Subject:Feed
Entries
Entry 3418
Git a ole slut dog. Yo' heah 'em talkin' about mens an' womens being stick tuh one 'nothah an' couldn't git 'em loose. Well, dey jes' take dese ole slut dog dat run about, yo' know, de muss [usually mess] dey have at de time dey are proudin' - see whut ah mean, tuh mate wit de othah dogs. Well, yo' kin jes' cut dat little tip off down dere, cut dat off. An' well, go in where she makin' sandwiches or sompin lak dat an' give it tuh her. See, if yo' think she goin' out an' can't stop, an' yo' wanted tuh ketch dat man an' dat woman tuhgethah, yo'll shoo [sure] git 'em - she'll stay dere. [The word prouding is quite common in hoodoo; it merely means swollen. Years ago I used to hear the word proud in connection with a wound - the flesh of the sore had begun to proud. One dictionary calls its use to describe certain female animals obsolete except for dialect.
Entry 3624
Yo' have tuh take his nature fo' it, yo' understan', dat he wouldn't want othah wimmins. Yo' have tuh take his nature fo' it. Well, now to take his nature yo' would have tuh - where his privates lay on 'is clothes. Undahstan', his drawahs. Well, yo' scrape dat lint from dose drawahs - scrape de lint from dose drawahs, see. An' den yo' take dat lint an' sew it up intuh a nice white piece, see. An' den yo' got 'is nature, see. An' den yo' jis' take dat evah nine days an' dip it in urinate. Jis' dip it in yore urinate, yore own urinate. An' as yo' takin' dat yo' take de measure of 'im. See, yo' take de measure of 'is privates where dey lay at, an' dat's whut yo' scrape out - dat lint right in de seat of dat.
(What do you do with that string?)
Well, now, yo' know whut chew do wit dat string, if yo' take a notion tuh measure wit dat string [instead of measuring the drawers place] - co'se yo' kin measure wit chure fingahs. But yo' put nine knots in dat string. Yo' put nine knots in it an' yo' sew it up intuh dis white piece wit de lint. De lint is in dere. An' den yo' dip it intuh dis watah, intuh yore urinate an' yo' got 'im:
(Where do you keep that then?)
Wear it right round yore wais' an' let it hang right down straight 'tween yore laigs. Dat's whare yo' keep it at.
Entry 3627
Yo' could win a man. Yo' could take, yo' know, a string an' put nine knots in a cord string an' put it in turpentine, yo' know, an' wear it aroun' yore waist, an' it would keep 'im from havin' dealin's wit any othah woman but chureself.
(Well what do you do with that string first before you put the nine knots on it?)
Well, yo' take an' put nine knots in it, see, an' make a wish an' put it in dat turpentine an' tie it aroun' yore waist, an' evah time he git ready tuh have a intahco'se wit any othah woman, see, he couldn't.
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 4602
[While golng down the Atlantic Coast, I had a difficult time with what usually sounded like hearts horn, hah thorn, etc. I thought hawthorne was meant. In the following rite my transcriber heard something like high p'ah and transcribed it high power! Only after considerable expe- rience was I able to come up with Hearts Own.] Put High Power [= Hearts Own Cologne] wit it. Dey gotta keep dis thing - dey gotta keep it renewed, dey have tuh keep it up. [The bow is a hand (p.519) which must be kept alive by feeding (pp.519, 578).] But EVAH TIME DAT AH'D HAVE A HAT AN' DEY'D TAKE DAT BOW OUT OF IT, AH'D THROW DE HAT AWAY. Ah WOuldn't Wear de hat no mo'. Ah'd throw de hat away an' git anothah hat. Throw it away an' don't wear it no mo'. Dey can't do nuthin wit yuh. But if yuh wear it, dey kin ketch cheh.
Entry 4710
Lotta things dey kin do wit dat, too. Dat little bow right in heah, right dere [demonstrates], dey kin take dat an' git chure sweat [in the bow]. Dey kin take dat, dat sweat, an' dey kin - git chew a little sack an' sew dat up in dere. An' take some moonshine likkah an' jis' keep dampened ovah - jis' wet it wit dat an' throw it away. An' dey tell me dat will run yuh crazy.
(Keep it dampened with moonshine liquor. And they throw it away?)
Throw it away.
(That makes you lose your mind.)
Entry 4951
A [dirty] stockin', yuh takes it an' ties three knots [one on top of the other - a threefold knot] in it. Dey say yuh take yeh right one. Gits yuh some Hearts Cologne, po' it in dere. Gits yuh nine pins, nine needles, an call dis person by name, whosomevah it is. Make yeh heart wish. See, jis' like if yuh wants yeh sweetheart tuh do sompin, tie dis tuh yuh. Every time yuh make a knot, pull yeh string [stocking] tuhwards yeh an' call dere name three times. An' put dem pins an' needles in dere [in the threefold knot]. Yuh takes dem pins, yeh lays de pins dis way [demonstrates].
(Alternate heads and points.)
An' yuh puts dis cologne on dere. An' yuh kin weah dat in yeh pocket. Dat'll make yuh - if yeh girl away from yeh, she'll come tuh yeh.
Entry 5529
(Suppose you begin that right from the beginning now. What do you do with this woman's track?) Yo' take dis woman's track, de lef'-foot track. See, yo' mus'n't [must not] ketch it gwine from yo'. Ketch it jes' lak - yo' ketch it comin' tuh yuh, jes' lak ah'm comin' tuh yo' heah, now. Jes' lak yo' call me, say, "Come heah, Jim." Ah goes tuh yo', an' yo' watch de lef' foot yo' see. Well, now, maybe when ah turn mah back an' go on de othah way - yo' know, ah don't know whut chure idea is. Yo' git it lak dis, yo' see. Yo' watchin' me goin' de othah way, yo' see. Yo' ketch it lak dis - go back to de heel [demonstrates].
(From the toe to the heel. Pick it up.)
Yo' pick it up. Den yo' goes tuh work an' goes - don't go tuh a steer. Yo' KNOW WHUT'S A STEER IS? A steer is - he has been a bull but he been cut, yo' Know. An' yo' goes tuh a bull lot. Yo' goes in dere an' aftah yo' goes in de bull lot - make it dere befo' sunrise an' de bull be layin' down yo' know. Yo' stir 'im, make him git up, yo' see. When he git up, he goin' stretch yo' know. Hell, when he stretch he goin' do his business. Well, yo' see, yo' ketch de second turd befo' it hit de groun' - don't let it hit de groun' yo' see - de secon' turd. Jes' as de first one - yo' let de firs' one hit yo' see.
(You grab that?)
Yo' grab dat yo' see. Yo' take dat an' go on off an' put it in a ole tin pin [pan] an' set it on de fiah. An' yo' go tuh work aftah yo' set it on de fiah - dat parch it. Yo' have seen people parch coffee. Yo' set dere an' yo' stir it yo' know an' parch it. An' yo' take dat track, an' yo' take dat bull's stuff, an' go tuh de drug sto'. Go tuh drug sto' an' git chew a bottle of cologne, or eithah de Ten Cent Sto'. Yo' mix dat up wit one of dem track yo' see. Yo' mix dat up tuhgethah an' go git chew a vial: Den yo' goes tuh work yo' see an' yo' gits yuh a li'le bottle - see, 'bout lak dat [demonstrates].
(A small bottle about the size of your middle finger.)
Dat's right, a small bottle. Den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' gits dat Heart Cologne. Git chew a li'le bit of likkah. Heart Cologne, dat trouble. An' git chew a li'le bit of likkah an' a li'le camphor, yo' see. An' yo' put all dat in dere, yo' see, intuh dat bottle. Put dat mixture yo' mix outa dat bull turd an' 'uh track. Put all dat in dat bottle. Yo' see de idea. An' aftah yo' put it intuh dat bottle, yo' shakes it up lak dis yo' see [demonstrates]. Yo' take a stoppah an' yo' puts it intuh a stoppah [into the bottle] an' yo' git chew a piece of silk cloth an' yo' sews dat up. YO' KNOW WOMENFOLKS IS KINDA SHARP, yo' know, an' yo' sews dat up. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' tote dat right nex tuh yo'. Yo' see, if yo' kin git it in dis li'le fob pocket chere [here], yo know, nex' tuh yore skin anywhere. Yo' totes dat yo' see. Well, yo' feeds dat jes' lak yo' feeds [yourself], 'bout three time a week. Yo' go tuh work an' buy a li'le mo' likkah, yo' know, an' yo' put on dat yo' know. Take a li'le bit mo Heart Cologne an' yo' po' on dat, yo' see. Yo' po' dat right on de rag, yo' un- dahstan'. Well, now, dat's carried. An' evah time yo' go by 'uh, anywhere, yo' say, "Looky heah, honey, how 'bout [so-an'-so]?" "Yes, all right.'" An' jes' git a li'le bit of it, yo' know, right out de top of 'uh heah [demon- strates].
(The top of her hair - top of the head?)
Jes' about three strands. Be sharp enough - be sharp enough aftah 'uh sleep- in'. Yo' see de idea. Go right heah [demonstrates].
(By her privates?)
Yeah. An' take 'bout three strands, de long one right heah, yo' know. Take dat an' mix it all tuhgethah an' put it right in dat bottle. She'll follah 'im anywhere in de worl'.
(And keep her?)
Yessuh. See, ah tried dat. Ah had so much trouble wit womenfolks, dat, yo' know, ah'd...
(Who taught you - who told you that?)
Well, ah tell yo', AH MET A LADY [doctOr] FROM LOUISIANA. SHE WUS TRAVELIN' AN' SHE WUS THROUGH HEAH. So ah been havin' quite a lot of trouble wit wimmins yo' see. Ah used tuh be a woman lovah, yo' know. Ah did love womenfolks, yo' know, an' AH HAD MAH HAID BUMPED BY MANY, yo' see. An' ah tole huh 'bout it N' she tole me whut tuh do. An' ah has tried it - RIGHT TODAY, YO' HOL' DEM AN' PUT "EM UNDAH YORE FOOT. Yo' hol' dem, an' long as yo' kin keep 'em down undah yore foOt, yo' kin gO. But DE MINUTE DEY GIT DE UPPER PULL ON YO', DEY GOT CHEW AN' GONE. Yo' see? Dey got chew an' gone.
Entry 5857
I've seen 'em git hold of haah an' put a runnin' fits on people by takin' dat hāah, ball it up in sausage. Jis' take some of yo' hāah an' ball it up in sausage meat an' give it to a dog. When dat dog eat dat meat an' dat sausage will pass out dat dog, but dat haah won't come out. An' when dat dog have runnin' fits, yo'll have rrnnin' fits. [A runnin' fit is a leaving-home or wandering-about spell.]
Entry 6013
Dey have hair in dat - dey git a lock of a lady's hair, men usin' dis. An' git a lock of lady's hair an' den dey git dis lodestone an' dey gits nine needles an' Hearts Perfume. Dat's whut ah heard now. An' den dey wrap it, feeds [see p.578] dat thing wit whiskey, an' wrap it in a ball, an' tie dat black string aroun' it.
(What do they wrap it up in?)
Flannel, red flannel, an' den put de black thread aroun' it an' put a string aroun' dat, an' let it hang down in dere bosom or breast an' wear it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Dat will draw love.
Entry 7863
Dey git graveyard dirt an' sew it up in a li'le piece of red flannen an' wet it fo' nine mawnin's wit Hearts Cologne an' weah it in yore pocket. Dat brings yo' luck in gamblin' an' on dese [playing] cards.
Entry 8470
Now, whut ah've heard about de photograph. Yo' kin take a woman's photograph, if yo' lovin' dat woman an' yo' can't git any love wit her, yo' kin take dat an' weah it in yore pocket an' a bran'-new pocket han'ke'ch'ef. Keep it wrapped up in it an' jes' keep it damp wit a li'le likkah. An' dat woman will go crazy ovah yo' until yo' be's ready tuh quit 'er.
(You keep that pocket handkerchief anointed with liquor?)
A bran'-new one ain't nevah been used.
(Do you have to keep it in your pocket in any particular Way or anything?)
Yes sir, in yore left [the heart] pocket.
Entry 8937
To keep a dog from interfering with you, take a piece of biscuit or a piece of bread and wear it under your arm, then take that to any man's house, no matter how bad his dog is, give him that piece of bread, any hour of the night, and he will eat it, and you can go there and he won't do anything.
Entry 9082
An' yo' gits dis John de Conkah root, an' yo' gits a piece of devil's- shoestring root. An' yo' split dat devil's-shoestring root, split it in half, in fo' halves [quarters]. An' yo' cut dat John de Conkah root round. An' yo' puts hit [both roots] intuh a vial, an' yo' put dis Jack of Clubs, Hearts Cologne [2 perfumes] on it. He totes dat in his right pocket.
(For what?)
Dat's fo' luck in trouble. (Now what does he do? He puts that John the Conker piece, cut round, puts it in the bottle. What does he do with the devil's-shoestring?) Mix it wit it, put it right in de same bottle - put dat in de same bottle. (Wait a minute! You didn't put that round piece and that split part of John the Conker then?) No.
(Separately?)
Jes' separate dem.
(Why do they split that John the Conker root? I mean the devil's-shoestring?)
Ah don't know, jes' tuh split de enemies dey say. Dey put dem two into a bottle.
(How many pieces of John the Conker do you put in there, you say?)
Three piece, three round pieces.
(Why do you put three round pieces in there?)
Dat is fo' de jedge an' de solicitor an' de lawyah, ah 'spose.
(That goes in with that devil's-shoestring.)
Yes.
(And you feed that you say?)
Jes' feed dat, Hearts Cologne, Rose Van [Rosewater] or Jack of Clubs.
Entry 9628
Yo' kin git chew sulphuh an' salt an' red peppah an' tie it up an' whenevah yo' gits roun' 'im... (Round the boss.) Yo' be talkin' tuh 'im - an' Hearts Cologne, git dat Hearts Cologne. Yo' keep it wet chew know. Yo' talkin' tuh 'im. He give yo' a job.
Entry 9820
Latsa people dey take nine needles, bran'-new needles an' dey git a piece of lodestone an' put 'em in dis way an' dat-a-way [demonstrates].... (Now wait. [I try to repeat informant's demonstration.] Put in this way and that way?) [I am making a cross.] Yes sir, cross [demonstrates].
(Cross them all.)
An' den yo' go tuh a blacksmith shop an' git chew some anvil dust, de steel from de anvil where dey make de iron, an' put it in dere. An' git chew a piece of lodestone an' put ten cents [a silver dime] in it. It's lucky tuh yuh if yo' keep it an' let nobody touch it. Feed it wit whiskey. Yo'll always have silvah money. [Even during my collecting days back in 1938 the preceding anvil dust never saw an anvil; it came from ma- chine-shop filings. Anvil dust and steel dust were the same thing, depending upon age, size, color, etc.] [In the following comment I am not talking for informant's benefit, I am an- notating for the future.] (Now in putting these needles, you put one needle like that, and then you put another needle on there like that - like a cross, sort of like little squares, like tick-tack-toe.) Yes. [Everything is arranged or sprinkled into the form of a cross before the combined materials are put in the bag.]
Entry 9991
High John de Conkah root, red and white lodestone, frog dust, in bag, vet [feed] with Ole Hearts Perfume, sometimes with whiskey, luck hand for gamb- lers.
Entry 10554
Well, yo' know a leather-wing bat. Well yo' kin take hit an' split him open, an' yo' kin git nine drops of blood from him, an' den git some Heart Cologne an' mix it together. An' yo' kin tote dat in yore pocket an' dat's very good luck. (Well, how would you carry all this stuff, in a rag or in a bottle or in a wallet, what?) Well, yo' take yo' a bottle whut chew buy de Hearts Cologne in an' yo' po'es dat in it.
(You put this blood in the Hearts Cologne bottle.)
Dat's right, an' den yo' see, yo' watch it an' yo' feeds it on dat all de time, yo' see, an' it, yo' know, grows an' grows, makes yore luck be stronger an' stronger.
Entry 10565
They [doctors] generally use that hot, but they - the biggest majority of people [I heard] from the "doctor" that I worked for - they never did knew how to use it. See. Now, those things what I'm outZing [= out- ing = revealing to author] to you there, if the individual don't know how to use it, it the same as you trying to sweeten the Mississippi River with a nickel's worth of sugar. It's too much water. You have to put the same amount of different things, you understand, to make it have any action. See, if not, it's got no power. Now, the bat heart, plenty of people would take the bat and kill the bat, then take his heart out. The heart was dead, it's no good. Have to ketch the bat and cut the heart out whilst the bat is alive. See.
(Then what do you do?)
You take that and you - after you cut the bat heart out, you get any kind of a good high-priced perfume, anoint that perfume with that [anoint bat heart with that perfume], take three pods of garlic, sewing that up together, and put it in your pocket and you're a lucky man. [The typed words "lucky man" and reference were originally on separate sheet, I put them in ink at bottom of typed page to save space. Did this a number of times. H. M. H., August 9, 1976.]
Entry 10567
Yo' gits a leather-[wing] bat an' yo' gits his heart an' yo' sew it up into a red flannel. An' gits a small piece of rock sulphur an' put it [in the flannel] together. Feed that, gi' [give] to 'em. Tell 'em [I am to tell my patient or client] while he losin', totes it in his left pocket so he kin lose. Well, when he lose as much as he wanta, change it ovah in his right pocket an' gamble right on an' he'll win.
Entry 10592
Yo' go an' yo' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat an' yo' cut him open while he's alive an' yo' take his heart out. Yo' take red silk thread an' red flannel, yo' know, tie it up wit dat. An' yo' use Heart Cologne on it an' yo' always be lucky. Dat's right.
Entry 10595
You take the bat's heart, you understand. That's supposed to be luck. Take the heart from the bat before he is dead. Over that Jockey Club perfume wit Blue Di'mond, git from the pharmacy; it's a lickrish [liquid]. Saturate it, you see. Sew it up in a piece of red flannel, you see, with some steel dust. Well, if you are a gambling man, that will make you lucky.
Entry 10674
Asafetida in red flannel [bag, or hand or mojo]. Urinate on that [from time to time to feed it, give it power]. Keep it. Lucky in gambling.
Entry 10834
Yo' go to somebody an' yo' git a little ole sompin dey calls a buck- eye, an' yo' tote dat in yore pocket. Sew it up in a lil' sack. An' yo' go to de drug sto' an' git some Heart Cologne an' po' dat on dere, an' jes' go an' ask fo' a job an' he git chew a job.
Entry 11107
Yo' git whut de' call three clover leaf.
(One three-clover leaf or three different leaves?)
One leaf but three different leaves on it. It's all in one - three clover leaves. All right, chew name dose leaves de days yo' goin' tuh see yore boss an' use de same perfume on it - Hearts Perfume - use dat on it, an' tie that up in a red flannel with a needle, and put a little ashes an' salt, an' dat'll give yo' - use dat fo' luck. Ah have done it. (When you go before the boss to give you a job?) Yes sir, ah wus three days in gittin' a job, yo' see. Yo' see yo' name it de days yo' go. [If you go for a job on Monday, name the hand Monday. "Monday, I want you to get this job for me today, etc."]
Entry 11692
Go to a table, de fo' corners of a table, an' scrape de dirt off it - de fo' corners of a table an' cook it in his biscuits or anything she cook it in an' give it to him to eat, an' ah guarantee he won't leave. He'll stay right there [I had heard about sitting down at a kitchen table, scraping the corner to your right and feeding scrapings to dog, also scraping 3 corners for the same purpose, keeping animal home (see FACI, 2nd ed., Nos.2295-2296, p.91- 92); but keeping a man home with scraping from 4 corners was new to me. Is a man harder to keep home?]
Entry 12142
She [root doctor] tell me. Ah'm goin' tell yo' whut she tole me 'bout de gamblin'. She gimme a bag an' tole me go tuh de drug sto' an' git a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' ever' time ah go in a game wet it wit dat Hearts Cologne; an' say wet it wit de Hearts Cologne an' rub it on yore han's, de Hearts Cologne - rub de bag on it.
(What was in the bag?)
Well, she [told me] yo' wusn't 'sposed tuh open it.
Entry 12228
Wal, yo' kin git dat John de Conker, called de King of de World. Ah've tried dat an' dat's not so good. Wal, yo' take it when yo' git it an' git chew a piece of red flannen, see, an' sew dat up in a piece of red flannen. (Sew this John de Conkah up in this red flannel.) Dat's right an' den git chew some Hearts Perfume [bottle has 2 or more small red hearts on label] an' put chew 9 drops on dere. An' put chew twelve pins in dat, see, right out a bran'-new package of pins. Wear it in yore left pocket every day yo' go. An' in a cer- tain length of time, dat odor - yo' has to perfume it ovah ag'in - dat means every 3 weeks. It'll work fo' yo', too. Ah've tried dat.
(What do you wear this little bag for? What is that supposed to do?)
Well, dat's to keep yore enemies away from yo'. An' if yo' wanta start any business, yo' have success an' good luck after dat - no cops to bother, nuthin atall [at all]. Dey might come to yore place but when dey come to de place dey'll sit down an' talk with yuh.
Entry 12230
They take that gunpowder and John de Conkah an' put all that together and yo' wrap that all up in a jōhmō, jōmōh in a red piece of flannen an' yo' take that then and yo' git chew some Hearts Cologne and yo' water [feed] 'er nine days, nine mawnin's... (You water [feed] it?) Yes suh. Give it dat Hearts Cologne on it fer 9 mawnin's, and on [after] de 9 mawnin's if there don' be a change, on the ninth mawnin', you throw it away.
(What do you do this for?)
Dey say if anybody trying to do anything to you, that thing will fix [hoodoo] 'em. It will bring them to you.
Entry 12236
Say take John de Conker. It's in de woods, it's a weed, yo' take hit. It's got a whole lotta spring to it. An' put it in a bottle an' feed it, feed it with cologne or whiskey. Yo' feed it ever' time yo' eat, or ever' time yo' go tuh gamblin'. Feed it an' dey say hit's lucky.
Entry 12343
Tuh git a job, yo' jis' have tuh dress yo'self an' ah tell yo' jis' whut chew have tuh do. Yo' have tuh dress yo'self wit lodestone an' quicksilvah an' Jockey Club Perfume - both togethah. Ah tell yo' jis' how yo' do now. Yo' git chew a red piece of flannel aftah yo' beat it all up dere to- gethah. Git chew a red piece of flannel an' den take a thread outa yore sock. See, jis' lak yo' got a pair of socks, but let it be a pair of socks yo' done worn amn' take a thread from dat sock an' tie it aroun' dis, an' den befo' yo' go in dere, yo' know, yo' kin'a run yore han's lak dis [demonstrates]. Yo' see, yo' rub yore han' lak dis an' den when he [boss] git tuh talkin' tuh yo', yo' have tuh kinda hold yore face lak dat. An' when yo' go, yo'll kin'a throw yore fingahs lak yo' kinda throwin' yore fingahs tuh him yo' know, an' he'll git de odor of it all right. Dat Jockey Club Perfume dere. The're [there are] two chances tuh one yo' won' be turned down.
(You rub this bag in your hand?)
Dat's right.
Entry 12344
(Lodestone.)
Keep it wet with perfume and tote that in your pocket. That will give you lock to get a job like that, even be able lucky for anything - luck for anything like that.
Entry 12363
Now, ah tell yo' if a pusson git holta [hold of] yore hair. Dey kin [git] yore hair and dey kin take dat piece of hair maybe and wrap it up tight. Sew it up inna piece of cloth, use some oil on it, pin it down - jis' like yo' love a pusson an' yo' wanna make a pusson love yo', yo' see. Yo' git dat piece a hair an' yo' gits some dis powdah yo' calls love powdah. Yo' take dat love powdah an' yo' puts dat piece a hair an' dat love powdah in de clot', an' yo' sew it up tight an' yo' use cologne - a certain kin'a high-class cologne yo' use on it. An' evah day yo' gotta fed [feed] it [this hand] dat. Evah da' po' a lil' dat cologne on. Pin it right to yo' side; an' why yo' kin git dat pusson. Yo' want 'em.[ Charles- ton, S. Car., (?), 643:1.]
Entry 12434
If yo' wanta git anybody's secret, git yo' a bird aig, a mockin'bird [egg] an' cook it an' eat it. Boil it. (What will happen then?) Say yo' kin git anybody's secret, have to tell yo' dere secret; if yo' wanta know it, anything yo' wanta know. Any- thing dey done an' yo' wanta know it, yo' jes' give 'em dat. Dey tell ever'- thing dey know. (They would have to eat that, then they'll tell you the secret. You won't eat it. They eat it?) They eat it.
(They tell you the secret?)
Tell yo' de secret.
Entry 12439
If yo' wanted a woman or somepin [someone] tuh tell yo' everythin', anything she knows, ever'thing she do's well. Nowa durin' de spring of de yeah when de bird's startin' tuh layin', yo' go out an' find a mockin'bird's nest an' come back heah an' take de yellah of de aig, an' place it wit de yellah of a hen aig an' cook it. Fix her a sandwich an' she eat it. She'll tell yo' everything be done an' everything she knows.
Entry 12720
Well, dey tell me fo' luck in gamblin', dey'll go out an' dey'll git 'em a rabbit foot. An' dey cut it off jes' right above de - right above de knee up dere, de left knee. An' dey take dat dere rabbit foot an' dey dress it. Dey dress it with lodestone an' keep it dissolved [fed] in Hearts Cologne. An' dey tote dat in dey watch pocket, an' if dey go out den dey kin win. (You say they use the left hind leg?) [Left hind leg must have been given before recording began.] De left hind one. (And they keep that in this Hearts Cologne so they will win in a gambling game? Yes.
Entry 12721
An' anothah thing, yo' ketch a rabbit an' yo' cut his foot off, his left foot, an' turn him loose an' let him go. An' git chew a piece of devil's- shoestrings an' a piece of five-finger root. An' yo' put them three things tol gethah. An' yo' jes' take it an' wrap dat devil's-shoestrings round dat rabbit foot, an' yo' sew it up in a piece of red cloth, an' yo' make a sack out of it, bag-like, an' yo' feed hit on Hearts Col Ogne. An' dat's anothah thing fo' a job - good luck. Long as yo' tote dat yo'll git a job anywhere.
(You get the left foot. Which one? He had two left feet.)
De left front feet.
Entry 12747
Yo' kin take rattlesnake marster, spice an' yo' kin take Hearts Own Cologne an' alum an' yo' put dat in a little bag an' yo' kin carry it 'long wit chew in yore pocket, but chew wanta have yo' some Hearts Own Cologne aloag, yo' know, to 'noint it wit, yo' know, an' keep dat liven up. [Dressing or feeding a hand as here gives it life, power.] An' yo kin go an' yo' kin git a job most anywhere. An' when yo' git it chew be de last one to be cut off practically, if de [dey or dere] be any cutting off being done.
(You would be the last one fired.)
Entry 12929
An' some say yo' git dis heah Be Shame Root, Be Shame Brier an' git hit an' cut it up an' put it in dere an' put dis heah Hearts Cologne wit it.
(What do you put that root in?)
In a cloth an' sew it up an' wear it. Say dat will make yo' be lucky in any- thing yo' put chure han' tuh do. [Root became a normal hand for any kind of luck.]
Entry 13224
Ah've heard of 'em taking sugar an' de spit from dere mouth, jes' lak de spit from mah mouth, an' take sugah an' mix it into a biscuit with buttah, an' put it undah yore arm an' wear it undah dere. At meal- time an' give it to a man, an' dat man will always love yo'. He'll give yo' 中 every penny he kin make, but chew gotta keep it up.
Entry 13291
If yo' got a man an' he's runnin' aroun' an' yo' wanta stop him, dey say yo' feed him offa de fo' corners of de table. Scrape de fo' corners of de table. Git dat stuff, yo' know, off de fo' corners of de table an' put dat in his food, an' dat'll make him stay home. [A dog rite transferred to man!]
Entry 13300
John de Conkah, you git dat, an' dragon's blood an' a little piece of lodestone [3 ingredients] an' wrap dat in a piece of flannen an' make a [hand and feed] Hearts Cologne or Good Riding Scent [the only appearance of this perfume] an' jes' rub dat ovah yuh face after having a couple of days of good work, yo' know. An' jes' rub dat ovah yuh an' not only de boss - nobody can't turn yuh down. [I hope the reader did not miss the poignancy of after having a couple of days of good work. This desire for work - the many rites for getting and holding jobs - is everywhere in HOODOO. That hoodoo drugstore perfume Good Riding Scent is unique.]
Entry 13306
Then you can fix what you call a scaft [scapular] to wear upon you to protect yourself.
(A what?)
A scafle.
(What kind? How do they fix that?)
You get frankincense, frankincense.
(What kind? Frankincense. All right.)
Yes. And myris [myrrh].
(And what? Muritch. All right.)
Muritch. And you puts it in white linen. See, you make a scaple [scapular] out of it to wear around your neck. And you feeds it with a oil of labena [verbena]. (Lavena?) Yes, you pours that upon it. That's to protect yourself. See that's what I knows about that.
(Now, what do you call this vanovitch?)
Muritch.
(What does it look like?)
It's a rock.
(A rock?)
Yes, it look just like that, but you can beat it up and make a powder out of it. (I see, muritch Yes, muritch and frankincense, they both look the same, but the frankincense is light looking and myrrh is brown. But they both is rocks, just come in pieces like that and larger pieces.
(Muritch or myrrh?)
Muritch 'er - ah myrrh.
(Is it myrrh?)
Yes, sir. That's it, myrrhs.
(I see. I got it.)