Subject:Scissors
Entries
Entry 604
Yo' kin take a sifter an' scissors an' anybody taken anything from yo', steal money or any sech that - yo' kin take dat sifter an' talk to it an' set dat sifter up on de scissors an' it'll turn; it won't turn as long as yo' didn't call de right name, but soon as yo' call de right name de sifter turns, de name dat dey done steal it from yo'. (Now here are the scissors - you put them point up? Then you turn the sifter upside down over it?) Dat's it.
Entry 1495
Well, aftah a woman birth a baby an' she's havin' aftahpains, yo' kin put a pair of scissors undah her an' it will cut dat pain. [In folklore any sharp-cutting instrument of steel cuts afterpains: ax, butcherknife, hatchet, razor, saw; see FACI, 2nd ed., Pp.134-135.]
Entry 2622
Yo' take lak if yo' have a scissors layin' down there an' lak if yo' have a nice business, an' ah wanta stop yo' from havin' it, why ah steal yore scissors or yore fingernail file. An' ah'll take those right to mah home an' ah'll put - as ah told yo', take that there perfume an' ah'll put mah 'gredients in there which is the sulphur an' nine grains of red peppah seeds. Put that in there an' ah'll put de scissors lak if ah got dem fo' nine mawnin's an' ah take 'em an' junk 'em down in de ground. All yore luck is cut, yo' haven't got any mo' business.
(You use perfume you say?)
Yessuh, Heamt's Perfume.
Entry 2933
Take de scissors - lak if yore place is haunted, yo' kin take a pair of scissors an' open dem see, an' set chew a light yo' see, an' anything come round dere dat's a evil spirit, dey go away. (You set any particular kind of light?) A candle, a pink candle - eithah a white candle.
Entry 7421
Cross 2 straws on de murdered man's stomach, an' lay a pair of new scissors so dat its closed points point to his toes, an' say, "Whut's did in de dark shall come to de light." This will bring the murderer back. [For cross of straw, see also No.7367, p.3259. Why the closed scissors instead of open ones, always a symbol of the cross? Either my informant has made a mistake, which I doubt, or the closed scissors indicate one cross of straw was enough for the purpose. Already the closed scissors sig- nify that the life thread of the murderer has been cut.]
Entry 7428
Well, yo' know dat dead fellah, yo' kin put a aig in 'is han' an' dis is fac's an' a bran'-new pair of scis- sors undah 'is haid. When dat aig busts he'll come back an' give up. Ah know dat happen right heah in Memphis.
(What hand is that egg in?)
In de left han'.
(Any kind of an egg?)
A hen aig, gotta be a fresh aig, see.
(And a scissors under his head?)
Undah de dead woman's haid, an' de aig in de dead person's han', see. An' dey buried wit dat aig in dere han's.
Entry 8901
It's a different key from any. It's not lak de ordinary key dat we has. It's a key dat's shaped kinda lak a scissors. Yeah, shaped kinda lak a scissors. An' yo' take dat key an' yo' hold it up. Yo' git up evah mawnin' 'fore de sun rise an' yo' take dat key an' stan' up in de direction de sun's risin'. An' tell dat key whut yo' want, whoevah it wuz dat stole anythin' from yo' or whoevah yo' wanted 'em tuh bring it back, an' dat key will turn in yore han'. An' as dat key turn in yore han', if he stole anythin', he's goin' bring it back. An' if it don't turn, why yo'won't git it back. It's a key dat isn't made lak de ordinary key. It's a key shaped jes' lak a scissors, crossed.
(It's two keys crossed - like two keys crossed?)
Yes.
Entry 9764
Take yuh nine bran'-new nails, nine [new] needles. Take 'em an' put 'em in a sack, a piece of white clot' [cloth] whut nevah had no scissah in it, no mo' [more] dan whut yuh cut it tuh sew it, an' put 'em in dere. Bury 'em undah yuh front steps. An' if he come tuh de front, sweep in tuh de back all de time.
(I see. That'll keep the law away.)
He goin' tuh stay away.
Entry 9777
Ah've heard dem say if yo' wanted tuh - say if yo' wanted tuh grow tuh be smart an' wanted tuh keep yuh enemy away from yo', why of cus [course] yo' give yuh enemy a needle wit de point tuhwar' de enemy, tuhwar' de person dat yo' believe dat wuz yuh enemy. Han' dem de needle pointed toward 'im, or a scissahs wit de point tuhward 'im. An' dat would break dat enemy off from yuh. Dey would stop comin' aroun or stop being in yuh company, stay away from yuh.
Entry 10465
Open new pair of scissors and put under pillow to prevent hag-riding [Mobile, (663), 872:?]. [For scissors under bed, Jacksonville, see No.529, p.156, v.l; over bed or door, No.542, p.161, v.1, Elizabeth City.]
Entry 12879
Take de scissors an' don' close 'em up, open dem out yo' know, an' stick dem [them] down jes' undahneath yore bed. Stick de points up lak dat [demonstrates]. Keep yo' in good luck.
(Have the scissors open and the points sticking up under your bed?)
Yes. Yo' know, jes' lak de scissors open dis way, an' jes' stick dem down dat way [demonstrates]. [Points of scissors stick down into floor.] Or eithah a glass of watah. Yo' see, dat glass of watah, jes' have enough watah in it to know dere's watah in de glass undah yore bed. Dat's for luck.
(The points of the scissors are sticking down to the floor under the bed.)