Subject:Hen
Entries
Entry 3153
Take a black hen feathah. An' yo' know when yo' pull it out 'is wing, yo' git a little bit of juice in dere. An' sprinkle dat 'cross a woman, see. Or yo' kin sprinkle it in yore han' an' rub it in yore han' [and rub across a woman]. Dat's if yo' got a woman dat yo' don't wanta have nobody else. Jes' sprinkle dat in yore han' an' rub it in yore han' an' [rub it across her]. If a man tetch her, she fastened jes' lak a dog.
Entry 5402
Say yo' could take any kinda chicken aig an' make 'em move. Ah heah yo' could take a black chicken aig an' sees where dey walk, an' git dere track an' crack de aig, an' put de track in dis aig an' carry it to de runnin' watah, an' throw it ovah in dere an' dey be goin' off.
Entry 5570
If a man leaves home an' a woman wants 'im tuh come back, if she kin git one of 'is track, his right track comin' from de toe, bring it back tuhwards 'er, jis' de top of it yo' know, an' git a black- hen aig an' write bis name on dat aig, an' roll dat aig an' dat sand an' dat sock up tuhgethah, put de sand in de sock or eithah any way yo' fix it tuhgethah, an' bury it undah de do'step, an' dat'll bring 'im back.
Entry 5916
(All right, you were going to tell me?)
If dey git some of yore hair. Now, sometime dey lose on dat an' sometime dey don't lose. If dey git de hair from yore head - remembah dey kin take dat hair. ALL BIRDS DON'T USE HUMAN HAIR. But dis guinea hen chick bird [I interrupt]. (What kind of bird?) Guinea hen chick bird. (Guinea hen chick bird?) Yes, if dey kin GIT DAT BIRD - TO TAKE DAT HAIR AN' PUT IT INTO HER NEST. YOU'LL SUFFOCATE WIT A HEAD- ACHE TILL YO' GO BLIND. I kin take dat hair. Oh my! An' bore holes - wrap it into a silvah thimble an' put a silvah dime against it [open end of thimble] an bury it in de ground an' make warts come out on yore head. (Now, that guinea hen. You mean the ordinary guinea hen that runs around the yard. I see.) Yeah, yeah.
Entry 6724
Yo' take a black hen aig an' write on it, if yo' think anybody is tryin' tuh rootwork yo' or anythin' lak dat. Yo' write on it whut chew want dat aig tuh do, tuh protect yo' in whut way, an' bury it at de centah of yore gate. An' if anybody come in yore yard wit anythin' dat means yo' any harm, why it will turn back tuh dem.
[This is called returning the spell.]
Entry 7432
I used to hear it said, that if you get a black hen's egg and put it in his hand that was killed, either hand, you can tell exactly who killed him. That will keep him from nmniag away. He will come right back to that house. If that party touches him [corpse] it will bleed where he touches then. [This old woman was a young girl (almost grown) before Civil War, near Woodville, Mississippi. I interviewed her in my study, 130 East End Ave., N. Y. C., in 1936, March?]
Entry 7433
If somebody kill yo', well yo' [someone] takes a black hen aig an' put it in yore han' an' shet it up. Dat brings 'em [murderer] back.
Entry 7434
Jes' lak if a man gits killed, some man gits killed, somebody gits killed an' yo' don't know who killed 'em. Fin' somebody dead an' dey run off an' don' know who kill 'em. Yo' take a black hen egg, but have to be sure it's a black hen. Yo' take a black hen egg an' yo' bury de people wit de egg in 'is lef' han', an' in two week's time, jes' wheresomevah dat people bury dat, well, whosomevah kill 'im will come dere an' give hisself up. Ah've seen dat did.
Entry 7435
Yo' go to work an' yo' git choo a black hen's aig. Yo' take dat aig an' yo' bring it back to de party whut dat he killed, if yo' could git to 'em [the corpse]. Yo' put dat aig into his right han', yo' shet dat han' up on it, an' bury 'im wit dat aig in dere han'. An' he [the killer] boun' to come back to 'im. He'll come right back to dat same house where dey killed dat pusson [person].
Entry 7436
If he foun' dat man dead an' dat dead man jes' dere. Well, if dat dead jes' layin' - Jesus Christ said, "He dat kill shall be killed." Yo' git a fresh black hen's aig an' put it in, bind it in dat dead man's han' an' turn dat dead man ovah on 'is face, an' dat murderer will come dere.
(You put it in either hand?)
Put it in 'is right han'.
Entry 7437
I would git a fresh yard egg from a frizzly hen an' I would take an' place it in dis man's right han', de dead man's right han', an' I would bury 'im on 'is face. An' aftah nine days he be in de groun', de egg would bust an' dis man would come an' give himself up.
Entry 7456
De aigs from a black hen. (Get two eggs from a black hen.) Yo' bury 'em, one undah each pit of de dead man's arm, an' when yo' bury 'em dat way, den dis fellah wandah back.
Entry 7458
Yo' take two black hen aigs. Yo' take one an' put it at his haid on de left side in de coffin or casket or whatevah it is, an' yo' take one an' put it in his left hand. Dat's whut ah've heard, an' say when dat aig bursts, dey'll have tuh come back. Say, dey'll have tuh come back an' surrender.
Entry 7459
Yo' take a black hen aig, jes' lak anybody git killed, an' yo' put one in de man's han' when yo' bury 'im. Den yo' bury one at de haid of de grave an' de person cain't go no place. Dey'll come back an' admit whut dey did.
(Which hand do you bury it in, either hand?) Let's see, ah think it's de left hand. Turn it down, yo' know de sharp point down. (When you bury these eggs, at the head of the grave, bury with the sharp point down.) At de haid of de grave, yes.
Entry 7460
(Do you take these two black eggs from the same hen, then?) No, sir. Yo' have to get a egg from each hen. (From each black hen?) Each black hen. (That you put in this man's hands?) In his hands. (To bring back the fellow that ran away, that killed this man?) To bring back the fellah dat killed 'im.
Entry 7462
Dey put two fresh eggs in de dead person's hands an' bury 'im wit dem two fresh eggs - black hen eggs - an' he'll come right straight back to where he done it den.
Entry 7463
This is only a small parable I want to give as an idea. If a young girl would go out wit some boy [if] he would drown this girl. Af- ter this girl had been drowned, she would rise in three day's time. All right. They go to some foreteller an' she say, "Yes, that's what you want." Well, the final facts - if the people want to see the facts - wants this boy to do the same thing that this girl did, commit suicide. Yo' may go to work an' take a rope, before buryin' dis girl, an' place aroun' 'er neck. Tie it, bring through each arm an' tie each arm.
(Tie her arms behind her?)
No, tie 'em down.
(I see, tie them down.)
The next knot goes in around her waist, but a piece of new rope. Then tie the legs together. May look an' git two black hen eggs, put in each hand an' cross 'em up in each hand. Bury the girl on 'er face. In nine days time or five days, this fellow will be floatin' round the same place where this girl was picked up from.
Entry 7465
Yo' kin take, yo' see, lak if a man would kill a person, go to a stream an' take three eggs, jes' git yo' three eggs an' bur' 'em in de watah in somepin dat de eggs'll stay down dere 'til dey rot. Take dem eggs an' bur' 'em until dey git soaked in watah. Take three eggs while dis pusson is bein' waked - lak at a wake. An' bur' 'em. Bury dat per- son wit dem eggs in dere han's. Put de eggs in dere han's. An' when dat pusson is buried, if dem eggs bu'st in dere han's, aftah dey are buried - when dem eggs bu'st, aftah dem eggs bu'st, dat pusson dat kill dat pusson is comin' back to dat same scene at where he committed de crime.
(What did you bury those eggs in the water for?)
Yo' take dose eggs an' bur' dem in de watah, if yo' don't bur' dem, don't git a chance to bur' dem in de pusson's han's when he's bein' bur-ried, yo' kin take dose eggs an' wrap 'em in somepin an' bur' 'em in de watah. Yo' undahstan'?
(Oh! I see.)
An' bur' dem in de watah. But be sure dat de eggs dat yo' use come out of de house where's de pusson who is waked. Dat's been - dat's in dat house dat night, dat pusson who is waked in dat house. An' bury 'em undah watah, bury 'em in somepin so dey can't come up on de top of de watah. An' when dem eggs bu'st undah dat watah, dat pusson'll come back jes' de same if dose eggs were buried in de han's of dat pusson.
(How many eggs did you say you used?)
Take yo' three if yo' bury 'em in de watah. If yo' bury de pusson [use two eggs], put a egg in each han' - in each han' of de pusson.
(Well, why do you take three if you bury them in the water?)
Becuz yo' got no body - yo' buryin' two eggs wit de body. But when yo' bury de three eggs, one egg represents de body, an' de othah two eggs represent de han's of de pusson dat dey in.
(Oh! I see.)
Yo' undahstan' now? How it is?
(Yeah, I undahstan'.)
Yo' got no body in de watah.
(Any particular kind of eggs?)
Hen eggs.
(From any kind of a chicken?)
Take a black chicken. Eggs from a black chicken. Git yo' three eggs from a black chicken.
Entry 7467
Yo' take three black hen eggs an' yo' shore [sure] dey black hen eggs, an' yo' take an' yo' put - yo' half boil it [them] an' yo' put [demonstrates] one undah dis heah an' one dere an' one 'tween 'is legs. [One...heah an' one dere are quite all right while I watch informant's actions of pointing under each arm, but next week or next year I may not understand the words. That is the reason why I must always describe actions when possible, as follows:] (Wait a minute! You put one in his left armpit, and one in his right armpit, and one there, next to his privates.) In dere, yes. An' den yo' put on 'is clothes an' bur' 'im, an' whoevah killed 'im, dey got to come to dat spot an' dey be picked up.
(I see, they'll be picked up.)
Dat's for sure.
(I see.)
Well, yo' have to half boil dose black hen eggs - jes' halfways - to control dat dey won't be so easily rotted. Dey -yo wants 'em good enough to stan awhile. Use half-boiled eggs.
(I see.)
Cuz if dey are raw in handlin' de dead dey bu'st. A half day dey are bu'sted. (I see. Don't use raw ones because they might bu'st in handling the dead. That's the reason they boil them, so that they will be harder?) Yes, a little bit. An' de party will natchly [naturally] come back where he killed dat man an' want to be [taken].
[Informant now adds a variant of what can be done with the third egg.]
Put de party's name on a piece of papah - de one who killed 'im, write 'is name on de papah an' put it 'tween 'is legs wit a egg 'tween 'is legs. He has got to come to dat spot.
(I see.)
Entry 7468
Well, if a man kill a man an' yo' know where he's at an' yo' want 'im to die, at de same moment durin' de right time, yo' takes three eggs. (What kind of eggs?) Black hen eggs. Yo' go to 'is house an' yo' throw dat egg on 'is house an' call 'is name an' cuss 'im de same time. Nex' mawnin' de undahtakah dere - de coffin man.
Entry 8012
If a person do anything to you, you [the culprit] can go on yonder to New York or Washington or anywhere, I will ketch him. I'll take a brand-new egg from a black hen and take that egg and put it in ten pins, five one way and five the other, in the sides [the long sides] of the [uncooked] egg. You take this egg and go to a grave, just like you are digging a person's grave, bury this egg. You put it this way [demon- strates] just the same as you would the east [the large end of the egg represents the head and is laid facing the east]. You bury this egg in the Name of the Lord, and that he will never return, and moulten away. You say his name. When the egg is rot-ten he will be out of this world.
Entry 8403
Dey take a photograph an' place it in vinegah, turn de photograph down. See, yo' know what ah mean, turn de face down an' place it in vinegah. An' den let it stay in vinegah fo' - ah think it's nine mawnin's. An' den yo' take it, aftah yo' let it stay in dat vin- egah - see, it fades, yo' know. Den yo' take a hen aig an' push a li'le tiny hole in de hen egg an' let it drip right on dat pichure.
(What will that do?)
What dat will 'fect - it's almost similah tuh yore hair [in a previous rite by informant], but it jis' won't run yuh as bad. It will cuz yuh tuh have a Wondah- in' [wandering] mind, yo' know, become dissatisfied.
Entry 9008
Dey say dat yo' could take a aig from a black hen an' if yo' in any kinda trouble or wanta git out, an' yo' bust it up ovah yore do' or eithah jes' on a gatepost. Jes' lak dat yo' could even go tuh de place where, where yo' are tuh be tried at, an' bust it up on dere. Dey say dat yo' would come clear. [In this rite and the two preceding, we must remember that intention, though unexpressed, is the magic power. The following rite expresses the intention.]
Entry 9014
Well, ah heard dat chew kin git chew a black hen aig, see, an' carry it home an' boil it. But yo' have tuh go tuh de graveyard fo' dat. Yo' have tuh go tuh de graveyard an' dig down in dere by de person's haid where he was buried, up tuh yore elbows, yo' know, an' git a handful of dust an' come back, an' put it intuh dis pot what chew boil dat aig in. Put dat dirt dataway an' den take de aig an' carry it on up tuh de co'thouse. Jes' lak yo' de one wants tuh git out an' ah slip yo' de aig, an' yo' carries dat dere wit chew. Den yo' jes' let it drop somewhere on de floor an' bust it, an' dat'll help yo' tuh git a light fine. Sometime it cleahs yo'.
Entry 9022
It jes' lak if yo' Wanta go tuh win a case. Yo' take dese three black hen aigs an' do de same thing. (How do you do that?) Well, yo' take de three aigs an' go tuh de fo' cornahs of de road, gotta be where dirt at. (And these three eggs are black hen eggs?) Black hen aigs, yeah. An' yo' jes' set [demonstrates] one heah an' one heah - undah de sand jes' lak dat, not too deep, so de automobile couldn't mash it. [Egg buried at right angle, not in a straight line.] Set de othah one on dis cornah an' set one on dis cornah...each automobile jes' accordin' tuh how it's [egg is] set, jes' go by dese two aigs an dey bust on dat side. Den de othah yo' could take it an' bring it back. Write an' tell 'im whut chew want done. Pass de case [to the eggl. Man goin' be 'lectricuted. Dat goin' bring 'im back.
(You write this all on the egg. What time do you go out to that crossroad?)
Yo' be dere twelve on de minute. Yo' start dis off at three minutes tuh twelve. THIS IS A SINGLE DIRT ROAD - YOU CAN TAKE ONLY 1 OF 3 (At night.) ROADS AHEAD - SET EGG IN RUT EITHER SIDE OF ROADS Dat's right an' yo' stay dere an' watch dat job.... 3 DOTS OF DIAGRAM =
(Until the automobile runs over it?)
3 NAILS OR NAMES. Dat's right. Yo' see a man on each one of dem automobile.
Entry 9179
Ah've hear'd tell of 'em usin' eggshells, ah've hear'd tell dat chew kin take nine eggshells. An' if he drinks coffee, ah've hear'd tell of 'em takin' nine eggshells - yo' take de eggs of a black hen. An' yo' take nine eggshells an' if yo' kin beat those eggshells up, an' use dat intuh his coffee, ah've heard tell of dat stoppin' 'im from drinkin'.
Entry 9216
Jes' take de aig right aftah she lay, an' gits de drop on [take an unexpected advantage of] de person an' count three times. Well, yo' say, one - two - when yo' say three de aig's done left yore han' an' hit right in de centah of dey do'. It hit right in de centah of dey do' an' drap down dere. Well, dey gone.
(What kinf of an egg do you use?)
A black hen. Yo' cain't use no othah chicken but a black hen. She's gotta be black an' not have a white spot about 'er.
Entry 9226
Said dey take a black hen aig an' go tuh de woman's house, an' if yo' man goin' dere, if yo' wanta bust 'im up from dere an' run 'im away from dere, bust 'im an' de woman up, yo' take a black-hen aig an' go an' throw it up against de do', an' say jes' whut chew want tuh de aig. An' throwin de aig at de do', bust it, an' he cain't go dere.
Entry 9230
Take chicken aigs an' bury 'em undah de do'step an' a lady an' 'er husband tuh separate. (Any kind of chicken egg?) Black chicken aig. (Any number of eggs? How many?) Two an' [or] three. [Waycross, Ga., (1133), 1937:14. Two cylinders later in- formant returns to same subject.]: [I heard] of 'em usin' black hen aigs an' [or] usin' black hen dung.
(What would they do with that black hen egg?)
Bury 'em undah yore steps tuh part chew an' yore husband, cuz yo' tuh have back luck. [Waycross, Ga., (1133), 1839:10.]
Entry 9231
If he [first man] had a woman livin' in 'is house an' he [second man] want 'er [her] to leave 'im [first man] an' want [her] to live heah [with] him [second man], put de aig undah de step [of first man] covah it up an' dat [first] man walk ovah it fo' nine mawnin's she'll leave her husband [first man], an' come where he at, if he want 'er tuh do it.
(What kind of egg did you say it was?)
Black hen aig, it have tuh be black.
Entry 9232
Ah heard dat chew could take a black hen's aig an' bury it at chure do', an' aftah buryin' dis black hen's aig at chure do', when yo' make yore wishes an' whatevah yo' make yore wish, it will come. (You bury this black hen egg at your own door?) Yessuh. (And make your wish for anything?) Yessuh. Ah heard dat chew could do dat an' dat yore wishes would come.
Entry 9234
Jes' lak if yo' got a fren' an' he's away from yo', yo' use a chicken aig lak dis. Yo' put it in de mun of de house [under eaves] wit de end [small end of egg] down an' yo' writes 'is name on dat an' yo' puts it dat deep in de groun' [demon- strates]. (About as deep as your hand.) Yes sir, at de drain of yore house, an' yo' call 'im, an' yo' put sulphuh, sugah - all dat mixture is sweet don't chew know. Put sulphuh, sugah an' brim- stone. An' each mawnin' yo' call 'im fo' nine mawnin's. [Brimstone and sulphur raise hell with him, sugar sweetens him.] Yo' call 'im an' he boun' tuh come, he cain't stay away - he gotta come. One aig an' write his name on de aig. Ah'm goin' call yore name, see. Say, "Ah'm callin' yo' an' ah wan' chew tuh come on back home heah tuh me." Write dat on de aig. See, write his name on dere [egg]. Call 'is name an' write dat [name] on dat aig. An' put dat aig right down in dis guttah [in the ground under the eaves].
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
It would be bettah if it wuz a black hen aig.
Entry 9236
[Well, now yo' kin take a black - it's gotta be a solid black hen. Yo' kin take a black hen aig an' write chure enemy's name on dere an' yo' kin bury it, if yo' wan' 'em tuh leave town or leave from aroun' yore neighborhood. Yo' put de lit- tle end out. (Out from what?) From de do'. Put de little end out. Jes' bury it right in front of yore do'. An' dat will run 'em away, but yo' will have tuh write dere name on dat aig an' it has tuh be a black hen aig. Then yo' kin take a black hen aig an' yo' kin throw it, but yo' have tuh be shore [sure] dat yo' hit right on de do'knob wit it. Yo' kin throw it an' let it strike right ag'inst a person's do'knob an' it'll cuz all kinda confusion in dat home, an' yo' can't stay dere in no peace.
Entry 9242
And then you turn around then and want to run him away from her, yo' get a coal-black hen's egg an' yo' write his name on de egg. An' den yo' turn around and get a pinch of dirt out of the hollow of his right-foot track, and write his name on a piece of paper, and put that egg and that dirt in that paper, carry it and throw it in strong running water, all run one way [meaning not a tidal river], an' make yore wishes. An' go back to yore house an' get in yore door an' turn yore face out of the door an' wish 'im from yore house, an' he'll go away. [Out in the county from Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., (Doctor Frank Hall, called by my tired mind Frank Harris! in v.l, INTRO., p. XXIX. I hadn't thought of Frank Harris in years! Material from Hall was taken down by hand.]
Entry 9251
Kin take a black hen's aig on Friday, dat's laid on Friday, an' write dere name on it. Write it roun' de aig an' den write it crossways de aig, an' den take it an' go an' throw it on dere do'. Dat will make dem move. (Now here is the egg. Do you write that name down like that? [I dem- onstrate.l And then you write it across like that?) Yes.
(You make a cross by writing the names that way?)
Yes.
Entry 9253
Ah tole yo' dat, see. Now, lak ef yo' wanted me tuh git outa heah. Ef ah was in dis house heah an' yo' wanted me - yo' couldn't git me outa heah. Yo' go an' git a black hen's aig Was laid on a Friday, see. An' yo' write dat person's name on dat aig. An' yo' take dat aig an' put it intuh a teacup wit de handle - a teacup whut ain't got no han- dle, a new teacup, not a ole one, a new one whut ain't got no handle. [A new teacup with- out a handle? Did a person buy a new teacup and break off the handle? Or was a handleless teacup, small bowl, conveniently sold by hoodoo shops?] An' den yo' write de name on dat [egg] good. Well, yo' write it seven or nine times, but it's gotta be seven or nine times, not eight. Seven or nine, see. Well, den yo' shet dat ovah wit coffee grounds an' let it set in dere three days zactly. Well, den yo' make it back tuh mah do' dere at night, twelve 'clock in de night, an' jes' throw dat egg an' let it hit mah do', de cup an' all, an' say, "Go! Yo' son-of-a-bitch." An' dat egg hits dat do' it busts. De nex' mawnin' ah'm goin' git a wagon an' ah'm goin' move out dat place, can't stay dere fo' save mah life. Dere ain't no way fo me tuh stay dere.
Entry 9255
Ah would git me a egg from a frizzly hen [for frizzly chicken, see p.59f. and elsewhere] an' ah would put it undah de steps. Den, aftah nine days, yo' see, dat egg would bus [burst]. Dat would make con- fusibn an' de landlord would put 'em out de house.
Entry 9256
[A frizzly hen egg] take it an' write de name on de egg an' bust it in front of de person's do', will cuz a separation in de home.
(That has to be a egg from a...?)
From a frizzly hen. Only one ah was evah tole dey could use. Ah don't know about othahs.
Entry 9258
What ah heard 'em say, said dey take a hen egg, a black hen's egg an' some - an' tuh go out tuh de graveyard an' git a han'ful of graveyard dirt, an sprinkle dat dirt on de porch, an' take de egg an' bust it up side de do'. Dat sup- posed tuh make yo' move, if dey didn't lak yo'.
Entry 9259
Ah heard dat if yo' - jes' lak yo're workin' on a job an' dere's somebody dere dat try tuh work ag'inst yo', an' yo' wanta put 'em away from dere (2)1 an' yo' take his place, dey tell me dat yo' kin take a fresh hen aig an' go tuh de graveyard and git some graveyard dirt, an' bury it tuh de pahticlah [particular] place dat he always stand at, an' in a few days time he'll be gone from dere an' yo' have his place.
(You use any kind of a chicken egg?)
A black hen aig.
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 9276
Git a black hen aig. Yo' take it an' throw it on de house an' dat'll make 'em - make 'em all stir up in de house, an' make 'em fuss all de time wit dat.
Entry 9278
Take a black hen's aig an' write de person's name on it an' bury it. An' den take it an' throw it 'ginst de house, an' dey'll move out. (You bury this egg until it's rotten. Then you take it and throw it against the house.) Have dat person's name wrote on dat aig, an' bust dat aig 'ginst de house an' dey'll move out.
Entry 9289
If yo' wanta run a person off, dey say git chew a black hen aig an' go tuh a fellah's house, an' chunk it right 'cross de house jes' as hard as yo' kin at midnight or 'fore day - befo' sunrise.
(That will run him out? You throw this egg right over the house?)
Yes, throw it jes' as hard as yo' kin an' say, "Go!"
(Do you break it against the house or throw it over the house?)
Throw it ovah de house fur as it will go.
Entry 9298
It will run you away.
(Well, how are they supposed to do that?)
Well, they say they write your name on it, on the egg - say they write chure name on the egg with indelible ink. An' they'll take it when de tide is goin' out an' say, as the tide goin' out, you'll be on shore yo' know an' throw it. An' let de tide go with it an' say, "Go, yo' rascal, yo', " or "go yo', enemy, yo', " or something like that yo' know. An' they say, they'il go on away from yo' - say they'll leave here. An' I tell yo' a few weeks ago - no, it was about a month ago now, a woman told me that a lady told her to do that to run a man away from here an' I know he's gone. An' I say, "What did yo' do?" She say, "Why the woman say she went out in de country an' got me a black hen's egg, she say no other egg will work 'ceptin' [excepting] a black hen's egg." I said, "Well, HOW DO YOU KNOW IT WAS A BLACK HEN'S EGG FROM ANY OTHER EGG?" SHE SAID, See, be- cause people buys them so much from her to do that.
Entry 9300
Yo' kin take a hen aig - take a black hen aig an' yo' kin write de 'nitial or de name. Yo' write dat name on dis aig an' yo' make nine dots wit de pencil whut chew have in yore hand. Dat nine dots fo' dose nine mawnin's. [You make one dot on each of nine successive mornings.] Yo' go tuh a runnin' stream of watah... Now, yo' take a rotten aig... [I stop informant from starting a different rite.] (Wait a minute! After you go to running Water, what do you do then?) Yo' go tuh runnin' watah, aftah yo' put dose nine dots in dere wit de pencil. Den yo' go tuh runnin' watah an' throw it jes' as fur ovah yore haid as yo' kin git it. Jes' throw it up [into the air]. When it gon'a hit de watah it ain't gon'a break. Jes' throw it up. An' aftah yo' throw it up, don't look back, walk on off. Jes' long as dat aig go, dat person's goin'; long as dat aig goes, he's travelin'.
Entry 9301
Now yo' kin [take a] chicken aig from a black hen, a black hen aig an go tuh man house twelve aclock at night. An' jes' go dere - well, fo' a fact, ah know dat tuh be a fact. Jes' go right [there] an' jes' chunk it jes' as hard as yo' kin ag'in 'em [house] an' say, "Go." Name de person, "Ah want chew tuh go." An' yo' jes' chunk it hard as yo' kin.
(That will send them away?)
Dey be out dere less den nine days.
Entry 9305
Yo' take a black hen aig if a person has murdered somebody, take two. Lak if de person wuz murdered, yo' put a aig in each one of dere han's, a black hen aig. An' be shuh [sure] it's a black hen aig, an' put it in each one of dere han's. Git a piece of grass rope. (What's that?) Dese heah ropes whut people ties bundles an' things with. An' yo' git a piece of dat an' yo' make nine knots in it, an' yo' tie it on dere wrist. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury dat person, yo' turn dere face bottom upwards [back of head upwards]. An' de one whosomevah murdered 'em gotta come back where dey did dat murdah. Wit dat black hen aig.
(Do you tie that rope on just one wrist?)
On both of 'em, both wristses, put a aig in each han' an' shut dat han' up. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury 'em, yo' turn dere face down. Yo' see, dey gen'ly [generally] bury people wit dere face up, in place of puttin' de face down tuh de bottom of de coffin.
Entry 9312
Now ah tell yo' whut ah did heah. Dey say dat if yo' jes' take a black hen, she don't have tuh have no spot on 'em atall, gotta be solid black. Jes' lak if yore wife is goin' wit anothah man yo' see, she won't hardly stay home. Yo' put her name on dis side of de aig, see [demonstrates]. Den yo' turn it tuh yo', turn it ovah, an' put yore name on de othah side of it. An' bury dat right in de middle - it gotta be where she kin penetrate right back an' fo'th ovah it. She may go out fo' about one or two nights, but aftah dat she won't go no mo'. She'll be wantin' tuh stay home an' yo'll be ready tuh go, see.
Entry 9315
They take black hen egg an' put yore name on it nine times an' bury it. It'll run yo' crazy, make yo' die.
(What's that?)
Control of yore mind.
Entry 9324
Well, go dere an' break up people. Well, yo' gits a fresh egg. If yo' can't git a black hen aig, yo' git a fresh egg. Write de individual name on it nine times, an' write one name goin' dis way [away from you] an' don't write no name so dey comin' dis way [towards you]. See, dat writin' mean dey go de othah way. (They write one going away from writer, and one going down nine times.) [The first name is written away from the writer, the other eight names are written down and across the first name. This is an elaborate crossing of the victim.] Dey'll put nine "J's" on each one [one "J" on each name], go tuh de fork of de road twelve o'clock in day or twelve at night, eithah one, an' broke de egg an' call dere name. Smash it up. [The letter "J" could stand for the obsolete word "Holy Jakes" we met in No.9068, p.3676.]
(What will that do?)
Dat will smash up de life of de couple. De individual yo' wanta break up, put dere name on it.
Entry 9328
About de nine hen aigs. Well, if yo' want a person, lak ah'm livin' nex' do' tuh yo' an' givin' yo' trouble, why yo' take nine black hen aigs. Be shuh [sure] dey black hen aigs. An' write yore [my] name [on them and] evah mawnin' 'fo' day, bust one - chunk one at de do' an' let it bust an' run down. In nine day's time why yo'll [I'll] leave town. When yo' chunk de last aig, why yo'll [I'll] move out. [Waycross, Ga., (1141), 1856:2. J
Entry 9329
( Git nine black hen aigs an' write de 'nitial of de big low name on de two big: Sheriff, de chief of police, if yo' in a town, write dere name. Bury one [of the 9 eggs] undah yore back do'step, bury one in front, den lay one up ovah yore do', an' den chunk de rest east. Won't no law come round, yo' kin sell likkah. Ah've toted it up an' down dese streets heah by de gallons, dey ain't no law 'rest [me] yet fo' likkah. Ah've sold likkah right in mah house, ain't no law 'rest [arrest] yet fo' no likkah. [Informant is the same as in the preceding rite.]
Entry 9344
Says take a black hen aig an' lay it on dey private. Dat whut she tole me. An' write de person's name on it, an' carry it to a runnin' watah, an' she says dey'll travel. [Here is one of the amazing rites of Hoodoo! Where did it come from? Is its origin a hoodoo book written by someone who understood Hebrew? It is quite Biblical except for the purpose intended: And Abraham said unto his eldest servant... Put I pray thee thy hand under my thigh: And I will make thee swear by the Lord... Genesis, 24:1 (King James Version). Likewise The New English Bible uses under my thigh to translate privates or genitals. In the present rite a woman writes her man's name on the egg, lays it against herself and throws it into running water to get rid of him. His spirit in the name follows her spirit in the scent!]
Entry 9348
Well, yo' see, de aigs, dere are two kinds of aigs. A roostah's aig is long an' de hen's aigs are round. Well, yo' git two hen aigs an' some salt an' black peppah. Well, yo' git on dis hen aig whut chew want done. Den yo' go an dig a hole de way yo' want tuh run it - tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' dig a hole to- Wards runnin' watah an' den yo' put dis aig down in dere an' de black peppah an' salt, an' tell it evah whut chew want it tuh do. An' dey'll come back.
(You leave it there. You use two eggs though?)
Yeah, yeah, two aigs. Dey're round aigs. Yo' see, a roostah's aig is long an' de hen aig is round [the words long or round being words based upon sexual symbolism, not biology]. Well, yo' use de hen aigs. [For long eggs and round eggs see also following rite, and for round eggs and square eggs see also No.9284, p.3738.]
(You dig a sort of a ditch?)
No, a hole tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' know, sometime yo' have ditches run- nin'. Well, yo' kin tell which way de watah is runnin'. Well, yo' dig de hole tuhwards runnin' watah.
(You mean between your house and the running water?)
Well, if de ditch is runnin' between yore house, yo' kin dig it right in front of de ditch, jes' so's it's runnin' which way de watah is runnin'.
(You mean you dig the hole away from you, down the way the water is running?)
Yeah, well, yo' take nine steps tuhwards de runnin' watah an' dig yore hole, an' den aftah yo' dig yore hole, yo' put chure aig an' salt an' black peppah down in dere. Co'se dis aig already has on it whut chew want it tuh do. An' den yo' have it bring 'em back.
(That is to bring them back?)
Yes.
Entry 9349
Well, jes' if anybody yo' want tuh move, if any of yore neighbahs is not so good an' yo' wanta move 'em.] But chew have tuh git a aig from a hen dat's been wit a roostah. De diff'- rence in dose aigs - yo' know de diff'rence in dose aigs? (No, I don't. Tell me about them?) Well, de hen dat doesn't be wlt a roostah, her aigs are round. An' de hen dat does be wit a roostah, her aigs is long. [Here as in the preceding rite, the symbolism of added length to the egg is obvious.] Well, yo' take one of dose long aigs an' yo' gits tuh de front do', an' yo' throws it ovah her house an' if dat aig busts yo're gone.
Entry 9357
Git a white hen aig an' let it git rotten, an' throw it on de house an' dey'll have tuh move. (How do you mean, throw it on the house - where?) Anywhere roun' de house, jis' long as it bust de aig, aftah it's rotten. [Compared to eggs from black hens, an egg from a white hen is rare in hoodoo.]
Entry 9363
Take a black hen's aig an' put a little salt in it an' bury it at dey do'steps. Say dat would run 'em. (How do you put that salt in that egg?) Put de salt in it, yo' peck a little hole.
Entry 9364
Well, now, yo' git a black hen, yeah. An' git dat aig from a black hen, yo' undahstan'. Yeah. An' den yo' take dat aig an' keep it in salty watah fo' two days. An' den yo' git dat aig an' care [carry] it. Yo' go tuh de steps, though, yo' know, an' bury it undah de steps. Dat's whut yo' do wit dat aig, if yo' wanta git 'em 'way from dere. Yo' undahstan' dat.
(That's all you have to do?)
Yes.
Entry 9375
Jes' lak now if yo' [ah] want someone tuh move, prob'ly it may be yo'. Ah'm jis' goin say it fo' a instance. Yo' in dis house an' ah don't want chew in heah. Well, ah'll take dat aig an' bust it on yore do', but ah gotta put a li'le sulphuh wit it first an' throw it on yuh do' an' yo' bound tuh move.
(You put some sulphur on that egg?)
Yes, an' bust it on yuh do'.
(Any kind of chicken egg?)
No, a black chicken aig. Put some sulphah on it befo' ah use it an' when ah throw it dere, say, "Ah'm doin' dis In de Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost. Ah want chew tuh move." An' when ah do dat, why yo' bound tuh go.
Entry 9380
Yo' kin take a black hen's egg, soak it in vinegah 3 days an' go out at midnight at 12 o'clock, de time de clock strike 12 o'clock, an' throw it ovah de house an' dey'll move.
Entry 9382
Dey kin git three black hen eggs [an egg from three different hens]... fresh, fresh. Soak 'em in vinegah for nine days...break on top of dere house an' dey'll move. [Some people kept black hens to sell black hen eggs to hoodoo believers. Since these eggs always had to be fresh, fresh, they usually came from different hens laying the same day. Unless you saw a black hen dropping the egg, who would know the difference!]
Entry 9384
Jis' lak whut ah said jis' now, if yo' want somebody tuh move. If a person in a place an' yo' an' 'im can't git along an' yo' want 'im tuh move, why yo' bust a chicken aig on de do' an' dat make 'em move. Yo' have tuh bust a aig fo' three nights. Dey bust dem dere twelve o'clock an' [or] fo' o'clock, an' dey gotta be eithah black hen's aig or red hen's. [Red hen is rare under any circumstance.] An' dat'll make 'em move, but dey gotta bust 'em on de do'.
(At either twelve o'clock or four o'clock, three nights.)
Yes, sir.
(How many eggs do you break?)
One.
(Just one, you do it three nights and they move?)
Yes.
Entry 9387
Ah've heard dat dey take a black hen, three black hen aigs an' go to, put undah yuh steps, an' yo'll leave - can't stay dere.
Entry 9388
Jis' lak if ah'm in dis town an' no one heah don't lak me, wants tuh kill me, wants tuh destroy me or somepin. [They tell me] dat yo' kin take three aig from a black hen an' boil it. Take dose three boiled aig an' jis' lak de individual travelin' dis way, yo' bury one dem boiled aig de firs' mawnin', on de third [second] mawnin' go fuhthah [farther] an' bury de nex' one, an' on de third mawn- in' go an' throw de othah one undah de end of de steps. An' dey say dat will git dem out chure way.
Entry 9390
Take a black hen's aig - three hen aigs, black hen aigs. Lak a person bothahin' yo' fo' rent an' tellin' yo' tuh move, yo' kin take three of dose aigs an' throw it ovah yore house, an' dat'll keep 'im away from bothahin' yuh. (Just throw them over your own house?) Yes, sir, jis' chunk 'em cross de house.
Entry 9391
Dey kin take a black hen aig an' throw it across de house three times an' move a person.
(Do you throw that same egg or three different eggs?) Three diffren aigs becuz de aigs is liable tuh break, three times. (One right after the other, and that will make a person move?) Yes.
Entry 9392
If yo' stayin' at a place an' don't wanta go, git three aigs of a black hen an' throw 'em right ovah de house, across, tuhwards sunset. Throw 'em right ovah yore house an' yo' nevah go till yo' git ready. Dey can't put chew out do's [doors], dey won't bothtah yuh.
Entry 9397
Dey kin take yuh han'writin' an' draw yuh from home, an' dey kin run yuh from home.
(Well, how do they do that?)
Dat's by - jis' as ah fo'say, ah kin take dat an' calls yuh name. Callin' yuh name ah go tuh de shop an' ah buy me three aigs, but ah gotta guarantee dey gotta be black hen aigs. [How informant knows eggs come from a black hen is not explained.] An' twelve 'clock at night, jes' de direction yo' is, ah throw dat aig an' bust it. An' jis' where she fall, SHE RUN YUH AWAY OR BRING YO' BACK.
(Well, how do you accomplish that?)
Becuz yo' are comin' - write chure [= victim's] name on de aig: "God de Fathah, God de Son an' God de Holy Ghost, Power." Den yore name come aftah it on de aig. De direction yo' are tuhward de street outside, twelve 'clock on de minute.
(You throw the three eggs?)
Throw de three aigs.
(That's to bring you?)
Bring yuh or run yuh, eithah one, whichevah yo' want done. Dat's right. (Well, how do you signify that you Want to run them away or to bring them back. How do you do that?) Tell dem on de egg, yo' write it. If yo' right in town - jis' right heah now yo' wanta run dat feliah dat be nex' do', yo' jis' come right by an' if 'is baid in de middle room, yo' throw dat right dere. Well he gone.
Entry 9398
Ah hear'd dat chew could take a ole black, coal-black hen an' take three of her aigs. Co'se, ah've hear'd it diff'ren' ways, but dis is de way ah hear'd it. An' take [the] three [eggs] an' run through de [your] house an' [reach- ing the outside] chunk de whole three aigs back 'cross de house. An' go back [go to other side of house where eggs fell] an' de one of dose aigs dat doesn't bust, yo' take it. An' take it right [back into the house] in de middle of de house an' drop it, an' let it bust right in de flo' where dat stain will be dere. [Breaking the egg in center of house establishes the fifth point, making this a quincunx rite.] An' if someone Wanted tuh git yuh some way, yore nex'-do' neighbahs [for example] or somepin; Wanted yuh tuh git out or wanted tuh move yuh, couldn't anything harm yo'. (You run through your own house and you throw these eggs. How do you throw. them now?) Yo' jis' run through de house an' when yo' hit de ground [reach outside] yo' throw all three of 'em 'cross de.house. An' dere's one ole lady used tuh...
[I interrupt.]
(Oh, you run through your house and throw those eggs over your house. Then you go to the other side and the egg that doesn't burst...
[Informant interrupts me.]
Dat doesn't bust, why yo' take it in de house an' drop it right in [on] de flo' an' let it bust, where de stain will be in de flo'.
Entry 9399
If a lady wanted yo' tuh leave from yuh home, an' yo' had some chicken dat wus black, coal-black, an' yo' take three of dose aigs. De lady dat wan' shoo tuh leave home - lak if yo' wus married an' yore wlfe wanted yuh tuh leave, she would take dose aigs. An' jis' lak if yo' wus a man dat liked tuh drink an' she Would make yuh a aignog, an' take one or two teaspoons of salt an' stir it in dere, an' a li'le black peppah. Jes' enough where yo' maybe taste it an' maybe not, jis' enough tuh make yuh drink it. An' she would take some of dat same peppah outa de same hand [holding the pepper] dat she put in dose aigs. An' put 'em in a papah an' put 'em in a jah [jar] or somepin, an' stop it up fo' five days. She'll let it stay stopped up. An' den she go back an' open dis an' burn dat peppah an' stuff, jes' tuh where it git hot, an' stop it up an' bury it where dat yo' cross ovah. An' if she wants yuh tuh leave, some way or 'nothah somepin goin' happen dat chew'll have tuh leave. (She puts it in this bottle, some of the eggnog that has this stuff in it, after he has drunk some of it.) Yes.
Entry 9412
Take a egg from a black hen, two black hens [1 egg from each hen]... throw it [the 2 eggs] on the house an' it'll bus' an' dey'll go away from de house.
Entry 9417
Now, if yo' constantly come tuh mah house, an' maybe ah'm carryin' on somepin dat ah wouldn't Want chew tuh come in mah house, ah wouldn't wan' tuh be bothahed wit chew. Ah wan' tuh make yo' leave an' don' come back. Ah go an' borrah two eggs from yuh, says, "Ah jes' gotta have some aigs. Will yo' loan me two until ah gits some more? Ah'll give dem back tuh yuh tuh- morrah or such a day." If yo' go past dere house at night, at six or twelve...
[I interrupt.]
(In the morning or night?)
In de morning or night, at six or twelve. Ah dig a hole dere an' ah put de eggs down dere an' ah say, "Now dis is tuh divide yo' an' me." An' ah put an inch space between de aigs. "Ah don' want chew tuh cross ovah heah no mo'." Ah Say dat when ah put 'em down. "Now ah wan' chew tuh stay on dis side an' ah'm gon'a stay ovah here." Don' let yo' cross, yo' see.
Entry 9418
An' if yo' wanta send somebody away, take a black hen aig an' when yo' urinate, yo' urinate on dat black hen aig. An' when yo' go out de gate, throw dat ahin' yo' an' let 'im bust. Dat's whut ah hear'd 'em [say] but now ah don't know...
[I interrupt.] (When you go out the gate how do you throw it?) Jes' throw dat aig behin' yo', yo' know, an' see, it'll bust. An' de people dere will move away. (That will make them move out of the house.)
Entry 9420
Yes sir, ah heard dat if yo' [woman] got a [man] frien' dat go wit anothah woman, yo' kin git a black hen aig an' make watah on it fo' nine mawnin's, an' go by dere an' throw it on dis woman do', see. It shore will break. See, dat will break 'em. (That will break that woman and your sweetheart up.)
Entry 9423
Jis' lak if dere anybody yo' wants tuh make move from any- wheres, why yo' git a black hen aig, fresh aig. Git somebody whut's got [black] chickens, yo' know. Be shore it's a black hen. An' git dat aig an' put it in a coffee cup an' yo' pee on it fo' nine mawnin's. An' jis' lak dis mawnin' make de ninth mawnin', why yo' go tuh dat place where dey stay; an' jis' throw de cup an' aig an' all up side de do', an' he goin' leave dere - he jis' move.
Entry 9425
(A black hen egg? What do they do with that?)
Well, dey claims dat dey write chure name on dat an' yo' put dat in vinegah an' let it stay dere nine days. An' den yo' break it ovah de person's do', if yo' wanta make 'em move. (You just write the name on this egg, just once?) Yeah, once on de aig, an' yo' put it in vinegah. Leave it stay dere nine days, an' den yo' throw it ovah dey do'. Also a guinea aig. A guinea aig is mostly bettah den de black hen aig. [THIS MAY BE MY ( ONLY EXAMPLE OF A GUINEA EGG.] Although lotsa people believes in de black hen aig, but a guinea goes roun' de house makin' fuss all de time. Yo' know, yo' notice dat? [Guinea fowls considered as good as a watch dog.] An' if yo' wanta make fuss an' keep confusion, yo' git dat guinea aig, yo' see, an' dat keeps de confusion. (You do the same thing as you did with the black hen egg.)
Entry 9426
Ah don' know whethah it's so or not, but dey tell me yo' kin take a black hen aig an' yo' kin - if yo' wants a person tuh stay 'way from yuh house- take a black hen aig an' put it up in vinegah till it becomes long, yo' know. Yo' know vinegah will make a aig git small as dis fingah [demonstrates finger], jis' stretch it. An' says, an' aftah dat aig gits where 'bout it stretches, yo'...if yo' put a aig in vinegah - ah don' know whethah yo' have experienced dat or not, but vinegah will make a aig stretch. [If reader does not believe this, an egg and vinegar are an inexpensive experiment.] Jis' put a aig in a bottle. Yo' kin put a aig in one small bottle, ain't no mo' 'en [more than] hole dat big [demonstrates]. Yo' kin put a hen aig in dere by puttin' dat hen aig in vinegah. Yo' see, vinegah will make dat hen aig stretch lak a string. Well, yo' kin put it in vinegah, a black hen aig. Dey tell me dey do dis. An' yo' kin take dat black hen aig an' if ah don' wan' chew tuh mah house, ah kin break dat aig whilst it's got dat vinegah in it, an' ah kin jis' strow [archaic for strew = to scatter] it around mah do'step or eithah way, mah entrance way, an' yo' cānt [can not] come in dere. Anybody kin come dere 'scusin' [excusing = eXCePt] yo'. IF YO' START IN DERE WHY YO'D HAVE SECH PAIN YO'D FALL 'FORE YO' COULD MAKE IT. But whethah dat dere is true, now ah don't say dat is true.
Entry 9428
An' den yo' kin take a black hen aig an' yo' kin write - jis' lak yo' Wanta run me off or somepin lak dat. Yo' kin write mah name on dat black hen's aig. Jis' run me off an' mah wife will still be dere. Or eithah yo' kin run mah wife off an' ah stay dere - ah still be dere. Bust it up against dat house where de haid of dat baid turnt [the foot of the bed being in a direction opposite from the operator of the rite facilitates the victim's departure and avoids any possible collision between the two].
Entry 9430
They take a black hen egg an' cayenne peppah an' guinea watah - er, yes - an' chuck it at yore door.
(What is that? What else do they take, now?)
Cayenne peppah, yes; a black hen egg...
(A black hen egg and then what?)
An' guinea - not guinea. Aw shucks they call it...
A black chicken egg, cayenne peppah...
(Yes, all right.)
An' yo' mix dat togethah.
(What do you mix now, what kind of water?)
War water!
(Oh! All right!)
An' yo' take an' yo' chuck it at dere door. Now, yo' see, yo' take a black hen egg by itself an' yo' chuck dat at yore door fo' nine mornings, an' dat makes yo' move an' makes yo' an' yore husband or yo' an' yore neighbor fight until yo' go to jail. (I see. All right.) Now, dat war water, just sprinkle it all around yore door. An' yo' just take a whole bottle of it an' mix it wit cayenne peppah an' den chunk it an' it busts at yore door. Yo' are sure to go to jail.
(I see.)
Entry 9437
Tuh make 'em stay.away, yo' kin take a black hen's aig an' at night, ovahnight, yo' go dere an' take dat aig an' chunk it ovah on top of dere house, anywhere an' make a wish, say, "Ah wish dey'd stay from mah house. Ah'm tired of dem worryin' me. Ah'm tired of 'em." Jes' chunk dat black hen's aig, yo' know, ovah de - on de house, on de porch, anywhere. An' den de nex' mawnin' dey mo' den apt tuh git up an' move. Dey move out from de house. [I frequently heard preceding word tired as tied, the past tense and past participle of verb to tie.]
Entry 9438
If ah wus wit a man in a lawsuit, an' ah wus afraid he wus goin' tuh win de case, why at night ah would take a black hen aig an' ah write on dat an' he leave heah, "Don't nevah come back no mo'." Well, ah take dat egg at twelve a'clock at night. Ah take mah search- light out dere at twelve a'clock at night, an' ah would go dere quietly. An' at de hour of twelve ah would chunk it ovah his house an' let it fall on 'is house. In seven days he would be gone.
Entry 9439
Dey git a black hen aig. Dey take it an' write some kinda - what dey want done on dere. Dey take it way late [at night] or soon in de mawnin' 'fore de sun rise, dey chuck it on yore po'ch. If dey can't git ontuh yore house, dey put it on yore po'ch, see; an' puts some kinda peppah on topa it an' busts it. Dat make yuh move. (What do you mean by getting on top of your house?) Well, dey can throw it but let it hit de fiahplace [chimney]. Makes yuh git out de house.
Entry 9440
Yo' take a black hen's aig an' break it an' git de yellah an' put it on a rag. Mix it wit some sulphuh an' some salt an' wrap it up in a rag an' tote dat.
[Informant had given rite before recording began.]
(What will that give you? Luck for what?)
Luck fo' anythin' yo' want, gamblin'.
Entry 10235
Yo' kin take a black hen's aig an' take a wet new cloth an' wipe dat aig, an' ball dat cloth up an' sew it in de pillah, an' dey said dat man can't go wit anothah woman to save his life; an' if he do, he can't come to save his life. Ah seen a man fixed fo' dat last week. (You mean sew that up in his pil- low?) In his pillah whut he sleep on evah night.
Entry 10858
( Git de hairs from a black cat's neck, right back of de neck an' take a aig. Take a black hen's aig, hairs from a black cat's neck - dat's if yo' wanta draw a person - an' write dat per- son's name on dat aig. An' put dat hair in dere, wrop it up, an' bury it undah yo' do'steps, an' dat'll draw 'em.
(Do you put the hair on the inside of the egg or just on the outside?)
Write de name on dere an' put de hair right on top of where yo' write de name on it, an' jes' put chew a little cloth around it.
Entry 10867
De luckiest animal dat ever made by God: a black cat, and a black hen, an' a frizzled chicken. Ef a frizzled chicken - if anybody put any- thing aroun' yo', a frizzled chicken and a black hen will sure go dere an' pick it up.
(Well, how is a black cat lucky?)
Ah couldn't tell!!!
(Just lucky.)
Entry 10966
If yo' livin' in a house an' ah want chew tuh move, yo' [I] git a black hen's aig an' let it be fresh, an' go to a ole cow lot an' git some fresh cow manure. An' wrap it in a piece of red flannel cloth an' wrap it tight an' tie it with three white strings. (Just how do you tie that with three white strings?) Take yore aig an' put it [manure] all ovah it an' wrap it. When yo' wrap it up in de center, always turn it to yo'. Don't turn it from yo', turn it to yo' and fold it up, an' den git chew three white strings - oh, about dat long [demonstrates].
(Several feet long.)
An' wrap it to yo'. Den wrap it round dis way. Den yo' take dat aig...
(You make a little parcel out of it?)
Yes. (You wrap it one way and then turn around and wrap it the other way, always wrapping it to you.) An' den yo' take dat aig an' go tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' put dat aig right down in dat watah, an' leave it, an' jes' de same as dat watah wash dat aig away, it'll wash yo' from where yo' are. (Well, now what connection has that egg with me? Has it some connection with me?) [The connection I wanted expressed was that the informant was trying to send me away. The rite is legitimate as it stands.] De connection ah don't know, but ah'm jes' tellin' yo' whut ah heard.
(This will make them move out of the house, make them move out of town?)
Yessuh.
Entry 11020
If you wanta break up individuals - you has chickens in de yard and you wanna break up a woman an' a man. You feed de chickens and you ketch hold de rooster's tail, pull a feather out of dat. He fly away and you ketch his tail, you know. You call de pus- son name and say, "Yah big so-and-so from so-and-so, " you understand, dat break de man away.
(You say that as the rooster flies away. You pull the feather out.)
Yo' git hold dat feather and say, "Break up so-and-so with so-and-so." If yo' wanna break a woman loose from a man, you pull de feather out of a hen.
Entry 11026
You kin get a black hen's feather, git chew a little black molasses, and take you a little of dis ole card weed, they use to call it - grow in de fields. (Card weed?) Dat's right. It bears a long seed-like along in de fall of de year, and it's a lot of yellow dust on dat. You git chew one of dem, git de longest one yo' kin find. If yo' go to a bush, git de longest one yo' kin find. You take dis chicken feather and dis black molasses and you boil it like a tea- like. And you kin slip some of dat to a fellow and it ain't very long 'fore dat Weed will sprout into his veins. [At one time I thought this weed might be the card teasel or cardthistle. I'll leave this for the expert in folk names for plants.]
(You boil this weed and the molasses and the feather all together?)
Yes.
(And how do you give to him?)
Well you gotta slip it in somepin dat he eats.
(Oh I see, and this weed will sprout in him. What will that do?)
It don't sprout into his system, it forms into his veins; just cripples hi up, bad laigs.
Entry 11033
Dey take a black hen feather an' take dat an' put it in some blood, an' den keep dat in a jar, an' dat'll keep yo' from bein' fussin' an' argument [arguing] all de time.
(What kind of blood do you put that in?)
Oh, yo' have to have some of de one whut chew thinkin' of, whut chew love. (Get some of their blood on this feather and keep it locked up and that is to make them love you?) Yes. Ah say yo' kin git a black hen an' take dat feather an' put it in blood of somebody whut chew love an' put it - but yo' gotta have it in dat jar or a bot- tle or sompin. Stop dat up an' keep it dere, so dat same party will be thick wit chew all de time.
Entry 11034
Ah heard dem usin' a chicken feather. Yo' take a black hen feather an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' stop it up airtight. Dat's good fo' luck.
(You carry that for luck.)
Entry 11047
Sew dat up in a rag.
(What do they sew up in a rag?)
De black hen manure. Sew it up in a rag an' put de person name in it if dey doin' yo' harm an' yo' don't like 'em. An' yo' take it to runnin' water to de rivah an' throw it in. Put new safety pins in [package] an' throw it in [river] an' dat person'll go clean away an' won't trouble yo' no mo'. Ah done that mahself.
(Just put one safety pin?)
Two - three, yes sir, yo' put one on each end an' pin one across it, three. (Like the letter "H" on the package.) [The figure is more like this Ha double cross.] Yes sir.
Entry 11055
They will ketch a black hen - goin' pick 'em out a black ole hen an' git de white offa dat, dey dung, de white. And if dey kin git it - maybe dey wants to do it, dey can't git to 'em. But he'll git somebody else an' put some in yore food. See. An' de minute dat yo' eat it, in nine days yore tooths will come to be slack all over everywhere - in nine days. (And your teeth will eventually drop out.) [Not eventually, but within 9 days!]
Entry 11145
Well, I've heard of that but it's at night in- stead of daytime, at twelve o'clock in the night. Take a black hen, find one that crows, you go to the fork of that road and at midnight that hen will crow. Go there for nine nights though and go to that fork of the road every night at twelve o'clock and that hen crows, that will bring what you call you - you call, kin call, the devil. That's what I understand. But you gotta read the Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses and just what you desire at the fork of the road after you read that Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses, you get your desire. That is how they sell themselves to the devil. And he will meet you at the fork of that road and just what you want to learn and what you want to do, that's where you get them - out there. You have to read the book while you are out there, and have your mind on your desires.
(When does the devil appear, on the first night?)
No, on the third night, but you gotta go for nine nights to get what you desire.
Entry 12439
If yo' wanted a woman or somepin [someone] tuh tell yo' everythin', anything she knows, ever'thing she do's well. Nowa durin' de spring of de yeah when de bird's startin' tuh layin', yo' go out an' find a mockin'bird's nest an' come back heah an' take de yellah of de aig, an' place it wit de yellah of a hen aig an' cook it. Fix her a sandwich an' she eat it. She'll tell yo' everything be done an' everything she knows.
Entry 13369
Yo' kin take a aig. Yo' kin take one aig an' yo' kin put dat aig intuh chamber lye an' let it lay fo' 9 days, see. Well, den yo' kin take dat aig, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh fix a person. Well, yo' go tuh fix 'em, well yo' kin take dat aig aftah 9 days an' yo' kin take it an' throw it ovahbo'd. See. An' if a person's aftah yo', well yo' could - yo' know - git rid of 'em. (How do you throw that egg overboard?) Yo' throw it overbo'd tuh eithah run de person crazy or make 'em leave town. (Well, how do I know I've got the right person? By just using that egg? What else do I do with that egg?) Whut else? Well, ah don't know nuthin' else except yo' know, yo' go some- wheres an' yo' git information, see.
(The egg is supposed to represent the person you are to send away?)
Shore.
(Well, how do I know it's representing that person?)
Sign dere name on de aig.
(Oh! Did you tell me that before?) [Notice the answer.]
No, ah wasn't in heah befo' tuh yo'.
(I mean, did you tell me that a moment ago?)
No.
(Did you tell me you had signed the egg?)
[Here is a good example of working hard for information informant thinks you know.] See, yo' sign dat person name on dat aig.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Yeah, jes' ole black hen aig.
(You didn't tell me that before, see.)
Entry 1160
Take a black hen an' bury it alive. (Where?) Bury it under de steps an' that will stop everything.
(What do you mean - stop what?)
Stop 'em if a person wanted tuh harm yo' - dey couldn't git up to yo'.
Entry 209
[Acquainted with Doctor Frizzly more than forty years, I could not include him among ordinary birds of the preceding margin-title; surely the zeal of Doctor Frizzly of Memphistown at the end of this medical group deserves special commendation by separation.] A woman from Beaufort [South Carolina] tole me dat. I went to 'er home one day an' see dis chicken, an' ask 'er why did she have dis little hen. She said she had dat frizzly hen to keep anyone from hurtin' 'er. An' I asked how she could keep anyone from hurtin' 'er. She say, well, dat hen, if anybody put down any roots or anything fer 'er, dat hen would scratch 'em up, an' of course if dat hen died, she would know dat she would die after dat, too.
(Well, why was that?)
Why dis root has [would have] poison 'er.
(Oh, it poisoned the chicken.)
Yeah, if it poisoned de chicken, of course it would poison 'er; but if dat hen lived an' scratched up de root, den she would liye, too.
(Where did you hear this?)
A woman from Beaufort told me dat.
(An old woman in Beaufort or from Beaufort.)
Right here in Charleston.
Entry 210
A black frizzly hen won't let nothin' stay in de yard - he'll scratch it up. You see some frizzly hen it be so necked [naked] in de back an' it'll be red? It be necked, then he done pick [up] a root. You see some chickens dat scratch aroun' de door for fresh worms? Well, if dere toby or anything stuck down here, if it's anything in a bag, dey [the ordinary chicken] ain't goin' do it; but a black frizzly hen, dey take it up an' eat all dat pisen an' den dat pisen, when he pick it up, he gets necked. An' de person who puts it down, dat hen take it up.
Entry 211
If yo' have a frizzly chicken - dey tell me dat if you always keep a frizzly chicken on yore yard, providin' if anybody puts down anything fo' yo tuh go ovah, de frizzly chicken will pick it up, an' if yo' see dat chicken begin gittin' necked, dat's what dat thing wus gon'a do fo' yo', an' de chicken git it [instead of you].
Entry 1772
Take a black hen aig an' open it an' take de yellah out of it an' close it back up, an' keep dat in yore pocket an' cain't nobody beat yo' in gamblin'. Dat's one de luckiest things in de worl' fo' gamblin'; jes' de yellah part, dat's de luckiest thing in gamblin'.
Entry 11056
Dey say, take - it's either a black hen or a white hen - take some of dere stuff, yo' know, an' rub on it [bite] an' all of yore teeth will fall out. Dat's all ah heard about dat.
Entry 1194
If yo' happen to kiss her - if you kiss a woman and she happen to love you so hard and another woman got de best right of her, she [first woman] kin take and kiss you and den go and take a black hen egg and wash her mouth wit it and you kiss again and yo' lose yore teeth.
(Take a black hen egg and wash her mouth with it. You mean with that yolk?)
No, de white.
(Oh, the white of the egg. And you kiss her again, you'll lose your teeth.)
You'll lose all your teeth - they will rot down all one by one.
Entry 1691
Ah'm gon'a tell yo' - yo' wanta know whut would yo' do to keep 'em from harmin' yo'. Well, yo'll git in a path or road dat come from yore do'. Yo'll dig a hole wit chure tablespoon and when yo' dig that hole, yo'll go an' take a aig - any kind of a hen aig, jes' long as it a aig, and den yo'll take two sticks of a lightnin'-strike tree - yo' know what ah mean, an' yo'll nail them down on each side of that aig - wit dat aig down in de hole. [This is a mock burial - the egg a body and the two sticks the headboard and footboard of a grave.] An' then yo'll take yo' some physic salts, an' yo'll take that physic salts an' sulphur an' bluestone an' make a powders of that, an' yo' kin put it down dere where that aig is, an' yo' set it down an' kiver it up. De parties who dat yo' say, or anybody who yo' think will harm yo', why then when yo' done put dat down, yo'll curse it. An' when yo' curse it yo' jes' kick at 'em, and den go turn yore back - don't nevah look back. Now, that's the story of that as fur as ah know. Well, now if a man walk ovah that and if yo' do lak that, it causes me, if ah aim tuh do yo' some harm - all of that will come back to me.
Entry 1773
Well, yo' kin take a black pullet - ah ain't done dese things, ah'm tellin' yo' whut ah heard about dem. Yo' kin take a black pullet - well yo' kin kill 'im an' git his gizzard out dere, an' yo' know dat skin in dere whut yo' peels off, yo' take dat skin an' sprinkle some salt an' black peppah on it, an' sew it up dere in a little rag an' wear it next to yo' skin an' sweat it through, an' dat'll make yo' lucky.
(Lucky for what - anything in particular?)
Yes sir, in most anything. [Every statement made by this informant ended, "Ah ain't done dese things."]
Entry 3840
Ah heard yo' could take a hen aig. Take an' draw blood out dis fingah [demonstrates]. (The index finger of the right hand.) An' take an' write chure name an' 'is name on dat aig an' it would make him love 'er.
(What would you do with that egg then?)
Well, yo' would take an' bury dis egg, bury it undah yore steps.
(You write his name and your name in the blood.)
Entry 9264
Dey tell yo' kin take a fresh hen aig - black hen - dat jes' fresh laid, an' take dis person's name, whosomevah it is, is a enemy tuh yo' an' yo' wanta git rid of 'em, don't wanta see 'em live. Write dere name [on it] goin' an' write it on comin' [see ex- planation later]. Well, yo' take dat egg an' dis grave- yard dirt an' take it tuh dey house an' bear [bury] it undahneath dey do'step. An' when yo' leave don't look back towards 'em. An' dis aig should lay undah dere fo' nine mawnin's, dey tell me. An' dey say aftah dem nine mawnin's dat egg will bust [a common belief that an egg becomes rotten and bursts on inth day]. An' dey say whosomevah dat was whose name yo' had on dere, when dat egg bust dey'll bust.
(What do you mean by writing the name going and writing the name coming?)
Lak dis is de top of de aig [demonstrates], well yo' take it an' write it dis way an' den yo' bring it back dis way.
(You write it forward across the top of the egg and then write it backwards.)
[Back and forth.]
Entry 9270
Tuh make yo' move out of de house, kin go git a black hen's egg an' bust dat egg on yuh porch an' spattah de egg on it. Gotta be de black hen's egg. An' throw dat egg on yuh porch. Yo' gotta move, yo' cain't stay dere. Take dat black hen's egg an' throw it at chure do' an' say fer nine times: Ah hope yo'll nevah stay here, yo' cain't stay.
(Do you do that all in one day.)
In one day. Yo' won't stay. An' git a little dirt from de cemetery. Go tuh de cemetery an' git chew a little dirt. An' de aig of a black hen.
Entry 9271
Yo' take a black hen egg. Yo' boil dat. Yo' git graveyard dust. Yo' git dirt dauber. Yo' boil dat togethah. Den yo' git war watah. An' yo' mix that up together an' put it back in this egg shell. Yo' put it in red, a flannel yo' know, [in] somepin or othah, [because] yo' t'row it [and the mix- ture must not fall outl. In nine days time de person will move aftah dey walk over dis. Yo' t'row it on top of de house.
(What do you do with that egg?)
Yo' break de egg. Yo' boil it see, first. Den yo' break it in dis dirt dauber.
(I want to know just how they use the egg.)
Yo' take de whole [boiled] egg out de shell. Den mash it like yo' gon'a mash- mash potato wit a fork. Yo' take de dirt dauber nest. Yo' mash dat up in dere. Yo' take graveyard dirt off a bad sinner's grave. An' yo' mix dat all up tuh- gethah an' yo' put it in de stoVe. An' yo' kin GIT SOME OF DIS RED GROUND PEPPAH [ground red pepper] FROM DE HOODOO DRUG STORE an' yo' mix dat [in there]. Den yo' stuff dis shell back wit dat egg an' tie it up [in the red flannel] dis way [demonstrates, probably wrapping the string away from you, though a notation of the manner was not made at the time]. An' yo' gon'a t'row it upon dat house. Yo' t'row it in a manners so it'll roll [off and break]. An' de folks won't stay dere long.
Entry 1186
(How do you handle chickenpox?)
Well, yo' boil this tea - yo' kin make it outa hen manure. Git dat white - dat little white speck on dere an' yo' make tea outa it an' den yo' give it tuh de individual. Dat breaks it out an' also dey begin tuh dry up.
Entry 1193
[The preceding teeth rites using chicken manure are usual; not so usual are teeth rites using chicken eggs that follow:] A black hen egg is for to rot your teeth out, something like that if a person bites cha.
(How would you do that?)
Well, if I'd bite you and put a bad bite on you, you would take a black hen's egg: You'd take that egg and break the egg and rubs it on this place. When this place gets well your teeth gon'a fall out. But you gotta shorely get a black hen's egg.
Entry 1848
Now, heah's anothah instant [instance] - if yo' wanta run a person outa town, yo' write dere name. Yo' git a hen aig an' yo' write dere name dis way nine times all ovah de aig, an' take it to de rivah an' throw it in de rivah an' make a wish. Yo' got tuh always make a evil wish jis' lak you said, "That son-of-a-bitch leave town. See, an' throw it in de rivah - lak de Mississippi Rivah out dere, yo' know dat goes ever'where. An' dat'll give 'em de walkin' blues - dey'll walk outa town.
Entry 1851
If yo' wants tuh be lucky in a game, yo' gits a hen aig an' each one who's in dere, yo' know, dat playin' in dis game - dey go dere an' look at it, an' write each one name down on de aig, an' take it an' put it in yore pocket an' go on. Yo'll be lucky in de game. (Well, who - you mean the people who are playing in this game?) Well, jes' lak ah wants to git - yo' know, go in dis game an' somebody wanta give me somepin fo' luck. Well, he'll jes' git a hen aig, yo' know, an' go up dere an' see who all in de house playin' in common - see whut dere name. Write each person down dat playin' in de game on de aig. Well, go out [to write these names] an' come back an' put de aig in his pocket. He'll be lucky in dat game.
(Any kind of chicken egg?)
Yes sir - hen aig, any kinda aig.
Entry 3865
See, yo' kin take a hen, a black hen see, an' cut 'er see, an' put sulphur in 'er see, an' takes a lady's ministrate see, her monthly period, a woman yo' dislike or anything, an' put it in dere. An' see, sew dat hen back up an' turn 'er loose, an' as dat hen go 'way an' pine 'way an' die, dat person [woman] will do de same thing. She be sickly until she dies like dat.
Entry 6737
If a black-gummed person bites you, put black hen manure on the bite and the biter's teeth will decay and drop out.
Entry 6742
Soak black manure from a hen about three days in whiskey; give to per- son to make loose teeth.
Entry 6857
Folks always have a convulsion, as yo' know, [at that time] an' if yo' boil a aig, a hen aig - now, ah've proved dat mahself. Yo' BOIL A HEN AIG ON DE SILVAH MooN, de time dat de moon is young, on de firs' change of de moon. Yo' git a fresh-laid aig an' boil it an' crack a li'le hole in dis aig aftah it's boiled. An' take it tuh a ant heap, an' whenevah de ant eat all dat aig up, why it's no mo' convulsion or whatevah dose folks have. Ah've proved dat.
(Well, don't you do anything to those people who have the convulsions? At all? Don't they get any medicine or anything?) chamber lye. (In whose chamber lye?)
De one dat have de convulsions.
Entry 7464
Bury 'im on 'is face wit a aig in each han' an' tie him wit a piece of seagrass rope. Dat wuz done heah not so long ago right in dis town, ovah de ri- vah at least. (What will that do then?) Dat'll make 'im come back an' give himself up. (You tie that on his hands or?) Tie de feets togethah wit dat piece of seagrass rope, an' dey han's wit de two aigs. Not at dey face, but dere han's wit de two aigs, an' dey'll sho' come back. Any kinda chicken aigs, hen aigs, yo' know.
(You bury the man on his back?)
On 'is face.
Entry 8086
Turn 'im [his photo- graph] down tuh de ground an' make a wish wit dat black hen feathah an' yore wishes will come true. An' at de dawn of day, read a chaptah ~ read de 36th chaptah of de Psalms of David. Yo' pray tuh God an' ast 'im fo' whut chew want an' yo'll be purtty lucky tuh git it. (Use the person's photograph. How do you use that black feather? What do you do with that?) Lay it across de pichure, turn it [picture] down tuh de ground.
(Face it down.)
Entry 9189
Dey say yo's kin git a black hen aig, dat wus fo' bad luck. Dey say if yo' git a black hen aig an' somebody take it an' break it, an place it roun' where yo' gotta travel ovah, say dat will put bad luck on yo' bad luck will follow yo'.
Entry 9193
Ah know dis much about a nest of hen aigs, dat yo' kin go tuh work an' take a nest of hen aigs. Jes' lak, now, if ah wanted tuh really git chew, make yo' lost yore job, or git chew out wit anyone atall [at all], all de way roun' where yo' won't have any friends. Ah knew dat yo' kin take one of dose eggs outa dat nest, an yo' kin stand off an' yo' kin name 'em. Call dat aig a name. Jes' lak evahwhat are my name [whatever my name is], why den yo' call dat aig dat same name, an' set it back intuh de nest. An' den yo' will notice, see, jes' how many aigs. Well, de really fac' 'bout it, how many aigs yo' upsot wit dat. Yo' may really upsot two or three or fo'. One Way, dey says, crack 'em or break 'em wit dat [named egg]. An' dat will put chew where yo' can't git along wit nobody nowhere. Ah knews dat tuh be de fac'.
Entry 9198
Get a black hen's egg. Yo' take it an' write - make a mark across it, around it - an' aroun' de long side; de long side an' de round side, twice. An den go tuh a house, if yo' wanta make a person fall out, go tuh a house an' throw it ovah de house.
Entry 9200
Yo' take de black hen aig an' put a cross mark on it an' write de person name on it an' name, yo' say: De Son an' de Fathah an' de Holy Ghost, an' den if yo' in trouble, yo' turn yore back an' bust dat aig up by de tree, an' it break an' yore trouble break.
Entry 9207
Ah've heard 'em say put dis person name on a aig. An' go tuh dis person house twelve a'clock at night an' curse dis person, an' bust dis aig an' tell 'em, say, "Ah want chew tuh leave." Dey'll leave - move.
(Where do you bust that egg?)
[Notice that I frequently repeat informant's word. Frequently informant repeats mine.] Anywhere on de house, eithah on topa de house twelve a'clock at night. Dey always tell me dat. Sometime dey say a black hen aig is good. Sometime dey use a dauber nest. Dey sprinkle hit. Dey use dat sometime to bust on de house.
Entry 9280
Go an' git chew a fresh hen aig. Take it an' write dere name on it, see. Take it an' chunk it up on top of de house. In de nex' day or two dey gone
[move away].
Entry 9281
Well, yo' kin take a aig, any kinda aig, black hen aig, any kinda aig. Jes' lak dose folks stay ovah dere dey fuss wit chew all de time an' yo' cain't live by 'em atall. Yo' wait until one night when dey go tuh baid, an' jes' take dat aig an' throw it ovah on top de house, an' let it break anywhere, say: Yo' son of bitch, go! De nex' mawnin' dey be moved.
Entry 10990
I would get me a egg from a frizzly hen an' I would put it under the steps; then after 9 or 7 days, you see, that egg would bus'. That would make confusion and the landlord would put 'em out de house.
Entry 11012
Soak black hen egg in vinegar 9 days, throw against house, you move.
[Mobile, Ala., 944:6.]
Entry 11053
Now, dey tell me yo' kin take a black hen's dung - a black hen's dung. In de places where he bit chew, anoint dat place wit dat, an' it will cause all dere teeth tuh come out.
Entry 9191
Whut ah heard dat dey could do wit chicken aigs. It's two or three diff'ren' ways tuh use chicken aigs. First, yo' kin take a chicken aig, a black hen aig, an' throw it on someone po'ch an' it'll cuz dem tuh move. Next, yo' could take a chicken aig an' write de name on it an' carry it out in de woods an' bury it, an' don't look back, an' it'll run 'em outa town. An' den... (Wait a minute! This second egg is a black chicken egg or any kind of chicken egg?) De firs' aig yo' throw in de house is a black chicken aig. De nex' aigs is any kinda aig, 80 long as it a fresh aig. Write her name on it an' carry it [out in de woods] an' bury it an' don't look back, an' come on [back home]. It run 'em outa town. Den, next - dat's de second aig. De nex' aig yo' kin take - yo' kin put it in blueing ovahnight an' hide it undah de house, an' [that] would cuz dem tuh be tire-nated [worn out] an' don' wanta be bothahed 'bout livin' in de neighbor- hood no mo'. Dey don't wanta live in de neighborhood no mo'. Dem de three aigs [3 things you can do with eggs].
(And the last egg is any kind of egg?)
De last aig is any kinda aig, but if yo' goin' tuh run yore neighbors....
Entry 9239
Take a black hen's aigs fo' somebody yo' want tuh have bad luck or sompin bad happen tuh 'em; git 'im from out de way, mark himself off de earth. Take a pencil an' write his name tuh de bottom of de aig on de little end. Write yore name - jes' lak yo' wanted tuh run me off or ah wanted tuh run yo' off, or do 'way wid yuh, ah would write chure name on de bottom of dat aig; see, on de little end. Write mah name on de top, on de big end of de aig. Go dere an' bury it right down where yo' had tuh walk ovah dat aig.
(How would you bury that egg?)
Neah de do'steps.
(How would you bury it, little end up or big end up?)
Little end down, big end up. Befo' long dat egg will come tuh git hot, or sour or bust. Dat locks chure bowels. Ain't a doctor [M.D.] 'tween heah an' nowhere kin do yo' no good. Whenevah dat aig bust down dere, yore bowels will lock an' bust inside. Right den all yore action will be on de inside yo' know, an' yo' won't be no mo' good. Won't be long 'fo' yo' be gone.