Subject:Sex
Entries
Entry 7236
[Playing cards is hoodoo's greatest method for revealing your past, present and future fortune. These professional manipulators of cards are usually called a reader or fortuneteller, though both latter terms may include crystal ball, pan of water, all sorts of special gifts, etc. The present rite, however merely starts with cards to discover the sex of a thief. For similar methods of divina- tion, See PLAYING CARDS, p.195f., and PLAYING CARDS SPECIAL, p.196f., both a part of DIAGNOSIS, Pp.165-217.] Yo' git chew a deck a [of] cahds [cards] playin' cahds, pu' [put] dem out dere lak in gamblin', an' yo' kin tell if it's a man or a woman. See, yo' cut [demon- strates], yo' shuffle dem cahds; yo' turn dem around an' den yo' shuffle de. Yo' cut dem three times an' yo' turn de face up. If it's a man, it goin' tuh be a jack; if it's a woman, it goin' tuh be a queen dat chew turn up, yo' see. A queen is fσ' a woman, lak dat. Now, if she is a colahed puson - it's a colahed woman - it goin' tuh be spade, queen a [of] spades; an' if it's a white woman, it goin' tuh be a queen a [of] di'monds, see. If it's a bright woman, it: s de queen a[of] hearts. See. De same wit de jack an' de king. See. Well, all right. An' aftah yo' cut dem cards an' find out how [who] it is, yo' take yo' dis S-lax [see later] powdah.
(What? Where do you get that?)
Yo' buy it at de drug sto'. It's HOODOO STUFF. Doctor Thomas [proprietor of the drug store] got it down dere.
(What do you call it?)
S-Lax powdah.
(Ex-lax?)
Yeah, it's a powdah.
(Not Ex-lax?)
No, not Ex-Zax. Dat's a candy. Dat's fo' - dat's candy. It's Ex-Zax powdah.
(And what is it called, this powder?)
Ex-lax powdah.
(All right.)
[Author gives up, resigns, etc.]
An' yo' buy it at Doctor Thomas Drug sto'.
(Doctor Thomas' Drug Store?)
Yeah, right down heah on Ramport Street. Yo' take dat stuff. An' aftah yo' take dat powdah - yo' take dat powdah an' yo' puts it on a lamp, yo' see, an' yo' burn it. Yo' see, yo' burn it ovah dere in a li'le pan, see. Well, aftah yo' burn it in a pan, yo' take dat an' yo' puts it - yo' take a red candle - not no black candle - see, yo' want dat back, a red candle, an' yo' burn dat. Yo' burn dat candle an' dat woman - yo' put [that] woman [her name] on de papah, yo' see. Yo' burn it ovah dat [lamp] an' ah betchah dat stuff'll come back tuh yuh.
(That they [she] stole.)
Yeah.
(What do you mean by "woman on that paper?")
[I want to be certain about this. My preceding understanding was wrong.]
Yo' see, yo' jis' put 'woman" - jis' write [the word] 'woman" on de papah. If it's a woman dat stole it [according to the preceding playing cards rite of divination] yo' write "woman" on dere. Yo' don' know 'er name. But if yo' know 'er name - it's bettah fo' yo' tuh know 'er name. If yo' know de puson's name, yo' put de name dere, an' yo' got 'er.
(I see. Where do you put that paper?)
Yo' put dat papah undah de li'le pan wit de candle on topa [top of] it an' yo' burn it. An' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back tuh yuh.
(I see. What do you do with that powder?)
De powdah - yo' git de powdah at de drug sto'. See, yo' mix de powdah in wit dat stuff, yo' see.
(With what stuff?)
Mix de powdah an' burn it, yo' see, ovah de lamp. Yo' see, yo' burn dat pow- dah, see, in de pan. Den yo' stick de candle right up in de centah of dis [panl an' put 'er name right undah dat, yo' undahstan', an' yo' goin' tuh burn dat stuff back. [This burning brings dat stuff back.]
Entry 12602
Got some kinda bad disease, yo' know, an' yo' wanta find out is yo' got de bad disease, take some red pepper an' jest go in, lak a crowd is sittin' in heah. Yo' kin go in an' jes' scatter that red peppah yo' know round de chairs, an' de one got de bad disease will git up an' go.
Entry 12890
You kin take three mens.
(What?)
Mens, like you and I.
(Oh, take three men. Yes?)
Three men and in between these men you can just say that you wanta take one of them mens as a trap. You wanta take this man here and trap these two men. Well, you kin give that man there anything that you wanta eat [or drink]. Take a bottle of whiskey that's never been used and you take your hand and play with yourself until you discharge. [Human semen is common in HOODOO.] You put it in this whiskey and you stop it up and you turn that down like that and leave it for nine days.
(So that it is leaning against something?)
Yes, in the corner of the house - in the left hand corner of the house. [This is a cornering rite, very common. The left-hand corner is to the left as you enter house or room.]
(All right.)
All right, in 9 days you take this whiskey up. At 9 o'clock you meet this party and you ask him if he wants a drink. You gotta be sure that he do's drink, and you take some and give it to him. And then you leave him with the bottle. They drink it all up. Whatever they do with it, you see 'em drink some before you leave 'em. If they got one or two men, they'll finely wean away from them men and crave to you.
(You do this to a woman?)
Yes.
Entry 12891
I tell you how that is did. She takes some of his discharge, and use some kind of solution on it, and use it like dat and have you [a man] so you can't have no ambitions for her or no other woman. (What would she do with that?) Just take it and there some kind of solution that made up with some kind of root, some kind of root you go out and get. I know a old man out chere got some of it. And when she gets up she shake dat bottle.
(She puts the solution together?)
Puts the solution in with the urinate, and with this root and stop it up, and shake dat bottle every morning for nine mornings. And the tenth morning, instead of her shaking it, she throws it over her right shoulder and breaks the bottle. Then as she turns around, she turns to the right.
(She turns to the right?)
Turn to the right when she turns, and pick that up. Just pick up what's left, the roots and things of that kind, and takes 'em and wraps 'em up and places 'em away to some safe place.
(And what will that do to him?)
That will keep him from having anything to do with anybody. His use goes entirely away.
Entry 12892
I've heard of a case of that kind, where he runs around and she don't want him to run around. You go to the drug store and get you some sterile cot- ton. When you go to bed at night, and if you have connection With him, you give him a towel to use on himself, and after you have connection with him, let him do everything, don't you do nothing. And when you have finished, you use that cotton, and give him a towel to use. You take that and get you a man's pocket handkerchief. You take and tie it up in the middle of that handkerchief, the cotton that I've used. [A quincunx rite, the center of 4 corners ] I've used the cotton myself. He'll never know the difference you see. I'll tie it up in that handkerchief like this [demonstrates]. Be sure it's linen. Get a brand-new handkerchief and tie in there, and cut the ends of that handkerchief off, open my mattress and put it in that mattress, and he'll never run around no more.
Entry 12893
[These two separate rites I have left together for the sake of the reference; the first rite being somewhat special, the second fairly common:] Dey'll take de bottom, jes' lak yo' got a ole piece of stockin' an' take de bottom out of a stockin'. Cut it off an' let it be dirty. It can't do yo' no harm unless it's dirty. Dey take de bottom of dat stockin' an' cut it out - cut de bottom of dat stockin' out - an' takes it an' stops it m. If dey kin git a chance, yo' know, when dey make connection, dey kin use dat. Stop it up, jes' continue - continue - continue. Well, jes' lak if yo' wus a man, wus comin' to mah house, an' wus goin' into anything wit me, yo' know, an' ah'd git chew sometime. Dere's de bucket right dere. Make yore connection [urine] right dere in dat bucket. Well, ah'm not goin' make none in dere. Ah'm puttin' yo' up to make it. [Then I] stop it up.
Entry 12894
If a man have a lady out dere whut he consumin' his time wit an' she devoted to him, well if it ever come a time when he can find no sensation wit her, well it isn't but one thing that she had to do. Well, that nature that flows, jes' put it on a rag or somepin like that an' put it away in de bed under de mattress jes' so he don' know it - under his head. Well quite natural he won't have no feeling fo' no one else but her. [Recording bad, I evidently ask whose nature.] Both of 'ems.
Entry 12895
If a man has a discharge with me, why ah take mine and his both to- gether an' put it on cotton an' stop it up, why he'll nevah bother with nobody but jes' me. [This woman takes the man's discharge, semen; but what does she take from herself? I mean, what does she think she takes? There is evidence in HOODOO to indicate that some of these women had no idea of ovulation, that she like animals lays eggs; that that egg is not laid (or propelled) at the moment of orgasm. I leave this complicated business to the medical experts.]
Entry 12896
Now, if you want to divorce her - if you want to break this up - if you get on to [suspect] her - you are suspicious. [If you suspect she had you tied up, has made you sexually impotent.] Jis' go on, put you on you some clean socks, walk on to a beer joint - some place. (To a beer joint?) Yeah. Get you a bottle of beer and go on walking. Walk far enough where you begin to perspire and when your feet get hot and you perspire, stop and sit down. Take the left shoe off. Pour this bottle of beer in that left shoe. Drink the beer out of the shoe instead of the bottle. Close the bottle. Stand this way [demonstrates] and turn your hands [this way] and throw it [bottle] straight out in front of you, with your wish [that your impotence leaves]. It [potency] comes back again.
(I see.)
Yes, all the affection is taken away from her. (I see. Take this beer bottle in the left hand, then, you bring it around to the back of your neck.) Yes, that's right. And take that [bottle] in your right hand and throw right directly in front of you.)
(I see. And that breaks the spell of that string around her waist.)
Sure. Yes, sir. [My preceding comment is a good example of my using in- formation informant had given before researching began. Woman had "tied him up by measuring him with a string and tying it about her waist.]
(It should do it?)
Sure. I've seen it do it.
(I see, I see.) [The wish is the power!]
Entry 12897
Well, if de [= dey = they] want make him stay home, it's a little blue blossom grows in de woods jes' lak de blossom in a woman's [something], yo' know, dat little nest of hern - fes' lak dat. Yo' kin take dat [blossom] an' steep dat [in water] an' make him stay home. Yo' kin steep dat - say if he's a coffee drinker - an' sweeten it round de home. Sprinkle it round. It's a little vine wit a blue blossom on it. Steep it an' put a little of dat in his cup. Man, he couldn't put a collah an' chain round his laig an' pull him 'way from home.
(What do they call that vine, do you know?)
Dey call [it] a true vine. true vine. Hit's wit a blue blossom like dat blossom be's on a woman, yo' know. [Even Shakespeare in Hamlet was concerned with a similar plant.]
Entry 12898
Woman's drawers, why you gotta tie nine knots in them.
(How do they do that?)
How would jew do it? Jes' take a cord, you know jes' like dis is heah [electric cord from my machine to floor plug]. You see, dat cord. An' tie it round dere nine times. Take it down, see, and you measure it up side wit sompin of yours, and then put 'em back. Well, she'll go out. She can't sleep with no man, she's gotta come back.[ The magic here is simple and direct, the woman is unable to stretch her legs apart!]
Entry 12900
[These following rites, excepting a few new locations of beliefs and a detail or two, add little to the dog rites in volume 3, numbers 2408-2419.] Dey tell me, dat if you having trouble in yore home with your family, dat if yo' wanta ketch 'em so dat yo' know who it is yo' havin' trouble with, dey tell De to takes yo' a piece of dog liver an' give it to yore wife, an' whenever dis fellah come back in dere, why he'll be fastened dere an' stay until yo' come.
[W11son 2647:16.]
Entry 12913
Well dey say dey take de snail an' yo' boil him - de woman do - an' soak it in a rag, Boil him up good an' den put de rag in a, a nice clean rag, in dere, den wring it out an' let it dry. An' den let de man wipe wit dat rag after dey have intercourse, an' dat will take away his nature. [Snail rite were also given in No.2458-2470, in v.3, and there are probably a number in interviews.]
Entry 3505
Ah know dis is true. Yo' kin go tuh work an' yo' kin fix dat man in a way dat he cain't have no dealings wit no othah woman. Jis' git chew a string an' measure him an' tie it aroun' yore waist [this is tying 1 knot in string] an he kin go on any othah woman he wan'a, but he cain't have no dealin's wit 'er. Come back home an' he's all right wit 'er [his wife or woman.]
Entry 3620
Take yo' a cord an' measure his thing. Aftah yo' measure it while he sleep, yo' tie nine knots in it an' 'noint it [knots] good wit some turpentine an' wear it roun' yore waist or eithah roun' de calf of yore laig.
(What will that do?)
Dat'll keep 'im from gittin' up a nature from anybody else.
Entry 3643
If a man is goin' off from home an' he had a wife an' he didn't want nobody to have no dealin' wit 'er. He'd git 'im some snails, see. An' he'd have some dealin' wit 'er, yo' see, befo' he leaves. Well, he would take dat snail an' rub dat snail - rub dem snails all in 'is han's an' jis' rub 'er belly wit it good. Anoint 'er belly wit 'is han' good. Keep on doin' dat until he git dat stuff, yo' know, to go into de skin. Well, if anothah fellah come dere - when 'er sweetie come, why he couldn't have no dealin' wit 'er. He'd try all right enough, but evah time he git up dere, why dere would be nuthin to him.
Entry 3644
Ole lady an' yo' don' want 'er tuh have intahco'se wit anothah man, says yo' kin take dat snail an' rub it cross her private, an' says de man can't have nuthin tuh do wit 'er. Say, when he git dere his jock will fall.
Entry 3645
If a man don' wan' nobody else tuh be wit a woman but 'im, he kin take a snail aftah goin' tuh bed at night, take a snail an' jes' take it unbeknownst tuh dat woman, an' drags it right up ovah, yo' know, drags it right up ovah 'er. She won't have any nature fo' anybody in de worl' 'cept 'im.
Entry 3650
Tell me dat, if yo' want a woman an' a man tuh lock togethah, go out an' ketch yo' a snail an' jes' lak if dere somebody dere dat yo' wants tuh ketch runnin' roun' wit a woman. If yo' evah had any dealin' wit 'em [snails], yo' know when a snail stick out he's got a slippery thing on 'im. An' yo' wipe yore han' ovah 'im an' git dat slippery thing off 'im. An' yo' be playin' wit 'er an' yo' happen to run yore han' ovah down dere, an' a fellah will go an' deal wit 'er or anything, it will create dem to lock.
Entry 3658
Ah heard, if yo' ketch a snail an' when yo' go tuh have a intahco'se wit a man, tuh rub dat snail on 'im an' he couldn't have anything tuh do wit anothah woman.
Entry 848
[Among other doctors with special names are: Dog Face or Dog Head (I describe in Introduction my efforts to find him in his tin-can-covered shed on a public dump) - Humpadee [= Humpty-Dumpty] of Richmond - Ready Money - Turkey Gobbler - Zorro - Doctor Buzzard - and others. "Mama Mary on Bowling Green Road [[north out of Richmond either helped or defended]] woman killed man - cut from under left arm, underwear - 5 or 6 needles and some cotton and part of towel they had used in intercourse - needles stuck in this underclothes and towel - put in bottle - and hair from privates - hole in cork - drips out - he died - Richmond, Va., (389), 336:3. Informant described as: "389 - b. Richmond - gum chewer" - gum chewer perhaps reason why I did not transcribe story - Numbers Book 340-442.]
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 322
You kill a black cat, you get the rectum bones, dry them, put them in a towel, mash them up into a powder, put them in soup, anything with vegetables a woman wants to eat. Then in the spring of the year when the sap begins to rise and the she cat meows for the tom cat, the woman will do the same thing - they [a cat] goes in heat twice a year - and want you.
Entry 3155
If a man wants tuh make - eithah a woman make 'im love her. Durin' de time dat dey are havin' a intahco'se, take de discharge an' put it in a li'le cloth wit a li'le coffee grin's [grinds] an' tie it up in a rag an' put it in de coffeepot, an' boil it an' let eithah one of 'em drink it, an' dat'll make her be able tuh hold 'im.
Entry 3156
A girl tole me dat she could take beef livah an' cook it an' give it tuh me tuh eat, an' dat would cuz me, if ah went out wit anothah woman, dat would cuz me an' 'er tuh go tuhgethah lak a dog. Jes' beef livah. (She wouldn't put anything else with it?) Ah don't know whut she put wit it. She nevah did tell me whut she put wit it. [Surely not beef liver but dog liver is meant - see later sub- subsection (c) DOG, under subsection (1) CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE.]
Entry 3168
(How would a woman take the nature away from a man?)
She'll take, jes' lak you'd go out an' be wit 'er dat night, she goin' - when yo' an' use de rag at - all right she goin' take dat rag an' she goin' put it - she ain't goin' wipe huhself off wit it, eithah wash huhself off wit it. She goin' let yo' wash off wit it. An' when yo' throw de rag down, she goin' stoop down an' git it an' yo' ain't goin' know whut. Yo' might not know whut she be gittin'. Well, when yo' know anythin' she'll have de rag back tuh de house. Lak some night she'll be gwine off tuh be wit a woman or somepin an' yo' might have good nature whilst she gone, an' jes' at de minute dat chew walks out an' git off wit anothah woman, why yo' ain't got no nature atall. She'll take dat rag, an' dat stuff be on de rag which yo' have used wit 'er, an' she'll put some salt in it an' put it up ovah de do'. An' evah time yo' go out de house, gwine out tuh have anothah woman, dat's goin' tuh kill yore nature.
(That is if you walk out under it?)
Yes. Ain't no diff'rence had it at de front do' an' back do' an' yo' cain't miss it. Yo' gotta go out one of de do's. An' when yo' go out dat do', gwine tuh huh, yo' ain't goin' tell 'er nuthin about it. Yo' know, yo' gwine out tuh have a woman. Yo' jes' slippin' out de do', yo' know, wit huh dat night. Well, when yo' go out tuh go wit huh, an' jes' as yo' an' huh git in de baid, dere ain't nuthin yo' kin do.
Entry 3200
Dey says dat dey take a frog - ketch a frog an' put 'im in a can or a pot where yo' outdo's washin', while it's 'live, an' put 'im in dere an' jes' let im cook on down tuh a powdah, an' sprinkle a man wit dat, or a man could sprin- kle a woman wit it, an' dey won't have no intahco'se atall wit nobody atall but jes' dem. (That's all they have to do?) Dat's all - jes' take it when it gits, yo' know, it burn tuh pow- dah, jes' lak ashes, an' yo' put it in a cloth yo' know, an' evah time yo' have sompin tuh do wit 'a man or woman, yo' sprinkle some of it on 'em.
Entry 3417
Git de blood from a dog an' de sickness of a woman an' mix dose two things togethah. Put 'em in a little bottle an' take dat bottle an' stop it up tight. Lay it down in a little groove lak dat an' put sand over it, an' dat will take her nature away from all men, any man. She can't have nuth- in to do wit anyone. (Do you take that from any kind of a dog, that blood? Any time?) Any kind of a dog, any time.
Entry 3474
Ah ties 'er against 'em.
(You what?)
Against de othahs.
(What do they say about that?)
Well, it's - lots of 'em will take an' use a cord string. If yo' can't git a good cord string, yo' kin some stuff dey call catgut - see, if yo' kin make it long enough. An' yo' dresses dat stuff wit 'er when yo' have intahco'se wit 'er. An' if ah wanta be away from dere four weeks, ah put four knots in dere an' I keep dem knots tied [around my waist - see later].
(What will that do?)
Jes' lak evah day, why yo' take a man he step off sometime, lak he wanta uri- nate or somepin. Yo' go, why yo' jes' take dis han', yo' know, sometime, an' urinate in 'is han' an' kin'a keep dat string aroun"is waist livened up. Jes' lak, [you are] goin' away, befo' yo' put it [string or catgut] on yo', jes' lak fo' instance, ah have dis night-glass [empty glass jar] or somepin settin' behin' on dis floor. Well, he not supposed to use dat, if he wanta dress dat string. He takes hisself an' let 'er use an' he wets dat in dere, takes it out an' puts it on 'im. Well, he ties dem knots in it first. An' aftah tyin' dem knots in it - well, dat will keep 'er straight prob'ly till he gits back.
(And how many knots do you tie in that string?)
Well, now, yo' have - it's accordin' if yo' goin' to be gone six weeks, well yo' put six knots in dat. If yo' be gone four weeks, yo' put four knots in it.
Entry 3477
Men and women?
(Yes.)
A woman dat anothah man - dat she got a husban' an' anothah woman wants dis man. Well, she can persuade, she kin make him lose his nature fer 'is wife an' have all de nature fer her by buyin' a square of yellah domestic-lak. De yellah domestic is de only kin' dat'll do. An' when she has connec- tions wit dis man she lets 'im use dat yellah domestic. An' she ties it in a knot jes' as tight as she kin tie it where the spots are. An' she puts it undah de side of de bed dat she lies on, an' sleeps right on dat knot, an' she has 'im tied up where 'is wife can't git any service outa 'im at all. He can't do any- thing at home. De only time he kin do anything is when he come an' lie on de side of de bed where dat piece of domestic is. She lies right on dat when she has dealings wit 'im an' he can't git up any courage fer anybody but 'er. He naturally mistakes dat fer love an' leaves 'is wife an' comes to her.
Entry 3506
(What will she do?)
Take de cloth dat she use an' be sure dat she gits it. She goin' to cut it out, de piece of it out while it's damp, an' she know what she got. An' she'll put it on a belt or somepin an' jis' wear it aroun' 'er waist. Dat tie him to her. Evah time he go to go wit any othah woman, as long as she get dat piece on 'er, he can't. If he's ready, why he soon become unready befo' he kin do any- thing.
Entry 3556
Fo' instance, when she have a intahco'se wit 'im, whensomevah he would discharge, instead of 'im wipin', she would take an' wipe him wit de rag. Den tearin' a strip off de rag an' tyin' nine knots in it an' wearin' it roun' 'er waist, an' when he'd go wit othah women dataway he'll be ambitious fo' 'em, but he won' do anythin' until he git dat way fo' her.
Entry 3610
If a man is runnin' aroun' wit a woman - yo' mean yo' don't want 'im to fool wit dat othah woman?
(Yes.)
Well, dey say, yo' know yo' got a husban'. Well, when yore husban' go wit yo' an' yo' an' 'im connects togethah. Well, dey say, yo' takes a piece of cord string. Well yo' catches dat, an' dey say yo' ties dat in nine knots. See, an' yo' ties it aroun' yore wais' an' yo' wears it aroun' dere all de time. Well, he can't fool wit no othah women but yo' becuz yo' got 'im all tied up.
(I see.)
(What can he do?)
He else will have to git it from yo' [the woman]. He has to go to somebody [hoodoo] an' dey'll tell 'im dat 'is wife got 'im tied up. Now, he may kin catch yo' in de bed asleep at night an' cut dat string from aroun' yore wais', yo' see. An' den yo'll notice dat de nex' time he go wit yo', yo' see, dat's de way dat is.
(He has to get that cord from you?)
Yes.
Entry 3618
As ah 'fore said awhile ago 'bout a woman usin' 'er cloths, especially if ah don't use mine, or if ah use mine heah, she would use hers heah. All right now, ah kin be done wit de woman an' stretching out. Now ah'm tellin' yo' dis heah whut ah experienced mahself. Dis heah not whut ah heard, ah experienced it mahself. Crosstown heah last year [1938] ah wus hurt lak dat wit a woman, see. But ah didn't have no itchin' fo' no woman. Well, ah went to de druggist an' bought whut chew call courage pills an' othah kin'a pills. Dey didn't do any good. All right, ah kin'a heard a - ah heard of dis heah talkin' of takin'yore nature from yuh an' ah caught on to she musta had me tied up. An' ah went to her one night, ah said, "Lookit heah, " ah say, "ain't chew got sompin near yo' of me? Or got me fixed some way?" She say, "No." Well, den ah thought about dis heah method of takin' de nature from yo' in de bed, yo' know. Yo' wanta know about dat? Well, she went to de job - went to her job dat mawnin', an' while she wus gone ah tore up de mattress an' foun' dis mess. An' when ah found it, hit wus nine knots tie in a piece of cloth, de same cloth dat she used on me but not on 'erself, see. Now she had it tied in nine diff'ren' knots, jes' nine knots all crossed up in all kinda diff'ren' ways, an' she wore dat. Whut chew call wear, she wore dat roun' 'er waist. See. She had one cloth an' had it tied in nine knots an' she wore dat. An' she had anothah dat she put ovah - lak she puttin' a bandage ovah it, an' she wore dat right on 'er stomach roun' dere. Ah could roam aroun' town, anywhere in de world, see any people, jes' havin' fun. Now, ah couldn't git up no nature fo' 'em. Ah could go to any woman. "Lookit heah, " ah say, "how about gittin' some so-an'-so?" All right. An' go right dere, an' jes' as de minute ah start, it be lak dis heah [evidently demonstrated with a dropping finger or hand]. Until when ah found dat mess, an' when ah found it ah didn't even bothah atall. Ah made her took it out. An' aftah she untied it an' took it, den ah had [my nature again].
Entry 3621
Den yo' kin take a piece of cord string an' put nine knots in it. Git chew some turpentine an' put it up an' down in dere an' put dat roun' yore waist. Yo' can't git up a courage tuh have an intahco'se wit no woman.
(Well, don't you do something with that string first?)
Jes' only put - no, dat's anothah diff'ren' one altogethah. But see, dat nine knots, an' worked in dat turpentine, put it roun' yore waist. Yo'll have a hard time, yo' know, to git courage fo' 'er.
Entry 3622
She kin take a cord string, see, an' evah time - tie nine knots in it an' evah time she have some dealin' wit 'er husban' put a little dat on dat cord string, see. An' it's a little turpentine ah think goes wit it, see. An' den he won't have any nature fo' any othah woman.
(Where does she keep that string?)
Around her waist.
(She ties those knots in it?)
Yessuh, ties dose knots in it - see, until she gits nine.
(She doesn't measure him with that string or anything of that sort?)
[My leading question here makes informant's answer measure from a distance useless.] She gen'ly [generally] measure from a distance first an' den ties de knot in dere.
Entry 3637
[While recording machine was stopped, informant said you get a live snail.l Now dis is about if a man is runnin' aroun'. If he's runnin' aroun' an' yo' vanta stop 'im.
(All right, now you get this live snail.)
An' not any - don't git 'im wit de shell. Yo' know, yo' see some snails wit- out de shell an' some wit de shell. Git de one witout de shell. An' den yo' take a new han'ke'cheff an' yo' put 'im in dis new han'ke'cheff on de end lak. Well, yo' put salt on it ian' let it dissolve. Well, yo' see, yo' take dis han'- ke'cheff yo' know, when yo' have a connection wit each othah an' yo' let 'im wipe Alt it. Well, dat will stop 'im from havin' any intahco'se wit any woman at all except yo'.
Entry 3763
Yo' kin go where a bo' hog has been.
(A boar hog and you use his urinate.)
No suh, git his, where his bowels move. An' she take dat an' use it about herself, an' den don't take no wash off or nuthin lak dat an' den be wit him. He cain't go wit no othah woman. [This rite could confuse a few readers, it momentarily confused me - the reason for my comment in the parenthesis. My informant says go where a bo' hog has been. To be certain that I understood, I immediately interpreted the words bo' hog as boar hog, not bored, a castrated one. Informant did not correct me. But looking back through the years, was I correct? She wants him to be bo'd except when with her. Perhaps a parallel has been or will be found.]
Entry 3990
At night, lak he [does not] wanta have sompin tuh do wit yuh, pee in yuh pan, yuh see, an' put chew about half-a han'a [hand of] sugah in dat pan. Well, yo' wanta make him have sompin tuh do wit yuh. Befo' yuh have anythin' tuh do, yuh git down ovah it [pan] an' wash yuhself. Don't dry it, jis' git on in de baid an' go ahead on wit 'im. Wipe yuhself off an' he'll start. An' [that will make him] bring 'is money, too. Dat's all yo' gotta do.
Entry 6718
Kill zim [kills him] yo' know. (Kills a buzzard?) Yes sir, an' take de grease an' grease yoreself, makes yo' limbah, yo' know, an' supple.
(What do you do that for?)
Dey say dat's jis' tuh make yo' supple an' able befo' de women an' diff'ren thin's lak dat, yo' know.
Entry 7189
Take dat - say, now, if dere is a woman dat wuz runnin' wit a man an' yo' don' want it done, yo' see. Dat's de othah woman, yo' know, wit a married man. Dis man is runnin' wit anothah woman. His wife have got aholt [a hold] of it. She kin dress 'er husban' fo' de othah woman. (Well, how would she dress him? What would she do that with?) She dress 'er husban'. She would take, she put 'erself in contact wit 'er husband now an' use 'im 'erself. An' when she's done wit 'im, den she smote [rub] 'im down, by puttin' dis innocent oil in 'er han's an' smote 'im down.
(She'll only do that after she's finished?)
Aftah she done wit 'im, herself; yo' know, de wife.
(She puts this oil on her hands?)
Yes, an' smote 'im down. An' aftah she smote 'im down, den she'll turn 'im loose. He kin go. Now, den, he kin go aftah dis othah woman. He cain't raise a heart fer'er, see. Den he'll come den an' looks - go on an' beat 'is wife, knowin' dat he don't wan' nobody else but 'er an' [that] he cain't mark time now lak he used tuh; knowin' dat somepin's wrong somewhere, don't chew see. But dat's de way she kin do.
(Well, what kind of oil would she use to do that? Put on her hands?)
Innocent oil. (Innocent oil. Well, where do you get that? Where do you buy it? How do you get it, make it?) Yo' know whut a innocen' is. Innocen' [as] a lamb. A lamb is innocen'. Yo' kin take a knife an' go tuh 'im fo' tuh cut 'is throat, he won't say a word. He's innocent. (Well, they call it innocent oil, yes, but you have to buy that some place, don't you? Where do you get that?) Oh! Yo' make it yuhself. Take a piece of lamb.
(Oh!) You get a piece of lamb. I see.)
Git a piece of lamb an' take a piece of fat off it an' stew it up.
(Take the fat and stew it up.)
AH DO'S DAT. AH MAKES A LI'LE MEDICINE NOW, YO' KNOW, TUH CURE "BAD DIS- EASES." (That's all you use, just that oil from that lamb? This mutton or lamb oil, you don't put anything with it or anything?) Don' put nuthin else wit, except dere's somepin else yo' wanta do.
Entry 10244
Whut he could do fo' himself. Somebody have tuh put him wise tuh let him know dat she have him tied an' den he jes' go an' play with her an' yo' see, den he say, "Yo' got sompin aroun'yo'. Yo'don'want dat ole string aroun' yo'." An' jes' take it off her yo' see. Well, dat'll loose him. [This is informant's preceding rite 10243 from man's point of view.]
Entry 10248
She take an' tie nine knots in a string fo' her husban' so he couldn't have connection wit nobody else but her. She take nine knots - jes' lak mah [his] shirt, she'll take mah [his] shirt see an' tear a string out of it, an' tie nine knots in dere an' she wears it in her shoe. Dat will keep him from havin' connection wit any othah woman.
Entry 10249
She jus' got to ketch 'im sleepin' when he done been out an' come in broke down [worn out]. In the summertime there he's layin' up there, jus' ketcha piece of string - jus' like this - get the size of it. Then when she get it off, she drop this end an' starts from the other one an' make a knot right chere [here], direct where her hand left off, an' make nine knots in it. [The 9 knots are strung along the measurement, a knot at each end.] An' take it an' make nine knots an' tie it roun' 'er waist. Then he - it have a tendency that he can't raise for nobody but her.
(Is there any Way you get rid of that?)
Well, quite natchal, the string is goin' to weah off an' break off, an' he's going to....
Entry 10259
Yo' kin take a lemon with a woman when she's in heat, when she wanta have a man. Yo' kin take dat lemon an' put salt in dat lemon, an' yo' take it an' yo' drop some of it on her. Dat ain't goin' make her hot no mo', she won't wanta have nobody else no mo' until aftah yo' reduce [dat lemon].
Entry 10361
Give woman dog blood, if she goes with another man they become stuck [Charleston, 617:4].
Entry 10718
Ah nevah heard of 'em using a fish, but ah've heard of 'em using a bird. Dey take de two birds to find out whethah a woman is guilty of fornication or not...a man with his wife. Yo' take de two birds - yo' ketch de two an' take [hold] dem ovah runnin' watah, an yo' kill one an' let de othah one go, an' if she's guilty she swells up.
(What two birds do you take?)
It didn't say any certain birds, jest two fowl of de air. [This rite comes from a book, as informant's last statement shows. Nine informants preceding present one, this two-bird rite Was given in a different and expanded form. Rei versing this order, the longer rite now follows this present one.]
Entry 13136
Yo' kin take a woman's sock, an' yo' take de left sock, an' yo' take it an' burn it. Yo' burn it in [into] de ashes an' make a powdah outa dat, an' yo' take it in a bag an sew dat bag up. An' yo' kin take dat powdah [bag] an' put it on yo'. Now, dat's goin' make her do anything yo' want her [to do] - mind yo' in any way. An' yo' kin fix it so she cain't have no man Wit dat, de same powdah. Den yo' kin, jes' lak yo' git in bed at night, yo' take dat little powdah an' dust it on her, an' she cain't have - any othah man git up on her, he'll fall.
Entry 3552
Den if yo' want to, yo' kin stop 'em from havin' a intahco'se wit any- body but chew. Yo' take dat raw cotton string, jes' a cord string an' use it when yo' have intahco'se. Yo' take dat an' ketch dat an' tie nine knots in it, an' draw 'em to yo', an' tie it aroun' yore waist, an' evah time he goes out, den he cain't have nobody but chew.