Subject:Open
Entries
Entry 3743
If a man is goin' away from home an' he don't [want] nobody to fool wit 'is wife but 'isself, he take a dishrag what he wash dishes wit, an' jes' stroke his wife down three times an' he carry it in 'is back pocket, an' when he come back - she wouldn't have no nature fer nobody but 'im - when he come back jes' take de rag an' wipe it up three times an' den he go on 'er, she got de nature again.
Entry 4400
Take a lizard. Ah've heard 'em say yo' take a lizard an' tuh split 'im open on 'is back. An' when yo' split 'im on 'is back, take an' hang 'im up where de sun will rise on 'im. An' when de sun rise on 'im, see, when de sun is goin' up, yo' hang'im wit 'is tail up an' 'is haid down; an' dey tell me dat will turn dey bowels up so dey can't be unlocked.
(Well, how do you know what person you are working on?)
Well, yo' take an' yo' git some of dere action, an' yo' put it in dere. Put it on dis lizard, inside of 'im, de fo'wards side nex' to de sun, wit cayenne peppah on it. Yo' know, cayenne peppah draws too, it draws up, an' three drops of turpentine. An' den when yo' git dat bone, den yo' hang it up dere. An' dat lizard will dry up to nuthin but jes' dat skin. An' as long as he's hangin' up dere, why dey can't have an action. Dat's whut ah heard on dat.
Entry 5026
[To split is a magic rite but not a common one. Usually splitting concerns a stick or tree - which see.] Ah hear 'em say yuh kin take a sock, if it's a boy goin' wit yore daughtah or sompin lak dat an' yuh wanta break 'em up. Yuh kin take a sock. Git on de good side of 'er an' git 'er tuh git one of 'is socks, one de sock dat he's wearin'; not no clean sock whut been already washed, [but] one dat he's been wearin' an' haven't been washed since it's worn. Git one de lef'-han' sock if yuh kin git it. An' yuh take dat sock an' carry it tuh 'er den, an' den de sock yuh split it open [because you want to split up, separate boy and girl]. Yuh splits it open an' yuh gits a horseshoe. Why yuh gittin' a horseshoe, takes a horseshoe an' nail it up ovah de do'. Take de horseshoe an' take de sock, an' place it up ovah de do' where she goes in an' comes out at, an' de do' dat he comes in when he come tuh see 'er. An' place dat sock up dere an' place de horseshoe on top of it, an' nail it up dere good, so it can't be to' [tore = torn] down. An' put 'er 'nitials an' 'is 'nitials in de sock. An' dey say den dat will break dem up. (You just spread that sock behind the horseshoe - spread it [split sock] over it [horseshoe] like a piece of cloth. And you write the initials on the sock with a pencil or something. And that breaks them up?) Yessuh. [This is a new and rather unusual horseshoe rite, and it comes from a root doctor. To walk under anything of yours, here his split sock and initials, up- sets or confuses the mind. And in addition, I suspect the split sock also gives him leg or foot trouble. Her initials assist the mental disturbance.]
Entry 5516
People wan's people tuh move out of a house, why dey gits de drop on dat fellah when he's walkin' an' watch 'im, yo' see. An' prob'ly [they] take a bottle or maybe tobacco can or snuff- box or somepin an' git de dust out of 'is lef'-foot track dere. Prob'ly walk aroun' dat house an' throw it across it. An' well, dey can't live dere no more.
(Where do they throw it across?)
Throw it across de eaves.
(Right across the roof of the house?)
Yes, sir. As it go ovah, he leaves it open so dat it might scattah as it go across, yo' know. (I see, leave that bottle or can open as you throw it over the house, and scatter the dust over the roof. That will make them leave the house.) Well, dey becomes tuh be dissatisfied wit de house, won' be satisfied until dey move. An' it ain't goin' be very long befo' dey moves.
Entry 5669
If anyone visit yore house an' yo' don't wan' 'em dere, when dey start to leave, da' chew [that you] would follah 'em to de do', an' as soon as yo' kin, close de do' behind 'em, den open it immediately befo' dey kin git outa sight. Jis' keep Watchin' 'em, an' take a broom an' sweep dere tracks aay from de do', right on towards de direction dey're goin'.
Entry 5703
Take frogs - jis' lak if yo' wanta run a person off, ketch a live frog an' split 'im wide open. Yo' take a person track - yo' take both of 'is track an' put one crossways, cut it dis way Idemonstratesl. (You cut that frog lengthwise and cross- wise - cross like an "x". All right.) Yo' put de right track straight up an' down, de left track yo' crosses dat. Dat crosses up 'is mind an' he'll drift an' drift an' drift. Dat crosses up 'is mind, see. An' den yo' sew 'im back up an' yo Pat 'im into a green gourd. Put 'im in an' stop it up. A green gourd, dat's right, an' go where de tide is gotta go a long ways, an' yo' walk dere, an' when yo' git tuh dis rivah yo' walk nine steps backwards an throw it ovah, say, "Go, Go." An' throw it ovah. Don' look back, jis' walk from de rivah an' keep agoin'. An' he'll go.
(You say "Go" twice?)
Yassuh.
Entry 6095
An' ah could take yore hair an' ah could ketch me a rabbit, git any Hinda rabbit, an' clip dat rabbit back open an' put chure hair in dat rabbit back, an' ah sew dat rabbit back up, an' yo' nevah will quit'walkin'. Yo' jis' walk till yo' die. If nobody nevah kills dat rabbit, yo'll jis' nevah quit walkin'.
Entry 6096
Now along de hair line. Yo' kin take de hair outa de top if any in- dividual's hair, say if yo' wanta send 'em away. Dis is mo' from sperience ah'm tellin' yo' dat. [Now follows a good example of giving a rite and then illustrating it with a personal ex- perience.] Yo' take dat hair an' ketch a rabbit den, an' split 'is skin right in de fo'head dere, an' place dat hair in dere an' sew it up. Jes' turn 'im loose. Well, who- Cvah hair den dat yo' put in dere, if yo' want 'em tuh leave, when yo' turn dat rabbit loose dey can't stay. [We lived] cross town togethah. I an' 'im were good frien's, too. Well, he bad a right clevah wife. So ah nevah said nuthin tuh anyone heah 'bout dese things jes' like yo' talkin' tuh me now, 'bout runnin' off people. So ah says, "Well," says, "ah kin take de hair outa anybody's head, outa de zole [mold or mould] of de haid an' ketch me a rabbit," ah said, "an' ah kin nm a off quickly." She said, "How do yo' do dat?" Ah said, "Well, yo' git de hair out de mole of dere haid an' ketch chew a rab- bit an' split 'im right in de fo'haid," say, "an' put dat hair in dere an' sew it Turn de rabbit loose. She say, "Shuah 'nuff?" Well, ah didn't pay no mo' 'tenshun tuh it. Two-three days latah ah wus out in de woods cuttin' crossties. [Railroad rails are laid on and spiked to crossties.] All of a sudden he pulls off 'is clothes, all but 'is top-shirt. Ah nevah bothah. Ah reckon about fifty yards distance betveen us - us dere a log-cuttin'. An' when 'is cuttin' stopped, ah stopped aattin', looked tuh see whut wus he doin', weren't thinkin' about nuthin. So chen ah looked he wus standin' up on de log lookin' right straight off tuhwards de cypress pond. He got down off de log an' he walked right straight on off de Way, de direction he wus lookin' tuhward dat pond. He walked on off down dere an' he walked on it. Well, ah nevah pay any 'tenshun, ah went on back cuttin'. Ah say, "Maybe prob'ly got hot an' he's about gone [to] cool off." Dat's whut ah thought tuh mahself. So ah worked on about a hour an' he hadn't came back yet. Ah jes' worked on, hadn't nevah give it a thought. Well, it's about three hours he hadn't come back, so ah thought ah'd go down tuh de pond. Ah went on down tuh de pond where it wus muddy goin' in jes' 'fore yo' git tuh de water. Ah tracked 'im on tuh de watah. Ah whistled an' whistled an' called an' called. Aftah ah couldn't [find] 'im, ah went on aroun' de pond, an' when ah got on de othah [side] de back of de pond - ah seed where he come out. Still ah couldn't git no hearin', ah called an' whistled. So ah went on back, ah said, "Maybe he jes' went off tuh look fo' some [something]." But still he wus in his shirt, nuthin but 'is shirt. Ah went on back an' ah worked on till time tuh knock off. He hadn't came back yet. Time tuh knock off, ah couldn't call 'im up, couldn't whistle 'im. So ah went on back home. So ah went on down tuh his house aftah ah got suppah. He hadn't showed up yet. His wife couldn't tell nuthin about 'im atall. De nex' mawnin' he hadn't showed up. So ah went back out in de woods where his clothes still hangin' dere where he lef' 'em. Well, ah come back tuh de house den tuh tell 'er about it. He git plenty time to git 'rested [arrested for being in his unclothed condition.] Some- body mdght search fo' 'im. Well, de people dat know 'im - de law, dey took 'imup an' dey look fo' 'im dem two weeks. Dey nevah did find 'im. So' 'bout six-eight weeks latah dey got ahearin' from 'im. He wus in de 'sylum. So, I an' 'is wife wus talkin' dere one day aftah he had gone on an' she say, "Yo' know one thing?" "Whut?" Say, "Yo' know whut chew tole 'bout dat rabbit?" Said, "'Yes?" She says, "Ah tried dat. Ah thought yo' wus roun' devilin'," say, "an' dat's whut run mah husban' off from heah."
Entry 6787
If yo' in trouble wit high pains an' yo' been in trouble wit high pains, yo'll go an' git chew a young duck, an' regardless of where dat pain is, jis' cut dat duck open 'live an' lie it ontuh 'is nachel [natural] skin, an' when- evah dat duck is daid, an' dat duck git cold, why dat pain is 'sposed [supposed] tuh be gone.
(Be gone?)
Dat be gone. It draws out, it be gone, don' chew undahstan'.
Entry 7531
Den, again, dey goes to de bur'in'-groun's [rare expression] whenevah a grave is open an' dey git a han'ful of bur'in'-groun' dirt [rare]. Takes dat an' brings it home an' puts it in a bag shaped like dis [demonstrates]. (A bag shaped like that.) [For this shape, see later.] Uh-huh. Tie dis en' an' puts it in a bag. Dey lay dat on de groun' on a certain spot in de cornah of a fence, jes' like in de cornah of dat house. It lay dere fo' nine mawnin's. De nex' nine mawnin's dey go dere an' lif' it up an' make a oath, turns it ovah an' let it lay anothah nine mawn- in's [3 separate 9 mornings]. Den dey go dere den an' take it up an' make a oath, takes it up an' shakes it togethah. Den dey'll sprinkle cayenne peppah, fresh salt an' sulphur [3 ingredients]. Den dey shakes it. [Shaking is a magic rite.]
(Salt and sulphur.)
[And] fresh cayenne peppah [pepper from a new container]. Den dey takes dat an' grinds it up right fine - grind it togethah. Den dey got a way, dey take dat, dey tell, an' sprinkle it undah de edge of dey do'sill, an' let dat lay nine mawnin's. (Now, that - this is different from that bag [in 380:2]. The person fixed up a bag you told me about. This is something different from that bag. This bag - what shape is this bag? Like an ice-cream-come shape, or a sock or?) No, de bag is like a stockin'.
(Like a stocking.)
An' a new bag dough [though]. Dey always say to git new things. (Now, what will that do? In that first thing you told me about that bag, what do they do that for?) Dey put dat down for yuh to walk ovah. Say if yuh walk ovah it, it will kill yuh. An' if dey can't git yuh to walk ovah it, dey'll take an' sprinkle it down.
(Where do you walk over it?)
Sprinkle it down or put it undah de edge of de do'sill an' blow it tuh yuh. [Blow it under the door into the room, blowing in itself also being a magic rite.] Well, if yuh go tuh sweep, dat stuff git in yore throat an' strangle yuh an' make yuh cough yoreself tuh death, an' folks will think yuh got T. B. (I see.) [Informant gives a similar method of killing by snake dust in the previously mentioned 380:2.]
Entry 7636
Prob'ly if yo' [a doctor] got girl [patient] an' she's worried up 'bout some man 'nother, an' she cain't git 'im tuh act right, cain't git 'im tuh do right, an' he won't treat 'er right or sompin 'nothah lak dat, den yo' kin go tuh a graveyard at night. Yo' have tuh go dere certain time of night, go at twelve a'clock at night an' git a han'ful of dirt an' tie it up in a han'kerchief an' bring it back dat same night an' be sho' dat yo' know de room dat she sleeps in. Say, fo' ninstance, she sleepin' in dis room, an' yo' come tuh de windah dere an' yo' 'sposed take a li'l' de dirt an' sprinkle it up on de windah sill an' take de rest of de dirt an' sprinkle up on de walk, where dey walk comin' intuh de house. An' he'll nevah treat her wrong no mo'. He will always be nice tuh her den.
Entry 8789
Lak yo' would write a lettah to somebody an' if dey wanted yo' to come where dey wuz or somepin lak dat. Well, dey take an' open it [Bible] to a cer- tain chaptah in de Bible an' place it in dere - on a certain chaptah. An' fo' nine mawnin's git up an' read anothah Psalm in de Bible fo' nine mawnin's an' she'll come where dey are. [For Bible, see also No.8840.]
Entry 8895
Yo' kin take de Bible an' lay it down open. Open tuh David's [Psalms] uh [orl eithah tuh St. Luke. Jes' let it be layin' heah on de table an' yo' be sayin' yore prayahs. Say de Lord's Prayah. An' yo' sayin' yore prayah. Dat's when it fus' [first] start tuh work. An' so yo' sit dere an' yo' call dese names as ah fus' said, By St. Petah, by St. Paul, by de Lord dat made us all; now ah wanta be true in whut ah'm doin'. Says, Now, Lord, ah wants yo' tuh be true. Say, Ah don' wanta beah [bear] no false witness. Ah don' wanta 'cuse [accuse] no one wrong. An' yo' set dere an' yo' call names, an' when yo' git tuh de right person's names, dose Bible leaves jes' go turn ovah jes' lak yo's [you is] turnin' 'em.
(Then you can find out who stole the article by doing that?)
Yes. Sometimes yore mind will jes' come tuh yo', yo' jes' know dat ah'm
[I have] got yore hat.
Entry 9797
Yo' take needles an' pin 'em in a flannel rag, an' it must be needles dat have nevah been used, an' yo' wrap dem in a angle an' fold'em in a angle, an' dat brings a lotta trouble. (How many needles did you say?) Three. See, yo' stick dem through de flannel lak dat [demonstrates], chew know, an' den lak dat.
(Like the spokes of a wheel?) [See diagram in preceding rite.]
Yeah. Den yo' wraps dem up an' yo' buries 'em.
(Where do you bury them?)
Undah de steps.
Entry 9813
Well, yo' go git chew nine needles, nine pins; jes' take nine needles an' nine safety pins. Jes' cross de needles an' put de pins up an' dom. See, heah's de needles crossed an' heah's de safety pins across dem. Lak if yo' have a piece of cloth heah [demon- strates] an' yo' stick a needle across in it dere, yo' stick a safety pin lak dat [demonstrates] but don't hook it.
(You put the safety pin across this needle right in the cloth.)
Dat's right, but don' hook it, undahstan'. An' yo' take dat den - aftah yo' git 'em in dere, yo' take dat piece of cloth, if dey anywhere aroun' neah an' jes' take it - yo' ain't gotta bury it if yo' don' wanta. Yo' kin wrap it. Yo' kin bury it middleways of de steps, if yo' git undah dere. Go right middleway of yore steps. Don't have [to] bury it or yo' kin do it, jes' in de middleways of de steps. Dey ain't goin' stay dere long 'fore dey be gone.
(This will move them out.)
Yes sir, dey won' come roun'. Dey won' even come up dat steps no mo'. Dem same nine needles ah's tellin' yo' 'bout, dem same nine needles, yo'll cross de firs' one across. Put de needles 'cross an' de pins straight up an' down - de safety pins.
(Get a piece of cloth like that?)
Yes, an' put dem in dere an' let 'em stay in dere, an' put it 'way somewhere. "Stead [instead] of 'im goin' off, he'll stay roun' dere. De person dat's been bothahin' yo' is goin' tuh leave dere, an' de law ain't hardly goin' come. Dat's whensomevah yo' wants tuh run dis person dat's bothahin' yo', an' whensomevah yo' wants yore customah tuh come tuh yore house an' de police tuh stay away.
Entry 9872
Now yo' kin cure disease wit a frog an' yo' kin make love wit a frog.
(How do you make love with a frog?)
Well, now yo' kin take dat frog an' cut dat frog open an' it's a li'l stone, a li'l rock, a li'l stone-lak dat's in dat frog. An' yo' kin take dat li'l stone an' any woman dat chew wanta git up tuh 'er dat yo' cain't git tuh, yo' wanta git up tuh 'er, yo' jis' take an' yo' have dat stone in yore hand - anywhere dat yo' could touch 'er. Yo' could shake hands wit 'er, er anywhere yo' kin touch 'er wit dat stone in yore han'. Yo' got 'er yore way. [Informant does not know that this stone-lak is supposed to come from a toad, not a frog: The foul Toad hath a fair stone in his head, from John Lyly, Euphues, p.53, (1579); an old belief made immortal by Shakespeare in As You Like It: Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which, like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head. Act ii, sc.1, L.12. (1599).]
Entry 9882
If yo're poisoned yo' use a frog. Yo' take dat frog an' yo' cut 'im half in two, an' lay 'im on de place where - yo' know, jis' lak it wuz a li'l swollen or sompin lak dat some place. Yo' lay dat frog on top dat place an' de one dat chew had a idea dat did do it, yo' jis' cuss 'em out an' tell 'em, "Ah want chew tuh be jis' lak dis frog is, daid an' in he-ell." An' he'll swell up jis' lak de frog would. Jis' lak yo' are, dat's jis' how it would be happen tuh dem.
Entry 9886
Yo' kin take a toadyfrog an' split it open an' put it undahneat' de centah of yuh steps as yo' goin' in. Well, dat toadyfrog will be mortified tuh yuh all de time. Yo' can't go no time. Yo' can't go up nor come down. Dat will make yuh be's sickly all de time.
Entry 9887
A frog? An' if yo' have bone felon on yuh fingah lak ah had on dis one heah - an' yo' take dat frog whilst he's alive an' yo' split 'im open an' yo' run de fingah dat ails yuh, see, intuh 'im. Dat will draw de misery out.
Entry 9926
Jis' lak dey say if yo' poisoned, yo' take a frog an' split 'im open alive an' tie 'im on. Dey say dat will kill dat poison.
Entry 9927
[To] stop a man from makin' watah, yo' could take dat frog an' split 'im open an' fill 'im up fulla salt an' peppah; an' pull 'im back tuhgethah an' hang 'im up. Split 'im open 'live. Why dey couldn't make watah 'long as dat wuz done. (Do they do anything with the person's water at all?) No sir. [Since the victim's urine is not used on the frog or in any way here, magic power is one of intention verbally unexpressed.]
Entry 9964
Take a toadyfrog an' yo' split 'im open, see, an' jis' tote him aroun' in yore pocket, an' yo' kin have all de luck yo' want.
(In gambling.)
Entry 10088
You get a real black cat, jet black, and throw him in a pot of hot water and let him stay there until the bones all come to pieces. You take all the bones out then and put them in your mouth, one at a time, and when you strike that bone, the lucky bone, you'll become blind. Then you have struck the right bone. You carry that for luck. [This is a tricky rite! After I draw each bone through my lips and still see, what happens then? Are some black cats without lucky bones? Am I supposed to continue in rotation or haphazardly redrawing the bones through my lips ad infinitum? Is this merely a folk trick? A practical joke?] [Hampton, Va., Old Point Comfort, Ediphone cyl.30.]
Entry 10196
Dey burn dose an' den dey read de Bible.
(How do you do that?)
Dey jes' sets 'em all round, but one will do.
(One candle.)
Yes, one will do. Set it in de room an' den yo' git chure Bible an' yo' read a verse, de firs' verse dat chew [see when you] open de Bible. Den yo' read dat. (And what color candle do you use?) Well, yo' kin git de red candle. (What is that supposed to do then?) Yo' burn it fo' luck. (What kind of luck?) Well, luck in anything come in, any kind of business yo' got, dat yo' wanted tuh increase.
Entry 10208
If there's something that you don't want taken regardless of what it is, if you don't want it taken - for an instance if you take, if you lock your house they going to break in, and you don't know how to do for to keep 'em from taking your things. Well, then, first I would go and I would get me some sassafras [roots or pieces of bark]. I'd get some sassafras and I'd get me a knife and I'd trim this sassafras, see. I'd trim it and every little piece that I'd whittle off it [demonstrates].
(Every piece that comes off, what do you do with that?)
Every piece I trim off - I'm going to trim it off until I get to nine pieces, and every time I get the nine pieces, I'd count the nine pieces. I'd get them nine pieces and I'm going to put nine pieces here [demonstrates]. I cut off until I get nine more pieces and I'm going to put that there until I get four times nine. See? Well, all right. Now, I'm going to set it on the outside of my door. That's the corner of my house and that's the corner of my house. I'm going to set nine pieces there and nine pieces there, and at the back end of my house. I'm going to set nine pieces.
(You have nine pieces in each corner of the house.)
In each corner of the house, but on the outside. Under my house, if I can get under there and get to where the fire part is - the fire-hearth part is; under the house, you know.
(You what?)
Get under the house, underneath the house and get to the fire-hearth, see.
(Oh, the chimney - the fire-hearth.)
Yes, the chimney. I take and I put me a Bible there. I put that Bible there. I puts the Bible up under that house and I puts a candle there, and I leave that candle burning, see, and I leave the Bible open. But I put a piece of something in front where nobody can't learn that candle's burning there, you see, and leave it burning there. And then I come out from under that house and I locks my door, and as I'm coming out I'm sprinkling a little sugar, you see. I sprin- kle sugar as I come out, you see, until I get at least fifty feet from my house, you see. Then I won't sprinkle no more sugar and I can go and stay from three or four days and come back. Nobody will go in that house, nobody never go in there.
(What sort of a candle do you burn on that chimney?)
I'm got a ordinary white candle. (A white candle, I see.) [Here we have a quincunx, 4 corners and a double central point - Bible and candle.] [New Orleans, La., (832), 1249:2.] [If the reader is approaching this multi-volumed HOODOO archive for the first time, he or she must be told that the present beliefs and rites about sex are perely a continuation of 167 pages of similar material published in volume 3, Nos.3ll0-3830, Pp.2341-2509; material listed in logical sequence according to the Table of Contents for volumes 5, 4 and 3. The material now following could not be so conveniently arranged, though it does have a certain amount of alpha- betical order and other continuity. I am dividing this section into two parts: (1) COMPLETE RITES and (2) CONDENSED RITES, these latter sometimes a reference oaly.]
Entry 10568
Yo' could take a leather- wing bat an' gut him alive, an' take his heart an' sew it up in a piece of red flannen, an' it vill make yo' successful in games of all kinds. Jes' while he 'live, cut him open 'live an' take his heart while it's bleedin', an' tie it up in a piece of - put it in a piece of red flannel an' it will make yo' successful in games.
Entry 10572
Ketch yo' a live bullbat an' take an' sew him right up in a rag - a Retber one [batl. Dere's a leather bullbat an' den dere's a bullbat a - dey all be's up in de chimley, an' make connection lak dat. Jes' ketch one of dem. Says dat he's got a lodestone, says yo' take an' cut him right open alive an' take dat lodestone, an' dey says yo' kin git 'em [other gamblers] out wit dat. [This lodestone in a bat probably came from someone who found a dead bat that had a piece of lode- stone in it; someone's lost hand.]
Entry 10603
Well, now heah de othah day a friend of mine wus tellin' me. He axe me did ah know where he could - firs' he axe me could ah lend him fo' dollahs. Ah tole him, no, ah didn't 'zactly have de money. He says, "Well, ah know a fel- lah," said, "he claims he kin gi' [give] yo' a han' fo' gam- blin'." Ah wus on de steamship workin' den, see, an' ah met dis fellah on de street an' he jes' stop me. An' he jes' stop me - yo' know, stop me an' jes' spoke. So he axed me did ah gamble. Told him shure, sometime ah gamble. "Well, " he says, "yo' evah have any luck?" "Shure ah has luck?" sometimes, sometimes ah don't." He says. "Well. vo' wanta have luck all de time?" Ah tole him, "Yeah, ef ah'd like tuh win all de time." He said, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do." Says, "Yo' go tuh work an' ketch yo' one dese little bats. Dese little black bats, " yo' know, "an' cut his wings off." Say, "Den - an' don't lose any of his blood - ketch all de blood yo' kin, an' split him open. An' jes' split him open an' take his entrails out, but try tuh keep all de blood dat chew kin." Say, "An' after yo' split him open, let him dry wit de blood in 'im." Say, "An' den fill dat back up with cheese." Fill dat bat, chew know inside of him up wit cheese. "Sew hit up," say, "an' jes' keep it in yore pocket where yo' keep yore money at all de time." Says, "Yo'll have luck all de time."
(In gambling?)
In gambling. So ah thought ah might as well try dat. Ah wus on de steamship fo' foah yeahs.
Entry 10935
Okey. You kin take a catfish - a fresh catfish - and if someone done did you somepin and you wanta make 'em leave town, you take their name and write it down. And take that catfish and cut him open and sew their name up in that catfish. And go to the river and throw it overboard. And he going to, to drift away from town i that person, after you get their name. He going. He don't leave with somebody, he going leave.
Entry 10937
Take a catfish entrails, split him open while dey alive - channel cat - an' take dat entrails an' put it in a bottle, or else bury it undah yore do'steps; jes' lak yo' had a place an' wanted tuh stay dere, why yo' kin stay dere as long as yo' wanta, if yo' bury dat undah dere, wit dere name.
(The name of the landlord on it?) Den yo' kin stay at dat place as long as yo' want to.
Entry 10940
If yo' in a house an' de man's hard on yo' wit chure rent, yo' take one dese channel cats.
(A channel catfish?)
Dat's right, an' whilst it's 'live, cut him open. Yo' cut dat channel cat open an' whilst it's hot, yo' take an' bury dat undah de steps where de rentman gotta tuh come ovah, an' yo' kin stay dere jes' as long as yo' wanta. Yo' gotta bury it undah de steps.
Entry 10964
Now if you wanna use chicken blood, you kin use dat. Take de chicken and cut 'em open while he 'live. Don't kill him and den cut him open. Jes' take de knife and stick him right in de back, and cut him open while he 'live, and put dat - each half of dat chicken on each por- tion of your spinal cord here. You understand. It cure any shingles in de world. What you call chicken blood, yeah, wit shingles. Now, dat will stop de shingles.
Entry 11529
If you know de name of de person, you kin bring dem back.
(Well, what would you do with that [name]?)
Well, yOu COuld - AH TELL YOU, BUT AH HOPE YOU AIN'T COMING BACK ON ME.
(NO! I'M NOT COMING BACK ON YOU AT ALL. NO! NO!)
Well, you see, you are sure you knows de fellah - we [let us] say dat I'm de person do's it - see. You kin jest git to my step lak late in de night, and git a little dust right from under my step and mixes that in some gunpowder and put it - don't put it in no shot [shot gun gunpowder without the shot]. Put it in your gun. You have to use, you know, one of dese ole-time muskets. Jest put dat in dat gun and come right to de door, and shoot right directs towards my home - in the direction of my home. And in three days dat would be back dere. Get 'em [not foot tracks, see later] right from de center part of my [door] step as I go in my home.
(Both tracks?)
No, jest git de dirt from under de step, not de track, jest de dirt from under dere where I goes in and out. [In many of these small houses the treads of out- side steps are not enclosed; it being easy to reach under or from the side to pick up dirt from under the steps. Both wind and rain forced foot track dirt under open steps.]
(of, you mean the doorstep?)
Yeah. Jest take and go on a' [and] mix dat in some powder and put dat in your gun. And in de morning jest about day you shoot right in the direct [direction] of his step [whether] towards de east, north, south or West. You shoot right dat way. Two or three days I'll be back to you. (You'll bring back the things you stole.) [On the original transcription, nade within year or two after collection of rite, is the word doubtful in red ink!]
Entry 11624
Jis' like if yo' - like if you are separated from your wife and the man is always getting in trouble about it, you catches a live fish and you write his name on it. And cut that fish open while him alive and sew him up with that name in it, and throw it in the pond where you catch him from. The more the fish go, the more they going.
(What do you do that for, now? If I'm separated from my wife and she's what?)
And uh - you and your wife - this man is always keeping your wife on distur- ban', in confusion all the time, and always with him. Write his name and catch that live fish and cut him open and sew him back up with that name inside of him and turn him loose.
(This other man - that will send the other man far away from your wife?)
Yes, it will run him away.
(When the other man's running after your wife.)
Entry 11625
Just like if [you wants to make drift].
(Make them drift, you said?)
Yes, anybody you wants to make drift. Well, you catches a live fish, or any kind of fresh fish, and you take that fish and you split that fish half in two. Then you take a ink [pen], pin but let it be red ink. You write that name down in that fish and you take that fish.... (Wait! What do you write it on? On a piece of paper or on the flesh?) On the flesh of the fish. (All right.) Then you take that fish and throw that fish back. You use the three words: Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, and throw it in any running water. They'll be driftin, couldn't stay nowhere. Everywhere they go they're not satisfied.
Entry 11626
Like if I want a person to go on a drift and don't stay anywheres they go. Well, I ketch me a fresh fish and I cut him open. And after I cut him open, I take the full name and I write it upon this Venrick parchment and I puts it in that fish [a parchment-like paper made by or called Venrick (this may not be the exact name) and sold by a hoodoo shop]. And after I put it in this fish, I get some moving oil and I drap three drops on there. [And I goes to the river afterward.] And I sew the fish back up - put cayenne pepper in it and I sews it back up. And I goes to any - where it's a running stream, you see, and I throws it out in there and I speaks, I say, "As this fish go, I want you to do the same."
Entry 11627
Well, you can take a fish and make a person drift from one place to another, never will stay nowhere or know where they going. You take this fish and you cut him open, and you takes their name and you put it up in there, and you pours moving oil and cayenne pepper and vinegar in there, and sews this fish back up. And you go to any running stream of water and you throws it in there, and you use the three god- heads, which I mean are: 'God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: I wish as this fish float, I want you to drift the same way."
Entry 12142
She [root doctor] tell me. Ah'm goin' tell yo' whut she tole me 'bout de gamblin'. She gimme a bag an' tole me go tuh de drug sto' an' git a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' ever' time ah go in a game wet it wit dat Hearts Cologne; an' say wet it wit de Hearts Cologne an' rub it on yore han's, de Hearts Cologne - rub de bag on it.
(What was in the bag?)
Well, she [told me] yo' wusn't 'sposed tuh open it.
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 12879
Take de scissors an' don' close 'em up, open dem out yo' know, an' stick dem [them] down jes' undahneath yore bed. Stick de points up lak dat [demonstrates]. Keep yo' in good luck.
(Have the scissors open and the points sticking up under your bed?)
Yes. Yo' know, jes' lak de scissors open dis way, an' jes' stick dem down dat way [demonstrates]. [Points of scissors stick down into floor.] Or eithah a glass of watah. Yo' see, dat glass of watah, jes' have enough watah in it to know dere's watah in de glass undah yore bed. Dat's for luck.
(The points of the scissors are sticking down to the floor under the bed.)
Entry 13257
All yo' have tuh do is tuh git chew some sulphur an burn an' all. Yo' ketch his [policeman's] eyes whensomevah he come in an' look after him, an' let him walk across it, see. (This burnt sulpbur?) Yes sir, burnt sulpbur, an' when he come in yo be lookin' after 'in. Try tuh ketch his eyes. An' he nevah come tuh yore house no mo'. Or yo' could jes' take some - if yo' sellin' whiskey, each maslin' befo' yo' open yore do', befo' anyone come in, yo' jes' take jes' a certain aomt of it [whiskey] an' jes' throw it ovah yore do', both doors, as de customers comes in an' out, see. An' then yo' be fixed - de law will nevah bother yo'.
(You mean you throw the salt and sulphur over the door?)
No, yo' kin take some of yore whiskey.
(Oh, the whiskey. That's to keep the law away, too.)
See, when yo' burn dis sulphur, den yo' throw de whiskey ovah de head - yo' know whut ah mean, jes' throw some ovah de head of de do' up there an' dey won't nevah bother yo'.