Subject:Put
Entries
Entry 2942
De white candle - ah want to tell yo' dat's fo' peace. Well, yo' put five Christian names - five people that chew think are Christians. Den yo' put five dead people name on de candle that are Chris- tians. Well, quite natural, those dead Christians is working wit de live Christians an' make dem de- vote their time an' dere energy an' do everything in their power they possibly can to make yo' happy All right. On a Friday yo burn red candles.
(How many?)
Just one.
(You burn these five white candles?)
No, tiiey aren't five. Those are five names.
(How do you put those names on the candle?)
Yo' would write them this way [demonstrates]. You write them with a pin - a straight pin.
(That's with the white candles. Now what about Friday with the red candles?)
The red candles on Friday, yo' use de same tactics; but dis time yo' use five peoples names you are in debt to, and den three dead sinners. An' yo' git dose three dead sinners, they are on there to whup these people that chew owe to who tantilize yo' 'bout chure bills.
(Now, what time of day do you burn those? Any time of day?)
No, yo' light them befo' sunup an' let them burn there till they go out - they go out theirself. Or if yo' write on them wrong or do the wrong thing with it, well it will go out.
Entry 2943
If I was burning a candle on you here and you'd be in Chicago, the way to make that candle go out, if it was an evil [candle] - if it would be working - if it was a black candle and [or] it would be a red candle - [I] would be burning that candle on you. And the moment you burn an evil candle on you, why it starts with a head - you have a ten- dency to have a headache. That's first starting off you have headaches. Well you light that black candle. I turns around - the moment I find out I may go to some hoodoo or go to a fortune- teller, and she might ketch the vibration right away, if she's pretty well up on clairvoyance work, the first thing she would offer up, that is, to set a pure white light. Then sends her thought direct with concentrating and with will power, and demand- ing whatsomever she desire with controlling power, and that light immediately over there - after she would burn her light one inch - it would say - Pop! - pop! - pop! Burn down at once. It won't go out, though - it just burn clean down. Now, I've seen that over there at de house,1917, right here in Lafayette Street.
(That candle that's burning against you would melt right away?)
Melt jist like - right down like that, just push down.
(It would give her controlling power?)
Yeah, controlling power - using controlling in dealing direct with the astral plane.
Entry 2990
[Every well-known rite has minor variants too numerous or too unimportant to mention. At times these variants are too important to ignore - see Penny, pages 611-615.] (a) Anoint your head nine times with blueing to put out candle. [Blueing will whiten, therefore it will turn black magic into white.] [New Orleans, La.,
(803), 1122:4.]
(b) Go to an old-fashioned fireplace, stick a steel fork into the hearth bricks while wishing for the candles to go out, and let it remain there. [Witch- craft remedy taken over by hoodoo.] [New Orleans, La., (845), 1291:2b.] (c) Keep two new pins crossed over your heart and wear your stockings wrong- side out. [Two rites joined.] [New Orleans, La., (859), 1367:4.] (d) Turn the toe of your left shoe - an old one you are not using - to the north side of the house, and turn your left pocket inside out.
[New Orleans, La., (837), 1258:4.]
(e) Hang your clothes upside down behind the bed; that will make the candles go out. [New Orleans, La., (805), 1131:7.] (f) A man can hang his pants up upside down, the legs up.
[New Orleans, La., (835), 1257:1.]
(g) Nail with two nails [a nail for each leg] your underclothes upside down against the wall. [New Orleans, La., (800), 1116:6.] (h) Turn furniture, mattress and chairs upside down; that puts that candle right out. [New Orleans, La., (814), 1147:3.] (i) Go to the faucet nine times and wash mah face down.
[New Orleans, La., (788), 1100:2.]
(.i) Get up nine mornings before sunrise, each morning take nine glasses of water from the hydrant, go to the east side of the house, and throw the water over your left shoulder while wishing for the candles to go out.
[New Orleans, La., (845), 1291:2a.]
(k) Get right out of the bed and go to the hydrant, turn the water onto your head like that, and let it run nine mornings - without speaking to anyone.
[New Orleans, La., (798), 1115:4.]
[We have already learned that colored candles and privately owned altars are characteristic of hoodoo's treatment of Christian saints (pp.747-748, 770-773, 775-776, 789-792). In this sub-subdivison, SAINTS, our knowledge of individual saints will improve. Even so, only later interviews already mentioned (p.744) will permit us to go below the surface for a deeper understanding of this unusual aspect of life.]
Entry 3255
(Do they get it out of any particular track, or doesn't it make any difference?) No, it don' make any diff'rence jis' since it de hollah of dey track, yo' undahstan'. See, right in de hollah of dey track. Dey take dat dirt, yo' undah- stan' an' wrap it up in a rag, see. Take dat rag, if yo take it out a girl's track, yo' take it to yore home, yo' undahstan', an' put dat rag up undah de baid in de rollah.
(You take the roller out and put it up in that hole and put the roller back?)
Dat's it, an' dat girl won' take nobody else, have nuthin tuh do wit inter'- co'se atall. [Bed leg, roller not mentioned, will be found later under margin title UNDERWEAR.]
Entry 3391
Whut could yo' do wit a greasy dishrag. Well, if yo' got a man an' yo' don't want 'im tuh care fo' anybody else, yo' kin take a greasy dishrag an' let 'im drink off an' yo' don't. Take dat greasy dishrag an' wipe him fo' nine times wit it an' den fold it in nine different Ways tuh yo', fold it all de time tuh yo'. Den yo' put it up ovah anywhere dat he's gotta walk in an' out undah. Dat'l keep 'im from goin' wit othah women.
Entry 3423
Yo' git de wax outa de cat's ear an' git de wax outa de dog's ear an cut jes' a little piece of hair off de dog's tail an' den de half way of his back, an' den de back his neck [hair from 3 places], an' put it in dey shoes. Dey put in de woman's shoe. (What happens then?) Dey git stuck to 'em lak doge. Yah, de' [dey] put dat in dere shoe, de woman's shoe. (They don't get any hair from the cat then?) Git de cat hair an' de dog halr togethah.
Entry 3503
Gittin' a woman down - ah mean down in mah part of de country, down dis side [southeastern Atlantic coast] down heah, ah'm goin' tell yo' whut dey does. See, go to yo'self an' want action an' all, don't tell 'em 'bout no othah man atall. Jes' look 'em in de eyes an' tell 'em, an' ah tell yo', if she'd make a date wit chew, yo' take a bran'-new pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' use dat fo' de rag. De man will carry de han'- ke'ch'ef off, he carry de han'ke'- ch'ef off 'er an' tie it roun' in a knot, turn it in a knot an' put it up ovah de do', anywhere ovah de do'. Or tie it in a green tree. Dat be all de got'a do. Be wit nobody but chew. De man do dat, yes sir.
(Over the door or where?)
Ovah de do' or tie it on a green tree. If yo' git to a little green tree dat's slindah enough in de woods, kin draw it roun' dere, draw it in tight dis way. Git a new pocket han'ke'ch'ef, one ain't not been used.
Entry 3542
Ah tell yo' now jes' like dis, jes' like yo' got some ole clothes. Now yo' wear dose ole clothes, yo' undahstan', an' pull off de dirty clothes. Yo' pull it off an' she put it up; see, yo' Won't have nuthin to do wit dose clothes any mo'. Well, prob- 'ly she might git a piece of de seat of yore slip, yo' undahstan', an' cut it out yo' see. Well, perhaps she might git a piece from undah yore arms. See, yo' know jes' where yo' sweat, yo' see. An' den ag'in, she might git chure hat band or somepin like dat. Yo' know dese little bows in yore hat, she might take dat out, see. Well, she'll take dat an' she'll put some of dis - git a little car- bolic acid an' pot salt an' a little red peppah. An' she will git she a bottle of Coca Cola. She will sprinkle dat, see. An' befo' she sprinkle it why she will tie it up an' she'll put seven knots in it. Dat odds [odd number] yo' know. Now, see, seven knots. Well, she tie dat up, yo' undahstan' an' put it into yore pillah, see, cuz yo' know a woman makes de bed all de time. Yo' don't have no dealings wit beds - yo' wouldn't even think of it, see. Well, yo' have to stay home an' den ag'in yo' wouldn't even think of no othah woman but 'er.
Entry 3616
Well, yo' kin take a woman's sanitary cloth [a term rarely used at this date by informants], aftah she'd put it dere somewhere. Yo' kin take it an' tie it in nine knots - not take nine knots in de cloth an' tie it, but yo' know yo' kin take a piece of cord string an' tie nine knots hard dis way, yo' undahstan'. Tie nine knots in. An' yo' take it aftah yo' tie dose nine knots in it, an' put turpentine on it an' burn it up.
(You mean you tie this string around the cloth?)
Roun' de cloth wit nine knots in it.
(And then you put nine knots in the string after you tie it?)
Shu' [sure] - no, tie knots wit de string. See, wrap it roun' an' tie dat one dere; den wrap it roun' ag'in, see. (This string, you wrap it around once, around the sanitary cloth, and tie it Once; wrap it around again and tie a knot; wrap it around again and tie a knot. Get nine knots?) Git nine knots. She won' be no mo' [good] to 'erself or no one else.
Entry 3836
Well, dey say yo' take a piece of string, not a rag string but a cotton string yo' know, an' yo' tie a knot. Now, evahone says if yo' wan'a man tuh love yuh, or a woman, yo' kin jes' squeeze dat little thing [finger] on yore lef' han' [demonstrates]. (Squeeze the little finger on the left hand.) Squeeze it till it git kinda dead [numb], yo' know. Den yo' take a needle an' jes' keep pickin' till yo' git one drop of blood. An' yo' take dat drop of blood an' put a little bit on all nine of dem knots, an' weah it roun' yore waist. Dey'll run crazy ovah yo'.
(You take that blood from your own finger?)
Yes.
Entry 3839
[Ah] heah 'em say, if yo' got a man, someone yo' love an' he leave yo', yo' haven't got 'is pichure, why yo' take a needle an' pick till yo' git de blood out de little fingah heah [demonstrates].
(That's the little finger of the left hand.)
Yes, an' yo' git de blood out of it an' yo' have a pen, yo' know a ink pen, an' a piece of papah. An' yo' write it jis' like yo' would be writin', an' write his name, an' denwrite yores undah it; an' draw 'is pichure, if yo' haven't nary one of 'is pichure. An' nine a'clock at night yo'll put it undahneat' de chimley, de no't [north] cornah, de no't side of de chimley. Put 'is pichure dere an' 'is name an' yore name. An' put it - life up de foot of yore baid an' put it undahneat' dere nine days. He comin' back.
Entry 3913
On de changes of de moon, her sick time, she'll ketch dat. She'll git dat out de cloth an' she put dat into sompin, into anythin' yo' know. Some time she makes bread, sweetbread, she'll pour dis in dere. Dat'll run 'im crazy about 'er. As long as she keeps dat up, he'll be crazy about 'er.
(But it has to be done on the change of the moon?)
Oh, yes.
(Why the change of the moon?)
Well, yo' see dat's de time women wanta be roun' like dat, yo' know.
Entry 4037
Well, de fingahnails, yo' kin be lucky on dem, so ah heah. But ah haven't seen anyone try it but ah jes' heard dat. Dey say yo' kin take yore fingahnails an' parch 'em an' put 'em intuh a lil' bottle an' ketch a man's watah an' run 'im pure crazy. (Well, what would they do with that water then?) Dey stops it up in de bottle. An' ketch some of 'is urinate an' stop it up on de fingahnails, an' dey say dat'll run 'im crazy as a bedbug, if he don't go tuh someone tuh take it off. His fingahnails an' 'is urinate.
(What do you do with the bottle when you stop it up?)
Yo' take it an' bury it undah de centah of yore do'steps.
Entry 4074
Dey could do dat. De way ah know dey do dat, dey take a ole gun. Yo've seen dese ole-time guns, de ole muskets we call 'em, shot wit a cap on 'em. Yo take yore chamber lye an' den po' it in dat gun an' stop it up an' put de gun up de chimley. Let de barrel be pointed out. An' dat will hol' yo' watah - yo' can't make watah. [Freud would have had a field day, had a patient seen this rite in a dream!]
Entry 4144
Dey say yo' [a woman] kin take a man's wee-wee, ah mean 'is wet, an yo' know, watch 'im as he wets, dey say, an' go dere an' git dat an' put it into a rag an' den yo' wear it on yo'. Put it in a rag an' wear it right dere. Sew it up an' wear it. What will dat do? Dat'll keep 'im from goin' wit any othah woman but chew. So dey say.
(YOU TAKE UP THAT DIRT WHERE HE'S WEE-WEED AND YOU WEAR IT DOWN BELOW?)
Yassuh, put it into a rag.
Entry 4146
If yo' wan'a - got anyone yo' wan'a stay on top, meanin' yo' will rule, yo' go on where dey wet on de groun' an' git a little bit of dere sand an' put it in a cup. An' den yo' go on an' pee on de groun' [at a different place] an' git twicet as much [of yours] an' put it in on top an' pack it down an bury dat right in de road where dey [both of you] have tuh walk ovah it, an' yo'll rule dem long as dey live.
Entry 4226
Yes, ah have too. Ah heard dat jis' lak if somebody wuz tuh wanta fix yuh or poison yuh some way, an' if yuh kin take it - jis' lak if dey wuz tuh go 'long an' put down poison fo' yuh an' den, if yuh kin git dis heah tuh put ovah it, yuh see, befo' dis person git tuh it, den dat would kill de poison out of de dose dat dey have put down fo' yuh.
(They just sprinkle this chamber lye over it?)
Yeah, dey sprinkle it ovah it.
Entry 4318
Well, a man kin take a woman's chamber lye an' he kin put it in a bot- tle, put a little sugah in it. See, about a spoonful of sugah in about three teaspoonful of chamber lye. Den he take dat bottle an' he turn it down where she have tuh walk ovah, go in an' out. Dat's tuh make her come undah his command.
Entry 4366
If de person know de man name - yuh goes an' know de man name. Yuh care [carry] a li'le bottle, dis cologne bottle, an' yuh call 'is name an' stop 'im up - jes' bottle up de man [see 38, p.24f.] in yuh fob pocket. An' den yuh [go] talk tuh 'im an' he say he ain't got no job. All right, chew go back home an' fer de nex' nine mawnin's - an' yuh got 'is name all right - yuh take a cord an' tie it aroun' yuh waist an' double it nine times. Make yuh chamber lye on it an' put it in de bottle. An' go back [to the boss] an' call 'is name ag'in, stop 'im up, an' den he'll give yuh a job.
(I see, you get the spirit of his voice in this bottle.)
[An old comment of mine in pencil about this rite reads Use with care. This rite is quite all right, except I failed to understand the word double when first checking transcription with the cylinder. Thinking that the waist measure was increased 9 times, I wondered how such a long string could be squeezed into one of those tiny bottles of perfume then sold for lOc at the Five-and-Ten-Cents Store. At the time of recording I probably knew the meaning of double because I do not ask a question about it, but I must not rule out knowledge coming from later experience. Here is what happens. The man wraps a piece of ordinary pack- age-wrapping string about his waist, ties a knot, and cuts off the two unneeded ends. He now has a loop or circle of string, say about 30 inches in circumfer- ence, which he pushes down over his thighs and off his body. This string he stretches out into a straight line of double string 15 inches long and at a right angle to his body; the knot being at one end, this end away from hi. This knot he now folds toward him until it coincides with the other end of the string. This once-folded string is now 4 parallel strings each 7 1/2 inches long. Turn- ing this shortened string 180°, so that the knot is again away from him, he a second time folds the knot to him, reducing the multiple strings to a 33/4 inches length. Remember, he is folding strings soaked with his urine. The strings are folded to him 9 times, at least theoretically. All this is not stated explicitly in the rite itself; it is implicit in this type of folding rite. No boss having his spirit triply captured - tied into a knot about applican'ts body, folded up towards applicant and in applicant's urine, and finally stopped up in a bottle - no boss could possibly resist such multiple magic.] [Charleston, S. Car., (519), 616:3.] [Human excrement rites are less numerous than those about urine. Numerically the ratio is perhaps 1 to 10. As a special feature, most of them concern trees - two-thirds to be exact. The best one, an unusual love story, will be found else- where in 822, p.284.]
Entry 4400
Take a lizard. Ah've heard 'em say yo' take a lizard an' tuh split 'im open on 'is back. An' when yo' split 'im on 'is back, take an' hang 'im up where de sun will rise on 'im. An' when de sun rise on 'im, see, when de sun is goin' up, yo' hang'im wit 'is tail up an' 'is haid down; an' dey tell me dat will turn dey bowels up so dey can't be unlocked.
(Well, how do you know what person you are working on?)
Well, yo' take an' yo' git some of dere action, an' yo' put it in dere. Put it on dis lizard, inside of 'im, de fo'wards side nex' to de sun, wit cayenne peppah on it. Yo' know, cayenne peppah draws too, it draws up, an' three drops of turpentine. An' den when yo' git dat bone, den yo' hang it up dere. An' dat lizard will dry up to nuthin but jes' dat skin. An' as long as he's hangin' up dere, why dey can't have an action. Dat's whut ah heard on dat.
Entry 4401
Jes' lak if yo' pull off yore shoes at night an' a person wanted tuh hurt chew or somepin othah lak dat. An' if he could git some of yore dung, yo' know, an' smeah [smear] it on yore shoes, an' put some salt an' red peppah in it an' fix it So yo' couldn't walk, yore feet would swell up. YO' HAVE SOMEPIN LAK DE RHEU- MATISM, CALLED DE DROPSY OR SOMEPIN OTHAH lak dat.
Entry 4491
Dey say yuh could take de dirt an' let it get dry. (What dirt?) De dirt what's lef' aftah yuh use - when yuh drain de watah out, an' de dirt dat's lef' in de tub. An' let it get dry an' keep it fo' nine days, an' dat will make yuh husban' stay home. I don't know all dat, whut it's fo'.
Entry 4601
She kin take dat bow an' she kin run yuh crazy wit it, or eithah make yuh love 'er. She kin take dat bow an' go uptown an' git 'er a bottle of Black Heart Cologne [this may be only time mentioned] an' she takes it an' drops about nine drops on dat, an' take it an' place it undah de middle of 'er bed [making a quincunx], right on de springs. Well, yuh have tuh stay dere. Yuh can't go nowhere. Yuh have tuh stay right dere. [This is merely Hearts Cologne with a black heart on the label, stamped solid black or hand drawn with a single line; not a heart-shaped bottle of black glass. The term is rare.]
Entry 4645
Dey take dat bow - de wlmmin take dat bow of yore hat, see, if dey want chew tuh continue go wit 'em, can't go wit nobody else. Dey take dat little bow in de hat an' dey take dat bow an' dey'll put it in - yuh know, put it up in 'em, in de hole where a man have connection wit 'em. Den take dat an' put it in a bottle.
(They take it out then and put it in a bottle?)
Take it out an' put it in a bottle, see, an' put some cologne - John de Conker Cologne. Dis heah cologne, what chew call it?
(Hearts Cologne?)
Hearts Cologne in de bottle 'bout half full. Keep it stopped up an' yuh cain't go wit nobody else but 'em.
Entry 4827
Dis is yore room [the rented room in which I was interviewingl: Well, if ah wus tuh pick up one of yore, YORE HAT [MY BLACK HAT ON INTERVIEWING TABLE], or a pair of yore socks or sompin, an' walk out wit it. Well all ah got'a do - now dis heah is true, yuh know. All yuh got'a do, yuh pull off yore undahweahs - yuh got'a use dem. Yuh ball dem things up. Well, jis' befo yuh go tuh bed yuh make yore watah on dese, on dat undahsuit. Yuh ball it tight, wrap it nine times. An' as yuh wrap it nine times, dat person dat chew have a idea dat stole dose goods, yuh call dere name, see. An' when yuh call dere name, yuh take an' lay dis in a cornah, [and] wit yore laigs [demonstrates].
(You lay it in a corner and stamp your feet on it.)
An' as yuh stomp - dat's all de stuff yuh got'a do. An' evah who did it, dey'll come an' bring it back - come an' tell yuh 'bout it.
(They will bring back whatever they took from me.)
Yes sir, evahwhere dey wus, down tuh - anything, dey comin' tuh tell yuh. Now, dere wus a man workin' wit mah husban' de othah day, an' he stole three paint brushes from Mr. Beasley, a man dat run a paint shop. Well, he carried it back, but he don't know how he carried it back. But he carried it back.
(You did this to him?)
[Informant I describe in note as small-time worker.]
He carried it back.
Entry 4853
Yuh see, yore bath watah is pahtic'lah [particular] things. Den yore undah-pieces clothes, keerful who Wash dat. Dey kin take dat an' rub undah heah, yo' know, an...
(Under your arms and the lower part of your body?)
Yes sir. An' yuh - dey kin take dat an: wash in de basin wit a little watah. An' dey kin take dat an' put it in a bottle, an' den dig a hole anywhere and PUT CHEW RIGHT DERE. If she love yuh, yuh nevah kin go from dere; an' nobody can't do yuh no harm.
Entry 4868
Well, if she wanta git 'im back, yuh see. Anyway, she gits some of 'is - gits 'is shoe sole or some of 'is undahweah, pants he weah nex' tuh 'is skin. An' git dat. Why den, she take an' jis' make a little, little ball, put a little piece enough tuh stick in a bottle. Jis' a little ball about dat much [demonstrates], jis' a little piece yuh undahstan'. Now, take yuh some thread, black silk thread, fine, an' turn de thread pieces all de time tuh yuh [demonstrates]. Yuh see, wrap aroun' de thread, dat thread tuh yuh - all de time so it is coming yore way. Go tuh a stream of watah an' let de watah be comin' yore way. See, yuh meet dis - see, yuh meet dere. Lak yuh comin' disaway [demonstrates] an' de stream come from disaway tuh meet [you], an' yuh throw de bottle an' it will come back tuh yuh. [If you throw the bottle upstream, it wil] come floating downstream to meet you.]
Entry 4887
Ah tell yuh, dey [a woman] kin take his [her husband's] socks, two, an' carry it an' put it unnerneat' yore[her] bunks [bunk] an' dey [she] kin have any man dey [she] want, an' he [her husband] wouldn't say a word.
(The woman would do that?)
Yeah.
(She would put her husband's sock under the bunk?)
He [husband] be dere. De [other] man come right in dere an' he [husband] wouldn't say nuthin. Have her right in dere.
Entry 4891
Dey kin take you sock an' specially a dirty sock, an' dey kin take you sock an' jis' like a woman git ti'ed [tired] of 'er husban' an' wan'a sen' 'im away from 'er. She kin take an' bur' it on de south side of de house, de way she wan' 'im tuh go. [Or if] it's de north side de house, de [any] way she wan' 'im tuh go. An' some way dat dey put in some salt, dat she put in dis hole wuh [where] she bur's [buries] de sock fer three days. An' a certain numbah of days dat she perfer [prefer] fer 'im tuh go 'way, she'll take two fingahs [holding a pinch of salt] an' say if she wan"i tuh go in [how many] days. Den jis' drop nine times [drop 9 pinches of salt] in dat hole an' covah it up. Den in dat time he'll leave.
(How does she bury that sock?)
She jis' put it in ball [make a ball of it] fer three days, den she put it undah 'is baid. Take it out de [pronounce outd] groun', put it undah 'is baid at night, an' fer de certain numbah days dat she wan' 'im tuh go away. If it stay in de groun' three days, den dat make yuh have tuh take it out fer six days an' put it undah 'is baid. An' den take dem nine pinches of salt an' drop in dat hole. Well, if she wan' 'im tuh go east, she'll make dat hole [on the east side of the house]; if she wan' 'im tuh go west, she'll make dat hole [on the west side of the house].
Entry 4917
Take a woman's stockin' while it's dirty - not a clean one, while it's dirty. Yuh take it an' yuh ball it up an' yuh puts it right up ovah de do'. Dat [is] if she leave yuh, yuh puts it ovah de do' an' she'll come back home. Or eithah dey could cut de seat of 'er undahclothes out an' put it ovah de do' an' she'll nevah leave. An' [or] yo' could take de mole of 'er hair [head], cut de hair out an' plait it. Put it intuh a vial an' put Hearts Cologne on it - feed it. [To put Hearts Cologne on is to feed it.] Tote it in yore pocket an' she'll nevah leave yuh - she'll stay wit yuh.
Entry 4987
If yuh git holt a man's stockin' - sock, but it's gotta be dirty, a dirty sock. Now, jis' lak ef mah husban' wuz tuh go off an' leave me, see. Now, ah'd want mah husban' back. Ah'd take his dirty sock an' fill dis sock up wit salt - would git a sack of salt. Used tuh be time we used tuh buy dese cloth sacks of salt an' ah guess yuh kin fin' 'em now. De sack of salt, an' take de salt an' fill it half full regardless tuh where he's gone. He done forgot about it. Would fill dat sock half fulla salt - dirty sock, an' take a piece of papah an' write his name 'cross lak dis [demonstrates - one name below the other] on de papah. Have de papah square, write his name 'cross five times an' den turn dat papah right roun' ag'in an' write mine, ef ah want 'im back - five time on his'n. See. (Wait a minute. You write his name five times, one right above the other, down in a line [column]. Then turn the paper around and write this other name just across it five times.) Thas right, yessuh.
(Do you take both of his socks?)
One - yuh see, whenevah a sock's dirty, a pusson kin tell de right-foot sock from de left-foot sock, an' always take de left-foot sock, an'.
(You said which is which when they are dirty?)
Yessuh.
(How?)
On account hit be's shaped lak a foot. Yuh see, tuh strictly 'tenshun [if you pay strict attention], yuh kin see where de toes fit in it. Becuz it's gotta be a whole sock tuh fix it tuh git anybody back, yuh see. But a raggly [raggedly] sock yuh cain't tell nuthin about it 'cuz it don't have no shape tuh it. Take dat sock an' fill it half fulla salt an' den aftah dat name is wrote, put it down in de sock, see. An' den fill dat sock up tuh de ankle wit de salt. An' den sprinkle some sugah. Put some sugah on top dat salt. (Now first you put the salt in the sock, half full. Then you put the paper in and then you fill up some more salt.) An' den put some sugah on top of it, about half a teacup of sugah on top of it. An' bury dat sock at de front steps. Bury it up undah de front steps wit de feet comin' in. In about five or seven days dat man will be back home.
Entry 5024
Yes, ah heard tell of a woman, if she has a man dat she love an' dat she think he's 'bout tuh leave her, don't chew undahstan'. If she takes 'er stockin' an' put it intuh his coat, chew know, slip it into 'is coat, in each sleeve intuh a coat dat he weahs reg'lahly, well den dat holds 'im, yuh see.
Entry 5028
[A stranger can be a magic person in hoodoo and folklore. There are thirty-two beliefs about strangers in FACI, 1st ed., prob- ably more in 2nd ed. Modernization has transferred the stranger's magic to his automobile:] Den she kin take his sock ag'in, if she wanta run 'im any way, run 'im outa de town, or fix 'im lak dat. She kin take dat sock an' she kin put some red cayenne peppah in it, an' she kin put it into a travelah's car dat travelin', or eithah intuh a train - de baggage [car] - an wait until dat person is leavin' where she at. An' as it leavin', she say, "In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, ah want fo' yo' tuh go an' nevah return back." An' he shure will go. [Florence, S. Car., (1314), 2238: la.]
Entry 5040
Dey do dat, yuh know, tuh make him return back home. Take his sock an' tie it aroun' yore waist, jis' one [sock], eithah one, but dey must be worn. Yuh wear it. Den when yuh pull it off why yuh urinate on dat an' stick it in 'is shoe, an' shet it up at de haid of de baid. In 'is right shoe, an' stick it up undah de haid of de baid. Dat brings 'im home. (After he's left, she will wear this sock around her. Any length of time or does it make any difference?) Well, it doesn't make any difference. (Then when she gets finished wearing that, she urinates on it and puts it in his right shoe, and puts it under the head of the bed. And she uses either sock and it doesn't make any difference. That the idea?) Yes.
Entry 5082
[Wiping, different from the magic rites of rub- bing, is itself often magic action; in fact, it frequently occurs in impotence causes and cures.] If she have any of 'is clothes, she kin bring 'im back. If he left any of 'is pieces he wore close tuh 'i, she kin git 'im back. Well, she take 'em jis wherevah - if he got a sock, stockin', or anythin' he's got, she'll take dat sock an' she'll wipe herself wit it. An' she'll fill it fulla sugah an' she'll roll it tuh 'er an' she'll sew it. An' right where he lay at, dat's where she'll put dat sock. An' de ninth day he'll be back.
Entry 5137
Well, yuh wearin' dat shoe when yuh come in an' yuh take it off. Well de moisture from yore feet is still in dere, an' yuh take dat [insole] an' fold it up. Fold dat to yuh. An' yuh use a piece of flannel. Put dat in de flannel an' keep dat wet [dress it] wit - put Epsom salt or anything. See, dat [is] salt. By me carry [carrying] some salt, well dat salt keeps it moist wit dat perfume. [Perfume either had been mentioned before recording began or this was just a mental lapse.] Dat keeps it moist so it stay alive. Sew dat up an' bury somewhere, or anything [or again], yuh kin jis' put it in a little [tin] can an' keep it on de opposite side of de bed where dey sleep on. He'll nevah notice it, won't know whut it's all about. Dey will keep )'im dere all de time. ANY WOMAN GOT A MAN SHE WANTS TUH KEEP 'IM, A HARD WORKING MAN. Well, dat's whut she do. She got de big advantage of 'im.
(She takes this inner sole out of his shoe. Either shoe?)
Eithah shoe.
Entry 5169
Take a pair of shoes dat yo' have worn an' yo' kin take dose shoes an' carry dose shoes tuh yore house - carry 'em tuh yore house. Den aftah yo' carry dose shoes tuh yore house, turn 'em ovah on dey face an' den go out in a cow stall somewheres an' git chew some of evahy kin'a manure yo' kin pick up from diff'ren' animals, all kin'a manure yo' kin pick up, an' put in dat shoe. An' dat will drive yo' jis' as crazy as a bedbug. (That is, if you want to harm me, you would get my old shoes and take them to your house to dress them?) Yes.
(Then what do you do with the shoes after you put that stuff in them?)
Oh! Yo' take de shoes an' carry 'em away an' bury 'em.
(What would that do to me then?)
Dat would jis' fix yo' up so yo' couldn't walk or do nuthin - paralyze yo'.
Entry 5236
Take yore left - take dis sole out chure left shoe, dat inside [insole] out chure shoe, an' yo' take dat sole an' yo' take solid brown papah. YO' EVAH SEEN A TERRAPIN? Cut it [brown paper] in shape of a terrapin. De shoe, dat's in shape of a terrapin. De shoe, dat's in ordah - now, if yo' wanted tuh Zingah a person, yo' know, fix 'em so dey be lingahin' all de time. An' yo' cut dis piece of brown papah an' cut dat shoe sole [insole] an' yo' ball it up in a new piece of homespun. Take dis piece an' de same shoe dat yo' taken it out of, an' slip it back in dey house. Yo' know, lak peoples shoe is settin' roun' dere an' yo' take de sole out. Well, maybe yo' be smart enough tuh git it back in de house, an' yo' put dis piece of papah in it. Well, de nine days aftah dey git tuh weah dis shoe, dey foot begin tuh swell up an' dere ankle an' yo' cain't tell [the cause of the swelling]. Well, if dey take dat piece of - DAT. SOLE DEY GOT OUT OF YORE SHOE, IF DEY MAKE 'WAY WIT IT COMPLETE AN' FO'GIT ABOUT WHERE DEY PUT IT, WHY YO'LL NEVAH BE CURED. DERE'S NOBODY IN DE WORLD WILL EVAH CURE YO'. (If you want to make this person linger, you take this sole out of his shoe. Now, what do you do with this brown paper?) Yo' take dat papah an' put it back in dere shoe, in de toe of dere shoe. Yo' know it's kind of a tissue papah, li'le thin papah. Dey put it in de toe of dere shoe jes' as fur as yo' kin git it. An' whenevah yo' do dat, dey weah de shoe. Maybe dey weah de shoe out an' don' evah know dat papah is in de shoe. An' when- evah dey do 'way fo' yo', jes' lak anybody come in wit anythin' an' throw it down an' fo'git about where dey put it.
(Do they put the inner sole back in the shoe?)
No suh, keep it. If dey git holt of dat dey kin git cured.
(You take that sole [insole] out.and you put this paper in the shoe?)
Put it in de shoe. Cut it in de shape of a terrapin.
Entry 5310
Tuh separate a man an' his wife or sompin lak dat, dey said yo' take up dere tracks. If yo' want de man tuh come tuhwards yo' an' yo' want de woman tuh go from yo', yo' take de man track from de heel comin' tuh de toes. Pull de heel dat way, see [demonstrates]. An' de woman, yo' take dat sand at de toe an' pull it - take it from yo'. Dat [is] if de man wuz yore husban', an' yo' break him from anothah woman dat way.
(What do you do with that dirt?)
Yo' take it an' put it in a big ants nest. Dat's whut dey tell me, put it in a big ants nest. An' when de ants take it an' bring it out, an' carry it diff'ren' ways, dat's tearin' de min' [mind] apart, cuz one ant's comin' disaway an' de othah one comin' de othah way. Dat will jes' tear dere min' apart.
Entry 5397
Ah tell yo' whut she could do. She could even take dat track an' git a aig an' she could take dat track an' put some sugah in it an' push it down in a aig an' carry it an say three words to it - curse it [with three words] an' throw dat aig on dat sun- rise. An' yo'll go. She'll git rid of yo' jis' lak dat. Ah mean not sunrise, tuh sundown, in some runnin'.watah. Dat's right in runnin' watah. An' she goin' git rid of yo'.
(She can take any track you say?)
No suh, got'a take yore lef' track, de one nex' of yore heart - yo' know on de lef' side. An' put dat track intuh a aig... (Well, does she take that track up when I am leaving her house or coming or what?) Goin' from 'er. She'll rake dat track from 'er. An' den she'll walk on tuh it an' pick it up.
Entry 5460
Ah heard dat yo' could go tuh de graveyard fo' nine mawnin's an' each mawnin' dat chew go, yo' git chew jis' as much sand an' graveyard dirt as yo' kin hold in yore han', yo' see. An' yo' take dat on back home, an' yo' place dat nine points aroun' yore house, see. Den if it's somebody which yo' want tuh harm or sompin, if yo' git 'em tuh come dere, undahstan'. Well, aftah dey come dere, yo' pick up dey tracks yo' see, an' yo go tuh a tree an' pick yo' a hole in dere, an' take an' place dis graveyard dirt each mawnin'. Jis' lak yo' took it from de cemetery. Take it back an' stick it in dat hole, an' de last mawnin' yo' take an' close it up. Dey tell me dat run 'em crazy.
(Would you do anything with their tracks?)
Take dem tracks up, yo' see, an' put dat fo' nine mawnin's - see, yo' jis' put dat in dat hole whut yo picked in de tree. See. Den aftah yo' do dat, put dat graveyard dirt in dere an' stop it up. Say dat will run 'em crazy. (You put these tracks in the hole, then you pick up this graveyard dirt and you put that on top of the tracks?) On top of de tracks.
Entry 5462
Use graveyard dirt an' ashes, an' de man will leave out of town. Ah don' know about movin' out de house. Take dat dirt out of dere an' take Purity Salt [trade name?] table salt, an' put it in dere. Mix it all up tuhgethah. An' when dis man, dis person be goin' out de do', take it an' go behin' 'em an' put it in evah track. Put a li'le piece lak dis in evahone his tracks an' he ain't comin' back. Yo' ain't got'a po' it - jis' nine of 'is tracks. He can't stay in town. Ah seen dat mahself. Mah girl frien' did dat.
Entry 5464
Lak yo' wan'a make yo' git yo' a job, yo'll go an' git 'is [the boss's] track. Pull up 'is track ag'in [as in a preceding rite]. Go an' git it, but yo' shove his toe back tuh 'is heel. Go an' git chew nine pinches of salt, an' nine pinches of peppah an' nine pinches of sulphuh. Now, undahstan' whut ah'm sayin'. An' nine pinches of dat - dis heah dirt, dat graveyard dirt, an' yores too, tuhgethah, yo' know.
(Your what?)
Yore track, too. Fix his track an' yore track tuhgethah, an' shuffle itaroun' yo' know. An' den take it an' make a li'le ball. Stick it up de chimley an' let de smoke git in it, an' yo'll git work. (You fix some of his track and your track all together with nine pinches of that other stuff. That is to get a job?) Dat's right.
Entry 5519
Yo' kin take de lef'-foot track an' stop it up in a bottle, an' put in an ole house dat's not any good, yo' see, an' den yo' could make dem come back, if yo' wan' 'em back. (You take this bottle with the foot track in it and put it in an old house. That is supposed to bring the person back?) Dat's right.
Entry 5531
They say that if you take a rule and measure a [foot] track straight and then measure across, and take that same measurement and mark it out on a piece of paper, and take that paper and put a piece of cube root they call it, it grows mostly in Florida they say, and take that and the Sampson snakeroot and also Adam-and-Eve and 'coon root and High John the Conqu- er, and put that in with that paper, and then take that paper and put it so that it can be used under the head of the individual's bed, and by staying there for nine days in succession the individual begin to pine away and finally die. [Elizabeth City, N. Car. (182), 551:2.]
Entry 5540
Now, dey kin take dat foot track of yores an' use it jis' lak dey wan'a. Well, dey takes a knife an' a rule an' measure yore foot tracks an' print it on a piece of papah. Den yo' carries de name. Jis' lak yo' say, ah wan'a do as ah wan'a wit dis person. Yo' carry de name three times. Write yore name. (They measure that foot track with the ruler and then take a piece of paper, a piece of paper the length of the foot track.) Dat's right an' den dey take yore name an' dey draws yore name in a box, in a square, in the box, diamond and heart. Dey write yore name. Yore name would be Jones Johnson. Dey put it backwards, yore name would be Johnson Jones, yo' undahstan'. An' dey cast dat in de light in de lamp, an' have yo' do jis' whut dey want yo' tuh do. Dat's right, dat's fer quick wishes.
Entry 5576
Ah went tuh a person [doctor] fo' dat, too. Now he tole me, he got mah name fust [first] an' hern [hers] second, an' he tole me tuh go back an' in meetin' 'er, take some ofde dirt outa de right foot - chew know, meetin' 'er. Well, behin' 'er dat's de lef' [not right] foot. See. Grab some of de dirt outa back heel, jis' a little small amount of it, an' put it in dis piece of paper an' roll it. Roll it tuh yo' all de time, see till yo' git it down tuh a small little papah. Den git nine needles, dat nevah has been on de flo', an' stick 'em in it. Take a little vasoline bottle an' drop dat little thing in it an' stop it up, an' bury it undah 'er do'step where she'll have tuh step ovah it. [The preceding nevah has been on de flo' goes back to the American pioneer cabin - probably to primitive man - which originally had no floor, the bareearth, sometimes packed level with the first log, being warmer and easier to keep clean. The word floor at least in pioneer English can mean the bare ground, always a place of magic. This also is one of the meanings of articles dropped: accident- ally, purposely, or mysteriously by spirits.] Ah had a boy crost [across] town done de same thing. His wife went back tuh 'im an' been [with him] evah since.
(Now in getting this dirt from her foot track you are walking behind her?)
No, comin' in front of 'er. (Oh, you are coming in front of her, meeting her. And you are taking the dirt out of which track?) Dis track ovah here, dat would be yore lef' foot.
(Out of her left-foot track.)
Comin' tuh yo' it would be her right foot - comin' tuhwards yo'. But still it's de left foot if yo' git behin' 'er. (Oh, actually, you get it out of the heel of her left foot.)
Entry 5578
Yeah, ah heard dat yo' take de centah of de right-foot track, take de dirt jes' from de centah of dat. An' den take dat dirt an' git de centah of yore right-foot sock. An' den take dat dirt an' wrahp it in dere. An' when dey wrahp it in dere dey'll put bran'-new needles in it, an' put it in de no'th cornah of a house, an' dat'll cuz 'em tuh desert dere. Maybe dey wanta kill yo' or cuz yore death aftah nine days.
(How many needles do they put in it?)
Three.
(They put it in the north corner of the house?)
Yes. (Well, now, if you got my foot track, would you put it in the north corner of your house or in the north corner of my house?) Well now, dey'll put dat in de no'th corner of yores prackly [practically]. Yo' goin' to it. If dey cain't git tuh yore house, see, well den dey have tuh practice where yo' go. Well dey put dat dere. Or else put it where yo' sit down, see.
(What will that do then?)
Well, aftah nine day's time yo' becomes in a 'lapidated [delapidated] condi- tion, come tuh be sickly, yo' see. Yo' lingah. De longah yo' stay dere an lingah, why yo'll soon [the sooner you will] pass away.
Entry 5673
Well, dere nuthin much dat chew kin do wit de foot track, but a lotta ople says it fo' drivin' people away an' all like dat. But de only thing dat yo' kin do wit de foot track is now: a lotta peoples wants tuh keep yo' away from de house an' all like dat. Now te thing is wit yore foot track proposition, like yo' have a person come tuh yore boase an' yo' don' wan' dem tuh come dere so often. Why [you] kin sprinkle some salt down right in front de gate where dey pass by, an' jis' as soon as dey come an' walk out, yo' gotta sweep de whole track an' all outside of de gate.
(Do you put that salt down before they come?)
Befo' dey come in dere. Jis' like yo' done be expectin' someone tuh come in, " yo' don' wan' 'em tuh be bothahin' yo'. Yo' don' wan' 'em tuh come dere, why put dat salt down dere.
Entry 5674
Tuh drive 'em away - tuh drive 'em away yo' git yo' some cayenne peppah an' salt. Jis' lak if a person is comin' in heah an' yo' don' wan' 'em in heah. An' yo' git chew some cayenne peppah an' salt, an' yo' set an' hold 'em [inl a conversation. Set an' talk wit 'em, be frien'ly wit 'em an' ack lak yo' ain't mad, chew know. An' den dey say, "Well, ah reckon ah bettah go." Well, yo' already has dat salt an' peppah mixed up an have it in yore han's somewhere, an' yo' follah 'em out de house. See, when dey goin' out, jis' sift dat cayenne peppah an' salt in dere tracks. Den go tuh each fo' cornahs of yore house an' put some cayenne peppah an' salt in each fo' cor- nahs of de house. An' den take de broom an' sweep it all on out an' sweep it de Way de' go an' flirt it. When yo' sweep it down on de steps, jis' lak if dey goin' up de street dat way, yo' flirt it de way dey goin' [demonstrates].
(How do you do that? Do it with your hand like that?)
[Flirting with a fan I had read about and had seen on stage; but flirting with a broom, though good English, was beyond my experience.] Wit chure broom, when yo' flirt it yo' say - WHEN YO' SPRINKLE IT DOWN IN YORE [ROOM] HERE, SAY, "WELL, AH'M CONKERIN' MAH ENEMY, IN DE NAME OF DE LORD. DRIVE DE DEVIL AWAY FROM ME, IN DE NAME OF DE LORD." An' jis' sprinkle it on dere, an' WHEN YO' SWEEP IT AN' YO' MAKE DAT FLIRT, YO' SAY, "WELL, AH'M FLIRTIN' MAH ENE- MIES AWAY FROM ME, IN DE NAME OF DE LORD." An' den flirt de dust on de street. Dey nevah put dere foot in yore house.
Entry 5675
Yo' mean de foot track tuh go or de foot track tuh come?
(Well, both of them - one one way and one the other way.)
Well, now, if yo' want somebody tuh come back, yo' git dis foot track an' don't - now, like de foot track is goin', don' turn de foot track back tuh yo'. Yo' git chew a piece of papah an' write on dat papah nine times, an' put it undah de step an' turn dat foot track back tuh de house. Dat's tuh come. Now, if yo' wan' 'em tuh go. (What do you write on that paper nine times.) Yo' write, "Come back, come back." An' ah don' care how far dat person is - an' if yo' wan' dat person tuh come back, in nine or 21 days dey will come back. Dat's fo' - now tuh go, yo' turn de track. Dis is de track, yo' write dat nine times, "Go."
(You turn the track as if it is going away?)
Yes. Git chew a handful of salt an' jis' dash it down an' sweep 3 times. Dey gone.
Entry 5703
Take frogs - jis' lak if yo' wanta run a person off, ketch a live frog an' split 'im wide open. Yo' take a person track - yo' take both of 'is track an' put one crossways, cut it dis way Idemonstratesl. (You cut that frog lengthwise and cross- wise - cross like an "x". All right.) Yo' put de right track straight up an' down, de left track yo' crosses dat. Dat crosses up 'is mind an' he'll drift an' drift an' drift. Dat crosses up 'is mind, see. An' den yo' sew 'im back up an' yo Pat 'im into a green gourd. Put 'im in an' stop it up. A green gourd, dat's right, an' go where de tide is gotta go a long ways, an' yo' walk dere, an' when yo' git tuh dis rivah yo' walk nine steps backwards an throw it ovah, say, "Go, Go." An' throw it ovah. Don' look back, jis' walk from de rivah an' keep agoin'. An' he'll go.
(You say "Go" twice?)
Yassuh.
Entry 5708
Take de graveyard [dirt] an' de dirt from yore track. (Either track?) Both tracks, de dirt outa both tracks an' sack it up, an' put it on some train or sompin, an' 'long as de car runs, yo'll run. Run yo' plumb away.
Entry 5711
Take gunpowdah an' a man track, or a woman track, an' salt, peppah an carry it to a red ants nest on a railroad an' say to it whut chew want done, an' it will be done. (You just put it there, you don't do anything else to it?) Jes' stir it roun' an' TALK TO IT AS YO' STIRRIN' AROUND; an' whut chew want done to it, it will be done. [The place collected and number of informant have temporarily been lost.]
Entry 5717
If dey ketch yore track where yo' make a track at, dey kin take dat track. Git a thread of any kin' an' measure it from toe tuh heel, undahstan', an' take de dirt up an' put it in [put in] quicksilvah, an' put it in a swinging bird nest, an' yo'll walk in yore grave. [Yo'll swing into your grave would have been better.] Jis' lak it's a bird nest yo' know up in a tree. Put it up dere where de birds go.
(And which foot do they get, both feet?)
No, de right feet.
Entry 5723
Ah've heard den ag'in dat a man could - he could take dat if he wanted tuh do yo' real harm or wanted tuh take yore life. Take some of dat same stuff an' go to a tree. (This sand from the left footprint.) Yeah from de left feet. Bore a hole in a tree an' take dat sand an' set it in dat hole, an' take a piece of wood an' make a nice tight stoppah, an' bat it down in dere an' cut it off smooth. An' dat'll put chew tuh goin', dat'll Treck yore mind, perhaps take yore life. Dere's several diff'ren' ways yo' kin do dat, but dat's one of de main ways dat ah always did learn, wuz tole tuh me.
Entry 5745
If a man wants tuh hold 'is job wit a man, dey take an' git 'is right foot, right track, right in de heart [hollow of foot]. Pick it up three times, d'; not comin' back, goin'. An' git dat track somepin lak dis heah [demon- scates] lak he come, goin' disaway. Yo' walk behin' 'im an' git it disaway [demonstrates]. (He's going one way and you walk behind him and pick it up the opposite way. Bring it back to you. I mean, back from the way he is going.) Now dat's three times. Den yo' git one of yours. Keep agoin' an' don't look back. Take dem two tracks an' yo' put dem two tracks tuhgethah. (His and yours.) Yourn an' his'n, an' yo' take dem two tracks an' yo' go right at 'is office, an' yo' put dat undah dere jis' about dat deep [demonstrates].
(Couple of inches deep.)
Git chew a pin or needle that nevah been stuck an' a piece of cloth, an' stick dat pin down in dere. Let de point be up an' let 'im walk ovah dat. Den yo' gain his influence. Dat's de way ah heard 'em say.
(I see, that is to get a job or hold it.)
Entry 5790
Yo' take a wasps nest an' take a person's track halfways; scrape de dirt back from right about middleways in de foot tuh de heel [demonstrates].
(From the MIDDLE OF THE FOOT BACK TO THE HEEL.) Yeah, back tuh de heel, an' den back tuh de toe [demonstrates]. (Then you begin in the middle and SCRAPE FROM THE MIDDLE UP TO THE TOE.)
[To scrape from hollow or middle of foot track to heel, then from middle to toe, is unusual if not rare.] Git dat sand or dirt. Burn yore wasp [nest] in yore stove an' git dose ashes of de wasp nest, an' mix de ashes an' de dust tuhgethah, de foot dust. Yeah, mix it all up good tuhgethah an' take dat an' put it in de palm of yore han', an' yo stand out [doors] an' yo' say, In de Name of de Father, de Son, [an' Holy Ghost]. An' whichevah way dat wind blows, why a person dat yo' don' wan' aroun' or sompin, dey'll go away. Dat's a easy way tuh git rid of 'em. Dey'll go on off.
(You take either foot track?)
No, take de left one. [This rite comes from my second trip to Memphis and it was given by an informant different from one in preceding rite.] [The spirit of the wasps chases away the spirit in the foot track.]
Entry 5999
If yo' wanta make anybody leave dere home, yo' kin take dere hair out from right in de front of de haid right dere [demonstrates] lak where yo' part it at. An' yo' kin take two needles an' thread dem needles wit de hair, an' put it in a bottle an' bury it right at de block of de house, as yo' goin' out by de front. An' jes' lak de blocks, jes' lak de bricks filled in undah de house - see, yo' could bury it right back down dere.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll make yo' have peace in yore home, or eithah make yo' bring love back - anythin' lak dat.
Entry 6008
An' jis' lak if someone in yore church is givin' yo' trouble in de chrch, yo' know, causin' confusion an' splits in church lak mos' people do's. Why yo' go out in de woods an' yo' ketch yo' one of 'em whut chew call dese heah red-back scorpiens [scorpions]. Ah mean a red-belly. Dey got a red stripe undah 'is stomic. An' yo' take dat scorpien an' put 'im into a pillah where dey sleep, see.
(Alive or dead?)
"Live. Den yo' git some hair outa dere haid. Git someone - if yo' cain't git tuh 'em - tuh git some hair outa dere haid an' place it in a piece[of cloth]. An' yo' take fo' pins an' - not needles but pins - an' jis' win' dat hair an' twist it up yo' know in dem pins, an' jis' ben' dem pins jis' as many ways, jis' bend 'um lak evah way yo' kin. Den yo' take dat live scorpien an' dose pins an' dat hair an' sew it up in a piece [of cloth]. An' den place it in dat pillah whare he sleep at an' he'll take a deadly misery in dere haids an' event'ly [even- tually] dey'll jis' - yo' know IT NO USE GOIN' TUH DOCTAHS [M.D.'s]. NO DOCTAH [M.D.] KIN DO ANY GOOD. An' event'ly dey jis' 中 start to pinin' away an' dat's de end of 'um.
Entry 6077
Ah heard dat chew take nine stran's of yore hair, lak yo' wanted yore basban' or sompin lak dat to stay wit chew. Take nine stran's of yore hair from undah yore arm, undah yore left arm, an' nine from down heah, an' trim mine of yore fingahnails, an' put 'em on de [stove] lid an' parch it, an' sift it op in some dough or cake or sompin an' let 'em eat it. He'll nevah leave yo'.
Entry 6121
Dey git holt tuh yore hair, a woman now tryin' yuh. She'll git holt of yore hair an' she'll wear it in de shoe. Undahstan' now, she wear dat in 'er shoe, if she kin git dat hair out de mole of yore haid. She'll lovin' an' git dat hair out de mole of yore haid an' den she'll wear it in 'er shoe'fo' seven days. An' aftah she wearin' dat shoe seven days, she'll den takes it an' put it in a silk piece of cloth an' put dat dere undah 'er pillah an' den she'll sleep wit dat dere undah 'er pillah. Well, den aftah she sleep wit dat undah 'er pillah nine days, she don't care wha' choo do. Well, she got chew jes' lak she wan' chew. Den yo'll lurk aftah her den.
(Does she wear that in either shoe?)
De right foot.
Entry 6140
Yo' [a woman] kin take his right shoe an' shev [shove] sompin up in de Oe, undahstan' me. Well, take his right shoe an' shev 'is hair up in 'is shoe an' take some of dat same of 'is hair an' shev it up in yore doe an' wear it, an' yo' always be togethah de balance part chure days. What shoe would I [the man] wear that [in]? What shoe would the second per-
[the man] wear that in?)
[My question shows me a little confused.]
De second person? Now, she's wearin'dat shoe an' yo's [the man's] wearin' dat shoe, wearin' yore right shoe.
(What shoe is she wearing that in, the left or the right?)
Yo' slip it up in de right, put it in de right. No, she don't have tuh put none in. Yo' steal it an' put it up in her right shoe an' put some of her same hair in yore right shoe. [A pencil note of mine reads, "Clear up the meaning here!"
Entry 6334
Dey git holt of yore hair an' dey take an' dey gits a - put it in a bottle, an' put red peppah, cayenne, an' salt in dere an' yore name, an' stop it up in a bottle. Dat'll make yo' have de headache all de time, an' make yo' feel if yo' ain't satisfied nowhere yo' move. In no time yo' go. Git dat bottle an' throw it. (What do you do with that bottle?) Yo' take an' throw it in de rivah. An' [or] den yo' kin take an' yo' kin put it up ovah 'is do' where [he walks under it] or if yo' [ain't] scared he'll find it dere, if yo' a friend of 'em an' yo' visit 'em, yo' take an' yo' git it in de mattress or undah dat [bed].
Entry 6341
Dey could take yore hair an' run yo' crazy. Dey take it an' put it in runnin' watah. Dey furce set it in rainwater an' wiggle-tails git into de [rain] watah. An' dey'd drop dat hair in [the water containing wig- gle-tails] [and also] a horse- hair, suppose to make a worm. Den dey'll take yore hair an' Put it in a bottle wit rocks in there [to sink it], an' t'row it in running watah. [Wiggle-tail = wiggler or wriggler - larva or pupa of the mosquito.]
Entry 6374
Well, ah heard it said if yuh git nine strands of der hair an' yuh wrap dat aroun' a cord nine times jis' lak yuh tyin' up a [package] - jis' aroun' de hair, wrap it from yuh all de time. Den yuh git chew nine drops spirits of tur- pentine an' yuh put on dat, an' yuh wrops dat up in a piece of papah. [You put 9 strands of victim's hair in a piece of paper, add 9 drops of turpen- tine, and wrap a cord from you 9 times about this paper pack- age.] An' yuh go an' put it undah de [house owner's or renter's] doorstep. Yuh put it undah dere evah mawnin' befo' de sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back after sundown. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back aftah sundown. Yuh put it undah dere befo' sunrise an' go back aftah sundown an' git it, den put it back dere ag'in befo' sunrise. Yuh go it fo' nine mawnin'san' on de ninth mawnin' dey [owner or renter] goin' be movin'. [Wrapping and winding, two important magic actions have not always been indexed in the past. There are in Hoodoo many examples of the former, especially wrapping to you or away from you. True winding rites probably will also be found in Hoodoo, they appearing in love rites of general folklore (see BALL OF YARN examples, FACI, 2nd ed., p.439). [Wilmington, N. Car., (294), 217:4 - 85+.1
Entry 6383
An' dey could trim yer fingahnails, yo' know. Say now, like if yo' set dere an' trim yer fingahs, I'd gathah dem up. See, I'd gathah dem up an' take dem - or toenails, eithah one of 'em. Take 'em an' put 'em in a li'le vial. An' aftah yo' put 'em intuh de li'le vial, yo' would keep 'em in dis vial fo' 'bout nine days, wit a li'le vitrus wit 'em fo'.tuh git 'em soft. Den yo' take 'em out of dat vitrus an' dry 'em off, an' put 'em in anothah vial den an' put othah stuff wit 'em. (What other stuff do they put with that second vial? What do they put in that second vial?) Intuh de secon' one yo'll put some of yer own chamber lye, an' a li'le bit of cologne root.
(Cologne root?)
Cologne root. An' yo'll take dat an' shift it aroun' [in the bottle]. Dat is tuh do 'em harm.
[Cologne root is probably a product of the root-seller or hoodoo drug store.]
(Well, what do you do with that bottle then, that has that stuff in it? This second bottle, what do you do with that, then?) De bottle? Well, yo' could take dat bottle out some place an' bury it. Bury dat bottle an' dat'll make dem useless in dere han's or foot, wherever dese nails come from.
Entry 6390
It's gotta be close frien's tuh git dat. But dey kin take dem fingah- nails an' dose toenails an' dat dead skin off de bottom of yore feet. An' take some dragon blood, see, an' some John de Conkah powdah. It's a powdah an' den it's a root, but chew take de John de Conkah powdah. (Where do you get the powder?) Yo' gits dis powdah from New Orleans. De woman tole me, yassuh. An' take it, dat dragon's blood an' dat John de Conkah, an' take dat dead skin an' dem toenails [and fingernails]. An' if it's possible, yo' kin git a piece of de individual's hair. Now ah'm tellin' yo' a way tuh drive 'em clean on out of town. An' put some cayenne peppah wit dat an' roll it up. An' sprinkle some table salt on it an' roll it up tight, an' burn it graj'ly [gradually]. Don't burn it real fast. Jis' put it in a place where it kinda simble [simmer] all day long. An' den [after] hit git burnt up, de party would git jis' hot-footed, hot-headed to go.
Entry 6460
Jis' shave it off, take a little, yuh know - jis' a little bit off yeh fingahnails. An' take a razor an' shave a little bit undah yeh ahms, an' a lit- tle bit of hair down dere. An' take dat an' put it in a pot dat choo not gon'a use any mo', an' put it on de fiah; a pot choo're not gon'a use any mo', becuz yuh know nobody fix anything dat yuh wouldn't wana eat [from] it. An' git a pint of whiskey, somebody dat choo know dat love whiskey. An' take dat stuff aftah yuh cook it - it'll git thick - let it drain off. An' when it drain off, put jis' a little bit in whiskey, until de whiskey won't git so thick dat he'll pay mind tuh it. An' den dat's de way yuh kin draw a person wid jeh. If yuh can't git 'em no othah way, yuh kin git 'em in whiskey.
Entry 6468
They can take your toenails and fingahnails an' see, like mah nails mog, they could harm me purtty much for this simple reason. They're dirty. See, they are not all that much long, they are dirty. Well, they would take this nail and they would cut these nails as close as they poss'bly could with the dirt a'all into 'em. If they could get to my toes, they'd do my toes de same iden- tical way. Now, they take these nails here, an' mah toenails an' they'd put them together. If they could get a lizard, they'd take a lizard an' they'd kill the lizard an' let that lizard dry.
(They take a lizard and kill the lizard?)
They kill the lizard.
(Oh, they kill the lizard.)
An' let him dry - I mean, till he gets to a powder. When he gets to a pow- der, they mixes him with these nails of mine. They'd put that into a piece of red flannel and they buries that. AN' NOW, WHEN THEY BURIES THAT, THEY BURIES IT WITH A CROSS.
(What kind of a cross?)
THEY MAKES A CROSS THEYSELF. THEY DON'T VERY SELDOM BUY A CROSS. YOu know, ordinary, plain - just a plain cross, wooden cross; just any kind of a small cross you'll use, just since it's a cross. They buries it with a cross into that flannel. See? Well, now, when they buries that, why they got me just the Way they want me.
Entry 6491
When yo' wash yuh feet clean, don' wlpe it, wait until it begin tuh dry an' den yo' scrape de bottom of each feet from de heel tuh de toe. See. Save dat an' put it intuh a vessel an yo' put yuh own chamber lye on it. Den yo' stop it up an' yo' let it stan' nine days - nine days. An' de las' day take it out an' dat party, if yo' kin git neah tuh 'em, drop a drop or two of dat in whutevah dey eat or dey drink. Why dey will eithah have tuh be yuh frien' or dey will die. I've knowed of dat [death] evently [eventually].
Entry 6521
A person kin take yore fingahnails - dey kin trim yore fingahnails, trim three of yore fingahnails from each hand. (Which three?) Yo' usely [usually] git dese three [demonstrates]. (The three center ones.) De three centah ones. An' yo' kin take dese fingahnails an' it's a kinda root by de name of devil's shoestring. An' yo' kin boil dose roots in dose fingahnails an' put it in whiskey or somepin lak dat. When a person drink it, dem gristles will grow inside from dis nails heah. An' dis devil's shoestring will be a likkah-lak. An' dey put dis in whiskey an' yo' drink it an' den dey grows gristles in yo' - inside of yo'.
(What will that do then?)
Well, jis' grow gristles - be somepin lak a tumor jis' grow biggah an' biggah an' biggah. Will kill yo'.
Entry 6528
Yo' kin take any kinda animal bone an' grind it up. (Is there any way of getting these out of your system after you get them into you?) Sho', yo' kin take some - jis' say fo' instance yo'd have a pan an' let it rust, an' yo' kin take an' scrape de rust offa it, undahstan', an' git chew some watah an' put it in dere, an' jis' use dis [rust] watah an' dat'll cut 'em all up. [This of course is the old iron or steel remedy against witchcraft.]
Entry 6531
Now dey tell me yo' kin take red ants. Go tuh a red ants' bed, jis' lak if yo' wants tuh run a person crazy. Yo' kin go tuh a red ants' bed an' git dose ants an' kill 'em. An' take 'em out in de sun an' let [put] 'em in de sun an' let 'em dry. Don't dry dem in de shade. Yo' know, put 'em in de sun an' let 'em dry. An' give it tuh de folks den in sech as dey bread, or one sech lak dat, an' dey says it will create live things tuh come up an' down in 'em.
Entry 6549
Wal, tuh git de frog intuh de body, dey said dey takes an' use rain watah. Take de frog an' cut de frog while it live an' use rain watah. An' let de rain watah jis' - let de [frog] blood drop intuh de [pool of] rain watah. An' aftah gittin' dis blood from dis [pool of] rain watah, dey po' [pour] dis [blood and rain water] in dere [a container], an' partly covah it [container] an' den mix de [another] watah tuhgethah - de drinkin' watah tuhgethah. An' prak'ly [practical- ly] dem frogs will go intuh de body an' dey come tuh form life. [The frog blood having dripped into a puddle of rainwater is scooped up and poured into drinking water.]
Entry 6582
[I know of them] doin' things wit de scorpions. Ah've seed dat done 'caz ah waited on de woman. Dey ketch a scorpion an' kilt: 'im an' let 'im dried. Dis was a bright [skinned] woman an' dis bright woman wus givin' dis dark-skinned woman trouble wit 'er husban'. An' she taken de scorpion an' kilt 'im an' she cured 'im dry, jis' lak if yo' dny anything. An' she crumble dat up an' put it in some whiskey, an' she called er an' give her a drink of dat whiskey an' - IF AH NEVAH MOVE AG'IN AH'VE SEEN OSE LITTLE SCORPIONS, DEY COME BACK ALIVE. DEY CREATED IN 'ER. Dem little scorpions jis' like dat.
Entry 6587
They tell me that you can take an egg and cut off a scorpion's head and put with that egg, and then take the blood and mark it around that egg so many times, nine times they claim, and then take the blood of an individ- ual and do the same thing. And then take that egg and that scorpion head and bury that, and the individual who has to travel and walk over that will get to a place they claim that he'll have scorpions in him.
Entry 6612
Ah heard 'em say yo' kin take an' ketch a blacksnake an' cut 'is head, yo' know, an' hang 'em up by de tail an' let dat blood drip in somepin. Put it in a bottle an' lak if yore frien's come roun', anybody come, yore frien's or prob'- ly yore enemies too, an' if yo' don' lak 'em, an' lak if yo' have a li'le coffee at dinnah or somepin lak dat, yo' put a li'le bit dat on dere cup an' dat will kill 'em instan'ly.
(What?)
De snake will kill 'em.
Entry 6659
Ah heard dat yo' could take de hair an' take it an' put it in - jis' urap it up or tie it up in a cloth or somepin an' weah it on yo' some place. Weah it on de firs' piece yo' weah [wear next to skin] an' dey say dat will cuz yo' tuh come back tuh 'em. An' den ag'in yo' could take de hair an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up. An' put it in runnin' watah an' den it would turn tuh a snake. An' when it turn tuh a snake it would kill yo'.
Entry 6674
Ah tell yo', if yo' kin git a little of de watah or de spit from de terrapin - if yo' kin git de watah or eithah de spit from de terrapin, an' yo' kin use it in a person. Yo' kin put it in dere watah, anywhere yo' kin put it tuh git it in 'em. It will run 'em wild jis' lak a terrapin.
Entry 6790
If a person bites yo' wit blue gums, yo' kin take a li'le of yore action, yore action an' put it on dere an' rub it in dere roun' good. (Rub it into the bite?) Yeah, an' go git chew some sulphuh an' burn it an' put it on dere, an' slip tuh 'is house. When yo' git dere, an' jis' lak yo' wanta a drink of watah, say, "Git me a glass of watah - git me some watah." An' carry a li'le dat burnt sulphuh wit chew an' - now, lak yo' wan' some watah. Rub it roun' intuh dat glass an' blow yore breath in it three times an' set it down nice, an' tell 'em tuh 'ave a drink of watah. He'll take a drink of watah an' he'll start tuh sufferin' wit de pyorrhea, los' [lostl de teeth outa his haid. (That burnt sulphur that you use in putting on your arm, that is out of the same batch of stuff?) Yes.
Entry 7103
An' den too, ah know a man de way he did 'is wife, when he'd wanta go off tuh see 'is sweetheart, yo' know. He'd go tuh work an' he'd weah 'is undah- clothes yo' see, fo' prob'ly a Week, an' 'im an' 'is wife would go tuh bed an' she wouldn't even know when he git outa de bed. He'd go tuh work an' he'd take his han's an' put 'em undah 'is arm an' roun' in 'is private, an' put it cross 'er nose lak dat. An' take dem drawahs an' put ovah 'er face. An' he could go an' stay till day de nex' mawnin', an' she wouldn't wake up until he come an' move 'is undahclothes off 'er bed. Ah've known dat tuh be true.
Entry 7137
Yo' could take one of 'is shoes an' turn it down jis' somewhere at de side of de bed, an' den he sleep a long time. An' a woman kin take her skin- piece an' put it up ovah'at dis end of de bed, jis' hang it up ovah dere. Dey'll sleep sound lak dat.
Entry 7208
Ah've hear'd sev'ral diff'ren' things about de fo'ks of de road. Ah bear'd dat when people wan' tuh separate people, dey go tuh fo'ks of de road; an' when dey wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah dey go tuh de fo'ks of de road, but it depends on whethah dey work on eithah de left or de right hand side. If yo' want people tuh separate, well dey'll write de person's name, de woman's name, nine dues on a piece of brand-new papah wit a brand-new pencil, tablet an' pencil dat nevah been used. If dey wan' tuh separate dem, dey'll write de man's name nine times an' den dey'll write de woman's crosswise nine times. Den dey take de pencil an' dey think all de evil dey kin: I jis' hope yo' son-of-bitches jis' fuss an' fight an' scratch lak cats an' dogs. [Informant scratches all over the [paper.] An' dey go dere an' dey dig down a few inches.
(They scratch that paper all up.)
Yes, jis' scratch up lak yo're mad at it an' curse dem an' think all de evil yo' kin. An' den yo' dig a hole dere an' yo' bury dat on de left-hand side of de road at de fo'k where de fo'ks meet. An' aftah buryin' it yo' po' watah on L, yo' know, tuh pack de groun' down where dat kin rot. An' by de time dat papah rots, dose people'll begin tuh disagree, an' in from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dey're separated. An' if yo' wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah, yo' write dere names nine times an' yo' fold it tuh yuh. Of co'se de lady involved has tuh do dat huhself. She has tuh be told. An' she writes 'er lovah's name nine times an' huhs acrost it, an' she folds it tuh 'er nine times. Den she turns it aroun' an' folds it small way, dis way; an' turn it aroun' an' fold it to 'er dis way. Den she takes it an hides it on de right-hand side of de road wit all good wishes.
(Then what happens?)
Well den aftah de same period of time, aftah from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dis person'll become vi'lently attached tuh 'er.
Entry 7387
Yo' [he] could kill a man an' he [murderer] goes away. Well, yo' take dat man's [killer's] name or take some of 'is clothes. Yo' take his clothes. Yo' take his clothes, de man's - if yo' can get some of de man's [killer's] clothes or something of de man's, de man dat's gone. Yo' take dat an' yo' put on de man dat he killed. Or, eithah, if yo' don't do dat, yo' take two hen egg8 an' put 'em in 'is han's an' turn 'im flat on 'is belly, an' fo' nine days when dem eggs bust, de man'll come in - he'll come an' give up. (And you say the other way of doing it is to get some clothes from the fellow who ran away.) Yeah, takes 'is clothes - take some of 'is clothes an' bury 'em wit dat [dead] man.
Entry 7400
Take yore shoes sometime an' lak if dey did anythin', yo' kin take dere shoes an' have 'em caught.
(How would you do that?)
Well, yo' take an' put - yo' git chew some quicksilvah. Well, yo' kin git some of dat an' put nine drops in each shoe. Dat's, if yo' wanta git dis person, put nine drops in each shoe. Den yo' take dese shoes an' yo' pray ovah dem fo' three days, an' yo' use de 26 Psalm on dat fo' three days 'fore sunup, an' put 'em undah de steps whence [where] he goin' back to. Bury dem undah dose bo'ds. An' in nine days he'll be back dere.
(If he has committed some crime.)
Entry 7425
Jes' lak somebody killed a person an' he'll git away, an' yo' know, yo' cain't find 'im an' yo' don' know who it is. Befo' dat, befo' yo' bury dat corpse, yo' put a aig in it, in de body; jes' de aig down in [with] de corpse befo' it's stiff, an' dat person is boun' tuh come back. He cain't stay away.
Entry 7447
Ah've hear'd dis about a person dat got killed. Jes' lak ah would kill somebody an' nobody roun' know who done it, but de way tuh find out who done it, who really done it, is wit dis dead person. Yo' put an aig in dey han' an' write on de aig. "Mur- derer come back." An' let it stay 24 hours an' dey'll ketch 'im.
Entry 7466
If a man killed somebody an' run away, yo' will take de daid one an lay 'im on 'is face. An' yo' git three fresh aigs an' put one in each han'. Put one in each one of 'is han's an' lay one undah heah, right up undah his chin heah. Lay 'im on 'is face, de daid one. Dat's if yo' cain't identify de fellah, yo' lay de dead one on 'is face an' put one dem fresh aigs in each han' an' lay de one right undah his neck heah undah his face. If dat man, if he won' come back dere, he be put where he kin be seen.
Entry 7507
Shot to death. Well, now if yo' is shot to death, yo' jes' take an' go in de woods an' dey git somepin dey calls scrubby oak [second-growth oak?] switch. Well yo' git one of dose switches, an' de very person whut's dead in de coffin, yo' take an' put dat in 'is han'. Put dat switch in 'is han' in de coffin, see, an' tell 'im, say, "Whip dis person across de whole worl'" - jes' who his name wus, yo' undah- stan' - "whip him until he git enough." Jes' call de dead person name an' also dis othah man's name - see, what did de killin' - an' den yo' close 'is hand on it. See [demonstrates] jes' close his hand right up on it, an' he'll finish drawin' up [!!!]. See. An' den when yo' bury 'im, in spirit dis same scrubby- oak switch an' dis fellah in spirit will whip dis othah fellah until he die. He won't live very long. If he live six months he doin' good. [Charleston, S. Car.,
(?).639:2+85.]
Entry 7633
Dey could go an' git some graveyard dirt, an' dey have whut dey call a Way of dressin' A BOX LAK DIS THING [my Telediphone recorder on the table be- tween us], like puttin' it in a box, if dey wanted tuh do harm tuh yuh. If yuh were a woman or if yuh wus a man, eithah way, yuh take it vice-a-versy. Put it in a box an' - put dis graveyard dirt in it an' go tuh yuh home when dere wus not no one aroun'. An' lift up yuh bottom step, de firs' one dat yuh walk on, an' place it down in dere. Den dey will manage some way not tuh go back dere de same day, but dey will go back maybe in de evenin' tuh stir yuh aroun' an' maybe send yuh fer a drink of watah or somepin lak dat. An' den dey will dress yer whole house an' yuh won't stay dere. Dere is no Way fer yuh tuh stay dere.
(How will they dress the house?)
Well, dey dress it wit de same dirt dat dey have dat dey gits in de graveyard, but dey git it near [the] heart.
Entry 7654
Well, ah hear'd dey say yo' kin take graveyard dirt - yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt - go down dere at night an' dig right ovah de heart of de grave. Den bring it back an' put it umdah de steps an' po' vhis- key on it fo' nine mawnin's. Den yo' go back dere an' yo' take dis dirt up an' put it in a piece of white flannel an' take de dirt an' bury it in de ground an' let it stay dere. After yo' take it up an' put whiskey on it an' put it undah de step in de groun'. An' if dere any- one [there] dat don' lak yo', dey can't stay dere. [Is whiskey on for 9 mornings a delayed payment for the graveyard dirt?]
Entry 7659
Go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dust from de sunrise [east] side an' put it in de left shoe of de person dat dey wanted tuh be made faithful, yo' undahstan'. If it's a woman dat's un- faithful or if it's a man dat unfaithful, put dat graveyard dust in dat left shoe an' dat will have de desired results. (That will make them stay at home. Take some old shoe that they won't know about?) Yes, some of de shoes dat dey weah, ah presume jes' de shoe dat dey weah. Jes' lak if it were mah left shoe an' mah wife could arrange tuh have somebody dat had dat craft [witchcraft] yo' know, tuh git dat [dirt] an' [I] wear it on me mos' evah day, why ah wouldn't run away. Ah have tuh be faithful. Git it from de east side, from de sunrise side of de grave.
(They go out there you say when?)
Sometime, yo' undahstan' about sundown.
Entry 7663
( Git some graveyard dirt outa each end of de grave, yo' undahstan', an' den yo' kin take an' tie it up an' put it in de east end of de cornah of yore house. Dat fo' tuh bring luck. [Memphis, Tem.
(952), 1538:4.]
Entry 7669
Yo' kin dig about six inches in de graveyard, an' yo' git some of dat fine dirt, dat dirt about six inches down. Take dat an' put it in a cup an' yo' git some lodestone an' put in it too. An' yo' shet it up. (What do you do that for?) Dat's fo' a woman, tuh make her stay wit chew, yo' got dat dust. See, yo' gotta take it, see, put dat undah yore house an' she'd stay dere. She ain't goin' leave.
Entry 7681
[Here is a rare rite. While talking to the grave spirit, ask him to give you a sign before you 'leave the grave, that you will be successful in your undertaking with his dirt.] What dey do wit it? Well, dey take dat, yo' see, an' dey go an' shake hands wit de dead yo' see. Den dey give dat to dem. (Well, how do they do that? They get hold of your handwriting. And how would they shake hands with the dead, then?) Well, yo' see, yo' go tuh a pusson who's neighbah yo' know died, yo' know [buried]. An' yo' go down elbow deep an' yo' know, when yo' git down elbow deep, down dere it'll be as cold as de pusson is dead, yo' see. An' yo' talk tuh 'em an' yo'll request whethah yo' be successful an' tell 'em give yo' a sign. Well, if it's a calm day, yo' call de sign, an' yo' tell 'em tuh make a - shake a limb on a tree or shake a bush or send a breeze of wind. An' he give yo' a sign by dat, yo' know. Yo' know whethah yo' be successful when yo' leave [the grave] or not. He give yo' de sign 'fo' yo' leave, yo' know.
(Well, what do you do with this handwriting?)
Dey jes' take it an' put it right - as yo' go down dere elbow deep, dey'll put it in dat hole an' pay 'em two cents an' tell 'em whatcha wanta happen wit dis, yo' know, what chew Wanta happen - kill
Entry 7691
Sprinkle it [graveyard dirt] in yore baid an' it'll make yuh go away tuh nuthin. Yo' see, if somebody die, yuh go right dere an' take it right from de grave about middle- ways [center of] de grave an' say, "Lord, he'p [help] me in mah undahtakin'." When dey put it in yore baid, hit'll make yo' go away [tuh nuthin = kill you].
Entry 7705
If yo' wanta hurt anybody, yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' call de person name. An' carry a piece of [his] ole clothes, leave dat dere, an' bring [a small piece] eidah [either] de haidboard or de footboard; an' yo' kin go tuh a person house an' put it right undahneat' 'is pillah, [but] undahneat' de baid. An' he'll go tuh sleep dat night an' he'll take a pain an' he wouldn't nevah be no good tuh hisself. He wouldn't fin' out until he die. Somebody goin', but she'll nevah let 'im, unless yo' wanta turn 'im loose. Den yo' kin go an' tum 'im loose if yo' don't wanta harm 'im. (How do you mean put that footboard under the pillow. Wouldn't they feel it under there?)
[Actually only a splinter from the board is used.]
No, sir, dey ain't goin' feel it. Dey ain't goin' have sense enough tuh feel it. [This rite is unusual. The man's old clothes has contact with the grave- yard dirt, and the graveyard board splinter is taken to the house as a substi- tute for the dirt.]
Entry 7706
Dey say dey take it if yo' wan'a person tuh leave home. Jis' lak yo' stay roun' a family of people an' yo' didn't want dem tuh stay dere or dey were sturbin' yo'. Well, yo go to de graveyard an' yo' git some dirt offa grave. Yo' know about where a per- son's heart is an' yo' take a knife an' yo' cut a splintah offa dat haidbo'd an' a splintah offa de footbo'd. Say den yo' take dat splintah an' make a cross out it. Chew know, lak yo'd make a cross.
(Just a little bit louder.)
Yo' make a cross outa dem two splintahs an' yo' take dat dirt an' yo' put it undah dere do'step an' make a grave out of it. An' den yo' take dat cross an' stick to de haid of it jis' lak it wus tuh de haid of a grave. Well, dey will have tuh move 'way from dere. Dey cain't stay dere. [Here we have 2 splinters from the graveboards making a cross for a mock grave, a subtect to be explored later in this section DEATH.]
Entry 7707
Yo' kin go tuh de grave an' turn de haidbo'd from de grave an' take dat
[dirt], go to a person - jes' lak if yo' want a sweetheart or anything [a man to]
quit wit a woman - an' carry it an' put it dere, an' tell dis person tuh make dis man stop goin' dere. An' why if he evah go dere at night or anythin', go tuh sleep, dis [dead] person will worry him so dat he couldn't go back nohow.
(You put that board in the house?)
Yassuh, [no] put de dirt undah de house. Den yo' change de bo'd an' git de dirt, de graveyard dirt, an' carry it tuh de house. Why he couldn't go back dere.
Entry 7719
Now, yo' take an' yo' go tuh de graveyard, an' yo' write her name down three times on a piece of papah, an' change on de stob on de grave, yo' know. Pull it up heah [de- monstrates], see, an' put it down heah [at the foot] - yo' take de haid [headboard] tuh de foot, yo' see. Well, she done left yo' an' yo' want 'ah [her] back, see. Take de haid [board] tuh de foot an' change it [with the footboard]. Dat's to come [to bring her] back. See, she have tuh come back dere.
(What do you do with that paper?)
Dat papah, yo' got 'ah [her] name on it an' yo' [demonstrates] put it down dere an' yo' put it [pour] in some whiskey an' drive it [footboard in hole]. (You put it [paper] in that hole where you pull up that headboard and put it [headboard] to the foot. Then you take the footboard and put it back in the hole in the headboard's place?) Dat's right.
(Then she'll come back?)
She'll come back. [Paying the grave spirit with whiskey is fairly common.]
Entry 7725
Take de footbo'd an' put it tuh de haid an' de haidbo'd an' put it tuh de feet, an' let it stay fo' [for] fo' [four] days. Go back an' reverse de footbo'd tuh de left-side an' de haidbo'd tuh de right-side, an' name de othah per- son - name de per- son [victim]. Take de length of dat grave from de haid wit a rule [string can be used]. Carry it back through a [paper bag suggested later] an' pass it tuh dem [the victim]. Give it tuh dem or some of de ones in de house - or de one dat shure tuh be condemned. Dat'll be de one who'll soon pass out of de house. (How do you mean? You go there and put the headboard to the foot and the footboard to the head?) That's right. (Then you go back there in four days. And then what do you do with those boards?) Take 'em an' jes' place 'em tuh de side, one tuh de left an' one tuh de right Iside of grave].
(Well, which is which?)
De haidbo'd tuh de left [heartside] an' de footbo'd tuh de right. Jes' take dem an' jes' push 'em dere; jes' push 'em dere an' name 'em.
[Somewhere along here informant said something about a sign on the grave.]
(That you make a sign on the grave?)
Yo' make a "x" on de grave, dat's right. Carry it [measurement] back an' give tuh de person.
(What do you give to the person?)
De measure. Yo' measure it wit a rule or a string; anything yo' want tuh, jes' since yo' git it back [to the house]. Yo' take de measure an' give it tuh dis person, somebody in de house. Yo' gotta give it tuh 'em in a papah bag or sompin - in de bag or sompin. Be sure dat chew give it tuh 'em. [Sumter, S. Car. (1384), 2460:5.]
Entry 7726
Yo' take de foot- bo'd tuh de haid an' jes' whatevah yo' want done, vell yo' gotta say dat fo' yo'self yo' see; but chew take it, an' see how it's turnt one way, den yo' pull it up an' den yo' turn it roun' de othah way. See.
(You mean you put the head part [headboard] down to the foot?)
Yeah, yo' take de haid part - yo' take it from de haid an' put it tuh de foot an' den yo' - but chew turn it upside down. Don't turn it lak yo' pull it up. (You put the top [part.of graveboard] down into the hole. What do you do with the footboard then?) Yo' do de same thing. Yo' take de footbo'd an' put it to de haid an' yo' take de haid an' put it tuh de foot.
(But you must put them upside down?)
Upside down. Jes' whutevah yo' want did, den yo' ast dis dead body tuh do dat fo' yo' - jes' whutevah wish yo' want, whutevah yo' want did, yo' do dat. [Sumter, S. Car., (1348), 2330:9.] With all the graveyard dirt previously given and more to follow this subsec- tion (2), what is the reader to do? Remember only, graveyard dirt full of the spirit refuses to be confined within man-made schemes of order.]
Entry 7814
Dey did mah grandmothah dat way, an' ah went tuh a woman [doctor] dat tole me. Take de graveyard dust an' got some ole stuff dey jis call John de Conkah, an' put it wdt dat graveyard dust. An' git Jockey Club an' put it. Mix it all up tuh- gethah an' put some peppah in it. An' put it in 'er tracks an' put it at de do' where she had tuh come out. An' de woman [doctor] git one of 'er shoes an' put some in dere, an' 'er foot lak tuh rise [swell] off her.
(Almost ran off?)
Yes. [The woman doctor or fortuneteller turned the spell back on the spell-caster.1
Entry 7825
If yo' wanta be lucky, dey tell me yo' kin write a lettah tuh a fellah, lak yo' know a real bad fellah dat died. Yo' kin write lettah tuh 'im care of hell. Go tuh de graveyard an' write de lettah tuh 'im. Come back an' put it undah de haid of yuh baid dat night an' yo'll dream about 'im. Yo'll be lucky an' git money, lucky tuh git a job - anything. [In general folklore to dream of the dead is lucky - see FACI 2nd ed., Nos.8271-8272, 8274, p.367.]
(You write the letter in care of hell?)
Yassuh.
Entry 7841
Dey kin take dat bow an' keep yo' wit a headache all de time. Dey odll take dat bow an' take it tuh de cemetery tuh a ole grave an' go tuh de haid of de grave an' call yore name an' bury dis dere, an' say tuh de spirit in de grave, "Why, keep dis till ah come fo' it." An' until dey come, why yo'll have de head- ache. If it's a stockin' dat's been worn, if it's a dirty sock, not one been washed, dat dirty, dat have de sweat or presparin' [perspiring] from 'er feet, don' chew undahstan', den yo' kin take dat an' take hit tuh de cemetery. An' put [it] down at de foot of de grave, not de haid but de foot, an' say tuh dat spirit: Keep dis till ah come back. An' dat puts dis woman's mind on yo'. Now, when yo' git tired of 'er, yo' have tuh go an' git it up an' throw hit in runnin' watah.
Entry 7848
Ah git me a li'le graveyard dirt an' ah take dat graveyard dirt an bring it back an' bury it, some of it. Take some an' put it in a vial an' put it in de no'th cornah of yore house an' den yo' see, whosomevah yo' put dat in dere fo', well see, quite nätchel [natural], if yo' love 'em or if yo' don' love 'em. If yo' hate 'um, dey won' stay 'bout chew; if it's fer dem, dey'll come tuh yuh. (Where would you bury that graveyard dirt?) Bury it [loose por- tion] undah de no'th end of de steps, an' put de othah [vial portion] in de no'th corner of yore house.
Entry 7893
Dey kin take yuh shoes an' dey kin break yo' out wit sores.
(How do they do that?)
Well, dey go tuh de graveyard an' dey git de dead dust - not graveyard dust - like here de grave an' dey send dat pipe down intuh de grave 'till it hits - till dey git, till de pipe gits full wit dat dust. [See piece of cane driven into grave, No.7812. p.3364.1 Dey takes dat dust an' use immaterial [material] from dat very grave, but evahwhere dat dust go on your feet, dat breaks yo' wit sores.
Entry 7960
An' dey make a li'le coffin dataway, git a piece of de woman's stock- ings. Dey git a piece of de woman's undahweah, if it's possible. Dey will take nine needles. Dey will take nine pins. Dey will put red peppah an' dey will put Epsom salts. Dey put oil of verbena an' bury dat undah de party's step. See. An' dey will nevah put de end tuhgethah, dey an' dey husband...
(They do what?)
Nevah git de end tuhgethah, nevah make de ends meet. Don't care if dey both be workin', dey always will be somepin: lak if dey have shoes, dey hayen't got any hat; if dey got a hat, dey haven't got any skirt; if dey got a skirt, dey owe de landlord. Dey'll nevah will be successful.
Entry 7978
Yo' takes a photograph, see, an' writes on de back of de photograph yore name, her name cross it. Don't write 'em straight. Yo' write chure name down an' yo' come back an' write her name on top of it. Yo' go to de grave- yard an' take yo' two han'- fulla dirt an' sprinkle it ovah dis picture, an' fold dis photograph up an' puts it in a envelope an' sprinkle dat dirt in de envelope, jes' 'nuff tuh put in dere an' fold it up an' puts it in de box. An' in seven days, regardless tuh where she is or who she is, she cain't be still - she'll return. She gotta come.
Entry 8141
Now, if yo' wanta kill somebody wit dat, yo' take de photograph. Yo' don' wan'a use but jis' part of it. Jis' take off, if it's got a foot, yo' know some got a whole photo- graph, some got jis' a part, some got jis' de haid. Some got jis' de body, some got de whole an' some got jis' de haid. If yo' wants to kill somebody, an' it's de whole one, yo' cut off, jis' clip off de right foot, an' take dat whole photograph an' take it an' turn it, jis' turn it.
(You take off the right foot. And then how do you turn that, now?)
Jis' take it an' turn it tuh yo', jis' roll it, lak yo' take one roll, two rolls, three rolls [to you]. Understan'?
(Keep rolling it to you. The foot part or the rest of the photograph?)
No, de rest of de whole photograph. Yo' undahstan'? Jis' roll dat lak dat three times an' jis' carry it anywhere, don' care where yo' throw it, jis' throw it out somewhere. Well, now, hit's gone on away. All right. Yo' takes dis right foot, an' bring it on back tuh de house, but chew do nuthin wit it den. Let it stay dere, at least six or seven hours, sompin lak dat. "Bout six or seven hours aftah yo' done dis, hold it, take de pichure of dis foot, takes an' puts it down in a bottle, jis' de smallest bottle yo' kin find, an' puts ah reck- on 'bout dat much of mustard seed, lak yo' ketch dat much [demonstrates].
(Just a little pinch of the mustard seed.)
Drop it in de bottle, wit'out anything in it - jis' say about nine, if it ain't but jis' a haid [means foot]. Drop it in dere an' stop it up, an' jis' keep dat wit choo all de time. Dat's tuh influence dat person. Keep dat wit chew. An' yo' weah it a while. Well, no quickah den dey die, yo' gon'a feel dat right shouldah jump, jump jis' lak sompin skip ovah it. Soon as it do dat, yo' must take it [bottle] an' throw it away lak dat. Throw it lak dat. [If informant demonstrated, I missed it.] De safest way, de spirit comin' tuh yo' an' givin' yo' a notice dat dey daid. Don't care where dey are. (Right after this notice that they are dead, you must throw this bottle away right then?) Right then, de right arm will move when dey come.
(You will have that little kick then in the right arm?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8149
Well, dey take yuh pitchure. Why dey git a big one a [of] dem big frogs, great big green frog. Dey'll take him an' take yuh photograph, an' dey'll take nine needles wit gold eyes dat nevah wus used. Jis' take dem right out de package. An' dey'll take dat frog's feet an' tie it back of 'is back, jis' lak dat [demonstrates].
(Bend the living frog's hind legs over his back and tie them there.)
An' aftah tyin' 'em back dere, both of 'em, tie dem back dere an' stick dem needles. Put 'is pitchure in dat frog's mouth, an' stick dem needles all through dat frog. An' dey'll bury dat frog three feet in de ground, any place in de ground, jis' at sundown. An' it'll keep yo' sick an' worried, an' yo'll die.
Entry 8196
If a person is away an' yo' wan' 'em back, yo' could take a photograph, no mattah whethah it's tin or pastebo'd. No mattah if it tin or papah, dey kin take dat an' put it on top of de dressah, what choo call de bu- reau. Git ready, yo' take dat. Take a pichure, male or female, an' yo' could take dat an' wrap it up. If a woman wan' tuh bring 'im back, take a piece of 'er clothes an' weah it nex tuh him. [Informant has right idea but may have had a drink.] An' he wrap dat pichure up an' turn it on de haid an' rip dat piece, yo' know whut ah mean, be- hind de glass [of the mirror] an' put it dere lak dat [demonstrates]. Ah don' [care] whäh he is, aftah nine days he'll come, or twelve days, soon as he kin git dere.
Entry 8200
(What would they do with my photograph?)
Take yure photograph an' place it intuh a small lookin'-glass, face intuh de glass lak yo' would look intuh de glass, an' put it intuh a runnin' place of watah two or three weeks, an' it will run yuh crazy.
Entry 8256
It's prak'ally [practically] de same. An' dis woman she wuz jis' givin' me so much trouble wit mah husban', dat he wuz almos' out fo' good. Ah didn't wan'a 'sturb [disturb] mah place. Ah wondah'd whut tuh do. Ah loved mah husban' an' ah wuz jis' so crazy 'bout 'im, an' jealous ah guess. So it seem lak it come tuh me one night in mah sleep, say, Jis' take his pichure an' weah it. Ah got up through de night an' ah taken dat pichure an' ah put it in mah shoe, an' ah didn't tell anybody whut ah did. Ah put dat pichure in mah shoe an' ah wore it dere. Dat one wored out an' he com- mence tuh grow bettah. Ah looked roun' an' ah found 'nothah one, photograph, an ah put dat one dere. An' ah wanta tell yo' dere ain't a bettah man dat walks, dan mah husban'. Dat's mah one experience. An' ah tole two or three othahs de same things. (I AM LETTING THIS WOMAN GO FOR THE MOMENT BECAUSE THERE IS A SPECIALL HOODOO MAN JUST CAME THAT I WANT TO TALK TO. I AM AFRAID HE MIGHT LEAVE. I'LL TALK TO HER LATER.)
Entry 8312
Dey kin take yore photograph, lak it be a li'le small pichure, an' take some - if dey Wanta hurt cha, dey kin hurt cha wit yore photograph. An' den dey kin bring yuh home tuh dem wit de photograph. But de way dey hurt chew wit de photograph, dey take de photograph an' dig a hole an' put it down in de hole. Bury it an' about five inches down in de ground, an' put salt an' peppah on it, cayenne peppah, dis here pulvahized cayenne peppah an' saltpetah [3 ingredients]. An' bury dat down in dere an' dat will make yuh git down sick, jes' on a drag. An' de mo' dat photograph rot, de mo' closah tuh de grave yo' will be goin'; an' aftah de photograph rots, yo' will be daid.
Entry 8403
Dey take a photograph an' place it in vinegah, turn de photograph down. See, yo' know what ah mean, turn de face down an' place it in vinegah. An' den let it stay in vinegah fo' - ah think it's nine mawnin's. An' den yo' take it, aftah yo' let it stay in dat vin- egah - see, it fades, yo' know. Den yo' take a hen aig an' push a li'le tiny hole in de hen egg an' let it drip right on dat pichure.
(What will that do?)
What dat will 'fect - it's almost similah tuh yore hair [in a previous rite by informant], but it jis' won't run yuh as bad. It will cuz yuh tuh have a Wondah- in' [wandering] mind, yo' know, become dissatisfied.
Entry 8416
Well den, if he leave home lak dat, yo' kin take a glass of watah an' set it tuh de no'th side of yore bed lak dat, in a dark place an' put 'is photograph up ovah de watah, see. An' when dat photograph, dat pitchure change, lak dat 'is face be goin' off it, ah don' care where he is, well dat'll draw him back home, if he not daid some place.
(How do you put that photograph glass? Show me.)
See, jis' lak dis de glass of watah. Yo' put it on de no'th side of de bed lak dat, in de da'k right behin' dere. Well, yo' take dat pitchure an' put it ovah de glass of watah, see on top de glass of watah jis' lak dat, wit de face down tuh de watah.
Entry 8463
I've heard people say that people could git chere fortergraph - I think its on de tintype, we call it - an' put it down tuh the lowah watahmark; an' de tide rises ovah that an' comes tuh de high watahmark an' it covahs it. They say [they] can do somepin tuh yuh by that way.
Entry 8490
Ah heard dat, an' ah heard dat de way dey do, is tuh go ovah tuh dem an' git de folkses name who are runnin' dis business. An' dey will write dere name on a piece of papah. An' say yo' will go back an' stick it undah where dey have tuh come along [and walk over it]. Dat whut dey tell yo' would git a job dere.
Entry 8497
Git 'is name.
(Get the boss's name.)
Uh huh.
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' write de boss name nine times an' den aftah yo' write de boss name nine times, yo' git chew three lumps of cut loaf sugah - three lumps. (Cut loaf sugar.) An' aftah yo' git dem three lumps of cut loaf sugah, yo' takes de boss name of de nine times writin' an' yo' take it an' fold lak dis here - yo' know, lak a envelope is fold. Fold it lak dat. [Fold the name as you would fold a sheet of paper to put in envelope.] An' yo' take de boss name an' aftah yo' fold it lak dat, yo' turn around an' yo' put it in a brand-new silk pocket han'ke'ch'ef. An' yo' put it in dat brand-new silk pocket han'ke'- ch'ef an' yo' weah it along in heah.
(Where? Where do you wear it?)
Weah along heah [demonstrates].
(Right along there?)
Yeah. An' he's sure goin' tuh send fo' yuh tuh come back.
(I see. Where do you put that sugar?)
Yo' put dat sugah wit it.
(In those three things?)
[Three things = 3 lumps of sugar.]
Yeah.
[I now for the first time reveal the Wearing place.]
(You put it down near your private?)
Uh huh. An' when dat sugah comin' [commence], tuh meltin', yo' take dat sugah out dat's comin' tuh dissolvin', an' yo' put it one - yo' know break it. Yo' take an' put one lump in dat cornah, one in dat one, one in dat, one in dat.
(You put a half lump in.)
Each cornah.
(Of your own house?)
Each cornah of yore own house - nobody else's house, in yore own house.
(Well, there are three lumps of sugar and you break two of them.)
Yeah, an' put it in each cornah, an' de boss, he'll send fo' yuh.
(I see.)
Entry 8514
(What are you going to do when you get the coconut?)
Whut chew goin' do wit de coconut? Yo' goin' empty de watah [milk or juice] out de coconut, dry it out good. See, don' leave no watah in dere, let it drain good. An' den put jis' a li'le steel dust an' a piece of lodestone, an' yo' orite dat name nine times. Write his name nine times. Take dat spool of thread, No.8 black, an' wrap dat comin' tuh yuh [saying] "Ah want chew tuh stay heah. Yo nst stay an' yo' gotta stay. Ah want chew heah." Yo' put dat intuh dat coconut an' yo' take a li'le stoppah an' yo' cut de stoppah off, an' shet dat up an' bury it undah de steps. See. (Is there any special way you must bury it under the steps?) No, yo'jis'.... Yo'see, yo' have tuh bury it up lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' bury it up lak dat, but de coconut is in de ground. See. Now ah did dat. (What will that do then?) Well, dat brings 'is mind, makes 'im stay dere, an' him an' her been tuhgethah evah since.
Entry 8561
Git his name an' yo' write his name an' yo' fold it nine times to yo', an' put it up ovah de do' where he gotta go in an' out. Dat's good.
(What will that do?) Well, he'll stay at home.
Entry 8578
[The lamp rites of this margin title once belonged to the New Orleans area of influence; itself and across the Mississippi River in Algiers, Mobile, Vicksburg, and Memphis. Whether these beliefs collected more than a generation ago are still popular, I do not know at the moment - June 12, 1974. Fashions in magic and witchcraft are constant- ly changing.] (What about that?) Well, that's like - the same as that is, but yo' is separated because yo' got another wife and she [the first wife or woman] loves yo' an' she wants yo' back. An' she write your name [nine times] - her name nine times backwards, an' yours nine times forwards on top of yours [see later expla- nation]. Well, yo' see, then she takes that and she folds it to her an' puts it in a lamp an' burns it. That cause zhoo to come back.
(What will she write first nine times, her name or his name?)
She writes your name first.
(The man's name first?)
First.
(Then - the woman writes her name then?)
On top of yours.
(Which one does she write forwards and backwards?)
WRITE BOTH OF 'EM BACKWARDS.
(Both of them backwards.)
Entry 8581
(How do you do that?)
Well, yo' write that down nine times on a piece of brown paper an' yo' fold it. Always fold it to yo'. Bring it to yo'. Make a wish every time yo' fold it. Wish that. An' put that in a lamp an' burn it. (Just burn the light in there?) Burn it, a low light all day. Never let it go out. And if yo' see it ain't workin' quick enough, then yo' take an' get yo' a candle. An' get yo' a pink candle an' bite de [bottom] end off it an' light it. An' put that - lay that [paper with names] down under it an' set that [candle] right on top like that.
(What do you mean bite the end off it?)
Just take it in your teeth and bite the [bottom] end off, that end what lights. Light it from de other end. Then take a knife an' cut down - make it, light it from de bottom.
(I see, turn the candle upside down.)
Entry 8582
Sho', ah kin show yo' somepin dat make 'em come back. Yo' take nuthin but a brown papah an' write her name nine times. Wrap it up wit brown sugah, not dis regular sugah we git. Yo' git de brown undryed [old- fashioned crude] sugah an' yo' wrap it up in dat name, aftah yo' write it nine times an' den cross it once. Dat'll make ten. If yo' got 'lectric [lamp] yo'll have tuh git a [coal oil] lamp an put dat name down in dat coal oil. Put it down in dere an' let de lamp burn. Let it burn fo' 24 hours an' in 48 hours she'll be back or tryin' tuh git in tech wit chew. If she don' be back, she'll try tuh git in tech wit chew. Yo jes' take her name on dat brown sugah, bag papah, not no papah yo' buy: Jes' lak yo' got sompin wit brown papah. Write her name on it nine time an' den write yores once 'cross dere. Fold it up an' put it down in de lamp, an' let dat lamp burn 24 hours; an' if she don't be back in de 24 hours, she'll be tryin' tuh git in tech wit chew.
Entry 8601
Well, mah experience. A stepdaughter of mah husband's, her an' her husband had got on a fuss an' he was workin' on de river-front. She used tuh often come to mah house for me to go off down there to look for him. He wouldn't come with- out her. So we goes over on Menassas Street by one of de river-front foremans an' we ast 'im where - a river-front fore- men, dat one of de men was overseeing of de work. So we goes by one of the foreman's house an' we ast 'im where was Billikin - dey called him fo' a nick- name. So he tole us where he was. He ast us, says, "Whut's de mattah wit chew an' him now?" She said, "He jest walked off an' he left me." He says, "Now ah wanta tell yo' what ah want chew to do." He suggested a plan to her. "Yo' go back an' git chew a writin' tablet an' yo' write his name nine times."
(Was this a colored foreman?)
Dis was de colored foreman. He says, "Now if yo' wanta bring 'im back, " he say, "yo' take an' write his name nine times on a piece of papah." He says, "Tear it [the ruled sheet] with nine lines." Say, "Yo' write his name nine times on that paper. Then yo' turn de papah an' write chure name nine times across his." Says, "Yo' take dat papah an' fold it nine times 'wards yo'. Yo' take yore pin an' pin this note dat chew have wrote onto de end of a lampwick, de lamp dat chew burn in yore room." An' says, "Number', says, "if yo' want 'im to come back in three days." four days." Says, "Yo' put dat number on de outside of dat papah, after it's been refolded an' pinned to de lamp. Den yo' put dat wick back in de lamp an' fill it wit kerosene oil, an' light it an' set it on yore dresser." He say, "he'll come back home." So we tried it an' he did an' he's back there yet an' hasn't gone back.
Entry 8617
Yo' kin meet dat lan'lord. Yo' go tuh dat lan'lord an' yo' write his name nine times, call 'is name, an' write it nine times, an' put it ovah de sill of yore do'. An' he cain't put chew out.
Entry 8640
Well, a lemon, if yo' wanta break somebody up ag'in, lak a man an' 'is wife or sompin lak dat, yo' could take such a-thing as a lemon an' yo' could take that same cayenne peppah. An' yo' write their [man's] name down nine times an' de woman who yo' wanta break 'em up from Yo' could write their name, but whosomevah doin' it, well, dey could do it, dey could fold it, fold it but always fold it from dem. An' if yo' wants tuh put some- body togethah, yo' take that man's name, if it's a woman, an' yo' write his name down first an' that woman, write her name down. An' den she takes de papah an' she fold it comin' tuh her, see. Lak yo' take a papah an' fold it comin' tuh yo' an' make yore wish when yo' fold de papah. An' den yo' take nine dressin' [ordinary] pins, eithah yo' could use needles, but de goldhead needles would be bettah - nine goldhead needles. An' de top whut chew cut off de lemon - see, yo' cut de top off de lemon an' yo' fold dat papah tight an' yo' push it down in dat lemon. An' yo' take de top whut chew put an' stick dem nine needles, yo' know, shut it back up but stick it all de Way roun'. An' if yo' got anyway a [old-fashioned] icebox an' yo' [have a drain to the outside for] dis icebox an' [or] yo' have de foam [gutter or drainage ditch] go through [by] yore house. Well, yo' dig a hole an' yo' put it [lemon] in a moist place where it goin' be wet all de time, so it could rotten. See, an' as dat lemon rot away, yo' see, it'll break 'em up.
Entry 8642
How long yo' goin' to be here?
(I'm going to be here all this week, I think.)
WELL, YO' KNOW THIS FELLOW CALLED MACK [SEE LATER] THAT BROUGHT ME HERE. WELL, JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO LEAVE THIS TOWN, YOU COME SIT DOWN TO ME AND I'LL GIVE YOU A WHOLE LECTURE. NOW, I KIND OF KNOW WHAT YOU WANT [ARE] BUT I DON'T LIKE TO TALK TOO FAST. An' I [was brought up with this] an' my grandfather could de practically any- thing that he wanted to in that line. Yo' see, an' before he dies he instruct me a great deal and since he died I have improved more in that line. Well, you can learn more. Now, for instance, if yo' stayin' in this room here, an' someone would want to make yo' move out of this room, they would get a lemon, they would get parchment paper, an' they would sign your name nine times, five one way and four the other [an unusual arrangement], with black pepper, red pepper, an' fold it up an' put it down in that lemon, an' thrown the lemon under the house, or either bury it. An' yo' won't be there very long. [The preceding fellow called Mack we have met before: We reached New Orleans at night... "I told Edward" (my contact man from Mobile) "I would not work for several days (I wanting to be with my wife), but he was to meet me for instruc- tions next morning. I wanted him to find an old-time taximan, thoroughly reli- able, who knew the underworld of fortunetellers, doctors, healers, and the like. He came up with Mack Berryhill (see ILLUSTRATIONS). No other person would have been better and without him we could have failed" (vol.1, INTRODUCTION, p. XXXI).]
Entry 8646
[To rub is an important magic rite we often ignore, despite our early acquaintance with Aladdin's lamp. In some cures rubbing - up or down, in a cir- cle, or number of times - shows its own importance. Even so, in the first edi- tion of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, the word mub does not appear in the Index! How could I have missed the well-known couplet: When your left hand itches Rub it on wood And it will come good. (No.3356) Moreover, there are other examples of rubbing in this division about HANDS: Nos. 3339-3342.] De shoe sole - if yo' don' want somebody at chure house, take de shoe sole an' yo' rub it till de bottom of de foot git hot. Yo' call de person name nine times. Yo' git a lemon an' yo' Write de name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. Sew it up wit black thread an' bury it undah any step or do' whut dey gotta come by. An' bury it undah dere. An' everytime dey go out, yo' take dat left-foot shoe an' yo' rub it until de shoe sole git hot an' call dere name nine times.
(Whose shoe sole do you rub?)
Anybody dat yo' don' want at chure house. Any individual, woman or man, any- body dat yo' don' want dere.
(And the name you say...?)
Yo' jes' writes it down nine times wit a indelible pencil.
(And put that in a lemon?)
In a lemon an' sews it up wit black thread, No.8 black thread, coarse black thread, an' then bury it.undah a do'step, or a step, anywhere where dey gotta come in.
(That is to keep them away from your house?)
Keep 'em away from your house.
Entry 8678
Take his name down nine times on a piece of papah an' yo' write her name down three times. All right an' she git her some sugah an' some cinnamon an' she put dat on dat papah an' fold it three times to her an' wear it in 'er left shoes. Dat's tuh git him back home. Now, when she gits him back home, tuh keep him from goin with any othah woman, she takes her fingernails an' her toenails an' git a part of her hair. An' grate dat all up togethah an' put it in whatevah she cooks, an' give it to him an' he cain't leave 'er.
Entry 8704
They say dat yo' kin write a per- son's name on a piece of papah seven times an' place it ovah a doah, aftah dey comes in. Wait till dey get inside an' den place it ovah de doah. An' dey say, when dey go out, dey can't stop comin' back, where dey go undah.
(They keep coming back and forth?)
Keep comin' back where dey go [under] dere name.
(Write it like this right in a row [column?] seven times, that name?)
Seven times.
(One right after the other, I see.)
Entry 8756
De 88th Psalms an' de 85th Psalms. YO' EVER READ DE BIBLE? [I either did not answer or answered with my head. Perhaps informant did not give me time to answer.] An' yo' go down to de Ten Cent Store an' yo' buy yo' a ten cents pan [tin pan]. An' yo' write three words on there, God, de Father; God, de Son; god, de Holy Ghost. An' write his name there. In nine days he'll be back there, but yo' still gotta read de 88th Psalm and de 85th Psalm.
(What do you do with that pan then?)
Yo' place it in de corner of yore home.
Entry 8789
Lak yo' would write a lettah to somebody an' if dey wanted yo' to come where dey wuz or somepin lak dat. Well, dey take an' open it [Bible] to a cer- tain chaptah in de Bible an' place it in dere - on a certain chaptah. An' fo' nine mawnin's git up an' read anothah Psalm in de Bible fo' nine mawnin's an' she'll come where dey are. [For Bible, see also No.8840.]
Entry 8794
A man promised tuh marry dis woman's daughtah, an' he got 'er messed up an' he went away. So she went an' got 'er a bumblebee. Took dis bumblebee, cooked dis bumblebee, put 'im in de stove an' parched 'im an' rolled de powdahs of dis bee [rolled parched bee to a pow- der]. Took de powders an' dusted it all ovah lettahs. An' he wuz in Phila- delphia. An' she dust dis lettah good wit dis powdahs an' den wrote on it, jes so he wouldn't pay any 'tenshun [to the powder]. An' he come back three days aftah he got de lettah.
(What was the idea of the using the bumblebee on it?)
Dey said de bumblebee brought 'im back, de powdahs of dis bumblebee. Jes' take de powdahs of de bumblebee an' bring 'em back. [The spirit of the bumblebee Would sting him back.] [Wilson, N. Car., (1492), 2662:17.]"
Entry 8827
Yes, ah've heard dat if yo' take dat han'writin' an' if yo' cut de fo cornahs - yo' takes de lettah an' yo' takes an' fold it tuhgethah an' yo' takes dose fo' cornahs an' yo' clip dose cornahs off. Yo' takes dose cornahs an' yo' puts 'em right tuhgethah an' cut 'em ag'in. Yo' have tuh cut 'em as many times as yo' got fingahs. An' evah time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de same way. An' den yo' take dis han'writin' an' yo' takes an' burns it. An' den yo' - whatsomevah, jes' lak yo' take an' hold it ovah sompin an' burn, den yo' takes de li'le ashes or dust from whatsomevah it is, an' yo' goes an' bury it. An' when yo' bury it, yo' bury it in a hole wit a cut jes' lak de lettah supposed [to] be cut. Yo' turn dese points jes' lak yo' have turnt dese points on de lettah. An' den dey say dat dat will make yo' so nervous, when yo' git ready tuh write ag'in, yo' couldn't write atall, couldn't write a scratch.
(In other words, the hole is in sort of the shape of a diamond?)
[A square or oblong with 4 cut off corners is scarcely the shape of a diomona!]
Yeah. (And you have to keep cutting those squares and keep putting those pieces to- gether.) Uh-huh, until yo' cut 'em ten times [for the number see comment later]. Den yo' take dose squares [triangles] an' yo' burn 'em. Den put 'em in de di'mond- square [hole] an' bury 'em.
(That makes you nervous in your hand?)
Yeah. [In this rite we are asked to accept a fantastic number of triangles. We begin with the original 4 triangles by cutting off the 4 corners of the let- ter. These we must cut 10 times, quite an exercise in geometric progression: (lst cut) 4 triangles, (2nd cut) 8, continuing the doubling with 32,64,128, 256,512, 1024, and 2048! Adding these 10 cuttings of triangles we have 4092 of them! And don't forget: each time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de Same Way!!! Had my informant said 3 cuttings,4,8,16, he would have remained within the realm of possibility; but not 10 cuttings! The ashes from these tri- angles are buried in the diamond-square hole, a hole shaped like the former old- fashioned coffin, the head part with cut-off corners. In the present rite the cut-off corners are also given to the bottom of the coffin symbol. Here again I think informant is mistaken. The coffin symbol should be the shape of the orig- inal envelope.]
Entry 8836
They take yore han' - lak ah git chure han'writin' an' ah'll take yore han'writin', even if ah don't know whut tuh do, yo' git somebody else. Yo' take yore han'writin' an' put a smoothin' iron down on it an' take a smooth piece of white Papah an' put chure han'writin' down on it. Well, take a hot iron an' put it on de top [of the handwriting] an' dat'll draw jes' lak yore han' is kinda wet on de papah, dat will draw de dirt from yore han' on de clean papah. [For another example of drawing, see No.8831.] Yo' take dis clean piece of papah dat chew had de han'- Writin' in it. Den yo' take dis papah an' twist it lak dat once [demonstrates]. Git it jes' long as yo' kin till yo' git eight rolls [or twists] in dat papah. Yo' take dat papah an' yo' junk it down in a bottle. An' yo' take dat bottle dat chew put dat down in, in dere. Den yo' take salt in de pinch of yore fingah lak dis [demonstrates] eight times an' put in dere. Well, yo' take some watah lak yo' take a cowpas [see later for this word]. Boil de watah an' po' in dere off a cowpas. Yo' buys it, a cowpas, yo' buys it from de drug sto'. Dat's if somebody gittin' poisoned, yo' see, cowpassin'. Yo' buy it from de drug' sto'. (Is that what they give dogs? Something like that, what they give to the dogs?) Well, ah guess, but ah nevah see dem give it to de dogs. [I think informant is speaking about copperas, a word pronounced in many ways and occurring frequently in the text.]
(What color is it?)
It's jes' lak silvahwhite, funny-lookin' stuff. Well, yo' boil it an' puts it on dis papah. Well, see, dat stuff is tuh - eat, chew know, de papah by de- grees. Well, as it eat dis papah by degrees, dat's eatin' yo', puttin' de spell on yo' jes' as de papah eat. But yo' gotta put dis back in runnin' watah. Yo' can't keep it out until finely [finally] de papah's et [eaten] up an' de bottle is all busted an' yo' see it all gone tuh watah. Well, it's no cure fo' yo'.
(That eats you up, you say?)
It jes' eats yo' up. Yo' see people look lak dey has some kinda vener'al disease. Yo' know, look lak a sore break on yo' dere an' a sore break on yo' heah, an' when yo' git dat healed somepin else broke out on yo'. Firs' thing yo' know yo' pass away. (You put this clean piece of paper on the letter in order to draw out the perspiration - around this perspiration.) Wit a hot iron, not too hot iron, but jes' a...
Entry 8844
Jes' lak yo' write me a lettah an' ah don' wan' chew tuh bothah wit nobody else, an' yo' will not go wit me. Ah take dat lettah whut chew write tuh me an' ah goes tuh a graveyard an' git some of dat graveyard dirt an' bluestone - yo' know whut dat [bluestone] is. Well ah'll beat dat bluestone up, see. An' ah'll take it an' put it in dat lettah an' fold it up jes' as tight as ah kin. Carry it in de lavatory [outside watercloset] an' put it up on dat cross- piece dere. An' she won' 'ave [won't have] no mo' trouble wit dem [other girls]. Yo' can't write tuh her atall no mo'.
Entry 8861
If yo' wanted a job from a fellah, dere a man - jis' lak yo' wanted a job uptown an' yo' done been dere two or three times an' yo' can't git dat job. Well, yo' goes back an' yo' gits a piece of papah an' yo' write on it, write on dat papah an' carry it dere.
(Where do you write on it?)
Jis' write any place, jis' mark on it. Yo' take some talcum powdah an' put it in dere. Put it in de papah an' yo' jis' put it right where de man have tuh walk ovah it fo' 'bout five or six mawnin's. (And then he'll have to give you the job?) [In this and the two following beliefs, TALCUM POWDER sounds very much like TALKIN' POWDER!]
Entry 8964
Yo' take de beef tongue, yo' see. Yo' first upset de house, yore house, evahthing into it, or if yo' have a partner dat have a court case, yo' do dis to git de judge. Git de judge's name. All right, git de client name dat de judge is gonna per- secute [prosecute!]. Yo' understan' dat. Den de person dat's persecutin' 'em [prosecuting attorney]. All right. Yo' have dat. Now, yo' take dis person dat chew workin' fo' - her name - an' de judge name an' de lawyer's name together, dat dey'll cooperate together. Yo' see, den yo' git dat same remedy. Well, yo' git first dis Drowin' Oil, den yo' git dis Min' Oil; yo' git Florida watah, an' yo' git Orange Blossom watah. Yo' know whut dat is. Den yo' git steel dust, an' den yo' git dat nine lumps of sugah an' yo' git dat honey. Dat is fo' dat good act. Dat is to git 'em togethah. When yo' do dat way ahead when dey come to yo' first. An' yo' shake it [these things in a bottle]. Jes' shake it. Yo' keeps dat an' yo' shake it. Well, yo' put it off [aside]. Now, as fer as de beef tongue. Tuh freeze a client's [tongue] dat yo' know gonna talk, git chew 50 pound of ice an' take de beef tongue. Yo' know how tuh do dat. An' den wit de names dat are goin' against de person dat chure workin' fo', an' freeze 'em, an' dey won't be able tuh talk.
(You use both the beef and these other ingredients in the bottle?)
Yes.
Entry 8969
(What do they use beef tongue for?)
Well, now, that's what I have heard people have used beef tongue and put nee- dles in it. Sticks nine needles in it - just like they got a son or a daughter or somepin going from them up here to the penitentiary or somepin. They Wanta try keep dem here, tie 'em over here or keep them out, get them out. They put that on there and they put that on ice and things. That's to keep the judge from talking good. Yo' know, couldn't explain hisself, yo' see. He won't be able to tell them that he going to send him up the road [penitentiary] or nuthin, yo' see. Now, it's like if I give you [sentence you] thirty days. It's just like you done done a bad crime, not no stealing or somepin, just like: So ah'm goin' to give yo' $25 or thirty days in Parish [jail], see. De same time he got a penitentiary case, yo' see. Yo' see?
Entry 8981
[This is a rite for an altar shaped like a triangle, one of the angles being 45°, so that it will fit into the corner of a room. A triangular board as a shelf would also serve the purpose. Sometimes an oblong or a square table is placed catercornered in a corner of the room. Such a device saves space, can be shut off by a curtain, and represents one of the four corners of the earth (Reve- lation of St. John the Divine, 7:1). One of these altars I actually describe under (3) My third psalmist (INTRO- lines 16-21). Though my informant does not say so, the pan of salt holding names and burn- ing candles did not rest on the floor, but upon an altar. We must also suspect the presence of holy objects, such as pictures of saints. My great friend, the Rev. J. Langtry Williams - mentioned in Pictures for Alma at the end of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd edition - described the reli- gious arrangement of his part-time housekeeper. She being elderly and ill, he went up to Harlem (black section in New York City) on a pastoral call. Her whole room was an altar! Two wires from the four corners of the ceiling sagged and crossed in the center'of the room. Along these wires at intervals were strung holy pictures and objects. In one of the corners was a shelf or small stand hold- ing a colored light with a float. She had seen my friend's sanctuary lamp over in the church, but these private shrines were common long before she met Father Wil- liams. All these religious actions are concerned with what I call the magic of the diagonal, one arm or both of the "x" or St. Andrew's cross. Hoodoo has many similar rites - the old housekeeper's also being a quincunx, which again is well represented in Hoodoo. For similar private shrines see: CUSTODIAN OF A SHRINE, PP.1139-1158; BEER FOR ST. PETER, CIGAR AND WHISKEY FOR ST. ANTHONY, PP.1220-1236; A WOMAN AND HER THREE SAINTS, Pp.1401-1414; etc, all in v.2.] In a sense [instance?] of that kind my godmother always burned nine candles and they have a beef tongue. Well, see different peoples come there and wanted cases dismissed [from court]. They'd get a beef tongue and they'd stick that beef tongue full of pins. And they have a string running from this part of the wall to that part. They'd tie that tongue up there [demonstrates].
(So it's hanging between the walls, you mean?)
Yes sir, yo' see just like de corner there [points].
(Yes.)
Well, they'd tie it hanging - hang it in the corner that way. An' they'd put them [demonstrates].
(Across - well, just one over the other.)
Yes.
(You put the strihg across one corner, one - show me how you do.)
See [demonstrates]. (Like that, I see. One cord over the other cord just so it cuts off a corner.) Yes. (They cut off the space in a triangle [the cut-off space becomes a triangle]. All right.) The left-hand corner of the house.
(Well, which is the left-hand corner of the house?)
Well, that [points to it] would be the left-hand corner of this house. You mean coming in? (Oh, it's the left-hand corner coming in. All right. And [demonstrates again] they hang this tongue in that [2 wires] like a swing? They put it in a swing?) Yes, see.
(All right.)
Just put two string between two corners - see, like that.
(Holes [nails] right in the corner.)
An' they puts [in the tongue] a whole paper of stick pins, pointed pins, yo' know. Stick 'em in this all ovah, all around. An' they write dat name on them candles - they got nine candles there.
(What name do they write on there?)
They write your name [client] on there.
(The person that wants to get free.)
Sure. Now they write your name on there. And then they take any kind of pan an' they'll fill that pan with salt, an' they'll write that judge an' the dis- trict attorney name on there, an' put it in this salt.
(What will they write all that on?)
On paper.
(I see, and put it in the salt. All right.)
An' put it in this salt. An' when they light them candles they go ahead on to the court house. If yo' not discharged that day, the case is throwed off. An' when they come back again, make another dressing [repeat the candle ceremony], maybe it throwed off again. (Now, you put all these nine candles in that pan of salt, burning. Are they all lighted at once? What color are the candles?)
[All candles are lighted at the same time.]
Different colors.
(I see.)
Red, blue, green, yellow, white - different colors. (Different colors, I see. But my name [client's name] is written on those candles, I see.) See, an' they write de judge an' de district attorney name - put that on that paper upside down like that an' light them candles an' go on out. Now, that case liable to be thrown out today. All right, call that case up again, fust de morning before that case is called at 9:15, dey light them candles again. Maybe throwed out that time. Next time....
Entry 8984
Well, de beef tongue. If a guy have commit a crime, why yo' git dat beef tongue an' put nine needles in it, [name of criminal in], an' take it to de cemetery an' put it on a grave. Wrap it up yo' know an' put it on de grave. An' it'll stay there till it spoil an' fade away. An' in dat time it fade away, dis guy will be back, yo' see, an' den he's captured.
(Whose grave do you put this tongue on?)
Well, yo' put it on any' grave dat chew know of, who had not been buried, yo' know, not so very long.
(You don't put it on the grave of the man who was killed?)
No, no.
(This is to bring back some man who has committed a crime?)
Well, yo' see, de man dat had done committed de crime, why yo' jes' put it in on a grave dat chew know of people were real smart peOpZe [DOES THIS MEAN THE GRAVE OF A "TWO-HEAD?" IF SO, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE MY ONLY EXAMPLE OF USING THE GRAVE OF A "TWO-HEAD" - A HOODOO CANONIZED INTO A SAINT!] An' den When dat fade, why de man will be back an' be captured.
Entry 9165
When yo' git 'rested, befo' de jedge try yuh, yo' take off yore shoes, take off both yore shoes. Take yuh socks off. Turn de bottom of de shoe down. Take de socks an' put all in one. Yo' know, take two de socks an' put all in omg shoe. Yo' jes' take off yuh sock an' roll it up an' den put it in de othah one. Makes a bundle outa it. Tie it ovah wit yuh shoes. Den when de cop come tuh remove yuh, take yuh tuh de judge try yuh, den'yo' put - take yore socks, yo' unfold it a put it in one back pocket, an' one in de othah back poa ket. An' den yo' put on yore shoes witout eny socks. Take de shoestring outa it an' put dat in yore [front?] pocket an' yo' walk on up tuh have yuh trial. Well, de case's [case is] out. It may be a mistrial.
Entry 9185
Take a black hen aig an' write his name all ovah dat aig, an' place it right in de cellah where dey bed's at, up undah de house, an' dey goin' move out dere de nex' day- dey might move out dat night.
Entry 9250
Yo' can take yore fingahnails an' cut nine pieces - cut off nine fin- gahnails - an' get nine pieces of yore toenails, an' put it into a little bag put some asafetida in there with it. Then you bust a hen egg an' get de thread [the skin in the end] of it an' put in there, an' that'll be all right fo' de purpose. Yo' take an' carry it an' put it at or undah de house. Dat'll make dem leave, put dem to walkin'. [Out in country from Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., (Doctor Frank Hall) by hand.1
Entry 9274
An' den if a woman wants a man tuh leave ag'in, why she kin git a aig an' she break dat aig jis' roun' - roun' jis' as neah as she kin, yo' know, in half a shell, an' po' de inside of it out. An' when she po' it out why take dat shell an' write his name in dat shell - inside of it. Yo' see yo' drēne [drain] all dat out an' den take yore fingah an' wipe it out, so yo' kin write. An' write it on de inside of dat shell an' git chew some 'hesive [adhesive] tape an' put aroun' dat shell so it won' - stick it back tuhgethah an' den put dat 'hesive tape, so no watah kin git in it. An' den walk tuh a stream of watah dat's runnin' an' throw it in dere an' say: In de Name of de Fathah, go! An he'll go an' won' evah come back.
(Does she do anything with that raw egg she has taken out?)
Nawsuh, she jis' use it fo' anything she want. She only use de shell, dat's all.
Entry 9307
Take a chicken aig an' beat it up fine an' put plenty black peppah an' salt in it. Git chew two nails an' put it in dere mattress, if dere any way yo' kin git it in de mattress, an' sew de mat- tress back up. Anyone in dat house, dat'll run 'em outa dere.
(How would you put these two nails in that egg?)
[Since I did not kid my informant's, my mind here must have been tired!]
Yo' take two bran'-new nails an' jes' wrap it up wit de aig an' black peppah an' dat stuff an' jes' put it in de mattress.
(Use any kind of egg?)
Yes sir. any kind of hen aig.
Entry 9363
Take a black hen's aig an' put a little salt in it an' bury it at dey do'steps. Say dat would run 'em. (How do you put that salt in that egg?) Put de salt in it, yo' peck a little hole.
Entry 9371
Dat chew kin take de chicken aig an' de dust offa man's shoe, an' pick a hole in de chicken aig [and put the shoe dust in the egg] an' take it tuh de rivah an' throw it in runnin' watah. Run 'im off from a place, run 'im away, lak he was here in town an' yo' wanted 'im tuh leave.
Entry 9372
If de snakes is eatin' de biddies, yo' take de aig, den yo' boil it, undahstan' [understand]. Den yo' put it right back in de nest, an' dat will keep 'em away - keep de snake away.
(Biddies are the small chickens?)
Yes. [My transcriber, of Irish descent, adds a footnote: Biddies are colloqu- ially known as hens with families. I once heard of an elderly nun being called an old Irish biddy looking after her chicks - young nuns. A snake eating or swallow- ing a hen I would have to see to believe, unless it was a boa constrictor! That snakes steal chicken eggs is another piece of folklore; the thief usually being a rat, racoon, etc., or sometimes a dog who once picked up an egg and dropped it. Informant means, as stated here, the snake was eating the biddy': s eggs, or biddy = bitty, as in little bitty (little bit of), something small, little chick- ens. In any case boiling an egg keeps the snake from doing whatever it does!]
Entry 9374
Den yo' kin take his socks, de left-foot socks, an' yo' kin put a hen aig in dere. Write his name on dat aig an' plant it on de no'th side of de do' an' dat'll bring 'im back.
(What do you mean by the north side of the doorstep?) Well, jes' lak de house is set- tin' dis way, on dat side [demon- strates]. (The north side of the steps.) Yessuh.
Entry 9424
[Here is a delightful rite and a special favorite of mine, informant not knowing I was a preacher and long familiar with some of the churchly (I avoid the word Christian) problems. There are several more preacher problems scattered through the text. Not expecting much information from informant, I was a little late turning on re- cording machine.] (They took the egg out of the egg- shell?) Take de aig out, yessuh, an' dey [the church members] take a snail. Dey can't do yo' no harm until dey git some of yo' [some part of your body]. Den dey got some of 'is [the preacher's] hair from de haid, den dey put it in de aigsheli. Den dey got some of 'is watah an' put in de aigshell. An' he [preacher] stay in dat row [quarrel with the church members] until he left dere. He couldn't stay 'way an' he couldn't stay dere [for a long time but finally he left].
(Where did they put this?)
Ah don' know but he found it, it been dere.
(Where did he find it?)
Right up undah de pulpit whäh he sot [sat] on.
(Under his pulpit in the church?)
Yassuh, but not right up undah de pulpit, 'neat [beneath] it. See, jis' lak dis table heah [holds my machine between informant and me], up in heah [here]. Yessuh, right in de chu'ch [church]. [Informant forgets all about the snail, so did I, but for its use see margin title SNAIL, Pp.648-649, v.1. This snail rite slowed down the preacher, made him slowful, not slothful - see p.648, 4 lines from bottom of page for word slowful. How could anything be buried under the pulpit? We have here a small country church built off the ground with an air place and earth under the building. How could the church members obtain preacher's urine? There are many examples in Hoodoo showing how this could be done, but the following should be sufficient: rites 4143-4151, Pp.2568-2569, v.3.]
Entry 9439
Dey git a black hen aig. Dey take it an' write some kinda - what dey want done on dere. Dey take it way late [at night] or soon in de mawnin' 'fore de sun rise, dey chuck it on yore po'ch. If dey can't git ontuh yore house, dey put it on yore po'ch, see; an' puts some kinda peppah on topa it an' busts it. Dat make yuh move. (What do you mean by getting on top of your house?) Well, dey can throw it but let it hit de fiahplace [chimney]. Makes yuh git out de house.
Entry 9475
Now, jes' lak dat - dat's common, dats easy tuh be done, dat's a short argument. Why yo' jes' take a li'le pot salt an' sprinkle it 'fore yuh do'. Yo' will nevah be in no peace at all. Jes' a li'le pot salt.
Entry 9485
Git chew a new box of table salt. Listen good! Git chew a new box of table salt an' yo' jes' take it an' open it. See, no one haven't nused [used] out of dat. An' when de' both are leavin' yore house, yo' jes' take some of dat salt an' chunk, stirrin' [magic action] yore salt lak dat [demonstrates circular motion, saying], "Go." An' den when dey - yo' jes' throws out yore arm lak dat [demonstrates], yo' jes' sprinkle it aroun' in each cornah of de house, in all fo' cornahs, an' dey'll finely [finally] break up. An' den yo' take up one of de bricks in yore chimley an' jes' put some undah de bottom of dat, an' set it right back down dere. An' dey won't be dere long - no, dey won't be dere long tuhgethah.
(That will separate them?)
Yes, separated.
(I would do that?)
Yes, separated, fuss all de time till dey separated. Ah'll pull 'em apart. (If I wanted to do that, I would wait until this man and his wife walk out and then I would sprinkle it in their house. Do all that?) Yes.
Entry 9545
If de opposite party would want confusion in yore house, dey [you] take an' send ovah tuh yore neighbah tuh borrah some salt. An' aftah yo' git dat salt, yo' see, yo' take dat salt an' yo' go roun' de house - an' yo' put some cayenne peppah [with it] see - roun' de three cornahs of de house, see. Yo' put dat cayenne peppah roun' dere an' it will cuz confu- sion dere. Dey won't be no kinda 'greements [agreements] atall. Dey'll jes' be in a uproar all de time roun' dere, by borrahin' de table salt. (Well, now who would do that? Suppose they [people] would want to cause con- fusion in this house [where I am interviewing], some other person outside would borrow from some neighbor near here?) Borrow it from heah [the house we are in now]. (You have to borrow it from the person with whom you are going to cause con- fusion?) Yessuh.
(Then you say they are right at the same house where they borrow it?)
Yessuh.
Entry 9591
Jis' like you had wife, yo' know, an' I [a woman] wanted you [a man]. Well, I could git 16 pods of pepper an' take 9 of those seeds out of all them 16 pods of peppah, 9 out of each one [= 144 seed or 12xl2 seed]. An' I git into your bedroom where you all sleep. An' I got cayenne pepper [as well as pod pep- per seed] and salt and black pepper. An' if I want you [a man] out, I'll find out what side de bed she sleep on an' put it [salt, cayenne pepper and black Pepper] under de sheets. An' when you all go to bed they'll [you two] git into the biggest argument an' git to fighting an' everything. See, I'll go [away]. All the way I go, jis' 股 drop them seeds right in the way I go. She [sex changed here] goin' go right behind them seeds.[Intention is the power behind this rite. If the man scattering the seeds gants the woman, she will follow the seeds to his house; if a woman scatters the seeds, the man will follow her home. Also by intention the seeds could also lead to the river or cemetery, or merely a jail.]
Entry 9685
An' if yo' don't want 'em tuh come tuh yore house, yo' take table salt an' snake dust - cos' [of course] snake dust will kill yo'. Dey throw it at chew when yo' goin' tuh de house. Yo' take dat an' chunk it. Dey call it throwin' it at chew, but dey don't throw it at chew, dey put it down fo' yo' tuh walk ovah it. But if dey don't want chew tuh come tuh de house, yo' take one of yore right-foot shoes, an' sweep dat shoe, dirt an' all out de do', an' den dey'll walk backward from dat shoe in de house. Dey ain't comin' back no mo'.
(Whose shoe do they put out there?)
Yores. Jes' put a little table salt in dere. Dat will carry dem away.
(What do you do with the snake dust?)
Dat snake dust? Well, now, dat's tuh kill yo'. Dey won' do nuthin but jes' pur dat down, right down in yore pathway.
(Where you can walk over it?)
Yessuh, an' yo' walk ovah it. (But if they want to get rid of you, they just put that salt in your shoe and seep it out?) Yessuh. But dat snake dust, if yo' walks ovah dat snake dust an' dey got it in dere, why dat'll git chew, see, 'cuz dey got dat lodestone in it, yo' see.
Entry 9690
Now, if yuh wife runnin' aroun' an' yo' wanta stop 'er, yo' git chew some sugah, table salt an' sulphuh an' put it in - take a saucah an' mix it up, lak dat, an' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's - yo' got a woman an' she got a man, an' yo' wanta break 'em up. Yo' take an' put dat in de cornah of yuh house. Jes' take a pinch of it an' put it, In de Name of de Lord, ah wish yo'd quit runnin' round. Evah time yo' put it down in de cornah of de house.
(Put it in the four corners?)
Yassuh, de fo' cornahs of de house, put it in dere, an' dat'll stop 'er from runnin' roun'.
Entry 9698
(Do what?)
(You get some sulphur.)
And sprinkle it on your front and back steps, and get some disinterested per- son to get a fresh box of table salt, you know that never been used out of it, and just sprinkle it and someone clean house with it and sweep it out, you bound to move. (I see. You bury the sul- phur under the front steps and back steps, and then you have to have this salt.) Table salt.
(That hasn't been used. What do you do with that salt now?)
Sprinkle it in the house and just like if I, you know, come in or walk out, well then as soon as I walk out, then you sweep my tracks, sole and all out to- gether, and say, "Well, that settles it. You won't come back, again."
Entry 9752
Say, if anybody wuz hurt chew or git chure min' confusin', an' make yo' don't know whut chew wanta do half de time, dey could take a oak stick an' put nine notches an' ninepenny nail an' put it at chure step. Use new nail. Yessuh, say dat'll shure hurt chew.
(How would they put the nails in, in the stick?)
No suh, nail it down roun' dat stick. Jes' lak if yo' put it in de centah, nail 'em all roun' dat stick. Say yo' couldn't stay tuh yore own house in no peace.
Entry 9756
[Here in italics is my notation about a rite my transcriber forgot to transcribe: 9 new nails evil wisher drives in your home where you walk over or at doorstep. Go inside and turn around and drive 'em into floor going out as you leave the house. Run 'em out. Nails go out in a row, but the last 3 together. I suggest that the last three nails grouped closely together, the nailheads forming a triangle, represent the 3 HOLY NAMES. Memphis, Tenn., (962, informant good), 1553:6.]
Entry 9764
Take yuh nine bran'-new nails, nine [new] needles. Take 'em an' put 'em in a sack, a piece of white clot' [cloth] whut nevah had no scissah in it, no mo' [more] dan whut yuh cut it tuh sew it, an' put 'em in dere. Bury 'em undah yuh front steps. An' if he come tuh de front, sweep in tuh de back all de time.
(I see. That'll keep the law away.)
He goin' tuh stay away.
Entry 9766
(Twenty penny nails. You mean onepenny nails or twenty of them?)
No. Twentypenny nails but ten of them. Twentypenny. Like you go to the hard- ware store and say, "Give me a dime's worth of twentypenny nails. (Then what?) You take - see, like that wall over there. You take your husband's name or your wife's name [on a piece of paper] and open a hole [in the wall] and put it in there. And drive ten of them nails with her name up in there and she'll do anything you want her to do. Yeah. Just nail 'em in there and name her as yo' drive 'em. Ten of 'em. [New Orleans, La., (851), 1319:4.] (h). INDEFINITE NUMBER OF NAILS
Entry 9803
Well, yo' see, de house yo' lives in has got four corners to it. Well, it's north, east, west, and south. Well, yo' take a simple thing as a needle, one needle, an' take that needle an' put in each corner of your house. An' every night at twelve 'clock yo' read the Ten Command- ments in each corner of that house. Like tonight yo' read them in one corner an' the next night yo' read them in another corner. An' then after yo' get that done, yo' take the needles out wrap them up, buy a little lodestone, put the four needles in that and put them up over the door, tack it there, an' leave it there. Yo' kin get all the trade you want. That will even keep the law away.
Entry 9816
Git nine goldeye nee- dles an' put 'em on a string an' put a cork stopper in de end of 'em [stick needles into stopper] an' put 'em in anybody's mattress, an' dey won't rest dere. Dey can't rest on dere.
Entry 9820
Latsa people dey take nine needles, bran'-new needles an' dey git a piece of lodestone an' put 'em in dis way an' dat-a-way [demonstrates].... (Now wait. [I try to repeat informant's demonstration.] Put in this way and that way?) [I am making a cross.] Yes sir, cross [demonstrates].
(Cross them all.)
An' den yo' go tuh a blacksmith shop an' git chew some anvil dust, de steel from de anvil where dey make de iron, an' put it in dere. An' git chew a piece of lodestone an' put ten cents [a silver dime] in it. It's lucky tuh yuh if yo' keep it an' let nobody touch it. Feed it wit whiskey. Yo'll always have silvah money. [Even during my collecting days back in 1938 the preceding anvil dust never saw an anvil; it came from ma- chine-shop filings. Anvil dust and steel dust were the same thing, depending upon age, size, color, etc.] [In the following comment I am not talking for informant's benefit, I am an- notating for the future.] (Now in putting these needles, you put one needle like that, and then you put another needle on there like that - like a cross, sort of like little squares, like tick-tack-toe.) Yes. [Everything is arranged or sprinkled into the form of a cross before the combined materials are put in the bag.]
Entry 9825
[That] create dissatisfaction in a man's home. They kin take and bot- tle them. Take so many pins and so many needles - about nine [each] - so it's a odd number. You put them pins and needles, stick them through a piece of flannel. Roll 'em up and drop 'em in a bag. Well, natchly in pass- ing in de house, in and out, if you kin get some of de dust that they sweep up off the floor, yo' puts that in that bottle too. And as long as you keep it, why it causes a great dissatisfaction in the home, so as to completely break it up. It's never known but dey use them needles and pins that way to cause dis- satisfaction in the home.
Entry 9828
Yo' take de needles an' yo' git chew nine new needles an' yo' take yore bag, a li'l piece outa red flannen [flannel]. An' yo' take dis red flannen an' sew it jis' lak a li'l bag. Well, anythin' of 'is soiled clothes, whut he sweats, somepin nex' tuh 'is flesh. Well, yo' put dat in dis bag. An' now yo' take dose nine needles. Turn all de p'ints tuhgethah. Well, it's lak if ah know yo' room heah [in the home where I was interviewing]. Well, ah'll come roun' an' put dis heah anywhere inside. If dis is yore room, ah come an' put it in yore room, undah de room - yo' know, bury it. [In the South small lowland houses are built off the ground.] Well, [as] long as yo' stay dere - well, yo' not goin' stay dere much longah becuz, yo' know, when dose needles begin - yo' know, any needles dat's in de groun' where it's kinda wet, it's goin' tuh soon rust. Well, when dey rust, yo' gonna git gone.
Entry 9833
Dey git nine needles an' tie 'em tuhgethah an' dey'll put 'em in a bottle, but wit de point of 'em down lak dis - de haid part up. [Normally points should be up, see No., etc.] Jis' tie 'em tuhgethah. An bury it undah de steps, an' dey say dat'll put a puhson [walk- ing over them] in pain.
Entry 9834
Take nine new pins an' stick 'em down in de ground, an' when dey stuck dere see, people come by an' pick 'em up. Why when dey pick up de first one, yo' know, dey commence havin' pains. Den de mo' pins dere be's, de mo' bad off dey gits - de worsah dey git. (You put those down so that they will be picked up?) )[Perhaps this knowledge that the pins will be picked up is based upon the well-known folklore rhyme: See a pin, pick it up; all that day you'll have good luck - see Hyatt: Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd ed., No.10494, p.478.]
Entry 9865
All right. Chew take a long homespun string jes' about long enough tuh make nine knots. Den yo' ketch dis frog an' a - yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive. An' which is dis about, if yo' wanta run a person? If yo' take dis heah homespun - take a string an' tie it nine times an' yo' tie it tuh 'is laig. Den yo' go tuh de person's house, dere do'step, dere front do'step, an' put it undahneat' of de do'steps. Den yo' let de frog stay dere till nine mawnin's an whosomevah de party dat [is] yo' calls dere name, an' let 'em walk ovah dat fo' nine mawnin's, den dey will die, if de frog dies. If de frog is goin' tuh die de ninth mawnin' yo' goin' also die.
(You simply tie this string around the frog's leg?)
Aroun' de lef' laig, nine times [demonstrates]. (You just loop this around his leg and tie a knot. Then loop it around his leg and tie a knot again. And you tie nine knots in string on frog's leg and bury frog under the door.)
[Here for informant's word put I substitute bury!]
Bury him undah de door right at de steps lak when yo' come out. Put it right up undah de sill of de steps. [The frog is not buried but kept alive: yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive.] Well, when he come out well - well, he kin stay dere nine mawnin's, nine days, dat frog is compelled tuh die wit'out food. Well, he'll die an' den yo'll pass also wit de frog.
(You actually bury that under the ground?)
[Here again I am suggesting the frog is buried!]
Yo' bury de frog under de ground.
(That's to kill the person living in the house?)
Yessuh. [Magically we have enough here to kill anyone: the intention, home- spun = new string, 9 knots in, tied about left [back] leg, animal buried under step victim must walk over, victim's name called, etc. For something similar, including steps, see No.9871, six rites forward.]
Entry 9869
You get the frog and you whip it and you beat it, and you put it under the person's step before it die. And, I guarantee, that will make 'em move.
(I see.)
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 9940
Dey take de frog an' parch it up - kill it an' parch it. Save some of de blood an' den yo' parch de frog an' grind it up, an' put dat blood back in it an' put it in watah [to drink] or put it in yore food. But dey have sulphuh in it - sulphuh an' brim- Stone in dis frog wit de blood. An' dey put it in yuh food or in yuh water [you brink] or somepin othah, or whiskey or somepin, an' give it tuh yuh an' dat would Huyuh.
(What would that stuff do when it got inside of you?)
It would eat on yuh intestines an' eat all de linin' out chore stahmuck an' yuh intestines, an' kill yuh.
Entry 9948
Dey take dat ole toad- frog an' stew 'im up, take 'im an' stew 'im up. An' yo' know de people dat is dirty. Dey take dat"ole toad- frog an' stew 'in up an' put 'im intuh sompin tuh eat, what chew eat, but chew won't know anything about it. Ah have had 'em do dat tuh me, yes sir. Dey take dat ole toadfrog, yo' know, an' skin 'im an' dry 'im, an' mix it wit somepin tuh eat what dey cooks. Ah reckon dey done me dat way. An' yo' know when dey stew 'em - it lak stew, jes' lak dat - yo' take a ole bullfrog, ole long bullfrog, yo' know, an' skin 'im. He looks lak a chicken [after he is skinned]. Well, dey take de ole othah toadfrog an' stew 'im up. Cook 'im right along wit somepin tuh eat. An' yo'll take it all right. Yo' go dere an' eat at night. Den when yo' come in dat nex' day look lak yo' gonna jes' go fer 'er an' eat 'er up - jes' lak yo' wanta eat 'er up. Make yo' crazy about 'er.
Entry 9980
Jis' lak a fellah's gamblin' an' wan'a han' tuh gamble an' lak dat, he kin take - he wants tuh win in gamblin' - take a frog, one dem small green frogs, an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Put 'im in a papah sack an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Rub 'is han' ovah 'im about three time an' den put 'im in dat papah bag. An' put 'im in 'is pocket an' go on tuh de game an' break de gaime.
Entry 9981
If yo' wanta be a gamblah an' win good, yo' git chew a frog an' put it in yore pocket, an' put a little table salt in it [pocket]. See, if dis heah are de gamblin' hall, yo' know, yo walks in, an' if yo' vanta beat in de game, yo' jis' valk on in wit both hands in yore pockets jis' lak dis [demonstrates]. Stan' aroun' a little bit. Aftah shile maybe yo might be holdin' de cards or whutsomevah de game dey playin', yo' kg, an yo'll win evahthin' in dat house. But dat frog gotta be live.
(Do you put this salt on the frog?)
Yes.
(Right on the frog?)
Right on de frog. Keep 'im live in yore pocket. [St. Petersburg, Mla.
(1024), 1657:9.]
Entry 9987
Tuh git luck fo' gamblin' yo' goes an' git chew a toadfrog. If a man is a gamblin'-man, he goes an' gits 'im a toadfrog an' take dat toadfrog an' ketches 'im an' goes tuh any drygoods sto' [to distinguish from Wetgoods store!] an' buy 'im a box of black peppah an' red pappah an' some table salt. An' he put it in dat frog's mouth. An' when he put dat in dat frog's mouth, de frog'll go tuh coughin', an' he [man] come on back tuh dis gamblin' - where he be gamblin' at - an' he take dat salt an' throw yuh [his] han' out lak dat [demonstrates] tuh throw dat salt all ovah de whole crowd. An' dat frog he'll go tuh coughin' wit dat peppah an' will start tuh movin' roun'. An' he wins at evahthin' da' 'tis [that is] in de game. Jes' gits 'im a toadfrog, jis' a hoppin' toadfrog. Toadfrog anywhere hoppin' 'long - anywhere, jis' pick 'im up. Jis' reach down an' grab 'im an' take dat frog an' rub 'im in yore han' lak dat [demonstrates] an' go on tuh a game. An' go buy yo' some black peppah an' take it an' throw about a box in 'is mouth, an' shet 'is mouth up an' go on tuh de game. An' git chew a handful of salt an' when yo' git in de house, yo' take dat salt an' does lak dat [demonstrates]. An' when yo' do's lak dat, dat frog go tuh coughin'. When he go tuh coughin', well dat starts evahbody tuh lookin', an'evahbody lose all dey winnin's.
Entry 9998
Ah've hear'd of 'em. He keeps de frog tricks from workin' roun' shows an' so forth.
(How do they do that?) Yo' take him an' split 'im down 'is back, ah think it is, an' put 'is back, ah think it is, an' put salt on 'im an' put 'im in yore pocket.
Entry 10001
Den ah heard dat when show people come tuh town an' dey winnin' a gang of money out dere [at the show-grounds], yo' know, dey have some of dat stuff. Well, yo' kin put a frog in yuh pocket an' go on out dere an' win all de money yo' want. Dat'll keep down dat. Whut chew call dat stuff?
(What do they call that now? It's a powder of some sort?)
Dey call it, yes sir. Some kinda powdah dey use. Ah jis' can't think of de name of it. (Is it goofer dust?) Yes sir, dat's right! Well, dey [the show people] sprinkle dat down roun' de place dere an' yo' can't do no winnin'.
Entry 10014
De way dey git de black cats lucky bone, kill de cat alive an' put 'im in a pot befo' he dies thoroughly dead - in a pota boilin' hot watah. All right. Let 'im boil till all de meat come off 'is bones, an' po' all de meat an' bones all in de [stream of] watah. An' de bone dat go upstream, take dat. Dat's de lucky bone, de black cats lucky bone. [Presumably cat is knocked senseless be- fore being dropped into hot water.]
Entry 10015
Dey says ketch a black cat wit not a white spot on 'is body an'- dat's a perfectly thing [cat is totally black]. An' says, put 'im in a pot live an' boil 'im live till all de meat come off 'is bones. An' he take dat bone, all dem bones tuh a runnin' stream of watah, an' de bone dat sink yo' git it. An' say he could do anythin'.
(The bone that sinks. What will the other bones do?)
Float on top.
(The bone that sinks you take?)
Yes sir.
Entry 10182
[If someone is trying to] hurt you. You kin take and go to the druggist and get a dirt, a dust out of it [the store], but they [seller] never knows what that dust is - they never know what you getting it fur. But you kin get a dust that is called "magnet" dust. Hit's...
(Magnesia?)
Yes, sir, magnesia dust. It's kind of green, see. Well, you - every time they start to burn that candle, you know it, see, because your mind will follow to [will be upon] 'em. Well, you take that dust and you use it around in your house and that candle [wherever it is] will go out.
(I see. Well, what kind of dust do you call that?)
Magnesia dust. (Magnesia dust.) [Could the name have been magnetic?]
Entry 10183
If they're burning a candle on you, you burn - now this is the same thing you kin do. You kin burn this same red candle. You burn this red candle, you stick it in 3 pins. See, you fightin' against them. You says, "I wish my enemy would leave me alone." An' then you go an' throw you a handful of salt in the fire an' you says, "I wish my enemies quit working after me an' leave me alone In the Name of the Lord." An' take you a bath in some saltpeter, blue- stone an' sugar, an' repeat the Lord's Prayer 3 times, see. You see, you burn this candle, that would set them down. Or else, you kin put 'em down sick. You kin git a purple candle an' you light it an' you make your wish an' put some salt in there an' spit in it, see. An' you burn it on 'em again an' you says, I wish ohosomever this is that's workin' after me will leave me alone, "' an' spit in it. You see, that'll drop 'em. That'Zl drop 'em. That'll put 'em down sick. That'll make 'em drop. An' continue to burn brimstone [not men- tioned previously in this rite but surely in some pre- vious part of interview]. See, that brimstone is the best thing in the world, that brimstone. An' sugar. Continue with that sugar in the fire, see: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. [Mem- phis, Tenn., (960, excellent hoodoo woman, my rapid hand transcription of cylinder missed by my transcriber, 1544:9.]
Entry 10217
Wal, she measure him dere. She takes dat length an' she measure him lak dat an' she takes yore hair an' begin dat thing about dat. She takes de string an' takes dat measure of dat [demonstrates a hand]. (Of the hand?) Dis one [demonstrates]. (The left hand?) Dat's right [informant contin- ues to demonstrate, I describe actions]. (And she measures the middle finger....from the end of the middle finger, right up over the hand joining to the wrist. And from the second joint of the middle finger down to that bone.)
[Bone = wrist bone, see later.]
She takes dat den, takes dat little cotton string an' holds it an' vraps it. Takes dat hearts [Hearts Cologne] an' put it on it, an' ever' time dat she messes wit chew, yo' see, she take it an' put her han' lak dat. An' when she git through she rub dat on yo'. Dere's no other woman dat chew kin bother wit.
(She rubs that string on herself after.)
Zackly.
(But how could she measure a man? Would he let her measure him that Way?)
Dat's de length of his.... [informant demonstrates].
(Oh! I see, she has to measure his hand - he's asleep - so he won't know it.)
She kin do it if he ain't wise, ain't got no sense. She could [say], "Let's see ho' long yo' finger - long as mine." Jes' lak dat. See, dat's de way dey get it.... [informant demonstrates again while I comment]. (They measure the middle finger of the left hand, the second knuckle from the top dam to that protruding bone right by the wrist joint.) [Here a woman afraid to measure a man, substitutes a left-hand measurement supposed to indicate his size!]
Entry 10228
Jes' him an' her could mate together. She would take de dishrag an' give it to him an' let him use it, an' take it an' put it in de middle of her mattress an' sleep on it ever' night. Dat will keep him from messin' wit any othah woman.
Entry 10258
Yo' take yore towel whut chew use in interco'sin' wit a man, yo' take it an' tear it in nine strands an' tie nine knots in it, an' sew it up in de mattress in de place where he lay. He can't mess wit no othah woman but his wife [with you]. (You take this towel that you wipe with and you tie it in nine strips. Nine knots in the whole or the whole thing together?) Tie it together in nine knots.
(You tie all these strips together in nine knots?)
Yes sir, an' sew it in de mattress under de place where he sleeps.
Entry 10277
To fix him up. Now he wants to get his nature back, all he got to do, he take and he urine in a bottle. You see, he....
(He urinates into a bottle?)
In a bottle, you see. Now, he urinates in a bottle and, if he urinate in that bottle and he can get to some of hers, see, he pour hers on top of his. Now, when he put that together, he take sugar and cinnamon and he puts that all togethah. He mixes that up good. See. Now, he put that under the head of the bed; see, where he sleep at, where he knows she can't find it. If he's got time enough to do that and she's done fixed the bed herself, he puts that hisself there, you see, because he has to do hisself good, you understand. Now, at night when he comes in - if he done come from work or if he's got work anywhere - when he comes in, long about, prob'ly it might be midnight. He'll raise up, you see. He's going to raise up. Now, when he get [raise] up, he'll get there to her, see. And as long as he keep that there [under bed] until he get hisself back together, done got back all his nature again, why then he can take that same bottle of stuff and keep it hid on the top of anything that's high where she can't get to it. And she'll have more trouble with him than the day is long. She'll have plenty trouble with him then, because he'll always want to be on her, see. He done got his nature back. (I see, that's to bring his nature back, so that he can do this with his wife.) With his wife.
(I see.)
Entry 10278
Whut chew kin do with a dirty sock, least dat is tuh keep a man with a woman, dat is she's about tuh go or he's about tuh go from her, is dis: His urine is his nature. Yo' understan' dat. Yo' git de bottle an' git de urine an' yo' git de he lodestone, steel dust, cinnamon, sugah, drawin' oil, mind oil. Write de name nine times, nine needles an' nine pins. An' yo' put dat ingrediment [ingredients] together, yo' understan', an' yo' shake it well an' put it undah de do'step. Be shure dat it crosses ovah it three times, an' den aftah yo' take it an' put it anywheres in yore place. Yes, ah kin guarantee yo' it bring de woman dat ah did de work fo' dat ah he'ped [helped] out with it, an' through prayers, goin' to de chapel an' makin' prayers.
(That'll hold the man?)
Listen, dat'll hold him an' yo'll nevah git, but don' evah - dat means a man'll kill yuh if he gits holt of dat, yo' see. Dat means death. An' it really will hold him.
Entry 10570
Dey tuk a leather-wing bat, tuk his head and put it into a little something and put it under mah pillah. And ah laid - mah wife it was did dat in Tallahassee. When ah laid on dat pillah it wasn't long fo' ah got worried - been living well in mah home and me an' her be'd to- gether seventeen years. And dey parted us. Dat was done into dat pillah, and after a while ah got along; you know, left mah home - jest raised up [and left after] living together all dat time. Got up and left, left everything, and five children. Got two girls right chere in town to prove it. Yes, sir. Jest one voan [all because of her].
(Well, who did that?)
Who did dat? It was a man, [living] wit mah wife now. He's wit mah wife 0v. Yes sir, he did dat - [man] by de name of Berkin. He's de one did it. Yes, sir, he did dat. [At a later dat I probably would have asked informant: Did you find the bat heat under your pillow? Or after you had left home did 3i ask a fortuneteller what had made you leave?]
Entry 10602
Now a fellah tell me fo' a fact dat chew kin ketch a bat an' yo' kin carry dat round wit chew jes' like: yo' would take dem wings off him an' don't have nuthin but de bat, jes' de little ole skin. Ain't nuthin but skin nohow. Take de little ole bat, de little haid, an' put him in a papah sack or a cloth. Tie it up - sew it up jes' lak yo Would sew up a little bow, an' carry it out in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go an' do most anything yo' want. Ah don't know whether dat's true or not.
(You take just the wings off the bat though?)
Take de wings off.
(And just tie up the body?)
Tie up de body.
Entry 10608
(What will the husband [or man] do?)
He kin git nine acorns an' bury 'em up undah de step, an' de one [man] dat comes ovah dat, well he'll nevah come back dere no mo'. He'll nevah come back tuh see huh ag'in. (That is all he has to do, bury nine acorns under her step?) Undah huh step. An' as he walk ovah dat, he'll nevah walk back ovah it ag'in. He'll go out de back do', he won't come out de front, an' he'll nevah be worried wit 'er, not in 'er home.
Entry 10635
If yo' have a house to rent an' can't have no luck in keeping people i it, probably somecne had tricked yo' with de house, ah could tell yo' bog to Straighten it [out, the problem of renting house]. All right, yo' coald go to de drug store an' buy yo'self a cake of alum, buy yo'self a cake of cpbor gu O dat cake of camphor gum in fo' parts. Put one of those parts under yo' front do'step. Put one of dose parts in de right-hand corner of de house as yo' walk in, an' one of dose parts in de left-hand corner, den put one in dis last corner up heah - dat still is in de left-hand corner [the back-of-the-house left cor- ner as you walk in]. All right, after yo' do dat, yo' take dat alum an' pound it up, with a tablespoonful of alum to each one of dose [parts]. An' if dere any kinda junk [conjure] in dat house dat gives yo' hard luck, dat alum an' stull [camphor gum] will eat it up. [The more usual form of this rite is the four-corners-of-the-house one, it representing the four corners of the world (Revelation of St. John the Divine, 7:1). In the present rite the front doorstep appears as a substitute for the fourth corner. To balance this change the two left-corners are used and the symbolism of the 3 corners (the Three Holy Names) usurps the 4 angels, 4 corners and 4 winds of St. John. The four-corner rite often becomes a quincunx by adding a fifth point in the center.]
Entry 10640
Go to a ants' bed an' git dat sand an' sprinkle it round someone's house dat chew didn't like an' dat will also cause trouble. (What kind of trouble?) Like fights an' probably would end up into killin'. Dat's de red ants' nest.
Entry 10648
[Well, if somebody livin' next do' an' yo' wanta make 'em move, yo' go out in de woods an' yo' come to a ole tree wit aplenty of dem big red piss-antses in it, an' ketch as many of 'em as yo' kin. Put 'em in a snuffbox an' carry it an' put it under dere steps. Dey ain't goin' be dere long. Dey gotta go.
(That will run them away.)
Yessuh, shore will leave dere.
Entry 10649
Ah heard if yo' take a ant, if yo' wus tuh take, if yo' could a - jes' lak a ants' nest. Jes' lak yo' go to a ants' den dey have made. Jes' lak if yore husban' or sompin lak dat would wash his feet an' yo' would scrape his feet, well yo' take dis dead skin offa yore husban's feet an' take an' put it in dis ants' nest. Den dat et [eaten] by de ants an' den dat would cause him to walk jes' lak a ants, if yo' wanta do somepin to him or somepin lak dat. Dat would cause de husban' to walk jes' lak de ants.
(What do you mean, run him away or something like that?)
Yeah, jes' gives him de wanderin' an' sturbin' an' all lak dat. Jes' lak he'd love somebody an' yo' thought yo' could break him - yo' know, stop him from lov- in' 'em. Yo' jes' wanta do somepin ill to 'im. See, yo' takes an' wash his feet an' git some of dis heah, yo' know, dead skin off his feet, an' yo' puts it in dis ants' den, an' say den when he starts tuh walkin', he jes' wouldn't be sat- isfied novhere he goes, jes' lak de ants.
Entry 10689
They skim de bath water an' they cooks that in with de husband's food an' that'll make him have a weak stomach. He will always feel sick an' he won't want to go anywhere an' per- haps - de woman do that to keep him at home, to keep him from running around. It ties up his nachure [na- ture]. He don't have any feeling towards her at all, no more than a - be a slave in de home for her, while she'll be out running around with different other guys. That puts her to be free amongst men an' him a slave at home. Use de bath water.
Entry 10706
If a person come in an' yo' don't want dem dere, when he comes in, jest sweep him de way he come in. Sweep out his track jest as he come in, de Way he come in, if yo' don't want him dere. An' finally his conscience will jest lead him [to stay away]. Dat's jest de way yo' do de way ah jest tole yo'. Yo' kin talk nice to him an' say ah haven't got so-an'-so. Well, den if he continue to be comin' after dis, yo' git dat book an' put it under yore head an' read it, an' yo' git relieved from him.
(What is the name of that book?)
It's de Bible de 37th Psalms.
(You just put that Bible under your head?)
Entry 10707
To make de house lucky, if rentin' a house.... Yo' take dis salt an' put it in de Bible or in a leaf [torn from Bible] an' put it on a shelf an' jes' leave it dere. Yo' kin put it in a small place, yo' see [where it will not be seen] an' yo' won' have any trouble rentin' yo' house. (You just wrap this salt up in this leaf from the Bible. You tear the leaf out of the Bible?) Yo' kin take de leaf outa de Bible, 'cause yo' see if yo' leave de whole Bible up dere, dat's suspicious.
Entry 10711
( Git de featbers out de bird nest aa' bar den, an' dey take dat an' put it in a person's hat, an' dat runs 'en crazy.
[Mephis, 1519:8.]
Entry 10723
He coming back to her. Go in de woods and git some blacksnake root. See, it got two little forked roots to it. An' yo' tie it up in a little han'- kerchief, see, an' git some- body dere an' put it up ovah de door, an' dat's tuh make dem leave dere. [To bring man back to woman he left, someone goes into the other woman's house and puts over her door a blacksnake root with a fork - symbol of a 'Y crossroad. He will soon leave other woman.] [St. Petersburg, Fla., (999), 1616:2.)
Entry 10752
If yo' ministratin' or anything, yo' take an' wash de cloth an' git de blood out of it an' stop it in a bottle. An' yo' kin take an' put it anywhere in de tree, de 'side de tree, any- where yo' wanta, an' dey won' ministrate any mo'. Dey jes' pine away. [Originally the tree was probably a pine: you pine away.]
Entry 10763
Ef they git hold of somepin that yo' was eatin' off [on] see, an' tbey place it with bluestone - they have it mixed with bluestone and that [piece yoo were eating on and the bluestone] they sets up ovah yo' [so that you valk ander it] and then yore teeth miu come out. (They put it over [above] yoa, so you will walk uoder it.)
[octor Johnson in Richmond gave something similar.]
Entry 10798
Dat's another thing to move a man or move a woman. Put dat [broom] down by yore fireplace dere an' let it stay dere every night fo' nine nights yo' put it dere. Put dat down crossways, cross yore fire- place, an' den yo' - befo' yo' do dat dough, if yo' kin be fortunate enough to git a piece of dere garment or sompin like dat, an' tie it onto dat broom in seven knots, down next to de bushy part of it, an' let it stay down dere nine mornings. Put dat in nine nights. Dey travelin'. Yo' be discontented where yo' [he] at. About de tenth morning he goin' leave dere, yo' see. Dat's one way ah've heard about de broom. Dat'll run him. Move yo' either away from yore town or against yore success - somepin like dat.
(Who would do that? The woman would do that or the man?)
Either one.
(Somebody living in the same house or just living in the town?)
In de town - either way.
Entry 10809
If a person strike a person wit a broom, say fo' nine times, yo' goin tuh jail. If yo' kin jes' go an' - see, jes' lak accidently, brush a person, yo' know make it a habit of doin' dat, dat fellah's goin' tuh jail, or dat woman's goin' tuh jail.
Entry 10866
(What do you do with that black cat?)
See, jis' lak he's in de house an' come where yo' is, yo' jis' ketch a little bunch of that hair with chure finger thataway [demonstrates]. Jis' snatch it out that way an' snatch it towards his haid. An' yo' put that in with yore luck piece of yore lode- stone, whatevah yo' got, an' yo' carry that in yore pocket fo' success.
Entry 10914
I know what they do with that. Just like if you has a sweetheart and she done left you and is living with someone else, well you take this dog hair and cat hair and you mix it to- gether, see. And you get you a lemon. (A lemon?) Yes, and you cut this lemon open and you stick this dog hair and cat hair in there with their name - their full name. Put it in there and mix it together with cayenne pepper - in the lemon - and bury it and they never get along.
Entry 10937
Take a catfish entrails, split him open while dey alive - channel cat - an' take dat entrails an' put it in a bottle, or else bury it undah yore do'steps; jes' lak yo' had a place an' wanted tuh stay dere, why yo' kin stay dere as long as yo' wanta, if yo' bury dat undah dere, wit dere name.
(The name of the landlord on it?) Den yo' kin stay at dat place as long as yo' want to.
Entry 10939
Wal, ah'm goin' tell you dis now, 'gin [again]. Now, in cases a per- son was treatin' yo' dirty, ag'in, an' interferin' wit yore family, what would yo' do. Yo' wanta learn dat?
[I evidently nod yes.]
All right. Well, yo' go ahead and write dere names nine times - write it nine times.
(On what?)
On a piece of paper - on a piece of Bliss [trade name] paper.
(Bliss tablet paper?)
Dat's right. An' write it and den when yo' write dat, roll it under. See, any kinda bad words yo' wanta use on dat, yo' do dat. Wal, den yo' go tuh de river - understand me good now. Go tuh de rivah an' ketch yo' a catfish. See, dis is a catfish yo' ketchin', see. Yo' know he's gotta skin, yo' know. (You catch this catfish and you have this name written on this piece of paper.) Yo' write dis party's name on a piece of paper whut have done yo' dirty, whut chew wanta git rid of 'em at once.
(Now, what do you do with the catfish?)
See, yo' take dis fish, reach and git his skin now lak dis [demonstrates]. See, he's gotta skin. Yo' skins 'im. See, yo' lift up his skin. Yo' know, lift his skin up an' roll dat tight a little space; yo' know, jes' a little space tight as yo' kin, an' stick it [name] in dere up undah his skin an' put him back in de rivah. Well, when he [fish] gone - an' he's gone wit dat message yo' see - well, when he go, dis party jumps in de rivah. And de farther dey go, den dey's tryin' ketch dat fish an' dey jes' drown demselves - fall ov'bo'd an' drown.
(Do you cut this skin on the fish and put it under there?)
Jes' cut his skin an' lif' his skin up. Gotta stick a knife in dere - yo' know jes' a little bit - an' stick it [name] up undah dere, see, an' go to de rivah wit it.
(And turn the catfish loose again?)
He's gone.
Entry 10949
We call dem "charity root" [see later]. An' dey go dere and dig: piece to [from] de sunrise an' piece to [from] de sundown [sides]. Take dat and put 'em in a towel, in a piece of cloth. Jest put de both together - in 'em in 'tween de cloth. Put dat in yore pocket and you be lucky if yo' git a job most anyway. [What he says here is not what he means.] Dat's de way dat I heard it. [I had trouble understanding some informants in Charleston. My informant called the root charity root, thought my transcriber; to me the root sounded like cherrytree or Cherokee root.]
Entry 10963
Ketch de blood when it's warm. When you kill a chicken, don't let de blood get cold, ketch it while it's warm, you see. And take and mix it with sul- phur in a can or anything and set it aside and just before it get cold, if you kin get dat person to bring some of that stuff on them, that will kill them. [This is done magically by putting on vic- tim's name or handing him something that has touched on contains the mixture.]
Entry 10964
Now if you wanna use chicken blood, you kin use dat. Take de chicken and cut 'em open while he 'live. Don't kill him and den cut him open. Jes' take de knife and stick him right in de back, and cut him open while he 'live, and put dat - each half of dat chicken on each por- tion of your spinal cord here. You understand. It cure any shingles in de world. What you call chicken blood, yeah, wit shingles. Now, dat will stop de shingles.
Entry 10971
(What would you use that egg for?) Yo' fast all day on Thursday to turn [improve] yore mem- ory, dat chew will git de right understanding. You fast de entire day. And den you boil dat aig and remove de shell. After you remove de shell, den you write de 4th and 8th verse, I think it is, [of Psalm lO4] on dis aig. Anyhow you write as much as about ten or twelve verses on dis aig, and put de egg in yo' mouth whole, and dat will turn yore mem- ory, will help you to keep your memory and get some [knowledge] of things which you wanta do. Dat's one thing egg will do. Dat's de only thing I know about de egg, but chew must put de whole egg in de mouth, when you have wrote dis on dis egg: Remove de shell and write dis on dere. De egg must not be broken.
(What do you write that with?)
Ink. Dere's nothing else will write on it but ink, on a boiled egg.
(And what verses of what?)
De 104th Psalm.
Entry 11017
Now, yo' kin take a underweah, a underweah whut yo' got on yore chest like dis heah [evidently opened shirt to show underwear]. Don't ca' if it's a thick one or either a thin one - underweah. An' ah kin take dat, an' three rooster feathah - hen or rooster, any kind. Ain't gotta be but one kinda feathah, dat's de feathah come out de wing. All right yo' promise me yo' gonna [not work in Savannah!]. Dat woman ovah dere, yo' understan', suh. Yo' wanta bring her back jes' lak yo' got life in yore body an' ah got life in mah body. Well, ah kin git dat [done] jes' as easy as anything. Jes' git dem three feathah lak ah telled yo'. Understand, an' git dere undahweah, an go right out in de woods to a green pine sapling. It isn't goin' dirty yo', an' git chew a rusty nail - not no new nail - a rusty nail an' put dat undahweah jes' lak dis heah [demonstrates].
(Put that underwear up against the tree.)
Put dat undahweahs on dat pine saplin'. Yo' understan' whut ah mean? Yo' take dem three feathah an' put 'em lak dat [demonstrates], yo' understan'.
(Put the three feathers on the underwear.)
Put de underweah dere first to de tree - yo' listen whut ah'm speakin' - an' take de three feathahs an' put 'em lak dis heah Idemonstratesl. But yo' stick dat nail 'fore yo' nail dat underweah, understand, where [demonstrates] nail de undershirt up dere an' dem feathah right dere. All right, den chew go back. Don' teli none of her fren's. Dey don't [know] whut chew been doin'. In eight day's time she'll be to yo' residence.
(That's all you have to do to bring that woman back?)
(You put her underwear up there. You put the nail up there an' put [hang]
the underwear on it with the feathers?) The chicken ain't gotta be daid atall. [Pull the feathers out of a live rooster.]
Entry 11018
Now, dere one chicken feathah you could use, to do any harm, dat's a frizzly fowl. A frizzly fowl is good and is bad, onnerstand. Now, yo' kin take a feathah from de top of a frizzly fowl's head and you kin take a feathah from de top of a frizzly fowl's back. And you kin take dat feathah what you git from de frizzly fowl and take one new pin and pin dem two feathah togethah and I kin take dem feathah and put 'em in your bosom or anybody's bosom and you is a crazy man ovahnight - in an hour.
(Supposed to make him lose his mind?)
Yes, sir, crazy fer de next. Yo' kin put 'em in dere dis hour and de next hour somebody gotta tie 'em down.
(Well, what else can you do with that Frizzly hen? Can you do anything else?)
Yes, you kin use de bun gut, you know.
(Gut? The intestine? The testicle?)
[My preceding questions merely ask for more information. The meaning of the word bun in the sense of anus or buttocks I had known for years, but bum gut did not penetrate immediately because I had translated the words into rotten gut
[stomach trouble, etc.l also a folk term.]
Dat's real good. You kin take dat and kill a nation. [You can kill a nation because of all that hoodoo poison that goes through a frizzly hen - see margin title DOCTOR FRIZZLY Pp.59-63, v.1, and many places.]
(How Would you do that?)
Well, you take dat and you cook a soup. Cook in a chicken soup, onnerstand. Well, I hate dat house dere. I wanna poison dat whole house, but dey is my neighbors. Well, I git dat soup and carry over dere, go across wit it.
(You poison them?)
De whole house. But now you gotta put in dat, Doc - des scrape dem in it - de fingernails. Keep dem dirty and scrape 'em - [into the soup].
Entry 11023
jes' lak yo' have a sweetheart an' yo' want him tuh come tuh love yo' [want him to fall in love with you]. Yo' want him tuh come tuh love yo', yo' take an' draw de feathers out of dat cock's tail, an yo' press 'em three times in his hand. An' den yo' take his [dis?] hand [hand] an put it into yore right hand pocket an' look him dead in his eyes an' den kiss 'im, an' he will take sides with yo'.
(You take the feathers out of any cock's tail?)
Yes sir. [Surely the woman does not put the man's hand into her right pocket! She takes feathers, probably 3, from the rooster's tail and presses them into the man's hand 3 times to absorb his perspiration. The feathers themselves become a hand or jomo. This she puts into her own right pocket.]
Entry 11185
Ah heard dat yo' could git devil's-shoestring an' go to de window fo' nine mornings [face] tovards de sunrise an' make a wish. Jest whatsomevah yo' wish to come true. And loop [circle] say whatsomevah yo' wish [through it] an' tie it in one knot fo' nine mornings till yo' git nine ties. Then take it an' put it up ovah yore do'. De wish will come true.
(Any wish will come true.)
Yes sir... [I turned off machinetooquickly, hadto repeat his lost words.l (And you look through this loop as you tie it?) Look as de sun, jest as de sun be rising. (You look through that loop that you are making.) Yes sir.
Entry 11337
Well, yo' take now fo' love - yo' know whut dese little ole hoot owls is, yo' know. No, ah mean dese little morning [mourning] doves. (Mourning doves that coo-coo like that?) Yes. Well, see a person kin go out, chew know, an' kill one of dem an' cut de tongue from under his mouth, an' place it under yore tongue in yore mouth an' kiss a girl, an' it'll be hard fo' yo' to git rid of her. She'll come to be in love with yo' an' yo' couldn't git rid of her.
Entry 11340
Dere's a love powder yo' kin make, too. It's made from a dove, a turtledove. Yo' git dis turtledove an' put him in de oven an' jes' bake him dere until he dry. An' yo' make a powder an' sprinkle dis powder, a teaspoonful of powder into a cup of wine, an' dat will draw de love.
(Of the person that drinks it?)
Yes.
Entry 11352
Well, yo' know, as ah first said, if somebody yo' have somepin in fo' 'em - ain't goin' de way yo' want 'em - tuh puttin' 'em tuh walkin' or sompin othah, anything. Well, yo' go down tuh de rivah an' yo' fish an' try tuh ketch a eel. Yo' know it's a long ole fish look lak a snake. Well, yo' cut de haid off an' have a bottle or a glass or sompin ready, an' hit's one drop of blood dat will drop from dis eel's haid. So yo'll take dat an' yo'll take some honey. An' dey'll take some honey an' de root dey call de High John de Con- ' kah an' dere's one dey call de Low John de Conkah. Well, yo' take dis root an' yo' boil dat an' yo' make a kind of a syrup-lak, an' as yo' go tuh dis friend or whoevah it is, house, an' jes' lak dey shoes be's sittin' undah de dressah - somewhere yo' know, round de house. Well, yo' kin drop three drops in de shoes or anywhere jes' so long as it be's neah de shoe or a little bit git on de shoe. An' yo' kin say whatevah yo' want tuh be done, "In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost." An' in de limits of time, dey say it will come tuh pass.
(What did you do with that drop of eel's blood? What did you do with that?)
Yo' take dis drop of eel's blood an' yo' fixes it wit dis honey an' dis othah root - High John de Conkah.
Entry 11624
Jis' like if yo' - like if you are separated from your wife and the man is always getting in trouble about it, you catches a live fish and you write his name on it. And cut that fish open while him alive and sew him up with that name in it, and throw it in the pond where you catch him from. The more the fish go, the more they going.
(What do you do that for, now? If I'm separated from my wife and she's what?)
And uh - you and your wife - this man is always keeping your wife on distur- ban', in confusion all the time, and always with him. Write his name and catch that live fish and cut him open and sew him back up with that name inside of him and turn him loose.
(This other man - that will send the other man far away from your wife?)
Yes, it will run him away.
(When the other man's running after your wife.)
Entry 11639
You take the fish, you take the front part of his mouth and let it dry - dry good, perfect. And then maybe when yo're [yo'll?] be goin', it will come apt to be some kind of a rain, or somepin other like that. Then if you kin get [it] into the water where the woman drinks, uhen you [she] will come to love you too. The front part of his mouth, you know, iis' take the front part, that ring around his mouth. [Probably demonstrates by ruing a finger around the mouth.]
(Part of the upper and lower jaw there.)
Yea, that whole thing - jis' like that. And take it out, and then you let that dry. You put that away and let that dry. Then [put it into] the water that a woman drinks. Then you make wishes over that, you understand. Or any- thing that she drinks or eats, why then you use that fish mouth over that. Then she will come to love, too.
Entry 11672
Take de dirt out de fork of de road, if you don't want 'em to leave. Take de dirt out of de fork of de road and put it in a bag and hold it there. Keep it, that will keep them from going away. (You just go out to the forks of the road and pick up that dirt.) Yes, an' put cayenne pepper with that, and hold it. That's what ah heard.
Entry 11673
Say yo' kin go to de fo'ks of de road an' take, yo' know, dat crossin' sand. [sand from crossroad used in crossing person]. An' go an' git 'im, say, a box about foah inches square. An' git a piece of flannen cloth. An jest lak it wus me, dey take mah name [write it] and [write] whatsomevah dey wanta do tuh me; lak dey wanta kill me or wanta lingah me. Dey kin take dat an' read de 35th Psalm fo' nine days at sunrise, an' [while reading it] turn yore haid to de sunrise, an' dey kin kill yo'. (What would they do with all these things in that box? You didn't tell me vhat they did with those.) Well, dey would jest go an' dey would take dat crossing sand [sand from cross- road] yore name, yo' understand, an' dat jest be closed up [in the box]. Yo understand me. Go out an' put dat ingredients in deah. It's a dragon's blood dat chew kin git - dragon's blood - put it in dere. An' put dat box back to- gether, yo' know, jest like yo' kin use dat sand an' dat dragon's blood an yore name an' read dat - yo' understand, dat 35th Psalm.
(Where do you put that box then?)
Well, yo' jest place it most anywhere about in de house, ain't got no certain place.
Entry 11678
Yokin git de graveyard dirt. Yogo tuh de graveyard. Yo' kin go dere any time a-night dat chew wanta, if yo' ain't scared tuh go, an' git chew some of dat dirt: but chew gotta burn some of it, an' keep some of it unburned. Anwhenyo gits in a place, jes [like] ah'm in heah an want chew tuh do business wit me. Ah keeps some wit me all de time, an'ah jes' rubs mah han's when ah wants tuh be lucky. An'ah raps mah hands on de table lak dat [raps on interviewing table] an' ah've nevah gone out broke. Ah've always had a dollah every day of mah life, evah since ah've been usin dis dirt an' burnin' ah've got it. An' den yo' kin take dis graveyard dirt an' yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git dirt; dat's where yo' meet dem two fo'ks of de road. Yo' know whut ah'm talkin' about. Yo' go in dere. Now, yo take yo' a silvah spoon, yo' go to de fo'k of de road an' yo' git chew some dirt an' put wit dis graveyard dirt. Yo' kin conkah all of yore enemies in any way yo' want, if yo' take dis dirt an sprinkle it round dere [their home]. An' yo' kin be partic'lah wit it, ain't gotta let 'em see it; 'cause if yo' let dem see it, yo' know, say yo' doin' sompin wrong. Yo' gotta be partic'lah wit anything yo' do. See, dat's de way ah use graveyard dirt. An' it gotta be burnt, some of it's burnt. When yo' git dat dirt outa de fo'k of de road yo' ain't gotta burn it atall, but yo' put it wit dis graveyard dirt an' yo' kin do anything. Yo' kin conkah all yore enemies in any kind of way. Dat make yo' successful. Yo'ain't got nuthin tuh do tuh keep de law away, but jes' yo' go out an' den yo' go tuh de fo'k of de road. Go on back tuh de fo'k of de road now in dis partic'lah business. Yo' take yo' silvah spoon an' yo' git yo' some dust an yo' ain't gotta put de graveyard dust. Now, jes' about nine or ten steps 'way from yore house an' in front of dere, jes' sprinkle dat dust down, an' count de tracks dat chew make, cause if yo' make a mistake, well, yo' liable tuh have tuh go ag'in 'cause somepin othah liable tuh happen. But it always causin' tuh keep yore enemies cowered at chure feet when yo' git that dust from de fo'k of de road. If yo' got it wit de graveyard dirt it goes bettah wit chew. If yo' ain't got it, well, it's all de same - it'll do it right on. Jes' go tuh de fo'k of de road on de left-han' side.
Entry 11691
Well, yo' take de colored folk graveyard - yo' nevah been dere, is yo'?
(No.)
Well 'scuse me - dis heah is de white folks graveyard [demonstrates], yo' undahstan', an' de colored folk graveyard come lak dat dere tuh de fo'ks of de road lak dat. Well, yo' kin go right chere 'tween de colored folk graveyard an' de white folk grave- yard, an' any man whut owe yo', take an' write a let- tah, yo' undahstan'. Yo' ain't gotta git no lawyah tuh 'rest him. Yo' go right tuh de fo'ks of de road lak ah tell yo' an' jes' pick up lak dis heah jes' pick up lak dis heah [demonstrates] de white folks graveyard in dis graveyard, yo' understan'. Yo' go right dere tuh dis heah an' take yore han' backwards an' take it up...
(Pick up what?)
Pick up his track backward. An' don't cay [care] if ah owe yo' or anybody owe yo', pick it up backwards, yo' undahstan', an' don' say nuthin 'tall. Jes go home.
(Tell that over again.)
Ah said, any colored man - if yo' open up a place right heah - yo' got dis place right heah now. If ah pass by or anythin' an' yo' not friends wit me, understan'. Well, lak ah wus walkin' from dis side, an' den - well, yo' jes' ketch mah track lak dis heah [demonstrates] undahstan'. An' de sulphur, so dat yo' don't go out dere an' fight dere in de [street]. Yo' go round back in de sto', undahstan', an' set it right dere in de cornah an' yo' jes' shake dat sul- phur up fine, undahstan'. "Fore dat sulphur git burnin' good, yo' undahstan', in dat fo' cornah of de house. See, dat's a cornah of de house, dis a cornah, an' dis a cornah, an' dis a cornah. Well, when yo' set dat table yo' gits a little bit an' sprinkle in dat cornah, dat cornah, dat cornah an' dat cornah. Dat fo' cornah of de house. An' den de man ovah nex' do' can't - de Irishman or Jew or [who?], yo' undahstan', he say tuh dem, "Dis man has opened a place of business heah. Ah been befo' he come heah an' he got mo' customahs den ah got. Ah think ah'm goin' move."
Entry 11733
He'd git dis green grass an' take that grass an' put it in the stove an' let it git real dry. An' after it git real dry, he'll take it an' ball it like that [demonstrated by balling an imaginary handful of grass in his hands]. An' yo' kin take that, an' at twelve o'clock at nighttime, jis' put it in front of your door. An' do that evrey [every] night at twelve o'clock, and the Law [police] won't bother you.
Entry 11739
Yo' go down, dig in de center of dat grave an' keep adiggin' till yo' git way down fur as yore hand kin reach. An' yo' pull dat dirt up, see; an' yo' git dat, see, an' go. (Then what do you do with that dirt, now?) Yo' takes it an' den go 'long dere an' put it on de steps. (How would you put it on the steps?) Git chew a lump piece, jes' two pieces lak dat. (What kind of pieces?) When yo' git up dere [on the grave] yo' reach down in dere an' yo' jes' goes - yo' reach down [in there] as fur as yo' kin reach an' put it [this dirt] on each side [of the steps]. (On either side [on both sides] of the step. What did you say it would do then?) It would make 'em leave home.
Entry 11741
Well, jes' lak now probably dat ah wuz sellin' likker. Well, ever' time ah turn roun' an' somebody knock at de do', ah think it's a customer come in dere. Ah open de do', "Ooh! It's de law." Well, ah goes tuh mah neighbor, yo' know, sell a lotta people roun', "Ah ain't got no luck. Ever'- time ah open mah do's, it's de law comin' in. Ah don' unnerstan'.: Seem lak de law gotta pick at me. Ah want dat law quit comin' tuh mah house." "Well, "' ah declare. "May[be] it's hard luck put on yo', '' [he] says, "dey's things lak dat." Well, jes' lak dat, talk along an' talk along. Ah wuz sellin' right along, gittin' on all right, thinkin' ever'thing wuz okay. Oh, makin' mo' money, yo' know, an' jes' gittin' 'long. Fus' thing ah knows, "Knock, knock." "Who's thah?" Twarn't nuthin but de [wind?] but still it wuz a lil' strange. Goes opens de do'. Who but it is de law ag'in. Well, ah sigh to mahself, "Well, ah taken dese chances but ah don't wanta take nO mo' chances." Ah goes tuh talkin' fo' fair den. So ah got one mah best fren'. Ah call her mah best fren'. So mah best fren' says, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do," say, "yo' go git luck, 'cause dere's bad wishes put on yo'. Yo' gotta have luck. Dere's a bar ovah dere" [someone over there could recommend a hoodoo]. Okay. An' so ah goes an' git luck. So fo' de luck he tole me, says, "Go tuh de cemetery an' git chew a lil' graveyard dirt, an' yo' git it on de off side - cf side of de right. Yo' dig down an' yo' pay. Yo' pay him an' yo' git dis dirt. Dig a hole jes' lak dat an' let chure han' go down in it, jes' lak dat [demonstrates] an' dig yo' up jes' a lil' dirt jes' lak dat. Den yo' put three pennies down in dere where yo' got dis dirt at. An' yo' take it home an' don't look back. When yo' git dis dirt jes' take it an' come right on home an' don' look back. When yo' git home, yo' put a spoonful of sulphur in dat graveyard dirt an' yo' sprinkle jes' a lil' bit of black peppah in dere. An' den yo' jes' put dat - yo' put some right under de front steps, an' den yo' go round an' put some undah yore back steps. An' den yo' gotta speak three times tuh hit, 'Name of de Father, name of de Son an' de Holy Ghost, stay an' nevah come no mo'." Dat'll do it.
(That keeps the law away.)
Keep de law away.
Entry 11844
I tell yuh jes' what 'tis. My uncle it was, was tellin' me this. That's why I was goin' tell yuh. A lady that he was courting, he was going with her, and of course this man [rival or hoodoo man] tole him that he was hurt, because he thought he was going with her. And he told him that the lady had put somepin in a bottle an' buried it under the doorstep. And that thing that she buried under the doorstep was some of his hair that she'd gotten from the barber shop and mixed it with some salt, pep- per and whiskey, and buried it under her doorstep, and that whenever he walked over it, would hurt him. [At least we know uncle liked whiskey!] But if he would take this up and put it in some boiling water, and if it floated, then he could ward off the spell that she had put on him, and that he probably could throw it back on her, on the parties who was puttin' it on him. He could take and just take this out and roll it under his arm. [then] roll it in some meal.
(Hold it under his arm?)
Roll it. Yeah, roll it under his arm.
(Oh, under his arm first.)
Yeah, and then put it in some meal and make it into a cake-like, and bury it underneath the steps, the same step where the other stuff was buried, and that would return it on her.
Entry 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 12295
A person did you somepin, and you take a lemon and you put some parsley in it, and you put some cinnamon in it and brown sugar in that lemon. [Brown sugar for a black person, white sugar for vhite person. Many examples in HOODOO of color scheme.]
(You put parsley, cinnamon and brown sugar. All right.)
Yeah, brown sugar, into the lemon, and you take that lemon and you go put it right under your step - under there - right under the middle part of your step, and bury it. They say that will move what they done did to you.
(Take it away.)
Yes.
Entry 12346
Make a little scap [scapular] to wear on you to make luck.
(What's a scap?)
You [know] jis' like a piece...you make it an' you put...jis' like you say, "Ah come to you an' ah wants somepin for luck, an' ah want a hand from you." Now you ass me what ah wants to do with this hand, but ah say, "Mah husband is a man that don't give me money." Well, you gon'a tell me how to fix that. [You are going to make a hand for me so that my husband will give me money.] An' ah'm gon'a wear that on me. Dat's to make him bring me his money.
(How Would you fix that?)
You see, you take dat...dat is jis' w'at ah'm tellin' you about. You go to the CRACKERJACK DRUG STORE - right down here. You git choo a he an' a she lode- stone, a pod of garlic - git a red garlic - an' you put dat with a dime [silver one] an' his name. You write his name furce an' your name on top, an' wear that on you an' he'll give it yuh [his money].
Entry 12379
Well, if dey's put down any- thing fo' yo' tuh walk ovah, why de' tell me tuh git a can of Red Devil Lye potash an' bury it in de groun' an' leave de top 'bout half open an' hit'll kill whut dey got put down.
Entry 12418
They take the matches an' take the head off 'em an' beat 'em up an' sew 'em up in jes' a small piece of new cloth - 10 matches. An' put 'em up ovah yuh doah faced [top of the door] or eithah down where yo' have to walk ovah it. An' [they] say that'll keep down quarrels, if he's fussin' or anything like that.
Entry 12450
Take a mockin'bird nest an' put undah bridge, if yo' wanta break up a boy an' a girl, or yo' know, keep someone from a place. Den yo' take it an' put it where dey kin step ovah it or walk ovah it an dey won't go dere no mo'. (Like some boy and girl are going together, and I would want to separate them?) Separate dem. Go put dat nest, jes' put de nest some place where dey'll go walk ovah it chew know - him or her, either one. Dat will separate dem. [Suml ter, S. Car. (1365), 2411:8.]
Entry 12563
Under your foot track - just like people come along and say that they could hurt you by your foot track. But they couldn't hurt you by a foot track, but I tell you what they could do. They could take some dirt coming from your shoes: just like if you had a hole in your shoe like that [dirt would get into shoe through hole in shoe]. And your foot track they Would probably pick up [in that way]. And after [hole in shoe] picking it up, they could take that dust, what come from your shoes. And they could shake it, put it in a box with some of these here pigeon eggs, and beat it up like that. Anywhere you bury that, you have to leave town [be- cause pigeon flies!]. And anytime you couldn't stay nowhere, couldn't never come back into the place where you was. (You mean the dirt from your shoe, any of the dirt that sticks to the bottom of your shoes? What about that hole in your shoes?) Just like - you see, where I Was, this feet chere, how it was. How this feet chere of mine was [he evidently demonstrates foot or feet]. Well, then, gettin' a remedy for that? [Here is how it happened.] I walked out one morning and it had some kind of yellowish-looking stuff on the steps. But I didn't paid attention and I walked on out of there, going to my work. Well, it was in the summertime and it was right warm. Well, I had some shoes that cut, you know, like this [demonstrates].
(Had holes in the bottoms of them?)
Yes, sir. Well, then, what made me heed them then was my heel started to hurt. I comes on back. Well, that heel of mine was about that big [demon- strates]. So they carried me and they got some of this sugar, this white granulated sugar, and got some of this Palm of Christiandom.
(Palm of what?)
Palm of Christiandom. (Palm of Christian?) [I am not correcting informant but commenting for the future. Besides, the words are Palma Christi "hand of Christ, " the castor-oil plant.] Palm of Christian, yes. You get that anywhere through the country. And they takes that and they put that on, in hot water, just as hot as I could bear it. Then after that they take some cayenne pepper and put it there and they soak it. Then they take, after that - don't never wipe it off - you just take it and let your feet hangs over the water like that, and drain until it dries. Then you take some of the "Pp" oil.
(PP. Two "P's.")
Yeah, PP oil. Get it in the drug store. You take that PP Oil and you just take it like that, with a piece of cotton, you know, and 'noint it. But always 'noint it going down.
(Why?)
Well, that's to draw out all the swelling and all the pain leaves - whatever. You have to rub it like that. [Informant either did not know or did not under- stand my question. You rub downwards to drive pain or any crunjure out through the feet. Many examples of this occur in HOODOO, see No.981, p.377, vol.1.] Well, the swelling before I ever knowed, well they had all the - I'll just lift it up here. They had all this here and all down here. [Informant demonstrates all this.] And they told me how to use it. Well, I got relief of that.
(What did it do to make your ankle swollen that way?)
Well, I walked in some yellowish-looking powder.
(Oh, I see.)
That's where it came from. And it was somepin that makes your ankle itch, you see; and you scratches it, you know.
Entry 12574
Jes' lak if yo' don't want nobody tuh yore house, don't want tuh speak tuh anybody, yo' kin take yo' a penny - jes' a penny is brassy - an' yo' kin rub it an' rub it till it gits shiny. An' de penny whut yo' rubbin' den yo' go tuh de grave- yard dust: In de Name of de Lord an' de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Well, yo' rubs dat penny, rubs dat penny wit de dust until it gits shiny.
(What do you do with that then?)
[I shut the machine off before recording the answer, but the penny is probably nailed at the door. This could be my only example of using graveyard dirt as a scouring material!]
Entry 12739
Ah say yo' kin make a family break up easy if yo' want tuh. Jes' lak ah wanta git rid of Doc an' his wife, make 'em fuss. Git some rattan root or bush an' tie it up together an' put it to dere house, or either hide it jes' anywhere in de house. Every time dey come in dey'll be fightin' an' fussin'.
(Rattan. What does it look like?)
Yo' know de rattan. It's sompin dat bends so [demonstrates an arch] in de woods. Yo' know how it bends an' twists, yo' know. Grow in de swamps.
(Do they make baskets out of that?)
Some people do, yes sir. Now, it'll break up any home in de world if yo' cut up dat. Git de root of dat an' put it in de house, dey shore goin' tuh squabble. [I am unable to identify informant's rattan.]
Entry 12742
Dey kin take yore shoes dat chew wear every day, if dey kin git holt of it an' if dey kin git a rattlesnake. Git de haid. Git him mad an' git dat rattlesnake haid an' dry it. Let it come so yol kin jes' compound it up. Understand, compound it up good an' put it in somewhere - inside de linin' of his shoe. It got linin' in dere, an' it surely runs yo' off. Or yo' kin put it in de band of yore hat. Either one. Den yo' can't see. It will blind yo', cause yo' know yo' sheds yore skin, an' yo' kin git blind from it. Jes' as shure as....
Entry 12743
I have heard that in some parts of South Carolina - of course it seems as though they have quite a...something against South Carolina - that you crush snake heads. One woman would pay so much for rattlesnake heads, just cut this rattlesnake head off and make a powder from then. And they would send these to the people who were envious towards the others, and that would cause snakes to come in their bodies. I imagine this povder they put in their food.
Entry 13068
If you wanta kill a person, yo' gits de snail an' gits him out of his hull [shell] yo' see. An' yo' kin take yo' some whiskey an' put dat snail in dere - in dat whiskey, lak yo' would put it in a half pint of whiskey. Let dat snail set in dere twenty-fo' hours in dat whiskey - ah mean, take dat snail outa dere an' strain yore whis- key. An' anybody dat yo' give it to, dat chew want 'em - if yo' wanta kill any- one, say, "Come on have a drink wit me, " an' yo' po' it out an' dey drink it. Dat settles it.
Entry 13228
If yo' wanta keep yore wife wit yo' always - jes' lak if yo' got a wife yo' know an' yo' can't keep her home an' she love tuh go all de time. Jes' take a brass spoon an' dip it into yore sugah dish an' sweeten her coffee. Yo' put it in dere yo'self an' let her take it herself an' stir it. An' yo' evah will have a wife tuh stay at home. Let it stay in dere a few minutes 'fore yo' call her. Yo' understan' me, an' yo'll evah have a wife tuh stay at home - wit dat brass spoon.
Entry 13232
All right, ah'm gonna tell yo'. Yo' take de sock, de dirty sock. Yo' take de seven steak. Yo' git a little seven steak wit a number seven on it. [A seven steak or 7 steak is a T-bone steak, its bone shaped something like a 7!]
[It took me some time to identify the steak!]
(Where do you get that?)
[I must have thought this was a stake with No.7 on it, something from a hoo- doo shop!] At de market. Yo' git de raw meat. Git a box of salt an' a box of Epsom salts, red peppah. Git a spool of black thread. [Don't forget] cookin' salt, cayenne peppah. [Informant does not complete this holding two-persons-together rite. These articles are put in man's soiled sock and tied with a piece of the new black thread. We now come to the separating-two-persons rite.1 Yo' wanta break this person's footsteps [that is, separate two persons but using their footsteps] or break 'em up with that person an' - yo' write their names nine times across [you write his name down 9 times and then cross them with her names 9 times] an' yo' put it. An' then you'll bury it in yore yard, yo' see.
(That heals them up.)
Entry 13425
And I wouldn't want you in that place. You kin go to the [hoodoo] drug store and get you what they call some war water and take that bottle and bust that bottle in front of your place, not mine, in front of your place. And in busting that bot- tle, come back and take your name and some salt and bury it right behind your place - right at the back of your place. (Your own house, now, not the hosue of the person you want to move, but be- hind your house.) No, behind your house. See, I wanta move you.
(Oh, you're moving me?)
Yes. (And you throw this water in front of my house. Now, you are going to bury my name in salt at the back of my house.) At the back of your house, see. When that salt is buried, in less than 9 days you'll be out of there.
(I see.)
Entry 13448
Goin' tuh a wil- low tree - when de tree first start tuh bloomin' out - yo' dig down an' yo' git one dem roots. When yo' git de roots yo' bring de roots back. Yo' take dat root an' put it in a bottle an' put some whiskey on it, an' yo' let dat stay in dere. Well, dat will run a person outa a house.
(How do you do that?)
Yo' take yo' willow tree roots an' bring it back - bring it home - take it an' put it in a bottle, a vial where yo' kin po' whiskey on it. An' if yo' kin git any of de dirt where a person been walkin' ovah - out de yard - put it right dere in de bottle too. Shake it an' carry it right back dere an' put it under de steps or either de gate - anywhere round dere - or if yo' kin put it where dey kin git holt of it, an' dat make 'em go 'way from town.