Subject:Impotence
Entries
Entry 3629
Takin' yore chamber lye an' usin' dat an' yo' can't - yore dick won't rise till yo' see her, yo' know.
(Well, how do they use that? Do that?)
Put it in a bottle an' tie nine knots in a string, an' put de string aroun' de bottle an' put it up ovah top de door where yo' go out at; an' when yo' go out, dey lay dat bottle an' yore dick won't rise. An' while dat bottle layin' down, yo' come back an' den dey set it up. Yo' set de bottle up an' yo's all right den. (Well, what do they do with this string first? Where do they get the string first?) Wet it in de watah.
(Oh, they wet this - in whose water?)
In yores. (The woman gets the string and wets it in the man's water, and she ties these kmots in it.) Yes, ties nine knots in it. I hear'd of peoples takin' yore hair an' puttin' it in a rag, puttin' it in a bottle an' puttin' some vinegar wit it, an' puttin' it up ovah top de door. An evah time yo' go out dey lay dat bottle down, an' yo' have to come back; an' when yo' come back, dey set dat bottle up, an' yo' is all right.
(What would she do about getting his nature? What would she do with that?)
Put it in a bottle an' lay it 'cross, put it up in de do'r - see, anywhere yo' go out. An' when yo' go out she lay dat down when yo' come back, she stand it up. But yo' kin easily do somepin fer dat. [Norfolk, Va., (469), 475:7.] [I had intended to comment at the end of KNOTS NINE about the number of them in HOODOO. Instead I write a few words to fill in the end of this page.] [I agree with the informant who supplies our first margin title: AH'M GON'A TELL YUH SOMEPIN OTHAH DAT BEAT DE WORL'. Snail rites do beat de WOrl'. They are so amazing I have been more than generous with examples. HooDoO as a whole will show that no special effort was made to collect them, because sex in itself was never emphasized in field work. When I first heard about the snail rite in 1936, I thought the man was lying - see 3635.]
Entry 3705
Well, when she have intahco'se wit a man, well she kin take dat string yo' see, aftah evahthing is ovah, an' she'll jis' dry wit dat string, yo' know [wiping] to huh. Git it right wet an' she'll tie a knot in it an' jis' as many ties as she has interco'se wit dis man, she'll tie a knot in dat an' jis' keep on till she git nine knots an' wear it roun' her laig or eithah roun' her waist an' he cain't bothah nobody else.
(She just uses a string for this doesn't she?)
Yessuh, a cord string.
(She doesn't measure him or anything of that sort?)
She measured 'im, she measured 'im first.
(She ties it later on?)
Yessuh, aftah. Aftah wearin' dat string aroun' 'er waist or eithah roun' 'er laig, take dat an' burn it up an' he'll git rid of dat.
(He'll get his nature back again.)
Yes sir.
Entry 3748
Ah know dis heah. If yo' think yo' got a woman an' she's indiff'ren', yo' take her wit dat snail. An' at night when yo' happen tuh be foolin' aroun', handlin' ovah 'er, yo' press dat snail ovah 'er, grease dat snail ovah 'er, an' den de nex' man - if she has othah ones about 'er, when he go tuh 'er, he can't git up no 'rection [erection], yo' see. Hit'll fall evah time. An' de onliest way now - now here's where tuh conkah 'it. When he finds out dat he can't have no intahco'se wit 'er, he'd steal a dishrag. He steal a dishrag from some wumman, somebody's place, an' bathe hisself down nine mornings - bathe hisself down nine mornings wit dat rag, an' den take it an' bury it at de do'step - dis same fellah's do'step now. An' den aftah de nine days - he bury it an' let it stay nine days. - aftah nine days he kin take 'er an' screw 'er jis' as much as he wants.
Entry 6985
[The following rite, a MISCELLANEOUS CAUSE of sexual impotence (pp. 2341-2391), should have followed margin title WATER RUNNING, p.2389:] De willah tree, de weepin' willah. Dey tell me dey kin take de roots of dat an' make a tea or eithah dry it an' sprinkle it on a man an' yo'll stay wit 'im. He'll nevah have no connection wit no one. If he start, he'll fall. (Well, who would do that?) De woman, his wife, anybody, if he's bad fo' runnin' aftah othah wimmins. Or if she's de same way, a man git dat, he can't stay, he'll leave. He'll git mad wit de woman an' leave her. It's eithah way [you can stop a man or woman].
(Well, then when he came home, he couldn't do anything with his wife either?)
Oh, he be all right when he git home - jes' stay home all de time.
(Oh, he wouldn't be all right with other women?)
No, not fo' nobody else, jes' dat woman.
Entry 7197
Yo' see, jis' lak if yo' been messin' wit a woman an' she take yore nature 'way lak dat, de way fo' her tuh do dat, she git some dis heah clovah root. She takes some of dat clovah root an' boil it intuh a tea. Well, quite natchel [natural] in de sum- mahtime yo' drink ice tea. She'll take some of dat an' go ahaid an' she put it in dat [tea] watah, an' yo' drink it an' yore courage will leave. An' de fus' thin' yo' know, yo' cain't [do] nuthin. An' it's quite natchel she'll say attah while, say, "Yo' know, Conn, ah'm goin' leave yo'." An' she'll leave yo'. Dat de way Women do. An' anothah thin' she kin do, she kin take red shank root. She'll take dat red shank root an' gi' yo' dat air [give you that there] an' three raw aigs a day herself. Not have a thing on 'em. An' yo' suck dem aigs fo' nine days, an it'll bring yo' [nature] back. She'll bring yo' back.
Entry 10221
Boil a cicada in lard and grease man's tool with it to cure a spell of im- potence. [The magic here is probably be- cause the insect sings, then comes out of a hard shell it leaves behind; a symbol of escape, new life and singing with joy!]
Entry 10231
Ah hear'd dere wuz a lady once taken a girl's dress an' taken de front of it out, an' torn de front of it out so she'd be [weak] in de front [of her body]. She takes dis piece of de dress an' buries it, buries it right where it would have chills an' things an' she wun't [wouldn't] have no nature fo' no man.
(Did she tear the dress out?)
Dey [she] to' [tore] de front of it out.
(The whole front of it out.)
Entry 10261
If a woman have tricked him where he can't do business, well every morning he take dat. Take some milk an' put it in de pan an' bathe down wit it; an' throw it toward de risin' sun, every morning fo' nine mornings. [I had stopped machine but restarted it to include informant's use of the word courage.]
(What will that do then? That will restore his courage?)
Yes, restore his courage. [Stop machine.]
[Start machine again to pick up another addition.]
(You say bathe down.)
Entry 10262
Ah heard dey said yo' could take yo' discharge an' put it in a rag an' put it where no air kin git to it, an' put it in yore pillah, an' he cain't do nuthin off nowheres else, an' he'll have tuh stay home.
Entry 10263
(What can he do for that?) Well, he kin go to take black mo- lasses syrup an' eat it, eat it fo' about nine days. Dat will kill ever' bit of it [impotence].
Entry 10271
If a person got chew fixed so yo' ain't got no manhood wit chureself, yo' jes' go an' make water into a red ant's nest. It will freshen right up ag'in. Ah've lost mah nature mah- self dat way an' ah've gained it back dat way. Dat's true about dat. [For ants see Nos.3111-3112, p.2342, v.3.]
Entry 11287
You go kill a deer.
(A deer?)
Oh, yeah! Kill a deer. It's a very tame animal. You kill a female deer, save the blood and save the fat out of the side for a salve. I get that. You know the female, what they call in the east you know, is a lamb and the buck's a man. Get that fat and fry it out. That fat, I don't mind giving that fat for that. That will bring it. That will fix him so that he kin have some woman about once or twice a month. That other thing, [whatever it Was], I could not give. It's too deadly.
Entry 3179
De mens say dey use earwax tuh put on a woman so she cain't have a connection wit de men. [This belief is similar yet different from the preceding earwax beliefs. Only a catalogue of earwax statements in HooDOO and other sources would indicate the frequency and territory of the latter rite.]
Entry 3210
[If I] have intahco'se wit a woman an' she git de hair offa me, well she could do it wit dat.
(What would she do with that hair?)
Take it an' wear it - tie it up an' wear it up in dey...
(What will that do to you?)
Well, dat jes' mess me up where ah ain't no mo' good.
Entry 3355
Lak yore husban', he goin' off wit some udder [other] wimmins, an' if she wanta have him, wants 'im stopped - yo' see, he go roun' wit 'em but he cain't do whut he wants to. Yo' take an' use dis rag aftah yo'all make connec- tion togethah an' yo' take an' put it up ovah de do' an' he walks undah dat rag dere, den if he goes to any wimmin, he cain't do a thing.
(With this dishrag.)
Entry 3368
If a woman don't want a man to run aroun' wit nobody but 'er, it's a certain, it's a thing, true fact dat she kin do. She kin use a cloth, yo' know dishrag, an' any two-time [two-timing] dat he wants, to go to work an' start wit anyone else, he'll fail evah time. She take dat dishrag an' put right back where she got it from [in the kitchen] an' when she git through washin' all de dishes, she puts it back in dere an' git it wet ag'in tuh bring it back an' use it ag'in. An' dat keep him perfec'ly in de attitude dat she want 'im. An' he can't go wit no one but 'er. An' de man kin do de woman de same way.
Entry 3382
When he runnin' aroun' - well, it tain't but one thing fo' tuh do fo' him, an' ah hate tuh tell yo' dat. Ah'm goin' tell yo' dat now, an' den ah'm goin' leave yo'. Yo' know whut dat is? (No.) Have intahco'se wit 'im wit a dishrag. An' aftah de intahco'se is made wit de dishrag an' yo' wipe 'im wit dat dishrag, place it into de bed, LIKE YO' LIVE IN A HOTEL, an' TAKE A SAFETY RAZOR BLADE AN' SPLIT DAT BED, DAT MAT- TRESS OPEN, an' make him lay right on dat dishrag, an' his will nevah git stiff fo' nobody else but 'er.
(Well, isn't there any way that he can get rid of that?)
No. [This was the end of her information. She is marked not much. My answer no to her opening question is an honest one. I did not know what she was going to tell.]
Entry 3505
Ah know dis is true. Yo' kin go tuh work an' yo' kin fix dat man in a way dat he cain't have no dealings wit no othah woman. Jis' git chew a string an' measure him an' tie it aroun' yore waist [this is tying 1 knot in string] an he kin go on any othah woman he wan'a, but he cain't have no dealin's wit 'er. Come back home an' he's all right wit 'er [his wife or woman.]
Entry 3620
Take yo' a cord an' measure his thing. Aftah yo' measure it while he sleep, yo' tie nine knots in it an' 'noint it [knots] good wit some turpentine an' wear it roun' yore waist or eithah roun' de calf of yore laig.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll keep 'im from gittin' up a nature from anybody else.
Entry 3643
If a man is goin' off from home an' he had a wife an' he didn't want nobody to have no dealin' wit 'er. He'd git 'im some snails, see. An' he'd have some dealin' wit 'er, yo' see, befo' he leaves. Well, he would take dat snail an' rub dat snail - rub dem snails all in 'is han's an' jis' rub 'er belly wit it good. Anoint 'er belly wit 'is han' good. Keep on doin' dat until he git dat stuff, yo' know, to go into de skin. Well, if anothah fellah come dere - when 'er sweetie come, why he couldn't have no dealin' wit 'er. He'd try all right enough, but evah time he git up dere, why dere would be nuthin to him.
Entry 3646
Well, yo' kin git a snail if yo' have a woman. Ketch dis snail an' take dat snail an' put dat snail jes' about three or fo' times across it chew know. An' den she cain't have no intahco'se wit nobody.
Entry 3648
Git a snail an' rub it on a man's belly an' he cain't raise a heart fo' no woman. Eithah one - cain't no man have a woman if he [husband or her man] gits it on 'er stomick.
(You mean on her stomach or on her privates.)
Rub it on 'er stomick, jis' anywhere it touches 'er stomick. Jis' leave it right on de top of 'er pussy an' let it touch on dere, see an' cain't no man do nuthin. Kin be evah so ready but when he gits dere, ain't nuthin done.
Entry 3662
Dat snail dat I wuz tellin' yo' 'bout. She kin take a snail - take dat. snail an' take her han' an' git some of dat snail dere, an' when she goes to have sompin to do wit 'er husban', prob'ly she got dat snail put away some place. She kin take dat snail an' git a little bay rum an' put on 'er han', take dat snail when she goes to take holt of 'er husban' or sompin, have dat snail where she kin git it an' rub it on dere. Do dat fer nine diff'ren' times. An' evah time he go to a woman, he be as hard as he want. As soon as he put dere, it will ball up an' he can't do a thing in de world.
Entry 3686
Yo' take a snail, fo' instance, if a man have a woman cr wife, an' if he figure dat she's goin' bad. He don't want 'er have any dealin' wit any othah fellah. While she sleep, he'll take a snail an' make a cross right undah de navel. An' each man dat would aim to go wit 'er, he'll nevah be able to go wit 'er. He'll have ambition until he mount 'er an' den he's - he'll fall. He'll nevah go wit 'er.
(I see.)
Entry 3821
Well, now, yo' take ag'in, yo' kin go tuh work an' have a date. Yo' kin go tuh work an' have a date wit a woman, see. Now if she is smooth enough, she kin go tuh work an' take her undahskirt, yo' see, jes' de undahskirt she have on - some of 'em don' even, yo' know, don' have no gown, yo' see. Jes' dere undahskirt. Dey kin take de undahskirt an' wipe yo' off wit de undahskirt an' dat'll take yo' nature. Yo' go home an' have connection wit anothah fumblin', an' yo' can't git straightened - whut's de mattah! Yo' ain't sharp enough to know whut's de mattah. Dey always keep it up. Evah time yo' go tuh 'er, yore yo' [self again].
(You are all right?)
Yessuh, yo' all right. But chew go tuh dat woman out yondah - ah done been in dat shape. Yo' goes tuh dat woman out yondah - yo' see, jes' lak a ole man. De ole man make up de fiah an' say, "All right, ole lady, git straight, ah be dere directly." An' den befo' he could git to de bed, it - he say, "Wait a minute ole lady, ah gotta go back in de fiah." [This sounds like the remnant of an old tale.] So dat's de idea when yo' be messed up. If yo' don't study fo' 'em, dey al- ways have yo' fo' a good thing. An' yo' tote yore li'le money in. Yo' go in an dey take evahthing yo' kin raise an' scrape. An' den she mess aroun' wit some- body else. What's de mattah? She got yo' so yo' can't go out yondah. Yo' won't have no nature fo' nobody else, see. Well, now ah tell yo' how yo' have tuh go tuh work an' git chure nature back. Now, aftah she got chew lak dat, if yo' smooth enough an' kin ketch 'er. See? Quite natchal [natural] some of 'em when dey do dat, dey take down dere skirt yo see, an' dey have dat fo' a special undahskirt. Dey have it undah de haid of de baid. Well, now yo' take dat undahskirt an' yo' take it on out. Take it to somebody dat's a li'le wisah [wiser] den yo' is. Why dey'll tell yo' whut tuh do wit it, yo' see. Dey'll go tuh work an' tell yo', say, "Now listen, yo' take dis heah undah- skirt. Don't take it back to de house. Yo' carry it to runnin' watah, see. Yo' may take it to runnin' watah, yo' see. Yo' take it tuh runnin' watah an' wad it up jes' as tight as yo' kin git it. Yo' see, jes' as tight as yo' kin git it. Yo' carry it on to dat runnin' watah, yo' see. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' tie it. Yo' tie it in a ball yo' see. Den yo' go tuh work an' yo' throw it ovahbo'd in dat runnin' watah. When yo' throw it, whirl yore back on it jes' as quick as dat an' go ahead on about chure business. Well, now don't chew have nuthin to do wit 'er no mo' soon. Let it be three or fo' weeks. Go on out an' try yore luck wit dis othah woman. Quite natchal, when yo' go back to try dis othah woman, yo' don' been dere befo'. See, she ain't goin' let chew tuh be playin' wit 'er, if yo' can't do it. [She wil 1 say], "Git out de way an' let chure brothah come 'long, heah.' See. Dey'll [women will] tell yo'. [Women are blunt about it.] Well, now, yo' git dere an' yo' all right. Well, now de minute she miss dat [underskirt you took], she goin' fly hot. Well, now when she fly hot, she say, "Lookit heah! Yo' see, ah miss one of mah undahskirt or, "ah miss sech-an'-sech a thing." Yo' say, "Well, ah knows nuthin 'bout it." Yo' see, yo' don' know nuthin 'bout dat. See. Well, now, yo' always be sharp enough to stay outa dem kind of ax [acts], yo' see. An' dat's de only way yo' could git chure nature back ag'in. But if yo' go 'head an' jes' keep right on, she'll contin'ly [continually] keep yo' down.
Entry 3372
She would take a cloth or sompin lak dat an' she would take his nature, see. Some of de hair so dat he couldn't mess wit othah ooen. She'd take a white plain cloth an' she would place it into de bottom of a trunk an' she'd place dat - well, he's lost 'is nature, see. She'd place it dere.
Entry 589
Ah kin tell yo' a way dat he kin find out whether dat wus so. Jes' say dat wus his wife down dere - when he wants tuh go out with another woman, take his pocketknife, an' when him an' her git down to, yo' know - stick it right up in de ground or in de flo' by dem, an' if his nature won't come, why she's [wife has] got him tied [unable to have another woman]. Now to loose dat, ah don't know, but ah have been told two ways on dat - wear a silver dime in de left shoe fo' de woman. Den ah wus told another one - take a silver dime an' - see, dis is his private - fo' nine mornin's rub it up dere - dat silver dime once fo' nine mornin's. (Rub the silver dime on the side of his - once each morning for nine mornings. That is supposed to restore his nature.)
Entry 3123
Yo' know lak dey both have intahco'se wit one anothah. Well, dey git through yo' know, dey Wipe off an' dry off, why SHE USE HER MONTHLY-PERIOD RAGS AN' DRY OFF WIT IT, an' if he go wit anothah woman, why it'll fall yo' see - it won't stand up. (What does she do with that rag then?) Don't do nuthin pahtik'lah.
Entry 3162
An' if yo' wanta keep yore man tuh home, don' want 'im tuh go roun' wit nobody, yo' kin take a bran'-new pocket han'chef an' let 'im have intahco'se wit chew, an' dry 'im on dat han'chef an' take an' fole dat han'chef in fo' parts. Yo' know, jes' lak yo' take yore han'chef, a man's han'chef is a real large one. See, yo' take it an' yo' fold it. Don' nevah fold it from yo', always fold it disaway - see, lak dat [demonstrates by folding oppo- site corners of nonexisting handkerchief to her, creating two parallelograms - see later]. An' as yo' fold it, turn it roun' disaway. See, dat's once.
[Informant folds again.]
(Then you fold it to you again, twice.)
Dat's twice, yassuh, an' yo' change it roun' disaway. Dat's three. An' yo' ketch it an' turn it roun' dataway an' fold it back tuh yo' lak dat. Well, dat's fo'. Well, yo' take dat jes' lak yo' see it dere an' put chew a pen [ink] in heah crossways an' put chew needle through it dataway an' put chew a needle in it dat way, an' pens [pins] it right heah. An' it's no way he kin have no one. He may have a strong mind fo' it, but all de same time when he do git dere, hit falls, he cain't do anything.
(In other words, you put a pin across?)
A needle, git chew a gold-eyed needle. [Pin is my mistake from her words put chew a pen [pin] in heah crossways. A needle, not a pin, is pinned crossways.] Git chew fo' gold-eyed needles tuh pin it, de point of dat needle dat way [demonstrates]. Take de othah pointed needle an' set it dataway. See, dat's fo' [four] cornahs; in evah cornah be a needle.
(They are all catercorner; they are all diagonal.)
[Catercorner and diagonal are notations for my use later, not guestions for informant.] Yessuh.
(You have to use four needles so that the point goes to each corner.)
[Informant gives 2 methods for sticking needles in corners - see later.]
Dat's right. [We have here THE MAGIC OF "GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION", specifically a magic rite of increasing squares - in number, not by size. It is also a magic rite based upon the four corners of the earth (see 3126, p.2344). Let me explain it: (1) Spread out a handkerchief so that it lies square - not diamond-shaped - in front of you. Fold the 2 farther corners over to you and lay them on the 2 nearer corners, making 2 oblongs one over the other. (2) Without lifting the once- folded handkerchief, turn it clockwise so that its length extends directly out from you, and for a second time fold it to you, making 4 squares. (3) These 4 squares were not turned clockwise but probably should be to keep the magic in proper revolution. Again fold the 2 farther corners over to you so that they co- incide with the 2 nearer corners, making 8 oblongs. And (4) turn the 8 oblongs clockwise so that its length extends directly out from you, and finally fold the 2 farther corners over to you so that they agree with the 2 nearer corners, mak- ing 16 squares. Our package is now ready to be pinned. These 4 needles can be pinned into the folded handkerchief in 2 ways. Either each pinned-in needle cuts across a corner, making 4 triangles resting on 16 squares, or each needle, point- ing outward or inward, bisects the 90° angle of the corner. If the needles point inward, they help keep the folded-up man inside; if they point outward, they keep possible intruding women outside. And so on ad finitum. For further folding rites in this section, especially triangles, see 3182-3190, p.2356f.]
Entry 3169
A simple thing. Ah's been did dat way by mah wife. Lak she go on an' have connection wit yo', see. Well, now, aftah yo' git through, take an' wash, yo' undahstan' an' she takes any kinda cloth whut yo' might dry wit, takes an' puts it in any kinda can, a coffee can or eithah a glass, somepin small lak a can, an' puts it ovah de roof of de do' an' let it stay dere. Well, where a man don't pay no 'tenshun tuh it lak dat. An' whensomevah he goes back tuh de same place where he jes' came from, dat othah girl, well he cain't even git up no courage fo' her. He'll be jes' as soft as when he git through. Jes' as long as she keep dat in de can, he can't.
(He can't do anything.)
Entry 3172
[There are many examples of this magic rite elsewhere.]
Evah time jes' when he start to deal up wit 'em, some of dese broad wise one dey takes, instead of yo' wipin', dey wipes it, pulls it down. Dey don't pull it uP, pull it down, an' den yore horn will stay down. When yo' git aroun' anythin lak dat it will curl up like a grubworm, instead of goin' in. (That's all they have to do then, just wipe it?) Some of 'em will take an' wipe it off, yo' know, an' dey will pull it down an' make wishes an' stuff lak dat an' it will stay down.
Entry 3220
Lak yo' loves a man an' wanted 'im, yo' know, alone fo' yo'self, why yo' an' 'im - yo' have intahco'se wit 'im. Why don't chew wipe wit de towel, yo' let 'im wipe wit it, see. An' den yo' take dat towel an' bury it down in de dirt undah de steps somewhere. Why he couldn't raise a holler wit nobody but chew, undahstand. He'd try tuh be wit othah women but when he git dere, he'll fall. He might raise up, but he'll fall. [This raise a holler will also be found later among the opening expressions of subsubsection DISHRAG.]
Entry 3221
Take de rag whut she nuse - take it an' yo' know, press it yo' know, iron it real hard yo' know, jes' press de stuff in dere an' put it up somewhere underneat' chure bed or sompin othah lak dat, an' de' tell me dat will take yore nature away. [For another ironing rite with the same purpose, ironing a live frog, see 3203A.]
Entry 3304
Like, say fer instance, I'm livin' here. I have a wife here. I'm a fellow, I'm accustomed to gittin' up at night an' urine in de night jug. Now, dis: woman wants to - she don't want to kill me or nuthin like dat. She jes wants to harm me so dat she could keep me. Now, she'll take dat, dat urine - see, it mustn't be no watah. She'll take dat urine an' she'll put dat into a quart bottle. She'll put needles into dat. She'll stand it up on de head, anywhere in a cornah. It must be in a cornah so dat yo' can't see it. An' she'll have yo' so dat yo' can't be wit anyone else but 'er. If yo' go to be wit any othah womean, yo' can't do it. Yo' gotta be wit 'er.
Entry 3307
Well, dey'll take dey chamber lye, so dey say, an' dey'll put dragon's blood in it, nine drops. Dey'll put nine pins in it wit de points [up]. Dey'll drop de heads down in dere, an' nine goldeye needles. Den dey'll take dat, dat'll keep a man from havin' intahco'se wit any othah woman but de one dat does it, see.
(The woman who does this.)
De one who does dis. She kin take up de bottle, so she says, an' shake it an' anywhere's he is, he's comin'. If he see death in front of him, he can' [can't] prevent from comin'.
Entry 3311
Dey takes dat chamber lye, yeah, from a man or coman, don make any diff'rent. Dey tell me - jes' lak ah got a wife an' ah vanta take her courage down offa her fo' anybodys else but me, an' ah git 'er urine an' stop it uP. Take a piece of 'er garment dat she wears nex' to her skin - see, make no diff'rent if it 'er stockin' or 'er drawahs or whatsomevah it may be. An' yo' burn dat, see. Yo' burn dat anywhere so yo' kin git de ashes. Well, yo' po' dat into dat chamber lye an' stop it jes' as tight as yo' kin stop it, an' yo' stop 'er courage right dere until yo' git ready fo' her. Den yo' holds 'er dere until yo' git ready to turn 'er loose, so she can't have any othah mans. She might try to an' would do it, but it wouldn' do her any - she would [not] find any result of it.
(What do you put her chamber lye in?)
In a bottle. Put dat burnin' [burned] stuff [ashes] - set it anywheres in de house commonly.
Entry 3313
Now, yo' kin take dis heah man havin'a intahco'se wit a woman. Well, she wanta make him be so dat he won't have no one else but 'er. She kin take his socks an' take it an' git some of 'is watah an' mix it. An' she take his sock an' put it in dere, wad it in dere. An' when he gits 'sleep at night she take an' rub - rub 'is thing wit dat sock an' he can't have no intahco'se wit no one but 'er.
(Use either sock?)
Eithah sock - take ary [either] one of 'is socks.
(Does she rub it any particular way?)
[Informant does not understand my question and evidently does not know.]
Put it in dat chambah watah an' let it stay in dere three days. She take it out an' she put some Hearts Cologne on it an' vinegar. An' she take it when he sleep at night an' she rub it on 'im, rub it on 'is private. Dat'll gain 'im. When he put de sock back on, he can't have no one but 'er.
Entry 3339
If he wus runnin' aroun' wit othah wimmin an' she wanted tuh stop 'im, all she'd have tuh do, she would have connection wit 'im 'erself an' instead of usin' a towel, she would use her dishrag. An' aftah usin' de dishrag, she would put dis dishrag in de stove an' bake it. Well, she wouldn't bake it to a powdah, she would jes' bake it so she could keep it - hold it 'erself. Well, dis man, he wouldn't know anythin' about it. Whenevah he'd go out to see whatevah woman he wanted tuh see, why he wouldn't be any good. He would rise befo' he git to dis woman an' soon as he touch 'er, he would fall. Well, den, if he'd go back to his wife, why he would be de same as he was befo'. He'd nevah fail wit 'er but he would wit othah wim- nn. An' aftah so many times he'd do dat, why he would see dat he couldn't be wit no othah wimmin an' it would stop 'im from runnin' out. {Fayetteville, N. Car., (1390), 2492:9.]
Entry 3344
Well, if a man wuz runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman - if mah husban' wuz runnin' aroun' wit anothah woman, why when he have an intahco'se wit me, why ah'd git mah DISH TOWEL an' use dat on 'im. An' dat would cuz 'im not to have any nature, dat would make his nature bad. Ah know dat.
(How would you use the dish towel then?)
Well, yo' would take de dish towel an' yo' would bury de dish towel an' dat buries 'is nature. [Dish towel is rare compared to dishrag.]
Entry 3348
It have been said dat if a wumman has a husban', a bad husban' dat runs aroun' from wumman tuh wumman an' she wants tuh check 'im up, why she has a dish- rag. Instead of usin' dat dishrag whut she has been usin' fo' house purpose, she don't use it fo' dat no mo'. She take it an' may wipes 'im off wit it. An' Whensomevah he goes tuh someone else, why his nature will fall until he gits back tuh 'er.
(What does she do with that dishrag?)
Well, if she git dat dishrag an' 'serve [preserve] it an' wash it an' use it all along.
Entry 3349
Jes' lak wimmins wants tuh trick a man or sompin lak dat tuh keep 'im home. Well, dey'll take dey sickness, some of 'em, an' put it in sompin tuh eat. An' jes' lak yo' got a wife an' yo' runnin' aroun', why yo' go tuh have her, she'll take a dishrag an' clean yo' wit it. Well, yo' wouldn't be able tuh mess Wit anothah woman on de outside. Yo'll start but it will fall.
Entry 3351
She do dat wit a dishrag. Whenevah dat chew has a connection wit 'er, she'll take a dishrag an' dry yo' wit it, den she'll put dat dishrag away. If she use dat dishrag to dry yo' wit it an' den put dat dishrag away, why yo' can't have no nature nowhere but right where dat dishrag is - jes' in de house where dat dishrag is. Outside dat house yo' can't fool wit no one.
Entry 3352
See, if a woman wanta take a man's measure; she'll git a dishrag an' she'll wipe herself wit it an' den she'll wipe dis fellah, an' den she'll take it an' put it in 'er mattress an' keep it dere, an' see, evah time he have any dealin's wit anothah woman 'stead of he stayin' hard, he'll fall.
Entry 3366
Yo' wanta learn how a man can't have no nature fo' a woman outside de woman dat he goin' wit dere? All right, jes' lak yo' have connection wit each othah. Dey take dat dishrag an' use it, see. All right, dey don' let dat dishrag git dry. Dey keep dat dishrag moistahin' [moistering] becuz she an' 'im done used it, see, an' he can't use it wit no othah woman. Yo' undahstan'?
(That's all she has to do, just keep that rag moist - damp.)
When it git dry, keep it damp right off.
(What does she dampen it with?)
Jes' dishwatah.
[Informant now gives a cure:]
He might feel suspicion. Well, now, if he fin' de dishrag - he goin' look fo' things if he a sensible man, undahstan'. All right, he might say, "Ah believe yo' done sompin tuh me." All right, he goin' look fo' - see, he can't raise, can't do nuthin, see. An' he goin' look fo' dat dishrag, see, 'cuz he figures, sometimes he knows a lots about it, see. All right, well, he finds dat dishrag. Undahstan'? If he fin' dat dishrag, take an' hang it out an' let it dry, an' den he's all right ag'in. But he gotta fin' dat.
Entry 3371
Well, ah tell yuh firs' how dey do dat. Dey take a man when dey have intahco'se wit a woman, de clot' dey use. Dey take dat clot', de woman take de clot', yo' know. When yo' git through wit de clot', she don't wanna use it. Den she take dat clot' or towel, an' she put undahneat' de pillah, aftah usin' it - aftah yo' git t'rough wit it an' git up. She take an' cut dat stain out of it dat yo' havin' intahco'se wit 'er. Den she take dat clot' an' she fold it up, an' she put it in a dishrag what she wash de dishes wit an' she put dat tuhgethah. Take dat an' wrop it up good an' den put it somewhere keerful in de boae. An' yo' is all right when yo' come tuh her, to be wit 'er; but wit anybody else yore nachure wouldn't rise. But enytime yo'd come to be wit 'er, yore nachure oald be all right.
Entry 3378
Take a string an' measure 'im when, yo' know, de full length. She'll measure 'im wit dat string, wit 'er undahskirt string. If she have a undahskirt on, she'll have a string on dat. She'll take dat undahskirt string an' she'll measure his length. She take it an' tie it in a hard knot to dat same length. Tie it right in a hard knot an' tie it to her waist, an' at night she take dat string an' break it off. She go to her table an' she git a dishrag, an' she take dat dishrag an' wipe it down by dat string. Pull de string through dat dishrag three times an' roll de string up an' throw it behind de door - or hang it up ovah de door. Throw it behin' dere an' dat will tie him up. He nevah kin have any truckin'. (Now she takes this string from her underclothes and she gets his measure. Then she ties one knot in it. And what piece does she bring out of that, then?) De same end - jes' see [demonstrates] lak he's [his] length heah, she tie it right dere. She tie de knot in dat string to jes' de length of 'i. Yes, she break dat off.
(It's his length then that she pulls through the dishrag?)
Pull through de dishrag.
Entry 3380
Or eithah take a dishrag aftah yo' use it washin' dishes wit it. Yo' kin take dat dishrag an' wipe a man wit it an' fold it up an' put it ovah yore do', or eithah put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' wear it. Well, he can't raise no heart fo' no one. (Which do you tie?) Jes' tie de dishrag in nine knots, or eithah yo' could fold it an' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe, or eithah up ovah de do'.
Entry 3384
An' yo' couldn't fool wit nobody else but dem. Well, dey take de rule an' dey measure it an' jes' how long it is. Dey call de inches, an' as dey call de inches, dey measure it 'cross. [To measure with a rule is rare.] After dey measure it 'cross, why dey take de rule an' double it up. After dey done dat, why dey will go to work - dat's when yo' 'sleep, now - dey will go to work an' git a dishrag, yo' undahstan', an' wipe yo' private wit it, see. Dey wipe yo' private wit it, why dey'll take dat dishrag an' put it in a cornah or some part of de house where yo' can't git holt of it, see. Aftah dey's done dat, why yo' jes' couldn't git no heart fo' nobody else but 'er.
(What will they do with that rule, then?)
Dat rule, dey don't do nuthin wit de rule, jis' measure yore dick an' dey'll close rule back up, see. [My informant, marked good, thinks magically. This rite, like many others, contains a number of magic actions: measuring (magic of limitation); length and Width (makes a cross), crossing up according to operator's desire or wish; closing the rule after measuring [[this is like opening and closing a pocketknife in some rites]] (magic of enclosing); double (magic encircling), cornering the dishrag
(cessation of movement); etc.]
Entry 3506
(What will she do?)
Take de cloth dat she use an' be sure dat she gits it. She goin' to cut it out, de piece of it out while it's damp, an' she know what she got. An' she'll put it on a belt or somepin an' jis' wear it aroun' 'er waist. Dat tie him to her. Evah time he go to go wit any othah woman, as long as she get dat piece on 'er, he can't. If he's ready, why he soon become unready befo' he kin do any- thing.
Entry 3512
If chew have a man or a husban' an' he's runnin' out somewhere, jes' lak yo' been mate tuhgethah yo' jes' take dat stuff an' tie in a little string an' tie it roun' yore waist, an' when he go back tuh dis lady he can't mate ag'in. [See margin title SPIRIT CAUGHT IN KNOT, p.389.]
Entry 3517
[When yo' at home at night, yo' an' yore wife or sweetheart, somepin lak dat. Well, she takes a string, see while yo' sleep, an' put it round yore thing; roun' dere, see, an' git de measure from it. An' dey say if she tie three knots in dat string an' wear it up undah her clothes, right nex' to her skin, say she have yo' tied up den where yo' can't have no discharge wit anothah woman.
Entry 3528
When a woman wanta make a man lose his nature, dat's by ovahfeedin' 'im wit dis monthly - a man, dey take his discharge an' take de pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' iron [it], tie three knots in it, an' throw it in de bottom of de trunk. He wouldn't fool wit 'em, not until he dead. (With any other woman.) No more good. All 'is nature will go to his head, an' den he'll come to be a man usin' wit 'is mouth. Dat's why a lotta fellahs use wit dey mouth an' can't use down below here, becuz dey nature is taken away from dem. [In hoodoo every ailment and misfortune, including impotence, is caused by a spell or conjuration.]
(They use this nature on the handkerchief and iron it.)
Iron it an' put three knots in it.
Entry 3586
Yo' know dese little wrappin' strings yo' wrap wit. An' when he's daid asleep at night, measure him wit dis.
(With that string?)
Yeah, measure him wit dis yo' see, from de bottom-lak [to] de tip-end - yo' know whut ah'm talkin' about. An' tie nine hard knots in dat string yo' see, an' den tie it undah her [bed] springs, or eithah roun' de bed somewhere; an' if he goes off tuh fool wit anothah woman, he cain't do it tuh save his life. Hit'll go an' fall.
Entry 3589
Fo' instance, de man would be asleep at night an' de woman would take a string an' measure him, de length of it. She would tie nine knots in dat string. She would wear dat aroun' 'er waist, an' de woman dat he would have am- bition fo', an' he go on away to her, an' he have it till he git to her, den it would fall. An' he won't be able to do anything to her, yo' see. He have ambi- tion befo' he git to her.
Entry 3591
A woman kin take a man an' take his concern when he sleep, take a cord string an' measure his concern wit dat cord string, yo' see, jes' in de middle [center] yo' see. An' she'll have a certain mark dere, yo' know, how long [thick] it is. An' she kin put nine knots in dat string right in dat certain place an' wear it roun' 'er waist. An' ah bet chew ten dollahs tuh fifty, yo' couldn't fool wit a woman. Evah time yo' go tuh fool wit a woman, it will fall right lak a rag right heah.
Entry 3592
An' if she got yo' so dat yo' couldn't fool wit no othah womens - prob'ly she done given yo' some appearance [menstrual blood], dat anywhere she be at, yo' wants to be dere wit 'er. Well, quite natchly [naturally], yo'll say to yoreself lak dis, "Huh, well, ah could fool wit mah wife so, an' when ah git aroun' othah women, den ah can't do nuthin. Which yo' really is, but de ninute yo' aim to do things, yore courage will leave yo'. Well, dere wuz a woman, she got a cord yo' know, jis' lak any little fine piece of line.
(A cord, yes - a string, yes.)
Well, she done - while yo' sleepin', she done cut de length of yo'. She done cat de length from yo' an' how big aroun'. She done cut dat. She'll put knots in de twine. She'll put nine knots in de cord. She take dat cord an' she put it right ovah herself lak dat, add it to anothah piece of cord, an' she'll put nine knots in 'er cord what she got, an' she'll wear it aroun' 'er waist, but de knots in yore length dat goes ovah 'er, she got it right in front ovah 'er pri- vate. An' jis' as long as she got dat roun' 'er, yo' couldn't fool wit no othah womens.
Entry 3595
An' dere's anothah way to tie yo' up. Take - a woman kin fool wit yo' an' git de measure of yore stick, an' put nine knots in it, an' wear it aroun' 'er laig, an' yo' can't have no connection. Yo' may try to have connection wit de party, but evah time dey start, yo'll have de ambition but...
Entry 3596
If yo' got a boy fren' an' don' want 'im tuh intahco'se wit anothah girl, yo' take a cotton string an' tie it in nine knots, in de cotton string, an' when yo' have intahco'se, take dat cotton string an' wipe him off an' tie it roun' yore laig dere, an' he cain't have no intahco'se wit nobody else.
(How many knots?)
Nine knots.
Entry 3599
Lak if dere's a boy an' he goin' wit a girl dere an' he wants tuh - well, ah take it, say if dere's a boy goin' wit two girls. Ah mean two boys goin' wit one girl an' one boy he wanted tuh overdo dis othah one wit dis girl. He take one of dese twine strings an' tie nine knots in dis string, an' aftah 'im an' 'er have an intahco'se, measure each way two ways - cross an' straight up an' down on 'er. An' den take an' tie dat string aroun' 'is waist. An' aftah he do dat she'll come tuh be undah 'is control an' de othah boy he be so he can't have anything at all to do wit 'er. (You say he takes the string and measures her private. You say he measures it three ways. Well, how do you mean? Take the width of it?) Yessuh, an' cross dere. Den he takes an' measure on dis way [demonstrates]. (Diagonal - the corner. Measures it three ways.)
Entry 3618
As ah 'fore said awhile ago 'bout a woman usin' 'er cloths, especially if ah don't use mine, or if ah use mine heah, she would use hers heah. All right now, ah kin be done wit de woman an' stretching out. Now ah'm tellin' yo' dis heah whut ah experienced mahself. Dis heah not whut ah heard, ah experienced it mahself. Crosstown heah last year [1938] ah wus hurt lak dat wit a woman, see. But ah didn't have no itchin' fo' no woman. Well, ah went to de druggist an' bought whut chew call courage pills an' othah kin'a pills. Dey didn't do any good. All right, ah kin'a heard a - ah heard of dis heah talkin' of takin'yore nature from yuh an' ah caught on to she musta had me tied up. An' ah went to her one night, ah said, "Lookit heah, " ah say, "ain't chew got sompin near yo' of me? Or got me fixed some way?" She say, "No." Well, den ah thought about dis heah method of takin' de nature from yo' in de bed, yo' know. Yo' wanta know about dat? Well, she went to de job - went to her job dat mawnin', an' while she wus gone ah tore up de mattress an' foun' dis mess. An' when ah found it, hit wus nine knots tie in a piece of cloth, de same cloth dat she used on me but not on 'erself, see. Now she had it tied in nine diff'ren' knots, jes' nine knots all crossed up in all kinda diff'ren' ways, an' she wore dat. Whut chew call wear, she wore dat roun' 'er waist. See. She had one cloth an' had it tied in nine knots an' she wore dat. An' she had anothah dat she put ovah - lak she puttin' a bandage ovah it, an' she wore dat right on 'er stomach roun' dere. Ah could roam aroun' town, anywhere in de world, see any people, jes' havin' fun. Now, ah couldn't git up no nature fo' 'em. Ah could go to any woman. "Lookit heah, " ah say, "how about gittin' some so-an'-so?" All right. An' go right dere, an' jes' as de minute ah start, it be lak dis heah [evidently demonstrated with a dropping finger or hand]. Until when ah found dat mess, an' when ah found it ah didn't even bothah atall. Ah made her took it out. An' aftah she untied it an' took it, den ah had [my nature again].
Entry 3621
Den yo' kin take a piece of cord string an' put nine knots in it. Git chew some turpentine an' put it up an' down in dere an' put dat roun' yore waist. Yo' can't git up a courage tuh have an intahco'se wit no woman.
(Well, don't you do something with that string first?)
Jes' only put - no, dat's anothah diff'ren' one altogethah. But see, dat nine knots, an' worked in dat turpentine, put it roun' yore waist. Yo'll have a hard time, yo' know, to git courage fo' 'er.
Entry 3622
She kin take a cord string, see, an' evah time - tie nine knots in it an' evah time she have some dealin' wit 'er husban' put a little dat on dat cord string, see. An' it's a little turpentine ah think goes wit it, see. An' den he won't have any nature fo' any othah woman.
(Where does she keep that string?)
Around her waist.
(She ties those knots in it?)
Yessuh, ties dose knots in it - see, until she gits nine.
(She doesn't measure him with that string or anything of that sort?)
[My leading question here makes informant's answer measure from a distance useless.] She gen'ly [generally] measure from a distance first an' den ties de knot in dere.
Entry 3635
I have heard that when a man goes to work or on a journey, and if he believes it himself that his wife is crooked on him, not treating him right, and he desires to catch her; I have been told he can ketch a snail. I don't mean a shell snail, but a slick snail. Well, you take that snail when you have sexual intercourse with her, and you are about to leave her now - and you take this snail and mash it in your hand, and unbeknownt to her, you are loving and kind to her, you rub it over her stomick, and any man will have difficulty in bothering her in your ao- sence. Now if he's a stiff stout man and he goes in, he will be caught there until you come back, and there can't nobody remove him but you. If you love the woman, I don't know what would be the result. You have to come home to release them. As a rule any man that takes to bother her, no sooner than he starts, his tool will fall - he can't raise a heart for her, not to save his soul. In case he do, and go with her, he'll get stuck and nobody can remove him unless this man remove him. You can send for any doctor in the universe and you can't move them except killing one or the other. [For killing the man or woman, usually the lat- ter, see No.3460f.] [This was the first time I heard the snail rite, the summer of 1936. I thought the man was lying.] [Old Point Comfort, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 3636
De only thing yo' kin do wit a snail, yo' kin take an' - go in de woods to a ole hollah log, to a ole tree, an' [or] fin' snails undah dat bo'd dere, it damp in de centah of a piece of plank or bo'd, yo' know, if yo' let it stay dere. Yo' take a snail - ketch it in yore han', see. Sometime yo' kin take dose snails - see, lak dat dey ain't got no shell on. Try to fin' yo' one dat ain't got no shell on. Take dat snail right - couldn't handle hardly tuh save yo' life, some people can't. Take him an' he's soft, limbah as dat. Yo' take dat snail in yore han' an' yo' go tuh bed wit 'er. Have dat thing fixed now - he's cold. Take dat snail right dere lak dat an' drap it on 'er, let dat snail tech anywheres close down dere lak dat. She'll jump, "Whut's dat?" "Oh, mah han's cold." Say sompin lak dat. Dat snail jes' tetch 'er, undah- stan'. An' yo' kin take dat snail den, an' heah she jump up an' say, "Oh, yo' got sompin in yore han'." She jump up. Aftah yo' done hit"'er wit dat snail, yo' be satisfied. Yo' ain't wantin' 'er den, yo' jes' wanta do dat trick. Yo' git mad wit 'er den. Yo' take dat snail an' go on lak dat an' throw 'im away, or yo' kin kill it if yo' wanta. Now, if any man, any man in de worl' git up on top of dat woman, HE'S GoT MO' NERVE DEN GOD GAVE HIM. Can't do it - can't go up dere tuh save his life.
Entry 3637
[While recording machine was stopped, informant said you get a live snail.l Now dis is about if a man is runnin' aroun'. If he's runnin' aroun' an' yo' vanta stop 'im.
(All right, now you get this live snail.)
An' not any - don't git 'im wit de shell. Yo' know, yo' see some snails wit- out de shell an' some wit de shell. Git de one witout de shell. An' den yo' take a new han'ke'cheff an' yo' put 'im in dis new han'ke'cheff on de end lak. Well, yo' put salt on it ian' let it dissolve. Well, yo' see, yo' take dis han'- ke'cheff yo' know, when yo' have a connection wit each othah an' yo' let 'im wipe Alt it. Well, dat will stop 'im from havin' any intahco'se wit any woman at all except yo'.
Entry 3692
Dey take a snail yo' know to stop a man from bein' wit a woman.
(How would they do that?)
Dey put dat snail - de woman will fix dat water in de tub. She'll fix de watah in de tub fo' de man an' den she'll put dat snail - wash dat snail all roun' in dat watah, an' when [then] he go to take a bath yo' see. An' evah time dat he go to be wit anothah woman outside of 'er, he'll fall.
Entry 3693
Yo' git de snail an' yo' cook de snail, an' yo' take de watah an' yo' git chew a han'ke'ch'ef, a new han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' soak dis han'ke'ch'ef wit it, an' yo' put dis on dis woman, an' she won't have any nature. If a man go dere, he can't do anything.
Entry 3697
[To draw blood is a common remedy against witchcraft - see Nos.485-487 and elsewhere in HOODOO. That explains the use of many of the sharp-pointed instruments in hoodoo; the witch being afraid of cutting herself and drawing blood. Penis captivus and impotence, like all ailments and disabilities - in fact just about every misfortune in life - comes from a spell put on you.]
(Well, is there any way of getting them apart?)
De only way to git 'em apart is fer dem to git a ole doctor - young doctor don't know of it, but git a ole doctor. Ah've been told by mah fathah to take a penknife, a penknife an' stick it right in de hollah of de foot, an' den he'll bleed an' dat will disconnect 'im.
(What is a penknife?)
[Even in my boyhood penknife was becoming rare.]
Very small.
Entry 3703
An' den ag'in, anothah thing dey kin do, lak if yo' have intahco'se wit 'em, dey kin go to work an' take dat an' put it in a bottle. An' jes' lak if yo' wanted go fool wit anothah woman, why evahthing would stan' all right until yo' got dere, an' de moment yo' git dere, evah- thing would fall dead. De way dey handles dat - de way yo' would have to do to stop dat, why yo'd have to search de place where yo' stay, where yo' eatin' gen'ly [generally], an' yo'd fin' dis bottle. Dey got it airtight in a bottle. Dat is de way dey puts it up, airtighted in a bottle. An' long as it airtight in dere - co'se he kin have, be in action wit 'er all right, but he can't have no action wit no othah woman. Evah time he go to have one, evahthing will go dead on 'im. An' de way dey do to git dat, why yo' has to search de place an' git it, an' break it an' throw it in running water.
Entry 3710
Lak yo' got a husban' an' he go off an' mess wit a woman, an' she fix 'im so dat yo' can't have connection wit 'im - can't discharge himself. (How would she do that?) Well, I don't know how she do dat but I kin tell yo' how to untie it. (Well then, how do you untie it then?) Yo' go an' get yo' about that much twice of bluestone, get 1Oç bottle of sweet oil [= olive oil], an' get de white of two eggs [three ingredients], an' put it all in dere an' mix it togethah, an' shake it up an' dat bluestone will 'solve, an' take it an' rub yoreself down lak dat, an' all around up in yo', an' it will be all gone.
(That's for a man to do? Or the woman?)
It's a woman. Man kin do it too, if a man is tied up so he can't do nuthin.
(That will take off the spell if some other woman has put it on him?)
Yes.
Entry 3733
Dey say if a man can't git up a heart, say if he take a dishrag an bathe hisself down wit it - yo' know, nobody don't know it but jes' 'isself, an dey say dat whatevah 'is wife or whoevah fixed 'im lak dat, why he kin git right lak he always wus. (That is all he has to do?) Yes, take dat dishrag, dat's all he do wit de dishrag.
Entry 3737
Well, yo' wit wimmin folks an' can't - can't even, yo' know - yo' ain't even got no nature. Well, it's some othah wumman workin' dat fo' yo'. Yo' take a man dat runnin' roun' all de time, see wit dis wumman an' dat wumman. Well, it's some wumman gonna mess wit im some way or 'nother. Well, jes' lak dis othah wumman is workin' on 'im. well yo' take an' go tuh anybody's house an' steal a dishrag an' wipe off wit it. Wipe yo'self down, see. Well yo' go on out den an' yo' take it in yore left hand an' chunk it ovah yore left shouldah an' don't look back at it, an' dat'll break dat up.
Entry 3740
Yo' kin steal a dishrag an' wipe on dat dishrag an' throw dat dishrag away an' dat'll take his nature until yo' git dat dishrag back.
(The woman would wipe the man with that?) Yessuh, on de dishrag. (If he wants his nature back he has to find the dishrag, you say?)
[My question shows that I have stopped recording machine and am merely repeating what informant has said during stoppage.] Yassuh, but chew throw dis dishrag where yo' kin find it if he [you] want 'is nature back. If he [you] jis' don' want 'is nature back, jis' throw it anywhere. If yo' nevah git dat dishrag, his nature will nevah come back.
(Well, if he gets it back, then what?)
Well, he be jis' lak he always been, if he git 'is nature back.
Entry 3741
"Cuz ah have tried it. Dey tells me dat chew kin take de cloth - yo' kin have connections wit a woman or couldn't have it. If yo' couldn't have it, jes' couldn't have - jes' got limp, couldn't do any- thing. Well, yo' take a dishrag, stole it - even from your wife or from someone else, an' wipe wit it. Wash wit it an' throw it in runnin' watah.
(What will that do?)
Dat will raise yore nachure.
(Bring it back?)
Yes.
Entry 3749
All right, if yo' got a woman or a man an' yo' don't want nobody else tuh have dem but chew. Take yo' a dishrag out chure kitchen, yo' know, lak de people use - not de dishtowel, mean dedishcloth - an' when yo' make an' intahco'se wit dem, well yo' take dat an' dry yo'self an' dem, too, an dey couldn't have nuthin else tuh do wit nobody else. Dey'll fall evah time dey go tuh make de intahco'se. Dey'll be jes' de same as de dishrag - limbah.
[Now comes the cure.]
Jes' take dis same dishcloth - dey have tuh back de way dey git it from, an' yo' wash it an' starch an' iron it perfect, an' evahthing will be all right.
(That is if he will do that?)
Yes.
Entry 3793
A woman kin give a man some of 'er - sickness. But de way dat chew have to do is git yo' some red shank.
(Red shank. That's a root?)
Yes, kin git dat red shank - lak rusty when yo' dig out de ground, an' as far as it bein' rusty, why it's got plenty of blood in it yo' know. Yo' kin take dat an' make a tea out of it an' yo' drink dat, an' yo' drink a good mouthful of dat tea evah night twelve nights, an' aftah dat twelve nights, aftah de twelve nights is ovah yo' kin go out an' try it. Yo' kin do a little bettah, de nex' night bettah, de nex' night bettah, an' on an' on until yo' jes' cooperate things lak yo' wanta. (That is if a man has lost his nature because some woman has put a spell on him. This restores his nature?) Sure.
Entry 3795
Ah wuz talkin' wit dis lady. Ah dunno but 'er husban' jes' had a weak- ened nature. An' othahwise she wuz a passionate woman. An' othahwise she real- ly - nightly of each week would be all right wit 'er. Othahwise, he didn't have any surplus energy to satisfy 'er. An' so some- one told 'er to jes' exactly take de [come semen] an' stick up 'is nose, so dat he might jes' smell it yo' see, an' dat will cause his passion to rise, an' he could sat- isfy 'er at sech-an'-sech a time. So dat wuz 'er method in bringin' back 'is courage. (Well, now, did she do this when he was asleep? Or did he know that she was doing it? Or what?) Well, he knew she wuz doin' it. Yes, indeed.
(And she put it on a cloth or something and held it under his nose?)
See, IT WUZ 'IS ANYWAY. BECAUSE NO DOUBT HE WOULD DRUTHER SMELL 'IS OWN MAYBE DEN SMELL SOMEONE ELSE'S. Dat worked.
Entry 3797
Dis shaneful brier.
(What kind of brier?)
Shameful brier. (Shameful brier. No, I never heard of that.) [Afterward I heard of it many times - see p.646 and else- where.] Dey gits dat, dey gits de root of it an' boils it. An' now, if yo' wanta have intahco'se wit 'er, see, an' yo' rub 'er downwards - yore hand, rub yore hands right on down nine times, an' he'll kneel, an he wants to, see, but he'll fall. She'll be so anxious fer 'im, but he'll fall.
Entry 3800
A woman kin have a intahco'se wit a man an' git some of 'is stuff, aftah he be's wit 'er, an' take it an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'chuf, an put some silvah money in dere an' tote it roun' in 'er pock- etbook an' say yo' cain't have no interco'se wit no othah woman - nobody but 'er. Say yo' git up a heart an' evah- thing an' de time fo' 'im tuh git tuh have intahco'se wit de woman, say when he go tuh git on 'er, he'll fall, he cain't raise up. (She just takes the handkerchief with that stuff on it and the silver and wears the whole thing?) Dat's all, yessuh.
Entry 3804
Take de smartgrass weed [smartweed] an' take an' make a powdahs of it, an' take an' dry it an' powdah it, an' put love powdahs in it an' take an' use dat. Eat dat an' dat will give him all de nature he wants.
(Get back his nature.)
Entry 3805
Take a snail an' put 'im on a blacksnake shed, de shell of de snake. Saturate it good wit dat snail an' give it to a man dat have lost 'is nature - couldn't raise his nature fo' a woman. Saturate it good an' rub it all roun 'is waist an' let it come down a point to his penis. De next time he goes to a woman, his nature is all right. (What do they do with that snake shed. Do they tie it around them or just rub it?) Jes' tie it in a loop, yo' know, so it will hang down dis way. Or yo' could Wrop it aroun' if yo' wanta. Ah believe dat is so.
Entry 3808
He kin take cream of tartar, sulphur an' a lil' sugah. Mix dat togethah. Make a powdah of dat an' take a teaspoonful of dat three times a day an' dat will bring it back - bring back 'is nature.
Entry 3811
Dey claim dat brings yo' luck.
(What do they do?)
Well, dey takes dis chamber lye, yo' know, an' let it set, set fo' five or six mawnin's, yo' know, an' take a axe an' heat red-hot an' drop into it, an' throw it out de way de sun rise, an' dat bring yuh luck. (They throw this chamber lye out there. They put the axe in it?) Yes, put de axe into it. Well, de same story ah jes' spoke about, de axe an' de chamber lye, yo' know. Yo' take dat chamber lye an' leave it cuinate [cumulate] in de bucket, an' let it set fo' nine mawnin's, an' git chure axe an' heat it red-hot an' throw it out - put it in dat chamber lye until it git cold an' throw it out de way de sun rise, an' dat will bring yore nature back fo' de wimmins.
Entry 10210
Ah heard dat if a man is tied up by his wife an' can't git no nature fo' no othah woman, den he takes an' gits him a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' when he gits dat bottle of Hearts Cologne, he'll go to where dere's anothah woman dat's havin' her periods. An' he take dat Hearts Cologne an' he - aftah de cloth is dried hard, he take dat dere Hearts Cologne an' put it on dere, an' git it dissolved good an' squeeze it out. An' he takes dat den, dat solution, an' bathe himself with it.
(Bathe his tool?)
Yessuh, an' dat gives him a nature fo' anothah woman. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 10214
I hear dat she could take a strand of häh out of a boy's head an' - this is a little bad - put it down an' [while he is asleep] measure hisself [she measures his penis with his hair]. An' she took that hah an' put it in a bag, an' put it up under huh ähm where she sweat at, an' he couldn't do nuthin to no other woman but her.
Entry 10223
Take a dishrag. If yo' wanta man to mess wit nobody but chew, jes' take a dishrag an' have intercourse an' dry on dat dishrag, an' take it an' put it - keep it somewhere yo' know. An' when he start to mess wit someone else he'll fall jes' lak a dishrag. He can't mess wit no one.
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 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 10240
New pocket handkerchief - woman wipes man - rolls up handkerchief to her [making long roll or cylinder, a phallic symbol] - ties into a hard knot - unties knot - unrolls hand- kerchief - spread it out flat and keeps it that way under bedtick - in middleways of bed [creating the fifth or center point among the four bedposts, making a quincunx]. [Bedtick is a spring- less mattress filled with dried moss, leaves, cornhusks, dried grass, all sorts of things. This impotence magic is my condensed transcription of long rite missed by transcriber.]
Entry 10249
She jus' got to ketch 'im sleepin' when he done been out an' come in broke down [worn out]. In the summertime there he's layin' up there, jus' ketcha piece of string - jus' like this - get the size of it. Then when she get it off, she drop this end an' starts from the other one an' make a knot right chere [here], direct where her hand left off, an' make nine knots in it. [The 9 knots are strung along the measurement, a knot at each end.] An' take it an' make nine knots an' tie it roun' 'er waist. Then he - it have a tendency that he can't raise for nobody but her.
(Is there any Way you get rid of that?)
Well, quite natchal, the string is goin' to weah off an' break off, an' he's going to....
Entry 10250
What would she do to fix him up? She would take a string while he is asleep and get the length of his private. And she'll tie that string in nine knots and she'll wear that string around her waist. And when he goes on the street amongst other womens, why his private will fall, it will never raise up for no one but her, as long as she wears that string. And she don't have to wear the string unless she wants to, for she can easily bury the string. The string will do its work either on her body or in the ground, as long as it is tied and she got the right length of it. It'll never raise up for no woman but her.
Entry 10254
They say that if yo' have a husband and he runnin' round and yo' Wanta stop him from runnin' roun', of co'se yo' take him, yo' know - ah guess when yo' do fomily duties - an' yo' measure him. And after measuring him, co'se [of course] yo' put nine knots in it, de string. An' then take de string an' wear it round yore waist, an' of co'se he can't have no courage with no one but chew.
Entry 10266
[Here we have two fundamental ingredients for impotence combined in the same rite:] They can take a dishrag and snail dust and sprinkle some of that snail dust over it, the dishrag, and then let him take that and put it up and down her place there [the vulva] and cross it [thus making the sign of the cross], and Bobody's penis can stand to undertake to go in there, they claim. And then they smid that if it's a man, all she's got to do, is to ever' now and then to wrahp chat round his penis, and he can't stay away from her, he has to come home. [Aloag similar lines, in case you missed it, let me recall your attention to one of the most unusual statements in HOODOO - how to make a special sign of the cross. The Christian Church has made the sign of the cross in all sorts of ways: niht hand or left, beginning on right side or left, using any number of fingers Qd in all sorts of combinations, etc., but surely the first stroke upward is unique - see No.3345, p.2394, v.3. Preceding rite 10265 is by this present in- formant.]
Entry 10339
A man's impotence can be cured if he steals a dishrag, wipes himself, throws it back across right shoulder and does not look back [Norfolk, 476:3].
Entry 10346
If a man steals a dishrag from another house, wipes himself, then returns dishrag to place from which it was stolen, he will cure his impotence [Wilmington, 130:8].
Entry 10350
Let a woman steal a dishrag and wipe a man with it. [This is a double-edge rite: she can do this to cure his impotence or to make him impotent for other women.] [Wilmington, 195:5.]
Entry 12916
Snail into cup with fresh lard, boil down, use as salve, cure for impotence. [Memphis 1561:2.]
Entry 12917
Snail, yolk of egg, sugar, close up, in 3 days snail dies, use for impotence. [Memphis 1564:3.]