Subject:Gunpowder
Entries
Entry 1953
Well, yo' take de gunpowder an' lodestone an' nine seeds of red peppah [three ingredients] an' sew it up in a yarn rag. That's fo' tuh draw luck to yo', too, fo' money. Yo' know, if yo's a gambler, why yo' kin win an' if yore a policy player why yo' win lak that. Or if yo' a busi- ness man, why yo' know, yore business will be.mo' urgent. [Gunpowder appears in many combinations.]
Entry 3119
Yuh take dat [bath] watah, put it in a bottle an' mix it wit wo watah, adx it wit salt an' gunpowdah. Throw dat in de runnin' watah, see. Dat will keeps yuh tied up. Well, it will make yuh lose ami bition fo' de woman dat yuh have, yuh undahstan'; an' it will keep yuh wit a mind - yuh undahstan', yuh will nevah be satisfied where yuh be yet.
Entry 3711
Gunpowdah. Well, dat's fo' nature - de gunpowdah an' de yellah of a aig, it's fo' nature.
(You take that?) Yassuh, take dat fo' nature.
Entry 3847
De blood, yo' could take dat an' yo could put dat in a bot- tle. Yo' stop dat up, yo' put dat in a bottle. An' yo' put red peppah, sulphuh an' gunpowdah in dat. An' yo' stop dat up airtight, a person blood, an' dat stop dat blood from trans- mission. Dat stop dere passin' of de blood.
(The blood from any part of the body?)
Yeah.
Entry 3897
Tole yo' 'bout dey mon'ses [= monthses = months], yo' know. (If a person is tricked with this blood, menstrual blood, how can you cure it then?) Well dey drunk gunpowdah an' sweet milk.
(How would they do that?)
How dey use de gunpowdah an' sweet milk? Yo' git black gunpowdah, yo' know, an' yo' use - put aboot [about] a teaspoonfulla to a pint of milk.. "Solve [dis- solve] it well an' drink it fer nine mawnin's - a watah glassful fer nine maw- nin's. Dat will really cure yo'.
(If that man has been tricked by a woman putting blood into his food.)
DEN YO' KIN COME TO - BUT DE WAY YOU FIND OUT DE WOMAN DAT ACT'LY [ACTUALLY] DID IT, YOU'LL HAVE TO GO DE SAME ROUND OF WIMMINS DAT YO' KNOW [MAKE A TOUR OF THE KNOWN WOMEN] AN' DE ONE DAT YO' KIN ACT'LY IN- TAHCO'SE WIT, DAT'S DE ONE DAT ACT'LY DID DE TRICK, yo' see. Den if yo' can't recovah dis bottle, den milk an' gunpowdah, but not to de extent dat yo'd taken it before. See, gunpowdah an' milk is act'ly de cure fo' it jes' de same as befo'; but den if instead of puttin' one teaspoonfulla tuh a pint of watah, ah mean of milk, yo' put two of black gunpowdah - de same gunpowdah. (That is, if this woman tricked a man with her urine [mon'ses] - that is, by hiding this bottle of urine [mon'ses] under the doorsill or the mattress?) Dat's right.
Entry 4152
Yuh kin take gunpowdah an' Hearts Cologne an' saltpetah an' yuh own watah an' mix dat tuhgethah, an' use [that] aroun' talkin' wit dis person, an yuh kin git 'em tuh do whut chew want done.
(If you want to work for them or anything like that, or if you want to get a job.) Yes sir, use dat stuff.
Entry 4276
An' mah mothah when she wuz - used tuh settle wit a white man, he nevah come in dere 'till twelve or one a'clock, an' so she, well, didn't wan' tuh be dere dat late at night, yuh know, tryin' tuh settle wit 'im. An' so she tole a certain man dat came along [itinerant root worker] an' he tole her, says, "Well, now, ah tell yuh whut tuh do, if yuh wanta make him settle wit yuh, an' ah guarantee he'll settle wit yuh 'fore ten a'clock tuhnight." She say, "All right." He say, "Git chew some gunpowdah an' git chew a little han'ke'ch'ef, [and] dis Sweet Sachet Powdah - perfume, sachet powdah." An' he say, "An' den she'll [yuh'll] cook fo' him too" - she cooked fo' de white man - he says, "an' yuh sprinkle dat sachet powdah all aroun' dere. An' den yuh put some of dat gun- powdah in it an' put some vine - blacksnake root in dere." An' he say, "Yuh go on dere an' talk wit 'im." An' he said, "He'll ask yuh - yuh don't have tuh fuss eithah - settle right away." Well, she'd git dat an' she would sew dat bag on 'er. Dat's when I wuz small.
(Where did this happen? In what part of the country?)
"At was up here at Hollyville.
(That's in Mississippi?)
Campbellsville, yes sir, Mississippi. (I see. Well, she would put this snakeroot in this powder and just sprinkle it around? What did she do with it?) She would put dat sachet powdah all aroun' 'is plate-like - make de food smell good. She didn't put it in food. Well, she put dat othahs in a little bag, yuh know, dat [gunpowder] an' dat snakeroot-like - yuh know, dat blacksnake root, an' carried it [bag] in dere when she went on tuh urinate on it.
(She would urinate on it before she went in there?)
Yes.
(And she carried the bag?)
Yes, sir.
(Well, why wouldn't he settle with her except at those hours at night?)
Ah don't know, he jis' wouldn't do it. She'd go dere an' set an' set. She stayed wit 'im five years, an' whenevah he'd settle, she'd have tuh go dere an' set. He jes' wouldn't settle, jis' waitin' an' foolin' aroun'.
Entry 4357
Take dey chamber lye an' stop a person. (How do they do that?) Well, dey take it an' dey put it in a bottle an' dey bottle dat up fo' nine mawnin's. An' dey'll put peppah, salt, gunpowdah, war watah an' dey stop dat up fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll stop yuh from urinatin', see. Dat'll almos' run yuh crazy. Den dey throw it in de rivah.
Entry 4385
If yuh wanta do 'em harm, yuh take a person's actions, an' if yuh kin git 'em intuh somepin an' drive some gunpowdah, an' take two needles an' cross it an' burn it, an' dey say dat'll harm dat person. (In what way would it harm them, do you know?) No sir, ah only heard dat it would. It didn't lock dere bowels, but dey say it would do great hahm [harm], great hindrance. In othah words if dey had been - maybe dey had been in wit yuh some Way, yuh competitor - would cause 'em tuh lose out. In othah words dey become sick. Ah haven't heard whethah it would kill 'em or not. (You mean they would take their passage, that they made from their bowels, and do that with it?) Yes sir.
Entry 4935
[Hanging can be a magic rite as here, but this action is not always recognized in indices.] Takes yore socks an' dress it wit de same thin' an' take it tuh de cemetery an' bury it. Drive a stake down an' hang dat stockin' on dere an' jis' yuh done dressed it wit dat stuff. [A woman buries a man's sock or socks, dressed with the following 4 ingredients, in the graveyard. She then drives a stake as a headboard over this simulated grave, and hangs on it her stocking or stockings. He is now beneath, ruled; she above, the ruler. A man may perform this rite against a woman.]
(What stuff?)
Dat brimstone, bluestone, cayenne peppah an' gunpowdah. Jis' rub it all in dat sock an' hang up dat stocking. Yuh done sweated in yore sock, or de woman sweated in de stockin'. An' jis' as dat rain come in dat stockin' [and] de socks molt away, dat's de way yuh'll molt away.
Entry 5307
Well, if ah wus wit a man an' me an' him disagreed an' couldn't git along, why ah'd take his track. Reach an' git it, pull it tuh me. Take it a certain time of de day, not latah den ten a' clock - not latah den ten. At ten a'clock in de day ah'd go tuh a ants bed, take me some gunpowdah an' put it in dat ants bed, an' take a match an' set it afire. Well, when dat scattah, he'd be gone.
(What do you do with his foot track?)
Take dis gunpowdah an' dis track all mixed tuhgethah.
(You didn't tell me that, you see.)
Yes sir, yo' mix it tuhgethah an' yo' set a match tuh it, an' it blow up. Well, jes' lak dat smoke goin', dat fellah goin' de same way.
(You must blow this up in a ants bed?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5474
If dey wan' chew tuh leave town - if yo' givin' dem trouble an' dey Wan' chew tuh leave town, why dey'd ketch it [your track]. If yo' goin' dis way, dey'd ketch it disaway. Den dey would take dis dirt - take it an' put it in a new piece of home- spun. When yo' go tuh a graveyard, git chew two bran'- new teaspoons. Go tuh a graveyard wit two bran'-new tea- spoons. Git chew two teaspoonsfulla dirt offa two sinnahs graves. Well, yo' takes two pennies an' pay each one of dese sinnahs fo' de dirt. Well, yo' takes dat gunpowdah an' thundah-strucken wood, red peppah, an' mix it all tuhgethah. What ah mean thundah-strucken iw where lightning struck a tree. Well yo' take it an' divide it intuh two parts. Yo' put one in a red chunk bottle [bottle with long neck] an' bury it in de east, an' yo' put de othah one in a red chunk bottle an' yo' go tuh runnin' watah, an' yo' pitch it 'cross yore shouldah - turn yore back, pitch it 'cross yore shouldah. Befo' yo' pitch it 'cross yore shouldah, yo' say, yo' do dis, In de Name of de Father, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost - fo' yo' tuh go an' nevah return. An' in three days time yo'll be left town, yo' can't stay. Yo'll tread dat watah until yo' drown.
(You say you put all that stuff in a red chunk bottle?)
In a red bottle - quart bottle [the ordinary brown beer or whiskey bottle one "chunks" or throws away.]
(Which shoulder do you throw that over?)
Ovah yore lef' shouldah.
Entry 5477
Jis' lak say, if ah wanted yo' tuh leave town. Yo' an' ah have become tuh be enemies, an' ah'm gonta [going to] make yo' leave town - not gonta put mah han's on yuh. Well, ah'll fool roun' until ah see yo' pass, anywheres where yo' make a imprint of a track on de sand. Well, ah'll go an' scrape up dat track, an' take it an' mix it wit gunpowdah, an' set fiah tuh it an' she'll blow up. An' dey say yo've got'a go.
(Now, how many tracks of mine would you take, both of them?)
Jis' git some of de dirt of yore track. Dey [who?] don't say eithah one, jis' say yore track.
Entry 5479
Well, yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, but dat's did wit de track.
(Tell me how it is done.)
Well, dey take up yore track backwards. Now see, yo' comin' in dis direction. Ah'd take up yore track goin' backwards goin' dat way. Ah place it in a can about dat size. Ah go tuh de fo'ks of de road where it's fo'kin' di- rectly east tuhwards where de sun rise; one goin' dis way an' one goin' dat way. Ah take de can an' ah dig a hole down dere. Take de can an' beneath dat can ah put a li'le powdah - not a large can but a small one - put a li'le [powder]. Den ah'll have it so dat yuh dynamitin'. Strike a match an' put tuh it.
(What will that do to you then?)
Dat'll run yo' clean away from home.
(You do that with gunpowder. And you do that right where that road forks.)
Dat's right, yo' do dat in de early mawnin' when de sun jis' begin tuh rise.
Entry 5480
Take yuh foot track, git chah right foot, an' git choo some sulphah an' some gunpowdah, an' put it in a piece of brown papah. An' strike yuh a match tuh it an' blow it - an' light each cor- nahs of it, de fo' cornahs. It'll blow up. An' yo'll leave town. Anywhere yo're at, choo'll go, keep movin'.
Entry 5481
Jis' lak if yo' envious ag'inst a person, an' yo' wanta do sompin mean to 'em, yo' try tuh git dat track an' gunpowdahs an' Red Devil Lye an' put dere track an' dere name. Write de name on a piece of papah an' den yo' set dat gunpowdahs afiah.
Entry 5482
Now ah tell yo' sompin else yo' do ag'in. Now ah don' know if yo' kin git de track or not, but now yo' git three of de lef' track. Ah wanta show yo' how tuh git it. See, ah'm walkin', ain't I - walkin' along [demonstrates]? Well, yo' got'a git dis track up dis way.
(From the toe to the heel.)
From de toe to de heel. Jis' git a li'le bit of sand an' put it in yore han'. Git three of 'em.
(Get three out of the left track.)
An' den yo' take it an' mix it up tuhgethah, an' den git yo' a pod of red pep- pah an' yo' open dat pod of red peppah tuh de top; not tuh de pointy part, tuh de big part.
(At the stem part.)
An' yo' put gunpowdah. Yo' gits yo' a shell, yo' know a gunshell, an' yo' put dat gunshell [powder] in dat, some of dat [foot track] dirt in dere. Yo' know it [pepperpod] can't hol' much yo' know, but yo' mix de gunpowdah an' de gunshell tuhgethah - er [I mean] de [foot track] dirt an' de gunpowdah tuhgethah. An' yo' jis' take an' puts it right in front of yo' do' an' set it [afire]. See, dat gunpowdah will make it explode, yo' undahstan'. An' yo' stick a match tuh it an' say, "Stay apart, stay apart, [stay apart]."
(Does it separate them or send them away?)
Separate 'em.
Entry 5483
Like it's yo'd have a girl frien' an' some man would come an' take her away from yo'. Prob'ly yo'd be married tuh her, an' some man would git between yo' an' yore wife. Now yo' wanta bust dat up. Yo'd trail him un- til dey'd cross a sandy place or real soft dirt - somewhere dey'd make a track. Yo'd git each one of dem lef'-foot track. Git chew prob'ly a piece of metal or piece of newspapah dat's nevah been used - anything dat yo' kin scrape up dem tracks wit'out breakin' 'em. Git chew a piece of new [yellow = unbleached] cotton an' place de heels tuh- gethah, both toes leavin' each othah. An' git chew some powdah [gunpowder] an' put it in between 'em, bind dat real tight. Git chew some silk thread dat chew kin wrap it good, dat it will have a good compression, an' light dat powdah. Put chew fuse dat it'll light dat powdah lak one of these fiah-crackahs, so when it goes off it blows dem tracks. Dat sends dem, one one way, one de othah way. Dey'll nevah be nuthin else tuhgethah.
Entry 5484
Yo' git 'is track an' git 'er track an' git chew gunshells, an' jis' put dem two tracks tuhgethah an' stick yo' a light undah it, say, "Ah wants one of yo' tuh go tuh de east an' de othah one tuh de west." Take dat gunshell an' put one on dis side, dis gunshell heah now in de middle. An' heah one track heah an' heah de othah one dataway, say, "Ah want one tuh go tuh de east an' one t-h go tuh de west." An' call dere names. An' stick a fiah undah dem an' dey'll say dey'll go evah way. Dey can't stay tuh- gethah, dey would have tuh go.
(This is to break up a man and his wife?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5485
De track business breaks up frien'ship between a girl an' her sweet- heart man. Hit's lak ah had a girl goin' wit a man an' ah didn't want 'im tuh go wit 'er. In ordah tuh break it up, ah would take three swings of dirt wit'out stoppin', an' walk right on behin' 'em - ah grab [swing] up three tracks dat are jis' made - wit'out stoppin' - an' ah save dem. An' if he Wus goin' - jis' lak he wuz goin' south, ah would ketch his comin' no'th. Ah ketch de girl's goin' no'thwards, [I mean] ketch her goin' so'thwards, gits de three grabs. (In other words if he's walking southwards, you catch his from the toe back to the heel; and the girl's going north, you catch her's back to the heel - just in opposite directions.) An' ah got three of each. Den ah takes it an' ah compound it, jis' sticks it in de ground an' compound it [mix his and her tracks]. An' den ah take, an' ah takes gunpowdah dat explodes, an' wrop it up an' put it in somepin tight, chew know. Put de powdah at de bottom, wit de dry papah comin' up through de center, yo' know, an' pack it aroun' dere. An' den ah put dirt on top jis' lak it wuz shot, an' ah take dat out an' den stick a match tuh de top of dis dry papah, an' it goes tuh de bottom an' de bottom explodes. Dat explodes dere frien'ship. Dat breaks de frien'ship up. An' dat will do so.
(All you put in there is that dirt and the gunpowder.)
Dat's right.
(In this paper?)
Yes.
Entry 5486
Ah heard 'em say, jis' lak if dey wanta run a person away, git a li'le of de dirt out dey right feet track an' put it in a gunpowder shell - put a li'le bit in de shell. Take de li'le shots out an' put a li'le bit of dat in dere an' put de li'le shots back in, an' shoot it in de way yo' want 'em tuh go. Say dat will jis' keep 'em goin'.
Entry 5487
Take a shell. Yo' kin take dat shell an' yo' kin empty de shell, an' yo' kin git a spoon or eithah jis' a little bit, jis' about as much as dat dere [demonstrates], of dirt outa man's track an' put it in dat shell. An' when yo' put it in dat shell, if yo' don't want 'em roun' heah, yo' git right tuhwards sundown an' yo' fire dat gun. An' he'll nevah come nowhere roun' yo', nevah be roun' yo' no mo'. Won't have no mo' trouble wit 'em.
Entry 5488
Well, dey say yo' could take three dips of earth outa dey right track, an' take a gunshot an' take some of de shots out of it, an' put dat dirt in dere an' covah it back up, an'.shoot it anywhere, object dat chew want 'em tuh go, an' cuss 'em. Tell 'em tuh go.
(You put that into a gun. That's to make them move out?)
Yes.
Entry 5489
[Yo'] kin take a gun shell an' yo' kin take yore tracks an' anothah woman's tracks, an' yo' kin put 'em in a shell, yo' know - undahstan', but leave de powdah. Take out de shots - see, de beebee, an' put 'em [tracks] in dat shell, an' pack 'em back down in dere jis' lak in de shell, an' yo' kin shoot it. An' dat'll settle wit 'em, dey'll nevah live tuhgethah.
Entry 5490
In othah words, ag'in, yo' heah tell about a man - ah'm havin' trouble wit a man about mah wife, yo' know. Well, AH'M JES' GOIN' USE YO' AN' AH FO' A PARABLE. Well ah done tell yo' 'bout mah wife an' yo' wouldn't quit, an' ah done git attah huh [after her] 'bout chew. An' yo'all - yet yo' don't quit. Look lak yo' jes' ready tuh die if yo' could. Well, fo' a instan' [for instance] now. Ah don't wanta ary [either] one a-yo' [of you], see. Well, tuh collah [put a collar on] it, ah gotta take de weak man's strength, see. Ah'm gotta make yo' stop in a way tuh keep mahself free. See, ef ah go ahaid an' kill yo', ah gotta be punished, yo' undahstan'; but if ah work fo' me, ah kin do it an' de law can't git at me, yo' see. Well, ef ah don' wanta kill yuh, ah'll jes' break yo' up. Ah'll take yore dirt dataway [demonstrates] - take up yore track, push it off from me.
(You take it from the heel to the toe or from the toe to the heel?)
Well, ah ketch dis centah of de track an' shove it from me - grab it an' grab it from me. Git up a li'le bit of it fo' three steps.
(From three different steps.)
Dat's right. Ah git it jes' lak dis heah [demonstrates].
(I understand: one - two - three.)
Three tracks - dat's de right feet. All right. Ah'll take dat an' put it right tuhgethah. Den ah'll turn roun' den an' ah'll git mah wife's track, see.
(How many do you get from her?)
De same thing. Den ah'll put dis in - ah'll take de shot out of a shell an' put dat [tracks] in dere, in de shot place, an' wheresomevah ah layway dem [keep mah gun an' shell] an' wheresomevah ah ketch 'em talkin' ah'll run in on 'em an' de time dey [before they have time to run away], see, ah'm goin' shoot right ovah dey haids yo' see. Dat's goin' blow 'em apart, yo' see. Yo' undahstan'? One go one way an' one go de othah, an' ah ain't goin' have no mo' trouble out chew an' 'er. AN' IF SHE BE WIT ANYBODY, IT BE WIT DE NEX' MAN, 'CUZ AH DONE BLOW YO' AWAY IN DE AIR.
(But you have to go in on them, touch them and shoot right over their heads?)
Dat's right. Jes' lak if yo's got 'er cornahed talkin' somewhere, ah ain't comin' up tuh shoot yo'. Ah's be lookin' roun' an' ah say, "Dere he be's now." [Yo'] know it customary tuh ketch yo' off [by yoreself] an' have a li'le talk. Well, it might be tuhday, see, when yo' go tuh work, when yo' [I] see 'em [you two]. Well, ah ain't gwine tuh see yo' [talk to you again], but jes' where ah meet chew [you two], ah'm goin' turn an' shoot ovah yore haid [heads]. An' when ah turn loose [the gun], one gwine dataway an' de othah one gwine dataway. An' den ah won't have any mo' trouble wit chew an' 'er.
Entry 5491
An' if it's anyone dat yo' don't wanta be worried wit, yo' take dey track goin' dataway, an' put it on a - saw off a post [any kinda post, saw de top of it off] an' put dat dust up on it. Jes' take dere track an' po' it up on dere an' take a shotgun an': shoot it off - shoot de track. [The top of the old half-rotten post is sawed off to make it level, so that none of the track will spill off.]
(Shoot it off the top of the post?)
Shoot dat dirt off de top of de post. Take a shotgun an' go shoot it off de top of de post. (You pick up the track as they are going away. You pick it up the opposite way?) Yo' pick it up de object [opposite] way. If dey goin' dis way, yo' takes de track dis way [demonstrates]. An' put it up on any kinda post, solid post where it won't fall down, an' shoot de post an' dat shoot 'em away.
Entry 5492
Well yo' see yo' kin take his track an' pick it up in de hollow part of 'is feet, jes' lak he make it, an' put it in a li'le ole tobacco sack. Den yo' git some gun- powdah an' also some red peppah [in the sack] an' throw it in a runnin' stream of watah, an' say, "Go, an' don't nevah return any mo'." An' dey say in nine days time he'll be missin' out de town.
(You put this other stuff in the sack with the track?)
Yes sir, mix it all tuhgethah.
Entry 5493
Take dat - yo' take yore foot track an' yo' put dat wit sulphur, red peppah an' gunpowdah an' put quicksilvah wit dat. Yo' go tuh de rivah an' go throw it right 'cross yore right shouldah. Go on an' don' look back. Dat will run yo'. Dey say dat will run yuh. Quicksilver may be the real thing, tin foil, or scrapings from back of mirror; the important idea being the five letters q-u-i-c-k.1
(You take, use either foot track. It doesn't make any difference?)
No.
Entry 5579
Know whut dey put down? Sometime dey could take yore track an' put it. down, bury it, an' yo' have tuh leave. Bury it undah yore do'steps an' yo'd have tuh leave. Dey kin take nine needles an' put 'em crossways an' put it in wit chure track, an' put red peppah in dere an' gun- powdah, an' yo'd have tuh leave.
(Where would you put all that stuff then?)
Put it undah yore do'step.
Entry 5709
Dey say if anybody in yore town dat chew don' lak, yo' jis' git grave- yard dirt an' yore [this person's left] track an' put some red peppah an' gun- powder in it, an' care [carry] it tuh de rail- road track, an' dis a vich [which] way [way] yo' put it on de track [that is the direction in which this person will travel]. Dey say jis' sprinkle it along on de track, an' if de train ketch it, den dey won' have no mo' trouble wit joo. Dey say dat [foot] track a-make yo' go tuh de station an' ketch de train, an' de track dat dey put it on will be de train dat choo leave on.
Entry 5711
Take gunpowdah an' a man track, or a woman track, an' salt, peppah an carry it to a red ants nest on a railroad an' say to it whut chew want done, an' it will be done. (You just put it there, you don't do anything else to it?) Jes' stir it roun' an' TALK TO IT AS YO' STIRRIN' AROUND; an' whut chew want done to it, it will be done. [The place collected and number of informant have temporarily been lost.]
Entry 5721
(Have you ever heard of a person getting hold of your foot track and doing something with that to harm you?) Well, dey kin.
(What could they do with that?)
Well, dey kin take dat, take dat wit gunpowdah, an' while yo' are sleepin', call yo' an' yo' answah. Dat's yo'. Dey got yore spirit den. See, dey got chure spirit. See dat's all dey want. An' den dey kin take it tuh a tree, say a gum tree, an' dey kin split dat gum tree an' tack it up in dere.
(What do they tack up in there?)
Dey kin tack or eithah kin splice [split] it [tree]. Put dat right in.
(What do they put in?)
Put de track - put de track in dere. See, de tree will burn.
(What do they do with that gunpowder?)
Dat gunpowdah will keep it hot. Keep yo' hot. Yo' can't stay no one place. Yo' nevah be contented. [In the present rite a part of the victim's spirit, his foot track, has already been caught and mixed with gunpowder in a bottle - see PART OF SPIRIT EQUALS WHOLE SPIRIT, p.2lf. For good measure informant now catches spirit re- maining in victim's body by calling his name and closing bottle when he answers (see TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f.). Whether these two wholes or two parts of the spirit unite in the bottle, or the gunpowder keeps them dancing apart, I do not know. Evildoer pours contents of bottle into a split made in gum tree and re- moves wedge. The word gum adds to the confusion.]
Entry 5747
This is to cross you. You take the right-foot track, you dig that out and turn it over, and fill the hole full of salt and pepper and quicksilver and sulphur and gunpowder. Then you put that foot track back in the hole upside down and tamp it down and make a wish. You do that the same both for a man and a woman, if you want to break them up.
[Berlin, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6099
Git de hair out chure haid an' mix it wit bluestone, red peppah, gunpowdah, thundah- strucken wood an' put it in a bottle an' bear [bury] it, an' dat'll give yo' headache for- evah an' eternal until yo' go some place an' see somebody an' git 'em to dig dat stuff up.
(What was that last thing you put in the bottle?)
Ah said, bluestone, gunpowdah, an' red peppah an' stops it up in a red bottle an' bear [bury] it. [I was trying to obtain a repetition of thundah-strucken wood, a rare term for the more usual liahtnina-struck wood (see p.599). Thundah-strucken wood of course is associated with the thunderbolt and thunderbolt hand (p.655). For thumderbolt see FACI, 1st ed., No.5380; 2nd ed., No.5786. Informant in present rite ismarked good]
Entry 6246
Dey kin take yuh hair an' bury it, yuh see, an' dat'll run yuh crazy. Dey'll bury it wit de same hot stuff, gunpowder, red peppah. Dat's when dey wan'a run yuh crazy. An' dey'll take dat wasp nestes. Yuh know de wasp look lak dey goin' fly at chew an' goin' sting yuh. Yo'll take de wasp nestses an' take dat [wasp] powdah. Take dem little waspses outa de nest an' takes de dirt an' dey makes a little powdah. Dey makes a little powdah wit dat an' dey'll go tuh work an' dey'll.... Whut did yuh ast me? Uh-huh, yuh hair. An' dey'll take dat hair an' dey'll put all dat togethah an' dey'll bury it, or eithah put it in [a tree]. Dey'll go in de woods somewhere an' dey'll put it in a tree toward de sunrise, an' yo'll always have achin's an' achin's in yore haid an' be crazy.
Entry 6535
If anybody poisons yo', yo' git dem red ants - de red ants. Ah don' know nuthin 'bout nuthin but de red ants. An' yo' git dem red antses an' yo' put it in a li'le bit of whiskey, an' yo' put some gunpowdahs wit it. An' when yo' put it in dat whiskey an' de gunpowdah, yo' make it out a liquid yo' see, of a mub. An' den yo' put it down dere an' yo' git de white of a aig, an' yo' mix dat up as a rub stuff. An' rub yoreself wit it, an' if dere an' insect in yo', why dat'll cuz dem tuh leave. As fur as ah heard of dat.
Entry 6752
Dey tell me dat chew git a po'tion [por- tion not potion] of rat- tlesnake dust, red peppah, gunpowdah in yore shoes, dat'll cuz [cause] yo' tuh have achin' an' swellin' j'ints an' stuff. Dat'll put a spell on yo'.
(Sort of swell up your feet or make your joints ache?)
Yeah, yore j'ints ache, an' swell yore j'ints up, too.
(Well, is there any way you can cure that, I wonder?)
Yessir, yo' go tuh a cow stall an' yo' git dat dung, dat rakin' of de cow stall where de cow trample.
(The cow manure?)
Yeah. Yo' take dat an' yo' boil dat an' yo' bathe yore feets in dere. Yo' dilute dat an' put a li'le salt in it. Bathe yore feets in dere wit dat. An' yo' take dat an' yo' THROW DAT SUNDOWN SIDE. DAT MEANS FO' DE MISERY TUH GO DOWN, de sweat of it goes down an' de mis'ry [misery] tuh go out. Yo' throw dat sundown side.
Entry 6833
"Heah 'em say yo' kin take de powdah outa gunshell an' put it in de milk, some sweet milk, an' dat keep anybody in de worl' from bothahin' yo'.
Entry 6834
Ah've hear'd of - yo' kin use gunpowdah in drinkin' it in sweet milk, a woman or girl dat would breed children. It'll stop 'em from breedin'.
Entry 6835
[Here is one of many examples in Hoodoo of my restarting recording machine, hoping informant will repeat the brief rite just given:] (You use that for poison?) Poison, yo' know. Yo' take gunpowdah an' steel dust an' yo' grin' dat up an' yo' take dat a sweet milk, drink it, an' whatevah inside'a yo', yo'll pass it.
Entry 6901
Anything wrong, yo' kin take some sweet milk an' heat it real hot, an' put some red cayenne peppah in it an' put some red pod peppah in it. An' scrape some silvah off de dime an' put in de glass, an' put some gun- powdahs in it, an' yo' drink it. An' when yo' drink it, jis' makes yo' bu'st out in a big sweat an' den yo' kin vomit it up.
(This poison?)
Yeah.
Entry 6935
[If they get it] inside yuh body, lak worms an' diff'ren' things lak dat, yo' take some gunpowdah an' cow's milk, warm cow's milk an' take a silvah dime an' grate it. Yo' undahstand? Grate dat silvah dime intuh dis gunpowdah an' milk, an' drink it fer, say ten or fifteen days, an' yo'll pass it all outa yuh. Yer passin'll be as black as smoke.
Entry 7603
Ah say yuh kin [go] tuh de grave- yard an' git some graveyard dirt an' gun- powdah an' sprinkle it roun' dere place. An' if dey git [dirt] comin' from de head, dat takes 'em from de house; but if dey git it comin' tuh de house, dat brings yuh dere.
(Get what coming from the head?)
De dirt.
(What dirt?)
Ah say, tuh make a person move sometime yuh goes out dere an' git dat dirt an' sprinkle it roun' wit gunpowdah. Dat makes a person restless an' give 'em a mind tuh go, not tuh stay.
(You said something about nine days, didn't you?)
Yes, nine days aftah de party's buried. Yeah, nine days yuh go dere an' git it right out de chest. Den yuh kin go dere an' git it an' put it in a pile of chips. Put it in a pile of [wood] chips an' [if your victim] go dere an' rake dem chips up an' put 'em in de fire, yuh [the victim] liable tuh ketch afire an' burn tuh death. (If someone wants to do you that harm, they sprinkle this in the chips and you are liable to burn.)
Entry 7608
Whut dey do tuh keep de law away from de house is dis. Dey git dis dirt, see, de graveyard dirt, but dey git it from a wicked spirit, see. An' aftah dey git dis dirt, well den dey'll put de same ingredients tuh it, see. An' if dey sprinkle dat dirt aroun' de house from time tuh time, well den if amybody wants tuh come or somepin, well if dey step ovah it, well dey can't come in.
(I see. That keeps the law away?)
Yes.
(What do you mean they get this dirt from a wicked spirit?)
Well, dey git in - like if a person got killed. Yuh know, a wicked person git killed or somepin like dat an' den dey go tuh de grave an' dey pay 'em so much an' dey git dat dirt.
(What would they pay as a rule?)
Dey pay eithah one cent or two cents.
(Where do they put that?)
Dey put dat on de body of de person. Dey dig a hole an' dey git so much dirt from dat hole dat dey put dat penny in, an' dey tell dat person whut dey wan' 'im tuh do an' den dey go away.
(What ingredients do they put with -that dirt before they use it?)
Dey put de same red peppah see, an' dey put de gunpowdah too.
(Was there something else in that ingredient that you mentioned before?)
Dey use a spice if dey wan' chew tuh love 'em, or tuh keep 'em.
Entry 7898
Dress de shoes wit grave- yard dust an' quicksilvah an' gunpowdah. (What will that do?) Dress yo' shoe. (Why?) Oh, dat'll make yo' leave, jes' keep yo' always on de go.
Entry 8140
Take dey photograph an' git dis gunpowdah out of a shell, wit sulphuh an' salt, an' go out in de field or in de house, wherevah yo' want to. Co'se de gunpowdah makes sech a noise. Yo' kin put dis pichure face down on dis an' make a fiah undah it. (Face down on what?) On de fiah. See, yo' make a fiah an' den yo' put dis pichure face down on a piece of papah wit de gunpowdah an' sulphuh, an' salt an' graveyard dirt. Tell it dat, "Ah want chew tuh run dis person away. Ah want chew tuh kill 'em." But mos'ly tuh kill de person. When de fiah ketch on de pichure, it will kill de person.
Entry 8229
Tuh break up a home, well yo' kin take gunpowdah.
(How would you use that?)
Well yo' would take de gunpowdah an' yo' draw a pichure lak it's fo' two peo- ple. Yo' draw 'em jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight - yo' know how chil'ren kin draw funny pichures - jis' lak dey goin' tuh fight. Yo' takes de gunpowdah an' nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of red peppah, an' yo' put it in de stove an' make yure wishes. An' dat breaks 'em up. (Well, what do you do with the picture then?) Well, yo' take de pichure perhaps an' stand it on de head an' put it in a dark closet.
(No, this picture that you draw. What do you do with that?)
Oh, what you drew. Yo' burns dat. Yo' writes dere names on dis papah. Yo' draws on a plain piece of white papah, den yo' takes dis pichure, de man's havin' a fight, yo' puts de gunpowdah in dere, nine pinches, nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of cayenne peppah, red peppah. An' den yo' put it in de stove fo' nine mawnin's.
(I see, you put the stuff into the picture?)
Yeah.
(You have to draw that thing nine times?)
Uh-huh. Yo' don't have tuh draw it zactly [exactly] lak 'em, but yo' draw it lak a man if yo' kin or do it lak a woman, see.
(Well, do you do that over again and again?)
Ovah ag'in fer nine mawnin's.
Entry 8510
(What about gunpowder?)
Well, yo' take gunpowdah an' yo' take Red Seal Lye. Yo' take gunpowdah, yo' take Epsom salt, an' yo' take de individual name. Yo' put it down in a coconut an' yo' bury dat coconut, an' yo'll keep dat party as crazy as crazy kin be. See, dat gun- powdah is de ambition, dat red peppah [Red Seal Lye] is hot, an' dat Epsom salt jis' keep - dat Epsom salt keep 'em from havin' anythin'. Evahthin' dey git slip away from 'em, yo' see. Keep 'em wit a rovin' mind.
(A roving?)
A rovin' mind, yeah. Yo' know, jis' ambition, fightin' an'....
Entry 8547
If a person - jes' lak if yo' don't like them or anything like dat, well yo' write dere name on a piece of paper an' yo' take gunpowder an' sulphur an' bluestone an' burn it in de fireplace an' dat will cause dem tuh be in hard luck.
Entry 8573
If yo' wants them to come there, sign their name on plain paper. Then they'll put this gunpowder in there and light and burn it. That brings 'em back. And repeat de Lord's prayer 9 mornings.
(Do you burn that just for one morning or for nine mornings?)
Naw, yuh burn it fer just one time but juh have to say de prayers for nine mornings.
Entry 8641
Well, if a woman's got a man - well jis' like I've got a husband an' a woman wants to break me an' my husband up. I'll say like that. Yo' get a lemon an' get yo' some cayenne pepper an' get yo' some gunpowder. Yo' take that lemon, you wouldn't cut it half in two, you only cut that top around the top, yo' know, an' yo' raise it up like that and yo' bore a hole in that lemon. (You cut the top like a lid and you bore a hole under that?) Yes. Then yo' will write this man's name nine times, and yours nine times over it, an' yo' stick that down in that lemon an' put that gunpowder - that gunpowder's for confusion, that what's it for - an' the red pepper. Then yo' would take that lid an' put it back over there like that. Yo' get yo' some black thread an' yo' tie that lemon tight, so to be sure that nuthin that's in there won't come out, an' put it up over the door anywhere. An' when [as] that lemon dries up, they'll fuss an' fight an finally dey'll break up an' never go back together again. (Do you put your husband's name in there and your name, or your husband's name and her name?) My husband's name and her name.
Entry 8714
Well, yo' take her name an' yo' write her name down three times. Yo' write yore name three times. Yo' want her now, yo' want her. (Now where would I write my name?) Yo' write her name here first [demonstrates]. Put chure name heah [underneath]. Yo' Yo' write her name heah an' put chure name in dere. Yo' write it three of each, three of each. An' yo' take den an' yo' sprinkle a li'le salt an' a li'le sugah on dis, white sugah. De sugah tuh sweeten it. Salt saves it an' sugah sweetens it. An' sprinkle dat. Yo' put dat on top of a heater an' yo' let dat brown. When yo' let dat brown, her mind will come to yo'. Dat sveetness of dat sugah will sweeten her mind tuhwards yo'. Yo' git 'er. Well, now, if yo' wanta jes', say, carry her off from where she stayin' or make confusion ovah dere first, yo' put red peppah, sulphur an' gunpowdah on dere. Put 'er husban' name or whosomevah man she got, yo' put dat on dere. Dat's tuh confuse dem. Den when yo' confuse 'em, yo' got 'em. Den yo' put dat sugah on dere to sweeten, an' dat salt to save 'er fo' yo'. Yo' put dat on dere tuh bring 'er tuh yo'.
Entry 8782
Well, if yo' got a person - yo' kin take peoples' name an' put it in a bottle. Well, yo' take de name an' yo' write de name as ah tole yo', nine time, but yo' write it on a straight [ruled] piece of papah. Yo' kin put it in a bottle an' yo' kin take dat bottle an' yo' kin stan' anywheres off where yo' kin whip it; but yo' sup- posed tuh put peppah, vinegah an' Epsom salts an' gunpowdah wit anythin' evil dat yo' wants tuh do. Dat's in de bottle. See, yo' put all dat in dat bottle wit vinegah. An' yo' takes dat bottle an' git it on anythin' soft lak a cushion or pillah, anythin', an' yo' whips dat bottle. An' as yo' whip it yo' call dere name. An' when yo' do's dat, yo' doin' dat tuh make confusion. (And in writing those names, you write one right under each other nine times. And what do you write that with?) Yo' write it wit any kinda pencil.
Entry 8837
Well, dey say yo' kin take dat, yo' han'writin'. Dey say dey kin take yore han'writin' an' dey kin put - yo' see, yo' take yore han'writin' an' yo' roll dat up, an' yo' put dat in a bottle wit sulphuh, red peppah an' gunpowdah. An' yo' put chamber lye in dis bottle an' yo' set it up dis way [demonstrates]. Stop it up airtight an' den yo' put fire aroun' dere. It will shoot up in dere - de stoppah will shoot up in dere an' de bottle will bu'st. Dey say dat will take effect on yore nerves - dat will effect yore nerves an' stuff lak dat - yore hands. Kinda throw yo' in palsy-lak, whut dey tell me.
Entry 9029
Ah see whut it done an' done fo' me, but den yo' has a word tuh speak tuh it. If yo' wanta git dat, nuthin but gunpowdah, sulphur, aftah yo' git dat nest. Yo' git de sulphuh an' bluestone an' den dirt daubah out de nest an' dat black pep- pah. An' yo' make a good pow- dahs an' yo' kin sprinkle it anywhere roun' dere, jes' where de judge an' all de rest gotta come in ovah. When dey come inside of dat do' dere, an' dey walk ovah dere, dat settle it. Dat fur as ah know 'bout dat. An' ah've seen dat happen.
Entry 9031
Well, dey say tuh git a person's shoes, dey always say burnt shoes is good luck. Burn 'em anywheres right in yo' wash-pot in de yard or anywhere in yore house. Burnin' yo' shoes is good. But dey say de shoes is good fo' good luck, dey is good also fo' bad luck, 'cuz if yo' wanta do sompin fo' a person what- somevah yo' goin' do tuh 'em - jes' lak now, say a person uptown in de jailhouse. Well, now, yo' wanta git dat person outa jail. Or in fact, yo' wanta addle de judge an' evah'thin' dere [where] he tryin' 'im. Well, yo' take all dose judge names [officials concerned] an' yo' write 'em on a piece of papah. Yo' take yore gunpowdah an' de sulphuh an' de red peppah, an' yo wrop dat up in dose people names. Yo' stick dat down in de man's [client's] shoe an' yo' turn it bottomside upwards an' yo' burn dat. While yo' shoe burnin', yo' put yore han' tuhgethah tight, lak dis Way [demonstrates] lock yore fingahs tight.
(You interlock your fingers?)
Yes, an' yo' make yore wishes tuhwards he comin' free. Well, dey say dat will free a man.
Entry 9154
(Tell me right from the beginning of it.)
From de beginnin' of de accident an' all?
(That's right, and how she had to pay this and all, you know.)
Well, she cooks fo' C. P. D. Dat big man up dere tuh Something & Company. She been workin' dere two years.
(This is your daughter.)
Ah works fo' So-an'-so, de jeweler uptown in de store. All right. Well, on de second Sunday of each month Mrs. D. lets Emily off, she's mah daughtah, fo' her tuh nuse [use] Sunday. She jes' go an' gits break- fast an' don' have tuh clean up, jes' dust. Dat's her commune Sunday. An' she jes' go an' git breakfast an' jes' dust around, make de beds - spread de two beds an' dust around. Yo' know, make things passable. An' she gits off. Well, this partic'- lah Sunday, which dis Sunday gone - a month now - wus de second Sunday. Well, she came home befo' ah did. She got off befo' ah did. She got off befo' ah did an' she came home an' she went tuh de garage an' got her car out. Well, she started to go to a girl's. She had her hair done dat Sat'day. Well, she started tuh go tuh dis girl tuh jes' have her hair turned undah yo' know. She got up dere on de cornah of Amherst an' George Street. She met two friends of hers an' dey said, "Oh, mah feets hurtin' me!" Said, "Would yo' take us home, Emily?" Emily?" say, "Why, yes, ah got time ah reckon." She looked at de watch. She says, "Yes, ah guess ah got time." Well, she went right on down de street dat way an' on House[?] on Egmont Street is where she got in dis collision wit de water - whut chew call it?
(Hydrant?)
Yes, dat's whut dey call it. An' she jes' ran right up intuh it. De steerin' wheel got locked on her. Yes, got locked on her. Well, den, it's nuthin she could do. Well, dat jes' tore de pipe all up an' muddied de streets with water an' everything, see. Well, someone ah guess up dere called up de police. Dat's de bes' thing yo' could have done. Dey came out. Well, dey 'rested [arrested] 'er an' made 'er git in dere cah. So dey called up dere at de wreckah, de Chevrolet wreckah. De Chevrolet wreckah came an' taken 'er car down tuh de Chevrolet place. [Police] taken her along tuh jail. Well, jes' about dat time - she wus in jail about five minutes. Ah got off from work an', cos' [of course] quite natchly [naturally], she gone tuh de co't- house right down dere. Evah'body ran tuh meet me, "oh Mirandy, Mirandy, have yo' heah whut happened?" Ah said, "No - no - what?" Said, "Well, Emily wus in a wreck." Ah said, "Did she git killed or git hurt?" Ah jes' wus flusterated den yo' know. So dey said, "No, she didn't git hurt. Dey taken her tuh jail." Ah said, "Well, all right." Ah went - rushed right on down tuh de fail. Dey said ah couldn't see her but dere wus nuthin wrong wit 'er. Well, where ah wus workin' at de time, ah wus workin' fo' one of de police's sistahs an' he stayed right dere, de little fellah dat rides de motorcycle, Andy C. He said, "No, Mirandy, ah wouldn't tell yo' a story, yo' know, yo' mah cook. Ah would not tell yo' a story." Ah said, "All right." So den ah came on back home aftah ah couldn't see her or talk tuh her. Ah Went ovah dere tuh Mr. G. an' ah axed Mr. G., ah said, "Goodness sake, whyn't yo' call me up an' let me know dat Emily wus in jail?" He said, "Mirandy, it jes' happened jes' now." Said, "Ah didn't know where tuh call yo' an' ah knowed yo' would see me." Ah said, "Well, ah do see." Ah said, "Ah want mah chile out, " ah say, "Emily is no jailbird." Ah said, "An' accidents are likely tuh happen tuh anybody at any time, an' especially wit a cah." Ah say, "Ah seen some cahs would go sailin' by hers a thousan' times an' say be wrecked, " ah say, "an' ah've read in de papahs where a man an' his wife were jes' married on dere honeymoon, got killed an' hurted." Jes' went on explainin tuh 'im. He say, "Yes, " he says, "Don't chew be worried." He said, "If it any sech thing lak money tuh git 'er out, why she's comin' out." Ah said, "Well, 'phone 'em an' ask is she hurted?" So he did. Dey said, "No, dey wasn't anything wrong wit Emily nor de people - de two girls whut wus in de cah. Ah said, "Well, all right." Mr. G. say, "Go on home." Ah say, "No. Well, no." He say, "Yes, yo' go on home." Ah went on home an' as soon as ah unlocked de do' an' opened up de house, den she came. Well, dat wus on Sunday, de second Sunday in last month. So Monday, dat Mon- day, yo' know, dey had co't. Well, de judge didn't wanta fine me, becuz he knows me an' 'er folks, yo' know, an' den ah worked fo' 'im. Ah have worked fo' 'im. Haven't worked fo' 'im. recently but ah have worked fo' 'im. Anyway he knows me. An' de Chief, Chief Francis, said, "Judge, dat Mills woman" - he wus talkin' 'bout me - he says, "ah've knowed her, been knowin' 'er fo' ovah 25 yeahs." He says, "She's a truthful woman. Ah believe evah word she says." He says, "She's all right." But yet, yo' see, de city had tuh pay fo' dat hydrant tuh be put back an' it cost - dey only charged her fo' dat hydrant tuh be put back. Dey had tuh hire extry help, yo' see. De watahin' people had done knocked off at dat time, yo' know, an' dey had tuh call on extry help. Dey had tuh call on extry help. Why ah guess dey had tuh pay dem extry. Ah know dey did.
(Overtime or something?)
Yes. So de Judge wus very lenient wit 'er. Dey only charge her $25.50. $25.50 but aftah she back ovah tuh de co'troom or tuh de jailroom - whatevah yo' call it - why she had tuh pay $26.50. All right, dat wus settled right fo' dat. She didn't have tuh go tuh jail. All right. Den she went on back an' fixed dinnah fo' her people. Well, de cah wus still at de Chevrolet place where she bought it from. So de one tuh go ovah - ovahhaul de cah an' see whut it would cost an' check up on it, yo' know, see whut dey could do. Well, Mrs. D., de lady dat she worked fo', friend - a personal friend is a businessman. So he tried to do it cheap as he could an' it wus $63. Well, latah on de watah people taken a 'tachment [attachment] on de cah an' Sued 'er fo' $55.55. BUT DEY'LL BE AS LONG GITTIN' DAT $55.55 AS YO' OR I WUS GITTIN' GROWN. AH'M GOIN' SEE TUH DAT PART. AH'LL TAKE CARE OF DAT MAHSELF. (Now, you were going to tell me what you have done now to take care of that - make a nice story of it.) Well, ah taken me a piece of stick - common ordinary stick an' ah hew it down jes' about lak dat [demonstrates].
(About as long as your long finger.)
Yes. Ah hewed me anothah piece about a inch, about two inches long. Ah make a cross in dat.
(You made a cross of those two sticks.)
Ah taken it an' ah put it in de back seat undah mah cah - undah de back seat of de car - our cah, de flivvah, mah cah. Well, it's mah daughtah's but ah call it mine.
(The car that was in the wreck you mean?)
Yes. Re'lly, it is mah daughtah's cah. Ah taken me three new nails, three rusty nails an' put dem in de back of dat cah. Ah got me some dust outa dat cemetery an' ah put some peppah, gunpowdah an' salt in a little sack - jes' made it about dat much - jes' a little lak dat, of each [demonstrates].
(Just a pinch of each.)
Jes' lak dat an' ah put it undah de.... [demonstrates].
(Under the seat?)
Uh-huh. Well, yo' know, ah hol' up de hood of mah cah wit a pencil [demonstrates].
(Made a cross with a pencil like that.)
Dat's de end of it.
(Well, now, where did you put those nails?)
In de back seat - undah de back seat of mah cah an' dat cross.
(Well, now the nails - usually they drive them into the wood?)
No, yo' jes' throw dem careless [demonstrates].
(Just throw them careless.)
Yes, careless.
(And just lay the cross in there?)
Jes' lak yo' would have jes' ole rubbage in yo' cah.
(Just throw stuff in.)
Yes, any stuff dat chew might need.
(And that was done so that they couldn't win this suit. That the idea?)
Dey will nevah win it, unless ah die or dat git misplaced. But DEY'LL BE AS LONG GITTIN' IT AS YO' OR AH GITTIN' GROWN UP.
Entry 9266
Dey tell me dey take a black hen aig, if yo' wanta run a person. Ah'm using mah seriance [experience] 'bout dis. Ah believe dat dis graveyard dirt an' gunpowdah dey puts in dat egg, dat black hen's egg, bust it in yore do'. Jis' throw it ag'inst yore do' an' bust it. Dat'll bust yo' an' dat woman up.
Entry 9376
A black hen chicken aig, well dey take an' load it wit sulphuh an' gunpowdah [punch a hole in the egg and insert sulphur and gunpowder]. An' take it an' pass by yuh house an' throw it ag'inst chure house lak dat, de front do' dat way demonstrates]. Splash it dat way. It usely [usually] makes yo' move.
Entry 9607
Ah've heard dat dey take salt or sulphur an' gunpowdah an' red pep- pah [and] by puttin' it down at yuh do' makin' yuh fortunate - make yuh have luck.
Entry 9608
Yo' kin git 'im back easy. Well, ah tell yo' 'zackly how yo' do dat. Yo'll git chew two pods of red peppah. One pod - yo' take dat peppah [inside] out'a it. One pod yo' put gunpowdah in; de nex' pod yo' put salt [in it]. (How many pods do you use now, two or three?) Yo' use one - two today an' two tuhmahrah. Well, yo' don' have tuh use any mo' of [more than] dat. Well, yo' take hit. Aftah yo' fill it wit de gunpowdah an' de salt, yo' tie it, de end of it. Whatevah she [her] name or whatevah he [his] name, she call he name. Don't use no plain [every-day] lan'wish [use religious language]. Jes' say, "Mah Lord, ah wants mah husban' or mah wife back home." Git right in de front of yore do' an' set fiah tuh it [this package]. Put fiah tuh it. An' den when hit burn - yo' see, dat powdah - say, "Wush" [sound of powder burning]. An' dat salt'll molt [dissolve] away. An' ah'll bet he'll come [back] an' stay. [This was informant's last rite. After she left the interviewing room, I comment to my machine: "End of 1217. This old woman almost ran me crazy." That sort of notation I rarely made. What she had done to disturb me, I no longer remember. Though not one of my better informants, her subject matter was not impossible. For some 0f it see: HOODOO, vol.1: p.24, No.38; p.111, No.375; p.425, No.1160; P.494, No.1565; p.522, No.1715; P.598, No.2049; p.599, No.2059; p.647, No.2297; etc.]
Entry 9667
A shell - yo' see, w'at ah shoot in a gun. Git dat gunpowdah [out of the gunshell]. Git choo a box of sulphuh an' [a box of] salt, an' dig a hole right off down in dere in front dat-a do'. Don't put it on de step, dig a hole in fronta de do'. Put some tuh de back [door] an' some tuh de front [door]. An' ah bet chah, ah guarantee dat woman wouldn't stay tuh dat house fer one day 'fo' [before] she'd be huntin' huh anothah house. [Almost every- ohere in these volumes to get a box of sulphur, salt, anything, means a new or amused ingredient. Often the remainder must not be used for any non-hoodoo pur- pose.] [This man "said he was from the South and didn't speak well" - note made at time of recording.]
Entry 9668
Sulphur, table salt an' IN SHOES gunpowdah, jis' weah it in yore shoes. Use garlic in dat, chew laoc. Dey couldn't hurt chew tuh save dere life.
Entry 10766
Gunpowder, bluestone, brimstone an' beat it up together an' burn it five days out on de edge of yore yard to kill yore stock. I'd do dat to kill yore stock - hogs, cows, chickens an' yo' people. Yo'd have a sick pile ovah dere, fast as one git sorta straight- en [out] de rest git down; all like dat, sompin happening all de time.
Entry 10767
Bluestone - dat bluestone is lucky. Gunpowder is lucky, but you have to use it in such a peculiar way. Yo' know gunpowder is dangerous. Well, all right, you take dat blue- stone and gunpowder to- gether - dey call dat [bluestone] de lucky stone. Yo' mix dis bluestone an' gunpowder together an' put it in a little bag an' jes' tote dat in yore pocketbook. Well, all right, jes' lak yo' may walk off to a big poker game. Yo' walk aroun' de poker game an' yo' got yore hands in yore pocket, an' he laugh an' say, "How about it?" or "Take a chair." Yo' say, "Well, ah don't mind." Bang! Take a shot. Well, yo' bettin' on what chew got in yore pocket. Yo' ain't bettin' on what dis othah fellah got. Well, dat bluestone an' dat gunpowder - see, dat's hot, sure be luck fo' de winner. Now, ah knowed a man - mah uncle used to try dat. Dat wus good.
Entry 10768
Well, they claim that if you take gunpowder and bluestone and aloes, and there's another stuff they use where they burn. Let me see. What is the name of that, what the Cath'lics use? Incense! And burn incense along with that. And bura all of it together, it'll have an effect, a tendency to keep bootleggers [he means the police] away from your house, and the law can't have an effect on you.
Entry 10894
Any kind of cat hair and a he dog and a she cat to run a person away - break 'em up.
(How do you do that?)
You take this hair and you mix it all up together like that - the hair of the dog and the cat. The dog and cat don't mate together. Call this man John. Jis' say, Mary, you and John can't stay together. Well, then you get this gunpowder and you get nine pods of red pepper, and you put that all together. Don't burn it in de house. Make a fire out in de yard and burn it, and make your wishes and they gone apart.
Entry 10901
Well, you see you gotta ketch a bulldog when he is mad...a real furious dog - gotta ketch a bad dog, and you ketch a cat and take the hair off his [cat's] back and the hair off the dog's back and you mix them together and you will put gunpowder in that and you burn them down.
(Where do you burn that?)
Burn dat in your stove. If you got a fireplace in the stones.
(What are you supposed to do then?)
That supposed to make anger, fuss, the one who you want to break up. (Well, how do you know which one to do that to? Do you do anything about that?) Well, like if I know you and I wanted to break your home up, I'll take your name and put it down and write, you have to write your name practically with most of the witchcraft work. (Oh! I see, you have to burn that with the name then? This paper and this hair together.) All in there and the gunpowder. Makes them fighting and fussing. Just like the cat and dog will fight, dat's de way you will do. Well, one or the other of you going get tired and leave.
Entry 10938
Yo' take it an' pick it up from de ground dis way first [demonstrates]. (From the toe back to the heel.) Yes, back to de heel, and den from de heel to de toe. Yo' carry it and get some black gunpowder, and you take it and go to a river and ketch a catfish. And when yo' ketch him, don't kill him, put dis in his mouth in a piece of paper. And sew his mouth up and throw him overboard and dey'll go until de fish stops. Wheresomevah he stop, dey'll stop; whether it be beyond de state, where dey come from.
(Do you put just a piece of plain paper?)
Yes sir, jest plain paper.
(How many tracks do you take?)
Jest one.
(Which one, any one?)
Right.
Entry 11194
When yo' got somebody an' wanta make 'em move out chure house, [or] out de house nex' tuh yo', yo' git chew some dirt dabahs [larvae and their cells] but de wasp makes de nest. Yo' git dat dirt [and larvae]. Yo' git chew some cayenne peppah an' some Epsom salts and gunpowdahs, an' yo' mixes all dat up tuh- gethah. An' when yo' mixes dat up tuhgethah, yo' t'rows dat aroun' 'bout twelve a'clock at night - not in de day, at night. At twelve a'clock at night yo' t'rose it undah de step, an' when yo' t'ro' it yo' say, "Jes' lak ah t'row dis heah powdah, dat's de way ah want dem [you] tuh move out dis house." [For a special appreciation of the mud dauber and its larvae, see interview "TOMB OF DE BABE OF BETHLEHEM," Pp.1325-1335, v.2.]
Entry 11195
Throw mixture of dirt-dauber-nest powder and gunpowder near home for 9 mornings to make people move. [Wilmington, N. Car., 274:8+85.]
Entry 11294
Ketch a dog and git his - see, de place in a dog's face right heah where [demonstrates]. Pull dat hair out. An' jes' in de middle of his back, de same amount of hair dat yo' pull out of his face. An' put it into a rag, a spotless white cloth er rag. An' yo' put chew some sulphur an' yo' put chew some gunpowder in dere - gunpowder and sulphur. Yo' tie dat up in dere and make out lak yo' workin' in de yard. As yo' workin' roun' de yard, take a look an' see if yo' see either one of dem would have yore - ef yo' worried about yore husband. If yo' see either one of dem comin' past yore house, yo' jest take it up an' take it ovah to heah an' throw it dis way [demon- strates]. Jest drop dat thing down.. "Co'se it got a little gunpowder an' it will pop an' it will break 'em up. Dat will break dem up, ah know dat. (That is if this woman is fooling around with your husband, you do that to break them up.)
Entry 11299
If yo' have a little dog of some sort, cut dis dog tail off [hair from tail?] an' burn it. An' git chew some gunpowder an' some gasoline an' burn it [hair up. An' take de ashes an' carry it dere. Set it dere - don't let no one see - by night. Throw it in dere front do' an' go off on by. Dey never will wanta live dere any mo'.
(What do you do that for?)
Dat's to run 'em out from dere. (Run them out of the house, to cause confusion in the home, chase them out so they finally break up.
Entry 11529
If you know de name of de person, you kin bring dem back.
(Well, what would you do with that [name]?)
Well, yOu COuld - AH TELL YOU, BUT AH HOPE YOU AIN'T COMING BACK ON ME.
(NO! I'M NOT COMING BACK ON YOU AT ALL. NO! NO!)
Well, you see, you are sure you knows de fellah - we [let us] say dat I'm de person do's it - see. You kin jest git to my step lak late in de night, and git a little dust right from under my step and mixes that in some gunpowder and put it - don't put it in no shot [shot gun gunpowder without the shot]. Put it in your gun. You have to use, you know, one of dese ole-time muskets. Jest put dat in dat gun and come right to de door, and shoot right directs towards my home - in the direction of my home. And in three days dat would be back dere. Get 'em [not foot tracks, see later] right from de center part of my [door] step as I go in my home.
(Both tracks?)
No, jest git de dirt from under de step, not de track, jest de dirt from under dere where I goes in and out. [In many of these small houses the treads of out- side steps are not enclosed; it being easy to reach under or from the side to pick up dirt from under the steps. Both wind and rain forced foot track dirt under open steps.]
(of, you mean the doorstep?)
Yeah. Jest take and go on a' [and] mix dat in some powder and put dat in your gun. And in de morning jest about day you shoot right in the direct [direction] of his step [whether] towards de east, north, south or West. You shoot right dat way. Two or three days I'll be back to you. (You'll bring back the things you stole.) [On the original transcription, nade within year or two after collection of rite, is the word doubtful in red ink!]
Entry 11738
Yo' kin go to the graveyard about 12 a'clock at night. Understand now, yo' git this dirt off a sinnerman's grave, 12 a'clock at night. An' yo' take this dirt an' yo' mix some salt with it an' [red] pepper. Yo' under- stand me now? An' yo' go an' git a No.6 gunshell; yo' know one of them No.6 gunpowder, those shotgun, them shells, yo' know No.6. An' yo' open it an' yo' scrape all that gunpowder out. An' yo' put that gunpowder, that cayenne pepper and that salt wit that graveyard dirt, but don't take it nowhere near your home. Yo' understand, don't let it go near your home. An' yo' take that an' throw it up on their door an' all the hunting[?] they do, they shore git killed.
Entry 11837
You kin take gunpowder and burn it in dis room and it 'fect de next [door] neighbor and de next one [the one on the other side of you] - give 'em bad luck. [Charleston, S. Car., ( 616:8.]
Entry 11843
You got to take and burn de gunpowder and get the scent - not de scent but de gas from this gunpowder - and take a stran' of yuh hair, or eithah a piece of cloth or sompin dat joo have, dat de person you tryin' to hurt had, and put it in this bottle. And shut it up in this bottle. And they say that'll make de person lose de min', or eithah make 'em sore in some parts of de body.
Entry 12230
They take that gunpowder and John de Conkah an' put all that together and yo' wrap that all up in a jōhmō, jōmōh in a red piece of flannen an' yo' take that then and yo' git chew some Hearts Cologne and yo' water [feed] 'er nine days, nine mawnin's... (You water [feed] it?) Yes suh. Give it dat Hearts Cologne on it fer 9 mawnin's, and on [after] de 9 mawnin's if there don' be a change, on the ninth mawnin', you throw it away.
(What do you do this for?)
Dey say if anybody trying to do anything to you, that thing will fix [hoodoo] 'em. It will bring them to you.
Entry 12279
De' take de gunpowder an' de sulphur dust - dat not de lump sulphur - an' mix it together an' put it in a quill or some fish-pole. An' go by a per- son's house an' go dat- away three times. (Knocking three times.) [Also blowing 3 times.] An' de persons in dat yard, dey goin' have a uproar in dere. It will make a confusion between everybody. See, somebody in dere is gotta move out. If dere some enemies in dere, well dey gotta git out. [It would probably be safer to try this rite during day when no one was home. There are similar blowing through tube rites in HOODOO.1
Entry 12428
Take gunpowder an' milk, a woman's breast milk, jes' take an' 'dult- erate it out an' give it to a woman. Give it to 'em in anything, make 'en evil, cranky, an' all lak dat, makes 'em nervous. (You mix this gunpowder With this womam's dlk. and that makes then fight all the Une?) Yessuh.
Entry 12447
Don't know if dey use de mockin'bird aigs but ah know dey use de mockin'- bird nest. Yo' burn it to ashes, and when yo' burn it to ashes, an' yo' jes' put some sulphur an' saltpeter in it or sulphur an' pep- pah or gunpowders - either of dem three, an' yo' mix a powders with that. An jes' what yo' say it do, it works by what yo' say...
(Give me an example of one thing you could say to it?)
Well, it ain't but one thing yo' kin say, an' den dere's plenty thing yo want to say.... It jes' what yo' want to say, or jes' if yo' have good idea - jes' any feelings tuhwards me, if yo' think ah doin' sompin ah got no business to yo', an' when yo' do dat den yo' tell it whut chew want it to do to me.
Entry 12619
Dey say yo' takes red peppah, gunpowdah, an' sulphah, an' mix dat to- gethah an' weah dat under de bottom of yore shoe an' anythin'.yo' walk ovah dat won't take no effect on yo'. Yo' see, red peppah, gunpowdah, an' sulphah.
Entry 13066
Yo' know dese snails whut crawl...whut dey crawl slow. Anyhow dey takes dat an' dey go to work yo' know, dey fix it in sompin dat way it'll bust out chew know. Den dey go to work den, git some sulphur an' gunpowder together, an' dey take it an' carry it an' bury it right tuh yore door, right where yo' gotta step ovah it, yo' know. Dat'll fix yo' up. Yo'll linger 'long [along] linger 'long.
Entry 13078
Yo' ask him fo' a job an' he says, "No, ah ain't got a job fo' yo'." Well, yo' go out in de woods an' find yo' a rattlesnake an' take off dose rattles, an' take an' cut one rattle an' bust it open, an' git de dust out from one dose rattlesnake rat- tles [or buttons] yo' know. An' git some gunpowders an' puts 'im in a little sack, an' tie it round yore waist an' go back to him. He'll give you a job, put chew to work.
Entry 13133
Ah heard dat they have, that they sell hands. They go out and the git - they go out and they git - jest like a man - ah don't know if you have seen dem aroun' dis part of de country, but dey go out and dey git a root dey calls snipe root. Dey git dis snipe root. (Snipe root?) Snipe root. A snipe is a long thing like a crane [bird]. Well, you take this snipe, de snipe w'at flies. Take dis snipe and cut de snipe neck off and dey pick it - jes' like, most like a crow or somepin like that. And dey pick dis snipe and dey cut dat bone out of it. De bone is somepin like a fork, jes' like a chicken bone. Den dey take dat bone and dey let dat bone set for awhile, and after settin' for awhile, dey take some sulphur. Take dat sulphur and place it on top of dat bone. After taking dat sulphur, take a little bit of red pep- pah and put on dat sulphur, a little gunpowdah and put on sulphur. Rub dat bone in dere. Then they will take a saw or sompin an' cut half that bone off. Then take that sulphur an' red peppah and combine it together and sew a little sack around it. Wear it. Don't wear it around de neck, let it drop between yore laigs. That supposed to keep de law away from de home. [Not every bird has a chicken wishbone; better check about snipe.]
Entry 13253
De way ah heard it wuz done, dey take an' go round dat house at de front do' an' at de back do' an' make a straight mahk [a shallow trench with stick]. (All around the outside of the house?) Yessuh, right down dere by de edge of de do'step de way dey have tuh come in an' out. An' yo' take dat when yo' make dat mahk down dere, yo' puts sul- phur an' gunpowder in dat mahk an' when dey do dat yo' take den an' yo' stick fiah in next tuh de do'step, an' when yo' do dat, why it blows out - blows it out, an' ah heard dat in three days aftah yo' do dat it will blow 'em cleah - dat will blow 'em cleah intuh de distance. Dey won't have no mind tuh stay dere. (It runs them out of that house. You mean you make a straight mark in front of each door?) Yessuh.
(Like a trench?)
Yessuh, jes' a lil' trench. (You dig a little trench for that stuff and then light it and let it go
[blow] on out?)
Yes.
Entry 13254
You kin take gunpowder and sulphur, and if you kin get close enough to dem when dey go to sleep or lay down - yo' know where de' goin' to lay down - take and dust it. See, jis like de shett up, and dust de mattress and put it back where de' sleep - goin' lay down over it. And dat thing get in dere bones, see, and dey won't live 6 months.