Subject:Grease
Entries
Entry 3202
And there's a way where women dress their husbands when they don't want them to go with other women. Well they do that by catching a live toadfrog, and they put the toadfrog alive in a container and put a top with a brick on top of it so he can't jump out, and they cook that frog down to just natural grease, and fer nine nights they dress their husband's private with that grease from the frog. It doesn't make any diff ren' if he washes the nex' day, she continues to do that every night and when she doesn't have anything to do with him herself, because it would be detrimental to her, too. And when he comes in contact with this other woman, aftah nine days, the same amount of nights she greased him, there'll come a ball on her privates like your fist and it baffles the doctors, they don't know what it is, because it's somepin very unusual. The toadfrog is used for lots of things.
Entry 3388
Jis' like if I come here to dis lady's house an' steal 'er dishcloth, an' take it back home an' wash dat dishcloth out so dey won't be no fat on it [to] make the man suspicious]. Den, yo' see, use it ovahnight on 'im. Yo' got to use it for nine nights, or use it nine times - it's all right. Den take it an' put it into a pan of grease an' fry it. Take de cloth an' ball it up an' put it into a can where it'll stay hot - yo' know, not let it git cold - an' go an' bury dat can. An' he cain't leave dat house to save his life. A man ain't gon'a leave home. An' when he do go, he can't have nopleasure.
Entry 5308
She could take his track an' she'd care [carry] it - take his track an' she'd care it tuh a ants bed, see. She'd ketch it in de middle, in de mid- dle of de foot, see. Jes' one track, yo' right foot. Dey would take it an' take jes' dat much sand out frum [from] undah his feet [demonstrates]. (Just a pinch.) She would take it an' care it an' put it in an ants bed, an' put some lard wit it an' place it intuh dat ants bed an' leave it dere. An' de mo' dem ants would stir it up, de mo' he'd go. He'd leave town.
Entry 5838
Yo' kin take cat hair an' yo' kin make a person love yo'. Well, yo' kin take de cat hair but yo' firs' gotta git a plait of hair, a stran' of hair from de person who yo' Wanta love yo', an' yo' take, burn dem togeth- ah. An' den yo' take some hair grease - dey call it hair grease. Yo' mix dat up togethah, undahstan'. An' den aftah mixin' it up togethah, den yo' tryin' tuh make yore lady fren'. Yo' try tuh git holt of some of 'er sickness, some piece, if 'er clothes dirty, some of 'er sickness, an' tie it up an' wear dat in yore fob [watch] pocket. Dat will cause her tuh love yo'.
Entry 6714
Dey use buzzard oil tuh make people limbah, yo' know, in acts when yo' goin' on de stage or sompin lak dat - de show axe [acts]. [See also pp.42-423 and elsewhere.]
Entry 6715
Ah heard dat chew git a buzzard an' stew de grease outa him an' hit's good fo' de rheumatism or good fo' any kinda thing yo' wanta use it fo'.
Entry 6762
You mean poison, hoodoo-like?
(Yes.)
Yo' git a teacup fulla sweet milk, halfa teacup of grease, piece of salt- petah about big as a red bean. [Magic of diminishing size.] (A red bean.) Piece of saltpetah about as big as a red bean. Yo' take all dat an' mix dat tuhgethah an' give it tuh yo' an' let yo' drink it. An' yo' vomit it up or eithah it'll kill it [the poison], kill it on de inside of yo'.
Entry 9928
(Oh, the shoe! You mean the rubber tire - automobile, the inner tube, the inside tube?) Yes, sir. Well, all right. Well, yo' take dat an' burn it an' git de ashes of it an' take sompin - take a little ole rock camphah an' put wit dat. See. All right den, well, now an' den yo' ketch yuh a toadyfrog. Yo' understand now. All right, ketch yuh a toadyfrog an' ef yo' don' wanta kill de toadyfrog - ah done fry de toadyfrog, fry him in a pan. An' git de grease outa 'im an' put dat in dere. An' rub dat on de bottom of yore foot [feet].
(What will that do then?)
Dey can't harm [cunjure] yo'. [The burning of the rubber tire, causing a bad odor, deters witchcraft; see Scatologic Methods to Repulse Witcheraft, Nos.16481- 16499, PP.903-909, FOLKLORE FROM ADAMS COUNTY ILLINOIS, 2nd ed., 1965.]
Entry 10221
Boil a cicada in lard and grease man's tool with it to cure a spell of im- potence. [The magic here is probably be- cause the insect sings, then comes out of a hard shell it leaves behind; a symbol of escape, new life and singing with joy!]
Entry 10845
Dey tell ze yo' kin kill a buzzard dat way, yo' o, an' cook him an' git his oil, yo' know, an' grease wit it dat way, an' yo' kin do most any kinda thing dat chew wanta do. [This usually means physical condition.]
Entry 10846
If someone is a enemy to yo' - dey wanta see yo' linger or somepin - yo' kin use it fo' dat, but 'scusin dat ah haven't hear't [heard]. Dey cook it down to a oil, dat buzzard grease, an' yo' give it to 'em.
(How?)
In dey food or in water.
(What will that do to them?)
An' dey will come to be limber - in other words, dey wouldn't iwould] lose de use of deyself [by becoming too limber!].
(Why would they do that?)
Why, jest lak if a person had a grudge against yo' or anything, if dey wanted tuh do yo' harm some way an' dat de onliest way. Anyway dey could git to git dey 'venge out dey would do so.
Entry 10847
Ah learnt dat if a person kill a buzzard an' jest like if I had a friend - a wife or anything - an' dey wants tuh take de "upper turns" of me an' take away from me, well dey kin kill a buzzard. Dey say a buzzard got one lump of grease in him. Take dat lump of grease out an' fry it an' put it in a little vial an' keep it around wit dem. An' say, if ever occasion fo' dey comin' to mah house, dey kin take a drop or two an' run in dere han', an' when dey git to mah house, say if dey kin git clost enough to mah folks to rub dey han' on 'em, it will keep mah folks in confusion, an' dey'll have de influence of mah home.
(They just rub it over their clothes?)
Ovah de clothes, head, anywhere. (That is if someone is trying to break up you and your family.)
Entry 10848
To make 'em leave, if somebody is heah dat chew wanta git rid of 'em. Well, if yo've got anything with any of yore clothes or anything, if ah kin git a buzzard or anything an' kill him an' git some of his grease. Lakif yore clothes is hangin' up dere [points to something] ah'll take an' run some of de grease maybe in yore clothes. Rub it under de arms of yore clothes or somewhere near, round in heah [demonstrates]. Yo' couldn't tell it wuz on dere.
(What will that do?)
Yo' will leave home.
Entry 13334
(How Would you fix [put a spell on] her?)
Well, ah tell you. Ah'd ketch me a little sparrah - see, ketch me a little sparrah alive, and ah'll git me a little fat from a cow or fat from hog - sompin like dat - or fat from a chicken, eny kin' fat chew know to make some grease an' fry dese birds, see. I'll git dem fat an ah'll fry dem birds, see. Fry dem birds an' ah'll take a little piece of new homespun cloth, see. An' ah'll take dat homespun an' ah'll take dat grease, an' pour it onto dat homespun, see. An' after ah take dat an' pour 'em onto dat homespun, why ah'll git another [O.K.] piece of cloth an' ah'll wrop [wrap] it see. An' den ah'll take a needle an' a spool of thread wot [what] nevah beer used an' sew dat up. See, sew it up tight with dat cloth wit de grease on it, so it can't even ketch air. An' ah'll stick dat in de mattress right where she sleep at, see. Ah'll git a little Hearts Cologne an' den ah'll put a little sweet spirit of niter, see. An' ah'll pour a little bit of dat on her, see.
(On the woman herself.)
Throw a little sweet spirit of niter in front of her and a little Hearts Cologne in her back, on her right shoulder. An' she'll think the world, de sun rise an' [go] down on me.
(That is the [another] way you will get her.)
Entry 2254
Ah told him [my contact man Edward] absolutely dat ah believed in dese things an' dey could do - dese things could be done. Dere is roots dat ah know of dat ah've got faith in. Yo' take de rattlesnake marster, dat's one of de wonderfulest roots dat will bring luck an' carry it fo' yo' - keep yo'. Ah have experienced whut ah'm tellin' yo'. Yo' take it - yo' kin an' have it round yo' an' yo' kin hold a job. Ah know that - ah believe it - got faith in it. Yo' take de blacksnake root - dat's a good root an' in usin' it with whiskey yo' kin keep love. Yo' kin love them.... Then there's a root dey calls de shoestring - devil's shoestring. Yo' kin wear it - dat'll keep luck. Dat's good fo' luck. Den yo' take the - ah've got faith in it 'cause ah've tried it. Yo' take - dere's a bull nettle. Well, whenevah a man an' a woman - a woman kin fix a man so dat he kin have nuthin tuh do with othah women.
(How would she do that?)
How she do it - dey tell me dey take worms, these earthworms, an' fry 'em an' git de grease an' rub it on him. He can't have nuthin else to do with no othah - take it an' use de grease an' he can't have nuthin tuh do wit a woman. But now, if he take dat bull nettle, he kin overcome it. Nuse [use] it by puttin' it on whiskey, gin whiskey [= white whiskey, either gin or moonshine (uncolored) whiskeyl, puttin' it on gin whiskey an' drink it. He'd overcome it. Well, dere's a butterfly root. Now dat's a wonderful root tuh keep a woman with yo' jes' as long as yo' want her.
(How would you do that?)
Yo' kin use de root dis way. Take hit an' boil it, git all de suction [juice] out of it, an' put it in a vial an' keep it with yo' all de time in that vial - a small vial, jest as small as yo' kin git it. Keep it with yo' all de time an' she nevah will leave yo'.
(You don't use it?)
Don't use it - jest keep it with you....
(What is the name of the root?)
Shoemake root. Dey tell me if yo' take hit an' git tuh de person an' git it somewhere dat dey have tuh step ovah it - they will have tuh come back. Dey tell me if yo' take dis heah thing - ah calls it [Graney?] Greybeard.
(Graney Greybeard.)
Take hit an' use it or wear it. Soak it ovah night de first night yo' git it an' use it gamblin'. Ah tried dat. Ah know dat. Soak it ovah night in some kinda cheap cologne - perfume it an' use it. Do dat once a month an' ah believe it's luck. Ah tried it.
(You just wear that thwn you go to - )
Wear it dat way - soak it once a month.
Entry 445
Now, yo' take whut dey used to call de witches - yo' take a grease an dey'll grease deyselves all ovah, jes' like dey goin' out tuh do somepin an' git clean out dere skin. Well, when dey git clean out dere skin dey'd be in de house; dey has a word dey say, "Round an' about - out de keyhole go." Right out de keyhole dey'll go. Well, dey go on out an' do whut dey's gon'a do an' come back. And when dey come back, dey'd say de same thing, "Round an' about de key- hole - out de do' we go." Well, dey'd come back in. When dey'd come back in dey'd git back into dey skin, git in - walk up to de skin, say, "skinny, don't chew know me?" An' dey'd jump an' if - now, if a person be lucky 'nuff, dey'd git dere befo' dey git in dere skin an' take dat skin, den dey couldn't git back in it.
(What did the witches do - what did the witches used to do?)
Well, dey say now, witches, dey used to ride hosses. Dey go to a cowpen an' milk cows an' go in a smokehouse an' take meat an' things. Well, dey all jes' carry dat back to dey homes - dey nevah did do nuthin' but jes' practice dat.
(Were these men or women?)
Mens an' wimmin.
(Did the witches do any conjuration at all - or not?)
Well, dey done a whole lot'a dis cunjuration. Dey claim dat dat's where de cunjuration come from - de witch crowd.
(Were you born here in Georgia?)
Yes suh, born in Georgia.
Entry 1117
(You get this one drop of blood from that same bug [Betsy bug] from an old hollow tree.) Yes, from a ole rotten tree. You drop this blood - one drop into a cup of - into a halfa teacup of grease. Then you get a piece of saltpeter about as big as a red bean. Get a teacup of sweet milk. You see you mix that all up together. You give that to that person that has been tricked and poisoned. They wull throw it up.
Entry 1148
Say, if yo' ketch a buzzard an' kill 'im an' boil 'im an' git de grease out of 'im an' rub yo'self with it right good, dey say yo' lucky an' prosperous in all whut yo' goin' undertake. Jes' rub it on yore hands. It 'vaporates right in. It's got a bad odor, but as it 'vaporate in yo', continue in yo' - if the job gives out, kill another buzzard an' git his grease. Dey say it's good fo' yo' - it keeps yo' jints [joints] loosened, it's good for rheumatism.
Entry 1151
De buzzard, yo' use him fo' his grease fo' a chile dat is born an' nevah walks - yo' grease with it. An' a person dat is stiff-limbed an' a person dat has rheumatism uses his grease - de red-head one, de buzzard.
Entry 1225
T. B's? There's a Way to kill that.
(How would you do that?)
You take a fat dog, you try to get a bird dog - like anyone got T. B., and you takes and you cut that fat off there and you fry it and get that grease, and you bottle up that grease and you keep it on ice or something like where it won't spoil, you know. And give her, this person that got the T. B., one tablespoorful of that grease for every meal she eats. And because this is - T. B's a germ that gets in your system and medicine can't get there, but this here grease it gets there from that dog and it kills that germ.
Entry 1279
This is by experience. I seed my mother do this. She made us boys ketch her nine toadfrogs. And we caught 'em and we brought 'em in the house and she got a skillet of red hot grease and the lid ready to place on it. And she'd taken them frogs one by one and put them in that skillet - one by one - one by one - and put 'em in that skillet and fried 'em down to where dey was crisp. She'd taken that grease and she put it up, till it congeal - that is, you know, until it got cold and thick, and she used it as a hair dressing and give it to her friends. Well, my mother, her hair -
(She what?)
Used it for a hair dressing. She had hair that long. She Was mulatto and she used to make it all the time.
(That will make your hair grow?)
Yes, sir, it make the hair grow - you know, turn it straight. That's what she would get out of it.
Entry 1562
Yo' take nine snails an' cook dose snails an' yo' take de grease of dose snails an' jes' lak if yo' think if anybody done anything to yo' to make yo' lose de use of yore body, yo' rub yoreself with that, an' that will relieve yo', cause yo' to become super [supple] in yore process, begin come 'live.
(You do this if you think somebody has tricked you?)
Yes.
Entry 2037
Some woman said she - it's some kinda oil, but dey said dey takes it an' grease it round de ear an' under de palm of dere foot. John de Conker's oil, dat's whut it is. Behin' de ear an' undah de bottom of dey foot an' dey say regardless to whut chew gon'a do, dey won't turn yo' down.
(If you are hunting a job.)
Entry 2399
Well, you kin go out in de woods and kill you a rattlesnake. Well, you take dat rattlesnake and you skin 'em. Be sure dat dey didn't strike demself now - be sure that he's not strike himself to kill himself, because you jest ketch him you understand and tease a rattlesnake why he strike to kill him own- self. But now, you be sure dat you kill him. Well, you kill him and you skin him, see. Well, you cut him open and you git dat fat. You git de fat and you fry it up. You fry it up into grease and you can't use too much of it - [see No. 1435, p.469]. You take dat grease and you jest rub yo' limbs - rub yo' limbs down, you understand - rub your limbs, all yo' legs and stuff and your whole body, jest as near as possibly you can in a closed closet where nobody kin see you, see. Nobody will know what chew doin'. Well, you will be jest as limber as dat rattler. A person - Jesus Christ kin pin you down to de ground but He couldn't throw you.
Entry 2400
Dey git a buzzard an' kill him and stew him up, git de buzzard grease and grease yourself all over, on de laigs and you'll be limber. You'll be more powerful. Whenever - ev'ry way de man try to throw you, you kin jump off his locks, see, and you kin throw him 'cause yo' active. He can't throw you.
Entry 3176
If she has some disease, yo' kin take earwax an' jes' grease yo'self, an de minute yo' start in an' evahthin', dat disease...
(The woman will yell or something of that sort?)
[I am not prompting; informant is repeating something not taken down.]
Yes.
Entry 5309
Dey take a man's track an' put a little grease mixed up in it. Go tuh a red ants nest an' put it in dere. Jes' lak dem ants is runnin' an' gwine, it will jes' have dat man jes' all stirred up all de time. But ah ain't nevah tried dat.
Entry 10741
Ah heard yo' could take chicken blood when yore periods is on, an' git chew a steak an' wear it. Jes' lak at five minutes tuh twelve tuh have yore hus- ban's dinnah, yo' wear that right there, pin it an' jes' wear it there. Have yore grease good an' hot an' then yo' take it out jes' as he walk in, an' put it ovah in de skillet, see. An' then yo' fry that nice an' brown, an' yo' serve that an' [let] no one eat it but him. An' yo' cain't git rid of 'im tuh save yore life.
(You don't use chicken blood on it though?)
Yes yo' do. Yo' put chicken blood on that steak, too, an' yore blood together. [That chicken blood is for good measure. The stake itself, under normal condi- tions is sufficient; the chicken blood merely makes him chicken-hearted, an easier prey magically.]
Entry 9942
(Well, suppose the woman is stopping the man?)
Well, she git a live toadfrog, an' git some of dis heah Blue Seal vaseline an' grease him, grease dis frog wit dis vaseline. Grease him [frog] good an' yo' [he] come in dat night an' she say, "Baby, let's go tuh bed." She'll grease him [frog], he's yet 'live, an' wrap 'im up in a nice towel or anything - jes' dis rag she carryin' tuh bed wit 'er. An' she'd lay him [frog] cross 'er breast twix' yo' [the man] an' 'er, an' yo' [the man] git on 'er an' have her. Yo' won' run roun' no mo'. Grease him [frog] wit jis' cheap vaseline, jis' dat ole Blue Seal vaseline - grease de frog good wit it. He [frog] goin' lay quiet when yo' [she] grease him an' lay dat cross 'er belly. [That last word "belly" is an insignificant change from informant's pre- ceding 'breast as the resting place for the woman's wiping rag with it's greased frog. Just as the grease - assisted by the confining cloth - keeps the frog from hopping, so it will prevent the man from hopping among other women.] [This is a sexual impotence rite. Seven similar rites using a frog for this purpose are: Nos.3198-3203A, Pp.2360-2362, vol.3.]
Entry 10
Well, I know of a lady tryin' to poison someone else. An' so I wus told by a gentleman [doctor] that - she goes to work an' takes a tahrahpin [terrapin], a water tahrahpin, cooks this water tahrahpin up, takes this grease of it an' greases the other lady's husband in order to poison this lady [husband's wife]. Well, see, this lady [wife] was a - she happened to be cunnin' enough to not let this man [her husband] git nowhures nigh 'er. Well, he goes back to whure this woman wus. An' so in jist about a - well, say about nine month's time - well, it wus - yes, it wus nine month's time, this woman she has to be taken to the hospital. An' so whenever she got to the hospital the doctors wanted to 'topsy 'er after she died. So whenever she died they finds a tahrahpin wus hung on to this woman's livah. This wus re'lly true. I knowed this woman mahself. That wus in 1926. That happen in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The woman died in the hospital. [The preceding word poison is a technical term unknown to toxicology; it is a concept belonging to the realm of magic thought and action. We shall meet poison again and again, also the concept fixed, and always there will be problems. Why did not the husband have the terrapin hanging to him? The evil-doer intended the terrapin for the wife. How was this intention thwarted? By counter-intention. We are in a strange world - the nature of reality faces us.] She got it back on herself. But how this man turn it back on her, I don't know. But I know how the man told de man's wife to do to not let it be turnt back - for her to not get it, you see.
(What did she -do to get this on him?)
She rubbed it on him.
(All over him?)
No, not all over him. She just rubbed it on him [his privates]. So this fellah he wus supposed to go home to his wife. See, he wus to get this grease on her an' this wus supposed to take onto her, you see. He didn't get it off on his wife. So by his wife bein' cunnin' enough to not let him touch her no way, he goes right back to this woman an' returned this deal right back on her. An so the length of time that it wus supposed tah take - you know, in de nine months - why it taken effect.
(Instead of an actual child it was this terrapin?)
It wus a tahrahpin that wus attached to her livah. [At this point, from the informant's hesitation and manner, her companion's attitude, I suspected that the story must have been a personal experience and so asked for the complete details.] She wus tryin' to git rid of me. So she a - I commence, you know, I'd feel funny. Mah husband, he wouldn't stay at home, you see. I couldn't keep 'im home. Nothin' I could do, you see. I couldn't keep 'im at home. I could do - come in an' clean up [and leave]. An' two children in the home. Workin' ever' day. You see, I couldn't do nothin' atall with 'im. An' so he'd come in; he'd stay in the house for a few minutes. An' so mah mother-in-law, she stayed there with me, an' she says, "Nora," she says, "you'd better watch," she says, "maybe perhaps that woman has done somethin' to Thornton." I says, "Ah shucks!" I says, "Do away with that, mama." I says, "They ain't no woman can do nothin'." I says, "He jis' want to run anyhow." So one day she come to me - I wus drivin' an' ole Ford car. I'd always take him to work ev'ry day, bring 'im back home - backwards an' forewards. So I says to 'im, I says - she stayed home with me, she says, "Nora," she says, "I wan' choo to go off a piece with me." I says, "Go off a piece wid joo, mama?" She says, "Yes." So I says, "All right." An' so that day - so I goes on an' takes mah husband to work an' I rushes right back there. I says, "All right, mama." I says, "I'm ready to go." She got right in - she gets in the car. When she gets in the car, why, I says, "Where you goin'?" She says, "I'm goin' to Dunn [North Carolina]." She says, "No matter where I'm goin'," she said, "you come on an' take me." Well, I felt funny, you know because I know de whole - all of them, you know, that it wus used to such as that [all people who believed in cunjuration], that they did somepin [to protect themselves]. So I says, "All right." So I goes ahead with 'er. An' so we get there, we gets out of the car. An' so we commence goin' through a branch. We stopped the car way out here an' commence goin' [walking] through a branch. I says, "Where you goin', mama?" She said, "That's all right. Joo come on an' go with me." So we goes on acrost to a - so we goes to a branch. An' we wus steppin' acrost tussocks, zhoo know, goin' across. [This is my only encounter with spoken word tussocks: in the U. S. A.] I kep' axin' 'er. I said, "Mama, whar is you goin'?" Well, I wus afraid, joo see. An' she says, "Don't joo be uneasy." But whenever [as soon as] we walks in the house - we come to the door, she walks right up to de man. He wus an' ol' cunjure-man [a white man]. And we walked right to the door. And so he said, "Good evenin', Miss Nora, come in." Well, I looked at 'im. Well, I could have [been] shot [she was so astonished because he knew her name]. Well, I says, "Good evenin'." He says, "Pore thing." He say, "You ought to have been here long ago." [This is a usual opening remark by doctors.] He says, "You're tormented." He caught me by the hand an' says, "Have a seat, chair." Well, he drawed his chair right up. He says a - he says, "Well, you is certainly in a bad condition."
[This is another usual remark by doctors.]
I says, "In a bad condition! Why?" Well, she [the mother-in-law] still hadn't tole me anything, you know. So I says, "Why you say I'm in a bad condition?" He says, "They's a brown-skin woman that's givin' you lots of trouble," an' he says, "you are [something]." He says, "Now, I'm gon'a work for you." He says, "I seen you comin' here." He says, "You been on your road here since one a'clock." I says, "Yes?" Well, I know'd I left home at one a'clock sure enough I says, "Yes sir." An' so he says a - "Well," he says, "the thing for you to do, he says a, "tonight when you get home," he says, "whenever [as soon as] your husband comes home tonight," he says, "he ain't goin' hardly wait to eat his supper before he wan'a go to bed." I says, "Yes?" I looked at 'im. I says, "Wan'a go to bed?" He says, "Yes, '' he says, "but don't choo go." He says, "Don't joo go to bed - find something to do. Keep ev'ry night alone for two or three nights - keep away from him an' he'll care [carry] this right back." He says, "Pore thing," he says, "I'm sorry for you." Well, I go on back. I says, "Well," I says, "now, if he [the husband] don't do this, I know he's [the cunjure man is] not tellin' de truth." So I goes on back home. I talked with mah mother-in-law goin' on back all the way. She says, "Well, I knowed whare I wus car'in' you." She says, "Lots of people would say their mother-in-law wouldn't do that, you see, but it's a shame for him to do like that." I goes on back home. Sure enough, he comes in from work an' goin' out - you know how this house is, out on the porch, an' washin' his face. He - I had supper on the table. He couldn't - it looked like he wus nervous or something. He couldn't eat. He - "Come on," Nora, "let's go to bed." I says, "No." I says, "My land of mercy, I've got all these clothes to pack up here." I says, "I can't go." "I'se wantin' to get it." I says, "No." I says, "No, whenever I ain't got no work to do" - we jist had a big racket about it. I says, "When I ain't got no work to do," I says, "you is out an' gone." I says, "You can git out an' go." Well, he worried me around, around, there till about eleven a'clock, jist like he [the cunjure man] said. At eleven a'clock he says, "I believe I'll walk down to the depot." I says, "All right." He walked on out. But when he came back 'twus that next morning. All right. An' about two month's time another girl came to me. She says, "Oh-oh-oh, she says, "Thornton an' Mary is raisin' a new family." I says, "They is?" I says, "That's nice." She says, "I suppose it's so - I'm only tellin' whut I hear." An' so mah mother-in-law - in a few days mah mother-in-law come to me. She says, "Oh," she says, "Fannie [someone sent by Mary] come here to get some medicine." I says, "Did you give it to her?" She says, "Yes, I give it to her." I says, "All right." So - I still - so she hadn't heard still whut he [the cunjure man] told me. I told her some an' I kept some. [The mother-in-law was not present during the actual interview between the informant and the cunjurer.] So sure enough, about - well, she taken ill on about Saturday. So on Saturday he came to me an' he says, "Nora, I guess you're satisfied." I says, "Whut's de matter?" "They say you has poisoned Mary to death." I says, "Oh! beg your pardon." I says, "Poison?" I says, "I haven't paid one nickel out to poison nobody." I says, "If you think that joo would want to die yourself [be hanged or electrocuted for poisoning a person]." I says, "Whut's de good of a head an' you don't use it?" I says, "I jis' as well take a knife an' cut de thing off an' throw it away." So when I said dat, he says, "Well, you's poisoned her." I says, "Whut?" He says, "I'm gon'a do ever'thing I can for 'er." I says, "Well, that's all right - go ahaid an' do it." So on Saturday night he comes in - she wusn't dead, she wus in the hospital. Well, I wus workin' on Fairmont Hill, that's why I heard it - I could come down, the hospital sets a-way back - an' I could hear her screamin' murder, an' she's screamin'. They said, whutevah it wus, it would rise up in her - jis' rise up jist like that [from her stomach towards the throat] an' go back down an' rise up. Well, the doctors begged an' begged her fathah to let 'em 'topsy her. So when they 'topsied her they said it Was a tahrahpin [about six inches in diameter] wus hangin' onto her livah. So he came in that Sunday night an' set down by me an' set on the side of de bed, an' he busted out in a-cryin'. He says, "Well, you have killed her." I says, "Well, thank God! My prayers is answered." That's all I said. So mah mother-in-law come acrost a-laffin' to me. She says, "Nora, she's gone." I says, "Yes!"
Entry 1056
Just like if you was poisoned, they use bluestone [= blue vitriol]. (I see. How do they do that?) They make a pill out of it. Just like somebody poison you, you know, you kin get - people kin get snakes, you know and put in you. Well, they take a snake, you know, and put a hole through him but they don't kill him. They put him into a fireplace or some place and build a fire somewhere and make a dry place for him - just like you going to dry something out, you see, and they'll dry him and let him dry till he be a powder like, you know. Well, when he comes to be a powder, why he'll pound that all up, you know. He's goin' to poison somebody then, you know. Well he take that then and sprinkle it in some water, or lessen wheresomever you drink at, or put it into your dipper or your cup or something of the kind where you drink coffee or something of the kind. And that will come to be a living snake in you again. You see, in a length of time you'll - that'll kill you, you will be full of snakes. Course, you kin take - you kin take then and if you go to the hoodoo doctor - well, de hoodoo doctors - I've lnowed people that had them things in 'em. Hoodoo doctor will give him a certain amount of bluestone. They take it in a pill but he will put it in a piece of tissue paper or something so it won't strike your teeth or nuthin of the kind. You hold your head back and drap that in your throat, and in about four or five hours time, why then he'll give you a dose of natch'l grease - grease what you cook with, about a half of a cupful behind that. Well, in about - well, I reckon in about six or seven hours, why he will give you another one of those pills. Well, that cure you first and last - he kin cure you with that, of that snake. If he's alive - if he's alive, he'll take him. Then [if snake is dead] he has something or other made like a cup, and he'll put it on you and cup you and draw that - draw that poison and stuff all out - you'd run it [remains of dead snake] in one place and draw it all out.
(What did he do with the snake then [by cupping]?)
The snake be dead - it going away [by cupping]. [This is my only example of cupping; I have none for the use of a leech.]
Entry 1823
Yo' take an' go to de graveyard, if yo' wanta go anywhere or wanta do anything. Yo'll go to de graveyard an' cut a piece out of de person - a sinnah back.
(Out of their body - their back?)
Dat's right. An' make a candle. Take an' fry it - yo' know, jes' cook it down. Take de grease out it an' make a candle an' take that candle an' do any- thing in de world yo' want.
(What would they do with the candle? Do you know how they would handle that?)
Well, dey jes' take aftah dey make de candle an' whenevah they's makin' this candle, dey'll call de Lord's Name. See. An' whenevah de candle is cold, yo' see, den dey kin take it an' go anywhere an' do anything dey want wit dat candle.
Entry 3391
Whut could yo' do wit a greasy dishrag. Well, if yo' got a man an' yo' don't want 'im tuh care fo' anybody else, yo' kin take a greasy dishrag an' let 'im drink off an' yo' don't. Take dat greasy dishrag an' wipe him fo' nine times wit it an' den fold it in nine different Ways tuh yo', fold it all de time tuh yo'. Den yo' put it up ovah anywhere dat he's gotta walk in an' out undah. Dat'l keep 'im from goin' wit othah women.
Entry 3393
Well, ah tell yo', it's very simple - it's nuthin very much to do. If yore husban' - if a woman's husban' have anothah woman an' she kin jis' fix 'i, he can't bothah no woman but 'er, cuz a ole lady tole me dat years ago when ah were quite young. An' she said, "Any time yo' wants yore husban' tuh stop goin' wit othah women an' stay home more, '' she say, "yo' take yore dishrag." Yo' know yore dishrag'll git right greasy, if yo' don't change 'em offten. An' she said, "Yo' take yore dishrag." She said, "Don't wash it, leave it git right greasy - whut yo' wash dishes wit." An' she say, "Any time he have - always carry dis dishrag to bed." She said, "Don't leave it in yore kitchen any more, " she said, "but yo' carry it to bed an keep it by yore bed where he won't see it." An' she say, "An' when he have a connection wit yo', " she say, "yo' always use it yoreself an' bring [wipe] it to yo'. Yo' dry 'im yoreself. An', " she say, "when yo' dry 'im, bring it to yo
(Oh! bring it out to you?)
Uh-hmm, bring it to yo' dat way. "An', ' she sayed, '"den if yo' have a towel or somepin, give it to 'im an' let 'im take to 'imself, " she said, "but yo' always do dat [wiping] first." An' she sayed, "He can't bothah no othah woman but choo." Well, I know dat by experience becuz when I married my second husban' he wuz awfully - yo' know, he wuz much older dan me an' he quite natchly he had othah womens befo' he evah met me. But he got where it seemed dat he got so careless, he wouldn't stay home like he ought to, an' ah loved 'im dearly. An' he would go away an' stay an' stay. An' one night ah wuz cryin' an' all dis come to me, as dis ole lady tole me dat, when ah had my first husban' an' ah wuz in my teens. An' ah did dat thing. An' so finally, he [second husband] wuz named John Jen- kins. An' finally John commen' [commense] tuh stayin' home. Sometimes ah said, "Why don't yo' go on out" - jis' tryin' 'im, yo' know. Ah say, "Yo' don't nevah stay home, " ah said, "Ah'm surprised at yo' bein' home." He said, "Well, ah don't care to go out any more much an' ah thought ah'd try to: stay here at home." He say, "Ah want to stay here an' watch yo'." Ah said, "Well, stay here an' watch me den." We jis' pass it off dat way. An' finally one night he tole me, he say, "Ulah." I say, "Huh?" He say, "Yo' always aftah me 'bout othah wimmins." He say, "Yo' all ought not to bothah me 'bout othah wimmins." He say, "Ah used to would run aroun' bad, ' he said, "but ah tell yo', '' he says, "here of late, " he says, "ah got where, "' he say, "ah want to tell yo' de truth." He say, "Ah've tried, '' he said, "but ah can't bothah no woman in de world but yo'.' He say, "Ah have tried - all my old friends ah used to be roun' wit, ah can't do anythin' to dem.' He say, "But when ah git to yo', " he said, "ah'm all right." Ah said, "Well, maybe dat's de way God intends it." An' ah know fer myself an' ah'll nevah forgit dat. Co'se ah ain't got no husban', no friends, nuthin now, but ah won't forgit dat.
(What did you do with the dishrag then?)
Take de dishrag aftah yo' use it wit 'im fer nine times an' bury it undah de do'step.
(And after that, then he's no good?)
Ain't no good. He's no good. [Why? See informant's remarkable story about his biting her, 888, p.319.]
Entry 3601
(You would take the rag and do what with it?)
Take a new piece an' [after a man's stuff is on it] tie nine knots in it an' put it in a - let it stay in a bottle where it's greasy an' let it stay wet all de time. Keep it in a cornah, some closed cornah in yore house. [This corners, confines a man.] Say yo'll git all yore husban's or man's money like dat.
(Keep this rag in that bottle?)
Yes, keep it, never let it get dry - put it right dere ovah dat grease an' let it stay wet all de time. [This of course is a hand automatically fed grease. For feeding, see p.578.]
(And you'll get all his money, you say.)
Yo' gits 'is money.
(But this piece of cloth, you must wipe him with that or yourself?)
Yo' ketch dat from 'im.
Entry 3640
Ah heard 'em say dey ketch a snail an' git dat dust where he lay, an' take dat an' mix it wit some grease or sompin, an put it on a person's haid an' it will take all dere hair out. SLICK IT WIT A SNAIL, ah've heard dat. (Get that slime from the snail?) Dat's right, wipe it on dere.
Entry 3708
The follow- ing informant gives 4 separate cures:] Dey say yo' kin take in measurin' a man - well now, in yore husban', if yo' don't want 'im tuh fool wit somebody, why yo' could take an' measure him when he's sleep, if yo' git a chance. Or eithah, yo' fix 'im to pay no 'tenshun - have connection wit 'im fo' a chance tuh measure 'im wit a piece of cord string, dis little cord string dat come off a wrappin'. An' take an' measure 'im wit dat - jes' de length of it. An' den yo' kin take an' tie nine knots in it, an' yo' kin wear it in yore shoe, or if yo' kin, put it down undah de innah sole of yore shoe, an' he can't have anythin' tuh do wit anybody else. Den yo' kin take a piece of new homespun. Jes' lak yo' be playin' an' yo' have a piece of new homespun about de bed, or sompin yo' wus sewin', an' dey kin use dat aftah dey git through. Put it undah yore mattress an' double it up in a piece of papah an' put it undah yore mattress an' he ain't goin' bothah 'bout anyone. An' den if a person gits where dey kin't bothah wit anybody an' wants it taken off dem, dey kin go an' steal a dishcloth - steal someone's dishcloth. An' if dey got greasy dishwatah dere, dey jis' skim off dat grease wit dat dishcloth an' squeeze it up in dere. An' den yo' kin take dat dishcloth an' use it an' wash it off yoreself an' dat will kill it out. An' den yo' kin take an' git some cedar - these cedar leaves. Don't chew know, yo've seen dese cedars in de cemetery. An' take sulphur an' sprinkle it ovah dem, an' put a little fiah undah it, an' yo' kin kinda stand ovah dat an' let dat smoke go ovah yo', an' dat'll kill it. (That will kill it, if his nature has been taken away from him - restore his nature. But you don't have to get that cedar from the cemetery, you can get it any place?) Yes, anywhere. Yo' ain't gotta git it from de cemetery. [Yet, informant prefers graveyard.]
Entry 3747
(How could he get rid of that condition?)
De onliest thing dat I heered talk of dat, dat dey could do wit dat, is dat he'd have to steal. He'd have to steal de dishrag - git him a greasy dishrag, but he'd have to steal it. Steal de greasy dishrag. An' he'd have to wash 'is belly in greasy dishwatah, de watah dat she used, fo' about nine mornings, see, to wash dat off. Dat's de only way dat he could git dat out of de skin. (What do you mean by saying he'd have to get the greasy dishwater? What do you mean by that?) Dat's de watah dat yo' wash dishes wit.
(Well, does he use that water?)
Yes, sir, de watah dat she used. Git de watah dat she used. Well, dat's de watah dat she would have to use to git dat off of 'er. (Oh, I see. He wouldn't have to do anything - use this dishwater. He doesn't need that. He'd use the dishrag.) Yes, sir. Dat's all he'd have to do, jis' use dat dishrag - jis' keep dat dishrag. Take dat dishrag an' carry it off somewhere an' when he git ready to use it, why he don't have to do nuthin but dampen it in dat dishwater.
(Did he take the dishwater, too?)
Yes, he take dat dishwatah an' put it in a can or somepin othah, an' put it in a place where he kin go, where dere ain't nobody won't know it, yo' lmov, an keep it.
(He must get the dishwater that she has used?)
Yes, sir. An' when he git ready to use it, an' dis dishrag be dry, he would- n't do nuthin but soak it in dere, yo' know, an' take it out an' wash 'imself. Carry it an' put it back up until he git rid of dat.
Entry 4607
[A woman] take dat little bow out de back of yore [his] hat right back heah. Tie three knots in it an' take dat an' WEAR IT AROUN" HER BREAST, OF 'ER NIPPLE dere. An' if it doesn't stick to dat, take yuh some tape an' an' dat'll make him come back tuh her, aftah he's worn it fo' de grease tuh come outa his head. [For some reason there is little material about wearing anything on the breast or between the breasts. Sometimes this could be included in worn over the heart.]
Entry 5560
Dey said dat chew could take a new penny-nail, new brand [brand-new] ten-penny nail, an' git some hog lard an' grease it an' yo' kin harn a person lak dat. Yo take it an' go bury it in de left foot, de hollah [hollow] part of de lef' foot. Stob it down an' talk tuh de nail an' tell it whut chew want done.
Entry 5984
Ef dey git holt yore hair, dey could lead yo'. Yo' could take dat hair an' yo' kin grease dat hair, an' yo' kin wrap it aroun' a rusty nail an' tack it up side de wall, an' he's goin' go wherevah dat hair is.
Entry 6717
Take a buzzard, take 'im clean [clean him] an' boil 'im out tuh a li'le grease, an' take dis grease yo' unnahstan'. An' jis' take a li'le bottle - keep de bottle all de time. An' time yo' feel a stiff joint, rub de stiff joint, an' dat'll jis' remove yuh pains from yo'.
Entry 10560
Live things? Why sure, sure. You go to work and get you a bat.
(A bat that flies around?)
Yeah, take a bat, he got live things in him. You get you a bat - course it's bad person and things. You take that bat and you take it and stew him down with fresh lard. Stew it down and grease with it. You grease and why them things will leave, just like any kind of live things crawling. You feel somepin inside of you, you catch that in your nightgown. It [bat salve] brings 'em out.
(That brings these live things out.)
Yeah, it'll bring it out. [Since a bat is supposed to carry bedbugs, live and perhaps other things, its salve should bring out all crawling things, things perhaps caused by witchcraft.]
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 13087
Belts have roots in 'em fo' luck. Or yo' kin git a blacksnake-skin belt an' dey say dey fix it in a way - grease it - grease it with...an' yo' kin git up in de morning day- light an' do anything yo' wanta do. Can't no man hole [hold] yo' - slick
[you are too slippery].
Entry 9821
Ah've hear'd dey could bury - dey ties nine needles togethah am' grease dem with de grease dey call axle grease an' bury dem dat ways. An' hit on dem nine times, not hit dem all on de same masi'. Dey bury 'em in three parts in front of de do' an' hit 'em nine times fo' nine manin's. (Hit them once each morning?) Once each masin' an' dat will - dat's tuh drive a person away - yo' know, jes' die. Yo'll jes' fade away. Nails also [can be used].
(Either nails, or needles and pins?)
The pins, eithah nails. (And the needles. And you put three, in groups of three. And you must hit each one of those once?) Yes.
Entry 1278
If a fellah put a spell on yo', yo' make watah and bath in it fer nine mawnin's an' po' dat watah toward de sunset. And den yo' kin take nine toadfrogs and put 'em into a pot alive an' cook 'em down - put nuthin in 'em but a little watah an' a little grease, an' grease wit de grease from dem fer nine mawnin's. Dat will break up anything that dey try to put on yo'. (These are different ways of doing this - one is you use the urine and the other way is you use the frogs. You don't use both of them together?) No, don't use both of them together - use either one of them.
Entry 10400
Merely grease man with snail [Norfolk, 490:2].
The short or reduced statement says to grease a man with snail. It gives no separate composition, established performance or effect, and original wording is unverified.
Source passage
continuous interview or recording context · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Well, now, ah know - AH REMEMBAH A WOMAN, A NICE LOOKIN' GIRL WUZ CO'TIN'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[COURTING]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
A PREACHAH, an' he had a li'le money an' a home, yo' know, but he quz a li'le bit too ole fo' 'er. See. So she tole 'im dat she didn't believe she cared fo 'im, he wuz a li'le bit too ole. He say,
reported or enacted speech · Current unnamed interviewee · Preacher represented in the account; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
"Well, if yo' don' do me no good, yo' won' do nobody else no good."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
An' he took an' hit 'er in de face wit 'is pocket han'ke'chuf, an' somepin fell outa de top of 'er haid lak wood lice 'bout two hours aftah he had hit 'er.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[A handkerchief tossed or waved about is usually dressed; in this case perhaps with wood-lice powder.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Aftah he hit 'er, he disappeahed, went on somewhere, yo' see. An' she jis' stan'in' talkin' tuh some of er schoolmates, an' somepin fell outa her haid lak wood lice. An' dey fell all down aroun' on de groun', an' she commence tuh fightin' 'em, frightened aftah 'em, yo' know. All right, SHE COMMENCED TUH HOWL. COMMENCE TUH HOWLIN' LAK A DOG; SHE COMMENCE TUH MAKIN' FUSS LAK A COW, AN' SHE COMMENCE TUH CARR'IN' ON LAK A GOAT. Well, dey'd taken 'er an' carr'in' 'er home an' laid 'er in de baid an' yo' know she couldn't rest. Well she, dat nex' mawnin' - co'se she suffahed all dat night - got up de nex' mawnin' an' LOOKED AT 'ER THIGH. SHE SAID 'ER THIGH HURT 'ER. DERE WUZ A SMALL COOTAH
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[TURTLE]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
ON 'ER, LAYIN' RIGHT HEAH. DERE WUZ THREE SCORPIONS LAYIN' DOWN ON 'ER THIGH. AN' DERE WUZ A BLUNT- TAIL MOUSE OVAH ON DIS HIP.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(What kind of a tail?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
A blunt-tail mouse.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(Blunt-tail?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Yes, sir, BLUNT-TAIL MOUSE AN' SNAKE layin' ovah on dis side of de hip. Well, evahbody kinda doubted 'er. Yo' see she wuz hurt. DERE WUZ ANOTHAH OLE FELLAH STAYIN' ABOUT 25 MILES FROM DERE. HE COULD DO DAT KIND OF WORK. DEY WENT AN' GOT 'IM AN' HE COME AN' LOOKED AT 'ER. AN' HE SAID DAT HER CASE WUZ PURTTY SERIOUS
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[for this type of judgment, see CONSULTATION TECHNIQUE, p.307f.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
, but he could do her good inside of eleven hours.
editorial recording or production note; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[A stoppage of recording shows he also lived eleven miles from somewbere.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(About eleven miles?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
On dis side of Greenville, Mississippi.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(Greenville, Mississippi. How many years ago?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Oh, dat been now about 28 years
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[about 1910]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(All right, go ahead with the story.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
An' aftah he looked at - he'd taken 'er up an' laid 'er in de baid - caken 'er outa de baid she wuz in an' laid 'er in de
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[another]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
baid. An' he saw dat cooth an' dat lizard an' dat mouse. An' he had a kinda grease. He jis'greaseder all ovah, yo' know. An' den he'd taken some kind of a ole funny sosepin look lak a blade an' he marked - he didn't cut 'er skin but he jis', yo' mog, belt
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[held]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
dat blade right ovah dem things, jis' drawed it across dem but not on de aldn.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(What kind of blade?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
A Kisah blade.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
(A Kiser?)
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
[This could be spelled Kaiser.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
Yeah, a kisah blade whu' choo cut bushes wit whut men use tuh work in de right of way.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
(Oh, I see. All right.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
An' he'd taken dat an' he jis' draw it across dat cootah
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
[cooter or turtle]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
. An' he come up on dis side an' he draw it across dat blunt-tail mouse an' right ovah 'er. An' draw it across dem lizards. Well, all right. IN ABOUT ELEVEN HOURS TIME DEY GIVE HER UP TUH DIE, AN' DEM THINGS COME JIS' A-CRAWLIN' OUT OF "ER. AN' WHEN DEM THINGS CRAWLED OUTA 'ER, SHE GOT RIGHT UP AN' LOOKED AT US, AN' DEY WUZ CRAWLIN' ALL AROUND ON DE FLOOR.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
[I have no doubt about a Small co0- ter, three lizards and blunt-tail mouse crawling on the floor. There is too much evidence in HOODOO for this sort of thing. THE DOCTOR HAD A FAST HAND! IN THE STORY FOLLOWING THIS ONE WE WILL AGAIN MEET DOCTOR MARTIN, ANOTHER HEALER QUICK WITH HIS HAND.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
An' he tole 'er, say,
reported or enacted speech · Current unnamed interviewee · Healer represented in the account; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
"Ah'm goin' make yo' do dat."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
She got a stick an' she kilt 'em all. An' de cootah she couldn't ketch. He runned on outa dere. Now, dese three lizards dey wuz so stiff - scorpions rathah, dey couldn't git nowhere. She caught 'em an' kilt dem. So dat woman got all right.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
(WAS THAT ALL HE DID?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
Yes, sir.
Nested source context: nested reported speech · Vol. 3, p. 2337
He say, "Well, if yo' don' do me no good, yo' won' do nobody else no good."
Nested source context: claimed presence not independent event verification · Vol. 3, p. 2338
SHE GOT RIGHT UP AN' LOOKED AT US, AN' DEY WUZ CRAWLIN' ALL AROUND ON DE FLOOR.
locally closed printed account with recording gap
The printed account includes an explicit recording interruption. Eleven hours and miles remain unreconciled.
The recording-stoppage note signals unavailable material; distance and events during the gap cannot be reconstructed.
Scorpions or lizards, blade spelling and other uncertain terms remain as printed.
Wood-lice powder, fast hand and the comparison to Doctor Martin are editorial interpretations.
The healer’s and preacher’s words are reported by the current interviewee. They are not additional live participants, and the editor’s skepticism remains separate.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 3, p. 2336 · Vol. 3, p. 2337 · Vol. 3, p. 2338 · Vol. 3, p. 2339 · Vol. 3, p. 2341