Subject:Sole
Entries
Entry 3233
Dey'll git a new piece of cloth, see, an' dey place undah dere feet an' dey'll cut dat out. See, cut dat out in de shape of yore feet an' write de name of de person on dat an' dat also - an' den yo' write yore name across it, see. An' den yo' use dat fo' nine nights jes' lak if yo' have a connection or anythin' lak dat, dey also use dat. An' dey'll wear it in dere shoes, or dey'll bury it at a lonely crossroad.
(They write the name how? Like this?)
Yes, cross and den cross. See, dey write de person's name up and down de foot of de cloth [the cloth foot], see; an' den dey write dere name across dat. Yeah.
(And how did you say they use that now?)
An' den dey use dat jes' lak if yo' an' I are frien's, see, an' yo' an' I have connection togethah. Why we use dat, see, fer nine nights.
(I see. And what is this supposed to do now?)
An' den yo' take dat an' yo' take it to a crossroads where dere are wagon ruts at de crossroad, an' yo' bury it right dere in de middle of dat an' dat also will keep yo' lovable towards 'em.
(A woman uses that for men.)
Entry 4295
Well, yuh wan'a keep de law away, if yuh're bottleggin'. Evah mawnin' fer nine mawnin's yuh git up, yuh go tuh de front do' - don't evah sweep yuh dirt out de front - befo' de sunrise. Sprinkle chamber lye an' - but firs', burn ole shoe sole an' take de dust of dat ole shoe an' sulphuh, an' sprinkle it all aroun' yeh house out- side. An' den do all dat when de sun go down in de evenin'. As de sun goin' down yuh burn de shoe sole [and the sulphur - see later]. Nex' mawnin' befo' de sunrise, sprinkle it aroun' yeh house [shoe-sole ashes] an' sulphur, an' den sprinkle chamber lye all de way roun'. Den as zhoo sweep yuh house, sweep de dirt all back, from de front all de way back. Take it up on yuh shovel an' befo' sundown dat evening take dat dust whut choo sweep out cheh house an' burn it up in sulphuh an' ole shoe sole. An' do dat fer 9 mawnin', don't miss a mawnin', befo' de sunrise. An' as de sun goin' down in de evenin', yuh burn yuh shoe sole. An' continue sprinkle dat chamber lye aroun' yuh house. An' de officahs, dere wouldn't be anothah step about choo, won't nevah think about chew an' yuh likker.
Entry 5025
Yuh kin take his name an' yore name tuhgethah. Dat's to keep 'im wit yuh right on. Yuh write his name on some brown papah lak dat brown wrappin' papah. Yuh write his name on [with] indelicate [indelible] pencil - new indelicate pencil. An' yuh put it [name] between 'is socks an' yuh sew it up wit No.8 black thread - de man's dirty socks. Yuh take dat brown papah an' yuh cut it jis' lak seat [bottom or sole] of dat sock. Yuh write his name on dat paper [cut in the shape of a sole]. Yuh write jore name on dat nine times, but joo write yore name on top of 'is fer nine times. Yuh put it between dem socks. Yuh sew dat up wit No.8 black thread. Yuh take drawin' powdah, yuh take steel dust, an' roll it up through dem socks; an' put it [socks] in yer mattress, an' he sleeps on dat. Dat'll keep 'im from goin' away from yeh.
Entry 5052
Take his sock an' if it's dirty, why yuh kin nail dat tuh a tree an' it will cause him tuh walk away: [Ordinarily a sock nailed to a tree keeps a man stationary, and the sundown side later means lingering or slow death, but intention here demands that he walk away. The big nail suggests urgency and determination - also painful walking.]
(All you have to do is to take a dirty sock and nail it up?)
Jis' take a dirty sock - cut de bottom out de dirty sock, fold dat dirty sock up an' carry it tuh a green pine tree, an' nail a big nail in de centah tuh de sundown. He'll leave an' won't come back.
Entry 5094
Well, yuh take a ole shoe, jis' find yuh ole lef'-foot shoe, sompin lak dat, an' take an' burn it up in yore business. Burn dat shoe up in yore [place of] business - tuh [at] yore house dat day, yore business. See dey follah dat shoe. [Looks] lak de ashes of dat shoe will mo' [more] lak tuh draw 'em tuh yuh - lak it wus any kinda business. Well dey jis' come in dere. Could hardly git shet of peoples, couldn't hardly wait on 'em.
(Where do you put these ashes?)
Yuh jis' burn dem dere ashes up an' jis' sprinkle dem about ovah de flo'. An' den when yuh sweep, don't sweep it outdo's. Sweep it up behin' de do', 'cuz yo' sweep 'em away, yo' know. Sweep 'em right up behind de do'-like, yo' know, lak dat.
(And then leave it there?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5096
Heard of takin' a ole shoe sole an' burn it. Take de ole shoe sole an' mash de ashes of it an' dey kin take dat an' sift it-through any kinda white cloth. An' sift it so much ev'ry day, some of it ev'ry day. Aftah de nine mawnin's - an' aftah de ninth mawnin' den sift de rest of it den. An' whosomevah shoe sole it is, dat's when dey pass out.
(It will kill them?)
Yessuh, it will kill 'em. [Sifting is a magic rite - See later in SHOES, margin title SIFTING WITH SIFTER.]
Entry 5097
Take de bottom, de sole part of a right-foot shoe, an' burn it intuh ashes an' pound it, yuh know, an' use dat in de coffee of anything. Dat'll run 'em crazy, too. (Whose shoe is used for that pur- pose?) Jis' like yuh had a man, yuh know, an' been wantin' some kinda way tuh git rid of 'im. Yuh kin take dat an' use it.
(Which right shoe do you use, yours or his?)
His.
(Just coffee?)
Yes.
Entry 5118
Yeah, dey kin burn shoe soles. Den [dey] kin take, aftah dey git through burnin' de shoe soles, dey kin take an' put it in some devil vinegah an' shake it up, an' in a length of time yuh goin' pass away or commit suicide or go crazy. [For devil vinegar, see p.547 and elsewhere.]
Entry 5156
[The following small collection of insole rites is only a small part of them.] If a frien' or prob'ly ah say yore wife, somepin like dat, had gone, an' yo' git dat [insole]. Even so much if yuh couldn't git it, if yuh would git somebody tuh git it, git dat shoe tuh yuh - de innah lining [insole] of dat shoe. An' yuh take de innah lining of dat shoe. An' aftah yuh git it, de piece right undah de hollah of yuh feet heah, cut out a piece de size of a silver half a dol- lar an' wear dat. Put dat inside of yore shoe, wear dat fo' nine days, an' she'll come back.
(Do you take that little piece from out of either shoe?)
Eithah shoe, but dey mos'ly says de right-han' shoe. But ah've seen 'em tried it an' couldn't git wit'out de lef'-han' shoe was done.
(What shoe do you wear that in, either shoe?)
De shoe yuh git it out of, be sure yuh know whut shoe yuh git it out of. If yuh git it out of de left, put it in de left; if yuh git it out of de right, put it in de right.
Entry 5180
Yo' take de near sole [insole] outa anybody's shoes, jes' lak if yo want 'em tuh stay home or sompin all de time. Yo' take de left sole. Yo' know dat dere little piece be inside dere shoes, yo' take dat out an' fold it tuh yo'. Put it in a li'le sack. Sew it up an' wear it roun' yore waist.
Entry 5190
Dey say dat chew could take a li'le shoe sole an' burn it, an' den scrape it aftah yo' burn it, an' it wus good fo' good luck.
(Just how would they prepare that? Then, after they have got it scraped?)
Well, ah don't know sir, only jes' know dey put it in a little bag an' wear it.
(You mean the shoe sole, that thick sole at the bottom?)
Yessuh, yo' parch it lak yo' would peanuts or anythin' lak dat. Well, yo' kin scrape it tull [till] yo' scrape a dust off it.
Entry 5225
Well, yuh take it [shoe] an' bury it - bury it undah de step. Dey got front steps, dey got back steps. Sometime a house is got fo' or five diff'ren' steps cleah aroun', yuh know, but yuh only - yuh count tuh de fo'th step, if yuh got fo' steps. If yuh ain't, yuh kin bury it undah de firs' one, but yuh won' wanta bury nuthin but de dirt part, de foot part [sole] of it. Yuh see, lak de hole's [open part is] up, yuh don' have tuh bury dat. Jes' cut it [sole] off, de foot part, an' bury it undah dere, bury it undah de first step or de fo'th one.
(What will that do to me?)
What will dat do?
(What will that do, yes?)
Oh, DAT AIN'T GOIN' TUH DO NUTHIN, JES' HAVE YUH AT DERE COMMAND. Dat's all - jes' de same thing as de othah [rite given].
Entry 5226
Yes, ah have heard of doin' sompin - takin' prackly [practically] nuthin but shoes. Bury dat shoe an' leave de top of it out, an' dat will kill 'em. (What do you mean leave the top of it out? You just bury the sole and leave the top part out?) Leave dis [top] part up, jis' so's all of it ain't in dere. Yo' kin do wit de sock de same way. Leave part of it up.
Entry 5235
De woman left de man, dis one [story] is, an' de man went an' tried to git 'er back an' he couldn't git 'er back. So he went to a fellah [doctor] de fellah tole him tuh take her shoe soles - found one of 'er ole shoes an' go to a post an' nail it up ovah de post on de sunrise side an' go back home an' not worry an' in three days she'd be back to him.
(Nail it on a post?)
Nail de sole of de shoe up on de side of a sunrise post.
(Just any kind of a post?)
On de side of a telegraph post - nail it up on de side of a telegram post facin' de way she went. In three days dat she'd be back.
Entry 5237
De shoes - dat right foot of shoes, dey kin burn dat up intuh a powdah an' put sulphur in it. Have dat sulphur an' dat powdah an' dis cloves. AH KNOW YO' DONE HEAR TALK OF SPICES. Have all dat burnin' tuhgeth- ah an' mix it up an' burn it in yore house. Dey says three times a week: jis' Wednesdays, Saturdays an' Mondays, say dat's luck.
(What kind of luck? Luck for what?)
Bring good luck tuh yo'.
Entry 5239
Now, ah've nevah 'sperienced dat, but dey say yo' kin burn peppah an' shoe sole an' brimstone an' dat would keep 'em parafied [pacified? paralyzed?]. Yo' know, tuh keep 'em from doin' anythin'. Yo' know, dat will git dere mind kinda puzzled. Dey say dat would run a bad neighbah. Dat whut dey tell me.
(Well, where would you burn that stuff?)
Yo' carry it outdo's somewhere between yore house an' dere house, but don' let 'em see where de smoke comin' from, see. Now dat whut dey say.
Entry 5271
[In the preceding rite and this one we have an object bent together before it is tied together. To bend, like to twist, is not a common magic rite.] Ah heard it said dat yo' could take de sole of de lef' foot of a man's shoe an' tie it in de middle - buckle it [before tying] - an' bury it tuh de steps an' dat'll keep 'im combined [bent up and tied, either to keep him home, or to cripple him.]
(How do you mean, buckle the shoe? The outside sole you mean?)
Yes, jes' take de sole an', yo' know, refold de sole lak dat [bend it to- gether] an' tie it, tie it real tight. Yeah, de outside sole - de one, jes' since he walked on it.
Entry 5357
Jes' in de mawnin' time aftah he done already put on his clothes, yo undahstan', an' he ready tuh go out...as soon as he walk out de door, yo' undah- stan', she goes tuh work an' sweep, jis' swept his foot, jes' lak he's going out dis di', yo' see, she jis' grab aholt of it [a broom] an' go on an' sweep dat dus' right tuhgethah right from de place dat he started off tuh walkin', an' bundle it in a pile, yo' see. Den she added a li'le sulphur on a piece of papah of any kind, yo' undahstan', an' put a li'le piece of shoe sole wit it an' throw it in de stove, anything lak dat. Why he wouldn't be able enough tuh come back de same night.
(Whose shoe sole would she use?)
Well, de shoe soles, yo' see, she would more or less burn de heels part - de heels part of de shoes, yo' undahstan'. An' she will pound it up intuh dat same dust wit de sulphur, then she add it all intuh de stove.
Entry 5601
An' 'e [he] taken dat piece of pastebo'd an' cut it in de shape of yo' shoe.
(You cut the pasteboard in the shape of your shoe?)
In de shape of yo' shoes, yes. An' den yo' take dat dirt out chure track an' put it in [on] dere, an' yo' take new piece of cloth an' yo' stitch it all de way roun', an' throw it right off [throw it away]. (And what will that do?) Run yo' - run 'im away. (You cut a piece of pasteboard out. And what else do you do with that pasteboard, now?) Not enything. Yo' make it de shape of yo' shoe an' yo' git dis track. Yo' take dat dirt an' put it into [onto] dat track [pasteboard].
(You put it onto that pasteboard you mean?)
On dat pastebo'd. Den yo' git a bran'-new piece of cord string dat nevah been used. An' den yo' sews it tuhgethah, an' dat will run 'im off.
(What foot do you have to get?)
De lef' foot.
throwing the stitched pasteboard-and-track-material object right off. No river, shoulder, distance or destination is specified for this throw. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 2892) · Read full source (printed page 2893)
Entry 8646
[To rub is an important magic rite we often ignore, despite our early acquaintance with Aladdin's lamp. In some cures rubbing - up or down, in a cir- cle, or number of times - shows its own importance. Even so, in the first edi- tion of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, the word mub does not appear in the Index! How could I have missed the well-known couplet: When your left hand itches Rub it on wood And it will come good. (No.3356) Moreover, there are other examples of rubbing in this division about HANDS: Nos. 3339-3342.] De shoe sole - if yo' don' want somebody at chure house, take de shoe sole an' yo' rub it till de bottom of de foot git hot. Yo' call de person name nine times. Yo' git a lemon an' yo' Write de name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. Sew it up wit black thread an' bury it undah any step or do' whut dey gotta come by. An' bury it undah dere. An' everytime dey go out, yo' take dat left-foot shoe an' yo' rub it until de shoe sole git hot an' call dere name nine times.
(Whose shoe sole do you rub?)
Anybody dat yo' don' want at chure house. Any individual, woman or man, any- body dat yo' don' want dere.
(And the name you say...?)
Yo' jes' writes it down nine times wit a indelible pencil.
(And put that in a lemon?)
In a lemon an' sews it up wit black thread, No.8 black thread, coarse black thread, an' then bury it.undah a do'step, or a step, anywhere where dey gotta come in.
(That is to keep them away from your house?)
Keep 'em away from your house.
Entry 8935
Yo' get yo' a old shoe somewhere, see, an' yo' take an' yo' cut it up good - jis' want de sole of it. An' cut it up good. An' yo' get yo' some brim- stone, see that's a powder, jis' like steel dust. See. An' yo' get yo' some sweet cinnamon an' yo' mix that up together. Yo' takes dat shoe sole an' yo' lights it. See, make a smoke out of it. An' get yo' a little bit of, small quantity of sul- phur, yo' see, an' sprinkle that on that shoe sole. That's to make it burn, yo' understand. All right, then yo' takes this other powder and sprinkle that on there, an' yo' wraps it up in a cloth, preventing it from burn- ing out so soon, yo' see. An' yo' lights it, yo' see. Well, that's goin' burn to a smoke, yo' see. Well, when that smoke starts to smoking, there's nobody gona fool 'round that house atall. See, ever'body comes there an' 'tempts [at- tempts] to go in there, it creates a fear on 'em. See, they losing no time in bothering 'round there atall. Yo' kin leave your house wide open, there ain't nobody goin' in, yo' see.
(That will keep the thieves away?)
Keep the thieves away - ain't nobody goin' in.
Entry 9107
Now, here's another way. If yo' goin' to de judge - sup- posin' yo' goin' down dere to Judge Landix, why yo' just take Judge Landix' name. Take parch- ment papah an' cut out just de sole of yore shoes, stick in your - sew it to de heel of yore shoe. An' yo' take his name an' write 'is name down nine times. He's a nine-months child, see.
(He is a nine-month child?)
Yeah, his mother carried him nine months. Yo' take yore name an' yo' write hit down dere nine times, over his. Yo'll say, "Judge, ah want yo', In de Name of de Father an' de Son an' de Holy Spirit, to have mercy on me today an' let me go. An' dat same thing, whensomevah dey call yo' up befo' de judge - yo'll have a lawyer dere to do yore talkin'. De judge goin' to ask yo' a few question an' de lawyer goin' to take part. Yo' just keep a-sayin' dat inwardly. De policeman get up an' make 'is testimony.'Don' yo' come back here no mo'." Ah say, "Thanks." Dat's fo' dat. Now, yo' use nine drops of Van-van fo' dat.
(How do you put that on?)
Yo' put dat right on - right in dat parchment papah an' den put it in yore shoe an' walk on dat, dat right shoe.
(Is Van-van an old oil?)
An ole oil, but yo' must know when yo' gettin' Van-van. Ah was kiddin' a boy here month befo' last, ah say, "Now, look, ah'm not in de business but, " ah said, "dis is fo' a personal friend of mine, an' she done gone down here [to where Van- Van is sold] an' got some [Van-van] perfume down [there]. Ah don' want dis othah stuff [she got]. Give me de othah stuff." Van-van [of good quality] is kind of
[hard to get]. [For Van-van, see p.662 and elsewhere.]
Entry 10627
To keep de law away? Wal, yo' kin take a red peppah - John de Conkah Peppah dey call [it], got de leaves [picture of pepper and leaf?] on de box of it.
(Where do you get that?)
Kin buy it. Go tuh any drugstore.
(They call it John the Conker Pepper? It looks like red pepper?)
It looks like red peppah. An' put sart [salt] into dat. But doesn't use it fer anything else after dis. Take it and go scatter it all around de place dat you are in. All around de place what chew in and takes a shoe sole - jes' like a shoe. Take de shoe sole an' de Eve-an'-Adam root. Built yo' a fiah in yo' yard an' put dat salt, dat shoe sole an' Eve-to-Adam root in dere an' burn it. Aftah hits burnt, jis' sweep de yard. But yo' let de ashes be neah de fence or street as yo' kin. Ah've never had none to go in yet; nevah had no law to go in no place yet.
Entry 5107
Dat innah thin sole in dere, yuh take dat out an' burn it an' it will 'fect yuh as rheumatish-like.
(Give you pains in your feet?)
Yes.
Entry 1377
[Hoodoo lye is almost always Red Devil or Red Seal commercial brands, the former more frequent than the latter, and both bearing pictorial labels of symbolic significance - magic and legal approval.] If they find a red spider on the steps, they get lye, concentrated lye. Red Devil Iye they call it - it's the same kind but they get the kind that's got the red devil on it. They seem to think that the devil will have some effect on it, but you see it's nothing - that's only the man's trademark. But dey don't even seem to realize that. Well, they'll scrub that porch off with it and sprinkle sulphur and sugar around - burn it, you know. And they'll burn sulphur on an ole shoe sole. That's to dispel the witchcraft that people will put down.
Entry 2369
Yo' could git chew some lodestone, some bluestone an' - not bluestone but saltpeter, and some red peppah [three ingredients] and put all dat together and put it in a little sack and wear it in de bottom of yo' foot. Git chew some Van-van, rub yo' face and yo' hands with it. Ev'rywhere, ev'ry time yo' gotta go out, go fo' anything, jes' rub yo' face and hands with dat all ovah.... Well, yo' go wheresomevah yo' goin' an' whatevah yo' wan'a do, whatever yo' goin' tuh do, it leaves de way open fo' yo' tuh do whatevah yo' wants tuh do, whatevah yo' got in yore mind to do. An' yo' see yore way looks dark, why when yo' git dere de way be opened fo' yo'.
Entry 5148
Yuh take de lef' shoe an' cut a square outa de centah of de shoe.
(The center, the bottom or the top part of it?)
De bottom, jis' where yore feet fit right in de bottom of dat shoe. Yuh jis' cut a square outa de inside of de bottom of de shoe. [A square piece is cut out of the center of the insole.] An' yuh bury it.
(What will that do?)
Yuh cut de square outa de shoe an' put it in a li'le sulphuh an' red peppah an' graveyard dirt, an' yo' sew it in a li'le bag an' bury it. An' if yuh wanta hurt a person, well dat will cuz whatevah shoe it is, if it's de right shoe, why dey'll grow lame in dat side. An' dere's no doctah [M.D.] kin cure dem until yuh fin' de person dat has dat [square piece of insole] an' git it from dem. An' de only way tuh find out is tuh [see a] fortunetellah an' let 'em tell yuh how tuh git it.
(I thought it was the left shoe?)
Well, it's de left shoe dat ah'm speakin' about.
(This is out of the left shoe?)
Yes.
(You don't get the right then at all?)
Well, ah nevah learn of de right. It's de left.
Entry 11448
They take that and they bury it, these fingernails and the toenails - all wrapped up, you see. Get some, somepin that come out of the shell - gun- powder. Get some gunpowder and dirt out of the graveyard, and your fingernails and your toenails, either one, and go bore a hole in a tree, but you stop it up in a can or a bottle like that. And you bore a hole in the tree, and a nail, as long as you can find, to drive in to keep that drawing up, you see. You drive that can fastened up. Of course, you burn at the soles, you get funny feeling about your head, you see. [New Orleans (855) 1347:3.]
Entry 12952
To bring or send away - sole of left shoe - dig a hole - bury with the feet going away from the house - 3 to 9 days person will leave. If to bring back - bury shoe with feet coming to house - and [or] you can tack it over facing of door where it's covered [hidden] and the person will come. [Memphis (973, professional and excellent), 1575:10.]
Entry 1445
You kin take a pod of red pepper, ordin'ry pod of pepper, and take it and put one pod in each shoe. Leave it in the whole pod like it is. You put it in your shoe. You take a common newspaper and you'll cut a sole, and you'll put that on top of that pod of pepper and you know, that will make it too hot, nuthin atall will harm you - see, that will be too hot for anything they put down.
Entry 1507
Yo' kin go out an' jes' lak yo' - yo' git chew some ole shoes anywhere in de streets or road, anywhere in town. Yo' burn dem - yo' take de soles off. Ah nevah have heard of 'em burnin' de whole shoe - take de soles offa dem shoes. Git chew some sulphur an' bluestone or brimstone - it's all near 'bout alike an' jest put chew a little fiah in de yard or put it in a tinpan or somethin' an' burn it out dere. An' dat keeps dem away from dere.
(What do you burn, the shoe or just the shoe sole?)
De sole - not de shoe. Burn de sole an' put dat sulphur an' bluestone or brimstone - either one, jest put it on dere. A woman showed me dat - ah couldn't tell yo' de name, but she burns dat.
Entry 1616
[Urine is frequently part of a hand (see subdivision Hands) and often by itself a hand.] And if you got a backward child in school and you can't get him to go to school and can't get along with him in school, you just take some of his urine water that he urinate and wash the soles of his shoes with it and I'll betcha you won't have no trouble with him.
(He'll improve.)
And makes him go to school regular. Wash the soles of his shoes - just the sole, not the heel.
Entry 2037
Some woman said she - it's some kinda oil, but dey said dey takes it an' grease it round de ear an' under de palm of dere foot. John de Conker's oil, dat's whut it is. Behin' de ear an' undah de bottom of dey foot an' dey say regardless to whut chew gon'a do, dey won't turn yo' down.
(If you are hunting a job.)
Entry 2038
(What could I do to keep the law away?)
Go an' git yo' some John de Conker. Yo' could git it in liquid or yo' kin git it in pieces. Yo' kin take John de Conker, if yo' wants to keep him away. Pull off yore own shoe every mornin', dip yo' own finger in it three times and place it under yore feet, an' rub it back of yore own ear three times, an' yo' won't have no trouble with the law.
Entry 2154
I don't know how to get him to give you a job, but I know how to hold a job.
(All right, how's that?)
Well, I use his name the same way. I write his name down nine times. I write my name down nine times across the other way. [A cross is made with the names.] I fold it to me, each time I fold it I make a wish, and I wear it down in the sole of my shoe.
(What shoe are you wearing that in?)
I'm wearing it in the lest shoe - in the left, I wanta say.
(The left shoe, I see. That's to hold your job?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 4868
Well, if she wanta git 'im back, yuh see. Anyway, she gits some of 'is - gits 'is shoe sole or some of 'is undahweah, pants he weah nex' tuh 'is skin. An' git dat. Why den, she take an' jis' make a little, little ball, put a little piece enough tuh stick in a bottle. Jis' a little ball about dat much [demonstrates], jis' a little piece yuh undahstan'. Now, take yuh some thread, black silk thread, fine, an' turn de thread pieces all de time tuh yuh [demonstrates]. Yuh see, wrap aroun' de thread, dat thread tuh yuh - all de time so it is coming yore way. Go tuh a stream of watah an' let de watah be comin' yore way. See, yuh meet dis - see, yuh meet dere. Lak yuh comin' disaway [demonstrates] an' de stream come from disaway tuh meet [you], an' yuh throw de bottle an' it will come back tuh yuh. [If you throw the bottle upstream, it wil] come floating downstream to meet you.]
Entry 5117
Bury dat. Take dat shoe, dat lef'-foot shoe an' yuh take dat piece out dat shoe - dat bottom, dat piece of cloth.
(That inner sole?)
Yeah, dat innah sole. An' yuh bury dat. When yuh bury dat, when dat shoe rots, yuh'll rotten - GONE TUH HELL AN' GONE! GONE TUH HELL! SHO' KILL 'EM! OH, YE-AH!
Entry 5157
Cut dat out dere shoe.
(What do you cut out?)
De linin' - yes, de innah sole.
(What do you do with that?)
Put it in yore shoes an' weah it.
(What will that do?)
Make him love yuh.
Entry 5227
A person take yore shoe an' cut jes' a small 'mount of de sole off each one of yore shoes.
(The outside sole?)
Yessuh, jes' cut dat sole offa dat, offa each one of 'em. An' take dat sole offa dat shoe an' git 'em a bottle of Jockey Club Perfume, an' lay it on a cloth an' sew it up right nice, an' keep it 'nointed always wit dat perfume. Don' nevah let it go wit'out it, dat per- fume. Evah day, don' fo'git tuh put as much as two or three drops on each one of dem li'le pieces. An' keep it in yore pocketbook an' DAT WILL FO'EVAH
Entry 5294
Heard tell of 'em takin' de sole, de innah sole out de shoes. Take de innah sole out chure shoes an' put it in runnin' watah, put graveyard dirt wit dat in runnin' watah an' run 'em wit it - de innah sole out chure shoe.
The informant introduces hearsay about an inner shoe sole with graveyard dirt in running water. The movement claim remains reported rather than independently observed.
Entry 7147
Turn de shoes bottoms upwards - his shoes. (Where?) Well, jis' lak he's pulled dem off an' gone tuh bed, she take 'em an' turn 'em bottoms up - turn de' sole up an' de top down. Say dat'll make him sleep until she come back.
Entry 7279
Fo' instance, if a man would kill a man an' he would cross 'im three times.
(Here is the body. Now, how would he cross him?)
[For the body I probably used my Numbers Book, small note book containing the number of each informant and brief information about him after he left.1 He'd cross him dis way [demonstrates] an' den he'd come back dis way. Den he'd come farward ag'in. Dat's three times [forward, back- Ward, forward - each on an angle to form an X or cross.] Den he'd go away an' he won't be ketched by comin' back. Yo' may ketch him in California or somewhere but not by him returnin' back hisself, yo' see. But, if yo' know de party dat commit de crime an' will take dat chicken aig an' write his name on de aig nine time backwards. If his name Charles Smith, write Smith Charles, burying dat party wit dat aig in dere. Ah guarantee yo' in about three or fo' mont' time, yo' will ketch him near de place where he commit de crime, comin' back fo' some reason. He won't stay 'way. Well, if he [you or I] commit de crime, an' havin' trouble - so no dog, no law, nuthin could find out mah business or nuthin'; but if yo' kin git to it, de turpentine swamps. yo' git de turpentine an' put it at de bottom of his feet, rub it at de bottom in de shoe sole an' de dogs won't trail him. He'll be caught by someone else, but de dogs won' trail wit turpentine.
Entry 7287
To do away wit tracks whah [where] de bloodhoun's might cross, put it [chicken manure] undah de bottom of yore foot. Jis' git chew a big pile of it, yo' know, de sole of yore shoe, an' jis' wipe it aroun' in dere until yo' git a-plenty of it on. An' den leave it. Dat's so de bloodhoun's cain't even start.
(What kind of manure do you use?)
Dat chicken manure.
Entry 12669
If someone is kinda cranky with someone - dat's mean, kind of mean wit someone. Well, a man or a woman kin naturally go tuh work an' dey dissolve [wash out] a rag - dese clothes [cloths], yo' know whut dat means. Yo' kin wipe undah yore arms but yo' must not do it aftah a clean bath. De odor undah yore arms must ketch in dis dissolve [water from rag] either arm. An' yo' don' have tuh wipe undah de arms. An' yo' kin take - naturally yo' kin take de same cloth an' wipe 'tweer yore toes. Den yo' kin wipe in undah de bottom of yore feet, but chew gotta git de odor from dose feets. An' yo' kin drink de same stuff right along with 'em, an' dey'll follow yo'.
(What do you do with that, after you wipe that stuff off?)
Put it in some water or whiskey or anything else, since [just so] yo' git it down 'em. Ah had a boy one time - mah mothah wuz a Indian woman, an' he used to beat me every day. An' mah mothah knowed a whole lot about things, an' she learnt me how to do it. [And I did this.] An' ah beat it in good, an' he followed me. An' he follows me up to today, an' dat's been ovah fo'ty yeahs ago.
(This boy?)
We wuz boys then.
(That is how you conquered him?)
De same way ah tole yo' jes' now.
(That is the way you conquered that boy, made a friend of him?)
Why shore, an' we friends today.
Entry 12945
Jes' de sole off de shoe - one, de right feet, an' tie it up in a piece of new homespun, sew it up in it, an' bury it underneat' de steps. Dat why he couldn't leave yo'. [Sumter 2409:9.]
Entry 9698
(Do what?)
(You get some sulphur.)
And sprinkle it on your front and back steps, and get some disinterested per- son to get a fresh box of table salt, you know that never been used out of it, and just sprinkle it and someone clean house with it and sweep it out, you bound to move. (I see. You bury the sul- phur under the front steps and back steps, and then you have to have this salt.) Table salt.
(That hasn't been used. What do you do with that salt now?)
Sprinkle it in the house and just like if I, you know, come in or walk out, well then as soon as I walk out, then you sweep my tracks, sole and all out to- gether, and say, "Well, that settles it. You won't come back, again."
Entry 4583
Yuh take dis little bow here an' take some devil's-shoestring dey call it. Take dat devil's-shoestring an' dis bow an' some cinnamon bark an' salt [and] black peppah. An' dey takes dis bow an' put it in de sole of yuh shoe. See, like yuh got a shoe, a woman would do dat. Dat's tuh make her - make yuh stay. Yuh goin' tuh stay right wit 'er. An' she'll take dat an' put it in de sole of 'er shoe an' wear it dere. As long as she got dat thing in dere, yuh can't leave her.
Entry 4687
Well, ah've heard dey take dat li'le bow out de hat an' put it in de bottom of yore shoe, an' keep it wet wit chamber lye, yore cham- ber lye, an' jis' wear it in de bottom of yore shoe, twixt de sole an' yore foot. (What will that do?) Dat will keep a man home; he won't leave 'er. She's lyin' onto [she can rely on] him all de time.
(Either shoe?)
No, de left shoe.
Entry 4688
Takes dat an' soaks it in chamber lye, de bow from de back of man's hat. Soaks it in chamber lye an' puts it in de bottom of 'er shoe. She got de man. Evahwhere she go, he's follahin' 'er.
(She can wear it in either shoe?)
Either shoe. Jis' de innah sole yuh know, take dat out an' soak it in chamber lye, eithah put chamber lye in dere an' put de innah sole down ovah it, an' he follah her evahwhere she wants tuh go.
(Whose chamber lye does she put in there?)
Hers. She use her own chamber lye.
(She puts that in the man's shoe?)
[My question or statement shows me napping, caught by the words he follah her, I momentarily forgetting what went before.]