Subject:Lemon
Entries
Entry 3225
A lemon is for when yo' want to have a woman an' if dere's somepin wrong wit 'er, an' yo' - lak yo' want to put it in. Yo' squeeze dat lemon on 'er, see. Well, she can't stomik [stomach] it, she got to hold it.
(What do you do that for?)
Dat's for disease. See, dat's like if she got a dose an' she have to have yo', vell, yo' squeeze dat lemon on 'er. She can't finish, she got to [something] an' evahbody know what it's all about.
Entry 4378
Yuh take yuh passage [excrement], yuh take dat an' stop it up in a bottle. Yuh kin take de hair offa end of a dog tail, a black dog, an' put it in dat bottle. An' squeeze dat lemon juice on it. An' it's no mo' tuh it. Yuh take dat bottle an' bury it. Yuh cain't make no passage no mo'.
Entry 7195
Well, now, you uses flaxseed for one, slippery elm for two and then you get you some filet gumbo.
(Some what?)
Filet gumbo.
(Filet gumbo?)
[Filet (ground sassafras leaves) for gumbo is described several places in Boodoo.] Yes sir, that's green stuff that you uses for to cook with, see. And then you takes that and then you throws it around; around the house, see. And then you walks - steps in that and then you walks back and gets in the house with that, and that stuff will make you move. Now, another question is, if yo' don' wanta move. If I want you to stay, I just will get you some vinegar and the landlord's name, and fix that up with cayenne peppah, and then put his name down in there in a lemon, and then roll this lemon. And then take you a carrot and plant it.
(A what?)
A carrot.
(A carrot?)
Carrot, a carrot what you eat. Carrot. And take that carrot and plant it 'fore your door, and let it grow there. And just as it grows, you will remain there, right there. You never will move out of there, out of that house.
(Out of that house. Who will do this? The landlord, is he doing that?)
No.
(Who would do this to keep me in there?)
I would do that.
(I see.)
I would do that, make you stay there. You never would move, don't care how they don't like you, and how they would find fault of you. But you would stay there as long as that carrot is there with the landlord's name in the carrot and growing.
(I see.)
Entry 7420
[Someone] done kill somebody an' yo' Wanta draw 'im back. Well, here's jes' whut yo' do. "Fore dem people dies an' 'fore dey bury'u, yo' takes yo' a lemon an' a fork. Yo' take it an' yo' lay it on dere breas', see, an' yo' bury 'um wit it.
(How are that fork and lemon put on there?)
See, jes' puts de lemon.
(Wait a minute! Show me.)
See, jes' put de lemon - put de lemon on 'is breas'. Den yo' take de fork - two forks an' yo' lay 'em cross 'is breas' jes' lak dat.
(Across the lemon or near the lemon?)
Near de lemon. Jus' put de lemon, yo' see, right to de heart, right on 'is body, on 'is breas', an' yo' take two forks an' lay 'em right 'cross dere, see. An' yo' take his name, who an' evah it is, yo' take his name an' write it down five times, an' de one what dead, yo' undahstan', take his name an' yo' put 'em under dat fork, or put it in dat lemon, yo' see, right in dat lemon. Den when dat lemon rot an' all of it start a'rottin' wit him, yo' can't go nowhere. Yo' might just wander 'round - wander round - an' yo' find yourself right back dere wheresomever yo' done killed dat person - they come right back dere an' get yo'.
(Whose name do you write down?)
His name - see, de dead person's name. His name. Yo' just take it an' write it down nine times. See.
(Which name do you write down first now?)
Put de dead man's name down first. Den take hissen an' put it down [demon- strates].
(Cross it like that.)
Cross it like dat - but nine different times.
(Put the murderer's name on top of the dead man's?)
Yeah, yo' see, put 'im to keep 'im from goin'. Yo' see, yo' put his name first. See, de man dat run away, put his name first. Den the dead man, yo' put him on top. Next time yo' put this man dat run away, yo' put his name down dere, den de dead man's. Den yo' take it an' yo' open de lemon. Yo' put it up in de lemon an' put it right by de forks, an' cross it like dis.
Entry 7836
(What do you do with that graveyard dirt, now?)
Yo' kin take it, if yo' know a person dat died dat wuz sinful, yo' undahstand. Yo' kin take it an' throw it ovah dere [at the house]. Say, dat de spirit will ha'nt 'em tuh death an' dey will leave. Den yo' kin take dis graveyard dirt an' mix it wit moving oil an' lemon juice. See, yo' mix dat tuh- gethah, an' if yo' got a friend dat live at dis - ah mean dat visit dis house - an' yo' mix dat tuhgethah an' make a powdah of it. An' yo' come an' yo' sprinkle it from front tuh back. An' dey won't stay in dere aftah three days.
Entry 8623
Well, yo' see, jis' like a person asleep, they'll take this hair out de mold of yore had. Dey put it in a bottle. After dey put it in a bottle, dey take a lemon. Dey squeeze dat lemon juice in dat bottle, an' take yore name. Yo' write dat name nine times an' put it in dat bottle, an' shake it up, an' set in de sunrise side of de worl'. Jis' as de sun goes [from sunrise to sunset], dey say yo' lose yore mind.
Entry 8624
Just like ah may have a friend. I could be a woman an' I'd have a friend, an' I wants to part from my friend. I'll take de lemon. I'll get me some beer. After I'd get de beer, I get me a candle. Well, I take de candle an' take de lemon an' bore a hole through de lemon. Put de lemon [candle] down in de candle [lemon]. Put dat beer down in de can. When. I get the beer down in de can, an' start tuh burnin' my black candle, well, de woman couldn't stay dere ten days.
[I now try to understand the preceding confusion.]
(Now wait a minute. Here's your can of beer. Now where's your lemon?)
Yo' see, I put my beer first.
(Yes.)
Put de note second.
(What note?)
De woman name.
(Well, you didn't tell me that before.)
Yes. Mark nine times backwards. After yo' mark it nine times backwards yo' put de note in dere. After yo' put de note in dere, yo' stick de candle down in dere, an'.leave it down in dere fo' ten days, she can't stay wit yo' no more.
(What happened to the lemon?)
De lemon'll be right dere in de beer. Yo' see, like. (I see. Now, wait a minute, let me untwist these things for you: Here's the can of beer. You put this woman's name in there. You take a lemon and you put this black candle in the lemon and put that lemon down in the beer, and then you light the candle. How long do you burn that candle?) Yo' burn dat candle ten days.
(I see. Then what happens?)
De woman can't stay there no mo'.
(You just drive the woman away?)
Dat's to drive 'er away.
(Why do you use beer?)
De beer is down in de can.
(Well, why do you use the beer?)
Yo've gotta use so de lemon could have some kind of different juice to it. Dat de reason yo' use de beer.
Entry 8625
Well, ah heard some people say dey kin take yore name an' put it in a lemon, ah' shet [shut] dat lemon up an' den dey go on an' bury. Dig a hole an' bury it. An' when dat lemon rots, yo'll rot. (You just write the name once on a piece of paper?) No, nine times. Write it crossways, an' bury it. When de lemon rot, chew'll rot. [Crossways here means: one over the other in the same direction; one under the other; one over the other in different directions but on same line; or written to form the letter "X".]
Entry 8626
What other way they say they can do?
(Yes.)
They can take your name and write it nine times and write the landlord's name nine times on top of your name. Then they takes a lemon, and they gets graveyard dust, Epsom salts, red pepper, black pepper, plain salt and takes a lemon and hulls it out and puts that name down in there and bury it in de ground de butt end up, an' when that name rots, that landlord will put yo' out.
(I see, the landlord will put me out?)
Yes. Yo' an' 'im fall.out. (Now, you say - you write my name nine times in a row, then you write the landlord's name?) Across it.
(You turn it like that [I demonstrate] and cross it?)
Cross it.
(You cross it like that or just write over it?)
No, over it but cross it.
(Oh, you cross it. You turn the paper upside down and write across it?)
[Names are on same line but upside down.]
Yes.
(Well, why do you put his name on top of mine?)
To make him fall out wit yo':
(Oh, I see.)
Entry 8628
A lemon is a sour thing, 'vided [provided] whut chew wanta do wit it. Yo' take dis lemon an' yo' take all de fillin' out of it, an' yo' fill it up fulla salt, table salt. An' yo' carry it to a crossroad an' den yo' call dis indivi- dual's name. If it's three or fo' [times] it makes no difference how many it is. Yo' call dere name de third time In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. An' den mention whut cheW want tuh be done. An' den turn yore back on it an' GO ON BACK [HOME] AN' TRUST IN DE LORD. It'll be done.
(What do you do with that lemon out there at the crossroad?)
Yo' leave it dere, jes' leave it dere. Don't chew pick it up at all.
Entry 8629
My husband has - [suppose] my husband has this here woman and ah want to break 'em up. Ah take 'er name an' his name, ah'll put it in a lemon. Red brick - right in my alley, if I'm livin' in a alley, right up out of dat alley, ah'll get, ah'll pick up a brick. Ah will dig a hole, turn dem [in. the] lemon down fo' nine mawnin'. Ah'll walks ovah it. Ah'll say, "Yo' son-of-a-bitch, ah'll keep yo' down." Ah'll walk, ah've got tuh do dat fo' nine mawnin', every mawnin', an' den he'll separ- ate from 'er. When he separate from 'er, he'll say - he'll tell his friends, he say, "Yo' know one thing, ah been mistreatin' my wife, but somehow or anothah she must be - ah don't know what she doin' - she must be prayin' or going to church or somepin. Do yo' know ah ain't got no more feelin' fo' dat woman an' ah can't go wit nobody but just my wife." De reason why he can't go wit nobody but me because ah'm got 'im like dat.
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 8633
If he be done left her, you mean?
(Yes.)
An' he living with another woman? Well, yo' take an' write his name down again, an' yo' get yo' some red peppah - yo' see, this cayenne red peppah. Well, yo' get yo' some red peppah an' yo' get yo' nine needles, brand-new needles what have never been used. An' yo' get yo' nine new pins. An' yo' stick all of dem needles an' dem pins in de wall cater- corner. An' yo' put it in dere, wit yo' know, hot peppah what yo' put on yore food [pepper sauce]. Yo' take de cayenne red peppah an' de hot peppah [sauce] an' de nine needles an' de nine pins [and the name see later] an' yo' put dat in a lemon. An' yo' bury it anywhere in de back yard, see. An' dat will break dem two people up, an' make yo' an' him come back to- gethah again. I done seen dat did.
(Well, how did she write his name in the beginning?)
Write his name? Well, just like a person's first name, like somebody is named Andrew Edmund or any name like dat. Well, yo' see, yo' put [instead of putting] Andred Edmund, put Edmund Andrew. See, yo' put it backwards, till yo' write it nine times. An' den yo' FOLD IT LIKE A HEART, COMIN' TO YO', & an' dat foldin' 'im to yo' all de time. An' yo' bury it in de backyard. An' yo' just leave it stay dere until it molds away. An' in about nine or ten day's time, his mind gets off of this othah woman an' gets back on yo', an' dat makes him leave 'er an' comes back to yo'.
(I see.) You put this name and that other mixture?)
Yes, de pins an' de needles all togethah.
Entry 8634
Dey say that chew kin take a lemon an' write they name nine times, an' put it underneath of the house. Dat would make 'em move.
Entry 8635
Now, ef ah see a person livin' good togethah an' ah want 'em confused, ah kin take a lemon. Take a lemon an' cut it in half, write their two names, the woman and the man. Then ah'd put it in there, saying, Depart, be confused. Then sew it back together with black thread and bury that. And that will cause that party, that woman to be con- fused. (You write their names on a piece of paper and put this paper in the lemon and sew it up.) An' sew it back up.
Entry 8638
Yo' take his [murderer's] name an' write it down nine times, de party dat did de killin'. Yo' write it [murdered man's name] down nine times across his [murderer'sl name. An] den yo' stick dis into a lemon. On top of dis lemon yo' put a spoonful of salt, an' yo' bury dis at de place where he committed de crime, an' he won't leave. [This rite could have been placed under subsection (2) HOW MURDERER CAN BE CAUGHT, p.3258f. A lemon rite at this date in Washington, D. C., merely means that our informant, Doctor Sims, had come from New Orleans. For some of his material, see Nos.23,532,2091, and especially margin title IT'S A GIFT ETC., No.2742, p.746f.]
Entry 8639
De needles - lak if yo' have a girl an' yo' wants tuh stay wit her an' yo' want her tuh be wit yo', why yo' take nine needles an' put it in a lemon. Put 'em in a lemon an' put it right ovah de do'sill lak dat [doorsill sometimes in Hoodoo means over door above your head]. Well, she always will visit yo'. She always will come aroun' an' she nevah kin desert chew. (That is all you have to do, is just put those needles in the lemon?) Yes, but chew have tuh write her name. Yo' know whut ah mean, on a piece of papah, yo' know. Write her name on a piece of papah an' den put her name an' dose nine needles in dat lemon.
Entry 8640
Well, a lemon, if yo' wanta break somebody up ag'in, lak a man an' 'is wife or sompin lak dat, yo' could take such a-thing as a lemon an' yo' could take that same cayenne peppah. An' yo' write their [man's] name down nine times an' de woman who yo' wanta break 'em up from Yo' could write their name, but whosomevah doin' it, well, dey could do it, dey could fold it, fold it but always fold it from dem. An' if yo' wants tuh put some- body togethah, yo' take that man's name, if it's a woman, an' yo' write his name down first an' that woman, write her name down. An' den she takes de papah an' she fold it comin' tuh her, see. Lak yo' take a papah an' fold it comin' tuh yo' an' make yore wish when yo' fold de papah. An' den yo' take nine dressin' [ordinary] pins, eithah yo' could use needles, but de goldhead needles would be bettah - nine goldhead needles. An' de top whut chew cut off de lemon - see, yo' cut de top off de lemon an' yo' fold dat papah tight an' yo' push it down in dat lemon. An' yo' take de top whut chew put an' stick dem nine needles, yo' know, shut it back up but stick it all de Way roun'. An' if yo' got anyway a [old-fashioned] icebox an' yo' [have a drain to the outside for] dis icebox an' [or] yo' have de foam [gutter or drainage ditch] go through [by] yore house. Well, yo' dig a hole an' yo' put it [lemon] in a moist place where it goin' be wet all de time, so it could rotten. See, an' as dat lemon rot away, yo' see, it'll break 'em up.
Entry 8641
Well, if a woman's got a man - well jis' like I've got a husband an' a woman wants to break me an' my husband up. I'll say like that. Yo' get a lemon an' get yo' some cayenne pepper an' get yo' some gunpowder. Yo' take that lemon, you wouldn't cut it half in two, you only cut that top around the top, yo' know, an' yo' raise it up like that and yo' bore a hole in that lemon. (You cut the top like a lid and you bore a hole under that?) Yes. Then yo' will write this man's name nine times, and yours nine times over it, an' yo' stick that down in that lemon an' put that gunpowder - that gunpowder's for confusion, that what's it for - an' the red pepper. Then yo' would take that lid an' put it back over there like that. Yo' get yo' some black thread an' yo' tie that lemon tight, so to be sure that nuthin that's in there won't come out, an' put it up over the door anywhere. An' when [as] that lemon dries up, they'll fuss an' fight an finally dey'll break up an' never go back together again. (Do you put your husband's name in there and your name, or your husband's name and her name?) My husband's name and her name.
Entry 8642
How long yo' goin' to be here?
(I'm going to be here all this week, I think.)
WELL, YO' KNOW THIS FELLOW CALLED MACK [SEE LATER] THAT BROUGHT ME HERE. WELL, JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO LEAVE THIS TOWN, YOU COME SIT DOWN TO ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU A WHOLE LECTURE. NOW, I KIND OF KNOW WHAT YOU WANT [ARE] BUT I DON'T LIKE TO TALK TOO FAST. An' I [was brought up with this] an' my grandfather could de practically any- thing that he wanted to in that line. Yo' see, an' before he dies he instruct me a great deal and since he died I have improved more in that line. Well, you can learn more. Now, for instance, if yo' stayin' in this room here, an' someone would want to make yo' move out of this room, they would get a lemon, they would get parchment paper, an' they would sign your name nine times, five one way and four the other [an unusual arrangement], with black pepper, red pepper, an' fold it up an' put it down in that lemon, an' thrown the lemon under the house, or either bury it. An' yo' won't be there very long. [The preceding fellow called Mack we have met before: We reached New Orleans at night... "I told Edward" (my contact man from Mobile) "I would not work for several days (I wanting to be with my wife), but he was to meet me for instruc- tions next morning. I wanted him to find an old-time taximan, thoroughly reli- able, who knew the underworld of fortunetellers, doctors, healers, and the like. He came up with Mack Berryhill (see ILLUSTRATIONS). No other person would have been better and without him we could have failed" (vol.1, INTRODUCTION, p. XXXI).]
Entry 8643
Hullin' dat lemon out, an' puttin' de partchment papah in dere wit de party's name on dat, an' puttin' some red pep- pah, salt, black peppah, sewin' it up an' buryin' it anywhere in de soil, or else tro' it in de rivah." Dat break up any party dat livin' togethah in comfort.
(That is to break up a man and woman?)
Yes.
Entry 8644
(What do you do with that lemon?)
Take yore lemon - jis' 'long as de pin [as many pins as you have] will go roun' it - an' put de name of de individual dat chew want. Cut de lemon in half an' put dat name in dere, an' den stick it all roun' wit pins an' bury it. Dat'll bring 'em back, too.
(You mean you stick this lemon together by sticking pins through it?)
Yessuh. Cut it [lemon] in half.
Entry 8645
They takes the lemon and they roll it soft, and they take that name and they write it nine times, just like I showed you just now. And they take that name and they shove it down in that lemon, and they put them some cayenne pepper in there. And they get a little small stopper and they stop that lemon up, and they keep it up in the corner of the house. And every day, three times a day, they get that lemon and they roll it backwards and forwards. They roll it to them and they roll it from them. That's their husband name they got up in there. That's to keep their husband there with them.
Entry 8646
[To rub is an important magic rite we often ignore, despite our early acquaintance with Aladdin's lamp. In some cures rubbing - up or down, in a cir- cle, or number of times - shows its own importance. Even so, in the first edi- tion of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, the word mub does not appear in the Index! How could I have missed the well-known couplet: When your left hand itches Rub it on wood And it will come good. (No.3356) Moreover, there are other examples of rubbing in this division about HANDS: Nos. 3339-3342.] De shoe sole - if yo' don' want somebody at chure house, take de shoe sole an' yo' rub it till de bottom of de foot git hot. Yo' call de person name nine times. Yo' git a lemon an' yo' Write de name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. Sew it up wit black thread an' bury it undah any step or do' whut dey gotta come by. An' bury it undah dere. An' everytime dey go out, yo' take dat left-foot shoe an' yo' rub it until de shoe sole git hot an' call dere name nine times.
(Whose shoe sole do you rub?)
Anybody dat yo' don' want at chure house. Any individual, woman or man, any- body dat yo' don' want dere.
(And the name you say...?)
Yo' jes' writes it down nine times wit a indelible pencil.
(And put that in a lemon?)
In a lemon an' sews it up wit black thread, No.8 black thread, coarse black thread, an' then bury it.undah a do'step, or a step, anywhere where dey gotta come in.
(That is to keep them away from your house?)
Keep 'em away from your house.
Entry 8647
Now, yo' take a lemon an' put nine needles - nine goldeye needles - an' take cinnamon an' cayenne peppah an' sugah. Aftah dat chew take an' sew it up. Aftah yo' sew it up. take 'an' put it into de sock. Yo' Write de name nine times an' put it into dat sock. Aftah dat yo' jes' keep it. Dat is really goin' tuh stop de fellah from gamblin' an' won' fool aroun' wit any woman, anybody. If he have anything to say about anybody [woman] he see, he hate 'em, git against 'em. An' along fin- ally, naturally he leaves away. He leave heah lak on Friday, an' yo' won' see him no mo' at all, he disappeah. An' yo' come tuh find 'im an' he's somewheres layin' on de road daid.
Entry 8649
Yo' kin take a name, a person name an' sugah, if yo' want 'em wit chew, an' bury undah de steps, front, eithah back, wit de lemon. Well, dat make 'em stay wit chew if yo' want 'em wit chew.
(Do you put this stuff in the lemon or don't you put it in?)
Yo' put de stuff in de lemon. Ah say tuh put it in de lemon.
Entry 8651
That will break up a per- son, too. (Well, how do they do that?) Well, they put the woman's and the man's name. They cut the lemon and make a hole, you dig it out, an' yo' put this person's name on it. An' yo' write their name, each name, an' yo' put it in de lemon. An' yo' sew it up an' yo' bury it upside down, under dere step, where dey have to pass back an' forth. An' dat break 'em up.
(You just write the name once?)
Yes.
(Of each person.)
Yeah.
(This man and the woman?)
Yeah.
(And you bury this name upside down.)
claimed breakup of the named woman and man. Do not call this breaking the lemon or physically breaking a person. The separately selected Cut/Dig claims describe the object preparation. cutting the lemon to make a cavity. The object is the lemon, not either named person. digging out the lemon, a hollowing action. Do not replace lemon hollowing with grave/ground digging or infer a digging implement. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 8653
Yo' take a person's name an' write it nine times an' put it in dis lemon an' get in de middle of de ferry - [I mean] get on de ferry an' get in de middle of de rivah an' throw it ovah yore left shouldah. Dat will run dem clean out of de city. Or eithah yo' do it wit a coconut...de same way.
Entry 8655
They use bluestone into a lemon, an' salt, black pepper, an' cayenne pepper, an' the woman's an' man's name, an' throw it in the river. That makes them drift. (You put this all inside the lemon?) Yes, sir.
Entry 8776
[Late in turning on recording machine] put chew some cayenne peppah an' some steel dust in dat [lemon, see later] an' yo' sews it up an' throw it in de rivah. Now, if yo' can't git de lemon an' yo' wants tuh use a bottle, yo' gits dat bottle an' yo' git chew some war watah. Yo' puts dere name down up in dere. All right, yo' use dis cayenne peppah an' git chew nine tacks down up in dere vinegah. All right, yo' kin stop dat up an' throw 'em in de rivah.
Entry 8939
If yo' got any way of leaving your friends, if yo' got a idea of that, of somebody goin' to come there an' trouble yo', yo' understand. Yo' know, all yo' have to do, use this here steel dust and this cinnamon an' sugar. That will sweeten up the place there and they will change their mind. Yo' see, yo' takes a bottle of vinegar and the apartment have - probably may two or three windows into the apartment where you at. Well, yo' take this fresh bottle of vinegar - yo' could get a nickeZ[!] bottle of vinegar - an' yo' put it in a dif- ferent bottle [bottles numbering] just how many windows or doors that you got. Yo' take your cinnamon an' this steel dust an' yo' put down in there [bottles] an' sugar. Put it [bottle] down beneath any window or any door, where they could enter into the building. Just put that there. Every time they get there, their mind is upsetted - changed.
(Do you mix this stuff with the vinegar or use the vinegar alone?)
The vinegar and this here steel dust and this [cinnamon and sugar].
(What do you use the vinegar for?)
The vinegar, that's the strength - to strengthen, to sour it.
(Oh! To strengthen it.)
And sour it. Yo' see, that's to sour that - just like that sugah, that sugah sweetenin' that vinegar. Yo' see? Then yo' take lemons, such as lemon juice, an' squeeze it down in there. Well, yo' put it at all the windows in any little bit of bottle - small little bottle - an' just shake it. An' yo' put it in dere. Well, anywhere round that building they come at, that sugar an' sweetening. When they get there, they'll say, "Oh, well, I'll delay that for another day."
(They won't take anything from there? Won't steal anything from there?)
No, never would take nuthin.
Entry 9341
Dey can do a lot of things with chicken eggs.
(Well, for instance?)
Ah saw a woman once with a chicken egg. She had 'im - her man an' her was mad an' she wanted him tuh, yo' know, die, bump him off. She had his pitchure drawed on dat egg, an' she taken dat egg an' she had hulled a lemon out, a large lemon, an' she put it in dere. An' she went back an' buried it in de cornah of de yard, undah de steps at de cornah of de yard.
(What happened?)
Well, he died.
(It killed him?)
Killed him.
(Was that all she had to do?)
Yes, dat was all she had tuh do.
Entry 10259
Yo' kin take a lemon with a woman when she's in heat, when she wanta have a man. Yo' kin take dat lemon an' put salt in dat lemon, an' yo' take it an' yo' drop some of it on her. Dat ain't goin' make her hot no mo', she won't wanta have nobody else no mo' until aftah yo' reduce [dat lemon].
Entry 10914
I know what they do with that. Just like if you has a sweetheart and she done left you and is living with someone else, well you take this dog hair and cat hair and you mix it to- gether, see. And you get you a lemon. (A lemon?) Yes, and you cut this lemon open and you stick this dog hair and cat hair in there with their name - their full name. Put it in there and mix it together with cayenne pepper - in the lemon - and bury it and they never get along.
Entry 10915
Like if I got a woman and she living with another man and I want her to break up with him. Well, I take some hair from a dog and from a cat and I gets me a lemon. I cuts this lemon open and I put them two party's names in there - this woman and this man - names down in this lemon and this dog [and cat] hair. And I takes a candle and I light it, and I close it back up [see later] you know, so they won't fall from it. Close it right up and I bury it. On the dark of the moon, I do that. And they won't get along.
(Where do you bury that?)
I just take and bury it anywhere in my yard.
(I see. You seal that lemon back up with this wax from the candle?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 12295
A person did you somepin, and you take a lemon and you put some parsley in it, and you put some cinnamon in it and brown sugar in that lemon. [Brown sugar for a black person, white sugar for vhite person. Many examples in HOODOO of color scheme.]
(You put parsley, cinnamon and brown sugar. All right.)
Yeah, brown sugar, into the lemon, and you take that lemon and you go put it right under your step - under there - right under the middle part of your step, and bury it. They say that will move what they done did to you.
(Take it away.)
Yes.
Entry 12296
Like if they would like for you to move out of that house, they'd keep you in confusion all the time, if they couldn't git chew to move other w'are [other where]. They would use salt, lemon and rice. (They would use salt, lemon and rice?) Lemon and rice. (Well, how would they use that?) They'd take the salt and the rice and lemon, where- ever you got to walk over. If it's coming to a step, over a step, they would plant it under the step. Dig a hole and plant it under there. And ever time you walk over that and go back and forth, it'll always keep you in some kind of confusion in that house, and you won't never feel so very well right in that house.
(I see.)
As long as that salt and lemon sours this rice. See. And as it sours, things is getting sourer and sourer towards you in that house.
(I see. Well, do they bury the whole lemon or just the juice?)
They take a lemon. They take this lemon and stuff this lemon with that rice and salt.
(Oh! I see, I understand.)
Stuff it.
(Oh! I see, stuff it. I see, now. All right.)
Entry 12299
You can take lemons. Well, that makes you - if you going up the street right now and you got a big transaction on with a person. You take a lemon, just take a lemon and take all the peeling off the lemon. Don't break the white part of that lem- on. See, just take all that yellow peel off the lemon and take that lemon and sew it up. Rub it over good. Just rub it over good in your pockets in your hands. And ball that lemon up and put it in your inside coat pocket. Wrap it up in pure white paper with no marks or nothing on it - pure white paper. Wrap that lemon up. And on your Way down [to business transaction] just take the lemon and pass it through your hands, rub it over your hands good and put it in your inside [pocket]. Wear it on your right side, in your inside coat pocket, or your right side of your right pants pocket. But if you peel that lemon and break that white - that white skin on the inside of that yellow skin - well that lemon is no good to you. Get you a lemon and don't break that skin. Peel it off careful, but don't break through it so the juice will run off. But take that yellow peel off the outside and wrap that lemon up. Wipe that lemon off good with sugar. Rub it over good with sugar and wrap it up good in a piece of red flannel and rub it through your hands. And when you go there [place of business transaction] go in the lavatory or any private place and take that lemon out of that flannel again and rub it. Or take plain white paper. If you don't use red flannel, use plain white paper. Don't use no paper with no marks or nothing on it. No yellow or no colored paper at all. If you don't use white paper, get you a piece of red flannel and wrap it in there and go down the street with it. And as you go to the lavatory take that flannel or that paper off and just rub it over your hand again - before you go on with any business transaction - with the lemon. (What do you go and do that in the lavatory for?) [Informant has me going around in circles!] Well, you just freshen your hands up. Freshen your hands up with this. Con- tinually rub your hands, keep awashing that lemon against your hands.
(Well, what do you do that for?)
Well, that gives you a power over the man that you got a business deal with.
(Oh! I see. You do that until you get his....)
Keep awashing that lemon on your hands - like you get - like you know, you going to the next corner here, and you coming to the place, or you are in a bar, or any private place.
(You do it in secret so he can't see you.)
Yeah, you just do it in secret - just any place for secrecy. That's all.
Entry 12300
Take nine pins an' stick them into a lemon. See, stick dem nine pins into a lemon an' squeeze it good an' well. It will give yo' power. Give yo' influence to accomplish whut yo' desires to make yore fren' or whoevah yo' concerned with - make dem come to yore request.
Entry 12301
Pass a hole into a lemon an' squeeze de juice out of it an' full it up wit sulphur an' brimstone an' salt. Take nine pins an' put through it an' den wrop it up jes' as tight as yo' kin, an' tie nine knots in it - into de string dat yo' wrop aroun' it. An' stick nine pins in it an' go ahead. (What will you do with that then?) Well, jes' carry it with yo'. (What is that supposed to do then?) An' den ah'll go ahead an' attack whatevah busi- ness yo' wanta attack, an' dat supposed to help yo' accomplish it.
(Any favors or anything of that sort?)
Yes.
Entry 12302
Yo' take a lemon an' take a knife, a new knife, an' yo' mark yore vishes, jes' whatevah yo' want to, aroun' an' aroun' dat lemon - befo' six a'clock - aroun' an' roun'. Make all dose wishes, but yo' must be very careful whut chew wishin', 'cause dat's comin', an' yo' stick dat up dere inside de house, not on de outside. Then at six a'clock in de evenin' yo' change it ovah.
(To the west side?)
Stick it up an' let it stay up dere till de next mawnin' at six, then take it down an' git chew anothah lemon. Do that fo' nine mawnin's, an' anything yo' vish fo' will come. (You just take this lemon and then just take a knife and cut a little cut around it?) No, jes." slice it down as yo' wish - slice it down - don't cut it all de way through, an' all roun' dere. Slice it down jes' as many times as yo' Wanta wish. An' take de knife an' stick it right through de mid- dle of it, on de east side of de house, or room, an' let it stay dere till six a'clock in de evening, an' den yo' take it down.
(You stick that knife right into the wall.)
Yes.
(You hold the lemon up and stick the knife through the wall?)
Yes, an' yo' jes' leave de lemon an' de knife sticking right up dere until six a'clock in de evening. Den yo' take it down an' put it up on de west side.
Entry 12303
Ah'll take an' go tuh Krese [Kresge] an' git me a brand-new knife.
(You told her?)
Yes, an' git me a lemon an' cut de lemon up in fine pieces, jes' as many tuh eat. Start off walkin', git off, an' don't pay no attention an' chunk dem lemon seed in behin' 'em. Take dat brand-new knife an bury it under her front do'step: "De Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, ah hope ah nevah see yo' any mo'." (She wanted to get rid of him and she came and asked you how to do it?) Yes.
(She hid that under her own step?)
Yes.
Entry 12304
I've heard that you could sprinkle lemon juice, juniper [berries?] and black pepper, and boil this a half an hour, cook it off, add milk to it, boil it again, put it in a white bottle, a bottle you can see through [a clear glass bottle] and hold it in your hand, and anybody you put it on their hair, all their hair will come out. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone 50.]
Entry 3226
Yo' use a lemon, dat is, if yo' wanta find out if it's anything wrong wit a woman, if she got any kinda disease. Dat is, yo' kin squeeze a little of dat lemon juice on 'er, see. If she got any kinda disease, well she'll holler.
Entry 3227
If yo' be's wit a woman or man an' tuh keep from ketchin' any kinda disease, yo' take a lemon an' squeeze de juice an' bathe yo'self wit it.
Entry 12298
(What do they do with that cat hair?)
They take that cat hair and they put it with a piece of woman's shimmy or petticoat or anything of that kind. Put it into a lemon, throwing it into the Mississippi River, after putting War water in there. They'll keep that woman all upset. If she's gotten a job anywhere, she'll walk away from her job. She'll quit working. Her husband can't do anything to sat- isfy her. Everything that they do it just look like it wrong to her. See. It practically looks like it takes her mind from her. See. She don't have no presence of mind. See. By using it, she have...get a...
(She what?)
Get a animal amibition-like. See.
Entry 1205
Dey supposed to let nobody see it. Dey digs a hole.
(At the forks of the road.) [He had said this before I turned on my machine.]
At de forks of the road - four forks of de road. Dey dig a hole and dey git de red sand. Well, dat is fo' if anybody do anything to yo', yo' know, an' yo' boil it in water with lemons and yo' drink it. Dat is supposed to be if anybody do anything to yo' for bad luck. Jes' like yo' is in bad luck - well, yo' do dat and dat is supposed to cut de bad luck off yo'.
Entry 2818
Yo' use the black candle. Dey says yo' git a lemon an' yo' use cai- yanne peppah, yo' use black peppah, an' de name wrote backwards. Lak mah name is Viola, see - Dorsey, dat's mah name. All right. Well, yo write Dorsey Viola. Each form dey cross it. De name's back- wards, yo' see, an' yo' put de cai-yanne peppah an' all kinds of peppah an' cut that lemon an' put that down in there, yo' see. An' put it upside down, an' yo' put dat black candle on dere. Dat kin be used fo' breakin' up men an' wimmin - yo see, lak a man is with anothah woman. Mah husban' would be wit anothah woman an' he wus tryin' tuh fo'saken me an' ah'd break dem up. Well, yo' kin use a black candle an' [or] yo' kin use a green candle - dat's fo' sweetenin', yo' see. An yo' use dat upside down - stead of usin' de stem [wick] yo' use it upside down an' light dat candle into a tin cup, yo' see, but down in dat lemon - an' de name down in de lemon. (Whose name would you write? Your husband's name in there and this woman's name? Both?) Yes, but write 'em backwards an' crossways. See, heah ah come [demonstrates]. Lak it's me, yo' see, ah come straight. Heah de husban' right cross dere, but it all must be backwards. Let de las' name be de first, an' de first name be las'.
(How long do you burn that candle on there?)
Well, you burn that candle. Dey supposed tuh burn it nine days - nine days dat's tuh break 'em up.
(Do you light it any particular time? Put it out any particular time?)
Well, no, she goes out herself. Now, yo' see yo' light that light at six a'clock. She supposed tuh burn from six tuh six, yo' see, if it's not too warm, or not too much air dat would git to it. See, burn it from six tuh six an' if yo' wanted to, jes' keep it on till it burn, until it six in de night. She burn it from six dat mawnin' till dat night. She put it agin at six in de evenin' an' keep a'goin' till dose nine days is up.
(You say that you would use a green candle if you wanted to break them up?)
That's fo'saken 'em.
(And you use a black candle if you want to do what?)
Tuh break 'em up, too. Dat's breakin' up, too; green an' black. Dat's right.
Entry 2926
(Tell me the whole thing all over again about that doll baby. What did they do with that?) You see, you takes a doll - you make it like in the shape of a person. Then you put my name - put the name there. Write your name all along there. Well, I name this person such-and-such a name - that's the person. Well, you'll take that doll and you'll put it in a box. Well, every morning you take that and you'll take a black candle and you'll set that doll, set that down there, put it on top of the box, but with the person's name who you want to do that to. Then you do that for nine mornings, and after that, you'll take that doll and you'll put - make a little coffin and you'll put that doll in a coffin, and you get you nine red beans and you put 'em in there, and then you'll take that person's name and then with that doll, and you'll take and take a lemon and you'll bury that doll. But you see, the doll don't get in the lemon, but you'll put their name and put that doll in the ground, and then put their name and the lemon on top of it and bury it.
(What will that do?)
Well, that make 'em all upset - that will make 'em wander, see.
Entry 2931
Lak if ah wus goin' tuh co't today, ah'd go tuh de rivah an' ah'd git me - lak if ah had tuh go tuh co't tomorrow, ah'd go tuh de rivah tonight, see. Well de watah's muddy. Ah'd git me a quart bottle of watah. An' ah'd take me about a nickel of sugah, white sugah, an' ah'd put in dere. Ah'd take a lemon an' ah'd open it an' ah'd squeeze de juice of dat lemon in dere. Ah would take de judge's name, see. Lak if his name is Judge Andrews, ah'd take his name. See, dat'd be fo' mahself, an' some honey an' some sugah. Write his name an' git me a white candle.
(Would you write his name just once?)
Well, dat's all jis' in a co't case. Er, no, yo' write his name nine times on de piece of papah.
(How would you write it?)
Well, yo' kin write - fo' de judge, yo' write it [demonstrates] disaway an', write it disaway an' that way an' come back an' write it that way.
(Cross it.)
Yes. An' yo' leave that burn at night, an' leave dat lemon - dat watah from de rivah set there to that lemon. Tomorrah mawnin' when yo' git up tuh git ready tuh go tuh co't, yo' take some of dat watah an' yo' drink it, a glassful, of dose little glasses - take one lak dat full [demonstrates] an' drink dat. An' when yo' be goin' out, yo' leave from de house, yo' take de rest of de watah an' throw it behin' yo', but don't nevah look aroun' - jis' throw dat behin' yore back, see. An' when yore case come up, well, he'll keep on settin' it back. He'll nevah call yo', jis' keep on settin' it back until yore case nevah be called again. Dat makes yo' win de case - it nevah be's called. (Now when you burn that candle, do you burn it just a little bit or burn it all night long?) Yo' let it burn all night long till, yo' know until it burns down.
Entry 2982
Take yore pitchure an' burn candles on yore pitchure. Well, if dey Want it fo' good, dey use it wit sugah or honey. If not, if dey want it fo' bad, dey take dat candle - dey take de bottom part of dat candle an' cut it an' dat's de part dey light, light it bottom upwards. Dey put dat candle in a lemon an' set dat lemon on yore pitchure. Dat's whut dey do when dey wanta burn it tuh give yo' a headache or any kinda misery or anything lak dat - burns de candle bottoms upwards on top of dat pitchure.
(Do they use any particular color or does it make any difference?)
Well, dey - yo' kin use white. It's jes' as good as any othah color. Yo' use black if yo' wants tuh run 'em away.
(Do you light that candle at any particular time?)
Six in de mawnin', twelve at noon an' six at night. Ketch watah. Take an' leave yore haid - hol' yore haid down anywhere where yo' kin have some watah run on it. Ketch it in a pan an' take dat watah an' put it in a bottle. An' git chew nine needles an' nine tacks an' nine pins dat's nevah been used. Write dere name down nine time an' take dat bottle an' put some cayenne peppah an' table salt in it an' turn dat bottle - stop it up an' turn dat bottom upwards an' dat will put any candle out. An' yo' take yore left-foot shoe an' turn it bottom upwards under de side of de bed where yo' sleep at night. An' draw a glass of watah befo' de sunrise, an' put dat glass of watah undah yore bed an' when de sun goin' down, yo' throws it ovah yore left shoulder.
(What will that do?)
Dat puts de candles out. (That's another way of putting it out. Those are two different Ways of putting the candle out?) Both. All those ingredients goes tugethah. Yes, yo' see, when yo' usin' de watah, when yo' got de name in de watah, yo' gotta have dat shoe. Yo' take dat shoe an' turn dat shoe bottom upwards undah yore bed on de side where yo' sleep. Yo' draw a glass of watah befo' sunrise an' yo' leave it stay undah de side of de bed where yo' sleep till aftah de sun goes down. When de sun goin' down, yo' stan's an' yo' throws dat watah ovah yore left shoulder an' don't cross it [walk over it] - no suh, yo' don't look back at it.
(All that will put the candle out.)
Entry 8515
Dey use coconuts fo' diff'ren things. Yo' kin kill a person wit a coconut an' yo' kin kill 'em wit a lemon.
(Well, how would you kill them?)
Wit de coconut? Well, say fo' instance, if somebody is got a grudge 'ginst yo' an' dey don' lak yo', an' dey wants tuh git up tuh yo' an' put chew tuh death. Dey gits de coconut an' take one of de eyes out of it, an' write chure name in dere wit a indelibin [in- delible] pencil. [The name is written on a piece of paper, which is inserted through eye hole into coconut and corked up.] Shet it up right tight [close opened eye] an' throw it in driftin' watah an' let hit go. Well, when dat in- delibin pencil [written name] commence tuh meltin' away [because of the coconut milk or juice] yo' begin tuh takin' a pain heah [demonstrates] see.
(Up in the head.)
Yassuh. Begin tuh take a pain in yore haid an' when de last lettah's [last letter of name is] gone, yo' gone. De same way wit a lemon, de same thing wit a lemon. A lemon will knock yo' out mo' quickah, kill yo' mo' quickah.
(Why is that?)
Well, it's de acik [acid] in it. See, de acik in it.
Entry 8656
Just like if yo' wanta dere's a woman dat ah was livin' wit an' she's livin' wit someone else an' ah want tuh put 'em in hot watah. What ah mean, ah want tuh keep 'em afightin' dat dey can't git along. Ah go an' ah gets me a lemon, an' ah cuts dis lemon open. Ah get me a fresh box of cayenne peppah an' gunpowdah. Ah mix 'em up de same amount an' puts it intuh dis lemon. An' ah puts dere name in it. Dat is if ah ain't got none of 'er wearin' [clothes], see. Ah buries dis upside down. Every mornin' ah boils me a pot of watah 'fore sunrise an' ah pours it on dat. Yo' see. An' dat keeps 'em in a uproar all de time.