Subject:Spit
Entries
Entry 2312
Well now, way tuh kill anothah man's luck in a game when yo' shootin' dice, kill any luck in de game, spit on de dice three times, see. Spit on de dice three times an' if yo' kin git one of 'em in de crack of yore butt, if yo kin [put] one of 'em right in de back of de crack of yo'butt, see, an' then git it out befo' he kin see it. Any time anything lak dat, ah has de breeches loose, see, 'fore he git de dice - lak yo' goin' move an' stan' up, yo' see, yo' git it back dere. Well, yo' git up an' say somepin bitin' yo', an' smack it in dere, den take it out an' den be sayin', "Name of de Father, Son, an' Holy Ghost, ah kill yo' speed." [This holy formula is sometimes said under strange circumstances - see No. 205, p.58.]
(And that will kill everybody's luck there?)
Dat will kill his luck.
Entry 4280
Dey take yuh watah an' stop it up an' YUH'LL NEVAH MAKE WATAH NO MORE IN DE WORL'. Put it intuh a bottle - if yuh don't spit intuh it, see. If yuh spit in yuh urinate, dat kill de urinate [and an enemy cannot use it to harm you]. An' dey dig a hole an' put it undah de step. Well, yuh don't make watah nO mo', an' DAT CUZ YUH TUH BE WATAH BOUND.
Entry 4282
Well, ah seen 'em spit in yuh pee, whut chew pee in. It wuz all took up an' put in a bottle. All dat wuz put in a bottle an' dey put cayenne peppah in dat. Dey put sugah in dat an' set it behin' de bed, an' let it stay 'hin' de bed fo' three days.
Entry 4824
Lak yuh got'a a gurl - or yore loved one or yore wife - an' dey fin'ly [finally] pull off from yuh an' leaves yuh. Yuh kin take any garment she wear nex' tuh 'er an' put it undah yore baid. Take an' spit on it an' put it undah yore baid. (What do you do with it first?) Spit on it, jis' spit all ovah it an' put it undah yore baid. Well, she'll come. Ah tried dat mahself. An' she'll come back tuh yuh. But chew have tuh have de one dat she wear nex' tuh 'er, lessen [unless (you have)] 'er hat or 'er socks or 'er stockin's. Yuh know, somepin lak dat. She comin' back tuh yuh.
Entry 6153
If dey braid yore hair an' spit in dere han' an' fix yore hair, ever' bit of it will come out, cuz mine came out. (Just spit in their hand and rub it in your hair?) If dey spit in dere han' an' fix yore hair. (Just rub their hands over your hair as if they were attempting to fix [arrange] it?) [Notice how I have repeated informant's dere (as their) and fix; this being a frequent practice of mine. Similarly, informants often repeat my words.] Yes, man or woman, don't make no diff'rence. Cuz ah know mine come out an' it nevah did come back no mo'.
Entry 6674
Ah tell yo', if yo' kin git a little of de watah or de spit from de terrapin - if yo' kin git de watah or eithah de spit from de terrapin, an' yo' kin use it in a person. Yo' kin put it in dere watah, anywhere yo' kin put it tuh git it in 'em. It will run 'em wild jis' lak a terrapin.
Entry 7252
Ah heard dat dey goes out an' gits incense an' dey burns incense. An' aftah usin' incense in dere house, dey goes tuh work an' dey git dem ademity cards - imadenithy. [At a guess I would say these are identity cards, cards containing pictures of people, which the rootman shuffles to increase the number of customers. This is a rite to increase business.] Why, dat's from de rootman. He'll go out an' he git dat an' he'll chew [it], an' evah time he chew dat way an' he'll spit. Evah time he chewin' an' he spit, why it draws a crowd mo' largah an' largah an'. dey content.
Entry 7905
[Before I turned on my recording machine I had asked about spitting.l Dey take dat yo' know [I interrupt]. (This saliva.) Yeah, dey took dat an' fixed it up an' call it by name, an' put dat wit a li'le red peppah. An' take dat an' bury dat at de feet of de - anywheres dere's a corpse, a dead body in de grave. An' dat cuz yo' tuh suffah a stroke. An' it cut de speech, too, yo' know; an' yo' kin drivel up.
Entry 8480
They say you can take that spittle [= spit] and take some sage, green sage, and mix that with it, and write the names of the Twelve Apostles on that sage [12 sage leaves]. And you mix it with it [spit with leaves] and then take that and hide it under a doorstep. Put it under a doorstep where it'll be covered, where it can't be seen. And that individual will begin to pine away and finally go into consumption [tuberculosis].
Entry 8718
Write de name [of the prospective renter] under your name. First you go to the Bible an' yo' take any chaptah out of it, jis' take yo' any word jis' like Peter, James or John, or anything like that, an' yo' write it down. All right. An' yo' know their names. Yo' want 'em to rent de house. Yo' write dere name down, see. Well, den yo' take anothah verse out de Bible. Write jis' de word yo' see an' den write your name again den. Well, all right. Aftah yo' do dat, den yo' take an' write dere name an' spit in dis bottle 3 times. As yo' roll dis up, take dese names an' roll 'em up right tight. Stick 'em down in dis bottle, stop it, an' bury it undah yore doorstep. Dey'll have to rent de room or yore house from yo'. Yo' call on de Lord [= don't forget to pray]. [This rite has special interest because my original first transcription, a first hearing of the cylinder, is attached here to the final manuscript. I had to transcribe by hand and pencil because my transcriber missed a number of the Hemphis cylinders.]
Entry 8719
(To get the job?)
Yo' write his name, de boss name, an' yore name, too, if yo' wants. If yo' don' want, yo' don' need tuh write chure name, but long as yo' git de boss name, yo' understan'. (You write his name down once?) Nine times. Yo' git chew cinna- mon [chewing cinnamon] an' yore sugah. An' git some cinnamon tuh chew [stick cinnamon] an' spit nine times goin' tuh 'im an' nine times when yo' git tuh 'im.
(After you have written this name, what do you do with this name?)
Yo' jis' keep dat name folded tuh yo' an' weah it in de bottom of yore shoe. Eithah shoe will do.
Entry 9073
[Before hearing the judge of the present rite, I must say something about our famous root, the most widely used root in hoodoo. Like the equally well-known term goofer dust, the meanings of these words have varied with place and time and individuals - especially in hoodoo shops, where instead of saying we are out of John de Conkah but have it on order, anything available is handed to the customer. Other examples of our root will be found scattered throughout Hoodoo especially on pages 455-457 and 593-595.] Say, "Yo'all niggahs come here sprinklin' down yer roots an' spittin' round me, goin' send yo'all tuh jail, evah las' one of yuh."
[Yo'all is an expression in the Southern States.]
(Who Was this judge?)
Judge Crutchfield. Used tuh be heah yeahs ago.
(I see. But he knew they were doing it.)
He said dat somebody had taught 'im dat.
(Somebody had taught him?)
Taught 'im tuh [know] but de vury [very] man dat had [taught him] he didn't send 'im tuh jail - discharged 'im.
(I see. He knew they were doing it though.)
Yeah, he use tuh tell 'em about it: "Yo'all niggahs comin' here chewin' yer roots an' spittin' yer powdah around chere," say, "ah'm goin' send evah one of yuh tuh jail, evah one of yuh." But he didn't done it.
Entry 9153
They got some pills they call spit pills. You can buy those in the same drug store, the Crackerjack. Yo' take those an' yo' take nine of 'em, an' if de judge is not lookin at yo' befo' he call yo', when yo' walkin' up de aisle to 'im, perhaps, well yo' spit dose nine pills at 'im. No yo' keep 'em in yore mouth, dey don't dissolve. Dey are something like a black [something] dey's don' dissolve in yore mouth. As yo' are walkin' up de aisle to 'im, yo' spit. Yo' still keep de seeds in yore mouth, yes sir.
Entry 10850
Well, if a person - dey's got good hair an' de othah one got bad hair, an' jes' keep on boastin', "Yes, yo' pick yo' hair. Let me pick yo' hair back, lak dis heah." "Well, now if it's a man, 'Well, ' he says, "ah'll fix yo' so's yores be's jes' lak mah hair, ' Dey'll go an' git dat buz- zard manure. Yes, an' dey cain't git to yo' deyself, but dey'll give it to yore friend. Dey'll pay yore fren' an' yore fren' will git to yo', be combin' yore hair, an' put dat in de hair. Lak, now, someone be combin' yore hair an' yo' spit in yore han' an' rub it on yore haid, an' yore hair'll go. (You mean spitting on your hand will take your hair out? The buzzard manure will do that also? And spitting on your hand will do it?) Jes' comb yore haid an' spit on yore han', be combin', an' take yore han' an' wipe down heah an' comb down. Dat take every bit out.
(Wipe your hand where?)
"Tween yore laigs. An' comb yore hair down. Take every bit out.
(That's two other ways of doing it. What do you do with that buzzard manure?)
Put it on yore haid.
(Then another way of doing it is to spit on your hand?)
Dat's right. (And another way of doing it is to rub your hand between your legs and put it on the person's head?) Dat's right. [See preceding rite for something similar.]
Entry 13224
Ah've heard of 'em taking sugar an' de spit from dere mouth, jes' lak de spit from mah mouth, an' take sugah an' mix it into a biscuit with buttah, an' put it undah yore arm an' wear it undah dere. At meal- time an' give it to a man, an' dat man will always love yo'. He'll give yo' 中 every penny he kin make, but chew gotta keep it up.
Entry 13225
Lak ah wus yore cook an' ah wanted tuh gain influence wit chew some way, ah would fix yore coffee or yore tea, or yore ice cream an' spit in it. Yo' gotta do dat nine times. Yo' go ahead, yo' done drink it. Yo' don't know whut ah'm doin' an' when yo' do, dat'll give me de influence of yo'.
Entry 727
Down in Caroline County [Virginia] before the War [Civil War], I heard my father tell the story of an old root doctor. And this man, who was named Jim P., he chewed roots because his master whipped him because he didn't make the fire on due time in the morning. This old man named P., he goes to this root doctor and this root doctor fixed him up with some roots. So he goes back to his master's home. The next morning as usual he was slow about getting his master's fire made. His master and his wife was laying in the bed. He noticed Jim P. continued to chew roots. And he looked at Jim and he said, "Jim, Jim, why don't you get that fire made?" Jim didn't turn to answer his master at all. He just continued to chew these roots. Every time he would chew these roots and his master Would say anything to him, he would spit. So his master laid there quite a while and noticed him. Suddenly his master rose in the bed and said to him, "Jim, you chewing roots." So his master smote him square in the jaw and those roots flew all over Jim P. He went back to the cunjuring doctor and told him these roots that he had given him worked on his master and he like near killed him. And he had no more faith in these cunjuring roots. And Jim P. didn't use any more roots up to the day he died.
Entry 740
Ah tell yo' whut ah done about dat. Ah done dis heah in '37. It wus a man in Northcross[?]. Ah went to him - someone tole me yo' know. Well, ah wus wanting a job. Ah heard dat he could do anything he wanta do - jes' lak ah wanta go up to yo' an' say, '"Captain, len' me fifty dollahs." Dis man say dat he could do dat, yo' understand. Well, ah went on ovah dere. When ah got to dis man, ah went down to de - wusn't make much, jes' makin' 'bout three or fo' dollahs. Ah paid him a dollah or two dollahs till ah git him paid, yo' see. He say, "Now, yo' give me seven dollahs an' yo' kin do anythin' in de world yo' want.' Ah went ahead on tuh work an' got dis money an' give it to dis fellah. Ah give him seven dollah an' a quarter - he wanted seven dollah and a half, but ah give him dis seven dollahs. He give me a han'ful of devil's-shoestring - whut people call devil's-shoestring an' tie it up. He tole me, he says, "When yo' git ready to do anything yo' wanta do, or borrow some money from somebody, or ask someone fo' a job," he said, "yo' take an' take a piece of devil's-shoestring an' put it underneath yore mouth an' chew it, an' take it an' spit it in each han'. Rub it in yore han', take an' spread it all ovah yoreself." An' he says, now, yo' could do anything yo' wanted tuh do. Well, ah went ahead an' tried it - went to de man dat ah wus workin' wit an' ast him. De man say, "Well, ah can't do dat." Well, he tole me, say, "Now, yo' wants tuh buy a new automobile an' ain't got de money." Say, "Yo' don't need but five dollars." He say, "Yo' go to a man an' tell him yo' got five dollahs to put on a car an' walk off fo' steps from dis man an' spit, lak to warn dis man. See, let de spit go right down on de groun' tuh Warn dis man, an' ah'll guarantee yo' he'll come at yore command an' let chew have dis car by payin' five dollahs, an' say yo' kin git de car." Well, ah went ahead an' tried all dat, but de fellah wouldn't sell de car, an' all de stuff ah tried, it nevah did come tuh pass.
Entry 751
My grandmother had a very dear friend, it was a woman, and she came to see her. Sitting, talking, while she Was doing her sewing, she began to spit around on the floor. The conversation continued on. And when she got ready to go, my grandmother started to rise to go with her, and she entreated her to sit still and not to get up. She insisted on her setting down and so she didn't get up. And after she had gone quite awhile, when she started to get up she couldn't even move. She remained that way for a long while. They worked on her so she could get up, but she never did straighten up. [Fredericksburg, Va., (74), Ed.; in Orange Co., Va.,1886.]
Entry 758
I had an old lady draw a ring [on the ground] with a stick for me once. She spit in the ring and said I would never live to be a man. That worried my mother so, that I told my mother we had to go back and talk to the lady. So I went to her house that night and I said, "Martha, please mam, take that wish off of me that I would never live to be a man." She thought I was hollering and sassing her in the street - she thought I was giving her some sass. That's the reason she drawed that ring and spit in it. She told me if that Was the case, she'd take that wish off of me. I don't know what she did. But here I am. I Was nine years old.
Entry 813
Yo' kin go to what chew call a fore-knower - go to a fore-knower and she give 'em somepin dey call de lucky perfume and de John de Conker root; puts one piece in de bottle and she give yo' de rest of it to chew. And when you go to de gang you chews a piece and rubs yore hand with this perfume, and you spit de juice - dat's to give you good luck and put bad luck on de rest of de gamblers.
(Where do you spit this juice?)
Jes' spit it anywhere around de game.
Entry 855
Well, Doctor Jackson told me to go out to the fork of the road - go out to any road that got a fork to it - running south and east, and go to the fork of this road and take the south road and kneel down and pray - say my prayers, three times, and look up at the sun and make the Sign of the Cross and walk back - walk back to where the fork is divided at, you know, the same as a Y - walk back to that fork and make a cross down there - make a cross down there and spit in it - right in the middle of this cross. And after I spit in the middle of that cross, I go ahead on back to my house. He say that'll uncross me - like somebody got me crossed. You understand what I mean?
(I see. Find a road which has one going to the south and one to the east.)
One to the south and one to the east, you see. That east road - you go to the east side and you say your prayers. After you say your prayers, why you -
(In which road do you kneel down and say your prayers?)
On the east side.
(East side - and then you say you walk back to that Y?)
Right to that Y.
(And then you turn around and walk back to it?)
Yes sir, and spit in there.
(In that cross?)
In that cross.
(Do you make a cross or just spit there?)
You spit right in that cross - right in that Y, you see.
(Oh, you spit there. I see.)
You spit right there.
(Who is Doctor Jackson?)
Well, he's supposed to be a hoodoo doctor.
(Where does he live?)
He was staying right there on Ramport Street, right between this street and the next street, but he ain't there no more. He gone. Him an' 'nother fellah who was working together - they called him Bill. They wears long black beards and two earrings in 'em.
(I see.)
Entry 1283
An' then yo' kin cure disease with that frog. A frog is wonderful tuh take off spells.
(How would they do that?)
Well, now, yo' kin ketch a frog an' yo' kin let the party that has the spell Spit three times into that frog's mouth an' blow their breath three times in it an' then yo' kin - when they do that yo' read the 23rd Psalms. See, read the 23rd Psalms an' after yo' read de 23rd Psalms, yo' let them take that frog an' throw it ovah dere shoulder jest as hard as they kin an' don't let that frog come back towards where that sick person is standing - keep that frog off from that sick person. An' that frog will carrv that disease off. Yo' kin take off witchcraft fo' anybody wit dat.
Entry 1339
You kin take a horseshoe if you see ghostes and - you goin' in a dark place and you kin look and see ghostes, you kin have yore horseshoe and spit on it and throw it over your shoulder and the ghostes won't harm you all de way home. Like if you stayed in de country and you have a long journey to go late at night, and you used to seeing yore grandmother and you don't wanta see her - you know, it frightens you to see her coming and dere is nobody. Well, you throw that over yore shoulder and yo' all right.
Entry 1354
If you chew High John de Conker and spit it around, no one can harm you. [This well-known rite is more frequently reserved for trail before judge, asking job of boss, and gambling.]
Entry 2025
[The last name, John the Conqueror Root, is never used - it is given here to explain the preceding three. john de Conker is the usual name. King of the World (No. 1352, p.455) and other names are sometimes used. What is John de Conker root? Like goofer dust (p.222), John de Conker can be many things. Act- ually, it is a mythical, at least a very uncertain, root, identified differently according to various per- sons in the root-selling business or according to the particular root worker who digs his own. Few root men during my collecting days dug their own.] An' den when yo' wanta git money, she tole me a way, too, tuh git money - dat yo' go to work an' go in de swamp and git what chew call a man ruler root. Take dat root an' it got joints in it lak yo' finger. [Some- one somewhere else speaks about these joints.] Yo' take dat when yo' go to a fellah tuh make a trade wid him or either buy anything, yo' bit off a piece 'fore yo' git dere, one joint, measure it wit chure finger, de joint of yore finger, an' bite it off right dere at dat joint, and yo' chew it up an' be spittin' as yo' talk to 'em, right down on de ground where yo' kin spit. See. An' he comin' yo' way. Now why ah believe dat - hit works in love too, cause one time a man's wife quit him and he got a pice of dis John Ruler Root - no, it's Conker - Man de Conker - see, John de Conker - but dat's de same thing, John de Conker Root. Well he goes tuh work then an' bit dat off and was standing up talking to his wife an' ast her did she wanta come back to him. Well he had never, yo' know, went to chewing it. She say, "No." And dat time he went to chewin' an' spittin' and said, "What objection yo' have to not comin' back tuh me?" An' she say, "Well, yo' won't treat me right." An' he spitted 'bout two or three times, see, an' say, "Well, kiss me." An' she say, "Well, ah kin kiss yo' but ah ain't goin' back to yo'." An' she kissed him. An' 'fore dat man left dere she went back home wit him. An' dat's right - wit dat High John de Conker root.
Entry 2027
Yes, I've heard that, too. I've heard 'em say if they get John de Conquer - some High John de Conker and there's Low John de Conker - and they say if you kin get High John de Conker and go anywhere to the boss to get a job, they put it in their mouth and chew it and spit, and walk up and talk to this boss and spit around, say if there airy job anywhere there' the boss is goin' to hire you.
Entry 2028
Called John de Conker. Now yo' kin take that root an' put it in yore mouth an' when yo' walk in de room, when yo' come in de co'thouse an' yo' first cross de do', yo' jes' spit in dere. Ev'ry do' yo' pass by yo jes' spit dere, spit dat John de Conker root, spit it. An' when they call yo' up there to the judge, an' tell yo' tuh take the witness chair, well, when yo' spit out, yo' spit ovah there in that cuspidor most. An' they be done turn yo' loose.
Entry 2029
If you wanta conker a white man, or you know, like any business, want him to do a favor for you or borrow money from you [him], say you just get some of that John de Conker root, they say, and chew it and spit - spit all around him. Now, here, just like if you spittin' - and say you spittin' nine times. They say you'll get any amount of money from him that you want to.
Entry 2311
When you're gamblin', if yo' a good winner, if some person kin git behin' yo' an' spit in yore back, well then yo' supposed to begin falling.
(That would kill your luck.)
Entry 2650
There's a root they call High John de Conker root. You take this and you puts it in your mouth. And they got what you call flaxseeds. You put nine of them in your mouth before you walks up to him, and you spit nine times, and you have this root in your lips - this way - just talking to him. Then, before leaving your home you get up before sunrise. Get frankincense, morris [myrrh] and flaxseed [three ingredients], and you makes a smoke with that and you stand over that, and you smoke yourself over good before the sun rise. And then you go over and out on the job there, and you have this root in your mouth and you going to talk to this foreman.
Entry 9054
Dis same talcum ah wus speakin' of - same talcum powdah.
(Eve-and-Adam?)
Dis Eve-an'-Adam an' talcum powdah. Gits a little of dis graveyard dirt [from east side of graveyard] an' make yuh a powdah. Fine sand dat graveyard dirt. Git a little da'k dirt so it'll turn kinda grayish-lak, so it will look lak a little trash in yuh pocket. Go up tuh de judge's stand an' take a little in yuh hand lak dat, an' sprinkle it around an' spit in yuh hand. Yo' got dat Eve-an'-Adam juice, spit in yuh hand an' watch dat judge right in 'is eye all de time. Keep yah eye on 'im, hypatize [hypnotize] 'im in a way so dat he gon'a be light on yuh, mo' 'an [than] apt tuh dismiss yuh all de time.
Entry 9085
Go roun' tuh court. An' yo' gotta go tuh court, see, an' yo' wanta have a easy time wit de judge an' git close tuh 'em. All right. Well, den, if dey haven't got yuh con- fined - co'se yo' may have some frien's tuh work it fo' yo', if dey got chew confined. But if yo' not confined, yo' kin git chew a li'le piece of lodestone an' put it in yuh pocket. Git chew a piece of John de Conkah root an' all de time yo' settin' up dere in de chair, yo' chew dat John de Conkah root, see. Chew dat John de Conkah root, spittin' it towards de judge an' spittin' it on 'em. Jis' blow it on 'em, it's all right. De mo' yo' kin, de closah yo' git it tuh 'im, de mo' yo' draw 'is attention towards yuh. Be apt tuh cleah yuh, yo' see. Den, when yo' git up tuh speak ast de mercy of de court. Dey bound tuh grant it tuh yuh.
Entry 9103
Dere's a small root dat dey call de Moses. An' yo' take dat root an' yo' chew it de whole time dey's fixin' tuh have dis trial, yo' chew it. An' yo' be's chewin' de spit an' dere'll come on some disastah of de trial, it won't come up. Now, ah did see dat. Ah see dat happen in Waycross, Georgia. Ole man Murray dat had a son in dere, an' dey was fixin' tuh give him two years, an' de judge, de sheriff an' all de people dat was in de court, an' dat boy walked right out by 'em all an' was gone. He walks right out de co'thouse. All of de solicitors an' de judge an' evahthin' was settin' dere. It was about three or fo' 'clock in de evenin', an' when he got up an' walked out, dere didn't anybody pay him any attention. He walked right on out an' was gone thirty minutes 'fo' any of 'em detected he was gone.
Entry 12241
Well, you use John the Conkah root, just take it and put it in your mouth and chew it. And just like I wanted a favor out of you, I'd just keep achewing it and spit while I be talking to you, and that'll make it all right.
(Especially if you want a job.)
Yes sir.
Entry 12253
Yo' takes - it's sompin yo' chews - it's whut chew might call a Spanish Root, ah think, dat way. Yo' takes it an' yo' chew it an' yo' spits. An' jes' wheresomevah he stay or where his office or anythin lak dat, well it's best tuh go whah he live. Ketch him at home whah yo' kin stand in de house whah yo' kin jes' spit, chew know, an' talk tuh him jes' lak dat wit dat stuff in yore mouth. Well if yo' kin, git up close enough tuh him, close enough tuh him tuh jes' talk wit him. An' yo' know a person kinda do dat. Yo' do dat. An' if he got anythin' fo' yo' tuh do, he'll give yo' a job; an' if he ain't, he will git chew a job. Jes' chew it.
(What is the name of that root?)
It's Spanish, jes' name of a Spanish Root. Yo' orders it. [This shows an influence from the Cuban population in nearby Tampa, a cigar-making place in those days.]
Entry 12254
High John de Conkah, yo' know, an' chew it up, yo' know, an' spittin' in yuh hand an' rub yuh hand. An' be a-spittin' all around while yo' talkin' tuh 'im. Yo' kin git job. [Elizabeth City 393:1.]
Entry 12255
Spit John de Conkah before speaking to the boss for a job. [Richmond 330:9.]
Entry 12258
You can get High John de Conkah or Eve-and-Adam [frequently called this but the name is Adam-and-Eve] or Samson's snakeroot and keep chewing it and spitting around, and make the wishes. And they say that'll keep the law from them. [Elizabeth City 558:11.]
Entry 12260
Tuh have luck in gamblin', why yo' git dat root, dey call it John de Conkah, an' yo' chews dat root while yore gamblin', yo' see. An' in chewin' dat root, yo' have tuh spit. Yo' spit three or fo' times lak dat in yore han's. Well, den dat gives yo' luck. [Algiers 2898:12.]
Entry 12269
Git some High John de Conkah root an' chew it as yo' talkin' to the bOSS an' HE'LL NEVAH NOTICE THAT YORE CHEWIN' SOMETHIN' TUH CAUSE YO' LUCK, an' when yo' git ready to walk out why yo' jis' spit dat root whut yo' chew right round his feet. [Memphis 1517:6.]
Entry 12752
Git a root dey call de rattlesnake marster, an' spice, an' yo' kin put dat in yore mouth an' chew dat. If yo' wants a favah done or anything like dat, spit toward de person yo' be talkin' to an' he'll - can't not hardly turn yo' down. [This informant is separated from preceding informant by 58 infor- mants and considerable time.]
Entry 12876
Chew Sampson snakeroot and spit 3 times in front of boss when asking for job. [Memphis 1561:5.]
Entry 13227
Spit into cut 3 times for 9 mornings before pouring in coffee, he won't leave. [Memphis 1515:6.]
Entry 11551
"Get a piece of paper and measure their footprint and take that up in a dark place - in a dark closet, and spit 3 times at this in the dark and walk away. They claim that makes a person foolish, he won't stay no place at all."
[Fredericksburg by Ediphone.]
Entry 1940
You kin git chew a little dis talcum powder, git chew a little grave- yard dirt. Go as near de center of de graveyard as you can. It don't make any diff'rence where [whether] you git it off de grave or not, but you git from sandy dirt like. Take dis talcum powder and mix dat and de graveyard dirt together. Prob'bly you have to put it in de stove somewhere and let it dry out so's it'll be dust. You go and git chew a little of de best cologne dat you kin find and sprinkle into dere. Well now, if you kin git right on to dis boss or kin roun next to 'im, you may drop some of it roun' his feet like dat or run your hands - keep some in your pocket all de time. Run your hand in your pocket and sprinkle a little roun' dere. Well, you take dis same Adam and Eve root. It don't hurt cha if you put it in yo' mouth. You take and place one in each jaw, walk roun' de boss and talk to 'im. Spit ever' once in a while roun' in dere. If dere's anything on his desk or anywhere [like] dat, you kin prob'bly spit in your hand and go and lean on it - jes' like I'd come in chere and ask you for a job, I'd lean up here [against my work table] and talk to you. Now I got dat spittal in my hand you see and put it on his desk. He can't tell nuthin.
Entry 1949
Den yo' kin git chew some John de Conker an' have yo' a little piece of root an' chew those guinea peppahs every once in awhile. [Guinea pepper = grains of paradise, pungent seeds of a West African plant (Amorum meZegueta) used as a spice.] Lak ah'd walk in heah to yo', went to gamblin', chew dat once in awhile an' spit in mah han' an' rub it an' throw mah dice or play mah cards. Chew dose guinea peppahs - dem little brown seeds dey calls guinea peppahs.
(What do you do with that John the Conker root?)
Yo' chew that. Yo' hold that in yore mouth lak a toothpick. Chew dem [root and seed] separate.
(If a person goes down to get a job?)
Sho'.
Entry 2463
Ah heard 'em say dat tuh keep de law away, yo' git chew some John de Conker root an' yo' git chew a piece of lodestone, an' git chew a bottle of oil of clover an' wet that lodestone in it, an' dis heah snakeroot. Yo' git hit an' John de Conker, dat's two roots. Dat John de Conker, yo' chews hit, an' den yo' git a piece an' put it in some whiskey with this little piece of lodestone. An' when yo' mops yore place out in de mawnin', yo' mops with a little of dat in de watah, an' dat will keep 'em all away an' dey won't bother yo'. If dey come in dey won't bother yo' an' won't 'rest yo'.
(You chew the John de Conker root?)
Yes, when dey come in - when dey go out, spit behin' dem.
(Do you put any root in this water that you use?)
Yessuh - what yo' use, dat John de Conker, same root in de watah.
Entry 970
[The preceding doctor was original only when boxing and labeling his medicine; the three crosses being an old folklore device:] By making a crossmark - prob'bly if they had some kind of a boil or somepin on 'em, making a crossmark on it an' then marking it with spit to carry it away.
(How do they mark it with spit?)
Jes' mark it three times crossways.
(That would take the boil away?)
Yes, sir - remove it. ["To remove a wart make a cross over it at three different times on Friday and do this three Fridays in succession" (FACI,2ed., No. 7006, p.324).]
Entry 1083
[Many examples have been given of payment to the dead for their grave- yard dirt. Here, a doctor, a man offers a rare healing principle about roots:] De dime - some people uses a dime an' wears it around dere laig, so if dey walk ovah anything it'll turn black an' hit'll take it. An' den take a person, dey take a dime - same as if like if dey in de woods diggin'a root. Well, yo' supposed tuh pay off fo' dat root; if yo' don't pay off fo' it, it ain't goin' do yo' no good. When yo' diggin' John de Conker or de chew root - see, hit's a root dat grows in de woods dey call de chew root. Well, yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin chew an' go befo' co't. Why anywhere yo' wanta borrow anything, why jes' go ahead an' chew it an' spit it round dere and dey'll take sides wit chew. But when yo' diggin' dese roots an' things yo' should pay off in silver.
(Why is that?)
Well, dat's de sacrifice.
Entry 2068
In gambling, you wanta have luck in gambling, you got to - of course, you can go to church and make your wishes there for anything you want. I have did it and I was successful too. And now like you wanta be lucky in gambling, you go to a drug store wherever you can find - you get you a piece of John the Conker Root. You get some John Conker Oil and the root. You take this root, you put it in a bottle, you pour this oil on it. You get you a piece - if you are a man and wanta gamble, you get you a piece of she lodestone and you get some per- fume and pour on this lodestone and that'll make life in it. What I mean by, by it make life in it - it would make a lodestone as thick as this key [she shows] when you pour that perfume on there. It will grow and little spangles come out all around it, but you gotta keep it corked up good.
(Little spangles. Little hairs?)
Yeah, that what it do. That's the life in it. And if you are a man and you gamble, you use she lodestone. If I would gamble, I would use he lodestone. I would get the he Conker Root and you should get the she Conker Root. But now when you go on gamblin' and you come home, you always take it out of your pocket and put it in the bottle and shut it up, where the oil won't evaporate. And when you go on out you can take a piece of that Conker Root and chew it and spit it around whenever you gamble on the floor and you will be lucky.
Entry 2235
Like he wus down on his business. It's a thing look like a lily, name of rattlesnake master. Dat's one of de luckiest roots dey is out for business. Take dis heah rattlesnake master an' set it out in a bucket like yo' would a lily - or pot - an' take some water an' spit on it ever' mornin'. Business will come to yo'.
Entry 2302
Well, it's a herb dat chew get dat chew - de shoe-tongue, kinda chew dem, an' yo' have it in yore mouth an' chew it. Spit it. Spit it an' makes yore wishes whut chew want. [Is this the plant dog tongue or hound's tongue?] Lak yo' won't want de judge tuh go hard on yo', spit it down an' dey ain't goin' tuh know it yo' know, an' dat will make it light on yo' - it will go through [case against you will go through - fail.] (Why do they use shoe-tongue root? Why don't they use anything else? Why do they use that root? Do you know?) Because it's so good. It's so good.
Entry 2323
You want a job and you know the boss name. All you gotta get the boss name, just like it was John Henry Lewis. You goes to him for a job and you takes his name and you write it down on a parchment or anything and you wear it in the bottom of your foot - I mean shoe, and keep him under your foot, you see. And go to him and you get you some of these Paradise seeds and chew 'em, see. And when you go to him, you spit three ways - front, side and back, you see. And if he can't give you a job this morning, he'll tell you to come back tomorrow morning, and in nine days you'll have a job. But you gotta have his name on that parchment and put it and wear it in your shoe under the bottom of your foot.
Entry 2606
Now, if this person comes to your house and you don't want 'em to come no more, why you just take a little piece of rock salt and put it in your mouth; and if you get a chance, spit on her dress tail or on his coat tail and he'll leave and he won't come back no more.
Entry 3275
[Ah] broke up a man an' 'is wife.
(Tell me the whole story.)
How ah did it?
(Yes.)
Well, de reason ah'd taken a min' tuh do it, she messed wit a man of mine, an' 'er husban' wus away [in the army]. Durin' de time when dey got bonus [World War I] he come back. An' ah started goin' wit 'im. She start- ed runnin' roun' fo' tuh 'rest [arrest] me - put me in jail. Ah wus workin' fo' de law durin' de time [she was working in jail]. Well, ah jes' put in de ticket. Den aftah she made me pay a fine. An' ah would take 'im off an' ah would buy thin's fo' him. Ah would give 'im GON'A BLOW ON JUDGMENT DAY. Ah'd do anythin' in de worl' dat he'd ast me tuh do an' dat he didn't ast me tuh do. Well, ah jes' gained love wit 'im. Ah didn't stop 'im. Den ah told 'im to go tell 'er dat he didn't wanta take me up den, an' tell 'er dat he didn't wanta right befo' mah face. Well, he did. Dat was cold blood on gen'ral principles. Dat wus nuthin, jes' lak witchcraft fo' money. But dat wus jes' cold-blooded. But if ah hada done it [retaliated] ah woulda [here is what I could have done]: Ah'd have taken a string an' measured 'im an' tied nine knots in it an' wore it roun' mah waist an' he couldn'ta have nuthin to done wit 'er tuh save his life. He woulda had tuh go wit me. If ah couldn'ta got In gen'ral principles, ah knowed whut ah could git 'im wit. Why ah coulda took a snail - yo've seen dose snails. Yo' kin take a snail an' break de shell, break 'em in yore han', an' wipe de man down [wiping down is a magic rite] wit it an' he can't have nuthin tuh do wit nobody but chew. Yo' kin spit three times in a glass of watah an' give him tuh drink an' he can't have no love fo' nobody but chew. Dat'll break up a man an' a woman quick- ah den anythin'. WHY DESE WHITE PEOPLE WHUT RAISED ME, A WHITE WOMAN BROKE UP 'IM AN' 'IS WIFE DE SAME WAY. AH SAW WHEN SHE DID IT. SHE'D TAKEN DE DIRT OUT FROM UNDAH HUH FINGAHNAILS AN' SHE CUT 'EM.: SHE PUT IT IN DAT GLASS OF WATAH AN' SHE SPIT THREB TIMES IN IT, an' she carried it to Mr. H. D. [name in original mamuscript]. He wus in de bed sick down heah at OOO Teaboe [Thibault?] [address In origlnal manu- SCript]. SHE CARRIED IT TO HIM TO DRINK. HIS WIFE WUS SICK IN DE HOSPITAL, AN' WHEN 'IS WIFE COME OUT, HE DIDN'T PAY HER NO MO' 'TENTION DEN HE DID HE - AN' AH WUS A NIGGAH. He's wit dis woman in Miaml now - married. Daisy B. [last nane in original manuscript]. He sent 'er to de south. [Notice that informant of Georgia calls Miami de south.]
Entry 5652
Like dat yo' git mad wid a fellah like dat, yo' ketch 'im goin'. Ah think he mus' be goin' east, yeah. An' yo' gits nine pinches outa his right track, dey tells me, an' yo' takes it an' yo' puts it in a bottle or anything an' stop it up. An' yo' spit in it nine mawnin's. An' de en' de nine mawnin's so' carry it down to de rivah, see, an' throw it ovahbo'd. An' tell me dey'll go away from home an' won't nevah come back no mo'.
Entry 8032
Git chew some Heart Cologne, git chew some black gunpowdah. Go tuh de graveyard an' go down dere as fer as yo' kin reach. If yo' kin reach de casket an' git a bone - jis' any bone yo' git - take it, specially a ole graveyard where de bones is awfully rotten. Git it an' make a dust [of it]. Jis' git bone enough tuh make a dust out of it. Make it kinda in a powdah. Go dere - [I mean] go back home an' put it in a flannel [cloth] an' weah it undah yuh left arm. Git chew a piece of blacksnake root dey calls it, git hit an' put it in yuh mouth. Chew it up. Aftah six days yo' dere, go tuh dis place where yo' wanta git dis job an' git tuh talkin' tuh dis fellah, an' evah now an' den yo' spit. An' he might herd joo off de firs' time, but de second time yo' go back dere an' yo' git a job.
(You wear this stuff under your arm?)
Yo' weahs it fo' six days, goes down tuh de office an' carries it on. Nevah take it off until nine days aftah yo' git chure job. (Don't take this away until you have been on the job for nine days. And then you don't have to wear it any more.)
Entry 8711
Yo' go to a place - if yo' know de place where yo're goin' an' know de people's name [name of person who hires]. Yo' git chew a piece of pastebo'd an' yo' cut it down as a shoe sole, de print of a shoe sole [an insole]. Yo' write dem people name down nine times wit a indelible pencil. (You just write one right after the other?) One right aftah de othah, nine times. (Now, if the boss's name was Sam Jones, you just write Sam Jones right underneath Sam Jones?) Yassuh, an' den aftah yo' do dat, yo' git chew some cinnamon an' yo' git chew some sugah. An' yo' puts dat in yore shoe an' yo' weah dat. An' yo' git yo' a piece of John de Conkah root, an' yo' chews dat root, an' as yo' go in dere yo' spits, an' make yore wish fo' whut chew goin' dere, whut kinda job yo' goin' dere tuh be successful. Yo' git dis job.
(You just make one sole [insole] or two?)
Jes' one sole.
(For either shoe?)
Fo' either shoe, it don' make no diff'rence.
(It doesn't make any difference what shoe.)
Either one.
Entry 9079
Dere's a root yo' kin go tuh de sto' an' git called John de Conkah. Yo' take dat root an' put in yore mouth an' chew it. An' if yo' got a chance tuh spit, yo' spit. An' yo' be talkin' all de time whut joo want it tuh do, wit it in yore mouth yo' know, an' yo' spit dat juice anywhere. Jes' talkin' an' spit an' dey'll change dere mind on whatevah it is. Dey'll dismiss yo' or else yore fine will be so light yo' won' - yo' know, dey won' press it against yuh. Mos' de times yo' git off all right, dey won' persecute [prosecute] chew. Don' fine yo' er nuthin. Use John de Conkah root.
Entry 9081
Yo' go out an'.git chew one dose conkah roots - 20 fo' a dollah. Git chew one of dose, an' yo' goes up dere. Bathe yuhself all ovah good wit salt- petah, an' sugah an' chamber lye. An' yo' git up dere an' go befo' de judge. As yo' walk in de co't, yo' jis' spit as yo' go up dere fo' 'im. An' dat'll change 'is mind.
Entry 9148
Well, if yo' go down befo' de jedge, it's a root chew git called de "Be 'shamed brier root," de "be 'shamed Brier Root."
(Be Ashamed? Well, why do they call it that?)
Well, becuz it's de conkah of all roots of de woods. It's conkah of all de roots in de woods. See, lak if yo' go in de woods tuh git dat an' jes' whatevah yo' wanta learn an' know, yo' see dat bush, de little leaves on it closes up. It says, "Be 'shamed of yo'self, be 'shamed of yo'- self, be 'shamed of yo'- self [he hits it]. Well, all dem leaves on dat closes up [because he touched, hit the plant].
(As soon as you touch it that way, then it closes up?)
Close up. Well, yo' dig down dere an' git dat root. Dig down dere an' git dat root out dere. Well, den yo' take dat root, see, an' carry it home. An' if yo' got a case in co't, yo' take dat an' hold it in yore mouth lak dat, an' yo' spit one time 'fore de jedge. Spit dat at his face. Well, when yo' do dat, lak ah'm lookin' at chew, yo' see, yo' lookin' at me an' he think yo' chewin' 'bacco or somepin. He won't know whut chew got in yore mouth. Yo' jes' spit one time 'fore his face. Well, an' den yo' go dere an' set down. Well, when yo' sets down an' he'll jes' - he'll call up evahbody in co't. He'll call up evahbody in co't an' yo'll be settin' ovah dere, an' he look ovah dere an' he say, "Well, whut chew want in heah? Git up an' go on outa heah." See, dat root done got his mind, he done got 'shamed of whut he got yo' 'cused [accused] of, say, "Yo' git up an' walk on out." [They fascinate me, those words near the beginning: git dat (shame brier) an' jes' whatevah yo' wanta learn an' know, yo' see dat bush. de little leaves on it closes up. This suggests to me that some persons at least, and in some way, used the shame brier as a divining device. This plant and the hole of the doodle-bug (ant-lion larva) must have puzzled believers in hoodoo at one time - for beliefs about the doodle-bug, see Folklore from Adams County Illinois, Nos.1398-1404, p.55, 2nd ed.]
Entry 9175
And I want the judge to be lenient on my case and so I would get dis- missed. Now, if I was goin' like I would be arrested and I had to go down to the judge, and I was just like I would have to go down to court this morning. I get a subpoena to come to the court this morning, understand. I would take my bed, the bed I sleep in and I would take and turn the mattress over, upside down, and leave the bed upset. And take my chairs in my house and I would turn them up too. Then I would make my wish before I leave my house. I would get me a piece of John de Conkah, understand, and whilst I be coming into the judge's room, I be having my John de Conkah in my mouth, understand. The minute I walk into the door to the judge - to go to the judge's stand, I would spit my John de Conkah.
Entry 9687
If yo' don't want no one in yore house, in yore room, an' when dey leave out, yo' take de salt an' sprinkle it in behin' 'em an' sweep, an' den spit init. Dey'll nevah come in yore house ag'in.
Entry 11177
Yo' git devil's-shoe- string an' yo' cut it in three lengths in long strings. Yo' cut three pieces of it in three [long] lengths an' yo' git dat shoestring an' yo' go round a man's job an' chew dat shoestring an' spit all round, an' yo' could go to his steering wheel an' yo' spit some of de juice on yore han' an' wipe it on de steerin' wheel.
(The steering wheel of the boss' automobile.)
Entry 11346
If you be out of work and you want's to get a job, you go to the drug swre and you get you some cinnamon bark - not the ground cinnamon - cinnamon bark. You chew that. You get you 25 cents of what you call - it's a drawing powder - and you gotta pay attention too when you get that. After you get that powder... Now, for you, you have to get pink. They got two kinds of it. got the pink and white. You get that drawing powder. Of course, you rub of it in the palm of your hand like that [demonstrates]. You take that cinnamon bark and you chew that cinnamon bark. And when you get around there where the boss is, of course, spit it but not enough so nobody will pay atten- tion to you. You take some of that powder and you put it in some of your pock- ets, and because it's got a sweet smell to it, nobody never pay attention to it anyway. In your pockets. When you close to him, spit that cinnamon bark around there. And that powder will draw him to the person [to you] and he will give you a job.
Entry 11711
Jes' lak if a person didn't lak yo', yo' take a garlic an' yo' mostly chews it, an' when yo' git around dese people - yo' jest go around dem. Jes' if dey didn't lak yo' an' yo' wanta make friends wit 'em, yo' jes' spit around dem. Jes' continue to use dat garlic de whole time yo' around dem. Directly yo' all will be good friends an' otherwise he wouldn't even be speakin' to yo'.
Entry 12237
Dey got a lodestone dat's pretty good an' it's oil of cinnamon, an' yo' kin git - if yo' kin git John de Conkah - dat's good to use in spittin' when yo' go in, yo' know.
(To get a job?)
Yes.
Entry 12242
If you get holt of a piece of a root - what they call dis root? John de Conker. See. They'll put that in their mouth and they chew it, see, and they spit it in their hand. The juice from that root, they'll spit it in their hand and then they'll rub it on their face. And then they go and talk right in- to the man's face, and whenever he gets a scent of that, why then he'll have to either do one way or tuther [the other]. Tell you to come back or tell you not to come back - one of the two.
Entry 12750
Ah hear dat if a man wanted a job an' he couldn't git none no way, he go an' git one - ah ain't nevah tried it but ah hear de fact of it. Ah don't know whether yo' ever hear tell of dis rattlesnake marster root an' burn it into a powder, an' yo' take dat powder, jest lak dis is yore job heah. Well, ah come to de job an' ah sprinkle dat powder round dere. Den ah git me some of dis shame brier root, a little brier dat grows dey call de shame brier. Ah don't know whether yo' evah hear tell of it. [For shame brier and its various names, see No.2290, p.646f., v.1, and elsewhere.] An' ah'll take dat shame brier root an' den ah'll chew it, lak ah'm talkin' wid chew, [and say] "Ah wants a job, Captain." Why all de time dat me an' yo' talkin ah be chewin' dat root an' spittin'. Dey tell me if yo' do dat, why he'll do jest 'xactly whut chew tell 'im to do. He'll give yo' a job. Or if yo' wants money, yo' take dat shame brier root an' dat rattlesnake marster dust, after yo' pound dat root up, an' keep it in yore pocket whilst yo' talkin' [to boss]. Spit an' chew it an' have dat dust - throwin' dat dust out, yo' know.
Entry 10613
Well, you goes to de woods and you git you a piece of Eve-and-Adam root, you see. Jes' like de time God have drove Eve and Adam from de garden, see. You git a piece of Eve-and-Adam root. After dat you go and git a piece of de root chew call de Amy root, see. [I am unable to identify this root; it may be a hoodoo- store root.] You git a piece of chinaberry root. Well, jes' like you chew dat Eve-and-Adam root dis morning, you'll chew dat chinaberry root about twelve o'clock noon of de day. All right, jes' about six o'clock, you'll chew on dat Amy root, see. You jes' keep chewing dem roots and spit de juice around in your house every time you chew it, you understand, and she couldn't stay dere to save her life.
(This is, if you want to get rid of the woman?)
Yes.
(You break the spell which is holding her there.)
Entry 12231
Yo' go git chew a piece of root - John de Conkah root - and bury it in de ground 'bout three days. Take it out and git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' a little bit sugah and sew it up tight in a bag. And chew you a piece ob [of] dat John de Conkah root. And when you go an' knock de boss [knock on the door?] fer a job, jest look him right dead in de eye, says, "Captain, I want a job." An' jest look him right in de eye and spit. And he say, "All right, boy, come on heah." He'll give you a job. But look him in de eye, if you want a job - look right in de eye.
Entry 12926
Tuh make de boss give yo' jobs, now. Now, if yo' wanta job an' if yo' goin' down dere. See, if de boss is mean to all de rest of de people - mean to yo' - he give everybody a job but chew. All right, well yo' git chew a lit- tle piece of saltpeter an' put into yore pocket. Well, den yo' see yo' git dis heah be 'shamed brier root, as ah tole yo', an' have dat in yore mouth an' spit down to his feets. An' den if he's very mean - if he's very hard - yo' sprinkle a little dis heah cayenne pepper cross his path like if dis he office heah. Ah sprinkle little dis cross yore office where.yo' go in to go into yore place of business an' ah have dat in mah mouth, an' ah says, "Say, Captain." Yo' know it's quite natural fo' a colored man to call a white man "Captain" or "Boss, " see. Well, "Say, Boss, listen, whut about a job dis mornin'." Den he'll look around - an be done crossed dis peppah, yo' see - he look around an' he say, "Well, old Doc, yo' don't wanna work if ah done give yo' a job." Yo' say, "Well, all right, yo try me." He say, "Well, den go on out an' see whut chew kin do." Yo' see, he done changed his mind. Yes sir, his mind is changed completely.
Entry 769
Old uncle Jim C. used to say, "If you say anything to me, boy, I'll spit in your path and turn you as green as a lizard." And anybody he didn't like, they would turn aside when they met old uncle Jim C. He's been dead quite awhile.
The account quotes a conditional threat to spit in someone's path; it does not report the threat being carried out.
Source passage
continuous interview or recording context · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
The nature of me picking it on out
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[how I learned hoodoo]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
- I was holding a position and to the position I was holding there was an old man, and my sisters, all of 'em, was scared of him. Well, I did all his readin' and writin' fer him.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[Compare this with how Zorro began his career with Mysterious Parker - p.1166, line 38f.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
So, during the period of time he
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[did so many things]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
like that I didn't know, the old man he had so much diff'rent magic he could
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
[do]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; supporting excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
. So the first thing he would do, he would take my hat - take my hat and spit in it and tell me to go out on de corner. I'd go out on de corner and I'd tip to some young girl. Now, the girl may be going to the store for her people or some- thing. When she come back I could have an interview with her. And when I'd have my interview, her people could never keep her away from me. As in a period of time - he died somewheres in 1918.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
(What do you mean by interview with a lady?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1389
Had to go right home to do conversation with her - never seed her before.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(At her home?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
To her home - right dere at her home. She would invite me. The way she talked - I'd tell her - she'd tell me to come in in the presence of her people. I met her just like that - meet her on the corner there and tipped my hat. Then off from that time she'd never be satisfied. This old man - his name was - I never learned any more - his name was Uncle Charlie Jackson.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(Where did he come from by the way? What part of the country did he come from?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
Oh, he was down in Alabama. And he had three very large snakes. And if a person would come to him for to kill a person, the largest snake what he had would come out and crawl up in de door. That was his magic - that was the agree- ment what he made, you see, with the devil in selling hisself to the devil. Then he had another one what would remove evil spirits from a person. If you came in- to his place, while sittin' down into the chair, this snake would crawl all around you, all through the chair. You get up, you go by God. If you come for a gambling hand - his gambling hand was guaranteed fer one year.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
[See HAND, TIME LIMIT FOR, p.577.]
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
He would take you into a little room and set you in there and when he get ready fer you, he would tell you - he would send fer yuh. Well, if he couldn't stand - the same way, if a person would come by for to kill a person. If you could jump over de snake what would coil up into the door, when you git back home he would be done kilt - this person. If you wanted a gambting hand - if you wanted to get that from him, when he get ready, then he send this other medium-sized snake in there. If you could stand fer him to come there and crawl around and you follow him back into the room, he would give you the gambling hand.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(How did he make his gambling hand? Did he ever tell you?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
Oh, he - makes 'em very diff'rent simple ways.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(What was his way? Did he tell you that way?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
The way he made 'em, he did. They was made out of little children's finger.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(Oh, the baby fingers?)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
Baby finger j'ints - the j'ints of baby fingers and what we call the corime, the red corime seed.
interviewer · Interviewer; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
(Red corimee seed.)
informant · Current unnamed interviewee; context excerpt · Vol. 2, p. 1390
The red corimee seed. And he would use this here devil's-shoestring, and he would use this here Sampson snakeroot. Into these fixin' - when he would fix them - would be under the new moon. After he would fix them then, he would give them to you on the 15th of the month of the full moon. He would either wait till the moon be in full expanse of the earth, then he would give that to you.
locally coherent printed subpassage
The current speaker remains unnamed. Statements about Charlie Jackson, his alleged acts and the death date are reported in the source.
The printed account does not establish the identity of the unnamed speaker.
Snake behavior, agreement with the devil and contents of hands remain that speaker’s account.
Zorro and time-limit cross-references are editorial; they do not establish that the narrated people or practices are the same.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 2, p. 1387 · Vol. 2, p. 1388 · Vol. 2, p. 1389 · Vol. 2, p. 1390 · Vol. 2, p. 1391