Subject:Oak
Entries
Entry 2169
Yo' go to a white oak tree an' git de root of it, right up close to de root. (Any side of the tree?) No suh, de no'th side of it. Take a white cloth an' wrap it [root] up in a lil piece of cloth, an' take a lil small piece [of root] yo' know far [large] enough to do anything, an' put it up ovah the do' where yo' gotta go past in an' out, an' dat's luck. Dat's fo' luck lak if yore gamblin', lak if yo' run a gamblin house, anything lak dat - yo' know, sellin' whiskey or dope or anything lak dat. Keep de law away.
Entry 3759
[As a piece of magic, what could be more logical magically than the following 5 ingredients: 1 of them prickly, 3 of them red, and the 5th called life everlasting?] But I anticipate. The doctor who is instructing me will explain why he uses each of the 5 ingredients.] Well, now - case now dere's some man or some woman may come tuh yo' an' tell yo' dis [my instruction by the doctor begins]. He say, "Listen, yo' know one thing, "" says, "ah haven't got no nature left at all - I ain't go no nachure left. Ah wants tuh have feelin' fo' mah ole man or mah ole woman, an' ah ain't got no feelin's left." Yo' say, "Well, all right, right. Ah'll tell yo' whut ah'll do." Yo' say, "Yo' come ovah heah an' ah'll give yo' somepin." Well, all right. Yo' walk out dere an' yo' go to a tree, an' git dis prickly ash. Yo' know whut prickly ash is. Git dat inside bark - undahstan' good - see, dat rough side yo' know is got stickahs on it lak pins. Git de inside of dat prickly ash bark. An' go in de woods an' den git chew a [wild] cherry tree an' git dat cherry bark. Git chew some cherry bark an' de inside of a red oak bark, an' it's a kinda brier dat dey call de life evahlastin' [the cudweed (not a kinda brier) - see hayfever cure, FACI, 1st ed., 4498-4499, p.216.] Git dat an' boil dat togethah an' when yo' boil dat togethah, den yo' strain dat. But yo' wanta git rain watah. Don't git dis hydrant watah, git rain watah an' yo' boil all dat togethah. An' yo' put about a half, jes' about dat much, as much cayenne peppah in dere as yo' kin hold in yore two fingahs, see. An' shake dat up togethah an' let 'em take dat, see. An' dat will give dem nature. An' see, dis peppah is fo' tuh give yuh nature, an' dis red-oak bark is fo' tuh cleanse yore blood, an' dis prickly ash is tuh make de man's thing stand. See, DAT'S WHY DEY CALL IT PRICKLY ASH. An' dis life evahlastin' is supposed tuh work yo', tuh work de filth an' stuff offa yo' kidney's an' yo' bladdah. See, evahthin' yo' gotta do wit dat is wrong.
Entry 3780
If a man have a bad disease, yo' kin git de bark from de no'th side, outside, of a gum tree, an' de bark from de east side of red oak tree, an' mix 'em togethah an' make a tonic, an' dat will cure him of de bad dis- ease. Yo' put a few drops of turpentine in it.
Entry 3958
Or else yo' kin take de cloth whut she nuse [use] an' yo' kin dig a hole in a oak tree an' put dat piece in dat oak tree an' stop it up an' dat will stop it an' it [the blood] will rush to dey haid.an' kill 'em.
Entry 3959
Yo' kin do a lotta things [informant is answering my unrecorded ques- tion]. Yo' kin take dat an' bury it an' put it into a hole in a big oak tree, an' take [write] her name [and put with it] an' dat will run 'em crazy- make all 'er blood dry up.
(Put her monthly period in that hole in that tree?)
Yeah.
Entry 4462
Well, now if a person fool aroun' people, ketch out where dey go out, yuh know, an' git dat stuff. (That passage?) Yes, git dat an' stop it up in a bottle, yuh see. Stop it up in a bottle an' go tuh a oak tree. Cut a hole an' put dat bottle in dat oak tree an' dat will stop dem from doin' anythin'. Dey cain't make it.
Entry 4464
Dey'll leave an' yuh wanta ketch up wit 'em, yuh know, jis' like if it's a - well anythin' yuh wanta make on 'em - yuh see, yuh kin take some of dis same urinate dat a fellah has an' some of 'is bowel action, an' bore a hole in de north side of any oak or gum tree. [Urinate here is urine and not excrement.] (Oak or gum tree?) Yes, an' put it in dere an' cork it up, an' nine dates [days] aftah dat, dey say dat unlessen yuh find who did it, becuz if yuh don't uncork dat an' let it out, dey say dat yuh'll die.
(I see, that is if you are trying to get even with someone.)
Tryin' tuh git even wit someone an' yuh don't know who. Well, maybe yuh'll know, keep a person dat othah way.
Entry 4466
(To stop my bowels up, what do they do with that?)
They take dat an' stop de bowels up, an' git some red oak leaves, yeah, an' mix 'um tuhgethah an' put dat down in de dust. Dat keep yuh from doin' any busi- ness. (They bury it in the ground?) Yes. [The red oak leaves are a substitute for a red oak tree or for any tree.]
Entry 4467
Git a person dung an' kill dem, SEND DEM TUH DE CEMETERY. Dey take dat - why dey stop it up whut dey say [call] a oak - a water oak by de rivah- side. Dey hit it fo' nine mawnin's at sunrise an' it will natchly [naturally] will lock yuh bowels.
Entry 4468
[Ah'll] tell yuh 'bout whut ah heard about killin' people - stop 'em from havin' action an' all lak dat. Well, ah ain't nevah tried dat chew know. Well, ah heard dat chew could, jis' lak ah see where yuh made a action at, well ah would go dere an' git some of dat an' goes tuh a white oak tree. Well, ah put dat action intuh de tree an' den put me a peg in it. Well, den ah takes an' fo' nine mawnin's ah gits me a hammah er anythin' an' drive dat peg fo' nine mawnin's, see. Well, when dem nine mawnin's up, well yuh can't nevah have a action. So it apt tuh kill yuh.
Entry 4740
Git hold of yore shirt or somepin lak dat an' make yuh leave dis part, section of de country where yuh live, an' yuh'll nevah come back. Well dey said, yuh take it an' wrap it up wit dog manure. Jis' take de dog manure an' heat it or somepin an wrap dis piece of cloth up in it, see. An' put it in a tin can, bur' [bury] it at de foot of a oak tree good. An' fer five night an' five day yuh walk dat dog - dat same dog where yuh got de stuff from - walk 'im ovah dat place fer five days an' five nights. An' yuh'll nevah come back home no mo'. Yuh're runnin' away. Den aftah yuh git through wit dat dog, run 'im away, run de dog away den. [This running away a dog, not responsible for running away the person, looks like the Old Testament scape-goat rite, transferring your own sin to some living creature (see Leviticus 16:8, 10, 26).]
Entry 5186
Take his shoe an' burn it. Burn 'is shoe tuh ashes an' take de ashes an' bo' a hole in a oak tree an' stop it back up. Dat will kill 'im.
(What do you do burn up, both his shoes?)
No, one - de left shoe.
Entry 5715
Jis' lak ah'm on de way now uptown. Ah'm on mah way up an' mah min' is toum. Ah got some pahtic'lah business ah wanta 'tend [attend] tuh, an' ah'm on de way, now. Den yo'll git some of 'is track, undah- stan'. Yo' stan' where he's goin', de direction dat he's goin'. Take some of 'is tracks three times - take dat dirt P outa his track three times, an' den put dat in a piece of new cloth an' bind I up. Put three pods of red peppah in wit it. An' den take dat an' sew it up a' put a long string about dat long an' so it kin swing it. Sew dat string jis batavay an' evah time de win' blow, dat swing. He's agoin'.
(Where do you tie that up?)
Ties it up on a white oak in de woods. Jis' take it, tie it up in dere. He can't stay becuz 'is min' altuhgethah from dere. (In other words you take that track, you take it three times out of three different tracks - one right after the other?) Yessuh. (The same thing as that other one you told me about, about taking all the dree tracks?) Dat's right.
Entry 5716
Yo' take a mockin'bird's nest an' yo' burn it an' git de ashes out of it, an' use it in makin' a man or a woman go 'way. Yo' take dat wit some of dere tracks an' hang dat up ag'in wit a long string. Tie it up wit a piece of new cloth. Put it in a cloth have nevah been worn, an' put dat in dere wit a long string on it. Hang it up on a white oak an' it will swing. Hit will make 'em go off. DERE SO MANY WAYS TUH MAKE A PERSON GO OFF.
Entry 5804
Dey kin take yer hair from yer haid an' take it tuh a red oak tree, an' on de east side of dat tree, yuh bo' yuh a hole - dat's fo' tuh run yuh crazy. Bo' yuh a hole in dat tree an' put dat hair in dere. Take yuh a stick an' trim it. Stop dat hole up, yuh know, jes' as yuh put in a peg lak dat. Put it in dat tree an' stop it up in dere an' go ahead on. Well, as dat hair - see, dat hair is gonna grow an' as dat hair grows, dat takes yer mind. Yuh has no mind fo' nuthin. An' when dat hair beginnin' tuh grow, hit'll run yuh stone crazy - yuh don't even know nuthin. Yuh haven't got no mind fo' nuthin.
Entry 6207
Dey say dey take yore hair an' stop it up in a tree, some kinda tree dey finds in de woods - I can't say it right. I heard dat when I wuz a child, but I remembah some por- tion of it. Dey take nine strands of yore hair. Dey put it in a tree an' stop it up. Dey say it'll run yo' crazy.
(Do you remember the name of the particular tree that they put it in?)
No, ah - it's a red oak.
(Red oak?)
Red oak tree wit de hollah.
(With a what?)
With a hollah - hole in it.
(Oh, there's a hole in it. I see.)
Entry 6240
One woman said once dat chew bo' a hole in a tree on de no'th side, a red oak tree, scrape de bark off. An' scrape off de first bark an' den scrape off de second bark, an' den bo' dat hole in de so'th side of a tree. Dat's fo' de hair. An' dey take yore hair an' a bird feathah, sompin wild feather, lak birds are wild things, an' fix wit it an' stop it up in dere. Say dat will run yo' crazy. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 6241
An' dey take yore hair of anothah way now. Take yore hair an' run yo' crazy anothah way. Dey kin take it an' put it in a green tree, oak tree, an' make a slice up. A green growin' tree. Put de hir in dere an' see, it close back on de hair. Why yo' soon go crazy an' dere ain't no cure fo' yo'. (Go to a small growing tree and put your hair in there. And when that tree grous together again?) Yeah, de tree grows up, why de hair grows in dere, why yo' go crazy. [For bair growing though separated from body, see No.5804f.]
Entry 6250
Take dey hair an' go tuh a oak tree on de west side, an' bo' yuh a hole in dere, an' put dat hair in dere, an' aftah so long a time dat person will go crazy.
(This person's hair.)
Entry 6680
Yo' kin take nine new needles an' nine new pins an' nails - nine nails - an' put in a bottle. An' den yo' kin take one dese heah worm outa from undah de bottom [bark] see, think dey call 'em sawyah.
(Wood Sawyer?)
Yes sir. Dey got two little bills [horns] whut cuts in de wood. [These worms - the larvae of sawyers, several large longicorn bettles - bore large holes in timber or dead trees. Both worm and bettle are often called wood sawyers.] Put dat in dat bottle an' bury it down in de path where he walks. An' den, when he walk ovah dat, he'll ketch 'em in 'is foot. An' dat same worm [larva] whut chew see in dat bo'd, dat yo' put in dat bottle, jis' true as [what?]. [It will enter 'im an'] eat 'im up. [But this ailment can be cured.] Dat way [if you are in that condition] yo' got'a go tuh a root doctah de same way [as before]. Now a root doctor, he got'a take 'em out. A medical doctor don't do it.
(What would a root doctor do to get that worm out of him, I wonder.)
He goes an' git de root from de - dey call black haw an' red oak bark an' a stingin' nettle root. Put dat up in a bottle an' yo' got'a take. Dat stingin' nettle root, will run 'im out dere. [The other two help and also make 3 ingre- dients.]
(Well, what do you do with these roots? Make a tea of them or what?)
Yes.
Entry 6886
De woman might be Impregnant, chew know. Somebody might wan' 'em tuh die in dat state, chew know. Dey [some woman] gits jealous, chew know. An' den dey git tuh a, go tuh a oak tree an' measure nine inches from de bottom, an' skin de bä'k up an' boil dat tuhgethah [with] anythin' whut de woman would eat, chew know. Suppose dey could give 'er dat tuh eat, chew know. Dat child nevah come down, yo' see. (The child will never come down. This child will stay right in her. It will kill her then.)
Entry 6893
Yo' know lak dey have neuralgy [neuralgia] in de throat an' mouth an' haid. All right, yo' be swoled all up. Yo' go tuh a red oak bark tree an' git de bark on de sunrise side an' make tea off it, an' jis' steep yo'self wit it lak dat. Jis' have de watah, dat tea, in a pan an' jis' steep off, steep off. Open yuh mouth an' jis' let it, let it go all on. An' yo' kin make poultices if yo' wanta tuh put all roun' yuh neck or wherevah it's hurtin', an' dat'll scattah it.
Entry 6894
Ah have know of sompin about trees fo' makin' medicine, red oak an' beechnut an' sycamore. Mix dem three barks tuhgethah an' put it in a 'luminum pot an' boil it until it come tuh a certain amount, jis' as much 'mount as yo' want. Jis' lak if yo' wanta make a half gallon, why yo' put chew a gal- lon of watah in on dose barks an' let 'em boil down tuh a half gallon, an' den take it out an' git chew some dis heah brown sugah an' put it in dere, an' den strain dat dere bark out dere. Den put dat sugah on dere an' make a syrup. An' put chew jis' a li'le pinch of alum in dere. Well, dat's good fo' coughs.
Entry 6895
Den yuh kin git some root whut dey call de blacksnake root, grain [green] root, an' arrowroot, an' High John de Conkah. Well, dat's de root, dat John de Conquah, dat is goin' tuh conquah mos' anythin', any kinda HO0- DOO dat come. DAT'S A Did yuh git chew [down] [blacksnake root] grain root, an' de arrowroot, an' John de Conquah? DAT RooT'S VERY EXPENSIVE AN' AH KNOW ZACTLY WHERE TUH GIT IT, see. Yuh kin [take] dose roots an' boil 'em tuhgethah an' if anybody wuz HOoDOOED, if mah lady wuz HOODO0, take some of dat root when it's dry an' beat it.up an' give it tuh a lady in some ine an' dat'll perform. Yuh kin see it, scorpion drived an' - given in powdah tuh someone - movin' in 'er laigs. Git dat stuff an' boil it an' make tea out it, an' in ten days dat git de pain outa yuh body. Dat came out. One time she couldn't walk straight. Evah time she stand up she fell on de floah. Ah goes tuh dat dere fellah an' ah says, "Look, ah wan' chew tuh drive me out tuh de country. See yo' got a li'le hatchet." Ah want tuh get me a hatchet an' he gave me de hatchet, an' ah went tuh de red oak tree. Ah trimmed off de white bark an' de black bark ovah it an' cut down tuh de juicy wood. Ah cut me fo' chips out on east side. Ah goes tuh de west side of de tree an' ah cuts me fo' more. Ah cut de chips off de east side firs', den ah go tuh de west side. Den ah git me some blackberry root, chew undahstan'. Den ah git some mul- lein an' ah take dat home, put it tuhgethah. Ah gits home an' ah tell mah wife, ah say, "Look, git me about two quarts of vinegah." An' she put dat on de fiah an' boil it, boil it an' boil it. An' she let it cool. Den she bathe me from mah haid tuh mah feet [downward bathing so that it will go out through his feet] in de tub, an' ah ain't had a pain in dis laig since.
Entry 7507
Shot to death. Well, now if yo' is shot to death, yo' jes' take an' go in de woods an' dey git somepin dey calls scrubby oak [second-growth oak?] switch. Well yo' git one of dose switches, an' de very person whut's dead in de coffin, yo' take an' put dat in 'is han'. Put dat switch in 'is han' in de coffin, see, an' tell 'im, say, "Whip dis person across de whole worl'" - jes' who his name wus, yo' undah- stan' - "whip him until he git enough." Jes' call de dead person name an' also dis othah man's name - see, what did de killin' - an' den yo' close 'is hand on it. See [demonstrates] jes' close his hand right up on it, an' he'll finish drawin' up [!!!]. See. An' den when yo' bury 'im, in spirit dis same scrubby- oak switch an' dis fellah in spirit will whip dis othah fellah until he die. He won't live very long. If he live six months he doin' good. [Charleston, S. Car.,
(?).639:2+85.]
Entry 7787
Take a chicken alg an' go tuh a ant hill an' dig down in dat hill an' git some dirt an' a red ant. An' den go tuh de woods an' git a young oak tree, a oak tree dat's got jis' kinda sprouts tuh it. An' dey come back wit it an' take it, an' go intuh a kinda forks in de road 'bout where anybody, yo' know, 'spect [expect] tuh walk on. An' den if fellah [lover] or fren' is gone away, take an' bury dat. Yo' know, bury dose things down tuh de ground an'take dat red ant, egg an' all, an' put ovah de top of it, an' dey say dat will bring 'em back.
[Informant now illustrates rite with following story:]
Dey talk about a ole man an' he didn't want 'is daughtah tuh stay 'way. He vent out tuh de red ants' baid an' he got de fo'ks of a li'le tree, an' buried it down tuh de fo'ks of road in de direction which she went, wit graveyard dirt, an' told it whut he want done. An' 'is daughtah came back an' she's up dere tuh 'is house right now.
(You mean just this little small fork off the tree?)
Yes jis' a li'le small fo'k about where it will not be noticed. An' bury it in de direction in which she's gone. Jis' use de graveyard dirt an' tell it whut chew want done an' sprinkle dat graveyard dirt ovah it. (You mean the fork at the tip of a [branch], you cut that off that red oak tree?) Yessuh.
Entry 8292
Ah heard dey kin take a tin- type photograph an' carry it tuh de oak tree, an' if dey wanted tuh harm yuh, an' nail it dere wit a tenpenny nail an' den shoot. Say dat would kill yo'.
Entry 8361
Yo' wan'a take a oak tree an' take a tintype photo - only got'a be a photo on tintype. Any yer cardbo'd wouldn't work. An' dig a hole undah dis tree an' put dis photo in dere. An' as long as de photo is in dere, it continue [to] sink. Nachure [naturally] yo'll begin tuh be sickly an' will sink along wit de photo.
Entry 9719
And dey wanted tuh, dey could take a big nail an' carry it tuh a oak Tree on de [property] line of dis man's land, yuh undahstan', an' drive dis nail in dere an' make a wish when he'd drive it in dere. An' he.could stay down dere an' do as hdchase as long as he wants. De man voeld never put 'im away - put him off [the land]. (Off, I see. If some man is on a piece of ground - land out here - and he wnts to stay and he doesn't want to be put off, he will go to this oak tree. Ad where would this oak tree be?) Neah de line, de [boundary] line of de land.
(Oh, it must be near the line?)
His land an' somebody else's, yo' know. Yo' see, gen'ly [generally] dere's a line of trees out on dere [property line of farm]. Yo' know, there is de line of orees somewhere neah it. An' drive it in a oak tree, yo' see. Blow 'is breath on it three times an' make a wish [also 3 magic actions: drive, wish, breathe].
(What will that do for him then?)
Hell, he kin stay dere long as he choose.
(He just stays there as long as he wants to?)
Yeah, an' he don't pay no rent.
Entry 9752
Say, if anybody wuz hurt chew or git chure min' confusin', an' make yo' don't know whut chew wanta do half de time, dey could take a oak stick an' put nine notches an' ninepenny nail an' put it at chure step. Use new nail. Yessuh, say dat'll shure hurt chew.
(How would they put the nails in, in the stick?)
No suh, nail it down roun' dat stick. Jes' lak if yo' put it in de centah, nail 'em all roun' dat stick. Say yo' couldn't stay tuh yore own house in no peace.
Entry 12691
If a man wanta ketch 'is wife, jes' lak in some act or 'nothah, den yo' takes oak ashes. Take oak ashes an' pine straw [dried needle on ground, also called shatters in the South]. An' yo' take an' put dose oak ashes ovah dem an' yo' puts one hole in de can an' let de can leak aftah yo' puts watah in dere. Den yo' takes oil an' yo' puts oil - po's oil ovah dat an' let de oil run through, an' den as de oil meets wit dis heah straw an' oil an' straw mix wit dis watah dat he has po'd on dere, den dat will cause dis man an' woman tuh go tuhgethah. An' de day he would po' de oil in - see, he done put de watah in dere an' let de watah drip through de straw an' oak ashes. Den he puts de oil in dere, an' den at de minute dat he puts dis oil in dere an' de oil drip through tuh de ashes, den dis heah woman she'll be wantin tuh git tuh dis man, but now de woman she'll have tuh burn dese ashes. See, he'll git huh tuh burn de ashes fo' him. An' den she'll be wantin' tuh git tuh dis othah man, an' whenevah she gits wit him, den he goes where dey's at...tuh fin' dem den. Wheresomevah - if he fin' dem dey'll be tuhgethah.
(Just associating together.)
Yes.
Entry 13296
Dese ole oak trees an' dey burn 'em into ashes, coals. Den yo' ketch a terrapin an' put him in dese ashes, coals. An' put dis ole terrapin in dere an' let him roast. An' dey eat him, hull shell, entrails an' all. [Hull shell could be con- fusing. Victim does not eat hull and shell and entrails. The shell is hulled, cleaned out, and meat and entrails eaten. While collecting folkore on Deal Island in Chesapeake Bay in 1936 I learned that oysters and clams are shucked a word I had always associated with Indian corn. Even so, by hull, informant may mean WHOLE shell, entrails and all.] Dat will cure dat.
(What will that cure?)
Cure de consumption [tuberculosis]. Cure it on anybody. Ah don't care who dey is.