Subject:Speaking
Entries
Entry 4674
Yuh could use yore chamber lye an' dat'll cause 'im tuh love yuh. Take yuh chamber lye befo' yuh speak tuh anyone early in de mawnin' an' yuh dampen dat little bow an' wear it. Wear it in yore right-foot shoe. Dat will cause de man tuh love yuh.
Entry 4919
If a woman's hus- ban' is gone an' she kin git any of 'is socks dat he wore 'fo' he left dere, she jis' go an' git one of 'er own stockin's, an' she bury dem tuh de sunrise side of 'er house. An' three mawnin's aftah she bury dat - don' bury it any deepah den dat [demonstrates].
(About as deep as your hand.)
Fo' three mawnin's take her night pot - don't let nobody use it but her. She pass dat watah [urinates] when she git up in mawnin' 'bore she speak tuh anybody. An' she take dat pot an' she set it aside until she go out [the door], undah- stan', an' empty dat pot on dat place dose mawnin's, an' he go back [returns] in several days. (She takes one of her stockings and one of his socks, either one of them, and just buries them together. That will bring him back?) Yes. She use dat pot three mawnin's 'fore she begin tuh eat.
(She must be fasting?)
Yes. (Then she will take the chamber lye and sprinkle it on this place three morn- ings?) Yes.
before-eating condition explicitly queried as fasting and assented to. Roles remain informant→interviewer→informant; the fasting term itself is the interviewer’s formulation with explicit assent. predicted single departed husband’s return in several days. No observed return These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 5644
Take de foot tracks out from behin' somebody as dey be walkin' along, don' let 'em see yo'.
(Foot tracks?)
Both tracks, dat he [you] wanted to run away. An' take it to de rivah an' de early part of de mawnin', when yo' firs' wake up befo' yo' speak to anybody an' throw it in de rivah ovah yore lef' shoul- dah. An' walk away an' nevah look back at it an' dat'll run 'im away.
Entry 5646
Dey kin go an' see yore track an' begin at de toe an' pick it up completely to de heel, right undah de middle. Don't let any of it fall off, evah bit of it. An' put it in a silk piece of cloth, a piece of silk ole or new. Don't make [no difference] jis' so long as it's silk. An' go to de rivah, drop in de middle of dat rivah. Don't say a word but jis' make yore wish, jis' like yo' say, "Go, yo' devil! Yo' go!" Turn yore back de moment yo' drop it an' don't look back. Come on away an' dey'll go.
Entry 5731
They take the right footprint and take this and wrap that in a rag. And put High John de Conquer and Adam-and-Eve, and they said a eagle's feather, and put that in a [the same] rag. And cut a hole with a auger in a green tree and put that in there. And strike nine licks on the stopper that chew put in there for nine days. And you do that in the morning before sunrise and then do it before you speak to anybody in the moring. That will put the person in a lingering condition and will finally die.
Entry 6375
If she wanta take him from 'is wife. Yo' see, he's got a wife an' she wanta take him. An' 'cordin' to dat, well, he'll go an' stay wit 'er all night. Well, while he's dere, she'll cut some hair out of 'is haid, see. She'll take dat hair out an' put it intuh a quart bottle an' good whiskey on it, an' put bluestone an' lodestone in dere. An' befo' she'll speak to anybody, she'll git up evah mawnin' fo' nine straight mawnin's an' shake dat up. An' at de end of de ninth mawnin' when she shake it up, dat hair will bejes' as black as a coal in dat bottle. An' dat man will walk right out of de house an walk ovah dere tuh her, an' 'is wife won' say an'thin' tuh him.
(That takes this man away from his wife?)
Yessuh. [Memphis, Tenn., (1530), 2736:4.] [These three parts of the human body appear separately, joined with one or the other, or all together, or in various combinations with various substances. About one-third of them concern food and drink. As always in these sections of special material, not all rites are here. Others will be found elsewhere, espe- cially in INTERVIEWS.]
Entry 7417
Jes' lak if a person git killed out dere. Well, dat person be yore frien' or prob'ly yore brothah or some of yore folks, but anyway he got killed an' nobody knows how it done it. All right, yo' goes dere where he would lingah at, jes' lak yo' fin' 'im daid. Dere could be a multitude [do it], could be dat, or de othah one do it. Yo' goes right dere where dey fin' 'im at, an' make two cross marks [demonstrates]: one lak dat, one lak dat, an' one lak dat, an' den cross 'em, an' right in de centah of dat middle one, yo' take yo' a pin - jes' a ord'nary pin. Yo' know, jes' a straight pin an jes' drive it right down in de middle of dat mark, right dere, press it right down in it lak dat. An' whensomevah yo' press dat pin down in dere, see, yo backs out from dat mark an' don't chew say a word to nobody. Don' care who come 'long dere an' say sompin to yo', don't chew say nary [not even] a good [morning]. Back nine steps from dere, an' in less time den nine days dey goin' come an' give up, whosomevah i'tis [it is]. Even [if] it be his own brothah.
[The pin is driven down in center of square of the tick-tack-toe design.]
(This cross is made like this [I demonstrate], something like that. There are two lines like that and two lines crossing it?)
[I drew a tick-tack-toe as follows: #.]
Dat's right. No, dere's one dere an' one dere - dere, jes' lak dat. Den yo' make two crosses dere jes' lak dat, in dat one right dere. An' right in de cen- tah of dat one, yo' put dis.
(The cross you make is like playing tick-tack-toe?)
[Here is the special double-double cross #.]
Dat's right.
Entry 8331
Den yo' kin take - if he's 'way from yo' an' yo' worried, mad becuz he's gone - yo' kin take his pichure or her's an' go tuh a tree, an' put it on de side dat de sun rises on. Well, yo' gits up early in de mawnin' 'bout six 'clock or six-thirty an' don' say a word tuh anyone. Well, yo' goes out dere den an' yo' hit dis heah pichure, drive a nail through dat in de heart, an' yo' hit it right on dere. Well, now yo' hit it fo' nine mawnin's an' in nine mawnin's yo'll die.
Entry 9527
Why, if yo' is gone away from yuh wife an' [often equals Or] she gone away from yo', why yo' kin git up soon in de mawnin', mos' any mawnin'. Don't speak tuh anyone. An' jes' go back dere an' git salt - a box. Git some salt an' call 'er name fer three mawnin's. De foth mawnin', if she is a li'le mind of it, [if she has the slightest intention of returningl, she comin' back.
(What do you do with that salt?)
Take dat salt an' throw it de way she went.
Entry 10632
I've heard them claim that if you chew a certain root, that root is Ωlligator root, and also High John the Conquer, they claim, and chew that root and spit nine times before leaving the home, and nine time before you get to the place, and nine times after you reach the place, without speaking to anybody each time, and by doing that and just use the words, I want a job - you say that [these words] to yourself - that the individual will get a job. That's what they claim. {Alligator root here may be the root of the alligator tree, given to a sweet gum tree because its rough bark is supposed to look like alligator hide; or this may be any root, a rare one, faintly resembling an alligator. The shape of roots years ago, before my collecting days, played an important part in a doctor's pharmacopoeia.]
Entry 10697
Yo' go to a fortuneteller or Hoodoo and pay them a certain amount of money to have what is known as good luck to follow your home while you are gone. And it is said that she would tell you for this amount [of money given to her] to buy de Bible and not open it. Open it in de house [itself] and find de 17 division of Psalms, Psalms of David, [close Bible] and walk in yore garden and git as near de center as possible [here is a quincunx rite!] not yet opening Bible. And turn yore face as near towards de east as possible, and valk 17 steps and stop, and read de 17 division of de Psalms, and den close de book. And no harm will befall yore home or nuthin will happen to yore wife. (This is to sort of to protect your family; especially if a man is going away from home?) Yes, that's on leaving home. The same thing holds good, de wuman tole me, if a man's wife leaves him and he wants her to return.
Entry 10739
Whut dis man did, dat wuz down in South Ca'lina, he wuz goin' wit a girl, yo' know. Well, she say she's a big shot. Ah goes wit anybady ah worta, nobody kin hurt me. Ah qoes wit de man. Well, so - she wus purty good. She went every time. So dis man got mad one day, he says, Well, de bettah ah do, de worsah she gits tuh me. So ah think ah'm goin' do sompin. So he goes off tuh a ole woman. She wus about ninety yeahs ole. So he went tuh huh an' said, Well, now, mah ole woman don't treat me lak she used tuh an' ah wants sompin done. Okay. Says, Well, Zisten. Ah tell yo' whut chew do. Yo' go back an' de end of de mont', yo' bring me a lil' somepin of huhs in a bottle, 'cause yo' have tuh bring it in somepin lak dat; jes' a drop of two, but if yo' kin, try tuh git me nine drops. Okay, ah'Zl do dat. So sho' 'nuff, she wus nice 'nuff, watched huh yo' know, when she went tuh use de chambah. He wuz smart enuff tuh git it out of de chambah. So he got it. So he take dat an' he put, added cologne - two kinds. It wuz Lily of de Valley - an' Hearts Cologne. She mixed dat tuhgethah wit it, huh ministrate [menstrual blood] an' put it back in dis same bottle - mixed it tuhgethah yo' know. An' tole him tuh take dat an' keep it an' tote it, an' dress hisself wit it fo' three days, straight mawnin's, an' he'd speak tuh it: Name of de Fathah, Name of de Son, dis woman will always be mine an' nobody else's. He didn't have no mo' trouble wit huh.
Entry 12751
Well de first thing would be if yo' wanted a job. An' dat go fo' a job, a favor or money or anything. Dat chew would git chew some of dis root whut de' [they] call rat- tlesnake marster, an' spice. An' yo' take dat root an' yo' chew dat rat- tlesnake marster, but chew have [hold] de spice in yore mouth. An' yo' spit dat when yo' speakin' tuh him. "Fore yo' consult him yo' spit from him an' nevah spit tuh him. Den he cannot turn yo' down even [whether] it's money or job or whut. If he don't place yo den, he will place yo' [later], but don't nevah spit, jes' spit tuh him but [when] chew spit jes' turn away from him, turn yore haid from him an' spit.
Entry 125
I do know a story about a church up here. This church is near Shelby- ville, Delaware. At present this church is closed. And in this church there is a very large Bible. And they say that anyone who goes in there and tries to carry this Bible out, they will not be able to get away further than the door. There are certain cases where people actually tried to take this Bible out and the person claimed that it became so heavy that finally they would have to drop it before they got to the door. And on other occasions before, they claim that motorists who pass there in the evening see lights in the church and they can hear people talking and singing.
Entry 380
When they would see the earth sinking in some place, they commence to visit that place and they would meet many many spirits, and that would make them take notice. They would say, "There's some- thing buried there. The spirits are watching over it. I'll bet it's money. Let's get together and dig for it." And they would start out. They said that many people used to find it and dig for it and they would get it. They say you don't dare jto talk. They dig. No matter how near you are there, don't speak a word. If you speak airy a word, it goes down. By keeping quiet you get the money. They say it comes back, but it's really gone so deep it takes time. It really sinks and it rises, it sinks and it rises. You keep on to [till] you get it. But you get it soon. You'll get it quicker by not talking. I used to hear the olden people say they had some kind of rod for getting the money, a certain rod. I don't realize what they were. They push that down into the earth until it comes along the pot of money. They use to strike it, too. They say when it Was placed there, there would be so many names called. They were buried with the money down into the earth. The person who buried that money Would say, "Now, I want you to take care of this money and see that no one takes it away. Stay here until I come for it." Then all of those names [are] placed there to take care of it; if you get to interfering, they come before you. That's to frighten you to make you get away. No, not dead people; only the names of people living, they say, for witness to see it buried there. All these spooks around a-guarding of it, I could say they were alive. They never dig for the money in daytime. I used to ask, "Why do you dig at nighttime?" "We have to do that when everybody is quiet in order to keep the money from going way way down."
Entry 398
[The no-talking rule is absolute while hunting buried treasure. I do not consider Yo' kin go off an' talk all yo' wanta (No. 426) a violation of the rule. I know of only the following exception, which is confined to this one example.] Dey hunt money at night but dey say yo' has to go on de right moon to do dat; but yo' wouldn't have a word to say, not a word to say. Jest go dere an' den yo' start after it. Dere's two words you have to say when yo's in trial, "Help me, Lord, Our Father, to overcome 'em." That's all yo' got'a do when yo' go to digging.
(When you go to this place where the money is buried.)
An' let nary no man say nuthin'. Start to dig an' when yo' go ovah three feet den yo' kin talk. But don't yo' say a word until yo' go three feet.
(What time of the moon do you go there to dig?)
On de young moon.
(Well, how do you locate this treasure?)
Dey has a compass, but i' tain't all.
Entry 402
I know a story about fellows went hunting hidden treasure. It had been once dug up by a steam shovel and it slid away back in the dirt again. In Way- back times they use to always kill a man. They get the hole prepared and put the treasure in, then they would ask him if he would take care of this money. He wouldn't know what was going to happen. He would tell them, "Of course." Then they kill him and turn him over in the hole and cover him up. Then, when you go there, that's his spirit that takes care of the money, and it does things to frighten you so you won't bother it. They are supposed to have a machine. It's a round thing like a clock and has three points sticking out. One was set for gold, one for silver and the other for brass. It has two handles of hickory. You hold them two handles and walk along like you witch for water. When you walk over hidden money one of them points goes down. As soon as you start to dig, no talking. You use signs. If you talk, it slid away in the dirt. Well, five men went hunting it again, that's after it was dug up by the steam shovel and slid away, and as soon as they hit the old chest that was in the ground, the wind begun to blow, the trees began to weep - they rocked like they were just going to blow over. And the men begun to run. One got lost. He stayed all night and began to see every kind of a thing like a ghost - men walking, men flying, beasts in the air. He never discovered the way out until daylight appeared. And he has been afraid of it ever since. I knew this man. That happen about thirty years ago [1906] in Sussex County, Virginia.
Entry 403
They have something they call mineral rods. [This is also called money rod (No. 423) and sounding rod (No. 416).] I have heard and have known people who had ideas where deceased people have buried money. They have been told in their dreams where they could find it. And when they would get what they call mineral rods, they had to go at midnight with only [one] person with them. And usually they had to be very brave, because I have heard of them digging for two hours and all of a sudden such a russelling [rustlingl, such a noise, like if it were a wagon and it was about to run over them. And if you got frightened you Would never find anything. But you had to stand still till the noise had passed. Hold to that rod, push it a little further and you would strike something: Then you had to be very calm, not speak one to the other, till the excavation was open and you had taken out whatever vessel the money Was in. If you speak before, they say it would go down and you would never find it. That noise they say is the spirit that will test you to whether you are the proper person to find it and to have it. If you re not, you will become frightened and lose sight of it.
Entry 1985
They say they have two kinds of these hands. The first one I told you about was supposed to be a hand that would give a man good luck and anything he desires. There's another hand that they could talk to that will direct them, where to go, when to go, and when not to go, to keep out of trouble. That is the one they talk to. There's one that hangs around the neck and hangs down right here in front of them. The one that gives them their wishes they carry in their pocketbook. The talking one they hang around their neck. [This taZking hand is a Jack - see Nos. 581-588, pp.190- 193, and Index.]
Entry 2026
Well, yo' git dis John de Conker an' put it in yore pocket an' while yo's - yo' go to yore bossman an' yo' stand an' talk with yore bossman, an' have dat John de Conker in yore pocket an' keep yore han's on it. While yo' talkin' to him, yo' know he wouldn't pay yo' no min' anyhow, yo' jis' pattin' lak dat. An' yo'll git de job. Mah husban' did dat.
(You take your hands out of your pocket while you are patting it, don't you?)
Yeah, keep yore han' out chure pocket. Mah husban' he did that an' he wus out of a job an' couldn't git nuthin an' a man sold us a quarter's worth of dis John de Conker, an' he went tuh de bossman an' wus talkin' wit him an' de bossman turnt off a boy an' gave him a job.
Entry 8595
(Could you tell what to do if a man left home? What a woman could do to bring him back?) Take a piece of papah an' write 'is name on it nine times. Yo' write it dis way [demonstrates] comin' back to yo'. (Sort of make it in a circle. Write it towards her?) [These names are written like the leaves of a fan, semicircular on the outside, all pointing to her.] Yes, sir. An' then yo' take an' git chew a lamp. Have to buy a brand-new lamp an' fill it up with kerosene an' put this down in de glass [bowl of lamp] an' put de lamp in a close dark corner, an' turn it very, very low an' call 'im. Yo' light it dis mornin' an' burn it. Call 'im dis mornin', light it at six 'clock an' call 'im an' let it burn till twelve. Yo' go an' make yore wish an' call 'im again at twelve. An' at night chew call 'im. He'll be dere before de next day.
(What time at night would you call him?)
Call 'im at twelve 'clock at night. He be dere before day.
Entry 12144
You [a woman] kin take some Hearts Cologne and put it under your arms, and put it down in front of you, between your bosom, and drink a little. And talk in their face, in front of de boss, and they say if you don't git it the first morning, keep a goin'. The chances is you'll get a job.
Entry 12668
All right, 'bout love again. If a man asleep an' a woman love dis man - yo' know, want dis man tuh love her, if he sleep, every two or three nights, she take an' git de scent of herself down here an' underneath heah. (Down below and under her arms?) Yes sir. An' will go cross his nose, while he's still in bed, three times. An' den de third time take an' shake it an' say, "Come undah mah command."
(She rubs her hand up under his nose, while he's asleep - three times.)
An' he inhald [inhales] it.
(And the third time she says, "Come under my command.")
An' she goin' call him an' make him answer her, see.
(But she says, "Come under my command, " while he sleeps through.)
Yes, certainly, but he ain't goin' answer, yo' know, most men asleep while dey wakin' up. Jes' lak his name, John, Bill or Joe.
Entry 413
Or some people say yo' put de money in de ground an' yo' bury a chicken or bury a cat or somepin - whatever dey bury, ah don't know what. Why, dis thing will come back wit chure money. Or bury dis Negro - why dis Negro will be so strong, somepin to make yo' 'fraid an' keep yo' 'way. (Is there any way that a fellow can go there at all and prevent that and get the money?) Well, dey say if yo' git chew a Bible an' go to dis place readin' yo' Bible, when dis stuff start - yo' got chure gang an' yore shovel wit chew - go ahead an' dig de money up. Don't pay any 'tention, jes' go ahead an' yo' see de stuff fall, jes' walk right on lak yo' don't see it; reads yo' Bible - readin' God's word, yo' see. An' dey said, when yo' git to dis place, why yo' got an idea how much room it might take, yo' know, to dig dis money up - yo' know, yo' all stand round in a ring round dere an' keep on reading de Bible. Say, den one man will walk around dere dragging his foot chew know, an' mark de place out, while dey be reading de Bible. Why den when dey git through reading dis Bible, take dis Bible an' lay it down on de line, puts it de way dey came - come dis way an' lay it right down on dere where he came in; on dat land marked round dere, lay de Bible, an' dey say yo' git right down dere an' dig. As long as dey didn't talk - don't talk an' don't, yo' know, make a fuss. Git right down dere an' dig. Say all kind of animals - all kinds of mess will come right up dere live, but pay no 'tenshun to 'em. Yo' dig right dere, jes' don't make no fuss, yo'll git chure money. Git dat money an' sit right on de - all kind of animals will come right to dat line, but co'se dey wouldn't come in 'cause dat's de Bible - see, wouldn't come ovah dat Bible.
Entry 1031
[In the preceding rite we warmed up or gave extra power to a fireless coffeepot; in the following rite we have a waterless bath powered by singing:] I was livin' [rooming] with a lady in this town here and she had a man she was livin' with. An' this man, you see, would go out and work but he wouldn't bring in money to suit this lady, see. And this lady went to some hoodoo lady and tried to find out some way of gettin' him to put his money in de house - you know, in de home. Well, this lady told her what to do. She told her to go somewhere and get a, about, you know, a cup of graveyard dirt from some place, and get and have some strands of his hair out of him, and mix it together, and get some more - some kinna roots, you know, out de woods. I don't zackly [know] what de name of 'em would be but I seen 'em, you know, seein' how she mixed de stuff together. She took de graveyard sand and roots and this strand of his hair - she tied it aroun' de roots see, put de graveyard sand in a little sack. Den she put dat in, you see, put de sticks [roots] in this bag too, and tied it up and wore it in her bosom up here. And de lady told her to get in de tub and face de sun in de mornin', you see, take a bath and holler and sing - you know, sing low to herself. There wasn't any water in it - jis' an empty tub. But she was suppose to do dat early before de sunrise rise, for nine mornin's and burn some kinna lamp behind de door - you know, a lamp jis' like we use. But I don't know whether it's true or not. I couldn't say that [she didn't see this part of the rite]. But that was de words she came back and told us. And she did it. And then she ordered off - of somepin from some firm, Johnson C. Smith, I think it is, in Racine, Wisconsin, and got somepin dey call High John de Conquer. But she wouldn't let me see that. I couldn't tell you zackly what dat looked like; she wouldn't let me see it. But I re'lly do know from myself experience dat he did change. He start to bringin' de money in and spendin' it in de house jes' like any other man. [Wilmington, N. Car., (261), 257:3.]
[For a doctor singing while making medicine, see margin-title George Jackson.]
Entry 8946
If someone steals somepin from yo', take a wagon wheel, an' yo' chop nine - if yo' find de door, yo' kin make dem bring it back. Yo' chop nine pieces out of the wagon wheel an' yo' get by de door an' yo' roll de wagon wheel back an' forth, an' [while] demanding de person to bring back de packages of merchandise which dey stole. (You roll this wagon wheel back and forth?) But never around. (In the door?) In de door. Jis' get there an' start in de door wit de wagon wheel an' carry it round an' roun' but don't never carry it all de way over. Somepin like a spinnin' wheel, say it's a spinnin' wheel. Well, yo' put this on two pieces of wood lak dat an' carry it half an' half - half an' half, but never all de way around. (How do you mean you put two pieces of wood? Do you put pieces of wood through the hub?) Yeah, [put stick, only one] through de hub an' yo' stand it [wheel] up. On [through] it [the stick], an den yo' roll it half disaway an' half dataway, jes' turn it lak dat: Yo' return my dress, yo' return my dress, return my dress, return my dress, thief. (And what do you do with those nine pieces of wood you took out of the wagon wheel?) De nine pieces of wood is fo' de nine days dat dey's to return it in.
(What do you do with the wood then?)
Yo' jes' throws de wood away. De wood is not necessary to chop, it's in de wheel dat counts.
Entry 400
Yo' kin go out an' git a young hickory tree, git de fo'k of a young hickory tree an' split it in de fo'k an' put a fifty cents [coin] in dere, an' carry it any place dat chew spicion there is a treasure, an' gettin' to dis place, if there is a treasure, yo' kin hardly hold the stick. [This is the original treasure finder or a locator before commercial firms entered the field with many gadgets. It is the dowser's forked stick used in dowsing or witching for water; a piece of silver being added for buried treasure. The dowser's Y-shaped (or wishbone-shaped) stick should be about three feet long with the ends of the V about two feet apart so that they can be conveniently held in both hands. The short stem of the Y or the hypocleidium of the wishbone - holding the silver - points away from the operator. As the dowser or treasure hunter walks over the water or money, the end of the forked stick dips down ''yo kin hardly hold the stick." I have described a childhood experience in which a dowser fought his dipping fork (I should say fought himself) until it flew out of his hands with great force - see FACI, 2ed., p.526, No.11779.] Well, yo' don' have tuh talk - yo' shouldn't talk an' yo' should first have sulphur an' also a piece of silver money in yore pocket, an' in digging this treasure yo' shouldn't say anything to anybody. Of co'se there'll be winds an' ghosts an' diff'rent things comin' up, but jes' dig right on an' don' say any- thing because if yo' say anything it will go away.
(What do you do with that sulphur?)
Dat sulphur is tuh keep de ghosts from worryin' yo' tuh death.
Entry 407
Ah've seen one - it's a little article that hangs on a cord that - the cord is made of 'lectric [wire] - it's got 'lectrified [needs electric power] - but chew hand dat cord an' dat ball dat hangs - it a seven-pound ball an' it hangs on it - well it's got a little iron stick - kind sticks jest dat way an' he hang that there. See, if dat money's anywhere roun' there, it got fo' prongs; 'two drops an' two still stays, but de two drops. Wal now, yo' jest put thar an' give it a turn, jest turn it jest de least bit dat-a-way an' yo' talks to it. An' wheresomever -
(What do they say to it for example?)
Well, dey says, "Spirit" - jest lak whosomever dey name that buried dat money, dey call de first letter of yore name. You say, "Point me to dis money." An' dat thing will jest wave an' wave till it git dere, an' when it settle hitself, those two down prongs, if that money is that direction out, they gon'a give they- self jest lak dat, if it close near. An' if it's way out, dey both gon'a stand off jest lak de two whut do stand straight up. An' if it's right dere, dey both gon'a come jest like dat, an' den dey gets up to set it until dey git right over it. [Whatever the contraption, it works on the Jack or dowser principle.]
(When you get over this money what do you do then?)
When yo' find it, yo' dig dat money. Yo' don' talk, don' say anything, an' if yo' git to it an' happen to strike it - dere was a fellah dat found some money, him an' two fellahs together, an' when he reached down he said, "Oh! ah got it, ' jest lak dat, and dey said dat jest lak to jerk him in two an' dey heard it [the money] fall right dere. Yo' can't git it. If yo' don' speak, don' say nuthin', den yo' kin git it.
(Where do people bury this money? Do they bury it in any sort of way?)
Bury it in pots - have to bury it in pots. If they bury it in anything else, it will sink. But dey buries it in a iron pot.
(Are there any spirits around money of that kind?)
Oh, yes, if a person buried money, that people will stay right there. Yo' kin go there, if yo' got nerve enough to stick - dere'll be a spirit come to yo' an' yo' ask it lak dis, "Well, what in the Lord, whut do yo' want - what in de Name of de Lord do yo' want?" He'll say, "Yo' go look such-an'-such a place an' git dat money, ' an' if he's got a wife or children, 'an' give it to mah children or give it to mah wife," or whosomever he wants. Well, he disappear. Well, if yo' go an' git dat money, that spirit won't be worried there no more. But if yo' don't go git it, he'll be at chew again, say, "Yo' didn't do whut ah ask yo'," an' he worry yo lak dat till dat money is moved. Then after dat money is moved, dere is no more worry from him.
Entry 733
Yo' kin take, now, if yo' want a good gomblin' hand - now, yo' kin go out an' dere's somepin out in de woods grows dat called rattlesnake master [or button snakeroot (Eryngiun aquaticwn) southern U. S. A.]. Dere's two of dose things grows. One's a she an' one's de man - one grows a white flower, dat's de she; an' de one dat grows de red flower, dat de man. Well, yo' takes dat - yo' goes an' dig up dat root whut chew call de rattlesnake master. Yo' brings dat rattlesnake master back home an' yo' sits down an' yo' cuts it in de shape - kinda cut it in de shape of a spade; cut it out in de shape of a spade or either in de shape of a tooth, ary one dat chew wanta cut it out lak. Yo' send tuh town an' yo' git chew some hearts cologne an' yo' git chew two pinches of flaxseeds an' yo' git chew about two ounces or 'bout half of a halfa ounce of sulphur. Yo place dat root - put all dat stuff roun' an' place dat root in dere an' fills it fulla ole hearts cologne an' sews it up in a red cloth an' yo' sets dat root down on de table. Git a glass of watah - a plain glass of watah an' fo' nine mawnin's yo' go tuh dat glass an' speak to it fo' nine mawnin's. Look at dat glass - jes set dere an' look at it till it begin tuh look lak yo' begin tuh git drunk in de haid lookin' at - somepin lak dat. Yo' speak to dat glass fo' nine mawnin's an' dat ninth mawnin' DAT GLASS WILL SPEAK TO YOU. Den yo' take yo' root an' yo' kin go in any skin game wit any money. See anybody, white or colored, take dat root as yo' see 'em comin' - put yore han' in yore pocket an' rub ovah yore face lak dis an' walk up an' comment to 'em 'bout it. [Where? (?), 2407:2.]
Entry 2085
On de order what chew call a little lucky glass - it's about dat long.
(Long as your finger.)
Yeah, wit a whole lotta little diff'rent shinin'-lookin' things in it - some of it look like gold, some look like silver, all diff'rent colors. De directions tells yo' how tuh use that - jest tote it in yore pocket. Well, when yo' go down dere to de job, jest put chure hands on it an' begin tuh talk to de bossman an' he'll hire yo'.
Entry 5106
Git chure yore shoe while yore feets sweat - sweat up to de end of yore toes.
(What do they call that?)
Toe jam, toe jam. Yo' kin take dat shoe right down an' burn it an' dat will jes' give yo' a crazy mind. A mind wit - yo' wouldn't speak right no way. Yo' wouldn't talk right. Yo' wouldn't answer right. Yo' wouldn't act like a man dat had plenty sense. Yo' wouldn't.
Entry 6001
Well yo' jis' git a little Hearts Cologne. Why, yo' don't use de whole bottle now, yo' git a little Hearts Cologne. An' yo' git a little - well prob'ly yo' have to git 'er frien' to git a piece 'er hair - see, from 'er head. See. An' yo'll have to git 'er voice, too. (How do you get that?) Well, yo' git de Hearts Cologne an' yo' put it into anothah - yo' put some of it into anothah bottle, jis' about a half, yo' see. An' yo' git some of 'er frien' whut goes wit 'er to git a piece of hair. An' yo' git three little stick- pirs - dese little stickpins [ordinary not safety pins] dese wimmin use fo Clothes. Yo' git two bran'-new needles. See. An' yo' put it into a bottle. All right, yo' put it into dat bottle. Well, yo'll have to 'drop [eavesdrop] around 'er home at night, an' yo'll know 'er voice from anybody else, an' den she alk. When she git to talkin', why yo' jis' - EVAH TIME SHE TALK, WHY YO' STOP DAY BOTTLE. [This is an unusual and excessive opening and closing of bottle. Somally one catching of voice suffices.] Yo' got 'er voice, yo' see, an' she'll tve to come home.
[The voice caught in a bottle is catching the spirit - see p.24.]
(Well, what do you do with that bottle then?)
Hell, yo' jis' tote dat around in yore pocket, or yo' could leave it right e. De best to tote it in yore pocket.
Entry 7506
Dere's things yo' kin do to de dead man. If yo' go to dis dead man, dey claim to his grave, nine mawnin's an' call 'is name an' ast 'im who killed 'im, dey claim dat he'll tell yo' in de ninth mawnin'. (What time do you go out there in the morning? You go out there in the ' morning, you say.) Yes, go out to dis body jes' 'fore day - jes' since it's night.
Entry 8958
Yo' take a portion and yo' put it in each shoe.
(You mean the oil. The oil?)
Yes, yo' put it in each shoe. An' there's three oils yo' get. Yo' get this oil of muritel.
(You get what?)
Murotel, yeah. That [is] if you out, yo' understand, goin' to meet co't. If yo're not in jail, yo' can take oil of murotel and cedar oil an' labena [ver- bena]. An' yo' mix them three oils together. [First oil is surely myrtle!] (What kind? Labena?) Labena [verbena], yes sir. An' yo' bathe yoreself in it that morning before going before the judge. An' if yo' have any witness, well yo' take a beef tongue. An' yo' know the right names, yo' writes the name upon dat tongue. An' if yo' got a chimley anywhere in de house, yo' hangs dat up in there, an' your witness can't speak clearly. (Well, what do you hang that beef tongue in that chimney for? What - how do you do that?) Just take it and [first] you roll it around with your feet [it is kicked in No.8956] and hangs it up in there and smoke it.
(Oh, you smoke it! I see.)
Entry 9226
Said dey take a black hen aig an' go tuh de woman's house, an' if yo' man goin' dere, if yo' wanta bust 'im up from dere an' run 'im away from dere, bust 'im an' de woman up, yo' take a black-hen aig an' go an' throw it up against de do', an' say jes' whut chew want tuh de aig. An' throwin de aig at de do', bust it, an' he cain't go dere.
Entry 9253
Ah tole yo' dat, see. Now, lak ef yo' wanted me tuh git outa heah. Ef ah was in dis house heah an' yo' wanted me - yo' couldn't git me outa heah. Yo' go an' git a black hen's aig Was laid on a Friday, see. An' yo' write dat person's name on dat aig. An' yo' take dat aig an' put it intuh a teacup wit de handle - a teacup whut ain't got no han- dle, a new teacup, not a ole one, a new one whut ain't got no handle. [A new teacup with- out a handle? Did a person buy a new teacup and break off the handle? Or was a handleless teacup, small bowl, conveniently sold by hoodoo shops?] An' den yo' write de name on dat [egg] good. Well, yo' write it seven or nine times, but it's gotta be seven or nine times, not eight. Seven or nine, see. Well, den yo' shet dat ovah wit coffee grounds an' let it set in dere three days zactly. Well, den yo' make it back tuh mah do' dere at night, twelve 'clock in de night, an' jes' throw dat egg an' let it hit mah do', de cup an' all, an' say, "Go! Yo' son-of-a-bitch." An' dat egg hits dat do' it busts. De nex' mawnin' ah'm goin' git a wagon an' ah'm goin' move out dat place, can't stay dere fo' save mah life. Dere ain't no way fo me tuh stay dere.
Entry 12214
Yo' git some of dis incense and burn it fo' seven mornings. Now, if you know the name of that person, you call the name, but if you do not know the name, yo' jest say, Whosomever stole mah goods, bring 'em. And they will bring them back.
Entry 12249
Well, de fac' about it, suh, yo' uses whut root dey call High John de Conker root. Yo' see, yo' goes tuh work an' yo' put a piece of dat root in yore mouth when yo' goin' tuh be tried. Yo' chews it an' hold yore breath [before speaking] an' be slow in speakin' - be very slow in speakin'.
(And the judge will let you go?)
He will absolutely, de really fac' about it - have [you be] sent away [case dismissed].
Entry 8925
When yo' git all to yo'- self - yo' know, at a certain time of de day, git off to yo'- self an' yo' meditate on dat, jis' lak yo' see 'im, yo's talkin' to him. Yo' say, call his name, says, "Charlies, yo' stolen mah pants. Ah want chew to bring 'em back." Jis' a few words, yo' know, sompin lak dat. Yore mind an' his mind will turn an' contact together. That's what chew call kind of auto-suggestion. (I see, that will make him bring back this stolen article.)
During a described meditation, the informant supplies 'Charlies, yo' stolen mah pants. Ah want chew to bring 'em back' as example words addressed as if to the person.