Subject:Hide
Entries
Entry 787
There was a driver that his master owned and he used to drive him about, and one night he stole the horses. The next morning he called his master up. His master got up and came to the door and asked, "What do you want?" "Master, somebody stole the driving horses." While his master told him to go and hunt for them, he went off a little ways and he stopped and turned round and said, "Master, I'm a fortune-teller. I hate to tell you I know where them horses is." His master told him, "If you can tell me where them horses is and get them, I'll make you have an easy time." He spit in his hand and said, "Master, whichever way this spit flies, the horses is that-a-way." He had put them there. He goes out there and gets the horses and he comes back and says, "Here's your horses." The master said, "I'm going to make you my boss for the rest of the slaves." He went on and was the boss of the slaves for his master's work.
Entry 3510
Well, jis' like if she wanted havin' a man, yo' know, an' yo' don't wan' 'im to have no one else. Dey say dat dere's two ways yo' kin do dat, but de surest way to do it is to go to de store - yo' don't have to buy but about a half a yard of white homespun. I've tried dat mahself. An' when yo' make connection, jis' before he have a good time, dat he takes it out - an' of co'se some draps on de baid. Yo' take an' grab like dat an' wipe it choo know. An' den yo' tie yo' a hard knot in dat homespun. I guess it'll be about dat long. Yo' got to buy about a half a yard anyhow. Yo' might have to splice it, yo' know, so it be long enough to go roun' yore waist an' tie it, an' also tie de knot [here are the two knots]. Yo' wear it nine days an' den yo' take it an' put it somewhere 'bout chah baid, an' he can't mess wit nobody else. He be on level all de time. I did it fer curiosity. I did a man like dat an' he had to pay a man, he told me, ten dollars to git dat thing offa him.
Entry 3563
Heard of 'em tyin' knots in a cord - jes' in a piece of string. Dey say if a man wanta make his wife stay home, he git a piece of cord de length of de bed an' let it stay dere one night an' she sleep on it. Den take it off an' put six knots in it, thinkin' about 'er, an' den three mo' knots In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost. An' den take dat string an' wet it in chamber lye. (Wet it with him?) Yes sir, an' den take de rollah [roller] out de bed [one of the 4 casters on bottom of the 4 legs of the bed] on dat side an' put it up in dere an' push de rollah back in, an' dey say de man's wife will always stay home. De rollah, take it out an' put dat piece of thread up in dere an' den put de rollah back in.
Entry 3653
Jes' lak yo' had a woman an' she wuz havin' mens. Yo' distrust dat she wuz goin' wit some man an' yo' couldn't stop 'er, yo' git dis slime from dat snail an' yo' wait till she goes tuh sleep an' den yo' rub 'er good 'tween 'er laigs wit it until yo' kill de snail. Do dat wit it 'live an' yo' rub it good until yo' kill de snail. Den when yo' kill dat aftah rubbin' her, den yo' take dat snail an' sew it up in a sack an' den put it, if yo' got a shelf lak dat, put it right behin' dat shelf an' let it stay dere. An' every man dat go tuh her, he'll be ready fo' her until he git ready to git on 'er. Den when he git on 'er, 'is nerves will fall. Nevah will have no intahco'se wit 'er.
Entry 3744
She best tuh [has to] fold it three time once and set there - set de iron on it fer thirty minutes an' fold it three times ag'in an' set de iron on it fer thirty minutes an' den she take it off. (What can I do to take that spell off? What can I do to get rid of that?) Yo' know what yo' have to do? It's been on me, see. Ah'm tellin' yo' what ah knows about it. Ah went to a root man an' ah paid 'im plenty an' he tole me what to do. To take it [spell of sexual impotence] off from yuh, yuh go tuh somebody house - jes' lak yore frien's - tell 'em yuh want a drink of watah. If he trust yuh, yuh go on in de kitchen an' yuh look aroun' until yuh see a dishrag. Steal dat dishrag an' yuh go on out somewhere in de night aftah sundown, an' wipe yuh- self up three times lak dat. See, up - three times up. An' take it an' go tuh somebody's house, an' hide it up undah de sill of 'is house. Dat'll break it.
Entry 3751
Ah've been did lak dat. Yo' kin take a man an' he kin have intahco'se wit a woman, say at night, an' prob'ly yo's a man dat look aftah deyself [your- self] [but] don't pay attention to yoreself lak yo' should all arnun' peoples yo' undahstan'. Yo' kin have intahco'se wit a woman but dey not bad. Well, now, prob'ly she might have a wet towel layin' up dere, see. Well, yo' prob'ly done seen it. Well, she wipe yo' off. An' yo' figure she'd use dat towel. Well, she got a dishrag, undahstan'. Well, now she take dat dishrag an' wipe off yore privates an' jes' fold it - wrap it up in a piece of papah or sompin lak dat an' put it up Ovah de do'. An' jes' AS LONG AS IT STAY DERE AN' YO' DON'T WAKE UP TO DE INSIDE DOPE, well, yo' can't have no othah woman but 'er. Well now, yo' kin take dat - jes' yo' yoreself, not de woman dat did it - yo' kin take dat rag down. An' den fo' nine mawnin's wash dat rag in sweet milk, an when yo' wash de rag in sweet milk, bath [not bathe] yo'self in it, yore privates, an' throw it sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. (You wash this rag in sweet milk, and then you take this sweet milk and bathe yourself.) An' bath yore privates wit it, an' when yo' git through why jes' put de rag right back up, an' throw it sunrise.
(Throw the milk to the sunrise.)
Fo' nine mawnin's.
(What will that do?)
Takes it off. It go away den.
Entry 4215
A woman kin do de same thin', jis' lak she want me an' ah don't want 'er. Well, she kin git a piece of yuh shirt an' tie it in nine knots an' put it in 'er watah, her urinate watah, an' let it stay in dere fo' three mornin's. If she kin git dem nine knots back into mah pocket or in some of mah clothses, dat will draw me an 'er back tuhgethah.
Entry 4216
Dey takes de chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle an' bury it undah de steps of de house at de no'th corner an' dat, yo' know, stops dere watah an' all.
Entry 4555
Ah've heard of 'em. Dey takes dat li'le bow. Well, dey takes dat li'le bow dere an' dey walks aroun' dat house. Dey goes roun' dat house nine times an' bring de bow back in de back do', an' walk through de hall tuh de front do' an' put it ovah de front do'. Conceal it from dis man.1 He nevah know where it at. An' long as it stay dere, dey got dis man.
(A woman would do that to hold a man?)
Tuh hold de man. No harm perform on it, no mo' den a deep taste fo' love.
Entry 4787
I have had de luck tuh see 'em brought back. If dat man leaves dat house an' he leaves any of 'is clothes dere, especially socks, undahweah or 'is top-shirt, or SOMPIN DAT REALLY HE OWNS, yuh kin cut a piece outa de seat of dose undahweahs, or a piece outa de tail of 'is shirt - anywhere roun' de privates, yuh see. Put it in a alcohol bottle an' stop it up, preserve it, an' hide it somewhere he cain't see it. Git it intuh dat lamp. An' dat man's comin' back dere, if yuh kin preserve 'im [preserve his piece of clothes]. Well, when he comes, yuh know what he's goin' tuh say? Yuh know what I heered a fellah say? An' ah seed de woman do dis. Ah know she done dis. I seed de woman when she done it. An' he come back, back dere on about de fo'th day, an' he walks up de steps he says tuh 'er, he says, "Hello, Honey." She says, "Lawd, where did yuh come from?" He sayed, "Ah come home tuh die." He say, "Looked lak ah'd git worried tuh death. Couldn't stay away no more." He say, "Ah'll nevah leave yuh no more long as ah live." He say, "Ah wanta stay here."
Entry 4885
Yuh kin take a woman's sock, dey tell me, an' fold it up an' put it in de middle of 'er bed, where she sleeps at, where she li'ble not tuh 'tect [de- tect] it, an' she'll nevah leave yuh. [This is a quincunx, or quincunx magic: an arrangement of five points in a rectangle (here a bed) or square; one point at each corner, the fifth point the center, where diagonals from the corners cross. This is a common magic design in hoodoo.]
Entry 5136
In de bottom of dey shoes, yuh kin take dat little cloth dat be dere in de bottom an' drive 'em away or kill 'em off. (How would they drive them away, first?) [Drive him away first, then kill him.] Well, tuh drive 'em away, yuh take it an' bury it. If yuh wanta make 'em stay home, why yuh kin take dat an' wrop it up an' put it in de crack anywhere in de side of de wall in de house.
Entry 5881
Why now, anyone's hair, why yo' kin take dere hair, about fo' or five stran's of dere hair, an' wrap it aroun' yore fo'fingahs [see later] yo' see [demonstrates].
(Just one hair.)
[But I also saw something else during demonstration - see later.]
Jis' one hair, jis' wrap it roun' yore fo'fingahs, see. An' aftah yo' doin' dat, well den yo' kin take a piece of bread or somepin othah an' wrap dose stran's of hair in dat bread an' swallah it. Yo'll eat dat, yo' know, in a way of speakin. An' den dose people will be wit yo' long as yo' in de worl'. Dey'll care fo' yo'.
[I now summarize the rite.]
(You just take these strands of hair and wrap them around your index finger, your forefinger [about forefingers, not 4 fingers], and then you put this hair in the bread and swallow it. That controls these people?) Yes.
Entry 6507
[I heard'em] say yo' could take, yo' know, if dey git yer fingahnails or somepin lak dat - said dey could take an' put it in a bottle of watah. Dey say, if yo' be any- where, dey say yo' jis' painin' all de time. Yo' know somebody - jis' lak yo's goin' wit somebody an' dey git mad wit yeh, dey fix yah lak dat so yo' jis' be painin' an' hurtin' all de time. Put it in some watah - put it in a bottle of watah an' put it in a dark place somewhere lak a closet.
Entry 7009
Yo' kin take a catfish or use some of de slime offa his hide, or eithah cut 'im an' git somea his blood - maybe a teaspoonful an' put it in 'is drink an' git even wit 'im. Or, if yo' wanta stop 'em from drinkin', yo' see, well, yo' see, yo' don't use quite as much, jis' a li'le. Give him dat in a drink an' he'll nevah drink no mo'. Put it intuh whiskey an' let it stay in dere fo' prob'ly, well, twenty-fo' hours. Den yo' strain it if yo' see anythin'aroun' through it. An' if dey drinks dat whiskey wit dat fish blood in it, he'll go an' throw up [vomit] - he'll try tuh turn 'is insides out. Dat's worse den eatin' [too much]. An' dat's somepin yo' kin do [to stop a person from drinking].
[Record very indistinct here so last few lines cannot be transcribed.]
But [if] yo' don't use nuthin but de slime, dat's [to] stop yo' from drinkin'; but if yo' use dat dere catfish blood, it'll kill yo'.
(It'll kill you, but the slime will cure you from drinking.)
De slime will absolutely stop yo' from drinkin'. Dat make 'im heave up a li'le, but dat blood [will kill him].
Entry 7055
If she take his watah, chamber lye...
(The man's?)
Dat's right, but it have tuh be his wife.
(His wife would do this?)
Take his chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle but don't bury it. Keep it concealed fo' nine days, an' aftah nine days yo' take dat bottle an' po' it on de sundown side - aftah yo' stopped it up in de bottle. An' he would have no taste fo' likkah or any othah strong drinks - no mo'.
Entry 7849
Lak dey wanted tuh trick yo' or wanted tuh put sompin in yo' [poison you], well, dey go tuh de graveyard yo' see, an' git graveyard dust. Den dey take dat graveyard dust an' put some red peppah in it, an' sew it up, an' walk in de no'th cornah of dat house an' hide it; but dey have tuh put it in between somepin dat it Wouldn't be seen. An' den when dey walk, dey walk backwards wit dere face tuh de wall of dat house till dey got tuh de centah of de do'. When dey got tuh de centah of de do', dey turn aroun' an' walk on. An' wit'in a short while dat dust, why it will eithah draw yo' or send yo'.
(According to what you want done.)
Yessuh, jes' 'cordin' tuh what chew want done. If yo' want it tuh draw yo', den yo' turn aroun', see. If yo' want it tuh send yo', yo' walk backwards. An' when yo' turn, don' turn tuh de right, but tuh de left.
Entry 8234
Yo' take de photograph an' take some perfume, put it on de pikture, an' a needle an' stick de needle in de pik- ture right acrost de fo'haid, an' hide it some place an' she'll love yuh.
Entry 8235
Jis' take a woman's hair an' pichure an' cut it all up an' put it in a bot- tle tuhgethah an' take an' po' dis Heart's Own Perfume on it. She'll nevah quit 'im an' she'll always run aftah 'im.
(What do they do with that bottle then?)
Well, hide it off in de loft of de house where she be goin' undah it or sompin lakdat.
Entry 8486
Well, it's - a woman kin take some of 'er blood an' take dis man's name; yo' know, write his name [with her blood] on a piece of papah. An' tie dis up in dis piece of papah an' tie a strand of thread around it. An' yo' kin sew it up in a mattress, or jis' sew it up in anything an' let it [stay] dere. Well, he will pine away dat way. He will die.
(Yes? He will die?)
Yes, sir, he will die.
(Just take her ordinary blood or her period blood?)
Dat's right, her period blood.
Entry 8953
It wuz a fortunetellah, she went tuh dis man; see, he wuz sentenced tuh be hung. So aft' [after] dat she said, "Dey'll not hang yuh, yo' know. Don't worry about her." [He had killed a woman.] Dat wuz real. So when dey had dis trial, yuh see, dis woman went dere an' she had somepin in a basket. Ah don't know whut it wuz, but anyhow, de whole time de judge wuz talkin', she kep' [kept] turnin' dis concern [unknown object] in de basket; but ah don't know whut it wuz - a piece of close [clothes] or whut. But anyhow, it wuz a rag [a cloth cover] ah know in dis basket. She kep' turnin' it an' kep' turnin' it. So dey give dis guy ten years. She lightened his sentence, kep' tim [kept him] from de electric chair [he means hanging]. Dat happen here in Snow Hill. Dat wus a long time ago. [Since this story was recorded in 1936, the old man's long time ago and sentenced tuh be hung could mean about 19oo. Could this fortuneteller, a woman, have been our well-know Zippie Tull (see ZIPPIE TULL, Pp.923-929, and No.8, p.5f.)? The rag-covered concern in the basket was probably a small hand sifter (see Nos.526-530, p.156f.; No.604, p.204; No.2303, p.648; etc.). This she surely turned backwards, reversing every word spoken by the judge!]
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 9812
Use de pins an' needles. Yo' kin use it fo' nine points or eighteen points. Dat's tuh make love an' tuh hold a person.
(How do they do that?)
Well, yo' kin take yo' a bran'-new nine. Ah'm goin' use nine points. It's accordin' tuh how many points. It runs from nine tuh eighteen points. If yo' goin' tuh nine points, yo' kin git chew nine bran'-new needles dat nevah been used. An' yo' git chew nine bran'-new pins dat nevah been used, an' yo' take a piece of clot' [any kind of cloth] lak dis [demonstrates] an' yo' run one needle dat way an' run one dis way, see [demonstrates]. (You altermate them.) Yes, but when yo' put a needle, yo' put a pin; yo' put a needle an' yo' put a pin. Dat's de way yo' do. [You altemate needles and pins which are alternated heads and tails.] An' den yo' wrap dat up - jes' wrap it up good an' tight lak dat - an' yo' kin put dat somewhere; seal [conceal] dat undah each [anyl side of de house. See. An' yo' kin control dose people by dat needle. Now if dey seems tuh be cold towards yuh an' yo' wan' dem tuh be friendly tuh yo', yo' go tuh dose needles an' pick 'em up an' jes' turn 'em aroun'.- reverse dem. If yo' got 'em layin' dis way [demonstrates] jes' take dis end an' turn it back heah. Jest reverse it. Any time dat anything oc- curs wit chew an' dat party, why yo' jes' reverse dose needles an' dat'll keep 'em right tuh yo'. Evah time yo' reverse it, dat brings dere mind tuh yo', see. An' yo' use dem [the needles or the person or both] dat way.
Entry 9822
Yo' jes' take nine pins, dat if yo' got anybody an' don't want 'em around yo'. Yo' jes' take nine pins an' stick 'em up in a roll or sompin yo' got in de house, so nobody couldn't see 'em. An' evah mawnin' yo' git up fo' nine mawnin's an' yo' pull one dose pins outs an' jes' throw it right ovah yore shouldah. Walk on outside an' throw it ovah yore shouldah jes lak nobody see where yo' throw it. Nobody know whut chew doin'. Jes' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' de las' day he's gone. He'll leave dat town. (You put these pins in his house and you throw them. Show me how you throw them over your shoulder.) Jes' 'sposed tuh throw 'em dat ways.
(Over the left shoulder.)
Yes.
Entry 9849
Take nine needles an' stick it in a piece of cloth an' jis' nail it right in de cornah [of] yuh house [demonstrates] jis' lak dat: five dis-a-way an' five [four] dat-a-way.
(The needles are parallel and alternately pointing in the opposite direction.)
An' den [or either] yuh pu'tit [put it] undahneat' [demonstrates] jis' lak dat bo'd yondah.
[The top of doorsill - see explanation later.]
Teah [tear] yuh off a bo'd an' take a nail an' tack it up. [This "up] means 'down", where you will walk over it, not "up so that you walk under it." This is a "tacking down" rite.] Dat keeps yuh fussin', yuh cain't stay dere in no peace. [I have copied this rite from my own transcription, a rough one, made in pencil a short time after the interview. Whether there was a saddle at the door - many of them were sad- dleless - either I could not remember or else my notations would improve with experience.]
Entry 10100
Now, dis is not mah personal experience. Dey take a black cat down by a stream of runnin' watah an' a pot, piece of glass an' so forth. An' put de cat in dis pot full of watah. Aftah yo' build a fire an' de watah begin gittin' warm, put dis cat in dere an' have a top on it. Now, yo' must hol' dis cat in a certain way an' slip 'im in dis pot, an' git dat lid down befo he hollahs as yo' do dat. An' den let 'im boil den until he's thoroughly [done] an' de meat absolutely floatin' aroun' in de pot. Den yo' take dat glass an' look through it [it is a piece of glass and not a mirror] an' jis' take up each bone in dere an' bite it. Bite de meat offa it umntil yo' come tuh de right bone. An' yo' git dat bone an' de glass will dis- appeah from befo' yuh. Then yo' take...
(Then you get the right bone. How do you know it's the right bone?)
Well, at de disappearance of de glass. Den yo' take dat bone an' do certain articles wit it. Ah don' know jis' zac'ly what dat is. An' it will enable yo' tuh become in de knowledge of how tuh slip out of dere hide. [I turn off machine too soon.]
(Whom do you say does this? Do the witches do this?)
Yes, den dey become de witch when dey become so dat dey kin slip outa dere hide. An' yo' can't ketch 'em. Yo' know what ah mean.
(You can catch them?)
Yo' know what ah mean. Lak if he'd kill somebody out dere. He come in de store an' steal somepin or othah lak dat. Yo' can't run 'im down an' ketch 'im. So law kin ketch 'im. If dey ketch 'im an' put 'im in jail - dey locks 'im up in dere - an' den walk down de street an' he's standin' aside of 'im pattin' 'im an de shouldah. Walk along an' say "Hello' all dose kinda things. Now dat's vbat chew call tuh mah knowledge witchcraft.
Entry 10225
Yo' go take it - de dishrag - yes sir, an' let him wipe wit it, but don't chew wipe wit it. An' take it to a ironing bo'd an' iron it - out stiff - an' chunk it in a crack up ovah de do'. An' it will make bim fall every time he go to have somepin tuh do with somebody 'cept yo'.
Entry 10257
Well [into a cloth] you can take a man's stuff, and take it and make nine kmots in it [cloth] and take it and sew it up in east part of the - at least in the west part [of the bed]. And after you sew it up in there, jes' left [leave] it stay there. And if he's sleeping on the front part of that bed, it has a tendency to make him stay home, not to run around. Stop him from run- ning around. (Where do you sew that thing up? In? How?) Well, like this is - well, you put it right in here [points to bed in hotel room where I was interviewingl. Sew it up in this mattress, right in here.
(On the west side of the bed?)
Yeah, towards the east.
(Oh, you sew that on the east side of the bed?)
Yeah. [I did not explore this symbolism: east to rise with and west to set with sun. For this symbolism see No.10261.1
(I see, in the mattress?)
In the mattress. And that has a tendency to keep [him] from running around, quiets him down. [Wiping-cloth enclosed by 4 corners of bed makes a quincunx.]
Entry 10775
(Ever hear of using a broom?)
You can take a broom, like if you got - there's a person you dislike. You take a broom and after you sweep with the broom, take the corner and the wall where that person sleep. See, where that person sleep, you take that broom, see, like that's your bed [points to bed in hotel room where I was interviewing]. And take that broom, just make it a habitual habit being unnoticed to me. Just set it up behind my bed, but in that broom you fasten my name. Write my name on a piece of paper, white paper, and put it down in that broom well, and fasten it so it won't come out easily.
(You put it down in the broom.)
In the broom.
(In the brush part.)
In the brush part of the broom, where it stay in there a long time, where it won't come out. And I'll betcha I won't be contented and I can't keep no clothes to save my life.
[I turn off machine but he says something about being upset.]
(Keeps you upset?)
Certainly, and I can't keep no clothes to save my life. And unless you get somebody [hoodoo doctor] to work on it, find out from somebody, go to somebody that I know, and [ask her] if she know what that [is] the person have; and they tell you something, well it'll keep you upsetted and without clothes as long as you live, unless that's taken out of there.
(You say, you put that broom behind the bed?)
Behind the bed.
(You put it up there with the brush part down?)
With the brush part up.
(Oh, the brush part up.)
The handle down but the brush part up.
(Oh, I see. Well, why did you do that?)
Well, because if you put it down, you're not against the person, see. If you put it up, you against 'eni - you against a person, see. See, if the brush part of the broom is up, that's against a person if it's behind the bed. If it's down, you don't have no hypnotic powers nowheres, nothing seems to work against him by having the broom down. You wants it against a person with the broom up where the sun goes acrost it each day. Every time the sun go across it, the sun crosses over that broom. If you has it down, well, it don't happen like that, you see.
Entry 10853
Well, yo' kin take a person, say fo' ninstance [an instance] if de law is perticular an' botherin' yo' all de time, yo' kin git a candah [calendar]. Ah guess yo've see dem ole candahs [calendars] or sompin lak dat. Find out de law's name dat's on de beat, see, an' write dere name down on dat.
(On the calendar?)
Uh-huh, on de back of any kind of candah [calendar], it doesn't make any difference. (That has the months and days on it?) Dat's all, uhmmm, but yo' has tuh git a piece of it. It don't have tuh be a large piece an' write dere name down on dis, an' take it wherevah dey travel along. Stick dat some place where dey've got to pass by, understand with dat name wrote on it, but chew gotta find dere names out before yo' kin write 'em. Write it on de back of de candah [calendar], each one. See. Or all of 'em whut's round dat section. See, an' write de names on it, an' stick it 'bout any place where dey have tuh pass. Jes' probably say yo' might take yore pen [with which you wrote the names] an' stick it on [the paper with the names on] in de post where dey have tuh pass, sompin lak dat. Yo' kin use dat.
Entry 10944
A piece of cedar bush - take limb offa cedar tree an' slip it in a man house an' put it up ovah de do', up ovah de do' where he'd have to walk in at. An' ev'ry time dat man - if yo' wanta break him from his wife - ev'ry time he come in why hit'll cause confusion. An' eventually it will keep on until he can't stay dere. See, it'll run him 'way from dere. He jest can't stay dere at dat house.
(Some other man would be doing this to get rid of him.)
Git rida him, see.
(Just the ordinary branch of the cedar tree?)
A cedar bush.
Entry 11168
Yo' kin take a person's shoes an' go ahead an' dress 'en an' have dey foots all swell up.
(How do you dress those shoes?)
How would dey dress dose shoe? Well, yo' kin take dose shoes an' yo' kin go tuh work an' git chew some John de Conkah an' devil's-shoestring, an' make yo' a powder an' yo' kin sprinkle it all in dose shoes. An' dat person will go an git dose shoes an' put 'em on an' dat'll hurt his foot.
(Make sore feet.) [Feet are more than sore! Only a root doctor can cure them!]
Entry 11172
Git a devil's-shoestring 'bout dat long an' tie it [demonstrates]. Jis' take it, it's jis' about dat long, an' bring a knot in it lak dat. Well, yo' kin keep it or yo' bury it. Jis' put it in a secret place. (Is that all she has to do to bring the man back?) He'll stay right dere [he will not leave].
Entry 11231
Yo' steal a person's dishrag an' hide it in de henhouse tuh make 'em move - make de person move. Jes' lak yo' didn't like me an' ah wuz in a place by yo' or sompin an' yo' didn't want me there, why yo' would steal mah dish- rag an' hide it in de henhouse 'mongst de chicken nests.
Entry 11326
Those [are] doll babies. But inside of those doll babies, there's somepin they have in there belonging to the person that they Want to do harm to. And of course, they make them a doll baby and sit it on the dresser, anywhere, nobody will never take any- thing of yours. That's how come they make those doll babies to hide what they are doing. [Here a doll baby is an ornament that also protects against thieves, but it is also an ideal place for an evil person to hide his cunjure.]
Entry 11348
Git eel hide.
(He wears the eel hide and then - what will that do for him then?)
Well, yo' see, jest lak eel - yo' know yo' kin ketch an eel an' yo' can't hold him to safe [save] yo' life. After yo' gits de hide from dat, yo' wear it next to yo' skin tight, an' if a person ketch yo' it's jest lak when yo' ketch a eel it's nuthin that he kin do wit yo'. Yo' kin jest do 'way wit him jest lak dat. Ah don't [know] how come, but....
(If you are wrestling they can't hold you.)
Dey can't throw yo'. [This eel belief is known everywhere.]
Entry 11379
Git a brand-new three-cornered file; see, a brand-new one - three- cornered file. Yo' kin git one fo' a nickel right down to Kress [= Kresge, now K mart]. At fo' 'clock in de mawnin', if yo' want dis house [house in which I was then interviewing informant], see, if yo' want me [to] move outa dis house - not outa town now - jes' outa dis house. Yo' comes dere to de step an' stick it fur enough [under] so nobody kin see it, see. An' den leave it an' de folks will leave dis house.
(They will move out?)
Oh, dey gotta, ah seen dat happen.
Entry 12285
Dey tell me yo' kin tie three knots on a string an' put it in anybody's pocket an' dey mind will jes' stay on yo' all de time. Dey'll jes' worry, be worr'ed an' nevah satisfied no place dey go.
Entry 12510
An' ah have heard a fellah [tell this]: De girl dat chew want an' is in love with, an' yo's in trouble wit de [law] officer an' she don' wanta come nowhere round yo'. [This is a unique situa- tion in HOODOO!] Yo' go git chew a red onion, a real one, not a white one - a red onion. Take hit [a needle] an' stick it right down in de center of dat onion - stick yore needle. Take yo' a brand-new needle that nevah been used, sewed a stitch or nuthin. Take it an' stick it in de center of dat brand- new onion. Let de onion be new an' de needle be new. Stick all those right down through it. Take hit an' put it down. Take yo' some fiah an' build a fiah around it, an' let dat onion burn to a fire-coal [unusual word!] an' when dat onion burn to a fiah-coal, yo' takes that onion an' goes to a secret place where nobody won't bothah yo' an' throw it undah dere. In a week's time she'll be back to yo'. Where she ain't nevah visit chew, she'll come an' see yo'. (That is if the fellow is in trouble [with the law] - is in jail or some- thing.) In trouble, or if he's outa trouble - in trouble or outa trouble, either one. Jes' take dat onion. Jes' buy yo' a [new] red onion an' take that onion [needle] an' stick it straight down in de center of dat - dat needle in de center of dat onion, an' call dere name three times. Den take that onion an' put it in de fiah. An' when yo' put dat onion in de fiah, [say], "Ah hope an' trust de Lord she will come back." An' burn dat onion. An' take dat onion out an' wrap it up an' dat needle an' stick it in a closed place an' dat needle leaves. Yo'll nevah see dat onion an' needle any mo' but she'll come back. Yo' can't find hit no mo'.
Entry 12575
Fo' luck. Yo' jes' take a penny an' yo' tack it right under de piece right by yore do' - right in front de do' ~ where de folks walk backwards an' farwards cross it. Yo' jes' tack it where nobody won't take it up, where dey wouldn't see it [or step on it either, because it is under the overhang of the tread. Normally this coin is reposed, if trade is wanted].
(What will that do then, for you?)
Make luck fo' yore house.
(For customers?)
Yes, an' keep yore house lucky. Jes' lak ah 'fore tell yo' [told you before] about dat same potash an' 'bout dis penny, dat makes luck fo' yore house.
(Keeps the law away.)
Yes sir, de revenuers.
Entry 12712
An' if dey wanta run yuh, dey take yore hair, cut hair out de mole [mold] of yore head. And sometime dey do be's fortunate enough to ketch a rab- bit live, split his hide, his skin, and put dat hair in dere. And sew it up in dere and turn him loose an' he [rabbit] run to briar. When dey fin' you [your hair in the rabbit], yo be having yo' head stuck in a briar patch.
Entry 13140
Well yo' take de socks tuh bring a man back home. Now, lak yo' got a odd square, a odd square on yore flo'. A old square on yore flo', see, lak dis square heah [square of linoleum in floor of my inteviewing room at the Patterson Hotel for Blacks where I inter- viewed in New Orleans]. All right. Well, yo' take dat sock an' yo' put both toes together an' bring dat sock in - de feet, lak ah walk in heah. Yo' see, de front of mah feet is comin' in. Well, yo' bring dat in an' put dat, an' put dat at de end, an' yo' tack dat undah dere [linoleumlundah de carpet. Dat's right. An' he will come a-hellin'. Yessuh, lak if he's away an' don' wanta come home.
Entry 13339
There's but one thing he can do - he can take his wife, take any piece of her underwear, any piece of her underwear and wrap that up. Just take it and fold it and wrap it up late at night. Before he wraps it, take her name and wrap her name - write her name - make an "x" [a cross] and write her name across that "x" [her name is crossed] and wrap it in her underwear, and wrap it good, and put it anywhere about her bed, with her name written in it. And put it anywhere about her bed Where she don't find it, until he gets back. And she ain't going to be in no sood to fool with no man. She ain't going to be in no mood to fool with no man.
Entry 13365
Well, yo' kin use it. Some use it fo' jes' patches, understand, fo' de men. Mostly women use it fo' patches fo' men, prob'ly might put it on dere clothes, understan' in dey inner garment or sompin next to 'em. Well, dis woman always uses her chamber lye, dey say. Washes dis piece in dey chamber lye first an' puts it near 'em in dey underwear or sompin lak dat, sompin dat's closer to 'em. Dat's to keep dem [men] at home, understan', or even if de're [they are] gone away from home, dey use dis heah hide [hidden piece] in an' make 'em return home.