Subject:Sacrifice
Entries
Entry 7501
Jes' take of dat dirt, yo' know graveyard, an' a frog. Yo' lay 'im on his back in dat dirt an' yo' put some weight on 'im an' cover 'im an' let 'im stay dere, so he cain't move no ways. Well, he's stay dere - see, he'll smothah in dat. Well, he's comin' back an' he'll find out.
(Well, where are you going to put this frog?)
Undah de steps. Yo' put dat weight ovah 'im, lay 'im on 'is back. (What do you do this for? For what purpose?) Tuh make him come back, de murderer.
Entry 3011
Ah know 'bout St. Joseph. Well, if yo' pray tuh St. Joseph, he'll give yo' bread. Yo' pray an' ask St. Joseph tuh help yo'. He'll give yo' some kind of luck or yo' ask him an' yo' make a sacrifice fo' him an' he'll give yo' some luck or if yo' want him tuh help yo' an' yo' wanta do somepin against a person, well St. Peter always will help yo'. [Here is our hint of what we shall learn later - St. Peter in hoodoo does not always act like a Christian.]
Entry 3009
St. Joseph is a saint he don't lak no single wimmins. St. Joseph is a saint fo' married wimmins or fo' widows. (Is there a reason why he doesn't like single women? Do you know?) No suh. He's fo' married wimmins or fo' widows. He'll take ca' of a widow an' if a woman is married an' her husband's gone from her an' she want him tuh come back, she pray tuh St. Joseph. He'll bring him back tuh her.
(Does she offer him anything special?)
Well, she offers him a candle, a white candle. Dat's whut chew give St. Joseph, a white candle. Or if not, yo' kin offer him when his day come, de 19th day of March come - dat's supposed tuh be his celebration day - some people gives him a altar. Dey has a place where dey give ~ have nuthin but all kind of bread an' make a big feast ovah it. But dey distribute it, dey don't use none of dat deyself. Dey makes a sacrifice tuh give dat tuh de po.
Entry 1083
[Many examples have been given of payment to the dead for their grave- yard dirt. Here, a doctor, a man offers a rare healing principle about roots:] De dime - some people uses a dime an' wears it around dere laig, so if dey walk ovah anything it'll turn black an' hit'll take it. An' den take a person, dey take a dime - same as if like if dey in de woods diggin'a root. Well, yo' supposed tuh pay off fo' dat root; if yo' don't pay off fo' it, it ain't goin' do yo' no good. When yo' diggin' John de Conker or de chew root - see, hit's a root dat grows in de woods dey call de chew root. Well, yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin chew an' go befo' co't. Why anywhere yo' wanta borrow anything, why jes' go ahead an' chew it an' spit it round dere and dey'll take sides wit chew. But when yo' diggin' dese roots an' things yo' should pay off in silver.
(Why is that?)
Well, dat's de sacrifice.
Entry 3002
St. Espidee is fo' gamblers. Yo' take St. Espidee an' yo' gives him anything green, candle or flowers - green flowers or green vegetable. Anything dat is green, yo' give it to St. Espidee fo' [green] money. He's fo' gamblers.
(How, how do you approach him?)
Well, if yo'd go tuh him, yo' prays when yo' go tuh him an' yo'd ask him, say, "St. Espidee ah want chew tuh help me tuh git some money. Ah'm goin' out an' gamble an' if ah be successful an' git dis money, ah will give yo' a bunch of flowers. Or give yo' so much an' so much of somepin green. Ah take de money an' buy it an' give it to yo'." When yo' gits dis money yo' go tuh some church, or if yo' got him in yore house, yo' buys de stuff an' yo' puts it in front of him fo' a sacrifice.
Entry 9028
[This rite could also have been indexed under many blowing breath ex- amples in Hoodoo.] Yo' take dirt daubah nest. Yo' kin be in jail. Ah've done done dis. Yo' kin be in jail an' yo' kin git chew a piece of dirt daubah nest, but don't let it fall. [This is one of those don't-let-it-touch-the- ground rites.] If it fall, don't chew bothah wit it. Cheo git dat [nest] chureself. Yo' mix it up wit table salt an build yo' a li'le fiah, an' yo' burn it as de people do in ole ancient time, sacrificin', In de Name of de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost. An' make yore wishes fo' whatevah yo' want tuh be done. An' yo' keep a-blowin', an' evah time yo' blow, say, God de Fathah, Son an' Holy Ghost till words 'mount tuh nine times. An' evah time it'll be yore way. An' if things ain't yore way, evah time yo' burn it, if things ain't zactly, yo' burn it ovah ag'in an' keep a-burnin' it ovah ag'in till things come zactly yore way.
(This is in a court case, you say?)
Yes sir. [For the mystery, awe and magic concerning the dirt dauber nest, See especially the interview, 'TOMB OF DE BABE OF BETHLEHEM," pp.1325-1335, v.2J
Entry 10163
You kin make a table [altar] with that [rite] you see. You understand, that's if it's something that choo want, well you kin make a table with that. You kin, that is, if it's for you to make a sacrifice, something that you want. Well, git choo three candles, you put the picture - you fold the picture up you under- stand.
(This picture of the Lord?)
This picture of the Lord. That's right.
(On the table?)
On the table. That's right. An' then you make it like a rainbow [a semi- circle]. You put one candle - you git three candles. You make [place] one right here, an' one right around here, an' let it [candles] come aroun like a rainbow. An' you make you a wish fo' wha' choo want, an' you say a prayer. You say, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, the 23rd Psalm. You say that Psalm an' then you get 'down an' repeat the Lord's Prayer for what you want. Yo' make a wish with these three candles. Then you let them burn plumb on out... right in front of the Lord's picture... You do this about 6 o'clock in the morn- ing or 6 o'clock in the evening or 9 o'clock at night.