Subject:Onion
Other forms: Onions
Entries
Entry 2857
You take dat black candle an' who's'evah yo' burning it on, yo' write it [person's name] all ovah that papah - right cross de papah. An' den yo' take de black candle an' yo' put it in a white saucer - jis' a deep white saucer. An' yo' put lye an' yo' put peppah an' white onion, an' put it down in dat candle an' burn it - underneath [is] his [name].
(What kind of a page? You write that name on that page you say?)
Jis' a plain tablet. Yo' take that piece of papah [with name] an' put it down undah dat saucer. (When you speak about burning these things, you mean you set the candle down into them?) It's dis - yo' see [demonstrates], yo' set de papah heah [on table holding my machine], an' den yo' set de white saucer heah [on top of the paper], an' den whatevah yo' goin' burn [in this case lye, onion and pepper], yo' set it down in de saucer, an' den yo' set de candle down in it.
Entry 3448
Well, dey say yo' kin take a dog an' kill de dog an' take 'is livah. An' dey say, when a man go to have intahco'se wit a woman, an' yo' kin git de chance to git it [the liver] on 'im some Way or 'nothah [they will be- come tied]. An' dey [cannot] git unloosed unless de doctor [M.D.] come to 'em. If dey's 'fraid of anything lak dat whenevah dey goin' out fo' dat, why dey kin jes' take a red onion, yo' know, an' jes' kinda lightly rub it on dereself, an' dey say nuthin lak dat would happen.
Entry 3752
This boy was goin' with a girl and this girl was very much in love with this boy, and she thought he was in love with someone else. And she didn't want him to be in love with anyone else, and so she decided to fix him so that he couldn't have anything to do with anyone else excepting her. Well one day - one night, that they were hav- ing intercourse with each other, she done away with the cloth that they had used. And this boy was [became] impopetent [impotent]. And so he didn't know what the trouble. He went to a doctor [M.D.]. The doctor told him it was in his back. Finally, one day he met a boy, and the boy told him what was the matter; and told him to use an onion and split it in half, and use it on each side of him. And take and steal a dishcloth. (How would he use the onion on each side of him? Oh, I see. I understand. Yes, I know. All right, go ahead.) [A half of the onion is bound on each side of his penis. "It is not stated on the Telediphone cylinder that the dishcloth served as a bandage, but I tran- scribed the cylinder soon after it was recorded and remember this detail" Ori- ginal pencil note made at the time of transcription and now in original Ms.] And steal a dishcloth from a neighbor, a kitchen, but do not let the neighbor know it. He did as the boy instructed and finally he got all right. But it took three months before he was cured. [After the rite was recorded, informant explained: "It didn't happen here but it didn't happen far from here about one year ago, " 1936.]
Entry 3753
Dere wuz boy, he wuz goin' wit a girl, an' he went wit anothah girl an' she [first girl] caught up wit it. An' so de nex' time she [first girl] had intahco'se wit 'im she took dis - his discharge, stopped it up in a bottle wit de han'ke'chuf [used in wiping]. An' de nex' time he tried to make an' have intah- co'se wit someone else he couldn't. So he went to de doctor [M.D.] an' de doctor tole him he didn't know why it is. So he went to a root doctor, an' de doctor tole him to git one onion an' cut it in half an' rub it - take one half in each hand an' rub it [penis] down, keep on rubbin' it down till he got wet wit de juice off de onion; an' den, steal someone's dishcloth an' wipe it, an' throw it ovah 'is left shouldah, an' he'd be all right.
Entry 3788
Now, I kin tell yo' somepin dat'll make yore courage rise, if a man falls, yo' know. Yo' know some people say yo' kin fix a man where he can't have nobody but chew. But chew take a red onion an' yo' wrap it up in a wet rag an' put it in de fiah an' roast it, an' when it git done lak a roast aig, yo' take an' let it git cool. Take dat an' squeeze dat juice all de way on yore private an' yo' rise lak dat.
(That will cure it?)
Kills anything. If dey hang up de rag lak some do's, dey take de dishrag an' run yo' wit it.
Entry 3789
Yo' take onions an' sulphur - a piece of a red onion an' make a stew out of it. Make a sort of a tea an' drink it, an' yo'll kill dat.
(Get your nature back.)
Entry 3790
Ah've heard dat she kin gain mah thoughts. She kin take some sulphur - take some sulphur an' vinegar an' a red onion an' cook it up. Put a white of a aig wit it an' give it to him an' let him eat it. (What will that do then?) Dat will take his nature away from him. He kin git it back if he go tuh someone. Dat dere [is] where he tell 'im. He git a red onion, he git six aigs - a dozen aigs. Mix de onions an' de aigs. Eat de onions raw an' six raw aigs a day - two in de mornin' an' two at twelve a'clock an' two at night - five days, red onions an' de aigs.
(That'll bring his nature back.)
Entry 3791
(You eat these red onions raw?)
Eat red onions raw. Jes' cut 'em up yo' understan' an' eat 'em. Yo' undah- stan', wit vinegar an' black peppah. Yo' seen 'em lak dat. Dey mostly be able tuh give a man courage.
Entry 4245
Yuh kin use garlic an' [or] yuh kin use onions an' yuh kin use yuh slop jar watah.
(How do you use garlic for example to keep the law away?)
Take a package of garlic, a small piece of garlic an' put it up each night, a piece of it in yore slop jar an' throw de table salt, de table salt dat chew use, an' let it git on yore table. [Let it come from your table.] Yuh jis' keep it damp somewhere an' mix it an' throw it aroun' yuh do' both front an' back. An' co'se yuh have some good lodestone an' grad'ly [gradually] dey'll pass on by yuh an' yuh kin sell right on. Dat keep de officahs away. Throw it in de grass an' all lak dat aroun' yore do', but don't walk in it yuhself. [NEVER WALK OVER YOUR OWN HOODOO!] Leave it so dat people kin pass ovah it. Let it lay dere an' dey ain't goin' worry yuh.
Entry 5012
Ah hear 'em say dat dey'll take yuh sock, dirty sock, an pu-tit [put it], place it, in a onion. Yuh kin take a dirty sock an' cu-tit [cut it] uP, place it in a' onion, inside a red onion, an' plan-tit [plant it] in de groun' at chew doahstep. An' dat hol' a person at home.
Entry 5073
Take an' git dere socks. An' take his socks an' wash 'em. An' take de watah an' put it in a bottle wit de soft watah, sompin lak rain watah, in a kinda crystal watah. Let half of it be de watah from washin' de socks an' half of it be's de crystal watah.
(Soft water?)
Yeah, take dat an' put a little sugah.in it an' put Epsom salts in dat. An' yuh take an' burn de incense an' de red onion - lump incense - on de stove, an' sprinkle a little sugah in it. Dey mos'ly use sugah mos' in anything. An' yuh burn dis lump incense an' de red onion on de stove an' call de name three times. Burn dat fo' 'bout nine mawnin's an' he'll come back an' dere won' be no trouble.
(What did you do with that sock water? What did you do with that?)
Take dat an' set it in de no'th cornah of de house an' keep it dere fo' three days - three tuh nine days. An' yuh take it out an' yuh po' it 'cross de do'- steps an' aftah it dries... [I turned off recording machine too soon or accidentally and had to restart it to repeat informant's words.]
(He'll come back?)
Yessuh.
Entry 6475
Yo' take nine of 'er fingahnails an' nine of 'er toenails, an' den git a red onion. An' git nine stran's of hair outa de mole of 'er haid an' dat on- ion, red onion. An' cut it open an' dig a li'le hole in it, an den take dem nine toenails an' [nine] fingahnails an' dat nine stran's of hair outa 'er haid, an' place tuhgethah an' put it in dere. An' stop dat onion up an' go roun' de house towards where de sun rise an' dig a li'le hole an' put it dere, an' den covah it up. [For a man to hold a woman.]
Entry 6581
Dey do it wit de fish. Dey take dat fish, de little minnow fish, an' put 'em in a little vial m' let 'im be live. An' dey go tuh work an' put dem a little garlic an' a lit- tle onion in dere. An' put 'im in a vial an' put 'im undah de doorstep. An' dat fish gits intuh de person [after you walk over it].
(Is there any way of getting them out?)
Yes suh, yo' work 'em out jis' de same as yuh did de frog.
Entry 6896
Dese here HOODOO dey git dat onion an' cut it up, fix it up in sulphur, stuff, an' git chew tuh tote it in yuh pocket, an' den if anythin' lak dat, chew - dey try tuh do anythin' tuh yuh, dat will keep it off, dat red onion.
(They fix this red onion up with that sulphur in it.)
Dat sulphur is de main thin' dey use.
(Nothing else, just the red onion an' sulphur.)
Entry 6897
Lak if yo're hurt, den yo' kin take red onions, an' urination, sulphuh, salt, vinegah an' boil all dat tuhgethah an' bathe 'em down in it, an' dat will run de poison out of dem.
Entry 7233
Yo' see dem li'le red onions, but chew git chew one dat's small; yo' know, got a li'le tail tuh it, lak dat, [demonstrates] chew know. Yo've seen 'em?
(I've seen them.)
Now, de way yo' gotta do, yo' [go] up to 'im - now, listen good. Yo' kill it [the trouble]. Ah had de claps right tuh mah.... So yo' take dis red onion. Now mix dem good. An' yo' know a coman's vury weak anyway, say, "This ain't goin' hurt choo. Wipe dis on yo' so ah won' have tuh come back no mō'." Now, listen good. Now, aftah yo' take dat onion, yo take yo' a cord string an' tie it up somewhere where nobody won' see it. Now listen good, where it won' touch de wall anywhere. An' ah'll betcha, if she have any other man, ah'll eat chew up. She won' [have] any, anothah man, betcha.
(Now, you have that onion and she takes that onion, doesn't she?)
He has tuh tell 'er, see, say, "Ah have de claps, here. De doctor tole me tuh git some of yuh [your] wiping." Yo' know, it ain't goin' hurt 'er. Yo' know, put it between....
(But you have her take that onion and wipe you?)
Shore. Undahstan', yo' know, jis' lak yo' have a woman, yo' say, "Baby wid dis, will ya? Ah have de claps so bad." An' yo' takes dat [red onion] away from 'er an' yo' take a cord string, an' tie it up somewhere where nobody - not even yuh wife won' see it. Where it won' touch de wall nowhere. An' ah betcha evah day an' evah night she be right on yo'.
(I see. You wipe the woman with the red onion.)
Shore, an' den git roun' dat li'le ole tail of it [onion], git chew a cord string an' yo' tie it, an' hang it up somewhere where nobody can't see it.
(You hang up that red onion.)
Yes.
(I understand now.)
Entry 7336
Take a onion - yo' bit a onion an' rub it on de bottom of yore feet an' de dog can't trail yo'.
Entry 7337
It [red onion] will grow back hair. Yo' take it an' rub it on a bald spot an' it will grow back hair. An' den it's good to keep dogs from runnin' yo'. Lak yo' a prisonah, gits out of a [chain] gang or anythin' lak dat, yo' put de salt an' [red] peppah an' de red onion togethah an' put it in yore shoes, an' dey can't run yo'.
Entry 8681
Well, yo' can do a heap with onions.
(What for example?)
Yo' can take a onion an' write names an' open dat onion an' sew it up, put that in there an' sew that onion up. An' take that onion and put it somewhere where nobody walks. That does a lot of harm - mean things. (Do you just write the name once on a piece of paper?) Once only on the paper for that.
Entry 8930
Well now, if you - like you was to take a dollah, say fo' 'ninstan' [an instant = an instance], if you'd take a dollah, or if yo' took mah glasses, or if yo' took anything out mah house, or anything yo' take from me, if yo' steal it from me in the street, I gits a red onion. Listen at me good. I splits dis red onion, but not let it come apart. See, yo' jis'gash it like that [demonstrates].
(You turn it like that, gash it through the side, not from top to bottom.)
Well now, you take an' git five drops spirits turpentine. Yo'll write your name on a cigarette papah. Like your name John James, I'll put in on a ciga- rette papah, put five drops of spirits turpentine, put that name [in the split onion], then put about two little pinches of cayenne pepper, an' spit in it five times, an' make yo' a woosh [wish]. An' then I take yeh [the onion holding your name] an' bur' [bury] mah things back. If yo' don't it'll run yo' crazy, if yo' didn't. See, that will drindle right on your mind 'bout choo takin' mah glasses.
Entry 9016
Well, dere wus a guy roun' heah dat supposed tuh been a wise man. An' So ah'd got in a li'le trouble. An' mah wife she went tuh 'im tuh see could he he'p 'er. Well, he claimed tuh he'p 'er. He give her a red onion dat wus fulla straight pins, fo' her tuh keep. [A number of examples of the term wise man occur in Hoodoo as a synonym for witchcrafter, herb doctor, hoodoo, healer, two-head, etc. This word, old in English, is familiar to use from wise men from the East (Matt.2:1) King James Version; but translated by the New English Version as astrologers.]
(For your wife to keep?)
An' he give her a couple of aigs to bring to de jail where ah wus, an' when she start up de stairs, to drop one an' bust it. An' in de way of comin' in, take one an' throw up against de side of de jail, but how it wus fixed ah do not know - how it wus dressed.
Entry 9111
[The red onion is one of the well-known objects in hoodoo, having been inherited from folk medicine as well as what passed for the scientific medicine of the day. A few examples of its use will be found in margin title ONION, Pp.622-626, v.1. 0n p.625, line 6f., I find a note of my own: 'Red onion - like red flannel ball or (red) bag for hands - symbolizes the human heart." Where that came from I no longer remember. Perhaps an informant in Hoodoo says it. Since the rite about to be given is a squeezing rite (another type of magic often ignored and unindexed), see No.2188, p.625, for another red onion squeezed in court.] If yo' goin' up befo' de judge an' yo' don' want de judge tuh put no sentence on yuh atall, yo' wanta come cleah of whut chew done. Git chew a red onion an' yo' cut a roun' hole in dere, cut a roun' hole in dat onion. An' aftah cuttin' de hole in dat onion, yo' take yo' some salt an' full it up, full dem holes wit dat salt.
(How many holes?)
Fo' [demonstrates]: one heah, one dere, one dere, an' one dere - de fo' holes. An' evahone dat yo' thinks ag'inst chew, yo' take yo' pins - stickpins [ordinary pins], an' evahone yo' learn ag'inst chew, call dere name an' punch it down in dere. Evahone yo' thinks ag'ins' chew, call dere name, "By de he'p [of God] ah wan' chew tuh git me off." Do dat in de mawnin' or any time in de day, jes' put 'im down in dere. Put 'im down in dere, evahone yo' think ag'ins' yuh, jes' stick 'em down in dat onion. An' aftah stickin' 'em in dat onion, take dat onion an' take an' put it in yore pocket. But be sure tuh hold it [keep your hand on it]. Jes' lak yo' put dese pins down in dere, be sure tuh hold it in yore han's jes' lak dat [demonstrates] jes' dat-a-way. (Bring your fingers over the top of the onion, and have the heads of the pins under them.) Yes, dat's right. Keep it in yore pocket. Keep it tight an' he can't do anything wit chew. He'll turn yo' loose.
Entry 9112
Whut ah heard about goin' befo' de jedge: yo' take two red onions - understand me - an' yo' peel it. Yo' git de peelin' from two red onions an' yo' burn dese peelin', yo' under- stand me, intuh a powdah, an' yo' mix up sulphuh wit it, dis powdah from de red onion. An' put it in yore left-foot shoes an' go on befo' 'im. Dat's all yo' gotta do.
(When you go before the judge?)
Yeah, dat will conkah him, don't chew know.
Entry 9119
(1) Dey could git a big sage leaf an' write de Ten Commandment on dat sage leaf an' take it tuh de co't an' yo' make out anybody dere an' jes' throw it. (2) Eithah yo' could take a red onion an' split it in fo' parts an' sprinkle salt in it an' carry it in yore pocket han'ke'- ch'ef, an' whilst in dere, blow yore breath once in awhile. (3) Or eithah yo' kin take a [silver] ten cents an' put it undah yore tongue an' hold it dere, an' dat will make de party dat's against yo', 'sturbed [dis- turbed].
Entry 9133
Yo' go an' yo' git twelve green sage leaves, an' yo' write de twelve apostles on dose green sage leaves, an' yo' put dose green sage leaves in de bottom of yore shoe. Den yo' take two red onions an' yo' jes' make a hole in dose red onions, an' yo' stuff dose red onions wit salt an sugah, an' yo' wind dat nine times. An' yo' put one in each pocket an' while yo' are tryin' [being tried] yo' squeeze dose onions. Dey say yo' can't convict a man dat way.
(That's if they have any court case?)
Yes.
Entry 9596
If de law's bothahin' yo', yo' kin take de onion an' de garlic an' cut it in fo' equal parts. Yo' jis' take de garlic, yo' don't cut it all; yo' jis' take diff'ren' pods, pieces [cloves] yo' know. An' yo' use eithah de white or de red onion, an' yo' kin jis' cut it yo' know, in fo' parts: An' go an' yo' po' a whole box of table salt ovah it, an' den yo' po'a whole box of red peppah ovah it, an' sprinkle a li'l saltpetah an' a li'l bluestone on it. Dat'll keep de law out chure house.
(What do you do with that garlic?)
Well, yo' take dat garlic an' burn it. It's fo' luck. Yo' take dat garlic an' put it in a li'l bag an' fold it up an' wit all kinds - all kinda diff'ren' li'le pieces of stuff dat chew use wit it. Weah it. Yo' know weah dat garlic. (How do you keep the law away with that onion after you prepare it? What do you do with that onion?) Yo' take dat onion an' continue tuh burn it till de third mawnin', an' dat'll keep de law away.
(Where do you do that - burn that?)
Well, yo' take it de firs' night an' let it burn up dere, yo' see. Sprinkle it all round yore house. [In preceding subsection see 3 pepper pods halved, No.9587.]
Entry 9611
They say they take pepper and onions and table salt, and put that to- gether and name it, and throw it in the fire and burn it, and it will cause a confusion in the family between a man and his wife.
Entry 9672
In cookin' an' usin' onion, take de onion an' put salt on it an' put it in de stove. It bring good luck tuh de house. (How do you mean put this onion in the stove?) See, yo' cookin' a pastry or soipin an' yo' use de onion, an' de outah peel yo' cut off de onion. Yo' take dat an' sprinkle salt ovah dat, an' wrap it up in a papah, an' put it in de stove an' burn it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Bring luck to de house.
(Just any kind of a house?)
Yeah, jes' any house. Don't be any particular house.
Entry 9673
If yo' wan'a a job, yo' don' wan'a eat no breakfus'. Jis' put a red onion in yuh pocket wit yuh salt, mos'ly in de right pocket. Keep it in a rag. An' go tuh a man fo' a job. Yo always be dere befo' he do.
Entry 9674
When yo' peel onions in yore home, yo' supposed tuh put sugah an' salt - sugah an' salt on it [the peelings] an' put it on de stove an' burn it. Dat's keepin' down de fuss [in the house]. An' if yo' havin' fuss dere, put salt on de onion an' burn it up, but yo' don't 'sposed tuh leave cut onion in yore house no kinda way.
(After you put salt on that onion, what do you do with that onion then?)
Put it on de stove an' let it burn up. Dat keepin' down fusses in de house.
Entry 9826
If you want somepin to happen, somepin to do, he said yo' take nine needles an' bury 'em about a foot deep in the ground, an' [take] a red onion an' put with it. An' take one of those [packages] of needles an' stick in that onion. An' yo'll overcome all obsticles. He said they had to be goldeye needles.
Entry 10195
Three candles are burned: white, green and pink. While burning them keep saying, "To keep the law away." Before you do this hang a red apple over the door. [Red apple or red onion the meaning is the same, customers, as material somewhere in Boodoo explains.]
Entry 10286
Get a red-skin onion, rub juice on penis until burns; let dry, do not wipe. [Since onion is a witch deterrent, the cause of impotence here was witch- craft. Shape and color of this vegetable also added to its magic power.] [Richmond, 341:1.]
Entry 12281
Yo' kin during so many days tie knots in a string an' dey say dere a way of dressing dat. Git chure clothes an' put [knots] in dat an' bury it. When dem 9 days out yo'll be a corpse. (How would you dress those strings, those knots?) Dey dress with whut chew call - it's a root dey call a ~uampole root." It grows lak a great big white onion...
[I turned off machine and turned it on again.]
(It's a bitter weed, you say.)
[Is informant talking about wild onion?]
Yes sir, a hog loves it, de bitterest in de world. He scream when eatin' it. [This screaming sounds like folklore.] An' if yo' bite it an' swallow dat, it Will tie yo' up inside an' kill yo'. [Is this based upon pigs hunting for truf- fles, the pig being hit on the nose when he finds one (the cause of the squeal) so that he does not eat it?]
(Constipate you?)
Yo' kin bite it but don't swallow it.
(That's warpole root?)
Yes, wampole root. Dey takes dat string an' de salt[?] outa wampole root until dat thing git wet through an' through an' put dem knots in it. It will tie yo' up jes' lak...
(That is to tie your bowels up?)
Yes sir. Yo' heard of people wit locked bowels from dat. (What do they do with this string first? Do they have to get it out of your clothing or something?) Dey git chure clothing an' wrap dat string wit it. (Oh, you wrap that string around your piece of clothing.)
Entry 12337
Ah tell yo' what ah used tuh use. Git de horseshoe - yo' know when dey are shoein' de horse, yo' take de hoof [cut off] an' yo' take a stuff dey call limestone, an' red onion peels, an' red pep- per an' burn it together. Why dat brings luck. See dat bring yo' luck.
Entry 12507
A man's boy had gone away from home an' been gone fo' more den two years. He wanted him home an' he couldn't get it - he couldn't git in touch with him. He bumps in- to an ole fellah [root man] an' tole him his story. He said, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do. Next time yo' go to a groc'ry," says, "steal yo' a red onion - don't buy it, jes' steal it, an' bring it an' give it to me." So he [father] did an' handed it to him, an' he [root man] said, "Thanks, " an' put it in his pocket. He said, "De boy will be home tomorrah." (The hoodoo doctor put the onion in his own pocket.) [This sort of comment SO frequent in HOODOO is usually a comment and not a question.] In his own pocket, an' he said he [boy] would be home tomorrah. An' sure enough de boy did come. [This sort of professional treatment - doctor does nothing - is fairly common in HOODOO.]
Entry 12508
I say onions are lucky. You take a onion and you kin make a man stay home, he won't go nowhere. (How do you do that?) Well, you take that onion, a red onion, and you carry it in your pocket all the time. You go to the store and you don't ask for it, and you don't steal it either or pick up a one - take it, you see.
(You mean, pick up an onion!)
Onion, yeah, just one onion. And you take that onion. You take a nail and you bore it through that onion, and you take his name and you just roll it long like a match and take [push] in there [the nail hole] and put it in your pocket. He can't go and he won't go, lessen [unless] now, if you don't want him to go, you kin do that. If you want him to go, well, you take the onion and you take it [the rolled-up name] out and he'll go. A red onion - not all onions, a red onion. You do that with a red onion.
Entry 12509
Go to de sto' an' buy a onion an' yo' chip it up fine an' yo' tie it up in a rag an' chunk it undah de lady's house. An' let it stay dere fo' several days an' den yo' send somebody ovah dere to git it. An' dey go ovah dere an' git it an' Open it up, an' jes' throw it out in de road in front de house an' den dey'll move.
(Any kind of an onion.)
Yes sir, any kin' onion.
Entry 12510
An' ah have heard a fellah [tell this]: De girl dat chew want an' is in love with, an' yo's in trouble wit de [law] officer an' she don' wanta come nowhere round yo'. [This is a unique situa- tion in HOODOO!] Yo' go git chew a red onion, a real one, not a white one - a red onion. Take hit [a needle] an' stick it right down in de center of dat onion - stick yore needle. Take yo' a brand-new needle that nevah been used, sewed a stitch or nuthin. Take it an' stick it in de center of dat brand- new onion. Let de onion be new an' de needle be new. Stick all those right down through it. Take hit an' put it down. Take yo' some fiah an' build a fiah around it, an' let dat onion burn to a fire-coal [unusual word!] an' when dat onion burn to a fiah-coal, yo' takes that onion an' goes to a secret place where nobody won't bothah yo' an' throw it undah dere. In a week's time she'll be back to yo'. Where she ain't nevah visit chew, she'll come an' see yo'. (That is if the fellow is in trouble [with the law] - is in jail or some- thing.) In trouble, or if he's outa trouble - in trouble or outa trouble, either one. Jes' take dat onion. Jes' buy yo' a [new] red onion an' take that onion [needle] an' stick it straight down in de center of dat - dat needle in de center of dat onion, an' call dere name three times. Den take that onion an' put it in de fiah. An' when yo' put dat onion in de fiah, [say], "Ah hope an' trust de Lord she will come back." An' burn dat onion. An' take dat onion out an' wrap it up an' dat needle an' stick it in a closed place an' dat needle leaves. Yo'll nevah see dat onion an' needle any mo' but she'll come back. Yo' can't find hit no mo'.
Entry 12511
Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, de red onion. Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, see, an' yo' take a cord string an' tie around it. An' yo' put sugah down at de end of dat red onion an' yo' tie it at chure front do', up ovah yore do', an' dat's tuh keep peace in yore house. [There are several ways to prepare this onion, a fairly small one.]
Entry 12512
Take a red onion an' bo' a hole in it. An' take an' write de name of somebody dat chew like dat way, on a piece of papah, an' stick it in dat onion an' put it up ovah de do'. Dat's tuh make dat person do lak yo' want 'em tuh do; make 'em come home, stay home an' yo- kin git dere money.
Entry 12513
Yo' kin take a onion an' put it up ovah yuh do' where yuh husban' comin' in at [front door] an' jis' let it stay up dere till it dry up. Not only yuh husband, but any- body dat come round in yore house an' yo' like 'em an want 'em tuh be aroun' y yo' a lot. Jis' let dat onion stay up dere till it dry up. An' den aftah it dry up, jis' take it an' walk tuh yuh back do' an' chunk it ovah yuh left shouldah an' dey'll jis' hang aroun' yo' all de time.
Entry 12514
Take an' peel some red onion an' jes' lak when yo' get a fiah in de stove an' yore husband is around or yore sweetheart, yo' take an' peel dat red onion an' yo' go tuh de fiah. Open de do' of de stove an' yo' throw it in dere an say, "Hold him tight to me, make him come undah mah command." An' de influence of dat burnin' - dey tell me - it holds him.
(Holds the man.)
Entry 12515
If yo' want very much luck, yo' kin take de peelin's an' begin tuh burn 'em each an' every mawnin' in yore place an' all. Bring luck to yore house. Or, if yo' runnin' big bō'din' house, take ole onion peelin's an' burn 'em. (Any kind of an onion?) Sho', 'long as yo' burn 'em vithout fallin' in yore tracks. [I should have asked a question here even if I knew the answer at this time. Surely any ashes falling into spellmaster's footprints would have killed the spell.]
Entry 12518
Yo' git a bran'-new red onion dat's nevah been used an' yo'd have fiah. Yo' put dat red onion in dat fiah an' put some sugah in it an' den axe fo' whatevah yo' want. Make a wish fo' whatevah yo' want an' yo' mo' den successful in yore undahtakin'.
Entry 12519
Take de red onion an' git de outside peelin', dat hard part, off. Put sugah intuh de onion an' put it on a hot stove an' let it jis' burn. Burn till it's all gone away. Dat supposed to make luck in yore house. Say, fo' instance if yo' were sellin' whiskey, dat supposed tuh bring customers.
Entry 12522
At six 'clock in de evening and six 'clock in de morning, you git up and yo' take a onion an' sprinkle red pepper on it. An' put it behind yore front door and you put it on a paper and sit it down and burn it. Don't let nobody come bother you or no one know you doing that.
(Well now, what will that do then?)
It bumn aad supposed to bring luck to you [in business].
Entry 12524
As I told you a while ago, you use that just like you do garlic, but you cut the onion up fine and put it in hard water, and you put salt in there instead of sugar. And you, just like a person tell me to mop their house, I'm sup- posed to keep their house mopped out with that, and instead of having good luck, it's bad luck. You get arrested or anything. That Salt jinX them. [AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER, THIS IS THE ONLY HARD WATER RITE IN "HOODOO," and it Was given by that professional hoodoo woman from Shreveport, La., the woman who said, "They tried to run me out of Louisiana." Little did either of us realize that within a few hours I myself would be chased out of Memphis!]
Entry 12525
Dey say yo' could take a red onion - well, ah know dat's a fact. Ah nused [used] tuh buy 'em an' peel 'em. Mah ole lady she'd go to cook an' peel 'em an' jes' throw de skins out - out de do' an' yo' can't stay in nobody's house. Dey uill put chew out.
(Why?)
Why? Don't know. Say, jes' yo' throw dem skins - onion skins or hull whut yo' peel - jes' keep throwin' 'em out de do', roun' de do', an' dat man will soon have yo' to move.
(You don't mean it's because of the odor of the onion or anything do you?)
Naw sir, but ah don't know. It's jes' bad luck.
Entry 12529
Dey said dat chew take a red onion an' split it in half, when it partways growin'. Split it lak dat an' sprinkle some sugah in it, an' carry it to a person's step an' bury it. An' dat will separate dem an' it will run dem away from dere - separate 'em or run de party out de house. Make 'em move.
Entry 12530
Yo' take de red hull [skin] of de onion - de red onion now, not de white onion. Yo' take dem an' yo' parch 'em, chip 'em fine an' yo' parch 'em. An' yo' makes a dust out of 'em, yo' makes a dust wit dese onions. All right. An' jes' like if yo' wants tuh dress a place. Jes' lak yo' come in dis room an' ah come in here tuh see yo'. Ah jes' have a little dust in mah pocket an' as ah come in ah jes' sprinkle jes' de least bit of dat in dere. Well, yo' goin' tuh smell it. It may be a little while befo' yo' smell it because dey gotta mighty high odor. All right, yo' ain't goin' pay no 'tenshun tuh what- somever ah ask yo'. If yo' tell me, says, "Come back, ah'll see yo'." Well, ah'd druther fo' yo' tuh say, "Come back." Well, yo' could git de scent of dat. When ah come back if ah said ah would like tuh borrow five dollars, ah would like tuh borrow two of whatsomever yo' may bring dere fo' me.
(With this red onion.)
Entry 12531
Well, yo' kin use red onions for a whole lotta diff'rent things. (Well, what do you use a red onion for in connection with [good] luck or bad luck?) Yo' use red onions fo' luck. Well, jes' say now, yo's goin' to a skin game tonight, well yo' take yo' two solid [= fresh] red onions an' cut 'em up an' put 'em in a spider [a skil- let with legs] put a lit- tle sugah to 'em an' yo' boil 'em till dey come to a sugah. An' when it come to a sugah yo' po' it out into a bottle. An' go in dere [to a game] tonight an' yo' take yo' one or two drinks, an' yo' carry yore [liquor] bottle wit chew - jes' as lucky as it kin be. See, 'cause dey kin smell dat onions on yore breath, yo' know, an' people - a whole lotta folks don't like de smell of onions an' dat jes' draws de 'tenshun from de cards to yore onions. Yo' win up every dime in dere. [Informant does not understand why a red onion is lucky in a card game. The onion does not draw de 'tenshun from de cards to yore onions; the onion pro- tects you against the other man's hand or luck piece, or prevents you yourself from being hoodooed in the game. Nevertheless, if informant, a small-time root Worker believes in his own interpretation, the rite is valid from him.]
Entry 12532
Yo' take a red onion an' if yo' got anyone in yore house, yore hus- ban' or yore wife in dere, an' yo' want 'em tuh go or want tuh git rid of 'em. When dey go out de front do', on dat cross piece dere [saddle?] yo' take dat onion, aftah yo' done rolled it real soft, an' yo' squeeze dat red onion juice on yore steps. Yo' take a red onion in his track goin' out an' squeeze it in his track goin'. An' den, after hit stay dere awhile, why yo' sweep it out. An' he ain't nevah comin' back dere no mo'.
Entry 12533
Yo' kin git chew - yo' know whut red onion is. Ah don' know whether yo' eat 'em or not. An' jes' git chew a red onion an' cut de root of it off. Jes' cut off a piece an' git chew some graveyard dirt offa man's grave - some ole wicked man, some- body whut's daid, an' some cayenne peppah. Mix it all up an' stop dat onion up with dat onion top. Stop it back up wit dat piece whut chew cut off.
(You put this stuff in that onion?)
Right back, yes, put it in dat onion an' stop it up an' put it in dat per- son's house.
(What will that do then?)
It move 'em out dat house.
Entry 12534
Yo' take a red onion fo' yo' luck, dey say. Yo' tie it up in somepin tight - sompin lak dis heah [informant has handkerchief or something]. All right, yo' put a cord or sompin around it an' wear it round heah [see later], but if yo' scared dat somebody see it round heah, wear it round heah.
(Wear it either around their neck or around their waist?)
Entry 12535
(What do you do with the red onion?)
Well, dey say if yo' break de skin of it an' jes' carry it in yore pocket, some of it, or either throw it away, jes' throw it away, dey say dat's lucky. If yo' boil it, boil yo' three dimes in it an' den drink de watah, dat's lucky fo' yo' - yore in- come will be good.
Entry 12536
They peels a onion an' has yo' fixed an' yo'll quarrel all de time. They po' an excessive amount of salt an' pepper on de onion hull an' place it where yo' kin step ovah it an' yo become a very disagreeable person.
(Do you have somebody do that or do you do it yourself?)
Yo' kin definitely do that yo'self. (Just sprinkle this salt and pepper on the red onion hull, and chat party will walk over it and they will become disagreeable. Yeah.
Entry 12537
Ah heard of 'em using onions an' garlic - fo' being hurted - in sweet milk. Dat's good, too. (Well, how do they do that?) Well, yo' makes a tea out of it but chew cooks it all together - onions an' the garlic an' the sweet milk. Yo' puts it on an' yo' cook it together. Yo' strains it, an' then give it to 'em to drink. Well, if yo' poisoned, well, that's good fo' poison [also].
Entry 12538
Dey used tuh use dem red onion a long time ago. See... [turned off machine and turn it on again]. But people take a red onion, see. Dey take parsley as ah said a few minutes ago, red onion an' parsley an' dey'll git dis stuff dey call mustard, hot mustard. Dey put dat together an' dey'll leave dat onion dry an' dey'll grind it up good. Dey'll leave dry dere good. Yo' seen people to de [old-fashioned outdoor] toilet. It de custom to set on dere. Jes' spread it [this mixture] on de seat dataway. It supposed tuh give 'em some kind of a itch. Ah dunno. Ah see 'em all right. It'll [itch or skin trouble will] come between dere finger an' it'll come on de side an' in de bath dataway. [I have no idea what these 3 ingredients will do but at an earlier date this sort of thing was HOODOO.]
Entry 12539
Yo' take de red onion - dat's lucky fo' yore house - yo' take de red onion. It's lak if yo' got a friend, yo' kin rule him by usin' dat red onion. Yo' take dat red onion an' cut it in fo' parts an' git chew a little cup an' put dat in wit sulphur, brimstone an put dat in de corner of yore house - yo' know, where people don't have to be Worryin' roun' dere no way but chewself. An' his name write on a piece of papah understan' dat. An' dat will keep him, make him be nuthin but lovin' to yo', an' den dat will make him bring his money to yo'.
Entry 12540
Take dat red onion peelin' an' yo' take some nice clean pot, an' sulphur, brown sugah fo' colored an' white sugah for white - whoevah yo' workin' it on. An' put it on a shovel on some red coals, de fiah, yo' know, an' yo' let dat burn. Go to each cornah of yore house at five a'clock in de evenin' an' make yore wish, an' whatevah yore wishes is dey'll come true.
(What would you wish, for example?)
Well, jes' whatevah yo' wish fo', yo' know, jes' de main thing whut yo' wish fo' - anything.
Entry 12541
Well, now dey say if yo' take dat red onion wit red pep- pah an' dat salt, everybody go in dere will be dissatisfied. (What will you do with that?) Take it an' mix it together an' put it in dere whilst de house is empty. Take it an' put it in every corner of de house, make no difference how many rooms it is. Yo' put it in dere, an' anybody go dere dey won't be satisfied wit dere house.
(That is crossing up the house?)
Yes.
(Do you put it in the corner in any special way?)
Put it in each corner jes' as close as yo' git it up 'side de corner of de house. Tuh uncross it.
(To uncross this, all right.)
Yo' take garlic an' dis oil of cinnamon an' red peppah an' mop wit it an' dat'll uncross 'em.
(So that you can move into the house if you want to?)
Yes.
Entry 12542
Ah have heard somepin 'bout a onion. Yo' take pins an' put 'em down in dere. Yo' hol' dat onion in yore han' an' go up to anybody an' ask emfo' mostanythingwhut chew want. Ask 'em, an' jes' keep rubbin' an' squeezing dat onion. Dey hardly kin tell yo' no.
(You do that to get a job, you say?)
Yes.
Entry 12543
Well, it's two different ways dat chew kin make dem move. Now, yo' kin take nine seeds out of a pod of peppah, piece of rock sulphur; take a tea- spoon fulla sugah an' de peelin' from a red onion an' burn it, an' yo' kin make 'em leave in that way.
Entry 12544
Dey tell me yo' git some lodestone an' git chew some sen-sen an' a red onion. An' yo' peel dis red onion an' take de hull an' drop de sen-sen down in it. [Sen-sen Was or is trade name of small lozenges to suck to sweeten breath.] An' yo' look in de east an' ask de Lord tuh move yore enemies an' bring yo' luck an' peace. An' den yo' sprinkle de sugah ovah dis same thing an' dis red onion. An' yo' walk to yore front do' an' walk back- vards to yore back do' nine times, aftah yo' fire it back. Dat will bring yo' peace an' yo' be's successful wit chure friends.
Entry 12545
Git red onion and put nine needles and nine pins in it and go to the river and throw it over the left shoulder and walk back [home]. Don't look wack. And just as fer as that onion will travel on the water, they will travel.
(Do they do anything else with that onion?)
That's all I know. (Hell, how do you know whether the spell will work? How can you tell whether dhat person that you intend to go away - don't you do anything with the onion to...) [Intention is sufficient.]
Entry 12546
If she got his name, put it in a onion. Get you a red, red, red big onion and hull [core] it out good. And write his name nine times, thisaway [demonstrates] and write yours this Way [demon- strates] nine times on his'n. (Running across it.) Yeah, and put it in the onion, shut it up and put it in a can, and keep it under the side of the bed he slept on and he'll be back.
(Keep the onion shut up in a can under the side of the bed on which he slept?)
Yes, sir. Where he slept at.
(And he'll come back?)
He'll come back.
Entry 12547
Well, lak if yo' want - see, a man an' a woman's been together a long time an' someone tries tuh separate 'em. See. Well, yo' kin git chew a red onion an' git de stockin' from offa her left feet, see. An' take dat red onion an' write her name on it. Take dat red on- ion, see, an' de red on- ion be round - it must be a red onion, see. An' write her name disaway [demonstrates] an' nine times dis- away. An' den take her name an' write it nine times disaway [across first 9]. Yo' cross dose names jis' right down [names slant down and cross]. An' yo' take dat an' yo' bury it. See, either where she gotta pass at - lak she gotta pass on de steps. Well, jis' put dat tuh de bottom, yo' see. An' leave it stay dere. See. Well dat run her an' him tuhgether. She begin tuh love yo' mo' an' mo'. See, dat makes her love come back, even if someone wuz tryin' tuh break yo'all up.
(That is, if the man and woman - if somebody was trying to break them up?)
Yes.
(The man could do that?)
De man would do dat yo' see tuh de woman.
(Or the woman could do it to the man?)
Well, either one. Jis' lak yo' see, if she wants de man, yo' know someone try tuh break her an' her husban' up, she kin do de same thing, yo' see, but it gotta be dose big ole red onions where yo' kin write on it nine times disaway an' nine times disaway right in a cross. See, an' bury it dere.
Entry 12548
(For a man to hold a woman.)
You take 9 of her fingernails and 9 of her toenails, and then get a red onion, and get 9 strands of hair out de mole [mold] of her head. And take that onion, red onion, and cut it open and dig a little hole in it. And then take them 9 toenails and 9 fingernails, and that 9 strands of hair out of her head, and place together and put it in there, and stop that onion up. And go round the house towards where the sun rise, and dug [dig] a little hole, and put it [in] there and then cover it up. [Copied from my rough original pen- cil transcription made soon after recording; original copy attached.]
Entry 13143
Yo' kin take his sock to make 'im love you an' yo' stockin' an' put it [them] together. Understand? An' puts some sugah with it. An' take it out an' bury it on the side of your house, an' go out there every mawnin' an' pour your chamber lye there. Don't you under- stand? See, on that. An' you take the sock an' your stocking an' roll it together, see. Now put a red onion with it, a dime - that's to make 'im give her money - roll it together. Sew it to you an' make your wish - that's her, you see - sew it up in your mattress. That man'll give you money, give 'er roney as long as he's there.
Entry 13259
(What is goofer dust?) Well, whut dey call goofer dust is - dey takes sulphur, red pepper an' a red onion an' sew it up in a red piece of flannel an' dat's whut chew call goofer dust. [Normally of course this is a hand.]
(What do you do with that then?)
Take it an' wear it in yore pocket, jes' wear it all de time in yore pocket.
(What is it supposed to do for you?)
Well, it'll make yo' lucky an' successful. [This of course is not normal goofer dust, a dust; but if it is for informant, it is.]