Subject:Control
Entries
Entry 2090
Well, now de beginnin' of dis first story is tuh git his shirt, his sweaty shirt - jes' lak yo' go out dere an' work. An' yo' git de sweat outa dat shirt an' de strength is in dat shirt. Not no one man's strength is de same - de're [dey are] not alike. An' not no one man's taste is de same. Yo' take dis shirt an' mix it wit magie control powder, but git de powder jes' de color of him an' yo' put it into some box - jes' lak into a box there. An' hit'll grow. Yo' know, magic will grow - magic lodestone an' steel dust. An' jes' as that grow, why he'll go. He won't stay no one place. He won't even stop tuh tell yo' [good-by when he leaves].
(You must put this magic steel dust and what else?)
An' controllin' powder but git de powder de color of him. (In addition to that controlling powder, you take steel dust and lodestone, and put it in this shirt and then put the shirt away?) Yeah, put dat shirt away.
(That is to get rid of him - to make him move?)
Yes. ["Beginning second trip to New Orleans, La., Wed., Feb.14, 1940 [[four persons were interviewed and then came]] 1562 - man - works Crackerjack Drug Store [[see Index]] - Ida Bates [[meaning he was brought or sent by Ida Bates Whose interview will be given in the Interviews section]]" - Numbers Book 1558- 1605. A note on the present text reads, "He became a sort of contact man."]
Entry 4176
Yuh take a person's chamber lye, takes seven nails. Yuh put three fo' dat person dat chew wanta use yuh Way. Git a Coca-Cola bottle. Jis' three nails yo' turn de points up - dat's de person dat chew wanta git chure way, an' de fo' nails dat's yo' - as a rule yo' turn dem lak dat in de chamber lye. An' den yuh stop it up wit a cork stoppah real tight. Den yuh set it in yore trunk where it can't be seen, or anywhere roun' de house where it can't be seen. An' as long as yuh hol' dat yuh got dat man.
(Whose chamber lye do you put in that bottle, his or yours?)
His, nobody but 'is. But chew remembah three nails down, name 'em, dat's de man; an' de fo' nails up, dat yuh. Dat's providin' it wuz a woman, an' 'vidin' it wuz a man. De one dat's workin' it tuh come dere way, dey must be on top.
Entry 7710
Dat's if yo' daid, if yo' daid. Ah wants tuh git nex' tuh dis man outa heah 'cross de street. Ah'll go dere [to the graveyard]. Ah'll know yuh name. Ah'll go dere an' ah'll pick up dat haidpiece [slip of tongue] from 'is feet an' ah'll git a little bit of dat [dirt] outa his chest down heah. Ah wants tuh run 'im an' wit dat chest-board [headboard]. Ah'll take dat an' covah it up an' bring it in mah house an' throw it undahneat' mah house. An' ah'll take de rest of dat chest [dirt] an' cast it in he [his] yard, an' he can't do me no harm. He's daid.
(You don't do anything with those boards, though?)
Take dat board an' put it undahneat' yuh [your own] house.
Entry 8397
Dey takes yore photograph, if dey wants tuh kill yuh or if dey wanta control yo'. Dey will take dat photograph an' dey will keep dat photograph in a place, where it's in dey shoe, an' dey weah it, if dey wants chew undah dere feet. But if dey Wants tuh kill yuh, dey will take dat photograph an' bury it on its face, an' leave it dere, an' take dere urinate an' wet on it, yo' undahstand. Wet on dat photograph fo' nine mawnin's an' dat's de end of dat. An' dey say as dat decay, when dat has fully decayed, why yo'll die.
Entry 8822
They kin take yore han'- writin' - dey kin receive a lettah from yo'. Dey take dat lettah an' dey clip all four cornahs of it, see. Don't clip the whole lettah, clip all fo' cornahs of it off like dat, see. Dey take dat lettah den an' dey burn a little hole in it right in de middle, see. Aftah dey have burnt dat den, dey goes out an' dey. gets a lizard, an' dey takes an' dey kills dis lizard, yo' see. An' dey parches 'im up to where dey kin make a powdah out of it. Aftah dey make dat powdah, den dey sprinkle it all ovah dat lettah, yo' see. Dey folds dat lettah up good, see, an' dey folds it up an' dey take it an' bury it some place in de ground, yo' see, an' yo' lose control of dat hand.
(I see.)
Entry 9237
If yo' got a woman, or eithah if yo' wanta see a fren' of yor'n an' yo' wants dis woman, an' yo' don' know how tuh git up tuh 'er. Yo' take dis aig, a white fresh aig, an' yo' writes her name on dis aig, an' how ole she are, an' her address. An' jis' howsom- evah her facin', her house turn, yo' digs right down at de steps an' plant it at 'er do'. Go tuh 'er house an' digs dat down dere jis' about, say about fo' inches. An' yo' turn de edge [end] of de aig out tuhwards de streets, de small end tuh de streets. Yo' know, jis' ary way her house turnt tuhwards de streets, yo' turn dat sharp end [of egg] tuhwards de streets. Dat supposed tuh git dis woman undah yore control.
Entry 9721
They say you can take a new tenpenny nail and if you want the man, why you can drive that down, beside your bed, in the floor. And if that makes you be the first place that you walk over in the morning and the last place in the night, and that'll make him come to you and come under your control.
Entry 9783
Yo' kin take a tinpan an' control a person. Yo' kin take a brand-new tinpan an' yo' kin write - lemme see. Ah got it right heah, de psalms yo' find where it says 'Vau - v-a-u. Yo' kin take that an' write that on a brand-new tinplate. (This psalm in which the word "Vau" is used?) Yes sir. It's in psalms [the psalm of a hoodoo book] an' yo' kin write that. But now yo' don't write it with a pen- cil or nuthin like that. Yo' take a needle or pin or new nail that's sharp - anything that's sharp except a pencil - an' yo' write that psalm on that tin- plate. Then yo' kin take that tinplate an' put it away where it won't be dis- turbed or be handled by anybody else. An' yo' kin control that person if yo grite that psalm fo' them.
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 12048
A woman, she loved a man, an' a, you know, de man kina rule huh an' she couldn't rule 'im so good. So she went an' git a hand to make 'im do as she said do. An' evrey time de man, you know, would go to leave de house, she'd jis' rub huh [own] hand lak dat, jis' huh hand, an' rub lak dat. An' dat man could be to de road gwoin' [going way] an' he would have to turn back. An' when she'd see him turn back, she'd go an' lay down acrost de bed, an' de man would come an' lay right acrost de bed an' couldn't leave huh. She had huh hand iressed to dat effeck. She keep it un'neat' huh bed mattress. An' evrey time she'd want dis man to do lak she says, she jis' go an' lay down on dat bed, you see, an' rub her hand [which was a hand] an' he couldn't go. [This is my only example of such original and brilliant thinking!]
Entry 12317
Now, yo' wish tuh git a girl or yore boy fren' back tuh 'em. Yo' go ahead an' go tuh a fat-lightah [pine] stump of a tree dat de lightnin' struck. An' yo' takes an' makes nine pegs. An' aftah yo' make dose nine pegs, yo goes back tuh de fo'ks of de road an' yo' makes three wishes. Dat's de way it wuz tole tuh me. Make three wishes an' aftah yo' make three wishes, yo' takes two pints of whiskey wit chew, an' aftah yo' make de three wishes, den yo' take an' yo' lie down on de flat of yore back at de fo'ks of de road, an' yo' drinks one of dose pints, an' yo' po's de othah one on de nine pegs. An' yo' git chew a match an' yo' scratch de match, an' sets dat whiskey afire an' burns up dose pegs right dere. Den dat cause de girl or de boy, which one yo' made de wishes fo', tuh come back undah yore control.
Entry 12409
Take a match an' yo' kin go to a fellah, anyone dat chew like or love, an' put in yore mouth an' chew de end of it, an' he come undah yore command. Yo' know, in speakin' an' talkin', chew it when yo' talkin'.
Entry 12512
Take a red onion an' bo' a hole in it. An' take an' write de name of somebody dat chew like dat way, on a piece of papah, an' stick it in dat onion an' put it up ovah de do'. Dat's tuh make dat person do lak yo' want 'em tuh do; make 'em come home, stay home an' yo- kin git dere money.
Entry 13138
Well, dere's a boy an' a girl dat's goin' tuhgethah. See. Dey got in good love. Yo' know, she got tuh lovin' him an' he got tuh lovin' her. Dey got big ages [they were grown up] yo' see. "Oh, ah got him so ah want him [to] stay wit me," an' "ah don't want him [to go nowhere." [Notice incomplete infinitives.] Well, he come tuh stayin' dere at night, see jes' lak man an' wife. Jes' stay an' stay an' stay. Well, somebody else got betwixt dat, "Ah want [to] tear dat up, ah don' lak dat. He ain't ma'ed tuh her. He ain't a much right man. He ain't much good. Ah'm goin' tear dat up." Undahstand. Well, so dey got mad an' so decided dey want tear hit up. So dey throws baa luck in dey way. So she says, Cora says, "Well, yo' know, he wuz so good tuh me an' all at once he's got bad. Ah don' know whut in de worl' mattah wit him." Say, "Ah cain't undahstand it." "Well, maybe somebody else is got a bettah haid den yo' are an' to' [tore] it up." "Well, ah'll find out." Says, "Ah knows a thing or two mahself. Ah'll take ca' of dat. Ah'll take ca' of dat." Okay, all right. She goes an' she takes his sock - de sock he weahs - de dirty sock he been Weahin'. She takes dat sock an' washes it, washes dat sock, yo' know, in jes' a leetle bit of watah, yo' know. Well, yo' might say, in a boil [water just coming to a boil]. Yo' take dat sock an' yo' boil it, yo' know, an' git dat dirt off whut he's been weahin'. An' take dat watah an' jah it up [put it in a jar] an' yo' put - ah dunno whut chew call dat kin'a powdah, it wuz a lucky powdah, she [hoodoo woman] put in dere an' 9 drops of Hearts Cologne. Yo' put dat tuhgethah. Yo' know, yo' boil dat lil' watah down right low, yo' know till it be jes' a lil' bit. Den yo' put nine drops of Heart Cologne in dat. Den yo' put it in a lil' bottle an' yo' stop it up. An' fo' 9 mawnin's yo' take dat an' yo' daubs yo'self wit dat fo' 9 mawnin's. Yo' all right. Yo' won't have no mo' trouble.
Entry 13140
Well yo' take de socks tuh bring a man back home. Now, lak yo' got a odd square, a odd square on yore flo'. A old square on yore flo', see, lak dis square heah [square of linoleum in floor of my inteviewing room at the Patterson Hotel for Blacks where I inter- viewed in New Orleans]. All right. Well, yo' take dat sock an' yo' put both toes together an' bring dat sock in - de feet, lak ah walk in heah. Yo' see, de front of mah feet is comin' in. Well, yo' bring dat in an' put dat, an' put dat at de end, an' yo' tack dat undah dere [linoleumlundah de carpet. Dat's right. An' he will come a-hellin'. Yessuh, lak if he's away an' don' wanta come home.
Entry 4660
Ah heered tell de woman would take de bow outa man's hat an' put it up in de toe of 'er shoes, an' she always keep 'im down underneat' 'er foot. He be dere an' she always keep 'im down. Ah've heer'd tell of it.
Entry 943
You do that on the last quarter of the moon and then you see results for it on the growing of the next moon or the new moon. That's for someone doing something for you, you know, like when you want to make a person do like you want them to do. Of course, now, they say if you want to, you know, like running a person away or hurt a person or killing a person, you want to begin on the new moon and they'll go away as the moon get older. See, like when you're running a person away. Now, like I want to move you from this house. Whatsomever I do, I do it right on the new moon and the first quarter, and then, see, by the time the moon gets to the last quarter I'll leave this home or I'll waste away or die on the last of the moon.
Entry 2649
Git chew some dragon's blood, frankincense, violet incense [three ingredients] an' beat all of that up together an' git chew - put it in a pan an' set it afiah. Take this much - a good bunch, an' light it an' set there. Set down an' smoke yo'self good [demonstrates].
(All over your hands and your face.)
Sho'[sure], yo'self.
(Rub your arms.)
Jis' let it smoke yo' good. An' while it burnin' yo' know, make yore wish - when yo' goin' tuh dis place - whatevah yo' goin' tuh do. Not only tuh git a job or anything, but yo' Jis' wanta change dere mind, yo' burn dat an' make yore wish, an' don't stop until yo' git where yore goin' an' ask fo' whut chew want. Dat'll change dere mind an' yo'll git it.
Entry 3117
In case if yo' don't have time, dis is a quick way now. Ah'm goin' tell yo' 'gin [again]. WANT CHEW PAY CLOSE 'TENTION AN' KETCH DIS. Yo' go tuh a fruit stan' an' git chew one banana. Undahstan' good now, jes' one. Yo' know dere's lotsa bananas are ripe, jes' so ripe dey'll almos' fall tuh pieces off de hull. Well, yo' git dat banana peelin'. Git dat banana peelin' an' den when she lay down at night an' go tuh sleep, jes slip dat banana peelin' dere, an' take dat banana peelin' an' jes' dou- ble it. See dere, double it jes' lak dat [demonstrates]. An' yo' take it an vipe dat woman. Wipe her fanny, see, an' yo' say, "No son-of-a-bitch don't git dis but me, no son-of-a-bitch don't git dis but me" [and probably repeat a third time]. All right, an' yo' do dat. Den yo' take dat banana peelin' an' throw it, throw it ovah yo' shouldah an' nobody else can't go wit 'er tuh save 'er life but chew.
Entry 3124
Ah've heard dat if yo' could git a woman's periods an' keep 'em, she can't have nuthin tuh do wit no othah mens.
(Where do you keep it?)
Jes' keep it in yore house.
Entry 3130
If your husban' is mistreatin' yo' fer anothah woman, now yo' kin take her periods an' she kin take a brass needle, or eithah a brass pin an' write [on a piece of paper] his name on top an' hern upon de bottom. An' put it midways her bedpiece an' jes' so dat she sleep on it as much as he do. He won't have anythin' tuh do wit anybody else but her.
(She writes it with her blood on this pin?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3649
Ah experience dis much about it. If a man is got a woman an' he don't want 'er tuh have anothah man, he kin take dat snail, an' ketch 'im a snail an' rub 'er stomick wit 'im an' she cain't nevah have a man.
Entry 3650
Tell me dat, if yo' want a woman an' a man tuh lock togethah, go out an' ketch yo' a snail an' jes' lak if dere somebody dere dat yo' wants tuh ketch runnin' roun' wit a woman. If yo' evah had any dealin' wit 'em [snails], yo' know when a snail stick out he's got a slippery thing on 'im. An' yo' wipe yore han' ovah 'im an' git dat slippery thing off 'im. An' yo' be playin' wit 'er an' yo' happen to run yore han' ovah down dere, an' a fellah will go an' deal wit 'er or anything, it will create dem to lock.
Entry 3652
Ah heard about a snail, if yo' don't want chure woman to mess wit no- body else, dat yo' git chew a snail an' wipe it 'cross 'er dere, an' no othah man can't mess wit er. Evah time he go dere, he'll fall.
Entry 3656
What dey use a snail fo'?
(All right. What do they use a snail for?)
Yo' kin take a snail - jis' lak yo' don' wan' chure wife to fool wit nobody. Yo' kin take a snail an' jis' take him an' wipe him on yoreself, see, an' go wit 'er an' no othah man can fool wit 'er. Evah time he go to go dere, see, he goin' to git limp.
(I see.)
Entry 3658
Ah heard, if yo' ketch a snail an' when yo' go tuh have a intahco'se wit a man, tuh rub dat snail on 'im an' he couldn't have anything tuh do wit anothah woman.
Entry 3659
Take a snail an' rub across a man's, yo' know, an' dat'll stop 'im if he's runnin' aroun' - it will make him come back home. [Memphis, Tenn., (1529a) 2734:19.]
Entry 3850
[We are so concerned with the ordinary magic rites of walking back- wards, counting, throwing over shoulder, and others, that we seldom think of the rarer magic actions (not omens) such as anger and temper. Here are several examples from FACI 1st ed: "Peppers can be grown only by a person who has a violent temper" (1057); "Unless you are angry while planting peppers, they will not grow" (1058); and "Stop a person's hiccough by making him angry" (5419). The following rite is the rare one of pretended anger:] A woman kin take her sickny [sickness] rag, yo' undahstan'. She kin take dat off it an' put it in 'is rations, an' give it to him to eat. An' whilst he's eatin' it an' befo' he git through eatin' an', she scold at 'im, yo' undah- stan'. Well, jes' anythin' she wanta do den, she got 'im. He be scared of 'er from den on.
(But she must do that while he is eating it?)
Whilst he eatin' it, yassuh. She gotta scold at 'im whilst he eatin' it.
Entry 3923
De othah way dey do dat, jes' lak a woman when she be's ministratin', she takes dat an' she puts it in a cake. An' she 'solve [dissolve] dat intuh dat cake, see. He eat dat an' he stop runnin' roun' wit evahbody else but.'er.
Entry 3941
A woman kin take an' go tuh de market an' she kin git a piece of steak or a piece of po'k [pork] livah, an' she kin put it on a cloth, jes' lak she put- tin' on a cloth fo' her monthly period - lay it between 'er laigs jes' lak she fixin' a cloth when she's sick. An' lay it right on dere an' pin it up on 'er, jes' lak she put on a towel. Put dat on dat mawnin' an' wear it until twelve a'clock. Take it off an' cook it an' give it to him, jes' 'nuff fo' him - nuthin tuh throw 'way, jes' 'nuff fo' him - an' let 'im eat it. An' when he eat, den she's got 'im so - she got 'im den.
Entry 4080
Yo' could put it in a person's food.
(This chamber lye?)
Yes. Yuh could put it in de person's food, an' if yuh fuss or quarrel a lot, if yuh think he gon'a leave yuh, why it will make him humble an' make him stay wit yuh. Yuh could even stop 'im, if he wuz a man dat liked tuh go a lot an he's goin' wit othah wimmin. Why IT WOULD TAKE HIS MIN' OFFA DOSE WIMMIN an make him stay at home.
Entry 4092
If a woman wants tuh make a man come undah her control, why dat's whut she use. Take it an' feed ' it intuh de food; make his food, lak she make bread.
(This chamber lye.)
Entry 4093
Take yore chamber lye an' make it up in bread, an' give it tuh a man or woman, anyone, tuh make 'em love yuh - do mos' anythin' yuh wan' 'em tuh do.
Entry 4103
Yuh kin go out if yuh wan'a woman tuh love yuh regardless tuh who she is. Yuh kin go an' take yuh urinate in a bottle, an' take dat an' po' it in somepin lak cream or anythin' - jis' enough dey won't tast'it [taste it] in it - an' yuh'll rule her dat way.
Entry 4670
If any individual take dat, dis little bow right dah outa yore hat - take dat out an' wear dat anywheres nex' tuh 'em. Put it in sompin othah an wear It nex' tuh dere skin. Prob'ly be in dere pocket right nex' tuh dere skin. An' dat brings 'em controllin' poWah ovah yuh. DEY HAS DE DISADVANTAGE OF YUH all de time.
Entry 4789
If she wanta stop 'im - if she don' wan' 'im tuh run aroun' wit othah women, she kin cut a piece outa de seat of 'er drawahs an' tack [sew] on 'is undahshirt right ovah 'is heart. Jis' lak dis undah- suit he weahs dis week, sew it in dere. Jis' take it, take his undahshirt an' sew it right ovah 'is heart. An' den 'is othah undahsuit, sew anothah piece ovah 'is heart. An' he'll finely [finally] stay right at home, he won't go nowhere. She'll take a piece of 'er drawahs outa de seat of 'er drawahs right below her manie, an' sew dat on 'is undahshirt right ovah 'is lef' titie.
(What do you call that? Her manie?)
Yeah, her manie. MANIE AH CALL IT. DAT THING BETWEEN 'ER LAIGS, yuh know. Jes' tack it ovah dere, an' he'll stay at home. [This is my only example of the self-explanatory term manie or Manie. I had never heard it before, have never heard it since.]
Entry 4812
Ah haven't heard about de socks but ah [know] whut dey kin do wit de shirts. Well, dey kin take dat shirt an' cut a piece out dat shirt an' wear it roun' dere waist, an' dat man will follah 'em evahwhere dey goin'.
(Where do they cut the piece from?)
Right out de shirttail, right behin' dere.
Entry 5041
Take de socks an' wear [tie] it roun' yore waist. Says dat'll keep de git de right foot chew know. Dey say dat will keep de man wit yuh.
Entry 5163
ALL SICH MESS LIKE DAT NOW WOULD CREATE LOVE. IT COME FROM DAT EX- PERIENCE BY WOMEN, yo' see. Dey'll git zhure shoe an' dey'll take de sole [in- sole] outa yore shoe. An' dey'll wear dat inside of heah nex' tuh 'em, inside uh dey bosom nex' tuh 'em. An' as long as she wears dat in dere nex' tuh 'em, yuh'll be in crave fo' her. She kin handle yuh anywheres she wanta. WHEN YUH MAKE YUH MONEY YUH'LL CARE [CARRY] IT TUH 'ER. Look like yuh'll give it tuh 'er freely. DAT'S [ALL DONE] BY DE SOLE OF YUH SHOE HEAH.
Entry 8536
Now, if it's a lady yo' write chure name first an' den yo' write her name undah yore name. An' den dey'll count de lettahs in dat name. An' if yo' got mo' lettahs in yore name den she got in hers, why yo' kin mastah her. An' if she got de most lettah, den yo' gotta use somepin by which tuh ovahpowah her name so yo' kin control her. Without yo' cain't nevah win 'er. (Do you know what to get to overpower her name?) Ah don' know whut dey use.
Entry 8567
If you want to conquer someone, go to the forks of a road before sunrise, call his name, say what you Want done, wishing.
Entry 8733
Jes' like yo' write yore name on somepin dat chew want 'em tuh do. Well, yo' kin take a pencil an' write their name on a plain piece of papah. Den yo' take dat papah an' fold it tuhwards yuh, yuh know. Some of dem say in de Name of de Lord, Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, but yo' fold it tuhwards yo'. Den yo' put it undah yore shoe sole [insole] undah yore feet an' weah it like dat.
(What will that do?)
Say dat'll jest conquer 'em any way dat yo' wants to.
Entry 12259
Yo' kin take John de Conkah an' take advantage of any woman dat chew want, if yo' jest rub it. Jest rub yore hand wit it an' put chure hands on it. Why yo' kin carry her yore way - any way.
(That's to conquer the woman.) [Waycross 1727:8.]
Entry 12668
All right, 'bout love again. If a man asleep an' a woman love dis man - yo' know, want dis man tuh love her, if he sleep, every two or three nights, she take an' git de scent of herself down here an' underneath heah. (Down below and under her arms?) Yes sir. An' will go cross his nose, while he's still in bed, three times. An' den de third time take an' shake it an' say, "Come undah mah command."
(She rubs her hand up under his nose, while he's asleep - three times.)
An' he inhald [inhales] it.
(And the third time she says, "Come under my command.")
An' she goin' call him an' make him answer her, see.
(But she says, "Come under my command, " while he sleeps through.)
Yes, certainly, but he ain't goin' answer, yo' know, most men asleep while dey wakin' up. Jes' lak his name, John, Bill or Joe.
Entry 7222
[My memorable trip to visit Madam Griffin I mention in the Introduction to volume 1, p. XxIx. She had a tremendous reputation, a well-deserved one,: as you can see from my incomplete in- terview of her on pages 1309-1314. I say incomplete because there were constant interruptions and she was already tiring, though it was only late morning. A white woman had preceded me. Behind me waited a number of automobiles filled with people. And we were out in the country - out in the middle of nowhere. What faith these mortals have! Was her name Griffith or Griffin or something on either side or in between? Surely the mythological beast that flies suits better a woman who could call spirits to her presence and send them out on special missions.] ([The number of people] seeing you all the time - I saw this white woman this morning come in. How many colored people and white people [do you seeJ? What is the proportion? I mean, do you have two colored to the one white person, or do you have one white person to one colored person? How does the proportion rm?) [Sorry for my confusing questions. I was in a confusing atmosphere! Besides, I still had much to learn.] All de same. Do all de same. Jis' whut ah'd do fer a white person, ah'd do fer a colored. (No, I mean in numbers, the people who come here in the day to see you. How nany would be colored and how many would be white?) Well, sometimes ah have 25 of white and sometimes ah have 50 of colored. Now, last Saturday ah had 80 odd people an' ah wuz so tired ah didn't know whut tuh do.
(Eight what?)
80 odd. Well, dey wuz 15 of dem white. [Eighty persons on Saturday in summer surely represents an estimation or count of persons present, but not all of them would have had fortunes told. Some of them came along for the ride. Remember, Madam Griffin, a grown girl during the Civil War, was past 80 in 1937. After two intervening rites, I ask her how a man could keep other men away from his wife. Here is her answer:] He dresses it.
(What does he dress it with?)
Well, he goes an' gits some stuff from de drug store - yo' kin do dat, from de drug store - an' he playin' wit 'er lak he's playin wit 'er. Dress 'er so nobody else can't fool wit 'er, it will be so tight.
(What will he get at the drug store? What sort of stuff would he get there?)
It's called slick eel, somepin lak dat. [Here is further evidence that the loodoo drug store used a pharmacopoeia unknown to normal pharmacology! Slick eel? Does she mean slippery as an eel?]
Entry 11395
"They take your fingernails, if you kin git 'em after somebody cut 'em off, an' wraps 'em up in a handkerchief, and take and wear 'em close to your body. They claim you kin always have power over 'em. You kin do 'em any way you want to and they can't do nothin' to protect themselves about it."
Entry 11887
"To keep person under your feet, take hair from the mold of the per- son's head and wear it under the inner sole of your shoe." [Mobile 878:8.]
Entry 12114
A woman can control a man by wearing the hat bow from his hat in her shoe. [Charleston 608:10.]
Entry 1638
When a person git yore fingernail er toenail, he take de sweat - what ah mean, not de sweat - de chamber lye from his body and put it in a bottle and begin to shake it wit nine needles and he'll do that [for a] length of time. And how you got'a git rid of that - you got'a make yore chamber lye near de stove or anywhere you make a fire - make yore water in it and throw a handful of salt in dere fer nine mornings, and call "God de Father, God de Son and God de Holy Ghost." And git up [do this] four a'clock every morning. Then he'll turn you loose.
(What does he do with those fingernails: and toenails?)
Well, de fingernails and toenails in de bottle with it. (He puts them in the bottle, too. I see. And what is this supposed to do to you?) Well, he make you do jest what he wanta do. [Charleston, S. Car., (519), 613:4; Doctor San Mongain.1
Entry 2147
Just like in this precinct where there Capt. Barrett[?]. You gotta get the captain's name, you gotta get the lieutenant's name and you gotta get the Sergeant's name. You gotta get three names. You gotta write them names down, you see. And in your place of business if they come there, you put it right under your counter, you see. And you gotta add a little sugar to that three times a week. You see, that'll keep peace and keep 'em under control. But you gotta have their names. If you don't have their names, you can't do nothing. But you gotta have the head official names, not the police on the beat because he don't do nothing unless he's instructed to. But the head officials s they gotta have. I had that place there and everybody's there and everybody is paying $10 a week, but I was running the place myself and I say, "Well, I'm not running this for no dago [Italian], I can't afford to pay." They tell me, "Well, we know you's all right - go ahead and do the best you can." Well, I run that three years and they tore the place down. Got trapped all right, but got trapped by the Prohibition people not by the police. Not me. People worked there. I did excellent business down there, but I was good with the precinct.
(When you pass up, you handed this money over to the police?)
Well, you supposed to give the police ten dollars a week. Everybody else was doing it. But I was giving them $20 a month. See, I wasn't giving them no $10 a week, because I was running it myself - couldn't afford it. I was making money all right but you don't have to let them know that. They used to come by there and get quarts of whiskey, you know, for nothing and I used to treat them some kind of way. Well, they give me a break. Got raided there once. That was by the Prohibition department. Well, I couldn't do nothing with them.
(They wouldn't take anything?)
Well, if I'd a been there - you see, I know the under cover agent, you see, but the guy who was working [for me] supposed to know him and didn't know him, and he come in and he sold him liquor. See. Well, after they got the counts on him they raided place, but they didn't take me - they'd taken him. Well, I had another boy in the place. I was renting him and letting him stay there and he took sick and they took care of him in the hospital, and after he had them Prohi- bition spotters come around the place, and I told him, I say, "I don't want these fellows coming around my place." Cause he had dogs and as a matter of fact they wanted him training the dogs, see. Well, I made him move. He goes on to the post office and told Mr. Lazell[?] that the place wasn't [what it was supposed to be]. See. Well, I used to work over at the office for Mr. Lazell.
(Who were you working for when you did this?)
Wm. J. Burns - Judge Barnes' Detective Agency.
Entry 12446
Long in de spring when de mockin'birds begin tuh sing an' goin around, if dere's somepin yo' wanta do, yo' go an' find where dey is nestin'. An' some of his feathers are in dere. An' git some of his nest, an' git one aig. An' yo' must burn dis aig until de hull become black. Den yo' take yo' a fruit-jar large enough to git chure han' in it, an' take dis straw an' feathers an' put dis aig inside, where no air or nuthin kin strike de aig an' bury it [jar]. In twelve, or say fifteen days later, yo' go to dis aig. If dere's a little bird in dis aig, his head will burst through dat shell in twelve or fifteen days. An' yo' must take his haid - don't bust de hull [shell?] jes' take his haid an' put it somewhere. Maybe yo' might be sharp enough to git it in somepin dat he's eatin an' let him git holt to it. Be sure dat nobody gits holt to it but him. An' ah'll guarantee dat yo' kin do anything with him - woman, man, ever who it may be - dat chew want to.
Entry 13220
You take a little - if you have a certain powder, ah don't [know] what powder it is that this company has - but anyhow if you use [you can use] plain snuff. You know snuff that the people use, Jes' take that in your hand and put a little bit on that way, if you feel a enemy is near. You kin put a little bit on the stove and Watch it and you git all excited, see, an' you jes' blow a little bit out there and con- trol people that way. (In other words if you put this powder on the stove, then I couldn't hurt you - if you burn that snuff and [or] powder.) No, you couldn't do anything to me. See, that would upset you, you would git nervous. Then, if you wanta draw people to you, jes' put a little on yore hand, blow your breath out there and say something, you see. But you have to always say somepin 'cause thoughts are [powerful?], whatever you say. For instance, now if you wanted me to do anything, you say. Ah wouldn't dc anything 'cause ah wouldn't know but chew gotta ask me to do such-and-such a thing. And thats it. Whatever you do, you gotta always talk to the spirits and ask 'em to do it. Whenever you want the powder to do anything, you say, "Powder, I want Hattie so-and-so or Mary so-and-so to do so-and-so, In the Name of God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." But it be's for God and everything, but not by darkness. God's our pal.
Entry 3322
A man an' woman can't git along togethah an' he can't have sexual in- tahco'se like he wants to wit 'er, [the reason] is becuz some othah man is got 'er mind along wit 'im. An' de way she do to hold dat good husban' at home, she'll go to work an' have it wit 'il, intah- co'se wit 'er husban', an' she'll take dat rag an' go an' bury it undah de leaks of de house where de watah falls off de top, an' dat cuts 'im down wit any othah woman, an' she kin go have all she want wit de othah man.
Entry 5828
Fo' instance dey take a ball of a person's hair an' den takes part of his [foot] step. Ah'll make it plain as dis: If a man an' 'is wife wuz iivin' heah, an' if she wuz bad about runnin' aroun' an' wouldn't stay at home or nuthin lak dat, he'd take a plait of 'er hair an' bury it aroun' 'is house. Dat would always keep 'er wit 'im at 'is house, or sompin lak dat. Instid [instead] of bein' out in de streets she be at home.
Entry 6046
Ah tell yo' about de hair question. A man kin git a woman's hair an' he kin sew it up an' put it in his fob pocket an' carry 'er jes' 'is way.
(In his fob pocket, which side?)
In de right side.
Entry 8137
Yo' kin take a person pichure - if yo' wan' dat person tuh love yo' an' don' love nobody else but chew - yo' kin take dat pichure an' in yore home, if yo' kin git aholt [a hold] in de ceil- in' of de buildin' an' put a nail, a brand-new tenpenny nail, right through dat pichure an' nail it right up ovah de fiahplace, on de studdin' up dere, an' put de ceilin' back on it, in nine days yo' kin handle dat person any way yo' wanta. [We learn about the condition of some houses: if yo' kin git a holt in de ceilin'...put de ceilin' back on it.]
Entry 1126
Heard dem say yo' go in de woods like dat an' git yo' some rattlesnake marster or blacksnake root, an' git a string an' tie it tight in so many knots.
(How many knots?)
About six knots - dat's a long string. Well, yo' wear that round yo'. If yo' don't yo' have to, yo' know, keep it in yore pocketbook - or either wear it round yo'. Dey say yo' holdin' dem den.
(By wearing that root - that's the way you do it?)
Yes sir, that's, yo' know, he pin de othah fellow. Yo' know, lak somebody wus goin' hurt chew an' yo' git dat root, why yo tyin' 'em up. See, yo' jes' tie dem knots - jes' as many kmots - why yo' tyin' den up.
(You don't mention anybody's name or anything?)
No sir, yo' jes' tyin' 'em up.
Entry 1735
Ah heard dat chew kin use some Black Diamond Perfume which yo' orders from de company - git dat Black Diamond Perfume an' spread it on yo', see. An' yo' walk up an' 'proach de man an' he'll git a whiff of it, an dey say dat will make him come undah yore command an' give yo' a job, if dere a openin' anywhere fo' yo'. Dat Black Diamond Perfume.
Entry 1802
Bore a hole in de tree - and I have seen it done. Just like I had a wife, see, and she runs off. If I want to keep her at my house, like dis here my - dis house mine. Well, if I want keep her at home. See, I'll take her left- foot shoe and take nine nails. See, fix it just like you fix a coffin, and you put one in de heel, and two in the middle, and two here and two here and two here - just like you make a coffin. And put dat in her shoe thataway and dig a hole right under those steps, under your bottom step and put dat shoe in dere, and den put dem nine nails in dere in de shape of a coffin. And I'll betcha she'll never run off from dat house no more.
(I see. Do you drive these nails through the shoe?)
Through the shoe - turn the shoe bottomside up.
Entry 2099
If yo' got a woman an' wanta make love wit her, yo' goes to her house. She don't want chew dere yo' see, but den yo' go to her house - make it specially to go tuh her house to git a few words wit her. Then yo' mess roun' an' if yo' kin git a chance tuh ketch her han's, yo' git de lengt' of dat lef'- han' fingah - dat dog fingah [demonstrates]. (The index finger of the left hand?) The fingah off her lef' han' - de dog fingah. See, yo' git de joint of it, de first joint.
(What do you do? You are not taking it off of any woman are you?)
No, yo' don't take it off, yo' jes' ketch it an' git de measure of it, somepin lak dat. Den go out git chew nine dem broom sweepers - see, git chew nine straws about de same length, every one of 'em, see. Git one of her gloves, see, an' yo' let it go out [straighten it out] an' cut de fingah off right in dere, an' yo' tie it with a string, tie it up in dere.
(What do vou tie up in that?)
Dem nine straws.
(You tie those nine straws in that little finger that you cut off the glove.)
Den yo' put chew nine single pins in dere an' tie it up an' wear it in yore pocket, an' dat girl will love yo' from den on, an' wouldn't make love wit any othah individual either - jes' tie her. [This is called tying a person.] (Here's what you do, get the length of that first joint of the dog finger - the index finger of the left hand. Then you get nine broomstraws that length. Then you get her glove with that same finger and cut the end of that glove finger off and put the nine broomstraws in there.) [To measure a finger joint measures the whole body because part of the spirit equals the whole of the spirit (see p.21). Measuring is like drawing a circle about a person or scratching a circle on the ground for him to walk over - you confine him, control him. By the law of the opposite, treasure hunters put a circle about themselves as a protection against spirits (see the Magic Circle, p.123).]
Entry 2363
Well suh, yo' kin git chamber lye an' yo kin quick witchcraft a person in dat, so as to even quit dere home an' take tuh yo'. Dat is, jes' lak a woman, if yo' want de re'lly fac' 'bout it, sur. Dey take chamber lye an' take a eye- dropper - a woman kin take a eye-dropper an' take her chamber lye an' take nine drops of chamber lye 'sposed to be, an' she kin drop it into wine or in anything drinkin' kind, or anything of de edible kind, an' gives tuh a man. An' it will make him quit home and take up with her.
Entry 3112
Ah heard yo' kin take dese red antses beds, yo' know, an' git chew some of 'em. Take 'em if yo' wanted to fix up a man or anything lak [that] yo' know, an' yo' kin take 'em an' beat 'em [into powder] an' wear 'em roun' yore wais'. An' aftah de man - say yo' an' 'im be togethah. An' aftah he git through wit whut he done, yo' jes' take dem antses an' jes' wipe right, takes 'is leg an' den let it run up an' down 'is back, dese antses lak dat. But chew have it tied up in a rag. An' say den yo' wear it roun' yore wais'. Den de man can't have any dealin's wit anyone but choo. Ah've heard of dat much about antses.
Entry 3121
Dey say when yo' have sexual intahco'se, dey say yo' take de towel an' put it undah de bed in which yo' sleeps, in a dark place, an' he doesn't have any courage fah anyone else.
Entry 3125
Well, now, if he'd wanta keep a man away from his house - his wife be sick evah month - he'd take'm [take him] one of de piece she use. He'd take one of 'em an' he'd fold it up an' cut dat stain out an' wrop it up in 'is pocket han'ch'ef an' put it in 'is pocket. A man kin come tuh de house but she won't have no desire tuh be wit 'm.
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 3135
An' anothah way, if a woman stopped it up in a bottle, yo' have tuh hunt dat, yo' see.
(If she stops that cloth up in a bottle he'll have to hunt that.)
[The doctor he hires finds the bottle!!!]
An' one way dat she kin rule him, dat is tuh put it in de mattress an' she lay upon dat. An' when she lay upon dat he can't fool wit nobody, less'n he lay upon dat bottle. If he ain't layin' upon dat bottle dat got dat, he'll always be limbah.
(As long as she has that.)
Entry 3136
She kin take some of 'is discharge, some of dat, an' she kin take an' tighten it down [in bottle], jes' lak she kin put it in a rag an' tighten it down airtight an' wear dat on her, an' dat will keep 'im. Dosin' it a li'le bit wit black peppah, put black peppah on it, an' de firs' thing yo' know, yo'll be at de place dat chew don' want nobody else but 'er.
Entry 3138
If a man doesn't care very much about chew. Yo' an' 'im livin' tuh- gethah an' yo' want 'im tuh love yo', don't want 'im tuh go out wit no othah woman, yo'all git intuh bed an' whutsomevah yo' wipe wit, yo' git it. An' yo' git a whiskey bottle. An' yo' git a li'le bit of 'is come [semen] an' a li'le bit of yores [see later]. Put it in dis bottle an' screw it tight an' put it up undah de bottom of de do'step. An' any othah woman dat he git ready tuh make a date wit, he can't do it tuh save his life. [The prescription of a whiskey bottle, most unusual, presumably offers solace to the man's bottled spirit (see margin title ALCOHOL FOR THE SPIRIT, p.32). In an empty bottle! But surely a spirit could still detect the evanescent aroma of spirits! What happened to her imprisoned spirit? Perhaps it was merely content to be with us. Or maybe she surreptitiously intended her spirit not to enter the bottle, or just before the final twist of the cork tricked her husband's spirit by jumping out of the bottle! This spirit business is so complicated and devious that it confuses a skeptic like me.] [Now for the word come. His come definitely means his semen. The woman's come sometimes equals menstrual blood or other times: a mythical or non-existent ejaculation of procreative substance at or near the same time as his discharge. Ovulation, a modern biological discovery, remains unknown to folklore, hoodoo and witchcraft.]
Entry 3163
(What do they say about that?)
Dey kin use nine needles an' nine pins, too. Dat's de same thing I wus tellin' yo' 'bout wit women in bad work. Get some of dat, yo' know, an' take a little piece... (Well, will you explain the whole thing?) Take a little piece an' get some of dat on dere an' cross dem needles an' pins [in the piece]. Says yo' kin wear dat - say dat will take effect - dat will control a man, too. Co'se I've nevah tried dat.
(Well, what sort of a piece do you take?)
Jes' whatevah kinda piece yo' use, a piece of a towel or anything.
(I see, anything you wipe with. I understand.)
Entry 3232
Lak yo' wanta fix somebody tuh make 'em stay home, keep 'em from rel nin' aroun' in de streets, yo' kin jes' git chure wife or yore sweetheart or any- body tuh write her name, or eithah git er han'writin' wit 'er name. Take an break dat aig an' put 'er name intuh dat shell an' bury in de ground undahneat' de front step. Dat will stop 'er from runnin' aroun' or havin' anybody tuh have intahco'se wit 'er at all.
(Any kind of chicken egg?)
Jes': any kinda chicken aig.
Entry 3300
Dey say jes' lak ef ah wanta a woman tuh love me, well ah gits some of 'er chamber lye an' puts it into a bottle, see, an' stop it airtight an' put it somewhere in de house dere into de bed mattress or sompin lak dat. Well, ah could keep 'er from messin' wit anybody else.
Entry 3320
Jes' lak yo' an' 'er havin' intahco'se, an' when yo' git through, jes' take a new pocket handkerchief, yo' undahstan' an'dry off wit it, an' yo' take an' fold it up in some little small piece an' put it where dere can't no one step ovah it.
(What does that do?)
Well, yo' kin rule 'em - jest handle 'em any way yo' want 'em. (You mean you use that handkerchief in wiping her.)
Entry 3370
She take a dishrag, a dishrag dat chew wash dishes wit an' she dried it good, an' she took an' put it undah 'er pillah at night. An' at night when he went wit 'er, she take an', yo' know, wipe wit it an' she take an' throw it right out de bed. An' evah time she mess wit 'im she use dat dishrag, an' it stop 'im where he couldn't be wit no one else but 'er.
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 3385
Dey takes de dishcloth, yo' know whut dey use in de kitchen, an' when dey fools wit one anothah on de bed, she'll wipe wit dat yo' see - she wipes 'im off wit dat. He'll have no feelin' for nobody else. (What does she do with that dishcloth then?) Dat dishcloth? Why she weahs it awhile roun' 'er waist, yo' know right 'fore her place dere yo' know, an' den fer three- fo' days yo' know. Den she quits. De only way yo' kin rid of dat, yo' has to steal yo' someone else's dishrag an' wipe yo'self wit it. Dat's de only way yo'll git rid of it. If yo' don', yo' cain't have no feelin' fo' nobody but 'er.
Entry 3400
Jes' lak if a person is mean an' cruel - a man is mean an' cruel tuh 'is wife or sweetheart or sompin lak dat. When yo' cook fo' 'im, take her [your] urine an' put it in 'is food, if yo' want 'im tuh still love yo'. Jes' take her [your] ministratin' an' put it into meals - put dat into meals. An' take de dishrag an' wipe his plate out wit it. An' dat'll make him come undahneat' cha.
(That urine in his food is supposed to make him be kind?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3406
A woman can take a dishrag from a man's house she loves, wash it out and bury it in the ground. Let it stay for three weeks [21 days or 3x7 days]. Then go back and dig it up and wear it around her neck, and this man won't have anything to do with any other woman except her. That's how she can keep him.
Entry 3413
She kin [take] her a dishrag an' aftah 'er an' 'im have a 'co'se, she wipe 'im off wit dat dishrag. An' she'll take a small piece of dat dishrag an' wipe herself wit it, an' wrap it up in a piece of white rag, a little small white rag, an' jis' tie it right aroun' 'er waist. Den she have him undah 'er control.
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 3470
She kin measure him down dere, take an' measure hisself when he 'sleep. An' she kin take a ribbon an' put jes' how long it is, she kin put dat many knots in it an' wear it aroun' 'er lef' laig. An' he cain't do nuthin but wit dat woman.
Entry 3475
They tie knots in a string. If they get a new cord, you see, and tie that, and that's for to make a man or a woman come under their control. They wear that around the waist. You doesn't buy a new ball [of string] for that. Just like you go to the grocery store or some store, you see, and you take it and just break you off a piece the length that you want. And each knot that you tie you make your wish, vbatever that you wish 'em to do. If you wish 'em to get the money, or wish for them to stay away from a certain home, or you wish for 'em to come to your home all the time, each knot that you tie you make a wish. And then the last knot that chew tie, if yo' want 'em to come under your control, you wish then for them to come under your control, to be controlled by you and you alone. And then you tie that around your waist, you see, and wear it. You do that on the last quar- ter of the moon.
Entry 3477
Men and women?
(Yes.)
A woman dat anothah man - dat she got a husban' an' anothah woman wants dis man. Well, she can persuade, she kin make him lose his nature fer 'is wife an' have all de nature fer her by buyin' a square of yellah domestic-lak. De yellah domestic is de only kin' dat'll do. An' when she has connec- tions wit dis man she lets 'im use dat yellah domestic. An' she ties it in a knot jes' as tight as she kin tie it where the spots are. An' she puts it undah de side of de bed dat she lies on, an' sleeps right on dat knot, an' she has 'im tied up where 'is wife can't git any service outa 'im at all. He can't do any- thing at home. De only time he kin do anything is when he come an' lie on de side of de bed where dat piece of domestic is. She lies right on dat when she has dealings wit 'im an' he can't git up any courage fer anybody but 'er. He naturally mistakes dat fer love an' leaves 'is wife an' comes to her.
Entry 3478
Yo' take a string an' measure de man while he's 'sleep an' measure de length of 'im, if he's a normal man. Yo' tie dat to de springs to yore bed. He nevah kin stretch out unless'n he's in dat bed.
Entry 3480
Jes' lak yo' a man an' yo' wife wuz runnin' aroun' - jes' lak a man would run aroun'. Well, when he sleep, de woman could take a cord string an' measure de end of 'is thing an' tie it on de slat undah de bed slat, an' he couldn't mess wit nobody but 'er.
Entry 3481
Takes yo' a piece of string an' measure de root from de end up to yore stomach, an' take it an' tie it aroun' a li'le bottle an' set it up ovah yo' do. An' hit'll - a man can't have no othah woman but 'is ole lady.
(The woman would do this?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3482
She kin have him follahin' 'er. Take de seat of 'is underwear an' take an' cut 'er a di'mond out of dat - jes' cut a little place in de seat dat's in de shape of a di'mond. She'll have a connection wit 'i an' git some of 'is discharge an' roll it real tight in dat di'mond dat she cut. Take a little piece of 'is hair an' bind it aroun' dere, take a new thread an' bind it - jes' wrap it aroun' dere an' place it in 'er shoe. She tear de linin' in 'er shoe to git in dere. An' he'll stick aroun' 'er lak baby sticks aroun' 'is mothah when he wants a tit. He won't leave 'er. Sometime I believe my ole lady got me dat way. Yes siree, he ain't goin' aftah nobody an' she can't drive him away.
Entry 3483
If he an' 'er could have dealings, den she would take a rag an' she would let 'im wipe wit it mostly. Den she take an' tie it up, or seal it in some kin'a sealed bag, an' put it up ovah de do' dat goes into her room so he kin walk undah it, walk in undah it, an' den dat would fix 'im where he couldn't do nuthin wit nobody but 'er. When he go to go wit othah women, why it would fall.
Entry 3484
Jes' lak now if yo' wanta keep 'im an' yo' have a intahco'se wit 'im, jes' lak yo' mess up wit 'im, why yo' git chure han'scheff yo' know an' git dat [semen] an' tie it in de cornah of de han'- sheff an' bury dat undah yore do'step. An' see, dey can't leave but so fur, dey can't go outa town or nuthin, until yo' git ready tuh go yoreself, ah reckon.
Entry 3486
Dere's several diff'ren' ways about dat. Dere's such a thing as a woman takin' a gartah dat she wears 'erself, an' if she kin measure de man wit it, she will tie it in a knot; an' as long as dat knot is tied in 'er gartah an' she keeps it anywhere on 'er body, all de nature dat he has for any person is gone. (I see. You said they just take either garter?) Eithah one of 'em, jes' so it's somepin she person'ly wears. An' as long as she keeps dat gartah wit dat knot in dere, she kin trust 'im any- where in de world.
Entry 3487
Jes' lak yo' have a sweetheart an' yo' wanta hold 'im, well yo' take some bran'-new pins dat nevah been used, an' yo' fix dem haid an' haid [tail], but dey must be even, see. (You mean one goes this way [I demonstrate] and one goes that way - they alternate.)
[Informant misunderstands alternate, a word I should not have used.]
Yes sir, dat's right. Yo' have a connection wit chure frien'.
(How many of those pins do you use?)
Yo' make a gartah of dose. An' yo' fix 'em de haid an' haid - lak de stuck right on de haid - dey can't stick yo', see. An' yo' take dis string an' yo' measure him while he's asleep an' yo take dat. Well, when he have connection wit chew, YO' DON'T HAVE NO 'MUNICATE [COMMUNICATION] WIT 'IM BUT HE JES' HAVE ONE WIT CHEW. Well yo'wrap dat roun' an' yo' ketch dat. Well, now yo' nuse [use] dat fo' a gartah, tie it roun' yore laig. He can't have nobody else but chew.
(What do you put those pins in?)
In dat gartah. (In this piece of cloth that you make the garter with, you put those pins in there after you wipe him? And then you make that garter and you wear it?) Yes.
Entry 3523
Well, de way yo' know dat I undahstan' it, jes' lak if yo' have intahco'se, yo' undahstan'. Well dey'd take dat, dat same piece. Well dey'd be careful an' try to git de edge of it, yo' see. Well dey got some of yores, pref'rence. An' ketch yore urine, yo' know, an' git deres what wuz on dere. An' dey jis' tie a little string on it an' tie three knots in it, an' put dat aroun' dere waist an' wear it fer nine days.
(What will happen?)
Well dat controls yo' to dem.
Entry 3578
Say in case now, if yo' gotta wife - yo' wanta learn dis?
(Yes, go ahead.)
Case if yo' gotta woman or wife or somepin lak dat, an' dis othah man is goin' wit 'er, an' yo' wanta break de man who goin' wit 'er. Yo' wanta know dat? All right. Yo' go to de sto' an' git chew a piece of new white cloth, an' yo' git dat white cloth an' tears a strip off it like dat, see [demon- strates]. Well now, lak if yo' goin' wit dis woman an' don't want nobody else tuh go wit 'er but chew. Yo' see, if yo' take dat piece of cloth WHEN SHE HAS CONNECTION, DON' CHEW HAVE NO CONNECTION AT ALL. Jes' tear a strip offa dat an' den tie nine knots in dat - see, nine knots in dat strip. Well, all right, when yo' tie dem nine knots in dere den yo' puts it inside dat piece of cloth jes' lak dat yo' see. [demonstrates]. (You put this strip that you tore off, that you put the nine knots in, you put it in this other piece of cloth that you didn't tear.) See, dis strip dat chew to' [tore] off, now.
(This is the cloth that she's wiped with?)
Yeah, yo' tear dat off an' yo' put nine knots in dat, yo' see. An' jes' lak if my name Dawson [his name was Dawson], yo' say, "Dawson." All right. An' yo draw dat knot to yo', see. Well, lak 'er name So-an'-so, yo' say, "So-an'-so, I an'"So-an'-so," an - see, yo' call yore name evah othah [each] time till yo git nine [knots and names]. Den, when yo' git nine, den yo' take dat an' roll dat to yo' lak dis, yo' see [demonstrates], an' den yo' git chew - go to de store an' git chew a bran'-new spool of thread No.8 an' a needle - big needle - an' put dat in dere an' sew dat up an' wear it roun' yore waist. No man can't go wit 'er to save dere life - TO YORE LIFE AN' MINE'S EITHAH.
(The man does: this to the woman.)
Entry 3581
Tie knots, as many as yo' want, an' tie a person's name [in the knot]. Jes' lak yo' want dat person tuh do somepin, yo' tie 'em an' yo' call dere name, say, "Well, So-an'-so, an' So- an'-so, ah'm tyin' dese knots heah fo' yo'." An' yo' tie dose knots hard, den yo' wear 'em, an' yo' kin wear 'em round yore waist or undah yore feet. An' dat controls 'em, dey have tuh be submissive to yo'.
(How many knots did you say to tie?)
Nine.
Entry 3592
An' if she got yo' so dat yo' couldn't fool wit no othah womens - prob'ly she done given yo' some appearance [menstrual blood], dat anywhere she be at, yo' wants to be dere wit 'er. Well, quite natchly [naturally], yo'll say to yoreself lak dis, "Huh, well, ah could fool wit mah wife so, an' when ah git aroun' othah women, den ah can't do nuthin. Which yo' really is, but de ninute yo' aim to do things, yore courage will leave yo'. Well, dere wuz a woman, she got a cord yo' know, jis' lak any little fine piece of line.
(A cord, yes - a string, yes.)
Well, she done - while yo' sleepin', she done cut de length of yo'. She done cat de length from yo' an' how big aroun'. She done cut dat. She'll put knots in de twine. She'll put nine knots in de cord. She take dat cord an' she put it right ovah herself lak dat, add it to anothah piece of cord, an' she'll put nine knots in 'er cord what she got, an' she'll wear it aroun' 'er waist, but de knots in yore length dat goes ovah 'er, she got it right in front ovah 'er pri- vate. An' jis' as long as she got dat roun' 'er, yo' couldn't fool wit no othah womens.
Entry 3597
A wumman could take a string an' tie nine knots in it an' when he goes wit 'er she could measure his privates wit it. (After she has tied nine knots.) Yessir, she could measure his privates wit de string aftah she tied de nine knots in it, an' take dis string an' wear it roun' 'er waist three days. An' aftah she wear it roun' 'er waist three days, take it an' burn it up, an' he couldn't have no intahco'se wit nobody but 'er.
(Well, couldn't he ever git rid of that?)
No, unless somebody wuz jes' smart enough [a two-header], yo' know, tuh tell him how tuh git relief.
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 3599
Lak if dere's a boy an' he goin' wit a girl dere an' he wants tuh - well, ah take it, say if dere's a boy goin' wit two girls. Ah mean two boys goin' wit one girl an' one boy he wanted tuh overdo dis othah one wit dis girl. He take one of dese twine strings an' tie nine knots in dis string, an' aftah 'im an' 'er have an intahco'se, measure each way two ways - cross an' straight up an' down on 'er. An' den take an' tie dat string aroun' 'is waist. An' aftah he do dat she'll come tuh be undah 'is control an' de othah boy he be so he can't have anything at all to do wit 'er. (You say he takes the string and measures her private. You say he measures it three ways. Well, how do you mean? Take the width of it?) Yessuh, an' cross dere. Den he takes an' measure on dis way [demonstrates]. (Diagonal - the corner. Measures it three ways.)
Entry 3607
Well, sometimes dey will tie nine knots in a string an' dey will wear aroun' dere laig underneat' de - if dey want to. An' dat keeps a man tied up. Jes' put nine knots in it an' wear it around dere laig. (What do they do with that string first before they tie those nine knots in it?) No, dey don't wear it atall. Jes' tie nine knots in it an' wear dat aroun' dere laig. An' dey wear dat.
Entry 3633
Yo' kin take a snail an' put it - yo' know, jes' lak yo' take a snail now, yo' know, yo' crack it or sompin an' yo' kin put it in dis man's coffee or tea or somepin an' he can't go out, unless yo' say so, or unless yo' 'gree wit 'im or sompin othah lak dat. Got a man ah love an' all dat, but yet dat snail, yo' see, it got it slowin' down.
Entry 3843
If a man's runnin' aroun' an' so yo' git a needle an' put it in some watah an' some of 'is blood. Why ah'll mix dat togethah. Put de needle in dere, in a bottle wit some watah [and blood] an' bury it undah de do'step. Dat'll cuz 'im - dat'll keep 'im from runnin' aroun'. (This woman has to stick the needle into him and get some of his blood, and put it in this bottle of water - plain water?) Uh-huh, an' bury it undahneat' chure step, down beside de do'step. Dat'll make him stay home.
Entry 3851
Ah says, if a man got a woman an' also, if he can't rule de woman, he kin jes' take a woman when a woman's periods rise, an' carry it an' find a big red ants' nest an' bury it direct in dat ants' nest. Dat's all he gotta do wit dat, jes' bury it right in dat ants' nest an' walk off. Back up to ten feet an' turn yore face an' go on about chure business, an' evahthin' is okay den.
(What will that do then?)
Keep her home - yes sir, keep 'er undah yore jurisdiction.
Entry 3859
If ah had a woman an' ah want 'er tuh stay at home - want 'er tuh stay at home - yo' kin take dat. Yo' know, jes' lak she's ministratin', yo' kin take dat rag an' burn it up - burn it up in de ashes. Take it [ashes] an' carry it to de front yard an' bury it. Dat'll keep 'er at home. Yo' would have to steal it [dat rag].
Entry 3910
Well, yo' kin take nine knots, yo' know. A woman kin take dat rag, yo' know, an' tie nine knots in it an' [or] she'll take a string an' tie nine knots in it, yo' know. An' when she make yo' coffee, see, she drop dat string in yo' coffee fo' about sev'ral mawnin's an' yo' become, yo' can't hardly bear 'er out of yore sight.
(What does she do with that string first?)
What she do wit de string, she take de string - yo' know whut wimmins have while dey be - an' git dat on de string yo' know, an' den put nine knots in it an' put it in de coffee. (That is from her monthly cloth. She puts nine knots in that and then puts it into your coffee.) Yo' drink of dat, see, an' yo' come to - yo' can't do wit'out 'er.
Entry 3947
Dat yo' could take an' do a man. Jes' lak if ah wuz doin' wit mah ole lady - ah goes runnin' roun', won't stay home, comin' in at twelve or one a'clock at night. She kin go ahead an' take - jes' go to de sto' an' git her some toma- toes. Take de tomatoes an' cook 'em. An' jes' lak dis periods be on 'er, take Some of dat, about two teaspoons fulla dat, an' put it in de tomatoes. An' she COuld dO 'im any Way. SHE CAN'T GIT 'IM OUTA HER TRACK. EVAH TIME SHE TURN ROUN' HE'S RIGHT DERE - won' nevah left home no mo'. Or eithah yo' could take disaway. Yo' kin go ahead, go to de sto' an' buy yo some Po'k meat lak dat. Take it an' wear it, wear it 'tween de laigs an' aftah wearin' i t'tween de laigs fo' about thirty minutes, take an' cook dat. An' she can't keep 'im 'way from 'er tuh save her life. WHEN HE GO TUH WORK, HE TURN ROUN' AN' COME RIGHT ON BACK HOME - have no trouble Wit. [Florence, S. Car.,
(1311).2223:5.]
Entry 4084
Dey could use yuh chamber lye.
(All right, how could you do that?)
Dey tell me if yuh take de chamber lye an' mix it intuh whut chew eat - dey tell me a woomin kin take dat an' sprinkle a little of de chamber lye intuh whut chew eat an' let chew eat dat. Dat'll keep yuh from runnin' aftah othah wimmins.
Entry 4087
DAT [URINE] ONE DE GREATES' THIN'S IN DE WORLD.
(Tell me one thing you can do with it and why you do it.)
Yo' kin put a little bit in de cookin' an' control 'im - put it in de cookin'. An' yo' kin put some in yore bathwatah. Dat makes 'im stay home.
(Some of that urine - chamber lye?)
Yes. Make him stick tuh yo' an' he won't leave yo'. Mix it up yo' know.
Entry 4089
Take chamber lye, jis' a little of it, an' mix it up wit flour [usually in bread]. Women did dat in ordah tuh give tuh dere husban's. An' dey say dat dat will make dem care fo' dem an' hold 'em. In othah words it gives dem powah ovah dem an' dey kin deman' any- thin' outa dem dat dey want.
Entry 4090
Well, people say yo' kin use chamber lye. Take dat an' take an' make it up in bread, an' have a man do jis' lak - have him undah yore coamand, if it's yore frien' or yore husban'.
Entry 4193
She take her husban' urinate an' she put it in a bottle an' she put nine needles wit it an' she stopped dat up an' she put it in de bed where he wuz sleepin' at fo' nine nights. An' aftah dem nine nights she take it an' she bury it undah de steps, an' she did dat tuh keep 'im at home an' so he won' go wit no one else but 'er. An' she say he stayed undah 'er feet so much until she wanta let it go. Yes, he stayed undah 'er feet all de time an' didn't go wit no one else but 'er. Dat whut she did it fo'. He stayed at home all de time. She did it tuh stop 'im from runnin' roun'.
Entry 4194
Dey kin put it in a vasoline bottle.
(This chamber lye.)
Yes. Dey gits nine shots - yuh know, lead shots, an' nine bran'-new needles. Yuh put one of dose shots in wit de needle down dere, de head down, wit anothah shot den, until yuh git all of dem nine in dere. An' stops it up in dere in dat vasoline bottle, an' den dey keep it straight up. Put it in a da'k [dark] closet. Dat supposed tuh hold yuh husban'.
Entry 4200
Dey takes dat [urine] an' dey'll stop it up. Dey puts nine needles, lodestone, nine bran'-new pins, an' den dey'll stop dat up. Even maybe dey'll bury it in de groun' an' turn it bottom up - seals it an' turns it bottom up.
(Do this with this water, this urine?)
Yuh urinate - yuh urinate watah.
(What will that do?)
Well, dey say dat hold's de man - holds 'im, yuh know.
(Hold the man, I see.)
Entry 4274
(Git his right-foot sock?)
Yeah, git 'is right-foot sock an' take a silvah dime. Yuh know, roll de sock up nice. Ah jis' kin show yuh. Yuh undahstan' whut ah'm talkin' about. Roll de sock nice an' carry it - de right sock. But co'se she'll have tuh use it wit a little of 'er chamber lye, don't chew know, an' bury it undah 'er do'step.
(What does she do with her chamber lye?)
Well, yuh see she jis' urinate a little in dat sock, don't chew see.
(And bury it in under the doorstep?)
Yeah, right whare he come in an' out.
(What will that do then when she does that?)
Dat make him stay dere.
Entry 4318
Well, a man kin take a woman's chamber lye an' he kin put it in a bot- tle, put a little sugah in it. See, about a spoonful of sugah in about three teaspoonful of chamber lye. Den he take dat bottle an' he turn it down where she have tuh walk ovah, go in an' out. Dat's tuh make her come undah his command.
Entry 4319
Well, now, say fo' instan' [for an instance] if a woman has a husban' or a man dat is hard tuh handle, an' say dat he chases aroun' wit othah women an' she wants tuh take pos- session of 'im. She scrape de dead skin from de bottom of 'er foot an' she git a pint bottle or a half-pint bottle - howevah, an' she'll fill it full of his.
(Of what?)
A pint bottle of urine. She must have de slop jar, she must have dat perfec'- ly clean. She must see dat don' anybody urinate in dis jar but him. Now when she take dis bottle wit a screw top, an' she'll po' it two-thirds full of dis urine. Now she'll put de scrapin' from de bottom of 'er foot in dere an' she'll set dis bottle back in a dark place where dat nobody will see it. An' each mawn in' she'll make de screw on dat top fo' nine mawnin's, an' wit de last time she screw it, it wants tuh be tight where she cain't screw it no mo', yo' undahstan'. Den she keeps dat bottle back an' dat's supposed tuh make dis fellah jis' de same as a baby, easy tuh handle. Whatevah she says goes.
Entry 4497
Use de watah she'd take a bath in.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Take it an' cook food wit it, an' she kin control 'er husban'.
(The water she takes a bath in, I see.)
Entry 4501
Jes' like yuh wanta have control an' influence ovah people. Aftah yuh wash yuh face an' han's, jes' throw it out de front [door] an' make a wish. Wish tuh be successful in yuh wishes - of being, like man- agin' an' gettin' dere mind in influence.
Entry 4549
Take dat bow out of yuh hat an' dey'd bury dat bow. Take dat bow an dey bury it back of yuh house in ordah if dey wanta use yuh in a way fo', what might say, a henchman or fool, or somepin like dat. Dey'd bury dat bow back of dere house an' dat'll keep yuh comin' dere, see. An' yuh kin jes' git rid of evahthing yuh've got.
Entry 4555
Ah've heard of 'em. Dey takes dat li'le bow. Well, dey takes dat li'le bow dere an' dey walks aroun' dat house. Dey goes roun' dat house nine times an' bring de bow back in de back do', an' walk through de hall tuh de front do' an' put it ovah de front do'. Conceal it from dis man.1 He nevah know where it at. An' long as it stay dere, dey got dis man.
(A woman would do that to hold a man?)
Tuh hold de man. No harm perform on it, no mo' den a deep taste fo' love.
Entry 4557
Yuh kin take dat bow from de back of 'is hat, one dat he done wore - de sweat in it chew undahstan'. Yuh kin take dat an' jes' keep it in de seat of yore bloomahs all de time. Jes' pin it in dere an' wear it in dere an' dat will always keep 'im wit chew. Dat's all yuh gotta do, jes' wear it in dere all de TIME. AN' EVAH TIME YUH CHANGE A PAIR OF PANTS, YUH JES PUT IT RIGHT BACK IN.
Entry 4614
(What about that little bow?)
Yuh take dat little bow - it used to be olden times when yuh wore corsets - but dey don't wear corsets no mo'. Dey wears supports. Now, if yuh wants tuh... (Well, what did they do in the olden times with the corsets? Tell me that first, what they did with that; and then you can tell me what they do now. You see?) Yuh see, dey can take dat little bow an' dey can kill yuh wit dat little bow. An' dey can make yuh go crazy - no, not go crazy out of de mind, no. Jes' [like] if yuh got a wife an' she loves yuh, or ah got a husban' an' ah loves 'im. Ah'd fix 'im so he'll jes' stick wit me. He'd turn 'is mind clean offa evah body but me, an' he wouldn't keep a nickel in is pocket fo' hisself. It's all fo' me. Ah could take an' jes' be - ah could bring boy frien's in dere on 'im an' he'll jes' love me jes' dat much [more]. Well, DAT OLE HOODOO [MAN] DEN WHAT AH USIN' KNEW, AN' LIVES AROUN' HERE, he say he [husband] jes' love me dat much, but [I told him?] not tuh open 'is mouth an' say nuthin. [A NOTE OF MINE HERE SAYS DO SLOWER LATER. INFORMANT WAS TALKING FAST.] AH COULD TAKE HIS MONEY RIGHT IN FRONT OF 'IM AN' GIVE IT AWAY. HE'LL JES' LOVE ME JES' DAT MUCH BY BEING HOO- DOOED.
(How would you prepare that bow? That little bow?)
She takes it an' she put it in 'er pocket, down intuh dat little thing yuh see. Yuh untie dat bow an' yuh tie nine knots in dat bow, an' put it straight where it would have been weared down in dere. Well, dat's jes' as if yuh have a tool, yuh know, not what she love yuh; cuz if she love yuh an' if he loved yuh, dey wouldn't want tuh bring somebody else in de home an' go off an' have.... But yuh are jes' undah a muddle. Yuh can't say nuthin, yuh see. Yuh can't do nuthin, yuh see.
(Do you dress that little bow any Way?)
Yuh dress dat little bow wit love powdah. Dey got some powdah - dey got some cologne dey call love cologne. Well, yuh done use dat Follah-me-boys. Dat's good.
[Follow-me-boys appears several times in HOODOO.]
(What 1s?)
Follah-me-boys.
(Follow me, boys.)
Dat's good.
(Is that a powder or perfume?)
Dat's perfume. Now, dat Follah-me-boys - yuh kin use Follah-me-boys right now, yes sir, right now. Yuh kin Walk out from right dere - IF YUH DON'T BELIEVE DAT'S TRUE, an' [then] GO BUY YUH A LITTLE BOTTLE OF FOLLAH-ME-BOYS, AN' YUH JES' SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE BE FOLLAHIN' YUH. BUT DEY WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT DEY FOLLAHIN'. YUH SEE, DAT'S A HOODOO COLOGNE. (I see. Now, in the old days they used to wear the corset, nowadays they wear?) Dey weah dem girdles now. Yuh see, yuh take, if yuh want dat tuh control yuh man or yuh woman. Yuh put it in yuh girdle, weah it in yuh girdle. Nine knots.
Entry 4620
Now, put dat bow at de back of yore head [hat] - jes' take dat bow. Dey use yore name wit dat bow. An' women use dat an' use it fo' roun' de waist. An' de man do jes' what de woman do. If someone tell yuh somepin about 'er, if she be wanton woman, yuh does not believe dem. I Dat controls 'em. Dat's de powah from de haid, de control. (Just' ties this little bow on a string around her waist with the name in there three times.)
Entry 4680
Yuh [she] take dat bow, an' applyin' oil of verbena wit dat bow, she kin put some sugah wit dat bow an' she kin put some sweet spirit of nitah wit dat bow. An' puttin' it in a little bag, see, an' wearin' it roun' 'er waist or anywhere near tuh her skin, an' she'll have him jis' lak she wanta. Ah mean anythin' dat she do, regardless of whut dey tell 'im, he will take her statement fo' it.
Entry 4712
Take dat bow an' yuh git chew rock sulphur [a molded cake of sulphur] an' yo' git some spice, spice an' rock sulphur, an' powdah it up togethah, an' yuh sew it up intuh a bag an' yuh feed it on red whiskey [not white moonshine]. Tote it anywhere 'bout chew or pin it tuh yore clothes nex' tuh yore skin. Dat keep dem home, dey Won't go. [Brunswick, Ga., (1224), 2080:6.] [Perhaps most hoodoo believers would say that clothing is a substitute for the human body only if it contains sweat - it must be dirty. On the other hand there are cases of a clean garment being stolen from the clothesline (p.92, lines 5-12) because it has merely touched the human body.]
Entry 4727
A woman will take some of de man's undahclothes an' some of 'is halr offa his haid, an' put it in a bottle an' bury it somewhere aroun' dere 'bout de house. If she wan' 'im, dat's tuh keep 'im at 'er house mos' all de time.
Entry 4728
Dey husban' run aroun' an' dey don' wan' 'em tuh run aroun', dey take some of 'is clothes an' - take pieces of de undahclothes an' bury it. An' dat's all ah heah 'em say.
(His underclothes.)
Entry 4731
[As far as I can remember there are few rites concerned with buttons in HOODOO. General folklore has a fair number of them - 21 in FACI, 1st ed., lndex.] Takin' a button off 'is undahwear down dere an' wearin' it. (You take that off this man, the button down in front. What do you do with it?) Yuh take an' wear it aroun' yuh on a string an' dey say he cain't leave yuh.
Entry 4744
A lady got a hold of a fellow's drawers and cut out right where the two legs come together, right in front, and taken and put it in a bottle, and put a new stopper in the bottle, and put that in the center of the door where he come over. That fellow couldn't leave there. They claim they take a piece of your clothes, that you wear next to your skin, and put it in a bottle and put a new stopper in, they've got you. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 4745
An' den yuh kin take a man's undahwear dat he wears, an' take it an' jis' ball it up in so - yuh know, jis' tight as yuh kin ball it. An' if he's runnin' aroun' an' yuh want 'im tuh stay at home - an' bury it right at de front do'steps as he come in, an' he'll git tuh de place he jis' won't leave home. An' he git so jealous dat yuh cain't go no place. He stay right wit chew all detime.
Entry 4755
Well, yo' kin put a man down yo' know by takin' some of 'is clothes dat he weahs. Take de feet outa his drawahs an' dat'll make him humble an' nicah tuh yo', whutevah way yo' wan' 'em tuh do, an' weah it. (What do you do with that?) Yo' kin tie it aroun' yore laig, de muscle of yore laig above yore knee, or weah it aroun' yore waist.
Entry 4760
Dey says yuh kin go tuh work an' dress dat house an' it will draw people dere.
(How do you do that?)
Well, dey says yuh go an' git some dust from about dey house, git dat dust. An' den yuh git dat dust an' yuh git some of dere clothes an' put it in a bottle. Go dere an' fasten it tuh dat house some way inside of de house, or jis' fasten it on de step anyway, an' dey say dem people will stay dere. Or else if dey out dere, it will draw somebody dere.
(That is to make a person stay in this house.)
Entry 4797
(I see. Well, now, for instance, if you want to put them together after they quarrel. Do you know how that goes?) Yes, yuh kin.
(How do you do that?)
An' de bes' way on earth is tuh put de man an' woman - de bes' way on earth tuh put a man an' woman tuhgethah, yuh take a man an' take him intuh yuh [confi- dence]. If yuh goin' tuh give a man any advice in any Way tuh git tuh a woman, give it tuh 'im in a side [an aside or confidential] Way, an' give him 'is nature tuh use ovah a woman is dis: If a man takes a woman - if he has somepin dat she has soiled an' wear in 'is purse, dat she has soiled. Don't necessarily have tuh be her periodic piece, jis' somepin dat she has soiled an' wore nex' tuh 'er, an' wear it in 'is purse. Jis' take a piece of ord'nary garlic. Wrap dat up an' sew it, dat piece of cloth [and] dat garlic in a piece of red flannel. An' put it in 'is purse an' wear it dere. An' as long as he keep dat, he will keep 'er undah control an' powahs of his. [HERE IS ONE OF THE MANY TIMES I WAS ACCEPTED AS A DOCTOR AND ADVISED ABOUT ADVICE TO A CLIENT.]
Entry 4801
Ah have heard men say dat dey kin take a woman's bloomah's an' cut a piece outa a woman's bloomah's an' wear it in dere lef' hip pocket. An' said a woman won't leave 'em an' will be undah 'em, an' dey kin do anything dey wan' tuh do. An' de woman won' know about it. He'll have her undah 'is feet an' jis' do anythin' he wan'a do, an' she not say anythin' tuh 'im about it.
Entry 4854
Aftah yuh wear yore garments, when dey git soiled, don't chew know, yuh put 'em off. A person kin take dem an' wash 'em. Dey've got yore odors. Dey take dat Water an' bury it right in front of de steps. An' dey will al- ways have yuh, yuh know, what chew might call footpath, lappy dog. Dey jis' walk in here lak [lappy dog] see. An' anythin' dey comman' yuh tuh do, yuh've got tuh do.
Entry 4945
Well, yuh takes women's socks - I hear talk of 'em doin' sich as dat, takin' de sweated part, yuh know, of de heel. A man take de sweated part of a woman's heel, of 'er sock, an' he take dat an' he weahs dat intuh his - puts dat undah dat little sole of 'is shoes. Yuh know, yuh know dis little slip [strip] dat be's inside of yore shoe [insole]. An' he puts dat undah dere an' he weahs dat undah 'is foot. Well, an' he weah dat sich a length of time. An' he double dat as many times as he kin git it.
(What do you mean double?)
He git dat sock twice, yuh see. Evah time he kin git one of 'em, git dat, an' cut dat heel part out an' put dat in 'is shoe. Why he keep 'er down den. He keep 'er undah 'is fingahs [feet would be better!]. Control - dat controls 'er all right enough.
Entry 4950
Well, if a woman git holt of yore socks, she kin take it an' tie it in a knot, an' put it up over de do'; an' as long as she let it stay up dere, she will rule yuh. Yuh see, yuh an' 'er git along fine.
(One sock, does she take, or both of them?)
Take de left-foot sock.
(A clean one, or a new one?)
No, sir, a dirty one. Yuh wife wanted tuh keep yuh and yuh wanted tuh leave, she'd take yore sock an' tie it in three knots, an' put it up ovah de do'; an' as long as hit dere, yuh won' leave her.
(What sock would she take? Either one?)
De left-foot sock.
(A clean one?)
A dirty sock.
Entry 5012
Ah hear 'em say dat dey'll take yuh sock, dirty sock, an pu-tit [put it], place it, in a onion. Yuh kin take a dirty sock an' cu-tit [cut it] uP, place it in a' onion, inside a red onion, an' plan-tit [plant it] in de groun' at chew doahstep. An' dat hol' a person at home.
Entry 5013
(How would they do that?) Dey'd take de sock or stockin' an' dey roll dat up tuh yo' lak dis [demonstrates]. See, always roll it tuh yuh. An' when yuh roll dat tuh yuh lak dat, well den dey pin dat right at de joist of de house where yuh gotta come in an' go out. See, dey pin dat right dere, an' long as dat stays up dere, dey have a dominion on yuh.
Entry 5017
In case of tyin' a man, keepin' a man, makin' love, yuh take dis sock. Yuh kin take a dirty sock an' yuh kin dampen it in some ole black molasses syrup, an' yuh roll it up lak dis nine times. Yuh roll it tuh yuh nine times. Yuh take yuh some brown papah an' yuh git chew a bran'-new cord string an' yuh wind dat nine times. Yuh tie dat.
(How do you wind that string?)
Yuh wind it tuh yuh. Yuh still bringin' it tuh yuh. An' yuh take dat an' yuh win' dat nine times an' yuh tie it. An' yuh put it right undah de middle, undah de centah of yore bed where yuh sleep. [This is a quincunx.] Yuh sleep ovah it all de time. Dat keeps a man down.
(You fix one of his dirty socks. Either one?)
Yes, eithah one of 'is dirty socks.
Entry 5084
Now, if ah wanta git chure influence, ah take mah stockin' an' lay it down - mine. [On her side of the interviewing table she begins to demonstrate by spreading out an imaginary stocking and sock, as I comment:]
(Flat down.)
An' put chures on top.
(And put one of mine on top. Just one of each?)
Jis' one of each.
(Which one would they take?)
[My they may be an attempt to avoid the guinea pig situation.]
De right. Den yuh rolls dis back, mine on top - roll it back [to you] an' turn it ovah.
(Do you roll it from you or away from you?)
Tuh me. Den aftah yuh rolls it tuh yuh, yuh take it den an' wet it in chamber lye an' put it intuh a close place where nobody will bothah it - nobody kin find it. Yuh keep it damp. No mattah what chew wanta do or what chew wanta say, or how yuh want dis person tuh do, dey will do it. Dat will control dere mind.
Entry 5171
Git de measure of dey shoe, an' put some powdah in dey shoe. Git some powdah, some cun, iure powdah, an put it in dey shoe. Well, dat will make 'em do anything yo' wan' 'em tuh do. [The term cunjure powder is rare. This may be my only ex- ample.]
Entry 5181
An' yo' kin take a new [right] shoe sole [inner sole]. Buy a new pair an' cut it half in two [see later], an' take a indelible pencil an' write chore name from lef' tuh right. Turn it [inner sole] around, write his name from right tuh left, [or backwards, his family name first and his given name in front of that] coming tuh yo'. The [inner] sole is split [lengthwise] so one half can be worn in each of the new shoes. Make wishes [for him to return]. They say that'll bring a person tuh yo, bring 'em undah yore control.
Entry 5188
Take dem an' burn 'em, dese ole shoes. Dey have tuh be a pair yo' know, jes' one of each pusson, if yuh kin git de ole ones. An' take de sole outa dem, an' yuh burn 'em an' git de ashes, an' dey cain't go any place wit'out chew sayes fo' dem tuh. (What do they do with those ashes?) Well, yuh keep 'em - yuh bury dem yuhself. Yuh keep 'em. Lak if dere's somebody heah an' yuh don' wan' 'em tuh go, yuh git one of yore shoes an' one of deres - de lef' of deres - an' yuh burn 'em down tuh a ashes an' yuh keep dem ashes yuh- self or bury 'em.
(You get the left shoe?)
Yeah, de lef' of evahthin'.
Entry 5302
If a woman would wear a man's shoes - jes' lak IF MAH WIFE WUS TUH BE PERMITTED TUH WEAR MAH SHOES, dat, DAT WOULD PREVENT ME FROM 'SOCIATIN' ROUN' WIT OTHAH WIMMIN. In othah WOrds, SHE WOULD HAVE if she WOre mah shoes. If she wuz allowed tuh wear mah shoes, why she could manage me mos' any way she wants. In othah words ah'd be subject tuh her powah, if she's allowed tuh wear mah shoes. DERE'S SO MANY SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT DAT, DEY [MEN] WON' ALLOW DERE WIFES TUH WEAR DERE SHoES. [Sumter, S. Car., (1374), 2436:7.] [This is the sixth and last subsection of SWEAT, one of the functions of the physical human body. The following rites once presupposed tracks largely made by bare feet which left sweat and odor in the soil. For this reason, some of these rites will also be found under section MuRDER in volume 4.]
Entry 5361
Dey say if a person gits yore foot track, he has de con- trol of yo', an' wherevah he bury it at, dat's where yo'll dwell. Now, lak if ah git chure foot track an' want chew con- tinue comin' heah, an' ah bury it chere, yo' can't jes' travel.
(I would come to stay here?)
Come to stay an' can't leave out.
Entry 5439
If yo' wan'a person tuh go yore way an' wan'a take all de money dat dey've got [they say] da' choo could take dere right track an' put it up in a li'le piece of papah wit some salt, an' stick it down tuh de haid of a baby's grave, an' dat'll cuz a man tuh do anythin' da' choo wan' 'im tuh do, or a woman'eithah, if a man treats 'er dat way.
Entry 5501
Dey say dey take up yo' shoe track, take up de shoe track right from de door on back. Yo' take ahold of dat an' put dat in a bag. An' yo' take yore toenails, cut yo' toenails off. Yo' see: 'em trim dey toenails off. An' a piece of hair out chure haid, an' cut some of de hair undah de arm an' 'tween yore laigs. An' put all dat tuhgethah. An' yo' sew dat up in a li'le bag an' yo' buries de bag about dat deep in de groun' [demonstrates].
(About that deep, about nine inches.)
Yes sir, about dat deep. Well yo' buries it at de first step dat yo' come to.
(The first step as you come out?)
Yes sir. No sir, bury it at de bottom step when yo' come. Dat's tuh keep 'im undah 'er. Yo' see, when a woman's husban' go out too fast an' he won't try tuh come home, yo' do dat. Dat's tuh keep 'im from runnin' about.
Entry 5540
Now, dey kin take dat foot track of yores an' use it jis' lak dey wan'a. Well, dey takes a knife an' a rule an' measure yore foot tracks an' print it on a piece of papah. Den yo' carries de name. Jis' lak yo' say, ah wan'a do as ah wan'a wit dis person. Yo' carry de name three times. Write yore name. (They measure that foot track with the ruler and then take a piece of paper, a piece of paper the length of the foot track.) Dat's right an' den dey take yore name an' dey draws yore name in a box, in a square, in the box, diamond and heart. Dey write yore name. Yore name would be Jones Johnson. Dey put it backwards, yore name would be Johnson Jones, yo' undahstan'. An' dey cast dat in de light in de lamp, an' have yo' do jis' whut dey want yo' tuh do. Dat's right, dat's fer quick wishes.
Entry 5631
Well, dey gits up de foot track an' dey prepare dat up an' tote it. We use red peppah an' black peppah - sech as dat. We sprinkle dat down an' we salt it. Salt is sup- posed tuh save things. We use salt wit de idea in view of de savin' powdah by dat. We put de salt in dere tuh save it. As long as de salt holds it strength, we got holt of de undahtakin' at de time. SALT IS A GREAT IHING BUT LOTTA PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT.
(Just what do you do with that track now?)
Well, We takes dat track - IT'S NOT BUT A VERY FEW PEOPLE IN DIS DAY'S TIME HANTS TUH KILL A PERSON, BUT DEY WANTS DEM TUH COME UNDAH DERE CONTROL AN' HOLI "EM, Yo' KNOW. When dey do dis, so den dey use dese means.
[Informant, professional worker, starts another rite.]
Put DUST IN YORE SHOES. PREPARE IT WIT THREE DIFFREN THINGS. An' dey uSe dat tuh sprinkle dat in yore shoes. Dere certain things yo' kin do tuh pertect yo'. Yo' kin walk ovah any kind whatsomevah it is. It melt away. Why.all yo' would do - use salt, nine drops of vinegah.
(How would they use that?)
Weah three needles in yore cap or hatband or whatsomevah yo' gwine tuh do. Stick it - conceal it away.
(What did you do with that salt and vinegar?)
Well we take de salt an' vinegar an' drop nine drops in each shoe. Jis' put a little pinch of salt in dis shoe an' one in dis one, an' we walk anywhere we vanta go.
(You can walk over anything?)
Walk ovah anything a man kin put down.
Entry 5657
Yah suh, dey - someone has tole me dat if dey git aholt of yo' foot track, an' dey put it in a bottle, an' dey puts six needles, six pins an' six ole rusty nails, six new gold- eye needles, six pins dat nevah did been used an' six rusty nails [mistakenly repeated] - an' den dey take it an' put it in a forked stick like dat [demonstrates], see. An' dey ties dose togethah an' dey put it to de foot of de steps, see. (Well, now they put that stuff in the bottle first, don't they, and then they put that bottle in that fork of that stick.) Yeah.
(I see. Where do they put that?)
Put unnah de steps or put it on de sunrise or sundown side. See, de haid of de step like dat, see, put dat down dere.
(I see - the step must be on the sunrise side of the house?)
Yassuh.
(And what do you do at the sundown side of the house then?)
Dey put de bottle outside - dey lean de bottle, put de bottle an' lean it. Don't let it lay down flat. (I see, they put the bottle at the sunrise side of the steps and they lean it tovard the sundown?) Uh-huh an' den dey lay down. Ah don't know nuthin about it befo' ah learned. (That's what I wanta hear. What you have heard about it. That's right. What vill that do to the person?) Suh, whut dat'll do? Dat track, if yo' got a husban', dat'll make him stay bome. An' den if he ups wit any othah wimmin, he can't even run about. If an- othah woman got 'im tied up, dat'll break 'em up. Dat's supposed tuh break 'em up in nine days time. (I see. And after you bury that bottle, do you do anything else then. After you bury that bottle, you let that stay there for nine days and then.
Entry 5851
Ag'in, dey kin go tuh work an' take it, dis hair, an' dey kin sew it up in a piece of cloth or tie it up tight, an' take it an' put it in dere pock- etbook. Git some of dis root dey call de devil's- shoestring an' mix it wit dat hair an' dey'll take dat an' dey'll tie it tight, an' dey'll put it in dere pocketbook, an' dey'll follow dem wherevah dey go.
(Will follow them any place they want me to go?)
Yes.
Entry 5888
Ah know yo' kin take some of de hair from undah yore arm an' some from othah places an' - yo' know de private, an' take somepin an' scrape some dead skin from 'tween yore laigs [see later] an' give it to a man in his watah tuh drink. An' dat'll keep 'im down. (What do you mean by dead skin between your legs? From the bottoms of your feet?) [My From the bottoms of your feet? is not a leading question. It is the only thing possible informant could have meant; see the many rites about dead skin from the bottoms of the feet, none concerning dead skin between your legs.] Yessuh, an' dat'll keep 'im down.
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 5993
Weli, dey take dat an' dey have it twisted tight. (This hair?) Uh-huh, an' dey put it in a - dey put I needle through it an' dey'll put it in a little bottle wit some camphor[rated] al, an' den dey stop it down tight an' put it up ovah yore head.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's jes' to make yo' do jes' what dey want yo' to do.
(They put it over your head. How do they put it over your head?)
Jes' lak, yo' know, any place dey put it. Dey put it up ovah a sill - say, fo' instance, highah dan yo'.
(Oh, over the door or something of that sort.)
Yes, ovah de door, or de sill of de house.
[HANY INFORMANTS LOCATE A DOORSILL AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR - highah dAN yo'.]
Jacksonville. Fla., (596), 768:4+85.]
Entry 6027
If yo' kin git a stran' of hair out of a person's haid, out from de top of de haid, yo' git a stran' of dere hair. An' take dat an' git nine nee- dles an' nine pins, an' yo' git a piece of red flannel, an' git some lodestone, an yo' could git some of dere sweat - perspiration yo' know - on a piece of cloth, a bran'-new piece of cloth, an' put it in dere. Stick dem pins in dere, stick 'em cross dis way. Stick 'em cross lak dat [demonstrates].
(Like making a cross - X's.)
Dat's right. Stick dem pins in dat piece of cloth, if it don' be but jes' a small piece of it, jes' so it be's dat perspiration on it. An' yo' stick dem pins in dere an' lodestone an' dat anvil dust. Anvil dust keeps de lodestone live. An' put dat in dere an' put dat hair in dere in dat thing [cloth] an' sew it up [into a bag], an' yo' kin have a person most anywhere yo' want 'em.
(What do you do with that?)
Jes' carry it [bag or package] in yore pocket. Yo' carry it reg'lah fo'about eight or nine days, an' whenevah yo' takes it out of yore pocket, yo' put it ina real pahtic'lah place where no one will bothah it but chew. An' dat will rule a person.
Entry 6059
Heah's anothah thing. Dey tell me dat yo' kin take duh hair of a wo- man's, yo' know, private see, down dere an' take hit an' put it in a bottle. Go to de drug sto' an' ask fuh alco- hol, not de wooden [wood] alcohol, de pure alcohol yo' know, an' take hit yo' know an' bear [bury] it up undah yo' back do'step, yo' see, an' dat'll tie huh to yuh where she cain't leave yuh.
(Do you bury this bottle in any particular Way or just bury it?)
Nawsir, jis' any way, an' as long as yo' keep dat bottle dere yo' see, den she will always, yo' know, COME UNDAH YO' OWN JURISDICTION an' stay right wit chew. Nobody cain't 'suade [persuade] huh away an' den she cain't leave. Don't care hoW mad she git, Why it Won't do no good. Jis' HAVE HUH UNDAH YO' OWN CON- TROL.
Entry 6117
Yo' take an' git some of de hair, it don't make no diff'rence where yo' dt it from, jes' since it's de hair out of 'is haid.
(Out of the bosses head?)
Outa de boss' haid an' wear dat in yore shoe. See, dat's gittin' 'im undah yore feet, an' den he be kind an' do mos' anything yo' want 'im tuh do. Ah tried wit a lady mahself.
Entry 6118
She take his ole shoe, regardless tuh how long de shoe been dere or how ole de shoe is. She take dis shoe an' git some of 'er hair an' put it in dis. shoe an' she wear dat shoe her- self. She will bring 'im back kinda limpin', but he'll stay dere long as she'll continue tuh wear dis ole shoe aroun'. He'll stay home but Soon as she take dis shoe an' put it aside, an' take her hair out, he's gone back [away] ag'in.
(She takes either shoe, it doesn't make any difference?)
Eithah, ain't any diff'rence whut shoe it is.
(Does she wear both of them or just one of them?)
Wear both of 'em, wear both dese shoes.
Entry 6121
Dey git holt tuh yore hair, a woman now tryin' yuh. She'll git holt of yore hair an' she'll wear it in de shoe. Undahstan' now, she wear dat in 'er shoe, if she kin git dat hair out de mole of yore haid. She'll lovin' an' git dat hair out de mole of yore haid an' den she'll wear it in 'er shoe'fo' seven days. An' aftah she wearin' dat shoe seven days, she'll den takes it an' put it in a silk piece of cloth an' put dat dere undah 'er pillah an' den she'll sleep wit dat dere undah 'er pillah. Well, den aftah she sleep wit dat undah 'er pillah nine days, she don't care wha' choo do. Well, she got chew jes' lak she wan' chew. Den yo'll lurk aftah her den.
(Does she wear that in either shoe?)
De right foot.
Entry 6126
Yo' kin take nine needles an' a ball [pod] of red peppah an' jes' as much sulphur as yo' want, an' den take some de hair out de mole of 'is haid an' put it in black cloth an' sew it up an' put it in de inside of 'is shoe undah dat little sole dere, an' let 'im wear dat an' he will be nice to yo' an' any- thing dat chew say, he will do it an' nevah be out wit othah wimmins, yo' know. (You wear that in your shoe. Either shoe all right?) Eithah one.
Entry 6144
Well, yo' kin make a person do anything yo' want 'em tuh do, wit de bir of a person. Yo' kin take de hair off a person's haid, if it's not but one strand, an' if it's a woman, yo' put it wit three pieces of devil's shoestring a yo' could wear dat in de bottom of yore shoe, providin' yo' goin' wit dis an, an' she'll do anything dat chew want 'er tuh do, jes' as long as yo' let dat hair stay in de bottom of yore shoe of de right foot. Well, now, if a woman wanted a man, she gits a piece of 'is hair from de tem- ple an' wears it in 'er right shoe, an' keep it dere always, an' he'll jes' al- ways yield tuh her jes' lak she wants 'im tuh do.
(Where would the man get the hair from the woman?)
Hell, he kin git it off 'er haid if it's jes' a personal love affair, an dat'll make her jes' do anything he want 'er to do, but he puts it wit dis de- vll's shoestring - three pieces.
(But the woman only has to use the hair from his temple?)
De hair from a man's temple wit'out de devil's shoestring.
Entry 6391
De bottom of de feet, dat didn't happen tuh me once, but.it happen by dem people though. Yo' take de bottom of yore feet an' yo' take yore toenails an' yore fingahnails off. Yo' trims 'em yo' know wit de scissors. An' yo' takes dat an' yo' burys dat, see. An' when dey burys dat, dat keeps yo': aroun' home - keeps yo' from goin' away. An' dat makes de woman keeps yo' all de time undah huh control.
(I see, I see.)
Entry 6398
Well, ah know a man de way he do. He take his toenails an' trim 'em. Where he have a knack of makin' coffee fo' his wife, yo' know, evah mawnin'. Well, he'll let dem toenails contin'sly be in de cof- feepot, an' boil coffee off dere fo' 'er an' let 'er drink it. An' so dat kinda ties her tuh 'im - keep 'er from men or anythin' lak dat. Well, a man or woman, eithah one could tie one anothah tuh 'em wit dat, by givin' it tuh 'er in whiskey tuh drink. Sev'ral diff'ren' thin's lak dat.
Entry 6404
Well, dey Say IF YO' GOT A HUSBAN' AN' YO' WANTA RULE 'IM - KEEP 'IM STAY AT HOME AN' NOT RUN AROUN' - dey always say dat yo' trim yore fingernails an' trim de toenails, an' parch dat an' crumble dat in his food, kinda lak black peppah. Dat will do de work.
Entry 6406
Take a person fingernails an' toenails an' parch it all up tuhgethah. An' jis' lak yo' wanta do somepin tuh git yore husban' back, put it in 'is ration an' he eat it. Why it'll bring 'im jis' as humble, an' anythin' dat chew tell'im tuh do, why he'll do it.
Entry 6409
Take an' wash yore feets an' take de dead skin from undah yore feet. But now, what dis is fo', what I'd [use] it fo', would do it fo' diff'ren' things. I'd take de dead skin from undah yore foot. An' yo' wash it, yo' scrape dat dead skin an' yo' let it dry. Put it on de stove an' make a powdah out of it. An' aftah yo' make dat powdah out, wellyo' kin drop it intuh dere Coca-cola or anythin' a person eat. Dat's when yo' wanta control 'em, yo' see; keep 'em so dey can't do yo' nuthin. Take advantage of 'em, yo' see.
Entry 6411
If yo' wan'a woman tuh go yore way or if she wan'a man tuh go her way, it works fifty-fifty. Sometimes de woman wants de man tuh go her way an' some- times de man wants de woman tuh go his way. Well, when yo' wash yore feet, yo' kin jis' take yore pocketknife an' scrape dis off undahneat' yore feet. Yo' git off some li'le fine stuff an' dat jis' fall on a papah, an' git dat in somepin tuh drink. Jis' a li'le bit of it, don' take but a leetle bit of it. Put dat in somepin fo' de man or de woman, either one, an' dey goes jis' lak yo' say. BE UNDAH YORE FEET.
Entry 6435
Jis' de same like a woman, or eithah a man, dey wan'a rule dere husban' or de man wan'a rule 'is wife. Well, dey take de fingahnail an' de dirt from undah de fingahnail, an' dey scrape de bottom of dere feet. An' dey puts it on de stove or anything an' dey'll patch it like a powdah. When dey give 'em dere food, well dey takes dat an' dey'll sprinkle it ovah de food from de feet [and nail clippings]. Dat's my experience wit dat.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat's - dey could rule 'em like, yo' know.
Entry 6468
They can take your toenails and fingahnails an' see, like mah nails mog, they could harm me purtty much for this simple reason. They're dirty. See, they are not all that much long, they are dirty. Well, they would take this nail and they would cut these nails as close as they poss'bly could with the dirt a'all into 'em. If they could get to my toes, they'd do my toes de same iden- tical way. Now, they take these nails here, an' mah toenails an' they'd put them together. If they could get a lizard, they'd take a lizard an' they'd kill the lizard an' let that lizard dry.
(They take a lizard and kill the lizard?)
They kill the lizard.
(Oh, they kill the lizard.)
An' let him dry - I mean, till he gets to a powder. When he gets to a pow- der, they mixes him with these nails of mine. They'd put that into a piece of red flannel and they buries that. AN' NOW, WHEN THEY BURIES THAT, THEY BURIES IT WITH A CROSS.
(What kind of a cross?)
THEY MAKES A CROSS THEYSELF. THEY DON'T VERY SELDOM BUY A CROSS. YOu know, ordinary, plain - just a plain cross, wooden cross; just any kind of a small cross you'll use, just since it's a cross. They buries it with a cross into that flannel. See? Well, now, when they buries that, why they got me just the Way they want me.
Entry 6474
Now ah tell you. If yo' got a friend, a girl friend, or wan'a be wit one in company an' she don' love yo' enough [you don't love her enough] an' she cut chore fingah- nails. Cut it off, an' when yo' done, she take dat fingahnail, an' if yo' drink coffee or sompin, take dat fingahnail an' throw it in dat coffee. An' den when it done drawin' in dat coffee, she kin cat 'er own an' put 'em in dere. An' yo'll drink de coffee fer suppah or break- fast. Give yo' dat about nine mawnin's or nine nights. Yo' couldn't git away from 'er to save yo' life. Yo' has tuh go through till death.
Entry 6476
Yo' know jis' lak yo' scrape yore feet an' leave de scrapin' an' nails on a piece of papah. He kin take dat an' put it in a pocket hans'scuff an' take it an' weah it in de seat of 'is pants, causin' 'em tuh do things lak dat. If dey don't wanta do it, make women tuh obey yuh. Make hisself do things dat he wouldn't desire tuh do.
Entry 6482
Well, yo' kin take a li'le bit of yore dirt from undah yore fingah- nails. Well, yo' git some salt an' git some alcohol, some vinegah - salt, an' put it in a bottle an' shake it up, an' make yo' do jis' lak dey want chew tuh do. (Do you get that dirt from under your fingernails or under mine?) No sir, git 'em from undah yore fingah- nails. Make yo' do jis' lak ah wan' chew tuh do. (Who would do that? Some woman to a man or man to a man? Something of that sort?) Eithah one could do it if dey knew [how]. Jis' lak yo' were mah wife an' yo' runs aroun' an' ah couldn't keep yo' home. Well, ah could git a li'le bit of dat dirt, yo' know, from undah yore fingahnails, an' make yo' do jis' lak ah wanted yo' tuh do.
Entry 6487
(You were saying something about a woman holding or bringing something back - to hold it back or something. What were you going to tell me about that?) Hold yo' back? (Yes.) Oh! Keeping yo', jis' keepin' yo'. Jis' lak, if yo' come here, lak yo' is now an' someone taken a likin' tuh yuh. Well, she will fool around wit yo' but she nevah could git yuh mind. Well, dat's like me. Well, ah could be a man of plenty of money an' a woman could heah talk of me. She say, "Well, I heah talk of dat fellow. He got plenty of money. I'm goin' tuh try tuh git in touch wit 'im." Well, she gits - some day she be settin' down an' she'll scrape de bottom of 'er feet. But she'll scrape it a diff'ren' way at least - a man kin take an' git holt of a woman de same Way, if she is a whiskey drinkah. Well, she scrape it back. Don' nevah scrape it fo'ward.
[Informant will continue to confuse person or sex of who is doing what.]
(How will she scrape it back, from the toes to the heel?)
[This is quite evident, but I wanted a statement from informant.]
From de toe tuh de heel, right in de hollah yo' see. Well she'll git dat. Well, her feet is got tuh be soft yo' know, got tuh be soft tuh do dat. She'll soak 'er feet in watah, yo' know, tuh git dis skin of it soft. Well, she'll take dat den an' she'll put dat intuh dis whiskey, an' she'll let dat whiskey set about ten days. In ten days time, well yo' kin hold it up an' yo' cain't see anything atall in it. Well, yo' might come an' yo' be settin' aroun' an' she come an' set in yuh lap an' yo' say, "Well, sugah," say, "ah brought somepin fo' yo'." Yo' reach back in yuh pocket. She say, "Whut is dat?" She say, "Aw, yo' been talkin' about whiskey." She say, "Ah'll give yo' a drink of whiskey. Ah bought some fo' yo'. Ah git ti'ed [tired] of yo' worryin' me fo' some whiskey all de time." Say, "Ah bought dis especially fo' yo'. Ah don' wan' nobody drink dis but yo'." Well, she take some an' drink it. Well, yo' still-drink. Yo' ain't drinkin' none atall, 'cuz yo' know whut it is. Yo' say, "Drink - drink - drink. Help yuhself, drink." Say, "I bought it fo' yo'." Well, fin'ly yo' - yo' do dat twice. Unlessen not, if it don' take no effect, well yo' do it three times. Well fin'ly it will take effect. It gits so den, when yo' git ready tuh go, if she'sa young girl - if she - yo' kin take holt of a young girl de same way. Her mothah cain't keep 'er at home. She'll come zactly where yo' is at. She'll - first thing yo' know, yo' look dere, an' yo' see her comin'. She say, "Where's Mr. So- and-So at? "' 'He's not here." 'How long he been gone?" '"Oh, he's been gone such- an'-such a time! He'll be back directly." "Do yo' reckon dat he'll be back?" "Yeah." Well, if yo' don't come, well she'll go on away huntin' yo'. Well, yo've got de underholt of 'er, see. Dat's where yo' take de underholt of 'er.
Entry 6489
Yo' wash yore feet right good, an' start at de - look, de toe of yore feet lak dis way, an' scrape down on de lef' feet. Come down [from toes to beel] an' let it be real quick. An' when yo' cook 'is food, see dat's when yo' wants 'im udah yore feet so yo' use him lak yo' want. When yo' coot 'is food yo' don't 'sposed tuh cook dat in dere [the food] but sprinkle dat ovah de food; see, whut he eats. An' dat hold 'im undah yore feet. Yo' kin use 'i jis' lak yo' wanta. See, dat keep 'im from gittin' away from yo'. Long as yo' use dat on 'im he cain't git from undah yo'. He's undah yore feets.
Entry 6498
Husks, take dat offa yuh foot. Yo' kin weah it. Put it in a bottle, yo' see, an' turn de bottle up dere in bed, if yo' wanted tuh see dat party. Yo' undahstan', turn it bottomside upwards, yo' understand, an' dey shore comin'. She can't git away.
(I see, that's to make them come to you?)
Come real quick.
Entry 6503
If a woman wants a man to be what you would call under her feet, she wants to command that man to do everything she say, she lets her feet get dirty. She goes two or three days without washing her feet, then she soak 'em in water until they, you know get all that dry skin off, that dead skin. She puts that in the stove and bakes it until it's just as dark as coffee. Then she rolls it out to a powder, then she cooks it in the man's coffee. And after he eats a certain portion of that, he has no will of his own at all. His will is her will- her will is his will, rather. He's down under her feet.
Entry 6515
Ah heard dat chew kin take from de bottom of yore feet dat dead skin an' put it in stuff, if yo' wanta gain a man or somepin of dat lin'. Jis' put it in some whiskey or coffee or somepin dat he's gon'a drink, in 'is food or somepin lak dat. Yo' jis' keep 'em down undah yore feet all de time.
Entry 6709
Dey tell me dat if a woman wants tuh take de uppah han's [hands] of a gan an' take him in, dat chew [the woman] kin draw de blood from a' animal an put it in any kinda thing he eat or in 'is whiskey - jis' so long as yo' git it inside a him - an' dey have de upperturns of yo' in any way dey intend tuh do it. De only way dat yo' kin git loose from dat, whut ah learnt, jis' take somepin an' strike where yo' kin draw de blood from dem [the woman]. See, den yo' kin git loose from dat.
(They use the blood from any kind of an animal?)
Any creepin' animal [so that the man will creep or crawl at her command].
Entry 3271
Well, when a man is runnin' aroun', yo' ask 'im fo' a silvah dime. He [does not] give yo' a silvah dime an' he gives yo' two nickels. Well, yo' know, [say], "oh! honey, ah don't want dis becuz ah don't want it aroun'." Or somepin lak dat. Give him some kinda story in ordah to git a silvah dime from 'im. Well, yo' takes a dime of yore own, go to de drug store or any store dat sells Hearts Cologne an' git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. Git chew a piece of white cotton, jes' enough to covah a dime. Den go wash out a jar, yo' know, a vaseline jar dat's large enough. Whenevah at night de man have intahco'se wit de woman, well he kin take [the cloth], or she rathah - it [cloth] be [at] de woman's side. Most mens take first but in [this case] a woman must take first. She takes dis cotton an' jes gits - jes' sodge [massage] it in dat, see. Fold it ovah dis dime an' drops it in de bottom of dis little glass jar. Den po's de Hearts Cologne ovah it [cloth] an' tighten it [jar] up tight, an' den set inside in de clothet. Or if a man, he kin do lak dat. He kin keep it in 'is pocket jes' in ordah where nobody won't see where - where she won't see it. Dat will keep 'im where he won't go out any mo'.
(How many dimes do you use, just the one or two?)
Jes' one, but when yo' see it's dryin' out, why yo' jes' renew it wit Hearts Cologne, dat's all. Den jes' massage it ovah ag'in an' use de Hearts Cologne.
predicted keeping a partner from going out after a concealed preparation. No verified control These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 2376) · Read full source (printed page 2377)
Entry 7623
Well, dey tell me jis' lak if yo' have lots of enemies an' dey say if a mean person wus tuh die, dat chew go dere, out tuh dis graveyard, no one but chew, an' git some of dis dirt out an' give 'em - put 15c down in dere, say, "Here's 15c yo' kin have." An' say yo' takes dis dirt an' stan' up an' throw it in de house. Dey say dat would conquah yore enemies down.
(Whose house do you throw that in, your own house or the enemy's house?)
Tuh yore enemy's house but not let no one see yuh. Throw it an' let none of 'em see yuh, an' dat will conquah dem down.
Entry 7759
Ah heard of 'em goin' tuh de graveyard an' gittin' dat dirt at twelve a'clock at night an' plantin' it undah de steps. Dat'll keep dere man, keep dere ole man; yassuh, keep de man at home, keep 'im from leavin'.
Entry 7815
You can use graveyard dirt for many occasions. Now, you can take graveyard dirt, dirt dauber, sand.
(Sand?)
Sand.
(Ordinary sand?)
Ordinary sand, cement [and graveyard dirt] an' yo' can make a ball out of it. You take it an' make a real ball out of it. An' after you make that ball out of it, why you takes that stuff that you make mosquito bar an' yo' take that, an' wrap that around of it. An' put it out in the sun, where de sun can hit it an' let it dry, an' take that an' just put it in de house. It's just as hard as a ball, it is. An' any time, why, if yo' wants to have control over whomsomever yo' desire to have control, yo' just kick that ball aroun' an' play wit it, call his names, an' de next three or four hours he's supposed to bedere.
(I see.)
Entry 7868
Yo' kin go tuh de graveyard, but it gotta be a certain time; late at night, ah think now, ah dunno. An' yo' go down intuh de middle of de grave, run yore hand down in dere jes' as fer as yo' kin in de middle of dat grave. Yo' bring out some of dat dust, jes' a small amount, don't have tuh have very much of it. An' yo' go back home an' yo' take dis table salt an' mix in wit it. An' lak if yo' wanta come in possession of sompin othah, or Want somebody tuh do sompin dat yo' desire 'em tuh do, take dat dust an' dat table salt an' go an' place it - place it where dey will pass ovah it.
Entry 7946
Take a new needle out of a pad dat's nevah been sewed an' go tuh a un- dahtakah's shop an' run it in de garment of de dead person. An' if yo' wanta control dat person an' dere's a track aroun' de house an' in de yard, take dat needle an' yo' nail it down, wit de haid down firs' where dey step. An' dey will not leave yo'.
Entry 8033
Go tuh a graveyard where a man died, [I mean] if he died a gamblah, an' git dat bone [one of his bones] an' put dat bone - pound it up well, yo' see, an' put dat same ordah [amount] of con- trollin' powdah in dat, an' put dat cinnamon in dere wit sugah [these 3 substances dress the bone]. An' if he goes in any game, an' if anybody's playin' [chances] lak in a church or anythin', [or] he ask 'em fo' anythin', he controllin' 'em, see - he git it wit a smile, see. An' he kin be a man dat do not [harm?] tuh anybody, see.
Entry 8039
Ah heard dat dey take de middle-fingah bone an' if dey wants tuh be lucky.
(What do you call the middle-finger bone?)
Uh, dis fingah heah [demonstrates].
(The middle finger on the left hand.)
Yessuh, dis one [demonstrates].
(The third joint. That's the joint right next to the hand.)
Yessuh. An' dey take dat an' dey let it git hard an' dry, an' dey take den an' dey put dat in de stove an' let it bake till it becomes - it bleaches white an' lak crumbly. Den dey takes it an' dey crumble it tuh ashes. An' dey take dose ashes, take de ashes from dat middle fingah, an' den dey take de ashes of a dove's laig, of dis lef' laig, an' dey take dose two ashes an' put 'em tuhgethah, an' den dey put lode- stone in dere. An' aftah dey put de lodestone, den dey take den an' dey put dis silvah; not de liquid quicksilvah, [but] yo' know dis silvah dat's kinda lak dey shake it out jis' lak powdah. An' dey take dose three thin's an' dey mix 'em all tuhgethah.
(The silver is just like a powder you mean. It's a silver just like powder?)
Yessuh, grind it tuh a silvah powdah. Yo' know, not de quicksilvah whut chew po's out, whut chew po' lak watah. An' dey takes an' dey mix dose three thin's tuhgethah an' dey say dat it will cuz dem tuh have powah an' dominion ovah me tuh rule 'em.
(A man would do that to get power over another man?)
Yessuh.
Entry 8224
[Preceding informant gives another version of the nine-needle theme:]
Take his pichure an' write his name. Write chure name firs' an' den 'is; will follah yures, yo' know. (You write your name first?) Yes, an' 'is name nex'.
(Underneath?)
Yessuh, an' den yo' put nine needles an' put it in de closet, an' yo' put chure pichure aside of it an' dat'll make 'im stay stay. He can't go no place.
(You stick these needles into the picture?)
Yessuh, nine needles. (You write your name and then you write his name right underneath your name? And you put your picture right next to that picture in the closet.)
Entry 8391
Kin take de photograph an' dose pictures, take de haid yo' know. Take de pichures or sompin lak dat an' take his haid. She take an' wipe [that photo] yo' know wit a little pee yo' undahstan', see. Well, dat pichure standin' ovah heah. Yo' know, a girl, she Will do most anythin', so dat boy cain't quit 'er an' go no place yo' undahstand.
(She just puts her pee on his photograph?)
Dat's it.
(And she keeps it some place?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8493
Takin' dat parchment papah an' puttin' de boss name an' wearin' it in de left shoe wit his name on top - wearin' it in de left shoe. Aftah takin' it, take a powder - can't commit de name but it's a high-class powder.... Takin' dat powder an' po'it in dat parchment papah an' foldin' dat parchment papah Wit de boss' name at de bottom an' yores at de top an' wearin' it in de shoes, an' yo' kin be standin' there in de audience wit 50 mens, an' by some reason, he will come an' pick yo' out an' give yo' de first preference.
(Is it some sort of a love powder or smelling powder?)
It's a controllin' powder.
Entry 8560
Yo' wants tuh know of any 'vantage of people don't chew? Oh, ah have experienced dis mah ownself. Ah've seen people do - dey take a piece of papah, see. Well, he'd write three names on dere an' he would take it an' fold it. Take an' fold de paper to yo'. Yes, an' if he wants to make anybody do whut he wants dem to do, yo' know - jest lak yo' wanta take 'vantage of a woman. Yo' take her note [or letter] an' write three names on dat note.
(What three names do you write on that paper?)
Three of one woman's names, jest de same woman. (In other words if her name was Helen, you would say [write] Helen, Helen, Helen.) Helen, Helen, Helen. An' yo'd write it an' yo'd fold it to yo'. An' yo' go out an' yo' take saltpeter an' yo' take bluestone, an' yo' would take it an' carry it home an' burn [it] see. Dat's to make her do whut chew want her to do. (You put saltpeter and bluestone in this piece of paper when you fold it up, or do you burn it after the paper has been folded up?) Yo' fold it up an' put it in an' burn it, see.
[Put it in and fold it up and then burn!]
(That is to make her do what you want her to do?)
Entry 8854
Yo' know when yo' writin' a lettah, an' yo' got chure han's on de pen, mah [your] wrist is on de lettah. Well, dey cuts dis off. Dey cuts dis heah off de lettah, see. Well, dey take dat lettah whut yo' done Wrote an' wipe it on a piece of fresh meat, a piece of fresh meat, an' take dat meat an' carry it somewheres an' put it up. Put dat meat up until it completely dry. When dat meat completely dry - yo' take dat meat an' keep it where de sun stay hot an' all - an' when dat meat dry up, yo take dat meat an' yo' put it in a can airtight. It's hard dry. Dat kill yo' right dere. Yo' lose control of yore han', yo' have no mo' use of yore hand.
Entry 10069
Kill a black cat an' take him away out in de graveyard, build a fire an' stew him down an' git 'is bones - out de lef' hind laig. An' wrap dat up an dat's what de' call de black cat bone. An' dat makes yuh husban' or yuh boy friend - jis', he's right wit chah. Nobody kin git 'im. [Evidently a woman must manage this rite, though I never heard of a woman attempting the ordeal. In theory the person who wants a black cat bone must obtain it himself, but I am certain a hoodoo person or shop could arrange the business.]
Entry 10213
She kin measure him if she wanta with a string or with ribbon when he goes tuh sleep. She kin tie that roun' her laig or she kin put it in her pocketbook or in her pillow an' she kin control him, but that will lead to accidents in de long run. He'll hurt her.
Entry 10215
After she measures that [man's penis], she gets some of your [man's pubic] hair, mixes that together, puts it in a little bag and wears it between her legs down here, and thereon he's her man. [Freder- icksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 10250
What would she do to fix him up? She would take a string while he is asleep and get the length of his private. And she'll tie that string in nine knots and she'll wear that string around her waist. And when he goes on the street amongst other womens, why his private will fall, it will never raise up for no one but her, as long as she wears that string. And she don't have to wear the string unless she wants to, for she can easily bury the string. The string will do its work either on her body or in the ground, as long as it is tied and she got the right length of it. It'll never raise up for no woman but her.
Entry 10253
Ah tell you now, the Way ah understand the thing, it's jes' as good. Jes' like yo' have a interco'se with a woman, you tie nine knots in de string and she ain't going have nobody but you. If ah'd have fifty gals, ah betcha she'd wanta come [to me only].
(What would you do with that string after you put those nine knots in it?)
Tie it around your waist or tie it around your laig - right up above your kneecap here [demonstrates]. Co'se ah'm dirty [as I could see]. You know, ah'm a [house] painter you see. Ah betcha she won't have 'em [other men].
[While machine turned off informant says something.]
(Yes, and do what?)
You tie nine knots in the string.
(Yes, but didn't you say you did something else with it?)
Yes, jes' after you have interco'se with a woman [you do this. If some man] Wanta steal your wife, do this. You tie it around your waist. Ah betcha she won't have no one else.
Entry 10254
They say that if yo' have a husband and he runnin' round and yo' Wanta stop him from runnin' roun', of co'se yo' take him, yo' know - ah guess when yo' do fomily duties - an' yo' measure him. And after measuring him, co'se [of course] yo' put nine knots in it, de string. An' then take de string an' wear it round yore waist, an' of co'se he can't have no courage with no one but chew.
Entry 10255
Ah heard dat chew kin take a cord string dat chew buy on a package an' measure his private, an' make nine knots in it an' wear it round yore waist, am' he can't go out an' have nobody else.
Entry 10264
If yo' wanta keep in love wit a man, yo' jes' turn de right foot of yore shoes down underneat' de bed an' he'll have tuh stick wit yo'. He can't go out himself wit womenfolks.
(Whose shoes do you turn down? The woman would turn hers down?)
Dat's right, down under de bed.
Entry 10630
They have a ginseng root. You take a piece of gingseng root and a he and she Adam-and-Eve. See, the he Adam-and-Eve is just a little ball-like, a little white ball - looks like a ball, but it's a root. Well you takes and you mash 'em [Adam-and-Eve and ginseng] up together.
(What does the she look like?)
The she look the same way only it's more longer, see. Well, then, you take and mash up them he and she, Adam-and-Eve, and the ginseng root and Angelico [for this root see later]. Mash it all up together until it's just a powder, see. Put it on the stove and scorch it. Take flour, mix a little flour - sort of like it's burned, scorch it good - and put it in a sack and just dust arou d there. Dust around your house for nine days.
(What will that do?)
Well, that will - you'll get under control.
(You do what?)
Under control, that controls your house.
(Oh, you do that just so this person comes under your control?)
Yes, sir.
(If there's a woman in the house, she would begin to like you?)
Yes, sir. [The preceding Angelico: originally while reading this I annotated 'angelica the candied "angelique"; but could it be in U. S. A., the roots from the Hercules club?]
Entry 9749
Jes' lak if yo' an' a person have a big dispute or somepin of de kind, den yo' take nine nails, nine bran'-new nails. An' take yo' some sulphuh an' take dem nine nails an' a piece of tin. Yo' know, a top [lid of tin can] an' nail it down lak dat. Nail it through dat top an' put dat sulphuh undah it, undah de top. See [demonstrates], turn de top down, see, an' yo' take nine nails an' nail 'em roun' [through the lid] lak dat. An' if he's plannin' tuh do anythin', take a suit ag'inst yo' or anythin' of de kind, use dem nine nails. Den yo' tie his mind down. Yo' tie his mind down dat he can't do whut he intend tuh do. Can't do it.
(You just simply put the sulphur out there, and turn that tin top [or lid]
down over it, and drive nine nails into it.) Nine nails. An' talk to it jes' lak ah'm talkin' tuh yo', jes' what yo' want tuh be done.
(What would you say?)
Jes' lak dis: "Ah don' wan' chew tuh bring suit ag'inst me. Yo' must be mah fren', not a enemy. Yo' gotta be mah fren'." Yo' see, yo' nail dem nails down an' yo' talk tuh it, jes' lak yo' call 'is name: "John, yo' must be mah fren an' not a enemy tuh me. Yo' must be mah fren'." An' jes' nail yore nails right on down. "Ah'm talkin' tuh yo', John, an' callin' yore name. Dis is Carrie Han' [Hand] talkin' tuh yo'. An' yo' must be mah fren, not mah enemy.' An' jes' nail dem nails down lak dat.
(Where do you nail the nails down?)
Yo' kin nail 'em down jes' anywhere in yore house, yo' undahstan'. [Sumter, S. Car., (1351). 2344:6.]
Entry 9766
(Twenty penny nails. You mean onepenny nails or twenty of them?)
No. Twentypenny nails but ten of them. Twentypenny. Like you go to the hard- ware store and say, "Give me a dime's worth of twentypenny nails. (Then what?) You take - see, like that wall over there. You take your husband's name or your wife's name [on a piece of paper] and open a hole [in the wall] and put it in there. And drive ten of them nails with her name up in there and she'll do anything you want her to do. Yeah. Just nail 'em in there and name her as yo' drive 'em. Ten of 'em. [New Orleans, La., (851), 1319:4.] (h). INDEFINITE NUMBER OF NAILS
Entry 9812
Use de pins an' needles. Yo' kin use it fo' nine points or eighteen points. Dat's tuh make love an' tuh hold a person.
(How do they do that?)
Well, yo' kin take yo' a bran'-new nine. Ah'm goin' use nine points. It's accordin' tuh how many points. It runs from nine tuh eighteen points. If yo' goin' tuh nine points, yo' kin git chew nine bran'-new needles dat nevah been used. An' yo' git chew nine bran'-new pins dat nevah been used, an' yo' take a piece of clot' [any kind of cloth] lak dis [demonstrates] an' yo' run one needle dat way an' run one dis way, see [demonstrates]. (You altermate them.) Yes, but when yo' put a needle, yo' put a pin; yo' put a needle an' yo' put a pin. Dat's de way yo' do. [You altemate needles and pins which are alternated heads and tails.] An' den yo' wrap dat up - jes' wrap it up good an' tight lak dat - an' yo' kin put dat somewhere; seal [conceal] dat undah each [anyl side of de house. See. An' yo' kin control dose people by dat needle. Now if dey seems tuh be cold towards yuh an' yo' wan' dem tuh be friendly tuh yo', yo' go tuh dose needles an' pick 'em up an' jes' turn 'em aroun'.- reverse dem. If yo' got 'em layin' dis way [demonstrates] jes' take dis end an' turn it back heah. Jest reverse it. Any time dat anything oc- curs wit chew an' dat party, why yo' jes' reverse dose needles an' dat'll keep 'em right tuh yo'. Evah time yo' reverse it, dat brings dere mind tuh yo', see. An' yo' use dem [the needles or the person or both] dat way.
Entry 10757
A woman kin take a pair [of her] bloomers an' put it over the had [of] yo' bad unknowin'st tuh yo' an' make yo' do anything she wanted tuh make yo' do. An' yo' inhale dat thing, yo' can't help from comin' back home.
Entry 11157
Now, if yo' don' wanta take an' do dat, chew kin git chew some devil heart watah [hoodoo store preparation?] an' bluein' an' shake dat up an' bust dat bottle. Git de devil heart watah an' put it into dat bottle; den yo' git chew some bluein' an' put it into dat bottle. An' take dat bottle an' shake it up an' wherevah de person livin' at, yo' bust dat bottle in front dey do' an' dat make 'em move.
Entry 11452
Cut several fingernails from left hand, scrape skin from left foot and piece of right inner sole, wear in bag, and you can control the person.
[Vicksburg 989:5.]
Entry 11737
Go to de cemetery at a certain hour of de night and take dirt. You kin change de will of a person, put 'em under your control, dey claim, if you kin get dat dirt, you know. Get it sifted, thrown any- where where dey dwell or where visit; supposed to control their mind. You kin do dat by using dat dirt. I've seen several instances where dat was tried and it really - well, it worked all right because dey had dat belief quality.
(They just throw it around where they were?)
Just sprinkle it around where dey have to pass in and out.
The informant reports cemetery dirt taken at a certain night hour, sifted and scattered where people dwell or pass, as a claimed means of controlling their will. Personal observations are qualified by the informant's reference to belief. The interviewer's placement question remains separate.
Entry 11846
Dey takes a strand of your hair an' tie it in nine knots. Den dey vill have you just like dey wanta, anything dat dey want you to do. And dey got chure hair, such as [both places] or love lettahs, why you'll be behold [usually beholden] to dem. See, 'cause dey got dat hair down in dat perfume and it's stopped up [in a bottle]. You more den apt to [give in] to dem right away.
Entry 11902
"To have man under her feet, " woman wore his hair between her bare feet and stockings. [Mobile 899:1.]
Entry 12033
If a woman boils a man's hair in the food he eats, he will be under her control. [Jacksonville 751:2.]
Entry 12124
If you tie a man's hat bow up in a piece of new homespun and put it up over the door-facing, he will do what you want. [Wilmington 112:7+85.]
Entry 12424
An' jis' lak if yore husban' is runnin' aroun' an' yo' don' want him tuh run out with wimmins. Yo' take a cord string an' measure hisself, yo' know, at de length, an' yo' tie nine knots in dat an' yo' wear it roun' yore waist. Dat'll keep him at home. [Memphis 1520:12.]
Entry 12539
Yo' take de red onion - dat's lucky fo' yore house - yo' take de red onion. It's lak if yo' got a friend, yo' kin rule him by usin' dat red onion. Yo' take dat red onion an' cut it in fo' parts an' git chew a little cup an' put dat in wit sulphur, brimstone an put dat in de corner of yore house - yo' know, where people don't have to be Worryin' roun' dere no way but chewself. An' his name write on a piece of papah understan' dat. An' dat will keep him, make him be nuthin but lovin' to yo', an' den dat will make him bring his money to yo'.
Entry 12570
To git a man an' keep him, that he can't git away. When he goes to sleep and likes he makes a rise, you know, you git you a cord string when it do, you measure it from the tip to the end to where it starts at, and you tie nine knots in that string and put that around your waist. And regardless of what you do or what- ever he can't go. He'll follow you all over the world. He can't get away from you.
Entry 12702
(What did you do with that Queen Elizabeth Root?)
Queen Elizabeth [root], you take people [working] for church or anything like that, they totes that. That have control ovah de membership. [Here is a rare rite!] Jest like she [Queen Elizabeth] did when coming ovah to dis country and like dat. Power! Women use mo' 'en [more than] anybody else. She kin control her husband, church or anything with that Queen Elizabeth root.
Entry 12771
Now, it's hard fer yo' to get de dead man's bone, but if yo' kin git de deadman's bones, yo' goin' to use dis thing out de woods what chew call de pickle [prickle] feet too. Wal yo' goin't' git dat deadman's bone out de [graveyard] an' yo'll take dat an' take it to yo' house. Yo' goin' scrape dat. Now yo've got sompin ag'in me. Yo've got sompin ag'in me. Yo' don't want nobody to git next to yo'. Yo' goin' to take one scrapin' of dat bone an' scrape it fer yo'self fust [first]. Yo' fust part in dat scrapin' yo' will bind 'em down to yo'. (Well, what do you do after you scrape that? What do you do with that scrap- ing?) De fust part of de scrapin', yo' keep dat.
(What do you do with the rest of it?)
When yo' want to scatter it, scatter it out do' de no't an' de so't. Dat to hold yo' enemy from yo'.
(What do you do with that prickle feet then?)
Dat prickle feet - dat prickle feet is de devil. Dat prickle feet hold yo' from start to finish. Yo' kin use dat prickle feet to de no't', to de s'ut', to de west - any way yo' wanta use it; but chew Wanta handle it wit care.
Entry 8662
Ah kin take three matches an' stick 'em up - see, let de head be up. Yo' may walk by me. Yo' walk on by me. Ah wants to take de upper hand of yo'. Well, now ah'll take dem three matches an' when yo' git by me, if ah know yo' name, ah'll call yore name three times. Yo' Won't look back but one time. De other time yo' ain't going to look back. That's when ah wanta take de upper hand of yo'. WelI, all right, chew go on to de second block or yo' may walk to de third block. Yo' stop, yo' stop right still an' yo'll turn back. But when yo' git back to where ah'm been, ah'm gone; but ah done got de scent of yo' an' yo' do jest what ah want, an' ah kin git anythin' yo' got.
(What do you do with those matches then?)
Ah take dem three matches an' ah'll jes' let 'em - an' call yo' back. Ah'll take dem three matches an' carry dem to my house an' put 'em down an' bury 'em. [The preceding rite evidently derives from the well-known spirit-catching one in which a person's name is called and his answering voice is stopped up in a bottle. Here we catch a passing person's scent by calling his name three times. He does not answer, merely looks round once. I do not recall another example of the rite. The informant, a good one, evidently believes it.]
Entry 9315
They take black hen egg an' put yore name on it nine times an' bury it. It'll run yo' crazy, make yo' die.
(What's that?)
Control of yore mind.
Entry 10616
Yo' kin take devil's-shoestring an' Adam-an'-Eve root an' if it's any- body roun' dat chew wanta do somepin, wan' dem tuh leave or somepin, yo' could put it up ovah yore front do'. An' if dey evah walk undah it, anything dat chew tell 'em or say dat chew want 'em tuh do, dey do it. An' yo' don' even have tuh tell 'em.
Entry 11091
To control person, take his garment, bury it in the middle of a three- pronged road. [Washington, no reference.] [The center of a three-pronged road is rarer than the center of a four-pronged crossroad, this latter with object in center creating a quincunx. I have sometimes called this three-pronged road a "Y" crossroad.]
Entry 12774
If I wanta harm yuh - if I wants tuh harm yuh, I'm goin' show yuh de way I'd harm yuh. Now, ah've got somepin dat ah wants to git nex' to yo' fo'. Ah'll come to yore house an' sit down an' talk wit chew today. Dat to git de sense to see what chew, yuh notice me about, if yo' don' notice me too much. Den tomorrah when ah come back, ah bring my dose [mix- ture] what I wants to git nex' to yo', an' sprinkle it in yore house. An' de day what chew got - understand, dat what chew got. When ah leave yo' house, [you] will always wanta see me all de time.
(Well, what sort of dose would you fix up?)
Well, ah'll fix up sompin wit lobelia and hippo - lobelia and hippo root. [This may be my only example of Hippo, the name of the blood flower from the Bahamas.] Now ah git blacksnake powder or rattlesnake powder an' tie yo' up.
(Rattlesnake powder?)
Rattlesnake powder an' tie yuh up. Yo' take dis rattlesnake powder - yo' take it an' bring it wit chew out de Woods an' yo' put one knot in it. Git de blacksnake-shoestring [he means] de devil's-shoestring. Tie dat together an' ah've got chew.
(What is this blacksnake root that you tie up?)
Blacksnake root? Blacksnake root supposed to conkah anything yo' start after, an' rattlesnake powder...
(Rattlesnake powder?)
Rattlesnake powder, dat's a big bush grows about dat high an' grows about dat wide [demonstrates]. Yo' kin take it - yo' kin go to de woods an' take it an put it in yore yard or plant it in yore flowers. But it's no good heah to yuh, yo' gotta git it out de woods. Git chew five-fingah grass. It grows about dat high [demonstrates]. Yo've seen snake's tongue, ain't chew? Well it jes' like a snake's tongue. It grows about dat high [demonstrates], from de ground an' it spread out jes' like a snake's tongue.
(Well, what do you do with that five-finger grass?)
Yo' take dat an' bring it to yore house an' conkah anybody dat chew wanta come by. Anything dat come to yo' mind to do, yo' kin do it. Yo' don't miss nuthin.
Entry 12875
Well, dey got a root dey call de Sampson Giant root.
(Sampson what?)
Sampson Giant root. It's a root, it's impossible almost to break it. Well, it would, could stand a tremendous pressure to break it, but jis' hand it to a person ordinarily, they can't do anything with it. An' they call it the Samp- son Giant root. And they claim that you kin take it and by using it through a perfume, or else using a piece of gum, and you apply for a job, that nine times out of ten, whoever you ask for a job, he will write you up to go to work or give you a proposition to come back at another time. That there's no way to refuse you as long as you got a piece of it, and kin get around him so as to encircle him. Why you got him under your influence during that time.
(You have to go and circle around him?)
Circle and naturally he'll stop. And you tell him your business, that you come to apply for a job. And of course he's more 'an apt to look over and give you somepin to do. That's known as the Sampson Giant root.
Entry 12978
Cut a piece as big as a dime from the insole of a man's shoe, and with new nail, nail this piece to the floor under the carpet over which he walks. This keeps the man there. [Memphis 1551:4.]
Entry 12994
If yo' want him tuh give yo' his money, all his money, sometime ask him fo' money. If he happen tuh han' yo' a silver dime, don't chew spend dat silver dime. Yo' take dat silver dime an' wrap it up in a piece of - it ain't cotton flannel either. It's woolen stuff. Yo' put chew two needles in dat, a short one an' a long one, an' yo' make a wish fo' tuh rule him an' fo' tuh have him bring yo' dat money. An' yo' git chew some oil from de drug sto'.
(What kind of oil?)
Oil of annis. An' keep it [wrapped up hard] anointed wit it an' put it in de bottom of yore trunk, an' he'll bring his money tuh yo'. Dat's whut ah kmoc 'bout dat. Dat's whut ah have experienced.
Entry 9759
You kin take these nails, tenpenny nails, and you kin drive 'em in the ground where some person that you doesn't like or want to move them, you move them with nails. And when you drive 'em in the ground and make your wish, you drive 'em head down an' p'int up. Or you kin drive 'em at your doorstep and nail them down under your control. You use nine nails.
Entry 9844
Dat's tuh fasten a man. Jis' lak yo' had a husban' an' yo' wanted 'im down, an' he couldn't bothah yuh about [what] yo' wuz doin' or goin'. Yo' cud take nine needles out a bran'-new package an' yo' kin take nine straight [new] pins. De needles have steel in 'em an' de pins don't. Yo' kin take a strip of papah jis' off a tablet an' write dis individual's name. An' yo' stick a needle comin' tuh tuh, an' de p'int, stick a needle goin' from yuh - comin' tuh yuh an' goin' from yuh till yo' stick nine needles. Den yo' stick de pins all one way, de nine straight pins, stick each of dose p'ints tuh yuh [demonstrates]. Den yo' would take dose needles an' jis' slightly, jis' [stick] lak dat [demonstrates], chew might say, abou' two or three inches in de ground. Aftah yo' put 'em in dat concernin', ah wanta jis' cross dis party's name. Den yo' kin turn dose needles down. an' yo' make yore wish how yo' want 'im tuh be. An' den jis' covah slightly wit dirt or somepin ovah it dat he may walk in an' out ovah it daily. An' dat'll keep 'im quiet. Dat'll keep 'im down.
Entry 1557
Well now, you see, it's two kind - dere good spirits an' dere evil spirits, an' evil spirits is hard tuh control. If yo' don't know how tuh control 'en yo' cain't do much with 'em, dey'll run ovah yo'. But yo' kin take yo' a silver spoon an' yo' kin control 'em with dat spoon. Yo' kin take dat silver spoon an' put it up ovah de do' or anywhere round near de do' wherevah at dey come in at an' worry yo' - dey can't come ovah dat silver.
(The evil spirits?)
No sir, dey can't come ovah dat silver. Or yo' kin use a piece of new bo'd. Yo' kin take any kinda piece of new bo'd, jes' so it's big as my finger, an' tack it right up ovah where de do' where dey - ah 'magine dey come in at. Yo' usually kin tell where dey come in at - dey'll come in - yo'll hear de do' squeakin' or make some noise or 'nother. Whatevah direction dey come in from, yo' put dat up ovah dere - dat'll keep 'em out. [For "new bo'd, ' see margin-title Wood - New Wood Against Spirits; also Index.]
Entry 4101
Lak if mah man has turn 'is back on me, ah take some of dat chamber lye an' ah put it in 'is coffee an' he drink it. Well, den he'll do anyvay ah say, an' he go wit nobody else.
Entry 4111
An' dey say if she kin git a man's watah, if she take dat watah right aftah de man's had action an' GOT 'IS BLOOD MIXED WIT IT[!!!] she kin handle 'i wit it. She kin mix 'er watah an' 'is watah tuhgethah an' give it tuh 'im tuh eat, an' she keep 'im from goin' hithah - from goin' anywhere 'cept comin' home. Mix 'em tuhgethah. Give it tuh 'im tuh drink in drinks.
Entry 4112
Jis' lak 'if ah workin' on a job. See, DERE'S A BOSS ON DIS JOB. Now, ah'll gO to WOrk - IF DIS BOSS DRINKS, SEE - AH'LL GO TO WORK AN' TAKE SOME OF MAH WATAH AN' PUT IT IN DAT BOTTLE AN' HE'LL COME TO LOVE ME, See. (He'll what?) He'll come to love me jis' lak he love his mothah. Take mah watah in de bottle an' he'll drink off it an' he'll come to love me. An' ah kin handle him jis' lak a baby - jis' lak yuh take a horse an' give him sugah.
Entry 4120
Jis' lak, now, yuh run aroun' a whole lot. Yuh know, jis' lak yuh an ah, yuh wife, wan' chew tuh stay home. Well, all she have tuh do is tuh jis' make yuh some bread up sep'rate, an put a little of 'er watah in it, about nine mawnin's, an' yuh'll stay home. Yuh won' go nowhere. Dat break yuh.
Entry 4342
Here's the way I have heard it. You get a hold of a bottle and you fill it with their urine and stop it up, and throw it overboard and that will float. And as long as that is stopped up, anything you tell them to do they will go ahead and do it.
Entry 4483
Wal, yuh'll take a bath in de watah. Dey kin git a chance tuh git tuh dat watah an' dey'll take a bottleful. Take a bottleful of dat watah. If dey wanta conkah yuh, dey'll take a bottleful of dat watah an' put a stoppah in it. Pack it down tight an' put it down to yuh steps, er [or] tuh dey steps. Dat'll draw all yuh attention tuh nobody but dem.
Entry 4490
(What do they do with your bath water?)
Well, dey take dat bath water and strain it, an' put it up ovah de door some- where where yuh pass out an' undah, an' dat will keep yuh mind on 'em.
Entry 4495
De watah whut chew take a bath [in] - if yuh wanta make a woman love yuh, git dat watah whut chew taken a bath in an' take a teaspoonful of dat. An' put it into - if yuh cook greens or peas or anything lak dat, a spoonful of dat watah intuh anything yuh cook. It's bes' tuh put it in coffee an' let 'er drink dat. An' de third day dere ain't no way in de worl' fo' her tuh quit chew. She can't quit, see. She won't have no feelin' fo' nobody else but chew.
Entry 13347
Well, they can take that chamber lye, that [is] the urine, get some cinnamon and some sugar, and mix that lye [urine] up with it [3 ingredients] but you got to be sure that you didn't spit in it because the spit would cause it not to work. And put in a bottle. And they throw the bot- tle most anywhere, anywhere you couldn't find it. And after awhile that chamber lye will dry up, it will come to be just the empty bottle - it evaporates. And if you want to leave me, you couldn't do it. That's to hold a man.
Entry 13357
If a woman bottles some of a man's urine with gunpowder and sweet milk, and sits it in a corner, she has him cornered as long as she wants him.
[Norfolk 491:2.]
Entry 13452
Yo' kin take a willow tree an' git some of de bark offa it an' tie it up in a pocket hans'cuff an' give it to someone an' dey'll follow yo' an' do anything yo' ask 'em to. [Waycross (1134) 1841:5.]
Entry 11440
Put person's fingernails an' toenails in salt; that controls person.
[Mobile 985:4.]
The account claims control over a person through placing their nails in salt. The kind of control and any actual effect remain unestablished.
Entry 11467
Scrape dead skin from bottom of feet, put in person's food to control or cause love. [Washington, D. C., 822:5.]
Control is one stated aim, alongside an alternative love aim, in the account involving scraped foot material and food. Neither outcome is verified.
Entry 11891
A woman may wear a man's hair in the toe of her shoe and keep it damp with her urine to hold him down." [Richmond 365:5.]
The account says 'may wear' and names 'to hold him down' as its aim. Its meaning is not expanded into a specific mechanism or a verified result.
Entry 12111
"They wear that [hat bow] in the bottom of the shoe...make you care moh for them an' don't have not much use fuh nobody else." [Jacksonville 767:12.]
The account claims greater care for the wearers and little use for others. Hat bow is editorial, and neither the wearing nor the claimed influence is verified.
Entry 12150
Do the same thing with a piece of papah, if yo' know his [boss's] writing. Said yo' jes' write his name an' keep dat name undah yore feet [wear it in your shoe]. Or, yo' could go tuh a hickory tree, yo' know jes' a small one, an' ben' it down. Jes' ben' jes' lak yo' wanta ben' it. Jes' talk to it like yo's callin' his name: 'Ah want chew to be submissive tuh me or nice tuh me, an' min' me." An' said when yo' go tuh him why he'll be jes' lak dat [putty in your hands].
(He'll give you a job?)
Yessir, yo' could control dem [him].
The reply says 'could control dem' after the interviewer asks about a job. Editorial referent labels remain separate; neither control nor employment is verified.