Subject:Headboard
Entries
Entry 7163
Dey kin git de footbo'd or de headbo'd at least an' come an' put it undah yore house an' yo' can't wake up. (You can't wake up? Why would they put that under the house to keep you asleep?) Dey put yo' tuh sleep lak de dead man is. (Why would they put you to sleep? What was their idea of doing that?) De idea tuh put chew to sleep, den yo' nevah wake up.
(Oh, this is to kill you.)
Entry 7164
Take dat an' put 'em undahneat' chore house in de midnight, but yo got'a do dat on de young moon. An' take one of dem headbo'ds an' bring 'em an' put 'em, right jis' lak it wus yore bed here, an' shove 'em undahneat' dere. If yo' wanted tuh git up in de maw- nin' on time, YO' WOULD SLEEP AN' SLEEP UNLESSEN SOMEBODY WOULD WAKE YO'. Yo' can't - yo' wanta git up but choo can't. Yo' go back tuh sleep.
Entry 7317
[Ah] heard one thing about graveyard dirt, dat if yo' wus on de chain gang workin' an' could git to graveyard an' pull up de headbo'rd an' reach down in dere jes' as fah as yo' could, or anywhere in de grave dig down if yo' could, an' git de dirt an' put it in yore shoes, dat de dogs wouldn't run yuh, wouldn't track yo'.
Entry 7318
Go to de graveyard right heah and bury it right chere [demonstrates]. Like dis is mah head heah and dis is mah foot, an' walk backwards - turn yore back an' walk backwards toward mah face, walk all roun' tull [till] yo' git to de headbo'd.
(Wait! You walk back like that, around the grave. And then what?)
[Informant probably demonstrated by walking backwards round his chair.]
An' den yo' put chure han' right down dere an' git a han'ful of dirt an' put yore han' in yore pocket an' turn yore back.
(What does that do?)
If dey do [give] yo' trouble any way, dey can't ketch yuh - de dogs won't run yo' wit it. (Suppose they are trying to catch me and I go out to the cemetery, to the graveyard, and I turn my back and I walk round the grave.) Yes, sir. (I walk back over [round] the head down to the foot. Where do I get this dirt?) Git it right out de head of de - at de headbo'd. See, de bo'd nail down dere. Yo' reach right down dere at de head an' git it.
(Do you get it at the footboard or the headboard?)
De headbo'd.
Entry 7494
I know how to do dat if dey wanted tuh ketch dat man. Said yo' go to de cemetery where dey bear [bury] dat man. Jes' lak dey bear de person. Den yo' go dere an' change dem stakes, change dat footbo'd an' dat headbo'd. Jes' lak yo' take de footbo'd an' put it tuh de haid an' take de head- bo'd an' put it to de foot. An' said dey would have tuh come back if dey gone.
(You go to the grave of the man who was killed?)
Yes.
(And do that to bring back his murderer?)
Yes, an' he have tuh come dere.
Entry 7590
Git dat dirt - go tuh de graveyard. Well, yuh takes a new grave, kinda new, about say a week old. An' dey goes - goes down tuh de haidbo'd, de haidbo'd of de grave, an' dey get dat dirt. Well, dey gits some of yore hair an' some of yore gar- ments [3 ingredients] an' dey take dat an' put it where yuh have tuh walk over it. An' by changin' - do's dat, do it jis' befo' de moon change. When de moon changes, de spell be comin' on yuh. Well, den it come tuh gittin' wuse [worse] an' wuse, an' yuh'll git so cain't no- body do anythin' wit chew an' yuh jis go crazy - die off from it.
Entry 7648
Whenevah dey's [there is] someone livin' at a place dat dey didn't Wan'em dere, wan'em tuh move or somepin. Dat dey'll go tuh a grave an' take de haidstone an' put it tuh de foot, an' take de foot- stone an' put it tuh de haid. An' reach down in de middle of de grave an' jis' as fah [far] a'zhoo [as you] kin reach - yeh ahm [arm] will go down - an' git some de dirt an' bring it up. An' mix it tuhgethah wit some cayenne peppah, an' sprinkle it aroun' de home where dey äh [are]; an' dey'll leave, dey won't come back.
Entry 7679
Ah 'sperienced dis mahself. Ah had a man an' he wus engaged tuh git married. When ah firs' started goin' wit 'im he tole me he wus engaged tuh be married, an' ah tole him, "Go ahead an' git married." Ah didn't feel lak ah cared den. Well, it wus about two yeah's time, dis woman whut he wus supposed tuh git married, he tole ne she wus in town. He said he would have tuh go down dere where she wus. Ah said, "Go ahead." He took me an' carried me home. Aftah ah got home ah got tuh thinkin' 'bout it an' ah jes' decided. Ah'd heard dat such things could be done. So ah got nah niece an' we went out tuh de cemetery. Yo' go tuh a grave an' yo' take de headbo'd an' throw it tuh de foot, an' say, "As ah throw dis headbo'd, In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son, an' de Name of de Holy Ghost, as ah throw dis headbo'd tuh de foot of dis grave, ah want chew tuh change John's min' off dis woman an' place it on me, In de Name of de Lawd." An' yo' go tuh de foot an' yo' do de same thing as yo' have at de head. Den aftah yo' do dat, yo' go an' git chew nine han'fuls of dirt outa de grave. An' aftah yo' git dat dirt outa de grave, den yo' have somepin tuh put down dere - pennies. Put 'em in dere, say, "Ah's givin' yo' dis money tuh pay yo' fo' whut yo' are doin' fo' me In de Name of de Lord." An' it won't be long - ah know dat wus de thing dat run dat woman 'way from Florence. An' she have nevah been back heah since.
(What did you do with that dirt after you got that dirt?)
Ah brought de dirt home but ah nevah did know whut tuh do wit it. Ah brought it home an' kept it fo' a long time. Ah didn't know whut tuh do wit de dirt. But de woman [doctor] dat tole me tuh do dat, she tole me dat plenty hell could be raised wit dat dirt, but ah don't know how. [Or you could] use dis red pep- Pah. INSTEAD OF PUTTIN' PENNIES IN DERE, YO' JES' PUT RED PEPPAH. But cheW got- ta have a odd numbah if yo' put red peppah - anything, jes' have a odd numbah - in dis grave when yo' take dat dirt out. [THIS IS SURELY MY ONLY EXAMPLE OF A
Entry 7693
They kin take those headbo'ds or any part of that bo'd, an' if they wan'a make yo' drift out of the neighborhood, they kin take that an' put it to the doorsill, if they know where they live at, an' make yo' leave there.
Entry 7697
Oh, de graveyard bo'd. Yes, tell me dey take de one bo'd. See, some people's got 'em up lak dat, an' dey's got dey initial [name] on 'em. Well, some are made outa tombstone an' some made outa jes' plain bo'ds. Dey tell me if dey take dose an' bury 'em in de yard or anywhere dey git 'em, dey tell me in thirty days yo'll be daid.
(Do they bury the stones, or only the wood ones?)
De wood ones, don't bury de stone ones.
Entry 7699
Take de bo'd an' bring it on home an' burn it down on a - take de haid- bo'd an' yo' burn dat bo'd on a piece of tin, an' git de ashes an' yo' jes' take de ashes an' jes' go wheresomevah ah live at, an' go throw it dere roun' mah house. Dat'll jes' make yo' [me] move, dat's all.
Entry 7700
They say that chew can take the headboards of a dead person, I mean where they're placed at their grave, or footboards, either one, and burn them; and then get some of that dust of the grave with that, those ashes, and put them down under a door- step of an indivi- dual, and they'll become effected so that they can't handle themselves. They become tricked so they don't have any definite understanding about anything.
Entry 7701
Dey'll go tuh de graveyard at midnight jis' befo' de clock strikes twelve, an' dey'll make a cross mark - dat is a X - right acrost de footbo'd an' de haidbo'd [that is 2 crosses]. Dey go tuh de foot firs', den dey take nine steps backwards, back de way yuh come in [the graveyard], den yuh kin come on out. Dat's fo' luck.
Entry 7702
Take de haidbo'd from de grave an' dey carve, cut dat person's name in it dat's involved, an' dey bury it face down in de graveyard, right dere in de graveyard an' covah it up. An' dat person jis' comes right down in de dirt where his name is down dere. He's Way up in de world tuh begin wit, but dat [is] jinx, an' he puts de jinx on 'im fo' his name tuh be buried in de graveyard.
Entry 7703
(This grave board?)
Dat's right. Wal, yo' take dat an' yo' draw de name ovah [offa] it, jes' lak dat person's been daid. Now, if a person's been daid an' yo' wants tuh see 'em, Wan' 'em tuh come tuh yuh or sompin lak dat, yo' take dat an' draw is name ovah [offa] dat bo'rd, steam it, jes' lak dat, an' yo' read de 37th Psalm, an' he'll come befo' yo' end [the Psalm] an' talk tuh yuh.
(What do you mean by drawing that name off?)
[Had the name been on a tombstone a rubbing could have been taken.]
Jes' draw it off on a tablet - papah.
(You just put the paper on there and draw it?)
No, jes' draw it off wit a pencil on de paper, jes' lak it dah [there] an' den yo' see, yo' put dat [paper with name] on yore haid wit de [while you read de] Bible. An' yo' read dat [Psalm] an' he'll come an' talk tuh yo', an' tell yo' whut chew want.
Entry 7704
Providin' if it's a person dat yo' like an' dey are about tuh scurry away, an' if yo' go tuh dat ceme- tery an' talk to de dead an' pay dem so much, an' yo' write de name of de person on de headboard an' dat'll also keep 'em from goin' away, but it will keep 'em
Entry 7705
If yo' wanta hurt anybody, yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' call de person name. An' carry a piece of [his] ole clothes, leave dat dere, an' bring [a small piece] eidah [either] de haidboard or de footboard; an' yo' kin go tuh a person house an' put it right undahneat' 'is pillah, [but] undahneat' de baid. An' he'll go tuh sleep dat night an' he'll take a pain an' he wouldn't nevah be no good tuh hisself. He wouldn't fin' out until he die. Somebody goin', but she'll nevah let 'im, unless yo' wanta turn 'im loose. Den yo' kin go an' tum 'im loose if yo' don't wanta harm 'im. (How do you mean put that footboard under the pillow. Wouldn't they feel it under there?)
[Actually only a splinter from the board is used.]
No, sir, dey ain't goin' feel it. Dey ain't goin' have sense enough tuh feel it. [This rite is unusual. The man's old clothes has contact with the grave- yard dirt, and the graveyard board splinter is taken to the house as a substi- tute for the dirt.]
Entry 7707
Yo' kin go tuh de grave an' turn de haidbo'd from de grave an' take dat
[dirt], go to a person - jes' lak if yo' want a sweetheart or anything [a man to]
quit wit a woman - an' carry it an' put it dere, an' tell dis person tuh make dis man stop goin' dere. An' why if he evah go dere at night or anythin', go tuh sleep, dis [dead] person will worry him so dat he couldn't go back nohow.
(You put that board in the house?)
Yassuh, [no] put de dirt undah de house. Den yo' change de bo'd an' git de dirt, de graveyard dirt, an' carry it tuh de house. Why he couldn't go back dere.
Entry 7708
Dey kin draw yo' on a tombstone [or headboard] an' long as dem lines [remain] where dey draws yo' at; dey molt away, [I mean], yo' molt away wit dem. See?
(As that person in the grave molts away, you will molt away?)
Yo' molt away.
(Well, how would they draw you on that tombstone?)
Maybe have - dey done took yuh photo from somewhere. See, yo' [theyl done took yuh photo. Well, dey kin take yuh photo an' give it tuh somebody who know how tuh retrace it an' draw it, an' dey kin draw yo' lak dat. [An easier method would be to draw a circle adding ears, eyes, mouth and initials or call name. Informant good, has the right idea but complicates it.]
Entry 7709
Yo' take de haidbo'd. Now, yo' kin take de haidbo'd an' cut it roun' [demonstrates]. It's already cut lak a haid. Well now, if yo' cut anotbah roun' ring on it, take it den an' mark it right straight down. (The top of the headboard is round and you merely complete the circle by drawing an inverted circle under that, making it round. Then you draw a line straight down.) See, when yo' draw dat line straight down, dat makes a person. De cunjuration dat dey puts in yo' when yo' draw dat line straight down, dat's makes it start right up heah an' continue tuh come - start right at de top of yore haid an' come right straight on down. See, an' when it git clean down, why dere's no mo' of yo'.
(How do I know I've got the right person when I'm doing this?)
Well, ah tell yo' de way it is. See, jis' lak yo' go tuh a graveyard, yo' go tuh - jis' lak now if yo' know a person an' yo' happen tuh be dere when dey bur- ied. Well, now, ah'll go right chere - ah'll know dis person person'ly. Ah'll take dat haidbo'd, see, an' ah'll go right on. Well, now, dat's one in dat fam- ily is gotta go. Dat's one in dat family gotta go.
(That gets somebody in the family.)
Someone in de same family is gotta go.
Entry 7710
Dat's if yo' daid, if yo' daid. Ah wants tuh git nex' tuh dis man outa heah 'cross de street. Ah'll go dere [to the graveyard]. Ah'll know yuh name. Ah'll go dere an' ah'll pick up dat haidpiece [slip of tongue] from 'is feet an' ah'll git a little bit of dat [dirt] outa his chest down heah. Ah wants tuh run 'im an' wit dat chest-board [headboard]. Ah'll take dat an' covah it up an' bring it in mah house an' throw it undahneat' mah house. An' ah'll take de rest of dat chest [dirt] an' cast it in he [his] yard, an' he can't do me no harm. He's daid.
(You don't do anything with those boards, though?)
Take dat board an' put it undahneat' yuh [your own] house.
Entry 7716
Ah said she could go tuh de graveyard.
(The woman could go to the graveyard.)
An', yo' know dere's a haidbo'd an' a footbo'd. Write dat individual's name on de haidbo'd of de grave an' vice versa [likewise on] de haid [foot]. Take dat haidbo'd an' write 'is name on it an' put it back tuh dis foot, an' take de footbo'd [and write his name on it] an' put it tuh de haid, an' dat individual will return.
(That man will come back to her?)
Dat's right.
Entry 7719
Now, yo' take an' yo' go tuh de graveyard, an' yo' write her name down three times on a piece of papah, an' change on de stob on de grave, yo' know. Pull it up heah [de- monstrates], see, an' put it down heah [at the foot] - yo' take de haid [headboard] tuh de foot, yo' see. Well, she done left yo' an' yo' want 'ah [her] back, see. Take de haid [board] tuh de foot an' change it [with the footboard]. Dat's to come [to bring her] back. See, she have tuh come back dere.
(What do you do with that paper?)
Dat papah, yo' got 'ah [her] name on it an' yo' [demonstrates] put it down dere an' yo' put it [pour] in some whiskey an' drive it [footboard in hole]. (You put it [paper] in that hole where you pull up that headboard and put it [headboard] to the foot. Then you take the footboard and put it back in the hole in the headboard's place?) Dat's right.
(Then she'll come back?)
She'll come back. [Paying the grave spirit with whiskey is fairly common.]
Entry 7723
See, yo' 'sposed tuh go tuh de graveyard twelve a'clock at night, an' yo' git dis dirt, an' when yo' start gittin' dis dirt, yo' supposed tuh say, "Dead spirit, ah didn't come tuh rob yore grave, ah came heah fo' luck In de Name of de Father, of de Son an' of de Holy Ghost." An' if yo' put money tuh dat grave or a corn or either some fresh rice, anything, yo' supposed tuh pay dem An' jes' lak if yo' want chure luck changed, yo' go dere in de nighttime at twelve a'clock an' yo' take de haidbo'd an' throw it tuh de feet an' take de feetbo'd an' throw it tuh de haid. An' yo' git dis graveyard dirt an' yo' sup- posed tuh put sulphur in it - supposed tuh put red peppah an' yo' supposed tuh put sompin yo' kin git at de drugsto', but yo' don' specially have tuh have dat, an' salt in it. An' yo' burn dis dirt three times a day. If it's wet yo' put it in de sun an' let it git dry, an' when yo' make yore fiah [fire] it gonna smell funny when it be burnin'. Yo' shet up in a room tuh yo'self an' yo' burn dis heah dirt. An' jes' lak if yo' want - if anothah party livin' next do', yo' want 'em out chure house, yo' burn dat dirt on dose people an' tell 'em dat chew want 'em tuh be out. Yo' know, move out de house. An' burn it three times a day. An' jes' lak if yo' runnin' a joint or anything, an' if no one will visit chure joint much, yo' kin burn dat dirt, an' in about ten minutes time yo'll have a crowd at chure house. An' if it's a woman yo' wants tuh see, an' yo' cain't see her, an' yo' burn dat dirt, dogged if she wouldn't be dere in about five minutes' time.
(You make your wishes when you burn that dirt.)
[This was not a leading question. Somewhere while recording machine had stopped this had been mentioned.] Yeah yo' make yore own wishes In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost. (What is the stuff that you would get at the drug store if you wanted to use that and add that to it?) It's sompin, but chew specially [don't] have tuh have dat, becuz ah ain't nevah didn't nuse [use] dat. (You don't have to have it. What is it, if you do want to use it?) [Either no answer or I turn off machine too fast.]
Entry 7724
Yo' git a headboard from de grave, de headboard, why dey claims it'll make yo' lucky. Yo'll have luck in hittin' de numbers; or if yo' are bootleggin' yo'll have luck in sellin' it. (What do they do with that headboard, though, to get that luck? What do they do with it?) Well dey keeps it somewhere roun' dere home. Dey jis' [keep] it - don't do anything wit it, jis' keep it aroun' dere home.
Entry 7725
Take de footbo'd an' put it tuh de haid an' de haidbo'd an' put it tuh de feet, an' let it stay fo' [for] fo' [four] days. Go back an' reverse de footbo'd tuh de left-side an' de haidbo'd tuh de right-side, an' name de othah per- son - name de per- son [victim]. Take de length of dat grave from de haid wit a rule [string can be used]. Carry it back through a [paper bag suggested later] an' pass it tuh dem [the victim]. Give it tuh dem or some of de ones in de house - or de one dat shure tuh be condemned. Dat'll be de one who'll soon pass out of de house. (How do you mean? You go there and put the headboard to the foot and the footboard to the head?) That's right. (Then you go back there in four days. And then what do you do with those boards?) Take 'em an' jes' place 'em tuh de side, one tuh de left an' one tuh de right Iside of grave].
(Well, which is which?)
De haidbo'd tuh de left [heartside] an' de footbo'd tuh de right. Jes' take dem an' jes' push 'em dere; jes' push 'em dere an' name 'em.
[Somewhere along here informant said something about a sign on the grave.]
(That you make a sign on the grave?)
Yo' make a "x" on de grave, dat's right. Carry it [measurement] back an' give tuh de person.
(What do you give to the person?)
De measure. Yo' measure it wit a rule or a string; anything yo' want tuh, jes' since yo' git it back [to the house]. Yo' take de measure an' give it tuh dis person, somebody in de house. Yo' gotta give it tuh 'em in a papah bag or sompin - in de bag or sompin. Be sure dat chew give it tuh 'em. [Sumter, S. Car. (1384), 2460:5.]
Entry 7914
Well ah hear dem say dat if dey wanta go in anybody's house - lak any rich somebody - white people or somepin, dey wanta go in de house, an' dey'd have a bad dog or anything, dey wanta go in dere, dey git de haid stick, de stick whut's put at de haid of a grave, an' throw it undah de house. An' said dat vill put evahbody tuh sleep an' yo' kin go in de house an' git anything. [For beliefs similar to preceding ones about.theft, see Nos.7529-7530, p.3298f.]
Entry 7966
Dey say dat yo' do dat, dey say dat will kill a person. (Will you explain how it's done. Do you know how it's done?) Well, dey say yo' make it jes' lak yo' makin' a grave an' yo' put de haidbo'd an' de footbo'd an' evahthing like dat. An' yo' put a stob [stake] in de centah of it lak dat [demonstrates] - a li'le stick, a stob in de centah of it lak dat. An' dey say yo' go dere evah mawnin' befō' sunrise an' knock dat peg, hit it one lick fo' nine mawnin's. When dat peg git on down in dere, dey tells me dat settles it. (You dig a little hole like a grave and put a headboard and a footboard to it?) Fix it jes' lak a grave. (Then you put that stick in the middle, that you drive down in. What is that stick supposed to be, that stick in the middle?) Dat stick in de middle, dat supposed tuh give yo' heart failure, dey say. Go dere nine mawnin's befo' de sun rise.
Entry 8059
I've heard that they could make a person follah them by means of using their pitchure. They claim that they would put that in the head of the bed, jis' take it an' tack it behind the bed in the headboard. An' that person whose pitchure it is, why [he] will be at their beck-an'-call at any time.
Entry 9056
Yo' take de haid [board] an' put it tuh de foot [of the grave]. Dat's suppose when yuh in a li'le trouble. Dey claim dat jis' lak yo's in trouble, de judge will clar yuh or turn yuh loose. Yo' go dere [to the graveyard] an' change de haid [board] an' foot [board]. Take de haid one an' put it at foot of dat 'un [one], an' put de othah [the footboard] here [at the head of the grave].
Entry 7495
Yo' kin take an' go to dat grave where dat man whut got kilt. Go to his grave an' yo' kin take de headbo'd an' carry it to de foot. Take de foot- bo'd an' carry it to de head, an' say, "Whosomevah kilt dat person." He's shure tuh come back an' admit dat he did de crime.
Entry 7698
Dey git de haidbo'd ah b'lieves it is, lemme see now, dey take de haid- bo'd an' bury it - of a family. Say, fo' instance if ah wus mad wit chew an' any kinda revenge ah could git, ah bring dat haidbo'd an' bury it roun' heah, an' hit wouldn't be long 'fo' [before] one of de family would die.
Entry 1077
Any spell upon you - you know that work from another - someone of your people like your mother or your father, something like that. You believe - you know, just like some people say that a child [child's] mother have cursed 'em, you see - didn't wished 'em no ways good, you understand, fer disobedience to 'em. Dey kin go to dese old- time grave and he kin change, you know, the footboard to the head and the head- board to de foot, but he'll have to pray unto her, you understand, to beg her for forgiveness.
(I see - that's if he wants to get - )
That curse off.
Entry 1923
They say, if anybody bother me and my husband and I want to get rid of 'em, want 'em stopped, why just take a penny.
(A penny?)
One penny and go to the grave of somebody who you know died kind of wicked.... Go there and take up the headboard and put it to the foot, and hand the footboard back down to the head - take that down. This person who you working after - and take the penny - just take the fingers, you see, and make a hole down there in the middle of grave and put that penny down there and just - then, as I want you [to work for me], say, "Roll dis person fer me, Such-and-Such-a-Person." Call dere name. "Dead, I want you to roll dis person for me." And slap dat penny right dere and go on 'bout your business. Then in three days they'll be gone.... They'll leave towm. They'll leave from around where you is.
Entry 1935
Ah've heard tell of 'em using, gittin' a chip off de headbo'd, gittin' a piece off de headbo'd of de grave an' using it fo' luck.
(Well, how do they use that?)
Well, yo' scrape it. Yo' take a knife an' yo' scrape de - shave it off de lefthand side of it. Git dat off de lefthand side, yo' scrape it tuh yo'. Yo' scrape it to yo' an' yo' say, "Lord, let dere be luck. Lord, let dere be luck." Yo' say dat three times an' yo' scrape dis knife to yo' - yo' bring it to yo'. Yo' bring yore knife to yo', not from yo' - dat's lucky.
(Well, what would you do with it after you get those scrapings?)
Well, yo' take dat scraping an' wear it. Yo' take yore little fine scraping an' put it in a little bag an' yo' wear it round yore waist, if yo' a person out fo' luck in numbahs or somethin' lak dat.
Entry 1937
See, ah'm gwine wit a girl. Ah have did dat mahself. An' go tuh de graveyard, carry nine pennies yo' see, an' yo' put dem nine pennies down three each time - one fo' de daid, an' one fo' de livin', an' one fo' de girl. See. An' den yo' pay a penny fo' dat graveyard bo'd, fo' dat headbo'd, an' yo' stick it down - walk backwards an' stick it down an' go home. Ah didn't have tuh use no dirt. An' ah did see her de nex' mawnin'. (Well, did you say anything or do anything out there when you were doing all this?) Ah went there an' - git somepin tuh dig a hole. Put three penny in one hole - dat's fo' de dead. It a good many yeahs since ah did it. Ah jes' remembah. Ah put down first de three penny in de girl name. Den ah put three penny down in my name, an' ah put three penny down fo' de dead, an' ah put three penny down fo' de headbo'd, yo' see. An' den ah take dis bo'd, de headbo'd up In de Name of de Lord an' ah stick it back down In de Name of de Lord, but ah stick it back down dere backwards an' walk on out of there, an' ah call dis girl name ever' time, an' de next mawnin' ah did see her.
(You do this in order to see this girl?)
Dat's it, yessuh.
Entry 7713
Dey say yo' take graveyard dirt. It's accordin' tuh where yo' git it from, whut side yo' git it when yo' goin' git graveyard dirt. Yo' go tuh de graveyard an' take de footbo'd an' put it tuh de haid; take de haidbo'd an' yo' put it tuh de foot. An' yo' take dat graveyard dirt right about at de centah, about tuh dis fah [far] at de centah [demonstrates].
(Up to the elbow.)
Yes, about tuh de elbow. An' yo' take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' could do mos' anythin' wit dat, see. Sprinkle it roun' a person house, dat'll confuse 'em, cuz 'em tuh leave home. Sometimes cuz 'em tuh be spellbound, go crazy. Dis graveyard dirt, jes' [sprinkle it] somewhere where dey kin pass ovah it, walk ovah it. Dey tell me dat whut graveyard dirt will do.
Entry 3021
[To bring back the murderer.] They go to the cemetery and pray to that headboard [head of the grave of the murdered person] lots of people, nine days, with a picture of Mother of Perpetual Help; and that person that done the murder, they'll come right straight back to where they done it, too.
(What graveyard do they go to?)
[For some reason my question misleads her.]
St. Roc's. They go down to St. Roc's Cemetery.
(They don't go to the dead man's grave?)
They go to the [grave of the] dead man, yes, that was killed; but plenty peo- ple don't know about the fresh eggs [buried in the dead man's hands to bring back murderer], and they go [with the picture] to where they bury that man. They bury him on his face, too, I suppose. [Burial face down also brings back murderer.] (Where do they do this praying to the Mother of Perpetual Help? Do they do that at the dead man's grave or at St. Roc's?)
[They do both.]
They go to St. Roc's and they carry that picture to the grave - that Saint [picture of] to the grave. And they goes out Melcamean[?] - it's back of town here, that's the chapel [of St. Roc where they pray], and then they go to the cemetery [where murdered man is buried] and put the head [saint's picture] on the headboard and pray to that, and that man'll [murderer will] come back.
(Do they go to the church first?)
They had to go to the church - the Catholic church, first, and [then] they go to the man's grave.
(What do they do there?)
Well, they go pray to this Mother of Perpetual Help and take - you know, you always have a small pitchure [of the saint], and they carry that with 'em and pray to 'um [her]; then, nine days, that man'll come back. You got to go nine mornin's and in nine days he'll come back.
(Where is this church they go to?)
It's called the chapel.
(Where is it?)
That's back of town. It's on Johnson and Eurata[?] Streets. St. Roc's cemetery is way down town, way cross town.
[I evidently ask, "Then, there is no chapel in St. Roc's Cemetery?"]
No, there's a chapel in St. Roc's, too. Here's a chapel back here where I told you, too.
Entry 7694
If you bring the headboard from the ceme- tery an' put it aroun' [near].de house, why won't anyone stay there. They could- n't stay there, it would be ha'nted.
Entry 7712
("If a man is killed" - see, tell me the whole story like that.)
[If a man is killed]
dey take de footbo'd an' take it tuh de haid, an' [they take] de haidbo'd an' place it at de foot, yo' undahstand. Why yo' do dat? Yo' do dat in ordah tuh bring back de murdahah. [This rite should have followed No.7494, P.3288.]