Subject:Kerosene
Entries
Entry 6494
Dat would make yo' painful. Yo' scrape dat off de bottom of a person's feet an' den put it in a glass - in a drinkin' glass. Jis' put it in a drinkin' glass an' put 17 drops of kerosene on it. Put 17 drops of kerosene on it, a pinch of sulphuh - jis' lak yo' put a pinch up lak dat, of sulphuh. An' git some borax - take a level teaspoonful of borax an' put in dere. An' jis' let it set up.
(Where?)
Jis' let it set somewhere in a dark place lak up in de loft of de house or in a closet where nobody nevah visit at. An' it will dry out de marrah in 'is arms.
Entry 6912
An' yo' kin take kerosene an' bluestone an' brimstone an' salt an' rub wit it [the pains caused by conjuration] an' dat'll kill it, too.
Entry 7228
[I met a galaxy of doctors in Charleston, S. Car., before I had suffi- cient experience to handle them. Two years later I would have been better pre- pared. Moreover the weather was excessively hot and the hotel rooms noisy at night. There was little rest. The fol- lowing doctor, Maguin or San Mongain was rather strange. At that time I thought all of them were! This man has already appeared in: No.1221, p.434; No.1417, p.464; No.1638, p.507; and No.2209, p.629.] (Well, now, how would a person harm me if they got a hold of my foot track? How would they hurt me with that?) How would he hurt chew wit dat? He'd take yore foot track an' carry it tuh de graveyard. An' tuh take it back from de graveyard, yo' gotta throw dis dirty watah undah yore house. An' tuh kill de spell from dere an' [to] drive de evil spirit, den begin burnin' dragon blood at twelve o'clock at night in dat ole shoe [this rite partially given in No.1221, p.434, v.1.]. (What would he do with this track if he took it to the graveyard? What would he do with it out there?) When he take de track to de graveyard, he put it tuh de haid of de graveyard [grave] an' pay dem one cent, calls yore name an' tole 'em tuh mind 'im. An' durin' de time dat he done take it tuh de graveyard, yore foot track, yo' come back home an' throw it ovah [under]neath yore house. An' go an' git dis gum-bush an' let it stay in yore house fer three days an' burn it. An' de pusson will come back an' go back tuh de graveyard an' git dis track an' turn yo' loose.
Entry 9094
An' they show 'em what to do, yo' know.
(I see, I understand.)
Yo'll get yo' de judge's name an' yo'll get yo' a lamp what's never was used. Yo' put yo' some sugar in dere. Buy yo' some sugah. An' yo' take dat judge's name an' yo' put it down in de lamp an' pour de sugah on dat, on his name. Dat sweetens 'em up. Aftah yo' put dat sugah down on dere, pour de kerosene in dere, an' yo' light this light. An' as yo're lightnin' it, say, "In de Name of de Father, an' de Son, an' de Holy Ghost, ' askin' fo' help. Hold yore hand up to God say, yo're asking fo' help. Dat's fo' good.
(What then?)
Yo' leave dis light nine days an' nights.
(You leave it burn for nine days and nights?)
Yes, sir. Dat's when yo' get yore subpoena.
(And then that will help you out with the judge?)
Yes, sir, it'll sweeten his mouth an' yo' come - when yo' go before 'im, in- stead of frowning, this is de truth, he instead of frowning, he'll smile.
Entry 9159
Take a white pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' dampen it wit peroxide an' kero- sene an' turpentine, an' jis' - see, yo' be's in de co'thouse, yo' see, where dey is, an' as he talkin', yo' jis' carry dat pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' dey make it [sentence] light. (Where do you carry it?) Do it jes' lak [demon- strates by shaking or waving handkerchief]. See, dat will make de scent of it
[reach the judge and jury].
Entry 10721
Ah got in a fight with a boy, an' mah grandmother - yo' know, ole fo folks dey are very active - she say, "Come here, boy, yo' got in a fight?" Say, "Yes mam." She say, "Whut chew do?" Ah say, "Ah bit dat boy plenty a place." She say, "Looky heah, come heah an'( Grandmah fix yo' up." She got a little sulphur an' a little kerosene, yo' know, an' she fixed a little bag, yo' know, an' she put it down dere undah mah bed; yo' know, up in de mattress - whut chew call a moss mat- tress [Spanish moss mattress]. Ah say, "Whut chew do dat fo'?" She say, "Don't chew know if yo' bit somebody an' yo' don't take care of yo'- self; don't chew know, dat dey will take bird manure [usually chicken manure] or some kinda manure lak dat, an' 'noint dis place lak yo' would [use] some grease on mah [your] bare face; yo' know, keep dat place [bite] 'nointed dere well, ' she say, "an' yore teeth will drop out." She tole me dat several time. Dey [person bitten] keep dat place 'nointed wit dat manure some kind. She say, every tooth in yore [biter's] head will drop out. (But she would prevent that by doing this.... [sulphur-kerosene hand in the mattress].) Put dis stuff undah mah bed an' dat will keep de othah stuff from coming back at me. [For the treatment of human bite with chicken manure, see Nos.
Entry 11732
They kin hant [= hoodoo here] choo to death by throwin' a ole grass around yuh do'; yo' know, dried-up grass. An' you git you some kerosene oil [kerosene] an' some ashes [from fireplace or stove] an' all like that, an' throw it right around your do' an' dat'll make you move out. [Informant here has combined two separate rites: first one, anything dead left or thrown at your door will hant (haunt) or hoodoo you; second one, fireplace ashes (originally) or kerosene (another substance connected with fire) will conquer the dead grass.]
Entry 12047
You take a piece of red flannen [flannel] and you dampen that with kerosene and turpentine. Then you take a piece of John de Conkah and Jockey Club [perfume] and a piece of saltpeter. (Jockey Club perfume?) Yes, Jockey Club, and then you take all that and you put it into a little new piece of paper, but I mean brown paper. Put it onto the brown paper first and then put it in - put the devil's - annimum [an- vil] dust. Put annimum dust in there with it. And then wrap it up in that brown paper [brown paper for black person, white paper for white person is the rule]. Wrap it to you. Wrap it right to you. And then put it in a brand-new piece of 'lastic [elastic]. And then you get a new spool of No.8 thread, and then you wrap that good. You wrap it to you. See, you wrap it to you. See, that's bringing you luck. Just wrap it to you. And then you get you a new needle that you've never used - out of a new case [package]. And then you use that brand-new thread and you sew it to you, you know, and make your wishes. You sew it to you. And then you takes that
[package] and tacks it onto your [elastic] belt. You know, that piece of [red]
flannen, you know, and you put that kerosene and turpentine on there, and then you put it round your waist, just wear right round your waist right next to your meat. That's to keep anybody from harming you.
(I see.)
Annimum - an-n- (Wait a minute - annirmum dust.) [I am making a final effort to record this vord correctly. Anim and various things until later in New Orleans I knew it was anvil dust.]
Entry 12287
Jes' lak yo' wants tuh choke a person. Yo' wanta jes' choke 'em an' he don't know whut might cause him tuh choke. Yo' take a string an' yo' measure it jes' about two feet long, an' yo'll tie three knots in it. After tyin' three knots in it, yo'll take kerosene an' wet dem knots jes' - jes' take yore two fingers an' wet dem three knots dataway. After yo' wet all three of 'em, yo' take it den an' yo' go tie it on a limb or sompin an' let it hang dere. Well, long as dem three knots is hanged why a person always - jes' lak dey hate chew - yo'll always have trouble in yore throat. (That string doesn't come in contact with the person I want to choke does it?) Dat's right, yes. Jes' lak a person always wanta choke an' dere be's jes' lak flem.
Entry 12496
Write name, put an "o" [or circle?] under each letter of name, take oil of bergamine [bergamot], oil of anise and put in lamp with the kerosene, keep burning very low for 9 mornings and 9 nights, light before 6 o'clock in morning, to bring person to you. [Presumably lamp is extinguished at bedtime. This is my original resume attached to original manuscript. Informant was outstanding. Letter "o" surely needs no comment.]
Entry 13368
If yo' wanta con ah a man, when he use de slop jar at night, says if yo' git dat an' take it wit yo'. Git chew some, about three drops of kerosene - about three or four drops of kerosene in it. An' puts chew quite a bit of sulphur in dere, in dis water [urine]. An' say yo' take dat an' throw it in a stream of water, turn yore back, dey say, an' walk away, or throw it over yore shoulder dis way [demonstrates] an' walk away. An' say if yo' home an' dey don't want chew dere, why yo' constantly will go away.