Subject:Peg
Other forms: Pegs
Entries
Entry 3832
Take an' go to a dogwood tree, if a person dislikes 'im. An' if yo' jes' take a piece - jes' git one drop of blood anyways [anyway] dat is if yo' kin git holt of it anyways. An' yo' take an' cuts yo' a plug outa de tree, jes' 'longside dat tree. Yo' know, pull de plug out an' drop de blood in dere, an' drive dat plug back on dere. Drive dat plug right back on dere an' nevah look back to see which way yo' goin'. Jes' leave an' go right on off from dere. An' jes' 'bout roun' thirty days - it take 'bout thirty days den - an' dat man dere, if he's anywhere aroun' yore place or anythin', why he'll move away. He'll leave off an' yo' nevah heah sight or tell of 'im no mo'.
(What tree do you use for that?)
De dogwood tree... [I stopped recording too quickly here, missing north side, which I had to in- clude by restarting machine and adding parenthetical question or comment. I am not asking a leading question.]
(On the north side?)
Yes.
Entry 3955
Ah hear dey say, take a woman's monthlies yo' know, an' bore a.hole in a tree an' put it in dat. Fo' nine mawnin's fore de sunrise an' - go an' hit it, drive it up. Dey say in de ninth mawnin' she'll be daid by dat. (Well, tell me the whole story.) Well, dey says dey take de monthlies an' bore a hole in a tree fo' nine mawnin's... (What about that hair though?) De hair? Well, now dey do de hair de same way.
Entry 3956
Dey take dat piece aftah yo' ministrate an' cut a piece out of it an' wrap it tight. Put de needles an' de pins through it. (Do you put any particular number or just any number?) Any number, jes' any of 'em. Yo' jab one one way an' den one anothah. An' take it tuh a tree an' bore a hole onto it. An' den take yo', yo' know, a wooden peg an' stop yo' [owner of cut-out piece] up in dere. I hear people say yo' kin do dat.
(What will that do?)
Say dat will stop yo' from ministratin' an' fin'lly it will kill yo':- [blood] commence comin' out chure mouth.
Entry 4321
Ah've heered dat. Ah've hear 'em tell if he me mean or somepin othah - lak if he do somepin tuh 'im an she git mad, well she tell 'im, say, "Well, dat's all right. Ah'll fix 'im up fo' dat." An' so, well de nex' time he go dere an' have a 'nection [connection], take off 'is clothes an' do somepin lak dat, dey [she] go git some of 'is urine. Dey [she] take dat an' take 'em [her] one dese big long bo'in's [augers] an' take an' bo' a hole intuh a tree, but bo' dat hole so fur into dat tree an' den take dat stuff.
(What do you call that stuff?)
Ureenes.
(You mean the passage?)
[My word passage is too indefinite. Informant is talking about urine.]
Yes. An' dey take dat stuff an' dey bo' a hole intuh a tree. Well, yuh take dat passage an' yuh take it an' stop it up in a tree. An' take an' stop it up in a tree, an' aftah yuh do dat, git chew a stick an' make it big 'nuff tuh git in dat hole, an' nail [peg] it up an' wedge it up in dere. Dey say dat when yuh wedge it up in dere lak dat, dey said it takes effect on yuh. Dey say yuh can't do nuthin till yuh go tuh see some doctor an' he take it [the spell] off. Say dat will stop dem right den.
Entry 4335
Take a person dat wan's tuh hur' chah [wants to hurt you]. Dey'll take - jis' lak yuh go out an' urinate. A person take yuh urinate an' go tuh a tree - go tuh de no'th side of a tree an' yuh'll bo' a hole in dere, an' put it in dere. An' aftah dey put it in dere, dey'll put a peg in dere. An' fo' nine mawnin's go dere an' tap dat peg one time, an' de ninth mawn- in' regardless tuh how a person look, when dey fuss [first] start, yuh git tuh de place yuh think yuh constipated [usually called waterbound]. De doctors can't do yuh no good. An' de ninth mawnin' when dey tap dat peg, dat's de day de per- son die.
(You mean where a person makes his water on the ground? Pick that up or what?)
No, jis' take his urinate.
[I am trying to solve the problem: bladder or bowels?]
(The liquid out of a pot or something? You mean the urine? You don't mean the action?) Jis' yuh watah. Anything out de [whatever informant calls it].
Entry 4415
When yuh go outside - yuh know dey don't do dat roun' town. Dat's done in de country where dey ain't no sewage. But de last end dat come out - yuh know yuh bowels be's hard sometimes - dey take dat last end an' dey goes tuh de east side of a tree, an' bo' a hole in it, an' put dat in dere wit a peg an' yuh hit it fo' nine days. Stop dat up an' de last - de ninth day yuh drives it into de tree. An' de bowels nevah will move. Locked!
Entry 4423
Well, dat will stop 'em, too. Now, de way dat is done, yuh bo' a hole on de sunrise in de east an' den.
(You mean on the sunrise side of the tree?)
De tree, yes sir. An' aftah yuh bo' yuh hole in dere, den yuh take it an' put it in a piece of papah an' push it down dat hole an' drive a peg behin' it, an' call de person. Yuh call 'is name three times an' den evah time yuh call dey name yuh hit de peg. See, yuh got 'em. Dat locks 'is bowels. (Locks his bowel, after you put that passage in the hole.)
Entry 4424
Ah have seen dat, dis chamber lye [see later]. Dere wuz a man heah 'bout ten yeahs ago - no, it's been about twenty yeahs ago [1919]. He'd taken me, mahself, taken mahself an' buried me in a tree. An' when he buried me in a tree he sup- posed tuh hit it - tap dat wedge nine days an' den ah'd die. But he didn't tap it nine days. De Lord fixed it so dat ah wuz able tuh light [loosen] it an' knocked it out befo' ah begin tuh take bad. Befo' ah begin tuh take bad ah found it an' knocked it out.
(What did he put in the tree?)
[I ask this because of the preceding chamber lye.]
He put some of mine in-stuff in de tree, put nine needles in it.
(He put some of your passage?)
Yes sir.
(How did he prepare that?)
He took it somewheres an' put it in a tree, bo'd a hole in a big tree wit a augah, an' aftah he bo'd wit dat augah in de big tree, he'd taken nine needles an' put dem in dere. Den he made dis wedge, wedge or stoppah, an' put in dere an' hit it fo' nine masniln's, an' he didn't git a chance tuh hit it fo' nine mawnin's befo' de Lord fixed it so ah could find it. When ah founds it ah knock- ed it out an' ah got bettah.
(What did you do wdth it. just leave it there?)
Ah'd taken an' carried it to de house an' showed it tuh 'im, but de pains wuz shootin' up through mah haid lak dat. An' if ah had let it stayed dere an' he'd ahit it nine mawmin's, ah wouldn't have been heah today. Ah wuz goin' down, be- fo' ah'd taken tuh bed.
Entry 4427
Dey say dey git chure bowels jis' like yuh make - yuh go off, yuh make yer bowels move. An' dey go an' dey'll bo' a hole in a tree aboat six inches deep, ge' [get] dem a peg an' cram de bowels in dat tree, an' drive on it nine mawnin's. An' in de nine mawnin's dey drive dat peg clean up as fer as dey kin git it - jis' strike it tight. An' if somebody don't do somepin fer yuh mighty quick, yuh'll nevah make no bowels in dis world.
Entry 4458
Whut ah hear about a hickory tree. Now, jis' lak ah don' lak yuh an' ah wanta stop yuh - yuh know, stop yuh. An' yuh go tuh a lav'tory an' ah go an' ah git some of yuh passage. Well, ah'll go an' bo' a hole in dis tree, an' ah'll put dat in dis hickory tree. Well, see, ah'll put dat plug back in dere an' fo' nine mawnin's ah'll go dere fo' evahy mawnin', until nine mawnin's an' ah'll hit it. Take a hammah, yuh know, an' knock dat furthah an' furthah. Well, de ninth mawnin', say yuh be tryin' tuh have a leave up until den. Well, AH'M GOIN' FIX IT SO YUH CAN'T HAVE NO MO' UNTIL YUH DAID.
Entry 4474
If yuh have a person da' chew dislikes an' dey do anythin' tuh yuh wrongfully an' yuh felt like gittin' 'em outa de way, or say yuh fin' out where dey has tuh out tuh demself, git some of dere action whut dey have while it's warm. Take it an' stop it up in a bottle, take it tuh a pine, gen'ly [generally] on de north side of a pine. Have a hole bo'd in de tree an' put dat bottle in dere an' take an' git chew a piece of fat-lightah an' make a peg of it. Drive it in dere as tight an' fast as yo' kin git it an' saw it even - level wit de tree. An' aftah gittin hit in dere, hit nine licks on it, turn yore back an' go on back home. Dat will lock dere bowels. Dey can't do anythin', not lessen dat stoppah or dat peg is pulled outa dat tree.
(You are from South Carolina, aren't you?)
Beaufort.
Entry 4475
Yuh kin git some of a person passage an' kin take dat passage an' yuh care it tuh a tree, a pine tree. Well, it don't make no diff'rence whut kinda tree. Yuh take dat, jis' some dey passage, yuh undahstan', an' yuh nail it up in dat tree, yuh see. Now, dey tell me fo' a fac' dat will kill yuh if dat ain't relieved. Yuh put dat passage in dat tree an' take yuh a augah an' bo' a hole in dat tree an' yuh put dey passage in dat tree. Yuh take yuh a wedge an' put dat wedge in dat. Now, if yuh wanta kill 'em yuh drive dat thin' up in dere. Well, yuh drive da thin' evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise. Yuh'll drive dat, hit dat peg. Well, now, if yuh wanta kill 'em yuh'll drive dat - de ninth mawnin' yuh'll drive in dat peg, yuh'll find 'em purtty real sick. Den yuh go ovah dere tuh dat same wedge befo' sunrise evah mawnin' an' hit it seven mo' mawnin's. Nine mawnin's, yuh undahstan', [and] seven mawnin's. An' den about de eighth mawnin', den he'll be jis' about dead. An' now, if yuh jis' wanta put 'em in a lingahin' condition wit dat, yuh jis' - don't have it too tight, don't drive it in. Dat jis' lingah' dem long as yuh got dat wedge in dere [not too tight]. Dat's tuh put 'em in a lingahin' condition. Dat's wit dey passage.
Entry 4884
A man wan'a woman, he kin go tuh work an' git de right foot of 'er stockin'. An' yuh kin go out at night, if yuh don't want 'er tuh leave home, or if she leave home an' yuh wan' 'er tuh come back. Yuh take her right foot of 'er stockin' an' make out right in de centah of de do'. Dis is de house an' dis is de centah of de do' right chere [demonstrates]. Right in de centah of de do' right heah, yuh go right straight back yuh undah- stan' about five feet - yuh walk backwards five feet. When yuh walk five feet, stan' right stock still, undahstan', an' dig yuh a little hole right down in de ground, right in de centah of de do'. Take dat stockin' an' put it down in dat hole. Git chew some sulphur an' put on top of it. Kivah [cover] it down in de ground dere, drive dat peg down in de ground out dere, an' dat [stocking] right down in de groun' wit it, kivah it up an' stomp [stamp] it underneat' yore foot. An' tell it, "Ah mean fo' dis tuh do whut ah tell yuh tuh do." An' den go back an' git chure left stockin'. Find 'er lef' sock an' put it right undah de bottom of de do'step - where de bottom do'step. Yuh know where de second an' right on up. Right chere de bottom one. Digs yuh a hole an' put it right down in dere. An' if she leave yuh - aftah dat's done an' she's lef' yuh, den she wants tuh come back. An' yuh leave dat dere an' she gotta walk dere, an' in less time dan 36 hours. Yuh give her 36 hours an' she'll be back. Ah don' care where in de world she is, if she's in New York or'where. (When you bury that second sock right there at the doorstep, do you put sul- phur in that, too?) Not a single thing. Yuh done done de mess out yondah.
Entry 4929
A man could have a wife, yuh know, or somepin goin' a road contrary tuh de way dat he would like her tuh go, or prob'ly might be passin' a man's house dat livin' by 'imself an' he figures she's stoppin' dere or sompin. He kin go tuh de fo'ks of dat road, where de road turns off an' go in 'er house. An' he kin take jis' - well, mos' anythin', a piece of 'er stockin' outa de foot, carry it tuh de fo'ks of dat road. An' take it up dis othah road, about ten feet in de othah road, de one he wanta 'er tuh travel, an' she's gotta go dataway. An' take a peg an' dig 'im a hole, an' drive dat stockin' down on de end of dat peg, an' she won' travel dat othah road no mo'. She'll go dis road evah time, even if she have tuh go roun' an' come dere. But she ain't goin' tuh go roun' an' come dere. She go on an' 'tend tuh 'er business an' come back.
Entry 5006
Jis' lak a man's sock or sompin, when yuh wanta break 'em up or sompin, or yuh wanta run 'em away, yuh bury it. Yuh jis' take it, jis' lak it's yore ole man or sompin an' yuh wanta git rid of 'im. Yuh kin run 'im away wit 'is sock, or: if yuh wanted tuh keep 'im, yuh kin keep 'im wit chure sock. (How would you run him away with the sock?) Well, yuh take his sock an' yuh wrap 'is sock up in sulphur, lodestone an' bluestone, an' yuh bury dat sock an' yuh put three rusty nails aroun' dat sock an' two pegs, an' yuh'll soon git rid of'em.
(How do you put those two pegs?)
Take de sock an' yuh bury his sock wit dat stuff in it. An' yuh take two rusty nails an' yuh put two on each side of de sock - one on dis side an' one on dat side. P An' put one in de middle of it, an' yuh put de pegs behin' it [like this N N N ]. What are those pegs supposed to do?) Ah dunno. [They symbolize the headboard and footboard of a grave. The design is a cross mark on the grave. She has crossed him.]
Entry 5726
Dey say yo' go tuh work an' take a tapeline an' measure 'im, yo' know, from 'is head tuh 'is feet - so many feet. Den yo' put it on a piece of papah, yo' know, de length of 'im. An' git some of 'is tracks, yo' know, an' car- ry it way out in de woods somewheres an' bore a hole in a tree. (They measure you with this tapeline, this measure, and they put it down on a piece of paper - your length. And then they put your foot track in there?) They put chure foot track an' de length wit de papah. Den dey go way out in de woods somewheres another, off choo know, an' dey bore a hole an' put it in dere - drive dat in dere.
(What will that do?)
Well, dey tell me dat's a good thing, yo' know, drive 'em off from de land. Jis' lak yo' had a piece of land or sompin yo' know, dat will drive 'em off from de land. Ah seen a ole fellow doin' dat. He tole me whut he wuz doin'.
Entry 5727
Ah heard dat yo' jis' could take dat foot track an', as yo' walkin', take it outa dat hollah [hollow] of dat foot track. Take dat dirt up an' puts it in a pocket han'ker- ch'ef. An' take dat den an' take some a fellah's stool an' put dat wit it. An' bo' a hole in a tree an' stop it, an' it will run 'im crazy.
(Make him lose his mind, this foot track and some of his bowels.)
Yes.
Entry 5728
Well, yo' kin take a person's foot track an' take de lef' foot up in de centah, in de hollah of de foot; an' yo' take it an' go an' nail it up in a tree, an' jis' as dat tree rotten down, dey'll fade on away. (How could you nail it in the tree?) Jis' go tuh de tree an' put a hole in de tree an' take dat track, In de Name of de Father, Son an' de Holy Ghost, dat dat person will nevah succeed, an' put dat piece back in dere an' stop it up.
Entry 5729
Jis' lak now if yo' wanta take dey feet track, lak de girl, lak yo' leavin' heah now, dey slip on out de do' an' git chure feet track, an' carry it back in de house an' put it in a box. Go tuh de graveyard roun' about twelve or one a'clock - between twelve an' one. Git tuh some grave where dey dyg a fresh grave, see. An' yo' take it [dirt] an' mix it in wit it [track], an' some table salt.
(Begin right from the beginning. What are you going to do, now?)
Jis' lak yo' be leavin' heah now, [you] step on de groun' an' make a feet track. Take de feet track up on it - in a piece of papah, shingle or anythin' lak dat.
(Either one or both foot tracks?)
From de heel tuh de toe. Den go at one a'clock or twelve a'clock at night - go on tuh de graveyard. Git thirteen han'ful dirt out, if ah ain't mistaken, of a fresh grave. Den when yo' fix tuh leave, yo' see, yo' leave dat one cent in dat grave, in dat hole where yo' dug in de top of it. Den yo' go an' git chew a box of table salt an' mix dat in it. Den yo' go tuh de store an' git chew a box of dat cayenne peppah an' yo' mix dat in it. Den yo' go tuh de drug sto' or some place where yo' buy de sulphuh - aftah yo' git chure box of salt - an' yo mix all of dat in it. Den yo' take it an' yo' go out in woods, somewhere close, where yo' carry dat an' augah [auger] yo' a hole in a tree wit a augah. An' git chew a cork stoppah, yo' undahstan', dat chew drive in dere. Push it in - stove de dirt in de hole, den take de stoppah an' drive it up in dere. IN THREE DAYS HE'LL FALL DEAD.
(What happens?)
He'll eithah die or leave town.
Entry 5730
Ah tell yo' about de foot track as fur as ah knows. Yo' drags dat track from de toe an' drag it back wit dem two fingers, until yo' thoroughly gits back to de heel. [Demon- strates.] (You take the right hand and the index finger and the little finger. Make them as a shovel and drag it back towards the heel. And you begin with that track - your thumb must touch the heel and then where those two fingers rest, you draw them back like that.) Right in de centah of de track. Yo' takes dat track an' yo' buy yo' a bottle of ink, an' yo' mix jis' enough of dat in dat track tuh make a li'le, yo' know, a dough of it yo' might say. Den yo' go tuh a growin' tree on de sundown side an' bo' a hole right down at de foot of it. Put dat in it, pack it up, an' go back dere fo' three days evah mawnin' an' give it [peg] one tap. De third mawnin' yo' have it [peg] in wit [even with] de tree. Den take some of dat same ink an' stain all roun' dat place, an' go on about chure business. Dat man nevah go out in peace. Dat will jis' run 'im com- plete 'way from dere.
Entry 5731
They take the right footprint and take this and wrap that in a rag. And put High John de Conquer and Adam-and-Eve, and they said a eagle's feather, and put that in a [the same] rag. And cut a hole with a auger in a green tree and put that in there. And strike nine licks on the stopper that chew put in there for nine days. And you do that in the morning before sunrise and then do it before you speak to anybody in the moring. That will put the person in a lingering condition and will finally die.
Entry 6159
Yuh take a person's hair tuh harm 'em. Yuh kin put it in a bottle an' put a peg in it, a wooden peg an'.- - yuh take dat hair an' put it in a wooden peg, an' put it in a bottle or anythin', an' put a wooden peg in it [peg the bottle]. An' yo' kin chunk it in de rivah ovah yuh lef' shouldah an' dat will harm 'em. (What will that do?) Dat will harm yuh, kill yuh. Dat will run yuh crazy.
Entry 6160
Ah wuz goin' wit a girl oncest an' ah quit dis girl, an' dis girl didn't Want me tuh quit 'er at de time. But den, yuh see, ah stayin' [with] anothah girl dat ah feel tuh mo' den ah did 'er. An' evah time ah'd go wit dis othah girl, well ah'd have trouble wit dis girl dat ah'd guitted. So ah went tuh a doctor, a 'erb doctor, an' inquirewhut could ah do tuh git rid of 'er. He tole me tuh go back [to quitted girl] an' bring 'im jis' as much of 'er hair as ah could git. So ah, ah do dat. Ah went back an' played wit 'er until ah got a chance - ah had me a ole Jem City razor blade - until ah got a chance tuh clip dat hair off. Jis' cut it off so she wouldn't miss it, cut it off jis' here [demonstrates].
(Above the ear.)
Ah give it tuh 'im. He got a peg six inches long. It wuz jis' a lil ole ash peg. He give me de peg an' tole me tuh go down by a creek, down dere aside of a sweet gum tree, an' stick dis peg in de groun', an' take two stran's of 'er hair an' throw in de watah. An' evah mawnin' - he tole me tuh keep enough of de hair- so evah mawnin' ah go dere fo' nine mawnin's tuh throw two stran's of hair in dis watah, an' drive dis peg jis' a lil evah mawnin'. An' evah mawnin' - ah went down fo' nine mawnin's - ah throwed two stran's of de hair in de watah an' driv de peg, an' jis' driv it fer enough so on de ninth mawnin' yuh kin driv it down [completely]. I did dat fo' de nine mawnin's. On de ninth mawnin' - an' ah smack de peg [all the way in]. From den on ah didn't have no mo' trouble wit 'er. He say dat would divide us. He say dat watah wuz runnin', he say dat would divide us. [Wilmington, N. Car., (283), 198: l; this happening at Whiteville, N. Car., in 1929, the doctor's fee being $15.]
Entry 6218
Bo' a hole in a tree wit a new auger an' dey'll git a new stopper an' dl dat hair in de tree [with a new nail]. Dey say dat'll run yo' crazy.
Entry 6223
Wit chure hair - well, now, ah'll tell. Yuh want me tell yuh whut a person kin do wit chure hair. Ah tell yuh whut a man could do wit chure hair. He could take yuh hair an' bo' a hole in a tree wit a gimlet, an' stop it up in dere wit a peg an' kill yuh by it. BUT IT TAKES A DIRTY SCOUNDREL TUH DO IT. But chew could knock dat nine maWnin's until yuh drive dat peg up jis' as fur dem nine mawnin's, de peg in de tree wit a gimlet. An' yuh kill a man by it. BUT IT TAKES A DIRTY PERSON TUH DO DAT.
Entry 6226
Now a person kin take yore hair out of yore haid an' dey kin go tuh a tree an' cut a hole outa dat tree an' den put chure hair inside dat tree on de quartah of de moon [see later] an' after dey put chure hair in dat tree - dey puts a peg in dat tree [hole] an' dey drive dat peg fo' nine mawnin's. See evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's dey go out an' hit it fo' nine mawnin's. Now, dat peg, aftah dat peg be tapped fo' de nine mawnin's, dat's fo' tuh run yo' Crazy. Dat's tuh run yo' outa yore senses. Yo' don't have no senses atall - yo' be stone crazy.
(What do you mean, the quarter of the moon?)
Jis' lak when de moon firs' came out. Dat's whut ah call quartah, when it firs' come out. [PRESUMABLY THE VICTIM WILL SWELL UP WITH THE MOON, THEN BEGIN TO PALE AWAY ITH THE MOON, AND FINALLY DISAPPEAR WITH THE MOON.]
Entry 6227
I've heard my mother say, if you want to do anything to anyone, get a piece of their hair and carry it to the north side of a tree, put the hair against the nail, and drive the nail for nine mornings. That'll kill them.
Entry 6231
Co'se ah didn't do it mahself, but ah seed a woman doin' it. She'd taken anothah woman's hair an' bo'd a hole in a tree an' she put it in dere. She cut nine notches on a stick an' evah mawnin' she go dere an', yo' know, nail it down a notch fo' nine mawnin's.
(What happened?)
Well, de woman she went crazy.
Entry 6251
Dey take de hair an' go tuh de sundown side of a sweet gum tree. Go ovah dere an' dey'll put [that] hair wit some graveyard dirt on tuh it. An' den dey'd have a augah an' bo' a hole in dat tree, an' have a peg de same size de augah, yuh know, an' drive it in dere. Tap it - got'a hit a lick evah day nine days, de ninth day yuh goin' drive it all de way down - way down, way down. Dat's when dey lose dere mind.
Entry 6496
Ah've heard dat dey'd git holt of yo' toenails an' fingahnails an' a lock [of] yo' hair, an' put vinegah in it an' take an' care [carry] 'em in de woods. An' bo' a hole in a tree an' stick nine pins in dat hole. An' take de toenails an' fingahnails an' a lock of yo' hair an' ball it up, an' put it in wit dat li'le hole yo' bo'd. An' cut choo a peg an' put it in dere, jis' lak yo' gon'a cork up anythin'. An' yo' go dere evah mawnin' jis' a li'le 'fo' sunrise an' give it two licks real light fo' nine days. An' yo've drived dat fo' nine days an' de ninth day yo' drive it clean up. An' aftah yo' drive it clean up de ninth day, den de person who yo' got, he ain't be here long. Dat'll cure dem away, but dat won' kill 'em.
Entry 7852
Git fo' fat lightah splintahs. Trim 'em off an' make a peg out of 'em two tuh de haid an' two tuh de feet [of the grave] an' put in de middle [of grave] de name or de hat. Place it or eithah de linin' from de hat or eithah de brim of de hat, jes' so it's de scents of de body, an' bury it right intuh de grave. (You bury it right into the grave.) Yes, an' dat would take a deeply 'fect. Dat of co'se will - ah've always find dat tuh put dem in de grave, mahself. Yo're worried, jes' have yuh worried an' grieved. An' jes' worry yo' ownself tuh death. (Well, why do you use those four splinters? Is there any purpose in using those?) Yes sir, dere's a purpose of usin' dose, becuz dat is pinnin' [pinning]. Jes' lak yo' take a nail an' nail a board on a wall [pin or nail a board to the wall]. Well, when yo' use dose an' put de person's 'fect [= effects = good or personal propertyl, de hat or somepin, in de grave an' pin dose pegs, dat is pinnin' 'em down.
Entry 8148
Yo' kin take a person's pichure an' put it on a new piece of lumbah, an' put it up undah yore do'step, an' put a piece of dere hair in de toadfrog mouth, an' drive a nail in hit, in de toadfrog heart an' de pi- chure heart, on de new piece of lumbah whut chew got drive down. Drive a peg through 'is heart an' through de heart of de tin- type pichure. An' aftah dat toadfrog die, yo'll die. An' put dat up undah yore do'step so yo'll come out ovah it evah mawnin'. When dat toadfrog die, yo'll die. (You put this picture on a new piece of lumber, then you put the frog on the picture. Then you drive a nail [or peg] right through the hearts of all of them.) Right through both of 'em heart an' put a hair out 'is haid in 'is [toad- frog's] mouth.
Entry 8333
Dey kin take an' bo' a hole in de side of a tree an' dey kin kill yo' wit dat. Bo' a hole wit a brace an' bit chew know, 'bout dat size [demonstrates] an' take a piece of wood an' plug it up in dere. (What do you put in that hole?) Put de pichure in dere, den take a piece of wood an' drive it in an' plug it up.
Entry 10945
If yo' wanta make a person move, yo' go to de cedar tree an' yo' git de bough, a part of de cedar limb dat turn toward de sundown. An' yo' kin git [make] three pegs [from the branch] an' yo' take dese three pegs an' yo' put 'em to de front do' of a person dat chew want moved, an' dey won't stay dere. Dey'll move.
(What do you do with those three pegs?)
Yo' drive it [them] down to de step, front step if yo' can.
(What do you do with that cedar branch?)
Dat branch, dat's from de top of de tree, dat toward de sundown.
(Well, where do you get these pegs?)
Yo' git de peg from de branch.
(You take the branch off the tree then you make three pegs from the branch?)
Dat's it.
Entry 11858
Dey carry dat to a tree.
(This hair from your head?)
Yes, sir. Take and put it in a tree, and bore a hole in de tree first, and put it in de tree. And I hear 'em say dey take it and make a peg, like a stop- per, you know, and put it in de tree and stop it up in dere. Heard 'em say dat, yes, sir. Stay in dere so many days. If you don't get somebody [hoodoo doctor] to take it off you, why you'll - you bound to go [die]. You're stopped up.
(Stopped up?)
Yes, give you what dey call locked bowels [which will kill you. No M.D. can help you. A common belief].
(I see.)
Entry 12315
Dey's go down to de fo'ks of de road where it'd [it would] fo'k like dis [demonstrates] an' have yo' some thunder-lightning pegs - lighted [lightning] pegs where de thunder knocked a piece off de tree. Take it [piece of wood] an' make pegs - nine pegs. An' drive 'em in de fo'ks of de road an' call on God an' de devil to hear yo' drivin', an' make dem people turn. Dey goin' another way, won't go out dat way. [To change a person's mind at the crossroads is not a rare rite.] (You call upon the person that you don't want to go out that way.) [Man for centuries could not understand primitive man's tools such as arrowheads, and since they were sometimes found under a tree, a lightning-struck one, it became a thunderbolt. That tree could have grown up 1000 years after the arrowhead had been lost! See the woman looking for a thunderbolt to ease her rheumatism, warm up her bones, in Folklore from Adams County Illinois, Ist ed., No.5380, 2nd ed., No.5786. Also see HOODOO, v.1, Nos.635, 2336 & 2337.]
Entry 12317
Now, yo' wish tuh git a girl or yore boy fren' back tuh 'em. Yo' go ahead an' go tuh a fat-lightah [pine] stump of a tree dat de lightnin' struck. An' yo' takes an' makes nine pegs. An' aftah yo' make dose nine pegs, yo goes back tuh de fo'ks of de road an' yo' makes three wishes. Dat's de way it wuz tole tuh me. Make three wishes an' aftah yo' make three wishes, yo' takes two pints of whiskey wit chew, an' aftah yo' make de three wishes, den yo' take an' yo' lie down on de flat of yore back at de fo'ks of de road, an' yo' drinks one of dose pints, an' yo' po's de othah one on de nine pegs. An' yo' git chew a match an' yo' scratch de match, an' sets dat whiskey afire an' burns up dose pegs right dere. Den dat cause de girl or de boy, which one yo' made de wishes fo', tuh come back undah yore control.
Entry 12569
An' yo' kin take fo' pegs, yo' know. An' cut little pegs an' put 'em round yore house an' put 'em down out dere an' say 'bout "De Lord is mah shep- herd.... An' de sher- iff - ah don't care how much likker an' stuff yo' sell, dey won't even come round. Don't care whut chew do dere, dey won't come to yore house.
(How many pegs do you put down?)
Jest git chew some little wooden pegs.
(How many did you say?)
Foah - an' peg on each side of yore yard, an' de sheriff won't even come no- where round dere. [The pegs are at the 4 cardinal points of the compass.]
Entry 13218
Dat's done dis Way. Say, fo' ninstan' now, dat a spirit is worryin yo', maybe yo' done perhaps kill somebody maybe yeahs ago, an' dey spirit keep worryin' yo'. Yo' go to a small stream where it's a bridge an' yo' git a lighter [fat-lighter stick] an' peg, an' drive it down at chure left toe, den yo' walk backwards cross dat stream an' drive an- othah peg down at chure right toe, an' yo' tie dat spirit betwixt dere - cross de water an' dey won' follow yo' no mo'. (What do you mean you tie it across the water?) Well, yo' see, when yo' drive de peg down, an' yo' call de person's name three times, den yo' know he's wit chew, dat de spirit is. Den when yo walk backwards, cross de bridge, he still following yo' in front, but when yo' stoop down an' drive anothah peg at chure toe, yo've got him. In othah words, dat's whut chew might call dat chew bury de spirits. [As I say in margin title, our doctor here is a law unto himself, since a spirit cannot cross running water; but here doctor pegs sprit across running water so that his client can return to his own side of the stream. Nice Work!]