Subject:Cloth
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Entry 683
Yo'.take de dust from a ant hill an' sprinkle it on anybody, it will make dem be in bad condition an' give 'em bad luck, because a ant will rustle fo' his food. Well, dey will practi'lly git lazy an' dey won't try tuh feed demselfs. [Here is contrary or opposite magic.] Dat always keep dem from han' tuh mouth all de time. Dey nevah has anythin'.
(You take that dirt from the ant bed - out of the ground.)
Jes' de dirt from de ants - jes' lak, yo' know how dey is, weaves up dere dirt aroun' dere little hole. Well, yo' jes' rakes dat dirt into a piece of papah or on a piece of pastebo'd an' take an' put it in a cloth an' carry it on wit chew. Wherevah anybody is doin' fine, doin' well in life, throw dat dirt an' dat starts dem tuh travelin'. [Here is similar (sympathetic) magic - ants travel, your victim travels.] Dey jes' continue tuh goin' an' always will be from hand tuh mouth an' nevah has anything.
Entry 1018
[Instead of both hands holding the string or cloth parallel to the body, sometimes the left hand is against the body while the right hand extended in front of the body jerks the string outwards. This is called tying a knot away from you:] You take a new strip of cloth and tie nine knots in it - jerk 'em from you and you tie 'em, snatch 'em from you. If you got an enemy and you calls his name, you won't never be worried with him no more.
Entry 1044
My own laig Was pizen oncest, an' dey had my laig pizened in a way dat I couldn't use it, see. And I went in a graveyard and I axt a fellah wat died and ah pay him a little bit, and I got dis same woman dat fix my laig up, pizened it. And I went to de same woman and she died, see. I got a piece of her dress - under pieces like and I went and got some of dat same [dirt] and I washed my laig in de water and that heal my laig up.
(You got some dirt from one grave.)
From one grave - a fellah wat died, and I paid him to use some of that dirt, see - and de lady wat dies, wat had my laig fixed, and I went and got a piece of de dress befo' she died, see, and I got de cloth and put 'em in dat water - in dat water with de graveyard dirt, understand, and I washed my laig in dat water about four or five times understand, and den my laig was well.
Entry 1269
Well, my daddy know whut de matter. My daddy was a riverside man. I ain't born by de riverside but I'm 69 years old right now. My daddy was a man, you know, he was purtty wise. And he says, "Well, I don't [do] know what to do with my Charlie." He went to work and takes [four] live toadfrogs and cut it open, and like he [the frog] is in dere [the raw inside], you know, git some sulphur and you fix like a batter for to fry bread - he daubed the [inside of] the frog with that red peppah and sulphur, and he bind dis one here and bind the other one here [but by action he indicated four frogs - one at the front of Charlie's head, one on each side, and one at the back]. And he done that fer nine days. And my brother commence to come back to us. My brother - I'm a year older than him. He is dead now. Tie 'em with a new bandaging of cloth that never was used - homespun. And he bind 'im with that and my brother lay there fer nine days. He stunk like a buzzard.
Entry 1724
Well, you've heard of people being stopped from having their real actions. Have you ever heard about it? Well, now it is very true about that. Jest say for n'instance chew know someone - course it is not always you can get things like that unless it's in a country home, but if you know someone who uses that spot or go some place where you can get their actions. You go and bore a hole in a green tree - some tree that's not dead - it's gotta be green, and you get some of this and wrap it up, jest a small amount of this, and wrap it up in some new cloth and stuff it into a tree and jest force it back in dis tree. Get chew a piece of new tin and nine tacks, new brass tacks, and nail dis down and then paint over this tree - after you got, jest say a piece of bark or something of this tree - paint over that. That stays in this tree, which it will. This person's bowels will never move. Now, I know a lady right here in this town now - her bowels won't move, it moves out of her side. It is said that that caused this woman to be like that. Well, ah know 14 years ago that she was just as well as I am now, and no doctor that have ever diagnosed her case have been able to tell her whut's wrong. But they say for a fact that she was treated that way.
Entry 1922
You goes tuh work an' git dat graveyard dirt an' yo' pays de dead when yo' go dere an' git it. Pay 'em 'leven cent or much as yo' wanta, den yo' git dat graveyard dirt. An' yo' goes into de graveyard backwards an' go up to one of de graves - jes' whatevah one yo' git to - go into to it backwards an' jes' call de dead an' tell 'em whut yo' want, an' carry a white piece of cloth an' put dat in dere. Den yo' carry dat white piece of cloth, yo' stoop down dere an' git dat graveyard dirt, git it right from de heart. Git dat graveyard dirt right in dere. Take dat dirt an' it do de work.
(What do they do with that dirt?)
Take dat dirt an' carry it an' wheresomevah yo' wanta put it, carry dat dirt dere an' put it down dere.
(What do you put that dirt there for?)
Yo' put it dere tuh run a person - a man or a woman off from dere home. Mah husban' wus run off from home.
Entry 2091
[Magic sand - black and white - is what some persons called powdered lodestone, black lodestone and white lodestone - see preceding margin-titles Lodestone.] In gambling, we say yo' kin take a little piece of High John de Conker, we take three guinea seeds, you take a piece of lodestone and you take magic sand and you sew this in a piece of cloth. Upon your hands you would use oil of van-van. Then you hold this lucky charm in your hand whilst you are playing with a piece of money and you will be lucky.
(What is magic sand?)
Magic sand is a thing that is made to go with this lodestone - somepin like - looks like black dust, but it comes with lodestone - you buy lodestone and dey give you dis sand with it.
Entry 2134
Take a silver dollar and scrape the, yo' know, the United States things off it an' sew it up in a sealed cloth, an' dat gives yo' good luck.
(Luck for what?)
Most anything.
Entry 2248
(What do they say about that?)
Well, now if you want a job and can't get no job, well now, you goes to these white people's house and ask them for a job. They'll turn their back on you. Well, you go back home and get you a piece of red flannel - red flannel cloth, tie three knots in it, tie it around you calf up here - right round down below your knee.
(Either foot?)
The left foot, uh-huh, and saturate it good in spirits of turpentine and you go the next day. You go there and they more than apt to give you a job.
Entry 2283
Jes' take three locks of his hair.
(The boss's hair?)
Yeah, if yo' kin git it. Be round his house where he'd comb, where he comb his hair, an' git three locks of his hair an' yo' take those three locks of hair an' yo' keep them saturated in Hearts perfume an' git close enough to him to talk to him to blow yore breath in his face. An' then yo' git a root which is called de Seven Sisters, an' yo' take that root an' yo' wrop this hair round that root an' keep that. An' when yo' go to 'em, dey says he won't deny yo'.
(You carry this root with you. What do you put that root in?)
Yo' take it an' put it in a lil cloth, or make a large enough piece of papah an' tote it right in yore watch pocket. An' de whole time yo' talkin' to him, yo' keep yo' fingah down in there, jes' lak dere somepin between yore thumb an' yore fingah next to it. Yo' know, work it kinda lak yo' would a match, yo' know lak that, yo' know [demonstrates].
(Just roll it around between thumb and forefinger of your right hand.)
Yessuh. [See margin-title Seven Sisters, later.]
Entry 3126
See, whut he do tuh fix 'er up, he go tuh work an' he takes - he gits some of 'er intahco'se [menstrual blood here], yo' undahstan'.
(I understand, from her intercourse.)
Yes. All right, he takes dat. He takes dat rag an' he foles - he takes dat cloth an' he foles it, foles four times towards 'i. Don't nevah fole it from 'im, fole it up towards 'im. If he got a shoe, he puts it [a piece of it] in 'is shoe. Yo' undahstan'. Jis' put it in a pair of 'is shoes an' go on. He kin go on off an' stay three uh [or] four weeks, an' she ain't got no feelin' fuh no Othah man atall, she always wantin' to see yo', yo' undahstan'. [Both to fold and four times are common magic rites. To fold is magically to confuse, confine and control the spirit, or part of the spirit, residing (often temporarily) in the object being folded. The magic or sacredness of the four comes, to Christians at least, from the following Biblical quotation: I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth (Rev.7:1).]
Entry 3169
A simple thing. Ah's been did dat way by mah wife. Lak she go on an' have connection wit yo', see. Well, now, aftah yo' git through, take an' wash, yo' undahstan' an' she takes any kinda cloth whut yo' might dry wit, takes an' puts it in any kinda can, a coffee can or eithah a glass, somepin small lak a can, an' puts it ovah de roof of de do' an' let it stay dere. Well, where a man don't pay no 'tenshun tuh it lak dat. An' whensomevah he goes back tuh de same place where he jes' came from, dat othah girl, well he cain't even git up no courage fo' her. He'll be jes' as soft as when he git through. Jes' as long as she keep dat in de can, he can't.
(He can't do anything.)
Entry 3170
Well, she git a bran'-new pocket han'schef, or eithah a bran'-new piece of white homespun, an' when he'd have a intahco'se wit 'er, she'd let 'im use dis cloth. She take dis cloth an' set it up ovah de do' facin', an' he can't raise a heart [for other women].
Entry 3196
[The words female semen in the margin title are not used in this rite, but such a non-existent substance is clearly in- dicated. I previously hinted at this possibility back in No.3138. We shall be told later, yo'all have yore correction dere togethah an' aftah yo'all DISCHARGE.... (see No.32ll). The implication here is that a woman emits or ejaculates her vital substance in the same manner as a man. More evidence of this belief will be found elsewhere in HOODOO. We must remember that woman's part in procreation - ovulation, not the discharge of semen or something similar - became known only in modern times.] Say a woman take a chicken aig an' she'll [do] somepin othah wit it, take somepin an' wrap it up in some cotton in a cloth. Jab [rub] huhself until she git chere [has an orgasm] an' take a leetle dat stuff [put] it on de chicken aig an' don't put much of it on dere, an' put a saucah - break de aig an' put it in a saucah an' put anothah one [saucer] ovah it, an' put a leetle bit watah in it. An' de nex' mawnin' she'll put a leetle bit mo' watah in it, an' den put it [egg] on de stove an' let it come tuh a heat an' turn it ovah. Den - don't let it git good an' done - an' den when 'er husban' or de man come in, "Oh, ah have a aig fo' yuh." She give him dat aig an' she got 'im.
(What will she put on that egg from her?)
Dat stuff whut's in 'er. Yo' know, when a person comin' yo' know.
(You mean her [menstrual] blood?)
Yes sir.
[He means nothing of the kind.]
Yo' know dat stuff, yo' know when yo' come.
(You mean when she comes?)
Yes sir, she take dat thing an' jump up [and down?] until she come, an' git some of it an' put it on dis aig.
(On the outside of the egg?)
[This sort of question, one already answered, may sound stupid; but Ifrequent- ly wanted repetition, always hoping for further bits of knowledge, or clarifica- tion as here.] On de inside. Break de aig an' put it in de saucah. She take some of dat stuff den an' drap it on dat aig, yes sir, an' den de nex' day, she....
Entry 3234
Take a new piece of domestic cloth. Yo' write on it 3 times a man'g name dat yo' want. Yo' write dere name an' wear 9 days in yore shoe an' dat'll draw 'im back to yo'. An' when he gits dere, yo' take dat little piece of cloth an' wipe yore pri- vates wit it. An' yo' wear it contin'us an' he can't leave yo'.
(You wear it in either shoe?)
Well, I would wear mine in de left shoe.
Entry 3249
Dis here is one way. Dey tell me yo' send a man off, too. Say yo' go to work an' if a woman wanta git a man off in dat respect, why yo' go to work an' yo' fool wit one anothah, yo' know. She won't wipe wit de same cloth he wipewit. She wipes 'im off yo' know. Den she'll take dat an' tack it or somepin lak dat - yo' know, sew it up in a cloth an' den go to de railroad track or somepin lak dat wit a boxcar open or somepin lak dat, an' throw it in dere. An' dey tell me he'll drive along somewhere, cuz lotsa time dey take a boxcar, yo' know, an' dey carry it off - put it on some diff'ren track. Maybe dey carry it to de Mississippi valley 8ome- wheres or nothah befo' dey evah lose it. An' dey go off wanderin'.
Entry 3373
Dey take yore hair an' dis - yo' know whut ah mean - an' yo' wrap it up in a dishrag or any kinda cloth an' yo' bury it undah de do'step which he travel through an' from, an' he cain't have anything tuh do wit any othah person but dat pahtic'lah one.
Entry 3479
Even if she want 'im an' don't want 'im tuh mess wit no othah wimmins de cloth whut dey connect wit, she ties dat on de springs of 'er bed, throw 'er mattress ovah it, an' he can't go wit nobody but 'er.
Entry 3506
(What will she do?)
Take de cloth dat she use an' be sure dat she gits it. She goin' to cut it out, de piece of it out while it's damp, an' she know what she got. An' she'll put it on a belt or somepin an' jis' wear it aroun' 'er waist. Dat tie him to her. Evah time he go to go wit any othah woman, as long as she get dat piece on 'er, he can't. If he's ready, why he soon become unready befo' he kin do any- thing.
Entry 3544
Yo' put nine knots in a bran'-new piece of cloth - yo' know, jes' lak yo' wanted to keep yore husban' from goin' out wit a woman, yo' know. Well, yo' jes' yo' know jes' lak yo' an' 'im be's connected togeth- ah, why den yo' an' 'er use dis new piece of cloth wit nine knots in it an' keep it undah yore bed mattress. An' he can't go out wit no othah woman but chew.
Entry 3618
As ah 'fore said awhile ago 'bout a woman usin' 'er cloths, especially if ah don't use mine, or if ah use mine heah, she would use hers heah. All right now, ah kin be done wit de woman an' stretching out. Now ah'm tellin' yo' dis heah whut ah experienced mahself. Dis heah not whut ah heard, ah experienced it mahself. Crosstown heah last year [1938] ah wus hurt lak dat wit a woman, see. But ah didn't have no itchin' fo' no woman. Well, ah went to de druggist an' bought whut chew call courage pills an' othah kin'a pills. Dey didn't do any good. All right, ah kin'a heard a - ah heard of dis heah talkin' of takin'yore nature from yuh an' ah caught on to she musta had me tied up. An' ah went to her one night, ah said, "Lookit heah, " ah say, "ain't chew got sompin near yo' of me? Or got me fixed some way?" She say, "No." Well, den ah thought about dis heah method of takin' de nature from yo' in de bed, yo' know. Yo' wanta know about dat? Well, she went to de job - went to her job dat mawnin', an' while she wus gone ah tore up de mattress an' foun' dis mess. An' when ah found it, hit wus nine knots tie in a piece of cloth, de same cloth dat she used on me but not on 'erself, see. Now she had it tied in nine diff'ren' knots, jes' nine knots all crossed up in all kinda diff'ren' ways, an' she wore dat. Whut chew call wear, she wore dat roun' 'er waist. See. She had one cloth an' had it tied in nine knots an' she wore dat. An' she had anothah dat she put ovah - lak she puttin' a bandage ovah it, an' she wore dat right on 'er stomach roun' dere. Ah could roam aroun' town, anywhere in de world, see any people, jes' havin' fun. Now, ah couldn't git up no nature fo' 'em. Ah could go to any woman. "Lookit heah, " ah say, "how about gittin' some so-an'-so?" All right. An' go right dere, an' jes' as de minute ah start, it be lak dis heah [evidently demonstrated with a dropping finger or hand]. Until when ah found dat mess, an' when ah found it ah didn't even bothah atall. Ah made her took it out. An' aftah she untied it an' took it, den ah had [my nature again].
Entry 3695
He kin go an' git 'im a pound of alum an' git 'im a cloth an' mess wit 'er all he kin an' wash dat cloth in dat alum an' wear it round him.
(Wear it around him?)
ALUM Yes sir, it'll bring 'er to 'im - it'll take dat up. Dat'll kill dat othah [impotence] dead, dat's whut dey say.
Entry 3920
[HERE IS VERSION TWO OF THE RITE:]
Dey kin take yore hair an' put it into a cloth an' put some mo' things wit it. Put needle in dere. Take two or three gold-eye needles, take yore hair an' take a sanitary cloth, an' sew it all up in dere togethah an' a silvah dime. Git a silvah dime from me [a man] an' sew dat all up dere togethah, an cross dem nee- dles in dere an' keep 'em. Well, yo' would always be crossed. (Someone would do this to a woman. You said you put a sanitary cloth. Where Would you get this sanitary cloth? You mean her monthly cloth. Well, you Would have to be doing this to a woman then?) Yeah, yo' doin' it to a woman, or eithah to a man.
(How Would you do it to the man?)
Dat's whut ah'm tellin' yo' now, dat's de way yo' would do to a man.
Entry 4426
Ah heard dat chew could take a person's bowel move' - take a person's bowel movement. Git some of dat, yo' see, yes, from 'is bowels. Ah take it up on a little piece of stick. or sompin, an' put it in a little cloth an' double it up. An' yo' bo' a hole in de tree an' yo' poke dat in dat tree, see, an' stop it up. In nine mawnin's he'd die of dat, 'cuz it check 'is bowels where he can't have a bowel movement.
Entry 4571
A woman kin take de bow out of de back of a man's hat, an' sew it up in a piece of cloth an' wear it in de seat of her bloomahs. An' long as she wear dat, dat bow in 'er bloomahs, why he couldn't quit 'er. He couldn't go wit no othah woman but 'er.
Entry 4635
Ah've heard of 'em put it in a cloth yo' know an' wear it, dat little bow in dere. Take it an' git chew a piece of cloth an' put it on it an' wear it, jes' lak yo' wear a Kotex between yore laigs. Ah've heard of dat.
(What will that do?)
Well, dey say dat will make him care fo' yo', love yo', yo' cain't git rid of 'im. Dis little bow. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 4640
Well, dey takes dat little bow an' cut it out, an' dey tie it up in a little piece of rag of any kin'. An' she takes it an' she takes, wears it right up in 'er crutch [crotch]. An' yo'll become crazy 'bout 'er. Yo' can't leave her, yo' don' even wanta see nobody talk tuh 'er or nuthin.
Entry 4642
Ah've heard dat a woman could take dat, dat little bow from de back of yore hat, an' take it an' tie it up in a rag an' tote it 'twixt 'er laigs. An' she kin do yo' anyway in de worl' she wanta do. Now, dat's whut ah heard about dat.
Entry 4644
Kin take dat little bow an' sew it up in a piece of cloth an' wear it in 'tween dere laigs, an' dat will make 'em love yo'.
Entry 4846
If yuh love someone an' wan'a git 'em back tuh yuh, whut would joo do? Yore wife - sompin lak dat - cut de seat of 'er teddies out, undahstan' now, an' tie it up in a cloth an' wear it round yore waist, an' she nevah will leave yuh.
Entry 5044
Dey cut de toe of yore socks out.
(The toes of both socks?)
Dat's right. Well, aftah dey would cut de toe of yore socks out, dey would fix it intuh anothah piece of cloth an' wear it 'cross dey private - de girls.
(What will that do?)
Dat supposed tuh keep yuh.
(The woman would do that to the man?)
Jis' a woman, not a man.
Entry 5227
A person take yore shoe an' cut jes' a small 'mount of de sole off each one of yore shoes.
(The outside sole?)
Yessuh, jes' cut dat sole offa dat, offa each one of 'em. An' take dat sole offa dat shoe an' git 'em a bottle of Jockey Club Perfume, an' lay it on a cloth an' sew it up right nice, an' keep it 'nointed always wit dat perfume. Don' nevah let it go wit'out it, dat per- fume. Evah day, don' fo'git tuh put as much as two or three drops on each one of dem li'le pieces. An' keep it in yore pocketbook an' DAT WILL FO'EVAH
Entry 5381
Dey kin do dat, take dat foot track, if yo' git de toe comin' intuh de house of de right foot, whut ah have heard, an' if yo' take it an' yo' know put it in a cloth or somepin. Jes' lak if yo' could bank it undah one of dem bricks [in fireplace] or anywheres in de house, dey will nevah leave heah. Dey always have dere mind on dis pahtic'lah place.
(What do you mean? Get the dirt from the toe, you say?)
Yes sir, from de right toe.
(Just pick it right out of the toe?)
Yeah, jes' pick up de toe, or jes' say, yo' know, anywheres about de -front of de foot.
Entry 6403
Well some of 'em say yo' take dat an' make dere husban' love 'em. Take de fingahnails an' toenails an' clip de nail off in a piece of papah or cloth. An' put it in de stove an' parch jis' lak yo' parchin' corn. An' take it an' tyin' it up, beat it up, an' put it in a powdah-lak. An' when yo' give him 'is food tuh eat, put dat intuh it. He'll nevah leave yo'.
(That will make the man love you.)
Yes.
Entry 10268
He has a piece of cloth. He'll use that himself. He steal it while he goin' to her. He steals it. An' he'll jes' keep it with 'im an' he wipe him an' wipe her. An' when he wipe her, you know, like that, why ever' man who went dere he'd fall.
Entry 10292
Woman wipes man with new piece of cloth, conceals it in north corner of house [Norfolk, 525:6].
Entry 10302
Wipe man with cloth, heat and dry near fire, put under head of the bed [Wilmington, 130:9].
Entry 10358
Wipe slut when she becomes loose from dog, wipe woman with this rag or handkerchief, bury it; she's no good until cloth is taken up and washed.
[Wilmington, 172:5.]
Entry 11474
Jest like I tole you about de other thing. Dey'll take dat and scrape it and put it in a little paper sack or tie it up in a cloth and they'll drop dat overboard. Dat'll hurtcha.
(What will that do to you?)
That will cause you to be down all de time and you'll go crazy. You go ovahbo'd, sompin like dat [foot] track will.
(That is with the scraping of your feet.)
Yes. [Charleston 653:7.]
Entry 11602
Enemy's foot track tied up in cloth and put over door to make them [him or her] stay away from house [it is unhealthy or dangerous to walk under anything belonging to you], or throw into running water to run 'em crazy.
[Wilmington 76:2.]
Entry 12010
Hair from the mold of a woman's head is wrapped in cloth and buried at a man's doorstep to hold her there or to bring her to his house. [Norfolk 494:9.]
Entry 12090
From inside de hat, said dey takes dat bow out 'side [inside] of de hat an' wear it. Sew it up in a piece of cloth, a piece of new homespun, an' tie it roun' yore waist an' wear dat. Dat will keep de man wit yuh.
Entry 13286
Person wipes off sweat with white cloth, ties it up tight - airtight it - put witch hazel on, hide package in bed, usually in mattress and under sleeping partner. This is to hold him or her. [Wilmington 133:2+85.]
Entry 13429
An' den yo' kin take a wasps' nest an' put it in a new piece of cloth, homespun, an' wear it aroun' yo'. Dat will make a man come an' stay with yo, or either give yo' his money an' all.
Entry 11567
"They take this dirt out of 9 of your tracks, and take it and tie it up in a little piece of cloth, and keep it fer 9 days. And they kin carry it and throw it in a river: if it swims upstream, why you go crazy; and if it float down de stream, why, you know, it won't harm you much." [Wilmington 91:1+85.]
Entry 197
I remember one time when I wus in Philadelphia. There wus a lady, her husband left her, she wanted to bring him back. So she got ready an' she went to this doctor. So she ast 'er, she said, "Could joo get my husband back?" She told 'er, "Yes." She said, "Whut way could joo get 'im back?" So she said, "I'll tell you wha' choo do." She said, "You get a black cloth, you make it up like you do a baby, an' you stick out one pin an' one needle in it - new needle an' new pin." An' she [the wife later] taken the needle an' she stuck it up one place, here [she demonstrates].
(In the head.)
I guess it must of been the eyes she makin' - an' [she half-pantomimes].
(The pin.)
Another place. [Many persons acted out everything they did.]
(For the other eye.)
She put it [the doll] right up over the doah [still demonstrating]. (So that it was held there by the needle and pin stuck through the eyes and into the plaster.) [Final result of my commenting.] I was in the house. I seen that mahself. An' she [the doctor] said, "Ev'ry time you come to this house [the wife's own]," she said that - "an' I'll pin it up here over the doar - an' ev'ry time you come in," [she] said, "before you speak to anybody," she said, "you cuss at it, an' that'll bring 'im back again an' make 'im stay with you." So, after that, another time, I seen her dress [prepare magically] a letter, this lady [the wife]. She dressed a letter for to send to him. An' when she dressed that letter she took an' went down there [the page] jes' like that with her fingernails - you know, went down jes' like that. Den she had somepin, ever' now an' then she dip her fingernails into this mess - it was jes' like perfume. She'd dip her fingernails into it, she'd make a straight line, she'd go straight on down [the page] for to make him start writin'. So they went on at dat an' went on at dat [using various devices to bring the man back]. So the next two weeks - I think it wus, yes - the moon wus shinin'. You see, this wus dark nights when this happened. So the next two weeks there would be a moon shinin' at night. So after that [in the light of the moon], she said to dis lady, she said, "When you came again," she said, "you bring me a piece of money, but let it be silver - a ten-cent piece, but don't bring it in two nickels." So when this woman [the wife] came [home] again she ast me to go with 'er, an' I went back with 'er. An' it wus some way out in de country, see. We taken de trolley [or streetcar] because we went a long ways. You know I'd heard tell of these things an' I wanted to see 'em. So when I went with 'er, she taken this money - she tied it up. It wus tied up in four corners - it was a handkerchief. She made it [the four corners of the handkerchief] in a cross like - like a baby. An' after she got way out de country, she taken an' threw it to the end of this road. The road was crossed up. She threw it to the end of the road [down the left prong which was crooked]. She threw it over her right shoulder an' said somepin three times. So I said to the lady, I said, "Whut did you do that for?" She said, "We got to pay off the evil spirits whut we git our work to act, So they'll do whut we want to do, see." So I imagine that's whut dey did that for. That's all I know about that. But anyhow I went with 'er. So after that, why she [the doctor] said to this woman, she says, "When this baby falls down off of the doah, '' she says, "in seven days after that, if not seven days then the ninth day," she says, "he'll come home." I didn't go back with 'er though after dat baby fell, but I went with 'er for to pay off, you know, dat concern to the ends of that road. I went with 'er den. So after that I ast the lady, I said, "Did your husband came?" She said, "Yes, he come back all right." I said, "Well, how he's treatin' you?" She said, "Fine, better than he did before."
Entry 1902
Ah used de nest of de red ants mahself - see, ah used to be a gambler. Yo' git a frog an' take tie him up, both his laig, to a stake ovah a nest of dose large red antses an' let dem eat de flesh off his bones, see. An' den yo take de bones an' wrap 'em up in a cloth an' dress em wit cologne an' yo'll win. But it's dangerous - yo' have tuh pay fo' it.
(What do you mean by that?)
Well, yo' li'ble lose a member of yore body, yore arm or laig, toe, yo' know, or lose somebody in de family yo' love, or either yore life. Yo'll have to pay fo it. It s de devil's trick.
(What do you do with that frog? You stake - you mean?)
Yo' stake him - yo' torture him - yo' let de red ants eat de flesh off him - stake him alive. Yo' tie him up, all fo' of him laigs where de ants kin git to his flesh.
Entry 2059
To make yo' keep a job after yo've got it. Dey tell me yo' kin git chew some - somepin dey call lodestone. Yo' orders it from a book. Yo' kin git dat an' git some sulphur an' bluestone an' mix dat all up together fine, an' take yo' a new piece of cloth an' sew it up in dere good an' wear it round yore waist or anywhere on yo. Keep it damp wit Heart Cologne. Say dat keep de police out
Entry 2060
Buy yo' some live lodestone, put it in a cloth, a red cloth, sew it up wit black thread. Yo' go put it on yore body. Den yo' go down an' ah ask yo', "Mister, will yo' give me a job?" Yo' say, "Well, ah might not have a job fo' yo' tuhday, but chew kin come back tomorrah."
Entry 2133
Yo' kin take a silver dime an' a piece of bluestone an' a piece of alum, an' yo' kin take a small piece of saltpeter, an' yo' put that together an' wear that. That's good fo' good luck.
(In gambling?)
Yes sir.
(What would you put that stuff in?)
Wrap it up in a piece of cloth.
Entry 2289
If you wanta have luck in gamblin', if yo' married or got a wife or got a girl fren', jes' git a piece off her bloomers an' a piece of her hair an' a hairpin, an' put Heart Cologne wit dat an' a piece of garlic, an' sew dat into a cloth together with a dime an' keep it in yore pocketbook or in yore pocket. Yo always have luck in gamblin'.
Entry 2504
Take dat graveyard dirt - take some and divide into each one, see, and git you some salt. Some of de graveyard dirt into each one of de shells.
(Of these shells?)
Yes, dey done already shot, you see. And you take another shell and git some of de gunpowder and put - divide it and put some in each one of those shells. And then you take a needle and stick it in each one - stand de needle up in dere like you goin' sew some cloths, but jest right on de tip. And put dat stuff in dere round and pack in around dere tight - jest like you fixing de shot in de shell, see. And then you take that and put one under your front step, and then you turn around and put one under the back step, you see. And if you got any side windahs or anything like that, chew kin jest take and put one at de main windah where you always keeps open, you see. [Three shells.] When de revenuer comes he'll come round to everybody house but chores, and people wonder how come he won't stop to yores - and you selling whiskey in dere, too. But he jest won't have no spirit to come towards that house. He figure there won't be nothing there, when the revenuer comes there. Never won't have no spirit. Co'se ev'ry- body don't know that, you see - don't know everybody telling that. See, if I tell a person that, I want some money fer telling that.
Entry 3148
I get me - DO YOU KNOW WHAT BUMBLEBEES ARE? You know what they are?
(Yes, wild bees.)
Yo' have tuh do dis in de summahtime. Yo' have tuh git someone tuh ketch dese fo' yo'. Yo' take dese nine bumblebees an' brown 'em in de stove. Jes' put 'em in an' cook 'em dere. An' den yo' jes' git yo' a hammah an' put 'em in a piece of new cloth of some kine, an' jes' take yo' a hammah an jes' poun' dem intuh powdah. Well, now, say yore husban', yo' don't wan' 'im tuh be wit no othah woman. Yo' wan'a keep 'im away from dis pahtic'lah person. So aftah yo' have - yo' take dis befo' yo' go tuh bed, yo' see, put dis in dis cloth an' rub it tuhgethah yo' kngu. Be sure yo' got dis powdah all in dis cloth. Have anothah one fo' yoreself. Yo' an' 'im both don't use de same - let 'im use dis cloth fo' 'imself. Yo' know, some people are not very careful tuh take a bath. If he should take a bath, don' give it tuh 'im until he dries. If he dries 'imself wit it befo' he takes a bath- when he gits ready tuh dry 'imself, den give 'im dat an' rub 'im wit de powdahs on it. Well, he gits finished wit dat an' he goes tuh see dis person, whenevah he has intahco'se wit dat person, dey will have a burnin' sensation. Dey will come tuh yo' an' tell yo' how somepin has happened tuh dem an' yo' will know dat dat is de person. Den take dis cloth an' fold it ovah an' tie it in a real hard knot, as hard as yo' kin draw it, an' den yo' stick dese nine small needles in dere. Dat is tuh keep yo' away from dis person. Dey always have some kin'a complaint. Yo' know yo' heah of people always havin' aches an' pains - down here in pahtic'lah. Well, dat is part of de spell tuh keep dem away from dat person.
(What do you do with the cloth then?)
Yo' go an' bury dat. An' dat will stick fast until he when [you, another woman] go wit 'em [him] dey [he] be lak dey [he] be dead. [RUBE GOLDBERG THE CARTOONIST MUST HAVE DESIGNED THIS RITE!]
Entry 6776
If yo' sprain yo' arm or yo' foot, yo' leg, mix it up wit vinegah an' tie it roun' dere, bandage a cloth aroun' dat. Dat's all ah know fo' dirt daubah nests.
Entry 3372
She would take a cloth or sompin lak dat an' she would take his nature, see. Some of de hair so dat he couldn't mess wit othah ooen. She'd take a white plain cloth an' she would place it into de bottom of a trunk an' she'd place dat - well, he's lost 'is nature, see. She'd place it dere.
Entry 5076
If it's possible dey kin git intuh yore room an' git one of yore socks, dey kin easily have yuh go away. It's GOTTA BE DIRTY, though - GOTTA HAVE SOME OF DE MOISTURE FROM YORE BODY IN IT. An' dey take it an' fold it an' put it in a cloth, sew it up an' put it intuh a runnin' stream of watah an' dat will carry yuh away.
(That would send me out of the house.)
Entry 5567
Now, if someone wanted tuh harm yo' 'bout dat, wantedtuh harn yo', dey would git chure track an' put it in a bag, an' write chure name on it an' put it in runnin' watah, an' yo' be goin' de balance of yore days.
(Get my foot track and put it in a bag.)
No suh, jis' put it in a piece of cloth yo' undahstan'. Jis' write de guy's Dame who yo' want tuh be gone.
(Where do you write that name?)
Yo' jis' write it on a piece of papah an' put it in dat dirt wit dat track in dere.
(You take either track?)
Eithah one of de tracks, it doesn't make any diff'rence.
Entry 8878
Tuh run yo' crazy.
(How do they do that?)
How dey do dat? Well, dey jes' goes tuh runnin' watah an' lets dat stay dere fo' so many - yo' know, a while. An' dey take it up an' dey takes dey 'nitials an' put de 'nitials on dere in a piece of cloth, an' throw it intuh de rivah, see. Dat jes' keep yo jes' all stirred up. (They simply take my handwriting and throw it in the water. That's all they do?) Throw it in de watah. Put chure 'nitials if dey kin git de - yo' know have yore 'nitials off de lettah. An' dat keep yo' goin'.
Entry 984
It's a very broad expression, yo' can't - dere blood unless yo' put a person, unless a woman, yo' know - yes, her ministration.{She was uncertain about using the word.] Well, once in a while - this is mah experience with mah- self. I'm not givin' you an' idea whut ah hears. I had a cotton mattress yo' know - yo' didn't pack dem, an' my ministration was taken up from my - ah worked at a hotel, see, an' it was taken up an' that piece was cut clean out an' honest, it was fold jes' lak this - 'bout five times an' outa de five times, they have five needles in it, an' beside the five needles they have something it looked kinda like a black snake, it had a little teeny head like this - like that. I found that in mah mattress. An' then they had another one to go 'cross that an' dis little head was in dere. [Two snakes were crossed.] Then they had that wrapped up - it was sprinkled with something - it had been there so long. Then they had it wrapped in one cloth, yo' know, white duck. Then the next was red flannen. An' those things ah didn't see myself at all until ah found it an' ah'd taken it to a doctor. He says, "Oh, they had jure ministration." Ah didn't take it to a medical doctor - ah took it to a root doctor - ah had never believed in them [medical doctors]. An' they had lotsa my hair in there with it - ah had long beautiful hair - an' how they got it I does not know, but I guess from combing mah hair an' leaving or de dresser.
(What did this doctor do for you?)
Whut did this doctor do? He'd taken it with him. Ah say, "Now, what is yo' goin' do with it?" He says, "Ah tell yo' whut ah'm goin' do. Ah'm goin' take it to a runnin' stream an' ah'm goin' put it in there an', '' he said, ''the same person that did joo like this, they'll come an' ast chew the next morning, How yo' feelin, Miss Davis?" Anhe say, "Now, don't look ugly an'don't look nasty, jes'say, "Jes' dandy an' how yo' feelin'? Ah did so. An' he say, "In nine mornings when it come yore time, yo'll jes' come jès' lak yo' always." So it has - ever since ah never had no mo' trouble.
(He cured you?)
He did - but he done something else, but he did it to himself [he did not tell her what he did].
Entry 1054
Really, de fac' 'bout it suh, yo' kin take a piece of new cloth an' yo' kin put it into a glass of watah an' let it wet good - dat is soak good an' den open it out. Yo' kin take a penny an' put on dat new cloth an' blow yore breath through it three times dat is a penny. Sew it up an' put it roun' yore neck or anywheres roun' yore waist, an' dere's no harm dat dey kin do to yo'.
(They can't put anything down for you to walk over or anything of that sort?)
Not a bit in de world. [For penny in cures, see next subsection and Index.]
Entry 1716
Some peoples ketch one dese flyin' bats yo' know, one dese leather bats an' cut him an' take his heart out 'fore it - yo' know, while he's warm - while his blood is warm an' wrap it up in a piece of cloth an' den put a needle in dere - git three needles, cross 'em. Den sew that up in anothah bag an' - den git chew a piece of cotton ah mean, an' wrap it round dere an' den sew it all up together. Ah know dat's good cause [I] see dat used wit success.
Entry 1781
Dat's easy. You kin take an' make a little box. You know you kin git dese, any kind of little box you understand and make it - you know, shape it like a coffin. But co'se you have to have it shaped like a coffin, don't you. Got'a carry it to somebody if you can't do it yourself - got'a carry it to somebody an' have dem fix it jis' like a coffin. You gits some new linen cloth and you tack it around in there with shoe tacks never been used - git chew a nickel box of shoe tacks and you tack dat cloth around in dere, see. After you tack that cloth in there, you git some black dirt and put into it; git some pot salt and sprinkle onto dat dirt. Well, after you have sprinkle de salt, you git chew some clear sand. You know dese sand and gravel whut you mix concrete wit; git some clear sand like dat and put on top of dat salt, see. All right, and you git chew some chamber lye from somebody else - you understand, not yours. You have to git it from somebody else and you pour that onto that you understand and you carry dat [coffin] and bury it into de graveyard. And that will be the end of dem.
(Well, whose end would that be? Whom would you kill that way?)
Kill de person you want, see. (Well, how would you say that? "This is the person I want?" How would you do that?) You would jest have to call dere name - see, at de time when you buryin' it.
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 1982
Ah went to a man to make conditions better at home. He had me tuh git a dime an' he grind it up an' he had me git twelve needles an' he broken dem in parts an' he put 'em into a - he ball a cloth up, made a round ball out of it, an' had me to wear dat round mah waist an' put Hearts Cologne on it, an' each day that would bring happiness into mah home. (Did it?) Yes sir, it seemed to he'p - fact mah wife seemed to act bettah an' mah - were mo' together an' we got along bettah. Then, on another occasion ah was tryin' tuh find happiness. Ah went to one [another doctor] an' he tole me tuh go out to de graveyard. An' mah little baby had jest died about two mont's, an' he said reach mah han' down in dere jest at sundown as fur as ah could git it an' bring up some sand, an' take that clay an' parch it until it become where ah could handle it somepin lak sugah - he said, lak where it would be lak sugah. An' had me to take it an' go an' sprinkle some of it ovah mah mother's haid, an' she laid down an' sprinkle some in mah wife's haid, an' sprinkle some all through on de flo'. An' that brought mo' harm than evah befo'. We had been fussin' but we got tuh fighting. It ran me clean away from dere. Instead of bringin' together, it did mo' harm than it did good.
(What did he tell you to do this for?)
Tole me to do dat in order to bring happiness. Ah was seeking happiness. Ah wus tryin' tuh git mah - see, mah mother-in-law, seemed lak she didn't like me, an' mah sister-in-laws - ah jest couldn't git along wit de family. An' ah went to him - someone tole me to go to him an' ah went to him an' he had me to bring that to him an' go through dis performance with dis graveyard dirt. An' of course, instead of bringin' happiness, it got worse. An' on another occasion dat dis same gurl ran 'way from me - an' ah went around to one lady an' she had me to go lie down flat on mah back. Ah lie down flat on mah back, an' she put a dark cloth ovah mah face an' tole me to call her name, an' ah called her name. So she told me to go to Sarasota [Florida]. Ah went there an' ah found another one an' she tole me, "She's in St. Petersburg [Florida]." An' then ah went to one an' he give me help. He said that chew'll find her. Told me to go git two tater roots. [Potato in much of the South is sweet potato, not Irish potato.] Ah got two tater roots an' he tied 'em together an' told me to wear dat round mah waist, an' told me to go on an' when ah come to de first little town where ah could git a boat, go out into a boat an' throw dis ovah into de water, an' come on back and rest on it an' in a day or two she come up. Ah did that. Yes sir, she came back. (When she put a black cloth over your head, did she do anything else for you or did she just send you to another person?) She put the black cloth ovah mah haid when ah laid down. Den ah got up an' then she had me to read de 23rd Psalm, ah think it was, an' after ah read de 23rd Psalm, then she had me to stand up an' go through some motions with her, yo' see. She carry her han' out dat way an' up dis way [demonstrates]. An' she tole me tuh hole mah haid sidewards an' ah did that, an' then she begin tuh read [the cards] an' tell me various things. And of co'se from that, why she tole me tuh go an' ah went where she tole me, but ah did not find her.
(Well, after she finished with you, then she sent you on to somebody else?)
Yes sir. Once ah desire to go out an' ah couldn't go out an' ah went to a fortune- teller an' ah asked why. He tole me, said, "Yo' go home," he said, "an' yore wife has used de dishrag an' sewed it up in a mattress." He said, "When yo' kin ketch it - yore wife's off from de house, look in de middle of de mattress an' yo'll find dat dishrag. Take it an' go to back do' an' look towards de east an' wipe yoreself an' then go ahead an' throw de dishrag ovah de field - ovah there some place." An' he says, "Yo'll find complete results." An' ah did it an' ah really got results. That had me tied. Ah used that an' soon find out. [Dishrag is a widespread cure for impotence caused by tying.]
Entry 2303
Well, den if yo' cain't git dose things, yo' go to de store and buy yo' one dose sifters. We call dem de ten-cent sifters. Yo' know dey have got 'em fo' a dime but ah think dey cost a little mo' now. (You mean that - they sift flour with?) Dat's right - yo' turn de crank. An' git chew one dose sifter. Well, all right, when yo' git dat and den yo' take dat sifter an' carry it round five times - jes' lak yo settin' in dat chair, carry it round yo' five times.
(How do you carry it - to you or away from you?)
Bring it like dis, see. [Demonstrates.] Carry it round lak dis - take dis hand and carry it round disaway again.
(Oh, the sifter goes all around your body - five times around your body?)
[While sitting in a chair, hold with right hand a sifter resting on your lap; then clockwise pass sifter behind chair, letting left hand meet it halfway and complete the circling.] Den, when yo' do dat and den yo' take dat sifter den an' wrap it up in a piece of unbleached domestic cloth and put dat up under yore steps. Don't bury it in de ground but bed it [lay it down] an' bed it wit de sifter part dataway [d emo ns trates].
(Away from the house and the handle part toward the house?)
Yes sir, dat keeps 'em goin' all de time - dey don't notice yo'.
(I see - that's to keep the law away.)
Entry 2497
Dey take de same one foot of yore sock. Git chew - go to a baby's grave an' take three pieces of white cloth an' one silver dime. Yo' dig dis hole like dat, an' when yo' take dis three pieces of white cloth - dat's a baby grave now - three pieces of white cloth. An' a silver dime - yo' paying dis baby off. Yo' understand. Yo' dig a hole about lak dat, "In de Name of de Lord, yo' take care of dis in Jesus name. Ah'm only givin' yo' dis in Jesus name." Yo' put dem three pieces of cloth an' dat dime down dere. Befo' yo' put dat dere, yo' git out a handful of dirt. Den yo' put dat dime an' dem three pieces of cloth in strips - jes' little strips - in dere, an' yo' cover it on back, an' yo' take dis with you an' go on.
(What do you do with that, then?)
Go on an' fill yore sock with dat an' one silver dime. Yo' take it an' - either corner of de house yo' could put it. Or either yo' could run it up under de sill, it'll be good.
(What will that do then?)
Keep de police away. (Keep the law away. Well, why did you put those three pieces of cloth in the grave? What was the idea of that?) It's a baby an' a baby is in de arm an' is harmless an' sinful from de world.
(I mean what do those three things represent - those three pieces of cloth?)
Dese Three are One.
(Those three pieces of cloth represent the Three Who are One.)
Don't chew see.
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 2740
Well, now, dere's lota other things whut ah hear people talk about gamblin' han's. Ah hear a fellah say a time ago dat he went to de Seven Sisters in Virginia, but he said he went dere fo' a gamblin' han'. Well, he wus give a gamblin' han fo' - by, not de people he went tuh see. He went to see dem [Seven Sisters] but dey wasn't in at present, but he found some man dey call Mr. G. H. Smith. He called tuh be a confidence man, which an' evah he is. G. H. Smith & Company ~ de books Company'S name on dat. Spells his name lak dat - G. H. Smith & Company. Dis man gived him a piece of lodestone an' he gave him a piece of somepin dey call de five-fingers [grass]; but dis was to be found in de woods, dis five- fingers. It's like a flower grows - it grow in de shape of five fingers, jest lak dose five fingers [demonstrates]. Dey gave him a piece of dat, after gitting dis lodestone, an' den he told him dat he would give him some othah kind of mix- ture. Dat wus wrapped up in a cloth an' it looked lak dat wus graveyard dirt. An' he told him to put dis all in dis little bottle an' every mornin' he tole him tuh feed dis heah wit Hearts Cologne. Now, dis stuff - ah looked at de thing an' it eat up de stuff, dat Hearts Cologne jest lak yo' take water an' drink it. Now, yo' could po' some of dis bottle like dis morning an' fill dat bottle half full, an' twelve a'clock every bit of dat stuff be gone. Dat stuff - whut dey had in dat bottle wit dat five- finger - would suck it up. Now, dis man could go into a gambling hall - no one knows de truth if I would tell it - he could go into de gambling hall an' money - jest walk in an' hold de cards - pick up any cards - doesn't matter whut cards he pick up - he could pick up any card an' that card would get him through. Now he could sit there an' jes' beat de skin game.
Entry 3123
Yo' know lak dey both have intahco'se wit one anothah. Well, dey git through yo' know, dey Wipe off an' dry off, why SHE USE HER MONTHLY-PERIOD RAGS AN' DRY OFF WIT IT, an' if he go wit anothah woman, why it'll fall yo' see - it won't stand up. (What does she do with that rag then?) Don't do nuthin pahtik'lah.
Entry 3133
De way she ties 'im up when she make a connection wit 'im, she'll use de cloth, an' she takes it an' puts it in a quart jar an' stop it up. He could- n't go tuh anothah woman tuh save his life. Evah time he go - an' he'll make yo know. If it's mah husban' an' ah do dat fo' him, he'll make yo' know dat he can't go out an' have a connection wit anothah woman. He'll come in an' tell yo, say, "Ah don't know whut s de mattah wit me. Mah back wore me out. Ah'm jis' tuh de place where ah cain't do nuthin. Ah'm goin' up tuh see de doctor." Long as yo' keep 'im stopped up - she don't use de same cloth he does, jes' let 'im use it.
Entry 3189
A man kin have intahco'se wit 'is wlfe or eithah 'is girl frien', see, an' she don't wan' 'im to run aroun'. He may be constantly doin' dese thin's. An' she take dis han'kechef or dis cloth whut she, yo' know, dry huhself off wit an' make a triangle of it, see, an' always fold de ends to her. See, an' fold it careful an' put it in de bottom of 'er trunk an' let it stay dere. An' 'er husban' will natural- ly be broke off havin' contact wit de womens - runnin' roun'.
Entry 3233
Dey'll git a new piece of cloth, see, an' dey place undah dere feet an' dey'll cut dat out. See, cut dat out in de shape of yore feet an' write de name of de person on dat an' dat also - an' den yo' write yore name across it, see. An' den yo' use dat fo' nine nights jes' lak if yo' have a connection or anythin' lak dat, dey also use dat. An' dey'll wear it in dere shoes, or dey'll bury it at a lonely crossroad.
(They write the name how? Like this?)
Yes, cross and den cross. See, dey write de person's name up and down de foot of de cloth [the cloth foot], see; an' den dey write dere name across dat. Yeah.
(And how did you say they use that now?)
An' den dey use dat jes' lak if yo' an' I are frien's, see, an' yo' an' I have connection togethah. Why we use dat, see, fer nine nights.
(I see. And what is this supposed to do now?)
An' den yo' take dat an' yo' take it to a crossroads where dere are wagon ruts at de crossroad, an' yo' bury it right dere in de middle of dat an' dat also will keep yo' lovable towards 'em.
(A woman uses that for men.)
Entry 3251
Yo' kin take that him an' her, yo' know, use, an' wrap it up in sulphur an' some sugar an' some red onion. Take it an' pu'tit [put it] in your pocket an' wrap it up. Take dat cloth an' she won't have any other use for no other man.
Entry 3256
Jes' lak yore ole man is about tuh git away from yo', yo' git a new piece of white cloth an' jes' lak yo' know, yo' use a towel at night, an' in- stead of usin' dat, yo' use dat cloth fo' nine mawnin's. Jes' whenevah, yo' know, yo' have any dealin's wit 'im, yo' use dat cloth. If yo' want it tuh be nine days, yo' kin. An' den yo' take it aftah de ninth day an' yo' use it. Well den yo' take some sugah an' spread it out an' put it in dis new cloth an' yo' fold it to yo' an' den yo' sew it [to you] an' then yo' carry [turn] it dis- away an' bring it back [to you] disaway an' sew it. An' den de place he sleeps on, de side he sleep on, yo' put dat new cloth an' dat sugah an' that othah stuff into it, right where he lays.
(You roll that to you and then you fold the ends together?)
Yessuh, always bring it to yo', don' nevah go 'way from yo', an' jes' fold it always to yo', an' when yo' sew, sew it to yo'. An' yo' jes' let it stay right on de side where he sleeps on. Jes' cut de mattress an' put it in dere an' let it stay right on de side where he sleeps on.
Entry 3285
She gotta go where he's at.
(Yes?)
[My (Yes?) means informant hesitated.]
Well, she's gotta have connection wit dis man. She gits dis [his] what-cha- call-it an' hers, an' be sure hit's gotta be a bran'-new han'chief or bran'-new cloth. An' she takes dat an' she puts sugah in an' cinnamon an' powdah [3 ingredients], an' put dat in a box an' she keep it all de time, weah it aroun' in 'er pocketbook or in 'er pocket. Don't let nobody put dere han's on it. An' he's comin' back.
(What kind of powder did you say she put in there?)
Sugah. [Informant probably misunderstood me. It would have been some kind of love powder.]
(What did she put the powder in?)
In a box. (End of 884 and end of my work in New Orleans, La. So-so. I'll try to get out tonight on the train [for New York City].) [Within the parenthesis I am speaking to the Telediphone. That So-so had to mean I had had a tremendous ex- perience: first my wife and I alone about the city, and after her departure, the hoodoo field work. I would return to New Orleans later.]
Entry 3310
If it's 'is wife, he natch'ly [naturally] takes de nature of 'is ife away from 'er for anybody but 'imself. An' de way he would do dat, [is] when he has intahco'se wit 'is wife. He buy a bran'-new piece of domestic an' he doesn't use it 'imself, he lets 'er use it aftah dey're finished. An' he has a slop jar washed clean an' see dat he don't use it at all. He waits an lets 'er use it. He won't use it. Den he takes dat urine an' pours it in a fruit jar, an' he puts dat cloth, dat domestic dat dey use, in dere wit 'er urine. An' get a rubbah, put on dat jar an' seal it up tight. An' as long as no air strikes it, she has no nature but for de one dat put dat in dat jar. [Hemphis, Tenn., (973), 1575:4.]
Entry 3319
[The letter V like the equilateral triangle has three points or corners and both are magic shapes or forms in hoodoo. Usually the equilateral triangle signifies the Trinity - three sides, each equal - but originally and like the letter V it was a sign of the mons veneris. That such was the case can be substantiated by much historical evidence as well as the following rite: l A woman kin take a man's shirt, if she gon'a wash it fer Befo' she wash dis piece, she would fold de end of de shirt - de part dat hangs close to de front part of it. Fold it right near a V-shape [to fit mons veneris] as she can an' cut it off, an' dis man will be her slave. She supposed to wear dat piece of cloth on her body. Take it an' put in somepin an' tie roun 'er body nex' to her skin.
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 3364
Yo' kin go buy a new pocket han'kech'ef an' yo' kin wash de dishes wit it once, an' take an' strip 'im down [when wiping him]. [Strip here means to deprive of equipment or power.] Don' strip 'im up. Evah whut way yo' wanta do it, git it [foot track] toward yo' - git 'is tracks an' toenails, an' put dem in a cloth an' sew it up an' keep it. An' he git tuh de place hewouldn't Wanta go nowhere. He stay home dere an' nevah treat chew bettah den he evah have treated joo.
Entry 3371
Well, ah tell yuh firs' how dey do dat. Dey take a man when dey have intahco'se wit a woman, de clot' dey use. Dey take dat clot', de woman take de clot', yo' know. When yo' git through wit de clot', she don't wanna use it. Den she take dat clot' or towel, an' she put undahneat' de pillah, aftah usin' it - aftah yo' git t'rough wit it an' git up. She take an' cut dat stain out of it dat yo' havin' intahco'se wit 'er. Den she take dat clot' an' she fold it up, an' she put it in a dishrag what she wash de dishes wit an' she put dat tuhgethah. Take dat an' wrop it up good an' den put it somewhere keerful in de boae. An' yo' is all right when yo' come tuh her, to be wit 'er; but wit anybody else yore nachure wouldn't rise. But enytime yo'd come to be wit 'er, yore nachure oald be all right.
Entry 3389
Gits her a bran'-new piece of cloth an' she use dat nine times fo' a dishrag. She use dat nine times wit 'im, an' she take dat piece of cloth an she put it in her bosom, an' she wear it all de time. Now, when she wear it he can't do nuthin.
(She doesn't actually use it as a dishrag?)
No.
(Just for wiping?)
Yeah, jes' fo' a dishrag.
Entry 3416
Jes' lak if yo' wanted to tie a woman an' a man togethah. Jes' lak if a woman wus goin' wit chure husban', or he wus goin' wit 'er. Jes' lak hen yo's dog be matin', yo' kin take yore pocketknife an' cut dat dog enough tuh bleed. Ah mean jes' in a piece of cloth or sompin. An' aftah it bleed on dis cloth, yo' take it an' carry it home wit yo' an' put it undah yore mattress, an' dey'll be tied togethah. Jes' fold it up in two ways - jes' lak heah mah han'kchuff now. Aftah yo' git de blood on dat - YO' DON'T MIND ME STANDIN' UP? Aftah yo' 股商 git de blood on dere, jes' fold it lak dis[demonstrates]. (Wait a minute! You fold one half to the middle and then the other half. You fold one half to the middle and the other opposite half to the middle. Then you fold it lengthwise to the middle, each side.) Den yo' put it right undah yore mattress where [the side] yo' sleep at.
(Nine folds.)
[Only one way can I understand nine folds. Surely the design here is 9 squares, a tick-tack-toe diagram, several examples of which appear in HOODOO. The handkerchief is folded twice, the two folds overlapping evenly, creating 3 equal and horizontal oblongs. These are turned vertically and folded twice, again both folds overlapping evenly, creating a stack of 9 squares. Instead of saying You fold one half to the middle, I should have said You fold one half toward the middle.] (Well, don't you do anything else with that blood first before you put it under your mattress?) No, jes' take dat blood on dis han'kschuff, lak ah got mah han'kschuff in mah han', an' put undah de mattress. In three days time dey'll git tied up.
(You don't put the blood on them or anything?)
No.
(Which dog do you get the blood from, the male or the female dog?)
De male dog.
Entry 3457
Well, ah got a girl fren' or wife an' she's runnin' wit some.an an' ah reckon ah wanta ketch 'er, go tuh where two bulldogs tied up. An' take a pockt han'ke'chuf or eithah a new piece of vhite boe spun cloth an' vipe dose dogs off wit it, an' yo' ties it up. Yo' ties it in a knot, a hard knot, an' yo' totes it; an' whenevah yo' have connection wit dis woman, yo' wipes 'er wit it. Yo' totes it in yore pocket.
(What does that do?)
Dat makes yo' ketch 'er.
(What will that do to that woman then?)
It will make her an' a man git tied up.
(If she goes with another man.)
Entry 3466
Now a man connect wit 'is wife or woman, whatsomevah it is. He git a bran'-new piece of yellah cotton, unbleached dey call dat. Don' chew discharge, yolet im discharge anketch, yo see. An' yo' take hit an' use a cose [coarse] stran' of black thread, an' yo' tie dat. Yo' fol' dat piece an yo' tie it. Yo' tie it, yo' tie it till evah piece is offa dat spool of thread. Now yo' lie dat right on de side dat he sleep on an' dat keep 'im home. An' dat keep 'im dat he don' want nobody but chew.
(How do you wrap that thread? Away from you like that?)
[My preceding words are an attempt to avoid a leading question.]
No, yo' wrap it to yo', an' tight as beeswax, until evah stran' is offa de spool. An' den yo' put it straightways, 'cuz it's gonna be stiff aftah it's wound tight, an' right on de side dat chew sleep on. An' dat man don' ca' [care] fo' nobody but chew.
Entry 3497
Now, it's somepin how to make a person cold towards de othah one, cold towards evahone. Yo' go git chew a piece of new cloth, linen cloth, white cloth, 18 x 18 inches, an' yo'hem dat. An dis pahtic'lah person dat chure inter- sted in, yo' wan'a use dem - yo' use dat, yo' see. Yo' put it out an' let it dry an' den yo' tie dat as ah tole yo' about de dishrag. "Membah me tellin' yo' 'bout de dishrag? [Informant's material had been badly recorded several days before, she is now repeating.]
(Yes, but you better tell it over.)
Well, but dis doesn't go wit dat, dis is diff'ren' thing. Yo' use dat as yo' did dat, an' yo' tie de knot in it aftah yo' dry it, an' yo' stick dese points in lak yo' make a love knot, yo' know. Do it at twelve 'clock at night, if yo' have some person or frien' dat chew know is dead, yo go to dat grave of someone dat chew know dat have kept secrets fer yo'. Yo' stick yore han' down in dis grave wit a new dime. Yo' say, "Yo' have always been a friend to me, indeed an' yo' have always kept mah secrets. Now dis is one thing ah want chew to keep always, an' ah want chew to keep dis person evah near me an' no one else." An' yo' bury dis wit dat there person.
(The handkerchief you bury there?)
Dat's right, an' dis person will remain cold to evahone except yo'. Dat new dime, yo' pay 'em fer keepin' de secret.
(Where do you put that new dime?)
Right where, yo' know, where yo' dig de place to bury dat - de silvah, an' not two nickels but a dime.
Entry 3498
All right, dey tell me dat when yo' have intahco'se wit 'er, dat she could take a piece of new cloth of any kind an' use it an' let chew use it, den could take it an' tie it in a little knot, ball it up an' put it undah de mattress right undah yore haid, dat chew will nevah go out any mo'.
(With other women?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3509
Well, if it's a man - if a woman wanta trick a man where he can't have anyone else. Well, she have intahco'se wit 'im an' den she use a cloth, she dries 'im. She takes de cloth an' she folds it see, an' ties it an' she wear dat as she would a sanitary piece, see. An' quite natch'l [natural] he'll come in an' he'll raise, until he git ready tuh git in de baid. When he git in de baid an' git tuh crawl on dis woman, it will fall. [Sumter, S. Car. (1364), 2405:8.]
Entry 3514
Well, if yo' be's wit a man, an' de cloth dat yo' use, yo' take dat cloth an' let it be a new cloth an' tie three knots in it, an' jes' put it anywhere where de air don't git to it.
Entry 3580
Yo' take a cotton string - all dat's tyin' 'em. Yo' take dat cotton string an' yo' git yo' a bottle of Heart Cologne an' yo' drop it in dat bottle as yo' tyin' dem knots, see. An' yo' drop it in dat bottle an' name dem, tie a knot, den drop it in - tie it nine times.
(Each time you tie a knot you let the string fall down into that bottle?)
Down in de bottle till de las' one git on it [string]. Take de string den an' yo' tie it roun' yore waist, an' yo' wear it roun' yore waist. An' yo' git chew a piece of hair from de top [of the head] an' a piece from down dere an' make a li'l' ball - jes' a li'l' ball about as big as a match, de fiah part of de match, an' put a little piece of cloth to it, an' tie it in one dem knots an' let it hang right down, right down on dere.
(On the privates?)
Yeah. An' dey'd wear it. An' see, dat's tyin' 'em.
Entry 3598
Jes' he be - yo' tyin' 'em togethah now, see. All right, jis' lak ah got a boy friend an' ah say ah'm worried about 'im, he 'bout to git away from me wit some othah woman. All right, me an' 'im go tuh bed an' we have connection wit each othah. All right, he steals de cloth whut he use, or ah steal it from 'im, yo' undahstand. He goin' an' tie it up in nine knots an' we goin' be togethah till dem knots git rotten.
Entry 3602
Now an' den wit 'er.
(What will that do?)
She be layin' down wit 'im an' she have her a piece of yellah cotton.
(Yellow cotton?)
Yes. An' when she go wit 'im, she wipe 'im, she wipe 'im wit it. She takes dis yellah cotton, make nine knots in it, an' put it in de cornah of 'er mat- tress - sew it up in de mattress. He can't git a heart fo' nobody.
Entry 3604
Dey say yo' kin take a new piece of material an' - if yo' have intah- co'se wit a man lak dat, an' tie nine knots in it, wear it roun' yore waist nine days an' buries it - dey say, why den dat man can't have no othah woman but yo'. [For new material, see also Nos.3543-3548.]
Entry 3614
Yo' kin tie nine knots into a cloth if it's a cloth dat yo' use wit anybody, or dey usin' a dirty garment. Yo' tie de nine knots into de cloth an' bury it to de sunrise. It'll pine de person away.
(You mean any garment that the person has used?)
Yes, an' dey won' feel sick, dey won' feel bad or nuthin - jes' dry up on earth.
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 3774
Well ah'm tellin' yo' facts about dat, but ah'm tellin' yo' some things dat ah have heard - but it's actually. But now, would yo' lak to know how to remove dis spell? (What I could do or any man could do.) Anyone. Well, ah tell yo' somepin dat ah have heard about last year - year befo' last. An' dere ouz a man dat had some serious disease an' dey didn't know about, an' a lady wuz tellin' me what [would] it cost to remove dat. It would be a very small sum. Cost yo' prob'ly 15c. Well, I told de lady, I said, "Well, I know someone could relieve de spell." She said, "He's got money becuz he draws money from de Gov- ernment, an' he would be able to pay any amount - any price." I said, "Well, I know a person dat would remove de spell an' he wouldn't charge ovah $25, but I'm jes' a person, of co'se." [The preceding, I'm jes' a person, of co'se, means the speaker was not a doc- tor. She sold medicine, roots, powders, etc. Every aspect of the hoodoo field was known to her. She also had personality and brains.] She said, "Go ahead, ah'm goin' send 'im aroun' to talk to you." An' ah said, "Well, now, if yo' know de person really would have de money, ah'll talk to him, but if not, ah wouldn't care to talk to him; but ah know dat dis spell will be removed wit'in nine days." SHE SAID, "WELL, COULD YO' GIT IN TOUCH WIT DE MAN?" AH SAID, "YES, I SELL MEDICINE FO' HIM SOMETIMES. An' I could go to him wit de money an' I could git de medicine fo' him." Well, so when she sent 'im down, he wuz very anxious to talk wit 'im an' HE ACTUALLY PAID ME $25. WELL, NOW, AH TELL YO' WHUT CHEW GIT. DAT DOESN'T MEAN DIS PAHTIK'LAH SPELL REGARDLESS TO WHUT KIND OF WAY DEY PUT DAT SPELL ON YO'.
(THEY PUT IT ON IN DIFFERENT WAYS.)
MORE DAN TEN DIFF'REN' WAYS. Well, now, say fer instance, do yo' know whut bull's nettle are?
(It's a plant that little prongs [thorns] on it?)
[I WAS THINKING OF HORSE NETTLE WHICH I KNEW QUITE WELL.]
Has stingahs on it. Stingahs. Has somepin in de form of de way a bull's [something hangs]. Yo' see dat.
(It's a plant, isn't it?)
It's a plant, an' if yo' touch one of dose ball's, it will sting yo'.
(It's called the bull nettle?)
Bull nettle. Well yo' git de root of dat. It has de very form of a man's privates. Yo' have nevah seen dat?
(I have never seen that.)
[I have a few examples of root shapes in HooDoO, snake and man and woman being important. These and other shapes known and sought for centuries had been dying out in my time, with the disappearance of the old herb or root doctor who gather- ed his own roots. Perhaps the recent revival of witchcraft, all kinds of isms and superstitions, will revive the root trade.] Were yo' born in de South?
(No, I wasn't born in the South.)
Dey grow mostly in dis state [Alabama], Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia - roun' lak dat. Well, now, yo' go an' dig dis root up. It has de very shape of a man. Yo' take dat root an' dry it. Yo' keep it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' yo' git - it's anothah little plant, ah can't git it's name right dis minute, but ah will tell yo' latah.
[I turn off recording machine until she says, '"Like a tomato."]
(Like a tomato? Is it the castor oil plant?)
No, no, it's a plant dat has stickahs on it. (Tell the plot [rite or cure] to me. You might think of the name of the plant later on.)
[She tells another remedy for the same ailment.]
It's fer de same thing. But yo' know what cockleburs are?
(Yes.)
Yo' kin git nine cockleburs an' yo' kin mix 'em wit dis same root dat ah tole yo' an' put it in a bottle.
(You get the nine cockleburs and put them in this bottle with the bull nettle?)
Dat's right, an' put de contents of a 15c bottle of Hearts Cologne in dis bottle, an' den three tablespoons of urine.
(Whose urine?)
Dis person's urine, whoevah has dis spell on dem. An' yo' take a piece of new linen cloth, aftah dey have had dere bath in de mawnin' an' jes' bathe demselves wit dat pahtiklah stuff.
(This liquid.)
Dat's right. An' den make a tea of dis bull's nettle an' drink a swallah of it evah mawnin' fo' nine mornings, an' it will absolutely disappear.
(Take that spell off?)
Dat's right. An' WHEN DIS PERSON IS TAKIN' DIS TREATMENT, DEY ARE NOT SUP- POSED TO MENTION TO ANYONE DAT DEY ARE GOIN' UNDAH IT.
(They must keep it secret.)
[Several days later I asked Mrs. Brady to come for another interview, some of her material had been badly recorded.] Yo' remembah me tellin' yo' about de bull nettle. An' yo' remembah ah tole yo' dere wus anothah weed dat grow in de yard dat chew use in connection wit dat one pahtiklah weed. It's called tread salve - t-r-e-a-d s-a-l-v-e. It has a little yellah ball growin' on de weed somepin lak a tomato. Yo' know what dat [tomato] is. Well, yo' kin ask any southerner, dey kin tell you. Dey grows in all southern yards an' in de commons out in de fields or in de yards. [For the identity of this plant, see later.] Now dat is somepin fo' removin' de spell dat we were speakin' of - yo' know, dat people place on people. [I once thought preceding yellow tomato was the mayapple, Podophyllum pelta- tum, a plant I had known from childhood, having eaten its tasteless egg-shaped fruit. Later I realized it must be the maypop, a passionflower (described some- where in HOODOO), the Passiflora incarnata of the southern U. S. A.; also an in- sipid, yellow, applelike fruit.]
Entry 3801
Git a bran'-new silvah dime from dis man whut chew goes wit, an' yo' git chew a large piece of white cloth an' tie it up in dis cloth. An' whenevah yo'd have intahco'se wit dat man, yo' used dis cloth wit dis same dime in it. When yo'd git through usin' it, yo'd put it in yore pillah an' let it stay in dere length of time, an' den yo' take it outa de pillah an' wear it down between yore laigs, see or eithah in yore nation sack. [For nation sack, see interview THE 'NATION SACK' WOMAN, p.1449, introductory comment.]
(What will that do then?)
Dat'll make de man come back.
Entry 3869
Maybe yo' kin jes' ketch hold of 'em, yo' see, git hold of 'er - her sickness, yo' undahstand what I mean. Ministratin', yo' take dat an' yo' put dat in a bottle. Yo' un- dahstan', piece of it, piece of cloth or whatsomevah she use - cotton, whatevah it be. Take dat an' put it in a bottle. An' git yo' some of dis, de same thin' yo' call devil's-shoe- string see, [and] one of dose bottle of Hearts Cologne, an' one of High John de Conker. An' put dat in dere an' git yo' two nails an' one needle, see. If yo wanta, yo' could put three nails an' two needles, see. Den when yo' put de three nails an' two needles, why one of de nails counts fer de - one fer de Fathah, one fer de Son, an' one fer de Holy Ghost. An' put dat in a bottle togethah an' dem two nails [needles] count fer de conkerin' of de world. Put dat in a bottle to- gethah wit yore urinate, see. An' mix 'em an' stop it up tight, an' bury dat undah yore steps. An' whenevah she kin go; but she won't stay gone, see.
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 4040
Use some cloth dat yuh have, if de party don't wash fo' yuh. Nobody'll evah wash fo' yuh, dey can't make yuh move out, 'cept come tuh yuh do' roun' five a'clock in de mawnin' an' throw de night- watah roun' de do' see. An' dey put salt in de night-watah, yuh see. Dat's fer tuh make 'em move out - an' de smell of de watah. Den yuh go an' dig up some dust an' put on de watah in de back of de house, an' taken some turpentine an' throw it on top of it, an' yuh cannot go.
(That is, if you don't do it, it will make you move.)
Yes, [if] yuh leave it stan' out dere.
(I.see. But if you do that, they can't make you move. I see.)
An' if anybody comes tuh yuh an' tell yuh dey comin' tuh 'rest [arrest] yuh fer dat crime, [you] say, "Dey won't come here." Yuh take yuh a mouthful of cold watah, undahstan', an' take a mouthful of hot watah behind dat wit a little salt in it. Salt in de hot watah aftah drinkin' de cold watah an' walkin' in acircle. AH'M GIVIN' YUH FAX [facts].
Entry 4439
Yuh take dat an' yuh wraps it, an' yuh got de east side of a pine tree, yuh bo'es a hole jis' lak mah hand sets [demonstrates] down tuh de roots. (Slant it down to- wards the roots.) Tuh de tap roots, an' yuh strike dat fer as dat augah go. An' yuh take dat an' yuh put seven needles an' seven pins, an' yuh hit it nine mawnin's, an' on de ninth mawnin' yuh drive it up. IN THIRTY MINUTES HE'LL BE DEAD.
(You put this passage in there?)
Dat's right. Yuh sticks 'em, yuh see. DAT'S CALLED DRESSIN'. Yuh sticks 'em. Yuh sticks de pins dis way, an' sticks de needles dis way - de heads dis way an' dat head dis way, so dey be crossed lak dat intuh it. It be in a cloth yuh know. An' yuh jis' stick dem pins in it, an' den yuh jis' chunk it in de crack [hole] an' put dat peg jis' tuh fit it. Jis' lak yuh bo'd de hole, de peg's gotta be jis' de same width as de augah, jis' airtight. An' yuh jis' need.tuh tap it de firs' mawnin' an' fo' nine mawnin's yuh hit one tap, an' de ninth mawnin' yuh drive it up. [Here I turned off recording machine but informant adds the place where this rite was performed. I restarted machine.]
(Where?)
Dat was done in [near] Tifton, Ga.
Entry 4515
If a man lef' home an' yuh kin fine [find] any one of de hats dat he have wore, or any of 'is undahclothes, yuh take it an' cut chew a piece off it. A woman kin do dat, cut a piece off it, an' tie: it up in a red little cloth. Put a white piece of cloth ovah it an' sew it up an' tote it in yuh pocket. An' by an' by dis man will come back home an' he won't know how he come back home. Jes' come right on back to yuh.
Entry 4615
Dey kin take de bow outa yore hat, dose bows in yore hat, an' run yuh crazy. Dey take de bow in de hat an' run yuh blind, jes' make yuh blind. Take de bow outa de hat - inside of dat band, take dat bow. An' it's tied. An' un- tie dat bow, stretch dat bow out. Aftah yuh stretch dat bow, den yuh git chew some cologne. An' yuh take Heaxts Cologne, it's a powahful thing, an' put in dere, dat little ole flask - in dere wit dat bow of dat hat. An' aftah yuh put- tin' dat bow outa dat hat, den yuh takes - now dat's tuh be worn. Now, dat's fo' wimmin tuh do. Yuh takes mens, dey don't have nuthin like outa a hat fo' a man tuh do anythin' wit 'em. But dat's wimmins do dat. Yuh take - ah kin go wit a woman an' ah left 'er, ah quit her. Well, she take dat bow. Dat's tuh run me crazy or tuh drive mah love tuh 'er. Yuh undahstan'. Now, she'll take dat bow outa mah hat an' she'll untie dat bow an' she'll put dat bow in a little ole flask - little small flask. Dat's tuh wear on 'er. An' aftah she do dat, den she go uptown an' she git 'er some Hearts Cologne. Now, WHENSOMEVAH DAT AH GOES TUH INTAHCO'SE WIT 'ER, yuh see, den SHE'LL TAKE DE CLOTH DAT AH USE. AN' SHE'LL NUSE DAT CLOTH ERSELF, BUT SHE WON'T USE IT IN DE SAME MANNAH DAT AH USE IT AN' DE SAME PLACE DAT AH USE IT. See, jes' lak now she take de cloth heah [demonstrates with handkerchief]. Well, if ah nuse it heah, she ain't gonna use it dere. Yuh undahstan', she gonna move off furthah. SHE GOIN' TAKE DIS PART CHERE [used by man] AN' PUT IT IN DAT BOTTLE. See, wit dis boW off mah hat. Now, when she put dat in dat bottle wit de bow out de hat, she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' aftah she wear dat fo' nine mawnin's, she goin' take dat an' she goin' tie her nine knots in dat bow. Den she bury dat on de young moon - when de moon jes is young. An' aftah she bury dat, it stay buried dere until ah comes 'er way. NOW, de ONLIEST WAY DAT YUH KIN REMOVE DIS, YUH HAVE TUH GO DERE AN' GIT IT UP YORESELF. [First you must know where to look! This means a doctor or fortune- teller who has many methods for a problem like this.]
Entry 4617
Well, ah seen a woman take a man's bow outen 'is hat, an' she sewed 'it up in a piece of cloth, an' she put some dis heah love powdah on it an' she wore hit roun' 'er waist.
(What did she do that for?)
Tuh make him love 'er.
Entry 4623
Dey take dat bow an' dey put it in a bag. Yuh know, jes' git a piece of cloth an' sew it up, an' dey put dat bow in dere. An' dey git a piece of asafetadee an' a piece of dis John de Conker root an' put dat in dere. An' make a little bag out of it, tie a string on it an' wear it aroun' dere stomach or eithah roun' dere navel, an' yuh'll nevah stay way from 'em - yuh always come back.
Entry 4736
An' den if she don't wan'a do dat, she washes 'is shirt. She cuts jis' a half a length outa de shirt in front, right where it dangle down in front, right heah, jis' one end, an' she take dat an' she makes fo' cor- nahs out of it, sew hit an' put dat. Well, jis' as long as dat cloth stan', dat's 'er man.
(Where does she put this piece of cloth now?)
Put it undah de lef' arm or de lef' feet, an' jis' wears it.
Entry 5054
Tuh stay on dere ain't but one thing yuh could do an' dat is tuh git, jis' - well, yuh could jis' say a piece of dere ole sock or jis' any of dey clothes or anything lak dat. An' take it an' take an' jis' dip it in some turpen- tine. An' wrap it in a piece of cloth an' jis' tie it right roun' yore right arm. An' wear it dere fo' about fo' days or eithah six. Dey cain't do a thing-a wit chew. Dey couldn't move yuh. (If you were trying to move me out, I would get your sock and do that, so that you couldn't harm me then. If I did that, that would keep you from harming me any way - any kind of way at all?) Yessuh.
Entry 5055
Now de woman is gone, she's gone. She jis' pick up 'erself an' gone out. She boun' tuh leave somepin in dere. Now, dat's whut she lef' in dere - dat be a cloth, a blood cloth. Well, yuh might ketch it. She might leave dat. Well, yuh ketch dat an' yuh kin take dat an' bury dat. Now, dat stockin' when she leaves, yuh take dat stockin'. Don' pin it up lak by de laig, yuh pin it up by de toe, yuh undahstan'. Yuh git chew a bran'- new - a pack of bran'-new safety pins, but don' take an' let dat git away from yuh. Jis' keep dat perfec' [perfect] fo' dat. Take it an' shove it [pin] back dere, right in de stockin' foot.
(Where do you hang it up?)
In yore dressah or in yore chiffahrobe [chifforobe], or whutsomevah yuh got. Yuh got'a hang it in dere, but hang it upside down. Now de name. Write her name nine times. Now yuh take an' yuh write de name an' yuh put dat in a bottle. Write de name nine times comin' tuh yuh all de time, not goin' from yuh, comin' tuh yuh nine times. Yuh fol' dat an' yuh put dat in a bottle. Yuh git chew some lodestone an' put dat in dere in dat clear watah, an' carry dat tuh a rivah or bayou. Ah don' care where yuh carry it; tuh de creek or anywhere. Don't set it up, turn dat down. When yuh turn dat down, dat bottle goin' turn lak dis [demonstrates]. Turn comin' tuh yuh. De mouth of it will turn comin' tuh yuh all de time. It's be comin' tuh yuh an' it'll be goin'. In nine days yuh'll see 'em right dere. [Algiers, La., (193, 2993:2.]
Entry 5096
Heard of takin' a ole shoe sole an' burn it. Take de ole shoe sole an' mash de ashes of it an' dey kin take dat an' sift it-through any kinda white cloth. An' sift it so much ev'ry day, some of it ev'ry day. Aftah de nine mawnin's - an' aftah de ninth mawnin' den sift de rest of it den. An' whosomevah shoe sole it is, dat's when dey pass out.
(It will kill them?)
Yessuh, it will kill 'em. [Sifting is a magic rite - See later in SHOES, margin title SIFTING WITH SIFTER.]
Entry 5177
Den yo' git de shoes, yo' take - cut a li'le piece outa de bottom of dat shoe. When yo' cut a li'le piece outa de bottom of dat shoe, yo'll fix dat up in a li'le piece of cloth, a yellah homespun cloth. An' yo'll wind dat, yo' know, wit a string. An' yo'll have in dat nuthin but sulphuh an' eatin'-salt. An' yo'll put dat in dere, an' yo'll tie hit tuhgethah intuh dat li'le piece whut yo' cut out dat shoe. Well, now, if yo' hit [aim] tuh bring 'im back, well yo'll take a li'le piece of saltpetah an' yo'll put [make] dat in a powdahs - all dem into a powdahs, an' yo'll fix dat into dat li'le package. An' aftah, yo' wind dat li'le package up an' yo' bury dat at de back of yore house. An' when yo' put all dat in de back of de house, den yo' call 'im three times - woman or man - an' dey cain't he'p but follahin' back. Now, dat's fer as ah know 'bout dat.
(Do you wind it in any special way?)
No pahtic'lah way but jis' long as yo' know it tied.
(And can you send them away with the same thing?)
No suh, ah don' know if yo' send 'em away wit dat.
(You mean that piece in the shoe, that piece inside [insole] that you pul]
up?) Dat's right.
Entry 5212
[Here is another version of preceding rite by same informant:]
Ah tell yo'. Yo' could take red peppah an' sulphur an' salt [3 ingredients], an' yo' could put it an' weah it in yore shoes; or eithah tie some of it in a piece of cloth an' put it roun' yore waist. An' nobody couldn't hurt chew tuh save yo' life.
Entry 5325
Dat is about a girl, yo' know. Take dis girl out yondah [yonder] an' yo' wan'a go wit 'er. Yo' kin take huh track an' take a teaspoon fulla de sand outa huh track an' a tea- spoon fulla sulphuh an' a little ball of asafitidy. An' tie it up in a black cloth an' put it in yore pocket, an' weah it in dere fo' 'bout nine mawnin's - eithah seven mawnin's. [They] say she'd come tuh yore house. But yo' jes' keep it in dere de ninth mawnin'. But [they] say aftah seven mawnin's yo'd make good wit 'uh. An' jes' weah dere until de ninth mawnin' an' yo'll have 'uh den.
Entry 5377
Well, [if] ah wanted tuh make yo' have bad luck. An' ah would ketch yore footprint in de sand an' ah would go tuh de risin' of de sun, an' jes' take de heel of yore feet - jes' de heel of it, an' den take de toe of it. Tie it up inside of a white cloth. An' den ah'd put red peppah an' den ah'd git dis devil's snuff, whut dey call now is devil's snuff [snuff from the devil's snuffbox]. Dat's in a ball. Yo' kin find it all roun' toadstools where dese little frogs be [see FROG DUST, TOADFROG BREAD, DEVIL'S-SNUFFBOX, Pp.562&72, No.250; and elsewhere]. An' ah take dat an' ah mix it tuhgethah an' ah'd burn it. Ah'd take de ashes out an' go tuh de fo' cornah of de earth an' put it in de palm of mah han' an' blow it, an' say, "From good tuh worse yo' go." An' dat's de way of takin' a person's footprint.
(Now do you take either footprint or both of them or what?)
No, yo' take one. Yo' take de lef' foot.
(And you say that you burn this devil's snuff?)
Yo' burn de dirt, burn evahthin', tie it up in a white cloth an' burn it all tuhgethah, see. An' den take de dust from it an' go tuh de fo' cornahs of de earth.
(What do you mean, go to the four corners?)
See [demonstrates by pointing to the corners of the room] dere's a cornah dere, dere's a cornah dere, an' dere's a cornah ovah heah, an' a cornah ovah heah, see. Well, yo' kin take dat to de fo' cornah of de earth yo' know. See, if yo're in a big house an' yo' have a fence. In any house - it don't have tuh be a big one. Jes' go tuh one cornah of de house, de nex' cornah an' den - see, lak dat [demonstrates].
(You face each corner.)
Each cornah.
(In other Words, yOu simply BLOW THIS STUFF IN FOUR DIRECTIONS.)
From de palm of yore hand. [For another blowing rite concerning foot track, See preceding margin title BLOW BREATH 3 TIMES.] [St. Petersburg. Fla., (1045) 1695:7.]
Entry 5387
An' den yo' kin take - an' take yore lef' track. Yo' kin take a man's lef' track, if he don' wan'a stay wit chew - yo' an' 'im busted up. Yo' kin take it an' take an' put it in a new piece of cloth or eithah jes' put it in a li'le bag of some kind, li'le new bag. Make a li'le bag. An' lay it up ovah de do', see. An' he'll come back home.
Entry 5421
[They] go out tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git chure track. Git it from de heel, if dey wanta run yo' away; an' if dey want chew tuh come back, dey git it from de toe. An' dey sew it up in a bran'-new piece of cloth, an' dey tote it in dey pocket.
Entry 5448
She will git 'is track an' go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt an' put it in a piece of cloth, an' carry it tuh a rivah an' chunk it down de stream, an' tell 'im tuh go, an' he'll go.
Entry 5467
An' den ag'in if dey ketch yore track yo' know in de street, well dey meet chew tuh git de track. Well den dey would take dat out de hollah of yore feet, an' den dey would git some dirt from de graveyard an' put dat tuhgethah, an' den dey put it on a shingle, an' dey put a piece ovah it an' tie it real good.
(What sort of piece do they put over it, another shingle or what?)
No, jis' any kinda cloth but let it be kinda thick an' wrap it tight so it won't come off. Well dey kin carry dat an' throw it in de rivah.
(What will that do?)
Dat will make yo' move an' keep yo' agoin'. Yo' can't rest or be contented nowhere yo' go.
Entry 5520
Dey tell me dat dey take dat foot track an' take a hot iron an' put on dat foot track. An' carry dat iron an carry dat iron home an' put dat same iron on top of a cloth. An' fold dat cloth up an' hide it somewhere in de ceilin', or in de roof of de house some place. An' dey says dat will cause dat person to go crazy.
Entry 5553
Yo' take a person dat yo' dislike an' yo' wan' 'em away from yo'. Yo' seet 'im. He's comin' dat way an' yo's comin' dis way. Take a bran'-new piece of papah, a piece like dat [he changes this for cloth later]. Take a bran'-new easpoon. When ah say bran'-new, ah mean one dat was nevah used fo' any purpose. An' yo' put it - take a piece of cloth, white cloth dat yo' have nevah used fo y othah purpose. Take dat wit yo'. An' prepare tuh meet yore man, whomsoevah ir is. An' meet 'im dere, an' git a smile if yo' kin. Pass 'im an' pass 'im a certain distant [distance]. But gauge yoreself so as tuh not allow 'im tuh git ay too far. An' yo' take de track up wit dat teaspoon. Begin right at de toe, don' cha know an' pull it directly back tuh de heel. An' git de spoonful an' put it intuh dis cloth, an' wrap it up so it won't - yo' know, it will be out of de way. An' yo' take a rusty nail an' yo' cross de track directly in de centah, an' den cross it ag'in from de heel tuh de toe - away from yo', directly. An' throw de nail ovah yore left shouldah. Den yo' keep de stuff dat yo' got in de cloth, take dat an' take de spoon an' throw dat ovah yuh right shouldah. Take dat cloth right on, roll it up tight, tie it away from yuh, don't cha know. Take a piece of rock an' put in it, in de othah part of it, an' yuh care [carry] it an' yuh throw it ovah yuh lef' shouldah, right ovahbo'd intuh runnin' watah. Or if de tide is goin' down, on de tide, when yuh throw it ovah. An' yuh mention de person's name. Dey goes right on out like dat [with the tide]. As it go ovahbo'd, dey die. An' if it's comin' up, yuh know what yuh call a spring tide, huh, when it's comin' up, why dey'll git almos' crazy until de tide turns. An' as soon as de tide turns ag'in, dey gone.
(Where did you learn this?)
Ah learned dat in de Bahamas.
(At Nassau?)
At Nassua.
(From this girl?)
From dis girl.
Entry 5572
Take de foot track from de end of yore feet. Yo' kin take dat an' put it intuh a cloth. It's all right tuh hold it at home, too. Take it an' put it intuh a cloth an' weah it. Make yo' a bag an' weah it, an' he will always follah yo'. Evah- where yo' go, he'll go wit yo'. Evahthin' yo' [have] a mind tuh do, he's ready tuh do dat. Jis' 'is foot track. Take his left-foot track from de toe back tuh de heel. Take dat an' take it an' fo' nine mawnin's, if yo' don' wanta weah it fo' nine mawnin's, walk through yore house an' throw it ovah yore shouldah, yore lef' one, see, jis' lak dat an' don' look back. An' call dis man three times, an' he'll come tuh yu' if he's in Chicago or any place. Yo' use it dat long. (You throw it over your shoulder and then you pick it up, and throw it over your shoulder again. That the idea? You do that nine times?) Do dat nine times, throw it ovah yore shouldah.
(Nine times each morning?)
Fo' nine mawnin's, once each mawnin' 'fore de sunup fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 5583
Dey say dey takes 'is track an' put it in a piece of new cloth. Dey say yo' kin git chew nine needles an' nine pins an' put in it. Dat will run yo' crazy. (What do they do with that then?) Put it in runnin' watah an' shet it up [in bottle or can].
Entry 5591
Yassuh, take yore foot track an' tie it up into a cloth an' bury it fo' nine days, an' aftah nine days go back an' dig it up an' put it in runnin' watah.
(What will that do to me?) Dat supposed tuh make yo' go jis' as long as dat goes. (Would either track of mine be all right?)
No, de same track. Dey take yore lef' track.
Entry 5603
"Simmon [persimmon] tree. Ah've heard dat yo' kin take 'simmon, yo' kin git a half-green root - yo' kin git a half-green 'simmon an' yo' kin take a li'le cloth, ah reckon about a yard or half a yard wide. An' yo' kin take dat half-green 'simmon an' dat half a yard of cloth, an' yo' kin take de tracks of a person an' write his name in 'is tracks. Put 'em in dat li'le cloth an' sew it up, an' care [carry] it tuh de rivah an' throw it ovahbo'd; but chew wanta throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' yo' leave dere walkin'. Don't nevah look back at it. An' dat'll run dem crazy.
(What do you do with that persimmon?)
Well, ah says yo' put dat 'simmon [track] in dat.
(Oh, you put that in that [track] too.)
Entry 5624
Dey git de dirt outa yo' track an' put salt in wit dat, an' go tuh rnnin' watah an' throw it ovahbo'd, an' yo'll move an' can't he'p yo'self. Dat uhut dey tell me. Said dey could run 'em wild - dat whut dey tell me - wit it. Said dey take dat an' tie it up in a new cloth, an' go tuh runnin' watah, throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' make a wish, say, "Go 'way." Yo' mind will go, sompin lak dat. (That track you got up thefirst time, you get it from the toe to the heel?) Uh-huh, an' yo' walk tuh de runnin' watah. An' put salt in it an' walk tuh de runnin' watah, an' throw it ovah yo' lef' shouldah an' don't look back, an' make yore wish an' leave on away. An' don' have nuthin tuh say.
Entry 5630
Well, yo' take dat foot track goin' dis way an' - yo' take it goin' - an' den yo'. take it comin', see. Well, aftah yo' take dat track - gits both tracks - see, yo' git one goin' an' de othah one comin'. Yo' gits a piece of Lowe's, bran'-new Lowe's cloth. It's thick stuff whut dey make sacks outa, cotton sacks.
(What they call Louis?) [Lowe's.]
Yessuh. Yo' git a piece of Lowe's an' yo' sew it up [into a bag]. An' yo' go git chew a box of table salt. Yo' git chew a box of cayenne peppah. An' take dat track an' yo' compounds all dat up tuhgethah an' yo' put in dere [small bag nade from new Lowe's cloth] an' [put] dat [Lowe's-cloth bag into a bag of] red flannen. [A bag of any material holding the ingredients of a hand is often en- closed within red flannel for added power.] An' yo' goes tuh de rivah an' yo' turn backward dis way [demonstrates] an' chunk it ovah in de rivah. See, lak dat, ovah yore lef' shouldah.
(What will that do?)
Dat will run 'em away.
Entry 5646
Dey kin go an' see yore track an' begin at de toe an' pick it up completely to de heel, right undah de middle. Don't let any of it fall off, evah bit of it. An' put it in a silk piece of cloth, a piece of silk ole or new. Don't make [no difference] jis' so long as it's silk. An' go to de rivah, drop in de middle of dat rivah. Don't say a word but jis' make yore wish, jis' like yo' say, "Go, yo' devil! Yo' go!" Turn yore back de moment yo' drop it an' don't look back. Come on away an' dey'll go.
Entry 5684
Now, yo' kin take a sewin' thimble whut chew have on yore han' an' yo' kin put it tuh de toe of a person track. Dat is de lef' track. An' yo' draw dat sewin' thimble back tuh de heel wit whut dirt, yo' know, [so full of dirt] dat it wouldn't even draw, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' tie dat up intuh a piece of new cloth dat nevah been used. An' yo'll step tuh a place where watah runnin' an' yo' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' don' look back at it. Dat'll run 'em away from dere.
Entry 5715
Jis' lak ah'm on de way now uptown. Ah'm on mah way up an' mah min' is toum. Ah got some pahtic'lah business ah wanta 'tend [attend] tuh, an' ah'm on de way, now. Den yo'll git some of 'is track, undah- stan'. Yo' stan' where he's goin', de direction dat he's goin'. Take some of 'is tracks three times - take dat dirt P outa his track three times, an' den put dat in a piece of new cloth an' bind I up. Put three pods of red peppah in wit it. An' den take dat an' sew it up a' put a long string about dat long an' so it kin swing it. Sew dat string jis batavay an' evah time de win' blow, dat swing. He's agoin'.
(Where do you tie that up?)
Ties it up on a white oak in de woods. Jis' take it, tie it up in dere. He can't stay becuz 'is min' altuhgethah from dere. (In other words you take that track, you take it three times out of three different tracks - one right after the other?) Yessuh. (The same thing as that other one you told me about, about taking all the dree tracks?) Dat's right.
Entry 5716
Yo' take a mockin'bird's nest an' yo' burn it an' git de ashes out of it, an' use it in makin' a man or a woman go 'way. Yo' take dat wit some of dere tracks an' hang dat up ag'in wit a long string. Tie it up wit a piece of new cloth. Put it in a cloth have nevah been worn, an' put dat in dere wit a long string on it. Hang it up on a white oak an' it will swing. Hit will make 'em go off. DERE SO MANY WAYS TUH MAKE A PERSON GO OFF.
Entry 5722
Den ag'in yo' could take up a track - yo' pulls up dat track. When she's comin' home, git behin' 'er an' take de track de same way she's goin', jis' lak she's comin' home. Yo' take it three times. (Where would you take it from, the heel to the toe or the toe to the heel?) Take it from de heel an' carry it to de toe, 'cuz she's goin' home. Take it three time.
(You take it three times. You mean three steps or all out of one?)
Take de leas' leetle bit about a half a teaspoonful, den po' dat in yore han' an' take it an' git nine. Git it nine times, make it three times three. Put dat in dere an' den take de red peppah an' put it tuhgethah. Put it in a bran'-new piece of cloth an' take it an' sew it. Sew it up an' stick it in a green tree, in de limb, an' let it grow up in dat tree. She stay home.
(How do you put it in that limb?)
Jis' take yo' pucketknife [pocketknife] an' split it an' set it right in dere; slip it right intuh dere. Split it.
(And the limb will grow together again?)
An' it will grow ag'in an' it won' hurt 'er neithah.
(That will keep the woman home?)
Yes, keep her home.
Entry 5745
If a man wants tuh hold 'is job wit a man, dey take an' git 'is right foot, right track, right in de heart [hollow of foot]. Pick it up three times, d'; not comin' back, goin'. An' git dat track somepin lak dis heah [demon- scates] lak he come, goin' disaway. Yo' walk behin' 'im an' git it disaway [demonstrates]. (He's going one way and you walk behind him and pick it up the opposite way. Bring it back to you. I mean, back from the way he is going.) Now dat's three times. Den yo' git one of yours. Keep agoin' an' don't look back. Take dem two tracks an' yo' put dem two tracks tuhgethah. (His and yours.) Yourn an' his'n, an' yo' take dem two tracks an' yo' go right at 'is office, an' yo' put dat undah dere jis' about dat deep [demonstrates].
(Couple of inches deep.)
Git chew a pin or needle that nevah been stuck an' a piece of cloth, an' stick dat pin down in dere. Let de point be up an' let 'im walk ovah dat. Den yo' gain his influence. Dat's de way ah heard 'em say.
(I see, that is to get a job or hold it.)
Entry 5754
Yo' could take dere track an' take it an' put it in a piece of cloth ='drap a drop of yore watah on it fo' nine mawnin's. An' take it an' string it roun' yore neck an' let it go right 'long heah tuh dis li'le hollah heah [points to].
(In the breast.)
An' he'll come tuh love yo' an' yo' an' 'im will git along all right, no mat- tah how much yo'all been fell out. Dat jis' got 'im an' yo' right tuhgethah. (If two men are fighting and quarreling, or if you were fighting and quarrel- ing with somebody else, you could make him be peaceful with you by taking his foot track and doing this. You wear it right down here underneath the rib bones?) Yessuh.
Entry 5962
Ah don't know how much truth is in it, but ah have heard dat dey take yore hair from de mole of a man's head, but he mus' be asleep an' not know anythin' about dis bein' done. An' in doin' dat, tie it in a piece of cloth an' wear it aroun' yore left laig, an' dey say dat if he nevah gits aholt of dat - nevah finds out dat chew have it - yo'll be able tuh control 'im an' keep 'im.
Entry 5992
Git de hair out chure haid an' take it an' sew it up into a piece of cloth an' tie it roun' dere waist. Wear it. Dey kin fix yo' dataway. (Why would they do that?) Well, to keep yo'. Sometime dey do it to make a man love dem. Yes sir, dey puts it in a little white cloth an' den sew it up. [This is a love hand.] Some of 'ems wear it roun' dere neck, soe of 'ems wear it roun' dere waist.
Entry 6019
Dey say, yo' know, if yo' wanta put a person in hard luck, yo' take nine new needles an' stick 'em in a piece of cloth an' git some of de hair outa dere haid, if yo' kin git it, an' put it in dere, an' bury it at de fo'ks of de road. Say dey'll be in de hardest luck dat a person kin git - hard, shure 'nuff hard luck.
Entry 6039
Dis hair business. Why of co'se a person kin git holt of de hair out de mole of yore haid an' sew it up into a piece of new cloth an' put it into yore pillahcase. Why of co'se dat will absolutely, really draw love. Dat will draw love to yo'. (The woman would take my hair and put it in her pillow- case to make me love her?) Dat's right. She sew it up into a piece of new cloth. [A note of mine on original transcription reads: This is not a small-time worker - queer in head - had reputation [[as a doctor]] - worked for 40 years - see conversation between Edward[[Bufford, y contact man]] and me under INTRO. [[These were original notes and comments for the INTRODUCTION. I do not know where they are at the moment.]] He may have been the man Edward followed to the corner. After informant left interviewing room, Eduard disappeared for about 10 minutes. When he reappeared I asked where he had been. I had been sitting there without anyone to interview! Edward said he was afraid of the man. He had followed him to the corner (the old country crossroads) to prevent his dropping any powders for us to walk in!]
Entry 6062
Take a man's hair an' cut it off an' put it in 'is hatband - an' put yore hair from offen yore stomach an' place it in de band of 'is hat, an' put 'is hair whut chew got from 'im an' sew it up in a cloth an' wear it vex' tuh yore skin. Well, dat would keep 'is mind always on yo', too. See, dat keep 'im always excited-minded 'bout chew - he cain't stay 'way from yo'.
Entry 6082
If yo' got a man an' wanta keep 'im an' he's runnin' roun' on yo', de way yo' do. De fus' [first] thing yo' do, yo' git seven stran's of hair out de mole of 'is haid; yo' git seven stran's of hair from down heah, be's playin' wit 'im yo' know in de baid. Yo' git chew a piece of cloth. Go uptown an' buy yo' a piece of sompin lak dis bran'-new [homespun?]. Yo' cut it in de length of a towel. When yo' an' 'im go tuh baid tuhnight, don't chew do nuthin, jes' let 'im do sompin, an' wipe off dat on dat towel, see. Yo' take dat an' yo' cut dat spot out aftah it dries. Yo' take it an' cut it up in five pieces, an' put dat hair in dere, an' git chew nine needles an' put in dere, an' sew it up in a bag an' put it between yore mattress, an' yo' have him till he die - yo' will have him till he die.
Entry 6103
Yore hair proposition - dey git chure hair right out de mole of yore haid, right out de mole of yore haid. An' aftah dey git de hair right out de mole of yore head, dey take dat an' wrap it up into some into a rag, some cloth. An' aftah dey wrap it up into some cloth, dey takes it an' puts some red peppah, undahstan'. An' aftah dey put de red peppah in it, dey takes hit, takes de - Put red peppah, bluestone, alum, an' mix it all togethah, an' sulphur, an' put hit in dere an' ties it up. An' dey ties dat up an' dey carries it. Dey'll eithah bury it right at chure do'step - bury it at chure do'step an' yo' walks ovah all dat. Den dat begin pains about chure haid, right about chure haid. Den when it begin painin' about chure haid, put chew in bad sickness.
Entry 6149
Jes' lak if yo' got a wife an' if she leave yo' an' if yo's married an yo' do want 'er come back to yo'. If yo' could git aholt of 'er, some of 'er hair, a plait of 'er hair an' sew it up in a cloth. Tie it up in a cloth an' sew it on de inside of de sock an' wear dat sock an' nevah take dat sock off, jes' wear dat sock right dere fo' nine days, say she come back to yo' in de ninth or seventh day, but chew wear it on till de ninth day, an' say yo'll have her an' she'll nevah leave no mo'.
Entry 6313
[Take hair] outa de top of yuh haid, de mole of yore haid. Now dey kin take dat hair an' kin run yuh crazy. Dey take dat hair an' take it an' jis' sew it up in a piece of cloth, an' den take dat hair an' take it tuh de runnin' watah, an' dey kin throw it in dere. An' it will run yuh clean crazy - run yuh 'way from dere.
Entry 6352
Git chure hair an' take dat hair - she kin take dat hair, an' if it's yore hair an' she wants yo' tuh love 'er, she kin take dat hair an' sew it up in a piece of cloth, an' take an' weah dat cloth an' wherevah dat he goes, why yo' [she] will long aftah 'im.
Entry 6371
Heard dem say dat chew kin take yore hair an' put it in some powdahs an', an' some Hawthorne [= Hearts Own] Cologne. Said dey take dat an' put dat an' tie it, an' put it in a clothan' tie roun' yore wais'. Dey said dat'll make mens love yo'.
Entry 6372
Yo' kin take a woman's hair an' a piece of 'er undah- weah an' a piece of new cloth, an' sew it up tight an' weah it in yore pocket, an' dey says she'll love yo'. Else [otherwise] she'll be extra mean tuh yo'.
Entry 6392
Yo' trimmin' yo' fingahnails an' dey'll tie it up in a cloth an' dey'll bury dat. Dat'll harm yo'.
(Well, how would it harm you? What would it do to you?) Whut will it do tuh yo'? Why, yo' fingahs will rot off.
Entry 6472
Take yore fingahnails an' put 'em in new cloth an' it will cuz yo' tuh be painful. Jis' take 'em an' put 'em in some new cloth an' it will cuz yo' tuh be painful. Yo' know, sew 'em up real tight in a new cloth, an' don't break de needle off. Jis' stick de nee- dle right through de cloth where yo' sew it up, an' jis' lay it up ovah de do' where a person got'a pass through in an' out. It would make 'em painful.
Entry 6473
" Yo' could take an' scrape out from under yore feet an' put it in a - sew it up in a little cloth an' veah it roun' 'er waist nine days. An' squeeze it in 'is food fo' nine mawnin's. Dat's de way yo' make him love yo'.
Entry 6658
Ah had a aunt. A man got 'er hair. See, he got mad becuz she wouldn't marry 'im. Well, he took a piece of hair from 'er mole [mold] while she wuz layin' down on 'er bed fast asleep. All right, took a piece undah 'er arm. (Both arms or one?) De lef'. An' den took a piece some- where else - down below. Dey took it tuh a new elm tree [at Algiers?].
(They took it to a new elm tree or to New Orleans?)
Yes, all right. Well, de only way, if dey didn't know nuthin 'bout it, it would liable been too late. Well, aftah dey [the man] went tuh someone in] Al- giers, dey had it fixed. Dey also had some glass, some kinda black glass [prob- ably broken from a black bottle]. Dat means fo' tuh kill 'er. An' it would have killed 'er, see, but she wuz saved by St. Anthony. Well, now, he came back [from Algiers or New Orleans] an' she begged an' begged an' cried. He told 'er dat he would not hurt 'er, see. She wus moanin' [molting?] an' moanin' [molting] away an' de only way wuz to git dat hair an' dat thin' back - dat wuz de only [way]. Well, all right. Aftah he done it, he wouldn't give her up. Well, twixt 'em, dey went out dere, way ovah de trees [in the woods] somewheres, an' got some root. A man wuz sellin' some kinda roots. He died [he is dead now]. Well, he got some root in a hurry an' made a poultice. He had some of 'er othah thin's, piece of 'er ministratin'. An' dis man got some kinda calomel [surely calamus] root. De drug stores got it [calomel], but any drug store don't got [calamus] becuz dey wouldn't know whut it is. Got some of dat an' made a tea. An' got some dog dirt, [also] yellah clay, cleah yellah clay, an' beat it up. She hadda take it though. Took it [dog dirt and yellow clay]. An' den got some new - bran'-new cloth an' bind 'er all arou', see. When he bind all aroun' 'er, well it somepin came outa 'er - through 'er bowels. Dey were kinda lak a rattlesnake - jet black. Dey had 'er fixed dataway in New Orleans-Algiers. [Algiers is a Ovah de mivah part of New Orleans.] But she pulled through an' de man came back. See, didn't know she would pull through. Aftah dat she lived ten years.
(What was the name of this doctor out here that is dead now?)
[A name informant couldn't pronounce or spell.]
Entry 6659
Ah heard dat yo' could take de hair an' take it an' put it in - jis' urap it up or tie it up in a cloth or somepin an' weah it on yo' some place. Weah it on de firs' piece yo' weah [wear next to skin] an' dey say dat will cuz yo' tuh come back tuh 'em. An' den ag'in yo' could take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up. An' put it in runnin' watah an' den it would turn tuh a snake. An' when it turn tuh a snake it would kill yo'.
Entry 6828
Goes tuh de graveyard an' git dirt fo"luck: An' yo' kin git it fo' bad luck. If anythin', yo' kin git it offa certain grave, if yo' kin remembah de certain grave; an' if yo' cain't remembah de certain grave, git de dirt, but it's gotta be at night. Yo' cain't go in de daytime an' git. Some peoples have tried it in de daytime when dey goin' tuh de funeral an' git it, but chew'll have tuh go at night, when only de gravediggers are dere.
(What do you do with it then?)
Yes, yo' kin use it fo' luck. Yo' kin take dis graveyard dirt an' git chew some of de flowahs dat's in de graveyard. Yo' kin git some of de rose - yo' cain't use it unless yo' has some kinda flowahs - rose. Yo' kin git chew a flow- ah from de graveyard an' use dis graveyard dirt or eithah fern from de graveyard; or eithah some kinda sprout twig - not any dry. Yo' cain't use any dry twigs, yo' have [to] git 'em all sproutin' when de sap is in 'em. An' place 'em tuh- gethah an' wrap 'em in any kind of cloth yo' wanta. An' wind 'em roun' yuh waist fo' luck, or eithah yo' kin have 'em fo' peoples havin' spells. Or eithah yo' kin use it fo', if yo' have a person sick in yuh home, it's bettah fo' dat. If a person's sick in yore home an' yo' figure dat dey're not goin' git well, de doctors an' evahthin' have given 'em up, use dis graveyard dirt fo' dat, but chew'll have tuh cook it in dere food. Regardless tuh how dirty it is an' all lak dat, yo'll have tuh cook it in dere food, fo' de condition dat dey are in - fo' dere health.
Entry 7440
Yo' jes' go right an' take a aig.
(Any kind of an egg?)
Jes' any kinda aig but let dat aig be lay on Friday. Bury it to de no'th cor- nah of de house in a piece of cloth an' dat bring dat person back.
(Bring who back?)
De person who killed de man. (Whose house do you bury that at?) Well, yo' bury it to yore house.
Entry 7605
An' den dey say, if yuh wanta run a person, tuh take some dirt out from undah dere steps, an' go tuh de cemetery an' go tuh a sinnah's grave. Dat's whut ah heard. Ah haven't tried dis one, 'twuz told. People have been to folks [doc- tors, fortunetellers, etc.] lak dat. Go tuh de cemetery an' go tuh a sinnah's grave, an' go tuh de breast an' run yore han' down in de grave, as far as yuh kin git chure han' down in dat grave. Take up a han'fulla dirt outa dere an' den yuh pay dat daid a penny. Put it down in dere, say, "Now, ah'm payin' yuh fo'dis." Take dat dirt an' bring it roun' de house an' dat dirt from undah de steps. Take dat dirt an' put it intuh a cloth an' sew it into somepin. Dis box an' dat dirt will drive dat person away from dere. (Do you put that graveyard dirt and this dirt from under the steps into the same box?) Intuh de same box.
(Then what do you do with that box?)
Yuh take dat box - yuh put it in a box or eithah sew it up. Wear it aroun' yuh. Dat drives a person away from yuh, too. Dat's whut ah was told. Ah've nevah tried dat.
Entry 7624
Now, if yo' wanta go tuh a cemetery, somebody daid dat chew know, take 25 cents 'long wit chew, tuh de haid of de grave an' push yore arm down as fur as yo' kin git it. An' leave dat quartah down dere an' bring up yore three fingers of dirt, an' take dat long wit chew. Dat'll give yo' luck. [Instead of picking up a pinch of dirt with two-fingers, thumb and index fin- ger, a method mentioned elsewhere, some other informant says pick it up with three fingers: thumb, index finger, and middle finger.]
(What do you do with that after you get it?)
Wrap it up in a piece of paper or a piece of brown cloth an' put it in yore pocket an' keeps dat 'long wit chew. Well, dat's one way tuh git chureself luck.
The informant describes paying a quarter at the head of a known deceased person's grave, taking three fingers of dirt and carrying it in paper or brown cloth for reported luck. Hyatt compares two-finger and three-finger collection methods, referencing another informant; that comparison remains editorial.
Entry 7639
Jes' lak a man er [or] woman, anyone, say, if she really meant tuh kill dis man - wanta have him outa de way. She kin go tuh de graveyard - if he don't pertect [detect] it befo' she git too fah [far], see. She kin go tuh de grave- yard an' git dis dirt outa 'tween a grave. She gotta git from de grave doh [though], de head of de grave, de person head. Dey git dat dirt offa de head of de grave. Den she take dat dirt an' she take a small piece of cloth an' she sew dat up in dere, an' den she take dis cloth an' she weah it roun' her waist. Now, dis man, he Would contin'ly [continually] feel- in' bad an' weary an' stuff [similar feelings], but he don' know whut it come from. Now, dis woman she would weah dat an' weah dat until she git dis man tuh de place dat he would git puny, sickly an' jes' cain't he'p [help] hisself, an' den if someone don' tell 'im how tuh go out...says, "Well, bless me, yo' is lookin' very bad, yo' oughta go an' see de doctor. Why don' yo' go an' see a root doctor tuh see whut's de mattah wit chew?" Well, nachur'ly [naturally] dis man wouldn't believe it, becuz he don' think dat it nachur'l [natural] dat 'is wife or de girl dat 'e [he] goin' wit, er somepin, would do him any hahm [harm] lak dat. An' nachurly [naturally] he may, if he don't git tuh some of dose [hoo- doo] people, dis thing will finely [finally] kill 'im.
Entry 7683
Ah know in one instance 'bout de graveyard dirt. In case yo' wanta see somebody an' yo' wuz away an' dey would die [while you were absent] or somepin lak dat, ah know of an instance. Yo' git dis grave- yard - jis' find out whut grave or cemetery it is, jis' de spot dey is buried, an' yo' git dis dirt from dis place an' take it home wit chew. If it clay, an' it more den apt tuh be clay, yo' take an' powdah it up lak black snuff or sompin lak dat. An' put it in a cloth an' say, dat chew wanta see dis person or de person wants tuh see yo'. Den yo' take dis when yo' git ready tuh go tuh see dis person, or dat person [in the spirit] come tuh see yo' [because his spirit follows his dirt]. Yo' take dis heah, lak if yo' goin' out tuh de graveyard, an' call de person tuh see yo'; [or] take dat wit chew, take dat back tuh de same place where yo' got it at. An' call dat per- son an' talk tuh dem, an' tell 'em whut chew wanta tell 'em, or he kin tell yo'.
(You dig that out of the grave to call them out of the grave?)
Yessuh, ah saw a man do dat once.
Entry 7885
Go tuh a graveyard an' git graveyard dirt an' mix salt wit it an' whut's dis dey call some kinda sulphur.
(Sulphur?)
An' jes' sprinkle it round in de house and sprinkle it de way dey want chew tuh go. Sprinkle it all de way through de house. Well, dey gits chure track an' take it an' wrap it up in somepin - a cloth - put graveyard dirt wit it an' if dey goin' down to runnin' watah, throw it down in runnin' watah. (These are two different ways of making you move?) Yes. An' dey take an aig an' write chure name on de side of it an' throw it cross yore house an' break it: if it breaks cross dere, yo' gotta move; if it don't yo' git sick. If somebody [root man] don't do somepin fo' yo', yo' liable tuh die.
The informant reports two dirt-related ways to make someone move: a graveyard-dirt mixture scattered in a house, and a track wrapped with graveyard dirt and cast into running water. A subsequent named-egg rite is separate and does not establish dirt use there. Departure, illness and death remain reported claims.
Entry 8133
Dey take yer pichure - ah don' know it [from experience] but ah heah 'em say dey take yer pichure - an' wrap it up in a cloth an' bury it on de face, an' dat will kill a person.
Entry 8173
Jis' lak ah'd take yer pichure. Well, ah could go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt right off from de sinnah's, yo' know, where a sin- nah is buried at, right in 'is chest. Git hit an' sew hit an' de pi- chure up intuh a piece of cloth, an' keep it fo' nine mawnin's, an' bury at chure do'step, an' dat'll bring yo' love.
(That's for love?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8571
Fur ninstance [for an instance] yo' kin take an' yo' kin write a pusson name frontwards an' den yo' kin write it backwards. An' den yo' could take some salt an' put in dat an' yo' could keep dat pusson down by putting it under yo' feet. (What do you mean under your feet?) Well, yo' see, jes' like my name David. Yo' write David Chislow, den yo' write backwards Chislow David. [This is the normal writing backwards and not preceding margin title BACK- WARDS.] See what yo' mean. Then yo' take some salt an' yo' put in dat, a little piece of cloth, an' yo'll fix dem. Make a little flat piece of cloth an' lay it right in yo' shoe, an' then yo' put on your shoe, an' yo' put your foot right on that an' keep me right down.
Entry 8731
[Three is a numeral we have already met in this section about nomes. Here I have gathered together a few examples temporarily overlooked or not easily placed elsewhere. The rite preceding this one, THIMBLEFULS 3, could have been included here, but I preferred to index it under thimble:] If she want 'er husban' tuh stay home, she goes tuh work an' get her a strip of papah, a little strip of papah. She puts her name at de top an' she puts her husband name right underneat' of hers." She gits her a thin piece of cloth, yo' know, lak in de linin', lak in de linin' of a coat. Stick it right in dere. An' she'll sew it down into de seat of her bloomers. Den she'll git de same thing, her name at de top an' his'n to de bottom, an' she'll wear it in her shoe fo' three days. An' if he don't leave off runnin', ah don't know what [she could do].
(She makes both those and puts one in her bloomers and one in her shoe?)
Yes.
Entry 8769
All yo' have to do, split dat in fo' parts.
(Split this match in four parts.)
Aftah yo' split 'em in fo' parts, yo' cut de sticks across. Dat will be eight, see. An' aftah yo' cut eight, yo' take one an' cut one in half. Dat'll be ten, see. All right, yo' cut de othah one in half. Dat will be 12 pieces. Dat's even, ain't it? See now, dose [are] twelve. All right, it will be even [number]. An' yo' take dem pieces an' yo' sew it up, yo' sew it up into a piece of cloth. Well, aftah yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth, yo' kin go to dat person house an' stick it in de block of de house [see later] fo' yo' kin bury it undah de block of de house, or yo' kin stick it in a crack [of the house] or somepin lak dat. An' yo' kin walk away. When yo' walk away from de house an' [then you] call dat person three times. See, call dem three times. De next time yo' call loud where he kin hear yo', he'll answer yo', see. Well, yo' got his voice right dere, see.
(What do you do then?)
Well, he come out dere. Yo' kin kill 'im den [not immediately but any time later], if yo' want to [because you have his voice in a bottle] or yo' kin do jes' what yo' want wit 'em [voice and bottle]. [Informant may have mentioned spirit-catching bottle earlier (for how this is done, see margin title TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f. and many places) or he assumed I knew enough about hoodoo to understand what he meant. Since you can stick it in or bury it undah, block of de house refers to the foundation sills under the house, not to the piZlars upon which the small lowland house rests aboveground.]
Entry 8860
Now, yo' take a person an' yo' write a lettah an' a person git holt of yore han'writin'. Well, now, yo' take dis han'writin'. Well, ah'll take dis han'writin' now an' ah'll see whut ah kin do wit it. Take yore han'writin' - yo' take it an' lay it on a table. Yo' lay it on de table an' den yo' take yo' some Scotch Snuff - jis' say, Railroad. Yeah, Railroad Snuff. Yo take dat an' yo' put dat snuff on dere, an' take anothah wet piece of cloth, thin cloth, an' lay on dere. Well, now, when yo' lay dat on dere yo' got chure han'- vritin'. Well, now, in a very li'le while yore whole hand will commence tuh pain. Well, a person - de doctors [M.D.'s] might tell yuh dey don't know whut it is. Dell, yo' see dat's de germ dat dey have caught from yore hand. An' dey got it den goin' right back intuh yore system. Aftah while yo' git tuh de place dat hand is no good to yuh. It jis' wilted away tuh nuthin.
Entry 8935
Yo' get yo' a old shoe somewhere, see, an' yo' take an' yo' cut it up good - jis' want de sole of it. An' cut it up good. An' yo' get yo' some brim- stone, see that's a powder, jis' like steel dust. See. An' yo' get yo' some sweet cinnamon an' yo' mix that up together. Yo' takes dat shoe sole an' yo' lights it. See, make a smoke out of it. An' get yo' a little bit of, small quantity of sul- phur, yo' see, an' sprinkle that on that shoe sole. That's to make it burn, yo' understand. All right, then yo' takes this other powder and sprinkle that on there, an' yo' wraps it up in a cloth, preventing it from burn- ing out so soon, yo' see. An' yo' lights it, yo' see. Well, that's goin' burn to a smoke, yo' see. Well, when that smoke starts to smoking, there's nobody gona fool 'round that house atall. See, ever'body comes there an' 'tempts [at- tempts] to go in there, it creates a fear on 'em. See, they losing no time in bothering 'round there atall. Yo' kin leave your house wide open, there ain't nobody goin' in, yo' see.
(That will keep the thieves away?)
Keep the thieves away - ain't nobody goin' in.
Entry 9291
Yo' ties it up in a black cloth, dis black hen's aig.
(What are you going to do with that, now?)
Aftah yo' ties it up in de black cloth, yo' take it an' chunk it ovah de house tuh de sundown side. Dat's one way. (What will that do?) Dat will jes' break up de house an' family, jes' make 'em move.
Entry 10146
A root doctor wrapped up a black cat bone in cloth, put in sack with salt, put in pocket on right side, go to boss for job. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 109:2.]
Entry 10224
Yo' take a dishcloth. An' when yo' have comnection wit him, yo' wipe him wit dat cloth an' put it ovah de front of de fo'. An' den he can't leave [or have] nobody aftah dat.
Entry 10235
Yo' kin take a black hen's aig an' take a wet new cloth an' wipe dat aig, an' ball dat cloth up an' sew it in de pillah, an' dey said dat man can't go wit anothah woman to save his life; an' if he do, he can't come to save his life. Ah seen a man fixed fo' dat last week. (You mean sew that up in his pil- low?) In his pillah whut he sleep on evah night.
Entry 10558
If yo' wus in business or yo're goin' tuh start busi- ness, sompin lak dat, say yo' go to work an' kill a - yo' know dese bullbats fly around, dese little bats - say yo' kill de bat, chew know. It supposed to be a hard thing tuh kill - 'cause ah've shot at dem lotsa times mahself, but chew kin kill 'em. An' after yo' kill 'em an' dey falis, yo' ketch 'em whilst dey a - yo' nevah don't hit 'em, yo' jest shoot through de wing of 'em yo' know. An' den yo' take 'em an' cut 'em open. Ketch 'em whilst dey 'live an' git de heart out of 'em, an' sew it up in a piece of cloth yo' know. But ah think yo' have to let, yo know, let it cure a little bit. Den sew it up an' keep it in yore pocket. Dey tell me dat's de best luck fo' [any] business ever wus.
Entry 10582
Now another lucky hand, yo' git chew a small little - one of dese little bats dat fly around. Well, yo' git chew one of dose an' git his heart 'fore he die. Take his heart out befo' he die, an' sew dat up in a piece of Sea Island cloth - new cloth don't chew know. An' every time yo' make a stitch, why in sewing it, bring it to yo', don't chew know - jes' bring it dat way [demonstrates]. An' den yo' git some of dis perfume, Hearts Perfume, an' 'noint dat package wit dat every mornin' befo' sunrise, an' repeat de Lord's Prayer. An' dat's luck too, dat's another lucky hand.
(For what?)
For anything, any affairs.
(Gambling?)
Anything.
Entry 10602
Now a fellah tell me fo' a fact dat chew kin ketch a bat an' yo' kin carry dat round wit chew jes' like: yo' would take dem wings off him an' don't have nuthin but de bat, jes' de little ole skin. Ain't nuthin but skin nohow. Take de little ole bat, de little haid, an' put him in a papah sack or a cloth. Tie it up - sew it up jes' lak yo Would sew up a little bow, an' carry it out in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go an' do most anything yo' want. Ah don't know whether dat's true or not.
(You take just the wings off the bat though?)
Take de wings off.
(And just tie up the body?)
Tie up de body.
Entry 9604
Take yo' some red peppah, sulphuh an' table salt, or eithah graveyard dirt, an' put it in a little cloth an' put it in de bottom of de shoe an' weah it. [That graveyard dirt is a part of preceding com- bination and not a substitute for it, see following rite about graveyard dirt from near headboard of grave.]
(What will that do then?)
Dey can't hurt chew.
(You walk over anything and it couldn't hurt you?)
Yes.
The informant describes a shoe-cloth treatment and protection claim, using the words 'or eithah graveyard dirt'. Hyatt's bracketed note instead treats dirt as part of the combination and refers to the next rite. Preserve that difference and the red pepper, sulphur and salt as distinct ingredients.
Entry 10752
If yo' ministratin' or anything, yo' take an' wash de cloth an' git de blood out of it an' stop it in a bottle. An' yo' kin take an' put it anywhere in de tree, de 'side de tree, any- where yo' wanta, an' dey won' ministrate any mo'. Dey jes' pine away. [Originally the tree was probably a pine: you pine away.]
Entry 10887
Take de hair out of a dog hair an' de hair out of a cat tail, or eit- her git it out of one of 'em's tail an' de other out one of dere haid - either one of dem animals. Yo' kin git dat an' put it together, an' when yo' put it together, yo' put it an' makes a ball of it. But den yo' wanta put it - yo' jes' have de least little bit of peppah in it, any kinda peppah, an' yo' make dat ball with a string to it. Put de string lak dat, but yo' take de biggest part of it now - chew git dat cat hair an' dat dog hair an' yo' put it in a piece of cloth an' den yo' git three pods of rat manure, an' yo' put dem in an' sew it up together. Yo' make dat ball together an' yo' kin come roun' - if it mah pump or mah bucket or any- thing, an' den yo' dump it in dere three times. An' den yo' throw it away. Dat'll broke us up fo' life, won't.enjoy life no mo'. Ah see dat done.
(You are supposed to go out and'drink that water?)
It jes' make us fall out fo'evah.
(If you drink the water?)
Entry 10897
I've heard of dey usin' cat hair or dog hair or - I'll tell you. You kin take a dog and you git some hair right from her rear end, you understand; right near where at she do busi- ness, you understand. All right. You take dat hair and you swinge [singe] it, you see. You gits enough [hair] so you kin swinge it, where you kin find it after you done it. You put it on a piece of clot'. Why you jes' set a match to it and swinge it, see. "Fore [before] it burn too much, why you put it out, you smother it you see. After you smother it, de clot' you burn it on, why you don't take it off dat cloth. You jes' tie it up right in dat same cloth, you see. All right, you put nine knots in dat. After you tie it up you put nine knots in it, and perhaps you tie it around your waist, or you could make a sling and put it around your neck, or you could sew it up in your weskit [vest] lining, or sompin like dat, or coat linin', or dere's several ways to tote it. See. Why dat's de way you do wit dat [cat] hair proposition.
(What good will it do you to carry that hair?)
That stand fer a lotta things: dey kin pass poison [you] and it won't hurt you. You can do anything you want with it.
Entry 10913
Jes' lak if yo' got a dog an' a cat - ain't chew seen two dogs and two cats meet, an' de cat make up his bristles an' de dog make up his bristles? An' while dey got dere bristles made up, yo'll git de hair behin' both of 'em's neck, see; an' put it in a piece of cloth an' fold up de cloth, an' pin nine straight pins in it - one each way. See [demonstrates] pin one in it [cloth] dat way - an' one in it dat way [heads and points, alternated] an' dat jes' will make 'em fuss an' fight. (Well, now what do they do with that cloth after they pin it up? Where do they put that?) Yo' tote dat in yore pocket, see. When dey git together jes' lak dat dog an' cat fight yo' see; jes' fuss an' fight, be mad [every] time dey see one 'nother. Do dat wit de hair. (But they have to get near one another.) [Here without suggesting an answer, I am asking informant how all these concerns the two victims. Do they walk over Package? Is it thrown into their house? Does he name pins them? Without some such device all this is done by informant's intention.]
Entry 10949
We call dem "charity root" [see later]. An' dey go dere and dig: piece to [from] de sunrise an' piece to [from] de sundown [sides]. Take dat and put 'em in a towel, in a piece of cloth. Jest put de both together - in 'em in 'tween de cloth. Put dat in yore pocket and you be lucky if yo' git a job most anyway. [What he says here is not what he means.] Dat's de way dat I heard it. [I had trouble understanding some informants in Charleston. My informant called the root charity root, thought my transcriber; to me the root sounded like cherrytree or Cherokee root.]
Entry 10967
Take the aig and boil it.
(What kind of an egg?)
Hen aig. And take the yellow out of it, de yellow core out of it, and take de white and - take de shell of hit and you wrap it up in somepin. Put it up under his head, under de mattress up where he sleep - under his head. (What will that do?) Make him be honest and loving, leave other women alone. (I see. Well, now do you put this yellow and the white together, or separately or what?) Take de yellow out of it, de yellow ain't no good - jest use de white.
(Oh, I see. And you put this white - what do you put it in?)
Jest wrap it up in somepin like a cloth, and put it under de mattress - up in under his haid. [White of chicken egg - cooked or raw, especially the latter- is a symbol for human semen: see rites under IMPOTENCE.]
Entry 11065
Yo' livin' in de house an' yo' an' her can't git 'long, well, yo' fool roun' in her room till yo' git hold of a piece of her linen - jes' any piece of her linen. Well, yo' take dat piece of her linen an' yo' take it an' tack it undah yore linen - a piece of her linen undah yore linen - an' wear it right between where yo' [tool] will rub into her linen. An' 'stead of she be hatin' yo', she'll come tuh like yo'.
Entry 11109
De cloves, take it an' beat it up fine, an' tie it up in a little piece of new cloth an' wear it in yore pocket. Dey say dat will make 'em give yo' a job.
Entry 11294
Ketch a dog and git his - see, de place in a dog's face right heah where [demonstrates]. Pull dat hair out. An' jes' in de middle of his back, de same amount of hair dat yo' pull out of his face. An' put it into a rag, a spotless white cloth er rag. An' yo' put chew some sulphur an' yo' put chew some gunpowder in dere - gunpowder and sulphur. Yo' tie dat up in dere and make out lak yo' workin' in de yard. As yo' workin' roun' de yard, take a look an' see if yo' see either one of dem would have yore - ef yo' worried about yore husband. If yo' see either one of dem comin' past yore house, yo' jest take it up an' take it ovah to heah an' throw it dis way [demon- strates]. Jest drop dat thing down.. "Co'se it got a little gunpowder an' it will pop an' it will break 'em up. Dat will break dem up, ah know dat. (That is if this woman is fooling around with your husband, you do that to break them up.)
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 11843
You got to take and burn de gunpowder and get the scent - not de scent but de gas from this gunpowder - and take a stran' of yuh hair, or eithah a piece of cloth or sompin dat joo have, dat de person you tryin' to hurt had, and put it in this bottle. And shut it up in this bottle. And they say that'll make de person lose de min', or eithah make 'em sore in some parts of de body.
Entry 11851
Ah has a comb heah [she shows me the comb]. Ah has a man an' been livin' with him a long time, an' if he don't treat me right, ah takes dis comb. Dis 'lectricity comb wuz given tuh me. Now ah show yo' 'bout dis comb. Ah combs his hair on de left side of his haid wit dis comb an' any [hair] come from dis comb, ah gits it out. Well, ah wrap dis up in a thin piece of cloth an' ah keeps it. An' ah sleeps wit it undah mah haid for nine mawnin's an' dat will make him come up close an' love me mo'. Now, 'cause befo' ah got dis comb ah couldn't do nuthin with him. Every nine mawnin's ah comb his haid. Now sometimes he comes in a hurry, but yet an' still when he stays all night an' he sleeps in mah bed all night, then ah gits up de nex' mawn- in' an' combs his hair, see, wit dis comb, anyway fo' nine mawnin's, but ah combs dis side of his haid [demonstrates] mo' so den ah do's dis side. But ah always comb de left side.
(Then you keep this hair in a thin cloth in your bed?)
Yessuh, in mah bed undah mah pillah.
Entry 12211
Dey tell me yo' buy some insane [incense] an' yo' burn dat every Friday, an' Friday nights, an' dat will make yore place come to be lucky. An' some say yo' git dis John de Conkah an' put it in a cloth an' sew it up, an' put it round yore waist an' it makes yore home be happy, an' yore place be lucky an' successful.
Entry 12286
Now, ah [woman] kin be wit a man, but ah kin be wit any man an' ah gi' him a cloth tuh wipe on, say, "Now, yo' jes' take dis cloth an' wipe on it." Now, ah ain't nevah com in' - 'scuse de 'pression [expression] but chew wants heah de truth on it. All right, say, "Heah, yo' wipe on dis." Well, he wipe on dat, or else ah'll wipe him on it mahself. Well, ah ain't nevah done nuthin. Dat jes' him done come off dere, ah ain't nevah done nuthin. Now, ah'm goin' keep dis. See. All right. Ah'm goin' keep dis. Ah'm goin' keep dis an' ah'm goin' tie it jes' lak ah needs tuh tie it, see. An' ah'm goin' use it jes' lak ah needs tuh use it, undahstan'. He don' know nuthin 'bout whut ah'm goin' do. Dat's jes' fo' a woman, see.
[Here I turn off machine too quickly and must repeat her lost words.]
(Put three knots in it?)
Three.
(After those three knots are in it, what do you do with them?)
Ah take dem three knots an' ah keep dem. Ah keep dem three knots fo' nine mawnin's. Ah lay on 'em fo' nine days, jes' lay on 'em if it's mah haid - jes' yherevah ah put 'em in de bed it's all right. Den he bound tuh come back. He bound tuh make love tuh me.
Entry 12342
Yo' take an' yo' gets a piece of cloth about four inches square each way, an' yo' take [he and she] lodestone an' mash it together. An' den yo' get yourself, take some of your own perspiration, yo' know, an put it in dere - dampen it. Yo' kin take de end of a piece of your own clothes an' put in dere an' fold it together. Fo' instance, if yo' got a piece of silver money, yo' kin take a piece of your sil- ver money an' put it in dere. It will be a piece about dat wide an' about dat high [very small size] an' yo' take dat an' sew it to de inside of yore under- clothes - under your arm, under your right arm. An' yo' wear dat dere fo' three days. An' yo' don't feel no 'fect from dat until de third day, an' den yo' be- gin to see it. Den after de third day yo' kin go in any gambling game or any kind of winning game yo' wanta, an' yo'll win money.
Entry 12418
They take the matches an' take the head off 'em an' beat 'em up an' sew 'em up in jes' a small piece of new cloth - 10 matches. An' put 'em up ovah yuh doah faced [top of the door] or eithah down where yo' have to walk ovah it. An' [they] say that'll keep down quarrels, if he's fussin' or anything like that.
Entry 12721
An' anothah thing, yo' ketch a rabbit an' yo' cut his foot off, his left foot, an' turn him loose an' let him go. An' git chew a piece of devil's- shoestrings an' a piece of five-finger root. An' yo' put them three things tol gethah. An' yo' jes' take it an' wrap dat devil's-shoestrings round dat rabbit foot, an' yo' sew it up in a piece of red cloth, an' yo' make a sack out of it, bag-like, an' yo' feed hit on Hearts Col Ogne. An' dat's anothah thing fo' a job - good luck. Long as yo' tote dat yo'll git a job anywhere.
(You get the left foot. Which one? He had two left feet.)
De left front feet.
Entry 12746
Rattlesnake marster like dat is good. Jes' take it yo' know an' wear it chew know in a piece of cloth yo' know. An' den every mawnin' yo' take an' rub it in yore han' jes' like dis heah [demon- strates], an' den rub it ovah yore face.
(What will that do for you?)
Git a job.
Entry 10734
Dey come an' git dey sanitary clothes an' bury 'em, an' dat cause de woman in bad health an' lak dat. An' she cain't have no chillern; see, because dey won't even ministrate.
Entry 10858
( Git de hairs from a black cat's neck, right back of de neck an' take a aig. Take a black hen's aig, hairs from a black cat's neck - dat's if yo' wanta draw a person - an' write dat per- son's name on dat aig. An' put dat hair in dere, wrop it up, an' bury it undah yo' do'steps, an' dat'll draw 'em.
(Do you put the hair on the inside of the egg or just on the outside?)
Write de name on dere an' put de hair right on top of where yo' write de name on it, an' jes' put chew a little cloth around it.
Entry 10881
Well, jes' lak dis, if ah wus de type of dis kind, dat ah wouldn't wanta see a woman an' a man gittin' along, see, an' ah wanted tuh part dem. Listen good - an' when dis dog an' ket. Yo' know kets an' dogs will quarrel some- time. Well, when dis dog make dis ket kinda angry, dis cat will bring up her fur on her back. Well, an' de same time yo' take a knife or scissors - shears, at least yo' should call 'em, an' cut a little piece of dat.
(Cut a little piece of what?)
De hair out de ket's back. Listen, an' a little of de dog, when dey in dat angry nood [mood] - jes' lak dey would be angry, yo' know. An' yo' take dat an' sew it up in piece of black cloth, whut chew would call broadcloth. An' bury it under de steps, an' dey couldn't git along nohow in de world.
Entry 12600
An' den anothah thing dat chew kin do, to cause 'sturbance in de home dat will break up a man an' a woman. Yo' kin take dis cayenne peppeh an' some red peppah out de garden. Let dis [garden] peppah dry an' get dis [cayenne] peppah an' mash it all up togethah, an' put it in a piece of papah or eithah a piece of cloth. It will do it bettah if it a piece of cloth. An' roll it up an' tie it up good. An' den yo', if yo' kin git in de house, git somebody tuh bury it in de hearth. Jes' take up a brick yo' know an' place it undah dat brick, so when dey'll build a fiah, it will keep dat stuff warm. An' yo' be su'prised at de racket yo' heah in dat house yo'self. It will be a few days befo' yo' see [them] go apart.
Entry 12929
An' some say yo' git dis heah Be Shame Root, Be Shame Brier an' git hit an' cut it up an' put it in dere an' put dis heah Hearts Cologne wit it.
(What do you put that root in?)
In a cloth an' sew it up an' wear it. Say dat will make yo' be lucky in any- thing yo' put chure han' tuh do. [Root became a normal hand for any kind of luck.]
Entry 12996
Jes' lak anybody, well, jes' say if a woman have a friend or sompin an' he is able tuh give her, an' can give her, an' hit look lak he don't wanta use her fo' convenience, why she kin git a dime from him an' she kin take dat dime an' put it in a brand- new piece of domestic an' fold it tuh her nine times, an' sew it an' wear it right next tuh her an' dat's good. Dat'll help out a whole lot in peace with him an he'll provide for her mo' bettah.
(Just wear it any place on her body?)
Yeah, jes' pin it right inside her on de right side, wear dat down dere.
(Next to the skin?)
Yes.
Entry 13236
That is only used in a drink. Now if you know a person is an ex- cessive drunkard, you know that you can always give them in something to drink- mostly using wine, or where eggnogs or cocktails are concerned. You get a little bag, a little new bag - linen or domestic white cloth, cotton. You put three tablespoons of sugar in this little bag and sew it up. You have seen a sachet bag. You make a sachet bag out of that and wear it under the arms, where you know nearly everyone will perspire under de arms. (Which arm do you wear it under?) Under the left. You wear that for nine days and then you take this and add it to the per- son - well, even if they drink coffee, you mix that in the coffee. But be sure that chew don't drink it, you see. [In hoodoo is is always dangerous to sample any of your own work!] But you'll put that in the sugar dish after you wear it, but if not, if they drink, you put it in their drink. That is the way that is done. [Despite this reference this rite continues as follows: Mobile, Ala.,
(650), 866:3.]
[The preceding account comes from a Mrs. Brady, a woman with great experience in the world I wanted to meet, she having sold curios, given advice to women in trouble, told fortunes, made hands, etc. In fact she became one of my helpers. Unfortunately my first day recordings were so bad I had everyone back for another session. Here is what she said the secone time - substantially the same, but of greater interest.] Git chew a piece of new domestic, any kind of new white cloth, and you make these little bags [as I said, she made hands]. You've seen little sachet bags. Put about three tablespoons of sugar in each one and sew it up, and then you pin it under the pits of the arms.
(Both arms?)
Sure.
(One under each arm.)
There are other people wear 'em other places but it's not so nice. They do that. But ah tell you it really does have a strange effect on people. Ah've seen things carried out like that - it really does. And then after they have worn that nine days, then it will absolutely do the work.
(Then what do they do with that?)
You put it in the coffee or in wine, anything that you have to use anything sweet in.
(And what will that do - hold them?)
It will hold them, influence them towards you.
Entry 3539
Now, if a man wanta trick a woman, he buys 'im a bran'-new pocket han'- kerchuff, piece of cloth dat nevah been used. Den he goes an' he has a date wit dis woman, but he don't do nuthin 'isself. He dries dis woman thoroughly wit dis pocket han'kerchuff an' he ties two knots in each cornah. (One knot in each corner.) Oné knot in each cornah, yessuh, an' when he fold it, he fold it wit de two knots hangin' down an' two points right disaway an' he irons it jes' lak dat. An' he kin wear it up ovah de do' - [I mean] put it up ovah de do'. An' when she trans- fah ovah [under] dat, it takes effect on 'er. She can't have no othah man. She won' have no feelin' fo' no othah man but yo' in person. [Sumter, S. Car.,
(1363), 2405:9.]
(df). KNOTS FIVE: A CAUSE OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE
Entry 3541
Whut a woman kin do tuh make de man behave himself an' make him be happy at home wit 'er alone an' nobody else. Jes' lak she go on an' have con- nection wit 'im, take a clean piece of cloth, even now it might be a pocket han'- ke'chuf, but jes' since it's new, ain't nevah been used, an' jes' use dat at dat pahtic'lah time an' tie it up right tight. Tie five knots in it. But firs befo' she tie it, write his name on a piece of papah five times an' hers on dere five times.
(How do you write that on that paper?)
Write his'n lak dis an' turn it aroun', yo' see, jes' lak dis [demonstrates]. (You write his five times in parallel lines and then turn the paper around and write hers across that five times in parallel lines.) An' den aftah she write it on dere, she take it an' burn de fo' cornahs - jes' burn de little tips of de fo' cornahs of dat papah. An' roll it - fold de papah up, bring it tuh 'er an' be talkin' tuh 'im, "Ah mean fo' yo' tuh come heah. Ah mean fo' yo' tuh behave yo'- self an' come home. Ah'm tired of yo' runnin' roun' wit wimmins, an' ah mean ah don't want chew go out no mo' wit no othah wimmins, cuz ah'm enuff womens fo' yo'." An' jes' talk tuh 'em an' take dat an' put it In dat han'ke'chuf an' roll it up good - continue rollin' it up. Dis might be de han'ke'chuf but it's gotta be biggah'n dat. An' roll it up jes' lak dis here an' keep on rollin' an' keep on rollin' wit dat - wit dat name in dere, keep arollin' it. An' den take it an' sprinkle it good wit John de Conkah Powdah - dat's conkahin' 'im, John de Conkah Powdah. An' den tie five knots in it all de way, five knots clean on in dat han'ke'chuf [demonstrates] - dat's two, an' [put] three 'long heah, an' tie it jes' as tight [as you can].
(Then you keep tying it into a ball?)
Tie it into a ball an' put it - open a hole in de mattress, sew it up in de mattress an' let it stay dere. He'll be tuh de place he won't look at no- body.
(Now in fixing this handkerchief did she use it on herself or?)
Dey both use it.
Entry 4379
Yuh kin take anothah way an' lock 'is bowels. Take his stool an' yuh kin take an' sew it up in a piece of cloth - take some of it an' sew it up in a piece of cloth. An' yuh kin take it an' carry it off in some swamp. Take it down dere an' bury it. Bury hit down dere. Stomp [stamp] it down dere [demonstrates].
(Stomp it good with your foot.)
An' he locked.
(That will lock his bowels.)
An' dey won't be unlocked till yuh [or some other doctor] go dere an' move it.
Entry 3924
I have heard dat dey kin take yore - take a sanitary cloth, rinsin' [it], put it in cake. Cook it in cake an' give it tuh whomsomevah yo' wants tuh love yuh. An' yo' give it tuh 'em de firs' time, hit takes effect; an' if yo' give it tuh dem de secon' time, if yo' want 'em tuh marry yuh, why dey'll marry yuh.
The informant reports hearing about a sanitary cloth in a cake account. The claimed love and marriage effects are unverified.
Entry 10333
Woman measures man with a new piece of cloth or string [Washington, D. C., 829:5].
The account names a new piece of cloth or string as alternatives for measuring. It does not establish joint use, a cloth subtype or an observed measurement.
Entry 10379
Woman wipes man with new piece of cloth, ties the cloth into 9 knots and vears it around her waist, and he cannot have anyone but her [Washington, D. C., 825:15].
The condensed account names a new piece of cloth for wiping and knotting. No specific cloth subtype, performed sequence or claimed relationship effect is established.