Subject:Parchment
Entries
Entry 4273
Although I could have indexed this rite under 9 DAYS, or NAME, or UPSIDE DOWN, I chose SIFTING, a magic action, because there are several examples of it in HOODOO. My early recordings in Mobile not being good, I asked some of the better informants to return a second time. The following rite is given in the original and revised version:] Original version: Say, fo' ninstance someone is away an' yuh want dis person. Yuh wanta know wha' chew do wit dat? [I probably nod yes.] Dis person, if dey come back an' spen' de night wit chew, git chew a clean slop jar - it's not where dey kin go out [outside] chew know. Yuh be careful yuh don't use it yuhself. An' yuh let 'em use dis an' den on de nex: mawnin' yuh git a ole-time siftah. [Sifter is a magic object, sifting or straining a magic action.] Yuh see, dese ole roun' siftahs de kind dat yuh turn.
(The old-fashioned hand sifter - flour sifter.)
Dat's right. Yuh git some othah bucket or pail an' yuh strain dis. Take dis out an' strain it fo' nine times.
(You pour this chamber lye through this sifter nine times.)
Dat's right, fo' nine mawnin's. An' den yuh po' dat out intuh a bottle an' yuh dig a place undah yuh back steps. Yuh put it in a bottle jis' enough tuh hol' dat amount, an' yuh turn it on de head. Put a cork stoppah in it, yuh un- dahstan', an' turn it on de head an' bury dat. An' dat person will nevah leave dere till yuh take dat up. Revised version: Jis' like if a person is away an' yuh want 'em tuh return, Xuh use yuh slop jar. Wash it clean an' jis' use it yuhself fo' nine mawnin's, an' yuh use an old siftah - one of dese big roun' ones. An' yuh set ovah dat [sifter and slop jar] an' strain dat each time fo' nine times. An' den aftah de ninth mawnin', yuh write dis person's name on a piece of parchment papah. Put it intuh a bottle an' turn it - no, yuh firs' place, if yuh have a piece of dere ole sock or undah- weah or anythin' like wherevah dere's perspiration. If it is undah de armpits, yuh cut dat out an' put it in dis bottle, an' put dat name on dat parchment an stick it in dere, an' yuh turn it on its head. Put it in yuh closet or some place where no one will disturb it, an' leave it. Dey will return.
(What do you do with this chamber lye then?)
Yuh put de parts of de sock or whatevah yuh get.
(You put that in the chamber lye don't you? What do you do that for?)
Well, dat has some kin'a peculiah effect - ah don't know.
(Oh! You don't put that in the bottle?)
Yes, ah think dat chew put dat in de bottle, but chew put dis cloth in it. (NOW, DID YOU SAY YOU SIT OVER THE STRAINER? YOU RELIEVE YOURSELF THROUGH THIS SIFTER?) Dat's right. Comparison of versions: [Several days separated the two preceding versions. We learn here as well as elsewhere, that a person proficient in hoodoo does not repeat rites word for word. There are many ways to rearrange even the same material. Besides, numerous in- formants tell us about various methods to accomplish the same end. In our second version the woman's, not the male victim's urine is used. Her urine will serve the same purpose, drawing power, by writing his name on a piece of parchment and dropping it into the bottled urine. This time she does not pour the urine through a flour sifter with a handle; she lays a round hand sifter - large wooden hoop with wire screening on one side - on the chamberpot and squats over it to relieve herself. Her urine passing through the sifter protects it against countermagic. For good measure his perspiration in a piece of his old clothing is added. Instead of burial, the bottle is hidden in a closet.]
Entry 8493
Takin' dat parchment papah an' puttin' de boss name an' wearin' it in de left shoe wit his name on top - wearin' it in de left shoe. Aftah takin' it, take a powder - can't commit de name but it's a high-class powder.... Takin' dat powder an' po'it in dat parchment papah an' foldin' dat parchment papah Wit de boss' name at de bottom an' yores at de top an' wearin' it in de shoes, an' yo' kin be standin' there in de audience wit 50 mens, an' by some reason, he will come an' pick yo' out an' give yo' de first preference.
(Is it some sort of a love powder or smelling powder?)
It's a controllin' powder.
Entry 8522
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' use a coconut to make a person come to yo'. Yo' take an' pluck out de eyes, but yo' don't let that water come out of there. And you take the name and put it upon this Venrick [brand name?] parch- ment [paper imitation] and put it in there, inside, and you seals it up with the wax that drops from the candle. And just roll it. Start from the front door and be rollin' back inside an' speak to it just like yo' speakin' to 'em an' call 'em by their name. That'll draw 'em to you.
(That will make them come back.)
Entry 8602
Ah tole yo' yo' could wirte de person's name or yo' could eithah use a picture of this person, and you plaster this on this parchment paper. You write de name down under that. (You write the name on the parchment paper and then you put the picture down on top of that?) Dat's right, yo' can sew it down or plaster it down so it will be combined together. (Face down or up.) Face it inside next to de lamp, yo' see. Don't have it outside. Then yo' light that lamp if this person is away an' YO' SET THAT IN THE CLOSET SOME PLACE AN' SET IT BURNING. See, where nO one will suspicion. An' they will continue to be worried, their mind will be towards yo'. Well, they will eventually come. They are supposed tuh come in de course of nine days.
Entry 8622
(Suppose I want to keep the law away from that bootlegging joint, what would I do? How would I keep the law away? Any particular way?) Well, they have several dif- (4) ferent kind of way to keep de law away, if yo' want de law dat is on dis beat. Now, well, let's fix up - we want de law away. Of course, if we go to work an' work direct on de police on de force, dat Wouldn't stop 'em from raidin'. Now, listen! Let's see what we going to do about stoppin 'em raidin' in general. All right. Yo' going to get de chief of detectives, yo' goin' to get de chief of police, yo' goin' to get de captain's name, yo goin' to get everybody dat's in authority over dat group, which, if they goin' to raid, dey'd have to go up to dese particular men before dey can make a raid. Do yo' get de idea?
(I see.)
It got to come from dem. Well, we'll start wit dem. We are not concerned wit de ordinary man, dat is, de common ordinary police officer. We get de head of 'em. Well, we take dat head in dere an' we are goin' to draw a round ring six inches from de centah - a round ring. We goin' to place all dose names in dat ring on parchment papah.
[No ordinary paper for the important police!]
(Six inches from the center - that is, the diameter will be twelve inches then?) Yeah, just de same [demonstrates] if yo' say six inches from here [center of circle] an' yo' just hold it [a string] dere an' yo' go aroun' [draw the circle].
(The circle is twelve inches in diameter?)
Yeah, twelve inches in diameter.
(All right.)
Now, yo' going to take each one of dose officers - see, de twelve of 'em dat's in authority. [Informant is surely thinking of the 12 signs of the Zodiac rather than the 12 Apostles; the signs to protect place of business from police all year.] Yo' goin' to place 'em direct in dat center an' yo' goin' to sweeten 'em up. An' aftah yo' sweeten dem up.
(How do you sweeten them up?)
Well, yo' can takd dis Lureen Oil [surely Zuring oil, an oil to lure the police], dat Oil of Lureen, when it come for anything beneficial, all good things, this is to use for dat most particular purpose [beneficial to oneself]. Like yo' can use seven drops of dat Oil of Lureen, an' aftah yo' use it round in dere, why yo' goin' to take what yo' call a tappan[?] beans come from Central America.
(What kind of a bean?)
Dat's a bean come from.... Central America, from Las.... G....de capital of Las....
(What do you call those beans, what is the name of them?)
Santoine[?] beans.
(Santoine[?] beans and where do they come from?)
Central America.
(From where? You said some place in Central America?)
Well, sir, G....is the capital of Las....but dey bring 'em from G....to Las.... an' dat's de seaport.
(I see. All right.)
Now, why each one of dose names I done going to take pure white thread. It made kind of like wit four corners an' it grows in a bean [pod] an' dere may be twelve in one bean [pod], eight or ten, like dat. Yo' take it an' yo' sew it right in de center of dat name. Like my name would be Paul B. Dickson. Where the "D" at, yo' could write it twixt de "D" right in de center. An' whosomevah [whatever policeman] go back there [in your place of business, you complain to him] an' say, "Well, this is a quiet zone an' they raisin' Sam an' singing over there. Ah can't sleep at night. How yo' want me to work an' I'se lonesome an' all of that stuff." "Well, all right, " [says the officer] "we'll take care of dat." An' before he [officer] gets out of there [your place of business], dat stuff [you prepared] got him. (How do you do that? You sew one of these beans on each one of those names? Then what do you do with that parchment, then?) On [a bean on] each one of dose name. Den yo' take dat parchment an' yo' just fold it in like that an' just take it ovah dere an' put it in [your] show- case. Just keep it anywhere. Then it has a tendency to - wheresomevah your funds at, yo' can keep it right in yore funds an' it has a tendency to draw funds.
(You mean, the money?)
Yeah.
(In your money box where you keep your money?)
Yeah.
(I see.)
Entry 8642
How long yo' goin' to be here?
(I'm going to be here all this week, I think.)
WELL, YO' KNOW THIS FELLOW CALLED MACK [SEE LATER] THAT BROUGHT ME HERE. WELL, JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO LEAVE THIS TOWN, YOU COME SIT DOWN TO ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU A WHOLE LECTURE. NOW, I KIND OF KNOW WHAT YOU WANT [ARE] BUT I DON'T LIKE TO TALK TOO FAST. An' I [was brought up with this] an' my grandfather could de practically any- thing that he wanted to in that line. Yo' see, an' before he dies he instruct me a great deal and since he died I have improved more in that line. Well, you can learn more. Now, for instance, if yo' stayin' in this room here, an' someone would want to make yo' move out of this room, they would get a lemon, they would get parchment paper, an' they would sign your name nine times, five one way and four the other [an unusual arrangement], with black pepper, red pepper, an' fold it up an' put it down in that lemon, an' thrown the lemon under the house, or either bury it. An' yo' won't be there very long. [The preceding fellow called Mack we have met before: We reached New Orleans at night... "I told Edward" (my contact man from Mobile) "I would not work for several days (I wanting to be with my wife), but he was to meet me for instruc- tions next morning. I wanted him to find an old-time taximan, thoroughly reli- able, who knew the underworld of fortunetellers, doctors, healers, and the like. He came up with Mack Berryhill (see ILLUSTRATIONS). No other person would have been better and without him we could have failed" (vol.1, INTRODUCTION, p. XXXI).]
Entry 8643
Hullin' dat lemon out, an' puttin' de partchment papah in dere wit de party's name on dat, an' puttin' some red pep- pah, salt, black peppah, sewin' it up an' buryin' it anywhere in de soil, or else tro' it in de rivah." Dat break up any party dat livin' togethah in comfort.
(That is to break up a man and woman?)
Yes.
Entry 8698
Then you can git a bottle of vinegar an' write de name upon a piece of Venrick parchment.
(What kind of parchment?)
Venrick [a trade name?] parchment. An' they put this in this bottle of vine- gar with cayenne peppah, see. An' they roll this bottle aroun'. Go to de back door an' roll it all de Way tuh de front. (Just a moment. Do they roll it with their hands or feet?) De feet. Dey kick it wit de feet an' as dey kickin' it, dey use de words, "As dis bottle rō' [rolls] ah wan' choo to do de same." (I see.) An' they take it an' dey bury it on de science [signs of the Zodiac]. Dey will do this work by science, by de twelve science [signs].
(Well, what sign would they use on that?)
On de Balance.
(Oh, the sign of the Balance.)
Yes, on de Balance; yes, sir. See, dat's when de earth has power. An' dey buries dis bottle bottom upwards. An' de next mawnin' they get up before de sun rise an' dey pour dat hot water on dat an' de bottle busts [bursts]. Den dey move.
(I see, it will make them move.
Entry 8855
[Yo' do this] wit nine needles. An' if ah'm gone an' yo' wanta heah from me an' yo' wanta break me up from where ah'm at, yo' take nine needles an' yo' take a piece of papah. Yo' evah hear'd of dis parchment papah? (I understand.) All right. Yo' take dat parch- ment papah an' write my name on it. Write Emmaline Williams on it, yo undah- stand, an' stick a needle all.de'long [along] in dere. An' yo' stick one dis way an' one dat way, one upside down an' one straight down.
(One with the head up and one with the head down Alternate them?)
[Often with needles or pins called heads and tails.]
Yes, zigzag. Yo' put dem in a lettah an' say, "Ah wish, ah wish, ah wish, tuh God, if dis lettah reach 'er, an' will tear 'er from wheresomevah she be's." Dat will bring 'em.
(You don't send the letter?)
Yassuh, yo' send it to 'em. Yo' see, yo' don't leave 'em out in public. Yo' take anothah piece of papah an' put ovah dat parchment papah, yo' undahstan'.
Entry 9107
Now, here's another way. If yo' goin' to de judge - sup- posin' yo' goin' down dere to Judge Landix, why yo' just take Judge Landix' name. Take parch- ment papah an' cut out just de sole of yore shoes, stick in your - sew it to de heel of yore shoe. An' yo' take his name an' write 'is name down nine times. He's a nine-months child, see.
(He is a nine-month child?)
Yeah, his mother carried him nine months. Yo' take yore name an' yo' write hit down dere nine times, over his. Yo'll say, "Judge, ah want yo', In de Name of de Father an' de Son an' de Holy Spirit, to have mercy on me today an' let me go. An' dat same thing, whensomevah dey call yo' up befo' de judge - yo'll have a lawyer dere to do yore talkin'. De judge goin' to ask yo' a few question an' de lawyer goin' to take part. Yo' just keep a-sayin' dat inwardly. De policeman get up an' make 'is testimony.'Don' yo' come back here no mo'." Ah say, "Thanks." Dat's fo' dat. Now, yo' use nine drops of Van-van fo' dat.
(How do you put that on?)
Yo' put dat right on - right in dat parchment papah an' den put it in yore shoe an' walk on dat, dat right shoe.
(Is Van-van an old oil?)
An ole oil, but yo' must know when yo' gettin' Van-van. Ah was kiddin' a boy here month befo' last, ah say, "Now, look, ah'm not in de business but, " ah said, "dis is fo' a personal friend of mine, an' she done gone down here [to where Van- Van is sold] an' got some [Van-van] perfume down [there]. Ah don' want dis othah stuff [she got]. Give me de othah stuff." Van-van [of good quality] is kind of
[hard to get]. [For Van-van, see p.662 and elsewhere.]
Entry 9164
[Preceding rites in this section have given us examples of turning household objects upside down before court. Here is one to establish the margin title:] If it's a bad case when yo' goin' tuh co't, choo turn yuh chairs bottom upward. Yo' turn evahthing bottom up. Upset things in yuh house. Yo' read de seven Psalm [Psalm 7] in de Bible. Aftah yo' read dat, den yo'll take de judge name an' yuh name an' put it in de bottom of yuh shoe. Yo' write it on parchment papah. Write his name, yuh name on topa it, an' put it in de heel of yuh shoe, de right shoe. An' yo' tote dese nine pods of garlic. Yo' have yo' piece of John de Conkah root, an' when yo' git tuh dat [courtroom] do', yo' spit three times. Den yo' walk on intuh de co'troom an' yo' spit tuhwards de judge. Den, if yo' goin' in front of de judge he'll be lenient on yuh. Yo git discharge.
Entry 9657
Well, if you bothered by the law, you take - even for the law, any- body - you get you some parchment [paper]. Here's your door here. [Informant begins to demonstrate.] You hang you some parchment up by your door. [Imitation parchment was sold as genuine and often considered holy.] You hang that parchment up by your door, on this side, and hang you a box of salt on the other. Don't let the salt be - get you a fresh box of salt. Just like that nail is there [informant points to nail]. See that nail? Well you put you a nail up right there [demonstrates].
(On one side of the door.)
On one side of the door. And you hang that salt up there. And over that, between that parchment and that salt, you put you up a loaf of bread.
(You have the parchment on one side and the salt on the other.)
You see, you've got the parchment here and you got the salt here.
(The parchment on the right hand side and the salt on the left.)
And the salt on the left. Now, right in the center, you put you a loaf of bread [demonstrates].
(Above the door.)
Above the door. See. you put you up a loaf of bread. He can come in: the captain, the sergeant, the lieutenant - all of them can come in there when you do that. They ain't going to bother you. Now, when they come in, if they come in, but they might not get no further than right to the door. They might just look in, they ain't going to bother nobody. They going to go away. You see. And when they go away, you sprinkle sugar behind them, after they gone. When they turn their face to go, you sprinkle sugar behind them, you see. You sprin- kle sugar and that'll keep 'em going all the time. They'll never come back. If they come back, they won't bother you. You understand what I mean? They won't bother you. Just sprinkle that sugar behind 'em and they won't bother you at all.
Entry 9885
Take a toadfrog an' make anybody be out dere mind. Cut off 'is feet - yo' know, cut 'is toenail - ah call it toenail, an' put 'im in parchment [paper]. Tie 'im up an' bury 'im in a stump. [Informant may have omitted something here, such as writing victim's name on the parchment paper; but intention alone would be sufficient to power the rite.]
Entry 10157
You take the photograph and you take a new glass of water [new glass fllled with water] and a new saucer, white saucer, and you take the photograph yoa turn it upside down on top of [against] the glass of water. You take a F] red candle and you light it and write [on new paper] his name nine times demeath and write yours nine times on top, and you burn that [candle] three das a day. (What'll that do?) That is to bring him back, bring him to you. (Now I place the glass of water and this photograph I turn it upside down?) You hand [lean] it up with the feet up [head down] and the glass of water in the center of the photograph [photo centered against glass] and the name underneath it and the candle right in front of it. The name is under the glass. You write the name nine times on a piece of parchment paper, and nine times write yours on top. See, you always got yours on top and you got him underneath you. And put the paper under the saucer, and the water in the glass, and the picture upside down. And you burn that candle three times a day - a red candle. You burn it at six in the morn- ing, at twelve o'clock [noon], six in the evening; only three times a day.
Entry 10665
Git chew a apple, one dese big delicious apple. Hull it out. Aftah hullin' dis apple out, git some oil of clover, oil of verbena, Florida watah [trade name], puttin' it down on dat dere apple wit some honey an' his name on de parchment papah, an' put dat in a flower pot - one dose flover pot whut chew see on de po'ch. An' plantin' de flower in dat, an' set- tin' de flower in dat apple, an' as hit grows, yo'll [husband or man] fin'lly come back home.
Entry 10666
Yo' done used de coffee whut's in it [can], chew know, er [or] dump dat coffee out an' git chew a large apple. Hull it out, hull de core out of it, yo' understand an' den yo' git chew some honey, some cinnamon, an' parchment paper an' write chure name on dat. Brite whosomevah name on it yo' wants tuh send de apple tuh. Take dat box [can] an' close dat, er [or] pore dat honey right down in dat hole where dat parchment paper is, yo' understand, an' cover dat box [can] up an' put it down in a trunk or somewhere safe yo' know, so's [so as] ah can't find it. An' yo' kin carry me all ovah de country with dat thing. Ah'll follow yo' anywhere in de world yo' go. Ah don't ca' where yo' goes, ah'll follow yo', yo' understand. (You cut this hole in this apple, and then you write my name on this parchment, and you put that parchment in the hole in the apple?) Yessuh.
(Then you pour the honey down in there?)
Yes, den yo' pore de cinnamon down in dere, an' den yo' pore de honey down.
(Do you stop it up in any Way?)
No, sir. Den yo' take de top of de can an' yo' know... [demonstrates]. (You put the apple in the tin can and then you put the top on the tin can. That is all you do to it?) Den you put it in a trunk or drawer, somewhere yo' know in yore room, yo' understand, an' man, ah'll follah yo' anywheres yo' go. Ah can't git away from yo' no way in de world.
Entry 10667
Well, for instance, there is two parties together, like you would have a daughter and her husband and the husband and her didn't look like they were getting along well, and you want them to be together. You get a delicious apple and you will sign his name at the bottom and her name on top on parchment paper.[Core the apple.] You fill that apple full of granulated sugar. You fill that apple full of syrup or honey. The sweeter it is the better it is. You get you some holy water, you put that fern down in that apple after you hull it out. You see, hull the delicious apple out. You put that fern down in there. And then after that you pour the holy water on top that water in that flower pot. Now, as that fern grow, their love grow. Well, that fern, that put them together after signing their name to it, you see. Take a delicious apple, hull it out well, take the fern and put down in there, in the hollow apple. After putting it in the hollow apple, then you git you granulated sugar, pour it down in there, then you put your syrup, here come de holy water, then the dirt back on the fern, you see. You see no apple at all, it is at the bottom. Well, if the fern grow, their love grow; they get along like two birds in one nest. (They put the hollowed-out apple in the flower pot, and the names on, they put that there too. That brings this man and woman together.)
Entry 10936
Write de name nine times on a piece of parchment [paper] and you take it to de water and throw it in de water. And den you take a live catfish and take his tail and cut de tail [cut piece of fin off]. And write de nane of dis Person and put it on - cut de tail of de fish and put de paper in de catfish sooth, but it must be done when de fish live. And de tail of de fish and de name dat is wrote on dis piece of parchment nine times and take it to de swift running water and throw it away and dey will leave. (I didn't understand how you do that. You put this in a live catfish?) Yes, get de fish live and you cut de tail off. To cut off piece of tail fin keeps fish from steering itself; in like manner victim wanders about aimlessly.] Den you write de name nine times of de person which you wanta leave - on parch- ment [paper] nine times. Put it in de mouth and take it to de deep water and throw it away, and don't look at it [turn your back]. Let de fish go. And you'll visualize it. Den you'll jest see 'em going.
(What about the tail of the fish?)
Put dat down in de mouth, too.
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 12429
Well the fact is, if yo' wan'a job, they have Mind Oil. You hear of it? Mind Oil. Well, suppose the boss's name John Henry. You sign his name to that parchment paper, put it in that Mind Oil. You will get you some paradise seed, get you some parsley. You take a bath with that. After taking bath, you must stay in that building all night, and throw the water out into the Middle of the street, see. And anything that instead of going contrary, you ill have a success with. [For "paradise seed" see margin title GUINEA SEEDS etc., P.570, v.1. Throwing bath water into street is a transference rite and remaining instead in building all night recalls ancient incubation rites.]