Subject:Horseshoe
Entries
Entry 1345
Yo' makes a ring outa it an' wear it fo' luck. An' then yo' take it, too, an' wear it in yore haid [hair] fo' headache. (If you have the headache.) Yes, the horseshoe nail.
Entry 5026
[To split is a magic rite but not a common one. Usually splitting concerns a stick or tree - which see.] Ah hear 'em say yuh kin take a sock, if it's a boy goin' wit yore daughtah or sompin lak dat an' yuh wanta break 'em up. Yuh kin take a sock. Git on de good side of 'er an' git 'er tuh git one of 'is socks, one de sock dat he's wearin'; not no clean sock whut been already washed, [but] one dat he's been wearin' an' haven't been washed since it's worn. Git one de lef'-han' sock if yuh kin git it. An' yuh take dat sock an' carry it tuh 'er den, an' den de sock yuh split it open [because you want to split up, separate boy and girl]. Yuh splits it open an' yuh gits a horseshoe. Why yuh gittin' a horseshoe, takes a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah de do'. Take de horseshoe an' take de sock, an' place it up ovah de do' where she goes in an' comes out at, an' de do' dat he comes in when he come tuh see 'er. An' place dat sock up dere an' place de horseshoe on top of it, an' nail it up dere good, so it can't be to' [tore = torn] down. An' put 'er 'nitials an' 'is 'nitials in de sock. An' dey say den dat will break dem up. (You just spread that sock behind the horseshoe - spread it [split sock] over it [horseshoe] like a piece of cloth. And you write the initials on the sock with a pencil or something. And that breaks them up?) Yessuh. [This is a new and rather unusual horseshoe rite, and it comes from a root doctor. To walk under anything of yours, here his split sock and initials, up- sets or confuses the mind. And in addition, I suspect the split sock also gives him leg or foot trouble. Her initials assist the mental disturbance.]
Entry 6076
Ah have heard dat chew could take a person hair an' gain de influence of 'em by carryin' dere hair in yore pocket. Yo'could take dere hair an' git chew a piece of bran'-new cloth, piece of bran'-new white cloth sech as be de - yo' know, don't be flowered lak dis. Yo' know, jes' any kin'a bran'-new cloth dat don't cost but 5c a yard - plain cloth. Yo' kin take dat an' take nine stran's of a person's hair an' carry dat nine stran's of a person's hair in yore pocket nine days, an' DE NINTH MAWN- IN' yo' git up outa de bed an' yo' say de THREE GOD MANHEAD: God de Father, God de Son, God de Holy Ghost - de ninth mawnin'. An' yo' take dem nine stran's of bair an' WALK TO DE BACK DO'. Wit yure left han' throw dem nine stran's of hair away. Don't look back aftah yo' throw 'em away, jes' throw 'em anyuay. Don't look back aftah yo' throw 'em. An' de person who yo's in love wit, y jes' lak yo' throw dere hair away, dey'll come back to yo'. [Even cloth at 5c a yard vas amazing back in 1939 - see INTR0., p. XXXV for date.] An' if it's a person dat chew wanta git away from yo', de seventh day yo' cake dat hair an' walk to de front do' jes' at sunrise an' say de THREE GOD MANHRAD, an' put it right in de centah of de do'step - right in de centah of de do'step. Den take a horseshoe - YO'VE SEEN A HORSESHOE - an' lay dat horseshoe right down ovah it; jes' yo' know square each way, jes' so it'll extend each way an' it'll be level each way. Yo' take dem nine stran's of hair an' dig a little hole an' bury it. Put dat horseshoe ovah it. Take yo' nine pins an' drive down in dere. Jes' try tuh drive 'em on top of de head of each othah it'll be bettah. An dat'll drive 'em away from yo', so yo' won't have any trouble wit dat person any
(You cover up that horseshoe so it can't be seen?)
Yes sir, yo' covah it up lightly so it can't be seen. [Despite the absence of pubic or armpit hair in this rite, I have placed it here because of 9 hairs snd9 days.]
Entry 7485
Jes' lak if a person's goin' - jes' say yo'd walk ovah dis flo' heah. Now, yo' could take yore square yo' know an' yo' could take de measure of dat. Take de measure of dat shoe [foot track]. Take de measure of dat shoe an' yo' cut dat, cut dat jes' lak dis heah, yo' undahstan', jes' de shape of dat shoe. See [demonstrates], heah yo' go. See, yo' take dat shoe [track]. Yo' take dat shoe an' yo' measure dat. Yo' take dat up an' yo' watch it, yo' watch de shape of dat shoe. An' yo'll take, say a horseshoe an' yo'll nail dat right up ovah as yo' come - forty inches about dat gate dere - nail dat up dere. An if dey done did anythin' dishones', dey'll come back jes' lak a dead man, de per- son who made dat track, dey'll come back to dat place.
(If they killed anybody?)
If dey killed anybody dey'll come right back to dat place. (Do you put up this shoe track you make [from measurement] under the horse- shoe?) Yes, put dat undah de horseshoe. Nail dat horseshoe.
Entry 8920
If you know de party's name wot got it, jes' write it down on a piece of paper, an' take a horseshoe an' nail it right in de center of de door, an' de same somebody wot got it will come back to yo' an' bring it. (You nail this name right in the center of the horseshoe over the door?) Jes' write it on a piece of paper an' put de nail dere an' put de paper dere too - put de paper on de nail first an' put de shoe right on top of it - right ovah de center of de door. De same party wot got it dey'll come an' have de sense to bring it back.
(If they stole this thing?)
If dey stole anything from yo'. An' if dey don't bring it back right den, dey will be messin' aroun' yuh an' dey commence to hintin' an' will bring it back. An' den tell yo': Yo' know all about such an' such a thing? Dey wants to see yo'. An' yo' don't know who it is. An' dey'll come an' have to sense of letting yo' have it back.
(How do you nail that horseshoe over the door?)
How do you nail it? Why yo' jes' take de nail an' set it up on dere.
(Are the two points [of the horseshoe] up or down, or how?)
Oh, de two points down.
Entry 10434
A witch an' a ha'nt is a diff'rent thing, whoever yo' learnt it. A witch is a thing dey claim rides yo' at night. An' den if yo' bein' rided at night wit witches, yo' wanta git rid of de witches, yo' take a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah yo' do'. Write yore name in de center of de horseshoe, right up ovah yore do'; inside de house, not out. [In- formant anticipates my question.] Oh, outside or inside, either one jes' so it be ovah yore do'. Dat'll stop de witches from coming in. [St. Petersburg, Pla.
(1031), 1677:5.]
Entry 10435
Horseshoe or new board over door and spirits won't bother you [witch or hag at work has a spirit form].
Entry 10793
Take a broom, or either a horseshoe, an' put it up ovah yore do'. Take a broom yo' know an' nail it crossways yore do', keep witches out. (Where do you put it, down on the floor or what?) Lay it right down by de do', on de flo'. (What will that do?) Dat will keep 'em out. Or ei- ther, if a person come in yore house an' yo' don' want 'em dere, yo' kin take a pod of peppah an' throw it in de fiah, an' make dem go.
(Just burn the pepper while they are in the house or after they leave?)
While dey in yore house.
Entry 12184
[Here is an interesting rite about horseshoes but the language can be easily misunderstood. A horse walks with the curved part of his shoe forward, this being called a heel! The two ends of a horseshoe are called toes! Linguis- tically a horse walks backwards! The imagry of the following rite is based upon these ideas and can cause confusion.] Do you Wanta stay in de house or do you wanta go? (I want to stay in the house.) Yo' git yo' a horseshoe and yo' don't have to place it inside de house. Place it in de front gate and turn de horseshoe [demonstrates] that [part] goes back. [Which part? Toes or heel?] Turn it in towards, to de house, an' fo' 9 mornings sweep towards de house an' that will keep you in de house. (Suppose a man and woman are in here and the woman wants to keep the man in the house. She will put the horseshoe out there [at the preceding gate] you say.) Yes, sir, if she wants to keep him in, turn de back of the horseshoe inside [turn heel, the curved side] towards de house. If you turn de horseshoe de way de horse make the track [toe toward the house, the way a horse would start away from the house] that will make him [man] go. If you turn it [heel, curve of the horseshoe] towards yo' [towards the house] it will make him come, stay in de house.
[I misunderstood.]
(If you turn these two ends [toes] of the horseshoe away from the house?)
No, sir, turn dem back to [towards] de house, that will keep him in de house.
(Well, now, suppose the woman wants to make him leave, then what does she do?)
Well, if she want him to leave, turn jes' like de horses face [walks pointed away from house]; yo' turn de round part [heel] of de shoe, jis' turn it to de house. He will leave. [Informant is a little confusing. If you want to keep person in the house, keep back of horseshoe or heel toward house, you cannot back away from the house; if you want to send the person away, point the prongs or toes to the house, because that is the way you would walk away from the house.]
Entry 12185
Dat's very easy. You can take some of this black stone [black lode- stone?] and Van Van and sweet oil. You take all that and you mix it together, and you put that in a lit- tle sack or in a little bottle. You hang that over your door, under a horseshoe. You put the horseshoe up and you hang your bottle under there, but you have the bottle so that no one can see the bottle, but they can see the horseshoe. This bottle be's behind the horseshoe. And no law in the world gon- na come in your place lessen they git permission. They kin come someone to see the proprietor before he [law] come in there. The horseshoe is in the right form just like it lays on the animal's foot [prongs or toes down] but the bot- tle is fixed [hidden] under there.
Entry 12186
(What do you do to keep the law away from a place? The law - to keep the police away?) The policeman?
(Yes.)
Well, I knows some of them puts a cross up on the side of their door.
(What kind of a cross?)
[Informant evidently thought a cross is a cross and I did not insist.]
A horseshoe - you know them horseshoe - a cross. They either take a horseshoe or either they has some silver - just like that is. [He pulls out a piece of tinfoil.1 Take a brand-new that never has walked on [an unusual expression] you see, that never been used. And be sure it's a brand-new piece. Put that there and put that horsefeet [horseshoe] up- side down [prongs or toes up]. The law will never come there. [Do not use tin- foil picked up from street or off floor. For tinfoil from street see No.12192.]
(Just one horseshoe?)
Yes. He [policeman] pass right on by there.
Entry 12189
Ah heard dat chew could take a horseshoe off a grey horse an' turn it up, de p'int up ovah yore do', an' yo'll be lucky an' de home will be lucky.
Entry 12190
Keep a horseshoe fo' good luck. (That is all you have to do?) Dat's de only thing ah heard dat yo' kin do wit de horseshoe. Make a fiah an' turn it upside down an as it burns, sprinkle salt on it an' make some wishes with it.
Entry 12201
Nail dat horseshoe nail fo' luck up ovah yore do'. Yo' take dat horseshoe [nail] an' nail it up dere ovah yore do' on de inside. Dat's fo' luck to a home.
Entry 12202
Yo' kin take a horseshoe an' two horseshoe nails [these 2 nails are changed to one later]. An' if yo' kin git a chance to, take dat horseshoe an' bury it under de person's do'steps or any place - or any place. An' dat will drive 'em away too. An' jes' drive dat horse- shoe right down at dere do'. If it's in de ground it don't make any difference. (Just one nail from the horseshoe?) Jes' one nail from de horseshoe. (You don't have to put the horseshoe under the ground, just the nail?) Take dat nail from outa de horseshoe, drew de nail from de horseshoe, an' take de horseshoe an' carry it to yore [victim's] house an' take de nail at dey house an' drive dat nail into de wall. Dey will absolutely leave.
Entry 12203
Now, listen, she kin take nine horseshoe nails, some sulphur and lard, put those nails in de lard and sulphur at six 'clock in de morning. And then leave 'em there until six 'clock in de evening, standing at chure do' dere, an' call it. Put dem nails up on top yore door like that [demonstrates]. (Lay them along the ledge at the top of the door?) Yes, den you lay them up there and then you call him three times by his name. Jes' like you'd say, "Sam! Sam! Sam! Come heah!" And he would come. Ah don't care where he's at, he'll come.
Entry 12204
Ah've heard about horseshoe nails. Dey tell me yo' git nine horse- shoe nails dat's mighty good luck. But de way ah've heard about de nine horse- shoe nails, yo' take them nine horseshoe nails an' wrap them up in a piece of flannel cloth. Jes' have de head this way heah, jes' change 'em disaway [informant demonstrates].
(You put one head one way and one the other.)
Yes sir. An' then yo' - after yo' put a piece of cord, yo' tie it tight. An' dey say yo' keep dat in yore house. That's mighty good luck in yore home.
Entry 12205
De horseshoe - git nine horseshoe nails, an' yo' tie 'em head an' tail, an' yo' name 'em, an' put 'em ovah yore do', an' dat's fo' luck.
(What would you name them?)
Well, yo' name 'em fo' jes' whut chew want 'em tuh do.
Entry 12206
If you got a job an' wanta hold it, why yo' go out to any little place where you kin find an old horseshoe. An' take a couple of nails - horseshoe nails - nine of 'em, an' put round dat shoe. Take it back [to place where you work] and bring them with that, an' go under in de east corner of dat place, an' put dat horseshoe down. Put in dere so nobody kin dig it up, so it can't be found, an' leave it dere. Nobody kin have your job. (You find that horseshoe that has nine nails in it and you take that whole horseshoe. You don't take the nails out or anything like that?) No, leave 'em in dere, just as is.
Entry 12577
Use pennies fo' jes' lak yore house is ha'nted. (What do they do with that?) Well, jes' lak yo' been keeping house an' yo' got a penny nailed down in de front door dere. Yo' jes' nail a penny down in de front do' dere, an' yo' be prevented from dose ha'nts.
(You can see them then if they [come] into the house.)
[Prevent because they will not enter.]
Oh, sure, sure. Or either put a horseshoe up over dere [points to door]. Some of 'em put a horseshoe up ovah de head of de do', real ole-fashioned horse- shoe [that was worn by a horse].
Entry 13447
Take a horseshoe an' some sage leaves an' a black cat bone an' olive oil, an' yo' git some [whiskey].
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' jes' put it anywhere secretly aroun' yore place of business wherevah yo' at [and saturate it].
(You saturate it with what?)
Wit de whiskey, see. Dat supposed tuh keep it 'live an' tuh 'tract dere attention, of people. It's very attractive wit dat.
(If you want to bring in customers?) Yes.