Subject:Door/Back
Entries
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.