Subject:Hair/Private hair
Entries
Entry 4156
If dey wanna go ag'in - tuh keep 'em from goin' ag'in, yuh'll have tuh clip a piece from she [demonstrates].
(From the top of her head.)
An' a piece from she private an' put it in de bottle wit nine needles, an' take yuh chamber lye an' some German Heart Cologne, an' mix it tuhgethah an' hol' dat in yuh pocket fer de fus' [first] nine mawn- in's. An' den take it an' po' it in one of yuh suits, an' she will nevah go tuh dat pocket tuh take it out. An' SHE'LL STAY DERE FOREVAH AN' FOREVAH.
(I see. That keeps her.)
Entry 4204
Dey cud [could] take yore track up, yuh know, an' dey cud use yuh watah an' some of yuh hair, from undah here an' also below here, an' take nine new needles an' nine [new] pins, an' stop it up in a bottle an' put it at chure head an' dey cud have yuh like dat. (At your head?) An' let yuh sleep on it. (And how would it harm you? What way will it harm you?) Wal, it jis' make yuh jis' stay an' take any- thin' dey do an' anythin' yuh got. Yuh jis' bring it an' give it tuh dem.
(To the man or to the woman?)
Tuh de woman. Jis' like if yuh got a woman an' she t'inks yuh runnin' roun' - yuh know, sompin like dat.
(Fix you with your hair?)
Uh-huh.
Entry 5812
[Version 1]: Yo' kin take yore hair, take my hair, an' de man's hair Lat, yo' know from down here, yo' know, an' wrap it togethah an' a ravel out from ondah his arm - yo' know, right nex' to where he wear 'is clothes.
(In his armpits.)
Jis' a ravelin'. Take dose two hairs, yo' know, an' wrap 'em togethah, an' den yo' git a ravel from out de seat of 'is pants - out de seat of 'is undahweah. An' wrap all dat togethah - jis' wrap evah bit of it togethah, an' go to a ant's nest an' dig in dat ant's nest. Yo' know, if he's not treatin' yo' right, dig in dat ant's nest an' put dat in dat ant's nest. An' jis' as long as he - jis' as long as he live, he'll be worried. He'd jis' be worried, he worry hisself almos' to death. [Version 2]: Git some of 'is hair an', yo' know, twist it togethah, an' git de ravels from 'is undahclothes an' git de ravel from down here in de seat of 'is undahclothes. An' yo' roll dat - tie it hard, yo' know. Roll it jis' as hard as yo' kin, yo' know. Go to a ant's bed an' open it.
(Well, you've got these things before.)
[I am telling her she is repeating.]
Yes, sir. An' open it an' den yo' put it down in dere, yo' see an' dat jis' keeps 'em fussin', fightin' an' quarrelin', until dey [separate]. [The two rites. are similar but the purposes are different.]
Entry 6070
[Take a piece of] de petticoat an' [or] de bloomahs an' cut de - a little top of dere hair off. Well, an' git de same thing off a man [his under- clothes]. An' mix it togethah in a soda-watah bottle. An' take it an' carry it to de end of de do'step an' put it - not too deep, jes' a little deepah 'nuff where yo' know dey could not tell it. An' let 'im walk ovah it fo' nine mawnin's. Dey say dat will come to keep 'im at home an' he'll come to love yo' an' can't no othah woman git 'im.
(Wait a minute! You take the hair from the top of a man's head, you say?)
De mole of 'is haid, yes. Den dat from right on yo'self down dere, yo' know, jes' cut about two stran's.
(From a woman?)
Yeah, an' mix it togethah, an' git chew half a bottle of 'logne [cologne] an' so' dress it wit dat. Well, yo' go right - cut 'er bloomahs right in de seat of 'em. Well yo' git it out de seat of de man de same. An' put it togethah. Well, aftah yo' do dat, chew take about a little teaspoon - not a little, jes' a drop, but not so much, an' let it be kinda graveyard dirt. Put it in de bottle an' shake it up. Well, yo' go right to de end of de do'step an' yo' call a person nine times. Well, when yo' call 'em nine times, take it an' stick it right to de front of de do'step - put it down dere yo' know, kinda deep undah where yo' couldn't tell it. An' nine mawnin's - fo' nine mawnin's, well, when yo' git up yo' [call?] 'im [his name] about six [nine] times. Well yo' take it out from dere an' carry it to a cornah right where yo' know he comes out backwards an' forwards - dat same route road - come right to de cornah. [Does informant mean corner of the outside chimney, the old-fashioned country toilet, where he would urinate on this conjure or hand? I do not believe corner of a path or crossroad is meant, where other people would walk over the buried object. Bottle was orig- Inally buried at "corner" of doorstep. This is cornering a man.] Why yo' bury dat an' let it stay dere fo' so many days, certain days. Well, aftah yo' do dat, see, dat'll keep dat man an' woman togethah. See. [A comment of mine made while checking cylinder reads, "Talking too fast."]
Entry 6173
Take de hairs from underneath yore arm an' de haid - yo' know, undah yore clothes down dere, an' wash yore feet. An' yo' know, sometime yo' don't wash yore feet in a long time, dere be lots of ole dead skin on it, yo' know, an' yo' kin take an' scrape dat off. An' den yo' kin take dis watah yo' see an' put it in sompin. A woman had mah brothah fixed lak dat. AN' AH PROMISED DE LORD AH'D NEVAH FIX A MAN NO HAY. IF ONE DON'T WANT ME, AH DON' WANT 'IM. So she had mah brothah fixed jes' lak dat - she had 'im fixed up jes' lak dat.