Subject:Package
Entries
Entry 4358
I've seen this experimented to get rid of a man. I mean to make him leave town. Get a little of his urine, be sure it's all his, put it in a bottle, get a cigar box, put it in that, and one of his socks, just one of his socks, in the box, let it be dirty, wrap that box up, wrap it just the same as a piece of paper, throw it in running water so it'll go down the stream, it will not sink, and he'll leave town. Both the bottle and sock in there.
Entry 5495
Ah says dere wuz once a man an' wife twan't [they were not] gittin' 'long good. Dey wuz gittin' 'long happy at one time an' den dey had some sort of misundahstan'in' an' dey couldn't git 'long tuhgethah. So he wuz studyin' a way how tuh make her love him an' git 'long happy tuh- gethah. So he taken some of de dirt outa her lef' track an' he fixed it up wit Hearts Cologne an' sweet camphor. [Does informant mean sweet niter, or camphor with a sweet in- gredient?] Tuk [took] an' he mixed dat all tuhgethah, an' he got three stran's of her hair out of her haid, an' he fixed it up in a li'le small sort of sompin lak a li'le small package. An' he tied it wit a string an' jes' bind it so it rest right up undah his left, right in de hairs of 'is ahm [arm], so it git de sweat on it. Well, den aftah while dey got 'long very happy.
Entry 5500
She can take and get a piece of dirt from his left-foot track, and a lock of his hair, and a piece of his underwear, and nine nails, and seven grains of red pepper, and put all of that in one pack- age, wrap very careful, and take it and put it down at the sill of the door, out the door like that, and lean the package back, and he will come back home. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 5502
I have heard that if two men are going to see the same girl, one of the men can take some dirt from this girl's left-foot track and a piece of her hair, and make a pocket-piece of it. He puts that together in a pack- age and wears it in his left pocket. Finally, he will change the girl's mind and she will take to him instead of the other fellow. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6092
Oh yes. Yeah. Well, now a woman kin take de hair off a man private down dere, an' take hit an' git her a piece of red flannel an' nine pins, an' sew it up in dat piece of red flan- nel. Dat hair, sew it up in dat piece of red flannel an' wear dat roun' 'er waist fo' nine days. An' if she want dat man tuh stay wit 'er, she'll keep it roun' 'er waist; an' if she want dat man tuh go, den she kin take it an' turn - jes' look attah dat man an' say, "Go, go, ah hope ah nevah see yo' no mo'." An' throw dat hair, an' he'll go an' he'll nevah come back no mo'.
(Where does she throw it?)
Jes' throw it anywhere, jes' so she throw it an' don' look aftah [back at] it. Den he'll nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 6374
Well, ah heard it said if yuh git nine strands of der hair an' yuh wrap dat aroun' a cord nine times jis' lak yuh tyin' up a [package] - jis' aroun' de hair, wrap it from yuh all de time. Den yuh git chew nine drops spirits of tur- pentine an' yuh put on dat, an' yuh wrops dat up in a piece of papah. [You put 9 strands of victim's hair in a piece of paper, add 9 drops of turpen- tine, and wrap a cord from you 9 times about this paper pack- age.] An' yuh go an' put it undah de [house owner's or renter's] doorstep. Yuh put it undah dere evah mawnin' befo' de sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back after sundown. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back aftah sundown. Yuh put it undah dere befo' sunrise an' go back aftah sundown an' git it, den put it back dere ag'in befo' sunrise. Yuh go it fo' nine mawnin'san' on de ninth mawnin' dey [owner or renter] goin' be movin'. [Wrapping and winding, two important magic actions have not always been indexed in the past. There are in Hoodoo many examples of the former, especially wrapping to you or away from you. True winding rites probably will also be found in Hoodoo, they appearing in love rites of general folklore (see BALL OF YARN examples, FACI, 2nd ed., p.439). [Wilmington, N. Car., (294), 217:4 - 85+.1
Entry 6380
[This may be my only example of the rare term badge, meaning hand, or toby or mojo.] If yo' wanted 'er tuh love yo', why yo' jes' take some of - jes' lak yo'd take a bath an' git some of de dirty skin from undah de bottom of yore feet, de hollah of yer lef' feet. Trim yer fingahnails good an' close an' git some of de dirt from undah dere. Take dem an' parch dem, parch de fingah- nails. Parch dese fingah- nails brown, beat it up, an' git some of 'er hair an' burn it - de hair from 'er haid an' burn it. Mixes it tuhgethah wit Hearts Cologne an' sulphur, an' weah it undah-yer lef' arm as a badge.
(Wear it under your left armpit as a badge.)
An' in seven days she'll eithah come or she'll write yo' a lettah.
Entry 6746
Yo' take some black peppah an' salt an' sulphur an' a piece of homel spun; put a piece of homespun around it. Take black peppah, salt an' sulphur an~ put it on dat [package] an' as it burns tell it whut chew want it tuh do an' dey won't come back any mo'. Take a piece of new homespun an' cut it nice [demonstrates]. (Cut it round like a cir- cle.) Yes, yo' have tuh cut it out lak a circle. Den as yo' take sulphur, take a pinch of sulphur - sulphur an' salt [and black pepper] an' put it tuhgethah an say, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, an' Name of de Holy Ghost, whut chew want it tuh do.
(That will make them stay away.)
Entry 7393
Yo' kin take a package of brand-new pins dat has not been no othah pin out of it, put evah pin on some garment of his'n.
(0f that corpse?)
De dead man - evah pin but be sure de pin package nevah opened of de new pins, not one was taken out. Pin it in 'is garment an' when yo' git it all pinned up, yo' wishes a prayer ovah dis dead man. Dis man cannot stay, he must return - yo've pinned 'im up. Yo' use dat whole package of brand-new pins on 'im while he's layin' out as a corpse. Dis man will come whoevah he is - he's sticked, he's sewed, jes' got him pinned up. He'll come back an' give hisself up - can't stay [away].
Entry 8486
Well, it's - a woman kin take some of 'er blood an' take dis man's name; yo' know, write his name [with her blood] on a piece of papah. An' tie dis up in dis piece of papah an' tie a strand of thread around it. An' yo' kin sew it up in a mattress, or jis' sew it up in anything an' let it [stay] dere. Well, he will pine away dat way. He will die.
(Yes? He will die?)
Yes, sir, he will die.
(Just take her ordinary blood or her period blood?)
Dat's right, her period blood.
Entry 8612
Yo' kin take a person's name, if yo' lovin' a man an' he don't ca' [care] fo' yo'. Yo] take yore name an' write it on a piece of papah first an' yo' write his name all 'cross on it, an' fold it up an' put salt, saltpeter, an' bluestone an' wrap it round nine times wit white thread an' go tuh yore lamp fo' nine days.
(What will that do?)
Dat will call 'im back an' make 'im come home.
Entry 9812
Use de pins an' needles. Yo' kin use it fo' nine points or eighteen points. Dat's tuh make love an' tuh hold a person.
(How do they do that?)
Well, yo' kin take yo' a bran'-new nine. Ah'm goin' use nine points. It's accordin' tuh how many points. It runs from nine tuh eighteen points. If yo' goin' tuh nine points, yo' kin git chew nine bran'-new needles dat nevah been used. An' yo' git chew nine bran'-new pins dat nevah been used, an' yo' take a piece of clot' [any kind of cloth] lak dis [demonstrates] an' yo' run one needle dat way an' run one dis way, see [demonstrates]. (You altermate them.) Yes, but when yo' put a needle, yo' put a pin; yo' put a needle an' yo' put a pin. Dat's de way yo' do. [You altemate needles and pins which are alternated heads and tails.] An' den yo' wrap dat up - jes' wrap it up good an' tight lak dat - an' yo' kin put dat somewhere; seal [conceal] dat undah each [anyl side of de house. See. An' yo' kin control dose people by dat needle. Now if dey seems tuh be cold towards yuh an' yo' wan' dem tuh be friendly tuh yo', yo' go tuh dose needles an' pick 'em up an' jes' turn 'em aroun'.- reverse dem. If yo' got 'em layin' dis way [demonstrates] jes' take dis end an' turn it back heah. Jest reverse it. Any time dat anything oc- curs wit chew an' dat party, why yo' jes' reverse dose needles an' dat'll keep 'em right tuh yo'. Evah time yo' reverse it, dat brings dere mind tuh yo', see. An' yo' use dem [the needles or the person or both] dat way.
Entry 9906
Yo' kin take a toadfrog. Now, I had dat - dat wus done tuh me. A man wus co'tin' [courting] me an' he wus co'tin' anothah lady. An' we co'ted fo' a good long while an' ah tole 'im, ah says, "Why don't chew let's git ma'ed?" He say, "Well, ah'm engaged tuh anothah lady tuh git ma'ed." Ah ast 'im, ah say, "Why yo' co'tin' me so long when yo' know yo' wus engaged tuh anothah lady?" He says, "Well, ah guess ah lak yuh." Ah say, "Well, dat ain't busi- ness." Say, "Ah thought chew wus co'tin' me fo' a wife. If ah hadda thought chew wusn't doin' dat, we'd abeen [we would have been] quit long ago, becuz a husband [was] whut ah wus lookin' fo'." He says, "Well, ah'm already [TORTOISE IN GEORGIA] engaged tuh git ma'ed." Ah say, "Well, when yo' goin' git ma'ed?" "Well, we's tuh git ma'ed in June." Ah tole 'im, ah says, "Well, when June come if ah live, yo' won' git ma'ed." He say, "Well, if ah live, ah will git ma'ed." Ah say, "Well, if yo' live yo' won' git ma'ed." So when June come - de lady wus down south - she came. He come ovah an' he tole me, he say, "Well, de lady ah tole yuh about ah wus tuh ma'y, she have come."
[Cylinder change causes the following repetition.]
Ah say, "Well, when yo' goin' git ma'ed? He say, "We's tuh git ma'ed in June." Ah say, "Well, ah tole yuh, yo' wouldn't ma'y her." He say, "Well, Ah don't see how yo' [can say] ah'm not gonna ma'y 'er. If ah live ah'm gonna ma'y huh." Ah say, "Well, if ah live yo' won' ma'y huh." So ah goes tuh a fortunetellah an' dis fortunetellah tole me tuh ketch a toad- frog an' git me a coffee can, a tin coffee can, an' drive holes in de bottom of dat can an up aroun' in dat can tuh 'bout halfway. An' ketch dat frog an' put 'in in dat can an' name him dat puhson's name three times. An' take it tuh a black antses baid an' stir it up, an' set dat can in dere; an' evah two or three days fo' me tuh watch dat can. Go an' look in it evah two or three days. An' when dem antses eat all de meat offa dat frog, tuh bring 'im dat frame [skeleton] in dat can. An' when dat wus done, ah ca'ed it tuh 'im. An' he tole me dere wus some bones in dat frog dat he wus gonna fix in a li'l package fo' me tuh weah shere it'll keep warm nex' tuh me, an' he would nevah ma'y dat wumman. An' he fised de package an' ah went tuh weahin' it. So when de time come fo' him tuh ma'y dis wumman, he come ovah an' he tole me, he sayed, 'Miss Cartah, '' he sayed, "De lady didn't ma'y me." Ah said, "Well, why she didn't ma'y yo'?" He said, "Ah dunno." Ah said, "Well, did yo' buy de papahs?" He say, "Yes, ' say, "Ah bought mah license an' dey cost fo' dollahs an' fifty aents, an' ah went ovah tuh ma'y her an' she tole me she 'clined [declined] de idea of gittin' ma'ed." Ah said, "Well, when did she say she would ma'y yuh?" "She didn't say." Ah said, "Well, yo' oughta make huh tell yuh when she gonna ma'y yuh. She 'clined de idea right now, maybe a li'l latah she might ma'y." He say, "She don' mean tuh ma'y' Ah say, "Yo' reckon she don't?" He say, "No." Ah say, "Why?" "Cuz she given me mah money back. Ah paid fo' dollahs an' fifty cents fo' de license an' she give it back tuh me." Ah say, "Oh well, she don't mean tuh ma'y yo' den." An' den he commence tuh worryin' me tuh ma'y 'im an' ah wouldn't ma'y him den, 'cuz de fortunetellah dat ah'd gone tuh tole me it would happen dat way. An' he tole me, "When he ast chew 'bout ma'in' don' chew ma'y him." Said, "Becuz he wouldn't live long. He would soon stricken an' die an' yo' would soon be a widow ag'in." An' jis' lak he tole me 'bout it, he would ast me 'bout ma'in' 'im, he did. But ah kep' 'im shooed off, an' re'lly, latah he did taken sick an' died. [Here I changed the cylinder. Informant begins by returning to an episode she had omitted, what she had done to make her rival refuse the man.] So dis fortunetellah tole me dat dis woman dat he wus supposed tuh ma'y, she wouldn't ma'y him. He tole me tuh git some li'l boy tuh go on in de swamp or somewhah an' fin' me a gophah - wit fo' laigs, a gophah, yo' know. So ah come back an' got de boys tuh hunt de gophah up an' dey wouldn't fin' one. [The preceding word gopher may confuse the reader. Here in Georgia where I was interviewing, people called the gopher a salamander. What informant means by gopher is a burrowing land tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), the animal and eggs edible.] So ah went back an' tole 'im about it. Ah said, "Well, don' seem lak ah kin git a gophah." Ah say, "It'll have tuh be some othah 'rangements made." Ah said, "Dis man sweahs dat he gonna ma'y dis wumman." He said, "Yo' needn't worry about dat; he ain't goin' ma'y huh." He say, "Well." He got some dirt, some red-lookin' dirt, an' he showed it tuh me. He said, "If ah give yuh some of dis dirt an' tell yuh whut tuh do wit it, would jew be scared tuh do it?" Ah said, "No, ah won't be scared. Ah'll try tuh do it." An' he fixed so much of de dirt in a papah an' give it tuh me. An' he said, "Aftah dahk [dark] - yo' know wheah dis wumman live?" Say, "Yessuh." "Aftah dahk yo' go tuh huh house wheah she live. Don' let no one see yo', if yo' kin he'p it, an' yo' throw dis dirt tuhwards 'er front do', as much as yo' kin, tuh spattah it on de do' an' de porch aroun'. An' she won't nevah ma'y." So ah did dat. So dey didn't ma'y. (You said this was another case where a woman was going to marry the man. This is the same story?) Yes sir, dat's de woman's part of de graveyard dirt. [The reader may recall that my informant told us her rival de lady was down south. Here we were in southern Georgia not too far from Florida! I found this down south all along the Atlantic coast from Maryland southward. The south was always somewhere farther south!]
Entry 10565
They [doctors] generally use that hot, but they - the biggest majority of people [I heard] from the "doctor" that I worked for - they never did knew how to use it. See. Now, those things what I'm outZing [= out- ing = revealing to author] to you there, if the individual don't know how to use it, it the same as you trying to sweeten the Mississippi River with a nickel's worth of sugar. It's too much water. You have to put the same amount of different things, you understand, to make it have any action. See, if not, it's got no power. Now, the bat heart, plenty of people would take the bat and kill the bat, then take his heart out. The heart was dead, it's no good. Have to ketch the bat and cut the heart out whilst the bat is alive. See.
(Then what do you do?)
You take that and you - after you cut the bat heart out, you get any kind of a good high-priced perfume, anoint that perfume with that [anoint bat heart with that perfume], take three pods of garlic, sewing that up together, and put it in your pocket and you're a lucky man. [The typed words "lucky man" and reference were originally on separate sheet, I put them in ink at bottom of typed page to save space. Did this a number of times. H. M. H., August 9, 1976.]
Entry 10594
(How do you do that?)
Take a brand-new piece of silk. Ketch that bat, cut him open while he alive. Take the heart out of him and take that brand-new piece of silk [ribbon] and cut it [the size you need], Wash that bat's heart off and put it in there. And take it and wrap it up, and sew it up with pink thread - pink thread. And take it, if you don't want to make nine knots in it, and wear it around - let it drop right down, right down here [demonstrates] below your heart.
(Wear it around your neck so it will hang down near your heart?)
Yeah, yeah. And if you doesn't want to do that, why you take it and tie it [usually to the wrist or on the arm] and shoot dice with this hand [demonstrates].
(With your right hand.)
Yeah, with your right hand. You take it and tie it around [right wrist or a arm], and you always good for seven licks.
(Seven licks.) [Seven successive throws or attempts.]
Seven licks. After you've had them seven licks, why, you pass the dice. When they get back to you, you can taken 'em up, you good for [another] seven licks.
Entry 10691
Dey don' need tuh go from dey home.... Yo' see, lak mah chil'ren, ah kin stay home an' do dat. Ah'll stay home an' fix dat tongue an' fix it dere, lak co't coming out tuhmorrow, yo' see. Ah'm goin' fix dat tuhmorrow mawnin'. [For these beef tongue rites in court cases, see Nos.8956-8985, Pp.3635-3650, (What about these red beans now?) Now, ah'm home an' ah take dem red beans. Go home wit a pack of red beans, turn ever'thing upside down; table an' ever'thing in de house gotta be turned upside down. Dat's in order fo' dem tuh be all upsetted an' dey cain't explain deyself in co't. Turn de table an' all upside down. [For turning everything in house upside down, see Nos.9162, 9169, p.3709 & 3710, v.4, and many places.] Now, de co't'll come off at nine a-clock. Dey said nine. Now, jis' about de time yo' think de co't's comin' off, all right dat's when yo' go tuh work an' kick dat pack of beans ovah. Yo' see. Dat'll destroy ever'thing. Ever'thing in co't. [Has this anything to do with the expression spilling the beans?]
Entry 10966
If yo' livin' in a house an' ah want chew tuh move, yo' [I] git a black hen's aig an' let it be fresh, an' go to a ole cow lot an' git some fresh cow manure. An' wrap it in a piece of red flannel cloth an' wrap it tight an' tie it with three white strings. (Just how do you tie that with three white strings?) Take yore aig an' put it [manure] all ovah it an' wrap it. When yo' wrap it up in de center, always turn it to yo'. Don't turn it from yo', turn it to yo' and fold it up, an' den git chew three white strings - oh, about dat long [demonstrates].
(Several feet long.)
An' wrap it to yo'. Den wrap it round dis way. Den yo' take dat aig...
(You make a little parcel out of it?)
Yes. (You wrap it one way and then turn around and wrap it the other way, always wrapping it to you.) An' den yo' take dat aig an' go tuh a runnin' stream of watah an' put dat aig right down in dat watah, an' leave it, an' jes' de same as dat watah wash dat aig away, it'll wash yo' from where yo' are. (Well, now what connection has that egg with me? Has it some connection with me?) [The connection I wanted expressed was that the informant was trying to send me away. The rite is legitimate as it stands.] De connection ah don't know, but ah'm jes' tellin' yo' whut ah heard.
(This will make them move out of the house, make them move out of town?)
Yessuh.
Entry 11844
I tell yuh jes' what 'tis. My uncle it was, was tellin' me this. That's why I was goin' tell yuh. A lady that he was courting, he was going with her, and of course this man [rival or hoodoo man] tole him that he was hurt, because he thought he was going with her. And he told him that the lady had put somepin in a bottle an' buried it under the doorstep. And that thing that she buried under the doorstep was some of his hair that she'd gotten from the barber shop and mixed it with some salt, pep- per and whiskey, and buried it under her doorstep, and that whenever he walked over it, would hurt him. [At least we know uncle liked whiskey!] But if he would take this up and put it in some boiling water, and if it floated, then he could ward off the spell that she had put on him, and that he probably could throw it back on her, on the parties who was puttin' it on him. He could take and just take this out and roll it under his arm. [then] roll it in some meal.
(Hold it under his arm?)
Roll it. Yeah, roll it under his arm.
(Oh, under his arm first.)
Yeah, and then put it in some meal and make it into a cake-like, and bury it underneath the steps, the same step where the other stuff was buried, and that would return it on her.
Entry 12204
Ah've heard about horseshoe nails. Dey tell me yo' git nine horse- shoe nails dat's mighty good luck. But de way ah've heard about de nine horse- shoe nails, yo' take them nine horseshoe nails an' wrap them up in a piece of flannel cloth. Jes' have de head this way heah, jes' change 'em disaway [informant demonstrates].
(You put one head one way and one the other.)
Yes sir. An' then yo' - after yo' put a piece of cord, yo' tie it tight. An' dey say yo' keep dat in yore house. That's mighty good luck in yore home.
Entry 12205
De horseshoe - git nine horseshoe nails, an' yo' tie 'em head an' tail, an' yo' name 'em, an' put 'em ovah yore do', an' dat's fo' luck.
(What would you name them?)
Well, yo' name 'em fo' jes' whut chew want 'em tuh do.
Entry 12234
If you is gambling and you wants luck, well you'll git you some steel dust. See. You git you a dime - a silver dime. Git that dime and you put it in a piece of flannel, and you take it and you git a piece of John de Conkah root. See, that John de Conkah root. You takes all that and you put it down in there. Steel dust, and then you get you some of that cinnamon powder. You understand. And you takes that down [from shelf] and put it in there, and then you git you some Van- van. You ever heard of that. Or some good Jockey Club Perfume. And you put it [flannel package or hand] in your pocket. See, that steel dust draws. Then you put it in your pocket and every time you wants to gamble with somebody, you take it and rub it like that in your hand. You see. Take it and rub it in your hand but don't let 'em see you. And whatever you doing, you going to be lucky.
Entry 12343
Tuh git a job, yo' jis' have tuh dress yo'self an' ah tell yo' jis' whut chew have tuh do. Yo' have tuh dress yo'self wit lodestone an' quicksilvah an' Jockey Club Perfume - both togethah. Ah tell yo' jis' how yo' do now. Yo' git chew a red piece of flannel aftah yo' beat it all up dere to- gethah. Git chew a red piece of flannel an' den take a thread outa yore sock. See, jis' lak yo' got a pair of socks, but let it be a pair of socks yo' done worn amn' take a thread from dat sock an' tie it aroun' dis, an' den befo' yo' go in dere, yo' know, yo' kin'a run yore han's lak dis [demonstrates]. Yo' see, yo' rub yore han' lak dis an' den when he [boss] git tuh talkin' tuh yo', yo' have tuh kinda hold yore face lak dat. An' when yo' go, yo'll kin'a throw yore fingahs lak yo' kinda throwin' yore fingahs tuh him yo' know, an' he'll git de odor of it all right. Dat Jockey Club Perfume dere. The're [there are] two chances tuh one yo' won' be turned down.
(You rub this bag in your hand?)
Dat's right.
Entry 13306
Then you can fix what you call a scaft [scapular] to wear upon you to protect yourself.
(A what?)
A scafle.
(What kind? How do they fix that?)
You get frankincense, frankincense.
(What kind? Frankincense. All right.)
Yes. And myris [myrrh].
(And what? Muritch. All right.)
Muritch. And you puts it in white linen. See, you make a scaple [scapular] out of it to wear around your neck. And you feeds it with a oil of labena [verbena]. (Lavena?) Yes, you pours that upon it. That's to protect yourself. See that's what I knows about that.
(Now, what do you call this vanovitch?)
Muritch.
(What does it look like?)
It's a rock.
(A rock?)
Yes, it look just like that, but you can beat it up and make a powder out of it. (I see, muritch Yes, muritch and frankincense, they both look the same, but the frankincense is light looking and myrrh is brown. But they both is rocks, just come in pieces like that and larger pieces.
(Muritch or myrrh?)
Muritch 'er - ah myrrh.
(Is it myrrh?)
Yes, sir. That's it, myrrhs.
(I see. I got it.)
Entry 379
Well, to dress the house thataway, you see those paradise seeds. You take that paradise seed and you take you some parsley with paradise seed, you takes you nine rocks like off the railroad [bed of railroad track]. See. Tie that up into a sack. You put that, you understand, at your step but don't bury it - the same as you'd take a piece of stick thataway and tie it up on the side there. Everybody'll pass there, even the children - they'll look, their mind will tell them to stop there, but they'll continue by. [Stick and children I explain later.] The same as any treasure what's buried. In the olden time when they used to bury money, they would take a individual back to the place where they going to bury the money, he not knowing anything. The poor darky would be ignorant of the act. And he would stand there and they'd ask him, "Would you watch this money?" He knows it's money and he would say, "Yes" - for this reason, they worked him so hard, he thought he would just Sit there and watch the money, it would be a easy job for him. He'd say "Yes." They'd say, "Would you swear?" 'Yes." They'd make him raise his hand and swear. When he raise his hand to swear they would shoot him down. Now, to get that money - the evil spirit will come around there and worry you so. You have to know your business to get that money; if not, you will never get it, see, because he have promised, he have made an oath, a dying oath to watch it and he watch that money. You going to dig that money. They have diff'rent forms come there such as lions, elephant and diff'rent things. It don't be anything but a shadow but who's the man will stay there to see whether it's anything or not. Well, it's the same way. Whensomever you make a swear, make a oath that- away, you understand, it means something. It's the same as a law being made in the Senate with an amendment to it; see, not to be broken. Yes sir. (I see. That's the same thing, you say, as this little bag hanging on the stick by your gallery?) [This is a hand to keep children off the gallery.] Yeah. For instance, if there's money buried in the corner of this yard and - you kin have fifteen children, they'll never go in that corner and play; they'll play all over the yard, they may start that way but before they get there they will go to another direction.
(Why is that?)
Well, 'cause that money is there and the spirit is there and they have a good mind - the spirit don't allow no one there, he's there to watch it. They'll have a mind - they'll leave they house to go to that corner of the yard but before they get there, they'll go off. I saw the [this in] natural life - the thing happened at a place in a swamp [a spirit guarded a tree] - they had the skeeter pulling out some logs. There was a tree leaning towards the sunrise. They have a kind of a slot, look like, cut in the tree thataway - like it had been cut out of the tree, the tree was hollowed, and sot back in there again. [This treasure was buried in this slot.] Now, to make fast for the skeeter with that line, he'd have to go and cut the top off that tree for the rigger to tie his rigging there to pull the log with, and don't you know he couldn't go there. He put the axe on his shoulder and leave from the skeeter before he go there. He start thataway but before he get there, he come out the other way. So the white fellow said to him, "Well, skeeter, what's the matter - going to keep me all day?" Say, "Well, I can't go there - get in there." It doing the same thing - they never get there - have to make fast somewhere else.
(What's a skeeter - what's his work?)
That's pulling the logs out of the swamp, you see. They set here, you know, and they got a line pract'ly go to Canal Street - they got a line go to Canal Street, and they attach it to the top of the top bough of a tree. They got a bicycle runs on that cable and they got a tong to hook the log. And, gee, hit pull logs and there's them logs flying up in there just the same as a bullet.
Entry 1031
[In the preceding rite we warmed up or gave extra power to a fireless coffeepot; in the following rite we have a waterless bath powered by singing:] I was livin' [rooming] with a lady in this town here and she had a man she was livin' with. An' this man, you see, would go out and work but he wouldn't bring in money to suit this lady, see. And this lady went to some hoodoo lady and tried to find out some way of gettin' him to put his money in de house - you know, in de home. Well, this lady told her what to do. She told her to go somewhere and get a, about, you know, a cup of graveyard dirt from some place, and get and have some strands of his hair out of him, and mix it together, and get some more - some kinna roots, you know, out de woods. I don't zackly [know] what de name of 'em would be but I seen 'em, you know, seein' how she mixed de stuff together. She took de graveyard sand and roots and this strand of his hair - she tied it aroun' de roots see, put de graveyard sand in a little sack. Den she put dat in, you see, put de sticks [roots] in this bag too, and tied it up and wore it in her bosom up here. And de lady told her to get in de tub and face de sun in de mornin', you see, take a bath and holler and sing - you know, sing low to herself. There wasn't any water in it - jis' an empty tub. But she was suppose to do dat early before de sunrise rise, for nine mornin's and burn some kinna lamp behind de door - you know, a lamp jis' like we use. But I don't know whether it's true or not. I couldn't say that [she didn't see this part of the rite]. But that was de words she came back and told us. And she did it. And then she ordered off - of somepin from some firm, Johnson C. Smith, I think it is, in Racine, Wisconsin, and got somepin dey call High John de Conquer. But she wouldn't let me see that. I couldn't tell you zackly what dat looked like; she wouldn't let me see it. But I re'lly do know from myself experience dat he did change. He start to bringin' de money in and spendin' it in de house jes' like any other man. [Wilmington, N. Car., (261), 257:3.]
[For a doctor singing while making medicine, see margin-title George Jackson.]
Entry 2036
Fo' gamblin' yo' kin git chew John de Conker - dat's a root. Git de he one an' git de she one. Yo' git chew some oil of verbena, yo' git chew some van-van - de perfume kind, not de oil kind. Yo' git chew some Jockey Club an' yo' git chew some lodestone, any silver dime, an' yo' take those things an' yo' make yo' a little bag an' sew it up in dere, an' wear it aroun' yo' fo' yore luck in gamblin'.
Entry 12026
To send a man away, wrap up in a rag some of his hair with 2 needles and several pins, and bury this package on the bank of a river. [Here again we have one of these many rites in which the victim is buried to send him traveling!]
[Fredericksburg by Ediphone.]
Entry 7510
In de olden time, mah fathah tole me dat a man had got in a lil' argument wit a man an' de man killed 'im an' run away, lef' town - left outa town altogethah. Well, de peoples den worried about 'im an' wanted tuh git 'im back an' wanted to make him pull some time [spend time in jail] fo' it or have him killed [by the law]. Dey went to dis man [doctor]. Dis man fixed up a lil' sack about dat long, an' said, "Yo' tote dis in yore pocket fo' yoreself." [This sack or hand was given to dead man's brother.] An' says, "Ah'm goin' fix [cunjure] 'im. Ah'll have him back in three days." He [doctor] taken de man's pichure an' 'is name an' put it in dat pichure, an' so he went to de do'step an' put it down [buried it] an' said, "Dis man will come back in dis house fo' dis pichure, come back to dis house." An' he [brother] went on an' did dis. He didn't think dere wuz anything to it. In three days de man come back an' he axed 'im did he know anything about his brothah bein' killed an' did he commit it, an' he's de one killed 'im when he left.
Entry 600
Mah husband, he wus witchcraft heah a little before Christmas, an' when he begin, he begin as a chills-an'-fevah. An' course I didn't know, you know, right then [that he was witchcraft] an' I had de doctor - de medical doctor. They say he had the flu. An' so he wusn't whut you call real, you know, sick like a medical doctor, you know. The medicine he give 'im - he give 'im medicine an' it didn't seem to do him no good. So his mind led 'im that he knew it wusn't pure sickness. So I had my fortune told an' it [her husband's sickness] wusn't pure natural. [This is diagnosis by proxy.] So they fixed 'im - a root doctor fixed him some medicine. An' it holp him, too; but you see, jis' like they put somepin down for yah, all the medicine you take it won't cure you. So I had someone to come to pick it up. I don't know exac'ly whut it wus, but it wus down under the - kin'a in the south part of the house an' right in the middle, jis' like you walk over it. An' this filth, of course you have to step in it. An' they taken it up, an' after takin' it up, you know, they kill it. They kill it with salt. An' then I had to - after takin' it up they put salt on it, wash it off, an' put it in a paper an' let it dry. Then I had to take it an' put lye, an' sulphur, red pepper an' gunpowder, put it in a quart cup an' put a quart of water in it an' boil it airy bit of the water out it, right dry, an' then take an' care [carry] it to a runnin' water an', you know, put it in. That's called, that's turnin' back on the one that did it.
(What was this stuff that you found?)
I didn't look in it becuz I wus kin'a scared. It wus a package. One wus a package an' one's a bottle. I had taken 'im to de hospital, you see. Of course I didn't know it [was witchcraft]. The same day I taken 'im hospital, that's the day I had it taken up. An' the one take it up says he'd find some relief in twenty-four hours, but not till it wus taken up.
Entry 3281
To keep a man away from yore wife, yo' git yore wife's undahshirt - see, like yo' goin' to leave [town]. Yo' git de sweat of 'er shirt. Yo' take de shirt an' yo' wrap dis shirt up an' carry it wit yo'. See, yo' carry dis shirt wit yo'. Yo' take it an' make a package wit it. Undah- stan'? An' yo' take yo' some sugah an' cinna- mon an' oil of clovah [3 ingredients], yo' see, an' yo' mix it up in dat. An yo' put dat in dat package, an' when yo' sleepin' yo' sleep on dat. An' ah bet yo' she won't worry 'bout no man, while yo' are gone.
Entry 5562
You get a pinch of dirt out of their left-foot track, bind that in a package, an' put seven nails in that package. You put three nails with the point [head] up, and four with the head down. Take that to running water and throw it over your left shoulder. Go on away and don't look back. And you won't be both- ered with them no more, so I have heard old people say.
Entry 6534
Ah heard dat dey could take a dozen [12] red ants an' cook dem an' put 'em in a package. An' git dat package tuh a person an' saturate dat package in anything dat he might drink. An' dat would cuz 'im tuh swell up an' give him a' interternal [= internal] disease.
(In other words you would use this in the liquor.)
Entry 7614
Ah heard dat chew kin take graveyard dirt. Yo' must dig roun' about de length of yore arm. Yo' must drop three pennies in dere wit dat. See, an' leave it dere an' say de Lord's Prayah. An' whutsomevah yo' want. chew git it. (What do you do with that dirt?) Yo' brings a li'le up wit chew. All right, chew bring a li'le dirt up wit chew, but chew gotta say de Lord's Prayah when yo' bring dis dirt up. All right, yo' takes dat dirt, yo' puts it in a envelope an' yo' sends it tuh de guy dat chew wan' tuh have. If he's in state prison, he must be free.
Entry 10582
Now another lucky hand, yo' git chew a small little - one of dese little bats dat fly around. Well, yo' git chew one of dose an' git his heart 'fore he die. Take his heart out befo' he die, an' sew dat up in a piece of Sea Island cloth - new cloth don't chew know. An' every time yo' make a stitch, why in sewing it, bring it to yo', don't chew know - jes' bring it dat way [demonstrates]. An' den yo' git some of dis perfume, Hearts Perfume, an' 'noint dat package wit dat every mornin' befo' sunrise, an' repeat de Lord's Prayer. An' dat's luck too, dat's another lucky hand.
(For what?)
For anything, any affairs.
(Gambling?)
Anything.
Entry 9895
There is something else that ah didn't tell you, they has a peculiar influence on people, an' that is the frog. Did chew evah hear that? You get a toad. You know what a toad is? [I probably nod my head yes.] You take him and you go to - you seen these large ants. You take him while he's alive an' carry him to a bed of these creatures, you know, an' put an ole bucket over him so he can't get out. And they'll jes' eat him completely up, and den they will leave the bones there. It's a bone that come out of his back; it looks like a shoe- buttoner, has a little hook-like in it. You take this and get a piece of this person's clothing. Say, for instance, if you could steal a pair of a lady's stepins or jes' anything that chew have of theirs - that chew can get of theirs, small that chew can wrap up. You wrap that up into a package of some kind like it was something very precious. And as long as that bone remain there, this person will remain very near to you. Now, that is something that has been tried by millions, an' also by myself - something to be substantiated.
Entry 11041
Take a gizzard of black hen, a black pullet, an' dat thin skin inside, take an' sew it up in a sack. Den yo' kin go an' ask a man fo' a job an' he'll nevah turn yo' down.
Entry 11879
To hold woman, man obtains hair from her head, adds lodestone, wraps these into a piece of red flannel, and into this package weaves 3 needles cross- ing one another * [the common rimless wheel device or emblem already given a number of times elsewhere: No.5720, p.2920, Z.10, v.4; No.8214, p.3447, v.4; and No.9796, p.3853, v.5; cf. No.10181, P.3961, v.5]. This package he carries in his pocket or keeps elsewhere. [Compare this rite with following 5 needles one, HAIR 11884.] [Memphis, informant (963), 1555:8.]
Entry 8576
Take yo' a thread string an' put chew nine knots in it an', as ah would say, use a cat an' a dog, an' yo' git some hair from de back of dere neck, an' jes' make a bundle of it, yo' know, altogether an' put chew nine knots in de thread an' bury it right in dat do' there. An' yo'll nevah come inside chere. Yo'll always pass by, yo' wouldn't nevah have no visitors to stop heah.
(That's to keep somebody from coming in or to make them leave the house?)
Dat's if yo' heah, yo'll leave heah an' yo' won't nevah come back heah; or if: it's anybody yo' don't want tuh come in heah, yo' do dat an' dey won't come in heah. But yo' should have dey name, de person name in that. (Now you tie the nine knots in the thread after you have wrapped it in this bundle?) [That was not a sensible thing to say, even though informant's words about the knots are ambigious.] Yeah, yo' tie nine knots in de thread an' put it in de bundle wit de hair of de dog an' de cat.