Subject:Drawers
Entries
Entry 3173
(Cut the seat out of his drawers?) Where his private lay, yo' know, whilst he's dressin' yo' know - jis' whutevah side it lay on, cut dat off an weah it aroun' dey waist on dis cord.
(What will that do?)
Dat would keep 'im from foolin' wit anybody...any time he'd git tuh...
Entry 4520
If yuh have a girl fren' an' yuh love her an' she didn't seems tuh care very much fo' yuh, why yuh could sometime in goin' roun' 'er, an' git a chance tuh git 'er hat. Take de ban' from roun' 'er hat. Take de band from roun' 'er hat an' git a piece she's wearin' close tuh 'er. Take it an' some of 'er hair from a [below]. Yuh kin git chance tuh make a date wit 'er an' git some of 'er hair from roun' 'er. An' take it an' wrap it up in a piece of red flannel an' wear it nex' tuh yuh skin. Why den she come back tuh live wit chew.
(What piece of clothing do you get?)
Git de seat out of 'er drawahs. (And the hair from down below. That will make you have power over her.)
Entry 4666
Ah kin tell yo' 'bout mahself, ah have used it. Mah husban' wuz a man, he wuz runnin' about. Mah husban' used to make gud on evah job dat he got on, an' ah couldn't see where his money went tuh. He wuzn't givin' me not a thing. All ah could see, he would buy a little groceries. He'd say he wuz gittin' two week's groceries an' dey wouldn't last a week. An' ah took de bow outa his hat - ah stole it out dere an' put it undah de bottom of mah foot, an' den put mah stock- in' on. An' aftah den, when ah put dat in dere, ah took 'is dirty drawahs an' cut de seat out of it, an' ah buried it undah de step where he walked in at. He nevah did stay home, an' aftah ah did dat - ah did dat jes' lak today, an' ah didn't know whut it 'twas fo' him tuh come in de early part of de night. His early part would be one aclock; if not dat, all night. Aftah ah done dat lak today, he went ag'in. When he come in de night, he nevah took time hardly tuh eat. He went out dat night. So aftah dinnah - he commence comin' in den, an' ah jes' got tired of 'im stayin' home. He stayed home so much an' he wuz so nice to me - he'd bring me his check den to have it cashed; if not dat, he'd tell me tuh meet 'im tuh de Union Station, goin' wit 'im an' havin' 'is check cashed. An' he done so nice an' we stayed home so much, dat ah couldn't turn. Ah went back an' dug it up fo' him tuh go some, an' took de bow out from undah mah shoe. Dat's whut ah done.
(What shoe did you wear it in?)
In mah right shoe.
(Didn't do anything else with it? Anything?)
Didn't do anything else to it.
Entry 4753
Ah heard dat chew kin git de seat of 'is drawahs or 'er drawahs an' take a hickory stick wit a fo'k an' place dat in between dere. Dig a hole undah yore step an' place it undah dere an' dere where he'll be. Place him at home, yuh see [demonstrates]. (You take this [forked stick], do the [stick] like this [hold upright] and place it [each leg] right in that fork. And bury it with the fork up like that, standing up.) Standin' up. [As in the preceding rite, here is another symbolical burial. Similarly we have another cross, the forked stick being a Y cross.]
Entry 4782
When anyone leave home, jis' lak de man leave home an' gone, de woman she'll take his, some of 'is clothes, his drawahs whut he's had, his undahweah, an' tie it nine knots tuh her, an' take an' put it in some secret place undah de house, or undah de sill undah de house, or in de bedroom flat down undah de dressah, an' he cain't stay away. He got'a come, he got'a come. Ah know dat.
Entry 4791
If yuh wanted 'em tuh stay away - a woman or man, eithah one, yuh git a piece out de seat of 'is drawers an' den call 'im by 'is name. Take it tuh de rivah - don't take it tuh dese little ole branches, tuh a rivah, an' throw it in dere. An' long as it run down de stream, he gon'a go an' leave yuh alone.
Entry 4805
Dey kin cut out de seat of 'is drawahs, de man's drawahs. Take dat an' mix it up wit salt an' peppah an' take it an' bury it on de roadside. An' dat'll keep a man always wit a mind tuh go. He won' be contented at home. [Burial on roadside is rare; in a road, no.]
Entry 5679
(This woman whom the man has left, she would get hold of his left sock?) Git holt of 'is lef' socks, 'is drawahs, an' take an' take dem home, an' put 'en undah de do'steps. Don' let nobody see or know yo' put 'em undah dere. An' den take yore broom, when he come inside de house. an' sprinkle salt down evah'where he walks. When he's goin' out, don' sweep it out do's, sweep it back in de house. Seep it all back in de house. Sweep 'is track all back tuh de kitchen, an' let dat stay undah dere, an' dat will bring 'im back.
Entry 5866
Yeah, if yo' kin git hold of some of 'is hair an' de seat out of 'is drawahs an' put 'em togethah an' bin' dat up an' put dat in de drippin' of de house - bury it down in de ground. Or put it underneath yore steps - bury it down dere in a bottle.
(What will that do?)
Dat will make him come back.
(Make the man come back home.)
Entry 7136
She'll take 'er drawahs an' pull 'em off whut she had on an' put 'em undah 'is haid; take her right-footed shoe an' turn it bottom upwards undah de foot of 'is baid, an' take his lef'-footed shoe an' turn it bottom upvards. An' he'll sleep dere until she come an' wake him up. (Where does she put his shoe?) Jis' turn it bottom upwards undah de baid. Put 'is shoe, one tuh 'er foot an' one tuh 'is, right side by side undah de bed.
(But she puts her drawers under the pillow?)
Ease it undah 'is pillah.
(And what would happen then?)
He jis' sleep.
Entry 7138
Ah tell yo' whut a woman kin do. Jis' lak if 'er an' 'er husban' gone tuh baid an' she wanta step out, she'll git up an' she'll take his shoe, turn 'em bottomside upwards in undah de foot of de baid. See, he cain't wake up until she come back an' turn dem shoes ovah. Den a man kin - he kin, jis' lak if he wan's tuh go out an' leave her dere asleep, all he's gotta do, jis' git up yo' know an' take his pants off or some of 'is drawahs, yo' know it's dirty, an' hang: 'em ovah de top of de baid ovah 'er haid dere, an go on off about 'is business. An' she won't wake up until he come back an' move dem things.
Entry 7185
Yo' kin take yore drawahs, yore bloomahs, an' hang 'em ovah de head of de bed, an' yo' take a pint of watah an' yo set de pint of watah down tuh de foot of de bed. Den yo' kin go on out an' go anywhere yo' Wanta, an' come back in an he's still asleep, 'cuz ah've tried it.
Entry 7939
[To kill her husband this Wo- man took the seat of his drawers and some of his hair [to a root worker?)
and buried it in the cemetery (in a little grave) and placed a stick at the head and another stick at the foot.] [This rite was "not transcribed, not much and too diffuse."]
Entry 10232
De only thing dat ah heard, whether dey tried it on dem or not, dey say if a woman wants to keep a man home, she kin take her drawers, yo' know, an' boil it. Make a tea out of it an' give it to him. An' he kin go out dere. Any place dey give dem tea, like if yo' be done eatin' in a place an' dey fix chew tea an' dey kin po' it in yore tea. An' yo' kin drink dat a couple of mawnin's - three or fo' mawn- in's - an' yo' kin go out but chew ain't goin' be no good out. Yo' jes' be out dere, it ain't a thing yo' kin do out dere.
Entry 12106
I would get me a tie, this bow tie off of a man's hat, and cuttin' a piece out of his drawers, and takin' some of his ministration [semen] and stickin' it in his shoe, his right shoe, and that'll make a man love you or stay with or be good to you. And when you put it in his right shoe, you take some of your ministration [menstrual blood] and a little cloth, and hold it over a cloth, and po' [pour] water over it [preceding cloth acts as strainer]; and if he drinks coffee or tea, put it in that. And that'll make him love you. You do both that together: let him drink it. Wear it [hat bow] in your shoe. And the time he wears those shoes out, he's fixed [hoodooed] for you then.
Entry 12898
Woman's drawers, why you gotta tie nine knots in them.
(How do they do that?)
How would jew do it? Jes' take a cord, you know jes' like dis is heah [electric cord from my machine to floor plug]. You see, dat cord. An' tie it round dere nine times. Take it down, see, and you measure it up side wit sompin of yours, and then put 'em back. Well, she'll go out. She can't sleep with no man, she's gotta come back.[ The magic here is simple and direct, the woman is unable to stretch her legs apart!]
Entry 4299
Ah tell yuh whut she could do tuh make him come back tuh 'er. If she got any of 'is undahclothes, if he left any of 'is undahclothes dere, she would take his undahshirt an' 'is drawahs an' wash 'em, see. Wash 'em in some cleah watah. Don't put no soap in it, jis' take de cleah watah an' rinse it off. Take dis watah yuh undahstan', from 'is undahclothes an' put it in a bottle. Bury it undah 'er front steps, yuh undahstan', an' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' pee on dis bot- tle. Ah'll guarantee yuh [he] won't fool wit no othah woman an' yo'll [he'll] come back dere an' go on in wit 'er [live with her again].
(You leave this bottle standing upright like that?)
No, turn it up.
(Turn it upside down?)
Turn dat upside down wit de watah offa yuh clothes in dere, yuh undahstan'.
turning the bottle upside down after rejecting upright orientation. Keep the full upright→No→upside-down exchange; upright is rejected, not an alternative instruction. washing/rinsing the man’s underclothes with clear water and no soap. Do not restate it as soap washing or discard the collected rinse-water purpose. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 1072
You take your last piece and wear it on the wrong side.
(What do you mean, the last piece?)
Your drawers. You turn them inside out and wear it on the wrong side. And then they can't hurt you.
Entry 3667
Well, ah heard dat chew kin take a snail on a man, if a woman wants tuh stop 'er husban' or 'er boy frien' from goin' wit othah wimmins. Dey take dat snail an' smear 'im up at de seat of 'is drawahs. An' yo' know he [snail] have a kinda - ah don't know whut chew call it - some kinda slickery [slippery] sompin come from dat snail, an' yo' take, yo' cut a piece out, outa de middle of dose drawahs an' den yo' sew a piece ovah dat, an' let 'im wear 'em. An' dey tell me, dey say he can't have nobody in de worl'. Say he'll fall.
Entry 4569
Dey takes dat bow an' wear dat bow down in de seat of dere drawahs, an' dat'll turn yuh ovah - dat'll bring yuh ovah. An' once dey got dat dere, why dey got chew.
Entry 4844
De wimmins, dey cut out de seam of de drawahs, a man's drawahs right out de seam, an' puts it somewhere roun' dere wais' or puts it somewhere roun' de bed [or] in some closed cornah of de house [corner closed off or blocked off by piece of furniture]. An' dat man'll always care fo' dem, be crazy about 'em.
Entry 7067
If a woman got chew an' she wanted to make a date wit another boy frien', why - an' she can't git out to him, she will wait some night till yo' git to sleep. An' she will take her undahskirt - take her drawahs off first - an' she will lingah, be around to find out if he is asleep. An' if she finds dat chure sleep, why she de piece - take it an' put it ovah 'is face. Take her un- dahskirt an' spread it - take her undahdrawahs lak dat, spread it lak dat ovah yer head an' de bed. Yo'll nevah wake up if she stayed out till fo' 'clock de nex' mawnin'. Yo' nevah know it till she git back.
Entry 7070
Whilst he be sleepin' an' she wanta go out, she jis' take her drawahs an' put 'em ovah 'is face while he be's sleep, an' he sleep right dere sound as a door-nail until she come back. He stays sleep an' he won't wake up ontil she take dat drawahs off 'is face.
Entry 7083
Her las' piece whut she weah - yo' know, her drawahs. An' if yo' wanta go out, yo' git 'er drawahs unbeknowst tuh 'er. Yo' kin set 'er drawahs right tuh 'er haid of er bed on de mattress, see, jis' where she can't see it, an' yo' kin go out an' stay till in de mawnin', she wouldn't wake up. Won' wake up till yo' come an' 'move dat cloth. (And you spread this underneath [no, on] the mattress, where she can't see it. But you use her [instead of his] drawers?) Yes, use her drawahs.
Entry 2049
Way ah heard a story - ah heard dat if yo' got a man an' he run out, yo' git chew a string an' git a piece of his underpiece, drawers or anything lak dat, an' yo' take an' tie nine knots in de string an' yo' take an' sew dis piece onto dis string an' wear it round her waist. Dat'll keep him dere.
(You don't do anything with that string first?)
No, don't do anything with it.
Entry 2847
If you got a wife and your wife has done left you - you understand what I mean - and you want her to come back to you, you see. You take three white candles, take that woman name and put there - put on that [name the] candle. And if you can, get her underwears or slip, anything like that, slip or drawers and put 'em. Put that, spread that out there, you understand. Take your undershirt and turn it wrong-side out and put it on there, and light them three candles. And in nine days - just keep them candles burning there nine days and nine nights, and I guarantee that woman'll come back to you. (You put the name on just one of those candles or do you put on all three of them?) Put all three of 'em - put it underneath all three of them. Put 'em all three together - that where it supposed to be, underneath all of 'em. [A name is under each candle; the spread-out clothing is beneath the metal container holding the candles.]
Entry 3213
Why she jes' take 'im an' cut de seat outa his drawahs an' wash it an' take de watah an' goes dere wit 'im. Aftah dey go to bed at night, jes' lak she wus playin' wit 'im an' put dat watah ovah 'im. Take de hair, yo' know - burn some of 'er hair offa her, yo' know, burn it an' put it in dere, why he couldn't ride nobody.
(The hair from her head?)
De hair from under her clothes.
(And she puts that in the water from his drawers.)
Shore.
(Just what would that do then?)
Take it jes' lak she wanta wash 'im good, lak she gonna have communication wit 'im. She have dat an' - so's [so she] could put it in de basin, yo' know, an' [he could] wash hisself wit it. An' aftah he wash wit it, she pore de watah out an' den taken watah an' washes 'erself. An' he couldn't have no othah woman.
(The man loses his nature.)
Entry 3665
Said a man take a snail an' if he don't wan' dis woman to do nuthin wit nobody but 'im, he take dis snail an' where huh clothes hangin' up on de outside on de line, if he git a chance, he go dere an' rub dis snail right on uh drawahs. An' when she put dese drawahs on, she can't have no communion wit no man but 'im. Dat whut ah heard about it.
Entry 3676
Tuh keep 'im from havin' anybody, yo' take dat snail an' yo' kin dry 'im. Eithah [or] yo' kin take 'im an' put 'im in de stove an yo' kin brown 'im. An' den when yo' brown 'im yo' kin pound 'im up into powdah. An' yo' take de seat of yore man's drawahs an' yo' open it, jes' a little place, an' yo' put all dat down in dere. An' he cannot fool wit no one but chew. An' he gotta come home an' bring yo' de money.
Entry 3682
A fellah could stop anothah fellah from goin' wit 'is wife. He'd taken a snail an' dead skin from undah his feet an' parched it an' take it an' - wit a dishrag. An' while she's asleep dat night, jes' sprinkle dat on 'er, put dat on 'er an' rub 'er wit de dishrag, so she couldn't go wit no one. Dat take de nature away from 'er.
(What did he do with this snail and the dirt and that dishrag?)
Take de snail an' ground - yo' know, groun' de whole shell an' de snail. Parch it good, make a kinda powdah out of it. An' when she went to sleep, why he sprin- it ovah 'er an' he wipe her across wit de dirty dishrag. Sprinkle dat ovah 'er on 'er drawahs, an' anyone couldn't go wit 'er no mo'. So findly [finally] dey broke up.
Entry 3953
She [my mother] wuz fixed dataway. A woman got some spots outa her shimmy an' drawahs an' taken 'em an' den nailed 'em in a tree wit a great-big railroad spike. She says she nailed it east an' west. An' she jes' pined away. An' she had dose spots. An' [she] got hol' some of hair, some kin' or nothah vuz in dere wit it, wit dat balled up togethah. An' she said it wuz nailed in de tree wit a great big ole railroad spike. An' de tree wuz right at de haid of de windah. An' mah mothah wuz sick an' she jes' pined away, an' she pined away, an' it plumb stopped 'er from ministration.
Entry 4300
She said she cut dis piece of 'is clothes, cut out a roun' plug. Ah reckon de plug mus' have been dat roun' [demonstrates], jis' 'bout de size of a dollah. Cut it outa de seat of 'is drawahs. She said she took it an' put it in a bag an' put some fish brine salt in dere wit it. An' she said, an' carried it on de no'theast cornah of 'er house an' dug de hole an' put it in dere. She said evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise she'll go roun' dere an' make watah on it. She done it fo' nine mawnin's, she said. An' dey say he left here an' nevah did come through here [Richmond] no more. [Richmond, Va., (340), 373: l, about 1929 in Richmond.]
Entry 4744
A lady got a hold of a fellow's drawers and cut out right where the two legs come together, right in front, and taken and put it in a bottle, and put a new stopper in the bottle, and put that in the center of the door where he come over. That fellow couldn't leave there. They claim they take a piece of your clothes, that you wear next to your skin, and put it in a bottle and put a new stopper in, they've got you. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 4755
Well, yo' kin put a man down yo' know by takin' some of 'is clothes dat he weahs. Take de feet outa his drawahs an' dat'll make him humble an' nicah tuh yo', whutevah way yo' wan' 'em tuh do, an' weah it. (What do you do with that?) Yo' kin tie it aroun' yore laig, de muscle of yore laig above yore knee, or weah it aroun' yore waist.
Entry 4756
Dey tole me a story an' ah seen dat, but ah didn't know it till it wuz aftahwards. Take de man's drawahs, his dirty drawahs he pull 'em off, an carry 'em in de graveyard an' bury 'em right down by a grave. An' jis' as yuh lay 'em down dere, he'll travel until he die. He nevah live. (You mean you just lay those drawers down there without cov- ering them up?) Yeah, yuh gotta covah 'em up. Dig a little trench an' lay it right down 'long dat way, jis' lak dey pull 'em off, but dey must be dirty. Yuh covah 'em up an' he'll travel an' travel till he travel away.
Entry 4856
Well, yuh kin take de seat of a man's drawahs an' cut 'em out, or else yuh kin put 'em in - jis' de seat, jis' wash de seat of 'em an' git de watah. An' yuh observe [pre- serve] dat in a bottle an' bury it right any- where aroun' de house, an' spashly [specially] where yuh kin walk ovah it comin' in an' goin' out, an' dat'll keep yuh on, too.
Entry 9147
[This plant, Shame Jim here, and Be-shamed brier root in rite that fol- lows, is the Shame brier (Schrankia uncinata). We have already met this plant under a number of names: Shame brier, Shame vine, Sensitive brier, Shame face, Shame Jim, Ashamin', Shamin' Judy (p.646, v.1) and Shameful brier No.3797, p.2496, v.3. The verse in the present rite, though well-known, is rare in Hoodoo.] Dat root whut ah tole yo' a li'le while ago, Shome Jim, put it right in yore- rip yore drawahs, yo' know, an' put it in de band aroun' yore drawahs, yo' know, an' let his lay right dere, an' yo' kin go up tuh de co't an' face 'im, an' den say things:: Once ah went out walkin', ah met three men; One was donb an' he couldn't speak; De othah was blind an' he couldn't see; An' anothah one was lame an' he couldn't walk. An' say dat an' look right at de jedge an' he nevah will fined jah 'er nuthin.
(Yes, now begin right at the beginning.)
Ah went out walkin' an' met three men; one was dumb an' couldn't talk; de othah one was blind an' coulan't see: de othah one had no tongue an' he couldn't do anything eithah [couldn't talk]; [and another] he was a cripple an' couldn't walk.
(When do you say that?)
When yo' lookin' right at de jedge when yo' at de trial.
court/trial setting and intended avoidance of a judge’s fine. The first-person verse is recited formula, not the informant’s autobiographical meeting with three men. Its repeated version differs and must not be harmonized. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3701) · Read full source (printed page 3702)
Entry 4599
Yuh take de bow out of a man's hat. Yuh take dat little bow out an' de seats of de woman's bloomahs. Dere's two partition in it. Jes' rip one dem li'le partition an' put it 'tween dere an' sew it back up, an' wear dat bow right down In dere right in dat drawahs. Wear 'em. An' den put Hearts Cologne on it, jes' sprinkle it right down in dere.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat Will MAKE HIM JES' FOOLIS' 'BOUT DEM UNTIL DEY GIT READY TUH GIT RID OF "IM.
(They wear that in the bloomers in the front or in the back?)
Right in de seat where de partition, right 'tween dere.
Entry 11870
Seat of drawers, 2 strands of hair from left armpit, 1 strand from privates [= 3 strands of hair], tag it [sew it] hair in seat of drawers, Jockey Club perfume put on, put [a little of the perfume] in bottom of shoe - right
[one and for love].
Entry 11103
Bury piece cut from seat of man's drawers brings him back. [Charles- ton 602:6.]
The source identifies this clothes collection as condensed rites. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 10359
Man cuts off tip end of she dog's pussy [clitoris] and rubs it on his drawers or on woman; if she goes with another man, they get stuck [Richmond, 384:3].
The account names drawers or the woman as alternative contact targets. Its conditional sticking claim is not an established effect, and bracketed explanations are editorial.