Subject:Graveyard dirt
Source-described earth, dirt, dust or clay explicitly taken from a grave or graveyard, or explicitly named graveyard dirt. Retain the source term and its acquisition, use and qualification in each occurrence.
Entries
Entry 1314
Tuh pertec' yoreself why yo' git yo' some graveyard dirt an' some sugah an' mix it togethah an' put it on de stove an' dry it. An' yo' put a little cayenne peppah in. it an' yo' sprinkle a little of that in yore shoe an' roun' cross yore do' facin' lak dat an' that keeps away enemies.
Entry 7751
An' ah've heard of 'em takin' graveyard dirt an' put it up ovah yore dō' an' it will make yo' lucky.
Entry 4524
She kin git a chance tuh git dat [graveyard dirt] in dere [sweatband], dat'll make yuh go blin'.
“Graveyard dirt” and “sweatband” are bracketed editorial identifications within the printed speech.
Entry 7757
Bring it [graveyard dirt] from de graveyard an' bury it upon yore front do'step an' dis will bring yo' luck.
The material name “graveyard dirt” is supplied editorially in brackets. The speech itself says it comes from the graveyard.
Entry 7887
Yo' kin take dat [graveyard dirt] an' put hit wit sulphah an' salt, black sut [soot] out de chimley [chimney] an' take it an' walk by a person dō nine nights, an' if dey don' see yuh [sprinkling this mix- turel, ah guarantee yuh aftah nine nights, de twelf' night dey move. Sprinkle it down.
“Graveyard dirt,” “soot” and “chimney” are bracketed editorial identifications. A later gloss is damaged in the printed text; the nine-night and twelfth-night conditions remain visible.
Entry 11817
"Take graveyard dirt and sprinkle it in front of your door...if you walk in it, dat's poison; it'll kill you."
This printed quoted excerpt contains an ellipsis and makes the alleged harm conditional on walking in the dirt.
Entry 11818
"They take graveyard dirt and sprinkle it around your house and [you go over it] you'll pine away and die."
This is a printed quoted excerpt. The bracketed “you go over it” clause is an editorial insertion within the reported account.
Entry 655
[Poison, then, is any substance charged with evil intent, often assisted by the Word of God or magic rite. Some substances are unnaturally though not toxicologically poisonous - the most deadly of all being graveyard dirt:] I heard a church member said dere's a ole man in de church where he were a member - he ain't got much confidence in 'em now 'cause dey did dat - ole man da'd [that would] git mad at anybody at church; you know, he'd fall out with 'em. Well, he'd go to de graveyard an' reach his han' as far in dere as he could, an'.he'd git some dirt jis' off, jis' as near de coffin as he could, an' wrap it up, [and] bring it on back. Well, he'd put it in somepin thin, cheesecloth or somepin or othah, an' put it in each pocket, in his coat pocket. An' so he'd go to church, you know, until de preacher git to preachin', you know, an' dat de people git to shoutin', why he jis' git to shoutin' an' go right aroun' near dis person [he's 'mad with], you know, an' fis' let dis dus' - it would jus' fly so it'll, a 'hole lot of people would inhale it, an' dey'd git so sometimes dey'd git to coughin'. Well, dey say, if you git enough of it, it'd kill 'em. [Wilmington, N. Car., (215), 208:1; Darien. Ga..1896.1
Hyatt's opening definition of poison is editorial framing. The informant introduces a church member's report and later says 'dey say'; the toxicity and death claims remain source-reported. The final printed citation is incomplete.
Entry 1312
Yo' kin take maybe half a pint of likker or half a dozen aigs an' go to de graveyard, an' right down somewheres on de breast of someone dat yo' knows is buried dere, an' git up some dirt. Put dis down in dere, de aigs or de whiskey.
(How many eggs do you put in?)
Half a dozen.
(Half a dozen and a pint of whiskey do you say?)
Yessuh, tuh pay him tuh take care - tell 'em, "Ah'm payin' yo' tuh take care of de situation." Carry it on back with yo', dis dirt - carry it at chure home. Starts to de right corner of de house an' sow it clean back on round and yo's jes' taken pretty well care of - de house is taken care of.
(What will that do to the house?)
Den yore enemies won't bother yo'.
(You do this to your own house?)
Yessuh, to yore house.
The opening offers half a pint of liquor or half a dozen eggs; the interviewer later combines eggs with a pint of whiskey and receives confirmation. These differences remain unresolved. The quoted payment words are prescribed speech, and the protection claim is source-reported.
Entry 1315
I wouldn't do nothing but git one penny and carry it to the graveyard and git me some graveyard dirt and tie it up and mark it crosstowmways wit a piece of yallah homespun cloth - tie it dis way and tie it dat way.
(Tie it what way?)
You tie it across like dat [demonstrates]. (Across one way and across the other way.) [Two diagonal ends are brought to the center and tied; then the other two diagonal ends are tied.] Cross it. An' I'll take dat penny and I'll wear it in my shoe fer three days and den I take it and throw it ovahbo'rd. No one will harm yuh, dey can't harm yuh. De only way dey kin harm yo' is dey kin go ovahbo'rd and git dat penny, but dey can't go ovahbo'rd to git dat penny - dey can't harm you no way in de world. [Crosstownways means two city streets crossing at right angles - a cityfied version of a country crossroad. Yallah homespun cloth is normally homespun. YalZah equals unbleached.]
The printed account moves from tying graveyard dirt in cloth to wearing and throwing away the penny. The interviewer and Hyatt's gesture and word explanations remain separate; those explanations do not establish corpus-wide synonyms.
Entry 1317
Take some graveyard dirt like at [to] the crossroads - you know runnin' ever' which way, and make a cross and put this dirt right in the middle of it and kiver it over and put sulphur in it, and that keeps anybody from crossing you.
(Does what?)
You know, harming you or crossing you in any kind of way.
The informant describes graveyard dirt with sulphur at a crossroads and clarifies the reported protection after the interviewer's question. '[to]' is an editorial insertion within the printed speech.
Entry 1318
I've heard some people say you go to the graveyard and get some dirt from a sinner-man's grave and bring it home, and put that in a box and put a hole in the top and bury that underneath the house, and nothing will come there to hurt you.
The informant begins 'I've heard some people say'. The protection claim remains hearsay, rather than an observed result.
Entry 1319
If a person put anything down fo' yo', well yo' kin take that graveyard dirt an' mix it with some - yo' know whut ah wus tellin' yo', git some saltpeter. Mix it with saltpeter an' sprinkle - jis' sprinkle it in yore house an' that'll do 'way with that.
The informant describes graveyard dirt and saltpeter as a mixture. The conditional removal of something laid down remains a source-reported claim.
Entry 1320
Now, dis thing, when yo' go to this cemetery an' git this dirt, if a person happen tuh bite chew or anything, jes' take dis dirt an' put it on dis place an' it will rot out dere teeth. [The usual rite to rot teeth of a person biting you demands chicken manure (No. 1189f., p.428); less usual, chicken egg, No.1193f., p.429.]
The informant describes cemetery dirt and a claimed effect on a biter's teeth. Hyatt's following comparison with chicken manure and egg rites is separate editorial commentary, not a statement by the informant.
Entry 1321
Yo' kin take a dime an' put it round yore laig, an' yo' take some graveyard dirt an' sulphur an' red peppah seed an' wear it in yore shoes, an' yo' kin walk ovah it [hoodoo] an' it won't harm yo'.
The informant describes graveyard dirt as one ingredient alongside sulphur and red pepper seed. The bracketed word '[hoodoo]' is an editorial identification within the printed speech; the protection claim is reported.
Entry 1926
Graveyard dirt makes yo' lucky in gambling.
(How do you use it?)
Yo' take graveyard dirt. Go dere at twelve 'clock at night, go dere on some wicked person's grave yo' know an' reach yore hand as fur down in de grave as yo' could git it, an' take it an' bring it an' put it in yore shoe. Wear it in yore shoe. Long as yo' put it in yore shoe you will be lucky in gambling.
The informant describes dirt from a wicked person's grave after the interviewer's question. The gambling-luck claim remains source-reported.
Entry 1928
Well, ah've take an' ah went tuh de graveyard mahself. Ah went dere jes' 'fo day in de mawnin' to git somepin, yo' know, tuh gamble with. Ah knowed some wicked peoples. Ah put mah han' down in de graveyard lak dat right at de foot of 'em an' mah han' shet up lak dat [demonstrates], an' ah taken de qrave- yard dirt an' went tuh de game where dey wus gamblin' at, an' go all aroun' an jes' throw it all aroun', put it all on de cards, an' ah wus lucky lak dat.
The informant describes a personal graveyard visit and reports gambling luck. '[demonstrates]' is Hyatt's stage direction; the account's claimed result is retained as reported.
Entry 1929
If yo' wanta be lucky, if yo' is a gambler. If yo' know of some drunk- ard that's dead, see, an' yo' go there to his grave at midnight, yo' call his name twice. Dig, jest keep digging until you git to that clay - yo' know de stuff like clay - jest dig, dig, till yo' git to that clay, an' git chew a han'- ful an' put in one of dese tobacco sacks. Ah don't know whut's de name of de tobacco - yo' kin git 'em sacks, cloth sacks. Go on back to any gambling room. Ever' time yo' start tuh losin' jest touch that graveyard dirt lightly with yore hands.
The informant describes clay collected from a deceased drunkard's grave and calls it graveyard dirt in this account. This occurrence does not establish a global equivalence between clay and graveyard dirt.
Entry 1930
Well, ah have use it. Yo' take graveyard dirt an' put Hearts Cologne wit it an' use it fo' luck fo' gamblin'.
(Just how would you do that?)
Go to de graveyard where a grave's been - where de grave be about six months old, de dirt. An' yo' go dere an' git dat dirt an' bring it back. Git chew a piece of red flannel. Yo' sew dat dirt an' a dime up together, a dime an' de dirt up together, an' keep dat wet in Hearts Cologne or even in good whiskey.
(What does that do for you?)
Dat's tuh give yo' luck fo' any kinda games an' gamblin'.
The informant says the material has been used and describes dirt from a grave about six months old. Hearts Cologne and good whiskey are stated alternatives for wetting it; the luck claim remains source-reported.
Entry 1932
Graveyard dirt - that's good for gambling.
(How?)
You take the graveyard dirt and you takes needles, seven points of a needle - seven points of seven needles. Take that graveyard dirt and take some emery dust from the drug store and you get some lodestone and you put that together, and you make a wish and you sew that up and you wear it. As long as you have the confi- dence in this, it may bring you succeeding power, but if you don't believe in it it's not good.
The informant describes graveyard dirt among several ingredients and qualifies the claim with confidence, 'may', and the statement that without belief it is not good. The interviewer's question is separate.
Entry 1934
Dey tell me dat chew kin go to work an' if a man dies - jes' lak a gambler. We all could be in de gambling hall an' jes' gambling. Prob'bly dis man will be shot off, prob'bly ah may be shot off in gambling. Well now, dey tell me dat if he has a ring on his finger - if yo' got any money in yore pocket an' he has a ring on his finger - any kind of ring, doesn't matter if it's jes' little ole ten-cent ring - yo' gits dis: ring offa his finger. An' in pulling off dis ring yo' tell him - jest call him name, tell him, "John or Henry, ah'm buyin' dis ring fo' yore luck on gambling." Well, dat's gittin' luck offa dead man tuh gamble. Now, in buyin' dis ring yo' puts dis ring in yore pocket an' puts de money whut chew goin' tuh give him in his pocket. Well, after he'd be buried, yo' goes back to his grave den an' git chew some dirt - about three or fo' months after he done laid dere in de grave. Git chew some dirt an' tote dis dirt in yore pocket wit dis ring, yo' see. Well now, dat gives yo' a hand.
The informant introduces hearsay about acquiring a dead gambler's ring and later dirt from his grave. The quoted purchase words are prescribed speech; the gambling-luck claim remains reported.
Entry 1938
You kin go to a graveyard, but chew have to go before de sun rise they say, if you lose a job an' wants to git yore job [back], or if you wants a job. You go to a graveyard in de mornin', six mornin's, befo' de sun rise an' get a little bit of graveyard dirt an' throw it over left shoulder. You get dere befo de sun rise an' jes' as de sun start to peepin' up, then you throw it over your left shoulder. An' then you go back home and you dress up an' go on out to de job. An' jis' don't you say nuthin in de world to your bossman; jis' set dere an' they tell me he'll call yah.
The informant introduces the job account with 'they say' and 'they tell me'. '[back]' is an editorial insertion; the passage reports six mornings without establishing the claimed job outcome.
Entry 5294
Heard tell of 'em takin' de sole, de innah sole out de shoes. Take de innah sole out chure shoes an' put it in runnin' watah, put graveyard dirt wit dat in runnin' watah an' run 'em wit it - de innah sole out chure shoe.
The informant introduces hearsay about an inner shoe sole with graveyard dirt in running water. The movement claim remains reported rather than independently observed.
Entry 5297
He uses track, same ah tell yo' tuh use tuh run a person off. Kin use de sweat out de bottom of yo' shoe, lak yo' use de innah sole out de bottom of yo' shoe, yo' know. Cain't have dat. Some people rathah have de track yo' know. (Like picking up your tracks.) (What would she do with that sweat out of the bottom of your shoe?) Scrape dat out an' put it in a li'le bottle wit some needles an' pins an' li'le graveyard dirt [3 ingredients] yo' know an' throw it in runnin' watah. Dat will send de man away.
(How many needles and pins does she put in there?)
Put three of each.
The informant discusses track and shoe-sweat alternatives, then shoe scrapings in a bottle with needles, pins and a little graveyard dirt, cast into running water to send a man away. The answer specifies three of each sharp item. Hyatt's bracketed ingredient count and the interviewer's prompts remain distinct.
Entry 5306
[HERE WE HAVE A TRIPLE WALKING-AWAY RITE: foot track itself suggest walking; graveyard dirt under the house drives person away; and ant dirt keeps a person running about like ants.] Dem ants - de dirt outa a ants bed an' a person track an' graveyard track. (Graveyard what?) Graveyard track. (Dirt, you mean?) Yes. Well ah'm talkin' about dirt. An' throw it up undah de house an' dat'll make dat person move - or will run 'em outa town.
Hyatt frames a triple walking-away rite in an editorial note. The informant distinguishes ant-bed dirt and a person's track, says 'graveyard track', and confirms dirt after the interviewer's clarification. The placement under a house and departure claim are reported, without treating every use of 'track' as dirt.
Entry 7304
Well, ah've heered 'em say dey do somepin sep'rate wit it. Dey take it an' kin take de graveyard dirt - now, jes' lak if yo' or ah wus on de [chain] gang an' ah Wanted [to] git away, why jes' if somebody git to a graveyard, ah would take dat dirt an' put it in mah shoes, right undah de sole, hollah of mah feet. Well, yo' see, a dog couldn't track dat.
The informant introduces hearsay and a conditional example. '[chain]' and '[to]' are editorial insertions within the printed speech; the tracking claim remains source-reported.
Entry 7305
An' dey put bloodhoun's in behin' yo' or sompin lak dat, yo' know, yo' kin go to de graveyard an' git some dirt out dere, all down to de elbow [dig in- to grave elbow-deep] yo' understan', an' take de graveyard dirt yo' know an' wear it in yore shoes. Keep sprinklin' it in yore shoes an' wear it.
The informant describes dirt from a graveyard in a hypothetical pursuit. The bracketed explanation of digging elbow-deep is editorial matter within the printed speech.
Entry 7306
Jes' lak if yo' would do somepin an' dey would git aftah yo', git de dogs aftah yo' or de hounds aftah yo' to ketch chew. Say yo' could go to a graveyard an' git some of de dirt an' git chure feet wet wit it. Wet chure feet an' put some of it in yore shoes. Dose dogs run yo' to de graveyard but dat's fur as dey could run yo'. Ah've heard dat.
The informant gives a hypothetical pursuit account and closes with 'Ah've heard dat'. The dirt and dog-tracking claim remains hearsay rather than a personal escape account.
Entry 7307
De reason yo' use graveyard dirt, lotta people jis' say fo' instance dey kill someone an' dey git away an' don't want 'em tuh track yo'. Yo' put some of dat graveyard dust in yore shoe. Well, de bloodhoun's won't trail yo' or nuthin. If yo' want git de bloodhoun's off yore trail [another method] den put red peppah in yore shoes.
(So that bloodhounds won't track you?)
Yes sir.
The informant reports hypothetical pursuit claims for graveyard dust and a separate red-pepper method. '[another method]' is editorial; the interviewer's question and the informant's answer remain separate.
Entry 7327
Jes' lak if a man kill a man an' he wanta git away, he goes to de cem- etery an' gits some of dat graveyard dirt, an' turpentine an' put in 'is tracks, an' dey will nevah ketch 'im.
(Put it in whose tracks?)
In his own tracks.
The informant gives a hypothetical example. The interviewer asks whose tracks, and the informant replies 'In his own tracks'; the escape claim remains source-reported.
Entry 7329
About de graveyard? Say if dey should do anythin' in de city an' dey wanta dodge de law or keep de dogs from trackin' 'em, dey go to de graveyard an' git de graveyard dirt an' put it in dey shoe; an' dey sprinkle a little turpen- tine, yo' know raw turpentine, in dere an' de dogs couldn't track 'em.
The informant describes a hypothetical attempt to evade pursuit using graveyard dirt with turpentine. The tracking claim remains source-reported.
Entry 7535
Jis' go right down tuh de cemetery an' dere's a grave dat a man's bur- ied dat jis' been made. Take de dirt off de middle of dat grave outa dere. Take it an' cork it [in a bottle] an' take it de side of de house, de side dey rents dat yo' wish dem tuh go, an' throw it on de side of de house an' leave an turn roun', go an' don' look back. Dey will go.
(What kind of a grave did you say that was?)
It has to be a new grave, one dat dey's buried an' haven't rained on. See, yo' take dat an' throw it in any way dat yo' want 'em tuh go. Now ah take dis dirt from dis new grave, see, dat hasn't rained [on] an' cork it, an' den gits to de place [and says], "Ah wan'a take dis house heah an' ah wan' 'em tuh go from heah." Ah go on dat side of de house, yo' see de sun goes down ovah dis side. But if ah wan' 'em tuh go east, ah goes ovah heah an' put it on heah.
[I stop recording, informant continues, compelling me to ask for repetition.]
(What did you say over there?)
"Yo' go from heah tuh yondah, In de Name of de Father" - now yo' see yo' mov- in' 'im - "de Son an' de Holy Ghost, go from heah."
The informant specifies a new grave not yet rained on and gives prescribed departure words. Hyatt explicitly notes stopping recording and requesting repetition. Bracketed additions and the interviewer's questions remain distinct from the speech.
Entry 7538
For to send anybody away, somepin like that - just to send them away, not kill them, not atall like that - you go to the head of a grave, an ole grave, and you dig down there and you get a handful of graveyard dirt. An' yo' take ten new nails, nine new pins, an' seven grains of shot. An' yo' can take this, if yo' want to send them away from home, send them on adrift, an' yo' sprinkle it where they walk. An' the last sprinkle yo' make every time yo' sprinkle yo' drop three pins an' two wire nails - why they'll get in a fidget to go away some place an' they'll go. The chances is they won't be back under three year no how. [For as old a grave as yo' kin' find, see lO lines from bottom of p.2239.]
digging at an old grave's head to collect dirt for a stated non-killing send-away purpose. Retain old-grave/head location, handful wording and explicit send-away/not-kill distinction. direct conditional sprinkling of a prepared mixture to send someone away rather than kill. Preserve the explicit send-away/not-kill distinction and conditional purpose. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified. The informant explicitly distinguishes sending someone away from killing them and reports a chance of absence for three years. Hyatt's final cross-reference is editorial; the ingredients remain separate.
Entry 7539
Well, lak if a man bustes [busts up] wit 'is wife an' she wants tuh git 'im back. Well, she go to de graveyard an' she gits some graveyard dirt from de top of a daid man's haid. Jes' lak a ole grave dat fell in, well, she go dere an' git some of dat dirt. Well, she take dat dirt an' she bury it undah de bottom of 'er first do'step, an' aftah she bury dat stuff undah de bottom of her first do'step, if she kin git 'im back an' git 'im tuh step ovah dis dirt, den dat's where she got 'im.
(He will come back and stay with her.)
The informant's conditional account requires bringing the man back and having him step over the dirt. '[busts up]' is an editorial gloss; the final parenthetical statement is the interviewer's, without another printed answer.
Entry 7544
Graveyard dirt is somepin good tuh kill a person wit.
(Well how do they do that?)
By feedin' 'em graj'ly [gradually]. Yuh take - go tuh a graveyard an' make a hole, where yuh got tuh git yore arm down zactly [exactly] up tuh yore elbow, an' git yuh a handful of dat dirt. An' what- evah yuh kin bring out in yore han', yuh divide it in parts - in nine parts, an' feed it tuh a person nine days [one part each day]. An' aftah dat ninth day, dat pah- tic'lah [particular] person will fall intuh bad health. Dat's all yuh got tuh give 'im, jis' dat dirt. But git dat dirt from some relatives of dat pahtic'lah person dat yuh tryin' tuh hurt, not any grave. Yuh git dat dirt froa de grave of de person hurt. An' if yuh kin git dat dirt from de grave of dat person dat's a relative of dat person yuh are tryin' tuh hurt, yuh use dat. Measure dat stuff in nine parts. An' aftah de ninth day, de beginnin' of dat ninth day, dat per8on uill fall in bad health an' dere's no doctor in de worl' will be able tuh cure 'im. (How do you mean you get that dirt from the grave of a person you are trylng to hurt? He isn't dead.) Jis' lak if ah got a cousin, or sistah, or aunt, or anybody dat's buried any- where, yuh go tuh dat grave an' - but yore arm got tuh go up tuh yore elbow.
(You mean you have to get a relative of that person. I see.)
Yeah, de relative. [New Orleans, La., (828).1215:5.]
The informant's earlier wording about the harmed person's grave is questioned, then clarified as a relative's grave. Bracketed glosses and portion detail are editorial; the illness and incurability claims remain source-reported.
Entry 7547
Graveyard dirt kin be used fo' sich [such] many things. Well, grave- yard dirt kin be used tuh bring luck. Yuh go tuh de graveyard twelve 'clock at night, if yuh kin find somebody dat has been murdered, jis' lak de boy wuz shot an' yuh bury 'um. Yuh do dere dat night an' yuh carry a dime. Yuh put dat dime be- tween de forefingah an' dis fingah heah [demonstrates].
(Of the right hand?)
[My mistake because informant's left hand was right, facing me.]
No, on de left hand - it's de left hand.
(Put that dime betveen the thumb and the index finger of the left hand.)
Well, yuh reach dat dime down as fur as yore arm kin go intuh de grave. Yuh leave dat dime down dere an' yuh bring up dis dirt in dis hand. Bring it up tuh yuh - yeah, in de left hand [informant making certain I do not see backward again!]. An' dat dirt kin be used fo' most anythin'. It's val'able - dat dirt is val'able, ah know. Graveyard dirt, yuh kin use it fo' evil an' yuh kin use it fo' good. Yuh kin use graveyard dirt - if yuh kin git dat graveyard dirt intuh a person's house it'll stir up evil. An' den yuh kin use dat graveyard dirt fo' luck - yuh kin use dat graveyard dirt fo' gamblin'. Yuh kin win in any game.[ Waycross, Ga.,
(1116), 1791:1.]
Hyatt records a right-hand misunderstanding and the informant's correction to the left hand. Stage directions and bracketed clarifications remain editorial; the source reports both beneficial and harmful uses without establishing the claimed results.
Entry 7624
Now, if yo' wanta go tuh a cemetery, somebody daid dat chew know, take 25 cents 'long wit chew, tuh de haid of de grave an' push yore arm down as fur as yo' kin git it. An' leave dat quartah down dere an' bring up yore three fingers of dirt, an' take dat long wit chew. Dat'll give yo' luck. [Instead of picking up a pinch of dirt with two-fingers, thumb and index fin- ger, a method mentioned elsewhere, some other informant says pick it up with three fingers: thumb, index finger, and middle finger.]
(What do you do with that after you get it?)
Wrap it up in a piece of paper or a piece of brown cloth an' put it in yore pocket an' keeps dat 'long wit chew. Well, dat's one way tuh git chureself luck.
The informant describes paying a quarter at the head of a known deceased person's grave, taking three fingers of dirt and carrying it in paper or brown cloth for reported luck. Hyatt compares two-finger and three-finger collection methods, referencing another informant; that comparison remains editorial.
Entry 7625
Now, if yo' know of a wicked pusson dat dies, an' yo' wanta create confusion in a home - dis pusson if yo' know where his haid lies in 'is grave, yo' know where de ahms fold...
(Where the arms fold over.)
Sure, yo' reach yuh right han' down de length of yuh ahm, as fah as yo' kin reach, an' git out - jis' squeeze yuh hand up wit de dirt, all de dirt yo' kin draW Out. Den yo' TAKE A GLASS OF WHISKEY AN' SET IT DOWN AN' PAY 'IM FER DE DIRT AN' TELL 'IM, SAYS, "NOW, AH'M PAY- IN' YUH FER DIS DIRT." An' yo' take dat dirt an' throw it in de yard or in de home of de pusson dat chew Wanta create a disturbance, an' dey'111 continue tuh have a confusion dere as long as dis dirt remains.
(Do you put that dirt at any special time?)
Yes, yo' put it eithah at de goin' down or de risin' of de sun.
(Do you get that dirt from the grave at any particular time?)
Gen'ly at midnight.
The informant describes taking dirt from a deceased person's grave, paying with whiskey and casting it into a yard or home for reported conflict while the dirt remains. Collection is generally at midnight; placement is at sunrise or sunset. The capitalized payment formula is prescribed speech, and the interviewer's clarifications remain separate.
Entry 7634
Go tuh de graveyard an' git me some graveyard dirt. If dey bury hishaid lak dat toward de east, an' ah'll jis' straddle dat grave an' ah'll git dat dirt in a tin box. Well, ah'll git dat dirt in a tin box an' ah'll take dat dirt an' ah'll put it undah mah arm. Ah'm comin' on home. Ah'll fasten dat dirt up an' when ah git a chance ah throw it in dere house. Dat's whut ah do.
(What do you mean you straddle that grave?)
Jis' straddle it lak dat [demonstrates].
(Where do you dig the dirt from?)
Right off de grave, right on top of it. Ah'll go to a person dat died bad an' went tuh hell.
The informant describes straddling a grave, collecting surface dirt in a tin box, carrying it under an arm and throwing it into a house. Questions and a bracketed demonstration note are separate. The deceased person's fate is the informant's belief; the account does not establish it as fact.
Entry 7687
Fo' evil yo' kin git some graveyard dirt, mix up saltpetah in it an' sulphur, an' cast it roun' a person dwellin' an' whut yo' wush [done], say. Put de jinks [used only 3 or 4 times in Hoodoo] on 'em in diff'ren' forms. It'll make 'em unlucky wit de evil spir- its. In goin' tuh de graveyard an' git- tin' dat dirt it would be wise fo' yo' tuh know de person whose grave yo' goin' tuh. Den yo' pay dem fo' dat dirt an' work wit it. Yo' tell 'em dat, "Ah want chew tuh do dus [thus] an' so fo' me." Whutsomevah dat chew wan' 'em tuh do. It wouldn't make any diff'rence. Say, "Ah'm payin' yuh tuh do so." Yo' git de dirt from off de left side from ovah de heart, but choo runs yore han' down in de grave tuh de elbow down ~ ought tuh be [beyond] yore wrist.
The informant describes graveyard dirt with saltpetre and sulphur for reported harm, payment and requests to a known deceased person, and collection from the left side over the heart. Quoted requests are prescribed speech. Hyatt's glosses and comment on the word 'jinks' remain separate; the printed collection-depth wording is retained.
Entry 7729
You go into a graveyard and take two pennies and dig in a grave and take the dirt out of the grave, and take these two pennies and put them down in the hole and close it. And they can walk behind you and take this dirt and throw it up and down your back, and they work the trick right on you, and you'll go off in bad health and you are going to come on back to the graveyard [as a corpse].
The informant describes taking dirt from a dug grave, leaving two pennies and using the dirt behind someone, with reported ill health and return to the graveyard. The corpse interpretation is Hyatt's bracketed gloss; the Ediphone citation supplies recording context.
Entry 7747
Dey go out dere an' dig in it 'bout midnight an' put it tuh yore do' in de mawnin', an' yo' walk out on it. An' suppose yo' walk out on it, den yo'll soon have tuh leave dem dere.
(This graveyard dirt?)
Yes.
(You get it from any kind of a grave?)
Dey always do try tuh git it from a sinner's.
The interviewer identifies graveyard dirt and asks about the grave; the informant confirms and says a sinner's grave is sought. The departure claim remains source-reported.
Entry 7750
Yo' go tuh de graveyard wit a penny an' yo' buy some graveyard dirt from a wicked person whut die, an' take dat graveyard dirt an' sprinkle roun' de front do' an' dey'll move.
(That is to move your next door neighbor?)
Yessuh.
The informant describes buying dirt from a wicked person's grave with a penny. The interviewer's question about a next-door neighbor and the informant's confirmation remain separate; the departure claim is source-reported.
Entry 7754
Take graveyard dirt an' bury it undah a person's do'step an' dat will run 'em crazy.
(How do you mean run them crazy?)
Jes' make 'em where dey jes' git all upsot [upset] an' jes' leave an' jes' be all - jes' can't live dere, no way in peace, no way.
The informant explains the printed phrase 'run them crazy' through upset, leaving and inability to live peacefully. The interviewer's question is separate, and '[upset]' is an editorial gloss within the speech.
Entry 7755
Ah heard dat chew could take graveyard dirt an' kill anyone wit takin' an' diggin' a hole undah dey do'step, yo' know an' bury it, an' by folks walkin' ovah it, dey will fight amongst dem[selves].
(That will kill them.)
The informant introduces this as hearsay. The final parenthetical 'That will kill them' is the interviewer's statement, with no further informant confirmation printed. '[selves]' is an editorial completion within the printed speech.
Entry 7870
Take some graveyard dirt, a li'le bit of it an' a li'le bit of salt, an' eithah sprinkle it roun' de house or eithah 'neath de house. An' dat'll make him leave or eithah have a fight. [Florence, S. Car. (1323), 2268:4.]
The informant describes graveyard dirt mixed with salt and reports departure or fighting as alternatives; the account does not establish an observed effect.
Entry 7871
Go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dirt an' bring it back home an' put salt in it, an' sprinkle it all roun' yore do' an' yo'd have tuh go.
(That will drive them away?)
Yassuh.
The informant's description, the interviewer's question about driving people away, and the informant's confirmation remain separate parts of the exchange.
Entry 7877
Ah heard 'em say sompin 'bout - some people say dey take graveyard dirt an' salt an' peppah an' all lak dat stuff, yo' know. Well, dey say - ah don' know how dey fix it all, but dey mix it tuhgethah an' throw it up on dere house an' all lak dat. But whethah it is true, ah don' know.
(That is supposed to make you move out?)
Yes.
The informant reports hearsay and explicitly does not know how the mixture is prepared or whether the claim is true. The interviewer's question concerns the supposed departure effect; the answer does not remove the stated uncertainty.
Entry 7879
He'll go to de graveyard an' he'll dig down in dat graveyard an' git some of dat dirt off de daid person, see. An' he'll mix salt, red peppah, mix it an' use it; throw it all in front of dat man place [of business] in de night aftah twelve or one a'clock. An' dat'll make de people [customers] slack up from goin'; dat'll stop de people, dat spirit. WHEN YO' [A CUSTOMER] GIT DARE A'HAVE A MIND TO GO IN DARE, ANOTHAH SPIRIT - A DAID SPIRIT - WILL JIS' WORRY UP WIT YORE LIVIN' SPIRIT AN' KEEP YO' OUT OF DARE AN' YO'LL JIS' PASS ON BY DAT FLACE. An' de place done contend [commence] tuh gittin' dullah an' dullah, an' so he [proprieter] must leave an' somebody else got dat place.
The informant describes graveyard dirt with salt and red pepper in a business-departure account. Uppercase speech remains distinct from the bracketed editorial identifications and glosses; the spirit explanation and claimed result remain source-reported.
Entry 7880
Go tuh de cemetery an' git some graveyard dirt an' put in both shoes unbeknownst tuh him - put it in dere. Git some red peppah an' salt a an' sprinkle it in both of yuh [his] shoes an' he won't be dere no mo' den about tro or fo' hours, an' he will have tuh go.
(That is to drive a person away from the house?)
Away from yore house.
The informant describes cemetery dirt in shoes and a separate pepper-and-salt treatment to drive someone from a house. The interviewer identifies that purpose; the bracketed pronoun is editorial. The reported departure and timing remain the informant's claims.
Entry 7882
Yo' may take graveyard dirt an' go tuh someone's house dat chew don' lak, an' take cayenne peppah, black peppah an' table salt, an' run people from home. (What would you do with this powder and all this mixture then?) Mix it all up tuhgethah an' throw it aroun' de house an' throw it up on de po'ch, or carry it in de house if yo' kin git it in there, an' dey will leave.
The informant names graveyard dirt, cayenne pepper, black pepper and table salt in a mixture placed around, on or conditionally inside a house. Departure is reported by the informant; the interviewer asks about placement.
Entry 7883
Or eithah yo' go tuh a graveyard late at night an' stick yuh arm as far down in de fresh grave as yo' kin, an' git some of dat graveyard dirt out. Well [rooster crows] yo' git back, take it, bluestone, salt, red peppah an' mix it tuhgethah, an' put it undah de cornah of a person house. Dey'll fuss an' fight all de time until yo' git dat removed. When yo' git dat away from dere, den dey quits fussin' an' fightin'. Dey don't fuss an' fight no more. But long as dat dere an' dey don't know where it is, dey goin' tuh fuss an' fight an' kill one anothah maybe, all de time. Yo' gotta git somebody dat knows [what to do - a hoodoo doctor.]
The informant describes fresh-grave dirt mixed with bluestone, salt and red pepper beneath a house corner, with reported conflict while it remains and relief on removal. The rooster interruption and final explanation of someone who knows what to do are editorial context.
Entry 7885
Go tuh a graveyard an' git graveyard dirt an' mix salt wit it an' whut's dis dey call some kinda sulphur.
(Sulphur?)
An' jes' sprinkle it round in de house and sprinkle it de way dey want chew tuh go. Sprinkle it all de way through de house. Well, dey gits chure track an' take it an' wrap it up in somepin - a cloth - put graveyard dirt wit it an' if dey goin' down to runnin' watah, throw it down in runnin' watah. (These are two different ways of making you move?) Yes. An' dey take an aig an' write chure name on de side of it an' throw it cross yore house an' break it: if it breaks cross dere, yo' gotta move; if it don't yo' git sick. If somebody [root man] don't do somepin fo' yo', yo' liable tuh die.
The informant reports two dirt-related ways to make someone move: a graveyard-dirt mixture scattered in a house, and a track wrapped with graveyard dirt and cast into running water. A subsequent named-egg rite is separate and does not establish dirt use there. Departure, illness and death remain reported claims.
Entry 7886
Yo' go tuh somebody's graveyard [private cemetery on a farm] an' jes' lak dey got somebody down dere, lak yore name is Jane or John or sompin, say, "Well, dere some people's [people is] givin' me trouble an' ah don't know whut could ah do tuh make 'em go 'way." An' reach down in dere an' git some graveyard dirt an' go right back tuh de house. An' put some salt an' sulphur wit it, an' tie it up an' put it right undah de do'steps. An' when yo' go an' put it undah dere, says, "Go, yo' son of a bitch." An' dat John, he'll worry dat house so, he come down de stairs, got a ball an' chains an' buckles an' evahthin', jes' causin' a rattlin', an' dem folks will move.
The informant gives a conditional account with prescribed addresses, not a record of a particular invocation. The bracketed farm-cemetery and grammar explanations are editorial; the rattling and departure remain source-reported.
Entry 7890
Take de graveyard dirt an' put it in a glass an' set it ovah dere man- telpiece fer seven days, an' aftah [that] yo' turn it undah de bottom of yo' steps see. An' dey says dey kin harm yo' lak dat.
(Well now who gets this graveyard dirt? The person that is trying to harmyou?)
Yes.
(All right, do I put the graveyard dirt on your mantle then?)
Dat's whut ah'm speaking about.
(And then put it under your step.)
Put it undah mah step.
(Well, you would see it on the mantle, wouldn't you?)
Sometimes yo' bury dat.
The informant describes graveyard dirt in a glass on a mantel for seven days, then beneath steps, and attributes harm to what people say. The interviewer supplies the proposed victim perspective in several questions; the informant also mentions burial. The bracketed time completion is editorial.
Entry 7892
Said dey kin take an' git some dirt from de graveyard, an' if dey kin git one of yuh shoes an' put some of dat in it, dey kin hurt choo lak dat; make yo' cripple or lame or somepin lak dat.
The informant reports what others are said to do with dirt from a graveyard and a shoe. The injury claim remains reported rather than independently established.
Entry 9040
Yo' kin take dat - yo' go tuh de graveyard cert'in hours at night an' yo' kin dig down dere an' git dat dirt. An', jes' lak dey goin' have me fo' trial - ah done killed somebody, see. Well, dey might bon' [bond] me out. Ah'll go tuh de graveyard a certain time of night an' ah'll run mah han' down an' git a cert'in class of dat dirt. An' ah take dat dirt an' jes' when dey goin' have co't dat mawnin', ah git in wit de jon'ter [janitor] of de co't; yo' know, de fellah whut cleans up. Well, when ah git dere wit 'im ah'm gwine jes' - ah'm goin' he'p 'im clean up. Well, fast as we sweep up an' clean up, ah've got dat li'le graveyard dirt, ah jes' git roun' dere an' sprinkle it all roun' de judge stand, all roun' de haid jury- man stan'. See. Ah done he'p 'im clean up an' den throw mah li'le dang 'um dust dey calls it.
(What kind of dust?)
Dey call it de li'le dang 'um dust. [Dang used to mean damn. This is God daorn 'em dust!] So ah be done throw dat aroun' dere. Well, now, when de co't come off, ah'm not uneasy, 'cuz ah know de judge can't do nuthin wit me.
The informant describes a hypothetical trial and calls the grave dirt 'dang 'um dust'. '[bond]' and '[janitor]' are editorial glosses; Hyatt's following explanation of the dust's name is distinct from the speech.
Entry 10600
Yeah, we call dem bullbats.
(What do you hear they say they do with those?)
Well, yo' take dat bullbat an' yo' take de wing of de bullbat - his vings - aa'yo' put dat with some graveyard dirt. An' put dat in a li'l' bundle an' yo' put it up anywhere umdah a person's house or anything lak dat. Dat'll cause 'em to be confusd an' fly around jes' lak de bullbat; case 'em to fly aroun' lak dey don't have good sense. [My note on this sheet reads: "R.D. (root doctor) unusual but legitimate. The man is not lying. No two per- sons work alike. R.D., good, but broke up his material, too late to preserve
(as a whole for an interview). Good.]
The informant describes a bullbat wing bundled with graveyard dirt beneath a house, with a claimed confusion effect. The interviewer asks what people do. Hyatt's separate quoted notebook appraisal describes this informant and the broken-up interview material; it does not independently establish the rite's effects.
Entry 11220
The dirt dauber's nest, you go in a person's house and put it in the four corners of the house - graveyard dirt with the dirt dauber - and they move out of there. Just beat it up.
The printed account distinguishes graveyard dirt from a dirt-dauber nest in a mixture. The departure claim remains source-reported; the two ingredients are not treated as equivalent.
Entry 11221
Now, yo' take de [chicken] aig an' broke a little hole in it an' put some of dis graveyard dirt - jes' a drop of it - an' de dauber nest [dirt] an' throw it on de house, and run 'em away.
The informant describes graveyard dirt and dirt-dauber material with an egg. '[chicken]' and '[dirt]' are editorial identifications; the materials remain distinct and the departure claim source-reported.
Entry 11677
Yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road an', when yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, yo' git a pinch of dirt from de fo'ks of dat road. Den yo' go to do - befo' yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, yo' go tuh de graveyard yo' know, an' git some of de graveyard dirt an' mx it tuhgethah. Den go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git some of dat, an' mix dat tuhgethah. Den yo' have tuh season it, chew know. Yo' git dem two things an' yo' git some salt an' yo' git some peppah an' some sulphur, & an' crumble it all wit dat dirt from de fo'ks of de road. An' it will do jes' whut chew want it tuh do.
(What will you do with it?)
Yo' went dere fo' a purpose. When yo' went tuh de fo'ks of de road, yo' vants somebody probably, or yo' wanta change somebody from goin' wit somebody's else, an' yo' bring yo' dese, an' why, dat means dey'll come yore way.
(What do you do with that dirt after you mix it up? What do you do with it?)
Sprinkle it.
(Where?)
Yo' know, jes' lak ah know yo' goin' out. "Sposin' ah'm goin' from heah ovah yondah an' yo've gotta cross dat othah fellah's house, ah sprinkle it right down in yore yard an' yo' walk ovah dat. Yore mind changes, dat changes yore mind. (That changes your mind. That is if you want to bring somebody back, some- thing of that sort?) Yassuh.
The informant describes a mixture of dirt from a graveyard and road forks with salt, pepper and sulphur, sprinkled to influence a person's direction or attachment. Questions clarify use and purpose. The hypothetical yard scenario begins with an unclosed printed quote, so no closing speech boundary is invented; both dirt origins and the qualified return purpose are retained.
Entry 11737
Go to de cemetery at a certain hour of de night and take dirt. You kin change de will of a person, put 'em under your control, dey claim, if you kin get dat dirt, you know. Get it sifted, thrown any- where where dey dwell or where visit; supposed to control their mind. You kin do dat by using dat dirt. I've seen several instances where dat was tried and it really - well, it worked all right because dey had dat belief quality.
(They just throw it around where they were?)
Just sprinkle it around where dey have to pass in and out.
The informant reports cemetery dirt taken at a certain night hour, sifted and scattered where people dwell or pass, as a claimed means of controlling their will. Personal observations are qualified by the informant's reference to belief. The interviewer's placement question remains separate.
Entry 11814
"If they go to the graveyard an' git some dirt an' put it up over your door, they say you'll always be down. [You do this] if you jis' see some- body you're jealous of or sumpin another, they're gittin' along better then [than] you." [Up over your door, compared with the bottom or near the bottom of the door, is fairly rare so far as graveyard dirt is concerned.] [Wilmington 115:7+85.]
The printed quoted excerpt reports dirt from a graveyard placed above a door. The bracketed insertions belong to editorial text; Hyatt's following comment compares the location with other accounts.
Entry 11982
If you bottle a person's hair with graveyard dirt, cayenne pepper and perfume and throw it into running water, you will run your victim crazy.
[Wilmington 271:1+85.]
Hyatt's printed résumé reports a mixture of hair, graveyard dirt, cayenne pepper and perfume. Its claimed effect is source-reported; the résumé is distinct from verbatim informant speech.
Entry 13107
Dere is such things as dat. Dere's a little graveyard dirt. You kin get it in - you get graveyard dirt and you get de dust from a rattlesnake's rat- tle and make you a powder of it. And den he'd come along and 'tempt to play with you. Take your hat off, "Oh, dat's a nice hat." Take your hat like dat and probably look at it. Put dat dust in dere and you put your hat on. It may be warm or it may drift down your face if you perspire, or anything, run down and blind you. You never will see again. (You have this rattlesnake dust and the graveyard dust mixed.)
The informant describes graveyard dirt mixed with rattlesnake-rattle dust and a hypothetical hat-handling scenario, with claimed blindness. The quoted compliment is prescribed or imagined speech within that account. The interviewer restates the mixture without a recorded confirmation; harm claims remain source reports.
Entry 9604
Take yo' some red peppah, sulphuh an' table salt, or eithah graveyard dirt, an' put it in a little cloth an' put it in de bottom of de shoe an' weah it. [That graveyard dirt is a part of preceding com- bination and not a substitute for it, see following rite about graveyard dirt from near headboard of grave.]
(What will that do then?)
Dey can't hurt chew.
(You walk over anything and it couldn't hurt you?)
Yes.
The informant describes a shoe-cloth treatment and protection claim, using the words 'or eithah graveyard dirt'. Hyatt's bracketed note instead treats dirt as part of the combination and refers to the next rite. Preserve that difference and the red pepper, sulphur and salt as distinct ingredients.