Subject:Shirt
Entries
Entry 2095
I heard when I was a child, my grandmother heard, that if you take a man's shirt and put it under the bed and keep it there, that it would bring luck to the house. So my grandmother tried this and always kept the shirt under the bed.
Entry 3853
I've heard dat if a woman leaves home - I mean a man leaves home, an' de woman wants to make him come back. De biggest idea in dealings such as dat, yo' deal wit de pieces yo' wears - de clothes yo' wears. Yo' takes de man's clothes, but yo' must wanta have an' undahpiece dat he wore. Yo' take dat undahshirt or pajama suit or anything dat de man have worn. Yo' takes it - she'll take dat, I heard, an' she will mix dat wit some of 'er personals. Yo' know vhat dat is?
(No.)
Her monthly personals.
(Her monthly personals. All right.)
Her monthly personals, yo' understan', an' she will take his shirt an' she will wrap it, yo' know, aroun' some of 'er personals. See! An' den she will take dat an' she will dig a hole jes' about undah de centah about where de bed sets [a quincunx]. Dat will be up and undah dere house - see, right in de soil. See, dig a hole down dere an' she'll bury dose two pieces togethah an' it's im- possible fo' him to stay away.
Entry 4215
A woman kin do de same thin', jis' lak she want me an' ah don't want 'er. Well, she kin git a piece of yuh shirt an' tie it in nine knots an' put it in 'er watah, her urinate watah, an' let it stay in dere fo' three mornin's. If she kin git dem nine knots back into mah pocket or in some of mah clothses, dat will draw me an 'er back tuhgethah.
Entry 4754
A man undahshirt, a dirty undahshirt. An' jis' lak if yuh wuz a wo- man's husban', an' a woman got a sweetheart an' wanta keep yuh down, when dat sweetheart come home. She kin take one yore dirty undahshirt, an' take it right out dere in dat yard an' jes' dig a hole. Jis' dig a wide place where dat shirt will open out sompin lak dis [demonstrates].
(Spread out.)
An' bury dat shirt right tuh dat stick, an' yuh kin be in heah, disde husban'- man now, yuh kin be in heah an' yuh see dat sweetheartman comin'. Yuh li'ble [liable] tuh go out dere in dat back yard until dat man go.
(You go out in the back yard until the man leaves.)
Ah've seen dat happen.
Entry 4775
Jis' lak a lady want chew tuh love her. She wash yore clothes an' things, yuh see, an' when she iron yore shirt tuh de tail yuh know, don't pull de iron up, jis' push it down de length of it an' push it back. (Iron it down toward the tail?) Yes, iron it down toward de tail but don't pull de iron. Evah time yuh push it down, lift it up an' ketch aholt an' push it down lak dat. Don't nevah pull it up yuh see. Dat'll make a man go crazy about a woman an' make him stay home.
Entry 4779
A woman could take a man's shirt an' tie nine knots in it, yuh know. Dem knots tied, see. (What does she do with the shirt then?) She take de shirt an' put it undah 'er pillah see, an' sleep on it.
Entry 5845
I've heard people say da'choo [that you] could take a man's head - yo git a stran' of hair outa de mole [mold] of a man's head an' take a stran' of hair from yore [a woman's] head, an' put 'em togethah an' cross 'em like dat [demon- strates]. (Like that - one on top of the other.) Yeh, right dat way. An' take dem an' take a piece of 'is shirt from undahneat' 'is arm, or eithah take de tail of 'is shirt, an' cut dat off, an' wrap it up in dere, an' tie it up into a ball, an' jis'make a pocketpiece [hand] of it. An' dey say dat will keep 'im wit yeh, dat'll make 'im love yo' so he can't stay away from yo'. Wear it in yore pocketbook or wear in yore dress pocket - jis' dat yo' keep it on yoreself.
Entry 7395
If a man murdah somebody an' git away from home, if yo' could git a piece of 'is garment an' twist - jis' lak yo'd git yore shirt, jis' git 'is shirt an' put sixteen knots in de tail of 'is shirt, an' dey say he couldn't stay 'way, no way tuh escape. He'd have tuh come back an' surrendah himself tuh de officahs.
(You get the shirt of the fellow who did the killing?)
Yessuh, jes' lak ah'd kill someone, yo'd git a garment dat ah been wearin' - jis' lak in a shirt or any of mah undahweah.
(That would bring you back.)
Entry 7396
Say fo'stance [for instance], now, if a person kill someone an' dey Want 'em [killer] tuh come back. Undahstan' good. If yo' git holt a piece [of] one of his shirts, any piece [of clothing] dat he wore, yo' take dat piece an' roll it tight tuh yo', an' bury dat undah de side of de house - undah de house, undah yore house. Ah'll bury it anywhah whah he stayed at, an' he'll wandah right roun' dat place an' come right back dere. See, he'll come back. He cain't stay 'way to save his life, he will come back.
Entry 8960
I have went to jail for fighting and lotsa time never stayed in no longer that then I could get word [to someone] which they got some dust they call this murlee dust.
(Morlee?)
[Name impossible to transcribe; probably a local hoodoo-store dust.]
Morlee dust, tell you. But the trouble [is] jis' lak if yo' happen to be fightin' somewhere an' go to jail. Take some of this Morlee dust an' yo' let your people bring you a shirt, and put it in that [shirt]. Yo' understand. (A clean shirt?) Yes, any kind you got, so long as you wears it - a brand-new shirt. And you put it [this dust] down in the lining of the sleeve or anywhere around the collar lak dat, about nine different places and you wear it. See. Yo' get it an' yo' put it on there when yo' going to court there. Yo' wants to be cut loose from that place. Well, yo' get a beef tongue. Let 'em get a beef tongue an' yo' put jes' as many needles in that beef tongue as yo' could. Set it in yore grate." Jes dig a hole down in de grate, if yo' have a grate. Take a brick out to put it [tongue] down in there.
(In your fireplace?)
Yes, sir. Then, when yo' going to court, when yo' walk in there, yo' have this shirt on with that stuff [in 9 places]; when yo' walk in an' enter into that place, where de lawyer done turn yo' over to be tried. He [is] talking With the jury, who are going to try yo'. He'll be pretty easy with yo'. If yo' got any jurymen on yore case or anything like that, first thing yo' know, yo' have this beef tongue [at home working for you] an' this beef tongue is by yore fire. Well, it be frying; yo' know, hot. Well, that make them needles get red hot an' they couldn't but just fine yo'. The judge do nuthin of de kind. They just have to turn yo' loose, let yo' out of dat jail. (In the jail you wore that shirt there, and at home someone is cooking the beef heart. Is it a beef heart or beef tongue?) Yes, the beef tongue. Get up in de mawnin' an' put [in tongue] as many needles as yo' can. De more needles yo' [can put in, the better]. An' yo' jis' stick the needles all down in it; yo' know, to de limit. An' yo' - if yo' have to, take up a brick - an' yo' put it down in de fire hearth an' put the brick back on. And the time when yo' going to court, light a fire in there. An' when that beef tongue commence to cooking like that, any, evahbody just as calm with yo' as evah. Couldn't find no evidence against [you] and won't find yo' guilty. All they could do, jis' [let] yo' loose without bail. An' they'll never come against yo' no more.
Entry 9781
Take a needle an' sew nine knots in de left corner of a man's shirt, in de tail of it, an' that will keep them from runnin' around.
(Make him stay home?)
Entry 9841
Put nine safety pins - jis' git or'nary safety pins about dat long [demonstrates length]. Ah got some of 'em right heah now [shows some safety pins.] Put nine of 'em in dere. Co'se [of course] ah've not got de nine in dere, but den yo' put nine safety pins. Put three right heah. Pin 'em right 'cross heah straight up an dowa. Dat's three: one - two - three. [I describe demonstration.] (Three on the left side of your breast pocket.) Yeah, three right undah by each pocket. Keep 'em in yore undahshirt. Den dey put three on dis side.
(Over your heart.)
Ovah yore heart. Den yo' put three right in de centah of yore back. "Co'se yo' kin pull yore shirt off an' do dat. Dey says yo' kin have bettah luck. Dat [rite] come from New Orleans. Ah knowed dat tuh be de fact. Dey say yo' will have bettah luck. If yo' are a gamblah, dey says evahthing will come yuh way now an' den. Dose evil's got on yo', yo' kin git dat off an' keep agoin'. [A little later, after changing the cylinder, I decided to return to the pre- ceding rite.] (Just to be sure what you just told me about those safety pins. Will you explain that again, now?) Well, yo' put three of 'em heah.
(Three safety pins in your left side, one right under the other.)
Yeah, fastened. Well yo' go back heah an' yo' put three mo'.
(On your right hand side.)
Yes sir. An' den yo' - yo' can't git 'em dere but chew pull off yore shirt, an' yo' know de centah of yo' back. Yo' put three right up an' down dere [in the back of your shirt] an' weah 'em in dere all de time. When yo' have de shirt washed, take 'em out an' put 'em back in de shirt yo' put on.
(Where did you say that came from?)
Dat come from New Orleans.
Entry 10252
[This rite comes in two parts:] (l) [A woman will] take his shirt, fold the arms together, crossing [each other], put on side of bed where he sleeps [put under mattress]. [The folding of shirt arms is a sym- bol of dead man in a coffin.] He'll be back. (2) [If he runs around with other woman, here is what she does.] Quite natural she kin git de measure of his private down dere an' tie as many knots in it as he [his] private is long, an' wear it aroun' her waist. Dat'll stop him.
Entry 12931
Well, you take a man dat - a person what wanna have you home all de time an' mix up, mix up [confused] from time to time dat - he would come in your home and he would git a piece of yore garment. Jes' like you got dat shirt [author's shirt brings a version of the shirttail rite to informant's mind]. If he [the man we started with] would see anything keerless around your home [soiled clothing], like you gotta hang yore shirt [but don't], some stuff around not put in de dirty bag. He [the man we began with will soon be changed to a woman because this is a shirttail rite] would take your shirt and carry it on home and take a small piece out de back, right under de back. [Here informant changes to a woman.] And a woman - most woman do it, no man. But most women do dat to keep up de home when she want dis man. See. She would take a small piece out of it and cut dat out dat shirt and slap dat [shirt]. [She] come on back and put dat shirt back where he is. And dat man would all de time be cross with his wife. [Woman cutting piece out of man's shirt is not his wife.] Nothin' she do could suit him.
Entry 4299
Ah tell yuh whut she could do tuh make him come back tuh 'er. If she got any of 'is undahclothes, if he left any of 'is undahclothes dere, she would take his undahshirt an' 'is drawahs an' wash 'em, see. Wash 'em in some cleah watah. Don't put no soap in it, jis' take de cleah watah an' rinse it off. Take dis watah yuh undahstan', from 'is undahclothes an' put it in a bottle. Bury it undah 'er front steps, yuh undahstan', an' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' pee on dis bot- tle. Ah'll guarantee yuh [he] won't fool wit no othah woman an' yo'll [he'll] come back dere an' go on in wit 'er [live with her again].
(You leave this bottle standing upright like that?)
No, turn it up.
(Turn it upside down?)
Turn dat upside down wit de watah offa yuh clothes in dere, yuh undahstan'.
turning the bottle upside down after rejecting upright orientation. Keep the full upright→No→upside-down exchange; upright is rejected, not an alternative instruction. washing/rinsing the man’s underclothes with clear water and no soap. Do not restate it as soap washing or discard the collected rinse-water purpose. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 4761
Well, ah've heard ag'in, if yuh've got a man away an' yuh want 'im tuh come back tuh yuh, an' he leaves some of 'is clothes dere, said yuh take clothes tuh make him be on 'is haid. Put de clothes - put 'is undahweah an' 'is shirt, put de haid of it down towards 'is feet [dem- onstrates]. (On the bed?) Yessuh, yuh've gotta lay on dere yuh see. Put it down dere tuhwards 'is feet. Dey take his undah- weah an' take de bottom part - take de laigs of it an' put 'em up tuhwards de haid of de baid, an' let de body go down tuhwards it. Den yuh take his socks an' yuh take one an' bring it 'cross dis way an' let it be tuh de front of de baid.
(The head of the bed?)
No suh, de front. Yuh see - listen. Heah's whut ah mean. Now, yuh layin down dat way.
(Here's the bed. This is the head and that's the foot?)
Yessuh, now yuh lie dat sock dat way.
(Which is the foot and which way does the other part of the sock point?)
De foot part of de sock goes at de haid.
(That points to the head of the bed?)
De toe goes tuh de haid of de baid. Den heah comes de othah, de mouth of de sock, yuh know, where yuh put chure foot in. Let it be out tuh de front [demon- strates].
(One sock crosses the other.)
Yessuh. An' den aftah doin' dat. Let's see - man's sock, undahweah an' de top-shirt. Dat, she might lay in it, an' de rest of 'em yuh lay on top of 'em. Don't put a thing on top of 'em but a sheet. Den befo' yo' git in baid, make yore wishes. Put one needle up an' de othah one cross at de haid [demonstrates], 'tween de haid. Lak dis is de haid of de baid, put it down in dere, in between in dere. Don't let it git down by yore haid, but let it be up above.
(At the top of the head of the bed, you cross two needles.)
Yessuh. An' so yuh lay on dose things, an' ah think she said, in nine days he would come home.
Entry 484
To keep a hag from ridin' a person, sleep in black - ole black - or ole black undershirt or even is worth while a black shirtwaist. Put on that and he can't come. [Charleston, S. Car., (512), 585: l. For black coat over outside door to keep out witches, see FACI,2ed., p.889.] [I should note here that hag riding was practically unknown in Adams County, Illinois; a community largely of German extraction. The word hag does not appear in the exhaustive index of the first edition of FACI.]
Entry 4600
Take dat little bow out of a man's hat an' dress it wit Hearts German Cologne [sometimes called German Hearts Cologne]. Ah think dat's whut dey calls it, Hearts Cologne, an' Crabapple Cologne [3 colognes], an' pin it inside of 'er shirt, an' wear it in dere. An' he will always love 'er. [German Hearts Cologne is unusual, I re- calling only two or three instances of its use.]
Entry 4812
Ah haven't heard about de socks but ah [know] whut dey kin do wit de shirts. Well, dey kin take dat shirt an' cut a piece out dat shirt an' wear it roun' dere waist, an' dat man will follah 'em evahwhere dey goin'.
(Where do they cut the piece from?)
Right out de shirttail, right behin' dere.
Entry 4886
If yore boy fren' done lef' yuh an' yuh wan' 'im tuh come back - if yore boy fren' or yore girl fren' done lef' yuh an' yuh wan' 'em tuh come back, yuh jis' take eithah one dere socks [or stock- ings] an' lay it up undah de side of de baid where yuh sleep at, see. Dey'll come right on back home tuh yuh. It may be nine or ten days but dey comin' back.
(You lay it on the bed?)
Yeah, on de spring on de side where yuh lay at. Or yuh kin put 'is shirt, eithah one. It doesn't make any diff'rence.
Entry 11089
"Clip out a piece of end of his shirt, a piece in the shape of a head and place it on the front of her, on her petticoat you might say, or underskirt, and wear that. That will prevent him from going to and fro or coming in contact or having connection with other women in a sexual way." [Vicksburg 1018:2.]
Entry 941
Now, de woman that ah'm [was] living with, she'd taken advantage of me that way. An' ah had a gypsy Woman [usually a colored woman wearing large ear- rings and pretending to be a gypsy] to tell me all about it, an' de gypsy Woman tole me jes' where to find the nail on de east side of de tree, an' on de north side ah'd find a peg, an' on de west side ah'd find a snuff-can top drove in de tree. I wrote home to mah mother an' tole her about it. She had that tree cut down an' found those items in dat tree - dere was a big nail, a small bottle with a piece of mah shirt, an' in that bottle there were some safety pins - hairpins, an' that shirt, an' two worms about that long an' they were jes' white. An' the fellah [doctor] that did it - mah mother kept it an' she preserved those things fo' certain days - ah don't know whut cause her to do it - an' the fellah that did it was standin' at de windah - an' she pored those things in the stove an' put kerosene to them an' de wind blowing jes' dat way - he was standin' dere an' it blew all in his face [see Smoke in Index]. He was den makin' preparations to go out on de water [as sailor or fisherman] but he never did go - he went crazy. An' dey figured dat returned back on him an' he couldn't stand his own work.
(Well, it didn't affect you in any way?)
Well, ah couldn't stay in no place, no place.
(How did it happen that this gypsy woman told you about this?)
Ah were down heah in Egypt [colored community] - right 'cross in de same town heah. [There was a Little Egypt near somewhere I worked on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.] But it wasn't did here - it was did in the city Key [West?] Florida. An' she came by havin' a big bundle on her shoulder an' she were hungry. So she ast me fo' somethin' to eat. Ah was making mah breakfast-dinner [brunch] then. Ah tole 'er to wait. So when ah tole her dat, de woman she - I let 'er in, an' when ah let 'er in, shé ast me to let 'er read mah hand. So ah did so, an' she tole me jes' how ah got chere an' when ah came an' how ah came. Ah.came de first Sunday in de month, de first day in de week, de first of de month an' de first day of de year. An' she said, "Dis woman yo' marry 'er but," she says, "she's not chure wife." An' she tole me jes' lak ah tole yo' whut was done, an' she [the wife] had did it [through a doctor]. Dat wus put on me fo' nine months, an' ah went ailin' fo' those months, an' a fortune-teller man tole me after dat, if I had gone jes one more month, ah never would have [been] able to regain [myself]. (Well, did you go back home or did you go back to your mother's to get rid of that stuff?) I did. [My question is not tricky; his answer is not a lie - writing home was going home (see Introduction for questions and communication problems).]
Entry 6083
Ef ah didn't want mah old lady to leave, ah'd take whilst she sleep - ah'd git a little of de hair out de mole of 'er haid an' a little out of each temple an' a little ovah heah. (Down below?) Yes, suh. An' ah'd take it an' ah'd git me a 'simmon [persimmon] switch an' ah'd split it an' ah'd stick dat hair right in dat switch. Undahstan' me good. An' when ah'd put it in dat switch, ah'd git me a little piece of flannel about dat long - about Iak, about dat wide. An' ah'd take an' wrop dat [small split stick] in dere, an' ah'd put a hole in de bindin' of mah shirt, an' ah'd take dat an' ah'd stick it up indere an' - wrop it tight an' slip it right up in dere. She wouldn't go nowhere. AH COULD BEAT 'ER ALL AH WANT, SHE WOULDN'T GO ON OFF.
(Where do you keep that now? In your shirt, you say?)
Yes sir, right in de bindin'. (Right in the lining - around your waist.)
Entry 6225
I heard 'em say yo' takè a auger an' go tuh a tree an' bo' a hole in it. Den yo' kin take de hair - take de pieces of dere dress or dey shirt or dey clothes, whut dey wears, an' de bands out dere hat [auto horn] or anythin' lak dat - somepin dat dey use. An' take an' put it in dat tree - in dat place where yo' bo'd out. An' take an' git chew a sharp peg - a [pine] lighter peg whut won't rot, an' drive it up jis' as hard as yo' kin drive. Dey kin go out dere fo' nine mawnin's yo' know an' jis' knock it - take a hammah an' hit it one time. Do dat fo' nine mawnin's. Say dat'll run a person crazy.
Entry 317
Take a black cat an' take a pot of hot boilin' watah an' take dis cat alive. Yo' mus'n't kill 'im - yo' take him alive an' put him in dat hot boilin' watah live an' let him boil all to pieces. An' take dem bones an' hold dem 'fore de mirror an' de one dat shake in de mirror dat's, yo' know, dat's de right bone. Or yo' either take it to runnin' water an' de bone dat go down de stream dat's not de right bone, but de bone dat go up de stream an' de water running dat's de right bone. Take it an' put it in a black bag - sew it up in a real black bag an' jes' when yo' wanta do a trick or anything, put on a real black shirt an' yo' kin go in a store or anywhere an' git anything yo' want - nobody will nevah see yo', yo' disappear. (Now when you hold that bone in front of the mirror - what happens to that bone when you hold it in front of the mirror?) It will shake in front of de mirror.
(Oh, the bone will shake.)
De right bone will jes' shake in front of de mirror. (You do either one - you either hold it before the mirror or you go to running water.) Yo' do either one of those an' yo' git de right bone.
Entry 1480
Say if they put anything down fo' yo', if yo' wanta walk ovah it or go ovah it, jes' git chew some sulphur, some salt, black peppah an' take an' jes' make yo' a ball with it lak that an' jes' put it in a red flannel an' yo' kin go anywhere about an' it won't bother yo'.
[This is a protection hand.]
(Where do you keep that red flannel?)
Jes' keep it anywhere next to yore heart - in yore watch pocket or in yore shirt pocket, anywhere.
Entry 2090
Well, now de beginnin' of dis first story is tuh git his shirt, his sweaty shirt - jes' lak yo' go out dere an' work. An' yo' git de sweat outa dat shirt an' de strength is in dat shirt. Not no one man's strength is de same - de're [dey are] not alike. An' not no one man's taste is de same. Yo' take dis shirt an' mix it wit magie control powder, but git de powder jes' de color of him an' yo' put it into some box - jes' lak into a box there. An' hit'll grow. Yo' know, magic will grow - magic lodestone an' steel dust. An' jes' as that grow, why he'll go. He won't stay no one place. He won't even stop tuh tell yo' [good-by when he leaves].
(You must put this magic steel dust and what else?)
An' controllin' powder but git de powder de color of him. (In addition to that controlling powder, you take steel dust and lodestone, and put it in this shirt and then put the shirt away?) Yeah, put dat shirt away.
(That is to get rid of him - to make him move?)
Yes. ["Beginning second trip to New Orleans, La., Wed., Feb.14, 1940 [[four persons were interviewed and then came]] 1562 - man - works Crackerjack Drug Store [[see Index]] - Ida Bates [[meaning he was brought or sent by Ida Bates Whose interview will be given in the Interviews section]]" - Numbers Book 1558- 1605. A note on the present text reads, "He became a sort of contact man."]
Entry 3312
Heard 'em say dey would use a simple little piece on dere shirt, yo' know, roun' by de tail of 'is shirt [near privates]. Yuh takes it an' dress it an' wear it de back of 'er shoes. (How would she dress that?) Dey tell me she dresses it wit some of 'er chamber lye, yo' know, fo' othah womens.
(What shoe does she wear that in, both shoes?)
She wears it in her left one.
Entry 4736
An' den if she don't wan'a do dat, she washes 'is shirt. She cuts jis' a half a length outa de shirt in front, right where it dangle down in front, right heah, jis' one end, an' she take dat an' she makes fo' cor- nahs out of it, sew hit an' put dat. Well, jis' as long as dat cloth stan', dat's 'er man.
(Where does she put this piece of cloth now?)
Put it undah de lef' arm or de lef' feet, an' jis' wears it.
Entry 4811
Ah heard dat a lady could take a man's end of 'is shirt, an' cut off de end of 'is shirt, an' den she would keep dat. An' den DAT WOULD KEEP 'IM LOVIN' "ER, BUT SHE WOULDN'T CARE FO' HIM 'LESS HE GIVE HER ALL OF 'IS MONEY.
(Well, what would she do with that shirt?)
She would take dem two ends an' keep dem, put 'em in 'er purse or anywhere roun' 'er.
Entry 4862
Yuh kin take dere shoes. Yuh kin git de inside sole [the insole], a piece of de inside sole of dere shoes, yuh undahstan'. Or git a piece outa dere shirt, yo' know, outa de back of it, or out de side of it or de undah- weah. Jis' cut a piece, yuh know, right out anywhere out dere unions [union suit], anything, an' wrop it up, yo' undahstan', an' put it in salt an' watah. Let it sits dere in salt an' watah an' let it stay in dere two days. Take it out an' put it in runnin' watah.
(That will run them away?)
Yes sir.
Entry 7381
Well, suppose you kill me, tisn't but one thing. But do dis now. If you kill me right now - why do you kill any person, woman or man - go to yore house an' get one shirt, or one undahshirt, or one drawers, or a pants, or a sock, anything dat chew wear [wear]. Put it undahneat' dat woman or dat man's head, an' yo' can't go anywhere. Yo'll come back. It'll be far, but yo'll come back in town.
(That's the way they catch you, if you kill somebody.)
Yes, sir, if yo' kill somebody - if yo' jes' shoot 'em, why dey can't get yo' anyway. If yo' kill somebody, yo' can't go. Yo'll go but yo' won't sleep, an' don't care where yo' sleep, yo' goin' to git so tired dat yo' come an' give yore- self up to de law. [The dead man's spirit will not let the murderer sleep. It pesters the killer until he returns and gives himself up to the law.]
Entry 9114
Dey tell me a man kin take nine pins an' stick one a day, if yo' goin' have a case in co't. Stick one a day fo' nine days an' yo' stick 'em right in a straight line on any part yo' weah in front, yore shirt or yo' coat. Don' let nobody intahfere wit 'em. When yo' get down tuh de las' one, stick de tenth one crossways at de bottom, an' go tuh co't an' yo'll come out.
(How do you stick those pins? Do you stick them down?)
Evah point down, but let de haids be dat neah even if yo' kin, right on down.
(And the tenth one you put it horizontal.)
Put it crossways, cross de - ninth one at de bottom. An' dey tells me dat whups [whips] de lawsuit. [This upside down tau cross is the magic of reversing]
Entry 10132
Get a black cat's tail and wear it between your shirt and breast and no one can cross your path [put a spell on you or make you unlucky]. [Fredericks- burg, Va., Ediphone 48.]
Entry 13147
Git his sock or either his shirt and tear a hole in de mattress in de bed and sew it up in dere, if you want him to stay. [Jacksonville 787:4.]
Entry 2732
I've heard a man said once when he would get out of a job, he would take his shirt right next to his skin - that if he would turn it on the wrong side, he'd wear like that an' in the next two or three days he'd have plenty of work.
Entry 11090
Tie 9 knots in man's shirt tail, bury, to bring back. [Charleston 602:6.]
The source identifies this clothes collection as condensed rites. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.