Subject:Nailed
Entries
Entry 4473
Well, it's a pine tree. If yuh dislike somebody yo' bo' a hole in dat tree. Yuh git dey - yuh know whut ah mean. (Their passage?) Yes, an' git chew a ten-penny nail an' put dat in dere, an' take dat ten-penny nail an' drive it in dere jis' as fur as yo' kin git it in dere. When yuh git through, den yuh fasten dat hole back up. An' yo' won't have no mo' trouble wit 'em 'cuz dey can't live long becuz it comes disaway [demonstrates].
(Comes out through the mouth.)
Yes sir. (Brunswick, Ga., (1211), 2047:9.]
Entry 5153
[The following two accounts of the same rite came from Memphis, but the belief is known elsewhere:] Den yuh kin take dat same lef'-foot shoe an' come tuh de middle of dis house each way, right dere to de middle plank, an' nail it up side - nail it up jis' lak dat. An' dat fellah will den stay at home dere, if it's in de middle of de house. [The shoe is sometime nailed up under the house that has a crawl-space beneath it.]
(You must get right in the middle of the house?)
Yessuh. [A quincunx rite.]
Entry 5173
Nail a person's shoe undah de person's steps where dey live an' drive nine nails in it, in de shoe; an' when dese nails rust completely, dey'll die. (Suppose I would want to do that to you, would I take my shoe or take your shoe?) Mah shoe. (And then put it under your house, put nine nails right through the sole. Drive them down inside or?) Yo' turn dem [shoes] upside down an' drive dem [nails] through dat way [demon- strates]. Dem [nails] come [through] on de inside sole.
(Up [out] through the inside of the shoe.)
Entry 5235
De woman left de man, dis one [story] is, an' de man went an' tried to git 'er back an' he couldn't git 'er back. So he went to a fellah [doctor] de fellah tole him tuh take her shoe soles - found one of 'er ole shoes an' go to a post an' nail it up ovah de post on de sunrise side an' go back home an' not worry an' in three days she'd be back to him.
(Nail it on a post?)
Nail de sole of de shoe up on de side of a sunrise post.
(Just any kind of a post?)
On de side of a telegraph post - nail it up on de side of a telegram post facin' de way she went. In three days dat she'd be back.
Entry 5254
An' den de nex' question yo' kin do wit a fellah's shoes. Yo' kin take shoes an' nail 'em on de carbox [boxcar], de train yo' know on de rail- road tracks. Yo' nail 'em on dere an' yo' supposed tuh go until yo' ketch up wit de shoes. (Which track do you take and throw over your left shoulder?) Yore left-foot track. (What about the shoe, the left foot?) Ah mean de lef'-foot dirt, from undah de dirt. But if yo' want me tuh go an' keep a-goin', take both of mah shoes an' put 'em on de railroad track, on de train.
Entry 5265
Put 'im on a travelin' route. Takin' de shoe fer instan' [for in- stance], an' aftah yuh done wore it awhile, take it an' tack up undah a boxcar - cuz dat train travels. See, dat train travels an' yore mind prakly [practically] travels jis' lak yuh were on it.
Entry 5266
Git a fellah shoe dat he been 'custom tuh weahin'. Take dat inside sole outa dat shoe an' yo' tack it up undah a boxcar, or yo' would fo'ce it down in a coconut. Shet [shut] de coconut up an' put some turpentine wit it, tro' it in de rivah an' leave it drif' down de stream. As it drif' down de stream, his min' will git - regard- less tuh whut job he got, he'll start tuh driftin' an' leave away from de place dat's he [that he's] 'custom tuh be.
Entry 6163
Yuh want me tell about de girl. Well, de love ah had fo' girl. She wuzn't doin' right an' ah fom' 'er oat. An' so ah had knowed it tuh be done an ah 'cided [decided] ah'd try it mah- self. An' so ah made 'er come. She wuz in mah house an' ah took a plait of 'er hir right out de top of 'er haid, an' - well, ah kep' it a long time'an' couldn't git 'er tuh do right. So ah takes it down tuh de stream. Ah takes it down tuhde aatah, dis runnin' stream of watah, where dere's root crosses at de bottom of de stream. Ah nailed it tuh dat root in de bottom of dat stream.
(This hair?)
Yessuh, an' in nine days she got where she couldn't stay home. She couldn't stay nowhere she would git tuh, an' finely [finally] at last she packed 'er suit- Oase an' leave dis town. An' she stayed off foah days an' den come on back, an' Stayed home three days an' went ag'in. An' dat's been twelve months ago an' she ain't been seen back heah since.
Entry 7485
Jes' lak if a person's goin' - jes' say yo'd walk ovah dis flo' heah. Now, yo' could take yore square yo' know an' yo' could take de measure of dat. Take de measure of dat shoe [foot track]. Take de measure of dat shoe an' yo' cut dat, cut dat jes' lak dis heah, yo' undahstan', jes' de shape of dat shoe. See [demonstrates], heah yo' go. See, yo' take dat shoe [track]. Yo' take dat shoe an' yo' measure dat. Yo' take dat up an' yo' watch it, yo' watch de shape of dat shoe. An' yo'll take, say a horseshoe an' yo'll nail dat right up ovah as yo' come - forty inches about dat gate dere - nail dat up dere. An if dey done did anythin' dishones', dey'll come back jes' lak a dead man, de per- son who made dat track, dey'll come back to dat place.
(If they killed anybody?)
If dey killed anybody dey'll come right back to dat place. (Do you put up this shoe track you make [from measurement] under the horse- shoe?) Yes, put dat undah de horseshoe. Nail dat horseshoe.
Entry 8106
Well, if a woman don't like you an' go away, yo' turn it [photograph] upside down [face down?] an' nail it up over the door. It'll bring her back.
Entry 8282
Take dat an' nail dat up in a tree an', if dey wanta kill yuh, dey kin nail dat photograph up an', if yo' in New York or even Philadelphia or Boston, an' dey call yure name, an' put a pistol dere an' shoot dat photo- graph in de heart, won't kill yuh right off; but yo'll pine away, pine away, pine away until yo' die.
Entry 8286
If yo' wanta harm a person, kill a person, say fo' instance, yo' kin draw de fo'm [form] of dat per- son as neah as yo' kin, yo' know. If it's a woman, yo' draw de fo'm of a woman; if it's a man, yo' draw de fo'm of a man. An' yo' git chew a tenpenny nail an' yo' kin go tuh a tree out some- where, an' yo' nail dat fo'm up on dat tree. An' yo' kin take dat powdah outa dat shell, an' yo' kin take a li'le of dat powdah. Yo' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' yo' take a li'le of dat powdah an' put it aroun' dat nail in dere. Den yo' shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll kill a person or eithah put 'em in such a shape dat dey'll jis' wanta be daid.
(You don't do anything with that powder at all?)
No, yo' jis' - aftah yo' use a li'le aroun' dat nail, when yo' firs' put de pichure up dere. Put a li'le of dat powdah right aroun' dat nail. Den yo' kin use dat - shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. But yo' kin use de powdah fo' woman, miscarriage...
Entry 8288
Ah heard dat dey could take yore photograph tuh de woods an' nail it up on de no'th [north] side of a tree, an' shoot at it nine times an dat will kill a person. Yo'll have hemorrhage an' die.
(Well, do they shoot that nine times all at once?)
Nine times, nine days. See, yo' go dere nine times.
(You shoot it once each day?)
Yes.
Entry 8295
(Now what are you going to do with the photograph?) Yo' puts it on a black gum tree an' dat's purely tuh harm yo'. An' den yo'll tell it [tree] whut chew want. [You talk to the tree spirit.] Yo' kin nail it on dat tree an' den yo' shoot it. Dat fer as ah know of dat. It's a black gum an' [or] a short-leaf pine, jes' dem two, either one, but let it be in de swamp.
Entry 8319
Take a person's photograph an' yo' go on de no'th side of a tree. An' yo' take dat tree an' hew dat bark offa dere, an' put dat photograph in dere an' nail it up. An' yo' Walk back from dat tree nine times [steps] an' cuss, an' say whutevah yo' cuss, an' whosevah name yo' call, dat person die.
(You just fasten that on the north side of the tree?)
Yes, cut de bark out an' put de photograph intuh it. (And walk backwards nine steps and cuss and call their name.)
Entry 8327
Nail it tuh de.tree - nail de face up tuh a tree. In othah words, nail it up backwards, an' dat supposed tuh run 'em crazy.
Entry 8328
Yo' kin take his pichure an' make him come back.
(How would they do that?)
Well, yo' kin go tuh a tree an' cut it on a certain side an' nail 'is pichure up in dere wit de face tuhwards it, an' dat'll make him come back.
(The face toward what?)
De tree. Cut de tree an' put 'is pichure right up dere, an' nail it up in dere - up in dat tree. (Well, you said, the face towards what?) De inside of de tree - inside. (And what side of the tree did you make that hole in?) Well, it depend on which way yo' think he's gone; de south side, de north side, eithah one [whatevah direction].
(I see, to make this man come back, when he's run away from that...)
An' dey said yo' could bury de person on dey face an' dat'll make him come back.
(I see.)
Entry 8332
Yo' kin take a per- son's photograph, a tin, on a tintype, an' yo' kin take it an' turn it downwards an' put it on de north side of a tree. An' nail it up an' shot it right by where yore heart is an' yo' will die.
(Where do you put that on the tree, up high or low or what?)
Yo'll put it up about six foot from de ground.
[The person of the photo will soon be 6 feet underground.]
[This rite should have gone under preceding margin title SHoOTING.]
Entry 8345
Dey say if dey git holt [hold] of de pitchure, jes' lak now ah be mad wit joo, take it an' care [carry] it tuh a tree. An' go right tuhwards de way de sun rise, an' nail it intuh de tree. An' den yo' name de day, an' say when dem days is out de person will be out.
Entry 8360
Yeah, yo' takes a pichure. Well, yo' take de person pichure even if yo' in love wit 'em an' even if yo' see where dey don' mean tuh stay wit choo, an' yo' Wanta git rid of 'em fo' good. Yo' takes de pichure an' yo' goes tuh whut dey call a'simmon tree, an' de firs' two [limbs forming a] no'th fo'ks yo' see, den yo' takes de pichure an' tacks it up in de no'th fo'k. De no'th fo'k. Yo' find two fo'ks [limbs] run out jes' lak dat [demonstrates]. Put de pichure right in de daid centah.
(In the center of that fork?)
Yeah, right in de centah of dat fo'k. De fo'k may be a long ways up yondah, but still yo' kin see dat pichure.
(Well, how would you put it in that fork?)
Yo' don't put it intuh dat. Yo' nails, it, drive a nail through de centah. Den yo' walk back tuh it three days. Yo' pass dat same tree three days. An' when yo' pass dere yuh mind will git on dat tree forcible. Den aftah de third day, yo' take de pichure down an' conceal it from yo' fo' good.
(Hide it any place?)
Yes, anywhere, anywhere dat chew won' come in contact wit it any mo'.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat'll put off whatevah yo' goin' through ovah wit. Dat will send 'em away fo' good.
(They won't come back again?)
Dey won't come back.
Entry 8367
Dey tell me yo' could take it in de woods an' put it on de sunrise side of a tree an' tack it dere, an' dey'll die.
(This photograph?)
Yes.
Entry 8667
If yo' nail nine nails an' call a person name, dey'll always be down. (Where did you say they nail them down?) Nail nine nails down. (Where?) Nail 'em down on de floor. (Yes.) An' as yo' nail 'em down, call dat person's name. Don't care where yo' nail 'em at. An' call dere nail nine times as yo' nail dem nine nails. Dey'll always be down. Yo' see, when yo' nail 'em in, yo'nail 'em down.
Entry 8735
Take a piece of paper an' write their names nine times on dis an' ah have used some of dat Three S Love Powder an' nail it up, in a tree or somepin, yo' know, an' finally he'll come back if de tree doesn't die. Long as it lives they'll [he'll] come back, but if it dies they'll [he'll] never come back. (You write this person's name on this paper, then put this powder on it, and nail it up in a tree? That's all you have to do to make him come back?) Yes.
Entry 9005
Heard of 'em say yo' take a black cat, yo' know, an' kill 'im an' put 'im up on de do'. Say yo' cain't stay dere. Nail him up on de do', say yo can't stay dere. (Well, I would see them if they did that, wouldn't I?) No, dey fix so yo' couldn't see, yo' wouldn't know it wuz dere. Ovah de do' or on de do', ah disremembah.
Entry 9677
Well, some people take a penny an' dey nail it right down in front of de do' - a one-cent piece. Dey go tuh de back do' an' dey nail down anothah one. D go tuh de sto' an' git chew a box of Red Devil Lye potash. Yo' git chew a bran'-new box of salt. An' yo' go out in yore gate, right in de mid- dle of yore gate where de people transfah in an' out. Yo' dig a hole down dere at zakly [exactly] six inches, an' yo' take dis salt, dat whole box of salt, an' empty it right close tuh de box of lye. An' aftah yo' emptyin' it close tuh dat box of lye, yo' say lak dis: Three daid men looked outa de winda': One had no lung, de othah had no tongue; De third was deaf, druonb an' blind. Behold de spirit looked on me, As ah speak to yo' three times a day. Only goodness an' mercy shall follow me from dis day on. Yo' say dat all de while yo' po'ing dat salt on topa dat. An' aftah yo' git done why yo' cover this lye up - an' dat's also fo' bringin' customers - an' de potash will drive away de law, keep de law away.
Entry 9746
You take nine nails and nail each one of 'em at nine o'clock every moming for nine mornings jis' acrost de door. On de first morning de first nail is driven into the wood at the edge of the front step; on the second morning the second nail is driven nearer the house; etc., until the nails form a straight line from the edge of the steps across the doorsteps into the house. An' the ninth morning he's comin' back. [This is my original transcription made in 1937 a short time after the recording: The voice came through badly but everything has been recovered and reproduced here.]