out an' bury it behin' de house or behin' a tree or by a tree, any place like dat. Den yo' kin stop 'er from runnin' roun'.
[St. Petersburg, Fla., (1025), 1659:6.]
[Rites concerning dishrag or dishcloth, and occasionally dishtowel, will also be found under CURES FOR SEXUAL IMPOTENCE, the other subsection of this subject. As in the preceding subsection MISCELLANEOUS, I start this one by quoting a few introductory beliefs. The very first margin title, parts (1) and (2), show that sexual impotence like all disease and ailments in hoodoo is not caused by biolog- ical factors, but by someone capturing your spirit. Let me repeat what I said on the page facing the PREFAcE of volume 1: To catch a spirit, or to protect your spirit against the catching, or to release your caught spirit - this is the com- plete theory and practice of hoodoo. Parts (3) and (4) of the first margin title introduce us to the incredible ideas about penis captivus, a subject unknown to folklore a generation ago. FACI has no example of it.
Entry 3560
Den yo' kin take a woman an' let 'er have intahco'se wit yo', an' take a piece of white cord, any bran'-new white cord dat jes' come off de wrappin [ball] ain't nevah been tied roun' nuthin. An' soak dat in 'er chamber lye an' jes' discharge aftah yo' git off, yo' know, uri- nate. Soak dat an' put eight knots roun' it an' tie de ninth knot right ovah her navel. Put de ninth knot right ovah her navel, an' yo cain't go off an' do nuthin else wit nobody, but jes' go right back to her, whethah she's a man's wife or a man's woman. An' yo' kin do de same thing on 'er, see.
(The discharge and your urine on it?)
Yessuh. [Both interviewer and interviewee are a little fuzzy here about a very fuzzy subject!]
Entry 3563
Heard of 'em tyin' knots in a cord - jes' in a piece of string. Dey say if a man wanta make his wife stay home, he git a piece of cord de length of de bed an' let it stay dere one night an' she sleep on it. Den take it off an' put six knots in it, thinkin' about 'er, an' den three mo' knots In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost. An' den take dat string an' wet it in chamber lye. (Wet it with him?) Yes sir, an' den take de rollah [roller] out de bed [one of the 4 casters on bottom of the 4 legs of the bed] on dat side an' put it up in dere an' push de rollah back in, an' dey say de man's wife will always stay home. De rollah, take it out an' put dat piece of thread up in dere an' den put de rollah back in.
Entry 3623
When yo' have a intahco'se wit 'im, yo' take yo' a co'd string an' don't yo' come. She don't come wit 'im. She jes' wet dat co'd string in dat come an' 'is chamber lye an' tie nine knots in it an' wear it aroun' 'er waist. An' take de measure of 'is [penis] an' tie nine knots in dis co'd string an' wear it roun' 'er waist. Dat will stop a man from runnin' aroun' an' he cain't git up no heart fo' no othah woman. When he go it will fall. Dat ties up 'im.
Entry 3629
Takin' yore chamber lye an' usin' dat an' yo' can't - yore dick won't rise till yo' see her, yo' know.
(Well, how do they use that? Do that?)
Put it in a bottle an' tie nine knots in a string, an' put de string aroun' de bottle an' put it up ovah top de door where yo' go out at; an' when yo' go out, dey lay dat bottle an' yore dick won't rise. An' while dat bottle layin' down, yo' come back an' den dey set it up. Yo' set de bottle up an' yo's all right den. (Well, what do they do with this string first? Where do they get the string first?) Wet it in de watah.
(Oh, they wet this - in whose water?)
In yores. (The woman gets the string and wets it in the man's water, and she ties these kmots in it.) Yes, ties nine knots in it. I hear'd of peoples takin' yore hair an' puttin' it in a rag, puttin' it in a bottle an' puttin' some vinegar wit it, an' puttin' it up ovah top de door. An evah time yo' go out dey lay dat bottle down, an' yo' have to come back; an' when yo' come back, dey set dat bottle up, an' yo' is all right.
(What would she do about getting his nature? What would she do with that?)
Put it in a bottle an' lay it 'cross, put it up in de do'r - see, anywhere yo' go out. An' when yo' go out she lay dat down when yo' come back, she stand it up. But yo' kin easily do somepin fer dat. [Norfolk, Va., (469), 475:7.] [I had intended to comment at the end of KNOTS NINE about the number of them in HOODOO. Instead I write a few words to fill in the end of this page.] [I agree with the informant who supplies our first margin title: AH'M GON'A TELL YUH SOMEPIN OTHAH DAT BEAT DE WORL'. Snail rites do beat de WOrl'. They are so amazing I have been more than generous with examples. HooDoO as a whole will show that no special effort was made to collect them, because sex in itself was never emphasized in field work. When I first heard about the snail rite in 1936, I thought the man was lying - see 3635.]
Entry 3754
A woman kin make a man lose his nature by taking a dishrag off de table an' washin' 'im undah 'is clothes aftah he gits through wit 'er.
(Then what does he do to get his nature back?) Bathes in chamber lye, dat'll kill it. (Bathe what?)
De same way she wash 'im, aftah she git through wit 'im wit a dishrag. He take a dishrag an' bathe in 'is own chamber lye. Dat'll kill it.
(Any kind of a rag?)
Any kind of cloth. It kin be a piece of clothes.
Entry 3758
(Well, suppose a man is tied up that way, how could he git rid of that?) Git rid of dat? He would take dat perfume whut de call Hearts Perfume, cinnamon, saltpetah an' chamber lye, his own, wit nine ten-penny nails. Takin' a bath from head to feet an' throwin' it out to- Wards sunrise. Den she cain't do anythin' unless she gits wit 'im [again]. Dat untie him.
Entry 3896
Dis is true. I've seen dis experienced. If yo' wan'a hurt some woman, when 'er sickness come on 'er, yo' git one piece of 'er sickness, dig a hole in de groun', put dis graveyard dirt on top of it an' bury de piece, dirty piece, cover it up, put zher own chamber lye on five mawnin'. She'll jis' drinel [dwin- dle] away. If you'd - when dat rotten, when dat grown [grows] rotten, she's gone - when dat cloth'll rotten in dat groun'. She may leeve [live] - it may take a year, it may take it a couple of years to rotten, but she won't be worth nuthin - but she won't be worth nuthin. Evahbody says she's gone into bad health. It's jes' dirty work dat done to her.
Entry 3980
Now, yuh kin take certain chamber lye, an' if it's a man dat drinks, take de chamber lye an' put it in a - it's 'cordin' tuh who yuh wit [your pur- pose], yo' know. She kin whip yuh wit dat thin' or yuh kin whip 'er, yuh see. She gits some of 'er chamber lye an' put it in some whiskey an' let chew feast offa dat, it'll shuh [sure] draw yuh tuh 'er. An' if yuh wan'a draw 'er tuh yuh, yuh do de same thin' an' dat'll draw 'er tuh yuh. An' den she's jis' lak dat. Not only her, not only human bein'. Yuh kin take dat chamber lye an do de same thin' wit chickens an' hogs, if yuh got chickens or hogs dat dey won- dahin' [wandering] away from home an' won' stay at yuh home [see hog and water- melon story, 222, p.64]. Yo' feed yuh - yuh fill up dat stone [crock or small cement trough] wit chamber lye fo' yuh chickens an' dey keep right aroun' yuh do'step. Now, dat's been showed attention wit mahself [I know that from ex- perience]. Dey ain't gon'a go cross dat neighbor dere - ovah his yard. Dat yuh chamber lye.
Entry 3986
Yo' take dat chamber lye when yo' cook, make coffee or tea. Yo' jis' take dat an' put dat in de coffee or de tea an' let 'em drink dat. An' if yo' wash yore face, dey put jis' a little in de watah, de watah where yo' won't tell [notice] it, an' let 'em wash dere face wit it.
(What will that do?) Dat will hold 'em, make 'em love yo'.
Entry 3988
Some say take an' wash yuh face in chamber lye in de mawnin's when yuh goin tuh hunt a job.
Entry 3989
Yuh chamber lye, yo' drop seven drops in de watah dat yuh [he?] bath [not bathe] in. An' when he take 'is bath- bath befo', he gon'a do dat befo' he takin' any- thin' else. Well, he'll git dat odum [odor] or yo', or scent, eithah one. Dat's why he can't tell it [that urine is in the water].
(And just wipe off his face?)
[I evidently had turned off recording machine and am repeating what was missed.l Dat's right.
(What will that do then?)
Well, yuh see when yuh do dat, jis' lak a person take a bath yuh know. When he take a bath in yuh chamber lye, see yo' gits de 'fluence tuh 'im an' tuh yuh.
(You do that for love?)
Dat's right.
Entry 4007
Now, dey takes dat chamber lye an' dey puts it intuh a bottle, jes' de necked [naked] chamber lye. An' when dey puts it intuh de bottle, dey takeg a cork stoppah - don't put nuthin else in dat wit dis chamber lye but jes' de chamber lye hitself intuh dis bottle, an' stops it up airtight where no air in de worl' can't git in it. Now, dey kin bear [bury] it anywhere roun' yore house dey Wants tuh bear it, but now dey has tuh bear it undah de steps - de back do' or front do'steps - dat's fo' yo' tuh step ovah it. An' AFTAH YO' STEPS OVAH DIS FO' NINE MAWNIN'S DEN YO'RE TRAPPED. Undahstan', becuz dat's from yore body. NOW, AIN'T NO DOCTAH[M.D.] IN DE WORL' KIN MOVE DAT UNTIL DAT STUFF BE PO'D OUTA DAT BOTTLE.
(What will that do to you?)
Jes' lock de bowels - jes' lak if yo' wanted tuh urinate, jes' lock de bowels so yo' can't nurinate atall. [That n is frequently prefixed to urinate along the southeast coast.] Well dat's whut it do, jes' lock yore bowels an' yo' can't go an'urinate.
Entry 4009
Dey tell me yo' take some chamber lye an' bluestone, an' throw it 'roun' undah yore step, an' when a person put stuff down dere it will kill it.
Entry 4011
Providen' if she wants men to go dere, like she wus a woman of good time, see; an' want some business. She'd take her own chamber lye an' put it in a can, sit it on a stove till it comes to boil, an' dat'll draw 'em.
Entry 4014
[Rites of bottled urine are many and scattered throughout HOODOO. In the present margin title I have placed a few not easily fitted in elsewhere. Among other bottle rites in this section on urine, see espe- Cially DRIPPING and SHAKING. Dey kin take yore chamber lye an' dey kin do dat jes' de same as dey did de [foot] track. Dey kin bottle dat up an' bury it. Jis' git a lit- tle speck of it an' perhaps cork it up in a bottle. Dat will cuz yo' to have some irritation from yore bladdah dat yo' can't urinate good.
Entry 4015
To stop 'em from makin' watah, yo' kin make 'em think it's a stone in dere bladdah an' kill 'em dataway.
(How do they do that with the chamber lye?)
Det take it an' stop it up in a bottle - it's de same thing, might as well say stop it up in a bottle - an' jes' bury it. Chew git to where yo' can't hole
[hold] yore watah.
Entry 4017
De chamber lye, well dey take hit an' dey put it in a bottle an' dey'll bury in de dirt. Well, yo' can't make no watah.
Entry 4018
If dey kin git chure chamber lye, why dey kin stop yo' from - dey stop it up in a bottle yo' know an' it be jes' lak a man have de gravel, yo' know. Yo' have to go an' have yore thing open up.
Entry 4019
Dey say dat dey kin take yore chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an stop dat bottle up real tight, an' dig a hole 'roun' yore home an' bury dat bot- tle wit de stopper - neck, yo' know, settin' up - tight. Now, jes' as long as yore watah stay in dat bottle, yo' will continue tuh dreen [drain] away. Dey hurt yo' den, yo' see. Normally you dreen away only when the bottle is tilted or slanted and has a stopper purposely made leaky [see margin title DRIPPING later], but in boodoo and witchcraft intention is everything.]
Entry 4022
Yo' git a person's chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up, it will stop 'em from makin' watah.
(Kill him?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4023
Take dey chamber lye, an' yo' could take it an' stop it up in a bottle an' bury it, an' dey'll nevah come straight no mo'.
Entry 4024
Takes it an' puts it in a bottle.
(This chamber lye?)
Yes. Takes it an' puts it in a bottle an' jes' keep it in de bottle, [they] say, an' dat would stop yo' from makin' any watah. Dat's whut ah heard long yeahs ago.
Entry 4027
(What about that?)
Dey kin take yore chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle an' it will kill yp.
(What will they do with that bottle?)
Dey kin take it an' stop it up an' bury it.
(I see.)
Entry 4029
Stop it up in a bottle an' bury dat. Dat will stop 'em from urinatin'. Yeah, wit dey chamber lye.
Entry 4032
Yo' puts it in a bottle.
(You put this chamber lye in a bottle?)
Puts it in a bottle an' stop it up an' dat person will come to yo'.
Entry 4034
Jes' lak two person togethah use a slop pail. Well, if I wanta hurt a person in dey chamber lye, I wouldn't urinate dat night in dat slop pail. Well, I let chew urinate in dere. I'd take dat pail [oldtime pail with lid] an' stop it up tight. Den take dat pail from de room dat mawnin' when yuh goin' to work an' care [carry] it - an' take anothah bucket, small tin bucket [with lid], an' take dat [and fill] wit [your] urinated water an' stop it up maybe two weeks. An' aftah yuh stoppin' dat watah up fer - aftah two weeks it become jes' lak a drawin' wine. An' it go - jes' agitate. If it warm weathah, it agitate quickah den dat. But if it's cool weathah, it take a long time tuh draw. An' aftah bein' drawin', dat jes' lak drawin' a man dat - when yuh go tuh git yuh blood draw from de hos- pital or git shots, dat's tuh draw an' keep adrawin' an' adrawin' until it weakens a person body. Den aftah weaken' de body, if dey don't - if dis person continue tuh leave it jes' lak 'tis, dey would become jes' lak a person got consumption - complexion would change. If dis man wuz a dark-complected person, it would be lightah. Den people would claim dat dat fellah got T. B., an' [or] dey'd say he got chronical disease, but dat's dat stuff adrawin' an' adrawin'. Aftah while it will weaken dis person. Den maybe dat person [will say], "Well, ah think ah go tuh a doctor [M.D.] tuh see what de mattah wit me. Look lak ah'm gittin' sick an' ah cain't he'p mahself." Ah may go tuh a doctor. A or'n'ry [ordinary] doctor [M.D.] will give him medicine an' treat 'im but it wouldn't do him any good. See, dat stuff will be drawin' 'im an' drawin' '. An' aftah while he will die.
Entry 4035
(All right, go ahead.)
Well, dey git holt of some of yuh chamber lye. Dey take dat chamber lye an' go tuh de drug sto' an' git some calmels powdah [calomel].
(Get what kind of powder?) Calmels. (Cal - what they take for - in the stomach?) Nawsir [no sir], dis calmel yo' put on sores. Calomel. (Calomel. All right.)
An' put it in dere an' take dat chamber lye an' sprinkle it aroun' yuh house, an' yuh'll move.
(I see.)
Entry 4036
Yo' takes a man's chamber lye an' yo' puts it in a bottle. Git chew some cayenne peppah, an' yo' git chew some long red peppahs, an' yo'mu all dat up intuh dat chamber lye, see. An' yo' bury dat down In de ground by de steps, by de front steps or de back steps, or de centah underneat' de house [a quincunx]. Dey pass away, jis' molts away - see, jis' molts away tuh nuthin.
Entry 4043
If yo' wanta make a person move, yo' takes some chamber lye an' yo' leave it set. Yo' know whut ah mean, jis' leave it git lak it git ole. Yo' git chew some red peppah, [i.e.] cayenne peppah, some black peppah an' some salt, see. An' evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise, yo' go in front of dat person do' an' yo' throw dat disaway an' den yo' come back an' yo' throw it disaway - in a cross. Well, dat intahvidin' [inviting] tuh make a person move.
Entry 4094
If a fellah loved a gurl, he would take his chamber lye. She be jes' walkin' along [and you see her] an' HAVE YO' SOME CANDY. CHOCOLATE CANDY. WHY YO' KIN JIS' TAKE IT OUT - TAKE IT OUT AN' PEE ON DAT CANDY SEE AN' LET IT DRY OFF, AN' CARRY IT AN' GIVE IT TUH 'ER AN' LET 'ER EAT IT. Well, dat makes 'er love strongah fo' him. She love him.
Entry 4156
If dey wanna go ag'in - tuh keep 'em from goin' ag'in, yuh'll have tuh clip a piece from she [demonstrates].
(From the top of her head.)
An' a piece from she private an' put it in de bottle wit nine needles, an' take yuh chamber lye an' some German Heart Cologne, an' mix it tuhgethah an' hol' dat in yuh pocket fer de fus' [first] nine mawn- in's. An' den take it an' po' it in one of yuh suits, an' she will nevah go tuh dat pocket tuh take it out. An' SHE'LL STAY DERE FOREVAH AN' FOREVAH.
(I see. That keeps her.)
Entry 4157
A woman kin take yuh hair an' a little of hers an' bring yuh tuh 'er by soakin' it in chamber lye, an' den tote it in 'er - sew it up in some of 'er clothes so's it not lost an' nobody will nevah see it. Tote dat an' go on. He be wit 'er.
Entry 4158
An' den yuh use a basin wit yuh chamber lye an' when yuh scrub, scrub wit it, an' also po' it on de front po'ch - an' Hearts Cologne.
(Put some Hearts Cologne in that, that will bring in trade?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4161
If a person is a enemy tuh yuh, now dey kin take yuh chamber lye an' stop yuh watah completely. An' dey take dat bottle an' stop it up as tight as dey kin git it, an' dey kin take it undah de back do'step or eithah in de no'th cornah up undah de house an' bury 'em dere. Yuh put such a po'tion [portion]- yuh leave a po'tion, enough of it out, dat chew kin take a hammah an' go dere an' hit fo' nine mawnin's befo' sunrise, an' it will stop yuh watah completely. An' IF IT AIN'T REMOVED, IT WILL CARRY YUH TUH DE CEMETERY.
(What do they hit? Do they hit the bottle?)
Yes, dey hit de bottle. Dey have it tight down - de bottle, dey covah [pack] it tight down, an' de' hit it fo' nine mawnin's. (What did they do with the other water? You said they poured a portion out didn't you?) No sir. Dey po' whut dey ketch, undahstan'. Jes' lak if dey wanted tuh ketch yuh watah tuh do yuh harm, undahstan'. If dey can't git tuh de chambah in de house, undahstan', dey'd set it up somewhere undah yuh labor'tory [lavatory] - mo' [more] specially if it's out [outside the house] - an' ketch it dataway. An' ketch enough tuh fill up dat little vial.
(Well, wouldn't the hitting break that bottle?)
No sir.
(They don't hit it hard enough?)
No, jis' hard enough tuh drive it down.
Entry 4163
Yuh kin take dere chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle. Evah mawnin' hit de stoppah. It'll have yuh so yuh'll have gravel stones or can't pee - ruin yuh dataway. (Hit it for nine morn- ings.) Nine mawnin's. Jis' one little lick.
Entry 4164
Yuh kin take a person chamber lye an' put it in a bottle, an' put a stoppah in it an' put it intuh a dry place, in a dark place where no air cain't hit it. An' yuh kin go to dat bottle evah day fo' nine days an' knock on dat stoppah, an' de las' day yuh hit on dat stop- pah an' drive dat stoPpah up. DAT PERSON WILL BUST OPEN.
Entry 4168
Dat stuff yuh talkin' about burnin'. Ah make a wish an' ah will scrub de steps down in chamber lye an' dat will draw trade.
(What do they burn, you say?)
Jis' incense.
Entry 4198
Yuh kin take a person chamber lye an' put nine brass pins in it - any- body chamber lye - kin put nine brass pins in it an' put it intuh a dry place where it will be air- tight, where no light can't hit it, an' as long as dat pins an' dat chamber lye is stopped up in dat bottle, dat person al- ways complain of pains in dere stomick.
(That gives them stomach pains.)
Entry 4206
Dey say yuh kin take chxnber lye. Jis' lak dis yuh sweetheart, yuh kin take yuh sweetheart's chamber lye an' yuh chamber lye an' put it both tuh- gethah an' git chew nine needles an' nine pins an' nine nails, bran'-new nails, an' bury it undah de bottom of yuh footstep [doorstep] or eithah undah de bottom of yuh backsteps. Or eithah, if yuh don't wanta bury it undah dere, it's all right. If yuh wanta put it in de room anywheres it's all right, but it's bettah tuh bury it. An' dat'll make dem come home, an' love yuh very much.
Entry 4210
An' de same if yuh owe a debt. If ah owe a debt, prob'ly mahself wit a man, a furniture man, an' ah have no money fo' 'im an' ah don't want 'im tuh come dere, well ah usely [usual- ly] see 'em take de stuff yuh call chamber lye an' like dat. Well, yuh hold dat stuff so many days - think yuh sup- posed tuh hold it nine days until it git strong, an' yuh take dat out in de yard, right where yuh [rent man] got'a come along, an' put nine [spoonfuls?] of de Red Devil Lye in it at de same time an' use dis red cayenne pepper. Well, yuh take an' throw dat right down in front of yuh door, but yuh not supposed tuh put it out in de day - supposed tuh be put in de mawnin'. Say, if yuh put it out in de mawnin', supposed tuh be dere befo' six a'clock. An' den yuh sprinkle dis stuff all aroun' in front dere, at yuh gate, whatevah is dere. If de law or anythin' come dere, why sometime dey may stop an' look but dey keep on by. De same way it is wit de rent man or somepin. Thin's is pretty tough [during the Great De- pression] an' he knows how it's tough or sompin like dat. Well, when he come dere, yuh don't come. Sometime he pass on by. He won't stop.
Entry 4211
Why yuh kin take yuh chamber lye an' - jis' lak someone put down sompin tuh plant sompin roun' yuh steps - yuh kin take yuh chamber lye an' throw it undah yuh step fo' nine mawnin's an' dey can't hurt chuh dat way.
Entry 4242
( Chew kin take chamber lye an' make peace an' yuh kin take chamber lye an' make evil.
(Well how do you do each one of those?)
If yuh want tuh make peace wit chamber lye an' yuh wanta make de home pleas- ant, yuh take de chamber lye an' salt an' peppah an' yuh scrub wit it an' yuh use oil of mint, if yuh want tuh make yuh home pleasant. If yuh wanta have luck in yuh home, yuh know, yuh doin' any kinda business.
Entry 4253
Now, if a woman love yo', she kin take yore chamber lye an' put it in a bottle. If yo' go off an' she wants tuh see yo', all she gotta do is turn it upside down, see. Shake it. Well, yo' have tuh come back.
Entry 4256
If yo' wan' 'im tuh stay at home, yo' could take yore chamber lye in a bottle an' put a pinch of sugah in it an' shake it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawn- in's an' turn it up on its haid an' set it in a cornah. Well, nobody won' bothah 'im an' he'll stay dere an' yo' cain't drive him away. Yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 4264
[Well now, ah'm gon'a tell yuh, if a woman has got a man an' she loves dat man, an' if he's a runabout man. A woman would take de chambah an' she wouldn't use it, she let yo' [man] use it, yo' see. An' also might be dat same night when she gon'a turn dis trick, she'll let chew fool wit 'er, see. An' she'll take dat certain rag an' she'll take dat chamber lye an' put it in a bottle. An' take dat certain rag - see, dat certain piece yo' see - wet dat rag an' squeeze all dat [semen] in dere [into bottle]. An' take nine needles ag'in an' put intuh dat same bottle. An' she wouldn't fasten dat bottle while yo' awake, yo' see. She'll let chew go tuh sleep first, see, but she'll [have] a good stoppah an' have it right to de mouth of dat bottle. An' she'll come an' wake yo', say, "So-an'-so!" an' 'So-an'-so!'. An' den yo' say, "Whut chew want?" She hit dat bottle an' stop it down dere airtight, an' yo' kin go fur as New York City - an' ah bet chew money - an' she take dat bottle an' shake it up lak dat, an' turn it down in her trunk, yo'd be back home tuh 'er.
(When she turns it upside down?)
Yes sir, in her trunk.
Entry 4265
Ah said take dere chamber lye.
(Take their chamber lye.)
Dere chamber lye an' yores an' mix it intuh a bottle. An' yo' git chew nine needles, put into dat bottle. An' den shake it up don't chew know. An' set de bottle in de no'th side of de house an' call dere name three times, an' dat'll make 'em come tuh yuh ag'in.
Entry 4274
(Git his right-foot sock?)
Yeah, git 'is right-foot sock an' take a silvah dime. Yuh know, roll de sock up nice. Ah jis' kin show yuh. Yuh undahstan' whut ah'm talkin' about. Roll de sock nice an' carry it - de right sock. But co'se she'll have tuh use it wit a little of 'er chamber lye, don't chew know, an' bury it undah 'er do'step.
(What does she do with her chamber lye?)
Well, yuh see she jis' urinate a little in dat sock, don't chew see.
(And bury it in under the doorstep?)
Yeah, right whare he come in an' out.
(What will that do then when she does that?)
Dat make him stay dere.
Entry 4306
Yo' take dat yo' see - yo' take dat chamber lye an' yo' put it in a jar yo' know, an' a pair of a foot of 'is socks, an' yo' bury dat undah 'is step an' he couldn't, yo' know, go out lak he goin' tuh diff'ren' womenfolks. Yo' would have 'im, yo' see, he couldn't go.
Entry 4307
Now ah tell yo' whut yo' kin do wit de chamber lye dat keeps a person at home. Now, if a person husban' - sompin lak dat - or wife is runnin' aroun', let 'em make dere chamber lye tuh demself. Well, de nex' mawnin' yo' take some of dat an' po' some intuh a little vial, an' put nine pods of red peppah in it an' de dirty heel of dat person's sock, an' stop it up real tight an' bury it down undah de front do'step where dey gotta walk down. An' dat will change dere min'.
(You just get the one dirty heel or both dirty heels?)
One of de lef' sock, one off de lef' side, de dirty heel.
Entry 4314
In de mawnin' befo' yo' speak tuh anybody, take yuh chamber lye an throw it out in front an' jis' keep it all saturated roun' yore house.
(What will that do then?) Well, dat will make customahs come tuh yuh.
Entry 4317
Yo' take chamber lye, salt an' red peppah an' car- ries it roun' yore house three nights. Dat takes care de buildin', whut chew [have] in dere - keep any- body from puttin' anythin' roun' dere tuh harm yuh.
Entry 4318
Well, a man kin take a woman's chamber lye an' he kin put it in a bot- tle, put a little sugah in it. See, about a spoonful of sugah in about three teaspoonful of chamber lye. Den he take dat bottle an' he turn it down where she have tuh walk ovah, go in an' out. Dat's tuh make her come undah his command.
Entry 4349
Well, jis' lak if yuh wants tuh harm a person, yuh see, lak dat, or yuh wanta git dat yuh might got 'em down undah yore feet tuh a certain point. An' yuh take dat hair an' yuh put it in a bot- tle, but chew put in it chamber lye an' salt. An' den yuh stop dat bottle tight, an' den yo' kin bury dat bottle or chunk it in runnin' watah - eithah one of dem things. Dat's whut de story ah got. Well, each one of 'em will harm yuh.
Entry 4351
Dey kin take his shoe an' take some dis same chamber lye an' po' it in de bottom of dey [his] shoe an' go tuh runnin' watah an' po' it in dere - any runnin' watah. Jis' throw it right in dere [the shoe], till yo' go to dat runnin' watah. Dat'll run a person 'way, too. (Suppose you want to run me away. You get one of my shoes, either one. And then what would you do?) Jis' take some yuh chamber lye.
(You get your chamber lye and put it in my shoe?)
[My question misleads me and informant.]
Put it in de shoe, eithah one of 'em. Jis' po' enough dat chew kin po' out into de watah. Not tuh run ovah, jis' de back part of de heel [of] de shoe. An' go po' it into de runnin' watah. Now, dat keeps yuh travelin', yuh don' stay one place anywheres.
(What do you do with the shoe? Bring it back home?)
Bring it on back. Yuh [the author as guinea pig] put de shoe right back on yuh. Yuh won't know whut happen. (All you do is pour my chamber lye into running water. But you have to pour it out of my shoe.) Othahwise, ah want tuh run yuh 'way. Ah'm ti'ed of yuh, don' want chew no mo'. Ah go tuh work when yo' go tuh sleep an' ah take one of yore shoes an' take some of mah [surely the man's] chamber lye an' go out dere tuh de ditch an' po some out it, an' come on back an' set dat shoe down, say, "Go on, So-an'-so, ah don't ca' a thing 'bout chew."
(You pour it into running water?)
Dat's right.
Entry 4352
Den dey kin take de chamber lye ag'in an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up tight an' name it. De person whosomevah de chamber lye is, name it. Call 'em dat name an' stop it up in dere an' carry it tuh watah dat's runnin' on, an' yo'll throw it in dere. (How do you throw it?) Jis' take it an' jis' walk tuh de creek wit it. Don't look at it. Walk tuh de creek an' jis', 'Yuh devil yuh go!" An' cast it away. Den walk on back but don't look back at it. An' dat stop 'em. Dat harms 'em, see. Dat will check 'em yuh see.
(How?)
As long as dat bottle stop up tuhgethah, cain't make no watah.
Entry 4356
Takes yuh chamber lye an' dey puts it in a bottle an' dey puts - git nine peas, nine black-eyed peas, an' nine nails, eight-penny nails about dat long [demonstrates] an' a needle, one sewin' needle. An' po' dat [urine] in dere [the bottle], an' a piece of fat meat an' throw dat in dere, an' nine straws. An' fo' dey put dat in dere, dey'll take it an' let it set up nine days. An' when it set up nine days dey'll go an' put it - dey'll take it an' put some mo' [things in]. Put black peppah an' salt an' vinegah in it an' three pods of red peppah. An' dey takes it [bottle] tuh de rivah an' throws it ovahbo'd ovah de right shoulder [using the left hand]. Dat'll run yuh crazy.
Entry 4360
Take yuh chamber lye an' stop it up an' take it tuh runnin' watah. Stop dat bottle so she goin' float, it goin' part de way down anyways. Ketch dat tide goin' whichevah way yuh want dis person tuh go an' den put it ovah dere - drop it ovahbo'd an' turn an' walk from it. Don't look back at it an' make yuh wishes whatevah direction yuh want 'im tuh go. An' he's goin' wandah roun' an' leave dere. He come tuh not be any good aroun' 'is home - somepin of de kin'. He'll jis' drift away an' people won't know what happened tuh him.
Entry 4363
[The wearing of urine (see p.503f.)and bathing or washing hands with it (see p.660f.) 1s fairly common and some of these rites are scattered throughout the text of HooDoO. Here follow a few more:] Ah heard mah grandmothah say dey could take a person's chamber lye an' stop it up an' cause 'em not tuh make watah. Jes' lak ah'd be goin' wit a man an' ah love him. Well, when he'd make his watah - yuh know ah wouldn't do it, but ah hear some people say dat chew could take it while it wuz hot an' wear it.
(Well, how would you wear it?)
Wear it in a sack aroun' yuh waist, near yuh, yuh know.
(Near your own privates?)
Yeah.
(And then what would that do?)
Make him love yuh. [Three widely separated periods following her yuh (see original transcription of MS) show that I stopped recording here, but restarted machine to add as a question the substance of what informant had said: that a menstrual cloth could be soaked with his urine.]
(You just soak this cloth that you wear?)
Uh-huh.
Entry 4365
Tuh influence de boss - well, yuh supposed tuh use some Hearts Perfume on yuh. Use some Hearts Perfume goin' down [the body] - put some on yuh han's an' put [rub] it ovah yuh don' chew see. An' dere is. a love powdah, dey call it, dat chew use tuh influence. Now dey say dat de Cashmere Boquet Powdah is a very good powdah. But chew use dat Hearts Perfuome an' a little chamber lye tuhgethah. See, put dat tuhgethah an' sprinkle it all ovah yuh an' dey say dat's very lucky.
(If you are going down to get a job.)
Entry 4576
Cross two needles in dat an' run 'im crazy.
(Cross two needles in this bow in the hat.)
An' put about six aroun' de [inside of the sweatband] de linin' lak dis heah [demonstrates]. See, lak dis heah, an' it will run 'im crazy. (What about that little bow - you know, that little ribbon that is tied in a knot?) Yo' mean in de back part of de hat? Well, jes' lak dat bow ties, yuh take de two needles, two gold-eye needles an' dip 'em in chamber lye an' cross 'em dat way, an' yuh'll run 'im crazy. (Do you leave them right in the hat or do you take the bow out?) Nawsir [no sir], leave de bow in de hat.
(You put it under the bow so it can't be seen?)
So it can't be seen. Dip it in chamber lye.
Entry 4674
Yuh could use yore chamber lye an' dat'll cause 'im tuh love yuh. Take yuh chamber lye befo' yuh speak tuh anyone early in de mawnin' an' yuh dampen dat little bow an' wear it. Wear it in yore right-foot shoe. Dat will cause de man tuh love yuh.
Entry 4778
Take an' cut off de end of 'is shirttail an' tie it in nine knots an' put it right in de house. Take jis' a little bit of 'er chamber lye an' cook it in some bread. An' he'll nevah go nowhere. [We have here two separate rites used as one for good measure.]
Entry 4930
Yuh take yore stockin' - if de man wants a woman, he takes 'er right- footed stockin' an' he'll put a frog, a life toadfrog, an' he'll put dat frog in dat stockin', tie him up in dere, carry 'im tuh de sunpo'ch[!] an' put 'im right undah de steps, right in de centah of de steps an' bury it, bury dat right down dere. (This man puts the toadfrog in her right-foot stocking and buries it right in the center of the steps. Is that all he needs to do?) An' den git holt of candy or dope or sompin an' wear it. Yuh kin tote de stockin' but yuh have tuh tote de stockin' wit'out de frog in yore pocket.
(But what would that do then, after you bury that stocking under the step?)
That will hold 'er undah 'is - not 'er, but undah his'n feet. Dat keeps 'er.
(What did he do with his pee?)
Kin take dat - if she drinks whiskey or dope or anythin', give her some chqmber lye in dat. Dat will change her, dat'll keep 'er. Dat stockin' an' all dat goes tuhgethah. De stockin', yuh kin take it den - de stockin', yuh kin take dat an' de frog, an' yuh kin put 'em tuhgethah in - kin carry 'em tuh watah an' throw 'em ovah- bo'd. Dat will [make] 'em leave yuh.
(You keep that live frog in the stocking?)
Dat's right, dat'll make 'em leave.
Entry 4968
Tuh bring a man back wit de sock, yuh take a lef'-foot sock. Yuh take an' put it down, put it down undah a rug, jis' lak yuh got lino- leum. Yuh put one down - yuh put de firs' sock down comin' in [at the front door]. Yuh go tuh de reah do' an' yuh put de othah sock down goin' out - shoot it [straight] goin' out. Yuh git up [in the morning] an' yuh take yuh some chamber lye an' yuh sprinkle, jis' lift it up soon in de mawnin' an' sprinkle a little chamber lye on dere, see. Go tuh dis [other] one an sprinkle a little bit of chamber lye on it. All right, yuh say, "Now, Lord, combine me an' mah man tuhgethah wit union an' love." Say, "Leave out all stum- blin' blocks, hindahin's an' causes." An' if he as fur away as mah han' he is got'a come. He's got'a come. Yes sir, ah know he's got'a come. Don' care whut direction he is in de worl', yuh take dem socks an' put 'em down lak ah said. Put 'em on down, de firs' sock comin' in dis way, an' dis one goin' out dat way.
(What do you mean by the middle door? Do you mean the back door?)
Jis' lak dat do' right dere [points].
(That back door, away out at the end of the house?)
No, inside de house. [Informant thinks my end of the house means outside the back door. Back door is meant.] (You call that man by name when you are saying that little [I WAS GOING TO SAY INCANTATION BUT STOPPED] - theSe WOrds?) Yeah, yuh have tuh say dose words.
Entry 5063
Wash dat dirt out. Dat's jis' de same as track, lak if yuh turned up a track [took up a foot track to trick someone]. Dat's de same. Yuh wash dat out. (You wash the socks.) Git dat [dirt] in watah. Dat's jis' same as yuh took de chamber lye. Yuh kin do dose things tuhgethah. One is tuh hol' dem, an' de othah see, tuh keep 'em comin' back. Wit dat chamber lye he always comin'. Dis outa de sock, dat's tuh hold 'em.
Entry 5084
Now, if ah wanta git chure influence, ah take mah stockin' an' lay it down - mine. [On her side of the interviewing table she begins to demonstrate by spreading out an imaginary stocking and sock, as I comment:]
(Flat down.)
An' put chures on top.
(And put one of mine on top. Just one of each?)
Jis' one of each.
(Which one would they take?)
[My they may be an attempt to avoid the guinea pig situation.]
De right. Den yuh rolls dis back, mine on top - roll it back [to you] an' turn it ovah.
(Do you roll it from you or away from you?)
Tuh me. Den aftah yuh rolls it tuh yuh, yuh take it den an' wet it in chamber lye an' put it intuh a close place where nobody will bothah it - nobody kin find it. Yuh keep it damp. No mattah what chew wanta do or what chew wanta say, or how yuh want dis person tuh do, dey will do it. Dat will control dere mind.
Entry 5756
Well, yo' see de foot track, takin' de foot track [demonstrates] wit dis fingah an' de tum' [thumb] an' jis' drawin' it tuh yo' dat way.
(That's the left hand with the thumb and the finger next to the index finger.)
Drawin' it tuh yo' dat way, pinch it tuhgethah. Take dat back an' put it in- tuh a bottle an' put nine needles in dere, nine needles in dat bottle; cinnamon powdah mixed in dat wit chamber lye of de woman. Buryin' it or put it in a very close place where she won't find it. If she a woman 'custom [accustomed] tuh bein' away from home an' stayin' away from home, she will come 'custom tuh stay at home.
(You take this dirt out of either foot track?)
Yessuh, eithah foot track. But de foot track must be prints in de groun' dat is damp, yo' undahstan'. De foot track must be prints yo' see.
Entry 5757
Why yo' kin take a person foot track an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up wit chamber lye an' throw it ovahbo'd an' run dem outa town. (Either foot track or both of them?) De right track an' part of de lef' track. Put it in a bottle, put chamber lye on it an' stop it up, an' throw it ovahbo'd 'cross yore lef' shouldahs.
Entry 5850
She gits somebody to go to dis woman's house an' gits 'er comb. She gits dis comb. She gits all of dis dandruff from dis woman's head out of dis comb. She takes it an' puts dis graveyard dirt in dere. Den she put some of 'er own chamber lye in it. An' she puts dis undah de step of dis woman. Well, dey thought dat dis woman had went into bad health, consumption. An' she went to de hospital an' she died.
Entry 5906
Yo' take yore hair - ah know whut dey says - take yore hair if yo' mnta kill someone. Well, dey say yo' take yore hair, it's a certain place dey git it right from de front - right from de front. Yo' have to git [demonstrates] jes' a little bit right from heah, or ketch it right back dere, see. (Either right from the forehead or either in the back of the head.) Or eithah git a lock right from de neck. Den yo' git a little of dat, whut [hair] dey use, an' yo' tie it up an' have some graveyard dirt. An' yo' put dis togethah, dis thing, an' den yo' go ahead an Wrg it. An' den yo' goes aroun' an' [something - see later] fo' nine mawnin's.
(You what?)
See, yo' go aroun' dere an' yo' say - yo' mus' [must] go to it. Yo' see, yo' urite dis here [see later]. Aftah yo' git all dis mess of stuff mixed up, yore bir an' de graveyard dirt. Well, yo' see, yo' wrap it in a piece of papah an' yo' write de person name on it, an' den yo' bury it. Den yo' go to it an' take Yore chamber lye an' wet it fo' nine mawnin's.
(You go to this hair - where you buried this hair. What do you do with it?)
Take yore chamber lye, git chure chamber lye, an' yo' wet it fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey say in thirty day's time dose people will be daid or dey'll be gone. If de're [they are] enemies dey'll have tuh move - dey'll have tuh go.
Entry 5978
Dey take yore hair an' dey will run yo' crazy. Dey take dat hair an' put it in a bottle an' put it in milk, new milk, an' put sugah in dat, an' put dis heah red cayenne peppah, an' put some of 'is chamber lye in dat, an' close it up air- tight. Dat will do de work.
(What do you do With that bottle then?)
Yo' carry it in yore pocket.
(You put all this stuff in the bottle?)
Yessuh.
Entry 6264
Dey tell me, say, jes' lak yo' got a wife, whut chew could do tuh make her stay home an' all. Jes' say, yo' could take a piece of 'er hair out, or yore wife cut yore hair off, see. An' put it undah de steps wit chamber lye, an' yo' gotta stay home.
Entry 6278
Well, dey kin take de hair from a woman haid an' make her hair come out. Yo' take hit an' yo' carries it an' yo' put dis heah hair in some of yore water - chamber lye. Put dat hair in dere an' let it stay in dere nine days. Yo' take dat hair back out an' carry it back an' wherevah kin yo' put it - in one of dose rooms dataway where she kin git holt of it an' burn it. Well dat make her hair come out.
(Well, now after you do that with this hair, you bring it back to her house.)
Jes' lak yo' got a frien' or anybody dat yo' kin sen' it back in dere an' git it back. Yo' have tuh take it out de chamber lye an' let it dry. Well, yo' jes carry it back dere where she kin git it off de dressah somewhere, an' she kin handle dat hair ag'in. Well, dat run 'er plumb foggy [not fogy as in old fogy, but her mind will be like a fogl.
(Well, how will she - will she burn that hair when it comes back?)
She'll burn it or eithah she'll throw it out. Anyway dat yo' kin git dat hair back intuh de house.
Entry 6280
De way dey'll take dat hair, dey'll take dat hair an' dey'll call it [by name], will call yo', an' dey will make a dressin' of it an' will git chure mind. An' in gittin' yore mind dey got chew.
(How do you make a dressing of it?)
Dress yore hair?
(How do they dress it?)
All right, yo' take nine thimblefulla chamber lye an' yo' take nine thimble- fulla salt an' put it in a bottle an' yo' dress dat. Yo' do it up in a rag an geah it aroun' yore waist, an' evah three days yo'll dress it an' call it, say, Ah wants tuh rule, control So-an'-so." See, yo' callin' it. Well, QUiTE NAT- CHAL WHEN YO' CALL A PERSON YO' GIT DERE MIND. An' sO dat's de Way yo' do it.
(And you do this, as you say, for love?)
Fo' love.
Entry 6349
Dey git de hair from de comb an' dey mix it up wit a little - put some salt in it, de way ah heard it. Now, put salt in it an' sometimes dey puts cham- ber lye in it. Put dat in de chamber lye in de bot- tle. Put dat in de bot- tle - put de chamber lye in it an' put de salt in it an' stop it up. See, an' goes tuh de rivah an' chunk it as de tide goin' out. An' dey chunk it as de tide goin' out, well, about from three tuh five tuh nine days, yore mind will be goin' - goin' till yo' go, an aftah while yo' find yoreself crazy.
Entry 6383
An' dey could trim yer fingahnails, yo' know. Say now, like if yo' set dere an' trim yer fingahs, I'd gathah dem up. See, I'd gathah dem up an' take dem - or toenails, eithah one of 'em. Take 'em an' put 'em in a li'le vial. An' aftah yo' put 'em intuh de li'le vial, yo' would keep 'em in dis vial fo' 'bout nine days, wit a li'le vitrus wit 'em fo'.tuh git 'em soft. Den yo' take 'em out of dat vitrus an' dry 'em off, an' put 'em in anothah vial den an' put othah stuff wit 'em. (What other stuff do they put with that second vial? What do they put in that second vial?) Intuh de secon' one yo'll put some of yer own chamber lye, an' a li'le bit of cologne root.
(Cologne root?)
Cologne root. An' yo'll take dat an' shift it aroun' [in the bottle]. Dat is tuh do 'em harm.
[Cologne root is probably a product of the root-seller or hoodoo drug store.]
(Well, what do you do with that bottle then, that has that stuff in it? This second bottle, what do you do with that, then?) De bottle? Well, yo' could take dat bottle out some place an' bury it. Bury dat bottle an' dat'll make dem useless in dere han's or foot, wherever dese nails come from.
Entry 6491
When yo' wash yuh feet clean, don' wlpe it, wait until it begin tuh dry an' den yo' scrape de bottom of each feet from de heel tuh de toe. See. Save dat an' put it intuh a vessel an yo' put yuh own chamber lye on it. Den yo' stop it up an' yo' let it stan' nine days - nine days. An' de las' day take it out an' dat party, if yo' kin git neah tuh 'em, drop a drop or two of dat in whutevah dey eat or dey drink. Why dey will eithah have tuh be yuh frien' or dey will die. I've knowed of dat [death] evently [eventually].
Entry 6786
Yo' scrub yuh steps wherevah yo' may be, yo' know, down wit de nine buckets of hydrant watah; [I mean] eight buckets down, yo' know, an' de las' bucket throw it up. An' smoke yo'self in dragon's blood an' wash yo'self down wit linseed oil. (What will that do?) Dat'll keep 'em from harmin' yah. An' keep yuh salt throwed aroun' yah steps, wit chamber lye - yah know, yahurine. [There are many scrubbing rites in Hoodoo, most of them from New Orleans, some of them complicated. For a few of these beliefs see margin titles WATER and WATER THROWN (pp.740-743) and SCRUBBING in INDEX (vol.5). The present 9 buckets of hy- drant water - considered running water and therefore of magic power - are for rinsing what has been scrubbed. Eight buckets are dashed down; the ninth bucket is tossed up into the air, either all at one time or a particular number of times.]
(You do all these things together?)
Yo' mix dat [salt and urine] but yo' smoke yuhself in a new can by itself wit dragon's blood; or insant [incense], dat's good. [This is a protection rite against hoodoo of any kind.]
Entry 6814
Well, jis' lak if people has some kinda goofah dust aroun' yo' take salt - cookin' salt - an' sulphuh an' sprinkle it aroun' wit chamber lye. Mix dat tuhgethah an' sprinkle it aroun' in yore house. Dat would kill it.
(Kill off this goofer dust.)
Dat put down fo' yo'.
Entry 6830
Red peppah, hot red peppah an' chamber lye an' bathe yo' laig wit it an' that would give yo' ease. Ah have tried that mahself. (If somebody has put something down for you to walk over.) Yes sir, a fortuneteller tole me someone had put sompin down fo' me to walk ovah. [Here, either while'recording ma- chine is stopped or cylinder is changed, I ask for the whole story.] Well, mah laig kep' hurtin' me an' someone come along an' tole me, say, "Miss Carter," say, "ah knows a good man 'cross town. If yo' would go, he would tell yo' sompin tuh relieve yo' of dat pain in yore knee." It nevah would swell but it jis' hurt all de time. So ah went ovah dere an' he tole me someone had hurt me in mah knee. An' he got me some green moss an' tole me tuh boil dat an' bathe in de watah hot. Put some table salt in it. An' aftah dat, den rub it wit some of dis red peppah an' dis saltpetah mixed tuhgethah. Make a salve. Put some lard wit it or some oil or sompin an' make a salve an' rub wit dat, an' hit would relieve me. An' ah did dat an' it relieved me. An' a li'le latah it commence tuh hurtin' ag'in. Well, ah went tuh anothah lady an' she tole me - least she didn't tell me but she fixed de poultice huh- self; Brown Mule chewin' 'bacca an' earth worms whut chew dig up out de ground. An' she stewed it up tuhgethah an' give me dat tuh put some meal wit it, an' make a hot poultice an' put on mah knee. An' dat relieved me.
(That was the end of that?)
Yes sir, an' mah knee got bettah.
Entry 6889
An' yo' kin take saltpetah an' 'er chamber lye an' let 'er drink dat an' she won' 'ave no baby. Jis' as 'er monthly comes around, jis' as she git off befo' she have a intahco'se wit anybody, drink up some of dat an' she won' 'evah [= won't never] git impregnant.
Entry 6971
Said if yo' had a woman an' she wuzn't treatin' yo' right or sompin lak dat, gits yo' a li'le vial, an' git some of [her] urinate an' stop it up, an' carry it. Git some of 'er chamber lye an' stop it up in a li'le vial an' carry it in yore pocket always wit chew, an' dat'll stop de woman runnin' aroun'. [Runnin' aroun' includes after other men. This belief should have been put under chastity-belt rites in margin title URINE - BOTTLED, v.3, p.2383-2384.]
Entry 6974
Put sulphur an' bluestone an' brimstone, tie all dat up tuhgethah an' put it in chamber lye an' throw it roun' yore house, an' nobody kin put down any cunjure fo' yo'.
Entry 7055
If she take his watah, chamber lye...
(The man's?)
Dat's right, but it have tuh be his wife.
(His wife would do this?)
Take his chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle but don't bury it. Keep it concealed fo' nine days, an' aftah nine days yo' take dat bottle an' po' it on de sundown side - aftah yo' stopped it up in de bottle. An' he would have no taste fo' likkah or any othah strong drinks - no mo'.
Entry 8393
Yo' kin take de photograph if yo' want tuh. Take dere photograph an' git chew some of yore chamber lye, an' yo' kin jes' keep dis face turned down tuhwards de - in de chamber lye, an' he'll be right dere. An' long as dat pi- chure stay dere, he'll be right dere. (You don't put the picture in the chamber lye?) No suh, jes' put it on top of it. See, jes' lak yo' got a li'le jar or sompin lak dat wit chure chamber lye, yo' undahstand. An' yo' put it [photo] right ovah dat [jar]. If he starts, yo' kin call 'im back by jes' goin' on back tuh dis chamber lye an' say, "Come on back heah tuh me. Where yo' goin'?" An' he'll make lak he leave sompin tuh de house or sompin of de kind, yo' undahstand [and come on back for it]. Well, he gotta come back dere.
Entry 8396
Yo' kin take a photograph of me, yo', anybody, an' yo' kin draw dat photograph dere an' yo' will natchly [naturally] run a person wild. (What would you do with that photograph?) Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do wit it. De way ah undahstand, yo' kin take dat photograph an' yo' kin turn it down fo' nine days, see, an' put it through a solution.
(What kind of a solution?)
Well, a chamber lye solution, an' yo' kin run a person wild - not wild, whut ah mean, but yo' kin have 'em all upset.
(About what?)
Oh, well, about anything. (Now wait a minute, when you do my photograph, do you run me crazy or do you make me crazy about someone. I mean be definite about it.) Dat would make me crazy about de particular one dat worked it.
Entry 8700
Dey takes a person's chxmber lye an' puts it in a bottle. Git some of dat an' puts it in a bottle, an' den takes it an' put sugah in it or honey, ei- thah one. Write dere names down nine times wit a indelible pencil but write it frontwards. As ah 'fore tole [be- fore told] yo', in place of put- tin' de entire [name], yo' put de given name first. Yo' put John an' den yo' put Edwards, see. Yo' write dat down nine times an' yo' put dat in dat bottle an' yo' stop it up. An' whenevah dey go somewhere, an' yo' want 'em tuh do anythin' fo' [you] whenevah they go somewhere, yo' take dat bottle an' yo' roll it jes' lak yo'd roll a lemon or sompin tuh git de juice out of it. An' yo' roll dat bottle nine times an' every time yo' roll it yo' call dere name. Dat's when a woman wants a man tuh do sompin fo' her.
(How do you mean?)
See, lak if a woman's got a husband an' he's mean to her. He believe in run- nin' about an' diff'ren' thing lak dat, an' she wants tuh draw 'im tuh 'er, an' Wants tuh git his earnin' [earnings, his wages]. She do's dat. (What did you put in there now? The chamber lye? And that nine, now you wrote that nine times? How do you write it, just one right under the other?) Yessuh. Jes' write it on one sheet of papah.
(You put the names right under each other?)
Yassuh.
(And you write it with what?)
Well, yo' writes it wit any kinda pencil [former indelible pencil withdrawn]. It don' make no diff'rence.
Entry 8955
Lak if yo' got a co't case an' in de mawnin' when dat individual [you] git up, leave de house be upsetted, leave de chamber lye stay in de house an' de clothes whut dey have on. First dey take a bath. An' yo' git honeysuckle an' bay rum an' den yo' make yo' a bath wit dat. An' yo' take dat bath when yo' fixin' tuh go tuh meet de co't. An' yo' put on clean clothes. An' de ole clothes whut chew put off, yo' nail a nail up at de do' whut chew goin' out, an' yo' turn yore underwears wrongside out an' yo' hang 'em up upside down. An' yo' hang yore pantses up upside down, an' yo' turn yore shoes upside down. An' as yo' go out de do', make yore wish an' don' look back. But leaves de house dere - upset de house as much as yo' kin. Yo' wins dat [case]. Ah have win.
Entry 9081
Yo' go out an'.git chew one dose conkah roots - 20 fo' a dollah. Git chew one of dose, an' yo' goes up dere. Bathe yuhself all ovah good wit salt- petah, an' sugah an' chamber lye. An' yo' git up dere an' go befo' de judge. As yo' walk in de co't, yo' jis' spit as yo' go up dere fo' 'im. An' dat'll change 'is mind.
Entry 9167
If yo' had a case an' yo' gotta go befo' de judge, befo' yo' go tuh bed at night, yo' kin take yore watah, take yore chamber lye, an' stop it up in a bottle. An' yo' gotta go tuh co't tuhmahrah - we'll say tuhmahrah. Well, yo' do dis three days befo' yo' gotta go tuh co't. Stop it up in a bottle an' when yo' stop it up in dere, put black peppah an' salt in it. An' when yo' go tuh de co'thouse have a cork stoppah in it. Don't have no top on it, no hard top on it. Have a cork in it. When yo' git dere, jis' sprinkle it round in de co'thouse, an' de p'lice won' appeah up on yo' an' de judge won't be dere. Some of 'em gotta be dismissed, de' goin' be sick.
Entry 9333
Well, de way dey tells me, an' ah have seen it did. Dey gits nine eggs.
(Nine eggs.)
Nine mawnin's. Yo' start 'fo' day in de mawnin', on a Tuesday, evah Tuesday. Yo' git up 'fo' day in de mawnin' an' take one-a [one of] dem eggs. Co'se yo' take de eggs, dem nine eggs, yo soak 'em in de chamber lye... [Here informant leaves chair and starts to demonstrate away from interviewing table and micro- phone. I often describe such demonstrations, but here I wanted a repetition of the words given before recording began.]
(Wait a minute! Will you come over here?)
[Informant returns to chair and repeats.]
Take nine eggs an' soak 'em in chamber lye, see. An' nine mawnin's see, 'fo' day, yo' take one-a dem eggs evah Tuesday mawnin' an' bust it ag'inst dat house. An' den yo' bust de last one, dat be de ninth egg an' dat be de ninth Tuesday. See. Well, in nine davs. ah'll betcha dey'll leave.
(I see. After the last egg has been thrown, then nine days later they'll go?)
"Fo' dem nine days latah. (Oh! I see.) [They will leave long before the 9 days!]
Entry 10272
If a woman didn't want chew tuh be socially familiar wit her, den she git some chamber lye an' put it in his cooking. Why yo' couldn't have de courage wit dat woman. Ah've heard of dat. [The opposite is usually true, as in two following rites.]
Entry 10275
Well, if she could get holt of somepin belongin' to a man, if she could get holt of his - but she must be in connection with him once. And she could get the measure of him and get some of her chamber lye and mix it together, she could get him. The only Way he could get away from her.
(She takes the measure of the man with a string?)
With a string, yeah.
(And what did she do with her chamber lye, then?)
Put it in that bottle with the string.
(Oh, she puts the string in the bottle where she put the chamber lye.)
Put it in a bottle and set it up in de left corner of the house. [The left corner is either left corner, front or back, while approaching house.]
(In the left corner of the house, and that will keep him.)
That will keep him right with her.
Entry 9639
Take some peppah [seeds] an' salt an' take some of yore chamber lye an' scattah it aroun' de do' an' den sweep it. Yo' kin [will] go as de seed went - de peppah seed. (You go the same way the seed went. That is, if someone came to your house and you want to make him stay away, you put the stuff out and sweep it?) Scattah it ovah de flo' an' den sweep it out.
Entry 9640
Ah heard dat chew take yore chamber lye an' dis salt an' peppah, an' throu it evah mawnin' befo' sunrise at chure do'. Dat'll keep de laws from run- nin' on yo' an' all fren's will come to yo'. An' don't sweep no, none of de dust out chure house, out chure front do'. Don' nevah throw none out; throw it in de fiahplace. Dat always brings in luck. But nevah carries out any [sweepings]. (If you are in business of any kind, especially bootlegging?) Yes, bootleggin' an' gamblin'.
Entry 9730
Lak somebody have did somepin tuh someone an' dey wanted tuh change it onto dem - turn it back ontuh dem. Dey kin take three nails, rusty nail, an' put in dat bottle a chamber lye. An' let it set dere fo' nine mawnin's an' den take an' throw it intuh runnin' watah.
(This will turn the spell back on the person that put it on them?)
Yes sir.
(Whose chamber lye do you use?)
Yo' kin use yore chamber lye. See, if yo' wanted tuh take it off yoreself, use yores.
(That is if you tricked me, I would use my own chamber lye?)
Yes sir. [Informant would not throw his own stopped-up urine into running water, he throws emptied bottle.]
Entry 9760
A man was likin' a woman. He get to like another woman, yo' know, an' doesn't come to her no more. She'd get nine new nails an' drive 'em down in de ground at her door, just enough to cover their heads up, and then the next morning she would take some of her water from de chamber and throw that on it. See. Then when he comes back in over that, over them nails and that chamber lye, then he'll get on with her.
(He gives the other woman up. I see.)
Entry 9923
Ketch a toadfrog an' put warts all ovah yo'. Take dat an'.git 'is oranoah lye, yo' know, when he make watah, an' git warts all ovah yo'. Take dat an' put dat chamber lye on yo' an' dere comes warts all ovah yo'... (How would they put that on a person?) They would throw it on 'em. [Wilson, N. Car., (1573),! 2680:3.]
Entry 10661
Anyone dat have a weak blad- der dataway or bad kidneys lak dat, use dere chamber lye to de ant nest fo' nine mawnin's an' it would stop. Dat big red ant nest.
Entry 11384
Yo' take dat file an' it's a certain place at chure steps. yo' stick dat file down on de point. But chew gotta have sompin else tuh go undah dat. Yo' gotta have... Yo' take dat John de Conkah, yore chamber lye an' a teaspoon fulla sugah. An' de blue- stone yo' beat it up, if yo' don't git it compounded. Yo' beat it up an' put it in dere, an' yo' take it an' yo' put it in a hole. Den yo' take dat file an' yo' stick it down - po' it [ingredients] in dat hole an' stick it [file] down dere, about two or three inches from yore steps. Dat's whut dat file is fo', tuh keep down dose sharp things [an enemy could bury under your doorstep].
(What will that do now?)
Dat will hold yore luck in dat house. It will hold yore luck.
Entry 11385
Policeman comes several times and you wanta keep him away, and you doin' underworld work. You have to get you oil of cinnamon, use your chamber lye, and cayenne pepper, and scrub every morning before the sunrise. Scrub into house [for trade], never out. Then you get you two brand-new files and you put 'em to your door and cross 'em. They can't come over that.
(Well, where did you put these at the door then? How would you put them?)
What, the files?
(Yes, at the door.)
You would put them underneath the doorstep.
(Underneath the doorstep. I see, so they won't come in.)
You have to use 'em in de back door like dat [also] if there is two entrances going in. Well they can't come across those two new files.
Entry 11496
Like dis is de fork of de road disaway [demonstrates] an' yo' cross here. Dey [your enemy] goes dere. Dey goes dere and you cross de other way. Dey kin take up your tracks, see. An' dey cross [put a cross mark in] your track. Ten [tracks]. Cross 'em like dat [demonstrates]. Here's yore track, and jes' pick up some of your track dis way, and take de other one and do dataway. Den dey keeps dat and if it's someone dat yo' really don't scared of, he will call you - come to yore home and call yo', an' den he call yo' an' take dat track - take dat bottle an' (slap, slap) wit de chamber lye in it. Take dat whatchahcall 'em cloth an' tie 'em round yore waist and dey couldn't do yo' no harm to save dere [their] dying life. (How do they cross those tracks out there at the crossroads? Tell me that again. How do they cross them?) Dere's yo' track, meanin' de foot track. How de' [dey] cross it if dey wanta harm yuh? Dere's yore track. Dere's de track one way, dey come dere. Take a stick from dere [demonstrates with an imaginary stick]. (Oh! they put a cross in each of your tracks, a cross mark. I see, make an "x", cross mark. I see.) Dat's de way dey do. Dat's de way it's done. (That's the way you cross the tracks, I see. And then after they cross these tracks, what do they do with them?) Dey takes dat and keep it, you understand. Dey keep dat and don't keer what- somever you - even yo' could be rid of de boss [person crossing your tracks] and he keep dat until he's dead.
Entry 12103
A woman kin take that [man's hat bow] an' sew that up in her gartah, you see. You understand, sew that up in her gartah an' put it in a jar, an' pour perfume on it, understand, an' a little of her chamber lye. An' sew it up, you lnow, on the inside an' put it in her gartah, an' wear it aroun' her leg.
(This bow out of his hat?)
This bow out of his hat. That'll hold 'im.
Entry 8682
Yes, yo' could take a sheet of papah wit lines on it an' write. Now, if she wuz a married woman an' yo wanted her, yo'd write her name [demonstrates] on dis line an' yo' turn de papah ovah an' write his name on dat line. See, her name would be goin' disaway an' 'is name dataway.
(Which way would her name be going?)
Yo' see, both sides [of the paper] has lines. Well, yo' write 'er name on dis line an' yo' turn de papah ovah an' write his name [over her name]. Well, yo' see both names wouldn't run togethah. One would run dat way an' one dis way [in the opposite direction]. Well, dat's de breakin' up [opposite of putting together] part. An' yo' would wear these names in yore shoe fo' three days, an' on de third day yo' take it out befo' de sunrise an' jes' tear it in small pieces an' bury it. Yo' wouldn't bury it very deep. Jes' rake back a li'le dirt, enough tuh keep de wind from blowin' it away. An' ever' mavnln' befo' de sun rise, why yo' put jes' a li'le chamber lye on it, an' yo' would say a prayer. (What kind of a prayer?) Yo' would say, "Lord, ah'm doin' dis in Yore Name fo' peace." An' yo' see dat "peace" would mean yo' wouldn't mean de man no harm, but chew would jes' want dis woman. An' yo' would do that fo' nine mawnin's an' de ninth mawnin', why dis woman would come to yo'. An' de way her an' her husband would split up, why he wouldn't have any suspicions of anyone. Then her mind would go from him an' his mind would go from her, an' would [go] to the one that wuz doin' this, that she loved. An' she would nevah know, or he would nevah know jes' how they broke up. But then yo would git de woman that yo' wanted.
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 13143
Yo' kin take his sock to make 'im love you an' yo' stockin' an' put it [them] together. Understand? An' puts some sugah with it. An' take it out an' bury it on the side of your house, an' go out there every mawnin' an' pour your chamber lye there. Don't you under- stand? See, on that. An' you take the sock an' your stocking an' roll it together, see. Now put a red onion with it, a dime - that's to make 'im give her money - roll it together. Sew it to you an' make your wish - that's her, you see - sew it up in your mattress. That man'll give you money, give 'er roney as long as he's there.
Entry 3554
(How do they do that?)
Well, dey take yore chamber lye an' if dey're still in dat house, yo' go to dere house. An' if yo' want to urinate, say, "Well, ah'm goin' to go to de bath- room." She give a jar to yo' an' yo'll urinate. She'll take dat an' as long as it contain no othah but yourn, she'll take it an' stop it up in a bottle. She'll take dat an' hide it somewheres. An' aftah she hide it somewhere on yo' [not on the man's person but about the house], yo'll find dat yo'll nevah be able [to have another woman] - she only. She take - aftah she gits yore chamber lye, she takes a string an' she'll measure yore private. An' aftah she git de length of yore private, den she take an' she make nine knots in it, drawin' to her evah time. Each time she draw a knot, it's drawin' it to 'er. Den she'll take an' she'll wear dis string aroun' 'er waist nex' to her skin, mo' so. An' den she'll take yore chamber lye an' hide it. She hide dis from yo' an' evah time yo' try to take intahco'se wit some othah woman, it drop. Yo' nevah can do it.
Entry 4042
Yo' take chamber lye an' peppah an' throw it undah de house at night, red peppah, an' if dey keep movin' in dere it'll burn it up - it'll ketch afiah
[afire]. (What did you put that under the house for?) Fo' movin'. (So when people come into the house, that'll cross the house up and.)
Cross de house up an' make it crossed. Make a cross jis' befo' throwin' dat undah - jis' befo'.
(Where do they make the cross?)
On de ground, near de house. (They cross the house up so that nobody can stay in it. If I had a fight with the landlord or anything of that sort?) Yes.
Entry 4044
Ah've heard 'em say dat choo kin take some chamber lye, cayenne peppah, sulphur an' go dere an' cross it fuh three times in de night, choo know, an' dey say dat'll make 'em move. Dat'll make 'em have a big fuss an' dey'll move.
(You go there and cross them?)
Yes sir, yuh go across [and cross] 'em three time.
(How do you mean?)
Jes' go dere - jes' lak dis de steps [demonstrates] po' it dis way, an' back by an' po' it ag'in [I interrupt].
(Making the form of a cross?)
Yes sir, a cross lak a [letter] X, three mawnin's straight, an' tell 'em to, "Go." An' de house will be vacant an' dey will move.
Entry 4047
Take dat chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' bury it undah yore steps an' yo' hardly will - yo' cain't make yore watah good.
Entry 4050
Dey tell me whut dey kin do if dey git chure hair [see later]. Whut dey kin do, put it in a bottle, yo' understan' - put it in a bottle an' bury it under de steps.
(What else do you put in the bottle? You say just the hair?)
No, not de hair.
[I turn off machine but restart it when informant said chamber lye?)
(chamber lye?)
Yeah, an' put it under yore steps, an' dey kin do jis' whut dey wanta wit chew.
(Who would do that?)
Oh, she could do dat. Dey woman would do dat, who's in love wit choo.
Entry 4052
Well, ah kin even take a fellah's chamber lye an' bury dat at de - stop it up in a bottle an' bury it at de do', an' he'll continue hang aroun' dere where dat chamber lye is at.
Entry 4054
Yo' take dat an' stop it up in a bottle. (Take what?) chamber lye - pee-pee. Yuh take dat an' yuh stop dat in a bottle, an' turn it upside down an' bury it in de groun' undah a step, an' dat'll swell 'em up. Dey cain't make watah - till dey die.
Entry 4055
Ah have took dere chamber lye, yuh know, mine an' her'n togethah an put it in a bottle, an' place it up ovah yore head - do'. An' den she will mos'ly [mostly] always be at home, yuh know, when yuh come in. An' den she would har'ly have any dealin's wit any- body cuz long as dat up ovah de do', yuh know, her mind on yuh.
Entry 4056
Dey tell me dey take yuh chamber lye tuh stop a person from makin' watah. Dey take dat an' put it in a bottle an' cork dat tight, an' tie it up ovah yuh do'. Dat's de way dey do wit de chamber lye. Dat's what dey tell me. Yo' can't make no watah.
(Over whose door do you tie that?)
Right ovah mah do'.
(Over your own door? But you have some other person's water in there?)
Yes.
Entry 4058
[The general reader may not know that dripping is an important magic rite in folklore, the magic of various types of occurrence: continual, occa- sional, interrupted, regu- lated, etc. The best-known examples are probably the burial of an article where water from the eaves drip on it - see FACI, 1st ed. 362, p.14, rain-making rite; 847, p.34, divination of crop year; 4124, p.195, 4239, p.203, wart cures.]
(How would they do that?)
Dey jis' git aholt of some of yuh chamber lye an' put it in a bottle an' put yuh a little trench in dat bottle stoppah.
(Put a little trench in the stopper?)
Yes, sir, where it yuh know, it won' run but it'll drip. An' yuh put dat bottle in a tilted position where dat kin drip an' drip an' drip. An' yuh'll become - git tuh de place where yuh cain't har'ly do anythin', lak a man do uhen he gits fixed [hoodooed or witchcrafted] you know. An' fin'ly dat all drips out. Well, if it molts [molds] in dere an' de molt [mold] gits ovah dat hole, an' it quits drippin' an' it stops de hole up, it stops yuh urine. He don' urinate no mo', unless he gits somepin done. An' yo' know a man don' have tuh miss doin' dat long befo' he dies.
Entry 4059
Yo' kin take a person chamber lye an' po' it in a bottle, an' take it an' bury it underneat' chure do'step. Have a little hole in dere, yo' know, where it will drip it lak dat. An' when de las' drop go out, drop out, DEY'LL LEAVE WIT DAT LAS' DROP.
(I would do that with their chamber lye to make them leave?)
Make 'em leave, see - git rid of 'em, kill 'em. See, dey'll lingah along yo' see.
The account places a bottle beneath a doorstep. This link retrieves that doorway location; it does not identify the doorstep with a door panel. The continuation describes making someone leave and killing them; these are source claims, with no established outcome.
Entry 4062
Stop it in a bottle.
(This chamber lye?)
Yessuh, yo' put it in a bottle. Ketch yore chamber lye an' put it in a bot- tle. An' put chew a little stoppah - little hole [in it] jis' enough tuh git a drop evah now an' den. An' bury dat bottle up, bottom- side up, an' evah now an' den, drop by drop, [will come] from dat bottle. An' dat will cut yore watah off an' pine yuh 'way tuh nuthin.
[As in the preceding rite, I begin to fish.]
(I see. You say you make a hole so that a drop will come out?)
Yes sir, one drop evah now an' den. Hold dat bottle up [and test it] 'fo' [before] yuh take it [and bury it].
(Oh, I see. Only one drop comes out of there.)
One evah now an' den.
(I see.)
Evah now an' den a drap will fall from dat bottle, but yuh bury dat bottle bottomside upwards.
[My fishing produced only the testing of the bottle. Good advice at that!]
Entry 4070
Den yo' kin jis' take his chamber lye an' jis' put it in a bottle an' put it down undah yore hearth right by de fiah yo' know, where it won't break. [They] say put it down in dere. Dat is if yo' wants tuh kill 'em or do sompin lak dat - wanta make him lingah or suffah 'fo' [before] he die, an' cuzin' [causing] dat watah tuh dry up in dat bottle from de heat. An' dat's how it dry up in 'is bladdah.
Entry 4104
If a man runnin' roun' wit a woman, if he's mah fren' or mah husban', ah'll take a little bit of mah chamber lye an' mix it all up, an' put jes' a little pinch of mah chamber lye an' wash de dishes wit it, fix de meals an' put a little drop of dis dragon's blood in it. Dat's how ah fix mine.
Entry 4105
If she wan'a hold a man she take a dishrag an' wash 'er ownself wit it, an' use it in de kitchen jis' lak she always [does]. He'll nevah cā'y 'is money from home. He'll bring it home jis' lak a chile. She cook 'im anythin' sweet, she'll put chamber lye or anythin' in dat, chew know, an' make him come home, bring 'is money in, see. Dat keep 'im 'umble [humble] undah 'er shoe. He'll always be lookin' up tuh 'er, yuh know. Yet he takin' cah [care] of 'er.
Entry 4106
Yuh kin take dat chamber lye an' if a woman wan's yuh tuh love her, or if yuh wan'a woman tuh love yuh an' lak dat now, dat's a simple thin'. Now, if yo' wan' de woman be settled down, yuh do dat, an' dey follah yuh from heel tuh heel. Ah'm gon'a tell yuh now, dey'll follah yuh from heel tuh heel. But yuh don wan' 'em follow yuh, but dey cain't he'p it follah yuh from heel tuh heel. Yuh go tuh work an' takes yuh a bottle of Coca-cola or anythin'-lak, an' take an' lay it out tuh yuhself. An' turn yuhself right dere tuh de east, where de sun rise in de east. Jis' lak ah'm settin' in [facing] de east right now. [To face the east or rising sun is a fairly common rite.] An' yuh take dat bottle an' po' out a li'le of it [or] yuh kin drink a li'le of it, yuh know. Jis' puts it [hold bottle] down, git it away from dere [you] at de top, an' yuh take an' take yuh penis, yuh undahstan', an' stan' tuh [facing] de east heah, an' hol' de bottle jis' lak dat an' shoot de pee in dere. An' when yuh do dat, say, "Dis is fo' us." All yuh got'a say, yuh standin' in de east yuh see, "Dis is fo' us." All right, yuh'll go back now. Yuh see, yuh stop it back up, shake it up. [For shaking bottled urine, see later margin title SHAKING BOTTLED URINE.] Go back, yuh undahstan', an' de ole lady say, "Whut's dis? Heah's one. Dis kin' all right?" "Yes, yes dis kin' all right." "Well, let me open it." Well, ah open it an' give her. Pull off of it dere [remove cap] an' shake it up an' po' in - serve it, yuh know, an' dey drink it down. AN' MAH FREN', in three day's time, she be tellin' evahbody, "Why, ah'm jis' crazy 'bout mah ole man."
Entry 4107
An' den put eithah a man or a woman chamber lye in tea or coffee or whiskey or whichsomevah it is, jis' feeds it tuh 'em - a teaspoonful at de time evah mawnin'. An' take a man - an' cut chure fingahnails, an' cut chure toenails, an' soak yuh feet in warm watah. An' take a razor blade or somepin an' shave dat dead skin from undah de bottom of yuh feet, an' yuh could put it on a little pan an' parch it on de stove. Yuh kin put dat in sompin, tea or coffee, an' dat will hold 'em togethah. AH KNOWS ALL DEM THIN'S CUZ AH'VE TRIED 'EM.
Entry 4114
(You have good luck you say with red onions. Well, now what did you say you put into that?) Yuh put yuh own chamber lye, an' yuh puts sulphur intuh it, an' yuh put love powdahs intuh it an' a li'le sugah - granulated sugah, a teaspoonful. Dat makes a nice salve. An' yuh gi' dat tuh 'im an' dey'll love yo'. (What do you do with that?) Yuh kin take dat an' gi' [give] dat tuh de person. Yuh gi' tuh 'em tuh eat.
Entry 4115
Heard of 'em takin' dere chamber lye an' also dere monthly. An' put it - about two drops of dey monthly an' a teaspoonful of dere chamber lye in a man's or a woman's food. Dat's, if it's a woman, she puts it intuh de man's food, her monthly. If it's a man, lak if de woman drinks or somepin lak dat, he puts some of 'is chamber lye intuh 'er whiskey or Coca-cola or somepin lak dat. An' dat's tuh keep 'em tuhgethah.
Entry 4116
Jes' lak if yuh want a man tuh be wid jah an' stay wid jah. He may be pullin' off wid some othah woman. Yuh take chamber lye an' a little bit of yuh minstratin' an' put it in whiskey or coffee, eithah one of dose thin's, an' jis' give it tuh 'em. An' he drink dat an' he jis' be so fool about chew, he'll have tuh be dere.
Entry 4131
Now, dis chamber lye, dey kin take dat now - ah don't know dis from pers'nal experience but ah've heard of dis. If a person, say, might do dat, take it an' sprinkle it on a person's food, he would follow 'em from heah tuh Europe barefooted jis' tuh git a chance tuh be in 'is company.
Entry 4132
Ah've heard it tuh say, if someone is sellin' whiskey, why dey go tuh work an' mix a certain portion of chamber lye wit it an' give it tuh mens, so dat dey come back an' buy dere whiskey.
Entry 4140
Dat chamber lye, yo' know de pee, throw it roun' mah do' an' he cain't come any fu'thah. Jis' let it stay dere an' be strong yo' know. Jis' put a little dat graveyard dirt all in de foah rooms, put a penny in dat do'. Dey won't come dere an' bothah yo'. (The rent, the law or the bill collector - whoever it is.)
Entry 4142
Now dey kin take dat chamber lye an' den dey kin take peppah an' put it wit dat chamber lye, an' put it into a bottle an' stop it up airtight, an' take it tuh a cemetery and bury it. An' den dat will effect yuh. Or in othah words, if somebody done somepin tuh yuh an' [you are unable to find that bottle], now de thing of it is, IF DEY [the spell caster] DIES BEFORE DAT YUH GIT DAT OFF YUH, WHY CONSEQUENTLY DEN DAT'S [the spell is never going to be taken off. See IF EVIL-DOER DIES, SPELL INCURABLE, P.396].
Entry 4147
Ah don't know much about dat, but ah've heard talk of dat dat way.
(What have you heard them say?)
Ah've heard dem say dat chew kin take chamber lye, where a person urinate. Yo' kin take dat urinate an' bury it wit an ole piece of cloth dat dey have used, an' thin's lak dat, an' dey could stop 'em from ministratin' if it's a woman, or if it's a man [a piece of cloth from near his pri- vates] dey could have 'im all messed up dere until he won't be no good atall.
Entry 4173
Well, yuh git chew jis' a medium-size bottle dat hold about a gill or somepin lak dat, a little ovah, an' fill it not quite fulla milk. An' den yuh take two or three, three teaspoonful of chamber lye, an' yuh put it in dat, an' take dat bottle an' turn it upside down. An' dat'll keep yore husban' at home.
Entry 4174
An' jis' lak if yuh want tuh git chure man back, jis' lak if yuh want tuh make 'em come home, if yuh kin git a chance tuh, git 'is chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle, an' don' have no watah in dere, no spit or nuthin. Take dis chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle an put chew a teaspoonful of sugah in dere, an' take an' stop dat up in dat bottle. Put it somewheres where it cain't be in- tahfered wit, an' turn dat bottle down lak dat [demonstrates] an' let it stay dere. An' he will come back. If yuh wanta keep 'im wit yuh, yuh git some of 'is chamber lye ag'in - dere two or three diff'ren' ways dat chew kin do it. Go tuh a cow, if she's a cow dat has a young calf, a black cow an' she's got a calf. Git chew aroun' two teaspoonful of dat milk an' po' it intuh dat bottle. An' yuh kin keep 'im jis' as fast, jis' as yuh do de sugah an' dat chamber lye tuhgethah. Put all of it tuhgethah. Set it aside or put it in de trunk or put it up ovah yuh do'. It's all right. Dat will draw 'im home an' make him stay dere. He cain't go nowhere.
(You don't do that if he's away some place?)
[No.] Jis' [to] keep 'im. All yuh gotta do is tuh keep 'll.
Entry 4175
Yo' kin take a black cow's milk - take two teaspoonful of black cow's milk an' a teaspoonful of yuh chamber lye an' put it in a bottle, an' take an' set hit an' yuh cain't git rid of 'im - him or her. (Where do you set that?) In de cornah of yuh house, in one of de fo' cornahs of yore house. But chew turn it up jis' de same way yuh do dat chamber lye.
(Turn it on its head?)
Yassuh, dat's right.
(Whose chamber lye do you put in there?)
Well, if de woman wants 'im, she put her'n in dere; an' if it's de man, he put his'n in dere, see.
Entry 4177
De chamber lye - yuh takes dis chamber lye an' put it in a jar an' git chew eight nails. Yo' turn fo' of 'em haid down an' fo' haid up. De down head is de woman, an' up is de man. Dat will break dem up. Yuh bury it right undah dey steps where yuh [they] kin walk ovah it.
(Well, whose chamber lye do you use?)
Use de man only. If yo' de man's wife, use de man only. If ah has a husban' an', yuh see, he's goin' wit anothah woman. Ah take his nurine an' put it in a jar wit eight nails, fo' nails haid down an' fo' up, an' close it up good in a jar tight. (What do those nails rep- resent now, what do they represent?) Dose fo' [down] de woman an' dose fo' up represent de man. Yuh take an' put de top on it tight, seal it tight, an' yuh take it an' go dig a deep hole an' yuh bury it. Den yuh covah it up real good, dat he may leave, go roun' 'er no mo'. He'll stay home.
(You don't call their names or anything like that?)
Don't call dere name.
Entry 4179
Ah could take yuh name an' write it on a piece of papah an' soak it in chamber lye until dat papah come dissolved, an' come heah sometime in de dead hours of de night an' throw it on yore po'ch. An' dat will make yuh move. (You just write that name on the paper once?) Yessuh. (You soak it in your own chamber lye?) Yessuh.
Entry 4182
Yo' wants a man an' yo' write his name see, nine times. An' yo' puts it in a bottle of chamber lye an' bury it undahneat' yuh steps. In nine days he'll be back dere.
Entry 4186
Ah know, confidentially [don't tell this to anyone], dat chew kin take de toenails an' fingahnails an' put 'em togethah wit chure own chamber lye; an put chure own chamber lye, an' put it in a bottle. Firs' it mus' be a clean bottle. Yuh trim yuh fingahnails an' den yuh toenails an' yuh put 'em in an' let 'em stay in dere. Den joo begin tuh name de person dat choo love, call 'em so dey will answah. When dey answah, why yuh have de stoppah open a crack sO yuh kin fasten it right out, yuh know, an' [he blows] DEY BLEWS DE BREATH IN IT. An' stick de stoppah right back an' seal it right tight. An' dat will be yuh frien!. (That will be your friend. I see, such as getting a woman or a man. With a man?) Yes.
Entry 4189
Ah heard dat if yuh man wuz runnin' about, could take de chamber lye an' put nine needles in yuh cham- ber an' pee ovah 'em, make watah ovah dem.
(That will stop him from running about. You leave them there?)
Yessuh.
Entry 4190
Wit de chamber lye, ah tell yuh whut dey do wit dat. Yuh take nine new needles an' a person's chamber lye an' yuh stop it up in a bottle, an' yuh turn de bottle neck up- side down an' bury it. Dey'll surely die.
Entry 4233
(What do you put in your shoes, you say, to keep them from harming you. What do they put in your shoes?) Bathes 'em in chamber lye. Puts cayenne peppah an' sulphur.
Entry 4234
Git chew a half gallon jar or sompin lak dat an' yuh half full it wit chamber lye; yuh know, where yuh urinate. An' den yuh kin go tuh de sto' if yuh ain't already got a sto' an' git some rock salt or git chew a big ball [block] of salt [from salt blocks made for cattle licking] an' beat off some an' put about two han'fuls or three, an' put it in dat [screw-top] jar, in dat chamber lye an' keep it shut. A quart, not ovah a quart.
(What do you do with that now?)
Dat whut chew do, jis' sprinkle it on yuh steps or on yuh po'ch. It will make peace aroun' yuh home, if anybody 'sturbin' yuh. Yo'll git peace. [Wilson, N. Car. (1496), 2665:4.]
Entry 4238
Take chamber lye an' yuh kin put salt in dat an' throw dat in de rivah. Dey say dat will run yuh 'way from home.
(You would throw this person's chamber lye in the river.)
Entry 4240
Sprinkle red peppah, salt an' chamber lye roun' de house, git chew 'way from dere. (That will make you move?) Yes.
Entry 4277
Yuh take dis chamber lye an' set it, set it fo' 34 hours, see. An' yuh let it stay dere an' den yuh take it. Boil dis [John de] Conkah root an' boil dis snakeroot tuhgethah. Put de juice of dis snakeroot an' conkah root intuh dis chamber lye wit a tablespoonful of red peppah, tablespoonful of table salt. Stir it all up tuhgethah. Ef anybody come in dere an' yuh don't want 'em come in, when dey go out jis' throw it behin' 'em an' keep on like dat. Dey nevah come dere no mo'. An' yuh kin break a fellah's business up wit it. [This Conker root is really devil's-shoestring says infor- mant in 798:3, several rites preceding present one.]
Entry 4285
chamber lye kills poison. If yuh keep chamber lye roun' yuh house, wit sulphur an' red peppah, no one can't harm yuh.
Entry 4289
chamber lye is dis way, when yuh in hard luck sometimes - in hard luck. Fo' nine mawnin's, git up an' take yore chamber lye an' walk out an throw dat out in fronta yuh do' lak dat fo' nine mawnin's tuhwards de sun- rise. An' regardless of who it is, yuh luck will change, yuh luck won't go bad wit chew atall.
Entry 4292
Yuh go dere early in de mawnin' jis' a little befo' day - tuh dis house, yassuh, an' yuh sprinkle red peppah all around it, all in de yard, an' heavy undah de steps where dey have tuh go in an' out. When yuh git through sprinklin' dis red peppah, den yuh take yuh some chamber lye an' throw it undah de steps on de peppah dat's undah de steps. An' den yuh leave. Dat brings up confusion between 'im an' 'is family an' de person dat he's dealin' wit, an' he'll have tuh leave dere.
(That is to get even with the landlord? To keep people out of the house?)
Yessuh.
Entry 4295
Well, yuh wan'a keep de law away, if yuh're bottleggin'. Evah mawnin' fer nine mawnin's yuh git up, yuh go tuh de front do' - don't evah sweep yuh dirt out de front - befo' de sunrise. Sprinkle chamber lye an' - but firs', burn ole shoe sole an' take de dust of dat ole shoe an' sulphuh, an' sprinkle it all aroun' yeh house out- side. An' den do all dat when de sun go down in de evenin'. As de sun goin' down yuh burn de shoe sole [and the sulphur - see later]. Nex' mawnin' befo' de sunrise, sprinkle it aroun' yeh house [shoe-sole ashes] an' sulphur, an' den sprinkle chamber lye all de way roun'. Den as zhoo sweep yuh house, sweep de dirt all back, from de front all de way back. Take it up on yuh shovel an' befo' sundown dat evening take dat dust whut choo sweep out cheh house an' burn it up in sulphuh an' ole shoe sole. An' do dat fer 9 mawnin', don't miss a mawnin', befo' de sunrise. An' as de sun goin' down in de evenin', yuh burn yuh shoe sole. An' continue sprinkle dat chamber lye aroun' yuh house. An' de officahs, dere wouldn't be anothah step about choo, won't nevah think about chew an' yuh likker.
Entry 4331
Take dat chamber lye - yuh could take it an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up, an' put it in a tree, an' take dis fertilizah [manure of any kind] an' put it in dere an' dey'll soon die.
Entry 4337
Take dere chamber lye an' make dem stay wit yuh or love yuh or be roun' yuh. Or yuh kin take dat chamber lye - well, ah know dey done mah brothah-in-law lak dat one time. Dey took 'is chamber lye an' put it in a bottle, an' den put it up in a tree above his haid, an' had 'im hangin' up dere all de time. Said dat'd keep 'im sick an' stop 'is watah jis' lak he had gravels or sompin lak dat.
Entry 4338
Take de persimmon an' dogwood an' boil it an' make a tea outa it. Place chamber lye an' sulphur tuh it an' gives Dentine paste - Dentine tooth- paste. An' dey say yuh kin go anywhere yuh wanta an' yuh gain luck. (Where do you keep all this stuff?) Well, yuh jis' take it an' keep it jis' where- somevah yuh wan' tuh. Yuh have it fixed an' set lak yuh want it tuh set. See, always jis' take a little part of it. Yuh dress it lak yuh wan'a tuh yore own bouse [dress your house with it in any way you want to]. An' when yuh git ready tuh go [away from home], why yuh take yuh luck an' fix [dress] yuh han's wit yuh luck, an' den yuh go.
Entry 4343
Take dat chamber lye an' stop it up an' throw it in runnin' watah, in de rivah. It will run 'im away, run yuh crazy if yuh have it stopped up. If yuh don' evah git [recover] dat [bottle] why yuh'll always be crazy. [THE GENERAL READER MAY ASK: HOW CAN YOU RECOVER A BOTTLE FLOATING DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, OR A BOTTLE PERHAPS NOW DRIFTING ABOUT THE GULF OF MEXICO? REMEMBER, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE IN MAGIC. TO RECOVER A BOTTLE ON THE MISSIS- SIPPI, See 921, P.339; FOR A RIVER ON THE ATLANTIC COAST, See THE BRILLIANT WORK OF A DOCTOR IN RICHMOND, VA., 922, P.340; AND FOR GOOD MEASURE, See THE CLEVER DOCTOR OF WAYCROSS, GA., 920, p.338.]
Entry 4344
Dey take yuh chamber lye an' bottle it in a tight bottle, an' throw it in watah an' dat will cause yo' tuh die.
Entry 4345
If yuh wanta hurt anybody wit chamber lye, yuh kin take an' git some of dere chamber lye an' put it in a bottle, an' stop it up tight an' throw it in de rivah anywhere. An' dey will lingah, dey will hardly make watah - wouldn't make watah long. Dey be jis' swole up, take de dropsy.
Entry 4687
Well, ah've heard dey take dat li'le bow out de hat an' put it in de bottom of yore shoe, an' keep it wet wit chamber lye, yore cham- ber lye, an' jis' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe, twixt de sole an' yore foot. (What will that do?) Dat will keep a man home; he won't leave 'er. She's lyin' onto [she can rely on] him all de time.
(Either shoe?)
No, de left shoe.
Entry 4688
Takes dat an' soaks it in chamber lye, de bow from de back of man's hat. Soaks it in chamber lye an' puts it in de bottom of 'er shoe. She got de man. Evahwhere she go, he's follahin' 'er.
(She can wear it in either shoe?)
Either shoe. Jis' de innah sole yuh know, take dat out an' soak it in chamber lye, eithah put chamber lye in dere an' put de innah sole down ovah it, an' he follah her evahwhere she wants tuh go.
(Whose chamber lye does she put in there?)
Hers. She use her own chamber lye.
(She puts that in the man's shoe?)
[My question or statement shows me napping, caught by the words he follah her, I momentarily forgetting what went before.]
Entry 4689
Now ah heard 'em say about dat little bow - ah always caution mah boys about dat bow. Ah don't know whut dey kin do, but ah heard 'em say dat dey take dat bow. In fact a ole wumman tole me dat. Say, yuh take dat bow an' rip up dat thin sole [insole] in yore shoes an' put dat bow undah dere. An' yuh know, jis' keep it perfumed wit dis ole Hearts Cologne an' keep dat - put chure chamber lye, put chure pee on dat, an' keep dat bow in dere, in de bottom of yore shoe. An' dey say, dat boy or man can't leave yuh tuh save his life. Say, he jis' can't go off.
Entry 4690
Dey tell me yuh take dat bow out dat hat an' puts Hearts Cologne on it an' a little of yore chamber lye. An' put it in a flannen rag an' wear it right nex' tuh yore flesh. Say dat will make a man love yuh.
Entry 4694
Take dat little bow right out de back of yore head [hat] an' dey'll take it an' tie - a woman will take it an' when she tie it up, she take it an' she'll put it right in 'er bloomahs an' wear it. Wear it right dere right close up tuh 'er, nex' tuh 'er. An' when she git ti'ed of wearin' it, she'll take it tuh 'er do'step an' she'll bury it. An' evah mawnin' she'll go out dere an' she'll throw chamber lye on it. An' it won't be mo' dan three weeks befo' yuh'll go crazy. (And she wears that long as she wants you, and when she doesn't want you, she'll bury it under the door.)
Entry 13351
Well, dey tell me a person's chamber lye - yo' takes a person's chamber lye - do yo' mean tuh do good or do harm? (Either one. Tell one first and then the other.) Well, yo'll take a person's chamber lye an' yo' put nine needles in dat chamber lye, brand-new needles. Yo' stick one point down an' one point up, one point down, until yo' git all of 'em down in dere. Yo' take dat an' yo' put dat chamber lye - bury it somewhere where dey kin walk ovah it. Dat will do 'em harm.
(Well, just what would it do to them?)
Well - well, if yo' wanta do good, now...
(How would it harm them?)
Well, dat would harm 'em, dat would ketch 'em in dere bladdah. Dat's de way dat'll harm dem, swell dem up down in heah.
(How do they do them good, do you say, with chamber lye?)
Well, yo' take dat chamber lye, ifs yo' want a man tuh stay home, take dat chamber lye wit some salt an' some sugah an' yo' stop dat up. An' yo' put dat undah de haid of yore bed, somewheres neah yore bed, or in a dark cornah in yore room - anywhere lak dat. Dat will make him stay home an' quit runnin' an' rov- in' aroun'. Dat'll make him stay home.
Entry 13366
Take chamber lye an' assafedidee an' bury that with ten needles an' put that under their door- step.
(What is is supposed to do?)
That were supposed to make you do, whether you want to do or not. An' she kin go off an' have her fun with men, you see, an' then anytime you want to go out, you see, a big argument start.
Entry 13369
Yo' kin take a aig. Yo' kin take one aig an' yo' kin put dat aig intuh chamber lye an' let it lay fo' 9 days, see. Well, den yo' kin take dat aig, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh fix a person. Well, yo' go tuh fix 'em, well yo' kin take dat aig aftah 9 days an' yo' kin take it an' throw it ovahbo'd. See. An' if a person's aftah yo', well yo' could - yo' know - git rid of 'em. (How do you throw that egg overboard?) Yo' throw it overbo'd tuh eithah run de person crazy or make 'em leave town. (Well, how do I know I've got the right person? By just using that egg? What else do I do with that egg?) Whut else? Well, ah don't know nuthin' else except yo' know, yo' go some- wheres an' yo' git information, see.
(The egg is supposed to represent the person you are to send away?)
Shore.
(Well, how do I know it's representing that person?)
Sign dere name on de aig.
(Oh! Did you tell me that before?) [Notice the answer.]
No, ah wasn't in heah befo' tuh yo'.
(I mean, did you tell me that a moment ago?)
No.
(Did you tell me you had signed the egg?)
[Here is a good example of working hard for information informant thinks you know.] See, yo' sign dat person name on dat aig.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Yeah, jes' ole black hen aig.
(You didn't tell me that before, see.)
Entry 13370
Well, it's lak if yo' wanta have luck in business, yo' wanta have luck in business, yo' git chew some consecrated [concentrated] lye an' yo' save yo' own chamber lye. If yo have roomahs in de house let dem save deres. See, jes' lak, yo' tell 'em fo' in- stance whut chew want, yo' know. Yo' want tuh use it fo' somepin or somepin lak dat. Git chure friends, if yo' ain't runnin' a roomin' house, or eithah fo' yo'- self. Yo' use yore chamber lye an' git chew some consecrated [concentrated] lye an' git chew some sugah an' put it in dere an' boil it. See. An' aftah it boils - yo' gotta boil it outdo's, yo' cain't boil it in de house - an' scrub yore house all de way through wit it an' yo'll have roomahs.
Entry 13373
Ef ah wanted a fren' girl, or somepin othah lak dat - a young girl ah wanta make an' she left de candy or somepin lak dat. Well, ah kin take chamber lye, a little thing lak dat, an' ah kin give her, lessen she wise, yo' see. Well, den, when ah put chamber lye on it, ah soon kin tackle her down yo' know - put mah han's on her. Well, ah put mah han's on her den. Ah kin give her dat chamber lye yo' know, feed her on dat chamber lye - see lak chewin' gum or candy, anything lak dat. Den ah kin git up to her an' den it's customary, if a man kin git up to a woman or sompin lak dat an' put his han's on her, he believes he kin go further on, yo' know. Yo' understan'.
Entry 13374
Yo' kin use dey chamber lye an' boil it in his coffee or use it in his tea, or eithah if he bringin' his whiskey home, yo' kin [use] it, but chew gotta boil yore chamber lye an' let it set befo' yo' give it tuh him. See, let it set prob'ly a week or sompin lak dat. An' den boil it an' strain it by itself. See, aftah yo' boil yore own chamber lye, it forms a drugs [dregs] lak in it, an' yo' po' it off an' strain it an' po' it den. Use it in his coffee, eithah in his tea, anything dat he drinks or eithah po' it in his whiskey. Yo' don' have tuh po' dat much. Ah say roun' 'bout fo' or five drops jes' in dere tuh stop him from drinkin'.
Entry 1625
That'll keep a root worker from the house if you know what to do with it. If you use chamber lye overnight an' let it set - let it set an' don't let it sunshine on it without [before] choo wan'a use it. [If] you wan'a use it, bottle it up - see, that creates a good odor, a strong odor. Well then, you see you say, "I don't want this devil to come here." You see, you git up in mornin' an' you pour you some out - don't care de whole bottle out. Take a whole jugful. pour you some in a sprinkling can, git to yore do' [an' sprinkle it]. Well, you see, dey come up dere an' dey can't come no further.
Entry 2710
Know whut dey do wit chure whiskey an' make 'em pull dat - course dat's a dissipated thing. Well, yo' eat chamber lye an' yo' kin git 'em an' dey jes be crowdin' in dere - yo' can't wait on 'em fast enough.
(You put chamber lye in the whiskey.)
Entry 3295
Yo' kin take a man's chamber lye - jes' lak mah husban' goin' wit dis woman ovah heah, an' make him sevah [sever] of de woman. Yo' take dat chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle an' he can go wit me an' nobody else. Yo've got 'im right dere [in the bottle] - he can't do nuthin'.
Entry 4290
Ah goes tell de people come roun' fo' de sunrise an' take de chomber lye an' po' on de bottom do'step - undahstan' me - an' see [watch] de sun dry it up. Undahstan' me? De sun dry it up an' if dey have any trouble wit de officahs, anythin' lak dat, dey don' wanta bothah roun' dere atall - don' bothah wit yuh home.
(Do they do that every day?)
Do dat fo' 'bout nine days.
Entry 13360
They said dey could take yore chamber lye an' put it into a bottle an' bury it under yore steps. Well, dey say dat would kill yo' sometime or hurt chew, yo' walk ovah it. Why dey got it dressed. Why dat hurt chew some- time. [Brunswick (1185) 1998:12.]
Entry 13385
Or either yo' kin use yore chamber lye an' throw it around a place jes' where yo' be's an' connected with, understand, an' dat keeps 'em away
[evil person, police, spirits, etc.] [Memphis 2696:9.]
Entry 9421
A lady tole me, say yo' cud [could] take a chicken aig, if yo' gotta man an' de woman is mean tuh yuh [can't quite understand this lowland dialect]. Say yo' cud take de chicken aig, a fresh aig jis' a hen laid, an' yo' take dat an' yo' break 'em [the egg] up. Break 'em [egg] in dis man chamber lye. An' put it in a bottle an' stop it up, an' beah [bury] it undahneat' de house. Say he wod [would] give dose t'in's [things] up.
(I see.)
But ah nevah tried it. Dat's whut she tole me.
The informant reports a woman’s advice and explicitly disclaims having tried it; the relationship wording remains uncertain.