Subject:Cook
Entries
Entry 6460
Jis' shave it off, take a little, yuh know - jis' a little bit off yeh fingahnails. An' take a razor an' shave a little bit undah yeh ahms, an' a lit- tle bit of hair down dere. An' take dat an' put it in a pot dat choo not gon'a use any mo', an' put it on de fiah; a pot choo're not gon'a use any mo', becuz yuh know nobody fix anything dat yuh wouldn't wana eat [from] it. An' git a pint of whiskey, somebody dat choo know dat love whiskey. An' take dat stuff aftah yuh cook it - it'll git thick - let it drain off. An' when it drain off, put jis' a little bit in whiskey, until de whiskey won't git so thick dat he'll pay mind tuh it. An' den dat's de way yuh kin draw a person wid jeh. If yuh can't git 'em no othah way, yuh kin git 'em in whiskey.
Entry 6534
Ah heard dat dey could take a dozen [12] red ants an' cook dem an' put 'em in a package. An' git dat package tuh a person an' saturate dat package in anything dat he might drink. An' dat would cuz 'im tuh swell up an' give him a' interternal [= internal] disease.
(In other words you would use this in the liquor.)
Entry 6828
Goes tuh de graveyard an' git dirt fo"luck: An' yo' kin git it fo' bad luck. If anythin', yo' kin git it offa certain grave, if yo' kin remembah de certain grave; an' if yo' cain't remembah de certain grave, git de dirt, but it's gotta be at night. Yo' cain't go in de daytime an' git. Some peoples have tried it in de daytime when dey goin' tuh de funeral an' git it, but chew'll have tuh go at night, when only de gravediggers are dere.
(What do you do with it then?)
Yes, yo' kin use it fo' luck. Yo' kin take dis graveyard dirt an' git chew some of de flowahs dat's in de graveyard. Yo' kin git some of de rose - yo' cain't use it unless yo' has some kinda flowahs - rose. Yo' kin git chew a flow- ah from de graveyard an' use dis graveyard dirt or eithah fern from de graveyard; or eithah some kinda sprout twig - not any dry. Yo' cain't use any dry twigs, yo' have [to] git 'em all sproutin' when de sap is in 'em. An' place 'em tuh- gethah an' wrap 'em in any kind of cloth yo' wanta. An' wind 'em roun' yuh waist fo' luck, or eithah yo' kin have 'em fo' peoples havin' spells. Or eithah yo' kin use it fo', if yo' have a person sick in yuh home, it's bettah fo' dat. If a person's sick in yore home an' yo' figure dat dey're not goin' git well, de doctors an' evahthin' have given 'em up, use dis graveyard dirt fo' dat, but chew'll have tuh cook it in dere food. Regardless tuh how dirty it is an' all lak dat, yo'll have tuh cook it in dere food, fo' de condition dat dey are in - fo' dere health.
Entry 10119
Ah've had a fren' of mine - ah've seen dat. Ah've had a frien' of mine kill a cat, black cat. Jis' taken an' put 'im in de watah live - jis' put in de watah live an' let 'im cook all tuh pieces. But dat's de devil [devil's work]. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces an' put a lid ovah 'im, [keep] dat down. Let 'im cook all tuh pieces when he's live. He took dat cat, when he cook all tuh pieces, he took de right hin' laig of 'is bone den an' throw it in de watah. Hit'll run up [stream]. It shore do. Hit'll run up an' den come back, an' stop an' turn aroun' [and surely bows to you!]. Dat's de lucky bone. But chew don' fin' [find] dat done evah day.
(The right hind leg.)
Dat bone by de j'int [joint].
Entry 11206
Yo've heard tell of yo' takin' a dirt dauber, taking de nest out de house an' mix it up. Sift it in yore meal or flour whatsomevah yo do, an' cook it in yore bread, an' dat'll make yo' ole man love yo'.
(Make him love you.)
Entry 12324
Yo' could use de strucken wood, de wood where it strucken by lightnin', an' dey said dat dey use it on a person an' dey said dat dis person will soon die.
(How would you use it on a person?)
Well, jes' go tuh work an' make a tea an' put de tea tuh de bread, from de same wood. Jes' take it an' put it in a pot an' boil it, an' give de person de tea. Or eithah jes' mix it in whatsomevah dey eat. From lightnin'-strucken [wood]. (Well, what about burning the wood. Did you say something would happen about that?) If dey burn de wood, de person will soon die.
(Who Would soon die?)
Whosomevah goes tuh work an' use de wood. Well, if dey use it In de Name of de Lord, dey couldn't take it, dey say. But yo' kin use it fo' whut chew wanta use it fo'.
Entry 12407
If yo' take mat- ches an' take an' cut de haids of 'em off, an' put 'em in your husban's clothes, say dat will make him love yo'. Jes' cut de haids of de matches off an' 'solve [dissolve] 'em yo' see, an' take de watah off of dem an' cook his food with it. That will make him love yo'.
(Well, how do you mean make him love you?)
Jes' take, lak if he didn't ca' fo' terbacca [tobacco] wus runnin' roun' an' wouldn't stay home, den yo' could take dose matches an' take de sulphur out of 'em an' make him stay home.
Entry 12434
If yo' wanta git anybody's secret, git yo' a bird aig, a mockin'bird [egg] an' cook it an' eat it. Boil it. (What will happen then?) Say yo' kin git anybody's secret, have to tell yo' dere secret; if yo' wanta know it, anything yo' wanta know. Any- thing dey done an' yo' wanta know it, yo' jes' give 'em dat. Dey tell ever'- thing dey know. (They would have to eat that, then they'll tell you the secret. You won't eat it. They eat it?) They eat it.
(They tell you the secret?)
Tell yo' de secret.
Entry 12439
If yo' wanted a woman or somepin [someone] tuh tell yo' everythin', anything she knows, ever'thing she do's well. Nowa durin' de spring of de yeah when de bird's startin' tuh layin', yo' go out an' find a mockin'bird's nest an' come back heah an' take de yellah of de aig, an' place it wit de yellah of a hen aig an' cook it. Fix her a sandwich an' she eat it. She'll tell yo' everything be done an' everything she knows.
Entry 12443
Well, dey didn't tell me no certain 'mount, but dey jes' say yo' kin use mockin'bird eggs an' yo' kin separate a couple wit mockin'bird aigs. (How can you do that?) Yo' cook dem aigs. See, dey'll git hard. Under- stand. Cook 'em an' yo' powder dem aigs up, an' den yo' kin sprinkle dat round a person's house or inside dey house, an' dat'll separate dem. Dey always said dat mockin'birds would be - he would make his nest but he would soon tear it down. He wouldn't nevah stay. An' dat's de reason why dey could take dat an' yo' [dey] kin sprinkle it round yore house an' in de house, an' dat'll shore make a couple spearate, fuss, yo' know, have argu- ments an' all like dat.
Entry 1159
De yallah jander [= janders = jaundice], anything lak dat, yo' git a yallah hen an' cook it an' if yo' can't eat it all at one time, jes' eat till yo' eat it all yoreself - it'll cure dat.
Entry 1226
Say yo' could take a dog when she's in heat an' kill her an' if anybody had consumption or T. B. or somethin' lak dat an' cook her unbeknown to 'em an' let 'em eat it, dey say dat would cure 'em.
Entry 2177
Take your onion, a raw onion and put it in the middle of the fish, don't sprinkle it, just take a whole onion and put it in there. You clean it and put it on in the fish, and you ain't going to have none left - all them going to be sold out.
(That's when you're having your fish fry. Do you put it in each fish?)
That? No, just put that in the skillet in the first fish you fry - just that whole onion in the middle of it when it's frying. Put it on top of the fish there and let your fish fry. And your next one [skillet] you fry, just put it on there, all your fish will be eat.
(Each fish that you fry?)
Not each fish, just in the front of the skillet. Turn your fish over and take the onion up and set it back, don't set it where it'll burn, set it on top of there. You clean it but you don't cut it up. Use catfish and buffalo. All of them will sell out.
Entry 3426
Ah heard dem say yo' take a - jes' lak yo' klll a dog, or a dog git killed. Yo' take dat blood from dat dog an' fix it up in bread or sompin othah lak dat fo' yore husban', an' if he mess wit ary [any] othah woman, dey'll git fastened.
(You mean they get that from a dog that gets killed?)
Or, eithah yo' - de dog git kllled, if yo' ain't got de heart tuh do [it]. But dey say mostly it'll work bettah if yo' do it chureself. Split dat dog open an' git de livah. Cook it an' give it to yore husban', an' if dey'll have a intahco'se wit a woman, dey'll do jes' lak a dog do's. (You get that dog's blood and put it in some of his food.)
Entry 3427
Othah things about a dog, ah hear'n 'em say. Yo' could take a dog's livah if yo' wanta. Jes' lak if a woman's husban' goin' wit anothah one [woman] an' she [wife] wanted tuh ketch up wit 'im an' couldn't ketch up wit: 'im no way, an' she take dat dog livah an' cook it an' let dat man eat it. Well, when he go back to dat woman an' have connection wit 'er ag'in, dey git hang up.
Entry 3428
Well, yo' see de way dat's done, it's lak a man an' woman's havin' connection - white an' [or] colored, yo' know, togethah, an' de woman Want 'er husban' tuh stop. Why yo' git dat dog livah an' cook it, yo' know, an' den have her husban' eat it fo' suppah, yo' see. He eat an' den he go out, de firs' thing he git in 'is min', 'bout dat colored woman or whatevah woman he's wit, an' he go dere an' git wit dat woman, an' de doctor [M.D.] have tuh git 'em apart.
Entry 3435
Yo' could kill a dog, a puppy don't yo' know, an' take his livah out don't chew know an' fry dat. Put it wit some ole livah don't chew know from de sto' when yo' fry dat. Give it to yore ole man. He shore [sure] eat dat wit de dog livah. An' jes' whatsomevah woman he runnin' roun' wit, foolin' wit, well when dey ties up togethah, dey'll jes' hook up togethah, yo' undahstan' me. Dat's whut it take to make dem two, yo' know, git hook up togethah an' yo' can't git 'em loose - yo' undahstan'.
Entry 3440
A man kin kill a proudin' gyp an' take dat livah an' cook it an' let 'is wife eat it, an' if she went out near anothah man, dat's where she'd be found. [My following comment is not a gratuitous remark of mine. I am merely re- peating what informant had added after I had turned off recording machine. Other examples of these brief additions will be found in the text.]
(There's no way of getting them apart.)
Entry 3465
Yo' jes' kill a li'le dog, any kinda dog, an' take his livah. Take it an' flour it an' fry it, fix it, an' he eat a piece of it, an' den de firs' woman dat he go tuh have, dey git stuck togethah dat way. [This was the logical place to stop recording, but informant immediately con- tinuing forced me to repeat his last statement in the form of a question.]
(They have to kill the woman?)
DAT OUTA HER, CUZ IF DEY GO TUH CUT IT OUT SHE GOIN' DIE. [FayettevIlle, N. Car.,
(1450), 2335:4.]
[We are concerned here with the simple knot, one of the oldest and most Fl portant inventions of man. What would he have done without it? No wonder the tying of a knot soon became and has remained for the untutored mind a great magic rite, one of confining the spirit, making it submissive to the tier's will.]
Entry 3936
Take - buy livah or steak an' tie it roun' 'twixt 'er laigs right chere, right in 'er groin. Tie it roun' dere an' wear it in de mawnin' - wear it till eventime tuh cook it. An' den she'll go an' cook dat an' yo'll eat dat an' den yo' can't leave her. Yo' jes' go crazy ovah her.
Entry 3938
If she wants 'im back she kin git 'im back. She jes' go an' maybe git sweet wit 'i, sometime want 'im come ovah an' take a meal wit 'er. Well, she may den buy a piece of steak or piece of sompin - pork chop. An' take it some- time an' if it while her monthlies on her, jes' run it 'tween 'er laigs an' fry dat fo' him, an' give it to him. IN NINE DAYS HE'LL BE BACK DERE.
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 3942
Well, wimmins trick a man by usin' dem ministrate [pieces]. All right, yo' take a woman an' she's ministratin', she cook tomatoes or she cook a cake, she only jes' take dat cloth an' squeeze one or two drops an' feed 'i. She kin do anythin' in de worl'.
Entry 3949
An' den ag'in if a man quit a woman an' she kin git 'im tuh eat tuh her house - lak a woman take sick once a month - she wear a piece of steak right fol ten minutes, an' take it an' beat it up an' fry fo' him. An' aftah she beat it up an' fry it fo' him, den he eat dis steak an' he'll be jes' as crazy 'bout 'er as he evah wuz.
Entry 4082
[They] say dat she kin take, if she wanted tuh make him really love her, or he love her, dat he kin go take some of 'is, or she kin take some of 'er watah, anythin' lak dat, an' put it in somepin tuh eat an' cook it fo' him, yuh know, an' let 'im eat dat.
Entry 6420
But if dey scrape de bottom of de feet an' dey cook dat in yore food, yo' cannot leave 'em.
Entry 6541
Ah heard tell of 'em takin' a dirt daubah's nes' an' cookin' it in yore food. An' dey say dat will put dirt daubahs in yo'. An' dose bugs an' things come in yo'.
Entry 10025
Jis' say fo' instance yo' kidnap yuh black cat. Yo'll have tuh kidnap 'im. Yo'll take dat cat an' skin 'em. Yo' kill [stun?] 'im an' skin 'im 'live, jis' lak yo' would a rabbit or anything else. Well, yo' take dat cat an' yo' cook it. Yo' boil dat meat, jis' cook it so it'll fall tuh pieces. An' yo'll git dat bone. Yo' have tuh take it den an' yo' sterilize it. Yo' scrape it, scrape dat bone an' git it white, white-lak.
(How do you know that you have got the right bone?)
Well, it's a certain bone intuh 'is [left?] hip.
Entry 10033
Well, now, ah tell yuh whut de' [they] say fo' runnin' watah. In case yo' wants anybody confused aroun', a disagreeable neighbah see, dat is terrifyin' yuh. An' yo' wanta git rid of 'em, want 'em tuh leave de community or leave de home or somepin lak dat. It's got a bad story but den ah got it. Yo' git a black cat. Put dat black cat intuh a pot of boilin' watah alive an' covah de pot up. An' let 'im stay in dere until all de flesh drop offa his bones. Den yo' git dat bone. Ah don' know jis' zactly whut bone, but jis' git a bone - ah'd imagine mos' any bone - an' carry it. Well, in othah words, tuh make it cleah, plain, yo' might take a collection of dese bones aftah dey are boiled, cleahed of de meat, an' den yo' carry 'em tuh a runnin' stream of watah. An' de bone dat will float down de stream - de most of 'em will sink - an' it ain't but one of 'em float, dat bone dat will float down de stream. Take dat bone an' carry it an' bury it somewheah neah dat dis- agreeable neighbah. Dat will drive 'em off. [An unusual use for a black cat bone!]
Entry 10036
Ah hear'd tell of 'em usin' a black cat. Yo' kin take a black cat an' yo' put 'em in a pot of watah, an' let 'im cook till all de meat cook off 'is bones - come off 'is bones. Well, aftah all de meat is off 'is bones, yo' go an' git dem bones. Yo' carry dem bones tuh some runnin' watah an' de bone whut run back up de stream - not where de watah runnin', goin' dat way - yo' git dat bone. Dat's de luckiest thing a man kin git on earth.
Entry 10039
At zactly twelve a'clock in de day. (You get what?) Yo' git a black cat, an' at twelve a'clock in de day yo' have yuh watah boilin'. An' yo' take an' yo' throw de cat in de pot, an' yo' have a covah dere so he can't jump out - tuh keep 'im down in dere an' cook 'im all tuh pieces, evahthing right on up. An' yo' take all dat stuff in de can [you use as boiler] an' yo' take it tuh a runnin' stream. An' yo' po' dat stuff in de stream where de watah is runnin', an' de bone dat chew want, instid of goin' down de stream wit de tide, it'll come back, or stan' right down dere tuh de bottom an' quivah. It won't go off, de stuff won't carry it away. An' dat's de bone, de lucky bone. Dat's de bone yo' want. Yo' will know de bone by - it acks pecul'ah, diff'ren' from de rest of de bones.
(What time do you boil that cat?)
Twelve a'clock in de day. [The old fashioned lard can (50 pounds of lard?) Was large enough to be used as a boiler. It is probably an antique today!]
Entry 10042
Yo' take a jet-black cat an' yo' go tuh a forks of de road, see. Take yo' a pot an' put 'em in dere 'live an' shet 'im up, tight where he can't git out. Cook it - ooot all de meat off de bones; see, if yo' Hn stay dere an' smell it. Den gdt all dose bones. Listen good. Den yo' go down tuh a stream-a watah, see, an' tiroo all dem bones in a stream-a watah. An' de bone, dey tell me, dat gpess ap de stream, dat's de bone tuh git.
(What will that bone do for you then?)
Well, dey tells me yo' sells yo'self tuh de devil. Yo' kin do anything.
Entry 2571
The seed of paradise. [See margin-title Paradise Seed.] Then you kin get codfish balls. That's what you get - dried codfish, that's right dried cod- fish. You put the seed of paradise and the codfish tdgether and that fast luck together, cinnamon and sugar. And yoù must get 15c of sugar, you must get 15c of codfish, and you - everything you buy you must get 15c. And you boil that. Then you take - you must scrub before six o'clock in the morning. What I mean by six, I don't mean that you go at three o'clock in the morning. I mean two or three minutes before six - and the bell be ringing, you be scrubbing there.
(I see.)
And you scrub and go out of your door. You take and you get you some whole grain rice and take and be walking there throwing, throwing it there any place like - in all four of your corners.
(How do you throw that rice?)
Just take it in your hand [demonstrates].
(Yes?)
You sprinkle it on the sidewalk and when you be coming in, you walks along - Walk backwards like this, and then you walks over in this corner and you take it and throw it over your left shoulder.
(You throw it over your left shoulder. Yes?)
And go in this corner and you throw it over this left shoulder, and throw it here over your left shoulder.
(You throw it in all four corners. I see.)
That's right. And once in a while - you know when you be cleaning up some of it going to come out, but you make sure the first morning, and the next morning put some more there.
(I see. What did you say about when you do this?)
It must be done before six o'clock in morning when some of the bells ring.
(All right. What then? When? What day?)
What day that must be done? On the first Monday in the month.
Entry 3940
Den a woman could take a - jes' like yo' go to market an' yo' git some steaks - yo' get steak. She know yo' like dat, or any kin'a meat yo' like. She wears dat right 'tween 'er laigs. She take dat an' leave her wear dat whole day an' she cook dat. An' she'll take dirt from undah her toenail an' she'll put it in yore food. She'll take an' she'll get some tomato paste an' put it into dat meat. De minute yo' eat dat, regardless of where dat woman at or where yo' at, but yo'll suffah wlt cramps in yore stomik. She done got dat, all dat filth down in yore stomik. Don't care where dat woman at, yo' want to see her, [even] if dere mens wit a fowl gun dere; but if dat woman in dat buildin', yo'll take a chance an' go on where she at. Dat's what yo' call she done fed yo' off 8ome of 'er 'pearance.
Entry 10156
A black ket, yo' take him tuh a place from yuh home at twelve o'clock at night an' would cook 'im alive. Jis' put 'im in a pota hot watah an' cook 'im alive. An' at twelve o'clock de nex' night, in twenty-fo' hours time, go back an' git 'im an' bring 'im back. An' what he [black cat] be tellin' yo' along [the way], which ah don' know, yo' keep dat tuh yuhself. An' dey say, yo' take dose bones an' suck 'em all, each one of 'em, until yo' git tuh a certain bone. An' when yo' git tuh dat bone yo' look in de glass, an' when yo' can't see yuh- self, well, which dat is de right bone.
(Then what do you do with that bone?)
Well, yo' take dat bone an' tote it aroun' jis' lak it's magic - disappeahin'.
(You can't see him?)
Yes. [Vicksburg, Miss., (744), 1014:1.] [Previous candle rites will be found principally in volume 1, pages 744-888, der division called ALTARS - CANDLES - SAINTS. Similiar material occurs among rhe interviews of volume 2 pages 933-1843, and volume 3 pages 1859-2339. The falogig beliefs have been divided into 5 subsections:]
Entry 1763
Dey say yo' take a buzzard an' yo' kill him an' yo' bury him an' yo' let him stay buried three days. Then yo' take him up an' yo'll cook him down to lard. Jes' cook him an' jes' take his own lard, an' then yo' put that in a box. That's fo' gamblin'. That's a gamblin' hand.
(What do you do with that lard?)
Yo' take that lard an' yo' jes' mix it up - see, jes' mix it all up. Yo' don't have tuh put anything in it. Jes' mix it up an' put it in a box an' dat's tuh use fo' gamblin' - fast luck.
(How do you use it?)
Jes' rub it on yore left han' lak dat, an' then from yore left han' go ovah to yore right han' lak that. See [demonstrates], rub up this way - rub up all de time. (Rub up on the hands.) [For upward rite, see No. 1074, p.405.]
reported fast luck for gambling. No demonstrated success These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 2416
If yo' got some business, real important business dat yo' want tuh 'tend to an' yo' don't exactly understan' how tuh start at it, yo' git up at twelve or one a'clock at night an' wash yore face. Yo' cook an' make yo' strong coffee an' drink yo' a strong cup of coffee an' make yore wishes whut chew want tuh do de nex' mornin'.
Entry 3156
A girl tole me dat she could take beef livah an' cook it an' give it tuh me tuh eat, an' dat would cuz me, if ah went out wit anothah woman, dat would cuz me an' 'er tuh go tuhgethah lak a dog. Jes' beef livah. (She wouldn't put anything else with it?) Ah don't know whut she put wit it. She nevah did tell me whut she put wit it. [Surely not beef liver but dog liver is meant - see later sub- subsection (c) DOG, under subsection (1) CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE.]
Entry 3200
Dey says dat dey take a frog - ketch a frog an' put 'im in a can or a pot where yo' outdo's washin', while it's 'live, an' put 'im in dere an' jes' let im cook on down tuh a powdah, an' sprinkle a man wit dat, or a man could sprin- kle a woman wit it, an' dey won't have no intahco'se atall wit nobody atall but jes' dem. (That's all they have to do?) Dat's all - jes' take it when it gits, yo' know, it burn tuh pow- dah, jes' lak ashes, an' yo' put it in a cloth yo' know, an' evah time yo' have sompin tuh do wit 'a man or woman, yo' sprinkle some of it on 'em.
Entry 3202
And there's a way where women dress their husbands when they don't want them to go with other women. Well they do that by catching a live toadfrog, and they put the toadfrog alive in a container and put a top with a brick on top of it so he can't jump out, and they cook that frog down to just natural grease, and fer nine nights they dress their husband's private with that grease from the frog. It doesn't make any diff ren' if he washes the nex' day, she continues to do that every night and when she doesn't have anything to do with him herself, because it would be detrimental to her, too. And when he comes in contact with this other woman, aftah nine days, the same amount of nights she greased him, there'll come a ball on her privates like your fist and it baffles the doctors, they don't know what it is, because it's somepin very unusual. The toadfrog is used for lots of things.
Entry 3328
Now, if a man know a woman do him lak dat, he kin go tuh work, if he have any sense an' - yo' know dis thin' whut dey call earthworm, yo' see dis little worm be's in de earth. Folks fishin' wit it. Yo' take dat earthworm an' yo' take it unbeknown tuh her when she goes out an' yo' dig enough, yo' see. An' yo' put dat earthworm in a cup an' yo' take dis castor oil an' put it in dere an' yo' cook dat wit dat castor oil. Ah've seen whut it wus. An' evah time when yo' go tuh fool wit her, yo' dress yo'self wit dat, yo' see. Yo' dress yo'self wit dat an' yo' fool wit 'er, an' evahthin' will be all right. (That will take off the spell she has on you and you will get your nature back again.) Yo' see, dat will turn it back on 'er. Dat will keep 'er - yo' see, when she go tuh have a man den, she'll have a cold nature.
Entry 3433
Well, jes' lak yo' Want - if yore wife is a run-aroun' woman an' yo' Wanta ketch 'er wit someone, an' she all de time tellin' yo' dat she don't do dat.[ Well, all yo' gotta do is git yo' a dog - steal de dog an' carry 'im off an' kill 'im, see, an' git 'is livah. An' den when yo' git de livah, yo' jes' go on an' buy yo' a dime or so of de othah livah, yo' know, an' mix in it an' carry it to her dat night, dat aftahnoon, an' tell 'er to cook it fer supper, "I be home fer SUppah." See. AN' DEN SHE GO ON AN' COOKS IT. WELL, IT'S A KNOWN FACT DAT SHE BE WAITIN', WAITIN', WAITIN', AN' DON'T SEE YO' COMIN', SHE GOIN' GIT MAD AN' EAT HERS, yo' undahstan'. She goin' eat part of 'ers an- MAYBE IF SHE DON'T, WHENEVAH YO' COME IN, YO' JES' MAKE OUT LAK YO' GOT A PAIN IN DE STOMICK or yo' sick OR YO' DON'T FEEL LAK NUTHIN, yo' see. An' den she'll go on an' eat 'ers. See, an' 24 hours aftah she eat 'ers, why de nex' day or so if she go off, any time dat Week, any tIme - CO'SE YO' CAN'T EVEN HAVE NUTHIN TO DO WIT HER, see. [For other examples of this belief see Nos.3425 and 3431.] If she go out why yo'll find it out. See, yo' undahstan', she goin' git stuck. See, dat dog's livah make her, when she have connection wit de othah man, dat will draw de both of 'em togethah. Dey can't git away. See, he'll swell up an' she would too.
Entry 3434
It jes' lak dis: if yo' were a man - is yo' a man an goin' wit anothah man's wife. Now, lemme see if dat right. Yes. Aw - no. If yo' wuz goin' wit anothah woman an' yore wife found it out, an' she killed a puppy an' cooked dat puppy livah an' give it to yo', why yo' an' 'er [other woman] when yo' have connection yo' would git hitched [= tied]. Yo'd git hitched, an' yo' know it take doctors [M.D.'s] dat know dere business to unhitch yo'.
Entry 3441
Well, if a man got a wife an' she's runnin' roun' an' he wanta ketch 'er, an' he can't ketch 'er, well, he kills a dog dat's proudin' an' take de livah. An' jes' lak yo'll go uptown an' buy hog livah or cow livah, an' take it home an' let 'er cook it an' eat, an' de man dat she have connection wit, dey'll tie up jes' lak two dogs.
Entry 3690
Dey tell me dat dey kin do things to 'er so dat a man cannot have intahco'se wit 'er at all. Say he kin go an' git 'im a snail, an' GIT DE DUST FROM WHARE DE SNAIL'S CRAWL- IN'. Take de snail an' fry dat snail plumb till it cook up. Yo' kin roll it up, yo' know. Put all dat dus' togethah an' jis' when he kin have intahco'se wit 'er, jis' have dat dus' an' git some of it on 'is han's an' rub on 'er, an' dey say a man nevah could - don' cay [care] how he tried, nevah kin have anything to do wit 'er.
(That's to protect his home while he's gone?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3755
Tuh git 'em apart, yo' gotta go right den, an' if dey stand it dey gotta eat a piece of dog. Jes' - git a - kill anothah dog an' git a piece of de meat outa de backbone right from de small part of de back. 中 Git a piece of dat an' cook it an' give it to dem. (What will that do then?) Dat will shrink 'em down an' dey come apart.
Entry 3788
Now, I kin tell yo' somepin dat'll make yore courage rise, if a man falls, yo' know. Yo' know some people say yo' kin fix a man where he can't have nobody but chew. But chew take a red onion an' yo' wrap it up in a wet rag an' put it in de fiah an' roast it, an' when it git done lak a roast aig, yo' take an' let it git cool. Take dat an' squeeze dat juice all de way on yore private an' yo' rise lak dat.
(That will cure it?)
Kills anything. If dey hang up de rag lak some do's, dey take de dishrag an' run yo' wit it.
Entry 3876
She kin take her sickness an' her fingernails an' cook 'em in 'is food an' he'll stay with her.
Entry 3880
So well, dey do so much wit chure footprints. Now, dey say perhaps, if dey wanted to git aftah yuh sure 'nuff [enough], dey would have to git sompin inside of yuh. Dey would have to git sompin othah inside of yuh to make it work, to make it take well. Now, dey go to work to get somepin othah in yuh now. Ah tell yuh how it is. Dere's nuthin too low fer some wimmin to do's - nuthin in de world. Now, ah've seen wimmin, ah've known wimmin, dey even totes livah undah dere dress, all-like dis mawnin' until prob'bly time fer yuh [a man] to come in [to eat]. An' cook it an' a little of dere, yo' know, in wit it an' season it up wit onion. An' yo' eat dat, why dey hardly [= strongly here] got chew fixed dere way.
Entry 3911
I've heard dis-like, it seems purtty bad. I don't guess it would suit yore occasion. Now I heard talk of lotsa men an' girls dat I really been roun', an' said dat dey really did it, an' a boy couldn't go no place wit'out dey'd be right - yo' know, she couldn't go anywhere wit'out 'er husban' or man or fellah or whutsoevah it might be, be right where she wus. Yo' know, jis' like sometime a woman have periods, she would go to de stores an' buy some kin'a red meat, choo know, dat produce a lot of blood - sompin like livah or steak or sompin like dat. An' she said dat she'd taken dis steak [or liver] an' beat it up an' taken one dem things [menstrual cloth], yo' know, from roun' 'er concern, an' wrap dat thing up in dere, an' wore it jes about a half of day an' taken it right off. An' when 'er husban' come in she, yo' know, cooked it fo' 'i. An' he went on an' et [ate] it. An' she said dat she cain't even git rid of 'im, an' she don't wan'a stay wit 'im, or cain't git rid of 'im. Yo' know, some witchcraft tole her about it. An' she says [saz not sez] it really happens fo' a fac' [fact]. An' I do know dat he's stays tuh wery lovin'. But anothah man stay wit 'er right now. But 'er husban' cain't stay away from dere. He's goin' dere to care [carry] 'er some money dis aftahnoon. He tole me so. He gon'a bring 'er some money fer 'er an' 'er baby.
Entry 3945
An' then ah've heard if he's runnin' aroun' - see, if a man's got an- othah sweetheart, an' he's got a wife an' he doesn't provide fo' his home as he should. She kin git a beefsteak an' she PUT IT UNDAH HER ARMS, an' de sugah IF HE DRINKS COFFEE, PUT DE SUGAH UNDAH HER ARM - PUT ONE UNDAH EACH ARM. Let It stay fo' 'bout a hour. Den cook dat steak an' take dat sugah an' sweeten his coffee, an' dat'll break up dat.
(She puts the beefsteak under one arm and the sugar under the other?)
Yes.
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 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 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 4739
If a cook has got a job an' wan'a hold it, she'll take her undahweah an' boil 'em where - in de same watah dat chure dishes is boiled in, an' wash de dishes in dat watah. She stay dere long as she please. Dat's true.
(She'll hold her job.)
Entry 4778
Take an' cut off de end of 'is shirttail an' tie it in nine knots an' put it right in de house. Take jis' a little bit of 'er chamber lye an' cook it in some bread. An' he'll nevah go nowhere. [We have here two separate rites used as one for good measure.]
Entry 4927
Take yore dirty socks an' make yuh love 'em an' keep yuh. Nobody can't git chew away from 'em. Wash de stuff out - wash de filth out an' carry it an' put it in a cake. Cook dat in dere an' give dat to 'em, tuh de individual dat dey want tuh have it. (That is, somebody would take my socks, or I would take my socks and put it in the cake for some other person to eat.) Yessuh.
Entry 6396
Well, yo' take a person fingahnail an' yo' cut dem. Dat's fo' love.
(Just how would you do that?)
Yo' trim yore fingahnails. Yo' take an' bake dem an' den yo' take an' beat 'em up tuh a powdah. When yo' feed a person yo' sprinkle dat in dat meal, see, an' dey'll love yo'. An' den ag'in yo'll take - wash yore feet real clean an' scrape de dirt from de hollah of yore foot. An' yo' put dat in de food, an' dat'll make dem love yo'.
Entry 6422
Dat's right. Take dirt from undah yore fingahnails an' dress it in boiled food, lak cabbages an' turnips an' all squashes an' things lak dat. An' people eat dat an' become tuh be crazy about people. Do dat two or three times.
Entry 6429
Now ah've heard dem say dat de ladies dat goin' wit mens, fo' spechly [specially] spō'tin' wimmins, dey takes dere fingahnails an' jis' git a li'le dirt from undah 'em, or eithah dere toenails. An' lak dey cook grits or make any kinda nice gravy tuh put ovah a man's food, or somepin lak dat, dey will put it in dere an' make de man jes' so crazy about 'em - all dat.
Entry 6506
Providin' - if yo' wuz a disagreeable person, well dey will use de watah from de foot, from de bath or somepin lak dat. An' sometimes dey use it in dere food, an' dat's why dey does dose tricks. (What do you mean by that? I didn't quite understand that.) Yo' see, jis' lak if yo' wash yore feet in de watah, see, an' de watah is cleah, well den some people dey'll take it an' dey'll cook de food in dat watah. See, an' aftah cookin' de food in dat watah, why den de person who eats dat food, if dere spirit is high, [a cross person] dey mostly will bring it down lak dat. Uh-huh nominal [= make person normal.]
(I see, the temperament.)
Entry 6525
Dey take - womens take cut of all yore toenails an' yore fingernails an' take de dirt from underneath 'em an' dey could cook 'em in de bread an' make a man love 'em. Dey could WITCHCRAFT dem dataway.
[St. Petersburg, Fla., (1022), 1653:5.]
(5). A FEW MORE DOCTORS {Folk medicine in hoodoo or witchcraft has a wider field of involvement than the isolated cures given in books of general folklore. This is true because hoo- doo or witchcraft supplies causes for all ailments and diseases as well as cures, and also tells how to protect oneself in the future. Such protective rites, actu- ally preventive medicine, as well as other cures unlisted here, will be found throughout the total text. For the latter, consult especially: FOLK MEDICINE pp.361-519; SEXUAL IMPoTENCE Pp.2341-2509; and 'HER PRIVATE TIME' Pp.2513-2540.] [A considerable number of live things in you will be found on pages 227-239, well as elsewhere in the complete text. May I call your attention to the first two rites in margin title SNAKES.]
Entry 6584
Git 'em - an' yo' take dese heah stingin' scorpions, too. Git 'em an' parch 'em up. Let 'em git good an' brown. Cook 'em an' den powdah 'em up right good, an' put 'em in a bottle of watah an' stop 'em up real tight fo' awhile. An' den if yo' wanta poison dat indi- vidual, why yo'll po' some of dat out intuh 'is watah.
Entry 6704
Git a bat an' cook 'im up. Cook 'im in olive oil, stir 'im up, an rub a person wit dat. An' if dere's anythin' about 'em swell up, it'll take de swellin' outa dem. (Anything that is ordinary swelling?) Dat's right.
Entry 8919
If yo' wanted to go some place an' yo' wanted to - yo' just get yo' some mistletoe. Yo' boil dat mistletoe an' shrimps together.
(Shrimps?)
Mistletoe and shrimps. Yo' boil dat together an' yo' put some German Hearts Perfume with dat. (German Heart's Perfume?) German Hearts Perfume. Yo' put dat with de mistletoe an' de shrimps, yo' boil all dat together, an' yo' wash yore house good an' sprinkle dat. An' yo' could go out an' leave your door open, ain't nobody comin' in dere.
(To steal anything?)
No, sir, to steal anything.
Entry 10019
Take a black cat an' have oven heated hot, dat's got a lid on it, an' take dat black cat an' put 'im in dat oven, see. An' put de lid on it an' cook 'im. Call 'im [cat] by name whutevah it might be. It may be Tom an' it may be Jim. Dey have diff'ren names. Whatevah 'is name be, yo' call it, an' he'll answer yuh! He'll tell yo' 'zakly what bone tuh take. Dey tell me he'll tell yuh tuh take de short bone. Take all de - aftah yo' burn 'im up, take de bones an' carry 'em tuh swift watah, see. An' pour all dese bones in de watah. An' de bone dat goes up de stream, dat is de bone fer yuh tuh take. Dat's whut chew do. [This is probably the only black-cat-bone rite in which the name of the cat is called! Lid on an Oven is unusual!]
Entry 10028
(What do they say about getting that black cat lucky bone?)
Yo' take dat black cat. Ketch 'im alive, don' kill 'im. An' have yore watah on hot. Chunk 'im right in de pot wit'out killin' 'im. Yo' chunk [him] down in de pot 'thout killin' 'im. Put on de lid an' boil 'im. Boil 'im until prakly [practically] all de meat will leave de bones. Take de bones an' drop 'em in runnin' watah, see. De' [they] claim dat de bones will sink. In othah words dat [bone] come back up tuh de top, take it. Say dat's de lucky bone.
Entry 9920
Yo' kin take a hen aig an' rub it ovah de stomach of a frog an' den cook it in anybody's food an' dat will kill 'em.
(Cook what in the food?)
Cook de aig. Jes' chip de aig in de food an' it will kill 'em.
(You just rub the whole egg?)
[My whole egg could include the shell!]
Yeah, jes' rub de raw aig ovah dis frog's stomach an' dat will kill 'em. [In- forant surely means toad, an animal considered poisonous in folklore. The words r aig indicate that the cook, after cracking the egg, lets the yolk run down orer the belly of the animal and then cooks it for the victim.]
Entry 9948
Dey take dat ole toad- frog an' stew 'im up, take 'im an' stew 'im up. An' yo' know de people dat is dirty. Dey take dat"ole toad- frog an' stew 'in up an' put 'im intuh sompin tuh eat, what chew eat, but chew won't know anything about it. Ah have had 'em do dat tuh me, yes sir. Dey take dat ole toadfrog, yo' know, an' skin 'im an' dry 'im, an' mix it wit somepin tuh eat what dey cooks. Ah reckon dey done me dat way. An' yo' know when dey stew 'em - it lak stew, jes' lak dat - yo' take a ole bullfrog, ole long bullfrog, yo' know, an' skin 'im. He looks lak a chicken [after he is skinned]. Well, dey take de ole othah toadfrog an' stew 'im up. Cook 'im right along wit somepin tuh eat. An' yo'll take it all right. Yo' go dere an' eat at night. Den when yo' come in dat nex' day look lak yo' gonna jes' go fer 'er an' eat 'er up - jes' lak yo' wanta eat 'er up. Make yo' crazy about 'er.
Entry 10741
Ah heard yo' could take chicken blood when yore periods is on, an' git chew a steak an' wear it. Jes' lak at five minutes tuh twelve tuh have yore hus- ban's dinnah, yo' wear that right there, pin it an' jes' wear it there. Have yore grease good an' hot an' then yo' take it out jes' as he walk in, an' put it ovah in de skillet, see. An' then yo' fry that nice an' brown, an' yo' serve that an' [let] no one eat it but him. An' yo' cain't git rid of 'im tuh save yore life.
(You don't use chicken blood on it though?)
Yes yo' do. Yo' put chicken blood on that steak, too, an' yore blood together. [That chicken blood is for good measure. The stake itself, under normal condi- tions is sufficient; the chicken blood merely makes him chicken-hearted, an easier prey magically.]
Entry 12535
(What do you do with the red onion?)
Well, dey say if yo' break de skin of it an' jes' carry it in yore pocket, some of it, or either throw it away, jes' throw it away, dey say dat's lucky. If yo' boil it, boil yo' three dimes in it an' den drink de watah, dat's lucky fo' yo' - yore in- come will be good.
Entry 12754
Ah heard dat chew could [take] a raven's aig. Go find his nest an' take de aigs outs his nest an' boil 'em. Say, cook 'em, an' return 'em back to dat nest, an' dat raven would go somevhere an' git a stone, an' bring it back an' jes' put it in dat nest. Den yo' go dere an' git dat stone, an' yo' have all de luck yo' wanta fo' anything. [This egg-substitution rite in various forms is told about different birds in HOODOO.]
Entry 8960
I have went to jail for fighting and lotsa time never stayed in no longer that then I could get word [to someone] which they got some dust they call this murlee dust.
(Morlee?)
[Name impossible to transcribe; probably a local hoodoo-store dust.]
Morlee dust, tell you. But the trouble [is] jis' lak if yo' happen to be fightin' somewhere an' go to jail. Take some of this Morlee dust an' yo' let your people bring you a shirt, and put it in that [shirt]. Yo' understand. (A clean shirt?) Yes, any kind you got, so long as you wears it - a brand-new shirt. And you put it [this dust] down in the lining of the sleeve or anywhere around the collar lak dat, about nine different places and you wear it. See. Yo' get it an' yo' put it on there when yo' going to court there. Yo' wants to be cut loose from that place. Well, yo' get a beef tongue. Let 'em get a beef tongue an' yo' put jes' as many needles in that beef tongue as yo' could. Set it in yore grate." Jes dig a hole down in de grate, if yo' have a grate. Take a brick out to put it [tongue] down in there.
(In your fireplace?)
Yes, sir. Then, when yo' going to court, when yo' walk in there, yo' have this shirt on with that stuff [in 9 places]; when yo' walk in an' enter into that place, where de lawyer done turn yo' over to be tried. He [is] talking With the jury, who are going to try yo'. He'll be pretty easy with yo'. If yo' got any jurymen on yore case or anything like that, first thing yo' know, yo' have this beef tongue [at home working for you] an' this beef tongue is by yore fire. Well, it be frying; yo' know, hot. Well, that make them needles get red hot an' they couldn't but just fine yo'. The judge do nuthin of de kind. They just have to turn yo' loose, let yo' out of dat jail. (In the jail you wore that shirt there, and at home someone is cooking the beef heart. Is it a beef heart or beef tongue?) Yes, the beef tongue. Get up in de mawnin' an' put [in tongue] as many needles as yo' can. De more needles yo' [can put in, the better]. An' yo' jis' stick the needles all down in it; yo' know, to de limit. An' yo' - if yo' have to, take up a brick - an' yo' put it down in de fire hearth an' put the brick back on. And the time when yo' going to court, light a fire in there. An' when that beef tongue commence to cooking like that, any, evahbody just as calm with yo' as evah. Couldn't find no evidence against [you] and won't find yo' guilty. All they could do, jis' [let] yo' loose without bail. An' they'll never come against yo' no more.
Entry 10043
Well, mah bruthah killed a black cat once, an' dis black cat didn't have any spot on 'im - white spot on 'im nowhere. He wus black all ovah. An' he'd taken dis black cat an' he put 'im - caught 'im alive an' put 'im intuh a boilin pot of watah. Cooked 'im. But de way he did, he built a kind'a dam-lak ovah one stream of watah, an' dis fiah wus up ovah dat, see. An' when it boiled all good, den he'd have a lookin'-glass an' he helt it lak dat ovah dis pot. An' only two of dem bones showed up in dat lookin'-glass. He throwed off both-a dem bones. One-a de bones floated crossways de rivah an' one of dem floated up tuh 'im. Well, de one whut floated up tuh 'im, dat's de one he'd taken an' put in 'is pocket. An' de bone dat floated off from 'im, he'd taken dat an' buried it. An' dat one bone dat he took, he could disappeah he says fo' a time, if dere anything dat he Wanted tuh do. Jis' hol' dat bone in 'is mouth an' disappeah. An' hit wus some boys wus standin' on de cornah. Dey tole me, says mah brothah walked up tuh dem one day an' ast dem did dey wanted a drink. Dey said, "Yes." An' so he said, "Hol' mah suitcase till ah come back." An' when he came back dey saw 'im at a distance when he got at dis sto', but when he got at de sto' dey didn't see 'im no mo'. When dey see 'im ag'in, he wus comin' back wit a case of whiskey. [To informant, a doctor and man, these two bones were dangerous, the reason for not looking into the pot. The bone floating away from him he safely buried, the one floating to him was harmless if properly used.]
Entry 10838
If yo' will stew a buzzard down an' yo' wanta put it aroun' some enemy's do' an' bury it, an' dey says that that person then will become sick an' he will die.
Entry 11139
She take de shell off de crab an' hullin' [hulls] dat crab out. Den she will take a ole [shoe]string dat individual [the victim] generally weahs an' windin' [winds] dat shoe- string up dat way [demon- strates]. Aftah windin' dat shoestring up dat way, shove one end [point] of needle through it [folded shoestring] dat way [demonstrates] an' de othah one [needle] dis way [demonstrates] yo' see, makin' a cross - one shoestring makin' a cross. De shoestring, wind it up lak de crab is dataway. [You wind this shoe- string back and forth because a crab goes backwards and forwards.] [Take de shoe- string an' wind it dat way.
(It is sort of an "x"?)
[The shoestring is laid into the crab shell in one continuous movement, a weaving, to form an "x'. See illustration above.] Yes, one dat way an' de othah one dis way [demonstrates] shovin' one dat way an' de othah one dis way. An' de fellah [owner of the shoestring] he would nevah git no woman, yo' understand, tuh treat him as he wish tuh be treated. See, dis string be weak [at the beginning we were told this shoestring was old] an' de othah one [what? see later] be weak, yo' see, 'cuz it be backin' up always, yo see [like the crab moving backward].
[I now repeat rite to make sure I have it:]
(You put one needle like that [I demonstrate] and one this other way [I demon- strate], one horizontal and one coming down, vertical, down through it - this shoestring that you have in the crab. What do you do with the crab shell after you fix [magically prepare] it up?) Take de shell and bury it. [The preceding rite, my only example of it, comes from a hoodoo doctor. In it a woman makes certain that the man does not find another woman. To accomplish this trick, she cooks a crab, hulls it - takes out the meat - and refills the cavity by winding into it an old shoestring of the man's so that it looks like an 'X or a cross. This latter is held in place by two needles, one horizontally through an arm of the cross, the other pushed down vertically through the center of the cross. Here we have two crosses; one of stocking, other of needles - a doublecross! See the diagram. The twisting and flaccid lines of the shoestring cross represent the man's own string, not shoestring. This is an important rite!]
Entry 12914
Yo' kin take a snail an' put it with fresh hog lard an' stew it down an' grease a man's privates with that an' that'll keep him from havin' any nature. [Waycross 191:6.]
Entry 12916
Snail into cup with fresh lard, boil down, use as salve, cure for impotence. [Memphis 1561:2.]
Entry 1279
This is by experience. I seed my mother do this. She made us boys ketch her nine toadfrogs. And we caught 'em and we brought 'em in the house and she got a skillet of red hot grease and the lid ready to place on it. And she'd taken them frogs one by one and put them in that skillet - one by one - one by one - and put 'em in that skillet and fried 'em down to where dey was crisp. She'd taken that grease and she put it up, till it congeal - that is, you know, until it got cold and thick, and she used it as a hair dressing and give it to her friends. Well, my mother, her hair -
(She what?)
Used it for a hair dressing. She had hair that long. She Was mulatto and she used to make it all the time.
(That will make your hair grow?)
Yes, sir, it make the hair grow - you know, turn it straight. That's what she would get out of it.
Entry 4104
If a man runnin' roun' wit a woman, if he's mah fren' or mah husban', ah'll take a little bit of mah chamber lye an' mix it all up, an' put jes' a little pinch of mah chamber lye an' wash de dishes wit it, fix de meals an' put a little drop of dis dragon's blood in it. Dat's how ah fix mine.
Entry 4105
If she wan'a hold a man she take a dishrag an' wash 'er ownself wit it, an' use it in de kitchen jis' lak she always [does]. He'll nevah cā'y 'is money from home. He'll bring it home jis' lak a chile. She cook 'im anythin' sweet, she'll put chamber lye or anythin' in dat, chew know, an' make him come home, bring 'is money in, see. Dat keep 'im 'umble [humble] undah 'er shoe. He'll always be lookin' up tuh 'er, yuh know. Yet he takin' cah [care] of 'er.
Entry 4528
(How do they fix the sweatband?)
Well, dey'll git dese diff'ren' spidahs an' gran'daddies [see laterl an' all lak dat. Dey'll poison 'em [the victim]. An' dey'll put 'em in a little watah an' cook dem. An' when yuh lay yuh hat down, dey'll take it an' wet all undah yuh hatban' [sweatband] good in front. An' when yuh git out an' git tuh sweatin', an' dat hatban' git sweatin' yuh know, dat thing goin' a-mix wit yore sweat. When dat sweat run down in yuh eyes - an' dat'll run yo' blin'. [Granddaddy = daddy longlegs = a harvestman or arachnid of the order Phalangida.]
Entry 13294
Ah hear a lady say she taken a turtle aig an' dry it up an' put it - jes' beat it up, jes' grind it up jes' lak she wus goin' tuh make somepin out of it, a powder of some kind. An' she taken dis turtle aig an' she put it in a turtle. She cooked de turtle fo' a lady - a sick lady - about dis lady's hus- about dis lady's hus- band. She cooked de aig in de turtle an' when de lady eat de turtle she loved de turtle. Whenevah she eat dis turtle - she et it every dat - it wus a certain time on de moon dat de turtle would come in her right breast over her heart. An' ever' time it would come out it would draw her [breast?] right down to her knees. It looked jes' lak rubber - jes' lak she stretch rubber. Dey take it an' stretch it down to her knees!
(What time of the moon?)
On de growin' of de moon.
Entry 13334
(How Would you fix [put a spell on] her?)
Well, ah tell you. Ah'd ketch me a little sparrah - see, ketch me a little sparrah alive, and ah'll git me a little fat from a cow or fat from hog - sompin like dat - or fat from a chicken, eny kin' fat chew know to make some grease an' fry dese birds, see. I'll git dem fat an ah'll fry dem birds, see. Fry dem birds an' ah'll take a little piece of new homespun cloth, see. An' ah'll take dat homespun an' ah'll take dat grease, an' pour it onto dat homespun, see. An' after ah take dat an' pour 'em onto dat homespun, why ah'll git another [O.K.] piece of cloth an' ah'll wrop [wrap] it see. An' den ah'll take a needle an' a spool of thread wot [what] nevah beer used an' sew dat up. See, sew it up tight with dat cloth wit de grease on it, so it can't even ketch air. An' ah'll stick dat in de mattress right where she sleep at, see. Ah'll git a little Hearts Cologne an' den ah'll put a little sweet spirit of niter, see. An' ah'll pour a little bit of dat on her, see.
(On the woman herself.)
Throw a little sweet spirit of niter in front of her and a little Hearts Cologne in her back, on her right shoulder. An' she'll think the world, de sun rise an' [go] down on me.
(That is the [another] way you will get her.)
Entry 13367
I heard talk of them using the animal's hoof. Well, you take the hoof and you cut that up - no, it has got to be a mule. Like they go around the blacksmith's where be, been shoeing up animals and they cut his hoof off - a portion of his hoof off - every time they shoe him. They take a chunk of that, see. And it gets very soft whenever you put it in anything hot. And they will cook that perhaps with some beans. They cook that overnight in beans with the urine, that hoof [they soak the beans overnight in the urine] and the next day they cook all that together. Well, that makes the man very simple, and very kind to her.
Entry 3935
[The steak rite was found everywhere. I heard it several hundred times, often not bothering to record short statements of a sentence or two. Interviews also contain similar material. Here are a few examples of the belief:] An' he [my contact man] ast me concernin' 'bout de woman - 'bout havin' 'er. Did ah know anythin' 'bout 'er doin' [trick- ing] a man. Ah tole 'i, well, it wus kin'a bad. But he tole me he didn't [care] 'bout dat, jes' 'splain it tuh him. [The preceding he ast me concernin' 'bout de woman is one of many examples in HOODOO showing the precaution taken against unwanted visitors. My contact man, here Edward Bufford (see ILLUSTRATIONS at end of volume 2), as did I, varied the questions. To reach me in the interviewing room a prospective informant had to show my contact man that he knew something about what I wanted. I will discuss this method and its problems in the INTRODUCTION.] So ah tole 'im 'bout 'er takin' durin' 'er period come one, an' 'bout buyin' a piece of fresh meat steak an' usin' it [on her], an' den boilin' it tuh feed a man off it. Dat dat would hole [hold] him at de present time.
The source names boiling and feeding; the animal behind fresh meat steak is unspecified, and on her is an editorial insertion.
Entry 12907
Kill slut when she's proudin, cook her liver, give it to a person, causes P. Cap. [Washington, D. C. 826:2.]
The item describes cooking liver and states a later abbreviated consequence; the source terms and abbreviation remain unresolved.
Entry 11446
"They take a thing that grows in the woods you call a pigtail [see later], an' a heart leaf [see later], an' take de fingernails an' toenails an' put it [in] that an' boil it. That's suppose to cause your hands to be ill from it." [Is pigtail informant's name for a plant looking like or having something like the slender spike of small flowers belonging to the common plantain, Plant- ago major? The meaning of heart leaf is impossible to identify among hundreds of plants having cordate leaves.]
The informant quotation reports boiling in an account involving nails and named plants. Plant identities and the supposed harmful effect remain uncertain.