Subject:Ink
Entries
Entry 2819
They could take dat handwriting an' git some red ink - git a bottle a red ink and write chure same writing. Take off whut chew got wrote dere - copy dat off, see, wit red ink on de back de letter whut chew done wrote on dis side. Hit kin be turned over an' be wrote ovah agin wit red ink. (On the back side - but you have to trace just what they wrote on the other side?) That's right. Yore words have tuh be traced offa there with that red ink. [If you receive a letter in black ink, turn the sheet over and on the reverse side trace the letter in red ink. You will be writing backwards. The so-called writing. of names backwards is merely a magic exchange of two objects - first and last names - one behind the other version. By turning the back of the letter up- side down you can by tracing also write upside down.] Then a red candle - take yore letter an' yore name is already on de letter - take de lettah and take de red candle and wrap de candle up with de letter all de [way] roun'. An' wrap it [demonstrates] all de roun' lak dat - jes' leave out a point of de candle, but de candle is covered up wit de letter. An' de individual make dere wish whut would happen tuh yo', even ef yo's on a switch engine or some kinda brakeman or engine' or somepin lak dat. Whatsomever dey say, dey jes' wish dat train 'ud wreck - dey wish somepin would happen tuh yo', you'd fall off de engine or somepin like dat. Dat same thing will happen tuh yo'. Light dat can- dle an' burn dat candle ten minutes every day twelve 'clock until de letter and de candle is burnt, an' somepin other will happen to de parties whut wrote dis letter.
(At twelve o'clock noon or at midnight.)
Noon in de daytime.
Entry 5730
Ah tell yo' about de foot track as fur as ah knows. Yo' drags dat track from de toe an' drag it back wit dem two fingers, until yo' thoroughly gits back to de heel. [Demon- strates.] (You take the right hand and the index finger and the little finger. Make them as a shovel and drag it back towards the heel. And you begin with that track - your thumb must touch the heel and then where those two fingers rest, you draw them back like that.) Right in de centah of de track. Yo' takes dat track an' yo' buy yo' a bottle of ink, an' yo' mix jis' enough of dat in dat track tuh make a li'le, yo' know, a dough of it yo' might say. Den yo' go tuh a growin' tree on de sundown side an' bo' a hole right down at de foot of it. Put dat in it, pack it up, an' go back dere fo' three days evah mawnin' an' give it [peg] one tap. De third mawnin' yo' have it [peg] in wit [even with] de tree. Den take some of dat same ink an' stain all roun' dat place, an' go on about chure business. Dat man nevah go out in peace. Dat will jis' run 'im com- plete 'way from dere.
Entry 8507
Well dey use a catfish bone. It's one dose li'le fo'ked bones an' it's kinda shaped lak a ink pen. Yo' seen some fish bones dat's kinda shaped lak dat. (When you get this bone out of the catfish, what do you do with that then?) Yo' dip it in ink an' write chure name wit dat catfish bone, an' fole dat papah tuhwards yo' lak dat. An' yo' stick it down in de fo'k of dat bone, an' yo' place it wit a string aroun' [demonstrates]. (I will write your name with this fishbone on a piece of paper, and just keep folding it to me. Then, what do I do with that paper then?) Well, yo' weah dat in yo' hat. Dat's tuh draw dem.
(Do you use ordinary ink in that pen?)
Yes.
Entry 8924
Yo' kin write de name [of suspected thief] off of [with liquid from] Old Hundred [not the familiar tune first published about 155i, but a plant] an' witch hazel. Yo' git it [Old Hundred] out de ground, but chew [you] chop it up fine an' put witch hazel on it an' write de names off of dat. [This mixture is used as an lnk. I do not know either ordinary or scientific name of Old Hundred. Could this be hundred-lead grass, the yarrow (Achillea millefolium)?] An' de people whut stole anything, dey'll come back whah yuh is. An' put chur name on top of it [thief's name] an' weah [wear] it dat way. [Needless to say, the word witch in witch hazel, as well as intention, power this rite.] [Wilmington, N. Car., (220), 134:4+85; my original transcription by hand in MS.]
Entry 9135
Dat fo' co'thouse scrapes. (All right, tell me that.) Well, now, yo' kin take twelve fig leaves - yo' knog dere wus twelve disciples - an' yo' take twelve fig leaves. An' yo' git chew a bottle of ink, a bran'-new bottle of ink dat nevah been used, an' a pen dat's nevah been used, an' yo' write a disciple name on each one of dose leaves. See, yo' got twelve leaves, yo' got twelve disciples. An' yo' write dose names on dose leaves. An' den, when yo' write dose names on dose leaves, yo' take yore Bible. IT'S DE 35th PSALMS AH THINK. AH GOT MAH BIBLE HEAH, AH LAK TUH BE SHORE YO' LET ME SEE. [HE CONSULTS HIS BIBLE!] It's de 35th Psalm. Yo' take de 35th Psalm an' read it ovah dose twelve leaves. [Psalm 35 begins: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me...] Den aftah yo read it ovah dose twelve leaves, yo' fold dose leaves tight, yo' know, small tubl gethah intuh a white piece of papah. It kin be a piece of writin' papah or a cleah piece of papah lak dis [something he may have had in the Bible] ah guess, but let it be white papah. An' yo' kin put dat in yore right pocket.
(All twelve of those leaves?)
Yes, jes' put it in dere, but chew mus' write de names on dere firs'. An' den yo' read dat 35th Psalms ovah dose leaves an' wrap dose leaves up. An' evah who gonna be tried in co't, let dem put it in dere right pocket an' dey'll cer- tainly Walk out. An' if yo' can't git dose fig leaves - sometime yo' can't git dose things, yo' can't git de fig leaves - yo' git chew twelve - use 'em fo' a tea, too - not catnip, sage leaves.
Entry 9302
Jes' lak anybody went away, yore husban' or anything, an' yo' wanta bring 'em back home. Yo' know, dey gone away a long time. Yo' gits a yolk of a aig, let it be jes' laid if yo' could, an' some white wine, an' Some quicksilvah, an' yo' mix it good tuhgethah. An' den yo' git chew a pencil an' a papah an' yo' start writin'. An' yo' write a lettah an' say anything in dat lettah dat chew Want him tuh know - or she. AN' YO' WON' SEE WHAT YO' WRITIN' WHILST YO' WRITING IT, YO' CAN'T SEE IT. An' de time yo' fold it up tuh put it in de lettahs [in the envelope] [the writing] will appeah an' den yo' kin put it in dis envelope an' send it anywhere yo' wanta, an' dey'll have tuh come to yo'...
[I stopped recording too soon but my comment explains.]
(You say you won't see it because you are using this other stuff [I did not care to say invisible ink], but it comes out [appears] after awhile and you can see it?) Yeah, yo' kin see. Dat'll bring anyone back. [My preceding comment in the original parenthesis, made during the recording, shows my understanding at the time. Invisible ink had been used. For several of my experiences with invisible ink, see Doctor Cunningham, Little Rock, Ark., introduction to his interview, p.1315, v.2; and Nos.791-792, Pp.264-266, v.1. Surely the 3 ingredients and invisible ink were not mixed; pretending to use the 3 merely being a part of the trick.]
Entry 10212
Tuh separate 'em. Yo' take dis man when he deal wit yo'. Yo' wanta break dem [man and other woman] up. Yo' take dis man when he deals wit yo' an' yo' take dat towel dat yo' an' him uses, see. An' yo' take dis towel tuh dis woman's house - if yo' kin locate where she live at - dis woman he's runnin' roun' wit. Den yo' bury dis towel down right at her do'step, where she have tuh come out at. Yo' bury dat towel dere an' den yo' take some bluein' - Purity Bluein', see. See, yo' takes bluein' an' ink an' mix it up combined. Yo' kin jis' sprinkle dat towel, on dere, an' den yo' bury dat towel right up undah- neath whah she have tuh walk at. Dat'll break it up. Dat break it up, too.
Entry 11625
Just like if [you wants to make drift].
(Make them drift, you said?)
Yes, anybody you wants to make drift. Well, you catches a live fish, or any kind of fresh fish, and you take that fish and you split that fish half in two. Then you take a ink [pen], pin but let it be red ink. You write that name down in that fish and you take that fish.... (Wait! What do you write it on? On a piece of paper or on the flesh?) On the flesh of the fish. (All right.) Then you take that fish and throw that fish back. You use the three words: Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and throw it in any running water. They'll be driftin, couldn't stay nowhere. Everywhere they go they're not satisfied.
Entry 12377
Lak if yo' go roun' de cornah fo' a job an' yo' go de first day an' de man don' hiah yo'. yo' go de second day an he don't hiah yo'. Well, de third day yo' git dis- gusted, yo' see, an' yo' study some kinda remedy tuh git dis job. Yo' see. Well, yo' go dere an' de first thing yo' do, git chew nine roots of parsley, yo' see, an' put 'em in yore shoe. An' git chew a garlic a yellah garlic, a plug of garlic an' put dat in yore shoe. An' git chew a piece of cloth about that long, yo' see. An' put nine pins in that crossways, yes, straight pins, new pins. Put 'em in dere crossways. An' let each one of dem pins, lak yore name is George, well yo' put de 'nitials yo' see at dem pins. An' yo' go to dat jar...
(Where do you put those needles and those pins?)
Undah dere yo' see, undah de pins.... See where ah got dem nine pins cross. Yo' got de 'nitials dere yo' see.
(You put the initials down with what?)
Ink.
(On the cloth or on a piece of paper?)
On de cloth. See, de pins in de cloth, see, lak dat piece of cloth about dat long. Yo' see yo' jis' put de pins lak dat crossways nine times. Yo' see each on de bottom, yo' put lak his nine dere "George" yo' see wit ink, only each one dem 'nitials. An' yo' go dere dat mawnin' an' yo' git a seal de' [they] call de 'Lucky Seal.' Yo' go to de Crackerjack Drug Sto' an' git dat. Yo' see yo carry dat an' put it right down by de gate where de man hiahs up dere. Yo' press it down dere. He'll call yo' 'fore he calls anybodys else. Lak yore name Mistah Eddy, he'll say, "Well, Mistah Eddy, come on in an' go tuh work. Ah needs yo' dis mawnin'. (That is to get the job.) [See also SEALS in CHANNEL DE WORLD, v.5.1
Entry 13219
To ketch a spirit - I know a fellow who done it. You take and you gets you books [a writing tablet], gets you a pen and ink. (You get what? Pen and ink?) Yes, sir, pen and ink, writ- ing tablet and get you a bottle. Get you one of these small center tables, get you a chair, and put them in an empty room, but let that room be dark. And put these things in there. Put you a light on the table but don't light the light. Put you a lamp - you know what I mean, put your lamp on the table but don't light it. If it's a good spirit, he'll come in there and he'll write everything that's been done to you. He'll write everything that'll be done to you, he'll write that down in that book [tablet]. Next morn- ing you get up and you'll find that in that book [tablet]. You can read it for yourself. That's what a good spirit will do. But that evil spirit, he'll turn everything over in that room, and liable to come in your room and run you out of there, if there is a evil spirit there. [Rites similar to present one I have collected under DIAGNOSIS, pp.165-217, v.l. Similar ones are scattered through- out HOODOO. In the present rite I do not ask purpose of empty bottle. Could it be a lingering vestige from an earlier day, holder for a candle? I doubt it. That stopperless bottle is to entice my spirit passing by. For catching these spirits with curiosities, see TO CATCH A SPIRIT, Nos.38-47, v.1, and frequently in HOODOO.]
Entry 2925
(She gets the photograph and what does she do then?)
She takes and she lays it out in ink.
(In ink? What do you mean in ink?)
Ink that you write with - black ink, and she lays it out in there. (You mean she puts the ink down there and then she puts the photograph on top of the ink?) She puts it in the ink.
(Oh, this saucer or something - puts it in there?)
Yes.
(All right.)
And she puts these brass tacks around it, nine brass tacks, and nine candles.
(What do you mean the brass tacks? Just lay them around there?)
No, just lay - they's real coffin tacks.
(And she just lays them around the saucer?)
No, she sticks them in the wood, what she got laying out there. See, she have a special desk [altar] for that.
(I see.)
That's when you go to somebody that do that kind of work for you, you see. They got a special desk [altar] for that, you understand. She put these nine brass tacks down [round] in there and set your picture in it, and she speak to hit, just like as if I was, "I'm going to kill you." Well, that's the way she talk to this photograph. And she light these nine [black] candles there and in nine days wheresomever you at, it'll kill you.
(The photograph has to be a tintype, I see.)
No, paper.
Entry 7187
Yo' uses High John an' yo' uses five fingahs grass an' yo' make charms outa dem, an' den yo' put lodestone all on dat. An' if yo'd make a seal an' wear dat - when yo' read parts of de Bible. "Co'se [of course] dat's de way a lotta people do, but ah go by de Bible. See, whut ah do, ah based on de Bible - prayahs, see, an' sech. [The preceding word charm rarely appears in Hoodoo. For the word seal, see SEALS AND HANDS, p.643 and elsewhere.]
(How would you use this High John and five finger grass?)
Oh, yo' jis' put it in a li'le bag.
(Put it in a little bag and that piece of lodestone with it?)
Yes. An' den put it wit - wet it wit dis lodestone perfume, yo' see, an' weab it.
(And what about the seal?)
Or yo' kin weah a seal. De seals are made outa de Six an' Seven Books of Moses. (And then what do they do with this little bag they wear? That is something separate again, isn't it?) Dis li'le bag, dat's somepin sep'rate.
(What do you wear this little bag for?)
Dat's fo' pertection [protection]. An' prayah too. All de othah [people] weah a prayah. Prayah'll pertect chew too.
(What kind of prayer do you use while you are wearing that bag?)
Well, yo' kin weah a prayah at any time [not only while wearing that bag]. Yo' kin weah a prayah outa de Bible, de 91 Psalms on parchment papah. An' yo' have it wit certain kinds of ink. Yo' write dese prayahs outa de book of de 91 Psalm; mos' any prayah dat's suitable. An' yo' weah dat prayah all de time an' God'll pertec' chew. Yo' kin even put a prayah behind - on parchment - put it behin' jore do' an' no one cain't come an' do yuh any harm. (You say they have to write with certain kinds of ink. Can you tell what kinds of ink they have to use to write that?) Well, ah fergit de kinda ink. Dey have reg'lah ink fo' dat. Ah tell yuh - dove's blood.
(Do you get the blood from a dove or do you buy this?)
Well, yo' cain't very well git it from a dove, yo' have tuh buy dat. See, EVAHBODY CAIN'T GIT DOSE THIN'S. DEY SEN' TUH CERTAIN PLACES.
[Is dove's blood ordinary or special red ink with a dove label on bottle?]
(They send to some firm.)
An' git dose thin's an' dey even make dose parchments. (What firm do you buy these things from? Do you happen to know the name of any firm? There were several down in Memphis and one in Chicago.) Ah know one in Chicago.
(What one do you know there?)
AH DON'T LAK TUH CALL DESE NAMES, AH DON'T KNOW WHETHAH AH'D BE DOIN' RIGHT DEN.
(Oh, I'd just send and get a catalog, that's all.)
Well, de Lawrence [Laurence]. (What is their address? What street do they work on? State Street?) [A penciled note of mine, made soon after the transcription was typed, reads: Use with caution. Later I write in red ink: How cautious I was in the earlier days of collecting!!! This informant is O.K. (signed) H. M. H.]
Entry 8594
Yo' take a brand-neW lamp - EVERYBODY DON'T SAY DE SAME THING. Every- body don't take no lamp; dey burn de candles, yo' see. Get a brand-new lamp. Yo' take a piece of white paper whut ain't go no lines on it, pure white paper without any lines. Yo' writes it with ink. Yo' write de persons name - initials - what yo' wanta come back to yo' nine times. See, yo' cross it though. Write yore name three times, see. (Do you cross that?) Yo' cross on dere name. Don't write yore name but three time, but write dere name nine. Clean dat lamp of de oil yo' know. Be sure yo' never burned any of dat kerosene - get it, yo' know, for whatevah amount yo' wanta burn. An' yo' put dat in dere. Before yo' put de oil in dere, take de papah an' roll it tuh yo' - see.
(You roll this paper to you.)
Yes, an' den make a wish dat in so many days yo' want 'im to show up, in nine days. De tenth day he ain't comin'. He come on dat ninth day. Well, yo' kin put in dere, a woman's name, depending on de way yo' want dem to come. Yo' put dat down in dere an' turn yore bottom upwards - turn de name down bottoms.
(Turn the names down inside of this lamp.)
All right, den yo' fill it up, but don't let it get without oil in nine days.
(You must burn it right along for nine straight days.)
When he come on dat ninth day, yo' go in dere - don't blow yore lamp out, yo' pinch it out, when he done come.
(You pinch it out with saliva.)
An' dat de way yo' kin get 'im back an' say: In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Dem person ain't going to stay from yo' to save dere life. Don't care who dey are.
(Are you Roman Catholic?)
Ah's Roman Catholic an' ah believe it an' ah work by faith. Mobile, Ala.,
(651) 849:1.]
Entry 9036
(That's for bottlegging?)
Yeah. He took - dis [root] woman was workin' on it, had powdah, two kindza [kinds of] powdah, Hearts Cologne powdah ah think an' some kinda body powdah, black peppah, an' two strands of 'is hair. An' taken it, when de judge was talkin' tuh 'er, yo' know, askin' 'er questions about: 'im. She wanted tuh talk tuh 'im an' she slipped dat in 'is inside coat pocket. An' dey tried it [his case] first, an' dey turned dat ovah [postponed it] until de nex' time. De nex' time dey decided - de judge jis' couldn't git hisself tuhgethah, yo' know, an' all dat. [For trying a case like this first and postponing it, See Doctor Washington of Charleston, working on a bootlegging case, No.9024.] Well, she put all dat whut wuz in dere tuhgethah. Well, she went an' she fixed it all again [see Washington again!]. An'.she took it dis time an' she put de hair an' de black peppah, an' dis heah soda in dere. An' she went an' saw de judge comin' out de do', yo' know, an' taken de ink out of a bottle an' dropped three drops of dat in his track an' picked it up an [put] dat intuh it, an' den slipped dat in dere. An' dey wuz fixin' tuh give 'im light time, an' he come completely cleah.
(This fellow was bootlegging when they arrested him?)
An' he wuz bootleggin'.
(And some root woman did this for him?)
Yes.
Entry 2828
Well, you get the name of the policeman that 'rrested you. Take his name, the judge's name, and the district attorneys name. You write it nine times on a piece of writing paper with ink that never has been used. Buy you a bottle of ink and a new pen, and you write their names nine times. You write your name nine times over that. You understand? You get you some honey and put it in a saucer and you burn it with those candles. You take those white candles, three of 'em, and cut the tip off and turn 'em bottom up upon there and let those candles burn out.
(When do you do this?)
You do this like if you got arrested today and you get a subpoena to go to court next week. You do that three days before you go. And the morning you've got to go to court, you go to the hydrant, or pump or well, whatever you got, wherever it be, and you catch you a cup of water. And you start out the gate, have that cup of water - and you're facing the street - throw it over your left shoulder and make your wish and never look back, just keeping on going to the court house and you'll get discharged.
Entry 2924
If the pitchure is on a tintype - from my experience, not no paper, on tintype - they can kill you with that. Take and bury it bottom up and [or] then they can take and set it in ink, put nine black candles around it in the shape of a coffin and burn it for nine days. The best time to burn it is at night, whilst you sleep so it gets the spirits on them.
(That's your photograph?)
Yes, on tintype.
(Now, what else do they - for what other purpose do they burn candles?)
To evil?
(Yes.)
To kill a person and put 'em on a drift, you know, have 'em sleepyfied?
(Yes, how would they do that?)
Well, you just takes a red candle.
(A red candle.)
And [or] a black candle. And they burns that candle in ink for nine days, you'll just drift, just drift away, and you don't know what - you don't feel sick or nothing, only just drowsy and sleepy all the time. See. [New Orleans, La., (822), 1187:1+5.].
Entry 8579
I don't know about de candles, but ah do know of people burning lamps. Say, now, that chure in New York, I want you to come back. I get me a piece of dis paper that yo' make lamp shades with. (Parchment, sort of?) Ah get a piece of parch- ment paper and cut it, cut a strip about an inch and a half. And I hold mah finger right tight like that and puncture it, so a drop of blood will come out. An' I take my ink- pen and I write chure name. Either at six a'clock in de mawnin' or six 'clock at night, I write chure name on dere. An' [I] says, "I want chew to return as soon as possible, " an' I roll that up an' I stick it down in de lamp, an' I set dat lamp.
(Right inside of the lamp?)
[Paper with name is in the lamp bowl with the coal oil.]
An' I set that lamp behind de bed, or any place in a secret closet and I burn dat lamp. An' before de oil is burnt out of that lamp, that person returns or yo' will get some very good message from them.
(Do you burn that lamp at any particular time or anything of that sort?)
Well, yo' set it either at six or twelve, an' yo' let it continually buro until that oil is all gone.
(It keeps burning all night long?)
All night an' all day, continually to burn, but yo' keep it in a secret place yo' understand, because naturally people wanta know what yo' are doing. An' that's always generally kept a secret.
Entry 8765
(How did they do that?)
He went tuh a man [doctor or fortuneteller] and this man had taken a bran'-new tin plate, a common tin plate, an' he write on de back of dis tin plate in red- ink writing. Ah couldn't read de writin' but ah - when dey come - ah was livin' wit de people. Dis girl, she didn't leave de state, but she stayed aftah she left. An' he brought dis tin plate dere an' asked 'im to sign 'er name. An' he said he couldn't sign it [he could not write]. An' so, he got me to sign de girl's name at de bottom. An' he'd taken her coat - she had a little velvet coat - an' wrapped it up in dat an' put it in behin' de ceilin's in de wall. An' told 'im when she come back, tuh take it [coat] an' bring it back tuh 'im an' he [would put] 'em tuhgethah again. (And bring it back to him?) Bring it back tuh 'in. An' he tole 'im tuh go in dat room, yo' see, an' turn tuh de direction where she was, an' pray three times a day. An' said, dat inside of fo' days she would be back. An' she certainly was. (WILL YOU TELL ME THE STORY RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. HOW IT ALL STARTED - THE WHOLE STORY, THE DETAILS.) Of dis? (Yes, the whole story. How it happened. About her leaving and that sort of thing. Tell all the story.) When she left, she didn't go tuh stay.
(She didn't go to stay?)
No, sir, she didn't go tuh leave, yo' know. At least, she didn't tell 'im she was. She had tole othah people when she left dat she wasn't comin' back.
(I see.)
An' so, her brother-in-law died an' dat's how she got away. She went tuh Louisiana.
(To Louisiana?)
Yeah. An' aftah she got over dere...
(Where was she living?)
She was livin' here in Vicksburg.
(Oh, I see. All right.)
Yes, sir. An' aftah she got ovah dere, she didn't come back an' she wrote, keep encouragin' 'im dat she would be back. An' so she wrote fo' 'im tuh send her things dere. An' he did do it. An' aftah he sent her things dere, she still didn't come back. An' so he went tuh dis man an' dis man tole him dat she wasn't thinking about comin' back.
(Did he go to a man here in town?)
Yes, sir. An' he told 'im dat she wasn't thinkin' about comin' back. An' so he told 'im dat he could brin g'er back fo' 'im. An' he went tuh 'im an' he come. Dis man come tuh 'is house an'
(YOU MEAN THIS "DOCTOR" CAME TO THIS MAN'S HOUSE?)
YES, SIR, CAME TO HIS HOUSE AN' HE BROUGHT DIS TIN PAN WIT 'IM, WIT DE WRITIN' ALREADY ON IT.
(Well, how Was it fixed up, this pan?)
De pan? Jes' a plain tin plate, yo' know pie plate, an' de writin' was on de back of it, jes' like, jes' like yo' would write a letter tuh somebody. But ah couldn't read it, but it was writin' jes' like yo' would write a lettah tuh somebody, an' at de bottom of it he wanted - somebody else had tuh sign 'er name.
(And how was it written, you said before? Written with what?)
With red ink.
(Red ink?)
Yes.
(Did it look like English writing or what?)
Yes.
(You really think it was Written in English, but you couldn't read it?)
No, sir.
[The words may have been written with English letters but meaningless.]
(I see. All right. And they [he] brought this pan back to the man's house?)
Yes.
(And then what happened?)
He took this pan and got one of her pieces, had tuh have somepin dat she wore, an' wrap dis pan up in it.
(But you signed that name though?)
Yes, sir, at de bottom, an' put it ovah behind de ceilin' of de wall.[ Vicks- burg, Miss., (775), 1066:3.]
Entry 8847
Dat's tuh git chure mind. All right, dey write chew, if dey kin write. Git in tetch wit chew through anyone, writin' yo' lettahs, see. Dey kin dress dem lettahs. An' say, if dey write chew a lettah dey'll make - maybe start off wit blue ink, maybe change wit red ink. Well, dat'll take yore 'tenshun [attention]. An' dey'll dress dat lettah an' dey'll keep awritin' yo'. An' evah time dey write maybe dey'll fold it diff'ren' tuh git chure 'tention.
Entry 8630
Yo' take some de entrails out [of the lemon] yo' know whatsomevah it [inside of lemon] is [called] an' yo' take a person name. Yo' could take it three times. Yo' could write it three times or else nine, de most is nine, but yo' could take it at three. An' yo' puts anyone yo' want. Heah's anothah separation. Dere plenty ways fo' separation. 1 make 'em confuse an' angry wit anothah, tuh keep 'em apart. Well, yo' put dis down in dere, put de name down in dere. Yo' don' have tuh take ink, yo' could put ink or else a pencil lak dat ink - yo' know, indelible or any kind. An' yo' do it zactly lak ah said wit dis othah one. Put nine time or three time wit one on top each othah. Den yo' take dis steel dust an' dis pePpah, de same red peppah. RED PEPPAH IS REAL HELL. Well, yo' put dat red peppah an' salt an' all dat togethah, an' dis steel dust togethah, an' yo' take it an' put it down in dat lemon, see. An' yo' take de top of de lemon whut chew cut off an' yo' pin it togethah, see. Hit don' have tuh be six feet of dirt where yo' could make a little hole about dat deep [demonstrates].
(About a foot deep.)
Yessuh. An' yo' put it down in dere an' yo' curse it. AN' YO' HAVE TUH BE DRUNK. Yo' have tuh git drunk, an' let de evil come up, yo' undahstan', an' curse it while puttin' it in. When yo' be puttin' de dirt on be cursin' it, yo' undahstan'. Any kinda ole dirty cursin' yo' wants tuh do.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's separation ag'in, dat's fightin'.
(While you are doing this, you have to be drunk to do it.)
Yo' have tuh be good an' - not say good an' drunk. WHUT AH MEAN, KNOWIN' WHUT CHURE DOIN'; BUT YO' HAVE TUH HAVE PLENTY LIKKER IN YO'. An' jis' curSe it, yo' know, while puttin' it any place in de ground.
Entry 12671
Ah understan' about de snail an' a person's photo. Well, yo' kin take a photo an' bury it upside down in de graveyard, an' yo' take a snail an' yo' git some steel dust an' yo' write dat indivi- dual name down an' yo' glue it onto de snail yo' see. An' whatsomevah yo' make yore wish, whatsomevah yo' wants tuh, yo' know, make it fo'. If yo' want a person tuh drag lak dat [snail] an' as dat snail crawl yo' see an' de picture fade away, well, dat person will jis' drag until dey die. (You do those two things but you don't do anything to the photograph at all except bury it in the graveyard.) Yo' take de photograph an' yo' write de person name on it nine times, an' if yo' want 'em tuh drag or sompin, why yo' write whatsomevah yo' want, yo' know, tuh happen tuh 'em, an' turn it upside down [and bury it] in de graveyard. An' probably, maybe somebody whut chew know died bad yo' see. Yo' turn it, point it tuh where dey died [buried?] at yo' understan', upside down. An' yo' take de snail an' yo' git some steel dust an' yo' write dere name down on a piece of papah an' yo' put dat steel dust in dere, an' yo' take it - glue it, yo' know, onto de snail. An' yo' see, yo' know, a snail crawl away slow; an' jis' as dey [the snail] crawl an' dat picture fades away, well, dose people will drag an' dey'll pass out.
(Do you write this in any special way, with just an ordinary pencil or what?)
Well, yo' could write it with blue ink if yo' wanted tuh.
Entry 11212
Dey say dat chew kin take dirt daubah nest an' make a lickrish [liquid] outa hit an' write it - lak if mah husband was gone off an' quit me, ah could write a lettah tuh him lak ah was writing in ink - jes' dip it in dere [this dirt dauber ink] an' dey say when he read it, he'll come back. Ah've heard of dat. [A later comment of mine reads: usually for sending away.]
The informant compares the writing to ink. A later editorial comment describes sending away; neither the reported return nor removal is established.
Source passage
continuous interview or recording context · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
Yo' kin use a simple thing, whut chew would nevah think - yo' kin use some fig leaves. Take yo' some fig leaves an' write de name of de judge on dere, an' if it de Superior Court yo' goin' be tried befo', write de judge name an' dis gentleman name. Watch de papahs an' git de jury's, an' yo' put down some of de jury's names on dere.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
(How many do you use - just one leaf?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
No suh, yo' use sev'ral leaves, yo' use twelve leaves - of dose little leaves, yo' know, suh. De whole leaf - jes' clip it off, yo' know, suh. An' den yo Write de name. Yo' see, if yo' evah noticed a fig leaf close - if yo' haven't, yo' take notice of it, suh. Or yo' might ask someone tuh bring yo' a fig leaf. Dey don't know why yo want it. Yo' look at it. It got veins jes' lak in our han' - on de sides, de veins. An' yo' write his name, write his name right in de centah. Den yo' turn roun' an' write yore name right heah, meetin' his - don't care if it go ovah it or in it. Yo' write it dat way, yore own name
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
[demonstrates]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
(You write your name across his name, making a sort of a cross.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
Write his name jes' lak yore veins is standin', lak mah han' is sot
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
[demon- strates]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
. Write his name on dis one de same. Yo' notice dis fig leaf if yo' happen tuh git chew one, in de middle of it in de middle of it heah, dis middle fan is wider - it's fixed jes' lak a person's han', if yo' notice it close. Den yo' write de judge's name in heah
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
[demonstrates]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
(On that middle thing.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
Yes suh, on dis middle one. Den yo' write yore name, yore own name. Yo' turn it round dere. Turn it round. Let it be on somepin solid. Yo' tum it round an' den write yore name right into his'n. Ovah heah yo' write it an' yo' write it heah,
recited or prescribed formula · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
"God bless yore soul."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
An' yo' write dose words, suh. If it's a hard case, yo' write de solictor general name an' yo' write some of de jury's name all like dat - dey draw 'em in de papah.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
[The names of these jurors are drawn and will appear in the newspaper.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
Yo' bound tuh ketch some of 'em an' yo' kin make a mistrial. An' yo' write it dat way an' den aftahwards, den yo' turn around an' yo' write jes' a reg'lar little prayah,
recited or prescribed formula · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
"In de Name of God de Father, Mr. So-an'- So."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
An' yo' call de judge an' yo' write him anywhere's dere, an' yo' done got him, he'll bind to yo', says,
recited or prescribed formula · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
"In de Name of God de Father, God de Son,"
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
jes' on his name,
recited or prescribed formula · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
"God de Holy Spirit, be favorable wit me. Loose de man an' let him go. Ohl Oh! Oh! Let me go back home."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
Write dat, write it wit ink. Yes suh, wit ink or a indelible pencil. Says,
recited or prescribed formula · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
"Home - home - home - back home."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
If dat judge don't be favorable wit yo', den yo've nevah seen a dead boy in yore life.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
(What do you do with that leaf after you write those names on it?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1841
Well, yo' write 'em all ovah it an' den yo' turn round dere an' den yo' write de name on one of de leaf of de twelve disciples. Yo' write dose on dat fig
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1842
leaf - write dere name on 'em outa de twelve leaves. Yo' write de twelve dis- ciples on one leaf, one large leaf. When yo' done write 'em all, den yo' fold 'em in careful. Dat's a leaf dat dries fast. Yo' take dose an' yo' put 'em in de foot of yore shoe. An' yo' strip yore sock down - start from yore toe an slip dem in dere. It be about dat high but dey'll go down, but dey'll go down. Dere nuthin tuh hurt chure feet.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1842
(You take these two fig leaves - one like that - and you put those together and put them in your shoe. Or do you put one in your shoe?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1842
De whole thing, suh - yo' have twelve fig leaves.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1842
(You have twelve fig leaves?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1842
Yes suh, but yo' write de judge's - start him in de center as ah said an' den aftahwards yo' write de name of de twelve disciples. Yo' use twelve leaves. An' yo' take dose leaves an' pack 'em right on top of each othah an' den aftah yo' pack 'em on top of each othah den yo' kind of fold 'em in lak yo' figure undah yore feet. Den yo' take de sock an' put it on. Be careful. Den yo' git chure sock about long to heah, toward de hollah of de feet, den yo' slide dose leaves down in de sock undah yore feet an' pull de sock on up. Fix yore sock an' yore shoe. Go on tuh co't.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1842
(Then the judge will dismiss your case?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1842
Yes suh.
Nested source context: interviewer hypothesis and informant correction · Vol. 2, p. 1842
(You take these two fig leaves - one like that - and you put those together and put them in your shoe. Or do you put one in your shoe?) De whole thing, suh - yo' have twelve fig leaves. (You have twelve fig leaves?) Yes suh, but yo' write de judge's
locally coherent printed subpassage
This printed instruction exchange preserves the interviewer’s two-leaf suggestion and the speaker’s twelve-leaf correction.
Twelve leaves versus two is a question-and-answer correction, not two equally asserted recipes.
Quoted prayer words are proposed written or uttered text within the interviewee’s turn.
The final dismissal is an elicited claimed result, not evidence of an actual adjudicated court case.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 2, p. 1840 · Vol. 2, p. 1841 · Vol. 2, p. 1842 · Vol. 2, p. 1843 · Vol. 2, page image