Subject:Drop
Entries
Entry 3307
Well, dey'll take dey chamber lye, so dey say, an' dey'll put dragon's blood in it, nine drops. Dey'll put nine pins in it wit de points [up]. Dey'll drop de heads down in dere, an' nine goldeye needles. Den dey'll take dat, dat'll keep a man from havin' intahco'se wit any othah woman but de one dat does it, see.
(The woman who does this.)
De one who does dis. She kin take up de bottle, so she says, an' shake it an' anywhere's he is, he's comin'. If he see death in front of him, he can' [can't] prevent from comin'.
Entry 3422
Yo' kin take de hair from a dog or a cat when dey proudin' an' yo' singe it, burn it yo' know, parch it an' git it in dey food where dey kin eat it. an' when dey eat it, it will make 'em hitch up. An' a drop of dat blood, dat dog's blood - a drop of dat in dey food, yo' see. An' if dey runnin' aroun', de husban' or wife, an' yo' ketch 'em doin' dat, dey'll hitch up. Not till nine days dey come apart deyself.
(After nine days.)
Can't loose 'em. Stay dat way nine days.
Entry 3499
Tuh make yore man love yo', ah tell yo' whut chew do. Yo' go tuh bed wit 'im an' yo' git chew a bran'-new white pocket han'ke'chuf dat has nevah been used. Well, yo' have a intahco'se wit 'im, yo' know. Well, yo' git up an' yo' have yo' a bottle of olive oil an' yo' git chew a bottle of oil of cin- namon. Yo' take it - yo' know, don't let 'em see yo' - drop 15 drops of oil of cinnamon in dat nasty spot, an' yo' drop 15 drops of oil of olive oil. Den yo' take dat an' yo' tie it aroun' yore laig, an' yo' wear it aroun' yore laig three days, an' if he hasn't been comin', he will come an' cain't quit comin'. He cain't quit comin' an' he'll bring all 'is money home, an' he'll give it to yo'. He'll be good to yo' when yo' do dat.
(You tie that around either leg?)
No, one laig, de right laig.
Entry 3640
Ah heard 'em say dey ketch a snail an' git dat dust where he lay, an' take dat an' mix it wit some grease or sompin, an put it on a person's haid an' it will take all dere hair out. SLICK IT WIT A SNAIL, ah've heard dat. (Get that slime from the snail?) Dat's right, wipe it on dere.
Entry 3832
Take an' go to a dogwood tree, if a person dislikes 'im. An' if yo' jes' take a piece - jes' git one drop of blood anyways [anyway] dat is if yo' kin git holt of it anyways. An' yo' take an' cuts yo' a plug outa de tree, jes' 'longside dat tree. Yo' know, pull de plug out an' drop de blood in dere, an' drive dat plug back on dere. Drive dat plug right back on dere an' nevah look back to see which way yo' goin'. Jes' leave an' go right on off from dere. An' jes' 'bout roun' thirty days - it take 'bout thirty days den - an' dat man dere, if he's anywhere aroun' yore place or anythin', why he'll move away. He'll leave off an' yo' nevah heah sight or tell of 'im no mo'.
(What tree do you use for that?)
De dogwood tree... [I stopped recording too quickly here, missing north side, which I had to in- clude by restarting machine and adding parenthetical question or comment. I am not asking a leading question.]
(On the north side?)
Yes.
Entry 3836
Well, dey say yo' take a piece of string, not a rag string but a cotton string yo' know, an' yo' tie a knot. Now, evahone says if yo' wan'a man tuh love yuh, or a woman, yo' kin jes' squeeze dat little thing [finger] on yore lef' han' [demonstrates]. (Squeeze the little finger on the left hand.) Squeeze it till it git kinda dead [numb], yo' know. Den yo' take a needle an' jes' keep pickin' till yo' git one drop of blood. An' yo' take dat drop of blood an' put a little bit on all nine of dem knots, an' weah it roun' yore waist. Dey'll run crazy ovah yo'.
(You take that blood from your own finger?)
Yes.
Entry 3846
Yo' take de firs' fingah from de lef' han' an' yo' take a new needle an' yo' stick dis fingah [demonstrates].
(The index finger of the left hand.) Yes, an' yo' git three drops of blood an' it will bring love. (What do you do with that blood after you get it?)
Entry 3908
Git a string an' tie three knots, a man would do dis, an' git a drop or two of blood from a woman an' wear it aroun' 'is waist, an' he'll be able tuh hold dat woman. (Where would he get the blood from her?) Durin' de time of 'er ministration.
Entry 3989
Yuh chamber lye, yo' drop seven drops in de watah dat yuh [he?] bath [not bathe] in. An' when he take 'is bath- bath befo', he gon'a do dat befo' he takin' any- thin' else. Well, he'll git dat odum [odor] or yo', or scent, eithah one. Dat's why he can't tell it [that urine is in the water].
(And just wipe off his face?)
[I evidently had turned off recording machine and am repeating what was missed.l Dat's right.
(What will that do then?)
Well, yuh see when yuh do dat, jis' lak a person take a bath yuh know. When he take a bath in yuh chamber lye, see yo' gits de 'fluence tuh 'im an' tuh yuh.
(You do that for love?)
Dat's right.
Entry 4118
Well, yuh kin take a person'8 chamber lye. If yuh got a good girl an' she won' have yuh, yuh take nine drops of dat chamber lye an' put it in likkah an' give it tuh 'er. Yuh an' 'er will nevah break up. Yuh live wit 'er de balance of yuh life.
Entry 4119
If yuh want yuh wife tuh be crazy 'bout chuh, yuh take yuh nine drops of chamber lye. Put it intuh a bottle an' evah time dat choo go tuhgethah, or anythin', yuh drop one drop in dere, yuh know, in some tea or whiskey - whut- evah she drink. She'll be crazy 'bout choo.
Entry 4125
Yeah, dat's right. Yo' take a dishpan, see yo' take a dishpan now, it's bran'-new - jis' git a bran'-new one. Yo' take a bran'-new dishpan. Yo' kin take dat dishpan - a woman will take dat dishpan up an' she'll take it an' set ovah it. See, she'll set ovah it jis' say, three times, an' de three time she set ovah it well, now anythin' - if she use dat dishpan fo' anythin' towards a man, 'tis no way fo' to keep 'im from bein' right dere to dat pan. He can't stay 'way. He might have a wife but when it come his time he gotta go by dere an' say sompin tuh her.
(Well now, what does she do when she sits over this dishpan?)
WHEN SHE SIT OVAH DAT DISHPAN SHE'LL EITHAH MAKE THREE DROPS OF WATAH - THREE DROPS OF WATAH EACH TIME. Well, now she'll take dat little watah, see an' put it into a little cake-flavor bottle. An' evah time she wants to see dat man or be wit 'im, or he stay off any length of time, she'll drop a little of dat watah into somepin, yo' see, an' he have to come on - he have to come home. [THIS 3 DROPS OF WATER 3 TIMES REMINDS ME OF MY REMARK ABOUT THAT FAMOUS EPI- SODE OF 1886, the old man who was advised to rid himself of that hag riding him every night by jumping up out of bed and urinating into a bottle before she could leave the room - good "trick", if you can do it (536, p.158)!]
Entry 4126
[Preceding rite is now simplified to 3 drops:] If he's mean or she's mean, yo' kin give dem three drops of chamber lye to make dem come ca'm [calm]. Put three drops of chamber lye in dey coffee or in dey milk tuh drink, or anythin' yo' want. Any time yo' fixin' dey coffee yo' kin do dat.
Entry 4151
Said yuh go tuh work an' wheresomevah yuh jis' go an' urinate on de groun', dey git de earth, yuh know, from a fresh place. Jis' lak ah come out chere dis mawnin', dat [man urinating on the ground] is a man dat runs about an' wouldn't stay at home. Dey'd git dat earth down dere an' dey boil it an' make a little Klnda drop [like eyedrops] outa it, chew know, an' when ah come in mah wife sould jis' take it an' drop a drop or two of dat in my tea or coffee, whatsomevah ah use at mealtime, an' dat would make me stay at home an' wouldn't wandah about.
Entry 4601
She kin take dat bow an' she kin run yuh crazy wit it, or eithah make yuh love 'er. She kin take dat bow an' go uptown an' git 'er a bottle of Black Heart Cologne [this may be only time mentioned] an' she takes it an' drops about nine drops on dat, an' take it an' place it undah de middle of 'er bed [making a quincunx], right on de springs. Well, yuh have tuh stay dere. Yuh can't go nowhere. Yuh have tuh stay right dere. [This is merely Hearts Cologne with a black heart on the label, stamped solid black or hand drawn with a single line; not a heart-shaped bottle of black glass. The term is rare.]
Entry 4777
Well, if ah'm a enemy tuh yuh an' wants tuh confuse yuh in yore home, ah mah- self, ah cain't do it. Got'a git someone tuh help me tuh do it, an' dat's by goin' an' gittin' a piece of yore clothes, sompin othah dat chew wears, don't chew know - sompin dat chew wears. An' ah takes dat an' tear it up, makes a very small string out of it. Take it an' twist it.
(Tear the whole piece of cloth up?)
Not de whole cloth, jis' git yuh a strip off about lak dat [demonstrates], whatevah it is, an' jis' tear it up in small strips. Take an' twist it dis away [demonstrates]. One [strip] dis way an' one dis way, jis' lak dat, yuh know. Jis' keep atwisting it till yuh git right intuh a fine - down-lak yuh know, tuh a string. Yuh take it den an' yuh put it - draw a knot intuh it. Yuh know how yuh tie a knot intuh anything. Well, yuh take dat an' git it intuh whatevah yuh kin git it intuh [a jar, see later]. Den yuh take some salt an' take some vine- gah an' anything dat dey'd use lak a garlic. Yuh git yuh some garlic tuh put in dere an' nine drops of turpentine. An' tighten dat up real - tighten it down howevah yuh wanta tighten it down.
(Tighten that jar down?)
Tighten de jar down, yassuh, an' den yuh prob'ly cain't git tuh de house; but git somebody tuh bury it tuh de back of de steps.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will - dey cain't git along in dere.
Entry 4974
Well, now, if a man jis' wan' 'er, he take her sock an' wear it roun' 'is waist fo' nine mawnin's. An' de ninth mawnin' he'll take an' he'll uri- nate on it. An' he'll pass nex' tuh de house yuh know, an' drop it chew know. Well, now, see when she wear it she done got [his influence?]. See, she wash it. See, where he sweat in dat stockin', dat cause her tuh git all crazy about 'im. An' she'll follah 'im evahwhere he go out, an' ma'y [marry] 'im if he wanta ma'y her.
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 5754
Yo' could take dere track an' take it an' put it in a piece of cloth ='drap a drop of yore watah on it fo' nine mawnin's. An' take it an' string it roun' yore neck an' let it go right 'long heah tuh dis li'le hollah heah [points to].
(In the breast.)
An' he'll come tuh love yo' an' yo' an' 'im will git along all right, no mat- tah how much yo'all been fell out. Dat jis' got 'im an' yo' right tuhgethah. (If two men are fighting and quarreling, or if you were fighting and quarrel- ing with somebody else, you could make him be peaceful with you by taking his foot track and doing this. You wear it right down here underneath the rib bones?) Yessuh.
Entry 5755
Ah said dat, if yo' have a loved one an' a husban' or a wife an' she's very jealous, dey tell me dat chew kin take a track an' sew it up in a piece of homespun wit nine drops of olive oil an' 'is urine an' let it dry up. (How much urine?) Three or fo' drops.
Entry 5965
Take de hair if yo' wanta gain a person like a frien'. All right, chew take de hair right out de mole of de head an' yo' takes it an' takes dis perfume. Or yo' may give it a little twist, an' take one of dese little cotton strings an' tie it at each end, an' yo' puts about 'leven drops of perfume in it - an' yo' [puts] dis in it. Dat's to keep it moist an' keep it goin' [feeding it]. Jes' as long as yo' feed, dat's as long as dey gonna stick [to you], an' if it gits dry, dey dries up on yo'.
(As long as you keep that package moist.)
It jes' keeps 'em to love yo'
(If this dries up the person will die?)
No, he won't die but [if it dries up] he won't like yo'. Dat's to gain in love.
Entry 6170
Ah have heard from people dat chew could go to de fork of de road an' see all kind of scarey things lak dat an' people kin fix yo' lak dat. (How would they fix you like that?) Well, dey kin take - some people take yore hair an' den prick one of yore fingahs till it bleed, git three drops of blood, an' have yo' crazy where yo' jis' walk a lot. (I want you to tell me the details. What would they do with that three drops of blood they got from your finger?) Dey takes it an' put it on yore hair an' dey take it an' sew it up an' dey kin fix yo' dataway where yo' won't even love no woman or anything lak dat.
(Well, what do they do with that hair then, after they put that blood on it?)
Well, dey kin wear it. (Well, now a person would get my hair and then put her blood on my hair and sew it up?) Shure, an' den yo' begin to love nobody but 'er.
Entry 6337
Well, ah kin go out tuh de fo'ks of de road, if ah wants tuh go out dere an' put down a little magic work for business. Ah kin go out dere tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git me a little dirt [see FORK-OF-ROAD DIRT, p.688, and elsewhere]. De fo'ks of de road comin' so [demonstrates]. Prob'ly one comin' - Memoirs.of Alma Egan Hyatt Foundation - east an' one comin' west. Well, ah gits right in de middle of dat fo'k of dat road. Ah don't git very much of dis, jis' a li'le bit of it, dat dirt. Take dat li'le dirt an' has me a li'le bottle, or cup or anythin ah wants tuh put dat dirt in, an' go on back home. Well, ah kin fix dis right up out tuh de fo'ks of de road. Aftah ah git dis dirt an' put it in dat bottle, den ah has me a ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne. Put dat Hearts Cologne on dat - nine drops, see. An' aftah ah po' dat in dat bottle, den ah puts anythin' - any othah article ah got lak hair or any- thin'. Ah'll fix dat up. Well now, heah's what all goes in dere: Dat dirt out de fo'ks of de road. Buy a bottle of Hearts Cologne jis' about dat big [demonstrates], a ten-cent bottle. Yuh po' dat intuh dis dirt or whatsomevah dat chew got tuh put dis dirt in, a bottle or cup. An' aftah yuh put dat in dere. den yuh takes hair. Don't care whut part it come from - come from out yore haid, puts it in dere. An' aftah yuh put dat hair in dere, yuh stop dat hair up airtight an' takes it back to dese peoples' home an' bury dis fo' nine inches under de ground. Dat represent de nine mawnin' dat she'll leave dere. [She'll leave on or before the ninth day.] Den go back an' take it outa dere an' goes to a runnin' stream of water an' throw dis in a runnin' stream of water. An' when yo' throw dis, throw it high enough to give a splash tuh dis bottle. Don't look back - jis' throw it ovah yuh haid, don't look back atall. An' jis' long as dat watah an' dat bottle floats - it don't be a big bottle, a little bottle, so [demonstrates]. So long as it goes, dat person dat yuh's aftah, dey is gone.
(You throw it high enough?)
High enough tuh make de splash be heard [over] dat curse words. [My transcriber ommitted dat curse Words; a common practice to end a rite with a cursing incantation. Why the splash had to be heard during or after the curse words is a sort of So be it or Amen.]
Entry 6374
Well, ah heard it said if yuh git nine strands of der hair an' yuh wrap dat aroun' a cord nine times jis' lak yuh tyin' up a [package] - jis' aroun' de hair, wrap it from yuh all de time. Den yuh git chew nine drops spirits of tur- pentine an' yuh put on dat, an' yuh wrops dat up in a piece of papah. [You put 9 strands of victim's hair in a piece of paper, add 9 drops of turpen- tine, and wrap a cord from you 9 times about this paper pack- age.] An' yuh go an' put it undah de [house owner's or renter's] doorstep. Yuh put it undah dere evah mawnin' befo' de sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back after sundown. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back aftah sundown. Yuh put it undah dere befo' sunrise an' go back aftah sundown an' git it, den put it back dere ag'in befo' sunrise. Yuh go it fo' nine mawnin'san' on de ninth mawnin' dey [owner or renter] goin' be movin'. [Wrapping and winding, two important magic actions have not always been indexed in the past. There are in Hoodoo many examples of the former, especially wrapping to you or away from you. True winding rites probably will also be found in Hoodoo, they appearing in love rites of general folklore (see BALL OF YARN examples, FACI, 2nd ed., p.439). [Wilmington, N. Car., (294), 217:4 - 85+.1
Entry 6494
Dat would make yo' painful. Yo' scrape dat off de bottom of a person's feet an' den put it in a glass - in a drinkin' glass. Jis' put it in a drinkin' glass an' put 17 drops of kerosene on it. Put 17 drops of kerosene on it, a pinch of sulphuh - jis' lak yo' put a pinch up lak dat, of sulphuh. An' git some borax - take a level teaspoonful of borax an' put in dere. An' jis' let it set up.
(Where?)
Jis' let it set somewhere in a dark place lak up in de loft of de house or in a closet where nobody nevah visit at. An' it will dry out de marrah in 'is arms.
Entry 6586
Take a scorpion, jis' lak yo' wanta scorpion, yo'd have one drop of blood, an' de joint of 'is tail give it tuh 'im.
(Just one drop of blood and [from] his tail.)
Take a joint. Evah joint's a drop of blood an' evah joint of blood will make a scorpion. Yo' jis' drop one drop in dere an' give it tuh a person, well dere will come a scor- pion. Yo' have dat little thing in dere cuz ah done see 'em right in dey feets. De feets git lak dat, gits swelled up.
(Is there any way of getting those things out?)
Not unless yo' see a person, de person dat gives it tuh yo' tuh git it. Dey kin take it, but how he take it out ah wouldn't know jis' how he take it.
Entry 6611
Now, dey tell me tuh take a snake, cut de snake's head off, let 'im drip, an' while his blood is drippin' ketch de blood in somepin as it drips. Jis' as many drops of dat blood yo' ketch, jis' as I - if I is a enemy, jis' how many snakes yo' desire tuh be in me, an' I lie - yo' let dat blood drip - drop - fall intuh some vessel. Whut kinda whiskey I drink, why yo' po' dat whiskey drink on dis blood, an' shake it in dere wit dis whiskey. Shake it tuhgethah an' give me dis whiskey tuh drink. Very soon I'll come tuh be fulla snakes.
(You'll have little snakes in you from those drops of blood?)
Yes, dat's right.
Entry 6616
I know of a man who used to kill snakes and bleed them. He cut them under the throat and let them bleed in a can and he would take that blood and get one drop in anyone's food and that would kill them.[Fredericksburg, Va., (67), happened years before 1936 (date of collecting) near Woodford, Caroline Co., Va.)
Entry 6909
Well, yo' kin put chew some red peppah, nine balls, [I mean] seeds of red peppah. Yo' have de seeds tuh put in dere. Grind dat peppah. Nine drops of spirits of turpentine, halfa tea- spoonfula salt, halfa teaspoonfula sulphur. An' put it in yore shoe an' weah it an' dat will kill dat.
(Anything they put down for you?)
Planted fo' yo'.
(Do you wear this in one or both shoes?)
Yo' kin put it in de shoes, or else if yo' want, yo' kin put it undah de steps, put it all tuhgethah an' bury it undah de steps.
Entry 6936
If anybody wuz poisoned an' lak if anybody wuz goin' do anythin' fo' dem, an' dey jis' really knows dis one thing an' jis' make up an' do fo' dem. Well, if dey wuz poisoned in a way dat chewed wanta do sompin fo' 'em, why yo' would take whiskey, a dime drink of whiskey, an' nine drops of turpentine an' puts it in dis whiskey. An' [if] dis whiskey don' make 'em drunk an' de tur- pentine won't bothah 'em, well dey drinks it down. Well, dey drinks it down. Well, tuh make it shore, yo' takes a ten-cent [piece] an' file it off wit a file. Well, yo' puts it in sweet milk an' give it tuh dem tuh drink evah day, jis' lak yo' do a meal.
(What will that do?)
Well, dat will draw de poison from 'em.
Entry 6943
[Silver will] run it outa yo'. Ah'll run it outa yo'. Ah'll git me a dime or quartah - so it's silvah money - take me a file an' ah'll file dat stuff, dat quartah, yo' see, an' git de dust, git it plumb dusty. All right, ah'll git me some vinegah, some salt. See, ah'll put it in dere. Ah'll put me fif- teen drops of turpentine in dere wit it. Ah'll git me a box of Epsom salts. Ah'll give yo' dat Epsom salts three times a day. Dat's tuh keep yore bowels open. Dat vinegah an' dat, whut ah got made up. Yo' drink it fo' times a day until it take a act on yo'. Well, now, it - in drinkin' dat, why it'll stir dat up in yo', yo' see, stir dat poison up. An' dat Epsom salt [is] tuh keep yuh bowels open, yo' see, an' pass it on through.
Entry 7007
Plenty times dat happen dat way. Yo'll git a bunch of fishes an' yo'll sometimes find a live fish on dere; yo' know, dat's not daid. Yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll git dat fish an' yo'll gut dat fish. An' yo'll take nine drops of 'is blood [see correction later] an' yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll put it in a bottle or somewhere yo' kin keep. An' yo'll give him a drop or two drops evah mawnin'. He won' wanta see any mo' [whiskey].
(Stops him from drinking.)
Yes. [A correction follows.] Ah mean fo' nine days. Give him two drops yo' see, but yo' see yo' make it fo' nine days.
(What kind of fish?)
Catfish, but he must be 'live.
Entry 7023
(You get what?) A eel, yo' see, one of dem fisheels. Yo' git chew a live fisheel an' git one drop of blood from 'im. Now yo' take dat drop of blood an' yo' drop it in de drink dat de man is goin' tuh drink, an' den he ain't goin' tuh drink no mo'. (I see.)
Entry 7024
Git a eel an' git 'is blood an' put three drops in dere, in dey whis- key, whutsomevah he drink, an' give it tuh 'im. Dat'll make him sick an' he'll stop drinkin'.
Entry 7247
Tuh make a woman an' a man stay tuhgethah, de firs' things ah heer'd, when ah wuz growin' up - yo' know, grown folks would be talkin' an' dey wouldn't be talkin' tuh me an' ah would ketch some of dese things. Ah'd be workin' roun' - co'se [of course], mah gran'- mothah an' aunts could heah things dat grown people said. Ah heer'd some things. She said dat one time dere wuz a woman had a fellah an' he liked anothah girl. Said de woman took an' washed 'er feet right good an' den washed 'er hands an' washed from undah 'er ahms an'aroun' 'er neck, an' she washed dose places about 'er body real clean. Said de firs' place she washed from undah 'er ahms an' she squeezed dat in de watah an' she goin' tuh give it tuh 'im in somepin tuh eat. An' dey say, aftah she squeeze dat in de watah, said den she washed ag'in an' ag'in squeezed dat in de watah. Washed in palm of 'er hand an' squeezed dat in de watah. Washed dis hand an' squeezed dat in de watah. Said den she turn roun' an' didn't wash once but de nex' time tuh make it clean, an' she washed undah de bottom of 'er feets, instead of washin' 'em out dat way, she washed 'em tuh 'er, an' den cross-marked 'er hand on each foot, an' she squeezed dat in de watah. Well, she said dat worked around all right fo' awhile, den dat wore off. Den she turned aroun' an' washed 'er feet an' scraped 'em an' took de dead skin from de foot an' put all of it tuhgethah an' put it in a pot an' boiled it. An' when she did boil dat, den she goes tuh work an' strains dis watah an' put dat in somepin tuh eat an' dat's whut kept him. Dey claim he follahed 'er each an' evahwhere she'd go. Den dey said it commence tuh weah [wear] off an' she got - it's anothah part about chew dat only be's once a month, an' she got dat. She got about half tea- spoonful of dat, counted tuh seven drops of dat an' put dat in it. An' dat kept 'im.
(She would only use seven drops of that?)
Yessuh. An' put dat in an' dose drops lasted a yeah - seven yeahs. Den anothah woman tole her tuh take a tablespoonful of weewee an' put it in, an' dat still kept 'im. Dat kept 'im awhile den an' den dat begin tuh weah [off]. She tole her tuh go an' buy some beefsteak, an' she bought dat. She tole her tuh take her fingah about 'erself an' take an' wipe it on dis an' po' gravy ovah it. An' dat kept 'im. She said dat kept 'im until death.
(You said one woman did all these things?)
One woman told all dis about one woman, an' dis one woman had so much trouble wit 'im. He wuz supposed tuh be a very nice-lookin' man, it seemed lak dat all de women wuz 'bout tuh take him, an' it seemed lak she intend tuh have him an she tried all dese things.
Entry 8085
They take it [photograph] an' lay it flat on its face, an' then take two drops of chicken blood an' cross that, and then pray ovah that: Our Fathah who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, let thy kingdom come, let thy will be done. An' then that will work for you then on your photograph.
(What would that do?)
Well, according as they use it, jis' like I said; why then accordin' to what they wan'a do. If they wan'a be good to you or wan'a be mean to you, or somepin like that, well you could do that, choo see. [The cross is made by dipping the f an "x" or cross. finger into chicken blood twice, each time drawing the stroke of an "X" or cross. Yes the Our Father Prayer can be used for evil as well as good.]
Entry 8210
Now if a man's wife leave him, or 'is sweetheart leave him an' he can't git her back, he takes an' he git a piece of papah an' he write her name. Write his name first an' hers second an' he writes each name three times, an' den call 'er by name. An' he goes an' he git 'er photo an' he goes an' git a glass of cleah watah. An' take dat pichure an' turn it head foremos', turn it head down tuhwards dat watah, jis' don' let it tech de watah. An' in three days why she'll be back.
(What do you do with that paper?)
[A rite of diagnosis (see pp.165-217) follows:]
Take dat papah an' yo' drop it in de watah first, an' if she's comin' back, why dat papah will, when yo' drop it in dere, yo' know, it go tuh de bottom when yo' drop it. When - if she comin' back, it'll rise up tuh de top an' it rise up tuh tech dat pichure. In three days den she'll come back.
Entry 8276
Alcohol - put three drops of alcohol on it, on de photograph an' stick it up side a tree an' shoot it, an' yo' ain't goin' stay heah long.
(What will it do, drive you away or kill you?)
Kill yo'.
Entry 8859
When yo' write de lettah, jis' have yore mind right on who yo' writin' tuh - on who yo' writin' tuh - an' git chew a bottle of Heart Cologne an' drop nine drops for nine days in dat lettah. Den git chew a box of Sweetheart Powdahs an' yo' sprinkle some on dere. Den yo' seal dat lettah up an' yo' send it tuh 'em. When dey git dat an' inahale dat, why den, see dat will bring 'em right back tuh yuh.
Entry 9661
Heard talk of 'em usin' needles an' pins [omits pins later] an' red flannel an' cologne an' salt. Supposed tuh be nine needles. Yo' use dat. Well, I could take it, say fer in- stance, an' stick it in your bed an' whoever lays down dere, well de needles don' have tuh touch 'em, but yo'll feel jis' lak lots of needles an' pins is stickin' in yuh.
(You say nine needles. How many pins do you put in that?)
No. Well, ah nevah seen 'em use no pins, jis' only nine needles.
(Nine needles and what else?)
Den use a piece of red flannel an' nine drops of cologne an' a little salt. Jes' take a spinch of salt in yuh fingahs an' wrap it up in dat red flannel. Put it anywhere aroun' yuh baid. De needles don't have tuh touch yuh, but yo' feel de needles stickin' in yuh.
(You feel these pains.)
Entry 9877
A green frog. All right, yo' kin put dat green frog - take him an' othah 'im in a towel. (Smother him in a towel.) Smothah 'im. Jis' smothah 'im an' yo' take dat same - den yo' take 'im an' cut 'im an' let 'im bleed, an' drop jis' nine drops in watah, er in whiskey, an' let 'em tuh drink it. An' dat frog'll come in 'im, jis' hatch in 'im jis' lak it would in de watah. [Live frogs will be born in the victim.]
Entry 9900
Yo' git a frog, a toadfrog, an' yo' put 'im in a can. Yo' put some holes in de can an' yo' put 'im ovah a red ants nest, an' let de ants eat de frog. An' when de ants through wit it, yo' go dere an' gits de skeleton of de frog, an' yo'll find a bone in dere, in dis skeleton dat looks lak a fish- bone - a wishbone. [There is no bone in a frog or toad looking like the wishbone in a chicken.] An' yo' takes dis bone an' go out talk- in' wit de girl dat chure tryin' tuh git. If yo' kin hang it in 'er clothes jes' fo' two seconds, why she'll be crazy about chew. An' de only way tuh git unsundah [asunder] from 'er is take dat same bone from anothah frog, an' make a tea an' put some of de watah in sompin lak a bottle of soda watah [a sweet carbonated water of various flavors] or sompin lak dat - nine drop of dis. Den she'll git chew off 'er mind. Othah den dat, she'll stay wit chew.
(That is all she can do to get rid of that.)
Dat's all yo' kin do tuh git rid of dat girl.
(Oh! if you want to get rid of her.)
Yes, if yo' wanta keep 'er, why don't make de tea. (If you want to get rid of her, you get another frog and take it out to the ants bed.) Dat's it.
Entry 9922
Ketch a toadfrog an' kill 'im an' drop nine drops of blood in a blf pint of whiskey, an' dat'll stop him.
(From drinking - a heavy liquor drinker.)
Entry 9943
Yo' got a enemy an' yo' don't want 'em an' [or] yo' jis' lak a man come in an' take yuh wife. Now, it's two ways tuh do it. Yo' ketch a toadfrog dat hops an' yo' take a brass pin an' scratch 'er left laig. An' yo' git a raw [not spun or twisted] thread. Tie yuh 9 knots in it. Scratch de left laig an' ketch 9 drops of blood, see. All right, yo' tie it [thread with blood] on de hind right laig an' yo' meet de sun before it rises in de mawnin' [you do this before sunrise]. An' make a wish, call dis person's name an' turn yer haid toward de rivah [the Mississippi] an' tell 'uh [her] tuh go. Call it three times jis' lak it's Mary, say: Mary go! Mary go! Mary go! Well, de way dat frog go [after you turn him loose] dat's de way whoevah it is vill go.
Entry 10246
Ah seen tie knots. Go off an' have intercourse with a woman an' tie knots in dat hans'cuff to tie her up.
(Just how would they do that?)
Well, dey take dere pocket hans'cuff an' de' tie it up, tie nine knots in it. Take de pocket hans' scuff den an' put it in a jar, an' put de jar down where she kin walk ovah it or walk undah it, eithah one, an' she'll always be fo' dat person.
(A man would do this to a woman.)
Uhmmm.
Entry 10276
I know at one time a woman and a man were very familiar towards each other, they would do anything they were inclined to do. So at last one day this woman decided that she would take the measure [circumfer- ence] and the length of her sweetheart. And after doing so - just as if you would go and measure a dog's tail. I don't care how bad the dog is, I don't care how much stranger he is, you can measure his tail and take the length of the measure and bury it at your doorstep, and that dog will never depart from you. So this woman, after taking the measurement of this man, goes to work. Then she decreed that, I want this man for myself individual. She would go to work and take this measurement, and wrap it up in a bundle and put it in a bottle, and put this measurement in her trunk, with a small quantity of her urine with this; and stopped it up and put it in her trunk and let it remain. And this man then would always forever be ravish with her and always wanting to get to her. You measure with a piece of string, stick, anything. You put that in the bottle with the urine. The man, you measure the length; the woman, you measure the size. He would do the same sort of thing with her measure. [Hamp- ton (Old Point Comfort), Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 10614
Yo' kin take a herb called de [High] John de Conkah. yo' understand. Yo' put it into a vial [of white cologne, see later] an' yo' take de vial an yo' use nine drops on a pocket han'ke'cheff. Yo' put in dat bottle: de High John de Conkah, an' de per- fume an' de Eve-an'-Adam. Dat Eve-an'-Adam, dat's a herb. Yo' see, yo' nuse dat into a little vial about so good - jes' enough tuh hol' it; yo' know, about de size of mah finger lak dat, an' den yo' have it in dat white cologne [the perfume mentioned]. Well, yo' nuse it den, nine drops at a time. Yo' see, lak yo' nuse dat aroun', yo' kin take dat up lak dat when yo' step into a room or sompin lak dat, yo' see. Yo' take yore pocket han'ke'cheff out an', yo' see [probably demonstrates] yo' flash it roun dere. An' dat's fo' lovin', yo' see.
Entry 10847
Ah learnt dat if a person kill a buzzard an' jest like if I had a friend - a wife or anything - an' dey wants tuh take de "upper turns" of me an' take away from me, well dey kin kill a buzzard. Dey say a buzzard got one lump of grease in him. Take dat lump of grease out an' fry it an' put it in a little vial an' keep it around wit dem. An' say, if ever occasion fo' dey comin' to mah house, dey kin take a drop or two an' run in dere han', an' when dey git to mah house, say if dey kin git clost enough to mah folks to rub dey han' on 'em, it will keep mah folks in confusion, an' dey'll have de influence of mah home.
(They just rub it over their clothes?)
Ovah de clothes, head, anywhere. (That is if someone is trying to break up you and your family.)
Entry 10879
Now, yo' see dis heah - dis may sound crazy tuh yo'. Yo' kin ketch yo a cat an' git two of his whiskers, any kinda cat black or white. Yo' kin git two of his whiskers. Jis' lak i yo' mah husban' an' ah want chew fo' mah man. Jis' take 'em in de house an' have 'em crossed, an' jis' walk on de flo' lak dis, jis' lak yo' sittin', an' drop 'em down behin' [you], yo' know, an' walk on out. An' he'll strictly leave there. [Did she demonstrate this rite!] Ah'm tellin' yo' whut ah know. See, mah daddy befo' he died [told me things?]. He wuz kinda smart... Ah don't know things good enough but some things ah really knows. Yo' ketcha live cat an' pull 'em outa his whiskers; see, a live cat, an' drop 'em an' walk on outa dere. Drop 'em in there. They can't git along fo' quarrel- in' an' arguin'. Quite natural yo' cain't live with a person fo' quarrelin' an' arguin'. Yo' ain't goin' stay there no mo'. It'll sure break it up [the home].
Entry 10932
Yo' takes a person dat's heavy drinker. Yo' git chew a live catfish- alive, any kinda fish. It don' have tuh be no special kind of fish. Yo' cut de tail off an' yo' ketch some of dat- jes' ketch three drops of that blood, an' yo' put dat blood into dat. Yo' git some likker, whatsomevah likker dey likes, an' put dat blood in dere an' give it to 'em to drink. He goin' drink it. [Catfish blood to cure alcoholism is a common belief along the Mississippi River from Memphis down through New Orleans. For cat fish blood and alcohol, see also Nos.7000-7007, p.3156-3158, v.4.]
Entry 10933
Like a man is a heavy drinker. You go to the river and catch you a catfish and git home with him as quick as you can, before he dies. Now, buy gin, wine - whaever he drinks. And take a knife and put it in that catfish's tail and hold him up and let three drops of blood drop in that whiskey or wine, whatever you [he] drink. And shake it up and put there for you [him] when you [he] come. Now when you drink this, it's goin' to make you sick. It make yo' so sick it'll almost kill yo'. And it'll give yo' no more taste for liquor.
Entry 11331
Ah said, jes' lak someone is gone an' yo' want 'em back home, why yo kin take a dove - git chew two doves. Kill one de doves an' let de othah one be live. Jes' lak, say fo' in- stance, yo' want Charlie tuh come home. Drop three drops of dat blood outa dat dead dove on de wings of dat live dove - on each wing - an' call Charlie's name wit each drop of blood. An' drop three on de next wing an' call Charlie's name. An' turn de live dove aloose an' let him go wit dose six drops of blood on his wings, yo' see. An' dat will bring de person back home whut chew wanted back.