Subject:Cure
Entries
Entry 831
Once ah had a very bad headache. Mah head hurt so bad until ah couldn't hardly see - had to put mah feet into warm water to bathe 'em and at de same time bathe mah head down, too. So ah went to a hoodoo doctor and ask him what's de trouble, and he look at mah head and said a piece of hair had been cut out of mah head and buried around de house, and if a storm come early an' wash it away it would help me, but if it didn't ah would go crazy.
(What happened - how did the story turn out?)
Ah tell yo' how de story turned out. Ah was a missionary - ah was going to a missionary meeting, and whilst ah was waiting fo' de people to get ready - ah was at a preacher's house an' whilst setting there ah could feel that headache coming on. I said - I grabbed both hands, I say, "Ooh, mah haid hurts so bad ah believe ah'm going have one dem terrible headaches. So de preacher asked me, said, "Do yo' believe in prayer." I say, "Yes sir." So he came an' he put his hand on de top of mah haid and he said, "Now, yo' pray whilst ah prays." An' he prayed secretly, and ah could feel that misery jest easily goin' away - jest easily goin' away. And after it had gone, seemed like ah had been off in a dream, an' ah never did have that headache again.
(Where did this experience happen - right here in Mobile?)
Yes sir.
(Just a few years ago?)
Yes.
Entry 876
The story's if you git a spider in whiskey. And she poisoned this girl and this girl said - told her before she found this lady. The lady doctor says, "You've waited a little too long for her." She say, "I kin take this spiders from you and scorpions but I can't cure you." She says, "Three scorpions will come out your legs: one will come in the back of your leg, and one on the side; and one comin' out cher right leg, two comin' out your left one - [if] them two would of been in your right leg, I could of cured, but it was in the left one." So, "The first one start out," she says, "he'll go into the fireplace; next one start out, he's goin' back under the bed; and the last one starts out, he goin' start for the door about three times." She says, "You goin live three days." And the three days were out, she died. This happen up here at Pender County [North Carolina] at a place called Rook Station about fifteen years ago [1922]. [Cf. these 3 scorpions with 3 ground puppies, No. 578, p.89.]
Entry 891
There was once a lady and I used to be good friends. And so her husband wrote me a lettah and sent it through de mail, and he didn't sign the name to it. And so I was asking diff'rent one of my frien's did they know who it came from and they said no. So I ast de lady one day - I thought maybe she jis' playin' a joke on me - and I ast her did she write it. And she said no. But she said she would look at it and tell who handwriting it was. And the minute she looked at it, she said it was her husband's. And so she snatched it and ran out of mah house jis' like she had found some money. And [later] she came on and she tried to raise a fuss with me in de street befo' a crowd of people, but I wouldn't pay any attention to her. So later, two weeks, she came to mah house. And I jis' thought maybe she jis' come in there on a little visit, and I reckon she did. So when she left I said O.K. I went to de door with her and I half-shut de doah [after her departure]. And so I went to work dat mornin' - that was on a Satiday. And dat evenin' I commence feelin' - mah fingah got stiff, I couldn't use that hand that night. I tole my mothah about it. She bathed me in some kerosene, becuz she thought maybe it was - jis' was come from cold and so she bathed me in this kerosene. And de next mornin' I didn't seem to feel any bettah. And I couldn't use this hand, you know, dis whole arm. And it went on down in the feet. Becuz my mothah is a Holiness woman - and she thought maybe if she got some of her Saints [fellow worshippers] to pray wit me, I would get all right. And so she got 'em to pray wit me. But it didn't seem to do any good. So Tuesday - I didn't ache any at all dat Monday night - so that Tuesday night she called Dr. Somebody. Well, he came. He said he thought it was a rheumatism. And it was down in mah feet - it had left mah body and fell in mah foot. And he said - he gave me a pe'scription. But when I taken this medicine it seem like dat jis' made me ache dat much more. And so she called him again and he said he didn't know nuthin but de rheumatism. And I jis' suffered like dat hurtin' an' hurtin' for about two months. And so she had jis' told several people about it an' they said they didn't know anything unless it was the rheumatism." And so they said dey knowed a man named George or somepin ["a well-known root worker of Wilmington" - Note included in my pencil transcription made soon after interview]. But anyway, they said dis man could work roots. And when she went to dis man - and he said he could tell it and give me a treatment for fifteen dollahs down. And she said that she didn't have it all right then, but she paid him some down and he gave her some kind of medicine. And she say it was made out of some kind of St. Joseph's roots [either the doctor's own name or a commercial product like several others bearing a saint's name]. And she gave me it. And I taken about two treatments or two or three from him and I saw where it was doin' me a little good. And it continued to about two months and I got all right a little bit. And then he said that he could secure de thing dat was really de mattah. And so he found some roots buried under de doorstep in a bottle - looked like it was little verms [worms] on dis root. He showed it to mah mothah; he wouldn't let me see nuthin. He say if I didn't look at em, say he could make this spell leave me - make this so it would leave me. And it left. But he say I wouldn't feel all that sore-iness, but it would leave me enough that I could be able to walk. And so I started to walkin' on crutches and gradj'ly it left me.
Entry 901
I was hurt once by a rootworker. I was hurt in mah right leg. And mah mother she went - and I was swellen - mah mother she went out to get a doctor. The doctor didn't do me no good. And after she found out dat de doctor wouldn't do me no good, she decided on to go back and git a root doctor. Well, he told her to go back and look under de front doorstep and she'll find a little rag, a red [rag], a little ball in it - red rag with red little ball in it, wrapped up. It [ball] was made of cloth. And he told mah mother dat when she go-ed [pronounce gode] dere she might be scared to pick it up, but don't be scared to pick it up: Well, de first time she went dere she looked at it, she didn't pick it up - she's scared. And she went back. He told her dat de only Way dat I would git rid of dis swellen, de lest dat I swell right on up, she'll have to git dat and bring it to him. Shortly after she came back, she went on back and got de rag and carried it on back to him. In a couple of days after- Wards, den I feel mahself gittin' a little ease. And so he worked on me and worked on me, and turned it around on this other fellah that had me fixed up [by rootworker in first sentence]. She said dat he took it [rag and ball] and dressed it up, and told her to carry it back - he told her where it came from [who had planted the rag and ball] - and told her to go throw it over de fence [into this person's yard]. [Wilmington, N. Car., (225), 228:4; in Petersburg, Ga.,1928.]
The narrator reports instructions to look beneath the front doorstep, then describes bringing back the rag and later disposal. Door retrieves this threshold location. The account establishes no door-panel identity, adjacent bottle contents or causal treatment finding.
Read full source (printed page 329) · Read full source (printed page 330)
Entry 967
[Someone begrudged] me because ah was gittin' 'long pretty good and dey didn't wanta see me git along, you know, and so dey used some kin' of insex [insects] on me. (What happened to you?) Well, ah got so ah could hear things hollerin' all de time any - katydids was in mah haid, those ole katdydids - frogs was hollerin' like dey does in a pond yo' know - ever' kin' of thing was hollerin' in mah haid - jes' had me goin' crazy.
(What did you do then, about it?)
A fortune teller lady come dere and made me use dis here cow water from de cow on mah haid and she killed 'em.
(Well, just how did she use that?)
She had me tuh git it - ah don't know whut she did with it, but she give it tuh me and ah had to wash mah haid; took mah hair all out mah haid it did and ah commence gettin' bettah. She killed 'em. Ah could see 'em all runnin' about in mah flesh - yes sir, dey was jes' runnin' about in mah flesh - could see 'em - people could look at 'em.
(How long did you use this cow water?)
Ah had to use if off and on about six months 'fore ah got results out of it.
(Did you bathe your head every day?)
Ever' other day one - one the othah of 'em - but she told me to bathe ever' day until they got bath-ed down and when they got bath-ed down, she started to use it ever' othah day.
(Did that happen round here in Mobile?)
No sir, ah was in Marengo County, Alabama. It's been now jes' about twenty- five years ago.
[I must have asked how these live things were put into her.]
Take a frog, yo' know and tie him - tie all his feet, tie the frog hog-fashion [= hog-tie = tying all 4 feet together]. Dey take 'im an' put 'im somewhare down whare he can walk over 'im, an' dey say in 9 days dey come alive an' be in yo'. Dey say dat's how dey put dem in me. Dere's a [another] lady come an' tuk it up right whare ah walk out over 'im. (You have to walk over this before it gets into you. That's supposed to go into you.) Dat's de way she [an enemy] had me fixed up.
(How would you get rid of a thing of that sort?)
Well, dat's whut [why] she had me us.in' dat cow chamber lye. An' she had me to use de othah, too; make a pad an' put on heah - dat whut killed 'em.
(What other do you mean - the dung of the cow? Put it where - on your head?)
[This is not a leading question because she had pointed to her head when saying put on heah, but I want her to say head for the record.] Yes, she had me a big round thing made, an' I had to wear dat up on top of mah haid. An' I tole 'er ah hated to wear dat stuff on top of mah haid. She said ah had to do anything to get well.
Entry 970
[The preceding doctor was original only when boxing and labeling his medicine; the three crosses being an old folklore device:] By making a crossmark - prob'bly if they had some kind of a boil or somepin on 'em, making a crossmark on it an' then marking it with spit to carry it away.
(How do they mark it with spit?)
Jes' mark it three times crossways.
(That would take the boil away?)
Yes, sir - remove it. ["To remove a wart make a cross over it at three different times on Friday and do this three Fridays in succession" (FACI,2ed., No. 7006, p.324).]
Entry 1042
Like I got to him to get something to hurt joo, why if you go to that same man to have it take off, why he can't take it off, you'll have to go to another man.
Entry 1087
They had something like snakes in 'em; whole lot of things just working up. So I fixed up a remedy and she passed all those from her. I got the stuff and gave her it and she passed a rattlesnake first - the first dose I gave her. And then the next dose I gave her, she passed a whole lot of little things just working up. I was working down here and someone knocked at the door, the first time. He woke me up and he says, "Go to the back door." And there was a bottle at the back door. I went there. He told me to carry it to her. Well somehow another somethin' said, "You can't go." And I got the axe and took that in there and I struck the bottle and broke the bottle up. It was a bottle about that long and in this bottle was a piece of her dress - the back part of her dress. The reason why I know it was the back part, we found the dress on the back porch balled up in a corner and that's why I know it was a piece of her dress. We found it. And then there was a piece of hair in there and a whole lot of piece of needles - sharp-pointed needles and pins. In this bottle it smelt like cologne. And there was a piece of root in there - it looked like High John de Conquer root - was in this bottle. And there was a cork stopper in the bottle. We opened it - course I didn't, but I got another lady to open it for me. And we'd taken 'em out later on in a piece of paper and looked at 'em. This girl was almost crazy. So I got some - something told me to do this. I went and got some Jerusalum root. I reckon you've heard talk of Jerusalum root - a root that grows.
(Jerusalum root?) [Jerusalem artichoke?]
Yes. I just got that root and then I got some of these pokeberry roots and I got me some red pepper - pod pepper and I got me some fish salt and I put it into a boiler and boiled it all up together - cooked it all up together, and just cooked it enough to have enough for her to bath in. And I bath-ed her in this here for nine mornings, and then I had another - and her hair come off her head just like your hand [handfuls] she was just almost crazy. Then after bath-ing her with this, then I takes up this red pepper and some grease and mix it together with olive oil and just greased it good all over with this here pepper and oil together, after bath-ing her for these nine mornings. Then after doing it nine mornings, bath-ing her, then I told her to take those bottles and throw it all overboard, but not to do it before because I've heard people say if you were tricked and before you were cured, if you throw that away if you found it, why it wouldn't do any good.
Entry 3246
A pin, a brass pin. You can take a brass pin - like if she - if a woman's goin' an' she get after you and she wants to give yo' a vener'al disease, you understand. (She wants to give you a venereal disease?) Yes. (I understand.) She take dat pin - she'll take a brass pin when yo' havin' intahco'se wit 'er. An' she'll take dat brass pin an' she'll hold it in 'er mouth, see. Well, she hold it in 'er mouth. Well, all right. Aftah yo' have yore intahco'se wit 'er, see, well nine days aftahwards, if yo' don't have no idea about it, why dat thing will start to run, an' stay on if, if yo' don't know what to do. If yo' don't know whut to do to cure it, why it, jes keeP gIttin' WOrSe. An' I DON'T CARE NUTHIN ABOUT DOCTORS [M.D.'s]. HEDICINE WILL NOT CURE IT.
(I see. That's if she wants to give you a venereal disease.)
Yes, if she want to give it to yo', yo' undahstan'.
(Well, ISN'T THERE ANY WAY YOU GET RID OF IT, if she gives it tO you?)
Yes. Well, de way yo' git rid of dat, yo' go to de woods. Yo' go to de woods or a swamp somewhere an' yo' git Swamp root or de watah lily.
(The what?)
De watah lily root - swamp root.
(Water lily. All right.)
[This is probably the swamp lily, a white flowered lily (Crinum americanun) of the southern United States.] Swamp root, yo' boil dat. Yo' boil it down an' yo' take one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of sulphur. Yo' mix dat togethah into a quart of watah. Yo' take three tablespoonsful a day. Before each meal yo' take a tablespoonful. Dat'll cure it. But not wit'out some Swamp root. Somepin ah'll do it wit, it'll nevah nOt cure It. DOCTORS SHOOTIN AN' ALL DAT KIN'A SHOTS WILL NOT GIT RID OF IT, AN' I HAD IT. SO MANY PERSONS A DAY IN TOWN DAT DIES FROM DAT GOIN' TUH HOS- PITALS AN' NEVAH BE'S CURED. YO' GOTA GIT SOME MAN OUTA DE WOODS, OR SOME MAN TO GIT SOMEPIN OUTA DE GROUN' TO CURE DAT.
Entry 3444
Yo' know de colored people laks livah, laks tuh eat livah yo' know - beef livah, calf livah. Well, quite natchel [natural] dey cooks de dog livah. Well, now, quite natchel, he laks livah, yo' see. But now, yo' wouldn't prepare dis livah fo' me, if yo' didn't care nuthin about me. Dese wimmins genly [generally] use dat on dere husban'. Dey usin' dat to tie him; if he goes out anywhere, why he'll git hung jes' lak a dog would. Dat's whut dey do wit dog livah.
(That's to shame him or something if he's caught.)
Oh! he git caught. Dere ain't no doubt about it. He'll swell up. An' de only thing dat kin unswell 'im - co'se de doctor [M.D.] kin do it, but quite natchel he might not he'p 'em [be able to help them] if dey settin' down a couple of days. He put a piece of ice right dere, an' dat ice gotta have at least three minutes, an' it will untie 'em. If she haven't got no ice, no good ice watah where yo' kin bathe 'im back down [my root doctor informant is now talking about his own professional abilityl, or bathe her down where it swellin', den he'll git fastened dat much tightah an' de doctor [M.D.] have tuh unloosen dem. Give 'im somepin tuh cool 'im down an' throw de swellin' down. Dat's why some use it - dem dat's mean enough - use dog's livah fo' dat. Dat's whut dey do wit it.
Entry 3445
Jes' lak we were talkin' 'bout back heah while ago, if a person git hook up lak dis, yo' give 'em dog livah an' dat will relief 'em. Dey tell me dat will relief 'em, give 'em dog livah. (If the man and woman are stuck together, you give them dog liver to eat. That'll unfasten them?) [This is an example of like cures like, see margin title, p.394.] Yes, dog livah will unfasten dem.
Entry 3501
He have a intahco'se wit 'er an' she take a piece of new cloth an' take bis come on dat an' tie it in dat new cloth an' den she bury it undah de steps, an' when he steps ovah it three times, she take an' carry it to de cemetery an' bury it in de cemetery, an' den he be tied to her an' he Can't have anothah woman tuh save his life. IF SHE'D DIE AN' LEAVE HIM LAK DAT, BE CAN'T HAVE ANOTHAH WOMAN [see 1039, p.396]. Ah've seen dat done.
Entry 3562
Yo' take a string an' measure dis person, an' tie a knot at de end of dat string. Yo' see, tie a knot at de end of dat string. Yo' see, tie a knot at de end of dat string, at de firs measurin' place an' den yo' tie it, an' from dere on yo' tie eight more which makes nine, an' den yo' kin eithah pin it aroun' yore ankle wit a sil- vah dime. Stick a hole in a silvah dime an' wear it aroun' de ankle, dey won't love no one but yo'. Well, NOW SOME PEOPLE SAY DEY USE IT FER CRAMPS [see Nos.1516-1517], BUT DAT'S ALWAYS AS AN ALIBI. DAT'S [LOVE IS] WHUT DE USE IT FO'.
(They say they use it for cramps, but they really want to keep a man.)
Entry 3715
Beef gall is sometime that is used to bring a man's nature back when a woman done tied knots aroun' - nine knots aroun' 'er stomach. (Well, how would you handle that? How would he get his nature back?) You use - take ordinary beef gall, if a man drink coffee, or whatevah drink he drink. Take or'nary beef gall an' make coffee or whatevah it is, make it strong enough dat yo' kin put one drop into dat an' he won't taste dat gall in dere, an' let 'im drink it, yo' see. An' if a woman is got a knot aroun' 'er stomach, an' she wears dem nine knots aroun' 'er stomach to kill a man's nature, yo' give him dat beef gall. Jis' continue givin' 'im dat beef gall, an' when dat string bu'st on 'im, he'll become a normal man when dat string bu'st on 'er. Long as he take dat beef gall an' urinate through 'is penis, dat string will continue wearin' - wearin' - [away].
Entry 3728
If dey is bind togethah dat way, an' de individual dat bind 'em, if dey [he] dies, well, dey'll always stay togethah. See, it's no way tuh git it off aftah de individual is dead, yo' see, dat de one dat did it, see. [See margin title IF EVILDOER DIES SPELL INCURABLE, p.396.]
Entry 3730
Well, yo' take de dishrag, if a woman has got a run-aroun' man an' she take de dishrag - aftah she take de dishrag, wipe him wit de dishrag. Wipe him wit de dishrag an' iron it with a very hot iron, an' bury it to de left side of a tree. When yo' bury it to de left side of de tree, dat will perish away all nature dey has fo' any woman. He can't run aroun' any mo', he'll have to stay at home. Well now, if he don't go to de graveyard an' den git de graveyard dirt from de head an' de foot, place a penny in de centah of de grave- pay de grave fo' whut chew git in de Name of de Lord. Take it back an' mix brimstone, sulphur an' sweet milk an' drink it. Well, if he don't do dat, he'll nevah be a man any mo'. He goes to T. B.
(But if he does that, it restores his nature.)
Entry 3748
Ah know dis heah. If yo' think yo' got a woman an' she's indiff'ren', yo' take her wit dat snail. An' at night when yo' happen tuh be foolin' aroun', handlin' ovah 'er, yo' press dat snail ovah 'er, grease dat snail ovah 'er, an' den de nex' man - if she has othah ones about 'er, when he go tuh 'er, he can't git up no 'rection [erection], yo' see. Hit'll fall evah time. An' de onliest way now - now here's where tuh conkah 'it. When he finds out dat he can't have no intahco'se wit 'er, he'd steal a dishrag. He steal a dishrag from some wumman, somebody's place, an' bathe hisself down nine mornings - bathe hisself down nine mornings wit dat rag, an' den take it an' bury it at de do'step - dis same fellah's do'step now. An' den aftah de nine days - he bury it an' let it stay nine days. - aftah nine days he kin take 'er an' screw 'er jis' as much as he wants.
Entry 3770
Nine penny-nails, put [in] a quart bottle of watah an' take it three times a day, see. Dat will kill dat what she give yo'. De way she goes in dat way - undahstan', whenevah yo' have connection wit 'er, any discharge she wipe wit a han'ke'ch'ef of some kind, an' you [she] tie nine knots in it an' tie it aroun' 'er waist, see. Well, dat makes 'im lose ambition fer de [other] woman. He may be hard an' he may aim to get on to marry de woman, den he fall, loses ambition fer no one else but 'er.
Entry 3775
She git a dishrag an' she'll tie three knots in it: ONE ON DE END AN' ONE IN DE MIDDLES AN' ONE ON DE OTHAH END - make three knots. She'll have dat rag damp. When yo' make a connec- tion wit 'er dat night, she won't come herself. Yo' understan' whut ah talkin' about. She'll make yo' do it. When she do's dat she'll tie it up an' she'll put it undahneat' her mat- tress right undah yore haid, where yo' won't know nuthin about it. An' prob'ly yo' go dere to anothah woman to try to make a connection wit 'er. It'll be hard when yo' git up dere, but aftah yo' git up an' start it'll jes' fall right down.
[Here follows the cure for the preceding rite.]
Dere's a weed grows in de woods, dey call it a horse nettle. It's a little weed dat has a little button on it - little berry, yo' see - an' de root is about dat long. An' dat root got little lumps in it. Evah two or three inches dat root got a little knot in it. Well yo' take dat an' yo' drink dat fo' about nine mawnin's.
(What do you do with that root?)
Well, if anybody know it, dey kin go out in a country place an' git it. Yo' takes it an' yo' cuts it up, an' puts it in a bottle, an' yo' PO' SOME OF DIS GOOD WHISKEY ON IT, an' drink it fo' nine mawnin's, an' dat'll bring it back to yo'.
(Bring his nature back.)
Entry 3802
Well, if a person go tuh work an' take de measure of yore private an place it on a piece of paper, yo' take an' go tuh work an' git to de place dat chew can't be social wit no othah man, yo' take de five dimes an' swallah dem. When de five dimes came back in passes, why yo'll be a perfect person ag'in. Yo' kin go all de way an' love wit anyone dat chew want to:
(You say a woman will take a man's measure on what?)
On de private.
(How does she measure that?)
Wit 'er fingahs.
(Then what does she do with that, then?)
Take dat an' tie nine knots wit a cord string.
(Then what does she do with that string?)
She take dat string an' place it aroun' 'er waist.
(And that takes the man's nature away?)
Yes.
(Now, how is he going to get his nature back?)
He will have to go tuh work an' [provide himself] wit de five silvah dimes, jes' lak she will. Swallah five silvah dimes.
(Swallow the whole dime?)
All whole.
Entry 3827
Yo' walk up on a person all of a sudden, yo' know, an' yo' kinda scare dem an' jeer dem. Well, dat will make 'em pull a-loose.
(With what?) Wit a peachtree switch. Well, dat tuh part 'em, see. Use a peachtree switch tuh unhinge 'em jes' lak dogs. (Can they use any other kind of switch?)
Well, no suh, couldn't use any othah kind, jes' de peachtree switch.
Entry 3870
Ah know it tuh be a fac', if a girl break up - lak if yo' didn't love 'er so good, yo' know, an' if she be sick or sompin othah lak dat. Well, dere's one thin' dat she kin [do], if she's sick, to he'p'er- self. If she kin git yo' tuh eat anythin', or drink watah, den she take a little of 'er sickness, in 'bout a teaspoonfulla watah, an' a li'le bit of red shank, an' boil it intuh de watah. She kin po' dis stuff, jes' 'bout a halfa teaspoonfulla in some watah an' gi' yo' [give you]. Why yo's a fool about 'er, see.
(You put a piece of red shank root into that water?)
Dat right. An' if yo' wanta, dere's a way dat yo' find out dat she did do yo' dat way. Yo' goes in de woods an' gits yo' de devil's shoestring. Den yo' comes back wit dat an' yo' boil it an' take yo' a piece of mullein. Dem [mullein plant] a flat weed sompin lak 'bacca [tobacco], lak a head of 'bacca, yo' know, but it be's somewhut flattah yo' know - it don't be high, yo' know. An' yo' take dat an' yo' take nine strands of dat mullein root an' ball [boil] it, an' two leaves. De way yo' gotta do, yo' git some whiskey an' put on it, on dat, an' git chew a piece of camphor an' put it on it. Well, yo' tote dat in yore pocket fo' 'bout two or three days an' pass 'er do', an' she'll tell yo' she got de headache one day when yo' pass dere. Inside of eight days she'll tell yo' she got de head- ache. Well, yo' jes' say to her, says, "Well, dat's mighty bad but ah got some camphor heah." Well, yo' go ahead by dere an' let 'er rub 'er haid wit it. Yo got 'er an' it's offa yo' den. Well, she git tuh lovin' yo' den. Maybe, if yo' wanta love 'er an' want 'er tuh love yo' - well, it jes' quite natural if a man love a woman, he want 'er tuh love him yo' know.
Entry 5220
Den ah've heard dat dey kin take yore shoe an' scrape de bottom of it. Lak yore shoes is - lak yo' weah yore shoes tuhday. Well, if yo' foot atall sweat, dey kin take it an' pull it off an' scrape de inside of dat shoe, an' git dat dere dirt whut come outa yore foot. An' dey could bind dat dere up an' put intuh a place whereby it cain't ketch no air atall. An yo' cain't walk. Of co'se it cain't kill yo' - won' kill yo' - but yo' won' have no use fo' dat foot. Dat takes de use of it, when dey puts dat intuh a place where it cain't ketch no air. De way dat chew comprehend [overcome] dat is tuh bring de use back tuh yore foot. Git chew some sulphur an' red peppah an' weah it in de bottom of yore shoe an' dat will kill it. See, dat'll kill it in yore foot. Dat won' be no good while dey have it in dat airtight place. Dat 'air [= dere = there] is de way dey ovahcome dat devilment when dey works it.
Entry 6146
Take yore hair an' git yore hair outa yore head an' bury it in a snail shell undah de door- step or at de back windah, an' put yo' to gwinin' [going] an' have yo' where dat yo' won't know - dey'll put aspell or headache onyo' see, an' dat head- aohe will jes' lingah an' lingah undah until it kill yo'. Ain't no cure fo' it, crs de doctor can't cure it, de hoodoo gotta cure it. Yo' can't git it cured un- til yo' be lucky enough to git some hoodoo to go back undah dat windah, undah dat doorstep an' dig dat up an' give it to yo'. Well, when he dig it up an' tell yo' vat to do wit it, den it's to hell an' gone. (I see.) [The hoodoo doctor sends it back to hell whence it came.]
Entry 6548
Yo' kin take a toadfrog an' hang 'im up an' kill 'im. Hang 'im fron' de fiah an' git nine drops of blood out dis frog an' put it in whiskey. Take de frog an' take an' kill 'im. If yo' kin git a snake, yo' kin take an' kill a snake an' git nine drops of 'is blood, an' put it in whiskey fo' yo'. It won' kill yo' right away. Yo' gon'a live an' be sick, but atter while dey gon'a be so big [inside you] dey kill yo'.
(How do they get those live things out?)
Well, lak dey put 'em in yo'. Go ketch yo' a snake an' don' kill 'im. Jis' split 'im open 'live an' - lak he's mad hot - an' smash it on dere, an' dat takes [those live things] outa yo'.
(Well, how do you get those frogs out?)
De same way wit snakes. Don' kill de frog, jis' ketch de frog while it's hot. Jis' play wit 'im or somepin an' make 'im mad. An' git 'im while he's mad, yo' see, an' split 'im right open an' slap it right on dat place, an' it will take de frogs out.
Entry 6553
They take a frog and they keep that frog until he has eggs. And when the frog has the eggs, they take those and put in the beer, and they will give that to the enemy to drink. Well, inside of about four or five months, those eggs will hatch and in the person's stomach, and they will have frogs in their stomach. And there is but one way to get those frog eggs out of that person's stomach, out of the belly to keep them from hatching. You would have to go under a operation. The way you can get them out without going under a operation is if you learn they are in there before four months. You can easily get them out with black molasses and burnt sulphur, becuz that ties them up, that brings them right out when you are passing. You pass them right out.
Entry 6602
Well, all right, ah've had de pleasure tuh meetin' a woman travelin through de country, an' five or six diff'ren' people of mah profession tole [her] dat dere wus snakes put intuh 'er. Now, dey wus Wondahin' how did dese snakes git intuh dis woman. Ah claim dat yo' kin take snake dust an' put snakes intuh a person. Yo' kin sprinkle dis dust over some of dere food an' if dey eat, dey claim dat snakes will grow intuh 'em. Ah've had de pleasure of gittin' one from a woman. Ah've taken de hair from de top of 'er head an' burn dis an' let 'er weah dis dus' in 'er lef' shoe, an it made dese snakes disappeah.
Entry 6615
Well, yo' kin take de blood outa scorpion, eithah snake, eithah one, an' put it intuh a person's food In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' dey'll becone tuh have snakes in 'em, or scorpions in 'em. Den if yo' wan' dose outa dere, yo' git chew some salt, red peppah, sulphuh. Combine 'em tuhgethah an' let 'em take it fo' nine mawnin's In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost. An' dat soon will git 'em out.
(Get those live things out?)
Yes sir.
Entry 6620
Yo' git a snake bone an' take de shoes - yo' git de snake bone an' yo' take a person's shoe an' take dat li'le leathah piece outa it whut's in dere. An' yo' take dat li'le bone an' dry it up - yo' know, kinda make li'le powdah of it. An' yo' take de othah part, de tip-end of it, dat sharp part, an' put it down intuh de shoe an' place dat li'le cloth back ovah it. Yo' take dat powdahs an' sprinkle dat all roun' in dere. If it's yore shoe, if ah wanta kill yo' or put sompin in yo', put snakes in yo' where dey won' come out. Well, yo' see when yo' put dat shoe on, yo' goin' press yore weight ag'inst it; an' when yo' does, see, it pops up intuh yo', intuh yore heel. Well, yo' see, dat poison jis' goes right straight on up in yo'. An' aftah dat poison git up intuh yo', in about de ninth day it begin tuh make li'le snakes in yo'. It begin tuh make li'le snakes in yo'. Well, if yo' wanta git dose snakes outa yo', yo' git chew some sulphuh an' green peppah, black peppah an' mix it all tuhgethah. An' den yo' git chew dis milk of magnesia an' den yo' put dat in wit it an' mix it tuhgethah, an' jis' nine drops of spirits of turpentine. Yo' mix it all up tuhgethah an' yo' take dat fo' about eight days an' it will kill dose snakes. An' yo' go tuh de woods an' dere's one li'le sprig of stuff dat dey call dat Copras it bears one of de straight leaves an' de li'le j'ints [joints]. Dey got about four li'le white j'ints run up tuhgethah. [Does informant mean copperas, and does he think it is a plant?] Yo' take dat an' weah dat intuh yore clothes, an' dey say dat will really, surely run de snakes outa yo'. Put it all tuhgethah an' it will run dose snakes out of yo'. (You just wear this root though, you don't take either of those things - just wear it?) Yes.
(And that snakebone, can you get that any place about the snake?)
Yes, yo' kin git it from de snake, jis' any part of 'is body, jis' so it has dat li'le sharp end kind lak a pin.
Entry 6680
Yo' kin take nine new needles an' nine new pins an' nails - nine nails - an' put in a bottle. An' den yo' kin take one dese heah worm outa from undah de bottom [bark] see, think dey call 'em sawyah.
(Wood Sawyer?)
Yes sir. Dey got two little bills [horns] whut cuts in de wood. [These worms - the larvae of sawyers, several large longicorn bettles - bore large holes in timber or dead trees. Both worm and bettle are often called wood sawyers.] Put dat in dat bottle an' bury it down in de path where he walks. An' den, when he walk ovah dat, he'll ketch 'em in 'is foot. An' dat same worm [larva] whut chew see in dat bo'd, dat yo' put in dat bottle, jis' true as [what?]. [It will enter 'im an'] eat 'im up. [But this ailment can be cured.] Dat way [if you are in that condition] yo' got'a go tuh a root doctah de same way [as before]. Now a root doctor, he got'a take 'em out. A medical doctor don't do it.
(What would a root doctor do to get that worm out of him, I wonder.)
He goes an' git de root from de - dey call black haw an' red oak bark an' a stingin' nettle root. Put dat up in a bottle an' yo' got'a take. Dat stingin' nettle root, will run 'im out dere. [The other two help and also make 3 ingre- dients.]
(Well, what do you do with these roots? Make a tea of them or what?)
Yes.
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 6764
If a person got a wen on dere arm or anywhere about 'em, 20 wanted tuh git rid of dat wen, when a person dies, yo' kin go dere an' jis take dat wen an' wipe it on 'em jis' 'fore dey git cold, or eithah wash it down. Jis' take it an' wipe it on 'em. An' when dey bury dat person, in three day's time dat com- sence tuh wizen [wither or shrivel] away an' it'll go. [The verb to wizen, from the Anglo-Saxon, is obsolete, though it lingers on as dialect.] [Sumter, S. Car.,
(1368), 2422:2.] [Bone from dead cures warts, No.8027, p.3409.]
Entry 6766
Ah've see 'em take dis li'le bit of wasp or dirt daubahs, yo' know de're white. Ah've seen 'em [doctor] take dem [dirt daubers] an' go cah places dat people were poisoned. Dat is some ways tuh beat 'em out dere roney. [These people] thought dey were poisoned. An' [these doctors] have 'em in dere han' an' claim dey would cure 'em an' take out dose things in 'em. Dey gotta take out dose things, but dey didn't take 'em out.
(How did they do it then?)
Dey [doctors] carried 'em [dirt daubers] dere wit 'em. [Informant is skepti- cal about a doctor removing dirt daubers (usually if not always dead ones) from a person. He believes the doctor brought the insects with him and used a little sleight of hand.]
Entry 6792
Know dey taken fish fo' a person dat dey win' [wind] is short [luag trouble]. Take a fish whut got dose bladdahs in 'em whut holds win'. Yo' diy dat, an' aftah dryin' dat, if a person is short-winded, yo' take an' bust it an' swallah [swallow] dat air, an' dat gives yore lungs fresh air.
Entry 6825
Tuh git graveyard dirt, dey say go out tuh de graveyard whah some of yoh relatives die. Well, dey tells me dat dat'll kill double pneumonia. Ah had a baby die yestiday mawnin' wit double pneumonia, an' ah were in mah home Sunday an' a lady came tuh mah house, an' say, "Ah tell yo' whut chew do," she say, "yo' git in yuh cah [car]." She came dere Satiday night. She say, "Come an' git in yuh cah an' come go wit me, an' go out whah a man is buried, whah yuh mothah-in-law is buried, an' git some of dat graveyard dirt an' put it in a bag. Git some from right undahneat' de lef'-han' comah of 'er grave. An' put it in a bag an' take it tuh hospital an' sprinkle it undahneat' dat baby's mattress, an' he won't die."
(What do you mean by the left-hand corner of the grave?)
Well, dat whut she tole me. She say, "Git it from de lef'-han' cornah." Ah say, "Whut de lef'-han' cornah?" Wal, she tole me dat evahtime yo' beah [bury] a person, YO' JIS' BEAH 'EM A CERTAIN WAY. AH HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT DAT. DID JOO? All right. She says, "Now yo' go an' git it out de cornah, " an' says, "yo' scattah it undah huh [her] haid. Git it from de lef'-han' cornah of de grave an' put it in jis' a li'le bag. An' go an' slip it undah dat mattress an' dat baby won' die."
[While machine turned off informant gave information I now repeat.]
(Get the dirt from the left-hand side near the heart.) [This means, while standing at head of the grave looking to the foot, the left-hand corner would be the heart corner.]
Entry 6829
(What do you use with the graveyard dirt?)
Yo' po' dat on de graveyard dirt.
(Yes?) [Continue.]
Go tuh a undahtakah's parlah or anywhah whah de daidman is. Git some of de fat outa dis man. Melt it down lak yo' would lard. Mix dat wit anythin', mos' commonly wit 'is food, undah- stan'. Or jis' as a medicine, let 'im drink dat, an' he's cured of dat graveyard dirt. He's soun' an' well ag'in.
(I see. I see.)
Entry 6859
(What did she do?)
He-mullein tea. It's a mullein tea grows wit a leaf.
(He took the she mullein or the he mullein?)
He mullein.
(The she mullein wasn't any good then?)
No, sir, de he mullein.
(Oh, all right, let it go at that.)
But now, which ah wanted tuh speak [to] yo' 'bout, a he mullein. A she mul- lein has got a li'le blossom tuh it. A he mullein grows down jis' lak dat [dem- onstrates], yo' see, wit a leaf lak a cabbage leaf; de othah [the she] part's a flowah a he mullein don' do it. An' she, [cylinder changed], an' she made some tea outa dat. (Out of the mullein?) Outa de he mullein. Aftah makin dat tea outa de he mullein, she had anothah li'le piece of root, ah guess yo' seen it, called John de Conkah. She boiled both dat teas tuhgethah. She boils dis root tuhgethah an' she boils dis tea. She boils it down 'till it turns jis' lak dat Tokay store tea. Dis root turn it dataway. Also, de mullein will turn it kind of greenish-lak, but by puttin' dis root in it, it turned it kinda lak, yo know, lak tea. An' he drinked dat tea. Well, he commenced tuh feelin' bettah. Be jis' gittin' on 'is feet, den he kinda gittin' use tuh hisself. Well, anothah fellah, he wuz kin'a ole hoodoo, call 'im Ole Man Jim. He say, "Now, Son, ah don' know whut yo' have took, but it's a green bush, a vine dat grows up on your fahm [farm] called de bittah apple.
(What kind?)
Bittah apple. Bittah apple. He boils dis bittah apple - jis' lak it tastes bittah, jis' as bittah as gall. Boil dat an' strain it. Nuthin in it, no sugah atall. Don' drink it hot, drink it when it git cold, see. But now, it's done turn yallah [yellow]. It's not whut chew call right green, yo' see. It grows lak a gourd. Bell, now, when de sun hits dis, it's lak a yallah person. It sprangle up jis lak a gourd or one of dese othah thin's - quinces. An' aftah she boil dat tea an' dat boy took dat stuff, it put 'im on 'is feet. He wuz [had been] nex' tuh DAT CURED 'IM.
Entry 6879
(How can that be done?)
Well, yo' see, de way dat dey do it, dey git a rope. Yo' know a woman's iml pregnant. Dey goes tuh de step an' dey come ovah de step.
(Wait a minute. What do they do with that rope now?)
Dey take de rope offa de mule.
(Oh, this rope is around the mule?)
De rope is aroun' de mule. Dey git tuh de step an' dey come over dat rope nine times backwards. See, dey jump ovah de rope once an' dey walk aroun' it an' dey jump ovah it ag'in. An' when dey git ovah dat rope, den dey jump up lak a mule. Now, when dis lady comes out, dat's crossin' 'er as a mule [woman's period will be as long as a mule's]. Now tuh git dis cross off 'er before dis child is born, yo' git chew a Bull Durham [tobacco] sack. Yo' take dat Bull Durham sack an' yo' wash it clean, clean, clean. Yo' go tuh one a dese big sand places such as Jenkins, Watts-Cornell [or] J. J. Cox, sand dat's nevah been used, jis' come in. Yo' fill dat bag about three-qurtah full of dat sand. It's purtty white sand. Yo' git chew nine silvah dimes an' yo' put in dat sand an' yo' git chew, git chew a half a cupa vinegah. Yo' take dat an' yo' put it intuh a pot an' yo' boil. An' aftah yo' boil, yo' boil yo' an' yo' boil it down an' yo' see dis sack done boiled enough, tuh where yo' want it tuh boil at, den yo' take dis sack an' yo' go an' throw it undah 'er steps. Dat's de woman impregnant. Yo' throws it right undah 'er step wit dese dimes an' dis sand intuh it. Now, de liquid dat's lef' from dis, from dat vinegah, yo' got dat dere. Now, she mus' take a sip of dis evah mawnin' fer nine mawnin's. An' ah'll guarantee yuh it'll knock dat off. (That checks that cross that's on that woman, checks it right away. You can't do any harm at all.)
Entry 7197
Yo' see, jis' lak if yo' been messin' wit a woman an' she take yore nature 'way lak dat, de way fo' her tuh do dat, she git some dis heah clovah root. She takes some of dat clovah root an' boil it intuh a tea. Well, quite natchel [natural] in de sum- mahtime yo' drink ice tea. She'll take some of dat an' go ahaid an' she put it in dat [tea] watah, an' yo' drink it an' yore courage will leave. An' de fus' thin' yo' know, yo' cain't [do] nuthin. An' it's quite natchel she'll say attah while, say, "Yo' know, Conn, ah'm goin' leave yo'." An' she'll leave yo'. Dat de way Women do. An' anothah thin' she kin do, she kin take red shank root. She'll take dat red shank root an' gi' yo' dat air [give you that there] an' three raw aigs a day herself. Not have a thing on 'em. An' yo' suck dem aigs fo' nine days, an it'll bring yo' [nature] back. She'll bring yo' back.
Entry 7210
(All right.) = [Ready to start.]
Ah had a pair of socks an' ah had a undahsuit. Ah came from mah work an' ah rolled it up, ah couldn't git in mah room, an' ah jis' shoved in between de screen an' de do'. An' ah left. When ah come back, mah undahsuit an' mah socks wuz gone. An' ah do know whut taken place wit me aftah dat, an' ah do know whut ah wuz told through fortune- tellahs.
(All right, tell me all about it.)
De fortunetellah told me dat ah were hurt in some a mah clothes. She did not say whut kinda clothes, but it fell back tuh mah remembrance dat if ah wuz hurt, it must have been mah undahsuit an' mah socks. (Well, how did you know you were hurt? Why did you go to this fortuneteller? Did something happen to.you? Were you sick or something before you went to the fortuneteller?) No, sir, ah wuzn't sick den. Ah wuz not sick den.
(What did you go to that fortuneteller for?)
Well, ah went tuh de doctor. Went tuh Natchez Mississippi Hospital in [nine- teen] thirty an' ah stayed ovah dere 'bout thirteen or seventeen days. An' de doctor seemly dey couldn't fin' de complaint, whut wuz de mattah wit me. He said dat ah wuz all right. Well, ah wúz still sick. Well, ah decided in mah mind - ah hear'd de people talkin' about hoodoos an' witchcraft an' fortune- telZahs. It came tuh me in mah mind by a friend of mine, he said, "Why don' chew go an' see such-an'-such a one?' He said, "Dey kin tell yo' things." Well, ah decided tuh go. Well, ah went tuh dem an' dey told me dat ah wuz hurt through clothes. An' ah ast dem, "Well, whut could yo' do fer me? Could yo' cure me?" Dey tole me, "Yeah." Dey believe through de powah of God dat dey could cure me. An' dey made me up a tea. Now, ah don' know whut kinda tea it 'twuz, but any- way dey give dat tuh me fer tuh drink an' ah drinked it an' ah really hadn't rest fer [so many] nights.
Entry 7250
De reason ah'm tell'n yo' dis is it's from mah wife. Mah wife - dere wus a lady mad wit 'er an' she loaned a ole lady 'er bonnet, named Rachel Keller. An' she [Rachel] wō de bonnet away an' she kep' it about a week. She wus a frien' of our'n. Well, dis girl whut stayed dere, she found out it wus mah wife's bonnet. She watched 'er. She got some snail, a young snail an' fixed 'em - jis' take 'em lak she have - got 'em an' worked 'em up lak she wanted tuh swell 'em, an' jis' squirted de juice in watah. Washed 'em an' squirted de juice in watah an' put dat in a bottle. She [my wife] goes all tuh pieces-lak. She [the girl] takes an' sprinkles dat bonnet wit it an' mah wife wore it, an' she come jis' as blind as a bat - couldn't see nowhere.
(Real blind.)
She come blind as a bat. She had a li'le girl, name of Carnation. Call dat li'le girl sometime an' she try tuh go tuh de do'. Neah tuh de do' an' couldn't see it. She wus right behin' de dō', thought she wus tuh de dō', but she wus be- bhin' de do'. Couldn't even see me when ah come in de house. Ah carried 'er tuh de same ole lady, Mrs. Brown, an' ah know whut she done.
(You don't know what she did to her?)
I did.
(Oh, you did?)
An ah know whut she done an' whut she tole me tuh do. An' ah did it. She give me de stuff, cayenne peppah, a li'le piece of pod, yo' see. Put it in a skillet an' boil it till de watah wus red. Took a li'le meal, of what chew call...
(Corn meal?)
An' bind it right ovah 'er eyes jis' lak dat, until she got so she could see.
(That's what cured her?)
Made her so she could see. Now she kin see. Dat's been fifteen yeahs ago.
(Was this down in Pilesville?)
[Powersville? N. Car.]
Yes, sir.
Entry 7256
(What do they do with that hair?)
Well, dey'll take dat hair an' dey'll tie it aroun' dere waist, yuh know. Tie dat hair wit string an' make nine knots in it. Aftah dey make dem nine knots in it, well in about fifteen days yuh'd go crazy, if yuh don't go see about chureself. Yuh'd have tuh go tuh some strong two-haided person an' see about chureself.
(Where do you get this hair from?)
Out of yuh ear.
(And what do they tie that to?)
Aroun' dey waist.
Entry 8011
Make doll baby, put in box like a coffin, with person's hair and quick- silver balls at stomic [stomach]. Person who cured victim shot the evil-doer with a spiritual gun. [Long story, not much detail, recheck.] [Doctor Bayhan (Bayhand), a white doctor on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, used a spirit- ual gun to harm persons as far away as Baltimore - see No.62, p.28; and another comment about him from Deal Island, Md., No.3069, p.891.] [Washington, D. C.,
(between 629-638), 816:2.]
[In this subsubsection we have an animal buried as a substitute for the burial of a person. Our first example will be a substitute for the substitute, an egg for the chicken.]
Entry 8027
Well, yo' kin take a dead person's bone, if yo' kin git one; an' if yo' got warts on yore han', yo'picks dis bone up an' dat'll take de warts off. But yo' puts dis bone back down, don't carry it off no place.
(But it must be the bone of a dead person?)
Dat's right.
Entry 9179
Ah've hear'd tell of 'em usin' eggshells, ah've hear'd tell dat chew kin take nine eggshells. An' if he drinks coffee, ah've hear'd tell of 'em takin' nine eggshells - yo' take de eggs of a black hen. An' yo' take nine eggshells an' if yo' kin beat those eggshells up, an' use dat intuh his coffee, ah've heard tell of dat stoppin' 'im from drinkin'.
Entry 9887
A frog? An' if yo' have bone felon on yuh fingah lak ah had on dis one heah - an' yo' take dat frog whilst he's alive an' yo' split 'im open an' yo' run de fingah dat ails yuh, see, intuh 'im. Dat will draw de misery out.
Entry 9888
If anyone poisoned, yo' kin take a live toadfrog and split 'im wide open an' bind 'im up on dere, it'll take dat 'fect away.
Entry 9890
Dey say dat yo' kin take a toadfrog an' tote him till he dies, an' yo' kin cure any kinda complaint dat yo' wants; any complaint, if yo' ketch 'im an' tote him till he dies. (Then what do you do with him?) Yeah, jis' don' squeeze him, but yo' tote him till he dies. Any kinda complaint come tuh yore hand, yo' kin cure it.
Entry 9922
Ketch a toadfrog an' kill 'im an' drop nine drops of blood in a blf pint of whiskey, an' dat'll stop him.
(From drinking - a heavy liquor drinker.)
Entry 10210
Ah heard dat if a man is tied up by his wife an' can't git no nature fo' no othah woman, den he takes an' gits him a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' when he gits dat bottle of Hearts Cologne, he'll go to where dere's anothah woman dat's havin' her periods. An' he take dat Hearts Cologne an' he - aftah de cloth is dried hard, he take dat dere Hearts Cologne an' put it on dere, an' git it dissolved good an' squeeze it out. An' he takes dat den, dat solution, an' bathe himself with it.
(Bathe his tool?)
Yessuh, an' dat gives him a nature fo' anothah woman. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 10221
Boil a cicada in lard and grease man's tool with it to cure a spell of im- potence. [The magic here is probably be- cause the insect sings, then comes out of a hard shell it leaves behind; a symbol of escape, new life and singing with joy!]
Entry 10229
Like you havin' to do with 'er an' she'll take a dishcloth an' she'll wipe you with de dishcloth. An' she'll take dat dishcloth an' she'll care it an' put it under her bed or under her pillah, see, an' yo' couldn't mess with a yoman to save your life. If dat man [or you] got sense now, he kin git rid of dat. Why, he go, if he wan'a git rid of it, he'll go an' steal...or yo' go [to] somebody house an' yo' steal de dishcloth, see. You go [got to] have sumpin to do with her, or any other woman, an' you'll wipe with dat dishcloth. An' yo' take dat dishcloth an' fold it right tight. An' he kin wear it with him or put it somewhere where nobody but him can reach it but him. An' she can't do nuthin with nobody but you.
Entry 10261
If a woman have tricked him where he can't do business, well every morning he take dat. Take some milk an' put it in de pan an' bathe down wit it; an' throw it toward de risin' sun, every morning fo' nine mornings. [I had stopped machine but restarted it to include informant's use of the word courage.]
(What will that do then? That will restore his courage?)
Yes, restore his courage. [Stop machine.]
[Start machine again to pick up another addition.]
(You say bathe down.)
Entry 10263
(What can he do for that?) Well, he kin go to take black mo- lasses syrup an' eat it, eat it fo' about nine days. Dat will kill ever' bit of it [impotence].
Entry 10271
If a person got chew fixed so yo' ain't got no manhood wit chureself, yo' jes' go an' make water into a red ant's nest. It will freshen right up ag'in. Ah've lost mah nature mah- self dat way an' ah've gained it back dat way. Dat's true about dat. [For ants see Nos.3111-3112, p.2342, v.3.]
Entry 10558
If yo' wus in business or yo're goin' tuh start busi- ness, sompin lak dat, say yo' go to work an' kill a - yo' know dese bullbats fly around, dese little bats - say yo' kill de bat, chew know. It supposed to be a hard thing tuh kill - 'cause ah've shot at dem lotsa times mahself, but chew kin kill 'em. An' after yo' kill 'em an' dey falis, yo' ketch 'em whilst dey a - yo' nevah don't hit 'em, yo' jest shoot through de wing of 'em yo' know. An' den yo' take 'em an' cut 'em open. Ketch 'em whilst dey 'live an' git de heart out of 'em, an' sew it up in a piece of cloth yo' know. But ah think yo' have to let, yo know, let it cure a little bit. Den sew it up an' keep it in yore pocket. Dey tell me dat's de best luck fo' [any] business ever wus.
Entry 10584
Ah hear a real gambler say if yo' wants be real lucky in gamblin', kill yo' one of dese leather-wing bats an' cut de heart out of 'em, an' lay it up until it git good an' seasoned. An' go an' buy yo' a piece of pure red silk cloth an' sew it up in dat, an' keep it in yore pocket an' go to yore game. Nobody can't hardly ketch yo'. Fact [in fact] ah have seen dat tried.
Entry 10754
(Tell me about that ministratin' again. What do you do with it?)
Yo' kin take an' throw it in runnin' watah.
(A woman's menstruate?) [They have me turning a verb into a noun!]
Yessuh, yo' throw it in runnin' watah an' dat'll run her crazy. She'll be crazy bad. Nobody'll take dat off her, not lessen' dey'll take it [upon self] chew know. [Only a skilled rootman or hoodoo. A doc- tor could absorb such a dangerous condition into his own body!]
Entry 10932
Yo' takes a person dat's heavy drinker. Yo' git chew a live catfish- alive, any kinda fish. It don' have tuh be no special kind of fish. Yo' cut de tail off an' yo' ketch some of dat- jes' ketch three drops of that blood, an' yo' put dat blood into dat. Yo' git some likker, whatsomevah likker dey likes, an' put dat blood in dere an' give it to 'em to drink. He goin' drink it. [Catfish blood to cure alcoholism is a common belief along the Mississippi River from Memphis down through New Orleans. For cat fish blood and alcohol, see also Nos.7000-7007, p.3156-3158, v.4.]
Entry 10933
Like a man is a heavy drinker. You go to the river and catch you a catfish and git home with him as quick as you can, before he dies. Now, buy gin, wine - whaever he drinks. And take a knife and put it in that catfish's tail and hold him up and let three drops of blood drop in that whiskey or wine, whatever you [he] drink. And shake it up and put there for you [him] when you [he] come. Now when you drink this, it's goin' to make you sick. It make yo' so sick it'll almost kill yo'. And it'll give yo' no more taste for liquor.
Entry 11138
They put cow manure in your tea and it will make you love 'em. Like you have your wife and she can't [stay home and is running around] you kin use cow manure and it will make her stay with you, love you more. [The theory here is that someone has bewitched her, manure is a cure.]
(I see.)
Entry 11147
I've heard tha' choo kin remove the sty from yo' eye. Go to the crossroad and take that dirt at the crossroad and rub on your eye and say: Sty, sty, leave my eye. [Had this been any ordinary cure from folk medicine I would have omitted it, but here vas something special. It does not appear in Folklore from Adams County, Illin- Ois, 2nd ed., though there a sty cure where 3 roads meet (No.5499) and a cross- roads cure (No.5500). Does this rite go back to executions at the crossroads? A shrine? The ancient spirit of the crossroad?]
Entry 11233
Well, de fact of it is, I know dat you kin take a dishrag, you see, and let a person hit chew in de face with dat dishrag on dat eye - got sompin on it [dishrag not clean, but got sompin on it]. Say dat'll move dat sty off. But I don't know, I never tried it. (I see, but they say it can be done?) Oh, sure. I've seen it did all right enough.
Entry 11304
Dey use hair offa a dog fo' whut ah heard. Ah heard that if a person git a nail stuck in dey feet an' yo' shave de dog an' put de hair on dere, it's good fo' de poison. But fo' anything else ah haven't heard. [Read poison or hoodoo poison? The problem here is did you step on the nail accidentally or did someone cunjure the wound upon you - make you step on nail?]
Entry 11350
Ketch a eelfish an' scrape dat slime offa him into a cup an' po' dat whiskey on it an' let it set twelve hours an' strain it off, an' give it tuh him tuh drink. (That will stop him from drinking.) [This cure is known everywhere.]
Entry 11834
Gum tree will 'rest [arrest] any kind of a earthly worm poison. If yo' kin git de gum tree buds, dat's de very cure fo' any kind of earthly worm bite, but ah nevah heard of it doin' anything fo' anyone else.
(You mean if a person has worms in their [his] body?)
Yes.
(It will get the worms out?)
It will git de worms. [This is the sweet gum, a North American tree (Liguid- ambar styraciflua) palmately lobed leaves, corky branches, hard wood, and beau- tiful autumnal foilage. Since the bark more or less resembled alligator hide, this plant was called the alligator tree in the southern states. Several exam- ples of this usage have already been given in HOODOO. The old-time root doctor used many cures of this type.]
Entry 12305
There was a girl, that I heerd [about], she was poison by a leeper [leopard] [her skin was spotted like a leopard's] an' she went to de fortune- teller an' she got some lepeer' skin an' keep it aroun' her body an' that cured her. ["Like cures like!" What did this patient wear? Perhaps a piece of polka-dot cloth worn as a waistband. Remem- ber always, we do not know whether there was a cure. I almost forgot. This is Dy original pencil transcription, now attached to the final manuscript. Here are two more original comments written at the time: "Retranscribe before using' and "the person who poisoned her got the poison from another fortuneteller!!!]
Entry 12563
Under your foot track - just like people come along and say that they could hurt you by your foot track. But they couldn't hurt you by a foot track, but I tell you what they could do. They could take some dirt coming from your shoes: just like if you had a hole in your shoe like that [dirt would get into shoe through hole in shoe]. And your foot track they Would probably pick up [in that way]. And after [hole in shoe] picking it up, they could take that dust, what come from your shoes. And they could shake it, put it in a box with some of these here pigeon eggs, and beat it up like that. Anywhere you bury that, you have to leave town [be- cause pigeon flies!]. And anytime you couldn't stay nowhere, couldn't never come back into the place where you was. (You mean the dirt from your shoe, any of the dirt that sticks to the bottom of your shoes? What about that hole in your shoes?) Just like - you see, where I Was, this feet chere, how it was. How this feet chere of mine was [he evidently demonstrates foot or feet]. Well, then, gettin' a remedy for that? [Here is how it happened.] I walked out one morning and it had some kind of yellowish-looking stuff on the steps. But I didn't paid attention and I walked on out of there, going to my work. Well, it was in the summertime and it was right warm. Well, I had some shoes that cut, you know, like this [demonstrates].
(Had holes in the bottoms of them?)
Yes, sir. Well, then, what made me heed them then was my heel started to hurt. I comes on back. Well, that heel of mine was about that big [demon- strates]. So they carried me and they got some of this sugar, this white granulated sugar, and got some of this Palm of Christiandom.
(Palm of what?)
Palm of Christiandom. (Palm of Christian?) [I am not correcting informant but commenting for the future. Besides, the words are Palma Christi "hand of Christ, " the castor-oil plant.] Palm of Christian, yes. You get that anywhere through the country. And they takes that and they put that on, in hot water, just as hot as I could bear it. Then after that they take some cayenne pepper and put it there and they soak it. Then they take, after that - don't never wipe it off - you just take it and let your feet hangs over the water like that, and drain until it dries. Then you take some of the "Pp" oil.
(PP. Two "P's.")
Yeah, PP oil. Get it in the drug store. You take that PP Oil and you just take it like that, with a piece of cotton, you know, and 'noint it. But always 'noint it going down.
(Why?)
Well, that's to draw out all the swelling and all the pain leaves - whatever. You have to rub it like that. [Informant either did not know or did not under- stand my question. You rub downwards to drive pain or any crunjure out through the feet. Many examples of this occur in HOODOO, see No.981, p.377, vol.1.] Well, the swelling before I ever knowed, well they had all the - I'll just lift it up here. They had all this here and all down here. [Informant demonstrates all this.] And they told me how to use it. Well, I got relief of that.
(What did it do to make your ankle swollen that way?)
Well, I walked in some yellowish-looking powder.
(Oh, I see.)
That's where it came from. And it was somepin that makes your ankle itch, you see; and you scratches it, you know.
Entry 12736
Well yo' know dese little rats [mice?] be's in de house. Well, yo' git one of dose an' buy yo' some mo' whiskey, see. Jes' git half a pint or a pint, but put it in jah where yo' kin put dat rat in it, see. Put him in dere 'live an' shet it down an' set it in a cornah till dat rat drown, see. An' yo' git all his strength in dat whiskey. Yo' take dat rat out an' throw him away or eithah barn him up in de fireplace. It would be best fo' yo' tuh burn him up, see. Den yo' take dat whiskey - don't strain it or nuthin, jes' put it back in a pint bottle, see. See, jes' lak yo' ole lady come in, see, an' she wanta drink, she say, "Well, yo' know ah so wished ah had a drink." Yo' say, "Ah think d've got a little drink." Yo' still continually give her a drink out of dat. Hit'll make hah sick but when she git bettah of dat sickness, she won't nevah Ak anothah drink of whiskey.
Entry 12769
(What do they do with that if they get hold of your blood?)
Dey kin git a hold of yo' blood an' have yo' kind of paralyzed; or have your blood stuffed, by taking it an' putting it in a certain place. An' yo'll have to use prickle feet an' bloodroot an' blackroot to run dat bad blood back, an' to run dat evil blood what de [they] wanna put dat stuff in. (What do they do with your blood, if they get hold of it?) Oh, dey cud take dat blood an' have silver plate put in it [put your blood in a silver plate]. By dat's chure blood an' yo' drawin' out de silver plate, an' yo'll have someone near, close to yuh, to give dat blood back to yuh, after yo' done draws it wit de silver plate. To have plates to be drawin' in yo', some of yo' close relatives.
(How can you get that blood back in you, then?)
They drink it. (And how do you fix these plates up to get that bad blood out of you again? How do you fix those roots up?) Well, you take de prickle feet an' yo' set it in whiskey. Yo' take de blood- root an' yo' set 'at in whiskey - right on de prickle feets. Yo' set de black- snake root right on de prickles feet root, an' drink it three spoonful a day.
(That gets the bad blood out of you?)
Take de bad blood out. (Well this fellow that gets your blood, what does he do to make it bad blood?) Set it in a silver plate. After he set it in de silver plate, de blood draws in de silver plate. Den he begin to scrape. Put hot water on dere, a little water, an' it draws dat back an' it start back to yuh by some kind of drink yo' use. Yo' best friend will give you dat. He cannot give it to yo', 'cause he cannot git to yuh. After he git dis blood, he'll have to git someone else to git to yuh.
Entry 12896
Now, if you want to divorce her - if you want to break this up - if you get on to [suspect] her - you are suspicious. [If you suspect she had you tied up, has made you sexually impotent.] Jis' go on, put you on you some clean socks, walk on to a beer joint - some place. (To a beer joint?) Yeah. Get you a bottle of beer and go on walking. Walk far enough where you begin to perspire and when your feet get hot and you perspire, stop and sit down. Take the left shoe off. Pour this bottle of beer in that left shoe. Drink the beer out of the shoe instead of the bottle. Close the bottle. Stand this way [demonstrates] and turn your hands [this way] and throw it [bottle] straight out in front of you, with your wish [that your impotence leaves]. It [potency] comes back again.
(I see.)
Yes, all the affection is taken away from her. (I see. Take this beer bottle in the left hand, then, you bring it around to the back of your neck.) Yes, that's right. And take that [bottle] in your right hand and throw right directly in front of you.)
(I see. And that breaks the spell of that string around her waist.)
Sure. Yes, sir. [My preceding comment is a good example of my using in- formation informant had given before researching began. Woman had "tied him up by measuring him with a string and tying it about her waist.]
(It should do it?)
Sure. I've seen it do it.
(I see, I see.) [The wish is the power!]
Entry 3099
[Pauline lived on an island 6 miles from Brunswick, Georgia, where I Was then working. What an opportunity to have explored that marvelous coastline as I had done at Beaufortl But I resisted the tempta- tion, refusing to break my rule - not to interview white doctors. I have two accounts of Pauline, both taken from broken interviews. In the first, we had been talking about Pauline - I am unable to find this - and then later I ask the following question.]
(Are there any white people that work here now?)
[Informant returns to Pauline.]
She lives on Bly's Island.
(Oh! She is still here. I don't want to talk to her but I just wondered.)
[Brunswick, Ga., (1201), C400:7 = 2017:7.]
iTne second account of Pauline comes from a man who has already given us in- formation about Doctor Buzzard - see 3071, p.893.] A white woman.
(What was her name?)
Miss Pauline.
(Where does she live?)
She lives heah at Bly's Island, a large island right cross tuh de rivah on de road to Jacksonville.
(Oh, just near Brunswick?)
Yes sir - six miles out chere [on the road] tuh Jacksonville. Well, mah mother done taken me out dere. Well, soon as ah got dere she set down an' talk tuh me. She asked me if ah evah worked any place an' ah tole her where ah worked. She asked me, "Did yo' have any enemies round dere?" Ah said, one woman wus a cook dere an' she wanted concernin' me tuh have somepin tuh do wit her - me an' her had tuh make beds in dis, yo' know, to dis home ever' mawnin' together. Ah wouldn't say nuthin to her. She said ah tried tuh play cute. She de one dat put down de stuff at de back gate of dis white tourist home where we were workin', an' ah step on it wit mah right fut gettin' ovah de fence. She done put it right whar ah got ovah de fence at ever' mawnin'. Me an' her wus de first ones dere. So after she seen me - see, ah tried to step on mah left fut, if it done kilt me. See, after two yeahs an' a half ah wus dried up to 135 pounds. She [Pauline] tole mama tuh let me come dere an' she would give me medicine. She taken sulphur, turpentine an' some kinda cocklespur weed - cocklebur weed - taken de cocklebur weed an' made a medicine out of it. [Three ingredients.] So she made a medicine an' ah started to taken dat cocklebur weeds an' sulphur an' turpentine. An' tole me tuh wear three pieces of Irish potatoes - white potatoes in each one of my shoes. So after dey figured - it came on to 'fect mah othah fut an' mah hips, yo' see, an' ah wus dead from heah down [demonstrates].
(From your hips down.)
Yeah, from de hips down. So after dat ah wore de Irish potato an' thing. an' ah begin tuh git bettah. So she tole me not tuh drink no whiskey. So ah stop off from drinkin' some whiskey an' got tuh walkin' an' ah put down de crutches. Yo' know, ah could walk wit de walkin' cane. Ah put down de crutches. So ah begin tuh drink whiskey at night wit de othah boys roun' heah. So dat throw me agin. Dey had tuh take me dere agin. She tole me ah had been drinkin'. Well, when ah got dere dat time, it had done came up into mah shoulders heah - see [demonstrates], it had me, ah'm daid in mah left ahrm - come up mah left side. So she had tuh work fast. Dey had tuh keep me out dere tuh her house fo' three days. So we had tuh pay her wit three pieces of silver money - ah had tuh find three silver dollahs somewhere. She charge only three dollahs - don't care how big de case wus - had tuh pay her wit three silver pieces of money. That concernin' de three links of chain also.
(Of Mary - that Mary wore around her neck?)
["Dat concerning de three linked chain dat Mary wore pertaining tuh de Bible" - from his interview in INTERVIEWS.] Yes sir, dat [represents] three silver dollahs dat ah had tuh pay her wit. De firs' time paid her wit a silver dollah, an' after ah went three times, had tuh pay her de three silver dollahs. So dat's de whole case of it, until ah taken up dis last bottle of medicine. Ah didn't drink any mo' an' dey said ah wus cured of it. Den ah had a fren'. He wus poison by a girl on a piece of cake. But he wus crowin' lak a rooster - jumpin' up an' down. An' ah tole him concernin' dis same lady - tole his mothah. An' she taken him out dere an' she pay her with three silver piece of money - carried him three times. See, each time it wus a dollah. When she carried him de last time, dat's when she gave him some kinda medicine an' out of his throat came a frog, little small wiggle-tail, little small snake. [Three things came out of his throat.]
Entry 947
On the 13th of the month - that's befo' de new moon, yo' go out an' kill a frog and place him in de sun and let him dry and if any affected part about chew, why dat's poisoned or anything like dat, yo' lay dat frog on it and it'll ease it. That's a sure cure.
Entry 1041
Some people be wise enough for to bring 'em [live snakes] from 'um.
(Well, how could they get those out of them?)
Well, if ah'm de one dat put 'em in dere, no one kin get 'em out but me. And if I gets 'em out, I'll never be able to do no more.
(You'll never be able to do it again?)
No - ugh-awh. If I do my work fer you, den turn aroun' and do it against you, I'll never be able to do it anymore. [If this is the Hippocratic oath of hoodoo-conjuration-witchcraft-rootwork, I heard little about it.]
(That same thing anymore - you'll never be able to do it again?)
No, won't do anything - my hand be broke altogether, that's the one that is to take it off.
(He must take it off but if he does take it off, all his power is gone?)
All his power is gone. And then if he dies in the time, you'll never be cured and no one else can git it off you.
Entry 1075
You start that - it's on his elbow [I mean] down here to his ankle. It start down there in the morning and at twelve o'clock it's middleway of his leg, of his ankle and his knee [at noon between ankle and knee], and in the evening at six o'clock it's at his knee. Well, it stays there then and all night he cain't rest and that morning it goes back in the center [between ankle and knee]. Then around at dinnertime [noon] it goes back down to his ankle, but it makes it back up here to his knee before night. [See subdivision Time and Hoodoo Spell, p.349; also Time in Index.] You take Jimson weed and make it into a water [tea] - put 'em on and boil 'em, the leaves. And you set that stuff in the tub or the basin and bath it [leg] the way the sun sets thataway, and when you did that and get through with it - you bath it about twice or three times a week the way the sun sets - then, when you gets through, you takes the water and throw it in the same direction. Well, when it go down here to the middleway of his leg [between knee and ankle] it'll stop, it won't make it back to his knee. Then, about the fourth or fifth day it will be at his ankle. It won't get no further and it will come back to the middle of his laig. Well, you goin' to continue to do that until it go complete out and he won't feel the misery of it atall. And that'll stop it - that'll cure that. [An example of downward bathing rite - see p.369f.l
(Well, how did he get that - get that thing in his leg?)
That by the distance where he goes along walking. That started that misery in his laig.
(And this just cures it?)
And that just cures it.
Entry 1135
Yo' takes de broomstraw [from a used broom], dey says, an' boil it an' boil it in watah till it comes right yellah - hit'll come yellah. Dey say yo' kin drink dat; cure any kinda cold.
Entry 1136
Dey take two broomstraws an' wear it right in de mole [mold] of dey haid. Well, dat's jes' only a little simple remedy fo' headaches - lak if some people got a headache, well dat broomstraw is fo' dat purpose. It's no evil purpose in that.
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 1162
My uncle was fixed oncest and they took a chicken, a black hen - he had a black snake in his arm.
(He had a black snake in his arm?)
Yes, sir - lady that had 'em [him] fixed put it there, and when the snake came out - when the hoodoo had the snake to come out, she say, "You kill a black chicken' - we had a black-feathered chicken - 'and take that blood and cook it and put over dat place. It healed dat - where dat snake had came out. Jest take and use it as a salve, you know.
Entry 1249
Yo' know, yo' see people has bumps all broke out in dere face. Yo' wanta [should] learn dis. Well, yo' go 'head if yo' got bumps on yore face - broke out all on yo' face jes' wit bumps - yo' know whut's a cure fo' dat?
(No.)
Go to a fig tree and git de fig leaves off dat and git de milk in de fig leaves - jes' git dat milk out dem fig leaves an' tech all over dem places and cure 'em. Dat'll cure dat.
Entry 1257
Dey say if yo' kin ketch a catfish, yo' know, an' ketch him 'live an' yo' jes' cut 'im open an' git de gall of dat out. An' yo' kin take dat gall an take it an' put it on a person eyes an' cure dere eyes with it. Dat's all de further ah heered 'bout dat.
Entry 1277
And then you kin take a toadfrog - you know these toadfrogs. Well, just like person got rheumatism - I don't tell nobody this one, though. That's one I made plenty money on. Just like a person got rheumatism.
(Yes.)
You know these toadfrogs that hop around at night. You kin take - you gather them and stew 'em down and take that grease and grease people. Ah'm de only one in dis town kin cure rheumatism. I've cure many people round here of rheumatism.
Entry 1282
Jes' lak a person got de asthma - he ketches a frog an' take an' ketch him 'live an' take an' hold his mouth open an' blow de breath in his mouth three times, an' she give dat asthma to de frog, she won't have it any mo'.
Entry 1366
Yo' take yore knife an' [from your tooth] git a drop or two of blood on dat knife, an' den yo' take it to dat tree, de black gum tree. Yo' git dat blood outa dere an' den take dat knife an' go dere an' chip dat tree, an' stick dat knife in dere an' den put de chip back ovah it an' leave it there. Dat cure yore toothache.
Entry 3022
(What do they say about Mother of Perpetual Help? What is she supposed to be good for?) She gives yo' help tuh help yo' git a job. She gives yo' help tuh keep peace in yore home. She good tuh heal yo' when yore sick.
(What sort of candle do you burn to her for these things?)
Yo' burn a pink candle to the Mother of Perpetual Help.
Entry 6526
Hit wuz a lady up yondah, she got poisoned, an' a doctor out chere from Herbertville, he cured 'er. Sompin would be runnin' in 'er laigs an' yo' could see it jis' movin' in 'er laigs. An' de doctor out heah from Herbertville cured it.
Entry 11274
And I, my ownself, I don't believe in that part of it. But I cures people and I make....
(It's part of your business.)
It's part of my business. I cures people and then I will better their con- ditions.[435:5.]
Entry 13312
A felon, yo' take de live toadfrog an' split him open an' stick yore finger right in him, an' it will cure it.
Entry 11275
(You were speaking a little while ago about that convention. How could they hold a convention?) Well, they generally keeps it two and three months.
(What, every year or?)
Every five years, every five years.
(Do they give it any special name?)
What they call it, Magicians Convention.
(I see, just Magicians Convention.)
But you see, they from every part. (All over the country. Well, what do they usually do at conventions of that sort?) They give you ideas on all different methods how they usually do's.
(Some fellows invent a new cure or something of that sort?)
New cures and then they outline it and then they give you practice fer it. Each day so many come in and practice on that. [440:4.]
Entry 560
I've been hurted with this here witchcrafter twicet in my life. The first in 1918, I was workin' down to the Broadford [Bradford?] Iron Works- dat's down here to foot of Church Street - an' I was a mechanic helper an' I was installin' a motor there one day. They'd pull de truck from de river up to de machine shop that was to haul de heavy tools out from de water up to de shop an' one day I was workin' along an' workin' along an' didn't thought about anything. That night I come on home an' de nex' mornin' I got up, aimed to get up - this ahrm heah felt like it weighed hunderd pounds. It would carry me down lak dis, as fer as that [demonstrates].
(Bend you over.)
Look like it would weigh me on down like that. I laid down [on] de cot in there an' hold it up like that an' kinda feeled it. So I called my wife, I said, "Look here," I said, "this ahrm look to me lak it weighed a hunderd pounds." I thought it would pull my head off of me. She said, "Well, whut's de matter with it?" I say, "I don't know. I jis' can't hold my shoulder up heah an' dis ahrm jis' heavy. "` "Well," she say, "if you can't go to work today, well you'd better git de doctor." Well, I got Du Bose[?], he was de family doctor. So, she went out there an' called him up. He came there an' gave me his medicine. He give me some rubbin' medicine to rub it with an' some internal medicine to take an' I took that about two months. That didn't do me any good atall - it jis' look like it was gittin' worser an' worser an' worser an' worser. I jis' had to put that hand an' hold it in a sling like that. There came a man heah from Greenville, South Carolina. His name was Doctor Daniel - Daniel somepin, I can't remember his whole name now. But he claimed to be a medical doctor - he was a medical doctor an' he was also witchcraft doctor. So I went to him. I heerd about it, I went to him that day. I told him about how this ahrm was an' I had my family doctor workin' on it an' he seemed to not do me no good. He say, "Well, I will examine it an' see what's de matter." He say, "I don't care what's de matter wit joo or anybody," he says, "fis' as long as you're hurted by witchcraft, an' if you's hurted, if it s rheumatism or your blood or somepin like that, I can git you all right." So, he set me upon [a] chair an' we set down there in the bedroom an' [he] took a bag [imitating doctor's kit]. He looked down an' he looked in it an' got out a glass - it wasn't a water glass - about - it was about dat high [see later] an' set it down. An' he brought out a great big white ball [demonstrates].
(Three or four inches in diameter.)
An' set it on de table. An' he put that ball right on top of de glass [stand or base], an' he set there, an' the ball started to turnin' right on top of de glass. He says, "Now, if anything [is] wrong wit you," he say, "after de date that you was hurted," he say, "you'll see what'll be the consequence nine days after they hurt choo." After that the ball kin'a stop. The ball stop, it got as black on de other side yonder as that table there [which I was using]l, an then it [this side towards informant] was jis' like a lookin'-glass then, only turn to me. An' I looked on that glass like that an' seen a man comin' from down out de boiler shop wit somepin in his hand jis' about that long - it looked like a feathah about that long, about a foot long, an' he comes there where dat I was installin' some motor up to de shed up there, an' [demonstrates] he picks up mah hammah an' took de hammah up by de ball [steel head], an' hold dat hammah up an' took dis thing out of his hand an' hold de hammah down on dat side an' hold de hammah down on dat side, an' hold de hammah down on dat side. [I now comment:] (Holding the iron head of the hammer, with the handle pointed downward, the man took this dressed feather and rubbed it down both sides of the handle and he did this three times on each side.) An' I was lookin' [at] him jis' de same as I'm lookin' at you. An' he laid the hammah down. So, he went on back down de shop an' then I come out de shop an' go up there an' got up mah hammah, I nailed the motor down an' started de motor, then went on back de shop. I was feelin' jis' as good as any- thing in de world. I went back de shop an' went on to work - worked on aroun' an' worked on aroun' that after he had did that. Well, I set there. He told me, "Well, now you see - you see what's happened to you," he say, "now you were hurted nine days 'fore dis thing [pain] happened." He says, "Now I kin cure you." I says, "Well, all right; if you can cure me cure me." He says, '"Now, you do what I'll tell you to do - you take jis' whut I tell you to do an' I'll guarantee you I'll cure it. I'll cure it for forty-five dollahs an' you give me fifteen dollahs now an' the others after you're cured." I say, "All right." I give him fifteen dollahs. He say, "Now, you go back home." He say, "You got any red peppah?" I told him, "Yes sir." He say, '"You got any saltpeter?" I told him, "Yes sir." "Well, you go on back home an' git joo about a quarter of a pound of red peppah an' get choo two balls of saltpeter about as large as the end of your finger. An' grind that red peppah up good an' fine an' put it in a pint of Water, an' grind that saltpeter up an' put it in with that - saltpeper an' dat red peppah together. An' git choo" - then I went an' got a five-cent box of sulphah - "take a half a teaspoon of that sulphah ever' night an' mornin', take a teaspoonful of dat peppah-water three time a day, '' an' that was fer nine days a piece. It cured me.
Entry 869
[How Hippocrates began a consultation I do not know, but his descendants in ancient Rome, the Greek-slave doctor, always started with, "Do you drink white wine or red wine?" Two thousand years later their modern descendants, Doctors of Medicine, still ask a similar question, "How many packs do you smoke a day?" Yet my root doctors and witch doctors, colored and white, have kept the longest healing tradition, one predating Hippocrates, "Scare hell out of them!" Without primitive mask and rattle we will now learn how the scaring is done:] Ah hear dey use de fish - dey take live fish aigs an' dey give 'em to whatevah individual dey kin put 'em on in watah, to drink it down, an' dat will cause live fish to come in 'em. An' dat fish goes to worryin' yo' - dey'll grow until some- body take dem outa yo'. Den dey use snakes - dey use snake's blood. Dey got'a kill de snake, 'cause he daid, his blood is good. Or jes' bruise him enough to git a grain or two of blood. An' dey stretch it out fo' de person whatevah dey goin' aftah. An' de snake will live right on an' long as he live dat blood will live in him. See, dat woman or whosomevah dey be, it will cause snakes to form in 'em.
(Is there any way that you can get these live things out of a person?)
Yessuh, dere a way we kin git 'em out. We goes then an' we find a ole sorcerer - whut we calls ole witchcraft. We tells her - she tells us tuh come in an' we don' have tuh tell her nuthin. She says, "Somepin wrong wit chew." Den she goes on down an' she carries us to de room an' she says, "Someone has did somepin to yo'." Yo' tell her how yo' been actin' - say, "Yes, it feel lak dere somepin jes' movin' all about down in dere." Say, "Ah went to de doctors three or fo' times - six or seven time an' he don't seem to be doin' me any good." She say, "No, de doctor can't reach yore case." Say, "Ah'll have to cure yo but chew like tuh waited too late to give yo' time tuh git it up. Well, den yo' git scared an' say, Yo' reckon ah waited too late?" She say, "No, prob'bly ah kin reach yore case. Den she goes back an' she calls 'em.
(Calls whom?)
Calls dis heah plague dat chew have in yo' - she calls 'em by name, she have de name. De sorcerer have de name for it. Yo' kin find only 'bout a few of 'em. Dere's very few now. She calls 'em an' she takes her han's an' she carries it an' she holds one on de top yore haid an' one right chere - de back of yore neck right chere. An' she calls 'em an' she gives yo' some watah an' tell yo' drink three swallows an' hold yore mouth ovah a pot, an' he comes out. Den she gives yo' somepin tuh take.
(What comes out?)
Dis heah plague whatsomevah it may be - it comes walkin' right out - dis live thing comes out. She shets him up an' shows 'em to yo' an' she axe vo' - she axe yo', "Whut yo' want done about it?" Say, "Do yo' want me tuh put it back on de party whut put it on yo'?" She calls de party name whosomevah may be did it - she say, [whoever] did it, say, "Ah kin have them fixed that way by night, if yo' wanta." Well, yo' might feel at first, "Yes, let 'em have it." Well, yo' go den an' yo' leave dat house an' yo' go dere an' find dat person in de same shape. Dat's whut dey do. But lotsa times, yo' see, it kinda raw yo' know tuh turn de trick back on de person dat pulled it ovah on yo'. But first dey got'a git somethin' in yo' to do it completely. Dey do it through anything dat chew love - sometime dey do it through a friend. (You say the fortune-teller and the sorcerer are different?) [Sorcerer = a witchcraft said informant.] Dey entirely different - dey both obtain de same thing, but de sorcerer, he have de power to take things from 'em. Lotsa fortune-tellers doesn't have dat. De fortune-teller an' de sorcerer, dey have de power of tellin' yore fortune. He kin tell yo' whut happen to you an' tell yo' who done it, de way dey did it an' whut chew wus doin' when yo' wus did. An' de fortune-teller he kin tell yore fortune - tell whut yo' lost an' where yo' stole dem goods at, tell yo' whatsom- evah yo' lost an' whatsomevah yo' ain't, love cases. Dat's de fortune-teller - he reads yore fortune.
Entry 899
A girl hurt me, got betweeen me and a boy. I had two children for him. I was noticin' how she come aroun' and talk to him and things, and I didn't pay it no mind. I taken it for a joke. Well, it wasn't a joke. And so this girl got between me and him. And so she got my track and got two three-penny nails, she got my left track, and put them in a little white sack and bury it under mah door. And so mah feet went to swelling, and legs, and I didn't pay it much attention. I worked right on. And after awhile I got so I couldn't you know, it pained me. So I went de doctor and the doctor he bathed me for it, and it looked like all he did wouldn't do me no good. So an old lady, she lived aroun' there, told me to go to some kind of other, a root doctor. And I did. And so he told me that I was hurt, and told me I couldn't git it up from de door. He says I have to git somebody else to git it or git him. So I give him a dollar and told him to dig it up from mah door. So he did. And he told me what it was. And so he say he'd take this stuff and put it to her door and that's the onlyest way he could have it turmed off of me. And he turned it back On her. Well, she Was in the same condition. I got well.
Entry 939
I had an' a'nt and uncle. Both of them was sick at the time, so we sent fo' a doctor, and it was close to a year and de doctors kept coming and dey said dey couldn't do no good. So we got a kind of hoodoo doctor and so he came to see 'em and he came fer nine days and he told her that she'd have to go out under her step and dig. So she went out and dug an' she got a bottle, and we looked down in it and dere was some roots and lotsa needles and two sets of hair - her husband and her hair. And dey tole her she was tuh take it and put it in running water. And she did and he said in nine days he's come back again [magic delay]. So after that he started to rub 'em - rubbed both of 'em and they both commence tuh git well after that. They'd failed terrible - that's mah aunt, ah know that. Both of 'em got better. (Well that first time - he didn't tell them anything until after he came the ninth time?) No, he didn't tell 'em about it - he say he'd have to come right along.
(I see - before he did anything at all.) [Washington, D. C. (626), 801:1.]
Entry 1092
[The term Eve-and-Adam is more frequently used than Adam-and-Eve, a proper name for the plant, but what an informant means by either name I do not know - it could be a plant from six or seven genera. Since one informant calls this root (possibly a corm) Adam-and-Eve-and-Their Son, I would identify it as puttyroot, common name for Aplectrum hyemale, a North American orchid producing annually a solid corm, "two or three of which remain strung together." When there are two, we have Adam and Eve; when three, the son is added. This could suggest The Trinity or The Holy Family, but as often as I heard the plant named I remember the son once. Adam-and-Eve, like lodestone and some other objects, is one of these He-and-She ingredients - see Index.] Ah knows that. Ah had a cousin, she lived in Oil Town, Arkansas. She got poison, see. Dis woman had her howlin' [like a dog - see No. 775, p.256, and second cure under Dog in this subsection later]. Now, ah know this fo' a pus'nal fac'. She wus howlin' an' sometimes she jis' crawlin' on her knees, see. Stood up diff'rent times though. Mah uncle taken her tuh her daddy - he [daddy] taken her out heah tuh Newport, tuh Ca'Zine Dyer. He taken her out theah. She got some rattlesnake dust - ah nevah will fo'git this, an' she made some little bags an' she hung one undah dis arm an' one undah dis one, an' she went an' got some dat Eve-an'-Adam dust an' she place it on cousin right heah [demonstrates]. Now, mah cousin wus crazy - she wus stone crazy.
(Right on her breast?)
Yes. She wus crazy. One [bag] wus made outa rattlesnake dust an' one [bag] wus Eve-an'-Adam dust. Dis one right heah dat's Eve-an'-Adams' dust on yore chest, an' dat whut she put undah her arm dat wus rattlesnake dust yo' see. She put one undah each one of her arms. An' when she got that Eve-an'-Adams' dust, she put that little bag an swung it right there. An' she tole mah uncle tuh buy a bottle of turpentine an' say, "Now, fo' nine mawnin's straight yo' git up an' fix yore water in a washpan an' let her wash her han's fo' nine mawnin's straight an' throw it to de.east." An' mah cousin wus jis' crazy - she wus jis' howlin', she didn't have bita sense. An' when dat woman put that on her, she come back home an' she tole her mama, she say, "Ah feel lak a diff'rent pusson." Dat wus in Newport, [Arkansas]. Strictly brought her back to her min' an' she didn't have sense 'nuff even to entertain mama.
(How did he fix this water in the morning?)
Ah'll tell yo' whut chew do. See, yo' git some watah an' yo' put it in de pan an' yo' put that turpentine in there fo' nine mawnin's straight. Yo' see, yo' take it in yore han' jis' lak yo' goin' wash yore face - co'se lotta folks use a face towel but yo' use it jis' natural, yo' see. [For use it jis' natural, see also the Uncle Ben Mackey story, No. 918, p.337.] Rub it ovah yore han' and stroke it down ovah yore face an' throw it tuh de west. See, throw that tuh de west, an' yo' say, "Lawd, heah am ah. Take all mah troubles an' heal me, In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost." Co'se ah wus with mah cousin when she do that an' she wus crazy. She wus jis' as crazy as a rud [red] lizard [see Index].
(When did this happen?)
Dis happen in 1929, Oil Town. An' ah nevah fo'git de woman's name dat did dat [spell]. Her name wus Lou T. [At a later date we shall meet Caroline Dyer again. See near end of my interview with Madam Collins of Memphis in Interview section.]
Entry 1124
My father was sick and we had the doctor come attend him and the doctor tended him and he couldn't diagnose his case. So we changed doctors and the [second] doctor waited on him about two weeks or more. He didn't seem to do any good and we changed to another [third] doctor. And we got him and he said, "Well, I don't see I kin do any good for him, becuz I think he's poisoned." [Would a Doctor of Medicine say this? See my comments in Introduction.] So a ole lady told me to go an' see a ole man by the name of Simmons. And I went and got a ole man by the name of Simmons and he came there and he talked to my father and he told me, he said, "Come on boy and go in the woods with me." And he got some whut they call blackroot - that's a weed that grows in the woods, a round root, right black, something like a little potato - and red oak bark. [For oak, see No. 1060, p.402, also margin-title OAK later, and Index. Black- root is a name for a number of plants, the present one probably being Chaenolobus undulatus, indigenous to Southern U. S. A., and having black tuberlike rootstocks.] And he sent me to the drug store while he's boilin' them to get him five cents Worth of bluestone and alum mixed. And he boil that and he made a tea out of that and he strained it, let it cook and he told him to take two swallahs of it three times a day. And the first swallahs - the first two swallahs - that my father taken of it he vomit somepin jis' as green as grass [a usual expression for vomit caused by inside cunjuration]. Then he got kin'a relief on the nex dose he taken. He didn't vomit. But on the third one he vomit again. Then [this third time] he vomit up somepin there - it look somepin like jelly. Then he commence to gettin' a little better and finally he kept on takin' it until he did get so he could get out.
Entry 1214
I've seen 'em take a dirt dauber's nest and they cook it - see, it's nothing but - look like mud - that's all it is, but it's good though, you know. I've seen 'em take and cook a dirt dauber's nest. But they've taken it and they cooked it and they cook it with what they call this here linseed oil. Well, linseed oil is good for rubbing of any kind, but they taken this and they cooked this dirt dauber's nest with that linseed oil. See. Now when they've cooked it, it comes into a paste - after they done cooked it. You see, they left all that oil out of it - as the oil was cooking out of it, it 'vaporated or something of that sort. Well, anyhow, it came into a paste and it made just about a little box of stuff [demonstrates] - just about that big around, must have been about that deep. Well, anyway, it was a boxful, but it come into a salve. Now, there was a baby that was born with it's navel - it was stuck out about that big [demonstrates]. Well, they cleaned the baby up - I can show you that very baby, too - it's navel is out now - it's about like that [demonstrates].
(It was born with it's navel sticking out like that?)
But now, it's sticking out about that much now.
(About an inch?)
Yeah. [That baby is] right down here a couple of blocks. Well, they say that baby was crossed. Well, that's what they was told to do and how to do it. They taken and they boiled that - they cooked this dirt dauber's nest in this linseed oil. When they first rubbed the baby - her navel was sticking like this - they crossed that navel.
(How do you mean they crossed it?)
They'd taken and they took the stuff, you see, and they made a plaster out of it, you see, and they come thataway with it and they come this way - made a cross on it. And they made that cross and then they rubbed all around it, you see. Like the navel sets right here and it was sticking out like about like that, see. They crossed it and then they rubbed all around that place there, you see. Then they rubbed that navel - they pulled and they shoved it - they pulled and they shoved the navel like that - and they did that for about nine days, greasing that every day three times a day until the baby's navel went back. And they said that if they wouldn't of used that, that baby s navel would a been out today. That's the only thing I ever know 'em to use it for - the dirt dauber's nest for - to do good.
Entry 1600
My sister wus tricked. She wus tricked from water from a pump. Whut- evah dey did dey jis' put into de pump. An' it made her eyes sore an' she thought she wus goin' blind, an' so dey had de doctor. An' de doctor couldn't cure her. Everything he did for sore eyes it didn't do any good. So my mothah - de first whut started to heal it, she put a salt poultice to it with [corn] meal and salt. Well, dat kin'a holp a little. An' den somebody tole 'er de thing to get 'er to see wus to let a child have an action [of urine], an' den put it in an' ole cup an' put some salt in dere an' cook dat, an' dis [jis'] put de necked [naked or bare] thing right ovah 'er eye an' dat'd draw 'er sight back to her. An' dat's whut cured her.
Entry 2760
[At least three Helens, all working at the same time, are indicated by the margin-title Miss Helen, Madam Helen, and Mother Helen. The original Helen must have had quite a reputation. Was this original the Helen of the Seven Sisters (2736, p.745 and Index)? Was Helen actually the Seven Sisters - one woman playing seven parts?] No, sir, they are not supposed to be hoodoos. They supposed to be God-sent people - so they tell the people, but they do's hoodoo work.
(Who are these people from Algiers who have altars and candles in the room?)
Well, those are what you call hoodoo spirituals. They are supposed to do whatever you want them to do with prayers, and like if your wife is gone, or like if you are gone. Yes, sir. I brought a fellow to one of them here that had earthworms in his body:
(Well, give the whole story about the whole thing.)
This fellow came to me. I was back on a street right here in town called Magnolia Street. He came to me - say a woman had fixed him up in Mississippi. He say she took and cooked those earthworms and she made a salve out of them and she rubbed him and that caused him to have earthworms in his skin. Well, I told him, I say, "I don't know what to do for that for you, but I can bring you to Madam Helen." That is a fortuneteller lady over the river. [My informant, a doctor not accepting live-things-in-you cases (for such cases See pp.227-239), refers and personally takes his patient to a specialist, Madam Helen. I, the author, for a few minutes once enjoyed the exhalted rank of specialist - see p.279.]
(Is she still alive?)
She is still alive. Well, I brought this fellow over there to her and she told him that she couldn't do nothing for him, in nine days [magic delay] to come back. Well, he say, he told her he was suffering pretty bad and he couldn't sleep because things were creeping in his skin at night, so she told him to come back in nine days. Well, he made it his business to come back in nine days, and after he went back in nine days why she took and she rubbed him with dead man dust. When she rubbed him with dead man dust and gave him nine drops of blood with sweet oil - sheep blood. She keeps lots of sheep, snakes and everything in her house. She gave him nine drops of sheep blood and she rubbed him with this dead man dust. There is a lot of places over the river there where they cremate the bodies over there. She got bottles lined all up in her house, different dead peoples dust in it and she rubbed this man and gave him that blood and this man is a well man right now.
(When you went into that room, did she have an altar in that room?)
She had an altar. It had a lot of candles burning - black candles, blue candles, purple candles, white candles, amongst diff'rent pictures [of saints] she had.
(Was the room light or dark?)
One [reception room] was light, but the room where the candles was burning of those great heavy stockings. She had on about three or four skirts. She dressed something like a gypsy woman do. They call her Madam Helen. She is over in Algiers on Pelican and 26th.
(When you first came in what did she say to you?)
She said, "Come right in," she said, "I know what is the matter with you." She told this gentleman. "You [informant] stand right outside, mister, you can take a seat on the gallery. I know what this man come for." [See You Don't Have To Tell Me, p.316; and The Doctor Knew What She Came For, p.317.] She said [to patient], "Something's wrong with you. How long you been like that?" "Well, I've been like this about three years." She said, "Well, you won't be like that long if you get me $50." That is what she cured this man for - for $50. And the man is healthy, strong and got a job. He works right here at the Public Service Gas right now and he hadn't did a lick of work for three years.[ New Orleans, La., (809), 1138:1.]
Entry 2778
Well, you burn a blue candle for success. You burn a white candle for prosperity and purity. You burn a green candle - it's de spiritual [spirituals or spiritual people] suppose to burn these green candles. You burn 'em three days and pray and fast. Dat's to go and heal de sick. Then the red candle is fo' victory - jes' lak ef yo' wanta overcome somethin', yo' burn dat so many days, see, nine days. And yo' put chure wishes up under dat candle, yo' know.
(How do you put them under the candle?)
Yo' write chure name, whatever yo' want done - yo' write it on a piece of paper, parchment paper and set it up under dere while it burns.
(What do you do about black candles?)
De black candles yo' burn 'em fo' death. Yo' burn 'em nine minutes. If yo' burn 'em fo' evil, yo' burn 'em nine minutes, so they say. Yo' burn fo' nine minutes at nine 'clock.
(Nine o'clock in the morning?)
Nine 'clock in de morning or nine 'clock at night.
(Do you have to do anything else with these besides burning them?)
They say they generally roll 'em in some kind of cayenne pepper or something.
[See later, Rolling Candles.]
Entry 3093
My mother - well, she was about 40 I guess or maybe 40 odd. She wus 42 - my brother wus two years old. She taken sick. She went outdoors - I wus livin' in Pocomoke [City, Maryland] then - an' she went out de door. Well, these ole houses, country places, the chimleys, zhoo know, aside yeh house - an' she went out there an' stopped de side de chimley [for chimney-corner toilet, see 203, p.56] an' she taken a pain in her right [big] toe an' it went on up in her knee. An' when she got in the house she said, "Mama, I can't walk." That wus my grandmother an' my grandma lived to be 85. She said, "Mama, I can't walk," she said, "my knee - I got a pain in my toe an' it's went up in my knee. I can't walk." So my grandmother - she wus a mighty one fer rubbin', you know, an' she rub 'er. An' she went an' got some ole horehoun' an [or] yard marvel - de grass, dey call it yard marvel grass - an' she stews this stuff up an' she rubs zer in it. An' it didn't do 'er any good. She couldn't walk. So she put her in the baid. An' when she got in the baid she couldn't get out any more - taken para- lize all the way from 'er shoulder clear down. She couldn't move dat foot, dat right foot. She couldn't move her right foot no way - had to take 'er 'bout de baid an' put 'er in. She jes' gotta wha' choo call a perilous [paralysis] stroke, we thought. So we sent - my grandmother doh [though], she sent fuh de doctor. An' de Doctor Quinn come, why he said 'twas a col' [cold] rheumatis. So she got worser an' worser. All he did to 'er - everything he give 'er would make 'er worse. So my husband an' I - that wus his uncle, Uncle George Jackson wus - I said, "I very mind to go to Uncle George an' see if they is anything ailin' mah mother. I believe dey's somepin wrong about her - she can't walk an' de doctor can't do 'er no good, she can't use her side." Well, I thought then in that time that de people didn't take wit perilous strokes, zhoo know, offten, like they do now. So I says, "I don't believe it's any perilous stroke." He says, "All right, then, let's us go." So we walked. We got out about nine a'clock at night, one night, an' walked down to Fairmount [Maryland], down whare I told joo Uncle George wus. When we got there 'twas daybreak - he wus settin' up then, he had his clothes on - I guess about five a'clock in the morning [eight hours walk]. It wus in June when we went. I suppose it wus about five a'clock in de morning 'cus it wus light. An' we rahpped [rapped] on de door an' he opened de door. You know, mah husband didn't go to see 'im as offten as he wanted it to see 'im, to go see him. An' he said, "Uh huh!" He said, "I knowed somepin happen," he said, "iss [else] you wouldn't of been here." So we laffed an' tole 'im, "No, not much happened." He said, "Yes it did," he said - to me, he said. He said, "Ya, your mother's layin' pint [point] of death, she can't walk." I said to 'im - I wus always kin'a jokin' - I said, "How did joo know that?" "Uh huhI" he said - he wus a great big fellah, he'd filled this chair up - he said, "Uh huhI your mother's down an' can't walk." I said, "Yes." "An' why didn't choo come fer 'er before?" He said, "She's been down now ever since Apurl an' you jis' come here in June." I said, "Yes, she did." He said, "She started to a show." Well, she did. She started to git ready to go to a show an' she taken dat pain in de foot. De show wus at Pocomoke City, an' she wus down in kin'a about two mile from de show, from de city, out in de country part. An' he said, "Well, why didn't zhah come here before?" An' he said, "She wus gettin' ready to go to a show an' dat's de show she got to!" I said, "Well, that's true." "Uh huh!" he said. So he jis' set back in de chair - he always set in a chair, somepin like this. "Uh huh!" he said. "Well, a lady dat she thought dat wouldn't nevah do 'er no harm, a woman," he said, "an' she's a little short woman," he said, "she's jist about so high" - an' sure enough she wus - "an' she's light [in color]," he said. "An' she put dat [image there because] she an' her husband got mad with 'er, 'cus she wanted her to go to her house an' she wouldn't go," he said. "An' she come down there an' laffed an' talked with 'er, an' went out side de chimley at night an' put a piece of a tin," he said. "So when you go back, '' he said, "they'll be a piece of tin put right inside [in the corner] of de chimley," he said, "an' it's in de shape of her." He said, "It's in de shape of your mother," he said, "an' it's got one foot off" - had been cut out a piece of tin. "An," he said, "it wus put down," he said, "an' the foot's cut off." He said, "You go back, Elijay" - he called mah husband - of course he wus his nephew. He said, "Elijay, you go back, you go an' look, feel down, take a trowel, '' he said, "don't take anything else, don't take no spade, no shovel, '' he said, "an' take a trowel, an' you dig down an' you dig your mother-in-law up, he said, "an' I'll do the balance." He said, "You bring dat piece of tin to me," he said, "an' I'll do de balance. Zhoo [the informant] walk with him." He laffed. An' we stayed there all day. We stayed an' visited. We stayed there about fo' a'clock. He wus gon'a stay till five but he told us not to. He said, "Now, don't choo stay here no longer." He set an' talked with us, first one thing an' then another. He said, "Now listen, an' git yerself ready an' go on back so you kin take that up," he said, "befo' morning." He said, "I want choo to git up out of here, I want choo to git back in time enough befo' fo' or five a'clock tonight [that is, before sunrise] an' take that up." He said, "You'll find it." An' sure enough we did git it. We went back home, an' Elijah went an' took his trowel like he told him an' lifted that up. An' there wus that piece of tin. It had legs an' all, an' this piece [a foot] wus cut off. An' he took it back there. Now, I don't know whut he [George Jackson] did, but he took it back to him. Mah mother got well. She lived about ten years after that. Baltimore, Md.,
(139, Mrs. Williams), 40:1; happened about 1896.]
Entry 3096
Wal, de story ah wanta tell - wheah ah live up in Mobile fer 17 years, an' ah [17 years old] left and went tuh Birmingham, an' ah lived in Birmingham 'bout six months in de no'th part of Birmingham, and after living in no'th Birmingham, went over in Westfield. It's about 7 miles from Birmingham and ah was working fer [some] company in Birmingham and ah lost a finger, see. Piece of a finger, see. An' ah drew about, I think it was 700 and some dollars fer dat finger - where ah was working from. An' ah went over tuh Birmingham and got aroun', having money you know - having a big time and met several girl friends. And where ah was living ah was goin' wit de girl stayed next door tuh me; an' ah was goin' wit de girl stayed at de third door from me. An' de girl that stay- ed at de third door from me, she was a.married woman, and de girl stayed at de first door from me, she was not married but she had a chile for dis married woman's husbands, yo' see, and so dey disliked one another. But how-de-ever, one day, she was goin' down to de commissary - dis store, yo' know, fer a camp, TCI camp. Dis TCI - ah guess you've heard about it. Down in dis camp dere a big store. All de trade is for de company - live by de company an' yo' deal wit de company. An' she ast me tuh go and ah tole her ah didn't wanta go. An' she tole me, "Yo' must go." Ah say, "Well, ah'm not goin'." Well she snatched mah hat and ah run, chased her to take mah hat from her and she out- run me and wore de hat on down dere. Well, when she came back - ah guess it was about six 'clock when she came back an' ah went over and ast her fer mah hat. So she gave it to me and so I wore that fer two or three days - worked with it, it was a work hat. So about several days after dat ah became - mah eyesight became sort of dim-like. What it was all about ah didn't know. Well, de TCI, you have to carry insurance dere. Dey takes out fer de rent and fer de doctor bill. Well, ah went over to de hospital - to de little hospital and me being in de hospital, de doctor test mah eyes and everything and tole me ah had sore eyes. He tole me to bath mah eye with some saltwater and it would come all right. Well, ah did and it didn't git any better and ah went back to him and so he sent me over to de Hillman Hospital - dat's in Birmingham - to a Specialist. Well, de specialist test mah eyes and ask me what happen. What hit me in de eye - did any steel or anything hit mah eye. Ah tole him no, it Wasn't any steel or anything ah got in mah eye. So ah tole him the only thing ah know of [I had been hoodooed]." 'Well, '' he say, "ah tell yo, son, you have to go to a two-headed doctor." [For telling a Doctor of Medicine that your ailment comes from hoodoo, see p.12, line 9f.]
(Was it a colored doctor who was waiting on you?)
It was a colored doctor.
(At this hospital?)
At de hospital. Oh! I beg yore pardon, it was a white doctor.
(And he advised you to go to a two-headed doctor?)
To a two-headed doctor. An' so ah goes on back to mah cousin and tole him he tole me to go to a two-headed doctor, and ast him did he mean that.
(Where did you say you went?)
From Birmingham - from de hospital? Well, ah went back home, yo' see.
(No. Didn't you go to see the two-headed doctor?)
He tole me go to a two-headed doctor an' ah went. Ah goes back home fer [first] an' ah tell mah cousin, who ah was livin' with, what de doctor tole me. So he advised me to go to a place dey call Tennysville, see. Yes, dat's a suburb of Birmingham, ah guess, 'bout seven miles. So ah goes ovah to the lady - it's a colored lady. Her name was Madam Jane. Ah goes tuh her and so she comes in to de room - de waitin' room and tole me everything. In de beginnin' she tole me, say, "Well, yo' lost yore eyesight - jist about." An' she tole me what it's all about and how come dis woman's mad with me and everything, but she wouldn't tell me who the girl was - she wouldn't call her name but she would describe her to me and give de girl initials [see 2748, p.757], yo' understand. An' so she tole me what charge - it cost me $25.00 to git mah eyes cured. Well, whut she said, ah don't know; but whut she tole me to do, ah know. So she advised me to bathe mah eyes in some fresh milk - whut ah mean by fresh milk, not dairy milk but from a cow, see. Dat whut she tole me to do - bathe mah eyes in fresh milk. An' she tole me dat mah eyes were blind from de girl takin' de bow off - de bow ah mean in de back of de hat, she had dressed de hat. An' say whut fer me tuh do was to take some salt - Epsom salts - take some Epsom salts and any kind of finest perfume and jest bathe dis - where dis bow was in mah hat. See. Co'se she gave me some treatments remember whut she gave me was to rub cross mah eyes but whut it was, ah don't know. An' so ah guess she worked on me 'bout two weeks and ah gained mah eyesight. In facts, in the third week ah was stone blind. But whut she did - ah know whut she tole me to do. Dat was to cure mah eyes. Dat's experience.
(What happened to the girl?)
Tuh de girl? Anything didn't happen to her. Quite natural me an' her was still friends but ah was sort of shy of her because she had did that trick, yo' see. In other Words, she was tryin' tuh gain love, yo' see. An' dis girl, she disliked her and she didn't want me to have dis girl. Of course, she's a married woman and ah couldn't be anything tuh her, but she liked me.
Entry 3108
Mah experience [as a doctor] come from aole man which used tuh be mah mothah's cousin - called him Uncle Tom, a very good man. (Here in town?) No, he's [he was] up near - 'tween heah an' Macon, heah. He's a cunjure-man. An' so when ah wus a kid he don' like me. So, he always want me tuh go stay wit him. Well, yo' know, quite nat- urally, a boy in town don't wanta go stay in de country. Yo' cain't see no auto- mobile, nobody tuh play with, so on - ah didn't wanta go out dere. So, fust an' last, mah mothah carried me out dere. So he had a ole mule out dere an' de mule Wus pretty tame an' let me - lak a jockey lak. So he let me play wit de mule an' so ah got a-likin' de mule an' so quite naturally ah liked him. So he tuk us back home in de buggy an' let me drive de mule. Well now, when ah got home, well ah still wants tuh follow de mule back. An' so mah mothah wun't let me go dat time. So, afterward, well, she made up her mind to let me go out dere. So, ah reckon, ah wus 'bout de age den of about thirteen yeahs ole, but ah didn't know thet he could do these things, yo' know. Dey nevah have accessed me into it, see. So ah seed diff'rent peoples come dere an' see him, an' he'd take dem in de room. So ah wanta know whut dey wus doin' dere. Well, he take 'em in dere an' ah wus 'bout de age den ah reckon about thirteen yeahs ole. An' so as de peoples be in dere, yo' know, an' so ah say, "Well, ah'll axe him." He says, "Well, son, ah kin do most anythin'." Said, "Yo', ah lak, an' ah know someday ah gotta - ah'm gon'a die." Says, "When ah die ah wanta leave some- body could do de same things fo' peoples jes' lak ah do, because peoples need tuh know how tuh he'p peoples. (What did the people call him - a root doctor or what? What did they call him?) [He had already said cunjure-man.] Well, he wus a spiritual herb doctor, yeah. In othah words, if yo're sick wit anything yo' wants tuh know, he could tell yo'. An' when he come tuh see yo' - say, fo' instance, if mah mothah wus sick. After ah went out there wit him awhile mah mothah wus sick de same as ah wus tellin' jes' 'while ago.
[He repeats the story for me.]
Well, a wumman wus goin' wit mah dad - well, she liked mah dad. She laked mah daddy an' so mah mothah she got sick den, an' she made up her mind tuh go see Uncle Tom. Cause, see why, she had a mind of goin' tuh de rivah all de time. But she made up her mind - got enough sense, yo' know, mah dad did, tuh go.git Uncle Tom. See, he wus our cousin but everybody called him Uncle Tom. An' so he went dere an' got him. Uncle Tom come dere an' looked at her an' said, "Yes, dey got chew, Sally" - jes' lak dat, said, ''but if God says so, ah'll cure yo' An' so he gived her some medicine, see. Well, after he give her de medicine, he told her, well, says, "Now, tomorrow between nine an' twelve, dat woman will come in an' give yo' a cake an' goin' axe yo' tuh eat it, but don't chew eat it, don't chew eat dat cake." Says, "Yo' save it till ah come." Well, quite naturally, ah wus a kid an' ah wus lookin' right on 'cause ah loved mah mothah, an' ah wanta know whut goin' come up, see. Well, then after that - well, he left. Sure 'nuff de woman brought de cake. Well, ah wus so mad dat ah wants tuh kill her, see. So ah carried de cake den an' put it in de safe. Yo' know, we had somepin lak - not a safe, but somepin wit a screen to it lak screen wire an' it had a lock to it. Well, ah put it in dere an' locked it up. An' so when Uncle Tom come why he looked at de cake an' he took an' divided it lak dat [demonstrates] an' made a fiah an' held it ovah dere an' it burnt. An' as it burned it give out blue smoke, an' he says, "If Sally et [ate] dis, yore Uncle Tom couldn't do nuthin wit chew." He says, "God says so, ah have yo walkin'." An' so, quite natural, after dat he did have her walkin'. [Blue smoke or colored lights is a common trick when doctor burns any cunjure article.] An' so, evah since then ah sorta believed in him, an' ah went out dere an' from time tuh time he learnt [me] diff'rent things. But sometime he practice wit me ovah a week or maybe longah on one thing an' try tuh git it perfect. An' so dat's de way ah come tuh [be a root doctor].
(Is he dead now?)
No, he left there an' went tuh Jacksonville.
(What was his name?)
Tom Williams.
(Up near Macon?)
No, Jacksonville, Florida.
(No, I mean where did he live there?) [In Georgia.]
No, he lived at a place out from where ah lived - out from Wally [Lollie?]. (Out from Wally. The reason I ask about that Williams, there's a fellow named.) [Evidently I had heard of another Williams. I also stop the machine.]
Entry 3982
Yo' take de antses when dey pilin', totin' dere dirt up high, why yo' kin take dat an' git a han'fulla it, an' put it in a bran'-new white han'ke'ch'ef an' urinate on it, an' den put it in somepin lak a tin [can] an' bear
[bury] it. Now, dat'll fill yo' fulla pain, jes' lak somebody shovin' needles through yo' dataway, yo' know - jes' lak somebody stick yo' dat way. Well, it's no cure fo' dat. (You have to walk over it.)
Entry 11453
MAN CUNJURED WOMAN IN FEET SO SHE COULDN'T COME TO SEE HIM GET MARRIED TO ANOTHER WOMAN! Not much of a story, but a remedy is given for a cure. Mix 3 ingredients: any liniment, sulphur and alum; rub down, never up, makes the swelling go down into the ground. [Wilmington (238) 161:4.]
Entry 987
Lak a baby got de stretches.
(What's that?)
Lll' baby jes' stretch - like yo' do early in de mawnin' 'fore yo' git up, yo' stretch lak dat. Well, yo' take dis baby to runnin' watah an' take a thimble. All right, when yo' go tuh sew yo' sew with a thimble. Yo' give 'em some watah wit this thimble out dis runnin' watah, out of a creek. De first watah he go 'cross, yo' goin' stop an' give him some watah out dat creek or branch watah - whut it is, runnin' watah. An' dat will cure de stretches.
Entry 6220
If dey wants yuh tuh suffah or eithah wants yuh tuh git well, dey takes a' dey go tuh a oak tree an' take some of yore hair or eithah yore name. Write It on a piece of papah an' drive fo' nails in dis tree halfway. An' take an' tdve dese fo' nails in dis piece of papah wit yore name in it halfway. Uhat do they do that for?) Dey do dat if yo's sick an' anybody harmin' yo' an' yo' wanta git well. Puts dese nails an' dis name of yore in dere an' drive dese fo' nails in dere halfway in dis tree - dis oak tree or any kinda tree. [Here we have a general cure for ailments rather than a specific one for the tree spell only. The ail- ing victim sacrifices himself to the sickness-harm causing spirit by offering this spirit his name, magically his person. However, the nails driven halfway into the name reveal a mock sacri- fice, a trick played against the troublesome spirit, always a simple-minded fel- low.]
Entry 80
I know a lady at home had a husband who would drink a lots - he stayed drunk all the time. Someone told her if she went out to the graveyard and got some dirt off of a drunkard's grave and sprinkled it in some of his food, that that would cure him. And afterwards she did. It didn't exactly cure him, but it kind of stopped it.
Entry 101
De lady next do' tuh me - it's some kin'a man dat curses her, it's a evil spirit, an' wherever she goes he's always using bad language tuh her an' saying things to her, putting all kind of things into her head. She went to someone an' they told her that it's a evil spirit that someone had worked on her, an' she asked him if he could cure it an' he tole her, yes. Well, he went in de house an' he asked her fo' some salt, an' she gave him some salt an' she gave him some sulphur an' two drops of hearts coZogne. Well, he put that in thar an' he tole her to put it in de corner an' every night say some kin'a word over that stuff. An' so she tole me last night at mah home that she was gittin' rid of it - said she jes' kin hear him now whisperin', and she said the man tole her that in a few days she wouldn't hear him at all.
(She can't see this man at all?)
She can't see him but she kin hear him.
(Well, what - just what do they think this thing is that is bothering.her?)
Dey think it's a evil spirit that someone got from de graveyard.
reported nightly unspecified words over a corner preparation. Nested neighbor and practitioner report, not firsthand performance or direct formula quotation. reported instruction to speak unspecified words over the mixture. Unknown words and nested report remain; no invented quotation or observed efficacy. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 251
Once mah grandfather wus hurt. Dere's ole lady - he had kill a terrapin once, and de nex' morning he got up, when he put his boot on, de terrapin head was in de boot. And he shuck his boot, choo know, before he put it on, and it fell out. And mah grandmother said, "Wonder wot dat thing doin here?" Papa say, "I killed dis terrapin yesterday an'," he say, "here his head, dis is in mah boot." It was a ole lady wanted him to go with her and he wouldn't do it. And he went on back to work as musely [usually] and he taken sick on de job and he couldn't make it home. He got down and tried to crawl to the house. And ah saw 'im, you know, tryin' to make it to the house, and ah went out dere, me an' - mahself an' mah mother got him and carried him on to de house. An' dey made him some red pepper tea and put dis three pieces of silver [money] in there, in dis pepper tea, an' gave it to him to drink, and that cured him. He killed him [the terrapin] where he was workin' at; he left him there. I reckon she had it fixed so that she mean for this thing to bite him, you know. Well, if it had'a bit him it would of killed him. That thing he said had been follerin' him up an' down de ditch bank, you know, and he killed it and left it there.
[For a terrapin put inside a person, see No. 10.]
Entry 323
This is a peculiar thing, I must say humorous thing, what chew may call witchcraft. Of course I don't have - I don't know anything about it, but I've heard about it. And so they said that if you take a cat, a black cat, and boil him down to get a black cat bone and just apply that bone to a certain part to your body or the affected part of your body, why that'll cure you. I've heard that.
(What do you mean by apply?)
Well, apply meant - I guess it means to massage the place where you're hurt, affected, your arm swollen I guess or your leg is swollen, why you just take this black cat bone and that'll have the power to drive those witches out, to drive -that condition out of your body. That's what I was told years ago by some of the old relatives.
Entry 647
[Why medical medicine or doctor medicine is worthless in hoodoo, a believer explains:] I say all de - most all de sickness now, it's not natch'l.
(What does it come from?)
Vitchcraft. (Why do people do that?) Jis', some of 'em jis' begrudgin'. Some of 'em get, you know, be begrudgin' of anything you have an' dey'll poison you. Some want cheh husban', dey poison yah; an' some want cheh job, dey poison yah. (Have they any good rootworkers up there in Rocky Mount [North Carolina, home of informant]?) No, sir. Dere is some up dere kin do somepin to yah but dey can't cure yeh.
(Where do people go then?)
Dey come to town heah.
(Any good ones down here?)
Yes sir, purty good. I reckon de best ones is in South Carolina.
(What do they usually charge to cure you?)
Some of 'em twenty-five to thirty dollars - a good price.
Entry 681
I have heard that cunjure doctors put goofer dust in your shoes to put affliction on you and sometimes it causes you to have a bad foot, a sore foot. It'll never be healed, a swelling or something, unless you go to another cunjure doctor. And he will give you another dust supposed to fight this dust and try to get it out of your system.
Entry 720
My aunt one time - her husband was going with another lady and she found out that her husband was going with this lady and she tried to stop her husband from going with this ladv. And the lady had my aunt fixed. And in doing so, she went to a root doctor. The lady asked the root doctor - she wanted an affliction on my aunt. The root doctor agreed to do so. Afterward my aunt was taken very ill and she was unable to walk for some time. Since then she has had a bad leg and it will never be cured, although some say that another root doctor can cure my aunt. Some say this was really what caused her to be like that. We didn't have any proof that she [other woman] did. She didn't give her anything to eat. It must have been done by some method of walking over a root.
Entry 833
A fellow that lived about twelve miles out from here, he called himself a hoodoo doctor. People would go to him from all around. He said he could cure them. He used to put them under these spells which would last forty-eight hours. He made them go to sleep. Then he would send his boy to the attic and throw down chickens and guinea pigs. These would wake them about the time the spell was wearing off them, believing it was his method of healing. Then he proclaimed they were well. He's been dead about two years
[d.1934].
Entry 1043
They use snails jes' like they use wood lice to hurt people. Now you take, you get a snail, a wood lice and you take those things and cook 'em till they're jes' all to pieces. You put 'em in somepin and jes' rub 'em up, you know, through a cloth till they're jes' mush. Then you put 'em in some rainwater, jes' a small amount of rainwater and let it set there till - you know rainwater - those things will come when it sets there long enough. Then you take that stuff and strain it out and put it in either milk or whiskey and that'll make that person - they're supposed to after a period of time that scales will come in [on] their haid and they scratch it and those scales become little live things, either wood lice or little min'ature snails. [See Live Things in You, p.227; also Index.] They're so small you can't tell what they look like but you can discern the little shell on their back. They come right out of the skin, just first start like tetter. It'll itch and as you scratch it and people are supposed to have wood lice or snails like that in their haid the way they do that. You can turn the spell right back on them and they'll automatically leave.
(Well, how would you turn the spell back on them?)
Well, just get somebody else to do the same thing to them they did to you. Cook those snails up and give them to him in a drink and when the snails come in his head they disappear out of your head. [See Like Cures Like, p.394.] That's why they say you can't cure a person that's hoodooed if the person that hoodooed them is dead. There never is no cure for them but as long as the person is alive it can be reversed. [For turning back spell, see pp.333-334 and Index.]
Entry 1044
My own laig Was pizen oncest, an' dey had my laig pizened in a way dat I couldn't use it, see. And I went in a graveyard and I axt a fellah wat died and ah pay him a little bit, and I got dis same woman dat fix my laig up, pizened it. And I went to de same woman and she died, see. I got a piece of her dress - under pieces like and I went and got some of dat same [dirt] and I washed my laig in de water and that heal my laig up.
(You got some dirt from one grave.)
From one grave - a fellah wat died, and I paid him to use some of that dirt, see - and de lady wat dies, wat had my laig fixed, and I went and got a piece of de dress befo' she died, see, and I got de cloth and put 'em in dat water - in dat water with de graveyard dirt, understand, and I washed my laig in dat water about four or five times understand, and den my laig was well.
Entry 1140
Heard of 'em usin' a broom string - dey use dat fo' cramps. If someone have tricked yo', yo' take a broom string. First yo' take it from de opposite end an' den dip it in some vinegar, an' den take it an' bring it roun' yore waist an' tie it in nine knots all de way. An' dat drives de cramps away. (You said, when you have cramps you tie this string, from the broom, round your waist, and tie nine knots in it and let the knots stay over your navel.) Let it hang ovah de navel. [You unwind the string backwards from the broom, beginning at de opposite end, the last part of the string sewed to the broom. This is a backwards rite, one of many reversing actions in magicl]
Entry 1154
Now yo' take a buzzard, long [about] - yo' know dere's a time of de year dat de buzzards are nestin', if yo' kin git chew a buzzard alive an' carry him to some secret place where nobody knows nuthin about it. Well, yo' know a buzzard is a kinda funny thing. Yo' feed him diff'rent things an' some he vomit some an' some might come out de othah way. Well, yo' take some of both an' put it together an' put it in a sack of some sort to where yo' kin tie it. Maybe some of yore people long ago had some of these things did to 'em - de tricks yo' know, had 'em walkin' like a frog or hoppin'. Jest keep it, yo' know, where he [patient] kin sleep on it fo' several days an' he not knowin' anything about it. An' den yo' take it an' make him a belt of some sort where he kin wear it round his waist until dat stuff became hard - jest hard like a brick, hard jest like a brick. An' de thing dat dey have did to him dat causin' him tuh be dat way will go up in dat bag where dat stuff is.
(That is to cure him.)
Dat's tuh cure him.
Entry 1166
Ah've heard dat chew could take a black hen's aig an' it would cure a hunyun [hernia] on a baby's navel. Yo' know, jes' like a baby have a large navel an' dey wear a bandage around it - dat chew could take a black hen's aig, a fresh hen aig soon as she lay it an' take it an' rub it on a baby's navel. Rub down his navel three times an' bury it under de do'step, an' it will carry dat away.
(You mean that big bump on the navel?)
Yes sir - it would carry it away.
Entry 1217
Heard dat chew kin take a dirt dauber nest an' if a person bleeding to death, an' kin cure 'em with it. Yo'll powder it up an', an' bandage 'em up wit it. I cure whut othah things ah don't know.
Entry 1228
A man tole me if a person is crazy or anything, yo' know, an' it's not a natch'al disease, git a dog manure. He did tell me, aftah it so many days old it turns white or yellah-lookin' - something lak dat, an' make a tea out of it an' let them drink it. An' he said that will cure them.
(Any kind of insanity? A person who is crazy?)
Yeah. He tole me tuh use that on mah mothah an' ah haven't did it yet because ah haven't been where she is.
Entry 1322
If somebody have done put down somepin fo' 'em, dey go in de graveyard an' git a little dirt an' rub on de spot - git ever'thing straightened out, git well agin.
(You say if they are poisoned inside?)
No sir, jes' lak a snake bit 'em, see. Dey kin go out dere an' git a little bit of dat dirt an' rub on it. Dat kill it.
Entry 1361
Had a corncob dressed and put in mah flower yard an' mah sister stepped on it - right in de hollow of de foot she stepped on it. And shortly after she stepped offa dat cob, de corncob, she got where she couldn't walk. An' after that it went all over her an' hit turned her eyes - her eyeballs were sharp as de end of yore fingernails. We had fo' doctors tuh her - couldn't either one of de doctors do her any good. Well, my brother went fo' miles from there and found a hoodoo and brought tuh her, and he'd taken some John de Conker and some whiskey and put in a quart bottle and gived tuh her to drink and to bath her knee with, and that's de only thing that cured her.
(Where did this happen?)
Thomasville, Ala.
Entry 1373
If it's a fever dat chew have nevah been cured of befo' - that is if it's a fever dat yo' wus goin' round wit - if it wus malary fever - that yo' could take an' tie nine knots in a piece of string an' take an' tie it round yore waist an' sleep wit it at night, an' git up in de mawnin' time an' go an' tie it round a tree - jes' any kinda tree an' leave it wit'out lookin' back.
(That would cure you?)
Yes sir, dat would cure yo' because ah've done dat.
Entry 1403
Go to a oak tree an' git jes' lak dis red oak bark, if a woman be's sick or anything with stomach trouble, an' take an' make a tea of it an' take a douche wit it. Why, it will cure stomach trouble.
Entry 1432
I hear'd ole man settin' down tellin' dis - said dat she [an old woman] got anothah ole woman [root doctor] to doctor on 'er. She said dat she had a - she had sweated 'er. She said she had a somepin up 'er liver in 'er skin. It crawled all over. She fis' feel it crawlin' undah de skin. [For a live terrapin hanging on to a person's liver, see No. 10, p.7.] An' dis woman tol' der dat she wus hurt - she said she wus tricked. She goes an' git some ratban [ratsbane] roots, an' git a he ratban root - git some of dem - an' a she ratban root. A he is got streaks up it, white streaks on de leaf; an' de she is jis' a solid small green leaf. She boils a tea out of it separate, an' take de she ratban-root tea, give all of dat; an' jis' a half of de he. An' dat cured it. [It is quite likely that had the patient been a man, the doctor would have prescribed all the he tea and half the she tea. All of one and half of the other is a diminishing amount rite.] [The plant here is not the ratsbane of European witchcraft but an American substitute. Its identity? What a botanist and a root doctor who digs her own roots call ratsbane can be different things. Besides, she is surely using two separate plants; the one with "white streaks on de leaf," the other "jis' a solid small green leaf." The former, the "he ratban root," appears to be either the rattlesnake plantain (Peramium pubescene), an orchid with checked or mottled leaves supposed to resemble rattlesnake hide, or spotted wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) with white-mottled leaves. The latter, the "she ratban root' - as a sheer guess I would say it was a. plant growing in the vicinity of the "he."]
[Baltimore, Md., (153), 62: l+85; this cure in Charlotte Co., Va.]
Entry 1433
She got holt of a thing - some kind of a snake got in her - de rattle- snake, de rattles of a snake. An' when she drink de watah from it she went blind an' she sent fo' mah mothah an' mah mothah had tuh go to her. She went an' she went an' she carried her fifteen miles from Danville, Virginia, to [somewhere] Virginia, to a man. Den he went out an' got a rattlesnake an' put him in a bottle, put him in dis thing alive an' po' s whiskey on him. See, dat cooked him an' den dey taken de whiskey an' fed mah aunty on it fo' nine days - give her nine drops, give her nine drops fo' three times a day fo' nine days, an' de ninth day she come back to her sight. An' some of these bells [buttons or rattles] wus undah her do'step an' some wus found in de spring. Dis man found 'em afterwards[!!!]. Her sight come back to her. She got well. [This is a remarkable example of like cures like (see p.394); it is also an original and brilliant piece of therapeutic thinking by a master of his craft!l (Now, what did they do with these drops? Did she drink them or put them on her eyes or what?) She drink them, she drink nine drops fo' nine days.
(Who was this?)
This mah aunty.
(And what was the name of the town?)
Danville, Virginia.
Entry 1442
(What kind of a tree?)
A red oak. Well, yo' go in de woods an' take yo' an axe or hatchet an' git on de south side of de tree about a foot from de ground, an' git de bark until yo' git to de meat - don't git no meat. An' yo' cut de bark off, den, an' yo' take de bark an' carry it back home an' yo' boil it an' yo' make a tea out of it. An' yo' drink de tea.
(What will that do?)
Dat's supposed tuh cure rheumatism.
Entry 1443
When yo' got a bad disease an' yo' go tuh work an' make yo' devils- shoestring, yo' red oak bark an' yo' take it an' put it on an' boil it good, an' then yo' go tuh work an' give 'em a quart of it tuh drink. Then yo' kin take it - take so much of it an' 'noint 'em with it - see, an' that is good fo' de bad.disease.
Entry 1501
Take bluestone, a ole shoe sole an' gunpowder. Yo' burn de bluestone good until, yo' know, till yo' powder it up, an' mix a li'l gunpowder along wit it wit some fresh hog lard an' kinda make salve outen it fo' healin' a sore.
Entry 1511
[These three names are for the same plant.]
I went up in the country an - with mah mother, an' mah husband stayed at home. But it's mah home dat he stayin'. An' of co'se he wus goin' with another woman an' he had her in mah room. An' so when I come back I went to bed. An' she had put somepin in mah mattress for me. An' so I went to the medical doctor an' he told mah mother that I better see a 'erb doctor. [Evidently she explained to medical doctor that she had been tricked and he advised the mother to find a herb doctor. I found this sort of advice several times - see Index and Introduction.] He [the 'erb doctor] come to me an' he said I wus hurt, an' he told me to take ev'rything off of mah bed an' scal' [scald] mah bed off an' look in the mattress. An' I looked in the mattress. An' he had a piece in it jis' about that long - a little bag with a whole lot of little stuff in it. An' so he made me some teas. An' there was silkweed, an' whiskey, an' High John the Conker an' Low John - an' made me a tea of it. An' I took that three times a day. Then I took a bottle of three S's [SSS]. An' that's whut cured me.
Entry 1595
Ah heard that yo' could take chamber water, chamber lye - jes' lak yo' got sores anywhere on yore flesh or on yore skin, yo' kin take yore chamber watah an' 'noint 'em sores each day an' fin'lly at last yo'll git rid of 'em.
Entry 1601
It's a way dey kin throw dere water [urine] befo' de sun rise.
(How do they do that?)
Well, dey takes saltpeter, dat's whenevah a person is hurt - ah knows dey take saltpeter an' red peppah an' chamber lye an' bath [not bathe] in it an' take it an' throw it out befo' de sun rise.
(That will cure them?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3780
If a man have a bad disease, yo' kin git de bark from de no'th side, outside, of a gum tree, an' de bark from de east side of red oak tree, an' mix 'em togethah an' make a tonic, an' dat will cure him of de bad dis- ease. Yo' put a few drops of turpentine in it.
Entry 3787
(Can he get cured of that condition?)
De only thing ah would recommend to him to git cured of dat wuz to use de rattlesnake mastah, de gall of earth an' about [how many?l eggs an' beer. (How would he use that?) Well, ah'd take de rat- tlesnake mastah an' dem othah herbs an' boil 'em togethah, an' ah'd take dem on occasion as ah felt dat ah needed 'em. An' de beer, of co'se, ah'd take early in de mornings.
(Just ordinary beer?)
Jes' ordinary beer an' bust a egg an' put in it.
(That would restore his nature.)
Entry 5236
Take yore left - take dis sole out chure left shoe, dat inside [insole] out chure shoe, an' yo' take dat sole an' yo' take solid brown papah. YO' EVAH SEEN A TERRAPIN? Cut it [brown paper] in shape of a terrapin. De shoe, dat's in shape of a terrapin. De shoe, dat's in ordah - now, if yo' wanted tuh Zingah a person, yo' know, fix 'em so dey be lingahin' all de time. An' yo' cut dis piece of brown papah an' cut dat shoe sole [insole] an' yo' ball it up in a new piece of homespun. Take dis piece an' de same shoe dat yo' taken it out of, an' slip it back in dey house. Yo' know, lak peoples shoe is settin' roun' dere an' yo' take de sole out. Well, maybe yo' be smart enough tuh git it back in de house, an' yo' put dis piece of papah in it. Well, de nine days aftah dey git tuh weah dis shoe, dey foot begin tuh swell up an' dere ankle an' yo' cain't tell [the cause of the swelling]. Well, if dey take dat piece of - DAT. SOLE DEY GOT OUT OF YORE SHOE, IF DEY MAKE 'WAY WIT IT COMPLETE AN' FO'GIT ABOUT WHERE DEY PUT IT, WHY YO'LL NEVAH BE CURED. DERE'S NOBODY IN DE WORLD WILL EVAH CURE YO'. (If you want to make this person linger, you take this sole out of his shoe. Now, what do you do with this brown paper?) Yo' take dat papah an' put it back in dere shoe, in de toe of dere shoe. Yo' know it's kind of a tissue papah, li'le thin papah. Dey put it in de toe of dere shoe jes' as fur as yo' kin git it. An' whenevah yo' do dat, dey weah de shoe. Maybe dey weah de shoe out an' don' evah know dat papah is in de shoe. An' when- evah dey do 'way fo' yo', jes' lak anybody come in wit anythin' an' throw it down an' fo'git about where dey put it.
(Do they put the inner sole back in the shoe?)
No suh, keep it. If dey git holt of dat dey kin git cured.
(You take that sole [insole] out.and you put this paper in the shoe?)
Put it in de shoe. Cut it in de shape of a terrapin.
Entry 5855
Heard 'em say dat chew kin ketch a bird or a chicken or dog or hog or cow, an' cut a place back of de neck an' put yore hair in it an' let it cure up, an' dey say dat long as dey go, say yo'll go.
Entry 6241
An' dey take yore hair of anothah way now. Take yore hair an' run yo' crazy anothah way. Dey kin take it an' put it in a green tree, oak tree, an' make a slice up. A green growin' tree. Put de hir in dere an' see, it close back on de hair. Why yo' soon go crazy an' dere ain't no cure fo' yo'. (Go to a small growing tree and put your hair in there. And when that tree grous together again?) Yeah, de tree grows up, why de hair grows in dere, why yo' go crazy. [For bair growing though separated from body, see No.5804f.]
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 6691
You can dig Adam-and-Eve root up and keep it and let it dry, and when you want it you have it. If anyone puts a spell on you, you boil some of that on the stove and put a little whiskey with it and drink it, and that will cure you. [Fredericksburg, Va., cylinder 80, by Ediphone.]
Entry 6702
Dey tell me if yo' kin git some red antses, take an' carry 'em an' boil 'em. Boil 'em down therly [thoroughly]. Well yo' kin take dat watah an' give it tuh a person an' let 'em drink it. Dat's good fo' any kinda tricks. [For tricks, see TRICKS, p.280f., and elsewhere.]
(That cures them?)
Cures 'em, yassuh.
Entry 867
[A picture of a handbill will be found among the illustrations. In the Introduction I explain my experience with handbills in Baltimore. My Mojo Expert of Memphis in Interview section is puzzled because I did not advertise.] Here on Madison Avenue in the same block and - so one morning I'd gone to the store and I'd taken a awful pain in my foot and I had to hop, and I hobbled back home and ah told my daughter, ah say, "You go and tell Mrs. Dawson, I can't come up dere this morning, '' I say, ''because somethin' happen to mah foot before I got up there." And you know before the day was gone my feet was this way [demonstrates].
(Swollen?)
Swole. Well, I couldn't wear a shoe, a bedroom slipper or nothin', and I hobbled round there for most of the week. But one day I was settin' on de porch and see de wind blow somethin' - some advertisin' papers [handbill] up near de gate and I called my daughter to come and get dem so I could read dem and see what they was. [See illustrations of handbills given to me.] When she brought dem - went and got dem and I see where it was a man out to Merrimac Avenue and he was from New York, so de paper said, and he say he want ever'body that was sick to come and get well. Well, I got her to get her boy friend to take me out dere and he'd taken me out dere. He called himself Professor Purvis. And we'd gone out there and he look at my feet and legs and he said, "Oh," he said, "you are in bad shape." He says, "Where did you get this from?" I said, "Well, what is it?" "You walked over something," he said, "a enemy put down fer yuh and you didn't have - you wasn't wise to the fact." He say, "It's a woman this man is dealing with and it seems like he likes you better," and he say, "that she is stopping you from going to the house - to the store." And he says, "You've taken [this] thing between your house and the store?" I said, "I sure did." He said, "Well, I tell you," he say, "that's purtty serious," he say, "but I will work on you," he say, "but ah works peculiar - ah don't give you anything, but ah give something to wear." And he gave me a little piece of something like silver and he say, "When I work on anyone and cure them, it always goes back where it come from." Well, I'd gone on [home]. He say, "Now, in a few days you goin' be so dizzy you can't get up, but stay in bed." Well, sure 'nuff, I was. And so when I commence to getting dizzy, well [that meant] this swelling going out of my feet and veins, because I couldn't even walk - had to get my daughter pull me around in a chair. And so after then, purtty soon I heard talk of a woman being very sick. Well, her friend asked me where did I go and I told her where to go, but they never could catch him at home. Well, they'd gone to North Carolina and got an old man and brought him up there and this old man told her - her friend told me because she lived upstairs over me - she might of known about her puttin' this out on me. But I didn't see this [what was] put out fer me because he said he was goin' to get that one night himself. He said it was in a bottle and it was put down fer me and I asked him what was it. He say, "It's your tracks with some pins in it." He say, "Dere's nine pins and your tracks is in there." and he say, "that's to give great effect," he say, "and then there's some graveyard dirt too," he say, "that took great effect on yuh," and says, "but I'll get that one night myself." I never did see it. He say he got it and I got well, but the other woman was taken sick. And this man from North Carolina came and her own friend told me, that when he come in and she was going on so, he said, "What's the matter?" He says, "Nothin' the matter with yuh but just reapin' what you sows." He says, "You sowed somethin' to somebody that hadn't did anything to you and they was just sharp enough to turn it back on you," and say, "I can't do you no good, when you beginnin' to reap I can't cure you." Say, "You just reapin'" and they say he took his bag and went on back to North Carolina. He didn't do anything for her and she died. And she was one of my lodge members, too.
(That's all you did - was to wear this silver?)
Wore that silver, all I did - little piece of silver that I wore a long time. It look white as my old hat here - just as white. But I'd gotten well - whatever he did, ah don't know. He didn't give me anything to take or nothin', jest told me to wear that.
quoted participant cure claim and refusal, followed by narrator-reported uncertain recovery. No verified cure or causal efficacy These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified. A quoted participant specifically claims graveyard dirt; the narrator says she never saw it. This occurrence is retrieved under the broad historical Dirt index without merging it with the separate Graveyard dirt destination. The contents, responsible person and causal cure remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 305) · Read full source (printed page 306)
Entry 6855
Take a boy dat havin' de fits, a young boy. Some of de boys takin' a spasm, dataway by growin' too fast, accordin' tuh de physician's statement, yo' see. Any time he got de fit dat way, ah'll guarantee dat it kin be cured by takin' 'im out in de forest any- where where a tree at, turnin' 'is back tuh de tree an' measurin' 'im dere, de lengt' of 'is height. Saw dat tree off, de whole tree off, yes sir. He'll have no more fits.
Entry 6860
Take a nail - jis' lak if yo' wuz tuh git hurt or sompin, git cut or sompin, yo' take a nail an' put it up ovah yuh do'. Says dat would heal de wound up.
Entry 6891
Rattlesnake mahstah, puts it on whiskey an' let 'em drink dat till dey drink a pint. Aft' dey drink dat pint dey'll be so dey cud [could] walk aroun'. An' yuh cud fix anothah quart, an' a quart or a pint'll cure yuh.
Entry 6978
Ah hear'd tell of wahps [hornet] nest - dat yo' take an' git a wahps nest on somepin, if yo' tooth ache, dat chew kin take an' smoke dat an' dat will cure it.
Entry 6982
Ah've had de claps so bad until ah didn't do nuthin but a solid stream of blood evah time ah made watah. An' ah went tuh Dr. O'Leary here an' he vashed mah bladdah out an' he tole me, he said, "Yo' got a sore on de end of yo' bladdah. Yo' been havin' dat - yo' been ovahstrainin' so long until it's worked back up intuh yo' stomic." (This doctor, was he a medical doctor?) Yes, an' he nevah did do me no good. So finely, ah one day, ah wuz workin' at de shop down dere, ah ovaheerded someone, a fellah, talkin'. An' ah says, "Well, ah'm goin' tuh use dat remedy. Ah went right on home an' tried it. He says get a pint of, a bottle, an' fill it half-fulla meal.
(What kind of meal?)
Half-fulla cornmeal.
(Half-full of cornmeal.)
An' put nine drops of turpentine in dere. Den git chew some rain watah an' fill dat bottle up. An' den shake it up right good 'till it all resolve [dis- solve] an' yo' know - when it resolve [dissolve] down de meal, dat brings it down about dat low [demonstrates]. Den yo' see it sinks down in dat watah. Yo' shake it up an' take a good swallah outa dat three times a day, an' dat cleah yo' out. Ah don' care whut's de mattah wit chew. Well, ah had it so bad dat ah couldn't hardly walk, it burned me tuh walk. [I fixed] dat jah [jar] mahself, yo' know. An' ah say, "Ah'm goin' home an' try dat." Now, dis, dis is by ex- perience. Ah've done it twice. Evah time ah have it an' I've tole othah men about it. Ah know a frien' dat done dat. Ah fixed 'im a bottle of it an' it Cured 'im. Ah carried - ah goes home an' ah gits me a pint bottle, an' ah fills it half fulla meal, an' ah gits dis rain watah. [Here, thinking that informant was merely repeating, I stopped recording to save cylinder space; but immediately realizing that he was adding something new, I restarted machine to ask what he did with the cork.]
(What did you do with that cork?)
Put a trench in dat stoppah so de air will jis' sour dat meal, sour it where de air kin git out an' it won' blow de cork out or eithah bus' de bottle.
(I see.)
Or put chew a papah stoppah or somepin, so dat it won't be so tight. Well, in about three days dat will be good an' sour, an' it have a good taste from dat tarpentine. An' dat'll rid yo' - ease yo' an' cure yo' up.
Entry 6989
Ah heard dat if yo' kin git tuh a tree where de lightnin' struck an' if yo suffah wit toothache, well yo' take an' git one of dose splintahs outa dere an' pick yore tooth till it bleed an' it will cure de toothache.
Entry 7246
I knowed a fellow and he lost all control of himself [because someone did this to him]. They cut up horsehair as fine as he [they] could cut it and put that up in his food, and after that was internal it formed snakes. They [the snakes] commenced to destroy him. This doctor took them out. He gave him saltpeter, olive oil, poke root, and other things [surely including a laxative], and mixed them all together and gave him, and perished those snakes and they crawled out of him. [For horsehair producing live snakes in person, see also Nos.6571-6572, p.3084.]
Entry 7967
Ah heard folks say if yo' complain if it wus rheumatism, dey could go in a road - look lak a road leads, a neighborhood road, an' a pine tree is on dat road. Wheresomevah a wagon would cuz it tuh bruise, dey say yo' could take dat root out of dat road where some castic [casket = coffin] or sompin othah had passed, an' make a rub, an' dat would kill rheumatism lak dat.
(Where a funeral would go on by over that tree? With the casket?)
Yessuh, where some fun'ral 'cession had passed, yo' go tuh dat road where de wagon, yo' know, of people have bruised de root, an' yo' dig roun' dere an' git dat bahk [bark] an' make a rub fo' 'em. Dey say dat would cure it. [Sumter, S. Car., (1381), 2452:5.] [We must remember that every photograph, whether oblong or square in shape, is a coffin symbol. In later section PHOTOGRAPH many of them are buried or in- volved with death. This present subsection will be confined to photography in- volving real or mock coffins.1
Entry 8835
Well, ah have carried mens an' wimmins tuh de root doctors tuh cure cases lak dat, an' whut he does, he gives 'em some kinda powdah. [I stop ma- chine but informant then continues.]
(He tells them to write a letter?)
Write 'em a lettah an' dey open dat lettah an' find dere be in it a high per- fume an' dey'll smell it an' in nine days dey'll be back home.
(That is some sort of powder that he makes?)
Yes sir.
Entry 10154
Wha' choo may call witchcraft...take a cat, a black cat, and boil him down to get a black cat bone. An' jis' apply that bone to a certain part, to your body or the affected part of your body, why that will cure you. That'll have the power to drive those witches out, to drive that conditions out of your body. That's what I was told years ago by some of the old relatives. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 174:1.]
Entry 10350
Let a woman steal a dishrag and wipe a man with it. [This is a double-edge rite: she can do this to cure his impotence or to make him impotent for other women.] [Wilmington, 195:5.]
Entry 9872
Now yo' kin cure disease wit a frog an' yo' kin make love wit a frog.
(How do you make love with a frog?)
Well, now yo' kin take dat frog an' cut dat frog open an' it's a li'l stone, a li'l rock, a li'l stone-lak dat's in dat frog. An' yo' kin take dat li'l stone an' any woman dat chew wanta git up tuh 'er dat yo' cain't git tuh, yo' wanta git up tuh 'er, yo' jis' take an' yo' have dat stone in yore hand - anywhere dat yo' could touch 'er. Yo' could shake hands wit 'er, er anywhere yo' kin touch 'er wit dat stone in yore han'. Yo' got 'er yore way. [Informant does not know that this stone-lak is supposed to come from a toad, not a frog: The foul Toad hath a fair stone in his head, from John Lyly, Euphues, p.53, (1579); an old belief made immortal by Shakespeare in As You Like It: Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head. Act ii, sc.1, L.12. (1599).]
Entry 10964
Now if you wanna use chicken blood, you kin use dat. Take de chicken and cut 'em open while he 'live. Don't kill him and den cut him open. Jes' take de knife and stick him right in de back, and cut him open while he 'live, and put dat - each half of dat chicken on each por- tion of your spinal cord here. You understand. It cure any shingles in de world. What you call chicken blood, yeah, wit shingles. Now, dat will stop de shingles.
Entry 12471
Marrow from hog jowl and lard mix and rub up, not down, to cure mps. Remedy of Humpadee, female root doctor. [Richmond 359:9.]
Entry 11580
A lady [doctor came here and] rub his feet...she said somebody had got his tracks. And she come here and ketch him and [had him] take and make a track out in de door. And she'd taken de track up and taken de track and put it in a bag. She put de track in a bag and carried it to a old log in de woods and buried it under dere. He got well from dat.
(But who got this track under the log, the woman that was curing him?)
De lady dat was doctorin' him, and she was named Minnie Begrun, de same lady dat cured myself.
(That's all she did to cure him.)
Entry 13014
Well, if yo' git poisoned, yo' kin take a dime an' tie it round yore laig, roun' yore neck, an' if yo' poisoned, dat dime will turn green an' it'll cure it.
(Do you tie that dime - one around each leg?)
No sir, round de left laig.
(And then one around the neck, too?)
Yes sir, one round de neck an' one round de left laig.
Entry 13020
Well, dey say if someone poison yo' an' yo' git it in yore stomach - yo' take a dime an' grind it - yo' jes' file it up into ashes an' - take it, an' dat'll cure it. An' den if yo' poisoned yo' take a dime an' put it on yo' or either wear it on yo an' it'll turn black, den somebody poison yo'.
Entry 13030
You can cure internal cunjure by boiling 3 dimes and drinking the water. [Wilmington 195:1+85.]
Entry 13031
Here is an elaborate cure: For inside cunjure, boil 3 dimes and 3 quarters and drink the water - no filings, just water. [Wilmington 255:5+85.]
Entry 13036
If you are hurt, file portion of silver quarter or 25c pence, boil this dust and drink, and you will become well. [Wilmington 73:3+85.]
Entry 13061
Wear a dime and a piece of parsley under the insole of each shoe for protection or cure. [New Orleans 1232:4.]
Entry 1560
My brother was sick for eleven years. And they say he were hoodooed but I say I don't think it such a thing as hoodoo, but he say, "Certainly it is such a thing as hoodoo. I've got it on me." (Wait a minute - talk a little bit slower.) I had a brother sick for eleven years and he went to every doctor and they couldn't cure him. He say, "Think it such a thing as hoodoo?" I say, "I don't think it is." All right, so I takes him, my mother and I, after the death of my father. He eats hardly anything and something came to me in the spirits, like me speaking to you and says, "Take and go to the rivah...and get some smart- weed and bathe him nine days with it." After bathing him with that smartweed nine days he get well. In nine days time he got well and he ain't been sick since. He living today. That's from smartweed. [A cure coming from the spirits is a frequent curing device. Does this come from the American Indian?]
Entry 13430
If you been tricked and have dese fainting spells - any kind of spells been put on you. See, dere's a way fer you to do - is fer you to go to de person dat you think put 'em on you. Speak to him about it. Well, you see him den and you tell him how you been tricked and all like dat. Say, dey can't look at you straight to save his life because he put it on yo'. Den after yo' git dat, den you go to swift water, ah've been told. And git dat swift water and bring it back and boil it and put cayen- ne pepper in it. See, cayenne pepper and ginger. See, dat's power - dat's strong. See, dat have a great odor to it. Take dat and boil it and salt, an' carry it to his doorsteps an' yo' kin take yore time. Let it be 'way in de night, way about twelve or one clock an' pour it at his doorstep. An' it will turn de trick right back on it. Yo'll git well and it will go right back on him.
Entry 641
You getting a medical doctor, a medical doctor and you say [for example] I'm sick - I feel bad and I'm hurting and hurting or something. You get a doctor and the doctor will come. He'll come maybe once or twice and he'll tell you, after his medicine don't take no 'fect, tell you, say, "You have to get somebody else know more than I know." Then you got'a wander around and first thing you goin' find your mind on hoodoo, and you goin' get a hoodoo den. Well, a hoodoo, den he goin' come and tell you, 'Yeah, there's something done to you. You say, "Well, I want you to git it off. How much you charge me?" "Well, I charge four or five or ten dollars." Well, you goin' give him four, five or ten dollars and he goin' get it off. Well, he's the same one what put it on you. [Yet, see margin-title, Doctor Unable to Cast and Cure Same Spell.]
The account hypothetically contrasts failed medical treatment with promised paid removal; neither outcome is verified.
Entry 801
Practically what I know, you understand, I illustrate that, you know, plainly.
(I see. Well, do you call yourself a root doctor?)
No, nol I don't call myself a root doctor. I'm more of a specialist - I make every kind of medicine in the world but castor oil, according to Hoyle. (I see.) And I'm known to cure anything in that respect that I know of - understand, what my father taught me years ago - but I don't like dat name root doctor. No.
(Oh, you don't like that name.)
No, I don't like dat name.
(What's wrong with that name?)
Well, the practical reason. It's okay. It's just like that that I don't like that common, you know, expression here. There you are. People get 'fraid of you - think if you are a root doctor, person like in my predicament in life. My people especially, they get 'fraid of you when dey think dat - you know what I mean.
(They think that you are going to put a spell on them?)
Yeah, sure - some of that predicament. Yeah. (And then there are so many fakes, I suppose that they are afraid of you. I see.) Sure, certainly.
The speaker claims a curing capacity within what they know and were taught; this is not a verified cure.
Source passage
printed interview with editorial and production layers · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
see me all de time, don' choo? [Asking Cubby.]
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Yeah. I see you all de time.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
(Well, just tell Mr. Cubby and tell these people I'm not a policeman, you can see that.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Dere's a lotta dem [healers]. Dere's Zeffie Hill.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
I was tellin' 'im about her.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
MIFFIN
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); supporting excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Tha' Zeffie Hill is good.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
I was tellin' 'im about them. Those are the people who say they heal. That's those yo' were tellin' about comin' in on Sundays.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
MIFFIN
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); supporting excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Yeah. Dey don' do nothin' but heal, give yo' numbahs to have luck an' things. But dese othah people - dey supposed to be good.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
I heard also there was some good ones down in Clewiston.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
MIFFIN
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Yeah, dere's some good ones in Clewiston, Florida. But where at in Clewiston, Florida?)
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
I know I could find that out from her. She gits in on the weekends. She lives in Clewiston but she lives in...
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
[Mrs. Miffin breaks in before Cubby finishes statement.]
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
But yo' know whut, if Jera
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
[?]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
hadn't o' died - I know one lady tha' he'ped them a lot. But Jera died and Jera always say,
reported or enacted speech · Miffin (speaker in this passage) · Named speaker in the recounted account; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"I'm goin' give yo' this woman's address if anythin' evah happen, give her my name an' tell 'er I sent yo'.'
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
But I didn't get to Jera before... Yo' remembah Jera Jones an' she died?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
[Asking Cub- by.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
She say,
reported or enacted speech · Miffin (speaker in this passage) · Recounted woman whose identity is unresolved; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"I could git yore son out of trouble.
reported or enacted speech · Miffin (speaker in this passage) · Recounted woman whose identity is unresolved; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
I don' know why I sat down so long, I didn't have the money to pay an' go like dey was goin' an' I jis' lef' ev'rythin' in the han's of the Lawd. Tha's jis' how I wus 'cause I didn' b'liev' in 'em, but now I do. "
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Cause I see too many things happenin' now. Tha's true, don' choo think so?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
[To Cubby.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
In some cases.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4497
In some cases, yes.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
[A pounding noise here - apparently it is her children pounding their fist on the car door glass]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Darrell get away from there!"
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Go ahead home!"
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
I've seen some things happen I can't explain them myself so it would tend to make yo' sorta believe it.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
(Well now let me give you an illustration - that man you talked to that said he was going to put warts on your arm. Now if you were in the proper frame of mind it's just possible that he could put them on you. See what I mean?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Sho', look what I did about 3 weeks ago. I went to a house - me an' this girl was goin' wid dis same boy. Dis woman, ol' 'nuff fo' my Momma now. This stuff from spirits from whut I know fo' myself. Okay, dey kep' sendin' fo' me an' I know I don' drink no likker. I know good and well I don' drink likker. An' I goes up there - sit there - de bar. Dey had a ha'fa pint settin' up there on de table an' I said to 'er, I said,
reported or enacted speech · Miffin (speaker in this passage) · Speaker quoted in the local account; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Well, look, I don' drink no likker."
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
reported or enacted speech · Miffin (speaker in this passage) · Speaker quoted in the local account; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Yeah, drink some."
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
An' the devil tol' me to drink tha' likker an' boy I'm tellin' yo' - my little daughtah could tell yo' - I came back downstairs, I be- gin to git real sick. She po'ed the likker an' she po'ed the Coca Cola in. The Coca Cola floatin' in the likker an' I came back downstairs an' in about 30 rinutes I got deathly sick an' I got so sick I jis' layed across de bed. An' dis same little girl whut was standin' right dere
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
[she may be referring to one of the children who earlier was pounding car window]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4497
. I sta'ted vomitin', an' san, dese li'le things - white an' dey are wrapt up jis' like a worm. Jes' like a worm an' dey come outa me for about 30 minutes an' I wus so sick! Yo' lmou I got a fo'k an' I took one out an' I tried to unwrap it. Ev'rytime I try to unwrap it they wrap back up an' there's about 30 of 'em in dere an'I gen' to de doctah an' yo' know whut he tol' me? I was likker poisoned!
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(You were what?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Likker poisoned. Dat likker was poison.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(Uh huh.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[At least I am noncommital!]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
An' yo' know right today she come right dere an' sit on dat step, dat bench right dere ev'ry day. An' I JIS' HATE 'ER TO MY HEART. An' I jis' came right - an' I tol' 'er de othah day,
reported or enacted speech · Miffin (speaker in this passage) · Speaker quoted in the local account; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
"Don't come to my house no mo'."
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
She ol' 'nuff to be my momma an' she goin' wid dis young boy.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(Well why did she do it to you? Is she jealous of you?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Goin' wit de same main. I mean, yo' know she's do dese hot things yo' know, dese lookin' things an' dat woman couldn't see me ag'in no mo', 'cause dat guy is good an' I could git dat money an' a lot of women can't see no man takin' care of no woman. Dere Some Women dat cain't. AN RIGHT DEN AN' DERE I MADE UP IN MY MIN' UNLESS IT'S JESUS, BABY, DAT'S THE ONLIEST PERSON CAN GIVE ME A DRINK - JESUS. If I drink it I be by myself. It's somethin' I bought by my- self, not wit nobody 'cause I been deathly sick from likker. I won' bother wit it. An' she go to dis main up here all de time but he don't do nothin' but heal, yo' know?
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Heal.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Up in Tumesea[?], yo' heard of 'im?
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(What's his name?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
I don' know his name.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Tumesea
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[?]
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
, Georgia?
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Yeah. Doc - dey call him Doc.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(Where is it now, what's the town?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Tha's in Tumesea
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[?]
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
, Georgia.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Dat's in Thomasville.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[Now it sounds like they are saying Thomasville.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(Thomasville?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Yeah. But Honey
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[Who is called Honey?]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); supporting excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
yo' know he got his church, but he do not do no nasty deal. Tha' man's straight. He's a healer, he's straight.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(Just a healer. In other words he doesn't put any conditions on you but he will remove evil conditions.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); supporting excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
He will move evil conditions but he will not put nothin' on you.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(I see.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Now, I def'nit'ly knows dat.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(Well ther'e
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[there are]
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
some of these people I'd like to talk to just to get their experience.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[My desire will be granted in some of the following interviews.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Yeah. But dere's a lot of 'em yo' go to yo' git a good cussin' out, dat's whut yo'll git 'cause most people don' wan' choo to know dey doin' things like dis. A lot of 'em don', do dey?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[Asking Cubby.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
No, dey like to keep it a secret.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Lak to keep it a secret.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
CUBBY:
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
They have quite a few 'roun' here, but yo' can't fin' out.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Dere's a lot of 'em roun' here. I'm lookin' at one dere...yo' know who I'm talkin' about, lookin' at one dere right yonder. I mean yo' don' git nothin' dere an' I know yo' don' git nothin' from 'er but a good cussin' out. Oooh, cause she don' - she will not talk to yo'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(In other words you just have to take it along easy.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Yeah.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(And they have to really trust you and know who you are and all that sort of thing.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Yeah, yeah. Dese people roun' here do not trust yo' too much, yo'd better b'lieve.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Well, I don't blame them. I tell you today the way the world is...)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Mos' of 'em - yo' tell 'em somethin' they go on an' tell the pollece, don't they?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[Says to Cubby.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
That's right.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4499
De pōleece dey turnin' up givin' yo' all kin'a dirty things. An' yo' jis' cain't blame people fo' tryin' to pertek [protect] themselves.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Well years ago there were a lot of stool pigeons. Are they dropping out?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
No...dere's a lot of 'em bein' dropped, dere's a lot of 'em bein' kilt.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Well, certainly as sure as a white man came around they ran and told the police that some fellow was out there working...)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yo' fin' a few. Well, yo' don' fin' - yo' wus young when there wus stool Pigeons. Boy, that Abraham, Abraham, uh Alford... It was so many of 'em dat... dat fellow got kilt... James. Dere's a lot 'em got kilt, them gangsters from Tampa had dem kilt off. Yo' can't be bothahed...dose b'lievers...dose people don't b'lieve in things. Aw, they had them dropped off.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[She rambles on and on in this paragraph. I was uncertain of most of this. Mrs. Dyel.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(What about those people who give you lucky numbers? Have you ever gone to anyone to get a lucky number?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
I'll go to one. I go out dere on Hamm Road ev'ry week to get me one
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[laughs]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
The lady I took you to the other day.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[Meaning Dr. Hyatt I believe. Mrs. Dyel.]
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Ev'ry week. An' yo' know what...
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Oh, oh, which one was she? The white woman or the colored?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
The white Woman.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Oh, she gave numbers - from Palmetto?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yes. Yo' know I went out dere an' yo' know whut she tol' me? She tol' me to play a one-six an' a five-six. Yo' know whut, I didn't have but $5. Yo' know that I stood up dere an' let dat one-six came by an' paid $85. I wen' out dere a Thursday an' do yo' know it came out on Friday night an' I stood up dere - I didn't have but $5. I stood up dere an' said,
reported or enacted speech · Miffin (speaker in this passage) · Speaker quoted in the local account; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
"Dere ain't going to be no one- six, de odds is too high."
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
An' here comes one-six. $85... I was sick. She gave me dat number. I gave 'er $2. She gave me a one-six and a five-six. The five- six came in de las' race. $85...an' I wus dead broke. An' she gave me the two- eight, the two-eight came...
editorial recording or production note; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[Transcriber Mrs. Dyel says, "The paragraph was dif- ficult to transcribe. She is talking very fast."]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Well how would she get those numbers?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
I don't know...she wus a min' reader. She read 'em.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Do you know I talked to that woman. Yeah, isn't that right Mr. Cubby?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Did she talk all right?
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(She wasn't doing much talking to me.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
She was lookin' at yo' do'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[though]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
wasn't she? Studyin' yo'?
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Well this is the white woman, isn't it?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yeah, yeah, but I like tha' main
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[man]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
bettah.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Is there a husband, that man in the same house?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yeah. I like that main
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[man]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
bettah than I do tha' woman.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(Well, I think she's clever.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
She is re'ly clevah.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(She's quite a talker and quite intelligent. What was her name? Something? Something?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
editorial recording or production note; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[Name purposely omitted.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yo' know what else she do? Now I've knowed people to git into a little trouble an' dey have to pay her so much, about $37. But she's straight dey say.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
(I think she was a little bit frightened about me.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yeah, she prob'ly was.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(She may talk to me again. I don't know. She was verv nice about it. I think if these people knew they were not going to be personally involved, that there is no name given or anything of that sort, I think they would really talk, don't you?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Yes. I think they Would. That's the main problem.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4500
But there is so many things bein' goin' on when dey wus tellin' de po-leece ev'rythin' - I mean yo' can't blame 'em, can yo'?
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(Oh, I know. Well, how is Palmetto? Years ago you used to always...)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Oh, no, no. It's no mo' o' dat now. Now, if yo' hear of a number, ev'rythin' comes strictly from de dogs. Yo' cain't even fin' none 'roun'. People got so bad in turnin' dem up dey jis' had to give it up.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[Cubby says something and she repeats it. I cannot tell what they say.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Cubie stop an' people stop wit it, yo' see?
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
That's right.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4500
When they stopped dat over in Cuba they automatically...they prob'ly be doin' some kin' of ol' mess from the dog. But they don' bothah wit it. I don' know nobody over here [in St. Petersburg?] playin' no Cuba anymo'. Dere's no sech word as a Cubie no mo'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(Cubie?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Cubie.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(Cubie? What's that?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Jes' a number, dat's wha' dey call it at Palmetto
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[Florida]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Jus' a number. Jus' a new name.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4500
An' boy I used to know some people used to write [or ride] it 6 or 7 hundred dollars a week but all of 'em gone, dey jes' forgot 'bout it.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(People who sold numbers?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
If dey were throwin' time on yo'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[giving prison terms]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
like dey wus throwin' on dose people, yo' would've stopped too. 10 or 15 and 20 years. Who want dat time? Nobody!
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(In other words you can't go around to shops - years ago you could go around and buy numbers any place. You could get them for a penny a piece.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Ooh, no. Yo' can't buy 'em here no mo'. Know
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[Do you know]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
where ev'rybody go at night? To the dogs. Ev'rybody
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[go]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
to the dogs
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[dog races]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
now. An tha's fas' money too.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(I see. Did you ever get a lucky number that worked?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Who, me? No, 'cause I'm a lucky dreamer. See, I can dream my own numbers, see. I'm my own...
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(What do you mean dream a number?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Well, don' choo dream?
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(Yes.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Well, I jes' dream. I have good dreams. I'm a good dreamer.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(And do you remember any numbers in the dream, things of that sort?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Who me? I remember ev'rythin' I dream.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
(I evidently don't sleep well. I don't remember my dreams.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Yo' know wha' I did Thursday night? I had my rent - $60! The rent man there put up a sign to move. I wusn't workin'. Sixty dollahs behind in de whole time I been dere. At leas' I got my four kids home. Here he comes wit a sign. I layed down We'nesday night - I'm jis' goin' to tell yo' what I did. An' I wen' to bed. I wus so disgusted We'nesday night. Yo' know whut I dream? A main [man] whut I use to go wit came an' tol' me, I said, "Where yo' been so long?" He said, "I got in some trouble." I say, "Yeah?" I say, "What kin' o' trouble?" He say, "For a cell mate." I say, "How much did yo' git?" He say, ''$42, 000." I got ready - I had $3.00. This jis' to show yo' yo' got luck on yo'. [She
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Well, look, I don' drink no likker."
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Yeah, drink some."
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Dere's a lotta dem [healers]. Dere's Zeffie Hill.
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4497
In some cases, yes.
Nested source context: continuing window edge · Vol. 5, p. 4497
see me all de time, don' choo? [Asking Cubby.]
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4498
"Don't come to my house no mo'."
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Up in Tumesea[?], yo' heard of 'im?
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Yeah. Doc - dey call him Doc.
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Dat's in Thomasville.
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Lak to keep it a secret.
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Dere's a lot of 'em roun' here. I'm lookin' at one dere...yo' know who I'm talkin' about, lookin' at one dere right yonder. I mean yo' don' git nothin' dere an' I know yo' don' git nothin' from 'er but a good cussin' out. Oooh, cause she don' - she will not talk to yo'.
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4499
"Dere ain't going to be no one- six, de odds is too high."
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4499
De pōleece dey turnin' up givin' yo' all kin'a dirty things. An' yo' jis' cain't blame people fo' tryin' to pertek [protect] themselves.
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yo' fin' a few. Well, yo' don' fin' - yo' wus young when there wus stool Pigeons. Boy, that Abraham, Abraham, uh Alford... It was so many of 'em dat... dat fellow got kilt... James. Dere's a lot 'em got kilt, them gangsters from Tampa had dem kilt off. Yo' can't be bothahed...dose b'lievers...dose people don't b'lieve in things. Aw, they had them dropped off.
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Ev'ry week. An' yo' know what...
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4500
"Where yo' been so long?"
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4500
"I got in some trouble."
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4500
"Yeah?"
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4500
"What kin' o' trouble?"
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4500
"For a cell mate."
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4500
"How much did yo' git?"
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
But there is so many things bein' goin' on when dey wus tellin' de po-leece ev'rythin' - I mean yo' can't blame 'em, can yo'?
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Cubie stop an' people stop wit it, yo' see?
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
When they stopped dat over in Cuba they automatically...they prob'ly be doin' some kin' of ol' mess from the dog. But they don' bothah wit it. I don' know nobody over here [in St. Petersburg?] playin' no Cuba anymo'. Dere's no sech word as a Cubie no mo'.
Nested source context: unlabeled live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
An' boy I used to know some people used to write [or ride] it 6 or 7 hundred dollars a week but all of 'em gone, dey jes' forgot 'bout it.
Nested source context: continuing window edge · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Yo' know wha' I did Thursday night? I had my rent - $60! The rent man there put up a sign to move. I wusn't workin'. Sixty dollahs behind in de whole time I been dere. At leas' I got my four kids home. Here he comes wit a sign. I layed down We'nesday night - I'm jis' goin' to tell yo' what I did. An' I wen' to bed. I wus so disgusted We'nesday night. Yo' know whut I dream? A main [man] whut I use to go wit came an' tol' me, I said, "Where yo' been so long?" He said, "I got in some trouble." I say, "Yeah?" I say, "What kin' o' trouble?" He say, "For a cell mate." I say, "How much did yo' git?" He say, ''$42, 000." I got ready - I had $3.00. This jis' to show yo' yo' got luck on yo'. [She
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"I'm goin' give yo' this woman's address if anythin' evah happen, give her my name an' tell 'er I sent yo'.'
Nested source context: reported quotation · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"I could git yore son out of trouble."
Nested source context: live aside to present children · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Darrell get away from there!"
Nested source context: live aside to present children · Vol. 5, p. 4497
"Go ahead home!"
Nested source context: present recording context · Vol. 5, p. 4497
[A pounding noise here - apparently it is her children pounding their fist on the car door glass]
Nested source context: unresolved place and addressee qualification · Vol. 5, p. 4498
[Now it sounds like they are saying Thomasville.] (Thomasville?) Yeah. But Honey [Who is called Honey?]
Nested source context: healer scope qualification · Vol. 5, p. 4498
(Just a healer. In other words he doesn't put any conditions on you but he will remove evil conditions.) He will move evil conditions but he will not put nothin' on you. (I see.) Now, I def'nit'ly knows dat.
Nested source context: transcription uncertainty qualification · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[She rambles on and on in this paragraph. I was uncertain of most of this. Mrs. Dyel.]
Nested source context: transcription difficulty qualification · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[Transcriber Mrs. Dyel says, "The paragraph was dif- ficult to transcribe. She is talking very fast."]
Nested source context: name suppression qualification · Vol. 5, p. 4499
[Name purposely omitted.]
Nested source context: transcription and voice uncertainty · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[Cubby says something and she repeats it. I cannot tell what they say.] Cubie stop an' people stop wit it, yo' see?
Nested source context: cross page production qualification · Vol. 5, p. 4500
[She
Nested source context: cross page production qualification · Vol. 5, p. 4501
continues with this story, speaks rapidly and in incomplete sentences, does not speak clearly - impossible to transcribe]...an'
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4497
Dere's a lotta dem [healers]. Dere's Zeffie Hill.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4497
In some cases, yes.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Up in Tumesea[?], yo' heard of 'im?
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Yeah. Doc - dey call him Doc.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Dat's in Thomasville.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Lak to keep it a secret.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4498
Dere's a lot of 'em roun' here. I'm lookin' at one dere...yo' know who I'm talkin' about, lookin' at one dere right yonder. I mean yo' don' git nothin' dere an' I know yo' don' git nothin' from 'er but a good cussin' out. Oooh, cause she don' - she will not talk to yo'.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4499
De pōleece dey turnin' up givin' yo' all kin'a dirty things. An' yo' jis' cain't blame people fo' tryin' to pertek [protect] themselves.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Yo' fin' a few. Well, yo' don' fin' - yo' wus young when there wus stool Pigeons. Boy, that Abraham, Abraham, uh Alford... It was so many of 'em dat... dat fellow got kilt... James. Dere's a lot 'em got kilt, them gangsters from Tampa had dem kilt off. Yo' can't be bothahed...dose b'lievers...dose people don't b'lieve in things. Aw, they had them dropped off.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4499
Ev'ry week. An' yo' know what...
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
But there is so many things bein' goin' on when dey wus tellin' de po-leece ev'rythin' - I mean yo' can't blame 'em, can yo'?
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
Cubie stop an' people stop wit it, yo' see?
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
When they stopped dat over in Cuba they automatically...they prob'ly be doin' some kin' of ol' mess from the dog. But they don' bothah wit it. I don' know nobody over here [in St. Petersburg?] playin' no Cuba anymo'. Dere's no sech word as a Cubie no mo'.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4500
An' boy I used to know some people used to write [or ride] it 6 or 7 hundred dollars a week but all of 'em gone, dey jes' forgot 'bout it.
partial continuing interview window with context only edges
These pages contain part of the continuing Miffin, Cubby and interviewer conversation; neither the complete interview nor every topic is included.
The opening address to Cubby continues from the preceding page and is included as context only.
The closing dream and rent recollection continues on printed page 4501 and is included as context only. The following context reports that transcription was impossible; no dream-number account is reconstructed.
Unlabeled switching turns retain localized Miffin/Cubby holds; explicit labels do not qualify every following unlabeled line.
Transcriber uncertainty, name suppression and literal place-name alternatives remain visible.
Honey question and Thomasville suggestion do not resolve identity.
Reported healing/poisoning/success and healer/harmful-working distinction remain attributed historical claims; privacy/police qualifications retained.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 5, p. 4496 · Vol. 5, p. 4497 · Vol. 5, p. 4498 · Vol. 5, p. 4499 · Vol. 5, p. 4500 · Vol. 5, p. 4501