Subject:Persimmon
Entries
Entry 1419
Yo' take 'simmon trees an' bring yore eyesight back - dat's all ah've heard. Take it - take de 'simmon tree an' yo' take dat fresh coat offa de first wood. Den yo' scrapes right next to it - jes' dat 111' fresh skin- wood dat's on it - den yo' scrapes right undah dat an' yo' git dat out from undah dere, an' den yo' take dat an' bathe yore eyes in it when yo' blind. Say dat will bring yore sight back. Mah mother tried dat once.
Entry 3244
Dere is de roots of de 'simmon tree. Yo' go out dere an' yo' git de roots offa dat. [A rooster began to: crow. I must have put up my hand asking for silence, be- cause informant inquires:] Suh?
(That rooster is crowing in the daytime. Means change in weather doesn't it?)
[I did not ask him what it meant because I was not collecting folklore uncon- nected with spirits or magic rites.] Yes.
[We continue.]
(Get that root of the persimmon tree?)
Yessuh.
(Any place?)
From dis side [demonstrates]. Always gits it from dis side, from de sundown side. An' in de mawnin' yo' git it from sunrise, see. An' yo' take dat off dere den an' yo' carry it back home an' yo' boils it - yo' make a tea out of it. When yo' make de tea out of it, den yo' kin put dat, chew know, into a bathe fo' a woman tuh bathe. Put jes' some in de watah in case she wants - she goin' wit chew [her husband] sompin. An' jes' a little teaspoonful of alum an' dat will make her close up - see, jes' draw up. An' he swears she won' have no- body but 'im. He swears nobody go dere but 'im. (You say if she takes a douche with this bath water, with this persimmon root boiled in it, it makes her close up?) Close up, an' a little piece of alum.
(And who would do this? The woman does that to herself?)
To herself, whut she do it fo'. An' when he go dere he swear she ain't messin' wit nobody but 'im. He ain't nuthin but a fool about it. She jes' ain't goin worry 'im 'bout it. An' she kin mess wit, have a hunderd diff'ren mens; but she nevah git it - close right down. An' he go right behin' dem an' swear she ain't nevah have no one.
(She is having those men. It would be too open if her husband [unexpectedly]
came around. She uses that and she closed it back up again. And he won't think anybody has been there.) Dat's right. [THE THEORY OF MAGIC HERE IS: A ROOT FROM THE SUNRISE SIDE OF THE TREE OPENS; FROM THE SUNSET SIDE, CLOSES.]
Entry 4338
Take de persimmon an' dogwood an' boil it an' make a tea outa it. Place chamber lye an' sulphur tuh it an' gives Dentine paste - Dentine tooth- paste. An' dey say yuh kin go anywhere yuh wanta an' yuh gain luck. (Where do you keep all this stuff?) Well, yuh jis' take it an' keep it jis' where- somevah yuh wan' tuh. Yuh have it fixed an' set lak yuh want it tuh set. See, always jis' take a little part of it. Yuh dress it lak yuh wan'a tuh yore own bouse [dress your house with it in any way you want to]. An' when yuh git ready tuh go [away from home], why yuh take yuh luck an' fix [dress] yuh han's wit yuh luck, an' den yuh go.
Entry 4469
Yuh takes de manure of a person aftah dey have a action an' yuh go tuh a 'simmon tree an' bo' a hole in it, an' take de manure an' puts it in dis 'sim- mon tree. An' den yuh make yuh peg an' stop in dere. Dat usely [usually] locks dere bowels. (You have to go to a persimmon tree?) Yes, becuz a 'simmon tree yuh know is tight itself. Somehow or 'nothah it works - jis' on an' on.
Entry 5544
Yo' don' wan'a harm 'em but yo' goin' tuh move 'em. Yo' walk right down de road behin' 'im whichevah he's walkin'. Git chew sides [suckers] dat growin' from a hick'ry or from a 'simmon [persimmon] tree, an' stick it down at de end of 'is toe an' clip it off at 'is heel. An' take dem [clipped sticks measuring foot tracks] an' carry it [them] down tuh de rivah, say, "Go an' don' come back." An' he cain't stay dere.
(How many years old you you take the tree?)
Jis' only three sides less den a yeah old, but maybe [as old as] three yeahs. Cut dem de length of de feet [foot tracks] an' carry 'em an' don' look back, whatevah yo' do. Wish dere [at the river]. Dat will move him. (You take that from a persimmon tree?) From any tree in a stump. See, yo' jis' cuts if off, cut one heah an' two heah.
(We call them little suckers.)
Well, we call 'em sides, sprouts.
Entry 5603
"Simmon [persimmon] tree. Ah've heard dat yo' kin take 'simmon, yo' kin git a half-green root - yo' kin git a half-green 'simmon an' yo' kin take a li'le cloth, ah reckon about a yard or half a yard wide. An' yo' kin take dat half-green 'simmon an' dat half a yard of cloth, an' yo' kin take de tracks of a person an' write his name in 'is tracks. Put 'em in dat li'le cloth an' sew it up, an' care [carry] it tuh de rivah an' throw it ovahbo'd; but chew wanta throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' yo' leave dere walkin'. Don't nevah look back at it. An' dat'll run dem crazy.
(What do you do with that persimmon?)
Well, ah says yo' put dat 'simmon [track] in dat.
(Oh, you put that in that [track] too.)
Entry 6242
Yo' kin take a person's hair - [even] a little hairout Le comb - an' take it an' go to a 'simmon tree an' split it. Take yore knife an split it down a little bit an' put dat hair in dat tree an' dey'll nevah part - dg'll nevah go from yo' until dat tree rot down. (Now, I would take some woman's hair and put it in there. Just her hair alone?) Yassuh, jis' 'er hair alone.
Entry 6864
Ah use dat mahself fo' children, yo' know, when dey got thrash [thrush].
(Chew persimmon bark for what?)
Children when dey got de thrash.
(Children when they'ye got a sore mouth.)
Yes.
Entry 8360
Yeah, yo' takes a pichure. Well, yo' take de person pichure even if yo' in love wit 'em an' even if yo' see where dey don' mean tuh stay wit choo, an' yo' Wanta git rid of 'em fo' good. Yo' takes de pichure an' yo' goes tuh whut dey call a'simmon tree, an' de firs' two [limbs forming a] no'th fo'ks yo' see, den yo' takes de pichure an' tacks it up in de no'th fo'k. De no'th fo'k. Yo' find two fo'ks [limbs] run out jes' lak dat [demonstrates]. Put de pichure right in de daid centah.
(In the center of that fork?)
Yeah, right in de centah of dat fo'k. De fo'k may be a long ways up yondah, but still yo' kin see dat pichure.
(Well, how would you put it in that fork?)
Yo' don't put it intuh dat. Yo' nails, it, drive a nail through de centah. Den yo' walk back tuh it three days. Yo' pass dat same tree three days. An' when yo' pass dere yuh mind will git on dat tree forcible. Den aftah de third day, yo' take de pichure down an' conceal it from yo' fo' good.
(Hide it any place?)
Yes, anywhere, anywhere dat chew won' come in contact wit it any mo'.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat'll put off whatevah yo' goin' through ovah wit. Dat will send 'em away fo' good.
(They won't come back again?)
Dey won't come back.
Entry 8684
Well, yo' go out there [to a crossroad] for whatsomevah yo' want [to] be done. Yo' make a cross in dat road. Yo' go to a 'simmon [persimmon] tree an git a 'simmon tree an' cut [a piece off] about 3 inches, yo' know what 3 inches is. Yo' make a split in that, in that piece yo' cut off, if yo' wan'a stop 'em from goin' de way they're goin', if dey goin' roun' some woman, somepin like dat. Yo' always urinate on it an' make yore wish an' write de name. Stick it [name] right down in dat cut chew made an' drive it in de ground.
[This is one of a number of split stick rites.]
(Where?)
Right in that cross, where you make dat cross.
(At the crossroad.)
Yes sir, under dat cross an' cover it.
Entry 8685
A persimmon? Why yo' kin take a 'simmon tree an' go on de east side of a 'simmon an' dig a root, an' whilst yo' diggin' dat root yo' name it. Jes lak if yo' wanta do sompin to a person, yo' name dat root while yo' diggin' dat root. An' aftah yo' git dat root dug, yo' carry it home an' dry it. When yo dy dat root, yo' name it as yo' put it up tuh dry. Yo' name dat root. An' in nine day's time yo' kin take dat root an' jes' whichsomevah way yo' throw dat root, name it. As yo' throw it, name it. Jes' whichsomevah way yo' throw dat root, dat person will go de way yo' throw dat root, an' yo' nevah see 'em no mo'. Yo'll nevah see 'em no mo'.
[I restart recording machine to add further information.] (You can use the root of any tree?) Any tree.
Entry 8686
[To stop a person influencin' in de world an' cut his success off, de way yo' do dat. Yo' git, yo' know, some of dis copris [copper] wiah. Yo' know dis roun' wiah kinda lak gold wiah. (Like the electric light wire?) Yes. Well, yo' take dat an' den yo' call this individual's name an' yo' tie three knots in it an' tie it roun' a green 'simmon tree. His success or his influence will be cut off. (A piece of copper wire, any kind of copper wire.) [These two notations of mine emphasize the confusion some informants had between copperas and copper. Present informant says copris.]
Entry 8687
Yo' kin go to a 'simmon tree an' go on de east side of dat tree an' cut chew a switch. Cut it up an' - yo' kin be in New York an' yo' kin take dat switch an' yo' kin notch dat switch wit nine notches. Jes' lak [demonstrates] yo' cut one heah, one heah - jes' cut it all roun' until yo' git dose nine notches on dere. Den yo' kin take dat 'simmon switch an' grease it in olive oil, an' go to de head of a person - yore bed, if yo' gonna use it yoreself. Go to de bed an' stand it up, jes' lak dis is it [demonstrates] behin' de bed. Stand it up lak dat.
(You stand that switch up behind the head of your bed.)
An' den in de mawnin' yo' go turn de switch dat way, an' den yo' go call dat person by name an' stand it up on de othah end. (You call that switch by the person's name and then turn it up on the other end.) That [is] if yo' wanta bring a person to yo'. Yo' don't have to go [to the tree] any [special] time. After dey come [back home] an' when dey come in, yo' take dat switch an' yo' break dat switch in nine pieces [at the notches?]. An' when yo' break it in nine pieces, yo' wrap dat wit de cord towards yo'. An' yo' take it an' yo' put it in a li'le bottle an' cord dat switch up right tight in dat li'le bottle. An' yo' kin keep it in yore house in yore trunk, or yo' kin bury dat. An' as long as yo' keep dat, dey will stay dere. (Now, I have that switch behind the head of my bed. Here's the switch [I demonstrate] and when I call the name, then I turn it upside down like that, on the other end. The next morning I turn it upside down again and call the name. Do that every morning until...?) Until dey come. Dey won't be long comin' either.
(And you must cut this switch off the east side of a persimmon tree.)
Off de east side.
Entry 8688
Ah heard tell of 'em takin' a nail an' drivin' it in a tree, in a 'simmon tree, about halfway, till it git to dem li'le notches-lak [just below head of nail] an' dey they stops. An' dey take an' name dat nail whosomevah dey want it tuh be, an' dey'll nail it down. [Fayetteville, N. Car., (1428), 2577.1
Entry 9339
Yo' kin take a aig an' yo' kin do dis, if yo' have a husban' or any niggah man dat chew want money outa 'im. [My transcriber, Miss Hayes (her work- ing name, actually a married woman with young school children) put a question mark over the word niggah, being surprised that one black person would call an- other black, niggah. The word niggah probably appears about 3 times in Hoodoo.] Yo' git chew a hen aig. Some says dat, but de' way ah know of it, yo' takes a hen aig if yo' husban' uh [or] man is colahed, an' git chew yo' two switches an' yo' git dis aig. Some say dat chew...but dis de way ah knows. Yo' take dis aig an' yo' care [carry] it tuh de house an' yo' set it up tuh de side of it. Git chew a glass-a watah an' hold de egg ovah de glass wit' watah in de glass. Yo' pop dat egg an' let jis' de white run intuh dat watah an' dat egg [white] will show [di- vine by initial or other form] whoevah been givin' yo' trouble wit dat man. She'll come down [come round] jis' lak she mah friend. Dey'll sprung up, de switches [as soon as informant sees in the egg white the woman causing trouble and pretending to be a friend, the use of the following switches springs up in her mind.] Den yo' go an' take dem switches, two perslmmon switches, an' put 'em in yore baid where he's gotta go tuh baid at. Put yo' one undah de steps where he's comin' in. Put chew one, jis' [lay] it down across lak dat [demonstrates].
(Put it across that door.)
Yes, he comin' right in de do' an' de othah two is in de baid. Well, he'll git in dat bed an' start tuh talk wit chah an' he's goin' step on dere, dat one comin' in de do'. An' when he goes tuh baid, yo' an' 'im will lay down right on dat switch [2 switches] dere. Well, ef he got any money, ah assure yuh, he'll han' yo' evahthin'. He goin' pay yo' what money he got.
(How many of these switches do you git?)
Git two fer de baid an' one fer de do'.
(That is all you have to do and he will give you all his money?)
Yes, sir, an' he'll give it tuh yo', too.
Entry 9678
Yo' take de 'simmon bark. Ah heard dat one too, if anyone wants tuh trick yo' in any way. All right, yo' take de 'simmon bark an' yo' goes on an' yo' take nine tablespoon- fuls of table salt an' put it in dere wit dis bark. Yo' boils it. Den yo' take dis stuff an' go tuh dey house at night, chew know. An' when yo' backs out from dey house, yo' let it follah yo' from de do' tuh where yo' goin' - long as it leaks out. Well, if dey try tuh do anythin' dere's nuthin tuh dat.
(You put nine spoonfuls of salt in this persimmon bark?)
Yes.
Entry 12660
Pulverize persimmon bark and sugar, and one teaspoonful of sulphur. Put that on yore stove, on de top of your stove, on a Monday and Wednesdays. That's to get a job. Then you hold it and then you always kin pick up - getting jobs. (Well, what if you have a job?) It will cause you to pick up more, cause you to pick up more, cause you get more extra jobs. [This shows a chronic condition of the times, the Great Depression, there were few jobs for these people, and had there been permanent jobs, few were trained to hold them. Forty years later, as I write, conditions have not improved much.]
Entry 12661
Well, I'll tell you. If you're sellin' liquor, you can go ahead and sell it and have de house fixed so when dey [officers of the law] come dey can't come in. (How can you do that?) Well, you jes' git you some uh, you go to a 'simmon [persimmon] tree, you git a 'simmon tree, the bark, and tie it to de step - don't put it way under de step - and dey can't come in until you git everything out de way. [The magic here could be, you must get this bark while the tree has unripe persimmons on it. Bite into one of them and you will leave the others alone.]
Entry 12662
She take three little 'simmon [persimmon] switches, an' she could put them undah the doahstep of these people house, an' let it stay, an' it'll split 'em up. They say it'll jis' woop [whip] 'em an' buses [= busts = bursts] 'em up. [A pencil note of mine reads: "See putting oak branch in grave of murdered man to whip murderer to death, from Charleston, S. Car. See No.7507, p.3291, v.4.]