Subject:Match
Entries
Entry 591
Take matches, yessuh, an' put 'em in a shoe an' take his shoes an' place 'em undah de head of yore bed an', if yo' wanta find if it's a person whether yo' goin' tuh marry 'em or not, an' yo' cross those shoes an' place 'em jes' lak a T an' don't say a word to anybody when yo' goin' tuh bed, an' yo'll dream yo' goin' tuh marry dat person. Yo'll dream about 'em that night.
(You put matches in each shoe. How many do you put in each shoe?)
Yes, in each shoe. Yo' put three matches in each shoe.
(Lighted or unlighted?)
No - unlighted.
Entry 2098
(Tell me that again. You do what?)
Take nine matches or three matches when yo'd have a case in co't. Yo' take dese three matches or nine matches an' tie 'em together jest in a bundle like that. When yo' go to de co'thouse an' dey call yore case, an' when de judge sit on dat case dere be nine or three of 'em will hang fo' yo' - in yore favor. An' dey'll have a mistrial every time 'cause dey never do agree an' dere a couple of mistrials on dat case. (What do you do with those nine matches or three matches? What do you do with them after you get them tied up?) Yo' tie 'em up together an' den yo' jest keep dem dressed wit dis Hearts Per- fume. Dis Heart Perfiome is always good in anything dat chew have to dress. (And then after you have them dressed what do you do? Do you keep them or carry them with you? That's what I am trying to find out.) Carry 'em in yore pocket.
Entry 3161
Take two match sticks an' two needles, two new needles, an' take dese two needles an' stick 'em each into each end of de match stick. An' take a new piece of thread an' tie it [the 2 matches] in a cross, an' hide it up under yore girl friend's bed or somepin like dat. An' dey say she wouldn't have no courage for no guys or nuthin like dat, an' you could walk right in an' ketch 'em right at de work.
Entry 3837
I heard say yo' kin take a match an' trim de haid all off real close, sharpen 'er right down on dat point, an' pick yore fingah wit it an' carry it. An' if yo' stick it in a girl enough fo' it tuh bleed, dey say dat she'll love yo'. Den keep de match stem wit de blood on it.
Entry 4772
Co'se sometime it be a hard proposition, but still yuh kin win. When- somevah yuh goes fo' a job, yuh have yore clothes, yore undahwears turn on de wrong side. Den when yuh speak tuh 'im, yuh have a match-stick, anythin' lak dat, in yore mouth, an' yuh talkin' tuh 'em. He won' turn yuh down. He'll tell yuh, "if it's any way dat ah kin put chew tuh work, " an' If it's possible why yuh'll git a job.
Entry 4926
(All right, you are going to tell me another way now.)
Aftah yuh run off - de party done run off. Well, what bring 'er back home. She run off an' yuh wan'a git 'er back home. Yuh take her stockin' an' fold it nine times.
(How do you fold it nine times?)
Fol' de stockin' - yuh see yuh take it an' fold it from de bottom, yuh see, where de foot is.
(Yes?)
Jis' make a fold. Fold it. Yuh see jis' [demonstrates]: dat's one, two, three, fo', five, six, seven, eight, nine. See, evah time yuh make it, yuh make a fold, jis' like yuh fold in dere. See, jis' like yuh take dis here [demon- stratesl, dat's one, see. Den take yuh a pan an' lay dat stockin' in it. (Any kind of pan?) Any kin'a pan. Lay dis stockin' in it an' yuh burn it intuh ashes. Take a match, git - no, yuh take nine matches, Searchlight-head Matches, an' fold it inside dat stockin', see. An' as yuh fol' dem nine matches in dere, an' den yuh take one an' light it, an' let it burn intuh ashes. An' den yuh take dem ashes an' dat pan an' bury it undah yore back steps. Dig yuh a hole an' bury dem ashes undah dat back steps An' if she done lef' home, I'll betcha she'll come back.
(I see.)
She'll come back.
(You fold those nine matches into stocking?)
Nine matches an' nine folds in de stockin'.
(Do you put those nine matches all together, or what?)
Jis' lay 'em tuhgethah inside an' fol' de stockin' nine times.
(Well, what stockings do you use? Both stockings or what?)
One.
(Which one?)
De lef' stockin'.
(Oh, the left stocking. I see.)
Entry 4989
Yuh take nine needles an' put 'em crossways in de sock, an' put red peppah, garlic an' dese little nets dat yuh buy from de drug sto'.
(Hair nets.)
Yuh take dem an' put 'em in de sock, an' den yuh git some clay dust an' pack it, an' sew dat sock up. Dat's de way yuh fix de sock against matches. Yuh take de same amount of matches. Takes nine matches an' nine needles an' fix 'em in dat sock, an' den sew it up. An' den yuh take dat sock an' jis' throw it up undah de bed, or jis' throw it on up ovah de do'.
(What will happen then?)
Well, dat's tuh bring 'em back. When he do come back, yuh take his cloth an' wear it. Aftah yuh'all have intahco'se, yuh take de cloth an' wear it nine days. An' in de mawnin' aftah yuh wear it nine days, yuh take dat cloth an' wipe his plate out wit it.
(That will hold him there?)
Keep 'im dere.
Entry 5977
Well, dey git de hair out de top of 'is haid. Well dey have tuh have nine stran's of de hair out de top of 'is haid befo' dey kin come tuh make him weak. But de hair got tuh be out de locks befo' he kin come to weak [like] cotton tuh 'er. Dey take an' dey wrap de hair aroun' a match stick, de nine grains [strands] of hair aroun' a match stick, an' dey bury it undah de step Way [where] he got'a come in an' Out. AN' AS HE TRACKS OVAH DAT EVAH TIME, HE'S TAKIN' 'IS OWN STRENGTH. He takes 'is own strength. Yes sir, de locks right in de mole [mold] of yuh haid.
Entry 6854
Got a hollah [hollow = cavity] in yuh teeth, take de haid of a match an' break it off an' put it in dere, in dat hollah, an' jis' let it stay in dere. Dat kill de tooth.
Entry 7171
Yo' take three matches an' cross 'em undah 'is haid - right up undah 'is haid. He'll sleep right dere until she come back an' move dose matches.
Entry 8474
When yo' call a person's spirit, twelve 'clock at night, yo' draws on a person.
(Draw her picture?)
Draw his pichure. Git 'is name an' address. Yo' set [in] a dark room by yo'- self. Yo' take a sheet an' put it ovah yo' haid, wit chure eyes out so yo' kin see. Yo' set a li'le bit of whiskey in a glass [to draw his spirit back, spirits lov- ing whiskey, see ALCOHOL FOR an' yo' gotta memorize de person name, an' yo' call 'is name three times. Durin' de time yo's callin' 'is name, take a needle wit chure lef' han' an' punch nine holes in it. (Nine holes in what?) Nine holes in de pichure, in de form what chew draws. An' when yo' done cut de nine holes in it an' yo' watch de pichure an' blow on it. An' durin' de time aftah yo' done blowin' on it, an' if yo' hit it again tuh [do something] den chew light yo' lamp. Aftah dat, den yo' set a match tuh it. See what side she [match] bendin'; if she bend going, if she bend comin' back. She'll [match will] fall back in yuh hands. If she [match] bend goin', goin' de direc- tion she [or hel was [had departedl. she'll [match'll] fall dat way; an' if she [match leans to] dis side, she'll fall dat side; an' if she's [woman's] comin' back, she'll [match'll] fall right up in de woman form. [She] come right on back tuh you. [Informant alternating the sexes is confusing.] An' durin' de time dat dey bring 'er back, yo' git up an' yo' take yo' dishrag an' wring it ovah de do' an' call 'er name. Dat's cases if she gone an' leave yo'. If she gone an' leave yuh, if she leave any she [not her] clothes in dere lak a dress or pettycoat, lak dat, jes' take an' ball it up an' put it 'neat' chure pillah an' she will come back less dan three day's time, if she's able tuh, if she's in de city.
(That's to bring the woman back. You are calling her spirit back that way.)
Yes sir.
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 8661
Yo' could put three matches, three pods of red pepper, an' a man an' Woman name, an' put it in de 'east [yeast] powder cup [can] an' bury it. That breaks them up. Bury it under de house somewhere, under de steps. "East powder. Yo' know, what dey put, 'east powder in a can, what yo' make bread. Yo' stop it into de can an' bury it anywhere in yore backyard, but say it's best to be under de house.
Entry 8662
Ah kin take three matches an' stick 'em up - see, let de head be up. Yo' may walk by me. Yo' walk on by me. Ah wants to take de upper hand of yo'. Well, now ah'll take dem three matches an' when yo' git by me, if ah know yo' name, ah'll call yore name three times. Yo' Won't look back but one time. De other time yo' ain't going to look back. That's when ah wanta take de upper hand of yo'. WelI, all right, chew go on to de second block or yo' may walk to de third block. Yo' stop, yo' stop right still an' yo'll turn back. But when yo' git back to where ah'm been, ah'm gone; but ah done got de scent of yo' an' yo' do jest what ah want, an' ah kin git anythin' yo' got.
(What do you do with those matches then?)
Ah take dem three matches an' ah'll jes' let 'em - an' call yo' back. Ah'll take dem three matches an' carry dem to my house an' put 'em down an' bury 'em. [The preceding rite evidently derives from the well-known spirit-catching one in which a person's name is called and his answering voice is stopped up in a bottle. Here we catch a passing person's scent by calling his name three times. He does not answer, merely looks round once. I do not recall another example of the rite. The informant, a good one, evidently believes it.]
Entry 8769
All yo' have to do, split dat in fo' parts.
(Split this match in four parts.)
Aftah yo' split 'em in fo' parts, yo' cut de sticks across. Dat will be eight, see. An' aftah yo' cut eight, yo' take one an' cut one in half. Dat'll be ten, see. All right, yo' cut de othah one in half. Dat will be 12 pieces. Dat's even, ain't it? See now, dose [are] twelve. All right, it will be even [number]. An' yo' take dem pieces an' yo' sew it up, yo' sew it up into a piece of cloth. Well, aftah yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth, yo' kin go to dat person house an' stick it in de block of de house [see later] fo' yo' kin bury it undah de block of de house, or yo' kin stick it in a crack [of the house] or somepin lak dat. An' yo' kin walk away. When yo' walk away from de house an' [then you] call dat person three times. See, call dem three times. De next time yo' call loud where he kin hear yo', he'll answer yo', see. Well, yo' got his voice right dere, see.
(What do you do then?)
Well, he come out dere. Yo' kin kill 'im den [not immediately but any time later], if yo' want to [because you have his voice in a bottle] or yo' kin do jes' what yo' want wit 'em [voice and bottle]. [Informant may have mentioned spirit-catching bottle earlier (for how this is done, see margin title TO CATCH A SPIRIT, p.24f. and many places) or he assumed I knew enough about hoodoo to understand what he meant. Since you can stick it in or bury it undah, block of de house refers to the foundation sills under the house, not to the piZlars upon which the small lowland house rests aboveground.]
Entry 8853
Well, ah knew dis much about it, dat dere mo' way 'sposed tuh be of usin' de smoke of nine matches. Dey use de smoke of nine matches intuh a bot- tle an' airtight it. Go tuh work an' git chew a han'writin' an' put it intuh a bottle, an' cut out nine matches an' git de smoke of dose nine matches intuh dat bottle an' airtight it. An' kin throw it intuh runnin' watah. Ah know dat's anothah thing dat will upset chew, block yore game in gamblin'. (HoW will that affect me if they took my handwriting and put in that bottle with that smoke? What would that do to me?) WELL, DAT WILL - DE REALLY FAC' 'BOUT IT, SUH, WILL PIZEN [POISON] YO' WITH ANYONE, 'SPOSED TUH BE DAT CHEW COULDN'T MAKE A TAP [OR TOUCH, PUT THE BITE ON ANYONE] COULDN'T GIT NO ENDS TUH MEET IN [COULD NOT MAKE ENDS MEET] NOWHERE. [I would be in a bad financial condition; could not mub two dimes together. That preceding expression cut out nine matches merely means, take 9 matches out of the matchbox, surely a new box of matches.]
Entry 9848
If yuh boy frien' wz goin' wit somebody an' yo' didn't want 'im tuh go wit 'uh, yo' could git nine red an' white [headed] matches [the red head of the match has a white dot on it], nine goldeye needles, an' nine gourd seeds, an' nine "grains" of dis red peppah.["Grains" are fre- quently used, meaning here seeds or pieces of the pep- per.] Take de inside out. Nine dose grains of dat pep- per. An' take dat an' mix it up all tuhgethah. Stir it up all tuhgethah an' tie it up real tight in a yarn rag. An' soak it in vinegah ovahnight. An' take dat an' t'row it undah somebody's step, whoevah dis boy's goin' wit, if yo' wan'a break 'im off from dis girl. An' he'll nevah go dere no more. He won' ca nuthin about nobody but chew.
Entry 10181
Well, someone says yo' kin take three matches and put in de top of your head, cross 'em - three or four matches. Wear them in de mole of your head. Some says that will put 'em out. (These candles out.) [Here are some of the ways to cross 3 matches or 4 to make these rimless- wheel rites we have met before: see 3 and 6 spoke wheel, No.5720, p.2919; 3 hairs crossing 3 hairs, No.6055, p.2987; six-point star like a wheel, No.8214, p.3447; cross marks 9 in No.8540, p.3515; 2 crossed keys, No.8900, p.3616; wheel with rim No.8946, p.3632; and cross diagram No.9365, p.3756, v.4; and 3 names crossing No.10206, p.3968.]
Entry 10260
Yo' get chureself nine matches.
(Nine ordinary matches?)
Nine ordinary matches and burn each one, an' cross yo'self down dere with dose matches an' read de Ten Commandments. An' every morning you do that for nine mornings, an' the ninth morning, why, you find it different; your nature's come back. "Cause ah've been done that way once an' ah knows. (Just to be sure I understand. Here are the nine matches. I light each one and let it burn [so that each match will become a pencil or mark- erl. Now do I take each match and just make a cross on myself?) Make a cross on it [penis]. (Cross it nine times [all together] with each one of these burnt matches and leave a black mark on it?) That's right, make a black [cross] mark on it. [Somewhere else I may have discussed the match - especially one with a red head - as a phallic symbol. One match is used each day and one cross only is made - 9 matches and 9 crosses.]
Entry 10813
Yo' know if yo' don't want a person round yore place of business or sompin like dat, an' can't keep 'em Way from dere an' want 'em away from dere, it's like ah first said. Whensom- evah he come to yore house, sweep out behin' 'em, out de gate [through door and all way out through gate]. An' don't let no matches go outa yore house atall, till yo' git to sweep behin' dis person. Dat's de only thing ah heard about matches. [Sweeping behind a person is common, but to the present rite a witchcraft ele- ment has been added with the matches. To make your counter spell work, you must not lend anything to a person who may be a witch or at least has a spell of any kind over you. In other words the departing man of this present rite could break the woman's kicking and incantations by successfully borrowing something from her house. Matches could also lend a sexual twist to the present rite.]
Entry 10955
De matches, yo' take - say, fo' ninstan' [for instance] yo's goin' tuh steal some chickens tonight in dis chicken coop out heah, yo' take yo' a box of matches an' yo' wet 'em an' rub 'em in de pam of yore han' an' go on in dere. De chickens cannot holler. No sir, dat sulphur gits right to 'em an' dey can't holler atall. Yo' kin go in dere an' git 'em.
(How many matches did you take, you say?)
Jest a box, a whole box.
Entry 12405
All round where you live [here in New Orleans they throw] the dead- head matches - not the matches that ain't struck - the matches that are al- ready struck. Thrown all around. Will put you in the worst kind of luck, same thing [as something else we were talking about]. Throw them all around your door.
Entry 12406
Take them [matches] and take their heads off and put 'em with Capricorna, and put it in the top [sweatband] of your hat, it will run you crazy.
(Cat foot corner?)
[This is what my transcriber thinks I say, but actually I say the preceding capricorna and informant now tells us what it was.] It's little brown powder just like snuff. [I also add the preceding comment, dust from drug store - hoodoo drug store. I never attempted to investigate these hoodoo drug stores and mail order houses, that would be a life-time task in itself!]
Entry 12407
If yo' take mat- ches an' take an' cut de haids of 'em off, an' put 'em in your husban's clothes, say dat will make him love yo'. Jes' cut de haids of de matches off an' 'solve [dissolve] 'em yo' see, an' take de watah off of dem an' cook his food with it. That will make him love yo'.
(Well, how do you mean make him love you?)
Jes' take, lak if he didn't ca' fo' terbacca [tobacco] wus runnin' roun' an' wouldn't stay home, den yo' could take dose matches an' take de sulphur out of 'em an' make him stay home.
Entry 12408
Ah've heard of 'em jes' gittin' a box of matches an' burn 'em. De Way dey burn when dey throw it, why dat's de way dat he is, if dey try tuh find him, yo' know, lak if it's no' th or so'th or east or west. Burn dem matches an' throw 'em lak dat. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 12409
Take a match an' yo' kin go to a fellah, anyone dat chew like or love, an' put in yore mouth an' chew de end of it, an' he come undah yore command. Yo' know, in speakin' an' talkin', chew it when yo' talkin'.
Entry 12410
Why dey tell me it's danger of lending matches out chure own home. Dey tell me by lending matches out chure home dat a person kin take it to dey house an' use sulphur wit it in a way dat it'll keep confusion in yore home all de time.
(Do you know how they use it? What they do?)
Well, dey say, if yo' loan a person - a person come to yore house an' borrow three or foah matches from yo'. Dey'll go back home - if dey got a nice box wit sulphur inside, dey scrape dat sulphur off de side of de box an' put two of dose matches in de box. Put dat sulphur in dat box an' go to de sto' an' buy yo' a bottle of dis stuff whut chew call sweet spirit of niter. An' fo' three mornin's, drop a drop on each three mornin's - keep it closed - dey say dat will keep confusion an' fussin' in yore house all de time between yo' an' yore folks.
Entry 12413
Yessuh, dat gunshell an' de shots. Well, yo' take de shots out. Ah ain't used de shots very much but ah have used de powder. An' ah have heard tell of 'em usin' de shots. But whut ah have used de powder fo', yo' open dat gunshell, but it must be black powder an' yo' git chew some sulphur. An' if yo' wants peace in yore home, yo' kin take dat powder an' three or fo' matches, an' dig a little hole about dat fur down de steps, an' den yo' light dat powder. Hit's goin blow up an' blow all dem matches away, yo' see, whut chew put dere. An' de in- dividual will be gone whoevah it is, whatevah dey doin' to yo'.
Entry 12414
Wherevah yo' put chure fingahs on dat match yo' carry dat match an put chure watah [urine] on dat. Pee on de match an' yo' take dat match an' take an' set up three mo' matches around dat. See, set up three mo' matches around dat.[The urine match is in the center of a triangle of matches.] An' den yo' take that match dat yo' got, yo' take an' git a lil' of de wax out of yore ear an' smeah on de end of dis match. See. An' den yo' take dat match an' strike one dose othah matches yo' got round dere, an' put it on dis match an' let it burn. Den de end of their fingah will eetch off, come to de place where it eat right off.
(You do that with a match from somebody that you don't like?)
Yes, dat's right. De end of dey fingah eat off. Come a sore on it.
Entry 12415
I'll tell you what chew do with matches, I believe that's true. Take 7 match stems and pour niter on those matches. You see, you cross those matches, you cross those 7 stems. Cross first one and another, just cross 'em in a pile. An' you make a wish for something. You set those matches afire. But chew have to do that thing every morning for 7 mornings.
Entry 12417
Perhaps yo' wanted a man. Yo' jes' met him an' yo' fell in love wit him, yo' like him; he had a good job or somepin othah. He appealed to yo'. Yo'd go home. An' perhaps yo'd pass somewheres roun' an' yo'd git in talk wit him, an' yo'd git his name. Yo' kin take 9 matches an' name 'em him. An' then yo'd cut chew 9 little strips of papah about lak [size of] yore finger, an' yo'd write his name on either one of dose strips - nine of 'em. An' then every evenin' jes' befo' de sun go down yo' make yore wishes. Stan' in de middle of yore flo' [you stand in the center of the room which makes this one of the many quincunx rites] an' take these nine matches an' strike 'em. Jes' be shore yo' make one stroke with each [match] an' light his name an' burn hit, aftah yo' make yore wishes. All right. Well, yo' save that little end perhaps, whut burn down. Yo' save that. Well, yo' conceal it. Den de next evenin' befo' de sun go down yo' git anothah strip with his name an' one of dese nine matches, an' yo' burn until those nine matches an' those nine names yo' know, his name is burn up. An' it won't be but two days befo' he will come to yore home.
Entry 12418
They take the matches an' take the head off 'em an' beat 'em up an' sew 'em up in jes' a small piece of new cloth - 10 matches. An' put 'em up ovah yuh doah faced [top of the door] or eithah down where yo' have to walk ovah it. An' [they] say that'll keep down quarrels, if he's fussin' or anything like that.
Entry 12419
Yo' kin take twelve matches and bury 'em to any person's door, and when he walk over dem matches he'd have hard luck and he wouldn't stay dere long. That distance [from the door]. He has to go up across [steps] to make any headway [towards hard luck].
Entry 1695
If yo' walkin' by yo'self at night, jes' stick 'em back of yore ear - de matches. Dey say dat will keep anything from scarin' yo'. Dat's all ah hear about matches. (Just one back of each ear?) Yessuh, behin' each ear.
Entry 1696
See, lak de haid of de bed, takes de matches an' cross 'em, dey cross 'em jes' lak dat up undah de pillah an' go on tuh sleep. Dat supposed tuh drive spirits away if de spirits are worryin' yo' when yo' kilt someone.
Entry 1697
Yo' take de matches if yo' goin' anywhere in de night an' scared - jes' take dem matches, take two, an' stick one right in yo' haid. Put de strikin' part dis way [demonstrates]. (You take the sulphur part and set it in your head over your forehead - right up through your hair.) An' dat will cross [demonstrates]. (You make a cross.) [The match in the hair crosses the match held in the mouth.] An' put one in de mout' an' go anywhere yo' wants - yo' won't be scared atall an' nuthin won't bother yo', not a thing.
Entry 1699
They take and cross three matches in the haid - that's if you got a headache.
Entry 1700
Ah heard of 'em takin' nine matches, if yo' have a severe headache. Yo' take nine matches an' yo' cross them nine matches an' yo' put 'em diff'rent places - jes' diff'rent places in yore home, an' if it's anyone causin' yo' tuh have that headache or that pain, or anything yo' might have, in nine hours or nine days dey'll appeah dere.
Entry 1701
Say, if you got headache and you done taken things to cure it and it don't cure it - so, you see, they got two color matches in a box. You see, you take a red match - you know them red p'ints, and you take a blue one. Well, you put one in your hair like this, and you put the other one like that - see, you cross 'em in your hair.
(Like an "x" - like a cross?)
Just like "x" - and you wear it in your hair for nine days and then your head- ache begin to pass off.
Entry 3050
(St. Raymond?)
You puts the pitchure of him [of St. Raymond] up, an' you puts the can'le in a little cup about that big. You set the can'le an' you lights it. An' don't wan'a blow your match out, knock it out an' put it in that cup. An' leave it [the candle] burnin'.
(Do you put the match in that cup and let it burn, too?)
No, jis' put it out, t'row it out like that an' put it in the cup.
(Well, why did you blow the candle out? Blow the match out?)
You should not blow it out.
(Oh, all you do is just shake it - shake that match right out?)
Yes, sir.
(And you put it into a cup, too?)
Yes, sir. After you burn the can'le why you have to git another one - that's to make a
[voyeyah or noyeyah = novena?].
Entry 7545
[Though this rite uses the grave footboard instead of graveyard dirt, the family relationship here is more important than material used. I wanted to keep these three examples of vicarious or substitute magic together.] Well, yuh go tuh de graveyard jis' like dese folks - yuh got a sistah or brothah, somepin like dat. Well, dey is dead an' dey is buried in de graveyard. Well, yuh know in places dey use wood haidbo'd an' wood footbo'ds, see. Now, well yuh goes dere an' yuh take up dis footbo'd, yuh don' 'sturb de haid[board] at all, see. Yuh git de footbo'd. Well, yuh take it home an' yuh cut it up. See, when yuh cut it up, yuh cut it up in fo' part, see. Yuh care [carry] it an' yuh care it intuh de house an' put it in de chimley. An' aftah yuh care it an' put it in de chimley, yuh let it stay dere 'bout fo' days, see. Let it stay about fo' days an' in de [end of] fo' days, yuh soak it wit oil; no not any kin', jis' plain kerosene oil. Soak it in kerosene oil. Well, yuh let it lay dere an' soak. Let dat oil soak intuh it about a hour, see. An' yuh go back an' reoil it an' den yuh stick a match tuh it - jis' stick tuh it an' dere yuh goes.
(Well, who goes?)
De same person yuh wants - not de dead, it be's a live person. (How do you make this person - what do you do with that footboard to show that it belongs to this person you want to hurt?) Dat's 'is family, yuh undahstan'. See, she will follah 'er. (If you want to do me that way, you go to my sister's grave or my brother's grave, or my father's, and get the headboard from their graves.)
[My headboard is corrected.]
Footboard, yes.
(From one of my family graves.)
Yes, like yore sistah, fathah, brothah, any relation tuh yuh.
Entry 8596
If a man leaves home an' yo' want him to come back, yo' buy yo' a brand-new lamp, a wick an' a burner. An' yo' write dat man's name down dere nine times an' yo' sign de name of a very dear person to him, even though they're dead, his mother or father, de person yo' know he's more attached to than anybody else in de world. An' yo' put de name of dat person at de bottom, an' yo' put dat lamp in a place where nobody will see it. Of course yo' put this paper in de bottom of de lamp an' yo' fill it wit coal oil. Yo' buy a brand-new box of matches an' light dat lamp, an' sit in a place an' let dat lamp burn. Jis' turn it down low so it can burn very slowly, consume de oil slowly, an' when dat lamp is completely dry dat person should be walking in de door. Makes no difference where he's gone. If he's too far to come to yo' at dat time, yo'll receive a message dat he is comin'. [In- formant probably forgot to add that new oil should be used.]
Entry 12411
Borrowin' a match is hard luck. If a person ast yo' fo' a match an' yo' don't give 'em but one, well yo' give 'em trouble. Yo'd have to give 'em a couple or either a crowd.
Entry 2988
Take some matches and put in your head across, a little salt, a little ammonia and rub it in the middle of your head. And if you want them candles to go out, you wear your clothes on the wrong side. Every piece you got underneath, excusin' the top, you wear em on the wrong side and the candle'll go out. Well, you can tell when someone knows the candle's burning on 'em, when they take and change their clothes. Just like the candle was burning on you, you come and you say, "Oh, my head hurts me so bad." I say, "Someone is burning a black candle on you. I say, "Put your clothes on the wrong side." You'll change your clothes and when you start to change your clothes, the candle goes - start to popping. The candle don't go out. You keep your clothes on there and put that salt in your head, them two matches like a "x" in your head, and in that way the candle will go out. And if you don't wear your clothes on the wrong side, them candles is not going - they going to burn 'em until you die.
Entry 11522
"Dey gits it [left foot track] and dey put about 9 pinches of peppah with it and 9 pinches of graveyard dirt, you know, and 9 matches, and put de stuff airtight and throw in de water, runnin' water...that is goin' drive 'em away." [Charleston 606:11.]
Entry 11530
"Take the right-foot track an' git you some sulphur an' some gunpowder, put it on a shingle, stick a match to it, that's if you wan'a run 'em away from bome." [Wilmington 204:1+85.]
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 863
Well, mah husband wants once tuh run a jewelry shop an' it was a woman loved him an' he wouldn't love her, so she got about twenty needles and twenty pins an' po' some kind of stuff on 'em an' put it in a red piece of flannel, an' that morning when he went to de jewelry shop it was tacked on de do' right under the knob. An' he started to touch it an' the man said, "Don't touch it." So he said, "What ah'm goin' do - how'm ah goin' tuh git in?" Said, "Wait a minute." So he threw gasoline on it an' he threw a match on it. Mah husband didn't know whut it meant, so it worried him all day, so he got on de train an' he went to Tampa. So a lady [cunjure] tole him that a lady put it on dere. So he said, "Well, whut does she mean tuh do?" Say, "She meant fo' yo' tuh tear up yore business - that's whut chew gon'a do." She say, "In less time than two months if yo' don't pay twenty-five dollars [to the cunjure for protection], yo' goin' out business." So pretty soon mah husband jest went to giving his stuff away an' selling it an' he jest said he wanted tuh git out - said his business was torn up Wit those needles and pins an' red flannel dat was sticking on de do'.
Entry 1093
Take yo'self - you kin git somepin and fix 'em up - dress yo'self so nobody could harm yo'. (Well, what do I get to dress myself?) Yo' could take three dimes and go to de graveyard - three dimes and three matches and three new pins, and any place you kin git some of dat dust, you pick it up and yo' pay 'em wit de matches and de dimes. Pay de grave. Take up a little of dat dust and fix 'em up together, understand, and git some of rock salt. Take some of dat dey call de elder [alder].
(What?) [Words alder and elder are frequently confused.]
Yo' know de elder [alder] dat grow in de creeks like, you take dat [graveyard dirt] and you fix/it wit dis elder [alder] and you bile 'em you understand. You boil 'em together and you git some gunpowder and you sew it up and wear it round your waist or your neck. Nothing could harm you....
(What do you do with that money and pins...?)
Well, ah tell yo' what ah do wit de money. Now if you go to de graveyard and don't pay 'em, dat one goin' - you understand, he.do somepin to harm yuh. You go and give him a dime. Now 'fore you git some dust - heah, yo' see [demonstrates]. You'll have de matches wit de pins stickin' in de matches head. Put dat dere and put a dime dere. An' you come back and you git some dirt. You do de same thing and when you done, you say, "De Lord giveth and de Lord taketh away, Blessed be de Lord." An' you walks straight away - back out.
(With this graveyard dirt.)
Dat's de graveyard dirt. Den bring it home and you go down to de creekside; you find yo'self a creek. Sometime dey find 'em in de tide - de root in de tide like, you see.
(The alder.)
Den dey git some of dem and dey bile 'em together, and when yo' done boilin' 'em you take dat same stuff and take the things out, you understand....
(What do you do with that graveyard dirt?)
You put de graveyard dirt and de elder [alder] root together and you bile it. Den when you done biling dem, understand, yo' take de water - leave it go off. You take de elder [alder] and same [graveyard] powder and you sew it up in a root bag or cloth or something like that and you wear it from your waist or from your neck and nobody can't harm you.
Entry 2515
De first thing yo' do if yo' goin' in business an' wanta be lucky - de first thing yo' do, yo' hangs a horseshoe right up ovah yo' do'. Dat's de first thing yo do. Well, de next thing yo' do den to be lucky, yo' go in yore house - befo' yo' go in yore house, don't let nobody see yo', yo' take dis cookin' salt an' sprinkle it right in front of yo' do' where de people's comin' in. See, dat's to cut de hard luck off - if a man comin' dere, dat's tuh cut de hard luck offa him whilst he's comin' inside yore place of business to keep from throwin' yo' in hard luck. Well, he comes on it. When he git in dere [you do the third thing], yo' take dis sulphah an' burn it in yo' house ever' mornin' befo' nine 'clock - sulphah. Jes' take a little sulphah an' put it in a lid an' strike a match to it an' jes' let it smoke - ever' mornin' befo' nine 'clock. An' you gon'a be lucky and successful in yo' business.
Entry 2969
Take three matches of different colors an' break 'em. Name one de Father an' de other de Son an' de other de Holy Ghost. An' yo' put one in [on] each one of the artro veins of yore haid. Dat will put de candles out.
(That will put the candles out that are burning for me.)
Then yo' take three mo' matches an' light all three of 'em. Yo' name 'em, "Name of the Father, Son and de Holy Ghost," an' yo' light 'em all at once an' pinch 'em out with yore left hand.
(What will that do?)
Put 'em [candles] out. That's throwing de misery back dey say to de one dat give it tuh yo'.
(Do they do these two things together or do they do them separately?)
Separately.
(Now what three veins did you say in your head?)
Those artro veins right back there. There one there an' one there.
(One at the back of the neck?)
Two at de back of de neck and one right heah. (Two at the back of the neck and one right here - and one here on the left side just above the temple. They are called what?) Those artro veins.
Entry 61
Fer protection from a root doctor - yo' already got dat, ain't cha? Dey cain't do nuthin', ah'm telling yo' now, if you keep it on; but chew gotta keep it on yo'. After ah got hurt, ah learnt - see, it come to me through de spirits to do it. You take yo' - dey kin put down anything dey wanta and you kin walk over it and it won't hurt see. You go to de drug store and git chew a nickel's worth of saltpeter and a nickel worth of bluestone and you take them two things. Don't put all it together. Take jest a little pinch of it, take it on a knife, and every time you pick it up say, "In de Name of de Father, Name of de Son, Name of de Holy Ghost."
(Each time you take a pinch on a knife, you say that.)
A pinch on a knife, say it on each one. All right, yo' take yo' some sulphur, take three pinches of that, "In the Name of the Father, Name of the Son, Name of the Holy Ghost." All right, that's three of 'em together - that's sulphur, blue- stone and saltpeter. All right, yo' take dat table salt de same way - you take dat sugar de same way. And then jest take and break yo' three match haids off and name dem de same way, "In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Sew it up in a little rag, jest a little small thing, and tie it around yore waist [this is a hand] and you kin step over anything, dey can't do nuthin' - dey kin touch chew but dey ain't goin' do nuthin' to yo', dey ain't goin' do nuthin'.
Entry 819
Now, he takes dat dead man's head - jest like you go dere and say, "Ah Want So-and-So to go from roun', want him to leave town" - see - 'he give me trouble." So he say [ask] what de name and you tell him. He writes de name three times and he puts three rings around it and he take it and put it in that dead man's mouth - dat skeleton haid [informant does not know word skull], and he tell it, jest like he talkin' to somebody, tell it, say, "Ah want chew to run So-and-So-and-So clean out of town, ah want 'em to git clean from around heah," and stick a match to it and that thing smoke in dere and de smoke come out dat dead man eyes and nose - see, dat skeleton haid. Ah've seen dat workin'. Ah know of a woman did dat an' she left, she cain't nevah come back no mo' - she come round but she cain't stay a whole day. Dis person ah'm referrin' to is de man do dat.
Entry 1067
Heard if anyone sprinkles things in your home, and I've known it to be true - if they sprinkle anything in your yard, in your home - Mondays and Fridays or certain days - Sundays, Mondays and Fridays - but you do this before the noon hour. You get up and sweep the trash thoroughly out of your front. Put sulphur in it and stick a match to it and burn it. You sweep your back thoroughly and you do the same otherwise, twice every week, that is to keep things found from around your home so no one kin [sprinkle] anything round to take to your body.
(I see, you must do this before noon on Mondays or Friday.)
Mondays and Fridays before noon.
(I see, that's to protect yourself against anything put down.)
To protect yourself and also change your clothing. And on Sunday night turn your clothing or either be sure that they are on the wrong side. Put 'em on twicet a week of that other same, the same days that you burn.
(I see. You change your clothes on Sunday, you say?)
You turns your clothes [Sunday night] so you kin put 'em on on Monday, Monday mornings as you burns the trash. Wear your clothing on the wrong side. Fridays the same. Then nothing kin be taken to your body. (I see. When you burn this trash on Mondays and Fridays, you must do it with your clothes on wrongside out.) And put sulphur in it whilest it's burning.
(Put sulphur in this trash that you sweep out.) [Mobile, Ala., (710), 979:2.]
[Broom rites, used for many purposes, are endless.]
Entry 1785
They can cross you. They can take matches and take a match and make a coffin out of it. They take and the way they set down, they shape them - they can make a coffin right up under your step, if there is any way for them to get up under the step - just like they do under the table. And then they take the other part of them matches and they make it just like they make me or you, with them matches and bury you there.
(Make the shape of a coffin with these matches.)
With these matches. (And then they put some other matches in there and make them in the form of a person.) Just make a shape just like a person.
(And they bury them.)
And they bury you there under the steps.
Entry 1803
Ah've heard a lady say yo' kin take matches, or so many pins - ah don't know how many now exactly but ah'm goin' git all dis together, ah think ah'll have to come back again - and perform a casket or coffin under de side of de house, and nail nine nails around. Yo' know, make it jes' lak a person's grave an' nail nine nails around de heart. And dey say you'll drap dead off yore feet.
[The coffin is outlined with matches see No. 1785, p.538.]
Entry 2654
Take de same thing whut ah was tellin' yo' 'bout - dis Hawthorm Cologne [= Hearts Cologne]. An' yo' put dat Hawthorn Cologne, sprinkle it on de floor - puts wit sulphur yo' know where it kill dat odor of sulphur. An' all yo' do, prob'bly befo' de night when yo' clean up, yo' sweeps - start at de front do' like dis. Heah's de front do' where de entrance is. Come in. Yo' sweep all to de back an' don't sweep dis way, yo' see. Den yo' take dis Hawthorn Cologne an put it in a can or somethin', any kind of little container or somethin', an'po' de cologne on dat. Jest a little bit - not to wet it. Den stick a match to it an' burn dat. Ah'll guarantee dey will come in dere after dat. Den close up fo dat night - see, jes' close up. (That is to bring in trade. What do you put in that can to burn?) [I wanted the word sounding like hawthorne repronounced.] A little bit of pure medical sulphur an' Hawthorn Cologne.
(I see, you put this cologne on it.)
Jest a drop or two. Yo' don't need not enough to wet it - jest a drop or two.
Entry 5307
Well, if ah wus wit a man an' me an' him disagreed an' couldn't git along, why ah'd take his track. Reach an' git it, pull it tuh me. Take it a certain time of de day, not latah den ten a' clock - not latah den ten. At ten a'clock in de day ah'd go tuh a ants bed, take me some gunpowdah an' put it in dat ants bed, an' take a match an' set it afire. Well, when dat scattah, he'd be gone.
(What do you do with his foot track?)
Take dis gunpowdah an' dis track all mixed tuhgethah.
(You didn't tell me that, you see.)
Yes sir, yo' mix it tuhgethah an' yo' set a match tuh it, an' it blow up. Well, jes' lak dat smoke goin', dat fellah goin' de same way.
(You must blow this up in a ants bed?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5479
Well, yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, but dat's did wit de track.
(Tell me how it is done.)
Well, dey take up yore track backwards. Now see, yo' comin' in dis direction. Ah'd take up yore track goin' backwards goin' dat way. Ah place it in a can about dat size. Ah go tuh de fo'ks of de road where it's fo'kin' di- rectly east tuhwards where de sun rise; one goin' dis way an' one goin' dat way. Ah take de can an' ah dig a hole down dere. Take de can an' beneath dat can ah put a li'le powdah - not a large can but a small one - put a li'le [powder]. Den ah'll have it so dat yuh dynamitin'. Strike a match an' put tuh it.
(What will that do to you then?)
Dat'll run yo' clean away from home.
(You do that with gunpowder. And you do that right where that road forks.)
Dat's right, yo' do dat in de early mawnin' when de sun jis' begin tuh rise.
Entry 5480
Take yuh foot track, git chah right foot, an' git choo some sulphah an' some gunpowdah, an' put it in a piece of brown papah. An' strike yuh a match tuh it an' blow it - an' light each cor- nahs of it, de fo' cornahs. It'll blow up. An' yo'll leave town. Anywhere yo're at, choo'll go, keep movin'.
Entry 5485
De track business breaks up frien'ship between a girl an' her sweet- heart man. Hit's lak ah had a girl goin' wit a man an' ah didn't want 'im tuh go wit 'er. In ordah tuh break it up, ah would take three swings of dirt wit'out stoppin', an' walk right on behin' 'em - ah grab [swing] up three tracks dat are jis' made - wit'out stoppin' - an' ah save dem. An' if he Wus goin' - jis' lak he wuz goin' south, ah would ketch his comin' no'th. Ah ketch de girl's goin' no'thwards, [I mean] ketch her goin' so'thwards, gits de three grabs. (In other words if he's walking southwards, you catch his from the toe back to the heel; and the girl's going north, you catch her's back to the heel - just in opposite directions.) An' ah got three of each. Den ah takes it an' ah compound it, jis' sticks it in de ground an' compound it [mix his and her tracks]. An' den ah take, an' ah takes gunpowdah dat explodes, an' wrop it up an' put it in somepin tight, chew know. Put de powdah at de bottom, wit de dry papah comin' up through de center, yo' know, an' pack it aroun' dere. An' den ah put dirt on top jis' lak it wuz shot, an' ah take dat out an' den stick a match tuh de top of dis dry papah, an' it goes tuh de bottom an' de bottom explodes. Dat explodes dere frien'ship. Dat breaks de frien'ship up. An' dat will do so.
(All you put in there is that dirt and the gunpowder.)
Dat's right.
(In this paper?)
Yes.
Entry 7226
Git diff'ren' kinda stuff an' put it in a bottle, an' take dem matches an' put it in dere aftah dat stuff is strong enough - jis' lak... [I interrupt to rename some of the ingredients mentioned before recording began.] (You take camphor gum and Listerine and?) An' bluestone, lodestone, steel dust. Put all dat stuff in dere an' mix 'um; mash it, yo' see. Dat gits strong, yo' see. Dat cuts dem matches, yo' see. Yo' shake it up, yo see, an' it sparks - jis' sparks. Slap it down. Evah time yo' shake it up, it'll spark.
(What will that do for you?)
Dat gits choo luck fo' a man whut gambles, yo' see.
(What do they call that in this part of the country?)
Call it a Joe Mo - Jomo.
(A Jomō, I see.)
Yeah, dat's a Jomo. [A jomō is a hand, a luckpiece, a toby, a guard, etc.]
Entry 7251
If yuh evah wanta cross [the spell] anybody hurt, where somebody done witchcraft 'em - yo' undahstan', yo' don' do did but three times. [In the cure Something must be done or used 3 times.] Now de spirit brought dat tuh me an' ah see de way it works, see. Yo' do dis before sundown. Yo' go out an' any sort of green grass - yo' know whut moody grass is. Yeah dat's dat flat grass, sompin lak ole flat grass dey call moody grass. Chew know whut dat is. An' yo' whut a dog fennel is. All right. Now yo' do dis befo' sundown. Yo' turn yore face to de east right in dat grass an' yo' pull up one bunch. Pull up dat bunch of moody grass, dat flat grass. Yo' pull up dat an' call anybody, jis' anybody yo think what done it. See. Now, if dey ain't did anything tuh yuh, hit goin' give dem good luck; but if dey did sompin tuh yuh, hit goin' back tuh 'em. Ah know dat by experiment. Yo' pull up a bunch of de grass an' call dere name, yo' pull up anothah bunch an' call dey name, yo' pull it up three times an' call dere name [three times] an' say, "Ah wan' chew tuh take yore trouble offa me, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, Name of de Holy Ghost." An' yo' lay it out, see. Yo' dig a li'le trench, lay dat grass in dere an' yo' call dem people name an' talk tuh 'em lak yo' talkin' tuh 'em. Yo' take some red peppah, some cooking salt, yo' put it on it. Yo' pō' jisa li'le bit of kerosene on it an' yo' take an' stick a match tuh it. Put a piece of papah where it will smoke a li'le. See. An' while dat thing burn, yo' continue callin' dere name. So yo' call it nine times an' tell 'em yo' wan' it so. Say, "Ah wan' chew tuh take yore trouble on back, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, Name of de Holy Ghost." An' yo' kivah [cover] dat up an' step ovah it backwards, an' don't look back. An' it ain't goin' be but nine days befo' - if dey did it - dey goin' go down vury sick, an if dey ain't right sharp dey goin' die. But it goin' be offa yo'. See, it will be gone from yo'.
(I see, throws it back on them.)
But chew do dat wit dem green weeds. See dem weeds goin' die an'...
(You do this with that moody grass.)
All right yo' git dat bunch of moody grass, an' den yo' kin git a dog fennel or: any kinda othah green weed.
(What do you do with that other weed?)
Well, yo' jis' call de name, but yo' gotta have dis dog fennel an' dat moody grass. See, yo' gotta work three. Yo' know anything de spirits do is three of it all de time: Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost.
Entry 8092
I heard 'em say dat dey kin take a photograph an' burn de cornah of it.
(Burn the corner?)
Burn de cornah, bend de fo' cornahs of de photograph dat way. Take de photo- graph an' jis' take it off an' jis' burn de cornahs. Strike a match tuh it an' burn de fo' cornahs. Take a stick an' pick dat up an'...an' throw dat in de fiah. "Fore de end of de yeah, why somepin will happen tuh dat man or dat woman. I've seen dat thing done mahself.
Entry 8821
Burn it in de centah - jes' take yo' a match an' burn it, burn a little hole in de centah [of letter]. Burn on de fo' cornahs an' den mail it any place. An' dat's bad luck tuh yo'. [This creates the 5 points of a quincunx.] (That is, this letter that you received from this person?) Dat's right. Dey don't have tuh send it back tuh yo'. It's bad luck tuh dis man at any place. It kin go back tuh de dead lettah office. It's bad luck tuh yo' [the writer].
Entry 8839
Then again, dey wan'a draw yuh. Say a woman likes yuh very well an' she can't git up tuh yuh. Well now, she will git a love vine [the dodder], she'll git dose little candies [used for decorating a cake], an' holy watah, an' if possible she'll git a wishbone from a turkey, if she kin git it; if not, she will use a chicken [wish] bone. She'll set in de forks of dis road an' she'll place it dere jis' as neah as dat fork an' dat wishbone will match tuhgethah. An' she'll make a wish. An' if she kin Write, well - aftah makin' dis wish in de forks of de road - while she dere, she'll write a lettah. She'll have 'er three grains of rice. She seal dat lettah wit three grains of rice. She have de rice cooked sof' an' done, an' instead of wettin' wit yore tongue, why yo'll jis' mash - yo' ought tuh have it wet enough, yuh see. Yo' jis' lay it on dere an' mash it down an' let it seal [demonstrates]: one grain on one side [of letter flap], an' one in de middle of dat part, dat part here, an' one on de othah [side]. Seal it wit dat, wit a dash of Lovers Sashay. An' believe yuh me, he gon'a come.
Entry 10165
If yo' got a gurl - it's dis way. Ah got a gurl an' she runned away from me. She done lef' me. She's gone. Well, lak [I] say, dere's a lotta watah 'ween heah an' New Yawk. Say she's gone tuh New Yawk. She jes' jumped up an lef' me an' ah haven't did anythin' tuh 'er an' want 'er back. She won' come bach tuh me by writin' tuh 'er. All right. Ah go tuh de drug sto' an' ah gits me a 15-cents blue candle. Take de same nails an' needles an' put in dat.
(How do you put them in there now? How many do you get?)
A nickel wuth of ten-penny nail. Put eight nails, an' de whole papah of needles, an' about eight big pins. Yo' git dem ovahsize sticky pins yo' know, dem ovahsize one. Some packages dey sell two fo' a nickel. Dey are de small size. An' de large package it's got one long one dat way; dey sells dem one fo' a nickel. Yo' git chew a piece of lookin'-glass lak dat an' yo' tum de part dat chew look it, an' git chew a saucah of watah or git chew a bowl or cream saucah, or anything dat will hold watah. Den turn dat [looking] glass down ovah dat way. Take dat candle an' take de end of it which yo' is gonna set down, take a match an' light it dat way. Don' light de top part where de stem is; light de bottom part an' put it on dat glass.
(With the top part downward?)
Yessuh, on top of de glass, an' let it set dere an' make yuh wishes fo' hit. But yo' start hit at ten minutes an' burn it fo' twenty-five. In twenty-five [days?] yo' receive a lettah from her, to send aftah her or send her ticket. She's on her way back tuh yo'.
Entry 10415
She caught it [hag in a bottle. She put the bottle under her bed, turned the mouth of it toward the bed - under bed - it was a black bug [in the bottle next morning]. The first person coming to the house next morn- ing and asking for a match or salt or anything, if she give to her, won't get rid of the hag. [For loans to witches, see NEVER LEND TO WITCHES, No.16338, P.875, in Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd ed., and elsewhere in witch- craft section.] If you don't let the bug out the bottle, the person will die.
(Story rather disconnected, if nothing better may transcribe for a footnote.)
[This was my note shortly after transcribing cylinder. Never got back to it.]
Entry 10897
I've heard of dey usin' cat hair or dog hair or - I'll tell you. You kin take a dog and you git some hair right from her rear end, you understand; right near where at she do busi- ness, you understand. All right. You take dat hair and you swinge [singe] it, you see. You gits enough [hair] so you kin swinge it, where you kin find it after you done it. You put it on a piece of clot'. Why you jes' set a match to it and swinge it, see. "Fore [before] it burn too much, why you put it out, you smother it you see. After you smother it, de clot' you burn it on, why you don't take it off dat cloth. You jes' tie it up right in dat same cloth, you see. All right, you put nine knots in dat. After you tie it up you put nine knots in it, and perhaps you tie it around your waist, or you could make a sling and put it around your neck, or you could sew it up in your weskit [vest] lining, or sompin like dat, or coat linin', or dere's several ways to tote it. See. Why dat's de way you do wit dat [cat] hair proposition.
(What good will it do you to carry that hair?)
That stand fer a lotta things: dey kin pass poison [you] and it won't hurt you. You can do anything you want with it.
Entry 12031
If a man ties a piece of a woman's hair around the stems of 2 unlight- ed matches, sews this into red flannel and lays package under her [his?] steps, she'll soon come to the man doing this. [Richmond 298:2.]
Entry 12317
Now, yo' wish tuh git a girl or yore boy fren' back tuh 'em. Yo' go ahead an' go tuh a fat-lightah [pine] stump of a tree dat de lightnin' struck. An' yo' takes an' makes nine pegs. An' aftah yo' make dose nine pegs, yo goes back tuh de fo'ks of de road an' yo' makes three wishes. Dat's de way it wuz tole tuh me. Make three wishes an' aftah yo' make three wishes, yo' takes two pints of whiskey wit chew, an' aftah yo' make de three wishes, den yo' take an' yo' lie down on de flat of yore back at de fo'ks of de road, an' yo' drinks one of dose pints, an' yo' po's de othah one on de nine pegs. An' yo' git chew a match an' yo' scratch de match, an' sets dat whiskey afire an' burns up dose pegs right dere. Den dat cause de girl or de boy, which one yo' made de wishes fo', tuh come back undah yore control.
Entry 2952
Yo' take a pure white candle, co'se white is purity an' yo' light dat white candle an' yo' turn it bottom upwards. Yo' take an' light dat fore end of it an' yo' say yore prayer ovah it, an' yo' take yo' two needles or two pins an' stick it in dere on dat candle, an' dat candle will go out. (That candle that someone is burning against you will go out. How do you stick those - either needles or pins?) Cross 'em crossways - needles or - no pins - needles or matches. [This is a white candle burned against a black candle.]
Entry 2964
Yo' kin take a little pinch of salt an' put it in yore hair near de mole [mold] of yore haid. Well - an' den yo' take two matches an' cross 'em in yore haid. Dat puts it out - dat candle's out an' it cain't do yo' any harm.
Entry 2965
You git a penny box of matches from de groc'ry store, an' you git choo some salt an' needles, an' cross it in your haid. You say, "By St. Peter, by St. Paul, by the Lord that made us all." An' cuss de one dat choo think has got dem can'les [burning against you]. An' dey go out.
(You put this salt in your hair?)
You put de salt. An' de matches yuh cross 'em in your head. An' you rub it [the salt]. You go there ever' mornin' an' rub it, choo know. Ever' mornin' you take a little salt an' rub it. An' say that prayer ["By St. Peter"] for nine mornin's. An' he'll run away.
(That candle will go out?)
Yes, that candle will go out.
(How many matches do you put in your hair?)
Two. Each mornin' you put new matches out a box has never been used.
(Just two - just across the two.)
Just two. [Needles also crossed.]
Entry 2966
If yo' got bad headaches an' dat headache is not natural, yo' take dat matches, two of 'em, an' cross dem in de mole of de haid. First yo' go to de hydrant an' yo' take an' let de hydrant run on yore haid in de mole fo' fifteen minutes. Now, yo' come back an' yo' 'noint dat [with what?] an' den yo' put dose matches dere an' cross 'em in yore haid. An' dat puts any lightnin' in de world out - dat puts de lights out. [Crossed matches a protection against lightning.]
(If somebody is burning a light on you, that will put it out?)
Dat will put hit out.
Entry 2967
Dey say if a person is burning candles on you an' yo' feel - you see it gives you awful headaches and you go fo' days in and days out with headaches, don't chew know, and you turns real dark under yore eyes. Andthenyo'takeand git some matches and stick them in your hair.
(How many did you say you get?)
Three. Stick one like that, one like that, and one like that [demonstrates]. (You make a cross - one match one way and then two crossing it. Put it in your hair and what will that do?) Wear it in your hair - that will outen the candles.
Entry 2968
Well, yo' git it out of a box dat's nevah been used out of. Well, you take three matches and make six halfs, see, an' cross it right at de mole of yore head. It will put 'em out, if dey burning candles on yo'.
Entry 861
[The double team is somewhat usual: woman and boy friend, man and girl friend, husband and wife, father and daughter, and others. Frequently one member of the duo came to investigate me before the doctor part of the team appeared - in New Orleans, Peg-Leg's doctor-wife refusing to see me until my second visit two years later:] I've been vitchcraft. An' it became a sore on mah leg - a pimple. So it get larger an' larger. An' I used a lotta medison an' none of it didn't do me no good. An' so I had mah fortune tole, an' dey lady tole me I wus hurt, an' she tole me to get her father an' he would tell me whut it wus an' where to fin' it. An' so he tole me it wus at mah back windah an' down at de one of de side of mah baid. So I had him to come an' get it up. An' it wus nine needles, stickin' pins, in a bottle.
(What sort of sticking pins?)
Straight pins - an' matches an' some kin'a liquid medison.
(This bottle was buried at the back window.)
An' dey [at the baid] wus somepin in a little rag tied up jis' de way dey had my leg bandaged. An' he took them. So he burn 'em up. An' dey dis pop loud lak a pistol ball shoot. [While burning the cunjure article, it is fairly common to hear a loud pop or see a bright light or different colors - trick preparations.] So he tole me he wus gon'a fix me somepin to take an' he got some - he tole me to get some sulphur an' tole me to take nine doses, two doses a day. So I took de nine doses an' stop. Then he tole me he wus gon'a give me some liquid medison, an' to take two doses of dat a day till I take a quart. So I took the liquid medison. [This is the liquid and dry medicine cure.] It looked like some kin'a black draught, syrup. So I took that an' dey's somepin come out on my side jes' broke out, an' dey's a lotta puss come out. An' he tole me if it crost mah body, it would kill me. [The doctor evidently diagnosed shingles or herpes. "When the two ends of a chain of shingles meet, the patient will die" - FACI,2ed., P.240; 16 cures.] So den I commence gettin' better. He fixed a plaster an' put on that sore, hit was all aroun' mah leg, an' it broke out up dere [she points.].
(On the left side of vour head.)
Yes sir. An' my han's swoll up an' dey broke out. My toes wus swollen an' dey broke out, too. So I couldn't do nuthin. An' he fixed [a second] plaster an' mah leg commence to gettin' better an' I commence comin' back to mah right min' den. An' he 'tended me right on.'He come to see about it. He took that plaster off an' it was jest about healed up. It wus some kin'a brown salve.
(On this plaster?)
Yes sir. I don't know de liniment wus it. He put a muddish looking plaster on it - it looked like sut (soot) an' lard. So he tole me when I taked it off to carry it to sunrise an' bury it, the second [plaster].
(What did he do with the first plaster?)
Burnt it up early in the morning. He tole me to wait two day [magic delay] an' to take hit up an' then mah leg's well. An' hit wus done healed up an' well in nine days [magic time].
Entry 6853
Ah hear'd people talk. A woman said dat she - somebody had 'er fixed an' dey tole huh tuh weah a half a dozen matches in- tuh huh hair, an' in a certain lengt' of time she'd git ovah dat spell. She say she done dat an' dat cured 'er. But not dese or'nary [ordinary] matches [but] dese ole-fashion big-haid matches. Dere poison. Dere kin'a pale green. Dey usely [usually] cut 'em off an' mix 'em in meal an' put 'em down fer rat tuh eat.
The described match type and cure remain claims within a reported account.