Subject:Fold
Entries
Entry 2831
Well, dey [hoodoos] take dese candles see, and dey would write chure name on 'em, or let chew write yore name on a piece of paper, or either let de one whut dislike yo' or something like dat, let dem write chure name on a piece of paper. Well, dey take dis paper and fold it three different ways [see 2812, p.806]. (Roll it?) No, dey fold it like - see [demonstrates], yo' fold it dat way but yo' be folding it from you all de time. Fold it dat way and yo' fold it this way. Then yo turn it ovah and fold it agin, and put it together and set de candle on top of it. [See comment later.] Well, den yo' light dat candle. Well, after de nine days is over - dey burns it nine days for nine mawnin's - after de nine mawnin's ovah, den yo'll die.
(What kind of candles do they burn?)
Well, some of 'em dey tell me is a black candle.
(When do you light that candle in the morning?)
Dey tell me dey have certain times of de morning tuh light it.
(Do you know what time?)
No, ah don't know. [The preceding folding means: (1) fold one piece of paper from you, making two folds with name inside them; (2) turn once-folded paper clockwise, away from you, and again fold from you, obtaining four folds; and (3) turn clockwise this twice-folded paper, producing eight folds. These folds are now pressed together. Symbolically, the name is completely enclosed, boxed in or squared in, its spirit unable to escape. Symbolical also are the eight folds or squares and name, which equal number nine; while candle standing above name repeats the nine - a double nine. The third symbol is the folded, actually crossed and crossed name centered among four paper corners, thus creating a quincunx (see 2799, p.802; p.710, and elsewhere). Since candle above name also creates a quincunx, we have a double quincunx or one quincunx superimposed over the other.]
Entry 3162
An' if yo' wanta keep yore man tuh home, don' want 'im tuh go roun' wit nobody, yo' kin take a bran'-new pocket han'chef an' let 'im have intahco'se wit chew, an' dry 'im on dat han'chef an' take an' fole dat han'chef in fo' parts. Yo' know, jes' lak yo' take yore han'chef, a man's han'chef is a real large one. See, yo' take it an' yo' fold it. Don' nevah fold it from yo', always fold it disaway - see, lak dat [demonstrates by folding oppo- site corners of nonexisting handkerchief to her, creating two parallelograms - see later]. An' as yo' fold it, turn it roun' disaway. See, dat's once.
[Informant folds again.]
(Then you fold it to you again, twice.)
Dat's twice, yassuh, an' yo' change it roun' disaway. Dat's three. An' yo' ketch it an' turn it roun' dataway an' fold it back tuh yo' lak dat. Well, dat's fo'. Well, yo' take dat jes' lak yo' see it dere an' put chew a pen [ink] in heah crossways an' put chew needle through it dataway an' put chew a needle in it dat way, an' pens [pins] it right heah. An' it's no way he kin have no one. He may have a strong mind fo' it, but all de same time when he do git dere, hit falls, he cain't do anything.
(In other words, you put a pin across?)
A needle, git chew a gold-eyed needle. [Pin is my mistake from her words put chew a pen [pin] in heah crossways. A needle, not a pin, is pinned crossways.] Git chew fo' gold-eyed needles tuh pin it, de point of dat needle dat way [demonstrates]. Take de othah pointed needle an' set it dataway. See, dat's fo' [four] cornahs; in evah cornah be a needle.
(They are all catercorner; they are all diagonal.)
[Catercorner and diagonal are notations for my use later, not guestions for informant.] Yessuh.
(You have to use four needles so that the point goes to each corner.)
[Informant gives 2 methods for sticking needles in corners - see later.]
Dat's right. [We have here THE MAGIC OF "GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION", specifically a magic rite of increasing squares - in number, not by size. It is also a magic rite based upon the four corners of the earth (see 3126, p.2344). Let me explain it: (1) Spread out a handkerchief so that it lies square - not diamond-shaped - in front of you. Fold the 2 farther corners over to you and lay them on the 2 nearer corners, making 2 oblongs one over the other. (2) Without lifting the once- folded handkerchief, turn it clockwise so that its length extends directly out from you, and for a second time fold it to you, making 4 squares. (3) These 4 squares were not turned clockwise but probably should be to keep the magic in proper revolution. Again fold the 2 farther corners over to you so that they co- incide with the 2 nearer corners, making 8 oblongs. And (4) turn the 8 oblongs clockwise so that its length extends directly out from you, and finally fold the 2 farther corners over to you so that they agree with the 2 nearer corners, mak- ing 16 squares. Our package is now ready to be pinned. These 4 needles can be pinned into the folded handkerchief in 2 ways. Either each pinned-in needle cuts across a corner, making 4 triangles resting on 16 squares, or each needle, point- ing outward or inward, bisects the 90° angle of the corner. If the needles point inward, they help keep the folded-up man inside; if they point outward, they keep possible intruding women outside. And so on ad finitum. For further folding rites in this section, especially triangles, see 3182-3190, p.2356f.]
Entry 3182
An' den ag'in ah heard 'em say dat if yo' want chure husban' or yore frien', eithah one, if he's goin' wit anothah woman an' yo' wanta break 'im up from foolin' wit 'er. De way yo' do, yo' an' 'im, whenevah yo an' 'im have intahco'se, yo' see, yo' take one end of dis new piece of homespun an' aftah yo' - yo' wipe wit one end an' she wipe wit one end, an' take dis piece of homespun an' fold it tuh yo' all de time, an' den Wear it, pin it aroun' jure waist, an' dat will stop 'im from havin' anythin' tuh do wit any woman excep' chew. He can't do it tuh save his life.
Entry 3183
Dey say dat's when yo' have intahco'se wit someone. Dey take a linen pocket han'scuff, an' say, yo' fol' dat linen pocket han'scuff three times, an' yo'press dat pocket han'scuff wit a hot iron an' bury it right up undah de steps an' dey say dat he won't have anythin' to do wit no one but yo'. See, evah time he would try, hit would, yo' know, hit would fail on 'im - he couldn't do anythin' but wit dat woman. Dey uses dat han'scuff, don' choo know, evah...
(On one, or on both of them?)
On 'im, see. She jis' use it on 'i, see.
(Then she folds it?)
Folds it an' presses it.
(I see.)
An' den buries it undah de steps right where he have to go ovah.
Entry 3184
Maybe, say yo' had a woman an' yo' wuz jealous. Yo' couldn't do lak yo' wanted tuh do wit 'er. Evahwhere yo'd go, somewhere she'd squabble an' fuss. Well, now, de way yo' wanta do dat. Jes' lak yo'd have a intahco'se wit 'er or sompin, yo' git a bran'-new towel an' den when yo'all wipe, wipe in de middle of dat towel an' den fold it.
[Informant evidently produced a handkerchief.]
(Show me with the handkerchief.)
Take de towel jes' lak dis, jes' de centah dat chew wipe wit, an' take dat towel an' fold it dis way [demonstrates]. (You fold one-fourth of it [oblong towel] to the middle, away from you; then a fourth of it away from you, bring it to you to the center.) Yes, dis way; to yo' ag'in dis way.
(Then you fold it over again, fold it three times.)
[The towel is folded into 5 oblongs.]
Yes. Well, dat keeps de air from it, see. Well, now yo' take dat an' pin it right aroun' yore wais' dis way, see. Wear dat aroun' yore wais', an' when yo' goin' take a bath or at night take it off, put it where nobody cain't find it or git to it. Put dat aroun' yore wais' an' wear it fo' five days. At de end of dat five days yo' kin bring de woman in de house an' yo' kin do anythin' yo' wanta an' he won't say anythin'.
Entry 3185
Take an' git some of 'is nature yo' know, when she have anythin' to do wit 'im. Have a clean cloth. Take a clean cloth an' use dat, but chew don't have connection wit 'im. Take dat cloth an' fold it fo' times. Fold it one time dis way, an' den fold it dat way. Fold it dis way an' fold dis end in. An' put it [demonstrates]. (You fold that handkerchief [I describe informant's actions]. You fold it to you one fold. Then you come to this other end and fold it the other way, and you fold it again in the middle, and you fold this other side in the middle. That's four folds. You make two [by folding top to you, then folding bottom away from you, making 3 oblongs] and then fold them over [fold the 3 oblongs, left side to right past center, right side to left past center, creating 9 squares and you have a tick-tack-toe design.].) Dat's right, den yo' put it in de middle of de bed undah de Eattress. [For another folding 4 times, see 3162, p.2352.]
Entry 3186
Or jes' lak yo' be wit 'im an' yo' love 'im. Yo' don't want 'im go out. Keep 'im from havin' othah women. Yo' git a bran'-new pocket han'scuff an' yo' be wit 'im. Yo' let 'im use dat han'- scuff an' yo' full it wit salt an' roll de fo' cornahs to yo', an' bury it undahneat' chure steps. He goin' bring dat money home when yo' git 'im lak dat.
(He isn't going out with other women.)
He ain't goin' bothah wit 'em, he cain't.
(That's the way you take his nature away from him then?)
Yes. [Brunswick, Ga., (1201), 2016: lla.]
Entry 3187
Well, if a woman wants a man, an' don' wan' 'im tuh run roun' wit no othah woman, well if she have anythin' tuh do wit 'im, see. When dey git through she takes a white - clean pocket han'chef - see, an' wipe 'in on it, an' den she takes it an' she folds it six ways. She goes up- town an' gits 'er a bunch of safety pins an' she puts nine pins in dat han'chef an' bury it undah de steps. Well, he can't be wit no othah woman but dat woman.
(Show me how she puts them six ways?)
See, she take de han'chef - lak it's fo' cornahs, an' she fold it dis way an' she fold it dat way. Den she brings it dis way, den she bring it dat way. Dat's five ways. Den she bring it back ovah tuhgethah. Dat makes it de last, see. An' she buries it undah de steps.
Entry 3188
If a man runnin' aroun' an' a woman wanta stop 'i, cut 'im completely off where he won't have no nature, know whut chew do. She act sweet wit 'im, go to bed wit 'im tull he discharge a little. She don't do nothin', she fool wit 'im [fools him], yo' see. All right, she takesdat rag an' she fold it three times to her. She take a hot smooth- in' iron an' put on it an' leave dat set dere fer about thirty minutes. She take it up an' she fold it ag'in - she folds it three times firs'. All right, an' she leave dat iron set dere 'bout thirty minutes. She take an' fold it three mo' times to her an' leave dat iron set dere ag'in. Den she take it an' put it, hid it somewhere in de mattress or eithah hide it somewhere he gotta sleep. He cain't do nothin. Evah time he go out, he jes' go jes' lak
[demonstrates with a falling gesture].
Entry 3189
A man kin have intahco'se wit 'is wlfe or eithah 'is girl frien', see, an' she don't wan' 'im to run aroun'. He may be constantly doin' dese thin's. An' she take dis han'kechef or dis cloth whut she, yo' know, dry huhself off wit an' make a triangle of it, see, an' always fold de ends to her. See, an' fold it careful an' put it in de bottom of 'er trunk an' let it stay dere. An' 'er husban' will natural- ly be broke off havin' contact wit de womens - runnin' roun'.
Entry 3253
Well, ah tell yo' whut chew kin do tuh break a man up wit a woman. Yo' buy a bran'-new pocket han'chuf, if yo' wanta break up 'im from intahco'se wit 'er. Take yo' a bran'-new pocket han'chuff an' have intahco'se wit 'im. See, ketch it [semen] all in dis new pocket han'chuff an' take it home wit chew. Yo' take dat han'chuff jis' lak dis [demonstrates] an' roll dis to yo'. See dis, evah time. Yo' turn it roun' an' yo' roll it right back to yo'. Den yo' turn an' yo' roll it ag'in. Fold it up, see. Take yo' nine pods of red peppah [9 dried finger peppers - hot peppers] an' put it on dere an' two spoonsfulla table salt. Dig yo' a hole in de fiahplace or cookin' stove. Do dis at twelve a'clock in de night, zackly twelve, an' don't talk tuh nobody, be by yo'self. Dig dat hole an' put it in dere. An' whosomevah build a fire - yo' don' have tuh build no fiah [if there is a fire, use it; if not] build a fiah dere an' burn dat up an' don't even look back, an' if yo' don't do whut chew wan'a do, dat's yorn [man or woman]. Ah had a man ah vuz re'lly crazy about. Ah re'lly loved 'im an' he done rid- ded [got rid of me] me fo' anothah woman. A Mistah John Cook [Mistah indicates a white doctor], ah nevah will fo'git, he tole me fis' whut tuh do an' ah tried it. Ah thought he wuz jis' lyin'. So ah went home an' ah tried it. He quit dis woman. He moved up dere wit Miz Wallace. He worked fo' dem [Wallace family] a long time in de garden. He said, "Honey, ah jis' don' feel satisfied if ah ain't wit chew." An' ah went off an' left 'im mahself, come ovah heah [to Little Rock]. He lef' [the Wallace family] an' he come home tuh me [followed me to Lit- tle Rock] an' he stayed dere.
Entry 3371
Well, ah tell yuh firs' how dey do dat. Dey take a man when dey have intahco'se wit a woman, de clot' dey use. Dey take dat clot', de woman take de clot', yo' know. When yo' git through wit de clot', she don't wanna use it. Den she take dat clot' or towel, an' she put undahneat' de pillah, aftah usin' it - aftah yo' git t'rough wit it an' git up. She take an' cut dat stain out of it dat yo' havin' intahco'se wit 'er. Den she take dat clot' an' she fold it up, an' she put it in a dishrag what she wash de dishes wit an' she put dat tuhgethah. Take dat an' wrop it up good an' den put it somewhere keerful in de boae. An' yo' is all right when yo' come tuh her, to be wit 'er; but wit anybody else yore nachure wouldn't rise. But enytime yo'd come to be wit 'er, yore nachure oald be all right.
Entry 3391
Whut could yo' do wit a greasy dishrag. Well, if yo' got a man an' yo' don't want 'im tuh care fo' anybody else, yo' kin take a greasy dishrag an' let 'im drink off an' yo' don't. Take dat greasy dishrag an' wipe him fo' nine times wit it an' den fold it in nine different Ways tuh yo', fold it all de time tuh yo'. Den yo' put it up ovah anywhere dat he's gotta walk in an' out undah. Dat'l keep 'im from goin' wit othah women.
Entry 3485
If a man leaves yo' an' yo' wants 'im back, de thing about it, yo'll have tuh git in wit 'im an' go tuh bed wit 'im, undahstan'. Well, if yo' go tuh bed wit 'im one time, yo' could buy a halfa yard of yellah homespun cloth an' aftah yo'all finish whut chure doin', yo' kin jes' stick dat yellah home- spun, dat halfa yard of yellah homespun an' wipe him down wit it three times. Yo' undahstand me, wipe him down three times an' git a thin [well-worn] dime from 'im. An' take yore time, take dat yellah homespun cloth to de cornah an' double it. Evah time yo' fold it, fold it towards yo'. An' git a piece of thread an' tie dat an' bury it at chure do'steps. He come right on, straight on back tuh yo'.
(You put that little dime in the corner of this cloth and keep folding it up.)
Towards yo' evah time. [This woman spoke in a whisper all through interview.]
Entry 3509
Well, if it's a man - if a woman wanta trick a man where he can't have anyone else. Well, she have intahco'se wit 'im an' den she use a cloth, she dries 'im. She takes de cloth an' she folds it see, an' ties it an' she wear dat as she would a sanitary piece, see. An' quite natch'l [natural] he'll come in an' he'll raise, until he git ready tuh git in de baid. When he git in de baid an' git tuh crawl on dis woman, it will fall. [Sumter, S. Car. (1364), 2405:8.]
Entry 3527
Listen, dat is fo' a man an' woman dat has sexual intahco'se tuhgethah. Now, dis man perhaps wants tuh fix dat woman so she kin be wit no othah man. She wanta fix 'im so he can't be wit no othah woman. Yo' take yo' a piece of new homespun dat's nevah been used. Yo' take it tuh bed wit yo' an' use it an' take dat an' yo' put it catahcornah - lak yo' would a han'- ke'ch'ef, three-cornahed-lak. Yo' tie one knot right in de middle [at the apex of the triangle] an' one near each end [each angle of the base]. An' yo' take it an' yo' go undah yore bed an' tie it undah de middle part of de springs or de slat - jis' tie it an' leave it dere. [This tying under the center of the bed creates a fourth knot, also a quin- cunx made with a triangle.]
(That's all you have to do.)
Entry 3538
Dey say, jes' lak if yo' got a man an' yo' think a whole lot of 'im, an' yo' don' want 'im tuh run roun'. An' dey said when yo' an' 'im have any- thing to do wit each othah, jes' take dis han'ker- cheff or cloth an' tie a knot in each cornah. Take it an' sew it up in yore mattress an' dey say dat sould - jes' lak if he go an' makes a date wit anothah woman, he would fall, yo low. But it's some kinda perfume dat yo' git. Yo' kin git it at any Five an Ten Cent Sto'. Ah fo'git de name of it. Ah know it when ah see. Take dis per- fume an' yo' put on dis stuff [in the handkerchief]. An' yo' git it an' yo' supposed tuh fold it dis way: to yo' half way, an' fold de othah part back. An' den take a string an' tie aroun' it tight. Carry it up ovah yore head three times an' put dis Lucky Heart Powder [trade name] in it, if yo' have any, an' den take it an' sew it up. An' den yo' got 'em.
(How do you fold that handkerchief, now?)
Fold it three times dis way an' three time back dat way. Double it de two cornah lak dat. (You have the handkerchief out flat like that. Then you fold it three times. Now, here's the handkerchief. Suppose you show me how it's done.) Yo' fold it three times here: one, two, three, till yo' get it exactly in de centah of de han'er'cheff. All right. Den yo' fold it three times away from yo': one, two, three. Den yo' take dese two ends an' fold 'em as yo' kin. An' git it jes' as tight as yo' kin possibly git it. Yeah, an' take a cord string an' tie it around. Wrap it jes' as tight as yo' kin git it.
(What do you do with that then?)
Jes' sew it up in anything. If yo' have little bag, den sew it up in a little bag, or in yore mattress or sompin.
Entry 3672
Yo' take a snail dat crawl an' evahthing when de rain. Yo' take dat wit a little piece of yellah domestic cloth. Cloth lak dis [on interviewing table] dat has flowah on it, lak yo' say white cloth. Well de dark yellah yo' git. Yo' git enough fo' de woman to wipe herself on. Well, when he is wit dis woman, take - when dey gits through - take dat little piece of cloth, an' take dat snail live - don't let 'im be dead - an' run it right 'tween aftah yo' wipes 'er off. An' aftah yo' git through, yo' take dat an' yo' fold it up. Put it in a Holy Bible.
(How do you fold that up now?)
Yo' fold it in fo' cornahs [demonstrates]. Let it [snail] be live, don't let it be dead. Jis' take it lak dat an' jis' wipe to yo' an' lay ovah. All right. An' den yo' put it on a dish or eithah undah de pillah. Den yo' let 'er use it, but yo' don't wipe yo'self. An' den yo' fold it to yo' dis way, see [demon- strates].
(Fold it nine times that way.)
Yes sir, an' put it in de Bible. An' den yo' leaves 'er. Any man come he would nevah bothah 'er.
(Where do you put the Bible then?)
Yo' put de Bible somewhere, yo' know lak a safe anything - hide it. [Safe here is not a steel box with combination lock, but an old-fashioned kitchen cabinet, a piece of movable furniture with shelves and drawers holding dishes. knives and forks. etc.1 (This is like a square handkerchief and you roll it to you nine times, and then you turn it around lengthwise and roll it lengthwise.) An' de only way den, when yo' wan' to break 'er from bein' lak dat, yo' take dat cloth an' yo' wash it out wit Sameman [Salmon] Soap, see. An' den fold de cloth an' burn de cloth [and] dey [she] be's in de same condition [her nature will be restored].
(What kind of soap?)
It's 18c a bar - Sameman, Saveman [Salmon, has picture or mold of fish].
Entry 3673
Lockin' de bowels, well ah tell yo' ah don' really know much about dat, but it's one thing ah do know. Yo' kin stop a woman or a man from havin' intah- co'se wit anothah fellah, if yo' want to. Well yo' go an' git chew a house snail, dese ole snails crawl aroun' de house. Yo' take yore dishrag dat chew been usin' in de kitchen an' yo' washes it out. When dis snail starts tuh crawlin', yo' take de rag an' put it ovah 'im dataway [demonstrates]. Well, yo' know he's bound tuh melt.
(You just drop that rag over him and pick him up that way?)
Dat's right. Den put 'im back down. Do dat fo' about fo' times. Yo' take dat rag an' fold it up nice in yore pocket, or yore towel - whatevah it is. But it's best tuh be wit a dishrag. Yo' take dat dishrag an fold it up an' yo' go somewhere an' have intahco'se wit 'er. Well, she say, "Ah got sompin." Yo' say, "No, yo' take dis'un [this one], ah got sompin heah, mah ole han'ke'chef" - sompin lak dat. Well, when she take dat - but don' chew use it yoreself, let 'er use it. An' cain't nobody in de worl' have nuthin tuh do wit 'er but chew. Cain't even give her a million dollahs. Ah kin give her a million dollahs, an' de min- ute ah starts it will be jes' lak dis cloth heah [on table holding recording machine between us]. (Well, is there any way that you can get rid of that, after you are fixed up that way? How can you get rid of that?) No Suh, YO' CAIN'T GIT RID OF DAT. YO' GOTTA DIE [TO] PASS AWAY DAT OFFA YO'.
Entry 3838
Ah know about one thing, yo' kin write a person's name. Yo' kin take it - now if yo' wanta be ovah a woman or a man, yo' take an' write his name in a piece of papah wit 'ers. Now, if yo' want de woman tuh be ovah de man, write de woman's name tuh de top an' write 'is name undahneat' 'ers. Den pick yore lef' arm, an' pinch enough blood outa dat lef' arm tuh spell dose names out. Den when yo' git dose names spelled, yo' take it an' wrap it up tuh yo', dat piece of papah. Fold it comin' tuh yo'. Whutevah way yo' fold it, let it be comin' tuh yo'. An' take it an' put it in a corked bottle an' bury it at nine 'clock at night. An' dat man an' dat woman nevah will quit one another. An' if dey quit one anothah, dey'll go crazy. Dey love one another so good as long as dey live. S'long as dey live, dat las' 'em fo'evah. Bury it undah de do'step at night. If yo' can't git chance tuh bury it, jes' throw it undah de do'step, an [or] in a place where dey gotta walk in an' out. An' dey nevah will quit one another, an' jes' go crazy wit dat han'writin'.
(You must get this blood out of your left arm?)
Pick it out - yore lef' arm, yo' jes' gotta pick it.
Entry 3844
Prick yo' fingah an' git chure blood.
(Which finger?)
Dis fingah [demonstrates].
(The finger with the ring on, the ring finger of the left hand.)
Dat's it. Yo' prick it an' yo' git chure blood an' yo' write his name full an' yore [woman'sl name full. Den yo' make three rings aroun' dat wit de blood. An' yo' fold dat papah, yo' know, dis way, de two ends in, an' yo' bury it undah de no'th end of de house. Dat'll bring a person back tuh yo' regardless tuh who it is. It'll make him come back tuh dat pahtic'lah place. Dat'll bring anybody back. (If your husband has left, if you put the two names together.)
Entry 4720
If she kin git any of 'is clothes dat he weah, she kin git 'im back. Now, if he done lef' home an' aftah he lef' home, if she want 'im back - she feel dat he didn't do right, an' she try tuh git'im back. She'll take de seat of 'is undahweah an' cut dat out an' den she'll fold it, blow 'er breath on it an' fold it. An' she'll sit down - wheresomevah he may be or where he live - if she writes 'im. She'll heah where he at, she'll git 'im a lettah. He's gotta git de lettah. She'll go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er some love powdahs an' put in dat lettah. An' den she'll fol' dat piece an' weah it undah 'er right-foot shoe, nex' tuh 'er flesh between 'er stockin' an' 'er shoe. An' five days from de day he sees dat lettah, he'll come home. (She puts the love powder in this letter, and she wears this piece of the drawers in her shoe.) Yes, in 'er right-foot shoe.
Entry 4721
If yuh kin git holt of 'is photograph or anythin', yuh kin git 'im back ag'in.
(Do you know just how they do that?)
Well, yuh git holt a piece of 'is clothin'. Now, if it's a woman dat wants 'im back ag'in, yuh git aholt of a piece of 'is clothes an' yuh dress it in cologne. Yuh take it an' fold it de way [direction] he is. If he is east, no'th, west, or south, yuh take dat piece of clothin', a small piece of it, an' fold it [demonstrates] an' make yore wishes.
(Fold it toward you.)
Towards yuh evah time. Points it de way he is an' fold it back evah time. An' yuh git yuh a couple of needles an' pin it each way, bottom an' top, an yuh split dat needle. Lets 'er wear one in 'er right shoe here, an' give her de othah one an' let 'er hold it in 'er han'. An' she kin walk - an' let 'er go straight tuh runnin' watah an' drop it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind - she has tuh do dis on de grown [growing] of de moon an' ketch de wind blowin' towards de way she wants 'im tuh come. If she is in New York, ketch de wind blowin' disaway.
(Blowing south?)
Dat's right. Drop dis ovahbo'd an' walk backwards from it about nine steps, turn tuh left an' go on. Make her wishes an' he'll come right - in nine days he'll be dere.
(I didn't quite understand you about putting these needles?)
Yuh see, if yuh fold de clothes, prob'ly fold it dis way. Well aftah yuh git a little pad of it made, git yuh a needle on each side of it. Git chew a pair of keen - anythin' dat's sharp an' split dem needles in two.
(Oh, I see! You cut the whole package in half.)
De needles den will be on each side of it.
(Two halves of the needles will be in each side of the package.)
An' have dem needles so dey won't injure her foot an' let 'er wear it right in 'er shoe. Fasten it in dere in a way dat it won't slide backwards an' for- wards. Take dis half an' fold it in yore han' an' when it gits warm, when yuh go tuh de watah wit it - an' throw it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind blowin' from de Way dat yuh want 'im tuh come home.
Entry 4737
Now, if I got any of 'er undahweahs or anythin', well I takes dat an' I buries it. An' she ain't goin' tuh rest in peace until she come back tuh me. See, I takes it an' I mix it wit- git some cobweb. (Cobweb, spider web.) Yeah, dat's whut I mean. An' I gits me a white of a egg. I beats it up an' I mix dese up tuhgethah. Well, I takes dis - yo' know whut I mean - I mean 'er clothes, an' I folds dat tuh me an' I take an' I bury it right by de steps. An' she ain't goin' tuh be satis- fied until she come back.
(Comes back to you.)
She ain't goin' tuh git along wit no othah man. Den I kin take dat cloth, dat same cloth, an' git me some lodestone - git a live lodestone, got life in it - an' I makes a powdah wit it, an' I wraps dat up wit dat. See? I puts mah name on dis end an' 'er name here - goin' tuh make a separation, yo' see. An' I folds it so it be jis' dat much apart. See? An' I draw it tuhgethah. An' when I draw it tuhgethah dataway, well she comin' on back. No mattah where I'm at, she is comin' back.
Entry 4885
Yuh kin take a woman's sock, dey tell me, an' fold it up an' put it in de middle of 'er bed, where she sleeps at, where she li'ble not tuh 'tect [de- tect] it, an' she'll nevah leave yuh. [This is a quincunx, or quincunx magic: an arrangement of five points in a rectangle (here a bed) or square; one point at each corner, the fifth point the center, where diagonals from the corners cross. This is a common magic design in hoodoo.]
Entry 4923
Yuh kin take his dirty socks an' put both of 'em tuhgethah an' fold 'em back in de do' lak yuh comin' in de do'. De do's disaway [demonstrates]. Yuh take dat foot an' fold it back, back intuh de house. Dat will keep 'i dere. If he leaves he will come back, he has tuh come back.
(Where do you put these socks then?)
Yuh put 'em undah de carpet. Yuh put 'em undah de carpet. If he leaves he'll have tuh come back.
Entry 4924
(How can you keep this man home?)
Why ah take his dirty sock an' git me some brown sugah an' some sulphuh an' lay 'em down an' turn de foots part up, an' sprinkle dat brown sugah on dere an' de sulphur. Roll 'em up [to you] an' tie an' bury 'em undah mah do'step or in mah bed, in mah mattress. Sew 'em up in mah mattress. (Here's the sock, there's the toe, and there's the heel. How would I roll that up now?) Dis is de toe. Yuh lay 'em bottomside up, de dirty part up, an' yuh take yuh brown sugah an' yuh sprinkle ovah dere on de bottom of de stockin'. Sprinkle yore sulphur on top of dat. An' have yuh a spool of black thread an' yuh roll 'em dis Way [to you]. Roll yore toe up tuh de heel. When yuh git tuh rollin', take yore brown thread [I mean] use black thread an' tie it. Well if yuh haven't got a do'step, lak yore [you are] upstairs [put in mattress].
Entry 4925
Taken needles or pins or wire nails. An' jis' lak ah wuz tellin' yuh 'bout de sock: fold dat sock, if yuh wanta run 'em, fold it from yuh; an' if yuh wanta bring 'em tuh yuh, yuh fold it tuh yuh. An' yuh stick nine pins an' nine needles an' nine wire nails, an' yuh bury it undah yore steps, or undah dere steps, which- evah case yuh wanta do, run 'em or tuh draw 'em. If yuh wan' 'em tuh come, yuh bury it undah yore own step; an' if yuh wanta run 'em, yuh slip it in an' bury it undah dere step.
Entry 4926
(All right, you are going to tell me another way now.)
Aftah yuh run off - de party done run off. Well, what bring 'er back home. She run off an' yuh wan'a git 'er back home. Yuh take her stockin' an' fold it nine times.
(How do you fold it nine times?)
Fol' de stockin' - yuh see yuh take it an' fold it from de bottom, yuh see, where de foot is.
(Yes?)
Jis' make a fold. Fold it. Yuh see jis' [demonstrates]: dat's one, two, three, fo', five, six, seven, eight, nine. See, evah time yuh make it, yuh make a fold, jis' like yuh fold in dere. See, jis' like yuh take dis here [demon- stratesl, dat's one, see. Den take yuh a pan an' lay dat stockin' in it. (Any kind of pan?) Any kin'a pan. Lay dis stockin' in it an' yuh burn it intuh ashes. Take a match, git - no, yuh take nine matches, Searchlight-head Matches, an' fold it inside dat stockin', see. An' as yuh fol' dem nine matches in dere, an' den yuh take one an' light it, an' let it burn intuh ashes. An' den yuh take dem ashes an' dat pan an' bury it undah yore back steps. Dig yuh a hole an' bury dem ashes undah dat back steps An' if she done lef' home, I'll betcha she'll come back.
(I see.)
She'll come back.
(You fold those nine matches into stocking?)
Nine matches an' nine folds in de stockin'.
(Do you put those nine matches all together, or what?)
Jis' lay 'em tuhgethah inside an' fol' de stockin' nine times.
(Well, what stockings do you use? Both stockings or what?)
One.
(Which one?)
De lef' stockin'.
(Oh, the left stocking. I see.)
Entry 5021
Now listen, de way dat ah undahstan's dat, yuh take both heels [of her stockings] an' c'ook [crook] 'em togethah wit a dime in it. Well, yuh rolls 'em up an' yuh hides 'em 'way in some secret place or 'nothah an' yuh'll always have de advantage of 'er.
(You take these two heels of her stockings?)
Take de two heels togethah an' wrap a dime up wit 'em an' hide dem away. Yuh'll always have de advantage of 'er, den.
Entry 5052
Take his sock an' if it's dirty, why yuh kin nail dat tuh a tree an' it will cause him tuh walk away: [Ordinarily a sock nailed to a tree keeps a man stationary, and the sundown side later means lingering or slow death, but intention here demands that he walk away. The big nail suggests urgency and determination - also painful walking.]
(All you have to do is to take a dirty sock and nail it up?)
Jis' take a dirty sock - cut de bottom out de dirty sock, fold dat dirty sock up an' carry it tuh a green pine tree, an' nail a big nail in de centah tuh de sundown. He'll leave an' won't come back.
Entry 5080
(Get a piece of the garment?)
De sock.
(Of the person who is gone?)
Yes, an' he takes it NOT LARGAH DEN A POCKET HAN'KE'CH'EF. Taken dat piece not largah den a pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' take it tuh a runnin' stream of watah, tuh where rock run ovah - a stream from nature, earth, dat run ovah rocks. Wash it three times an' fold it up when it's wet, an' po'l vinegah ovah it, an' go tuh de graveyard an' git some li'le clay. Wrap it tight, real tight, an' put it in brown papah, three layahs of brown papah, an' turn it, twist it, an' den put news- papah round it, an' burn de newspapah off it an' let de brown papah covah it. An' den take it aftah dat an' wrap it up in a flesh [soft] towel lak dat. A towellak dat, one dose turkish towels. Take an' bury it in red clay an' let it stay dere seven days, an' den move it. Aftah seven days yuh'll move it. An' when yuh move it, den go an' bury it right by de rock, by dat stream, an' let it stay dere 21 hours, an' den move it - throw it away. She'll be back in 21 days.
(Where would you throw that away?)
Anywhere.
Entry 5136
In de bottom of dey shoes, yuh kin take dat little cloth dat be dere in de bottom an' drive 'em away or kill 'em off. (How would they drive them away, first?) [Drive him away first, then kill him.] Well, tuh drive 'em away, yuh take it an' bury it. If yuh wanta make 'em stay home, why yuh kin take dat an' wrop it up an' put it in de crack anywhere in de side of de wall in de house.
Entry 5137
Well, yuh wearin' dat shoe when yuh come in an' yuh take it off. Well de moisture from yore feet is still in dere, an' yuh take dat [insole] an' fold it up. Fold dat to yuh. An' yuh use a piece of flannel. Put dat in de flannel an' keep dat wet [dress it] wit - put Epsom salt or anything. See, dat [is] salt. By me carry [carrying] some salt, well dat salt keeps it moist wit dat perfume. [Perfume either had been mentioned before recording began or this was just a mental lapse.] Dat keeps it moist so it stay alive. Sew dat up an' bury somewhere, or anything [or again], yuh kin jis' put it in a little [tin] can an' keep it on de opposite side of de bed where dey sleep on. He'll nevah notice it, won't know whut it's all about. Dey will keep )'im dere all de time. ANY WOMAN GOT A MAN SHE WANTS TUH KEEP 'IM, A HARD WORKING MAN. Well, dat's whut she do. She got de big advantage of 'im.
(She takes this inner sole out of his shoe. Either shoe?)
Eithah shoe.
Entry 5180
Yo' take de near sole [insole] outa anybody's shoes, jes' lak if yo want 'em tuh stay home or sompin all de time. Yo' take de left sole. Yo' know dat dere little piece be inside dere shoes, yo' take dat out an' fold it tuh yo'. Put it in a li'le sack. Sew it up an' wear it roun' yore waist.
Entry 5418
Yes, ah have heard dat chew could take de track of a' individual an' yo' put it in a papah. Always, if yo' wan' 'em tuh come tuh yo', fold it tuh yo'; an' if yo' wan' 'em tuh go, fold it from yo'. See. An' bury it. (What will that do then?) Says dat it will bring 'em back. Yo' take de lef'-foot track.
Entry 5571
Ah kin tell yo' how tuh hol' yore husban' or yore sweetheart. Yo' go an' take his track if he's goin' out de do'. Take a teaspoon an' git a teaspoon- ful of de lef' foot, of dirt. Rake it backwards tuhwards yore house. An' yo take dat an' carry it in de house an' a teaspoonful of table salt, a tea- spoonful of red peppah, an' write de name of 'im an' a woman, a woman dat he used tuh go wit, or eithah he goin' wit den [at the present time], three times, an' fol' it up an' burn it up in de stove. An' yo' take a teaspoonful of red peppah an' tie it up in a papah, an' write de name three times, an' put it undahneat' de bed. An' dat'll break den up, an' he'll come right on back home. (Now what you do: when he leaves home you take a teaspoon and you take a Spoonful of dirt out of his left track and you bring it in and put these things with it. Then you take a piece of paper and you write his name on it three times, and then the woman he used to go with or the woman he is going with now, you write her name down three times, each one three times, then you put something in that paper?) Put the salt and de peppah in de paper, a teaspoonful of each one. (Then you burn it up. Then you write the names down again? Three times each on another piece of paper?) Yes - yes.
(And you put a teaspoonful of pepper in that?)
Salt, don't put de peppah.
(The salt. Then what do you do with that?)
Fol' it up an' tie it wit a string an' put it right undahneat' de bed where he sleep at.
(That will break him and the other woman up?)
Yes.
Entry 5598
Jis' sompin othah, some broad [woman] yo' wanta make. Yo' know, meet a broad an' yo' try tuh make a broad, yo' know, an' she don' pay yo' no mind. Yo' know, yo' kin - dere's a way tuh make her, see. (Well, how can you make her do it?) Well, all yo' got'a do is jes' take a li'le of 'er foot, yo' know where she step, take a li'le of de dirt in yore pam [palm] an' put it in de han'ke'chuff, fold it backward [fold it to youl, yo' know, an' put it in yore belt. But de firs', yo' got'a put it down at chure do' an' walk ovah it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' name it, see. Aftah nine mawnin's, yo' take it up an' put it in yore belt. An' de ninth mawnin' she jis' goin' tuh be dere. An' she'll be dere, too.
Entry 5991
Say, fo' instan', if a man's got a woman an' he's got a little compe- tition an' den he git her fingernail or her toenail, an' den he gits some hair from de mole of her haid an' he take this toenails an' hair an' he'll put it in a bag, say, of a piece of red flannel an' sew it an' he'll write this person name nine times. (Whose name does he write?) He writes the individual that he's interested in. Be write dere name nine times one way. Write his name nine times across that name uhich make 18 names altogether. An' then he fold this piece an' he put this bag on top of this piece an' wear it right next to his heart, say, fo' instan', he pin it on de inside of 'is undahshirt.
(What is that supposed to do then?)
Dat's supposed to keep dis woman's mind to him all de while.
(The paper on which the name is written is not put in the bag itself?)
No suh, it's put on de outside.
(Next to his skin?)
Yessuh.
Entry 6239
They say you can meet people that go deep into that [work you inquiring about] and involve their whole mind in it. They supposed to can get contact with Satan at the crossroads, but the words that they say in certain ceremonies they go through with, well I don't know that part of it.
[At this point I probably ask how I could protect myself against evil work.]
There are several things you could do to protect yourself, but in protecting yourself you sometimes have to hurt the other party. Now, if a person is going to get, say HOODOOING me, well he's got to make me lose my mind if he possibly can. Well, I can go to another per- son [fortuneteller, rootworker, hoodoo] and I can find out that he's trying to make me lose my mind. Well, I can make him lose his mind before he can make me lose mine, as my only means of protection in that case. Now natchly [naturally] I'm an enemy to this person and I can't get up close to them myself, but if it's a man I can put some woman up to stay with him all night and get just a teeny bit of his hair on the left-hand side of the temple, on the left temple. And we take that hair and write his name on a new piece of paper, and we put that hair with salt and pepper in that paper, and we fold it very tight. Then we go to the woods at the beginning of spring and we bore a hole in a tree, and we take a hammer and nail, and we nail that piece of paper just as far up in the tree as we can - upto Che end Of the naiI. AND THE IDEA IS, WHEN THE SAP RISES THIS PERSON WILL BEGIN TO LOSE THEIR MIND WHEN IT REACHES THAT PAPER, AND WHEN IT GOES COMPLETELY UP TO THE TOP OF THE TREE, THEIR LIVES WILL HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY LOST; AND WHEN DE FALL COMES AND THE SAP GOES DOWN, THEY DIE.
Entry 6362
Yuh hair. Or tuh make love er any- thing, dey'll [take] dat an' fol dit [fold it] up an' den put some - weahzit [wears it] aroun' dere wais' [waist], see. Dat not tuh do no hahm [harm] dō [though]. Dat tuh make love, if anybody - yuh wife wan'a keep yuh in.
(Yes, what would she do then?)
Dey go tuh verk [work] an' yuh [dey] put dat in a bottle, [with] 9 needles an lak dat. Dey put 'em in. Dis ole man 'ave [have] tell me.
Entry 7113
She can pull off her gown, anything [she] sleep in next tuh you. She can take that an' fold it up an' lay it on your [a man's] breast [and he will continue to sleep until she removes it].
Entry 7208
Ah've hear'd sev'ral diff'ren' things about de fo'ks of de road. Ah bear'd dat when people wan' tuh separate people, dey go tuh fo'ks of de road; an' when dey wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah dey go tuh de fo'ks of de road, but it depends on whethah dey work on eithah de left or de right hand side. If yo' want people tuh separate, well dey'll write de person's name, de woman's name, nine dues on a piece of brand-new papah wit a brand-new pencil, tablet an' pencil dat nevah been used. If dey wan' tuh separate dem, dey'll write de man's name nine times an' den dey'll write de woman's crosswise nine times. Den dey take de pencil an' dey think all de evil dey kin: I jis' hope yo' son-of-bitches jis' fuss an' fight an' scratch lak cats an' dogs. [Informant scratches all over the [paper.] An' dey go dere an' dey dig down a few inches.
(They scratch that paper all up.)
Yes, jis' scratch up lak yo're mad at it an' curse dem an' think all de evil yo' kin. An' den yo' dig a hole dere an' yo' bury dat on de left-hand side of de road at de fo'k where de fo'ks meet. An' aftah buryin' it yo' po' watah on L, yo' know, tuh pack de groun' down where dat kin rot. An' by de time dat papah rots, dose people'll begin tuh disagree, an' in from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dey're separated. An' if yo' wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah, yo' write dere names nine times an' yo' fold it tuh yuh. Of co'se de lady involved has tuh do dat huhself. She has tuh be told. An' she writes 'er lovah's name nine times an' huhs acrost it, an' she folds it tuh 'er nine times. Den she turns it aroun' an' folds it small way, dis way; an' turn it aroun' an' fold it to 'er dis way. Den she takes it an hides it on de right-hand side of de road wit all good wishes.
(Then what happens?)
Well den aftah de same period of time, aftah from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dis person'll become vi'lently attached tuh 'er.
Entry 7978
Yo' takes a photograph, see, an' writes on de back of de photograph yore name, her name cross it. Don't write 'em straight. Yo' write chure name down an' yo' come back an' write her name on top of it. Yo' go to de grave- yard an' take yo' two han'- fulla dirt an' sprinkle it ovah dis picture, an' fold dis photograph up an' puts it in a envelope an' sprinkle dat dirt in de envelope, jes' 'nuff tuh put in dere an' fold it up an' puts it in de box. An' in seven days, regardless tuh where she is or who she is, she cain't be still - she'll return. She gotta come.
Entry 8034
A bone from a daid pusson depends whut chew wanta use it fo'. N Now, yo' kin use a bone from a dead pusson fo' two diff'ren' thin's. Yo' kin use it - well, say three: yo' kin use it fo' gamblin', yo' kin use it fo' tuh hahm [harm] somebody or somepin of dat sort. (How do you use it for gambling?) Well, now, yo' take a bone. If yo' kin git de bone an' yo' can't beat it, if it's too hard fo' yo' tuh beat, yo' take dat bone an' yo' git chew a file an' yo' file dat bone. An' as yo' file dat bone, yo' file it intuh somepin, a clean piece of white papah where yo' kin git all dat dust yo' file [from] dat bone. When yo' git all de dust yo' want tuh, offa dis bone, yo' git chew a silvah dime an' yo' cut fo' holes - not holes, but ah mean marks in de dime, jis' lak whut is aroun' dis ole piece of ring ah got heah [shows it and demonstrates]. Yo' cut a hole dere, one dere, an' one dere, an' one dere - yo' cut fo' holes.
(Sort of a notch, like you cut a piece of pie.)
Yes, sir, a notch.
(Cut a little piece off of it.)
Yes, yo' cut fo' lak dat in dat dime an' put dat dime in dere wit dat powdah. Yo' git chew some steel dust, see. Yo' git de steel dust an' dis dime an' yo' put 'em in, an' yo' git chew three needles. Yo' take dem three needles an' yo' put 'em on a piece of flannel - red flannel. But chew put one lak dis an' one dataway. Yo' cross 'em. An' yo' put de othah one 'way up above it dataway in dis position. See? Now, yo' wrap dis needle up here, yo' wrap it ovah dis way firs'. (Now, Wait a minute. You have these two needles crossed like that [I demon- strate], and then you put one above it like that?) Yes, sir. (One - this top one is just like you're making a "T" out of it. One, this top one is up above the "x" [the two crossed needles] there.)
[These 3 needles are now folded 9 times in a complicated rite:]
One's above de othah, yo' see. Well, dat's de one yo' fold, yo' see. Yo' fole dis othah one - when yo' fole dis othah one, yo' see, it'll fole right from dere tuh dere. Yo' kin covah dese othah two needles, yo' see. Now, when yo' fole dis way, dat one fold. See, when yo' fole ovah disaway ag'in, dat two folds. Yo' foles disaway, dat's three foles. An' disaway, dat's fo' foles. Now, yo' got fo' foles dataway. Now aftah yo' fole 'em dataway, yo' take an' yo' fole it ag'in. Dat's five. An' yo' fole disaway. Dat's six. An' fole dataway. Dat's seven. An' fole disaway. Dat's eight. See? An' yuh last fole, de ninth fole, it'll be about dat big. Dat's yuh las' fold. An' yo' fole jis' lak dat. Dat be yuh las fole an' it's goin' tuh be jis' - not a bit biggah dan what de needles, de length of de needles are. See, when yo' git through foldin' dat, dat'll be de length of de needles. Yo' put dat in yuh pocket, or yuh pocketbook rathah. An' now yo' got dat in yuh pocketbook, be sure dat chew got anothah small piece of coin dat chew kin put wit dat besides dat silvah dime yo' already have. Now, if yo' got anothah silvah dime, yo' put dat in de pocketbook wit dis othah stuff dat yo' jis' finished. Yo' put dat wit dat. Now, dat steel dust an' dose two silvah dimes, an' dose needles is tuh draw money, see. Yo' kin go an' shoot dice, play cards, anythin' yo' want. Yo' needn't tuh worry. Yo' might a-go dere an' lose de firs' dollah yo' have, yo' might even lose de firs' fifteen or twenty dollahs. Don't worry about dat. Yo'll make dat back in de nex' two plays yo' make. Yo'll make double of dat, yo'll make triple of dat. Dat steel dust an' dem dimes an' de needle is done draw yuh money tuh yo'. See.
Entry 8453
Dey takes dat photograph, lak if dey wants yo' tuh - ah may say run yo' away or maybe sometime have yo' daid or somepin lak dat. Dey take it an' fold it up in a piece of white rag also an' put a zinc [see later] on it an' throw it in runnin' watah, an' dat supposed tuh make yo' mindless. [Zinc = sink = sinker, a lead weight used in fishing.] If dey don't do dat, dey'll take an' bury it on de face. When dey bury it on de face it supposed tuh kill yo'.
Entry 8475
Say yo' takes 'er pichure. Yo' goes an' git a gun an' regardless tuh who she is or how much money she got, if yo' loved 'er, git 'er photograph an' turns 'er photograph on de desk, layin' de photograph an' call 'it 'er pichure, an' mark it wit a "X' - a cross, 'X'. Take an' folds it up in a piece of news- pahah an' put it in yore shoes. Hoids up de linin' of yore shoes an' put it in dere, an' turns de haid of 'er pichure down tuh de ground an' tuhward de back of yore heel. Weah it three days an' take it an' delivah it out. An' pertends [pretends] yo' drinkin' whiskey, two glasses. Drink yores an' name hers wit de pichure ovah it. An' let it stay dere fo' three days an' she'll return tuh yo'.
(After you wear this in your shoe, you take it, the third day, and then you?)
Put it in two drinks of likkah, put it in two separate glasses. Fulls [fill] de glasses up each, an' drink one. An' put de othah one back an' name it wit de pichure in it, ovah de glass wit de face down tuh whiskey.
Entry 8495
If yo' wants tuh be on de job or anything an' yo' want tuh stand in good wit yuh boss, yo' takes 'is name an' yo' git some loaf sugah, yo' put it in a bottle, yo' writes 'is name nine times, writes it tuh yuh, not from yuh. An' ah put's mah name on top of 'is, an' ah folds it tuh me, an' ah puts it in dis bottle. (You cross it or what?) Ah puts it ovah his'n an' ah crosses it, too. See, ah write his name first dis way an' den ah changes it an' write it dataway, an' ah switches ag'in - forward an' backward, undahstand.
(I see. All right.)
See, den ah folds it up an' ah puts it in dis bottle wit cinnamon an' sugah, an' ah buries it. An' ah weahs his name in mah shoe an' keeps it dere in mah shoe. An' when ah weahs it out, well ah puts anothah one in dere. See, dat's tuh stay on de job.
Entry 8497
Git 'is name.
(Get the boss's name.)
Uh huh.
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' write de boss name nine times an' den aftah yo' write de boss name nine times, yo' git chew three lumps of cut loaf sugah - three lumps. (Cut loaf sugar.) An' aftah yo' git dem three lumps of cut loaf sugah, yo' takes de boss name of de nine times writin' an' yo' take it an' fold lak dis here - yo' know, lak a envelope is fold. Fold it lak dat. [Fold the name as you would fold a sheet of paper to put in envelope.] An' yo' take de boss name an' aftah yo' fold it lak dat, yo' turn around an' yo' put it in a brand-new silk pocket han'ke'ch'ef. An' yo' put it in dat brand-new silk pocket han'ke'- ch'ef an' yo' weah it along in heah.
(Where? Where do you wear it?)
Weah along heah [demonstrates].
(Right along there?)
Yeah. An' he's sure goin' tuh send fo' yuh tuh come back.
(I see. Where do you put that sugar?)
Yo' put dat sugah wit it.
(In those three things?)
[Three things = 3 lumps of sugar.]
Yeah.
[I now for the first time reveal the Wearing place.]
(You put it down near your private?)
Uh huh. An' when dat sugah comin' [commence], tuh meltin', yo' take dat sugah out dat's comin' tuh dissolvin', an' yo' put it one - yo' know break it. Yo' take an' put one lump in dat cornah, one in dat one, one in dat, one in dat.
(You put a half lump in.)
Each cornah.
(Of your own house?)
Each cornah of yore own house - nobody else's house, in yore own house.
(Well, there are three lumps of sugar and you break two of them.)
Yeah, an' put it in each cornah, an' de boss, he'll send fo' yuh.
(I see.)
Entry 8507
Well dey use a catfish bone. It's one dose li'le fo'ked bones an' it's kinda shaped lak a ink pen. Yo' seen some fish bones dat's kinda shaped lak dat. (When you get this bone out of the catfish, what do you do with that then?) Yo' dip it in ink an' write chure name wit dat catfish bone, an' fole dat papah tuhwards yo' lak dat. An' yo' stick it down in de fo'k of dat bone, an' yo' place it wit a string aroun' [demonstrates]. (I will write your name with this fishbone on a piece of paper, and just keep folding it to me. Then, what do I do with that paper then?) Well, yo' weah dat in yo' hat. Dat's tuh draw dem.
(Do you use ordinary ink in that pen?)
Yes.
Entry 8535
Take dat name an' write it fo' ways on a piece of papah. Write it disaway an' den write it dat way. Take it an' write it on each cornah of a piece of papah, an' yo' kin take it an' fold it up an' bury it. Dat'll worry 'em, jis' worry 'em...
[I stopped machine before death and had to include it.]
(Worry them to death?)
Yessuh.
Entry 8552
Take a sheet of paper, write their name - de person's name - five times [one under the other], yours five [under that, one under the other], fold it [to you] three times, an' weah it in your right shoe. Cause dat person to like yo'.
Entry 8553
[When he leave home, she writes his name about five, or even nine times is best, and she folds it towards her and wears it in her right shoe.
(What will that do?)
Well, that'll keep him home.
(Oh that keeps him home, I see, brings him back.)
Brings him back.
(I see.)
Entry 8554
Put de name on a papah, write it this way [demonstrates]. Cross it all the way up. Take that papah an' fold it to yo'. Always fold it to yo' an' that will draw 'em back.
Entry 8555
A person that yo' wanta git rid of all together, an' if he's working against chew, an' yo' kin git his name, yo' understand an' write it, jest write it jest lak yo' writin' a lettah, an' Wrop it comin' tuh yo'. That's if he's against yo' an' yo' Want him to come to yo', wrop it to yo'; an' if he's against yo' an' yo' want him tuh go from yo', wrop it from yo'. An' then if yo' kin git to his steps where dey goes in an out, an' whate'er side, yo' stick de end of that paper, yo' understand, dat yo' had his name, dat's de side he'll go. An' he'll go dere too an' he keep goin' dere, too.
Entry 8556
They write your [a man's] name up here [at the top of a piece of paper] and hers down here [at the bottom] and fold your name on top of it [fold man's name over woman'sl and wear that in your left shoe. That's in order to bring
[her] his way.
Entry 8557
Ah heard dat chew kin take a man's name, if yo' doesn't want him. Write his name down an' double it up [fold it] twice in a piece of papah, an' walk down like there some runnin' watah somewhere, yo' know, roun' in a branch. An' yo' take it an' throw it ovah yore left shoulder in this runnin' watah, an' yo' won't have no mo' trouble with this man. Whosomevah it is harmin' yo'.
(How do you fold that paper now?)
Fold it lak that and fold it lak that [demonstrates].
(Just as though you were almost folding a letter, in three parts.)
Yo' doesn't have tuh fold it no mo'.
Entry 8558
Ah heard 'em say dey write chure name down on a piece of papah an' den dey fold de fo' corners, see. Dey fold it jis' lak yo' take a piece of papah lak this [demonstrates], yo' know, yo' fold it lak this an' den turn [it] round an' yo' fold it [like this]. (You keep folding it in four corners? Folding it in half?) Yeah, lak dat. An' den jis' lak if yo' want them tuh leave. See, yo' want them tuh leave all ways round, well yo' take dat name an' fold it dat way, an' put it in a bottle an' stop it uP an' gO tO any runnin' watah OR DRAP IT IN DE LAVATORY ANYWHERE, an' dey jis git on all away. Dey jis' cain't stay there.
Entry 8559
A paper you know and cut it out, if him and her was fussin'.
(What would you cut it out of?)
Cut it out of paper, and if they know the name of the person, and if the... (Well, what else do they do now?) If they take that paper and roll it, fold it to 'em. (Fix the paper up. Then what do you do?) Write the person's name once to you, but you gotta write it three times and fold it to you.
(What do you do with it then, after you roll it to you? Then what do you do?)
You kin wear it right in your waist so they kin come to you.
(All right, now, suppose you wanted someone away, what would you do?)
Fold it from you, if you don't want to have nuthin - gettin' them away from you. If you don't want no connection with 'em, fold it from you and wear it.
(And wear it where?)
Around your waist.
(Or in the shoe?)
Yes.
(I see.)
Entry 8560
Yo' wants tuh know of any 'vantage of people don't chew? Oh, ah have experienced dis mah ownself. Ah've seen people do - dey take a piece of papah, see. Well, he'd write three names on dere an' he would take it an' fold it. Take an' fold de paper to yo'. Yes, an' if he wants to make anybody do whut he wants dem to do, yo' know - jest lak yo' wanta take 'vantage of a woman. Yo' take her note [or letter] an' write three names on dat note.
(What three names do you write on that paper?)
Three of one woman's names, jest de same woman. (In other words if her name was Helen, you would say [write] Helen, Helen, Helen.) Helen, Helen, Helen. An' yo'd write it an' yo'd fold it to yo'. An' yo' go out an' yo' take saltpeter an' yo' take bluestone, an' yo' would take it an' carry it home an' burn [it] see. Dat's to make her do whut chew want her to do. (You put saltpeter and bluestone in this piece of paper when you fold it up, or do you burn it after the paper has been folded up?) Yo' fold it up an' put it in an' burn it, see.
[Put it in and fold it up and then burn!]
(That is to make her do what you want her to do?)
Entry 8561
Git his name an' yo' write his name an' yo' fold it nine times to yo', an' put it up ovah de do' where he gotta go in an' out. Dat's good.
(What will that do?) Well, he'll stay at home.
Entry 8562
Now, jis'lak yo' goin' ast me mah name. Yo' know, ah gotta give yo' mah right name, yo' see. Well, yo' take mah name, lak ah says ah'm named Mary. Now yo' take dat name - gimne dat piece papah an' lemme show yo'.
[I PASS MY NUMBERS BOOK TO INFORMANT, WHO BEGINS TO DEMONSTRATE.]
(Cut it square?)
Yes. Look, see heah. Yo' write Mary right 'cross heah, see. (Diagonally across that square [oblong] piece of paper [in my Numbers Book]. Then you fold it in a triangle. Then you fold it in a triangle again.) Yo' see dat. Yo' know whut them ten-cent snuffboxes is. Well, yo' don' want a little nickel box, yo' wants a ten-cents box, an' yo' have me. NOW, YO' woRKIN FO'ME, DON'T CHEW SEE. WELL, YO' HAVE ME TUH BRING YO' DAT OLE SNUFFBOX, YO' SEE. Bog, yo' take this name an' put it in that snuffbox, see. Aftah yo' put this name in the snuffbox, yo' says three words, Father, Son an' Holy Ghost. See! Den yo put it in de box, put it in dat snuffbox, see. An' when yo' put it in that snuff- box - now, yo' know whut white lodestone is, don't yo'? Sprinkle on it. [During the Great Depression these little boxes, frequently used as snuff- boxes, could be bought in the Five and Ten Cent Store.]
(Sprinkle some of that white lodestone on it?)
Yeah, yeah, sprinkle it on there and shet [shut] it up an' yo' give it to me yo' see. Shet de box. YO' GIVE IT TO ME, yo' see, 'CUZ AH'M DE ONE GIVIN' YO TUH DO DE WORK, don't chew see? An' yo' carry it on to de rivah or where it's a runnin' stream. AH GOTTA CARRY IT MAHSELF, See, 'CUZ YO' DOIN' DE WORK FO' ME.
(You are my client?)
[OR SHOULD I HAVE SAID PATIENT?]
Yeah. Throw it in an' go on back home. An' in five or six or seven, eight, days, dey'll [I'll] go.
(Drive them away. You will come to me and say, "I want to drive Mary away?")
Dat's right. (And I would do this, and you would throw that into running water. Any special way?) Yeah, now listen. When yo' throw it in, see, jis' lak ah'd walk to de rivah, ah jis' throw it in an' come on back home.
(That sends Mary away?)
She gotta go.
Entry 8575
Ah heard that you could put sugar on the stove nine mawnin's an' after nine mawnin's, yo' write his name on a piece of paper an' stick it in de keyhole.
(In the keyhole?)
Yes, an' call 'im.
(Well, what do you do with this sugar on the stove?)
Burn dat nine mawnin's, dat's all.
(Just one of his shoes?)
No, sugar, SUGAR. (Oh, sugar. You burn sugar for nine mornings. And after that you write this name on this paper and put it in the keyhole.) Jes' write his name over it an' fold it to yo', an' hang it right over de key- hole. [Don't tell me the man is coming back through the keyhole! His spirit rather. The keyhole is the entrance for witches.]
(And you call his name?)
An' yo' call 'is name.
(Just once?)
Just as many times as yo' wanta.
(And he will come back.)
Yeah.
Entry 8581
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' write that down nine times on a piece of brown paper an' yo' fold it. Always fold it to yo'. Bring it to yo'. Make a wish every time yo' fold it. Wish that. An' put that in a lamp an' burn it. (Just burn the light in there?) Burn it, a low light all day. Never let it go out. And if yo' see it ain't workin' quick enough, then yo' take an' get yo' a candle. An' get yo' a pink candle an' bite de [bottom] end off it an' light it. An' put that - lay that [paper with names] down under it an' set that [candle] right on top like that.
(What do you mean bite the end off it?)
Just take it in your teeth and bite the [bottom] end off, that end what lights. Light it from de other end. Then take a knife an' cut down - make it, light it from de bottom.
(I see, turn the candle upside down.)
Entry 8588
Then if ah want this woman an' ah can't get to her, ah kin take mah e 'er name first at de top, my name second at de bottom, her name third an' my name fourth. See, ah ain't got to write it but four times. An' ah fold dat papah. Every time ah fold dat papah, ah fold it to me, an' ah leave it wit three corners, an' have all three of those corners turned to me. An' ah put dat in de lamp, an' ah lights dat lamp, an' ah'll burn dat lamp slowly. Ah turn dat lamp on at seven o'clock. (Seven o'clock in the morning or the evening?) Seven o'clock in de mawn- in'. Ah burn dat lamp slowly till six in de evening. Den ah turn dat lamp down low. See, ah won't blow dis lamp out. Instead of me blowing de lamp out, ah ketch it an' pinch de wick of it. An' see every time ah pinch de wick of it, dat makes it burn on your mind. Dat burn yore name into mine an' my name into yours. Well, dat draws de mind of yo' to me, see. Dat drawin' yore mind.
(You pinch the wick out?)
Ah pinch de wick out.
(Out of where?)
Pinch it plumb out, pinch it till it goes out. See.
(I see.)
As long as it burn - pinching on dat wick [demonstrates] ah'll pinch dat lamp, pinch dat wick plumb out.
(You pinch it with both hands?)
Yassuh, wit both hands till ah pinch it out.
Entry 8593
Git nine matches an' yo' put 'em in a lamp wit coal oil an' yo' write de name of de person yo' workin' 'em on nine times, an' yo' burn dat. Dat's fo' peace. (You put these matches right in the oil?) In de oil, an' yo' write de name nine times on a piece of new tablet dat nevah been used, an' yo' fold it to yo' nine times an' yo' drop it down in dere, an' yo' fill dat lamp fulla oil, fresh oil. An' yo' burn it nine times. Jes' let it burn low. Yo' blow it out an' light it. Let it burn three hours at de time each day. Light it at nine a'clock an' let it burn three hours, at nine a'clock in de mawnin', an' burn it three hours. Den yo' put it out. Den yo' burn it ag'in de next mawnin' fo' [from] nine. Well, dat's peace. In nine days peace is in yore home.
(How long did you say you burn that?)
Fo' nine days.
Entry 8601
Well, mah experience. A stepdaughter of mah husband's, her an' her husband had got on a fuss an' he was workin' on de river-front. She used tuh often come to mah house for me to go off down there to look for him. He wouldn't come with- out her. So we goes over on Menassas Street by one of de river-front foremans an' we ast 'im where - a river-front fore- men, dat one of de men was overseeing of de work. So we goes by one of the foreman's house an' we ast 'im where was Billikin - dey called him fo' a nick- name. So he tole us where he was. He ast us, says, "Whut's de mattah wit chew an' him now?" She said, "He jest walked off an' he left me." He says, "Now ah wanta tell yo' what ah want chew to do." He suggested a plan to her. "Yo' go back an' git chew a writin' tablet an' yo' write his name nine times."
(Was this a colored foreman?)
Dis was de colored foreman. He says, "Now if yo' wanta bring 'im back, " he say, "yo' take an' write his name nine times on a piece of papah." He says, "Tear it [the ruled sheet] with nine lines." Say, "Yo' write his name nine times on that paper. Then yo' turn de papah an' write chure name nine times across his." Says, "Yo' take dat papah an' fold it nine times 'wards yo'. Yo' take yore pin an' pin this note dat chew have wrote onto de end of a lampwick, de lamp dat chew burn in yore room." An' says, "Number', says, "if yo' want 'im to come back in three days." four days." Says, "Yo' put dat number on de outside of dat papah, after it's been refolded an' pinned to de lamp. Den yo' put dat wick back in de lamp an' fill it wit kerosene oil, an' light it an' set it on yore dresser." He say, "he'll come back home." So we tried it an' he did an' he's back there yet an' hasn't gone back.
Entry 8609
If a man got a wife an' she's away from him an' he wants tuh bring her to him, he gits cinnamon an' he gits sugah an' he git honey an' he puts it in dat lamp an' he'll write his indivi- dual name down nine times on a piece of papah straight one aftah de othah... [demonstrates]. (The first name first and the last name last.) Yassuh. An' then he'll write his name down across that with a indelible pencil, an' he takes dat papah...
[I interrupt.]
(How many times does he write his own name?)
His name nine times right cross hers. Den he takes dat papah an' he folds it three times towards him. An' he'll git him some No.8 black thread an' he wraps it roun' dat papah an' ties it up, an' put it in dat rag an' burn it [in the lamp]. An' that'll draw de individual to him.
Entry 8616
If yore landlord comin' as ah tole yo', write his name - write chure name an' write his name first. Write chure name twice on top of his'n an' take yo' a bottle about dat tall [demon- strates] or eithah a Coca-Cola bot- tle. Now, dis is fo' de rent. An' take yo' teaspoonful of dat lead sugah. [For lead sugar, see end of rite.] An' aftah yo' write dat name, yo' fold it dat way [demonstrates] an' den fold it dat way. Den take an' set dat bottle on top of dat name. Yo' put dat sugah [lead sugar] on dere first. Den yo' set dat bottle on top of dat. Den in less - in nine days dat'll take effect. In nine days yore rentman come, yo' kin tell 'im, "Ah ain't got all yore money, today." "Well, all right, dat's all right." Well, de next time he come yo' tell 'im yo' ain't got none. Well, yo see how it works.
(How do you fold that paper, now? Show me again?)
Jes' fold it lak dis [demonstrates].
(You fold it to you once.)
Yes, fold it to yo' dat way an' den yo' turn to de othah side an' den yo' fold it ag'in [demonstrates].
(Fold it to you again.)
Den yo' fold it back dis way [demonstrates] jes' enough fo' de bottle tuh sit on dat. [Here I turn off recording machine but turn it on again pick up the additional information.]
(You put the bottle and everything under the steps?)
Everythin' undah de steps. Yo' gotta put dat undah dere at night or sometime when dere ain't nobody around. [Since I did not ask for the identity of lead sugar, I must have assumed that it was sugar of lead or lead acetate, formerly used in dyeing and calico printing, a poison with a sweet, astringent, and me- tallic taSte. PUTTING A BITTER-SWEET POISON ON THE RENT COLLECTOR'S OR LANDLORD'S NAME I CAN UNDERSTAND, BUT WHY STAND AN EMPTY BOTTLE ON BOTH? COULD THE EMPTY BOTTLE BE A THREAT TO BOTTLE HIM UP NEXT TIME AND KILL HIM?]
Entry 8633
If he be done left her, you mean?
(Yes.)
An' he living with another woman? Well, yo' take an' write his name down again, an' yo' get yo' some red peppah - yo' see, this cayenne red peppah. Well, yo' get yo' some red peppah an' yo' get yo' nine needles, brand-new needles what have never been used. An' yo' get yo' nine new pins. An' yo' stick all of dem needles an' dem pins in de wall cater- corner. An' yo' put it in dere, wit yo' know, hot peppah what yo' put on yore food [pepper sauce]. Yo' take de cayenne red peppah an' de hot peppah [sauce] an' de nine needles an' de nine pins [and the name see later] an' yo' put dat in a lemon. An' yo' bury it anywhere in de back yard, see. An' dat will break dem two people up, an' make yo' an' him come back to- gethah again. I done seen dat did.
(Well, how did she write his name in the beginning?)
Write his name? Well, just like a person's first name, like somebody is named Andrew Edmund or any name like dat. Well, yo' see, yo' put [instead of putting] Andred Edmund, put Edmund Andrew. See, yo' put it backwards, till yo' write it nine times. An' den yo' FOLD IT LIKE A HEART, COMIN' TO YO', & an' dat foldin' 'im to yo' all de time. An' yo' bury it in de backyard. An' yo' just leave it stay dere until it molds away. An' in about nine or ten day's time, his mind gets off of this othah woman an' gets back on yo', an' dat makes him leave 'er an' comes back to yo'.
(I see.) You put this name and that other mixture?)
Yes, de pins an' de needles all togethah.
Entry 8670
Yo' take nine needles.
(Nine needles.)
An' yo' take de name of de person, yo' write his name down. Yo' see, dat's a man an' a woman's affair, too. Yo' see, yo' write yore husband's name down nine times an' yo' write yores three time ovah dat. Den yo' put de nine needles an' yo' fold it tuh yo', an' yo' wrap it up in de sock, an' yo' keep it undah linoleum or somethin' where he has to cross ovah it - pass ovah it - an' dat's to keep 'im kind [and easy to handle] yo' see.
(How do you write those names? You write his name nine times.)
No, yo' write his name nine times like dat [demonstrates]. Well, all right. Den yo' come three times across [demonstrates].
(Make it like - your name and his name forms an "x".)
Yeah - see - look. Look [demonstrates] dat's nine times, nine times, an' write three times [across]. Mine [a woman].
(You form an "x" - like a cross.)
Yes, like dat [demonstrates].
(And then you fold it to you.)
Yes, to yo'.
Entry 8674
Yo' take a plain piece of papah.
(A clean piece of paper.)
Yo' take a piece, yo' see. A man take a papah, a sheet of papah or anythin', yo' undahstand. Why yo' could write. his name nine times or most anything else [such as come home, etc.]. GIVE ME A PIECE OF PAPAH AN' AH SHOW YO' SOMPIN. [I tear a sheet from my Numbers Book.] Yo' see yo' fold dat an' see, she Write dat name nine times on nine lines. An' she write his name - just, yo' know, write it nine times, an' fold dat different ways [demonstrates].
(Fold it to you.)
Fold it to yo' all de time. Well, aftah yo' fold dat to yo', stick it up ovah dere. She's comin' back tuh dat man in no time. She can't stay away.
[His stick it up over there was too indefinite.]
(Where do you stick it? Where do you stick the paper up?)
Well, yo' kin put it anywhere yo' want. Yo' just - she's gotta come back.
(I see.)
Entry 8678
Take his name down nine times on a piece of papah an' yo' write her name down three times. All right an' she git her some sugah an' some cinnamon an' she put dat on dat papah an' fold it three times to her an' wear it in 'er left shoes. Dat's tuh git him back home. Now, when she gits him back home, tuh keep him from goin with any othah woman, she takes her fingernails an' her toenails an' git a part of her hair. An' grate dat all up togethah an' put it in whatevah she cooks, an' give it to him an' he cain't leave 'er.
Entry 8680
Then, what they would do to make yo' move out of that house, they would get yore - try to get some close friend of yours to get yore right shoe. They Would burn that right shoe. They'd get up before day in de mawnin' an' burn that right shoe. Before twelve or one o'clock, they'd take that, they'd sprinkle it at yore door, dat [shoe ashes]. (I understand.) Well, they'd go to work then an' they'd get oil of cedar. (Oil of cedar?) They'd take oil of cedar an' they would pour dat down. (Where would they pour that?) They pour it right at your door [where they put the shoe ashes], at yore front door, where yo' are bound to come out over. Well then yo' get 'em [they have you!]. They would take yore name an' they would write it nine times an' they would fold that from them. They'd take that name an' they would bury that. Yo' begin to drift. Yo' wouldn't like that place, yo'd want to stay away from dat place. Dat's de place they'd drive yo' off.
(Do they bury that in any special place?)
They'd bury it at de door where yo' - or in de path, so you'd have to come over. They'd bury it so you'd have to come over it. Yo' understand.
(I understand. That makes you move?)
That'd make yo' move.
Entry 8716
Yo' kin take a woman's stockin' or a man's sock dat dey done wore, an' yo' takes dat an' write dere name down nine times straight, jes' on a straight piece of papah [demonstrates]. (Write one and the next one after it right under the other.) Yessuh. An' yo' put it in dat sock or stockin' an' yo' fold it from yo'. An' as yo' fold it from yo', at twelve a'clock at night, yo' go somewhere where dere's a fig tree. An' yo' dig a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' puts dat stockin' undah dat tree an' covah it up. An' when yo' covah it up [you say] "As dat stockin' melt away, dey wastes away." See, dey'll jes' dry up an' Waste away lak a person dat got some kinda disease.
(You must say those words?)
Yessuh, as yo' put de stockin'. Yo' wrap up as ah 'fore tole yo' wit de name in it. An' den when yo' put de name in dere, yo' wrap it from yo'. An' yo' find de fig tree. But it must be twelve a'clock at night. An' yo' digs a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' buries it. An' when yo' buries it, yo' say, "Jes' lak ah put dis stockin' heah tuh rot away, dat's de way ah want de individuals tuh waste away."
(That will kill them then?)
Yessuh, an' as dat stockin' rot away, dey health be gittin' bad an' dey'll first an' last, final[ly], an' jes' die off, an' nobody will know whut dey died wit, if dey don' go find out 'bout de stockin'.
Entry 8767
(Yes, what do they do about that?) Ah've heard of dat. De way I undahstood it was dis way. Jes' like if yore name or mine, if ah wanted to see yo' an' yo' were away. Well, ah'd set down an' write yore name nine times three ways, an' fold de papah three ways, an' burn each end fo' three days, an' de ninth day ah'd see yo' - don't care if yo' was in New York. (I see.[ Well, now, here's the sheet of paper. [I demonstrate with my Numbers Book.] And you write the name how many times?) Nine times that way.
(This way?)
The same name, that's right.
(Nine times this way, one right under the other?)
Dat's right, nine times dis way.
(And then nine times this way, right over it?)
Over again.
[Informant demonstrates.]
(You are writing it backwards then nine times?)
Dat's right.
(Then, what do you do? Then what?)
Den write it nine times again, back de same way crosswise. See.
(Back this way again?)
[I demonstrate.]
See, write it dis way [informant demonstrates]. See? Den yo' write it dis way, den yo' bring it back cross dis way.
(I see.)
Den yo' fold in what yo' might call a angle.
(You fold it this way?)
In a angle, sure.
(And then this way?)
Dat's right. An' burn each end. Burn this end today, an' keep it fold, an'...
(You burn each one of those ends off [one] each day.)
Each day fo' three days.
(I see.)
An' de ninth day - inside of de ninth day, yo'll see de one, dat name yo' wrote. (I see. Now, I write it lengthwise of the sheet of paper and then crosswise, and then I bring one corner down to the opposite corner, three ways..) Den fold it.
(Then I fold it three ways: that way, and that way, and another way?)
It [folded paper] have three points. Burn each cornah off.
[I summarize.]
(And this will be shaped like a triangle and have three points, and you burr one point each day for three days, and the ninth day the person will come back, whose name you wrote down?) Which name yo' wrote on dere.
(You only write the name of the person that is absent?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8768
You write your name down on a piece of paper, an' yo' write de othah party's name down on de other piece of papah. Well, if dat's someone dat yo wanta get back, an' yo' folds it [to you] three different ways. Well, because of the Way yo' foldin' it, yo' want dem tuh come back. Well, yo' have dere name turnt in de house, yo' see, an' every time, dey walk, yo' see, dey always goin' back in de house all de time, cause dere name is joined dat way. Well, if yo' want dem to stay out of de house, yo' turn de names up lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' see, just like a... turn it up lak dat.
(You turn the names out if you want them to stay outside.)
If yo' want 'em to stay outside, yo' turn de names out de house. Jes' like yo' put it up ovah dat door [points to door of interviewing room]. Well, yo' turn de name out like dat. If yo' want dem to stay in, always come in yore house, turn de name dis Way [into house].
(I see.)
Entry 8793
Ah heard dat ef yo' write, if yo' stick yore finger an' yo' had a lover dat was goin' away. An' yo' kin stick yore fingah, draw some of yore blood an' write 'is name. Den write chure name undah dat an' put it in anothah papah. Fold it in de shape of a heart an' put it in a lettah an' send it tuh 'im. [If you did this] that he would come home.
(Do you stick any finger?)
Yeah, dis weddin' fingah, weddin' ring fingah [finger next to little finger on left hand], dis here engagement fingah.
Entry 8823
Ah'll take yore han'writin', whethah it's chure name or what not, it's chure han'writin'. Ah'll turn de fo' cornahs in, if it's a lettah, turn 'em all in tuh me. Den ah'll fold 'em an' put 'em undah mah shoe.
(Turn these four corners in, then you fold them over once. Just once?)
Yes sir, tuh me all de time.
(Once or twice?)
Yeah, any way fold it tuh yo' all de while [until you have a convenient pack- age].
(Just make a little package. Always fold it to you.)
Yes sir, an' ah weahs it undah mah shoes. Co'se, whethah yo' a woman or man ah'll handle yo'.
(What shoe do you wear that in?)
Yo' weah dat in de right shoe.
Entry 8826
Lak if yo' write a lettah tuh someone an' dey git chure han'writin' or dey know yore han'writin', dey take dis han'writin' - take dis lettah an' cut each cornahs off it. Jes' lak yo' got a sheet of lettah an' yo' cut each cornahs off of it, an' take it an' fold it up intuh fo' parts, take an' fold it up dis Way. Den yo' take it - lak if she Wanted 'er husban' tuh come back tuh 'er. Den she take dis lettah aftah she fold it up - aftah 'er sonthly come on her - an' she take some of 'er monthly an' she take a small piece of flannel rag, an' tie it up in dat small flannel rag. Fold dat lettah, fold dat lettah fo' times, an' 'er monthlies in dis li'le flannel rag, an' den she take dat an' she weah it. Aftah she take an' fold it up, den she weahs it tuh 'er navel down heah - dis side of 'er navel.
[The navel is not meant, see later.]
(Which side?)
On 'er left side. An' den aftah she do dat, she weah it so many days. An' ah heahs women says, aftah she weahs it so many days, dey guarantee dat he will come back tuh dem, don't ca' where he's at, if he in New Yawk or anywhere. It will take effect on 'em an' dey come back. (Show me how that letter is folded with that piece of paper now? First, they tear the corners off, you say?) Dat's right, teah de cornahs. Den she take dis flannel rag an' 'er ministrate an' she put dat right in de centah of dat, an' she take it an' she fold it lak dat [demonstrates].
(She folds one corner to the opposite corner?)
Yessuh. (She folds every corner to the opposite corner, making a triangle. All right. Like making a little hat that you would wear.) Yes.
(Then she wears that right between her legs.)
Dat's it.
Entry 8827
Yes, ah've heard dat if yo' take dat han'writin' an' if yo' cut de fo cornahs - yo' takes de lettah an' yo' takes an' fold it tuhgethah an' yo' takes dose fo' cornahs an' yo' clip dose cornahs off. Yo' takes dose cornahs an' yo' puts 'em right tuhgethah an' cut 'em ag'in. Yo' have tuh cut 'em as many times as yo' got fingahs. An' evah time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de same way. An' den yo' take dis han'writin' an' yo' takes an' burns it. An' den yo' - whatsomevah, jes' lak yo' take an' hold it ovah sompin an' burn, den yo' takes de li'le ashes or dust from whatsomevah it is, an' yo' goes an' bury it. An' when yo' bury it, yo' bury it in a hole wit a cut jes' lak de lettah supposed [to] be cut. Yo' turn dese points jes' lak yo' have turnt dese points on de lettah. An' den dey say dat dat will make yo' so nervous, when yo' git ready tuh write ag'in, yo' couldn't write atall, couldn't write a scratch.
(In other words, the hole is in sort of the shape of a diamond?)
[A square or oblong with 4 cut off corners is scarcely the shape of a diomona!]
Yeah. (And you have to keep cutting those squares and keep putting those pieces to- gether.) Uh-huh, until yo' cut 'em ten times [for the number see comment later]. Den yo' take dose squares [triangles] an' yo' burn 'em. Den put 'em in de di'mond- square [hole] an' bury 'em.
(That makes you nervous in your hand?)
Yeah. [In this rite we are asked to accept a fantastic number of triangles. We begin with the original 4 triangles by cutting off the 4 corners of the let- ter. These we must cut 10 times, quite an exercise in geometric progression: (lst cut) 4 triangles, (2nd cut) 8, continuing the doubling with 32,64,128, 256,512, 1024, and 2048! Adding these 10 cuttings of triangles we have 4092 of them! And don't forget: each time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de Same Way!!! Had my informant said 3 cuttings,4,8,16, he would have remained within the realm of possibility; but not 10 cuttings! The ashes from these tri- angles are buried in the diamond-square hole, a hole shaped like the former old- fashioned coffin, the head part with cut-off corners. In the present rite the cut-off corners are also given to the bottom of the coffin symbol. Here again I think informant is mistaken. The coffin symbol should be the shape of the orig- inal envelope.]
Entry 8843
She could take a lettah of 'er [own] writin' an' burn de cornahs, burn all fo' cornahs of de lettah. Burn it right in de centah an' right in de middle of it. Aftah yo' burn de fo' cornahs, double it [fold twice] an' burn de centah of it - right in de centah of it. Write de address an' de name an' bury it in de middle of de graveyard, an' de person will soon die. [Let us understand what happens here. The woman of this rite writes a letter to herself and signs it the sup- posed sender's name. The outside of the envelope she addresses to herself. One thing only is lacking. She should have stamped it and sent it to herself through the postoffice.]
Entry 8844
Jes' lak yo' write me a lettah an' ah don' wan' chew tuh bothah wit nobody else, an' yo' will not go wit me. Ah take dat lettah whut chew write tuh me an' ah goes tuh a graveyard an' git some of dat graveyard dirt an' bluestone - yo' know whut dat [bluestone] is. Well ah'll beat dat bluestone up, see. An' ah'll take it an' put it in dat lettah an' fold it up jes' as tight as ah kin. Carry it in de lavatory [outside watercloset] an' put it up on dat cross- piece dere. An' she won' 'ave [won't have] no mo' trouble wit dem [other girls]. Yo' can't write tuh her atall no mo'.
Entry 8847
Dat's tuh git chure mind. All right, dey write chew, if dey kin write. Git in tetch wit chew through anyone, writin' yo' lettahs, see. Dey kin dress dem lettahs. An' say, if dey write chew a lettah dey'll make - maybe start off wit blue ink, maybe change wit red ink. Well, dat'll take yore 'tenshun [attention]. An' dey'll dress dat lettah an' dey'll keep awritin' yo'. An' evah time dey write maybe dey'll fold it diff'ren' tuh git chure 'tention.
Entry 9001
Uses de Bible on dat. Ah uses - take de 13 chaptah of Ezekiel [for] dat, but ah takes it backwards, read it backwards. Aftah when ah read it back- wards an' sit down an' write chure name, yore crime dat chew committed, an' yore luck [fortune], all onto hit. See. Fold it up an' give to yo' an' sent yo' tuh court say, "Go an' ah'll go wit chew." Yo' go tuh co't at nine 'clock. Ah'm goin' be workin' directly fo' yuh at nine 'clock through de Bible, an' light two candles. On dese candles ah have judge's name an' yore name. De candles is a Wax candle. Lights a black candle. An' ah would have 'em white an' colored - all, tuh git a very low sentence an' a lot of 'em would git loose.
(Where do you buy these candles?)
Ah orders all of mine from Kingston, Jamaica.
(Kingston, Jamaica - I see. What is the name of the firm down there?)
Peterburg Factory - Peelburg, Pillsburg. Dat's where ah orders all mine, dese candles from.
Entry 9842
(Tell me how they make a person stay at home?)
Wit dere sock. Well, take dis sock an' put chure sugah an' yore cinnamon in dis sock, an' take yo' nine needles an' nine pins an' - fold yore sock an' put [in] dem nine needles an' nine pins. An' yo' use 'em all, gotta git 'em all in dere. See, dem eighteen sticks [sticking ob- jects] gotta be in dere. An' yo' take three tacks an' nail 'em down at de front of yore do', or eithah if yo' got a fiah hearth, yo' take a brick up an' yo' lay dat brick dere. Lay it dere an' put it on top dat. An' yo'll nevah git rid of 'em. Dat'll hold 'em.
Entry 10167
(Tell me something more about burning these candles. How do they burn these candles? Give me an illustration.) Well, you burn those candles - they got different ones they burn. Now, for to make you die, you get a black one. To have luck and successes, you get a pink one [luck] and a blue one [success]. And a blue one will make your man come back to you, if he's gone. (Tell me how you do - just how you burn it. Do you know how you handle that?) Yes. You take that candle and you put it in a saucer or something and you put a little sugar. You take some sugar and you take a piece of paper or else - but honey is the best. Honey is better than sugar because honey is sveeter than sugar. And you put it in a saucer and you have that man's name down. And when you fold it, don't fold it from you, you fold it to you. And you put that candle there. Well, when that candle burn out, well, you see hit'll spread all over there, you see. And you put it where nobody won't see it. You burn that candle like today, the next day he'll come if he don't stay no more than [I interrupt]
(Do you put this honey in the saucer?)
In the - in the - look [demonstrates]: you put the piece of paper in the sau- cer. You put, you know his name is on it, the paper; you put the paper down first in the saucer. You put the honey [demonstrates].
(On top of the paper.)
On top of the paper and you fold it over like you fold a napkin, and you set the candle right up there.
(Down in the honey?)
Yeah, but you see - yeah, down in the honey; but you see, the paper is fold, you know.
(Before you put the honey there?)
Yeah, and you take piece of the candle - you take the candle and you let it drip. Let some of this wax drip on the paper so hit can stick. Well, stick it
[candle] there. Now, when that's burn out, well you go get another one [candle]
and you do the same. Well, you have his name in that [folded paper sweetened with honey]. That's to sweeten him.
(Well, how often can you burn that candle? Or when?)
Well, you burn it, the candle, for nine days and in nine days he'll be back to you, you see; but you burn it every day - you see, every day.
(All day long?)
All day long. Or, when that one go out, you burn another one. You see? You buy you - well, you say, well, I'll buy me [candles]. If you buy you nine can- dles, well [use them] long as those candles burn out; but when you ain't got no more, you go get some more for nine days. And when that - he'll be back in the nine days, 'fore the nine days.
Entry 10229
Like you havin' to do with 'er an' she'll take a dishcloth an' she'll wipe you with de dishcloth. An' she'll take dat dishcloth an' she'll care it an' put it under her bed or under her pillah, see, an' yo' couldn't mess with a yoman to save your life. If dat man [or you] got sense now, he kin git rid of dat. Why, he go, if he wan'a git rid of it, he'll go an' steal...or yo' go [to] somebody house an' yo' steal de dishcloth, see. You go [got to] have sumpin to do with her, or any other woman, an' you'll wipe with dat dishcloth. An' yo' take dat dishcloth an' fold it right tight. An' he kin wear it with him or put it somewhere where nobody but him can reach it but him. An' she can't do nuthin with nobody but you.
Entry 10252
[This rite comes in two parts:] (l) [A woman will] take his shirt, fold the arms together, crossing [each other], put on side of bed where he sleeps [put under mattress]. [The folding of shirt arms is a sym- bol of dead man in a coffin.] He'll be back. (2) [If he runs around with other woman, here is what she does.] Quite natural she kin git de measure of his private down dere an' tie as many knots in it as he [his] private is long, an' wear it aroun' her waist. Dat'll stop him.
Entry 10713
Jis' lak yo' git someone's hair, yo' kin git de bird nest an' fold dat up an' throw it in runnin' watah. Well, dat'll run yo' crazy lak dat. Jis' makes yo' go crazy, yo' jis' always be on de path - dat's runnin' 'em. (You put this hair in the bird's nest and sew this up in some- thing?) Yes, yo' throw it in de watah.
Entry 10877
Git two cats, yes- suh, an' rub dere haids tohl gethah till dey git nad l till dey git real mad at one anothah. Den yo' smarch a lock of hair outa each cat's hzid, yo' know, an' yo' fold it togethah. An' put some red peppah an' salt in it 血' care it an' put it in de no'th cornah of dere house. Dey'll leave, dey'll part. Dat's whut separate 'em.
(Separate this man and woman?)
Ub-hah.
Entry 10913
Jes' lak if yo' got a dog an' a cat - ain't chew seen two dogs and two cats meet, an' de cat make up his bristles an' de dog make up his bristles? An' while dey got dere bristles made up, yo'll git de hair behin' both of 'em's neck, see; an' put it in a piece of cloth an' fold up de cloth, an' pin nine straight pins in it - one each way. See [demonstrates] pin one in it [cloth] dat way - an' one in it dat way [heads and points, alternated] an' dat jes' will make 'em fuss an' fight. (Well, now what do they do with that cloth after they pin it up? Where do they put that?) Yo' tote dat in yore pocket, see. When dey git together jes' lak dat dog an' cat fight yo' see; jes' fuss an' fight, be mad [every] time dey see one 'nother. Do dat wit de hair. (But they have to get near one another.) [Here without suggesting an answer, I am asking informant how all these concerns the two victims. Do they walk over Package? Is it thrown into their house? Does he name pins them? Without some such device all this is done by informant's intention.]
Entry 10960
Dey use de chicken's blood fo' evilness, but now, it's somepin else dat dey have tuh use wit it. Dey takes chicken blood an' writes people's name wit it. Dey have tuh use a feathah. Dey take de feathah out of de chickens tail. Take an' write a person's name wit chicken's blood an' kill 'em. Why yo' uses dat feathah fo' yore pencil an' yo' kin write dere name in de fo' cornahs on anything an' fold de fo' cornahs, jes' lak dat. Why dat gives 'em a awful mind. If it don't kill 'em it will jes' [have] dem passin' away all de time. (What do you do with that paper then, after it has those names on it?) Take dat papah aftah yo' put dat name on it an' bury it in undah dey do'steps or any place wit dat chicken blood on it. Yo' write dey name wit de chicken's blood, dey perfect [full] name fo' times on de fo' cornahs of dat papah, an' fold it an' bury it undah dere do'steps or undah yores, any- body's elses. It don't make any diff'rence jes' since it's in de earth. An' as dat chicken blood passes away, why it gives yo' success. Dey cain't stay any place.
Entry 11141
When the landlord gives you a notice, you take that notice and you fold it in the shape of a bouquet - like a come. You get up over the front door and make a cross up there. You take that notice and if there is any way to hide it, like up here [points], up over here, that nobody can see it. Make that cross up there and take that notice and cross and nail it up there. Put nine tacks in it so that nobody won't detect it up there, and he you] will never come in. That's to cross the landlord.
Entry 11236
[Since we are now in the letter "D" of CHANNEL DE WORLD material - a division arranged alphabetically instead of sectionally to avoid typing compli- cations - the following 30 pages or more will be concerned with doctors, something by them or about them. Doctors of course will appear among later letters of the alphabet, but here was a convenient place to concentrate some of them. I begin with a folding rite that contains a close relative, a wrapping rite. The verb to fold does not appear in the index of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 1st ed., 1935, and I doubt its appearance in the indexless 2nd ed. There is an index only in the files of the Center for the Study of Comparative Folklore and Mythology, University of California, Los Angeles, California. De- spite rarity, HOODOO has a number of folding rites, some of them quite compli- cated: Nos.3126, 3182-3190, etc., v.3 and elsewhere. To fold to you or away from you is a usual theme, but our present rite is an accordian fold. Especially interesting to me is the doctor, place of hearing, and time. My record concern- ing him reads: "Thurs. Feb. 15, 1940, informant No.1565, man 45, Crackerjack Store, paid, ng." (From note books E Series, 2nd New Orleans trip, numbers of informants 1558 to 1605). More about that ng in a moment. Informant was brought to me by the black man preceding him, a man who worked at the Crackerjack Store - sometimes called drug store - a famous hoodoo emporiun of that date. During the following interview I was utterly unaware that this would be my last dat at Pat- terson Hotel, 759 S. Rampart St., corner of Julia, New Orleans, La. Years later I would pay my respects to the old building by printing her picture at the end of HOODOO volume 2! The folding rite follows:] Say fo' instance yo' wanta git rid of a man. All right yo'd git his photo- graph, not a tintype. Git a cardboard [photograph] an' de medium size. Git it an' fold it in half an' find, say lak a dead chicken or a dead dog or somepin aroun' [or lying about] wit maggots. Ah mean large-size maggots as dey walkin'.... Well, yo' crease de photograph in nine folds an' as yo fold it in de nine folds, yo' drop a maggot in each one of 'em; in every fold until yo' git de nine mag- gots. Den yo' git chew a piece of separate black cord an' tie it [folded photo] nine times; den yo' git chew a piece of red [cord] an' yo' make six knots [about folded photo]. An' put in dem nine knots an' six knots.... Dat [package] is representin' dey cof- fin. Aftah yo' git through wit dat, den yo' wrap it up in a piece of cloth, which would be about fully de same size, an' git chew de nine of spades, an' wrap dat up nine times, an' jes' take an' fold it wit [3 ingredients]: one flake [flick = pinch] of salt, an' one flake of black peppah, an' one flake of red pep- pah - cayenne peppah. An' wrap 'em all up. An' yo' close it up an' regardless of whut de individual's name may be, yo' put it down nine times in a piece of silk tissue papah, fold it every time nine times. Take a match an' burn it, an' as yo' burn it, leave dem ashes go right on top.... Den yo' take all dat cloth [the several packages together] tuhgethah an' reenfold it [in one cloth] an' git chew some rivah sand, an' jes' put it in dere an' dry [tie] it up [into one pack- age]. Den yo' goes on tuh de neahest runnin' watah dat yo' kin git tuh an' dig yo' a small pit, jes' a small hole.... Dig it out six inches, jes' as dere grave. Aftah yo' do it, den yo' says - be mastah of de ceremony which is his funeral. As yo' be blessin' de body as it goin' down, every word yo' say yo' curse in between it, which is his name in between. An' as yo' doin' dat, den yo' throws a little bit of sherry wine, or if he drinks, regardless of whatevah it is, jes' throw it right on in dere....an' covah it up - an' drop it as it [coffin] goin' doup: [After this mock funeral ceremony] nine words yo' says, every day nine words, an' in de 18th day whoevah de individual will be, dey comin' unnormal deathly sick. De doctor [M.D.] or no othah one will undahstan' his case no kinda way. He'll die an' swell up [he'll swell up and die] in de next, say six or seven months, or maybe in de comin' future yeahs, from dat date.... (And you say you say nine words to that thing each day. Have you any special words you say?) Lak if de individual wuz a gamblah or a thief or a murderah, he may come home an' he'll be worried or somepin. Well yo' jes' curse him in dat name, "Yo' son of bitch. Yo' bastard. Yore mothah's no good. Yore fathah's no good. An aftah yo' hit me, whut ah won't do tuh yo'." An' aftah whut chew do to him, yo' say a prayah, "Name de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, Amen. "... Every day [the unrecorded things done I pick up in my following comment].
(You say just nine prayers like that. Nine things you say.)
Cussin' him all de time.... [Informant had seen his best days as a doctor, that is why I preserved the remainder of his interview under the last alphabetical division XYZ. Those 4....indicate repetition of what had been said.]
Entry 12294
To bring someone to you, prick finger with needle, write his name or initial with the blood on piece of paper, fold to you 3 times longways, turn it and fold it to you 3 times shortways, put in bowl of lamp, burn for 9 days and nights. [Here is one of those interest- ing folding rites so well illustrated in HOODOO: to fold to you or away from you, fold into triangles or squares, etc. [This is my pencil resume of rite, attached here to original MS, before original material lost. Informant "excellent, " I note.]
Entry 12457
If he gives you [woman] bill [paper money for sexual services], fold [paper money] to you, then fold it again. Clip off ends of the 4 corners, tie in handkerchief, wear so that you can use it without his knowing it, and he'll always give you something [for love services]. [Here is another one of the unusual folding rites in HOODOO, this one by an excellent professional hoodoo worker in Memphis.]
Entry 12495
Write his name 9 times and then call him 9 separate times, "Joe, you go," each time you name him, dropping salt and red pepper on the paper, each time folding the paper towards you. And finally, after you have written his name 9 times, called him 9 times, dropped salt and cayenne pepper 9 times, folded the paper from you 9 times, throw the folded paper in the direction you want him to go. [Rite never transcribed, my original resumé in pencil attached to MS.]
Entry 12775
[Letter "s" in this long CHANNEL DE WORLD division begins perhaps with the largest sentence in HOODOO:] They say, if yo' take the Twelve Apos- tle's names like I told joo, an' write 'em on a piece of paper, or each Apostle's name on a sage leaf, an' have the Apos- tle's names on another piece of paper, fold them toward joo all the time, an' keeps 'em in your pocket an' have 'em whensomever yo' go for a job, they say he'll [you will] more than apt to be lucky. [For sage leaves and court see also No.9117-9137, some of which also contain 12 Apostles, v.4.]
Entry 12996
Jes' lak anybody, well, jes' say if a woman have a friend or sompin an' he is able tuh give her, an' can give her, an' hit look lak he don't wanta use her fo' convenience, why she kin git a dime from him an' she kin take dat dime an' put it in a brand- new piece of domestic an' fold it tuh her nine times, an' sew it an' wear it right next tuh her an' dat's good. Dat'll help out a whole lot in peace with him an he'll provide for her mo' bettah.
(Just wear it any place on her body?)
Yeah, jes' pin it right inside her on de right side, wear dat down dere.
(Next to the skin?)
Yes.
Entry 13238
In the morning when you get up to go to your landlord, the fellah that owns the property [you rent], you take and put sugar and [in] a brown piece of paper, wrapping paper. And fold it to you 9 times and put it in the bottom of your right shoe. And any favor that you'd ask him to do for you, he would do it. He can't turn you down whether he's out [of] money or not.
Entry 13338
You take her - you take a pair of her stepins or her hose, whatever that she wears, you know, that you wanta take. You take them and you put 'em - say if you got two mat- tress [mattress on box springs] on the bed. You write her name down there nine times and you lay it in between there and you fold her - whatever you got to you - nine times. You take you a piece of paper and you lay it on the spring, and you lay this to you and then you put the mat- tress back down over that and you go anywhere you want. And I'll guarantee you ain't no man in the world going go in there and worry her whilst you gone - and she ain't going to think about any other man. See.
Entry 8597
(That is the first way. Now what is the second way?)
Well, de second way is, ah put his name, write his name nine times in a lamp, an' burn de lamp from nine tuh twenty-one days; an': if he in town he'll come in three, an' if he outa town he bound tuh come in twenty-one. See, yo' write his name nine times. Put his name in a lettah or piece of papah. Put it in de lamp an' turn de lamp down an' fill it up fulla coal oil. Turn it down low an' set it some place an' burn it fo' nine tuh twenty-one days. An' if he mad wit me, when he git dere, tuh make him pleased, ah put sugah in dere an' fold de papah tuh me.
Entry 1834
Well, dey kin take yore hand-writin' - sho' dey kin. Ah've heard that. Dey take - lak yo' write me a lettah an' ah wanta do yo' something, ah take yore writin' an' ah fold it, ah fold it nine times. Den ah put me some pins an' nee- dles, nine needles an' nine pins in that an' put it in some steel dust an' some devil watah an' some ammonia an' bury it. Den yo' act'lly goin' tuh die.
(What is devil watah?)
Devil watah is devil vinegar. (And when you fold it how do you fold it? Fold it to you like this?) [I demonstrate.] No, fold it from yo'.
Entry 2523
To have good luck with a boss for a job, yo' always use that sugar - 'vapored [evaporated = refined] sugar [don't use brown sugar on a white boss] - use your sulphur, sprinkle that in your pocket with your sugar. Yo' take your cinnamon bark - you put that in your pocket. All right, any time you go to speak to him, he's always willing [to speak to you]. [Another method.] You take his name and you write it three times - you lay it out on a piece of plain paper and you fold that to you. Don't never fold nothing from you if you want it to be close to you. If you running a place of business and you don't want the laws to bother you. You go to - like a blacksmith shop - like a - you know where they shoe horses at. You walk in there and you ask the man for a couple of [two] horseshoe nails, and he'll give 'em to you. Understand. But don't you take 'em, but you pay 'im for them. You understand. Now, in this you Wanta be lucky - you know, something like you running a place and you wanta have good luck at your place. You take them there [two nails] and you get you - buy you a pink ribbon - a little narrow pink ribbon, and you take them nails and you cross em like a cross, and you wrap that ribbon around 'em and hang it up over your front door where everyone comes in, comes in under that. And you always - when anyone comes, you going to have plenty, plenty, plenty trade. And they ain't going to bother looking. This man that give you them nails, now, when you offer to pay 'em for them, he don't want it, but you give him a nickel or dime or something for them nails any- how. He going to tell you, "Ah, they ain't worth nothing - take plenty." But you always hand him a nickel or dime, so you really having to buy 'em, you under- stand. And lay it down there for him. See. Course, if he just give 'em to you and you don't give him nuthin, they ain't any good to you. Anything that you can get - fust walk out and get it for nothing - that's no trouble for you to get, and you don't know how it come, then it s no benefit to you. Anything that you have trouble to get, why it's a benefit to you. You want to take care of it, you see.
(The law?)
You take the law's name - see, just like that law what you know is bad about raiding or something, you take his name and you write it nine times and fold it to you, you see. You fold it up and you wear it in your shoe. You take them horseshoe nails - them two nails that I told you - and cross 'em and put 'em up over your door. If he comes there, he ain't going to bother you. If any other law comes in town, he'll always know it, so he'll notify you or somebody - see, you ain't got no graft or nuthin to pay. Keep the graft and all out of your way.
Entry 3224
Jes' lak dey have a man an' yo' don't want 'im tuh go out wit anybody else. Well, yo' a, yo' know, an' yo' kin take a new han'chuf an' use dat. Iron it an' fold it up - eithah a little towel - fold it up roun' an' sew it up tight as yo' kin an' stick dat in de mattress, an' he cain't go out wit nobody else. Yo' kin take an' eithah use his pocket han'chuf an' use it - iron it an' put it under yore rug an' dat will cause him tuh bring in 'is money an' stay home. (You would use this the same as you use the handkerchief you mean. You mean wipe him with that and then iron it and put it under the rug to make him bring his money home.)
Entry 13337
Before you leave this house, you take - you slip [steal] one of her teddies, you see, before you leave this house. And when you slip - you fold it up tight, tight, and yo' go - just as you go out of the house, you put it up under the pillar - on the right hand side - as you go out of the house, you put it on that side, up under the pillar and leave it there, and she ain't going to have the courage to fool with nobody else while you be gone. [Courage here means sexual ability. Until he returns she is sexless!]
(Do you put it under his pillow or her pillow?)
No, up under the house pillar. (Oh, up under the house pillar. I see.) [As I have said numerous times these small houses on low- lands set a foot or more aboveground upon five stones or other objects like this the perfect form for a quincunx rite.]
Entry 5076
If it's possible dey kin git intuh yore room an' git one of yore socks, dey kin easily have yuh go away. It's GOTTA BE DIRTY, though - GOTTA HAVE SOME OF DE MOISTURE FROM YORE BODY IN IT. An' dey take it an' fold it an' put it in a cloth, sew it up an' put it intuh a runnin' stream of watah an' dat will carry yuh away.
(That would send me out of the house.)
Entry 3126
See, whut he do tuh fix 'er up, he go tuh work an' he takes - he gits some of 'er intahco'se [menstrual blood here], yo' undahstan'.
(I understand, from her intercourse.)
Yes. All right, he takes dat. He takes dat rag an' he foles - he takes dat cloth an' he foles it, foles four times towards 'i. Don't nevah fole it from 'im, fole it up towards 'im. If he got a shoe, he puts it [a piece of it] in 'is shoe. Yo' undahstan'. Jis' put it in a pair of 'is shoes an' go on. He kin go on off an' stay three uh [or] four weeks, an' she ain't got no feelin' fuh no Othah man atall, she always wantin' to see yo', yo' undahstan'. [Both to fold and four times are common magic rites. To fold is magically to confuse, confine and control the spirit, or part of the spirit, residing (often temporarily) in the object being folded. The magic or sacredness of the four comes, to Christians at least, from the following Biblical quotation: I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth (Rev.7:1).]
Entry 3250
If a man wants tuh fix a woman so she can't have any- thin' tuh do wit anybody else. At de time dat dey have fin- ished it, dey said if he uses a red pocket han'cheff an' cleans de woman an' den he folds it an' wear it in de bottom of 'is shoe, he'd have dis woman fixed so she won't be able tuh go out wit anybody else.
(He wears it in his shoe. Either shoe?)
Yeah, either shoe. [Folding is a confining rite like tying a knot.]
Entry 3290
Now yo' take a woman, she'll take a man's nature dataway. She'll go to work - jes' lak yo' fool wit a woman. Well, now when yo' gits through fool- in' wit 'er, she'll take a piece of 'er undahwear an' wipe dis man wit it. Well, aftah she wipe him wit it, she'll take it den an she'll carry it, fold it up an' she'll put it undah 'er bed laig. Well, now she'll keep it in a secret place where nobody passes. Well, as long as hit dataway, she keep it dataway, he can't have no nature fo' nobody regard- less, but 'er.
Entry 3320
Jes' lak yo' an' 'er havin' intahco'se, an' when yo' git through, jes' take a new pocket handkerchief, yo' undahstan' an'dry off wit it, an' yo' take an' fold it up in some little small piece an' put it where dere can't no one step ovah it.
(What does that do?)
Well, yo' kin rule 'em - jest handle 'em any way yo' want 'em. (You mean you use that handkerchief in wiping her.)
Entry 3689
So far as I know, ah kin tell yo' on dat part, too. So now, yo' take a woman - jis' lak ah'm got a ole lady mahself an' she don't want me runnin' out wit nobody but 'er. Ah seed [saw] 'er do it mahself. Dey take a snail, a live snail dat crawls aroun' - lotta people say yo' kin take yore han'. She take 'er han' an' she will run it across dis snail an' rub it on 'er stomick. Well, yo' kin do it a diff'- ren way dan dat. Yo' kin take a snail an' put it in a clean towel, see, dat yo' use to dry off or somepin. An' where dat snail greasin' dat towel - yo' don't kill 'im or nothin - jis' let 'im crawl across it or somepin an' he makes a mark across it each way he comes. [The crawling snail makes an X-mark.] An' dat towel will be folded right back up some place an' be hung right on de - or prob'ly at de foot of de baid. An' whilst de man have intahco'se wit 'er or somepin, why she han's 'im dat towel. Well, she han's 'im dat an' as long as he uses dat, why he can't do no good wit no one else.
(I see.)
Entry 4298
Ah heard dat yuh kin take a man's undahweah, his dirty undahweah an' yuh kin wash it in yore pee, see, an' den fold it up. Yuh take de sleeves an' yuh fol' dis sleeve, fold it in, an' yuh take dis sleeve an' fold it on top of dat. Den yuh take it an' fold it tuhgethah, turn it ovah tuhgethah an' roll it up, an' put 'em undah yuhr mattress an' sleep on it. Dat is, if he's gone away from home, dat will bring 'im back.
Entry 4366
If de person know de man name - yuh goes an' know de man name. Yuh care [carry] a li'le bottle, dis cologne bottle, an' yuh call 'is name an' stop 'im up - jes' bottle up de man [see 38, p.24f.] in yuh fob pocket. An' den yuh [go] talk tuh 'im an' he say he ain't got no job. All right, chew go back home an' fer de nex' nine mawnin's - an' yuh got 'is name all right - yuh take a cord an' tie it aroun' yuh waist an' double it nine times. Make yuh chamber lye on it an' put it in de bottle. An' go back [to the boss] an' call 'is name ag'in, stop 'im up, an' den he'll give yuh a job.
(I see, you get the spirit of his voice in this bottle.)
[An old comment of mine in pencil about this rite reads Use with care. This rite is quite all right, except I failed to understand the word double when first checking transcription with the cylinder. Thinking that the waist measure was increased 9 times, I wondered how such a long string could be squeezed into one of those tiny bottles of perfume then sold for lOc at the Five-and-Ten-Cents Store. At the time of recording I probably knew the meaning of double because I do not ask a question about it, but I must not rule out knowledge coming from later experience. Here is what happens. The man wraps a piece of ordinary pack- age-wrapping string about his waist, ties a knot, and cuts off the two unneeded ends. He now has a loop or circle of string, say about 30 inches in circumfer- ence, which he pushes down over his thighs and off his body. This string he stretches out into a straight line of double string 15 inches long and at a right angle to his body; the knot being at one end, this end away from hi. This knot he now folds toward him until it coincides with the other end of the string. This once-folded string is now 4 parallel strings each 7 1/2 inches long. Turn- ing this shortened string 180°, so that the knot is again away from him, he a second time folds the knot to him, reducing the multiple strings to a 33/4 inches length. Remember, he is folding strings soaked with his urine. The strings are folded to him 9 times, at least theoretically. All this is not stated explicitly in the rite itself; it is implicit in this type of folding rite. No boss having his spirit triply captured - tied into a knot about applican'ts body, folded up towards applicant and in applicant's urine, and finally stopped up in a bottle - no boss could possibly resist such multiple magic.] [Charleston, S. Car., (519), 616:3.] [Human excrement rites are less numerous than those about urine. Numerically the ratio is perhaps 1 to 10. As a special feature, most of them concern trees - two-thirds to be exact. The best one, an unusual love story, will be found else- where in 822, p.284.]
Entry 5029
Git de socks, de right, an' jis' let it, yuh know, as yuh sprinkle it wit dat little sugah, jis' fold it tuh yuh. An' when yuh fold it tuh yuh, take it an' bury it at de steps an' he won' go anywheres.
Entry 5473
If yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin git de track up from yo' - take it from yo'. See, if yo' want 'em tuh go [demonstrates]. (Here's the toe here and here's the heel, then I take it up right like that. Like this?) Start at de hollah of de foot an' take it from dere tuh de toe. See, dat whut ah mean. Yo' want 'em tuh go. Take it jis' dis way, see. An' yo' take dat foot track an' put chew some red peppah an' some salt in dere. Listen, some grave- yard dirt, an' sew dat up an' go tuh de rivah befo' de sunrise. Yo' kin turn yore back an' throw it right where de watah's runnin' right along, an' throw it ovah dis way [demonstrates].
(Over your right shoulder?)
Yes. An' when yo' leave, yo' kin say anythin' - some of de baddest things, an' don't look back, an' walk away an' nevah look back. Dey'll go. An' if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay, yo' take it tuh yo' - if yo' wan' 'em tuh stay. Take it up tuh yo', see. Take dat track an' yo' kin fold it in a piece of news- papah. See, stretch it on out an' write dere name down nine times, an' pin it ovah yore do' an' make yore wish - where dey's comin' in an' out. An' dey's comin' in dere. Dey will continue comin' as long as yo' - until yo' take dat up an' destroy dat. Dat's tuh bring 'em, see, if yo' wanta.
Entry 8580
They tell me to take a piece of brown stuff - yo' see these brown paper bags - just likes yo' want somebody to come back to yo'. Take an' write yore name coming to you like this nine times. (Coming to you like this. How do you mean, coming to you? You mean, writing toward me?) Uh huh. (Do you write it toward you that way?) Uh huh. Yes. Instead of writing from you [demonstrates] like that, write to you like this.
(I see, sort of writing backwards.)
Uh huh.
(You write it nine times?)
Uh huh.
(What'll that do?)
You take and fold that to you, you don't fold it from you, and you put that in a lamp. And you keep that lamp burning with that in it until he come back, or she. And then you take and do the same thing with a bottle with gin in it. You put that gin in a corner and you puts some nutmeg in it and you say, when- ever you think about the party, you say, "Let" - call the name and say, "Please come back to me." Well, I have never tried that.
(You put this gin - in the gin bottle with some gin in it?)
And in the lamp too.
(You put gin in the lamp?)
No! No!
(Just the name in the lamp?)
Uh huh.
(But if you want to, all you need to do is put it in the gin bottle?)
YO' HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE GIN BOTTLE AN' IN DE LAMP TOO.
(Oh, both those?)
Yes, sir. An' yo' have to keep that lamp where people can't get because they'll be suspicious.
(Do you put any gin in the bottle?)
Yes, sir. Gin and that piece of paper with de name on it, just like in de lamp.
(Let it soak in the gin?)
Just let it stay in there. An' every time yo' think about those parties, yo' look at it an' say, "Ah, " just like if yo' are near them, say, "Please come back to me."
(You use both the lamp and the bottle together.)
Yeah.
folding inscribed paper toward oneself, explicitly not away. They tell me and I have never tried that limit source authority; no firsthand use or efficacy. desired single he-or-she return in a reported untried method. Preserve They tell me and the explicit statement that the informant has never tried the method. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3525) · Read full source (printed page 3526)
Entry 7959
Take paper money or a new piece of paper, fold in shape of coffin, write person's name in, bury, soon die.
Entry 8578
[The lamp rites of this margin title once belonged to the New Orleans area of influence; itself and across the Mississippi River in Algiers, Mobile, Vicksburg, and Memphis. Whether these beliefs collected more than a generation ago are still popular, I do not know at the moment - June 12, 1974. Fashions in magic and witchcraft are constant- ly changing.] (What about that?) Well, that's like - the same as that is, but yo' is separated because yo' got another wife and she [the first wife or woman] loves yo' an' she wants yo' back. An' she write your name [nine times] - her name nine times backwards, an' yours nine times forwards on top of yours [see later expla- nation]. Well, yo' see, then she takes that and she folds it to her an' puts it in a lamp an' burns it. That cause zhoo to come back.
(What will she write first nine times, her name or his name?)
She writes your name first.
(The man's name first?)
First.
(Then - the woman writes her name then?)
On top of yours.
(Which one does she write forwards and backwards?)
WRITE BOTH OF 'EM BACKWARDS.
(Both of them backwards.)
Entry 8582
Sho', ah kin show yo' somepin dat make 'em come back. Yo' take nuthin but a brown papah an' write her name nine times. Wrap it up wit brown sugah, not dis regular sugah we git. Yo' git de brown undryed [old- fashioned crude] sugah an' yo' wrap it up in dat name, aftah yo' write it nine times an' den cross it once. Dat'll make ten. If yo' got 'lectric [lamp] yo'll have tuh git a [coal oil] lamp an put dat name down in dat coal oil. Put it down in dere an' let de lamp burn. Let it burn fo' 24 hours an' in 48 hours she'll be back or tryin' tuh git in tech wit chew. If she don' be back, she'll try tuh git in tech wit chew. Yo jes' take her name on dat brown sugah, bag papah, not no papah yo' buy: Jes' lak yo' got sompin wit brown papah. Write her name on it nine time an' den write yores once 'cross dere. Fold it up an' put it down in de lamp, an' let dat lamp burn 24 hours; an' if she don't be back in de 24 hours, she'll be tryin' tuh git in tech wit chew.
Entry 8586
Yo' kin write a person's name on a piece of papah, jes' write it this oay [one way] an' that way [the other way]. Cross it all up an' fold it to yo an' put it down in de lamp. An' dey say it will draw 'im back to yo'. It will draw 'im. [The name is written 9 times, each name crossing the other making one "x" or form of a cross. This Is another of the frequent double-crossing rites in hoodoo.]
Entry 8694
[There was] a man [a doctor] and he write - wrote in red ink.
(He had red ink?)
Yes, sir. Not ink, yo' know a red pencil, but red center. An' he write mine name, hers name an' - wrote de boy's name, an' de girl's name, an' then my name across it. And he [this doctor] said that would make them humble unto me. Yo' see, give me no more trouble. Well, it look like it did, see. Ah don't know. Ah know ah never did [have any more trouble with them].
(Then after he wrote those names, then what did he do with that paper?)
Fold it, fold it to him. Every time he turn it, fold it to him. Don't fold it away from him, to him. And [he] sewed it up in a little sack an' ah wore that, wore it out. That's what I experienced individually.
(You had to wear that?)
Yes, sir. (He wrote this girl's name and this boy's name like that [I demonstrate] on parallel lines.) Yes, sir. (Then he crossed - then diagonally he crossed your name on it with this red pencil? I see.) YeS, Sir. [THE READER MUST REALIZE THAT THE PRECEDING "PARALLEL LINES" AND "DIAGONALLY" ARE NOT FOR INFORMANT BUT FOR MY FUTURE UNDERSTANDING. MANY OF MY COMMENTS ARE ANNOTATIONS.]
Entry 8705
Git dere name. An' yo' take dere name an' yo' take yore name an' yo' put it down in de bottle. An' git chew some honey whut chew sells in de groc'ry stō'. An' every time dat person come aroun' yo', jis' take dat bottle an' shook it up, an' dey go away from yo' an' dey won' bothah yo' no mō'. (You do that with the bill col- lector or the law or anyone?) Anyone. (How do you put those names down now?) Take dose names an' git chew a ink pin or a indelible pencil an' yo' write yore name down three times straight an' dere name down nine times dat way. An' yo' roll it up an' yo' fold it an' yo' put dat honey down up in dere. An' yo' shake dis bottle up an' keep it corked dat way. An' every time dat person come aroun', yo' shake dat bottle an' dey won't bother yo'.
(If you are in business?)
Yes.
Entry 8780
If yo' wants tuh make a person move ag'in [another method] eithah [or] make 'em live bad - it goes fo' both de things. If yo' wanta make 'em live bad, ah break some ice up, an' ah take dat beef gall, an' de dirt dauber - yo' knows dat - an' yo' roll it [dirt dauber]. Yo' know, yo' take a bottle an' put it [dirt dauber nest] in a piece of papah an' roll it up, yo' know lak yo' do bread crumbs. An' yo' take dat beef gall an' yo' take de same cayenne peppah. Yo' use a whole box of it an' de beef gall, an': yo' mix all dat up togethah. An' yo' write de individual name down nine times each way. Yo' see, yo' could write it nine times straight lak dat [demonstrates]. An' den whosomevah yo' breakin' up from, yo' could write dem on top. An' den yo' write 'em down nine times each way yo' see. Yo' write it straight lak dat, an' den urite it, yo' know, catacorner [catercornered]. Yo' undahstan' how ah mean? Write it across jis' lak a seal lak yo' make. [These 2 groups of names cross each other making an "x" or cross.] An' den yo' put it in dat piece of papah, but chew git a white piece of papah an' yo' write it in ink. An' yo' git it in dat papah an' yo' fold it up, an' when yo' fold it, don' fold it towards yo', always fold it from yo'. An' yo' put it in a jah. Yo' put all dat togethah in dat papah an' yo' put it in a jah an' yo' stop dat jah up tight an' yo' put it in a ole country toilet. Have tuh be shure tuh find a country toilet tuh put it in where nobody won' find it.
(What would that do then?)
Dat would break yo' up. Dat would break anybody up, if yo' want 'em tuh live bad an' not prosper or nuthin. Dat'll make 'em, yo' know, live bad.
(These two people.)
An' den ag'in, dat same thing yo' could do ag'in, if yo' wants tuh put some- body against - lak yo' have friends an' de people heah lak [like] yo'. If yo' put de othah person ag'inst dese othah people, yo' kin take dat same thing an orite dere name down an' den write de othah individual name on top an' put it down, an' dey'll come tuh lak yo' an' hate de othah one.
(You don't throw that in the toilet do you?)
Yes, de same thing. Yo' know it diff'ren ways yo' could do.
Entry 9135
Dat fo' co'thouse scrapes. (All right, tell me that.) Well, now, yo' kin take twelve fig leaves - yo' knog dere wus twelve disciples - an' yo' take twelve fig leaves. An' yo' git chew a bottle of ink, a bran'-new bottle of ink dat nevah been used, an' a pen dat's nevah been used, an' yo' write a disciple name on each one of dose leaves. See, yo' got twelve leaves, yo' got twelve disciples. An' yo' write dose names on dose leaves. An' den, when yo' write dose names on dose leaves, yo' take yore Bible. IT'S DE 35th PSALMS AH THINK. AH GOT MAH BIBLE HEAH, AH LAK TUH BE SHORE YO' LET ME SEE. [HE CONSULTS HIS BIBLE!] It's de 35th Psalm. Yo' take de 35th Psalm an' read it ovah dose twelve leaves. [Psalm 35 begins: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me...] Den aftah yo read it ovah dose twelve leaves, yo' fold dose leaves tight, yo' know, small tubl gethah intuh a white piece of papah. It kin be a piece of writin' papah or a cleah piece of papah lak dis [something he may have had in the Bible] ah guess, but let it be white papah. An' yo' kin put dat in yore right pocket.
(All twelve of those leaves?)
Yes, jes' put it in dere, but chew mus' write de names on dere firs'. An' den yo' read dat 35th Psalms ovah dose leaves an' wrap dose leaves up. An' evah who gonna be tried in co't, let dem put it in dere right pocket an' dey'll cer- tainly Walk out. An' if yo' can't git dose fig leaves - sometime yo' can't git dose things, yo' can't git de fig leaves - yo' git chew twelve - use 'em fo' a tea, too - not catnip, sage leaves.
Entry 10163
You kin make a table [altar] with that [rite] you see. You understand, that's if it's something that choo want, well you kin make a table with that. You kin, that is, if it's for you to make a sacrifice, something that you want. Well, git choo three candles, you put the picture - you fold the picture up you under- stand.
(This picture of the Lord?)
This picture of the Lord. That's right.
(On the table?)
On the table. That's right. An' then you make it like a rainbow [a semi- circle]. You put one candle - you git three candles. You make [place] one right here, an' one right around here, an' let it [candles] come aroun like a rainbow. An' you make you a wish fo' wha' choo want, an' you say a prayer. You say, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, the 23rd Psalm. You say that Psalm an' then you get 'down an' repeat the Lord's Prayer for what you want. Yo' make a wish with these three candles. Then you let them burn plumb on out... right in front of the Lord's picture... You do this about 6 o'clock in the morn- ing or 6 o'clock in the evening or 9 o'clock at night.
Entry 10170
A friend of mine wanted tuh git rid of her husband an' she wuz in love with anothah man at de same time, an' so she took his picture, her husban's picture, an' she had some bergamot an' vinegah, salt an' peppah - jes' ordinary black peppah. And she kept it undah his bed.
(What did she do with these ingredients?)
Had them all together, folded togethah, an' even a piece of his hair. An' she folded that together an' she lighted a candle an' kept that burnin' undah his bed.
(The candle burning under his bed?)
Yessuh, little small tapers - white ones, very small. As soon as one would go out, she'd light the othah one. She kept a boxful, yo' know, continually. An' finally he left. [Some of the small tapers or candles are about the size of an old-fashioned wooden match.]
Entry 9827
Tuh bring yore sweetheart back, take a han'ke'ch'ef an' write his name in de centah of dat han'ke'ch'ef an' fold it up. An' yo' git chew nine new nee- dles, sewin' needles, yo' undahstan'. An' aftah yo' git dose needles, yo' take dose needles an' yo' stick one in dis way [demonstrates] right intuh dat name, an' yo' stick one dat way, an' one go dis way, one go dat way. But dey all gotta go intuh dat name. (All those points of those needles point into each other.) [The needles are in a rimless circle, points inward.] Yassuh, goes intuh each othah. Ah'll show yo'. Dis is yore name but dey all gotta go intuh dat name. Well, yo' take dat aftah yo' git 'em all in dere an' make yore wish. An' take it an' put it up in de centah of yore baid undah yore mattress. An' den de fo'th day, why he'll surely come back tuh yo'.
Entry 9837
Why ah heard dat chew git needles an' yo' git a piece of red flannel. An' yo' take nine needles an' fold dat flannel. Take nine needles, stick five dis way an' fo' de nex' [opposite] way. Den yo' git Heart Cologne an' wet dat an' sew dat up in somepin. Place it anywhere an' dere will be confusion in your house from den until yo' move.
Entry 11631
If someone writes my name on paper, sprinkles gunpowder over it, folds and puts in catfish mouth, then throws overboard: "Ah'll run mah life out; ah won't live at home at all." [Mobile 881:3.]
Entry 8788
[Here we are concerned with the great magic rite of wrapping, folding, rolling, turning, and twisting something to you or from you. I have added infor- mant's foot-track rite to show the "from you" aspect of the action.] Concernin' de moon, yo' wants tuh pick de new moon, growin' early, when de moon is in its infancy. Den yo', when yo' cravin' fo' luck, write chure name on a piece of papah, see, an' yo' begin tuh fold it. Roll it tuhwards yo', yo' undahstan'. An' yo' roll it tuhwards yo' an' den yo' wrap anothah piece of papah askin' or expressin' yore desire. Ask dem tuh be good enough tuh accomplish whut chews aftah. An' yo' wrap dat in a sepa- rate paper towards yo' den. Den yo' make a wish on de third papah. Roll it tuhwards yo', fold it up all de time. Yo' understan'.
(You make this wish on the third piece of paper. You write that down.)
Den yo' take dis piece of papah wit yore wish on it an' yo' bury it at chure front do', see. Bury it exactly at de centah of de steps so dat yo' could always walk ovah it, even if yo' not thinkin' of it at dat time. Yo' do dat especially fo' three mawnin's in succession, one right behin' de othah. Try to arrange tuh have tuh do all dis in de time of de new moon. Dat's de end of dat person.
(What do you do with those other two pieces of paper then?)
Dese two pieces of papah dat yo' have first written, yo' wrap dem up tuhgethah den in anothah piece of papah. Fold dat outer papah towards yo' ag'in at de same time. Den yo' repeat de 37th Psalm three times, an' each mawnin' yo' undahstan', but in de meantime yo' weah dat in yore right pocket. Keep dose two writin's in yore pocket, whilst de othah one is layin' at chure front door. (Then, how long are you supposed to wear those papers and keep that other paper under the steps?) Let dose papahs stay dere until dey have exhausted. Only yo' kin every mawnin' make yore urinate an' pour it right where yo' have dat buried.
(And what do you do all this for?)
Fo' good luck, tuh accomplish, tuh be successful in anythin' dat chew Want.
[Foot-track or "from you" rite begins:]
Dey will take dat, dis foot track an' dey will try to git every bit of it; yo' undahstan', don't leave any of it. Git dat an' put dat in a piece of papah - yes, papah. Wrap it up in three wrappin's, an' if dey wants to run yo' away, dey will take dat an' put it in de nearest runnin' stream of watah an' throw it ovah- bo'd an' den dey go ahead.
(What do you mean, wrap it in three wrappings - just one, two, three?)
Yo' wrap dat from yuh. An' den dey'll wrap it in three different papahs, see. Dat same wrappings. An' den take dat an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' dey do dat, too, in de new moon.
(And they get this dirt out of how many tracks or any particular track?)
Out of yore right track. (And do they take these three pieces of paper altogether, one, or just throw them separately into the water?)
[I knew what was done. This is merely a search for further details.]
No sir, put dem togethah, wrap 'em up. Dat is, ah mean dey wrap all dese three tuhgethah. An' every one of dem dey wrap, dey will wrap 'em goin' from dem. An' when dey wrap de last one, dey wrap it goin' from dem. An' den dey throw dat in a stream dat is goin' from de do' [throw downstream]. Dey don't throw it de way dat [stream is coming]. Dey always throw it behin' de stream. Yo' see, dey throw it so dat wrappah - so it goin' from yo', not comin' to yuh. Yo' undahstan' whut ah mean?
(I understand.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1051), 1705:6.]
[Closely connected with the preceding section NAME is the present section LETTERS AND HANDWRITING, the letter part of the latter title being concerned with the names of the writer and the person to whom the letter was written. Here in the written word we have magic action second only to the spoken word. As usual in hoodoo or witchcraft or magic, nothing belongs exclusively in one action, condition or location. Both letters and handwriting, therefore, are scattered throughout the complete text.]
burial of the written wish at the center of the front steps in the first rite. Preserve new-moon timing and three mornings; do not merge burial with the later from-you track rite. repeating the specifically named37th Psalm three times each morning in the first rite. No psalm text, translation, verse interpretation or outside scripture is supplied or consulted. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
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Entry 8912
Den if yo' got a idea dat I stole it - yo' know, like if I steal somepin from yo' an' yo' got a idea - I seen yo' come aroun', I mean. Yo' kin get some of my foot track or anythin' an' I'll bring it back, but if yo' don't know.... [I tum off recording machine here because rite did not sound promising. Then he says something about foot track and I begin to record.]
(What do they use?)
Well, yo' know, wheresomevah yo' step like dat, see right between de palm of yore foot an' de heel; see, yo' get a knifebladeful an' yo' put it in a handker- chief an' fold it.
(How do they fold it?)
[Informant begins to demonstrate.]
Fold it to yo' an' den fold it...yo' fold it like dat, an' den back like dat, but yo' don't want a rag as large as dis, see. An' den double it over like dis, back like dat. Well yo' won't want no - no piece no bigger'n [bigger than] dat in dere. An' den put it undah yore do'step an' cross it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' name it, like if my name are John, see. Yo' cross it evah mawnin fo' nine mawnin's an' call my name 'fo' sunrise. De ninth mawnin' yo' go dere an' take it up, an' den yo' pick it up an' put it in yore pants, anyhow yore belt, an' de ninth mawnin' ah'll be dere.
Entry 4183
Yuh kin take dat [urine of his] an' write his name nine times on a piece of papah, right in de same place jis' nine times, an' yuh fold it tuh yuh each way. Each way yuh fold it, yuh fold it tuh yuh, an' yuh put it in dat chamber lye an' yuh put it in a perfume bottle an' turn it on its haid. An' long as dat piece of papah wettin' 'im down dataway, why yuh'll nevah git shet of 'im.
(Now, you mean writing his name nine times, you keep writing right over it?)
Right in dat same place. Jis' lak yo' write it right dere [demonstrates]. Well go right back an' write it right dere ag'in, nine times in dat same one place. Den yuh fold it tuh yuh an' each way yuh fold it tuh yuh - each time yuh fold, why yuh jis' fold it tuh yuh. (You fold it like this [I demonstrate]. Then you fold the little corners here and fold it there.) Yeah, jis' lak disaway [demonstrates]. Fold it tuh yuh. Den yuh turn roun an' fold it de othah side, den yuh fold dis cornah tuh yuh, an' den yuh turn roun' an' yuh fold dat cornah tuh yuh, yuh see. Eithah way yuh fold it, jis' fold it tuh yuh. An' den yuh put it in a perfume bottle an' turn it on de haid, turn dat little bottle on its haid. An' long as dat's wettin' 'im down, why yuh'll nevah git shet of 'im. [HERE IS A UNIQUE HAND (see P.519f.). THE MAN'S CAPTURED SPIRIT (see p.24f.), HIS NAME, IS FED (see p.578) BY HIS URINE, ANOTHER PART OF HIS SPIRIT (see P.21, No.24).]
Entry 4532
Dey kin git 'is sweatban' too an' give him anothah spell. Git 'is sweatban' outa his hat an' put it in a bottle. Yassuh [yes sir], take a bottle an' put it in a bottle, an' put a cork stoppah in dis heah bottle an' fasten it up an' keep dat ban'. Jes' roll dis heah ban' up real tight de way yuh fold it back double. Twist it real tight an' put it in a bottle. Put some hot watah in it. Let it be jes' hot enough not tuh break yuh bottle, an' let it set in dere. An' den dey go take dis heah den an' put it in de rivah, any kinda watah dat watah runs ovah. Dat'll give him anothah feeble mine [mind].
Entry 13339
There's but one thing he can do - he can take his wife, take any piece of her underwear, any piece of her underwear and wrap that up. Just take it and fold it and wrap it up late at night. Before he wraps it, take her name and wrap her name - write her name - make an "x" [a cross] and write her name across that "x" [her name is crossed] and wrap it in her underwear, and wrap it good, and put it anywhere about her bed, with her name written in it. And put it anywhere about her bed Where she don't find it, until he gets back. And she ain't going to be in no sood to fool with no man. She ain't going to be in no mood to fool with no man.