Subject:Cut
Entries
Entry 2622
Yo' take lak if yo' have a scissors layin' down there an' lak if yo' have a nice business, an' ah wanta stop yo' from havin' it, why ah steal yore scissors or yore fingernail file. An' ah'll take those right to mah home an' ah'll put - as ah told yo', take that there perfume an' ah'll put mah 'gredients in there which is the sulphur an' nine grains of red peppah seeds. Put that in there an' ah'll put de scissors lak if ah got dem fo' nine mawnin's an' ah take 'em an' junk 'em down in de ground. All yore luck is cut, yo' haven't got any mo' business.
(You use perfume you say?)
Yessuh, Heamt's Perfume.
Entry 3218
She takes a cord string.
(She takes a cord string.)
An' she ties nine knots in dat string. She takes a cord string an', yo' know, she [informant hesitates]....
(What does she do with it, measure him?)
Yassir. Dere's two or three diff'ren' ways yo' kin do dat.
(Tell me the two or three different ways. Tell me the first way.)
She kin measure him an' tie nine knots in dat string an' den she kin - she ties it aroun' 'er wais'. Den she kin git a new domestic piece [a piece of new domestic] of cloth when she have - yo' know, when she - whenevah she have intah- co'se wit 'in. She don't have intahco'se, she'll let 'in have it. An' den she take dat an' she cuts it out in a heart - de shape of a heart. She puts it in 'er. shoe an' he sure can't - he can't go, he can't do anythin'
[with other women].
Entry 3319
[The letter V like the equilateral triangle has three points or corners and both are magic shapes or forms in hoodoo. Usually the equilateral triangle signifies the Trinity - three sides, each equal - but originally and like the letter V it was a sign of the mons veneris. That such was the case can be substantiated by much historical evidence as well as the following rite: l A woman kin take a man's shirt, if she gon'a wash it fer Befo' she wash dis piece, she would fold de end of de shirt - de part dat hangs close to de front part of it. Fold it right near a V-shape [to fit mons veneris] as she can an' cut it off, an' dis man will be her slave. She supposed to wear dat piece of cloth on her body. Take it an' put in somepin an' tie roun 'er body nex' to her skin.
Entry 3333
Take a dishrag an' when she [he] go tuh sleep, he [she] take dat dish- rag an' wipe it ovah him. Carry dat dishrag all ovah him an' 'is lowah part. Take dat dishrag an' wash 'im down dere, wipe him down dere whilst she [he] sleep, an' aftah he [she] done washed wit dat dish - wipe wit dat dishrag, he [she] go tuh work an' throw - carry it to a branch an' throw it down de stream of run- nin' watah. Ah heared folks say dat.
[The preceding interchange of pronouns is not rare in hoodoo.]
(What will it do to that man?)
Cut 'is "spirit." (The woman does that. She rubs him down with the dishrag while he's asleep and then throws it into running water?) Yeah.
Entry 3418
Git a ole slut dog. Yo' heah 'em talkin' about mens an' womens being stick tuh one 'nothah an' couldn't git 'em loose. Well, dey jes' take dese ole slut dog dat run about, yo' know, de muss [usually mess] dey have at de time dey are proudin' - see whut ah mean, tuh mate wit de othah dogs. Well, yo' kin jes' cut dat little tip off down dere, cut dat off. An' well, go in where she makin' sandwiches or sompin lak dat an' give it tuh her. See, if yo' think she goin' out an' can't stop, an' yo' wanted tuh ketch dat man an' dat woman tuhgethah, yo'll shoo [sure] git 'em - she'll stay dere. [The word prouding is quite common in hoodoo; it merely means swollen. Years ago I used to hear the word proud in connection with a wound - the flesh of the sore had begun to proud. One dictionary calls its use to describe certain female animals obsolete except for dialect.
Entry 4303
Dey take socks or stockin's an' put dis lump insaint [incense], dey chamber lye. Cut de bottom of it out, roll it an' put it in a bottle in de person's chamber lye, an' dey say dey kin keep 'em. Dey'll nevah separate from 'em.
Entry 4720
If she kin git any of 'is clothes dat he weah, she kin git 'im back. Now, if he done lef' home an' aftah he lef' home, if she want 'im back - she feel dat he didn't do right, an' she try tuh git'im back. She'll take de seat of 'is undahweah an' cut dat out an' den she'll fold it, blow 'er breath on it an' fold it. An' she'll sit down - wheresomevah he may be or where he live - if she writes 'im. She'll heah where he at, she'll git 'im a lettah. He's gotta git de lettah. She'll go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er some love powdahs an' put in dat lettah. An' den she'll fol' dat piece an' weah it undah 'er right-foot shoe, nex' tuh 'er flesh between 'er stockin' an' 'er shoe. An' five days from de day he sees dat lettah, he'll come home. (She puts the love powder in this letter, and she wears this piece of the drawers in her shoe.) Yes, in 'er right-foot shoe.
Entry 4734
[Here is a rite from George Jackson, the outstanding "high man" on the Eastern Shore at the end of the 19th century - see p.912.] He'd cut a piece [out of her underclothes] close tuh de heart in a coffin shape. Uncle George used tuh tell 'em how tuh do it. An' dey'd [the man would] care [carry] dat tuh 'im. An' if he wanted - yuh undahstan', he's tuh a place an' can't git along. Two women dere yuh know an' yuh can't git along, an' yuh want tuh git [one of them] away from dere an' don't know how tuh git [her] away. Yuh go tuh see Uncle George. An' Uncle George would tell 'im jis' whut tuh bring 'i. An' when [then] he'd bring dat piece cut from 'er clostes' gar- ment - right ovah 'er heart - undahclothes. Aftah he [Uncle George] fixed dis he'd [the client would] take dis tuh a runnin' stream an' send it adrift wit de wind an' tide. An' she wouldn't stay dere long neithah. She'd soon pull away from dere.
Entry 4778
Take an' cut off de end of 'is shirttail an' tie it in nine knots an' put it right in de house. Take jis' a little bit of 'er chamber lye an' cook it in some bread. An' he'll nevah go nowhere. [We have here two separate rites used as one for good measure.]
Entry 4878
Stockin', yuh cut it off even wit yuh ankle, an' yuh kin take it an' bury it, an' she'll walk fo'evah. (Which one?) Eithah one of 'em, make no diff'rence which one.
(Which part do you bury? The lower part or the upper part?)
De lowah part, de feet part of it.
Entry 4904
Say dey use a man's stockin', sock, an' cut it up fine an' bury it undah yore do'step. If he's 'is wife's las' husban', he can't quit 'er.
Entry 4921
Sleep wit dere stockin's undah yore haid. Take yore socks an' sleep wit 'em undah mah haid. Or take dem an' cut de feet out an' wear dem.
(What will that do?) Dey will follah yuh.
Entry 4966
[The following rite is a first class sending-away rite told as a bring- ing-back rite. I have marked this informant on the original transcription page ng (no good), which some- times merely means not a good informant, or an in- formant with little worth- while material. The purpose here, though not normal, becomes magically legimate by intention. Reversal is also a piece of magic.]
(About the stocking foot?)
Yes, so fur as de stockin' foot, yo' kin do her stockin' foot an' cut it off at de toe yo' see. Dat's mos' where dey sweats at - de toe of it. Yo' take dat, a small piece, an' put nine knots in it, see. Put it in a bottle an' take a piece of papah an' yo' put 'er name on dere. Yo' put dat in dere an' go tuh de rivah an' throw.it ovahbo'd. See, den dere's no mo' tuh dat.
(What will that do?)
Well, so fur as dat, it bring 'er back if yo' wants 'er back. Yo' kin bring 'er back an' she cain't leave when yo' do dat. See. She gotta stay dere until she die. She gotta stay dere.
Entry 5046
She kin take yuh lef'-han' sock if she kin git holt [hold of] it. She'll take dat lef'-han' sock an' cut de heel an' de toe outa it. Cut de heel an' toe off an' sew it up. Jis' take it an' sew it up an' git 'er some copperas an' git 'er some red pep- pah an' put it in dere an' sew dat up tuhgethah. An' if she kin git intuh any hole dey have in de wall an' put it in dere, well, he will not stay 'way.
(What does she do with that then?)
[Informant gives another possibility.]
She take dat an' sew it up, an' put it in 'er left shoe.
(What does she put in there - copper, you say?)
Coppah, yes sir.
(What kind of copper?)
Yuh know dis - de reg'lah kinda coppah [copperas] what yuh gives dogs an' cats.
Entry 5052
Take his sock an' if it's dirty, why yuh kin nail dat tuh a tree an' it will cause him tuh walk away: [Ordinarily a sock nailed to a tree keeps a man stationary, and the sundown side later means lingering or slow death, but intention here demands that he walk away. The big nail suggests urgency and determination - also painful walking.]
(All you have to do is to take a dirty sock and nail it up?)
Jis' take a dirty sock - cut de bottom out de dirty sock, fold dat dirty sock up an' carry it tuh a green pine tree, an' nail a big nail in de centah tuh de sundown. He'll leave an' won't come back.
Entry 5155
Ah know a case in Beaver Falls, Pa., dat a incident of dat kind hap- pened a year ago [1936]. Wus a woman whut lived dere, an' 'er husban' wure very cruel tuh 'er. An' he begin tuh stay out all night, an' he beat 'er an' knock 'er out. So she begin tuh study de Sixth an' de Seventh Book of Moses. An' wit- in studyin' dat, she found out jis' whut tuh do tuh send 'im away from 'er. An' she tole me dat she'd taken 'is lef' shoe, an' cut 'is 'nitial on de inside of it in de instep. An' taken 'is - one of 'is lef' dirty socks, an' put nine brass pins in it, an' nailed [pinned] it tuh de instep of 'is shoe, an' threw it ovah 'er lef' shouldah at sundown. Ah know he left dere an' he hadn't been back a month or so ago.
Entry 5225
Well, yuh take it [shoe] an' bury it - bury it undah de step. Dey got front steps, dey got back steps. Sometime a house is got fo' or five diff'ren' steps cleah aroun', yuh know, but yuh only - yuh count tuh de fo'th step, if yuh got fo' steps. If yuh ain't, yuh kin bury it undah de firs' one, but yuh won' wanta bury nuthin but de dirt part, de foot part [sole] of it. Yuh see, lak de hole's [open part is] up, yuh don' have tuh bury dat. Jes' cut it [sole] off, de foot part, an' bury it undah dere, bury it undah de first step or de fo'th one.
(What will that do to me?)
What will dat do?
(What will that do, yes?)
Oh, DAT AIN'T GOIN' TUH DO NUTHIN, JES' HAVE YUH AT DERE COMMAND. Dat's all - jes' de same thing as de othah [rite given].
Entry 5226
Yes, ah have heard of doin' sompin - takin' prackly [practically] nuthin but shoes. Bury dat shoe an' leave de top of it out, an' dat will kill 'em. (What do you mean leave the top of it out? You just bury the sole and leave the top part out?) Leave dis [top] part up, jis' so's all of it ain't in dere. Yo' kin do wit de sock de same way. Leave part of it up.
Entry 5379
An' yo' take woman, or man's foot-track, lak if she were comin' tuh yore home an' yo' didn't wan' 'em or sompin lak dat. An' yo' jes' take dat li'le cloth yo' know, yo' wash dishes. Yo' jes' take dat an' - jes' take dat an' lay it dere an' cut it out lak, kinda lak dat track is. An' yo' go out dere lak yo's firs' start turnin' [spading] yore yard - de firs' track - an' yo' jes' dig a hole right dere an' spread dat air [that there] rag lak dat bottom of dere track. Yo' know, jes' as de track is, an' put de dirt back on it. Why he won' stay dere no mo'. Ah pract'ly [practically] know purtty neah de truth of dat. (You simply take that dishrag and cut it out the shape of his foot, and you just bury this track where it just turns away from your house. Either track?) No, yo' git de first one, eithah track, but let it be firs' track he stepped in when he starts in [into the house or onto the property]. (Then you bury that cloth right in that same track. That is to make him stay away?) Yes.
Entry 5544
Yo' don' wan'a harm 'em but yo' goin' tuh move 'em. Yo' walk right down de road behin' 'im whichevah he's walkin'. Git chew sides [suckers] dat growin' from a hick'ry or from a 'simmon [persimmon] tree, an' stick it down at de end of 'is toe an' clip it off at 'is heel. An' take dem [clipped sticks measuring foot tracks] an' carry it [them] down tuh de rivah, say, "Go an' don' come back." An' he cain't stay dere.
(How many years old you you take the tree?)
Jis' only three sides less den a yeah old, but maybe [as old as] three yeahs. Cut dem de length of de feet [foot tracks] an' carry 'em an' don' look back, whatevah yo' do. Wish dere [at the river]. Dat will move him. (You take that from a persimmon tree?) From any tree in a stump. See, yo' jis' cuts if off, cut one heah an' two heah.
(We call them little suckers.)
Well, we call 'em sides, sprouts.
Entry 5845
I've heard people say da'choo [that you] could take a man's head - yo git a stran' of hair outa de mole [mold] of a man's head an' take a stran' of hair from yore [a woman's] head, an' put 'em togethah an' cross 'em like dat [demon- strates]. (Like that - one on top of the other.) Yeh, right dat way. An' take dem an' take a piece of 'is shirt from undahneat' 'is arm, or eithah take de tail of 'is shirt, an' cut dat off, an' wrap it up in dere, an' tie it up into a ball, an' jis'make a pocketpiece [hand] of it. An' dey say dat will keep 'im wit yeh, dat'll make 'im love yo' so he can't stay away from yo'. Wear it in yore pocketbook or wear in yore dress pocket - jis' dat yo' keep it on yoreself.
Entry 5878
Or yo' kin take a stran' of yo' hair an' cut a catfish open an' put it in a catfish an' yo' will, dat will make [you] worry along. Jes' as long as dat catfish wave his tail, dey tell, yo' be goin': (Be going - wandering away.)
Entry 6448
Yo' cuts yore fingahnails an' yore toenails evah Monday or evah Friday, until yo' git a tablespoonful of it, an' den yo' take dat an' put it in whiskey. Dat's makin' yo' love me, see. Put dat in whiskey. An' den yo' put so much of dat - ah would - in yore coffee or yore tea an' let chew drink off it. Or yo' kin git it in dat powdah an' sprinkle on yore food, an' yo' eat it. (But you must cut these fingernails and toenails on Friday or Monday.)
Entry 6492
De way yo' do dat, yo' have tuh cut 'em to yo' disaway, see. (Cut your fingernails?) Cut ary [every] one of 'em - cut all ten of 'em to yo'. Do yore toenails de same way - cut 'em to yo' all de time. Yo' git deg a bottle of Hearts Own Perfume an' put dat in dere. Den yo' kin set dat D8 anywheres.
(What will that do then?)
Dey'll be sickly all de time. Dey will not be healthy.
(The person whose fingernails and toenails you have.)
Yes sir, keep 'em. Yo' know when dey cut de toenails an' fingernails, yo' bor, dey gen'ly [generally] throws 'em out. Well, yo' see when yo' cut chure toenails disaway an' yure fingahnails, well po'don' scrape dat [bottoms of feet] from yo', yo' scrape it back tuh de heel.
(You scrape the dead skin back to the heel.)
Yes, scrape all dat tuhgethah an' den put it in dat perfume bottle an' stop it up. But it'll work quickah - hit'll work bettah by turnin' de bottomside up- wards.
Entry 6587
They tell me that you can take an egg and cut off a scorpion's head and put with that egg, and then take the blood and mark it around that egg so many times, nine times they claim, and then take the blood of an individ- ual and do the same thing. And then take that egg and that scorpion head and bury that, and the individual who has to travel and walk over that will get to a place they claim that he'll have scorpions in him.
Entry 6588
Now yo' take a scorpion, he's poison. Now yo' got sompin ag'in me an' yo' got sompin ag'in a man on King Street. Yo' may got sompin ag'in a man on Spring Street. Well, now, ah'm de fust [first] one yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Dis man on Spring Street de secon' man yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Well, yo'll take dat SCOrpion an' kill 'im. WHEN YO' DONE KILL DAT SCORPION, YO' BRING 'IM HOME HALF LIVE. YO' AIN'T KILL 'IM ALTUHGETHAH. He half live when yo' bring 'im home, but yo' finish killin' 'im when yo' bring 'im in yore house. Aftah yo' finish killin' 'im, de last lick yo' hit 'im yo' know yo' goin' kill 'im, yo' goin' call mah name. Yo' call mah name. Ah'm yore enemy. Ah'm yore dead [deadly] enemy. Ah'm de one yo' Wants tuh git nex' tuh altuhgethah. But when yo' kill dat scorpion an' call mah name, ah'm goin' take sick. Now dat man ovah heah on Spring Street, yo' goin' call 'is name by dat scorpion's tail. Yo' goin' cut dat scorpion's tail off jis' about dat much [demonstrates]. Well, yo' goin' tuh hold dat scorpion an' yo' wrap dat wit silk thread, silk thread. An' [as] yo' hit it, yo' cast it in yore yard an' say, "Go, yo' bastard, yo'." An' he's gone.
(And would it do anything to the person living on King Street, then?)
Dat man on King Street goin' work wit me.
Entry 6607
Yo' run 'im.
(Either the frog or the snake.)
Until he gits real hot. Yo' git chew a forked stick like dat [demonstrates] chew know. Yo' grab 'is haid while he's hot. Yo' cut dat haid off, yo' see. Yo' take it an' carry it tuh yore home, an' put intuh a chimley tuh dry tull it git so yo' kin jis' do it dataway [demonstrates] de dust of it. An' if yo' don' like a person, like ah don' like yo' an' pertend [pretend] like ah like yuh, yo' sprinkle it intuh dere food. An' dey tell me dat will certainly bring live things intuh de stomic.
Entry 6608
Well, ah heard tell of 'em usin' snakes fo' killin' peoples. Well, ah've heard tell of 'em takin' snakes - take de snake haid, cut de snake haid off whilst he's live. Make him angry an' cut 'is haid off short. Take dat snake haid - cut: 'is haid off whilst he's real short, yo' know, whilst he's live. Don't cut it off aftah 'e's daid. Cut it off whilst 'e's life [alive]. Den yo' take dat snake haid an' yo' dry it. Hang it up yore chimley dey say an' dry it fo' nine days. Den yo' kin take dat snake powdahs whut chew git from dat snake haid, an' it supposed tuh lill yo' daid. If dey kin git it intuh coffee, food, anythin' - dat snake powdah It'll be so dry till yo' kin jis' pound it up yo' know. An' den yo' take dat poudah, an' yo' kin sprinkle it in anythin' an' dat'll kill a person.
Entry 6611
Now, dey tell me tuh take a snake, cut de snake's head off, let 'im drip, an' while his blood is drippin' ketch de blood in somepin as it drips. Jis' as many drops of dat blood yo' ketch, jis' as I - if I is a enemy, jis' how many snakes yo' desire tuh be in me, an' I lie - yo' let dat blood drip - drop - fall intuh some vessel. Whut kinda whiskey I drink, why yo' po' dat whiskey drink on dis blood, an' shake it in dere wit dis whiskey. Shake it tuhgethah an' give me dis whiskey tuh drink. Very soon I'll come tuh be fulla snakes.
(You'll have little snakes in you from those drops of blood?)
Yes, dat's right.
Entry 6612
Ah heard 'em say yo' kin take an' ketch a blacksnake an' cut 'is head, yo' know, an' hang 'em up by de tail an' let dat blood drip in somepin. Put it in a bottle an' lak if yore frien's come roun', anybody come, yore frien's or prob'- ly yore enemies too, an' if yo' don' lak 'em, an' lak if yo' have a li'le coffee at dinnah or somepin lak dat, yo' put a li'le bit dat on dere cup an' dat will kill 'em instan'ly.
(What?)
De snake will kill 'em.
Entry 6613
Git a snake an' put a snake in yo'. Dey kin go ketch a snake an' kill it, cut 'is head off an' hang 'im on de limb [of a tree] by de tail. Tie a string aroun' 'is tail an' hang 'im up an' put a tin cup or tin plate undah 'im an' ketch 'is blood. Let 'im bleed in dat tin plate or tin cup, whutevah it is. Now dey take dat blood an' dey kin put dat blood intuh yore food or somepin tuh drink; or dey kin let dat blood dry until it comes jis' tuh a hard powdah. Dey kin sprinkle it in yore shoes. An' de perspiration from yore feet will such up de strength of dat blood an' cuz yore body tuh attract dat, an' it will go all through de body an' kill de body. An' it will be crawlin' jis' undah de skin, all about, mostly from de point where dey entered. Depends upon how long it is when it gits in de stomic an' come on up. An' he'll choke yo' tryin' tuh come on up.
Entry 6614
If you walk upon [meet] a snake or lizard, catch him, don't kill him, hang him up by his head with a string around his neck. Cut off the top [tip] of his tail, and put a bowl right under his tail and catch his blood, dry it. You have to catch all of this blood until he is dead. Then you take him and lay him up on a dry place and dry him. His bones and his flesh, after it gets dry, you powder it up. You take this and this blood and mix it, and they put it down for you. They'll dig a hole in front of your door and put this in that hole and call the Lord's Name: Lord, Jesus Christ, His Namesake. You fill it up, take three steps backward, and say: Now, I've got you; that will hold you, that will take you away to an unknown world. When he comes along and steps over that, he's gone. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6656
Whilst doin' dat, somebody gota go tuh de country an' git a he an' a she moccasin snake.
(Moccasin snake?)
Moccasin snake an' lays 'em head tuh tails, puts 'em down undah - buries 'em in de north cornah.
(North corner of what?)
Of de fence - right down undah de fence, undah a sill lak dis an' den...:
(Do they bury this under a sill or under a fence out in the yard?)
Out in de yard. It's nobody dat knows it dere but dem. It lays dere nine mawnin's an' dey'll begin to molt. Yo' go dere de nex' nine mawnin's an' turn 'em ovah, an' let 'em lay dere anothah nine mawnin's. After dat is ovah, dem nine maw- nin's, evah time dey touch 'em dey makes a oath. Dey goes dere den an' gits de snakes an' cuts de head off an' puts dem heads tuhgethah an' put 'em up ovah de do'sill an' let 'em dry - make an oath - lay 'em up there an' let 'em dry. Then they gets dry good, they crumbles them up right fine an' gets a powder - beats 'em up fine. Then they take 'em an' put 'em in a bag. Well, enybody they want, they go an' gets de dust of de snake head an' sprinkle it in whatever they gives 'em - they gives a party of some kind, an' they wants to go tuh, they gives it to 'em in somethin' to drink.
(What will that do to them then?)
Kill'em. [Richmond, Va., (?), 380:2. A similar method for killing with graveyard dirt is given by same informant in 300: l&3.]
Entry 6675
Now a terrapin is a thing, he crawls late at night, an' he crawls at certain times of de day an' he go tuh sleep. Now, dat terrapin yo' wanta wakes 'im at night. Dat terrapin will crawl out de day, an' if chew wanta git dat terrapin tuh hurt chew at night, dey'll capsize 'im from 'is den. Dey'll grab 'im an' dey may cut off 'is right laig an' call yore name. An' dey carries it tuh dey house, bury dat [leg] an' dey'll turn dat ter- rapin loose live. An' quick as dat swell up, where he cut off dat laig, dat right foot - quick as dat swell up, why yo' is a sick man. (That is one way, they use it. What about the other way?)
Entry 6716
Yo' kin take a buzzard an' cut 'im in fo' pieces [to represent the 4 corners of the world, see Rev. 7:1] an' yo' take dat buzzard an' yo' kin fry him. Fry him an' yo' kin take de grease whut come from dat buzzard an' yo' kin cure any rheumatism. Heard dat concernin' buzzard.
Entry 6746
Yo' take some black peppah an' salt an' sulphur an' a piece of homel spun; put a piece of homespun around it. Take black peppah, salt an' sulphur an~ put it on dat [package] an' as it burns tell it whut chew want it tuh do an' dey won't come back any mo'. Take a piece of new homespun an' cut it nice [demonstrates]. (Cut it round like a cir- cle.) Yes, yo' have tuh cut it out lak a circle. Den as yo' take sulphur, take a pinch of sulphur - sulphur an' salt [and black pepper] an' put it tuhgethah an say, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, an' Name of de Holy Ghost, whut chew want it tuh do.
(That will make them stay away.)
Entry 6787
If yo' in trouble wit high pains an' yo' been in trouble wit high pains, yo'll go an' git chew a young duck, an' regardless of where dat pain is, jis' cut dat duck open 'live an' lie it ontuh 'is nachel [natural] skin, an' when- evah dat duck is daid, an' dat duck git cold, why dat pain is 'sposed [supposed] tuh be gone.
(Be gone?)
Dat be gone. It draws out, it be gone, don' chew undahstan'.
Entry 7236
[Playing cards is hoodoo's greatest method for revealing your past, present and future fortune. These professional manipulators of cards are usually called a reader or fortuneteller, though both latter terms may include crystal ball, pan of water, all sorts of special gifts, etc. The present rite, however merely starts with cards to discover the sex of a thief. For similar methods of divina- tion, See PLAYING CARDS, p.195f., and PLAYING CARDS SPECIAL, p.196f., both a part of DIAGNOSIS, Pp.165-217.] Yo' git chew a deck a [of] cahds [cards] playin' cahds, pu' [put] dem out dere lak in gamblin', an' yo' kin tell if it's a man or a woman. See, yo' cut [demon- strates], yo' shuffle dem cahds; yo' turn dem around an' den yo' shuffle de. Yo' cut dem three times an' yo' turn de face up. If it's a man, it goin' tuh be a jack; if it's a woman, it goin' tuh be a queen dat chew turn up, yo' see. A queen is fσ' a woman, lak dat. Now, if she is a colahed puson - it's a colahed woman - it goin' tuh be spade, queen a [of] spades; an' if it's a white woman, it goin' tuh be a queen a [of] di'monds, see. If it's a bright woman, it: s de queen a[of] hearts. See. De same wit de jack an' de king. See. Well, all right. An' aftah yo' cut dem cards an' find out how [who] it is, yo' take yo' dis S-lax [see later] powdah.
(What? Where do you get that?)
Yo' buy it at de drug sto'. It's HOODOO STUFF. Doctor Thomas [proprietor of the drug store] got it down dere.
(What do you call it?)
S-Lax powdah.
(Ex-lax?)
Yeah, it's a powdah.
(Not Ex-lax?)
No, not Ex-Zax. Dat's a candy. Dat's fo' - dat's candy. It's Ex-Zax powdah.
(And what is it called, this powder?)
Ex-lax powdah.
(All right.)
[Author gives up, resigns, etc.]
An' yo' buy it at Doctor Thomas Drug sto'.
(Doctor Thomas' Drug Store?)
Yeah, right down heah on Ramport Street. Yo' take dat stuff. An' aftah yo' take dat powdah - yo' take dat powdah an' yo' puts it on a lamp, yo' see, an' yo' burn it. Yo' see, yo' burn it ovah dere in a li'le pan, see. Well, aftah yo' burn it in a pan, yo' take dat an' yo' puts it - yo' take a red candle - not no black candle - see, yo' want dat back, a red candle, an' yo' burn dat. Yo' burn dat candle an' dat woman - yo' put [that] woman [her name] on de papah, yo' see. Yo' burn it ovah dat [lamp] an' ah betchah dat stuff'll come back tuh yuh.
(That they [she] stole.)
Yeah.
(What do you mean by "woman on that paper?")
[I want to be certain about this. My preceding understanding was wrong.]
Yo' see, yo' jis' put 'woman" - jis' write [the word] 'woman" on de papah. If it's a woman dat stole it [according to the preceding playing cards rite of divination] yo' write "woman" on dere. Yo' don' know 'er name. But if yo' know 'er name - it's bettah fo' yo' tuh know 'er name. If yo' know de puson's name, yo' put de name dere, an' yo' got 'er.
(I see. Where do you put that paper?)
Yo' put dat papah undah de li'le pan wit de candle on topa [top of] it an' yo' burn it. An' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back tuh yuh.
(I see. What do you do with that powder?)
De powdah - yo' git de powdah at de drug sto'. See, yo' mix de powdah in wit dat stuff, yo' see.
(With what stuff?)
Mix de powdah an' burn it, yo' see, ovah de lamp. Yo' see, yo' burn dat pow- dah, see, in de pan. Den yo' stick de candle right up in de centah of dis [panl an' put 'er name right undah dat, yo' undahstan', an' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back. [This burning brings dat stuff back.]
Entry 7237
Dere a preachah stayed in Boyce, Mississippi, Scotts County, an' some- one stole his suitcase an' he went tuh one of de gentlemen [doctors] an' de gen- tlemen tole him he'd git 'is suitcase back. An' so de fellah [doc- tor] went an' cut some cahds [cards] an' tole him tuh go tuh de stō' an' git 'im some sulphur, an' git 'im some salt, an' he give it tuh 'im. Den he [doctor] sprinkle dat ovah him [preacher] an' rubbed 'is [preacher's] hands an' [they] says he [preacher] throw it up in air where de wind blow it. An' he got 'is suitcase an' dere wusn't a thing tuk [taken] outa it. Dat's a true fac', he got 'is suitcase. [For wind- blowing rites, see Nos.5713-5718, Pp.2917-2918, etc.]
Entry 7485
Jes' lak if a person's goin' - jes' say yo'd walk ovah dis flo' heah. Now, yo' could take yore square yo' know an' yo' could take de measure of dat. Take de measure of dat shoe [foot track]. Take de measure of dat shoe an' yo' cut dat, cut dat jes' lak dis heah, yo' undahstan', jes' de shape of dat shoe. See [demonstrates], heah yo' go. See, yo' take dat shoe [track]. Yo' take dat shoe an' yo' measure dat. Yo' take dat up an' yo' watch it, yo' watch de shape of dat shoe. An' yo'll take, say a horseshoe an' yo'll nail dat right up ovah as yo' come - forty inches about dat gate dere - nail dat up dere. An if dey done did anythin' dishones', dey'll come back jes' lak a dead man, de per- son who made dat track, dey'll come back to dat place.
(If they killed anybody?)
If dey killed anybody dey'll come right back to dat place. (Do you put up this shoe track you make [from measurement] under the horse- shoe?) Yes, put dat undah de horseshoe. Nail dat horseshoe.
Entry 7554
Jis' like if a person - yuh don' like a person an' dey stay in dis house. Go tuh de cemetery an' yuh know dis person positively - de one whut daid - dat always wus cursin' an' cut up [people] an' thin's like dat. Git some of dis dirt an' carry it an' throw it on dis heah people porch. An' dere always be fussin' in de house.
Entry 7820
Well, yo' kin take a envelope an' go tuh a cemetery, well maybe 'long about dis time a-day, or maybe 'bout eight a'clock in de mawnin', an' yo' kin git some dirt offa de grave- yard. An' yo' takes it back home an' put it in dis enve- lope an' write chure name down nine time an' [demon- strates] write chure name heah nine time, er, one time, an' her name heah one time, see all de way down. Well, yo' go on down an' let chure name be firs' all de time, all de way down. Well, yo' go on down till yo' git dat nine times.
(Each one nine times?)
Yessir, yores nine an' mine nine times. Well, yo' takes dis envelope an' yo' cuts a hole in de mattress an' put dis envelope undah dere, undah de feet or eithah at de haid, or eithah where de body lay on de baid, see. Well, dat'll make him come, if he's workin'; an' if he ain't been bringin' 'is money home, dat'll make him come an' give his money tuh dis girl or 'is wife. An' den, when yo' do dis, put dis envelope undah dere, why yo' kin take...
[I interrupt.]
(Now, which side do you put it under, his place or under your place?)
His place where he sleeps. An' den yo' take dis aig, newly-freshly-laid aig, hen aig. Write chure name [demonstrates] heah one time, an' hers heah once, until yo' write it all de way round nine times.
(Each one nine times?)
Dat's right, each one nine times on dat aig, an' on de envelope, an' yo' bury dis aig undah de do'step. All right, whenevah he comes in, he gotta go in ovah dis aig an' he gotta come back out de do'. Dat's all tuh dat story.
Entry 7996
Well, dat little coffin, dat is de one like if a woman is in love wit a man. Well, she will cut out maybe a little doll or image of 'im an' dey take dat an' bury dat maybe perhaps by some canal or some place - some guttah or some of dat kind of stuff, like dat. An' dey keeps dat dere an' dis man can't leave out of de town dat he is in. Whatevah town he is in he can't leave out of it, as long as dat coffin is buried in dat town where him an' her is at.
Entry 8000
Well, yo' takes de box an' make it jes' in de shape of a coffin. Well, he takes 'is knife an' he cuts in a man jes' de shape of a man. See, or jes' de shape of a woman, jes' whichevah one he wanted it tuh favor. Well, he takes dat an' puts it in dat little coffin. Takes 'im a pin an' takes 'im a pair of pliers, wire pliers an' cut de pin [head] off tes' deep enough tuh jes' suppose it wuz a little tack. Put dat man in dere, an' on dat man's back write whoevah name he want it tuh be on dere. Well, he takes dat, take an' carry it tuh dis man's house, if he kin git tuh 'is house at night, tuh whatevah dat yo' kin find, sech as flowahs an' hedges or anything lak dat. Dig yo' a hole as though it is a grave an' put it in dere an' covah it up. Well, in a few days he'll be daid.
(What do you cut that little figure from? What do you cut it out of?)
Well, yo' kin take a piece of elm wood. Fo' him tuh lingah a long time, yo' kin take a piece of elm wood or eithah a piece of ash wood, jes' whichevah is soft enough fo' yore knife tuh cut. An' cut it out of wood an' make it out of wood. An' make it outa wood an' take de pins an' evahthing an' jes' nail 'em in dere. It has tuh be exactly like a casket [coffin]. An' yo' don't have tuh fo'- git tuh put de man's name, whoevah it is dat chew's mad wit. Jes' put dat name on 'is back an' lay it right in dere.
Entry 8001
You can cut out of paper or you can cut them off from shingles and make the image of a person, and write the name and whatever you wish. Well, you can take this shingle and carry it and throw it in running water, or you bury it, or you can take it and hang it upon the side of a tree and let it blow away. That's if you want to run 'em away.
Entry 8003
Dey make li'le coffins an' dey make de image of de per- son involved, an' dey put 'im in dat coffin. An' dey have his name engraved in de image. An' dey take dat li'le coffin an' bury it in a graveyard an' dat's supposed tuh make dat person die.
Entry 8034
A bone from a daid pusson depends whut chew wanta use it fo'. N Now, yo' kin use a bone from a dead pusson fo' two diff'ren' thin's. Yo' kin use it - well, say three: yo' kin use it fo' gamblin', yo' kin use it fo' tuh hahm [harm] somebody or somepin of dat sort. (How do you use it for gambling?) Well, now, yo' take a bone. If yo' kin git de bone an' yo' can't beat it, if it's too hard fo' yo' tuh beat, yo' take dat bone an' yo' git chew a file an' yo' file dat bone. An' as yo' file dat bone, yo' file it intuh somepin, a clean piece of white papah where yo' kin git all dat dust yo' file [from] dat bone. When yo' git all de dust yo' want tuh, offa dis bone, yo' git chew a silvah dime an' yo' cut fo' holes - not holes, but ah mean marks in de dime, jis' lak whut is aroun' dis ole piece of ring ah got heah [shows it and demonstrates]. Yo' cut a hole dere, one dere, an' one dere, an' one dere - yo' cut fo' holes.
(Sort of a notch, like you cut a piece of pie.)
Yes, sir, a notch.
(Cut a little piece off of it.)
Yes, yo' cut fo' lak dat in dat dime an' put dat dime in dere wit dat powdah. Yo' git chew some steel dust, see. Yo' git de steel dust an' dis dime an' yo' put 'em in, an' yo' git chew three needles. Yo' take dem three needles an' yo' put 'em on a piece of flannel - red flannel. But chew put one lak dis an' one dataway. Yo' cross 'em. An' yo' put de othah one 'way up above it dataway in dis position. See? Now, yo' wrap dis needle up here, yo' wrap it ovah dis way firs'. (Now, Wait a minute. You have these two needles crossed like that [I demon- strate], and then you put one above it like that?) Yes, sir. (One - this top one is just like you're making a "T" out of it. One, this top one is up above the "x" [the two crossed needles] there.)
[These 3 needles are now folded 9 times in a complicated rite:]
One's above de othah, yo' see. Well, dat's de one yo' fold, yo' see. Yo' fole dis othah one - when yo' fole dis othah one, yo' see, it'll fole right from dere tuh dere. Yo' kin covah dese othah two needles, yo' see. Now, when yo' fole dis way, dat one fold. See, when yo' fole ovah disaway ag'in, dat two folds. Yo' foles disaway, dat's three foles. An' disaway, dat's fo' foles. Now, yo' got fo' foles dataway. Now aftah yo' fole 'em dataway, yo' take an' yo' fole it ag'in. Dat's five. An' yo' fole disaway. Dat's six. An' fole dataway. Dat's seven. An' fole disaway. Dat's eight. See? An' yuh last fole, de ninth fole, it'll be about dat big. Dat's yuh las' fold. An' yo' fole jis' lak dat. Dat be yuh las fole an' it's goin' tuh be jis' - not a bit biggah dan what de needles, de length of de needles are. See, when yo' git through foldin' dat, dat'll be de length of de needles. Yo' put dat in yuh pocket, or yuh pocketbook rathah. An' now yo' got dat in yuh pocketbook, be sure dat chew got anothah small piece of coin dat chew kin put wit dat besides dat silvah dime yo' already have. Now, if yo' got anothah silvah dime, yo' put dat in de pocketbook wit dis othah stuff dat yo' jis' finished. Yo' put dat wit dat. Now, dat steel dust an' dose two silvah dimes, an' dose needles is tuh draw money, see. Yo' kin go an' shoot dice, play cards, anythin' yo' want. Yo' needn't tuh worry. Yo' might a-go dere an' lose de firs' dollah yo' have, yo' might even lose de firs' fifteen or twenty dollahs. Don't worry about dat. Yo'll make dat back in de nex' two plays yo' make. Yo'll make double of dat, yo'll make triple of dat. Dat steel dust an' dem dimes an' de needle is done draw yuh money tuh yo'. See.
Entry 8090
Have taken dat [photo] an' put it intuh a trunk. Bury it bottom down, [I] mean face down, an' cut two cornahs offa it an' write de name on de face, "I want chew tuh come home, '' or 'I want chew tuh die." I write dat on de photo, "Want chew tuh lin- gah." Write dat on de face of de photo. If dat face is down in de bottom of de trunk or down undah a step or anywhere, I could git jis' so I kin git de face down at, neah of de home or in de home... [I interrupt]. (That will have to be written down. Which two corners of the photograph do you cut off? Which two corners?) Got tuh lay it face dis way, see [demonstrates].
(Which two corners do you cut off now?)
All right [demonstrates]. Cut dis one here, an' cut dis one down here. (You cut opposite corners.) [Magic of the diagonal, see many examples in Hoodoo.] Yes, sir, opposite cornahs.
Entry 8091
Ah've heard dat dey kin take yo' photograph an' cut both cornahs, yo' know, each cornah an' pass it 'way tuh a individual. Jis' lak if ah had yore photograph, if ah was in company wit choo, ah would clip de fo' cornahs tuh it an' jis' put it away in a private place, where no one would git tuh it an' see it. An' dat would always bring yo' person'ly towards me. (You cut off the four corners. And what do you do with those four corners then?) What chew do wit de fo' cornahs? Well, yo' kin jis' cast 'em aside. Dey are no good.
(You just keep the photograph.)
Jis' keep de photograph yo'self.
Entry 8097
Yo' take de pichure an' yo' plug both eyes out. Den yo' take an' yo' put two cross mark right across lak dat [demonstrates] an' den yo' carry it tuh de right- han' cornah of de house on de Do'theast side, an' carry it an' put it undahneat' of de house up on top of de sill an' turn de face down. An' dey'll perish [you] away. (Now, after you cut the eyes out of that picture, you just cross it like that [demonstrate] twice. You make diagonals across the picture in the shape of a cross like that twice. Then you bury it under - [demonstrate] here's the house and here's the northwest corner. Now, where would you bury it under the north- east corner?) Yo' jis' put it right along - now heah's [demonstrates] de no'theast cornah. Jis' put it about lak dat, up on top of de sill of de house an' turn it face down.
Entry 8121
De photograph, turd it down yo' know. Yeah, bury it on its face. See heah, cut de eyes out an' bury it on de face, an' walk on off an' don't look back.
(What will that do?)
He'll die.
(What did you say about the eyes?)
Cut de eyes out de pichure. Yo' kin jis' mark cross dem, cut de eyes out. Carry it wherever yo' Wanta carry, don't let nobody see yo' [dig a hole], covah it up lak yo' bury a grave.
Entry 8147
Cut - dey could cut it in fo' parts. Well, dey could take it an' tro' [throw] it ovahbo'd. Dey could take it an' tro' in de fiah hole or sompin lak dat, yo' undahstand, an' make dey vishes when dey doin' dat, yo' undahstand. An' jis' whut dey vishin' - an' tro' it ovah- bo'd or in de fiah or cut it in fo' parts. Well, somebody vill cut cha tuh death. If dey tro' it ovahbo'd why yo' vill go ovahbo'd an' git drownded. If dey tro' it in de fiah, vell prob'ly maybe yuh clothes may ketch afiah from yuh cigarette chew smoke or yo'll ketch afiah somehow an' git burned up. [The word photograph is not mentioned but clearly meant.] [Charleston, S. Car.,. (511), 576:4.]
Entry 8180
Yo' could take photograph an' take it an' - ah've heard yo' could take a photograph an' cut de head off of it; jes' lak ah got chure photograph or yo' got mine, an' cut de head off. An' ah head dat [cut the head off your photo] by an' by, jis' lak yo' do dat [to] dat photograph [of mine]. If somebody do dat, see, yo' run upon dat same thing. Jis' lak yo' cut mah head off mah photograph, somebody do dat same way [to yours]. Dat whut ah heard about dat.
(Who would do that to you?)
Who would do dat tuh me? Ah would git intuh trouble or git in a argument wit someone an' someone would cut me jis' lak dat photograph is cut. Somebody cut me de same way. Cut mah throat, see.
Entry 8181
If a boy wan'a girl or a girl wan'a boy, git 'is pitchure an' cut off all but de haid. An' fol' de haid up an' put it in a bottle of cologne, an' tote it in yure pocket.
Entry 8182
Well, dey kin take yure photograph. Well, dey kin cut it all out roun' but chure haid, see. An' put dat in a bottle of alkyhol [alcohol] an' let it stay fo' awhile an' burn it up. An' dat'll ruin yo'. Dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 8228
If yo' kin git aholt of someone's photograph an' yo' got it in fo' dem, why yo' take dey photograph an' yo' clip de photograph in nine diff'ren' ways.
(How do you mean, cut it nine different ways?)
Yo' cut de fo' cornahs offa it. But yo' ain't gotta cut it plumb up. When yo' cut de fo' cornahs, dat's fo' ways. Well, yo' kin take it an' cut it five mo' diff'ren' ways. Cut it all de way round, but jis' don' cut it up [photo must be left inone piece]. Den take dat pichure an' carry it to runnin' watah. Well, dey'll be harmed, gits in a car wreck or sompin. Dey goin' git out chure way.
[Stopped machine. Informant added a remark. Restart to repeat the addition.]
(They get cut up or something of that sort?)
Yes.
Entry 8235
Jis' take a woman's hair an' pichure an' cut it all up an' put it in a bot- tle tuhgethah an' take an' po' dis Heart's Own Perfume on it. She'll nevah quit 'im an' she'll always run aftah 'im.
(What do they do with that bottle then?)
Well, hide it off in de loft of de house where she be goin' undah it or sompin lakdat.
Entry 8314
Yo' kin take a person's pichure an' cut dey throat of de pichure - cut de throat. (Cut the throat?) Yassuh, an' dey say de person will git murdered 'fore dey die.
Entry 8338
Kin do in de tree. Co'se now yo' kin take if yo' kin git a tintype photograph, yo' know, whut takes only dese li'le tencent tintypes, see. An' dat will do anything. An' if yo' wanta ruin a person wit it, yo' kin go right tuh a young pine, a young tree, an' yo' kin jes' take yore knife an' yo' cut chew a deep hole in dat tree, see. An' yo' drive yo' a li'le tack. Yo' tack dat tintype pichure upside down on dat tree, yo' see. Den, if yo' wanta, yo' kin tack sompin ovah it, yo' see. An' dat tree be drawin' [growing] up. An' yo' kin mess a man up, yo' see. Yo' kin lock 'is bowels or yo' kin jes' keep 'im....
Entry 8457
Dey kin take dis pichure heah an' cut dis pichure half in two an' put it intuh a pint bottle. Don't put nuthin dere but jis' put dat pichure in dat pint bottle an' stop it up airtight. An' go tuh de rivah or any place where de watah's powahful strong an' throw it ovahbo'd. Jis' throw it ovah dere an' dey's gone, dey's gone.
Entry 8458
Yes, ah've heard 'em tell of dat. Lak if yo' got dey pitchure an' yo' wanta git rid of a man, want 'im tuh leave or somepin lak dat, yo' take dis pitchure an' yo' cut it up. Jes' take an' cut it up in fine pieces. Take an' cut it up in a jumple. Well, yo' take an' fix yo' a kinda a li'le sack, kinda lak a woman has fo' change - keeps a li'le money sack about dat long an' it got a zippah on it. Dey take dat pitchure an' dey chip it up fine an' take yo' some salt an' jes' mash it on dere. Sprinkle dat salt intuh dat pitchure. An' den take yo' some sulphuh an' put dat sulphuh intuh it. Den yo' take an' put dis zippah on dere an' tie it up good an' tight. Well, yo' leave home, ah reckin, 'bout twelve aclock, jes' long as it round midnight on a dark, cloudy night. When yo' leave dere, go right straight tuh a stream of strong runnin' watah. An' yo' take dis zippah [sack] whut dis pitchure an' stuff is in, an' yo' take yore pocket han'ke'- chef an' yo' blindfold yo'self. an' den yo' throw it right in dat stream of run- nin' watah. An' dat's de way yo' git rid of 'em.
(That's to get rid of them. That means to run them away, send them away?)
Dat's right, tuh drive 'em outa dere.
Entry 8728
[Here is an unusual use of the terrapin-turtle rite.1 He in trouble, leave-like to keep yo' from ketchin' 'im. Yo've seen dese streaked-laig terrapin?
(Yes.)
Dem ole streaked-laig one. Ketch one an' cut 'is name on de back of de shell. Drop 'im back in de watah. He's gone. (You say this fellow is a criminal and that you want him to get away free. You cut his name on this terrapin, so that they can't catch him.)
Entry 8742
If a person's in a house an' yo' want 'em tuh move or somepin like dat, yo' go in de woods an' cut a hole in a tree an' wish 'em some [bad] luck an' come back an' throw it [the sawdust or shavings from the hole] on dere house an' dey'l] move.
[Name is implied in the wish.]
(What kind of a tree do you go to?) A pine tree or oak tree or any kinda tree. (You cut a hole in that tree, you say, and what do you do then?) Yes sir, yo' wish dis person bad luck, an' come back home an' throw it under dere house.
(What do you throw on the house?)
Whatsoevah yo' cut in de tree. (You mean that sawdust and stuff from the hole. I didn't know what you were throwing under the house. You throw this stuff from the hole under the house. That's to make them have the bad luck, whatever you wish them.
Entry 8769
All yo' have to do, split dat in fo' parts.
(Split this match in four parts.)
Aftah yo' split 'em in fo' parts, yo' cut de sticks across. Dat will be eight, see. An' aftah yo' cut eight, yo' take one an' cut one in half. Dat'll be ten, see. All right, yo' cut de othah one in half. Dat will be 12 pieces. Dat's even, ain't it? See now, dose [are] twelve. All right, it will be even [number]. An' yo' take dem pieces an' yo' sew it up, yo' sew it up into a piece of cloth. Well, aftah yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth, yo' kin go to dat person house an' stick it in de block of de house [see later] fo' yo' kin bury it undah de block of de house, or yo' kin stick it in a crack [of the house] or somepin lak dat. An' yo' kin walk away. When yo' walk away from de house an' [then you] call dat person three times. See, call dem three times. De next time yo' call loud where he kin hear yo', he'll answer yo', see. Well, yo' got his voice right dere, see.
(What do you do then?)
Well, he come out dere. Yo' kin kill 'im den [not immediately but any time later], if yo' want to [because you have his voice in a bottle] or yo' kin do jes' what yo' want wit 'em [voice and bottle]. [Informant may have mentioned spirit-catching bottle earlier (for how this is done, see margin title TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f. and many places) or he assumed I knew enough about hoodoo to understand what he meant. Since you can stick it in or bury it undah, block of de house refers to the foundation sills under the house, not to the piZlars upon which the small lowland house rests aboveground.]
Entry 8825
Cut de fo' cornahs of dat lettah, see, an' put it in anothah envelope an' address it back tuh'er. See, send it tuh 'er. (Well, what will that do?) Means dat chew don't want Duthin else tuh do wit 'er no mo'.
Entry 8826
Lak if yo' write a lettah tuh someone an' dey git chure han'writin' or dey know yore han'writin', dey take dis han'writin' - take dis lettah an' cut each cornahs off it. Jes' lak yo' got a sheet of lettah an' yo' cut each cornahs off of it, an' take it an' fold it up intuh fo' parts, take an' fold it up dis Way. Den yo' take it - lak if she Wanted 'er husban' tuh come back tuh 'er. Den she take dis lettah aftah she fold it up - aftah 'er sonthly come on her - an' she take some of 'er monthly an' she take a small piece of flannel rag, an' tie it up in dat small flannel rag. Fold dat lettah, fold dat lettah fo' times, an' 'er monthlies in dis li'le flannel rag, an' den she take dat an' she weah it. Aftah she take an' fold it up, den she weahs it tuh 'er navel down heah - dis side of 'er navel.
[The navel is not meant, see later.]
(Which side?)
On 'er left side. An' den aftah she do dat, she weah it so many days. An' ah heahs women says, aftah she weahs it so many days, dey guarantee dat he will come back tuh dem, don't ca' where he's at, if he in New Yawk or anywhere. It will take effect on 'em an' dey come back. (Show me how that letter is folded with that piece of paper now? First, they tear the corners off, you say?) Dat's right, teah de cornahs. Den she take dis flannel rag an' 'er ministrate an' she put dat right in de centah of dat, an' she take it an' she fold it lak dat [demonstrates].
(She folds one corner to the opposite corner?)
Yessuh. (She folds every corner to the opposite corner, making a triangle. All right. Like making a little hat that you would wear.) Yes.
(Then she wears that right between her legs.)
Dat's it.
Entry 8827
Yes, ah've heard dat if yo' take dat han'writin' an' if yo' cut de fo cornahs - yo' takes de lettah an' yo' takes an' fold it tuhgethah an' yo' takes dose fo' cornahs an' yo' clip dose cornahs off. Yo' takes dose cornahs an' yo' puts 'em right tuhgethah an' cut 'em ag'in. Yo' have tuh cut 'em as many times as yo' got fingahs. An' evah time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de same way. An' den yo' take dis han'writin' an' yo' takes an' burns it. An' den yo' - whatsomevah, jes' lak yo' take an' hold it ovah sompin an' burn, den yo' takes de li'le ashes or dust from whatsomevah it is, an' yo' goes an' bury it. An' when yo' bury it, yo' bury it in a hole wit a cut jes' lak de lettah supposed [to] be cut. Yo' turn dese points jes' lak yo' have turnt dese points on de lettah. An' den dey say dat dat will make yo' so nervous, when yo' git ready tuh write ag'in, yo' couldn't write atall, couldn't write a scratch.
(In other words, the hole is in sort of the shape of a diamond?)
[A square or oblong with 4 cut off corners is scarcely the shape of a diomona!]
Yeah. (And you have to keep cutting those squares and keep putting those pieces to- gether.) Uh-huh, until yo' cut 'em ten times [for the number see comment later]. Den yo' take dose squares [triangles] an' yo' burn 'em. Den put 'em in de di'mond- square [hole] an' bury 'em.
(That makes you nervous in your hand?)
Yeah. [In this rite we are asked to accept a fantastic number of triangles. We begin with the original 4 triangles by cutting off the 4 corners of the let- ter. These we must cut 10 times, quite an exercise in geometric progression: (lst cut) 4 triangles, (2nd cut) 8, continuing the doubling with 32,64,128, 256,512, 1024, and 2048! Adding these 10 cuttings of triangles we have 4092 of them! And don't forget: each time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de Same Way!!! Had my informant said 3 cuttings,4,8,16, he would have remained within the realm of possibility; but not 10 cuttings! The ashes from these tri- angles are buried in the diamond-square hole, a hole shaped like the former old- fashioned coffin, the head part with cut-off corners. In the present rite the cut-off corners are also given to the bottom of the coffin symbol. Here again I think informant is mistaken. The coffin symbol should be the shape of the orig- inal envelope.]
Entry 8852
Dey kin take yore handwritin' an' mess yo' up a great deal. An' maybe kin take yore handwritin' an' by takin' a glass an' holdin' ovah yore handwritin' like dat an' read yore writin' through a glass. An' aftah yo' read yore writin' through de glass - read down from about de second line - den cut de second line in a "v" shape an' throw it in de fire at sundown, an' dey say dat will give yo' a nervous feelin' in yore hand. (Like you would hold a mirror over this writing and you read that writing in the mirror. Read down to the second line. And then how do you cut that?)
[See my comment on word mirror at end of rite.]
Dat's right, cut it in a "v" shape.
(How do you mean cut it in a "v" shape?)
Jes' take a scissors. (Here's the letter now. [I hand my Numbers Book to informant.] Here, what would you do with that?) In a "v" shape...
(How do you mean you cut that in a "v" shape?)
Now, jes' lak dat's a line an' dat's a line an' dat's a line [informant is pointing to lines in Numbers Book]. Read tuh de third line an' den take a scis- sors an' cut a "v" shape in dat. (You cut a "v" out of it, make a hole like a "v". That's the little piece you throw into the fire?) Yes. [My word mirror in paragraph 2 was badly chosen, magnifying glass in the pre- ceding rite would have been much better; but best of all, the meaning here is surely an ordinary drinking glass. Few persons receiving letters and intending evil work with them had a magnifying glass handy. Quite different are these two glasses. Look through a magnifying glass and you see the real world enlarged; look through a cheap drinking glass, probably an ex-jelly glass in informant's case, and you behold a distorted world, the confused and unreal world of hoo- dooism. Understand, look through the mouth of the drinking glass and out through the bottom; use it as a magnifying glass. After three consecutive lines of the letter are read, a solid "v" shape is cut with two strokes of the scissors from the second line and dropped into a fire. This 'V' shape can be made on either edge or side of the page. Though informant says nothing, I suspect he did not touch the "v" with his hand, but clipped and carried it to the fire with the scissors. His own fingerprint Would not be burned. WHAT DOES OUR "v" SIGNIFY? First, since this trick produces a nervous feeling in yore hand, our 'v"', despite its solidity, symbolizes the Roman numeral V, the Arabic numeral 5, the 5 fingers of the hand. Second, our solid "v" is a triangle, showing that this rite works In the 3 Highest Names. True, the triangle should be equilaterial for the Trin- ity, but do not expect such theological accuracy of hoodoo. Three, our "v" as- sures Victory or success for the rite.]
Entry 9107
Now, here's another way. If yo' goin' to de judge - sup- posin' yo' goin' down dere to Judge Landix, why yo' just take Judge Landix' name. Take parch- ment papah an' cut out just de sole of yore shoes, stick in your - sew it to de heel of yore shoe. An' yo' take his name an' write 'is name down nine times. He's a nine-months child, see.
(He is a nine-month child?)
Yeah, his mother carried him nine months. Yo' take yore name an' yo' write hit down dere nine times, over his. Yo'll say, "Judge, ah want yo', In de Name of de Father an' de Son an' de Holy Spirit, to have mercy on me today an' let me go. An' dat same thing, whensomevah dey call yo' up befo' de judge - yo'll have a lawyer dere to do yore talkin'. De judge goin' to ask yo' a few question an' de lawyer goin' to take part. Yo' just keep a-sayin' dat inwardly. De policeman get up an' make 'is testimony.'Don' yo' come back here no mo'." Ah say, "Thanks." Dat's fo' dat. Now, yo' use nine drops of Van-van fo' dat.
(How do you put that on?)
Yo' put dat right on - right in dat parchment papah an' den put it in yore shoe an' walk on dat, dat right shoe.
(Is Van-van an old oil?)
An ole oil, but yo' must know when yo' gettin' Van-van. Ah was kiddin' a boy here month befo' last, ah say, "Now, look, ah'm not in de business but, " ah said, "dis is fo' a personal friend of mine, an' she done gone down here [to where Van- Van is sold] an' got some [Van-van] perfume down [there]. Ah don' want dis othah stuff [she got]. Give me de othah stuff." Van-van [of good quality] is kind of
[hard to get]. [For Van-van, see p.662 and elsewhere.]
Entry 9587
[My informant gives the complete rite first and then much later during the interview adds a note about it.l And then they say you kin take and put salt and pepper in your shoe, if you wmta git a fellow. You know, take salt and pepper and put it in and wear it in ygmr shoes.
(In both shoes?)
Yes, in both shoes - yes.
(That's to get him?)
You know, they have a little saying about: If you want a fellow, I'll tell you what to do Just get some salt and pepper And wear it in your shoe Just red pepper, you know. Not black pepper, but red pepper you know.
(That's a little song, you say?)
Yes, but you wanta get a box of salt that ain't even been used out of, you see. Go to the store and buy you a brand-new box of salt. Then you wanta get you a strand of [red] pepper: [pep- per pods] where's never any been used off it. See, if there's any been used off it, it's not any good. See, get you a strand of pepper where there's none ever ben used off it. And then you get a pod - you get you three pods of pepper in your shoe. And you cut one up in one shoe and you cut the other up. You cut half a one [pod] in this one [shoe] and half in the other [shoe]. And each time you cut the pepper you sprinkle some of that salt, you see, and make your wish.
(In doing that you use three pods of pepper?)
Yes, you use three pods.
(You put half in one shoe and half in the other?)
Half in one and half in the other.
(And you cut the second pepper in half?)
Yeah, you... (I [you] cut the first pepper in half, then you put some salt on top of that in the shoe and make your wish?) And make your wish. (Then you take another pepper and cut it in half and put it in the shoe, and then put salt and make the wish, that way?) Yes, three times.
(I see.)
That makes just three times cuttin' [3 peppers or cut] and you make your wish co see him. And then you wait three days to see him. An' he doesn't do like you want him to do in those three days, why you do that again, you see. But you use tree pods of pepper then. Well, probably see, he might come but not up to like yoa'd like for him to come. Well, you'd use three more, see. That makes nine pods, see, and then that makes nine days. See, everything works at nine days. And you know, they say for the right conjuration and for it to do right like you wmt it to do, you wants to work it on the last quarter of the moon, when it's dark nights, and then you see the results on the growing of the new moon. You see, as the new moon grows, why he'll come to you. [This is often called a put- ting-together rite. In the following subsection see onion cut into 4 parts, No.9596.]
Entry 9674
When yo' peel onions in yore home, yo' supposed tuh put sugah an' salt - sugah an' salt on it [the peelings] an' put it on de stove an' burn it. Dat's keepin' down de fuss [in the house]. An' if yo' havin' fuss dere, put salt on de onion an' burn it up, but yo' don't 'sposed tuh leave cut onion in yore house no kinda way.
(After you put salt on that onion, what do you do with that onion then?)
Put it on de stove an' let it burn up. Dat keepin' down fusses in de house.
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 9907
Dey say yo' kin take a red ants bed an' cut a frog up an' let de red ants eat up dat frog - eat all of 'em [pieces]. An' den yo' could take cer- tain bones from 'im, lak a laig bone, lak dat an' carry it fo' luck. Dey say dat's very successful fo' a luck charm.
(Luck in anything?)
Yes sir, luck in anything.
Entry 9946
Dat's tuh bring a man back home. Well, dey takes 'im an cuts 'im half in two - dat's de tadfrog - cuts 'im half in two an' buries 'im around de house. Dat is supposed cab bring de man back home. Jes' one toadfrog.
Entry 9966
Ah hear'd dat if - jis' lak if a man wants tuh be a swift gamblah, an' he wanted tuh be lucky in 'is gamblin', dat he'd ketch a toadfrog an' he'd cut 'is hin' guartah off - 'is left [hind] quartah - an' put it in 'is pocket. De longah yo' tote dis heah hin' quartah, dey say yo'd be lucky in gamblin'. An' den if yo' evah lose yore luck, why yo'd lose yore love. [The preceding folk- lore or hoodoo penalty was and still is new to me, uhich may be the reason why I failed to ask an obvious question. What do you Dean by love? Would you lose your lover or sexual potency? Could these final words be a proverbial saying?]
Entry 10222
De coconuts, dey got some of 'em two an' three holes [eyes] in 'em. Yo' take yore knife an' cut dat top [round black spot or eye] outa dat hole befo' yo', git to dat watah [or milk inside coconut]. Yo' take dat top [eye] yo' cut outa dere, an' let dat dry. Den yo' take dat an' yo' dry it." Yo' dry it. Aftah yo' dry it yo' burn it into a coal [by burning] an' yo' ground [grind] it up. Den yo' take de hair, yo' shave all de hair off dat coconut, an mix dat [hair and eye powder] together. An' yo' kin take dat in yore pocket an' if yo' got a woman, well when yo' use dat wit her, she cain't have nobody. Yo' take dat [coconut] hair an' yo' rub it in yore han' an' yo' rub it on her, an' she cain't have nobody. [She is impotent for all men by you.] If anybody [any man approach] her dey heart gonna fall.
(You just have this hair. All you use is this hair from the coconut?)
De hair an' de top [ground-up eye] of it. Yo' know whut ah'm talkin' 'bout, whut chew cut out, de hole where de [coconut] milk is gotta come outa dere. Well ah use dat wit de hair together. See, ah take dat an' when dat gits dry, well ah'll parch dat all up together wit de hair an' makes a ashes out of it. Dat de same as a powder.
Entry 10557
Well, yo' ketch a leather-wing bat an' he be live, an' yo' kill him an' yo' cut dat heart out of him while he's live. An' yo' carry dat 'round in yore pocket an' dat brings forth plenty good luck. (Luck in gambling.)
Entry 10568
Yo' could take a leather- wing bat an' gut him alive, an' take his heart an' sew it up in a piece of red flannen, an' it vill make yo' successful in games of all kinds. Jes' while he 'live, cut him open 'live an' take his heart while it's bleedin', an' tie it up in a piece of - put it in a piece of red flannel an' it will make yo' successful in games.
Entry 10602
Now a fellah tell me fo' a fact dat chew kin ketch a bat an' yo' kin carry dat round wit chew jes' like: yo' would take dem wings off him an' don't have nuthin but de bat, jes' de little ole skin. Ain't nuthin but skin nohow. Take de little ole bat, de little haid, an' put him in a papah sack or a cloth. Tie it up - sew it up jes' lak yo Would sew up a little bow, an' carry it out in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go an' do most anything yo' want. Ah don't know whether dat's true or not.
(You take just the wings off the bat though?)
Take de wings off.
(And just tie up the body?)
Tie up de body.
Entry 10603
Well, now heah de othah day a friend of mine wus tellin' me. He axe me did ah know where he could - firs' he axe me could ah lend him fo' dollahs. Ah tole him, no, ah didn't 'zactly have de money. He says, "Well, ah know a fel- lah," said, "he claims he kin gi' [give] yo' a han' fo' gam- blin'." Ah wus on de steamship workin' den, see, an' ah met dis fellah on de street an' he jes' stop me. An' he jes' stop me - yo' know, stop me an' jes' spoke. So he axed me did ah gamble. Told him shure, sometime ah gamble. "Well, " he says, "yo' evah have any luck?" "Shure ah has luck?" sometimes, sometimes ah don't." He says. "Well. vo' wanta have luck all de time?" Ah tole him, "Yeah, ef ah'd like tuh win all de time." He said, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do." Says, "Yo' go tuh work an' ketch yo' one dese little bats. Dese little black bats, " yo' know, "an' cut his wings off." Say, "Den - an' don't lose any of his blood - ketch all de blood yo' kin, an' split him open. An' jes' split him open an' take his entrails out, but try tuh keep all de blood dat chew kin." Say, "An' after yo' split him open, let him dry wit de blood in 'im." Say, "An' den fill dat back up with cheese." Fill dat bat, chew know inside of him up wit cheese. "Sew hit up," say, "an' jes' keep it in yore pocket where yo' keep yore money at all de time." Says, "Yo'll have luck all de time."
(In gambling?)
In gambling. So ah thought ah might as well try dat. Ah wus on de steamship fo' foah yeahs.
Entry 10641
Red antses - jes' lak if, yo' know, yo' wit 'em an' yo' wanta git rid of dose people, jest anybody. If yo' don't wanta put 'em on de go [become a wanderer] yo' jest git - dey [ants] bores a hole in de ground. An' yo' jest stay right dere an' git jest a weed [or] sompin - not a stick - weed of any kind an' yo' jest continue tuh stir when dey come out dat hole, jest lak dat. An' de person dat chew don't want, yo' jest call dere name as yo' stir. Well, when yo' quit stirring, now when dey come out, if dey comes out an' go dis way or dat way - or dat way, dey ain't comin' back dere any mo'...dey goin' make [a new nest] 'long as dey kin git tuh de church or some place lak dat...but dey goin' tuh leave dat place. See, when dem [ants and] things come out dat hole like dat, see dose people is going.
(Those people whose names you called, that will drive them away.)
Dat's one de easiest way dey'll go den.
(These are big red ants.)
It's a big red ant, it a cow ant.
(Oh! Cow ant. A cow ant?)
Yeah, it made like a cow. When yo' cut his head off de other part will go right on, yo' see, dis part go an' dat part go. Well, yo' take dat an' yo sew it up.
(Sew up what? Sew up the head?)
Dat's right, dat other part will keep agoing.
(And what do you do with that head then?)
Yo' call dat person name an' watch it. See how long he be dere.
(You take this head from it [ant] while you call this person's name.)
You have tuh sew it up an' put it in yore left pocket. (And that person whose name you called will be going the same way that ant's body is going?) Jest lak he's going.
(This is the cow ant? Why do you call them the cow ant?)
Dey made lak a cow. Dey got laigs lak a cow, got a haid lak a cow. Look lak his eyes big as a big head. [Two parts of cow ant working in opposite directions is no more wonderful than the doctor who could see a tombstone rock in section HEADBOARD OF GRAVE ANSWERS DOCTOR GLOVER BY ROCKING, p.2258f., v.3.]
Entry 10719
An old note of ine in red ink reads: Good ills- tration of "intention"[[pover of what you intend to doll & my difficulty trying to have informant say without putting my words into his outh.] Yo' could take a bird - yo' know birds mating, yo' know birds, an' take too of 'em whut mates an' take an' cut one of 'em's throat an' let de blood run in de nmnin' watah, an' loose de othah one. De othah one, dat will svell up an' die. Dat jest de way de man do, whensomevah yo' have an enemy dat gives yo' any- thing lak dat. Dey'll swell up an' die. (Well, how do you know that anyone will die? Do you have to do something else with that?) He jest take sick. Yo' put dat blood in dat runnin' watah. Ketch 'em both, but when yo' git 'em to de watah, cut one of 'em's throat an' let de blood run in de watah, an' loose de othah one. An' de one whut's a bad enemy against yo'; dey'll take sick - go to swelling up. (Well, how do you connect these birds with the enemy? Don't you have to con- nect them in some way?) Well, yo' kin jest tell de enemy, yo' know, he take sick. Yo' know who is by his taking sick. He takes sick den an' he keeps alingering an' he swell up an' die.
(When you are doing this, you have to have the enemy in mind.)
De enemy in mind, whosomevah is a enemy against me. Yo' may not know jest who it is, but yo' know yo's [you hasl a mortal enemy about. Yo' know lak dat. Yo' have it in yore mind lak dat.
(You take any kind of birds that are mates.)
Dat are mates.
Entry 10839
About de vulture - de buzzards. Ah heard dat chew could git de redhead buzzard an' cut his head off, an' boil it an' git his brains, an' put it in a cup or in anything, jest confine it an' dig to de clay [dig through the top soil] an' bury it. Said dat would give you luck.
(Where do you bury that?)
On de no'th side of de house.
(Do they have any buzzards around here?)
Dey had red [head] buzzards heah, yes sir.
Entry 10892
Well, the first thing that happened, this girl, other girl, was going with the woman's husband; and she [other girl] wanted the woman's husband for herself, and the woman wanted the husband at home. And she [other girl] told me that she was going to make them [husband and wife] get along bad. So she put some dog hair and some cat hair dat - you know, caught 'em fighting and cut the hair out of the dog and the cat, and put this hair together and put it in there, in his coat lining. And she say, whenever he go home that would cause he and his wife to get along bad, and they'd set up argue, fuss all the dune. Quite natural nobody wants to stay with anybody like that. After which, ohen they separated - the man and wife - den she wanted him back.
(The wife wanted him back?)
The wife wanted him back. And to get him back, she decided to get to him and soft talk, you know, love and talk to get him back home to have intercourse with hin, and then she was going to take part of his and keep it at home. She say she tie it in a rag and put a silver dime in the corner of the rag, and she stick it under her bed mattress, and that would make him to come back to where be left froa.
(Well, then, did he come back?)
Yes, he came back.
(Oh, he came back all right.)
Entry 10935
Okey. You kin take a catfish - a fresh catfish - and if someone done did you somepin and you wanta make 'em leave town, you take their name and write it down. And take that catfish and cut him open and sew their name up in that catfish. And go to the river and throw it overboard. And he going to, to drift away from town i that person, after you get their name. He going. He don't leave with somebody, he going leave.
Entry 10936
Write de name nine times on a piece of parchment [paper] and you take it to de water and throw it in de water. And den you take a live catfish and take his tail and cut de tail [cut piece of fin off]. And write de nane of dis Person and put it on - cut de tail of de fish and put de paper in de catfish sooth, but it must be done when de fish live. And de tail of de fish and de name dat is wrote on dis piece of parchment nine times and take it to de swift running water and throw it away and dey will leave. (I didn't understand how you do that. You put this in a live catfish?) Yes, get de fish live and you cut de tail off. To cut off piece of tail fin keeps fish from steering itself; in like manner victim wanders about aimlessly.] Den you write de name nine times of de person which you wanta leave - on parch- ment [paper] nine times. Put it in de mouth and take it to de deep water and throw it away, and don't look at it [turn your back]. Let de fish go. And you'll visualize it. Den you'll jest see 'em going.
(What about the tail of the fish?)
Put dat down in de mouth, too.
Entry 10945
If yo' wanta make a person move, yo' go to de cedar tree an' yo' git de bough, a part of de cedar limb dat turn toward de sundown. An' yo' kin git [make] three pegs [from the branch] an' yo' take dese three pegs an' yo' put 'em to de front do' of a person dat chew want moved, an' dey won't stay dere. Dey'll move.
(What do you do with those three pegs?)
Yo' drive it [them] down to de step, front step if yo' can.
(What do you do with that cedar branch?)
Dat branch, dat's from de top of de tree, dat toward de sundown.
(Well, where do you get these pegs?)
Yo' git de peg from de branch.
(You take the branch off the tree then you make three pegs from the branch?)
Dat's it.
Entry 11177
Yo' git devil's-shoe- string an' yo' cut it in three lengths in long strings. Yo' cut three pieces of it in three [long] lengths an' yo' git dat shoestring an' yo' go round a man's job an' chew dat shoestring an' spit all round, an' yo' could go to his steering wheel an' yo' spit some of de juice on yore han' an' wipe it on de steerin' wheel.
(The steering wheel of the boss' automobile.)
Entry 11264
[As I said in No.7228, p.3216, v.4, "I met a galaxy of doctors in Charleston, S. Car., before I had sufficient experience to handle them. Two years later I would have been better prepared." This man has also appeared in the preceding text as follows: No.1221, P.434; No.1417, P.464; No.1638, p.507; and No.2209, p.629. Here follow other parts of the interview:] Dey take de watah yo' take a bath in, tuh do anythin' tuh harm yuh. Dat's only de occasion of if a man wanta woman, don't want nobody else tuh be wid'er. (How would you do that?) Well, dey take de [bath] water and put it in a bottle, nine needles, and de sill of yo' doorway - cut a piece of [a splinter from] de sill of yo' doorway, [dat] piece of stick dere [points to the saddle], de sill of yo' door - and dey put dat in de bottle. And you call her names and [informant shakes imaginary bottle].
(While you shake it up.)
While you shake it up. And den maybe she wanta go. Yo' turn 'em [bottle] back [to you] and she come dere - towards yo' place [demonstrates].
(You turn the head of the bottle back to you and she will come back?)
Dat's right. If he know de person and he steal it - if de person [from whom it was stolen] know him, know his [thief'sl name - if he haven't git rid of it, you kin make dis person, dis other person, and he will give it up, because he figured on it and he'd be in trouble. And in doing dat you'd have to have de root chew call Indian Conker [Conquerer].
(Indian Conquerer? What do you do with that root then?)
You take dat root, de Indian Conker and Devil's shoestring and put it toget- her [in a bag with string?] and tote it in yore pocket, and she [bag] spin around jest like a top and tell yo' who in dis section, who got it.
(You spin this around?)
You spins it around and until you asks it any question you wanta, according to how you feel it. [Here we have ubiquitus Jack - an individual, companion, fetish - who answers questions by swinging out the answers. Our great example of this device I have mentioned several times, the Jack-ball (ball hanging from a string) of informant No.1534, the doctor I interviewed in Memphis, who gave us that great page 1254 in volume 2.1
(Then after you have found out who has it, then what do you do?)
You go to the person and he'll give it up. [Yes, at the time of this interview, the average thief would restore the article if a doctor was working on the case.]
(That's when you found out who stole it?)
Yes.
(Where did you learn? Who taught you how to cure? From whom did you learn?)
My grandma Was a West Indies.
(Oh, your grandmother was a West Indian. I see. What part did she come from?)
Kingston, Jamaica.
(Where did she live when she came to this country?)
Why she came down here in slavery time....she died 1909 - see - in dis part of de country - to Meggetts [Meggett], South Carolina, Posting Line [postal ad- dress].
(Where did she live during her life in South Carolina?)
Over to....[?] South Carolina.
(What was her name?)
Flora Linton, Milton....
[I must have turned off machine accidentally.]
(Flora Milton. And she could heal people. She knew all this work. And you learned from your grandmother?)
(And she came over here in slavery time.)
Slavery time.
(Did you ever hear of Doctor Buzzard?)
I have known Doctor Buzzard.
(Was he good?)
Aw, his method all right. Some things was all right and some was not. Any man is good to kilt. Any man kin take a shotgun and write a man name and blow his brains out twelve clock at any time.
(How did he do that?)
With powder!
(And he boosted that kind of work?)
That's his daily occupation.
(I see. How long has he been dead?)
It's round about seven - eight years. A root doctor meet a root doctor dey kin tell one anothah. Why? Because de' use a stick dey calls de gum-bush sticks.
(What?)
Sweet gum.
(They call it gum?)
Gum-bush stick and that come to crossing their mind. You don't tote dat stick, but you cut dat off when yo' first start out and bury it in de ground. Hell, dey may have it buried in New York and may not go dere no more through life, and if I'd meet chew and you do mine [my line], well I kin tell if you outen my line [of work]. I kin tell.
(Well, how can you tell, then?)
By de spirit, using different points.
(You wouldn't question me or anything? You just let the spirit tell?)
That's right. See, I'd git mad wit chew; jest like two dog would meet one another an' git mad. Know then you was out of my line. You ain't not in my line. But I'm better 'em you but you ain't got to won yo' point. Yo' can't hurt me, but I kin hurt chew, but then I don't want you to be long wit me be- cause the other fella think I'm doing the same work you doing. That's how we tell one another. (You bury this stick when you first begin your work before you take your first case up?) That's right. (And always leave it buried the rest of your life, you never go back there again.) No mo'.
(Who cuts this stick?)
You cut it yo'self.
(And you bury it yourself?)
That's right. Cut it with your left hand? (You cut it with your left hand. And where do you bury it? How do you bury it?) At sundown.
(What do you mean by that?)
Jest like you stick a stick in de ground when de sun go down. See, it be dat tall [demonstrates] maybe dat tall, and you beat it down dere until you git it down to the ground. (And then you beat it down to the ground in the sunset - sundown - all the way into the ground, and then what do you do?) Well, then you jest throw a penny in the hole and yo' tole 'em what chew wanta do....whether you want to be de master king or such and such a thing, or you wanta be de master king of....of all roots, and don't want chures root to sour on hand - that's why yo' bury yo' stick. See, if yo' medicine sour and a person bring it back to you next Monday, "This medicine ain't no good - it sour." And you take it back and cure it again. Give dem the same medicine back and ther carry it back there. (You never go back to that stick again, and you drive down all the way into the ground.) That's right.
(Do you do anything before you leave this stick?)
No, jest pay it and then go on about chure business. [No other person men- tioned such a gum stick.]
Entry 11291
[In addition to the following material, there are other dog rites scattered throughout HOODOO, especially in that long group of cats-and-dogs together, 49 rites: No.10881, P.4087 to No.10930, p.4096, v.5.] Git chew a stick, cut off de length of dog; nose, tail an' all - de measure of his body. Dis little bunch [of hair] de end of his tail, cut dis end of hair, tail [hair] off altogether an' take it an' bury it undah de do'steps. An' dey say yo' take de dog an' lead him outa town, give him 'way tuh somebody or tie him off [away somewhere]. Dem peoples will leave [town].
(That will make that person leave - out of town.)
(If I wanted you to leave town, I would get a stick. Any kind of a stick?)
A hickory stick, a green one. (A green hickory stick and I would measure that dog - any dog, no matter who it belonged to. I would measure this dog from the tip of it's nose, down to the tip of it's tail, and would cut the stick off just that length. I would cut off the hairs of the tail. Then I would take this dog out of town and tie it some place. Then I would bury this stick and this hair under your doorstep, and that Would make you leave town?) Yessuh.
Entry 11295
Ef yo' want a person to act like a dog, cut off de end of a she dog and let it dry up and ground it into powder...
(The end of what?)
Oh her, herself, de she dog...
(Her private, cut off the end?)
Cut off a end of it an' put it up an' let it dry...
(A piece of flesh?)
Yassuh and let it dry, an' when it dry jes' sprinkle it all over 'em an' yo' have de nature of a dog... (You have the nature of a dog! How do you mean that?) Of a whelp dog - yo' howl - yo' have nature jes' lak a whelp dog.
(Makes you howl - they rub that over you some way?)
Yassuh, have to rub it ovah yo'.
Entry 11297
If someone done any harm to yo', yo' ketch yo' a dog - not chure dog, neither yore cat - an' yo' take dis dog an' shave de hair from right underneath his tail, right dead up close to his tail as pos- sible. Shave it off an' take dat an' take an aig, an' break dis aig an' take de yellah out of it an' leave de white, an' den yo' put dis hair in dat shell. Den yo' set it in de stove wit a little sulphur in it an' parch it. Jes' set it in dere lak yo' bake a apple an' set it in dere till it's parched till it crumble down de center. Don't yo' have to mash it - jes' crumble down in de pan. Den yo' take it out an' bury it at de front step. Dis individual who have done somepin to yo' will come back - come back to yo' an' beg yore pardon - either [or] he will go so far away till yo'll nevah have no contact wit him any mo'. Dat's whut dat'111 do. (That is all you have to do - use that dog hair and that eggshell and the sulphur?) An' de sulphur.
Entry 11323
Ah heard dat yo' could go tuh a dogwood tree an' cut de no'th side of it, an' de s'uth side of it; see, if somebody comin' tuh yore house dat chew want tuh stay 'way from dere. If yo' cut dat tree tuh de no'th side an' de s'uth side, dwy would sta y'way. Ah've heard dat. (How do you mean cut it?) Jes' cut it wit a knife, split it up. Stick it down an' split it up. Yo' know, jes' be cuttin' it, de bark off upon each side of de tree. [Wilson, N. Car.,. (1479), 2658:15.]
Entry 11624
Jis' like if yo' - like if you are separated from your wife and the man is always getting in trouble about it, you catches a live fish and you write his name on it. And cut that fish open while him alive and sew him up with that name in it, and throw it in the pond where you catch him from. The more the fish go, the more they going.
(What do you do that for, now? If I'm separated from my wife and she's what?)
And uh - you and your wife - this man is always keeping your wife on distur- ban', in confusion all the time, and always with him. Write his name and catch that live fish and cut him open and sew him back up with that name inside of him and turn him loose.
(This other man - that will send the other man far away from your wife?)
Yes, it will run him away.
(When the other man's running after your wife.)
Entry 11625
Just like if [you wants to make drift].
(Make them drift, you said?)
Yes, anybody you wants to make drift. Well, you catches a live fish, or any kind of fresh fish, and you take that fish and you split that fish half in two. Then you take a ink [pen], pin but let it be red ink. You write that name down in that fish and you take that fish.... (Wait! What do you write it on? On a piece of paper or on the flesh?) On the flesh of the fish. (All right.) Then you take that fish and throw that fish back. You use the three words: Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and throw it in any running water. They'll be driftin, couldn't stay nowhere. Everywhere they go they're not satisfied.
Entry 11626
Like if I want a person to go on a drift and don't stay anywheres they go. Well, I ketch me a fresh fish and I cut him open. And after I cut him open, I take the full name and I write it upon this Venrick parchment and I puts it in that fish [a parchment-like paper made by or called Venrick (this may not be the exact name) and sold by a hoodoo shop]. And after I put it in this fish, I get some moving oil and I drap three drops on there. [And I goes to the river afterward.] And I sew the fish back up - put cayenne pepper in it and I sews it back up. And I goes to any - where it's a running stream, you see, and I throws it out in there and I speaks, I say, "As this fish go, I want you to do the same."
Entry 11627
Well, you can take a fish and make a person drift from one place to another, never will stay nowhere or know where they going. You take this fish and you cut him open, and you takes their name and you put it up in there, and you pours moving oil and cayenne pepper and vinegar in there, and sews this fish back up. And you go to any running stream of water and you throws it in there, and you use the three god- heads, which I mean are: 'God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: I wish as this fish float, I want you to drift the same way."
Entry 11713
Well, it's a root whut chew call de Georgia [George?] crooked root. It grows an' it has a red flowers. Now, yo' kin take dat root an' yo' kin bring love in yore home. Yo' take dat root an' yo' dig de root up. Put it up an' let it dry. An' aftah dis root is dried, yo' cut two 'nitials in dis root. De root grows about dat big. Lak if yo' cut L. A. or whoevah name it is. An' yo' wanta be successful in yore home an' yo' want peace dere, yo' cuts two 'nitials in dat root. Yo' bury dat root up undah de do'steps an' dat will bring plenty peace in de home.
(What do you call the name of that root?)
George Crooked root.
(Where does that grow? Around here?)
Ah nevah see any in dis state but dere's plenty of it in Georgia. [Is this the Georgia bark tree, Pinekneya pubens?]
Entry 12135
Jis' like you'd cut out a heart [from a piece of paper]...jis' like you say you gon'a...you draw a mark heah [demonstrates] - all right - comparin' to a heart [draw shape of heart on a piece of paper]. You kin take them [9] pins an' stick it [them] in that [paper] heart. You kin do jis' what choo wan' 'em to do after you stick dem pins in there. You use so many needles. You got to use needles - real sharp needles.
(How many pins do you stick in that heart?)
You kin take 9 pins an' put in there [demonstrates].
(In the center of the heart.)
You put 8 needles.
(Around the edge of the heart.)
You don't put it even, you understand. It's got to be odd [demonstrates].
(The heads and points of the pins and needles are alternated.)
An' you take that an' put it in your pillah. You kin use any kind of body [person] you want; you kin use 'em to your understandin'. [For alternate needles and pins, see Nos.9836-9837, 9844, 9849 & 9850, v.5.]
Entry 12156
But on de othah hand, yo' take dat hickory tree as yo' calls it - not no fig tree, yo' take dat hickory. Yo' go in de woods an' see yo' kin find a hickory tree of twelve months growth - a young hickory tree. It must be a young one, an' yo' find lotta of dem is down dere wit forked limbs, too. Yo' find one wit de forked limb of twelve months young growth, if yo' kin gits it, an' yo' takes dat dere hickory tree, dat forked one." Yo' kin take it, understan', an' work any kind of a little conjurin' things with it, an' set pegs to people's house.
(What do they do with that hickory tree?)
That hickory tree, yo' jes' cut off that forked limb. Yo' jes' take yore knife an' cut it off up there. Cut it off 'bout lak dat [demonstrates], de forked limb, cuts off 'bout lak dat yo' see. Well, now yo' take dat dere fo'k an' yo' wanta go keep yore ole lady from runnin' round.
(You take this hickory limb and you do what with it? You....?)
Yo' cut it off an' yo' take yore knife an' cut lil' notches 'long dere lak dat, yo' know, an' yo' name dem notches whatevah yo' wanta call it or whatevah yo' want done to it. Whatevah yo' want. Yo' want, 'Well, ah want this much done." Yo' say, "Look heah, ah'm cuttin' yo' an' dat's whut ah want chew tuh git me. Ah want chew tuh he'p me git her loose" [from the man she's running around with]. An' yo' cut de next notch an' say, "Look heah, ah tell yo' whut ah want chew tuh do." talkin' to it right dere. "Ah want [chew] tuh go tuh de bank an' borrah me a hundred dollahs, without no' - don' sign no papahs up fo' it, ah mean tuh pay 'em back by an' by." Well, yo' kin take dat thing, dat dere with de three notches in it, an' yo' go to de [some shopping place]. [I] says, yo' go to a big grocery sto' an' keep dat thing in yore pocket.
Entry 12246
You git you a assafidadee [asafetida] see, an' beat it up fine, an' put some turpentine in it, some Hearts Cologne. And git chew a piece of John de Conkah root, and cut dat up fine and sew it up tight, and wear it right around yo' neck, an' leave it lay right on yo' chest, and nothin' kin nevah harm yo', if somebody goin' poison you.
(Nothing will ever harm you, I see.)
Even if somebody give you [him] sompin to eat, it couldn't go into his stomach. His stomach like a stone.
Entry 12303
Ah'll take an' go tuh Krese [Kresge] an' git me a brand-new knife.
(You told her?)
Yes, an' git me a lemon an' cut de lemon up in fine pieces, jes' as many tuh eat. Start off walkin', git off, an' don't pay no attention an' chunk dem lemon seed in behin' 'em. Take dat brand-new knife an bury it under her front do'step: "De Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, ah hope ah nevah see yo' any mo'." (She wanted to get rid of him and she came and asked you how to do it?) Yes.
(She hid that under her own step?)
Yes.
Entry 12407
If yo' take mat- ches an' take an' cut de haids of 'em off, an' put 'em in your husban's clothes, say dat will make him love yo'. Jes' cut de haids of de matches off an' 'solve [dissolve] 'em yo' see, an' take de watah off of dem an' cook his food with it. That will make him love yo'.
(Well, how do you mean make him love you?)
Jes' take, lak if he didn't ca' fo' terbacca [tobacco] wus runnin' roun' an' wouldn't stay home, den yo' could take dose matches an' take de sulphur out of 'em an' make him stay home.
Entry 12417
Perhaps yo' wanted a man. Yo' jes' met him an' yo' fell in love wit him, yo' like him; he had a good job or somepin othah. He appealed to yo'. Yo'd go home. An' perhaps yo'd pass somewheres roun' an' yo'd git in talk wit him, an' yo'd git his name. Yo' kin take 9 matches an' name 'em him. An' then yo'd cut chew 9 little strips of papah about lak [size of] yore finger, an' yo'd write his name on either one of dose strips - nine of 'em. An' then every evenin' jes' befo' de sun go down yo' make yore wishes. Stan' in de middle of yore flo' [you stand in the center of the room which makes this one of the many quincunx rites] an' take these nine matches an' strike 'em. Jes' be shore yo' make one stroke with each [match] an' light his name an' burn hit, aftah yo' make yore wishes. All right. Well, yo' save that little end perhaps, whut burn down. Yo' save that. Well, yo' conceal it. Den de next evenin' befo' de sun go down yo' git anothah strip with his name an' one of dese nine matches, an' yo' burn until those nine matches an' those nine names yo' know, his name is burn up. An' it won't be but two days befo' he will come to yore home.
Entry 12457
If he gives you [woman] bill [paper money for sexual services], fold [paper money] to you, then fold it again. Clip off ends of the 4 corners, tie in handkerchief, wear so that you can use it without his knowing it, and he'll always give you something [for love services]. [Here is another one of the unusual folding rites in HOODOO, this one by an excellent professional hoodoo worker in Memphis.]
Entry 12504
Ah used tuh run a gamblin' joint, but ah'm not now. Well, ah went ovah by Harsville an' dis [hoodoo] person tole me if ah wanta do it, dat all ah had tuh do - he gimme two pieces of brown stuff. Ah don't know whut it wus, an'[he] say, yo' start, [he] say, yo' rub em [2 brown pieces] in yore han's befo' yo' put chure han's on any cards. Den put 'em [brown pieces] back in yore hip pocket. Put 'em in yore hip pocket an' nevah think of 'em again [that game].
(What did they look like? Were they stones or roots or what?)
Ah tell yo' whut it wus. Whut [do] dey call dis stuff heah whut dey put in food? Ah call it in a minute if yo' give me time.
(Cinnamon? Raisins? Nutmeg?)
Nutmeg! Dat's whut it wus.
(He gave you two?)
He gimme one - he didn't gimme one. He cut it. It wus cut. He cut it up an' gimme two of 'em. It wus a whole one. Well, yo' know how large a whole one is, but he cut it. When he cut it - seemed lak it wus 'bout dat big. Dese three pieces of it - jes' 'bout dat large. An' ah took it an' ah used it. (It was a whole nutmeg cut in two. That is all you had to do with that nut- meg?) Dat's right. Dat's all, jes' rub it. He tole me tuh do it. Well, ah tried it.
(It didn't work?)
It did work twice.
Entry 12548
(For a man to hold a woman.)
You take 9 of her fingernails and 9 of her toenails, and then get a red onion, and get 9 strands of hair out de mole [mold] of her head. And take that onion, red onion, and cut it open and dig a little hole in it. And then take them 9 toenails and 9 fingernails, and that 9 strands of hair out of her head, and place together and put it in there, and stop that onion up. And go round the house towards where the sun rise, and dug [dig] a little hole, and put it [in] there and then cover it up. [Copied from my rough original pen- cil transcription made soon after recording; original copy attached.]
Entry 12715
If yo' in a place an' sellin' whiskey - listen good den - yo' git a rabbit foot, yo' understand. An' when yo' git dat rabbit foot - understan' ah don' care if he jes' now got shot. Now, ah'm goin' jes' tell yo'. Yo' have de rabbit live. Ketch him in a box, a trap box [figure 4 trap?]. Yo' don't have tuh set it. If yo' git dat rabbit an' yo' git de left foot. Ah don' mean de right foot - mean de left foot, back foot. All right, yo' git dat rabbit, yo' understan', an' yo' go dere tuh de drugsto' lak ah tell yo' an' git yo' some Heart's Cologne - cost ten cents a bottle [during Great Depression] - jes' a bottle about dis big [demonstrates tiny bottle]. It smell lak a perfume. All right, yo' take dat rabbit's foot an' soak it in it all dat day - yo' under- stan', yo' soak it all dat day. De next day, don' care whut man yo' know, law or no law, yo' go on, go out there, say, "Ah think ah'll open up a likkah joint" - jes' lak dat yo' undahstan'. "Yo' know ah'm de law."
Entry 12716
Well, you ketch you a live rabbit and cut his left-hind foot off before you kill 'em, and take it and put it in a bag. Get you brick [make it into] dust - make dust out of it, and take the hairpins of whatever vosl en you want this to be, just take the hairpins she been using in her haid and put it in that and tie it up, and tote it in your left pocket. And as long as you do she can't leave you, she be right there all the time.
(I see, that's to hold a woman.)
Yes.
Entry 12721
An' anothah thing, yo' ketch a rabbit an' yo' cut his foot off, his left foot, an' turn him loose an' let him go. An' git chew a piece of devil's- shoestrings an' a piece of five-finger root. An' yo' put them three things tol gethah. An' yo' jes' take it an' wrap dat devil's-shoestrings round dat rabbit foot, an' yo' sew it up in a piece of red cloth, an' yo' make a sack out of it, bag-like, an' yo' feed hit on Hearts Col Ogne. An' dat's anothah thing fo' a job - good luck. Long as yo' tote dat yo'll git a job anywhere.
(You get the left foot. Which one? He had two left feet.)
De left front feet.
Entry 12723
Then yo' take - now if yo' a gamblin' man, yo' kin take a rabbit an' ketch him. Take his left front feet an' cut it off right in de knee joint dere, an' git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne am' put on it. Keep it up tlll it git dry, yo' take it an' put it right in yore fob pocket up heah on yore pants, an' go to a gae an' rub it in yore han' lak dat [demonstrates]. Rub it in dere. Go in dere am' vin whut chew wanta win. Dat de way ah did.
Entry 12742
Dey kin take yore shoes dat chew wear every day, if dey kin git holt of it an' if dey kin git a rattlesnake. Git de haid. Git him mad an' git dat rattlesnake haid an' dry it. Let it come so yol kin jes' compound it up. Understand, compound it up good an' put it in somewhere - inside de linin' of his shoe. It got linin' in dere, an' it surely runs yo' off. Or yo' kin put it in de band of yore hat. Either one. Den yo' can't see. It will blind yo', cause yo' know yo' sheds yore skin, an' yo' kin git blind from it. Jes' as shure as....
Entry 12759
Yo' see lak yo' wanta break up a man an' his wife, why yo' kin git some of dis red shank root. Ah don't [use] it but ah'd know de bush, but ah know what root it is. See. Yo' git dat red shank an' dey tell me, if yo' cut it up fine... Yo' git up every morning befo' day an' jes' go up an' slip [stealthily leave] some of it on de porch. Long as yo' do dat, dey never git 'long and so finally jest have to [leave each other]. [Red shank root appears in several other rites but I am unable to identify the plant. It may be several different plants in different parts of the country.]
Entry 12929
An' some say yo' git dis heah Be Shame Root, Be Shame Brier an' git hit an' cut it up an' put it in dere an' put dis heah Hearts Cologne wit it.
(What do you put that root in?)
In a cloth an' sew it up an' wear it. Say dat will make yo' be lucky in any- thing yo' put chure han' tuh do. [Root became a normal hand for any kind of luck.]
Entry 13064
Well, dey kin put walkin' spells on you with your shoes.
(How do they do that?)
Dey take jes' one of your shoes an' go get dem a snail, an' den get some of your ole clothes or somepin you wear. And take and cut it up - take some scis- sors and cut it up fine. Take dat snail and get some of dat snail slime off of dat snail. Put dat in de bottom of your shoe and you'll leave dere walkin'.
(What do they do with those clothes they cut up? What do they do with that?)
Dat clothes what dey cut up. Well, you see, dat's jes' somepin to help dat snail slime, make you leave dere.
(Well, do they put that cut-up stuff in that shoe or what?)
Yas suh, dey sprinkle it in dere, jes' cut it up fine.
Entry 13313
Git choo some chewin' tobaccah an' jis' break off fo' corners of dat 'baccah an' chew it - dem fo' corners yo' chew it. Then put de otber piece In your pocket, an' go down there wheresomever you Suppose to git a job an' he'll purtty near give yo' one. [Years ago the old plug tobacco Was cut into oblong pieces as purchased. This is an unusual four corner rite, my only example of it.]