Subject:Scorpion
Entries
Entry 6008
An' jis' lak if someone in yore church is givin' yo' trouble in de chrch, yo' know, causin' confusion an' splits in church lak mos' people do's. Why yo' go out in de woods an' yo' ketch yo' one of 'em whut chew call dese heah red-back scorpiens [scorpions]. Ah mean a red-belly. Dey got a red stripe undah 'is stomic. An' yo' take dat scorpien an' put 'im into a pillah where dey sleep, see.
(Alive or dead?)
"Live. Den yo' git some hair outa dere haid. Git someone - if yo' cain't git tuh 'em - tuh git some hair outa dere haid an' place it in a piece[of cloth]. An' yo' take fo' pins an' - not needles but pins - an' jis' win' dat hair an' twist it up yo' know in dem pins, an' jis' ben' dem pins jis' as many ways, jis' bend 'um lak evah way yo' kin. Den yo' take dat live scorpien an' dose pins an' dat hair an' sew it up in a piece [of cloth]. An' den place it in dat pillah whare he sleep at an' he'll take a deadly misery in dere haids an' event'ly [even- tually] dey'll jis' - yo' know IT NO USE GOIN' TUH DOCTAHS [M.D.'s]. NO DOCTAH [M.D.] KIN DO ANY GOOD. An' event'ly dey jis' 中 start to pinin' away an' dat's de end of 'um.
Entry 6582
[I know of them] doin' things wit de scorpions. Ah've seed dat done 'caz ah waited on de woman. Dey ketch a scorpion an' kilt: 'im an' let 'im dried. Dis was a bright [skinned] woman an' dis bright woman wus givin' dis dark-skinned woman trouble wit 'er husban'. An' she taken de scorpion an' kilt 'im an' she cured 'im dry, jis' lak if yo' dny anything. An' she crumble dat up an' put it in some whiskey, an' she called er an' give her a drink of dat whiskey an' - IF AH NEVAH MOVE AG'IN AH'VE SEEN OSE LITTLE SCORPIONS, DEY COME BACK ALIVE. DEY CREATED IN 'ER. Dem little scorpions jis' like dat.
Entry 6584
Git 'em - an' yo' take dese heah stingin' scorpions, too. Git 'em an' parch 'em up. Let 'em git good an' brown. Cook 'em an' den powdah 'em up right good, an' put 'em in a bottle of watah an' stop 'em up real tight fo' awhile. An' den if yo' wanta poison dat indi- vidual, why yo'll po' some of dat out intuh 'is watah.
Entry 6585
Ah heard of 'em usin' a scorpion fo' makin' live things in people. Well, ah heard dat dey take 'im an' put 'im in a open SPIDER [FRYING PAN ON LEGS] one dese ole spidahs whut has a lid tuh it. An' jis' make fire enough in it where dat he'll jis' run aroun' in dere until he dies. An' let 'im bake till he gits where dey kin crumble him up an' make a powdah. An' den dey tell me dey kin put dat on a person an' hit'll go through de skin an' come de same thing 'live in de person.
Entry 6586
Take a scorpion, jis' lak yo' wanta scorpion, yo'd have one drop of blood, an' de joint of 'is tail give it tuh 'im.
(Just one drop of blood and [from] his tail.)
Take a joint. Evah joint's a drop of blood an' evah joint of blood will make a scorpion. Yo' jis' drop one drop in dere an' give it tuh a person, well dere will come a scor- pion. Yo' have dat little thing in dere cuz ah done see 'em right in dey feets. De feets git lak dat, gits swelled up.
(Is there any way of getting those things out?)
Not unless yo' see a person, de person dat gives it tuh yo' tuh git it. Dey kin take it, but how he take it out ah wouldn't know jis' how he take it.
Entry 6587
They tell me that you can take an egg and cut off a scorpion's head and put with that egg, and then take the blood and mark it around that egg so many times, nine times they claim, and then take the blood of an individ- ual and do the same thing. And then take that egg and that scorpion head and bury that, and the individual who has to travel and walk over that will get to a place they claim that he'll have scorpions in him.
Entry 6588
Now yo' take a scorpion, he's poison. Now yo' got sompin ag'in me an' yo' got sompin ag'in a man on King Street. Yo' may got sompin ag'in a man on Spring Street. Well, now, ah'm de fust [first] one yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Dis man on Spring Street de secon' man yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Well, yo'll take dat SCOrpion an' kill 'im. WHEN YO' DONE KILL DAT SCORPION, YO' BRING 'IM HOME HALF LIVE. YO' AIN'T KILL 'IM ALTUHGETHAH. He half live when yo' bring 'im home, but yo' finish killin' 'im when yo' bring 'im in yore house. Aftah yo' finish killin' 'im, de last lick yo' hit 'im yo' know yo' goin' kill 'im, yo' goin' call mah name. Yo' call mah name. Ah'm yore enemy. Ah'm yore dead [deadly] enemy. Ah'm de one yo' Wants tuh git nex' tuh altuhgethah. But when yo' kill dat scorpion an' call mah name, ah'm goin' take sick. Now dat man ovah heah on Spring Street, yo' goin' call 'is name by dat scorpion's tail. Yo' goin' cut dat scorpion's tail off jis' about dat much [demonstrates]. Well, yo' goin' tuh hold dat scorpion an' yo' wrap dat wit silk thread, silk thread. An' [as] yo' hit it, yo' cast it in yore yard an' say, "Go, yo' bastard, yo'." An' he's gone.
(And would it do anything to the person living on King Street, then?)
Dat man on King Street goin' work wit me.
Entry 7889
Dey tell me yo' take an' git yuh sock, an' dere's somepin or othah yo' kin do an' run yo' crazy. Dey take dat sock an' dey git some graveyard dirt. An'. if dey want, dey kin git - choo know, dere's a scorpion in de woods dey call de wood- bitch. Yo' kin git 'im an' cut 'is haid off an' let it dry. When 'is haid been dried, come an' powdah dat up. Yo' take dat [wood-bitch powder] an' take dat graveyard dirt an' mix it [and put it in or on the sock] yo' see. An' yo' take dat [sock] an' yo' kin care [carry] it on de nō'theast side of a pine tree. Yo' bear [bury] it down dere an' drive a stäve down in it, yo' see [demonstrates].
(Hit an imaginary stäve or stake 6 times.)
Dat settles it. [This is one of many mock burials. The victim if unnamed is always intended by name. Here the victim is buried in the shade of a pine tree, so that he will gradually pine away. North instead of northeast side would probably have meant a quicker death.]
Entry 11124
Dey take de rule, de pocket rule.
(What do they do then?)
And say dey take dis to de crossroads and dey fix it. Dey fix it so and when you come along dey'll make you fall. Yes, sir. [I] hear: 'em tell dat, at de crossroads where you go down, and de roads comes across like dat [demonstrates] and dey fixes it. (I see. What would they fix there? I mean what would they put there?) Dey say dey'll get - dey'll get a scorpion, a red-headed scorpion. (A red-headed scorpion?) Yes, sir. Fix him and dey put him - make sompin like a coffin and dey'll put him down in de middle of dat fo'k, yes, sir. Yes, sir, in middle of de fo'k.
(In the middle of the fork?)
[The center of two roads crossing is the center of a square or a quincunx rite.] Yes, sir, in de middle of de fo'k and you git dere and you won't know it, but you commence having swimming 'bout de head. Head commence swimming, feeling bad; yes sir, and make you fall. I hear say dey tell dat.
(They put this scorpion in sort of a little coffin-like?)
It is a coffin. What I mean, sompin dey makes like a coffin. Dat what dey tole me. And dey'll put him in dere alive and when dey fixes him, it make you tremble, you know. And he'll die. Dey'll fix him dataway.
(I see.)
The informant reports a pocket rule and then a red-headed scorpion in a constructed coffin at the middle of crossing roads, with claimed dizziness and falling. Questions clarify these objects and the middle location; Hyatt supplies a square or quincunx interpretation. No unstated relation between the pocket rule and scorpion is invented.
Entry 11247
"Man gave woman some candy to eat but her daughter ate it and took sick. [Mother then took daughter to a root doctor.] Root doctor says, I saw you ever since yester- day comin' [see also p.8, line 44, for doctor for- seeing patient on the road to him]. You jis' been three days later, he says, you would lose [have lost] your daugh- ter. She's hurt. He put the scorpion in a bottle after it was taken out. It wasn't for her but for you. This scorpion, had it stayed three days longer, it would have hatched and killed the girl. [This whole statement violates the nor- mal belief that you cannot be harmed by hoodoo not intended for you. A few other violations will be found in HOODOO, but normally the old rule was generally held.
Entry 12880
Dey take dese redhead scorpion. Ah know of a woman blind her husband dataway. Take a redhead scorpion an' git rid of yo' dataway, too. Take a red- head scorpion an' kill it. Put him out, yo' know, in de sun an' let hi git good an' dry. Dat head'll dry yo' know, it will git hard an' dry. Take an' beat it up fine an' it be like powder. Yo' know, mash it up. Den put it in de band of dere hat, like chew know around.
(Inside the band of the hat?)
Yes, dats right, an' yo' see dat sweat run down in dere eye. Blind 'en jes' as when yo' come in dis world.
Entry 12881
Why yo' take dis scorpion an' kill him an' care [carry]'in tuh a... Jes' lak if yo' wanted tuh kill a person, take dat scorpion an' some black guml powder an' Bone red pep per an' some graveyard dirt an' tie it dere. Put it on - git a chance tuh git inside his house an' let him sleep on it, an' he commence failing. De doctors [H. D.'s] couldn't do anything - ain't nuthin de doctors could do - unlessen be [patient] goes tuh a man dat knows somepin about it.
Entry 1040
I have a cousin, first cousin of mine, she was hurt. A spell was put onto her about fifteen-twenty years ago and she never gotten over it at all because the man died that did it. He put scorpions and lizards in her and dey bother her now. They say they was put on her in through candy. [The preceding belief is known everywhere (see Doctor in Index). It shows the hopelessness of medical practice in hoodoo and witchcraft; you can never be sure whether person casting the spell is alive or dead, his identity being unknown.]
Entry 1301
Jes' lak, now, if anyone should poison yo - put snakes in yo' or scorpions or anything inside yo'. Well, that's easy tuh cure. Yo' git chew a gourd, either a dry one or a green one, an' git de guts out of it - it's a very particular thing an' yo' have tuh be very particular with it. An' yo' boil dem guts an' give 'em one tablespoonful - if any kind of poison inside of yo', every bit of it's comin' out. If it's in de foot or de leg, den make a poultice an' it will kill it right in there. Jes' make a poultice out dose guts an' boil 'em - put a little meal with 'em, make a poultice. Dat'll kill dat.
Entry 6556
An' den yo' take yo' - ef yo' don' wanna kill anybody, de bes' things fer dat now, ef yo' wanna put snakes in dem, or if yo' wanna put scorpions in'em, or if yo' wanna put frogs in 'em, yo' take dis stuff an' yo' dry it by de sun.
(In making that frog dust you have to let stay nine mornings in the sun.)
[This detail was given while recording machine turned off.]
Entry 6578
I knew an old man when I was a child who had a little lizard or some- thing in his leg. They say it would run up and down his leg. He could cut with his razor and when it would come down he would cut ahead of them and it would run out. It was a little scorpion or ground puppy or something. Someone put it in his leg.
Entry 6644
Yo' kin kill a rattlesnake. Yo' kin git 'is rattles an' yo' keep it till it dries, an' yo' put it in anythin' fo' a person tuh eat or drink, it will cuz young snakes tuh come in 'em. Or eithah scor- pions. Git de haid of de scorpion an' mash it up yo' know in some dust, an' put it in anythin' dey eat or drink. Why dat'll make young scorpions come in 'em. Rattlesnakes, yo git de rattZe dust.
Entry 394
When they go to diggin' they say there's always something in the hole, a snake or a scorpion or something in there to try to scare them away; but if you keep on diggin' they'll go away and leave you be and you can continue to get the money.
Entry 548
Dat's one part ah nevah did believe in, Captain, ah have tuh tell yo' 'bout dat. Ah've heard - a man have come tuh me an' told me that since ah wus a married man in mah home dat folks had done somepin to.me - ah wus in hard luck, an' if ah would give him so much cash he could go an' git me - put somepin - a toadfrog an' de tail of redhead scorpion - an' ah could avoid all de troubles dat ah wus goin' have in mah home, sech as. An' then, too, once when ah first married, a man come tuh mah home an' claimed to be.a root man - a man could give han's. He said to me - ah hol' de Bible on mah desk - ah'd comed in from mah job and was there settin' down talkin' wit mah wife - he said that someone wus goin' git between me an' mah wife - he could take dat Bible an' make dat Bible dance. He said, "Now, this yo' Bible - yo' bought dis Bible." "Ah didn't bought it." He said, "No? Yo' bought it an' yo' present it to yore wife." An' he said, "Anyway, anybody is working against yo' an' against yore wife," said, "ah kin make dis Bible tell us by dancing, as I call to it." So I set there an' listen awhile after de man talked. Yo' know how a fellow when he don't believe whut yo' saying. Ah says, "Well, now yo' come with han's. I understand dat yo's a man go roun' givin' han's." Ah said, "Well, ah bought dat Bible as yo' say an' present to mah wife. Ah did, but so fur as de Bible dancing, ah don' believes dat any man on earth kin make a Bible dance. But ah do believe dis," ah said, "ah know dat ah kin make yo' dance." An' ah set dere awhile an' he commence talkin'.about a fo'k - he could take a fo'k an' put dat fo'k - two fo'ks in de Bible an' talk to it an' it would dance, a natural dance with a man, an' he say if ah didn't believe, he could make it cut up a jig, jes' lak an ole-time jig-dance. People used to say jiggin'. An' he said he could make dat Bible do that. So ah didn't give him time to make de Bible do it. Ah jes' tole him, ah said; "Now, listen, jes' wait'll ah come out in de road an' ah'll find out can't yo' dance de same as de Bible." An' he leaved. (In preaching and getting around the country, meeting people, do you find that belief in that stuff is dying out - the belief in this conjuration and witchcraft is dying out? Or is there as much of it now as there was when you were a boy?) No sir, not as much, now as it was when ah wus young Well, about as much, but then folks don't partake of it as bad as dey did then. Yo' know, 'way back dere, folks wus a little mo' dumber den dey is now, an' anything lak dat would pretty near - a fellah would take on to him ["take him in"].
Entry 670
(Goofer dust - what is goofer, what is that?)
Goofer dust is snake haid, scorpion haid, lizard haid - listen, snake haid dust, scorpion dust an' lizard dust. Dat's whut yo' call goofer dust. Yo' git them things an' yo' kill 'em an' yo' cut de haids off an' yo' dry that. After yo' dry that, yo' powder that up. That's whut dey call goofer dust.
(Do the people around here talk about putting the goofer on you?)
Yes.
(What do they mean by that?)
Well, dey mean do yo' harm - when de say goofer dey mean do yo' harm. Dey don' mean tuh do nuthin' good to yo'.
(That's just doing you harm; they want to goofer you?)
Yeah, dat's jes' doin' yo' any kinda harm.
Entry 698
I'll tell you whut I heard by mah gran'mama. She wus hurt an' she wus hurt in peas an' rice. An' she started jis' as she got this, you know two or three days after, she started to swellin' all up in her laig, all up in her hips an' all. An' there's a ole root doctor came aroun' an' he tole 'em, he said, "If you git a root doctor," he say, "he kin fix you up" - to my gran'mama. An' so he said that he knowed whut wus de matter with her. An' so he give her two doses of sulphur. An' after that he got some whiskey an' sulphur an' a root dey call John de Conker, an' take an' boil this John de Conker in this whiskey an' add this sulphur to it an' he give this three times a day. About the fifth day or the sixth day she got deathly sick. Well, they got scared then an' stop givin' it to her, but the root doctor came back by to see 'em an' tol' 'em, "No, don't stop." He say that was workin' on her. An' so, after she went on an' took it, after she got deathly sick, a snake, a little green snake, an' a scorpion - I don't know whut that is, I've never seen one, but this is my gran'mama that's tellin' us - an' so this came from her. An' so she got all right for three months. She was all right, walkin' aroun' jis' like you or I, all right. An' so roun' 'bout two months later this swellin' started again. They went an' got this ole root doctor an' he give her the same medicine agin. Told 'em continue to give to her. In jis' about two or three more months she got all right.
Entry 699
This wus uncle's wife. She started one day to limpin' in her right leg. She said her leg wus hurtin' her so bad she couldn't do this an' she couldn't do that. She couldn't hardly walk on it and she couldn't cure it wit that medicine. She'll feel somepin jumpin' an' runnin' - claimed that's a jumpin' an' runnin' in her laig, an' she couldn't tell whut was the matter. So a little bit after that you could see that. She held it up so ever'body could look at it. That started to run up her to her knees and run right back down to near her ankles - jis' like that, jis' as plain that you look at it. An' in that time she wus havin' fits. So ole man Henderson Bird, she sent for him. He wus a root doctor. We'd call it a witchcraft doctor. He's from Camden, South Carolina. He come there an' he give her a dose of medicine an' he anoint dat laig down with somepin - it look like mercurochrome, a red liniment. He didn't told whut it wus but he told how it could happen. He said if you ketch a scorpion or a snake, jis' like you wan'a put a snake in a person, you kin kill the snake an' cut his haid off an' hold him up an' drop that blood into some water into a bottle an' stop that bottle up; that in nine days it'll be a snake or a scorpion, jis' whutever it wus [you killed]. An' he say that's whut they dose her. They dose her in some coffee with that scorpion blood. [Wilmington, N. Car., (295), 219:1+85; near Camden, S. Car.,1900.]
Entry 876
The story's if you git a spider in whiskey. And she poisoned this girl and this girl said - told her before she found this lady. The lady doctor says, "You've waited a little too long for her." She say, "I kin take this spiders from you and scorpions but I can't cure you." She says, "Three scorpions will come out your legs: one will come in the back of your leg, and one on the side; and one comin' out cher right leg, two comin' out your left one - [if] them two would of been in your right leg, I could of cured, but it was in the left one." So, "The first one start out," she says, "he'll go into the fireplace; next one start out, he's goin' back under the bed; and the last one starts out, he goin' start for the door about three times." She says, "You goin live three days." And the three days were out, she died. This happen up here at Pender County [North Carolina] at a place called Rook Station about fifteen years ago [1922]. [Cf. these 3 scorpions with 3 ground puppies, No. 578, p.89.]
Entry 6583
Take a scorpion ag'in an' take some of dat same scorpion an' put it in whiskey or wine or sompin an' drink it. It will have scorpions runnin' all about in yore skin.
(Is there any way of getting those things out of you?)
Why ah don't know how yo' git it out, but dere's a man dat could git it out.
Entry 6615
Well, yo' kin take de blood outa scorpion, eithah snake, eithah one, an' put it intuh a person's food In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost, an' dey'll becone tuh have snakes in 'em, or scorpions in 'em. Den if yo' wan' dose outa dere, yo' git chew some salt, red peppah, sulphuh. Combine 'em tuhgethah an' let 'em take it fo' nine mawnin's In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' Holy Ghost. An' dat soon will git 'em out.
(Get those live things out?)
Yes sir.
Entry 6623
How tuh put things in a person. Say yo' wanta put a snake intuh a per- son or dese ole red-haid scorpions. Gits dose things. An' kill 'em an' git dere haids off an' den hang 'em. Put 'em on a string an' put 'em somewhere until dey jis' git perfectly dry. An' den take 'em down an' put 'em intuh somepin where dat dust can't git up yore nostrils. Put 'em in.somepin an' beat 'em up, an' den take dat dust an' put it intuh some watah or a person's food. An' let 'em eat or drink 'em an' dat'll create live things in 'em.
Entry 6633
Dey say yo' take a snake an' kill 'im. Ah think yo' kill 'im, but any- how yo' dry him up an' make a powder outa dis snake. Well, now, if yore fond of drinkin' whiskey or coffee or anything, dat ah could git dis in fo' yo' tuh drink, why dat will bring live things in yo'. Eithah dey will use a scorpion or eithah a snake, an' dat will make dem things come in yo' 'live.
Entry 6642
Dey say, jis¹ lak dey use a rattlesnake, dey use a scorpion, jis' git Dey say, jis¹ 1 de hide an' put it up [to dry]. An' yo' know, jis' lak a han'ke'chuff, sompin lak dat, lay on it an' de dust. Yo' see when dey dry it, it has dust. An' say jis' lak ah walk up tuh yo' an' hit chew in de face wit dis, cross yore nose, an' dat dust would go inside of yo'. An' dey say dat would cuz scorpions or eithah rattlesnakes tuh come on de inside of yo'. [There are a number of the handkerchief tricks in Hoodoo - with snake dust, perfume, etc.]
Source passage
continuous interview or recording context · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Well, now, ah know - AH REMEMBAH A WOMAN, A NICE LOOKIN' GIRL WUZ CO'TIN'
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[COURTING]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
A PREACHAH, an' he had a li'le money an' a home, yo' know, but he quz a li'le bit too ole fo' 'er. See. So she tole 'im dat she didn't believe she cared fo 'im, he wuz a li'le bit too ole. He say,
reported or enacted speech · Current unnamed interviewee · Preacher represented in the account; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
"Well, if yo' don' do me no good, yo' won' do nobody else no good."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
An' he took an' hit 'er in de face wit 'is pocket han'ke'chuf, an' somepin fell outa de top of 'er haid lak wood lice 'bout two hours aftah he had hit 'er.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[A handkerchief tossed or waved about is usually dressed; in this case perhaps with wood-lice powder.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Aftah he hit 'er, he disappeahed, went on somewhere, yo' see. An' she jis' stan'in' talkin' tuh some of er schoolmates, an' somepin fell outa her haid lak wood lice. An' dey fell all down aroun' on de groun', an' she commence tuh fightin' 'em, frightened aftah 'em, yo' know. All right, SHE COMMENCED TUH HOWL. COMMENCE TUH HOWLIN' LAK A DOG; SHE COMMENCE TUH MAKIN' FUSS LAK A COW, AN' SHE COMMENCE TUH CARR'IN' ON LAK A GOAT. Well, dey'd taken 'er an' carr'in' 'er home an' laid 'er in de baid an' yo' know she couldn't rest. Well she, dat nex' mawnin' - co'se she suffahed all dat night - got up de nex' mawnin' an' LOOKED AT 'ER THIGH. SHE SAID 'ER THIGH HURT 'ER. DERE WUZ A SMALL COOTAH
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[TURTLE]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
ON 'ER, LAYIN' RIGHT HEAH. DERE WUZ THREE SCORPIONS LAYIN' DOWN ON 'ER THIGH. AN' DERE WUZ A BLUNT- TAIL MOUSE OVAH ON DIS HIP.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(What kind of a tail?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
A blunt-tail mouse.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(Blunt-tail?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Yes, sir, BLUNT-TAIL MOUSE AN' SNAKE layin' ovah on dis side of de hip. Well, evahbody kinda doubted 'er. Yo' see she wuz hurt. DERE WUZ ANOTHAH OLE FELLAH STAYIN' ABOUT 25 MILES FROM DERE. HE COULD DO DAT KIND OF WORK. DEY WENT AN' GOT 'IM AN' HE COME AN' LOOKED AT 'ER. AN' HE SAID DAT HER CASE WUZ PURTTY SERIOUS
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[for this type of judgment, see CONSULTATION TECHNIQUE, p.307f.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
, but he could do her good inside of eleven hours.
editorial recording or production note; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[A stoppage of recording shows he also lived eleven miles from somewbere.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(About eleven miles?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
On dis side of Greenville, Mississippi.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(Greenville, Mississippi. How many years ago?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
Oh, dat been now about 28 years
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[about 1910]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(All right, go ahead with the story.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
An' aftah he looked at - he'd taken 'er up an' laid 'er in de baid - caken 'er outa de baid she wuz in an' laid 'er in de
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[another]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
baid. An' he saw dat cooth an' dat lizard an' dat mouse. An' he had a kinda grease. He jis'greaseder all ovah, yo' know. An' den he'd taken some kind of a ole funny sosepin look lak a blade an' he marked - he didn't cut 'er skin but he jis', yo' mog, belt
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
[held]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
dat blade right ovah dem things, jis' drawed it across dem but not on de aldn.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
(What kind of blade?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2337
A Kisah blade.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
(A Kiser?)
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
[This could be spelled Kaiser.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
Yeah, a kisah blade whu' choo cut bushes wit whut men use tuh work in de right of way.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
(Oh, I see. All right.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
An' he'd taken dat an' he jis' draw it across dat cootah
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
[cooter or turtle]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
. An' he come up on dis side an' he draw it across dat blunt-tail mouse an' right ovah 'er. An' draw it across dem lizards. Well, all right. IN ABOUT ELEVEN HOURS TIME DEY GIVE HER UP TUH DIE, AN' DEM THINGS COME JIS' A-CRAWLIN' OUT OF "ER. AN' WHEN DEM THINGS CRAWLED OUTA 'ER, SHE GOT RIGHT UP AN' LOOKED AT US, AN' DEY WUZ CRAWLIN' ALL AROUND ON DE FLOOR.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
[I have no doubt about a Small co0- ter, three lizards and blunt-tail mouse crawling on the floor. There is too much evidence in HOODOO for this sort of thing. THE DOCTOR HAD A FAST HAND! IN THE STORY FOLLOWING THIS ONE WE WILL AGAIN MEET DOCTOR MARTIN, ANOTHER HEALER QUICK WITH HIS HAND.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
An' he tole 'er, say,
reported or enacted speech · Current unnamed interviewee · Healer represented in the account; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
"Ah'm goin' make yo' do dat."
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
She got a stick an' she kilt 'em all. An' de cootah she couldn't ketch. He runned on outa dere. Now, dese three lizards dey wuz so stiff - scorpions rathah, dey couldn't git nowhere. She caught 'em an' kilt dem. So dat woman got all right.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
(WAS THAT ALL HE DID?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 3, p. 2338
Yes, sir.
Nested source context: nested reported speech · Vol. 3, p. 2337
He say, "Well, if yo' don' do me no good, yo' won' do nobody else no good."
Nested source context: claimed presence not independent event verification · Vol. 3, p. 2338
SHE GOT RIGHT UP AN' LOOKED AT US, AN' DEY WUZ CRAWLIN' ALL AROUND ON DE FLOOR.
locally closed printed account with recording gap
The printed account includes an explicit recording interruption. Eleven hours and miles remain unreconciled.
The recording-stoppage note signals unavailable material; distance and events during the gap cannot be reconstructed.
Scorpions or lizards, blade spelling and other uncertain terms remain as printed.
Wood-lice powder, fast hand and the comparison to Doctor Martin are editorial interpretations.
The healer’s and preacher’s words are reported by the current interviewee. They are not additional live participants, and the editor’s skepticism remains separate.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 3, p. 2336 · Vol. 3, p. 2337 · Vol. 3, p. 2338 · Vol. 3, p. 2339 · Vol. 3, p. 2341