Subject:Door
More specific topics
Entries
Entry 2862
People have used wide-headed tacks. People have taken tacks - like you would take and nail 'em down, or like you hang up wall paper. Some people, you know, tack paper up. They'd take nine tacks and driven 'em down in their floor right under their mat right at the entrance of the door - where you come in the door.
(Under the mat?)
Yeah, under the mat. They's taken nine tacks and driven them down there and give 'em a person name. If a person was - that they didn't like or disliked or something or didn't want around that house, they'd take them nine tacks and drive down under there with that person name under that, burn a candle over that nine days, and they won't have no trouble with that person in their house.
(Well, what kind of a candle would they burn over that?)
Burn a blue candle or a white candle. Either one can be used.
Entry 3166
Well, she has a intahco'se wit 'im, an' git dat - de undahpiece whut dey done use. See, prob'ly dey done use dat. Take it an' dey use dat if dey done has intahco'se. Take dat an' put it up dere [points to over the door]. Dey [men] kin come in an' out an' dey kin start tuh have intahco'se, dey cain't do nuthin. (Put it up over the door?) Where dey come in an' out. An' dey'll [it'll] fall evah time dey start in. Dey won' have any luck.
(Who puts it over the door?)
De woman.
(What would she do that for?)
He may be goin' off wit othah women an' she don't want 'im tuh go off, keep 'im from doin' dat.
Entry 3254
Dey tell me if yo' git chew a new piece of homespun an' use fo' him tuh wipe wit, aftah dem be togethah. Take dat piece of homespun an' roll it up tight, an' take it an' put it up ovah de do' or in some dark place, somepin othah. Dat'll bring 'im in - make him come back. He can't have nobody but chew. Say he would come back if he's in New Orleans den.
Entry 3354
Dey'll take when a man have connection wit 'er. She'll take a dishrag. Quite natural he'll come back if she ain't a lady, so to state. Yo' know he'll come back, an' she'll ketch dat in dat dishrag, an' she put it up ovah de do. Ah wuz livin' in Richmond, Va., an' dat wuz where ah heard dat one. Well, ah got up dere - ah wuz stayin' wit mah auntie. Well, ah couldn't have nuthin tuh do wit a girl tuh save mah live. Well, ah tole mah auntie about it an' she said, "Somepin or othah fixed yo'." An' ah said, "Dere's a woman at Clinton [N. Car.] kin tell me." Well, ah come all de way from Richmond, Va., back tuh Clinton - about 30 an' some miles - an' a man [doctor] workin', tole me, said, "Yo' go back to yore bro- thah's house," said, "don't chew walk in," said, "yo' go tuh de front do' an' feel up ovah dat do' an' yo'll find a dishrag."
Entry 3358
Yo' know, jes' lak if a woman got a hus- ban' an' he runnin' aroun' an' won't stay at home. She can't keep 'im home, worried wit 'im all de time. Jes' lak when dey have intahco'se yo' know togethah, she take an' use de dishrag instead of a towel, or sompin. She use dat an' take it an' bury it undah de step aftah she use it, an' den dat holds 'im home.
intercourse as the stated context preceding dishrag use. No specific sexual act beyond the source term, bodily-fluid identity or personally performed event is inferred. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified. The source says to use the dishrag instead of a towel. Towel is a rejected alternative; the subsequent use and burial refer to the dishrag. The comparison continues across the two linked pages.
Read full source (printed page 2396) · Read full source (printed page 2397)
Entry 3378
Take a string an' measure 'im when, yo' know, de full length. She'll measure 'im wit dat string, wit 'er undahskirt string. If she have a undahskirt on, she'll have a string on dat. She'll take dat undahskirt string an' she'll measure his length. She take it an' tie it in a hard knot to dat same length. Tie it right in a hard knot an' tie it to her waist, an' at night she take dat string an' break it off. She go to her table an' she git a dishrag, an' she take dat dishrag an' wipe it down by dat string. Pull de string through dat dishrag three times an' roll de string up an' throw it behind de door - or hang it up ovah de door. Throw it behin' dere an' dat will tie him up. He nevah kin have any truckin'. (Now she takes this string from her underclothes and she gets his measure. Then she ties one knot in it. And what piece does she bring out of that, then?) De same end - jes' see [demonstrates] lak he's [his] length heah, she tie it right dere. She tie de knot in dat string to jes' de length of 'i. Yes, she break dat off.
(It's his length then that she pulls through the dishrag?)
Pull through de dishrag.
Entry 3390
He kin take de dishrag whut she nuse [use], an' if he's smart enough tuh git 'er monthlies cloth an' put it [both see later] ovah de do' - ovah 'er back do' - an' evah time she go out dat do' will bring 'is nature back tuh 'im. Aftah nine mawnin's he count tuh 26 - fo' nine mawnin's - soon as he git outa bed 'fore he speak tuh anybody. Fo' nine mawnin's he'll count tuh 26, an' aftah dem nine mawnin's, he take dis back down, an' throw it ovah 'is left shouldah an' walk away an' don't look back, an' IT WILL RESTORE HIS BACK TUH 'IM, an' she can't do anythin' tuh it no mo' - no mo'.
(What does he put over the door, now?)
De dishrag, yeah, dat she use in de kitchen, an' 'er monthlies cloth, tied togethah. Put it ovah.
(The door as [where] she walks out?)
Where she gotta go out dat do'.
Entry 3391
Whut could yo' do wit a greasy dishrag. Well, if yo' got a man an' yo' don't want 'im tuh care fo' anybody else, yo' kin take a greasy dishrag an' let 'im drink off an' yo' don't. Take dat greasy dishrag an' wipe him fo' nine times wit it an' den fold it in nine different Ways tuh yo', fold it all de time tuh yo'. Den yo' put it up ovah anywhere dat he's gotta walk in an' out undah. Dat'l keep 'im from goin' wit othah women.
Entry 3393
Well, ah tell yo', it's very simple - it's nuthin very much to do. If yore husban' - if a woman's husban' have anothah woman an' she kin jis' fix 'i, he can't bothah no woman but 'er, cuz a ole lady tole me dat years ago when ah were quite young. An' she said, "Any time yo' wants yore husban' tuh stop goin' wit othah women an' stay home more, '' she say, "yo' take yore dishrag." Yo' know yore dishrag'll git right greasy, if yo' don't change 'em offten. An' she said, "Yo' take yore dishrag." She said, "Don't wash it, leave it git right greasy - whut yo' wash dishes wit." An' she say, "Any time he have - always carry dis dishrag to bed." She said, "Don't leave it in yore kitchen any more, " she said, "but yo' carry it to bed an keep it by yore bed where he won't see it." An' she say, "An' when he have a connection wit yo', " she say, "yo' always use it yoreself an' bring [wipe] it to yo'. Yo' dry 'im yoreself. An', " she say, "when yo' dry 'im, bring it to yo
(Oh! bring it out to you?)
Uh-hmm, bring it to yo' dat way. "An', ' she sayed, '"den if yo' have a towel or somepin, give it to 'im an' let 'im take to 'imself, " she said, "but yo' always do dat [wiping] first." An' she sayed, "He can't bothah no othah woman but choo." Well, I know dat by experience becuz when I married my second husban' he wuz awfully - yo' know, he wuz much older dan me an' he quite natchly he had othah womens befo' he evah met me. But he got where it seemed dat he got so careless, he wouldn't stay home like he ought to, an' ah loved 'im dearly. An' he would go away an' stay an' stay. An' one night ah wuz cryin' an' all dis come to me, as dis ole lady tole me dat, when ah had my first husban' an' ah wuz in my teens. An' ah did dat thing. An' so finally, he [second husband] wuz named John Jen- kins. An' finally John commen' [commense] tuh stayin' home. Sometimes ah said, "Why don't yo' go on out" - jis' tryin' 'im, yo' know. Ah say, "Yo' don't nevah stay home, " ah said, "Ah'm surprised at yo' bein' home." He said, "Well, ah don't care to go out any more much an' ah thought ah'd try to: stay here at home." He say, "Ah want to stay here an' watch yo'." Ah said, "Well, stay here an' watch me den." We jis' pass it off dat way. An' finally one night he tole me, he say, "Ulah." I say, "Huh?" He say, "Yo' always aftah me 'bout othah wimmins." He say, "Yo' all ought not to bothah me 'bout othah wimmins." He say, "Ah used to would run aroun' bad, ' he said, "but ah tell yo', '' he says, "here of late, " he says, "ah got where, "' he say, "ah want to tell yo' de truth." He say, "Ah've tried, '' he said, "but ah can't bothah no woman in de world but yo'.' He say, "Ah have tried - all my old friends ah used to be roun' wit, ah can't do anythin' to dem.' He say, "But when ah git to yo', " he said, "ah'm all right." Ah said, "Well, maybe dat's de way God intends it." An' ah know fer myself an' ah'll nevah forgit dat. Co'se ah ain't got no husban', no friends, nuthin now, but ah won't forgit dat.
(What did you do with the dishrag then?)
Take de dishrag aftah yo' use it wit 'im fer nine times an' bury it undah de do'step.
(And after that, then he's no good?)
Ain't no good. He's no good. [Why? See informant's remarkable story about his biting her, 888, p.319.]
Entry 3411
An' a woman take a man, if he mess wit anothah woman, an' she take a dishrag tuh wipe him wit it. If she want it tuh last always, take an' soak it in sugah, den wipe him wit it. Den yo' put it in a quart jar an' throw it in runnin' watah. Well, it jes' work fo' about thirty days. Jes' take de dishrag an' put it in a bottle up ovah 'is haid, yo' know, where no one won't git to it. It lasts thirty days.
(Where do they usually put it over his head?)
Jes' lak yo'd go out dis do' an' lak yo' comin' in from work, yo' come in dat do' - go back an' come in dat do'. He cain't mess wit no othah woman. Ah know dat's tuh be true. (You put that over the door, but if you soak that dishrag in sugar before you use it on him, then throw this into running water it will last all the time.) Yes. [Fayetteville, N. Car. (1504), 2571:11.]
Entry 3481
Takes yo' a piece of string an' measure de root from de end up to yore stomach, an' take it an' tie it aroun' a li'le bottle an' set it up ovah yo' do. An' hit'll - a man can't have no othah woman but 'is ole lady.
(The woman would do this?)
Yes sir.
Entry 3483
If he an' 'er could have dealings, den she would take a rag an' she would let 'im wipe wit it mostly. Den she take an' tie it up, or seal it in some kin'a sealed bag, an' put it up ovah de do' dat goes into her room so he kin walk undah it, walk in undah it, an' den dat would fix 'im where he couldn't do nuthin wit nobody but 'er. When he go to go wit othah women, why it would fall.
Entry 3503
Gittin' a woman down - ah mean down in mah part of de country, down dis side [southeastern Atlantic coast] down heah, ah'm goin' tell yo' whut dey does. See, go to yo'self an' want action an' all, don't tell 'em 'bout no othah man atall. Jes' look 'em in de eyes an' tell 'em, an' ah tell yo', if she'd make a date wit chew, yo' take a bran'-new pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' use dat fo' de rag. De man will carry de han'- ke'ch'ef off, he carry de han'ke'- ch'ef off 'er an' tie it roun' in a knot, turn it in a knot an' put it up ovah de do', anywhere ovah de do'. Or tie it in a green tree. Dat be all de got'a do. Be wit nobody but chew. De man do dat, yes sir.
(Over the door or where?)
Ovah de do' or tie it on a green tree. If yo' git to a little green tree dat's slindah enough in de woods, kin draw it roun' dere, draw it in tight dis way. Git a new pocket han'ke'ch'ef, one ain't not been used.
Entry 3751
Ah've been did lak dat. Yo' kin take a man an' he kin have intahco'se wit a woman, say at night, an' prob'ly yo's a man dat look aftah deyself [your- self] [but] don't pay attention to yoreself lak yo' should all arnun' peoples yo' undahstan'. Yo' kin have intahco'se wit a woman but dey not bad. Well, now, prob'ly she might have a wet towel layin' up dere, see. Well, yo' prob'ly done seen it. Well, she wipe yo' off. An' yo' figure she'd use dat towel. Well, she got a dishrag, undahstan'. Well, now she take dat dishrag an' wipe off yore privates an' jes' fold it - wrap it up in a piece of papah or sompin lak dat an' put it up Ovah de do'. An' jes' AS LONG AS IT STAY DERE AN' YO' DON'T WAKE UP TO DE INSIDE DOPE, well, yo' can't have no othah woman but 'er. Well now, yo' kin take dat - jes' yo' yoreself, not de woman dat did it - yo' kin take dat rag down. An' den fo' nine mawnin's wash dat rag in sweet milk, an when yo' wash de rag in sweet milk, bath [not bathe] yo'self in it, yore privates, an' throw it sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. (You wash this rag in sweet milk, and then you take this sweet milk and bathe yourself.) An' bath yore privates wit it, an' when yo' git through why jes' put de rag right back up, an' throw it sunrise.
(Throw the milk to the sunrise.)
Fo' nine mawnin's.
(What will that do?)
Takes it off. It go away den.
Entry 3854
If yore man is well 'way from yo' an' yo' want 'im tuh come home an' yo've evah had anythin' tuh do wit 'im an' yo've nevah washed up de cloth, take it an' wash it an' git de small amount of watah, jis' enough fo' tuh dampen de cloth an' let it soak an' git it out of it. Take it an' put it in a bottle an' put chew jis' about a tea- spoonful of sugah in it. Den yo' set it up ovah de do' where he came in at. Do dat in de evenin' time an' de nex' mawnin' yo' grab de bottle an' call 'is name three times. Shake it up. In 24 hours he'll be at chore residence, if he's anywheres lak he kin git dere. If he don't come in 24 hours, he'll be close enough tuh drop yo' a card an' let chew know he's comin'. [This rite should have gone under IMPoTENCE, following No.3259.]
Entry 3870
Ah know it tuh be a fac', if a girl break up - lak if yo' didn't love 'er so good, yo' know, an' if she be sick or sompin othah lak dat. Well, dere's one thin' dat she kin [do], if she's sick, to he'p'er- self. If she kin git yo' tuh eat anythin', or drink watah, den she take a little of 'er sickness, in 'bout a teaspoonfulla watah, an' a li'le bit of red shank, an' boil it intuh de watah. She kin po' dis stuff, jes' 'bout a halfa teaspoonfulla in some watah an' gi' yo' [give you]. Why yo's a fool about 'er, see.
(You put a piece of red shank root into that water?)
Dat right. An' if yo' wanta, dere's a way dat yo' find out dat she did do yo' dat way. Yo' goes in de woods an' gits yo' de devil's shoestring. Den yo' comes back wit dat an' yo' boil it an' take yo' a piece of mullein. Dem [mullein plant] a flat weed sompin lak 'bacca [tobacco], lak a head of 'bacca, yo' know, but it be's somewhut flattah yo' know - it don't be high, yo' know. An' yo' take dat an' yo' take nine strands of dat mullein root an' ball [boil] it, an' two leaves. De way yo' gotta do, yo' git some whiskey an' put on it, on dat, an' git chew a piece of camphor an' put it on it. Well, yo' tote dat in yore pocket fo' 'bout two or three days an' pass 'er do', an' she'll tell yo' she got de headache one day when yo' pass dere. Inside of eight days she'll tell yo' she got de head- ache. Well, yo' jes' say to her, says, "Well, dat's mighty bad but ah got some camphor heah." Well, yo' go ahead by dere an' let 'er rub 'er haid wit it. Yo got 'er an' it's offa yo' den. Well, she git tuh lovin' yo' den. Maybe, if yo' wanta love 'er an' want 'er tuh love yo' - well, it jes' quite natural if a man love a woman, he want 'er tuh love him yo' know.
Entry 3900
If a man got a woman an' he wanta keep her down, ah heard dat he'd take a piece of 'er ministration rag, an' de hair from underneat' 'er ahm [arm], an' a dirty sock, an' a piece outa huh haid, an' sew it up in a bag an' nail it 'cross de do', an' she could nevah go 'way.
(Could never leave.)
Entry 3929
Tell yo' whut dey did to me. See, yore shirttail - de man jes' take de scissors an' clip jes' about dat much off de end of de shirttail. (The front or back?) Cut off de front of de shirttail whut hang by his private. Den she tooks it an' she wrahps [wraps] it up in one of 'er periods rag, yo' undahstan', an' she fix it ovah de do', an' yo' be home.
(That's to keep the man home?)
Dat's right.
Entry 3987
Den if a person wan'a hurt yuh, do anythin' tuh yuh, dey take some salt an' wah [wear] in de bottom of yuh shoe, an' take yuh night-watah an' sprinkle 'um tuh yuh do' [door] an' [tuh] yuh face.
Entry 4043
If yo' wanta make a person move, yo' takes some chamber lye an' yo' leave it set. Yo' know whut ah mean, jis' leave it git lak it git ole. Yo' git chew some red peppah, [i.e.] cayenne peppah, some black peppah an' some salt, see. An' evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise, yo' go in front of dat person do' an' yo' throw dat disaway an' den yo' come back an' yo' throw it disaway - in a cross. Well, dat intahvidin' [inviting] tuh make a person move.
Entry 4045
[Rites at the door are important and many in folklore and hoodoo, the door being one of the great magic places where both good and evil are encounter- ed. Most of these rites will be found elsewhere. Here I mention door separately to establish its importance.] All right yo' take de chamber in de mawnin'. Have de person sleep in de room ovahnight. Jes' befo' dey git up, slip in de room an' take de chambah out, an' put [pour] it undah de do'- step, undah yore do'step or his'n, eithah one, an' let 'im walk ovah it. Den yo' have 'im trapped [cannot leave you].
Entry 4055
Ah have took dere chamber lye, yuh know, mine an' her'n togethah an put it in a bottle, an' place it up ovah yore head - do'. An' den she will mos'ly [mostly] always be at home, yuh know, when yuh come in. An' den she would har'ly have any dealin's wit any- body cuz long as dat up ovah de do', yuh know, her mind on yuh.
Entry 4057
Jes' lak yo' stays heah an' yo' wanta make somebody stay at home, yo' jes' git chew a [Lowe's] piece 'bout dat long, an' jes' keep it wet in dat cham- ber lye an' lay it up ovah de do'. He ain't goin' nowhere. (What kind of a piece? Is that a piece of cloth? Or what is it?) Yes, dat's a piece of cloth, yessuh. [My transcriber called this a Louis piece. It is Lowe's cloth from which sacking is or was made. Either I have this name some- where else in the text or my note on this present transcription sheet was made while I still remembered the meaning.]
Entry 4172
An' den too, jis' lak if yuh want chure - if yuh husban' is runnin' aroun' an' yuh want 'im tuh stay at home, why yuh take an' yuh use one pot an' he use anothah, an' yuh put two table- spoons consitrated [concentrated] lye an' fo' tablespoons of sugah in dat urinate. Yuh see yuh use one pot an' he use anothah. See, yuh both don' use de same pot. An' yuh begin at de front do' an' mop evah mawnin' from de front do' tuh de back do' an' throw it directly ovah yore shouldah an' not look back ovah yuh left shoulder - not look back. An' he'll git to de place whare he'll jis' hang aroun' home.
Entry 4174
An' jis' lak if yuh want tuh git chure man back, jis' lak if yuh want tuh make 'em come home, if yuh kin git a chance tuh, git 'is chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle, an' don' have no watah in dere, no spit or nuthin. Take dis chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle an put chew a teaspoonful of sugah in dere, an' take an' stop dat up in dat bottle. Put it somewheres where it cain't be in- tahfered wit, an' turn dat bottle down lak dat [demonstrates] an' let it stay dere. An' he will come back. If yuh wanta keep 'im wit yuh, yuh git some of 'is chamber lye ag'in - dere two or three diff'ren' ways dat chew kin do it. Go tuh a cow, if she's a cow dat has a young calf, a black cow an' she's got a calf. Git chew aroun' two teaspoonful of dat milk an' po' it intuh dat bottle. An' yuh kin keep 'im jis' as fast, jis' as yuh do de sugah an' dat chamber lye tuhgethah. Put all of it tuhgethah. Set it aside or put it in de trunk or put it up ovah yuh do'. It's all right. Dat will draw 'im home an' make him stay dere. He cain't go nowhere.
(You don't do that if he's away some place?)
[No.] Jis' [to] keep 'im. All yuh gotta do is tuh keep 'll.
Entry 4210
An' de same if yuh owe a debt. If ah owe a debt, prob'ly mahself wit a man, a furniture man, an' ah have no money fo' 'im an' ah don't want 'im tuh come dere, well ah usely [usual- ly] see 'em take de stuff yuh call chamber lye an' like dat. Well, yuh hold dat stuff so many days - think yuh sup- posed tuh hold it nine days until it git strong, an' yuh take dat out in de yard, right where yuh [rent man] got'a come along, an' put nine [spoonfuls?] of de Red Devil Lye in it at de same time an' use dis red cayenne pepper. Well, yuh take an' throw dat right down in front of yuh door, but yuh not supposed tuh put it out in de day - supposed tuh be put in de mawnin'. Say, if yuh put it out in de mawnin', supposed tuh be dere befo' six a'clock. An' den yuh sprinkle dis stuff all aroun' in front dere, at yuh gate, whatevah is dere. If de law or anythin' come dere, why sometime dey may stop an' look but dey keep on by. De same way it is wit de rent man or somepin. Thin's is pretty tough [during the Great De- pression] an' he knows how it's tough or sompin like dat. Well, when he come dere, yuh don't come. Sometime he pass on by. He won't stop.
Entry 4234
Git chew a half gallon jar or sompin lak dat an' yuh half full it wit chamber lye; yuh know, where yuh urinate. An' den yuh kin go tuh de sto' if yuh ain't already got a sto' an' git some rock salt or git chew a big ball [block] of salt [from salt blocks made for cattle licking] an' beat off some an' put about two han'fuls or three, an' put it in dat [screw-top] jar, in dat chamber lye an' keep it shut. A quart, not ovah a quart.
(What do you do with that now?)
Dat whut chew do, jis' sprinkle it on yuh steps or on yuh po'ch. It will make peace aroun' yuh home, if anybody 'sturbin' yuh. Yo'll git peace. [Wilson, N. Car. (1496), 2665:4.]
Entry 4245
Yuh kin use garlic an' [or] yuh kin use onions an' yuh kin use yuh slop jar watah.
(How do you use garlic for example to keep the law away?)
Take a package of garlic, a small piece of garlic an' put it up each night, a piece of it in yore slop jar an' throw de table salt, de table salt dat chew use, an' let it git on yore table. [Let it come from your table.] Yuh jis' keep it damp somewhere an' mix it an' throw it aroun' yuh do' both front an' back. An' co'se yuh have some good lodestone an' grad'ly [gradually] dey'll pass on by yuh an' yuh kin sell right on. Dat keep de officahs away. Throw it in de grass an' all lak dat aroun' yore do', but don't walk in it yuhself. [NEVER WALK OVER YOUR OWN HOODOO!] Leave it so dat people kin pass ovah it. Let it lay dere an' dey ain't goin' worry yuh.
Entry 4286
Fo' good luck yuh take dat ovahnight - lak yu'd use yuh slop jar in yuh house, well mawnin's yu'd git up 'fore de sunrise an' po' it undahneath yuh step an' roun' in de front where yuh fren's have tuh walk in an' out comin' in yore do'. An' dat's fo' good luck an' fo' peace.
Entry 4304
I know this for myself. A man was in my home town in my neighborhood and his wife she was a woman who wanted to run around and have a good time. And she didn't want him to say anything to her, so she got two pieces of his clothes and some of his water, and put in a bottle and buried that at the center of the door he would come in at. And one day he decided to move that door from where it was, and digging up the steps he found this bottle, and saved it until she came and asked her if she knew anything about the bottle. She didn't want to own [up to it]. He told her he was going to throw it away in running.water. She begged him not to do it. I don't think he ever throwed it away. He didn't let her get a hold of the bottle any more. They are getting along now very well together.
Entry 4348
Dey take yuh watah, yuh see. Dey stop it up in a bottle. An' aftah dey stop it up, dey take it an' lay it up ovah a doah, wheah [where] yuh walk undah it so many mawnin's. Ah think it's nine mawn- in's. After nine mawnin's, yuh see, yuh don't move it no mo'. It stay zackly wheah it's at. An' dey say take an' care [it] down tuh de rivah an' throw it ovahbo'd. Dat'll stop yuh from makin' watah.
Entry 4491
Dey say yuh could take de dirt an' let it get dry. (What dirt?) De dirt what's lef' aftah yuh use - when yuh drain de watah out, an' de dirt dat's lef' in de tub. An' let it get dry an' keep it fo' nine days, an' dat will make yuh husban' stay home. I don't know all dat, whut it's fo'.
Entry 4555
Ah've heard of 'em. Dey takes dat li'le bow. Well, dey takes dat li'le bow dere an' dey walks aroun' dat house. Dey goes roun' dat house nine times an' bring de bow back in de back do', an' walk through de hall tuh de front do' an' put it ovah de front do'. Conceal it from dis man.1 He nevah know where it at. An' long as it stay dere, dey got dis man.
(A woman would do that to hold a man?)
Tuh hold de man. No harm perform on it, no mo' den a deep taste fo' love.
Entry 4741
Well, yuh see, if yuh leave yore undahsuit dere an' yuh jis' pulled it off an' she have nevah washed it, well she kin take dat an' she kin take deundah- suit an' eithah do dis. She kin git de undahsuit. An' yuh see where it is sewed up in de seat, see where, right where it fits right tight on yuh. She kin take dat an' cut de seat out of it, an' hang it right up ovah de do' where yuh bin goin' in an' comin' out. An' in nine mawnin's time yuh'll be right back dere wit 'er.
Entry 4746
Jis' lak yuh has a run-about husban' an' jis' lak ah'm telled [I have told] 'im an' ah cain't stop 'im. Jis' take yore piece of 'is undahshirt, yuh know, nex' tuh 'is skin, an' git de right track an' some of 'is hair an' bury dem undah yore do'steps. An' ah guarantee he won' go wit nobody else.
(Any piece of your undershirt?)
Yes, nex' to his skin - yes, under 'is arm.
Entry 4747
Jis' lak a woman got a husban' runnin' roun', or yuh got a woman run- nin' roun' an' yuh wanta stop 'er. Yuh know wha' chew kin do wit dey socks or dey undahclothes. Yuh kin take de socks or eithah dey undahclothes wha' dey wore nex' tuh 'um an' bury dem. Put dat salt on it. Put a boil aig in it. Take a boiled aig an' put in dere an' dat salt.
(Leave the shell on or off?)
Leave de shell on - jis' a boil aig hot. Wrap it right up in dat clothes, see, an' bury it down undahneat' de front steps. MAN, DAT'S ONE OF DE WORST THINGS YUH EVAH. IT WEAKENS DOWN YUH MIND, YUH THINK YUH GOIN' DIE. Dey gits sick, jis' weaken down. Don't have no mo' strength atall. Dat's if a man is runnin' roun' an' yuh cain't stop 'em, see. An' yuh kin take it up, if yuh wanta ease de pain; but if dey start in ag'in, put it right back down an' dey git right back down ag'in. (That is if they are running around.)
Entry 4828
Aftah dey steal dis piece from yuh, yuh turn roun' an' yuh git chew, if yuh got a piece of yore own clothes - mind yuh, if yuh got one piece of yore own clothes an' dey ain't stole dem all. Dat dey lef' jis' one piece dey didn't steal dough [though]. Well yuh git dat piece or dat sock. An' yuh take it an' yuh nail it de front of yore do'. An' aftah yuh nail it in de front of dat do' yuh take three little brass tacks an' yuh put it in dere but let de toe be comin' disaway. Well, aftah yo' let...
(Toward the house or away from the house?)
No, into de house.
(I see, into the house.)
So dat'll bring 'em back. But aftah yuh put tuh de do', nail 'em three brass tacks in dere an' aftah yuh nail 'em three brass tacks, say, "I nail dese tacks In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost." An' dey bring 'em back.
(They'll bring back what they stole.)
Bring back what dey stole. Dey cain't keep 'em.
Entry 4879
Tuh keep a man home, yuh take his sock an' put it in yore room, an' yuh put sugah, an' yuh put a little cloves, an' yuh put some anvil dust. An' when- evah he happen tuh scrape his feet [rough skin on bottoms of feet caused by walking barefoot], jis' lak yuh know some people scrape dere feet, git some of dat an' jis' put it right in de do' where he walk ovah it. Jis' place it out real flat an' put it right in de place ovah [under] de rug where he walks at.
Entry 4883
When yuh meet 'im [at the door], put chure sock on, p'int 'em upside down. Stid [instead] a-puttin' de heel tuh de heel, put de heel tuh de foot [toe]. Put yore stockin's on tuh meet 'i. Meet de man whut chew want: de col- lectah, or yore rent man, anyone. Jis' meet 'em an' salute 'em. An' when dey salute 'em an' turn right from de do's - salute an' turn right on back an' go on in. Dey goin' on about dere business an' won' bothah yuh no mo'.
(You put the socks on wrongside outward?)
No, right straight. Don' turn it, jis' put de sock heel tuh de toe, an' de toe tuh de heel.
Entry 4895
Dey'd take a man's socks. Dey claim dat dat'll keep 'im from runnin' aftah othah women. Dey'll take his sock, yuh see, like dey got a rug on de flo', yuh undahstan', an' take dat sock an' take de two socks like dis heah, an' make a "v" [see later] out of 'em dis way [demonstrates]. Yuh undahstan'?
(Put one under the other?)
Yes, sir. (Like you'd make an "x".) Yeah, jis' somepin like a "x". Yuh could cross 'em like dis, yuh undahstan'. An' put 'em un- dahneath de rug right at de facin' of de do'. An' right where yuh walk ovah, yuh undahstan'. Put dat down dere an' yuh kin come in dat house - long as yuh come i: dat house an' go out, yuh ain't goin' tuh fool wit no othah woman.
Entry 4898
[Door rites, which also include doorstep rites, are almost endless. They will be found every- where, even among the preceding beliefs of this subsection on socks and stockings. Here in this margin title I have included material not readily classifiable else- where.] Yuh kin take a man's socks, if yuh wan' 'im tuh stay at home - yuh kin take his socks an' bury it undah de do'steps, an' he commence [to] care, too. Well, it have tuh be a dirty sock anyway, not a clean one.
Entry 4905
(Now, what do you do with the sock?)
Yuh take de sock an' bury de sock toe comin' tuh do', de do' dat chew wan' dat person tuh come dere an' stay dere. Why jis' bury dat sock in de groun' wit de foot tuh de do', comin' tuh de step-lak, yuh know, an' dat person will stay dere. Yuh won' have any trouble wit 'em. (Which sock do you use, both of them or just one of the socks?) Ary one of 'em will do, but de right-foot one de bes'.
Entry 4909
Git yuh a man's sock. Yuh kin take a man's sock, but it's got tuh be dirty, not clean. Yuh takes a dirty sock an' yuh take an' takes a tack, yuh see.
(A what?)
A tack.
(Like a little tack?)
Uh huh, an' yuh git at de back do', jis' like de man's comin' in de house. Well, yuh lets de foot, de toe part be comin' in de house, an' de part dat yuh put yore feet in, yuh let dat be out in de street. An' yuh tack one tack here, an' yuh tack anothah dere [demonstrates as I show later]. Well, dat brings, dat makes 'im stay home, yuh see, 'cuz dat dirty sock wit 'is sweat an' all [is] dere, an' dat makes 'im stay right at dat one spot. De onliest way he don't stay, he'll have tuh take dat up. But yuh see, by 'im not knowin' dat dat goin' tuh make him stay home, he don't nevah have no feelin' tuh go nowhere.
(I see. You put a tack at the top of that sock and a tack at the bottom.)
At de toe.
(And just where do you tack it now under the door?)
At de back step - see, at yore back do'.
(Is it under the step or what?)
Undah de step. Yuh jis' dig a little hole right up undah de step, yuh know, jis' push dat little bo'd right back where nobody can't see it. [For a good picture of back steps and their usual condition, see photograph at end of HOODOO, vol.1.]
(I see.)
An' yuh tack it right dere an' den covahs it up.
Entry 4910
Like yuh wan' tuh make a woman drag. Jis' as though like a big stout woman, yuh wan' tuh make her jis' fall away. Now, yuh takes a stockin' - yuh see dat door? At de centah of de door where yuh come in, yuh bury dat stockin' dere an' yuh walks ovah 'er - ovah dat stockin', see. An' she'll fall away an' jis' withah away fo' nuthin.
Entry 4915
An' den dey take an ole sock an' dey could put salt in it an' bury it down dere undah yore do' an' yore man'll stay right dere.
(Do you bury just one sock or both?)
Dat left sock, one sock.
Entry 4917
Take a woman's stockin' while it's dirty - not a clean one, while it's dirty. Yuh take it an' yuh ball it up an' yuh puts it right up ovah de do'. Dat [is] if she leave yuh, yuh puts it ovah de do' an' she'll come back home. Or eithah dey could cut de seat of 'er undahclothes out an' put it ovah de do' an' she'll nevah leave. An' [or] yo' could take de mole of 'er hair [head], cut de hair out an' plait it. Put it intuh a vial an' put Hearts Cologne on it - feed it. [To put Hearts Cologne on is to feed it.] Tote it in yore pocket an' she'll nevah leave yuh - she'll stay wit yuh.
Entry 4923
Yuh kin take his dirty socks an' put both of 'em tuhgethah an' fold 'em back in de do' lak yuh comin' in de do'. De do's disaway [demonstrates]. Yuh take dat foot an' fold it back, back intuh de house. Dat will keep 'i dere. If he leaves he will come back, he has tuh come back.
(Where do you put these socks then?)
Yuh put 'em undah de carpet. Yuh put 'em undah de carpet. If he leaves he'll have tuh come back.
Entry 4933
Now, if you leave your own home an' you got a par [pair] of dirty socks, but dey's got tuh be a par of yore dirty socks dat dey ain't been wash. Put [in these socks] red peppah, grave- yard dirt, an' six needles. An' yuh turn de needle points, when yuh bury it, to- wards de house, right towards yore do'. Bury it in yore yard or eithah in yore back yard, but let de points be [pointing towards] de do'. Aftah dose socks o' 'hisen is buried, yuh go out dere fuh five mawnin's, straight mawnin's, take yer dirt offa dis sock, turn yore back tuh de house [an' pick upl jis' [as] much as yuh kin throw, an throw it across yore right shouldah tuh de house. Wharevah he is, if he's way way from home, if he evah go on a train or anything, he'll come back - he'll come back home. An' he'll stay dere as long as yuh handle dose dirty socks.
predicted single absent man’s return and staying, with sock ownership unresolved. No husband inferred claimed continued residence conditional on handling the dirty socks. Keep the condition as long as yuh handle dose dirty socks; no permanent retention or observed success. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 4968
Tuh bring a man back wit de sock, yuh take a lef'-foot sock. Yuh take an' put it down, put it down undah a rug, jis' lak yuh got lino- leum. Yuh put one down - yuh put de firs' sock down comin' in [at the front door]. Yuh go tuh de reah do' an' yuh put de othah sock down goin' out - shoot it [straight] goin' out. Yuh git up [in the morning] an' yuh take yuh some chamber lye an' yuh sprinkle, jis' lift it up soon in de mawnin' an' sprinkle a little chamber lye on dere, see. Go tuh dis [other] one an sprinkle a little bit of chamber lye on it. All right, yuh say, "Now, Lord, combine me an' mah man tuhgethah wit union an' love." Say, "Leave out all stum- blin' blocks, hindahin's an' causes." An' if he as fur away as mah han' he is got'a come. He's got'a come. Yes sir, ah know he's got'a come. Don' care whut direction he is in de worl', yuh take dem socks an' put 'em down lak ah said. Put 'em on down, de firs' sock comin' in dis way, an' dis one goin' out dat way.
(What do you mean by the middle door? Do you mean the back door?)
Jis' lak dat do' right dere [points].
(That back door, away out at the end of the house?)
No, inside de house. [Informant thinks my end of the house means outside the back door. Back door is meant.] (You call that man by name when you are saying that little [I WAS GOING TO SAY INCANTATION BUT STOPPED] - theSe WOrds?) Yeah, yuh have tuh say dose words.
Entry 4980
De heel an' de toe of a man's sock an' nail it down tuh de do'. It always MAKE HIM BE A PLUMB DOPE AROUN' DE HOME. He nevah wants tuh go anywhere. An' a woman's sock is about de same thing. (If you want to do a woman the same thing, you do her that way.)
Entry 4988
Well, if yuh got a woman an' yuh wan' 'er back, an' she done lef' yuh yuh jis' take her stockin's. Yuh take her stockin' an' write her name nine times, an' yuh puts it in 'er stockin' an' bury de stockin' right by de do', see. An' when yuh walks ovah it, she'll wandah right back home, see.
(Take one stocking?)
Both of 'em. Not no new stockin' though. It's got tuh be ole stockin's she been wearin', see. New stockin's won't do no good.
(Bury them at the entrance to the door any special way or just any old way?)
Jis' bury 'em any kinda way, right in fronta de door where yuh walks ovah, yuh see.
Entry 5026
[To split is a magic rite but not a common one. Usually splitting concerns a stick or tree - which see.] Ah hear 'em say yuh kin take a sock, if it's a boy goin' wit yore daughtah or sompin lak dat an' yuh wanta break 'em up. Yuh kin take a sock. Git on de good side of 'er an' git 'er tuh git one of 'is socks, one de sock dat he's wearin'; not no clean sock whut been already washed, [but] one dat he's been wearin' an' haven't been washed since it's worn. Git one de lef'-han' sock if yuh kin git it. An' yuh take dat sock an' carry it tuh 'er den, an' den de sock yuh split it open [because you want to split up, separate boy and girl]. Yuh splits it open an' yuh gits a horseshoe. Why yuh gittin' a horseshoe, takes a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah de do'. Take de horseshoe an' take de sock, an' place it up ovah de do' where she goes in an' comes out at, an' de do' dat he comes in when he come tuh see 'er. An' place dat sock up dere an' place de horseshoe on top of it, an' nail it up dere good, so it can't be to' [tore = torn] down. An' put 'er 'nitials an' 'is 'nitials in de sock. An' dey say den dat will break dem up. (You just spread that sock behind the horseshoe - spread it [split sock] over it [horseshoe] like a piece of cloth. And you write the initials on the sock with a pencil or something. And that breaks them up?) Yessuh. [This is a new and rather unusual horseshoe rite, and it comes from a root doctor. To walk under anything of yours, here his split sock and initials, up- sets or confuses the mind. And in addition, I suspect the split sock also gives him leg or foot trouble. Her initials assist the mental disturbance.]
Entry 5032
This wuz one [once?] I wuz goin' with a woman an' I went to a special man. An' he tol' me to give him two dollahs an' tol' me to bring one of this girl's stockin's there, were she been wearin' - jis' one, either one. An' this girl had done raised de devil with me. She had nachurely [naturally] treated me in a [way] that I didn't feel like livin' any mo'. An' he say, "Yo take this stockin' an' yo' use nine tacks, and drive 'em right down into the front of the door, towards the head of the bed, an' in nine days she'll be down." An' honest to truth I fixed it jis' like a block, an' that night...
(Was this in your house you did this or in her house?)
We wuz both livin' together. She wuz jis' awful to me. Well, he tol' me how to do to tame her, to draw 'er to me. He says, "Don't tap on the tack, '' yo' see. He said, "When yo' gon'a hit it, shoot it right down. An' put 'em in rotation. An' [I] wan' the foot - the toe of this stockin' towards 'er bed." An' he says, "That'll draw 'er right down." An' it did for a fact.
Entry 5033
Yo' take dat [bath] water - jis' like if yo' had a wife an' yo' wouldn't wan' chore wife, yo' under- stand, an' she be - yo' go off, an' maybe yo' might come back. She kin put down dat sock when yo' go home. An' den [when you come home that's how] she come to git dat [bath water] - "I wan'a take a bath." She take dat water whut choo bath in an' she scrub from de front doah back [into the house]. Den she kin take dis sock of yourn from yer lef' feet, an' she kin measure [flatten out] dat sock under de doah [concealing it under the carpet or linoleum near the door], de length of de foot of dat sock. She take nine new tacks an' put down behind dat, tack it back in de house, an' he's bound to come back, he can't quit. An' she take yer dirty socks [the left one], she put it down, de toe to de doah an' dis heel right on back disaway, yo' see, comin' back.
(The toe is pointing into the house.)
Dat's right. [The informant's demonstration was correct, but her interpretation the reverse because she sat opposite me; hence my annotation.] An' she take nine tacks an' she measure it nine times, de length of de sock, an' dat bound to draw yo' home.
(How do you mean she measures it nine times?)
Jis' like if yo' git a sock, yo' put dat sock down, yo' put a tack dere [in the toe] till yo' put nine tacks - dis de length of de sock. All right. An' den she'll tack a tack at dat end [toe], an' she tack one at de heel, den she'll put dem other nine [seven] tacks between dem tacks, comin' to yo' [in a row coming into the house].
Entry 5067
Take a man's sock, if dey's got a man an' he's tryin' tuh run aftah some othah wimmin or sompin lak dat. Take a man's sock especially if de wimmins live wit 'im or anythin' lak dat. Takes an' wash dem socks out an' take dat watah where yuh wash dem socks an' put it in a quart bottle. Put dat watah in de quart bottle an' stop it up an' put it ovah de sill of de house lak dat do' dere, yo' know. Take an' open dat ceilin' dere an' put it in dere an' let it set in dere. [The ceiling near the door is opened so that the bottle can be placed on the top of the hidden door frame, here as so frequently, called the sill of the door - sill equalling ceiling of door.] Make him stay home. [Wilson, N. Car. (1496).2665:6.]
Entry 5094
Well, yuh take a ole shoe, jis' find yuh ole lef'-foot shoe, sompin lak dat, an' take an' burn it up in yore business. Burn dat shoe up in yore [place of] business - tuh [at] yore house dat day, yore business. See dey follah dat shoe. [Looks] lak de ashes of dat shoe will mo' [more] lak tuh draw 'em tuh yuh - lak it wus any kinda business. Well dey jis' come in dere. Could hardly git shet of peoples, couldn't hardly wait on 'em.
(Where do you put these ashes?)
Yuh jis' burn dem dere ashes up an' jis' sprinkle dem about ovah de flo'. An' den when yuh sweep, don't sweep it outdo's. Sweep it up behin' de do', 'cuz yo' sweep 'em away, yo' know. Sweep 'em right up behind de do'-like, yo' know, lak dat.
(And then leave it there?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5099
Well, lak yo' livin' in dis house 'sides [beside] yo' neighbah an' he's mad wit chew or somepin othah lak dat. Well, dey want chew tuh move out. Well, prob'ly yo' take an', if yo' kin git some of 'is shoes, an' take an' burn dem shoes, an' sprin- kle sulphuh on dem shoes as yo' burn 'em. An' if yo' take dis ashes aftah yo' burn de shoes - take de ashes an' prob'ly ketch dem goin' 'way from de house someplace or 'nothah lak dat. An' take dis ashes an' sprinkle it roun' both do'steps, de back do'step an' de front do'step. An' when dey goes in an' come out - when dey goes in de house an' come out, den yo' take dem ashes an' take an' bring 'em back, an' yo' burn 'em ag'in wit some sulphuh. Jis' burn 'em in dis sulphuh dis time, an' take an' sprinkle a li'le whiskey on it. Den dey leave ag'in, an' aftah dey leave ag'in, yo' take an' do de same thing, an' let it stay dere dis time. An' den when dey leave out dat time, den de nex' thing dey'll wanta do is move, becuz dat stuff whut she did will begin tuh start tuh work.
Entry 5151
Dey say, jis' like a person go off an' yuh wan' 'em back, say yuh take dey shoes an' chunk it ovah - go outdo's an' chunk it clean ovah de house. An' den take it an' bring it roun' in de house, yuh know, an' bring it in de front do'. An' dey say dey will come back.
(Do you throw both shoes over?)
Jes' de one.
(Either one?)
De right-foot shoe.
Entry 5152
Take a person's shoes an' jis' like he's gone away, or somepin othah like dat. If he's away an' yuh wan' 'im tuh come back, yuh kin take his shoe an' go at de front do' an' throw it ovah de house, yuh know, where he livin' at - clean tuh de back, clean ovah. An' yuh fo' [for] three times fo' [for] seven mawnin's, an' in dem 21 times he's sure tuh return back.
(You throw both the shoes over?)
Jis' de one shoe, de lef' shoe.
Entry 5281
Den ag'in yo' could take a shoe - jis' lak yore ole lady leave yo'. Well, if she stay away an' ah don' ca' [care] how long she stay, well yo' take her shoe. An' IT'S REALLY SIMPLE. Yo' don' have tuh do so much tuh dat but rub yore han's in it. Rub yore han' until it git hot, yore right han', an' set 'em intuh de do', tuh de front do', an' turn 'em up. See. Well, de nex' day she'll be home or else dat night. She cain't stay.
(How do you turn those shoes up?)
Yo' have tuh turn 'em up, yo' see. Aftah rubbin' yore han' well, yo' turn 'em up an' have each one of 'em on each cornah of de do', jis' lak dis do' heah [demonstrates].
(The toe is pointing out of the house like that?)
De toe in. [The toe was pointing out because I was on the opposite side of the table and demonstration.]
(Why is that?)
Well dat's fo' tuh tuh walk right on in.
Entry 5385
Jes' lak if yore wife would leave yo' or sompin othah. Yo' wanted 'er tuh come back. Yo' notice when she's leavin', don't bothah 'er atall. Don' try tuh hurt 'er or somepin othah. Jes' go an' git - watch 'er track. Git 'er right track. Pick it up an' yo' tie dat 'ere [there] dirt up in a rag, an' put it up ovah yore do' an' she'll come back.
Entry 5408
Take yore foot track - see, yore right track, take dese two fingahs right chere [demonstrates].
(Which hand?)
De right hand.
(The thumb and the forefinger.)
An: dey go down in de middle of yore tracks an' git a pinch of dat dirt three time right in de middle of yore tracks. Put it in dat cologne bottle. Put it half fulla watah an' bury it undah yore do'. Evah mawnin' yo' be tuh 'er house. (The woman does this to a man, so that he will come to her house.)
Entry 5455
Dey'll [evil doer will] go tuh de graveyard an' git some dirt an' mix it wit salt an' peppah. Git dis red pod of peppah an' grind it up, an' put it right at dere [victim's] step by de do'. Den yo' [victim] step in it. He [evil doer] takes dis up, dis footprint, an' take it back tuh de graveyard an' bury it. An' den dey claim dis person [victim].will eithah become sick or dey be driven outa town.
Entry 5473
If yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin git de track up from yo' - take it from yo'. See, if yo' want 'em tuh go [demonstrates]. (Here's the toe here and here's the heel, then I take it up right like that. Like this?) Start at de hollah of de foot an' take it from dere tuh de toe. See, dat whut ah mean. Yo' want 'em tuh go. Take it jis' dis way, see. An' yo' take dat foot track an' put chew some red peppah an' some salt in dere. Listen, some grave- yard dirt, an' sew dat up an' go tuh de rivah befo' de sunrise. Yo' kin turn yore back an' throw it right where de watah's runnin' right along, an' throw it ovah dis way [demonstrates].
(Over your right shoulder?)
Yes. An' when yo' leave, yo' kin say anythin' - some of de baddest things, an' don't look back, an' walk away an' nevah look back. Dey'll go. An' if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay, yo' take it tuh yo' - if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay. Take it up tuh yo', see. Take dat track an' yo' kin fold it in a piece of news- papah. See, stretch it on out an' write dere name down nine times, an' pin it ovah yore do' an' make yore wish - where dey's comin' in an' out. An' dey's comin' in dere. Dey will continue comin' as long as yo' - until yo' take dat up an' destroy dat. Dat's tuh bring 'em, see, if yo' wanta.
Entry 5500
She can take and get a piece of dirt from his left-foot track, and a lock of his hair, and a piece of his underwear, and nine nails, and seven grains of red pepper, and put all of that in one pack- age, wrap very careful, and take it and put it down at the sill of the door, out the door like that, and lean the package back, and he will come back home. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5521
Ah heard dat dey kin take yore track from de toe, take it right back'ards. An' take dat track an' tie so many knots in a string, an' hang it ovah de middle of yore do'. An' let it hang right in de centah, an' de man shore will stay right dere.
(Wait a minute! What do you do with that foot track then?)
Jis' hang it up dere.
(What do you put the foot track in?)
Put it in a cloth an' sew it up, an' hang it on a string right ovah de do', ovah de middle of de do', an' dey say de man always will stay dere.
Entry 5534
If a man have a woman dat's run away from home, she won' stay home an' won' be satisfied, she wanta do jis' as [she pleases] - de fellah don' wan' 'ah [her] tuh move away from dere. Take a cord string, cotton cord string, put de end of 'ah heel an' de end of 'ah toe, an' git 'ah measure- ment. An' put it roun' a nail an' drive it right ovah in front of de do'. An' den he wanta read de 90th Psalms of David.
(What will that do?)
She'll stay home.
Entry 5545
Yeah, yo' kin take up a person's foot track jis' lak yo' kin - yo' know, a person walk along, why yo' kin go dere an' take de measure. Take yo' a string an' measure dey foot, de width an' de length. Yo' kin use both if yo' wan' tuh. Dat's whut dey tell me, dat yo' kin use both of 'em wit a string. Measure de width an' de length wit dis string. An' den yo' go tuh work an' yo' bury it at dere back do'steps. Dat string jis' de length of dey foot, yo' bury it dere an' event'ly [eventually] dey'll jis' leave 'way from dere. Dey cain't rest dere.
(You make both measurements with the same string?)
Wit de same string, see; an' yo' bury dat string.
Entry 5598
Jis' sompin othah, some broad [woman] yo' wanta make. Yo' know, meet a broad an' yo' try tuh make a broad, yo' know, an' she don' pay yo' no mind. Yo' know, yo' kin - dere's a way tuh make her, see. (Well, how can you make her do it?) Well, all yo' got'a do is jes' take a li'le of 'er foot, yo' know where she step, take a li'le of de dirt in yore pam [palm] an' put it in de han'ke'chuff, fold it backward [fold it to youl, yo' know, an' put it in yore belt. But de firs', yo' got'a put it down at chure do' an' walk ovah it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' name it, see. Aftah nine mawnin's, yo' take it up an' put it in yore belt. An' de ninth mawnin' she jis' goin' tuh be dere. An' she'll be dere, too.
Entry 5599
[I evidently had asked about any rite done before sunrise.]
Dere sev'ral things yo' do 'fo' de sun rise. It be's jis' lak if ah want mah man tuh come back. Well ah would git up fo' de sun would rise an' ah would talk tuh de Lord. Ah says, "Lord, ah want mah" - jis' lak 'is name John - says, "Lord, ah want John tuh come back tuh me, send 'im back tuh me in de Name of de Lord Jesus sake." An' ah would say dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' den nine mawnin's out, well ah git 'is track - ah already did have dat. An' when ah git 'is track de las' nine mawnin' ah throw hit out de do'. He'll come on back home.[ Waycross, Ga.,
(1132), 1837:6.]
Entry 5651
Jis' lak de husban' er [or] somebody, he lvin' wit 'em an' leave 'em, an' dey wan' im tuh come back. Dey'll git de footprint, start at de haid, zhoo know, at de toe, an' pull it back tords de heel - de lef', de lef' always. An' Said [say to the dirt], "Yo' lef' me, but choo're comin' back." Yo' take dat [dirt] an' git a pair dere ole socks, if yo' have 'em, an' put it in dat [left sock] an' bur' [bury] at chore doah, an' dey'll be supposed tuh come back.
Entry 5658
(You take two pine sticks?)
Jis' two li'le pine sticks. Yo' take 'em an' let one be de man an' one be de Woman. An' yo' take 'em an' put 'em in a new piece wit some of yore track - yo' know, de dirt. Put 'em both in dere togethah an' lay it up ovah de do' an' dat'll make 'em stick togethah, stay togethah in dis house. (Do you take up the dirt from either track?) Take it from de left track, de one dat de heart's on. See, dat's in ordah to know whether yo' mean tuh do right or wrong.
Entry 5669
If anyone visit yore house an' yo' don't wan' 'em dere, when dey start to leave, da' chew [that you] would follah 'em to de do', an' as soon as yo' kin, close de do' behind 'em, den open it immediately befo' dey kin git outa sight. Jis' keep Watchin' 'em, an' take a broom an' sweep dere tracks aay from de do', right on towards de direction dey're goin'.
Entry 5676
Well, yo' take a person's foot track. Jis' lak if yo' wanta run some body 'way from town, move 'em, yo' take dere track. An' if dey goin' dataway, jis' go by an' ketch it from de toe heah, ketch it up from de toe back tuh de heel. Walk along an' don' stop an' pick up de track from de toe tuh de heel. Yo' jis' come 'long dataway an' carry it on home. An' soon as yo' git furt [far] as yore fron' do'step, yo' back back three steps from it an' throw it right ovah yore lef' shouldah. Take a li'le bit of sulphur in dis han' an' throw it ovah de right shouldah. An' yo' take de broom an' go tuh sweepin' it tuh de outside of de yard, an' dem people in less time den three days, dey goin' move 'way from dere. (The track you put it in your right hand and throw it over your left shoulder, and the sulphur you put it in your left hand and throw it over your right shoul- der.) Yo' take de track, see [demonstrates] dis is mah lef' [side]. Throw dat ovah yore lef' shouldah. An' de sulphuh yo' put it ovah yore right shouldah at de same place.
(You use the dirt from either track?)
Yo' use it from de right track.
(That is to make a person leave.)
Entry 5825
If she kin git holt of a piece of 'is hair - if he's left any of 'is bair, if it ain't but two or three strands of it in a comb, yo' take dat hair der an' put it intuh a black bottle. An' den pee on dat bottle, an' at de bottom of 'er do'step turn dat bottle - dig a hole an' turn dat bottle face foremost right down In de ground. An' if he's close enough tuh be back in three days, he'll be back In three days. Jes' dat little piece of hair.
Entry 5853
If yo' have a wife dat won't stay at home, always ready tuh run off. Well, now, if yo' kin cut de hair off a dog's tail an' git chew some hair outa her haid, an' put dat hair togethah an' wrap it up in a flannel rag, an' yo' bury dat at de do'step, an' dey all of 'em stay dere. Dey won't leave.
Entry 5858
[They take your hair] an' tie it, put it in a cloth 'bout dat long an' sew it up, an' let it hang down ovah yore do' - up dere where dey can't see it, Specially yore hair - an' yo' come dere out an' in all de time. Dat's whut ah heard. (What will that do then?) Say dat will make yo' come in - if yo' don't wanta stay, why yo' shore will come back ag'in an' stay.
Entry 5930
Yo' take a man if 'is wife quit 'im. See. He kin take piece of 'er hair, git it out de lef' side. Cut a piece off if she got long hair, cut a piece off her plait if she sleep at night - any time he kin git it. He could plant dat piece of hair, see. She ain't gwine 'way. If she in Chicago, she comin' back. Plant dat hair - plant it in 'er house or out do's. Yo' kin plant it in de house wit 'er wall - lak a mantelpiece roun' where dey put de foundation of concrete. Take yo' some cement an' take a little augah an' put dat piece of hair down an' plastah it undah dere. Dat's yore own busi- ness. An' she gonna come dere. Ah don't [care] wherevah she goes, she comin back dere. An' dey do de men in de same way, but if he leaves de house, den yo' write his name or 'er name down on a papah, an' yo' kin put it in a lamp, or put it amdah de candle. Burn it. Dat brings deyself. An' now ah don' care how much dey fussin' in a house or whut dey doin' or how mch dey cut up, take some table salt, jis' de plain table salt, an' throw it on de fiah an' burn it. Dat breaks dat - do's it right now. Ah kin throw it right at 'em - dat ceased. Dey don' have tuh go on fussin'. Dat brings back love an' hy dat hair's planted. When she goes, she comin' back dere.
Entry 5993
Weli, dey take dat an' dey have it twisted tight. (This hair?) Uh-huh, an' dey put it in a - dey put I needle through it an' dey'll put it in a little bottle wit some camphor[rated] al, an' den dey stop it down tight an' put it up ovah yore head.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's jes' to make yo' do jes' what dey want yo' to do.
(They put it over your head. How do they put it over your head?)
Jes' lak, yo' know, any place dey put it. Dey put it up ovah a sill - say, fo' instance, highah dan yo'.
(Oh, over the door or something of that sort.)
Yes, ovah de door, or de sill of de house.
[HANY INFORMANTS LOCATE A DOORSILL AT THE TOP OF THE DOOR - highah dAN yo'.]
Jacksonville. Fla., (596), 768:4+85.]
Entry 5994
Git chure hair an' put chure hair wit a needle, a steel needle. Jes' dt it from de mole of yore haid - be sure dat yo' git de hair from de mole of de haid an' wrap it wit a steel nee- dle, an' put it in a little bag an' put dat hair, an' a little peppah or somepin in it an' sew it in de bag. Dyput it up ovah de sill of a door, dat hair. Dey got chew wrapped up de way want chew, dat hair an' peppah, an' sew it in a red flannel an' dey keep it re, an' de thread, [use] red thread.
Entry 6011
They claim that peoples got it from under your doorstep with your hair mixed in with it. Well, they say that is to cross you away. Just like, you know, I was in love with a man and another woman wanted dis man. Well, if she could get some of my hairs, she'd go and get her a dozen new needles that never been used and pins. She'd stick the pins this way and stick the needles this way [cross them], and when she get ready to put it down, she'd stand it on its head on de sharp part, cuss it and tell it to go.
(Where would she put that?)
Put that at your door.
(And she uses twelve new needles and pins - six new needles and six new pins.)
Entry 6016
Yo' take a lock of yore hair, yo' git nine brass needles.
(You mean brasseye don't you?)
[They are usually called qoldeyed.]
Yes sir, an' a piece of red flannen. Yo' put dat in any kin'a little small bottle, an' yo' put dat ovah de do'. At night when he come in [for example] it jes' yo' comin' in an' ah meet chew tuh de do'. Ah be lovin' tuh yo' fo' nine mawnin's, see. Den ah won't have no mo' trouble wit chew 'bout dat. See, don't fo'git nine needles wit de outen flannens [with the flannel out- side]. [Note: Dr. Hyatt I think maybe this informant meant (outing flannel) - a term I have heard used often. Webster says (A flannelette, often with some wool). Mrs. Harry Dyel - see v.3, ILLUSTRATION 4.]
(You put that up over the door?)
Yes sir, right ovah de front do'.
Entry 6076
Ah have heard dat chew could take a person hair an' gain de influence of 'em by carryin' dere hair in yore pocket. Yo'could take dere hair an' git chew a piece of bran'-new cloth, piece of bran'-new white cloth sech as be de - yo' know, don't be flowered lak dis. Yo' know, jes' any kin'a bran'-new cloth dat don't cost but 5c a yard - plain cloth. Yo' kin take dat an' take nine stran's of a person's hair an' carry dat nine stran's of a person's hair in yore pocket nine days, an' DE NINTH MAWN- IN' yo' git up outa de bed an' yo' say de THREE GOD MANHEAD: God de Father, God de Son, God de Holy Ghost - de ninth mawnin'. An' yo' take dem nine stran's of bair an' WALK TO DE BACK DO'. Wit yure left han' throw dem nine stran's of hair away. Don't look back aftah yo' throw 'em away, jes' throw 'em anyuay. Don't look back aftah yo' throw 'em. An' de person who yo's in love wit, y jes' lak yo' throw dere hair away, dey'll come back to yo'. [Even cloth at 5c a yard vas amazing back in 1939 - see INTR0., p. XXXV for date.] An' if it's a person dat chew wanta git away from yo', de seventh day yo' cake dat hair an' walk to de front do' jes' at sunrise an' say de THREE GOD MANHRAD, an' put it right in de centah of de do'step - right in de centah of de do'step. Den take a horseshoe - YO'VE SEEN A HORSESHOE - an' lay dat horseshoe right down ovah it; jes' yo' know square each way, jes' so it'll extend each way an' it'll be level each way. Yo' take dem nine stran's of hair an' dig a little hole an' bury it. Put dat horseshoe ovah it. Take yo' nine pins an' drive down in dere. Jes' try tuh drive 'em on top of de head of each othah it'll be bettah. An dat'll drive 'em away from yo', so yo' won't have any trouble wit dat person any
(You cover up that horseshoe so it can't be seen?)
Yes sir, yo' covah it up lightly so it can't be seen. [Despite the absence of pubic or armpit hair in this rite, I have placed it here because of 9 hairs snd9 days.]
Entry 6101
Take people's hair an' wrap it up in some red flannel an' wrap it wit black thread an' put it up ovah yo' do' an' run peoples crazy. (Do you put it up over your own door or over their door?) Ovah dere do'. (In other words you take some of my hair and put it over my door and run me crazy - make me lose my
[ind.)
Entry 6107
Dey kin take whut chew call a lock of yore hair, mean a plait, an' put salt an' peppah in hit, an' wrap de same thing up an' put it at chure do' an' bury it. Yo' cain't stay dere, yo' gotta go. Long as dat stays dere an' yo' don't find it, yo'll keep a-travelin', wandah, an' yo' won't nevah stop. Yo' stay awhile an' den yo'll go somewhere else. Yo'll keep a-goin' but yo' won't be at de same place. Wrap it up in a flannen cloth.
Entry 6155
(Take what?)
If you take a string of thread an' measure it from [I interrupt].
(A string or thread.)
An' measure from de mole of yore haid to de tip of yore toe, yo' know, an' clip a little hair out de mole of yore haid. Take dat an' wrap it up in a forked stick - wrap dat hair an' thread [or measur- ing string] up in a forked stick, an' bury it undah de do'step - dat, yo' know. See, she couldn't quit yo' or couldn't leave dat house until yo' dug dat up.
(I see. This is for the home?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 6166
(Suppose I want to make them stay at home?)
Well yo' take dat hair an' put it in a little small bottle, see, an' put it In da'k place up ovah yore do', an' put about three or fo' spoons of sugah in it. Yo' know, a little odd-size bottle lak dat. An' put it up ovah de do' chere couldn't nobody see it. Dat'll make yore frien' come home.
Entry 6181
Take de hair an' put de hair in de socks - yo' know, tuh whom it may concern. Take de sock cloth an' tack it, yo' know, whare de toe an' de heel an de top part, an' nail it down undah de haid of de baid. Dat's supposed tuh make yore husband stay at home.
(Do you use either sock?)
Use his sock, eithah sock. If dis is de haid of de baid, well yo' put de top of de sock undah de haid of de baid, an' den yo' tack yore heel an' tack yore toe [demonstrates]. (The toe is pointing down tovard the foot of the bed.) Dat's it. An' yo' supposed tuh let de toe be turned, not to de do' but from de do' of de room dat chew back tack 'en. Yo' use his hair an' yo' use yore hair an' yo' put dem both in dat [sock].
Entry 6334
Dey git holt of yore hair an' dey take an' dey gits a - put it in a bottle, an' put red peppah, cayenne, an' salt in dere an' yore name, an' stop it up in a bottle. Dat'll make yo' have de headache all de time, an' make yo' feel if yo' ain't satisfied nowhere yo' move. In no time yo' go. Git dat bottle an' throw it. (What do you do with that bottle?) Yo' take an' throw it in de rivah. An' [or] den yo' kin take an' yo' kin put it up ovah 'is do' where [he walks under it] or if yo' [ain't] scared he'll find it dere, if yo' a friend of 'em an' yo' visit 'em, yo' take an' yo' git it in de mattress or undah dat [bed].
Entry 6394
Dey take fingahnails an' toenails an' cut 'em up, an' place 'em intuh a stove. Parch 'em - parch de fingahnails brown. Aftah dey is parched brown, den dey takes 'em an' carry 'em, an' when dey git tuh yore do' or de front do', or dey git someone else dat's stayin wit yo' tuh place 'em ovah yore head, don't chew know, aftah dey parch 'em in de stove. Dat's de way ah learned of dat.
(What will that do to you then?)
It will cuz yo' not to leave home.
Entry 6472
Take yore fingahnails an' put 'em in new cloth an' it will cuz yo' tuh be painful. Jis' take 'em an' put 'em in some new cloth an' it will cuz yo' tuh be painful. Yo' know, sew 'em up real tight in a new cloth, an' don't break de needle off. Jis' stick de nee- dle right through de cloth where yo' sew it up, an' jis' lay it up ovah de do' where a person got'a pass through in an' out. It would make 'em painful.
Entry 6512
De toenails - de trimmings of yo' toenails an' put it in, git some run- nin' watah an' put it in a bottle an' bury dat undah yo' do'. Dat'll give yo' bad luck, makes yo' ail in de feet or sompin lak dat. (You have to take the running water though and put it in a bottle.)
Entry 6713
[This case of witchcraft occurred near Leland, Brunswick Co. N. Car. It is not much of a story but the ingredients and cure are in- teresting. A doctor from Sumter, S. Car., cleared up the case by finding two packages, one buried at the front door and the other in the ground under the house and beneath the woman's bed. Each package contained 6 Adam-and-Eve roots, balls from devil's shoestring roots, running huckleberry vine roots, and 4 rusty nails, each package wrapped in red flannel. The root doctor burnt both packages.]
Entry 6906
Git a fresh box of salt, have nevah been used an' a box of red peppah, an' yo' mix a certain amount tuhgethah. Put some aroun' yore do' an' in front of gate an' yo' weah some in yore shoes. An' dat would keep dem from crossin' yuh, if dey wanta put hard luck on yo'.
Entry 7078
Why yo' would take yore bloomahs or eithah yore shimmy an' yo' would put dat on yore husban's face - put it ovah 'is head. Den yo' would back out de do' an' as yo' back out, yo' would repeat, "Stay sound asleep," fo' nine times backin' out.
Entry 7157
Heard 'em say dey kin take dere shoe from de right foot an' turn it up by a do', an' if dat person 'sleep, he'll sleep dere till yo' remove dat shoe 'fo' he wake up.
(You turn it up by the door?)
Yo' have tuh turn it up on de flo' facin' at de do' on de side.
(You turn it upside down?)
Yes sir, like dat.
(The right-foot shoe?)
Yes sir, an' say he will sleep until yo' remove dat shoe.
Entry 7223
Say lak a hoodoo come tuh yuh house. Ah could stop any hoodoo, know how tuh stop it. Git choo fo' - yo' know runnin' grapevines run up a tree - yo' git choo fo'. Cut fo' pieces off about so long [demonstrates]. (Four inches long.) Take yo' fo' pieces an' yo' cross 'em. Yo' take 'em in de house an' yo' cross 'em. Take a nail an' tack 'em tuhgethah an' cross 'em. An' hang 'em ovah yuh do'. An' dere ain't no hoodoo will walk undah dem. (You take four of them [pieces 4 inches long] and nail them in a cross, like that [I demonstrate], and put them over the door.) Dere ain't no hoodoo comin' in, he'll turn back. [Is the grapevine run up a tree an American wild grape or the scuppernong (a form of muscadine) trained as a tree with branches spreading in all directions on an overhead trellis? In any case, a hoodoo fears either being whipped by the vine or its form of the cross. Doctor Frank Hall says a bath with the juice from the fox grapevine will cure witchcraft (see No.1304, p.447). There are two in- digenous fox grapevines in America, the northern (Vitis labrusca), ancestor of varieties Concord, Isabella, etc., and the southern (V. rotundifolia), origin of the scuppernong.]
Entry 7644
If yo' got somebody an' maybe yo' Wanta kill dat person or wanta harm dat person. Say now if yo' go up in de graveyard an' maybe it been some man dat have lived a rowdy life. Yo know some people live a very rowdy life, nevah attempt tuh be a Christian, a very rowdy person. Some people cuss tuh de last. Say yo' go tuh dat person an' go tuh de foot of 'is grave an' dig down one foot in de groun', she say. An' git chew a handful of dat dirt an' put it in a bag, an' bring it back home an' go round at dat man's back do', an' jes' take dat dirt an' throw it lak it wuz some flour or sompin. on de ground. Say, why dat man will come afflicted wit 'is laigs, or make his foot swell up, or he'll have some kind of ailment about 'is laigs account dat graveyard dirt bein' around de dō'.
Entry 7677
If anyone disliked yuh an' wan' choo tuh move - lak yuh a nex'-do' neighbah - dey go tuh de cemetery an' git graveyard dirt tuh make yuh move. Dey say dey go in dere at twelve a'clock at night an' run dere han's jis' as fer as de joint of dere elbow right down in de earth, an' git chew three han'fulla dat fresh graveyard dirt outa dere an' put it in a bucket. An' bury three pennies in dat dirt when yuh take out de las' han'ful out. Yuh put three pennies in de grave. Dey say dat's payin' fer it. An' den yuh bring it back an' sprinkle it aroun' de person do'. An' dat will make him leave.
Entry 7685
Now, ah saw a woman throw graveyard dirt week fo' [before] las', an' ah know de woman is gone. She lef' evahthin' in de house [she left so fast]. (Well, how did she use that graveyard dirt?) Well, yo' gotta git it off a sinnahman's grave an' den yo' gotta put so much money in dis grave. Dey say dat's payin' 'em fo' de dirt. An' den yo' tell dat spirit tuh run 'em away. An' dat spirit runs 'em away.
(And then waht do you do with the dirt after you get the dirt?)
Yo' take de dirt, care [carry] it an' sprinkle it across dat do', or if yo' kin git it inside, put it inside - inside de house. An' if yo' cain't git it inside de house, jes' sprinkle it crossways de do' where dey gotta come ovah it.
Entry 7695
Lak yo' go tuh de graveyard an' git a footbo'd, or prob'ly somepin simple as a ole piece of tree stump, or sompin lak dat, or some kin'a log out de graveyard. Dey could take dat an jes' t'row it right down in fron' of yore do'. Why yo' not payin' so much 'tention tuh it. Why yo' say, "Well, dat's only ole piece of wood." Somebody comes by an' say, "Look, [So-an'-so] yo' not goin' any bettah." [You become ill and are not improving.] An' dat'll make yo' move, too.
Entry 7728
Ah hear'd dey could take graveyard dirt an' some gin an' assafetadee [3 ingredients] an' mix it tuhgethah, an' go tuh a person's house where a family. Jis' lak a man an' woman livin' dere an' dis woman - he got anothah woman yuh know, an' she [latter woman] go an' git dat an' sprinkle all aroun' de do'. Dey say dat'll break peace, dey [the two inside] always fussin' an' fightin' one anothah. [The gin is for the spirit in the graveyard dirt - see ALCOHOL FOR THE SPIRIT, p.32].
Entry 7746
Well, dey goes out an' dey git dis graveyard dirt, an' dey kin take it, if dey wanta give yo' bad luck. Dey kin take a lot of it an' sprinkle it all roun' yo' front dō' an' yo' back dō'. Ah don't know how true dat is, but ah know a lady dat lived next do' from us. She used to go out an' git it an' take it aroun' an' sprinkle it aroun' in front-a people's do's. An' dey said dat it would give dose people bad luck. An' dey really would have a lotta bad luck.
Entry 7814
Dey did mah grandmothah dat way, an' ah went tuh a woman [doctor] dat tole me. Take de graveyard dust an' got some ole stuff dey jis call John de Conkah, an' put it wdt dat graveyard dust. An' git Jockey Club an' put it. Mix it all up tuh- gethah an' put some peppah in it. An' put it in 'er tracks an' put it at de do' where she had tuh come out. An' de woman [doctor] git one of 'er shoes an' put some in dere, an' 'er foot lak tuh rise [swell] off her.
(Almost ran off?)
Yes. [The woman doctor or fortuneteller turned the spell back on the spell-caster.1
Entry 7849
Lak dey wanted tuh trick yo' or wanted tuh put sompin in yo' [poison you], well, dey go tuh de graveyard yo' see, an' git graveyard dust. Den dey take dat graveyard dust an' put some red peppah in it, an' sew it up, an' walk in de no'th cornah of dat house an' hide it; but dey have tuh put it in between somepin dat it Wouldn't be seen. An' den when dey walk, dey walk backwards wit dere face tuh de wall of dat house till dey got tuh de centah of de do'. When dey got tuh de centah of de do', dey turn aroun' an' walk on. An' wit'in a short while dat dust, why it will eithah draw yo' or send yo'.
(According to what you want done.)
Yessuh, jes' 'cordin' tuh what chew want done. If yo' want it tuh draw yo', den yo' turn aroun', see. If yo' want it tuh send yo', yo' walk backwards. An' when yo' turn, don' turn tuh de right, but tuh de left.
Entry 7887
Yo' kin take dat [graveyard dirt] an' put hit wit sulphah an' salt, black sut [soot] out de chimley [chimney] an' take it an' walk by a person dō nine nights, an' if dey don' see yuh [sprinkling this mix- turel, ah guarantee yuh aftah nine nights, de twelf' night dey move. Sprinkle it down.
“Graveyard dirt,” “soot” and “chimney” are bracketed editorial identifications. A later gloss is damaged in the printed text; the nine-night and twelfth-night conditions remain visible.
Entry 7979
Take yur photograph. Now, if it's made on tin but not on papah - its gotta be made on tin [a tintype]. An' yo' take dat photograph an' yo' take yo' fō' pins, an' yo' cut de haid's off dose pins, if yo's aftah kill- in' a person. An' yo' take dose pins an' yo' take an' put 'em roun' fo' cornahs lak yo' would a coffin, yo' undahstan'. An' den yo' bury dis picture on its face, but its gotta be a tin pitchure. An' as dis pitchure fade away, dey'll fade away.
(You pin those four pins around the four corners of the picture?)
Yes, ( dat's right. Dat's whut chew do. An' bury it on de face, but chew cuts de haid of 'em off, de haids of de pins off.
(But you have to bury it under the individual's door?)
Undah 'is own do'.
Entry 8051
Ah heard dat yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' git one of dese bones. If it's a sinnah, yo' kin take de bone off 'is right foot, de big-toe bone, an' take it an' put some black peppah an' salt an' cayenne on it. Dat's fo' gamblin'. (How would you handle that, then?) Well, yo' jis' go an' dig it up, see. Ah ain't nevah tried dat now. Go an' dig it up, see, an' cut dat bone off. Yo' have tuh git a saw an' saw if off. Saw dat bone, dat j'int dere. Saw dat off an' git chew black peppah, salt an' bluestone, see. Well, yo' car- ries dat home dere an' let it stay undah yuh step fo' nine mawnin's, see. Well, yo' take it den an' put it up ovah de do' - jis' lak yo' sleepin' in dis room, an' put it up ovah de do' an' let it stay dere den contin'ly [continually]. But yo' have tuh sew it up intuh a black rag, see. Let it stay dere contin'ly an' den yo'll be lucky in gamblin'.
Entry 8102
Ah heard dat yo' could take yore photograph on a tintype - on a tin- type. Take yore photograph, if dey wanted tuh do anything tuh yo', an' keep it layin' on de face undah de do', an' dat'll make his mind, yo' know, ramble. He cain't stay dere, he gotta go. He'll wanta be goin' all de time. Jis' yore mind be's all aflustery an' yo' don't know whut tuh do. Yo' ain't satisfied an' yo' cain't do yore work, jis' unhappy.
(Why would that cause that?)
Well, de pichure is layin' on it's face. Dat's whut de ole lady tole me.
Entry 8104
Yo' kin bury it on its face [the picture] at chure do' too, ag'in. Wrap it up in flannen an' bury it down dere an' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's yo' kin hit on it jis' lak dat [demonstrates by stamping foot], jis' as yo' walk, jis' hit on it lak dat, an' dat harms 'em. Yo'll fade away. Ah've seen 'em fade away.
(You just stomp [stamp] on it.)
Yo' be goin' but chew fades away tuh nuthin.
Entry 8105
Dey could take yore photograph lak if yo's a long Way off. Dey kin take it an' put it at de front do' where yo' live at an' read de 18th Psalm. In nine days yo'll come from where yo' is, ah don't care where yo' is. (How do they put that photograph at the front door? Just what do they do with that?) Dey will put it right at de front do' an' dey will cut dat, yo' know, jis' de size of yo' photograph - cut dat out, see. An' den would put dat piece right back ovah dat, dat same piece, an' put dat 18th Psalm, yo' know, written on a piece of papah, an' place it ovah dat. An' den dey Would read dat 18th Psalm in de Bible. An' den in nine days yo'll surely return.
Entry 8106
Well, if a woman don't like you an' go away, yo' turn it [photograph] upside down [face down?] an' nail it up over the door. It'll bring her back.
Entry 8217
They tell me yo' take a pichure of a man an' put it up ovah yuh do' an' write his name an' turn 'is face intuh de do' comin' [into house], an' call it three mawnin's, three times each mawnin'. Dey tell me he'll come back. I know positively dat's true. I know a lady did it.
Entry 8305
Ah don't know where he [the doctor] come from, but he told me tuh take his photograph an' put up ovah de do', bottom upwards, an' talk tuh it nine mawn- in's an' he'd come back. (That's to make him come back. They turn it upside down for nine mornings and talk to it?) Yes.
Entry 8313
If ah had 'is pichure, ah could take it an' bury it wit a horsehair or somepin lak dat undah 'is do'step an' put a li'le vinegar in it an' salt [3 ingredients] an' ah's fix 'im - li'le vinegah an' salt an' den bury it undah his do'step. An' when he come out de house in de mawnin', he's be paralyzed in 'is laigs.
(They bury this photograph with a horsehair, you say?)
Wit a horsehair an' some vinegah an' salt. An' put it undah 'is do'step. An' when he come out he'll be paralyzed in 'is laigs de nex' mawnin'.
Entry 8325
Ah don't know whethah it's true, but ah heer'd dis, see. Yo' kin take a photo- graph an' yo' kin take it an' put it undah de steps an' yo' kin walk ovah it, or eithah yo' kin take it an' carry it tuh a tree facin' east. Bo' a hole an' put in dere an' in a length of time yo' will die.
(Why do you put that photograph under the step?)
De person have tuh walk ovah it - see, dat photograph belongs tuh - walk ovah it. An' den aftah dey walk ovah it, dey know dey come outa de house sometime, see, den dey take it tuh dat tree an' bo' de hole in it. (You put it under the step, then you put it in the tree. Do you stop it up in the tree in any way?) Aftah yo' take de bolt outa dere, den put dat bolt back in - bolt or plug - dat peg back in dere.
Entry 8474
When yo' call a person's spirit, twelve 'clock at night, yo' draws on a person.
(Draw her picture?)
Draw his pichure. Git 'is name an' address. Yo' set [in] a dark room by yo'- self. Yo' take a sheet an' put it ovah yo' haid, wit chure eyes out so yo' kin see. Yo' set a li'le bit of whiskey in a glass [to draw his spirit back, spirits lov- ing whiskey, see ALCOHOL FOR an' yo' gotta memorize de person name, an' yo' call 'is name three times. Durin' de time yo's callin' 'is name, take a needle wit chure lef' han' an' punch nine holes in it. (Nine holes in what?) Nine holes in de pichure, in de form what chew draws. An' when yo' done cut de nine holes in it an' yo' watch de pichure an' blow on it. An' durin' de time aftah yo' done blowin' on it, an' if yo' hit it again tuh [do something] den chew light yo' lamp. Aftah dat, den yo' set a match tuh it. See what side she [match] bendin'; if she bend going, if she bend comin' back. She'll [match will] fall back in yuh hands. If she [match] bend goin', goin' de direc- tion she [or hel was [had departedl. she'll [match'll] fall dat way; an' if she [match leans to] dis side, she'll fall dat side; an' if she's [woman's] comin' back, she'll [match'll] fall right up in de woman form. [She] come right on back tuh you. [Informant alternating the sexes is confusing.] An' durin' de time dat dey bring 'er back, yo' git up an' yo' take yo' dishrag an' wring it ovah de do' an' call 'er name. Dat's cases if she gone an' leave yo'. If she gone an' leave yuh, if she leave any she [not her] clothes in dere lak a dress or pettycoat, lak dat, jes' take an' ball it up an' put it 'neat' chure pillah an' she will come back less dan three day's time, if she's able tuh, if she's in de city.
(That's to bring the woman back. You are calling her spirit back that way.)
Yes sir.
Entry 8541
Git de person an' write his name. Take de first letter capital, write dat on. Write chure name under it. Bury it at de doorstep. If dey be in dere an' if yo' want 'em out, yo' bury it this way if yo' want him out; if yo' want 'im to stay, yo' kin put it this way. When yo' bury it that way, in seven days he'll be moved if he livin' in dere; if yo' don't want him in there, he'll go. (If you want him to go, you point his name away from the door; if you want him in there, you point his name in at the door?) Yes sir.
Entry 8561
Git his name an' yo' write his name an' yo' fold it nine times to yo', an' put it up ovah de do' where he gotta go in an' out. Dat's good.
(What will that do?) Well, he'll stay at home.
Entry 8576
Take yo' a thread string an' put chew nine knots in it an', as ah would say, use a cat an' a dog, an' yo' git some hair from de back of dere neck, an' jes' make a bundle of it, yo' know, altogether an' put chew nine knots in de thread an' bury it right in dat do' there. An' yo'll nevah come inside chere. Yo'll always pass by, yo' wouldn't nevah have no visitors to stop heah.
(That's to keep somebody from coming in or to make them leave the house?)
Dat's if yo' heah, yo'll leave heah an' yo' won't nevah come back heah; or if: it's anybody yo' don't want tuh come in heah, yo' do dat an' dey won't come in heah. But yo' should have dey name, de person name in that. (Now you tie the nine knots in the thread after you have wrapped it in this bundle?) [That was not a sensible thing to say, even though informant's words about the knots are ambigious.] Yeah, yo' tie nine knots in de thread an' put it in de bundle wit de hair of de dog an' de cat.
Entry 8591
~ Den if he's in Chicago, Detroit, or any place, sits down an' gits chew a clean sheet of papah, an' write his name nine times on dat piece of papah. An' aftah writin' it nine times, yo' walks tuh de do' an' yo' says de Lord's Prayer nine times. Takes an' lights yore lamp an' put it in dat lamp, an' 'bout one grain of sugah in dere. Yo' know whut ah mean, not a grain but nearly 'bout a half a teaspoonful, into dat lamp wit dat coal oil in it. Light dat lamp an' turn it down real low, an' burn dat fo' nine days, nine days an' nights, an' wherevah he may be, he come dere. He cain't stay away.
Entry 8617
Yo' kin meet dat lan'lord. Yo' go tuh dat lan'lord an' yo' write his name nine times, call 'is name, an' write it nine times, an' put it ovah de sill of yore do'. An' he cain't put chew out.
Entry 8620
Ef yo' worried about de law comin' round, yo' take yo' some sugah an' some - understan', an' a quart beer bottle an' yo' put one [of the two articles] at de front do' an' one at de back do'. If de law is botherin', take dem names an' Write it [them] on a piece of papah nine times. Take jis' about a bottle of turpentine an' put it [names] in dere an' jis' throw it behin' 'em an' tell 'em don't come back no mo'.
Entry 8641
Well, if a woman's got a man - well jis' like I've got a husband an' a woman wants to break me an' my husband up. I'll say like that. Yo' get a lemon an' get yo' some cayenne pepper an' get yo' some gunpowder. Yo' take that lemon, you wouldn't cut it half in two, you only cut that top around the top, yo' know, an' yo' raise it up like that and yo' bore a hole in that lemon. (You cut the top like a lid and you bore a hole under that?) Yes. Then yo' will write this man's name nine times, and yours nine times over it, an' yo' stick that down in that lemon an' put that gunpowder - that gunpowder's for confusion, that what's it for - an' the red pepper. Then yo' would take that lid an' put it back over there like that. Yo' get yo' some black thread an' yo' tie that lemon tight, so to be sure that nuthin that's in there won't come out, an' put it up over the door anywhere. An' when [as] that lemon dries up, they'll fuss an' fight an finally dey'll break up an' never go back together again. (Do you put your husband's name in there and your name, or your husband's name and her name?) My husband's name and her name.
Entry 8646
[To rub is an important magic rite we often ignore, despite our early acquaintance with Aladdin's lamp. In some cures rubbing - up or down, in a cir- cle, or number of times - shows its own importance. Even so, in the first edi- tion of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, the word mub does not appear in the Index! How could I have missed the well-known couplet: When your left hand itches Rub it on wood And it will come good. (No.3356) Moreover, there are other examples of rubbing in this division about HANDS: Nos. 3339-3342.] De shoe sole - if yo' don' want somebody at chure house, take de shoe sole an' yo' rub it till de bottom of de foot git hot. Yo' call de person name nine times. Yo' git a lemon an' yo' Write de name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. Sew it up wit black thread an' bury it undah any step or do' whut dey gotta come by. An' bury it undah dere. An' everytime dey go out, yo' take dat left-foot shoe an' yo' rub it until de shoe sole git hot an' call dere name nine times.
(Whose shoe sole do you rub?)
Anybody dat yo' don' want at chure house. Any individual, woman or man, any- body dat yo' don' want dere.
(And the name you say...?)
Yo' jes' writes it down nine times wit a indelible pencil.
(And put that in a lemon?)
In a lemon an' sews it up wit black thread, No.8 black thread, coarse black thread, an' then bury it.undah a do'step, or a step, anywhere where dey gotta come in.
(That is to keep them away from your house?)
Keep 'em away from your house.
Entry 8664
A man tole me he knew how to git a person who's away, if he's in love enough an' want to come, Want to take yo' back. Why yo' - he say nail up a nail ovah de do' which dey went out de last time. An' each night before yo' retire, dat yo' must stand an' look at dis nail an' call dis par- ty's name nine times, an' says each time, 'Come back, ah WANT CHOO TUH COME back." An' do dat fer nine nights, nine times each night. An' if dey had anythin' to come wit, dey'd come back.
Entry 8672
They put nine needles, nine pins, nine new tacks, nine loaves of sugah, a spoon of honey, a halfa spoon of drawin' powdah, a teaspoonful of John de Conkah Root Powdah [all in a bottle]. An' dey'll stop dat up fer nine day. [Afterwards, to perform the rite] they'll git to de door [their own door] an' dey'll knock three times, an' dey will call de person [your name] - wit yore name [written on a piece of paper] in dat bottle. Dey turn dat bottle upwards [upside down] [during the ceremony] an' dat's supposed to keep yo' wor- ried. An' dey call yo', whenevah dey wan' choo [want you] to come by knockin'.
[Preceding loaves = Zwmps of sugar.]
Entry 8673
(Will you tell me just what they did?) Yeah, dey planted mah name an' buried me undah de steps. (How did they do it? How do you mean they planted your name?) They write mah name down on papah an' dey buried me undah de steps. (What did that do?) Dat made me move. (Oh, that made you move?) Yes. (Just write your name on a piece of paper and that made you move out?) Yes sir. Dey put mah name down, so dey say, nine times. Ah don't know [what they did].
(How many times?)
Nine times.
(I see.)
Entry 8680
Then, what they would do to make yo' move out of that house, they would get yore - try to get some close friend of yours to get yore right shoe. They Would burn that right shoe. They'd get up before day in de mawnin' an' burn that right shoe. Before twelve or one o'clock, they'd take that, they'd sprinkle it at yore door, dat [shoe ashes]. (I understand.) Well, they'd go to work then an' they'd get oil of cedar. (Oil of cedar?) They'd take oil of cedar an' they would pour dat down. (Where would they pour that?) They pour it right at your door [where they put the shoe ashes], at yore front door, where yo' are bound to come out over. Well then yo' get 'em [they have you!]. They would take yore name an' they would write it nine times an' they would fold that from them. They'd take that name an' they would bury that. Yo' begin to drift. Yo' wouldn't like that place, yo'd want to stay away from dat place. Dat's de place they'd drive yo' off.
(Do they bury that in any special place?)
They'd bury it at de door where yo' - or in de path, so you'd have to come over. They'd bury it so you'd have to come over it. Yo' understand.
(I understand. That makes you move?)
That'd make yo' move.
Entry 8704
They say dat yo' kin write a per- son's name on a piece of papah seven times an' place it ovah a doah, aftah dey comes in. Wait till dey get inside an' den place it ovah de doah. An' dey say, when dey go out, dey can't stop comin' back, where dey go undah.
(They keep coming back and forth?)
Keep comin' back where dey go [under] dere name.
(Write it like this right in a row [column?] seven times, that name?)
Seven times.
(One right after the other, I see.)
Entry 8708
Yo' have to know their name. Yo' could take their name an' write it on a new shingle an' turn it ovah an' bury it at yore door, an' dey'll come back an' put it dere. (I see, if they stole this article from you.)
Entry 8736
If a boy would go off from home an' stay a long time an' his mother want 'im back, an' he jis' won't go home, an' she Want to see him: She kin take a nail an' a hammer, an' go to de front doah an' hit dat nail three time, an' call your [his] name three time. An' wheresomevah he is in de world, gon'a git worried up until yo' [he] git back there where she at.
Entry 8758
Ef ah had someone a long ways from me an' ah wanted 'em back, ah would have three ways tuh git 'em back. One way, dat ah'd write dere name on tin an' lead an' hang it up on de do', an' dey supposed tuh return in from nine tuh twenty-one days. Write dey full name, dey birth- name on tin, on a piece of tin, an' tack it up on mah do', In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' in from 9 tuh 21 days dey 'sposed tuh 'peah 'fore me.
(Do you write the name on a piece of tin or on a piece of lead?)
On lead or eithah tin.
(You tack it up over the door with the name out?)
Yessuh, wit de name out. Ah kin write it with a lead pencil or a nail.
Entry 8760
If yo' could go an' buy a new tin pan, pie pan dat nevah been used, an' yo' put dat up ovah de door piece where yo' keep John de Conkah. Yo' [have seen] John de Conkah root? (No, I've heard of it but I ' have never seen it.) Well, yo' get a piece of John de Conkah an' wrap it up in a little cloth an' yo' put de smooth part of de pan, an' yo' turn de smooth part, de in part to yo' an' outer part goes to de dō'
(The back of the pan goes to the wall?)
Yes, an' yo' put dis John de Conkah behin' dis pan an' say, "Ah wan' choo in pahtiklah [particular] to stay away from me." Yo' makes dat wish. But whethah dat works or not, ah haven't had anything to [especially to keep the law away].
Entry 8768
You write your name down on a piece of paper, an' yo' write de othah party's name down on de other piece of papah. Well, if dat's someone dat yo wanta get back, an' yo' folds it [to you] three different ways. Well, because of the Way yo' foldin' it, yo' want dem tuh come back. Well, yo' have dere name turnt in de house, yo' see, an' every time, dey walk, yo' see, dey always goin' back in de house all de time, cause dere name is joined dat way. Well, if yo' want dem to stay out of de house, yo' turn de names up lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' see, just like a... turn it up lak dat.
(You turn the names out if you want them to stay outside.)
If yo' want 'em to stay outside, yo' turn de names out de house. Jes' like yo' put it up ovah dat door [points to door of interviewing room]. Well, yo' turn de name out like dat. If yo' want dem to stay in, always come in yore house, turn de name dis Way [into house].
(I see.)
Entry 8775
Ah heard dey take new war watah an' dey sprinkle it aroun' yore do's an' dey'd call yore name. An' den when yore husband or yore wife come in de night, yo' an' dem would have de biggest kind of humbug. Yo' wouldn't know whut is all de fuss. De' sprinkle war watah all up onto de do'.
Entry 8914
I have heard 'em say that you could take a fork and stick it down at the gate or the entry or around the building near where you think they're going in, and make your wishes. And that'll keep 'em away, if you think a person's trying to steal - to perwent [prevent] a person stealing from you. And that'll keep people from talking about chew too, they say. Keep 'em from bothering you in any way, shape or form or fashion. [This fork rite has been taken over from methods to keep a hag or witch out of the house - see No.510, p.154, etc.]
Entry 8920
If you know de party's name wot got it, jes' write it down on a piece of paper, an' take a horseshoe an' nail it right in de center of de door, an' de same somebody wot got it will come back to yo' an' bring it. (You nail this name right in the center of the horseshoe over the door?) Jes' write it on a piece of paper an' put de nail dere an' put de paper dere too - put de paper on de nail first an' put de shoe right on top of it - right ovah de center of de door. De same party wot got it dey'll come an' have de sense to bring it back.
(If they stole this thing?)
If dey stole anything from yo'. An' if dey don't bring it back right den, dey will be messin' aroun' yuh an' dey commence to hintin' an' will bring it back. An' den tell yo': Yo' know all about such an' such a thing? Dey wants to see yo'. An' yo' don't know who it is. An' dey'll come an' have to sense of letting yo' have it back.
(How do you nail that horseshoe over the door?)
How do you nail it? Why yo' jes' take de nail an' set it up on dere.
(Are the two points [of the horseshoe] up or down, or how?)
Oh, de two points down.
Entry 8940
Somebody stealin' anything from you an' he passes.through de door - he's gotta, yo' know. Yo' take a axe an' go right over de door, on de inside an' on de outside, cut off little splinters, don't care how small it is. An' go right out into the yard where there's a cart, or a wagon or automobile or anything. If it's a automobile, you've got to jack the wheel up. Then yo' lose it so yo' kin pull it off de axle an' put de two splinters right in there, an' shove it right back on. An' yo' call this thief: Thief, turn your ways backwards. Oh, Thief, yo' shall be turned back. Yo' shall stand up in your track. Yo' shall not walk one inch front nor back until yo' come back an' bring my stolen' goods to me. Say that three times. An' stop asking him to bring it back and walk away. In less time than thirty minutes, yo'll see someone coming.
Entry 8943
De do' what chew goin' thru, de threshhold of de do', an' yo' cut a piece of chip from dere.
(A chip out of that door, that the thief has gone out.)
Yes. An' den ag'in, dey gits a wagon in de yard. Put dose chips into de axle of de Wagon an' den turn it backwards. An' call de thief name: In de Name of de Father an' of de Son an' de Holy Ghost, bring back whut chew done took. See, say dat, an' turn de wheel backwards. Say [turn] it backwards fast. An' yo' turn dat backwards fast. An' fo' [before] three times three days, dem people come back. If dey don't bring dat, dey'll put it on a place somewhere yo' kin find it. (This thing they took from you.)
Entry 8944
" Jes' lak somebody take somepin outa dis room heah. Yo' kin take a knife an' trim off a li'le trimmin' off dat do' dere, where yo' go out. An' yo' kin take an' care [carry] it - go tuh a man who got a wagon an' take de left-hand reah [rear] wheel off. An' put dat on dat spindle where dat[wheel] turn ovah on - put dat trimmin' whut chew got off dat do'. An' put de wheel back on dere an' yo' say, Thief, return, an' yo' turn dat wheel far- vards three times an' den yo' turn it backwards. Say, Thief, return de stolen goods which was taken outen mah possession. An' in seven days he'll return dose goods back to yo' - money or anything else. An' if he haven't got de goods, he'll come an' tell yo' dat he'll pay yo' fo' dose goods.
Entry 8993
Yo' wanta know 'bout whut ah would do to keep people 'way from me. Ah go ketch one dese wild birds an' ah pull a feather out of his right wing an' burn it, an' burn quick- silvah with it, an' ah sprinkle this around the co'thouse do'. Well, dat beat 'em in all sech case.
(That is to beat a lawsuit case.)
Entry 9005
Heard of 'em say yo' take a black cat, yo' know, an' kill 'im an' put 'im up on de do'. Say yo' cain't stay dere. Nail him up on de do', say yo can't stay dere. (Well, I would see them if they did that, wouldn't I?) No, dey fix so yo' couldn't see, yo' wouldn't know it wuz dere. Ovah de do' or on de do', ah disremembah.
Entry 9100
If yo' have somebody in prison - it's mo' easy fo' yo' tuh take a cord becuz dey'll notice too much if yo' take a string, if yo' go tuh see yore people dere. Yo'll go dere tuh see 'em an' yo'll have tuh do dat slightly [carefully] yo' see. Lak if he's standin' up, den yo' stand up an yo' jis' put dat cord lak back of his haid lak dat... [demonstrates]. Jis' stan' up lak dat, an' yo' take dat cord an' put it behin' his haid. An' den yo' unwrap de othah part an' let it fall on de flo'... [demonstrates]. Well, now whilst he standin' dere, yo' tell 'im don' move, say, "Don' move." (Take that whole measure from the top of his head to the foot). Yo' take dat up an' den yo' fix dat in a ball. Yo' see, yo' fix dat an' den yo' burn dat wit a brand-new han'ke'ch'ef. Yo' burn dat. Let 'im wipe his face an' burn dat an' wit 'is name - de judge's name. Yo' burn all dat tuhgethah, dat papah an' all tuhgethah, yo' see, an' de lawyah's name. An' yo' burn all dat tuhgethah. An' when he'll come, if he won' discharge 'im, he won't let 'im go no fu'thah. Yo' jis' drap [drop] it from de do' an' yo' jis' drap it [ashes]. (When you go back to see him again, you sprinkle that [string and paper] dust around, and they will turn him loose?) Yes.
Entry 9105
Yo' kin, if yo' know de judge name. Jes' lak ah know yore name, see, an' mah folks goin' up dere tuhday tuh be on a trial, see. Jes' lak ah know de judge lak ah know him now. Ah makes dat same person whut goin' up on de trial, if he in or out on a bond - ah kin do it mahself. Write his full name, de judge's full name, an' go right tuh dat do' right dere, an' tack it ovah dat do', see. An' ah'd go right up dere front of de co't an' evahthin' will be all right.
Entry 9152
Say fo' instance, now, dat yo' wus mah boss an' yo' done sompin tuh someone in de wrong [you wrong someone]. Well, yo' in jail an' yo' know yo' goin' [be] sent up de road [to the penitentiary, state prison in U. S. A.]. Ah goes an' gits 20 cents wuth of black peppah, 25 cents wuth of cai-yanne [cayenne] pep- pah, one pound of grana- lated [granulated] sugah, one package of Rex cloves, an' one package of Rex cinnamon.
(That's [Rex is] the name of the Brand?)
Dat's right,15 cents wuth of spice. An' mix all dat tuhgethah an' go in de co'troom dat mawnin'. Sprinkle some roun' de judge's stand an' some roun' de vitness stand. Den start tuh sprinklin' it out de do' tuh two blocks away from de place. An' when de witness gits dere, he's goin' back [especially if he sees anything sprinkled]. He's not comin' dere. He ain't goin' come dere.
(That is if he is coming there to talk against me?)
[I have not forgotten that I am the guinea pig: yo' know yo' goin' be sent up de road. No suh. He ain't goin' come dere. Dey'll call yore case up maybe three times, an' each time ah'm doin' dat fo' yo'. See, yo' in dere an' ah'm out. An' de third time he call it up or de fo'th time, he'll dismiss yo'. We cain't git de witness an' he cain't be located. He ain't goin' be at 'is house.
Entry 9187
Ah've: heard of 'em usin' a aig from a black hen. If dere's anything dat dey didn't want a person tuh do at de time dat dey had dat black hen's aig, dey take it an' carry it tuh de do wit a black cloth, an' hit it against de do' of de wall dere, an' dey couldn't go back in dat house. Dey would soon disappeah. Ah've hear'd tell of dat. (You said you put the black cloth around that egg.) [This rite is more seri- ous than merely driving out the dwellers within, it warns either move from the house or have a crepe on your door. Informant's word disappear has a direful meaning.]
Entry 9192
Well, jis' lak yo' wanta person tuh break up er [or] sompin lak dat. Yo' loved 'er. If yo' love a girl [and] de othah fellah - well yo' want 'er. Well yo' cain't git nex' tuh love 'er, yo' see, becuz dis man be's huh husban', she husban'. Why he might be a pure mahn, den yuh spirit might agree. Well, yo' wanta break dese parties up. Well, yo' go tuh work. Now, yo' may have [a] chicken layin', sompin lak dat. Yo' go tuh work an' yo' watch de chicken when de [they] lay. See, yo' git a fresh, fresh egg [at the] time dey drop it, [egg] leave de chicken, why yo' git dat egg: See. An' yo' take it tuh his house dat night an' throw it up jis' de hide [height] of de house an' let it fall right befo' de doah. An' aftah dat why yo' gotta have a broom, yo' unnahstan' [understand], an' sweep dat [away], see. Yo' sweep dat away from de house, see. Well, dat man'll continue goin', he'll be continue goin' until 'is min' [mind] will be changed until he leave dat woman.
Entry 9199
If yo' Wanta go an' make 'way wit anybody or eithah make 'em leave home or such as dat, yo' could take a chick- en aig an' put cross marks on it. (One cross mark?) One cross mark dis way an' one dat way [demonstrates]. (Make one 'X on it?) Dat's right, an' take it an' bury it right down at dere do', an' dey gonna walk ovah it fo' nine days. Dat suppose tuh - if dey will continue tuh walk ovah dat fo' nine days, well it doesn't make way wit dem [kill them] but dey will leave.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Any kind. Don't care whut kind it is, cuz hit will go bad in nine days, an' whenevah it go bad an' bust, well dat's de end.
Entry 9208
Ah had a job workin' an' ah lose de job. No, ah didn't lose de job. De man jes' say he didn't have nuthin tuh do. All right, lattah ah went tuh a lady [doctor] an' she say - peoples talkin' about [her] say she wus good. All right, she tells me, say, "Ah'll git yuh job back, [you] git fired offa." Git fired off [of job] on Sunday night. She says, "Ah'm goin' tell yo' whut tuh do. Yo' take dis heah rotten aig an' yo' go tuh dis heah place where yo' wus workin' at.' Say, "Yo' take it an' chunk it up ovah de do' an' cuss." Yo' undahstand. See, yo'd cuss an' yo'd walk off. An' she says, "Don't look back." An' she say, "In two or three days yo'll git de job back." An' ah done dat. She gimme dat aig. Ah give her de money. Ah done dat. AH NEVAH GOT DAT JOB BACK AG'IN.
(You never got the job back?)
No, ah nevah got dat one back.
Entry 9212
Yo' take dat egg. He'd have tuh move, he can't stay dere. An' yo' go right tuh de front do' or de back do', eithah one, an' yo' take dat egg an' yo' throw it, an' bust it right up tuh de side of dat house, an' dat'll move 'em. Dat'll move 'em easy.
Entry 9213
Yo' kin take - AH HATE TUH GIVE YO' ALL MAH SECRETS. But ah will tell yo' dis. Yo' take yo' a black hen aig an' yo' pass longside of de street an' throw it an' let it splatter on dat porch against dat do'. Dat's dat [to move you].
Entry 9214
About de aig? Well, lak dis heah couple stayin' right heah, dis mar- ried couple [in house where author was interviewing], why ef ah wanted tuh break dem up. Take a aig, a hen aig an' throw it on dat front do' an' let it bust. Hit'll fall yo' see. Why yo' know in de mawnin when yo' wake up, yo' know quite natchly [naturally] yo' don't hardly, yo' know, look down dere at de do'. Yo' goin' be lookin' out in de street aftah sompin, yo' see, an' yo' step ovah dere. Yo' done go on. Den aftah yo' step in it [broken egg] den yo' say, "Well, ah wondah whut dis heah aig doin' heah on dis pō'ch. Well, see, dey break yo' up. Yo' an' yore husband nevah live in peace. Dat is tuh break yo' up.
Entry 9215
Well, if ah had a woman cross de street an' a man run ovah dere aftah dis Woman an' ah don' want him ovah dere, ah'll go git me a black hen aig, a fresh one jes' laid, an' ah'll write his name on dat. Ah'll go an' bust dat aig up de front of dat do'. Well, he cain't go dere no mo'.
Entry 9216
Jes' take de aig right aftah she lay, an' gits de drop on [take an unexpected advantage of] de person an' count three times. Well, yo' say, one - two - when yo' say three de aig's done left yore han' an' hit right in de centah of dey do'. It hit right in de centah of dey do' an' drap down dere. Well, dey gone.
(What kinf of an egg do you use?)
A black hen. Yo' cain't use no othah chicken but a black hen. She's gotta be black an' not have a white spot about 'er.
Entry 9217
Ah heard of 'em usin' black hen aigs fo' somepin else. Yo' take 'em an' if anybody in a house has done done anything tuh yo', or somepin lak dat, an' yo' want tuh run 'em away. Well, yo take dat hen aig, dat black hen aig an' go dere at nine a'clock in de night. It have tuh be at nine a'clock in de night, an' bust dat aig up ovah de do'.
Entry 9220
Suh [sir], ah've heard dey take a black hen aig, if yo' wanta family tuh move out de house an' yo' wants tuh git dat house, keep 'em"'way from dere. Take a black hen aig an' walk by at twelve a'clock at night an' throw it ag'inst de do' an' walk away an' don' look back. Dat's one thing.
Entry 9221
If ah wanted tuh run a pusson [person] outa de house, ah'd take me a aig an' put it in a brown papah bag an' ah'd thrash it up against de do', see. Break it, see. an' let dem sweep it out. See, an when dey sweep dat out why quite natchel [natural] it takes effect. (That makes them move out of the house. You throw this egg against their house before sunrise?) Jes' at sunrise. [My knowledge of sunrise came from before recording began. Since informant did not repeat word, I had to include it on the cylinder by a question. For another egg rite, but before sunrise, see No.9377.]
Entry 9224
Git a chicken aig an' take it tuh dere home an' bust it up 'ginst de do' an' call de person name dat dey wants tuh leave from dere an' dey will leave.
(Just one egg?)
Yes sir, but it will be A FRESH EGG. (Any kind of a chicken egg.) From a black hen, special. (And you call the name once, to run them away.) An' throw it up 'ginst de do' an' it would make dem leave from dere.
Entry 9226
Said dey take a black hen aig an' go tuh de woman's house, an' if yo' man goin' dere, if yo' wanta bust 'im up from dere an' run 'im away from dere, bust 'im an' de woman up, yo' take a black-hen aig an' go an' throw it up against de do', an' say jes' whut chew want tuh de aig. An' throwin de aig at de do', bust it, an' he cain't go dere.
Entry 9227
Yo' know whut chew do, yo' git a black hen aig. Git a black hen aig an' yo' take de black hen aig an' go tuh dat house wherevah dey livin' at. An' dat's breakin' 'em up. An' yo' take an' throw dat black-hen aig against de do' bust it, an' say, "Stay away." (You say, "Stay away." What will that do when you break the egg on the door? You say it breaks them up?) Breaks 'em up.
Entry 9228
Lak if someone comin' tuh see yo'. Prob'ly yo' don't keer [care] tuh have dem come dere no mo'. Well, yo' kin take a egg, yo' un'erstan', an' when dey leave - when dey come out dere by de do', yo' see, yo' must take dat egg an' pitch dat egg ag'inst de do'. Break dat egg ag'inst de do' an' dey'll nevah return ag'in. (They will never come back to see you again.) When dat egg breaks, dat breaks up friendship.
Entry 9236
[Well, now yo' kin take a black - it's gotta be a solid black hen. Yo' kin take a black hen aig an' write chure enemy's name on dere an' yo' kin bury it, if yo' wan' 'em tuh leave town or leave from aroun' yore neighborhood. Yo' put de lit- tle end out. (Out from what?) From de do'. Put de little end out. Jes' bury it right in front of yore do'. An' dat will run 'em away, but yo' will have tuh write dere name on dat aig an' it has tuh be a black hen aig. Then yo' kin take a black hen aig an' yo' kin throw it, but yo' have tuh be shore [sure] dat yo' hit right on de do'knob wit it. Yo' kin throw it an' let it strike right ag'inst a person's do'knob an' it'll cuz all kinda confusion in dat home, an' yo' can't stay dere in no peace.
Entry 9241
Wanta make dem move out, yo' come out heah an' take a aig an' bust it up ovah his front do'. Yo' git some of his dirt, some of his track yo' know, an' den pat it down good an' stick some nails in it, sompin lak dat, an' turn sompin tuh covah ovah it. In a few days he'll be gone away.
(Where do you put this stuff?)
Under de steps.
(Put a few nails in?)
Yes. Make it good, yo' know, lak a cake, an' stick some nails in it, an put it undah de steps.
Entry 9242
And then you turn around then and want to run him away from her, yo' get a coal-black hen's egg an' yo' write his name on de egg. An' den yo' turn around and get a pinch of dirt out of the hollow of his right-foot track, and write his name on a piece of paper, and put that egg and that dirt in that paper, carry it and throw it in strong running water, all run one way [meaning not a tidal river], an' make yore wishes. An' go back to yore house an' get in yore door an' turn yore face out of the door an' wish 'im from yore house, an' he'll go away. [Out in the county from Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., (Doctor Frank Hall, called by my tired mind Frank Harris! in v.l, INTRO., p. XXIX. I hadn't thought of Frank Harris in years! Material from Hall was taken down by hand.]
Entry 9251
Kin take a black hen's aig on Friday, dat's laid on Friday, an' write dere name on it. Write it roun' de aig an' den write it crossways de aig, an' den take it an' go an' throw it on dere do'. Dat will make dem move. (Now here is the egg. Do you write that name down like that? [I dem- onstrate.l And then you write it across like that?) Yes.
(You make a cross by writing the names that way?)
Yes.
Entry 9252
Yo' git a black hen's egg dat was laid on Friday an' write dere name all ovah it backwards [= last name written first] an' put it in coffee grounds three days, an' den throw it on dat do' an' tell 'em to go an' not return, an' dey'll sure go.
Entry 9253
Ah tole yo' dat, see. Now, lak ef yo' wanted me tuh git outa heah. Ef ah was in dis house heah an' yo' wanted me - yo' couldn't git me outa heah. Yo' go an' git a black hen's aig Was laid on a Friday, see. An' yo' write dat person's name on dat aig. An' yo' take dat aig an' put it intuh a teacup wit de handle - a teacup whut ain't got no han- dle, a new teacup, not a ole one, a new one whut ain't got no handle. [A new teacup with- out a handle? Did a person buy a new teacup and break off the handle? Or was a handleless teacup, small bowl, conveniently sold by hoodoo shops?] An' den yo' write de name on dat [egg] good. Well, yo' write it seven or nine times, but it's gotta be seven or nine times, not eight. Seven or nine, see. Well, den yo' shet dat ovah wit coffee grounds an' let it set in dere three days zactly. Well, den yo' make it back tuh mah do' dere at night, twelve 'clock in de night, an' jes' throw dat egg an' let it hit mah do', de cup an' all, an' say, "Go! Yo' son-of-a-bitch." An' dat egg hits dat do' it busts. De nex' mawnin' ah'm goin' git a wagon an' ah'm goin' move out dat place, can't stay dere fo' save mah life. Dere ain't no way fo me tuh stay dere.
Entry 9256
[A frizzly hen egg] take it an' write de name on de egg an' bust it in front of de person's do', will cuz a separation in de home.
(That has to be a egg from a...?)
From a frizzly hen. Only one ah was evah tole dey could use. Ah don't know about othahs.
Entry 9258
What ah heard 'em say, said dey take a hen egg, a black hen's egg an' some - an' tuh go out tuh de graveyard an' git a han'ful of graveyard dirt, an sprinkle dat dirt on de porch, an' take de egg an' bust it up side de do'. Dat sup- posed tuh make yo' move, if dey didn't lak yo'.
Entry 9265
Git a hen aig an' some graveyard dirt an' bluestone an' jes' keep a-throwin' it on dere front - yo' break dat aig in de front do'. Dat graveyard dirt yo' throw it all aroun' de house an' dat bluestone. Dey can't stay dere tuh save dere life.
(That drives them away.)
Yes sir.
Entry 9267
Dey tell me dat dey bust rotten eggs on yore do' an' put graveyard dirt from dere to de gate. [For more rotten-eggs rites, see following rite and later in section.] (What's that for?) Tuh make yo' move.
Entry 9299
Takes a aig an' write his 'nitial all ovah dat aig, jes' let it be written all ovah it. Take yo' some yellah homespun an' covah dat ovah dat [egg] an' bury it jes' de side-a [side of] dat gate, er [or] de do', an' dat'll bring 'im back home an' he won't leave no mo'.
(Is that for any kind of egg?)
Any kind of aig, don't make no diff'rence.
Entry 9310
Git a hen aig an' take dat hen aig an' write dere name on it, both of 'em. Jis' write roun' an' roun', de man's an' de woman's tuh bust 'em up. Jis' write dat all ovah dat aig, jis' as many times as yo' see space dere tuh write it, if yo' have tuh tangle it up tuhgethah At twelve a'clock yo' gotta tote dat aig an' go tuh dere own house an' chunk it right up ovah de do' facin'. Dat aig will bust. Dat's de way dey will bust up.
Entry 9313
If yo' wan' tuh hurt[hoo- dool anybody or do anything tuh anybody, even yuh enemah, yo' got'a go tuh de sto' an' buy a aig, a fresh aig, an' come back tuh dere house, yuh enemah house. An' stand off from de front do', an' take an' throw dat aig up ov' [over] de do' an' bust it. An' let it drain down an' make a oath whah choo wan' 'em tuh do. Jis' lak if yo' wan' 'em tuh die. An' while dat aig. drainin' down, yo' make a oath, an' in nine days dey'll take sick, an' dere's no cuah [cure] fah [for] 'em.
Entry 9314
Well, dey kin go intuh a place dat's got plenty of chickens, intuh de yard, but it must be a place dat have chickens. Now yo' git one fresh aig outa dis place. Yo' take dis egg an' yo' mark de party's an' yo' go an' break it intuh de do', where dis party's livin' at, an' dey gotta go. (I see. Well now, why must we get that egg from a yard that has lots of chickens?) Well, yo' see, accordin' tuh - de reason why yo' must do it, becuz a cold- storage egg is not any good. It must be a fresh egg.
(I see.)
Entry 9317
Ah don' know how dat is. Say if its de p'liceman or some law on de beat, yo' know, dat yo' could write dere name on a egg an' bury it at de steps, an' dat will prevent 'em from comin' in. (You write their name on this egg and bury it. At your own steps?) At yuh own steps. (That will keep the law from coming in?) If yo' sellin' whiskey in dis house or somepin. An' whoevah is on dis beat, yo' could bury de egg. Write de name nine times on de egg an' bury it at de front steps, an' dey wouldn't come ovah dat egg.
(I see.)
Entry 9328
About de nine hen aigs. Well, if yo' want a person, lak ah'm livin' nex' do' tuh yo' an' givin' yo' trouble, why yo' take nine black hen aigs. Be shuh [sure] dey black hen aigs. An' write yore [my] name [on them and] evah mawnin' 'fo' day, bust one - chunk one at de do' an' let it bust an' run down. In nine day's time why yo'll [I'll] leave town. When yo' chunk de last aig, why yo'll [I'll] move out. [Waycross, Ga., (1141), 1856:2. J
Entry 9335
Yo' mean tuh keep de officahs off. Well, it's jes' dis much about. it. Yo' kin go tuh work, yo' do's dat - supposed tuh be - wit hen aigs. Yo' kin go tuh work an' git chew nine hen aigs. No, don't make any diff'rence, any kinda aigs, yo' know. Yo' git chew nine aigs an' yo' kin go tuh work an' take yo' a hat whut chew weah on yore haid, an' yo' put dose nine aigs in dat hat an' set it at chure do' - ah mean, anywheres at chure do'. An' take yo' nine sewin' needles, stickin' needles. Put de needles intuh dat hat. An' den de really fac' 'bout it, keep it covahed up an' see dat nobody puts dere han's nowheres about it. An' 'long as it really sets dere, why co'se de law nevah goin' worry yo'.
(You don't have to keep that hidden?)
Oh yes, yo' must put sompin ovah it. Yo' know, have it some place or 'nothah where nobody's li'ble [liable to] 'sturb [disturb] it.
(Where do you put those needles now?)
Yo' drop dose needles right in de hat.
Entry 9338
Well, yo' take an' git chew some black peppah an' some cai-yanne [cay- enne] peppah, an' git chew a fresh yard aig. De one in dat house dat made yo move out an' tole [told] him some yarns [lies] on yuh, him an' dim [= dem = them] gonna be jis' lak cat's an' dogs, until dey go, see. Now, if yo' wanta git back tuh dat house [if you Want to move back into that house]. (What do you do with that yard egg and that stuff that you mix up?) Jes' throw it up 'ginst de gate or any- wheres inside de yard, if yo' kin git in dere, an' [when] dey gone off tuh make [a visit] or sompin lak dat. An' throw it down on de groun' in front-a dey do'. Yo' kin do dat.
Entry 9350
Ah heard dat yo' could take a rotten aig an' make a person move out of de house. Break it on dere do'sill an' dat will make 'em move.
Entry 9353
Yo' kin take a aig, a rot- ten aig or sompin lak dat. Yo' kin take it an' put it above yuh do' 'fo' [door before] day fn de mawnin' -'fo risin' of de sun - an' yo' shoh [sure] will hafta [have to] git out of dere.
Entry 9362
Dey say dat chew kin take a aig, rotten aig an' put peppah, cayenne pep- pah in it. Jab a little hole, yo' know, in it [the egg]. Put cayenne peppah in it an' shake it up, an' throw it ontuh yuh do' nine days, mawnin's. An' den, whenevah yo' git up in mawnin', take peppah an' salt, an' where yo' walk 'long, jis' sprinkle it all behin' dem. An' dey tell me dat'll make a person move away from dat place. (Now, you mean you take a different egg each morning?) No sir - yes, sir, a diff'- ren' aig fo' nine mawnin's. Dat's whut dey tell me. (In addition to that, you have to put this other stuff in there?) Dey tell me yo' jis' jab a little hole in it [the egg]. (You do both of them, to make them move.) Yes, tuh make dem move.
Entry 9374
Den yo' kin take his socks, de left-foot socks, an' yo' kin put a hen aig in dere. Write his name on dat aig an' plant it on de no'th side of de do' an' dat'll bring 'im back.
(What do you mean by the north side of the doorstep?) Well, jes' lak de house is set- tin' dis way, on dat side [demon- strates]. (The north side of the steps.) Yessuh.
Entry 9375
Jes' lak now if yo' [ah] want someone tuh move, prob'ly it may be yo'. Ah'm jis' goin say it fo' a instance. Yo' in dis house an' ah don't want chew in heah. Well, ah'll take dat aig an' bust it on yore do', but ah gotta put a li'le sulphuh wit it first an' throw it on yuh do' an' yo' bound tuh move.
(You put some sulphur on that egg?)
Yes, an' bust it on yuh do'.
(Any kind of chicken egg?)
No, a black chicken aig. Put some sulphah on it befo' ah use it an' when ah throw it dere, say, "Ah'm doin' dis In de Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost. Ah want chew tuh move." An' when ah do dat, why yo' bound tuh go.
Entry 9376
A black hen chicken aig, well dey take an' load it wit sulphuh an' gunpowdah [punch a hole in the egg and insert sulphur and gunpowder]. An' take it an' pass by yuh house an' throw it ag'inst chure house lak dat, de front do' dat way demonstrates]. Splash it dat way. It usely [usually] makes yo' move.
Entry 9383
If a man had a posi- tion here an' yo' didn't want 'im here, well yo' kin go tuh 'is do' fo' three mawnin's early an' bust a fresh egg at 'is do'. Bust it dere fo' three mawnin's early an' bust a fresh egg at 'is do'. Bust it dere fo' three mawnin's, de fourth mawnin' why he'll leave dat business.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Any kind of a fresh egg, jis' bust one of 'em fo' three mawnin's. (That will make him leave that place of business.)
Entry 9384
Jis' lak whut ah said jis' now, if yo' want somebody tuh move. If a person in a place an' yo' an' 'im can't git along an' yo' want 'im tuh move, why yo' bust a chicken aig on de do' an' dat make 'em move. Yo' have tuh bust a aig fo' three nights. Dey bust dem dere twelve o'clock an' [or] fo' o'clock, an' dey gotta be eithah black hen's aig or red hen's. [Red hen is rare under any circumstance.] An' dat'll make 'em move, but dey gotta bust 'em on de do'.
(At either twelve o'clock or four o'clock, three nights.)
Yes, sir.
(How many eggs do you break?)
One.
(Just one, you do it three nights and they move?)
Yes.
Entry 9385
An' den ah know anothah way tuh break up two people. Yo' know jis' lak if ah had a wife an' jis' say fo' instance, if mah wife would be goin' tuh some fellah or 'nothah, an' ah wus tuh find out dat she wus goin' wit 'em, an' dey wus layin'up at a certain hour, jis' any house dat dey wus layin' up at. [I do not believe I had heard the expression shack up at this date.] Ah'd walk tuh de front do' - git chew three aigs, three hen aigs. Yo' walk tuh de front do' an' yo' bust one of dem hen aigs tuh de front do'. Go tuh de back do', bust it on de [back] do'. Hit it up 'ginst de [back] do'. Bust it on de front do', den yo' go tuh de back do' an' bust dat othah one on de back do'. An' when yo' walk out de gate, jis' lak yo' walk out de gate dere, git right in front of dis do' an' throw de othah aig down on de ground an' bust it.
(That other egg?)
Yes sir. Dat'll bust dem up. Don't cay [care] how much she in love wit 'im or whut kinda lovin' 'fair [affair] dey have, dat's a guaranteed fact tuh break 'em up.
(Any kind of chicken eggs?)
Yes sir, any kinda chicken eggs. It don't make no diff'rence whut kind.
Entry 9386
Jes' lak if yo' wanted tuh move anybody from heah dataway, or move 'em out of a house or anythin' of de kin', why yo' go tuh work an' yo' take a hen aig an' yo' write three letters of dey name. (Three letters of their name. What three letters do you write?) Well, yo' kin go tuh work an' yo' kin write evah third lettah, jes' evah third lettah. An' yo'll take it an throw it up 'ginst dere do' at night, anywheres 'ginst de wall of dere house, an' let it run down. Bust it. Well, dey can't stay dere, dey'll move.
Entry 9405
Git three fresh aigs an' bust 'em on de do' face fo' nine mawnin's. Dat'll make 'em move. (How could you bust those on the door-face for nine mornings if you only had three eggs?) Ah could. Evah nine mawnin's bust three fresh aigs on de do' 'fo' day. (For how long do you do that?) Fo' nine mawnin's. (You only use three eggs altogether?) Ah said three aigs evah mawnin' - three aigs, fo' nine mawnin's. An' bust 'em on de face of de do' an' dat'll make 'em move. [This is an excessive number of eggs but anything is possible in hoodoo.]
Entry 9416
An' den ah kin [take] a aig ag'in - JIS' LAK YO' WUZ MAH OLE MAN OR SOMEPIN ANOTHAH an' yo' had a woman an' ah knew 'er name. Write both of yo'all [you all] name on each one of dese aigs jis' lak ah wuz showin' yo' [Cylinder changed, also author's sex!] [nO- tice lady not woman]. Ah heard yo' were wit mah hus- ban' an' ah knew yuh name. Well, ah would put yuh name on one egg an' mah husban' on de othah one. Good fresh aigs. An' ah'd [I would] go tuh de rivah an' ah wanted yo'all to scat out an' separated, why ah'd go to de rivah an' jis' In de Name of de Lord, say, well, "Ah bus' [bust] yo'all up In de Name of de Lord." Jis' take dose eggs an' jis' smash 'em tuhgethah. Jis' stan' dere an' hol' dem [hold them over the water] until dey dreens [drain] out [of the shells]. Den yo' takes dese shells an' yo' bring dese shell home. Well, yo' put dis shell on top of yuh stove if yo' kin, or somepin clean glittah [glitter], where dere ain't no grease at, an' parch dat shell good an' brown. An' take dat [powdered or small pieces of shell] an' sprinkle it all ovah yuh house, an' all in yuh baid, an' all aroun' yuh doah jis' as much - lightly, yo' know, take an' sprinkle. He wu'd [would] nevah think of 'er [again]. [Memphis, Tenn., (962), 1553: loa.]
Entry 9420
Yes sir, ah heard dat if yo' [woman] got a [man] frien' dat go wit anothah woman, yo' kin git a black hen aig an' make watah on it fo' nine mawnin's, an' go by dere an' throw it on dis woman do', see. It shore will break. See, dat will break 'em. (That will break that woman and your sweetheart up.)
Entry 9423
Jis' lak if dere anybody yo' wants tuh make move from any- wheres, why yo' git a black hen aig, fresh aig. Git somebody whut's got [black] chickens, yo' know. Be shore it's a black hen. An' git dat aig an' put it in a coffee cup an' yo' pee on it fo' nine mawnin's. An' jis' lak dis mawnin' make de ninth mawnin', why yo' go tuh dat place where dey stay; an' jis' throw de cup an' aig an' all up side de do', an' he goin' leave dere - he jis' move.
Entry 9425
(A black hen egg? What do they do with that?)
Well, dey claims dat dey write chure name on dat an' yo' put dat in vinegah an' let it stay dere nine days. An' den yo' break it ovah de person's do', if yo' wanta make 'em move. (You just write the name on this egg, just once?) Yeah, once on de aig, an' yo' put it in vinegah. Leave it stay dere nine days, an' den yo' throw it ovah dey do'. Also a guinea aig. A guinea aig is mostly bettah den de black hen aig. [THIS MAY BE MY ( ONLY EXAMPLE OF A GUINEA EGG.] Although lotsa people believes in de black hen aig, but a guinea goes roun' de house makin' fuss all de time. Yo' know, yo' notice dat? [Guinea fowls considered as good as a watch dog.] An' if yo' wanta make fuss an' keep confusion, yo' git dat guinea aig, yo' see, an' dat keeps de confusion. (You do the same thing as you did with the black hen egg.)
Entry 9430
They take a black hen egg an' cayenne peppah an' guinea watah - er, yes - an' chuck it at yore door.
(What is that? What else do they take, now?)
Cayenne peppah, yes; a black hen egg...
(A black hen egg and then what?)
An' guinea - not guinea. Aw shucks they call it...
A black chicken egg, cayenne peppah...
(Yes, all right.)
An' yo' mix dat togethah.
(What do you mix now, what kind of water?)
War water!
(Oh! All right!)
An' yo' take an' yo' chuck it at dere door. Now, yo' see, yo' take a black hen egg by itself an' yo' chuck dat at yore door fo' nine mornings, an' dat makes yo' move an' makes yo' an' yore husband or yo' an' yore neighbor fight until yo' go to jail. (I see. All right.) Now, dat war water, just sprinkle it all around yore door. An' yo' just take a whole bottle of it an' mix it wit cayenne peppah an' den chunk it an' it busts at yore door. Yo' are sure to go to jail.
(I see.)
Entry 9454
One of de mos' valuable things, yo' kin take salt an' run evahone out dat house in ten minutes.
(Just how would you do that?)
Jis' take dat broom an' open de back do' an' de front do', jis' lak yo' open dis do' heah, an' take de broom an' turn it bottom upwards, an' put a handfulla salt right in de broom, an' set it wit de broom up an' close de do'. In ten minutes evahone of 'em git restless an' leave dere. Ah run company dat way some- times, when ah have company home an' git sick of 'em. Ah jis' git up an' go in de kitchen, an' take de broom an' set it behin' de do' an' throw salt on top of it, come back dere an' set down. In about ten minutes dey all git restless an' leave - dey go an' leave.
Entry 9465
Put some cookin' salt right in de do', in fron' of de do' yo' see; an' put some backwards tuh de kitchen where dey be walkin' in. An' dey walk in ovah dat salt, he'll have good luck de balance of dey days.
(Who would do this?)
De man, or anybody wus runnin' de house.
(Of any kind [of business] - selling what?)
Sellin' moonshine or....
Entry 9474
Jis' lak yo' wan'a house - jis' lak anyone naggin' an' dere be a whole lot of rows in de house an' yo' wan'a quit dat rǒwin' an' live pleasant in de house. Yo' take a li'le bit of table salt, but choo have tuh use it In de Name of de Lord. An' yo' take dat table salt an' yo' put a li'le bit in a can or anything, an' put it up ovah de do. An' dat's good tuh keep yuh home quiet.
Entry 9475
Now, jes' lak dat - dat's common, dats easy tuh be done, dat's a short argument. Why yo' jes' take a li'le pot salt an' sprinkle it 'fore yuh do'. Yo' will nevah be in no peace at all. Jes' a li'le pot salt.
Entry 9476
Throw salt on de do' or on de porch, an' dey more den apt tuh leave. Yo' know salt gives 'em bad luck if yo' bring it from yuh own house. An' den dey won't stay dere in peace an' dey'll fin'ly move out.
Entry 9478
Yo' takes cookin' salt an' sprinkle it in front de do', sprinkle fer t'ree mawnin's. Den de fo'th mawnin' de people will move out. Evah mawnin about - time about 'fo' 6 o'clock.
Entry 9479
There's several dif- ferent methods to work at it. The one method, why you would get up in the morning at three o'clock and take three hands of salt, and throw 'em across the door and make your wishes. And sometimes it have a tendency to make 'em move.
Entry 9491
Why, yo' kin be moved even wit de sunshine, even wit de table salt.
(How do you do that?)
Yo' take de Bible an' yo' take de salt an' go tuh de do' at de risin' of de sun, an' yo' throw yuh salt tuh de east. See [demonstrates]. An' yo' go through yore rooms no'th, east, so'th an' de west. See, an' yo' throw dat salt around in dat room. Dat is, eithah way yo' kin do it. An' den yo' go back - yo' do dat fo' three mawnin's an' he'll git upset an' of co'se he'll move. Yore [victim's] nerves will become nervous an' yo'll [he'll] have tuh go.
(Now I go to the door that's facing the east, and throw some salt...)
Dat way, yes, an' dat way [demonstrates]...fo' directions.
(That will make them [him] move out.)
Entry 9502
If yo' kin git intuh dere house, take table salt an' carry it tuh de front do' an' throw it out. Jes' come right straight through de house, sprin- klin' it as yo' walk through, an' sprinkle it down an' name it till yo' git tuh de walk where it goin' out [to street or road] an' dey'll move out very shortly behin' yo'. (You go in the back door and walk right through the house?) Walk right through the house an' sprinkle it as yo' go out.
Entry 9503
Yo' kin take salt. Lak a man when he leaves, yo' kin take salt fo' nine straight mawnin's an' yo' stan' in de do' an' yo' go on - yo' come out. Come out in de front yard an' take dat salt an' throw it back on dis man three times. Throw de salt back in de house ovah yore right shouldah three times, an' ovah yore lef' shouldah three times. Dat'll bring 'im back. (You stand out in front of the door with your back to the house and you do that nine mornings?) Nine mawnin's. He'll be back in nine mawnin's. He's gotta come back.
Entry 9511
Yo' rise early in de mawnin' befo' de sun rise an' put salt befo' de do', an' nobody will nevah come in de gate.
(That is to keep the law away or your enemies.)
Entry 9515
Take table salt an' sprinkle it roun' de do' fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey gotta go.
(bey have to move out of that house.)
Entry 9516
If yo' livin' roun' a set of mean people or neighborhood, yo' jes' cah [morning] fo' nine mawnin's yo' take salt, brand-new salt an' sprinkle it all roun' yore do'step an' yo'll make plenty friends - yo' won' have any enemies. Evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's befo' sunrise in de mawnin'.
Entry 9536
Dey tell me, git chew some salt when dey goin' [from your house]. Start where dey got up from an' carry it on an' sprin- kle. Throw it out de do' an call dere name an' tell 'em tuh go. Den take up de broom an' sweep dat same salt out chare do'. Dey won't come back.
Entry 9551
Heard of 'em usin' salt an' red peppah tuhgethah. Dat is tuh raise disturbance roun' de home. Mix de salt an' peppah tuhgethah an sprinkle it undah de do'sill or somewhere neah de house, an' in crossin' dat, dat'll teah up a home. [The words doorsill and saddle of the door are infrequent in hoodoo usage.]
Entry 9555
Go tuh yore house ver' [early] mawnin' 'fo' sunrise an' sprinkle salt undah yore do'step - salt an' red peppah undah each do'step. Dat'll make yo' move. (But it must be before sunrise?) Yes.
Entry 9556
As he leaves yo' kin take dis peppah an' salt togethah an' sprinkle it all roun' outside yuh door an' jes' on de inside, an' tell 'em tuh stay out [use some sort of in- cantation] an' dey won' come in - can't come in.
(That's to keep anyone from staying there.)
Yes sir.
Entry 9557
Yo' take salt an' red peppah dust. (Suppose that's my door right there [door of interviewing room]. Now, how would you put that down?)
[Informant goes over to the door.]
Yo' dig a trench [demonstrates].
(Straight out from the door.)
Right near de steps, an' put it [ingredients] in dere [demonstrates]: one, two, three, an' covah it. (You make these three trenches right in front of the doorstep and you put one of these things [piles of mixed salt and red pepper] in each of those trenches and you cover them up. And then what do you say?) "Go devil!" (And you say no one can step over that door [doorsill]?) No sir. [As soon as informant left the room I added a comment of my own: "Wilmington, N. C. The informant did most of this by pantomine: mixing the salt and red pepper, dividing it into three piles, digging three trenches, filling and covering them. His few words were mumbled. Hence I had to reconstruct what was acted and spoken from my own running comments on the telediphone cylinder.]
Entry 9561
[You] kin git some simple thing an' jis' git some red peppah - cayenne peppah - an' salt, an' call 'em in an' have a few word wit 'em, kinda conversa- tion. An' den aftah [or as] dey go out, throw it out behin' dem an' jes' sweep it out. Dat's how yo' could do dat. Dat's a li'l simple way tuh git rid of anybody dat yo' don't want. (I see. Now what else could they do?) Well, dat's about de simplest thing yo' could do tuh git rid of 'em.
Entry 9564
As person leaves, sprinkle salt an' peppah behin' 'im an' say, Go! An' don't come back no mo'. [Washington, D. C., (?), 822:2f.
Entry 9570
Well, dey jes' take salt an' peppah an' mix it tuhgethah - red peppah an' salt, mix it good tuhgethah an' each time yo' come, put it undah de do'step. Jes' keep it up undah de do'step, an' each time yo' come back, jes' throw it at chew an' yo' know, take de broom an' sweep it out. Purtty soon yo' will stay away.
Entry 9576
[If you] wan' 'em tuh move out sometime or don' wan'a be bothahed wit nobody dere in dat house, yo' - someone says tuh put red peppah in de fire an' burn it, an' throw salt ovah de flo', an' as dey walk out yo' sweep behin' 'em. Sweep it on out an' yo' won' be bothahed vit'em no mo'.
Entry 9578
Understand, listen good. You take cayenne pepper an' take dat salt fo' nine mornin's an' sweep it out your front way, an' betcha dey'll move.
(I see, that's to make the person move out of the house.)
Dere ain't nobody told you dat, have dey?
(Not the nine mornings one.)
I betcha dey'll move. Take cayenne pepper an' table salt an' jes' sprinkle [and sweep] it out for nine mornin's out your front door. Betcha dey'll move.
Entry 9589
Yo' git some black peppah - jes' lak ah'd wan' chew tuh move outa mah house. Ah'd git some of yore black peppah an' some salt, an' go tuh a grocery stō' an' git chew [me] some'a dis red peppah [either because you do not keep any or it must be new] an mix dat up an' throw it right undah - right 'fore yore do'. Dat'll natchly wanta git chew out.
Entry 9597
Well, now, yo' see, jes' lak yo' had a house. Yo' wanted tuh rent it an' yo' wanted tuh be lucky on it. Well, yo' take an' go tuh a person, say, "Well, ah'll rent yo' dat house fo' so much." Well, now yo' wants tuh be lucky in rentin' it. Yo' go tuh work den an' yo' take yo' some black peppah, some salt, an' take yo' nine pods of red peppah, an' yo' take yo' three grains of calomel.
(Is that the stuff you take for your bowels?)
Dat's right. Take dat an' yo' put it all tuhgethah an' yo' put dat in a bag [making a hand]. Yo' take den an' yo' carry it tuh yore home an' yo' lay it right up ovah de do', or eithah put it right undah de right cornah of yore do'- step. Well, yo'll always be lucky in dat home.
Entry 9621
Take cayenne peppah an' salt when yuh [visitor] go out de do', an' sulphuh, an' take yore broom an' sweep 'em out. An' let chure broom go on
[sweeping] out in de street behin' 'em an' dey won't come back soon. De way dey go, let de broom go [sweep] dat way.
Entry 9635
Yo' kin take yo' some ground red peppah [cayenne pepper], sulphuh an' table salt. An' yo' kin throw dat roun' yore do', or yo' kin put dat in yore shoes - sulphur in yore shoes. Yo' kin walk on dat sulphuh an' nobody can't harm yo'.
Entry 9640
Ah heard dat chew take yore chamber lye an' dis salt an' peppah, an' throu it evah mawnin' befo' sunrise at chure do'. Dat'll keep de laws from run- nin' on yo' an' all fren's will come to yo'. An' don't sweep no, none of de dust out chure house, out chure front do'. Don' nevah throw none out; throw it in de fiahplace. Dat always brings in luck. But nevah carries out any [sweepings]. (If you are in business of any kind, especially bootlegging?) Yes, bootleggin' an' gamblin'.
Entry 9655
If I see a person I don't like and I don't want him in my house, I can take salt and bluestone and put it under the door and they can't come in. [Fredricksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 9658
Dey kin make yo' move wit saltpetah, brimstone an' table salt - jis' plain table salt. An' po' it by night, chew know, at de do' or sprinkle it roun' de do', an' yo' shuh of makin' 'em move.
Entry 9678
Yo' take de 'simmon bark. Ah heard dat one too, if anyone wants tuh trick yo' in any way. All right, yo' take de 'simmon bark an' yo' goes on an' yo' take nine tablespoon- fuls of table salt an' put it in dere wit dis bark. Yo' boils it. Den yo' take dis stuff an' go tuh dey house at night, chew know. An' when yo' backs out from dey house, yo' let it follah yo' from de do' tuh where yo' goin' - long as it leaks out. Well, if dey try tuh do anythin' dere's nuthin tuh dat.
(You put nine spoonfuls of salt in this persimmon bark?)
Yes.
Entry 9680
[Take] potash whut chew wash clothes with, an' take table salt, an' take dis here sulphuh, an' take one of dese here John de Conkah roots, an' put all dis tuhgethah, an' yo' take it an' bury it undah de steps. Don't let no one see yo'. If anybody move in dat house an' yo' don't want 'em tuh move in dere, dey ain't goin' stay in dere. Dey can't.
Entry 9684
Jis' like if your husband was goin' with someone else, [I know] of a remedy that would break that up, and that is one heaping tablespoonful of salt. You dip up this here, a tablespoonful of salt, pick it up, an' you take yuh hand an' brush it off [level the salt]. An' you pour that over there on the Papah. Then do the same with de sulphur. An' you brush that off [take a table- Spoon level-full of sulphur] an' pour it into this [salt]. Then take one pinch of saltpeter an' you put this into this [salt and sulphur]. Then you make [mix] it up real good an' start from the front door, go upstairs, you go backwards, sprinkle this. An' they say when he walks over this, it'll break 'em up.
Entry 9685
An' if yo' don't want 'em tuh come tuh yore house, yo' take table salt an' snake dust - cos' [of course] snake dust will kill yo'. Dey throw it at chew when yo' goin' tuh de house. Yo' take dat an' chunk it. Dey call it throwin' it at chew, but dey don't throw it at chew, dey put it down fo' yo' tuh walk ovah it. But if dey don't want chew tuh come tuh de house, yo' take one of yore right-foot shoes, an' sweep dat shoe, dirt an' all out de do', an' den dey'll walk backward from dat shoe in de house. Dey ain't comin' back no mo'.
(Whose shoe do they put out there?)
Yores. Jes' put a little table salt in dere. Dat will carry dem away.
(What do you do with the snake dust?)
Dat snake dust? Well, now, dat's tuh kill yo'. Dey won' do nuthin but jes' pur dat down, right down in yore pathway.
(Where you can walk over it?)
Yessuh, an' yo' walk ovah it. (But if they want to get rid of you, they just put that salt in your shoe and seep it out?) Yessuh. But dat snake dust, if yo' walks ovah dat snake dust an' dey got it in dere, why dat'll git chew, see, 'cuz dey got dat lodestone in it, yo' see.
Entry 9704
Well, yo' take, get one - yo' callin' all de time - yo' git chew some sulphuh an' git chew some table salt, an' mix dat tuhgethah an' make yo' a dust. Be callin' all de time. [Call anything you want to: Quarrels in this house must stop.] Jes' cake it an' scattah it right in front dat do'. Always scattah it all ovah de house an' jes' bend as yo' walk all ovah. [Why performer bends over I do not lmov. Like a wounded bird is operator deceiving the spirit working the spell?]
(What will that do?)
Dat'll stop de fuss. (Stop the fuss in the house.) [Kills whatever conjure started and continues the quarrels.]
Entry 9715
Salt an' a little chamber lye an' a little vinegah, an' sprin- kle roun' yore do' will keep de law back. Dat's whut ah've heard. [Waycross, Ga., (1092), 1759:1.] [These four sticking or sharp-pointed instruments are of great importance in HOODOO, but usually they appear not alone or together but as parts of rites having more complex elements. For example we have: 4 new needles crossed in a handker- chief and folded 4 times to you, creating 16 squares, a rare example of "geometric progression" (for folding rites see 3182-3190, v.3) where the principal concern is neither needle nor folding but CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE (No.3162, p.2352, v.3). Another use of 4 needles does not appear in our present section because it is more useful elsewhere bringing back a murderer (MURDER, No.7316, p.3251, v.4). Yet nails, needles and pins, and tacks - isolated by themselves or in combinations - remain numerous, important and interesting, as we shall find in our first belief.]
Entry 9722
Yo' kin take a twentypenny nail an' dress it wit High John de Conkah stuff an' dope it evah mawnin' an' evah night. An' take an' drive it neah yore house, drive 'em [informant changes to two nails] in yore do'side both ways. Say it will keep de law away. (What do you mean, drive them both ways?) Drive one dat-a-way an' drive one dis-a-way. Drive one on dat side dat-a-way an' drive one ovah heah dis-a-way.
(Right in the door frame?)
Yes, an' jes' dope [dress or feed] dat [driven in] haid evah mawnin' an' evah night. Say dey [law] won' come anywhere neah yo'. [Nails are more likely driven into doorsill.]
Entry 9724
Take two tenpenny nails an' nail 'em down an' cross 'em lak dat [dem- onstrates: nails crossed like an "x"]. Nobody will stay in dere.
(Where do you nail them?)
Right ovah de do' [doorsill]. Crosses up de house. (No one can rent it or stay in there.)
Entry 9725
Dey use nails fo' sep'ratin' a man an' a woman, or eithah de husban' an' wife, whatevah yo' wan' tuh do. Yo' take de three nails an' cross; 'em dis way. See, cross 'em dat way, yo' see, an' den yo' have anothah one comin' cross dis way. (They are crossed one on top of the other like a rail fence.) Yes. An' den git chew a twine string an' yo' wrap it till - have de twine string about a-like dat [meas- ures].
(Four or five feet long.)
Yes. An' wrap it till dat string is out; all de way in all dose things [dem- onstrates].
(In all those corners?)
[In the V's between the spokes of the wheel.]
Yes. An' den when yo' git it wrapped, den yo' take it an' whosomevah house it is, yo' go tuh dere house. An' yo' go in, yo' know, an' sit down an' talk or sompin lak dat. An' den go tuh de backdo' an' throw it east, jes' as fur as yo' kin in de grass. Den yo' come on back. Dat's de way tuh separate a man an' wife.
(You just throw the whole thing altogether, just throw the whole thing away?)
Yes, de whole thing away. Dat's tuh separate a man an' wife. [There are several of these rimless wheel rites in HOODOO.]
Entry 9742
Yo' take nine wire nails - dey call 'em tenpenny nails - an' yo' take dem nails an' yo' put five at de front. Nail five down right in de centah of de front do'. An' yo' take de othah fo' an' yo' nail 'em right down in de fiahplace - right down in de fiahplace. An' yo' say, "Well, ah wan'a stay heah an' ah don' wanta leave - long as ah wan'a." An' evahtime de rentman come in he say, "Yo' got anythin'?" "No, ah ain't got nuthin tuhday." An' he go on by. He nevah tell yo' tuh move out de house - not argin' [argu- ing] 'bout it. Yo' stay dere till yo' git ready tuh go. See, dat's naiZin' yo' down.
Entry 9750
Peoples bury 'em, bury nails, big nails, at a certain distance, yo' know. Nine nails. An' dat will keep de law away. (Where do they bury these nails?) In de ground roun' de entrance, roun' de front yard where dey 'sposed tuh come in. Nine nails, jes' de p'int down. [Wilson, N. Car.,
(1454).2643:6.]
Entry 9752
Say, if anybody wuz hurt chew or git chure min' confusin', an' make yo' don't know whut chew wanta do half de time, dey could take a oak stick an' put nine notches an' ninepenny nail an' put it at chure step. Use new nail. Yessuh, say dat'll shure hurt chew.
(How would they put the nails in, in the stick?)
No suh, nail it down roun' dat stick. Jes' lak if yo' put it in de centah, nail 'em all roun' dat stick. Say yo' couldn't stay tuh yore own house in no peace.
Entry 9759
You kin take these nails, tenpenny nails, and you kin drive 'em in the ground where some person that you doesn't like or want to move them, you move them with nails. And when you drive 'em in the ground and make your wish, you drive 'em head down an' p'int up. Or you kin drive 'em at your doorstep and nail them down under your control. You use nine nails.
Entry 9760
A man was likin' a woman. He get to like another woman, yo' know, an' doesn't come to her no more. She'd get nine new nails an' drive 'em down in de ground at her door, just enough to cover their heads up, and then the next morning she would take some of her water from de chamber and throw that on it. See. Then when he comes back in over that, over them nails and that chamber lye, then he'll get on with her.
(He gives the other woman up. I see.)
Entry 9764
Take yuh nine bran'-new nails, nine [new] needles. Take 'em an' put 'em in a sack, a piece of white clot' [cloth] whut nevah had no scissah in it, no mo' [more] dan whut yuh cut it tuh sew it, an' put 'em in dere. Bury 'em undah yuh front steps. An' if he come tuh de front, sweep in tuh de back all de time.
(I see. That'll keep the law away.)
He goin' tuh stay away.
Entry 9770
Have five cents worth of new nails. Don't ase 'em fo' anything else an' nail 'em on de do' facin' [saddle] right [upright] 'em right down dere, right straight down at dat piece, dat crosspiece. Dat make luck.
Entry 9771
Well, ah've hear'd of settin' dem nails. Jes' lak comin' up tuh yuh do' dere [in interviewing room] yo'd set dem nail wit de point down - pointin' away [demonstrates]. (Pointing away from the door.) Yes. An' [you] have tuh boil all of dem nails in sulphuh, brimstone, peppah an' bluestone. Dey [unwant- ed person: law, rentman, etc.] can't come [in] tuh save dere life. [Here I turn- ed off recording machine too soon, missing the first few words of the demonstra- tion]...place dem up lak dat [demonstration continues]. (How? Have the point straight out like that? [I demonstrate]: And all this stuff is underneath there [the doorsteps]? This lime and all this stuff?) Yes.
Entry 9773
De bes' thing yo' kin do, if yo' wan' 'em tuh leave out dat house. Yo' git chew a needle dat ain't nevah been sewed wit, an' yo' take dat needle an' yo' stick dat needle up ovah de doah. Jes' stick it up right ovah de do' an' de point of it is right chere, is out [demonstrates].
(The point is pointing outside.) An' ah'll guarantee yo' tuh yore dyin' days [they will never return]. Yo' know why ah know it? (No.) Ah seen it done. An' den de person [who did it]
didn't know, tole a lie [about it].
Entry 9774
Dey say yo' take yo' a brass - goldeye needle. (One?) Two of 'em - or either one - an' put it at de do' as yo' go out. Yell, dey say dat's drivin' yo', say dat'll drive yo' ovahbo'd [overboard]. So dey say. (I would do that in somebody's house to send them away and make them jump in the water?) Yeah. Say that will make yo' jump ovahbo'd, drive yo'.
Entry 9775
Take a needle an' - take a part of a needle [break needle in half] an' thread dis needle an' stick it up ovah de do'. An' dat's [to] cause if yo' has a young girl roun' or sompin lak dat, dat'll cause whenevah a man comes aroun' dat chew wants fo' her husban'. Yo' take de needle down an' pin it neahby in a chair where he sits. An' she kin git dis heah man fo' a husban' wit de needle. Wit a pin point [the point broken from pre- ceding needle] yo' gotta find a pin point dat's real sharp an' use it. Jes' lak, say if a hustlah, differen' hustlahs come roun' yore house. An' if yo' kin ketch 'im tuh set in a closed place - yo' know whut ah mean, jes' lak prob'bly dey settin' right where dat back. Yo' jes' - prob'bly yo' might walk ovah an' say somepin tuh 'em an' use dis pin point fo' hustlahs. Dat is tuh make 'em sharp. Dey call 'em [pin points] sharp luck.
(What do you do with that pin point?)
What would yo' do wit de pin point? Oh, yo' gits de pin point an' keeps it. See, jes' lak, even de men jes' lak whut ah's sayin' 'bout fo' de girl's mar- riage, yo' takes de point off dose needles an' [or] de pin point an' keeps 'em yo'self. See, dat's luck fo' tuh bring tuh yore house.
Entry 9791
Git chew two needles an' write chure name - write chure name first an' put 'er name on top of yore name. Git chew two needles an' stick it right up ovah dat do' dere [points to door of interviewing room] right up undah de [wall] papah. Put dat up undah de papah. Well, yo' stick de haid of de needles in de vall, but stick [the points of] de needles comin' in de house. Dat will bring 'er right back. She won't be a day comin' back eithah. (You stick that paper [with the names] up by putting these needles through it?) Yessuh, yo' put dem needles through dis papah yo' see ovah de do'. An' stick de point of de needles comin' in de house; not goin' out, comin' in de house.
(The needles will point into the house?)
[A portion of the wallpaper is peeled back, the paper with names dampened and pressed against the wall, and the wallpaper returned and held in place by push- ing the heads of two needles through it. There are variations of this rite else- where in HOODOO.1 Yes. Dat'll point 'er right on in heah. She ain't goin' out dere jes' as long as dat needle an' dat name up dere. She ain't goin' out.
Entry 9796
Ah do know of crossin' three pins. Whut dat re'lly means - crossin' three pins mean dat in a very short time some person is li'ble tuh git stobbed [stabbed] or shot or cut. (Where do you cross these three pins?) Cross dese three pins up ovah yore do'. Place dem three pins up ovah de do' jes' lak yo' put one in each diff'ren' spot: one [pin] at dat run [over first pin] an' [third pin] right across dat run. [Like this arrange 3 pins.l An' puts [where] de per- son walk undah it. Well, in one or two months, or in three months, he'll be cut, shot or stobbed. [A similar six-spokes-of-wheel rite follows this rite.]
Entry 9800
(What would you do with that?) You take you three needles [see correction later]. (Three needles?) Yes, sir, an' stick - it be four needles. See? Two go this way and two that way. Make a "x" of 'em. Burn 'em and make a "X' of 'em and hang 'em up. Put one over and the other two over this door here like that. Three go this here, and put one on that door, and one on the bottom.
[This confuses the number of needles.]
(How many needles did you take?)
Four - across - burnt cross, yo' see. (You cross the points over the front door and then you cross the points over another door - the back door?) Yes.
(But you burn those needles first?)
Yeah, burn 'em first.
(I see. To keep the law away?)
Yes.
(I see.)
Entry 9803
Well, yo' see, de house yo' lives in has got four corners to it. Well, it's north, east, west, and south. Well, yo' take a simple thing as a needle, one needle, an' take that needle an' put in each corner of your house. An' every night at twelve 'clock yo' read the Ten Command- ments in each corner of that house. Like tonight yo' read them in one corner an' the next night yo' read them in another corner. An' then after yo' get that done, yo' take the needles out wrap them up, buy a little lodestone, put the four needles in that and put them up over the door, tack it there, an' leave it there. Yo' kin get all the trade you want. That will even keep the law away.
Entry 9804
If yo's a keen farmah an' lookin' fo' 'em tuh break yo' up, yo' go git chew six needles, bran' new, an' take yore - now, heah's yore barn-facin', yore barn door facing.
(Facing of barn door?)
Yes. Yo' make a way [split with knife] in dere an' place dem needles in dere. Make a crack in dere wit chure knife so yo' kin place dem needles in dere. But de eyes [of the needles], three of 'em, an' place 'em jes' about de height of a man's body. Go up tuh dat do' an' put three [needles] on each side [of the door]. An' yo'll find no breakin' up of yore farm.
Entry 9815
Take nine needles an' string 'em with a thread, string 'em up ovah yuh front doah, an' make any- one yo' love come tuh yuh.
Entry 9817
Git chew some needles, lak a pack of needles, an' jis' befo' dey be used [get new needles]. An' lak - go right, [points] lak dat dat person's do right dere. An' git dat needle, yo' know, an' dig dat needle [into the door], yo' know. Plant it jis' lak yo' dig it in roun' lak dis [demon- strates]. Dig one lak dis, put one lak dat, an' take one, yo' know, crossin' it right in front [of] dat per- son's do'. See. [All this has been acted out.] An' when dose needles begin tuh git rusty, well dat jis' begin tuh make 'em upset in de house, yo' see. It will make 'em upset wit de landlord an' den de landlord put 'em out. [The pre- ceding dat dat = that that = that is that = like that is that person's door.] (On that door, you put one needle like that [I demonstrate], and then you put one needle like that. Follow me [pay attention]. You put one needle like that, then you put one on top of it like that, and then you put another one on top like that. You just keep crossing them. How many do you put in there?) Yes, yo' put nine.
(That is all you have to do, use those nine needles?)
Use those nine needles.
Entry 9821
Ah've hear'd dey could bury - dey ties nine needles togethah am' grease dem with de grease dey call axle grease an' bury dem dat ways. An' hit on dem nine times, not hit dem all on de same masi'. Dey bury 'em in three parts in front of de do' an' hit 'em nine times fo' nine manin's. (Hit them once each morning?) Once each masin' an' dat will - dat's tuh drive a person away - yo' know, jes' die. Yo'll jes' fade away. Nails also [can be used].
(Either nails, or needles and pins?)
The pins, eithah nails. (And the needles. And you put three, in groups of three. And you must hit each one of those once?) Yes.
Entry 9823
Dey kin bury nine needles. Point de nine needles up an' put dem intuh de groun'. An' yo' walk ovah dem nine needles. An' dey have de points right straight up from de groun' an' put dat right in de mid- dle of yore do'. An' den dey kin put nine nails. Put nine nails wit dose nine needles an' yo' walk ovah dose nails, yo' see, an' dose points. Dat goes intuh yuh.
(You don't have to step on them?)
No, yo' don' have tuh step on 'em. Dey have 'em buried, but dey have 'em pointed upwards. Yeah, dey has 'em pointed upwards.
(What would that do to you then?)
Dat would give yuh pains.
Entry 9842
(Tell me how they make a person stay at home?)
Wit dere sock. Well, take dis sock an' put chure sugah an' yore cinnamon in dis sock, an' take yo' nine needles an' nine pins an' - fold yore sock an' put [in] dem nine needles an' nine pins. An' yo' use 'em all, gotta git 'em all in dere. See, dem eighteen sticks [sticking ob- jects] gotta be in dere. An' yo' take three tacks an' nail 'em down at de front of yore do', or eithah if yo' got a fiah hearth, yo' take a brick up an' yo' lay dat brick dere. Lay it dere an' put it on top dat. An' yo'll nevah git rid of 'em. Dat'll hold 'em.
Entry 9845
Yo' kin take nine needles an' sulphuh an' salt an' put it undah yore do'steps, an' if yo' walk ovah it - it be about nine days befo' it start tuh burn an' de ninth day yo'll feel somepin up an' down yore laigs lak needles an' pins. An' dat'll be cun- juration workin'. Co's' ah've had experience of dat 'cuz ah wus hurt lak dat once. Den dey could take nine pins, lak if yo' wanta bring some- body back or if dey off stay- in' wit anothah woman. Yo' git nine - git a pack [package] of [new] pins an' take nine out of dat an' put 'em up ovah yore do' where dey'll come in an' out. Co's' if dey're not dere, why dey won't; but dey's away, yo' git up evah mawnin' befo' sunrise an' yo' go tuh dat do', an' open dat do' an' say, "Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, an' Name Of de Holy Ghost, ah want mah husban' tuh come back tuh me." Or whoevah it is, "Ah want dem come back in Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost." An' in de ninth day, if dey don' come in dat do' - den yo' keep it up an' yo' don' take it down. Yo' keep 'em up dere, where dey walk in. Aftah dey come back, den yo' know where dey walks in an' out. Den yo' don't do it right on lak, yo' kow, right fo' de nine days, but chew do it occasion'ly, in case it die down. Yo know yo' do it occasion'ly, jes' keep it on. Don't do it [all the time], keep it right on straight.
Entry 9852
Go tuh de Ten' Cent Store anywhere an' git chew a package of straight peedles - straight pins whut ah mean tuh say, straight pins. An' yo' kin take an' git chew a li'l bittee hammah, an' at chure front do' tack up eighteen dat way in a line right across dere. M' at chure back do' tack up seven of dem straight pins. An' dere won't no law Ble inside dere tuh search.
Entry 9853
Git chew a [new] pincushion an' git chew two packages of dem li'l ole lang packages of needles, which dey may not - dey may not take all dem. But jus' full up de pincushion jis' evahwhere yo' kin git a needle in it an' hang it up ovah yuh do'. If yo' runnin' any bad house or ca'- in' [carrying] on anythin' 'ginst de law, yo' won't nevah git pulled. If yo' git pulled why dey dat behin' yo' [persons selling liquor to you will see] yo' git cleah. [Waycross, Ga., (1110), 1783:11.] [These are not the only rites using tacks in HOODOO; other uses of tacks occur in composite rites scattered throughout the text: see No.9842 a few pages back.]
Entry 9860
An' yo' take dat same frog an' yo' tie 'im tuh a lightwood [pine] splintah of a tree struck wit de lightenin'. Yo' git a splintah, a fat splintah [pine splinter filled with pitch] an' yo' git chew some black thread - black silk thread - an' yo' tie dat frog aroun' dat. Yo' don't kill 'im. Aroun' dat splintah. An' yo' buries dis frog tuh de do' [of] de girl [you] is tryin' tuh make or marry an' yo'll soon marry dis girl, or yo' an' 'er will be sweethearts an' stay tuhgethah - live tuhgethah. [The splinter here is not the ordinary small sliver that runs into your finger; it can be large enough to hold a frog and much larger, a stick of wood to burn in the stove. This splinter should come from the actual wood split by lightning, not from any other part of the tree.]
Entry 9876
Dey have used frogs wit de hard lumps on dem [toads?].
(How would they do that?)
Let 'em dry an' throw it undah de house. Yo'll nevah go an' neithah come.
(How would you get rid of that?)
Well, all yo' got'a do, jes' take de frog an' pays 'im a [silver] dime. An' when yo' pays 'im a dime, yo' ketch 'im alive an' yo' stick im on yo' do's. Stay wit chew a length'a time an' den he goin'a run dem out de house. (You do what?) Stick 'im alive on de backa yo' do'. Yo' ketch 'im an' take 'im swallah a dime. An' take a picket [stake] an' put a picket in 'is haid two han's [feet], bottom 'ands [back legs], until he come tuh be dry. When yo' want 'im tuh go out dere, den yo' go out dere an' den throw im dat same distance [direction] where dey is. Den he do yo' work.
(He'll [second toad will] throw off the other frog.)
[Two toads are used here, the first one thrown under victim's house so that he can nevah go and neither come. To counteract this spell, victim or his doctor catches and pays another live toad to work for him.] Yeah.
Entry 9906
Yo' kin take a toadfrog. Now, I had dat - dat wus done tuh me. A man wus co'tin' [courting] me an' he wus co'tin' anothah lady. An' we co'ted fo' a good long while an' ah tole 'im, ah says, "Why don't chew let's git ma'ed?" He say, "Well, ah'm engaged tuh anothah lady tuh git ma'ed." Ah ast 'im, ah say, "Why yo' co'tin' me so long when yo' know yo' wus engaged tuh anothah lady?" He says, "Well, ah guess ah lak yuh." Ah say, "Well, dat ain't busi- ness." Say, "Ah thought chew wus co'tin' me fo' a wife. If ah hadda thought chew wusn't doin' dat, we'd abeen [we would have been] quit long ago, becuz a husband [was] whut ah wus lookin' fo'." He says, "Well, ah'm already [TORTOISE IN GEORGIA] engaged tuh git ma'ed." Ah say, "Well, when yo' goin' git ma'ed?" "Well, we's tuh git ma'ed in June." Ah tole 'im, ah says, "Well, when June come if ah live, yo' won' git ma'ed." He say, "Well, if ah live, ah will git ma'ed." Ah say, "Well, if yo' live yo' won' git ma'ed." So when June come - de lady wus down south - she came. He come ovah an' he tole me, he say, "Well, de lady ah tole yuh about ah wus tuh ma'y, she have come."
[Cylinder change causes the following repetition.]
Ah say, "Well, when yo' goin' git ma'ed? He say, "We's tuh git ma'ed in June." Ah say, "Well, ah tole yuh, yo' wouldn't ma'y her." He say, "Well, Ah don't see how yo' [can say] ah'm not gonna ma'y 'er. If ah live ah'm gonna ma'y huh." Ah say, "Well, if ah live yo' won' ma'y huh." So ah goes tuh a fortunetellah an' dis fortunetellah tole me tuh ketch a toad- frog an' git me a coffee can, a tin coffee can, an' drive holes in de bottom of dat can an up aroun' in dat can tuh 'bout halfway. An' ketch dat frog an' put 'in in dat can an' name him dat puhson's name three times. An' take it tuh a black antses baid an' stir it up, an' set dat can in dere; an' evah two or three days fo' me tuh watch dat can. Go an' look in it evah two or three days. An' when dem antses eat all de meat offa dat frog, tuh bring 'im dat frame [skeleton] in dat can. An' when dat wus done, ah ca'ed it tuh 'im. An' he tole me dere wus some bones in dat frog dat he wus gonna fix in a li'l package fo' me tuh weah shere it'll keep warm nex' tuh me, an' he would nevah ma'y dat wumman. An' he fised de package an' ah went tuh weahin' it. So when de time come fo' him tuh ma'y dis wumman, he come ovah an' he tole me, he sayed, 'Miss Cartah, '' he sayed, "De lady didn't ma'y me." Ah said, "Well, why she didn't ma'y yo'?" He said, "Ah dunno." Ah said, "Well, did yo' buy de papahs?" He say, "Yes, ' say, "Ah bought mah license an' dey cost fo' dollahs an' fifty aents, an' ah went ovah tuh ma'y her an' she tole me she 'clined [declined] de idea of gittin' ma'ed." Ah said, "Well, when did she say she would ma'y yuh?" "She didn't say." Ah said, "Well, yo' oughta make huh tell yuh when she gonna ma'y yuh. She 'clined de idea right now, maybe a li'l latah she might ma'y." He say, "She don' mean tuh ma'y' Ah say, "Yo' reckon she don't?" He say, "No." Ah say, "Why?" "Cuz she given me mah money back. Ah paid fo' dollahs an' fifty cents fo' de license an' she give it back tuh me." Ah say, "Oh well, she don't mean tuh ma'y yo' den." An' den he commence tuh worryin' me tuh ma'y 'im an' ah wouldn't ma'y him den, 'cuz de fortunetellah dat ah'd gone tuh tole me it would happen dat way. An' he tole me, "When he ast chew 'bout ma'in' don' chew ma'y him." Said, "Becuz he wouldn't live long. He would soon stricken an' die an' yo' would soon be a widow ag'in." An' jis' lak he tole me 'bout it, he would ast me 'bout ma'in' 'im, he did. But ah kep' 'im shooed off, an' re'lly, latah he did taken sick an' died. [Here I changed the cylinder. Informant begins by returning to an episode she had omitted, what she had done to make her rival refuse the man.] So dis fortunetellah tole me dat dis woman dat he wus supposed tuh ma'y, she wouldn't ma'y him. He tole me tuh git some li'l boy tuh go on in de swamp or somewhah an' fin' me a gophah - wit fo' laigs, a gophah, yo' know. So ah come back an' got de boys tuh hunt de gophah up an' dey wouldn't fin' one. [The preceding word gopher may confuse the reader. Here in Georgia where I was interviewing, people called the gopher a salamander. What informant means by gopher is a burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), the animal and eggs edible.] So ah went back an' tole 'im about it. Ah said, "Well, don' seem lak ah kin git a gophah." Ah say, "It'll have tuh be some othah 'rangements made." Ah said, "Dis man sweahs dat he gonna ma'y dis wumman." He said, "Yo' needn't worry about dat; he ain't goin' ma'y huh." He say, "Well." He got some dirt, some red-lookin' dirt, an' he showed it tuh me. He said, "If ah give yuh some of dis dirt an' tell yuh whut tuh do wit it, would jew be scared tuh do it?" Ah said, "No, ah won't be scared. Ah'll try tuh do it." An' he fixed so much of de dirt in a papah an' give it tuh me. An' he said, "Aftah dahk [dark] - yo' know wheah dis wumman live?" Say, "Yessuh." "Aftah dahk yo' go tuh huh house wheah she live. Don' let no one see yo', if yo' kin he'p it, an' yo' throw dis dirt tuhwards 'er front do', as much as yo' kin, tuh spattah it on de do' an' de porch aroun'. An' she won't nevah ma'y." So ah did dat. So dey didn't ma'y. (You said this was another case where a woman was going to marry the man. This is the same story?) Yes sir, dat's de woman's part of de graveyard dirt. [The reader may recall that my informant told us her rival de lady was down south. Here we were in southern Georgia not too far from Florida! I found this down south all along the Atlantic coast from Maryland southward. The south was always somewhere farther south!]
Entry 9957
Dry a frog and hang it over your door to draw in money. [Memphis, Tenn., my summary of rite from an excellent hoodoo woman (960), whose cylinders were missed by my transcriber, 1548:4.]
Entry 10023
Dey say take de black cat an' kill 'im, an' boil 'im an' wake ot all de bones, an' whatevah bone is de lucky bone, why yo' throw 'en all in see watah, runnin' watah, an' all of 'em 'ill sink tuh de bottom but de locy bone will stay on top. Dey said yo' kin take dat bone an' open any kinda do'.
Entry 10178
It also is said that if any evil things coming around at night also, if you keep those candles burning all night long by your door, an' that will also project [eject] the evil of [from] the house. (Well, how would they burn those candles? What kind of candles would they burn?) Well, they burn one to the front an' one to the back, of the enteries [entrances] of the house, right in de middle of the hallway; very small candle, not a large one. That will also protect [you against] the evils of the house. An' also will make the family live in harmony an' in peace with each other.
Entry 10195
Three candles are burned: white, green and pink. While burning them keep saying, "To keep the law away." Before you do this hang a red apple over the door. [Red apple or red onion the meaning is the same, customers, as material somewhere in Boodoo explains.]
Entry 10224
Yo' take a dishcloth. An' when yo' have comnection wit him, yo' wipe him wit dat cloth an' put it ovah de front of de fo'. An' den he can't leave [or have] nobody aftah dat.
Entry 10225
Yo' go take it - de dishrag - yes sir, an' let him wipe wit it, but don't chew wipe wit it. An' take it to a ironing bo'd an' iron it - out stiff - an' chunk it in a crack up ovah de do'. An' it will make bim fall every time he go to have somepin tuh do with somebody 'cept yo'.
Entry 10419
If witches start to ride you, all you've got to do is lay a new broom at your door and she has to count every straw in it before she passes over it. By that time you'll be out of your bed and gone on to work.
Entry 10434
A witch an' a ha'nt is a diff'rent thing, whoever yo' learnt it. A witch is a thing dey claim rides yo' at night. An' den if yo' bein' rided at night wit witches, yo' wanta git rid of de witches, yo' take a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah yo' do'. Write yore name in de center of de horseshoe, right up ovah yore do'; inside de house, not out. [In- formant anticipates my question.] Oh, outside or inside, either one jes' so it be ovah yore do'. Dat'll stop de witches from coming in. [St. Petersburg, Pla.
(1031), 1677:5.]
Entry 10478
A witch is worser than a ghost, they tell me. You know these old hand sifters? You put that at the door of your room. He has got to go through every hole in that sifter before he can come in your room. And if daylight catches him, he was found in the sifter. Then kill whatever you find in the sifter and they kill the witch. [Old Point Comfort, Va., (21, from somewhere nearby), by hand, probably out on street somewhere.]
Entry 10608
(What will the husband [or man] do?)
He kin git nine acorns an' bury 'em up undah de step, an' de one [man] dat comes ovah dat, well he'll nevah come back dere no mo'. He'll nevah come back tuh see huh ag'in. (That is all he has to do, bury nine acorns under her step?) Undah huh step. An' as he walk ovah dat, he'll nevah walk back ovah it ag'in. He'll go out de back do', he won't come out de front, an' he'll nevah be worried wit 'er, not in 'er home.
Entry 10616
Yo' kin take devil's-shoestring an' Adam-an'-Eve root an' if it's any- body roun' dat chew wanta do somepin, wan' dem tuh leave or somepin, yo' could put it up ovah yore front do'. An' if dey evah walk undah it, anything dat chew tell 'em or say dat chew want 'em tuh do, dey do it. An' yo' don' even have tuh tell 'em.
Entry 10648
[Well, if somebody livin' next do' an' yo' wanta make 'em move, yo' go out in de woods an' yo' come to a ole tree wit aplenty of dem big red piss-antses in it, an' ketch as many of 'em as yo' kin. Put 'em in a snuffbox an' carry it an' put it under dere steps. Dey ain't goin' be dere long. Dey gotta go.
(That will run them away.)
Yessuh, shore will leave dere.
Entry 10682
If yo' git up in de mawnin' befo' sunrise an' walk out chure do' back- vards fo' nine steps an' make a wish to that effect fo' whut chew want done, it will come true. Come in de house an' nevah look back. Jes' come right straight far- wards back in de house an' nevah look back fo' nine mawn- in's. Yo' gotta do dat fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 10723
He coming back to her. Go in de woods and git some blacksnake root. See, it got two little forked roots to it. An' yo' tie it up in a little han'- kerchief, see, an' git some- body dere an' put it up ovah de door, an' dat's tuh make dem leave dere. [To bring man back to woman he left, someone goes into the other woman's house and puts over her door a blacksnake root with a fork - symbol of a 'Y crossroad. He will soon leave other woman.] [St. Petersburg, Fla., (999), 1616:2.)
Entry 10784
Walk roun' de house nine morn- ings an' sweep in front of yo' do'. (How do you mean you walk around for nine mornings?) "Fore de sun rise, jest walk right round de house. (Nine times?) Nine mornings - once every morning an' sweep in front of yo' do'. (You walk around the house and then you sweep in front of your door. Well, what will that do then?) That will make 'em move.
(Make this person move.)
Entry 10786
In sweepin' de house, don' nevah sweep de trash out de do'. Always in sweepin' it yo' sweep up [not out the door] an' yo' sweep it up an' put it in yore fireplace an' burm it. Jes lak when yo' sweep, yo' know, sweep de kitchen, don' nevah sweep it out de do'. Always sweep it in de house. Keep dat sweepin's in de house. Well, dat keeps de people out. Put dat in de fire an' burn dat.
(That keeps the law away.)
Entry 10787
If yo' see anybody comin' tuh yore house, throw a broom 'cross de do' like dis [demonstrates]. Step ovah it [demonstrates]. Dat's bad luck.
(To the person that is coming in?) Yes sir.
Entry 10788
Or you kin take just plain lye and boiling water and go and scrub your house and scrub yore steps and brush it in. And every morning sweep your steps down. And when you walk through your house, wherever you go, sweep the dirt in. Never sweep it out.
(What will that do?)
Bring you luck.
(What kind of luck?)
Like if she would want to take in roomers, she would want 'em to come in, if it was business, she... (Both of those things. Onions do the same thing.)
Entry 10789
If someone come to de house an' dey don't trus' yo' or didn't wan' choo to come dere, an' dey'll take a broom yo' see an' lay de broom across de [door on the] floah. An' whenever yo' come in dere, den yo'll have to move dat broom. Dey won't step over dat broom. An' as long as dat broom is dere, dey won't come in atall.
Entry 10790
Dey will take de broom an' lay it down right in de threshhold of de door.
(All the way across.)
An' when de collector comes in - why of course, dey'll ask him tuh come in. An' if he steps ovah dat broom comin' in an' steps ovah it goin' out, why dey claim dat he'll commence tuh - it git in his mind, "Why - well, now ah'm kinda 'fraid tuh go tuh dat place. When ah was dere last, why somepin come ovah me." Dey claim dat broom, de crossing of de broom, will give him a thought in his nind dat it's distrustful gon'a happen round dat place. Ah'm gon'a send somebody else iere, because ah don't believe ah'll take chances crossing dere mahself. An' al- so tuh make dat token, [warning] work out, why dey'll sometimes have so.eone set- ting around tuh kinda frighten yo' [him].
Entry 10791
If yo' once were marl ried, an' yo' have a broos an jes' throw it ovah yore dining room back do' an' step ovah it, yo' won't nevah marry no mo'.
(You'll never marry again. Do you put that broom down, you say?)
"Cross de dining room do', jest lay it dere an' step ovah it, an' yo' nevah will marry any mo'.
Entry 10792
Keep de witches out (How do you do that?) Jes' take de broom an' put it across de do'. Dat's all ah know 'bout de broom.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep de evil spirits away.
(And the witches out.)
Yes sir.
Entry 10793
Take a broom, or either a horseshoe, an' put it up ovah yore do'. Take a broom yo' know an' nail it crossways yore do', keep witches out. (Where do you put it, down on the floor or what?) Lay it right down by de do', on de flo'. (What will that do?) Dat will keep 'em out. Or ei- ther, if a person come in yore house an' yo' don' want 'em dere, yo' kin take a pod of peppah an' throw it in de fiah, an' make dem go.
(Just burn the pepper while they are in the house or after they leave?)
While dey in yore house.
Entry 10794
De broom? Well all ah know whut dey kin [do] wit a broom, like if a person Would come in your place and you didn't want dem dere, dey put de broom behin' de do'. Is dat whut chure talking about? (No, how do they do that?) Dey jest - like you'd come in, dey could sweep yore track when you come out - sweep yo' out. Den dey put dat broom, turn it up behin' de do', an' when you walk in, you can't stay. Dat means, jest as yo' come in, sweep like dat and set de broom up behin' de do'. Yo' gotta go out.
(You sweep when? When they come in or after they go out?)
When dey go, see.
(And they won't come back again.)
Yo' sweepin' dey tracks out. Jest as dey go, sweep dem out.
Entry 10803
You get you some cinnamon and sugar. All right. You sweep. you go to sweep, don't sweep your dirt outside, you sweep your dirt in [into] the building. And you get this cinnamon and sugar and put it in the water, amd you scrub your floor. And then when you get through scrubbing that floor, you just take - get you some oil of clover. See, you buy some oil of clover at the drug store and you put water in there [scrub bucket] and you put a bottle of beer mixed in with it. (Bottle of beer?) Bottle of beer, yes. And you takes - start at the front door and you sprinkle it all the way back into the place, and your place will be packed.
(The place will be packed?)
Yes, sir, your place will be packed with people, all through the day.
Entry 10814
Well, now yo' take de broom - jes' lak ah cope to yore house an' yo' don't want me dere no mo'. Well, if yo' don't sweep out, yo' take dat broom an' nail it up ovah de corner [side] of de do' dis way [demonstrates] when yo' come in.
(Lay it to the right of the door when [where] you come in?)
Yeah, nail it up; see, caught it up lak dat [demonstrates]. (You nail it against the wall with the brush part up, to keep then from coing back there again.)
Entry 10819
Yo' use black peppah when dey comin' to yore house, an' as dey go out use black peppah an' salt an' yo' throw it behin' 'em. An' den yo' git a broom an' yo' sweep out de do' dey goes, an' git a clear bucket of watah [bucket of clear not scrubbing water] an' throw it behin' 'em. Throw de watah right out in de street right aftah dey go out de do'; throw a clear bucket of watah right behin' 'em.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will keep 'em away. Dat drives 'em away from yore house.
Entry 10826
Put 2 broomstraws crossways [make cross with 2 broomstraws] over door and sweep behind, for unwelcome visitor. [For 2 broomstraws crossed and buried to be walked over in the tobacco fields near Wilson, N. Car., see No.1758, v.1.]
Entry 10828
It's like my husband and I is separated. I would take four straws of the broom and he came home, I put 'em before the door. He comes in [over the 4 broomstraws] and he'll never leave. (All you got to do, just take four straws from the broom?) Four straws of the broom, before [in front of] the door. (And he won't leave any more. I see.)
Entry 10829
Ah heard dat chew take nine straws an' lay it up ovah yore husban's haid to make him, yo' know, stay home. (Nine straws of what?) Of a broom. Lay 'em up ovah de do' so dat he could walk in an' out undah 'em. Says, now yo' keep 'em dere so he'll stay home.
Entry 10831
Well, if yo' want somebody tuh come in de same do' of yore house all de time, yo' git chew a straw out of a broom. If it's a man, git de bow out of his hat; if it's a woman, jes' take one of her tracks. An' take dat straw an' stick nine straws around yore front, an' dey [man or woman] won't nevah come in yore back do', dey will jes' come in de front do' all de time. (Well, what do you do with that stuff that you get from them? Where do you put that?) Put that? Yo' put it with de straws. If it's a man, yo' take an' put one up ovah de do' - see, one of dem straws. Yo'd have tuh have nine straws from yore broom, yo' understand. An' if it's a man, yo' take one [broomstraw] with de bow of his hat an' stick it up de do'. If it's a woman, jes' take her track an' where yo' put dis straw, put some of dat dirt right down aside of dat [foot track] right round in front of yore house. An' dey coming dataway all de time.
(Well, why don't you want them to come into the house any other way but that?)
Well, dat's in case a man got a woman an' she messin' with anothah man, an' she kin always have him tuh go out de back do'. See, make him come in de front do' an' he kin go right on out de back do'. Have it locked an' he won't nevah go to de front do' - see, nowhere but de front do'.
Entry 10837
Yes, sir, a butterfly root. And you take that - yo' know dere's milk in it. Yo' kin bring it to yere house. Jest dig it up and break that up - break it, jest pull de leave on it an' see de milk drop. An' yo' [take] that and it stings jest like de house is become yore [word or several words dropped = bete noire, obsession, hoosoo, etc.]. Yo' kin [take] that and bury it right out yonder to them steps an' yo' ain't nevah goin' come no further. You wanta come in de house but you cain't go [in]. You keep agoin' by. Yo' be comin' by but yo' cain't come in.
(You just bury it out in front of the steps?)
Yeah, jest take it and bury it there jest somewhere front of de steps or any- where where yo' know he ain't nevah goin' to raise his foot up to come in. [This is the common butterfly weed, a milkweed with showy orange flowers (Asclepias tuberosa) common to the eastern U. S. A.]
Entry 10838
If yo' will stew a buzzard down an' yo' wanta put it aroun' some enemy's do' an' bury it, an' dey says that that person then will become sick an' he will die.
Entry 10840
Ah hear 'em say dat dey take a buzzard aig. Yo' git hit dey said an' yo' heat it hot.but not cook it, an' yo' could carry it to a certain place around a person's house, de do' where dey visit around. An' yo' put dat - name it, yo' see. Yo' write dere name on it an' it'll either run 'em away from dere or dey nevah would have no success dere. Ah heard dat.
Entry 10841
Taking a buzzard feath- er an' bury it to yore do'step an' dat'll drift yo' 'way - make yo' leave home.
Entry 10843
Ef ah wanta run yo' crazy an' ah don't like yo' nohow, ah lin take a buzzard's feather. Ah'll go tuh yore house an' ah'll take dat buzzard feather an' ah'll ran 'em 'bout fur as yore do', an' den yo'll git foolish, an' gamder aroun'.
(You just put it over the door?)
Uh-huh ovah de do'.
Entry 10861
Like if you want a cat, you take his hair and cut it off from his head, and bury it under your doorstep and he will always stay wit you.
(Always stay home.)
Entry 10904
Yo' kin cut dat out from dog's - out from back de dog's neck an' yo' kin cut it out from back of de cat's neck, an' yo' put it at chure do', yo' see. See, dat separates man an' his wife. See, de cat an' de dog squabblin'. An' yo' jis' tangle dat hair up together an' yo' jis' put it down aroun' an' dey will separate.
Entry 10905
Yo' take them fingernails an' toenails an' mix 'em, yo' know, wit de same thing - cat's an' dog's bristles an' things, an' bury 'em undah de do'step an' dey'll leave town. If anybody want yo' [them] tuh leave, dey'll leave - jest break up an' jest leave, run away. (Whose fingernails and toe- nails do you take?) Take a man's, either [a woman's]. Yo' know, if yo' want de man tuh leave, git his toenails [and finger- nails]. If yo' want de woman tuh leave, git hers. An' mix them together lak dat an' bury 'em undah a do'step. Bury them where dey gotta walk in an' out ovah them.
Entry 10909
Git a small puppy an' a small cat [kitten] an' yo' put dem - join 'em togethah an' make 'em mad wit each othah. Now dey bristle up." In de back of dat neck where dey bristle, yo' cut some hair from each an' yo' mix it togethah, an' yo' care it an' yo' sprinkle it down; yo' may say fo' in- stance, undah a mat or anything, dat dis individual constantly have tuh come ovah. An' in de meantime yo' make de expression on, "Cats an' dogs cain't agree. Go!" Den dey go. Move.
Entry 10916
Heard dem say if folks wanta give you bad luck, dey kin go to grave- yard and git graveyard dust. And they kin take - and dey kin git some hair off a dog's back and cut de hair off a black cat's tail, and bury it under yore door, and dat will give you bad luck. (All those things together?) Suah [sir], all dem together and tie dem in a sack and put it under yo' door and give yo' bad luck.
Entry 10944
A piece of cedar bush - take limb offa cedar tree an' slip it in a man house an' put it up ovah de do', up ovah de do' where he'd have to walk in at. An' ev'ry time dat man - if yo' wanta break him from his wife - ev'ry time he come in why hit'll cause confusion. An' eventually it will keep on until he can't stay dere. See, it'll run him 'way from dere. He jest can't stay dere at dat house.
(Some other man would be doing this to get rid of him.)
Git rida him, see.
(Just the ordinary branch of the cedar tree?)
A cedar bush.
Entry 10946
If yo' wanta run off de whole family - well, if yo' move de head, why de body gotta go. Git chew three cedar limbs - gotta be long as dis arm [demon- strates]. Go right in front of dere threshold - in other words right in front of dere do'step where dey comin' in an' out - an' cross dem. Jes' put 'em in dere an' kiver 'em up. Dat'll drive 'em off. [Informant demonstrated rite, I repeat his actions.] (You take three of them - one down like that, and one on top, and one on the bottom. They are crossing, those three things. Why do you use three [to make a cross] instead of two?) [I had expected to hear the 3 Holy Nomes but informant came up with an unusual answer!] Why do you use three? Dere's Faith, dere's Hope, an' dere's Charity. An' in usin' dem, yo' lay dem down an' yo' call 'em jes' like dis, "Faith, Hope, Charity."
(And they have to move.)
Entry 10957
Ah've seen 'em take a chicken bill fo' bad luck - de mouth [beak].
(What do they do with that?)
Wrap it up in a rag an' put it under de steps. Dat'll run a person.
(What do you mean run them? Run them where?)
Yeah, it'll run 'im, make dem move out de section where yo' at. Let's say ah have a good neighbor an' ah wants to makes 'em leave heah, "Ah don't be bothered an' wants to git where ah'm"at, " yo' understand. Well, ah jest take dat chicken bill an' cut it off, an' cut it off an' put [it in] a rag, an' some day when yo' out dere, ah slip it up under yore do'step. It will shore make yo' go.
Entry 10959
Ah know 'zactly how tuh do dat. Co'se ah gits ten dollahs fo' dat. [This woman is a root doctor.] "Co'se ah don't tell nobody. De way dey do dat, dey take a black chicken an' kill dat black chicken, an' take a piece of paper, don't chew know, an' write dere name wit dat blood. An' den when yo' write dere name, yo' nail it down by de do'. Nail it down by de do' an' call dere name three times. An' ah don't care where dey is dey gotta come. A black chicken.
Entry 10961
Jis' lak if someone heah an' yo' don' want 'em heah. Yo' take dat chicken blood an' write dere name up ovah yore do', an' dat runs 'em from yore house. [Walking under (as well as over) something be- longing to you is always a serious business.]
Entry 10972
Take a fresh-laid aig [often called yard egg] an' put it up on de do' facin' [top over door uninclosed leaving a ledge] on de do' yo' know lak, an' dat'll move dem. [Uninclosed space over door indicates an unfinished or shed-type build- ing. For a similar over-the-door rite, see No.11044.]
Entry 11060
Dey tell me, says, if yo' wanta make dat person move out, dey tell me yo' git some stuff [soot] from up de chimley an' sprinkle it round de do' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey'll sweep dey ownself away 'cause dey'll sweep dat dust - soot - away from de do'. (They are sweeping their own chimney away?) Yes sir.
Entry 11119
You kin take an' draw a coffin, you understand, see, an' make you a wish on it, an' cross it up so many times - put about 3 crosses on it, an' make you a wish. An' bare [bury] it under their doorsteps or either you kin put it in front of their door. See, you kin jis' throw it in there. Wrap it up, fold it up, write it [name of person on]. An' throw it in the front of their door. An' put the [word] devil on top of it, write the devil on top of it, see right up on top. Either [instead of writing devil] you kin draw one you know, you understand, see like that. They'll die.
Entry 11134
Take it [manure] from a bull and yo' mix cayenne pepper and salt and saltpeter together, and carry it tuh someone's home dat you dislike. Yo' mix it all together and you put it out and let it dry. After it dries you crumble it up and powder it. Jest like someone would live here. You wouldn't want all tuh come out; jest want one person tuh leave dis place. Well, you would take it den and go and sprinkle in de yard and around de do' and call dis person's name. Dey can't stay dere. Dey'll have to move out, go some- where. Dey can't stay dere.
Entry 11141
When the landlord gives you a notice, you take that notice and you fold it in the shape of a bouquet - like a come. You get up over the front door and make a cross up there. You take that notice and if there is any way to hide it, like up here [points], up over here, that nobody can see it. Make that cross up there and take that notice and cross and nail it up there. Put nine tacks in it so that nobody won't detect it up there, and he you] will never come in. That's to cross the landlord.
Entry 11142
They use a kind of a weed - jis' like a ole weed, yo' know, jis' growin' around. Well, they'll take this weed an' they cut this weed down. Well, they take that stick an' make a little cross like that. An' then about time that it git about just dark, they'll take that [cross] an' plant it to your back door; set it right up at chore back door. An' then at night round about twelve o'clock, they'd come back an' git it an' pick that stick [cross] up an' turn it over [turn it upside down], an' leave it there to daybreak. An' then they'll come back an' take it. An' then tomorrow you'll be arguin' all day long wit chore wife.
Entry 11144
All yo' gotta do, go to yo' do' and make a cross on it.
(Cross on it like an "x".)
Yeah, an' put some joint grass in both sides.
(What?)
Joint grass.
(Joint grass.)
Yeah. Put one so, and one so. Cover 'em up. Nevah go dere.
(Under your door?)
Yeah.
(Where do you make this crossmark? On the door or doorsill?)
No, on de ground, in de dirt. You put it in de dirt, dat way, den yoa pat one dat way and covah it up like nuth [is there].
(Where do you put this grass?)
Right front of yo' do'. Den throw some night watah [urine] on it and it's okay, or some green moss, and [or] cow manure. (The law won't be able to come in then?) No, they won't find you. You'd walk right by 'em and he wouldn't bothah you. (You don't cover up this grass?) Yeah, cover 'em up. (You bury the grass, I see.) Nobody see you.
Entry 11157
Now, if yo' don' wanta take an' do dat, chew kin git chew some devil heart watah [hoodoo store preparation?] an' bluein' an' shake dat up an' bust dat bottle. Git de devil heart watah an' put it into dat bottle; den yo' git chew some bluein' an' put it into dat bottle. An' take dat bottle an' shake it up an' wherevah de person livin' at, yo' bust dat bottle in front dey do' an' dat make 'em move.
Entry 11169
An' den tuh run 'em out, yo' kin put - jes' lak yo' rentin' a house an' ah don't want yo' tuh stay dere, I git some devil's-shoe- strings an' hang 'em ovah de do'.
(That will run me out?)
Yo' can't stay in dere an' dat will break yo' peace. Yo' an' yore wife - it will run yore wife off from yo'.
(Cause confusion in the family.)
Yes sir.
Entry 11170
A piece of de devil's-shoestring an' put it down at de do' where de person gotta travel back an' farwards, an' dey'll have bad luck an' can't git hold of no money much.
Entry 11174
Ah heard dat chew could take devil's-shoestring an' tie de two pieces together like yo'd Wanta part a man an' his wife [surely tie the pieces in shape of cross] an' hide it up ovah his [their] do' an' not let dem know it an' dey'd part.
(Hand it over their door?)
Yes sir.
Entry 11178
Take three pieces of devil's-shoestring an' put it [one] on top of each other. An' de shortest piece, jest how long yo' want dem to stay dere, yo put it on dere long, yo' know, an' cut it in a piece like dis an' dey'll move. Ah see dat tried. (Where do you put that devil's-shoestring then?) Down at dey front do'step. (You take three pieces. Here's the long piece, and you put a shorter piece on top, and a shorter piece on top of that, and you bury it that way?) Bury, cover it up, or either put it in a box or somepin an' put it down dere, an' dey'll leave, dey won't stay dere. [These 3 pieces of different size mean almost simultaneously: (l) you decide to move, (2) you prepare to move, and (3) you move. This can be done in 3 hours or 3 days or 3 weeks. Reader may not find everything in the rite but it is there.]
Entry 11185
Ah heard dat yo' could git devil's-shoestring an' go to de window fo' nine mornings [face] tovards de sunrise an' make a wish. Jest whatsomevah yo' wish to come true. And loop [circle] say whatsomevah yo' wish [through it] an' tie it in one knot fo' nine mornings till yo' git nine ties. Then take it an' put it up ovah yore do'. De wish will come true.
(Any wish will come true.)
Yes sir... [I turned off machinetooquickly, hadto repeat his lost words.l (And you look through this loop as you tie it?) Look as de sun, jest as de sun be rising. (You look through that loop that you are making.) Yes sir.
Entry 11189
De dirt dauber.
(Sort of like a wasp or a bee?)
Yes. Well, didja evah see de little cells dat dey build?
(Yes.)
Well, now, de people down dis way - especially in dis part of de world at one tine - now ah know dis tuh be a fact. We were living in Conecuh County, Ala. We had a very disagreeable neighbor lived across de street from us, an' she rented from some white people, but we owned our property. And dis person was disagreeable. And de white people dat she liked, dey like her so well, un- til dey wouldn't have her move just tuh please someone else, you see. Well, mah mother told many different people about her. De woman was named Ada Sonworth [Stallworth] - of course I don't have to tell [her name]. Anyway, she was very disagreeable and she would argue. Well, anyway, as I started tuh tell you, dis woman was very disagreeable and it wasn't no possible chance of getting her tuh move. We wasn't going tuh move. And mah mother told an old man 'bout it. An' he was a man supposed tuh have some super-power.
(Did they have any special name for this man? Did they call him anything?)
Yes, dey called him a cunjure, as far as dat is concerned. Well, he told mah mother tuh go and get some of dis dirt dauber cells and pound dem up, and mix one cup of ground pepper and one of black pepper, and one of salt, and have us tuh go tuh her do', you see, at night when dey was 'sleep, and sprinkle it. Said tuh give it tuh us children [to sprinkle] and not her [the mother]. And when you go and sprinkle dat down at de door and walk backwards, you get tuh de gate and throw dat de way you Wanted her tuh go, and said she would leave within nine days. So mah mother didn't believe much about it but she said, well it wouldn't hurt tuh try. It would be so inexpensive until it wouldn't make any difference. So she prepared dis concotion dat we'd have heard, you see, and we did dat - mah brother. Mah brother lives here [Mobile] too, now. We tried dat when we were children and she really disappeared in de next two weeks. Dat's positive.
(How many years ago when you were a child?)
When I was a child dat was in 1915...it was in 1915, and dis little town where dis happened, was in Evergreen. Mah grandfather died in 1917. He was a man dat was very stingy. He was born a slave. "Corse ah don't have tuh tell you but our name is Dubon. Mah grand- father was owned by some French people and dey came from down New Orleans way some place and dey established up here in Conecuh County, and mah grandfather...
Entry 11201
They will spring your doors and things. (Well, how would they do that?) They'll take that - they'll go to three people's house and you can steal you some salt from three people's house, and take that cayenne pep- per and that black pepper and dirt dauber's nest and beat it together and sprinkle your door and you'll move.
(I see. And you'll move. But you only steal the salt?)
Steal the salt.
(The other things you don't take?)
No, you just steal that from somebody's house.
(Just the salt. Those other things you take from your own house?)
Yeah.
(I see. That will make you move out?)
Yes.
Entry 11214
Yo' kin take dirt dauber houses, yo' know, an' put 'em in a piece of rag an' hang it up ovah yore front do', an' ah don't care who yo' owe, dey won't come dere. Dey won't come nowhere round yo'.
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 11292
Take a piece outa black dog's tail an' yo'll take some dirt [including soot] outa de back of de chimley where yo' find dese ole clay chimleys. Take some dirt outa de back of a chimley an' den yo' put dat. If yo' be fortunate enough to git some of dey watah an' put it wit dat dog tail an' dat clay outa de backa dat chimley, an' bury at dey's do'step - at dey do'step. Den, ah don't care how bittah enemies dey been to yo' or whatsomevah dey've been like dat tryin' to up [to be upish, superior], yo' kin bring dem down to yuh command. Dat makes dem make friends wit yo', make any kinda bad enemies friends. Ah've heard dat 'bout de black dog tail an' dat chimley dirt an' a little bit of [their] urine [sometimes ureene but chamber lye vas still the usual word]. It'll make a friend. Put at dey do'step.
Entry 11296
You wanta man stay away from your house, sompin like dat, why you git a hair from one dese man [male] dogs. See. And jest - I'm making reference [giving an illustration] now - jest like you wants a man, you figure dat a man worryin' you, wit you and your family. Why you'd git some hair from a dog. You git it right off de - you know where his tether at, you git some hair right from de end of dat. All right, you git dat hair and you take a knife and you cut it up, cut it up fine. All right, after you cut dat hair up fine you carry it and you put it to dis.fellah door, right under de step. See, and bury it about three or four inches. See. After you bury it about three or four inches, you walk away from de house about ten steps. After walking away from de house about ten steps all right, you walk backward about five steps - backwards. See. You walk five steps backwards. All right, don't walk de way you walked de first time, dose ten feet. [Walk backwards at an angle.] All right, after you walk backward now, gotta walk side- Ways about 20 feet - sideways. And then you keep on about chure business and go on home. That'll keep him away from your house. See, he'll never come back. [Those preceding words hair right from de end of dat I understood at the time but failed to annotate their meaning to the cylinder. They could signify the end of the rope and hair from around the male dog's neck. These hairs then would have tied the victim down to his own home, kept him away. If so, surely the hairs would not have been cut up. Or would they? I still think these are phallic dog hairs cut up and buried at the victim's door. That leaving, the steps forwards, walking backwards at an angle, and finally sideways at a right angle, is my only example in HOODOO, though there are many examples of magic walking away.]
Entry 11309
Hair from top of dog's head and from top of tail [from head to tail] put in forked stick, buried under steps, keeps him home.
Entry 11344
Yo' go to de drug sto' an' yo' git somepin dey call dragon's blood, a' yo' gits sulphur an' nine seeds of red peppah, an' yo' take dat an' burn it. (What will that do then?) Dat will keep de poleece away. An' den yo' take some of it an' spread it round de front, yo' know, spread it round where he'll come ovah it, but jes' a little bit chew know where it won be noticeable. Take some dragon's blood an' sulphur... Dat will keep down spells.
(That will keep down anything anybody is putting down for you.)
Ah mean keep 'em down where lak where a poleeceman's an' lak dat dey'll come try tuh come in, but dat will keep dem from comin' across.
Entry 11371
Dey take de root of a fig tree from de no'th side an' hang it up ovah de do' dat chew go in an' out de most, an' it would make yo' be lucky in havin' a job or anything yo' wanta undertake tuh do.
Entry 11381
Or yo' kin take a file an' yo' kin write a man's name an' keep him at home wit a file - keep him, make yore husband stay at home. Yo' kin buy a brand-new file, be shore it's a brand-new file, one of those flat files, an' name it yore husban'. Yo' take it home an' yo' write his name comin' tuh yo' on dat file. Dat's kinda hard tuh do but chew kin do it. Write his name on each side of dat file. An' den lay it up where he tranferrin' in an' out, an' dat'll make him stay at home.
Entry 11650
Well, you get you some flaxseed, see, and you sprinkle that flaxseed around the door. See. And when that - whensomever that flaxseed begin to come up, well, after that flaxseed is grown about two or three inches, well, I'll guarantee you, that after a period of time, that you have to move; 'cause I've seen that happen, in my neighborhood. See.
(Here in New Orleans?)
Yes, sir. [Flaxseed put this rite into witchcraft, they being used to catch a hag or witch, see Nos.508-509, p.153, v.1. Was this a method for moving a witch from a neighborhood or annoying him or her?]
Entry 11658
When yore man's wit a woman an' yo' want her tuh quit him or sompin, jes' git chew a ole brass fo'k an' go tuh de do' late at night. Jes' knock on de do' an' curse, say, "Come outa dat, come outa dat," three times. An' dey say dat'll break 'em up. (What do you do with the fork?) Jes' stick it in de do', "Come outa dere." Junk it in de do' lak dat, 'Come outa dere," an' curse it. Dey say dat'll really break 'em up. Dat jes' cuts 'em right in two.
Entry 11731
Lak dis house - yo' got a house. An' dat grapevine, yo' takes off so much of it [indicate length] an' burn it. An' dem ashes yo' put around dat do', in front of de do', an' sweep [ashes out door] an' use dat grapevine fo' dat. An' yo' kin take a bath with grapevine.
(What does that do?)
Dat's fo' luck. Keep people 'way; bring folks in an' he'p yo' undertake [overcome], yo' know, de devil.
(Overtake the devil.)
Keep de devil away.
Entry 11732
They kin hant [= hoodoo here] choo to death by throwin' a ole grass around yuh do'; yo' know, dried-up grass. An' you git you some kerosene oil [kerosene] an' some ashes [from fireplace or stove] an' all like that, an' throw it right around your do' an' dat'll make you move out. [Informant here has combined two separate rites: first one, anything dead left or thrown at your door will hant (haunt) or hoodoo you; second one, fireplace ashes (originally) or kerosene (another substance connected with fire) will conquer the dead grass.]
Entry 11733
He'd git dis green grass an' take that grass an' put it in the stove an' let it git real dry. An' after it git real dry, he'll take it an' ball it like that [demonstrated by balling an imaginary handful of grass in his hands]. An' yo' kin take that, an' at twelve o'clock at nighttime, jis' put it in front of your door. An' do that evrey [every] night at twelve o'clock, and the Law [police] won't bother you.
Entry 11736
To make 'em move outa a house, we'd [we root doctors would] use somepin - say we'd use somepin in de do', don't chew see. We used somepin in de do' each mawnin', yo' know, somepin tuh frighten 'em. Well, say, we'd use somepin like de graveyard dirt. We use somepin like de graveyard dirt.
Entry 11738
Yo' kin go to the graveyard about 12 a'clock at night. Understand now, yo' git this dirt off a sinnerman's grave, 12 a'clock at night. An' yo' take this dirt an' yo' mix some salt with it an' [red] pepper. Yo' under- stand me now? An' yo' go an' git a No.6 gunshell; yo' know one of them No.6 gunpowder, those shotgun, them shells, yo' know No.6. An' yo' open it an' yo' scrape all that gunpowder out. An' yo' put that gunpowder, that cayenne pepper and that salt wit that graveyard dirt, but don't take it nowhere near your home. Yo' understand, don't let it go near your home. An' yo' take that an' throw it up on their door an' all the hunting[?] they do, they shore git killed.
Entry 11845
Ah tell yo' this whut a man kin do with a woman, cos' [of course ah don't guess yo' wanta heah it. Do yo' wanta heah it? [Since I remain silent I probably nodded yes.] Well, ah tell yo' whut a man kin do wit a woman. A man kin git a woman, jes' git any strand from de left side of her haid or de right side, an' jes' stick it up ovah de do'. Jes' git her comb, lak ah comb her haid, an' take de hair an' jes' stick it up ovah de do'. An' if he ain't been with her fo' six months, ah [a woman] cain't keep from comin' back heah. Jes' stick it in de wood, in de trees, anywhere. [Usually a man would return to a woman rather than a woman to a man's house.]
Entry 12057
In case if sometime a man an' wife is confused, yo' know, lak some confusion in de family. Some kinda dissatisfaction an' wanta bring peace an' harmony, den if yo' kin git a lock of de man's hair or a lock of de woman's hair, an' go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dust. An' den git some of de dust of dere insteps of dey individuals' feet, see.
(Where they walk in the ground, their track?)
Yes, whether dey bared feet or whether dey have on shoes, jes' so it's from de instep of dey feet. An' dey git some sulphur an' some brimstone an' mix all up. Beat dat brimstone tuhgethah fine an' mix all dose tuhgethah. Sew it up intuh a flannen rag - cloth. Sew it up good an' tight, an' yo' kin drop a few drops of camphor; dat's tuh keep it alive, quicken it. An' jes put dat roun' de do'step, bury it two or three inches in de earth. An' dat'll bring peace in de home.
Entry 12154
Now, if a man's stayin' on a place an' yo' want him move'd from dere, yo' cut chew a growin' hickory stick an' carry it an' bury it down at his do'. If dat man has a mule, yo' kin always notice dere's a certain corner dat mule go tuh pee. Bury it right down somewheres near dere an' let it dere fo' nine days. Take it out. Let dat be on de young moon. An' go on to de cemetery an' bury it, but bury it wit de big end [of the stick] towards de sunset. An you' ll be right dere till dat house burnt down. (You have to bury this stick right where this mule waters on.)
Entry 12182
Right at de front do' of de family dat chew wish tuh make a disturbance yo' know, jis' so dey kin have a family feud, yo' know.
(Just put this horses manure. Where now?)
Right at de front do'.
Entry 12282
Well, whenevah yo' wanta tie up a person, yo' don't want 'em to have success, yo' put so many knots in a raw cotton thread an' put turpentine on it, an' yo' read ovah it de 22nd Psalms. Read ovah it nine days an' then yo' put that string right behin' there [points to door]. (Behind the door?) Yes.
Entry 12310
Go to a tree dat de lightning struck an' git a couple of splinters from de tree, an' drive one inside de yard, an' one jes' on de outside of de yard, in both ways dat dey enter into de house, an' dat will prevent de evil of de house.
(What kind? Any kind of evil, if anybody wants to do you harm?)
Dat's de idea. You just drive it dere. (You'll drive a stick in the yard and then one outside the yard on each trail that leads into the house.) [My explanation at the time indicates 4 splinters, but probably 2 only were used: one on path leading to front door, other on path leading to back door.] One dat lightning tear from a tree, git one dose kinda sticks.
Entry 12418
They take the matches an' take the head off 'em an' beat 'em up an' sew 'em up in jes' a small piece of new cloth - 10 matches. An' put 'em up ovah yuh doah faced [top of the door] or eithah down where yo' have to walk ovah it. An' [they] say that'll keep down quarrels, if he's fussin' or anything like that.
Entry 12511
Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, de red onion. Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, see, an' yo' take a cord string an' tie around it. An' yo' put sugah down at de end of dat red onion an' yo' tie it at chure front do', up ovah yore do', an' dat's tuh keep peace in yore house. [There are several ways to prepare this onion, a fairly small one.]
Entry 12544
Dey tell me yo' git some lodestone an' git chew some sen-sen an' a red onion. An' yo' peel dis red onion an' take de hull an' drop de sen-sen down in it. [Sen-sen Was or is trade name of small lozenges to suck to sweeten breath.] An' yo' look in de east an' ask de Lord tuh move yore enemies an' bring yo' luck an' peace. An' den yo' sprinkle de sugah ovah dis same thing an' dis red onion. An' yo' walk to yore front do' an' walk back- vards to yore back do' nine times, aftah yo' fire it back. Dat will bring yo' peace an' yo' be's successful wit chure friends.
Entry 12567
Take a dauber nest.
(Just take one dauber's nest?)
And seven peanut hulls.
(And seven peanut hulls.)
And seven pods of red pepper.
(And seven pods of red pepper.)
And parch all that together and crumble it up. And then sprinkle it around a person's door if you - like if your husband is going over there. And sprinkle it around her door, and the path, anywhere where she goes in and out at. And it will bust them up. But you have to crumble it up fine after parching it, and just sprinkle it all up and down there. See, and it bust 'em up. They will bust up - and they goes - just drift from place to place.
(This will bust them up?)
He will quit her. You use one dauber nest and seven pods.
(And seven pods.)
Oh, I should have said that that dauber nest was to be filled with a certain kind of mud, what is used to tear down. (The dauber nest is to be filled with a certain kind of mud, I see.)
Entry 12573
Well, de only thing ah knows 'bout de pennies proposition, dey takes - jes' all dey takes is one cent - an' nail it down by de do' fo' if yo' want plenty custoner tuh come into a sto', anything. Don' nevah sweep a person's tracks out, outa de sto'. Always gathah them inside of de sto'. Dat bring plenty trade, dem pennies [this was during the Great Depression].
Entry 12574
Jes' lak if yo' don't want nobody tuh yore house, don't want tuh speak tuh anybody, yo' kin take yo' a penny - jes' a penny is brassy - an' yo' kin rub it an' rub it till it gits shiny. An' de penny whut yo' rubbin' den yo' go tuh de grave- yard dust: In de Name of de Lord an' de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Well, yo' rubs dat penny, rubs dat penny wit de dust until it gits shiny.
(What do you do with that then?)
[I shut the machine off before recording the answer, but the penny is probably nailed at the door. This could be my only example of using graveyard dirt as a scouring material!]
Entry 12575
Fo' luck. Yo' jes' take a penny an' yo' tack it right under de piece right by yore do' - right in front de do' ~ where de folks walk backwards an' farwards cross it. Yo' jes' tack it where nobody won't take it up, where dey wouldn't see it [or step on it either, because it is under the overhang of the tread. Normally this coin is reposed, if trade is wanted].
(What will that do then, for you?)
Make luck fo' yore house.
(For customers?)
Yes, an' keep yore house lucky. Jes' lak ah 'fore tell yo' [told you before] about dat same potash an' 'bout dis penny, dat makes luck fo' yore house.
(Keeps the law away.)
Yes sir, de revenuers.
Entry 12577
Use pennies fo' jes' lak yore house is ha'nted. (What do they do with that?) Well, jes' lak yo' been keeping house an' yo' got a penny nailed down in de front door dere. Yo' jes' nail a penny down in de front do' dere, an' yo' be prevented from dose ha'nts.
(You can see them then if they [come] into the house.)
[Prevent because they will not enter.]
Oh, sure, sure. Or either put a horseshoe up over dere [points to door]. Some of 'em put a horseshoe up ovah de head of de do', real ole-fashioned horse- shoe [that was worn by a horse].
Entry 12579
"Yo' git chew two pennies if it happen dat chure place of business got two do's to it. An' yo' take an' - take one penny an' go to yore back do' an' stick a hole in it [door or coin?] an' turn de haid - or turn de tails up. See, tail it up. Den at chure front do' den, yo' take an' turn de haid in [looking into place of business]. An' dey say dat will keep de law away, see, den, from bothering yo' place of business.
(On the back door the tail is up and on the front door the head is up.)
Entry 12582
Now heah's one good fo' dat, if yo' wanted tuh keep de lav away. Yo' ldn use jes' a common penny. Yo' drive one down at de front do' an one at de back, an' den yo' take a can Red Devil lye an' yo' Would drive nine holes in dat an' yo' would bury dat neah where yuh people would pass ovah it. An' dat's been a suah one tuh keep away de law an' yo' don't be bothered wit de law.
Entry 12662
She take three little 'simmon [persimmon] switches, an' she could put them undah the doahstep of these people house, an' let it stay, an' it'll split 'em up. They say it'll jis' woop [whip] 'em an' buses [= busts = bursts] 'em up. [A pencil note of mine reads: "See putting oak branch in grave of murdered man to whip murderer to death, from Charleston, S. Car. See No.7507, p.3291, v.4.]
Entry 12718
Get a rabbit leg. Go to the graveyard and get the left-hind foot of a rabbit and get some of that graveyard dust and put it in a sack and mix some - ah forget what the man did. But dey mixed it in with it. And you know, you'll die. You'll go crazy and be buried at de same graveyard where dey go - to a colored graveyard or white graveyard. Go to a colored graveyard for colored and go to a white graveyard for a white person [and do this] and you'll die. But I don't believe that. (But they have to catch this rabbit in the graveyard?) [This catching and blood mentioned later came before recording or while machine stopped.] Yes, sir.
(And what else did they put there besides the graveyard dust? What?)
And that little - three drops of blood.
(Of what?)
Rabbit's blood, you know, gotta ketch de rabbit.
(Oh, of the rabbit?)
Yes, sir.
(And did they put something else in it too or was that all?)
That's all I knows they put in it. That's all I've heard them say. I've never tried that. (Now, they use this graveyard dirt and this left rabbit foot. The hind or the front leg?) The hind left foot of a rabbit.
(And three drops of his blood. And then you put in - a sack or what?)
In a sack.
(And then you just bury it out there?)
Bury it at the person's doorstep. But they must go either to a colored or white grave, according to whether you are a colored or a white person?) Yes, sir.
Entry 12887
In de business line - fo' customers, if yo' runnin' dis place of busi- ness. Now, yo' kin take when yo' knock off [close] dis place at night, put some of dis Hearts Cologne in de water an' mop dis buildin' out dat night. An' don't sweep none of yore dirt out at night after six a'clock, outa yore front atall. Dat'll make business an' yo'll prosper mo'.
(Brings customers in.)
Entry 12991
Take a thin dime [well- used or old] yo' see an' put it in a sack, an' some cayenne pepper an' salt in it, an' hang it up ovah yore do'. As he come in, yo' see, back an' fo'th, an' jis' keep it ovah de do'.
(What will that do?)
That will stop yo' [him] off from de [other] woman.
(From this other woman?)
Yessuh.
Entry 13066
Yo' know dese snails whut crawl...whut dey crawl slow. Anyhow dey takes dat an' dey go to work yo' know, dey fix it in sompin dat way it'll bust out chew know. Den dey go to work den, git some sulphur an' gunpowder together, an' dey take it an' carry it an' bury it right tuh yore door, right where yo' gotta step ovah it, yo' know. Dat'll fix yo' up. Yo'll linger 'long [along] linger 'long.
Entry 13137
If you got a husband that runs around, [or] if a man got a woman that runs around, he can take her dirty stockings and wash the toe and the heel - not the whole stocking, wash the toe and wash the heel. In about, well, I'd say about two ounces of water - that's suffi- cient, two ounces of water. And take that water and pour it in a bottle and stop it up, and bury it underneath the steps and that party will stay home all the time.
Entry 13142
Ah experienced dat. Ah've had dat done on me, take your sock and cut de heel out of it, a pair you been wearing. Get your socks and cut de heel out of both of 'em, an' take de heel and put some salt in it, snakehead or some kind of worms [to make you crawl]. And bury de heel of dat sock under de doorstep and put de other part of it [heel] over de door, over your haid. And every time you go in and out dere, you gittin' dat, and first thing you know yo' goin' way from dere. Yo' done left, you see. Your wife, she done put you outten from dere and you gone, and you won't know how you gone. And you done missed your socks and everything. You don't know nothin' at all about it or you jest...and done you dataway, but you gone - jest gone along. Don't wanta run off, but you won't never come back until you find it. And you find dat, you come back home.
(I see. Do you put one sock down there or just one piece of the sock?)
A [2] piece [2 pieces are used].
(I see.)
Entry 13252
Ah've heard of dem using sulphur. Dey kin burn sulphur in a house fo' good luck. An' den, if dey uses de bluestone long wit de sulphur, an' take it to people's house, dey take it an' burn it in front of dey doorstep at night. Dat will bring dem all kind of bad luck.
Entry 13278
If somebody's interferin' [with] yo' aroun' yore home, ev'ry mawnin' yo' git up yo' go tuh de do' an' yo' make yore wishes an' bow tuh de sun 3 times, an' ask de Lord tuh re- move de evil spirits - tuh move away evil spir- its. An' do that three times an' do that fo 'bout 9 mawnin's. Walk tuh de do' an' make a bow tuh de sun. Yo' know de sun is a whole lot in success, yo' know. Yo' bow tuh de sun 3 times. An' aftah yo' bow tuh de sun an' [then] yo' axe Him ["De Lord"] tuh move away evil spirits.
(You do that three times for nine mornings.)
Entry 13305
I'd go to the graveyard where a sin- nerman' buried, and get me some graveyard dust and some coffee grinds and put it in a bottle with some war water. And whilst the people be asleep, I'd take the war water and sprinkle all over the front step and they couldn't be in there 12 days.
(You put all these things in that bottle, in the same bottle?)
In the same bottle.
Entry 13346
They take your water, you see, they stop it up in a little bottle. And after they stop it up, they take it and lay it up over a door where you walk under, and let chew walk under it so many morn- ings. I think it's 9 mornings. After 9 morn- ings - you see, you don't move it no more, it stay where you put it. And they say take it and carry down to the river and throw it overboard. That'll stop you from making water.
Entry 13364
If dere's a man left a woman an' is gone an' she cain't make him come back, an' she's done ever'thin' she wants tuh do tuh make him come back. She'll have tuh go tuh de man an' git de man tuh come tuh her house, an' aftah he come tuh her house, see, she takes him in dere an' she takes an' has intah- co'sin' wit him. Well, she'll have intahcos' wit dis man an' she'll git some of her urinate, some of her [his] stuff. An' she takes it an' she takes a lil' piece of flour dough, an' she mixes it all up wit it. An' takes it an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' drops it in one of her stockin's. She crush de stockin' all up an' puts it in de cornah behin' de dō', an' den nevah sweeps it out. An' as long as dat stay dere - she let it stay dere fo' 9 days. In dem 9 days time, say he'll come tuh de house. In 9 days time no mattah how fur he is away, if he kin git dere in 9 days he'll be dere in dem nine days.
(This man has to come to her house first?)
Yassuh, [otherwise] some othah - she have tuh git some othah man tuh come tuh her house.
(Some other man would come, so she could get this other man to come back?)
Yassuh, jes' lak ah went off an' left a girl an' den wouldn't come back tuh her, she'll git some othah man tuh come tuh her house tuh be with her so she could git chance tuh git some stuff [semen] from him. She mix it in flour dough, tie it up in a piece of han'ke'ch'ef an' drop it in one her stockin's, tie de stockin' up an' throw it behin' de do', de do' dat he comes in all de time, an' dey say in 9 days time he'll be back.
Entry 13406
All right, fust of all if ah would leave town and dat lady, if she wanted me, well it's quite nachural if ah was round dere, dere was a certain door dat ah would go through. First of all ah would take three splinters from dat and take dose splinters an' place dem in a wagon wheel an' turn it over three times, an' den put de wheel back on de wagon. Well you [I] will re- turn but 'course it wouldn't be in a stated time, but yo' [I] would be back not lak today or tomorrow, you [I] would be back within a week [seven days].
(Which way would she turn that wagon wheel?)
Turn it right. Case yo' don't know whut ah mean, yo' turn it forward.
(Turn it toward me or turn it back toward her?)
Toward her. (That means these splinters she took from the door she puts in the wagor wheel and then she turns it toward her?) Yes.
Entry 13413
They say you can put some kind of powder on you - call it war powder war water. They say you can put that down there at their door. See, you wait until they come out and after they come out you put that down there at their door. And when they go back in, well they will create trouble. Seems their husband and them will start to fight and then their minds be all upsetted and they don't stay at that house no more. They moves away, you see. That's how you do to get rid of them.
Entry 13414
I have heard and they said they would take and put such as war water to make you - to disturb you, see. They say they sprinkle that around your door and that'll upset your mind so or somepin of the kind, if you walk over it; that if you step in it, you walk it all through the house and everybody in there would get upset. And that'll worry them and get them all upset, their mind all upset, so they'll leave you - leave the house. [This informant, 35 persons after informant in preceding rite, shows present rite a common one in New Orleans.]
Entry 13415
War powder - go to the drug store [and get] some war water powder, [I mean] some war water, and you go and sprinkle that around the door every morning before day, before the sun rise. You sprinkle that around the door. And that will get them away from there. They tell me they cannot live there.
Entry 13417
They take war pow- ders an' war water. You git it from the drug store. An' take this bottle an' put it in. Go in front of their house an' throw it an' break it. Well, it make 'em move.
Entry 13418
If yo' wants tuh make a person move lak dat, well yo' go an' buy some war watah. Yo' understan', dat war watah, an' yo' pass in front of de do' lak if yo' had tuh pass in front of de do', an' if yo' have tuh throw de bottle across de house, yo' make yore wish. If yo' jis' break de bottle in front of de house an' make yore wish, why yo' could break 'em up an' make a big disturbance. Make 'em move an' de house would be upsetted. Yo' could upset de home.
Entry 13426
I've hearn it like this: if you had a neighbor and you couldn't get along, see. You would take and get you - if you wanted them to move, you under- stand, why you could make a quarrel between the people in the house an' that would cause the landlord to put them out, see. Well, you would use an egg. You could use salt or war water, see. (Just how Would you use these, now?) Well, now, you'd take - you'd get - use the war water which the war water would be the best. See, there's two things you use, you use either the powder or the water.
(Well, explain the war water.)
Well, you take the war water and you would sprinkle that war water. You would use salt - salt makes fuss anywhere.
(How would you use that salt there?)
You would take and you would sprinkle that salt at the four corners of the house and then you'd take this war water and as you - if you can enter into the place, jes' in the alley. You don't have to go in the house. Like if - like I enter this door here. I would walk to the back door which would be the kitchen. If I could get to the kitchen, I would start to sprinkle there.
(You say you begin at the back door?)
At the back door, yes, sir.
(I see. Then what do you do?)
I'm going to sprinkle this water, see. As I come out, I sprinkle the water, letting the water run out of my hand, as I'm coming out the door, jes' as I'm walking [demonstrates] and the water's coming out. And, when I gets to the door, I takes salt and I cross it [make a cross with it] right at the gate. And at the steps, I cross [make another cross at] the steps with salt. And under the steps I jes' take and I sprinkle war water, and I take salt and jes' throw it thataway, see. That's all you have to do, salt and that war water. It'll sort of confuse 'em. You can take salt and make a confusion any kind of way. Now, that would start a confusion in the house with the husband and wife. If it's the people you don't like, see, regardless of who they are, if it be the mother and the daughter, the mother and the son, then the people that you would want to get out, why that would start a confusion. Somebody would have to go. See.
Entry 13451
An' jes' lak a woman - quite natural a woman git ill sometime an' crabby an' othah things, an' if yo' want her tuh stay 'way from yore house, yo' go down an' git chew some willow string. Dat be's a long branch - yo' know, willow string root. Yo' git de willow string root an' yo' don't have tuh boil it. Yo' dig it up. It's sorta like curls up, it's a root jes' crooked jes' lak when yo' make whiskey or sompin, jes' lak a [distill- ery] worm, yo' know, yo' make whiskey, yo' put sompin in de copper outfit. It jes' bunch up, dat's de way it [root] do. An' yo' take dat an' jes' let three balls [coils] of it be's runnin' roun' an' roun' one another, an' it pile up, yo' know, sorta lak a snake. It crawl up, dat's de way it do. An' yo' bury dat undah yore do'steps, front do'steps, an' she'll nevah stop dere ag'in. Dat will keep her away. Yo'll say to her, say, "Come back." She say, "No ah got [a bet- ter place to live]."
Entry 7604
Yuh kin [go] tuh de graveyard three or nine or fifteen days aftah any- body is dead, an' git some of dat graveyard dust, if yuh wanta harm anybody or kill 'em. Yuh dig a square hole [or oblong one, both a grave sym- bol] an' put dat dirt in it, an' take dis little bo'd an' covah dat hole up, an den put some othah dirt on top of dat, an' dey really got chah.
(Where do you put that dirt, this graveyard dirt?)
Well, yuh kin put neah tuh de do' - tuh de front do', or tuh de back do', or any de alley [gallery?], any place where dey gotta walk at, an' yuh know dey've gotta walk across it.
conditional intent to harm or kill in a described account. The source expresses conditional intended harm; no actual injury, target identity or perpetration is established. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 8788
[Here we are concerned with the great magic rite of wrapping, folding, rolling, turning, and twisting something to you or from you. I have added infor- mant's foot-track rite to show the "from you" aspect of the action.] Concernin' de moon, yo' wants tuh pick de new moon, growin' early, when de moon is in its infancy. Den yo', when yo' cravin' fo' luck, write chure name on a piece of papah, see, an' yo' begin tuh fold it. Roll it tuhwards yo', yo' undahstan'. An' yo' roll it tuhwards yo' an' den yo' wrap anothah piece of papah askin' or expressin' yore desire. Ask dem tuh be good enough tuh accomplish whut chews aftah. An' yo' wrap dat in a sepa- rate paper towards yo' den. Den yo' make a wish on de third papah. Roll it tuhwards yo', fold it up all de time. Yo' understan'.
(You make this wish on the third piece of paper. You write that down.)
Den yo' take dis piece of papah wit yore wish on it an' yo' bury it at chure front do', see. Bury it exactly at de centah of de steps so dat yo' could always walk ovah it, even if yo' not thinkin' of it at dat time. Yo' do dat especially fo' three mawnin's in succession, one right behin' de othah. Try to arrange tuh have tuh do all dis in de time of de new moon. Dat's de end of dat person.
(What do you do with those other two pieces of paper then?)
Dese two pieces of papah dat yo' have first written, yo' wrap dem up tuhgethah den in anothah piece of papah. Fold dat outer papah towards yo' ag'in at de same time. Den yo' repeat de 37th Psalm three times, an' each mawnin' yo' undahstan', but in de meantime yo' weah dat in yore right pocket. Keep dose two writin's in yore pocket, whilst de othah one is layin' at chure front door. (Then, how long are you supposed to wear those papers and keep that other paper under the steps?) Let dose papahs stay dere until dey have exhausted. Only yo' kin every mawnin' make yore urinate an' pour it right where yo' have dat buried.
(And what do you do all this for?)
Fo' good luck, tuh accomplish, tuh be successful in anythin' dat chew Want.
[Foot-track or "from you" rite begins:]
Dey will take dat, dis foot track an' dey will try to git every bit of it; yo' undahstan', don't leave any of it. Git dat an' put dat in a piece of papah - yes, papah. Wrap it up in three wrappin's, an' if dey wants to run yo' away, dey will take dat an' put it in de nearest runnin' stream of watah an' throw it ovah- bo'd an' den dey go ahead.
(What do you mean, wrap it in three wrappings - just one, two, three?)
Yo' wrap dat from yuh. An' den dey'll wrap it in three different papahs, see. Dat same wrappings. An' den take dat an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' dey do dat, too, in de new moon.
(And they get this dirt out of how many tracks or any particular track?)
Out of yore right track. (And do they take these three pieces of paper altogether, one, or just throw them separately into the water?)
[I knew what was done. This is merely a search for further details.]
No sir, put dem togethah, wrap 'em up. Dat is, ah mean dey wrap all dese three tuhgethah. An' every one of dem dey wrap, dey will wrap 'em goin' from dem. An' when dey wrap de last one, dey wrap it goin' from dem. An' den dey throw dat in a stream dat is goin' from de do' [throw downstream]. Dey don't throw it de way dat [stream is coming]. Dey always throw it behin' de stream. Yo' see, dey throw it so dat wrappah - so it goin' from yo', not comin' to yuh. Yo' undahstan' whut ah mean?
(I understand.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1051), 1705:6.]
[Closely connected with the preceding section NAME is the present section LETTERS AND HANDWRITING, the letter part of the latter title being concerned with the names of the writer and the person to whom the letter was written. Here in the written word we have magic action second only to the spoken word. As usual in hoodoo or witchcraft or magic, nothing belongs exclusively in one action, condition or location. Both letters and handwriting, therefore, are scattered throughout the complete text.]
burial of the written wish at the center of the front steps in the first rite. Preserve new-moon timing and three mornings; do not merge burial with the later from-you track rite. repeating the specifically named37th Psalm three times each morning in the first rite. No psalm text, translation, verse interpretation or outside scripture is supplied or consulted. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3588) · Read full source (printed page 3589)
Entry 12416
Just fix 'em, Put- tin' 'em in a cross like a "x", you know, and might get a powder an' tie 'em up together, and take that and bury it at yo' [victim's] door.
(Bury it at your door? They cross them like a real "x"?)
Just like that [demonstrates].
(I see. How many do they use? How many matches do they put that way?)
They git 'bout eight or nine.
(I see and they bury it at your door?)
Bury it at your door. And pins - take needles and pins and put 'em in de same way like dese matches.
(Cross them.)
And git some - if they kin git some hair out de mole of yo' haid. Wrap that up - wrap that round dere and cross 'em and bury that at your door.
(What does that do?)
They say that will kill you.
physical X arrangement of materials in a reported burial procedure. Quotation marks around x indicate shape emphasis, not a new quoted speaker. wrapping available hair around the described crossed materials before burial. Keep the conditional availability of hair from the mole of the head without extra anatomical interpretation. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 4332) · Read full source (printed page 4333)
Entry 53
I was home in the yard one evening just about dusk and I happened to see an old lady coming up to the house. I run in the house and told mama I seen aunt Jozrah. Mama said, "If you don't stop coming in here and telling me about you seeing spirits, I'm going to whip you." My father said, "Don't whip her. You know she was born with these spirits." They tell me when I was born there was a cord [caul] around my face, it went under my nose and caught over my head and against my eyes. So this Saturday night papa went to town. Mama never did believe that I seen them. So that night [the second time she saw aunt Jozrah] my two brothers and myself was out in the yar d playing. The moon was just rising and so when I looked down the lane I saw aunt Jozrah coming up the lane. I said, "Lord, Harry and Jim, here comes aunt Jozrah." So we ran in the house all of us. Mama said, "What you see?" And I said, "Aunt Jozrah." And she said, "You don't see her." And I said, "Yessum, I do. You come to the door mama and you will see her." So mama came to the door and when she got to the door she seen her too. So mama fastened the door and put the bar across it so she couldn't get in there. Whether she came in we don't know.
Entry 90
My mother died and I didn't like to stay with strangers and I went to this lady's house to work. And while I was getting supper one night, this noise, something fell very hard upstairs and jarred the house so, that Mrs. J. and her mother, her sister-in-law and a fellow by the name of Ed and myself, all armed and went up, thinking because there were valuable things ir the house, that someone had broke in, but there wasn't a thing could be seen on the floor anywhere. Lots of times when I used to go up tc make this young man's bed I had to pass a room they called the Red Room. Every- thing in there was red, partly red. Every time I got against this door, thie dooı would open. But I didn't see no one come out. And I was afraid to go down\be- cause I would have to call some of them down there to see me down the steps. Anc many many times they used to see soldiers marching across the garden. And that house Was supposed to be han'ted. They used it for a hospital in the time of the [Civil] War. That's about five miles from Brandy Station [Culpeper Co., Va.].
Entry 92
If you leave the house and lock the door and go away and come back and find it open, after awhile you'll wonder, "What's the matter? I'm sure I locked that door. Every time I come back the door is open." You get it in your mind somebody has died here and they didn't want anyone to come back in here to live. It wants it to remain just as they left it. Their family has got out and they feel the house should stay empty.
Entry 330
This lady had lived on the suburbs of the town over there at Berlin, Maryland, between Ocean City and Berlin, and she had jus' lost her husband. She has a little four-room house, very poorly constructed, it didn't cost much, and she has one boy. The boy's around fourteen years old. And directly after she lost her husband, there was a colored man came there and insisted that she take him in as a lodger. Well, she told him no, that she had never did it, jis' lost her husband - she rather not to do it. But he insisted staying there and she jis' couldn't get away - see, he jis' forced hisself to stay in her house. And after he had been there a couple of days, she come in home one afternoon from her work, and there she discovered this man had company. And on the second afternoon that this fellah had been at her house she come in from her work, and her son and her both heard this laughin' and talkin'upstairs. Knowin' there wasn't anyone but de one man there they began to investigate. And de boy goin' up de steps come back to his mother and says, "This man is up there and he has another heavy-set right black man settin' there with him, ' and he says, "they are a jis' havin' a big time."
(How did the boy see him?)
Through the crack of the door. And well, she begin - she was alarmed anyhow by him being there, and dat re'lly alarmed her more. And the next afternoon when she came in, her boy with her, they heard him a-laughin' and a-playin' upstairs. And when de boy went to see who was up there again and he had a great big black- snake on de bed playin' with it. Well, she asked him to leave again. But he laughed at her. So directly afterwards before she went back to her work, he came on out and went out, and she fastened ev'ry winder, locked ev'ry door in order that he couldn't git back in there. Well, when she came on back that night from her work he was right back in the house upstairs in his room. So then she began to think there was somepin funny about it. And he wanted to stay to his room. He didn't want to be seen around in de public. In fact he told her dat he didn't want to be seen in de public too much. And on the fifth day then he decided to leave and he went to her and he ast her what did he owe her. "Well, '' she say, "I don't make you any charge; anything you wanta give me is all right." She was only too glad to git clear of him, she told me. "Well," he say, "but I wan' choo to tell me." She says, "No, I won't." Well, he says then - he up and says to her, he says, "Now, you have recently lost your husband." She says, "Yes, that's right." And he say, "You owe the under- taker two-hundred dollars for this burial and everything. Is that right?" She says, "Yes." 'And you promised to pay him so much ever' month?" She said, "I did." "Well," he says, "I'm gon'a give you enough money to pay that bill off. But I want choo to do this. I want choo to pay them. You take this money and put away home here and keep it. And you go up and you jis' pay the twenty-five dollars a month like you have been doing, and don't pay any more than that, don't make any display with this money, becuz they know that choo can't make it. You haven't made it so quickly, and they'll want to question you where you got it from. And you act as I have instructed you." And she says he out and counted her out two-hundred dollars and gave her. And he packed up and disappeared, and told her that, "choo'll never see me again." And she believed that he was a man that had sold hisself to the devil. And when a person do that, if there's anything dat they want to accomplish, they can do it.
Entry 522
You take dis sage whut dey use for Christmas in turkey an dat'll keep 'em away from dere. You take dis sage, you understand - you jis' take a leaf, you understand and repeat some of de Ten Commandments; jis' de same as each one of dese little leaves is a letter, "Thou shalt not steal." You jis' take dose little leaves off dis sage, jis' pull 'em off, "Thou shalt not steal" - you put it down dere. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" - you put it down dere, until you git the ten. An' take 'em, you understand, wherever de witch comes in, you understand, jis' spread 'em out over de doorsill, you understand, an' put a piece of carpet over 'em, and dat's where he git right to de door - he stop right dere.
Entry 528
I have heard my mother tell how to stop witches from riding you in your sleep and awake. The way to stop them is to hang a sifter on your bedroom door near the keyhole, and when they come in they get in that sifter and has to go through each and every hole in the bottom of the sifter before they can do as they want. Often it gits caught in the shape of a fly or worm going in and out the holes.
Entry 530
They tell me to stop a witch from coming to your house hang a sifter over the door hole and when she comes she'll have to count every one of those holes, and if she misses a count she'll have to start all over again and by that time it will be day and she'll have to leave.
Entry 741
Ah tell yo', since ah've been in Savannah - ah've been heah now, if ah make no mistake, ah think ah've been heah now 'bout fo'teen-fifteen, fo' sixteen yeahs. Ah think ah have - sixteen yeahs if ah make no mistake an' if anything it may be a little longah. Well, ever'where ah have stayed, people have done me bad, have done me dirty, an' look lak tuh me it because ah tried to treat people nice - look lak dat dey jes' fall out wit me. Well, since ah been ovah heah - ever' street ah would move off hit would be somepin else - but since ah been ovah heah on "L" street ah've had de best luck ah've evah had, looked lak to me, since ah've been big enough tuh know mahself. Well, ah tell yuh, ah walked one day about six miles, me an' anothah lady. Ah went with her to her auntie's aftah some plums. An' when we got out dere she give us de plums an' then she had a great big bunch of gwah-lic [garlic]. Ah says, ah say, "Ah shore would like to buy a piece of dat gwah-lic from yo'." She say, "Awh - that's too much, ah wouldn't sell it." Say, "Go on pull yo' up a bunch." She says, "When yo' git home jis' stick it out." She didn't know whut ah want tuh did. Ah says, "Ah shore will." When ah got home ah clipped de root of it off an' - hit [there was] a tassel had de seed. Ah took dat root part an' ah took it an' tied a string on it an' hung it up ovah mah front do'. An' dat othah seed part [tassel] ah tied a string on hit an' hung it up on mah middle room do'. An' ever since den it looked lak to me ah've been havin' pretty good luck. Ah been havin' pretty good luck - pretty good. An' people tells me, says, "Cer'inly looked lak since yo' moved roun' heah dat yo' has good luck." On dat gwah-lic. So ever' nine days ah goes to dat gwah-lic an' sorta whack on it, yo' know, an' let de scent git ovah de house, yo' know. An' ah has pretty good luck, heah in dat gwah-lic. Ah shure do.
Entry 761
I heard about a man onest, him and a woman had a fallen-out, and dey say she come out to de door that morning and make a cross mark right in front of de door. And dey said he walked out dere dat morning and he looked at it and didn't pay it no attention. As he walked acrost it he fell down. And dey taken him up and carried him on back in de house. And dey sent and got a root doctor. After he come dere he give him a belt to wear.
Entry 1341
[An old horseshoe is almost invariably used in folklore, but it takes an opposite to prove this rule:] If the house is haunted, put a new horseshoe over the door.
Entry 1669
To make it more quiet around the house they go to work and some people puts on doors to keep them from worrying them. I remember one time we had some- thing like that occur to us. They would come in and you could hear kindling PoP like they were getting their supper or something. They done that along about twelve or one o'clock. That was a farm they used to live on before the War [Civil War]. My father, he suggested that they put on new doors and new window screens and it would stop them. We did. We put them on and we didn't hear any- thing more of them. That was in King William County, Virginia, near fifty years ago [1886]. [A new door on the house confuses the spirit; he does not recognize his old home. New window screens serve the same purpose. Instead of a new door, it is sometimes repainted - see No. 1038, p.395.]
Entry 1941
You jes' go to 'im and - dat's if you kin git to 'im. Git to 'im and you got some of dis same graveyard dirt, but you git dis before de 12 o'clock tonight when you wan'a git a job. If you go to git a job, you go to dis grave at 12 o'clock in de night, fresh grave, and you go to 'im and you say to de dead man, "Will you let me have dis?" You say dat to 'im t'ree times before he give it. Den you takes dis direct fromst de middle, fromst de foot, and fromst de head, see. And you put dat in a little cup and you bring dat cup out [the grave- yard]. Now you know where dis bossman stay, you know dat he stay dere. Well you go to his house four o'clock.
(In the morning or at night?)
No, in de mornin' - four o'clock and you knock at de door t'ree times before you put dis down. Knock at de door t'ree times and put dis t'ing right on under- neath de steps and you go off. He comes out.
(He comes out.)
Yeah, and you gone and he ain't goin' see nobody when he come out. All right. Den next mornin' you go up to him, "Good morning, boss." "Good morning." 'Well, Boss, I's looking fer a job." 'You wan'a job?" 'Yes, sir." "What kin you do?" "Well most anything, suh, you want done." 'Well, I'll give you a week's trial." "All right, sir." That's all you want. Git in dere and after dat you is dere. [We have in this rite three actions, each performed three times.]
Entry 1952
Tuh make 'em move. Well, yo' could take some dem seeds, dey call 'em de guinea peppah seeds. Take guinea peppah seed an' yo' sprinkle it if yo' visit dere, or else git someone tuh come dere to dey house yo' understan'. Yo' take de guinea peppah seed an' yo' throws it an' curse it, if it one or two of 'em. It a little bitta seed lak flaxseed. Chew evah saw flaxseed? Well, yo' take dat an' yo' throw in dere, or else go an' put it undah dey rug where dey pass, an' when dey pass, well, dey always gittin' ideas tuh move, yo' see, an' finally dey'll say, "Oh well, ah'll git outa dis house." Well, dat's really evil doin' - de guinea peppah seed.
[Make 'em move rite is followed by bring back rite.]
All yo' do, go on dere an' git de seed an' yo' passes zactly where dey livin' at, where yo' seen 'em, where dey home at, an' yo' drop de seed at mostly each step, yo' know, where yo' comin'. When yo' leavin', come an' make a block, an' yo' drop one those seeds right in front dey do' an' den when yo' comin' 'long agin. [Machine turned off too quickly but my following comment explains.] (You keep dropping these seeds from their house back to your house. That's the come back seed. That's to bring them back.) Bring 'em right back.
Entry 2119
If yo' wanta engain [gain] customers - if yo' engain customers - jes' lak ah'm runnin' a business, want customers to come mah way, nail a penny to that [front] do' an' nail one to de back do' an' nail one tuh de back post as yo' go out down de step. An' yo' engain customers.
(You put it right in the center of the door?)
Right in de center of de do'.
(Down on the floor.)
Nail dat penny heah.
(On top or underneath?)
De haid up - de penny, dere's a haid on it. Nail it right in de center of de do' dere...that is luck an' that keeps them [the law] away, too.
Entry 2220
An' yo' wanta keep dem away, yo' kin git chew some quicksilver an' when dey leave yore house, why yo' kin sprinkle some in front of yore do'step when dey walk 'way. Call dat person by dere name an' yo' be's sprinklin' dis stuff along. Call 'em by dey name an' say fo' 'em not tuh come back dere no mo'. An' dey won't come back no' mo'.
Entry 2255
Go and git some alligator beans and break them up - git nine of 'em - they'll be dried hard, and you will go where they live early in the morning be- fore they git up, and throw that whole bean all broke up into their door or under their steps or into their hallways, and call their name and walk away, for nine mornings.
(You throw a different bean each morning.)
They'd only be about that long - jest break 'em up, you know. And that will make 'em move.
(What is an alligator bean?)
Hit's - it look somethin' like a horse bean.
(Like a horse bean. Is it something to eat?)
No, yo' can't eat that thing - that will kill you.
(Do they grow on a tree?)
To tell de truth ah never seen how they grow, but I get dem from Palestine. [Informant probably means he bought his alligator beans from a root or hoodoo merchant, who said they came from Palestine. Are they holy beans? At least horse bean is a variety of the common broad bean (Vicia faba) grown in Palestine from biblical times. A poisonous alligator bean I do not know, unless this is a disguised castor bean. The beans may not have been holy but this informant, my first in Washington, was: "Washington, D. C., Thurs., July 29, 1937 - beginning record 961 - No. 62la - Rev. A. C. Foster" - Numbers Book 62la-646.]
Entry 2277
If yo' want a enemy tuh stay outa yore house - don't want him in dere - yo' take dem scissors an' den yo' bind dem together jes' lak dat an' den yo' git chew some black thread an' den yo' tie nine knots in de bindin' an' hang 'em up near de do'. Dat enemy whut yo' don't want in yore home, she [he] won't come in dere.
(You tie those nine knots in the string to what?)
Yo' see, yo' put both de points together an' den yo' wrap it [in a piece of cloth] an' den tie it wit dis black thread an' hang it near de do', an' den dat enemy whut yo' don't want in dere won't come in dere.
Entry 2377
Dey say yo' kin cross 'em like that.
(How do they do that?)
They take and make the mark this Way [demonstrates by drawing a cross mark] and then they go to the drug store an' git de water dat dey sell, called war water, and pour it around yore do' and that will cause confusion and fighting - disagreeable, even until you move.
(They pour this war water right in the mark of the cross?)
Yes, sir - right in this way, right at chure door, and that will create con- fusion and you will have to leave. [See Marks, p.254.]
Entry 2406
Dat's luck tuh eithah draw mens to yore home, yessuh, de banana peelin' - jis' de peelin' of de banana yo' know, a little piece ovah de do' an' folks walk up underneat' chew know...comin' in de front do'.
(That is supposed to bring men into your house?)
Bring money mens to yore home.
Entry 2453
If yo' want good luck in yore house, if yo' runnin' a beer house or Zikker house or gamblin' house or poker game house or lak dat, an' yo' want de boys tuh come an' de law stay behin', wanta bring 'em in dere tuh leave dere money in dat house, you takes three hen aigs an' throw 'em up on top an' hit de roof of de house, smash 'em an' let 'em bust up dere. Yo' take two of 'em an' let 'em bust top de house. Den yo' take de othah one an' lak dat one is dey do' an' yo' carry dat one in yo' han's dere an' stan' off heah fo' or five steps, an' break dat one on top de do' - jes' bamm, right up dere ovah de center of yo' do', cast dat aig lak a ball an' let it bust de aig.
(Over the door?)
Right ovah de do', de front do'. See, bust de aig an' see dat aig will run down, an' when she run down don't have nobody wipe it up - don't wipe it up or nuthin, let it stay dere. An' den dat gives yo' all de power an' luck to yore house an' dat room dat chew want. Yeah, dey come in dere. Yo's de boss of de house an' has ever'thing - hit goes yore way ever' bit of it. An' now, when yo' do dat ever' time - but chew gotta keep it up - yo' mus' do dat on ever' change of de moon. But chew gotta git fresh hen aigs - don't git de cold storage aigs, git fresh aigs dat de hen jes' laid lak today. Git dem fresh aigs, yo' know dere fresh, use dem aigs lak dat.
Entry 2517
De law never was dere befo', see [and you do not want him to return]. You puts de horseshoe right ovah dat door, see, turn de toes up and write three "x's" behin' your door - three "xxx" - and lay one penny right on dis step, de doorsill. Ev'ry time I go [by them], pick at 'em, pick at 'em. Den you git four sticks jest like dat - get four sticks jest about six inches [long], put one in de under sill of yo' door, and put one on de corner, and put one in dis corner, and put one jest about five feet from yo' door and drive it down till you can't see de head. And I'm goin' dress dese sticks ev'ry day, keep up wid de sticks - keep it so dat nobody dig around it, see.
(How do you dress these sticks?)
Well, you see, you puts half cord - wrap one end of it on de end with cord, with the string, and the other with cord and the next one clean. De clean one must be a little higher den de end ones. But dat one in de yard [five feet from yo' door] - don't wanta put nothing on it. That's a footwalk. Ev'ry time dey be walking on dat, dey mighta know what coming. And if you feel, while dis man coming in - turn on it - must never be backward and all - let him come right in de house - let him look - no matter where he look. He might hunt chure house up and down, look at this, looking at that walking stick, that stick what you got in the middle of your yard, and he'll come out chure - ain't nuthin in yore house.
(That's if the law has come after you to arrest you for bootlegging.)
Put 'em [sticks] there and they walk over 'em all de time.
(Well, now, that stick in the middle of the door, how do you wrap that?)
Don't wrop dat atall. De two on de sides [of the door] you wrap dat - dat's de two guards, like two guards.
(Ohl You wrap that string around the two on the sides?)
De cord. Wrap it about that thick, couple inches on both ends - what chew leave on de top and drive it on down you know. And have it clear dat nobody won't have to stub. Drive that other one down without anything on it. Wit de fourth sticking out - one about five feet from de door, de step, put dat down so dat nobody will stumble over it.
(Do you put any cord around that one?)
No, de two of 'em dat be - two have to be not have anything on 'em. (The one in the middle of the door [at the sill] and the one out in the middle of the yard [five feet from de door] don't have anything on them.) See, dat's what you call dressin' dem two on de [each] side [of the door] - de guards, see. (I see. Now here's the stick on the side. You wrap around the top of that, wrap around the bottom of the stick, and then you drive it down in the ground.) Even down in the ground - see, so's nobody won't see it.
(You leave part of that stick outside the ground?)
No, don't leave part of that out of the ground atall. De middle stick, you leaves jest about a tip-end - dat's you guide, you see. You use de head right out, leave dat little out and then you kin pull dat eny time. When you pull dat you see, you shake de whole three. See, dat's fo' dem to care fo' you and yo' whole house.
Entry 2528
Some use dragon's blood an' put it under de steps an' ovahhead of de facin' of de do' wheres yo' come in, an' dey won't come in yore place.
(To keep the law away?)
Yes sir.
Entry 2572
The best thing you can do to keep the law away from your place - you sees what they call nutmeg. You use dry nutmeg after you scrub your place good: scrub it thoroughly, clean - and walk. Take you two whole balls of nutmeg and grind them and when you walk out of your place, sprinkle that stuff yourself; sprinkle one on the right side of the door and one on the left side of your door - out with nutmeg, out the door. After that is stayed down there all day, that night scrub; scrub out your building outside, scrub it outward. Don't scrub it in, scrub it out, and you'll have no trouble with no law. But if, if ever an officer come to your place - he ever come to your place that they - when they going to make that visit, take that nutmeg that you ground and sprinkle that behind him after he go out. Sprinkle it behind him and let that just be down there 'till morning. And scrub your building, but scrub it out - don't ever sweep it in.
Entry 3014
Yo' take St. Michael - lak yo' got people dat's comin' aroun' an' yo' figure it's not yore friend, yo' put St. Michael ovah yore do' - dat's de do' dat chew all come in. An' put him ovah dere an' he'll keep 'em all away - all de people dat don't lak yo', yore enemies. Yo' uses hiin ovah de front do'.
(Do you do anything to him?)
No, no, jes' put him ovah dere an' when yo' put him up dere, jes' say, "St. Michael, keep all devils away, In de Name of de Father an' de Son an' de Holy Spirit: '' [While saying this she makes the sign of the cross.]
(And make the sign of the cross.)
Dat's right.
Entry 3085
This man I married - oh, it was forty some years, forty-five or near fifty years ago now [happened about 1887]. He was taken sick and his mother said somebody had poisoned him. And this old woman [ole Leana Davis, called Mammy Doctor, well-known in Richmond years ago], whut waited [doctored] on him, come to see him, cut off getting de [medical] doctor's medicine. [This was standard practice to "cut off" the M.D.'s medicine, which was considered useless and harmful in witchcraft and hoodoo.] She went and got a he bullfrog and said she was goin' bury him at the center of the door and whoever did it was goin' come back and ask her what was de matter. Well, she got dis he bullfrog and put him in dis cup [top from a], baking-powder box [can], and made an oath and filled it full of five cents worth of new cayenne pepper. And he [bullfrog] bellowed like a bull. This ole cunjure woman put it under the sill of the door, right down in de corner here - and the house there today and that cup is down there now, I reckon - the door where he was livin' at, under the steps. And ev'ry mornin' for nine days his mother had to go there and stomp on de steps and say she hoped to God she'd get 'em. But this boy died. He died. And the frog still there - calculate it still there now, I reckon.
Entry 4288
Throw dat out de do' evah mawnin' 'fore sunrise. It will give yuh good luck.
(This chamber lye.)
Dat's right.
Entry 4900
Ah've heard dat yuh could take dat dirty sock dat he weared an' bury it undah de do'steps an' he'll come back if he's gone.
Entry 4958
Take de sock an' tie de sock in three knots an' bury dat undah de front do'step. Dat bring a man back, or a woman, or even yore chile. Eithah sock.
Entry 5120
Ah heard dey take a devil's shoestring an' wit de shoes, if yuh wan' 'em tuh return an' bury it undah de do'step an' dey will return.
(Do you put this devil's shoestring with the shoes? One or both?)
De two shoes.
(And you put the devil's shoestring with that?)
Yes, an' bury it right undah yore do'step where yuh wan' 'em tuh come in. Let 'em come in an' dey will come back.
Entry 5522
Dey will jis' take dat an' put it in a rag.
(This foot track?)
Yes, take de whole track up an' put in a rag an' tie it [1 knot], up an' den dey carry it an' bury it undah de do'step. Put a meatskin in it. It'll worry yuh, prob'ly run yo' crazy.
(What sort of meatskin? Any kind of meatskin?)
Yeah, jis' white bacon. [The meatskin is to draw some animal or insect that will chew on the meat and foot track.] (And they put your foot track under your own door.)
Entry 5649
Git dere foot track an' put it into a snuffbox an' put it ovah de do' an' drive dem.
(What do you mean driving?)
Dat drivin' yo' 'way from home.
Entry 5668
If somebody comin' round yo' an' doin' yo' harm, or wupin lak dat, an' yo' wan' tuh git rid of 'em, when dey goin' out de do' sweep dey tracks out behin' 'em.
Entry 5742
If yo' want [them] to be driven from love or separate, tuh take tracks of a man an' woman an' bury it undah de do'step an' it stay dere. Put red peppah wit it an' it stay dere fo' nine days. An' yo' kin separate de man an' woman. (Well, now where am I going to bury it, under my doorstep?) Yes sir. (I want to separate another man and woman? I bury their tracks under my door- step?) Yes sir. [Red pepper makes them quarrel.]
Entry 7539
Well, lak if a man bustes [busts up] wit 'is wife an' she wants tuh git 'im back. Well, she go to de graveyard an' she gits some graveyard dirt from de top of a daid man's haid. Jes' lak a ole grave dat fell in, well, she go dere an' git some of dat dirt. Well, she take dat dirt an' she bury it undah de bottom of 'er first do'step, an' aftah she bury dat stuff undah de bottom of her first do'step, if she kin git 'im back an' git 'im tuh step ovah dis dirt, den dat's where she got 'im.
(He will come back and stay with her.)
The informant's conditional account requires bringing the man back and having him step over the dirt. '[busts up]' is an editorial gloss; the final parenthetical statement is the interviewer's, without another printed answer.
Entry 7549
Yuh's gotta git graveyard dirt from murder's [murderer's] grave. Dat will make any man leave home.
(What do they do with that dirt, then?)
Take dat dirt - if yuh goes out dat door de firs' one in de mawnin' see, well dey will take dat dirt an' sprinkle it in front of de do' an' yuh walks ovah it. An' yuh walks outa de home an' yuh fo'git home. Dere is no mo' home fo' yuh, becuz dat dirt - it's jis' like yore mind is murdered, it's gone. An' of co'se, once yore mind is gone yuh's done.
Entry 7555
Wal, she said dat yuh kin go - lak yuh know somebody dat been a devil. An' go tuh de haid of dere grave an' git some of de - put a dime dere, an' git some of de [dirt], yuh know, jis' a little bit. An' come back an' put it where yuh don't like somebody. Put it tuh dere do' an' if dey walk ovah it, well yuh see, dey'll go crazy. Dey have tuh leave dere. Dey couldn't stay in dis town...
(That is to drive them away.)
Entry 7749
Dey gits some graveyard dust an' tie it up an' gi' [give] some dat to yo', why it'll make yo' stay home.
(How do they do that?)
Tie it up in a piece of rag an' put it up ovah de do'.
(They get off the dirt from your foot track.)
[The sleep inducing quality of graveyard dirt mentioned elsewhere evidently acts upon the footprint dirt to keep a person home.]
Entry 7757
Bring it [graveyard dirt] from de graveyard an' bury it upon yore front do'step an' dis will bring yo' luck.
The material name “graveyard dirt” is supplied editorially in brackets. The speech itself says it comes from the graveyard.
Entry 8750
Ah've heard dat in case yo' wanta bring someone back to yo', who left or run away, dat chew take yo' a brand-new tin pan an' engrave on dat tin pan dey name an' lay dat tin pan right up ovah yore do'.
(That will bring them back. That all you have to do?)
Jes' whut ah tole yo'.
Entry 8941
Yo', go tuh - jes' lak yo' know dere name - well, yo' ain't gotta know dere name. Yo'd know zactly who did it. Yo' go tuh a wagon - yo' know jes' lak dere a ole wagon settin' out in de lot or somepin. Yo' go dere an' - de firs' thing yo' do, de do' where dey go out of, yo' go tuh it an' trim de facin' of dat do'. Jes' trim a li'le offa de face on each side of dat do'. Go tuh dat wagon an' take dat hub off. Take dat wheel off an' put dem trimmin's right on dat axle, on dat hub dere, an' put chure wheel back on it. Ah reckon it'll stay. An' den yo' turn it backwards one time an' turn it forward twice. Tell dat thief tuh bring dem goods back. An' dey brings it back. (You turn that wheel backwards once, and then forward twice while you are telling him to bring those things back. You only get some shaving though of each side of the door and put them on the axle and put the wheel back on the wagon?) Dat's right. Yo' understand.
Entry 9223
(What about the black hen egg now?)
De black hen aigs. Now, dere wus a man comin' tuh me an' wus gittin' mine [eggs from black chickens] but ah didn't know whut he wanted 'em fo' till 'is wife tole me. An' when he came de nex' time, ah found out from him whut he wanted wit 'em. He takes dese black hen aigs an' write chure name on it an' dat's somebody dat he's aftah. He'll smash it on dey do' tuh eithah move yo' or keep yo' goin'.
Entry 10481
: They say that the only way to keep her from getting back into her skin is to put a sifter down at the door where she comes in and she will have to go through every hole in that sifter and that will make it day and she can't get back in her skin. [Hampton, Va., Ediphone 30.]
Entry 10643
Take red ant an' a dirt dauber an' put it together an' yo' kin make People fight an' leave one 'nothah. Yo' throw 'em right down in de road right in front of dey do'. (What do you mean, the ant itself or his nest?) Git up de ant hisself an' at him up, an' use de dirt-dauber's dirt - his nest.
Entry 10993
They take the name of the person who you dislike and write this name on these [rotten eggs] crossways, up and down de egg [each name crosses the other name, yours being the top name] and write yours on top of it [the other name] and make your wish. And after that, why you go to the door and just chunk it on the door; make it bust on the door or either on top of the house. And that will make a disturbance in there. [Newport News, Va., 500:2.]
Entry 11305
Take some red pepper - nine balls [pods?] of red pep- per [finger peppers?] and put it in meal [cornmeal = maize meal] and make it into a cake. An' don't cook it but put it raw under the door- step and bury it deep, and the dog would stay home.
(Where do you get this hair from the dog?)
Right in back of his neck, get the hair from the back of his neck.
Entry 11838
Take gunpowder an' if yo' kin git into they house, keep it throwed behin' dere do' all de time, an' it will keep dem upset an' dey will have tuh move.
Entry 12380
Jes' take a can of dis potash. Yo' know, Red Devil potash, an' bury it yo' know, jes' lak underneat' chure do'steps or somepin othah lak dat. An' dat'll keep ever'thing away.
(Keep harm away.)
Bury one underneat' each one yore do'steps.
Entry 12412
Like if you have a boy friend an' he's goin' with another girl, to break 'em up, you get 2 matches an' cross 'em an' put 'em under the [girl's] doorstep.
Entry 12627
Git some cayenne peppah an' throw it up undah de do', an' dey goin' be gone by Sat'day night or ah ain't heah. [New Orleans 282:9.]
Entry 12889
Seal ovah de do'. (What kind of a seal? A seal from the Sixth and Seventh books of Moses?)
[Since these were considered by Moses, they also added to the holiness of seals.]
Yeah. No. De Lawd is mah shepherd. Ah shall not want.
(You write that on a piece of paper?)
Dat's right. He made me de light. Ah'm in green pasture. He anoint mah head wit oil.
(And that will keep the law away, if you are bootlegging or anything.)
Dat's right.
Entry 9542
Well, they say that they could get a - can you hear what ah say?
(I heard you.)
Well, they tell me they can take a red pepper [cayenne pepper] and salt and sprinkle that in front of your door. That's to make confusion and you can't get along there and that [sort of thing]. Why, you'll move.
Entry 1259
[We have already heard two persons tell the same story, neither knowing the other had told it (see Nos.73-74, Pp.30-31.) Here a story is told first by the husband at my hotel in town and then he, my contact man Carter and I drove nine miles out into the country to interview his parents, others, and wife. The latter unaware of what her husband had said, retold the story:] [Husband's story about wife:] My wife, not knowing she had created any enemies, woke early one morning and started to enter the kitchen. The door being closed she got to the door and could not touch it. She could only stand and scream. What she thought, what she seen, what she felt, nobody knew. We got my mother. She asked me did we have a salt fish. I did not. I went to the store and secured two. She taken these salt fish and crumbled them in water and washed her hands, and she could enter the door.
Entry 11512
"If they want choo to be with them, why they bury it under the door- step. Like if they want chew to come...to my home, see, I bury it under the doorstep. And if they want to run you away, why put that in running Water and make a wish.
(Which tracks do they use?)
They use the right track.
(How do you mean?)
Get the dirt from under the right foot. Like, just, if you want 'em to come to your home, see, you take it when they're coming to the home. If you want 'em to leave, you get it out of that track when they leave home."
Entry 11571
"I'll tell you w'at they tell me. They kin git a-hold your foot track [the left one] and git choo nine grains of salt and put nine drops spirits tur- pentine and put it under your doorstep. [This is my original pencil transcrip- tion made soon after rite was collected. What happens I forgot to add; surely nothing pleasant.] [Wilmington 215:4+85.]
Entry 11577
Woman took husband's foot track to root doctor who dressed it. Then she took it home and buried it under the door. [Wilmington 83:5+85.]
Entry 11814
"If they go to the graveyard an' git some dirt an' put it up over your door, they say you'll always be down. [You do this] if you jis' see some- body you're jealous of or sumpin another, they're gittin' along better then [than] you." [Up over your door, compared with the bottom or near the bottom of the door, is fairly rare so far as graveyard dirt is concerned.] [Wilmington 115:7+85.]
The printed quoted excerpt reports dirt from a graveyard placed above a door. The bracketed insertions belong to editorial text; Hyatt's following comment compares the location with other accounts.
Entry 11817
"Take graveyard dirt and sprinkle it in front of your door...if you walk in it, dat's poison; it'll kill you."
This printed quoted excerpt contains an ellipsis and makes the alleged harm conditional on walking in the dirt.
Entry 467
They said there was some men traveling and they had no place to stay: They came to this house. This man told them there was a house there and there couldn't nobody stay in it. He give them some matches to make them a fire, he give them some potatoes and said they could roast them if they Wanted to. They made a fire and roasted these potatoes. Something came down the chimley and scratched the fire out. They had nerve enough to make the fire again. They scratched the fire out again. They decided they Wouldn't make the fire again. They blowed the light out. They lit the lamp and they blowed that out. They said they wouldn't light the lamp again. So they laid down to go to sleep. One man watched. After awhile a whole lot of people came in and began to dance. Then they went out and brought the card table in and began to play cards. Then they went out. And after awhile - this man was still watching - the door flew open. He fastened the door and the door flew open a second time. He fastened it a third time and the door blew open again. Then he happened to look up and this cat had her paw through the door. He said, "Now, I'm going to get that." He got up and goes around the side of the house and taken his knife and whacked off the paw. The ring dropped on the floor. He taken the ring up and put it in his pocket. So the next morning he walks on up to the house and this man says, "Well, you made a night of it." He says, "Yes sir." He said, "Well, did you see anything?" He said, "A plenty. There's one thing I want to tell you. Look what I got," and he held the ring up. He said, "Let me see that. Do you mind if I show this to my wife?" 'Not at all if you bring it back." So he went upstairs. And his wife was in bed. He said, "Haven't you got up yet?" She said, "Go away, I don't feel well." He said, "Look, I got something to show you." "Go on away from here, I don't want to see nothing." He pulled her over and took her by her hand and her finger was gone. That was his wife's ring. He said, "Well, if that's what you are, I'm going." So he left her. I heard that story ever since I was a little girl [in Orange County, Virginia,1886].
Entry 614
Then, when you get you two pieces of money - you understand me? If you can't read cards - well, I generally tell it with cards. I read cards - find out practically anything that I want to know. But if you can't read cards, you wants to get you two old pieces of money and put 'em in a pan and put 'em on and let the water come to a boil, and if dat money will hop about and throw the water at chew when dat water boil, you know that someone have put a trick on you. Now, what you wanta do - you wanta save dat water dat you boil this silver in and take three swallows a day for nine mornings. Well, you do that for nine mornings and you wanta to go [to] the cemetery and get three pinches of dirt each day for nine mornings, and bring that dirt and place that dirt into an old sock from de party who harmed you, if you possibly can, or either get a sock from dat house, if you can. Well, if you don't get a sock from dat house, you Wants to go by dere with dat dirt and sprinkle it across the door so he may be able to cross it. That'll take care of him.
(That'll take off the spell?)
Take the spell away. [Norfolk, Va., (466), 460: l; by Doctor Bowes.]
Entry 625
Well, ah had a sister an' ah know that was true. An' a rootman told her he [her sister's husband] had a sweetheart woman he was living with befo' he married mah sister. An' he told her, said that he would nevah live with mah sister, which he didn't live with her no longer den but about a month or little better. An' she [sweetheart woman] had some of her friends to slip in dere some Way or 'nother an' she had seven ole rusty keys an' seven pods of peppah an' seven needles - well, she had 'em ovah each do', one ovah de back do' an' one ovah de front. Dey nevah woulda found it unless [as] ah said, de spirit brought it to her mind. At last one day she spoke, said, "Ah believe ah'll look up ovah dis do' an' see whut's heah." She looked up dere an' dat's where she found it. Well, mah mother, she'd taken these to a man in [name of town not clear] an' this man tole her, said, "That was to keep her out all dem many years - keep her out de house, dat she nevah would live dere any mo'." But after she had found these things why he could turn it back on de woman, an' so mah mother tole him, why she didn't care fo' it to be turned back, an' so she left de keys an' thing dere with him. Say, she nevah would live with him. An' then, too, after she did that - we had been doin' some washing yo' know, an' her ministratin' clothes, yo' know, we didn't git through washin' dat - at least dat day, an' we jest left 'em out do's in de tub. She went dere an' stole dem an' taken 'em off an' buried 'em fo' 'em to kill her. An' so dis cunjureman tole mah mother, say, after them things rot, why yo' could jest pick 'em up an' dey fall, yo' know, to pieces jest lak a ole rotten rag or somepin lak dat. See, an' she would fin'lly die. Well, she did suffer, yo' know, a long time till mama got her cured by diff'rent mens yo' know. When- evah she'd go to ministrate oncest a month, why she looked like she was gon'a soon go to bed - git confined an' knots would come in her stomach as large as yore fist, an' when dat passed through - it passed through in knots like dat.
(Do you know anything - what they did to cure her?)
Yes sir. Well, a man by de name of Mr. Oleberry, he cured her - he cured her wit jest an ole green gourd. She had to make teas oncest a month outa green gourd. An' when she couldn't git de green gourd why he tole her jest to save up some dry gourds an' jest put a little turpentine in it, an' dat got her well.
(That's all that cured her?)
Dat's de only thing dat cured her. An' we had taken her to medical doctors an' all - an' all kinds of doctors an' dis man wus de only man dat reached her case. An' then sometime ago ah had a brother - he wus out in Tennessee, ah believe where he got hurt. Some wimmins hurt him. Ah don't know jest how it wus done, but anyway they had him dead from heah on down to his feet.
(From his stomach on down to his feet?)
Yes sir, an' dis same man cured him with jest de simplest thing. Yo' could jest stick a pin in him an' he couldn't feel it from his stomach on down. An' he said two wimmins an' one man fixed him lak dat out in Tennessee. An' he didn't do anything but jest had us tuh git green pine tops an' give him - bathe him, yo' know, from there on down an' give him some to drink. An' he tole him everything he do from de first day he started taking it. He hadn't walked none in twelve months, not nary a step had he walked. Yes sir, he tole him dat after de first day he'd sit up - he'd have to lay down most of de time after he had taken his bath in dis green pine-top tea an' given him some to drink an' tole him on de second day he would stand up, an' say, an' de third day, he said, "Yo' gon'a walk wit a stick out to de toilet" - de toilet wus out do's yo' know. An' really he did it. An' so we kept dat up fo' about two months, an' now he's in Florida, married an' got three children.
Entry 863
Well, mah husband wants once tuh run a jewelry shop an' it was a woman loved him an' he wouldn't love her, so she got about twenty needles and twenty pins an' po' some kind of stuff on 'em an' put it in a red piece of flannel, an' that morning when he went to de jewelry shop it was tacked on de do' right under the knob. An' he started to touch it an' the man said, "Don't touch it." So he said, "What ah'm goin' do - how'm ah goin' tuh git in?" Said, "Wait a minute." So he threw gasoline on it an' he threw a match on it. Mah husband didn't know whut it meant, so it worried him all day, so he got on de train an' he went to Tampa. So a lady [cunjure] tole him that a lady put it on dere. So he said, "Well, whut does she mean tuh do?" Say, "She meant fo' yo' tuh tear up yore business - that's whut chew gon'a do." She say, "In less time than two months if yo' don't pay twenty-five dollars [to the cunjure for protection], yo' goin' out business." So pretty soon mah husband jest went to giving his stuff away an' selling it an' he jest said he wanted tuh git out - said his business was torn up Wit those needles and pins an' red flannel dat was sticking on de do'.
Entry 899
A girl hurt me, got betweeen me and a boy. I had two children for him. I was noticin' how she come aroun' and talk to him and things, and I didn't pay it no mind. I taken it for a joke. Well, it wasn't a joke. And so this girl got between me and him. And so she got my track and got two three-penny nails, she got my left track, and put them in a little white sack and bury it under mah door. And so mah feet went to swelling, and legs, and I didn't pay it much attention. I worked right on. And after awhile I got so I couldn't you know, it pained me. So I went de doctor and the doctor he bathed me for it, and it looked like all he did wouldn't do me no good. So an old lady, she lived aroun' there, told me to go to some kind of other, a root doctor. And I did. And so he told me that I was hurt, and told me I couldn't git it up from de door. He says I have to git somebody else to git it or git him. So I give him a dollar and told him to dig it up from mah door. So he did. And he told me what it was. And so he say he'd take this stuff and put it to her door and that's the onlyest way he could have it turmed off of me. And he turned it back On her. Well, she Was in the same condition. I got well.
Entry 1127
[In the two preceding beliefs blacksnake root was a protection; here it is a crippling poison, which reminds us again that everything depends upon intention.1 My mother's sister was fixed like that. This guy went out in de woods and he got some blacksnake root, and he went and killed a rattlesnake and he got some blood off it and he cut off de rattlesnake's head, and buried it underneath the doorstep and de next morning when she step out - you know, she had to step right over it, her foot fastened up in her back and she still go about in dat position.
(It still fastened in her back?)
It still fastened in de back and she walk on crutches. (He got the rattlesnake and caught the blood and cut it up with this black- snake root.) With the blacksnake root and buried it under de steps. De first person that steps over that, that's the one goin' get it, see. [The first person that steps over that is sometimes heard, but it violates the widely accepted safety rule of It Warn't Put There For You, No. 653, p.220.]
Entry 1130
Wear powdered bluestone in both shoes; change bluestone once a week. [Wilmington, N. Car., (?), 233:1.] Bluestone worn in bag round neck. [Richmond, Va., (?), 336:1.] If feet swollen from walking over something [surface or buried hoodoo object], bathe with bluestone and sulphur and throw some [of this water] about door. [Norfolk, Va., (?), 530:6.] Burn bluestone in house; kills evil and cun, juration. [Charleston, S. Car., (502), 546:10.]
Entry 1460
They was working at de new shipyard.
(You had thirteen men in your boarding house?)
Yes, and they were paying me well, and I was saving my money and keeping up with my expenses, and things were getting along fine. And I had a neighbor lived downstairs under me and she envied me so much, and she put so much bad luck on me - well, until I just - I'd just gone to nothing because a friend of hers - she Was my friend too - had a car and she would get the friend to always take her out and she told her friend - [who] told me because we been friends, been neighbors - and she says, "Miz Davis, '' she says, "let me tell you one thing, you be careful because the woman that lives downstairs under you, she's a great enemy for you." She say, "Every time we go to ride, she want me to carry her to some old root doctor 'nother," and she say, "I asked her one day, 'How come you go to those kind of folks so much?" And she say, "It's a old mess living up over me and I never let nobody stay upstairs over me but so long, ' an' say, "that old mess up there, she got a whole lot of men and things in her house and she just thinks she's the only thing. "" I didn't do nothing but work, cause I got up every morning at four o'clock and cooked for all those mens and fixed lunches - you know I didn't have much time for foolishness. Jest by myself too because I was a widow and I didn't have - my children were grown and married and gone and - but she would go [to] everybody [doctors] and she had one [root doctor] to come there and I re lly know that he was one. Dey say he come from up about Back River somewhere, and he come in selling vegetables - you know, claim to sell. Well, he wouldn't sell to her for I have asked him, I says, "'What you ask for so-and-so, '' and he wouldn't pay me any mind. And he would come - and one day after he left there, that night I had to go to church early to be at prayer meeting and I was going down by the door, at the front. I was upstairs over her. It wus a three-story building. I had the second and third floors, she had the bottom floor. Well, I d gone out and some- thing was on my door screen and it looked like where a snail or something had been, and I put my hand right in it to open the door. I said, "Ooh, I wonder what's this on my hand, and one mind caught me right away, says, "Run and wash your hands in some warm salt water, table salt." And I ran back upstairs. And they all say, "What's the matter?" I say, "There something bad on the door. I just come back to wash my hand - I got my hand in it." And they say, "What is that?" I say, "Ah don't know." But I'd taken some of that warm salt water and wring and washed it off the door. But do you know this hand got where it had went up in my shoulder and for a year or more I could hardly use this arm; I had to hire the most of my work done. But I kept a usin' it kept on my mind to use this salt and water and I used it and used it. And then it just come to my mind to sprinkle salt and I just kept salt water and sprinkled my steps and all around my door that way. And you know one thing? Fin'lly she moved herself. Now, she did. She moved herself and I didn't never bother her. We'd both belong to the same church and she was a choir member and I was usher of the same church. And while she envied me, I didn't never say anything to her - never had nothing to do with her nohow cause I worked all the time. But that's what happened to me, and she just throw bad luck on me. [Here is where this particular story ended. I thought so because I turned off my machine. But the old lady started off again, visiting a white fortune-teller before I could push the starting button.] She say, "Chile, you ought to move out of that house, you have so many enemies that.... [This advice is often given by doctors.] Her continued story not too promising, I again stopped the Telediphone. Suddenly I must have asked, "Who was this woman?" before I could maneuver to the switchbox. One neither jumps at the switch nor keeps his hand constantly on it
(see Introduction).]
A white lady and ole. And she was up there [in the country] and she say, "I would come down there and dress your house and you'd have better luck, and kill out of some of these things. Oh! if you knowed what we speaker and guiding spirit] saw over your house. You wouldn't even have no idea." And Isaid, 'But I don't bother nobody." Well, she say, "Those [are] the warnings. You tends to your business and work hard and they envies you, and you have a whole lot of trouble. You don't mind [if you are not careful] they goin' trick you." And they re'lly tricked me. You know, all those mens was runned away from there. And lemme tell you one thing, my own son run from mah home like - when he came from Philadelphia, he came from Philadelphia - because he told me because I wouldn't let him have his way, because I want everything to be quite among nice neighbors and things. He's kind of rough. He just come from Philadelphia, you know, and he wanted to keep up his old rough crowd and I wouldn't have it. And he said, "You'll just set around here and go crazy about a little money you is making here, but there ain't goin' be nobody here 'cept you." And it shore was and I always believed he did it. Now I shore does. I've had a hard time here, I certainly has, and I haven't no husband, not a soul, even I haven't a friend. I had a good friend and they even run him away from me, and we didn't falled out or nuthin - he just left. And that took all my help you see. You see, when I had no help, I just went down to nothing - jest So many spells and things. That lady told me, she said, "You cain't live here in no peace. Your house is ruined. You don't have the idea who come in there and dropped it [cunjuration] as they come in - pretend to be friends." Well, I said, "Well, I don't take nobody for no friend." " She said, "But you wouldn't have the idea." And I knowed my own son was one of them and he's living downtown today and he won't help me as much as anybody else. He certainly won't, because he envied me. And he ought not to because when his work gave out in Philadelphia he came home here and I'd taken care of him a whole year before he could get anything to do, because there wasn't any work, and soon as he got into the.shipyard he went on and got him a room somewhere else. He did that and he'd do that today.
Entry 1659
[Whiskey is frequently fed to a protective hand or to a troublesome spirit.] Well, dey say if a person dies, if he die cruel to yo' or something lak dat, say his spirit will come back. Well, it comes den through a dream - co'se dey has rid me, it jes' as natch'r'l though as I'm lookin' at chew. Dey jumps right up on yo' an' dey ketch yo' an' when dey ketches yo', yo try to call but yo' can't call - yo' jes' [demonstrates] (gasp - gasp) jes' lak dat until he turn yo' loose.
(Trying to catch your breath?) [For a hag or spirit riding, see p.135f.]
That's right - until he turn yo' loose an' yo' kin hear 'im when he hit de floor. An' yo' kin hear 'im when he come in, but chew can't not see 'im.
(This is a spirit?)
That's right.
(Well, can't you keep them out of the house any way?)
Yo' take a new piece of lumber [see p.513f.] an' take yo' a lamp. First, yo' take that lumber, a new piece dat never been used, an' drive it right cross de do' an' set dat lamp about three and a half feet from it, an' he'll never walk in no more.
(What kind of a lamp?)
Jest a ordinary burning lamp, oil lamp.
(You keep that lamp lighted at night or?)
Jes' turn it low an' put dat piece of new lumber down dere an' yo' won't be bothered with him any more - unless you'd use it, take it up. (Did you ever hear of them catching one of those people? Sometimes they catch them.) Well, ah've heard they catch them in a sifter. Yo' takes a sifter an' when yo' put it over yore face, right up on yore breast lak that, or if it's a person dat have drunk whiskey - if he is a whiskey drinker, yo' takes a little whiskey yo' put right round in dat place, an' when he comes, he'll git in that an' yo'll ketch him an' when yo' ketch him, he's jes' a lump of jelly.
Entry 1767
[Here is a device used by George Jackson, a well-known doctor on the Eastern Shore before his death about 1900. This rite was told me by an old man who met prospective clients at the railroad station and drove them out into the country to interview the doctor. For some interesting information about this remarkable doctor, see margin-title George Jackson.] Now, if a man want to break his wife from some man, he steals this dishcloth an' when that he fools with 'er he ketches her nachure in this dishcloth. After he ketches this nachure in a dishcloth, he takes it home an' wraps it up tight an' buries it at his doah - right down under his doah. Fer nine mornin's he must git up an' walk over it an' make his wish whut he wants - never man can't enter. That's [a remedy of] Uncle George's. [Many persons called Jackson Uncle George.] That's called, understand, put a man down that he can't raise up courage fer that Woman, don' care how hard or whut he do. An' he can't. He made all the married, single, go to him, [even] captuns - go off, you know, on drudgin' [dredging for oysters in the Chesapeake Bayl an' leave their wives home. Of course, no man wanted a man to bother his wife while he's gone. He'd have her crossed before he left. [Princess Anne, Md., (130), 34: l; informant Joshua Wilson, age 65.]
Entry 2013
Then dey go to diff'rent places and ah've seen 'em use powder - some kin' of powder dey calls hotfoot powder. Ah have never used it but ah have seen 'em use it. Some of 'em if dey would git a chance, dey would sprinkle it around yore door an' inside yore door - anything like dat.
(What would that do?)
Dat was fo' tuh run 'em - run 'em 'way from dere.
Entry 2014
Ah see dat done, too - easy. Yo' has enemies an' dey want chew tuh move outa yore house, leave. Goes tuh work an' git yo's a powder dey calls de hotfoot powders - yeah, hotfoot powders. Hit's in de worl', anybody sell it to yo' dat kin git it - hotfoot powders. An' when yo' git dat hotfoot powders it looks white like sugah. Yo' take dat stuff an' go tuh his house by night - like dat's de house dere an' he stayin' in de house, he hard asleep jes' twelve or one 'clock in de night. Jes' go along an' put it down dere where he comin' out; if he comin' de fust thing in de mawnin' he done steps ovah it. You jes' sprinkle it right 'cross de do' lak dat. See. An' tell it, 'Ah lay yo' heah tuh work, do whut ah tell yo' tuh do." An' yo' walk right on - turn right aroun' an' walk on an' don't say anothah word. Walk right off an' leave dere an' don't say anothah word. An' ah heah, den yo's enemies goin' leave de house in nine day's time - he'll move, git off. [For nine day's time, see No. 1955, p.573.]
Entry 2072
You kin fix that yourself, far as I know. I have did it and I know it holped me out, 'cause I was selling whiskey and I used it. Now, you take the John the Conker and a little lodestone, that is [if] you kin get hold of a piece, a lady piece, and make you something like a toby - just sew it up in a piece of flannel with silver in it. They sav vou use a silver dime and you keep it damp with alcohol. Keep it damp with alcohol all the time and put it up over your door where your customers come in at. Then that will draw plenty of customers. One will bring the other and everyone pays his own way, and they'll be back again - everyone.
Entry 2234
In case yo' an' me are bootlegging an' ah wanta keep de law away from you, well it's a weed dey calls de rattlesnake marster. [I had been called a bootlegger before - see No. 808, p.279.] (Did you tell me why they call it the rattlesnake master?) It's de master of all snakes - it's de rattlesnake master, it conquers ev'rything. Well, it grows out heah - ah intend tuh bring it down heah an' show it to yo so yo' kin know. Yo' see it has wide leaves on it jes' lak dat an' yo' gits two of 'em - it's a he an' a she. De she one de leaves is got speckled splotches on it - red, jes' lak blood; an' de he one ain't got it on dere. You see you put that in two cans an' sell it. Yo' see those pair goes together. Yo' see yo' sets dem on each side of yore door an' no sheriff or nobody kin interfere wit yo' atall. (If you are bootlegging.) [For rattlesnake master identity, see No. 1436, p.469.]
Entry 2415
Wash yore face in sugah de first thing in de mawnin' with yore han' first [not with washcloth] an' go out an' meet de person an' den yo'll have good success. An' yo' know, take consecrated [concentrated] lye an' mop yore place 'fore de do' heah an' don't say nuthin to nobody while yo' takin' care of dat. Dat'll bring luck to de place an' yo' sell a lotta liquor.
Entry 2468
Where people go in, you know, to see each other - bootlegging or some- thing like that. That what chew talking about? (That's right.) Business like that. Well, now this is something that is sold mostly in the South. Did you ever hear of Darby's fluid?
(What does it look like?)
It's blue - looks like garment blueing: It's something that is almost the same as, you might say, Zonite or - what is this other stuff we use, it's kind of like a disinfectant. You get this fluid - it looks like blueing but it's a fluid. Well, you mix a tablespoonful to a gallon of water. After you have mopped your floors, dey usually take about a quart of urine. Say now, if you dressed your house on a Monday and Fridays, you put a quart of this urine into this water. See. And you drop nine drops of oil of cinnamon in this water and when you dress your house you start at the door and never sweep out the door, because of the sill of the door coming in you see. Just get a mop just for that purpose and don't use it for anything else. Put a half cup of sugar in dis and get it well dissolved in this same water and you just mop your house from de front clean on back to the back. And when you have done that and it is well dried, you wanta be careful don't let anyone to come in your house before that time and you wanta do that before six clock in morning. At six 'clock you get de contents of a five-cent box of sulphur. Mix a teacup of sugar in dis sulphur and measure it out in exactly how many rooms you have. Say now, you might have five rooms or you might have seven. You divide this as near equal as possible with this sugar an' sulphur. You put it on a little tin pan. You don't have to buy a pan, you can get the top of a tin bucket of some kind - just since it's clear and bright. An' put a little of that ~ jest the same as you would a candle - stick it together an' let that burn, an' don't open your house up until this have burned. Befo' three hours time your house will be so crowded you can't hardly stay in it your- self. Now, that is a fact, too.
(You make as many piles as you have rooms.)
That's right. Now that is one thing I can substantiate. I tell you how I know about that. [During a pause she told me she had formerly lived in Cincinnati. I said I also had once lived there.] I used to live right down from Mound Street across from dat undertaker - had dat big house at 714 and times were very good at that time and people were paying pretty good money for rent. But it seems that - I had nice rooms and all, but it was just so hard for me to get people to come in and pay me. They would come in and pay the first, or they would come in and give me half of it and say, "Well, I'm sorry but I haven't got it all." Well, ah wouldn't want to put them out, you know. So I was telling a friend of mine about it. She said, "Well, I will come down and see what I kin do for you." She came down and fixed my house up like that - burned de stuff in de house, and she told me to do that every Monday and Friday. After that I just had so much trade. I tried it several times since then in different places and I found it to be true. It will absolutely do that - I found it to be a fact.
Entry 2508
You wan'a bring in trade. Well, fo' whut ah've experienced about bringing in trade - ah used tuh be a bootlegger mahself, and ah kin say that ah done that mahself and got benefit out of it. Now hit's a oil - well hit's a water whut chew git and whut chew put in yo' scrub water, hit's whut chew call van-van oil. [See margin- title Van-van later.] An' put five drops in de water, even if yo' don't do nuthin wit it but jes' put it in de water, shake it up and jes' sprinkle it roun' in yo' business place. An' yo' take you some of dat same oil and some brown sugah - about a tablespoonful of brown sugah and about five or seven drops [uneven number] of dat oil, an' put it in a bottle and a tablespoonful of honey, an' take it an' put it in a bottle and fill de bottle most fulla water. An' den put two teaspoonful of holy water in it an' shake it good and set it somewhere close aroun' where yo' kin easily git chure han' on it. An' every time yo' see de law even down dere, if yo' think de law comin' in - but yo' sprinkle yo' place of business good wit dat water every morning. Every morning when yo' come in open up yo' business - when yo' open up yo' do's and do roun' lak dat - jes' sprinkle some roun' yo' do's an' up aside yo' do' facin' and all. But be shore tuh shake well befo' usin'. An' that'll jes' make business come in real breese [brisk] - yo' jes' be tuh de place - yo' jes' be overhanded wit business.
(And that will keep the law away?)
Yassuh. Ah experienced dat.
Entry 2515
De first thing yo' do if yo' goin' in business an' wanta be lucky - de first thing yo' do, yo' hangs a horseshoe right up ovah yo' do'. Dat's de first thing yo do. Well, de next thing yo' do den to be lucky, yo' go in yore house - befo' yo' go in yore house, don't let nobody see yo', yo' take dis cookin' salt an' sprinkle it right in front of yo' do' where de people's comin' in. See, dat's to cut de hard luck off - if a man comin' dere, dat's tuh cut de hard luck offa him whilst he's comin' inside yore place of business to keep from throwin' yo' in hard luck. Well, he comes on it. When he git in dere [you do the third thing], yo' take dis sulphah an' burn it in yo' house ever' mornin' befo' nine 'clock - sulphah. Jes' take a little sulphah an' put it in a lid an' strike a match to it an' jes' let it smoke - ever' mornin' befo' nine 'clock. An' you gon'a be lucky and successful in yo' business.
Entry 2566
Dey would git two cans of lye an' about midnight in de night, nobody sees yo', yo' digs a hole underneath each one of yo' steps an' put de can dere. But don't stop de can tight, let it be slant, an' yo' cover it up kinda lightly - you know, where dat scent and dat strength kin come out. An' dey tell me if dey'd come dere and start, dey wouldn't come no farther than that do'.
(That keeps the law away.)
An' he'll ask yo' questions.
Entry 2578
Well now, the way yuh have to do. You git de cap'un [captain of the police] of the presint [precinct] name, then you'll burn his name in this same stuff - honey an' cinamint [cinnamon]. Then you'll take honey, cinamint, an you'll scrub wit dat. An' when you git through, you'll take jis' plain cinamint- water wit dat, an' you sprinkle roun' your front doah wit it. You take you some brick - red brick - beat up fine. You done put verbena-water wit dat brick - red brick - an' sprinkle it aroun' your doah wit sugar, brown sugar. The law won't come.
Entry 2630
Yo' kin git some bluestone an' a can of sulphur. Yo' take that blue- stone an' sulphur an' saltpeter, an' put it undah de front do'steps an' de back do'step an' as fur as dey kin go up undah de house - see, round inside the house. Now, yo' burn some sulphur an' put yo' some essence of pennyroyal on that sugah, wit garlic an' a red onion. Don't nevah throw a onion peelin' outa de house. Always keep onion an' garlic. Burn it in dat stove with sugah. It brings luck in the house. An' de law ain't goin' bother yo'. Mop dat front steps - it don't take but a little time. Put yo' some garlic, cut up some garlic, an' chamber lye an' mop that be- fo' seven every mawnin', befo' seven. Do dis befo' seven an"leven. Dat brings yo luck - seven an' 'leven. Do yo' burnin' 'fore seven an' 'leven.
Entry 2657
Well, yo' kin git chew some garlic an' git chew some sulphur an' git chew some sugar. An' turn yore pan jis' befo' de sun rise - set it in yore do', set it afiah. Close all yore do's while it's burnin'. Yo' go out. Den when yo' git it blue wit smoke, open all yore do's an' de people will run ovah heah. Ah don't ca' whut chure doin', dey'll run ovah heah, comin' tuh see whut yo' got tuh drink. It'll draw 'em.
Entry 3036
Well, St. Peter, he's good and he's bad, but you gotta handle St. Peter so rough.
(You got to do what with him? Handle him rough?)
Yes, you gotta treat him dirty, whatever words I mean. If you drink, you gotta wet him with liquor. [See BEER FOR ST. PETER], and if you curse and live a bad life, you gotta be cursing. You gotta git up and pull your clothes up and pat yourself down there and all that. Then, if you promise him something and don't give it to him, he'll set your house afire. He won't burn up the whole house but he'll burn everything you got in the house and then the fire'll go out.
(How do you mean you pull your clothes up and pat yourself?)
Your backside to him.
(You show him your backside?)
Yes. You have to treat him dirty, treat him mean, on account of he was so mean. He wasn't what he professed to be. He was a follower of Christ and when Christ got into the judgment hall he didn't know nuthin about him. He got outside and go to fightin'. He cut the man's ear off. He was just a bad man, don't you see. And so you gotta handle him just like now as when he was on earth. Then [after you "treat him dirty"], you gotta handle him nice or he won't be bothered with you. You gotta give him keys too, because if you don't give him a key he'll keep every door shut and he'll not open the door for you.
Entry 4220
chamber lye is fo' success. Dey put it in de watah dat chew mop yuh flo's wit. Put chamber lye an' put sugah in de watah an' oil of cinnamon, an scrub yuh flo's. Start at chure front do' an' scrub on back in de house. Scrub yuh do' facin's an' all, wash 'em down. If yuh got varnish do's an' yuh cain't scrub 'em, why yuh jis' sprinkle 'em; but yuh scrub yuh flo's wit it, mop 'em yuh know lak dat.
Entry 7577
(To keep the law away, you take this same dirt and instead of throwing it into the house.) [I am repeating what informant had said while recording machine was turned off.] See, when yuh throw it intuh yore house, dat's fo' yore luck. Dat's bringin' all de peoples tuh yuh. Dat's tuh make yore business big. An' when yuh git ready tuh keep de law away, yuh go roun' yore house in de mawnin' between eight an' nine a'clock an' yuh draws yuh a cross an' makes yore wishes, tell it whut chew want.
(Where do you draw the cross?)
At each do' 'fore dey kin come in. Well, dey might come out dere but dey nevah comes ovah dere. Put it tuh yore front do' an' yuh put dat down in de cross jis' lak dat an' dey won't come in.
(You put this dirt down in the cross?)
De dirt, sulphur - graveyard dirt an' yore table salt.
(Graveyard [dirt] from the infant's grave.)
Yessuh.
Entry 9270
Tuh make yo' move out of de house, kin go git a black hen's egg an' bust dat egg on yuh porch an' spattah de egg on it. Gotta be de black hen's egg. An' throw dat egg on yuh porch. Yo' gotta move, yo' cain't stay dere. Take dat black hen's egg an' throw it at chure do' an' say fer nine times: Ah hope yo'll nevah stay here, yo' cain't stay.
(Do you do that all in one day.)
In one day. Yo' won't stay. An' git a little dirt from de cemetery. Go tuh de cemetery an' git chew a little dirt. An' de aig of a black hen.
Entry 13397
Pour urine, salt, red pepper and sulphur at door to protect against evil and spirits. [Washington, D. C. 208:5.]
Entry 9858
Twelve new tacks represent the Twelve Apostles. And you put three over the front door, three over the - there different ways of crossing over it, but this is a bad way of cross- ing it up. You put three new tacks over the front door, three new tacks over the middle door, and the other six tacks in the back room on the floor so that it looks - that nobody don't observe it. And in leaving that house, you take cayenne pepper and guinea-hen root... (And what?) Guinea-hen root. (Guinea-hen root?) Yes. And you take these Chings and sprinkle it all around that house. Nobody ain't going to rent that boose. Now, we'll see. Let's see what we get out of that, now. Cayenne pepper is something hot, that no entry of this immaterial spirit going to dvell. [This could mean that any immaterial spirit - in other words a spirit - sent by another hoodoo doctor attempting to uncross the house, could not cross over the red pepper to do the uncrossing.] Guinea root [this time not guinea- ben root] have 'straction odor that burn their nose.
(Extracting odor?)
[Distracting would be better; keeping person from house.]
Yeah. They drive away anything around that would be - it put you in a most Lcksidasic [lackadaisical] condition - you see, of these things. The tacks you drive in the wall is pinning [tacking] down his power, but you must - there some- Ching more in that. You would [must] understand how to use something else there. Gth a brand-new indelible pencil that's never been used before, with a piece of [] parchment paper, and that landlord name must be on that parchment paper. d take that parchment paper and put it into a coconut and bury his power down i che ground. [Here landlord's power is his name.]
(Where?)
Anywhere! Anywhere!
(All right.)
And if you throw it in the Mississippi River, you make him get in trouble. But bury it in the ground anywhere you please and that house won't be rented until the wood in it almost be rotten down. I have done that [this rite] myself. (Now, I didn't quite understand about those six tacks in the room - in that back room. How do you put those six tacks in the back room?) Put one in one corner [he points], one in that corner, one in that corner, one in that corner, one in the middle of the floor [here is a balanced quincunx], and BACK one just three feet - make 1, 2, 3, three steps from the [back] door and put that one there - that six [sixth] tack you put there. And three you put over the one [front] door and three you put over another [middle] door. That's your twelve tacks that you got. You pinning down that man not to rise in successive prosperity [one prosperity after another]. FRONT That is called hoodoo. [This two-room-house diagram is a study in triangulation. To begin we have a second quincunx. superimposed upon a normal quincunx.. which gives us 8 triangles, actually many more which are useless for our present purpose. Notice that the 3 doors are guarded: the front and middle ones by 3 tacks each, the back by 1 tack, totaling 7 tacks. These latter will keep out any spirit sent by landlord's hoodoo doctor to umcross the house. The cross on the house is the original quincunx. The off-center or second quincunx was not intended or forseen by our hoodoo doctor. This seventh tack should have been in the center and under the back door. However, the 3 steps from the back door were sufficient since this involved the Three Holy Names.]
(You pin him down not to rise?)
Not to rise.
(I see, I understand.) [New Orleans, La., (863), 1383:2.]
[Scattered throughout the text of the preceding four volumes are a good many frog and toad rites. Here in this section we shall learn more about the manipu- lation of these small animals, how brutal and demoralizing magic and superstition can be - a strange world indeed, as I said on page 1 of HOODOO.]
Entry 1649
Yo' could take de same thing ah tole yo' about de success an' den yo' could take three buckets of watah an' pitch out yore do' an' yo' scrub it - yo' know, right in front yore do', lak yore steps in front. Take that an' that'll keep 'em from doin' yo' any harm.
(Just three buckets of water, that is all you use?)
Jis' three buckets of watah, clear watah. Jis' keep throwin' dat out dere ever' mawnin' roun' six a'clock - see, aftah yo' say yore prayers. Yo' git three buckets, if yo' got a hydrant in yore home - yo' know whut ah mean, inside yore house, jis' pitch out de three buckets of watah an' make yore wish. See, any evil works - cus lotsa people work de evil yo' understan'.
(That will keep down the evil?)
De three buckets of watah - dat's supposed tuh be the Father, Son an' de Holy Ghost.
(Say that when you put it down?)
Yes.
Entry 1652
They claim that they can make you step over most anything to hurt you. They claim if you're an enemy to him, he will put down something under the door for you; and if you step over that, then they got you like they want you. In four or five days you feel an ailment coming to you. Then you go to a hoodoo doctor and he'll explain to you what happened to you. He'll say there's some- thing planted at your doorstep. You go back home and get it up and bring it back to him, and he'll do something to it [dress it] and give it back to you to carry to running water, south running water, and that will go back to the person after you to hurt you.
Entry 2727
Well, yo' git chew some incense from de drug store an' a bottle of Van-van and yo' burn de incense in de house and open de front do' where it will go in de street. Well, everybody dat pass, well dey takes a notion to stop by.
(What do you do with that van-van oil?)
Yo' take that van-van oil and yo' put it in yore scrubbing water and mop yore front porch with it. After yo' git through mopping yo' chunk de water out in de street an' it cause a congregation.... That van-van - po' it in yore scrubbing water, yo' mop yo' front porch an' steps with it, when yo' git through yo' take an' chunk it out in de street. Dey might pass de street, but dey ain't coming in de house.
(That will keep the law away?)
Yeah.
Entry 5862
Take a person an' if he wants tuh do somepin to 'em, he could take her bir an' put it in a tin box an' bury it undah 'er do'step an' dat'll run a per- 900 crazy.
Entry 5863
Yo' kin take dey hair an' bury it undah de do'step. Dat will keep 'em me, anybody dat run about a whole lot.
Entry 7993
They put a image in a coffin an' put it at your door an' put chew in bad luck, make yo' drift.
Entry 8103
Take dat p'otograph an' put it down on de face, an' bury it undah de doorsteps, an' walk ovah it. Dey say dat person'll jis' be gone.
Entry 8111
I heard of 'em gittin' hold of it [a photograph] an' buryin' it under the doorsteps so it with de face down, an' makin' yo' leave.
Entry 81
Years ago in the days of my grandmother - my grandmother died before freedom was declared. I never saw her. I only heard her story from my mother. They built their houses out of logs. There was just a front door. They had nothing on the floor but the dirt. The logs were laid close together on top of each other to form the walls. They didn't even have shingles then. The logs were hewed on each side and laid close together for the roof so the water would run off. Then they made little beds in each corner, like a shelf, near the ground. We would call them bunks. In one corner they would have for a table. The chimney Was in the back of the house opposite the door. They had no windows. They [the chimneys] were made of clay. The clay was mixed up, pine straw put in it to make it stick. Just daub it. And they made the chimney like a pen with small sticks, two rows going this way and one in the back, and this [the fourth or front side] was left open. That was the fireplace. When they got up a cer- tain distance [above the fireplace opening left in the form] it was a pen with four corners. They made it as high as the house was. They filled it [the double walls of the pen] with clay and straw. In the fireplace was a iron oven and an iron pot. They had something in the middle of the fireplace [crane] they hung the pot on, with the fire under it. The oven had a iron door. The ovens were iron and made flat. They put bread in there and bake it, and potatoes. This house whenever it was completed they killed a calf. If they had sheep, they would kill a little lamb to let the blood go wherever it was killed, let the earth drink it up. This lamb was barbecued in front of the door. All of their friends and neighbors would come and have a feast there. They did that entering a new family to the house. They kill it right near the house. The blood wastes on the ground, the ground drinks it up, near the house they were dedicating to the family. Now that I have been reading the Bible, I can see that the olden people were taking that from the Bible. It was on the lines of the Bible but they didn't understand it as they do today. The Israelites were told to kill a certain lamb and put it on their door faces. The olden people were just doing it in their way the best they could. In our neighborhood [Orangeburg County, South Carolina] in erecting a home, building a new house to live in, you always are supposed in one of the front pillows [pillars] of the house to fold the Holy Bible, wrap it carefully in oil cloth, that will protect it, put it in a stiff pasteboard, and lay it in the holler [hollow] of the front pillow of the house. This is supposed to be a pro- tection sent from God on your home. And you are supposed to live happily there. This is one of the customs.
Entry 93
On the Old Dominion Lines a boy, a room steward, stopped a passenger and told him to go forward, for what reason I don't know and the captain met him on the starboard side and asked him what did he want. And the man that [was] told to go forward said he was looking for a room. The captain sent the boy back with the passenger and he went down to the second deck and opened the room, left the passenger outside, put the baggage in, locked the door and left the key in. The passenger stopped and was talking to someone right near there. When he went to the door the door was locked and the key gone. They never did find that key. They accused the boy of taking it. They sent for the chief engineer to open the door. When they opened the door the baggage was scattered all over the room and the beds unmade and everything upside down. And everything Was all right when the boy left the room. Here's what the boys thought about it. That was the Jamestown under Captain Tapley. She got into a big storm and around Boston Light, before they got to Boston, this Was several trips before this [the present story} happened, and they lost two passengers and they were in this room. And they thought the ghost of those people done it.
Entry 199
Ah know one thing 'bout it - yo' kin go out tuh de fo'ks of de road if it's anything yo' wanta do to anyone, yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road - or anything yo' wanta learn - yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' sell yo'self to de devil of co'se. But yo' kin run a person off from dey home. Dey kin have evah sech a nice home but yo' could go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git nine grain of sand, say, "Ah'm gittin' dis fo' puhtection fum yo' - ah want chew tuh puhtec' me." Git nine grains of sand, "Ah want chew tuh puhtec' me fum all things - ah want chew puhtec' me in mah home. Mah home is gotten bad an' ah want chew tuh puhtec' me in dis nine grains of sand." An' yo' take dem nine grain of sand an' git chew a brand new white pocket han'ke'chef an' tie dem nine grains of sand up in it. An' yo' kin go to dat fo'ks of de road fo' nine nights an' git nine grain of sand an' dat las' night yo' go an' git dat nine grains of sand, yo' kin bring it in de house an' put it up ovah yore do' an' if yo' want dat person tuh go out, dat person will go out an' dey won' nevah come in dere no mo'. Dat will do 'way wit dat person altuhgethah.
(That person who is bothering you - you do that for protection?)
Yes. [Sumter, S. Car., (1365), 2413:3.] [This subsection, in addition to animals as spirits, introduces that amazing animal, the doctor's or witch's assistant.]
Entry 231
Now I know a woman down here in Caroline, she was called on a Sunday morning to come over there to the farm. They had a horse very bad off. She discovered where they had planted a bottle under this door, the door of the stable, and they got this horse so he couldn't get up. She removed it and the horse got all right. [Fredericksburg, Va., (?), Ed.; Caroline Co., Va.,1934; a rare example in my Negro folklore of an animal itself being bewitched.]
Entry 328
Well, ah've heard of de black cat. Yo' take dat black cat - ah've heard of dis. Yo' take him whilst he's 'live, take him an' boil him. Ketch him an' put him in hot watah an' boil him. An' yo' take dat watah an' let it cook down an' yo' take an' mix it wit sugah an' oil of bergamot an' oil of cinnamon. Aftah yo' git dat lucky bone - ah'll tell yo' dis first. Yo' take that an' have yo' a pan of watah, aftah yo boil him all tuh pieces. Den yo' take an' put it all in dat watah an' dat lucky bone will stay on top an' de others will go to de bottom. Yo' take dat bone out an' den yo' kin go by polices or anybody else. Yo' take that black cat bone an put it ovah yore do', up ovah yore do', or either undah yore step: De polices ain't comin' no further den dat. Dat's de way yo' got'a git dat bone.
(After you boiled that black cat, what do you do?)
Take an' mop yo' flo' with it [demonstrates while I comment]. (After you put that black cat bone over your door, then you use this black cat water and this oil of bergamot, that's to mop with.) With the sugah an' the concentrated lye. Put a teaspoonful dat concentrated lye in dat watah an' yo' mop yore po'ch early in de mawnin' befo' sunup. Dat keeps de police away an' draws de luck to yore house. [This is one of many ways to bring in customers - see Scrubbing and Mopping in Index.]
Entry 445
Now, yo' take whut dey used to call de witches - yo' take a grease an dey'll grease deyselves all ovah, jes' like dey goin' out tuh do somepin an' git clean out dere skin. Well, when dey git clean out dere skin dey'd be in de house; dey has a word dey say, "Round an' about - out de keyhole go." Right out de keyhole dey'll go. Well, dey go on out an' do whut dey's gon'a do an' come back. And when dey come back, dey'd say de same thing, "Round an' about de key- hole - out de do' we go." Well, dey'd come back in. When dey'd come back in dey'd git back into dey skin, git in - walk up to de skin, say, "skinny, don't chew know me?" An' dey'd jump an' if - now, if a person be lucky 'nuff, dey'd git dere befo' dey git in dere skin an' take dat skin, den dey couldn't git back in it.
(What did the witches do - what did the witches used to do?)
Well, dey say now, witches, dey used to ride hosses. Dey go to a cowpen an' milk cows an' go in a smokehouse an' take meat an' things. Well, dey all jes' carry dat back to dey homes - dey nevah did do nuthin' but jes' practice dat.
(Were these men or women?)
Mens an' wimmin.
(Did the witches do any conjuration at all - or not?)
Well, dey done a whole lot'a dis cunjuration. Dey claim dat dat's where de cunjuration come from - de witch crowd.
(Were you born here in Georgia?)
Yes suh, born in Georgia.
Entry 447
This is a story I used to hear my grandmother tell. There was once an old witch who used to go out every night. So one night she went out and jumped out of her skin and left it hanging on the door. So some of the folks in her house salted it and the next morning she came in late and jumped into her skin and it stung her so she jumped out and say, "Lookee here, old skin, don't you know me?" And she jumped in again and out again and say, "Lookee here, old skin, don't you know me?" So at last it worried her so she died.
Entry 501
Dey only use a broom in case [what] dey call de hag or some kind of a witchcraft rides yo' at night. Dey takes an' put it 'cross de do' an' - sprinkle lot'a salt on de flo' yo' know an' den take an' put it cross de do'. Dat stops dem from comin' in.
Entry 513
wäl, ah take a horseshoe and wets it - ah dips it in salt water an' ah place dat ovah mah door and each night ah say, "Lord, ah wish dis hag would nevah ride any mo' and ah be jest [left alone]."
Entry 514
Mah grandmother she used to do dat - she'd take a horseshoe. When dey put shoes on a horse - yo' know, take dose shoes off an' put new ones on, why she'd take dose shoes an' put one ovah her front door an' one over her back door; every do' she had yo' know, an' 'nother one right at de doorstep dere at de right corner. Why, she would dig a hole down dere jest about dis big maybe an' put sulphur down in dis hole an' den cover it back up. An' she den would say some kind of ole funny word dey have in dere mind, an' by dat way dey say dey keep witches away - dey wouldn't come in de house an' bother 'em.
Entry 517
Take yo' pocketknife, de knife yo' tote in yore pocket, an' de witch bothers yo' or mess around wit yo', yo' jes' open dat knife ev'ry night befo' yo' go to bed an' turn de point of it towards yore bed [see No. 436]. Yo'll never have no trouble.
(What else did you say would keep that witch out of the house?)
Dat stuff right heah, dat garlic up over de do'. Yes sir.
Entry 539
(They do what?)
Three tacks, new tacks, in the doorsill and that broke 'em off of her. I've heard her tell that.
(These hags riding her - or whatever it was?)
Yes - everwhat it was, they use to ride her. I remember her making this awful noise - leastways I was a great big girl but we used to be afraid of her when she lie down and go to sleep, and run and leave the house and get somebody to come in and to shake her. I 'member one [once] we'd taken a broom and throwed on de bed on her - we were afraid to go to her - she was carryin' on so. And so the way she got broke of them, I heard her say that she went to some old root doctor and he told her to go to the store and buy a new box of tacks - drive three new tacks in the doorsill in her bedroom and said they couldn't cross those tacks. I'd heard that story - when you ask me, things come to me.
Entry 624
She told me that her husband was running with a woman and she said that it was revealed in her to whup his tracks - jis' take a stick like a whup. See, jis' like he track down a plow row, see plowed-up land, and jis' whup his track and say, "Go, go, go." And she declares dat dis man moved shortly. Says he come right by her doah and said, "I's leavin' this plantation," said, "I ain't gon'a stay here no longah."
(Who revealed this to her?)
She said it was God.
Entry 1137
If somebody have come to yore house an' yo' don't want them come there agin or somethin' lak that, take three straws out chure broom an' put 'em up ovah yore do' there an' name one of 'em, "Name de Father, Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Spirit," an' den yo' put a little sulphur an' salt on it an' tell it whut chew want it tuh do. Tell it, "Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, ah don't Want 'em tuh come back heah no mo', ah don't want 'em return." Let them straws stay up there an' don't take 'em down.
Entry 1138
I have heard that sometimes, if they die dissatisfied about something and they will keep coming back until they tell somebody, if the ghost comes in the door annoying you about midnight, that is the time they usually come, put nine broomstraws across the door so they join together, and they can't cross it. A broom sweeps out. That will sweep the spirit out.
Entry 1141
Ah heard dat yo' kin take a broom an' put it 'cross de do' an' if it's a person dat has bad wishes against yo' or any evil against yo', dey wouldn't walk ovah it.
Entry 1167
Yo' kin take a chicken aig - if yo' have a young child born, take a fresh chicken aig an' tie it up ovah de do' an' he cut all his teeth an' yo' won't know when he cut 'em.
Entry 1180
Heard of 'em using chicken feathers fo' trouble round de home. Dey take de feathers of a black hen an' saturate it wit sulphur an' yo' bury dat under yore do'step. Dat will run off all de trouble an' harm round yore home.
Entry 1306
Jest like I had a mother died or you had a mother died and de spirit you know, de spirit keep worrying you. See, lota people don't believe in it but colored peoples do believe in it. You git chew - you go to de grave and git some of that dirt and sprinkle it around de door and den de spirit won't bother you. Ah believes in it.
(Did you ever try it - did it work?)
Yes, sir - it worked.
Entry 1311
Go to the cemetery and go to a sinner-man's grave and right over the middle of his chest and get some of that dirt, and as soon as I kin get it and bring it back home, and mix it up with vinegar and water and make it hard, hard, hard. Let it dry, dry. Divide it into four pieces.
(You cut this into four parts?)
Into four parts, and put one at the front door, one at the back, one this side, and [one] the other side. Can't nobody harm you, nobody come near yuh. (I see. You have some of that on each side of the house.)
Entry 1340
If they kept making noises at night and you can't rest, and you hear the doors opening and closing, after that body has been carried out of the home, they say, "I have an idea they're still coming back." They would get this horse- shoe and hang it over the door and they would have no more trouble, they said. They hang it with the ends down.
Entry 1344
Well, yo' kin - jest lak, now, if somepin be's aroun' yore house sorta lak a spirit or somepin, yo' jest git chew a ole rusty horseshoe an' nail it up ovah yore front do' an' nail one up ovah yore back do', an' yo' won't nevah be bothered wit dem no mo'.
Entry 1394
I have heard the old people say that you can take a lock of your hair, and a piece of your underwear, and nine nails - five up and four down, and bury it right down at the sill of your door and lean it out from the house. You lean the package out very carefully - you bury it just out of sight. Take your left foot and drag the dirt over it and cover it. If anybody walks over it, that keeps them from trespassing. You won't have any trouble with them any more.
Entry 1400
Maybe yo' got a catarak in yore eye, or maybe yo' have dose little ole bumps chew know dat come on dere an' nearly put chure eye out. Yo' git nine cambric needles an' stick 'em all up togethah - yo' know, a little bunch, ovah de do' an' den yo' walk, pass in an' out de do' fo' nine times - keep count, for nine days yo' know. Den yo' kin take em down - yo' kin throw 'em away - yo' kin see. So you don't sew with 'em [again].
Entry 1459
The best thing you do, when you go out in the morning, if you got - before you leave your home, if you feel that such as that is carrying on around you, you take such an ordinary thing as - take salt, black pepper and mix that together in a bottle, and scrub your place out. Don't scrub it inward, see. Always scrub out from your place. And with that water you mix salt and black pepper and scrub every morning before the sun rise. Make that a habitual habit to scrub in the morning before the sun rise - every morning scrub out your door before the sun rise, and that will give you a natural protection against anything that's evil. Somebody's put something against you, down for you, that will give you protection against that. [Many scrubbing rites for protection are also given under subsection Business and Customers.]
Entry 1479
Yo' kin put sulphur in yore shoe an' wear it in dere or either go to some root man or -
(How do you mean you put sulphur in your shoe?)
Well, see, yo' kin either put sulphur or red pepper - red pepper an' sulphur. Git chew a box of red pepper - ah hear mah mother say dat - git chew a box of red pepper an' brand-new box of salt had nevah been used out of. Sprinkle it inside of yore shoe an wear it in dere. Don't use it fo' nuthin else but that. An' that'll keep anyone from - or either sulphur, wear it in yore shoe - keep anyone from tricking yo' or anything like that.
(Do you sprinkle that in both shoes or just one?)
Both of 'em, either one. Either put it ovah de do'.
Entry 1488
[They get some dust] from the grave and sprinkle it in yeh house, and that cause you to have disease - cause you sickness. But.now the way they get rid of that is to take salt see, if you see this dus' in yer floor. You kin see it, you see, becus [it] is brown, yellah - whutever [color] it is. And you kin sprinkle salt over that see and you take some pepper. And you sweep all that up together and then you go out de door see, and if there's anywhere any running water, you throw it in this running water. That'll throw it back on the person.
Entry 1493
"Somebody tryin' to harm yo' and yo' tryin' to protec' yo'self, de first thing is, dey gits chew some saltpeters and bath yo'self down in saltpeters, and den take yo' some sulphur and salt an' sprinkle round dat do' - round de house in front de do' and dey can't do yo' no harm.
Entry 1623
That ah know one thing 'bout chamber lye - throw chamber lye at chure front do' 'fore sunrise an' dat'll keep yore enemies away.
Entry 1646
[Take] that there snakeroot and John de Conker root and boil it and take de urine after boilin' it and put some of that in it, and Hearts Perfume, and boil it so it git de odor through the house, and sprinkle in de front do' and back, mornin' an' night.
(What would they do that for?)
That would bring luck and stop de man from puttin' yo' out.
(Putting you out of the house.)
Yes, an' ah didn't have de money - didn't give a cent and he didn't put me out. Suah stopped that.
Entry 1665
Git de willow tree bark off de sunrise, an' den go round to de back where de sun go down an' cut dat off, an' he took de piece of splinter off dat an' pick de tooth until it bleed. An' jes' take dat stick an' carry it an' wrahp it an' put it ovah yore do'. Yo'll nevah have no toothache any mo'.
(Which side do you get that splinter from? The sunrise side or sundown side?)
De sunrise an' dey go round to de sundown an' cut it de same way, but dey git de splinter from de sunrise.
(But they only get one splinter?)
One splinter - dat's all.
(Well, what do they do at the sundown side then?)
Yo' jes' cut dat de same direction - de same way.
(You don't do anything though?)
Yo' don't do anything. Jes' cut it de same way, de same direction - cut it lak dat. But yo' git dat splinter out de sunrise an' go down round de sunset an' do de same thing - lak ah tell yo' 'bout dis tidewater.
(What did you say before? Did you say something that you pick your teeth?)
Pick yore tooth till it bleeds, den spit it out an' yo' take dat splinter an' carry it an' tie it up in a rag an' put it ovah de do'.
Entry 1667
I was living in an old house up on the railroad and every night there 'used to come a knocking. And if I would knock three times, it would knock three times. So I went and told my father I was going to move from up there. So he told me to get two pieces of new lumber that never was a nail in and put a piece over the front door and back door. I never heard it any more.
Entry 1672
Put a horseshoe up ovah de do' an' that will keep 'em away - de spirit or ghost away. Or either yo' kin take new timber, a piece of new wood, an' jes' throw it up on top [of the house]. That will keep them away.
Entry 1730
[The well-known dead hand from a black cat, the Black Cat Lucky Bone, has been given (pp.74-97).] (How am I going to keep the law away?) Well, yo' kill him, de real black one - find one ain't got a [white hair on him], a black cat. Kill a black cat an' bury him under yore do'step, 'cept don't let nobody see yo'. When de law come by heah, dat'll banish him - keep him right on away.
Entry 1737
Yo' go to the woods an' git a piece of blacksnake root an' tie it up in a little hand'chief, put it in a cologne bottle and tote it in yore pocket three days and den take de bottle an' bury it. After three days yo' take it out chure pocket an' bury it under yore doorstep and dat will give you good luck. [Here is a buried hand.]
Entry 1757
In 1931 ah owed a big furniture bill and wasn't working and didn't have anyone to help me. Well, I had a brother, too, was in trouble - supposed to been in trouble. So I went to Jackson [Mississippi] over there to a man, and he told me about how ah could do - that he would fix up something for me and he said the furniture man wouldn't worry me and neither would the rent man. Well, ah was behind in both and ah was afraid. And so I went over with another girl - she was telling me about him. Well, he told me - when I went back home - he. gave a little old piece of bottle with some dust in it - hit was broken off - he said he usually did fix them that way - broke off - empty it in your hand, you know, and sprinkle in your front door. Well, hit was some kind of brown-looking stuff - kinda looked like it had little black spots or something in it, and he told me that I could sprinkle that a little before the rent man and a little before the furniture man got there and [he] say, if they come, they wouldn't ask for money at all. And so I did that. And so that Saturday morning [rent paid by the week] the rent man came down and he passed my door and went to another girl and asked for her rent. He didn't do anything but just speak to me. But I don't know what that stuff was - but I know he gave me that, and I didn't have no trouble until I got a job out here on [?] Avenue.
(You went over to Jackson to get that?)
To Jackson to a man named A. J. Williams.
(Williams - a colored man?)
A colored man.
(What did he charge you for that?)
Charge me for it? We only give him three dollars - was all I had. He said that he charges round ten and twelve dollars but he told me in the next two or three days if I could get a job, then I could send him a dollar along like that. [Brilliantl 'I am trusting you, trust yourself. Stop worrying - this will work" Also good business.] He didn't never charge much. But I never did pay him but five dollars after I worked. [The breaking of bottle could be magic act (No. 1015, p.389) or trademark of handnaker.]
Entry 1776
You runnin' a house or whiskey or anything, to keep the law away I hear'd people say you could nail on top the door a chicken bone up with some tacks under the doorsill. They say that keep law from you an' you won't have to go to court or nuthin.
(What sort of chicken bone?)
It's a little bone right on the backbone-like - join on together, whut people call a luck bone. Some people say if two people be right together an' break it, the one who had the longest bone has good luck.
Entry 1777
Ah heard dat yo' could go undah de house an' git some sand fo' that, an' evah whut chure name is, write chure name out dere in de yard wit dat sand. Dey say de fellah wouldn't pay no attention yore name - jes' write chure name out by de do' wit dat sand. If somebody [enemy] send him [policeman] dere, say he'll come up right in front of de do' an' jes' look in an' drive on off. He won't come in de house, jes' drive right on off.
(If you are selling liquor. Where do you get this sand?)
Git de sand right down side de chimley undah de house [hearth dust] yo' dig down a spoon deep. Yo' git a spoonfulla sand each time until you git enough yo' know tuh write chure name.
Entry 1778
Somebody wus livin' in yore neighborhood an' yo' didn't like 'em or somepin lak dat an' yo' wanted 'em tuh move, yo' know, yo'd write somepin an' put inside of it - make a little coffin an' set it at his do'. An' he'll git uneasy yo' know, upset - he'll move.
Entry 1800
Well, ah heard of 'em. They could make de shape of a coffin for you to kill you and put it right up over your door - be nailed with seven nails. They would make that in the shape of a coffin and if you go under them nails - some way they would fix those nails, see - you would die, if it's for you. Heard of that plenty of times.
Entry 1808
Coffin nails is good luck. You nail three of 'em ovah de top of yore door where you come in at. Each and every morning and every night you stop under these nails and make a wish and they claim that will keep all good things coming to you.
Entry 1815
Take a bone from a dead person an' drop a penny at de side of de grave, an' yo' kin take dis an' bury under yore step an' he'll come to be a spirit dere an' come to be jest; in other words yo' can't live dere. Somebody will be coming all de time - somebody be knockin' on de do'. Ah hear mah grandmother talk a lots about dat - knocking on de do' an' jes' disturbing. Yo' can't live dere.
(That is another way of making a person move out? Out of the house?)
Yes suh.
Entry 1866
(Suppose a man is running around with another woman and his wife wants to break it up and make him stay at home. What would she do to make him stay around the house?) She would tie him to herself with footsteps; her footsteps and yours. She would tie him around her.
(Well, how would she do that?)
You get in there - some of de steps coming in, she ties that, takes de dust - I mean de track from your foot and she brings that in and takes her foot track and brings that in and she tacks dat under de carpet or at foot of de door. That holds you there. There's two spirits of two people.
Entry 2028
Called John de Conker. Now yo' kin take that root an' put it in yore mouth an' when yo' walk in de room, when yo' come in de co'thouse an' yo' first cross de do', yo' jes' spit in dere. Ev'ry do' yo' pass by yo jes' spit dere, spit dat John de Conker root, spit it. An' when they call yo' up there to the judge, an' tell yo' tuh take the witness chair, well, when yo' spit out, yo' spit ovah there in that cuspidor most. An' they be done turn yo' loose.
Entry 2064
You take some lodestone powder, tie it in a bag 'bout: like a 'bacco sack and put it right behin' your door - right behind your door and the people that draws 'em - you see, that brings them. (Draws the trade?) Draws the trade - come in all de time, people dat be coming in back and forth all de time.
Entry 2086
To keep de police away is tuh git chew High John de Conker root. Git chew High John de Conker root an' Lucky Heart - dat's a weed dat grow up an' it shaped in a heart like, lak dey call it Lucky Heart. It's a red leaf, dey call it Lucky Heart. Yo' take dem two tuh- gether an' yo' put 'em together in a red flannel sack, yo' see. An' yo' take an' put chew some sulphur in dere wit dat. Yo' understan'. An' yo' bury dat right undah yore do'step. Git chew two sacks so yo' kin make two of 'em. Put in each do'step an' dey tell me if de law come dere, dey can't come in. If dey do, dey overlook ever'thing whut dey come in dere fo'.
Entry 2087
Ah know a lady dat she got sage an' cal'mus roots an' wropped it up in a bag, an' gits dis same Hearts Cologne an' Lucky Heart an' put it in a lil sack - a lil flannel, red flannel - an' tote it on her. An' then take this white Lucky Heart Powder - whut yo' jes' got it [preceding Lucky Heart] fix in dat lil bag, yo' know - an' rubs in front of yore house across de front do'steps an' cross de back, an' de law won't come dere. Dat s de way she did ovah heah an' dey nevah did come.
(You use White Lucky Heart Powder. Face powder?)
Yes. [Calamus should be the sweet flag (Acorus calamus).]
Entry 2108
[This hand I picked up from my colored porter on the Pennsylvania Rail- road between Chester, Pa., and Baltimore, Md., while on my way to collect hoodoo in Fredericksburg, Va. Later I would duplicate this trick by gathering up a May Day rite on the Mississippi River while ferry- ing between New Orleans and Algiers (see No. 986, p.381.] I just happen to be there in this bootleg place - a man goes around sometimes to get a drink - and I noticed pennies nailed across the door. There was a hole right in the center [of each penny]. I guess there was about four pennies. I asked them what that was and they said that was to keep the police away. That was during Prohibition at Tampa, Florida.
Entry 2109
Take a penny an' drive it down in de front of yo' do' an' everybody come ovah dat penny - take a manhead penny an' drive it down in de front of yo' do' where everybody has tuh come in an' ovah dat penny an' yo' have good luck.
(What kind of good luck?)
Selling whiskey or any kinda luck yo' wants. Jest any.
(Just take a penny with a man on it?)
Yes, a manhead penny.
Entry 2111
(How would you do that?)
Well, yo' kin take an' drill yo' a hole right in de center of it an' drive it in de center of yo' do' - inside of yo' room. Let de head of it be facing inside an' wet fo' nine mornings wit Hearts Cologne an' that will bring yo' luck.
(Well, what kind of luck?)
That's fo' luck fo' winning money on games.
Entry 2112
Take two pennies an' nail 'em right up to de bottom of de do'sill - yo know, under dat crosspiece.
(Under the sill of the door?)
Yes sir, under de sill of de do'. Dat's lucky to yo', too - two pennies, two rusty pennies.
(That's to bring in trade to the house?)
Yes sir.
Entry 2116
Take a penny an' nail a penny down to each one of yore do's, den take it an' drive it down wit one dese little keen nails. Take an' drive dat down les' as fur as yo' kin undah de edge of dat do' - dat front do', an' dey said dat brings luck. An' one up ovah de top.
(One up over the top of the door, too?)
One up ovah de top an' one down to de foot.
Entry 2117
Nobody can hear us? [This root doctor, a good one, a woman, was evi- dently nervous. Either I nodded or turned off my machine for a moment.] Well, yo' take yore pennies an' yo' put dem down in yore do'way. Yo' take three pennies an' put it down in yore do'way an' that would keep de officers from de house, if yo' was selling whiskey round de house.
Entry 2118
Yo' git pennies in de odd year like 17 or 13, somepin lak dat, an' yo' git three of 'em an' yo' put one to de front do' an' one to de back do' an' one in between where they have to cross ovah de pennies, an' it will keep the law away.
(Where do you put them at the door?)
In de center on the carpet strip.
(Down at the bottom?)
Yes sir.
Entry 2120
If the law's comin' to yore house, you take you seven pennies an' drive holes in 'em an' nail one up ovah every do' yo' got - it jest 'cordin' to how many do's yo' got. But don't nail none up ovah no windah but chure front windah. Nail one up ovah every do' yo' got an' dat would keep de law down.
Entry 2122
Say dey take, to bring 'em to yore house, dey will take nine pennies an' put 'em at de front part dere house, an' dat'll keep company dere all de time, an' dey comin' in.
(Where do you put these nine pennies?)
Right out to de front of de do', dey bury 'em in de ground.
(You bury them in the ground. All together?)
Yo' bury dem in de ground all together. Dat keep people coming.
Entry 2138
You can buy oil at the drug store called moving oil - confusion oil they call it, and you sprinkle in front of the door in the night, you know, slip around and do in front where they pass, and that will make them move in a certain length of time. They get a disturbance in the house and they will move. Moving oil or confusion, either one of them.
Entry 2169
Yo' go to a white oak tree an' git de root of it, right up close to de root. (Any side of the tree?) No suh, de no'th side of it. Take a white cloth an' wrap it [root] up in a lil piece of cloth, an' take a lil small piece [of root] yo' know far [large] enough to do anything, an' put it up ovah the do' where yo' gotta go past in an' out, an' dat's luck. Dat's fo' luck lak if yore gamblin', lak if yo' run a gamblin house, anything lak dat - yo' know, sellin' whiskey or dope or anything lak dat. Keep de law away.
Entry 2193
Burn incent an' take a onion an' keep a onion hang up upside down ovah each one of yore do's. Dat'll keep de law away.
(Any kind of an onion?)
Any kind of an onion.
Entry 2194
Jes' like yo' in business like sellin' whiskey or somepin like dat, yo' put a red onion ovah each one of yore do's, an' de Lord Prayers have it written, if yo' don't want nobody tuh pay no 'tenshun to it chew know. Git chew a small onion, de smallest one, an' jes' tack it up ovah de do' dere an' take de Lord's Prayers an' put it undahneat' yore carpet on yore floor right at chure do'. Well, yo' know yo' can't walk ovah God - dey can't go but so far ovah Him - yo' know yo' can't go ovah Him atall. Yo' take de Lord's Prayers an' put it down undahneat' dere. Co'se ah always use nine or ten.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will give yo' good luck an' no evilness kin come aginst yuh.
(That will give you luck for selling whiskey and keep the law away?)
Shore, an' people commence tuh envious against yuh. Dey'll come an' 'stead of bein' an enemy to yo' dere min'll [mind will] change an' dey'll be yore fren's instid of a enemy.
Entry 2199
Ah tell yo' whut chew do, if yo' in business fo' violation or in any way an' yo' figures de law is comin'. Well now yo' listen. Yo' git chew nine grains of red peppah outa de pods, nine grains. Git two teaspoon fulla sugah an' yo' git chew one palm of Christian seed [three ingredients] an' yo' powder dat all up togethah an' yo take an' make - yo' know, put it in a ball an' wheresomevah yo' got fiah, yo' throw it in dat fiah, an' de law will come right by de do' an' drive on 'way. [The term palm of Christian taxed my guessing ability to the limit. After efforts at various times I finally came up with palma Christi (hand of Christ), anglicized form palmcrist - the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis). Informant's word seed probably confused me, because during my boyhood castor-oil plant seeds were called beans. They are still called castor beans, are poisonous because of ricin in them, and are nonetheless the source of castor oil. My only other folk- lore experience with the plant is a strange one: "It is against the law to cut down a castor-bean plant" - FACI, 1st ed.,1935, p.429. This could be one of those many inversions in folklore, as in life, meaning - 'It is unlawful to grow a plant having poisonous seeds."
Entry 2209
Yo' bootleggin' an' you wanna keep de law from yo' house, you go in de deck and git jack of diamonds, jack of hearts, jack of clubs, jack of spades. Git 'em to de fo' corner of yo' door and yo' callin' dem laws man, and you take a penny and you put 'em to de foot of yo' door. You take nine needles and you hit 'em across chure door. Then you take - begin again to burning dragon's blood and incense, and ev'ry man come to dat door - as a man in power, he'll have to pass dat door.
(That will keep them out.)
He'll come but he'll have to pass dat door.
Entry 2212
An' then, say, like yo' selling whiskey or yo' runnin' a place dat chew don't want de police tuh come in on yo', yo' kin git chew a ole plow - yo' know whut a plowshare is don't chew? Dat iron part dat chew plow with in de ground. Yo' kin take dat an' bury dat at chure front do' an' de policeman wouldn't go dere to save yore life, or nobody dat chew owe - don't care who yo' are or who wants tuh go dere, dey can't go ovah dat.
Entry 2224
Yo' take de left hind foot of a rabbit an' yo' go round where the law is traveled on the dirt an' yo' git jes' a lil dirt - jes' whut yo' kin hold on lightly out of they track, an' yo' take that dust an' bring it back an' when yo brings it back why yo' take an' fix it up an' yo' plant it under each corner of the house - right up under there. An' yo' take that rabbit foot an' yo' go to de back do' right up undah de first step an' yo' make a "x" an' also at de front do'. That will keep him 'way.
(You make that "x" with the rabbit's foot?)
Yessuh.
(And then what do you do with the rabbit's foot after you make the "x"?)
Yo' put it back in yore pocket.
Entry 2236
Git two rattlesnake marster.
(Get two rattlesnake masters?)
Uh-huh. Dey grow in de woods and you put one on one side of yo' do' and one on de other side, and jes' say, "In de Name of the Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, I hope dey won't come." An' he won't come either.
(That is if the law was coming or the rent man?)
Yes.
(Now what does rattlesnake master look like?)
It's a lily - looks kinda like a lily. It grows in de woods.
(Has a flower on it?)
Yes, suh, it has a yellah flow'r and when yo' see one it looks jes' like a snake's mouth.
Entry 2345
Git a bottle of turpentine an' po' it outside de do' - run up an' down lak dat ovah yore do', an' dey won't come dere. If dey come in dey'll talk very nice.
(That is to keep the law away?)
Yes.
Entry 2366
Red peppah an' ashes an' saltpeter an' dey cain't come ovah it. Pin it up( ovah yore do'. Dey'll come in but dey won't be mad.
(Where do you put that, you say?)
Jis' up ovah yore do'.
(Well, it would fall out wouldn't it?)
No, yo' gon'a put it in a bag an' tie a string aroun' de bag an' hang it on de nail, an' every day yo' got'a pee on dat.
(Not up there!)
Naw. Yo' take it down an' pee in a pan, an' pee on it, an' den yo' put it back up there. Dey cain't bother yo'. Dey kin come in but dey Won't do nuthin to yo'. Dey'll be jis glad.
suspending the tied bag from a nail above the door. Retain visitors can come in but are claimed not to be angry/harmful; do not rewrite the account as absolute exclusion. predicted mitigation of visitors’ angry or bothersome conduct while allowing their entry. No total visitor exclusion These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 661) · Read full source (printed page 662)
Entry 2403
And if you don't do it thataway, you takes cinnamon and sugar and you sprinkle that cinnamon and sugar in the front of the door, but be sure to scrub - use nine buckets of water, one bottle of the ammonia. But when you scrub, don't scrub out your door - scrub in. You understand what I mean. Scrub it inside. Sweep your water in all the time. And after you do that, then you can sprinkle ycur cinnamon and sugar and that house'll get rented. Yes, sir.
Entry 2410
If yo' wanta take a trip somewhere, a long trip, an' yo' wanta go an' try tuh make money, 'fore yo' leave home, why yo' take yo' a bath an' comb yore hair, an' have yore room shet up an' burnin' incense, an' take yo' a bath in sugah an' white lead - dey call it white lead, it looks lak sugah, too. Den yo' take a bath in dat watah. When yo' git out yo' rub yo'self down in olive oil an' comb yore hair an' clean yore comb out. Den walk to de front do' an' open it an' jes' let de air go through yore house.
(You put this white lead and sugar in the water in which you take a bath?)
Yes, jes' about a half a teaspoonful - white lead an' sugah. It's kind of a medicine lak.
Entry 2413
They take that Red Devil Lye, you would mop your house with it first, just where you have to walk through - through and forth, just wherever at anybody come through there. And every day, it's quite natch'l you go in and out your front door, you buries that where you walk over there. Then - now, if you's afraid that they goin' try do you somethin' anyway, you take the same household ammonia and you baths with it for nine days. Excusin' that, you take the 45th Psalm and the 54th [preceding number reversed] and you read that, and there ain't nuthin comin'.
(Don't need to be afraid of the law?)
No, sir. (Now, that Red Devil Lye - you mean you bury the rest of the can down there, after you have scrubbed the floor with it?) Bury the whole can down. Take the top off that can, understand, and there ain't nuthin in the world get over that.
Entry 2422
(What do you do about the landlord, now?)
You wake up on a Friday morning, don't let a black woman cross your floor - cross your door-sill, the sill or your door. You get up in the morning and you get your scrubbing brush and you get you a bucket of water, don't put no soap in it at all. Put you a little blueing in it and about two tablespoonsful of sugar - white granulated sugar, something like rock Sugar you know. And put it in that water and you scrub your house, and your landlord going to come there - he can come there for six months. Well, you tell him, say, "I ain't got nothing." He say, "Well, all right, when you got some- thing, give me something." He's gone - he ain't going to put you out, you can stay right there in that house. But the nextdoor neighbor can't make you move.
Entry 2424
She kin take straws an' nail 'em cross her do', an' if anyone comes in dere to - if dey has whiskey in dere, take three straws an' nail 'em crossways an' if dey walks in, dere mo' goin' walk in with him. (You say you take three straws - from a broom?) Broomstraws - not straw broom, but stick broom straws. [Not straw or grass bent into a homemade swiss (swish) broom, a handleless broom, see Index.]
(What kind of a broom is that?)
A stick broom wit de handle to it.
(And you put three straws - each in a row - three in a row.)
Three in a row. (And if one person comes in, the rest are going to follow.)
Entry 2426
Law bothering you, keep sugar and cinnamon around your house - just take and sprinkle it all around. Mix sugar, cinnamon and water and just get up and pour it right on out, the sugar and the cinnamon.
(What will that do?)
And pour it on out - dash it on out.
(That'll keep the law away?)
It keep them from coming to your place to bother you in any way. If they bother you too much, you get you a old broom and you take and you cut the straws all loose - them strings, you know that hold the broom together. Well, you take and you cut them loose. And get you a box of salt and sprinkle that whole box of salt down in there and wrap a white rag around it and set it behind the door. The law won't bother you at all.
(How do you set that broom down?)
Set the handle down and the straw part up.
Entry 2427
If yo' wanta be a bootleggah an' sell whiskey, don't evah sweep de tracks out do's; always take de tracks an' sweep dem in de corner of de house an' put cookin' salt in em an' put em in de stove. An' if yo' wanta keep de police from your house, keep from runnin' back an' forth out chure house, go an' git chew a new coffeepot an' git chew some loose salt, table salt, an' yo' full up dat coffeepot, two of 'em, an' put 'em to de back do' an' de front do', "In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost," an' dat will keep de man from yore house.
(That will keep the officer away?)
Yes sir.
informant-recited invocation accompanying salt-filled pot placement. Preserve the exact Father/Son/Holy Ghost formula without appending words, theological identity or Prayer/Incantation equivalence. stated aim of keeping police away, with interviewer-confirmed officer referent. No housing eviction claim These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 2430
That [powder] you kin buy. Sweep from out de front door - always sweep it back in de door, sweep it up in pile, pick it up and carry it and put it out de back door. See. Well, dat's the dirt from the people's feet - you put that out the back, that's for them to come in and go in the back. You see. Well, ever' time they come in there - that draw 'em in, you see, with that powder.
Entry 2431
Walk backwards ovah yore broom evah Monday mawnin' fo' times an' dat'll keep all de law from yore house. Ah nevah be bothered wit de law. Lay it, yo know, right in yore do'.
(The front door or the back?)
Eithah one yore do's. Step backwards ovah it fo' times evah Monday mawnin' an' it keeps down all de laws.
(What time do you do that Monday morning?)
About nine a'clock jis' 'fore yo' git up - so yo' do it in de mawnin'.
Entry 2440
Ah'll git me some powder, luck powder - dat brown luck powder, call fo' brown luck powder, an' ah'll fix mah do', mah do'sill. Den ever'thing will be all right, ever'thing will turn in yore way. (You mean the customers will come in?) Yeah. [Brown luck powder is like the use of brown sugar and brown paper; see latter two in Index.]"
Entry 2451
What you kin do to keep it there. You kin take a black hen eggshell - black hen, no other hen now, this a black hen. You take the shell, that white shell, and you put it in your oven of de stove and you'll toast it brown, and you put it under your steps. No one knows that but you. They will circle around but it's very seldom they kin come in. See, if they do, they can't find nothing - you'll be lucky. You'll get through it all right just as long as you keep dem eggshells under de front of your steps, or if you have no steps, just put it under dat doorsill. But it have to be a jet black hen with no white feathers at all.
(That's if the officers are trying to get something on you?)
Yes.
(What was that?)
[My question shows I had turned off machine and now want informant to repeat the lost words. This situation will be found many times in the text.] I said, if you was in bad luck and couldn't pay de collectors - you haven't got no money for to pay de collectors, but you say, "Well, I'll pay the Weekly man some way. Wait till I get some money." Well, you put 'em on back, he wasn't worrying you.
(You use these same eggshells for that?)
Yes. And didn't have no front, you keep 'em in your oven.
(Keep them right in the oven?)
Yeah, keep 'em right in your oven.
(If you are living upstairs?)
Yeah - keep 'em right in your oven.
Entry 2456
You runnin' a house or whiskey or anything, to keep the law away I hear'd people say you could nail on top the door a chicken bone up with some tacks under the doorsill. They say that keep law from you an' you won't have to go to court or nuthin. (What sort of chicken bone?) It's a little bone right on the backbone-like - join on together - whut people call a luck bone. An' some people said if two people be right together an' break it, the one who had the longest bone has good luck.
[While my machine is turned off, he says something about tacks.]
I hear'd that you had to nail thirteen tacks.
Entry 2514
The horseshoe is luck to bring in customers. Just get you a horseshoe and nail it up over your door outside. A horseshoe and a four-leaf clover, that brings you customers. That'll draw anybody. Haven't you went along by a man's store and seen a horseshoe?
Entry 2516
Dey says dat if yo' take a horseshoe an' nail it ovah de inside of de do', de front do', an' dey said if yo' walk undah dat nine times, that's to make yo move. (You put this horseshoe up over this other fellow's door? Now, if I wanted to make you move, I would take this horseshoe and put it up over your door inside the house?) Yessuh.
(Wouldn't you see it up there or not?)
Nawsir. Dey puts it up so dey see it up dere - dey say dat keeps de witches away [see Nos. 512-514, p.154] but dey put it dere unknown to yo'. Yo{ -jes lak yo' be's talkin', jes' slip one of 'em dere while ah'm dere [some other place] in dey house. An' den whoevah he is, go in dere nine times, he'd have to move. [This is a reversal rite, an unusual backwards ceremony - a through the lookina-qlass or opposite side of the mirror device, because an inside horseshoe has its prongs pointing into the house, thus inviting evil to enter, whereas the prongs of an outside horseshoe point away from the house warding off evil. Remember, this inside horseshoe is over the front door, only a few inches distant from the outside horseshoe, if one is there - a Janus-like situation. Remember also, most country cabins - unpainted inside and the wood naturally aged and stained - could conceal a rusty horseshoe until a person walked nine times through the door. Nevertheless, to nail up the horseshoe while the tenant of the house was near is easier said than done.]
Entry 2518
Takes a horseshoe an' dress it in red.
(Dress it in red?)
Dress de horseshoe ovah in red an' place it in front of de do' backwards an' farwards, an' yo'll run good business. (How do you mean dress it in red? What do you do?). Yo' take an' git - have tuh git ovah at de sto' - git a red piece of cloth an' yo' jest wind dat, yo' know, dat horseshoe all ovah in dat an' place it up ovah de do', an' to de back, an' yo' won't have any trouble by yore customers - yo' draw mo' den all. Yo' takes - go in de sto' an' gits yo' Red Devil Lye an' salt, an' yo' place it at de front do' an' de back. Dat go wit dat horseshoe, an' yo' takes chamber lye, a handful of sugah, salt, an' yo' goes round dat jest befo' day, all round dat house wit dat, an' yo' got no trouble wit de sheriff or with yore house. [Perhaps the largest hand ever wrapped in red, except the treasure hunter who insulted the devil by wearing a red shirt - see No. 424, p.127.]
Entry 2519
Tuh keep the law away yo' would take yo' a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah yore front do', an' git chew a red onion an' tie it up ovah yore do' - right up ovah de front do' right in de mouth of dat horseshoe. Turn it [horseshoe] up.
(Why is it turned up?)
Yo' mus' always turn it up - dat's always tuh turn de law aroun', see. Long as it down, it's a pointed thing - it won't do yo' any good.
Entry 2520
De horse's left shoe - git two of 'em or git one tuh ev'ry do' yo' got in de house an' put it there. An' take a ten-cent [silver coin] an' a nail it up in dere an' brand dem all dere in ev'ry do' yo' got. Say dey comin' to de do' but dey ain't comin' in.
(You place that ten-cents right in the center of that shoe?)
Yessuh.
(How do you nail that shoe, put the prongs up or put the prongs down?)
Put 'em down lak dat - de left shoe.
Entry 2521
It's de same thing as ah wus tellin' yo' 'bout while ago. Dat John de Conker root, it supposed to be buried to pertec yoreself if yore house is got a front do' an' a back do'. Yo' bury a piece at each place an' aftah yo' bury dis piece dere, yore supposed to make yore ma'ks - dat's a cross-lak. Yo' make dat right at each do', on de do'. An' if it's possible dat chew kin git a brand-new horseshoe, one dat nobody has evah walked on, an' cover it with dat silver-lak dat come offa cigarettes [tin foil] an' hang it dere - it be best tuh put dat in de middle of yore house. Jis' say fo' instance if dere a do' heah, put it up ovah dat do'. Dey not supposed - den yo' supposed tuh not evah be bothered wit 'em any mo'.
(Not supposed to be bothered with the law.)
Entry 2529
I understand that you get this high-graded incense. You use that, you smokes that up over your door. Course he'd come around, but he wouldn't never come for no kind of trouble. You understand? It keeps him quiet.
(I see. That's all you do - use that incense?)
That high-graded incense.
Entry 2559
To keep the law away, ah would get me some of van-van, get me some lye, some blueing water, and ah would go to mah banquette and ah would scrub it ev'r - just wherever around mah door, I would keep it - white - white - white - white as snow. And keep it - scrubbed - scrubbed - scrubbed - and they never come across the door. Any time he come there, throw your water each way ev'ry morning for nine mornings - throw your water thisaway - bucket of water this way - and that way - and he never come in your place.
(How - which way do you throw the water now?)
Right - if you living and your front door thisaway, you throw one this way, and you throw one that way, and one this way.
(You throw one out the front door, one to the right, and one to the left?)
That's right - for nine mornings. You keep it up.
(For nine mornings.)
(Just plain water?)
Just plain Water.
(Or just scrub water?)
Plain water.
(Just three buckets?)
Three buckets - thisaway and this way and.
(You just scrub with the other stuff?)
That's right - scrub with the other stuff.
(I see.)
Entry 2561
Fo' luck aroun' mah home lak that, tuh keep the laws or anything lak that from botherin' me, if ah wus a-hustlin' or bootleggin', ah would take an git me some lye an' git me some sugah an' lay it undah mah do'step an' sprinkle it all roun' de house an' on de inside an' dat will keep de laws away.
Entry 2584
Wal, dey said dey - early in de mornin' befo' sunrise dey get a package of salt and dey'd go to de front do' and make a cross mark; one mark straight and 'nother acrost it, an' throw de salt in dose lines. And by doing dat why dey keep de law away. If de law come, why he'd come smiling and it won't be anything to it - won't 'res' 'im an' won't car' 'em down [to jail]. [For cross of salt, see No.1472, p.477; No. 2602, p.714.]
Entry 2612
Git peppah an' salt, if a person constantly comes to yore house an' prob'bly it a person dat chew don't lak an' yo' don't wanta insult dem or wants dem tuh stay away. Ah've heard dat chew take salt an' peppah an' sweep behin' dem an' yo' burn bluestone an' sulphur in de do' dat dey came heah. An' don't let 'em go out dat do' when dey leaves - send 'em out through anothah do', dat's in order dat dey go in 'cross yore house. An' yo' burn de sulphur an' bluestone in de do' dat dey came through an' yo' sweep an' yo' sprinkle salt an' peppah; whereas when dey go out down behin' 'em, sweep it out that way.
Entry 2637
All right. You got a place of business and you ain't had no luck. You get up in the morning before twelve or one o'clock and don't speak to nobody, if your wife or a friend in the house with you. When you get up don't say anything to them until after you get fixed. You take a left shoe of a woman and the left shoe of a man, two spoons of sugar, two spoons of camphor gum.
(Camphor gum.)
Camphor gum, and you mix that together. You burn that down till it's a ashes. You go to the back, you start at your back door - you start at your front gate coming in. You want 'em to come in, you don't wanta drive nobody away - you want 'em to come in. You sprinkle that, you sprinkle that all right on through. You start at your front gate or at the back - just where they got to come in and you go on through. All right. Take your bucket or whatever you burn that in and just shake the rest of it at the back door - that where they comes - through the house and on to the back door and lay it down. And you can go ahead on back to bed and sleep the rest of the night. And another man at the next place to you - you'll have plenty of trade and he don't know. He is wondering and studying how you doing it.
(What do you do with those shoes?)
You burn em.
(Oh, you burn them.)
You burn 'em till they are down to ash dust.
(That's before you mix up those other things?)
Yes, you put that other stuff right in there. (I see. I understand. Now, this other man. What does this other man do then when he sees you making out? Making all this business?) Well, he don't know how - he don't know what to do. Well, he gotta do the same thing.
Entry 2644
Then yo' kin take shoes an' scrape 'em off at de bottom. Take that an' put it in a papah an' git some lodestone an' mix wit it, mash it up wit it, an' yo' read a verse in Psalms - yo' read de 27th verse of Psalms. An' yo' put that togethah an' yo' take dat an' put it down at chure do' or up ovah yore do' where dey has tuh pass in an' out. That's fo' gainin' fren's.
(Bringing in trade.)
Yes, an' fo' lawful business an' all lak dat. An' yo' kin burn incense 'bout three time a week. That's when yo' in busi- ness - lak a sto' or any kind of shop or anything. Yo' burn de incense three time a week. Yo' burn it Monday, Wednesday an' Friday. Dat's in yore business - dat's drawin' mo' customers.
Entry 2654
Take de same thing whut ah was tellin' yo' 'bout - dis Hawthorm Cologne [= Hearts Cologne]. An' yo' put dat Hawthorn Cologne, sprinkle it on de floor - puts wit sulphur yo' know where it kill dat odor of sulphur. An' all yo' do, prob'bly befo' de night when yo' clean up, yo' sweeps - start at de front do' like dis. Heah's de front do' where de entrance is. Come in. Yo' sweep all to de back an' don't sweep dis way, yo' see. Den yo' take dis Hawthorn Cologne an put it in a can or somethin', any kind of little container or somethin', an'po' de cologne on dat. Jest a little bit - not to wet it. Den stick a match to it an' burn dat. Ah'll guarantee dey will come in dere after dat. Den close up fo dat night - see, jes' close up. (That is to bring in trade. What do you put in that can to burn?) [I wanted the word sounding like hawthorne repronounced.] A little bit of pure medical sulphur an' Hawthorn Cologne.
(I see, you put this cologne on it.)
Jest a drop or two. Yo' don't need not enough to wet it - jest a drop or two.
Entry 2675
[This is a fuller version of No. 1947, p.570.]
You git choo one pound of red beans an' git choo a portion of guinea pepper seeds. Well, they call that [the latter], they call for - it's off the tree of paradise, an' you throw it up under each side of the steps, you see. No, no, put them beans up under that step - one pound of red beans - an' throw the guinea pepper seeds up under the side de steps. An' then you kin take eight buckets of water, you see, an' throw aroun' the door, an' the nin'bucket, choo throw it up, you see. An' then that keeps officers away, too, that nine buckets of water, if the officers all aroun' your door. But choo put blueing water in de eight' bucket an' de nin' bucket be loaf sugar, you throw it up jis' the same. [Tree of paradise I do not know. It and guinea pepper seeds are unrelated except in hoodoo. However, two trees are called paradise tree: Simarouba glauca of tropical North America, and Melia azedarach (China tree) of Asia, the latter being grown as an ornamental tree in U. S. A., and known by many names, chinaberry, Indian or Persian lilac, holy tree, etc.]
Entry 2691
If you want to have good luck, you kin take your chamber lye and yo' sprinkle it - burn incense and put it in there, the ashes, and sprinkle it every morning before you speak a word, out in front of your door, and that will give yo' good luck and bring people to your house.
(Bring trade to you, if you are selling something?)
Yes, sir.
(I see, if I were bootlegging or something of that sort.)
Yes, or running a rooming house - renting a few of the rooms.
Entry 2725
We going to scrub the house out first with that Red Seal Lye. That's if anything is crossed in the house - the building is crossed before you occupy it. After scrubbing with that Red Seal Lye, you get you some cinnamon powder, you get you some oil of verbena, then you get you some granulated sugar. If you wants white and colored trade, you get that white syrup and you get that red syrup, mixing well, scrubbing from the front porch on to the rear, throwing a glassful in each direction of the globe after scrubbing, and I guarantee you burning cinnamon powder and burning incense in the building when you in there alone, leaving it smoke well, open up the door, and you can't keep the gang out of there.
(I see.)
[After machine stopped, I ask about keeping law away.]
The same though.
(The same thing will keep the law away from there?)
Absolutely.
Entry 2998
Git St. Expedees up over your door - nail him up over there. Behind that same door you use that pink candle, burn it there.
(Up over the door and behind the same door you burn a pink candle?)
Yes sir, and make your wishes. That's to keep the police away. It will keep 'em away.
(What door do you use for that?)
Let that be the front door.
Entry 3031
St. Peter, he'll open the door for you.
(Well, how would you do that? What would you do for St. Peter?)
St. Peter, you carry him a key.
(Where? To the church or?)
Yeah, to the church. But if you got a key to your house - and you tell St. Peter to open the door for you, you give him that key. Well, you've got to give him that key. And if you tell St. Raymond to do good for you, you give him a flower or piece of money - dime like that, you give him that. Whatever promise you make him, you got to give it to him though; and if you don't, he take it away from you.
(Where do you buy these keys to give St. Peter?)
You have to buy it from the store. But don't let nobody use that key, but get that key and buy that key yourself.
(You can't buy those keys at the church then?)
No, you can't buy them at the church. (Now, if they have these saints at home, how would they do - what would they do wi th them at home?) They takes 'em and puts them on the mantelpiece - sometimes they puts 'em on the mantelpiece, sometimes they have a little altar. You know what an altar is. Well they have a little altar and they have a candle at each one of those saints, burning in there.
Entry 3167
Well, if she want 'im stay home, she'll have connections wit 'i, lak dat, an' she wipes 'im off wit a rag, an' take dat rag an' put it ovah de do' where he have tuh come in, where he come in de firs' night, an' he always dere. Won't go out. When he go out tuh work or sompin lak dat, he hurry right back home. Keep 'im home.
Entry 3168
(How would a woman take the nature away from a man?)
She'll take, jes' lak you'd go out an' be wit 'er dat night, she goin' - when yo' an' use de rag at - all right she goin' take dat rag an' she goin' put it - she ain't goin' wipe huhself off wit it, eithah wash huhself off wit it. She goin' let yo' wash off wit it. An' when yo' throw de rag down, she goin' stoop down an' git it an' yo' ain't goin' know whut. Yo' might not know whut she be gittin'. Well, when yo' know anythin' she'll have de rag back tuh de house. Lak some night she'll be gwine off tuh be wit a woman or somepin an' yo' might have good nature whilst she gone, an' jes' at de minute dat chew walks out an' git off wit anothah woman, why yo' ain't got no nature atall. She'll take dat rag, an' dat stuff be on de rag which yo' have used wit 'er, an' she'll put some salt in it an' put it up ovah de do'. An' evah time yo' go out de house, gwine out tuh have anothah woman, dat's goin' tuh kill yore nature.
(That is if you walk out under it?)
Yes. Ain't no diff'rence had it at de front do' an' back do' an' yo' cain't miss it. Yo' gotta go out one of de do's. An' when yo' go out dat do', gwine tuh huh, yo' ain't goin' tell 'er nuthin about it. Yo' know, yo' gwine out tuh have a woman. Yo' jes' slippin' out de do', yo' know, wit huh dat night. Well, when yo' go out tuh go wit huh, an' jes' as yo' an' huh git in de baid, dere ain't nuthin yo' kin do.
Entry 3170
Well, she git a bran'-new pocket han'schef, or eithah a bran'-new piece of white homespun, an' when he'd have a intahco'se wit 'er, she'd let 'im use dis cloth. She take dis cloth an' set it up ovah de do' facin', an' he can't raise a heart [for other women].
Entry 3171
[Many examples of this rite are given elsewhere.] Ah heah how tuh make anybody love dem. Ah heah dey take dey han'chief an' make dem take it firs' an' yo' take it nex'. An' put it undah yore do'step, an' yo' kin keep dat dere an' dat makes 'em love yo'.
Entry 3207
Well, de othah is, yo' kin take halr from roun' yore private an' use in a way, say a man or a woman, if she runnin' aroun' an' yo' in love wit 'er or somepin, an' yo' wanta stop 'er. Say yo' use dat tuh stop 'er. (Do you know how they would use it?) Take it - yo' have tuh git it durin' intahco'ses an' git it an' keep it tuh yo'self. Take it an' put dis hair in a bottle an stop it up, an' den somepin othah goes with it - take a cloth or rag, anythin' she use. Take dat an'.
[Informant was so long trying to finish sentence, that I suggested:]
(You carry it with you, that the idea?)
No, yo' kin stop her tuh make her stay where yo' is, have no connection wit nobody but chew...
[I stop machine and let him talk (see dots) and then attempt to summarize:]
(By taking some of her private hair and a piece of her monthly cloth, and putting it in this bottle and stopping it up, and keeping it on your person. Wearing it.) No suh, place it in a secret place right ovah de do' dere or anywhere yo' kin hide it - up ovah her, where she goes through.
(That will keep her from running out with men?)
Yes.
Entry 3297
(What does she do with that urine then?)
I've heard of 'em gittin' a hold of de urine. She take it from de man dat she wanta git in dat stage [state] an' he [does not] belong to any othah woman ex- ceptin' 'er. She take it an' corks it into - put a few drops of watah, ah don't know zakly [exactly] how much, an' cork it into a bottle an' put it where yo' kin walk ovah it [this keeping man under her feet]. Some people says it is nes'ary [necessary] to have somepin else dere, but it isn't nes'ary to have more dan jes' de urine. Cork it up tight an' put it in 'tween de mattress or undah de do'step - anywhere dat chew walk ovah it. An' as long as dat bottle is corked up, yo' [the man] can't have no intahco'se wit any othah woman excep' 'er.
Entry 3347
Yo' kin take a dishrag whenevah a man an' woman have business togethah an' yo' kin dry yo'self - let de woman dry herself off wit dat dishrag an' take it an' put it up ovah de do'. She may leave but she'll come back.
Entry 3356
Sompin about usin' a dishcloth, see. Jes' lak a man messin' aroun', yo' kin take a dishrag an' wipe him wit it an' put it up ovah de do' an' dat'll make him fall.
Entry 3380
Or eithah take a dishrag aftah yo' use it washin' dishes wit it. Yo' kin take dat dishrag an' wipe a man wit it an' fold it up an' put it ovah yore do', or eithah put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' wear it. Well, he can't raise no heart fo' no one. (Which do you tie?) Jes' tie de dishrag in nine knots, or eithah yo' could fold it an' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe, or eithah up ovah de do'.
Entry 3412
Well, ah hate tuh explain de thing so.
(Well, I hear all those things.)
Well, jes' lak yo' say, take a dishrag an' yo' use it, yo' undahstan'. An' den take it an' - take de dishrag an' use it wit yo' until yo' git a-plenty on it, yo' undahstan'. An' take a cord string an' wrap it up very tight an' carry it an' bury it in de dreen of de house [or] where de watah drops from a well. An' not so, put it up ovah de do'sill somewhere up high. An' yo' couldn't have 'nection wit nobody but 'er.
Entry 3524
In case ah wanta make love to a woman - now ah go to dis woman an' make love to her an' git part of 'er "nature", de same as mah "nature", an' tie a string into three knots an' put it up ovah her do', or undah her front do'step where she have to walk ovah it. Ah make love to her. She only once walk ovah it three steps forwards an' I take it up 'fore she walk back ovah it. Ah have her trapped.
(What do you do with her nature and your nature?)
Take dat an' keep it, wear it roun' yore waist three weeks. (Well, what do you do with this string? You make three knots in the string or what?) In a string or eithah in a rag.
(What do you do with the string I mean? Is anything done to the string?)
De string - dat's it, bury it.
(How do you use that string?)
Fold it - wrap it up into a small piece of papah. Yo' take a string an' tie it - use de nature lak yo' an' a woman have "purgements" togethah, an' yo' take de string an' tie three knots in it.
(You wipe with the string.)
[Here we have a definite statement of the folklore belief about what happens in coitus; both man and woman have purgements together. To purge means to cleanse, to purify the impure or undesirable. I am certain my informant equates purgement with ejaculation or emission, not with something impure. A man's pur- gement is semen, a collection of so-called seeds. A real seed, of course, is complete in itself, needing only a soil or place in which to grow, and nurishment. These latter says folklore are what the woman's purgement supplies, a suitable liquid for the growth and development of man's so-called seed. It never occurred to folklore and earlier medicine that a man's so-called seed was incomplete; that it became a true seed only by uniting with a woman's ovum or egg. Before uniting, the single successful semen and ovum had been single separate cells; but after union they became one new cell, which immediately split into two cells and many others. What the woman purges according to folklore is part of 'er "nature", de same as mah "nature". She certainly does not ejaculate ovah to meet the ejacu- lated semen.]
Entry 3629
Takin' yore chamber lye an' usin' dat an' yo' can't - yore dick won't rise till yo' see her, yo' know.
(Well, how do they use that? Do that?)
Put it in a bottle an' tie nine knots in a string, an' put de string aroun' de bottle an' put it up ovah top de door where yo' go out at; an' when yo' go out, dey lay dat bottle an' yore dick won't rise. An' while dat bottle layin' down, yo' come back an' den dey set it up. Yo' set de bottle up an' yo's all right den. (Well, what do they do with this string first? Where do they get the string first?) Wet it in de watah.
(Oh, they wet this - in whose water?)
In yores. (The woman gets the string and wets it in the man's water, and she ties these kmots in it.) Yes, ties nine knots in it. I hear'd of peoples takin' yore hair an' puttin' it in a rag, puttin' it in a bottle an' puttin' some vinegar wit it, an' puttin' it up ovah top de door. An evah time yo' go out dey lay dat bottle down, an' yo' have to come back; an' when yo' come back, dey set dat bottle up, an' yo' is all right.
(What would she do about getting his nature? What would she do with that?)
Put it in a bottle an' lay it 'cross, put it up in de do'r - see, anywhere yo' go out. An' when yo' go out she lay dat down when yo' come back, she stand it up. But yo' kin easily do somepin fer dat. [Norfolk, Va., (469), 475:7.] [I had intended to comment at the end of KNOTS NINE about the number of them in HOODOO. Instead I write a few words to fill in the end of this page.] [I agree with the informant who supplies our first margin title: AH'M GON'A TELL YUH SOMEPIN OTHAH DAT BEAT DE WORL'. Snail rites do beat de WOrl'. They are so amazing I have been more than generous with examples. HooDoO as a whole will show that no special effort was made to collect them, because sex in itself was never emphasized in field work. When I first heard about the snail rite in 1936, I thought the man was lying - see 3635.]
Entry 4881
From a man's sock, cut de heel offa dat sock an' de toe. Yuh know, jis' lak yuh fold it back, an' yuh jis' fold it even wit de heel an' wit de toe. Yuh takes de heel an' de toe of 'is socks an' make yuh arm pads, an' put undah each one of yore arms an' weah it. As yuh sweat, his love will come tuh yuh, cuz de sweat from undah yore arms will draw 'is attention. An' yuh take de othah part of de heel an' put it right down at chure do' face wit de toe comin' in de house, an' he always will come dere. He nevah will stay away. (Let us get that straight: The part you wear under your arm, where does that come from the sock?) Yassuh, de part dat chew weah undah yore arm, dat comes from de heel of de sock. See, yuh leaves dat toe fo' tuh come inside de house wit. See, as yuh spread it jis' as yuh cut it - cuts dat heel off first. Yuh know a sock is double, double enough fo' yuh tuh make a pad fo' each one of yore arms, see, outa dat one sock. But it has tuh be de left-foot sock. An' yuh takes de toe of it an' tack it down. If yuh mean fo' him tuh not tuh go away or stay 'way from yuh, yuh takes dat toe part. It'll be 'bout dat long 'cordin' tuh whut size sock it is. An' yuh put a tack heah an' stretch dat sock as fur as it will go, aftah yuh done cut it, an' put a tack in de toe of it dere, as yuh come inside de do'. Nevah put de toe goin' out, but de toe comin' in. Yassuh, de toe mus' point in- tuh de house. If yuh has a rug, or anythin' whut chew got tuh de do', dat's a good hide fo' it, cain't nobody see it.
(You put two tacks, one in each end?)
Put fo' tacks.
(Two at the end of the toe and two at the other end?)
Dat's right. Two at de end of it - at dis end an' two right at de toe part. Dat's tuh stretch it yuh know, where it be strong always, see. An' it won't come a-loose. Well, yuh take dat an' put it down dere an' why, he cain't leave yuh. He cain't stay 'way from yuh.
Entry 4892
Ah hear sompin about socks, dat chew take it an' take yore socks, one, dis is de right-foot sock, a man's sock. Ah guess it's de same way about de stockin', whut a man does fo' a woman. Yuh take dat an' put it undah yore do'- step. Let de toe go south an' de heel go east, an' de upper part no'th. Straighten it out straight. real straight undah dere. Yuh know, undah de do'step, rake yuh off a nice clean place undah dere, down in de dirt jis' about a inch down in de dirt, an' yuh lay dat down in dere, see. Git chew some tacks an' put three in de toe an' three in de heel an' three in de uppah part, an' three in de part right in front de heel. Yuh know, jis' stretch it out straight.
(You put three in the toe and three in the heel and three in the top.)
An' den three ovah heah in de front part, right heah, see [demonstrates].
(Right there in the ankle, the upper part of the ankle.)
An' den yuh put dat dirt back ovah it smooth. Dat's whut ah heard dat yuh could do wit dat. Put dat dirt ovah dat smooth, an' whoevah name is dere or who- evah yuh fixin' it fo', write dey name an' put dat intuh dere. Put dat on de sock befo' yuh put de dirt on it, see. An' den yuh read de 27th chapter of Psalms. Say dat's fo' people - tuh prevent drunkness, drink too much. Dat'll break 'em up from dat. [This keep-him-home rite keeps him from going out to drink with the boys.]
Entry 4896
Ah heard dat chew could take a pair of - jis' lak yuh come tuh dis man's house heah an' he pull off 'is socks, yuh kin take an' carry 'em tuh yore house an' put 'em undahneat' chure do'steps an' put a cross on 'em. Put a cross on de socks an' bury 'em undah yore do'steps. An' dat will run 'im a long, long way from 'is home.
(You bury them under your doorstep?)
Undah mah do'. Take 'em from yore house an' carry 'em tuh mah do'step an' bury 'em undah dere, an' dat'll run 'em way from home. He won't nevah come back.
(What kind of a cross do you mean?)
Jis' lak yuh goin' - yuh kin take a stick an' cross 'em [demonstrates]. Put one lak dat an' den put one lak dat. Sets 'em cross.
(Make a cross with two sticks on top of the stockings [socks].)
On top of de socks, dat's right.
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 4986
Git a man's sock an' two rocks an' urinate in a pan. Heat de rocks real hot an' name one yoreself [a woman] an' name one de man, an' bury 'em right at yore do'. (What do you do with the sock?) If yuh name one de rocks de man, wrap dat rock up in 'is sock an' bury it right at de do'. He'll always come dere.
(Which sock do you use?)
De right.
Entry 5013
(How would they do that?) Dey'd take de sock or stockin' an' dey roll dat up tuh yo' lak dis [demonstrates]. See, always roll it tuh yuh. An' when yuh roll dat tuh yuh lak dat, well den dey pin dat right at de joist of de house where yuh gotta come in an' go out. See, dey pin dat right dere, an' long as dat stays up dere, dey have a dominion on yuh.
Entry 5036
Well, ah know dis tuh be a fac'. Yo' kin take a man's dirty sock dat he done wore an' run 'im off wit it. Or yo' kin tie a man up wit dat. (Well, how would you run a man off with that dirty sock? How would you do that?) Well, yo'd have tuh throw it in de rivah. Yeah. But now, if a woman wanta tie dis man wit dis sock, jis' lak he's leavin' 'er goin' wit anothah woman an' don't wanta harm 'er [him] no othah way. Take de sock, de dirty sock, an' cut de toe out, see, de heel an' de bottom. Well, now she cut 'er fingahnails an' toe- nails an' scrape dis ole dead skin heah on de bottom of yore foot - jis' scrape dat off. An' yo' wrap it all up in dat sock an' put chew a little [what?], an' den take yo' some thread an' tie it up, an' yo' put dat ovah de do'. Dat's tyin' de man at home. He cain't leave home an' go nowhere else. All yo' gotta do is stick it dere, see. Dat's all yo' gotta do wit dat.
Entry 5043
Says yuh take a man's ole dirty stockin' an' yuh take it an' pinch out de toe, clip a li'le piece outen de toe an' wear it. An' take de sock an' turn it towards de back of de house - jis' puts in de do' an' let de foot go inside, an' de top of de stockin' go outside. An' de toe whut yo' wear, wear hit wit Heart Cologne.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'im home.
(You put this sock in the doorway?)
In de middle of de do' undah de rug, where nobody cain't see it.
Entry 5066
Take a man's sock or eithah a woman's sock an' wash it. Jis' take it an' put it in boilin' watah an' boil it. Wash it out an' take dat boilin' watah an' airtight it, an' put it undah de do'step an' dey'll nevah leave yuh.
(You take this water from the dirty socks?)
Yessuh, de dirty watah, an' he'll nevah leave yuh.
Entry 5105
[As we have seen under ASHES, there are many more shoe-burning rites than those given here.] If yuh got a husban' an' he won' stay at home, yuh git one of 'is shoes, de right foot of 'is shoe. Take dis shoe an' burn it up. Of co'se, yuh know de [there is] leathah on de shoe. Burn it until it gits kinda intuh a powdah form. Den take it an' wrap it in a piece of papah. Dig a hole up undah de front do' an' of co'se, when he walks in, yuh won' have any trouble 'bout 'im goin' out any mo'.
Entry 5122
Take a person's shoes an' make dem leave. Take dey shoes an' put 'em up, HIGH UP OVAH DEY HAID. Or eithah take de sole off 'em where dey walk at an' dey'll walk. Dey nevah will stay dere no mo'.
(What do you do with that sole if you take it off?)
Take it an' put it up ovah de do' where dey walks at a lots, an' dey'll leave dere.
Entry 5272
He turned it bottomside upwards in de house when his wife lef'. Well, his wife lef' 'im one Monday mawnin' an' he turnt dat shoe up dat Monday aftahnoon when he came in, an' in about 24 hours aftah he turnt dat shoe up she came back; but now tuh whut [else] he done wit dat shoe....
(Which shoe was it?)
It wuz de lef' shoe, ah think.
(How did he turn it upside down?)
He turned de sides right upwards lak dat, lak dey's comin' intuh de house. She came right back.
[While recording stopped, informant says something about a corner.]
(Which corner did he turn it up in?)
In de right corner, as yo' comin' in de do'.
Entry 5335
I used to hear my father say they would take up sand from out of your track and put it into a bottle, and put some chemicals in there. Then they take it and put it underneath the doorstep and put this vial in there and cover it up. Then they proclaimed they were cun- juring the missus and master. [For bottle, see also pre- ceding margin title BLACK BOTTLE.]
Entry 5386
Dey tell me dey kin take yore footprint, de dirt from de palm of yore foot, an' put it ovah de do' an' compel yo' tuh stay. [The hollah [hollow] of the foot is occasionaly called the palm of the foot.]
(Do they take either foot or both?)
De left foot.
Entry 5387
An' den yo' kin take - an' take yore lef' track. Yo' kin take a man's lef' track, if he don' wan'a stay wit chew - yo' an' 'im busted up. Yo' kin take it an' take an' put it in a new piece of cloth or eithah jes' put it in a li'le bag of some kind, li'le new bag. Make a li'le bag. An' lay it up ovah de do', see. An' he'll come back home.
Entry 5388
Now, dis is whut ah heard from nobody now - fo' mahself, see. Dat yo kin take a man's right foot of 'is stockin', [I mean] socks. Yo' kin go out an pick up 'is track, see. An' take dat an' put it intuh 'is sock, if yo' want dis man, see. An' bring it back an' put it ovah yore front do' or ovah yore kitchen do', an' let it remain dere, see. An' as long as dat stay, he will stay dere.
(What if you want to make that man leave, what do you do?)
Well, ah don' know about makin' 'im leave. Ah guess if yo' wan'a make him leave, why yo' jes' turn 'im loose. Take de stuff off whut chew have up dere. (You take his right foot sock and his track. Which track did you take did you say?) Well, it make no mattah which track. Yo' jes' pick up evah one [any one] of 'is track.
Entry 5406
Take two of yore fingahs, or one be all right. Take two an' draw de dust back tuh yo' from de toe. Start at de toe an' draw it tuh yo' an' turn roun' an' lay dis up ovah de do'. Den yo' be boun' tuh stay dere.
(Which foot track do you do that with?)
Yore right.
Entry 5661
Dey take yore track, if yo's goin' some place, an' dey wan' chew tuh come back. Whey dey git chure track - why jis' take it an' bring it tuh yo'. Jis' take it an' put sugah wit it, an jis' put jis' as much sugan as dere is track. An' stick it down undah yore do' or in yore house some place, why yo'd have tuh come.
Entry 5753
You can go to work and take nine drops of chamber water and get nine drops of dirt out of the hollow of the right foot and get a little piece of bow out of the hat and then carry it to somebody else's house and they po to that somebody else and want to move in with them. You bury it right under dhe door. [By hand Doctor Frank Hall, near Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., see - INTRO., V.1, p. XXXIX, line 25f.,1958, p.573.1
Entry 5995
Yo' take dere hair an' put it in a needle an' put it ovah front do' an' dat'll make yo' - makes de party loves yo' very much. Dat'll Tng love.
(One hair?)
One strand of hair from de top - from de mole of yore haid right in de top, an' put it in a needle an' put it ovah de do'sill right ovah de fron' do'. Wit de p'int [point of needle] down.
Entry 6055
Yo' take a little hair out de mole of yore haid an' take a little strand from heah.
(Down below?)
Yeah, yo' take dose two an' yo' cross 'em ovah, jes' lak dat yo' see [demon- strates].
(Cross one over the other in the shape of a cross.)
An' yo' git chew a brass-eyed needle an' yo' run it right through dere - one of dose strands, yo' see [demonstrates], right through dere. Den yo' put it in 1 snuffbox an' take it out to yore front po'ch an' bury it right undah yore do'- steps, right undah yore do'steps. (What will that do?) Dat will make 'em come all de time. (You take one of the hairs and thread a needle with it? The other [six] hairs you just leave them as they are?) Dat's right. Put 'em in de snuffbox. (YOU HAVE THREE HAIRS CROSSING THREE HAIRS AND THE SEVENTH HAIR YOU PUT IN THE NEEDLE?) Dat's right.
Entry 6180
If yo' want 'em [to] stay, why dey git a lock of yore hair, see, an' salt, peppah an' blacksnake root or Samson [snakeroot] - it's one of dose root, an' wrap it in flannen cloth an' put it in a bottle an' airtight it, den bury it. Bury it undah de step of yore do'.
Entry 6444
Yuh take yoah toenails, den yuh put 'em in a li'le rag yuh see an' tie 'em up re'l tight. Cu' [cut] choo a fo'ked stick - yuh see, has two fo'ks tuh it - an' go right undah dere doah step. An' pu' dat rag right in dis fo'k an' drive it down so de fo'k will hol' de bag down tuh de groun', see. An' pu' tit in de groun' jis' enough, yuh know, jis' fer nobody can't see it, yuh know. An' [they] tell me dem toenails'll grow as yuh go away. An' yuh fall off an' go 'way tuh nuthin jis' like dem toenails grow.
Entry 6455
Puts 'em in a bag, dese.
(These fingernails and toenails?)
Yes, takes yore fingahnails an' toenails. Dey git holt of 'em an' puts 'em in a bag. Aftah dey puts 'em in dis bag, dey take an' go tuh de graveyard an' git some dirt in dem an' hang 'em up ovah yore door- sill. An' aftah hangin' yore fingahnails ovah de doorsill, stay up dere awhile, den dey take an' sprinkle dem down by yore do'.
(And what will that do?)
Dat will run yo' away from someone dat dey don' wan' chew tuh be wit.
Entry 6581
Dey do it wit de fish. Dey take dat fish, de little minnow fish, an' put 'em in a little vial m' let 'im be live. An' dey go tuh work an' put dem a little garlic an' a lit- tle onion in dere. An' put 'im in a vial an' put 'im undah de doorstep. An' dat fish gits intuh de person [after you walk over it].
(Is there any way of getting them out?)
Yes suh, yo' work 'em out jis' de same as yuh did de frog.
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 901
I was hurt once by a rootworker. I was hurt in mah right leg. And mah mother she went - and I was swellen - mah mother she went out to get a doctor. The doctor didn't do me no good. And after she found out dat de doctor wouldn't do me no good, she decided on to go back and git a root doctor. Well, he told her to go back and look under de front doorstep and she'll find a little rag, a red [rag], a little ball in it - red rag with red little ball in it, wrapped up. It [ball] was made of cloth. And he told mah mother dat when she go-ed [pronounce gode] dere she might be scared to pick it up, but don't be scared to pick it up: Well, de first time she went dere she looked at it, she didn't pick it up - she's scared. And she went back. He told her dat de only Way dat I would git rid of dis swellen, de lest dat I swell right on up, she'll have to git dat and bring it to him. Shortly after she came back, she went on back and got de rag and carried it on back to him. In a couple of days after- Wards, den I feel mahself gittin' a little ease. And so he worked on me and worked on me, and turned it around on this other fellah that had me fixed up [by rootworker in first sentence]. She said dat he took it [rag and ball] and dressed it up, and told her to carry it back - he told her where it came from [who had planted the rag and ball] - and told her to go throw it over de fence [into this person's yard]. [Wilmington, N. Car., (225), 228:4; in Petersburg, Ga.,1928.]
The narrator reports instructions to look beneath the front doorstep, then describes bringing back the rag and later disposal. Door retrieves this threshold location. The account establishes no door-panel identity, adjacent bottle contents or causal treatment finding.
Read full source (printed page 329) · Read full source (printed page 330)
Entry 4059
Yo' kin take a person chamber lye an' po' it in a bottle, an' take it an' bury it underneat' chure do'step. Have a little hole in dere, yo' know, where it will drip it lak dat. An' when de las' drop go out, drop out, DEY'LL LEAVE WIT DAT LAS' DROP.
(I would do that with their chamber lye to make them leave?)
Make 'em leave, see - git rid of 'em, kill 'em. See, dey'll lingah along yo' see.
The account places a bottle beneath a doorstep. This link retrieves that doorway location; it does not identify the doorstep with a door panel. The continuation describes making someone leave and killing them; these are source claims, with no established outcome.
Entry 10399
"He kin take this snail an' dress her while he knows he's leisra [home]. He kin take that red peppah an' threw it down at de do'step...she'll be jis' lak a rattlesnake by crawlin' while he's gone an' she won' pay 'a[l] any tenshun [attention]; she'll [be] sociable wit 'em but dey can't coee in dere" [Little Rock, (897), 1470:1].
This doorstep reference appears in a printed condensed excerpt. Hyatt's governing notice describes short or reduced statements; the wording includes an ellipsis and unclear forms. It is not a verbatim audio claim. Door retrieves the threshold location without equating it with a door panel. Read both the item and production notice.
Read full source (printed page 3993) · Read full source (printed page 3988)
Entry 6860
Take a nail - jis' lak if yo' wuz tuh git hurt or sompin, git cut or sompin, yo' take a nail an' put it up ovah yuh do'. Says dat would heal de wound up.
Entry 7532
If ah wanta do anything tuh yuh in yore foot, ah'll git some graveyard dirt an' come an' sprinkle it ip de front of yore do'. Sprinkle it jis' about de time when I think nobody goin' tuh sweep dere, befo' yuh do' where yuh gotta walk by. An' once yuh walk on it today, yuh'll tell de diff'rence tuhmorrah mawnin'. Yore feet'll [commence] swollin' an' dat'll run up [your leg]. It's called - dat's what brings on white swollin', white swollin', an' dat nevah comes till yuh die.
(Do you get any kind of graveyard dirt?)
Dere ain't but one kind of graveyard dirt.
(What kind?)
Jis' a natchel [natural] graveyard - from a fresh grave. Don't git nuthin where's dere already grass.
Entry 7557
Yuh kin go tuh de graveyard an' dig down fer about seven or eight, or nine inches; but it must be de grave of a very crim'nal person, a person dat killed an' cut, dat yuh know of, dat wuz buried in dat pah- tic'lah place. Well yuh git de dirt out of dat grave dere an' yuh sprinkle it undah de doorstep in de front an' in de back, where dey have tuh cross ovah all de time. An' de evil from dat dead man will jis' natchly entah dat household an' de people dere'll begin tuh disagree, an' fuss an' fight, an' event'ly dey'll move away.
Entry 7616
Go tuh de graveyard an' git some dirt. Change de haid an' footbo'ds from a graveyard. Put two pennies tuh de haid when yuh change it, an' two tuh de foot when yuh change it, an' take dat haidbo'd ap' stick it down where dose [pennies are] on a wicked man's grave. An git some of dat dirt an' bring it back an' sprinkle it roun' dere do'step. Or if yuh git a chance tuh git in de house - lak some people yuh claim as a frien' - put it in de house. An' dat will keep dose frien's of yores.
(What do you mean you put the footboard and the headboard?)
Change it. (Just change them around. And you put them back the same way they came out, stick them right straight down in; but you put the pennies underneath before you put them down?) Dat's right.
Entry 7622
Take some dimes an' git chew a little graveyard dust an' bury it undah de front dō'steps an' dat finely [finally] make 'em leave. Yessuh, some dimes an' wrap 'em up right tight in a rag, an' put some of dat dust dere an' bury it undah dat do'step. (What is the idea of putting the dimes, I wonder?) Well, dem dimes - see, dey stay dere so long ah guess, an' dey cankers, see, an' yo' know anything dat cankers will gen'ly [generally] make anything go 'way. [Is this the reason? Or is the rare case of payment for the dirt being kept with the dirt?]
Entry 7651
Jes' reach dat deep in de grave right in de centah close tuh de heart. An' den yo' take it from de foot. An' yo' git dat graveyard dirt an' yo' take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' put black peppah in it. Yo' know dose [whole] black peppahs are very 'fective. An' yo' kin break up a person dat way.
(How?)
An' den aftah dey git dat graveyard dirt, dey put dat peppah in dere. An' dey take dat graveyard dirt in dere hand an' dey walk tuh yuh porch, an' throw it right at chure dō', where yo' goin' tuh walk out dere ovah it.
Entry 7652
Dey goes tuh de grave, dey go tuh de haid side, [I mean] on de heart side. So dey tell me. Ah've nevah done it but ah've heard of it. Dey go dere an' dey git dat dirt, come back, an' dey put dat dirt in a li'le bit of sack. An' dey take dat dirt an' mix some othah li'le stuff wit it, a li'le salt an' one t'ing or 'nothah; a li'le sulphur an' diff'ren' t'ings lak dat. Carry it wit yo' an' yo' kin take it an' put it in a place, a dwellin', an' dere's nobody kin git along in dere. An' dey take dat dirt an' dey go aroun' amongst people dat dey're neighbahs, an' see 'em gittin' along, an' throw datdirt all aroun' 'em, dere windah, where de windah's up, or in de do', when dey kin git a chance, or on de do'steps, or in front of de do's an' t'ings, dat choo'll have tuh walk ovah it. An' consequently it cuzes [causes] a confusion an' yo' can't git along wit yoreself or nobody else.
Entry 7662
Go tuh de graveyard an' go tuh sundown part of de grave, an' git dat dirt an' carry tuh jes whoevah house yo' goin' carry it tuh. An' yo' sprinkle it all roun' de do'step where dey walks out, dey wouldn't [couldn'tl miss it. Put it down dere an' dey step in it, it wouldn't be ovah a veek 'fo' [before] dey die.
Entry 7754
Take graveyard dirt an' bury it undah a person's do'step an' dat will run 'em crazy.
(How do you mean run them crazy?)
Jes' make 'em where dey jes' git all upsot [upset] an' jes' leave an' jes' be all - jes' can't live dere, no way in peace, no way.
The informant explains the printed phrase 'run them crazy' through upset, leaving and inability to live peacefully. The interviewer's question is separate, and '[upset]' is an editorial gloss within the speech.
Entry 7755
Ah heard dat chew could take graveyard dirt an' kill anyone wit takin' an' diggin' a hole undah dey do'step, yo' know an' bury it, an' by folks walkin' ovah it, dey will fight amongst dem[selves].
(That will kill them.)
The informant introduces this as hearsay. The final parenthetical 'That will kill them' is the interviewer's statement, with no further informant confirmation printed. '[selves]' is an editorial completion within the printed speech.
Entry 7756
It's one thing, yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dust an' put dat on a person's do'steps. An' [they] try tuh stay dere fo' a certain length of time an' den dey will go crazy, yo' see.
Entry 7809
Dey say yo' kin take dat dirt, graveyard dirt, an' put it in de fo' cornah of de house, an' put some right tuh de front of yore do' where yo' walk cross it. Dey say dat'll stop confusion all in yore home.
(How would they put this dirt in the four corners? How?)
Jis' put it onto dere, sprinkle it down. (You put it something like that. Well, you told me before that you cross it. What do you mean by that?) No sir, jis' sprinkle it. [Waycross, Ga., (1098).1775:1.]
Entry 7838
Yo' kin take graveyard dirt an' run people cleah [clear] outa town wit it.
(How do they say they do that?)
Yo' go tuh de grave an' right in de middle of de grave - have tuh be a murdah dough... [though].
[I stopped machine here to make certain the meaning of murdah.]
(Must be the grave of a murderer.)
Yo' go in de chest right here an' git it an' bring it away [demonstrates].
(Get a handful.)
An' yo' carry it - an' carry it home an' yo' mix coffee grounds wit it, all up good, an' yo' name dat aftah dis person. Keep it until it forms in a cake in dat cup. Yo' take den an' go an' carry it an' throw it ag'inst dis per- son's do'. Dey will have tuh go [cleah outa town].
Entry 7888
Saltpetah - yo' take saltpetah an' beat it up fine, an' if yo' kin use some of dis graveyard dirt, tuh sprinkle in de do'way, see, where dey kin see it each mawnin', mo' lakly [likely] dat person will move from de house.
Entry 7908
If yo' want a job, when yo' git ready fo' dis job, yo' go an' git chew some sulphuh an' git chew some dirt from de graveyard. An' yo' - jes' lak yo' goin' tuh dis job - yo' git tuh de house, yo' sprinkle dis roun' de house. An' when yo' sprinkle dis roun' de house, den yo' could walk up on de do' an' knock at de do'. An' ask fo' de job an' yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's, an' in de ninth mawnin' yo'll git dis job.
(You mean you sprinkle this in front of the boss' house or the job?)
Yes [at the home of the boss].
(All the way round the house?)
Not all de way roun' de house, jes' from de front. Lak dat's de cornah [demon- strates], from dere tuh de cornah of de house.
(Just to the front of the house?)
Yes.
Entry 7910
Git some graveyard dirt an' sugah an' sweep it de way, out de do' behin' 'em, see, an' dey'll have tuh go. (You would be living in the house, though, wouldn't you? And to make another person go you would throw this behind them?)
[Behind him after he left so that he would not return.]
Yessuh.
Entry 7916
Lak if anybody do anything tuh yuh an' yuh want 'em tuh move from dere, yuh git dat dirt an' yuh eithah throw it on de steps or on de porch or put it by de do'. Dey say yuh put it cross by de do' fō' three times. (They put it across for three times?) Make it cross by de dō' three tues an' dat person will have tuh move.
Entry 7920
Take de dirt off de grave an' take it at night, twelve a'clock. An' take it an' carry it tuh de do' an' put it at de foot of de steps. An' whosomevah in dere, what dey don't like, will run 'em crazy.
Entry 7984
Jes' lak if yo' wan' tuh do 'way wit a person, lak if yo' wan' tuh draw a person, well yo' jes' make it out chure mind, but choo draw dat person's pitchure. Well yo' draw 'is pitchure an' yo' put a coffin [put it in a coffin]. (You draw the figure in the coffin?) Yes sir, dat's right. An' den yo' take hit an' bury it at dere steps, see. Den draw it also....
[Here is the information given while machine was stopped:]
(You draw this person's picture on a piece of paper, and then you drav a coffin around it?) Dat's right. An' den yo' draw anothah one an' put it at de do' where dey kin see dat, an' tell 'em whut will become of 'em, see. Well, aftah yo' draw dis - yo' done buried de one, de firs' one - let me see, well, now dey begin tuh read dat lettah an' dey see dat. Well, dat gits dere spirit tuhgethah an' it begin tuh grieve dem den, an' dey worry ovah it an' finely [finally] dey come tuh perish away.
(You do that to let them know you are doing the work against them?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8173
Jis' lak ah'd take yer pichure. Well, ah could go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt right off from de sinnah's, yo' know, where a sin- nah is buried at, right in 'is chest. Git hit an' sew hit an' de pi- chure up intuh a piece of cloth, an' keep it fo' nine mawnin's, an' bury at chure do'step, an' dat'll bring yo' love.
(That's for love?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8522
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' use a coconut to make a person come to yo'. Yo' take an' pluck out de eyes, but yo' don't let that water come out of there. And you take the name and put it upon this Venrick [brand name?] parch- ment [paper imitation] and put it in there, inside, and you seals it up with the wax that drops from the candle. And just roll it. Start from the front door and be rollin' back inside an' speak to it just like yo' speakin' to 'em an' call 'em by their name. That'll draw 'em to you.
(That will make them come back.)
Entry 8713
Write anybody name six times on a piece of papah an' go an' put it up ovah de front do'. An' call dere name six times an' write dat down on dat papah an' dat will bring 'em to yo'. Ei- ther - if yo' want 'em tuh come to yo', yo' jes' say, In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, ah hope dey will come. An' if yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin jes' say, "Go." See, write it six times forwards an' put it ovah yore do'.
Entry 8763
Yo' buy a brand-new tin pan out de stā' an' do' nuse [don't use] it fo' nuthin an' don' set it dwon on nuthin [don't touch the earth theme]. Yo' git it an' come right back home. Yo' gits yo' a pencil an' mark it disaway an' data- way. [I interrupt.] (Just like you were quartering a pie - into four parts.) [If informant did not under- stand guartering, I added four parts.j Yes sir. Yo' put his name heah, put chure name heah, an' den yo' put his name ovah dere an' his name heah... (Wait a minute! In this [I demonstrate on paper] upper left-hand corner as you are looking at it, you put his name. Underneath that you put your name. Then up above in the right hand corner you put your name, and then his name underneath. In other words, his name and your name are opposites.) [See my diagram for quartered pie.] Yes sir.
(All right. Then what do you do with that pan?)
Yo' take it an' turn it bottomside upwards an' walk out de do' backwards, see, an' shove it right underneat' yore do'step. Yo' don't bury it. Jes' put enough sand ovah it, yo' see, to keep anybody from seein' it. It won't be two weeks [2 seven-day periods] befo' he'll be back there. Ah've tried dat mahself.
Entry 8919
If yo' wanted to go some place an' yo' wanted to - yo' just get yo' some mistletoe. Yo' boil dat mistletoe an' shrimps together.
(Shrimps?)
Mistletoe and shrimps. Yo' boil dat together an' yo' put some German Hearts Perfume with dat. (German Heart's Perfume?) German Hearts Perfume. Yo' put dat with de mistletoe an' de shrimps, yo' boil all dat together, an' yo' wash yore house good an' sprinkle dat. An' yo' could go out an' leave your door open, ain't nobody comin' in dere.
(To steal anything?)
No, sir, to steal anything.
Entry 8928
If yo' is in time, he ain't git rid of it, yo' understand. Dere's whole lotta time a person steal somepin from yo', why - now jes' like ah came in here, yo' might have a pin or sompin. I might take dat pin [I had no pin but a cheap fountain pen lying near my Numbers Book on interviewing table.] [I] done steal it an' carry it to a pawn shop an' pawn it, sompin lak dat; or done sell it to somebody, see. But now, if I ain't sell it, if I jes keepin' it to wear it fer myself; well, dere's a way fer me to make yo' bring dat back, yo' see. Yo'll wonder [wander] around de house an' wonder who taked dat pin off chere [here, off the table]. Wonder who carried dat knife or somepin of mine - dis whatsomever be steal. "Well, So-an'-so been heah today. He must be him. He must be he carried it." Jes' like yo' might have a girl friend or somepin like dat. She might come in dere an' she might take it away, see. Well, yo' go to work an' yo' call dat person name three times, see. Yo' call de name three times as yo' walk to dat do' an' den yo'll walk back into de house. Yo'll walk to de windah dere. Yo'll walk to dat windah an' I'll call her name again, twice see. Right from de do'. Yo' walk in de do' first. All right, yo' walk back from de do' to de windah. When yo' walk to de do', yo' call her three times. Yo' walk back from de do' an' yo' walk to de windah an' yo' call her twice. All right, yo' walk, well, perhaps yo' might have - yo' might go to de windah in de room. Yo' go to de windah in de room an' yo'll say, "Oh, Daisy! Oh, Peters!" er [or] sompin like dat. Or "James." Well, yo' jes' don't make a big call, yo' understand. People think yo' might be crazy or sompin like dat. But, yo' see, when yo' make dat last [call], perhaps she might be back to see yo' in an hour, be back in de mawnin'. She jes' couldn't keep it, or he, who- somever got it.
(The last time you call right out the window?)
Loud. Yes, de last time yo' call one time. The first time yo' call three times, the second time yo' call twice. Jes' like yo' go to de do', walk to dat, etc.
Entry 8942
No - if yo' know where - if dey went in de front do', yo' jes' cut a piece off dat do' an' yo' take it an' pull off a wheel - jack up de wagon an' yo' stick dat wood in dere [on the axle] an' yo' [restore wheel and] turn it to yo' all de time. Yo' turn dat wheel to yo' an' jes' [say], "Ah demand yo' to return dis stolen goods' or sompin lak dat. Dey'll come tuh yuh, yes sir [and return goods]. But chew cut a piece from de gate or any place which dey'd be in - git chew jes' a small piece - it don't have to be so large an' yo' turn de wheel. Turns it to yuh, if yo' would have dem come to yuh, which dey more den apt.
Entry 9008
Dey say dat yo' could take a aig from a black hen an' if yo' in any kinda trouble or wanta git out, an' yo' bust it up ovah yore do' or eithah jes' on a gatepost. Jes' lak dat yo' could even go tuh de place where, where yo' are tuh be tried at, an' bust it up on dere. Dey say dat yo' would come clear. [In this rite and the two preceding, we must remember that intention, though unexpressed, is the magic power. The following rite expresses the intention.]
Entry 9150
What dey call tuh hoodoo de judge, dat mos' all of de bootleggahs in dis country use. Dere's a root - one of it is called de Virginia snakeroot [Aristolochia serpentaria] de othah one is called High John de Conkah, though both of dem roots is fine fo' medical purposes. But dey claim by takin' 'em an' roastin' 'em till dey powdah, pulverize 'em good, dat yo' kin place 'em in yore do'ways or ovah yore windahs an' always use de words, Judge ye not.
(Judge ye not?)
Judge ye not. If yo' in de co't at a trial, say yo' set dere an' jes' con- centrate yore min' on de judge all de time, while de case is goin' on, an' yo' repeat dem words, Judge ye not. Sprinkle a little of dat dust what's yo's [you has or you isl got from dose parched herbs aroun' wherevah yo're settin' at, an natch'ly [naturally] he can't. - no way dey kin convict yuh. He's gotta let yuh out.
(IS THAT OFTEN DONE DOWN HERE?)
DAT'S CONTIN'LY [CONTINUALLY] DONE HERE IN DIS PLACE, IT'S A DAILY PRACTICE. DERE'S SEV'RAL MEN RIGHT HEAH IN DE TOWN DAT DON'T DO A THING IN DE WORLD BUT STAY AROUN' DE POLICE COURT AN' DE CORPORATION COURTS FO' DAT PURPOSE. DAT'S ALL DEY DO. TACK A MAN DOWN AN' DEY LEARN WHAT HE'S IN DERE FO', DEY PREPARE IT AN' GIVE IT TUH 'IM. TELL 'IM WHAT TUH DO. GO IN AN' HE'LL HOODOO DE JUDGE DEN AN' GIT DISMISSED ON DOSE CHARGES.
Entry 9209
Take a hen egg an' if ah wanted tuh run yuh away from here, ah'll write yuh name on dat egg all 'round dere in diff'ren' words. An' ah'll pass by yuh house an' ah'll throw dat egg. Ah'll throw it ag'in yuh do', see. An' if dat egg bust on yuh do', yo' goin' leave. Yo' goin' git up an' leave from dere. An' yo' go on about chure business, go on. Break dat egg on de do' at night. [Informant says something after recording machine stopped.] (And you write that name in what words? What kind of words do you write?) Well, yo' use in vain [the Lord's Name in vain]. Yo' use it. Yo' take de Lawd an' den yo' cuss 'im.
(You cuss him and then you use it [the Lord's Name] in vain?)
An' use it in vain. Write dat on dat egg all around, yo' see.
Entry 9218
(Get a black hen egg.) Yes, yo' go dere twelve a'clock in de night an' yo' smash de black hen aig against de do' or de do'post of de house.
Entry 9225
Take a aig an' bust it in front of yo' do', an' call yore name or de man's name, an' yo' would have tuh move becuz de aig wus busted.
(What kind of egg do you use?)
Ah'd take a black hen's aig.
Entry 9266
Dey tell me dey take a black hen aig, if yo' wanta run a person. Ah'm using mah seriance [experience] 'bout dis. Ah believe dat dis graveyard dirt an' gunpowdah dey puts in dat egg, dat black hen's egg, bust it in yore do'. Jis' throw it ag'inst yore do' an' bust it. Dat'll bust yo' an' dat woman up.
Entry 9349
Well, jes' if anybody yo' want tuh move, if any of yore neighbahs is not so good an' yo' wanta move 'em.] But chew have tuh git a aig from a hen dat's been wit a roostah. De diff'- rence in dose aigs - yo' know de diff'rence in dose aigs? (No, I don't. Tell me about them?) Well, de hen dat doesn't be wlt a roostah, her aigs are round. An' de hen dat does be wit a roostah, her aigs is long. [Here as in the preceding rite, the symbolism of added length to the egg is obvious.] Well, yo' take one of dose long aigs an' yo' gits tuh de front do', an' yo' throws it ovah her house an' if dat aig busts yo're gone.
Entry 9351
Take a aig an' if it's a person dat chew dislike livin' in a house, yo' take a rotten aig an' take it an' throw it on dat do' an' splattah it all on dat po'ch an' dey will move.
Entry 9381
Yo' kin git dose chicken aigs an' go tuh a individual do'. Take de aig an' throw it on de steps an' crack it. Well, dat's a warnin' tuh yuh dat chew gonna move sometime but yo' don' know when. But whenevah dey take dose aigs an' dey have sompin ag'inst yuh, why dey'll bust three. Well, den when dey bust dose three aigs at yuh do'step, nuthin undah de sun kin keep yuh dere.
(Just any old kind of chicken egg?)
Any kind. It de very same as de chicken egg, de bird egg [ = you can do the same thing with a bird eggl. Regardless tuh whut kinda aig it is, if yo' bust dose three, it's real dat chure leavin'. [The use of bird eggs is rare for this kind of work.]
Entry 9459
If you had an enemy call upon you and you did not desire his visit or attentions, when they are beginning to leave, without letting them know what you do, sprinkle salt on their back and sprinkle salt across the doorsill. And let it remain twenty-four hours, then sweep it out the door and across the sidewalk, and take it up and burn it up, and that person will never visit you any more.
Entry 10208
If there's something that you don't want taken regardless of what it is, if you don't want it taken - for an instance if you take, if you lock your house they going to break in, and you don't know how to do for to keep 'em from taking your things. Well, then, first I would go and I would get me some sassafras [roots or pieces of bark]. I'd get some sassafras and I'd get me a knife and I'd trim this sassafras, see. I'd trim it and every little piece that I'd whittle off it [demonstrates].
(Every piece that comes off, what do you do with that?)
Every piece I trim off - I'm going to trim it off until I get to nine pieces, and every time I get the nine pieces, I'd count the nine pieces. I'd get them nine pieces and I'm going to put nine pieces here [demonstrates]. I cut off until I get nine more pieces and I'm going to put that there until I get four times nine. See? Well, all right. Now, I'm going to set it on the outside of my door. That's the corner of my house and that's the corner of my house. I'm going to set nine pieces there and nine pieces there, and at the back end of my house. I'm going to set nine pieces.
(You have nine pieces in each corner of the house.)
In each corner of the house, but on the outside. Under my house, if I can get under there and get to where the fire part is - the fire-hearth part is; under the house, you know.
(You what?)
Get under the house, underneath the house and get to the fire-hearth, see.
(Oh, the chimney - the fire-hearth.)
Yes, the chimney. I take and I put me a Bible there. I put that Bible there. I puts the Bible up under that house and I puts a candle there, and I leave that candle burning, see, and I leave the Bible open. But I put a piece of something in front where nobody can't learn that candle's burning there, you see, and leave it burning there. And then I come out from under that house and I locks my door, and as I'm coming out I'm sprinkling a little sugar, you see. I sprin- kle sugar as I come out, you see, until I get at least fifty feet from my house, you see. Then I won't sprinkle no more sugar and I can go and stay from three or four days and come back. Nobody will go in that house, nobody never go in there.
(What sort of a candle do you burn on that chimney?)
I'm got a ordinary white candle. (A white candle, I see.) [Here we have a quincunx, 4 corners and a double central point - Bible and candle.] [New Orleans, La., (832), 1249:2.] [If the reader is approaching this multi-volumed HOODOO archive for the first time, he or she must be told that the present beliefs and rites about sex are perely a continuation of 167 pages of similar material published in volume 3, Nos.3ll0-3830, Pp.2341-2509; material listed in logical sequence according to the Table of Contents for volumes 5, 4 and 3. The material now following could not be so conveniently arranged, though it does have a certain amount of alpha- betical order and other continuity. I am dividing this section into two parts: (1) COMPLETE RITES and (2) CONDENSED RITES, these latter sometimes a reference oaly.]
Entry 10352
After intercourse woman wipes herself with her dishrag and hangs it up over door through which man enters, leaves it there until he visits her again, repeats rite each time, so that he will always be potent with her [Wilmington, 217:9].
Entry 10420
Dey use a new broom. Dey take a new broom an' put it cross de do' an' dey ain't goin' step ovah it.
(That will keep them away.)
Entry 9602
Dey tell me that chew go to de east side of yore house an' yo' dig a small little pail full of dirt an' yo' pat hit full of salt an' peppah an' yo' put hit right out in front of yore door where yo' gotta enter de steps an' dey say hit'll keep it away but...
(That will keep the law away?)
[My use of word "law", already used by informant, causes nervousness.]
BUT AH DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT! AH'VE NEVAH TRIED IT! Your enemies, well dat's de laws.
Entry 9619
Yo' kin take salt an' yo' kin take sulphuh and yo' git red peppah. An' yo' kin throw it aroun' peoples' do' an' dey cain't stay in de house. [Little Rock. Ark., (887).1461:6.]
Entry 9639
Take some peppah [seeds] an' salt an' take some of yore chamber lye an' scattah it aroun' de do' an' den sweep it. Yo' kin [will] go as de seed went - de peppah seed. (You go the same way the seed went. That is, if someone came to your house and you want to make him stay away, you put the stuff out and sweep it?) Scattah it ovah de flo' an' den sweep it out.
Entry 9649
Ah've learned dat chew kin take black peppah an' salt an' if dey come intuh de back do' an' go intuh de house, why sprinkle dat black peppah an' salt behin' 'em. If dey goes out de front, jes' sprinkle it slowly behin' dem as dey go out an' sweep, an' dey'll nevah come back ag'in.
(But they must come in the back door before you can do that?)
Dey don' have tuh go in de back do' - de same do' dey go intuh. If dey come in de front do' an' jes' go in a room an' set or stan' dere, when dey git ready tuh go out, jes' go back out de same way dey came in, all yo' have tuh do is jes' sprinkle dis black peppah an' salt behin' dem an' jes' sweep it out, an' dey'll nevah come back.
Entry 9662
Ah tole yo', when yo' want 'em tuh go [pauses].
(Yes.)
When dey makes de track, why yo' take a new broom an' sprinkle salt. Salt an' saltpetah, mix dat togethah an' sprinkle dat an' devil's snuff.
(Devil's snuff?)
Devil's snuff, yes sir.
(Where do you sprinkle that?)
Yo' sprinkle it right on behind. Jes' lak dey goin' out de do', yo' sprinkle it right on behin' dem. An' den yo' takes dis broom an' sweep it an' tell 'em - yo' make, make de wishes dat yo' want 'em tuh go an' stay [away]. Jes sweep 'im, jes' sweep 'im away. [The salt] outa box of salt dat's nevah been used out of.
(I see. Do you use salt? And what else did you say you used?)
Salt an' saltpetah an' devil's snuff.
(Devil's snuff. I see.)
Entry 9676
If ah wus in trouble, like ah wus wantin' tuh sell whiskey like evah- body is doin', wanted tuh have a success fo' mah business where de man wouldn't bothah me. Git me a package of salt an' bury it tuh mah front do'steps, bury one tuh de back where yo' have to come ovah - walk ovah it [them].: Take me a penny an drive it down, drive de penny right down on de do'stop; yo' know, like de do' [denonstrates], drive it right up dere. De police may come dere an' try tuh search me. He'd look a little bit - ah'll jest show yo' [demonstrates about roan]. "Well [says policeman] he ain't got nuthin. Let's go." [For pennies at door, see also many examples in vol.1, p.6llf., Nos.2108-2120 and elsewhere.]
Entry 9735
[Similar to the preceding rite we have the following one:]
(The wire nails?)
Ah undahstan', whut chew build wit. Yo' take dose an' yo' cross 'em aftah folks, an' throw [salt] den, aftah yo's ti'ed [tired] of 'em. Yo' know, dey comin' in yore house. Yo' kin cross 'em at chure do' fo' nine mawnin's, an' aftah dey done been in dere, yo' kin sweep out fo' nine mawnin's in behin' dem, if yo' wanta keep 'em out. Sweep out fo' nine mawnin's across dem nails down dere lak yo' wuz mad at 'em [the nails]. Aftah yo' done swept, den make a wish dat dey will stay away: "Ah don' want chew in mah house." An' fin'ly dey will quit comin' dere. (You cross four nails, you cross them as twos, like you are making a picture frame. And you put them down before you sweep out?) [PICTURE FRAME HERE SHOWS THAT I GRASPED THIS RITE AT ONCE THOUGH THIS AND PRECEDING RITE, NO.9734. WERE SEPARATED BY TIME AND DISTANCE.1 No suh, aftah yo' sweep out.
(You sweep out for nine mornings. Then you put these nails down?)
Yo' put dem nails down fo' nine mawnin's. (You don't put the nails down for nine mornings, you only put them down for one morning, don't you?) Dey said put 'em down nine mawnin's, dose nails, aftah yo' done swept out. Yo' puts 'em down nine mawnin's aftah yo' done swept. Yo' sweep fo' nine mawn- in's. (You sweep one morning, then what do you do the next morning? Do you sweep again?) Sweep ag'in.
(When do you put the nails down, each time you sweep?)
Each time lak yo' sweep. (That means four nails each morning. That's four nails each of the nine Dornings? That is 36 nails altogether?) Yo' put dem same nails back down.
(You only use four nails altogether?)
Yessuh, jes' only dose fo'.
(You take them up afterwards?)
Aftah dose nine mawnin's yo' take dem up. [To summarize this rite: the first morning you arrange 4 nails into a picture frame design on the floor at the door. Over them you sweep unwanted visitors foot tracks or prints. Take up the nails. Repeat this rite 9 successive mornings.
crossing nails at a doorway, with separately prompted material and frame interpretation. Keep the exact interviewer→informant role order; the later frame explanation belongs to interviewer/editorial context. keeping unwanted visitors out in printed informant dialogue. Retain the explicit out polarity; it is not retention at home or object possession. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3836) · Read full source (printed page 3837)
Entry 9746
You take nine nails and nail each one of 'em at nine o'clock every moming for nine mornings jis' acrost de door. On de first morning de first nail is driven into the wood at the edge of the front step; on the second morning the second nail is driven nearer the house; etc., until the nails form a straight line from the edge of the steps across the doorsteps into the house. An' the ninth morning he's comin' back. [This is my original transcription made in 1937 a short time after the recording: The voice came through badly but everything has been recovered and reproduced here.]
Entry 9792
Yo' kin take a needle an' put it in a piece of papah, with yore man's name wrote on it three times, an' put it up behin' yore do'. He cain't leave yo'. Put it up behin' yore do', up in de wall papah. Jes' lak yore wallpapah's dere [demonstrates], tear it loose an' put it in dere [see No.9791, p.3851.] (How many needles do you put in the paper?) Three. (And you write his name three times.) Yo' point dose needles lak dat, down. An' den yo' take an' put it up in dat [wallpaper] papah, holdin' dat papah
Entry 9818
Dey'll take dat an' dey'll go tuh verk [work] cuz dey kin git nine needles - now listen, nine needles. Stop dat up, put dat in a bottle an' dey'll turn dat cross yuh step - cross de do'step - an' yuh can't go, neithah cross it. (They put this bath water of yours in this bottle to keep you in the house.)
Entry 9838
Ah heard people say yo' kin take [nine] needles, brand-new needles, an' nine pins an' red flannel. Sew it up in red flannel an' put it undah people's do's, an' dey jes' walk ovah it an' dat will cause them tuh be lingerin'; yo' know, some parts of they body go tuh pieces.
Entry 9851
I have hear'd talk of a needle - dat yuh kin break up needles. Yuh take needles, needle dat sewin' wit, about twelve needles, an' crush 'em up. Yuh know, pind [pound]'em up. An' put 'em wit peppah an' sprinkle 'em arom' a person doah. An' dey'd soon leave dere, an' dey'll take badly off sick befo' dey go.
Entry 9865
All right. Chew take a long homespun string jes' about long enough tuh make nine knots. Den yo' ketch dis frog an' a - yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive. An' which is dis about, if yo' wanta run a person? If yo' take dis heah homespun - take a string an' tie it nine times an' yo' tie it tuh 'is laig. Den yo' go tuh de person's house, dere do'step, dere front do'step, an' put it undahneat' of de do'steps. Den yo' let de frog stay dere till nine mawnin's an whosomevah de party dat [is] yo' calls dere name, an' let 'em walk ovah dat fo' nine mawnin's, den dey will die, if de frog dies. If de frog is goin' tuh die de ninth mawnin' yo' goin' also die.
(You simply tie this string around the frog's leg?)
Aroun' de lef' laig, nine times [demonstrates]. (You just loop this around his leg and tie a knot. Then loop it around his leg and tie a knot again. And you tie nine knots in string on frog's leg and bury frog under the door.)
[Here for informant's word put I substitute bury!]
Bury him undah de door right at de steps lak when yo' come out. Put it right up undah de sill of de steps. [The frog is not buried but kept alive: yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive.] Well, when he come out well - well, he kin stay dere nine mawnin's, nine days, dat frog is compelled tuh die wit'out food. Well, he'll die an' den yo'll pass also wit de frog.
(You actually bury that under the ground?)
[Here again I am suggesting the frog is buried!]
Yo' bury de frog under de ground.
(That's to kill the person living in the house?)
Yessuh. [Magically we have enough here to kill anyone: the intention, home- spun = new string, 9 knots in, tied about left [back] leg, animal buried under step victim must walk over, victim's name called, etc. For something similar, including steps, see No.9871, six rites forward.]
Entry 10776
Ah heard dat if a person keep comin' round yo' - yo' don't want 'em dere - whensomevah dey goes out yore do', jest git behin' 'em an' sweep out. As dey go out, jest sweep be- hin' 'em, till yo' git to de last do'step. An' sweep it on out de gate, an' yo' won't be bothered with 'em back dere no mo'.
Entry 10779
Take a broom an' turn dat broom bottom upward - de part dat chew sweep wit, turn it upwards, an' git chew a clean towel an' put ovah dat broom an' call dere name. Call de person name an' dey cain't cross de sill of yo' door. Dey kin stay outside an' wanta come in, but dey cain't come in. (You leave this towel right over the broom?) Right ovah de broom. An' yo' call de name just once. Call it mine times. Anything yo' do in dat line yo' supposed to use nine or seven.
Entry 10812
If she wanta git rid of him, don't want him tuh come back, jes' sweep de house. When he go out de do', jes' sweep de dirt out behin' him an' kick it three time, an' tell him tuh go away- keep his spirit away. Kick it three time an' jes' say, "Go away," an' jes' sweep it on out de do'. Jes' sweep de dirt right on behin' his foot off de do', an' tell him tuh go away, an' his min' will finally [tell him to stay away]. (Just kick it up in the air three times. That makes him stay away.)
Entry 10943
Dey take cedar an' buy [bury] undah - lak if yo' wanta do sompin tuh somebody, take cedar an' bury it undah de do'step or place where dey have tuh go in an' out. Or either put undah de do' an' it will cause a con- fusion or keep yore husband from runnin'. Lak if yore husband is goin' tuh dis woman's house, an' yo' jes' git some of it [wood] an' take it dere an' put it, dat'll cause 'em tuh break up.
(You put this cedar in her house?)
Yeah, go dere at night.
Entry 10947
[She can] go to the root doctor and he'll give her a piece of the root from a cedar tree. An' she take that root an' bury it under her doorstep an' let it stay there fer three days. An' she take it up an' burn it an', if he left her, he'll come back home. [The root doctor does not tell her the name of the root or how he has dressed it.]
Entry 10985
To make move, burst against door a black hen egg laid on Friday.
[Mobile, Ala., 877:11.]
Entry 11093
Wash man's clothes, throw this water under door he uses most, he will stay home. [Wilmington 119:2.]
Entry 11095
Wash person's clothes, bottle this water, put overhead - over picture or door - keeps person home. [Norfolk 530:3.]
Entry 11190
Ah heard dey go an' git a dirt dauber nest an' some cayenne peppah an' sprinkle it undah de do'step an' turn yore back an' nevah look back, an' nevah look back, an' say "good-by." An' dat'll make 'em move an' dey cain't come back again.
Entry 11299
If yo' have a little dog of some sort, cut dis dog tail off [hair from tail?] an' burn it. An' git chew some gunpowder an' some gasoline an' burn it [hair up. An' take de ashes an' carry it dere. Set it dere - don't let no one see - by night. Throw it in dere front do' an' go off on by. Dey never will wanta live dere any mo'.
(What do you do that for?)
Dat's to run 'em out from dere. (Run them out of the house, to cause confusion in the home, chase them out so they finally break up.
Entry 11308
Take a cat, or either a dog, an' if he won't stay home.... Yo' let de dog in de do' - lak dat do' dere - an' den pull de do' to an' den pull him out, jes' enough to git some of dat hair in dat do'. An' den he won't go off nowhere, Won' stay off.
Entry 11311
Yo' kin take de dog hair - jes' lak if yo' want de dog to stay home. Yo' takes de hair off his - clip de hair off his tail an' yo' puts it undah de do'step, an' that would make the dog stay home or de cat.
Entry 11313
[Take] de hair from undah a dog's left laig, left hind laig, an' bury it down at de front do'step. He nevah will leave home. He'll stay right dere. Don't care if somebody steal him an' carry him off, he'll come back.
Entry 11345
One way to do, dey go on dere and dey take an' burn sulphur and dra- goa's blood. Put it behin' de do'r, front do'r. Den dey go down to do'r, one dey go after to git dat jah - job. (I see, they burn that before they go down to the house [to get job].
Entry 11600
Keep a pod of red pepper in the toe of each shoe if someone is trying to harm you. Or take enemy's footprint or footstep and tie up in red flannel with cayenne pepper. Or bury footprint under your doorsteps and that will keep them away.
Entry 11602
Enemy's foot track tied up in cloth and put over door to make them [him or her] stay away from house [it is unhealthy or dangerous to walk under anything belonging to you], or throw into running water to run 'em crazy.
[Wilmington 76:2.]
Entry 11716
Take a penny with a Lincoln head an' drive up over the sill of the door.
Entry 11744
If it's someone behind yuh, the one - you know, someone behind yuh what rid them[-selves] of other people, they will pick it [your foot track] up and mix it with graveyard dust. [Long pause.]
(All right, go ahead. What else?)
And they, they'll take that and mix it with graveyard dust, and they will take and fix it together and sprinkle it around your door, yuh see. And they will take and make - mix it with pepper, black pepper and cayenne pepper, you see. They mix all that up together and they sprinkle it around your house, and that will make for confusion with you and your neighbors, and that will cause you to have to move.
Entry 11788
The making of crosses with graveyard dirt in front of a person's door makes that person move. [Washington, D. C., 828:2.]
Entry 11820
Graveyard dirt about door causes quarreling; man will leave the house.
[Richmond 369:1.]
Entry 11830
If they sprinkle graveyard dirt around your door, that will hurt you.
[Wilmington 105:5+85.]
Entry 11844
I tell yuh jes' what 'tis. My uncle it was, was tellin' me this. That's why I was goin' tell yuh. A lady that he was courting, he was going with her, and of course this man [rival or hoodoo man] tole him that he was hurt, because he thought he was going with her. And he told him that the lady had put somepin in a bottle an' buried it under the doorstep. And that thing that she buried under the doorstep was some of his hair that she'd gotten from the barber shop and mixed it with some salt, pep- per and whiskey, and buried it under her doorstep, and that whenever he walked over it, would hurt him. [At least we know uncle liked whiskey!] But if he would take this up and put it in some boiling water, and if it floated, then he could ward off the spell that she had put on him, and that he probably could throw it back on her, on the parties who was puttin' it on him. He could take and just take this out and roll it under his arm. [then] roll it in some meal.
(Hold it under his arm?)
Roll it. Yeah, roll it under his arm.
(Oh, under his arm first.)
Yeah, and then put it in some meal and make it into a cake-like, and bury it underneath the steps, the same step where the other stuff was buried, and that would return it on her.
Entry 12042
Either bury person's hair or put it over a door to keep him or her from running around. [Wilmington 169:4.]
Entry 12123
Soak a man's hat bow in cologne and lay it over the door for love.
[Wilmington 231:4+85.]
Entry 12124
If you tie a man's hat bow up in a piece of new homespun and put it up over the door-facing, he will do what you want. [Wilmington 112:7+85.]
Entry 12175
I have heard a gentleman, people, say that you take a piece of horse- hair and put it under your doorstep and you won't have any trouble with a evil person coming to bother you, coming to your house. [Some- how this belief sounds old. Horses and hags and witches are associated with horses. Does the presence of a horsehair confuse the hag-witch and hold her to daybreak? My wife and I stop- ped one night here at the hotel in Petersburg, Va., on our way from Old Point Comfort (not in Richmond as I said somewhere in HOODOO some years ago) - to War- renton on our Way back to New York City. At both one-night stands I interviewed the bellboy. My original transcription by hand is attached to manuscript. This vas informant No.33.1
Entry 12185
Dat's very easy. You can take some of this black stone [black lode- stone?] and Van Van and sweet oil. You take all that and you mix it together, and you put that in a lit- tle sack or in a little bottle. You hang that over your door, under a horseshoe. You put the horseshoe up and you hang your bottle under there, but you have the bottle so that no one can see the bottle, but they can see the horseshoe. This bottle be's behind the horseshoe. And no law in the world gon- na come in your place lessen they git permission. They kin come someone to see the proprietor before he [law] come in there. The horseshoe is in the right form just like it lays on the animal's foot [prongs or toes down] but the bot- tle is fixed [hidden] under there.
Entry 12187
Hang a horseshoe ovah de back do'.
(Who does that?)
De bootleggahs.
(What do they do that for?)
Tuh bring in trade.
(Horseshoe over the back door?)
Dat bringin' in trade. [You] know de horseshoe is supposed tuh keep de law out. An' de [they] git sulphur an' sprinkle round dere do' tuh bring trade.
Entry 12189
Ah heard dat chew could take a horseshoe off a grey horse an' turn it up, de p'int up ovah yore do', an' yo'll be lucky an' de home will be lucky.
Entry 12191
You get you a horseshoe. You get you a horseshoe and put it at your door. You put one at the top and you put one at the bottom and nail them down. When [where] your friends come in the house where you is. And put the horseshoe down and make friends which had been your enemies. But now they're friends when you put the horseshoe. They come and see you. And if you're out where they is, you just tote you some pepper in your pocket, red pepper in your pocket. Well, they're going to come where you is after you done put the horseshoe out to make friends, they can't do you any harm. This is like to keep anybody away from you. (Right on the top of the door and let the two pieces
[the toes or 2 prongs] hang down?)
Let the two pieces hang down.
(How do you put it on the bottom?)
You put it at the door but you gotta cut a track down in the door where the door can open, you see, and put the horseshoe down in there where the door just comes right on over that.
(Which way do the ends point, in or out, do you know?)
Ends point out, out of the house.
(And do you cover that with something? Can they see it down there?)
Yes, they can see it but they don't know what it is.
Entry 12193
To keep de law away from a place. Well, ah've heard of, they take a horseshoe an' put it up ovah de do'. That's whut ah've heard of about that.
[Waycross 1839:3.]
Entry 12194
Git a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah yo' do', an' yo' be lucky an' successful an' de law don't have to come to yore house. Nail it right ovah yo' do' or right at de bottom of yo' do'. [Horseshoe at bottom of door not usual, yet see No.12191.] [Waycross, Ga., 1732:1.]
Entry 12195
(How do you keep the law away?)
Hang a horseshoe ovah de front do' pointin' down. [Memphis 1525:7.]
Entry 12197
Take a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah de front do' - or either take new lumber - take an' repair some parts of de house wit new lumber, an' dat yould run de spirits away. [Brunswick 1989:2.]
Entry 12198
Take a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah yore do', ovah each do', an' dey say an' dat will keep de evil spirit out chure house. [Waycross 1746:2.]
Entry 12199
Yo' supposed to put a horseshoe turned bottom inverted, with de legs of de horseshoe up towards de do' an' de bottom part facing down de do', as yo' oone in, an' this is supposed to keep de ghosts out of anyone's house. [St. Petersburg 1621:6.]
Entry 12200
Tuh keep ghostses outa mah home, use horseshoes ovah mah do's.
[Florence 2220:5.]
Entry 12205
De horseshoe - git nine horseshoe nails, an' yo' tie 'em head an' tail, an' yo' name 'em, an' put 'em ovah yore do', an' dat's fo' luck.
(What would you name them?)
Well, yo' name 'em fo' jes' whut chew want 'em tuh do.
Entry 12248
That High John de Conkah or sulphur and salt, that'll keep 'em [law] off to a certain extent; but mostly the way that a person kin do that, you kin keep 'em off all right and a person don't really have to be a stooly pigeon [see comment later]. But you kin meet around them [the law] with the right herbs, such as High John de Conkah and Adam-and-Eve, and have it [roots] dressed. If you have it dressed, well, you kin dress it with any kind of perfume. But have it roun' your do'r, and dey come in, won't never look.
(They come and won't do anything?)
Yes. They come and there will always be harmony wit yuh. They won't hardly ever look for nothing. They walk right over the stuff [bootleg alcohol] and won't find it. [Here my informant says police will scarcely bother a stool pigeon, a police informer, who is selling a few bootleg liquor drinks. That is how seller keeps in touch with the underworld. Stool pigeons occasionally came in to see what I was doing. Usually my local helpers informed us, occasion- ally I myself spotted one, as I explain somewhere in the text. Fortunately I never did anything to cause police action, though twice I was mistakenly raided.]
[Norfolk, Va., (472).484:2.]
Entry 12403
To do that choo know they have to have some kind of powder, have a magic powder see. And when they scrub the doorsills every man who pass by till [it will] take notice. It brings men, see, but they have to have a sign, like some woman sent to the window or somepin of that sort, an' they pass by you wink or smile.
Entry 12405
All round where you live [here in New Orleans they throw] the dead- head matches - not the matches that ain't struck - the matches that are al- ready struck. Thrown all around. Will put you in the worst kind of luck, same thing [as something else we were talking about]. Throw them all around your door.
Entry 12456
Den dere is other people believe dat dey kin take - track a mole and get him up and take dat shovel dat he uses off of him. And anytime after night- fall, go to de door and dig a trench from de door to de street, and dey'll [people within] leave. (I didn't understand ab about that mole. You take that...) De mole is got a peculiar foot to him. It's shaped somepin like a heavy shovel - one of 'em. Well, dat's de one he use to open his tunnel as he is going through, and it looks almost de same as ivory - solid white and sharp and curved-like. But you take de foot from de mole and go to de do', and you will dig a trench from de do'ah out to de street.
(With this foot?)
With dat foot. And dey claim dat whoever liyes dere will really leave dat house. Dey'll follow dat path out to de street - be gone. Dey'll vacate de premises, dey won't stay dere long.
Entry 12469
If yo's in a house an' a person wanta make yo' move, go tuh de black- smith shop an' git a mule hoof, an' put it on wit some hot watah an' boil it. Yo' takes an' put it in a bottle [cork it right tight, an' put it in] - put it in a bottle when yo's at home. Yo' walks by dey do' an' sprinkle it befo' dey do', dat watah from dat hoof, from dat mule hoof. See dat's a track an' as dat mule walkin' on, dat makes 'em [victim] go.
(You put some holes in this cork?)
Yes sir, put it in de [cork of the] bottle. Cut de mule hoof, dat round hoof where dey shoe a mule. Or a horse, eithah one, an' put it in a bottle. Take it home an' boil it. Boil it jes' tuh pieces. Boil it. It won't come tuh pieces, but when it begin tuh git hot, see. An' put it in a bottle an' cork it down an' put some holes in dere where yo' kin jes' sprinkle it lak dat, tell 'em all de time as yo' sprinkle dat watah, see, say, "Cats an' dogs can't git along, an' yo' gotta go. An' go, damn yo'. An' dat makes 'em leave, dey move. Dey gotta move, dey cain't stay dere.
Entry 12500
New piece of red flannel, 9 new needles on one side, 9 new pins on other, put under doorsteps, makes person crossing over crazy. [Memphis 1569:3.]
Entry 12512
Take a red onion an' bo' a hole in it. An' take an' write de name of somebody dat chew like dat way, on a piece of papah, an' stick it in dat onion an' put it up ovah de do'. Dat's tuh make dat person do lak yo' want 'em tuh do; make 'em come home, stay home an' yo- kin git dere money.
Entry 12522
At six 'clock in de evening and six 'clock in de morning, you git up and yo' take a onion an' sprinkle red pepper on it. An' put it behind yore front door and you put it on a paper and sit it down and burn it. Don't let nobody come bother you or no one know you doing that.
(Well now, what will that do then?)
It bumn aad supposed to bring luck to you [in business].
Entry 12588
Ah've seen dis tried, takin' a penny an' bo' a hole in de penny, an' put dis penny right at de do'step. An' yo' always will have luck an' de law will nevah interfere witcha - not constantly. Sometime dey come by - dey have to, see. [Waycross 1742:9.]
Entry 12589
De people, dat run dese gamblin' ioints an' all, plays wit a few little gamblahs. Dey take a penny an' put - nail one in de centah heah at de front do', jes' where de people goin' in an' out - see. Dey do dat fo' luck. Dey say if de money comes in it stays.
(Just the one penny on the door?)
Yeah. [Florence 2182:5.]
Entry 12590
(Take a penny?)
Uh-huh, an' take a small nail an' drive 'em dere right in de middle of de do'. Yo'll always have customers - fo' likkah ah know. [Brunswick 2022:3.]
Entry 12591
(You take a copper penny. One?)
Oh yes. Lay one at each do' - a copper penny, one. An' nail one in each do' an' yo' know, yo' will draw customers.
[The law was added after machine turned off.]
(That will keep the law away, too?)
Yessuh. [Fayetteville 2539:7.]
Entry 12592
(Get you a penny?)
Yes sir, an' nail it in de center of yore do'. If yo' don' cover it up, yo' might jes' fix it [dress it in some way]. Jes' nail it in de center of yore do', a penny in money. Nail it in de center of yore do'. De law ain't hardly goin' come up dere. [This center-of-the-door rite - it has just occurred to me - is a type of quincunx rite because the bottom of the door space or the saddle, if one, forms an oblong.] [Savannah 2135:12.]
Entry 12593
Yo' ever see 'bout a penny? Dey take a penny an' nail 'em tuh de front do'. Well, dey take penny an'nail 'em right down to de front do'.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep 'em [law] back dere. [Brunswick 2019:3.]
Entry 12594
Take a penny an' nail it in de center of dat do', an' a penny in de center of yore back do'. Now dat's tuh he'p keep de law offa yo'. [Florence 2270:9.]
Entry 12595
Yo' kin take a penny an' nail it down tuh each one of yore do's an' won't no sheriff or nuthin come on yuh. [Waycross 1870:13.]
Entry 12621
If yo' wants tuh draw de customers to de place, yo' git some sulphur an' burn dat sulphur in de fo' corners of de house or de sto' an' den take some sulphur an' salt an' black pepper an' put right in de do' underneat'de steps an' dat will draw de customers.
Entry 12624
Sift or crush red pepper pod at door or gate to protect against my evil. [Fredericksburg, by Ediphone, informant half-grown boy when Civil War began and was living in what was to become the Bloody Triangle when Lee and Grant met near Fredericksburg, Va. I have a number of rites from him, but can- not find his number at the moment.]
Entry 12645
Well, you takes sulphur and red pepper and bury it to your doorstep, and they never will bother you no way atall [at all], de law man, nothing.
[Waycross 1765:14.]
Entry 12688
All right, yo' kin draw de pichure of dat man an' yo' kin git chew a brand-new papah of pins an' write his name on dere an' pin him up. Pin him up ovah de head of de do' where dey transferin' back an' fo'th at, an' yo' kin draw him back. [Memphis - Informant No.1529a who gave No.2101, p.610, v.1, this No.6 probably on same cylinder.]
Entry 12699
And then this 109th Psalms. Jest like you know if someone has mis- treated you, and you didn't want to go right to their face to settle it. Well, you pray dis 109th Psalm for 3 days. Then you go and you get you a pint of new wine and put some mustard in there - new mustard - have a new jar - everything new and put it in there. And go to that person's door the fourth night, after you pray the third - the fourth night. Den you go there and put it right cross- Ways of that door, but don't ever let a drap get on you. And so he'll go to the God that gives it [this rite is evidently pow- ered by God!]. [The horizontal bottle, at the foot of the door or steps, does not coml pletely cross vertical door, only symbolically. Moreover the "T" cross is upside down
Entry 8904
If a person stole a.thing from yo' an' yo' wanta find out if it's dem dat did it, yo' gotta git chew some coffee grinds [grounds] aftah de coffee's [coffee has] been made. Git dose coffee grinds. An' den yo' take some coffee grinds an' let dem set outdo's [outdoors]. Don't leave dem in de house, yo' let 'em set outdo's. An' den yo' will git chew a bottle of turpentine. Now, dey done stole it an' yo' wanta find out de fak' [fact]. An' den, when yo' git some turpentine an' dose coffee grinds - an' den yo' take dat eggshell an' brown hit an' put it in dere. An' den yo' take dat eggshell - aftah yo' take dat egg- shell. An' yo' make yore wish while yo' fixin' it up. Yo' make yore wish while yo' fix it up an' den yo' take dis eggshell. An' den yo' take an' beat up some garlic an' brown dat garlic. Yo' gotta brown evahthin' yo' use. An' den yo' take, if yo' have an idea who got it - if somebody tell yo' dese people got it an' yo' know where dey live at...
(If you have an idea who did, what do you do with it then?)
Take it tuh dere do' an' bury it right up undah de centah of dere do', right up undah de centah of dere house eithah much [if you prefer]. [Center of house makes this a quincunx rite.] An' if dey got it dey'll bring it back. Dey'll bring it back.
Entry 9239
Take a black hen's aigs fo' somebody yo' want tuh have bad luck or sompin bad happen tuh 'em; git 'im from out de way, mark himself off de earth. Take a pencil an' write his name tuh de bottom of de aig on de little end. Write yore name - jes' lak yo' wanted tuh run me off or ah wanted tuh run yo' off, or do 'way wid yuh, ah would write chure name on de bottom of dat aig; see, on de little end. Write mah name on de top, on de big end of de aig. Go dere an' bury it right down where yo' had tuh walk ovah dat aig.
(How would you bury that egg?)
Neah de do'steps.
(How would you bury it, little end up or big end up?)
Little end down, big end up. Befo' long dat egg will come tuh git hot, or sour or bust. Dat locks chure bowels. Ain't a doctor [M.D.] 'tween heah an' nowhere kin do yo' no good. Whenevah dat aig bust down dere, yore bowels will lock an' bust inside. Right den all yore action will be on de inside yo' know, an' yo' won't be no mo' good. Won't be long 'fo' yo' be gone.
Entry 9363
Take a black hen's aig an' put a little salt in it an' bury it at dey do'steps. Say dat would run 'em. (How do you put that salt in that egg?) Put de salt in it, yo' peck a little hole.
Entry 9364
Well, now, yo' git a black hen, yeah. An' git dat aig from a black hen, yo' undahstan'. Yeah. An' den yo' take dat aig an' keep it in salty watah fo' two days. An' den yo' git dat aig an' care [carry] it. Yo' go tuh de steps, though, yo' know, an' bury it undah de steps. Dat's whut yo' do wit dat aig, if yo' wanta git 'em 'way from dere. Yo' undahstan' dat.
(That's all you have to do?)
Yes.
Entry 9510
Ah heard yo' could take salt an' sprinkle it roun' yore house. Yo' know, bury it undah de do'steps an' - if yo' wanta sell likkah an' keep de law away from dere.
Entry 10937
Take a catfish entrails, split him open while dey alive - channel cat - an' take dat entrails an' put it in a bottle, or else bury it undah yore do'steps; jes' lak yo' had a place an' wanted tuh stay dere, why yo' kin stay dere as long as yo' wanta, if yo' bury dat undah dere, wit dere name.
(The name of the landlord on it?) Den yo' kin stay at dat place as long as yo' want to.
Entry 11064
Dey tell me yo' gits a piece of newspapah, an' jes' lak dis yo' makes a 'V' lak dis. Keep a-makin' it lak dis, keep a-makin' it lak dis. Keep a-makin' it lak dis. Yo' make dat nine times dis way. Yo' take dat papah an' yo' stick it in front of yore steps an' put salt - covah it wit salt an' jes' pull it. Jes' pull it- dis part heah yo' turn it back dis way. Dat's fo' 'em not tuh come in, an' pull it dis way an' yo' turn dat back dis way. Bury dat undah yore step in front of yore do'way an' den come cross an' covah dat wit salt an' dat will make 'em stay out, dey say. (I want you to draw that for me to show me just how it is done. You make your mark right on that piece of paper - this is a newspaper now [let this be the piece of newspaper you mention; probably handed informant a sheet from my note- book]. What kind of mark do you make? [Informant makes a mark.l You make a mark sort of like a crescent, it goes to the right and comes back like that.) Now, dis means "stay out, don' come in." Now, if yo' want a person tuh come in dere. If a person out an' yo' want 'em tuh come in dere, yo' jes' turn it dis way [demonstrates]. Dat means 'come in.' Dis means [demonstrates] 'stay out." (Well, those half circles, crescents, when the arc of the half circle is out from the door, that means "come in.") Yo' understand dat. [I certainly did!]
Entry 11314
Take a dog's hair if he's bad - mean, cut off de end of his tail an' bury it right down to de do'step, an' he'll be all right.
Entry 11380
Git a ole rusty file, understan, what somebody haven't used and you kin file that file. In other words dig a hole about two steps from the door- step and put a hog foot down in dere. An' then go about two steps further and you drive that file down about two inches under the dirt. An' of course when you drive it down in, using three words. Conseguently, it won't be long till that's gone. (What three words do you use?) Well, you drive that down, In the Name of the Father, Name of the Son and the Holy Ghost.
(I see. What will that do to them then?)
Well, they have to go. That will set them going.
(Make them move.)
Entry 12006
Stop up in a bottle hair from top of person's head [the mold] with 9 needles and 9 pins and bury under door. Victim, usually a man, cannot leave that house permanently. [Washington, D. C., cylinder number forgotten.]
Entry 12010
Hair from the mold of a woman's head is wrapped in cloth and buried at a man's doorstep to hold her there or to bring her to his house. [Norfolk 494:9.]
Entry 12183
Take animal manure and dry it. See, you got a good animal and dey want it. See, dey take de animal manure and dry it right dry. Take an' dey pound it up, see. And dey will take alcohol, see, and put in dat manure and bury it. See, and den bury it under dere doorstep. And you'll often be to their house to sell 'em dat horse. See, you'll want to sell him dat horse better dan anybody else. And he [horse trader] kin git de horse from you cheaper dan you bought de horse fo'.
Entry 12419
Yo' kin take twelve matches and bury 'em to any person's door, and when he walk over dem matches he'd have hard luck and he wouldn't stay dere long. That distance [from the door]. He has to go up across [steps] to make any headway [towards hard luck].
Entry 12710
If yo' wuz sellin' whiskey an' de law wuz pretty bad, botherin' yo' aroun' yore house an' yo' wanted tuh keep 'em away, why yo' kin take a rabbit - kill a rabbit an' yo' kin kill a chicken. Take de chicken foot an' de rabbit foot an' bury dem tuhget- hah in de gate where yo' come intuh yore front do' at. Put dem in de ground an' bury dem tuhgethah. Den yo' goes back in de house aftah yo' do dat. Yo' goes back in de house an' yo' probably stay in de house ten or fifteen minutes an' den comes back out. Yo' comes back out an' yo' digs dis rabbit foot up an' dis heah chicken foot, an' yo' don' bury 'em tuh- gethah nex' time; yo' bury one on de right-han' side an' one on de left-han' side. De way ah heard it, don' make any difference which one yo' put on de right an' which one on de left. Yo' bury one on de right an' one on de left - on de left side of de do'steps, by de cornah of de do'step. An' yo' takes one of de toes off de chicken foot an' carry it roun' tuh de back do' tuh keep 'em 'way from de back, an' yo' bury dat down dere. An' dey say yo' won' have no trouble wit de law as long as dem feets is solid. An' when dey rot - yo' kin tell when it will rot down dere. Yo' have tuh bury some mo'. An' yo' won' be bothahed wit no law. A lady down heah in town heah, she had a experience wit dat.
Entry 12783
If visitor is going to cause trouble, throw salt in front of him be- fore he enters door. [This is unusual, rare, but certainly possible.] [Memphis 1569:1.]
Entry 12819
If you put salt in a bag and lay it over the top of the door, that will keep the law away. [Richmond 375:2.]
Entry 13165
A woman nails a man's left sock under the door saddle with 9 nails to keep him home. [New Orleans llol:?]
Entry 13167
Put right-foot sock under rug, up to door, foot walking in, man com- ing back. [Memphis 1556:6.]
Entry 13206
Nail right sock on new shingle and bury at your front door: "he can't leave there to save his life." [Mobile 878:12.]
Entry 13231
You can get that party to leave you and there is no one will touch you. Like if you go to the druggist and ask for some stay away powder. It's a powder they sell down there and they call it stay away powder, like if you don't even want any visitors at your home, you sprinkle a little bit of it around your window and around your door. Take a little bit of it in your hand and blow it on your doorknob, jes' blow on your doorknob and, if any one know you and want to see you, they won't come there.
Entry 9624
Sulphah an' red peppah an' put nine teaspoonsful of salt in it, an' bary it to de back do' an' to yore front do', an' dey couldn't stay dere tuh ave dere life. Dey may stay two or three weeks but dey won' stay. (You mean in the house or around the house?) No, yo' jes' bury it right undah yore back steps. An' den go to yore front step an' bury it 'bout de same place - under de front steps. An' dey couldn't stay dere to save dere life.
Entry 9955
They kin take the forg an' bury it undah yore do'step. Bury it undah there an' cause yo tuh have hard luck.
Entry 1280
(Tell it again now, the whole thing from the beginning.)
You take you a frog - what I mean, them old frogs. Now, this is the truth from here to heaven. You take you a frog - one of them old hoppy frogs, rainy frogs, you know, be's hopping after de rain in the country. Well, it be night - you know, dark, up there [in the country]. Well, you just take you a yeast [something] can and just let it run up in there, you know, alive. Stop him up while he alive - stop him up there tight and put him over a door, over your door there. And he'll [you'll] pass the door - he's [you're] going to pass all the time, back and forth, back and forth. And when you passes that door about nine morning, your piles is cured and you go up there and you look at it and open it, you won't see nothing but brown ashes. You won't see no bones or nothing from that frog - nothing but brown ashes. And you leave it there and that's just going to molt away and you'll never have the piles on you long as you live.
Entry 4052
Well, ah kin even take a fellah's chamber lye an' bury dat at de - stop it up in a bottle an' bury it at de do', an' he'll continue hang aroun' dere where dat chamber lye is at.
Entry 4056
Dey tell me dey take yuh chamber lye tuh stop a person from makin' watah. Dey take dat an' put it in a bottle an' cork dat tight, an' tie it up ovah yuh do'. Dat's de way dey do wit de chamber lye. Dat's what dey tell me. Yo' can't make no watah.
(Over whose door do you tie that?)
Right ovah mah do'.
(Over your own door? But you have some other person's water in there?)
Yes.
Entry 4133
Say yo' kin take - yo' put sulphur right in yore do', or eithah take an' put, jis' lak yo' sellin' whiskey or sompin, yo' put yore pee in de whiskey an' dat'll make 'em come back [to buy again].
Entry 4140
Dat chamber lye, yo' know de pee, throw it roun' mah do' an' he cain't come any fu'thah. Jis' let it stay dere an' be strong yo' know. Jis' put a little dat graveyard dirt all in de foah rooms, put a penny in dat do'. Dey won't come dere an' bothah yo'. (The rent, the law or the bill collector - whoever it is.)
Entry 4221
Mostly dey uses dere in houses in dere watah [urine], whut are used fo' men. Whut ah mean, sech as de wash watah. Wash watah are used an' only one oil is supposed tuh be used intuh it. See, dat's de oil of pennyroyal, an' flo' is supposed tuh be scrubbed wit it. De balance of de watah is tuh be po'ed in front of de do'. Dat is tuh continue of mens goin' - comin' backward an' fo'- wards.
(That is to keep the men coming.)
Jes' keep 'em comin' backwards an' fo'wards, mens, see de room whut dis watah is come out of. Dis washin' an' de urine watah is all used tuhgethah tuh scrub de house wit, yuh know.
Entry 4235
Take salt an' put it in yore chamber lye an' throw it in front of yore do' an' it will conquah, yo' know, yuh enemies dat way.
Entry 4287
Ah've heard dat evah mawnin' 'fo' sunrise, jis' lak yuh - yuh git up an' take yuh chamber lye an' throw it tuh de right-hand side of yuh do' 'fo' de sunrise, an' dat'll make yuh lucky.
Entry 4580
[These objects-over-the-door you walk under and objects-under-the-door you walk over are frequently important rites in hoodoo, yet quite a number of informants, including the present one, do not know the meaning of the word sill or doorsill.] Well, they say you can take that little bow in the back of a man's hat. You see, that's his sweatband, that's where you done sweat. Well all right, you take that bow on the back of man's hat an' he done wore that hat. And after you take that bow in the back of that man's hat, well you take that bow and you puts it up over the sill of your front door - see, like where he got to pass under. [The word over instead of under would have solved the problem here.] Well, that's to keep him home. He'll stay at home all the time and you can go out. Well he will never fuss with you about nothing, because you got him right down under your feet.
(I see.)
Entry 13269
Dey say if anybody have done anything to yo', yo' kin take sulphur an' sprinkle it all around yore house an' bury some of it under de doorstep, an' den take some of it an' put it in a rag an' wear it round yore waist. Say dat'll kill it.
Entry 13271
(How do they use the sulphur?)
Take sulphur and a little lard and spread 'cross your door - doorstep every morning, and it'll harm you.
(I see. You mean, if somebody did that to my door or - something to harm me?)
Yes. [Richmond 375:3.]
Entry 13362
A man before going to work in the morning can sprinkle salt and pep- per around door and make a wish, or [and] can throw urine out the window. This he does to keep other men away: they won't have any nature for his wife or wo- man, she won't have any nature for them. [Richmond 349:1.]
Entry 13363
She wipes man off with dish rag, nails it under doorsill, and urin- ates on it. This is to hold him and to bring him back and keep him from other women. [If you walk over or under any part of your body or anything touched by your body, you are in the power of the person performing the rite.] [Rich- mond 302:12.]
Entry 13366
Take chamber lye an' assafedidee an' bury that with ten needles an' put that under their door- step.
(What is is supposed to do?)
That were supposed to make you do, whether you want to do or not. An' she kin go off an' have her fun with men, you see, an' then anytime you want to go out, you see, a big argument start.
Entry 13378
Get up before 6 o'clock, urinate in slop jar, put lye in it, mop floor, burns a lamp, then throw urine out door, make men come in, don't let woman cross [the door] first, "that crossing de luck." [Memphis 1559:1.]
Entry 13380
Urine kept at door keeps undesired persons away. [Washington, D. C., 813:6.]
Entry 13394
Urine, salt and pepper sprinkled at door or about the house, inside or out, protects the house against any evil. [Elizabeth City 406:6.]
Entry 13399
After person leaves the house, sweep urine and salt out the same door to make him drift away. [Washington, D. C. 813:10.]
Entry 13400
To draw trade, throw your urine out the door about midnight. [Wash- ington, D. C., 800:8.]
Entry 13457
Dis pullin' bone in a chicken, yo' take dat bone an' yo' do a lotta different things wit dis bone. Yo' take dis pullin' bone an' keep it in yore pocket an' it gives yo' good luck. Sometimes yo' git a job or yo' find money. An' yo' take dis pullin' bone again an' break it an' stick it through de do' at de first man dat come in. Dat'll be yore husband.
Entry 1770
Wit sticks - you write de name of de person you wanta keep away.
(Well, now would you take two sticks?)
Yes, you jes' make a cross like that [X-crosses the two sticks] and then you write the name of the party [demonstrates].
(Down one stick.)
Yes, and de name of it on de next.
(On the other stick.)
Yes, on de fo' pieces [radiating from the crossing of the two sticks] - coming to each other Teach name is written towards the crossing] and drive dem somewhere by de front door where dey gotta come in de door, and they may come to the front and won't bother coming in. They'll look around and pass on. [Each stick is driven on a slant into the ground so that touching they form the letter X.] (That is, if this man is going away and this particular man doesn't want them
[other men] near his wife while he's gone, that will keep them away.)
Keep them from coming in.
Entry 2012
(What is the name of that powder?)
Hotfoot.
(Hotfoot. What do they do with that?)
Yo' sprinkle it around on dere door, cashly [casually]. Well, den dey walk over dat. Well, you see, natch'ly you put it on dere doorstep. Well, dey'll either walk over it goin' in or going out, but they will be movin' when dey do; and whatever happens, why dat causes dem to move. (That makes them move out of the house. What is hotfoot powder? How do they make that?) Well, ah don't know jest exactly how it's made. Yo' more or less buy it from de place that they sells it - this trick stuff, jes' like John de Conker.
Entry 2488
You mean bootlegging business like that - like I used to be in on Drive Street. You'd take you some garlic. You'd take them garlic and you puts on a tub of water. You boil that garlic in that tub of water and when the water is hot you scrub your steps. Let everybody be absent but the one that's going to scrub the place and the one that's going to dress it. After everybody is out of there and this water is real hot, you scrub this place. When you scrub this place you put everybody out but the one that's going to dress it. Then you take you some beer, put you some sugar in that beer, put you some cinnamon in there, and put you some Lucky Heart drops. If you can't get that, you get this Heart Perfune, and you take that bottle and you go from the banquette [sidewalk in New Orleans], thataway, and just sprinkle it right up to this [front] door, and outside in the entry. Lock the door.
Entry 12331
Well, you goin', an' go an' git a piece of splinter from where a lightnin'-struck [tree] an' yo' take dat splinter to home an' put it up ovah de door or either under de rug, or some place like that, an' yo'll [man and woman living there will] separate. [Jacksonville 779:2.]
Entry 91
If your door opens and shuts, some of your [dead] relatives are passing through the house.
The source brackets dead as an editorial insertion; it remains separate from the unbracketed conditional belief.
Entry 872
Dat happened heah once. Dey said he was buried. Two preachers had a diff'rence ovah a church. An' one succeeded de other. Dis fellah dat lost had taken a pin - a wooden peg an' shahpened [sharpened] it, an' whut he did to it aside from dat I don't know; but he took an' he drove it three licks right under dis fellah's doorstep. An' de fellah had taken sick an' grad'lly pined away - kept pining, kept pining. (All you remember is that he just put this peg in the door. And then you say he went to some doctor?) Dis fellah went to a hoodoo doctor and explained it to him.
(What did this hoodoo doctor say to him?)
Tole him, 'Yo' go home an' look under de left-hand corner of yore doorstep, yo'll find a peg driven undah yore step." He say, "Yo's pinned down, say, ''but it's too late now - yo won't git ovah it, but," he say, "yo' take it up. He say, "De first man that comes to see you, after you're home, will be de fellah dat put it dere." Dat's whut chew call pinnin' down or bearin' [burying] jist de same.
The interviewer says door in a recap; the informant account specifies doorstep or step. These locations are kept distinct.
Entry 1670
Change doors and locks if spirit comes back. [Changing locks is rare.]
This is a printed editorial summary; its conditional wording and bracketed comment remain source statements.
Entry 2991
["Algiers, La., Feb. 21, 1940, Weds.- woman 50 - good - brought by Moses - paid" - Numbers Book 1558 to 1605. Moses, our contact man in Algiers, brings me a birthday present - the following woman. She, a pro- fessional worker, answers my unrecorded question with an extempo- raneous prayer, opening and closing with a triform petition.] St. Anthony, open dis do'. St. Anthony, please open de do'. An' dear St. Antho- ny, who lives in Jesus' love, open dis do'. St. Anthony, ah consecrate mahself to yo' an' use yo' as mah patron saint, an' ah ask yo' tuh keep mah do' open. Ah ask yo' tuh send me customers, St. Anthony, an' ah'll always use yo', through Our Lord givin' yo' de power an' strength tuh send me customers an' give yo' de lights on yore [altar]." St. Anthony open dis do' - St. Anthony open dis do' - St. Anthory open dis do'. An' yo' give lights tuh St. Raymond, he's fo' luck an' success. St. Raymond, yo' give him lights today. Git chew a red light. An' yo' use lights fo' him on Mondays an' on Thursdays an' positively everything red. An' they give yo' a prayer wit gittin' it [when you purchase the candle a prayer is included]; an' ah'll guarantee that vo'll have mo' luck then vo' want. In 24 days. But yo' must give him yore offerings. He's guaranteed 24 hours - 24 hours to a day. He gives yo' jes' whut chew want. He's first-class.
The prayer is presented as the informant’s response to an unrecorded question; the opening account of its production is editorial.
Entry 10981
Break a fresh egg against person's door to move. [Washington, D. C., 838:7.]
The source prints this as a short instruction. Its opening notes assign unbracketed text to informants; a verbatim recording is not established.
Entry 12334
Take dat splinter an' nail it at de person's do' an' dat'll run 'em away, de splinter from de lightnin'-strike tree. Dey'll nail it at de feet of yore steps an' make yo' move. [Sumter 2447:22.]
Entry 12626
[If someone] fixes de house, all you do is put some red peppah in de ground and then left it.
(Where would you put this red pepper?)
In de ground right to de door. Dat scatter dem from dere.
(That makes them move.)
Entry 12642
Bury 3 pods of red pepper, one at front door and one at each front side of house; then put a pod of red pepper in each 4 corners of the house in- side. [7 pods are buried.] Keeps law away. [Washington, D. C. 828:7.]
The source presents this as a short instruction. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 12918
If yo' had a sweetheart an' wanted tuh be in love, yo' could have dealin's with chure husban' an' yo' kin put dat in a bottle an' yo' kin put dat up ovah de top of yore do' an' he'll always be crazy 'bout chew.
(Your husband will?)
Yessuh. [Surely the lover!]
The husband/lover referent remains unsettled; the editorial comment is separate from the interviewer question and informant answer.
Entry 13163
A man can keep a woman home by tying 2 knots in one over her stocking an' slip it up over the joist over where she go out the door. [New Orleans 1366:8.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13187
Husband's left sock under door, he won't leave. [Wilmington 236:6 +85.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13189
She keeps husband's dirty socks under door to keep him home. [Wil- mington, 72:7+85.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13192
Well, shore, dey kin take your socks and put - bury yore socks under- neath the door of the house, or right where you live at, and every time you walk over that, that will keep you be aching - nervous all de time. [Charleston 653:10.]
Entry 10297
Let a woman use a piece of her underclothes to wipe man and then bury it under the doorstep or lay it over front door [Wilmington, 185:7].
This is a short printed account; a verbatim transcript is not established.
Entry 10480
If they see a strainer [or sifter] at the foot of the door, a witch has to go through each hole before entering the house. By this time the night will have passed away.
The short statement follows the book’s stated textual-role convention; its recording notation does not establish verbatim wording.
Entry 10332
Measure the man and tack the measure at the foot of the door [Freder- icksburg, by Ediphone].
The printed instruction locates the measure at the foot of a door. The Ediphone reference is provenance notation; no recording or completed action is established here.
Entry 10436
Horseshoe over door keeps spirits away [Mobile, Ala., 863: ll].
The account places a horseshoe over a door and claims it keeps spirits away. It establishes no particular door, observed placement or protective effect.
Entry 10437
Horseshoe over door "keeps peace in your house" [Vicksburg, Miss., (732), 1002:8].
The account places a horseshoe over a door and says it keeps peace in the house. No specific door, household event or resulting peace is established.
Entry 10438
Horseshoe over door, points up, keeps hags away [Mobile, 865:4].
This account places a horseshoe over a door with its points up and claims it keeps hags away. No actual placement or protective result is established.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- Burned on Floor at Main Door — Volume 1, entries 2862. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → SHRINES: ALTARS - CANDLES - SAINTS; NEW ORLEANS AREA → (2) CANDLES.
- DOOR - BEDCLOTH OVER — Volume 3, entries 3166. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → MISCELLANEOUS.
- ROLL UP - NEW HOMESPUN - OVER DOOR OR DARK PLACE — Volume 3, entries 3254. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → MISCELLANEOUS.
- DOOR OR DOORSTEPS - DOWN UNDER — Volume 3, entries 3358. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → DISHRAG.
- DOOR - UP OVER THE — Volume 3, entries 3354. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → DISHRAG.
- KNOT 1 - TIED IN UNDERSKIRT STRING USED TO MEASURE MAN; PULL STRING THROUGH DISHRAG 3 TIMES; BALL UP - THROW BEHIND DOOR OR HANG OVER — Volume 3, entries 3378. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → DISHRAG.
- 9 DAYS - HE KEEPS DISHRAG AND MONTHLY CLOTH OVER BACK DOOR; EACH MORNING BEFORE SPEAKING - HE COUNTS 26 - ON 9TH DAY; THROWS TIED CLOTHS OVER LEFT SHOULDER - NOT LOOKING BACK — Volume 3, entries 3390. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → DISHRAG.
- 9 TIMES - WIPE TO YOU - BURY UNDER DOOR — Volume 3, entries 3393. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → DISHRAG.
- BOTTLE - MEASURING STRING TIED ABOUT - OVER DOOR — Volume 3, entries 3481. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → KNOTS AND TYING → KNOTS ONE.
- TREE - NEW HANDKERCHIEF TIED ABOUT GREEN; OR KNOTTED AND PUT OVER DOOR — Volume 3, entries 3503. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → KNOTS AND TYING → KNOTS ONE.
- DISHRAG HIDDEN OVER DOOR BY HER; MAN WASHES DISHRAG IN MILK 9 MORNINGS; BATHES WITH THIS MILK AND THROWS TO SUNRISE — Volume 3, entries 3751. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CURES FOR SEXUAL IMPOTENCE.
- BEDCLOTH WATER - IN BOTTLE WITH SUGAR - OVER DOOR; CALL HIS NAME 3 TIMES - SHAKE BOTTLE — Volume 3, entries 3854. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → BLOOD → "HER PRIVATE TIME".
- (3) NIGHT-WATER ON DOOR AND FACE; IN SHOE WITH SALT - PROTECTS — Volume 3, entries 3987. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- CROSS MADE BEFORE SUNRISE - FRONT OF PERSON'S DOOR; WITH - BLACK PEPPER - RED PEPPER - SALT - STALE URINE — Volume 3, entries 4043. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- DOOR AND DOORSTEP - URINE — Volume 3, entries 4045. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- DOOR - LOWE'S PIECE OVER; KEPT WET WITH URINE — Volume 3, entries 4057. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- DOOR - URINE OVER — Volume 3, entries 4055. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- MILK OF BLACK COW WITH CALF; 2 TEASPOONFULS IN BOTTLE OF URINE; IN TRUNK OR OVER DOOR OR; URINE IN BOTTLE - SUGAR - UPSIDE DOWN — Volume 3, entries 4174. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- 9 DAYS OLD URINE - RED DEVIL LYE - RED PEPPER - BEFORE 6 A. M.; SPRINKLED AT DOOR - AGAINST RENT MAN AND OTHERS — Volume 3, entries 4210. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- SUNRISE, BEFORE - URINE AT OUTSIDE DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4286. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- (8) HIS CLOTHES - URINE - BURIED AT CENTER OF DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4304. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- STRAIN BATH WATER - PUT UP OVER DOOR; 9 DAYS - KEEP DIRT FROM DRIED BATH WATER — Volume 3, entries 4491. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → BATH WATER.
- CIRCUMAMBULATE HOUSE 9 TIMES WITH SWEATBAND BOW; ENTER BACK DOOR - WALK THROUGH HOUSE TO FRONT DOOR; HIDE BOW OVER FRONT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4555. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → HAT - SWEATBAND - BOW → BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT.
- DOOR - PIECE OF CLOTHES AT — Volume 3, entries 4741. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- DOOR - BURY UNDER: CLOTHES - EGG - SALT — Volume 3, entries 4747. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- (2) PIECE OF CLOTHES LEFT BY THIEF - NAIL WITH 3 TACKS AT; DOOR AND POINTING INTO HOUSE - 3 HIGHEST NAMES — Volume 3, entries 4828. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → CLOTHES EXCLUDING HAT, SOCKS AND STOCKINGS, AND SHOES.
- ANVIL DUST - CLOVES - SUGAR - FOOT SCRAPINGS - SOCK - AT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4879. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- BACKWARDS - WEAR SOCKS OR STOCKINGS WHEN MEETING; BILL COLLECTOR OR RENTMAN AT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4883. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- CROSS 2 SOCKS UNDER RUG AT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4895. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- DOOR AND DOORSTEP RITES — Volume 3, entries 4898. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- DOOR - SOCK BURIED; TOE POINTED TO — Volume 3, entries 4905. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- DOOR - TACK SOCK UNDER BACK — Volume 3, entries 4909. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- DOOR - CENTER OF - BURY STOCKING AT — Volume 3, entries 4910. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- DOOR - OLD SOCK AND SALT - BURY UNDER — Volume 3, entries 4915. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- FOLD HIS DIRTY SOCKS BACK INTO HOUSE UNDER CARPET AT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4923. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- LEFT SOCK COMING IN FRONT DOOR; RIGHT SOCK GOING OUT BACK DOOR; EARLY MORNING LIFT UP RUG - URINE ON SOCK; CALL HIS NAME - TALK TO THE LORD — Volume 3, entries 4968. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- NAIL SOCK AT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4980. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- NAME 9 TIMES - IN BOTH STOCKINGS - BURY AT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 4988. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- TACKS 9 - DRIVEN INTO WOMAN'S SPREAD-OUT STOCKING ON FLOOR; AT FRONT DOOR - TOE POINTED TOWARD BED — Volume 3, entries 5032. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- TACKS 9 - INTO HIS SOCK ON FLOOR UNDER COVERING AT DOOR; TOES POINTING INTO HOUSE; SHE SCRUBS WITH HIS BATHWATER - FROM FRONT TO BACK DOOR — Volume 3, entries 5033. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- WASHED-SOCK WATER OVER DOOR — Volume 3, entries 5067. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- ASHES FROM LEFT-SHOE SOLE BURNED ON FLOOR OF; BUSINESS PLACE - SWEEP BEHIND DOOR - NEVER OUT — Volume 3, entries 5094. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- ASHES FROM SHOE AND SULPHUR - SPRINKLE AT BOTH DOORSTEPS; AFTER VICTIM GOES IN AND OUT OVER - COLLECT ASHES - BURN; AGAIN - SPRINKLE WHISKEY - AFTER PERSON WALKS OVER AGAIN; COLLECT THIRD TIME - LEAVE AT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 5099. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- HOUSE - SHOE THROWN OVER - BROUGHT IN FRONT DOOR — Volume 3, entries 5151. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- HOUSE - SHOE THROWN OVER - FRONT DOOR TO BACK; 3 TIMES EACH MORNING - 7 DAYS — Volume 3, entries 5152. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- UPSIDE DOWN - AT FRONT DOOR - TOES POINTING IN; MAN SETS DEPARTED WOMAN'S SHOES; AFTER RUBBING IN THEM HIS RIGHT HAND UNTIL HOT — Volume 4, entries 5281. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- DOOR - FOOT TRACK OVER — Volume 4, entries 5385. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- GRAVEYARD DIRT - TRACK - SALT - RED POD PEPPER; AT DOOR - AFTER VICTIM STEPS IN - BURY IN GRAVEYARD — Volume 4, entries 5455. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- MEASURE WITH STRING - HEEL TO TOE - WRAP ABOUT NAIL; DRIVE DOWN IN FRONT OF DOOR - READ PSALM 90 — Volume 4, entries 5534. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- 9 MORNINGS - BEFORE SUNRISE - SAY, "LORD, AH WANT JOHN; TO COME BACK ETC." - 9TH MORNING THROW HIS TRACK OUT DOOR — Volume 4, entries 5599. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- 9 MORNINGS - WALK OVER DIRT FROM HER TRACK; NAMED - FOLDED TO YOU IN YOUR HANDKERCHIEF; BURIED AT YOUR DOOR - DIG UP; WEAR IN YOUR BELT - SHE'LL BE THERE 9TH DAY — Volume 4, entries 5598. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SOCK, IN LEFT - BURY AT DOOR LEFT TRACK TOE TO HEEL — Volume 4, entries 5651. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- STICKS OF PINE 2; REPRESENTING MAN AND WOMAN; 1 NEW CLOTH - WITH LEFT TRACK; OVER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 5658. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SWEEP BEHIND UNWANTED GUEST - BUT FIRST; CLOSE DOOR AND OPEN IT BEFORE OUT OF SIGHT — Volume 4, entries 5669. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SWEEP: TRACK PICKED UP TOE TO HEEL WHILE WALKING; AT FRONT DOOR WALK BACKWARDS 3 STEPS - THROW OVER; LEFT SHOULDER - SULPHUR OVER RIGHT SHOULDER - SWEEP; TRACK OUTSIDE OF YARD - OWNER WILL MOVE IN 3 DAYS — Volume 4, entries 5676. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- NEEDLES 9 - RED FLANNEL - BOTTLE - OVER DOOR - 9 MORNINGS — Volume 4, entries 6016. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → HAIR.
- DOOR AND DOORSTEP — Volume 4, entries 6394. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- NEW CLOTH SEW FINGERNAILS INTO; STICK NEEDLE THROUGH - KEEP OVER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 6472. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- BURN - 2 PACKAGES IN RED FLANNEL - HOLDING; 6 ADAM-AND-EVE - DEVIL'S SHOESTRINGS; RUNNING HUCKLEBERRY - 4 RUSTY NAILS; FOUND BURIED UNDER DOOR AND BED — Volume 4, entries 6713. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → CURES FOR AND PROTECTION AGAINST AILMENT AND DISEASE.
- (2) CLOTHES OVER FACE - BACK OUT DOOR; REPEATING INCANTATION 9 TIMES — Volume 4, entries 7078. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → TO KEEP PERSON ASLEEP.
- (39) TOE POINTS TO DOOR - RIGHT SHOE UPSIDE DOWN — Volume 4, entries 7157. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → TO KEEP PERSON ASLEEP.
- HOODOO KEPT AWAY - GRAPEVINE CROSS OVER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 7223. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → A FEW MORE DOCTORS.
- FOOTBOARD OR PIECE OF WOOD FROM GRAVEYARD; THROWN IN FRONT OF PERSON'S DOOR — Volume 4, entries 7695. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD.
- ASAFETIDA - GIN - GRAVEYARD DIRT - AT DOOR — Volume 4, entries 7728. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD.
- DOOR - GRAVEYARD DIRT AT — Volume 4, entries 7746. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- JOHN DE CONKAH - JOCKEY CLUB - PEPPER - GRAVEYARD DIRT; MIX - PUT IN HER FOOT TRACK AND AT HER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 7814. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- NORTH CORNER OF HOUSE - HIDE IN - MIXTURE OF RED PEPPER; AND GRAVEYARD DIRT - TO SEND PERSON - FACE NORTH WALL; WALK BACKWARDS TO CENTER OF DOOR - HERE FACE ABOUT AND; CONTINUE WALKING - BUT BRING - DO NOT WALK BACKWARDS — Volume 4, entries 7849. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- SALT - SULPHUR - CHIMNEY SOOT - GRAVEYARD DIRT; SPRINKLE 9 NIGHTS PASSING VICTIM'S DOOR — Volume 4, entries 7887. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- BOARD - CUT OUTLINE OF COFFIN; (1) UNDER HOUSE OR DOOR — Volume 4, entries 7929. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → COFFIN - DOLL BABY - BURIAL - BONES → COFFIN REAL OR MOCK.
- (7) TO CALL SPIRIT OF PERSON WHO HAS LEFT; DRAW PERSON'S PICTURE AT MIDNIGHT; GO INTO DARK ROOM - PUT SHEET OVER HEAD; LEAVE EYES OUT TO SEE - WHISKEY IN GLASS; CALL PERSON'S NAME 3 TIMES - WITH NEEDLE; IN LEFT HAND PUNCH 9 HOLES INTO PICTURE; BLOW ON PICTURE - LIGHT LAMP - WATCH MATCH; HOW IT BENDS - TO YOU OR AWAY FROM YOU; WHETHER PERSON IS RETURNING OR STAYING AWAY; LAY DISHRAG OVER DOOR - CALL PERSON'S NAME — Volume 4, entries 8474. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → PHOTOGRAPH.
- FOLD HIS NAME TO YOU 9 TIMES - PUT OVER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 8561. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (5) 9 TIMES CALL LANDLORD'S NAME; 9 TIMES WRITE - PUT OVER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 8617. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (24) RUB MAN'S LEFT-SHOE SOLE UNTIL HOT; CALL HIS NAME 9 TIMES - 9 TIMES WRITE; WITH INDELIBLE PENCIL - PUT IN LEMON; SEW UP WITH BLACK THREAD - BURY AT; DOOR - EACH TIME HE GOES OUT - RUB; THE SHOE AND CALL HIS NAME 9 TIMES — Volume 4, entries 8646. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- NAIL: DRIVE OVER DOOR THROUGH WHICH HE LEFT; LOOK AT NAIL EACH NIGHT FOR 9 NIGHTS; CALL HIS NAME 9 TIMES EACH NIGHT SAYING; "COME BACK, AH WANT CHOO TUH COME BACK" — Volume 4, entries 8664. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- NEEDLES 9 - PINS 9 - TACKS 9 - SUGAR LUMPS 9; TACKS NEW AND PERHAPS NEEDLES AND PINS; SPOONFUL OF HONEY - HALF SPOONFUL OF DRAWING; POWDER - TEASPOONFUL JOHN DE CONKAH POWDER; NAME OF PERSON WANTED ON PAPER - ALL IN BOTTLE; 9 DAYS - KNOCK ON OWN DOOR 3 TIMES TO BRING HIM — Volume 4, entries 8672. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- 9 TIMES - NAME WRITTEN; BURIED UNDER DOOR WITH RED PEPPER; TO MAKE MOVE — Volume 4, entries 8673. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- SHINGLE - NEW - NAME ON - TURN IT OVER; BURY AT YOUR DOOR - THIEF WILL RETURN THEFT — Volume 4, entries 8708. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (6) 3 TIMES HIT NAIL INTO FRONT DOOR; CALLING NAME OF ABSENT SON 3 TIMES — Volume 4, entries 8736. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (13) USE NAIL OR PENCIL TO WRITE HIS NAME ON; TIN OR LEAD - IN 3 HOLY NAMES TACK ON; DOOR - WITHIN 9-21 DAYS MAN WILL COME HOME — Volume 4, entries 8758. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (15) KEEP OVER DOOR NEW TIN PAN - BEHIND IT; JOHN DE CONKAH - SAYING [TO LAW] AH WAN; CHOO IN PAHTIKLAH TO STAY AWAY FROM ME — Volume 4, entries 8760. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- TRIANGLE: WOMAN WRITES MAN'S NAME ON ONE PIECE; OF PAPER - HERS ON ANOTHER - SHE LAYS HER PAPER; OR NAME ON TOP OF HIS - FOLDS THESE PAPERS AS; ONE TO HER - TO BRING HIM TO HER OR TO HOLD HIM; FOLDS 3 DIFFERENT WAYS MAKING A TRIANGLE - WITH; HIS NAME POINTING TO HOUSE - TO GET RID OF HIM; POINT NAME LEAVING - KEEP TRIANGLE ABOVE DOOR — Volume 4, entries 8768. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- WAR WATER: NEW AND SPRINKLE AT DOOR; CAUSES CONFUSION BETWEEN PERSONS THERE — Volume 4, entries 8775. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- FORK AT GATE OR DOOR - WISH - KEEPS THIEF AWAY; ALSO PREVENTS BOTHERING YOU - TALKING ABOUT YOU — Volume 4, entries 8914. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THEFT.
- WAGON WHEEL RITES; (1) REMOVE WHEEL - ON AXLE LAY 2 PIECES OF; WOOD FROM TOP OF DOOR THIEF USED - ONE; OUTSIDE OTHER INSIDE - RESTORE WHEEL; TURN IT BACKWARDS - CALL THIEF 3 TIMES; THIEF! TURN YOUR WAYS BACKWARDS; WALK AWAY - 30 MINUTES YOU'LL SEE SOMEONE — Volume 4, entries 8940. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THEFT.
- (4) HAVING REMOVED WAGON WHEEL - PUT ON AXLE; CHIPS FROM DOOR USED BY THIEF - AS FAST AS; YOU CAN - SPIN WHEEL BACKWARDS - CALLING; IN 3 HIGHEST NAMES - SAYING - BRING BACK; WHUT CHEW DONE TOOK - GOODS BACK IN 9 DAYS — Volume 4, entries 8943. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THEFT.
- (5) LEFT-HAND REAR WHEEL TAKE OFF WAGON; LAY ON AXLE WOOD FROM DOOR USED BY THIEF; REPLACE WHEEL - SPIN IT FORWARDS 3 TIMES; THEN BACKWARDS - SAYING THIEF RETURN; YOU WILL RECOVER GOODS WITHIN 7 DAYS — Volume 4, entries 8944. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THEFT.
- CAT - BLACK; NAILED OVER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9005. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → COURT CASES.
- NAME OF JUDGE - WRITE AND TACK OVER HIS DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9105. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → COURT CASES.
- SPICE - BLACK PEPPER - CAYENNE PEPPER - CINNAMON; CLOVES - SUGAR - MIX ALL TOGETHER - TO COURTROOM; THAT MORNING - SPRINKLE AT JUDGE'S BENCH - WITNESS; STAND - START SPRINKLING OUT COURT DOOR UNTIL; 2 BLOCKS [SQUARES] AWAY - NEVER WILL A WITNESS; APPEAR AGAINST YOU - THE JUDGE WILL STOP TRIAL — Volume 4, entries 9152. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → COURT CASES.
- BLACK CLOTH WRAPPED ABOUT BLACK HEN'S EGG; THAT HITS AND BREAKS AGAINST DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9187. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- CROSS MARK OR "X" ON CHICKEN EGG; BURY AT VICTIM'S DOOR - AFTER HE WALKS; OVER IT 9 DAYS - HE WILL LEAVE — Volume 4, entries 9199. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- CURSE - THROW ROTTEN EGG AGAINST DOOR; WALK AWAY NOT LOOKING BACK; DOCTOR'S REMEDY TO RECOVER LOST JOB — Volume 4, entries 9208. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- BLACK HEN'S EGG SPLATTERED AGAINST DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9213. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- DOOR - BURSTING CHICKEN EGG AGAINST; SEPARATES MAN AND WOMAN WITHIN — Volume 4, entries 9214. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- SMASH EGG AGAINST DOOR TO MOVE — Volume 4, entries 9212. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- WRITE MAN'S NAME ON BLACK HEN'S EGG; THROW IT AGAINST A WOMAN'S DOOR; KEEP HIM FROM VISITING HER — Volume 4, entries 9215. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 9 AT NIGHT - TUH RUN 'EM AWAY; BREAK BLACK HEN'S EGG AGAINST DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9217. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- HIT CENTER OF DOOR WITH BLACK-HEN EGG - QUINCUNX — Volume 4, entries 9216. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- MOVE A FAMILY BY THROWING BLACK HEN'S EGG; AGAINST DOOR AT MIDNIGHT - DON'T LOOK BACK — Volume 4, entries 9220. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- CALL PERSON'S NAME; BLACK HEN'S EGG AGAINST DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9224. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- DOOR BREAK EGG AGAINST - AS PERSON LEAVES — Volume 4, entries 9228. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- SAY "STAY AWAY" - THROW BLACK HEN'S EGG ON DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9227. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- TELL BLACK HEN EGG WHAT TO DO; TO KEEP YOUR MAN FROM OTHER WOMAN'S HOUSE; BREAK BLACK-HEN EGG AGAINST HER DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9226. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- ENDS: BIG AND LITTLE - OF BLACK HEN EGG - WRITE; ENEMY'S NAME ON - BURY AT DOOR - LITTLE END OUT; TO DRIVE HIM FROM TOWN OR AROUND YOU; OR THROW THE EGG AGAINST THE DOORKNOB; OF HIS HOUSE TO CAUSE CONFUSION WITHIN — Volume 4, entries 9236. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- FRIDAY - BLACK HEN EGG LAID ON; PUT IN NEW TEACUP WITHOUT HANDLE; WRITE ON EGG VICTIM'S NAME 7 OR 9 TIMES; COVER EGG WITH COFFEE GROUNDS - LET SET 3 DAYS; AT MIDNIGHT BREAK EGG AGAINST VICTIM'S DOOR; SAYING, "GO! YOU SON-OF-A-BITCH" — Volume 4, entries 9253. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- FRIDAY-LAID BLACK HEN EGG - ON FRIDAY WRITE; PERSON'S NAME LENGTHWISE AND CROSSWISE; ON IT - MAKING A CROSS - THROW AGAINST DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9251. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- WRITE ALL OVER IT - IN COFFEE GROUNDS 3 DAYS; THROW AGAINST DOOR - TELLING PERSON TO GO — Volume 4, entries 9252. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- FRIZZLY-HEN EGG - WRITE PERSON'S NAME ON; BREAK ON HIS DOOR MAKES CONFUSION WITHIN — Volume 4, entries 9256. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- GRAVEYARD DIRT AND CHICKEN EGG; (1) BLACK HEN EGG AGAINST DOOR; GRAVEYARD DIRT ON PORCH — Volume 4, entries 9258. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- (10) ROTTEN EGG ON DOOR - GRAVEYARD DIRT; DROP FROM DOOR TO GATE — Volume 4, entries 9267. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- INITIALS ON EGG - IN HOMESPUN - BURY GATE OR DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9299. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 9 DAYS - VICTIM WILL DIE IN - IF YOU BREAK A; FRESH EGG ON HIS DOOR - MAKING OATH FOR DEATH — Volume 4, entries 9313. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- NAMES HERS AND HIS: WRITE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU; CAN ON EGG - AT MIDNIGHT MASH EGG ON THEIR DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9310. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 9 TIMES - NAME ON FRESH EGG; BREAK IT AGAINST HIS DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9314. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 9 TIMES - POLICEMAN'S NAME ON EGG; BURY AT DOOR AND HE WILL NOT ENTER — Volume 4, entries 9317. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 9 BLACK HEN EGGS - WRITE VICTIM'S NAME ON ALL; BEFORE SUNRISE EACH DAY BREAK ONE ON HIS DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9328. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- PEPPER - BLACK AND RED - FRESH YARD EGG; THROW AGAINST GATE OR DOOR OR INTO YARD; TO MOVE BACK INTO THE HOUSE FROM WHICH; YOU WERE EVICTED BY LIES TOLD ABOUT YOU — Volume 4, entries 9338. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- ROTTEN EGG - AGAINST DOOR - TO MOVE OR SEPARATE — Volume 4, entries 9350. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- ROTTEN EGG - AGAINST DOOR - BEFORE DAYBREAK — Volume 4, entries 9353. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- ROTTEN EGGS 9: MAKE HOLE IN EACH - INSERT CAYENNE; PEPPER - SHAKE - EACH MORNING FOR 9 DAYS - THROW; AGAINST PERSON'S DOOR - ALSO EACH MORNING THROW; CAYENNE PEPPER AND SALT WHERE PERSON WILL WALK; ALL THESE THINGS ARE DONE TO MOVE THIS PERSON — Volume 4, entries 9362. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- SULPHUR - ON BLACK HEN EGG - BURST ON DOOR; SAYING INCANTATION INCLUDING 3 HIGHEST NAMES — Volume 4, entries 9375. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 3 EGGS BROKEN AT DOOR - 1 ON CONSECUTIVE MORNINGS; WILL DRIVE A PERSON FROM HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS — Volume 4, entries 9383. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 3 EGGS - BURST ONE EACH AT FRONT DOOR - BACK DOOR; GATE - TO BREAK UP MAN AND WOMAN 'LAYIN' UP' — Volume 4, entries 9385. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 3 EGGS FROM BLACK OR RED HEN EACH MIDNIGHT OR; 4 O'CLOCK IN MORNING - BREAK 1 ON DOOR TO MOVE — Volume 4, entries 9384. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 3 LETTERS OF VICTIM'S NAME - EVERY THIRD LETTER; WRITE ON EGG - AGAINST DOOR AT NIGHT TO MOVE — Volume 4, entries 9386. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 3 EGGS EACH MORNING FOR 9 DAYS - 27 EGGS; THROWN AGAINST PERSON'S DOOR TO MOVE HIM — Volume 4, entries 9405. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 2 EGGS - HUSBAND'S NAME ON ONE - GIRL FRIEND'S; ON OTHER - MASH THOSE 2 EGGS TOGETHER - HOLDING; THEM OVER RIVER - "AH BUS' YO'ALL UP IN DE NAME; OF DE LORD" - TAKE SHELL HOME - PARCH TO POWDER; SPRINKLE ABOUT HOUSE AND BED AND DOOR - SEPARATED — Volume 4, entries 9416. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- URINATE ON BLACK HEN EGG 9 MORNINGS - THROW IT; AGAINST RIVAL'S DOOR TO SEPARATE HER AND YOUR MAN — Volume 4, entries 9420. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- URINATE ON BLACK HEN EGG IN CUP - 9 MORNINGS; 9TH MORNING THROW CUP AND EGG AGAINST DOOR — Volume 4, entries 9423. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- KITCHEN DOOR - STANDING AT LOOKING OUTSIDE - WALK; BACKWARDS INSIDE SPRINKLING SALT FOR CUSTOMERS — Volume 5, entries 9465. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- NO PEACE AT ALL - IF SALT PUT AT YOUR DOOR — Volume 5, entries 9475. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- SALT IN CAN OVER DOOR - "IN NAME OF DE LORD"; TO KEEP HOUSEHOLD PEACEFUL — Volume 5, entries 9474. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- YOUR SALT ON PERSON'S DOOR UPSETS PEACE WITHIN — Volume 5, entries 9476. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 3 MORNINGS BEFORE 6 SPRINKLE SALT AT DOOR AND WISH — Volume 5, entries 9479. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 3 MORNINGS BEFORE 6 SPRINKLE SALT AT DOOR TO MOVE — Volume 5, entries 9478. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- IF MAN LEAVES - WOMAN WALKS OUT SAME DOOR; 9 MORNINGS - THROWS SALT 3 TIMES OVER EACH; SHOULDER TOWARDS HOUSE - EXPECT HIM IN 9 DAYS — Volume 5, entries 9503. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- TO MOVE PEOPLE SPRINKLE SALT AND NAME IT THEM; AT BACK DOOR - THROUGH HOUSE - OUT FRONT DOOR — Volume 5, entries 9502. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 9 MORNINGS - SALT AT DOOR TO MOVE PERSON — Volume 5, entries 9515. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- SALT AT DOOR BEFORE SUNRISE - NO ONE CAN ENTER GATE — Volume 5, entries 9511. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 9 MORNINGS - NEW SALT AT DOOR FOR FRIENDS — Volume 5, entries 9516. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- SPRINKLE SALT FROM WHERE VISITOR SAT TO OUTDOORS; SWEEP SALT OUT DOOR CALLING NAME AND SAYING 'GO! — Volume 5, entries 9536. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- DOOR - SALT AND RED PEPPER AT - CROSSING SPELL — Volume 5, entries 9551. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 3 TRENCHES DUG AT RIGHT ANGLES TO DOOR; 3 PILES OF SALT AND PEPPER COVERED IN — Volume 5, entries 9557. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- BEFORE SUNRISE - SALT AND RED PEPPER AT DOOR — Volume 5, entries 9555. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- INSIDE AND OUTSIDE DOOR; SALT AND PEPPER - INCANTATION — Volume 5, entries 9556. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- INCANTATION AT DOOR WITHOUT SWEEPING — Volume 5, entries 9564. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- SWEEP FOOT TRACKS OUT THE DOOR; SALT AND RED PEPPER ON THEM — Volume 5, entries 9561. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- DOORSTEP - SALT AND RED PEPPER UNDER; ALSO SWEPT OUT THE DOOR — Volume 5, entries 9570. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 9 MORNINGS SWEEP SALT AND RED PEPPER OUT FRONT DOOR — Volume 5, entries 9578. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- SALT - RED PEPPER - BLACK PEPPER - AT DOOR — Volume 5, entries 9589. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- SALT - PEPPER - URINE; EVERY MORNING BEFORE SUNRISE; THROW IT AT DOOR FOR LUCK; ALL SWEEPINGS BURN IN STOVE; FOR LUCK AND KEEP LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 9640. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- PERSIMMON BARK - BOIL WITH 9 TABLESPOONFULS OF SALT; SPRINKLE AT NIGHT - BACK OUT DOOR - KILLS TRICKS — Volume 5, entries 9678. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 2 NAILS CROSSING AT DOOR CROSS UP HOUSE — Volume 5, entries 9724. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 2 TWENTYPENNY NAILS DRESSED NIGHT AND MORNING; WITH A HIGH JOHN DE CONKAH PREPARATION - DRIVE; ONE IN EACH SIDE OF DOOR TO KEEP LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 9722. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- LAY 3 [OR 4] NAILS ACROSS EACH OTHER SO THAT EACH; HALF FORMS SPOKE OF WHEEL - WRAP TOGETHER WHERE; NAILS BISECT - AT VICTIM'S HOME THROW EAST OUT; BACK DOOR - RIMLESS WHEEL SEPARATES MAN AND WOMAN — Volume 5, entries 9725. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NAILS: 5 AT FRONT DOOR - 4 AT FIREPLACE; INCANTATION: AH WANA STAY ETC. - CALMS RENTMAN — Volume 5, entries 9742. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 BIG NAILS BURIED AT FRONT DOOR KEEPS LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 9750. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NAILS BURIED POINTS UP WISHING AT DOOR - MOVES; DRIVEN DOWN INTO DOORSTEP OR GROUND - CONTROLS — Volume 5, entries 9759. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- SHE DRIVES 9 NAILS INTO GROUND AT HER DOOR; NEXT MORNING POURS SOME OF HER URINE ON; AFTER MAN CROSSES IT THEY GET ALONG TOGETHER — Volume 5, entries 9760. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 5 CENTS WORTH OF NEW NAILS - USE FOR NOTHING ELSE; DRIVE INTO DOOR FACING [SADDLE] FOR LUCK — Volume 5, entries 9770. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- NEEDLE - 1 OR 2 AT DOOR - DRIVES YUH OVAHBO'D — Volume 5, entries 9774. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- NEW NEEDLE POINTING OUTSIDE; OVER DOOR - SENDS AWAY — Volume 5, entries 9773. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- NEEDLE BREAK - THREAD HEAD PORTION; LAY OVER DOOR - IF SUITABLE MAN PASSES; UNDER - STICK BROKEN POINT UNDER HIS CHAIR; NEEDLE EYE FOR HUSBAND - POINT FOR HUSTLER — Volume 5, entries 9775. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- CROSS 3 PINS LIKE 6 SPOKES OF WHEEL - OVER DOOR; UNDER WHICH VICTIM WALKS - KILLED IN 3 MONTHS — Volume 5, entries 9796. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 4 NEEDLES - BURN THEM - CROSS 2 OVER FRONT DOOR; CROSS 2 OVER BACK DOOR - KEEPS LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 9800. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NEEDLES CROSSED IN DOOR MAKES PERSON MOVE — Volume 5, entries 9817. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- THREAD 9 NEEDLES - OVER DOOR - BRINGS LOVER — Volume 5, entries 9815. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- TIE 9 NEEDLES TOGETHER - GREASE WITH AXLE GREASE; BURY IN FRONT OF DOOR - OR DIVIDE INTO 3 GROUPS; TIED - BEFORE DOOR - HIT EITHER ONCE DAILY 9 DAYS; DAT'S TUH DRIVE A PERSON AWAY... JES' DIE; NAILS COULD BE SUBSTITUTED FOR NEEDLES — Volume 5, entries 9821. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NEEDLES OR 9 NAILS BURIED POINTS UPWARD AT DOOR; MAGICALLY CAUSE PAINS IN FEET PASSING OVER THEM — Volume 5, entries 9823. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- IN SOCK PUT SUGAR AND CINNAMON - FOLD - STICK; INTO FOLDED SOCK 9 NEEDLES AND 9 PINS - NAIL; FOLDED SOCK DOWN AT FRONT DOOR WITH 3 TACKS; OR TAKE UP BRICK FROM HEARTH - LAY SOCK IN; RESTORE BRICK - THIS WILL HOLD OWNER OF SOCK — Volume 5, entries 9842. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NEEDLES - SALT - SULPHUR - UNDER DOORSTEP; AFTER VICTIM WALKS OVER 9 DAYS - IT WILL START; TO BURN - FEELS LIKE PINS AND NEEDLES UP AND DOWN; LEGS - DAT'LL BE CUNJURATION WORKIN' - TO BRING; MAN BACK - LAY 9 NEW PINS OVER DOOR - EVERY; MORNING BEFORE SUNRISE GO TO THE DOOR - SAY; IN THE 3 HOLY NAMES "AH WANT MAH HUSBAND... BACK" — Volume 5, entries 9845. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 18 PINS TACK ACROSS FRONT DOOR WITH TINY HAMMER; IN BACK DOOR 7 PINS ACROSS - TO KEEP OUT LAW — Volume 5, entries 9852. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 2 NEW PACKAGES OF NEEDLES - ONE NEW PINCUSHION; FILL PINCUSHION WITH NEEDLES - HANG OVER DOOR; IF YOU ARE RUNNING A BAD-HOUSE - POLICE WILL NOT; ARREST YOU - IF THEY DO - SOMEONE WILL FREE YOU — Volume 5, entries 9853. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- WITH BLACK SILK THREAD TIE FROG TO LIGHTWOOD; SPLINTER FROM TREE STRUCK BY LIGHTNING - BURY; ALIVE AT DOOR OF GIRL YOU WANT TO LOVE OR MARRY — Volume 5, entries 9860. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → FROG AND TOADFROG.
- CATCH A LIVE FROG - PAY HIM TO DO YOUR WORK BY; MAKING HIM SWALLOW A SILVER DIME - PUT A STAKE; THROUGH HIS HEAD AND TWO THROUGH HIS BACK FEET; HANG BEHIND DOOR - THROW TOWARDS WORK TO BE DONE — Volume 5, entries 9876. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → FROG AND TOADFROG.
- KILL BLACK CAT BEFORE BOILING; LUCKY BONE STAYS ON TOP - OPENS ANY DOOR — Volume 5, entries 10023. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN.
- AGAINST EVIL THINGS AT NIGHT - BURN CANDLES; ALL NIGHT - ONE AT BACK DOOR - ONE AT FRONT — Volume 5, entries 10178. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → MORE CANDLE RITES.
- 3 CANDLES BURNED: WHITE - GREEN - PINK; WHILE LIGHTING SAY "TO KEEP LAW AWAY"; BEFORE THIS HANG RED ONION OVER DOOR — Volume 5, entries 10195. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → MORE CANDLE RITES.
- IRON DISHRAG STIFF - HIDE IN CRACK OVER DOOR — Volume 5, entries 10225. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SEX AND IMPOTENCE REAPPEAR.
- SHE WIPES HIM WITH DISHCLOTH - KEEPS OVER DOOR — Volume 5, entries 10224. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SEX AND IMPOTENCE REAPPEAR.
- SALT IN BED OR AT DOOR — Volume 5, entries 10459. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → HAG AND WITCH RETURN.
- 4 ACORNS - HUSBAND OR MAN PUTS UNDER FRONT DOOR; OF WOMAN'S HOUSE TO KEEP ANOTHER MAN AWAY — Volume 5, entries 10608. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- ADAM-AND-EVE - DEVIL'S-SHOESTRING - OVER FRONT DOOR; PERSON WALKING UNDER - WILL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK — Volume 5, entries 10616. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- PISS-ANTS FROM WOODS - PUT AT PERSON'S DOOR - MOVES — Volume 5, entries 10648. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BACKWARDS: WALK OUT DOOR 9 STEPS BEFORE SUNRISE; MAKE A WISH - WALK FORWARDS BACK INTO HOUSE; NEVER LOOKING BACK - DO THIS 9 MORNINGS — Volume 5, entries 10682. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BLACKSNAKE ROOT - HAS TWO-PRONGED ROOT - SYMBOL; OF Y-FORK OF ROAD - SOMEONE PUTS THIS; OVER WOMAN'S DOOR TO MAKE MAN WITHIN START HOME — Volume 5, entries 10723. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CIRCUMAMBULATE HOUSE OUTSIDE 9 MORNINGS; THOSE 9 MORNINGS SWEEP IN FRONT OF DOOR; DO BEFORE SUNRISE - PERSON INSIDE MOVES — Volume 5, entries 10784. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DINING ROOM DOOR - LAY BROOM ACROSS - STEP OVER; SO THAT YOU WILL NEVER MARRY AGAIN — Volume 5, entries 10791. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - BROOM ACROSS - BAD LUCK TO STEP OVER — Volume 5, entries 10787. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - BROOM ACROSS - BILL COLLECTOR'S REACTION TO — Volume 5, entries 10790. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - LAY BROOM ACROSS ON FLOOR; UNWANTED VISITOR WILL NOT STEP OVER — Volume 5, entries 10789. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - OUT OF - NEVER SWEEP DIRT OR TRASH; SWEEP - BURN IN FIREPLACE - KEEP LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 10786. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - BROOM ACROSS - STOPS WITCH OR EVIL SPIRIT — Volume 5, entries 10792. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - STAND BROOM BEHIND - BRUSH UP; AFTER SWEEPING PERSON OUT — Volume 5, entries 10794. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BROOMSTRAWS 2 - CROSSED OVER DOOR - SWEEP BEHIND — Volume 5, entries 10826. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BROOMSTRAWS 4 - BEFORE DOOR; MAN WALKING OVER NEVER LEAVES — Volume 5, entries 10828. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BROOMSTRAWS 9 - OUTSIDE THE HOUSE - TO MAKE GUEST; ENTER FRONT DOOR - FOR MAN - ADD HIS HAT BOW; FOR WOMAN - INCLUDE HER FOOT TRACK - SPECIAL; GOOD REASONS WHY PERSONS MUST NOT ENTER BACK DOOR — Volume 5, entries 10831. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BROOMSTRAWS 9 - OVER DOOR; TO KEEP HUSBAND HOME — Volume 5, entries 10829. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BUTTERFLY WEED - BREAK UP AND BURY AT DOOR; TO KEEP AWAY AN UNWANTED VISITOR — Volume 5, entries 10837. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BUZZARD EGG - HEAT - WRITE ON NAME OF PERSON; BURY AT HIS DOOR - MOVES OR HAS NO SUCCESS THERE — Volume 5, entries 10840. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BUZZARD FEATHER - BURY AT DOOR - DRIFT YO' 'WAY — Volume 5, entries 10841. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BUZZARD FEATHERS OVER DOOR - FOOLISH - WANDER — Volume 5, entries 10843. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BUZZARD - STEW - BURY AT ENEMY DOOR - SICK - DIE — Volume 5, entries 10838. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- VICTIM'S FINGERNAILS OR TOENAILS MIXED WITH CAT'S; OR DOG'S BRISTLES AND BURIED UNDER HIS OR HER DOOR; HE OR SHE WALKING OVER THEM WILL SOON LEAVE HOUSE — Volume 5, entries 10905. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 3 CEDAR LIMBS - AS LONG AS YOUR ARM - CROSS THEM; ONE VERTICAL - OTHER 2 HORIZONTAL CROSSING FIRST; MAKING A DOUBLE CROSS - SEE DIAGRAM - WHILE LAYING; DOWN LIMBS SAY IN ORDER: FAITH - HOPE - CHARITY; CROSS BURIED IN FRONT OF DOOR MOVED PEOPLE WITHIN — Volume 5, entries 10946. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CEDAR HIDDEN OVER DOOR - SEPARATES MAN FROM WIFE — Volume 5, entries 10944. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BLOOD FROM BLACK CHICKEN - WRITE NAME OF PERSON; NAIL IT AT DOOR - CALL NAME 3 TIMES - PERSON COMES — Volume 5, entries 10959. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CHICKEN BILL OR BEAK - UNDER PERSON'S DOOR - TO RUN — Volume 5, entries 10957. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- PERSON'S NAME IN CHICKEN BLOOD OVER DOOR RUNS HIM — Volume 5, entries 10961. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- FRESH EGG IN UNINCLOSED SPACE OVER DOOR - MOVES — Volume 5, entries 10972. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- ABOUT DARK PUT WEED CROSS AT VICTIM'S BACK DOOR; ABOUT MIDNIGHT COME BACK - TURN CROSS UPSIDE DOWN; ABOUT DAYBREAK REMOVE CROSS - FAMILY INSIDE ARGUES — Volume 5, entries 11142. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CROSS - MAKE OVER FRONT DOOR - IF YOU RECEIVE; NOTICE TO VACATE HOUSE - FOLD NOTICE INTO CONE; TACK OVER DOOR WITH 9 TACKS - YOU' WILL NOT MOVE — Volume 5, entries 11141. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CROSSMARK ON GROUND AT DOOR - JOINT GRASS ON; BOTH SIDES COVER UP: THROW URINE ON - OR GREEN; MOSS - OR COW MANURE - TO KEEP LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 11144. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DEVIL HEART WATER - BLUEING - BOTTLED; SHAKE AND BREAK AT DOOR TO MOVE — Volume 5, entries 11157. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - DEVIL'S-SHOESTRING DOWN AT - NO MONEY MUCH — Volume 5, entries 11170. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DOOR - DEVIL'S-SHOESTRING OVER - BREAKS UP FAMILY — Volume 5, entries 11169. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- TIE 2 DEVIL'S-SHOESTRINGS TOGETHER OVER DOOR — Volume 5, entries 11174. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 3 PIECES OF DEVIL'S-SHOESTRING - EACH OF DIFFERENT; LENGTH - LARGEST AT BOTTOM - BURY AT FRONT DOOR; VICTIM WILL MOVE WITHIN 3 HOURS 3 DAYS 3 WEEKS — Volume 5, entries 11178. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- THIS ROOT WITH 9 KNOTS YOU PUT OVER YOUR DOOR — Volume 5, entries 11185. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DIRT DAUBER POWDER - RED AND BLACK PEPPER - SALT; MIX - SPRINKLE AT VICTIM'S DOOR - WALK BACKWARDS; BACK TO GATE - WHERE YOU THROW REMAINING DIRT IN; DIRECTION VICTIM IS TO GO - WILL LEAVE WITHIN 9 DAYS; RITE GIVEN BY A LOCAL CUNJURE TO ANNOYED CLIENT; ONE OF SEVERAL RITES IN HOODOO DONE BY CHILDREN; RITE TOLD TO ME YEARS LATER BY ONE OF CHILDREN; HAPPENED IN 1915 AT EVERGREEN, CONECUH CO., ALA. — Volume 5, entries 11189. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CAYENNE PEPPER - BLACK PEPPER - MUD DAUBER NEST; THEN STEAL SALT FROM 3 HOMES - BEAT ALL TOGETHER; MIX AND SPRINKLE AT DOOR OF PERSON TO BE MOVED — Volume 5, entries 11201. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DIRT DAUBER HOUSES OVER DOOR FOR BILL COLLECTORS — Volume 5, entries 11214. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- NORTH SIDE FIG TREE ROOT - OVER DOOR - JOB AND LUCK — Volume 5, entries 11371. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BUY NEW FLAT FILE - NAME IT YOUR HUSBAND - ON BOTH; FLAT SIDES WRITE HIS NAME COMING TO YOU - YOU HAVE; USED HIS NAME 3 TIMES - LAY FILE AT TOP OF DOOR HE; WALKS THROUGH MOST - TO KEEP HIM FROM RUNNING ABOUT — Volume 5, entries 11381. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- FOOT TRACK - LEFT - 2 WAYS TO RUN PERSON AWAY; (1) BURY UNDER DOORSTEP - 9 MORNINGS GO THERE; AND SAY I HOPE HE'LL NEVER COME BACK; (2) BURY HIS LEFT TRACK UNDER YOUR DOOR BEFORE; SUNRISE - BURN SALT AND WISH HIM TO MOVE AWAY — Volume 5, entries 11493–11494. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- FLAXSEED GROWING AT YOUR DOOR - SOON MOVES YOU — Volume 5, entries 11650. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- OLD BRASS FORK - LATE AT NIGHT GO TO HOUSE WHERE; YOUR MAN AND A WOMAN ARE - KNOCK ON DOOR - CURSE; JABBING FORK INTO DOOR AND CALLING OUT 3 TIMES; COME OUTA DAT OR COME OUTA DERE - "BREAK 'EM UP" — Volume 5, entries 11658. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- GRAPEVINE PROTECTS AGAINST EVIL - USE ASHES AT DOOR; ADD ITS JUICE TO BATH WATER - BRINGS IN CUSTOMERS — Volume 5, entries 11731. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- GRASS - GREEN - DRY IN STOVE - BALL UP A HANDFUL; PUT AT DOOR NIGHTLY AT MIDNIGHT TO KEEP LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 11733. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- ROOT DOCTOR USES GRAVEYARD DIRT AT DOOR TO MOVE — Volume 5, entries 11736. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- AT MIDNIGHT TAKE DIRT FROM SINNERMAN'S GRAVE - MIX; WITH SALT - RED PEPPER - GUNPOWDER FROM NO.6 SHELL; CARRY NONE OF THESE NEAR YOUR HOME - [RARE WARNING; BUT REMEMBER - HOODOO WOMAN TALKING HERE IS IMMUNE!; FOR PROFESSIONAL IMMUNITY READ LAST LINE p.933f.]; THROW MIXTURE ON VICTIM'S DOOR TO KILL WHILE HUNTING — Volume 5, entries 11738. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- IF YOU WANT TO MOVE A MAN LIVING ON PIECE OF LAND; CUT A GROWING HICKORY STICK AND BURY IT AT HIS DOOR; BUT IF HE HAS A MULE THAT PEES IN A CERTAIN PLACE; BURY THAT STICK NEAR THAT PLACE AND LEAVE IT THERE; 9 DAYS - ON A YOUNG MOON BURY STICK IN GRAVEYARD; WITH BIG END POINTING TO THE SUNSET - YOU WILL BE; RIGHT THERE WHEN HOUSE OF THIS MAN WITH MULE BURNS — Volume 5, entries 12154. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- HORSE MANURE - AT FRONT DOOR - FAMILY FEUD — Volume 5, entries 12182. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 2 SPLINTERS PROTECT - ONE FRONT DOOR - OTHER BACK — Volume 5, entries 12310. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- MATCHES 10 - HEADS OFF - SEW INTO NEW CLOTH; PUT OVER OR UNDER DOOR - KEEP DOWN QUARRELS — Volume 5, entries 12418. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- WITH LARGE NEEDLE BORE HOLE THROUGH SMALL RED ONION; RUB SUGAR INTO THREAD - THREAD NEEDLE - RUN THREAD; THROUGH ONION - TIE ONION ONLY OVER DOOR FOR PEACE — Volume 5, entries 12511. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 7 PEANUT HULLS - DIRT DAUBER NEST - 7 RED PEPPER PODS; PARCH - CRUMBLE - SPRINKLE AT DOOR - BREAK UP AFFAIR — Volume 5, entries 12567. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- HOUSE LUCK OR GUARDIAN PENNY - TACK HIDDEN AT DOOR — Volume 5, entries 12575. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD" → PENNY - OR ONE-CENT PIECE - RARE WORD BROWN MONEY.
- PENNY DOWN AT DOOR OR; HORSESHOE OVER DOOR FOR HAUNTS — Volume 5, entries 12577. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD" → PENNY - OR ONE-CENT PIECE - RARE WORD BROWN MONEY.
- PERSIMMON SWITCHES 3 UNDER DOOR WHIP DWELLERS OUT — Volume 5, entries 12662. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- LEFT HIND FOOT OF GRAVEYARD RABBIT - 3 DROPS OF THIS; RABBIT'S BLOOD - ONE INGREDIENT FORGOTTEN - BURY AT; VICTIM'S DOOR HE WILL BE BURIED IN SAME GRAVEYARD; COLORED GRAVEYARD FOR COLORED - WHITE ONE FOR WHITE — Volume 5, entries 12718. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- THIN DIME IN SACK WITH CAYENNE PEPPER AND SALT; OVER DOOR TO KEEP HER MAN FROM THE OTHER WOMAN — Volume 5, entries 12991. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 2 HEELS CUT FROM PAIR OF SOCKS VICTIM HAS WORN - SALT; ON EACH - RUB ON EACH PIECE A PIECE OF SNAKESHED OR WORM; TO MAKE YOU CRAWL - BURY 1 HEEL UNDER DOOR - LAY; OTHER HEEL OVER DOOR - THIS DRIVES YOU AWAY FROM HOME — Volume 5, entries 13142. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- SUN: IF SOMEONE INTERFERING WITH YOUR HOME - EVERY; MORNING 9 DAYS GO TO DOOR AND 3 TIMES BOW TO THE SUN; MAKING WISHES - ASKING GOD TO REMOVE THE EVIL SPIRITS — Volume 5, entries 13278. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 3 INGREDIENTS: SINNERMAN'S GRAVE DUST - COFFEE GROUNDS; WAR WATER - SPRINKLE AT VICTIM'S DOOR - GONE IN 12 DAYS — Volume 5, entries 13305. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- URINE HERS - SEMEN HIS - MIX IN FLOUR DOUGH - TIE IN; HANDKERCHIEF - DROP INTO ONE OF HER STOCKINGS - CRUSH; STOCKING UP - PUT IN CORNER BEHIND DOOR - NEVER SWEEP; OUT - IN 9 DAYS MAN RETURNS HOME - IF MAN LEFT TOWN; AND SHE CANNOT GET HIM BACK - SHE USES ANOTHER MAN; MOST UNUSUAL - BUT INFORMANT RELIABLE - WHO CAN QUESTION; HOODOO IS PLIABLE - NOT LAWS OF THE MEDES AND PERSIANS — Volume 5, entries 13364. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- WAGON WHEEL: WOMAN TAKES 3 SPLINTERS FROM DOOR MAN; HAD TOUCHED IN HER HOUSE - PUTS THEM IN WAGON WHEEL; TAKEN OFF AXLE - ROLLS WHEEL 3 TIMES TOWARD HER; RESTORES WHEEL TO WAGON - MAN WILL RETURN IN 7 DAYS — Volume 5, entries 13406. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CONFUSION AND MOVING CAUSED BY WAR WATER AT DOOR — Volume 5, entries 13414. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- WAR WATER AT DOOR - CONFUSION INSIDE - THEY MOVE — Volume 5, entries 13413. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- WAR WATER AT DOOR EVERY DAY BEFORE SUNRISE MOVES — Volume 5, entries 13415. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BOTTLE WAR WATER & WAR POWDER - BREAK AT DOOR MOVES — Volume 5, entries 13417. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- THROW BOTTLED WAR WATER ACROSS ROOF AND WISH TO MOVE; MERELY TO BREAK AT DOOR CAUSES A DISTURBANCE ONLY — Volume 5, entries 13418. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- SALT - SCATTER AT THE 4 CORNERS OF THE HOUSE - NEXT; SPRINKLE WAR WATER AT THE BACK DOOR - THEN ON BACK; STEPS MAKE A CROSS OF SALT - THROW WAR WATER UNDER; STEPS - AND LEAVE AT GATE A CROSS OF SALT ON GROUND — Volume 5, entries 13426. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- WILLOW STRING ROOT: A ROOT THAT COILS LIKE THE COILS; AT A DISTILLERY - PILE UP... LAK A SNAKE - BURY ROOT; UNDER DOORSTEP TO KEEP THIS WOMAN FROM HIS HOUSE; SO EFFECTIVE IS THIS IMITATION SNAKE RITE - IF HE; ASKS WOMAN BACK - SHE REFUSES - HAS BETTER HOME; THE FORM OF ROOT - SNAKE - GUARDS INFORMANT'S DOOR; A NOTE OF MINE LISTS INFORMANT AS GOOD ROOT DOCTOR — Volume 5, entries 13451. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
Entry 11493
(That's to keep him. Now, if you want to run him away, what do you do?) Well, if you wanta run him away, you get his left track and take dat and bury it underneath de doorstep, and go dere every morning for nine mornings and say somepin to it, and he will never come back any more.
(What do you say to it?) Yo' jes' say, "I hope he'll never come back any more." (That is if you run him away.)
Entry 11494
If you get boss's foot tracks, take home, keep them in a cigar box, he is coming to your house next to call for you. [Foot tracks of the boss deserve style, the reason for the cigar box, and the style the reason for the boss calling.] [Memphis 1556:2.]
Source passage
continuous interview · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
Ah go tuh town
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
[downtown to buy that]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
yo' see - yo' know, de ole-fashion iron fo'k wit de wooden handle, wit de fo' prong. Ah go tuh de Kress
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
[Kresge Co.]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
an' buy me one dose iron fo'ks, an' ah walk tuh de do' an' stab it three times
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
[with the fork prongs]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
say,
recited or prescribed formula · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
"Move!"
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
Co'se yo's gotta be riled when yo' want 'em tuh move.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
[Riled shows anger like laughter a magic rite - see comment later.]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
Yo' say,
recited or prescribed formula · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
"Git outa heah, J yo' son-of-a-bitch! Leave! Move! Git outa mah path!"
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
[She demonstrated.]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1860
Dat move 'em.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
[I describe demonstration.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
(You pull the fork out.)
informant · Current interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
Walk tuh de do' an' pull it disaway.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
(Jab the fork into the door.)
informant · Current interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
Intuh de do' an' pull it tuh yo'. See, yo' pullin' 'em outa dere.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
(You do that on the outside of the house?)
informant · Current interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
De outside of de do'. See dis do' here
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
[demonstrates]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
[She points to the door of the Eureka Hotel room in which I interviewed - see INTRODUCTION, v.1, p. Xxx111.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
[To return to the preceding anger rite. All rites such as this one concern the magic of imprecation or malediction. They are numerous. Laughter as magic appears to be rare. I can think of only one at the moment, that of keeping po- lice from your house - see interview of informant 1376, THE KNOWIN' WOMAN, soon to follow, and the explanation given there.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 1861
locally coherent subpassage
Keep actor demonstration and Hyatt interpretation distinct; no formula efficacy is asserted.
closed_printed_instruction_and_demonstration_commentary
She demonstrated and the door-of-hotel identification are editorial reports of interview action.
The imprecation/malediction and laughter comparison belongs to the editor.
An enacted demonstration in the room is not proof that the described removal succeeded.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 3, p. 1859 · Vol. 3, p. 1860 · Vol. 3, p. 1861 · Vol. 3, p. 1862