Subject:Ice
Entries
Entry 2856
You see when a man is fooling around with another woman, a woman she'll take - she double-cross him. She'll get three candles. (Three candles.) Three candles. She'll get a yellow candle, a white candle and she'll get a blue candle. She'll take these three candles and she's got a bowl on her dresser or vanity, whatever she got. Now, she'll light these candles in this bowl. She'll get her five cents of ice, which is 25 pounds of ice. She'll take your name and this woman's name and write it 18 times [each 9 times]. Now, she'll put this name [these names] under this ice upside down and burn these candles on it for nine days. She got you.
(That will separate me and the other woman, and I go back to my wife?)
You gotta go back. If you don't go back to her, you going to go back to some other one; but she's going to break you and this other woman up - you and her can't stay together.
Entry 2915
Get you a John Ruskin cigar.
(A John Ruskin cigar.)
Cigar, and put it in a glass. Get a lump of ice and put it in a tub. And when you gon'a go before the judge, you have glasses round in there and have a candle, nine candles, and let somebody - when you going down to the court - light those candles and have that glass setting in the center with them two John Ruskin cigar in it, and light them and let them be smoking. And have them candles burning. The judge will discharge you. (And you get a cake of ice - here's your cake of ice - and you put this glass on top of the ice with the two cigars in it?) Set it on top of the ice with the two cigars in it and all the glasses around, but you got to buy new glasses what ain't been used.
(And how many glasses do you use around that cake of ice?)
Nine.
(And what color candles do you put in those nine glasses?)
White. (Oh, white. I see. And these candles and the cigars are burning at the same time?)[See comment.] Burning while your case is going on - while you go into court.
(But they must be John Ruskin cigars?)
John Ruskin cigars.
(I see.)
[An ordinary water glass is put in the center of the cake of ice and into it are set two John Ruskin cigars. Circled about this glass with cigars stand nine white candles in glasses. The candles are lighted and apparently the cigars also; but the latter will not "be smoking." On this cake-of-ice altar, a cigar- smoking judge is confined by the magic circle of pure white candles - See Magic Circle, p.123, and the circular candle-rites of Doctor Yousee's interview. The glass with cigars in the center of four icy corners also completes a magic quin- cunx (p.710), giving us an unusual quincuncial altar.]
Entry 2918
See, heah, yo' git his subpoena, when he supposed tuh meet co't, an' yo' git chew a white wax candle. Yo' take dat wax candle an' yo' cut it - not de part whut yo' burn, it's de bottom part, an' yo' cut it till yo' cut to de wick. [Make a new wick at bottom.] Yo' git chew a piece of ice big enough tuh burn [last] as long as co't lasts. Yo' light dat candle an' yo' git chew some sugah an' yo' - a whole nickel wuth of sugah dat's nevah been used, an' take it an' po' all around on dat ice an' on top of dat candle, an' set subpoena on dat ice an' set de candle on top of it an' light it, an' keep it a'burnin' an' when he go tuh co't de judge will feel his sympathy. If he don't git clear, he wouldn't git much time - he would git a light sentence.
[A light for a light sentencel]
Entry 3444
Yo' know de colored people laks livah, laks tuh eat livah yo' know - beef livah, calf livah. Well, quite natchel [natural] dey cooks de dog livah. Well, now, quite natchel, he laks livah, yo' see. But now, yo' wouldn't prepare dis livah fo' me, if yo' didn't care nuthin about me. Dese wimmins genly [generally] use dat on dere husban'. Dey usin' dat to tie him; if he goes out anywhere, why he'll git hung jes' lak a dog would. Dat's whut dey do wit dog livah.
(That's to shame him or something if he's caught.)
Oh! he git caught. Dere ain't no doubt about it. He'll swell up. An' de only thing dat kin unswell 'im - co'se de doctor [M.D.] kin do it, but quite natchel he might not he'p 'em [be able to help them] if dey settin' down a couple of days. He put a piece of ice right dere, an' dat ice gotta have at least three minutes, an' it will untie 'em. If she haven't got no ice, no good ice watah where yo' kin bathe 'im back down [my root doctor informant is now talking about his own professional abilityl, or bathe her down where it swellin', den he'll git fastened dat much tightah an' de doctor [M.D.] have tuh unloosen dem. Give 'im somepin tuh cool 'im down an' throw de swellin' down. Dat's why some use it - dem dat's mean enough - use dog's livah fo' dat. Dat's whut dey do wit it.
Entry 6844
An' yo' take that person's name an' put it on 25 pounds of ice, an' dat'll freeze out all the harm they tryin' tuh do to yo'.
Entry 8337
Takes de photograph an' carry it out tuh a tree an' stick a ice pick in it, right intuh de fo'haid. An' dat person will git killed.
Entry 8780
If yo' wants tuh make a person move ag'in [another method] eithah [or] make 'em live bad - it goes fo' both de things. If yo' wanta make 'em live bad, ah break some ice up, an' ah take dat beef gall, an' de dirt dauber - yo' knows dat - an' yo' roll it [dirt dauber]. Yo' know, yo' take a bottle an' put it [dirt dauber nest] in a piece of papah an' roll it up, yo' know lak yo' do bread crumbs. An' yo' take dat beef gall an' yo' take de same cayenne peppah. Yo' use a whole box of it an' de beef gall, an': yo' mix all dat up togethah. An' yo' write de individual name down nine times each way. Yo' see, yo' could write it nine times straight lak dat [demonstrates]. An' den whosomevah yo' breakin' up from, yo' could write dem on top. An' den yo' write 'em down nine times each way yo' see. Yo' write it straight lak dat, an' den urite it, yo' know, catacorner [catercornered]. Yo' undahstan' how ah mean? Write it across jis' lak a seal lak yo' make. [These 2 groups of names cross each other making an "x" or cross.] An' den yo' put it in dat piece of papah, but chew git a white piece of papah an' yo' write it in ink. An' yo' git it in dat papah an' yo' fold it up, an' when yo' fold it, don' fold it towards yo', always fold it from yo'. An' yo' put it in a jah. Yo' put all dat togethah in dat papah an' yo' put it in a jah an' yo' stop dat jah up tight an' yo' put it in a ole country toilet. Have tuh be shure tuh find a country toilet tuh put it in where nobody won' find it.
(What would that do then?)
Dat would break yo' up. Dat would break anybody up, if yo' want 'em tuh live bad an' not prosper or nuthin. Dat'll make 'em, yo' know, live bad.
(These two people.)
An' den ag'in, dat same thing yo' could do ag'in, if yo' wants tuh put some- body against - lak yo' have friends an' de people heah lak [like] yo'. If yo' put de othah person ag'inst dese othah people, yo' kin take dat same thing an orite dere name down an' den write de othah individual name on top an' put it down, an' dey'll come tuh lak yo' an' hate de othah one.
(You don't throw that in the toilet do you?)
Yes, de same thing. Yo' know it diff'ren ways yo' could do.
Entry 8961
[The day the case] comes off yo' git the beef tongue from de market. Yo' see, yo' gon'a know when de case come off 'cuz [you] git de subpoena. Freeze dat tongue in ice. Take a pen and write [scratch] de judge's name on dere [the tongue], bury it, an' have de party dat live in de building, a brother or anybody else, turn everything upside down. Turn de mat- tress upside down, de chairs upside down, de tables [upside down] during de time de case is coming off, an' de case will be nol pros [nol-pros, nolle prosequi].
Entry 8966
Take that beef tongue an' at de big part of it, just split, just dig a hole in it - don't split it open. They cuts dat tongue, dey cuts a hole in it as far as dey want it to extend. Dey write your name. Just like yo' got a case in court, ah'll give it to yo' dat way. When yo' got a case in court, dey got people to witness fo' yo'; an' if ah can git de names of de people goin' be yore witness, ah'll git de names of dese people goin' be yore witness against me. An' when ah cut dat hole in dat beef tongue, ah'll write all de names nine times. An' ah'll take dose names an' shove dem up in dat tongue an' put dat tongue in a bucket or anythin' dat is small, an' pack it wit ice, like tonight, an' it'll be froze by tomorrow. An' when yo' witnesses come, dey can't even talk. They won't know what to say.
Entry 8967
Yo' get de prosecutor's name.
[Informant takes long pause.]
(All right.)
Yo' get some of de eye witness name - what swearing against yo', ah mean. An' yo' get de judge's name an' de prosecuting attorney's name, an' yo' write dere names down in lines, yo' see [one name under the other]. Den yo' take an' write yore name across dere. [Informant takes long pause.] Nine times. [Informant takes long pause.] (Yes?) Yo' shove in - yo' cut dat beef tongue an' yo' shove it [written names] in dat beef tongue an' yo' sew it back up. Yo' get yo' a brand-new tub, nevah have done been used.
[Informant takes long pause.] (Yes?)
(Yes.)
You get you a block of ice... (What did you say about the twelve apostles a moment ago? The twelve dis- ciples?) The twelve disciples, yo' must write dem twelve disciples name down.
(And what do you do with that?)
The twelve disciples name, dat's like if yo' want.... [They were concerned with another rite.]
Entry 8969
(What do they use beef tongue for?)
Well, now, that's what I have heard people have used beef tongue and put nee- dles in it. Sticks nine needles in it - just like they got a son or a daughter or somepin going from them up here to the penitentiary or somepin. They Wanta try keep dem here, tie 'em over here or keep them out, get them out. They put that on there and they put that on ice and things. That's to keep the judge from talking good. Yo' know, couldn't explain hisself, yo' see. He won't be able to tell them that he going to send him up the road [penitentiary] or nuthin, yo' see. Now, it's like if I give you [sentence you] thirty days. It's just like you done done a bad crime, not no stealing or somepin, just like: So ah'm goin' to give yo' $25 or thirty days in Parish [jail], see. De same time he got a penitentiary case, yo' see. Yo' see?
Entry 8970
[If you are] in court like this. If yo' done did a bad crime. He got a witness against yo' - or maybe ten or twelve - fifteen or twenty witness against yo'. Yo' take all of these witness names. Now which is de beef tongue, an' it runs about dat long [dem- onstrates]. Yo' know de size of a beef tongue. Yo' take dat tongue an' yo' split it open right into de mid- dle. Yo' take all dese names an' yo' stuff 'em down into dis tongue. Aftah yo' stuff 'em down into dis tongue, yo' get yo' a pack of needles an' yo' use nine of de biggest needles in dere. Yo' get yo' 50 pounds of ice. Dat's de day yo' goin' to court. Get yo' 50 pounds of ice an' yo' take dis beef tongue an' yo' put it down into dis ice an' freeze it. Co'se [of course] yo' could use it de night before dat. An' yo' take dis tongue an' yo' freeze it with these witness names against yo' in it. Then, when they get in court they can't say nothing against you. If it's anything, they going to say somepin for you.
(What do you do with those nine needles?)
The nine needles, you just stick it all in them names and in the tongue. New Orleans, La., (860), 1371:6.]
Entry 8976
Yo' use dem needles an' nails - well, nails. Ah'll put nails an needles togethah. Fo' instance, yo' have a case in court. Yo' have, probably three or fo' witnesses against yo' an' yo' afraid dat when dey appear dat dere testimony will convict yo'. Now, nine mornings befo' de day of de trial, yo' go to de market an' yo' get yo' a beef tongue. Yo' get de beef tongue an' yo' come back home an' yo' split it down de middle. Yo' take dese witness' name, also yore witness, an' yo' write dere name down, nine times, an' place it inside of the tongue. Get yo' this No.8 thread - yo' get black an' white an' yo' take a needle an' yo' sew dis up in dere, an' as yo' sew dat, yo' curse it. As yo' sewin' yo' cursin'. (Which do you sew with, the black or the white?) Well, it's known as No.8 thread. It can be white or black. (Oh, I see.) But like if it was a negro an' have white witnesses against 'im, yo'd use white an' black thread. See, like mixed. (What if it's a colored man and he had negro witnesses against, him, then what?) Well, he would use black thread. Yo' take this black thread an' sew it an' cuss at 'im. Sew an' cuss at 'im. Evah time yo' sew it, cuss 'im. Sew dat up. Den yo' take nine needles an' drive dem in dere an' curse it all de time. Aftah yo' take nine needles, yo' take nine tenpenny nails an' jug in dere, all de way up to dere. Just take dat an'...
(You drive the nails into the tongue?)
Yeah, drive dem in dis tongue, all.de way through dis tongue.
(I didn't get that word. Do you jerk them or jump them in?)
Yo' push 'em in.
(Oh! All right. I didn't understand what you said.)
[I am trying not to offend! Remember the hermaphrodite in New Orleans and my use of the word sporting-woman - see p.1685,5 lines from bottom, fol.] Yeah, yo' push 'em an' den aftah yo' take dat an' yo' dig a hole. Dig a hole deep enough fo' yo' to git say around abount 25 pounds or 50 pounds of ice. An' yo' put de ice at de bottom an' put dis tongue in between an' freeze dat tongue fo' nine days an' nine nights. An' de day of de trial - whenevah yo' think de ice will run out, yo' just go back an' yo' put ice on it. Yo' keep dat tongue froze. As long as yo' keep dat tongue froze just as hard, yo' know like when yo' freeze sompin it git real hard - as long as yo' have dat tongue froze, it will work. Yo' keep de tongue froze. De morning dat yo' are goin' to trial, get up - just like yo' get up out of yore bed, don't make it up, leave it. Take yore undahclothes, yo' turn dem on de wrong side, even yore socks. Put on yore shoes an' clothes an' yo' come on out. Den yo' go to court. If dat tongue is froze when yo' go to court, to trial an' get up on de stand, dey'll call de witness to de stand, it'll freeze his tongue. He can't talk like he wants to. He'll git up dere an' he'll make some mistakes. He'll git up dere an' he'll talk, he'll be talkin' against yo', but de way dat he'll talk, it'll be in yore favor. See. He'll sort of stutter an' can't get de thing right like he wants, yo' know. Dey will throw it [case] out then.
Entry 8978
Get yo' a beef tongue, an' get de judge's name. An' if dey have a wit- ness, get one for de witness an' one for de district attorney. An' yo' get a block of ice. An' yo' see, yo' set dem three candles or white candles [mentioned before recording started and also later] on [this] ice before yore trial, an' dat chills dere tongues. Yo' put de tongue into a big block of ice [usually 50 pounds]. Just make a hole an' put it down into de ice. An' cut de tongue open an' put de judge's name, de dis- trict attorney's name, an' de witness [name] in dat. An den set de light [candles] on before yo' go to court. One candle for each of dose people. Use white candles.
Entry 8980
Now if yo' go before de iudge, de judge goin' to discharge yo', ac- cording to what kind of case, yo' know, yo'll have. Well, if yo' got people against yo', yo' know, an' yo' don't want to have dem part of de jury. Yo' going before de judge, like if it's a criminal case, yo' know, yo' got to have de jury. Yo' see, dey have [a panel of] 75 jurors [to select jurors from]. Well, yo' don't know what people [will be on the jury]. They don't pick out but twelve. Now, yo' don't know what twelve dey going to pick out. Dat makes yo' gotta use de whole panel. Yo' see, ah [in my work] done use 'em all.[ Well, now, de person - what jurors is against yo'. Yo' go an' get yo' a beef tongue, a fresh beef tongue. Pay odd money fo' it, not even money - 25 or 35 cents or somepin like dat. Let de money be odd money. An' yo' go an' take dat tongue an' yo' get these peoples names what is against yo', what done harm yo', don't yo' see or what yo' done harm. Yo'll take dat tongue, yo'll write de names on a piece of papah, an' yo'll write all dem jurymen's names, de dis- trict attorney.
(The whole 75 of those names?)
Yeah, just put de whole 75. Yo' have to use de 75, because outa dem yo' get twelve.
(I see. All right.)
Now, yo' get de district attorney what is de man to prosecute yo'. Yo'll get his name an' put it on dere, but not de judge in dat part. An' yo'll -git yo' dat tongue. Yo' get yo' nine needles an' nine pins. Yo'll get yo' dese people names an' yo'll put down on dere an' yo'll put dat down in de throat of dat tongue. Yo'll take dat tongue an' yo'll hang it up in de chimney. An' den aftah dat, yo'll take an' git yo' some watah an' yo'll get yo' some peppah. Yo' git yo some coarse snuff an' yo'll burn a - light a candle.
(Coarse snuff?)
Coarse snuff, dat coarse snuff; not dat in a box. An' yo'll light dat candle an' yo'll put it.in dere. Now, yo' want to come clear an' yo' want de judge to be lenient wit yo', so yo' take de judge's name. An' yo'll take de judge ame, den yo'll git yo' a block of ice, 'bout fifty pounds of ice. Yo' put it in a little pail an' yo'll sweeten it. Den yo'll light de candle, but yo'll light it straight up [the candle will be standing upl. An' den yo' see, sweeten de judge. But this othah part what yo' do, yo' take an' yo' put de candle - yo' turn 'em upside down, yo' get dat coarse snuff an' all dat, an' put in dere. Well dat make de district attorney be fightin' against dem. An' de people, what he got fo' witness, goin' to speak against yo'. Anything dey drink, perhaps dey drink whiskey. Some might drink gin or somepin like dat. Well yo'll get dat [liquor] an' yo' put dere name an' set yo' a little glass. An' put dat candle on dat [name and liquor in the glass] an' ah'll guarantee every one of 'em will go to court drunk. An' yo'll come out clear 'cause dey'll be drunk. Dey won't know what they're sayin'. They'll be lying backwards and forwards.
(What'll that ice do?)
Well, yo' see, de ice, dat's to cool, dat's fo' yore part. De ice makes yo' cool. Yo' know ice makes yo' cool. [Usually ice freezes apponent's tongue.] Well, de judge won't be fiery wit yo'. See, he'll be cool an' calm. But on dis othah side, yo' get dat snuff an' yo' put dem names in dere an' yo' get dat beef tongue. Yo' put dem things in dere an' shove dat tongue, all down in de throat, an' just hang dat tongue up an' den yo'll see. Yo'll see an' dey'll be lyin' an' dey'll be drunk. Just what dey drink, yo' set dat candle in dere [in the glass]. An' dey'll be lyin' an' dey won't say a thing against yo'. What color...just what candles you select. Don't try de black candles.
(Anything but black?)
But black candles.
(How many do you burn?)
Yo' burn - see, if dere's five people, yo' put five candles. An' if it's three, yo' put three; just accordin' to how many is against yo', yo' put dem many candles. An' den what they drink, yo' get a little glass, just what fit de candle an' put dat [liquor] in dere, an' ah'll guarantee yo' every one will be drunk.
Entry 9033
They can take a fish, yes sir. An' they can lay that out - that's fo' a court scrape, too. They take that fish an' put it between a lOO pounds of ice yo' know an' stick that full of needles an' pins on the ice, if a person is against yo' in the court house. They can't do nuthin, they can't talk against yo'. Any kind of a fish, so it's a fish. But have the fish live, like when yo' put it on the ice. An' nine needles an' nine pins in there, an' their name under that fish, an' put that ice on top of it. No, they can't talk because yo' see that chills the tongue. Some people use a fish an' some people use a beef tongue [For frozen beef tongue rites, see Nos.8961-8976, Pp.3637-3643, v.4.]
Entry 9069
[0n pages 3637-3645 we have had a number of beef- tongue rites using ice, here are several more ice-and-court usages to establish a separate margin title ICE. Whut ah heah yo' could do, wherevah yore prosecutor wuz, dey tell me yo' git a piece of papah an' write his name nine times. An' git chew 25 pounds of ice an' break it half in two, an' put de papah in between dere, an' put de piece of ice on top of it, about a day befo' de trial. An' when yo' go tuh co't, dey say he really won't prosecute yo'. Dey say dat's purtty good fo' dat.
Entry 9070
[We have here the rare, perhaps only example of writing a white man's name on brown paper instead of the usual white. Is this a protest? Remember, the rite was collected before Martin Luther King Jr. marched on Selma! Though atmosphere and situation were changing, almost no one expected so much progress in such a short time. Is informant reducing prosecutor to the prisoner's level, asking what would you do if you were in his shoes? For the use of color symbolism, see COLOR SYMBOLISM, Pp.797f., and es- pecially the interview, NAHNEE, BOSS OF ALGIERS, Pp.1351-1386.] Yo' trial comin' up fo' de co't an' dey got a prosecutor, see. Well, yo' know fo' instance lak dey kill somebody or bootleggin'. Now fo' instance if de police find yo' an' he's de prosecutor... Yo' understan' me? Well, yo' gits a piece of brown papah. Yo' see dis heah brown papah. Yo' write dat guy's name on dat nine times an' yo' git chew a great big piece of ice an' put dat on de ice, an' he git dere he cain't open his mouth.
(You put the ice on the name or the paper on the ice?)
Put de papah on de ice, but yo' got his name nine times wrote dere an' yo' make yore wish, an' lay it on dat ice an' keep it all night. (Just on top of this cake of ice? How do you lay that piece of paper on the ice?) Jis' lay it flat or lay de ice on it. Lay de name nex' tuh de ice.
Entry 9071
Jes' lak yo' got a trial comin' up, yo' kin take dere name, whatevah yo' 'rested [arrested] fo' or sompin lak dat. If yo' kin git dis law's name an' write it on ice, write it in ice an' fast as dat melt away, jes' keep ice evah day. See, 'fo' dat trial comes up, yo' jes' keep dat ice evah day. An' find out zactly whut time yore trial's com- in' up, an' keep dat ice evah day, an' keep a-writin' his name on it till dat ice melt away. Jes' watch it all de time an' jes' keep a-writin' his name on it, an' it'll...
(How do you write his name on the ice?)
Jes' write de law's name. Yo' write it wit a nail. Yes, scratch it on, an' yore name. An' when yo' write it, yo' write chure name down heah. Write it three times, write chure name three times up tuh de top. Yo' write his name undah it. Den yo' take an' yo' cross it lak a "x", see.
(You just write his name once underneath or three times?)
Three times. Yo' write his name up heah three times. Yo' write dat three times yo' see an' write chure name right down undah it three times, an' den yo'll cross dat evah time. Dey'll throw it outa co't.
Entry 9508
Now if yo' runnin' a gamblin' house, sellin' whiskey, got women, if yo' wanta be lucky 'bout dis thing, always keep in yo' place loose salt, ice cream salt. Git de ice cream salt, it's in big lumps. [Ice cream salt is rare in HOODOO.] Dey says yo' could swallah oneof'em[lumps], deygood fo' yo' stomic anyway. Jes' put one in yo' mouth an' swallah it an' dey says dat ev'ry once in a while jes' scattah some all round de house. It roll up lak snow [informant not a native of place where we are talking] or sweep it out. Dey says de cops or p'lice will bar'ly evah pass by; if dey do, dey speak tuh yo' an' wave dere han's. Yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's straight an' den yo' skip nine. Dey tell me dat'll work fine. An' ah believe some people's doin' it right heah [in the city] now, 'cuz ah been heah a long time. Dey say dat's a fact.
Entry 9643
(How would you keep a spell from being put on you?)
Ah tell yuh dat. Go an' git chew a li'le ice cream salt hadn't been uses [used] an' assfessadee [asafetida], an' be sure tuh have a li'le piece-a John de Conkah. Dashes de salt [about house?]. Have John de Conkah in a li'le bag or eithah have a nutmeg roun' yore neck. Will hold de spell from relievin' tuh yo'.
(That will keep it from hurting you.)