Subject:Rub
Entries
Entry 981
Ah wus hurt an' when ah wus hurt ah wus cured, an' ah dunno whut kinda [rubbing] medicine it wus. He strip me necked an' po' [pour] dat medicine in his han' an' jes' rub me down three strokes, an' somepin othah [usually a ''live thing in you"'] follow his han' down jes' lak dat an' bust out de end of mah toe - right de same where it went in. When ah first got it, ah got it in mah toe. Well, it wus somepin jes' lak a needle dat stick in mah toes an' dat needle jes' work right on - jes' keep aworkin' roun' till it got [inside].
Entry 3361
Ah've heard now - not dat ah know. Say when a man runnin' aftah a woman an' if yo' wanted tuh break 'im up from it, say git chew a snail or adish- rag, ary [either] one, an' rub dis snail on de dish- rag an' when he have connection wit 'er, gib 'im dat rag - steal de dishrag - an have him wipe, straighten hisself down wit it dat way. Wipe himself aftah he git through wit 'er. An' dey say he can't have no connection wit nobody but 'er.
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 3419
Dere wus a man goin' wit a girl an' he couldn't do nuthin wit 'er. Well, she'd have connection wit othah men, an' he couldn't ketch 'er, an' he couldn't ketch 'er. Well, dis same John McKinna, he lived at Clinton [N. Car.], he said, "Ah'll tell yo' whut tuh do." An' he tole de man whut tuh do. Well, he take a dog when she wus proudin' an' he cut it off, an' he goes home an' he wipes 'is gal wit dis thing. Now, dis wus at Wilmington [N. Car.], an' he said de nex' time dis man an' dis woman have connection, dey'll git hung up jes' lak dis dog did. An' IT WUS A WHITE MAN HAVIN' CONNECTION WIT A COLORED WOMAN. An' ah did know 'er mah- self, ah wus stayin' dere [Wilmington] at dat time. An' de doctor [M.D.] had tuh git 'em apart, an' de only [thing] he did wuz tuh give de woman a black pill. He kill 'er tuh git 'em apart. Ah saw de woman mah ownself. [Doctor McKinna appears or will elsewhere in HOODOO.]
Entry 3457
Well, ah got a girl fren' or wife an' she's runnin' wit some.an an' ah reckon ah wanta ketch 'er, go tuh where two bulldogs tied up. An' take a pockt han'ke'chuf or eithah a new piece of vhite boe spun cloth an' vipe dose dogs off wit it, an' yo' ties it up. Yo' ties it in a knot, a hard knot, an' yo' totes it; an' whenevah yo' have connection wit dis woman, yo' wipes 'er wit it. Yo' totes it in yore pocket.
(What does that do?)
Dat makes yo' ketch 'er.
(What will that do to that woman then?)
It will make her an' a man git tied up.
(If she goes with another man.)
Entry 3642
Well, if yo' got a wife an' she jes' happen tuh be a run-aroun' woman, yo' take de snail an' when yo' has connections wit 'er, undahstan', all yo' gotta do is take an' hol' dese two fingahs right heah an' jes' put it up twix [her leg] - AH DUNNO WHUT DE DOC- TORS CALL IT. An' any man dat goes tuh has dealin's wit 'er, he use'ly [usually] fall. [I FAILED TO ASK WHAT INFORMANT CALLS IT.]
Entry 3653
Jes' lak yo' had a woman an' she wuz havin' mens. Yo' distrust dat she wuz goin' wit some man an' yo' couldn't stop 'er, yo' git dis slime from dat snail an' yo' wait till she goes tuh sleep an' den yo' rub 'er good 'tween 'er laigs wit it until yo' kill de snail. Do dat wit it 'live an' yo' rub it good until yo' kill de snail. Den when yo' kill dat aftah rubbin' her, den yo' take dat snail an' sew it up in a sack an' den put it, if yo' got a shelf lak dat, put it right behin' dat shelf an' let it stay dere. An' every man dat go tuh her, he'll be ready fo' her until he git ready to git on 'er. Den when he git on 'er, 'is nerves will fall. Nevah will have no intahco'se wit 'er.
Entry 3654
Dey said if yo' ketch a snail, an' yo' see a woman yo' want connection wit, said all yo' gotta do is mash dat snail an' git all dat slime on yo' han', an' if yo' evah got chance to git it in de breast, jis' kinda rub it on 'er breast, an' dey said she will yield to yo' in a few minutes. (You have to rub it on her.) Yes, yo' have to rub it on her breast.
Entry 3655
Well, dey tell me to take dis snail an' rub it on yuh - rub it on yuh- self, yo' know yeah tool. An' yo' see, an' de woman kin rub it on huhself an' de man can't have nuthin to do wit 'er aftah dat. Ah have tried dat. (The woman puts it on herself and the man puts it on himself and that takes their nature away from them? It seems so. [This is merely the usual rite: the person having the rubber can have no one else.]
Entry 3657
Dey [women] take dat snail an' rub it on yore thing an' yo' couldn't raise de dust on a hill. Ah said yo' wouldn't raise up 'tall.
Entry 3663
Oh, dey said if she goin' out wit anothah man an' he wan' it fixed so dat she won't have no courage fo' no othah man. Well, in othah words, so when de man goes tuh be wit 'er he'll fall befo' he evah be wit 'er. Git chew a ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' when yo' git dat ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne, git tuh playin' roun' wit 'er. An' take an' saturate his han's wit dat Hearts Cologne, prob'ly jis' befo' he git ready tuh go tuh bed an' be wit her. An' when he do dat, why he takes den an' bathe her down - rub her down [demonstrates].
(From her hips right down?)
Yessuh, from de hips down - all in heah. An' do dat fo' three time a week - dat means evah othah day. An' dey tell me when yo' do dat, why den when she'd go out, de man dat gon'a be wit 'er - but when he gits to de place his courage will fall. He can't have any intahco'se wit 'er.
Entry 3664
Yo' kin take a snail an' jis' boil 'im an' git de watah off 'im an' put it on a piece of cloth an' if it's a man or a woman - if it's woman.has othah fel- lahs goin' wit 'er, den rub 'im down. He'll nevah come up. Dat's all yo' wanta do, rub 'im on down. She slip, jes' slip on 'im - can't do nuthin - nevah want de use of a man.
(You mean no other man but her husband?)
Yessuh.
Entry 3680
Well, yo' kin go tuh work an' git chew a snail shell, an' yo' take a snail shell an' jes' put it in a lil' yo' kin set it on de back of de stove where it's hot, an' let it stay right dere till it come hard. When it come hard, yo' kin mash it up an' use it same as flour, an' den yo' take dat an' come on back. Jes' lak if yo' got a woman an' don' want 'er tuh have muthin do wit no- body, yo' kin go tuh work when yo' make connection wit 'er, jes' put it on yore fingahnail an' rub it right down right dere fo' three times. Dere's muthin on yore han', but chew jes' do lak dat. An' any othah man dat come dere, de time he git right dere, dat will fall.
Entry 3682
A fellah could stop anothah fellah from goin' wit 'is wife. He'd taken a snail an' dead skin from undah his feet an' parched it an' take it an' - wit a dishrag. An' while she's asleep dat night, jes' sprinkle dat on 'er, put dat on 'er an' rub 'er wit de dishrag, so she couldn't go wit no one. Dat take de nature away from 'er.
(What did he do with this snail and the dirt and that dishrag?)
Take de snail an' ground - yo' know, groun' de whole shell an' de snail. Parch it good, make a kinda powdah out of it. An' when she went to sleep, why he sprin- it ovah 'er an' he wipe her across wit de dirty dishrag. Sprinkle dat ovah 'er on 'er drawahs, an' anyone couldn't go wit 'er no mo'. So findly [finally] dey broke up.
Entry 3710
Lak yo' got a husban' an' he go off an' mess wit a woman, an' she fix 'im so dat yo' can't have connection wit 'im - can't discharge himself. (How would she do that?) Well, I don't know how she do dat but I kin tell yo' how to untie it. (Well then, how do you untie it then?) Yo' go an' get yo' about that much twice of bluestone, get 1Oç bottle of sweet oil [= olive oil], an' get de white of two eggs [three ingredients], an' put it all in dere an' mix it togethah, an' shake it up an' dat bluestone will 'solve, an' take it an' rub yoreself down lak dat, an' all around up in yo', an' it will be all gone.
(That's for a man to do? Or the woman?)
It's a woman. Man kin do it too, if a man is tied up so he can't do nuthin.
(That will take off the spell if some other woman has put it on him?)
Yes.
Entry 3760
A fellah tole me that chew kin go to work an' jest ketch a toadfrog - an' if yore nature gone, jest take a toadfrog an' jest rub in betwixt yore legs three times [demonstrates]. (Down or up? That way?) Up. Thataway three times, an' then throw it ovah yore left shoul- der an' walk right on off an' don't nevah look back an' say that will bring yore nature. [As the discarded frog springs up and hops away, so will the man's instrument spring up - provided he does not look back to see what the frog is doing.]
Entry 3773
Go to de cemetery an' he git de two nettles call bull nettle - one's a he an' [the other's] a she. He git dat bull nettle out de cemetery close by somebody's grave an he chew dat. (Which does he get, the he or the she?) De he, an' he chews dat. An' he'd make him a tonic of dat an' drink it an' evah- thing will be all right fo' a while, but go to de bank an' git chew a bran'-new two-dollah bill an' take it an' rub it dat way about ten minute, an' go on 'bout 'is business.
(HE RUBS HIS TOOL WITH THAT NEW TWO-DOLLAR BILL?)
BRAN'-NEW ONE NOBODY AIN'T USED - TWO-DOLLAH BILL. HE'LL COME [ACTIVE AND SPRY] AN' TELL YO' "GOOD MAWNIN'" AN' "HOWDY."
(But he has to use both the bull nettle and the two-dollar bill together?)
[My assumption was probably based upon the double greeting!]
Yo' don't have to. Well, if he can't git dis, he gits de bran'-new two-dollah bill. Yes sir, he gits one or de othah. (If he can't get this bull nettle out of the graveyard, then he will get this new two-dollar bill and he rubs up with it. That the idea?) Take it an' rub de haid of it [demonstrates] till he gits hot as....
(Twisting around the head.)
Keep it [up] until he jes' commence tuh.... [It is evident that this small-time R.D. (I call him small-time root doctor in my notes) was demonstrating, rubbing an imaginary two-dollar bill in his right hand against his upright left thumb or fist substituting for the ailing member. The lacunae, deletions by transcriber of cylinders not restored by me, can be guessed.]
(That brings his nature back.)
An' den, see heah - den he goes tuh work, somebody [root doctor] will show 'im dat [he has been tricked]. He goes tuh work an' find dat cloth [she used].
Entry 3782
Yo' know whut olive oil is. Well, git olive oil an' oil of bergamine [bergamot] an' let 'im rub, yo' know, from dem balls on out to de end of it, but don't let none of it git into de haid of it, yo' see. [This is the magic rite of outward - rubbing the spell out of the body.] (Well, does he mix these two oils or use them separately or what?) No suh, mix 'em.
(And that will take off this spell that made him lose his nature?)
Yea, suah.
Entry 3870
Ah know it tuh be a fac', if a girl break up - lak if yo' didn't love 'er so good, yo' know, an' if she be sick or sompin othah lak dat. Well, dere's one thin' dat she kin [do], if she's sick, to he'p'er- self. If she kin git yo' tuh eat anythin', or drink watah, den she take a little of 'er sickness, in 'bout a teaspoonfulla watah, an' a li'le bit of red shank, an' boil it intuh de watah. She kin po' dis stuff, jes' 'bout a halfa teaspoonfulla in some watah an' gi' yo' [give you]. Why yo's a fool about 'er, see.
(You put a piece of red shank root into that water?)
Dat right. An' if yo' wanta, dere's a way dat yo' find out dat she did do yo' dat way. Yo' goes in de woods an' gits yo' de devil's shoestring. Den yo' comes back wit dat an' yo' boil it an' take yo' a piece of mullein. Dem [mullein plant] a flat weed sompin lak 'bacca [tobacco], lak a head of 'bacca, yo' know, but it be's somewhut flattah yo' know - it don't be high, yo' know. An' yo' take dat an' yo' take nine strands of dat mullein root an' ball [boil] it, an' two leaves. De way yo' gotta do, yo' git some whiskey an' put on it, on dat, an' git chew a piece of camphor an' put it on it. Well, yo' tote dat in yore pocket fo' 'bout two or three days an' pass 'er do', an' she'll tell yo' she got de headache one day when yo' pass dere. Inside of eight days she'll tell yo' she got de head- ache. Well, yo' jes' say to her, says, "Well, dat's mighty bad but ah got some camphor heah." Well, yo' go ahead by dere an' let 'er rub 'er haid wit it. Yo got 'er an' it's offa yo' den. Well, she git tuh lovin' yo' den. Maybe, if yo' wanta love 'er an' want 'er tuh love yo' - well, it jes' quite natural if a man love a woman, he want 'er tuh love him yo' know.
Entry 3992
If.anybody bites chew, makes a bruise on yuh, all yuh gotta do is git some of dere own urine an' rub it on de place, an' den yo' kin wipe it off. [This is the hair of the dog that bit you!] Co'se ah'd hate tuh put mah han's in somebody else's an' rub it on dat place. Said evah tooth in dere head will fall out in de long run. (In other words, if I bit you, you'd have to get my urine and wipe it on the bite. My teeth will come out?) Rub it on. Yuh teeth will shed - rot out by degrees.
Entry 3993
Dey tell me yo' take an' pee in yore han's an' rub yore han's, see; an' put chure han's on de dice. Go an' pee in yore han's an' leave yore han's back; walk on, see. An' den yo' kin very well put chure han's between yore laig an' yo' snatch up right quick, an' yo' reach back ag'in - three times, see, an' shoot.
(How do you mean reach back 3 times?)
Reach back heah three times [demonstrates].
(You draw your hand three times between your legs.)
An' roll de dice in yore han's lak dis, see; an' chunk 'em out. Yo'll come lucky an' yo'll win.
(That is to give you luck in gambling.)
Entry 3996
Yo' put some yore chamber lye intuh a vial, an' put some Heart Cologne in dere, put some Eve-an'-Adam in dere. Den yo' po' de least bit of dat watah out of dat vial in yore han's an' rub it In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost, an' den goes tuh work an' shuffle yore cards. An' derefo' yo' will have luck ingamblin'. (What is the other way of getting a job?) De nex' way dat chew could git it, take yore same watah dat chew shuffle yore cards wit. Take some of yore chamber lye an' put it into a vial an' put some Heart Cologne in dat, an' Eve-an'-Adam into it - dat vial. Rub it into yore han's thoroughly, In de Name of de Fathah, an' dress yo'self down three times an' make yore wish. An' go an' have a talk wit 'im an' he'll think about it.
(You get the job from the boss?)
Yes.
Entry 3997
The same old gentlemen what I just spoke to you about [a root doctor near Columbus, Miss.], his method of bringing a person to you mediately [was] by taking your urinate. Take a bran'-new piece of red flannen, urinate on it and rub it through your hands, sit down and write a letter to the person to come at once. They will do so.
Entry 4531
Dey go tuh work an' take de lef'-footed stockin' an' git chew some brimstone an' some spice. An' cut de stockin', de heel of it on down tuh de toe, an' burn dat tuhgethah - burn de stockin' an' makes a powdah out of dat. An' den goes tuh work an' grin' up dat spice an' grind up - when yuh grin' up de spice, den yuh goes tuh work an' yuh grin' up dis brimstone. An' mix it all tuhgethah an' yuh kin take it an' rub it in a hat - in his hat whut he use. Dat will make him stay home.
Entry 4582
Dat bow be's right back dere. Now yuh kin take dat bow out chure hat, ah've heard dat. Yuh take dat bow out dat hat an' yuh kin, whut chew call dress it. Yuh dress dat bow an' yuh kin take dat.
(With what?)
Yuh take dat bow an' yuh kin dress it.
[As we now learn, it is dressed with sweat.]
Jes' lak a woman take a bow outa man's hat. She kin take dat bow yuh see an' den rub it undah her arm, also between 'er laigs [to dress it]. An' when she take dat bow an' do dat, take it an' wrap it up in a piece of red flannel. [This is now a hand, see p.519f.] She kin eithah wear it roun' 'er neck or roun' 'er waist or eithah put it ovah 'er do'. Well, now if she put it ovah 'er do' or wear it anywhere, keep it anywhere in a close place, it'll always keep 'is haid kinda wandahin' - his mind. He'll nevah have no good mind. Jes' keep 'im wan- dahin'. He's heah today an' tuhmorrah 'is mind jes' wanta go. He can't be con- tented nowhere he goes.
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 6535
If anybody poisons yo', yo' git dem red ants - de red ants. Ah don' know nuthin 'bout nuthin but de red ants. An' yo' git dem red antses an' yo' put it in a li'le bit of whiskey, an' yo' put some gunpowdahs wit it. An' when yo' put it in dat whiskey an' de gunpowdah, yo' make it out a liquid yo' see, of a mub. An' den yo' put it down dere an' yo' git de white of a aig, an' yo' mix dat up as a rub stuff. An' rub yoreself wit it, an' if dere an' insect in yo', why dat'll cuz dem tuh leave. As fur as ah heard of dat.
Entry 6764
If a person got a wen on dere arm or anywhere about 'em, 20 wanted tuh git rid of dat wen, when a person dies, yo' kin go dere an' jis take dat wen an' wipe it on 'em jis' 'fore dey git cold, or eithah wash it down. Jis' take it an' wipe it on 'em. An' when dey bury dat person, in three day's time dat com- sence tuh wizen [wither or shrivel] away an' it'll go. [The verb to wizen, from the Anglo-Saxon, is obsolete, though it lingers on as dialect.] [Sumter, S. Car.,
(1368), 2422:2.] [Bone from dead cures warts, No.8027, p.3409.]
Entry 6790
If a person bites yo' wit blue gums, yo' kin take a li'le of yore action, yore action an' put it on dere an' rub it in dere roun' good. (Rub it into the bite?) Yeah, an' go git chew some sulphuh an' burn it an' put it on dere, an' slip tuh 'is house. When yo' git dere, an' jis' lak yo' wanta a drink of watah, say, "Git me a glass of watah - git me some watah." An' carry a li'le dat burnt sulphuh wit chew an' - now, lak yo' wan' some watah. Rub it roun' intuh dat glass an' blow yore breath in it three times an' set it down nice, an' tell 'em tuh 'ave a drink of watah. He'll take a drink of watah an' he'll start tuh sufferin' wit de pyorrhea, los' [lostl de teeth outa his haid. (That burnt sulphur that you use in putting on your arm, that is out of the same batch of stuff?) Yes.
Entry 6830
Red peppah, hot red peppah an' chamber lye an' bathe yo' laig wit it an' that would give yo' ease. Ah have tried that mahself. (If somebody has put something down for you to walk over.) Yes sir, a fortuneteller tole me someone had put sompin down fo' me to walk ovah. [Here, either while'recording ma- chine is stopped or cylinder is changed, I ask for the whole story.] Well, mah laig kep' hurtin' me an' someone come along an' tole me, say, "Miss Carter," say, "ah knows a good man 'cross town. If yo' would go, he would tell yo' sompin tuh relieve yo' of dat pain in yore knee." It nevah would swell but it jis' hurt all de time. So ah went ovah dere an' he tole me someone had hurt me in mah knee. An' he got me some green moss an' tole me tuh boil dat an' bathe in de watah hot. Put some table salt in it. An' aftah dat, den rub it wit some of dis red peppah an' dis saltpetah mixed tuhgethah. Make a salve. Put some lard wit it or some oil or sompin an' make a salve an' rub wit dat, an' hit would relieve me. An' ah did dat an' it relieved me. An' a li'le latah it commence tuh hurtin' ag'in. Well, ah went tuh anothah lady an' she tole me - least she didn't tell me but she fixed de poultice huh- self; Brown Mule chewin' 'bacca an' earth worms whut chew dig up out de ground. An' she stewed it up tuhgethah an' give me dat tuh put some meal wit it, an' make a hot poultice an' put on mah knee. An' dat relieved me.
(That was the end of that?)
Yes sir, an' mah knee got bettah.
Entry 7297
Yes sir, fresh cow 'nure, rub dere face, aftah dis persons - rub ovah each face good an' clean wit it. Rub it until it jes' - git it jes' juicy in yore fingahs, yo' know, den make yo' a tea an' drink it. Den yo' kin go an' git along. (Go along and do what?) About chure business an' won't no one bothah yo'. Ah mean if yo' did sompin, yo' know - ah mean if yo' broke gang or sompin like dat.
(If you run away from the chain gang?)
Yes sir. (Or something of that sort. You do this with cow manure.)
Entry 7376
Ah heard sev'ral diff'ren' p'ints about dat. Now dey says jes' lak if someone killed somebody else, an' yo' wants to fin' out who killed dat indivijal. When yo' git where he is yo' goes an' lay yore han' if he layin' on 'is back, lay yore han' an' drill it up three time lak dat from 'is face down to 'is nostel [nostril] an' say, "It will be a hot heat' - when yo' drill yore han' three time up an' down 'is nostel [nostril]. Well, turn 'im ovah an' right to [at] de back of de haid, git jes' a little pinch of dirt from outen dere. Take it to de house an' take yo' a pinch of table salt an' put it in dat, an' tote it wit chew fo' foah days. Aftah de foah days is up, walk an' throw it in de fiah, an' whosoevah killed dat indivijal, dey'll pass yore home - undah six days dey'll appear in yore home. Dat's de one dat killed de indivijal den. (WHEN YOU FIRST GET TO THAT DEAD MAN, YOU TAKE YOUR HAND AND JUST RUB IT DOWN OVER HIS NOSTRILS THREE TIMES - DOWN OVER HIS WHOLE FACE. Dat's right.
(Then what? It'll feel warm you say?)
It will feel warm on de third time, an' den yo' jes' take right in de back of de head, if he is laying down on de dirt or anywhere - take out a pinch of sand, if he's layin' on de ground - from undah his haid, any kin'a dust from undah his haid. Care [carry] it home an' put chew a pinch of salt in dat an' keep it until de third mawnin'. De thlrd mawnin' throw it in de fiah an' dat indivijal dat done de killin' on de sixth mawnin'll be to yore home.
Entry 7913
Ah heah 'em speak of de graveyard dirt [demonstrates]. (Get the graveyard dirt - and what do they do with it? Rub it in their hands.) Rub it in dere hand an' when dey got tuh anybody's yard - don' care how bad de dog is - put de graveyard dirt an' rub it in dere hands an' rubs on de privates. Don' care how bad de dog is, jis' go dere an' [hold your] palm tuh de dog, an' de dog won' even bothah yo', jis' come dere an' lick yuh hands.
(The dog must smell your hands.)
He'd smell yuh hands from dat graveyard dirt and privates.
(Just the female dog's privates.)
Ah don' care how bad de dog is, de dog wouldn't bothah yo'.
Entry 7967
Ah heard folks say if yo' complain if it wus rheumatism, dey could go in a road - look lak a road leads, a neighborhood road, an' a pine tree is on dat road. Wheresomevah a wagon would cuz it tuh bruise, dey say yo' could take dat root out of dat road where some castic [casket = coffin] or sompin othah had passed, an' make a rub, an' dat would kill rheumatism lak dat.
(Where a funeral would go on by over that tree? With the casket?)
Yessuh, where some fun'ral 'cession had passed, yo' go tuh dat road where de wagon, yo' know, of people have bruised de root, an' yo' dig roun' dere an' git dat bahk [bark] an' make a rub fo' 'em. Dey say dat would cure it. [Sumter, S. Car., (1381), 2452:5.] [We must remember that every photograph, whether oblong or square in shape, is a coffin symbol. In later section PHOTOGRAPH many of them are buried or in- volved with death. This present subsection will be confined to photography in- volving real or mock coffins.1
Entry 8048
Yo' know what dat candle's fo'? (No.) Dat candle's fo' gamblin' purposes. (Well, how would you prepare any- thing of that sort?) Bell, if yo' kin git de bone of a dead person - de bes' thing dat yo' kin use from a dead person, if yo' kin git dat bridge of de nose, what's in a person here. If yo' would put it in... [I interrupt.]
(You mean the bridge of the nose?)
Yes, dat bridge in de nose. If yo' kin git dat an' take dat an' put it in, go tuh an' make a novena[!] ovah dat, an' burn two candles. (Well, after you get that bridge of the nose, where do you make that novena? In your home or in the church?) In yuh home.
(In your home. Then what do you do?)
Den yo' set two candles tuh burn.
(You mean two candles before, or near it, or what?)
Two candles ovah it - undah whatevah yo' got de candles in burnin', have it. Have whatevah yo' got de candles in big enough so dat de wax from de candle will rum right down in dat containah what it's settin' in. An' have dis bridge of de Dose undah dat containah. Yo' undahstan'? An' let dose two candles burn out ovah dat.
(What sort of candles do you use in a case of that sort?)
Yo' kin use two white candles.
(I see. All right, go ahead.)
An' yo' wrap dat bridge of de nose of dat person wit one piece of garlic. Divide it an' tie it aroun' de bridge of dat nose, an' sew it in red flannel. An' let dat person keep dat piece of - dat in dat pocket, an' when dey go tuh a gamblin' house, or any place tuh gamble, rub dat ovah dere hands an' den rub dere hands ovah dere face, an' put it back in dere pocket. An' dat's all dey've got mah do wit it.
(That's a gambling hand?)
It's a gamblin' hand.
(I see.)
Entry 8201
Use it fo' back luck, by scrapin' dat silvah offa dere; well, dat silvah offa [the back of] dat lookin'-glass. Dey take dat an' scrape it offa pichure. Jis' lak if dey wanta harm yo', dey take an' scrape dat silvah off dat pichure [mirror] an' put it in yure face, on yure pichure.
(On the face of your picture?)
Dat's right, an' den dey take it an' put it in sompin, [anything to hold the scrapings and photo], an' bury it, bury it [face] down. Dat'll make yo' dwindle down an' die. Make yo' stay sick an' nuthin will cure yo' unlessen somebody [hoodoo doctor or healer] take an' find whut's wrong wit chew.
Entry 8286
If yo' wanta harm a person, kill a person, say fo' instance, yo' kin draw de fo'm [form] of dat per- son as neah as yo' kin, yo' know. If it's a woman, yo' draw de fo'm of a woman; if it's a man, yo' draw de fo'm of a man. An' yo' git chew a tenpenny nail an' yo' kin go tuh a tree out some- where, an' yo' nail dat fo'm up on dat tree. An' yo' kin take dat powdah outa dat shell, an' yo' kin take a li'le of dat powdah. Yo' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' yo' take a li'le of dat powdah an' put it aroun' dat nail in dere. Den yo' shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. An' dat'll kill a person or eithah put 'em in such a shape dat dey'll jis' wanta be daid.
(You don't do anything with that powder at all?)
No, yo' jis' - aftah yo' use a li'le aroun' dat nail, when yo' firs' put de pichure up dere. Put a li'le of dat powdah right aroun' dat nail. Den yo' kin use dat - shoot dat pichure fo' nine mawnin's. But yo' kin use de powdah fo' woman, miscarriage...
Entry 8646
[To rub is an important magic rite we often ignore, despite our early acquaintance with Aladdin's lamp. In some cures rubbing - up or down, in a cir- cle, or number of times - shows its own importance. Even so, in the first edi- tion of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, the word mub does not appear in the Index! How could I have missed the well-known couplet: When your left hand itches Rub it on wood And it will come good. (No.3356) Moreover, there are other examples of rubbing in this division about HANDS: Nos. 3339-3342.] De shoe sole - if yo' don' want somebody at chure house, take de shoe sole an' yo' rub it till de bottom of de foot git hot. Yo' call de person name nine times. Yo' git a lemon an' yo' Write de name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. Sew it up wit black thread an' bury it undah any step or do' whut dey gotta come by. An' bury it undah dere. An' everytime dey go out, yo' take dat left-foot shoe an' yo' rub it until de shoe sole git hot an' call dere name nine times.
(Whose shoe sole do you rub?)
Anybody dat yo' don' want at chure house. Any individual, woman or man, any- body dat yo' don' want dere.
(And the name you say...?)
Yo' jes' writes it down nine times wit a indelible pencil.
(And put that in a lemon?)
In a lemon an' sews it up wit black thread, No.8 black thread, coarse black thread, an' then bury it.undah a do'step, or a step, anywhere where dey gotta come in.
(That is to keep them away from your house?)
Keep 'em away from your house.
Entry 8937
To keep a dog from interfering with you, take a piece of biscuit or a piece of bread and wear it under your arm, then take that to any man's house, no matter how bad his dog is, give him that piece of bread, any hour of the night, and he will eat it, and you can go there and he won't do anything.
Entry 9083
Ah remembah one dat ah got tuh fightin' mahself [I got into fights] an' did right much damage. An' dere wus an ole woman used tuh live right through here on Williams Street. an ah know dat she wus said tuh be a root doctor. So ah got bail. An' while ah wuz out on bail, of co'se ah goes an' see her, see if she could give me anything. Now, she gave me sompin an' whut she gave me wuz call High John de Conkah. An' ah wuz tuh chew dat an' use de spittle [old-fashioned word for spit, from Bible] ovah mah face - jis' spit in mah hand an' bathe mah face wit it. Well, ah did dat an' ah got off from de' crime fer five dollahs. Ah wuz tuh do it between times; befo' ah went in de court, an' while ah wuz in dere. Evah time ah got a chance ah could do it.
Entry 9090
[Here is a rare rite, magically a logical one, my only example of it in Hoodoo. See my comment at end.] When yo' are goin' befo' de judge, yo' go up dat morning. Befo' yo' leave to go up befo' de judge, yo' got what dey call Jockey Club Co- logne. All right, yo' get up in de mawnin' an' yo' wash yore face an' hands, but don't wash wit yellah soap. Wash wit what chew call dis white soap. Yo' call - forgot what yo' call - proximine soap.
(Peroxide soap?)
Not wit peroxide - proximine soap. It's a soap dey call proximine soap, a bar about that long.
(Is it white?)
White - it cost 25c.
[At that date an expensive soap and probably sold by a hoodoo shop.]
(All right.)
Yo' eat yore breakfast, take dat Jockey Club Cologne an' yo' rub it on yore hands an' yo' get yo' dat John de Conkah, an' when yo' go in de co'thouse, yo' jes' chew it. [Years ago at the time of collecting this rite, I lacked experience to under- stand it. Later when I read the transcription, I still misunderstood what was staring me in the face. Consequently I wrote on the transcription sheet, still there in the manuscript, ng, meaning no good. Later and suddenly meaning came. Instead of using that cheap yellow soap your wife or mother uses for washing clothes, and you also use for washing hands, buy the white man's soap. Momen- tarily at least, you a yellow or black man will be an equal facing the white judge. Besides, your hands will be white or clean. Even the name of the soap, proximine, looks suspicious. Since informant was a little uncertain about this name, could it have been something like prox-mine, suggesting that informant near the judge would be playing a part by mimicry. In any case color symbolism is frequent in hoodoo, see COLOR SYMBOLISM, p.797f., vol.1.]
Entry 9109
Den ah tell yo' anothah thing dat's very good. Yo' use dat oil of amber. Yo' cross de bottom of yore feet wit dat, both feet, an' rub it on yore- self [demonstrates]. (You rub it on the hands like this, and then you rub it right at the top of - the middle of the temple, and then right down your chin.) An' yo' kin go anywheres an' dey will be so sympathizing wit yo'.
(You mean that is to get out of trouble or...)
Most anythin' [even a court case]. Ah had a girl in de hospital, she wus goin' - wanted to be graduated, goin' to be a nurse, an' she was doin' some li'le things she shouldn't have done, an de head nurse was goin' to discharge 'er. An' she didn't wanta leave fer any- thing. An' ah jest give her de stuff an' tole 'er what to do an' she stayed dere - jest graduated.
(You use that for little minor things.)
Entry 9151
To discharge the case against you?
(Yes.)
The best things you can do for the judge is to get you a thing they call spice. Get you a spice and after you wash your face, combed your hair, you stand with your back to the door - not with your face to the door - stand with your back to the door. Rub your hands, rub that powder, that spice on your hands and brush your face backward, back like that [demonstrates]. Brush it three times before you go out that door. And then wheel out that door, just turn and walk out that door be- fore you open your eyes. But brush your face backward three times after you ground that spice, wash your face, comb your hair and everything, be ready to go. Smooth your face three times like that and turn your back, with your eyes closed and go out that door. And I'll bet you won't have no trouble and your case will be done closed.
Entry 9162
Yo' know it's twelve disciples an' dere's 12 jurymens. Well, yo' take dese twelve disciples an' yo' put six - write six names on one piece of papah an' six on de othah, an' put dem in yore shoes - each shoe. An' yo' rubs garlic in yore hand, if yo' kin git tuh it. Yo' see an' go intuh de courtroom, or yo' kin turn evahthing. Jes' lak de trial goin' tuh be tuhday. Turn evahthing in yore house from de cups on tuh a chair, turn it upside down, mattress an' evahthing yo' see. He [judge] can't [go] ovah dat. If dey do, yo' ain't goin' git much. See, he don't know how tuh git tuh yo'. See, dis Work 'em upside down. Dey don't [know] how to git up tuh yo'. Yo' see dose 12 disciples, ah can't call 'em by name right now, but any- way it's twelve. It's 12 jurymen. Well, see de disciples are jurymen.
(That's when you go up before the judge.)
Entry 9260
Eithah yo' kin take a aig an' rub graveyard dirt on it, an' throw it ovah from de front tuh de back an' if it busts, dey'll move or git sick; most of 'em die.
(Throw it over the house from the front to the back?)
Yessuh.
Entry 9450
Take some table salt an' yo' wrop it up in a little piece of white rag, an' tie it up an' tote it in yore pocket. An' aftah yo' tote it in yore pocket, yo' take a little bit in yore han' an' jes' rub it right lak dat [demonstrates]. An' rub it all ovah yore haid an' face an' all lak dat.
(Over your hands?)
Yes sir, an' aftah yo' done rub it all in yore han's, jes' go [to the boss] an' he'll look out fo' yo'. Prob'ly yo' don' git de job tuhday, prob'ly not tuhmahrah, but befo' dat week or so out he'll give yo' sompin tuh do.
Entry 9451
If yo' goin' tuh hunt a job an' yo' think yo' not goin' be a success, yo' always tote yo' a li'le salt in yore pocket. Have salt in yore pocket evah mawnin' when yo' on dat job or when yo' goin' jes' tuh look fo' a job, see. An' jes"fore yo' git tuh yore boss, yo' put a li'le bita dat salt in yore han' an' goes up wit chure han' lak dat [demon- strates] an' jes' rub. An' go on tuh yore boss.
Entry 9541
Tuh do yuh harm? Well, dere's sev'ral ways dat a person could harm yuh. At times a person would take red peppah an' salt an' stir it an' sprinkle it aroun'. At times dey could throw it on yo' shouldah or enywheres about chah an' make yuh have ill luck. (Well, what do you mean by throwing that salt and pepper around?) Jes' take it, yuh know, lak dey got it in de hand, yuh know. Jes' have it lak dis [demonstrates]. While yo' standing dere dey could sprinkle a li'l on yuh back. Well, sometimes, yuh know, dey come tuh yuh wit dey han' an' jes' rub on yuh, yuh know, an' say, "How yuh is?" Dey parts it [salt and pepper] down [on you] de same time, see.
(What will that do to you then?)
Dat'll give yuh ill luck.
(That will give you ill luck?)
Dat'll give yuh ill luck. Yuh wouldn't be a success fer nuthin, prob'ly fer de rest of yuh days.
Entry 9904
Well, you take a frog, you take you a nail, or take a knife and peg him down alive jes' like that with a peg right at your house. Take some sugar and just sprinkle it good, you see. The worms, the ants and things will eat all the flesh off it. And after they eat all the flesh off it, you will find a forked bone at the back tail of it. Then you take that oil of clover, van van and fast luck, see. Now you take that and sew them together and make you a little bag, and put it in your pocketbook. But that fast luck. you must keep a little bit out when you going out, on the side, and scrape in your hand like this [demonstrates]. That gives you gambling hand; power in gamb- ling.
(Is fast luck a liquid or a powder?)
That's lickrish [liquid]. When you put it on your hand it burns shoe [burns you]. Now, when you look at it, when you put it on your hand and rub it, you see that curl up, sort of yellowish. It gives you satisfaction.
Entry 9928
(Oh, the shoe! You mean the rubber tire - automobile, the inner tube, the inside tube?) Yes, sir. Well, all right. Well, yo' take dat an' burn it an' git de ashes of it an' take sompin - take a little ole rock camphah an' put wit dat. See. All right den, well, now an' den yo' ketch yuh a toadyfrog. Yo' understand now. All right, ketch yuh a toadyfrog an' ef yo' don' wanta kill de toadyfrog - ah done fry de toadyfrog, fry him in a pan. An' git de grease outa 'im an' put dat in dere. An' rub dat on de bottom of yore foot [feet].
(What will that do then?)
Dey can't harm [cunjure] yo'. [The burning of the rubber tire, causing a bad odor, deters witchcraft; see Scatologic Methods to Repulse Witcheraft, Nos.16481- 16499, PP.903-909, FOLKLORE FROM ADAMS COUNTY ILLINOIS, 2nd ed., 1965.]
Entry 9963
Kill a frog while he's hot. Take a frog while he's hot an' kill 'im an' split him open while he's hot. An' take an' rub yore han's on 'im an' rub down yore han's lak dat. An' yo' go out tuh any card game yo' wanta an' yo' be successful. Git chew a live frog an' split him back open, an' rub yore han's on 'im down dere.
Entry 9970
Well, yo' kin take a frog, jes' a or'nary frog whut jup 'round de iouse, see. Yo' take dat frog alive an' yo' kin put 'im in a containah or jah or anythin' an' yo' kin jis' take alcohol, any kind of rubbin' [lotion] or any- ching [and fill bottle] an' let 'im stay in dere till he petrify. Well, yo' kin take dat frog an' put 'im in yore pocket an' yo' kin weah him in dere an' yo'll always be lucky. (With what in particular?) In keepin' a job an' stayin' in peace wit people an' havin'- yo' know, jes' socialize wit 'em.
Entry 9980
Jis' lak a fellah's gamblin' an' wan'a han' tuh gamble an' lak dat, he kin take - he wants tuh win in gamblin' - take a frog, one dem small green frogs, an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Put 'im in a papah sack an' put 'im in 'is pocket. Rub 'is han' ovah 'im about three time an' den put 'im in dat papah bag. An' put 'im in 'is pocket an' go on tuh de game an' break de gaime.
Entry 9987
Tuh git luck fo' gamblin' yo' goes an' git chew a toadfrog. If a man is a gamblin'-man, he goes an' gits 'im a toadfrog an' take dat toadfrog an' ketches 'im an' goes tuh any drygoods sto' [to distinguish from Wetgoods store!] an' buy 'im a box of black peppah an' red pappah an' some table salt. An' he put it in dat frog's mouth. An' when he put dat in dat frog's mouth, de frog'll go tuh coughin', an' he [man] come on back tuh dis gamblin' - where he be gamblin' at - an' he take dat salt an' throw yuh [his] han' out lak dat [demonstrates] tuh throw dat salt all ovah de whole crowd. An' dat frog he'll go tuh coughin' wit dat peppah an' will start tuh movin' roun'. An' he wins at evahthin' da' 'tis [that is] in de game. Jes' gits 'im a toadfrog, jis' a hoppin' toadfrog. Toadfrog anywhere hoppin' 'long - anywhere, jis' pick 'im up. Jis' reach down an' grab 'im an' take dat frog an' rub 'im in yore han' lak dat [demonstrates] an' go on tuh a game. An' go buy yo' some black peppah an' take it an' throw about a box in 'is mouth, an' shet 'is mouth up an' go on tuh de game. An' git chew a handful of salt an' when yo' git in de house, yo' take dat salt an' does lak dat [demonstrates]. An' when yo' do's lak dat, dat frog go tuh coughin'. When he go tuh coughin', well dat starts evahbody tuh lookin', an'evahbody lose all dey winnin's.
Entry 10090
See, jis' lak dis black cat bone - yo' kin disappeah. (How do you do that?) Well, dey tell me yo' kin take dat black cat bone an' yo' keep agoin' till yo' git de right bone; an' when yo' git de right bone, yo' rub yore face on it an' look in de glass [mirror] an' can't see yuhself, yo' disappear. Can't no one else see yo'.
Entry 10142
Git dat same oil whut ah wuz speakin' of jis' a minute ago. Ah did nah fathah dat-a-way when he left [this part of the country]. Ah took dat same oil an' rubbed 'im wit it, an' he spent de night in mah sis- ter's home. He walked right on out de street, an' de sher- iff wuz lookin' fo' 'im. He nevah did come back. Went tuh Texas an' nevah come back.
[I now repeat what informant had said before recording began.]
(You took some of this oil that came from the black cat when you boiled it. [Most black-cat oil comes from hoodoo shop!] You had to rub some all over him. Then he had to stay some night, 13 hours in one night, at some place before he vent?) Yes sir. It wuz jis' rubbed on 'is face. Yo' can't track dat. [For black axt oil see also No.1121, p.417, v.1.]
Entry 10152
Hold it [a black cat bone] in your hand, in the palm of your hand - until it sweat, and just smooth it [bone surely, not palm of hand] over your face; and anything that you undertake to do, that you'd be successful with.
[Vicksburg, Miss., resumé, 989:8.]
Entry 10184
An' some says anothah remedy tuh put 'em [candles being burned on you] out [is one] dat yo'll use on yuh head. Well, yo'll have tuh git chew diff'ren' little things. Yo'll git chew vinegah, a teacup of vinegah an' three teaspoons of olive oil, an' one egg an' yo' beat it up - whip it [3 things] up tuhgethah. Yo' beat up de egg first an' den add de othah all tuh it. An' put it in a bottle an' shake it up. Well, yo'll take some of dat, take a swallah of it evah now an' den, about two or three time a day or somepin othah like dat. Den yo' take some of dat an' put it on. Yo' know, dey say when de candle burns, it strikes yo' on one mos' pahtic'lah place - burning an' pullin' [demonstrates]. (It strikes you in one particular place, right here in the back of your head some place [informant demonstrates]. Where your neck and head meet, right up here some place [I demonstrate].) Well, some says it will be here [demonstrates]. Sometime it will be here [demonstrates]. But more in gen'ral it be's kinda back, it's pullin' [demon- strates]. Dey tell me it work like dat.
[I describe last demonstration.]
(Or near the left temple.)
Yas, neah de lef' temple or somepin lak it. It pulls. It seems as if some- one is pullin' on de strands of yuh hair. Dere's a strain, yo' know, on yuh hair. Dey say dat's whut dat is [someone burning a candle on you] when yo' have dat. (Well, you've taken some of this mixture, then you do something else you said.) Yo' take dat mixtry [mixture], yo' take it in yore han' jes' like dat. Let yuh han's git wet jes' like dat an' jes' like dis [demonstrates].
(Just rub it right on your scalp.)
De scalp of yuh head. An' sometimes it so severe yo' take de bottle an' po' it like dat [demonstrates]. Jes' douse yo' head wit it good [demonstrates].
(What will that do then?)
Dat eases it, but yo' gotta do dat about two-three days maybe.
(Well, what does that do to the candles?)
Dey say it puts dem out. Dat's whut ah heard, it puts 'em out.
Entry 10210
Ah heard dat if a man is tied up by his wife an' can't git no nature fo' no othah woman, den he takes an' gits him a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' when he gits dat bottle of Hearts Cologne, he'll go to where dere's anothah woman dat's havin' her periods. An' he take dat Hearts Cologne an' he - aftah de cloth is dried hard, he take dat dere Hearts Cologne an' put it on dere, an' git it dissolved good an' squeeze it out. An' he takes dat den, dat solution, an' bathe himself with it.
(Bathe his tool?)
Yessuh, an' dat gives him a nature fo' anothah woman. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 10217
Wal, she measure him dere. She takes dat length an' she measure him lak dat an' she takes yore hair an' begin dat thing about dat. She takes de string an' takes dat measure of dat [demonstrates a hand]. (Of the hand?) Dis one [demonstrates]. (The left hand?) Dat's right [informant contin- ues to demonstrate, I describe actions]. (And she measures the middle finger....from the end of the middle finger, right up over the hand joining to the wrist. And from the second joint of the middle finger down to that bone.)
[Bone = wrist bone, see later.]
She takes dat den, takes dat little cotton string an' holds it an' vraps it. Takes dat hearts [Hearts Cologne] an' put it on it, an' ever' time dat she messes wit chew, yo' see, she take it an' put her han' lak dat. An' when she git through she rub dat on yo'. Dere's no other woman dat chew kin bother wit.
(She rubs that string on herself after.)
Zackly.
(But how could she measure a man? Would he let her measure him that Way?)
Dat's de length of his.... [informant demonstrates].
(Oh! I see, she has to measure his hand - he's asleep - so he won't know it.)
She kin do it if he ain't wise, ain't got no sense. She could [say], "Let's see ho' long yo' finger - long as mine." Jes' lak dat. See, dat's de way dey get it.... [informant demonstrates again while I comment]. (They measure the middle finger of the left hand, the second knuckle from the top dam to that protruding bone right by the wrist joint.) [Here a woman afraid to measure a man, substitutes a left-hand measurement supposed to indicate his size!]
Entry 10222
De coconuts, dey got some of 'em two an' three holes [eyes] in 'em. Yo' take yore knife an' cut dat top [round black spot or eye] outa dat hole befo' yo', git to dat watah [or milk inside coconut]. Yo' take dat top [eye] yo' cut outa dere, an' let dat dry. Den yo' take dat an' yo' dry it." Yo' dry it. Aftah yo' dry it yo' burn it into a coal [by burning] an' yo' ground [grind] it up. Den yo' take de hair, yo' shave all de hair off dat coconut, an mix dat [hair and eye powder] together. An' yo' kin take dat in yore pocket an' if yo' got a woman, well when yo' use dat wit her, she cain't have nobody. Yo' take dat [coconut] hair an' yo' rub it in yore han' an' yo' rub it on her, an' she cain't have nobody. [She is impotent for all men by you.] If anybody [any man approach] her dey heart gonna fall.
(You just have this hair. All you use is this hair from the coconut?)
De hair an' de top [ground-up eye] of it. Yo' know whut ah'm talkin' 'bout, whut chew cut out, de hole where de [coconut] milk is gotta come outa dere. Well ah use dat wit de hair together. See, ah take dat an' when dat gits dry, well ah'll parch dat all up together wit de hair an' makes a ashes out of it. Dat de same as a powder.
Entry 10267
De snail, yo' know, he's got some ole wax on him, an' de earthworm. An' yo' mix de wax offa de snail an' de earthworm an' rub it on de woman, an' if she has an- other man yo'll ketch him - [one of the many folklore causes of penis captivus. For other snail rites and impotence, see pp.2458-2470, v.3, and later in this present section].
Entry 10281
Take nine wood lices, little ole white looking things, an' yo' kin take an' parch 'em an' rub 'em in de seat of yore [his] britches an' he won't evah mess wit nobody else.
Entry 10579
Yo' kin take a leather-wing bullbat an' cut his heart out whilst he 'live, an' put it on a straight pin [ordinary pin, not safety pin]. Run a straight pin through it an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' rub yore han'. Rub it on yore han' every time yo' go to a skin game an' yo'll win.
Entry 10612
If yo' want a job, yo' go down tuh de boss. Well, if dis fellah want- ed a job, didn't have no work an' didn't have nowhere tuh stay, an' everybody dat he went to, had turned him away. An' he went tuh a fellah dat supposed tuh know. De fellah give him three kind of roots: give Adam an' Eve, an' dis blacksnake root an' dis heah devil snakeroot [see later]. He taken dat root.... (Devil snakeroot or devil's shoestring?) Devil's shoestring! Dey called it de devil root. Take dat root an' fix dat root up in a kind of a compound an' he go down dere. When he git dere tuh dat man he take it an' goes an' git him a buckeye an' puts hit in his pocket. An' he wears dat buckeye. De buckeye made out of - dem lit- tle black buckeye lak dat. He takes dat an' he goes down an' he talks to de man. He put all of dat in Hearts Cologne an' he goes down dere to de man an' he gits tuh rubbin' his hand lak dat. An' walks up tuh de man an' started tuh talkin' with de man. De man will tell him, no, but be shore tuh come back de next day. Well, he'll come back de next dat still a-rubbin' dat root. Well, he'll git dat root, every one of 'em, one in each pocket an' one in each foot. An' he gits dere an' de man go tuh talkin' an' he'll have a piece in his mouth chewin'. When he git dere de man go tuh talkin' an' say, "Well, ah guess, if yo' think yo' kin work, ah'll give yo' a job." An' yo' tell de man yo' kin work. Jes' as long as yo' keep dat roots rubbed up an' keep it fulla Hearts Cologne, well de man will nevah fiah yo', but de time dat yo' lose dat root, yo' lose yore job.
Entry 10694
Oil of evergreen [wintergreen?], oil of berga- mine [bergamot], mix those two things, rub some of it in your han' when your time tuh shoot chure craps.
Entry 10695
Oil of bergamine [bergamot] and some oil of wintergreen when yo' go tuh gamblin', jis' rub some of it on yore han' an' some White Rose Perfume.
Entry 10700
A long and unimportant story in which healer read the Bible and rubbed the patient. [Hor- ally this sort of thing could be called religious, but frequently magic actons a words may be involved.]
Entry 10721
Ah got in a fight with a boy, an' mah grandmother - yo' know, ole fo folks dey are very active - she say, "Come here, boy, yo' got in a fight?" Say, "Yes mam." She say, "Whut chew do?" Ah say, "Ah bit dat boy plenty a place." She say, "Looky heah, come heah an'( Grandmah fix yo' up." She got a little sulphur an' a little kerosene, yo' know, an' she fixed a little bag, yo' know, an' she put it down dere undah mah bed; yo' know, up in de mattress - whut chew call a moss mat- tress [Spanish moss mattress]. Ah say, "Whut chew do dat fo'?" She say, "Don't chew know if yo' bit somebody an' yo' don't take care of yo'- self; don't chew know, dat dey will take bird manure [usually chicken manure] or some kinda manure lak dat, an' 'noint dis place lak yo' would [use] some grease on mah [your] bare face; yo' know, keep dat place [bite] 'nointed dere well, ' she say, "an' yore teeth will drop out." She tole me dat several time. Dey [person bitten] keep dat place 'nointed wit dat manure some kind. She say, every tooth in yore [biter's] head will drop out. (But she would prevent that by doing this.... [sulphur-kerosene hand in the mattress].) Put dis stuff undah mah bed an' dat will keep de othah stuff from coming back at me. [For the treatment of human bite with chicken manure, see Nos.
Entry 10744
Lucky Star perfume, mix it with urine, get lady's sponge she uses for monthses[?], when yo' go to gambling. Urine on sponge that has perfume on it. Rub [sponge] on hands, them gamble. Use sponge a woman has used.
Entry 10847
Ah learnt dat if a person kill a buzzard an' jest like if I had a friend - a wife or anything - an' dey wants tuh take de "upper turns" of me an' take away from me, well dey kin kill a buzzard. Dey say a buzzard got one lump of grease in him. Take dat lump of grease out an' fry it an' put it in a little vial an' keep it around wit dem. An' say, if ever occasion fo' dey comin' to mah house, dey kin take a drop or two an' run in dere han', an' when dey git to mah house, say if dey kin git clost enough to mah folks to rub dey han' on 'em, it will keep mah folks in confusion, an' dey'll have de influence of mah home.
(They just rub it over their clothes?)
Ovah de clothes, head, anywhere. (That is if someone is trying to break up you and your family.)
Entry 10850
Well, if a person - dey's got good hair an' de othah one got bad hair, an' jes' keep on boastin', "Yes, yo' pick yo' hair. Let me pick yo' hair back, lak dis heah." "Well, now if it's a man, 'Well, ' he says, "ah'll fix yo' so's yores be's jes' lak mah hair, ' Dey'll go an' git dat buz- zard manure. Yes, an' dey cain't git to yo' deyself, but dey'll give it to yore friend. Dey'll pay yore fren' an' yore fren' will git to yo', be combin' yore hair, an' put dat in de hair. Lak, now, someone be combin' yore hair an' yo' spit in yore han' an' rub it on yore haid, an' yore hair'll go. (You mean spitting on your hand will take your hair out? The buzzard manure will do that also? And spitting on your hand will do it?) Jes' comb yore haid an' spit on yore han', be combin', an' take yore han' an' wipe down heah an' comb down. Dat take every bit out.
(Wipe your hand where?)
"Tween yore laigs. An' comb yore hair down. Take every bit out.
(That's two other ways of doing it. What do you do with that buzzard manure?)
Put it on yore haid.
(Then another way of doing it is to spit on your hand?)
Dat's right. (And another way of doing it is to rub your hand between your legs and put it on the person's head?) Dat's right. [See preceding rite for something similar.]
Entry 10877
Git two cats, yes- suh, an' rub dere haids tohl gethah till dey git nad l till dey git real mad at one anothah. Den yo' smarch a lock of hair outa each cat's hzid, yo' know, an' yo' fold it togethah. An' put some red peppah an' salt in it 血' care it an' put it in de no'th cornah of dere house. Dey'll leave, dey'll part. Dat's whut separate 'em.
(Separate this man and woman?)
Ub-hah.
Entry 11046
To keep dem [law] from de house? Now, if you Wanta a little liquor kept [for sale] in dis place heah and you don't want no man to come in on yuh nov. You go on your station house and git one of de man's name that you'll find out. Git one, two or three - if you kin [get] nine it's much better. De ore you get de stronger it is. If you can't git but one [name], den work on dat Bne one, but let it be de leading man dat you knows is asking about you - to yoar acn judgment. Work by your own judgment, de judgment of your ear. Git dat man nae and git you a brand-new piece of board and write his name. Put 'en cross de world. Write 'em cross de world to you and write 'em backwards.
(Backwards and forwards.)
And dey can't come in fer de devil. And nail dat onto your step and dey can't be seeing you. Not when you nail dat dere. Git you de heart of a chicken and it got to be a black chicken. Cut de heart out of it. Git dat wishin' bone of de chicken breast and you take dat heart wit your hand on dose letters. Put 'em dere so it can't be rub off - on dat board. (You rub this heart over those letters?) All over dose letters, all up and down like dat. And talk at de same time. Tell 'em dat [what] dat spirit is got- ta to do. You don't want no law to worry me. You wants to be up dere selling whiskey. Ah don't want dat law to worry me. Ah don't want no kin' of law. Ah don't even wants 'em to come heah fo' a drink of liquir or beer. Ah [wants] 'em to pass by and keep on passing by. Kin go right in next door but won't come in chere. Take dat wishing-bone, and be shore dat you go. down in de groun' to your shoul- der and turn it down -人. Don't turn it up -Y
(Turn the wishing bone down, the points down?)
[Here we have rite similar to the forked stick or "Y" in No.11032.]
Turn de two prongs down. And while you have - doin' it, you talk to 'em. An' if you know any de officer's names, don't let any come in dere, de fed'ral offi- cer back, de county man back, de city officer back, de state controller, back. Dat take in all 'em, ain't it? Go on over and over. And if you git dose three class of officers, you know why it is, don't you? De federal, de state control- ler, git de county and git de highway man. Den you go to work.
(Where do you bury that wishing bone?)
Under your step, right under your step. Be sure to go under your house. Den you put dat bone. If you ain't got no front, put it in de middleways of de house. [This center under the house and the 4 corners of the house make our rite a quin- cunx.] Dat almost stop people jack-jacking to the front.
Entry 11059
De chicken stuff from a chicken an' rub it in de top of his head when he's asleep, an' all his teeth will rotten out.
Entry 11126
(Well, what do they go down there [forks of the road] for? What have you heard?) Go to de fo'ks of de road. An' get [take along] corn or somepin like dat. Dey got [a] corn [wart] growin' dere [on the hands]. Pick one of dem dere an' rub corn on it an' rub it up [into air, not down]. An' go to de fo'ks of de road an' make a wish [to be rid of the Warts] throw it [corn] ovah de left shouldah an' go on. Nevah look back. Ah've tried dat, mahself.
(Did it work?)
No.
Entry 11158
Now, I have heard that you can take a piece of devil's-shoestring; that is, you take the root. Some calls it the lady slipper, some calls it lady's tail: that's because the flow- er [blossom] looks like a tail [the orifice of the vagina]. And you can take that, the root, and put it in whiskey or cologne. You put this liquid in your hand and you rub it over the woman some place, and you can handle that woman whatever way you please. [Hoodoo and root doctors normally used the word devil's-shoestring as a singular. If I have iden- tified the plant correctly, botanists have named it Tephrosia virginiana - com- monly called catqut, a good description of its qualities - qoats-rue and wild sweet pea. This plant of eastern North America, especially in the South, is a herb almost prostrate with long wiry roots. The flowers are yellowish purple.]
[Berlin, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 11165
Dere's a root out dere, ah don't know whether it's round here or not. Dat comes out de woods. [Take that] an' saltpeter. It's de devil's-shoestring! Dat's whut dey call it, de devil's-shoestring. An' beat it up - jest beat it up an' put it in yore pock- et - yo' understand, an' walk on in. An' as yo' walk in de office - dis is de office heah [demonstrates] jest put it in yore pocket an' rub yore hand lak dat over it. An' bit off a little piece an' jest lak yo' chewin' a piece of chewin' gum or somepin lak dat, an' talk to him. He'll give yo' a job. Yes sir, he'll give yo' a job.
(Do you come from South Carolina?)
North Carolina.
Entry 11166
(What do they do with the devil's-shoestring?)
Dey take dat and put it down in a bottle of perfume with some garlic and ies keep it in a bottle, you see. And if you got it at home, well every time you leave out of home, why you take it and rub it on your hands. Dat's fer luck. And fer your protection op de streets, you git dat devil's-shoestring and you take it and put it around your waist right to your skin. You tie it around your waist.
(What will that protect you from?)
Dat's to protect you from de law. All you gotta do is tie it to yoar shn.
Entry 11293
Ah heard dat dey take de dog, if a woman wanted tuh git somebody outa her way - no doubt if, it jes' a friend of hers [get rid of a rival]. Den, if she Would take de dog, prob'ly kill de dog an' take de dog's heart - it wasn't de livah - it was de heart of a dog, an' den take de heart [center] out from undah his hoof [pawl. Jes' take dat piece of meat out from undah his foot dere, an' take de heart of a dog. An' yo' takes dat an' yo' cooks it an' yo' makes a salve out of it, jes' cook it down tuh a salve. Take de watah off or de grease or whatevah it is. If yo' jes' git dis on her any place - jes' git some of it on her any place, fo' five [4 or 5] diff'ren' times, den yo' could cause dis wo- man jes' tuh run an' huffer jes' lak de dog does. Jes' run jes' lak yo' see a dog run 'long wit his tongue hangin' out. Well, dis woman she would git jes' lak de dog [less attractive to man both were after].
Entry 11346
If you be out of work and you want's to get a job, you go to the drug swre and you get you some cinnamon bark - not the ground cinnamon - cinnamon bark. You chew that. You get you 25 cents of what you call - it's a drawing powder - and you gotta pay attention too when you get that. After you get that powder... Now, for you, you have to get pink. They got two kinds of it. got the pink and white. You get that drawing powder. Of course, you rub of it in the palm of your hand like that [demonstrates]. You take that cinnamon bark and you chew that cinnamon bark. And when you get around there where the boss is, of course, spit it but not enough so nobody will pay atten- tion to you. You take some of that powder and you put it in some of your pock- ets, and because it's got a sweet smell to it, nobody never pay attention to it anyway. In your pockets. When you close to him, spit that cinnamon bark around there. And that powder will draw him to the person [to you] and he will give you a job.
Entry 11640
Well, it's a powder dey makes. Yo' buy some of it outa de drug store - love powder. Dey call it love powder. An' den yo' git so much of dis same Hearts Cologne an' yo' gits three fishhooks. An' yo' put it together an' yo' rub it - rub it right close to dat powder until settle. After yo' put dat Hearts Cologne in dere, it sit an' it git dry. An' dey put it together an' den yo' sprinkle it. An' if yo' want de person to love yo', [he'll love you]; if yo' want 'im to hate chew, he'll hate chew.
Entry 11678
Yokin git de graveyard dirt. Yogo tuh de graveyard. Yo' kin go dere any time a-night dat chew wanta, if yo' ain't scared tuh go, an' git chew some of dat dirt: but chew gotta burn some of it, an' keep some of it unburned. Anwhenyo gits in a place, jes [like] ah'm in heah an want chew tuh do business wit me. Ah keeps some wit me all de time, an'ah jes' rubs mah han's when ah wants tuh be lucky. An'ah raps mah hands on de table lak dat [raps on interviewing table] an' ah've nevah gone out broke. Ah've always had a dollah every day of mah life, evah since ah've been usin dis dirt an' burnin' ah've got it. An' den yo' kin take dis graveyard dirt an' yo' kin go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git dirt; dat's where yo' meet dem two fo'ks of de road. Yo' know whut ah'm talkin' about. Yo' go in dere. Now, yo take yo' a silvah spoon, yo' go to de fo'k of de road an' yo' git chew some dirt an' put wit dis graveyard dirt. Yo' kin conkah all of yore enemies in any way yo' want, if yo' take dis dirt an sprinkle it round dere [their home]. An' yo' kin be partic'lah wit it, ain't gotta let 'em see it; 'cause if yo' let dem see it, yo' know, say yo' doin' sompin wrong. Yo' gotta be partic'lah wit anything yo' do. See, dat's de way ah use graveyard dirt. An' it gotta be burnt, some of it's burnt. When yo' git dat dirt outa de fo'k of de road yo' ain't gotta burn it atall, but yo' put it wit dis graveyard dirt an' yo' kin do anything. Yo' kin conkah all yore enemies in any kind of way. Dat make yo' successful. Yo'ain't got nuthin tuh do tuh keep de law away, but jes' yo' go out an' den yo' go tuh de fo'k of de road. Go on back tuh de fo'k of de road now in dis partic'lah business. Yo' take yo' silvah spoon an' yo' git yo' some dust an yo' ain't gotta put de graveyard dust. Now, jes' about nine or ten steps 'way from yore house an' in front of dere, jes' sprinkle dat dust down, an' count de tracks dat chew make, cause if yo' make a mistake, well, yo' liable tuh have tuh go ag'in 'cause somepin othah liable tuh happen. But it always causin' tuh keep yore enemies cowered at chure feet when yo' git that dust from de fo'k of de road. If yo' got it wit de graveyard dirt it goes bettah wit chew. If yo' ain't got it, well, it's all de same - it'll do it right on. Jes' go tuh de fo'k of de road on de left-han' side.
Entry 11708
Yo' kin take garlic an' if yo' wanta have good luck, take garlic an' put it in a bottle an' put some Hearts Cologne [in it]. Dat kills de odor of it. Take fo' instance, yo' go out an' yo' wanta git a job or anything or any kind of success. Jes' take some of dat garlic like dat an' rub it on yore hands an' on yore face, den yo' go out. An' yo' be - oh, yo' be too lucky. [Waycross (1093) 1762:12.]
Entry 12048
A woman, she loved a man, an' a, you know, de man kina rule huh an' she couldn't rule 'im so good. So she went an' git a hand to make 'im do as she said do. An' evrey time de man, you know, would go to leave de house, she'd jis' rub huh [own] hand lak dat, jis' huh hand, an' rub lak dat. An' dat man could be to de road gwoin' [going way] an' he would have to turn back. An' when she'd see him turn back, she'd go an' lay down acrost de bed, an' de man would come an' lay right acrost de bed an' couldn't leave huh. She had huh hand iressed to dat effeck. She keep it un'neat' huh bed mattress. An' evrey time she'd want dis man to do lak she says, she jis' go an' lay down on dat bed, you see, an' rub her hand [which was a hand] an' he couldn't go. [This is my only example of such original and brilliant thinking!]
Entry 12136
Dat's usin' dis heah, whut chew call oil of peppermint an' Hearts Cologne. Yo' kin take dat an' mix it together an' every morning when yo' git up, before yo' speak to anyone, yo' kin put it in yore hand an' rub it in yore hand, an' den jest say, "De Lord is my shepherd" - hold yore hands touards de sun an' say, "De Lord is my shepherd an' I will"... [demonstrates]. (Hold the palms of your hands up like that.) Yeah, de palms of your hands up towards de sun an' say, "De Lord is my shep- herd an' I shall not want." An' you will be very lucky all that day an' things will come to yo' whut chew wouldn't a thought would come to you, see. It gives yo' better luck all dat day.
Entry 12225
Yo' supposed tuh use Jockey Club perfume.
(It's Jockey Club or Jack of Clubs.)
Well, ah cain't git it right.
(Jack of Clubs from the deck of cards or the jockey that rides a horse?)
Yeah, jacket dat chew put on yo' Perfume [!!!]. Yo' supposed tuh use dat an' garlic. Keep garlic in yore pocket an' Jack of Clubs in yore pocket, an' yo' supposed tuh have luck in gamblin'. (What do you do, put this perfume on the garlic?) [Is this for real or a piece of concoted witticism of the moment!] Put it on de garlic an' on yore han' when yo' goin' to a game. But keep de garlic in yore pocket an' de Jack of Clubs, jis' po' a little bit out in yore han' an' go into de gamblin', see, an' have yo' garlic in yore pocket.
Entry 12233
Dat High John de Conkah root by hitself, yo' kin take dat in de mawn- in' an' yo' kin git up 'fore de sun rise, an' dere's a word dat chew have tuh say befo' de sun rise, an' look to de east. Po' a little of it out of de bottle, de liquid offa de root into yore han' an' rub it cross yore face three times. (What will that do?) Dat's to inherit mo' money. (What words do you say?) Jes' say, "So we live, so we die, ' po' a little bit in yore han' an' rub it cross yore face an' look to where de sun risin' in de mawnin'.
(What kind of liquid do you put in the bottle?)
Yo' kin put gin whiskey on it, or eithah Hearts Cologne - nuthin excusin' dat. Hearts Cologne or eithah pure gin whiskey [gin or white whiskey].
Entry 12234
If you is gambling and you wants luck, well you'll git you some steel dust. See. You git you a dime - a silver dime. Git that dime and you put it in a piece of flannel, and you take it and you git a piece of John de Conkah root. See, that John de Conkah root. You takes all that and you put it down in there. Steel dust, and then you get you some of that cinnamon powder. You understand. And you takes that down [from shelf] and put it in there, and then you git you some Van- van. You ever heard of that. Or some good Jockey Club Perfume. And you put it [flannel package or hand] in your pocket. See, that steel dust draws. Then you put it in your pocket and every time you wants to gamble with somebody, you take it and rub it like that in your hand. You see. Take it and rub it in your hand but don't let 'em see you. And whatever you doing, you going to be lucky.
Entry 12242
If you get holt of a piece of a root - what they call dis root? John de Conker. See. They'll put that in their mouth and they chew it, see, and they spit it in their hand. The juice from that root, they'll spit it in their hand and then they'll rub it on their face. And then they go and talk right in- to the man's face, and whenever he gets a scent of that, why then he'll have to either do one way or tuther [the other]. Tell you to come back or tell you not to come back - one of the two.
Entry 12343
Tuh git a job, yo' jis' have tuh dress yo'self an' ah tell yo' jis' whut chew have tuh do. Yo' have tuh dress yo'self wit lodestone an' quicksilvah an' Jockey Club Perfume - both togethah. Ah tell yo' jis' how yo' do now. Yo' git chew a red piece of flannel aftah yo' beat it all up dere to- gethah. Git chew a red piece of flannel an' den take a thread outa yore sock. See, jis' lak yo' got a pair of socks, but let it be a pair of socks yo' done worn amn' take a thread from dat sock an' tie it aroun' dis, an' den befo' yo' go in dere, yo' know, yo' kin'a run yore han's lak dis [demonstrates]. Yo' see, yo' rub yore han' lak dis an' den when he [boss] git tuh talkin' tuh yo', yo' have tuh kinda hold yore face lak dat. An' when yo' go, yo'll kin'a throw yore fingahs lak yo' kinda throwin' yore fingahs tuh him yo' know, an' he'll git de odor of it all right. Dat Jockey Club Perfume dere. The're [there are] two chances tuh one yo' won' be turned down.
(You rub this bag in your hand?)
Dat's right.
Entry 12364
Yeah, you can get some love powder and you can put that on you, and after you get the love powder put on you, they got some kind of oil: say, I think they calls it coconut oil, an' coconut butter, and witch hazel, and Van-Van. See, you put all them four diff'- ren' - it together. An' they say, when you get most to the place, you have it in your pocket, and you put red pepper with it. So when you get most there, see, you rub your hand with it like that. But don't let 'em see it on you. See, after you rubbing your hand with it like that, see, the bossman, he can't tell you "no." He got to give you something to do.
(I see.)
Entry 12504
Ah used tuh run a gamblin' joint, but ah'm not now. Well, ah went ovah by Harsville an' dis [hoodoo] person tole me if ah wanta do it, dat all ah had tuh do - he gimme two pieces of brown stuff. Ah don't know whut it wus, an'[he] say, yo' start, [he] say, yo' rub em [2 brown pieces] in yore han's befo' yo' put chure han's on any cards. Den put 'em [brown pieces] back in yore hip pocket. Put 'em in yore hip pocket an' nevah think of 'em again [that game].
(What did they look like? Were they stones or roots or what?)
Ah tell yo' whut it wus. Whut [do] dey call dis stuff heah whut dey put in food? Ah call it in a minute if yo' give me time.
(Cinnamon? Raisins? Nutmeg?)
Nutmeg! Dat's whut it wus.
(He gave you two?)
He gimme one - he didn't gimme one. He cut it. It wus cut. He cut it up an' gimme two of 'em. It wus a whole one. Well, yo' know how large a whole one is, but he cut it. When he cut it - seemed lak it wus 'bout dat big. Dese three pieces of it - jes' 'bout dat large. An' ah took it an' ah used it. (It was a whole nutmeg cut in two. That is all you had to do with that nut- meg?) Dat's right. Dat's all, jes' rub it. He tole me tuh do it. Well, ah tried it.
(It didn't work?)
It did work twice.
Entry 12511
Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, de red onion. Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, see, an' yo' take a cord string an' tie around it. An' yo' put sugah down at de end of dat red onion an' yo' tie it at chure front do', up ovah yore do', an' dat's tuh keep peace in yore house. [There are several ways to prepare this onion, a fairly small one.]
Entry 12542
Ah have heard somepin 'bout a onion. Yo' take pins an' put 'em down in dere. Yo' hol' dat onion in yore han' an' go up to anybody an' ask emfo' mostanythingwhut chew want. Ask 'em, an' jes' keep rubbin' an' squeezing dat onion. Dey hardly kin tell yo' no.
(You do that to get a job, you say?)
Yes.
Entry 12563
Under your foot track - just like people come along and say that they could hurt you by your foot track. But they couldn't hurt you by a foot track, but I tell you what they could do. They could take some dirt coming from your shoes: just like if you had a hole in your shoe like that [dirt would get into shoe through hole in shoe]. And your foot track they Would probably pick up [in that way]. And after [hole in shoe] picking it up, they could take that dust, what come from your shoes. And they could shake it, put it in a box with some of these here pigeon eggs, and beat it up like that. Anywhere you bury that, you have to leave town [be- cause pigeon flies!]. And anytime you couldn't stay nowhere, couldn't never come back into the place where you was. (You mean the dirt from your shoe, any of the dirt that sticks to the bottom of your shoes? What about that hole in your shoes?) Just like - you see, where I Was, this feet chere, how it was. How this feet chere of mine was [he evidently demonstrates foot or feet]. Well, then, gettin' a remedy for that? [Here is how it happened.] I walked out one morning and it had some kind of yellowish-looking stuff on the steps. But I didn't paid attention and I walked on out of there, going to my work. Well, it was in the summertime and it was right warm. Well, I had some shoes that cut, you know, like this [demonstrates].
(Had holes in the bottoms of them?)
Yes, sir. Well, then, what made me heed them then was my heel started to hurt. I comes on back. Well, that heel of mine was about that big [demon- strates]. So they carried me and they got some of this sugar, this white granulated sugar, and got some of this Palm of Christiandom.
(Palm of what?)
Palm of Christiandom. (Palm of Christian?) [I am not correcting informant but commenting for the future. Besides, the words are Palma Christi "hand of Christ, " the castor-oil plant.] Palm of Christian, yes. You get that anywhere through the country. And they takes that and they put that on, in hot water, just as hot as I could bear it. Then after that they take some cayenne pepper and put it there and they soak it. Then they take, after that - don't never wipe it off - you just take it and let your feet hangs over the water like that, and drain until it dries. Then you take some of the "Pp" oil.
(PP. Two "P's.")
Yeah, PP oil. Get it in the drug store. You take that PP Oil and you just take it like that, with a piece of cotton, you know, and 'noint it. But always 'noint it going down.
(Why?)
Well, that's to draw out all the swelling and all the pain leaves - whatever. You have to rub it like that. [Informant either did not know or did not under- stand my question. You rub downwards to drive pain or any crunjure out through the feet. Many examples of this occur in HOODOO, see No.981, p.377, vol.1.] Well, the swelling before I ever knowed, well they had all the - I'll just lift it up here. They had all this here and all down here. [Informant demonstrates all this.] And they told me how to use it. Well, I got relief of that.
(What did it do to make your ankle swollen that way?)
Well, I walked in some yellowish-looking powder.
(Oh, I see.)
That's where it came from. And it was somepin that makes your ankle itch, you see; and you scratches it, you know.
Entry 12574
Jes' lak if yo' don't want nobody tuh yore house, don't want tuh speak tuh anybody, yo' kin take yo' a penny - jes' a penny is brassy - an' yo' kin rub it an' rub it till it gits shiny. An' de penny whut yo' rubbin' den yo' go tuh de grave- yard dust: In de Name of de Lord an' de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Well, yo' rubs dat penny, rubs dat penny wit de dust until it gits shiny.
(What do you do with that then?)
[I shut the machine off before recording the answer, but the penny is probably nailed at the door. This could be my only example of using graveyard dirt as a scouring material!]
Entry 12656
Yo' kin git a bottle of this Hearts Perfume an' put cha a spoonful of table salt [fine salt, not course salt fed to animals in it an' dab it on, an' as you walk out, rub it down befo your face - do this way, like that [demonstrates].
(Then what?)
And as you do that, their love grows toward you.
(Well, doesn't he have to do anything to her at all?)
Yes, sir. Sure, it will entice her.
(How?)
With that - usin' that, see, will entice her towards you, make her git closer to you.
Entry 12722
Take an' wear dat [rabbit foot].
(From which foot?)
De left foot.
(Which one, front or back?)
De front 'cause de back is longer, de front is a little short foot. Dey take an' run a string - yo' bo' a hole in it if yo' kin, an' yo' wear it round yore waist or either round yore neck. All right, yo' got a rabbit foot den, an' whoever yo' wearin' dat foot fo', 'cause den yo' be dealin' wit dat person an' yo' goin' keep dat foot rubbed up fo' dem.
(How do they rub it up?)
Hearts Cologne.
(What will that rabbit foot do for them?)
Aw, that's luck, sech as gamblin' an' all, playing bolito...
Entry 12746
Rattlesnake marster like dat is good. Jes' take it yo' know an' wear it chew know in a piece of cloth yo' know. An' den every mawnin' yo' take an' rub it in yore han' jes' like dis heah [demon- strates], an' den rub it ovah yore face.
(What will that do for you?)
Git a job.
Entry 12999
Well, if a man want luck in gambling, well, he'd wanta got Lost John powder. [This could be my only example of Lost John.] (What kind?) Lost John. (Lost John?) Lost John powder, it's good luck. You take Lost John powder and you put it in your pocket. All right, you go get you some pulverized bluestone. You take you five dimes and you boil that in two quarts of water. You boil that water down to one quart [magic of diminishing amount.] You put it in somepin and measure it. You put it in somepin and you boil it until it comes down to one quart [diminishing amount] one quart of water. You gets one quart of water, you pout one teaspoonful of pulverized bluestone, one teaspoonful of granulated sugar, one teaspoonful of sulphur, and well shaked [shake well]. You take your five dimes out of that water after it's boiled and put 'em - you can use them again, you can spend them. [Often articles used in rites cannot be used again, they are dangerous.] You take that and you shake it up - well shaked. You can take that and rub it in the band of your hat, and you go anywhere in town and you can have luck: with the laws, the police, or anything like that. They ain't going to worry with you.
(What do you do with that Lost John root powder? What do you do with that?)
That Lost John root you tote that in your pocket. Tote that in your pocket.
Entry 13003
Usin' a bull dollah - a silver dollah.
(They call it a bow dollar? Why do they call it a bow?)
Dey always claim they could work roots with it. (That's what they call a silver dollar: a bow dollar - bull dollar? Do you mean like a bow - like this kind of a bow?) [I demonstrate either by holding and drawing a bow, or drawing design on paper.] Ah don't know how yo' spell it. It jes' a bow. Git chew a bow dollah an' go to any sto' an' git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' yo' take this heah bow dollah an' yo' take an' rub it with this heah Hearts Cologne. An' take an' put it in a red flannel sack an' wear it round yore waist, where it will 'cumu- late money to yo', bring happiness to yo', an' yo' jes' be lucky all de time.
Entry 13081
Use de snake shed when yo' a great han' fo' breakin' up de dishes. [I had never before heard this piece of ordinary folklore nor have I since.] Take a snake shed an' run yore han's in it, why yo' won' break 'em up.
(That keeps you from breaking dishes?)
Yes.
(Any kind of a snake shed?)
Yessuh, any kind.
Entry 13235
Well, now, yo'll go an' get a good gol' ring, you know a nice quality of ring an' jes' rub that eye down like that [demonstrates] 9 mornings, 9 times, an' the tenth mornin' it'll be gone. Each mornin' 9 times, jes' like that [demonstrates]. An' make a wish, say, "Sty, go away."
Entry 13255
You take sulphur, they tell me and mix it together in pure lard and rub with it. You kin move it [poison or cunjure] 股中 away. Sulphur and pure lard, cream it together and rub with it. They say that choo kin get it out choo by that. And [in addition] you take so much sulphur, don' choo understand, with brown sugar. You take it [inwardly]. Well, that purges you, you know, and git all dat bad stuff out.
Entry 13300
John de Conkah, you git dat, an' dragon's blood an' a little piece of lodestone [3 ingredients] an' wrap dat in a piece of flannen an' make a [hand and feed] Hearts Cologne or Good Riding Scent [the only appearance of this perfume] an' jes' rub dat ovah yuh face after having a couple of days of good work, yo' know. An' jes' rub dat ovah yuh an' not only de boss - nobody can't turn yuh down. [I hope the reader did not miss the poignancy of after having a couple of days of good work. This desire for work - the many rites for getting and holding jobs - is everywhere in HOODOO. That hoodoo drugstore perfume Good Riding Scent is unique.]
Entry 13301
(What would I do to keep the law out?) Well, yo' kin use Jockey Club perfume, sweet oil and [oil of cloves - see later].
(What are these things you take, now?)
Oil of cloves, Jockey Club perfume and sweet oil.
(What do you do with those?)
You just take them and just get you a bottle of Jockey Club perfume and keep your hands on it [have it handy], keep it in your pocket. See, when they [the law] gets too fast, why you dampen some on your hands [demonstrates] that oil of cloves, Jockey Club and sweet oil.
Entry 672
Well, now yo' take goofer dust - dat's jest whut chew might call cunjuration, jest lak yo' take a snake shed. Yo' know snake shed. Yo' take dat snake shed an' yo' put it up somewhere where it will dry - git right good an' dry. An' yo' take it an' pound it up - jest pound it up. Well, now yo' kin take dat an sprinkle it ovah anything - anything a person eat or drink. Well, yo' see, dat's puttin' goofer dust in 'em - dat's whut chew call de goofer dust. Jest lak a man go out huntin' a job - walk up where a big work gwine on, "Wanta see de boss." Says, "Well, ah'm de boss heah." All right, yo' walk up to him, "How are yuh, Captain?" Say, "All right." Says, "Captain, ah'm lookin' fo' a job." Well, he might answer, "Well, whut kin yo' do?" "Well, Captain, ah kin do so-an'-so." He might be fulled out. "Well, ah'm kinda fulled out." But yet an' still yo' got some dis goofer dust right on wit chew. See, yo' kin take dis goofer dust an' yo' kinda rub it on yore hand dat-a-way, rub back yore ear, back of yore ears three times. Walk right up to him regardless to how many mens he got. He goin' give yo' a Job - if yo' don't stay dere but three days he goin' give yo' a job, he can't let chew pass.
(You say this goofer dust is just a snake shed ground up.)
Jest a snake shed. [Almost anything is possible but snake-shed dust is most unusual when seeking a job.]
Entry 730
It's a root chew call John de Conker root. An' it's a root chew call de Seven Sisters - yo' kin go git dat too, an' yo' put both dem things together an', as yo' go up an' ask de man, yo' be rubbin' 'em.
(That's when you go to ask him for a job?)
Yessuh. [Seven Sisters root I found rare; probably a freak seven-pronged root.]
Entry 1350
(What did these people do to get rid of these snakes? Did you say? She got what?) Jimson weed an' ah'ny [ordinary] dock - all dat's a weed an' some Epsom salts, an' mix it together an' rub dat on her laig an' it jis' come right on out.
(Got rid of these things that way?)
Yessuh.
Entry 2032
John de Conker - yo' put that in with Hearts Cologne. Hit'll git soft an' when hit git soft hit ready fo' de work.
(Well, if it doesn't get soft?)
Long as hit won't git soft it's no way fo' yo' tuh turn dat to yo'. Well, if dat git soft an' yo' take it, an' it won't git hard any mo fo' de month. Long as dat case is dangerous it stay right dere. But when yo' see de hollow of it git hollow, it's a doubtful case fo' yo' - no hopes fo' yo'.
(When that is soft - what do you do with that root now?)
When it git soft jes' put it in yore pocket, in yore pants pocket, an' while yo' be talkin' to de judge, be rubbin' it, mashin' on it. John de Conker it conquers anything yo' go up to.
Entry 11289
[Margin title STATIONARY ROOT OF DOCTOR KING IN RICHMOND gaVe us a rare root indeed (No.7254, Pp.3235-3237, v.4), but now the doctor will describe for us an even rarer root:] [In answer to my question about a man attracting women, the doctor answered:] Well, in that instance you have to ob- tain them Four Brothers. Yo' got to git a High John, Low John, Long John, and Short John [all together called] the Conkah [= Conqueror]. Yo' got to get all four of 'em, cuz one ain't gon'a do you no good. Yo' kin git that in Beaufort, [S. Car.]. An' they grows together but ever' one of 'em got a diff'rent leaf. (They grow detached but near each other.) [Doctor ignores or did not under- stand my comment to the microphone.] Yo' don't have to do nothin' with it when you git de Four Brothers but jis' care [carry] it with yo'. Yo' kin do anything yo' want. Anything yo' do is in yuh favor. An' specially if yo' kin git close to a person to rub dat on 'em. Another thing, them Four Brothers is suppose to protect chuh. [The Four Broth- ers of course represent the four corners of the earth (The Revelation of St. John the Divine, 7:1) which appear so frequently in HOODOO. A final comment of mine reads "not so sure, may wait for par(allel)!" I still had to learn that each real doctor had things specially his or her own. This, my transcription made in pencil a few months after the recording, is attached here.]
Entry 12259
Yo' kin take John de Conkah an' take advantage of any woman dat chew want, if yo' jest rub it. Jest rub yore hand wit it an' put chure hands on it. Why yo' kin carry her yore way - any way.
(That's to conquer the woman.) [Waycross 1727:8.]
Entry 10397
"A snail an' get that slime when she go to have 'in, rub his penis up towards her...it will fall every time he go to fool with anybody else" [Vicksburg, (745), 1016:2].
Entry 11800
"You kin take you a little graveyard dirt an' put it in your [poc- ket]...git it out a colored cemetery...throwin' de craps, see. Yo' git it on your han' an' rub it, see. Dat's your luck. Now, dat's dose spirits, but dey colored." [Author asks: Why couldn't you use some of the dust from the white cemetery?"] "Well, de white rules de white an' de colored rules de colored."
Entry 865
Once I was hurted in mah hand and [it] lasted above nine month, an' whilst I was like that - jes' before I got in that condition a fortune-teller came by home one time an' wanted to tell mah fortune, an' I wouldn't let 'im because I didn't have any money. An' he tole me some trouble was comin' fah me, you know, an' said if I would let 'im tell it, he may could avoid it. An' so after [that] he went off. In about two or more weeks after that, a one Satiday - you know, I had a husband, you see, that's runnin' about so bad. An' one Satiday he didn't come home until aroun' - he left home about fiye-thirty that mornin' tc work. An' I looked for 'im about twelve o'clock an' he didn't come, an' five o'clock he didn't come. An' about seven o'clock I went by a lady house that he's always, you know - I used to go by an' he was there. So I went past an' she was settin' on the porch, an' I ast her if Bert wasn't there. An' so she got firin' mad with me, joo know, because I ast her. So about Monday night - she said, "No, he's not herel What the hell you ast me if he's here!" So I didn't pay any attention to her an' I went on back home. An' so that night [the same Saturday night] she set on her porch until about twelve o'clock to show that he wasn't there that Satiday. An' so she waited till he came by [that Saturday night], you see, an' she stopped 'im an' wanted to know how come I could come there an' ast 'er fer 'im. An' so when he come home he ast me not to go by an' ast her again after this. An' so I tole 'im didn't he know the children were hungry an' I was hungry an' didn't have anything to cook or nuthin to get me some with, an' nuthin to pay rent with or nuthin. An' this woman - that he passed on by when comin' home - she waited till that Monday night. About ten o'clock, after I had gone to bed, she come by my house an' ast me - she came to my house and knocked bringin' two more peoples, an' when they knocked I was gone to bed. An' so I didn't dress or nuthin. [She says], "I come up to see you." I says, "All right." I went to the door an' ast 'em in. An' they come in an' set down. An' she wants to know how come I'd come to her house an' ast for him. An' we commence talkin'. An' I tole 'er, I said, "If you had children and you husband was out an' you had no way to get yore livin' from 'im but to wait until he come, you'd go an' hunt him yoreself." An' so she said, "Oh, if that's case, well you kin come again." That happened Monday night when she was in mah house an' that [the following] Satiday mornin' I got an' wash his silk shirts an' pressed them an', you see, did my other work. An' I didn't feel no hurtin' or nuthin like that. An' around two o'clock mah - two o'clock mah arm commence to hurtin', commence to hurtin' - it was a tired feelin'. It kept a hurtin' an' it jis' like the more I'd draw it up an' stretch it out, the worser it would hurt. An' when night come it commence to gittin' worser an' worser an' worser. An' that Sunday it looked like it was gittin' worser an' worser. So I went down about 'leven blocks from the house to church an' I tote the baby, an' before I got back home I couldn't even tote that baby back home an' I stayed down there about two hours, an' before I got back home I couldn't tote the baby. An' so then, that Monday over in the nex' week, then mah arm jis' commence to gittin' worser. An' mah han's was swoll up that Monday about dat high - jist as high. An' so then I didn't have any use of it - couldn't even lift it, couldn't move it no'ere [nowhere] unless dis han' under it. An' so I tried ever'thing. It looked like the doctor medicine, ever'thing I took would make me worser. An' so then this fortune-teller fellah he come by. An' then he tole me - an' he tole me [before] that it was some trouble comin' for me. An' I wouldn't let 'im tell it [at their first meeting]. An' so he tole me that it sure Was put in the wash for Bert for me, because they knowed that I had to wash with mah hands. [The woman dressed Bert's soiled silk shirts. He took them home to be washed by his wife.] An' listen! That han' last me nine months before I was able to put all mah clothes on an' take them off of me. I didn't have no use of that han' or nuthin. I couldn't even steady it up for over a year, but after nine months I felt, you know, I could take care of mah arm - but, I couldn't open nor shut my hand. An' so the remedy what mah mother used, why - she'd, while mah arm was like that - she jis' kept on bathin' an' rubbin' an' bathin' an' rubbin', but looked like none of that wouldn't do any good. An' somebody tole 'er to get a quarter, a silver quarter, an' trim de edge off of it an' put it with some rock sulphah an' beat it up an' let me lick it. An' after I use that, then I commence to feelin' mahself where I could, you see, get mah arm - the use of mah arms back. So they took the quarter [that was left after the milled edge had been scraped off] an' put it in two quarts of water an' boil it down to a pint [magic of diminishing amount] an' make me a tea with that water. An' that seems like it help me more than anything I took. An' then she took a white [Irish] potato an' shave that white potato - jis' split it as little [thin] as you kin git it, an' put that on mah han'. An' after I use that - they put there that night, the nex' mornin' I was able to lift mah han' off the pillah, wherein I couldn't pick it up before. Wilmington, N. Car.,
(293), 214:3; in 1926.]
Entry 939
I had an' a'nt and uncle. Both of them was sick at the time, so we sent fo' a doctor, and it was close to a year and de doctors kept coming and dey said dey couldn't do no good. So we got a kind of hoodoo doctor and so he came to see 'em and he came fer nine days and he told her that she'd have to go out under her step and dig. So she went out and dug an' she got a bottle, and we looked down in it and dere was some roots and lotsa needles and two sets of hair - her husband and her hair. And dey tole her she was tuh take it and put it in running water. And she did and he said in nine days he's come back again [magic delay]. So after that he started to rub 'em - rubbed both of 'em and they both commence tuh git well after that. They'd failed terrible - that's mah aunt, ah know that. Both of 'em got better. (Well that first time - he didn't tell them anything until after he came the ninth time?) No, he didn't tell 'em about it - he say he'd have to come right along.
(I see - before he did anything at all.) [Washington, D. C. (626), 801:1.]
Entry 1214
I've seen 'em take a dirt dauber's nest and they cook it - see, it's nothing but - look like mud - that's all it is, but it's good though, you know. I've seen 'em take and cook a dirt dauber's nest. But they've taken it and they cooked it and they cook it with what they call this here linseed oil. Well, linseed oil is good for rubbing of any kind, but they taken this and they cooked this dirt dauber's nest with that linseed oil. See. Now when they've cooked it, it comes into a paste - after they done cooked it. You see, they left all that oil out of it - as the oil was cooking out of it, it 'vaporated or something of that sort. Well, anyhow, it came into a paste and it made just about a little box of stuff [demonstrates] - just about that big around, must have been about that deep. Well, anyway, it was a boxful, but it come into a salve. Now, there was a baby that was born with it's navel - it was stuck out about that big [demonstrates]. Well, they cleaned the baby up - I can show you that very baby, too - it's navel is out now - it's about like that [demonstrates].
(It was born with it's navel sticking out like that?)
But now, it's sticking out about that much now.
(About an inch?)
Yeah. [That baby is] right down here a couple of blocks. Well, they say that baby was crossed. Well, that's what they was told to do and how to do it. They taken and they boiled that - they cooked this dirt dauber's nest in this linseed oil. When they first rubbed the baby - her navel was sticking like this - they crossed that navel.
(How do you mean they crossed it?)
They'd taken and they took the stuff, you see, and they made a plaster out of it, you see, and they come thataway with it and they come this way - made a cross on it. And they made that cross and then they rubbed all around it, you see. Like the navel sets right here and it was sticking out like about like that, see. They crossed it and then they rubbed all around that place there, you see. Then they rubbed that navel - they pulled and they shoved it - they pulled and they shoved the navel like that - and they did that for about nine days, greasing that every day three times a day until the baby's navel went back. And they said that if they wouldn't of used that, that baby s navel would a been out today. That's the only thing I ever know 'em to use it for - the dirt dauber's nest for - to do good.
Entry 1942
They kin take this graveyard dirt, they kin take this camphah gum, with sulphah [three ingredients], an' they wear it in their pocket. Maybe they jis' dampen with whiskey an' stuff. An' jis' befo' you git to the white man you gon'a ax fer the job at, you take this stuff an' you rub all in your hand an' rub it ovah your face three times, an' you kin walk up to the man an' ax fer a job. He might deny you the first time he might, but the second time he can't deny you.
Entry 1949
Den yo' kin git chew some John de Conker an' have yo' a little piece of root an' chew those guinea peppahs every once in awhile. [Guinea pepper = grains of paradise, pungent seeds of a West African plant (Amorum meZegueta) used as a spice.] Lak ah'd walk in heah to yo', went to gamblin', chew dat once in awhile an' spit in mah han' an' rub it an' throw mah dice or play mah cards. Chew dose guinea peppahs - dem little brown seeds dey calls guinea peppahs.
(What do you do with that John the Conker root?)
Yo' chew that. Yo' hold that in yore mouth lak a toothpick. Chew dem [root and seed] separate.
(If a person goes down to get a job?)
Sho'.
Entry 2768
(Was that the time you were being hurt?) Yes, sir. (Well, tell me what happened? How did they hand it to you? And how was that cured? Tell me the whole experience - the whole story.) Well, you know, that I couldn't even - couldn't walk in here like that.
(Couldn't even do what?)
Couldn't walk in here like that.
(You couldn't walk in here. All right.)
But then one fellow who came down here [to Vicksburg] took me to a fellow called Johnson down there [to New Orleans].
(Where did he take you to?)
To New Orleans.
(To a fellow called Johnson?)
Yes, sir. And course he told me that I was crossed up like that.
(Well, what happened when you went in? What first happened when you went in?)
He just asked me if I want git rid of my misery, and everything like that. He didn't do a thing but just rubbed me. And of course then I had a misery in my head. And then he said a man must have hurt my eyes, and he tied it up and told me use them head bandages - placed a candle over me for nine mornings and read a Psalm, and said a prayer. But the prayer was - but what the prayer was I don't know. (Was that a woman you went down with [from Vicksburg to New Orleans] or was this woman at Johnson's house?) They was there - she was. One was a woman and one was a man.
(Oh, they were working together in the same house.)
You see, when I first went to see him, why he was setting out on de porch. Well, it wasn't no porch either, but it like a church and he was sitting out there on a little old balcony kind of.
(It appeared like what?)
It's just a big church and place.
(Oh, a church.)
And still he treats people and all like that, see. He took us and carried us on upstairs.
(Into a room?)
Yes, sir - in a private room.
(And what was in that room?)
Like - just like desks and different things like that, just chairs and desks.
(I see. And then what else did he do?)
He asked me what was my misery and how long had it been hurting me and when it first started, and how did it work and things like that. And I told him. He told me to stand up and come to him - walk to him. See, I couldn't - I couldn't walk right. He told me that somebody had throwed something for me and so he would rub me. He would rub me and have me turn all the way around and bowing over and walking and coming back to him like that.
(What did he rub you with?)
Sir? Jest his hand. He didn't put no oil or nothing on it - jest rubbing and saying something. Jest rubbing [she demonstrates].
(He rubbed down off your clothing.)
In my clothes - just rubbing me down like dat for a long time. Then he would tell me to press up while he would hold me, push on me right here like that. I would strain up like that. I done paid him and then went on off.
(And then after that? Then where did you go?)
Ah went to a rooming house.
(Where?)
Went to a rooming house. (Went to a rooming house. Where did you meet this woman? Where did you find her?) The lady? Oh, I went back down there the next morning.
(You went back to this woman the next morning.)
And he told me to come back. I was supposed to go back and take the final treatment. He told me if I didn't have that why I couldn't walk up straight any more. Everything have happen to me like that. So, he tell me I was going too much, says, "Women like dat." I didn't tell him about how my head hurt, I didn't consider it was worth-while, thought it was just ordinary or something like that. He told me to come back and see about my head. So I went back the next morning.
(You went back to this church the next morning.)
Went back the next morning where we - so he was telling her about it. She didn't carry on [rub her], but she carried me around and telled me to sit down before the table and she asked me how my head hurt and all that and this and everything like that. And I told her. She told me sit down and she would fix my head up. So she lit a candle and put it before my - kind of a yellow candle and placed my hands before it, aside the candle. She got her one and lighted it, and went to passing it over her head [demonstrates] and she was saying something or other. (When she passed it - how did she pass it over her head? Like this? [I demonstrate.] Around her head in a circle?) Yes, sir. [See margin-title later, Halo Sign.] And so I had stayed there that day. And had to go back nine days - nine mornings. (Nine mornings. She did that nine mornings, you say. She said before sun- rise?) Yes, sir. No, sir - any time between twelve o'clock - between sunset and one in the evening.
(Any time between twelve o'clock at night and sunrise in the morning?)
[My question confuse her but she now gives the proper answer; the well-known magic rite.] Ah don't know how. But she told me to always come - never come at twelve - come before twelve when the sun was still on a rise. (Oh, I see - when the sun was still going up. I see. And that was all she did - burn this candle on you?) Everything.
(And then when she finished that - after the nine days, then what happened?)
Hit was gone! Never seen it no more.
(I see. What did they charge you?)
$25.
(The both of them - S25 for both of them?)
No, that was $25 for my head. I paid the same thing for the hip part.
($25 apiece? Each for the hip and the head?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3093
My mother - well, she was about 40 I guess or maybe 40 odd. She wus 42 - my brother wus two years old. She taken sick. She went outdoors - I wus livin' in Pocomoke [City, Maryland] then - an' she went out de door. Well, these ole houses, country places, the chimleys, zhoo know, aside yeh house - an' she went out there an' stopped de side de chimley [for chimney-corner toilet, see 203, p.56] an' she taken a pain in her right [big] toe an' it went on up in her knee. An' when she got in the house she said, "Mama, I can't walk." That wus my grandmother an' my grandma lived to be 85. She said, "Mama, I can't walk," she said, "my knee - I got a pain in my toe an' it's went up in my knee. I can't walk." So my grandmother - she wus a mighty one fer rubbin', you know, an' she rub 'er. An' she went an' got some ole horehoun' an [or] yard marvel - de grass, dey call it yard marvel grass - an' she stews this stuff up an' she rubs zer in it. An' it didn't do 'er any good. She couldn't walk. So she put her in the baid. An' when she got in the baid she couldn't get out any more - taken para- lize all the way from 'er shoulder clear down. She couldn't move dat foot, dat right foot. She couldn't move her right foot no way - had to take 'er 'bout de baid an' put 'er in. She jes' gotta wha' choo call a perilous [paralysis] stroke, we thought. So we sent - my grandmother doh [though], she sent fuh de doctor. An' de Doctor Quinn come, why he said 'twas a col' [cold] rheumatis. So she got worser an' worser. All he did to 'er - everything he give 'er would make 'er worse. So my husband an' I - that wus his uncle, Uncle George Jackson wus - I said, "I very mind to go to Uncle George an' see if they is anything ailin' mah mother. I believe dey's somepin wrong about her - she can't walk an' de doctor can't do 'er no good, she can't use her side." Well, I thought then in that time that de people didn't take wit perilous strokes, zhoo know, offten, like they do now. So I says, "I don't believe it's any perilous stroke." He says, "All right, then, let's us go." So we walked. We got out about nine a'clock at night, one night, an' walked down to Fairmount [Maryland], down whare I told joo Uncle George wus. When we got there 'twas daybreak - he wus settin' up then, he had his clothes on - I guess about five a'clock in the morning [eight hours walk]. It wus in June when we went. I suppose it wus about five a'clock in de morning 'cus it wus light. An' we rahpped [rapped] on de door an' he opened de door. You know, mah husband didn't go to see 'im as offten as he wanted it to see 'im, to go see him. An' he said, "Uh huh!" He said, "I knowed somepin happen," he said, "iss [else] you wouldn't of been here." So we laffed an' tole 'im, "No, not much happened." He said, "Yes it did," he said - to me, he said. He said, "Ya, your mother's layin' pint [point] of death, she can't walk." I said to 'im - I wus always kin'a jokin' - I said, "How did joo know that?" "Uh huhI" he said - he wus a great big fellah, he'd filled this chair up - he said, "Uh huhI your mother's down an' can't walk." I said, "Yes." "An' why didn't choo come fer 'er before?" He said, "She's been down now ever since Apurl an' you jis' come here in June." I said, "Yes, she did." He said, "She started to a show." Well, she did. She started to git ready to go to a show an' she taken dat pain in de foot. De show wus at Pocomoke City, an' she wus down in kin'a about two mile from de show, from de city, out in de country part. An' he said, "Well, why didn't zhah come here before?" An' he said, "She wus gettin' ready to go to a show an' dat's de show she got to!" I said, "Well, that's true." "Uh huh!" he said. So he jis' set back in de chair - he always set in a chair, somepin like this. "Uh huh!" he said. "Well, a lady dat she thought dat wouldn't nevah do 'er no harm, a woman," he said, "an' she's a little short woman," he said, "she's jist about so high" - an' sure enough she wus - "an' she's light [in color]," he said. "An' she put dat [image there because] she an' her husband got mad with 'er, 'cus she wanted her to go to her house an' she wouldn't go," he said. "An' she come down there an' laffed an' talked with 'er, an' went out side de chimley at night an' put a piece of a tin," he said. "So when you go back, '' he said, "they'll be a piece of tin put right inside [in the corner] of de chimley," he said, "an' it's in de shape of her." He said, "It's in de shape of your mother," he said, "an' it's got one foot off" - had been cut out a piece of tin. "An," he said, "it wus put down," he said, "an' the foot's cut off." He said, "You go back, Elijay" - he called mah husband - of course he wus his nephew. He said, "Elijay, you go back, you go an' look, feel down, take a trowel, '' he said, "don't take anything else, don't take no spade, no shovel, '' he said, "an' take a trowel, an' you dig down an' you dig your mother-in-law up, he said, "an' I'll do the balance." He said, "You bring dat piece of tin to me," he said, "an' I'll do de balance. Zhoo [the informant] walk with him." He laffed. An' we stayed there all day. We stayed an' visited. We stayed there about fo' a'clock. He wus gon'a stay till five but he told us not to. He said, "Now, don't choo stay here no longer." He set an' talked with us, first one thing an' then another. He said, "Now listen, an' git yerself ready an' go on back so you kin take that up," he said, "befo' morning." He said, "I want choo to git up out of here, I want choo to git back in time enough befo' fo' or five a'clock tonight [that is, before sunrise] an' take that up." He said, "You'll find it." An' sure enough we did git it. We went back home, an' Elijah went an' took his trowel like he told him an' lifted that up. An' there wus that piece of tin. It had legs an' all, an' this piece [a foot] wus cut off. An' he took it back there. Now, I don't know whut he [George Jackson] did, but he took it back to him. Mah mother got well. She lived about ten years after that. Baltimore, Md.,
(139, Mrs. Williams), 40:1; happened about 1896.]
Entry 3096
Wal, de story ah wanta tell - wheah ah live up in Mobile fer 17 years, an' ah [17 years old] left and went tuh Birmingham, an' ah lived in Birmingham 'bout six months in de no'th part of Birmingham, and after living in no'th Birmingham, went over in Westfield. It's about 7 miles from Birmingham and ah was working fer [some] company in Birmingham and ah lost a finger, see. Piece of a finger, see. An' ah drew about, I think it was 700 and some dollars fer dat finger - where ah was working from. An' ah went over tuh Birmingham and got aroun', having money you know - having a big time and met several girl friends. And where ah was living ah was goin' wit de girl stayed next door tuh me; an' ah was goin' wit de girl stayed at de third door from me. An' de girl that stay- ed at de third door from me, she was a.married woman, and de girl stayed at de first door from me, she was not married but she had a chile for dis married woman's husbands, yo' see, and so dey disliked one another. But how-de-ever, one day, she was goin' down to de commissary - dis store, yo' know, fer a camp, TCI camp. Dis TCI - ah guess you've heard about it. Down in dis camp dere a big store. All de trade is for de company - live by de company an' yo' deal wit de company. An' she ast me tuh go and ah tole her ah didn't wanta go. An' she tole me, "Yo' must go." Ah say, "Well, ah'm not goin'." Well she snatched mah hat and ah run, chased her to take mah hat from her and she out- run me and wore de hat on down dere. Well, when she came back - ah guess it was about six 'clock when she came back an' ah went over and ast her fer mah hat. So she gave it to me and so I wore that fer two or three days - worked with it, it was a work hat. So about several days after dat ah became - mah eyesight became sort of dim-like. What it was all about ah didn't know. Well, de TCI, you have to carry insurance dere. Dey takes out fer de rent and fer de doctor bill. Well, ah went over to de hospital - to de little hospital and me being in de hospital, de doctor test mah eyes and everything and tole me ah had sore eyes. He tole me to bath mah eye with some saltwater and it would come all right. Well, ah did and it didn't git any better and ah went back to him and so he sent me over to de Hillman Hospital - dat's in Birmingham - to a Specialist. Well, de specialist test mah eyes and ask me what happen. What hit me in de eye - did any steel or anything hit mah eye. Ah tole him no, it Wasn't any steel or anything ah got in mah eye. So ah tole him the only thing ah know of [I had been hoodooed]." 'Well, '' he say, "ah tell yo, son, you have to go to a two-headed doctor." [For telling a Doctor of Medicine that your ailment comes from hoodoo, see p.12, line 9f.]
(Was it a colored doctor who was waiting on you?)
It was a colored doctor.
(At this hospital?)
At de hospital. Oh! I beg yore pardon, it was a white doctor.
(And he advised you to go to a two-headed doctor?)
To a two-headed doctor. An' so ah goes on back to mah cousin and tole him he tole me to go to a two-headed doctor, and ast him did he mean that.
(Where did you say you went?)
From Birmingham - from de hospital? Well, ah went back home, yo' see.
(No. Didn't you go to see the two-headed doctor?)
He tole me go to a two-headed doctor an' ah went. Ah goes back home fer [first] an' ah tell mah cousin, who ah was livin' with, what de doctor tole me. So he advised me to go to a place dey call Tennysville, see. Yes, dat's a suburb of Birmingham, ah guess, 'bout seven miles. So ah goes ovah to the lady - it's a colored lady. Her name was Madam Jane. Ah goes tuh her and so she comes in to de room - de waitin' room and tole me everything. In de beginnin' she tole me, say, "Well, yo' lost yore eyesight - jist about." An' she tole me what it's all about and how come dis woman's mad with me and everything, but she wouldn't tell me who the girl was - she wouldn't call her name but she would describe her to me and give de girl initials [see 2748, p.757], yo' understand. An' so she tole me what charge - it cost me $25.00 to git mah eyes cured. Well, whut she said, ah don't know; but whut she tole me to do, ah know. So she advised me to bathe mah eyes in some fresh milk - whut ah mean by fresh milk, not dairy milk but from a cow, see. Dat whut she tole me to do - bathe mah eyes in fresh milk. An' she tole me dat mah eyes were blind from de girl takin' de bow off - de bow ah mean in de back of de hat, she had dressed de hat. An' say whut fer me tuh do was to take some salt - Epsom salts - take some Epsom salts and any kind of finest perfume and jest bathe dis - where dis bow was in mah hat. See. Co'se she gave me some treatments remember whut she gave me was to rub cross mah eyes but whut it was, ah don't know. An' so ah guess she worked on me 'bout two weeks and ah gained mah eyesight. In facts, in the third week ah was stone blind. But whut she did - ah know whut she tole me to do. Dat was to cure mah eyes. Dat's experience.
(What happened to the girl?)
Tuh de girl? Anything didn't happen to her. Quite natural me an' her was still friends but ah was sort of shy of her because she had did that trick, yo' see. In other Words, she was tryin' tuh gain love, yo' see. An' dis girl, she disliked her and she didn't want me to have dis girl. Of course, she's a married woman and ah couldn't be anything tuh her, but she liked me.
Entry 6049
Take dere han' an' put it between dere laigs. Yo' know, jes' lak if yo'd rub yore han' between yore laigs lak dat, an' rub it ovah anybody's hair, why dere hair will come out.
Entry 246
When I was five years old, my mother got hurt in her knee and she called the hoodoo, and my grandfather - was living at that time. And her knee came to be swelled larger than my head, and my grandfather had taken this mackerel fish brine and he'd taken a nickel's worth of Brown Mule tobacco - puts it in a quart of water and boiled it down to a pint, and he'd taken red peppah and put in there and vinegar, and he continued to rub and rub her knee with that until she got rid of it.
(Can you tell me how she got hurt down there?)
Well, she told me that she - it was a mark across the road, you know, and she stepped cross this mark and when she stepped cross this mark, not thinkin', the pain struck her in her knee.
(What kind of a mark was it, do you know?)
Just like you would - she said, just like a snake would cross the road, she say, that's the way the mark look to be. [Either her enemy drew a zigzag mark across the road - intended for the victim only - or her hoodoo man sent a dressed snake to do the work. Had she crossed a normal snake track, she would not have had the pain. The zigzag track of a snake across path or road - zigzag being a lightning symbol - is a sign of rain; see FACI,2ed., p.20, Nos. 535-537. No wonder, "when she stepped cross this mark... the pain struck her in her knee."]
(I see, I see. How many years ago did that happen?)
That happened when I was five years old and now I'm forty-three - will be forty-four on my next birthday.
(About forty years ago. I see. Where did this happen, around here?)
Out chere about eighteen miles from here.
(About eighteen miles from Vicksburg?)
Yes sir.
Entry 323
This is a peculiar thing, I must say humorous thing, what chew may call witchcraft. Of course I don't have - I don't know anything about it, but I've heard about it. And so they said that if you take a cat, a black cat, and boil him down to get a black cat bone and just apply that bone to a certain part to your body or the affected part of your body, why that'll cure you. I've heard that.
(What do you mean by apply?)
Well, apply meant - I guess it means to massage the place where you're hurt, affected, your arm swollen I guess or your leg is swollen, why you just take this black cat bone and that'll have the power to drive those witches out, to drive -that condition out of your body. That's what I was told years ago by some of the old relatives.
Entry 1149
Take de buzzard an' cook 'im up an' let de oil - git dat oil from 'im, git dat oil from 'im whut chew call grease, yo' know, suh, an' you kin rub in it ev'ry mawnin' or ev'ry night whenevah yo' bathe off. Yo' git so limber you can't walk, if you use too much of it - it make active.
Entry 1585
Ah tell yo' 'bout dat now, Doc [see in Index, Doctor, author called]. If somepin wus placed tuh de foot of de step an' yo' stepped down - step ovah it, yo' kin be harmded. But still, after yo' live an' yo' say yo' feel lak yo' haunted, yo' won't need but one thing. Know whut dat is? (No, what is it?) Yo' ought'a know. Well, yo' jes' git chew a ten-cent bottle of turpentine an noint chure feet an' rub it down, an' say, "Well, ah don't need yo' no mo'." Throw it ovah yore left shoulder an' go on 'bout chure business.
(And as they walk away - that will take the pain away?)
Entry 1739
Yo' use black stars an' oil of cinnamon an' oil of bergamot an' mix that together, an' rub it in mah han'. Jes' lak ah'm goin' out now an' ah wanta, ah open mah han' an' ah carry it back that way. Ah'm goin' out fo' good luck now, ah put a drop or two in mah han's heah - ah'm goin' out fo' luck. Ah put dem three things - mix 'em together.
(That is for luck in gambling?)
Yessuh.
(What is that black star?)
That's - hit's black but it's incense.
Entry 1975
[Here, as so often, we have within one ceremony a combination of magic rites - feeding, rubbing and smelling. Smelling is important: fragrant odors for Court, Job and Love; unpleasant odors for evil spirits or persons. Examples of Rubbing are given in this subsection and elsewhere - see Index.] De main root, one of 'em ah called now - one of 'em ah done called, dis heah Eve-and-Adam. Dat's good. John de Conker is better dey say cause it don't - hit conker de worl'. Dat's whut dey say. If yo' go 'fore de jedge wit dat - an' dey say dey uses whut chew call dis heah Hearts Cologne on it to keep it alive. An' yo' keep it - it will keep 'live. It will keep it moist. Yo' rub it when yo' go dere - jest go close enough to de jedge fo' him to smell dat Hearts Cologne. Dey say it change his mind. (You would use Eve-and-Adam the same way that you would use John the Conquer root with Hearts Cologne in going before the judge?) Yes sir.
Entry 2009
Take dat 'nure [manure] an' put lodestone with it an' people sell dat fo' lucky han's. Dey gits hoss manure an' cow manure an' mix all dat together an' lodestone an' salt an' that makes him be lucky. An' 'noint it down wit whiskey. See, dat'll make yo' have a lucky han'. An' yo' kin carry dat an' rub it - jis' lak yo' want a job or somepin, yo' carry it an' rub dat an' yo' mo' den apt to git chew a job.
carrying the described lucky hand while seeking work. Keep mo’ den apt as a qualified claim, not actual employment or a guarantee. combining horse/cow manure, lodestone and salt before whiskey anointing. Do not turn whiskey anointing into an unspecified extra ingredient proportion or combine neighboring recipes. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 2016
Well, dey tell me yo' take some red peppah, sulphur an' salt an' mix it together an' put it in yore pocket. An' after yo' git it in yore pocket, well, yo' git dis lucky incense. Ah've got some up to de house now - it's really good. Ah wish ah could git a chance tuh give yo' de number of dis company. Well, ah'll maybe git a chance tuh give it to yo' befo' yo' leave. Well, all right, yo' give it to 'em in a little bag an' let 'em put it in dere pocket, see.
(You put all that stuff in a little bag?)
Yeah, a little bag, jes' lak yo' take a little piece of homespun an' have dese in a little bag, but put it in yore pocket. Den when dey put it in dere pocket, jes' lak dey goin' tuh gamble, run yore hand down in dere an' git dis bag an' rub it all ovah yore han's - see, rub it all ovah yore hands an' put it back in yore pocket. Den yo' kin start tuh dealin' yore cards - say, brothah, yo' got 'em.
(What do you put in that bag now?)
Red peppah, black peppah, a little bit of salt, an' incense - in yore pocket. [Incense in a bag hand is unusual; usually incense is burned for business - see margin-title Incense in subsection Business and Customers.]
Entry 2061
Have yo' a little piece of live lodestone an' we call it blue oil in a little bottle about like dat. Take dat blue oil an' po' it by itself in a little bottle an' put dis lodestone in a bottle by itself. Well now, when yo' start out to seek a job, take out a little piece of dat lodestone from dat oil an' po' some of dat blue oil on it an' rub it good, dry it off, take dat wit chew in yore pocket. Well now, wherevah yo' go yo' may not be successful de first time, but dey say in de second-third trip yo' get a job by yo' comin' back an' taking dis lodestone from dis, everything, cleanin' it off good an' droppin' it back in dat bottle to itself. Ah've seen men order such things.
Entry 2327
He told me go and get some fast luck oil. (What kind?) Some fast luck oil, oil of van-van and olive oil, and mix it up and rub your hands and it bring luck to you.
(In gambling?)
In gambling.
Entry 2350
Well, I tried a little thing like that on myself that people advised me to do. I went to work an' got me some Adam-an'-Eve an' got me a root they call twin brothers, an' got me some Hearts Cologne an' put on them. An' when I went to ast fer the job I take it an' rub it on my hands an' rub it on my face. Then I walked up to him an' ast him for the job. An' he's supposed not to deny yah.
Entry 3087
It started from drinkin' water. I drinked water behind a lady and went out [the room]. And all at onest I got blind, jis' as blind as a - I couldn't see nuthin. So I called de landlady of de house. She said, "What's de matter?" I said, "I'm blind, I can't see." She said, "Why, you Was seein' a few minutes ago." I says, "Well, I don't know what's de cause of it." She carried [took] me in de room and lied me on de bed and sent for a ol' woman named Aunt Eliza. She came and prayed with me, rubbed some kind of salve over my face for nine mornings, and my eyes begin to crack open agin. They were closed. She would never tell me de name of de medicine she give me. She give me nine drops every morning for nine mornings. And she said de Lord's Prayer every morning before she give me dat medicine. And de last morning she give me dat medicine, she says, "What de Name of de Father and de Son and de Holy Ghost have I did." [Wilmington, N. Car., (241), 164: l+85; this happened in Fayetteville, N. Car.]
Entry 3154
He kin take de right han' of a roostah's spur an' do de same thing - take de right foot of a roostah spur an' do de same thing. An' she kin take de left one an' do de same. Yo' jes' buy yo' a roostah, kill 'im an' eat 'im, cut dat spur off, an' aftah de last dish of dat is eat up, yo' jes' take it an' rub it lak dat.
(Where do you rub it?)
Jes' rub it in yore han', de right of a roostah's spur. If she wanta work one on yo', yo' undahstan', jes' take an' rub 'em lak dat three times. Whensomevah she wit chew, she kin rub it up dere lak she's playin', an' yo' can't have nobody else. She kin take de left one [a man takes the right]. But yo' cain't do it until de chicken's eat up. Den yo' kin try it den.
Entry 3451
Well, now, in case - fo' instance now, if a man gits - lak if ah tell yo' or yo' tell me, says, "Listen, Doc [Doctor Dawson], ah want yo' stay 'way from mah woman." An' ah say, "Well, ah ain't bothahin' yo' woman." Yo' says, "Yes, yo' is bothahin' 'er. Ef ah ketch yo' dere 'gin, de worl' will know it. [FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON MY TRANSCRIBER AT THIS POINT LEAVES ABOUT THREE INCHES OF MASSED DOTS. THIS INNOCUOUS BUT IMPORTANT MATERIAL SHE OMITTED I ADDED BY PENCIL WHEN I CHECKED THE CYLINDER AGAINST TRANSCRIPTION. DOCtOr Dawson, as well as other informants knew that I was collecting material to write a boOk. HERE ARE THE DELETED WORDS:] FOR GOD'S SAKE! WILL DAT THING BE PRINTED HERE? DESE WHITE FOLKS WILL HANG ME! Well, ah say, "Ah ain' bothahin' wit yo woman. Yo' [a woman] say, "Hell, yes yo' is." Well, den ah'm slippin' roun' dere, yo' see. An' ah think dat chew [woman] don't know how tuh ketch me. Well, yo' walk out in de woods dere an' yo' go an' git a dog, a dog dat's proudin' bad, an' she's proudin' an' she'll swelled up right dere behin'. All right, yo' ketch dat dog an' yo' take yo' pocket han'scuff lak when - yo' undah- stan' - when a dog gits through wit 'er, yo' take dat pocket han'scuff an' wipe dat dog's contraption good wit dat pocket han'scuff. All right. Well, yo' roll dat up tight den. Yo' roll dat up den an' when yo' go home at night, an' yo' go home, an' when she lay down to sleep, yo' take dat rag an' rub 'er. Rub all up inside her thing good wit dat rag. Yo' say, "Well now, de son-of-a-bitch, if he gits on 'er now de worl' will know it." Well, den ah'll come in dere, ah'll be hot chew know, wouldn't be thinkin' nuthin. Well, den ah'll go jump on 'er. Ah'll say, "Come on, lady, gimme me [HERE AGAIN MY TRANSCRIBER RESORTS TO DOTS AND HERE IS WHAT SHE OMITTED;] a little bit of it. Well I'll then aroun', jump on dat woman. Well, when ah git through wit dat woman....ah can't pull mah thing out to save mah life. Ah'm hooked dere.
Entry 3453
Why when yo' go to fool wit 'er, git dat livah an' rub on 'er.
(What kind of liver?)
Dog livah. Rub on her an' anybody go to fool wit 'er, why she hang lak dat. Or yo' eithah take some dog slime an' put.on 'er an' she'll hang lak dat.
(Dog what?)
When a dog come yo' know, take de dog - git some an' put right in 'er, put on an' rub ovah 'er. I seen em jes' hang up togethah.
(Just put that stuff on her, this nature from the dog?)
Yes, jes' take a rag an' wipe her up dere wit it - make no diff'rence if - jes' take an' rub it on 'er, why he'll, jes' soon as he be dere it will stick 'im soon he go in dere. When he git wet, why it jes' stick 'im, see.
Entry 3797
Dis shaneful brier.
(What kind of brier?)
Shameful brier. (Shameful brier. No, I never heard of that.) [Afterward I heard of it many times - see p.646 and else- where.] Dey gits dat, dey gits de root of it an' boils it. An' now, if yo' wanta have intahco'se wit 'er, see, an' yo' rub 'er downwards - yore hand, rub yore hands right on down nine times, an' he'll kneel, an he wants to, see, but he'll fall. She'll be so anxious fer 'im, but he'll fall.
Entry 4882
Weah de socks till dey git dirty, yuh know. Some people's feet sweats, what ah mean, yuh know. Well, till dey git dirty anyhow. Take dem socks an' put 'em in a pail a watah, dey says. Den don' wash 'em till dey soaks an' git dat dirt. An' take dem dirty suds an' put 'em in a bottle. Well, dere some mo' tuh go wit it. Put dat in a bot- tle. Den down undah yuh arm, yuhknow where yuh perspirate undah yuh arm, take dat an' yuh socks an' yuh rub. Git all dat watah tuhgethah. Yuh rub undah de shirtsleeve of yuh arm an' yuh socks. Den yuh put dat watah in a bottle an' dig undah yuh steps, an' put it undah de steps an' turn dat bottle bottom upwards. Well, dey do dat tuh keep yuh, jis' like if a person wants tuh keep yuh from goin' anywhere. Yuh kin go anywhere but chew comin' dere. Yuh goin' be always hangin' - if yuh go anywhere yuh goin' hurry back. Yuh can't stay away from home, yuh gotta come back.
Entry 5206
Yo' kin take dere shoes an' take 'em an' put 'em undah de do'steps, an' put a li'le table salt an' sulphur an' diff'ren' thin's - mix it up tuhgethah an rub it on 'em, an' put 'em undah de do'step. Yo' steal de shoe unbeknownst tuh 'em an' put 'em undah de do'- step, an' dey'll leave town - run away from town.
(Do you get both their shoes?)
Jes' one. If yo' can git one, jes' git de left-foot shoe; if yo' can't git de left-foot, jes' git de right foot - any which one of 'em.
(And if you got my shoe, you would bury it under my door?)
Yeah, under yore own do'step.
Entry 6589
Lak if a person is sick an' dey wants tuh git rid of dis sick person. Bell, dey kin fix up a remedy fo' dem dat de maggots will eat 'em up. Dey kin take dese snails an' dey kin make a salve out dese snails an' dey rub wit dis salve an' dat'll bring maggots intuh dey skin. Well, dose maggots will eat dis person £P. DEY HAVE PLENTY CASES IN DIS CITY WHERE WOMEN HAVE FIXED MEN AN' DEY EVEN THROW UP MAGGoTS.
Entry 6704
Git a bat an' cook 'im up. Cook 'im in olive oil, stir 'im up, an rub a person wit dat. An' if dere's anythin' about 'em swell up, it'll take de swellin' outa dem. (Anything that is ordinary swelling?) Dat's right.
Entry 6717
Take a buzzard, take 'im clean [clean him] an' boil 'im out tuh a li'le grease, an' take dis grease yo' unnahstan'. An' jis' take a li'le bottle - keep de bottle all de time. An' time yo' feel a stiff joint, rub de stiff joint, an' dat'll jis' remove yuh pains from yo'.
Entry 9969
Yo' take a frog and dry him. You take a frog and wrap him up and let hin die himself. Don't you kill him. Well, when he gets dry, you tote that in your pocket. You can take that and you can do anything you want with that frog. Just like if you a dice shooter, or anything I like that, you rub that [dried frog]. Jis' put it in your pocket and take and put your hand on that [frog] and go to work and shoot dice. Be lucky. Jes' like if you had one game, and if you don't have success with that, turn your back on that game. And select you a card place, if you play cards, and you'll lose one or two games and you know that you ought to win, turn your back on that game.
(How do you mean turn your back on it?)
What I mean, walk away from that game and go to the next game.
(I see, if you have this frog in your pocket.)
drying/state of the wrapped frog after the stated let-die instruction. Keep Don’t you kill him and let him die himself as the source’s wording; do not describe the text as harmless, or replace it with active killing. rubbing the carried dry frog before dice play. Resolve the pronoun from actual complete narrator context, not only the bracketed gloss. conditional lack of success at gambling and changing games. Preserve don’t have success, the card-game losses and the practical walk-away explanation. expected winning contrasted with one or two losses and leaving the game. Preserve if you play cards, one or two losses, ought to win and the instruction to move to the next game. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 6740
If a person bites yo', yo' kin go an' git black hen's manure an' rub it on dere, an' dere [the biter's] teeth will turn black, too.
Entry 6910
If dey do sumpin tuh hurt dere ahm [arm] an' it's swollen up or sumpin lak dat, dey could take some vinegah an' put it in a bottle an' some bluestone an' salt an' red peppah, an' jis' keep a-bathin' de ahm, rubbin', an' dat'll more or less cure it in dem. (What causes this swelling in the arm?) It will be jis' lak if dey wan' tuh poison yo' or: sompin, sompin dey puts down, an' yo' go an' put yuh hand on dis. See, dat makes dat stuff go through yuh ahm. It'll keep on a-workin' an' a-workin' till it git intuh yuh body. If [you] start in time - den let 'em take a lot of sulphur. Sulphur's good, too. Jis' take it, put it in yuh han' an' eat it. An' brimstone. Joo kin take a pill of brimstone an' eat dat an' yo' kin eat or drink poison an' it won't hurt choo. See, dat brimstone kills it out.
Entry 6949
Take a snail an' jes' lak if yo' have corns or Warts an' things on yo', yo' kin take a snail an' rub 'im on dere an' hit will carry dem away.
Entry 10282
If yo' wanta rule a woman or rule a man, yo' git a he an' a she earth- worm. An' yo' kin take dem two worms an' put 'em somewhere an' dry 'em up. An' when dey git dried up, den yo' git chew some olive oil an' mix it up. Rub it up into powders. An' mix dat worm up with it an' rub dat cross dey stomach, dat person down in dey lower parts, an' dat'll keep 'em. Dey cain't use anyone else 'cusin' [excusing] yo'. [Mem- phis, Tenn., (1524), 2722:4.] [Here I am listing short or reduced statements of beliefs, all original, to indicate how widespread impotence folklore was and probably still is. For this same reason, ubiquity, I shall include in a following section, CHANNEL DE WORLD, a few long lists of references with only a descriptive word or two attached. This present subsection will use margin titles similar to those in volume 3, pages 2341-2509, so that our separate collections can be compared. The original condensed rites will be found in the original manuscripts at the end of this subsection.]
Entry 10860
When I was gambling, I always would get me a jet black cat and I would stroke his tail seven times with the hand I was going to gamble with, before I went to the game. (The hand you use? Do you mean the little bag or your own hand?) My own hand, yes. (Oh, your own hand.) Yes, if I was going to use my left hand most in the game, I would stroke it seven times with my left hand, and if I was going to use my right hand, I'd use my right hand. But so far as me being fixed or anything, I never have been. Nothing Was wrong with me but once, and everbody said that I was fixed.
Entry 11147
I've heard tha' choo kin remove the sty from yo' eye. Go to the crossroad and take that dirt at the crossroad and rub on your eye and say: Sty, sty, leave my eye. [Had this been any ordinary cure from folk medicine I would have omitted it, but here vas something special. It does not appear in Folklore from Adams County, Illin- Ois, 2nd ed., though there a sty cure where 3 roads meet (No.5499) and a cross- roads cure (No.5500). Does this rite go back to executions at the crossroads? A shrine? The ancient spirit of the crossroad?]
Entry 11152
Dead man's finger, keep rolled up in flannel, blow on and rub, put back in pocket, for luck when gambling. [Petersburg, 2nd trip 419:6.]
Entry 12143
Oh yes, indeed, sure she could.
(What do they say about that?)
Well, she could do the same as I was telling you, if any way that she could get Hearts - you know Hearts Cologne? Perhaps you have smelled it a lot of times. Well, she will git Hearts Cologne and she will dress herself with it from her right hand. She oill invite you to her home and she will dress herself with her right hand all over her face and her body. Understand? And if you make your appearance in her bome and - she will have this here - if she kin get a chance, she will put some in her hand and she rubs it over you like that, or just pat you on your face or stroke your hair back. You couldn't stay away from her. You'd be compelled to ooe, but why you wouldn't know. And she will keep that and if she don't do more than just dress you with that hearts....
(I see, that will keep him there.)
Entry 12306
When you receive a letter, rub it with a four-leaf clover and wear the letter and it will affect the writer's hand. My original pencil transcript attached to original manu- script comments "doubtful," showing how critical I was at an earlier collecting day. A clover of 4 leaves, a good-luck symbol would counteract any bad luck! If you believed it did.
Entry 12471
Marrow from hog jowl and lard mix and rub up, not down, to cure mps. Remedy of Humpadee, female root doctor. [Richmond 359:9.]
Entry 13086
Yo' ketch yo' a snake an' kill dis snake. Now, yo' if [you] know it 'tain't but one person goin' handle dis axe, take dis snake an' rub dis snake undah dis axe handle or eithah a hoe - what [what- ever] it is. Lak now, if ah wus mad wit chew an' if ah know nobody use dis but chew, ah would jes' rub dis snake on dis axe handle good. Dat would make yo' swell up an' die.
Entry 13130
You take water, if you going to take a bath in water. You wanta hurt me or anything of that sort. Well, I'm going to take my bath and probably just before I take my bath, if you after hurtin' me [that word after preceding hurt- ing was added by Irish transcriber], you would take, say for instance, this is my bathroom. I'm fixin' to go in there to take my bath. Well, I liable to draw my water first. See, and I got my water took, I'm liable to walk out. And if I don't do that, you take and you - before I go in the bathroom to draw my water, you get you some of the stuff you call kankeena.
(What do you call that?)
Kankeena.
(Kankeena?)
Kankeena.
(Where do you get that?)
It's a powder you can get it at most any drug store.
(I see.)
Get kankeena, it's a white powder. You get very little for a nickel, just a very small quantity for a nickel. You gets that. Now, when you get that pow- der, you sprinkle it around that tub, all around on the edges, not to the bot- tom, but be sure it gets just around the tub, like that.
(On the outside or inside of the tub?)
On the inside of the tub. It's got to get into the water, see. Now, that stuff there is to take - when I bathe in the tub, this powder going to get on me. Now, when I get this powder on me, it liable to startin' and itchin' an everythin'. After I done bathin' it start in itchin'. It won't be the soap, it won't be the water. I won't know what it's all about. See. It'll start me to itchin', probably, I'm liable to start to breakin' [out] in a few days - break all kind of sores out on me [quite a separation between break and out!]. See. Well, then I liable have to go to a doctor [M.D.] to find out what it is. He think it's my blood's bad. He try to use different medicine. He wanta give me shots of somepin. Probably he can't do me no good with the shots and all that they gives you. Well, then, if he couldn't do me no good, he done give me [I turn off machine to bring informant to point]. (This doctor [M.D.] couldn't do you any good and you go to the Cracker Jack Drug Store and get the same things you said, you mentioned.) I'm going to get - I'm goin' to get more than the one thing, I'm goin' to get some of this steel dust.
(I see.)
I'm goin' to go to the Cracker Jack - I'm usin' steel dust again. I'm going to use the steel dust. I'm going to get me what you call the snake oil - they sells that. I'm going to get that snake oil. I'm goin' to get steel dust. Now, when I get the snake oil and the steel dust, I'm goin' to put those two together. See. I'm going to use that to rub with. I rub myself with that at least three times a day. Now, in rubbin' with that stuff, I says the 35th [23rd] Psalms of David. See, that's a prayer. You say it, that's the 35th [23rd] Psalm of David. I says that! "The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want." See, as I'm rubbing: 'The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want." And I just keep arubbin'. See. Well, now I may have to do that, maybe nine or ten days. I may have to do it for a couple of weeks. Eighteen or twenty days at the most, anyway. See. Well, then I do that and as I do that every day for three times a day, I says the 35th [23rd] Psalm of David and for about twenty days and then I'm over with that. See.
Entry 1564
Take a snake shed when yore nerves is bad an' rub it in yore han's like that - jes' rub it in yore hands until it git fine, jes' rub it all ovah yore hands. It will stop yo' from bein' nervous. [Since the nerve ailment shingles (herpes - creeping things or reptiles) is caused by a snake, nervousness is cured by a snake - like cures like (see p.394).] [See also Blacksnake, Rattlesnake, etc. and Index.]
Entry 13267
(To keep these spirits away what do you do?)
Use sulphur an' gunpowder, jes' rub ovah yo' an' burn it in de house, dey shore wouldn't come in. After yo' do dat yo' git chew a... [I turn on machine again to catch cussin'.]
(What about cussing them?)
Yo' have tuh cuss 'em all right tuh keep 'em away.