Subject:Perfume
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Entry 648
[Since sickness is not natural but a condition caused by witchcraft, the doctor claiming to understand and control it lives in a world of magic and false knowledge. To illustrate this, take the word poison in No. 647:] Well, ah kin tell yo' two-three little stories about that. Mah mother onest, she was hurted - she was dressed by mah father and she suffered and she swole up jest big as a bale of cotton, dat big, and they didn't know anything to do for her. All doctors could not do anything fo' her. So there's a ole lady name Miz Chapman, she came to our house since we lived dere.
(Where was she living then?)
In Orrville, Alabama. An' dis lady come in an' she says, "Pore thing," say, "you're poisoned - you were dressed by yore husban'." An' she begin to rub her and rub, and fin'lly de swelling went down, and she give us medicine to take to get her up. And she tole us - it was on the ninth of the month, which it was de first of the month then when this happened - said, "This woman that hurt chew will come in an' ast yo' how yo' feel." And so on that day this woman walked in de room and ast her - ast mah mother how she feels. Mah mother tole her fine and she walked out.
(How did your father dress your mother?)
It was some stuff that this woman put on hr - it was poison, some kind of perfume dat dis woman puts on mah father, yo' see, and de minute dat it hit mother - de one that it was for [see No. 653], it throwed her into fits.
(Where did she put this perfume? On what part of the body?)
Put it under his arms. (What else did that woman do to get rid of this, besides rubbing - did she do anything else?) She give her a bottle of medicine to take.
Entry 708
Well, jes' lak if ah wants tuh hurt chew - put a snake in yo'. Well, yo' kin go out - yo' know in de fall of de year snakes shed, yo' know. Yo' go out an' git de snake hide. Well, dey don't call it hide but ah call it. De snake he comes out of it - he leaves it. Yo' take dat an' yo' pound it up lak a powder. Well, yo' take dat powder an' yo' put it in a bottle of heart's perfume an' ah'll go tuh yo' ah'll have dis perfume an' ah'll put it on mah han'ke'chief - put nine drops an' ah'll be jes' playin' with yo'. Well, when dat perfume dry in yo', dat's de snake is gone in yo'. Now, if ah want tuh heal yo' an' git that snake out of yo', ah'll take nine dimes an' take a file an' file off every one of the nine dimes an' put it in sweet milk an' dat'll kill de snake an' run him out of yo'.
(What do you do with that sweet milk then?)
Yo' drinks de sweet milk - dat's in order fo' de snake tuh pass from de body. He can't stand milk.
Entry 731
Tuh keep evil away from de house. Well, yo' could use a herb whut chew might call de High John de Conker. If it wus a female dat did dat - there are two roots yo' would have tuh use - use de female; an' if it wus a man that did that, yo' would have tuh use de man root; that is, of de High John de Conker. Those roots are whut chew call as Eve an' Adam. An' that is a root that cures kidney trouble [and] any kind of insect that is put in 'em, yo' know, by drinkin' or handlin'. Say, yo' give me a piece of candy. Well, maybe yo' take snake dust an' run ovah that candy. Ah eat dat candy. Well, that goes down in me. An' yo' kin take care of that patient by usin' High John de Conker. Yo' git it from de schools [mail order firms or drug stores] that handles that kind of work.
(How do they use that?)
Yo' could git it in powders or yo' kin take a teaspoonful to a pint of boilin' watah - clear boilin' watah, an' let it stan' an' drink it off, an' grad'lly that insect will go off - yo' know, die and come forth in yourself. (John the Conker he root and John the Conker she root. What do you do with those two?) Well, the male root is fo' a man, a man that do's evil; an' if it wus a woman, why yo' take the female - jis' take 'em in de powder for any kinda insect. That is tuh git the germs from de body - whut chew call the old earth medicine.
(What about the Adan and Eve root? What do you do with that?)
Adam an' Eve root creates love. It's good fo' kidneys. It's good fo' blood.
(How would you create love with Adam and Eve root?)
Well, yo' buy de root. De large one is called Adam an' de othah one is called Eve. It's a small little root looks lak - it's not a very large root. Yo' buy it an' aftah yo' buy it there's a little prescription [directions] on there tells you how tuh carry it. An' anytime it's carried in his pocket, it obtains someone yo' like. If yo' see some girl yo' like an' use that root wit lodestone, natural they will smile - see, an' git in close touch. It's jis' like the love-drop perfume. If yo' use those two things an' love-drop perfume, yo' kin take any kind of woman, see. Why? because it has de high power.
Entry 732
De devil's-shoestring[s] an' den it's anothah certin sort of a root dey call Jerusalem root an' anothah one dey call de Adam an' Eve. Dey very peculiar roots chew know - not ever'body would know 'em 'cause dey very peculiar. Well, yo' take all those roots an' put 'em together an' yo' go to de Ten Cent Sto' an' buy some sort of ten-cent perfume, an' put 'em in dere an' let 'em stay fo' so many hours - jes' lak ovahnight. An' aftah dey dissolves yo' shakes 'em lak dat, an' naturally yore luck will gradually come back. Now, ah have know it tuh be a fact, because ah have done it mahself.
(That is for luck in gambling?)
That's fo' luck in gambling.
(What do you do with that stuff in this bottle? Do you carry it or what?)
Oh yeah, yo' carry it in yore pocket. An' co'se den, everybody don' use it alike. Some of 'em jes' takes it, slyly yo' know, an' sprinkle it around in de room lak dat in dere han'. An' some of 'em takes it an' holds it in dey hand an go by yo' an' put it on yo' or somepin lak dat, chew know. Dat put chew in bad luck an' put him in good luck. Jes' lak dat.
(What is peculiar about the Adam and Eve root?)
Well, it has a very strange particular odor which it carry-, In fact, those. three diff'rent roots dey grows diff'rent from any othah root dat's grown.
(What did you say about those three roots that people say?)
Dey [people] means, dey talk to each othah lak dat: Yo' know, Adan an' Eve, devil's-shoestring, an' de ruler of de earth [Jerusalem root?] dey talks to each other. Yo' put 'em in dat perfume an' puts 'em all togethah. In fact dey grows in diff'rent parts of de woods no doubt, but aftah dey all be brought togethah, ah 'magine dey have [are sort] of glad to see each othah, somepin lak dat. Dey all git togethah an' jis' talk lak dat, chew know. [These three roots in a ten- cent bottle of perfume are glad to see each othah and talks to each othah!]
Entry 813
Yo' kin go to what chew call a fore-knower - go to a fore-knower and she give 'em somepin dey call de lucky perfume and de John de Conker root; puts one piece in de bottle and she give yo' de rest of it to chew. And when you go to de gang you chews a piece and rubs yore hand with this perfume, and you spit de juice - dat's to give you good luck and put bad luck on de rest of de gamblers.
(Where do you spit this juice?)
Jes' spit it anywhere around de game.
Entry 1357
You can mix three diff'rent perfumes and grated High John de Conker and rub with to keep anyone from harming you.
Entry 1379
Is dey botherin' yo', whut shall yo' do? Well, yo' shall git yo' a can of Red Seal Lye. See, yo' take dat Red Seal Lye an' yo' git chew a tablespoon of sugah an' yo' git chew two or three drops of Jockey Club Perfume an' yo' take that an' yo' go all aroun' yore house an' aroun' the edges of yore po'ch, lak this. Jes' sprinkle it all around in all de corners as yo' come in yore house, an' yo' take jes' a little of that ley an' throw two or three grains up in each corner, an' that keeps 'em away.
Entry 1552
All right. You will take you some cinnamon powder, you will take some bluing, you will take you some Jockey Club Perfume. You.will mix that together. You will go to the market and get some parsley, you'll boil it well - after boiling it well, making a solution, putting that in their bathtub where the party bath at, leaving them bath in that tub, putting a amount of [silver] money in the water which you bath with. After that water - you bath with it, keeping it in the house overnight, 'fore day in the morning throwing it out into the street or the path wheresomever the people go to and fro. Leave them pick up that money and they will take your bad luck and you'll start off new again. [Cf. 997, p.384.]
(What will you do with that money then?)
The money that you throw out into the street?
(Oh, you throw the money out into the street?)
That's to keep them from passing by - anyone will pick up money if they practically see it in the street. Well, the solution that you see in the water, that's to wash all your bad luck off you, and the money draws it into the money, and throwing it out - well the one who picks up that, they picks up the bad luck.
(I see.) [For "the money draws it into the money," see No.1558, p.493.]
Entry 1735
Ah heard dat chew kin use some Black Diamond Perfume which yo' orders from de company - git dat Black Diamond Perfume an' spread it on yo', see. An' yo' walk up an' 'proach de man an' he'll git a whiff of it, an dey say dat will make him come undah yore command an' give yo' a job, if dere a openin' anywhere fo' yo'. Dat Black Diamond Perfume.
Entry 2001
It's lucky about gamblin' and business an' all. Yo' jes' git chew a bottle of Hearts Perfume an' a bottle of cinnamon oil an' mix dat together an' rub dat ovah yore han' and face. Rub that ovah yore han's and face an' undah both yore arms, an' dat's lucky for spo'tin' wimmins an' gamblin' an' all lak dat. Ah've tried dat mahself an' know it.
Entry 2033
Now, I know a man and he got out of a job. He was out of a job for over a year and he got some High John de Conker and put it in some Hearts Perfume and heli'trope perfume and saturated hisself right good and went 'fore dis man. Well, when he usu'lly used to go dere the man wouldn't talk to him. So he made his wishes as he came out de door what he wants to happen. "In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, I'm going before my boss for a job, hoping that I be successful." Well, when he got there the boss walked up and shook his hand and said, "Walter, you huntin' fer a job?" He said, "Yeah." He said, "You ought been back long time ago." And give him his same job back, which he had knocked him off.
Entry 2170
Yo' use a olive oil an' den yo' have a perfume - a lucky perfume dat chew use. An' yo' rub dat all ovah yore han's an' put it on yore clothes an' go down an' git close enough to him fo' him den tuh inhale, yo' know so he kin smell it, an' talk with him. If he don't give yo' a job den he'll tell yo' tuh come back, an' yo' mo' den apt tuh git work tuh do. [Olive oil is considered more or less holy - see Holy Oil. The perfume applied later reduces the olive oil odor.]
Entry 2241
Ah've been told dat if yo' will dig yo' de fresh rattlesnake marster - an' yo' take dat rattlesnake marster an' use it with perfume. Hearts perfune is de best perfume dat yo' kin use in anything lak dis. Yo' take dat Hearts perfume an' yo' go right straight - if yo' know anybody dat chew know kin go out an' git chew some rattlesnake marster an' John de Conker, yo' put dat rattlesnake marster an' John de Conker together an' yo' use it. Yo' know, saturate it good with per- fume. An' yo' keep doin' dat an' as yo' go into de co'troom - yo' try to git in dere befo' anybody else an' yo' sprinkle dat round where he goin' tuh set, see. An' then yo' use dat freely - use dat freely. Yeah, yo' use dat John de Conker an' dat rattlesnake marster wit dat perfume.
Entry 2283
Jes' take three locks of his hair.
(The boss's hair?)
Yeah, if yo' kin git it. Be round his house where he'd comb, where he comb his hair, an' git three locks of his hair an' yo' take those three locks of hair an' yo' keep them saturated in Hearts perfume an' git close enough to him to talk to him to blow yore breath in his face. An' then yo' git a root which is called de Seven Sisters, an' yo' take that root an' yo' wrop this hair round that root an' keep that. An' when yo' go to 'em, dey says he won't deny yo'.
(You carry this root with you. What do you put that root in?)
Yo' take it an' put it in a lil cloth, or make a large enough piece of papah an' tote it right in yore watch pocket. An' de whole time yo' talkin' to him, yo' keep yo' fingah down in there, jes' lak dere somepin between yore thumb an' yore fingah next to it. Yo' know, work it kinda lak yo' would a match, yo' know lak that, yo' know [demonstrates].
(Just roll it around between thumb and forefinger of your right hand.)
Yessuh. [See margin-title Seven Sisters, later.]
Entry 2692
Take yo' some Red Seal Lye, brand-new box, an' yo' git some Hearts Perfume, git a ten-cent bottle of Hearts Perfume, and dere something in de drug store yo' call dragon's blood. Yo' put that in yo' scrub water and yo' scrub it on back. See, yo' scrub yo' floors and when yo' git through, yo' po' it all around yore gate. And yo' take a box of lye and bury it at chure steps. Bury dat lye at chure steps an' sprinkle an' po' dat scrubbing water an' scrub wit dat every morning, fresh yo' know, and put a little yore urine in it, in dat water an' yo' scrub yo' floors from yore steps backwards - on back every morning. When yo' git through, yo' po' it all around yore gate an' den from yore steps an' all. An' bury dat box of lye at de bottom of yore steps and he [the law] won't cross over it. If dey come dey will pass on by.
Entry 2796
Yo' kin go to drug sto' an' buy whut chew call dese lucky candles an' yo' light 'em an' yo' burn em. Go tuh de drug sto' an' yo' ask fo' lucky candles - see, jis' lucky candles. Some of 'em are blue an' some of 'em are red - jis' any color, but jis' ask fo' lucky candles. Well, yo' take it in yore room an' yo' burn it - see, from seven a'clock in de mawnin' until nine in de mawnin'. See. An' den yo' git some of dis heah - git some of that oil that drip from this candle an' put chew some kinda loud perfume on it dat smell - yo' know, 'tract peoples' 'tenshun. An' when yo' go aroun' 'em - jis' lak it's a man, yo' know, why he'll fall fo' yo'. Yo' 'tract his 'tenshun. Well, yo' go tuh talkin' to him an' de closer he git to yo', de mo' dat odor yo' git. See, he'll fall fo' yo'.
Entry 4183
Yuh kin take dat [urine of his] an' write his name nine times on a piece of papah, right in de same place jis' nine times, an' yuh fold it tuh yuh each way. Each way yuh fold it, yuh fold it tuh yuh, an' yuh put it in dat chamber lye an' yuh put it in a perfume bottle an' turn it on its haid. An' long as dat piece of papah wettin' 'im down dataway, why yuh'll nevah git shet of 'im.
(Now, you mean writing his name nine times, you keep writing right over it?)
Right in dat same place. Jis' lak yo' write it right dere [demonstrates]. Well go right back an' write it right dere ag'in, nine times in dat same one place. Den yuh fold it tuh yuh an' each way yuh fold it tuh yuh - each time yuh fold, why yuh jis' fold it tuh yuh. (You fold it like this [I demonstrate]. Then you fold the little corners here and fold it there.) Yeah, jis' lak disaway [demonstrates]. Fold it tuh yuh. Den yuh turn roun an' fold it de othah side, den yuh fold dis cornah tuh yuh, an' den yuh turn roun' an' yuh fold dat cornah tuh yuh, yuh see. Eithah way yuh fold it, jis' fold it tuh yuh. An' den yuh put it in a perfume bottle an' turn it on de haid, turn dat little bottle on its haid. An' long as dat's wettin' 'im down, why yuh'll nevah git shet of 'im. [HERE IS A UNIQUE HAND (see P.519f.). THE MAN'S CAPTURED SPIRIT (see p.24f.), HIS NAME, IS FED (see p.578) BY HIS URINE, ANOTHER PART OF HIS SPIRIT (see P.21, No.24).]
Entry 4591
Git de bow out de hat an' take dat an' git chew some Heart Perfume. Yuh put it in dere an' keep it in de Heart Perfume.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll make 'em stay wit cha.
Entry 4604
Say dey goin' wit a boy. Yuh snap dat bow outa his hat an' yuh jes' take it an' put it in Hearts Perfume an' let it stay. Let dat bow stay in dere fo' nine mawnin's an' nine nights an' yuh put dat perfume on 'im an let 'im comb it in' 'is hair. Dat's fo'love.
Entry 5227
A person take yore shoe an' cut jes' a small 'mount of de sole off each one of yore shoes.
(The outside sole?)
Yessuh, jes' cut dat sole offa dat, offa each one of 'em. An' take dat sole offa dat shoe an' git 'em a bottle of Jockey Club Perfume, an' lay it on a cloth an' sew it up right nice, an' keep it 'nointed always wit dat perfume. Don' nevah let it go wit'out it, dat per- fume. Evah day, don' fo'git tuh put as much as two or three drops on each one of dem li'le pieces. An' keep it in yore pocketbook an' DAT WILL FO'EVAH
Entry 9067
Ah've hear'd 'em say dey could go tuh a hickory tree an' go tuh de south side [the warm side], an' about three foot from de ground [3 for the three Highest Names], dat is, if a person is in trouble or in jail or what not, an' wants tuh git out. Dey take dat dere hickory tree, dat piece out de hickory dat dey cut out, an' dey cut it in de shape of a heart. An' when dey cut it in de shape of a heart, out dat hickory tree - if dey scared dey goin' be sent tuh de road [chain gang] or what not, dey tell me dey take dat heart outa dat hick- ory, where dey cut it outa dat hickory tree, an' dey git 'em a piece of high- price lodestone an' dey rub it all ovah dat.
(Over that heart?)
Yes, ovah de heart dey cut out de hickory tree. Rub it all ovah dat. An' when dey do dat, den dey goes den an' dey git some powdahs an' dey git perfume. Dey git dis Hearts Perfume. An' when dey do dat dey take an' dey saturate dem- selves wit dat, in wit dat olive oil. An' dey saturate demselves wit dat. An' den take an' dey dress dis heart an' dey pin dat ovah dere heart, an' den when dey go tuh trial, why den dere's three hearts dere tuhgethah. (What are the three hearts?) De defendant's heart, an' den de judge's heart, an' den prosecutor's heart - de one dat's prosecutin'. An' dey git dose three hearts dere tuhgethah. Well, de one dat wants tuh come cleah, he's de one got dat hick- ory heart pinned ovah 'is heart. An' dat hickory heart, dat represents de judge or whut dey go befo'. An' dis othah heart is de man is tryin' tuh convict: 'em fo' whut dey done. An' dey say dey take dat an' weah dat in dere, an' in so doin's why dat hickory heart which is tuh be de judge, an' by yo' weahin' dat ovah yore heart, an' yore blood is pumpin' ag'in dat, dey say dat will make it light fo' yo'. Prob'ly yo' git out. (They use Hearts Cologne and some kind of powder. Do you know what kind of powder they use?) No, talcum.
[Probably any kind of sweet-smelling powder.]
(All you do [he does] is wear one heart, just the wooden heart. That is all he wears?) Yes, weah dat ovah 'is heart.
Entry 9086
Ah've tried dat tuh help people out wit things. Yo' use High John de Conkah roots an' yo' set down an' concentrate. Get de judge's name an' de law- yer's an' yo' git most of 'em, de ones dat yo' gotta be tried befo'. Yo' git dere names an' yo' set down at night an' burn dis High John de Conkah, an' call de judge's name an' tell 'em jis' what chew want 'em tuh do. An' den yo' weah de lodestone charm. Yo' dress yuhself firs' wit perfume from de High John, see. Yeah, have it [High John] in a bottle, yo' see, an' yo' puts perfume in it an' yo' jes' dress de body wit it befo' yo' go out, all aroun', run yore hands around. An' co'se [of course] dat perfume stays on yuh. Den, when yo' go down in front of 'em.... [Washington, D.c., (627), 804:8.]
Entry 12226
Jockey Club and White Rose perfumes rubbed on 3 places for luck in gambling: on hands, forehead and behind ears.
Entry 12368
Well, dere's sompin dat dey call love perfume dat he kin dress him- self with, an' [or] he will dress his wife if he ketch her sleep; and when he gone, she won't have any thought for no other man to come around.
Entry 12659
You kin buy some Jockey Club.
(Jack of Clubs or Jockey Club?)
Jockey Club perfume and just keep asprinkling that on it - around it.
(The house? What will that do?)
They won't bother you.
(Keeps the law away.)
Entry 11995
"You jis' take your hair [not of one person but of man and woman] an' put it in a bottle of perfume, and stop it up and hide it, or either throw it away. You'll [either of you] be in love wit dem." [Wilmington 184:2+85.]
Entry 997
A silver dime in the bath-water - taking a bath in the tub at nighttime, not no day - zinc tub, a washtub. After bathing, keeping the water in the house all night, throwing it out in the middle of the street where someone pass at. The man or woman passing picks that up, picks up all your bad luck and everything that went wrong with you. You git along fine, you as anybody else.
[I stop the machine to ask for a clearer account.]
In the bathtub that you goin' bathe in, you see, you take de water, you put the silver dime and a nickel which is fifteen cents, odd money. Heat the warm water, pour it on the fifteen cents. After takin' this solution - with parsley, granulated sugar, with Karo syrup, ammonia and Jockey Club perfume, see - pour it in the water and bathe from head to feet, leave it stay in the house all night. That next day you throw it out in the middle of the street near to 4 o'clock that morning with the fifteen cents. Of course you know, if anybody passes money on the street, they will pick it up. The one who picks it up, well they picks up your bad luck and you start a new true life again. [For cures, see Transference in Index.]
Entry 1831
Fo' a gamblin' han' yo' git chew some blacksnake root an' some devil's- shoestring an' some John de Conker, an' some cinnamon, an' a van-van perfume. An' yo' git chew a piece of shammy. Yo' put dese ingredients in dere wit de silver dime, an' yo' takes dat perfume an' yo' dresses it an' yo' wears dat piece in yore pocket.
(What will that do then?)
That's supposed tuh be a gamblin' han - whut dey call it.
Entry 2053
Now, many people have used this partic'lar thing. If they have a job and - say they like it, like this job. They get 'em a piece of John de Conker root, piece of ladyfinger root, and a small piece of lode- stone. [Three ingredients.] It's not very good to use lodestone if you don't know how to use it. You use a very small piece about de size, I'd say, of a large-sized butter bean I think. You put these together with a few drops of oil of cinnamon - say about three drops. And you make of them - they call it a toby. You've heard of people saying they tote a tobu. Well. that's what they are talking about. And you carry that in your pocket - if it's a man he carries it in his pants pocket; if it's a woman she carries it somewhere on her person, where you kin always keep it. Well, every morning fo' nine mornings, drop a drop of oil of cinnamon and jest a little perfume - you see, the perfume on it jes' to rid the odor of the cinnamon. People gen'rally think when you got cinnamon, you got a toothache - it's used for somethin' like that. Well, you put that perfume on there...jes' you're using this on the job. You know people have to use this on the job to impress people. [Ladyfinger may be a variety of red pepper.]
Entry 2067
Dey throw salt an' sech as that behin', yo' know, an' burn incense. Dey use graveyard dirt - mixes graveyard dirt an' git a sewin' needle an' break dat all up an' black lodestone, an' dey makes tobies from dat. Well, yo' git a piece of flannel, yo' know, red flannel an' break dat lodestone, crumble it up, an' take de needle an' break dat up an' sew dat up an' put a little perfume in dere. A man dey always say, carry dat in his left pocket. Dat'll keep lucky - dat'll keep him an' his wife on good terms.
(And it's very lucky to do what?)
Burn incense.
(Where?)
In de right corner of yore house, or eithah underneat' yore bed - burn it all night. We giner'lly burn it all night undah de beds.
Entry 2097
[You use] High John the Conker roots, you use Little John the Conker and use Master of the [Something].
(What is the other one?)
Master of the Woods. And you use Solomon Root. And you put it together in some hot water and you put it in a jar and put a little Hearts Perfume and little whiskey in it - rye whiskey. And you sprinkle it on the outside of your house and that will keep 'em [police] away, but chew gotta say what chew want done.
[See margin-title King Solomon Root.]
Entry 2101
Yo' kin take High John de Conker an' git black lodestone an' Adam an' Eve root. Put them together with violet incense powders, an' sew them in a red flannel. They call that mojo an' dat fo' yore luck in gamblin' an' co'se yo feed it Jockey Club perfume.
(When you go to the game.)
Entry 2190
If yo' wanta git a job, yo' git chew a red onion an' yo' take dat red onion an' yo' pack dat red onion wit sulphur, "In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost." Den yo' take yo' some good perfume an' yo' po' it down in dat hole, "In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost." an' stick nine straight pins in it, an' yo' go to apply fo' a job an' it's hard fo' 'em tuh turn yo' down. [See stickpin in preceding rite and single pin in following rite.]
Entry 2339
[A toby is a hand. The following informant uses these two terms as synonyms. Toby belongs to the New Orleans area and is little known along the Atlantic coast - unknown in the country districts.] If yo' wanta make a han', yo' kin make a han' fo' fellah tuh carry in his pocket or if he wanta wear it roun' his neck. Yo' git chew a piece of John de Conker vine. Dat's used often in a lot of dese cases. Yo' take yo' some soda, cookin' soda, an' yo' take yo' some lodestone, a she an' a he, an' sew dat together. Don't have tuh take a great big piece - jis' a small piece. Yo' sew dat up, dat soda, John de Conker vine an' oil of clover. Yo' wet [feed] it wit oil of clover - yo' buy yo' some oil of clover an' yo' wet it. That brings luck. Yo' buy yo' a bottle of Jockey Club Perfume. Wash an' scrub yore han's. Wit dat toby yo' bound tuh win.
Entry 2420
Yo' git yo' some sugah an' sulphur an' git chew a bottle of Heart Perfume. Po' it on there, don't chew know, down on de sugah an' stuff an' about six a'clock burn dat. An' then yo' git de Bible an' yo' read de 47 Psalm an then to make them come - yo' gotta say, "May mah crowd gather together thick. May mah crowd gather together thick. In de Name of de Father, in de Name of de Son, in the Name of de Holy Spirit." An' they begin to gather thick an' yo'll have so many folks yo' won't know whut to do. After yo' read de 47th Psalm yo' say, "May mah crowd gather together thick tonight, all gather together thick tonight, thick as hops, '' an' say, "In de Name of de Father, in de Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Spirit." An' yo' won't have no trouble. That brings in trade - I mean they come in.
Entry 2501
Yo' go to a ole-time grave an' git chew some dirt. See, dig down in de grave lak dis an' git chew some dirt out of de grave. Well, yo' take dat dirt an' yo' mix dat dirt up with salt. Yo' put table salt in dat dirt an' yo' mix it up. All right, den yo' go to de sto' an' yo' buy yo' some lucky perfwme, Heart Perfume, yo' see. Yo' git chew some Heart Perfume. Well, yo' mix that in there with it. See. Jes' put Heart Perfume all in dere with it. All right, den yo' go an' yo' git chew some sulphur an' yo' put that sulphur in there with it. See. All right, yo' go an' git yo' some John de Conker an' den git chew fo' diff'rent cans - fo' diff'rent small cans, tin cans, where yo' kin put 'em airtight. See. An' yo' put 'em in a circle - jes' lak yo' runnin' a bootlaig place, yo' put 'em in a circle all de way round.
(Around what?)
All way round yore place, yo' understan', de place of business yo' carr'in' on - all de way round, yo' see. Den yo' take, aftah yo' put 'em all de way round [one can on each side of the business], yo' take dat salt an' git in de street all de way round where yo' got chure cans an' yo' care it all de way round yo' see, till yo' git clean round yore house. Well, aftah yo' gone all de way round yore house wit de salt, yo' come on back right where yo' left from an' say, "Ah put dis out, In de Name of de Father, Son an' the Holy Ghost, that ah may have no trouble." Then yo' spit up in dere three times. Yo' won't have no trouble. If yo' have any trouble atall, yo'll git out of it. [The four tin cans with seal-type lids, one on each side of the house, should have been sufficient - an airtight protection.].
Entry 2509
Take some cinnamon bark - now, that's what they told me. Take you some cinnamon bark, holy water, and this Lucky Dog Perfume, wintergreen, devil-shoe- string and makes - boil that, mix it all together you understand. Mix all that together and every morning 'fore anybody come in there. You understand what I mean? You take that and you wash your place out. See. Start to washing it from right on into the back. And that make that - that'll draw the people in there. See. I guarantee you.
Entry 2625
People they take a dime and some white lodestone and a needle broken in three parts and you know these little miniature dice - you want to gamble with dice - those little minature dice and sew it up in a little flannel bag. And you get that Seven-Eleven Perfume, there is a perfume Seven-Eleven, and you wet that little bag with that Seven-Eleven Perfume and you're supposed to throw mostly sevens and elevens with dice. And of course with cards you cut a diamond out of a card and put it in instead of the dice if you want to be lucky with cards.
Entry 2669
Yo' could take dis same perfume stuff - de Three Jacks an' Three Kings [see p.728] an' Three S's [three different perfumes]. Yo' kin take it jis' alone - ah say alone in a way, but chew could git othah things tuh go with it. Take sugah an' yo' git dat brown sugah, or any kind, but de brown sugah is much bettah an' yo' urinate in it an' yo' scrub yore place, if yo' wants tuh git yore business line up. Scrub yore place out thor'ly [thoroughly]. Dat's de right way [with brown sugar and urine]. Yo' take an' clean it out with othah watah, yo' know, jis' clear watah good - scrub it out good. Den yo' take this othah stuff an' sprinkle it lak wit a mop or somethin', an' yo' put it in de fo' corners of yore house. Sprinkle it in de fo' corners of yore house, de same watah, an' scrub with it. All dat'll keep, keep confusin' down - whatevah business yo' got an' keep de law from yore house. Everybody will come to yore house beside de law.
(What do you sprinkle down? Just the sugar and this urine?)
No, wit de Three Jacks an' diff'rent othah perfumes. Yo' know whut ah mean - yeah, de Three Jacks, de Three Kings an' de Three S's. [ssS is a brand name.] (After you cleaned my house, then you put all that other stuff [perfume] to- gether and then sprinkle around the house?) Yessuh, but yo' have tuh git the first dirt out [dirt out first].
Entry 2670
There's diff'rent kinds of perfume that you can get to wear on you and if you - it's the Three Jacks and the Three Kings and Jack of Clubs. You go to the drug store and you get two bits [25c] of that and have it mixed all together. Don't wear it on your clothes. If you go into a clubroom and sit down to gamble, you'll always have it handy where nobody kin detect you puttin' some on the floor in the clubroom. And then you take this incense, luck incense, you know, and a shoe, a old shoe, if you got a clubroom and you want your clubroom to be - to bring money and to bring plenty people there to gamble to make money. You scrub your place out just as I told you and use those nine buckets of water. And you put that old shoe with some sugar and cinnamon and burn that incense in there. Close the house up and that's luck for gambling. No, don't use lye here - just the nine buckets of water - clear water - and burn the old shoe. Let the last bucket, the ninth bucket be with sugar in it.
(You can do that for bootlegging too?)
Yeah, because I bootlegged several years. Sure.
Entry 3096
Wal, de story ah wanta tell - wheah ah live up in Mobile fer 17 years, an' ah [17 years old] left and went tuh Birmingham, an' ah lived in Birmingham 'bout six months in de no'th part of Birmingham, and after living in no'th Birmingham, went over in Westfield. It's about 7 miles from Birmingham and ah was working fer [some] company in Birmingham and ah lost a finger, see. Piece of a finger, see. An' ah drew about, I think it was 700 and some dollars fer dat finger - where ah was working from. An' ah went over tuh Birmingham and got aroun', having money you know - having a big time and met several girl friends. And where ah was living ah was goin' wit de girl stayed next door tuh me; an' ah was goin' wit de girl stayed at de third door from me. An' de girl that stay- ed at de third door from me, she was a.married woman, and de girl stayed at de first door from me, she was not married but she had a chile for dis married woman's husbands, yo' see, and so dey disliked one another. But how-de-ever, one day, she was goin' down to de commissary - dis store, yo' know, fer a camp, TCI camp. Dis TCI - ah guess you've heard about it. Down in dis camp dere a big store. All de trade is for de company - live by de company an' yo' deal wit de company. An' she ast me tuh go and ah tole her ah didn't wanta go. An' she tole me, "Yo' must go." Ah say, "Well, ah'm not goin'." Well she snatched mah hat and ah run, chased her to take mah hat from her and she out- run me and wore de hat on down dere. Well, when she came back - ah guess it was about six 'clock when she came back an' ah went over and ast her fer mah hat. So she gave it to me and so I wore that fer two or three days - worked with it, it was a work hat. So about several days after dat ah became - mah eyesight became sort of dim-like. What it was all about ah didn't know. Well, de TCI, you have to carry insurance dere. Dey takes out fer de rent and fer de doctor bill. Well, ah went over to de hospital - to de little hospital and me being in de hospital, de doctor test mah eyes and everything and tole me ah had sore eyes. He tole me to bath mah eye with some saltwater and it would come all right. Well, ah did and it didn't git any better and ah went back to him and so he sent me over to de Hillman Hospital - dat's in Birmingham - to a Specialist. Well, de specialist test mah eyes and ask me what happen. What hit me in de eye - did any steel or anything hit mah eye. Ah tole him no, it Wasn't any steel or anything ah got in mah eye. So ah tole him the only thing ah know of [I had been hoodooed]." 'Well, '' he say, "ah tell yo, son, you have to go to a two-headed doctor." [For telling a Doctor of Medicine that your ailment comes from hoodoo, see p.12, line 9f.]
(Was it a colored doctor who was waiting on you?)
It was a colored doctor.
(At this hospital?)
At de hospital. Oh! I beg yore pardon, it was a white doctor.
(And he advised you to go to a two-headed doctor?)
To a two-headed doctor. An' so ah goes on back to mah cousin and tole him he tole me to go to a two-headed doctor, and ast him did he mean that.
(Where did you say you went?)
From Birmingham - from de hospital? Well, ah went back home, yo' see.
(No. Didn't you go to see the two-headed doctor?)
He tole me go to a two-headed doctor an' ah went. Ah goes back home fer [first] an' ah tell mah cousin, who ah was livin' with, what de doctor tole me. So he advised me to go to a place dey call Tennysville, see. Yes, dat's a suburb of Birmingham, ah guess, 'bout seven miles. So ah goes ovah to the lady - it's a colored lady. Her name was Madam Jane. Ah goes tuh her and so she comes in to de room - de waitin' room and tole me everything. In de beginnin' she tole me, say, "Well, yo' lost yore eyesight - jist about." An' she tole me what it's all about and how come dis woman's mad with me and everything, but she wouldn't tell me who the girl was - she wouldn't call her name but she would describe her to me and give de girl initials [see 2748, p.757], yo' understand. An' so she tole me what charge - it cost me $25.00 to git mah eyes cured. Well, whut she said, ah don't know; but whut she tole me to do, ah know. So she advised me to bathe mah eyes in some fresh milk - whut ah mean by fresh milk, not dairy milk but from a cow, see. Dat whut she tole me to do - bathe mah eyes in fresh milk. An' she tole me dat mah eyes were blind from de girl takin' de bow off - de bow ah mean in de back of de hat, she had dressed de hat. An' say whut fer me tuh do was to take some salt - Epsom salts - take some Epsom salts and any kind of finest perfume and jest bathe dis - where dis bow was in mah hat. See. Co'se she gave me some treatments remember whut she gave me was to rub cross mah eyes but whut it was, ah don't know. An' so ah guess she worked on me 'bout two weeks and ah gained mah eyesight. In facts, in the third week ah was stone blind. But whut she did - ah know whut she tole me to do. Dat was to cure mah eyes. Dat's experience.
(What happened to the girl?)
Tuh de girl? Anything didn't happen to her. Quite natural me an' her was still friends but ah was sort of shy of her because she had did that trick, yo' see. In other Words, she was tryin' tuh gain love, yo' see. An' dis girl, she disliked her and she didn't want me to have dis girl. Of course, she's a married woman and ah couldn't be anything tuh her, but she liked me.
Entry 5045
Sock.
(What about it?)
Yuh kin take a man's sock or a woman's stockin' an' cut de toe an' de heel of it out; jis' a little bit, yuh don't wan' [too much]. (The heel or the toe, or both of them?) No, jis' eithah piece - eithah end. (Oh, just the [toe or the] heel.) Yuh kin git de toe or de heel of a man's or woman's sock or stockin'. Yuh kin take dat an' perserve [preserve] it. Now, I tell yuh whut yuh kin do. Whenevah yuh perserve dat, dat is, yuh tie a woman tuh yuh. Yuh kintake a piece of 'er stockin' an' perserve it in a small bottle of perfume - somepinlak a cologne bottle. If yuh don' wan' tuh carry it in yore pocket, yuh kin jis' put it up in dat house. See'what ah mean? Dat woman won't leave dere. Perserve dat in alcohol [spirits love alcohol, see p.32]. As long as dat is perserved, she is perserved fo' yuh. Be subjec' tuh yore rules an' regulations. An' she'll obey yuh, too.
Entry 7205
[For Doctor England's interview see pp.1386-1401.]
But ah see dem use. Well, it's mos'ly used, is dis yere - well, de manure from a ole white mule. It is known tuh be de drawin' problem. Dey do's it up an' use it as an incense mo' [more] of a white horse or [than] a white mule. (What do they use that for?) Drawin' powah, tuh draw eny person, see. Yo' kin perfume it up. It is vury good to use dis Mary Garden Perfume, Mary Garden. An' also yo' have tuh use a portion of dis Hearts [Cologne]. LET IT DRY OUT AN' WET IT AG'IN. LET IT DRY OUT AN' WET IT AG'IN, TILL YO' GET IT CURED AN' DEN USE IT DAT WAY. (What do they usually do with that manure, carry it around, or do they burn it or what for drawing?) Well, fo' drawin', dey leave it intuh de home. See, tuh draw 'em on. If a girl's frien' have been here an' she wan' 'im come tuh 'er, den dey place it on de house stove. Den, by right an' all it's used wit it a composition of all whut ah used mahself is, dey uses oil of rose - oil of rose an' oil of Mary Garden. See, an' let it burn.
Entry 7774
[If a good or noted gambler dies], if he die, aftah he's buried nine days, yo' go tuh de cemetery. Take away de sod, take yore right arm an' stick it jis' as fer in de grave as yo' kin git it, an' bring up enough sand in dem fo'-five fingah - jis' a pinch. An' yo' take dat an' yo' hold 'till yo' git tuh some tis- sue papah an' put it on tissue papah. Git chew a li'le 'bacco sack, one dese li'le 'bacco sacks, an' yo' takes seven drops of Hearts Cologne an' jis' stir wit dat until it git moist- ened. Put it in dat sack in de tissue papah an' close it tight, an' take de bot- tle of perfume wit yo'. An' whenevah yo' go intuh a game yo' jis' drop two drops of dat in yore pocket, in yore hand, an' yo' can't lose.
(What do they call that? Do they call that anything, that you have prepared?)
[I am asking informant for his name of this luckpiece: hand, jōmō, etc.]
No, sir, don't have any special name. [Informant does not understand my question. Several minutes later he calls it a gambling hand, when he repeats the rite as follows:]
(What do they do with graveyard dirt?)
Well, graveyard dirt is a gambling hand an' a slicking hand, yo' see.
(A ganbling hand. How do they fix a gambling hand from that?)
Well, yo' take hit an' put it jis' lak ah 'fo' [before] tole yo'. Take hit [graveyard dirt] up yo' see an' put it in tissue papah, an' yo' takes a li'le Hearts [Colognel, seven drops, an' yo' stir it. Takes it an' put it back in de 'bacco sack an' corded dat down tight [pulled draw string of sack tight] tuh keep moist [7 drops inside]. Den yo' takes dat perfume an' yo' go intuh a game. Jis' when yo' go an' git dere yo' take it out an' turn it up lak dat [demonstrates]an' hold it in yore hand. Put it in yore pocket, hold it in yore hand. But yore han olll fis' sweat [when it is time to betl. Jis' as long as dey put dat money down, yo' will git it. Dat's a gambling hand.
Entry 9004
[Logically the story within this number follows the preceding one, and for continuity both should be read in that order.] Ah went tuh a hoodoo workah sometime ago in Ca'lina [South Carolina]. Ah was intuh a lotta [trouble]. Ah didn't know jes' what dey did wit it, but dey tole me. Dey giveded me a black cat. Ah was drivin' a Ford car an' dey tole me when ah git to two fo'ks [forks] of de road, de cat would be gone, tuh come on back home. Ah didn't wants tuh come back, ah was 'fraid of de law; but he insisted on me tuh come back, dat evah'- thin' would be all right. Ah come on an' when ah got tuh de two fo'ks of de road, why dis cat disappeahed from me. An' dat cat disappeah an' ah don't know where de cat did go. Well, anyway ah come back an' he tole me - dat was in de month of July - an' he tole dey would have mah trial on de 9th day of Novembah, which was purtty much tuh three months. He tole me dat dey would set it fo' de ninth day but it would be a mistrial. He was goin' make 'em be a mistrial. An' he giveded [me] some sulphuh an' he giveded me twelve [12] goldeye needles, an' he tole me tuh weah mah garment tuh mah skin turned wrongside out three mawnin's.
(Three mornings when?)
Three mawnin's befo' de trial. An' pin dōse needles, six of 'em tuh each side wit de points turned tuhwards de earth, an' ah would be all right. Well, ah did so. So ah was all right. (Well, when you went to see this man, how did [the subject of] that black cat happen to come up? Just try to remember when you went there, what he said to you.) Well, when ah first - he giveded me a bag, a li'le bag tuh tote. Tole me tuh git a bottle of perfume, of Hearts Perfume an' po' a li'le on it, po' it on it 'bout seven 'clock dat night. Evah evenin' about seven 'clock ah must dress it. An' he calleded dis cat tuh me an' he ginen [given] it tuh me. He sont dis cat wit me. He tole me dat he wasn't worryin' but he was gonna send somepin wit me. An' he tole dat when it git tuh de fo'k [fork] of de road - aftah goin' about twenty miles, he said, he'll come back. He'll be back here. An' so ah did care [carry] dis cat about twenty miles.
(How did you carry it?)
In mah left ahm. He giveded it tuh me in mah left ahm [arm].
(He told you to hold this cat in your left arm?)
Dat's right, in mah left ahm. An' ah cared [carried] it about twenty miles an' it disappeahed.
(Were you walking or riding?)
Ah was ridin'.
Entry 10168
Well, you can git those mounds, the blue and brown ones, and git the holy incense. Now she'll go to work and git sugar and a little alum, and start at the back of the house and scrub all the way through to the front. And be sure that you take a sufficient amount to come all the way through; and have enough to pour all the way round her steps. And then, when she do that, then she take some clear water with sugar and put some holy water in that, and wrench [rinse] it off with that light [lightly]. Then when she gets that finished, why she'll light a taper, a holy taper. Take a chance and set it jes' direct in the middle of the window; if she possibly can get it and let it burn for one hour every night. And if he is anywhere close, he will come back to her. Now, if she's havin' a little trouble an' she can't depend on that to hold him; you see, if he's been gone before - now when he comes back now, she must get some Jockey Club perfume, and leave the candies [used on a cake] in the room. Get those candies and you put them into that. She take, put about a half ounce of the Jockey Club and a half ounce of Love Boquet, and put about no more than 15 of the little candies [used on a cake] and be sure every one is a different color[!]. An' when he comes, be very careful, and she'll rub him along - rub it all down him; just love him up and rub it all over. He may want to go but every time he start out, he will turn around and go back again. [The preceding word taper sometimes means candle. The scrub water in this rite is one of the many many different "scrubs" of New Orleans given in HOODOO. The colors of the 15 candies are mixed varieties, not 15 separate colors.]
Entry 10564
[The following material, read in transcription during the year after its collection, I marked n.g. (no good). At that time I still had most of my hoodoo experiences ahead of me, field work that would change many of my earlier judgments. To explain what I mean, I am giving this rite in two versions; first the original text and then my annotated text for the reader's benefit.] ORIGINAL VERSION: We have one there; myself there, what I use myself for my people, from the city.
(One what?)
One....we would take a bat.
(A bat.)
You see, the bat that flies.
(Yes.)
Now, we got two bats. We got a bat they calls, that is, the chimley bat. Then we got what you call a root bat, which got skin-like on him - look like a mice. (Yes.) That's the bat I'm talking about. I'm speaking about that bat. You take that bat. Then you take three of them and you dry them. (You dry them.) Yeah. And quite natural, if you wanta dry 'em, it would be better if I'm dry by the sun than to dry by in the heat or anything like that, 'cause if you dry it by the sun, that will give 'em a firmer drying.
(A what dry?)
A firmer drying.
(A firmer.)
Yeah, firmer drying, you see. But if you would go to work and get a drying by the oven, that would be a fourth of 'um. Then that wouldn't get a good dry- ing. All right. Then you take those three bats and you go to this place there where you wanta, that is, stay. Then you'll go to work and sew that into your clothes. When you sew it in your clothes, then when the time comes for you to come into this place there to stay, then you must go to work and take it out when you get in there. Takes it out in the middle of the floor before you puts any furniture in there. Understand that? Then you would go to work and take that bat and put it down in that gallon of water, cistern water, rain water what I mean. Have standing up. Then you take that cistern water or rain water and let it set for awhile there. Then you scrub that place out, clean on out, and let it stay for nine days. See. And you scrub that place out. Quite naturally, those bat would be den destroyed through the water. Then you scrub your place out and it would give a bad scent, but we have a - that is - a perfume that they calls The Stars.
(The what? The Stars? The Stars perfume?)
Perfume, yeah. The Stars perfume. Then you would take that and throw it in the house, just throw it out. Then that will kill all scents.
(I see. I see. That's if you want to stay in this house?)
Yeah, if you wanta stay in there.
(I see. When you rent it.) [New Orleans, La., (861), 1372:2.]
ANNOTATED VERSION: We have one [leather-wing or bull-leather-wing surely the missing words here] there [where he lives]; myself there [near New Orleans], what I [a root doctor or root worker] use myself for my people [clients or patients] from the city. (One what?) [Either leather-wing meant nothing to me at the time, or his pro- nunciation confused me, or I was telling him to continue.] One [thing we could do] we would take a bat.
(A bat.)
You see, the bat that flies.
(Yes.)= [Continue.]
Now, we got two bats. We got a bat they calls, that is, the chimley [chimney] bat. Then we got what you call a root bat, which got skin-like on him - look like a mice. [The chimney bat is the chimney swift, not a chimney swallow. The root bat with skin-like on him, look like a mice is the leather-winged bat. This is the only place I have a root bat. First let us remember that in folklore a bat is always a bird, not a mammal. Why a root bat? Let me make 3 guesses: (1) Hy informant did not say root but roost. (2) Root, because the bat is used by rootman for working roots. (3) There are stories even here in HOODOO, about stealing an egg from the nests of certain birds, this theft causing the bird to find a lucky stone to test her eggs. A bat of course lays bird eggs and has a nest only in folklore.]
(Yes.)= [Continue.]
That's the bat I'm talking about. I'm talking about that bat. You take that bat. Then you take three of them [3 bats] and you dry them. [For drying bats also see Nos., etc.]
(You dry them.)
Yeah. An' quite natural, if yo' wanta dry 'em, it would be better if I'm [to] dry by the sun than to dry by [stove or outdoor fire] in the heat or any- thing like that, 'cause if you dry it by the sun, that will give 'em a firmer drying.
(A what dry?)
A firmer drying.
(A firmer.)
Yeah, firmer drying, you see. But if you would go to work and get a drying by the oven, that would be a fourth of 'um [they would get only 1/4 of the sun drying]. Then that wouldn't get a good drying. All right. Then you take those three bats and you go to this place there where you wanta, that is stay. [A person preparing to move into anew, another house, should do all this, but it would be better to let a root doctor handle the situation.] Then you'll go to vort and sew that [3 dried bats] into your clothes. When you sew it in your clothes, then when the time comes for you to come into this place there to stay, chen you must go to work and take it out [of your clothes] when you get in there. Iakes it out in the middle of the floor before you puts any furniture in there. [Bere is a quincunx rite, middle or center of the floor being the fifth point githin four corners - many examples of them given in HOODOO - see etc.] Understand that? Then you would go to work and take that bat [3 dried bats] and put it down in that gallon of water, cistern water - rain water vhat I mean. {Before continuing, the preceding two words must be explained: cistern water is rain water. A cistern is a hole dug into the soil near a house to catch water from the roof gutters, a sort of large rain barrel sunk into the groumd. This glindrical hole is dug 8 or 10 or 12 feet deep, 4 feet wide, dimrensions vary- ing. The side walls and circular bottom are covered with a layer of bricks, which are plastered over to keep this sort of underground jug from leaking. Over this excavation at ground level is a wood platform with chain pump turned by hand. Rain water of course, clean water falling from the sky [formerly clean!], is a magic water. After house cisterns in cities were abandoned for city water pipes, turning on the water gave running water! There are examples of the latter in HOODOO.1 Understand that? Then you would go to work and take that bat [3 bats] and put it down in that gallon of water [previously mentioned], cistern water, rain water what I mean. Have [pail of water] standing up. Then you take that cistern water or rain water and let it set for awhile there. [This dried-bat water now becomes one of hundreds of scrubs in New Orleans.] Then you scrub that place out, clean on out [through the door and sidewalk if there is any]. And let it [house] stay for nine days, see. And you scrub that place out. Quite naturally, those bat [3 bats] would be den destroyed [broken up] through the water. When you scrub your place, your [place] out, and it would give a bad scent; but we have a - that is - a perfume that they calls the, The Stars [the label has a number of small stars, probably red, perhaps blue, on it].
(The what? The Stars? The Stars perfume?)
Perfume, yeah. The Stars perfume. Then you would take that [perfume] and throw it in the house, just throw it out. Then that will kill all scents.
(I see. I see. That's if you want to stay in this house?)
Yeah, if you wanta stay in there.
(I see. [You do this.] When you rent it.)
Entry 12724
(Are they different from any other kind of rabbit or not?)
Jest looks de same.
(And where do you catch them then?)
Well, yo' kin catch 'em round the graveyard some place.
(And then what would you do with that?)
You will take his front right foot...
(Front right foot?)
Yes, an' wear it in your pocket.
(Do you kill the rabbit or what?)
Well, try to ketch him alive and take dat foot off an' turn him loose...dat's more better.
(Oh, I see. You don't kill him, just cut that foot while he is alive?)
And turn him loose.
(And now what did you say you put with that?)
You puts a little of dat High John de Conkah and a little of dat perfume and wear it in your pocket amongst your money. Them things supposed to be very lucky.
Entry 12874
Mix a tablespoonful of saltpeter with Jockey Club perfume an' rub over hands for luck in gambling. The saltpeter kills any cunjure and Jockey Club sweetens the luck.
Entry 5938
Take de hair an' put it in a bottle of perfume an' yo' kin take it an' wear it on yo', an' dat'll make yo' come back to dem.
(That will make the person come back if you do that?)
Yes sir.
Entry 1074
Get a piece of St. John the Conquer root, you get he and she lodestone and you put a little piece of it in a little bottle - a little small bottle with a big mouth to it, and you put it down in there and you get the very best perfume in the world which is Oil of Rose. (Oil of Rose.) And you put it in that bottle and you stop it tight and whenever things get - you get worried about anything, you put three drops on your head, "In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost" - in your hair and push it up [demonstrates while I comment]. (You put three drops in your hair and rub your hand around like that while you are saying, "In the Name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost.") Yes, sir.
(And you rub it over yourself?)
Yes. [This magic rite of upwards - to improve the situation - is rare compared to the downwards rite. Perhaps the best known of the upward rites is carrying a newborn baby upstairs to rise in life or become high-minded or long-lived - FACI, 2ed., Nos.3201-3206, Pp.144-145.]
Entry 1418
Now, ah have got de perfume weed mahself - it's home. Yeah, it's a vine grows in de woods lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' pick it [a leaf] off at de [growing] end. De leaf on it is jis' lak a heart, yo' see. Now, ah want show yo' dis. Yes, heah 'tis in mah pocket. Ah stick it in dis pocket. Dis is a sanitary pocket han'scuff. See. An' dis pocket han'scuff is got dat perfume odor on it, don't chew see.
[Evidently I did not ask to smell it.]
(This perfume weed?) [For its possible identity, see later.]
Yeah - de vine. Well, ah carry dis, don't chew know jis' all de time. But it's must be a sanitary piece dat's not used at all - it's gota be used on me, yo' see.
(Why do you carry that?)
That keeps anyone from harmin' yo'. Dat's whut chew ast me, don't yo' see.
(Has this perfume weed any other name?)
Yeah. It's jes' call perfume weed, but yo' dress it yoreself, yo' see.
(How do you take the perfume out of that weed?)
Well, listen, it already smells sweet when yo' go an: dig it an' de little leaf is made, it jis' grows lak de shape of a heart. Yo' git that yoreself. Yo' know it grows kinda long.
(On the ground?)
Yeah, an' yo' git that an' dress that yoreself. Yo' dress that wit whiskey an'perfume.
(How do you dress it? What do you do with this weed?)
De roots, put 'em into a quart bottle - jis' as big a bottle as yo' want, if yo've got that much yo' see. An' see yo' po' jis' perfume, but de root always smells nice befo' yo' put it in dere. It smells lak perfume itself. An' yo' put whiskey an' half perfume an' jis' put dose roots - put jis as many roots in that bottle as yo' want, an' fo' two years, or twelve years it'll be jis' lak yo' fixed it there. Now, that's when yo' dressin' it.
(You just use that on your handkerchief?)
Yeah. [His perfume weed could be the heartleaf (see Index), common name for several American species of Asarum, all having aromatic roots; informant's root possibly being A. canadense, used as an aromatic bitter and flavoring agent.]
Entry 1646
[Take] that there snakeroot and John de Conker root and boil it and take de urine after boilin' it and put some of that in it, and Hearts Perfume, and boil it so it git de odor through the house, and sprinkle in de front do' and back, mornin' an' night.
(What would they do that for?)
That would bring luck and stop de man from puttin' yo' out.
(Putting you out of the house.)
Yes, an' ah didn't have de money - didn't give a cent and he didn't put me out. Suah stopped that.
Entry 1647
You can easily just buy some of that van-van - they calls that stuff van-van - 'cause that what they use for to keep the evil spirit away from them. [Van-van, largely used for scrubs (scrubbing water) or human body, is a special perfume and oil of pungent quality originally confined to New Orleans - see p.132 and Index.] [New Orleans, La., (843). 1279:2.]
Entry 1705
A wood rat. You can take that rat's skin and dry it and make him eat it and that'll stop him from wetting the bed. [The more usual folklore remedy is eating a mouse prepared many ways (Nos. 6308-6309); similar cures being a head louse eaten (No. 6306), or drinking tea from "white droppings of a dog" (No. 6302) - FACI,2ed., 1965, p.289.] [New Orleans, La., (855), 1352:6.] [What is a hand? A hand is a magic helper, an object or act, which aids a person in obtaining a desire. Aladdin's lamp was not a hand because anyone could rub it to activate the indwelling spirit. Quite otherwise a hand concerns known user - it being dressed, powered for him alone, usually toward a single purpose.] [We have already examined many hands: the Black Cat Lucky Bone (pp.74-97); healing hands in Cure and Protection (pp.4lO-519); divining hands in Diagnosis (pp.165-217), particularly the talking hand, Jack (pp.190-193). Talking hand reminds me that hand has other names, among them - toby, guide, shield, roots, mojo, jomo (transposition of syllables in mojo), and hoodoo bag.] [Of interest are what I name battery hands - those that lose strength and must be recharged or they weaken and die. Recharging is called feeding and substances fed are whiskey, perfumes, urine and other liquids. Spirits do not eat solid food. A spirit of course never dies; it merely deserts its temporary dwelling place. Similarly, desertion happens to a lost hand - some informants believing the hand returns to its maker!] [A hand can become a fetish, even a part of oneself. Most instructive here are living hands - the unfortunate chicken (No. 205, p.58), and the two wandering snakes (No. 239, p.66.]
Entry 1741
You have to have black pepper and salt - see, black pepper and salt, and any time a man have a toby or anything of the kind that way he have to be very careful, and if it isn't charged up with the right material, it don't do him any good. For instance, he'll put the fifteen cents, which represent money - silver dime and nickel in the toby. He'll put nine needles and nine pins. He will use some cinnamon powder in there with Cashmere Bouquet perfume to 'noint it with. See, writing his name and diff'rent names, the players' names that he plays with, on parchment paper - the sure enough one. They have the imitation and they have the sure enough parchment paper - it's kind of imitate [imitation] of sheepskin - having the name on the parchment paper, putting it in the toby and wearing it in their right pocket. Now, you got steel dust in there, you have a certain amount of lodestone. Now, whensomever anything going to happen in there - like a fight or any killing thataway, you will take a fearful feeling: That's time for you to leave. If any cutting or anything, any blood is drawn around in there near that it don't work any more.
(It kills the toby?)
Yeah, if any blood is drawn, you see. Any blood is drawn, you understand, it will have to be renewed again.
(I understand.)
So that's why any time anything is happening around thataway, you always have a fear feeling, you leaves out. See. And the same as a battery or anything of the kind, after a certain amount of time, you have to recharge it again, because it don't holds up - it goes away the same as a battery on a automobile. [The preceding fifteen cents is the magic of odd number - see margin-title Money - Uneven.]
Entry 1747
Yo' could take de bow out of a man hat an' put dat in a bottle of perfume an' keep it or either wear it in yore shoe an' that'll make 'em love yo'.
Entry 1830
Dey say if yo' git some devil's-shoestring an' nine shots out of a shell - nine shots an' three lengths of devil's-shoestring. Yo"sposed to keep dat with yo' an' yo' kin put most any kind of perfume on it. An' yo' have a piece of lodestone with it - dat makes it bettah. Dat's whut ah hear a man say he wus doin' - ah seen some of it.
(How did he carry that?)
Entry 1845
She kin go to the drug store an' get her some drawing oil.
(Some drawing oil?)
Yes. Get her some steel dust, an' get some Jockey Club Perfume. (Jockey Club?) Yeah. An' put his name down on a piece of paper three times an' soak it in that bottle.
(And then what will she do?)
An' she jis' keep dat an' shake it up an' make her wish over it.
(That'll bring the man back?)
He'll come back.
Entry 1914
You got a house out [vacant] an' yo' wanted people to go in dat house. Well, yo' jes' go - yo' takes a - de person whut chew wanted to go in it, jes' whosomever it is - yo' go there an' yo' dress that house, yo' see. You kin dress the house. Yo' kin go in an' take this dust powder - take it an' dust it jes' lak that. An' it's jes' lak if yo' take a person tuh show him de house an' then if he gits de odah of that, he takes de house - pays de price regardless.
(What kind of powder is that?)
It's good luck perfume powder. It hasn't got a special name - yo' order it.
Entry 1998
De thing tuh do when yo' go befo' de judge - yo' don't need nuthin but one thing - is yo' gotta put a han'chief upon yore haid. Yo' don't have nuthin tuh do but wipe yore face. If he wus angry wit chew, he have tuh calm down an' be meekly wit chew.
(You said this is a plain handkerchief?)
A plain han'chief wit Heart Perfume. But it's dressed befo' yo' got dere.
(It's only dressed with Hearts Perfume? That's all?)
Dat's all.
Entry 2031
Tuh git de bossman tuh five yo' a job - lak if yo' should go to de man lak heah tonight. Yo' git some Heart Perfume an' have it fixed with High John de Conker root, yo' see. Git chew some High John de Conker an' chip it up - beat it up fine an' Heart Powders, see, an' some of yore pee in dat. See. Beat it up an' jes' have it beat up re'l good an' fine. Den take it an' have it in yore han'cheff when yo' walk in an' yo' shake de han'cheff lak dat, an' yo' walk up there to him an' yo' shake it three times, an' yo' ask him fo' a job an' he'll tell yo', "Wait a minute, ah'll start yo' directly, son."
Entry 2047
Now, Jest lak if yo' goin' tuh have a trial in co't. They tell me yo' tie nine knots in - tie a knot each morning fo' nine mornings befo' de trial is tuh come up - a big case yo know. Well, each morning yo' tie a knot an' yo' say, "Let me win dis case," 'long lak dat chew know fo' nine mornings. An' each morning why yo' dip this string into de Hearts Perfume an' yo' tie that round yore waist. An' more den likely yo' will win yore case - a big case dat's in de big co't.
Entry 2065
I mean you get some lodestone like dust, carry de lodestone in a little bag. You get [can buy] dat already sewed up in a little bag: Get chew a bottle of perfume - Hearts Cologne. Well you feed dat bag and whenever you go to a man fer a job, when you talk with the man, you just squeeze on de bag while you talk- ing to him and you see, when you squeeze on it all dat perfume go in his face, and you give him a look. He'll say, "You want a job?" 'Yes, sir." "You not working?" "No, sir." Without fooling around he will give you a job. Man don't need have anything but that tote [toby] in your pocket.
Entry 2068
In gambling, you wanta have luck in gambling, you got to - of course, you can go to church and make your wishes there for anything you want. I have did it and I was successful too. And now like you wanta be lucky in gambling, you go to a drug store wherever you can find - you get you a piece of John the Conker Root. You get some John Conker Oil and the root. You take this root, you put it in a bottle, you pour this oil on it. You get you a piece - if you are a man and wanta gamble, you get you a piece of she lodestone and you get some per- fume and pour on this lodestone and that'll make life in it. What I mean by, by it make life in it - it would make a lodestone as thick as this key [she shows] when you pour that perfume on there. It will grow and little spangles come out all around it, but you gotta keep it corked up good.
(Little spangles. Little hairs?)
Yeah, that what it do. That's the life in it. And if you are a man and you gamble, you use she lodestone. If I would gamble, I would use he lodestone. I would get the he Conker Root and you should get the she Conker Root. But now when you go on gamblin' and you come home, you always take it out of your pocket and put it in the bottle and shut it up, where the oil won't evaporate. And when you go on out you can take a piece of that Conker Root and chew it and spit it around whenever you gamble on the floor and you will be lucky.
Entry 2084
Told me to get some oil of wintergreen - wintergreen oil. Go to the drug store and get some wintergreen oil and this lodestone and get some steel dust and bring it to him. And he put it in a little red piece of flannel and he told me, he say, "Now, you go to this man and tell him, ask him for a job - say your prayers before you go to him. When you go there you ask him for a job. Just before you get there you say your prayers and then you ask him for a job." He say, "And he turn you down the first morning, '' and he say, "you come back to me." And after I went back to him, he give me another little thing but he didn't tell me what was in that bag. And he give me some perfume, something smell - just smell like perfume, you know. So I taken that perfume and I went there and I asked the man for the job driving Goodman's Beer truck. And so he give me a job. So I went back to him and I asked him, I say, "What kind of perfume that you done give me?" He told me, he say, "Well," he say, "I went to the Cracker- jack Drug Store and got some of this same perfume." I say, "What kind of perfume is that?" He say, "They call that Lucky Dog per fume." That's what it was - Lucky Dog.
(He didn't tell you what was in that second bag though?)
He didn't tell me what was in that bag.
narrated request for and receipt of a beer-truck driving job. The first preparation and quoted instructions, second unknown bag, perfume and claimed hiring remain separate episodes. The text does not disclose the second bag’s contents. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 2152
(You get the boss's name?)
An' write it down, see. Well, yo' bring it home an' yo' take salt an' sugah an' sprinkle it ovah dis piece of papah whut choo got de boss's name on it... an' wear it in yore shoe fo' nine days, an' jis' keep a-goin' back, back tuh him. An' git chew some of dis heah oil of clover an' oil of bergamine [bergamot] an mix it togethah, an' Jockey Club perfume an' mix it together. [Three perfumes.] Git chew some root dey call John de Conker. See, aftah yo' got his name in yore shoe, well, yo' put dat oil of clover an' oil of bergamine wit dat Jockey Club perfume. Dat Jockey Club perfume keeps dat oil of clover and oil of bergamine from smellin' an' yo' sprinkle it on yo'. An' den yo' have dat John de Conker vine or root in yore mouth an' yo' chew it well, an' when yo' walk up to 'im talkin' about jobs, see he'll git de influence of dat odor, an' den yo' be jis' spittin jis' lak yo' chewing tobacco, an' yo' keep a-goin' dere an' event'lly he'll give yo' a job.
Entry 2229
Fo' luck in gamblin' yo' kin git chew a rabbit foot an' dress it. Well yo' take dat rabbit foot - yo' git de left foot, de back left foot. Yo' take dat back left foot an' yo' gits a brand-new cord string an' yo' wrap de top of it nine times, wrap it to yo' nine times. Den yo' git chew some kinda perfume an' yo' put on dat. Yo' git chew some lodestone dust an' wrap it - dress it an' den yo' wrap it. See. Den yo' put dat good perfume on it - good luck perfume, real good. Den yo' wear dat. Dat's good tuh tote. Yo' carry dat in yore pocket, carry dat around fo' gamblin'. An' den yo' kin git chw some diff'rent perfumes an' put on yo' fo' luck.
(What kind of perfume?)
Oil of bergamot, van-van oil.
Entry 2384
Oh, de willow tree root, yo' goes an' git, say about seven a'clock in de mornin', an' cut a piece of root from one of de sunrise [side]. Then yo' git chew a piece of red flannen wit salt an' sulphur, black peppah, an' a needle an' some Heart Perfume, an' yo' sew dat up yo' understand. Yo sew dat up an' yo' keep it 'nointed with dat Heart Perfume an' wear dat in yore pocket. If yo' git it yoreself, name it after yo'; if somebody else git it, name it after them. (Carry that for luck. You get this root from the willow tree. Which side do you get it from?) Yo' git it from de sunrise, yes sir.
interviewer-supplied luck purpose in a compound question, without informant endorsement. No blanket assent to compound question sewing the named red-flannel material combination. No stitch type, bag shape or unmentioned sewing procedure is inferred. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 2455
Yo' take chicken feathers - yes, yo' take chicken feathers an' yo' put sulphur an' salt on dis chicken feathers an' yo' use perfume - Hearts Perfume, yo' use dat. Dat's all de 'riginal stuff dey use, an' yo' set dat afire. Yo' see yo' burn dat into yore home in de middle of de flo'. Sometimes it's good to burn it in yore bedroom. Yo' burn it mostly in de room - if a person is in busi- ness or somethin', yo' burn it in de room where yo' handle yore most customers. That will bring yo' in peoples too, chicken feathers - yo' kin burn chicken feathers.
Entry 2579
You is bootlegging or anything like that and you want customers. You get you some [sounds like red'nin' = reddening].
(Red ink?)
Looks red like grapes. You get you some red'nin' [reddening] and you get you some lucky perfume and you get you some van-van and scrub your house Wednesdays and Mondays and Fridays - three times a week, and you throw the water in the street. And you see by.you got all that in your water scrubbing with, that draw the crowd right into you. I've seen that did.
Entry 2622
Yo' take lak if yo' have a scissors layin' down there an' lak if yo' have a nice business, an' ah wanta stop yo' from havin' it, why ah steal yore scissors or yore fingernail file. An' ah'll take those right to mah home an' ah'll put - as ah told yo', take that there perfume an' ah'll put mah 'gredients in there which is the sulphur an' nine grains of red peppah seeds. Put that in there an' ah'll put de scissors lak if ah got dem fo' nine mawnin's an' ah take 'em an' junk 'em down in de ground. All yore luck is cut, yo' haven't got any mo' business.
(You use perfume you say?)
Yessuh, Heamt's Perfume.
Entry 2648
I had a saloon and there is another fellow had a saloon, and he was doing more business than I was and I want the business to come to my place. All right. I go get me some water, some perfume called lucky, lucky perfume you know, and I take some clear water and I put it in a bottle and I shake it up. [Water will make the perfume spread farther.] I do this 'fore day in the morning 'fore anybody sees me doing what I got to do. I go to this place that is in the same block my place is. I go to the corner, see, and I come back and when I get before his door I sprinkle. I go to my place of business and go inside and sprinkle. And I take and go to the next corner, not the same corner, and I sprinkle - behind my back, never look behind, and I sprinkle all along that street. And I go to my place and I go in again. And I go back to that [first] corner, the same corner that is left [left from my door], understand, and sprinkle the same way. Sprinkle before his door and go in my place and come out, see. Then I go to the next [second or right] corner. Do that three times you see, each way. [Informant on coming out his front door turns left and walks past competitor's house to first or left corner (= crossroad of city streets). Here he starts to sprinkle his watered down lucky perfume, turns back home, sprinkling past compet- itor's house and into his own home. Immediately leaving home again, he turns and walks right to the second or right corner (= crossroad of city streets). Here he starts to sprinkle his lucky perfume, turns back, again sprinkling into his own home. This sprinkling from the two corners into his own home is repeated three times. We must assume the cork in the bottle has a small hole through which the liquid slowly drips; the word sprinkle being somewhat generous.] After that, I go in my place and I take some sugar and I sprinkle it on my floor, some plain white granulated sugar. I take some sawdust and I put it over that stuff and I go and I get me this lump incense, see. Can I stand up and show you how I come? [I must have nodded yes.] See, I get some lump incense and I burn it. I burn it, take a lamp, light it and burn, put it in a saucer, this lump incense. Then I take my clothes and smoke my clothes, understand. And after I smoke my clothes, I make my wish [demonstrates].
(You fold your hands across your breast.)
Yes sir, and make my wishes. I make my wish and I be saying, "Lord, I hope I be lucky enough to be successful in all my enemies and all my income." I say that three times. And after that I take my pants this Way and I get my pants smoked good with that incense, open it up this way and let the smoke go up - smoke up my pants leg. Then I turn round and I open my door, after that smoke is got settled in my house. While it is burning in my house, there is nobody in the house but myself. While the incense is burning, if it sparks like a match throw sparks, you know what I mean, well, that will tell that's luck. And if the smoke spreads, that's luck; if the smoke goes straight up, the incense ain't much good to you. After you do that, you put that behind your counter - put that in- cense behind the counter. And you have sprinkled the sugar already. Then you open the door. Then you can talk. You cannot talk while you are doing your business, no sir. (Now when you first make the smoke, you have to take off your pants, then you put them back on - the first time?) Yes sir. [Perhaps I should say, informant did not take off pants during demonstration.]
Entry 2743
Set it eleven 'clock at night and you dress the candles. You get seven candles fer that purpose and you dress them with a certain kind of perfume. But chew have to do these things on the new moon. Anything that's good has to be done on the new moon; the bad thing they do on the waste of the moon. But now, if you wanted a person to come back, you dress the candles and you set 'em at eleven 'clock at night so it work on the new moon. And then you have to set the candles to burn and pray. [Pray while candles are burning.] And burn the High John Conker Incense. An' you do that from about eleven to half-past eleven. And then sometimes you set and concentrate. You know, concentration means a whole lot. Set and concentrate - hold your thoughts on him and you say while you talking to the candles, "John - Mary Louise," what- ever the name is, "In the Name of God the Father, let you be upset and let chew have no rest or peace wherever you are." Then you read a prayer in the book and - but you keep it up and finally they can't stay away. They will have to come back.
(What do you mean by that book? Do you mean the Bible? Or do you mean?)
Or the Bible.
(Do you have to buy these candles specially or just any kind of candle?)
Oh, no, you have to buy them specially. Sometimes you kin git them already dressed. You git them in New York on Lennox Avenue. You gits them there and you kin git them from Lawrence. Dressed candles. (Have you ever heard of people having little altars and burning candles? On little altars like in a Catholic Church?) Yes, ah do that myself. (I am rather interested in that for a special reason. Can you tell me just how you do that?) Well, we have our altar and we have the holy oil because everything must be holy. And because it's a place, people coming and cursing and that, and some- times they'll fergit and so the place is full of evil and dirty. But everything must be clean. We have holy oils - we have holy candles and you light them. You have seven holy candles, large ones, but chew have 'em in the form of a cross.
(Will you tell me again about burning those candles?)
You know you have them in the form of a cross. You see, you have those little candles. If you don't have those candlesticks that have the form of a cross, why you can jest sit your candles in a row there in that cross, you see.
(Two rows crossed.)
No, see. That's one row of candles across, that's 1,2,3,4,5,6, and then you have some here. That's a cross, you see. Then you have seven small candles like they have on birthday cakes. You have those and you burn those too. And you have those little votive lights sitting around.
(Well, now where would you put those little candles?)
You set them right in front of the seven cross like.
(Well now, how do you make a cross out of those seven candles?)
Those seven little ones you don't have to make a cross of them. Jest let them burn there.
(That other cross, how many do you put in that one row?)
Well, you jest - it don't make any difference how many, jest so you have a cross. Make a cross, you see.
(Then you use those little candles.)
Yes, but chew must burn yore incense. We call it holy incense. And then you use holy water. Yo' sprinkle yore place down with holy water and bless your place - must pray and read the 23 Psalms. Course you read the 23rd Psalms when you git up in the morning and you face the east and you say - you read so many verses until you get to, "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, he makes me to lie down in green pastures, he leads me to the side of still waters." Then when you say that, and after you turn your face to the east, then to the west, and then you say a couple of more verses. And then when you say those other two verses, turn to the north and say the other two, and when you finish with them, make the last verse to the south. And that will keep your place holy and blest in the form of the cross, you see. And use the 9lst Psalms, if you wanta read, you wanta read a person to be able to git the very best results, to keep out the evil, you read the 9lst Psalm - jest a few verses you want of it. And use the holy candles with holy oil - that keeps the evil out and you aIways be able to get a good message and good vibration. You work better. (Now, you go through this ceremony before you go into this special room. That the idea?) Yes, you do that.
(Before you go in to work for someone.)
Before you start to work. Now if you was goin' tuh have a meetin' heah, a spiritual meetin', you'd come in round about six 'clock and then you'd do all that, and have your place all set up. And then you would git on your knees and you would pray and you jest set your candles all there and you pray and burn the incense.] Burn the incense while you on your knees praying, asking God to bless you and send you in a good crowd and success and let no one be evil, and sprinkle around the holy water and then you set and you concentrate, and you set and you hold your thoughts on success and prosperity and draw the people to you. That's all you do.
(Now do you have meetings? How often do you have meetings?)
Ah have been having meetings three nights a week, but I haven't been very well and not doin' so much now. (I thought if you were going to have a meeting while I am here in Washington, my man and I would come around to be at one of the meetings.) Well, you might come down Sunday - think ah'll probably have a meeting Sunday night.
(Sunday night?)
Yes, 'cause ah'm in kind of a small place now. Ah used to have a big place but ah'm jest having it in my house in mah rooms.
(Well, what time does the meeting begin as a rule?)
Round about nine 'clock. People don't git out until that time. (If a person wanted to get into this work, must he be initiated into it or what.) You would have to be born psychic and after you born psychic why then as you grow older it comes to you but then you have to have some one to instruct you, teach you.
(Then there is no form of initiation or anything of that sort?)
Then after a meeting, after you accepted in a class, course there's certain kind of instruction telling you what to do, and if you say you seen anything - sometimes you see things and don't know 'em. But they will tell you, explain to you. Then you get so - you get so then that you kin jest talk - jest open your mouth and the words will come right out. Then sometimes you see things - you see symbols, you see signs and you see jest the words. You get the words mostly in this ear sometimes [demonstrates] and you walk along.
(Your right ear?)
No, the left ear. This is the left ear. You kin hear it in the left ear, but you have to be born psychic. You were born psychic yourself.
(I'm born psychic? I suppose I am. Never have been sceptical about it.)
[We are talking about different things - see comment later.]
(About the people who are called Holy Rollers or the First Dominical Penta- costal Church. Do you think they have a spiritual gift?) Well, ah think they have a spiritual gift, but ah think that they don't quite understand the Bible. Now for instance, this Holy Roller, ah don't know anything about that, but this - what did you say the word there, The Holy Sanctified?
(This is something different from The Holy Sanctified.)
Well, ah think The Holy Sanctified has a gift of tongues - course it's in the Bible [1 Cor.12, and 14]. You see, if you pray enough and live close to God, the spirit will git on you so will talk in tongues. Your mouth will jest thuth, thuth, till the spirit got on yuh. But as far as being sanctified, ah don't think anybody is really all sanctified. Cause when you sanctified, ah think God takes you away from here when you get so holy. (If a person thinks he's hurt or anything of that sort, could you give him help in any way? Tell him anything about it?) Yes, if they was hurt and the spirit would show it tuh me, and I would see it and tell them about it.
(Then you could describe how they were hurt or something of that sort?)
If I see so. Most generally I see jest how it's done.
(Would you prescribe any remedy for them?)
Well, depends upon how they were hurt. Sometimes if people - lots of people comes to me and say that they are hurt and they are not. You know some people, the southern people, are very superstitious. And if they get a pain in their laig they think they are hoodooed or hurt. Not all the time it isn't that. If you don't tell 'em that, they'll go round and pay somebody else and give em the money. But lots of times they're not hurt. Sometimes people do's has things in them, but I have nevah seen anybody yet that had anything in 'em. Cause when I was a child somebody said that a person had something in them, but I don't - any that talk - I never seen any of it.
(Weren't you born in the south?)
Ah was born right in Washington, but ah lived in New York quite a while. (Well now suppose a person has this pain in his leg, what would you advise ordinarily?) Well, ah would give 'em a treatment with mah hands and pray over him. Or if I wanted, if the place was swollen I would get some herbs and mix a solution and bath it down. See. (But you don't believe that there is any spell? I mean, you don't think that he is hoodooed or anything of the sort?) Ah don't know really. They tell me they kin do it, but ah don't know. Ah never heard or seen. [My comment about being psychic merely means being aware and having a sense of direction (see Introduction). What little I have of this came from training; it was not a gift.]
Entry 2800
For luck, you get some incense.
(To dress your house for luck?)
Yes, sir, some incense. Now, I've tried that. And get three candles - red, white and blue and burn them one hour apiece at night and pour some Lucky Heart Perfume on there, and that will make people come to your house.
(Lucky Heart Perfume?)
Yes.
(Where do you buy that? At the store - drug store?)
Yeah, in Memphis. There's a firm in Memphis has that. (Oh, I see. Well, how do you burn these three candles? Do you burn them all at once, or one and then the other?) You burn one - like you burn the red one tonight, the white one de next night and the blue the next. But you don't burn 'em but a hour at a time. Do that for nine nights.
(And what time do you light that candle?)
Light it when everybody is out of your room, gone, and don't let nobody in your room while it's burning.
(Do you light this at any particular time? Like nine o'clock or ten?)
Seven-thirty, if you kin get people out of de room, or else you gotta go to a higher number - nine-thirty or eleven-thirty.
(At night?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 2809
Git a high-power blue candle and write his name on it seven times, and git a bottle of Jockey Club Perfume and roll in dere, and burn it five minutes three time a day. Say that will bring him back. (What do you do with that perfume?) Roll de candle in it. [See margin-titles Rolling Candle.]
(What time during the day do you burn that candle?)
Six, twelve, six.
Entry 2834
Well, the first thing you would do, you would get some saltpeter and sugar and Eagle Lye. And you scrub that house with it to dispel all evil that has been there from people that moved out - jinxes, as you'd call it. After scrubbing it with that, take a white candle and break it in half, not so it falls to pieces, and you burn that candle and let it burn out. [To break anything often frees the spirit within. Breaking here releases the power faster. In some cases it might double the power.] And after you've done that you will get you some garlic, three pods of garlic, and some lodestone perfume.
(What is lodestone perfune?)
There is perfume that you can buy from dealers that sell all this John de Conquer.
(I see, you can buy this lodestone [perfume]. All right, go ahead.)
And you put that in the water, and you burn the garlic peel, and you put a teaspoon of sugar in that, and scrub the house with it. And within three days that house would be ready - within the amount of pods of garlic that you put in, which was three pods of garlic. Well, within three days that house should be rented.
Entry 2859
They burn a candle on it and turn it down. Do you know why ah knows this? (Now wait a minute. [I demonstrate.] Here's the photograph. The face is up. Now what do you do? How do you put the candle on there? This is the candle. You set the candle on the face like that?) You turn de bottom up. (You turn the face down and the bottom is up, and you put the candle right on top of it - right in the center like that., [This makes a quincunx - p.710 and Index.] What kind of candle do you use?) You use a black candle.
(Just one. And do you say anything or do anything when you do this?)
Yes, you say something, "I want her to sink to the bowels [of the earth]." That means to die. You burn it nine times dere, nine mornings.
(Then what happens?)
Well, if someone don't hurry an' do something, dey be sure gone. Well, you know why ah know that. You see ah had a sister, she was almost dead and she went to - she had to get her photo made, see. I say, "Maybe somebody got chure photo." She say, "Oh, ah suffer wit mah haid." She looked like she was going crazy. Well, ah took a new needle - new needles and pins and crossed 'em.
(Where did you cross them?)
Fo' to make de headache go off, put de pin right dere - brand-new - in her hair, right in de mole [mold of her head]. Den you cross it, you see. An'den after you cross it, you take some Hearts Perfume, dampen it all together and den take some camphor and put it right dere - on chere [demonstrates]. (Put it right on there on that hair at the ears. And then did her headache stop?) It sure did. And then when it stopped I say to her, say, "Now, you go and get your photo." And she went to get her photo. Dey have a - [a privy] in de back yard, a fren' girl of her. She was kind of mad with her about her husband. You see, she had mah sister's husband and mah sister liked tuh die. An' sure 'nuff, when she went in there [the privy], she had her photo behind the door with that candle on it.
[See margin-title IN THE ToILET, p.826 and Scatologic rites in Index.]
(That black candle on it.)
Mah sister took dat candle and took it and throw it in de river. And her and dat woman had a fight about it, but she got her photo and dat candle. She liked tuh been dead. Well, your picture, they can bury your picture. They can bury your picture bottom down. That'll make you drag: Your head'll be hurtin' you all the time, pain, and your head ache.
(How do they burn that on you?)
They say they light a candle, burn a candle to put you down - with the picture down, you see. With the picture down - they can't do nothing with it up, you see. They have the face down, you see. (What kind of a candle do they burn? How do they fix that candle up? What do they do?) Well, that candle, you see. They put the candle in a saucer, you see, and as for the saucer, they lay it right on top of the picture, you see, and they let it burn, you see. And you burn that candle for nine days, see.
(What times? Right on through?)
Right on through.
(Never let it go out?)
Never let it go out atall - nine days, right in that dark corner - right up in the corner, you see. Nine days.
(What color candle do they use? A white candle for that?)
Well, they generally use a black candle when they want to do evil.
(I see.)
A white candle - it's for goodness, see. Evil is a black candle.
Entry 3137
De way she do tuh take his nature away from 'im. AH WANT CHEW TUH LIS- TEN AT DIS GOOD, so ah - dis is mah wife an' dis is me an' dis is anothah woman. Well, ah'm goin' wit dis woman, an' dis is mah wife heah. She don't undahstan about not bein' wit 'er as much as ah do wit dis othah woman. Well, dis othah woman ovah heah, well, ah had a communication wit 'er, an' she taken a rag an' she take some of de diff'rence twixt me an' 'er an' puts it in a bottle, a li'le perfume bottle, an' took dis Heart Cologne an' po'd it on top of it an' stopped it up, an' keeps it in 'er trunk. Dat took it [my nature] away. An' de fellah dat ain't git sharp enough tuh git dat, it'll [his nature will] stay away. Well, mah wife kin do de same thing an' bring it [my nature] right back, make hers [the other woman's magic] no good.
Entry 3758
(Well, suppose a man is tied up that way, how could he git rid of that?) Git rid of dat? He would take dat perfume whut de call Hearts Perfume, cinnamon, saltpetah an' chamber lye, his own, wit nine ten-penny nails. Takin' a bath from head to feet an' throwin' it out to- Wards sunrise. Den she cain't do anythin' unless she gits wit 'im [again]. Dat untie him.
Entry 4214
She kin git some of 'is urine, dat'll be his watah, see, an' dey tell me dat dey kin go an' git some of dis Hearts Perfume, 25c a bottle, an' put 'er nine drops in dat an' keep it right de middle part of 'er bed [a quincunx], de bedtick yuh see, fo' nine days. An' dat'll keep 'im from runnin' aroun'. He stay at home den mo' den evah. He won't wanta leave home. She can't hardly leave him. She tell him sometime, why don't he go out somewhere. He tells 'er, "No, ah don't wanta go, want tuh stay here wit chew." Yestahday he been goin' all de time, see, night an' day. A ole lady showed me dat about thirteen or fo'teen years ago.
Entry 4365
Tuh influence de boss - well, yuh supposed tuh use some Hearts Perfume on yuh. Use some Hearts Perfume goin' down [the body] - put some on yuh han's an' put [rub] it ovah yuh don' chew see. An' dere is. a love powdah, dey call it, dat chew use tuh influence. Now dey say dat de Cashmere Boquet Powdah is a very good powdah. But chew use dat Hearts Perfuome an' a little chamber lye tuhgethah. See, put dat tuhgethah an' sprinkle it all ovah yuh an' dey say dat's very lucky.
(If you are going down to get a job.)
Entry 4625
Take dat bow out de back a man's hat an' yuh kin take some needles, an' about two-three stran's of dere hair an' wrap it up in dem dere needles. Have dem needles turned all kinda ways, yo' see. An' put it in a bottle of perfume, see, an' jes'.keep it in a cornah somewhere, yuh know, where de sun kin kinda shine on it. An' dey tell me - say dat will make 'em love yuh.
(You put it so that the sun can shine on it?)
Where de sun kin shine on it, yes. Yuh know jes' in a place - yuh know jes' up on de top of de house. Yuh know somewhere in some close place, yuh see, where de sun kin hit it.
(You put any number of needles in it - any number?)
Yuh put about - ah think it is nine needles yuh put in dere.
Entry 4826
She kin take an' cut de seat out of 'is shorts an' put 'er some sul- phur in dere an' some Lucky Heart Perfume, an' stick it in de hem of 'er undah- skirt - de hem, see. An' he'll stay home.
Entry 5081
Lak if yuh take a woman or man's - she take a pair of 'is socks an' dey kin take dem socks an' go tuh a drug sto' - anywhere yuh kin git it - an' git chew a bottle of toilet perfume. Yuh take dat perfume an' yuh take both of 'is socks, de right an' de left one, an' yuh damp it good on dere, an' yuh take dat an' put some whiskey on it an' wash 'em in dat whiskey. Hang 'em on de line an' let 'em dry on dere. Den aftah dey dry on dere, den yuh take an' yuh slip 'em back an' put 'em in 'is shoes befo' he know anythin' about it. Dey said, den he'll come back an' prob'bly put dis same pair of socks on, becuz dey be in his shoes, take an' put 'em on. An' aftah he put 'em on he'll start tuh wearin' 'em. an' dey says, lak if he goin' tuh leave, he'll start tuh walkin', an' jis' walk right on out an' he won' nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 5093
Yuh burn dem ole shoes an' git de ashes, an' yuh buries dat, if yuh know any cleahin' [clearing] lak on some concrete or somewhere, yuh know, eithah in de stove. [If you do not have a stove, look for cleared concrete like a sidewalk.1 Clean out all de ashes an' sweep it out. Yuh kin burn it in dere an' git all dem ashes of it, an' put 'em in a little bag an' sew it up. An' put it in some Jockey Club, Hearts Own Perfume in it, an' bury hit undah de do'steps. Dat'll make him stay at home.
Entry 5131
Take dat shoe an' yuh dress it. Yuh kin put a little perfume or jis any kinda little powder or anythin' in dat shoe. An' yuh take dat shoe an' yuh dress it, an' den yuh take dat shoe an' carry it out in de woods an' bury dat shoe. If yuh don' do dat, bury it right undah de do'steps where she'll walk ovah it. Bury dat shoe. Make 'em stay at home.
Entry 5525
Yo' take de lef' track jis' undah de palm ["hollow" or "ball" of foot], jis' lak [palm of] mah han'. An' den yo' kin sew it up in a li'le cloth, if yo' wan'a weah it undah yore clothes, see. Den yo' kin - well, yo' jis' keep it 'nointed wit Lucky Mojoo Perfume. Well, dat tuh keep yore luck good. Some folks weah dem in a li'le bag roun' dere neck.
(What do you wear that thing for, that fellow's foot track?)
Well, yo' weah it - yo' see, if yo' wan's de man, if he don' wanta stay wit cheW. AN' DEN SOMETIME YO' JIS' WAN'A A MAN ANYWAY. Yo' gO Out dere an' gits dat fo' luck.
Entry 5943
(First, they get what?)
Yo' hair an' buy bottle of Hearts's Perfume an' stop it up an' bury it umdah de right [side of] do'steps. That will run yo' crazy.
Entry 5961
Well, if dey git some of yore hair, dey could take it in de lock [hinge] of de knee heah.
(In what?)
Yo' know, right roun' de knee heah. Tie it roun' wit sompin, a string or sompin lak dat, an' make yo' love 'em lak dat. Or eithah put it into some perfume.
Entry 6002
So far as yore hair concerned, yo' could be ruled by yore hair. Yo' Lou whut ah mean, somebody could take yore hair an' make yo' love dem. Yo' undahstan'. (Do you know how they do it?) How dey do it? Well, ah kin take yore hair. Dey usely [usually] gits - dey takes three pins or needles an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Perfume, yo' undahstan', but dey must know yore name.
(What do they do with that name?)
Write on dis piece of papah an' put it in wit de hair.
(Put all these things in the bottle?)
All dese combination in de bottle.
(What do you do with that bottle then?)
Take it - but wit chew, carry it. Yo' gotta carry dat bottle all de time. Sometimes peoples buries it.
Entry 6013
Dey have hair in dat - dey git a lock of a lady's hair, men usin' dis. An' git a lock of lady's hair an' den dey git dis lodestone an' dey gits nine needles an' Hearts Perfume. Dat's whut ah heard now. An' den dey wrap it, feeds [see p.578] dat thing wit whiskey, an' wrap it in a ball, an' tie dat black string aroun' it.
(What do they wrap it up in?)
Flannel, red flannel, an' den put de black thread aroun' it an' put a string aroun' dat, an' let it hang down in dere bosom or breast an' wear it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
Dat will draw love.
Entry 6098
Take yore hair, cut de hair out de top of yore haid, near de mole of yore haid, an' den dey would take dat hair an' would put it into some Hearts Per- fume. Git de Hearts Perfume an' take dat hair an' put wit dat hair some whut is known as John de Con- kah, an' rattlesnake marstah. An' den yo' would take dat hair an' put it in a bag an' yo'd wear dat hair round yore waist to make someone love yo'.
Entry 6172
Dey kin take three strands of yore hair an' put it in a perfume bottle, Heart Perfume, an' stop it up tight an' dat will draw 'er love to dis man.
(Of this man to this girl.) Of dis man to dis gurl. (What do you do with this bottle?)
Why yo' keep dat bottle.
Entry 6492
De way yo' do dat, yo' have tuh cut 'em to yo' disaway, see. (Cut your fingernails?) Cut ary [every] one of 'em - cut all ten of 'em to yo'. Do yore toenails de same way - cut 'em to yo' all de time. Yo' git deg a bottle of Hearts Own Perfume an' put dat in dere. Den yo' kin set dat D8 anywheres.
(What will that do then?)
Dey'll be sickly all de time. Dey will not be healthy.
(The person whose fingernails and toenails you have.)
Yes sir, keep 'em. Yo' know when dey cut de toenails an' fingernails, yo' bor, dey gen'ly [generally] throws 'em out. Well, yo' see when yo' cut chure toenails disaway an' yure fingahnails, well po'don' scrape dat [bottoms of feet] from yo', yo' scrape it back tuh de heel.
(You scrape the dead skin back to the heel.)
Yes, scrape all dat tuhgethah an' den put it in dat perfume bottle an' stop it up. But it'll work quickah - hit'll work bettah by turnin' de bottomside up- wards.
Entry 7874
Yo' want sompin fo' luck or sompin lak dat, take some graveyard dirt. Depend on how much yo' want. Now, yo' don' wanta make a plastah of graveyard dirt fo' no sickness or nuthin. Yo' take a tablespoonful of graveyard dirt an' a tablespoonful of salt an' git chew some bluestone. An' mix dis up in a quart bottle an' use it in 'er room or in a hall where it's private. Now lak if it in yore room, use it in yore room. But yo' gotta git out an' use some out dere too an' not let 'em know nuthin about it.
(What do you do with that after you put it in that bottle?)
Shake it up an' use it jes' lak yo' would perfume, yo' see - jes' lak yo' do perfume. Yo' kin use it on yo'self, go tuh baid an' use it.
[To shake it up, a magic rite, excites the spirit in the bottle to action.]
(What will that do?)
Entry 8234
Yo' take de photograph an' take some perfume, put it on de pikture, an' a needle an' stick de needle in de pik- ture right acrost de fo'haid, an' hide it some place an' she'll love yuh.
Entry 8235
Jis' take a woman's hair an' pichure an' cut it all up an' put it in a bot- tle tuhgethah an' take an' po' dis Heart's Own Perfume on it. She'll nevah quit 'im an' she'll always run aftah 'im.
(What do they do with that bottle then?)
Well, hide it off in de loft of de house where she be goin' undah it or sompin lakdat.
Entry 8691
De quicksilver. A woman use quicksilver when she Wants tuh keep a man. [Whether quicksilver here is quick- silver or tinfoil or back of mirror scrapings, I failed to ask.] She take dat quicksilver an' she puts it in a perfume bottle, one dem li'le perfume bottle, an' when she puts it in dere, she writes dat man's name down. Write it down on one piece of papah but jes' big enough tuh fit into dat perfume bottle. She writes it down nine times, but jes' big enough tuh fit into dat perfume bottle. Write it down straight, one right behin' de othah.
(Like Sam Jones, Sam Jones?)
Yassuh. An' she put dat in a piece of papah an' she put dat quicksilver in dere. She takes dat quicksilver an' she stops it up tight so it won't come out or nuthin. An' she bo's a hole in 'er mattress, on de side where he supposed tuh lay, an' she puts dat quicksilver right down in dat bed on de side where he lays. Dat'll keep 'im. Dat whut de wimmins do. Dey uses dat concernin', dat concernin' say, lak yo' would de yellah cotton.
(Did you tell me about the yellow cotton?)
Yassuh, ah tole yo' 'bout de yellah cotton.
Entry 8835
Well, ah have carried mens an' wimmins tuh de root doctors tuh cure cases lak dat, an' whut he does, he gives 'em some kinda powdah. [I stop ma- chine but informant then continues.]
(He tells them to write a letter?)
Write 'em a lettah an' dey open dat lettah an' find dere be in it a high per- fume an' dey'll smell it an' in nine days dey'll be back home.
(That is some sort of powder that he makes?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8868
Ah heah tell 'em takin' yore - a lettah dat chew wrote tuh a person - dat chew'd write a lettah tuh me. Ah've heard of 'em takin' dat lettah an' puttin' per- fume on it. Dat's tuh make yo' come tuh me. Yo' take dat lettah an' yo' put perfume on it an' yo' put dat lettah between yore mattress an' yo' sleep on dat lettah each night. Each night befo' goin' tuh. baid why yo' make a wish dat dis person would come, an' yo' continue tuh sleep on dat lettah. An' ah've heard dat by doin' dat an' sprinklin' it wit Hearts Perfume each night, why ah believe in de ninth night, aftah de ninth night, why dat person mo' likely tuh come tuh yo'.
Entry 8919
If yo' wanted to go some place an' yo' wanted to - yo' just get yo' some mistletoe. Yo' boil dat mistletoe an' shrimps together.
(Shrimps?)
Mistletoe and shrimps. Yo' boil dat together an' yo' put some German Hearts Perfume with dat. (German Heart's Perfume?) German Hearts Perfume. Yo' put dat with de mistletoe an' de shrimps, yo' boil all dat together, an' yo' wash yore house good an' sprinkle dat. An' yo' could go out an' leave your door open, ain't nobody comin' in dere.
(To steal anything?)
No, sir, to steal anything.
Entry 10574
Den, if yo' want luck wit winnin', say yo' kill a bat an' take de heart out of de bat, aftah yo' kill it. Den aftah yo' taken dat heart out, take dat heart an' make a toby, see, an' sew it. Yo' take dat heart an' git chew some good flannen, an' aftah yo' git some good flannen, den git some good perfume called Jockey Club - lucky perfume - an' a piece of lodestone. An' den yo' take an' dampen dat lodestone an' sew it togethah - sew it up. Sew it up in dat red flannen. An' den aftah yo' sew it up in dat red flannen, dat's a lucky piece [a toby]. Dat will bring yo' luck. Dat's whut chew call luck. An' all yo' gotta do is jes' grease yore han', jes' when yo' wanta go tuh gamble or sompin lak dat. Oil yore han's 'fore yo' go, den yo'll have luck. Now, if a man is got a lucky han', dey come tuh yo' [root doctor] an' say, "So-an'-so got a lucky han' an' ah wanta know how tuh stop him." All right. Yo' tum right aroun'& den an' git chew some salt an' red peppah an' sew it up in de same thing. an' give it to 'em [himl an' let 'im wear it in his right pock- et. An' when he goes tuh gamble' an' find de fellah dat's got dis luck, take his [own] bag an' hit his han' dat-a-way an' rub de dice. Dat will kill dat.
(Any kind of flannel?)
Yessuh. Jes' since it's de red flannen. Dat'll kill dat.
(Kill the other fellow's luck.)
Yessuh. Dat will kill, too.
Entry 10580
Takin' de bat yo' understan' an' capturin' him wit'out killin' him, see. An' cuttin' him open an' takin' his heart out. Takin' his heart an' sewin' it in a little red bag. An' put some perfume in dere wit de bat heart. Put some of dat cinnamon powder in dere an' put de controllin' powder in dere. An' make a little bag an' wear it in yore pocket. An' every game yo' go, yo' understan', yo'll be [something] lucky fo' gamblin'.
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 10625
You get 'em - two together, you know.
(Oh! It's a root that grows together.)
Two of 'em together; one's Adam, the other Eve. Now those, the things they are used for, will keep a man and woman together - they will keep them together. (Well now, how would they use that?) They go to work and get that Adam-an'-Eve root, get it green [fresh], and you name one Adam and the other one Eve, after you wash it off good. And you put it in a bottle, ay old bottle, and don't break 'em loose. One Adam and the other one is Eve. Dren they put perfume in there.
(Any special kind of perfume?)
No, any kind. Put the perfume in there. They name [one] for the woman and Che other the man, when they are speaking about 'em. They may use chamber lye ad perfume in it. Stop it up. Long as you keep that, you will hold the man if you want to.
Entry 9711
Salt an' sugah an' perfume; de three combine an' dey say dat brings de crowd in. Or eithah de kind of incense yo' burn will bring 'em in.
Entry 9846
(What's that?) Take nine needles... [I interrupt.] (You take nine needles.) Put 'em in a cross [form] - see, right across dataway; jis' dataway, see. An' put 'em intuh a bag of red flannel an' keep it 'nointed; good perfume, not de cheap, yo' umdahstan'. Put it intuh a bag an' put anothah bag aroun' dit. An' keep it 'nointed wit incense in dat red-flannel bag. [This red-flannel bag here represents the heart. Small needles can be placed head to tail or point, a symbolical crossing; or actually cross them through material in the bag. For this type of hand or mojah, see No.2163, p.621, vol.1 and elsewhere.]
Entry 9891
Yo' take a toadfrog alive an' yo' sew it up. Yo' puts 'im in a sack, sew 'im in a sack 'live. An' den ah cain't git tuh yuh bed, see, but dere is a fren' woman dat kin git tuh dere dat is a pers'nal fren' of mine. Ah give huh dat, tell 'uh tuh put it in yuh bed, in yuh mattress, see. An' when she slip dat, put dat in dat mattress, yo' become restless an' dose things will come tuh be in yuh flesh, becuz ah got de frog in dere. An' ah got de needles in dere, dat make de pain come. An' den dat git chew restless on de bed. Don't care when yo' git in dat bed, yo' gotta git out an' gits dressed. An' den all ah got- ta do den, aftah ah got it in dere, ah'll come tuh yuh house; an' when ah come tuh yuh house, if ah ketch yuh back tuh me, see, ah sprin- kle yuh bed wit dese [some kind of] powdahs. Ah sprin- kle dat, else ah drop one or two drops of dat perfume on dere.
Entry 10695
Oil of bergamine [bergamot] and some oil of wintergreen when yo' go tuh gamblin', jis' rub some of it on yore han' an' some White Rose Perfume.
Entry 10716
Dey says takin' a bird nest. Now, dat's somethin', de same thing of love, of married life. Like if yo' wanted a girl, yo' know, an' she doesn't seem tuh care anythin' fo' yo', yo' jes' take de bird nest down an' yo' take, taht if yo' kin git anything of hers, an' put it in dere, an' put it in dis nest, an' sew it up in a piece of new homespun an' yo' wear it yourself yo' see. An' den yo' take de perfume an' put on dat an' jes' yo' know, lak yo' be round her an' yo' know how like girls will be round yo', an' put dere ban's in yore pocket yo' know, an' take de han'kerchief out. Yo' may grab it, but see, she git de scent of dat. Dat'll change her mind an' she do jes' lak yo' wanted her do.
(You put this bird's nest into the handkerchief?)
In de han'kerchief. An' yo' puts dis Hearts Perfume. Jes' don't take nuthin out de bird nest. Jes' take de whole nest right up an' puts it in dis lil' piece of homespun. Den yo' put it in a han'kerchief 'cause yo' want it on it fo' nine mawnin's with dis Hearts Perfume in it. See, when yo' put it in dere, yo' more den apt tuh put it in yore pocket, yo' see. Well, when yo' put dis han'kerchief in yore pocket, dey more den apt tuh grab it. When dey grab, yo' know, yo' goin' have somethin' in dere, but yo' won't have it in de han'kerchief so dey can't shake it out. Well, whenevah she git de scent of dat, why it won't be long 'fore she goin' follow yo'. Well, dat's nuthin but jes' tuh make love.
Entry 11166
(What do they do with the devil's-shoestring?)
Dey take dat and put it down in a bottle of perfume with some garlic and ies keep it in a bottle, you see. And if you got it at home, well every time you leave out of home, why you take it and rub it on your hands. Dat's fer luck. And fer your protection op de streets, you git dat devil's-shoestring and you take it and put it around your waist right to your skin. You tie it around your waist.
(What will that protect you from?)
Dat's to protect you from de law. All you gotta do is tie it to yoar shn.
Entry 11188
This [is] what I used in gambling. I gambles myself. I have gambled - a long time ago - to meet paydays and things. Well, I'd take me and get me a Jockey Club perfume. Understand? I take Jockey Club perfume and I takes Luseen oil. (What kind? Luceen?) Yes, [Luseen or Luceen]. That's a yallow oil. You get it at the Cracker Jack Drug Store. Luseen oil. And get you that pure Jockey Club - pure stuff - and you get this much [demon- strates] for fifteen cents of that Luseen oil, you see, for to put down in there [your mixture]. And you put that in there and you get you three of them little small dice, you see. And you dress them [dice] with that [mixture] see. Take and cut 'em on each four corner, you understand, so you can know 'em when you turn - five and six at. Well, you take and you cut - you know seven make eleven. And you take them and put them in some powder and take 'em out of that powder. And take some of that perfume and stuff and put over 'em, you know, and shine 'em up like they shine. And put that in your pocket. Put that in your right pocket. And now, you have you another big pair of dices - that's for gambling with dices, see them big dices. And you put some of that perfume on it and you just have you somepin with this powder - just keep it in there and it just smell good all the time. And every time that you go, you go on to gambling or somepin, put them dice down in that. Somebody will be Wanting to stop playing with you, be saying, "Well, what's the matter with them dice?" Well, you setting just like you got a friend or buddy. You see, you don't want to all the time put 'em - let somebody else put 'em down. You say, "Let's change dice." You have him with a Pair and he take and change them. [Informant, woman, claimed to have worked with Madam Helen!]
Entry 11262
The candles ain't much good, but it is an incense that you kin get and burn it, and talk to dis incense and whatever you want to happen, well, if you handle it right, it will sure do what you want it to do. If you want to drau de person or you want to send 'em. Either come or go. But you must have that HOODOO DUST along with it. It ain't no good to draw along by itself, but it has power. But it takes more than that, you know, to make it act.
(Has that any special name?)
Odor of Bangum.
(Odor of Bengum?)
That's it.
(Incense? And you put this hoodoo powder with it?)
That's the idea. (Is that hoodoo powder made specially, or do you buy that from somebody, mix it or what?) Well, yes, there's people that makes this hoodoo powder and something that you kin buy from the drug store is used for other purposes, but you kin mix it together. Why it's all right just the same. (What would you buy in the drug store? What sort of stuff would you buy there?) Well, you might go dere and get you a little High John de Conquah. You kin get that in a powders, too; most any way you want it. Mix it up dere together with the perfume and so on. Dere's other little stuff that you mix in it. Get it lined up right and whatever you want to happen, it'll happen.
Entry 11709
Well, it's a powder yo' go tuh de drug sto' an' git which in - it's a plain powder called calomus [calamus = sweet flag] powders - jest a common powder. Yo' go tuh de drug sto' an' yo' kin git de powders in de drug sto', an' yo' kin git de Heart Perfume, an' yo' mix it up tuhgether. An' take yo' a little piece of gar- lic an' chip it up an' put it in dere. An' put it in a little sack an' wear it. An' yo' walk in dere, he [boss] mo' 'en [= then = than] apt tuh put chew tuh work.
(This is calamus?)
Yes, jes' plain calomus. (It's not calomel? Calamus that they put around a baby's neck - to wear? What do you use calamus for otherwise? What do you use it for?) Well, yo' kin jes' take it fo' a bad cold or tuh clean out chure system or anything. Ah have used it mahself wit Heart Perfume an'....
Entry 11846
Dey takes a strand of your hair an' tie it in nine knots. Den dey vill have you just like dey wanta, anything dat dey want you to do. And dey got chure hair, such as [both places] or love lettahs, why you'll be behold [usually beholden] to dem. See, 'cause dey got dat hair down in dat perfume and it's stopped up [in a bottle]. You more den apt to [give in] to dem right away.
Entry 11996
If you put a person's hair in a bottle with Hearts Perfume, the person whose hair it is will love you. [Each hoodoo vender probably had his own variety bearing a label with two or more small red hearts on it.] [Charleston 606:4.]
Entry 12000
Hair in bottle with graveyard dirt and perfume draws the owner of the hair to you. [Wilmington 114:6+85.]
Entry 12103
A woman kin take that [man's hat bow] an' sew that up in her gartah, you see. You understand, sew that up in her gartah an' put it in a jar, an' pour perfume on it, understand, an' a little of her chamber lye. An' sew it up, you lnow, on the inside an' put it in her gartah, an' wear it aroun' her leg.
(This bow out of his hat?)
This bow out of his hat. That'll hold 'im.
Entry 12225
Yo' supposed tuh use Jockey Club perfume.
(It's Jockey Club or Jack of Clubs.)
Well, ah cain't git it right.
(Jack of Clubs from the deck of cards or the jockey that rides a horse?)
Yeah, jacket dat chew put on yo' Perfume [!!!]. Yo' supposed tuh use dat an' garlic. Keep garlic in yore pocket an' Jack of Clubs in yore pocket, an' yo' supposed tuh have luck in gamblin'. (What do you do, put this perfume on the garlic?) [Is this for real or a piece of concoted witticism of the moment!] Put it on de garlic an' on yore han' when yo' goin' to a game. But keep de garlic in yore pocket an' de Jack of Clubs, jis' po' a little bit out in yore han' an' go into de gamblin', see, an' have yo' garlic in yore pocket.
Entry 12239
Take Hearts Perfme an yo' take dis blacksnake root an' take de John de Conkah an' yo' put it in dis perfume an' let it stay fo' twenty-fo' hours an' in twenty-fo' hours, yo' put dat perfume on yo' an' yo' go down an' as yo' ask 'im fo' a job, yo' take dis perfume on yore han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' wavin' it lak dis [demon- strates].
(Just wave it around.)
Jes' wave an' dat'll change his mind an' he'll give yo' a job, even if yo' quit, an' he'll send back fo' yo'.
Entry 12291
Wal, say yo' tie twelve knots in a cotton string an' wear dat string right on - next to yore flesh. Quite natural yo' dresses dat string wit not a thing in de world but Hearts Own Perfume an' wear it right nex' to yore skin.
(What do you wear that for?)
Well, yo' see dat give yo' luck - keep hard luck away from yo' an' bring good luck to yo'.
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 12344
(Lodestone.)
Keep it wet with perfume and tote that in your pocket. That will give you lock to get a job like that, even be able lucky for anything - luck for anything like that.
Entry 12350
[Here is a hand from an excellent hoodoo woman whose material was lost before it could be transcribedl: Lodestone, John de Conkah, saltpeter, dime (silver one), make wish while sewing bag to you, anoint every 9 days with whiskey or Jockey Club Perfume, "feed it, ' a bag. [This is my original resume of the rite in pencil, attached to final manuscript.]
Entry 12376
Say yo' take some, any kind of lucky oil, or lucky perfume, dat makes a very pleasin' smell. Consequently the boss smells it. It isn't de per- fume altogethah dat git a man's job, but it attract dey 'tenshun, den he kin talk himself into a position.
Entry 12473
Ah heard of a man once dat wuz goin' wit a girl. He wuz a married man. An' dis girl wanted tuh go tuh de show. He didn't want her tuh go because a single [man] was carryin' her. So he called for her an' had her go tuh his office. An' he strangles her first. An' den he dismembered her body, cut de haid off first an' her arms, an' den he cuts her body off [up]: cuts her thighs off, den de laigs - jes' dismembered her dat way. Dere wuz nobody in de office, an' he lived about ten miles out. He carries her out past his home an' put [the parts of] her body different places, an' two weeks later de news got out an' he didn't say anything about it, when he heard de news. He went tuh her people about her. He hadn't seen her in a couple of weeks an' she was on a vacation. It was man seen him put de haid out - out of a truck. He know de man's face but he didn't know his name. An' when de news got out about her, dey go tuh dis place an' git de haid, an' roun' in dat settlement dey found all de parts of de body. He burnt her clothes an' shoes in his office. An' dis man, after dey got her back tuhgether, de man dat killed her, dat was her sweetheart. Dey carried dis man tuh de undertaker's shop tuh identify her. But it didn't seem tuh take any 'fect on him de first three times dey carried him. So de third time he wus dere, why dey used some kind of - dey called it perfume, but ah don't know de name of de perfume. It was tuh weaken him. De nex' time dey didn't have tuh carry him dere. He went hisself an' gave up. After he looked at her, he jes' broke an' telled dem.
Entry 12564
Parsley what you have in the garden, boil that and take a bath with that, and sugar and a little bit of Jockey Club perfume. That's very lucky to gamble. [New Orleans 1364:4.]
Entry 12714
Ah say yo' kin take a rabbit if a person - jes' like if it's a man or a woman, yo' kin take de lef' hin' feet [foot] of a rabbit after yo' done killed him. Yo' take dat lef' hin' feet of dat rabbit an' if yo' wear it in yore pocket or yore purse or sompin [MAY BE ONLY MENTION OF PULLING TENDON - TO IMPRESS?] like that, whoever yo' Want tuh [be] round or sompin, well yo' jes' take that if yo' keep that rabbit foot bathed in dis heah Hearts Perfume - if yo' keep it bathed in Hearts Perfume and git chew some dragons blood and sprin- kle on it, and wherevah yo' go, yo' know it's a little cord in dat rabbit's feet, yo' kin pull it an' it seem like it's alive. [Pulling tendon of rabbit foot is rare in rites.] And if yo' go round wherevah yo' go, if yo' take dat piece of root out of yo' pocket or either yore pocketbook, and if yo' jes' touch de person whoevah yo' want or sompin like dat, yo' kin get 'em. With the lef' feet of de rabbit. (Do you touch them with your hand or must you touch them with the rabbit foot?) With de rabbit foot. (And what do you do with that cord [tendon]? Yo' pull it.
(When do you pull it?)
Whenever yo' git aroun' 'em. See dat [tendon] work duh foot.
(Oh, you must pull it when you touch them, you mean?)
Yeah, see, when yo' go in yo' jes' pull it, see. That means yore workin', yo' know, de rabbit's foot - dat little piece of cord dat's in it, yo' know - little stringlike yo' could put it and: it will work. It come out of de feet chew know, piece of de flesh - whatevah it is - when yo' cut it off. Dat's de lef' hin' foot of de rabbit.
Entry 12658
Like yo' might have a girl fren' an' some other girl. Yo' might be wit chure girl fren' an' yo' like her or somepin, an' yo' wanta be on de good side of dis girl. Dis girl might be a fren' to dis other girl, but chew Want dis other girl. Yo' go an' buy yo' a pocket han'ke'ch'ef, in other words yo' buy three pocket han'ke'ch'efs, see. Yo' take dis pocket han'ke'ch'ef, de first one, an' put de 'nitial of dis girl yo' like, yo' wanna gain love with, in dis pocket han'ke'- ch'ef.
(What do you use to put the initial in there?)
Well, yo' can stamp it in dere, embroider it dere, anyway yo' wanta put it n in dere. An' yo' bury dis first pocket handkerchief, yo' see. Yo' take dis second pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' do de same, yo' put dis 'nitial in dere any- way yo' prefer to put it in dere, and yo' offer her de second pocket han'ke'- chief. Well, she - in other words she may refuse dis han'ke'ch'ef. But yo' take de third one yo'self an' put chure 'nitial in it an' yo' keep dis pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' use de same thing. Yo' take any kin' high-priced perfume an' put in dis han'ke'ch'ef. Put two drops on it or one perhaps, but two be's still stronger. Well, if she refuse dis han'ke'ch'ef wit her 'nitial in it, yo' bury it wit de han'ke'ch'ef whut chew bury wit her 'nitial in it, yo' see; but chew take dis one yo' got yo'self wit chure 'nitial in it an' yo' - yo' know if yo' got de privilege to go see her, well, when yo' entertaining her, yo' jes' take dat han'ke'ch'ef, pull it out chure pocket an' sorta, yo' know, flash it 'cross her face so she git de scent of dis perfume, yo' see. An' use dis John de Con- kah root yo' call it. Chew it yo' see, or perhaps she may be de kind like to kiss or somepin. Well, yo' can kiss her an' chew on dis root. Yo' gains love like dat.
Entry 12875
Well, dey got a root dey call de Sampson Giant root.
(Sampson what?)
Sampson Giant root. It's a root, it's impossible almost to break it. Well, it would, could stand a tremendous pressure to break it, but jis' hand it to a person ordinarily, they can't do anything with it. An' they call it the Samp- son Giant root. And they claim that you kin take it and by using it through a perfume, or else using a piece of gum, and you apply for a job, that nine times out of ten, whoever you ask for a job, he will write you up to go to work or give you a proposition to come back at another time. That there's no way to refuse you as long as you got a piece of it, and kin get around him so as to encircle him. Why you got him under your influence during that time.
(You have to go and circle around him?)
Circle and naturally he'll stop. And you tell him your business, that you come to apply for a job. And of course he's more 'an apt to look over and give you somepin to do. That's known as the Sampson Giant root.
Entry 4276
An' mah mothah when she wuz - used tuh settle wit a white man, he nevah come in dere 'till twelve or one a'clock, an' so she, well, didn't wan' tuh be dere dat late at night, yuh know, tryin' tuh settle wit 'im. An' so she tole a certain man dat came along [itinerant root worker] an' he tole her, says, "Well, now, ah tell yuh whut tuh do, if yuh wanta make him settle wit yuh, an' ah guarantee he'll settle wit yuh 'fore ten a'clock tuhnight." She say, "All right." He say, "Git chew some gunpowdah an' git chew a little han'ke'ch'ef, [and] dis Sweet Sachet Powdah - perfume, sachet powdah." An' he say, "An' den she'll [yuh'll] cook fo' him too" - she cooked fo' de white man - he says, "an' yuh sprinkle dat sachet powdah all aroun' dere. An' den yuh put some of dat gun- powdah in it an' put some vine - blacksnake root in dere." An' he say, "Yuh go on dere an' talk wit 'im." An' he said, "He'll ask yuh - yuh don't have tuh fuss eithah - settle right away." Well, she'd git dat an' she would sew dat bag on 'er. Dat's when I wuz small.
(Where did this happen? In what part of the country?)
"At was up here at Hollyville.
(That's in Mississippi?)
Campbellsville, yes sir, Mississippi. (I see. Well, she would put this snakeroot in this powder and just sprinkle it around? What did she do with it?) She would put dat sachet powdah all aroun' 'is plate-like - make de food smell good. She didn't put it in food. Well, she put dat othahs in a little bag, yuh know, dat [gunpowder] an' dat snakeroot-like - yuh know, dat blacksnake root, an' carried it [bag] in dere when she went on tuh urinate on it.
(She would urinate on it before she went in there?)
Yes.
(And she carried the bag?)
Yes, sir.
(Well, why wouldn't he settle with her except at those hours at night?)
Ah don't know, he jis' wouldn't do it. She'd go dere an' set an' set. She stayed wit 'im five years, an' whenevah he'd settle, she'd have tuh go dere an' set. He jes' wouldn't settle, jis' waitin' an' foolin' aroun'.
Entry 4489
De dirt from undah dere, an' take de watah - go right in yuh bathtub, don't use no zinc tub, skim dat grease off round dere an' mix it wit dere fingahnails an' toenail. An' den yuh kin - if yuh want a man or anything like dat, good luck, jes' use it. Wear it an' anoint wit it an' he'll do anything yuh want 'im to. Give yuh money or anythin' like dat - HURT 'IS WIFE FO' YUH. (I see. You put these things in a bag or something with your fingernails and the toenails?) Yes, sir, an' den dat grease, yuh know, when yuh bathe, dat stuff comes aroun' dere [the edge of the bathtub].
(That grease, that scum. And then you say you anoint that with something?)
Yuh anoint yuh body.
(Oh, you anoint your body, I see.)
Yes.
(Oh, I see - make sort of a salve?)
Yes, an' den put some dat heart - put dat old-time perfume.
(Heart's Cologne.)
Old-time perfume.
(Heart's Perfume, put that in with it. Make it smell nice. I see.)
Yes. [While machine is stopped I must have asked about the fingernails and toe- nails.] Claim dey get de toenails, fingahnails, something like dat. Hit jes' de same thing.
(I see, and that [the nails] will repeat the same thing.)
Yes.
Source passage
continuous interview · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
An' I goes in the swamps an' I gits mah 'erbs. I know w'a' to go in
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[for]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
. I goes in ole fiel's
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[fields]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
an' git mah 'erbs.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(I see.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
I know w'a' to go an' git.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[Here he showed his shield - nine articles wrapped up in a very dirty hand- kerchief.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Oh yes. Uhuh. You keep those wrapped up in a handkerchief.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
I keeps these with me.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Uhuh.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
The're suppose to be in a bottle. I dropped mah bottle an' broke it. Those
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[are]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
diff'rent kind of 'erbs.
editorial gloss or commentary; supporting excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[Bottle instead of bag shows that the contents of this hand were constantly kept moist, that is fed in a liquid (p.578) - here, a perfume.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(What's the round thing?)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
This here?
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Yes.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
That's a Jeruzlum bean.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Jerusalem bean.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Yes sir.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Uhuh.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
That's for luck in gamblin'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(I see.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
This is a devil-shoestring.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Devil's-shoestring.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
That's a piece of High John the Conker.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(High John the Conquer.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
That's a piece of bloodroot.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Bloodroot.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Yes sir. This here's a Samson
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[or Sarpson - sometimes called Sampson snakeroot]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Samson.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Samson This here's the bub
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[bulb]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
off of w'a' choo call the live-an'-everlastin'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Life-everlasting.)
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[His live pronounced Zyve.]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Yes sir. Now, this here right here. See w'a' this is right here? You see that little small piece?
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Uhuh.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Why that's a little piece of w'a's
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[what is]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
called devil's-bit.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Devil's what?)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Devil's-bit.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Bit?)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Devil's-bit. That's a root. I've got over nine diff'ren'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[different]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
'erbs in here.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
(Uhuh.)
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
Now, I'll git nine differn' 'erbs that I have. You see I cares
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[carries]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
this daily.
editorial recording or production note; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 934
[Side one will continue later.]
informant · Current interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 935
You kin smell the perfume on 'em. I cares this daily - cares it on me. That is I had it jes' because I was comin' up here
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 935
[to see you]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 935
because there's mah fish an' mah reels an' ev'rything right there. I've got about sixteen pounds of fish hangin' on the porch out there neigh mah fishin' tackle. Tha's the reason why I'm not - didn't make no change
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 935
[of clothing]
informant · Current interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 935
.
locally coherent subpassage
Recording-side notes do not close the semantic unit. Botanical glosses remain editorial; informal pronunciation is not taxonomic identity.
bounded_demonstration_account_with_recording_continuation_marker
Nine versus over nine is retained; the passage is not an exhaustive inventory.
The bottle/liquid-feeding explanation is editorial interpretation, not the informant explaining why it is fed.
Printed names supplied or repeated by the interviewer remain interviewer speech.
The Side one continuation marker does not authorize reconstructing any absent recording.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 2, page image · Vol. 2, page image · Vol. 2, p. 933 · Vol. 2, p. 934 · Vol. 2, p. 935 · Vol. 2, p. 936