Subject:Return
Entries
Entry 1993
Dey would go to a man fer to get good luck. So when dey go to dis guy, dis guy would tell 'em you know. It would be a little black bag, have a whole lot of little things in it. It would look somepin like little pieces of stone, and a little piece of dried leaf Would be all cut up, you know, in there. I seen 'em. I seen one of 'em and I tore de thing open, I didn't know what it was, fer to see what it was. It was a little fine pieces of stone and it looked like some little leaves was into it and some little gravels looked like offen de ground. So they said de fellah says fer to hold it tight, keep it in your pocket all de time; an' if you leave it to git loose, it would git away from you and go back to 'im and you wouldn't have no luck.
(What do they call this bag?)
A qood-luck bag. You kept it in your pocket where you keep de money. You know, it would be mos' fer a man. Well, if a woman would carry one, they would have to keep it in de pocketbook.
Entry 3395
Ah've tried dat mahsel', ah've 'sperience dat. Go tuh anybody's house, ah don' care who 'tis, an' take dere dishrag whut dey wash dere dishes dt, an take it nine times. Jes' take it lak dis an' rub it right up lak dat nine times. Don' rub it down, take an' rub it up nine times an' put it [dishrag] right back in dat same place. [I need not say, except to the dirty-minded, that informant when demonstrating was holding an imaginary dishrag in one hand and using it on his other hand.] (After you do that, you take the dishrag and bring it back to the house where you stole it?) Jes' where yo' pick it up at, take it an' put it right back in dat same place. Ah've did dat.
(That will bring back the fellow's courage.)
Entry 4261
If yo've got a husban' an' he's capable of leavin' home an' stayin' away, yo' wash yore jah [jar] an' yo' let 'im use it. An' den yo' take dat urine an' yo' po' it in de [glass] jah. Put about three teaspoon of sugah in dere, an' three pieces of spice, an' yo' write his name nine times an' jes' fold it up an' put it in dere. Yo' don't do anythin' but write an' put it in dere, an' den yo' shut dat jah up tight, airtight, an' it's no good until dat papah has turned tuh powdah. Dat urine will natch'ly [naturally] powdah dat papah. It'll jes' look lak white lime in de bottom of dat urine. An' den if yore husban' is away, yo' can shake dat urine an' put it undah yore bed on de side yo' layin' on, an' lay on it, an EVAH TIME YO' SHAKE IT HE'S SUPPOSED TUH TURN OVAH. If yo' SHAKE IT DE THIRD TIME HE CAN'T SLEEP, HE'LL GET UP AN' COME HOME EVAHWHERE HE IS.
Entry 4721
If yuh kin git holt of 'is photograph or anythin', yuh kin git 'im back ag'in.
(Do you know just how they do that?)
Well, yuh git holt a piece of 'is clothin'. Now, if it's a woman dat wants 'im back ag'in, yuh git aholt of a piece of 'is clothes an' yuh dress it in cologne. Yuh take it an' fold it de way [direction] he is. If he is east, no'th, west, or south, yuh take dat piece of clothin', a small piece of it, an' fold it [demonstrates] an' make yore wishes.
(Fold it toward you.)
Towards yuh evah time. Points it de way he is an' fold it back evah time. An' yuh git yuh a couple of needles an' pin it each way, bottom an' top, an yuh split dat needle. Lets 'er wear one in 'er right shoe here, an' give her de othah one an' let 'er hold it in 'er han'. An' she kin walk - an' let 'er go straight tuh runnin' watah an' drop it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind - she has tuh do dis on de grown [growing] of de moon an' ketch de wind blowin' towards de way she wants 'im tuh come. If she is in New York, ketch de wind blowin' disaway.
(Blowing south?)
Dat's right. Drop dis ovahbo'd an' walk backwards from it about nine steps, turn tuh left an' go on. Make her wishes an' he'll come right - in nine days he'll be dere.
(I didn't quite understand you about putting these needles?)
Yuh see, if yuh fold de clothes, prob'ly fold it dis way. Well aftah yuh git a little pad of it made, git yuh a needle on each side of it. Git chew a pair of keen - anythin' dat's sharp an' split dem needles in two.
(Oh, I see! You cut the whole package in half.)
De needles den will be on each side of it.
(Two halves of the needles will be in each side of the package.)
An' have dem needles so dey won't injure her foot an' let 'er wear it right in 'er shoe. Fasten it in dere in a way dat it won't slide backwards an' for- wards. Take dis half an' fold it in yore han' an' when it gits warm, when yuh go tuh de watah wit it - an' throw it ovahbo'd. Ketch de wind blowin' from de Way dat yuh want 'im tuh come home.
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 5133
De shoes, if yuh wan' tuh. yuh kin take 'em an' bury de shoes. But if she wan's yuh tuh come back, see she take 'em an' bury 'em at de front of de house comin' in, wit de toes comin' in. See. Den she let dose stay dere nine days. (Then what do you do?) Den aftah de shoes are dere nine days, she'll wrote a lettah. Den when he comes back yuh git dis heah [here] - write it [the name] nine times. An' git chew nine bran'-new needles an' pin it in dere. Stick 'em - see, yuh pin 'em like dis heah [demonstrates]. Yuh put 'em where he comes in. Put it [needle] undah dere, right ovah it [weaving the needles] in an' out [of paper with name]. An' he'll continue goin' [in] an' out. An' wit dose shoes buried, he comin' back.
Entry 5242
Yo' could take dat inside sole jes' lak ah have in mine heah, dat got de sweat on it, chew know. An' yo' take dat outa anybody's [shoe] who yo' want. Listen good. An' put some sul- phur in it, black peppah an' salt. (Sulphur, black pepper and salt.) Uh-hmm. Den yo' take it an' burn it. In three days times.if yo' want dem back dere, dey'll come back tuh yo' an love yo' bettah dan evah.
(What would you do with those ashes, anything?)
No, jes' let it go yo' know, aftah yo' put dat sulphur an' black peppah in dere, an' salt.
Entry 5492
Well yo' see yo' kin take his track an' pick it up in de hollow part of 'is feet, jes' lak he make it, an' put it in a li'le ole tobacco sack. Den yo' git some gun- powdah an' also some red peppah [in the sack] an' throw it in a runnin' stream of watah, an' say, "Go, an' don't nevah return any mo'." An' dey say in nine days time he'll be missin' out de town.
(You put this other stuff in the sack with the track?)
Yes sir, mix it all tuhgethah.
Entry 5602
Aftah he goin' outa de do', ah heahed [heard] chew could take his track comin' tuh yo'. An' if he'd walk out de do', tuh take yo' a penny an' drop it in de middle of 'is track. An' jis' as much dirt as would covah dat penny, tuh pick it up. An' regardless tuh where dey'd go, dey'd be uneasy until dey got back tuh yo'. (That is, as he left the door - his feet are going away from the door, you Would put this penny in his track. Either track?) Yes sir.
(And take some of this dirt. That is to bring him back?)
Yes sir.
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 5699
Dey take a person dat's goin' from yo'. Dey make a new paddle out of a shingle or a bo'd of any kind; jis' so dat chew make a paddle out of it - lak a spoon-lak, yo' know. Yo' carry it in yore pocket three days, knowin where dat party's track is, an' yo' ketch de sand out of de hollah of dere foot, SCoOP IT OVAH YO' LEF' SHOULDAH [see later]. Yo' pray dis prayah, it's de same thing, says, In de Name of God, return. An' go on. Throw de paddle ovah dere an' dey'll come back. [The preceding Words SCOOP IT OVAH YO' LEF' SHOULDAH mean that you kneel down behind the departing tracks, push the paddle forward under one of the tracks, say, "In the Name of God, return, '' and carefully lift the paddle, throw the dirt back over your left shoulder - that is, towards your home.]
Entry 5732
Yo' kin take dat foot track, if she's if's [if it's] a woman an' yo' in love wit 'er an' she's tryin' tuh 'bandon [abandon] 'erself from yo', yo' git 'er foot track as same she's goin'. Firs' place, yo' saw 'er foot track where she's comin' tuh yore resident [resi- dencel. Yo' take dat foot track an' yo' scoop it up dis way, from de heel goin' tuhward de toe, yo' see, in de sand. Yo'll put dat in a bottle an' yo'll let dat bottle - yo'll take some of yore chamber lye an' puts [it in] de bottle wit dat sand. An' yo' let dat sand stay dere nine days. An' de tenth day yo' take a nail, one dese heah No.6 nails, a pusson [person] might Say, or a No.8 nail. Yo'll drive [that] in de no'th side of a sweet gum tree, Jo'see, an' yo'll strike dat nail evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's. De tenth avnin' yo'll drive it plumb up, see. Now, dat's a woman dat chew in love wit an' she's tryin' tuh 'bandon 'erself from yo'. When yo' drive it up de tenth mormin', drive dat nail up, it ain't gwine be den ovah two-three days 'fo' [be- fore] she'll come back. Don't care where she at. See, she'll come back tuh yo'. Dat's yore love yo' see.
(What do you do with that bottle all this time?)
Yo' got dat bottle jis' anywheres roun' de house. Yo' keep dat bottle. Yo' got it in a preserved place yo' see.
Entry 7169
A woman kin have her husban' an' jis' go - it's lak he's workin' at night, an' he be here sleepin' an' she may wanta go off, yo' see, wit some other man or somepin othah. An' she - aftah he goes tuh sleep, she wan's tuh keep 'im asleep. She kin take a plate an' a knife an' fork, an' put it undah de head of dat bed right dere. De knife an' fork cross- ed in de plate undah de head of de bed. She kin put a candle undah de foot of dat bed an' light it, an' take her shimmy or 'er petticoat or somepin lak dat, an' hang it right up ovah 'is face - say prob'ly eight or ten inches from 'is face. An' he'll be sleepin' right dere when she come back home an' wake him up. He won' even wake up while she's gone. She be gone all day an' he'll sleep all day.
(She puts the candle on the foot of the bed?)
Yes, sir, puts de candle right on de foot. Yes, sir, he'll sleep.
(A candle of any particular color or just any kind of candle?)
Oh, jis' git dese big white - two for a nickel candles. [This was back in 1937 during the Great Depression!] Go dere an' buy a candle.
(All right, I see.)
See, she's going tuh make it back dere befo' dat candle goes out.
(I see.)
NOW, DIS IS BY EXPERIENCE. I SAW MAH BROTHAH'S WIFE DO DIS. See. An' she tol' me, say, "Brothah, he don' wan' me tuh go up tuh 'is mothah, " she say, "an' ah'm goin' an' ah know whut tuh do tuh keep 'im asleep." I SAY, "WELL, DO ANY- THIN' YO' WANTA DO ONLY DON'T KILL 'IM." An' ah sits dere an' looked at 'er do dis an' ah walked out an' set on dose row boats right ovah dere across de river in Bellpoint 'till she come back. An' when she come back, I come on ovah dere an' meet 'er an' went in de house, an' de candle done burned down about dat much [demonstrates]. An' he jis' alayin' dere dead to de world. An' she did all dem thin's.
(What did you say? Bell - where is that?)
Bellpoint. It's a li'le small town jis' across de rivah.
(Over in Louisiana?)
Yes, sir - tothah [the other] end of de bridge.
(I see.)
Entry 7270
If corpse falls the way murderer goes, murderer will come back [from that direction]. [A better statement of belief is given in its margin title.]
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 7408
Jis' lak ef a puson wus tuh kill anothah one an' dey can't nevah ketch 'im. Well, dey go on an' dey gits - dat coffin have tuh be dressed whut dat in- divid'l is in tuh cuz dese othah parties tuh come back. An' tuh dress dat coffin dey'll git some dragon's blood an' whut chew call - well it's a oil whut chew call de come back oil, an' dat dragon's blood an' dat Sang-Sang Powdah. [This is probably the same thing as Sen-Sen or Sen-Sen Powder mentioned elsewhere.l An' take it an' put it in a half a pint-a watah, an' put two tablespoonsful of saltpetah in it, an' shake it up good an' sprinkle dat individ'l good in dat coffin. Sprinkle de corpse real good an' dat individ'l, whosomevah it is. An' in about three day's time dem parties will be back.
Entry 7955
Like if someone stole sompin from yo', why yo' kin go tuh dat fig tree. Yo' have tuh git nails outa a casket an' drive three nails in de fig tree. An' while yo' drivin' 'em in dere, co'se yo' gotta be trimmin' de fig tree limb an' callin' de person's name; see, de one dat done dat. An' in dem nine days dat person who done stole sompin from yo', dey'll done try tuh git it back tuh yo' 'fore den.
Entry 8060
I know what I can do to bring a girl back, if she wants to leave, so long as I got her photograph. I can take her photograph and bring her back. Well, I'd take the photograph, you see, and I'd put it bottom upward, you know, crossways underneath the head of the bed. I can take the photograph and put it under the head of the bed, bottom upwards, and put the head at the west and feet at the east [photo faces east as does a corpse], you see, and put dat dere for nine days. So when dat nine days are up and that starts to rus' [rust], you take that up and put it in your pocket. Wear in your hip pocket and she'll come back. She won't do nuthin till that rus'es, you see. When you put it, it rus'es crossways, you see, on the springs you know. It rus' with the springs. I don't know [how] it come to bring her back, but it will do it jes' as soon as that starts to rus'. And you take that out and put it in your pocket. The actual pitchure itself had to be against the springs, but it have to be a tintype. You see [demonstrates] the face is up this way and you turn it down [face to springs], you see, and let the head be to the west and the feet to the east [normal position for burial of corpse]. That's according to the direction as she went. If she went east, you do that; if she went west, you put the head den [to the east], jis' ever way she went. You put that [on the springs] underneath your pilloW. And WHEN THE NINE DAYS IS UP, THAT THING WILL TURN COMPLETELY AROUND, THAT PICTURE WILL. When the nine days is up and that thing [picture] turns around, she'll come home.
Entry 8094
Dey say dat she could take de photograph an' nail it up, yo' know, in de fo' cornahs of de wall, an' if de man's off an' yo' [or she] want 'im tuh come back, yo' take it an' [demonstrates] put it in dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' dat cornah, an' den call de fo' cornahs of de walls, jis' lak no'th, so'th an' east an' west. [They] say in nine days he'll be back home. (You only do that once though? You put the photograph in one corner and call his name, then you take that off and put it in another corner. Then you take it off and put it in another corner.) An' den call de fo' cornahs, jis' lak dey say de fo' cornahs of de world.
[This expression is from Revelation of St. John the Divine, 7:1.]
(But you only use one photograph, and you call each corner?)
An' den call 'is name. Say in nine days he'll be back home.
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 8199
Well, ah learnt dat chew kin take a person's photo an' if yo' wants to do dem any harm, sech as killin', dat maybe yo' kin take it an' hold it ovah a lookin'-glass twixt - aftah de sun raise one hour, an' take an' carry it back tuh yure mantelpiece an' put it ovah yore mantelpiece. Turn de glass down ovah it. An' dey say in nine mawnin's he'll be a daid person.
(What kind of a glass do you turn over it?)
A lookin'-glass.
Entry 8210
Now if a man's wife leave him, or 'is sweetheart leave him an' he can't git her back, he takes an' he git a piece of papah an' he write her name. Write his name first an' hers second an' he writes each name three times, an' den call 'er by name. An' he goes an' he git 'er photo an' he goes an' git a glass of cleah watah. An' take dat pichure an' turn it head foremos', turn it head down tuhwards dat watah, jis' don' let it tech de watah. An' in three days why she'll be back.
(What do you do with that paper?)
[A rite of diagnosis (see pp.165-217) follows:]
Take dat papah an' yo' drop it in de watah first, an' if she's comin' back, why dat papah will, when yo' drop it in dere, yo' know, it go tuh de bottom when yo' drop it. When - if she comin' back, it'll rise up tuh de top an' it rise up tuh tech dat pichure. In three days den she'll come back.
Entry 8215
Ah heard, quite a while ago now - hit was a lady heah in St. Augustine, Fla., was up heah, but 'uh [her] husban' had quit 'uh. Her an' 'uh husban' ep- arated. Dis was [a] woman [who] was in a li'le busi- ness. Ah don' know whethah it was dry good or grocer- ies. But anyway, huh hus- ban' ruled 'uh outa dis by dis same identical thing ah'm talkin' about now, Witchcraftin'. He ruled 'uh out [of] dis. He went somewhere an' got some kinda stuff an' come back. An' he came back. Well, she didn't have no hopes er [or] nuthin, couldn't have no use tuh do nuthin any place. Well, dey even driven 'uh 'way but she was brought back. Dis woman aftah she came back, she had some money, an' dis man sold out all de goods of dis sto' whut dey had an' taken anothah woman an' lived wit 'uh. Ah had learnt dat he wus in some part a [of] Florida. Anyway, he wus goin' fo' good, goin' tuh sea. But she went an' she had 'im brought back. An' when he wus brought back, he gave huh de money dat he even carried fo' huh. Now, dat wus wit de photograph. Now, yo' take A LOTTA PEOPLE SAY, "AH DON' HAVE MAH PICHURE TAKEN AN' ALL DIS AN' DAT AN' DE OTHAH." NOW, YO' TAKE MAHSELF. HIT'S NUTHIN AH DO'S IN DIS WORL' TUH CUZ DE OFFICAHS AN' DETECTIVES OR ANYTHING LAK DAT TUH BE LOOKIN' FO' ME.
[This is caused by enemies through witcheraftin'.]
Now, ah've been 'rested twice right in dis town heah, one time fo' bein' drunk an' de othah time becuz me an' anothah fellah got intuh a fight. Now, ah has mah pichure, mah pichure's up dere, prob'ly in Atlanta, Ga. BUT NOW AH DON'T GUESS DEY'D DO ANYTHING TO IT AT ALL.
[Informant laughs.]
Well, now yo' kin take a pichure an' cut dis pichure half in two. Let dis li'le book heah now be de pichure. [One of my Nunbers Books I always kept on interviewing table; each informant having a number - see illustration at end of volume 2 of Hoodoo, which shows actual size and contents of one of these books.] Cut dis pichure half in two. See, heah's de pichure right on dere. Dat's de body of dis man's pichure. Cut dis pichure half in two. An' aftah yo' cut dis pichure half in two, git chew a pint flask. Go uptown an' git chew a pack of brand-new needles, a pack of brand-new safety pins, git chew 25 cents bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' aftah yo' cut dis pichure half in two, yo' write his name wit de pins - see, in dis part of de body, wit de pins, see [demonstrates].
(The upper part of the body.)
Dat's right, de uppah part of de body wit de pins, see. Yo' take de pins an' stick 'em dis way, an' dis way, an' one dat way, an' one de othah way, see. Sup- posed tuh be [able] tuh write dat, in de uppah part of dis body. Den yo' take dis part an' turn it haid foremost intuh de body, jis' lak if ah drap [drop] mah haid down lak dat. Yo' take dis part wit de needles an' yo' write wit seven - his name wit de needles in dis part of de pichure. Den instead of turnin' dis pichure down de same as de haid part turnin', turn it up, yo' see [demonstrates].
(Turn the feet up?)
Turn de feet up.
(Lower the head and turn the feet up?)
Dat's right. An' den yo' got de nails in dere. Well, yo' take an' put chew half of dis Hearts Cologne on dere. Yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' git chew some dirt outa de graveyard. Don't mattah if it's from de haid of de grave or from de foot of de grave or from de centah of de grave, but git chew some of de dirt. Puts it in dis bottle, jis' about a tablespoonful, but let it be sifted, not no tracks er nuthin, jis'.de dirt itself. An' yo' bury dis. Now, dese people kin be in Chicago, Illinois. Dey kin be in Paris, France, or England, dey'll be brought back in a length of time aftah dis is nine days old. Den a person kin take dis pichure ag'in an' dey kin run yo' crazy. Dey kin take dis pichure lak dey do wit chure hair, yo' see. Dey drive yore hair intuh a tree wit a peg.
Entry 8392
If yo's went away, take yore pichure an' put it in watah dat chew make yoreself, an' turn dat pichure down when yo' put it in dere. An' dis pichure will come tuh de top, an' whenevah dis pichure come tuh de top, dis person will come home. (You just put this picture in there face down in this chamber lye, and that will bring the person back.)
Entry 8454
Well, dey tell me, if yo' do any hahm [harm] tuh a woman an' she love yuh in any way, she could take yuh pitchure an' turn it down a certain way. Yo'll have tuh come back [to her] or it run yuh mindless until yo' kin git tuh yuh pitchure or have some root doctor git it. An' [she] have it turned down in run- nin' watah. Jis' turn it right - haid upward, an' yuh foots up an' yuh haid down [downstream] on runnin' watah. She place it [tie it] down dere where it cain't git away, yo' know. She goes down dere evah mawnin' an' look an' take it up an' let it go back down. Evah mawnin' fo' about ah think twenty-two mawnin'. Den aftah dat happen, an' if shoo [you] don' come back tuh 'er, yo' jis' go crazy.
Entry 8478
Ah heard dey could take dat chew know. (This photograph.) Take dat an' make a wish three times an' bury it on de face an' de loved one will return. [Waycross, Ga.,
(1126), 1831:8.]
[The second section Of division THE THREE GREAT SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY (the first section PHOTOGRAPH, p.3419f.) contains a goodly' number of rites, considering the fact that hundreds of examples have already been given in the text, and that more will follow this present section. Such imbalance occurs because names normally are merely a part of a larger or more important rite.]
Entry 8489
Yo' kin take fingah- nails from yore fingahs, pick 'em an' yo' put 'em in some graveyard dirt. [Fin- gernails are now forgotten.] Pick undah dis fingahnail, dis fingah heah. (The middle finger on'the left hand, and get some blood you say.) Until it bleeds, an' drop it in dis. Drop nine drops in dis han'ke'ch'ef wit dis graveyard dirt in it. Den yo' take it, lak dis heah, tie it up, an' yo' put it in a bottle airtight an' whoevah it is, her name in it.
(Put the name on a piece of paper.)
Dere yo' are, on a piece of papah. Den when yo' stop dis bottle airtight, an' then in nine [days] evahwhere [anywhere] she are, she'll be 'way [leave] from dere.
(Where do you keep that bottle during the nine days?)
In de nine days, yo' bury it undah de left cornah of yore house. (When you get this graveyard dirt, you put it in a little saucer or something and put the blood in it?) In a little vial.
(In a little bottle.)
An' yo' got drop dis blood - nine drops of blood in it out from undah his fingah.
(The middle finger of the left hand.)
Dat's right. (Do you get this graveyard dirt any special way, or just go out there and pick it up?) Go to de haid of a man's grave - see, an' put it in dis vial.
Entry 8538
Ah say jes' lak if yo' got a loved one an' he's gone away. Yo' know, sometimes people be co'tin' [courting] yo' know each othah, an' dey go off ex- pectin' tuh be right back. An' dey may git a job or sompin, undahstand an' hold dem a little longer den dey wanta. Or some- times dey jes' quit an jes' tell yo' ah'll be back tomorrow an' yo' leave tuh not evah come back no mo'. Well, yo' go to de no'th- west side of yore house an' yo' turn yore face to de direction dat dis person is at. An' yo' place yore hands up ovah yore heart an' yo' call dis person's name three times, In de Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, an' Name.of de Holy Ghost, an' yo' tell 'em tuh come on to yo', Oh, ye loved one. An' in nine days' time dey'll be home, will be back to where yo' want 'em to be. Dey say yo' have to do this three mawnin's in succession at de hour of three a'clock each mawnin'.
(Did you say something before about a cross mark?)
Yes sir, yo' jes' make this cross mark.
(Where?)
At de no'thwest side of de house, an' yo' stand, yo' know, by de mark or - it don' make no diffunce [difference] jes' so long as yo' make it by de house on de no'thwest side an' turn yore face to de direction [person has gone].
(Do you make that cross mark on the house or on the ground?)
Yo' make it on de ground.
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 8583
[Before turning on my recording machine I had evidently asked how a murderer could be brought back to the scent of the crime. Informant, unable to answer my question di- rectly, gave me a new version of the lamp rite, which must have started: There are ways to bring a man back:] but de law don't prefer that kind of way of getting a man. They put out a man-hunt at him. But like if his wife want him back, well all she would have to do is write his name on a black piece of paper, and put it under her lamp and burn that lamp for nine days. And each day that lamp is burning, if she burns that lamp twenty-four hours, when the oil goes out in that lamp, she puts more in it. And inside of nine days time he is going to come creeping around that house where she is, because that lamp and that nine Writings on that paper, that brings him back to her. And then the law gets him, if he has killed somebody. Write his name nine times on a black piece of paper, like yo' take some of those form sheets of paper, yo' know, like de indelican Part of it [carbon paper].
Entry 8591
~ Den if he's in Chicago, Detroit, or any place, sits down an' gits chew a clean sheet of papah, an' write his name nine times on dat piece of papah. An' aftah writin' it nine times, yo' walks tuh de do' an' yo' says de Lord's Prayer nine times. Takes an' lights yore lamp an' put it in dat lamp, an' 'bout one grain of sugah in dere. Yo' know whut ah mean, not a grain but nearly 'bout a half a teaspoonful, into dat lamp wit dat coal oil in it. Light dat lamp an' turn it down real low, an' burn dat fo' nine days, nine days an' nights, an' wherevah he may be, he come dere. He cain't stay away.
Entry 8592
A light, a light - she take this lamp an' she write your [a man's] name nine times, an' she take: de steel dust, dat's to draw; lodestone, dat draws; put it in dis lamp. She takes his name an' she pins it on de wick.
(On the wick of the lamp?)
Yes. After she write his name nine times, she write hers on top of his name. Always she'd be on de top (I see.) Pin that on the wick an' set this light. When she decided to set this light.... [I interrupt.] (She lights the light?) [I want to know, does set mean light the lamp.] She puts that name on there and she puts lodestone and steel dust over it right in the bottom of this light, some sugar. [To set this light means to prepare the lamp.] And she lights this light and whilst lighting it she - she light it and make the Lord's Prayer. An' say, "In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, I want this man back to me, '' an' light it an' leave it light- ed. Don't let it go out an' he'll come back.
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 8611
I wouldn't have to come back over this at all would I? Yo' know, there wouldn't be no hereafter [bad consequences for me] about it would there? (Oh! No! No! You just simply tell me as if you were talk- ing to anybody on the street or to any of your friends.) [This is the latter part of the preliminary. conversation I had with all informants as soon as they entered the interviewing room. These becoming-acquainted conversa- tions Varied in length and substance. UNFORTUNATELY IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME YEARS AGO THAT ANYONE, EVEN MYSELF YEARS LATER, WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THESE PREPARATORY DETAILS. FORTUNATELY, HOWEVER A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MY CONVER- SATIONAL METHODS HAVE BEEN PRESERVED IN THE INTERVIEWS THEMSELVES. Well, ah tell yuh, ah have heard 'em say that they could write his name nine times, de husband's name. De wife could do dis. She could write his name nine times an' then she would write her name nine times across his, so that his name Would be first and be lookin' up towards her. An' put it in de bottom of a lamp, oil-boinin' lamp, an' let this boin an' refill de lamp. Jes' put it in de bottom of a lamp under de wick an' as dat boin - let this boin night an' day, an' finally, they say, yo' know, dat he'll come home.
(Do you put that piece of paper in the lamp in any particular way?)
Yo' jes' drop it - let this writin' be up. De writin' must be up. (Do you put the oil in the lamp before you put the note in or do you put the note in and then put the oil on top of it?) [There is no answer and I did not continue for one that evidently would have been a guess or made no difference.]
Entry 8620
Ef yo' worried about de law comin' round, yo' take yo' some sugah an' some - understan', an' a quart beer bottle an' yo' put one [of the two articles] at de front do' an' one at de back do'. If de law is botherin', take dem names an' Write it [them] on a piece of papah nine times. Take jis' about a bottle of turpentine an' put it [names] in dere an' jis' throw it behin' 'em an' tell 'em don't come back no mo'.
Entry 8657
If he leaves 'er an' go away, an' she find out whar he is. All right, if he write her - all right, she write 'im an' he will write 'er back. Well, she knows his name, he takes an' writes de firs' lettah, capital lettah, an' de others is following. Write her name under it. She takes it to de left, jest like she coming down de steps, corner of her steps, dis way to de left bottom step, she'll bury dat. (The left of the steps coming in?) [No, left side of steps as she comes down.] Comin' in whar he used tuh go. All right, she bury it. She Wrap de papah up an' she turns it on its face thataway, yore [her] name an' 'is name, an' yo' count de days dat he's been gone if yo' kin remember, an' de length of days, if it's a hundred or if it's 150. In 150 more he'll be walkin' right back in dat do' from de time dat he left.
Entry 8689
Now, ah tell yo' 'bout de stockin's. He could take her stockin's - [she could] take his socks an' put 'em undah 'er do'step. Git a beef tongue, yo' understan', an' stick pins in it; but she gotta stick a pin dere every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's till she git nine pins in dere. An' den take a pencil an' a piece of papah an' sign his name all ovah dat beef tongue [see correction later] an' take an' wrap it up an' den put it - jes' bury it in de groun' right at 'er do'. He'll come back.
(She also puts his socks under the door?)
Undah dere.
(Do they point them any particular way or just....?)
Jis' put 'em dere - jes' so he walk ovah dere to go back an' forwards. (Well, now. She doesn't write on that beef tongue, she writes on the paper doesn't she?) She writes on de papah.
(What does she do with the paper then?)
She takes de papah an' den she folds de beef tongue up in de papah. An' den she bury it.
Entry 8697
Well, now, she gits some rough rice - rice dat's nevah, de chaff has nevah been taken off - an' she walk roun' her house at sunrise an' call his name, an' open both do's an' throw. Jes' sprinkle dat rice in de house an' she go on roun' de house. Don' turn back. Come right roun' until she go roun' five or six times. An' throw dat rice in de house an' call his name. Den dat will 'tract [attract] his 'tenshun [attention] wheresomevah he may be. He gits worried den about home, an' he'll come back. [Rice was grown in the lowlands of South Carolina and Georgia for generations. This un- husked rice rite could be an old rite.]
Entry 8708
Yo' have to know their name. Yo' could take their name an' write it on a new shingle an' turn it ovah an' bury it at yore door, an' dey'll come back an' put it dere. (I see, if they stole this article from you.)
Entry 8735
Take a piece of paper an' write their names nine times on dis an' ah have used some of dat Three S Love Powder an' nail it up, in a tree or somepin, yo' know, an' finally he'll come back if de tree doesn't die. Long as it lives they'll [he'll] come back, but if it dies they'll [he'll] never come back. (You write this person's name on this paper, then put this powder on it, and nail it up in a tree? That's all you have to do to make him come back?) Yes.
Entry 8737
Like if anyone yo' love real good an' yo' wan'a bring 'em back to yo', for three times a day when yo' fix [prepare] zhor meal or set de table yo' kin set their plate an' de spoon an' fork [and knife] jes' like yo' set for 'em when they were there. An' call their name three times an' tell 'em to come to their dinnah or somepin or breakfas', whichevah it is, an' in nine mawnin's dey'll be back.
Entry 8745
Jes' go to de sunrise side of a tree an' graze dat side.
(Smooth the side off?)
Yes sir, an' take [these grazings from] dat side of de tree. Now if de person livin' dis direction, an' de sunrise dis, yo' take de sunrise side of dat tree - take dat off, see. Dey call his name. Take a horn, a cow horn, an' scrape a little off it an' put it in dat horn, an' den scrape some offa de sunrise side of dat tree; an' call his name an' every time yo' call it, yo' blow dat horn - about eight times. An' aftah de eight time - de eight times - like yo' blows it easy, an' de ninth, blows it loud as yo' wanta. But turn - if yo on dat side [see later explanation], yo' turn it dis side, if yo' want 'em come ack disaway. Yo' blow it, de dust out dat horn. He'll come home. (You blow that dust toward where he is and then he'll come back. If he's over Chere, you blow it this way to bring him back; if he's over in that direction, you slou the dust in the opposite direction to bring him back.) [A cow-horn expert will be needed to explain what happens here, just how the oov horn is held and handled. It has been 60 years since I saw and tried to blow a cow horn!] Jes' like he ovah dis side, yo' turn yore back an' blow de dust tuhward 'im. (You put htat - some scrapings from the cow horn in the horn and some scrap- igs from the tree into the horn, and blow it ou on the ninth time.) Yo' take de scrapings of de tree - go tuh de sunrise side - an' if he on de lgoin'-down [side] yo' work it from de sun-goin'-down, if he out dat way. See. 血 de way he is yo' gotta blow dat dust ovah heah. (But you must get these scrapings from the sunrise side of the tree, always, matter which direction he is?) Dat's right, take it from de sunrise side of de tree if he's... [I have had cmough and interrupt.] (Suppose he's at the sunrise side, then what side would I take it - now wait inute! Suppose he's on the sunrise side. Now what side of the tree would I te those scrapings from?) At de sunrise side. Take it from dis side, de west side, de sun-goin'-down. (Otherwise, in whatever direction he is - no matter what direction he's in - roa take these scrapings from the opposite side of this tree from where he is. Esean, you don't always take it from the sunrise side?) No sir.
(That's what I wanted to find out.)
It's foah [four] ways to dat, dat he kin go. (And you will take it from the opposite side of the tree from which he is - scrapings?) Yes.
Entry 8746
A person kin take a new tin plate an' write a person's name in it dat's e from aroun' yo'. An' if yo' wanted tuh see 'em an' turn it down in a trunk or keep it some way where nobody Would nevah trouble it, an' dat person'll come. Ah've heard of dat.
Entry 8757
Write chure name in it, in dat tin pan - brand-new tin plate - an whirl [or spin] it tuh yo'. Every mawnin' write chure name - have to write it fo' nine mawnin's - if yo' 'way an' dey wanta see yuh. Yo' take dat brand-new tin pan an' write chure name an' turn [spin] it to yo'.[ Whirl [or spin] it ovah three times to yo', say[ing], "Ah do dis In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, fo' yo' to come an' nevah return [to where you were]." An' ah don't care if yo's in Europe, yo'll come.
Entry 8761
A tin plate. If me an' yo' had done fall out or ah had sompin yo' Want an' yo' nevah could git it from me, ah come tuh yo' an' borrah [borrow] one of yore pans. Take dat pan tuh de house. Ah take it an' nurinate [urinate] in it. Keep it fo' all night wit dat nurinate an' let it set in dere. Ah take it de next mawnin' an' wash it out good an' drop some. Heart Cologne on it an' carry it back tuh yo'.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat's tuh gain de influence of me an' yo' back.
(Bring us back together again? To restore former relations?)
Yes.
Entry 8767
(Yes, what do they do about that?) Ah've heard of dat. De way I undahstood it was dis way. Jes' like if yore name or mine, if ah wanted to see yo' an' yo' were away. Well, ah'd set down an' write yore name nine times three ways, an' fold de papah three ways, an' burn each end fo' three days, an' de ninth day ah'd see yo' - don't care if yo' was in New York. (I see.[ Well, now, here's the sheet of paper. [I demonstrate with my Numbers Book.] And you write the name how many times?) Nine times that way.
(This way?)
The same name, that's right.
(Nine times this way, one right under the other?)
Dat's right, nine times dis way.
(And then nine times this way, right over it?)
Over again.
[Informant demonstrates.]
(You are writing it backwards then nine times?)
Dat's right.
(Then, what do you do? Then what?)
Den write it nine times again, back de same way crosswise. See.
(Back this way again?)
[I demonstrate.]
See, write it dis way [informant demonstrates]. See? Den yo' write it dis way, den yo' bring it back cross dis way.
(I see.)
Den yo' fold in what yo' might call a angle.
(You fold it this way?)
In a angle, sure.
(And then this way?)
Dat's right. An' burn each end. Burn this end today, an' keep it fold, an'...
(You burn each one of those ends off [one] each day.)
Each day fo' three days.
(I see.)
An' de ninth day - inside of de ninth day, yo'll see de one, dat name yo' wrote. (I see. Now, I write it lengthwise of the sheet of paper and then crosswise, and then I bring one corner down to the opposite corner, three ways..) Den fold it.
(Then I fold it three ways: that way, and that way, and another way?)
It [folded paper] have three points. Burn each cornah off.
[I summarize.]
(And this will be shaped like a triangle and have three points, and you burr one point each day for three days, and the ninth day the person will come back, whose name you wrote down?) Which name yo' wrote on dere.
(You only write the name of the person that is absent?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8779
Jis' lak if yer girl is away an' she's in de same town yo're in; but if she's outa de town, why ah don't know way [whether] it'll work or not. But yuh kin jis' take a glass of watah. Yo' puts de glass full of watah, jis' as full as yuh kin tote [carry] it, an' set it undah de baid, middle-way de baid, in de centah of de baid, an' call 'uh [her] name three times; an' in three days dey'll be dey [there].
Entry 8784
Ah heard a lady say once dat chew could git up jis' AT DE TWIL OF DAY an' say yo' could turn round three time an' look east an' west an' if dere's any- body way off, dat cey'll come back. All dat yo' gotta do is call dere name. An' if yo' wanta git up at eight 'clock in de mawnin' an' some of yore folks daid, jis' call 'im an' tell 'im whut time yo' wanta git up an' he'll wake yo' up at dat time. [The preceding phrase at de twil of day is its only occurrence in Hoodoo. Never hav- ing heard this expression before, I can only assume that twil is a clipped or slurred twilight; the complete expression being "at the twilight of day."]
Entry 8790
If somebody writes yo' a lettah an' yo' don't want tuh hear from dem, yo' take bluestone an' cayenne peppah an' seal [reseal] it an' send it back to dem, an' when it's opened dey'll lose dere eyesight. [Fredericksburg, Va., cyl.80.]
Entry 8791
De finger, dat finger right dere [demonstrates], pick it till it bleed. (That middle finger in the left hand.) An' write 'im a lettah. Jes' take a pencil an' daub it in dere an' write 'im a lettah an' he come back home.
(What would she do with that letter after she writes it?)
She don't do anythin', jes' mail it tuh 'im. [For writing with blood, see also Nos.8485-8489, etc.]
Entry 8792
(Suppose you want to bring them back if they are gone?)
Oh, yo' kin do dat.
(How do they do that?)
Well, yo' kin, don't care where dey are, even if dey are dead; yo' see dey [dead], yo' know, dere spirit. Yo' kin take dis way: on yore left hand, tuh yore heart [demonstrates]. (Take the middle finger?) Yes, dat's supposed tuh be yore heart, lead [immediately] tuh yore heart. Well, yo' git a ink pin [pen often called pin and pin called pen] bran'-new ink pin wit a point dat's nevah been used fo' nuthin, writin' pin. Well, yo' take dat pin [pen] an' yo' pierce dat right in until yo' git enough of blood tuh write wit, yo' see. Yo' git a plain piece of papah an' yo' take an' write wit chure blood - write dere name an' yore name an' yo' buries dis papah at midnight wit de writin' down. No mattah where dey'll be dey'll come. Dey'll come. If dey dead, de spirit, yo'll see it.
(You'll see the spirit.)
Entry 8793
Ah heard dat ef yo' write, if yo' stick yore finger an' yo' had a lover dat was goin' away. An' yo' kin stick yore fingah, draw some of yore blood an' write 'is name. Den write chure name undah dat an' put it in anothah papah. Fold it in de shape of a heart an' put it in a lettah an' send it tuh 'im. [If you did this] that he would come home.
(Do you stick any finger?)
Yeah, dis weddin' fingah, weddin' ring fingah [finger next to little finger on left hand], dis here engagement fingah.
Entry 8804
Jes' lak ah'd set down heah an' write a lettah. Well, me an' 'er [livingl togethah. Bell, perhaps ah may not send dis lettah nowhere, yo' see, an' ah'm gone. Ah run away an' leave 'er an' leave dat lettah dere. Well, if she wanted [to] git me back, why she would take dat lettah, yo' see, an' write 'er 'nitial on it; set dom an' burn it up in de fiahplace dere to ashes, an' take one-half of 'em an' at "em in de bottom of 'er shoe an' weah it, an' de othah half of 'em an' put in dat lettah an' send it tuh me. An' when ah git dat ah will come back tuh 'er.
Entry 8809
Den ag'in, ah heard a boy say dat he was goin' wit a girl an' dis girl Wrote 'im a lettah, an' he wasn't on such good terms wit dis girl. An' he took dis lettah an' burned it on de fo' cornahs, an' sent it back tuh 'er tuh let 'er know he didn't want to be bothered. Dat's supposed tuh give her all kinds of bad luck.
Entry 8820
Well, we could take yore han'writin' an' put it ovah a lamp an' git it black wit de lamp an' burn it in sulphah. Put a little lye wit it, yo' undah- stan'. Take it an' burn it at all fo' cornahs. See, yo' take dat salt an' sulphah an' wipe it off aftah yo' put it on papah an burn it at de fo' cornahs an' mail it back tuh yo'. An' dat'll give yore arm a tremble, a tremble all in yore han', an' dere ain't a way in de worl' tuh git ovah it.
Entry 8825
Cut de fo' cornahs of dat lettah, see, an' put it in anothah envelope an' address it back tuh'er. See, send it tuh 'er. (Well, what will that do?) Means dat chew don't want Duthin else tuh do wit 'er no mo'.
Entry 8838
( Git a flyin' squirrel [Glaucomys volans]. Git de heart of a flyin' squirrel, git some Hearts Cologne, an' git some red peppah an' answah dis lettah. [This is my only example of flying squirrel in Hoodoo.] (That is if I would write somebody a letter, you would get all these things?) Yes. (They would then go ahead and answer my letter.) Answer it. Den dey will sprinkle dis ovah dere, put it right ovah de lettah. See, aftah yo' - let dat squirrel heart stay in dere so many days. Stay in dere firs' until it git rot- ten, so dat dey could mix it up an' put it intuh de lettah, jes' lak yo' would make a big spot on de lettah while writin'. Den seal it [letter] an' carry it an' send it back tuh yo'.
(What would happen to me then?)
It would git chure mind, if dey wanted yo'. Why yo' come where dey want yo'. (Come to them. Use the heart of the flying squirrel. What other things did you say they put in there?) Heart Cologne an' red peppah.
(What do you do with that Hearts Cologne and that red pepper?)
Yo' mix it all tuhgethah, yo' see. Yo' know. when it rots an' make a lick- rish [= licorice = liquid] of it. Or eithah grind intuh a powdah an' sprinkle it intuh dere. An' send it tuh yuh. Purtty soon yo' git de lettah an' natchly [naturally] when yo' opens it yo' git de inhale of it. Yo' git uneasy den an' wants tuh go where dey are.
Entry 8845
Yo' kin take nine nails every - [on the] night dat chew write dis let- tah, an' yo' take nine nails an' lay 'em in a glass crossways wit watah [lay them crossways in a glass of water] an' put some dirt [identified later] in de bottom of de glass an' sprinkle a little bit of dirt in de powdahs [identified later] in de envelope, an' dey say dat'll bring 'em back. Bring 'em back an' dey'll stay wit chew long as yo' keep it up.
(What sort of dirt do you use?)
It's graveyard dirt.
(What kind of powders do you use?)
It's some Lucky Heart Powdahs. [Lucky Heart is name of firm selling the powders - see interview AGENT FOR CURIOS (Jacksonville, Fla.) pp.1075-1085, first few paragraphs of text.] (You send the letter after you put these nails in the glass of water. You put this graveyard dirt in the water and this lucky powder. Then put this letter in the water, too?) No, yo' sprinkle some in de lettah, if yo' goin' send it tuh anybody.
(What do you put in the letter, just put dust?)
Yessuh. (If you write a letter to somebody, you put [in it] this graveyard dirt and this lucky powder. What do you do with these nails in the water? What do you do that for?) Dey say de nail keep dere till dey git dere or somepin lak dat, ah hear'd de ole people say.
(You keep these nails in the water.)
Until dey git de lettah, yeah, an' dey'll come. (They'll come back. But all you do is just put the nails in the water, nothing else?) De nail an' dat dirt.
(The dirt and the powder. Then you don't put anything in the letter?)
Yes sir, see yo' puts dat powdah an' a li'le dat dirt, an' call dere name.
(You put some of that dirt and powder into the water and also the letter?)
Yeah, an' call dere name.
Entry 8848
Tuh come back now if he's gone., Now yo' kin take a person, if he's gone away an' yo' want 'im tuh come back, yo' write him a lettah. An' when yo' Write him a lettah yo' git chew some dis heah Solomon King root [see later] an' put it up in some likkah. Listen good. An' aftah yo' put dat up in likkah, an' it be's in dere fo' 'bout a day - about twelve hours yo' might say. Now, aftah yo' writes dis lettah tuh dis person - lak ah'm writin' a lettah tuh yo' - why den yo' takes dat stuff an' dappen [lightly touch several times, not sprinkle - in any case dialect] dat lettah wit it, an' yo' fold dat lettah up an' send it tuh 'em. An' whenevah he reads dat lettah, why 'is mind'll git devoted right back tuh where dat lettah come from. An' it ain't gona be ovah six-seven hours, if he kin git some Way, he gona make haste tuh git dere. Dat'll bring 'im right back. [Solomon King Root is probably KING SOLOMoN ROOT p.597. We also have in Hoodoo the Solomon's-seal, any plant of genus Polygonatun (p.1025, line 8). Somewhere in Hoodoo you will also find two interlaced triangles forming a star with six points, but whether this is called Solomon's Seal I no longer remember.]
Entry 8855
[Yo' do this] wit nine needles. An' if ah'm gone an' yo' wanta heah from me an' yo' wanta break me up from where ah'm at, yo' take nine needles an' yo' take a piece of papah. Yo' evah hear'd of dis parchment papah? (I understand.) All right. Yo' take dat parch- ment papah an' write my name on it. Write Emmaline Williams on it, yo undah- stand, an' stick a needle all.de'long [along] in dere. An' yo' stick one dis way an' one dat way, one upside down an' one straight down.
(One with the head up and one with the head down Alternate them?)
[Often with needles or pins called heads and tails.]
Yes, zigzag. Yo' put dem in a lettah an' say, "Ah wish, ah wish, ah wish, tuh God, if dis lettah reach 'er, an' will tear 'er from wheresomevah she be's." Dat will bring 'em.
(You don't send the letter?)
Yassuh, yo' send it to 'em. Yo' see, yo' don't leave 'em out in public. Yo' take anothah piece of papah an' put ovah dat parchment papah, yo' undahstan'.
Entry 8868
Ah heah tell 'em takin' yore - a lettah dat chew wrote tuh a person - dat chew'd write a lettah tuh me. Ah've heard of 'em takin' dat lettah an' puttin' per- fume on it. Dat's tuh make yo' come tuh me. Yo' take dat lettah an' yo' put perfume on it an' yo' put dat lettah between yore mattress an' yo' sleep on dat lettah each night. Each night befo' goin' tuh. baid why yo' make a wish dat dis person would come, an' yo' continue tuh sleep on dat lettah. An' ah've heard dat by doin' dat an' sprinklin' it wit Hearts Perfume each night, why ah believe in de ninth night, aftah de ninth night, why dat person mo' likely tuh come tuh yo'.
Entry 8911
You go to work and find his track, and make nine wishes and wish for your stolen'things to come back. Then you bury that [foot track] right where he took that from you.and he'll come back to look for more. And he'll stay right there until day lookin' over it all. [The preceding until day is an element taken from hag and witch lore, see pp.135-164, especially Nos.481,530, 542, etc.] Yo' do hyp'otize 'im. An' then yo' say anythin' to 'im, he'll come out; but yo' can go right there an' arrest him without sayin' anythin' to him. Then yo'll find him in dere next morning, when yo' gits up, lookin' over yore stuff. An' dat he's got he'll bring it back. If he's done used it up he'll come to yo', tell yo' he's got it. [Near Suffolk, Nansemond, Co., Va. Doctor Frank Hall (see Intro. P. XXIX, v.1, where Harris is a mistake for Hall), by hand.]
Entry 8916
If a person steal somepin from yo', take sompin good, yo' know, somepin useful to yo', yo' kin take an' write dere name three times. Yo' write In de Name of de Father, Son an' de Holy Ghost three times. Den yo' write dat straight across lak dat three times [demonstrates], an' den yo' turn it an' yo' write it dis way [the same way], an' den yo' take dat an' fold it.
(Do you write the person's name first?)
No, yo' write it In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, three times.
(Then you turn it around and write it crosswise, in the same words?)
De same words, an' yo' writes de person name, too, but yo' write it undah dat, under de Father. See, yo' write it In Name de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' den de nex' line will be de person's name. An' when yo' writin' dis note, yo' makin' yore wishes to yoreself fo' de Lord tuh bring dese people back. An' den yo' write dat ag'in, an' den ag'in de [person's] name, an' [again] de Son an' de Father an' de Holy Ghost, until yo' git three of each. (First one and then the other [the names are on alternate lines]. There must be three of each on this paper. Then you turn your paper sideways and write the same thing down across the other six [lines of] names. Six crossing six?) Sho' [sure]. An' yo' place dis undah yore lamp, one dese li'le small lamps, yo' know. Dey call 'em scent [saint] lamps. Well, yo' take an' set one dem lamps on top of dat an' make yore wishes fo' dis person, an' in three days time whatevah yo' wish fo' comes [true]. [Years ago lamp rites were very common in New Orleans and the areas of its influence. This lamp was a real lamp, sometimes very small, always with a wick in a burner. Sanctuary or shrine or holy lights, giving lights of different colors and using floats were something else. Then, of course, candles surpassed all other forms of magic illumination - see for these candles, Pp.797-862, v.1, and other places; for 34 lamp rites, Nos.8578-8612, Pp.3524-3535, v.4, and other places. During my collecting days in New Orleans, scent or sent could mean saint, and also incense or scent.]
(They will bring back that article they have taken from you?)
Yessuh.
(They call them saint lamps?)
Yessuh.
Entry 8942
No - if yo' know where - if dey went in de front do', yo' jes' cut a piece off dat do' an' yo' take it an' pull off a wheel - jack up de wagon an' yo' stick dat wood in dere [on the axle] an' yo' [restore wheel and] turn it to yo' all de time. Yo' turn dat wheel to yo' an' jes' [say], "Ah demand yo' to return dis stolen goods' or sompin lak dat. Dey'll come tuh yuh, yes sir [and return goods]. But chew cut a piece from de gate or any place which dey'd be in - git chew jes' a small piece - it don't have to be so large an' yo' turn de wheel. Turns it to yuh, if yo' would have dem come to yuh, which dey more den apt.
Entry 9193
Ah know dis much about a nest of hen aigs, dat yo' kin go tuh work an' take a nest of hen aigs. Jes' lak, now, if ah wanted tuh really git chew, make yo' lost yore job, or git chew out wit anyone atall [at all], all de way roun' where yo' won't have any friends. Ah knew dat yo' kin take one of dose eggs outa dat nest, an yo' kin stand off an' yo' kin name 'em. Call dat aig a name. Jes' lak evahwhat are my name [whatever my name is], why den yo' call dat aig dat same name, an' set it back intuh de nest. An' den yo' will notice, see, jes' how many aigs. Well, de really fac' 'bout it, how many aigs yo' upsot wit dat. Yo' may really upsot two or three or fo'. One Way, dey says, crack 'em or break 'em wit dat [named egg]. An' dat will put chew where yo' can't git along wit nobody nowhere. Ah knews dat tuh be de fac'.
Entry 9242
And then you turn around then and want to run him away from her, yo' get a coal-black hen's egg an' yo' write his name on de egg. An' den yo' turn around and get a pinch of dirt out of the hollow of his right-foot track, and write his name on a piece of paper, and put that egg and that dirt in that paper, carry it and throw it in strong running water, all run one way [meaning not a tidal river], an' make yore wishes. An' go back to yore house an' get in yore door an' turn yore face out of the door an' wish 'im from yore house, an' he'll go away. [Out in the county from Suffolk, Nansemond Co., Va., (Doctor Frank Hall, called by my tired mind Frank Harris! in v.l, INTRO., p. XXIX. I hadn't thought of Frank Harris in years! Material from Hall was taken down by hand.]
Entry 9249
Ah hear'd of 'em usin' chicken aig an' makin' men love yo' an' come back home. Yo' take dat chicken aig an' yo' write dis man name fo' times on dat aig, an' yo' bury it in de no'th; jes' lak on de no'th side yo' see of where yo' live at, in yore yard or eithah on de outside of de yard, an' call dis man name. An' he'll come back home. Or call dis lady name an' she'll come back home.
Entry 9305
Yo' take a black hen aig if a person has murdered somebody, take two. Lak if de person wuz murdered, yo' put a aig in each one of dere han's, a black hen aig. An' be shuh [sure] it's a black hen aig, an' put it in each one of dere han's. Git a piece of grass rope. (What's that?) Dese heah ropes whut people ties bundles an' things with. An' yo' git a piece of dat an' yo' make nine knots in it, an' yo' tie it on dere wrist. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury dat person, yo' turn dere face bottom upwards [back of head upwards]. An' de one whosomevah murdered 'em gotta come back where dey did dat murdah. Wit dat black hen aig.
(Do you tie that rope on just one wrist?)
On both of 'em, both wristses, put a aig in each han' an' shut dat han' up. An' when yo' git ready tuh bury 'em, yo' turn dere face down. Yo' see, dey gen'ly [generally] bury people wit dere face up, in place of puttin' de face down tuh de bottom of de coffin.
Entry 9323
Well, yo' write a person's name on dere, write it nine times on de aig - jis' write de name on dere nine times. Ah don't care if he done did or didn't. Write it nine times an' yore name on it, an' dat person - don' care whah he is, if yo' haven't seen 'im in yeahs - he'll come home.
Entry 9461
Dey say if a man is away from yo' an' yo' want him tuh come back, yo' git a new pack of salt dat has nevah been used out of, an' yo' burn it an' call his name, fo' him tuh come. An' jes' nex' yo' leave outa yore house, start where he left an' sprinkle dis salt, an' den turn round an' walk right back in dere, an' call 'is name an' throw some in de fiah. He'll come back ag'inst his mind.
Entry 9608
Yo' kin git 'im back easy. Well, ah tell yo' 'zackly how yo' do dat. Yo'll git chew two pods of red peppah. One pod - yo' take dat peppah [inside] out'a it. One pod yo' put gunpowdah in; de nex' pod yo' put salt [in it]. (How many pods do you use now, two or three?) Yo' use one - two today an' two tuhmahrah. Well, yo' don' have tuh use any mo' of [more than] dat. Well, yo' take hit. Aftah yo' fill it wit de gunpowdah an' de salt, yo' tie it, de end of it. Whatevah she [her] name or whatevah he [his] name, she call he name. Don't use no plain [every-day] lan'wish [use religious language]. Jes' say, "Mah Lord, ah wants mah husban' or mah wife back home." Git right in de front of yore do' an' set fiah tuh it [this package]. Put fiah tuh it. An' den when hit burn - yo' see, dat powdah - say, "Wush" [sound of powder burning]. An' dat salt'll molt [dissolve] away. An' ah'll bet he'll come [back] an' stay. [This was informant's last rite. After she left the interviewing room, I comment to my machine: "End of 1217. This old woman almost ran me crazy." That sort of notation I rarely made. What she had done to disturb me, I no longer remember. Though not one of my better informants, her subject matter was not impossible. For some 0f it see: HOODOO, vol.1: p.24, No.38; p.111, No.375; p.425, No.1160; P.494, No.1565; p.522, No.1715; P.598, No.2049; p.599, No.2059; p.647, No.2297; etc.]
Entry 9718
Take a nail, a ten-penny nail, jes' about de height of dis [demon- strates] an' cut it off. Cut off de top [head] of it an' wrap it [headless nail] aroun' wit a piece of black thread nine times. An' stick in de cornah of 'er house an' call 'er name, an' in nine days she'll return. Regardless tuh where she is, she'll come back. Her min' jes' git worried up an frettin' so she cain't stay [away] an' she have tuh come.
(Cut off the top, the head of that nail?)
Cut it off. [This rite could have been placed under NAME, Pp.3497-3589, v.4.]
Entry 9761
You take nails and drive them in the ceiling of your house and that'll bring your wife back home. On the ceiling of your house, eightpenny nails. (What kind of nails?) Eightpenny nails. (Nine?) Yes, sir, nine nails. Put them there and let them stay nine days. And pull them out after she come back home. But you let them stay and she'll come back to you in nine days.
(Where do you drive those nails?)
Right on the ceiling of your house, all the way around in the ceiling.
Entry 9827
Tuh bring yore sweetheart back, take a han'ke'ch'ef an' write his name in de centah of dat han'ke'ch'ef an' fold it up. An' yo' git chew nine new nee- dles, sewin' needles, yo' undahstan'. An' aftah yo' git dose needles, yo' take dose needles an' yo' stick one in dis way [demonstrates] right intuh dat name, an' yo' stick one dat way, an' one go dis way, one go dat way. But dey all gotta go intuh dat name. (All those points of those needles point into each other.) [The needles are in a rimless circle, points inward.] Yassuh, goes intuh each othah. Ah'll show yo'. Dis is yore name but dey all gotta go intuh dat name. Well, yo' take dat aftah yo' git 'em all in dere an' make yore wish. An' take it an' put it up in de centah of yore baid undah yore mattress. An' den de fo'th day, why he'll surely come back tuh yo'.
Entry 9841
Put nine safety pins - jis' git or'nary safety pins about dat long [demonstrates length]. Ah got some of 'em right heah now [shows some safety pins.] Put nine of 'em in dere. Co'se [of course] ah've not got de nine in dere, but den yo' put nine safety pins. Put three right heah. Pin 'em right 'cross heah straight up an dowa. Dat's three: one - two - three. [I describe demonstration.] (Three on the left side of your breast pocket.) Yeah, three right undah by each pocket. Keep 'em in yore undahshirt. Den dey put three on dis side.
(Over your heart.)
Ovah yore heart. Den yo' put three right in de centah of yore back. "Co'se yo' kin pull yore shirt off an' do dat. Dey says yo' kin have bettah luck. Dat [rite] come from New Orleans. Ah knowed dat tuh be de fact. Dey say yo' will have bettah luck. If yo' are a gamblah, dey says evahthing will come yuh way now an' den. Dose evil's got on yo', yo' kin git dat off an' keep agoin'. [A little later, after changing the cylinder, I decided to return to the pre- ceding rite.] (Just to be sure what you just told me about those safety pins. Will you explain that again, now?) Well, yo' put three of 'em heah.
(Three safety pins in your left side, one right under the other.)
Yeah, fastened. Well yo' go back heah an' yo' put three mo'.
(On your right hand side.)
Yes sir. An' den yo' - yo' can't git 'em dere but chew pull off yore shirt, an' yo' know de centah of yo' back. Yo' put three right up an' down dere [in the back of your shirt] an' weah 'em in dere all de time. When yo' have de shirt washed, take 'em out an' put 'em back in de shirt yo' put on.
(Where did you say that came from?)
Dat come from New Orleans.
Entry 9905
Tell yo' about frogs. Take a frog an' put 'im in a snuffbox an' punch holes in it, an' ca' it down tuh de fo'ks of de road. An' at de twil of day go back fo' nine mawnin's, an' de las' mawnin' he'll be et up by de antses. An' take him den an' take de bone outa his haid, an' keep it in yuh pockit. An' if yo' wan' someone tuh do whut chew ast 'im [ask him] take an' put dat somewheah neah dem, an' dey'll do anything yo' as'cum [ask them].
(When do you take that frog down there to the road?)
At de 'twill of day - yes sir, jis' befo' daylight. (The twill of day, that means just before daylight.) [This last remark of mine is merely an editorial comment for the future. I may have another example of twil but I am not sure. Does it mean at the twilight of day? Somewhere in HOODOO I think we have the expression first Light. Does the latter equal dawn?]
Entry 10157
You take the photograph and you take a new glass of water [new glass fllled with water] and a new saucer, white saucer, and you take the photograph yoa turn it upside down on top of [against] the glass of water. You take a F] red candle and you light it and write [on new paper] his name nine times demeath and write yours nine times on top, and you burn that [candle] three das a day. (What'll that do?) That is to bring him back, bring him to you. (Now I place the glass of water and this photograph I turn it upside down?) You hand [lean] it up with the feet up [head down] and the glass of water in the center of the photograph [photo centered against glass] and the name underneath it and the candle right in front of it. The name is under the glass. You write the name nine times on a piece of parchment paper, and nine times write yours on top. See, you always got yours on top and you got him underneath you. And put the paper under the saucer, and the water in the glass, and the picture upside down. And you burn that candle three times a day - a red candle. You burn it at six in the morn- ing, at twelve o'clock [noon], six in the evening; only three times a day.
Entry 10158
(You can wet it either with drink [alcoholic] or with perfume.)
Perfume.
(I see, all right.)
They have this oil they call gerangement [geranium] oil. You use that to make him stay at home.
(How do you use it now?)
Now you have to take this and write his name on a plain white piece of paper - just let it be a plain white piece of paper - with about a tablespoonful of sugar, and now, you take his name and you write it nine times, and yours nine times, but always on the top - always on the top of his'n, and you get a white clean sau- cer - but let it be a white saucer, and you put - you make a hole in a piece of pasteboard top, just a round [hole] that the candle can hold in it because it liable to fall. Then you take that sugar and you put that name and cover that name with the sugar. Then you put that gerangement oil on top of it - it's very expensive. You put that gerangement - it smells wonderful. You buy nine wax candles - that pure white candle - and you uses that. Then you take that white candle in them nine days and you use it. Now in the ninth day, if you don't see the changement in the ninth day, you burns this whole thing out and it makes a blaze. But it always - put it in a pan that it won't set nothing afire. That's in the ninth day. Now, in the ninth day, it'll make the difference in the ninth day - guarantee you. Don't care if you in New York or wheresomever you [are], you going to come back here. That thing will make you come back. It smells wonderful but it make you come back. Now, in that ninth day - don't cease to worry you - you kin tell when somepin [is] on the way because you feel all frightened and all worried and scarey, but that someone is on the way coming. And then, in the future, when you hear somebody knocking to your door and calling you quick, to see whsomever it is that's coming - cause I have did it. And dere's a man - it was in Kentucky - and I have did it. And I was so scared that I didn't know what was the matter. I hadn't seen him atall and was waiting for him for money and couldn't get nuthin. And when that man come, the woman come acrost and say, "Julia, there's somebody, quick, wanta see yuh." And all that evenin' I was ironin'. I just wasn't able to do anything because I knew dere somepin wrong, and when I made it to the door, dere was the man. I was so glad and happy to see him that I didn't know what to do. Well, when he came, he says, "Well, you lookin' all right." I says, "Yes, I'm lookin' fine." I says, "Well, how are you?" He says, "All right." He says, "Well, ah think ah come back to stay." Ah says, "Yeah, well, that's wonderful." I had a roomin' house and I was going with him then. He said, "All right." I says, "Well, how did you enjoy your trip?" He says, "Fine." When that man left and went on [left me again], I repeated it over again. It's expensive. They gives you that much [demonstrates] for a dime.
(This oil. Well, now, this oil, it's oil of geranium is it?)
Gerangement oil. (Gerangement oil. You mean it's the same name as that flower that grows in pots, that has red flowers on it and pink flowers. The same name as that?) It's a gerangement, yes. It makes a little red flowers and things, certainly does.
(All right.)
Entry 10162
Take his photograph and turn it up bottom [upside down] to the [look- ing] glass and burn the candles, nine of them; claim if you's in Europe that would bring you back. (How would you do that?) With a candle. Put your name on it nine times - put mine on top and write yours up to mine. And turn you [in photograph] up, bottomside up [upside down] to the looking glass. And burn the candle for nine days. That'll bring you back.
(I see.)
Entry 10207
Tuh make 'em [thief or casual borrower] bring it back, dat's a easy mrtah tuh be come, [that] is tuh git a blue candle, yassuh, an' write dat indi- vid'al name on dat blue candle. An' write dem a note concernin' whut dey taken Sr yuh. An' take some dragon blood, an' sprinkle dat note good wit dragon's blood, an' put de note down. An' put chew a piece of John de Conkah - sprinkle some John de Conkah powdahs [from hoodoo drugstore] on dis note wit dat dragon blood. An' light dat candle. An' light it but don' light it in de mawnin' - jes' burn it at night. See, burn it evah night six 'clock an' let it burn till ten minutes aftah six. An' whatsomevah ah've from yuh ah'll bring it back tuh yuh in less time den seven days.
(Where do you put this note and this candle?)
Put it jes' anywhere in a saucah or in a bowl, somepin othah, but chew kin put it anywheah roun' in de house, up undah de dressah or behin' de bed, jes' any- wheah jes' since it's burnin'. (I mean what do you do with this note. Do you wrap this note around the can- dle?) No suh, yuh spread de note down in yuh saucah or yore bowl whatsomevah yuh burnin' de candle in. Spread it down jes' lak it's - it has tuh be a small piece, yuh know, somepin lak dat [demonstrates size] wit dat name wrote on it. An' sprinkle it good wit dat dragon blood, an' den sprinkle it good wit dat John de Conkah powdah - wit de name wrote on it. An' de name is wrote on de candle an' jes' put it down dere, an' jes' tell me [the thief] say, "Now, ah mean fo' yuh tuh bring so-an'-so back tuh me an' ah don't mean maybe.' An' jes' cuss me an' say, "Ah mean fo' yuh tuh brint it tuh me, an' ah don't mean maybe. Hurry up an' bring it." An' light de candle an' jes' be talkin' tuh me while yo' lightin' de candle. (You put that candle on top of the note?) [This is not a leading question, informant having already said yuh spread de note down in yuh saucah.] Jes' set de candle right on top de note. An' as dat candle burn, well dat rouse up mah [thief's] mind about what ah done done, an' in less time den seven days ah be done brought whatsomevah ah stole back tuh yuh.
Entry 10260
Yo' get chureself nine matches.
(Nine ordinary matches?)
Nine ordinary matches and burn each one, an' cross yo'self down dere with dose matches an' read de Ten Commandments. An' every morning you do that for nine mornings, an' the ninth morning, why, you find it different; your nature's come back. "Cause ah've been done that way once an' ah knows. (Just to be sure I understand. Here are the nine matches. I light each one and let it burn [so that each match will become a pencil or mark- erl. Now do I take each match and just make a cross on myself?) Make a cross on it [penis]. (Cross it nine times [all together] with each one of these burnt matches and leave a black mark on it?) That's right, make a black [cross] mark on it. [Somewhere else I may have discussed the match - especially one with a red head - as a phallic symbol. One match is used each day and one cross only is made - 9 matches and 9 crosses.]
Entry 10628
Any time root [roots for special times]. Then ah makes a powder tuh sprinkle yore house wit, it call a holy powder... [Informant starts off at a rapid pace and up in the air.] (Now wait a minute! Now, I'm getting my wife back. Now, I put that right underneath, right under the bed?) Yes sir.
(Then what happens.)
Put Eve-and-Adan root undah yore bed, yuh understand, and make a wish - make yore sign [first] - then make a wish tuh the Lord. Make a wish fo' what yore heart desires, you understand, after you carried it [and put it under the bed] and in thirty days she'll be back there. Don't ca' where she gone. An' if she's sued yo' or lawsued choo fo' alimony, then she'll take it out [call off the suit].
(What was that other root?)
Queen Elizabeth. [Informant continues with rites under Queen Elizabeth root and shame brier.] [Mobile, Ala., (655?0, 857:1.]
Entry 10645
An' den yo' kin take dem big red antses bed an' run a person crazy. Yo' kin go dere in de day when sun rising, jest like yo' go dere fo' 'em tuh come back, only yo' call his name in a different way - calling 'im in de name of[some- body] in de Bible.
(Who?)
Silas[?]. Yo' kin use dat name.
(That will run them crazy?)
Dat will run 'em crazy [to come home].
Entry 10665
Git chew a apple, one dese big delicious apple. Hull it out. Aftah hullin' dis apple out, git some oil of clover, oil of verbena, Florida watah [trade name], puttin' it down on dat dere apple wit some honey an' his name on de parchment papah, an' put dat in a flower pot - one dose flover pot whut chew see on de po'ch. An' plantin' de flower in dat, an' set- tin' de flower in dat apple, an' as hit grows, yo'll [husband or man] fin'lly come back home.
Entry 10693
And what will she have to do [to bring the man back?]. All right. She'll have to get her some benzoin. Benedict. You know, they call that ben- zoin; some persons call it benedict. See? It's a little weed. It grows some- thing like cor you understand. Call it benedict. [Here I turn off machine un- til informant says something about the French, which starts machine again.] (The French all it what?) Benzoin. (You mean the French [speak- ing people] here in New Or- leans call it benzoin?) But it's benedict. [For the identity of this plant, see my comment at end of rite.l You take that benedict and popcorn - see, this small popcorn - and grind that up fine, fine, and make a powder out of it. You understand. And she make a powder out of that. Take and put it in her mattress, right where he going to sleep; where he have been sleeping at [before he left]. You understand what I mean. And just leaves it there, you see. And get her a dog, any kind of dog, see. And let him [dog] lay on that. Tie him on there if he won't stay there. Tie him on there nine days and he [man] will come back again.
(Well, what has that dog got to do with it?)
That dog puts a heat to it somehow or other. I don't know, that what they [person who sold this substance to him] told me. The dog puts a heat to it, you understand.
(And what happens to it then, when it's heated?)
When it's heated, it foams, see. It makes a foam, swell. See, that bed is there and that corm, whatsomever, it swells up.
(And what will it do if it swells?)
After it swells, he [man] coming back there. Oh yeah, he coming. He going to leave this other woman. That breaks them up. [Informant says: They call that benzoin; some person call it benedict...a lit- tle weed. It grows something like corn [[surely maize = Zea Mays]]. Benedict must be a popular or a trade name. Benzoin means one of two things: (l) It is or was a balsamic resin from Styrax benzoin and other species of Styrax in Jaca, Sumatra, Siam, etc. It is used as a stimulant; incense, perfume, etc. (2) Ben- zoin is also the name of a small genus of aromatic shrubs of the laurel family [lmracese] having two North American species with popular names: (a) spicebush or spicewood and (b) benjamin bush. Informant's benzoin or benedict was probably anything his hoodoo drug store or mail-order house sold him.]
Entry 10765
Yo' git chew a piece of bluestone an' brimstone an' pound 'em up to- gether, an' take notice when dey [unwanted persons] come, git to 'em. Take yo' a pencil or a stick about de size of dat [pencil] an' stick it down in de ground all across dat [foot tracks] - cross [make cross on foot tracks with stick]. Git chew a little piece of pap- er, a little bit of trash, anything, an' lay it right on dem tracks [foot tracks made by visitor]. An' go on 'bout chure business. Dey can't send him [rentman], bill collector, police- man] back dere. (If they could get a hold of him they couldn't send him back to that house? Keep him away?) Yes.
Entry 10814
Well, now yo' take de broom - jes' lak ah cope to yore house an' yo' don't want me dere no mo'. Well, if yo' don't sweep out, yo' take dat broom an' nail it up ovah de corner [side] of de do' dis way [demonstrates] when yo' come in.
(Lay it to the right of the door when [where] you come in?)
Yeah, nail it up; see, caught it up lak dat [demonstrates]. (You nail it against the wall with the brush part up, to keep then from coing back there again.)
Entry 10824
If someone in yore house an' yo' wants 'em tuh leave or eithah stay, yo' lay dat broom down in de flo' an' let dem walk ovah dat broom an' if yo' want 'em tuh leave, yo' take it tuh de no'th side of yore room an' set it up wit de sweepin' part down, an' dey'll jis' leave all de way round. Dey won't come round dere any mo'. An' jis' lak if yo' want 'em tuh stay, well, yo' know, tuh come roun' yo' very often, yo' Set it up wit de sweepin' part up, an' dey'll often come tuh look aroun', yo' o, at chure house; come an' see yo' [if] anything dey kin do fo' yo', dey'll do dat.
(This is on the north side of the house?)
Yeah, it must be on de no'th side of de house.
Entry 10832
And then you take a card, playing cards, you see; you know, like you [picture of man: jack or king].
(Playing cards?)
Yes. Well, you take him out and you'll turn him up behind your bed, you understand.
(Behind your bed, yes.)
Behind de head of your bed on de same side that you [man] sleeps. Now, this is a woman fer a man, and then on de other side, he kin do de woman de same way, you see [he uses female card]. And you'll put it there and then you'll take a broom what you have never swept with. I mean a new broom. You git nine straws out of that. And then you'll talk to him every morning. Everything you eat, you feed him and says good things about him. Don't say anything harsh. And he'll be compelled to come home to you.
(What card do you take out of that deck?)
Take de card that run for you.
(Oh, you have to run the cards?)
Yeah, now like you might run a spade. You might run a diamond. You might run a heart. You might run in a jack and you might run in a king, you see.
(I see.)
Well, you take de card that run for you.
(And you put that up behind your bed - upside down, you say?)
Oh, no! Don't turn dat upside down. You nail it behind your bed. Like I lays on de right side of de bed, well, you nail it on de right side of de bed.
(Behind the bed?)
Yeah, behind de bed, out of search from everyone. No one knows it but you. You do that to yourself. No one sees it.
(Is the face against the bed or the face out?)
The face is out. No, the face is out. The back of de card is against de bed. And you feed that with everything that you eat. Even now, like you would get water - just like you was really feeding him sure enuff. And you talks sweet things - like you 'pologizing, you know.
(I see, to this card?)
Yeah, to that card, for ninr mornings and he will be forced to come back. As to the woman [if a man is working this rite] she'll be forced to come back.
Entry 10892
Well, the first thing that happened, this girl, other girl, was going with the woman's husband; and she [other girl] wanted the woman's husband for herself, and the woman wanted the husband at home. And she [other girl] told me that she was going to make them [husband and wife] get along bad. So she put some dog hair and some cat hair dat - you know, caught 'em fighting and cut the hair out of the dog and the cat, and put this hair together and put it in there, in his coat lining. And she say, whenever he go home that would cause he and his wife to get along bad, and they'd set up argue, fuss all the dune. Quite natural nobody wants to stay with anybody like that. After which, ohen they separated - the man and wife - den she wanted him back.
(The wife wanted him back?)
The wife wanted him back. And to get him back, she decided to get to him and soft talk, you know, love and talk to get him back home to have intercourse with hin, and then she was going to take part of his and keep it at home. She say she tie it in a rag and put a silver dime in the corner of the rag, and she stick it under her bed mattress, and that would make him to come back to where be left froa.
(Well, then, did he come back?)
Yes, he came back.
(Oh, he came back all right.)
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 10947
[She can] go to the root doctor and he'll give her a piece of the root from a cedar tree. An' she take that root an' bury it under her doorstep an' let it stay there fer three days. An' she take it up an' burn it an', if he left her, he'll come back home. [The root doctor does not tell her the name of the root or how he has dressed it.]
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 11036
Ah've heard dey take feathers - take an' cut de feathers an' burn 'em an' throw de ashes out. Jes' lak yo'd be worriet wit somebody dat chew didn't want around, yo' takes de feathers an' burn 'em an' throws 'em [out] an' den when- evah yo' throw de feathers out, dey tell me dat throws out chure friendship. Jes' lak if dey love tuh come tuh see yo', an' yo' didn't want 'em dere or somepin lak dat. Dat breaks up friend- ship between yo' an' dis person.
Entry 11069
[If she] wants to get him back, if she got any of his ondenonents or anything, she kin take them an' wear 'em around her waist. And she ku cake sugar and wear it under her arms, [then] cook a cake with it and get some of her friends to send it to him. And he gets that, he'll come back.
Entry 11111
But they's got to have more to go with that skin to do you harm, besides just the skin off you feet. They can take the skin off the bottom of your feet and if they can get some of your hair, take that skin and some of your hair, and take a coconut, or either a bottle, and fill it up with vinegar, and throw it in the water where it will run and you start going and you'll never go back home again. In a bot- tle or coconut, but you gotta stop it up so it don't come out.
Entry 11148
Go out to de crossroads an' cross it nine times backwards an' far- wards an' make a vish in [facing] de east, an' [say]: Our Father, please move mah enemies away, an' bring mah fren's near tuh me an' close by me, an' make peace. (How do you cross that crossroads?) Heah are de crossroads [dem- onstrates], dere's de cross [the central square created by the 4 roads]. Yo' run across lak dat, when yo' git middleways of dis cross, den yo' go to dat end of a cross an' yo' come back across this Way, back dere, an' make yore wish in [facing] de east. [This rite concerns a square, its 4 corners and center; 5 terminal points, the reason why in HOODOO I call these five-point rites, quincunx rites = cross- roads and centers of house, room, bed, etc. Here our two roads crossing each other form a square informant calls cross instead of crossing. We should also remember, despite this rite having been collected in Memphis, our original crossroad was one wagon road crossing another. Now to act out our present rite. If we are walking east, let us stop at the center of the west side of the cross- ing. We now run across the crossing through its center to the center of the east side; turn round and retrace our steps to the west side. After making this roundtrip 4 times, we have run back and forth across the crossing 8 times. For our ninth crossing we run to the east side once more where we repeat our incan- tation and continue our journey or return home avoiding the crossroad.]
Entry 11190
Ah heard dey go an' git a dirt dauber nest an' some cayenne peppah an' sprinkle it undah de do'step an' turn yore back an' nevah look back, an' nevah look back, an' say "good-by." An' dat'll make 'em move an' dey cain't come back again.
Entry 11222
Yo' kin git dis heah dirt daubah nest an' de lettah whut he wrote chew. Yo' kin fix dat lettah all up an' send it back tuh him. (How do you mean, fix that let- ter all up?) Well, yo' take dis daubah nest an' a little bit, jes' a pinch of dis graveyard [dirt], an' put in dis lettah - not tuh let him see it, jes' dust ovah it - an' send it back tuh him.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will bring his mind back tuh yo'. [There is a collection of these letters in section LETTERS AND HANDWRITING, vol.4, Nos.8789-8881, Pp.3589-3610, some With graveyard dirt.]
Entry 11322
Yo' kin take a knife an' go tuh a forked dogwood tree [a dogwood tree having a small branch with a fork]. Go out in de woods an' cuts yo' off a piece of dogwood, kinda lak a bow an' arrow what chew pulls back [what we used to call a rubber shooter = slingshot]. Yo' take an' puts some lye in dat an' yo' goes - dere two things yo' kin do with dat, too. Dat will bring a person tuh yo'. Yo' kin take an' put some lye right in de fo'k of dat an' put it at de right han' cornah of yore steps, stick it in dere, an' put de dirt ovah it, an' let jes' 'bout dat much of it be stickin' out. Dat is if yo' wanta bring a person back, yo' kin do dat. Now, jes' lak if sompin wuz stole from me. Ah had some money stole from me, an' ah don' know who stole it. Jes' lak if yo' lock up dis place heah an' some- body comes 'long an' steals yore money an' yo' don't know who 'tis. Why, yo' Lin take dat lye in de forked piece of dogwood an' put it at de right-han' cornah step an' covah it up, an' in three day's time dis person is goin' come up. He's not goin' tell yo' he got it, but yo' kin see he did it no quickah yo' look at him - he drop his haid. An' den yo' commence tuh askin' him questions an' he won't deny it.
Entry 11331
Ah said, jes' lak someone is gone an' yo' want 'em back home, why yo kin take a dove - git chew two doves. Kill one de doves an' let de othah one be live. Jes' lak, say fo' in- stance, yo' want Charlie tuh come home. Drop three drops of dat blood outa dat dead dove on de wings of dat live dove - on each wing - an' call Charlie's name wit each drop of blood. An' drop three on de next wing an' call Charlie's name. An' turn de live dove aloose an' let him go wit dose six drops of blood on his wings, yo' see. An' dat will bring de person back home whut chew wanted back.
Entry 11582
Why dey'll jest chip off a piece from de toes or de heels [foot track from informant's preceding rite] dere. An' dere's somepin dat dey has dey put it in [it in, a cloth] and dey sews hit up tight wit a brass pin. An' dat sup- posed - an' dey jest put dat anywheres in de house, or buries it underneath de steps. An' if dere is anybody around dat dey don't keer much about, why yo' won't go back to dat house no more.
Entry 12294
To bring someone to you, prick finger with needle, write his name or initial with the blood on piece of paper, fold to you 3 times longways, turn it and fold it to you 3 times shortways, put in bowl of lamp, burn for 9 days and nights. [Here is one of those interest- ing folding rites so well illustrated in HOODOO: to fold to you or away from you, fold into triangles or squares, etc. [This is my pencil resume of rite, attached here to original MS, before original material lost. Informant "excellent, " I note.]
Entry 12420
If she got any of his clothes, jes' lak if she got any of his under- weah - if she haven't got any of his own clothes dat she kin use, if she kin git in any place where he has slept. See, jes' lak if he has slept in dat bed, she kin cut a piece of dat mattress. Jes' cut a hole in dat mattress, undahstan', an' git a piece of de cotton, or anything dat goes, yo' know, undah where he has slept. Yo' see, his scent is still dere, undahstan'. Put it in de bottle an' git chew some dis heah 'bernekay. It sompin lak de peoples drink, sometimes fo' gittin' drunk off of it. It's a varnekay wafah [wafer], an' yo' puts it heah with this heah cloth, umdahstan' eithah with de cotton, whichevah one yo' use, an' stop it up in dis bottle, an' puts it in de closet dere. An' within nine days, eithah he or she vill return.
Entry 12532
Yo' take a red onion an' if yo' got anyone in yore house, yore hus- ban' or yore wife in dere, an' yo' want 'em tuh go or want tuh git rid of 'em. When dey go out de front do', on dat cross piece dere [saddle?] yo' take dat onion, aftah yo' done rolled it real soft, an' yo' squeeze dat red onion juice on yore steps. Yo' take a red onion in his track goin' out an' squeeze it in his track goin'. An' den, after hit stay dere awhile, why yo' sweep it out. An' he ain't nevah comin' back dere no mo'.
Entry 12584
Jes' lak if yo' wus sellin' likkah or anythin' lak dat an' don't want de law tuh run in on yo'. Whut ah used tuh do. Dey told me tuh take six pen- nies an' go early in de mawnin' jes' at sun- rise tuh de fo'k of a road, bury three [pen- nies] an' say a prayah. Goes on tuh some wicked person, or some needy person, an' give de othah three pennies tuh dat needy person. Goes on back home an' say mah prayers, say, an' dey [police] won't worry yo'.
Entry 12599
Now a fellow told me, said, that if a person, no matter if they a woman or who it was; said, if you get cayenne pepper and some - yes, cayenne pepper, I think it was - and go to de north winder [window] of your house and take it and sling it out and say, "Go, you son-of- a bitch, go." They say she'll go and never will come back, or de person will go and they never will come back.
(You throw it out the window?)
Yes, throw it out de window on de side of house...
[I stopped machine but turn it on for lost words.]
(North side of the house, but you must get red pepper?)
Yes. (I see, if you want to get rid of a woman or get rid of anybody.)
Entry 12613
Whut yo' gotta do tuh keep de law away, yo' gotta use dat sugah an' dat cayenne peppah. Dat sugah an' cayenne peppah will keep 'em away. Jis' throw it at 'em when dey come in [!]. Yo' ain't got nuthin tuh do but yo' got sompin round dis way.
Entry 12706
Then, if any woman that far off, from you, or anything and you wants to see them...
(You say they're far off?)
Yeah - just like - far off - well, they's got a [liquid] which they - we call The Long Long Livest Friend.
(The Long Long Livest Friend.)
Yeah. Well, you go get some of this Long Livest Friend and you take some of this Paris Ennis Oil. It ain't but 25c a bottle.
(Paris what?)
Paris Ennis Oil, and you take it and you put it inside of this bottle with some of this, which we call this here steel dust. You get steel dust and you get some of this here rock salt. And when you put it down, just anything that they ever slept on - any- thing they ever left there - socks, or old shoes, or any bedclothes they laid on, well you just take that and just every morning, you get up, just sprinkle it all over that. Take some of this sugar of lead with this rock salt...
(Sugar of what?)
Sugar of lead - yes, sir, with this rock salt, beat it and put it in the cen- ter of your bed [center of bed = quincunx]. Anywhere, they get at, their mind is rdght back where they come from.
(That's to bring - that's if you want to hear from them or bring them back.)
Yes sir. They coming back, they going to come back in - don't care, inside of chree or five days she'll be back, if there any way for 'em to get there at that time.
Entry 12754
Ah heard dat chew could [take] a raven's aig. Go find his nest an' take de aigs outs his nest an' boil 'em. Say, cook 'em, an' return 'em back to dat nest, an' dat raven would go somevhere an' git a stone, an' bring it back an' jes' put it in dat nest. Den yo' go dere an' git dat stone, an' yo' have all de luck yo' wanta fo' anything. [This egg-substitution rite in various forms is told about different birds in HOODOO.]
Entry 13065
Well, you could get a snail and put some salt on it... (Now, this woman's husband has gone away and she comes to see you, and you are going to tell her how to get this man back. [I have this woman marked down as a woman specialist.] All right.) Get a snail and put some salt on it. Let it - you know, you know, how a snail does when you put salt on him. And put it in a new linen handkerchief - his.
(His - I see.)
Tie it up and put it in de corner - [here is a corner rite] in de south cor- ner of the house and let it stay there for three days, and in three days time he will return.
(I see. That's to get a man back.)
That's to get one back.
Entry 13257
All yo' have tuh do is tuh git chew some sulphur an burn an' all. Yo' ketch his [policeman's] eyes whensomevah he come in an' look after him, an' let him walk across it, see. (This burnt sulpbur?) Yes sir, burnt sulpbur, an' when he come in yo be lookin' after 'in. Try tuh ketch his eyes. An' he nevah come tuh yore house no mo'. Or yo' could jes' take some - if yo' sellin' whiskey, each maslin' befo' yo' open yore do', befo' anyone come in, yo' jes' take jes' a certain aomt of it [whiskey] an' jes' throw it ovah yore do', both doors, as de customers comes in an' out, see. An' then yo' be fixed - de law will nevah bother yo'.
(You mean you throw the salt and sulphur over the door?)
No, yo' kin take some of yore whiskey.
(Oh, the whiskey. That's to keep the law away, too.)
See, when yo' burn dis sulphur, den yo' throw de whiskey ovah de head - yo' know whut ah mean, jes' throw some ovah de head of de do' up there an' dey won't nevah bother yo'.
Entry 13353
Take dere chamber lye an' let it set fo' days an' put it in a brown bottle an' bury it undah de steps, an' den dat'll run 'em away from home. Dat run de man away. (Whose chamber lye do you put in the bottle?) Yores. Mix some of yores and some of deres together - some of de woman's an' some de man's together. An den dat'll drive him 'way from home. It still make him go 'cross watah an nevah come back. [Either informant dropped something out of this rite or the desire of the magician is sufficient. There are other examples of 2 persons buried together, giving victim a sense of security.]
Entry 13364
If dere's a man left a woman an' is gone an' she cain't make him come back, an' she's done ever'thin' she wants tuh do tuh make him come back. She'll have tuh go tuh de man an' git de man tuh come tuh her house, an' aftah he come tuh her house, see, she takes him in dere an' she takes an' has intah- co'sin' wit him. Well, she'll have intahcos' wit dis man an' she'll git some of her urinate, some of her [his] stuff. An' she takes it an' she takes a lil' piece of flour dough, an' she mixes it all up wit it. An' takes it an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' drops it in one of her stockin's. She crush de stockin' all up an' puts it in de cornah behin' de dō', an' den nevah sweeps it out. An' as long as dat stay dere - she let it stay dere fo' 9 days. In dem 9 days time, say he'll come tuh de house. In 9 days time no mattah how fur he is away, if he kin git dere in 9 days he'll be dere in dem nine days.
(This man has to come to her house first?)
Yassuh, [otherwise] some othah - she have tuh git some othah man tuh come tuh her house.
(Some other man would come, so she could get this other man to come back?)
Yassuh, jes' lak ah went off an' left a girl an' den wouldn't come back tuh her, she'll git some othah man tuh come tuh her house tuh be with her so she could git chance tuh git some stuff [semen] from him. She mix it in flour dough, tie it up in a piece of han'ke'ch'ef an' drop it in one her stockin's, tie de stockin' up an' throw it behin' de do', de do' dat he comes in all de time, an' dey say in 9 days time he'll be back.
Entry 13406
All right, fust of all if ah would leave town and dat lady, if she wanted me, well it's quite nachural if ah was round dere, dere was a certain door dat ah would go through. First of all ah would take three splinters from dat and take dose splinters an' place dem in a wagon wheel an' turn it over three times, an' den put de wheel back on de wagon. Well you [I] will re- turn but 'course it wouldn't be in a stated time, but yo' [I] would be back not lak today or tomorrow, you [I] would be back within a week [seven days].
(Which way would she turn that wagon wheel?)
Turn it right. Case yo' don't know whut ah mean, yo' turn it forward.
(Turn it toward me or turn it back toward her?)
Toward her. (That means these splinters she took from the door she puts in the wagor wheel and then she turns it toward her?) Yes.
Entry 13454
An' if yo' wants tuh git rid of him an' don' want him nowhere aroun', go git chew a bottle of wine, black wine, an' git chew a little jar of mustard - git chew half a jar of mustard. Take half a jar of mus- tard into de wine, a quart of wine or half a gallon of wine 'cordin' tuh how yo' wanta use it. Take dat mustard an' beat it into dat wine lak dat, jes' continually beat it, until it all go tuhgether an' yo' cain't see it - de mustard. Take an' sprinkle dat when he leaves outa yore house, if he's stayin' dere yo' know. An' when he leave out, jes' sprinkle dat behin' him an' let him go. He ain't comin' back. He cain't come back. [The wine leads him out, the mustard keeps him away, and informant is marked excellent.]
Entry 2769
Well, sometime ah haven't got bread in mah han's, ah have set a light tuh St. Anthony an' ah pray tuh him an' ah gives him a light. Ah gives him a white light an' ah sets mah light at nine, twelve an' three tuh him. An' ah axe St. Anthony fo' bread an' ah keep prayin' fo' bread an' ah raps, an' he gives me a rap back. An' at de end of nine days mah way would be open. (Now, in this rapping. Do you rap just once each time you set that candle? Or just once during the day? Or just once altogether?) Ah raps when ah set the candle.
(Just once. And he raps just once. When would he answer?)
In de noon of de day. [St. Anthony answered my informant's rap by rapping back; but not all saints answer in the same manner, as we shall now learn.] St. Jude.
(St. Jude. What do they say about him )
Well, he's a good saint. Ah set lights to him. Now ah sets a green or either a yallah light to him, an' ah raps fo' St. Jude an' he would conquer yo' enemies. He would make de way smooth fo' yo' an' in all sickness he heals yo'. Ah set mah light at night or in de day fo' him an' ah raps, but now he sends me a light - lak a star appeahs in mah house. Anybody could see it.
(You say this light appears in the house someplace.)
[Light in many forms is probably considered the greatest manifestation of the spirit - see Spririt Light, p.43f., and for general folklore, FACI,2ed., Pp.761- 768.] Lak if yo' know dere name.
(This person you know has stolen something from you?)
Yeah, an' yo' call dat name, write dat name an' yo' set chew a St. Michael or a St. Peter candle, an' yo' rap, yo' see, an' each time yo' rap, yo' call his [thief's] name, an' he gon'a come. (He's going to come and tell you that he stole this article from you or bring it back?) Or either take de Bible an' put de key in de Bible. Yo' gotta take dat Bible an' dat key an' yo' put it in dere an' yo' say a sincere prayer - Our Father's Prayer, an' yo' take dat key an' yo' turn it all aroun' in dat Bible. An' yo' see yo' call de fellah's name dat took dat, dat key goin' move jes' lak dat. [The key itself will move.] Den it gon'a stop. In nine days dat party will come back. Ah would take me a candle an' light it. Jes' say dat dis wus mah saint, what- evah saint ah'm usin' - say it wus St. Espedee. An' ah calls his [the saint's] name an' ah would rap fo' him [the saint]. An' ah would call his name [husband's name], rap fo' him [husband]. An' den he's comin' home. Ef ah got any of his shoes, ah take an' turn it bottom upwards an' he's comin' home.
(You call your husband's name?)
Yes. [This woman is a professional hoodoo doctor with a little spiritual thrown in. Her husband, Peg-leg, did some work for me on my first trip to New Orleans, but she refused to see me - afraid until my second trip two years later. These four statements about rapping were taken from her long interview broken up years ago. More of her material probably appears in the text.]
Entry 124
A man once told me that a spirit made a remark that he would be home on a certain night. He told his people exactly how he would come. He would appear in a light on the wall. When the hour arrived he really came just as he said. That night he played all around the room just as he already said, then quietly went out and did not return.
Entry 1865
Like if someone leave home an' you want 'em to come back, you take an' sweep dey track right back in de fiahplace an' dey're bound to come back.
Entry 2075
I was lovin' a girl, she didn't seem to care so much about me, and I said, "Well, I'm goin' away." And she says, "Wha' chah gon'a leave for?" I say, "Because you don't care about me." I say, "Because I rather not be around joo." So I goes right on about my business, stayed away from her about five years. I was writin' to her all de same time. And so she fin'lly got to de place dat she didn't have no one to love her, she wrote me. And she went and got whut dey call dis love dust. She put it in de letter and wrote it to me. I read de letter and de more I read it de more I began to think of her. In a few days I pulled up and comes back to her.
Entry 2843
Ef dey gone away - tuh keep 'em home, tuh keep him there if he is a whiskey drinker, take it [candle] an' roll it in whiskey and stick it in - write dere name on de candle and burn it in de same corner where de black ones is and call dere name nine times. He can't leave and he's coming back an' beg yore pardons for what they did.
(Are these black candles?)
Red. [My penciled note, made when I broke up this person's interview reads,"2 red candle in opposite corners of the house - northwest, northeast - see 920:1." For another example, see later margin-title CATER-CORNERED: MAGIC OF THE DIAGONAL.1
Entry 2851
If a person's away from home, you can take that shoe and burn a candle over it nine days. Take that left-foot shoe and burn a candle over it nine days. And if a person's away from home, 'en [then] you bury that shoe under your step where that person has lived, or his step where he or she has lived. But if you want them to come back home, you got to bury the shoe with the heel pointing east and the toe west; and if you want to drive them from home, you can bury it with the heel pointing west and the toes east, and you'll drive them from home. But if you want to bring them back home, you have the power of bringing them back home; you bury it with the heel east and the toes west, and you'll have the power to bring them back home.
(What kind of a candle would you burn on that?)
You take a white candle and [or] a blue candle.
(Either one.)
Either one - a white candle and a blue.
[And is frequently used for or.]
Burn it with their name under it, under the candle.
Entry 2908
(Let me get this straight now.) You wet your fingers with saliva and just pull the flame to you. You don't touch the flame or anything at first, just keep pulling it to you nine times.) That's right. (What did you say about a drinking man?) If he's drinking, put a teaspoonful of whiskey in there. (In the saucer?) Right around that candle whilst its burning. You see, you burn it up in three fifteen minutes. Well, this fifteen minutes you burn it, you see, and tell him what you want him to do and pull that light to you. Blow it out in the next fif- teen minutes when you get ready. You kin wait until the night or tomorrow - just be sure you burn it them three fifteen minutes. But burn it up and when you get that candle burn, that whiskey will be gone. About time it get down to about like that, the whiskey will be gone. And he'll be back in three days - inside of three days he'll be back to you. Ah'm telling you whut ah know.
(But in order to bring him back, you must have that whiskey in that saucer.)
Yes, sir, have that whiskey around that candle.
Entry 3004
Yo' write yore name, de husban's name - yore name at de top an' his underneat' three times, but all straight. Dat's behin' St. Espidee 'cause ah have did it an' bring de man back. But chew use 'cordin' tuh his color, yore light to St. Espidee, an' he will bring dat man back. Jes' git down an' pray tuh him, 'In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Spirit, St. Espidee, bring sich-an'-sich-a-one back," wit his name wrote behin' dat picture dat's tacked up - back of it pasted up dere. An' de man will come. An' keep dat light to him an' he goin' bring him back.
(You put his name behind the picture?)
Behin' dat picture.
Entry 4241
Dey git some red peppah an' some salt an den git some urinate an' put it into a [tin] can an' sprinkle dat fo' foah mawnin's an' den sweep. An' durin' as yuh go out goin' somewhare, dey sprinkle dis behin' yuh ag'in, an' jis' sweep an' yuh won' evah come back. (Well, now this pepper and salt. Do they sprinkle that around or do they mix that with the urine and sprinkle the urine around?) Dey mix it up wit de urine.
Entry 4250
[To] make 'em leave home, scrub yuh flo' evah nine mawnin's wit chamber lye out tuh de steps, see - fo' tuh make 'em leave home, see. Well, evah nine mawnin's yuh'd scrub yuh flo' wit dat chamber lye an' throw it de way he'll go aftah he's gone an' he leaves outa dere. Yes, when yuh don't want 'im tuh come back, po' dat chamber lye de way he go an' scrub yuh flo' wit it.
Entry 4574
Well, womens take dat, some of 'em, an' pin it on dey undahpiece an' wear it.
(What do they do that for?)
Dey say dat will make 'em come back.
(That is that little bow from his hat?)
Yes sir.
Entry 4743
Ah heard tell of dat, too. Well, jis' if yuh kin git any piece of a part dat he wear, lak undahclothes, yuh know, an' yuh cut de piece right out 'is undahweah down nex' tuh 'is privates, or sompin lak dat, an' den yuh take it an bury it undahneat' chure steps, an' he'll have tuh return home.
Entry 4759
She cud [could] take his clothes an' put 'em in - BORE A HOLE IN DE SIDE OF DE HOUSE OR ROOM where she live at an' take his underwear an' put 'em in dat bo' [bore]. Cut de seat out of 'em an' put 'em in dat thing [hole] an' puts some red peppah in dere wit 'em. Kin use it dataway. An' he'd come back. It make it hot fo' him. He'd come back.
(The woman could bring the man back.)
Entry 4886
If yore boy fren' done lef' yuh an' yuh wan' 'im tuh come back - if yore boy fren' or yore girl fren' done lef' yuh an' yuh wan' 'em tuh come back, yuh jis' take eithah one dere socks [or stock- ings] an' lay it up undah de side of de baid where yuh sleep at, see. Dey'll come right on back home tuh yuh. It may be nine or ten days but dey comin' back.
(You lay it on the bed?)
Yeah, on de spring on de side where yuh lay at. Or yuh kin put 'is shirt, eithah one. It doesn't make any diff'rence.
Entry 4900
Ah've heard dat yuh could take dat dirty sock dat he weared an' bury it undah de do'steps an' he'll come back if he's gone.
Entry 4958
Take de sock an' tie de sock in three knots an' bury dat undah de front do'step. Dat bring a man back, or a woman, or even yore chile. Eithah sock.
Entry 4977
If a girl wanted a man tuh love her, want 'im tuh come back if he go away, dey take an' git a pair of 'is socks an' sew 'im up in de bed mattress. An' dat make him love 'em an' come back home tuh 'er. Ah heard ole folk day dat.
Entry 5058
Ah said dat she could take his ole sock dat he's worn, eithah one of 'is ole socks, but de lef'-foot sock would be de bes'. Take dat sock an' po' [pour] some urinate on it fo' nine mawnin's an' he will come back.
Entry 5187
If yuh wan' 'im tuh come back home, if he yore husban', yuh could take a couple of ole shoes. [If you] know he's done lef' some anywheres roun', yuh'll fin' 'em. Git two pair of ole shoes [one pair only, see later] an' yuh take one foot an' yuh turn it - de toe of it dis way, de way dey went yuh know. An' one [same shoe] dataway. An' de nex' one [second shoe], turn it back dis way [to the house]. Well, yuh bringin' 'im back home den, see. An' yuh say, "By de he'p of God yuh went away from home, but by de he'p of God, ah wan' chew tuh come back." (Where do you put those shoes?) Put 'em [right shoe] in front of yore house - take one [left shoe] tuh de back an' one [right] tuh de front. (What do you mean, to the front or to the back of the house?) Jes' have tuh take dis foot chere - left foot, put it tuh de back. Turn de toe goin' 'way from de house like he goin'way. Take de right one an' take hit an' turn hit tuh de front - let de toe out tuh de front. Dat's bringin' 'im back. Yuh say, "By de he'p of God yuh Went away, y de he'p of God this is tuh bring yuh back." (Do you put those shoes under the ground or just put them on top of the ground?) Put 'em on top of de groun', right lak dat. Needn't covah dem up atall, jes' put 'em right on de groun'.
Entry 5311
If yo' wan'a git rid of 'em, don' wan' 'em come back tuh yore house, yo' take up dere track, de lef' foot track, an' carry it tuh a big ole - where a lota big ole red antses 'bout lak dat. Ah heard dey said yo' could take an' carry it dere an' put it intuh dat ants bed. Yo' have tuh go fo' nine mawnin's an' drop a little bit of dat track intuh de ant bed, an' den yo' really sure dat dey will not come back. Said dey will not come back.
Entry 7406
Make 'im come back an' give hisself up. Yo' know de man. An' if yo' don' know de man, or yo' know de man. Listen good. Well, all yo' gotta do is come on back an' take yore undershirt, next to yore skin, turn it upside down [inside out] an' put it on, an' whosomevah did it dey come back. Dey'll bring 'em back to yo'.
Entry 7439
Lay an egg on the dead man's breast. When that egg busts, the murderer will return. [Vicksburg, Miss., (?), 986:4.] Bury dead man with a black hen's egg on his breast. [Vicksburg, Miss., (?), 1032:5.] [For original notes, see attached pages in original manuscript.]
Entry 7457
Ah've heard 'em say if a person killed a person, befo' yo' bury 'em, if yo' take a aig from a black [hen] an' put it undah each arm befo' yo' bury de body, whosomevah it is kilt 'em will come; if de aig busts befo' yo' bury 'em, dey'll have tuh come an' give deyself up. Both of 'em yessuh, up undah de arm- pits.
Entry 7476
Lay de man on 'is face, put 'im in 'is casket [coffin] an' bury 'im on 'is face, an' dey says dat de man dat killed 'im will come back an' confess.
Entry 7482
If the murdered persons falls on his face and is buried on his face the murderer will return.
Entry 7489
It depends upon how he fall. If he fall wit 'is face to de groun', yo' can't help but come back. But in ordah to bring 'im back, yo' take dis man an' keep 'is body laid east - head east an' feets west. An' yo' reads de Ten Commandments wit dat, an' wit'in de nex' nine days he'll have to come back.
Entry 7512
If a person kill a person, yo' kin take an' take dere pichure. [You do not photograph the murderer but try to find a photograph of him.] Jis' have dere pichure an' yo' kin take dat pichure an' - de one dat done dis killin' yo' undahstan' - an' yo' kin take it roun' in de cornah in de south end of de house on de block an' yo' kin bury dat on its face. Dat'll make him come back, too, outside of [the same as] dat aig. It's bettah den dat aig. [Informant had pre- viously given an egg rite.]
(You bury the picture to the south side of your house?)
Yessuh, becuz reason ah know, a boy kill mah brothah an' he sho' [sure] come back an' dey caught 'im right heah in'Memphis.
Entry 7514
Bury 'im wit 'is head down an' is feet up.
(You mean upside down, standing on his head?)
Yes sir. Dat'll bring 'im back. [Here again, as in the preceding rites, it is assumed that the killer is known and that his photograph is available. Despite the indefiniteness of informant's statement, a photograph, not the corpse, is buried head down.]
Entry 8603
Putting their name on that parchment paper, putting it down in the bottom of the lamp, burning the lamp slowly, and I'll guarantee yo' in de future he'll come back.
Entry 8604
If yore man is gone away from yo' an' if he don't come back fast enough, jis' write his name 9 times an' yore [9 times] on top, an' keep dat lamp burnin' low, [name] in oil. Put a piece of red flannin [flannel] on top of it, yo' know, tuh keep anybody from seeing de papah, an' burn it continue an' he'll come back in nine days.
Entry 8747
Now if a woman's husband left her, dere's several ways dat she could bring him back. She could write his name an' her name on a tin pan, a brand-new one nevah has been cooked in, an' turn it down undah de bed, an' he'll come back. Dat's a good one.
Entry 8751
Yo' git a new tin pan an' yo' write de name on de back of dat pan an' yo' write de 27th Psalms of de Bible, an' when yo' want dem to come, return, an' dey will return. (What do you do with the tin pan?) Aw yo' puts hit behin' yore do' or in yore room, jes' most anywhere, yo' know, where it won't be [seen].
Entry 8905
Yo' take a person now dat steal anythin' an' yo' wanta make 'em bring it back. Well, yo' don' know whut tuh do. Yo' go tuh work an' yo' goes tuh de no'th side of de house an' yo' count seven three times, jes' 1-2-3, count 7. Den yo' walks an' go tuh de sun- rise. Yo' takes watah in de Washpan an' wash yore face an' throw it three mawnin's [towards] sunrise. Well, now, aftah yo' throw it three times, de las' mawnin' yo' throw it out, yo' say jes' so, says: God de Fathah, God de Son, God de Holy Ghost, three in one; say ah wants mah thing - whatever it is - tuh be put back by six a'clock in de mawnin' regardless tuh who got it. It might not be put in de same place, but it will be put right back where yo' kin git it.
(That is if somebody stole this thing from you.)
Entry 8948
Ah've heard tell of 'em gittin' a li'le splinter, a li'le chip out de Wagon wheel. Ah've heard tell of 'em gittin' a li'le piece out de wagon wheel an' yo' carry dat, in case a person took anything from yo'. An' carry dat to an oak tree an' drive dat wagon wheel [chip] in dere, dat li'le stob. Yo' drive it an' yo' hit in nine mawnin's. An' dey say dat de rogue will return de stuff back to yo'. Whosomevah took anythin' from 'em, dey will return it back to 'em. Dat's whut dey say about a wagon wheel.
Entry 9113
If yo' have tuh go befō' de judge, de firs' thing yo' do - yo' got a trial comin' up an' yo' figure dat chew goin' to git [cannot understand word, meaning time or guilty - de firs' thing yo' do, firs' yo' git choo two cards, two carding cards. An' yo' git choo a white an' yo' git choo a red [carding card]. An' yo' go in yuh yard or house or somepin, where yuh know where dirt [earth] is. Well yo' dig a space [having] fo' cornahs, yo' know jis' big enough fo' them [the cards] tuh go down. [This four-cornered hole is a sym- bolic grave.] Lay them [the cards] down [in the hole]. Yo' say yuh prayahs fo' whut choo wan' tuh do. Say yo' wan' tuh return back home all right an' no charge ag'inst choo. Well yo' git choo two red onions an' a piece of ice. Yo' cut one of dem onion in half in two, an' break de ice, an' jis' spread dem onion lak dat [demonstrate] an' put de ice tuhgethah like dat, see. Den yo' cut dis othah onion in fo' parts. An' when yo' go an' git in de yard, yo' throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' say, Ah'm throwin' yuh back across mah shouldah fo' tuh returr. back an' pick yuh up. An' yo' comin' back. [Why were the preceding cards, white and red, buried? Originally I thought informant was talking about playing cards. A red card would be hearts or dia- monds. What is a white card? They are index cards, even paper. Why these cardg were buried we can learn from COLOR SYMBOLISM (p.797f.) and especially margin title WHITE CANDLE, WHITE MAN; RED CANDLE, DARK MAN; BLACK CANDLE, ENEMY MAN (p.801). The white card, representing the white judge is buried first; on top of him is buried the red card signifying the black man. Symbolically the blach man conquers the white judge even before the trial!]
Entry 10644
Someone is gone an' yo' kin call a person's name three times inde oming at dn smrise [at a nest of] dem big red antses, de big red ones, an' yo' tell dem srses dat yo' want dem to come back, worry dem to come back, an' dey'll come back to yo' by doin' dat [at] de big red antses bed.
Entry 11070
If a woman is got a man an' she don' want him tuh leave her, she takes one of his dirty socks - de same as ah said about her stockin'. Well, ah take one of his dirty socks - she takes it, an' she ties it up in a knot an' she keeps dat sock tied dere fo' fifteen days. An' wherevah he be's he gotta come back tuh her. He cain't leave her, an' if he done left her he's comin' back aftah she have dat sock. He's comin' back tuh her. She could take a string an' she wear dat [sock] round her waist fo' nine days, an' nine knots in it. He cain't have nobody. See, all of dat is in de way of hoodooin' somebody tuh keep 'em from doin' right.
Entry 12482
Den if a person kills anothah, dat he will return to the place dat dat crime wuz committed within twelve days, but whut will cause him tuh do dat, ah dunno. But he would. [Sumter 2436:9.]
Entry 12680
They can take your picture and nail it to a tree, and I don't care where he'd be at, he'll come back to her. [Intention is the magic power here.]
[Richmond 458:10.]
Entry 12684
Or either git their picture an' turn it backwards to de wall, face to de wall, in a dark place, without anybody see it, an' they'll return. [Memphis 2675:7.]
Entry 9645
Take some salt and black pepper and you mix it up and put in a salt shaker, and [as] they go out your door, you walk behind them and you sprinkle this salt and black pep- per behind them, and I guarantee you they won't come back again.
Entry 2790
You see, you take a - that's right, if you couldn't get the name - if you could get the name, you could make 'em bring it back. (Well, how would you do it then, if you got the name?) If you could get the name, you see, you take their name and you write it down nine times and you set it - you fold the paper to you just like this [demonstrates]. Take the corners of the paper and fold it to you, fold the name to you and then you put it up under that candle and burn it; and before nine days go, he be back with it.
(What color candle do you burn for that?)
You burn a green candle for that too.
(Well, why do you burn a green candle?)
Well, they do's the work more quicker than the white - than those other can- dles. The black candles, they for death."
Entry 3069
[We have already met Doctor Bayhan, a white man on the Eastern Shore, who was also known in Baltimore (62, p.28).] [Here is an original statement in my original penciled transcription. "Temporary annotation - for footnote reference only - to get wife back - Doctor Bayhan. He charges from $20 to $25...you bring him the picture...he'll guarantee you and he'll give you a Bible and you'll wear this Bible in your pocket. If she don't come back in a space of time that he gives yeh, he'll refund your money back to you regardless of where you at. This note was orig- inally made to be used for fees by doctors.]
Entry 8926
If someone done stole somepin from yuh an' yo' might have a idea who it is - yo' might spot him [catch sight of him by chance] - yo'll pass by his home. Yo' might spread jis' a little stuff [when you are passing his house]. An' while yo' burnin' dis incence [at home] yo'll call his name three times, an' have yore back do' or yore back room window hysted [hoisted]. While yo' call his name, jes' trouble to leave yore window up an' he'll bring it back an' throw it in de house.
(You say you burn something?)
Yes, yo' burn this incense an' call his name three times.
(I see, and he'll bring it back.)
Yes, he'll bring it.
(That's in a case where a fellow doesn't want to go to the law about it.)
Entry 11102
"She kin take some of his clothes an' bury 'em...he'll either come to 'er or he won't be living" [this may be my only example of this rite]. [Jack- sonville 690:3.]
Entry 12100
"If she wants him back she git de bow out of his hat...put it in her garters." [Jacksonville 764:7.]
Entry 903
I know mah brother he vus [was] sick an' he stayed sick a long time, too. An' he vent [went] to de hospital jis' like I did [in another story] an' nothin' couldn't help 'im. So it jis' come to his min' [mind] that somebody had tried to fix im - you know, poison 'im. An' dey vent an' seed [seen] about 'im. An' de doctor she came over dere - you know, de root doctor, an' she vent under de house an' she found it vus somepin in a little bag tied up, an' stuff down under [near] de pillah [one of the stilts on which the house rested a foot or more aboveground]. This vus way [way] back up under a crack in the house. She tole 'em to burn it, but it vus somepin grainy lookin' - but dey didn't open it. An' she tole dem to take it - of course he vus re'l sick - an' put sulphah an' red peppah, camphah an' salt; put that togethah an' put it in a can an' burn it until it get to a powdah, an' take it an' put it back in de same hole where dey got it from an' that would help 'em. An' sure 'nough it did.
Entry 2909
Take a white candle to make a man love you and stay with you, don't get. away from you. If he go, he can't stay.
(Well, how do you do that?)
You take a white candle and roll it in sugar, sugar and salt - salt that's not never been used out of. Just roll it, roll it good, roll it good about fifteen minutes - see, you roll it on a paper. And then you take a match.
(A match?)
Take a match and you hold that candle right on there and light it, and you know, smoke it enough for it to melt for the paste [melted wax, sometimes called sponge] to come out, you know, and then you place it right in the middle of a saucer.
(Wait! You stick this candle down on the saucer?)
Yes. [The candle is set in the melted wax at the center of the saucer.] And if he is a drinker, you know, and likes to drink, well, you put you about a tea- spoonful of whiskey around that candle, and then you light that candle and you burn that candle fifteen minutes and all the whilst you burn that candle, well [demonstrates], you be doing just like this, you know - like this with the flame, you see, from the candle. (You wet your two fingers in your mouth, and then you go to the candle and pretend that you are sort of pulling this flame towards you - keep pulling it towards you.) Yes, that's it. And make your wishes what you want him to come back and do and what you don't want him to do - just like - you burn it fifteen minutes.
(At what time do you burn that?)
Any time, any time. Burn it any time, but in the three fifteen minutes you burns the candle up - in the three fifteen minutes. And when that candle is burnt up, and all that whiskey's gone, and [then] inside of five or nine days, he'll be back - he'll be back to you. [The two preceding versions of flame pulling and whiskey are from the same informant but separated by 70 cylinders. I had her brought back because some of her material was badly recorded.1
Entry 2934
When yore ole man is gone away an' yo' wanta bring him back, if he left any ole dirty socks - if yo' kin git any of his ole socks, git de left sock. It Wants tuh be dirty though, not clean. An' yo' take it an' yo' go out in front of yore do'. Well, yo' do it 'bout between three an' fo' a'clock in de mawnin'. Go out in front of yo' do' an' dig a hole an' bury dat sock an' cover it up. Yo' go in de house an' yo' git chew a piece of tablet an' yo' write his name nine times on dat tablet. Den yo' git chew a black candle, put dat piece of papah down an' set de candle on it.
(Just a moment. Do you put the names up or down?)
Put the names right across.
(No. Do you put the names up so that you can see them, or down?)
Put the names [face] down. Then set the candle on it an' burn that candle, an' in three days dey'll return. Dat's whut ah know 'bout dat.
(But you must leave that sock out there?)
Yo' leave that sock out there until dey return. Ah've heard of men takin' a woman's stockin's an' makin' her come back. Ah've heard of men takin' 'em an' do em in de same manner.
Entry 4838
Tuh bring a person back yuh got'a use de lef' [foot] track. Jis' lak dere's two or three ways tuh bring a person back. Well, jis' lak if it's a woman dat chew want tuh bring back, if yuh kin git even a piece dat she weah nex' tuh 'er, any place. Co'se, if yuh wanta cut a piece outa it - go on back home an' put it in some watah. Dis is tuh bring 'em back, bring a person back tuh yuh. All right, yuh take an' put it in some watah an' yuh goes tuh where two trees dat is right in tuhgethah. Yuh seen trees lean- in' ovah on one nothah. Well, if yuh ain't got a augah, take a axe an' dig a hole in it, an' jis' take dat li'le cloth an' put it in dere an' let it stay three hours. Bring it on back home den an' let it set up dere. Yuh take a li'le bita bottle jis' lak dis an' put it in dere. Now yuh take dis watah offa dere, yuh undahstan', an' yuh throw dis piece yuh got away, an' jis' let it be de watah dat yuh had it in. Take de piece outa it an throw it away. Take dis same watah an' care [carry] it tuh de tree an' let it stay in dere three hours. Take it out an' bring it on back home an' let it set dere. An' whatsomevah yuh want, yuh kin took fo' 'em from de time it will take dem tuh come from where dey are tuh where yuh live. Dey'll be dere.
Entry 4954
Well, ah know dat if a man leave a woman, or somepin lak dat, if yuh take a stockin', de ole dirty foot of a stockin' an' tie it up in three knots, an' put it undah yore bed an' sleep on it fo' three nights, an' make yore wishes tuh come true, fo' him tuh come back tuh yuh an' be in love, dat yuh could aftah de three nights take dat stockin', an' take a box of new salt an' sprinkle it ovah dat stockin', an' den take dis salt an' build a fire, an' put dat stockin' on de fire an' burn it. Burn it In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Said dat would draw yuh back tuhgethah.
(Whose stocking would you use, his or yours?)
Yuh use yore own stockin'. Dey always tell me yuh use yore own stockin' fo' dat, eithah stockin'.
Entry 5031
Well, dey takes yore sock - like if a man an' a woman done broke up an she wan's 'im tuh come back tuh 'er, yuh see. Well, she would take his sock an' bury it up undah de step wit de feet comin' in. An' tack three tacks in de toe, three tacks intuh de heel of it, an' bury dat up undah de front steps. See, wit 'is name written in an' 'er name, an' dat will cuz 'im tuh come back.
(Where do you put these tacks in?)
Jis' intuh de groun' - jis' tack 'em down intuh de groun'.
(Oh, into the ground.)
Intuh de groun' - tack de tacks intuh de [ground].
(You move what? If you move, you do what?)
Yuh move - jis' like if yuh'd move out de house an' yuh lef' de man, yuh'd move de sock an' tack it up undah de nex' steps. (I see. I see, you put three tacks in the toe and three in heel and press it down. Then you write his name and your name and...) An' tack it down...
(On a piece of paper and that's under the sock that is tacked down.)
Yeah, undah de sock.
Entry 5511
He kin take it [her foot track] an' take his han' an' rake it up light an' rake it tuh 'im. An' take de dirt an' carry it home an' put it in 'is right sock, an' she'll come back if she gone off. An' if he wan's 'er tuh leave him, tuh don' nevah come back no mo', he kin take her track - take his han' an' dip it from 'im. Start from de foot on tuh de toe. Carry it home an' put it in 'is right sock an' throw it away, an' she won' nevah come back. [She will] stay dere, nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 7574
Yuh go tuh de Cath'lic graveyard an' reach down in dere - dig down in dere an' git chew some of dat dirt offa down on de breast. (A woman's?) Don't make no diff'rence but it's got'a be a Cath'lic grave, an' yuh git dat dirt. An' when yuh git dat dirt, yuh git cher some of dese gourd seeds - green seeds. An' yuh git chew dem green gourd seeds, an' den yuh git chew some red peppah an' git chew nine grains out dat red peppah yuh know, dose pods yuh know. Git nine grains an' roll it tuh yuh an' put it in dere. Well, den when yuh do dat yuh go tuh a - yuh know, git a good bit of it, yuh go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' yuh sprinkle a little bit of dat in de fo'k of de road. Go dere fo' de third day, but chew've got'a do it in de night an' call dose party's name. Call dere name an' dey will return.
Entry 8610
If a person is 'cross de watah an' yo' want 'em an' if yo' got their picture, yo' take dat picture an' lay it on its face in yore bed undah yore sheets an' yo' sleep on dat. An' yo': take a piece of tablet papah an' write his name on it one time an' write chure'n on it twice. Fold it to yo'. An' then take it aftah yo' write dat name on it, den yo' take it an' put it in a lamp. An' put some oil in it enough tuh kiver it. An' burn it nine mawnin's, make yore wishes nine mawnin's, an' sleep on dat picture [9 nights]. If he's cross de watah, he's comin'. If he ain't sick or if he got money he goin' write chew. Yo' goin' heah from 'em some way or 'nothah. Yo' goin' heah, if he don't come. (Now you write his name down on this piece of paper. Then where do you write your name?) On top of his, twice. Write it on top twice. De same thing, if he runnin' out an' yo' want him tuh stay at home. Yo' write his name on a piece of papah an' fold it to yo' this way [demon- strates] an' then back that Way, an' put it up ovah de do' up ovah yore do'. An' he ain't goin' - yo' cain't git him outa dat [house]. He's there. [I finally have a chance to describe her demonstration.] (You fold it toward you and then you double it?) Dat's right, double it.
Entry 9409
Take a new aig an' write his name on dis aig, say all de way ovah dis aig, yo' see, an' den on top-a dis name, put on dere, "Come back home." Yo' see, "Come back home." Den take jis' wheresomevah he at, take 'is name an' put on some writin' papah, crossways, dat Way [demonstrates] about twelve times. An' take her name an' she put 'er name right on hit twelve times comin' tuh de house. No mattah where he is, if he is in New York or where, he'll come. An' she'll heah from 'im wherevah he comes [from] an' wherevah he stop right befo' he git home. (What does she do with that egg?) She takes dat aig an' tie it up yo' see. Roll dat egg up tight in a li'le piece of cloth about three or fo' diff'ren' times, an' put 'is name right in dere as ah say on dat papah, an' bury it right tuh de foot of de steps. Now, yo' take dat an' yo' bury it tuh de foot of de steps wit dat sharp point up, de big point of de aig down an' lean it. Ah Would lean it [whole egg] jis' 'bout dat way [demonstrates] comin' from out de - Memoirs of Alma Egan Hyatt. Foundation - street tuh de steps, comin' in de do'.
(Have it leaning toward the door?)
Dat's right.
(Any kind of chicken egg?)
Any kind, no matter whut kind of aig, long as it is a aig. (She will write her name twelve times and then she will write your name twelve times.) Wrote his name twelve times an' den put 'er name de same way, lak yo' carry his name dis way an' take her name an' start it comin' back dat way.
(Well, now does her name go away from the house...?)
Her name an' his own comin' right tuh de house. Dere is anothah part on dat. Yo' take dis an git 'is name, as ah tell yo'. Yo' undahstan' me? An' git a bottle an' take her watah. Ah mean 'er nightwatah, pee. An' put it in dere an' shake it an' call 'is name three times - jis' what- evah 'is name am - "Henry come home - Henry come home - Henry come home." An' lay it dere right undahneath 'er pillah. In a short time or about fo' or five days he'll be there. (You use all these things, altogether. Yo'll have to use the egg and you have to use that bottle.) All at de same time.
Entry 10166
If yo' Wanta bring a person back - lak a man is away from his wife an' yo' wants tuh bring him back - well de way ah use. Ah takes dere name three times an' put 'er name three times, an' git rose water, orange blossom an' Jockey Club Cologne [for 3 perfumes see p.729, v.1] yo' know whut dat is, honey, crushed sugah, white, three lumps, an' put it in dey bottle. White lodestone, a she an' a he one, yo' knows dat. A ball of quicksilver an' a teaspoonful of steel dust. Dat's tuh return 'im. An' yo' put it in de glass bottle an' set it up - put de haid to [cork in]. Dis is de front do [demonstrates]. Well, yo' put de haid dat-away tuh come in. Dat is to come.
(The head is pointing into the house?)
Into de house. Dat's fo' tuh return de man back. (On this piece of paper on which you wrote the names, you wrote his name three times and hers three times on top of each name?) On top of his'n.
(That is to bring him back.)
[This rite can be done another way.]
Well, yo' take de names an' write it de same way. Yo' take de name an' yo' write it three times an' dey [woman's] name on top. An' den yo' cross de woman's name on top an' den yo' put yore candle an' yore honey, an' yore names in a glass. It supposed tuh be used in a glass an' holy watah with prayers.
(What sort of candle do you use?)
Well, yo' kin use a white one or blue one, anything but a black candle or a red one.
(Do you burn that candle any special time or anything?)
Yes, an hour. Yo' light it six a'clock in de mawnin' an hour an' den yo' put it out. Yo' light it at twelve a'clock ag'in an' dat hour, an' at one a'clock yo' put it out. Den three a'clock till fo', den yo' put it out.
(You do that just one day?)
No, no, yo' do dat about seven days.
(In putting these names down on the paper, do you put his name down first?)
Yo' put his name down first if yo' aftah bringin' 'im.
(Her name is over that?)
On top of his'n.
Entry 12313
Ah learnt dat you could take dat dere wood from a tree right where de lightnin' struck, turn in an' go dere an' git chew three pieces, tree lil' small pieces. An' take three [silver] dimes made in de same yeah. Take three dimes an' dat piece of wood, an' put dem dere three pieces, an' put one dime 'neath dat piece of wood [demonstrates] an' de next dime right next tuh de next top piece of wood, an' de next dime right in de bottom in de jar. An' take it tuh de watah an' throw it in de watah, an' says, Ah hope yo' come back tuh me, In Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost, come back. Let it go in de watah. Yo' see, yo' throw dat jar an' hit'll go so fur downstream, an' dat jar will turn roun' an' come back an' go in de bank where nobody will git dere han's on it. Dat jar will come back. Or eithah yo' kin take it lak dis: Yo' kin take a brick an' put it in dat jar wit dat, dat money an' dat piece of wood from de lightnin'-struck tree, an' it will stay down undah de watah three days. Dat's de best, it will stay undah de watah three days. Well, when dem three days out, she's back tuh yo'.
(This is bringing somebody back?)
Dat's right.
(Where do you get these dimes - get them out of your own pocket?)
Yeah, jes' go down an' try tuh git de dimes made in de same yeah.
Entry 12764
To bring husband back the root doctor has the woman write the man a letter, address envelope, put on stamps, but leaves it open so that he can insert his medicine, seal envelope, and personally mail it. This was a very common practice everywhere. Somewhere in HOODOO, in Savannah[?], my contact man feared the money he was sending home to his wife would not reach her. A root worker I had just interviewed went through a ceremony with the letter to ensure its safe arrival.
Entry 13410
If somebody left home an' chew wanta bring dem back - yo' dunno why dey left an' yo' wanta bring 'em back. Yo'll go out to a lot an' dey have wag- ons, yo' know, an' dey let chure wagon stand, yo' know, stand in de lot. Git de wheel an' rock it backwards an' farwards an' den yo' git a shoe dey wear an' yo' put it on, have it boilin' about dat time, a few hours, while yo' do dat an' dey'll come back.
(You have this shoe boiling while you are turning that wagon wheel?)
Yes.
(You don't say anything?)
No, yo' jes' put it on an' let it boil, yo' know, jes' lak 'supposin' yo' go- in' cook dinnah. Have it all cookin', put chure fire, an' turn it [wheel] an' she'll come back.
(Either shoe or both of them?)
Yassuh. [Good answer to a useless question!]
Entry 5614
Ah hear of 'em usin' red peppah an' stuff lak dat yo' know. [They] says dey mix it in dere track. An' says dey go an' dey take de track from yo' an' - start at de heel an' go tuh de toe, an' put it in runnin' watah. Say dey'll keep awalkin'. Nevah come back. (In other words you would get some of the dirt out of my foot track as I was walking away. You take it from the heel to the toe, and you mix it with red peppah and throw that into running water. That will keep me walking. Do you take either track?) It don't make any diff'rence.
Entry 5926
Well, dey tell me, all yo' gotta do is jes' - if yo' kin git clost enough to 'im, git 'is hair out 'is haid an' put it right up undah yo' hat.
(Under the hatband?)
Yes, an' wear it on yore haid. He'll come back home.
(A woman would wear that in her hat?)
Yes, an' he come back to her.
Entry 6079
Yo' got a wife an' yo' wanta keep 'er, see. Now, if yo' wanta keep er regardless of wahr she go, she comin' back. Yo' kin git some hair outa her haid, see, an' from 'er stomic [pubic hair]. Put it in a bag an' wahr it in yore umdabr clothes nex' to yore skin, an' don't care wahr she go, brothah, she comin' back.
Entry 6274
(Who would do this?)
A man or woman, eithah one. Dey take some of yore hair out de top heah an' put it in a bottle, an' put about fo' or five drops yore watah [urine] in dere, an' put it in some runnin' watah. Stop dat bottle up tight an' chunk it in dat rivah yo' see. Yo' couldn't come back no mo' an' yo' wouldn't know whut de cause.
Entry 8070
If dey are 'way from home, dey say yo' kin take dere pichure an' burn it up, an' yo' nevah will see 'em any mo'. Yessuh, if dey 'way from home. Yes- suh, if yo' burn up dere pichure, dey'll nevah come back any mo'.
Entry 8112
Ah've heard dat dey would take dat an' bury it undah de step, dat photo.
(What would that do?)
Well, dat would bring yore lovah back, if he's left.
Entry 8127
Jis' lak if yo' husban' happen tuh leave yuh, yo' could take his pit- chure an' lay on its face an' dat'll bring 'im back.
Entry 8176
Suppose yo' had a girl friend an' yo' didn't want tuh be in contact wit 'er an' yo' go away. An' yo' leave yure photograph wit 'er. She take yure photograph an' turn it haid down an' yo' will come back.
Entry 8218
Take dat, de photograph, drive a pusson crazy wit dat photo- graph. Take dat an' turn it upside down right at de haid of de baid, an' call de indivjel [individual] name nine time, see - well, fer three days. An' wit'in dem three days dat pusson'll come tuh yuh.
Entry 13168
[Here is an unusual folding or rolling rite:] Roll dirty sock back to you 3 different ways, turning the pile after each roll, bury under steps: "you can't go off and stay no length of time 'fore you comin' back to dat same place." [Mobile 952:1.]
Entry 43
A woman right here in Beaufort Street, she got holt of a man's foot track and took it and while it was hard, you know, and put it in a bottle and took it in her house and put it right in front of her door - wrapped it up in a silk cloth and put it in front of her door and used it as a door stop, and as long as dat was dere why he would come back. When she moved she didn't take that with her and de [other] people moved in that house. Long as dis bag was dere he kept coming back looking fer her. He always was coming back looking fer her and de people would tell him that she didn't live there any more - kept coming back - coming back.
Entry 638
Graveyard dirt kin be used in many different things. It kin be used in love cases. Well, graveyard dust, if yo' wanta use fo' protection in love cases, yo' use it wit de wonderful water.
(What is the wonderful water?)
It's got from a spring runnin' dead no'th, a spring runnin' no'th - lak dis Way, de stream dis-a-way an' de spring heah runnin' no'th. (You get this wonder water and you get this graveyard dirt. How do you prepare this thing now?) Well now, we'll come on down an' prepare it fo' yo'. Yo' git the stream runnin' no'th - de spring is ovah on whut ah would call de south side of a stream runnin' dead no'th. Be sure dat chew find a spring wit de stream runnin' no'th. Well, we takes our graveyard dust an' we gits it in a clear bottle den wit a stopper to it dat we kin stop up, an' we goes an' puts some of de dirt in de bottle an' we gits our spring wit de watah runnin' no'th - we gits dat an' put it in dere. Den when we's goin' pull a deal of any kind, we sits our bottle with this heah graveyard dust in it. Well, quite natch'l, de dust will settle to de bottom of anything. Whatevah we gits our mind on, what de object we got befo' us - whatevah it may be, whether we make good or whether we lose out. Well, we handle dis bottle - we sets it on de table so de top of it will come clear. Yo' know spring watah is clear as a crystal, an' since [if] it clear as a crystal, why we knows everything whatevah we goin' do, we know we'll put it through. We put it ovah whatsomevah it may be. Well, den, if it's not dat way clear, it not fo' our luck tuh change right at dat time, dis heah graveyard dust will come up dere an' cloudy dat water jes' lak a cloudy day - change - de skies will change. It will change within de period of fifteen minutes. It will come on up an' cloudy dat water so yo' can't be sure atall. Den we jes' keep it dere, an' whenevah we goin' tuh do anything - in love cases or whatevah we may do, we goes an' git our bottle an' set it on de table in a quiet place. It's a great magic watah - it's a magic gift. Den we use dat tuh conquer spirits, yo' see, for sech things as whut dey call hants. We use dis heah spring watah wit de graveyard dust in it.
(How would you conquer a hant in that case?)
Well, if we conquer a hant in dat case, we put a little add into dat watah - we add somepin to dat watah, we'd add sulphur. We'd add burnt sulphur, we'd burn it - we'd burn it on de watah, somepin tuh form a little clond on de watah. Den we go up on dere an' git de cloud off an' put de cloud in dere on top of dat. Dat give us mo' force to conquer de spirit - we'd keep spirits away from anything we'd go tuh do. How to make a man come back. Yo'd have tuh use dis same watah in a case lak dat - it's a mind drawin' thing: First, yo' gotta git chure mind on whatevah object yo goin' tuh undertake tuh do. An' aftah we git our mind pin on dis heah, then we sits de watah befo' us an' we looks at de watah. We naturally sits dere an' looks - sometimes it takes us hours, until we kin git contact with the party whosomevah dey may be. They mind an' mah mind contact wit each othah, an' den he'll come tuh me, at de same time whether dey wants me or not. Den if ah want tuh draw 'em back, ah'll turn de watah, ah'll git de square bottle - see, ah'll turn de square side to me, an' ah'll give dem three days tuh roll in. Dey come back an' dey send fo' me. De same watah draw 'em back - draws through de mind, yore mind an' dis othah party's mind would come in contact together an' why, quite natch'ly, yo'll see 'em in three days aftah that. That is, if yo' stay on it dat long.
Entry 921
Well, it wus a girl, a fren' of mine. Well, it wus three of 'em [girls] an' her mothah married. She married a fellah dat wus stepfathah to dese children an' so de stepfathah tried tuh go with her. An' aftah she, yo' know, commence tellin' her mothah an' lak dat, yo' know, well, den he commence tuh whippin' her an' beatin' her yo' know an' all lak dat. She had long hair about that long [demonstrates] an' when she got up tuh about fifteen yeahs ole, he taken a plait of her hair an' put it in a cake-flavor bottle an' he carried dis girl's hair to de Miss'ippi Rivah, an' put it ovah in-dat Miss'ippi Rivah, an' dat chile fifteen yeahs ole, she started tuh walkin'. She left home that evenin' an' her mothah didn't know where she wus, an' she walked - she walked aways. She walked back down heah to a place dey call Forest City, an' she got lost walkin' an' so they wus in Cold Spring tryin' tuh find her, an' dey did find her, an' dey carried her tuh a man named Mr. Smith. He's up heah tuh Turrell[?] Arkansas. Her mothah taken her tuh dis man, an' he killed de hair in dis bottle, but how he kilt it ah dunno. But he kilt de hair in dis bottle, an' that brought de girl back.
(How long ago did that happen?)
Aw, it's been 'bout nine yeahs ago.
Entry 930
(When was this - last year?)
Last year, my wife got hurt in her leg. Dey had her up ev'ry night at twelve o'clock hopping like a dog [see correction later] - she couldn't sleep. And she just tell me, say, "Somebody done something to me." I say, "Well, I see if somebody done something to you." I went and got me some dove blood. (Dogblood?) Dog blood - a dog; I order it - dove blood.
(Oh, dove - dove like a pigeon, dove blood?)
Yes, sir.
(Yes. You ordered it?)
Took dat and ah fixed dat in some medicine and give her dat and let her take dat and den I rubbed her, you see, with dat Noozoo oil. I rubbed her good and in fifteen days, den I turned dat spell back on de person what put it on her. You see, when I turned back on dat person, den -
(What did you put that dove blood in?)
I put dat in John de Conker root - took John de Conker root and boiled it and made de medicine and then.poured that dove blood in it. You see.
(I see. And then how did you give that to her?)
I let her take dat fus' like a doctor would give it to her - a suscription, take a tablespoonful three time a day before each meal. And when she'd taken dat little bottle full, dat long, den she could get up and go.
(I see. And you say you rubbed her or something?)
Rubbed her with Noozoo oil.
(You rubbed her with that Noozoo oil?)
Yes, sir.
(And then how did you turn that spell back on the other person?)
Well, you go - the person what done it, you ain't goin' never know who done it until you do it and then you goin' have the complaint. See, you figure who it is and where dat person is passing back and forwards. You git in a conversation wit 'em and you begin to do things - you see, put things down where dey kin walk over it, you see, and pass back and forth by it, and they'll ketch this yere. When dey ketch it, dat's got the slam offa her, you see - it's on dem, you see. And den, if dey don't get somebody to get dat offen dem - if dey don't get de person what put it on before he die, they never will get it offa dem.
Entry 1743
It's a practice dat most of de women in dis part of the world, if dey can get a man to cut his fingernails or his toenails anywhere in dere presence, or clip his hair, dere [they are] going to save dat for dat purpose. I've seen dat practiced, too, right down here in de South - in Florida dere. I had it proved right out and out. A woman told me she could make any man come dere dat had ever been dere, and she could make him call her name at any time - dat she pluck a hair out of her head, if she know de direction de man is, and by her calling his name three diff'rent times and turning around, wherever he's at, he'll call her name. (What did she do? She pulled this hair out of her head, then what did she dc with that hair?) Just take de hair and hold it up and blow it in de direction she know dat he's gone, and by calling his name, regardless of what he's doing at de moment, he'll call her name. From then, he begins to get restless. He might be aboard of a steamship or train, or whatever, but when he gets off he will make his way right on back. Because anything she's got belonging to him dat ways, she believes she can wish him back and will do it.
Entry 1750
Whut a woman do tuh make him come back to her? Well, ah'm goin' tell yo' somepin. Ah've tried this mahself an' yo' see ah know whut ah'm tellin' yo' 'bout is strictly true - dis heah ain't no story. Mah husban' left me an' ah tell yo' whut ah did. He went away from home. Ah got him tuh come back. Ah save some of his urine, see. I hate to say this to You. Ah got some an' put it in a half pint bottle, an' ah got me a tablespoon fulla sugah an' put it in dis urine of his'n, an' ah buried it undah de steps. See, dis is true - ah know whut ah'm talkin' 'bout. Ah could git him right now if ah wanted him but ah don't want him. An' he come home an' tole me, said, "Honey, ah been treatin' yo' wrong, but ah wants tuh come back home tuh stay. I buried dis mahself right undah de do'step - ah had de pint bottle of his urine. See, he made it in de slop jar an' ah didn't urinate in it with him. An' yo' see, yo' have tuh take his'n off, an' ah put this tablespoon fulla sugah in dere, an' took an' buried it at de do'step, an' every mawnin' ah say, "Lawd, yo' know whut ah did. Ah did it, In de Name of the Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' hope all mah wishes come true in mah happy hour." An' he come home tuh me. Ah did that mahself, an' ah learnt it from anothah man.
Entry 1842
Dis whiskey an' sugah - fo' a man if he's runnin' round. Yo' cut dat yellah domestic - ah mention dat, an' yo' cut chew a little man out. Dat's right in de shape of a little man an' put it in dat bottle.
(What bottle?)
In de bottle whut chew put dat whiskey in, yore whiskey an' yore chamber lye an' de sugah. An' take dat an' set it back, if yo' want him tuh stay dere; an' set it in a cloth in a corner, jes' let it set down jes' lak de man do an' let it stay dere seven days. An' if he's out anywhere in town, he'll come back. But yo' got'a have de shape of de man altogethah.
(He doesn't drink that whiskey or anything? Just keep it in the bottle?)
No suh - dat's all.
Entry 1868
Now at my home [near Yorktown, Va.] - I come [home] from West Virginia, and I got to my home and there was a fellow there that had a wife and she had been gone from home. So then she come to see her mother and - she was a married woman - she come to see her mother, and this husband of hers seeing an old fellow [doctor] had asked him could he stop her here. He said, "Yes." But he says, "If I was to go there, she'd think I would be up to somethin'." So he got me to go out in de road and ketch her track for him. I caught it - I went dere and I caught dat track. He told me to measure her track from her heel to her toe and say to her, "I take you back with me." And I went out and I measured that track and I spoke dem words he want me to speak, and I carried it to him. He taken them tracks and he put it - he'd taken that dust out de hollow of her foot and put it in a bottle, and when he put it in a bottle he'd taken three strands of her hair and put in dat bottle, and give it to the husband and told him to take it and bury it at de sill of de door. Well, he did it and she did come back.
Entry 1869
An' a man - de only thing to do to make him come back, when yo' be goin' out git de dirt out of nine of his tracks right in de palm of his foot - yo' know where he step on - de palm, an' take it, an' take de chewin' gum out of yore mouth, an' his hair. Yo' git close enough to git some of his hair out of his haid. An' put it in a bottle an' bury it under his room where he's supposed tuh sleep - yo' know, that's if he yore husband, an' bury it undah his room. An' then yo' go to that bottle twice a week an' tell it, says, ask it - close yore eyes an' ask if he wus really comin' back. An' they say them little things in dat bottle will turn round an' round, an' den nine days after dat, he be back.
(She puts this hair and his track and this chewing gum in this bottle?)
In de bottle an' bury it under his room.
Entry 2046
I know of a man and his wife had a misunderstanding, and the man he decided that.he was going to leave home. He didn't want to strike his wife, so for that cause he left her alone. He went away and stayed a long, long time. So after awhile he stayed so long somebody asked his wife as to the whereabouts of her husband. And she said, "My husband has been gone quite a good while. Where he is I am unable to say." This was a very old-aged person that was talking to this woman. So she says to her, "Child, come to my house tomorrow and I will tell you something that will do you good." So the next day came and this girl went to this woman's home. The old lady she set down and began to talk. She said, "Now, Anna, when you go home, I want you to search your home and see if you can find a knothole in your home. And if you do find it, you take your pencil and mark all around this hole. And after doing that, every morning for nine mornings go to this hole and call your husband by name. On the ninth morning tell him that you means what you say - you want him to come home. And he will come." So it was done and he really came. [Cf. preceding margin-title Keyhole.]
Entry 2163
I went to a man once - my husband went away - an' he fixed up a little red [flannel] ball, an' he tole me to go to the front door fis' before sunrise an' take nine needles jis' one at a time for nine mornin's, an' stick in that ball an' he'll return. He'd been gone away two years an' I hadn't heard from him, an' inside of six mont' time he did come back. [Red ball symbolizes heart.]
Entry 2272
If a person leave home, yo' take some table salt - jes' take it on de palm of yore hand an' blow it an' make a wish. Git up eve'y mornin' befo' de sun rise an' blow it towards de east for de nine mornin's, an' de ninth day dey'll be back. [In former days course salt was used for everything - cattle, curing meat and at the table. On farms it was bought by the old-fasioned wooden barrel. After finely granulated salt was introduced - first in small cloth sacks and then in cardboard boxes, this smaller salt was sometimes called table salt. In horse- and-buggy days, persons living in towns sometimes called it horse salt.] [Waycross, Ga., (1093), 1761:13.].
Entry 2355
Ef a man and his girl friend falls out, I even burn incense fer that. I let her burn it three times and he comes home. Den, in other words, I give de female sex a lesson what to do. De lesson is ids, is fo' yo' tuh - ef yo' are only making up yore bed one time a day at de time of yo' fallin' out an' yo' making up yo' bed one time a day [now], den yo' change. Yo'll make up twice a day. Change yo' linen on yo' tablecloth twice a day. Take a saucer and a cup wit a gold rim roun' it, yo' turn de cup down and set de saucer on top of de cup.
(Upside down or?)
Let de saucer set up - de cup should turn down. An' wit de cup turn down, den set de saucer up on it. See. An' go out and invite him in fer lunch with her. Then in that use sweet spice into yore bedroom. That gain de influence of de individual. Yo' won't have to do it no mo' den 'bout once or twice befo' he come in.
Entry 2749
Dey way 'twas, him and her was frens' an' he got holt of her pocketbook and he stole 'em out dere - took 'em, yo' know. He stole 'em out of her pocket- book. (Took what out?) Papers whut b'long to a car or automobile and some keys and she had two dollars an' he'd taken that. Well, she was doin' that - wanted to make him come back but he wouldn't send 'em. She sent after 'em and he wouldn't send 'em.
(Why didn't she go after them?)
She was 'fraid tuh go, an' she went an' got a man [hoodoo doctor]. He tole her he'd make him bring them back.
(Was this man her husband or?)
No, dis man whut took de things was her friend. An' dis man, after she tole dis man about it, he said, "Well, ah'll make him bring dem back." He went to de drug store and got two candles - red ones. He say, "what is his name?" She told him. He wrote his name on dere, on both de candles, and after he wrote his name - he wrote 'em jest like he wrote 'cross - dey would come right back crossways again on dem candles. He burns out one and start on de other - he give 'em back.
(What happened then?)
Didn't anything. He brought her paper, her keys and her money. And den he went on about his business. Got rid of him. She ain't been bothered with him since.
Entry 2801
A white one - yo' kin burn it on a man, write his name. Git this ridgy candles - yo' know this white ridge, yo' know they got a ridge on 'em. Yeah, dey got candles wit ridges on 'em. De white one, we call it decorated candles. Yo' take an' write his name wit a needle in those ridges all de way round de candles - see on dat ridge all de way around every one of those ridge, an' yo' burn that candle, lak yo' burned it one hour in de daytime. All right, den yo' blow it out. Den yo' burn it at night one hour. Dat will make him come back home.
(You just burn it for one day?)
No, yo' burn it fo' three days straight.
(You mean these candles that have ridges like a barber pole?)
Dat's right - write his name in those ridges. [Some of these candles must have ridges twisted spirally; other have untwisted ridges horizontally about candle.]
Entry 2809
Git a high-power blue candle and write his name on it seven times, and git a bottle of Jockey Club Perfume and roll in dere, and burn it five minutes three time a day. Say that will bring him back. (What do you do with that perfume?) Roll de candle in it. [See margin-titles Rolling Candle.]
(What time during the day do you burn that candle?)
Six, twelve, six.
Entry 2811
Take a candle and burn it - a certain candle there you burn nine days, see. That's a long candle. Put in the party's name, writing it nine times on the candle. Burn the candle very slowly nine days. As the candle burns they get weaker and weaker. They have another [candle] just about this long, sign the party's name backwards, cutting the end of the candle off. Sign the party's name and burn it upside down. That's to draw back. Like if you have a woman or anything and it goes away, well that will draw her back. Well in eight days her mind will come back home. She will admit herself that she done wrong. Don't light it from the end. You generally light - turn it upside down, light it from the bottom.
Entry 2814
Take dey photograph, lak a photograph pitchure [not a tintype], if yore ole man is away. Tuh bring him back, yo' git a black candle an' write his name on de black candle, an' put a glass of watah down 'side de candle. Light de candle an' den lay his pitchure 'side de candle, an' let de candle burn an' yo' make a wish. Dat's tuh git him back if he's gone, if yo' got his pit- chure.
Entry 2825
When yo' wants tuh bring one back - dey gone an' yo' wants dem tuh git back. Well, den yo' go tuh work den an' git a candle, an' have dis name wrote nine times backwards - not correct writin', backwards yo' see. An' put it undah de candle an' light de candle, an' let de candle burn till one a'clock. Yo' light it at twelve an' let it burn till one, yo' see. An' den if he's away, when dat candle burn out he'll be back, yo' see.
(What kind of candle would you use in a case like that?)
In a case lak dat why yo' use one of dese heah red candles.
Entry 2840
Ah tole yo' ah said, if you wanted a person tuh come to yuh in peace, ah said yo' take dat candle and yo' roll it in sugar. See.
(What candle?)
Well, yo' take a pink candle and a white candle and yo' kin roll that in sugar, and on dose certain hours yo' burn it - jes' like de woman did fo' to bring de fellah back. Now, if you wanta worry a person or jes' like a per- son wanted to do harm to a person or kill a person, dey take a black candle and yo' burn dat black candle at night. Take a jet black candle and put it in yore room and yo' burn it slowly at night, see. An' when dat black candle burn out that makes a person go down - a black candle. But if you wants peace, yo' take a pink or white candle and yo' roll it in Sugar, and whoever name yo' want it to burn on you write it with de name back- wards - de last name yo' write it first, three times around de candle.
Entry 2841
Then ah have seen a candle burning. Ah went to a girl's house and she was showing me. She took pins - she took nine pins and stuck 'em in dis candle slant down and rolled it in sugar. (How do you mean slant down?) Jes' - and dey stuck dose pins all around de candles - slant. (Oh, stuck them down into the candle but the head part was up and the pin went down into the candle.) Then she rolled it in sugar, the whole candle in sugar, and every night at a certain time she say she burnt this candle.
(What color was that candle?)
It was a white candle. It was for peace in de home and to bring her husband with her and make them get along.
(How long would she burn that candle?)
Until he came home. An' it wasn't long..
Entry 2847
If you got a wife and your wife has done left you - you understand what I mean - and you want her to come back to you, you see. You take three white candles, take that woman name and put there - put on that [name the] candle. And if you can, get her underwears or slip, anything like that, slip or drawers and put 'em. Put that, spread that out there, you understand. Take your undershirt and turn it wrong-side out and put it on there, and light them three candles. And in nine days - just keep them candles burning there nine days and nine nights, and I guarantee that woman'll come back to you. (You put the name on just one of those candles or do you put on all three of them?) Put all three of 'em - put it underneath all three of them. Put 'em all three together - that where it supposed to be, underneath all of 'em. [A name is under each candle; the spread-out clothing is beneath the metal container holding the candles.]
Entry 2861
"The black candle, that's tuh bring back. But chew must put de party name on de candle an' turn it upside down. See [demonstrates], writin' de name on de candle dataway, an' cuttin' de end off an' settin' it upside down, an' burnin' dat candle in - if de party like coffee, yo' burn it in coffee; if dey like whiskey, burn it in whiskey; if dey like gin, burn it in gin. Yo' burn dat fo' nine days. If de party don't come back in nine days, yo' git a round candle. Light it once all day - all de time. Dey guaranteed tuh come back. Dat will bring 'em back.
(You burn this candle all the time.)
Jes' be sure dey upside down, because if yo' burn dem straight dat'll keep den on away.
Entry 2871
Dey say if anyone steal anything from you, take dis black candle and write dere name on it nine times and burn it fifteen minutes. Set it in a dark corner in de no'th corner - one in de no'th corner and one in de southeast corner of yere house. An' stick nine pins in it an' nine needles. When you light dis candle call dere name nine times, and burn 'em fifteen minutes six, twelve and six in de evening. An' when you put it out - jest wet it an' put it out like dat [demonstrates].
(Pinch it out.)
Yes.
(And what is that supposed to do then?)
That will make 'em bring those things back if they stole them.
(How many candles do you use?)
Two.
(And you put one in one corner of the house - what corners are those?)
De no'th corner and de southeast jest like heah now [demonstrates].
(Opposite corners. One in the northwest or northeast?)
[Wanting to know whether this was the magic of the diagonal, I purposely avoided the question opposite corners.] Northwest - dat's whut ah would call it.
Entry 2937
Burn 'em on people. (Do you know what they burn or how they do it?) Yo' could burn nine of 'em - nine white candles. Yo' light 'em - don't put 'em 'em Jis' lak if yo' wanta git somebody there, yo' light those nine candles an set'em there an' let 'em burn till they burn down - let 'em burn till dey's out. An' whatevah it is dat chew want - if it somebody come back, yo' goin' have success with them candles. Yo' writes they name, see. Set each one those candle on their name - nine candles - under de nine candles an' set it afiah, an' let 'em burn till dey burn down. They will be on their haid comin' back; when that burns down dey will be there.
Entry 3026
(You burn a green candle?)
And make dem bring it back. Dey can't keep it - dey bring it back, if dey steal something.
(Well, just how do you burn that candle?)
You burn dat candle in a saucer. You sprinkles a little sugar in de saucer, see. And you call and tell dem please tuh bring the things back, or you don't want to stand no trouble or nuthin like dat. And ast de Blessed Mother for to he'p chuh for to bring it back. An' dey bring it back - dey has to sneak it back in yore home.
Entry 3122
[Informant is repeating at my request.] Jes' lak if yo' had a sweetheart an' yo' wanted tuh quit 'er or she wanted tuh guit chew. Ah said, yo' could take de rag, de towel dat chew all wipe wit, an' yo' kin take dat towel an' yo' kin roll it up an' put it undahneat' yore baid. An' if she goes she'll come back.
Entry 3254
Dey tell me if yo' git chew a new piece of homespun an' use fo' him tuh wipe wit, aftah dem be togethah. Take dat piece of homespun an' roll it up tight, an' take it an' put it up ovah de do' or in some dark place, somepin othah. Dat'll bring 'im in - make him come back. He can't have nobody but chew. Say he would come back if he's in New Orleans den.
Entry 3485
If a man leaves yo' an' yo' wants 'im back, de thing about it, yo'll have tuh git in wit 'im an' go tuh bed wit 'im, undahstan'. Well, if yo' go tuh bed wit 'im one time, yo' could buy a halfa yard of yellah homespun cloth an' aftah yo'all finish whut chure doin', yo' kin jes' stick dat yellah home- spun, dat halfa yard of yellah homespun an' wipe him down wit it three times. Yo' undahstand me, wipe him down three times an' git a thin [well-worn] dime from 'im. An' take yore time, take dat yellah homespun cloth to de cornah an' double it. Evah time yo' fold it, fold it towards yo'. An' git a piece of thread an' tie dat an' bury it at chure do'steps. He come right on, straight on back tuh yo'.
(You put that little dime in the corner of this cloth and keep folding it up.)
Towards yo' evah time. [This woman spoke in a whisper all through interview.]
Entry 3489
Take a little grain of hair off 'im an' put a little bit of dat stuff wit it - a little bit of dat stuff, yo' know lak yo' mate togethah, an' tie it up an' make him come back. (You tie it up. What do you do with it then?) Put it roun' yore waist.
Entry 3516
If a man leaves home an' a woman wants a man back, he's easy tuh git back. It's very easy tuh git 'im back. She haven't got anything tuh do but go 'head an' have a intahco'se wit 'im an' when dey have intahco'se wit 'im an' git de measure of 'is, yo' undahstan', an' den she'll tie three knots in dat string an' ca'y [carry] it aroun' 'er waist. Ain't no way in de world he kin git up anothah heart fo' anothah woman. He goin' come back where she is.
Entry 3582
When yore husban' lie down to take his rest, when he git tuh sleep good, git chew a cord string. Git chew a cord string an' take it an' measure it an' tie nine knots in it. (Measure him. Where does she measure him?) Start tuh measure him from de head down to de toe, an' put nine knots in dere, an' take it an' tie it - tie nine knots in dere an' wear it aroun' yore waist.
(What will that do?)
Evah time yo' tie it yo' call 'is name an' tell 'im tuh come back to yo'.
(What are you doing that for, tying those knots for?)
Well, dat's tuh bring him back home.
(Make him stay home?)
He'll stay home when he come back.
Entry 3608
Ah've heard of womens tyin' knots in little strings lak dat an' wearin' fo' menfolkses dat have quit 'em, jes' as yo' spoke 'bout while ago, an' go away. Why yo' kin tie nine knots in a string an' wear it roun' yore waist. Dey claim dat will bring 'em back.
(Do they do anything to the string first?)
Dat's all ah've heard.
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 3841
In case of a man an' 'is wife separatin', well yo' kin set down some- time an' pinch de end of yore fingah or anywhere enough tuh git blood, enough tuh write wit. Git chew a pen an' use it [blood] as a ink, an' write chure name an' 'is name an' weah it right ovah heah, ovah yore lef' side, ovah yore heart. He'll come back.
Entry 3844
Prick yo' fingah an' git chure blood.
(Which finger?)
Dis fingah [demonstrates].
(The finger with the ring on, the ring finger of the left hand.)
Dat's it. Yo' prick it an' yo' git chure blood an' yo' write his name full an' yore [woman'sl name full. Den yo' make three rings aroun' dat wit de blood. An' yo' fold dat papah, yo' know, dis way, de two ends in, an' yo' bury it undah de no'th end of de house. Dat'll bring a person back tuh yo' regardless tuh who it is. It'll make him come back tuh dat pahtic'lah place. Dat'll bring anybody back. (If your husband has left, if you put the two names together.)
Entry 3845
Take de lef' third fingah - dis fingah [demonstrates].
(Which one is that?)
[Informant demonstrates.]
(That's the ring finger, the finger next to the little finger on the left hand.) An' yo' take yo' a needle [demonstrates] an' pick dis fingah till it bleeds, an' yo' would write her name on de top line an' 'is name on de bottom line. Now, jes' say mine, an' draw a small ring aroun' it de first time, an' den one a li'le bit largah, an' de nex' a li'le largah [magic of increasing size] till yo' draw three rings aroun' de names wit yore blood. Den yo' would bury dis papah undah yore do'step. If yo' do dat in de mawnin', why dat night he would come back tuh 'er. He'd stay wit 'er an' wouldn't leave. Jes' de blood from yore lef' fingah.
Entry 3853
I've heard dat if a woman leaves home - I mean a man leaves home, an' de woman wants to make him come back. De biggest idea in dealings such as dat, yo' deal wit de pieces yo' wears - de clothes yo' wears. Yo' takes de man's clothes, but yo' must wanta have an' undahpiece dat he wore. Yo' take dat undahshirt or pajama suit or anything dat de man have worn. Yo' takes it - she'll take dat, I heard, an' she will mix dat wit some of 'er personals. Yo' know vhat dat is?
(No.)
Her monthly personals.
(Her monthly personals. All right.)
Her monthly personals, yo' understan', an' she will take his shirt an' she will wrap it, yo' know, aroun' some of 'er personals. See! An' den she will take dat an' she will dig a hole jes' about undah de centah about where de bed sets [a quincunx]. Dat will be up and undah dere house - see, right in de soil. See, dig a hole down dere an' she'll bury dose two pieces togethah an' it's im- possible fo' him to stay away.
Entry 3930
Yore wife run off from yuh an' yo' kin get holt of some of 'er monthly pieces, yo' take it an' put it between yore innah sole an' yore outside sole of yore shoe. An' yo' kin wear dat an' she'll be undah yo'. She'll have to come back an' be aroun' yo'. She can't stay away, she have to come back - yo' be wearin' dat.
Entry 4073
(Any other way she can make him come back to her?)
She kin do - she take nine needles an' nine pins an' put 'em in a bottle head an' tail, an' call 'is name evah time [she drops a needle or pin]. An' full de bottle full wit 'er chamber lye. An' cork it up tight an' make a fiah an' put dat bottle in de fiah, an' when it bust, call dey name. In 24 hours time he has tuh come tuh 'er runnin' - no mattah where he be, have tuh come tuh 'er.
Entry 4253
Now, if a woman love yo', she kin take yore chamber lye an' put it in a bottle. If yo' go off an' she wants tuh see yo', all she gotta do is turn it upside down, see. Shake it. Well, yo' have tuh come back.
Entry 4258
Git a man's chamber lye an' bottle it up. Cork it up aftah yo' put diff'ren' kin'a roots in it an' piece of yore [menstrual] cloth. Turn it up
[upside down]. Fasten it up, you see. An' when yo' turn it up- side down - an' [then]
yo' put where no one won' find it. Well, if yo' wan' 'im tuh come home - if he runned out an' yo' wan' 'im tuh come, yo' shake it upside down an' turn it. An' of co'se he stays in de house. An' when he goes out, why - yo' don' wanta keep 'im in all de time - when yo' wan' 'im tuh come back, yo'.take it an' shake it up, an' turn it upside down ag'in.
(In other words, if that bottle is upside down, he's to come back to you.)
Yes, keeps 'im upset. Have it already fixed [upside down] dere.
(What kind of roots do you put in that?)
Put John de Conker root.
Entry 4262
She takes dis bottle of sweet watah - she makes it, I mean puts sugah in rain watah an' make it jis' lak syrup. She puts dat name in dere an' she shakes it up. She take dis bottle an' she put it bottom up, or eithah she put it on de side of de bed where he used tuh lay, an' he comin' back. Any time she take an' shake it up he comin' back. Or, eithah she could take his urine an' she could jis' - she gits a small tin lamp an' she takes 'is name an' she sets it in dere. She writes 'is name nine times. Write it [demonstrates] dis way an' she turns it [sheet of paper] dere, she write backwa'd an' fo'ward dataway. An' she always puts 'er name on de top.
(These are written in cross fashion?)
[Not names crossing at right angles in form of a cross, but his name is writ- ten 9 times, one under the other; then the sheet is turned and her name is writ- ten across his names. In this fashion names are written backwa'd an' fo'ward.] Yes sir. See, when she folds it, she folds it tuh her an' she sticks in dis- got to be a little small lamp - tin lamp. An' she drops it down in dere an' she lights de lamp an' she speak tuh dis lamp. [Small lamp rites are common in New Orleans, many of them scattered through text.] An' in three days - nine days be de longest - he will be back.
(WHAT DOES SHE DO WITH HIS URINE?)
She puts it in a bottle. She takes it an' she shakes it up dataway, wit 'is name in dere.
(I See, THE SAME AS WITH THE SUGAR WATER?)
Yes.
Entry 4264
[Well now, ah'm gon'a tell yuh, if a woman has got a man an' she loves dat man, an' if he's a runabout man. A woman would take de chambah an' she wouldn't use it, she let yo' [man] use it, yo' see. An' also might be dat same night when she gon'a turn dis trick, she'll let chew fool wit 'er, see. An' she'll take dat certain rag an' she'll take dat chamber lye an' put it in a bottle. An' take dat certain rag - see, dat certain piece yo' see - wet dat rag an' squeeze all dat [semen] in dere [into bottle]. An' take nine needles ag'in an' put intuh dat same bottle. An' she wouldn't fasten dat bottle while yo' awake, yo' see. She'll let chew go tuh sleep first, see, but she'll [have] a good stoppah an' have it right to de mouth of dat bottle. An' she'll come an' wake yo', say, "So-an'-so!" an' 'So-an'-so!'. An' den yo' say, "Whut chew want?" She hit dat bottle an' stop it down dere airtight, an' yo' kin go fur as New York City - an' ah bet chew money - an' she take dat bottle an' shake it up lak dat, an' turn it down in her trunk, yo'd be back home tuh 'er.
(When she turns it upside down?)
Yes sir, in her trunk.
Entry 4273
Although I could have indexed this rite under 9 DAYS, or NAME, or UPSIDE DOWN, I chose SIFTING, a magic action, because there are several examples of it in HOODOO. My early recordings in Mobile not being good, I asked some of the better informants to return a second time. The following rite is given in the original and revised version:] Original version: Say, fo' ninstance someone is away an' yuh want dis person. Yuh wanta know wha' chew do wit dat? [I probably nod yes.] Dis person, if dey come back an' spen' de night wit chew, git chew a clean slop jar - it's not where dey kin go out [outside] chew know. Yuh be careful yuh don't use it yuhself. An' yuh let 'em use dis an' den on de nex: mawnin' yuh git a ole-time siftah. [Sifter is a magic object, sifting or straining a magic action.] Yuh see, dese ole roun' siftahs de kind dat yuh turn.
(The old-fashioned hand sifter - flour sifter.)
Dat's right. Yuh git some othah bucket or pail an' yuh strain dis. Take dis out an' strain it fo' nine times.
(You pour this chamber lye through this sifter nine times.)
Dat's right, fo' nine mawnin's. An' den yuh po' dat out intuh a bottle an' yuh dig a place undah yuh back steps. Yuh put it in a bottle jis' enough tuh hol' dat amount, an' yuh turn it on de head. Put a cork stoppah in it, yuh un- dahstan', an' turn it on de head an' bury dat. An' dat person will nevah leave dere till yuh take dat up. Revised version: Jis' like if a person is away an' yuh want 'em tuh return, Xuh use yuh slop jar. Wash it clean an' jis' use it yuhself fo' nine mawnin's, an' yuh use an old siftah - one of dese big roun' ones. An' yuh set ovah dat [sifter and slop jar] an' strain dat each time fo' nine times. An' den aftah de ninth mawnin', yuh write dis person's name on a piece of parchment papah. Put it intuh a bottle an' turn it - no, yuh firs' place, if yuh have a piece of dere ole sock or undah- weah or anythin' like wherevah dere's perspiration. If it is undah de armpits, yuh cut dat out an' put it in dis bottle, an' put dat name on dat parchment an stick it in dere, an' yuh turn it on its head. Put it in yuh closet or some place where no one will disturb it, an' leave it. Dey will return.
(What do you do with this chamber lye then?)
Yuh put de parts of de sock or whatevah yuh get.
(You put that in the chamber lye don't you? What do you do that for?)
Well, dat has some kin'a peculiah effect - ah don't know.
(Oh! You don't put that in the bottle?)
Yes, ah think dat chew put dat in de bottle, but chew put dis cloth in it. (NOW, DID YOU SAY YOU SIT OVER THE STRAINER? YOU RELIEVE YOURSELF THROUGH THIS SIFTER?) Dat's right. Comparison of versions: [Several days separated the two preceding versions. We learn here as well as elsewhere, that a person proficient in hoodoo does not repeat rites word for word. There are many ways to rearrange even the same material. Besides, numerous in- formants tell us about various methods to accomplish the same end. In our second version the woman's, not the male victim's urine is used. Her urine will serve the same purpose, drawing power, by writing his name on a piece of parchment and dropping it into the bottled urine. This time she does not pour the urine through a flour sifter with a handle; she lays a round hand sifter - large wooden hoop with wire screening on one side - on the chamberpot and squats over it to relieve herself. Her urine passing through the sifter protects it against countermagic. For good measure his perspiration in a piece of his old clothing is added. Instead of burial, the bottle is hidden in a closet.]
Entry 4298
Ah heard dat yuh kin take a man's undahweah, his dirty undahweah an' yuh kin wash it in yore pee, see, an' den fold it up. Yuh take de sleeves an' yuh fol' dis sleeve, fold it in, an' yuh take dis sleeve an' fold it on top of dat. Den yuh take it an' fold it tuhgethah, turn it ovah tuhgethah an' roll it up, an' put 'em undah yuhr mattress an' sleep on it. Dat is, if he's gone away from home, dat will bring 'im back.
Entry 4302
If a man leave home an' she wants 'im back tuh 'er, she kin take his clothes. If he leave any garment dere, shoes an' clothes, an' [she] take dose clothes an' put 'em undah de haid of de baid, an' some of 'er urinate an' sprinkle it ovah de clothes, sleep on it, in three days he'll be home.
Entry 4305
She kin take dose, take his socks or undahweah an' some of 'er urinate an' bur' it. Dat will bring 'em back. Or eithah de hatban' or any of 'is close weahin' dat touch 'is skin.
Entry 4316
She kin take 'is urinate an' In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' she kin take it an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up real tight, an' bury it undah de do'step, an' when he go he have tuh come back.
Entry 4320
Yuh kin take it - yuh git hole dove [hold of] a person's urine. Now, tuh git hold of a person's urine, yuh walk up tuh a person dat yuh like an' yuh wan' 'em. If it's a woman an' yuh wan' 'em, yuh git a holt of 'er urine an' yuh puts it in a bottle. If de bottle is full, po' half it out. When yuh po' de half out, don't po' it in one place; po' it an' try tuh scattah it, yuh see. Scattah it an' den yuh urine on top of 'er urine [in the bottle]. Yuh stop dat up in dat bottle as tight as yuh kin. Bury it - aftah yuh tighten it, yuh bury it. An' when yuh bury dis, be sure yuh got it buried where no heat can't git tuh it atall. Keep it dere. An' don' let it git no air, an' yuh want all de east [= yeast = fermenting power] dat dere is tuh it. Now - an' evah day aftah yuh bear [bury] it, de third day aftah yuh bear dis, yuh go back an' yuh screw up on [unscrew] de top jis' a very little, see. Den yuh covah it back up. Yuh goin' tuh meet dis woman, see. When yuh meet 'er, she goin' tuh pass yuh, but she goin' tuh have a kin'a funny fellin' den. Huh min will be wondahin' back tuh yuh grajly [gradually]. De nex' day, yuh go an' yuh unscrew it ag'in a little bit. Yuh goin' tuh meet dat woman ag'in. If yuh don't meet 'er dat day, yuh'll meet 'er dat night; an' if yuh don' see 'uh, she's goin tuh ast somebody fuh yuh, see. An' yuh jis' keep on lettin' - unscrewin' dat bottle an' lettin' air outa it like dat. De air'll come out when yuh unscrew it. Yuh don' have tuh unscrew it all de way - jis' a little, see. An' she'll come back. But befo' she come tuh yuh, she's goin' tuh come wit some kind'a jealousy towards yuh 'bout somebody else, see. Well, yuh gonna try tuh explain yuhself, yuh undahstan', tuh 'er. But she's comin' back tuh yuh. But she's comin' in a funny way tuh yuh, yuh undahstan'. Well, yuh know what it's all about, but [because] yuh got it fixed dataway. Well, prob'ly it may be de las' day. Well, de las' day yuh go, yuh take dat stoppah off dat bottle altuhgethah; an' de nex' night, if she don' come home da nex' mawnin', she be home sure da' nex' night. Now, when she come home, yuh take dat bottle an' dump it right in dat same hole where yuh have it buried. Jis' dump dat urine right in dat hole, an' lay de bottle down flat in dere, an' covah it up an' let it stay dere. An' yuh won't have no mo' trouble wit 'er, an' she won't leave no mo'. [Informant starts out with a rite to catch any woman but truns it into one bringing a woman back home.]
Entry 4502
Well, yuh take dat [bath water] an' throw a little of it behin' ieh evah time yuh leave. It'll draw yuh back. [There is a considerable amount of material about throwing articles behind you - when leaving for court, etc.]
Entry 4515
If a man lef' home an' yuh kin fine [find] any one of de hats dat he have wore, or any of 'is undahclothes, yuh take it an' cut chew a piece off it. A woman kin do dat, cut a piece off it, an' tie: it up in a red little cloth. Put a white piece of cloth ovah it an' sew it up an' tote it in yuh pocket. An' by an' by dis man will come back home an' he won't know how he come back home. Jes' come right on back to yuh.
Entry 4518
Or dey kin take de sweatban' [whole or piece?] out chure hat an' wear it indey shoe. Wear it evah day in yuh right shoes an' he'll have tuh come back.
Entry 4520
If yuh have a girl fren' an' yuh love her an' she didn't seems tuh care very much fo' yuh, why yuh could sometime in goin' roun' 'er, an' git a chance tuh git 'er hat. Take de ban' from roun' 'er hat. Take de band from roun' 'er hat an' git a piece she's wearin' close tuh 'er. Take it an' some of 'er hair from a [below]. Yuh kin git chance tuh make a date wit 'er an' git some of 'er hair from roun' 'er. An' take it an' wrap it up in a piece of red flannel an' wear it nex' tuh yuh skin. Why den she come back tuh live wit chew.
(What piece of clothing do you get?)
Git de seat out of 'er drawahs. (And the hair from down below. That will make you have power over her.)
Entry 4575
Dey take de hat an' take dat ban' out of it.
(The band or the little bow?)
Yeah de little bow, jes' right heah [demonstrates]. Dat's a ole hat ah been hangin' up dere. Dey take dat little bow an' dey will take it an' cut fo' prongs intuh - dey cut fo' prongs intuh dis heah newspapah, jes' like dat little bow is [this makes an X or a cross]. Dey'll cut it jes like dat an den dey'll wrop dat in dere tight. Well, when dey wrop dat in dere, well, dey'll git some diff'ren' stuff an' put in dere an' dat'll make me go back. See, jes' like if I quit 'er, dat'll make me come back. She'll take it an' put it - take it an' sling it aroun' 'er wais' an' she's got me right off. See.
(By cutting out the four prongs, do you mean cutting all of that - like an X?)
Yeah, jes' an X - jes' like a X like dat.
Entry 4623
Dey take dat bow an' dey put it in a bag. Yuh know, jes' git a piece of cloth an' sew it up, an' dey put dat bow in dere. An' dey git a piece of asafetadee an' a piece of dis John de Conker root an' put dat in dere. An' make a little bag out of it, tie a string on it an' wear it aroun' dere stomach or eithah roun' dere navel, an' yuh'll nevah stay way from 'em - yuh always come back.
Entry 4708
Yuh take de little bow. Yuh take de little bow an', if they kin git it out of dere jis' as it's in, dey take dat bow an' dey'll make what chew call a twist. Yuh see, if dey kin twist it like dey want, tuh keep from tyin' it, dey'll twist it. An' if dey kin git de edges, de ends, de way dey want it, dey take dem ends an' dey twists until dey cut - till dat end is jis' as thin as one stran' of yore hair, jis' by twisting it, but it'll be locked. [The weave of the bow will still be there, twisted into one thin string.] It'll be locked an' yuh twist till it gits thin as one stran' of yore hair. Now, if yuh leave [you do leave] a hole in between, see [demonstrates].] Now, yuh leave dat hole in between dere an' yuh take an' yuh git yuh a stick, an' yuh cut dat stick as roun' as yuh kin an' yuh put dat hair [twisted bow] on dat stick. When yuh put dat hair [twisted bow] on dat stick, yuh put it in de centah of de stick. Put dat hair [twisted bow] in de centah of dat stick an' carry it tuh where dey got runnin' watah, an' yuh take an' yuh hang - yuh git chew a string an' yuh put it on each end of de stick an' yuh let it hang in dat runnin' watah, but don't sink, yuh see. Evah day yuh go dere, evah twenty-fo' hours, see, yuh go dere. When yuh go, yuh let down on dat, see. Yuh let it down evah time - evah twenty-fo' hours yuh go an' yuh let it down until de length of yore thread would give out, which would be about two feets of string dat yuh would have on each end of de stick. See. An' when dat thread give out, yuh see, yuh go an' yuh give de same party dat yuh got dere hair [twisted bow] you git dem, an' yuh carry 'em jis' about two blocks tuh dis runnin' watah. See. Well, when yuh carry dem de two blocks tuh dis runnin' watah where yuh got dere hair at - see, dey goin' tuh go wit chew all right, dey'll have good intentions. Dey'll go, but when dey git jis' about two blocks from dere, dey ain't goin' tuh go. Dis party, dey goin' tuh turn aroun' an' come back. See. Now, when dey come back, yuh know yuh got 'em den. Dey goin' tuh come back. Don't beg 'em, don't force 'em tuh go at all. If dey want tuh come back, let 'em come back, but dey goin' tuh come back dere own indi- vidual self. Dey'll come back demself tuh see what it's all about. Dey'll jis' have - yuh want tuh lead 'em tuh come back, see. An' dey'll go dere an' dey'll set. Set right dere an' dey goin' tuh wondah maybe fo' days an' days, jis' stay dere wit'out nuthin tuh eat or nuthin, maybe prob'ly sleep. People will be won- dahin' where dey at, wondahin' what's de mattah, tellin' 'em dey're makin' a tramp of yoreself an' all sech things as dat, but dey won't know what it's all about, see. But dey'll stay dere as long as dat hair is dere an' until he die. He would not move from dere - starve tuh death.
[I stop recording to ask a question or two, then start machine again.]
I'm got it on a stick.
(The little bow from the hat?)
Yes, I'm got it on a stick, see.
(What about the hair?)
I'm talkin' about de bow of hair - yuh see, de hair an' de bow.
(Talking about the hair and the bow?)
I'm got it wrapped up on de stick, yuh see. I'm got it wrapped up an' I'm got a hole in dere an' I'm got de stick. Yuh see here?
(Yes.)
I'm got dat stick 'tween dat dataway an' I've thread on each end of it - jis' about two [feet on each end].
(You've got hair in that bow?)
I'm got de hair in dere.
(Oh!)
Yes.
(And did you put a hole in the stick or did you split the stick?)
De stick is not split, I'm only got de stick. Yuh see like dis here ridge in mah fingah [demonstrates]. I'm got de stick. I only got a ridge [groove] jis' all de way round it dataway.
(I see.)
An' I'm got thread on each end of it. See [demonstrates], on each end I'm got jis' about two feets of thread - on each end of de stick. (And you hold the stick over the water and it swings? You hold it and it swings over the water?) Yes, jis' let it swing. But evah twenty-fo' hours, evah twenty-fo' hours, go dere an' lowah it down until de two yards - or rathah de fo' yards of thread is gived out. Undahstan' (I see. YOU HAVE THIS BOW WRAPPED AROUND THAT STICK THEN? THAT YOU LOWERED DOWN IN THE WATER?) Yes, sir.
(I see.)
[This informant is not lying, he has a confused mind - often from long addic- tion to alcohol. Versions of this rite - lowering or floating objects in running Water - occur elsewhere in HOODOO.]
Entry 4720
If she kin git any of 'is clothes dat he weah, she kin git 'im back. Now, if he done lef' home an' aftah he lef' home, if she want 'im back - she feel dat he didn't do right, an' she try tuh git'im back. She'll take de seat of 'is undahweah an' cut dat out an' den she'll fold it, blow 'er breath on it an' fold it. An' she'll sit down - wheresomevah he may be or where he live - if she writes 'im. She'll heah where he at, she'll git 'im a lettah. He's gotta git de lettah. She'll go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er some love powdahs an' put in dat lettah. An' den she'll fol' dat piece an' weah it undah 'er right-foot shoe, nex' tuh 'er flesh between 'er stockin' an' 'er shoe. An' five days from de day he sees dat lettah, he'll come home. (She puts the love powder in this letter, and she wears this piece of the drawers in her shoe.) Yes, in 'er right-foot shoe.
Entry 4722
Anybody you love is away and you want to bring them back, just burn a piece of his clothes and he'll come back. You take some clothing next to his skin. [Newport News, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 4729
If dey's workin' wit chure wife, dey kin git chew back, becuz if dey git any of yore ole socks or undahweah pieces, why she kin have dem tuh bring yuh back home. Yuh jis' cain't he'p yuh'self.
(How do they do that? Bury them, you say?)
Bury 'em.
(As you told me before?)
Yes.
Entry 4732
Well, jis' lak yuh would have a lady fren' - yuh undahstan' whut ah mean. She would ran off from yuh, but she'd be in de neighbahhood in de town some place - yuh know whut ah mean. Well, if it wuz possible yuh could git a pa'r of 'er step-ins - yuh undahstan' whut ah mean. Well, yuh would take dose step-ins an' yuh take intuh de laig, well about dat fur. Yuh take yore razor blade or knife an' yuh cut a hole roun' intuh it. Yuh would take 'cordin' tuh how many sills undah de house, maybe it be three or maybe it be five or six. Anyway it would be, yuh would have tuh put it in de centah of dat house. Undah- stan' whut ah mean. Well, yuh would bury dat, well dey say about six inches. Well, yo'd go tuh any hardware place an' git chew one dose ole nickel [5 cents!] files, an' right in de centah of de file - dose nickel files whut chew use tuh file de knife wit. Git one dose nickel files. Ah guess it would be 'bout dat long. Well, in bearin' [buryin'] dat, it gotta be in de centah of dat hole yuh dug wit dat. Drive it down an' leave jis' about dat much on top, an' in de run of 13 days, if she's livin' an' could walk, she come back.
(You just peg this file down with this piece of round cloth from her step-in?)
Dat's right.
(And you bury it under the center of the house?)
Right undah de centah of de house. In de run of thirteen days, ah guarantee yuh, she'll return.
Entry 4741
Well, yuh see, if yuh leave yore undahsuit dere an' yuh jis' pulled it off an' she have nevah washed it, well she kin take dat an' she kin take deundah- suit an' eithah do dis. She kin git de undahsuit. An' yuh see where it is sewed up in de seat, see where, right where it fits right tight on yuh. She kin take dat an' cut de seat out of it, an' hang it right up ovah de do' where yuh bin goin' in an' comin' out. An' in nine mawnin's time yuh'll be right back dere wit 'er.
Entry 4742
Dey take a piece of yuh undahweah an' put it ovah de sill of yuh front do'. No mattah where yuh go yuh always will be comin' back tuh dat house de same as yuh footprints did.
Entry 4761
Well, ah've heard ag'in, if yuh've got a man away an' yuh want 'im tuh come back tuh yuh, an' he leaves some of 'is clothes dere, said yuh take clothes tuh make him be on 'is haid. Put de clothes - put 'is undahweah an' 'is shirt, put de haid of it down towards 'is feet [dem- onstrates]. (On the bed?) Yessuh, yuh've gotta lay on dere yuh see. Put it down dere tuhwards 'is feet. Dey take his undah- weah an' take de bottom part - take de laigs of it an' put 'em up tuhwards de haid of de baid, an' let de body go down tuhwards it. Den yuh take his socks an' yuh take one an' bring it 'cross dis way an' let it be tuh de front of de baid.
(The head of the bed?)
No suh, de front. Yuh see - listen. Heah's whut ah mean. Now, yuh layin down dat way.
(Here's the bed. This is the head and that's the foot?)
Yessuh, now yuh lie dat sock dat way.
(Which is the foot and which way does the other part of the sock point?)
De foot part of de sock goes at de haid.
(That points to the head of the bed?)
De toe goes tuh de haid of de baid. Den heah comes de othah, de mouth of de sock, yuh know, where yuh put chure foot in. Let it be out tuh de front [demon- strates].
(One sock crosses the other.)
Yessuh. An' den aftah doin' dat. Let's see - man's sock, undahweah an' de top-shirt. Dat, she might lay in it, an' de rest of 'em yuh lay on top of 'em. Don't put a thing on top of 'em but a sheet. Den befo' yo' git in baid, make yore wishes. Put one needle up an' de othah one cross at de haid [demonstrates], 'tween de haid. Lak dis is de haid of de baid, put it down in dere, in between in dere. Don't let it git down by yore haid, but let it be up above.
(At the top of the head of the bed, you cross two needles.)
Yessuh. An' so yuh lay on dose things, an' ah think she said, in nine days he would come home.
Entry 4762
If yuh leave home an' she got yore undahclothes, de sweat of yore clothes - co'se she got it. When it's clean, she cain't do nuthin wit it. But if she got de sweat off yore clothes, yore undahsuit, she put it between de two mattress. She spread de suit out an' she lay on it - sleeps on it evah night, yuh see. An' yore sock, yore left-foot sock go dis way an' heel go dis way. An' yuh'll come back home.
(Well, how do you mean your "left-foot sock goes off this way?")
Yuh see, yuh put - yuh turn - yuh put a sock dis way an' de othah one dis way. Yuh see.
(You put one sock this way and?)
An' de othah one dataway, yeah. An' yore undahsuit spreads out jis' lak yuh were layin' in de baid. She sleep on dat.
(Where do you put the socks?)
The sock?
(Where does she put those socks?)
She puts 'em right up, lay 'em right at de bottom of yore foot.
(Oh, she puts them right at the bottom of your feet.)
Of the undahsuit, yes. An' dat'll bring - dat'll bring yuh back home. Yuh'll always be stayin' by home. (She puts one sock this way at the foot of the underwear, and the other one right here?) Dat's right.
(And puts them together like that.)
Entry 4763
Ah've heard a woman say dey, she would jis' give him aplenty tuh eat an' take his clothes, keep his clothes, an' put 'em undahneat' de bed by 'er where she could lay on 'em, or somepin like dat. Keep 'em warm an' he would come back home. (What clothes would she take?) Such a' undahweah, socks.
Entry 4764
If she got 'is bottom piece of 'is pants an' lay 'em in yore bed jis' same as a man layin' down 'sleep. An' say he shore will come back. An' take his undahweah an' put it between de mattress, or lay on 'em evah night 'tween de sheet an' de mattress, an' dey say he shore will come back.
Entry 4765
Anothah thing she do. Take his clothes, eithah his undah piece an' put in de baid iis' lak he got 'en on, undahneat' de mattress, an' call dey name nine times. Wherevah dey may be, dey git troubled an' dey gotta come back home.
Entry 4766
Ef, jis' like now, ef yuh husban' quit cha, go off an' don't wan' cha. Well, ef he lef' any his dirty clothes, why yuh kin take dem clothes an' yuh kin sleep on 'em, an' yuh call 'is name all de time. An' in de nighttime, ef he lef' any old shoes, take dem shoes an' yuh put 'em undah de haid of de baid, an' yuh turns 'em roun', yuh know, diff'ren' time, an' call 'is name an' he comes back. He come back.
(How do you mean turn them around?)
Cuz ah've did dat once.
(Those shoes, what do you mean you turn them around?)
Jis' like ef dere undah de dressah dere [points to dresser in the room], yuh move 'em from undah de dressah an' put 'em undah de baid. An' yuh call 'is name an' make 'im come back.,
Entry 4769
If a person steal somepin from yuh an' yuh figure dat he got it, if yuh kin git 'is sock or 'is shirt - dat's true, ah know. Yuh git eithah one of 'em, if yuh kin git it. Yuh turn it wrongside out an' regardless tuh where it is, if: it's tuh mah house or wheresomevah it is, jis' turn it wrongsides. out an' put it up undah de baid an' he'll bring it back. But chew got'a git whut he wear - jis' git whut he wears.
Entry 4780
She git 'is undahweah, tie nine knots in it, an' put it undah 'er pil- lah. She kin make him come back. [Wilmington, N. Car., (334), 273:7+85.] [This cylinder, 273:7, appears with informant No.268 on p.215 of HooDoO, beginning, "One time I was cunjured, I was about sixteen years old." Knots do not appear. This is the first conflict of cylinder numbers I have found in HOODOO.]
Entry 4788
Now, if ah an' mah husban' git tuh disagree an' he leave me. Jis' lak he leave his undahclothes dere or somepin dirty, well, ah tell yuh whut ah'll do wit dat. Ah'll take dat an' - ah'll take dat an' fold it jis' lak, jis' lak it be yore shorts. Mos'ly [mostly] mens weah shorts. If yuh leave dat dirty dere, ah'll take it an' weah it between mah laigs an' in nine day's time he be back dere - bring 'im right back.
Entry 4799
If she gone an' leave yuh, if she leave any she clothes in dere.lak a dress or petticoat, lak dat, jis' take an' ball it up, an' put it 'neat' [beneath] chure pillah. An' she will come back less dan three day's time, if she able to.
Entry 4809
Usely [usually] women do dat tuh keep dere husban's at home. Men do dat tuh keep dere wives at home. Dey cut a piece of dere shirttail an' stick it in a cologne bottle or vaseline jar, or bo' a hole in a tree an' put it back in dat tree. An' no mattah wherevah yuh goes, yuh'll have tuh come back tuh dat same place dat dat shirt is in dat tree. If yuh go tuh New York, yuh won' stay long. If yuh go tuh Atlanta, yuh won' stay long. Wherevah he goes, he won' be dere satisfied until he returns tuh dat place where dat stuff is in dat tree.
Entry 4822
Take a piece of 'is undahgarment an' wear it in 'er left shoe an' he'll come back home tuh 'er.
Entry 4824
Lak yuh got'a a gurl - or yore loved one or yore wife - an' dey fin'ly [finally] pull off from yuh an' leaves yuh. Yuh kin take any garment she wear nex' tuh 'er an' put it undah yore baid. Take an' spit on it an' put it undah yore baid. (What do you do with it first?) Spit on it, jis' spit all ovah it an' put it undah yore baid. Well, she'll come. Ah tried dat mahself. An' she'll come back tuh yuh. But chew have tuh have de one dat she wear nex' tuh 'er, lessen [unless (you have)] 'er hat or 'er socks or 'er stockin's. Yuh know, somepin lak dat. She comin' back tuh yuh.
Entry 4869
She'll git sompin dat he wore tuh 'im. An' she git a piece of 'is undahweah, anythin', an' she'll take [and] she wrop it, fold it up. An' she'll take a piece of silk, black thread, an' she'll wrop it tuh 'er 365 times. An' she gits three sticks from de pins [3 stick pins from a new package of pins]. She stick one dat way [demonstrates] an' one dat Way, an' take an' wrop 'em comin' back toward 'er.
(She sticks one in the side of this package?)
Sticks one right lak dat, an' turn aroun' an' stick de othah one right lak dat, an' stick de othah one right by dat one, an' turn 'em back right lak dat [demonstrates].
(Two of them are turned back toward her. Then what does she do with that?)
Put it right in front of de house in a safe place an' call 'is name. Tell 'im tuh come back. Call 'is name three times an' tell 'im tuh come back, come back, [come back].
Entry 4902
Kin take yore left-foot sock an' bury it up undah de steps, undah de first step. Dig yuh a little round hole an' bury it up undah de steps. Dat's good too. Dat'll make yore husban' come back.
(Do you use his sock or yours?)
Use his sock, his ief'-foot sock.
Entry 4903
Ah say yuh could take dat stockin', dat left one - take it an' bury it right at de steps where yuh have tuh go in an' come out, an' let it stay dere fo' nine days. An' if she's prob'ly gone outta dere, yuh an' her's ona bust - if she's gone away an' yuh wan' 'er back, by yuh's buryin' dat sock right down dere, she'll shore come back.
Entry 4908
Kin take yore lef-foot sock an' bury it up undah de steps, undah de first step. Dig yuh a little round hole an' bury it up undah de steps. Dat's good too. Dat'll make yore husban' come back. (Do you use his sock or yours?) Use his sock, his lef'-foot sock.
Entry 4937
Ef she has any dealin's wit dis man an' he leaves home, of co'se she kin take his socks or anythin' dat he wears nex' tuh 'im an' take de sweat from 'is thin's, see. All right, she would take 'is dirty sock an' fill it wit salt, an' lay it intuh de chimley hearth an' put a brick on it, see. An' ef she leaves it dere, he may be gone for some days; but he won' stay away, he'll come back.
Entry 4953
If it's yore wife or husban' or anythin' lak dat gone, den yuh take dat sock an' yuh tie it in three knots. An' name it De Father an' de Son an' de Holy Spirit. An' yuh put it up somewhere in yore house in a secret place, an' dey'll return if dey gone. An' if dey air [are] deah an' raisin' confusion wit yuh dere'll be peace.
(Do you take either sock or both of them?)
Well, yuh kin take one if yuh cain't git holt of both of 'em.
Entry 4961
Ah'll tell yuh whut ah know 'bout dat - tain't whut ah heered. Ah got a sistah an' 'er husban' lef' 'er. He wuz atter [after] othah wimmins an' he jis' got so fur gone till he went off from 'er. An' she took eithah of 'is socks jis' lak he pulled 'em off, an' she pulled a thread out from de hollah of 'is foot. An' she tied it in nine knots, tied it fo' nine mawnin's.
(Nine knots each morning or one knot a morning?)
One knot a mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's, an' de ninth mawnin' he come home dat night.
(She took a thread out of both of them or one of them?)
One, jis' 'is right stockin'.
Entry 4962
Yuh kin take a woman's stocking an' tie it in nine knots an' put it in a coffee can with live lodestone an' powdered alum an' a lick of dis heah Hearts Own Cologne an' one needle, sewin' nee- dle, an' yuh kin stop dat [coffee can] back up, an' yuh kin tie her dere jis' like she's lef' yuh an' she had come back. She'll stay dere jis' as long as dat, stay dere until dat stockin' molt away in dat can. [A lick of Hearts Own Cologne sounds unusual, even though lick can mean a small quantity. Previously I had never heard of a lick of perfume! Hearts Own here sounds like heartshorn, a pronunciation that confused me when I first started working in the South. I have discussed this elsewhere.]
(What do you do with that can?)
Well, yuh kin place it in yore trunk. Put it in yore trunk or any place like dat, yuh know, safe keepin' where nobody won't harm it.
Entry 4975
Take a woman's stockin' whut she done dirtied, yuh know, wit sweat on lak dat yuh know.
(You take the woman's stocking?)
Yes, sir, wit de sweat on dere an' put it in de baid where yuh sleept. An' sleep on it an' dat will make her come back tuh yuh. An' tie it roun' yuh an' yuh sweat against it, an' dat will make her come back tuh yuh. (Both stockings?) One - don't need but one, eithah one.
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 5030
If yuh got a sweetheart an' he's gone away an' yuh wan' 'im tuh come back tuh yuh, yuh git 'is sock an' tie it tuh de east cornah of yore baid an' let it be swingin'. Keep it swingin' an' yuh make yore wishes. Finally, he'll come back, an' long as yuh keep dat sock swingin', his mind is on yuh. Yuh hang up eithah one of 'is socks long as it sompin of 'is.
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 5061
(What was that?) She kin take a needle [2 of them] an' a bottle of vinegah, jis' a pure bottle of vinegah, & an' she turn aroun' an' cut de toe off 'is sock. An' [she] pin dem two needles in 'is sock an' put it intuh dat vinegah. An' [she] put it down, turn it down, bottom up, underneat' 'er mattress on de floor. An' he'll come back.
(I see. You put two needles?)
Two needles.
(You drop two needles in the bottle?)
No, in de toe of 'is sock. Yuh pin 'em in de toe of 'is sock, an' put dat vinegah intuh dat bottle, an' drop dat [sock] down. Twist it so it kin go down in dat bottom, till it git tuh de bottom, an' den turn it up on its haid undah 'er baid. Well, he comin' back home.
Entry 5072
[Wash his] sock an' rench [rinse] it out, put de watah in a bottle an' put sugah an' cinnamon in it. An' shake it like dat [demonstrates] an' call 'is name nine times. An' turn it upside down an' he'll come back.
(The man'll come back to this woman, but where'll she put the bottle?)
Well, yuh kin set it in a cornah.
Entry 5078
Tuh run 'im away, throw 'is lef'-footed sock in runnin' watah an' name it, as she threw it. Throw it ovah 'er lef' shouldah an' name it. Dat'll drive him away. He'll nevah come back.
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 5092
Den, if yuh got a fambly [family] an' she gone away from yuh an' yuh wan' 'er tuh come back, yuh take her shoes - both shoes, her ole pair of shoes - an' yuh kin burn it de same as yuh do's de ashes. An' yuh put 'em in a pan an' put 'em undahneath' de baid, an' in nine days time she'll come back home. Ah know dat.
Entry 5116
Yuh kin take a man's shoe, yuh kin take one of 'is ole shoes, jis' lak yuh got some steps dat yuh come up, lak yuh got stair [door] steps, if yuh kin git undah dem stair steps [doorsteps], yuh bury dat shoe in de ground. Put salt in dat shoe an' bury it in de ground. He'll be back dere.
(Either shoe?)
Eithah shoe.
(You don't bury it any particular way? Just so that you bury it?)
Yuh bring it back [point it towards the house], den he's gotta come back. Git 'im so he'll cross ovah dat shoe an' he cain't stay away. Dat shoe will bring 'im back.
Entry 5151
Dey say, jis' like a person go off an' yuh wan' 'em back, say yuh take dey shoes an' chunk it ovah - go outdo's an' chunk it clean ovah de house. An' den take it an' bring it roun' in de house, yuh know, an' bring it in de front do'. An' dey say dey will come back.
(Do you throw both shoes over?)
Jes' de one.
(Either one?)
De right-foot shoe.
Entry 5154
Yuh could take a person's shoe. Yuh could take dat shoe an' nail it up in de centah of de house, if de individual away an' yuh wan' dem back. Yuh kin take dat shoe an' nail it up in de direct CENTAH OF DE ROOM, an' dat will draw 'em back.
Entry 5162
She take dat [inner sole of either] shoe [of the man] an' put dat in hot watah an' soak it, an' put dat in a bottle. An' dey say aftah she puts it in a bottle, she puts some cotton in dere wit it, an' den take de cotton an' let de cotton dry. An' she wears dat, an' dat'll bring 'im back - on 'er laig or eithah in 'er bloomahs.
Entry 5175
[Your left shoe] an' it's wore out an' yuh wanta half sole it, or yuh wanta put a whole sole on it, well she git de whole part of it, but she git it from de inside, not out- side. She git it from de inside, an' wit a piece of pastebo'd, an' den she cuts it. An' den she writes 'is name on it.
(On this pasteboard?)
Yes, sir. She writes it on dere an' she.bury it undah de steps, an' dat man's got'a come back. He cain't stay away.
(How many times does she write the name on there, just once?)
Wrote it nine times on dere.
(I see.)
Nine diff'ren' ways she write it on dat sole an' he got'a come back.
Entry 5201
Well, yo' kin take de shoes an' burn 'em an' dey'll come back.
(Both the shoes?)
Yes, burn shoes.
(After you burn them what do you do?)
Yo'jes' burn 'em wit salt. If yo' jes' take salt an' sprinkle it behin' a person dey will leave. Den yo' kin take de shoes an' burn 'em wit salt an' dey'll come back. [Burning the shoes with salt - both burning and salt - breaks the spell cast that send the person away.]
Entry 5221
If yore wife or anyone is gone 'way from yo', yo'll take dat shoe an' scrape de toe out of it wit yore pocketknife, on de inside. (Both shoes or just one?) Well, one of 'em will do - eithah one. An' yo' take dat scrapin' an' yo' put dat in a bottle an' yo' bury dat. Dat will turn dem aroun' - turn 'em back tuh yo'.
(Do you bury that bottle in any particular way or just any old way?)
Well, yo' should bury dat bottle tuh de sunrise.
Entry 5231
Jes' lak if yo' an' a man separated, an' dey say dat if yo' kin git 'is lef'-foot of 'is shoe, an' take it out in de back yard an' burn de shoe wit sul- phur, dat he would came back. (Take the left sole, the whole shoe?) Yes sir, jes' de whole shoe an' turn it down an' sprinkle sulphur on de shoe an' said dat would bring 'im back.
(Then you burn the shoe?)
Yes sir, burn it - jes' make a fire an' burn it.
Entry 5233
Take dey lef'-foot shoe an' burn it wit sugah, black peppah, saltpetah an' bluestone. Dat'll call 'em back.
Entry 5235
De woman left de man, dis one [story] is, an' de man went an' tried to git 'er back an' he couldn't git 'er back. So he went to a fellah [doctor] de fellah tole him tuh take her shoe soles - found one of 'er ole shoes an' go to a post an' nail it up ovah de post on de sunrise side an' go back home an' not worry an' in three days she'd be back to him.
(Nail it on a post?)
Nail de sole of de shoe up on de side of a sunrise post.
(Just any kind of a post?)
On de side of a telegraph post - nail it up on de side of a telegram post facin' de way she went. In three days dat she'd be back.
Entry 5272
He turned it bottomside upwards in de house when his wife lef'. Well, his wife lef' 'im one Monday mawnin' an' he turnt dat shoe up dat Monday aftahnoon when he came in, an' in about 24 hours aftah he turnt dat shoe up she came back; but now tuh whut [else] he done wit dat shoe....
(Which shoe was it?)
It wuz de lef' shoe, ah think.
(How did he turn it upside down?)
He turned de sides right upwards lak dat, lak dey's comin' intuh de house. She came right back.
[While recording stopped, informant says something about a corner.]
(Which corner did he turn it up in?)
In de right corner, as yo' comin' in de do'.
Entry 5279
Ah've heard of 'em takin' a man's lef' shoe, if he's away, an' turnin' dat shoe dcwn wit dat toe back in de house, an' if he's out he'll come back. Ah hear dat.
Entry 5281
Den ag'in yo' could take a shoe - jis' lak yore ole lady leave yo'. Well, if she stay away an' ah don' ca' [care] how long she stay, well yo' take her shoe. An' IT'S REALLY SIMPLE. Yo' don' have tuh do so much tuh dat but rub yore han's in it. Rub yore han' until it git hot, yore right han', an' set 'em intuh de do', tuh de front do', an' turn 'em up. See. Well, de nex' day she'll be home or else dat night. She cain't stay.
(How do you turn those shoes up?)
Yo' have tuh turn 'em up, yo' see. Aftah rubbin' yore han' well, yo' turn 'em up an' have each one of 'em on each cornah of de do', jis' lak dis do' heah [demonstrates].
(The toe is pointing out of the house like that?)
De toe in. [The toe was pointing out because I was on the opposite side of the table and demonstration.]
(Why is that?)
Well dat's fo' tuh tuh walk right on in.
Entry 5322
Well, git his track - git nine track comin' tuhwards yo' an' git it an' put it wit some red ants nest - in de red ants nest, an' some salt in it. An' stir it roun' an' talk tuh de red ants an' tell it whut chew want done, work an' all, an' he'll come back. (That is to bring the man back? You get nine tracks as he is coming toward you?) Yes.
(Just one track right after the other, I see.)
Entry 5372
Ah have done it. Ah have a man ah wus goin' wit an' he quit me. An' ah went tuh work an' taken dirt, pull it back towards me on de bottom of his right feet. An' ah'd taken it an' put it in de cornah of mah house an' stayed in dere. An' when ah done dat, it weren't but two days he come right back tuh me. (Which track did you pull, the one that was going away from the house or com- ing to you?) De track comin' tuh me. Comin' tuh me, not goin'. An' if yo' pull it out from yo', he'll leave.
Entry 5373
Ah heard dat yo' take dat. Lak de track set dat way, dat's de toe. Rake dat dirt back dat way [demonstrates].
(Toward the toe.)
Yes sir, an' if yo' wanta do 'em harm, rake it back dat way an' carry it tuh runnin' watah, an' throw it in an' dey'll run away - go crazy-lak, yo' know. If yo' wanta do 'em good, bring 'em home, lak yore wife would be gone, yo' take it from de middle of de foot back tuh de heel, bring it in an' put it in de cornah of de house, in a good place where nobody won't intahfere wit it, an' dey say she'll come home.
Entry 5387
An' den yo' kin take - an' take yore lef' track. Yo' kin take a man's lef' track, if he don' wan'a stay wit chew - yo' an' 'im busted up. Yo' kin take it an' take an' put it in a new piece of cloth or eithah jes' put it in a li'le bag of some kind, li'le new bag. Make a li'le bag. An' lay it up ovah de do', see. An' he'll come back home.
Entry 5394
Ah heard dat yo' kin, if yo' wanta drive a person away, yo' kin git in fron' of dere track an' pull it tuh yo'. Take it up outa de hollah of dey feet, an' carry it home an' put it in a li'le bag, an' wear it on yo' so many days, an' den take it off an' lay it undah de eve [eaves] of yore house. Dat will bring 'im back tuh yo'. If yo' wanta drive him away, yo' git in fron' of de track an' pull it disaway [demonstrates].
(From the heel to the toe.)
Tuh de toe. An' see, if yo' wanta bring 'im back, why yo' git jis' - lak if yo' goin' dataway an' ah'm comin' on behin' yo', ah jis' gits behin' dat track an' sta't [start] from de toe an' pull it back tuh de heel. Well, see, dat turns 'im aroun'. Dat'll change yore min' [mind]. Dat'll make yo' come back. Do wit dat dirt from undah de bottom of yore feet, yo' do wit de same way yo' do, if yo' wuz drivin' 'em away. Yo' wear it somewhare close 'bout chure body. Well, yo' wear it jis' about three days. Den yo' take it an' lay it undah yore do'steps. Put it whare cain't nobody see it, undah de sill of de house or de do'steps, an' dey'll come back.
Entry 5476
Takes dey tracks an' weah it in dey shoes.
(What will that do then?)
AH DON' WAN'A TELL NO STORY. Yes, yo' kin take dere tracks an' weah it in yore shoe. An' den yo' kin take brown sugah an' yo' kin take graveyard dirt, an' write his name an' yore name on a bran'-new envelope has nevah been used, an' put it undahneat' yore bed mattress. An' he's supposed tuh come back tuh yo' in three days.
(You put all this stuff into the envelope?)
Uh-huh.
Entry 5549
I did [this]. Take it an' measure it, yore foot tracks. Take it an' take a rule an' yo' measure dat foot track.
(Both of them?)
Well, not necess'ry. Try tuh git de right feet. Git de right feet where de heart's on, de side de heart's on - git de right[!] feet. Yo' take dat. Take it an' measure it, den yo' bring it back home. Aftah yo' bring it back home [I interrupt]. (Do you bring it [foot track] back or the measure?)[Informant does not understand my noun use of word measure. Measurement would have been better.] No, yo' take a rule an' measure de foot track. Or prob'ly, yo' may not have a rule, might take a stick an' break it off, measure it. Yo' taken an' yo' bring it [rule or stick] back home. An' yo' git yo' a toadfrog, not a bull frog. Take it an' put 'im in a stove an' parch 'im. An' take some - well, yo' kin take or'nary [ordinary] papah, take a papah bag, if it's nes'ry [necessary] an' cut dat foot step out an' wrap dat up, an' tie it up in de chimley.
(Wrap this frog stuff [powder] in this paper that you cut out?)
Yes, wrap it all up in dat, an' wrap it - don't wrap it from yo', WRAP IT TUH YO', ALL DE WAY WIT YORE LEF' HAN' 'CUZ YO' SUPPOSED TUH BE DOIN' A PIECE OF EVIL WORK. DAT'S ALONG DE LINE LUCIFAH WORRED, DAT'S NOT ALONG DE LINE WHAT CONCEN- TRATED IN WIT WILL POWAH, WHAT SUPPOSED TUH BE DEALIN' WIT' DE ASTRAL FORCE. (Well, now what will that do, when you fix my foot track that way? What will that do to me?) Well, if yo' runnin' off, it make yo' come back.
(Oh, that brings you back.)
Entry 5554
Take up a track an' put it ovah a glass.
(On a glass. What kind of a glass?)
Eny kin' of lookin' glass.
(Oh! It must be a looking glass, a mirror?)
No, a mirrah [mirror] glass. An' yo' ta' kem [take them] back home.
(That all you do to it?)
No, den go tuh work an' take.some sweet cologne [unusual term] an' sprinkle 'em in de track.
(Which track do they get?)
Dey git de right-foot track. Pick it up - shovel it up an' put it on de mirrah, an' take dat cologne an' sprinkle ovah it an' put it tuh one side. An' evah day dey goes in dere an' sprinkle some more cologne fer nine days, an' in de nine days he'll come back.
Entry 5633
If someone gone away an' dey wuz persuaded away by some person dat's tryin' to do yo' harm in de family or somepin of de kin', an' dey git dis person out an' tell 'em to leave home, ah wouldn't stay dere; an' den, yo' 'see, dey're tryin' to do yo' harm. Dey would git dis person off, an' den dey would give 'em somepin to keep 'em away from yo'. Ah've heard dat.
(What do they give them?)
Dey say dey would fix up somepin in dere food, some kin', lak women have, an' put it in dere food. An' den to bring 'em back, a lady tol' me dis, she wuz a ole lady, she's daid now, she tol' me dis to bring 'em back. She said if yo' wan' 'em, desire dem back home an' couldn't git 'em back, said if dey did come to see yo', if dey happen to come to see yo', yo' git some salt an' red peppah an' some sulphur, an' sprinkle it in dere tracks when dey leave ag'in, so dey come back ag'in dey wouldn't go back any mo'. If dey leavin', dat'll bring 'em back.
Entry 5652
Like dat yo' git mad wid a fellah like dat, yo' ketch 'im goin'. Ah think he mus' be goin' east, yeah. An' yo' gits nine pinches outa his right track, dey tells me, an' yo' takes it an' yo' puts it in a bottle or anything an' stop it up. An' yo' spit in it nine mawnin's. An' de en' de nine mawnin's so' carry it down to de rivah, see, an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' tell me dey'll go away from home an' won't nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 5660
Well dey have to git it while he's 'sleep, cut it while dey sleep.
(And how would they use those tracks?)
Jis' take de hollah of de right-foot track an' put it in a li'le bag, an' jis' take it an' bury it undah de steps. Put it undah a stone so de rain won' Wash it away. But chew see when yo' dig a place undah de steps an' bury it - git dat track an' bury it, yo' see, dat will make him come back.
Entry 5661
Dey take yore track, if yo's goin' some place, an' dey wan' chew tuh come back. Whey dey git chure track - why jis' take it an' bring it tuh yo'. Jis' take it an' put sugah wit it, an jis' put jis' as much sugan as dere is track. An' stick it down undah yore do' or in yore house some place, why yo'd have tuh come.
Entry 5679
(This woman whom the man has left, she would get hold of his left sock?) Git holt of 'is lef' socks, 'is drawahs, an' take an' take dem home, an' put 'en undah de do'steps. Don' let nobody see or know yo' put 'em undah dere. An' den take yore broom, when he come inside de house. an' sprinkle salt down evah'where he walks. When he's goin' out, don' sweep it out do's, sweep it back in de house. Seep it all back in de house. Sweep 'is track all back tuh de kitchen, an' let dat stay undah dere, an' dat will bring 'im back.
Entry 5686
They tell me that they can take the dust from under the right foot and mix that with High John de Conkah and bluestone and alum and aloes, and then use the word, "God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, " will bring him back. And take that then and wrap it in a rag and bury it under their doorstep and let it stay there for nine days. And then take it out and put it in a rag and wear it around her body, and he'll be compelled to come back.
Entry 5786
Ah know if yo' love a man an' he had [an idea of] leavin' yo', yo' take his track an' tie it up in a rag or sompin dat won' break yo' know. An' go on de step of a house an' beat dat thing, dat all tuh pieces, an' yo'll break 'em up. Ah heard of dat.
(What did you put this track in?)
Have tuh take it in a rag or sompin, yo' know.
(And all you do, just beat it on the step?)
Yo've seen people take a sack an' beat it, haven't chew? Beat it till yo' gits dat dust all tuh pieces.
(Then he won't leave you?)
Yeah, dat's de way dey do's.
(This man won't leave you if you beat his track up?)
If he payin' 'er no mind an' he took up wit somebody else ovah yondah, an' yo' d dat. She'll fall out wit him an' he'll turn an' come back home.
Entry 5793
If a man stay away from a house, jes' go ahead an' - if a woman wants a man tuh stay 'way from a house, all she gotta do, jes' go an' take his track. Take his track an' mix his track up in some sulphuh. An' go an' take it an' carry it way off, somewhere in anothah part of de farm an' throw dat stuff - jes' throw it away. An' when yo' throw it, don't look back, jes' go right on - jes' don't look back, an' he ain't comin' back no mo'.
Entry 5807
Yo' kin do dat, yo' kin take de hair outa woman's haid. Co'se [of course] ah don't know if a man do anythin' to anothah man. But if yo' have a goman yo' wanta make love wit, yo' jes' take de hair outa de mole of 'er haid if yo' POSS'bly kin. YO'D HAVE TO STEAL IT OUTA DERE CUZ WOMEN WON'T LET CHEW GIT DAT OUTA DERE IF DEY KNOW IT. An' if yo' kin, some hair out de mole of de woman's haid, yo' kin put dat into a little bottle, see, an' put some alcohol over it, see, an' put a flannen [flannel] stoppah in it - a red flannen stoppah. DAT COME DIRECT DOWN FROM DE HOODOO BUSINESS cuz ah've had dat. An' tote it in yore pocket an' dat woman'll come back to yo'. Don't care where she is, she'll come back to yo'. If she don't come back she'll go crazy. [For alcohol, see also margin title WHISKEY.]
Entry 5985
In othah words, if it's someone yo' want, ah kin take three nails an ah kin drive three nails down, yo' know, in de ground; an' den ah kin take one [and] drive it up in de steps. An' take yore hair from roun' yore loins, any- where from roun' down dere, an' wrap it roun' dat nails all de way up. It won't be long befo' yo'll be back dere regardless of where yo' gone. (You have three nails in the ground, and one up in de step. You wound this bair on the one under the step?) Dat's right. [That is right, but it appears to me now that the hair could have been wrap- ped about all four nails.]
Entry 5987
Yo' clip de fingahnails - all yore fingahnails. Git nine stran's of hair out de top of yore haid, if he's gone, an' call 'is name an' say, "Ah'm tyin' yo' up an' yo'll evah be tied until yo' come back home tuh me." Tie dem up, an' if yo got any piece of 'is clothes at all, wrap it up in 'is clothes an' bury dat at de foot of yore steps.
Entry 6041
Git a stran' of a woman's hair while she sleep, if yo' an' 'er are liv- in' disagreeable an' can't git along. Take hit an' wear it in yore right-han' pocket or put it in yore pocketbook. Yo' know dey keep dese little purses in yore pocketbook, an' keep dat in dere. An' dat will git her mind sort of waver- ed back [to you]. An' den if she do take a notion to go off, an' yo' kin githold of a piece of 'er garment dat she wear close by her skin, an' keep it to de head of yore bed, an' sleep wit it undah yore pillah, dat will bring 'er back.
Entry 6066
Dey git de hair off de haid, or de hair from undah de pit of de left arm, an' yo' take it an' put it in a bottle wit Hearts Cologne, an' yo' stop it up an' keep dat wit yo', or put it in a pahtic'lah place somewhere in yore house, if yo' wanta bring dese parties back. An' dey are away from yo', it will bring de people back - de hair off de haid.
Entry 6073
De nex' story ah know. A man an' his wife gits ma'ied an' dey live good. Well, yo' know, people git mad 'cuz when dey gittin' 'long good in de home.[ Well, ah'm goin' tell yo', dere's people don' lak dat: "She's gittin' 'long good ovah dere," says, "an' all ah kin do [is to make ends meet]." Co'se ah'm goin' tell yo' de whole business. Well, dis woman ovah yondah she's cryin' an' wantin' 'er husban' tuh come back an' she can't git 'im tuh come back. "Ooh, ah don't know whut to do. Mah husban' won' come back, ah want 'im tuh come back." Well, ah tell yo' a good plan yo' kin do. Ah tried dis an' dey tell me it's good. Yo' kin try it. Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do. Yo' git some hair offa him down dere an' yo' sew it up in a flannel rag, an' yo' tote hit fo' nine mawn- in's, an' evah mawnin' yo' git up an' yo' speak to it an' says, "Ah totes dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come back to me, ah'll tote dis an' de hairs of mah husban' will come to me, [surely said a third time], In de Name of de Father, Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Ghost. Amen." Yo' say dose words nine mawn- in's an' tote dat. He'll come on back.
Entry 6085
Make them come back? I don't know about the track [foot track to bring a person back], I jes' know about de sock.
[I turn off machine but decided to hear about the sock.]
About de sock? Take a sock, a dirty sock, an' take it an' put hair from undah is arn, 'is head, an' on 'is private, in de toe of it, an' take an' roll it to yo', an' roll it an' roll it 皿til yo' git to de end. Aftah yo' git to de end, why mke yore wish. Wish he'd come back or wish he'd stay dere, an' bury it undahde foot of yore steps. Dat'll make 'im come back an' he'll stay.
(Either sock is all right?)
Eithah sock is all right.
Entry 6141
Well, now, if a fellah got a girl, a wife or sweetheart, whatevah he intend 'er tuh be, he go right tuh work, jes' lak mah haid or yore hair right dere an' git chew fo' strands of hair. Be combin', git roun' lak dat, or yo' kin fool wit 'er, make out yo' goin' play an' git it, an' git holt of fo' stran's right out de mole of 'er haid right dere. Dey kin take dat fo' stran's an' put it yore right shoe in de toes or de mouth of it up heah. Fold it tuhgethah an' put it up in dere an' yo' wears it in dere. Now, yo' wears dat in dere, undahstan', an' evahwhere yo' go she'll go. An' if she wants tuh quit - she kin git mad, yo' know - yo' got 'er tied. An' she gits mad an' stays off at some of de neighbor's house an' part up wit yo', lak she not comin' to yo' fo' sometime, well 'fore de sun go down she's right back wit yo'. Can't stay 'way atall.
Entry 6149
Jes' lak if yo' got a wife an' if she leave yo' an' if yo's married an yo' do want 'er come back to yo'. If yo' could git aholt of 'er, some of 'er hair, a plait of 'er hair an' sew it up in a cloth. Tie it up in a cloth an' sew it on de inside of de sock an' wear dat sock an' nevah take dat sock off, jes' wear dat sock right dere fo' nine days, say she come back to yo' in de ninth or seventh day, but chew wear it on till de ninth day, an' say yo'll have her an' she'll nevah leave no mo'.
Entry 6166
(Suppose I want to make them stay at home?)
Well yo' take dat hair an' put it in a little small bottle, see, an' put it In da'k place up ovah yore do', an' put about three or fo' spoons of sugah in it. Yo' know, a little odd-size bottle lak dat. An' put it up ovah de do' chere couldn't nobody see it. Dat'll make yore frien' come home.
Entry 6275
Dey kin take dat. (That chamber lye?) Yes, an' git a strand of a woman's hair an' put in de bottle an' den put dat chamber lye in de bottle.
(The man would put his own chamber lye on her hair?)
Yessuh, he puts 'is chamber lye on 'er hair in de bottle an' put fo' or five grains of peppah in dere - dat pod peppah, red peppah, see. Yo' put dat in dere an' yo' stop dat up airtight, an' if she leave, she'll come back. If she wants tuh go, she may go, but she cain't stay.
(That's to hold her.)
Entry 6377
Take an' put yuh toenail an' a piece of dis man's hair in dere an' yo' kin git 'im back. (Put it where?) In de ants nest, in a red ants nest.
Entry 6504
[Contrary to two preceding beliefs, the contrary is also believed.] You take the bottom of your feet and you wash it good and you scrape it. And you put in the water and drink coffee or tea and that will leave a man drink it. If you want him back, he will stay with you.
Entry 4919
If a woman's hus- ban' is gone an' she kin git any of 'is socks dat he wore 'fo' he left dere, she jis' go an' git one of 'er own stockin's, an' she bury dem tuh de sunrise side of 'er house. An' three mawnin's aftah she bury dat - don' bury it any deepah den dat [demonstrates].
(About as deep as your hand.)
Fo' three mawnin's take her night pot - don't let nobody use it but her. She pass dat watah [urinates] when she git up in mawnin' 'bore she speak tuh anybody. An' she take dat pot an' she set it aside until she go out [the door], undah- stan', an' empty dat pot on dat place dose mawnin's, an' he go back [returns] in several days. (She takes one of her stockings and one of his socks, either one of them, and just buries them together. That will bring him back?) Yes. She use dat pot three mawnin's 'fore she begin tuh eat.
(She must be fasting?)
Yes. (Then she will take the chamber lye and sprinkle it on this place three morn- ings?) Yes.
before-eating condition explicitly queried as fasting and assented to. Roles remain informant→interviewer→informant; the fasting term itself is the interviewer’s formulation with explicit assent. predicted single departed husband’s return in several days. No observed return These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 4933
Now, if you leave your own home an' you got a par [pair] of dirty socks, but dey's got tuh be a par of yore dirty socks dat dey ain't been wash. Put [in these socks] red peppah, grave- yard dirt, an' six needles. An' yuh turn de needle points, when yuh bury it, to- wards de house, right towards yore do'. Bury it in yore yard or eithah in yore back yard, but let de points be [pointing towards] de do'. Aftah dose socks o' 'hisen is buried, yuh go out dere fuh five mawnin's, straight mawnin's, take yer dirt offa dis sock, turn yore back tuh de house [an' pick upl jis' [as] much as yuh kin throw, an throw it across yore right shouldah tuh de house. Wharevah he is, if he's way way from home, if he evah go on a train or anything, he'll come back - he'll come back home. An' he'll stay dere as long as yuh handle dose dirty socks.
predicted single absent man’s return and staying, with sock ownership unresolved. No husband inferred claimed continued residence conditional on handling the dirty socks. Keep the condition as long as yuh handle dose dirty socks; no permanent retention or observed success. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 8580
They tell me to take a piece of brown stuff - yo' see these brown paper bags - just likes yo' want somebody to come back to yo'. Take an' write yore name coming to you like this nine times. (Coming to you like this. How do you mean, coming to you? You mean, writing toward me?) Uh huh. (Do you write it toward you that way?) Uh huh. Yes. Instead of writing from you [demonstrates] like that, write to you like this.
(I see, sort of writing backwards.)
Uh huh.
(You write it nine times?)
Uh huh.
(What'll that do?)
You take and fold that to you, you don't fold it from you, and you put that in a lamp. And you keep that lamp burning with that in it until he come back, or she. And then you take and do the same thing with a bottle with gin in it. You put that gin in a corner and you puts some nutmeg in it and you say, when- ever you think about the party, you say, "Let" - call the name and say, "Please come back to me." Well, I have never tried that.
(You put this gin - in the gin bottle with some gin in it?)
And in the lamp too.
(You put gin in the lamp?)
No! No!
(Just the name in the lamp?)
Uh huh.
(But if you want to, all you need to do is put it in the gin bottle?)
YO' HAVE TO PUT IT IN THE GIN BOTTLE AN' IN DE LAMP TOO.
(Oh, both those?)
Yes, sir. An' yo' have to keep that lamp where people can't get because they'll be suspicious.
(Do you put any gin in the bottle?)
Yes, sir. Gin and that piece of paper with de name on it, just like in de lamp.
(Let it soak in the gin?)
Just let it stay in there. An' every time yo' think about those parties, yo' look at it an' say, "Ah, " just like if yo' are near them, say, "Please come back to me."
(You use both the lamp and the bottle together.)
Yeah.
folding inscribed paper toward oneself, explicitly not away. They tell me and I have never tried that limit source authority; no firsthand use or efficacy. desired single he-or-she return in a reported untried method. Preserve They tell me and the explicit statement that the informant has never tried the method. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3525) · Read full source (printed page 3526)
Entry 6861
If yo' have a enemy dat chew - accordin' tuh de enemies dat chew know - yo' bury 'em in de ground an' make [a] wish, an' de same sickness or de influence dat dey have put on yo' will return back tuh dem. (How many of these nails do you put in there, you say?) Sometimes yo' use five an' sometime yo' use nine ten-penny nails.
(How do you prepare those nails?)
Yo' jis' buy 'em from de store. An' yo' take dose nails an' yo' hit 'em on de haid fer nine mawnin's, an' aftah.dat yuh bad luck return tuh de one dat send 'em. Dey claim dat de bad luck will turn back tuh dem, tuh de ones dat sent it.
[Nails are new.]
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 7390
Well, de person dat killed dis person...the dead person, - yo' go to your hen-house where your poultry an' git chew a hot laid egg - a fresh laid egg, yo'understand, two of 'em an' put one in each hand.... If not that, yo' take this dead person's hat an' put it ovah their face see....right ovah his face. If yo' don't do dat, yo' take [demonstrates] his pocket han'kerchief an' spread it one corner on each side of the corner - heah an' one up heah, yo' see.
[I now describe his actions:]
(You take this dead man's handkerchief and you put it like a diamond over his head.) Dat's right, one point to the top of his head and one at his throat and one toward each shoulder. Dat's right. An' de hat yo' take an' place it right ovah his face.
(These are all separate ways of doing it.)
(To bring back the man who killed him?)
To bring back de man dat killed de man.
Entry 7392
If a person git killed an' yo' want dis person tuh come back, dis per- son will have tuh fall on his face [see p.324lf. and elsewhere.] Den ah heard ag'in dat chew kin take de dead person's hat. Jes' lak yo' be killed an' somebody find de hat, turn it on de wrong side. Turn de right - no, turn de left-hand sleeve of dis person's garment - coat, shirt or undahshirt an' fold it. An' wherevah or who dis party wus whut killed dis per- son, if dey's away, dey gotta return ~ dey can't stay away.
(You turn this left sleeve of his coat inside out or roll it up?)
Roll it - jes' lak on de left now, ah'm usin' mah left hand. If yo' killed me or ah killed yo', well yo' want me tuh come an' ah'm gone. Well yo' jes' turn mah shirt, or eithah mah hat. Turns 'is hat on de wrongside an' turn de bow. Yo' know how dere be's a bow in dat hat. Well now, when yo' roll it, yo' have to roll it tuh yo' wit de bow comin' tuh yo', seams an' all jes' comin' on tuh yo'. He'll have tuh come back, he can't stay away.
Entry 7395
If a man murdah somebody an' git away from home, if yo' could git a piece of 'is garment an' twist - jis' lak yo'd git yore shirt, jis' git 'is shirt an' put sixteen knots in de tail of 'is shirt, an' dey say he couldn't stay 'way, no way tuh escape. He'd have tuh come back an' surrendah himself tuh de officahs.
(You get the shirt of the fellow who did the killing?)
Yessuh, jes' lak ah'd kill someone, yo'd git a garment dat ah been wearin' - jis' lak in a shirt or any of mah undahweah.
(That would bring you back.)
Entry 7396
Say fo'stance [for instance], now, if a person kill someone an' dey Want 'em [killer] tuh come back. Undahstan' good. If yo' git holt a piece [of] one of his shirts, any piece [of clothing] dat he wore, yo' take dat piece an' roll it tight tuh yo', an' bury dat undah de side of de house - undah de house, undah yore house. Ah'll bury it anywhah whah he stayed at, an' he'll wandah right roun' dat place an' come right back dere. See, he'll come back. He cain't stay 'way to save his life, he will come back.
Entry 7397
Ah hear tell of 'em takin' yore shoes, yore left-footed shoe. Jes' lak anyone done a crime, jes' lak ah'd kill someone out dere yo' see. Well, ah'm a unknown party, yo' see de idea. Well dey smart enough to git somebody, yo' know, tuh git de left foot of mah shoe, yo' see. Well, yo' kin take de left foot of mah shoe - ah heard dat chew kin take de left foot of mah shoe an' bury it. Yo' know, jes' bury flat down lak dat yo' know, upside down, undah de left cornah of de house. An' a few days aftah yo' do dat, ah would return back, yo' see. Ah did de killin by unknown parties. Yo' see, ah'm de unknown party, but ah have tuh come back tuh dat house, yo' see. Ah heard dat to be de fac'. (Where would they bury this shoe? Under your house or under the house of the party that was killed?) De party's house which was killed.
(How would they get hold of your shoe?)
Well, jes' lak yo' may go tuh work, yo' see - jes' lak yo' may go tuh work an' have a ole footed shoe or sompin of de kind aroun', yo' see, an' yo' kin git hold of it. Yo' see de idea.
(That is to bring you back.)
Entry 7410
A undahtakah parlah or jes' some place where dey makin' shrouds fo' de dead.
(Get this where they are making a shroud for the dead.)
Yes, an' get dat needle an' take dis needle what dey use. Break dis needle, drive it into some place, some piece of wood or anythin', in yore place, in yore house, anywhere yo' wish to, ON YORE ALTAR in de place, set it up on somepin. An' yo' wishes fo' 'im to return on such an' such a date, an' he will return, so I am told. (Anybody's return or this man that killed someone?) Dey want dat othah man, de one dat killed 'im.
(I see.)
Entry 7411
All right, dey kin take dat - dat man kill a man out dere an' he git away. An' dey wan' 'im to come back an' de law cain't bring 'im back. Dey take dat coffin, dat corpse, an' dey turns it a diff'ren' way in de house an' dey turn it in de direction dat he [murderer] went. An' de direction he went, dat de direction he comin' back. Dat body is turned dat direction. An' dey take some - write his name on some papah an' put it in dere, an' dey write it in de Name of de Lawd [Lord], but dey write it in vain [see later], an' say on dere, 'Lord, sen' dis man back. Turn 'im back, him what have killed mah brothah or mah husban', an' let de law git 'im." Well, he'll come back. Write his name on a piece of papah an' put it in dat casket, an' do it in de Name of de Lawd an' yo' do it in Vain.
(What do you mean in vain?)
Yo' gotta use a curse word, yo' see, an' den he'll be back in nine days. He'll return.
(I see.)
Entry 7420
[Someone] done kill somebody an' yo' Wanta draw 'im back. Well, here's jes' whut yo' do. "Fore dem people dies an' 'fore dey bury'u, yo' takes yo' a lemon an' a fork. Yo' take it an' yo' lay it on dere breas', see, an' yo' bury 'um wit it.
(How are that fork and lemon put on there?)
See, jes' puts de lemon.
(Wait a minute! Show me.)
See, jes' put de lemon - put de lemon on 'is breas'. Den yo' take de fork - two forks an' yo' lay 'em cross 'is breas' jes' lak dat.
(Across the lemon or near the lemon?)
Near de lemon. Jus' put de lemon, yo' see, right to de heart, right on 'is body, on 'is breas', an' yo' take two forks an' lay 'em right 'cross dere, see. An' yo' take his name, who an' evah it is, yo' take his name an' write it down five times, an' de one what dead, yo' undahstan', take his name an' yo' put 'em under dat fork, or put it in dat lemon, yo' see, right in dat lemon. Den when dat lemon rot an' all of it start a'rottin' wit him, yo' can't go nowhere. Yo' might just wander 'round - wander round - an' yo' find yourself right back dere wheresomever yo' done killed dat person - they come right back dere an' get yo'.
(Whose name do you write down?)
His name - see, de dead person's name. His name. Yo' just take it an' write it down nine times. See.
(Which name do you write down first now?)
Put de dead man's name down first. Den take hissen an' put it down [demon- strates].
(Cross it like that.)
Cross it like dat - but nine different times.
(Put the murderer's name on top of the dead man's?)
Yeah, yo' see, put 'im to keep 'im from goin'. Yo' see, yo' put his name first. See, de man dat run away, put his name first. Den the dead man, yo' put him on top. Next time yo' put this man dat run away, yo' put his name down dere, den de dead man's. Den yo' take it an' yo' open de lemon. Yo' put it up in de lemon an' put it right by de forks, an' cross it like dis.
Entry 7421
Cross 2 straws on de murdered man's stomach, an' lay a pair of new scissors so dat its closed points point to his toes, an' say, "Whut's did in de dark shall come to de light." This will bring the murderer back. [For cross of straw, see also No.7367, p.3259. Why the closed scissors instead of open ones, always a symbol of the cross? Either my informant has made a mistake, which I doubt, or the closed scissors indicate one cross of straw was enough for the purpose. Already the closed scissors sig- nify that the life thread of the murderer has been cut.]
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 7440
Yo' jes' go right an' take a aig.
(Any kind of an egg?)
Jes' any kinda aig but let dat aig be lay on Friday. Bury it to de no'th cor- nah of de house in a piece of cloth an' dat bring dat person back.
(Bring who back?)
De person who killed de man. (Whose house do you bury that at?) Well, yo' bury it to yore house.
Entry 7442
Jes' lak if ah had a frien' now an' he should git killed an' de man should escape, jes' put a aig in 'is mouth - any kinda aig yo' kin git from de sto', de grocery sto'. He'll come back.
(Put an egg in whose mouth?)
In de man who's daid.
(Just one egg, you men, in his mouth. Any kind of an egg?)
Any kind.
Entry 7445
[My recording machine was 3 or 4 words late starting.] An' runs away, yo' take a dead person, yo' bury 'em on dere face, lak dat. Yo' take de man dat killed 'im an' yo' write his name three times. If it's possible dat chew kin git dis [dead] person's han' open, yo' put one name in dis han' [demonstrates].
(The right hand.)
See, an' yo' take a egg from a hen, white hen, if yo' kin git it. (A white hen.) If yo' kin git it, an' put dat egg in dat hand [demon- strates]. (In the left hand.) [Explained later.] If yo' can't git it in de han', put it as neah de body as yo' kin. Be sure dat dis name is in dis han' an' dat party'll come back an' give up.
(There's one thing about that. What do you do with the other two names?)
Jes' write de three names in dere an' put it in dis right hand. An' yo' put de egg in de lef' han'.
(You put the name three times on a piece of paper?)
Yes.
(I see.)
An' put it in dis han' [demonstrates].
(In the right hand.)
An' den yo' put de egg in dis han'.
(Put the egg in the left hand. All right.)
Entry 7450
Put an egg in each hand of the murdered man, bury him face doon, and that will bring murderer back.
Entry 7451
All yo' do, go whah dey got, yo' know in de country whah dey got fresh- laid aigs. An' dat daid man, yo' take 'im an' bury 'im wit one fresh aig in each han'. An' in two or three weeks time, dat man whut did de killin', he gon'a come right back.
Entry 7470
Put two eggs under each arm and one under the head of the murdered aan, and after these five eggs rot and bu'st in the grave the murderer will return.
Entry 7473
Jes' lak if a man is dead, killed, an' yo' wanta keep 'im [murderer] from runnin' away, dere ain't - yo' ain't got but one thing to do. Jes' like ah'd kill a man an' dey wanted to ketch me an' didn't want me to git away, he wouldn't have but one thing to do. Bury de man on 'is face. Bury 'im on 'is face an' dere ain't no ways fer 'im to git away. Might go off but he'd have to come back.
Entry 7486
Ah've heard of dem takin' de man's tracks, de one dat done de killin', taken 'is tracks an' puttin' dat dirt into de casket, jes' sew it up in a bag, an' put it right into de casket, an' dey claim dat man, if he leaves, he will come back. (The man that did the killing, he will come back if his foot tracks are buried in the casket.) In de casket wit de dead man dat he killed.
Entry 7494
I know how to do dat if dey wanted tuh ketch dat man. Said yo' go to de cemetery where dey bear [bury] dat man. Jes' lak dey bear de person. Den yo' go dere an' change dem stakes, change dat footbo'd an' dat headbo'd. Jes' lak yo' take de footbo'd an' put it tuh de haid an' take de head- bo'd an' put it to de foot. An' said dey would have tuh come back if dey gone.
(You go to the grave of the man who was killed?)
Yes.
(And do that to bring back his murderer?)
Yes, an' he have tuh come dere.
Entry 7498
Dey says if yo' kin git dis man track, yo' kin bring 'im back. If yo' can't git 'is track, take anythin' belongin' to dis man an' anythin' lak dat. (The man that did the killing?) Yes sir, an' he gone. But, jes' lak yo' kin take de bow off 'is hat. If yo' kin git any hat or anythin' dat belongs to de man, yo' take dat an' wheah dis crime is committed an' wit graveyard dirt, yo' bury it dere.
(You bury it where?)
At de graveyard. [No], yo' git de graveyard dirt an' yo' bury it wheah dis crime is committed, yo' know wheah he did de killin', an' he'll have to come back; if not, to dat house, he'll come back in dat neighborhood.
(Out of what graveyard do you get that dirt?)
Yo' git it out from on top of a wicked grave, a person dat chew know died wicked. Yo' go an' git 'is dirt.
Entry 7500
An' jes' lak if a murdah' [murderer] have did somepin, why go tuh de cemetery tuh a fresh grave, de freshest grave dat chew kin fin'. Go dere an git chew some graveyard dirt an' take two pennies an' some watah an' put it into a bottle an put that graveyard dirt in dere an' shake it up an' set it aside until yo' see bubbles come from it, until bubbles from dem pennies in dat watah. When dem bubbles start, 'is min' is gittin' bad. He'll come right straight back tuh where he killed dis fellah.
Entry 7511
If dey kin git 'is pichure, jes' lak if yo' wuz stayin' heah an' yo'd kill somebody an' ah wanted tuh git chew back home. Ah wanted tuh find out who it wus did it, ah'd take an' come heah an' git chure Pichure. An' take some quicksilvah an' some sulphur an' some salt an' put it all togethah. An' den some Adam-an'-Eve [root] an' put dat wit it. An' take it an' sew it up an' carry it tuh mah house, an' put it undah mah do'step, an' in two day's time yo'd be back. An' yo'd tell somebody dat chew de one dat did it. It would keep worryin' yo' till yo' did.
Entry 7513
Dey could bring 'im wit 'is pichure as ah fir' [first] said. Well now, dey take his pichure an' turn it bottomside upward to de wall on Write his name wit blood.
[This rite is also used to bring back a lover - see No.3839, p.2511.]
(With blood?)
Yeah.
(What kind of blood?)
Well any kinda blood. Write his name in dere an' turn 'is pichure up ag'in [against] de wall like dat, where nobody would 'sturb [disturb] dat pichure. Let dat pichure stay fer 9 days. Well, ef dat pichure's dere, wheresomevah he is he's worried. Well, he'll be worried until he comes back to de same place where he done de killin' at. (In using that blood, do you use a person's blood or the blood of an animal or what?) Why yo' kin use de blood of a animal or anything, but chew have to have his initials.
Entry 7578
Now, I've heard dat tuh be a positive fact. Now, dey say dat if yuh go tuh - if dere's a woman dat yuh like. An' if yuh cross de watah an' yuh go tuh de graveyard, an' git some dirt offen infant's grave - child yuh know - dey say it will effect 'er tuh come back. But if yuh git it off a murdahah's grave, why she'll go furthah. (I don't quite understand what you said. If it's a woman you like, you cross water and get this dirt?) He ain't got'a cross watah. She's across watah. Yuh git de dirt an' send it in a lettah. [This violates an ancient rule, a spirit cannot cross water! Is mailed in a letter an exception?]
(Oh, I see.)
Yes. (You've got to get it from an infant's grave to bring her back, but if you get the dirt from a murderer's grave, then what?) Dat drives 'er furthah.
(Oh, I see - it drives her farther.)
Entry 7615
If it a lettah dat dey wrote, take it tuh de graveyard. An' yuh know de person dat whom is buried dere, an' talk tuh de daid. An' bury it in dere an' ast - put three pennies dere, pay 'em, says, "Take keer of dis in de situation of bringin' 'im home, "' or 'harmin' him." Eithah way, kin use it eithah way, see. Yuh kin talk to de daid an' tell it jis' whut chew want; eithah tuh harm 'em or to run yuh 'way or bring yuh home.
Entry 7617
Wal, ef yuh know dere names, yuh kin take an' go tuh de graveyard an' Write dere initials an' carry yo' fo' pennies an' pay de dead. Whosomevah 'tis died, yuh know dere names. Yuh call dere names an' tell dem yuh want 'em tuh bring dese person back an', "Ah'm payin' yuh fo' pennies." Well, in less time den two months wheresomevah dey be at, dey will come back. (Where do you write the name of this person that stole the thing? Where do you write that name? Do you write that name on a piece of paper?) On a piece of paper.
Entry 7637
Yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt an' throw it aroun' in yore house an' throw all alongside of de bed, an' rub it on down dere. An' yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' kin make a man - ah mean work fo' yo' de balance of 'is life wit dat graveyard dirt. An' take a little of it an' tie it in de cornah of red silk han'ke'- chuf an' tote it on yo'. Jes' tote it on yo' enywhere an' he'll nevah be satis- fied till he back wit chew.... He git away from yo', he ain't satisfied until he git back where he wuz....
Entry 7924
I have heard of people giving graveyard dust. You throw it in running water. The person you want to go away or come back will come or go. You throw it over your right shoulder and don't look back but keep walking and have the person in mind.
Entry 7932
It was a woman that had a son in New York [City] and she lived in Ports- mouth [Va.]. And this body had killed someone. This woman heard of this boy being in trouble, and she goes to work hanging clothes out that morning. She draws a mark on the ground like a coffin. She draws that with a clothespin, no particular place. She was talking with another neighbor. She says, "My son will be to me in a few minutes." She just put her hands like this. [Informant evidently demonstrated with his hand, but I repeating his every word, or small group of them into the Ediphone, was too busy to comment. Comments would come later wdth the Ediphone.] And in two days times the sheriff or the consta- ble where he was, brought her son back to Portsmouth. He Was condemned to be hung. [This in 1928, interview in 1936.]
Entry 7949
If dey are away a distance an' yo' want 'em back, yo' use de needle dat de first shroud wus made wit, if yo' kin git it or if yo' have it. De first shroud. An' yo' put dat through a piece of clothes or anything three times, jis' right through de same hole three times, an' send dis article tuh dat person. An' when dey git dis, dey are comin' back if dey have tuh swim. Anywhere dey kin git de money tuh come, dey are comin'.
(Whose clothes do you put that through?)
Anything dat yo' send tuh dis person; gartah, socks...
(The first shroud, what do you mean by that?)
If yo' have a needle de shroud wus made wit, de firs' shroud wus made wit - a needle.
(Whose first shroud?)
Anybody's, jis' long as it de needle dat de firs' one wus made of. [Find a needle used only once and that once to make a shroud. Did some under- takers or drug stores sell such needles?]
Entry 8061
They say if someone's away an' you have a photo [of the per- son], you place it in a white pocket han'chief an' put it in the Bible and they will come back on the ninth day.
Entry 8090
Have taken dat [photo] an' put it intuh a trunk. Bury it bottom down, [I] mean face down, an' cut two cornahs offa it an' write de name on de face, "I want chew tuh come home, '' or 'I want chew tuh die." I write dat on de photo, "Want chew tuh lin- gah." Write dat on de face of de photo. If dat face is down in de bottom of de trunk or down undah a step or anywhere, I could git jis' so I kin git de face down at, neah of de home or in de home... [I interrupt]. (That will have to be written down. Which two corners of the photograph do you cut off? Which two corners?) Got tuh lay it face dis way, see [demonstrates].
(Which two corners do you cut off now?)
All right [demonstrates]. Cut dis one here, an' cut dis one down here. (You cut opposite corners.) [Magic of the diagonal, see many examples in Hoodoo.] Yes, sir, opposite cornahs.
Entry 8101
Jis' lak mah wife wuz tuh leave me an' go tuh New York or somewhere, an' ah wanted 'er back, an' ah could git 'er photograph, an' could take it an' bring 'er back tuh me, an' all lak dat.
(Well, do you know what they would do with that?)
Dey say dey would take dat photograph an' turn it tuh go from de way she leave home; jis' backward, back. Ah tell how she, de way she leave. Dey could take dat photograph an' turn it, put de face towards de way she went an' de back to- Wards home, an' de face of dat pichure would draw 'er back tuh me.
(That's all they had to do?)
Yessuh, dey jis' take dat.
Entry 8105
Dey could take yore photograph lak if yo's a long Way off. Dey kin take it an' put it at de front do' where yo' live at an' read de 18th Psalm. In nine days yo'll come from where yo' is, ah don't care where yo' is. (How do they put that photograph at the front door? Just what do they do with that?) Dey will put it right at de front do' an' dey will cut dat, yo' know, jis' de size of yo' photograph - cut dat out, see. An' den would put dat piece right back ovah dat, dat same piece, an' put dat 18th Psalm, yo' know, written on a piece of papah, an' place it ovah dat. An' den dey Would read dat 18th Psalm in de Bible. An' den in nine days yo'll surely return.
Entry 8115
Git a person photograph on a tintype. Ah know dis one mahself. An' yo' stan' it on de edge, put it in de groun' where it will stan' on de edge, an' let it lay dat way 36 hours in dat one position. An' den aftah den yo' go back an' turn it ovah ag'in, see. An' if he's away, he'll show up. In de same lak mannah, if yo' wanta kill any person wit de tintype, yo' take it an' yo' lay it flat jis' lak dat on its face an' let it lay dere. In less dan 36 hours dat individual will git sick an' be daid. (Now, that first way, you put the photograph, you set it up like that [demon- strate]. Is the head up or down, or does it make any difference?) It doesn't make any diff'rence, jis' so it's settin' up on de edge. An' den de nex' time yo' turn it.
Entry 8189
De photograph dey turnt it upside down in a dark room, night er day. Light a lamp, turn [down] a lamp an' make a slow light, yo' know, by de photo- graph. Dat git chew worried an' yo' come home. Dat gotta take tuh bring yo' home. [To turn a photo upside down in a dark room before lighting the lamp confuses the spirit of the photo.]
Entry 8212
They get a hold of your picture, a tintype frame, and draws blood from one of her fingers and write your name and her name on it, and buries it in the ground four feet and cov- ers it up and makes a wish. In two month's time the wish will come true. If you want her to come back to you, if you want her to hate you, anything you wish will come true. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 8217
They tell me yo' take a pichure of a man an' put it up ovah yuh do' an' write his name an' turn 'is face intuh de do' comin' [into house], an' call it three mawnin's, three times each mawnin'. Dey tell me he'll come back. I know positively dat's true. I know a lady did it.
Entry 8246
(If a man leaves his wife, how would she make him come back?) Make him come back?
(How would the woman make him come back?)
Well, dey kin go buy a box of salt an' take his pichure. Take dat pichure an' de box of salt an' put dat pichure head foremost - put de head down an' feet up - dat [feet] on top, de top of 'is feet in dere. See, dis side up. An' aftah it set in dere nine days, yo' take dat salt off. Take dat pichure, aftah he come - soon as he come home - take dat pichure an' put it up. If yo' wan' tuh make him come quick, take dat pichure an' put it in a li'le frame, an' put it close tuh de stove, an' keep a fiah in dat stove. An' den, if yo' want's it hot, den yo' sprinkle peppah on de bottom part of dat pichure. I heah sometime dey put....
Entry 8252
Take dis photograph an' yo' kin put it in yore shoes an' weah it, an' if yo' want dis guy back, yo' kin git 'im.
(Whose photograph is it?)
It supposed tuh be de man or de woman or whosomevah dat chew want. If yo' a woman, yo' kin weah him in yore shoes an' yo' kin git 'im back.
(You wear this photograph in either shoe?)
In de right one, yo' mus' weah it in de right one.
Entry 8328
Yo' kin take his pichure an' make him come back.
(How would they do that?)
Well, yo' kin go tuh a tree an' cut it on a certain side an' nail 'is pichure up in dere wit de face tuhwards it, an' dat'll make him come back.
(The face toward what?)
De tree. Cut de tree an' put 'is pichure right up dere, an' nail it up in dere - up in dat tree. (Well, you said, the face towards what?) De inside of de tree - inside. (And what side of the tree did you make that hole in?) Well, it depend on which way yo' think he's gone; de south side, de north side, eithah one [whatevah direction].
(I see, to make this man come back, when he's run away from that...)
An' dey said yo' could bury de person on dey face an' dat'll make him come back.
(I see.)
Entry 8442
They say they kin take yuh pitchure an' throw it in some runnin' watah. An' if yo' be anywhere, yo'd come back home. [This belief is quite possible, but at the moment I am unable to think of a parallel.]
Entry 8475
Say yo' takes 'er pichure. Yo' goes an' git a gun an' regardless tuh who she is or how much money she got, if yo' loved 'er, git 'er photograph an' turns 'er photograph on de desk, layin' de photograph an' call 'it 'er pichure, an' mark it wit a "X' - a cross, 'X'. Take an' folds it up in a piece of news- pahah an' put it in yore shoes. Hoids up de linin' of yore shoes an' put it in dere, an' turns de haid of 'er pichure down tuh de ground an' tuhward de back of yore heel. Weah it three days an' take it an' delivah it out. An' pertends [pretends] yo' drinkin' whiskey, two glasses. Drink yores an' name hers wit de pichure ovah it. An' let it stay dere fo' three days an' she'll return tuh yo'.
(After you wear this in your shoe, you take it, the third day, and then you?)
Put it in two drinks of likkah, put it in two separate glasses. Fulls [fill] de glasses up each, an' drink one. An' put de othah one back an' name it wit de pichure in it, ovah de glass wit de face down tuh whiskey.
Entry 8483
Take de black bottle an' set it 'hin' de baid, dat's whut ah heard, an' dey said tuh write chure name on dat bottle nine times. An' let de bottle stay 'hun' [behind] de baid fo' nine mawnin's, an' den yo'll come back home. Dat's if yore gone, see. (How do you write the name on that bottle?) Yo' write de name goin' dis Way [demonstrates] fo' nine times, den yo' turn dat roun' an' yo' write it comin' back 'cross dat way [demonstrates]. See, dat's de way yo' should write it.
(You mean you write it on the glass?)
[I knew the name was not written on the glass, but I needed an explanation without suggesting it.] Take a piece of papah an' write it on dat, put it around dat.
(Put this paper around the bottle.)
Yessuh, around de bottle, an' write de name dis way nine times an' den write it back dis way nine times. [After first name is written forwards, turn the paper upside down and write second name beneath first. This is called writing backwards, or forwards and backwards, or back and forth.]
Entry 8506
If you want to bring a person back, like a lady friend or gentleman friend, you get a catfish and you take that catfish and you bury it. And when he soon rot away, he finally will come back. Just take the fish and bury it, put his name in it - in the fish, that's all.
Entry 8545
Like if I love anybody, I'd take his name and write it and put it in a glass of clear watah. Well ah don't eat anything all day long, just fastin' an' just prayin'. Pray to de Lord that he'll come back tuh me. (That's all you have to do?) That's all I ever heard them doin'. An' I've known girls that do so an' I knowed de boy come back. (Just his name on this piece of paper in a glass of water and then you fast and pray all day long.
Entry 8549
A rock, not a brick, but a rock - yo' kin take a brick too, either one of 'em, so it's hard, sompin won't bust to pieces when one of 'em is throwed in de fire or in de stove, an' let it stay in dere. An' yo'll leave my house, yo' won't be there many days. Leave my house, love de town, an' yo' keep goin'. (That's all you do, just throw that rock or brick in the fire?) Just put it in de fire an' name it yo'. (Oh! Name it you.) Like your name is - name it yo' an' put it in de fire, an' let it stay in dere. An' yo'll leave an' yo' won't come back dere.
Entry 8554
Put de name on a papah, write it this way [demonstrates]. Cross it all the way up. Take that papah an' fold it to yo'. Always fold it to yo' an' that will draw 'em back.
Entry 8573
If yo' wants them to come there, sign their name on plain paper. Then they'll put this gunpowder in there and light and burn it. That brings 'em back. And repeat de Lord's prayer 9 mornings.
(Do you burn that just for one morning or for nine mornings?)
Naw, yuh burn it fer just one time but juh have to say de prayers for nine mornings.
Entry 8599
An' then lak yo' wanta make a man come back home, lak he's gone an' yo' wanta make him come back home, yo' write his name nine times on a piece of writin' papah, tablet papah with lines on it, an' write chure name ovah it nine times. Fold it up a little an' put it in a lamp with oil in it an' burn it all de time. That'll make him come back home. (You mean, you. write this name nine times like that and you write yours right on top of it.) Right ovah it nine times. That'll make him come back home.
Entry 8600
Dat supposed tuh be jis' as fur as he kin go. She supposed to be draw- ing back tuh him by - remembah how ah tole yo' tuh write those names: Write thosé name, 18 names. (Nine one way and nine the other.) Den yo' take this papah that chew write 'em on in this case an' fold the papah to yo', fold it very small. Yo' take jis' a ordi- nary lamp dat burns kerosene an' yo' wrap this papah around de wick. An' yo' pin de papah to de wick an' yo' put it back down in a full lamp. An' yo' set it in a da'k corner an' burn it, jis' constantly burn it. When it - don't even let it go out fo' tuh [put] mo' kerosene in there - fo' nine days. Then dat draws a person back.
Entry 8608
Well, yo' could take a person an' jis' put sugah, cinnamon an' steel dust, an' yo' put it in de lamp. An' write dere names fo' so many days, nine days or.three days or anything, an' put some oil of cinnamon or oil of rose. They have those kinda oils. Den yo' put it in dere. Well, that's fo tuh draw these people back to yo' ag'in. See, dey have tuh come back.
Entry 8612
Yo' kin take a person's name, if yo' lovin' a man an' he don't ca' [care] fo' yo'. Yo] take yore name an' write it on a piece of papah first an' yo' write his name all 'cross on it, an' fold it up an' put salt, saltpeter, an' bluestone an' wrap it round nine times wit white thread an' go tuh yore lamp fo' nine days.
(What will that do?)
Dat will call 'im back an' make 'im come home.
Entry 8664
A man tole me he knew how to git a person who's away, if he's in love enough an' want to come, Want to take yo' back. Why yo' - he say nail up a nail ovah de do' which dey went out de last time. An' each night before yo' retire, dat yo' must stand an' look at dis nail an' call dis par- ty's name nine times, an' says each time, 'Come back, ah WANT CHOO TUH COME back." An' do dat fer nine nights, nine times each night. An' if dey had anythin' to come wit, dey'd come back.
Entry 8674
Yo' take a plain piece of papah.
(A clean piece of paper.)
Yo' take a piece, yo' see. A man take a papah, a sheet of papah or anythin', yo' undahstand. Why yo' could write. his name nine times or most anything else [such as come home, etc.]. GIVE ME A PIECE OF PAPAH AN' AH SHOW YO' SOMPIN. [I tear a sheet from my Numbers Book.] Yo' see yo' fold dat an' see, she Write dat name nine times on nine lines. An' she write his name - just, yo' know, write it nine times, an' fold dat different ways [demonstrates].
(Fold it to you.)
Fold it to yo' all de time. Well, aftah yo' fold dat to yo', stick it up ovah dere. She's comin' back tuh dat man in no time. She can't stay away.
[His stick it up over there was too indefinite.]
(Where do you stick it? Where do you stick the paper up?)
Well, yo' kin put it anywhere yo' want. Yo' just - she's gotta come back.
(I see.)
Entry 8675
Take that name and put it nine times, and she wear it in the bottom of her foot. She keep her stockings on all day long and she keep that name right under the palm of her foot. An' keep her stockin' on, dat's to keep it from vorking out. That draw her husband back home to her.
(I see. She writes the name nine times as you showed me before?) Yes, sir, nine times.
Entry 8703
In case if a person is gone 'way from yo' an' yo' want 'em tuh come back, yo' write dere name seven times an' put it in a lamp an' burn it. Burn it fo' four days an' dey'll come back home. [See Nos.8578-8612.]
Entry 8712
Yo' git up at sunrise, befo' yo' speak to anyone at all, wash yore face or anything, jes' as de risin' of de sun, dey go out to de step like de sun risin dis way, an' yo' call dere name three times. An' after yo' call dere name three times, don't make none other step towards dat way. Jes' turn right aroun' an' come on back. Say, an' after yo' come back yo' kin speak to anyone yo' want to, wash yore face an' anything if yo' want tuh.
(You called their name out there didn't you?)
Yeah, call dere name three time, which person yo' wants tuh come back home. See, jes' lak mah name is Walter. Jes' call mah name, jes' plainly, de full name three times. An' dey do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' den de mawnin' yo' hear from 'em, yo' begin about de fifth until 'bout de 15th, yo' hear from 'em some Way or 'nother by friends. Somebody bring yo' some kinda message.
Entry 8723
If de man leave an' yo' Want 'im tuh come back, yo' git chew some sulphur an bluestone an' a piece of papah - writin' papah. Yo' write his name on it three times an' yo' put dis sulphur an' dis bluestone on dis papah an' yo' burn it fo' nine mawnin's.
(This same paper or do you take a new piece each morning?)
New each mawnin'. Yo' burn dat fo' nine mawnin' an' de nine mawnin' he'll come back.
Entry 8725
A fellah tole me dat would git de woman back, too. Call 'er, yo' know, nine morn- ings befo' de sunrise.
Entry 8739
Either yo' kin write de name down three times on a piece of papah, any kind of papah, an' put it in a lamp an' burn it in a dark place, an' dey'll return. Anything containin' oil, yo' kin burn it, yo' know, an' dey'll return.
Entry 8740
Yo' take lump incense. It's stuff dat looks lak kind of a crys- tal-lak. An' yo' use dat sugah an' dat wisterias perfume. Yo' burn it an' call yore man's name three times. Dat'll - Memoirs of Alma Egah Hyatt Foundation - bring him back home. Dat will [bring] peace in de house, too.
(Wisteria perfume?)
Wisterias.
Entry 8748
Common cookin' pan, tin pan, an' yo' kin write a person's name on dere. An' if it anybody dat chew wanta come back or somepin like dat, yo' kin write it on dat tin pan an' place it in de stove, in yore cookin' stove an' jes' keep dat pan. Don't care whut chew cook dere, keep dat in dere an' dey'll come back.
Entry 8758
Ef ah had someone a long ways from me an' ah wanted 'em back, ah would have three ways tuh git 'em back. One way, dat ah'd write dere name on tin an' lead an' hang it up on de do', an' dey supposed tuh return in from nine tuh twenty-one days. Write dey full name, dey birth- name on tin, on a piece of tin, an' tack it up on mah do', In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' in from 9 tuh 21 days dey 'sposed tuh 'peah 'fore me.
(Do you write the name on a piece of tin or on a piece of lead?)
On lead or eithah tin.
(You tack it up over the door with the name out?)
Yessuh, wit de name out. Ah kin write it with a lead pencil or a nail.
Entry 8765
(How did they do that?)
He went tuh a man [doctor or fortuneteller] and this man had taken a bran'-new tin plate, a common tin plate, an' he write on de back of dis tin plate in red- ink writing. Ah couldn't read de writin' but ah - when dey come - ah was livin' wit de people. Dis girl, she didn't leave de state, but she stayed aftah she left. An' he brought dis tin plate dere an' asked 'im to sign 'er name. An' he said he couldn't sign it [he could not write]. An' so, he got me to sign de girl's name at de bottom. An' he'd taken her coat - she had a little velvet coat - an' wrapped it up in dat an' put it in behin' de ceilin's in de wall. An' told 'im when she come back, tuh take it [coat] an' bring it back tuh 'im an' he [would put] 'em tuhgethah again. (And bring it back to him?) Bring it back tuh 'in. An' he tole 'im tuh go in dat room, yo' see, an' turn tuh de direction where she was, an' pray three times a day. An' said, dat inside of fo' days she would be back. An' she certainly was. (WILL YOU TELL ME THE STORY RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. HOW IT ALL STARTED - THE WHOLE STORY, THE DETAILS.) Of dis? (Yes, the whole story. How it happened. About her leaving and that sort of thing. Tell all the story.) When she left, she didn't go tuh stay.
(She didn't go to stay?)
No, sir, she didn't go tuh leave, yo' know. At least, she didn't tell 'im she was. She had tole othah people when she left dat she wasn't comin' back.
(I see.)
An' so, her brother-in-law died an' dat's how she got away. She went tuh Louisiana.
(To Louisiana?)
Yeah. An' aftah she got over dere...
(Where was she living?)
She was livin' here in Vicksburg.
(Oh, I see. All right.)
Yes, sir. An' aftah she got ovah dere, she didn't come back an' she wrote, keep encouragin' 'im dat she would be back. An' so she wrote fo' 'im tuh send her things dere. An' he did do it. An' aftah he sent her things dere, she still didn't come back. An' so he went tuh dis man an' dis man tole him dat she wasn't thinking about comin' back.
(Did he go to a man here in town?)
Yes, sir. An' he told 'im dat she wasn't thinkin' about comin' back. An' so he told 'im dat he could brin g'er back fo' 'im. An' he went tuh 'im an' he come. Dis man come tuh 'is house an'
(YOU MEAN THIS "DOCTOR" CAME TO THIS MAN'S HOUSE?)
YES, SIR, CAME TO HIS HOUSE AN' HE BROUGHT DIS TIN PAN WIT 'IM, WIT DE WRITIN' ALREADY ON IT.
(Well, how Was it fixed up, this pan?)
De pan? Jes' a plain tin plate, yo' know pie plate, an' de writin' was on de back of it, jes' like, jes' like yo' would write a letter tuh somebody. But ah couldn't read it, but it was writin' jes' like yo' would write a lettah tuh somebody, an' at de bottom of it he wanted - somebody else had tuh sign 'er name.
(And how was it written, you said before? Written with what?)
With red ink.
(Red ink?)
Yes.
(Did it look like English writing or what?)
Yes.
(You really think it was Written in English, but you couldn't read it?)
No, sir.
[The words may have been written with English letters but meaningless.]
(I see. All right. And they [he] brought this pan back to the man's house?)
Yes.
(And then what happened?)
He took this pan and got one of her pieces, had tuh have somepin dat she wore, an' wrap dis pan up in it.
(But you signed that name though?)
Yes, sir, at de bottom, an' put it ovah behind de ceilin' of de wall.[ Vicks- burg, Miss., (775), 1066:3.]
Entry 8816
Ah hear dat if dey git holt of yore han'writin' or anythin' lak dat, if yo'd write a lettah, dey take it an' burn fo' cornahs off it an' ketch de ashes, or sompin othah lak dat, an' send yo' de lettah back. Says dey got chew den. Says it will make yo' come back, as long as dey hold dem ashes dere. Jes' burn de cornah where yo' roll dat, say yo'll come back if dey want chew tuh come back.
Entry 8835
Well, ah have carried mens an' wimmins tuh de root doctors tuh cure cases lak dat, an' whut he does, he gives 'em some kinda powdah. [I stop ma- chine but informant then continues.]
(He tells them to write a letter?)
Write 'em a lettah an' dey open dat lettah an' find dere be in it a high per- fume an' dey'll smell it an' in nine days dey'll be back home.
(That is some sort of powder that he makes?)
Yes sir.
Entry 8859
When yo' write de lettah, jis' have yore mind right on who yo' writin' tuh - on who yo' writin' tuh - an' git chew a bottle of Heart Cologne an' drop nine drops for nine days in dat lettah. Den git chew a box of Sweetheart Powdahs an' yo' sprinkle some on dere. Den yo' seal dat lettah up an' yo' send it tuh 'em. When dey git dat an' inahale dat, why den, see dat will bring 'em right back tuh yuh.
Entry 8887
As the proof, yo' will take a Bible, the Testament. Yo'll take a great big brass key. Yo'll place it in that Bible. Tyin' it well, hold it with two individual forefingers sayin' this word: By St. Peter, by St. Paul, by the Lord that made us all, if Chester have my pocketbook, leave the Bible, key, turn an' fall. An' if he's got it, it'll turn an' fall. Yo' kin call twenty differen' men's names an' when yo' get de right one, it turns. De other individuals, it stays neutral.
(I see. Then what Would you do to make him bring it back, anything?)
Why yo' go to 'im an' yo' tell 'im to bring it back, if yo' found out fo' sure he got it.
Entry 8892
Well, de 12th Psalms... [I mean] de 24 Psalms an' de 12th verse. Yo' read it fo' nine mawnin's an' put a key intuh it, an' dey says dat if yo' read dat fo' 'bout nine mawnin's an' make yore wish, an' de man whut did it, dey say he'll come back. He'll come right back tuh yo'. (You put the key into what?) Intuh de Bible. Yo' have tuh put de key in dere an' fine [find] dis chaptah an' read it. Yo' place de key in de centah [of Bible? or of Psalm?] an' yo' close de Bible up, an' yo' make wish, an' yo' have tuh do dat fo' nine mawnin's, an' dey says he certainly will come back. Ah've heard dat.
(What did you read now? What Psalm?)
De 12th Psalm an' de 14th verse. [Informant's Psalms and verses are meaning- less in this present rite.]
Entry 8893
Well, ah'll tell yuh, yo' take a brass key, if yo' [want to] find out who it is; an' aftah tyin' de brass key in de Bible, put de brass key down in dat Bible, takin' two men - a woman must nevah hold any of dose keys - sayin', By St. Petah, by St. Paul; by de Lord dat made us all; if Such-an'-such has mah money or watch, leave de [= dere= there] key Bible an' all. [For preceding obscurity see later.] It has been proven dat way. De party dat chew had no suspicion for, would feel guilty an' return it. He will volunteer to come back with it. [THIS IS MY ONLY EXAMPLE OF A WOMAN FORBIDDEN TO HOLD A KEY! The reason is obvious. A key is something that goes into a hole, unlocks. Elsewhere in the text I have written about former moral theology forbidding women to assume the superior position, either she lying or sitting. Folklore cautions her against stepping over a man lying on the floor or crawling over him in bed. Here We also have the locked-room theme of Blue- beard, who gave the keys of the castle to his wife, forbidding her to unlock one room.] [The preceding bracket [[= dere = there]] properly placed in its context reads: leave there key, [[leave]] Bible an' aZl.]
Entry 8901
It's a different key from any. It's not lak de ordinary key dat we has. It's a key dat's shaped kinda lak a scissors. Yeah, shaped kinda lak a scissors. An' yo' take dat key an' yo' hold it up. Yo' git up evah mawnin' 'fore de sun rise an' yo' take dat key an' stan' up in de direction de sun's risin'. An' tell dat key whut yo' want, whoevah it wuz dat stole anythin' from yo' or whoevah yo' wanted 'em tuh bring it back, an' dat key will turn in yore han'. An' as dat key turn in yore han', if he stole anythin', he's goin' bring it back. An' if it don't turn, why yo'won't git it back. It's a key dat isn't made lak de ordinary key. It's a key shaped jes' lak a scissors, crossed.
(It's two keys crossed - like two keys crossed?)
Yes.
Entry 8927
If a person come in here an' steal somepin from yo', he may steal five dollars or he may steal ten dollars. Well, now yo' go to bed. Yo' wanta go down an' put de law behin' [the thief], but don' chew do dat. Yo' ain't gotta put de law behin' 'em. Den go to work an' lay down in yore bed at night an' de fust thing yo' dream yo' git up. De fust thing yo' have in yore dreams, yo' git up. Yo' go an' take up yo' right-footed shoe. An' take it an' put it at de head of yo' bed, underneath chure head. Well, de fust thing yo' dream after yo' put it underneath chew head, yo' come downstairs an' take some soda, cookin' soda, in yo' hand. An' take some table salt an' put it in yo' hand, an' a little bit of red pepper an' put it in yore hand. Go to de do' an' call three names of de ones dat been to yore house. An' dat man will come back dat night an' bring dat back an' say he got it.
Entry 8934
If anybody would take anything from yo' an' yo' wanted 'em tuh return it back, dey tell me yo' takes an' put rice in ev'ry do' an' yo' walks ovah dis do'. Yo' walks ovah de rice fo' nine diff'ren' days, an' dey say dat dey would return it back.
(Anything that they have stolen.)
Entry 8940
Somebody stealin' anything from you an' he passes.through de door - he's gotta, yo' know. Yo' take a axe an' go right over de door, on de inside an' on de outside, cut off little splinters, don't care how small it is. An' go right out into the yard where there's a cart, or a wagon or automobile or anything. If it's a automobile, you've got to jack the wheel up. Then yo' lose it so yo' kin pull it off de axle an' put de two splinters right in there, an' shove it right back on. An' yo' call this thief: Thief, turn your ways backwards. Oh, Thief, yo' shall be turned back. Yo' shall stand up in your track. Yo' shall not walk one inch front nor back until yo' come back an' bring my stolen' goods to me. Say that three times. An' stop asking him to bring it back and walk away. In less time than thirty minutes, yo'll see someone coming.
Entry 8944
" Jes' lak somebody take somepin outa dis room heah. Yo' kin take a knife an' trim off a li'le trimmin' off dat do' dere, where yo' go out. An' yo' kin take an' care [carry] it - go tuh a man who got a wagon an' take de left-hand reah [rear] wheel off. An' put dat on dat spindle where dat[wheel] turn ovah on - put dat trimmin' whut chew got off dat do'. An' put de wheel back on dere an' yo' say, Thief, return, an' yo' turn dat wheel far- vards three times an' den yo' turn it backwards. Say, Thief, return de stolen goods which was taken outen mah possession. An' in seven days he'll return dose goods back to yo' - money or anything else. An' if he haven't got de goods, he'll come an' tell yo' dat he'll pay yo' fo' dose goods.
Entry 8945
If somebody steal sompin from yo' an' yo' want 'em tuh bring it back, yo' take dere names an' write it on a piece of papah an' put it in de wagon, undah [inside] de wagon wheel. Put it in dere an' turn dat wagon wheel ovah nine times. An' dey will be forced tuh bring it back to yo'. Call 'em when yo' turn dat thing - turn dat wheel - call 'em an' tell 'em: Yo' must come back heah tuh me an' bring dat whut chew took away. Yo' must come back an' bring it to me. De Father bids yo' come, de Son bids yo' come, de Holy Ghost bids yo' come, an' yo' must come back an' bring it back in Jesus Name.
(Do you turn that wagon wheel around either way?)
Turn it to yo' nine ways [times - see preceding nine times].
Entry 9273
Ah said, three aigs, graveyard dirt, if he or she are gone away, it will bring dem back.
(What do you do with those three eggs to bring them back?)
Bury them.
(Where?)
Anywhere.
(Anything else you have to do?)
Nothing.
Entry 9397
Dey kin take yuh han'writin' an' draw yuh from home, an' dey kin run yuh from home.
(Well, how do they do that?)
Dat's by - jis' as ah fo'say, ah kin take dat an' calls yuh name. Callin' yuh name ah go tuh de shop an' ah buy me three aigs, but ah gotta guarantee dey gotta be black hen aigs. [How informant knows eggs come from a black hen is not explained.] An' twelve 'clock at night, jes' de direction yo' is, ah throw dat aig an' bust it. An' jis' where she fall, SHE RUN YUH AWAY OR BRING YO' BACK.
(Well, how do you accomplish that?)
Becuz yo' are comin' - write chure [= victim's] name on de aig: "God de Fathah, God de Son an' God de Holy Ghost, Power." Den yore name come aftah it on de aig. De direction yo' are tuhward de street outside, twelve 'clock on de minute.
(You throw the three eggs?)
Throw de three aigs.
(That's to bring you?)
Bring yuh or run yuh, eithah one, whichevah yo' want done. Dat's right. (Well, how do you signify that you Want to run them away or to bring them back. How do you do that?) Tell dem on de egg, yo' write it. If yo' right in town - jis' right heah now yo' wanta run dat feliah dat be nex' do', yo' jis' come right by an' if 'is baid in de middle room, yo' throw dat right dere. Well he gone.
Entry 9503
Yo' kin take salt. Lak a man when he leaves, yo' kin take salt fo' nine straight mawnin's an' yo' stan' in de do' an' yo' go on - yo' come out. Come out in de front yard an' take dat salt an' throw it back on dis man three times. Throw de salt back in de house ovah yore right shouldah three times, an' ovah yore lef' shouldah three times. Dat'll bring 'im back. (You stand out in front of the door with your back to the house and you do that nine mornings?) Nine mawnin's. He'll be back in nine mawnin's. He's gotta come back.
Entry 9514
Ah've heard dat if yo' don' wan'a person tuh yore house, when dey leve take a hand of table salt an' throw it behin' dem an' dey'll nevah return.
Entry 10159
An' a woman wants her ole man back for love, she'll burn a blue candle. Well, she put that [candle] in molasses an' his name - if a colored person [black strap] molasses an' his name - on it nine times, an' hers on top, under that sau- cer see with the blue candle [standing and burning on top of the saucer]. That brings him back. (How long does she burn that and when?) Well, she kin keep that candle burning [as long as and whenever she wants to]. That's for her husband or man.
Entry 10167
(Tell me something more about burning these candles. How do they burn these candles? Give me an illustration.) Well, you burn those candles - they got different ones they burn. Now, for to make you die, you get a black one. To have luck and successes, you get a pink one [luck] and a blue one [success]. And a blue one will make your man come back to you, if he's gone. (Tell me how you do - just how you burn it. Do you know how you handle that?) Yes. You take that candle and you put it in a saucer or something and you put a little sugar. You take some sugar and you take a piece of paper or else - but honey is the best. Honey is better than sugar because honey is sveeter than sugar. And you put it in a saucer and you have that man's name down. And when you fold it, don't fold it from you, you fold it to you. And you put that candle there. Well, when that candle burn out, well, you see hit'll spread all over there, you see. And you put it where nobody won't see it. You burn that candle like today, the next day he'll come if he don't stay no more than [I interrupt]
(Do you put this honey in the saucer?)
In the - in the - look [demonstrates]: you put the piece of paper in the sau- cer. You put, you know his name is on it, the paper; you put the paper down first in the saucer. You put the honey [demonstrates].
(On top of the paper.)
On top of the paper and you fold it over like you fold a napkin, and you set the candle right up there.
(Down in the honey?)
Yeah, but you see - yeah, down in the honey; but you see, the paper is fold, you know.
(Before you put the honey there?)
Yeah, and you take piece of the candle - you take the candle and you let it drip. Let some of this wax drip on the paper so hit can stick. Well, stick it
[candle] there. Now, when that's burn out, well you go get another one [candle]
and you do the same. Well, you have his name in that [folded paper sweetened with honey]. That's to sweeten him.
(Well, how often can you burn that candle? Or when?)
Well, you burn it, the candle, for nine days and in nine days he'll be back to you, you see; but you burn it every day - you see, every day.
(All day long?)
All day long. Or, when that one go out, you burn another one. You see? You buy you - well, you say, well, I'll buy me [candles]. If you buy you nine can- dles, well [use them] long as those candles burn out; but when you ain't got no more, you go get some more for nine days. And when that - he'll be back in the nine days, 'fore the nine days.
Entry 10199
A candle for luck and success you burn to St. Peter. He hold de key in his hand. All right dat opens. They call that open the way for you, you see. St. Raymond that's money. You burn to him and he keeps you with a piece of money; and you got to give him a piece of money, and he keeps you with a piece of money. That's the Way that is. (Do you know any other saints? St. Micahel? Any other saints they burn candles to?) Yes, St. Micahel. They burns to St. Peter, St. Raymond and St. Anthony.
(What do they burn to St. Anthony for?)
They burn to St. Anthony for to bring people back, mens back to - women back when they done quit. You make a wish and burn that light to him. Go to the church anywhere and light a light, if you don't have the saint at the house. If you have had the saint blest and put at your home and you prays to it three times a day, that's to bring anybody back to you what done left you.
(Do you mean three times one after the other, or?)
Three times a day, twelve - say six in morning, twelve in the day, and six in the evening. That's three times, you pray to this saint. And have your light burning. It'll - in nine days you see an improvement.
Entry 10346
If a man steals a dishrag from another house, wipes himself, then returns dishrag to place from which it was stolen, he will cure his impotence [Wilmington, 130:8].
Entry 9595
All she gotta do is tuh go tuh work an' take some cookin' salt an' some red peppah an' some bluestone an' beat it all up tuh- gethah. An' den she ain't got a thing tuh do but jes' pass by de gate where de lady lives an' jes' throw it three times ovah de gate where yo' bound tuh cross it, chew know, comin' in an' out. Yo' won't go dere any more. Dat breaks up de home.
(That breaks up the man and this other woman?)
Yes, an' he'll come back tuh 'is wife. An' stay.
Entry 9647
Ah've heard it said, yo' kin take table salt an' black peppah. As dey go out de do' yo' sprinkle it behin' dem, an' yo' take de broom an' yo' sweep it out behin' den. And dey say dey will leave an' dey won't evah come back dere no more.
Entry 9648
He comes an' [you] have a good frien'ly talk wit 'im in de porch or at de gate wherevah he stops at. An' den watch 'im, an' soon as he leaves, go right in de house an' git chew broom. An' sprinkle roun' dere, where he was, oit salt an' black peppah, an' sweep it de way he went. He won't come back.
Entry 9649
Ah've learned dat chew kin take black peppah an' salt an' if dey come intuh de back do' an' go intuh de house, why sprinkle dat black peppah an' salt behin' 'em. If dey goes out de front, jes' sprinkle it slowly behin' dem as dey go out an' sweep, an' dey'll nevah come back ag'in.
(But they must come in the back door before you can do that?)
Dey don' have tuh go in de back do' - de same do' dey go intuh. If dey come in de front do' an' jes' go in a room an' set or stan' dere, when dey git ready tuh go out, jes' go back out de same way dey came in, all yo' have tuh do is jes' sprinkle dis black peppah an' salt behin' dem an' jes' sweep it out, an' dey'll nevah come back.
Entry 9687
If yo' don't want no one in yore house, in yore room, an' when dey leave out, yo' take de salt an' sprinkle it in behin' 'em an' sweep, an' den spit init. Dey'll nevah come in yore house ag'in.
Entry 9758
Dey tell me yo' kin take nine nails an' drive down in de road which way dey went, an' count de nails fo' nine mawnin's, an' de ninth mawnin' dey tell me dey'll return.
(That's to bring a person back.
Entry 9791
Git chew two needles an' write chure name - write chure name first an' put 'er name on top of yore name. Git chew two needles an' stick it right up ovah dat do' dere [points to door of interviewing room] right up undah de [wall] papah. Put dat up undah de papah. Well, yo' stick de haid of de needles in de vall, but stick [the points of] de needles comin' in de house. Dat will bring 'er right back. She won't be a day comin' back eithah. (You stick that paper [with the names] up by putting these needles through it?) Yessuh, yo' put dem needles through dis papah yo' see ovah de do'. An' stick de point of de needles comin' in de house; not goin' out, comin' in de house.
(The needles will point into the house?)
[A portion of the wallpaper is peeled back, the paper with names dampened and pressed against the wall, and the wallpaper returned and held in place by push- ing the heads of two needles through it. There are variations of this rite else- where in HOODOO.1 Yes. Dat'll point 'er right on in heah. She ain't goin' out dere jes' as long as dat needle an' dat name up dere. She ain't goin' out.
Entry 9909
Well, now, if yo' kin, yo' kin take as li'l a thing as a toadfrog, an' ketch 'im an' put 'im in a box. An' jis' let 'im stay dere, you see, until de ants eat all of 'is flesh offa his bones. An' it's a li'l forked bone in 'im dat yo' kin git. An' if yo' kin git anywheres neah dat man an' put dat bone on 'im, an' he'll come back. Yes, sir, he'll come right back home tuh stay dere.
Entry 9950
Well, ah've heard about their using a toadyfrog to hurt chew. Or it be a matter if a person is gone away and you want them to come back. You'll get a frog and you write their name nine times on a piece of paper. And open the frog's mouth and you put this paper in the frog and you close it up. And let the frog stay for nine days and the person will return.
Entry 10697
Yo' go to a fortuneteller or Hoodoo and pay them a certain amount of money to have what is known as good luck to follow your home while you are gone. And it is said that she would tell you for this amount [of money given to her] to buy de Bible and not open it. Open it in de house [itself] and find de 17 division of Psalms, Psalms of David, [close Bible] and walk in yore garden and git as near de center as possible [here is a quincunx rite!] not yet opening Bible. And turn yore face as near towards de east as possible, and valk 17 steps and stop, and read de 17 division of de Psalms, and den close de book. And no harm will befall yore home or nuthin will happen to yore wife. (This is to sort of to protect your family; especially if a man is going away from home?) Yes, that's on leaving home. The same thing holds good, de wuman tole me, if a man's wife leaves him and he wants her to return.
Entry 11099
Wear man's hat bow around your neck in a bag, or hang any of his garments on the front of the bed or make a pillow of it, and he'll come back.
[Wilmington 123:4.]
Entry 11100
Put man's old dirty underwear or old shoes under bed to bring back.
[Wilmington 115:3.]
Entry 11101
Woman can wear any clothes man left, or put it some place in house, make wishes, he'll come back. [Norfolk 475:3.]
Entry 11313
[Take] de hair from undah a dog's left laig, left hind laig, an' bury it down at de front do'step. He nevah will leave home. He'll stay right dere. Don't care if somebody steal him an' carry him off, he'll come back.
Entry 11616
A man is brought back by the woman wearing his foot track and hair, or a piece of his clothing, next to her skin. [Petersburg 422:4.]
Entry 11617
To bring a man back, a woman puts his left foot track in a paper bag and wears it on her bosom. [Wilmington 197:3.]
Entry 11850
If you get his hair and some of his underweah, you kin take it and put it all in a sack with some kind of roots. I don't know what. And put it in a corner [outside house] to- wards de rising sun, and go back to it every morning and pour sweet spirits of niter on it every morning [for 9 mornings] and in 9 mornings he'll come in the door. He'll come back home. [A number of these corner-of-the- house rites are scattered through HOODOO.]
Entry 11904
To bring a man back, a woman may take hair from the mole of his head and wear it in the hem of her underskirt. [Wilmington 185:8+85.]
Entry 11983
Tie 9 knots in person's hair and throw into running water, having first turned around 9 times while wishing victim will never return. [Washington, D. C., 837:2.]
Entry 12066
Handwriting is worn in shoes to bring person back. [Elizabeth City 403:9.]
Entry 12147
Use Hearts Cologne an' wear it under de left arm or in de breast an' if he'll quit, he'll have to go back. [Waycross 1856:8a.]
Entry 12251
Ah ain't goin' [tell] yo' no lie. Ah'll tell yo' de truth now, but ah'm goin' tell yo' 'bout dis. Now, ah'm goin' [tell] whut ah knows an' whut ah don't know ah won't tell yo', 'c'use ah don' ca' fo' no foolishness. Well, all right. Now, ah have had people roomin' wit me. Ah have rn a roomin' house. Co'se ah haven't run one lately. Fifteen yeahs ago heah in dis coum an' people heah dat wouldn't pay me, an' ah wanted dem tuh stay, an' dey uouldn't stay 'way from mah house. Ah wanted 'em tuh stay 'way. Ah sprinkle Salt dere. Ah had tuh sprinkle salt down. An' now John de Conkah is a straight Sring, is a straight fact, it won't die. John de Conkah root will not. Yo' boils hit an' strains it through a thin white rag, an' git all dem herbs an' trash in through de rag, an' take dat tea an' sprinkle it an' sweep yore flo' wit it. Sprinkle salt behin' dere an' sweep it out, jes' anybody dat go out. Jes' have it in a bottle an' anybody dat go out, jes' sprinkle salt on de floor an' sprinkle dat root of medicine on de flo' an' sweep it out behin' 'em. Ah'll guarantee dey ain' t comin' back dere no mo'.
Entry 12284
Yo' kin git saltpetah, sage, alum, sugah an' salt - yo' know - stuff, yo' know, whut he nuse [use]. Yo' know, salt an' sugah an' stuff lak dat whut chew wanta know in dose strings. Yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son, ah'm bringin' yo' back tuh me." Call his name, see, an' say, "Long as yo' eat sage, as long as yo' eat sugah, drink sugah in yore coffee" - sompin lak dat. An' call dose names, an' tie dose strings, an' tell him yo' want him tuh come back tuh yo'. Well, he'll come den. An' aftah yo' tie dose strings, put dose strings in a pile an' sprinkle dis saltpetah an' stuff ovah it, an' red peppah, an' yo' take kerosene. An' den yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son, ' an' burn it. An' put it out in de yard an' let it smoke.
Entry 12445
Ah've heard about a mockingbird. Now, yo' take a mockingbird - dey claim dat chew kin rob his nest. Yo' know he have two little aigs. If yo' rob his nest, break up his nest wit de aigs, de spots on dat eggshell, if yo've got time to, count half of 'em. Take dem spots after yo' count 'em, set 'em down on sompin [piece of paper], as many as yo' count. An' yo' take dat an' yo' carry it to run- nin' water. Yo' put it in a runnin' stream. Yo' stand wit chure back an' throw it back behin' yo' an' walk right on off. Well, now, dat's jes' lak if a person is gone off somewhere an' yo' want 'em to come back. Yo' count dem spots an' yo' throw dat piece of paper, whatevah yo' got it [number of spots on]. Throw it in running water behin' yo' an' don't look back at it. In a very short while dat person will come back. It jes' give 'em de mind to come on back to yo'.
Entry 12453
Yo' kin git de young uns [ones] an' raise 'em.
(The young mockingbirds?)
Yes, an' yo' kin take a man's hair - jes' lak ah tell yo' 'bout de fish. Say, yo' carry 'em from heah - carry dat bird from right heah tuh Columbia [S. Car.]. An' fasten dat man hair on dere, to his wing an' turn him loose. Yo' ain't goin' have no mo' trouble about Tom [owner of hair] until dat bird die or somebody kill him. Nou, dere's a good one [method] tuh carry people off from heah. Dat's de only thing ah know [about mockingbird].
(You said that man will die?)
No, if dat bird die, dat man will come back home.
Entry 12484
If corpse falls the way murderer goes, murderer will come back.
[Mobile 882:11.]
Entry 12546
If she got his name, put it in a onion. Get you a red, red, red big onion and hull [core] it out good. And write his name nine times, thisaway [demonstrates] and write yours this Way [demon- strates] nine times on his'n. (Running across it.) Yeah, and put it in the onion, shut it up and put it in a can, and keep it under the side of the bed he slept on and he'll be back.
(Keep the onion shut up in a can under the side of the bed on which he slept?)
Yes, sir. Where he slept at.
(And he'll come back?)
He'll come back.
Entry 12677
Kin take de photograph an' if a person is away from home, an' yo' wanta see would dey come home, ah heard dat yo' kin take dat photograph an wear it into yore shoe - wear it in yore shoes on de right feet, an' dey say dey'll have tuh come home. [Wilson 2666:5.]
Entry 12735
I've heard tell of 'em takin' soak and soapin' the track. Well, that's to hold down trains and - the same as zhor girl had lef' from here. You want her even to come back or be dis-successful w'ere she is. Then you take that soap and slick on the side of the track [the one she travels over when leaving you] on the rail, top of the ball [top surface of the rail]. And it say the way she went, she will come back - come back to you.
Entry 9299
Takes a aig an' write his 'nitial all ovah dat aig, jes' let it be written all ovah it. Take yo' some yellah homespun an' covah dat ovah dat [egg] an' bury it jes' de side-a [side of] dat gate, er [or] de do', an' dat'll bring 'im back home an' he won't leave no mo'.
(Is that for any kind of egg?)
Any kind of aig, don't make no diff'rence.
Entry 9348
Well, yo' see, de aigs, dere are two kinds of aigs. A roostah's aig is long an' de hen's aigs are round. Well, yo' git two hen aigs an' some salt an' black peppah. Well, yo' git on dis hen aig whut chew want done. Den yo' go an dig a hole de way yo' want tuh run it - tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' dig a hole to- Wards runnin' watah an' den yo' put dis aig down in dere an' de black peppah an' salt, an' tell it evah whut chew want it tuh do. An' dey'll come back.
(You leave it there. You use two eggs though?)
Yeah, yeah, two aigs. Dey're round aigs. Yo' see, a roostah's aig is long an' de hen aig is round [the words long or round being words based upon sexual symbolism, not biology]. Well, yo' use de hen aigs. [For long eggs and round eggs see also following rite, and for round eggs and square eggs see also No.9284, p.3738.]
(You dig a sort of a ditch?)
No, a hole tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' know, sometime yo' have ditches run- nin'. Well, yo' kin tell which way de watah is runnin'. Well, yo' dig de hole tuhwards runnin' watah.
(You mean between your house and the running water?)
Well, if de ditch is runnin' between yore house, yo' kin dig it right in front of de ditch, jes' so's it's runnin' which way de watah is runnin'.
(You mean you dig the hole away from you, down the way the water is running?)
Yeah, well, yo' take nine steps tuhwards de runnin' watah an' dig yore hole, an' den aftah yo' dig yore hole, yo' put chure aig an' salt an' black peppah down in dere. Co'se dis aig already has on it whut chew want it tuh do. An' den yo' have it bring 'em back.
(That is to bring them back?)
Yes.
Entry 11689
Dey go to de fo'ks of de road an' dey turn three times, but ah heard dey go to de graveyard befo' an' dey gits some dirt. An' dey take dat dirt an some sugah an' some sugah of lead an' some sulphur, an' take it an' take dat dirt an' bury it undah de steps, undah de front steps, either de back - if dey's out an' yo' want 'em tuh come in...yo' take it an' yo' mix dat all up togethah. Yo' take it an' bury it undah yore steps, where dey gotta come ovah. An' dat'll make dem come back.... Either yo' take it an' bury it out from de steps. Dat'll make 'em go away.
(What about the forks of the road?)
Ah say, ah've heard of 'em goin' to de fo'ks of de road but it be at de grave- yard at de fo'ks of de road, an' git dat graveyard dirt.
(You have to go to a graveyard that's near a forks of the road?)
Yassuh, tuh git dat dirt, but now if yo' say go to de graveyard an' git dat dirt off a grave fo' dat somebody dat's went away.... An' yo' wanta git 'em back.... Dat's whut ah'm tryin' tuh tell yo' 'bout dat graveyard dirt. Yo' go dere an' git dat an' yo' bury dat dirt.
Entry 11848
(This woman would take his hair and bury it where?)
Take an' tie it in a washrag an' bury it underneath the do'step.
(What will that make him do then?)
Make him come back home.
Entry 12008
Hair of person buried to bring him or her back home. [New Orleans 1158:9.]
Entry 12784
If you throw salt into unwelcome person's departing tracks, he will never return. [Wilmington 189:5+85.]
Entry 12802
Throw salt behind departing person, sweep 9 strokes, and he will not return. [Mobile 890:4.]
Entry 12821
If you put salt and pepper under the chair on which visitor will sit, then when he leaves throw salt and pepper behind him, he will not return. [St. James, black community or Eastern Shore of Maryland, by hand.]
Entry 12823
If a person is unwelcome, throw salt and cayenne pepper behind him and he will not return. [Petersburg, 424:2; Norfolk, 493:7; Fredericksburg, by Ediphone; Richmond, 290:4; Wilmington, 195:6+85.]
Entry 12937
Den she kin take one of his shoes if she in a position to have one an' tumn it down at de back do'step undah de step, but not - jest take an' turn it right ovah. Jest put a little sand to each - yo' don't have to bury it, an' that'il bring him back. Dat's a shore way.
Entry 12939
To bring person back home bury his or her shoe under the steps. [Deal Island, Md. 24:5.]
Entry 12943
Person's left foot shoe bury in front of steps with toe pointing to house to bring back. [Memphis 1580:1.]
Entry 12949
To bring back, a woman buried her husband's shoe under the steps with heel down and toes up[ [Wilmington 256:1+85.]
Entry 12951
Bury left foot shoe 5 feet from doorsteps or at north corner of house and he'll come back.
Entry 12956
Put salt in old shoe, name him while burning this in fire, and he'll have to come back. [Wilmington 134:6+85.]
Entry 12957
Get a ole shoe of a ole man an' burn it up, an' then take de ashes am' red pepper an' salt, an' if de law comes, whenevah he leaves, to throw dis behind him an' he won't come back any more. [Norfolk 524:3.]
Entry 13140
Well yo' take de socks tuh bring a man back home. Now, lak yo' got a odd square, a odd square on yore flo'. A old square on yore flo', see, lak dis square heah [square of linoleum in floor of my inteviewing room at the Patterson Hotel for Blacks where I inter- viewed in New Orleans]. All right. Well, yo' take dat sock an' yo' put both toes together an' bring dat sock in - de feet, lak ah walk in heah. Yo' see, de front of mah feet is comin' in. Well, yo' bring dat in an' put dat, an' put dat at de end, an' yo' tack dat undah dere [linoleumlundah de carpet. Dat's right. An' he will come a-hellin'. Yessuh, lak if he's away an' don' wanta come home.
Entry 13167
Put right-foot sock under rug, up to door, foot walking in, man com- ing back. [Memphis 1556:6.]
Entry 13200
Take your socks, the left foot...tie 9 knots in dem an' dey'll bring you from anyw'ure you was...bury it. [Charleston 602:6.]
Entry 13209
A woman puts needles in man's sock and puts it under the doorstep so that toe points towards house - brings him back or keeps him home. [Memphis 1570:10.]
Entry 2891
Now, jes' say now for an instance if a man is gone and left his wife, yo' might say or sweetheart, and he's away off in another country probably and she want him back. She care fo' him but he's gone off and done 'tract his 'tention with somebody else, and his mind is offa de one that he left. If she got his photograph, she kin jes' take it and jes' turn it upside down on his haid, see. And den take a green candle and a yellah candle and put de photograph right - put it down, set de candles in some kin'a little [tin] top of something, put dis heah photograph behin' de light [candles], and light chure candles and make yore wush. See. Put de photograph upside down and put some sugar, some brown sugar in de saucer [or tin top] wheresomevah dose candles is; some brown sugar and some honey, and put de two candles in dere - de yellah candle and de green one.
[Brown sugar is often used for colored person; white for white person.]
And set 'em in dat saucer with dat sugar and dat honey and put de photograph right by dose, upside down. Well dat will make dat individual git on his head to come back, see, to where he left from. Jes' in a few days he'll git all upset, wanta come back, and ain't nuthin going to keep him away from dat individual. (Now here are the two candles sitting up in this can. You put the photograph upside down, head down, leaning against one of those candles - jest leaning against one of those candles.) Leaning against whatsomevah de candles is in. And den de person - lak ah'm doing dis, jes' lak if ah was going to light de candles for mah husband and tell him to come home, and [demonstrates] ah jes' put de photograph down dere, and ah tell him, "Now, ah mean fo' you to come home to me now. Ah mean fo' you to come home and don't you stay away no longer. Ah mean fo' you to come home." [Three times.] And in about five or seven days [odd numbers] he will be back.
Entry 2894
You can go to people and they can tell you what to do. Well, just like if you go to people and they tell you what to do. I know a fellow [a hoodoo or shrine-keeper] - well, if somebody have stole something from you - well, all he'd do is to say this prayer at nine, twelve and three, and tell the Lord, say, "Now, Lord, such-and-such-a one done stole something from me and I really need it." But you mean that from your heart and you sets that candle - a 25c candle - which is to burn eight days - and in eight days it is supposed to bring it back to you.
(Just an ordinary white candle?)
An ordinary white candle, cause I know a lady had a graphaphone stole from her and that's the way she got it back.
Entry 2912
(What have you heard about that?)
Well, if you have a fellow and he will leave home and you wanted him back, why you get you a candle - and you go out to the Crackerjack Drug Store some place. (To what drug store?) It's a drug store in New Orleans called the Crackerjack Drug Store on Rampart Street. And you kin get you some candles for a quarter - just pink-looking candles, not white. You'd get you some lump sugar. And you write his name down nine times and you take that - you know, put that candle on top of that name.
(What do you write the name on?)
A piece of writing paper.
(All right.)
You take that writing paper and you write the name nine times, and then you see, you have that candle up there and you set the nome to it. And you put those nine lumps of sugar around them then, makes your wish, and light that candle, and then he'll know the woman is - and he'll have to come back.
(Do you light those candles at any certain time?)
Yes, sir.
(What time?)
Well, about nine - about nine till eleven.
(In the night or morning?)
Well, you kin do it in the morning or you kin do it at night.
(And you burn it until he comes back? Or do you burn it for a certain time?)
No, you just burn - see, burn it from nine till eleven just for a couple of days and nat'rally, why he'll come back. (You take a piece of paper and you put it on something [not flammable], and then you melt some wax, and then you stick this candle on top of that paper.) Yes, sir - piece of writing paper. (And you put this paper down under the candle and you put these nine lumps of sugar in front of the candle in a circle.) But you have to write his name on that paper.
(I understand - nine times.)
Yes.
(Do you write the name, one right under each other? Or any way?)
No, just write it under each other.
(One right under each other in a line?)
In a line.
Entry 4123
A woman down in Caroline [Co., Va.] had a husband always running about and he went to West Virginia, and he wrote to her and she sent him some tobacco. She said she had a good chance to make him come home. She took of her rumning nature - that's water, urine, and washed that tobacco and sent it to him. And he chewed it and in three days he was back in the yard. She brought him back home. She told me so herself. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 4174
An' jis' lak if yuh want tuh git chure man back, jis' lak if yuh want tuh make 'em come home, if yuh kin git a chance tuh, git 'is chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle, an' don' have no watah in dere, no spit or nuthin. Take dis chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle an put chew a teaspoonful of sugah in dere, an' take an' stop dat up in dat bottle. Put it somewheres where it cain't be in- tahfered wit, an' turn dat bottle down lak dat [demonstrates] an' let it stay dere. An' he will come back. If yuh wanta keep 'im wit yuh, yuh git some of 'is chamber lye ag'in - dere two or three diff'ren' ways dat chew kin do it. Go tuh a cow, if she's a cow dat has a young calf, a black cow an' she's got a calf. Git chew aroun' two teaspoonful of dat milk an' po' it intuh dat bottle. An' yuh kin keep 'im jis' as fast, jis' as yuh do de sugah an' dat chamber lye tuhgethah. Put all of it tuhgethah. Set it aside or put it in de trunk or put it up ovah yuh do'. It's all right. Dat will draw 'im home an' make him stay dere. He cain't go nowhere.
(You don't do that if he's away some place?)
[No.] Jis' [to] keep 'im. All yuh gotta do is tuh keep 'll.
Entry 4182
Yo' wants a man an' yo' write his name see, nine times. An' yo' puts it in a bottle of chamber lye an' bury it undahneat' yuh steps. In nine days he'll be back dere.
Entry 4297
Well, dere's some piece of yuh [a man's] clothes she kin git an' wash 'em tuhgethah wit hers, an' take de suds offa dat watah an' she kin stop it up in a bottle. An' she kin take a little bit of it, an' if she kin git a holt of a little bit of 'is urine, an' she kin git dat an' stop it up in dere, shut it up tight, purtty soon he'll come back.
Entry 4386
Ah heard dat if - now jis' lak if yuh love a person an' dey mistreat yuh or sompin othah. Jis' lak ah may love yuh an' yuh don't love me. Dere man yuh know of dat kind, don't love 'em. Why - an' yuh love 'em an' do all yuh kin tuh git 'long wit 'em an' can't. Why yuh jes' takes most - well, any 'mount chew want of - well, food yo' know dat pass through dem. Yuh kin take dat. Yuh take dat an' yuh put it intuh a little rag, any kinda rag, or maybe a papah, anythin'. An' yuh take it down an' jis' lak yuh take up a brick outa yore chimley, an' yuh bury it undah dat brick an' let it stay undah dere fo' 'bout three days. Yuh take it out. Yuh take dat up den an' yuh burn it.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will bring 'im back.
(You burn his passage to bring him back?)
Yassuh.
Entry 4533
Dey kin go tuh de rivah. She kin git one sock, dat would be de right one, an' de hatban' - brim inside, de sweat [sweatband]. An' take it an' throw it in de rivah. She got 'im. He would eithah go crazy or come back tuh 'er.
Entry 13350
All right, he wanta pee. Ah let him come on it, heah's a bucket. Well, ah [woman] give him a bucket tuh pee in. Maybe ah ain't got no slop jar an' ah give him a bucket tuh pee in. Well, ah ain't goin' pee in dat dere. [This is a fre- quent statement in these rites, urine on top of another urine destroys the power of first urine. Similarly spit into urine kills latter's potency.] Ah take his watah an' po' it in a bottle an' ah keep it fo' nine mawnin's. Maybe ah'll bury it, understan'. He done comin' back. If ah love him, he comin' back.
Entry 13376
Save your urine for 9 mornin's or nights, put salt and pepper in, sweep steps down, and sweep it up, repeating what you want done to bring person back. [Memphis 1570:13.]