Subject:Snail
Other forms: Snails
Entries
Entry 3403
[Snail and impotence is quite a collection of material in itself - see later. The present snail rite I have decided to include here.] I've heard of people takin' snails. Take dat snail an' mash ' up fine. Yo' git a dishrag out de kitchen, I've heard, take an' wrap 'im up in dat dishrag. An' when yo' fool wid a woman yo' wipe her wid dat an' bury dat, an' she no good. Den if she happen to fool wid anudah [another] man on yo', she's gonna git hung jis' lak de dog.
Entry 3631
[Our second margin title (from HOODOO p.649, line 13) explains why a snail is so commonly used in impotence rites; it makes a person slowful (p.648, 4 lines from bottom of page). This word is not sloth- ful, because he'll git so slow - slowful (p.649, line 1). The person rubbed with a snail jes' kin mope along - he can't go, he jes' be draggin' (p.649, line 9). The second reason for the use of a snail is its slime, a sticky substance thought to resemble human semen.]
Entry 3632
Snails, if yo' go to have intahco'se wit a woman. See, dat snail is a slow thing, an' dat would make yo' evah so anxious an' ready to go, an' dey take dat snail an' jes' have it in dere hand against de woman. First rub yore hand lak dat - yo' don't have to have de snail - jes' put de snail down dere an' rub yore hand lak dat. Dat will make a man fall down, yo' see, when he go dere.
(Some other man?)
Yes sir, make some othah man.
Entry 3633
Yo' kin take a snail an' put it - yo' know, jes' lak yo' take a snail now, yo' know, yo' crack it or sompin an' yo' kin put it in dis man's coffee or tea or somepin an' he can't go out, unless yo' say so, or unless yo' 'gree wit 'im or sompin othah lak dat. Got a man ah love an' all dat, but yet dat snail, yo' see, it got it slowin' down.
Entry 3634
Dey say snails is hard luck to have roun' yore home. If yo' bring any of 'em roun' yore home, yo'll have a lotta misfortune, yo'll lose lotsa things dat yo' git hold of.
Entry 3635
I have heard that when a man goes to work or on a journey, and if he believes it himself that his wife is crooked on him, not treating him right, and he desires to catch her; I have been told he can ketch a snail. I don't mean a shell snail, but a slick snail. Well, you take that snail when you have sexual intercourse with her, and you are about to leave her now - and you take this snail and mash it in your hand, and unbeknownt to her, you are loving and kind to her, you rub it over her stomick, and any man will have difficulty in bothering her in your ao- sence. Now if he's a stiff stout man and he goes in, he will be caught there until you come back, and there can't nobody remove him but you. If you love the woman, I don't know what would be the result. You have to come home to release them. As a rule any man that takes to bother her, no sooner than he starts, his tool will fall - he can't raise a heart for her, not to save his soul. In case he do, and go with her, he'll get stuck and nobody can remove him unless this man remove him. You can send for any doctor in the universe and you can't move them except killing one or the other. [For killing the man or woman, usually the lat- ter, see No.3460f.] [This was the first time I heard the snail rite, the summer of 1936. I thought the man was lying.] [Old Point Comfort, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 3636
De only thing yo' kin do wit a snail, yo' kin take an' - go in de woods to a ole hollah log, to a ole tree, an' [or] fin' snails undah dat bo'd dere, it damp in de centah of a piece of plank or bo'd, yo' know, if yo' let it stay dere. Yo' take a snail - ketch it in yore han', see. Sometime yo' kin take dose snails - see, lak dat dey ain't got no shell on. Try to fin' yo' one dat ain't got no shell on. Take dat snail right - couldn't handle hardly tuh save yo' life, some people can't. Take him an' he's soft, limbah as dat. Yo' take dat snail in yore han' an' yo' go tuh bed wit 'er. Have dat thing fixed now - he's cold. Take dat snail right dere lak dat an' drap it on 'er, let dat snail tech anywheres close down dere lak dat. She'll jump, "Whut's dat?" "Oh, mah han's cold." Say sompin lak dat. Dat snail jes' tetch 'er, undah- stan'. An' yo' kin take dat snail den, an' heah she jump up an' say, "Oh, yo' got sompin in yore han'." She jump up. Aftah yo' done hit"'er wit dat snail, yo' be satisfied. Yo' ain't wantin' 'er den, yo' jes' wanta do dat trick. Yo' git mad wit 'er den. Yo' take dat snail an' go on lak dat an' throw 'im away, or yo' kin kill it if yo' wanta. Now, if any man, any man in de worl' git up on top of dat woman, HE'S GoT MO' NERVE DEN GOD GAVE HIM. Can't do it - can't go up dere tuh save his life.
Entry 3638
Dey tell me yo' kin take a snail - git a snail when he's in de shell, see, an' put 'im in alcohol an' dry 'im up. An' when yo' intahco'se wit a woman yo' kin put - jes' wipe yore han'-lak, yo' know, ovah her laigs, an' anothah man can't touch 'er if he try.
Entry 3639
Well, now here's what I wanted to get information on. Dere is tricks can be turned - it's kind of a woodsy trick, things lak dat. Whether yo' wanted to heah dat.
(Yes. Oh yes, go ahead.)
Well, I have known of people, man to have a connection wit a woman an' to git hung dere lak a dog or anything. Well, de beginnin' of dat, yo' kin take one of dese ole snails. Yo' see dey have a house. When dey stretch out an' crawl dey pull dis house along wit 'em. A shell dey call it. Well, he carries a slime along as he goes. Yo' git a little of dat slime an' yo' go in de woods an' dere's a bug - a black bug an' we used to call 'im a betty bug. It's about so long [demonstrates].
(What kind of a bug do you call him?)
A Betty Bug. Yo' see it's a big black bug dat stays in ole rotten woods an' stuff lak dat. Well he's got where his neck come, his body connects togethah, it's only one drop of blood in it. Break 'im an git dat drop of blood, a little hartshorn [not sal volatite, etc., but a fairly common pronunciation of the per- fumes Hearts Own and Hearts Cologne] an' dis slime from de snail, an' use it be- fore it gits dry or anything, an' yo' kin dress a woman wit dat yo' see. A man goes an' has a connection wit 'er an' he'll git hung dere de same as a dog would to a female dog or anything. If a man want to take dat off dere, he's gotta use dat same snail, a little new milk an' prob'ly somepin lak alcohol or real good whiskey. Dat'll git 'em apart.
Entry 3640
Ah heard 'em say dey ketch a snail an' git dat dust where he lay, an' take dat an' mix it wit some grease or sompin, an put it on a person's haid an' it will take all dere hair out. SLICK IT WIT A SNAIL, ah've heard dat. (Get that slime from the snail?) Dat's right, wipe it on dere.
Entry 3641
He kin take a snail an' - a man he's got a woman an' he believes some- body else is messin' wit 'er an' he cain't stop 'im. An' he don't wanta, say, jes' kill 'er - jes' straight out kill 'er. He love her. he don't wanta kill 'er. ies wanta git rid of 'er. Say he'll take dat snail an' he'll put dis heah snail on 'is - he go to start wit 'er. [For rub- bing snail on 'is, see No.3655.] Yassuh put dat on 'isself. Know it's not real sticky. It'll stick, dis snail will. He'll put dat on it an' he'll use dat as he goes. See dis heah - dis snail will grow in 'er. Jes' grow - folks will think she's in weight - yo' know, goin' wit a child. Say it'll jes' grow till it jes' kill 'er. An' dey tells me dat it's no one - dey's found no one dat could do nuthin wit dat, when dat's done.
Entry 3642
Well, if yo' got a wife an' she jes' happen tuh be a run-aroun' woman, yo' take de snail an' when yo' has connections wit 'er, undahstan', all yo' gotta do is take an' hol' dese two fingahs right heah an' jes' put it up twix [her leg] - AH DUNNO WHUT DE DOC- TORS CALL IT. An' any man dat goes tuh has dealin's wit 'er, he use'ly [usually] fall. [I FAILED TO ASK WHAT INFORMANT CALLS IT.]
Entry 3653
Jes' lak yo' had a woman an' she wuz havin' mens. Yo' distrust dat she wuz goin' wit some man an' yo' couldn't stop 'er, yo' git dis slime from dat snail an' yo' wait till she goes tuh sleep an' den yo' rub 'er good 'tween 'er laigs wit it until yo' kill de snail. Do dat wit it 'live an' yo' rub it good until yo' kill de snail. Den when yo' kill dat aftah rubbin' her, den yo' take dat snail an' sew it up in a sack an' den put it, if yo' got a shelf lak dat, put it right behin' dat shelf an' let it stay dere. An' every man dat go tuh her, he'll be ready fo' her until he git ready to git on 'er. Den when he git on 'er, 'is nerves will fall. Nevah will have no intahco'se wit 'er.
Entry 3654
Dey said if yo' ketch a snail, an' yo' see a woman yo' want connection wit, said all yo' gotta do is mash dat snail an' git all dat slime on yo' han', an' if yo' evah got chance to git it in de breast, jis' kinda rub it on 'er breast, an' dey said she will yield to yo' in a few minutes. (You have to rub it on her.) Yes, yo' have to rub it on her breast.
Entry 3655
Well, dey tell me to take dis snail an' rub it on yuh - rub it on yuh- self, yo' know yeah tool. An' yo' see, an' de woman kin rub it on huhself an' de man can't have nuthin to do wit 'er aftah dat. Ah have tried dat. (The woman puts it on herself and the man puts it on himself and that takes their nature away from them? It seems so. [This is merely the usual rite: the person having the rubber can have no one else.]
Entry 3657
Dey [women] take dat snail an' rub it on yore thing an' yo' couldn't raise de dust on a hill. Ah said yo' wouldn't raise up 'tall.
Entry 3661
Jis' or'nary simple thing - it's nuthin but a snail. Yo' kin take a snail, one of dese or'nary ole snails dat yo' see crawl outen de watah. See, yo' kin take one of dem an' mash 'im an' yo' use him, when yo'd have connection wit 'er. Jis lak yo'd have him in yore han', yo' see, an' jis' fuddlin' aroun' wit 'er or somepin an' yo' jis' pass dat cross 'er nine times, an' I'll guarantee dat she can't have no man but choo.
(I see.)
An' ah know dat evah time a man go in dere - bound to stay away from 'er house.
Entry 3663
Oh, dey said if she goin' out wit anothah man an' he wan' it fixed so dat she won't have no courage fo' no othah man. Well, in othah words, so when de man goes tuh be wit 'er he'll fall befo' he evah be wit 'er. Git chew a ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne. An' when yo' git dat ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne, git tuh playin' roun' wit 'er. An' take an' saturate his han's wit dat Hearts Cologne, prob'ly jis' befo' he git ready tuh go tuh bed an' be wit her. An' when he do dat, why he takes den an' bathe her down - rub her down [demonstrates].
(From her hips right down?)
Yessuh, from de hips down - all in heah. An' do dat fo' three time a week - dat means evah othah day. An' dey tell me when yo' do dat, why den when she'd go out, de man dat gon'a be wit 'er - but when he gits to de place his courage will fall. He can't have any intahco'se wit 'er.
Entry 3664
Yo' kin take a snail an' jis' boil 'im an' git de watah off 'im an' put it on a piece of cloth an' if it's a man or a woman - if it's woman.has othah fel- lahs goin' wit 'er, den rub 'im down. He'll nevah come up. Dat's all yo' wanta do, rub 'im on down. She slip, jes' slip on 'im - can't do nuthin - nevah want de use of a man.
(You mean no other man but her husband?)
Yessuh.
Entry 3665
Said a man take a snail an' if he don't wan' dis woman to do nuthin wit nobody but 'im, he take dis snail an' where huh clothes hangin' up on de outside on de line, if he git a chance, he go dere an' rub dis snail right on uh drawahs. An' when she put dese drawahs on, she can't have no communion wit no man but 'im. Dat whut ah heard about it.
Entry 3672
Yo' take a snail dat crawl an' evahthing when de rain. Yo' take dat wit a little piece of yellah domestic cloth. Cloth lak dis [on interviewing table] dat has flowah on it, lak yo' say white cloth. Well de dark yellah yo' git. Yo' git enough fo' de woman to wipe herself on. Well, when he is wit dis woman, take - when dey gits through - take dat little piece of cloth, an' take dat snail live - don't let 'im be dead - an' run it right 'tween aftah yo' wipes 'er off. An' aftah yo' git through, yo' take dat an' yo' fold it up. Put it in a Holy Bible.
(How do you fold that up now?)
Yo' fold it in fo' cornahs [demonstrates]. Let it [snail] be live, don't let it be dead. Jis' take it lak dat an' jis' wipe to yo' an' lay ovah. All right. An' den yo' put it on a dish or eithah undah de pillah. Den yo' let 'er use it, but yo' don't wipe yo'self. An' den yo' fold it to yo' dis way, see [demon- strates].
(Fold it nine times that way.)
Yes sir, an' put it in de Bible. An' den yo' leaves 'er. Any man come he would nevah bothah 'er.
(Where do you put the Bible then?)
Yo' put de Bible somewhere, yo' know lak a safe anything - hide it. [Safe here is not a steel box with combination lock, but an old-fashioned kitchen cabinet, a piece of movable furniture with shelves and drawers holding dishes. knives and forks. etc.1 (This is like a square handkerchief and you roll it to you nine times, and then you turn it around lengthwise and roll it lengthwise.) An' de only way den, when yo' wan' to break 'er from bein' lak dat, yo' take dat cloth an' yo' wash it out wit Sameman [Salmon] Soap, see. An' den fold de cloth an' burn de cloth [and] dey [she] be's in de same condition [her nature will be restored].
(What kind of soap?)
It's 18c a bar - Sameman, Saveman [Salmon, has picture or mold of fish].
Entry 3673
Lockin' de bowels, well ah tell yo' ah don' really know much about dat, but it's one thing ah do know. Yo' kin stop a woman or a man from havin' intah- co'se wit anothah fellah, if yo' want to. Well yo' go an' git chew a house snail, dese ole snails crawl aroun' de house. Yo' take yore dishrag dat chew been usin' in de kitchen an' yo' washes it out. When dis snail starts tuh crawlin', yo' take de rag an' put it ovah 'im dataway [demonstrates]. Well, yo' know he's bound tuh melt.
(You just drop that rag over him and pick him up that way?)
Dat's right. Den put 'im back down. Do dat fo' about fo' times. Yo' take dat rag an' fold it up nice in yore pocket, or yore towel - whatevah it is. But it's best tuh be wit a dishrag. Yo' take dat dishrag an fold it up an' yo' go somewhere an' have intahco'se wit 'er. Well, she say, "Ah got sompin." Yo' say, "No, yo' take dis'un [this one], ah got sompin heah, mah ole han'ke'chef" - sompin lak dat. Well, when she take dat - but don' chew use it yoreself, let 'er use it. An' cain't nobody in de worl' have nuthin tuh do wit 'er but chew. Cain't even give her a million dollahs. Ah kin give her a million dollahs, an' de min- ute ah starts it will be jes' lak dis cloth heah [on table holding recording machine between us]. (Well, is there any way that you can get rid of that, after you are fixed up that way? How can you get rid of that?) No Suh, YO' CAIN'T GIT RID OF DAT. YO' GOTTA DIE [TO] PASS AWAY DAT OFFA YO'.
Entry 3674
I've heard of people takin' snails. Take dat snail an' mash 'im up fine. Yo' git a dishrag out de kitchen, I've heard, take an' wrap 'im up in dat dishrag. An' when yo' fool wid a woman, yo' wipe her wid dat an' bury dat, an' she no good. Den if she happens to fool wid anothah man on yo', she's gon'a git hung jis' lak de dog.
Entry 3675
(Now, what were you going to say about those snails?)
I wuz sayin' a man kin do de same thing wit de snail, shell of a snail, an' put a woman in dat predicament of life. (Well, just how would you do that?) Well, he'd take de snail an' hull de snail, yo' know take de flesh part out de snail's shell, an' parch dat snail's shell an' den beat it up real fine. He'll take dat snail dust - undah- stan' me - an' jis' be playin' wit 'er, yo' know, lak a man do sometime. Yo' know, run 'is index finger up 'er vagina, UP IN DAT PREDICAMENT OF LIFE. An' jis' put some of dat snail dust up in 'er vagina, AN' SHE BE LAZY AS A SNAIL, SURE AS GOD LIVIN', FO' ANY OTHAH MAN DAT CREPT IN DERE.
(I see. I get the idea.)
Entry 3679
So he wouldn't want no othah woman but chew, ah know how tuh fix 'im so "HE CAIN'T RAISE NO STAKES." Git a snail. It's mighty dirty. Git a snail an' put 'im on a ole [tin-can] top an' put 'im in yore stove an' let 'im brown. Take it out an let 'im cool, an' yo' take dat [browned] snail an' jes' rub it to a plumb powdah. Jes' parch it up, parch it up, an' when yo' an' 'im are layin' in de baid, yo'd have a little on yore han' an' tetch 'is thing, an' he cain't raise stakes fo no othah woman. Lak yo' been wit 'im a long time an' ti'ed [tired] of 'im an' got 'im fixed, yo' take dat stuff out de trunk an' take dat stuff from between de mattress, whut ah tole yo' tuh fix, an' carry it to de rivah an' turn yore back an' say, "Go, ah nevah want chew no mo', '' an' throw it in de rivah, an' he'll go on an' won't bothah yo' no mo'. Throw it ovah yore lef' shouldah an' don't look back, an nevah want chew no mo'."
Entry 3680
Well, yo' kin go tuh work an' git chew a snail shell, an' yo' take a snail shell an' jes' put it in a lil' yo' kin set it on de back of de stove where it's hot, an' let it stay right dere till it come hard. When it come hard, yo' kin mash it up an' use it same as flour, an' den yo' take dat an' come on back. Jes' lak if yo' got a woman an' don' want 'er tuh have muthin do wit no- body, yo' kin go tuh work when yo' make connection wit 'er, jes' put it on yore fingahnail an' rub it right down right dere fo' three times. Dere's muthin on yore han', but chew jes' do lak dat. An' any othah man dat come dere, de time he git right dere, dat will fall.
Entry 3681
Well, yore wife - jis' lak if yo' goin' off to work an' yo' wan' 'er not to be foolin' aroun' wit no othah man. Well, jis'as - befo' yo' leave dere, yo' git some snail dust - some snail, yo see, what creeps slow-slow across - JIS' GO TO ANY DRUG STO' AN' SAY, "GIVE Prob'ly yo' have to pay about 40c or prob'ly a little bettah. Yo' git dat snail dust an' jis' lak, say when yo' go on 'er dat night when yo' leavin' 'er [to go to work], yo' wants to go to bed wit yore wife befo' leavin'-time, an' yo' fools wit 'er. Befo' yo' fool wit 'er, yo' put some of dis snail dust into yore undahclothes or in yore hair - yo' know, put it in yore hair, see. Yo' put some of dis same sinimint [cinnamon] an' sugah right in de middle of de bed, jis' where yo'll put 'er to lay. An' yo' take dis snail dust an' yo' put it all on yoreself. Well. But she not payin' attention cuz she used to it an' yo' leave 'er. Yo' git on 'er an' yo' fool wit 'er an' she nevah have no feelin' fo' no man in de worl'. Evah time, yo' jis' rolls across 'er mind [she thinks of you]. Jis' look lak she ain't got no feelin' atall [for another man].
Entry 3683
Dey kills a couple of snail an' dey'll take dat snail shell an' dry it. Ef ah'm goin' wit a whoman an' she won't want me go nex' wit mah wife, she'll take dat snail shell an' dry it good an' parch it an' make a powdahs out of it. Put dat powdah in mah bread an' ah will eat it. Well, ah can't git up no nature fer nobody but 'er. Leave an' walk off.
Entry 3685
Well, takin' any snail an' while de woman's sleepin', he would take dat snail an' he would pass it across her stomach right dis way an' makin' a cross dat way. Ah don't care whut man she go wit or how he been wit 'er, when he goes tuh go wit 'er, his cnbition will fall.
(He will rub that across this woman's abdomen in the form of a cross?)
Jes' cross it.
Entry 3688
Take a snail an' mark a cross, make a horse's pitchure on a woman's stomick, an' she cain't deal wit no othah man but jes' dat one. (Make what kind of a picture?) A horse's picture - a horse whut chew rides. (You have to draw a picture of a horse on a woman's stomach, but you have to use a snail - this thick stuff from the snail - and then she won't be able to have another man?) No, no man but jes' 'im. [An old note of mine reads: "I do not understand the picture, unless the per- son who draws the picture is the rider!"]
Entry 3689
So far as I know, ah kin tell yo' on dat part, too. So now, yo' take a woman - jis' lak ah'm got a ole lady mahself an' she don't want me runnin' out wit nobody but 'er. Ah seed [saw] 'er do it mahself. Dey take a snail, a live snail dat crawls aroun' - lotta people say yo' kin take yore han'. She take 'er han' an' she will run it across dis snail an' rub it on 'er stomick. Well, yo' kin do it a diff'- ren way dan dat. Yo' kin take a snail an' put it in a clean towel, see, dat yo' use to dry off or somepin. An' where dat snail greasin' dat towel - yo' don't kill 'im or nothin - jis' let 'im crawl across it or somepin an' he makes a mark across it each way he comes. [The crawling snail makes an X-mark.] An' dat towel will be folded right back up some place an' be hung right on de - or prob'ly at de foot of de baid. An' whilst de man have intahco'se wit 'er or somepin, why she han's 'im dat towel. Well, she han's 'im dat an' as long as he uses dat, why he can't do no good wit no one else.
(I see.)
Entry 3690
Dey tell me dat dey kin do things to 'er so dat a man cannot have intahco'se wit 'er at all. Say he kin go an' git 'im a snail, an' GIT DE DUST FROM WHARE DE SNAIL'S CRAWL- IN'. Take de snail an' fry dat snail plumb till it cook up. Yo' kin roll it up, yo' know. Put all dat dus' togethah an' jis' when he kin have intahco'se wit 'er, jis' have dat dus' an' git some of it on 'is han's an' rub on 'er, an' dey say a man nevah could - don' cay [care] how he tried, nevah kin have anything to do wit 'er.
(That's to protect his home while he's gone?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 3691
Yo' been in de woods an' yo' see dese thousan' laigs [= centipede, sometimes called thousand-legger, see FACI, 1st ed.,1399, p.62; 2nd ed.,1383, p.54]. Yo' know what dese thousan' laigs be's. An' dese conk [conch] shell in de rivah. Jes' lak yo' git a conk, yo' know what ah mean [see later], an' eat 'em. Yo' carry dat home, yo' git a piece of snail. Yo' git a ole snail. Yo' know what a snail is. Yo' put dem on de stove. Yo' cook dem until it's nuthin but a powdah.
(You put the snail and the shell and?)
An' de thousan' laigs all togethah [3 ingredients] right up on dat place an' dat will cook it tull [till] it nuthin but a powdah - tull yo' kin tetch it as nowthin' but a powdah. Well, yo' put all dat togethah, put it in a box. Well, he'll come to yo' an' say, "Ah want sompin to kill dat - dat kill 'er nature, to kill evah man nature fo' 'er, excusin' 'im [me]." Well, den yo' give him jis' a leetle bit an' put it in 'is han' an' yo' rub it out of sight lak dat. Rub 'is han' lak dat - hit's gone, he can't see it. Don' care if yo' wash de han' wit soap an' watah, dat's gone. [Here we have a doctor "dressing" a patient's hand - a little now you see it, now you don't "trick".] Well, dere's nobody kin have no dealin' wit 'er but chew.
(A man will do that to keep other men away from his wife.)
Evah man goin' stay away.
Entry 3694
Ah'm very, very fo'getful now.
[See my comment about this woman later.]
Kin do a man in dis way, yo' kin git a snail. Yo' know a woman kin take a syringe an' wash her purse out. Yo' know whut dat is. [This ancient use of the word purse is probably my only example of it.] An' aftah she washes it out, she takes de watah from whut she wash out wit an' she puts de snail in it, an' [afterward] she take it an' put it in de stove an' let it brown down to a crust. An' she takes it out, outen de crust, she take it an' she grinds it up, jes' mash it up yo' know right right small. An' den she take it an' put it - dope it in a wax, de chewin' gum yo' know dat chew chew - she'll roll it [in that]. Dat's to take dis man in [to trick him]. If she think any way fresh [here's another meth- od], she would git an asafetidy [asafetida] an' make little pills. An' she'll wait till he gits sick an' den give it to him, give de pills to him fo' swallow- in'. An' dat yo' know, it's got 'er nature. An' he swallah - take dese pills fo' a medicine. An' ah don' care whut woman or what kind, she cain't nevah git 'im tuh leave aroun' heah. [To be certain that I know what informant is talking about, I now comment to the machine and ask a question:] (She takes a syringe and washes her purse, and then she puts this snail in that water. Does she put the snail into the water before she washes herself or does she put the snail in after she has washed?) Aftah she has washed 'erself. She'll have a intahco'se wit 'im first befo' she do dat, yo' know. Dat's tuh git 'is nature. An' den she takes dat an' douche herself out right good, yo' know, wit not too much watah - yo' know, wit a very small amount. An' den she set 'im in de stove an' let 'im dry right. (This elderly woman supposed to be good, but she couldn't get her things to- gether. She may have been a little frightened also.)
Entry 3746
A dishrag is fo' dis. If ah wuz goin' wit anothah woman an' mah wife wanted me tuh stay at home an' tried tuh hold me, she'd take dat dishrag aftah she had a intahco'se wit me. Take 'it an' wipe him off wit it an' take hit - she goes an' steals de dishrag from someone else house, an' takes it an' aftah he have intahco'se, he wipes it off an' throws it away. An' if he don' go an' have it changed off, he'll nevah be any good. He'll go an' steal a dishrag de same way an' fix 'er. [This is called return- ing the spell.] An' if he wants tuh fix 'er wit'out dat, he'll go an' git 'im two snails an' grind up de shells in a dust an' when he git ready, git through havin' a intahco'se wit 'er, he powdahs 'er wit dis - same as talcum powdah. An' it's mo' trouble fo' her tuh have anyone else.
(She can't have anyone else?)
She can't have anyone else.
Entry 3805
Take a snail an' put 'im on a blacksnake shed, de shell of de snake. Saturate it good wit dat snail an' give it to a man dat have lost 'is nature - couldn't raise his nature fo' a woman. Saturate it good an' rub it all roun 'is waist an' let it come down a point to his penis. De next time he goes to a woman, his nature is all right. (What do they do with that snake shed. Do they tie it around them or just rub it?) Jes' tie it in a loop, yo' know, so it will hang down dis way. Or yo' could Wrop it aroun' if yo' wanta. Ah believe dat is so.
Entry 3809
(Well, how do you get rid of that?)
How could yo' git rid of dat? Well, yo' git one of dem turnips, dem green turnips.
(Get a green turnip - green, turnip green.)
Yes, sir. An' take one of dem green turnips an' yo' squeeze it - yo' squeeze it. An' yo' take some of dis same snail dust lak dat, an' yo' mix it up an' yo' rub it, jes' tryin' to get juice out of de turnip lak dat wit dat snail dust. Yo' take dat an' yo' bathe yoreself wit it, jes' be- fo' yo' go to fool wit 'er. Yo' bathe yore- self wit it unbeknowst to her. An' when yo fool wit 'er, prob'ly she may want to put yoreself in 'erself. Yo' say, "No." Pretend. Make out yo're playing wit 'er an' fool aroun' wit 'er. An' when yo' get dat stuff, yo' try to get some hair. When yo' get dat hair, yo' take it an' rub it wit dat turnip. She have to turn yo' loose, de way it burnin' 'er, yo' undahstan'.
(You get a piece of her hair?)
Yeah, yo' get dat hair an' yo' mix it up wit dis turnip an' dis snail dust, an' den yo' rub it, jes' lak yo' rubbin', an' yo' jes' put it down In some pep- pah. It burns 'er all de time. Den she wants to know from yo', she say, "I'm got a burnin' down here all de time." Jes' lak dat. Den she say lak dis here, "Huh, yo' know what's it all about? Yo' got a idea whut's it all about?" An' yo' say, "Well, de last time yo' had yore panties on." She say, "Well, I ain't had my panties on since dis time." Yo' say, "Well, I feel a cord roun' yo'." Yo' say, "Prob'ly dat's by yo' wearin' dis here cord." Yo' undahstan'?. [This last to the author.] Yo' say, "Whyn't yo' [why don't you] cut dat off?" She say, "Oh, no, dat don't make dat. Dat's jes' to keep my back from hurtin'." [Somewhere I have given a rite in which a dime with 9 knots is worn about ankle for love under the pretence of a cramp cure.] Yo' say, "Oh, here, I'm going to cut it." Yo' take yore [pocket] knife an' have a [blade] dere an' befo' she say, "No, don't cut it." Well, yo' make a [reach] fer 'er an' yo' cut it. Jes' cut yo' loose right from dere.
[While recording machine turned off, informant explains how he was tied.]
Yo' take a person's length [with a string].
(You mean that's to tie? You call it keeping them tied?)
Yes. When yo' got 'em tied, meanin' dat yo' can't fool [with other women].
Entry 4955
Take de man dirty socks, or de woman's dirty socks, an' makes 'em tuh stay home if dey have de habit of runnin' out. Takin' sugah, cinnamon, a snail, an' puttin' it in dat socks, an' tyin' three knots in de socks, an' puttin' it in a closed place, where he won' find it. An' if he's a man accustom tuh spendin' 'is money 'fore he come home, finally, in a couple of days he'll start tuh stayin' home an' he don' know anythin' about it.
Entry 6146
Take yore hair an' git yore hair outa yore head an' bury it in a snail shell undah de door- step or at de back windah, an' put yo' to gwinin' [going] an' have yo' where dat yo' won't know - dey'll put aspell or headache onyo' see, an' dat head- aohe will jes' lingah an' lingah undah until it kill yo'. Ain't no cure fo' it, crs de doctor can't cure it, de hoodoo gotta cure it. Yo' can't git it cured un- til yo' be lucky enough to git some hoodoo to go back undah dat windah, undah dat doorstep an' dig dat up an' give it to yo'. Well, when he dig it up an' tell yo' vat to do wit it, den it's to hell an' gone. (I see.) [The hoodoo doctor sends it back to hell whence it came.]
Entry 6589
Lak if a person is sick an' dey wants tuh git rid of dis sick person. Bell, dey kin fix up a remedy fo' dem dat de maggots will eat 'em up. Dey kin take dese snails an' dey kin make a salve out dese snails an' dey rub wit dis salve an' dat'll bring maggots intuh dey skin. Well, dose maggots will eat dis person £P. DEY HAVE PLENTY CASES IN DIS CITY WHERE WOMEN HAVE FIXED MEN AN' DEY EVEN THROW UP MAGGoTS.
Entry 6592
In case yo' wanta hurt somebody, somebody done yo' wrong, sompin lak dat, take a snail an' let it dry, an' beat 'im up fine. Yo' know, jis' beat it up in a powdah or anything an' den put it a person's food, anything lak dat. An' dat person will git sick an' snails Wl grow in 'em.
Entry 6594
Ketch a snail an' kill 'im an' powdah 'im up an' put it in yore food, or eithah take a snail aig an' give it to an' yo' won't know it. An' den yo'll come tuh have snails in yore stomach. akes yo' sick.
Entry 6595
Yo' jis' take a snail an' beat it up real fine an' use dat dust.
(What will that do?)
Yo' know, use de dust, an' if yo' kin git a little drop of dat blood - well, jis' lak, now if yo' wanta do somepin tuh somebody, yo' take a drop of dat blood an'( dat dust from dat snail where yo' done parched it, an put it in whiskey an' give it tuh 'em. Well, yo' become tuh have live things in yo:. (What blood do you get, snail blood or blood from the/ person?) No, snail blood.
Entry 6596
Take dat snail. Take his shell an' put it in likkah an' let it stay in dere an' turn intuh a snail. An' yo' drink it yo' git dem snails in yo'.
Entry 6949
Take a snail an' jes' lak if yo' have corns or Warts an' things on yo', yo' kin take a snail an' rub 'im on dere an' hit will carry dem away.
Entry 7051
Break yo' up completely from drinkin' whiskey. All right, yo' go in de woods an' ketch chew a snail, an' put 'im intuh a pint or half a pint of whis- key, an' shake him until all dat slime come off 'im. When it come off 'im, yo' remove de snail from de whiskey an' den give it tuh whosomevah yo' wanta stop drinkin'. An' dey won't nevah drink whiskey no mo'.
Entry 7250
De reason ah'm tell'n yo' dis is it's from mah wife. Mah wife - dere wus a lady mad wit 'er an' she loaned a ole lady 'er bonnet, named Rachel Keller. An' she [Rachel] wō de bonnet away an' she kep' it about a week. She wus a frien' of our'n. Well, dis girl whut stayed dere, she found out it wus mah wife's bonnet. She watched 'er. She got some snail, a young snail an' fixed 'em - jis' take 'em lak she have - got 'em an' worked 'em up lak she wanted tuh swell 'em, an' jis' squirted de juice in watah. Washed 'em an' squirted de juice in watah an' put dat in a bottle. She [my wife] goes all tuh pieces-lak. She [the girl] takes an' sprinkles dat bonnet wit it an' mah wife wore it, an' she come jis' as blind as a bat - couldn't see nowhere.
(Real blind.)
She come blind as a bat. She had a li'le girl, name of Carnation. Call dat li'le girl sometime an' she try tuh go tuh de do'. Neah tuh de do' an' couldn't see it. She wus right behin' de dō', thought she wus tuh de dō', but she wus be- bhin' de do'. Couldn't even see me when ah come in de house. Ah carried 'er tuh de same ole lady, Mrs. Brown, an' ah know whut she done.
(You don't know what she did to her?)
I did.
(Oh, you did?)
An ah know whut she done an' whut she tole me tuh do. An' ah did it. She give me de stuff, cayenne peppah, a li'le piece of pod, yo' see. Put it in a skillet an' boil it till de watah wus red. Took a li'le meal, of what chew call...
(Corn meal?)
An' bind it right ovah 'er eyes jis' lak dat, until she got so she could see.
(That's what cured her?)
Made her so she could see. Now she kin see. Dat's been fifteen yeahs ago.
(Was this down in Pilesville?)
[Powersville? N. Car.]
Yes, sir.
Entry 7253
A young boy, a young girl wus wild about 'im an' he wus crazy tuh go tuh school - he didn't caah tuh fool wit girls. Well, her people did all sech as dat [hoodoo work] an' so she slips, knowin' whut tuh git - she had some of dis snail dust, an' worm dust, an' also some ground puppy dust. [The latter is called ground puppy or mud puppy = chango or hellbender or salamander. We have here 3 dusts: snail, worm and mud puppy.] De end of dat, she, knowin' evahthin', bein' aroun' [experienced], she put a li'le [of these 3 dusts] around in de band of 'is hat. He become deaf. Den he got speechless, he couldn't talk. Den he got mindless. He had no misery nowhere but, see, jis' aroun' here [demonstrates].
(Throat.)
So he wus brought here [to New Orleans] an' de second night he wus here de lady [doctor] dat treated 'im dat day when he got here, ah helped 'er. Ah was right dere wit 'er. She sent tuh de drug store an' got a dime of castor oil, an' she got some sweet oil an' laudanum mixed. I am uncertain about laudanum, which transcriber transcribes lavender.] An' den she got pure olive oil. An' den she goes in de henhouse an' she gits a white hen turd, a dry one, an' she put dat intuh a teacup an' drew de tea out. Now, she gave 'im dis whole dime of [sweet] oil, an' as she brewed de tea, why she put nine drops of dis pure olive oil in dere an' she had 'im tuh gargle 'is throat good wit dat. She let 'im lay until 'is bowels moved, an' it moved quickly, becuz he seemed tuh be very much clogged up. An' jis' as soon as dey moved, den she gave 'im five spoonfuls of sal he- patica. An' de nex' mawnin' she goes an' gits some shame flowah. [This Shame flower, the sensitive vine or brier Schrankia Uncinata, is usually called: Shame brier, shame vine, sensitive brier, shame face, Shame Jim, or Shamin' Judy (see P.646).] She gits two of de li'le bu'bs [bulbs], yuh know. Evah heah [hear] yuh look at 'em [the plant] an' say shame, dey fold up? [I probably answered this question by shaking my head, yes or no. For saying shame to the plant or blos- som, see No.2290, p.646.] She got two of dose [bulbs]. She gits de leaf off de flag lily, one leaf, an' one peetal [petal] off de bloom. An' she makes a tea of dat an' she bathes 'is neck an' haid good wit dat. An' den, when she got through bathin' 'im wit dat, she gave 'im three aspirins. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't notice nuthin, but he went tuh sleep an' he slept all dat night. De nex' mawnin' we got up, we were fixin' breakfast." "Hello' [he says]. Here he comes walkin', lookin' well. She had a very purtty li'le girl dere which she Vus raisin' [bringing up] an' he looked at 'er an' smiled. Soon as she got close tuh 'im, he threw 'is han's on tuh 'im an' say, "Hey, " the firs' time he had spoken in nine months. Fo' fifteen days dat wus all she done wus tuh keep dat treatment up. His speech wus almost normal. His hearin', his sense of evah- thing wus almost normal. An' den, when she got 'im dat good, she asked me tuh tell 'er a good nerve builder to build 'im up. Ah said, "Well, give 'im Dr. Miles Nerve Medicine, an' Dr. Miles Anti-pain Cure." Ah wish yuh would see 'im today. He is a big hearty man as lives. An' he had lost 'is mind completely.
Entry 9424
[Here is a delightful rite and a special favorite of mine, informant not knowing I was a preacher and long familiar with some of the churchly (I avoid the word Christian) problems. There are several more preacher problems scattered through the text. Not expecting much information from informant, I was a little late turning on re- cording machine.] (They took the egg out of the egg- shell?) Take de aig out, yessuh, an' dey [the church members] take a snail. Dey can't do yo' no harm until dey git some of yo' [some part of your body]. Den dey got some of 'is [the preacher's] hair from de haid, den dey put it in de aigsheli. Den dey got some of 'is watah an' put in de aigshell. An' he [preacher] stay in dat row [quarrel with the church members] until he left dere. He couldn't stay 'way an' he couldn't stay dere [for a long time but finally he left].
(Where did they put this?)
Ah don' know but he found it, it been dere.
(Where did he find it?)
Right up undah de pulpit whäh he sot [sat] on.
(Under his pulpit in the church?)
Yassuh, but not right up undah de pulpit, 'neat [beneath] it. See, jis' lak dis table heah [holds my machine between informant and me], up in heah [here]. Yessuh, right in de chu'ch [church]. [Informant forgets all about the snail, so did I, but for its use see margin title SNAIL, Pp.648-649, v.1. This snail rite slowed down the preacher, made him slowful, not slothful - see p.648, 4 lines from bottom of page for word slowful. How could anything be buried under the pulpit? We have here a small country church built off the ground with an air place and earth under the building. How could the church members obtain preacher's urine? There are many examples in Hoodoo showing how this could be done, but the following should be sufficient: rites 4143-4151, Pp.2568-2569, v.3.]
Entry 10265
They say that chew can take the water off of a silver dollah and also the water off of a copper cent, and sprinkle a little bit of that with some snail dust in a woman's place there, and when a man comes there he'll get stuck just like a dog. [Following rite 10266 by same man.]
Entry 10266
[Here we have two fundamental ingredients for impotence combined in the same rite:] They can take a dishrag and snail dust and sprinkle some of that snail dust over it, the dishrag, and then let him take that and put it up and down her place there [the vulva] and cross it [thus making the sign of the cross], and Bobody's penis can stand to undertake to go in there, they claim. And then they smid that if it's a man, all she's got to do, is to ever' now and then to wrahp chat round his penis, and he can't stay away from her, he has to come home. [Aloag similar lines, in case you missed it, let me recall your attention to one of the most unusual statements in HOODOO - how to make a special sign of the cross. The Christian Church has made the sign of the cross in all sorts of ways: niht hand or left, beginning on right side or left, using any number of fingers Qd in all sorts of combinations, etc., but surely the first stroke upward is unique - see No.3345, p.2394, v.3. Preceding rite 10265 is by this present in- formant.]
Entry 10267
De snail, yo' know, he's got some ole wax on him, an' de earthworm. An' yo' mix de wax offa de snail an' de earthworm an' rub it on de woman, an' if she has an- other man yo'll ketch him - [one of the many folklore causes of penis captivus. For other snail rites and impotence, see pp.2458-2470, v.3, and later in this present section].
Entry 12671
Ah understan' about de snail an' a person's photo. Well, yo' kin take a photo an' bury it upside down in de graveyard, an' yo' take a snail an' yo' git some steel dust an' yo' write dat indivi- dual name down an' yo' glue it onto de snail yo' see. An' whatsomevah yo' make yore wish, whatsomevah yo' wants tuh, yo' know, make it fo'. If yo' want a person tuh drag lak dat [snail] an' as dat snail crawl yo' see an' de picture fade away, well, dat person will jis' drag until dey die. (You do those two things but you don't do anything to the photograph at all except bury it in the graveyard.) Yo' take de photograph an' yo' write de person name on it nine times, an' if yo' want 'em tuh drag or sompin, why yo' write whatsomevah yo' want, yo' know, tuh happen tuh 'em, an' turn it upside down [and bury it] in de graveyard. An' probably, maybe somebody whut chew know died bad yo' see. Yo' turn it, point it tuh where dey died [buried?] at yo' understan', upside down. An' yo' take de snail an' yo' git some steel dust an' yo' write dere name down on a piece of papah an' yo' put dat steel dust in dere, an' yo' take it - glue it, yo' know, onto de snail. An' yo' see, yo' know, a snail crawl away slow; an' jis' as dey [the snail] crawl an' dat picture fades away, well, dose people will drag an' dey'll pass out.
(Do you write this in any special way, with just an ordinary pencil or what?)
Well, yo' could write it with blue ink if yo' wanted tuh.
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 13064
Well, dey kin put walkin' spells on you with your shoes.
(How do they do that?)
Dey take jes' one of your shoes an' go get dem a snail, an' den get some of your ole clothes or somepin you wear. And take and cut it up - take some scis- sors and cut it up fine. Take dat snail and get some of dat snail slime off of dat snail. Put dat in de bottom of your shoe and you'll leave dere walkin'.
(What do they do with those clothes they cut up? What do they do with that?)
Dat clothes what dey cut up. Well, you see, dat's jes' somepin to help dat snail slime, make you leave dere.
(Well, do they put that cut-up stuff in that shoe or what?)
Yas suh, dey sprinkle it in dere, jes' cut it up fine.
Entry 13065
Well, you could get a snail and put some salt on it... (Now, this woman's husband has gone away and she comes to see you, and you are going to tell her how to get this man back. [I have this woman marked down as a woman specialist.] All right.) Get a snail and put some salt on it. Let it - you know, you know, how a snail does when you put salt on him. And put it in a new linen handkerchief - his.
(His - I see.)
Tie it up and put it in de corner - [here is a corner rite] in de south cor- ner of the house and let it stay there for three days, and in three days time he will return.
(I see. That's to get a man back.)
That's to get one back.
Entry 13066
Yo' know dese snails whut crawl...whut dey crawl slow. Anyhow dey takes dat an' dey go to work yo' know, dey fix it in sompin dat way it'll bust out chew know. Den dey go to work den, git some sulphur an' gunpowder together, an' dey take it an' carry it an' bury it right tuh yore door, right where yo' gotta step ovah it, yo' know. Dat'll fix yo' up. Yo'll linger 'long [along] linger 'long.
Entry 13067
Dey say if yo' put a snail in a person's path an' yo' put it 'bout dat far into de groun' [demonstrates]... (Three or four inches under the ground?) Yeah, jes' 'bout. An' he walk ovah dat, dat will cause dem to have aches an' pains of all kinds. Dat will put spells on dem, too.
Entry 13068
If you wanta kill a person, yo' gits de snail an' gits him out of his hull [shell] yo' see. An' yo' kin take yo' some whiskey an' put dat snail in dere - in dat whiskey, lak yo' would put it in a half pint of whiskey. Let dat snail set in dere twenty-fo' hours in dat whiskey - ah mean, take dat snail outa dere an' strain yore whis- key. An' anybody dat yo' give it to, dat chew want 'em - if yo' wanta kill any- one, say, "Come on have a drink wit me, " an' yo' po' it out an' dey drink it. Dat settles it.
Entry 1563
Take de snail an' put it on a corn, an' jes' rub it on de corn when de moon's a shrinkin', an' dat corn will leave dat foot.
Entry 2306
Yo' take a snail now. Regardless to how a person is, dey tell me if a person is fast an' as pert as dey wants tuh be, yo' kin take a snail. Yo' kin take a snail an' take 'im an' rub it on anything - yo' kin rub it on corn dat be on yo' feet or a bunion or anything. If you do dat it will care [carry] it off.
(What about rubbing that snail on a person that is fast?)
Well, yo' take it an' yo' rub it on a person dat's fast, jes' rub it nine times on a person. It'll git dem to de place where he jes' kin mope along - he can't go, he jes' be draggin'. People might say, "Well, ah wonder what ails So- an'-so," say, "he used to be jes' as fast, an' now he can't hardly git along." Well, dey don't know. It's someone dey done got a snail on him - dat's whut chew cail puttin' a snail on him.
Entry 3329
If 'er husban' havin' othah women, yo' kin take dat bait [= fishing- worm = earthworm] an' stew 'im down to a fat-like an' put 'im on 'is undahpiece in de crutch [crotch], an' he won't git ambitious fo' nobody but chew. An' a snail will serve de same thing.
(What do you mean by bait?)
Fishworms.
Entry 3630
An' den now, ah'm gon'a tell yuh somepin othah dat beat de worl'. But it ain't no use in me tellin' yuh dis an' ah won't git anythin' fo' it. Now, ah'm gon'a tell yuh dis thing. Mah daddy learned me dis 'fo' he died. Yo' see dat snail dat crawl down on de ground? Understan? Yo' git one of dem snails. Dis trick whut ah'm tellin' yuh, ah tole a man dat an' he give me $50 fo' it. But ah know yo' ain't gon'a do dat. Yo' know what yuh do wit a snail? Yo' know, dere's plenty of smart men in de worl'. Yo' take a snail. Yo' see a snail crawlin' aroun' dere?
(Yes, I've seen a snail.)
Yes? Well, all right. Yo' take a snail an' kill 'im an' yo' wipe a woman's lak dat, an' if she'll have any man but yo', ah'll eat yo' up.
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 3686
Yo' take a snail, fo' instance, if a man have a woman cr wife, an' if he figure dat she's goin' bad. He don't want 'er have any dealin' wit any othah fellah. While she sleep, he'll take a snail an' make a cross right undah de navel. An' each man dat would aim to go wit 'er, he'll nevah be able to go wit 'er. He'll have ambition until he mount 'er an' den he's - he'll fall. He'll nevah go wit 'er.
(I see.)
Entry 3813
Jis' lak dey take a snail, if dey kin fin' 'im an' take him. Well, jis' lak she lay down an' plays wit yo' an' go along wit yo'. Well she'll rub yo' an' play wit yo' lak dat. Well, now when yo' go out wit someone else, yo' cain't have any - somepin to do wit 'em; but when yo' come back home wit 'er she is ready. Dat's de way it is wit 'er, wid dat.
(Well, how will that man get rid of that?)
Well, dey way dat a man gits rid of dat, I'm told, is by usin' 'is own watah an' soap. Dat's de way to git rid of dat.
(Wash with that?)
Yeah, wash wit dat. An' sometimes dey [piss in somepin] an' drink 'is own watah an' dat'll git rid of dat. But he don't fool wit 'er no more.
(You mean, wash with your own water and drink some of it to get rid of that?)
Dat'll get rid of dat, but dat'll certainly keep 'im from [being with her again].
Entry 6950
(Rub this snail on the corn?)
Yessuh, until that slime gits on there.
(That takes the corn off?)
Yessuh.
Entry 13074
You catch a snail and you split him open alive and put him on that toe and tie it there. Now, when you take him off, that corn is coming off with him.
(I see, that cures the corn.) [New Orleans 131:2.]
Entry 10396
"Take dis snail...squeeze 'im up an' mix 'im up in vaseline...grease yourself with it...have intercourse with your wife...she won't have any feeling for anyone else for about two weeks" [Vicksburg, (743), 1013:7].
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 10399
"He kin take this snail an' dress her while he knows he's leisra [home]. He kin take that red peppah an' threw it down at de do'step...she'll be jis' lak a rattlesnake by crawlin' while he's gone an' she won' pay 'a[l] any tenshun [attention]; she'll [be] sociable wit 'em but dey can't coee in dere" [Little Rock, (897), 1470:1].
This doorstep reference appears in a printed condensed excerpt. Hyatt's governing notice describes short or reduced statements; the wording includes an ellipsis and unclear forms. It is not a verbatim audio claim. Door retrieves the threshold location without equating it with a door panel. Read both the item and production notice.
Read full source (printed page 3993) · Read full source (printed page 3988)
Entry 13069
"I have heard them say that you can take a snail and put it in whiskey and give it to someone to drink and the snail will be alive in them and run them crazy." [From bellboy at hotel in Petersburg, Va., where we stayed one night in 1936. This is my original hand transcription. He was informant No.33 on Edi- phone 26.]
Entry 11278
Now, here's another black art method. This black art method was by this old - this here William Rogers. This is one of his authors.
(Down in Columbus.)
Right here in Berkeley, Va., adjoining Norfolk. [His method] was to go to a ant's hill and look for the large size red antses. He gets nine of them out of there and kill them. Then he would go and look for a snail. Take him and shove him in the stove and let him parch up. Mix this together with lard, give it to a man or woman. Give that to a man and he rub that on his wife, the next man what have intercourse with his wife, his testicle bag Will burst open.
(Burst open.)
Burst wide open and kill him in three days time. [444:5.]
Entry 665
Well, goofer - dis stuff a graveyard dirt, red peppah an' black peppah. Ah call all dat stuff - yo' kin git a snail an' powder him - all of 'em goofer dust.
(Why do they call it goofer?)
Call it goofer - it do things dat yo' cain't jis' ordinary things can do.
Entry 1043
They use snails jes' like they use wood lice to hurt people. Now you take, you get a snail, a wood lice and you take those things and cook 'em till they're jes' all to pieces. You put 'em in somepin and jes' rub 'em up, you know, through a cloth till they're jes' mush. Then you put 'em in some rainwater, jes' a small amount of rainwater and let it set there till - you know rainwater - those things will come when it sets there long enough. Then you take that stuff and strain it out and put it in either milk or whiskey and that'll make that person - they're supposed to after a period of time that scales will come in [on] their haid and they scratch it and those scales become little live things, either wood lice or little min'ature snails. [See Live Things in You, p.227; also Index.] They're so small you can't tell what they look like but you can discern the little shell on their back. They come right out of the skin, just first start like tetter. It'll itch and as you scratch it and people are supposed to have wood lice or snails like that in their haid the way they do that. You can turn the spell right back on them and they'll automatically leave.
(Well, how would you turn the spell back on them?)
Well, just get somebody else to do the same thing to them they did to you. Cook those snails up and give them to him in a drink and when the snails come in his head they disappear out of your head. [See Like Cures Like, p.394.] That's why they say you can't cure a person that's hoodooed if the person that hoodooed them is dead. There never is no cure for them but as long as the person is alive it can be reversed. [For turning back spell, see pp.333-334 and Index.]
Entry 2305
It's a good many times in turnin' work - dere's good many times dat chew wants tuh take an' turn it on a man, if he's very smart an' industrious an' yo' wanta put him slowful [not slothful] where he'll lose out on a job or anywhere, any way, form or fashion. Yo' takes de snail an' yo' put 'im into a halfa pint of watah, an' de road dat dis fellah got'a walk, yo' sprinkle dat watah 'long dere fo' nine mawnin's, "In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost," an' he'll git so slow - slowful.
Entry 2613
Yo' take a snail - if he crawlin' along, yo' picks him up - jes' lak he crawlin' dis way, yo' pick him up an' carry him back. All right yo' take dis snail an' yo' carry him home, an' yo' put dis snail in a jar an' let him git good an' dry, an' yo' goes to someone house, or either is someone come tuh yore house an' yo' don't want 'em roun' yore house. Yo' take dis snail an' jes' a little bit dis salt when dey goes back out, an' sprinkle it from where dey wus settin out to de do' - sweep it on out. Dey can't come back dere no mo'.
(What do you do with that snail?)
De snail - yo' take de snail an' put him in a jar an' let him stay in it till he git dry up - see. Den yo' take de whole shell, hull an' all an' beat it up fine. Take de salt an' put in dere wit it, an' right where dey's settin', yo' jes' sprinkle from dere right on out de steps, an' yo' sweeps right on behin'. Dey cain't come back dere no mo' den. [Snail slows up unwelcome visitor's return - see Snail, p.648.]
Entry 3684
Well, yo' pound 'im up, poun' de snail up. Dry it an' pound it up an' git it in some likkah or coffee, jes' a leetle bit chew know, so dey can't ex- serve [observe] it, an' dat will kill yo' 'cuz yo' be [become] jes' lak dem [snails] an' yo' be's slow about evahthing. Can't have - nevah git ovah it.
(And it kills their courage?)
Kills dere courage.
Entry 3687
Well, ah've nevah tied any but ah've heard 'em say how yo' tie 'em. Dey say jis' tuh measure 'em, an' if yo' kin measure 'em, git whatsomevah come out, an' tie dat wit a cord lak dat. See, an' put pins an' things in dere. Now ah have nevah did it but dat's whut a girl tole me tuh do, but ah wouldn't do dat. An' den dat would cut 'is nature from dis othah one, or eithah git a snail. See. Git a live snail an' den durin' 'er playin' wit 'im, take dis snail an pass it cross 'im lak dat [demonstrates].
(Like you were making an "x".)
Yh-hah, jis' lak dat. See, dat will kill 'is nature.
Entry 3693
Yo' git de snail an' yo' cook de snail, an' yo' take de watah an' yo' git chew a han'ke'ch'ef, a new han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' soak dis han'ke'ch'ef wit it, an' yo' put dis on dis woman, an' she won't have any nature. If a man go dere, he can't do anything.
Entry 3748
Ah know dis heah. If yo' think yo' got a woman an' she's indiff'ren', yo' take her wit dat snail. An' at night when yo' happen tuh be foolin' aroun', handlin' ovah 'er, yo' press dat snail ovah 'er, grease dat snail ovah 'er, an' den de nex' man - if she has othah ones about 'er, when he go tuh 'er, he can't git up no 'rection [erection], yo' see. Hit'll fall evah time. An' de onliest way now - now here's where tuh conkah 'it. When he finds out dat he can't have no intahco'se wit 'er, he'd steal a dishrag. He steal a dishrag from some wumman, somebody's place, an' bathe hisself down nine mornings - bathe hisself down nine mornings wit dat rag, an' den take it an' bury it at de do'step - dis same fellah's do'step now. An' den aftah de nine days - he bury it an' let it stay nine days. - aftah nine days he kin take 'er an' screw 'er jis' as much as he wants.
Entry 6591
Take de snail an' put it in de watah an' dey go drinkin' an' dose ails will grow in 'em.
Entry 6593
Den it's anothah somepin. A fellah will do dat. Yo' know whut a snail Is. Well, yo' could take dat an' put it in dey drinkin' watah. Sprinkle a little salt in dere. Yo' know, take de snail an' sprinkle salt on it till it dwindle all away. Ah don' care how large he is he'll dwindle on away tuh nuthin. an' yo' n do de same thing wit a woman person. Let 'em drink watah.
(What will that do to a man?)
Dat will kill 'im. Yo' know, jis' dry 'em up, jis' lak dey would git sick an is'dvindle away. (But you have to dissolve this snail dust in salt and then put that juice into irdrinking water?) Yessuh.
Entry 6951
Dey take a snail an' if she gits chure clothes, why she'll take a snail an' put it wit 'er starch an' she'll put warts all ovah yo'. Dat's whut dat's used fo', de warts.
(She puts the snail in the water that she washes the clothes with?)
In de starch when she starch yore clothes. She'll put one or two snails in dat starch, an' dat juice of dat snail will put warts all ovah yo', anywhere it tetch yo'. [Another informant from Wilson says the rubbing must be done when de moon's a shrinkin' (No.1563, p.494).]
Entry 7202
Ah wus goin' wit a girl 'long [along] at dat time an' - well, ah wus engaged tuh marry de girl, an' de boy she wus goin' wit, she tole 'im. He tell 'er, "If yo' don' marry me, "' say, "yo'll nevah do dat othah fellah no good." Well, ah got in a li'le trouble an' ah got on a chain gang fo' six mont's. An' den when ah come back... [I interrupt.]
(Over this girl?)
Yes. Well, he wus livin' wit 'er, see. Ah come back on de 'leven day of March, he wus livin' wit 'er out cheah [here] tuh 'er house. She come tuh me, ah say, "Well, whut chew want?" She says, "Well, ah cain't ha'p [help] mahself." She say, "Ah don' love 'im, ah cain't he'p mahself." Ah say, "Ah don' see how come yo' cain't, yo' goin' wit 'im." Say, "He cain't pake yo' live wit 'im." She say, "Dere somepin othah wrong." Ah says, "Well, ah'll see 'bout dis." Ah jumps an' goes back tuh dis same fellah [in another story] an' tole 'im, ah says, "Heah, '' ah says, "ah has a girl fren' an' she's livin' wit a man, ah'm engaged wit 'er." He say, "Ah knowed all dat." An' he say, "Ah kin git 'haid [ahead] of dat if yo' want." Ah say, "Well, ah would lak fo' yo' tuh do it." Ah say, "How much will dat be?" "Five dollahs, " he says. Cheap. [He says this to me not to the doctor.] He got somepin in a jah [jar], a half-gallon jah, an' he gived me 'bout halfa pint outa dat. An' de way de stuff did look, ah couldn't tell whut i'twas. Dere li'le things jis' about dat long, look lak crawfishes. Well, he give me two drinks outa dat dat day ah wuz dere, an' he put a pint in a bottle. An' he tole me tuh give her a drink of dat fo' nine mawnin's, an' he tole me tuh git a piece of'er step-ins. Yes, ah got a piece of 'er step-ins, an' de sand offa 'er[foot] track, an' take some sulphur, salt an' black peppah an' red cayenne peppah, an' mix it tuhgethah, an' tote it aroun' nex' tuh mah waist. An' he say ah would git 'er back. An' she come back, she quit 'im.
(She quit the other fellow and came back to you?)
She come back tuh me. An' in '37 on de third day of April, she took sick. Well, now, when it came - it started in 'er thumb an' it went from 'er thumb tuh 'er wrist, an' from 'er wrist, in 'er shouldahs. An' ah carried 'er tuh.a doctor [M.D.] an' he says it's de rheumatic rheumatism. Dat's whut de doctor say. He give me some medicine, an' de medicine he give me tuh rub her an' fo' her tuh take, it would do mo' harm den it would good. [Everywhere in Hoodoo we learn that a medical doctor's medicine is useless for hoodoo.] An' it lef' out 'er shouldahs an' it went tuh de bottom of 'er foot, right in de centah [de pam (palm) of the foot it is often called]. An' it lef' from de centah an' it com- mence tuh workin' in de joints. Den ah carried 'er back an' ah said, "Dis medicine didn't do her no good." Ah said, "De misery goin' all ovah 'er." He took a x-ray pichure of 'er an' [it] goin' - nex' she had tuh be cut down undah heah, nex' tuh 'er foot down undah heah [demonstrates].
(Right under her knee?)
Yeah. Ah tole 'im, "Well, ah wouldn't wish fo' her tuh be cut, fo' if she cain't walk now, she nevah will walk if yo' cut 'er undah dere." He say, "Yes, we kin treat 'er, we kin git 'er up." Well ah say, "Ah haven't got no money right now tuh put 'er in de hos'pital." Say, "Yo' kin come down an' see her 'bout once a day." Say, "Dat even much as ah know yo' kin stand." Well, he come down an' he didn't do her no good. An' ah tried Dr. [Somebody]. He didn't do her no good. He jis' tole me - he come out an' say, "Well, ah cain't do her no good. Ah don' know whut's wrong wit 'er." Well, ah jumped up an' went to a place, an' dis fellah tole me.
(Here in town, did you go?)
No, outa town. [Out-of-town doctor] said, "Well, how long has she been sick?" Ah said, "Got 'er down now so she cain't walk." Ah said, "Ah have tuh he'p 'er up an' down jis' lak a baby. She lak a baby." He got sompin. It wus about as large a thing - about lak dat [demonstrates] an' he goes an' looks in it.
(What did it look like?)
It look lak a great big ole glass marble. Marble pichures. Look lak one of dese things yo' call 'roun' de worl'.
(The globe?)
Yes. An' he looked in dat an' he say, "Yeah."
(It was glass though Wasn't it?)
Yes. "Yes, " he [doctor] say, "he got 'er." Ah said ah didn't git 'im [didn't understand what he meant]. He said, "He got 'er through by a drink."
[Suppose we stop here to see what happened.]
[Informant's great big ole marble or round de worl' and my the globe show that the doctor now looks into his crystal ball. Seeing something in the glass he says, "Yeah, " meaning I now understand what happened. To my informant puzzled by the "Yeah, " he explains clearly that the woman had been tricked in a drink. Informant's marble pichures bothered me. I thought these were small pictures a doctor sometimes pasted on the ends of his fingers and held various places against his crystal ball, so that a client looking into the ball could see them! For an example of this tricky, as well as skillful work, see margin title CRYSTAL BALL, p.172. Actually, marble pictures were merely the pictures the doctor could see in the great big ole glass marble!]
[We now return to the doctor's, "He got 'er through by a drink."]
Ah said, "Drinkin' watah?" He said, "Drinkin' likkah." He said, "He [did not] give it tuh 'er - anothah woman give her." An' he said, "Ah'm goin' give yo' some medicine 'cuz it'll take a long time tuh git 'er well, 'cuz she's strong an' weak," say, "it take a long time tuh git 'er up." An' he give me a quart of sompin look lak shoe polish - slick looks to it. Tell me give her dat three times a day.
(Was it liquid?)
Yes. An' he got some - he went out in de hollah of a ole log an' he got nine snails, an' he sont [sent] - give me some money an' tole me go tuh de drug sto' an' git a nickel wuth of Epsom salt an' a bottle of Sloan linament an' a nickel wuth of camphor gum, an' ah come back. Den he put dat stuff on an' he heat it all up tuhgethah - ground it up an' put it in a li'le silver[!] pot an' boil it, an' boil it an' made a liquid outa it. An' he tolt [told] me tuh run 'er [What? See that she urinated?] evah night at nine a'clock when she wus ready tuh go tuh baid. An' take a saucah, a coffee saucah, an' fill it roun' half fulla salt an' slide it undah de baid.
(Why did he do that, did he say?)
Say dat salt would keep down de fevah. An' dat's de only thing got 'er up.
(That helped her?)
Yessuh, got 'er up.
Entry 10408
Dry up a snail and mix this dust with fluid from bitch in heat - put on woman, man will stick to her [Norfolk, 516:7]. [Beliefs about The Hag and Witch in Hag Form will be found in the section so named, numbers 429-544, pages 135-164, volume 1. Similar beliefs are scattered through the complete or partial interviews, volume 2, etc. Theoretically a hag disturbs a sleeping person, rides him or her; an old-fashioned witch does not - yet see No., etc.]
Entry 12005
If you bottle a person's hair with snail-shell powder and frog powder, you will run your victim crazy. [Fredericksburg by Ediphone.]
Entry 12914
Yo' kin take a snail an' put it with fresh hog lard an' stew it down an' grease a man's privates with that an' that'll keep him from havin' any nature. [Waycross 191:6.]
Entry 12916
Snail into cup with fresh lard, boil down, use as salve, cure for impotence. [Memphis 1561:2.]
Entry 12917
Snail, yolk of egg, sugar, close up, in 3 days snail dies, use for impotence. [Memphis 1564:3.]
Entry 13070
Pick up snail slime from snail track, put in whiskey, in 9 days live snails in person. [Memphis 1573:1.]
Entry 13071
Says yo' take a snail shell an' dust it up an' put it in a lettah, an' dey says when it goes to anybody an' dey git it an' open it, say dat dust git in dere eyes it will blind dem. [Waycross 1751:3.]
Entry 1561
Ah knowed mah uncle. See, he's crazy in de haid - yo' know, jes' have crazy fits, an' he git unfixed wit a snail. Took a snail an' breaks him an' put him in bottle an' den git some sweet oil an' mix dat in de bottle an' den a fresh aig whut jes' laid an' put dat in de bottle. Stir all dat up at night, 'noint it fo' several days an' dat crazy spell he had went away. Fo' several days jes' 'noint his haid wit it.
Entry 1562
Yo' take nine snails an' cook dose snails an' yo' take de grease of dose snails an' jes' lak if yo' think if anybody done anything to yo' to make yo' lose de use of yore body, yo' rub yoreself with that, an' that will relieve yo', cause yo' to become super [supple] in yore process, begin come 'live.
(You do this if you think somebody has tricked you?)
Yes.
Entry 10403
Put snail slime on woman, any man entering will get stuck [Norfolk, 466:2].
Snail slime is explicit; the text names no body part and leaves entering and getting stuck unspecified. No actual application or result is established.
Entry 13075
(What do they say about the snail?)
It take 'em seven yeahs tuh go cross a road. [This is general folklore.]
[Fayetteville 2516:16.]
The interviewer names a snail, and the informant responds with a seven-year road-crossing claim. The voices remain distinct; the duration and editorial folklore classification are unverified.
Entry 3666
Dey say yo' [a woman] take a snail an' run 'im ovah a man's clothes an' run 'im ovah yo'self, an' dat man or yo' neithah can't have nobody but yo'self. [The complicated words of this rite mean each is confined to the other.]
The source names a snail; its complicated confinement claim remains unverified.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- SNAIL AND DISHRAG — Volume 3, entries 3403. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → DISHRAG.
- DAT SNAIL IS A SLOW THING — Volume 3, entries 3632. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- DAT SNAIL... IT SLOWIN' DOWN — Volume 3, entries 3633. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- SNAILS IS HARD LUCK — Volume 3, entries 3634. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- MAN RUBS SNAIL ON WOMAN — Volume 3, entries 3642. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- SNAIL DANGEROUS - CAN GROW IN YOU — Volume 3, entries 3641. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- MAN RUBS SNAIL ON HIMSELF — Volume 3, entries 3655. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- MAN RUBS SNAIL ON WOMAN'S BREAST — Volume 3, entries 3654. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- WOMAN RUBS SNAIL ON MAN — Volume 3, entries 3657. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- RUB SNAIL DOWNWARD NOT UPWARD — Volume 3, entries 3663. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- SNAIL RUBBED ON CLOTHES — Volume 3, entries 3665. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- SNAIL RUBBED ON PERSON 9 TIMES — Volume 3, entries 3661. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- DISHRAG - DROPPED 4 TIMES ON SNAIL - BOTH PICKED UP 4 TIMES; DO NOT TOUCH SNAIL - FOLD - USE AS TOWEL — Volume 3, entries 3673. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- DISHRAG - WRAP MASHED UP SNAIL IN - WIPE - BURY — Volume 3, entries 3674. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- CROSS MARK WITH SNAIL — Volume 3, entries 3685. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- CROSS MARK MADE ON TOWEL BY CRAWLING SNAIL — Volume 3, entries 3689. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- CROSS MARK WITH SNAIL - PICTURE OF HORSE; ON WOMAN'S STOMACH — Volume 3, entries 3688. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- SNAIL - CONK SHELL - THOUSAN' LAIGS: THREEFOLD POWDER — Volume 3, entries 3691. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- SNAIL SOAKED IN PURSE-WATER - THEN PARCHED TO POWDER — Volume 3, entries 3694. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → SNAIL OR SLUG.
- SNAKESHED - SNAIL — Volume 3, entries 3805. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CURES FOR SEXUAL IMPOTENCE.
- (5) SNAIL - CINNAMON - SUGAR - IN SOCK OR STOCKINGS — Volume 3, entries 4955. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- SNAIL - CORNS AND WARTS — Volume 4, entries 6949. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → CURES FOR AND PROTECTION AGAINST AILMENT AND DISEASE.
- SNAIL — Volume 4, entries 7051. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → ALCOHOLICS.
- SNAIL - BLINDNESS FROM - CURED BY DOCTOR — Volume 4, entries 7250. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → A FEW MORE DOCTORS.
- THREE DUSTS IN HIS HATBAND: MUD PUPPY - SNAIL - WORM — Volume 4, entries 7253. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → FOLK MEDICINE → A FEW MORE DOCTORS.
- URINE OF PREACHER IN EGGSHELL WITH SNAIL; PUT BENEATH PULPIT BY MEMBERS OF HIS CHURCH; TO SLOW HIM DOWN - AGE HIM - DRIVE HIM AWAY — Volume 4, entries 9424. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- RUB SNAIL AND EARTHWORM ON WOMAN TO CATCH LOVER — Volume 5, entries 10267. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SEX AND IMPOTENCE REAPPEAR.
- SEX: SNAIL USE IN — Volume 5, entries 12913. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- SNAIL - SALT ON - IN NEW LINEN HANDKERCHIEF - WITH; SOMETHING OF MAN'S - SHE LAYS IT IN SOUTH CORNER; OF HOUSE AND HE WILL RETURN HOME IN 3 DAYS — Volume 5, entries 13065. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- SNAIL BURIED IN PERSON'S PATH; WALK OVER - PAINS AND SPELLS — Volume 5, entries 13067. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".