Subject:Give
Entries
Entry 3240
If a woman wants tuh kill a man - jis' lak if dat's 'er sweetheart an' she wants to git 'im out 'er way, [they] say she kin take a penny an' put it undah her tongue while dey's makin' a connection togeth- ah an' says, whenevah he goes to make his end, well she's gwine [to] hol' 'er breath while dat penny's undah de tongue. An' dey say dat'll paralyze him. Say it won't kill 'im right den, it'll jis' give him a stroke, he can't walk - he won't be no mo' service to hisself.
Entry 5818
Take heart out of a bat, chew know, an' den yo' take some of 'er hair wit dat, an' yo wear dat undah yore lef' arm. Well, now, aftah yo' wear dat ondah yore lef' arm about nine or ten days, an' have a chance to have a intah- co'se wit 'er, den yo' ain't got no mo' trouble wit 'er. Dat'll lead 'er yore Way. IF SHE GOT MONEY, Or whatevah she got, AT CHURE COMMAN' SHE'LI NoW dat de heart of a bat. Hit brings good luck an' bring love.
Entry 6606
Snakes, any kinda snakes, any kinda insex [insects], if dere somebody yo' wanta put snakes an' scorpions in an' kill 'em. Yo' kin take de snake an' kill it, any kinda snake yo' wanta be in a person. Yo' kill dis snake an' aftah yo' kill dis snake yo' name de person whosom- evah yo' wanta kill. Yo' would name 'em. An' fo' nine days yo'd go dere an' turn 'im ovah. He'd be dead. Yo' turn 'im ovah callin' de person's name fo' nine days. An' de ninth day yo' go dere an' take dat thin' an' parch 'im up, yo' know, an' jis' make a dust outa it. An' if yo' wanta put it in whiskey or amythin', or pat it in some tea or anythin' lak dat, yo' put de dust in yo' knoy vtut cheo make from dat dead snake, or scorpion or spidah or anythin', an' den yo' give it to den. It won't hurt nobody but dem dat chew called dere name. An' den when de ninth day's up dey'll take sick, an' den yo' know, dem dere snakes an' scorpions ll be livin' in dem people, whut yo' give dat dust to - in nine days tine.
Entry 7036
Yo' take a man dat's been drinkin' all 'is days, or if yo' take dat [man] ain't bery long started, it easily done. But one dat's drinkin' all 'is days, most of 'em drinks whiskey or drinks [hard liquor]. De way she do 'im when he come in evah night - evah night when he comes in she goes tuh work an' clip off 'is, git 'is hair down dere.
(His private hair.)
His private hair, an' a li'le from 'is haid an' mix it tuhgethah. Den she takes dat an' puts it in a li'le bit of whiskey an' she keeps dat fo'.three days aftah she do it. Git dis li'le bit of hair an' takes dat fo' three days an' keeps it. Den she buys den a halfa pint of othah whiskey an' po's hit intuh dis whiskey, an' let 'im drink dat, an' he'll slack up on dat whiskey. Maybe he drink, perhaps it be fo' days, but it won't be ovah fo' days 'fore he come in, "Ah b'lieve ah'll slack up drinkin' whiskey, ah sho' do think it's takin' 'fect on me."
Entry 7452
Ah tell yo' whut chew do, if a man git killed an' yo' don' know who did it, tryin' tuh find out. Yo' kin take two fresh hen aigs an' put 'em in each han'. Now lotsa times yo' jes' write de man's name yo' think it is, or sompin lak dat, but de main point, yo' jes' write, "Murderer give up. ". Jes' write on it, "Murderer, give up, " an' "In the Name of God." An' put it in 'is han's. Keep 'im out de groun' 36 hours, den go 'head an' bury 'im, if he's not come. But ah'd be willin' tuh bet he'll be dere befo yo' bury 'im.
(You don't bury him with those eggs in his hands?)
Yessuh, de aig in each han', let 'em stay in dere, hen aig. Jes' so it's a fresh one. Now yo' don' want no cold storage aig. Yo' wants a fresh hen aig. An' if he hasn't give up in de 36 hours, he will give up an' it 'twon't be long.
Entry 7505
Well, it's jes' lak dis now, if yo' kill my brothah, or my sister, or any relation of me. All right. Well, dey'll take 'im to de undahtakah an' de undahtakah will 'balm dat body. Well aftah 'balmin' dat body dey will take 'im, an' have a wake - jes' lak dey call set up, yo' know, set up wit 'em yo' undah- stan' dat night, see. An' de nex' day dey bury 'em. [This burial the day fol- lowing death is almost the rule in these 4 volumes of HOODOO.] Well, dey set up wi t 'em dat night an' de nex' day dey'll take 'em to de cemetery. Well, aftah takin' 'em to de cemetery, yo' let 'em lay dere three days see, an' de third yo' die an' de third day yo' rose. All right. Aftah dey rose - yo' will rise on de third day - an' aftah dey rose, an' I knows it's de third day, well, I'll go to dat grave an' I'll stan' at de haid an' I'll call dat person who kill yo'. I will call 'im three times. See. Aftah I call 'em three times, I will call 'em twice, an' [after] I call 'em twice, den I'll turn around an' call 'em once [magic of diminishing amount] right at de head of de grave. An' [when] I call 'em once, den I'll kneel down an' I ask de Lord fo' what I want to be done to 'im. An' jes' de same [way] he killed yo' or me - if he killed me wit a knife, somebody will shoot 'im an' kill 'im; an' if he shoot me, somebody will cut 'im to death. [Murderer will suffer a death different from the one he gave.] See, but he'll have to die somehow.
Entry 7684
Yo' go tuh a - if somebody troublin' yo' an' yo' jis' want 'em tuh git in trouble, see. Yo' go tuh a sinnah - yo' gotta know somebody wuz a wicked sinnah an' got killed - yo' see, a gamblah. Yo' go tuh 'is haid an' dig down about wrist deep. An' put three pen- nies dere an' jis' tell it - jis' lak yo' talkin' tuh in - jis' lakyo' know'im, say, "so- an'-so-an'-so, ah wan' chew tuh go tuh Such-an'-such-a-one an' give dem hell, jis' give dem hell. Wham! Fight 'em, make 'em fight. Make 'em kill if it's necessary." An' yo' put de pennies dere. Kivah [cover] de hole up an' go off. Walk off an' nevah look back. Yo' take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' ketch yore dog an' cut some hair off de end of 'is tail, see. All right, yo' ketch chew a ket [cat]. Yo' cut some hair off 'is haid an' 'is tail. An' yo' take dat dog an' cut jis' a li'le bit of hair out 'is fo'haid. Yo' git some of dis urinate, see. All right yo' git yo' some red peppah, table salt, put wit dat. An' yo go by where dem people stay an' jis' tell 'em [dirt and its ingredients] what chew want 'em do wit it. An' throw it.] Don't evah look back, keep goin'. An yo' ain't goin' be a minute off fo' yo' see 'em raisin' Sam [Sam = devil]. Dey goin' move from dere. Aftah while dey goin' move from dat state.
(That is to run them out of there, run them away.)
Dat's tuh run 'em away. Dat's hard tuh ovahcome. Now ah heah'n [heard] a man tell dat an' ah seen it work. See, fo' a fact he used tuh git me tuh go by dere sometime an' throw it dere. Dis ole Doctor Bush.
Entry 8969
(What do they use beef tongue for?)
Well, now, that's what I have heard people have used beef tongue and put nee- dles in it. Sticks nine needles in it - just like they got a son or a daughter or somepin going from them up here to the penitentiary or somepin. They Wanta try keep dem here, tie 'em over here or keep them out, get them out. They put that on there and they put that on ice and things. That's to keep the judge from talking good. Yo' know, couldn't explain hisself, yo' see. He won't be able to tell them that he going to send him up the road [penitentiary] or nuthin, yo' see. Now, it's like if I give you [sentence you] thirty days. It's just like you done done a bad crime, not no stealing or somepin, just like: So ah'm goin' to give yo' $25 or thirty days in Parish [jail], see. De same time he got a penitentiary case, yo' see. Yo' see?
Entry 10708
Yo' take the Bible or a leave [leaf] out of the Bible an' wrap it in salt an' [red] peppah, wrap dis leaf up. An' it's jes' a few words that yo' pray ovah it. Then yo' take it wit yo' an' he'll come purtty near givin' yo' a job.
Entry 11116
Take dat coconut if it's a bad person aroun' yo' somewhere an' yo' jes' don't wanta run him away or yo' jes' don't wanta hurt him, but chew jes' take dat coconut yo' know an' jes' whip it, jes' keep awhippin' it, an' he'll git a whippin' from someone but it won't be from yo'. An' den aftah yo' whip it good, den yo' git it tuh somebody. Don't chew bust it; don't chew eat it. Give it tuh someone else.
(Do you do anything with that coconut before you whip it?)
Yo' don't do anything but jes' git it out de sto' an' start tuh uhippin' on it, yo' know, in a private place.
Entry 11171
If yo' git a chance tuh git in dat house - de devil's-shoestring, yo' take dat devil's-shoestring an' jes' ball a little bit of it an' put it ovah de do'sill or somewhere in de house, some corner of de house. Dey ain't goin' stay in dere. An' yo' kin give a fellah a walkin' figit. (How do you give a fellow a walking figit?) Jes' take some nails an' drive 'em in de ground an' turn 'em de way he goes. Put some needles an' pins between 'em. Off he go.
(Any special number?)
Nine [new] needles [nine new pins] an' nine new nails.
(You cover those up so they don't stick him?)
Jes' drive 'em right down in de ground.
(Where he'll walk over them.)
Entry 11361
Dey tell me, say, yo' kin git de fo' names of de 'ciples [who wrote the 4 Gospels] an' write it yo' know, an' jes' like.... An' den take twelve fig leaves, sompin othah lak dat, an' wear it in yore left shoe, an' dey tell me de folks will come; yo' know, give up.
Entry 12274
Tis a root that you kin git that is called King Solomon - King Solo- mon root. Will make you love 'em.
(What do they do with that root?. How do they use that?)
You will take King Solomon root - it has very fine small ji'nts [joints] in it. You takes that King Solomon root with a needle and hold it [root] on a apple or peach, anything for to eat. This is to take advantage of 'em, and stick a hole in it [through the root and into fruit] and tell it, each hole, that you sticks through with this needle into this fruit- stick it through, and tell it at each hole what you want it to do. At each hole. (How many times do you do that [stick needle into a fruit]? Any number of times?) Do that jes' the once. Stick it through there and tell it what you want it to do, and give them the fruit, you see. Make them a present of the fruit. I've done that myself.
(Well, now, what would that make that person do? That eats the fruit then?)
Make 'em love you. Make 'em do anything that you ask 'em to. [For another example of King Solomon Root, from Washington, D. C., see No.2045, p.597, v.1.]
Entry 12428
Take gunpowder an' milk, a woman's breast milk, jes' take an' 'dult- erate it out an' give it to a woman. Give it to 'em in anything, make 'en evil, cranky, an' all lak dat, makes 'em nervous. (You mix this gunpowder With this womam's dlk. and that makes then fight all the Une?) Yessuh.
Entry 12733
If yo' take dis heah railroad spike an' nail it down at de do'step, an' when she dig it out she commence crampin'in her laig so she git so she cain't walk [she'll get] see, sompin lak de rheuma- tism. (You would do that at the door, that is, if that [she] were your enemy, and that would give her those pains?) Yes.
Entry 12736
Well yo' know dese little rats [mice?] be's in de house. Well, yo' git one of dose an' buy yo' some mo' whiskey, see. Jes' git half a pint or a pint, but put it in jah where yo' kin put dat rat in it, see. Put him in dere 'live an' shet it down an' set it in a cornah till dat rat drown, see. An' yo' git all his strength in dat whiskey. Yo' take dat rat out an' throw him away or eithah barn him up in de fireplace. It would be best fo' yo' tuh burn him up, see. Den yo' take dat whiskey - don't strain it or nuthin, jes' put it back in a pint bottle, see. See, jes' lak yo' ole lady come in, see, an' she wanta drink, she say, "Well, yo' know ah so wished ah had a drink." Yo' say, "Ah think d've got a little drink." Yo' still continually give her a drink out of dat. Hit'll make hah sick but when she git bettah of dat sickness, she won't nevah Ak anothah drink of whiskey.
Entry 13068
If you wanta kill a person, yo' gits de snail an' gits him out of his hull [shell] yo' see. An' yo' kin take yo' some whiskey an' put dat snail in dere - in dat whiskey, lak yo' would put it in a half pint of whiskey. Let dat snail set in dere twenty-fo' hours in dat whiskey - ah mean, take dat snail outa dere an' strain yore whis- key. An' anybody dat yo' give it to, dat chew want 'em - if yo' wanta kill any- one, say, "Come on have a drink wit me, " an' yo' po' it out an' dey drink it. Dat settles it.
Entry 13143
Yo' kin take his sock to make 'im love you an' yo' stockin' an' put it [them] together. Understand? An' puts some sugah with it. An' take it out an' bury it on the side of your house, an' go out there every mawnin' an' pour your chamber lye there. Don't you under- stand? See, on that. An' you take the sock an' your stocking an' roll it together, see. Now put a red onion with it, a dime - that's to make 'im give her money - roll it together. Sew it to you an' make your wish - that's her, you see - sew it up in your mattress. That man'll give you money, give 'er roney as long as he's there.
Entry 13345
For love, I'll tell you w'a' you kin do. You kin take a piece of yellah homespun, split it, take it now. Well, take your chamber lye, dat you use over dat night.- make over dat night. You take dat an' heat it in a little pan. Take dis piece of homespun, wipe it under your left- foot bottom. Wipe it under your right [-foot bottom] with dis piece of homespun. An' den, after you do dat, you take it an' wipe it under dis [demonstrates the left] arm, an' wipe it under this [demonstrates right] arm. After you do dat, you wipe down dere [at pubic region]. After you do dat, why you take a little bottle about dat long [shows a little finger] a little vial. An' push dat homespun, put it down in dere. Take dis water [urine] w'ere [what] you heat, pour it into dere. An' take nine pinch of love powder, nine drops of Heart Colognes [Hearts Cologne] an' nine pinch of spice. Why you kin put dat in dere, into dis bottle, an' stop it up tight. And any time you wan'a, it'll make you come. Put dat in some applesauce, peas, or anything, nine drops every time, an' he'll give you jis' w'a' choo want an' love you.