Subject:Gambling
Entries
Entry 1851
If yo' wants tuh be lucky in a game, yo' gits a hen aig an' each one who's in dere, yo' know, dat playin' in dis game - dey go dere an' look at it, an' write each one name down on de aig, an' take it an' put it in yore pocket an' go on. Yo'll be lucky in de game. (Well, who - you mean the people who are playing in this game?) Well, jes' lak ah wants to git - yo' know, go in dis game an' somebody wanta give me somepin fo' luck. Well, he'll jes' git a hen aig, yo' know, an' go up dere an' see who all in de house playin' in common - see whut dere name. Write each person down dat playin' in de game on de aig. Well, go out [to write these names] an' come back an' put de aig in his pocket. He'll be lucky in dat game.
(Any kind of chicken egg?)
Yes sir - hen aig, any kinda aig.
Entry 7211
A gamblin' han' [the best] dat yo' evah had, if yo' wan'a gamblin' han'. Well, yo' might go intuh a graveyard where dere somebody dat yo' know well, an' dey been buried fo' several days or several yeahs, yo' might say. Yo' take dere fingah dey call a dog fingah. (Which is the dog finger? Point it out to me. Which is the dog finger?) Here 'tis, right cheah [here]. (Well, which hand?) On de right han' [demonstrates]. (All right, I see the index fin- ger of the right hand.) Dat will be de right han' dere. Dat is de third fingah from de front. (The middle finger, then, on the right hand?) Dat is de thing. (All right, the middle finger.) All right. Den yo' take dat fin- gah an' clean de bone in milk - git de li'le bone out, but yo' gotta do all dat work at twelve o'clock at night. An' yo' find yo'self dere when yo' boilin' dat. WHILE BOILIN' DAT BONE DERE, YO'LL FIND YO'SELF FEEL FEAHIN' [FEARING]. WHUT AH MEAN BY MIS[TERIOUS? OR MIS- ERABLE?] YO'LL FEEL YO'SELF - YO'LL FEEL WARM. AH DON' CARE HOW COLD YO' BE. YO' KIN DO IT IN DE MIDDLE OF DE STREET, OR IN DE MIDDLE OF DE BANQUETTE [=SIDE- WALK IN NEW ORLEANS, LA.] OR IN DE YARD DERE; AN' IF IT BE COLD AS ICE, BUT YO'LL FIND A GREAT HEAT RIGHT AROUN' YO', BECUZ WE HAVE WHUT CHEW CALL THREE WITCHES DAT RUNNIN' IN DE AIR DERE. AN' IF YO' DEALIN' WIT DEM, WHY DEN IT COMES HEAT. DEY'LL BRING HELL FLAMES TUH DERESELF AN' TUH YO'. Yo' are dealin' wit dem.
(Oh, I see, you're dealing with three witches. Oh, all right.)
An' quite natchel, if ah'm dealin' wit chew, yo' have a right tuh go ovah dere an' see aftah me [see what I am doing]. An' yo' are wit me.
(I see.)
Now, maybe all three of 'em come tuhgethah. An' TUH GIT DEM [WITCHES], YO' GOTTA SET A SUPPAH, A DINNAH. YO' HAVE TUH MAKE A DINNAH, AN' DE DINNAH WHICH DEY EAT'LL BE A TURTLE HEART.
(A turtle heart.)
An' one thing again would be cel'ry whut chew eat aroun' - make salad.
(Celery?)
Yo'd git cel'ry. An' we have one thing, which de nex' would be, three grass- hoppahs. Yo'd have tuh put dose things in yuh mouth, dat is, tuh make de suppah; cuz yo' couldn't make de dinnah if yo' wouldn't do dat. An' in othah words, yo' hardly kin make de dinnah in de wintahtime. Yo' have tuh make it in de sumah, becuz we haven't much grasshoppahs who run in de wintah. Yo' undahstand?
(I understand.)
An' aftah dis suppah is made an' is started, yo' would fin' dem. Yo' would take a glass [mirror], but yo' - dat glass have tuh be bran' new, dat nobody nevah look intuh it.
(A looking-glass?)
Yes, sir. An' yo' could see dem lookin' intuh dere aftah yo' begin tuh eat. Yo' kin see three people but chew couldn't recognize yo'self, but chew dere. But chew cain't recognize yo'self, but chew see three people; but chew dere, but chew don't see yo'self. Yo' wouldn't count yo'self 'cuz yo' cain't see yo'self. But chew see three people dere, but one of dem dere is yo'. Den yo' see upset one person, den dat'll be de dragon. He look very proud, very nice-lookin' fel- lah, standin' right dere but den he's a destroying angel. Dat's de truth ah'm tellin' yo'. Den, aftah dat yo' won't see nuthin dere. Evahthin' disappeah from dis glass. Den yo' able den fo' tuh go on an' do anythin' whut chew wanta do. (I see. They'll call the witches. After that you use your power to do these things.) Why certainly.
(Well, what about using that bone? What do you do with that bone, now?)
Well, whichevah bone dat dey call de middle bone. Many people, if dey know whut de bone is, dey kin find ft, dat is, in de black cat, wit'out goin' tuh work an' takin' it an' usin' dem all; but some people by not knowin', dey'll have tuh use all of dem until dey git tuh de right one. But, de sense, if yo' know whut de right bone is, yo' kin go right tuh it an' git it. Maybe yo' might miss one, but yo'll git de nex' one an' dat'll be it. Undahstand? An' dat bone carries three fo'ks [forks]. Dat is, three j'ints tuh it. Whut ah mean by three j'ints, three rows, an' yo'll find between de edges of de bone, yo'll find three crosses. Dat's supposed tuh be main powah. An' yo' fin' dat dey use dat in more Mason lodge and Odd Fellahs, lotsa people do, tuh do dere work. [New Orleans, La., (861), 1374:7 to 1375:4.]
Entry 7689
Graveyard dirt is all right, graveyard dirt is lucky tuh yo'. If yo' Wants some graveyard dirt tuh be lucky tuh yo', go tuh a gambler's grave. An' stick yore han' down in de grave jes' as fer as yo' kin, right down at de haid of de grave an' say, "Ah'll do dis In de Name of de Lord, tuh ovahcome mah enemies." An' stick yore han' way down in dere an' bring out some. Say when yo' bring it out, take it an' put it in sompin an' tie it up an' care [carry] it home. An' yo' care it home den an' yo'll be lucky - become lucky. Yo' kin gamble an' make money.
Entry 7764
I've heard you can go to a graveyard and get some dirt and put it in a bag for a lucky hand and they say you'll win every game you go in. You carry in your pocket.
Entry 8043
Take de dead man's bone, take fo' of 'is fingahs. Yo' see, dese: one, two, three, fo' fingahs here. An' take each one of 'em j'ints. Yo' undahstand. Yo' take de end of dem fingahs, aftah all de meat's done faded offa dem.
(Either hand?)
No, no, take off de right hand.
(All right.)
Dat's 'is gamblin' hand, makes a gamblin' hand outa it. Dat's tuh make yuh win, undahstand. Dat's supposed tuh make yo' lucky, make yo' win. Take dem fo' fingahs here an' dey chip 'em right in half. When dey chip dem fo' j'ints in half, dey puts 'em intuh a li'le bag, yo' undahstand. An' put some steel dust in dere an' lode- stone an' six needles, gold-eyed needles, an' sew dat up an' give it tuh yuh. Call dat a lucky hand.
(For gambling.)
Entry 8048
Yo' know what dat candle's fo'? (No.) Dat candle's fo' gamblin' purposes. (Well, how would you prepare any- thing of that sort?) Bell, if yo' kin git de bone of a dead person - de bes' thing dat yo' kin use from a dead person, if yo' kin git dat bridge of de nose, what's in a person here. If yo' would put it in... [I interrupt.]
(You mean the bridge of the nose?)
Yes, dat bridge in de nose. If yo' kin git dat an' take dat an' put it in, go tuh an' make a novena[!] ovah dat, an' burn two candles. (Well, after you get that bridge of the nose, where do you make that novena? In your home or in the church?) In yuh home.
(In your home. Then what do you do?)
Den yo' set two candles tuh burn.
(You mean two candles before, or near it, or what?)
Two candles ovah it - undah whatevah yo' got de candles in burnin', have it. Have whatevah yo' got de candles in big enough so dat de wax from de candle will rum right down in dat containah what it's settin' in. An' have dis bridge of de Dose undah dat containah. Yo' undahstan'? An' let dose two candles burn out ovah dat.
(What sort of candles do you use in a case of that sort?)
Yo' kin use two white candles.
(I see. All right, go ahead.)
An' yo' wrap dat bridge of de nose of dat person wit one piece of garlic. Divide it an' tie it aroun' de bridge of dat nose, an' sew it in red flannel. An' let dat person keep dat piece of - dat in dat pocket, an' when dey go tuh a gamblin' house, or any place tuh gamble, rub dat ovah dere hands an' den rub dere hands ovah dere face, an' put it back in dere pocket. An' dat's all dey've got mah do wit it.
(That's a gambling hand?)
It's a gamblin' hand.
(I see.)
Entry 8051
Ah heard dat yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' git one of dese bones. If it's a sinnah, yo' kin take de bone off 'is right foot, de big-toe bone, an' take it an' put some black peppah an' salt an' cayenne on it. Dat's fo' gamblin'. (How would you handle that, then?) Well, yo' jis' go an' dig it up, see. Ah ain't nevah tried dat now. Go an' dig it up, see, an' cut dat bone off. Yo' have tuh git a saw an' saw if off. Saw dat bone, dat j'int dere. Saw dat off an' git chew black peppah, salt an' bluestone, see. Well, yo' car- ries dat home dere an' let it stay undah yuh step fo' nine mawnin's, see. Well, yo' take it den an' put it up ovah de do' - jis' lak yo' sleepin' in dis room, an' put it up ovah de do' an' let it stay dere den contin'ly [continually]. But yo' have tuh sew it up intuh a black rag, see. Let it stay dere contin'ly an' den yo'll be lucky in gamblin'.
Entry 8647
Now, yo' take a lemon an' put nine needles - nine goldeye needles - an' take cinnamon an' cayenne peppah an' sugah. Aftah dat chew take an' sew it up. Aftah yo' sew it up. take 'an' put it into de sock. Yo' Write de name nine times an' put it into dat sock. Aftah dat yo' jes' keep it. Dat is really goin' tuh stop de fellah from gamblin' an' won' fool aroun' wit any woman, anybody. If he have anything to say about anybody [woman] he see, he hate 'em, git against 'em. An' along fin- ally, naturally he leaves away. He leave heah lak on Friday, an' yo' won' see him no mo' at all, he disappeah. An' yo' come tuh find 'im an' he's somewheres layin' on de road daid.
Entry 8853
Well, ah knew dis much about it, dat dere mo' way 'sposed tuh be of usin' de smoke of nine matches. Dey use de smoke of nine matches intuh a bot- tle an' airtight it. Go tuh work an' git chew a han'writin' an' put it intuh a bottle, an' cut out nine matches an' git de smoke of dose nine matches intuh dat bottle an' airtight it. An' kin throw it intuh runnin' watah. Ah know dat's anothah thing dat will upset chew, block yore game in gamblin'. (HoW will that affect me if they took my handwriting and put in that bottle with that smoke? What would that do to me?) WELL, DAT WILL - DE REALLY FAC' 'BOUT IT, SUH, WILL PIZEN [POISON] YO' WITH ANYONE, 'SPOSED TUH BE DAT CHEW COULDN'T MAKE A TAP [OR TOUCH, PUT THE BITE ON ANYONE] COULDN'T GIT NO ENDS TUH MEET IN [COULD NOT MAKE ENDS MEET] NOWHERE. [I would be in a bad financial condition; could not mub two dimes together. That preceding expression cut out nine matches merely means, take 9 matches out of the matchbox, surely a new box of matches.]
Entry 9440
Yo' take a black hen's aig an' break it an' git de yellah an' put it on a rag. Mix it wit some sulphuh an' some salt an' wrap it up in a rag an' tote dat.
[Informant had given rite before recording began.]
(What will that give you? Luck for what?)
Luck fo' anythin' yo' want, gamblin'.
Entry 9492
[Gambling rites using salt in HOODOO are colmon and scattered through the text - see especially vol.1, p.641, Nos.2264-2270.] Yo' kin take some table salt, see lak yo' an' anothah fellah tuhgethah - yo' an' 'im gamblin', see. Well, if he don' gamble an' yo' gamble, yo' kin take some table salt, table salt whut de' [they] put anywheres. Have it in yore pocket an' let him have it in his pocket...an' yo' goin' be gambling. Well, dis fellah, jes' lak ah'm settin' up heah now - ah'm lucky, yo' let dat [demon- strates] jes' drop dat table salt right down ahind of [behind] him. Dat's tuh change his luck.
(That is to spoil any hand that he has.)
Dat's right. "
Entry 9508
Now if yo' runnin' a gamblin' house, sellin' whiskey, got women, if yo' wanta be lucky 'bout dis thing, always keep in yo' place loose salt, ice cream salt. Git de ice cream salt, it's in big lumps. [Ice cream salt is rare in HOODOO.] Dey says yo' could swallah oneof'em[lumps], deygood fo' yo' stomic anyway. Jes' put one in yo' mouth an' swallah it an' dey says dat ev'ry once in a while jes' scattah some all round de house. It roll up lak snow [informant not a native of place where we are talking] or sweep it out. Dey says de cops or p'lice will bar'ly evah pass by; if dey do, dey speak tuh yo' an' wave dere han's. Yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's straight an' den yo' skip nine. Dey tell me dat'll work fine. An' ah believe some people's doin' it right heah [in the city] now, 'cuz ah been heah a long time. Dey say dat's a fact.
Entry 9599
Well, ah tell yo', yo kin git chew some salt an' red peppah an' oil of citronella an' weah dat bag intuh yuh pocket each night when yo' go out gamblin'.
Entry 9654
Take salt an' black peppah, tie it up mixed togethah. Jes' take it. Yo' got some made up: Yo' gamblin'. Put dat stuff right in yore pocket. Evah now an' den, when yo' shuffle de cahds or sompin, jes' run yore han' in yore pocket. Yo' ain't gotta pull out none [of the mixture], jes' git de dust of dat on yo'. (That will give him luck.)
Entry 9659
Now we come tuh love affairs. Dis heah's anothah item ah'm gona give yo'. Ah've tried dis on mahself. Yo' kin take yo' some salt an' some cheese an' flour an' make a powdah outa it. Mix it all tuhgethah. An' yo' kin take dat Poodahs. Jes' say fo' a instant [instance] dere's a girl stayed heah dat yo' thought a whole lots of, an' yo' jes' can't get 'er lak yo' wan's tuh do. But chew kin visit 'er an' have all de fun othahwise dat chew want. Yo' kin take dat powdahs dat chew've made an' dust it aroun' in 'er room, an' dat'll bring 'er love tuh where yo' kin handle huh an' she won't deny nuthin dat chew ask. De same thing is mighty good luck in gamblin' too. Dat salt an' cheese an' flour, dat's good luck in gamblin' too. An' den it's a lodestone dat chew kin use dat's mighty good luck in gamblin', a lodestone called magic lodestone [trade name]. Dat's mighty good luck in gam- blin'.
Entry 9787
In bad luck yo' kin take, if a person settin' tuh a table gamblin', git chew two needles, cross 'em in back of dere clothes, right in de centah of dere back. Cross 'em. Dat'll cause dem tuh lose. An' [or] eithah sprinkle some salt on 'em. An' yo' kin git a spidah an' put 'im in a papah sack or sompin. Long as he livin' yo' win in de game.
Entry 9841
Put nine safety pins - jis' git or'nary safety pins about dat long [demonstrates length]. Ah got some of 'em right heah now [shows some safety pins.] Put nine of 'em in dere. Co'se [of course] ah've not got de nine in dere, but den yo' put nine safety pins. Put three right heah. Pin 'em right 'cross heah straight up an dowa. Dat's three: one - two - three. [I describe demonstration.] (Three on the left side of your breast pocket.) Yeah, three right undah by each pocket. Keep 'em in yore undahshirt. Den dey put three on dis side.
(Over your heart.)
Ovah yore heart. Den yo' put three right in de centah of yore back. "Co'se yo' kin pull yore shirt off an' do dat. Dey says yo' kin have bettah luck. Dat [rite] come from New Orleans. Ah knowed dat tuh be de fact. Dey say yo' will have bettah luck. If yo' are a gamblah, dey says evahthing will come yuh way now an' den. Dose evil's got on yo', yo' kin git dat off an' keep agoin'. [A little later, after changing the cylinder, I decided to return to the pre- ceding rite.] (Just to be sure what you just told me about those safety pins. Will you explain that again, now?) Well, yo' put three of 'em heah.
(Three safety pins in your left side, one right under the other.)
Yeah, fastened. Well yo' go back heah an' yo' put three mo'.
(On your right hand side.)
Yes sir. An' den yo' - yo' can't git 'em dere but chew pull off yore shirt, an' yo' know de centah of yo' back. Yo' put three right up an' down dere [in the back of your shirt] an' weah 'em in dere all de time. When yo' have de shirt washed, take 'em out an' put 'em back in de shirt yo' put on.
(Where did you say that came from?)
Dat come from New Orleans.
Entry 9902
In gamblin' if yo' wanta be lucky aroun' a skin game, yo' take yo' a frog an' kill it an' go tuh ant's bed, dem ole big red ant, an' put 'im in dere, an' leave him fer nine days. An' he goin' be hard [a skeleton], dem ants goin' eat 'im all up. Jes' take dat frog an' tote 'im in yore lef' pocket. Dat's one of devilest hands yo' evah see.
(You are going to be lucky.)
Yes, sir, yo' goin' ruin dem gamblahs. [Jacksonville, Fla., (549(, 687:7.]
Entry 9904
Well, you take a frog, you take you a nail, or take a knife and peg him down alive jes' like that with a peg right at your house. Take some sugar and just sprinkle it good, you see. The worms, the ants and things will eat all the flesh off it. And after they eat all the flesh off it, you will find a forked bone at the back tail of it. Then you take that oil of clover, van van and fast luck, see. Now you take that and sew them together and make you a little bag, and put it in your pocketbook. But that fast luck. you must keep a little bit out when you going out, on the side, and scrape in your hand like this [demonstrates]. That gives you gambling hand; power in gamb- ling.
(Is fast luck a liquid or a powder?)
That's lickrish [liquid]. When you put it on your hand it burns shoe [burns you]. Now, when you look at it, when you put it on your hand and rub it, you see that curl up, sort of yellowish. It gives you satisfaction.
Entry 9959
Yo' take fo' an instant [instance] a gamblah is gonna go out fo' a big game tuhnight or today, an' 'is luck is bad. He goes out an' he finds 'im a frog. He takes dat frog an' he holds 'im in 'is hand tuh 'is eah [ear] an' dat frog will - yo' know dey don' holler lak no othah li'l' creatures on earth. Dey say, "Quank, quank, quank." An dat'll change yore luck.
Entry 9963
Kill a frog while he's hot. Take a frog while he's hot an' kill 'im an' split him open while he's hot. An' take an' rub yore han's on 'im an' rub down yore han's lak dat. An' yo' go out tuh any card game yo' wanta an' yo' be successful. Git chew a live frog an' split him back open, an' rub yore han's on 'im down dere.
Entry 9964
Take a toadyfrog an' yo' split 'im open, see, an' jis' tote him aroun' in yore pocket, an' yo' kin have all de luck yo' want.
(In gambling.)
Entry 9968
Heard dat yo' could git a toadfrog an' stop 'im up till he's dry an' mash 'im up; yo' mov, parch 'im an' git de dust an' carry it in a bottle. Yo' know, jes' put it in a bottle an' stop it up an' tote it in yore pocket. Well, ah've heard dat but nevah have tried dat. (Do you use it in any way at all on you? This is for gambling, this toad dust. Do you sprinkle that on yourself too?) No, sir, jis' carry it [bottle] in yore pocket.
Entry 9972
If yo' gamblin' an' yo' in bad luck, yo' go 'head an' git chew a frog an' tie 'im up, or tie him roun' yuh wrist, or in yuh pocket some place, an' dat'll also increase yuh luck.
(Kill him first?)
Don't kill 'im at all. Jis' keep 'im dere an' if he don't do no good, let 'im loose; but it have been said dat's a good remedy [for gambling].
Entry 9980
Jis' lak a fellah's gamblin' an' wan'a han' tuh gamble an' lak dat, he kin take - he wants tuh win in gamblin' - take a frog, one dem small green frogs, an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Put 'im in a papah sack an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Rub 'is han' ovah 'im about three time an' den put 'im in dat papah bag. An' put 'im in 'is pocket an' go on tuh de game an' break de gaime.
Entry 9981
If yo' wanta be a gamblah an' win good, yo' git chew a frog an' put it in yore pocket, an' put a little table salt in it [pocket]. See, if dis heah are de gamblin' hall, yo' know, yo walks in, an' if yo' vanta beat in de game, yo' jis' valk on in wit both hands in yore pockets jis' lak dis [demonstrates]. Stan' aroun' a little bit. Aftah shile maybe yo might be holdin' de cards or whutsomevah de game dey playin', yo' kg, an yo'll win evahthin' in dat house. But dat frog gotta be live.
(Do you put this salt on the frog?)
Yes.
(Right on the frog?)
Right on de frog. Keep 'im live in yore pocket. [St. Petersburg, Mla.
(1024), 1657:9.]
Entry 9982
(What sort of toadfrog? What sort of frog do you take?)
Jis' or'nary frog. Yo' take him an' yo' kill 'im an' yo' jis' salt 'im down. Ah 'magine yo' gits a five-cent box of salt. Jis' take an' scattah dat salt, jis' wad 'im ovah dit it tuh de time yo' think yo' got all dat salted don. An' yo' put 'im in one pocket an' yo' put de salt yo' didn't give tuh 'in in de othah pocket. An' if yo' go in a room roun' anywhere dey gamblin', jis' take dat salt, an' if yo' lucky an' got money, take dat same salt an' put it ovah 'im lak dat [demonstrates] an' dat'll give yo' luck. But chew have tuh pve salt in yore pocket.
Entry 9985
Ketch a frog an' tote 'im round in yore pocket an' feed 'im offa flies. Keep 'im in yuh pocket fo' 'bout nine days an' tote 'im roun', an' dat's good fo' gamblin'. Anybody dat likes tuh dey carry frogs.
Entry 9986
If a fellah wants tuh be lucky an' go tuh a place where dere's plenty of money at, an' he wants de othah fellah tuh fall, he go out an' kill 'im a toadfrog, an' he dries dat frog up. Den he go up, if he got a chimley, an' git one dese bats dat flies roun' de chimley - chimley bats. [Does informant mean chimney swallow?] Gits one of 'em. Den he'll dry it, an' he'll put dat frog an' dat bat in each one of 'is pockets. He's got a pair of dice in dere. [What informant means by preceding expression will be learned later.] Take dem dice out an' rub 'em in han' dat-a- Way [demonstrates] aftah he done tech de frog or eithah de bat. Now, yo' got a gamblin' house heah. Well, yo' 'lowin' [allowing] people tuh shoot dey own dice [not the house dice]. Well, ah'm yuh gamekeepah. Ah'm [I am = I have] got a stack of dollahs ovah heah [demonstrates]. Well, yo' come heah an' yo' say, "Ten dollahs fo' tuh shoot." Ah say, "Yo' want any dice?" "No, ah'm got a pair of dice." "Shoot 'em, "[I say]. Well yo' throw 'em out. Firs' time dey'll crap. Nex' time dey'll crap. He's back in 'is p'int [point] up dere. An' he say, "Ah ain't got no p'int [point] ah'll ketch mah p'int." Well, when he ketch a p'int, he might ketch a fo', six or eight or ten, an' right dere where ah'm done both. An' if ah speak up tuh 'im, he'll have de whole business. Dat's fo' a gamblin' han'.
(You use either of those?)
Eithah one of 'em. Gotta put one in each one of 'is pockets dis-a-wa y[demon- strates] an' when he gits ready - don' pull 'em out. He puts 'is han' on 'em an' rub 'em dis-a-way, see [demonstrates]. (Does he have both parts of the dice [the two dice] in one pocket, or one in each pocket?)
[Here I am surprised!]
Naw, he has two sets of dice, see. If he have one set of dice, he kin put 'em in each one [either] of 'is pockets - it mattahs ary [either] one of 'is pockets will do. But yo' gotta change it up sometime from one pocket tuh de othah, see. De frog he's dried up an' de bat he dried up.
Entry 9987
Tuh git luck fo' gamblin' yo' goes an' git chew a toadfrog. If a man is a gamblin'-man, he goes an' gits 'im a toadfrog an' take dat toadfrog an' ketches 'im an' goes tuh any drygoods sto' [to distinguish from Wetgoods store!] an' buy 'im a box of black peppah an' red pappah an' some table salt. An' he put it in dat frog's mouth. An' when he put dat in dat frog's mouth, de frog'll go tuh coughin', an' he [man] come on back tuh dis gamblin' - where he be gamblin' at - an' he take dat salt an' throw yuh [his] han' out lak dat [demonstrates] tuh throw dat salt all ovah de whole crowd. An' dat frog he'll go tuh coughin' wit dat peppah an' will start tuh movin' roun'. An' he wins at evahthin' da' 'tis [that is] in de game. Jes' gits 'im a toadfrog, jis' a hoppin' toadfrog. Toadfrog anywhere hoppin' 'long - anywhere, jis' pick 'im up. Jis' reach down an' grab 'im an' take dat frog an' rub 'im in yore han' lak dat [demonstrates] an' go on tuh a game. An' go buy yo' some black peppah an' take it an' throw about a box in 'is mouth, an' shet 'is mouth up an' go on tuh de game. An' git chew a handful of salt an' when yo' git in de house, yo' take dat salt an' does lak dat [demonstrates]. An' when yo' do's lak dat, dat frog go tuh coughin'. When he go tuh coughin', well dat starts evahbody tuh lookin', an'evahbody lose all dey winnin's.
Entry 9988
Live frog, rabbit foot, lodestone, steel dust, red pep- per - in red flannel bag. Frog is put in alive.
Entry 9989
Dey say yo' ketch a toady- frog an' make him swallow a dime, an' put 'im in a paper bag an' tie it up tight where he couldn't ketch no air, an' go ahead on tuh de game. Bet chew be lucky in gamblin'.
(You carry that though in your pocket?)
Yeah, jes' take it in yore pocket. Make him swallow a dime an' tie de end of de bag up an' carry dat on in yore pocket.
Entry 9990
An' den yo' kin take dat frog ag'in alive an' give him some whiskey, an' load 'im up wit [gun] shots, an' keep 'im alive in yore pocket. Den yo' kin go tuh any gamblin' shop an' have luck.
Entry 9993
(What do you mean yoo were running a house?) Running? Well, jis' liktah joint, gamblin' joint, all lak dat yo' ondahstan'. An' he [root doctor] said dat'll hold de laws away. Well, ah diddat
(What did he tell you to do now?)
Take fo' [four] frogs, fo' toadfrogs an' care [carry] 'em an' put 'em undah each pillah [pillar] of dat house in de fo' cornahs. [The average small house in the lowlands rests off the ground on 4 wood pillars.] Well, ah did dat.
(What did that do?)
Oh, no! Ah nevah had no trouble while ah wus dere an' ah stayed dere fo' two or three or fo' yeahs. (You mean that was to keep the laws away?) [Notice how much later I use his word laws.] Keep de laws away. Ah nevah had no trouble wit fellahs. Kin'dove [kind of] a jute [jutebox?] house, yo' undahstan'.
(What house?)
Jute house, yo' undahstan' - sellin' likkah an' gamblin' an' all lak dat.
Entry 10040
De way ah've heard it, yo' ketch chew a black cat. It must be black cat an' when yo' ketch dat cat, yo' take it to de fo'ks of de road at twelve a'clock. Have yore watah hot. Don't kill 'im. Dive 'im in dat pot of hot watah an' shet it up, an' let 'im cook till hit cook de meat off 'is bones. Den yo' take all dose bones an' taken 'em down tuh de runnin' stream, de stream goin' dis way [demonstrates]. Dat's down, backwards is upwards. An' yo' po' dem bones intuh dat runnin' stream one at de time. An' de bone dat goes back up de stream, dat's de lucky bone an' yo' git dat.
(What do you do with that bone?)
Well, dey tell me yo' kin take dat bone an' tote it in yore pocket an' it brings good luck in love affairs, gamblin' an' sech lak as dat.
[While machine turned off informant says something about disappearing.]
(Use that same bone you say?)
Yes sir, yo' put it in yore mouth an' it makes yo' invisible, people can't see yo'.
Entry 10073
Ah heard dey take a black cat bone, aftah dey done kill de black cat, an' take it an' put it in dere mouth. Pass it dere a couple of times. an' den set [itl back in dere pocket an' go in tuh win.
(That is for luck in gambling?)
Yeah.
Entry 10093
Put a black cat in boiling water while he is alive and keep him there, and when the meat comes off, you take the bones and stand before a mirror. And put them bones through your lips, yes, one at a time, and when you can't see your- self in the mirror, that is the right one, the black cat lucky bone. All black cats have it. If you are gambling or anything and losing and want to leave, if you run a black cat lucky bone through your lips, suck it, out you go and they can't see you.
Entry 10096
I heard one fellow tell that too. As near as I can recall what he said. You take a black cat at twelve o'clock at night, boil the cat in hot Water until the flesh is boiled away from the bones. The first bone that floats up to the top of the water, you say certain words - I don't remember the words. You tie a string to the bone and keep the bone in your outh a certain length of time. Then tie that string around your neck with the bone hanging to it. That puts the person in the power of what they call...in ocher words he sells himself to the devil. He can work wonderful miracles. Be can do anything he wishes. It gives luck in gambling, too. [Fredericksburg, Ta., by Ediphone,62.]
Entry 10125
They say you catch a black cat and boil him alive. And you take the bone from the left hind leg and wrap it in a piece of rag, and always carry it wherever you go. That makes you lucky in gambling always. If you do that you've sold yourself to the devil. [Petersburg, Va., first collecting visit there, Ediphone 34.1
Entry 10141
Dey go down an' take a black cat an' take an' boil 'im. Take him down side of a creek an' boil 'im. Boil 'im all tuh pieces an' take his bones out an' throw 'im intuh three streams of watah. (You throw these bones into three streams of water?) Yessuh, throw 'em in intuh three streams of watah an' de third bone dat come up tuh de top, an' yo' take dat third bone. Yo' take dat bone an' carry an' take it an' have it beat up, jes' groun' up lak yo' would shavin' somepin othah. Aftah dat, yo' take peppah an' take salt, an' yo' does dat way [sprinkles] ovah it fo' ten times. Den yo' take dat an' put it in a red flannel rag. Aftah yo' take dat red flannel rag an' put it [this mixture] in dat. den yo' take it an' tote it in yore Watch pocket al] de time. If yo' decide tuh gamble, yo' take it out chure watch pocket an' put it in de pocket where yo's money's in. Dat's lucky.
(That's lucky in gambling?)
Yes.
Entry 10144
Black cat ashes [surely a preparation sald by a hoodoo dealer!], left hind foot of rabbit.9 claws from rabbit. 9 needle points, 9 pin points, all in red flannel bag, which is fed with Jocley Clob per fe. Wear when gambling.
Entry 10557
Well, yo' ketch a leather-wing bat an' he be live, an' yo' kill him an' yo' cut dat heart out of him while he's live. An' yo' carry dat 'round in yore pocket an' dat brings forth plenty good luck. (Luck in gambling.)
Entry 10563
Ah'm a turpentine distiller by trade.... An' on de corner of mah rosin shed in '28 [1928] in May, ah don't know what time but it Was in de month of May, coming updepathahhappento sight in de crack where dis rafter come down ah saw a leather-wing bat, an' ah took a sharp stick an' caught him jest out of mischief is all ah caught him fo' - cause he'll bite chew. An' de fellah ah had working de still wit me - ah had workin' a extra man Pamed Tom Willis. Tom asked me to give him to him. Ah said, "For whut?" He said, "Man, ah'm gonna win de money dis payday." So ah give him de bat an' he killed it an' he took his heart out an' split it open an' let de blood out an' let it dry. Wrapped it an' put it in his pocket. An' dat coming Saturday, was payday, Tom won all de money, every bit of it was on de place.
(Did he split that heart?)
Split it open an' let it dry. Put it out in de sun an' let it dry.
(He took the heart only.)
Jest took de heart out of de bat was all he used. Now, ah saw him do that, but he did win de money.
(This was at the turpentine camp.)
Right at de turpentine camp in Marden County [Martin Co., Fla.] doon in close in Indian Town.
Entry 10568
Yo' could take a leather- wing bat an' gut him alive, an' take his heart an' sew it up in a piece of red flannen, an' it vill make yo' successful in games of all kinds. Jes' while he 'live, cut him open 'live an' take his heart while it's bleedin', an' tie it up in a piece of - put it in a piece of red flannel an' it will make yo' successful in games.
Entry 10569
Ketch a bat an' take his guts out of 'im an' pack 'im with lodestone an' sompin else - ah dunno [= don't know] now [I forget for the moment]. Anyhow ah know dey say use a bat fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10572
Ketch yo' a live bullbat an' take an' sew him right up in a rag - a Retber one [batl. Dere's a leather bullbat an' den dere's a bullbat a - dey all be's up in de chimley, an' make connection lak dat. Jes' ketch one of dem. Says dat he's got a lodestone, says yo' take an' cut him right open alive an' take dat lodestone, an' dey says yo' kin git 'em [other gamblers] out wit dat. [This lodestone in a bat probably came from someone who found a dead bat that had a piece of lode- stone in it; someone's lost hand.]
Entry 10573
Yo' kin take a bat an' yo' kin put him in a stove, yo' know, an' bake him until he git kinda crusty like dat. An' put it in a little bag an' put a piece of lodestone in dere, an' dey tell me - say, dat will give yo' good luck.
(Good luck for what?)
Gamblin' an' shootin' dice.
Entry 10580
Takin' de bat yo' understan' an' capturin' him wit'out killin' him, see. An' cuttin' him open an' takin' his heart out. Takin' his heart an' sewin' it in a little red bag. An' put some perfume in dere wit de bat heart. Put some of dat cinnamon powder in dere an' put de controllin' powder in dere. An' make a little bag an' wear it in yore pocket. An' every game yo' go, yo' understan', yo'll be [something] lucky fo' gamblin'.
Entry 10581
Well, you could go to the river and get twelve grain of sand - twelve grain of sand. You go to the river and you get twelve grain of sand and you get a bat. You know what they call a bat. That's some little bird about. [In folk- lore and hoodoo a bat is always a bird.] (It flies around in the air?) Fly around in the air. (All right.) And after you git that bat heart - you git the heart out de bat. And then you take that twelve grain of sand and put it right in that bat heart, and you sew it up and slip it in your pocket. And you'll win all. You'll have the best success that is in gambling.
Entry 10582
Now another lucky hand, yo' git chew a small little - one of dese little bats dat fly around. Well, yo' git chew one of dose an' git his heart 'fore he die. Take his heart out befo' he die, an' sew dat up in a piece of Sea Island cloth - new cloth don't chew know. An' every time yo' make a stitch, why in sewing it, bring it to yo', don't chew know - jes' bring it dat way [demonstrates]. An' den yo' git some of dis perfume, Hearts Perfume, an' 'noint dat package wit dat every mornin' befo' sunrise, an' repeat de Lord's Prayer. An' dat's luck too, dat's another lucky hand.
(For what?)
For anything, any affairs.
(Gambling?)
Anything.
Entry 10584
Ah hear a real gambler say if yo' wants be real lucky in gamblin', kill yo' one of dese leather-wing bats an' cut de heart out of 'em, an' lay it up until it git good an' seasoned. An' go an' buy yo' a piece of pure red silk cloth an' sew it up in dat, an' keep it in yore pocket an' go to yore game. Nobody can't hardly ketch yo'. Fact [in fact] ah have seen dat tried.
Entry 10585
Jes' lak if yo' wanta gamble an' yo' don' wanta lose, yo' won't lose. Ketch a bat an' cut his heart out whilst he's - cut his heart out. Ketch de bat an' git his heart whilst it hot, an' put it in a piece of silk cloth, an' sew it up wit dis silk cloth an' tie it roun' yore arm. An' as long as - yo' can't lose in no game of cards yo' play.
Entry 10587
Yo' kill a bat. Yo' shoot a bat. Git him whilst he's hot an' cut dat heart out. Put dat heart into a red silk bag an' sew it up an' wear it round yore left arm an' yo' will win in all yore games.
Entry 10589
Dey tell me yo' kin take de heart of a leather-wing bat an' yo' kin tie it up in a piece of silk cloth, an' tie a little silk string to it, where yo' kin tie it on yo'. Tie dat round de left wrist. Dey say dat's wonderful to bring a gamblin' hand, a regular gamblin' hand.
Entry 10590
Well, you just take your bat, catch you a live bat, cut him open and take his heart. You gets you one yard of ribbon, red ribbon. Yes, sir. And anything you deal with, you take that ribbon and that heart and you tie it together. Take two brand-new needles and stick 'em an' make a cross in there like shen you going out, and that'll make you successful. Gambling success. That's called a gambling hand. You pin on the hand you use, on the hand you are using: if you deal with the left hand, on the left; and if you deal with the right, you use the right hand.
Entry 10591
A leather-wing bat, now, understan'. Now, if yo' wanta sell a fellah a hot hand fo' gamblin', go an' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat. Git him alive. Sometime dey go in people's house an' dey knock 'em down wit brooms, in de summertime, dey fly in [there being no screens]. Knock 'em down wit a ole broom, or yo' kin go in ole stumps or ole logs where dey roost at an' yo' kin git 'em out dat-a-way. Yo' can't find 'em in daytime. Yo' take de leather-wing bat an' yo' set right down an' take yore kife, a ole lknife or somepin lak dat an' split him right open in de back. Jes' split it right open while he's live, split him right open in de back jes' lak dat, zo'reach up dere in his left side an' git his little heart out. It's a little ean, de biggest one dey is about lak dat [demonstrates]. Git his little beart ota dere 'bout lak dat. An' he ain't even daid. While he 'live git dat heart ou of dere. Jes' take yore finger an' pull dat heart out. Take dat heart an' go on back wit it, don' wash de blood off, not nuthin. An' git chew a red, an' ah mean red, too; a red an' blue piece of ribbon. Jes' as red [informant points] as dat ring round dat big coffee cup. [In Fayetteville, N. Car., I worked in a kitchen-dining room and I still remember it vaguely.] Let it be jes' 'bout dat wide, an' take it an' set it right down an' lay dat heart in dere, an' sew dat heart up in dat ribbon. Have it long enough an' sew it up in dere good an' tight. Take dat bat heart an' yo' wear it on yo' right han' [see later]. Take dat bat heart in dat piece of ribbon, sew it, make it kind of a belt-lak an' carry it up dere round yore wrist yo' understand, above de elbow, up heah, understand. Fit it up dere, sew dat on dere tight so it fit lak a belt, won't slip off, an' wear it on dere. Sleep wit it on dere. As long as dat bat heart stays in dere lak dat, yo' kin do any kinda bettin' dat yo' want done. Yo' kin win money an' gamble wit it, understand, an' yo' kin go out an' steal it. Go out an' do anything lak dat, an' people could shoot at chew, an' nine times to one, dey nevah hit chew. Wit dat bat heart yo' kin dodge bullets yo' kin dodge a shot.
Entry 10592
Yo' go an' yo' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat an' yo' cut him open while he's alive an' yo' take his heart out. Yo' take red silk thread an' red flannel, yo' know, tie it up wit dat. An' yo' use Heart Cologne on it an' yo' always be lucky. Dat's right.
Entry 10596
Dem little ole leather-wing bats. Well, ah heard dat chew kin - dem little ole leather-wing bats, dem little bitta ones dat goes all up in de corner of yore house. Well, ah learnt dat chew could take one of dem an' kill him, an' git his heart while it's hot, an' keep it until it git dry, an' put some salt an' black peppah an' bluestone onto hit. An' sew it up in a rag an' wear it in yore pocket, an' dat's good fo' gambling. Make yo' win money. [Waycross, Ga., (1136) 1850:5.]
Entry 10598
Ah'll go ketch a bat an' ah'll cut his wing off an' ah'll wear it. (Which wing do you cut off?) De left one an' wear it in mah left pocket. Well, dat be luck fo' me, luck in gamblin'.
Entry 10599
Gamblers carry it. Dey git dat wing, dat leather-wing an' dey sew it up in red flannel an' tote hit. It make 'em lucky in winnin' in a skin game, gamblin'. (Do they sew the whole bat up, do you say?) No sir, jest de wing, de leather- wing. Yo' knows dem bats dey ketch dat got de leather-wing. Dey git de leather-wing, de right wing. Jes' de right ging an' sew it up in red flannen an' dey tote it, says it lucky fo' [skin or skin game].
(Only the right wing is leather. The left wing isn't leather then?)
[What prompted that question!]
Ah don't know but dey says tuh git de right one.
Entry 10601
[This is the only rite in HOODOO where informant pretends I am the proprietor of a gambling house. Several of these pretenses elsewhere in these volumes I have called my being a guinea pig; a willing one, if it produced a hoodoo rite.] You can take a bat and take and kill a bat. You can take the wing, you bury the wings. Just like if this is a house where you going to gamble at, you bury one wing on this side of the house, one wing on that side of the house. You take that backbone of that bat and you get you some emory dust, you get you some Hearts perfume [has a number of small red hearts on label] and you get the name of the man that's running that place.
(You mean that gambling landlord.)
Like you is the proprietor, I'll get your name.] I'll put all of that together and wrap it in a flannel, and I'll put that in my house. See.
(Not in the gambling house, but in your own house?)
In my house, and as long as I'm got control of that thing, I kin control that gambling house. I'll be winning. I may go in there and lose a dollar and a half today, lose a dollar and a half this evening. I'd go back there tonight [or to- morrow] and I would win.
(I see.)
Entry 10604
I've heard, once upon a time that if yo' - dere's an old sayin', I seen it established in a book once, that if yo' wants tuh have good luck in gaml bling, is to git a leather-wing bat, wrap it into a piece of flannel an' tie it round yore waist. (They take the whole bat and tie it around the wrist.) No, the heart of the bat. (What was the name of the book?) Well, this book is related to - handing out from a doctor. Ah don't know the name since - it's right help- ful literature. [St. Petersburg, Fla., (983), 1590:3.] [The title of this long division comes from one of the activities of a Jack or Smruel or any name you want to call this personal and living fetish - a divination devise fully described by my MOJO ExPERT on page 1254, one of the great pages of EOODOO. Do not confuse this spirit object with the impersonal ouija and planch- ette, which spell out answers to anyone. Jack belongs to and works for its owner only. Jack can have any shape. Years ago somewhere in HOODOO a man's Jack to find cunjure was a child's mechanical toy! Our Jack here is ball-shaped - hence called Jack-ball - held up in the air by a string. Our operator addresses it as Sqmuel. Any name could be used. The present Jack-ball answers questions by cer- tain movements: trembling, standing still, swinging back and forth, weaving, and hirling in a circle. This latter movement, called channel de world, describes the contents within, a little of everything - a final catch-all. Therefore, inl stead of our former sections and subsections, the following material has been ar- ranged alphabetically, beginning with the letter A and word ABORTION.]
Entry 10617
Dey said dat yo' git dis heah lucky lodestone - yo' git de [lup] lodestone powdah - an' John de Conkah ' Adam-an'-Eve an' mix 'em tuhgethah. Well, it make a lucky gamblin' hand.
Entry 10633
Git a piece of alum an' a piece of saltpeter an' sew it up in a little Nammen rag together, an' dey tell me dat'll make yo' lucky - lucky in gambling. Tote it in yore pocket. [After machine turned off informant adds with Hearts Cologne.] Yes sir.
Entry 10662
Anvil dust mixed with guicksilver [often tinfoil, sometimes the scrap- ings from back of mirror, rarely real quicksilver] worn in pocket for gambling luck.
Entry 10674
Asafetida in red flannel [bag, or hand or mojo]. Urinate on that [from time to time to feed it, give it power]. Keep it. Lucky in gambling.
Entry 10695
Oil of bergamine [bergamot] and some oil of wintergreen when yo' go tuh gamblin', jis' rub some of it on yore han' an' some White Rose Perfume.
Entry 10699
Well, yo' wants tuh win. Wherever yo' goin' yo' wants tuh win. Yo' Bo into de gamblin' place an' yo' takes a Bible an' read de 23rd Psalms. Repeat it three times befo' leavin' home, an' on de way repeat it along, an' along until yo' git dere.
Entry 10744
Lucky Star perfume, mix it with urine, get lady's sponge she uses for monthses[?], when yo' go to gambling. Urine on sponge that has perfume on it. Rub [sponge] on hands, them gamble. Use sponge a woman has used.
Entry 10854
In gambling, yo' take an' git chew a dime worth of dat Georgia Pure Syrup [perhaps brand name] an' sprinkle a little sulphur in it an' cook it an' jes' pull it to a candy. An' when yo' git it to a candy, take a little piece - about dat much [shows a finger] an' wear it. After it git dry, yo' grease it an' wear it. An' ever' time yo' git in bad luck, yo' pull off an' yo' scrape a little of it in de bottom of yore shoe an' go on. Yore luck's always on.
(Luck in what?)
Fo' gamblin'.
(And you have a piece of this candy about the size of one of your fingers?)
Yassuh, a little piece about dat long, about de size of yore finger. An' old-fashioned candy, yassuh. An' ole reg'lah syrup candy. But chew put dat sulphur in it.
Entry 10860
When I was gambling, I always would get me a jet black cat and I would stroke his tail seven times with the hand I was going to gamble with, before I went to the game. (The hand you use? Do you mean the little bag or your own hand?) My own hand, yes. (Oh, your own hand.) Yes, if I was going to use my left hand most in the game, I would stroke it seven times with my left hand, and if I was going to use my right hand, I'd use my right hand. But so far as me being fixed or anything, I never have been. Nothing Was wrong with me but once, and everbody said that I was fixed.
Entry 10873
Well, de hair from a black cat - a real black cat dat ain't got no white spot on him. Yo' know a black bone is lucky. Well, now, yo' tote dat in yore pocket in a gamblin' game. Git de hair from under de fo' laigs. (Under the four legs? Each one of the four. Each one of de fo' laigs.
(The hair from this black cat?)
Dat's right. An' dey tell me yo' go right behin' his ear an' pull it out, an pull it to yo', an' clip it from each one of his ears.
(Each one of his ears. Do you cut off the hair or the ears?)
Cut de hair.
(Cut the hair from each ear?)
From behin' each ear, an' de tip-end of his tail. An' dey tell me yo' kin do anythin' yo' wanta do.
(Well, what do you do with that hair after you fix it up?)
Fix it up, jes' keep it in yore pocket. Yo' wouldn't need to have no big bag, jes' a little small bag. Have it in yore pocketbook, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh git in a big poker game - a big gamblin' game.
Entry 10934
Catfish blood is supposed to be lucky fo' a gamblin' hand. Well, dey take de catfish an' cut him, an' de blood comes out, see, bleeds out. Den yo' take dat blood an' yo' wrap it up into a rag an' yo' bury it an' let it stay buried fo' eight days, so ah learnt, an' den take it up out of there an' put it in yore pocket an' dat supposed tuh be lucky [probably if you gamble on the 9th day].
Entry 11061
Keep some sugar and cin- namon in a piece of paper, wrap- ped up in your pockets all the time. Awful lucky in gambling. Yes sir.
Entry 11162
An' a little devil's-shoestring, yo' wear it or carry it on yore person, an' dey say yo'll have luck in gambling - most any games dat chew go to. And it brings love also.
Entry 11334
Yo' kin git a dove, a turtledove. an take de heart out an' let it dry. An' when yo' dry it, yo' kin take a red strip - a string - an' wear it round yore right arm. [I turned off recording machine too soon.]
(That's luck for what?)
Fo' gamblin'.
(You get this from a turtledove?)
Yes, turtledove. Yeah, de heart of a turtledove.
Entry 11642
Now mah sister, she gambled - she used tuh gamble. She don' gamble no mo'.... But fo' luck fo' gamblin', tuh eat herrin's or sardines, dat'll give 'em [luck]. (Luck for gambling?) Yes.
Entry 12133
Heard of 'em usin' a hawk's right foot. Well, yo' take de hawk's right foot, de one dat carryin' a claw [what the other one did I forgot to ask!]. Got a claw like a rooster have on his feet. Yo' take dat foot an' yo' take an' wrap it in a piece of flan- nel cloth wit sulphur an' den wit peppah an' salt mixed [3 ingredients]. Well, dat's fo' good luck in gamblin' an' things lak dat. An' ag'in dey takes de bird [hawk's] head or snake head. Take snake head an' beat it up into a powder an' dat will cripple someone, because ah wus crippled once on dat mahself.
(Just how would that cripple them?)
Dat will cause snakes an' things in dem - sompin of that kind.
Entry 12137
Well, it's jes' like yo' runnin' a game in dis house an' yo' don't want 'em to be bothered wit chah [the reverse, you don't want to be bothered with them!]. All you gotta do is git chew a bottle of Heart Perfume [or Hearts Cologne] an' every mawnin' when yo' sweep out, sprinkle a little on yore front steps. Every mawnin'. Dey won't worry yo'. De law won't bother yo'.
(The law won't bother you.)
No sir, dey won't bother wit chew.
Entry 12142
She [root doctor] tell me. Ah'm goin' tell yo' whut she tole me 'bout de gamblin'. She gimme a bag an' tole me go tuh de drug sto' an' git a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' ever' time ah go in a game wet it wit dat Hearts Cologne; an' say wet it wit de Hearts Cologne an' rub it on yore han's, de Hearts Cologne - rub de bag on it.
(What was in the bag?)
Well, she [told me] yo' wusn't 'sposed tuh open it.
Entry 12225
Yo' supposed tuh use Jockey Club perfume.
(It's Jockey Club or Jack of Clubs.)
Well, ah cain't git it right.
(Jack of Clubs from the deck of cards or the jockey that rides a horse?)
Yeah, jacket dat chew put on yo' Perfume [!!!]. Yo' supposed tuh use dat an' garlic. Keep garlic in yore pocket an' Jack of Clubs in yore pocket, an' yo' supposed tuh have luck in gamblin'. (What do you do, put this perfume on the garlic?) [Is this for real or a piece of concoted witticism of the moment!] Put it on de garlic an' on yore han' when yo' goin' to a game. But keep de garlic in yore pocket an' de Jack of Clubs, jis' po' a little bit out in yore han' an' go into de gamblin', see, an' have yo' garlic in yore pocket.
Entry 12229
They says to have luck: well you know you kin take a piece of lode- stone. You kin take a lodestone an' git choo piece of'High John de Conkah root. An' yo' kin take dat an' put it in a piece of red flannin [flannel], an' take an' sew it up. An' git choo some perfume an' pour it over there. An' you'll have good luck in any games you go in. You will win. That's to draw luck - lodestone would. Jis' bathe [usually feed] it [with the perfume] say about 3 times a week to keep it kin'a mossted [moist]. An' that lodestone will grow. See, that would grow...jis' as long as you keep [feeding it] the larger it be. An' as it grow, little hairs will come out, little teenny hairs. Yo' kin see 'em comin' out. It's a lodestone, look jis' lfke a piece of coal [several places in HOODOO this is called black lodestone]. But only them hairs...an' they will move too. You could take a piece of that an' lay it on this table [between us] in one place, an' then you go back about a half an hour after, it'd be done moved.
Entry 12234
If you is gambling and you wants luck, well you'll git you some steel dust. See. You git you a dime - a silver dime. Git that dime and you put it in a piece of flannel, and you take it and you git a piece of John de Conkah root. See, that John de Conkah root. You takes all that and you put it down in there. Steel dust, and then you get you some of that cinnamon powder. You understand. And you takes that down [from shelf] and put it in there, and then you git you some Van- van. You ever heard of that. Or some good Jockey Club Perfume. And you put it [flannel package or hand] in your pocket. See, that steel dust draws. Then you put it in your pocket and every time you wants to gamble with somebody, you take it and rub it like that in your hand. You see. Take it and rub it in your hand but don't let 'em see you. And whatever you doing, you going to be lucky.
Entry 12327
Sho', de splinter from a tree [struck by lightning] is lucky fo' a gamblin' han' an' de toothache. As fur as de gamblin' han' ah don't know direct, 'cause ah don' gamble; but peoples dat have had de toothache have veri- fied dat statement dat it is good.
Entry 12342
Yo' take an' yo' gets a piece of cloth about four inches square each way, an' yo' take [he and she] lodestone an' mash it together. An' den yo' get yourself, take some of your own perspiration, yo' know, an put it in dere - dampen it. Yo' kin take de end of a piece of your own clothes an' put in dere an' fold it together. Fo' instance, if yo' got a piece of silver money, yo' kin take a piece of your sil- ver money an' put it in dere. It will be a piece about dat wide an' about dat high [very small size] an' yo' take dat an' sew it to de inside of yore under- clothes - under your arm, under your right arm. An' yo' wear dat dere fo' three days. An' yo' don't feel no 'fect from dat until de third day, an' den yo' be- gin to see it. Den after de third day yo' kin go in any gambling game or any kind of winning game yo' wanta, an' yo'll win money.
Entry 12572
[The former silver dime of the United States of America Was the magic lord of money during my collecting days - the 30's and early 40's - but not far behind was the lowly copper- based penny or one-cent piece. This remarkable coin as an awesome object I first heard about from my Pullman porter on the former Pennsylvania Railroad between Chester, Pa., and Baltimore, Md., in rite No.2108, p.6ll, v.l. An early list of penny rites is given in Nos.2108-2127, Pp.6ll-615. In the rites now following most of them are new, others merely show the ubiquity of the beliefs. I shall begin with the new]: Take de brown money we call de pennies, lil' pennies, yo' know, an' burn it till it git real black, one penny. An' git some spirits of rosin - it grows when de turpentine run yo' know - an' put in some flour. Mix it together, flour dough, an' mix it together an' then tie it round yore waist, an' carry it wit chew an' yo'll be lucky.
(Lucky in what?)
In gambling.
(You just burn this penny until it is black?)
Yes.
Entry 12665
(In that gambling game if somebody has a better charm than mine, could I kill this charm in any way?) Easy. Yo' kin kill this very easy, that is when yo' gambling. Yo' takes a little perfume in a bottle an' carry that with you. Yo' rub yours [gambling piece] in your hands. Yo' take that piece [gam- bling hand] off an' yo' rub it in your hands, put a little more perfume on it. Jes' have it so dey kin smell it, see, an' by yo' being perspiring yore odor is involved with it, an' that takes his [hand] too.
(That will kill his charm.)
Entry 12703
It 'sposed tuh be, whut we use, is called quick lightnin' dust, Blue Ridge Mountain an' lodestone.
(What is Blue Ridge Mountain?)
Blue Ridge Mountain is 'sposed tuh be - well, hit's a dust. De quick light nin', de re'lly fac' [fact] about it, hit's a dust. Well, ah guess yo' know whut lodestone are, nog. Well, dose things, re'lly de fac' about it, suh, if yo'uses dose. Jes' lak if yo' puttin' oust medi- cine, or whatevah it is, at de end of a knife - grains. Yo' uses dose accordin' tuh yore fingah. Ah mean fingah an' toes. Re'lly de fac' about it, if yo' wants tuh make a wonderful [something] why yo' goes tuh wortt an' ases, jes' lay dey [anyone] has 10 fingers an' 10 toes. Well, yo' use 10 gralns roun' an'roun', it 'sposed tuh be gen'lly [generally] of dose 3 [fingers]. 3tunes 10 is 'sposed tuh be 30. Dat's a mixture den an' yo' uses it. Yo' goes tuh work with yore [ingredients] an' yo' drops yo' out 30 drops of Hearts Cologne on dat stuff. An' yo' den stitches it up [in cloth] very tight. It supposed tuh be until it a small object lak yore thumb. [And this thumb-like object is called a hand!] An' den jes' place it intuh yore right pocket, an' take it tuh a game, de really fac' 'bout it. An' den about every 10 minutes yo' changes dat thing from right tuh left [pocket] an' shuffle. yore cards den. Dat put chew den in good luck in good standin'. [Quick-lightning dust should be the soil near a tree struck by lightning and Blue Ridge Moumtain dust should be dirt from the Blue Ridge Mountains, these latter covering a great amount of space. The iden- tity of what a doctor uses or a hoodoo shop sells is not always a certainty.]
Entry 12722
Take an' wear dat [rabbit foot].
(From which foot?)
De left foot.
(Which one, front or back?)
De front 'cause de back is longer, de front is a little short foot. Dey take an' run a string - yo' bo' a hole in it if yo' kin, an' yo' wear it round yore waist or either round yore neck. All right, yo' got a rabbit foot den, an' whoever yo' wearin' dat foot fo', 'cause den yo' be dealin' wit dat person an' yo' goin' keep dat foot rubbed up fo' dem.
(How do they rub it up?)
Hearts Cologne.
(What will that rabbit foot do for them?)
Aw, that's luck, sech as gamblin' an' all, playing bolito...
Entry 12725
Ah've heard 'em say, some of 'em gambling, say when dey want a good lucky hand, why gits a - git 'em a rabbit foot an' put in dere [the hand] - a rabbit's right foot. An' some of 'em gits a mole foot. Ah know mahself a mole foot is pretty lucky.
(What foot do they get of the mole?)
De right foot, de front one.
(Which right foot do they get of the rabbit?)
De right front foot.
Entry 12779
Ah heard you could take - get some kind of oil and stuff and use like that, and then, if anybody [in the game] had any wager in dere against you, or you was playing against wager or somepin like dat, why you could take dat. Take a frog - use a toadfrog and carry 'em in dere, and take that salt and pepper and sprinkle it.... [Here I turned off machine but decided to continue.]
(How do you...)
[You are having bad luck because someone:]
Done went to somewhere and got somepin stronger than what you got dere - Luck.
(What do you do with that frog?)
You put him in your pocket.
(I see. And what about the salt and pepper?)
You take that salt and pepper and sprinkle it around in your house where you playing at.
(I see. That's to break up that wager.)
Wager that luck against you.
(That weight [luck] against you.)
Entry 13001
Ah've heard of a person dat gambles, if dey want 'em to have good luck in gambling, take a silver quarter [25c], a silver halfa a dollah [50c] an' dey fix dat up in a package or rag or some way, an' tote it with 'em. Keep it on 'em an' that will give 'em luck fo gambling. Use Hearts Cologne on it [to feed it].