Subject:Light
Entries
Entry 390
I'll tell you one thing that I have heard. A long time ago people used to bury their money instead of putting it in the banks. The person that buried the money believed that if they killed someone or an animal and cut the animal's head off or the person's head off and bury the head with the money that it would keep someone else from getting the money. At a place on the road [Maryland State Road No. 12] between Snowhill and Salisbury, near the Worcester County line, there's a tree, an oak I think, where they claim that somebody was buried. And this man - this was before the Civil War, killed a little colored boy and cut his head off and buried it with the money. Later on people heard about this money being buried there and a number of them tried to get it. Everyone who tried to dig up this money never succeeded and the belief was that this head protected the money and kept the people from getting it. They claim that on certain nights, especially dark nights, people going along this road from Snowhill to Salisbury see a little light like and this light seems to flicker and it is near this tree. They claim that that's the way you know money is buried there. Well, one man, I don't know whether it is true or not, tried to dig up this money. So he took some other man with him to help him. So they dug and dug under this tree and they almost got to the money and just as he looked up he claimed that he saw a sword suspended by a hair from the limb of the tree and he claims that he heard a voice say, "If you touch the money the sword will drop." His companions also saw and heard the same thing and they left him and ran away. But he stayed as long as he could but it seems that something Was holding him back all the time. But he didn't get this money. One night [1935] I was driving along that way and it was a very rainy night and dark and it seemed as though we could see this light twinkling. It might have been my imagination. They called it the money gold light.
Entry 2890
Get the rose incense, you know, and smoke your house up for luck and use dragon's blood. Have you ever heard talk of dragon's blood? [I must have nodded yes, because I mention dragon's blood in FACI, 1st ed.,1935, No.9379, p.501.] You take that [demonstrates] and scratch it like that on the stove, and like you Wanta wish for something at the time, you set your purple light and you know, use the dragon's blood. Like you got a stove or any hot oven, you know, just scratch it on the stove just like that - it smokes at the time, you know, and that's very, very lucky.
Entry 2943
If I was burning a candle on you here and you'd be in Chicago, the way to make that candle go out, if it was an evil [candle] - if it would be working - if it was a black candle and [or] it would be a red candle - [I] would be burning that candle on you. And the moment you burn an evil candle on you, why it starts with a head - you have a ten- dency to have a headache. That's first starting off you have headaches. Well you light that black candle. I turns around - the moment I find out I may go to some hoodoo or go to a fortune- teller, and she might ketch the vibration right away, if she's pretty well up on clairvoyance work, the first thing she would offer up, that is, to set a pure white light. Then sends her thought direct with concentrating and with will power, and demand- ing whatsomever she desire with controlling power, and that light immediately over there - after she would burn her light one inch - it would say - Pop! - pop! - pop! Burn down at once. It won't go out, though - it just burn clean down. Now, I've seen that over there at de house,1917, right here in Lafayette Street.
(That candle that's burning against you would melt right away?)
Melt jist like - right down like that, just push down.
(It would give her controlling power?)
Yeah, controlling power - using controlling in dealing direct with the astral plane.
Entry 8189
De photograph dey turnt it upside down in a dark room, night er day. Light a lamp, turn [down] a lamp an' make a slow light, yo' know, by de photo- graph. Dat git chew worried an' yo' come home. Dat gotta take tuh bring yo' home. [To turn a photo upside down in a dark room before lighting the lamp confuses the spirit of the photo.]
Entry 122
My mother said, about three days before she died, she saw a light in the room and this light kept going around the room. She followed it all around the room with her eyes. We asked her what she was looking at. She said she saw this light. When anybody in the family was going to die, my mother would always see a light in the room - then she knew there was no hope for them. [New York City, (1), by hand; Wilmington, N. Car.,1930. I interviewed all my Wilmington infor- mants in this house - see note preceding No.1.]
Entry 124
A man once told me that a spirit made a remark that he would be home on a certain night. He told his people exactly how he would come. He would appear in a light on the wall. When the hour arrived he really came just as he said. That night he played all around the room just as he already said, then quietly went out and did not return.
Entry 125
I do know a story about a church up here. This church is near Shelby- ville, Delaware. At present this church is closed. And in this church there is a very large Bible. And they say that anyone who goes in there and tries to carry this Bible out, they will not be able to get away further than the door. There are certain cases where people actually tried to take this Bible out and the person claimed that it became so heavy that finally they would have to drop it before they got to the door. And on other occasions before, they claim that motorists who pass there in the evening see lights in the church and they can hear people talking and singing.
Entry 126
This is about a old cemetery. It was on a farm in the State of Virginia below Suffolk. This farm was owned by a white man. His name was John H. He had four sons. They were very brave boys. They used to tell me of a light that would arise from the cemetery on a damp or rainy night. This light would go about four feet in the air and then disappear. They offered to pay me money to go there but I would not go. One offered me five dollars to hang my hat on a tombstone but I would not do it.
Entry 135
If you meet a jack-a-ma-lantern, you pull off your coat and turn it wrongside out and put it on again; then he would drop into the ground, his light wouldn't burn, and he would stop following you.
Entry 12464
In case - accordin' tuh whut kinda case it is. If somebody is trying cuh take de advantage of yo' an' dey should have done dey [work] again' yo' in de daytime, yo' have tuh do yore work ahead of daytime. If yo' don't, yo' can't cut 'em off. Well, yo'd have tuh do it all befo' de sunrise in most any case - it would have tuh be done. Well, now, fo' an instance, if somebody had put sompin heah tuh keep yo' from comin' heah. Well, now, if yo' put it in aftah sunrise yo'd have tuh do yorn ahead of sunrise. Yo' could maybe move dat an' yo' could come heah an' stay, but yo'd have tuh do whatsomevah yo' goin' do or whatsomevah it take tuh move de case. Be ahead of sunrise. If yo' didn't - if de sun evah risen on his'n why yorn wouldn't work. De sunlight work it. Now ah've got de 6th an' 7th Book of Moses at de house an' dere's a whole lots of things in dere dat ah really don't understand!
Entry 12701
To have good luck befo' sunrise read the 33rd Psalm - read it befo sunrise. Jes' git up an' light your lantern an' read the 33rd Psalms. Ah do's that now. An' it gives yo very good luck an' blessings through de day.
Entry 467
They said there was some men traveling and they had no place to stay: They came to this house. This man told them there was a house there and there couldn't nobody stay in it. He give them some matches to make them a fire, he give them some potatoes and said they could roast them if they Wanted to. They made a fire and roasted these potatoes. Something came down the chimley and scratched the fire out. They had nerve enough to make the fire again. They scratched the fire out again. They decided they Wouldn't make the fire again. They blowed the light out. They lit the lamp and they blowed that out. They said they wouldn't light the lamp again. So they laid down to go to sleep. One man watched. After awhile a whole lot of people came in and began to dance. Then they went out and brought the card table in and began to play cards. Then they went out. And after awhile - this man was still watching - the door flew open. He fastened the door and the door flew open a second time. He fastened it a third time and the door blew open again. Then he happened to look up and this cat had her paw through the door. He said, "Now, I'm going to get that." He got up and goes around the side of the house and taken his knife and whacked off the paw. The ring dropped on the floor. He taken the ring up and put it in his pocket. So the next morning he walks on up to the house and this man says, "Well, you made a night of it." He says, "Yes sir." He said, "Well, did you see anything?" He said, "A plenty. There's one thing I want to tell you. Look what I got," and he held the ring up. He said, "Let me see that. Do you mind if I show this to my wife?" 'Not at all if you bring it back." So he went upstairs. And his wife was in bed. He said, "Haven't you got up yet?" She said, "Go away, I don't feel well." He said, "Look, I got something to show you." "Go on away from here, I don't want to see nothing." He pulled her over and took her by her hand and her finger was gone. That was his wife's ring. He said, "Well, if that's what you are, I'm going." So he left her. I heard that story ever since I was a little girl [in Orange County, Virginia,1886].
Entry 129
What they tell me about a jack-o'-lantern, it's like a ghost, just as ragged as they could be. They carry a light, and they would lead you in the Worsest briers and brambles they could find, and all through water to terrify you. They say they would laugh at you.
Entry 3020
Most every home you go in, you be looking up to see saints over the door. Now, some people use a little glass like this, but it's about that high. They burns a candle in there, you understand. The candle is about that big: (A large candle?) A large candle about that [high]. (Like they have in the Roman Catholic Church - those little fat candles in little colored blue and red glasses?) Yes, red glasses. Now, them is for if you out of a job. You use one of them at a picture they call Mother Catherine.
(Mother what? Mother Catherine?)
Yeah, Catherine. Now, you put that - put that saint there and put that candle there. You got the saint up over the candle, you see, when that burns.
(You have the saint right over the candle?)
You see, this light is supposed to give life to the saint. (Wait a minute! When that is lighted it is supposed to give life to the saint?) To make him awake, you understand. You see, the saint ain't no good if you don't burn this light.
(The saint is no good unless you burn that light?)
Unless you burn that light. See, that gives life to the saint. Now, on this side you ought to have a green piece of grass - you know, like you use on All Saints Day. You use what you call palmetto - not palmetto but it's a green leaf. They use that right on the side.
(Palm leaf?)
The palm leaf. You see, you use that on the side so the saints - you know, most of the saints got a piece of green in his hand and this here green that you use would give affection [reflection or sympathy] to the green that he has in his hand. [Your piece of green is opposite green in statue or picture.] And this candle keeps life in him, and make it work, you understand.
(Well, in particular what is the candle burned for?)
If you are out of a job or you want a job or if you are in need. And you using this here through the power of God and this saint, it let you increase something every day to live off of. That what you burn this candle for.
Entry 5540
Now, dey kin take dat foot track of yores an' use it jis' lak dey wan'a. Well, dey takes a knife an' a rule an' measure yore foot tracks an' print it on a piece of papah. Den yo' carries de name. Jis' lak yo' say, ah wan'a do as ah wan'a wit dis person. Yo' carry de name three times. Write yore name. (They measure that foot track with the ruler and then take a piece of paper, a piece of paper the length of the foot track.) Dat's right an' den dey take yore name an' dey draws yore name in a box, in a square, in the box, diamond and heart. Dey write yore name. Yore name would be Jones Johnson. Dey put it backwards, yore name would be Johnson Jones, yo' undahstan'. An' dey cast dat in de light in de lamp, an' have yo' do jis' whut dey want yo' tuh do. Dat's right, dat's fer quick wishes.
Entry 8581
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' write that down nine times on a piece of brown paper an' yo' fold it. Always fold it to yo'. Bring it to yo'. Make a wish every time yo' fold it. Wish that. An' put that in a lamp an' burn it. (Just burn the light in there?) Burn it, a low light all day. Never let it go out. And if yo' see it ain't workin' quick enough, then yo' take an' get yo' a candle. An' get yo' a pink candle an' bite de [bottom] end off it an' light it. An' put that - lay that [paper with names] down under it an' set that [candle] right on top like that.
(What do you mean bite the end off it?)
Just take it in your teeth and bite the [bottom] end off, that end what lights. Light it from de other end. Then take a knife an' cut down - make it, light it from de bottom.
(I see, turn the candle upside down.)
Entry 8588
Then if ah want this woman an' ah can't get to her, ah kin take mah e 'er name first at de top, my name second at de bottom, her name third an' my name fourth. See, ah ain't got to write it but four times. An' ah fold dat papah. Every time ah fold dat papah, ah fold it to me, an' ah leave it wit three corners, an' have all three of those corners turned to me. An' ah put dat in de lamp, an' ah lights dat lamp, an' ah'll burn dat lamp slowly. Ah turn dat lamp on at seven o'clock. (Seven o'clock in the morning or the evening?) Seven o'clock in de mawn- in'. Ah burn dat lamp slowly till six in de evening. Den ah turn dat lamp down low. See, ah won't blow dis lamp out. Instead of me blowing de lamp out, ah ketch it an' pinch de wick of it. An' see every time ah pinch de wick of it, dat makes it burn on your mind. Dat burn yore name into mine an' my name into yours. Well, dat draws de mind of yo' to me, see. Dat drawin' yore mind.
(You pinch the wick out?)
Ah pinch de wick out.
(Out of where?)
Pinch it plumb out, pinch it till it goes out. See.
(I see.)
As long as it burn - pinching on dat wick [demonstrates] ah'll pinch dat lamp, pinch dat wick plumb out.
(You pinch it with both hands?)
Yassuh, wit both hands till ah pinch it out.
Entry 8591
~ Den if he's in Chicago, Detroit, or any place, sits down an' gits chew a clean sheet of papah, an' write his name nine times on dat piece of papah. An' aftah writin' it nine times, yo' walks tuh de do' an' yo' says de Lord's Prayer nine times. Takes an' lights yore lamp an' put it in dat lamp, an' 'bout one grain of sugah in dere. Yo' know whut ah mean, not a grain but nearly 'bout a half a teaspoonful, into dat lamp wit dat coal oil in it. Light dat lamp an' turn it down real low, an' burn dat fo' nine days, nine days an' nights, an' wherevah he may be, he come dere. He cain't stay away.
Entry 8593
Git nine matches an' yo' put 'em in a lamp wit coal oil an' yo' write de name of de person yo' workin' 'em on nine times, an' yo' burn dat. Dat's fo' peace. (You put these matches right in the oil?) In de oil, an' yo' write de name nine times on a piece of new tablet dat nevah been used, an' yo' fold it to yo' nine times an' yo' drop it down in dere, an' yo' fill dat lamp fulla oil, fresh oil. An' yo' burn it nine times. Jes' let it burn low. Yo' blow it out an' light it. Let it burn three hours at de time each day. Light it at nine a'clock an' let it burn three hours, at nine a'clock in de mawnin', an' burn it three hours. Den yo' put it out. Den yo' burn it ag'in de next mawnin' fo' [from] nine. Well, dat's peace. In nine days peace is in yore home.
(How long did you say you burn that?)
Fo' nine days.
Entry 8602
Ah tole yo' yo' could wirte de person's name or yo' could eithah use a picture of this person, and you plaster this on this parchment paper. You write de name down under that. (You write the name on the parchment paper and then you put the picture down on top of that?) Dat's right, yo' can sew it down or plaster it down so it will be combined together. (Face down or up.) Face it inside next to de lamp, yo' see. Don't have it outside. Then yo' light that lamp if this person is away an' YO' SET THAT IN THE CLOSET SOME PLACE AN' SET IT BURNING. See, where nO one will suspicion. An' they will continue to be worried, their mind will be towards yo'. Well, they will eventually come. They are supposed tuh come in de course of nine days.
Entry 8611
I wouldn't have to come back over this at all would I? Yo' know, there wouldn't be no hereafter [bad consequences for me] about it would there? (Oh! No! No! You just simply tell me as if you were talk- ing to anybody on the street or to any of your friends.) [This is the latter part of the preliminary. conversation I had with all informants as soon as they entered the interviewing room. These becoming-acquainted conversa- tions Varied in length and substance. UNFORTUNATELY IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME YEARS AGO THAT ANYONE, EVEN MYSELF YEARS LATER, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THESE PREPARATORY DETAILS. FORTUNATELY, HOWEVER A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MY CONVER- SATIONAL METHODS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED IN THE INTERVIEWS THEMSELVES. Well, ah tell yuh, ah have heard 'em say that they could write his name nine times, de husband's name. De wife could do dis. She could write his name nine times an' then she would write her name nine times across his, so that his name Would be first and be lookin' up towards her. An' put it in de bottom of a lamp, oil-boinin' lamp, an' let this boin an' refill de lamp. Jes' put it in de bottom of a lamp under de wick an' as dat boin - let this boin night an' day, an' finally, they say, yo' know, dat he'll come home.
(Do you put that piece of paper in the lamp in any particular way?)
Yo' jes' drop it - let this writin' be up. De writin' must be up. (Do you put the oil in the lamp before you put the note in or do you put the note in and then put the oil on top of it?) [There is no answer and I did not continue for one that evidently would have been a guess or made no difference.]
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 10113
You get hold of a cat to do different things with. You can use a - take a cat, a black cat. You take a black cat and you kill the black cat. And you kill this black cat, you boil it. And you take a bone from him after you boil 'em. You boil 'em until every bit of the meat [here, having heard this much many times, I stopped recording. The words "round bone" restarted machine].
(You get that round bone, you say?)
Yes, sir. (Any kind of a - you mean a bone like the tip of your finger, or it's round that way?)
[Here I may have demonstrated a circle.]
Yes, sir.
(Then do you do anything with that bone?)
I'll cut four corners in it.
[Informant must have gone through motions of filing.]
(Then you file those?)
I'd file the sides, make it good and round. I don't want no rough edges, no corners on it at all. (Oh, I see, you round each end of that round bone?) Yes, sir. (I see.) Then I... [pauses]. (Then what do you do?) Then I'm going to cut it. You see, I cut it [demon- strates] thisaway; cut it like that, and then disaway. (Make four notches in it?) Four notches on each end. Now, when I get them four notches in this bone, I take - well, I get me a piece of silk thread. See, I get silk thread and I'm going to wrap that bone thisaway nine times into them notches. (Now, this bone is like the little stick that you wrap your fishing cord around?) Yes, sir.
(You have the notches - the notches don't run round the [thickness of the]
bone, but it [the notch] goes out to the end [the length] of the bone.) My notches come on the end, you see, and my notches set like this [demon- strates]. See, I got four notches on each end.
(I see, go ahead.)
See, the notches cut in the bone cross the two ends thisaway, see [demon- strates]. Well, I'm using this bone different. I'm going to wrap this bone thisaway [demonstrates]. (You only have two notches in that bone, in the end of that round - it's like a cross [+] on each end of the bone?) Yes, sir.
(0r like grooves, one groove across the other one.)
Yes, sir. They cross.
(That makes four grooves?)
Yeah, four grooves.
(All right.)
Well, I'll take and use silk thread; see, blue or pink. I take and I cross it this way for nine times. I wrap it for nine times thataway and then I come back nine times thisaway. I gets me [I interrupt to annote]. (You wrap the thread nine times around one of those notches at each end and you turn around like that and wrap it nine times through the other notches in the opposite end?) You see, I'm wrapping it by the straight...
(I understand that.)
Jest come down straight thisaway, not thisaway.
(I understand.)
Thisaway. And I get me - after I wrap it around that bone, I get the thread around the bone thataway, I go and I get me some of this war powder. I'll get me war powder and with this powder that I'll scrape off of this bone, I'm going to mix that together, see. I lay this bone into a piece of silk paper.
(What kind of paper?)
Silk.
(Silk paper.)
Silk paper, see. And I lay that bone in there and I gets me one of these small candles. Small candles. You know them little bit of yellow candles. They are about three for a nickel.
(How high are they?)
They little bit of candles about this [high].
(Oh, just small candles. All right.)
Little small candles, about little bit bigger than a match stick. They about that long. Get you one of those - three, I mean. And I'm going to lay two - one on each side of this thing - this bone, you see. But I'm going to lay it in a Way, I'm going to put it in a frame-like, but it ain't going to burn, and I'm going to light them candles. Light all three of them, but I'm going to light two here and I'm going to light one on the top.
(You have these candles in a triangular form, and the bone's inside the form?)
In the center. I lights those and now when I lights these, I let 'em burn. I light 'em at twelve o'clock in the day. Every day for twelve o'clock - no more, no less. I light 'em at twelve an' let 'em burn 'till about twelve-thirty, see. Twelve- thirty, if the work ain't done, I put 'em out, an' the next day I light 'em at twelve-thirty. And then for about three or six days, whatsomever I'm after, it's got to come in the six days. In the sixth day I get whatsomever I'm after. (Here's your - now, let me talk. Here's your cat bone - it's round like that. [I should have given description!] You file off both ends and you make the both ends round. Then you make a groove, you put a cross on top of the groove. At each end make a groove. Then you wrap the thread nine times around this way and nine times around that way - just like you wrap fishing tackle.) That's right.
(All right.)
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 13431
Jes' lak yo' may have people in New York or othah foreign distance place, an' yo' want 'em tuh come home or yo' want tuh see 'em. Yo' take a clean watah glass an' yo' full dat glass wit watah an' yo' take dat, glass right be- hin' de lamp - see. Dat lamp should be shaded very plain - no flowah or nuthin', jes' a plain white shade, yo' know, a plain glass. Jes' have it clean. Yo' know, sterilize it so yo' kin see through it. An' have dat glass full of watah, an' yore lamp shade is clean so yo' kin see through dat. Den yo' take a lookin' glass an' put behin' dat watah, understan'. An' yo' jes' always say, "Come home." Call dem by dere name, 'Come home, come home. Ah vants tuh see yo', ah wants tuh see yo'." An' dey'll appeah right in dat watah behin' dat lookin' glass. Ah'm tellin' yo' dem things, ah've done it mahself.
(The lamp is lighted?)
Yessuh, gotta be light. An' do it midnight in de night.
Entry 3054
De saints dat de womens work with, into keepin' her man into her life - lak if a woman wanta keep a man an' she don't wanta give a man no filth tuh eat, or fix a man with no scrapin's offa his feet or his hat. Well, she keeps a light burnin' tuh St. Rita. St. Rita keeps de do's open fo' dis Woman, because her sympathy is with de woman jes' lak Noah wus fo' de world. He cried fo' de world jes' lak St. Rita is fo' de woman. She's something lak Noah. She a passionly [patiently] person an' lak tuh see de homelight burnin'. Long as yo' keep a light burnin' tuh her she'll he'p yo', an' if yo' been burnin' lights to her an' don't believe her, she'll he'p yo' right on.
Entry 131
[An old woman (my informant) said that jack-o'-lanterns were little people, misshapen and browned-skinned who carried small lanterns with them at night while out hunting. The following day they spent their time cooking what had been caught the preceding evening. They never appeared during the day, and at night if you meet them they were harmless.] [I discovered after the informant had left that I had failed to record this information on the Ediphone - I wrote up the account immediately.]
This is an immediate written account by the author of information he says was not recorded on the Ediphone.
Entry 3055
(St. Rita?)
Well, she don't like men. I [a woman] never have prayed to her, never have gived her a light and no kind of novenas.
(Why is that?)
Because she don't like men.
The speaker denies giving a light; the saint name appears in the interviewer question.