Subject:Sage
Entries
Entry 6808
(Suppose I have come to you about taking a spell off?)
Well, ah nuse [use] dis salt, peppah, sage an' stuff - salt, sugah, sage, alum an' saltpetah. Ah got dat ovah in a box, see. An' ah take some new string, nuthin have been worn, an' ah tie dem, an' whatsomevah ah Want chew tuh do [demon- strates]. (Just tie a knot.) Yeah, tie a knot, an' den ah take dat, dis stuff an' sprin- kle it ovah dere, see. An' den if dis spell [is] on me [you], see. An' whosomevah put it on yo', if yo' know dere names, yo' jis' call dere name an' tell 'em yo' want 'em to take dis spell offa yo'. Well, if dey don't, yo' wish bad luck onto dem, see. An' yo' burn dis stuff. An' den YO' STRIP BUCK NECKED [NAKED] AN' DEN TAKE DIS BLANKET AN' PUT IT: OVAH YORE HAID. AN' DIS SMOKE, YO' CAIN'T HAR'LY [HARDLY] STAND IT. If dere's anything in yo' in any way, shape, form or fashion, it'll come out, see. [The preceding term suck necked [[naked]] may be its only use in Hoodoo.] An' den yo' take a li'le whiskey glass an' yo' boil dis heah gourd tea - yo know gourds - an' yo' boil dis gourd tea an' yo' take three glasses of dis gourd tea evah day. An' dat'll take de spell off yo'.
(Especially if they have something inside of you.)
Entry 7054
De wife'll take de sage tea an' put it in a quart of watah, an' boil it down to a half a quart. An' she'll take some of 'er urinate, de amount of dat about half a teacup, an' po' dat in dere. An' sweeten it wit sugah an' syrup, jis' a li'le syrup, an' den yo' go tuh eat, dey'll po' some of dat in yer coffee. But chew don' know it. An' den dat'll turn yo' ag'inst whis- key, 'cuz evah time yo' drink it, it'll make yo' sick an' yo' can' keep it on yer stomic.
Entry 8480
They say you can take that spittle [= spit] and take some sage, green sage, and mix that with it, and write the names of the Twelve Apostles on that sage [12 sage leaves]. And you mix it with it [spit with leaves] and then take that and hide it under a doorstep. Put it under a doorstep where it'll be covered, where it can't be seen. And that individual will begin to pine away and finally go into consumption [tuberculosis].
Entry 9020
All right, if yo' got some of yore friends in trouble an' wants tuh git 'em out. Prob'ly yo' got a purtty bad case an' yo' wants tuh git 'em out. Well, yo' kin go tuh de graveyard at night, twelve a'clock at night - let it be daid on de minute twelve aclock. Yo' go dere at night at twelve aclock an' yo' run yore arm down in de graveyard as fur as yo' kin git it down dere, right in de centah [a quincunx rite]. Yo' git a han'fulla dirt an' yo' take dat dirt an' git chew a plain white pocket han'ke'ch'ef dat don't have any streaks atall about de pocket han'ke'ch'ef - so it's plain white. An' yo' take dat dirt an' tie it up in de cornah de han'ke'ch'ef, puts it in yore pocket an' brings it on back. Well, yo' bring it back tuh de house an' when yo' git back tuh de house, yo' git chew some sage or sompin at night. Do all dat dat night. Bring it back tuh de house an' git chew some sage or sompin an' tie it up in dere wit dis dirt an' yo' takes it up in de jail, wheresomevah dey's in jail at, an' give it tuh de person an' tell 'em tuh weah it in de bottom of dey shoes. Well, dey weah dat in de bottom of dere shoes dat night. Prob'ly dey goin' have trial tuhmahah. An' dat night befo' dey goin' have de trial, yo' have some of yore friends tuh go tuh dat co'thouse, dat nex' mawnin' or dat mawnin' befo' day - sometime befo' dey'll have de trial - an' throw three aigs on topa de buildin'. An' be shu' dat evah' one of 'em is bust. If dey don't bust, it's not any good; but chew have tuh be shu' dat de aigs is bust. An' let 'em weah dat sage an' dirt in de bottom of dere shoes, an' dat'll cleah hit up.
Entry 9117
Well, ah learnt dat if yo' wants tuh git chew - jes' lak if yo' had a son or sompin in prison, an' yo' done want him out an' don't have de money tuh git 'im out. Yo' go an' git chew some sage. Take twelve grains of sage an' yo' care [carry] 'em tuh de co'thouse evah mawnin' evah time yo' kin git dere an' give 'im one of dem an let 'im swallow it. An' yo' come back. Yo' penetrate if yo' kin git to 'em [him] give 'im one an' let 'em swallow until he swallow de twelve grains. Come back home an' git a Bible an' dere's a po'tion in de Bible somewhere roun' about de twelve chaptah ah think, dey say, an' yo' read de firs' three chaptah. An' dey'll eithah turn 'im free or dismiss de case.
(What book in the Bible do they read?)
[He must have said St. Luke.]
(St. Luke, you say?)
Yes. [There are appropriate verses in Luke 12 for a person in jail.]
Entry 9118
Yes sir, yo' kin take a Bible an' take de 91 Psalms out it, an' put sage leaves in it an' care it up to de jailhouse; an' if it's anybody in dere dat yo' want out, yo' let 'em read 91 Psalms. An' yo' read it an' dey'll turn 'emout (What do you do with those sage leaves then?) Put 'em in de Bible. (Where the 9lst Psalm is?) Where de 91 Psalm is an' give dem de Bible an' yo' have one an' yo' let dem read de 91 Psalms while yo' readin' it.
(Do you read yours in the jailhouse with them or at home?)
[Notice how I say them agreeing with him, rather than saying him. I frequent- 1y do this in Hoodoo.] Wit 'em at de jailhouse. [Did informant have 2 Bibles or did he copy out Psalm 91 for the prisoner? They evidently read this well-known Psalm together.]
Entry 9119
(1) Dey could git a big sage leaf an' write de Ten Commandment on dat sage leaf an' take it tuh de co't an' yo' make out anybody dere an' jes' throw it. (2) Eithah yo' could take a red onion an' split it in fo' parts an' sprinkle salt in it an' carry it in yore pocket han'ke'- ch'ef, an' whilst in dere, blow yore breath once in awhile. (3) Or eithah yo' kin take a [silver] ten cents an' put it undah yore tongue an' hold it dere, an' dat will make de party dat's against yo', 'sturbed [dis- turbed].
Entry 9120
Yo' goes tuh a palm tree an' go on de side de sun rise on, an' yo' chop dat down, right tuh de root of it. An' yo' gits some of dat [root] an' yo' could sew some of dat up wit six sage leaves. Yo' gits six sage leaves. (You get some of this palm root and then you mix these six sage leaves in there. All right.) Yo' mix it up an' put it tuhgethah an' yo' kin sew hit up - sew it up tuhgethah. An' yo put three intuh dat - three of those six [sage] leaves - three of 'em. Yo' mix it up tuhgethah an' give a person one tuh weah in each one of his shoes. Dat is fo' trouble, lak yo' got a case in co't, a bad case. Dat'll kinda he'p yo' out in co't. (In this bag you have three sage leaves with this palm root and he has one [sage leaf] in each shoe. All right he has one left over. What is he going to do with that?) He takes dat othah one an' he keeps hit till he go inside [court], an' when he go inside, he puts it in a knot undah his tongue - undah his tongue - an he be talkin'.
Entry 9121
An' it's anothah one. If yo' should git in trouble, yo' take an' yo' write: Mark, Matthew, Luke an' John. [These names are written one under the other.] Den yo' take some sage an' put it right in de centah of it. (You write these names on a piece of paper?) Dat's right. (And you put that sage in the center of that paper?) Dat's right. An' yo' write chure name cross- ways, cross dose fo' names, an' yo' put it in yore shoe. An' yo' represent yo'- self jes' when yo' go in de co't an' de Lord will take de part wit chew.
Entry 9122
Git chew sage, yo've heard tell of sage, an' yo' git chew de seed of dat sage. Dere's so many seeds on it. Yo' see, dis is got out de Bible, de twelve [not 12 but 10] virgins [Matt.25:1] yo' know. [Rite has no con- nection with Bible.l Well, yo' git six of each one of dose seeds of dat sage, an' yo' put six in one shoe, an' six in de othah one. An' dey say whensomevah yo' go intuh de jailhouse fo' trial or somepin lak dat, why dey couldn't convict chew on dem sage. Yo'd come cleah regardless tuh whut kinda crime it wus or whut yo' wus 'cused of, or whethah yo' did it. Yo'd come cleah.
Entry 9123
[The statement in the following text about the tribes of Israel comes from hoodoo, not from a critical study of the historical sources.] De shoe business is lak dis: Dere's twelve tribes in de Bible an' dere's 56 tribes of de whole thing. In de third chaptah of St. Luke yo' find all de tribes, but dere's twelve special tribes of Israel in dose chapters. Well, yo' take dem. Now, dis is de way tuh handle things in co't an' handle things anywhere yo' goes tuh have peoples tuh go wit chew, yore way. Yo' read de 56 tribes, an' put down a green leaf of sage evah time yo' read a tribe. Yo' take green sage. Yo' undahstan' me. Ah don't mean nuthin but de pure sage. Yo' know, peoples take some othah things fo' sage. Well, ah means sage. Evah time yo' read a tribe, take a green leaf of sage an' lay it on dere. Now, dere's lak fo' leaves. Yo' understan' me. Until yo' read 'em all an' yo' [have] 56 leaves down dere. Well, de superior tribes is twelve. Yo' takes de tribes of Benjamin, take de tribes of Noah[!], an' de tribes of Moses[!] - dere's twelve of 'em. Jes' keep on till yo' - yo' know de special [12] tribe. De tribes of Israel is de main tribes, but dere's twelve of 'em - de twelve tribes. Well, yo' take dose tribes an' aftah yo' read de 56, yo' go back an' yo' skip fo' an' take one. Evah time yo' skip one, yo' see, yo' leave three an' pull out one an' place it ovah heah. Yo' skips fo' ag'in an' pull out one an' lay it ovah heah, an' when yo' git three yo' got twelve tribes. Well, take dem twelve leaves an' put 'em in de bottom of yore shoe an' go in jail, in de co'thouse, an' anywhere, yo'll come out. Yo' save de rest of 'em tuh buy up de crowd wit. Put dat in yore left shoe. Whut's left of de twelve yo' put in yore left shoe. An' ah guarantee yo' won't miss. (You put 56 leaves in this pile of all the tribes, and then you pull out four? Or, you leave four and pull out one.) Dat's right. (Leave four and pull out one until you get twelve leaves. Those twelve you wear in your shoe, and that other bunch you put in...) Twelve in yore right an' 44 in yore left shoe.
Entry 9124
Yo' kin take den, if yo' goin' be tried, yo' kin take sage, if yo' kin find it, de largest leaf sage dat chew kin find, an' write de twelve apostle name on dat sage an' put six each - write up de twelve apostle, put six in yore right an' six in yore left shoe, an' de jedge wouldn't have any case against chew. Dey'll acquit chew, even if yo' went tuh trial, but chew more den likely not tuh go tuh trial. An' if yo' couldn't git de sage yo' kin use jes' any or'nary white papah, but put some sage in each shoe. But write de names of de six apostle on each piece of papah strip separately, an' put six in one shoe an' six in de othah, an' make de numbah of twelve. Now, dat is true.
Entry 9125
Well, yo' go an' git chew twelve - git twelve sage leaves an' yo' puts six in each shoe. Now yo' go tuh a Bible an' git twelve disciples names out of it. Yo' know de twelve disciples, yo' know which ones dey wus. Well, yo' git - put six in each one of yo' shoes. (When you go before the judge.)
Entry 9129
[The word Lamed in this rite is the title for lines 89-96 in Psalm 119, which is broken up into a number of named sections. Lamed is not the au- thor's name but a direction. Verse 94 shows why this portion of the Psalm was chosen: I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts. In recent years these courtroom rites, like the present one, could be called fox-hole or shell-hole religion. The Lord is not a Way of life but a last resort. Our rite has another interest, one of the oldest and commonest of all beliefs, the right foot first: Always start a journey right foot first for luck - Folklore from Adams County Illinois, No.12829, p.367, 2nd ed.] Well, yo' take sage leaves an' yo' write twelve names from de Bible, twelve names on each leaf of sage.
(You write one name for each leaf?)
Yes. An' yo' put it in yuh shoe, de right shoe firs'. [I must have been nodding here! Does it mean 6 leaves in the right and then 6 in the left? Or does it mean alternate: one right, next left, etc?] An' den yo' read, yo' read de word of Lamed in de 119 Psalm befo' yo' go [to court]. An' yo' PUT DE RIGHT FOOT IN FORWARD FIRS' an' yo' read dis 119th Psalm, de word of Lamed, an' yo' turn evah thing bottom upwards in de house: chairs, stools, evahthing bottom upwards, an' go on down.
(Before the judge.)
Entry 9131
Git aholt [a hold] of a bran'-new pair of socks an' go tuh a sage - sage bush, yo' know. Write de twelve apostle name on dere. Yo' know de twelve apostle whut ah'm talkin' about, disciples whut followed de Lord. Write dere names on dere an' put six in each shoe an' weah dat.
(Then what will happen?)
Dey can't do nuthin wit chew.
Entry 9132
[If you] have a case in co't - ah've experienced dat - he kin take twelve leaves of green sage an' write de twelve 'postles name on it, an' bury it unbeknowst tuh anybody undah de co'thouse steps, an' he mo' den apt tuh win de case. (You put it there so that the judge and these officials will have to walk over it.)
Entry 9133
Yo' go an' yo' git twelve green sage leaves, an' yo' write de twelve apostles on dose green sage leaves, an' yo' put dose green sage leaves in de bottom of yore shoe. Den yo' take two red onions an' yo' jes' make a hole in dose red onions, an' yo' stuff dose red onions wit salt an sugah, an' yo' wind dat nine times. An' yo' put one in each pocket an' while yo' are tryin' [being tried] yo' squeeze dose onions. Dey say yo' can't convict a man dat way.
(That's if they have any court case?)
Yes.
Entry 9134
Yo' take yo' nine leaves of sage - yo' seen sage - green sage. Yo' take nine leaves of green sage an' yo' put it in de bottom of yo' shoe. Yo' firs' write de twelve disciples names on evah leaf. Yo' know, jes' lak Petah- Paul-John. Yo' write de twelve disciples name on evah leaf of dat sage. Put one in yore right shoe an' one in yore left shoe, an' yo' go down befo' de judge, yo' could repeat dem same words dat ah said jes' while ago: Three daid men looked outa de windah; one had no lung, de othah had no tongue, an' de third wus deaf, dumb an' blind. Holy Spirit, speak fo' me as ah pray tuh three times a day. Only goodness an' mercy shall follah me tuh mah grave. Yo' jes' go in de co'thouse attah dat an' when yo' git up befo' de judge jes' continue tuh say dat, an' he'll dismiss yo'. He will eithah give yo' a sus- pended sentence or turn yo' loose.
Entry 9135
Dat fo' co'thouse scrapes. (All right, tell me that.) Well, now, yo' kin take twelve fig leaves - yo' knog dere wus twelve disciples - an' yo' take twelve fig leaves. An' yo' git chew a bottle of ink, a bran'-new bottle of ink dat nevah been used, an' a pen dat's nevah been used, an' yo' write a disciple name on each one of dose leaves. See, yo' got twelve leaves, yo' got twelve disciples. An' yo' write dose names on dose leaves. An' den, when yo' write dose names on dose leaves, yo' take yore Bible. IT'S DE 35th PSALMS AH THINK. AH GOT MAH BIBLE HEAH, AH LAK TUH BE SHORE YO' LET ME SEE. [HE CONSULTS HIS BIBLE!] It's de 35th Psalm. Yo' take de 35th Psalm an' read it ovah dose twelve leaves. [Psalm 35 begins: Plead my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me...] Den aftah yo read it ovah dose twelve leaves, yo' fold dose leaves tight, yo' know, small tubl gethah intuh a white piece of papah. It kin be a piece of writin' papah or a cleah piece of papah lak dis [something he may have had in the Bible] ah guess, but let it be white papah. An' yo' kin put dat in yore right pocket.
(All twelve of those leaves?)
Yes, jes' put it in dere, but chew mus' write de names on dere firs'. An' den yo' read dat 35th Psalms ovah dose leaves an' wrap dose leaves up. An' evah who gonna be tried in co't, let dem put it in dere right pocket an' dey'll cer- tainly Walk out. An' if yo' can't git dose fig leaves - sometime yo' can't git dose things, yo' can't git de fig leaves - yo' git chew twelve - use 'em fo' a tea, too - not catnip, sage leaves.
Entry 9136
Well, ah tole 'im [author's contact man] in de case of bein' in trouble which ah had one experience of dat - cus [because] ah have been in trouble mah ownself - twice fo' murder[?] - an' ah've taken an' got some rattlesnake mastah, which ah wus tole tuh git dat, an' it wus sent tuh me an' put in cologne, wit some mustard seeds in it. An' tuh use dat cologne an' tuh wipe it ovah mah face about three days befo' mah trial, an' havin' dat mustard seed scattahed around, twelve mustard seeds around by de co'thouse. An' put twelve sage leaves in de bottom of yore shoes, six in each one, an' take an' write twelve names of de apostles on it. An' do dat all in three days, an' when yore trial come, it would not be anythin' tuh it.
(Well, now, where did you put those mustard seeds?)
Jes' scattah 'em anywhere roun' de co'thouse, anywhere round.
(Inside or out?)
Anywhere yo' wanta, outside right tuh de do', twelve of 'em.
Entry 9137
Yo' take twelve leaves of sage. Yo' name de sage. Yo' know, dere's twelve disciples. Well, yo' take an' name dose leaves of de twelve disciples. Put 'em in yore left shoe. Well, yo' take a piece of dis blacksnake root an' put it in yore mouth. Well, yo' go in an' yo' take infant's dirt. Yo' go an' tell de daid, "Daid, ah'm not" - yo' carry three pennies tuh de grave. Lak, now, yo' already in dere [jail]. Well, now, yo' want yore case dismissed. Well, now, some of de peoples or some of yore relatives, dey'll take an' go tuh de cemetery an' take three pennies, an' dey dig a hole an' on a infant's grave. Dey tell it, "Daid, ah didn't come tuh do any harm. Ah jes' come tuh ask yo' tuh fix it so his case will be dismissed." An' take his [infant's] dirt up in yore fingahs lak dat [demonstrates]. Yo' goes home an' put dat dirt down in a papah. Den yo' take de table salt nine times [9 pinches of salt] an' put in dat dirt an' shake it up. Yo' put dat dirt in yore left shoe wit dose leaves an' yo'll walk out.
Entry 9155
Ah seen a fellah do dis one time, an' it come out - it come out really true, right heah on de corner of [some street]. It wuz heah in dis town, mah home town. He tuk, he went tuh anothah fellah dat stayed up heah along de road, supposed tuh be a kind of a root doctah. He went tuh dis fellah. He had called him a...or sompin othah, a purtty bad man. He went up tuh dis fellah an' dis fellah wuz standin' round, say, "Yo' boys come in dis room." Told 'im, "All right." Ah'd gone up dere wit 'im. Ah went on in de room wit 'im. He gave dis boy an' he say, "Yo' do jes' lak ah tell yo' when yo' go in de co't." De boy tole 'im, "Yessuh." He give dis boy somepin - he mixed somepin, said it wuz a salve, sulphuh wit black peppah an' he got, ah think some sage tea. Den he went got him a whole lotta snails. Not no whole lotta snails but li'le articles of sands. An' he tuk [took] an' put dem in a snuffbox an' stirred it up. Aftah he put it in dis snuffbox he stirred it up an' he tole dis boy, says, "Will yo'all step out in dis othah room?" So we stepped out intuh de othah room. We didn't know what exactly [what to expect]. So we stepped out intuh de othah room, an' he tole dis boy, said, "Now yo' take dis stuff an' has de box right in yore han', jes' about lak yo' hold de palm of yore hand, an' put it in yore right-hand pocket; an' when yo' go up dere in de co'troom an' when dey call yo', yo' called up on de stand, an' when yo' go on dere, yo' take dis stuff. Don' let nobody see it. Jes' lak yo' got chure han' in yore pocket, an' jes' take some of dis stuff an don't be watchin' whut chew doin'. An' take it as yo' goin' up dere on de stand an' jes' sprinkle it round lak yo' brushin' dis hand right down de side of de judge." An' he said, "Ah'll guarantee yo' dey won't do anything 'bout chw - guarantee yo'll git out, won't go no time." (Well, what about this other stuff, this salt and sand that was sprinkled around. He put this salt and stuff with this sand and sprinkled it around?) Yessuh, mixed it all up tuhgethah.
Entry 12284
Yo' kin git saltpetah, sage, alum, sugah an' salt - yo' know - stuff, yo' know, whut he nuse [use]. Yo' know, salt an' sugah an' stuff lak dat whut chew wanta know in dose strings. Yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son, ah'm bringin' yo' back tuh me." Call his name, see, an' say, "Long as yo' eat sage, as long as yo' eat sugah, drink sugah in yore coffee" - sompin lak dat. An' call dose names, an' tie dose strings, an' tell him yo' want him tuh come back tuh yo'. Well, he'll come den. An' aftah yo' tie dose strings, put dose strings in a pile an' sprinkle dis saltpetah an' stuff ovah it, an' red peppah, an' yo' take kerosene. An' den yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son, ' an' burn it. An' put it out in de yard an' let it smoke.
Entry 12775
[Letter "s" in this long CHANNEL DE WORLD division begins perhaps with the largest sentence in HOODOO:] They say, if yo' take the Twelve Apos- tle's names like I told joo, an' write 'em on a piece of paper, or each Apostle's name on a sage leaf, an' have the Apos- tle's names on another piece of paper, fold them toward joo all the time, an' keeps 'em in your pocket an' have 'em whensomever yo' go for a job, they say he'll [you will] more than apt to be lucky. [For sage leaves and court see also No.9117-9137, some of which also contain 12 Apostles, v.4.]
Entry 13447
Take a horseshoe an' some sage leaves an' a black cat bone an' olive oil, an' yo' git some [whiskey].
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' jes' put it anywhere secretly aroun' yore place of business wherevah yo' at [and saturate it].
(You saturate it with what?)
Wit de whiskey, see. Dat supposed tuh keep it 'live an' tuh 'tract dere attention, of people. It's very attractive wit dat.
(If you want to bring in customers?) Yes.