Subject:Footskin
Entries
Entry 4319
Well, now, say fo' instan' [for an instance] if a woman has a husban' or a man dat is hard tuh handle, an' say dat he chases aroun' wit othah women an' she wants tuh take pos- session of 'im. She scrape de dead skin from de bottom of 'er foot an' she git a pint bottle or a half-pint bottle - howevah, an' she'll fill it full of his.
(Of what?)
A pint bottle of urine. She must have de slop jar, she must have dat perfec'- ly clean. She must see dat don' anybody urinate in dis jar but him. Now when she take dis bottle wit a screw top, an' she'll po' it two-thirds full of dis urine. Now she'll put de scrapin' from de bottom of 'er foot in dere an' she'll set dis bottle back in a dark place where dat nobody will see it. An' each mawn in' she'll make de screw on dat top fo' nine mawnin's, an' wit de last time she screw it, it wants tuh be tight where she cain't screw it no mo', yo' undahstan'. Den she keeps dat bottle back an' dat's supposed tuh make dis fellah jis' de same as a baby, easy tuh handle. Whatevah she says goes.
Entry 5036
Well, ah know dis tuh be a fac'. Yo' kin take a man's dirty sock dat he done wore an' run 'im off wit it. Or yo' kin tie a man up wit dat. (Well, how would you run a man off with that dirty sock? How would you do that?) Well, yo'd have tuh throw it in de rivah. Yeah. But now, if a woman wanta tie dis man wit dis sock, jis' lak he's leavin' 'er goin' wit anothah woman an' don't wanta harm 'er [him] no othah way. Take de sock, de dirty sock, an' cut de toe out, see, de heel an' de bottom. Well, now she cut 'er fingahnails an' toe- nails an' scrape dis ole dead skin heah on de bottom of yore foot - jis' scrape dat off. An' yo' wrap it all up in dat sock an' put chew a little [what?], an' den take yo' some thread an' tie it up, an' yo' put dat ovah de do'. Dat's tyin' de man at home. He cain't leave home an' go nowhere else. All yo' gotta do is stick it dere, see. Dat's all yo' gotta do wit dat.
Entry 5888
Ah know yo' kin take some of de hair from undah yore arm an' some from othah places an' - yo' know de private, an' take somepin an' scrape some dead skin from 'tween yore laigs [see later] an' give it to a man in his watah tuh drink. An' dat'll keep 'im down. (What do you mean by dead skin between your legs? From the bottoms of your feet?) [My From the bottoms of your feet? is not a leading question. It is the only thing possible informant could have meant; see the many rites about dead skin from the bottoms of the feet, none concerning dead skin between your legs.] Yessuh, an' dat'll keep 'im down.
Entry 5931
Dey take de hair off de left side of yore haid, yo' know, an' de toe- mils, an' scrape de bottom of yore foot ah think. Dat's tuh make de man love e - or love yuh, or stick [stay] aroun' yuh some Way or othah. (What do they do with that stuff?) Dey bury it - undah de front de do'step. If dey want chew dey put it undah yore do'step.
Entry 6173
Take de hairs from underneath yore arm an' de haid - yo' know, undah yore clothes down dere, an' wash yore feet. An' yo' know, sometime yo' don't wash yore feet in a long time, dere be lots of ole dead skin on it, yo' know, an' yo' kin take an' scrape dat off. An' den yo' kin take dis watah yo' see an' put it in sompin. A woman had mah brothah fixed lak dat. AN' AH PROMISED DE LORD AH'D NEVAH FIX A MAN NO HAY. IF ONE DON'T WANT ME, AH DON' WANT 'IM. So she had mah brothah fixed jes' lak dat - she had 'im fixed up jes' lak dat.
Entry 6355
Gittin' some of de man hair an' some of de dirt - jes' lak a woman she git some of de man hair an' git some of de dead skin from undah 'er foot, an' veah it roun' 'er wais', an' dat'll keep 'im mo' [more] close tuh 'er. (She takes some of his hair and some of the dead skin from the bottom of her feet and puts it together.) Yessuh.
Entry 6378
Yo' soak yore feet an' den yo' git a knife an' scrape dat skin off - some of dat dead skin. Make it up an' put it in sompin tuh drink. Nachurally ef yo' drink tea, put it in yore tea or in coffee. An' take yore fingahnails an' toenails an' parch dem an' beat dem up an' put it in coffee or tea. An' wash undah yuh arm an' put dat in de tea. Dat vill make 'em love yuh, make dem real jealous of yo', too. An' ef yo' don't min' 'en, make 'em kill yo'.
Entry 6380
[This may be my only example of the rare term badge, meaning hand, or toby or mojo.] If yo' wanted 'er tuh love yo', why yo' jes' take some of - jes' lak yo'd take a bath an' git some of de dirty skin from undah de bottom of yore feet, de hollah of yer lef' feet. Trim yer fingahnails good an' close an' git some of de dirt from undah dere. Take dem an' parch dem, parch de fingah- nails. Parch dese fingah- nails brown, beat it up, an' git some of 'er hair an' burn it - de hair from 'er haid an' burn it. Mixes it tuhgethah wit Hearts Cologne an' sulphur, an' weah it undah-yer lef' arm as a badge.
(Wear it under your left armpit as a badge.)
An' in seven days she'll eithah come or she'll write yo' a lettah.
Entry 6382
Well, dey will take dat an' have yo' lame all de time. (What do they do with that then, after they scrape the bottom of the feet? What do they do with that then?) Bottle it up wit some stuff dey call de blue vitrus - wit blue vitrus. An' den dey take it an' aftah dey put dat blue vitrus in wit it, dey take it den wit a mixture fo' tuh do yo' harm - me harm, or somebody else. Don' care whose [who] 'tis. Dey'd mix it, yo' know, an' driv' [drip] it [bury bottle so that it leaks] long wherevah yo' have tuh go, fo' tuh strike yo' wit pain [in the feet].
Entry 6384
Dat he tole yo' concernin' scrapin' part of de foot, didn't he [my contact man]? [My contact man always required a rite before anyone could enter interviewing room. We wanted to be certain informant knew what we wanted. The rite in- formant gave now follows.] Yo' wash 'am an' evahthin' an' yo' take an' yo' scrape a li'le bit of de skin off yore foot. Ah don' know if white folks do or not. Ah know colored do, but now yo' - co'se ah nevah knowed zactly whut dey [white folks] do. Yo' take an' scrape de foot an' - take a knife, a dull knife so yo' won' cut chure foot, an' scrape it lak dat. Yo' take an' put it in a li'le [can or jar] top an' put it in de stove [oven] an' brown it. When it brown - yo' mix it [with] black peppah an' put it in de stove. An' whoevahyo' Wanta see, dat all yo've gotta do. An' whoevah dat chew want - whatevah one yo' want, yo'll have 'em right down undah yore foot. Dey'll come an' give yo' evah- thin' an' stick right tuh yo'.
Entry 6391
De bottom of de feet, dat didn't happen tuh me once, but.it happen by dem people though. Yo' take de bottom of yore feet an' yo' take yore toenails an' yore fingahnails off. Yo' trims 'em yo' know wit de scissors. An' yo' takes dat an' yo' burys dat, see. An' when dey burys dat, dat keeps yo': aroun' home - keeps yo' from goin' away. An' dat makes de woman keeps yo' all de time undah huh control.
(I see, I see.)
Entry 6393
Ah've had a li'le experience. Dey say dey kin take de skin off de bottom of yer feet an' put it in - jis' lak dis [points to ashes and ash tray on inter- view table] de bottom of yer feet. Wheresomevah [whatever container] dey'd put it [footskin] in, dey dig a hole an' buries it, an' den turn it [container bottom upwards]. See. As hit [= it, the footskin] fade away, as
[likewise] yo' fade away.
Entry 6442
You could take yore toenails, your fingernails, the dirt from under your feet, an' you could put that in a bottle an' you could feed a man on such as that. Spread it [on his food] when you give him somepin to eat. That'll make him crazy about choo, keep him from goin' away from you.
Entry 6443
Take de dead skin from de bottom of yore feet or yore toenails or some- pin' like dat - triimin' 'em, yo' know. A person kin take dem toenails an' jis' like if yo' walk, yo' take dis step an' dat step. Now dat dus' created dere from undah yore foot, put some in dis track, where yo' done walked; an' put some in dis one where yo' stepped. An' jis' keep yo' on a wandah, goin' on all de time awalkin'. Yo're nevah satisfied no more. But yo' see, dey does dis to dat stuff. Dey puts...
[I interrupt.]
(Toenails. And then you would put it in one foot track, and then into another foot track?) An' some in de othah one. Divide it up.
(You might begin with the left, or you might begin with the right?)
Yo' begin wit de right foot. Yo' see, yo' watch 'im walkin'. Co'se yo' know de right from de lef' in de direction dey's goin', but yo' wanta be sure yo' git de prints. Yo'll see de prints an' know one foot from de other. Yo' put it in de right foot firs'. It's quite natchel [natural] dat a person steps off on 'is lef' foot mos' any time when he's alone. Well, yo' put it in dere an' yo' git dis...
[I interrupt.]
(You take that and you put some in the left and you put it in the right, too?)
An' some in de lef'.
(I see. All right.)
Yo' dig a li'le hole wit yore pocketknife. Yo' know, jis' kiver [cover] it up. An' dat'll put 'im dissatisfied, so dat he won' even be satisfied nowhere he goes. He's jis' like a man when he done killed a man. He's afraid de law's in here, he's afraid de law's in dere. He's on de go all de time.
(I see.)
Entry 6446
Well, see - jis' lak yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road. An' dey supposed Th be crossed lak dat [demonstrates]. Well, yo' take dat part of it - dat's de same as buryin' it an' [or] throwin' it in runnin' watah. Yo' take de skin from dey feet, de one's [feet] whut chew wanta do somepin tuh "a, yo' undahstan'. Well, yo' takes it an' yo' scrapes it back. See, jis' lak da [demonstrates]. If yo' from or tuh yo' lak dat. If yo' are cleanin' dere feet, yo'll have dat chance. Yo' take it an' bury it jis' lak ah tole it. An' o takes it tuh de fo'ks of de road an' throws it ovah yore lef' shouldah. An: look back at each one of de fo'ks, an' den go on where yo' goin'. Makes a as nark in de road an' turn aroun'.
(What will that do to them?)
Dat'll make dem go - jis' insance [insane]. An' dey mind nevah will come tuh 'em lak it supposed tuh.
Entry 6452
All right, now, heah's anothah one yo' kin take. Yo' be's roun' some person an' yo'll say, "Lemme look at yore feet." Yo' kin take - yo' know dis heah thick skin dat be's in de bottom of a person's feet. Yo' kin scrape out dis thick skin. Jis' scrape a li'le bit offen dis thick skin an' hold it in yore han'. An' if yo' wanta trick a person, undahstan', jis' lak yo' roun' an' someone sleepin' heah, an' yo'all had a argu- ment or sompin, see. Yo' take dat dere scale offen de bottom of dere skin an git chew some sulphuh, undahstan', an' yo' git chew some red peppah. Well, yo' mix dat tuhgethah. All right, den yo' go an' git chew some wild animal blood, an' put dat in dere. All right, aftah yo' mix dat up good, yo' git chew a li'le box, an' put it in a li'le box an' carry it in yore pocket. An' de nex' thing yo' do wit it, yo' carry it tuh a graveyard. See, yo' goes tuh de graveyard an' yo' do's lak dis, yo' go tuh de graveyard an' yo' stan' up [demonstrates], an' de grave is back dere, yo' stan' up by dis grave [like this].
(You stand up with your back to the grave.)
Wit yore back to de grave, an' yo' chunk dat an' yo' say, "Ah hope yo' go 'vay from me. Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, go 'way." Yo' throw dis back when yo' speak de las' words. Dey gone an' yo' don' have no mo' trouble wit 'em.
(What will that do to them then?)
Well, he'll leave yo' an' yo'll nevah see 'im any mo'. Yo'll nevah see him any mo' an' nevah have no mo' [trouble].
Entry 6467
Yo' git some of de daid skin off de bottom of yore feet an' let it git good an' dry. Den yo' write dem. Yo' save dat an' yo' write dem an' dey write chew back. Well yo', when yo' answah dere lettah yo' put some of dat daid skin in de lettah, see. In eight or nine days dey'll coze back.
Entry 6473
" Yo' could take an' scrape out from under yore feet an' put it in a - sew it up in a little cloth an' veah it roun' 'er waist nine days. An' squeeze it in 'is food fo' nine mawnin's. Dat's de way yo' make him love yo'.
Entry 6477
Yo' kin take jis' de dead skin. Yo' wash yore feet, soak yore feet ah mean tuh say, an' den yo' wash it, an' den yo' take dis dead skin an' scrape it off yore feet. An' den yo' wash de plate. Git chew a plate dat yore wife or sweetheart or who yo' got goin' eat. An' yo wash dat plate wit all dat dead skin, see. An yo' let it dry on dere, an' den yo' let 'em eat outa it, an' yo' nevah git shet of 'em.
Entry 6488
Take de skin from undah yore feet. Yo' wash yore feet clean an' den yo' take a knife, jis' lak yo' scrapin' yore feet an' carry it back dat way, back tuh yo'. An' take dat an' mix it wit some sugah an' put dat in sompin tuh eat. Yo' give dat tuh 'em.
(What will that do?)
Dat will make 'em bring yo' evah cent dat dey git.
Entry 6492
De way yo' do dat, yo' have tuh cut 'em to yo' disaway, see. (Cut your fingernails?) Cut ary [every] one of 'em - cut all ten of 'em to yo'. Do yore toenails de same way - cut 'em to yo' all de time. Yo' git deg a bottle of Hearts Own Perfume an' put dat in dere. Den yo' kin set dat D8 anywheres.
(What will that do then?)
Dey'll be sickly all de time. Dey will not be healthy.
(The person whose fingernails and toenails you have.)
Yes sir, keep 'em. Yo' know when dey cut de toenails an' fingernails, yo' bor, dey gen'ly [generally] throws 'em out. Well, yo' see when yo' cut chure toenails disaway an' yure fingahnails, well po'don' scrape dat [bottoms of feet] from yo', yo' scrape it back tuh de heel.
(You scrape the dead skin back to the heel.)
Yes, scrape all dat tuhgethah an' den put it in dat perfume bottle an' stop it up. But it'll work quickah - hit'll work bettah by turnin' de bottomside up- wards.
Entry 6494
Dat would make yo' painful. Yo' scrape dat off de bottom of a person's feet an' den put it in a glass - in a drinkin' glass. Jis' put it in a drinkin' glass an' put 17 drops of kerosene on it. Put 17 drops of kerosene on it, a pinch of sulphuh - jis' lak yo' put a pinch up lak dat, of sulphuh. An' git some borax - take a level teaspoonful of borax an' put in dere. An' jis' let it set up.
(Where?)
Jis' let it set somewhere in a dark place lak up in de loft of de house or in a closet where nobody nevah visit at. An' it will dry out de marrah in 'is arms.
Entry 6500
Dey scrape it offen de feet an' den dey take dem fingahnails, dey trim dose, an' dey git de dirt off de toenails, from undah de toenails an' undah de feet, an' put all dat tuhgethah an' powdah dat up an' dry it. Den when dey git dat powdah up, dey put dat in a bottle. Dat's when yo' want 'em tuh love yuh an' yo' can't do 'em no harm. Yo' put dat in a bottle an' den yo' fill dat bottle wit chure urinate wit dat stuff, an' let it sit dere nine days befo' dey use it. Den aftah de nine days whenevah dey fix yo' a meal or anythin' lak dat tuh eat, or anythin' tuh drink, dey will put a teaspoonful of dat in there fo' yo'. Well, den dat gits chew jis' dey way. Gits yuh down undah dere foot an' yo' can't do no mo' den dey wan' chew tuh do.
Entry 6511
Take yore toenail an' scrape from de bottom of yore feet an' put [red] peppah in it, an' throw it intuh run- nin' watah an'yo'always achin'. Yore feet an' things always achin' - hurt chew. Dat de hot foot.
Entry 6514
Yo' kin take an' put it in whiskey, or yo' know anythin' dey drink, amything lak dat an' make 'em wil' [wild] 'bout chew. Takes de skin, dead skin off de foots, scrape it an' put it in dere. Make 'em wil' 'bout chew.
Entry 6517
Cut off de fingahnails, see. An' den wash de feet an' scrape dat dead sti from undah de bottom, an' put it in whiskey an' let it set so many hours. See. Den dey strain dis whiskey an' put it back in de bottle. An' den dey give it tuh de party, see, dat dey fix it fo' tuh drink. Dat's tuh make 'em love 'em.
Entry 6519
Ah've heard dat dey take de fingahnails an' toenails. Yo' mean tuh make a person love yo' or sompin lak dat? Yes, ah've heard of peoples takin' peoples' - takin' yore fingahnails or some othah person's fingahnails. Ah've heard tell of 'em takin' yore fingahnails an' toenails an' scrape from de bottom of yore feet, an' put it intuh whiskey, if a person drink whiskey, don't chew see, an' give it tuh a person.
Entry 6523
Wash de feet well an' scrape dat dead skin. Fo' instance, if a man is accustomed tuh drinkin' wine, when he drink, yo' see, take dat dead skin tied up in a piece, put it down in dat bottle, an' full dat bottle full of wine. Leave it stay in dere three days. Restrain it an' give him dat tuh drink. Dat's caused aplenty ulcahs in de stomach an' things, but it gen'ly [generally] makes de man, yo' undahstan', he have a certain amount of de woman's blood [essence that comes from the skin of her feet] it seens lak, an it make him [his] whole ambition an' mind be directed on 'er.
(I see.)
Entry 6524
If yo' scrape de bottom of yuh foot, lak yo' is in love wit a man an' someone else in love wit 'im. Well, yo' scrape de bottom of yuh feet an' put it intuh 'is coffee or in 'is food an' make three wishes. An' he will stick tuh yo' jis' as long as yo' give 'im dat.
Entry 7660
Git chew a li'le graveyard dirt, if yo' kin git on de east side of a grave. Git chew some white vaseline an' make yo' a salve [with this graveyard dirt]. Make dat salve an' yo' kin 'noint dat person unbeknown tuh 'im, an' he'll go lame. He'll nevah be no mo' good in dat foot as long as yo' 'noint 'im. But yo' have tuh 'noint 'im fer nine mawnin's wit dat graveyard dirt an' dis white vaseline an' de stuff dat chew scrape from undah 'is foot - kin'a dead skin-lak yo' gotta git from undah 'is foot. An' he'll nevah be no mo' good in dat foot.
(That foot is supposed to go lame. I see.)
Entry 11390
[Since these three divisions of our margin title are listed both sin- gly and together in the following rites, I have for convenience combined them here in one margin title; this title later to be followed by a closely related but sep- arate margin title FOOT PRINTS or FOOT TRACKS. These latter in former times and through much of the year were made by the skin of the bare feet. Other rites about these four aspects of the human body are scattered throughout HOODOO.] Fingernails in food helps love matters. [Wilmington 83:4+85 & Richmond 348:1.]
Entry 6387
Scrape de bottom of yore feet, git de dead skin off. Dat means if yo' evah let some- body git de dead skin from undah de bottom of yore feet, dey say dat yo'll nevah settle down. Yo'll always be goin' from one town to de othah.
(What do they do with that dead skin, anything?)
Jis' take it an' burn it up, wrap it an' burn it.
(Give you a sort of hot-foot with that?)
Keep yo' goin' all de time.
Entry 6395
Take when yo' scrape de bottom of yore feet. Some people have crusts or whatsomevah, ole dead skin, up undah de bottom of dere feet. Yo' take dat an' yo' put it in a jar an' bury it up undah yore back do'step. An' aftah yo' bary it up undah yore back do'step, whutsomevah trouble yo' have wit dis persmn, it'll be all ovah.
(You take that to somebody you are having trouble with?)
Yes sir.
Entry 6410
Yo' wash yore feet clean. Den sit down an' git chew a knife, see, an' jis' start. Yo' see, dat jis' a skin. Jis' take yo' a piece of papah an' scrape it off an' carry it off. See, yo' take dat an' put it on de stove an' let it dry till it gits brown, jis' lak yo' did this othah, an' put dat in dere food. Dat's tuh keep 'em.
Entry 6411
If yo' wan'a woman tuh go yore way or if she wan'a man tuh go her way, it works fifty-fifty. Sometimes de woman wants de man tuh go her way an' some- times de man wants de woman tuh go his way. Well, when yo' wash yore feet, yo' kin jis' take yore pocketknife an' scrape dis off undahneat' yore feet. Yo' git off some li'le fine stuff an' dat jis' fall on a papah, an' git dat in somepin tuh drink. Jis' a li'le bit of it, don' take but a leetle bit of it. Put dat in somepin fo' de man or de woman, either one, an' dey goes jis' lak yo' say. BE UNDAH YORE FEET.
Entry 6413
Well, dey say - jis' lak yo' soak yore feet, scrape a li'le of de bot- tom of yore feet an' put dat in de coffee or tea, an' dat will make 'em stay home.
Entry 6415
Yo' scrape dat dead skin off de bottom of yore feet. Well, yo' take dat yo' see. Well, DAT'S JIS' LAK A WOMAN TAKING A MAN IN. Yo' scrape dat from mdah de bottom de feet, an' yo' take dat an' yo' make up de bread, or whatevah dey goin' put it in. Beat it all up in dere an' give it tuh 'em. Well, WHEN YO' GIVE IT TUH 'IM, YO' SEE, WHY HIT CREATES IN 'EM AN' GIT IM TUH DE PLACE, WHERE DERE NUTHIN SUIT 'IM DEN BUT JIS' TUH BE WIT DE ONE DAT HAVE DID ALL SECH AS DAT.
Entry 6416
Co'se ah ain't nevah done it but den ah knows whut dis thing will do. Pull off yore shoes an' wash de bottom of yore foot. Take a knife an' scrape dat dead skin off de bottom of yore foot an' parch it till it come to a powdah. An' take dat powdah an' put it intuh somepin dhut [that] dey have tuh drink hout [oat] of, an' let 'em drink offa dat powdah. Why, dey will - dey mind will be devoted to yo' as long as dey [live]. [Waycross, Ga., (1120a),.1798:7.]
Entry 6417
An' yo' kin take de skin offa yore feet, a woman kin, or eithah a man. It don' make any diff'rence. Take dat skin offa yore feet an' evah time yo' feed "in, drop some of dat intuh 'is food. An' let 'im eat it an' he cain't quit chew.
Entry 6432
Dey say yo' kin trim yo' fingahnails, lak ah trim mah fingahnafls, an take de skin offa de bottom of mah feet. An' take an' parch dat up an' put in mah husband's coffee or sompin lak dat. See, let it draw up in dere. An' give 'im dat an' make 'im care mo' fo' me.
Entry 11457
Parched fingernails, toenails and footskin in food creates love.
[Mobile 943:6.]
Entry 11459
Fingernails, toenails and footskin in food or drink brings love.
[Ocean City, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 11461
Take fingernails and toenails, wash feet and scrape and get dead skin, hair from under clothes, parch, put in food for love. [Memphis 1560:8.]
Entry 11475
(What do they do with that?)
Well, they kin make you leave town with that. Just get that, what they scrape off the bottom of your feet, and take that and go to the drug store and get you some concentrated lye and put it into that. And then take it and tie it up in a handkerchief or something, and then leave it it set such a length of time.
(For a certain length of time?)
Well, about a week, about a week or six days. And then take that and go bury it under your doorstep. And you'll leave.
(Under the doorstep of a person that you want to move?)
Yes, sir, the same thing as that. [Vicksburg 1008:7.]
Entry 11417
Skin from the bottoms of your feet and salt tossed into running water hurts you in some way or runs you crazy. [Wilmington 270:8+85.]
Entry 11418
Left footskin in bottle with soda or salt or sulphur, throw into a creek "on a high spring current" and "always after dat you'll roam about de world." [Creek here is an inlet from the sea, in the British sense, and not the American creek = brook.] [Charleston 572:3.]
Entry 11463
"The bottom of the feet...scrape them...put that into a bottle...stop it up and bury that...you'll pine away." [New Orleans 1366:3.]
Entry 11464
"Scrape off the bottom of the feet, you know some women do, and they cooking or anything like that, wanta keep their husband." [Vicksburg 1000:10.]
Entry 11465
"A person kin take and wash their feet, just scrape that, get it off there; I mean that dead skin off the feet. And I've heard they say they take and parch it and put it in coffee, or a man's food that a man be eating, to take advantage of a man." [Vicksburg 1001:4.]
Entry 11466
"Take the dead skin out from under the bottom of your feet and parch it up and put it in a man's food, a woman kin, and give it to him. She kin do anything in de world she want. He kin come up and see her in de bed with another mao, he ain't goin' to say nothin' - he won't say a thing, just cry and go ahead on." [Vicksburg 994:3.].
Entry 11468
"Dey say you kin take de skin off de bottom of your feet and scrape it, you know, scrape it off; and put it in some whiskey and give it to him to drink, and he can't go nowhere." [Wilmington 257:2+85.]
Entry 11421
"Soak your feet an' git dat dead skin offa dere an' dey'll take dat an' carry it an' scattah it on de outskirt of a graveyard. Why yo' couldn't be in no peace, yo'll neah [near] about go crazy, have yuh haid addled all de time, yo'll jes' be nauseatin' an' be half crazy all de time." [Charleston 575:3.]
Entry 3682
A fellah could stop anothah fellah from goin' wit 'is wife. He'd taken a snail an' dead skin from undah his feet an' parched it an' take it an' - wit a dishrag. An' while she's asleep dat night, jes' sprinkle dat on 'er, put dat on 'er an' rub 'er wit de dishrag, so she couldn't go wit no one. Dat take de nature away from 'er.
(What did he do with this snail and the dirt and that dishrag?)
Take de snail an' ground - yo' know, groun' de whole shell an' de snail. Parch it good, make a kinda powdah out of it. An' when she went to sleep, why he sprin- it ovah 'er an' he wipe her across wit de dirty dishrag. Sprinkle dat ovah 'er on 'er drawahs, an' anyone couldn't go wit 'er no mo'. So findly [finally] dey broke up.
Entry 6390
It's gotta be close frien's tuh git dat. But dey kin take dem fingah- nails an' dose toenails an' dat dead skin off de bottom of yore feet. An' take some dragon blood, see, an' some John de Conkah powdah. It's a powdah an' den it's a root, but chew take de John de Conkah powdah. (Where do you get the powder?) Yo' gits dis powdah from New Orleans. De woman tole me, yassuh. An' take it, dat dragon's blood an' dat John de Conkah, an' take dat dead skin an' dem toenails [and fingernails]. An' if it's possible, yo' kin git a piece of de individual's hair. Now ah'm tellin' yo' a way tuh drive 'em clean on out of town. An' put some cayenne peppah wit dat an' roll it up. An' sprinkle some table salt on it an' roll it up tight, an' burn it graj'ly [gradually]. Don't burn it real fast. Jis' put it in a place where it kinda simble [simmer] all day long. An' den [after] hit git burnt up, de party would git jis' hot-footed, hot-headed to go.
Entry 6412
Yo' kin use dis dead skin from de bottom of de feet. Yo' kin use dat if yo' got a woman dat chew loves, an' yo' an' 'er are not gittin' long so well. Yo' kin keep 'er undah yore feet by takin' dat dead skin an' rubbin' it tuh a fine dust an' sprinkle it ovah de food. Mah mothah she use dat on 'er husban'. Dat's why ah know dat.
Entry 6418
Dey could take de skin from de bottom of de feet an' mix it in wit de dlk, or watah - whatsomevah dey make de bread wit, an' feed it to a person. Dey say dat would make dem love yo'.
Entry 6421
Scrape yo' feet, I've heard dat. Dey scrape de bottom of yo' feet maybe an' po' it - yo' know, slip it in yore drinkin' watah, yo' know.
(What will that do to you?)
Dat will make 'em catah [cater] tuh yuh at yuh home.
Entry 6466
Yo' see yo' scrape dat feet an' yo' take dat feet an' put it in a bot- tle of cologne an' black peppah. Mix wit it an' git some iron whut rust, rus' iron. An' yo' stuff down in dere wit it an' dat'll continue tuh eat dat, commence eat up dat feet dirt from yore feet. An' yo' feet will be eat de same, long as - de mo' dat dat thing, de mo' dat dat rus' commence eatin' dat scuff off yo' feet, de mo' yo' feet will be eaten.
Entry 6487
(You were saying something about a woman holding or bringing something back - to hold it back or something. What were you going to tell me about that?) Hold yo' back? (Yes.) Oh! Keeping yo', jis' keepin' yo'. Jis' lak, if yo' come here, lak yo' is now an' someone taken a likin' tuh yuh. Well, she will fool around wit yo' but she nevah could git yuh mind. Well, dat's like me. Well, ah could be a man of plenty of money an' a woman could heah talk of me. She say, "Well, I heah talk of dat fellow. He got plenty of money. I'm goin' tuh try tuh git in touch wit 'im." Well, she gits - some day she be settin' down an' she'll scrape de bottom of 'er feet. But she'll scrape it a diff'ren' way at least - a man kin take an' git holt of a woman de same Way, if she is a whiskey drinkah. Well, she scrape it back. Don' nevah scrape it fo'ward.
[Informant will continue to confuse person or sex of who is doing what.]
(How will she scrape it back, from the toes to the heel?)
[This is quite evident, but I wanted a statement from informant.]
From de toe tuh de heel, right in de hollah yo' see. Well she'll git dat. Well, her feet is got tuh be soft yo' know, got tuh be soft tuh do dat. She'll soak 'er feet in watah, yo' know, tuh git dis skin of it soft. Well, she'll take dat den an' she'll put dat intuh dis whiskey, an' she'll let dat whiskey set about ten days. In ten days time, well yo' kin hold it up an' yo' cain't see anything atall in it. Well, yo' might come an' yo' be settin' aroun' an' she come an' set in yuh lap an' yo' say, "Well, sugah," say, "ah brought somepin fo' yo'." Yo' reach back in yuh pocket. She say, "Whut is dat?" She say, "Aw, yo' been talkin' about whiskey." She say, "Ah'll give yo' a drink of whiskey. Ah bought some fo' yo'. Ah git ti'ed [tired] of yo' worryin' me fo' some whiskey all de time." Say, "Ah bought dis especially fo' yo'. Ah don' wan' nobody drink dis but yo'." Well, she take some an' drink it. Well, yo' still-drink. Yo' ain't drinkin' none atall, 'cuz yo' know whut it is. Yo' say, "Drink - drink - drink. Help yuhself, drink." Say, "I bought it fo' yo'." Well, fin'ly yo' - yo' do dat twice. Unlessen not, if it don' take no effect, well yo' do it three times. Well fin'ly it will take effect. It gits so den, when yo' git ready tuh go, if she'sa young girl - if she - yo' kin take holt of a young girl de same way. Her mothah cain't keep 'er at home. She'll come zactly where yo' is at. She'll - first thing yo' know, yo' look dere, an' yo' see her comin'. She say, "Where's Mr. So- and-So at? "' 'He's not here." 'How long he been gone?" '"Oh, he's been gone such- an'-such a time! He'll be back directly." "Do yo' reckon dat he'll be back?" "Yeah." Well, if yo' don't come, well she'll go on away huntin' yo'. Well, yo've got de underholt of 'er, see. Dat's where yo' take de underholt of 'er.
Entry 6489
Yo' wash yore feet right good, an' start at de - look, de toe of yore feet lak dis way, an' scrape down on de lef' feet. Come down [from toes to beel] an' let it be real quick. An' when yo' cook 'is food, see dat's when yo' wants 'im udah yore feet so yo' use him lak yo' want. When yo' coot 'is food yo' don't 'sposed tuh cook dat in dere [the food] but sprinkle dat ovah de food; see, whut he eats. An' dat hold 'im undah yore feet. Yo' kin use 'i jis' lak yo' wanta. See, dat keep 'im from gittin' away from yo'. Long as yo' use dat on 'im he cain't git from undah yo'. He's undah yore feets.
Entry 6491
When yo' wash yuh feet clean, don' wlpe it, wait until it begin tuh dry an' den yo' scrape de bottom of each feet from de heel tuh de toe. See. Save dat an' put it intuh a vessel an yo' put yuh own chamber lye on it. Den yo' stop it up an' yo' let it stan' nine days - nine days. An' de las' day take it out an' dat party, if yo' kin git neah tuh 'em, drop a drop or two of dat in whutevah dey eat or dey drink. Why dey will eithah have tuh be yuh frien' or dey will die. I've knowed of dat [death] evently [eventually].
Entry 6502
You can scrape the bottom of a person's feet, you see, aftah yo' sweat, an' dat's yer stren't'. An' if you scrape the bottom of a person's feet an' you buries it, well some people say to leave it stay buried about six months an' some about nine. Well, you begin to feel bad. Nuthin'll hurt you at all, but you just getting weak, they tell me, in your breath, an' you begin to feel bad until you just pines away to nuthin until yo' die.
Entry 6503
If a woman wants a man to be what you would call under her feet, she wants to command that man to do everything she say, she lets her feet get dirty. She goes two or three days without washing her feet, then she soak 'em in water until they, you know get all that dry skin off, that dead skin. She puts that in the stove and bakes it until it's just as dark as coffee. Then she rolls it out to a powder, then she cooks it in the man's coffee. And after he eats a certain portion of that, he has no will of his own at all. His will is her will- her will is his will, rather. He's down under her feet.
Entry 6515
Ah heard dat chew kin take from de bottom of yore feet dat dead skin an' put it in stuff, if yo' wanta gain a man or somepin of dat lin'. Jis' put it in some whiskey or coffee or somepin dat he's gon'a drink, in 'is food or somepin lak dat. Yo' jis' keep 'em down undah yore feet all de time.
Entry 7247
Tuh make a woman an' a man stay tuhgethah, de firs' things ah heer'd, when ah wuz growin' up - yo' know, grown folks would be talkin' an' dey wouldn't be talkin' tuh me an' ah would ketch some of dese things. Ah'd be workin' roun' - co'se [of course], mah gran'- mothah an' aunts could heah things dat grown people said. Ah heer'd some things. She said dat one time dere wuz a woman had a fellah an' he liked anothah girl. Said de woman took an' washed 'er feet right good an' den washed 'er hands an' washed from undah 'er ahms an'aroun' 'er neck, an' she washed dose places about 'er body real clean. Said de firs' place she washed from undah 'er ahms an' she squeezed dat in de watah an' she goin' tuh give it tuh 'im in somepin tuh eat. An' dey say, aftah she squeeze dat in de watah, said den she washed ag'in an' ag'in squeezed dat in de watah. Washed in palm of 'er hand an' squeezed dat in de watah. Washed dis hand an' squeezed dat in de watah. Said den she turn roun' an' didn't wash once but de nex' time tuh make it clean, an' she washed undah de bottom of 'er feets, instead of washin' 'em out dat way, she washed 'em tuh 'er, an' den cross-marked 'er hand on each foot, an' she squeezed dat in de watah. Well, she said dat worked around all right fo' awhile, den dat wore off. Den she turned aroun' an' washed 'er feet an' scraped 'em an' took de dead skin from de foot an' put all of it tuhgethah an' put it in a pot an' boiled it. An' when she did boil dat, den she goes tuh work an' strains dis watah an' put dat in somepin tuh eat an' dat's whut kept him. Dey claim he follahed 'er each an' evahwhere she'd go. Den dey said it commence tuh weah [wear] off an' she got - it's anothah part about chew dat only be's once a month, an' she got dat. She got about half tea- spoonful of dat, counted tuh seven drops of dat an' put dat in it. An' dat kept 'im.
(She would only use seven drops of that?)
Yessuh. An' put dat in an' dose drops lasted a yeah - seven yeahs. Den anothah woman tole her tuh take a tablespoonful of weewee an' put it in, an' dat still kept 'im. Dat kept 'im awhile den an' den dat begin tuh weah [off]. She tole her tuh go an' buy some beefsteak, an' she bought dat. She tole her tuh take her fingah about 'erself an' take an' wipe it on dis an' po' gravy ovah it. An' dat kept 'im. She said dat kept 'im until death.
(You said one woman did all these things?)
One woman told all dis about one woman, an' dis one woman had so much trouble wit 'im. He wuz supposed tuh be a very nice-lookin' man, it seemed lak dat all de women wuz 'bout tuh take him, an' it seemed lak she intend tuh have him an she tried all dese things.
Entry 7962
Yuh toenails or fingernails. Dey kin git holt of yuh fingernail clip- pings an' de dirt from undah yuh foot. See. An' dey mix it tuhgethah an' git 'em some graveyard dirt an' shape 'em a box. Make a li'le shape of a box, see jis' lak a coffin, an' take hit an' bury it undah yuh steps. See. An' git some hair from yuh belly an' put in dere Wit it. An' DERE AIN'T NO DOCTOR IN DE WORLD KIN CURE YO'.
(What will it do to you?)
It will kill yo'.
(I see.)
(Now that dirt from your foot. Well where from your foot?)
Yassuh, dat daid skin whut's scraped off yuh foot.
(Oh, I see. Where do you get that?)
De way I git dat, dat skin from yuh foot.
Entry 9032
De nex' thing, tuh mah idea, whut's good, take some of yore fingah- nails. Trim yore fingahnails off. Go tuh some watah an' git dat daid skin undah yore feet. Scrape it down. Put it in sompin an' let it dissolve fo' nine days. Den take dat an' strain it. Have it in watah, an' jes' lak de jedge would have a sep'rate pitcher he drink out of, put dat ovah dere in his pitcher. Jes' lak yo' de jedge of de co't, put dat in yore pitcher. See, de chance is de co't goes up dere soon an' dey have evah-thing lined up, de jedge an' de jury. Put sompin in [the pitchers of] both of 'em. Ah'm de crim'nal. Ah'm de crim'nal, yo' know, an' yo' goin' try tuh send me tuh de chain gang. Git tuh arguin' on dat thing. Aftah while dey gits sorry fo' yuh. Things is workin' mah way. Whut chew want 'em tuh [do, that will do it]. Yo' couldn't do it. Simple things whut ah learnt wit de business [of being a hoodoo doctor].
Entry 11111
But they's got to have more to go with that skin to do you harm, besides just the skin off you feet. They can take the skin off the bottom of your feet and if they can get some of your hair, take that skin and some of your hair, and take a coconut, or either a bottle, and fill it up with vinegar, and throw it in the water where it will run and you start going and you'll never go back home again. In a bot- tle or coconut, but you gotta stop it up so it don't come out.
Entry 11451
Use dirt from under fingernails and footskin in food for love.
[Mobile 878:3.]
Entry 11452
Cut several fingernails from left hand, scrape skin from left foot and piece of right inner sole, wear in bag, and you can control the person.
[Vicksburg 989:5.]
Entry 11460
Left fingernails and toenails, and left-foot skin parch, add sugar and give in food 9 mornings for love. [Mobile 865:5.]
Entry 4109
Yo' takes de dead skin off de bottom of yuh feet an' put it in a halfa pint of whiskey an' takes one teaspoonful of pee an' po' it in. Dat'll make dem become tuh love yuh.
Teaspoonful denotes a quantity in this reported recipe. No utensil, calibrated modern volume or demonstrated effect is established.
Entry 11408
Your dead foot skin in his food, 'he's under your feet.' [Mobile 945:10.]
The short account names dead foot skin. The surrounding under-your-feet assertion remains a claim, without an identified person, verified material or established effect.
Entry 11414
Dead skin from left foot used in food is good for love. [Wilmington 237:8+85.]
The account explicitly names dead skin from the left foot. Its use and claimed benefit for love are not established events or effects.
Entry 11415
For love use footskin in food. [Norfolk 490:4.]
The account names footskin in a stated love aim. No source person, side, performed use or relationship effect is established.
Entry 11469
"scrape the hull [sometimes "huff"] off the bottom of your feet, and soak it in whiskey for their husbands, and they would keep 'em." [Vicksburg 986:2.]
The quotation describes scraping material from the bottom of feet and soaking it in whiskey in an account about keeping husbands. The editorial word variant and any actual effect remain separate.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- ARMPIT WATER - FINGERNAILS AND TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN - IN DRINK — Volume 4, entries 6378. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- BLUE VITRIOL - FOOTSKIN; BOTTLED - BURIED IN YOUR PATH — Volume 4, entries 6382. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- (1) AH DON' KNOW IF WHITE FOLKS DO OR NOT; AH KNOW COLORED DO... SCRAPE DE FOOT; BURN OR SCORCH: FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN — Volume 4, entries 6384. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- (3) BOTTOM UPWARD BURY CONTAINER WITH FOOTSKIN — Volume 4, entries 6393. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- BURY FINGERNAILS OR TOENAILS OR FOOT SKIN; (1) FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN — Volume 4, entries 6391. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- (14) FINGERNAILS AND TOENAILS AND FOOTSKIN BOTTLED — Volume 4, entries 6442. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- URINE - FINGERNAIL TRIMMINGS - TOENAIL DIRT - FOOTSKIN; IN BOTTLE - KEEP 9 DAYS - THEN USE IN FOOD OR DRINK; GITS YUH DOWN UNDAH DERE FOOT — Volume 4, entries 6500. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- WHISKEY - FINGERNAILS - FOOTSKIN — Volume 4, entries 6517. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- WHISKEY - FOOTSKIN IN — Volume 4, entries 6514. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- WINE - FOOTSKIN SOAKED IN BOTTLE OF - 3 DAYS; CAUSES LOVE - ALSO STOMACH ULCERS — Volume 4, entries 6523. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN.
- WISHES 3 - WHILE PUTTING FOOTSKIN IN HIS COFFEE — Volume 4, entries 6524. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → LIVE THINGS IN YOU.
- FINGERNAILS - TOENAILS - FOOTSKIN — Volume 5, entries 11390. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".