Subject:Step
More specific topics
Entries
Entry 3314
An' den I've heard dat yo' go an' yo' git ten-penny nails an' a piece- I'M ASHAMED TO TALK.
(YOU GO RIGHT AHEAD, I'VE HEARD ALL THAT.)
Red flannen, piece of red flannen an' den dey get a piece of dis ah - ah dis root choo call...
[A long pause.]
(What?)
John de Conkah. Gits a piece of dis John de Conkah root an' yo' puts dat in dere an' den dey gits a piece - den if yo' kin git yore husban' when yo' have connection wit yore hus- ban', git a piece of towel an' yo' put 'em undahneath de steps an' den yo' throw - dey say yo' 'throw chamber lye undahneath dere fer nine mawnin's, see. An' on de ninth mawnin', if dat man's gone, dat man will be comin' back fast.
(Now, you do this after that bottle has been there nine days?)
No, yo' put dat dere - no, dat ain't got nuthin to do wit de bottle.
(Oh! this is something different, I see.)
It's somethin' diff'rent. (You put this John de Conker and that other stuff [semen] in this piece of red cloth, and put that under the step for nine days. And the nails in there?) Uh-huh, an' den yo' put 'em undahneath de steps, see. An' dan yo' take de chamber lye - yo' [this] suppose to be done so nobody see it, nobody kin see yo 'tall [at all], an' yo' throw it dere fo' nine mawnin's, nine straight maunin's. See now?
Entry 3392
If a man is runnin' aroun' an' 'is wife wanta stop 'i, she gits is Washrag or Washcloth - de man's, not hers. Den she puts wit dis, de nex' time she have anything to do wit 'im, she put dat wit 'i whut dey wipe wit, wit dis washcloth, an' bury it underneat' de steps. Fo' nine mawnin's she will evah mawnin', when she use her bucket - she won't go to de lav- atory - she'll use a nightglass an' po' it on dere nine mawnin's. He can't have anything to do wit no othah woman but 'is wife. Finally, he'll find out dat he can't. He'll come back home an' be satisfied an' stay dere fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 3485
If a man leaves yo' an' yo' wants 'im back, de thing about it, yo'll have tuh git in wit 'im an' go tuh bed wit 'im, undahstan'. Well, if yo' go tuh bed wit 'im one time, yo' could buy a halfa yard of yellah homespun cloth an' aftah yo'all finish whut chure doin', yo' kin jes' stick dat yellah home- spun, dat halfa yard of yellah homespun an' wipe him down wit it three times. Yo' undahstand me, wipe him down three times an' git a thin [well-worn] dime from 'im. An' take yore time, take dat yellah homespun cloth to de cornah an' double it. Evah time yo' fold it, fold it towards yo'. An' git a piece of thread an' tie dat an' bury it at chure do'steps. He come right on, straight on back tuh yo'.
(You put that little dime in the corner of this cloth and keep folding it up.)
Towards yo' evah time. [This woman spoke in a whisper all through interview.]
Entry 3869
Maybe yo' kin jes' ketch hold of 'em, yo' see, git hold of 'er - her sickness, yo' undahstand what I mean. Ministratin', yo' take dat an' yo' put dat in a bottle. Yo' un- dahstan', piece of it, piece of cloth or whatsomevah she use - cotton, whatevah it be. Take dat an' put it in a bottle. An' git yo' some of dis, de same thin' yo' call devil's-shoe- string see, [and] one of dose bottle of Hearts Cologne, an' one of High John de Conker. An' put dat in dere an' git yo' two nails an' one needle, see. If yo wanta, yo' could put three nails an' two needles, see. Den when yo' put de three nails an' two needles, why one of de nails counts fer de - one fer de Fathah, one fer de Son, an' one fer de Holy Ghost. An' put dat in a bottle togethah an' dem two nails [needles] count fer de conkerin' of de world. Put dat in a bottle to- gethah wit yore urinate, see. An' mix 'em an' stop it up tight, an' bury dat undah yore steps. An' whenevah she kin go; but she won't stay gone, see.
Entry 3892
Yo' git dat graveyard dust an' yo' mix dat in, yo' mix dat wit de live - what de man or de woman does. Yo' goes dere an' git de graveyard dust an' git some of dat piece from jes who yo' wanta hurt. Git dat an' mix wit dat graveyard dust an' put it wit 'er toenails. Yo' see, yo' kin git dere toenails. Dey tell, "Well, ah Want cha to cut all of my toenails off." She was dat shweethearty. All right den when yo' cut all de toenails, an' some diff'ren' strands on de floor an' den cut 'er slips - stained piece of 'er slips - cut dat an' pull all dat togethah wit dat grave dust, wit a piece of hair out of de head. An' jes' take all dat an' mix all dat togethah an' yo' put dat an' yo' sew it up in a bag. Yo' see, yo' make a little bag, yo' know, an' sew it up an' throw it undah de step. Dat's to keep you down.
Entry 4063
chamber lye is fo' all diff'ren things. Well, all right. Say fo' in- stance now, if yo' got a woman dat chew wanta 'er an' she's gone away from yo', an' she iis' come tuh yore house - ah mean at night dat way. Well any- hah, chew take yore slop jar an' set yore slop jar on de side of de bed, an' let 'er urinate in dat slop jar. Undahstan', she urinate in dere. ARE YO' GONA LET DESE BOOKS BE PRINTED CHERE?
[Same informant asks similar question elsewhere in text.]
(No, no.)
[All my informants, especially people known to be professional workers, were told I was writing a book - a book to them meaning a paperback hoodoo manual like the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses or Albertus Magnus. I was out in the field to learn from experts like themselves. This will partially explain why I was talked down to so much! At least I hope the reason was not, they had to talk down to me!] Well, she urinate in dat slop jar. Well, when she urinate in dere, yo' go down tuh de sto' an' git chew a nickel worth of whole grain black peppah. Don' git dis groun' peppah. An' yo' git chew a little vial an' po' her urinate, jis' about dat much [demonstrates] in dat little vial. An' den yo' put nine grains of black peppah in dere, see. Den yo' take yores an' put yores in dere on top of hers. See, dat's holdin' 'er down.
(Some of your urine?)
Yeah, put hers in dere firs' an' yores las'. Put dat nine grains of black peppah down in dere on dat. Den yo' git chew a little stoppah an' cut [demon- strates] one trench lak dis an' one trench dataway, yo' know so it'll ketch air. An' den yo' take dat an' bury dat undah de steps wit de mouth comin' dis way [demonstrates].
(With the mouth coming toward the house.)
She can't leave yo' tuh save her life.
Entry 4150
Git ashes out de fiahplace, an' watch out where she throw 'er chamber lye an' go git some of dat dirt. An' yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin mix dat jis lak yo' mix up a dough. Sprinkle some red peppah ovah it an' carry it an' spread it out up undah 'er steps. When she walk ovah it she'll move.
(That is to make her move, move out of the house.)
Entry 4168
Dat stuff yuh talkin' about burnin'. Ah make a wish an' ah will scrub de steps down in chamber lye an' dat will draw trade.
(What do they burn, you say?)
Jis' incense.
Entry 4185
See, yo' kin take a man's chamber lye, yo' undahstan' me, an' yo' kin put it in a bottle, an' yo' kin git 'if lef'-foot track, an' yo' kin git jes' a little tiny bit of powdah'd alum an' put dat in dere, an' yo' kin git a table- spoonfulla yores. (Of your what?) Of yore - yo' undahstan' me, yeah, of yuh chamber lye. An' yo' could step in one room an' let 'im be in anothah, an' yo' could call 'im. An' when he an- swah yo', jes' stop it up tight. An' bury it tuh de back steps or de front steps, an' dat will always keep 'im wit chew. Ah know dat mahsel' [myself].
Entry 4193
She take her husban' urinate an' she put it in a bottle an' she put nine needles wit it an' she stopped dat up an' she put it in de bed where he wuz sleepin' at fo' nine nights. An' aftah dem nine nights she take it an' she bury it undah de steps, an' she did dat tuh keep 'im at home an' so he won' go wit no one else but 'er. An' she say he stayed undah 'er feet so much until she wanta let it go. Yes, he stayed undah 'er feet all de time an' didn't go wit no one else but 'er. Dat whut she did it fo'. He stayed at home all de time. She did it tuh stop 'im from runnin' roun'.
Entry 4211
Why yuh kin take yuh chamber lye an' - jis' lak someone put down sompin tuh plant sompin roun' yuh steps - yuh kin take yuh chamber lye an' throw it undah yuh step fo' nine mawnin's an' dey can't hurt chuh dat way.
Entry 4229
Take a - jis' lak some chamber lye an' put a box of potash in it an' scrub de stoop wit it, an' let it be in front of de steps, an' as long as it be dere, dat will keep de jinx away an' de policeman can't come to de do'.
Entry 4234
Git chew a half gallon jar or sompin lak dat an' yuh half full it wit chamber lye; yuh know, where yuh urinate. An' den yuh kin go tuh de sto' if yuh ain't already got a sto' an' git some rock salt or git chew a big ball [block] of salt [from salt blocks made for cattle licking] an' beat off some an' put about two han'fuls or three, an' put it in dat [screw-top] jar, in dat chamber lye an' keep it shut. A quart, not ovah a quart.
(What do you do with that now?)
Dat whut chew do, jis' sprinkle it on yuh steps or on yuh po'ch. It will make peace aroun' yuh home, if anybody 'sturbin' yuh. Yo'll git peace. [Wilson, N. Car. (1496), 2665:4.]
Entry 4273
Although I could have indexed this rite under 9 DAYS, or NAME, or UPSIDE DOWN, I chose SIFTING, a magic action, because there are several examples of it in HOODOO. My early recordings in Mobile not being good, I asked some of the better informants to return a second time. The following rite is given in the original and revised version:] Original version: Say, fo' ninstance someone is away an' yuh want dis person. Yuh wanta know wha' chew do wit dat? [I probably nod yes.] Dis person, if dey come back an' spen' de night wit chew, git chew a clean slop jar - it's not where dey kin go out [outside] chew know. Yuh be careful yuh don't use it yuhself. An' yuh let 'em use dis an' den on de nex: mawnin' yuh git a ole-time siftah. [Sifter is a magic object, sifting or straining a magic action.] Yuh see, dese ole roun' siftahs de kind dat yuh turn.
(The old-fashioned hand sifter - flour sifter.)
Dat's right. Yuh git some othah bucket or pail an' yuh strain dis. Take dis out an' strain it fo' nine times.
(You pour this chamber lye through this sifter nine times.)
Dat's right, fo' nine mawnin's. An' den yuh po' dat out intuh a bottle an' yuh dig a place undah yuh back steps. Yuh put it in a bottle jis' enough tuh hol' dat amount, an' yuh turn it on de head. Put a cork stoppah in it, yuh un- dahstan', an' turn it on de head an' bury dat. An' dat person will nevah leave dere till yuh take dat up. Revised version: Jis' like if a person is away an' yuh want 'em tuh return, Xuh use yuh slop jar. Wash it clean an' jis' use it yuhself fo' nine mawnin's, an' yuh use an old siftah - one of dese big roun' ones. An' yuh set ovah dat [sifter and slop jar] an' strain dat each time fo' nine times. An' den aftah de ninth mawnin', yuh write dis person's name on a piece of parchment papah. Put it intuh a bottle an' turn it - no, yuh firs' place, if yuh have a piece of dere ole sock or undah- weah or anythin' like wherevah dere's perspiration. If it is undah de armpits, yuh cut dat out an' put it in dis bottle, an' put dat name on dat parchment an stick it in dere, an' yuh turn it on its head. Put it in yuh closet or some place where no one will disturb it, an' leave it. Dey will return.
(What do you do with this chamber lye then?)
Yuh put de parts of de sock or whatevah yuh get.
(You put that in the chamber lye don't you? What do you do that for?)
Well, dat has some kin'a peculiah effect - ah don't know.
(Oh! You don't put that in the bottle?)
Yes, ah think dat chew put dat in de bottle, but chew put dis cloth in it. (NOW, DID YOU SAY YOU SIT OVER THE STRAINER? YOU RELIEVE YOURSELF THROUGH THIS SIFTER?) Dat's right. Comparison of versions: [Several days separated the two preceding versions. We learn here as well as elsewhere, that a person proficient in hoodoo does not repeat rites word for word. There are many ways to rearrange even the same material. Besides, numerous in- formants tell us about various methods to accomplish the same end. In our second version the woman's, not the male victim's urine is used. Her urine will serve the same purpose, drawing power, by writing his name on a piece of parchment and dropping it into the bottled urine. This time she does not pour the urine through a flour sifter with a handle; she lays a round hand sifter - large wooden hoop with wire screening on one side - on the chamberpot and squats over it to relieve herself. Her urine passing through the sifter protects it against countermagic. For good measure his perspiration in a piece of his old clothing is added. Instead of burial, the bottle is hidden in a closet.]
Entry 4292
Yuh go dere early in de mawnin' jis' a little befo' day - tuh dis house, yassuh, an' yuh sprinkle red peppah all around it, all in de yard, an' heavy undah de steps where dey have tuh go in an' out. When yuh git through sprinklin' dis red peppah, den yuh take yuh some chamber lye an' throw it undah de steps on de peppah dat's undah de steps. An' den yuh leave. Dat brings up confusion between 'im an' 'is family an' de person dat he's dealin' wit, an' he'll have tuh leave dere.
(That is to get even with the landlord? To keep people out of the house?)
Yessuh.
Entry 4306
Yo' take dat yo' see - yo' take dat chamber lye an' yo' put it in a jar yo' know, an' a pair of a foot of 'is socks, an' yo' bury dat undah 'is step an' he couldn't, yo' know, go out lak he goin' tuh diff'ren' womenfolks. Yo' would have 'im, yo' see, he couldn't go.
Entry 4483
Wal, yuh'll take a bath in de watah. Dey kin git a chance tuh git tuh dat watah an' dey'll take a bottleful. Take a bottleful of dat watah. If dey wanta conkah yuh, dey'll take a bottleful of dat watah an' put a stoppah in it. Pack it down tight an' put it down to yuh steps, er [or] tuh dey steps. Dat'll draw all yuh attention tuh nobody but dem.
Entry 4598
De bow of de cap or eithah de hat an' put it in a Hearts Cologne bottle an' bury it under de step an' turn it upside down, an' he will come back.
(Well, suppose the bow in his hat is worn away?) Take de bow of de cap, eithah de hat or de cap. (He has to leave them behind though before she can get them?)
Yes.
Entry 4666
Ah kin tell yo' 'bout mahself, ah have used it. Mah husban' wuz a man, he wuz runnin' about. Mah husban' used to make gud on evah job dat he got on, an' ah couldn't see where his money went tuh. He wuzn't givin' me not a thing. All ah could see, he would buy a little groceries. He'd say he wuz gittin' two week's groceries an' dey wouldn't last a week. An' ah took de bow outa his hat - ah stole it out dere an' put it undah de bottom of mah foot, an' den put mah stock- in' on. An' aftah den, when ah put dat in dere, ah took 'is dirty drawahs an' cut de seat out of it, an' ah buried it undah de step where he walked in at. He nevah did stay home, an' aftah ah did dat - ah did dat jes' lak today, an' ah didn't know whut it 'twas fo' him tuh come in de early part of de night. His early part would be one aclock; if not dat, all night. Aftah ah done dat lak today, he went ag'in. When he come in de night, he nevah took time hardly tuh eat. He went out dat night. So aftah dinnah - he commence comin' in den, an' ah jes' got tired of 'im stayin' home. He stayed home so much an' he wuz so nice to me - he'd bring me his check den to have it cashed; if not dat, he'd tell me tuh meet 'im tuh de Union Station, goin' wit 'im an' havin' 'is check cashed. An' he done so nice an' we stayed home so much, dat ah couldn't turn. Ah went back an' dug it up fo' him tuh go some, an' took de bow out from undah mah shoe. Dat's whut ah done.
(What shoe did you wear it in?)
In mah right shoe.
(Didn't do anything else with it? Anything?)
Didn't do anything else to it.
Entry 4777
Well, if ah'm a enemy tuh yuh an' wants tuh confuse yuh in yore home, ah mah- self, ah cain't do it. Got'a git someone tuh help me tuh do it, an' dat's by goin' an' gittin' a piece of yore clothes, sompin othah dat chew wears, don't chew know - sompin dat chew wears. An' ah takes dat an' tear it up, makes a very small string out of it. Take it an' twist it.
(Tear the whole piece of cloth up?)
Not de whole cloth, jis' git yuh a strip off about lak dat [demonstrates], whatevah it is, an' jis' tear it up in small strips. Take an' twist it dis away [demonstrates]. One [strip] dis way an' one dis way, jis' lak dat, yuh know. Jis' keep atwisting it till yuh git right intuh a fine - down-lak yuh know, tuh a string. Yuh take it den an' yuh put it - draw a knot intuh it. Yuh know how yuh tie a knot intuh anything. Well, yuh take dat an' git it intuh whatevah yuh kin git it intuh [a jar, see later]. Den yuh take some salt an' take some vine- gah an' anything dat dey'd use lak a garlic. Yuh git yuh some garlic tuh put in dere an' nine drops of turpentine. An' tighten dat up real - tighten it down howevah yuh wanta tighten it down.
(Tighten that jar down?)
Tighten de jar down, yassuh, an' den yuh prob'ly cain't git tuh de house; but git somebody tuh bury it tuh de back of de steps.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will - dey cain't git along in dere.
Entry 4897
If a man leave dey home, why dey kin take dat same stockin' [sock] an bury it undah de steps an' put some of 'er garment any way cross dose. Bury it undah de step an' dat man will be satisfied tuh stay home. (Put some of her garments with that stocking [sock].) Dat's right.
Entry 4925
Taken needles or pins or wire nails. An' jis' lak ah wuz tellin' yuh 'bout de sock: fold dat sock, if yuh wanta run 'em, fold it from yuh; an' if yuh wanta bring 'em tuh yuh, yuh fold it tuh yuh. An' yuh stick nine pins an' nine needles an' nine wire nails, an' yuh bury it undah yore steps, or undah dere steps, which- evah case yuh wanta do, run 'em or tuh draw 'em. If yuh wan' 'em tuh come, yuh bury it undah yore own step; an' if yuh wanta run 'em, yuh slip it in an' bury it undah dere step.
Entry 4926
(All right, you are going to tell me another way now.)
Aftah yuh run off - de party done run off. Well, what bring 'er back home. She run off an' yuh wan'a git 'er back home. Yuh take her stockin' an' fold it nine times.
(How do you fold it nine times?)
Fol' de stockin' - yuh see yuh take it an' fold it from de bottom, yuh see, where de foot is.
(Yes?)
Jis' make a fold. Fold it. Yuh see jis' [demonstrates]: dat's one, two, three, fo', five, six, seven, eight, nine. See, evah time yuh make it, yuh make a fold, jis' like yuh fold in dere. See, jis' like yuh take dis here [demon- stratesl, dat's one, see. Den take yuh a pan an' lay dat stockin' in it. (Any kind of pan?) Any kin'a pan. Lay dis stockin' in it an' yuh burn it intuh ashes. Take a match, git - no, yuh take nine matches, Searchlight-head Matches, an' fold it inside dat stockin', see. An' as yuh fol' dem nine matches in dere, an' den yuh take one an' light it, an' let it burn intuh ashes. An' den yuh take dem ashes an' dat pan an' bury it undah yore back steps. Dig yuh a hole an' bury dem ashes undah dat back steps An' if she done lef' home, I'll betcha she'll come back.
(I see.)
She'll come back.
(You fold those nine matches into stocking?)
Nine matches an' nine folds in de stockin'.
(Do you put those nine matches all together, or what?)
Jis' lay 'em tuhgethah inside an' fol' de stockin' nine times.
(Well, what stockings do you use? Both stockings or what?)
One.
(Which one?)
De lef' stockin'.
(Oh, the left stocking. I see.)
Entry 4930
Yuh take yore stockin' - if de man wants a woman, he takes 'er right- footed stockin' an' he'll put a frog, a life toadfrog, an' he'll put dat frog in dat stockin', tie him up in dere, carry 'im tuh de sunpo'ch[!] an' put 'im right undah de steps, right in de centah of de steps an' bury it, bury dat right down dere. (This man puts the toadfrog in her right-foot stocking and buries it right in the center of the steps. Is that all he needs to do?) An' den git holt of candy or dope or sompin an' wear it. Yuh kin tote de stockin' but yuh have tuh tote de stockin' wit'out de frog in yore pocket.
(But what would that do then, after you bury that stocking under the step?)
That will hold 'er undah 'is - not 'er, but undah his'n feet. Dat keeps 'er.
(What did he do with his pee?)
Kin take dat - if she drinks whiskey or dope or anythin', give her some chqmber lye in dat. Dat will change her, dat'll keep 'er. Dat stockin' an' all dat goes tuhgethah. De stockin', yuh kin take it den - de stockin', yuh kin take dat an' de frog, an' yuh kin put 'em tuhgethah in - kin carry 'em tuh watah an' throw 'em ovah- bo'd. Dat will [make] 'em leave yuh.
(You keep that live frog in the stocking?)
Dat's right, dat'll make 'em leave.
Entry 4947
It wuz a lady had - she took me.
(Who was this?)
It was a lady had 'em.
(These socks?)
Uh huh, an' she wanted tuh git rid of 'er frien'. So she take a pair of 'is stockings an' one of 'is ole shoes - it didn't make any diff'rence which one it wuz - an' [she put those socks in the shoe]. She taken a pocketknife an' she put dat knife [in the shoe]. (She put those socks in the shoe?) Yeah. (Now, don't forget, don't leave anything out.) An' she taken dat knife an' she put it in dat shoe wit de point tuh de toe. An' she buried dat shoe undah 'er steps dat he come in, [the shoe] goin' from de house. An' he left, he really left. He nevah did hang roun' 'er any more.
Entry 5073
Take an' git dere socks. An' take his socks an' wash 'em. An' take de watah an' put it in a bottle wit de soft watah, sompin lak rain watah, in a kinda crystal watah. Let half of it be de watah from washin' de socks an' half of it be's de crystal watah.
(Soft water?)
Yeah, take dat an' put a little sugah.in it an' put Epsom salts in dat. An' yuh take an' burn de incense an' de red onion - lump incense - on de stove, an' sprinkle a little sugah in it. Dey mos'ly use sugah mos' in anything. An' yuh burn dis lump incense an' de red onion on de stove an' call de name three times. Burn dat fo' 'bout nine mawnin's an' he'll come back an' dere won' be no trouble.
(What did you do with that sock water? What did you do with that?)
Take dat an' set it in de no'th cornah of de house an' keep it dere fo' three days - three tuh nine days. An' yuh take it out an' yuh po' it 'cross de do'- steps an' aftah it dries... [I turned off recording machine too soon or accidentally and had to restart it to repeat informant's words.]
(He'll come back?)
Yessuh.
Entry 5178
Dey take de' lef'-foot shoe an' bury it undah de steps an' go out ev'y mawnin' fer nine mawnin's an' call 'im an' turn yore back. Call 'is name an' de ninth mawnin' he'll be back. (How do you turn your back? How do you mean?) Turn yore back - jes' like ah git up an' turn mah back tuh yo'.
(Do you turn your back to the house or do you turn your back some other way?)
Turn yore back towards de house [and face] in de way he's gone, de way he went. Yo' turn yore back dere an' yo' call 'im. Yo' call 'im nine mawnin's.
(You turn your back. You then face the way he's gone?)
Face de way he's gone an' call 'is name fer nine mawnin's.
Entry 5193
Ah started tuh make uh gurl love me an' ah did jis' lak de root doctah tole me. He tole me tuh take tuh grain of black peppah [2 pinches of black pep- per] an' take an' weah in mah shoe. Yo' has it [pepper] on a piece of papah. Take a piece of brown papah an' yuh put it ovah dere. Keep it right down by yuh baid unbeknowin' tuh 'er. Yuh take tuh [fresh grains] evah mawnin' an' put in yuh right shoe fo' nine mawnin'. Leave it dere. An' shō [sure] in de nex' mawnin' tuh put tuh mo' in dere. Do dat fer nine mawnin'. [THIS IS AN INCREASING AMOUNT RITE.] Yuh put on yuh shoe an' weah yuh shoe. Weah 'at [that pepper] in yuh shoe. An' den aftah ah weah dat in mah shoe, be sho ven [when] ah pull mah shoe off [eachnight] tuh take an' put mah shoe unduh [under] de cornah of de baid jis' whure she sleep at. Evah mawnin' [during these nine days when] yuh git up, yuh hug 'er. An' den he give some kin'a dus'. He said evah mawnin' sprinkle dat dus' on 'er while yuh huggin' 'er. Den aftah dat [at the end of nine days] go outdo' an' take dis shoe an' dig yuh a hole right undah de front steps, right whure she got'a walk out. Bury de [eighteen grains of] peppah. An' aftah yuh [do] dat, she'll fall in love wit chuh an' yuh cain't git away from 'er, an' she cain't git away from yuh. [Here is my comment on my original pencil transcription: Voice clear but vemy difficult to transcribe - a primitive mind [[not in a technical sense]] - recheck [[original]] before final using - No.311 is a Negro from the Sound [[Wrightville Sound]]. After informant had left room, my contact man Mr. Gavin came in to ex- press his sorrow for him. He had never seen anyone quite so inexperienced and isolated from simple forms of normal life.]
Entry 5225
Well, yuh take it [shoe] an' bury it - bury it undah de step. Dey got front steps, dey got back steps. Sometime a house is got fo' or five diff'ren' steps cleah aroun', yuh know, but yuh only - yuh count tuh de fo'th step, if yuh got fo' steps. If yuh ain't, yuh kin bury it undah de firs' one, but yuh won' wanta bury nuthin but de dirt part, de foot part [sole] of it. Yuh see, lak de hole's [open part is] up, yuh don' have tuh bury dat. Jes' cut it [sole] off, de foot part, an' bury it undah dere, bury it undah de first step or de fo'th one.
(What will that do to me?)
What will dat do?
(What will that do, yes?)
Oh, DAT AIN'T GOIN' TUH DO NUTHIN, JES' HAVE YUH AT DERE COMMAND. Dat's all - jes' de same thing as de othah [rite given].
Entry 5271
[In the preceding rite and this one we have an object bent together before it is tied together. To bend, like to twist, is not a common magic rite.] Ah heard it said dat yo' could take de sole of de lef' foot of a man's shoe an' tie it in de middle - buckle it [before tying] - an' bury it tuh de steps an' dat'll keep 'im combined [bent up and tied, either to keep him home, or to cripple him.]
(How do you mean, buckle the shoe? The outside sole you mean?)
Yes, jes' take de sole an', yo' know, refold de sole lak dat [bend it to- gether] an' tie it, tie it real tight. Yeah, de outside sole - de one, jes' since he walked on it.
Entry 5365
Dey takes yore track up an' do somepin wit it, or fix it so yo' be lame or crippled or somepin.
(Do you know how they do that?)
Well, dey takes it an' carry it, bury it undah yore steps.
(Either track or both tracks?)
Well, eithah one of 'em. Dey bury it undah yore steps, an' dey dress de shoes tuh dat 'fect too. Dat cripple yo' up. (What do they put in your shoes to do that?) Dey puts some of yore whut yo' weah nex' tuh yore skin, a little piece dey cut from de clothes yo' know, an' take an' dress it an' put in dere, an' dat will make yo' lame de balance of yore days.
Entry 5396
Dey say yo' kin take dat track - jes' lak dey wanta run yo' away - dey'll pull de track from de heel tuh de toe. An' take dat track an' take a aig, an' bo' a li'le hole in de aig an' dreen de contents of de aig out. An' put dat track in dat shell an' put a li'le bit of papah ovah it. An' go tuh a rivah, a stream or somepin dat's runnin', an' turn dat back an' throw it ovah de shouldah an' use three words dey say. Dey says, "In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, let dis evil one leave." But de 'Father, Son an' HolyGhost' is de word de' speak. An' throw it ovah de shouldah an' walk away an' not look back. An' dey say long as dat aig float, yo'll continue tuh go.
(Do they take either foot track?)
Eithah one or both.
(If they want to bring you to them?)
Dey git in fron' of yore track, yo' see. Let see, yes, an' pull it from de toe tuh de heel. Well, den dey don' throw dat in no rivah. Dey take dat an' fill it full of de track, de aig, an' put sompin aroun' tuh keep it from break- in' - real tight. An' dey bury dat egg undah yore steps or put it in de middle of a loose mattress where yo' sleep. An' yo' can't leave dere. Yo'll go but yo'll come right back.
Entry 5422
Makes some crosses intuh a crossroads. Make a cross in three forms - see, kinda, ah couldn't explain dat to yo'. (Well, just make it right there. You sit down and make it there and I'll see it.) Jis' lak dis, see [demonstrates]. Now dis de crossroads, an' dey makes it in dis mannah. Right lak dat, kin' of a "Y" shaped. Undahstan' dis way?
(Yes, like a "Y".)
Well, right up - jis' lak [demonstrates] dey come in heah [at the crossroads]. Ah come disaway - dis is de way ah live. An' dis de way - say, dat's where yo' live.
(The two prongs of the "Y" - all right, comin' together, to a meeting.)
Comin' together. An' if dey jis' take yore track from dis place, an' tie it up in a pocket hank'scuff or rag or sompin lak dat, an' tie it in a knot an' put it down undah de cornah of de do'step, yo' have tuh go.
(Go where?)
Go 'way from de city, if yo' wus in de city. (Whose doorstep do you put it under? [Your doorstepl or under the other fel- low's? This track you pick up?) De one yo' got de track off.
Entry 5440
Ah have heard a person kin run yo' crazy. Dey kin take some of de dirt, git a part of yore track. Go tuh de graveyard an' git some dirt. (Get the dirt from both tracks or just one?) Yore right feet - from yore right feet track, an' go tuh de grave of a gamblah an' git some of de dirt from de foot of 'is grave. Take it an' carry it home an' git chew some red flannel, table salt, an' take it an' put it right undah 'is steps, an' in seven days he'll be crazy or mindless. (You Wrap all this stuff up in that red flannel and bury it under his own step.) Undah 'is step.
Entry 5498
Well, yo' take a stran' or two of yore hair out chure haid an' dey'll take an' git de bow out de back of yore hat. Yo' take dat hair an' de bow out chure hat an' yo' git a few grains of sand outa yore shoe track - out de streets an' den take an' put it tuhgethah. Sew it up in a little bag an' put it undah yore steps an' yo' cross ovah it. Why dat jes' upsets yore mind altuh- gethah. Dat's de way dey trick yo' dataway.
(Now whose steps would they put this under, mine or...?)
Dey put it undah de steps where yo' come ovah. (Well, now suppose they got all that stuff from me. Would they put it under Ty step or under your step?) Undah de step dat chew goes ovah.
(That is to upset my mind?)
Yassuh.
Entry 5501
Dey say dey take up yo' shoe track, take up de shoe track right from de door on back. Yo' take ahold of dat an' put dat in a bag. An' yo' take yore toenails, cut yo' toenails off. Yo' see: 'em trim dey toenails off. An' a piece of hair out chure haid, an' cut some of de hair undah de arm an' 'tween yore laigs. An' put all dat tuhgethah. An' yo' sew dat up in a li'le bag an' yo' buries de bag about dat deep in de groun' [demonstrates].
(About that deep, about nine inches.)
Yes sir, about dat deep. Well yo' buries it at de first step dat yo' come to.
(The first step as you come out?)
Yes sir. No sir, bury it at de bottom step when yo' come. Dat's tuh keep 'im undah 'er. Yo' see, when a woman's husban' go out too fast an' he won't try tuh come home, yo' do dat. Dat's tuh keep 'im from runnin' about.
Entry 5526
Take a can of lye, can of potash yo' know, dis Red Devil lye, an' put it undah yore step. Take yore track an' put de can of lye wit it - yo' know, jis' lak yo' seen people make tracks. Put dat lye undah dere. (Put the lye in the track?) No, take de lye - dis heah man shoe track. Take de track up an' put it in dat lye.
(Put it in this can of lye?)
Put it in dat can of lye an' bury it undah yore steps. Bury it undah yore step, jis' lak yo' go dere an' sweep up heah undah de step. Yo' can't stay dere.
(You can't stay there. That runs you out of the house.)
Yo' can't stay dere.
(That's either one of your shoes?)
Yeah, ary one yore track.
(And put this can of Red Devil lye under your step and you can't stay there.)
Entry 5543
(I am going to talk to a girl now who was here the other day, by the name of Mary Magdalene. I am not certain that I have her material on the rec- ords, so to be certain I am going to take it down again. Her number was 679.) (All right, go ahead I want to be ableto hear you.) It's a man - if yo' want him to come back, yo' know, and if he goes out chure house, well yo' pick up the left-foot track, the dirt. Put it into a box and shut it up. And get to de right-foot track and get yo' a pine stick - about this long a stick - and take it and nail underneath of de steps. And take that dirt and bring it into your house, and put it right underneath - place it right underneath of your mattress, if you want him to come back, and he can't get away from you. [THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH IS VERY COMMON IN HOODOO, SOMETHING IS MISSING. THESE FREQUENT MISSING SOMETHINGS REQUIRE TOTAL CONCENTRATION ON WHAT THE SPEAKER SAYS. FOR THIS REASON I ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:]
(You said something about a pine stick?)
Yes, sir.
(What do you do with that?)
Measure that stick just as long as his right foot. And nail it underneath of your step. [Informant's answer is quite evident in her original statement, but her ex- planation was necessary for the record.]
(I see.)
But the bottom where you measure it - the bottom of it, turn it towards the ground. [That part of the stick touching ground during measurement must when tacked under step face downwards towards ground.l
(I see.)
Underneath the step, tack it up underneath the step. And you place that dirt in your bed mattress where you sleep.
(That's the dirt from the left foot?)
Yes, sir.
(And what do you measure with this stick?)
The right one.
[This is merely checking, not trying to trick informant.]
(The right one, and what is that to do?)
That's to make him stay. (Make him stay. Now, what kind of tracks do you get? His tracks out there, any track?) When he leaves out, yes sir - just right where he steps on de dirt.
(Oh, when he's going away?)
Yes, sir.
(I see.)
Entry 5545
Yeah, yo' kin take up a person's foot track jis' lak yo' kin - yo' know, a person walk along, why yo' kin go dere an' take de measure. Take yo' a string an' measure dey foot, de width an' de length. Yo' kin use both if yo' wan' tuh. Dat's whut dey tell me, dat yo' kin use both of 'em wit a string. Measure de width an' de length wit dis string. An' den yo' go tuh work an' yo' bury it at dere back do'steps. Dat string jis' de length of dey foot, yo' bury it dere an' event'ly [eventually] dey'll jis' leave 'way from dere. Dey cain't rest dere.
(You make both measurements with the same string?)
Wit de same string, see; an' yo' bury dat string.
Entry 5637
Well, dey say dat if a person - if dey git de foot track right at de do'step, see. When dey git de foot track right at dis step right aftah dey Walked in an' out, dey could take some out of it an' put it in sompin an' put some salt, peppah, black peppah, two or three drops of vinegah, an' bury it up undah de back steps. Says, dey von' come back any mo'.
Entry 5675
Yo' mean de foot track tuh go or de foot track tuh come?
(Well, both of them - one one way and one the other way.)
Well, now, if yo' want somebody tuh come back, yo' git dis foot track an' don't - now, like de foot track is goin', don' turn de foot track back tuh yo'. Yo' git chew a piece of papah an' write on dat papah nine times, an' put it undah de step an' turn dat foot track back tuh de house. Dat's tuh come. Now, if yo' wan' 'em tuh go. (What do you write on that paper nine times.) Yo' write, "Come back, come back." An' ah don' care how far dat person is - an' if yo' wan' dat person tuh come back, in nine or 21 days dey will come back. Dat's fo' - now tuh go, yo' turn de track. Dis is de track, yo' write dat nine times, "Go."
(You turn the track as if it is going away?)
Yes. Git chew a handful of salt an' jis' dash it down an' sweep 3 times. Dey gone.
Entry 5679
(This woman whom the man has left, she would get hold of his left sock?) Git holt of 'is lef' socks, 'is drawahs, an' take an' take dem home, an' put 'en undah de do'steps. Don' let nobody see or know yo' put 'em undah dere. An' den take yore broom, when he come inside de house. an' sprinkle salt down evah'where he walks. When he's goin' out, don' sweep it out do's, sweep it back in de house. Seep it all back in de house. Sweep 'is track all back tuh de kitchen, an' let dat stay undah dere, an' dat will bring 'im back.
Entry 5680
Well, if yo' want 'im tuh stay home, evah time he starts out, evah tine he leaves yore house, yo' jis' walk right straight on out while his tracks hot. An'.sweep 'em back right undahneat' de steps, say, "Come back heah." Yo' ain't gotta put nuthin behin' dat, says, "Yo come on back heah. Ah'm yore wife. Come on back heah." An' yo' sweep 'is tracks right undah dat steps. An' evah time yo' go out, yo' do dat an' he'll Qe back an' be so nice.
Entry 5796
If they want chew to be with them, why they bury it under the doorstep. Like if they want chew to come to my home, see, I bury it under the doorstep. And if they want to run you away, why put that in running Water and make a wish. (Which tracks do they use?) Get de dirt from under de right foot. Like, just if yo' want 'em to come to your home, see, yo' take it when they're coming to de home. If yo' want 'em to leave, yo' git it out of that track when they leave home. [Elizabeth City, N. Car., (438), 401:3.] [The sixth section Of division THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF is HAIR. De- spite the hundreds of hair rites that now follow, hundreds more are scattered throughout the text of Hoodoo, because hair is often only one ingredient in a compound rite containing other important substances: URINE, BLOOD, GRAVEYARD DIRT, etc.] [The lO submargin rites under this margin title recall the well-known belief that hair continues to grow a long time after death - FACI, 2nd ed., 15415, p.714; 1st ed., 10367, p.595. Not so well known are the following beliefs about living hair continuing to grow, after it has been taken from the body:]
Entry 5985
In othah words, if it's someone yo' want, ah kin take three nails an ah kin drive three nails down, yo' know, in de ground; an' den ah kin take one [and] drive it up in de steps. An' take yore hair from roun' yore loins, any- where from roun' down dere, an' wrap it roun' dat nails all de way up. It won't be long befo' yo'll be back dere regardless of where yo' gone. (You have three nails in the ground, and one up in de step. You wound this bair on the one under the step?) Dat's right. [That is right, but it appears to me now that the hair could have been wrap- ped about all four nails.]
Entry 5987
Yo' clip de fingahnails - all yore fingahnails. Git nine stran's of hair out de top of yore haid, if he's gone, an' call 'is name an' say, "Ah'm tyin' yo' up an' yo'll evah be tied until yo' come back home tuh me." Tie dem up, an' if yo got any piece of 'is clothes at all, wrap it up in 'is clothes an' bury dat at de foot of yore steps.
Entry 5997
Well, yo' take a lock of yore hair an' de band [bow] outa de back of yore hat, an' yo' stick a brasshead needle in it, an' put it in a Hearts Own Cologne bottle. Stop it up an' turn it bot- tomside upwards undah de front steps. Well, yo' wouldn't have no care fo' nobody else but me.
Entry 6090
(There is another way of bringing them back, too, you say?)
Yo' kin take some of de hair from down dere.
(Some of the private hair.)
Yessuh, take it. It 'tain't only but one stran'. An' yo' take an' carry a han'ke'ch'ef wid joo when yo' use it to dry it away. Yo' take it [hair] an' tie it in de cornah of de han'ke'ch'ef an' yo' keep it de same length of three days. An' yo' - an' puts yo' on it dis Hearts Cologne. Put it on Heorts Cologne. Take it an' yo' bury it at de right-han' cornah of yore steps, de right-han' cornah. Den yo' take it an' wear dat den on yo' fo' nine hours, nine or ten hours, sompin lak dat, an' go on back home. Stay right dere. Yo' go on back home an' make yore wishes, "Ah wish Sech-an'-sech-a-one Would come. Ah want So-an'-so back." Dat's anothah way yo' kin bring 'em back.
(That is if you happen to have some of their hair before they leave?)
Yes, if yo' could git holt of any of it befo' dey leave, if yo' kin find any anywhere - don' care how long dey been gone. Hair undah dere arm will do de same thing.
Entry 6264
Dey tell me, say, jes' lak yo' got a wife, whut chew could do tuh make her stay home an' all. Jes' say, yo' could take a piece of 'er hair out, or yore wife cut yore hair off, see. An' put it undah de steps wit chamber lye, an' yo' gotta stay home.
Entry 6266
Yo' git a Adam-an'-Eve [root] an' put it in a bottle, an' git a stran' off de haid, [or] down below - mostly [they get] de hair de bes' [best] way dey kin, if dey have any con- nection wit it, dey'll git a piece. An' dey'll put dat in a bottle an' urinate a li'le in dere. Den dey stop dat up an' put dat undah de fron' step. Dat'll make dem part.
Entry 6348
Takin' yuh hair an' puttin' it in [can or bucket of] watah, an' dey take it out an' put it in a stockin', an' bury it undah de steps fo' three days. In three days dey take it up an' throw it in runnin' watah. (What will that do?) Say it will run yuh crazy. (What do you mean, put that hair in water? What kind of water?) Well, yuh know, sompin lak put it in a can or bucket or sompin lak dat.
(You mean ordinary water?)
Yes slr.
Entry 6374
Well, ah heard it said if yuh git nine strands of der hair an' yuh wrap dat aroun' a cord nine times jis' lak yuh tyin' up a [package] - jis' aroun' de hair, wrap it from yuh all de time. Den yuh git chew nine drops spirits of tur- pentine an' yuh put on dat, an' yuh wrops dat up in a piece of papah. [You put 9 strands of victim's hair in a piece of paper, add 9 drops of turpen- tine, and wrap a cord from you 9 times about this paper pack- age.] An' yuh go an' put it undah de [house owner's or renter's] doorstep. Yuh put it undah dere evah mawnin' befo' de sunrise fo' nine mawnin's. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back after sundown. Yuh put dat undah dere an' yuh go back aftah sundown. Yuh put it undah dere befo' sunrise an' go back aftah sundown an' git it, den put it back dere ag'in befo' sunrise. Yuh go it fo' nine mawnin'san' on de ninth mawnin' dey [owner or renter] goin' be movin'. [Wrapping and winding, two important magic actions have not always been indexed in the past. There are in Hoodoo many examples of the former, especially wrapping to you or away from you. True winding rites probably will also be found in Hoodoo, they appearing in love rites of general folklore (see BALL OF YARN examples, FACI, 2nd ed., p.439). [Wilmington, N. Car., (294), 217:4 - 85+.1
Entry 6454
Some [graveyard] dirt an' some crawfishes an' snakedust. Mix it tuh- gethah an' some of yore toenails an' yore fingahnails an' some of yore strength. (Some what?) Some of yo' strength yo' - WHAT HAVE SOME OF YORE STRENGTH IN SOME OF YORE FINGAH- NAILS. An' take it an' put it up ovah de do' or up ovah yore head, anywhere. An' jis' lak dose things pine away, dat person pine away. Yo'll pine away an' die. Or either put it on a toadfrog in a box wit dat graveyard [dirt] an' put it undah de steps. Go out yo' home an' put it undah de steps an' dat frog will stay dere nine days until he pass away an' die. Dat person will die. Jis' lak de graveyard dirt an' de crawfishes molt away, yo' molt away.
Entry 6581
Dey do it wit de fish. Dey take dat fish, de little minnow fish, an' put 'em in a little vial m' let 'im be live. An' dey go tuh work an' put dem a little garlic an' a lit- tle onion in dere. An' put 'im in a vial an' put 'im undah de doorstep. An' dat fish gits intuh de person [after you walk over it].
(Is there any way of getting them out?)
Yes suh, yo' work 'em out jis' de same as yuh did de frog.
Entry 6786
Yo' scrub yuh steps wherevah yo' may be, yo' know, down wit de nine buckets of hydrant watah; [I mean] eight buckets down, yo' know, an' de las' bucket throw it up. An' smoke yo'self in dragon's blood an' wash yo'self down wit linseed oil. (What will that do?) Dat'll keep 'em from harmin' yah. An' keep yuh salt throwed aroun' yah steps, wit chamber lye - yah know, yahurine. [There are many scrubbing rites in Hoodoo, most of them from New Orleans, some of them complicated. For a few of these beliefs see margin titles WATER and WATER THROWN (pp.740-743) and SCRUBBING in INDEX (vol.5). The present 9 buckets of hy- drant water - considered running water and therefore of magic power - are for rinsing what has been scrubbed. Eight buckets are dashed down; the ninth bucket is tossed up into the air, either all at one time or a particular number of times.]
(You do all these things together?)
Yo' mix dat [salt and urine] but yo' smoke yuhself in a new can by itself wit dragon's blood; or insant [incense], dat's good. [This is a protection rite against hoodoo of any kind.]
Entry 6909
Well, yo' kin put chew some red peppah, nine balls, [I mean] seeds of red peppah. Yo' have de seeds tuh put in dere. Grind dat peppah. Nine drops of spirits of turpentine, halfa tea- spoonfula salt, halfa teaspoonfula sulphur. An' put it in yore shoe an' weah it an' dat will kill dat.
(Anything they put down for you?)
Planted fo' yo'.
(Do you wear this in one or both shoes?)
Yo' kin put it in de shoes, or else if yo' want, yo' kin put it undah de steps, put it all tuhgethah an' bury it undah de steps.
Entry 7631
They git the dirt out of the graveyard and they stop that up in a bot- tle and they will come to yore house. If they don't like you, they come to yore house with that graveyard dirt. Mix it with a little salt and they sprinkles it underneath the steps. Then they stop the other one tight an' bury it. But chew not supposed to be home when dey do dat, and any time yo' go back to dat house why yore spirit is gone. Dat driv yore spirit away. Yo'd go to de house but chew can't stay.
Entry 7654
Well, ah hear'd dey say yo' kin take graveyard dirt - yo' kin take dat graveyard dirt - go down dere at night an' dig right ovah de heart of de grave. Den bring it back an' put it umdah de steps an' po' vhis- key on it fo' nine mawnin's. Den yo' go back dere an' yo' take dis dirt up an' put it in a piece of white flannel an' take de dirt an' bury it in de ground an' let it stay dere. After yo' take it up an' put whiskey on it an' put it undah de step in de groun'. An' if dere any- one [there] dat don' lak yo', dey can't stay dere. [Is whiskey on for 9 mornings a delayed payment for the graveyard dirt?]
Entry 7700
They say that chew can take the headboards of a dead person, I mean where they're placed at their grave, or footboards, either one, and burn them; and then get some of that dust of the grave with that, those ashes, and put them down under a door- step of an indivi- dual, and they'll become effected so that they can't handle themselves. They become tricked so they don't have any definite understanding about anything.
Entry 7848
Ah git me a li'le graveyard dirt an' ah take dat graveyard dirt an bring it back an' bury it, some of it. Take some an' put it in a vial an' put it in de no'th cornah of yore house an' den yo' see, whosomevah yo' put dat in dere fo', well see, quite nätchel [natural], if yo' love 'em or if yo' don' love 'em. If yo' hate 'um, dey won' stay 'bout chew; if it's fer dem, dey'll come tuh yuh. (Where would you bury that graveyard dirt?) Bury it [loose por- tion] undah de no'th end of de steps, an' put de othah [vial portion] in de no'th corner of yore house.
Entry 7962
Yuh toenails or fingernails. Dey kin git holt of yuh fingernail clip- pings an' de dirt from undah yuh foot. See. An' dey mix it tuhgethah an' git 'em some graveyard dirt an' shape 'em a box. Make a li'le shape of a box, see jis' lak a coffin, an' take hit an' bury it undah yuh steps. See. An' git some hair from yuh belly an' put in dere Wit it. An' DERE AIN'T NO DOCTOR IN DE WORLD KIN CURE YO'.
(What will it do to you?)
It will kill yo'.
(I see.)
(Now that dirt from your foot. Well where from your foot?)
Yassuh, dat daid skin whut's scraped off yuh foot.
(Oh, I see. Where do you get that?)
De way I git dat, dat skin from yuh foot.
Entry 7980
I've heard whut it'll do, dat little coffin. But jis' like I tellin' yo' a few minutes ago, dat stuff about makin' a little coffin. Put 'em undah de step, yo' see, wit de people's photo in dat coffin, de party. Dat why plenty people won't take dere photos yo' see. Put it in dat coffin wit some pins, some needles, yo' see, an' some steel dust and lodestone. See. An' dat draw dose people outa dat house, yo' undahstan', an' fix 'em so dey will nevah wan' tuh see one anothah no mo'.
Entry 7984
Jes' lak if yo' wan' tuh do 'way wit a person, lak if yo' wan' tuh draw a person, well yo' jes' make it out chure mind, but choo draw dat person's pitchure. Well yo' draw 'is pitchure an' yo' put a coffin [put it in a coffin]. (You draw the figure in the coffin?) Yes sir, dat's right. An' den yo' take hit an' bury it at dere steps, see. Den draw it also....
[Here is the information given while machine was stopped:]
(You draw this person's picture on a piece of paper, and then you drav a coffin around it?) Dat's right. An' den yo' draw anothah one an' put it at de do' where dey kin see dat, an' tell 'em whut will become of 'em, see. Well, aftah yo' draw dis - yo' done buried de one, de firs' one - let me see, well, now dey begin tuh read dat lettah an' dey see dat. Well, dat gits dere spirit tuhgethah an' it begin tuh grieve dem den, an' dey worry ovah it an' finely [finally] dey come tuh perish away.
(You do that to let them know you are doing the work against them?)
Dat's right.
Entry 8028
Yo' kin use dat bone [dead person's bone] in dis way. If a person is very, very, very evil, yo' take dat bone...yo' could take dat bone wit chew home [from the cemetery]. Yo' put it an' bury it undah dere back steps unbe- knownst tuh 'em fer nine nights an' nine days. Yo' take it up de tenth day an' take it back tuh de ceme- tery. It'll worry dem tuh de grave.
Entry 8051
Ah heard dat yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' git one of dese bones. If it's a sinnah, yo' kin take de bone off 'is right foot, de big-toe bone, an' take it an' put some black peppah an' salt an' cayenne on it. Dat's fo' gamblin'. (How would you handle that, then?) Well, yo' jis' go an' dig it up, see. Ah ain't nevah tried dat now. Go an' dig it up, see, an' cut dat bone off. Yo' have tuh git a saw an' saw if off. Saw dat bone, dat j'int dere. Saw dat off an' git chew black peppah, salt an' bluestone, see. Well, yo' car- ries dat home dere an' let it stay undah yuh step fo' nine mawnin's, see. Well, yo' take it den an' put it up ovah de do' - jis' lak yo' sleepin' in dis room, an' put it up ovah de do' an' let it stay dere den contin'ly [continually]. But yo' have tuh sew it up intuh a black rag, see. Let it stay dere contin'ly an' den yo'll be lucky in gamblin'.
Entry 8542
I will.
(All right.)
Well, the things that have been used to do such things as that is take a couple of things what is called bluestone, brown sugar, write the name of a per- son nine times on a piece of paper, wrap that to- gether. If by any chance you can hide or bury that under the steps of that person, sort of in a position where it can face with the name reading from east to west, where the sun rise and go down, place it under the steps of the people and face it from east to west. And you then will be able to take a power over them people by using that in that way.
(I mean just what kind of power do you want to have over them?)
A power, the person not being [stationary] at no certain place, and the per- son not being able to stop as long as you have that stuff under his steps that they lives in. But wrap it in red flannel.
(I see. Will that make them move or it just gives you the power over them?)
Give you the power over them that will keep them on the move.
(Oh, I see.)
Entry 8621
Yo' git chew half a pint of whiskey an' yo' git chew a tablespoon con- sitrated [concentrated] lye an' jis' lak de - git chew a plain piece of papah an' write three, jis' lak it wus de sar- gint, poleeceman [policeman] lak dat. Well, yo' write dat on dat piece of papah, but yo' don't have tuh shake dat up. Write dat on a piece of papah an' bury it at de lef' side of yore steps wit de bottle. Lak dese heah yore steps right chere [demonstrates]. Dis [jis'] dig a hole deep 'nuff tuh put hit down an' let de bottle stoppah stay up jis' 'nuff to covah it in dere. An' let de bottle stoppah stay up an' yo'll nevah be worried no mo'. An' den let 'er set right ovah dere whilst dey [talking to her]...
[I demonstrate.]
(As you are going into your house, this is your step. You bury it at the left-hand side of your steps?) As yo're goin' into de house.
Entry 8649
Yo' kin take a name, a person name an' sugah, if yo' want 'em wit chew, an' bury undah de steps, front, eithah back, wit de lemon. Well, dat make 'em stay wit chew if yo' want 'em wit chew.
(Do you put this stuff in the lemon or don't you put it in?)
Yo' put de stuff in de lemon. Ah say tuh put it in de lemon.
Entry 8651
That will break up a per- son, too. (Well, how do they do that?) Well, they put the woman's and the man's name. They cut the lemon and make a hole, you dig it out, an' yo' put this person's name on it. An' yo' write their name, each name, an' yo' put it in de lemon. An' yo' sew it up an' yo' bury it upside down, under dere step, where dey have to pass back an' forth. An' dat break 'em up.
(You just write the name once?)
Yes.
(Of each person.)
Yeah.
(This man and the woman?)
Yeah.
(And you bury this name upside down.)
claimed breakup of the named woman and man. Do not call this breaking the lemon or physically breaking a person. The separately selected Cut/Dig claims describe the object preparation. cutting the lemon to make a cavity. The object is the lemon, not either named person. digging out the lemon, a hollowing action. Do not replace lemon hollowing with grave/ground digging or infer a digging implement. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 8657
If he leaves 'er an' go away, an' she find out whar he is. All right, if he write her - all right, she write 'im an' he will write 'er back. Well, she knows his name, he takes an' writes de firs' lettah, capital lettah, an' de others is following. Write her name under it. She takes it to de left, jest like she coming down de steps, corner of her steps, dis way to de left bottom step, she'll bury dat. (The left of the steps coming in?) [No, left side of steps as she comes down.] Comin' in whar he used tuh go. All right, she bury it. She Wrap de papah up an' she turns it on its face thataway, yore [her] name an' 'is name, an' yo' count de days dat he's been gone if yo' kin remember, an' de length of days, if it's a hundred or if it's 150. In 150 more he'll be walkin' right back in dat do' from de time dat he left.
Entry 8763
Yo' buy a brand-new tin pan out de stā' an' do' nuse [don't use] it fo' nuthin an' don' set it dwon on nuthin [don't touch the earth theme]. Yo' git it an' come right back home. Yo' gits yo' a pencil an' mark it disaway an' data- way. [I interrupt.] (Just like you were quartering a pie - into four parts.) [If informant did not under- stand guartering, I added four parts.j Yes sir. Yo' put his name heah, put chure name heah, an' den yo' put his name ovah dere an' his name heah... (Wait a minute! In this [I demonstrate on paper] upper left-hand corner as you are looking at it, you put his name. Underneath that you put your name. Then up above in the right hand corner you put your name, and then his name underneath. In other words, his name and your name are opposites.) [See my diagram for quartered pie.] Yes sir.
(All right. Then what do you do with that pan?)
Yo' take it an' turn it bottomside upwards an' walk out de do' backwards, see, an' shove it right underneat' yore do'step. Yo' don't bury it. Jes' put enough sand ovah it, yo' see, to keep anybody from seein' it. It won't be two weeks [2 seven-day periods] befo' he'll be back there. Ah've tried dat mahself.
Entry 8831
And they knows yore handwritin' - get holt of it, dey can.
(What will they do?)
Well, dey will take dat han'writin' an' dey kin cross-write yore han'writin', yo' see, so ah'm told. Cross-write yore han'writin', jes' like yo' write a lettah straight; well, now, dey'll go 'cross it.
(I'll write it straight?)
Straight, an' dey'll turn it [the paper upside down] an' go across it. (I see, just cross it - just turn the paper around and cross it.) Cross it, see. Dey turn de Papah aroun' an' cross it. Well, when dey cross it, den dey'll fold dat papah differently, yo' see. An' dey'll puts it in a draw, draw it with heat or watah, see. An' aftah drawin' it with heat or watah; de sweat from dat papah is what dey uses, yo' see. Well, if dey use dat sweat, dey got yore han' jes' de same, yo' see. An' dey put it in a bottle an' use it, cause yore han' tuh swell up. Dey put salt, peppah an' alum in it an' dey'll lay it in a place undah de step, an' it will cause yore hand to swell.
Entry 8897
Then, you want to find out who it was, stealing? Well you get the Bible and put the key on the Seven Songs of Moses [whatever that is] and turn it [key] nine times. [Does in- formant mean the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, the hoodoo or witchcraft man- ual?] If you think of that person - you mean, if you want to know who it was?
(Yes, and then I want to make them pay [bring] it back, too.)
Turn that key on 'im an' jes' say: By St. Peter, by St. Paul, by the Lord and God who made us all; if So-and-so took it, turn key, Bible, and fall. If it's him, it'll fall. If it's this man it'll fall. And if it falls on this man [when his name is called], what you do, you get some lodestone; if you know where he lives. You got'a know where he lives to make him bring it back. Get some lodestone and put it up under his step in a little sack. Put nine pearl buttons in there. And if he walks over that, he will bring back whatever he took, right back where he got it from. But you got'a put that name what you called in that sack at the bottom step.
Entry 8902
Chicken feathahs - a black chicken. Take black chicken feathahs an' put hit undah de steps. Whenevah a person steal or anythin' lak dat from yo', when yo' expectin' somebody tuh come in on yo', don't chew know, befo' dis chicken die, put dem feathah undah dere, an' dat'll scare dem away. (If somebody is coming fn to steal something from you?) Yes, if yo' expectin' a burglah tuh come in, yo' git three feathahs out of 'is left wing befo' he die an' bury dem undah yore steps. An' whenevah he comes aroun' tuh bothah or anythin', why dat chicken will run 'im away from dere.
Entry 8912
Den if yo' got a idea dat I stole it - yo' know, like if I steal somepin from yo' an' yo' got a idea - I seen yo' come aroun', I mean. Yo' kin get some of my foot track or anythin' an' I'll bring it back, but if yo' don't know.... [I tum off recording machine here because rite did not sound promising. Then he says something about foot track and I begin to record.]
(What do they use?)
Well, yo' know, wheresomevah yo' step like dat, see right between de palm of yore foot an' de heel; see, yo' get a knifebladeful an' yo' put it in a handker- chief an' fold it.
(How do they fold it?)
[Informant begins to demonstrate.]
Fold it to yo' an' den fold it...yo' fold it like dat, an' den back like dat, but yo' don't want a rag as large as dis, see. An' den double it over like dis, back like dat. Well yo' won't want no - no piece no bigger'n [bigger than] dat in dere. An' den put it undah yore do'step an' cross it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's an' name it, like if my name are John, see. Yo' cross it evah mawnin fo' nine mawnin's an' call my name 'fo' sunrise. De ninth mawnin' yo' go dere an' take it up, an' den yo' pick it up an' put it in yore pants, anyhow yore belt, an' de ninth mawnin' ah'll be dere.
Entry 8929
I know a case about a fellow name of William Mitchell. He broke in a fellah's house an' he stole some suits. An' he [a hoodoo investigator] goes on to this house there an' he seen where he broke in that house. An' they suspected this man, which it was. An' they took William Mitchell name an' they buried William Mitchell name at the back steps. They bury this at the back steps an' walks on down, an' they sprinkle some sugar, yo' know, out to de trail. An' as yo' go out, say, "William Metchell, Willy Mitchell, Willy Mitchel." Yo' gotta say it nine times, yo' see. "Yo' re- turn them goods." Yo' see. But he did return de goods, but I'll tell yo' how he did return them goods. He returned them goods in another party's house - under de house, yo' know. So he [doctor] told de party [hiring him], he say, "I seen de people who broke in dat house an' I seen where they cached de stuff." [Doctor saw this in a vision or by other means]. Yo' see? But dat sugar - yo' see when yo' sprinkle it out there, yo' see [you sprinkle] behin' 'im. An' they had his name down there nine times an' they had it crossed - across it nine time an' with that circle. Well, he couldn't get rid of de stuff. De stuff was found at another house before they was - under de house - but he did take de stuff, all right.
Entry 8930
Well now, if you - like you was to take a dollah, say fo' 'ninstan' [an instant = an instance], if you'd take a dollah, or if yo' took mah glasses, or if yo' took anything out mah house, or anything yo' take from me, if yo' steal it from me in the street, I gits a red onion. Listen at me good. I splits dis red onion, but not let it come apart. See, yo' jis'gash it like that [demonstrates].
(You turn it like that, gash it through the side, not from top to bottom.)
Well now, you take an' git five drops spirits turpentine. Yo'll write your name on a cigarette papah. Like your name John James, I'll put in on a ciga- rette papah, put five drops of spirits turpentine, put that name [in the split onion], then put about two little pinches of cayenne pepper, an' spit in it five times, an' make yo' a woosh [wish]. An' then I take yeh [the onion holding your name] an' bur' [bury] mah things back. If yo' don't it'll run yo' crazy, if yo' didn't. See, that will drindle right on your mind 'bout choo takin' mah glasses.
Entry 9096
Well, if yo' gotta go over there to meet a case an' yo' wanta miss de case, yo' gotta go in de woods. Aftah yo' git in de woods, yo' git yo' a lizard. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A TWO-HEADED PERSON an' dat an' she know a whole lot about dat Yo' go git yo' a lizard. Aftah yo' get dat lizard, see yo' take its palate out. Yo' take its palate out. (Out of his mouth?) Out of 'is mouth. Jes' take 'is pal- ate out. Aftah yo' take its palate out, then jes' cut 'bout de tip-end of its tail off. Aftah yo' git his palate out an' de tip-end of his tail off, den, why yo' take some watah dey call glucose [or bluecose] watah.
(Glucose?)
Glucose. Glucose, yo' could mix it up, yo' could mix it up yoreself. Dey sell dat at de Crackerjack Drug Store [in New Orleans].
(Oh! You mix it up. What's it made out of?)
Yo' make it up. Yo' git some watah an' yo' mix about dis much of it. It's jes' like a blue pencil-like, yo' know. [He is talking about bluestone.] But aftah yo' put so much amount of watah in it, it come to liquor-lak, yo' know.
(What's the blue stuff called?)
Called bluecose [= bluestone].
(Bluecose?)
Yes. Yo' see, it come to a liquor-lak, yo' see. Aftah it come to a liquor, an' den yo' just put it in, de day dey try yo'.
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' got de lizard's palate.
(And this little piece of his tail? Now, what do you do with that?)
Yo' put dat in the bluecose [bluestone] watah, aftah yo' done mix it up, an' set it undah de steps. Aftah yo' set it undah de steps, dat's de only way I kneu make yo' miss de case.
(Under what step do you put that?)
Undah de jail-house steps.
(I see, I see.)
Some one gotta set it undah dere fo' yo'.
Entry 9132
[If you] have a case in co't - ah've experienced dat - he kin take twelve leaves of green sage an' write de twelve 'postles name on it, an' bury it unbeknowst tuh anybody undah de co'thouse steps, an' he mo' den apt tuh win de case. (You put it there so that the judge and these officials will have to walk over it.)
Entry 9182
Yo' kin take a black hen aig if yo' wanta make a person move. Yo' know, jes' lak yo' have a enemy nex' do' tuh yo' or somepin lak dat an' yo' want 'em tuh leave. Yo' take de black hen aig an' yo' put his name on it backwards [his last name first and his first name last]. Put his name on it backwards an' yo' throw it right at his steps where it will burst it. Yo' do dat between twelve an' one a'clock at night an' de nex' mawnin' when he git up he'll be rearin' tuh go.
Entry 9196
If yo' wants tuh git outa trouble or anything lak dat, dey say if yo' take a aig - some people say if yo' take de aig at twelve a'clock in de night an' write de person's name on dis aig, an' yo' kin eithah go in one cornah of yore house an' bus' dat aig In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost at twelve a'clock... An' some people say tuh go in fronta de co'thouse or de jailhouse or wheresomevah de person am, see. An' take de aig an' throw it ovah dat an' let it bust ovah de topa it.
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
Any kind from whut ah heard. Ah heard dat yo' kin take dis aig an' yo' kin take dat an' yo' kin make a wish In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an' de Holy Ghost. Tell it whut chew want it tuh do fo' yuh an' bury it undah yore steps. Say dat will come true.
Entry 9197
Well, dey say dat chew could take a aig an' put yore name on it.
(Put my name on it if I am in jail.)
Yeah, put mah name on it, an' say two or three good words tuh it an' carry...
(What kind of good words?)
Well, ah fo'got now whut de words is [probably 3 Highest Names]. An' carry dat aig 'fo' de sunrise dat mawnin' an' bust it on de co'thouse steps, an' dat would change dere min' from whut dey wanta do tuh yo'. Dey wouldn't give yo' as heavy a fine as dey woulda. [For other egg rites at courthouse, see Nos.9006-9022, Pp.3656- 3660.
Entry 9237
If yo' got a woman, or eithah if yo' wanta see a fren' of yor'n an' yo' wants dis woman, an' yo' don' know how tuh git up tuh 'er. Yo' take dis aig, a white fresh aig, an' yo' writes her name on dis aig, an' how ole she are, an' her address. An' jis' howsom- evah her facin', her house turn, yo' digs right down at de steps an' plant it at 'er do'. Go tuh 'er house an' digs dat down dere jis' about, say about fo' inches. An' yo' turn de edge [end] of de aig out tuhwards de streets, de small end tuh de streets. Yo' know, jis' ary way her house turnt tuhwards de streets, yo' turn dat sharp end [of egg] tuhwards de streets. Dat supposed tuh git dis woman undah yore control.
Entry 9239
Take a black hen's aigs fo' somebody yo' want tuh have bad luck or sompin bad happen tuh 'em; git 'im from out de way, mark himself off de earth. Take a pencil an' write his name tuh de bottom of de aig on de little end. Write yore name - jes' lak yo' wanted tuh run me off or ah wanted tuh run yo' off, or do 'way wid yuh, ah would write chure name on de bottom of dat aig; see, on de little end. Write mah name on de top, on de big end of de aig. Go dere an' bury it right down where yo' had tuh walk ovah dat aig.
(How would you bury that egg?)
Neah de do'steps.
(How would you bury it, little end up or big end up?)
Little end down, big end up. Befo' long dat egg will come tuh git hot, or sour or bust. Dat locks chure bowels. Ain't a doctor [M.D.] 'tween heah an' nowhere kin do yo' no good. Whenevah dat aig bust down dere, yore bowels will lock an' bust inside. Right den all yore action will be on de inside yo' know, an' yo' won't be no mo' good. Won't be long 'fo' yo' be gone.
Entry 9241
Wanta make dem move out, yo' come out heah an' take a aig an' bust it up ovah his front do'. Yo' git some of his dirt, some of his track yo' know, an' den pat it down good an' stick some nails in it, sompin lak dat, an' turn sompin tuh covah ovah it. In a few days he'll be gone away.
(Where do you put this stuff?)
Under de steps.
(Put a few nails in?)
Yes. Make it good, yo' know, lak a cake, an' stick some nails in it, an put it undah de steps.
Entry 9255
Ah would git me a egg from a frizzly hen [for frizzly chicken, see p.59f. and elsewhere] an' ah would put it undah de steps. Den, aftah nine days, yo' see, dat egg would bus [burst]. Dat would make con- fusibn an' de landlord would put 'em out de house.
Entry 9296
Yo' could write de name of whoevah is away dat yo' wanta come, on a egg wit an indelible pencil. An' bury it at yo' steps wit de name tuhwards de house, comin' in de house, an' dey'll come regardless of how far dey are away. [For name coming into or pointing towards house and how this can be done, see No.9409, p.3769.]
Entry 9311
Yo' git a fresh aig an' yo' bust dat fresh aig. Yo' first write her name an' his name on dis aig an' yo' take dat fresh aig an' bust dis aig, yo' understan'. An' yo' take de yellah of de aig an' yo' throw de white away. An' take de aig shell, aftah yo' done bust it, an' Jis' crumble it up jis' as fine as yo' kin git it. An' den take de yellah of dat aig an' mash it all up in it, an' put chew a little black peppah in it. An' put it in a piece of papah an' rag an' bury it right up undahneat' de do'steps whah she passes in an' out, an' dere won't be no gittin 'long [along]. Dat'll separate dat man an' woman.
Entry 9359
Yo' could do dat - yeah, sure. All yo' gotta do, take yuh three rotten aigs, see. Take yuh three rotten aigs. Yo' bury one-a dem [one of them] right at de steps. De othah two jis' hit 'em against de house. Nobody come in dere. (That crosses up the landlord. He can't rent the house after I leave there.) Dat's whut ah'm talkin' about. Aftah yo' bury one in front of de steps an' yo' throw two against de house right ovah yuh shouldah. GOTTA THROW 'EM OVAH YUH LEFT SHOULDAH. See, IF YO' THROW 'EM FACEWARDS, DON' AMOUNT TUH NUTHIN. Jis' throW 'em ovah yuh left shoul- dah against de house, aftah yo' done bury dat one in dere [at the steps]. Can't rent, not at all.
Entry 9387
Ah've heard dat dey take a black hen, three black hen aigs an' go to, put undah yuh steps, an' yo'll leave - can't stay dere.
Entry 9388
Jis' lak if ah'm in dis town an' no one heah don't lak me, wants tuh kill me, wants tuh destroy me or somepin. [They tell me] dat yo' kin take three aig from a black hen an' boil it. Take dose three boiled aig an' jis' lak de individual travelin' dis way, yo' bury one dem boiled aig de firs' mawnin', on de third [second] mawnin' go fuhthah [farther] an' bury de nex' one, an' on de third mawn- in' go an' throw de othah one undah de end of de steps. An' dey say dat will git dem out chure way.
Entry 9429
Take a egg... [I interrupt.] (Will you talk a little bit louder, please.) Take a raw egg an' war watah an' put it intuh a bottle. An' bury it up undah de steps an' dat'll cuz 'em tuh move. [War water causes confusion within.]
Entry 9477
Once someone had did somepin tuh hurt me an' dey tole me whut tuh do. Dey said go back home an' look undah de flo' - undah de step an' dig undah dere an' git some salt an' sprin- kle in dat hole. Dat would kill dat whut dey had fo'me. Wahl, ah did dat but ah don' know wus it. Ah did whut dey said all right. Dat'a de best ah knowed of it [to] do.
Entry 9698
(Do what?)
(You get some sulphur.)
And sprinkle it on your front and back steps, and get some disinterested per- son to get a fresh box of table salt, you know that never been used out of it, and just sprinkle it and someone clean house with it and sweep it out, you bound to move. (I see. You bury the sul- phur under the front steps and back steps, and then you have to have this salt.) Table salt.
(That hasn't been used. What do you do with that salt now?)
Sprinkle it in the house and just like if I, you know, come in or walk out, well then as soon as I walk out, then you sweep my tracks, sole and all out to- gether, and say, "Well, that settles it. You won't come back, again."
Entry 9713
Git chew some salt. Sprinkle it down an' as dey go out de do' sweep it out behin' 'em. Take it [salt] tuh de back do', sprinkle it down. Dey call it de free-runnin' salt. Yo' heah 'em talk 'bout dat, de free-runnin' salt. Take dat an' sprinkle it out [of the container] chew know an' as dey go, sweep it behin' 'em. An' keep it [more salt] mdah de do'steps unbeknownst tuh 'em. [Free-running salt was an advertising device of a salt company at this period of time; it was not a hoodoo expression.] Well, yo' take yore watah dat chew make during de night, let it set two or three days, an' chunk it undah de steps. An' it won' be long 'fore dey runnin' 'gay from dere. Dey can't stay dere. Ah know dat's true.
(If you are trying to get rid of somebody in your house.)
Yes, an' yo' don' wan' 'em dere, yo' see.
Entry 9746
You take nine nails and nail each one of 'em at nine o'clock every moming for nine mornings jis' acrost de door. On de first morning de first nail is driven into the wood at the edge of the front step; on the second morning the second nail is driven nearer the house; etc., until the nails form a straight line from the edge of the steps across the doorsteps into the house. An' the ninth morning he's comin' back. [This is my original transcription made in 1937 a short time after the recording: The voice came through badly but everything has been recovered and reproduced here.]
Entry 9747
Kin do dat easy. Jis' lak now if yo' sellin' a lil' drinks, now. Yo'll git nine nails an' yo' bury dem nails six days. Yo' bury dem nails. (Where do you bury them?) Right tuh de foot of yuh steps. Den aftah dat yo' drive one heah, drive one dere, an' drive one dere, drive one dere, drive one dere, an' yo' drive one heah [etc.]. Nine time.
(Drive them right around the steps.)
Yes, right around de steps.
(Down in the ground or into the steps?)
No, right on de edge of de steps. Yo' drive nine nails an' yo'll have de dhiskey in dis house. An' he'll come in heah an' he ain't goin' intuh dat room yhere de whiskey is atall. He come in anothah room an' look aroun' an' say, Av, dere ain't nuthin heah," an' he go on. [Charleston, S. Car., 603:2.]
Entry 9751
Take nine nails an' drive dem in de steps, de do'steps, an' de person walks across dose nails comin' in dere, fo' eight or nine days, an' de first thing yo' knows, dey's movin. [8 days meaningless!]
(That will move them, driving these nine nails down at the doorstep?)
Yessuh.
Entry 9764
Take yuh nine bran'-new nails, nine [new] needles. Take 'em an' put 'em in a sack, a piece of white clot' [cloth] whut nevah had no scissah in it, no mo' [more] dan whut yuh cut it tuh sew it, an' put 'em in dere. Bury 'em undah yuh front steps. An' if he come tuh de front, sweep in tuh de back all de time.
(I see. That'll keep the law away.)
He goin' tuh stay away.
Entry 9769
Dey said dey take a whole bundle of nails an' jes' nail 'em down so yo' can't see 'em, an' put dirt ovah dem from yore steps out tuh de gate, an' say dat'll make yuh leave home. (You nail them down into the ground. And where do you begin to nail them?) Nail dem from de steps clean out tuh de gate. (That is supposed to make you leave home?) Yes sir.
Entry 9797
Yo' take needles an' pin 'em in a flannel rag, an' it must be needles dat have nevah been used, an' yo' wrap dem in a angle an' fold'em in a angle, an' dat brings a lotta trouble. (How many needles did you say?) Three. See, yo' stick dem through de flannel lak dat [demonstrates], chew know, an' den lak dat.
(Like the spokes of a wheel?) [See diagram in preceding rite.]
Yeah. Den yo' wraps dem up an' yo' buries 'em.
(Where do you bury them?)
Undah de steps.
Entry 9813
Well, yo' go git chew nine needles, nine pins; jes' take nine needles an' nine safety pins. Jes' cross de needles an' put de pins up an' dom. See, heah's de needles crossed an' heah's de safety pins across dem. Lak if yo' have a piece of cloth heah [demon- strates] an' yo' stick a needle across in it dere, yo' stick a safety pin lak dat [demonstrates] but don't hook it.
(You put the safety pin across this needle right in the cloth.)
Dat's right, but don' hook it, undahstan'. An' yo' take dat den - aftah yo' git 'em in dere, yo' take dat piece of cloth, if dey anywhere aroun' neah an' jes' take it - yo' ain't gotta bury it if yo' don' wanta. Yo' kin wrap it. Yo' kin bury it middleways of de steps, if yo' git undah dere. Go right middleway of yore steps. Don't have [to] bury it or yo' kin do it, jes' in de middleways of de steps. Dey ain't goin' stay dere long 'fore dey be gone.
(This will move them out.)
Yes sir, dey won' come roun'. Dey won' even come up dat steps no mo'. Dem same nine needles ah's tellin' yo' 'bout, dem same nine needles, yo'll cross de firs' one across. Put de needles 'cross an' de pins straight up an' down - de safety pins.
(Get a piece of cloth like that?)
Yes, an' put dem in dere an' let 'em stay in dere, an' put it 'way somewhere. "Stead [instead] of 'im goin' off, he'll stay roun' dere. De person dat's been bothahin' yo' is goin' tuh leave dere, an' de law ain't hardly goin' come. Dat's whensomevah yo' wants tuh run dis person dat's bothahin' yo', an' whensomevah yo' wants yore customah tuh come tuh yore house an' de police tuh stay away.
Entry 9819
Well, if it's anybody dat yo' wanted tuh move outa de house, yo' take nine needles an' put it in a bottle an' stop it up tight, an' bury it undahneat' de steps an' tell 'em, "Git out chere yo' damn devil! Go!" Well, dey'll go.
Entry 9830
Yuh kin take nine an' put [usually stick] 'em intuh a piece of homespun cloth, an' bury it undahneath de steps, an' dat'll break 'em up, de man an' woman, whoevah it is.
[Needles and homespun are usually new.]
Entry 9833
Dey git nine needles an' tie 'em tuhgethah an' dey'll put 'em in a bottle, but wit de point of 'em down lak dis - de haid part up. [Normally points should be up, see No., etc.] Jis' tie 'em tuhgethah. An bury it undah de steps, an' dey say dat'll put a puhson [walk- ing over them] in pain.
Entry 9834
Take nine new pins an' stick 'em down in de ground, an' when dey stuck dere see, people come by an' pick 'em up. Why when dey pick up de first one, yo' know, dey commence havin' pains. Den de mo' pins dere be's, de mo' bad off dey gits - de worsah dey git. (You put those down so that they will be picked up?) )[Perhaps this knowledge that the pins will be picked up is based upon the well-known folklore rhyme: See a pin, pick it up; all that day you'll have good luck - see Hyatt: Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd ed., No.10494, p.478.]
Entry 9865
All right. Chew take a long homespun string jes' about long enough tuh make nine knots. Den yo' ketch dis frog an' a - yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive. An' which is dis about, if yo' wanta run a person? If yo' take dis heah homespun - take a string an' tie it nine times an' yo' tie it tuh 'is laig. Den yo' go tuh de person's house, dere do'step, dere front do'step, an' put it undahneat' of de do'steps. Den yo' let de frog stay dere till nine mawnin's an whosomevah de party dat [is] yo' calls dere name, an' let 'em walk ovah dat fo' nine mawnin's, den dey will die, if de frog dies. If de frog is goin' tuh die de ninth mawnin' yo' goin' also die.
(You simply tie this string around the frog's leg?)
Aroun' de lef' laig, nine times [demonstrates]. (You just loop this around his leg and tie a knot. Then loop it around his leg and tie a knot again. And you tie nine knots in string on frog's leg and bury frog under the door.)
[Here for informant's word put I substitute bury!]
Bury him undah de door right at de steps lak when yo' come out. Put it right up undah de sill of de steps. [The frog is not buried but kept alive: yo' don' want him daid, keep him alive.] Well, when he come out well - well, he kin stay dere nine mawnin's, nine days, dat frog is compelled tuh die wit'out food. Well, he'll die an' den yo'll pass also wit de frog.
(You actually bury that under the ground?)
[Here again I am suggesting the frog is buried!]
Yo' bury de frog under de ground.
(That's to kill the person living in the house?)
Yessuh. [Magically we have enough here to kill anyone: the intention, home- spun = new string, 9 knots in, tied about left [back] leg, animal buried under step victim must walk over, victim's name called, etc. For something similar, including steps, see No.9871, six rites forward.]
Entry 9869
You get the frog and you whip it and you beat it, and you put it under the person's step before it die. And, I guarantee, that will make 'em move.
(I see.)
Entry 9886
Yo' kin take a toadyfrog an' split it open an' put it undahneat' de centah of yuh steps as yo' goin' in. Well, dat toadyfrog will be mortified tuh yuh all de time. Yo' can't go no time. Yo' can't go up nor come down. Dat will make yuh be's sickly all de time.
Entry 9934
Ah'd get me a frog an' ah'd squeeze de left eye, squeeze de milk out of it...ah'd put it in a bottle an' put it right by mah steps an' de law can't come in mah house.
Entry 9945
You can take the shoe and you can bury it at the step, but before you yary it you put some parsley in it. And get one of these here bullfrogs - these toadfrogs - and bury that at your step, an' she'll have that man under her all his days. You put the frog in there too with the parsley, in the shoe and bury that shoe, and she would have hin under her all the time.
Entry 10147
If dey fixin' to throw sompin down fer you to walk on, you can git you some dead cat bone an' bury it under your back step. [Wilmington, N. Car., resume, 185:5.]
Entry 10212
Tuh separate 'em. Yo' take dis man when he deal wit yo'. Yo' wanta break dem [man and other woman] up. Yo' take dis man when he deals wit yo' an' yo' take dat towel dat yo' an' him uses, see. An' yo' take dis towel tuh dis woman's house - if yo' kin locate where she live at - dis woman he's runnin' roun' wit. Den yo' bury dis towel down right at her do'step, where she have tuh come out at. Yo' bury dat towel dere an' den yo' take some bluein' - Purity Bluein', see. See, yo' takes bluein' an' ink an' mix it up combined. Yo' kin jis' sprinkle dat towel, on dere, an' den yo' bury dat towel right up undah- neath whah she have tuh walk at. Dat'll break it up. Dat break it up, too.
Entry 10219
Say, now a woman and she has a husband, and she doesn't want him to have anything to do with any other woman in the sex line. She goes to the store and she buys a brand-new big [white] pocket han'ke'ch'ef. (What kind of a pocket handker- chief?) A brand-new white pocket han'ke'- ch'ef. She takes that back home to the bed and tonight she fool with him. She will use that to wipe him on, don't cha know. And she won't use that on herself. All right. She wait until he's gone and then she'll take that and she bury it in a small jar, don't cha know, right in front of the steps where he'll have to walk over that whensomever he comes. He kin go wherever he wants and be with whoever he wants to, but he can't have nothing to do with 'em.
(Well, suppose a man did that [to a woman]?)
That just reversing it. Reversed it. When she bury it, she'll bury it on the bottom [of jar]. He'll take it and bury it on de top, on end [turn it upside down so that handkerchief will be against reversed top of jar].
(Well, how do you mean she buries it on the bottom - bottom of what?)
Bottom of the jar. Put it in the jar, see, and she gotta set the jar down and bury it. Well, he'll go there, why he just take it and put it outside of that, the way she had - upside down, the bottle up.
(I see, that fixes her, sees that she can't get away.)
I mean that she can't get away. See, the only way she kin get away is when the top rots off and the rag rots up.
Entry 10230
(To get your wife back?)
Yes sir.
(How do you do that?)
You just go out there to them front steps and you kin take a piece of her toe of her stocking or the heel, and she [not] going to pass over that. She - all you gotta do is to git it down in de ground under them steps, de toe of her stocking or de heel, or a piece out of her bloomers, out of de seat of them. Put it down in there under them steps and bury it, and if a man comes there, he won't come up them steps. He come there and - and call her and they'll stand there and talk. And if she want anything at de store, she send him. She ain't going to go out of there.
Entry 10452
New needles stick under [hag's] steps - couldn't leave - took sick - sent over to borrow salt - story diffuse - in lowland dialect.
Entry 10659
Yo' ketch one dese big ones - big red ones - an' yo' take three of 'em an' put it [them] in a bottle, dese red antses. Yo' put 'em in a bottle, three, an' buries it tuh de steps. Dat's tuh broke up de house an' family an' make dem move out.
Entry 10726
Boil blacksnake root and lizard [a trouble combination], put under enemry's doorstep; if he walks over them, he'll have a headache and then loose teeth.
Entry 10762
Keep out witches and ha'nts [ghosts], put bluestone at four cor- ners of house and at steps. [This is a five point rite, a modificatioo of the quincunx.]
Entry 10830
Take de broomstraws an' name 'em an' put 'em undah de do'steps, an' dat will keep a man from goin' off. He go off but he'll come back. Put 'em out dere undah de back of de steps where he goes by ever' mawnin'.
(What do you name them?)
Name dem de man's name or whoevah it is goin' off. (Each straw you name the same man?) No, yo' name 'em jes' lak yo' talkin' tuh 'em, yo' know, whut chew want 'em tuh do an' ever'thing.
Entry 10858
( Git de hairs from a black cat's neck, right back of de neck an' take a aig. Take a black hen's aig, hairs from a black cat's neck - dat's if yo' wanta draw a person - an' write dat per- son's name on dat aig. An' put dat hair in dere, wrop it up, an' bury it undah yo' do'steps, an' dat'll draw 'em.
(Do you put the hair on the inside of the egg or just on the outside?)
Write de name on dere an' put de hair right on top of where yo' write de name on it, an' jes' put chew a little cloth around it.
Entry 10869
You see, you take the cat's hair. (Where from?) Off her tail. (Off her tail, I see.) You take the cat hair off her ail and you see, you scrape this [demonstrates] but you scrape off four of 'en.
(Four corners of the table?) [The work table between us.]
Off the table. And you wrap it up in a little piece of [meat?] skin amd yoo yary that up under the back step. That's if you got a cat and done like it and nt it to stay home.
Entry 10940
If yo' in a house an' de man's hard on yo' wit chure rent, yo' take one dese channel cats.
(A channel catfish?)
Dat's right, an' whilst it's 'live, cut him open. Yo' cut dat channel cat open an' whilst it's hot, yo' take an' bury dat undah de steps where de rentman gotta tuh come ovah, an' yo' kin stay dere jes' as long as yo' wanta. Yo' gotta bury it undah de steps.
Entry 10945
If yo' wanta make a person move, yo' go to de cedar tree an' yo' git de bough, a part of de cedar limb dat turn toward de sundown. An' yo' kin git [make] three pegs [from the branch] an' yo' take dese three pegs an' yo' put 'em to de front do' of a person dat chew want moved, an' dey won't stay dere. Dey'll move.
(What do you do with those three pegs?)
Yo' drive it [them] down to de step, front step if yo' can.
(What do you do with that cedar branch?)
Dat branch, dat's from de top of de tree, dat toward de sundown.
(Well, where do you get these pegs?)
Yo' git de peg from de branch.
(You take the branch off the tree then you make three pegs from the branch?)
Dat's it.
Entry 10968
Take that left shoe. You understand, take that left shoe - from the under part of it, from the foot part, you know, like you walk like it was stiff [take the sole] - and a egg and put out under the step, and she'll come back. (Stand up?) Yeah, just like you [informant demonstrates]. (Standing up - this way, toes point to the house?) [Here we are back to complete show again.] Yes.
Entry 11046
To keep dem [law] from de house? Now, if you Wanta a little liquor kept [for sale] in dis place heah and you don't want no man to come in on yuh nov. You go on your station house and git one of de man's name that you'll find out. Git one, two or three - if you kin [get] nine it's much better. De ore you get de stronger it is. If you can't git but one [name], den work on dat Bne one, but let it be de leading man dat you knows is asking about you - to yoar acn judgment. Work by your own judgment, de judgment of your ear. Git dat man nae and git you a brand-new piece of board and write his name. Put 'en cross de world. Write 'em cross de world to you and write 'em backwards.
(Backwards and forwards.)
And dey can't come in fer de devil. And nail dat onto your step and dey can't be seeing you. Not when you nail dat dere. Git you de heart of a chicken and it got to be a black chicken. Cut de heart out of it. Git dat wishin' bone of de chicken breast and you take dat heart wit your hand on dose letters. Put 'em dere so it can't be rub off - on dat board. (You rub this heart over those letters?) All over dose letters, all up and down like dat. And talk at de same time. Tell 'em dat [what] dat spirit is got- ta to do. You don't want no law to worry me. You wants to be up dere selling whiskey. Ah don't want dat law to worry me. Ah don't want no kin' of law. Ah don't even wants 'em to come heah fo' a drink of liquir or beer. Ah [wants] 'em to pass by and keep on passing by. Kin go right in next door but won't come in chere. Take dat wishing-bone, and be shore dat you go. down in de groun' to your shoul- der and turn it down -人. Don't turn it up -Y
(Turn the wishing bone down, the points down?)
[Here we have rite similar to the forked stick or "Y" in No.11032.]
Turn de two prongs down. And while you have - doin' it, you talk to 'em. An' if you know any de officer's names, don't let any come in dere, de fed'ral offi- cer back, de county man back, de city officer back, de state controller, back. Dat take in all 'em, ain't it? Go on over and over. And if you git dose three class of officers, you know why it is, don't you? De federal, de state control- ler, git de county and git de highway man. Den you go to work.
(Where do you bury that wishing bone?)
Under your step, right under your step. Be sure to go under your house. Den you put dat bone. If you ain't got no front, put it in de middleways of de house. [This center under the house and the 4 corners of the house make our rite a quin- cunx.] Dat almost stop people jack-jacking to the front.
Entry 11194
When yo' got somebody an' wanta make 'em move out chure house, [or] out de house nex' tuh yo', yo' git chew some dirt dabahs [larvae and their cells] but de wasp makes de nest. Yo' git dat dirt [and larvae]. Yo' git chew some cayenne peppah an' some Epsom salts and gunpowdahs, an' yo' mixes all dat up tuh- gethah. An' when yo' mixes dat up tuhgethah, yo' t'rows dat aroun' 'bout twelve a'clock at night - not in de day, at night. At twelve a'clock at night yo' t'rose it undah de step, an' when yo' t'ro' it yo' say, "Jes' lak ah t'row dis heah powdah, dat's de way ah want dem [you] tuh move out dis house." [For a special appreciation of the mud dauber and its larvae, see interview "TOMB OF DE BABE OF BETHLEHEM," Pp.1325-1335, v.2.]
Entry 11297
If someone done any harm to yo', yo' ketch yo' a dog - not chure dog, neither yore cat - an' yo' take dis dog an' shave de hair from right underneath his tail, right dead up close to his tail as pos- sible. Shave it off an' take dat an' take an aig, an' break dis aig an' take de yellah out of it an' leave de white, an' den yo' put dis hair in dat shell. Den yo' set it in de stove wit a little sulphur in it an' parch it. Jes' set it in dere lak yo' bake a apple an' set it in dere till it's parched till it crumble down de center. Don't yo' have to mash it - jes' crumble down in de pan. Den yo' take it out an' bury it at de front step. Dis individual who have done somepin to yo' will come back - come back to yo' an' beg yore pardon - either [or] he will go so far away till yo'll nevah have no contact wit him any mo'. Dat's whut dat'111 do. (That is all you have to do - use that dog hair and that eggshell and the sulphur?) An' de sulphur.
Entry 11307
Take cat or dog hair an' take a piece of wood an' split de Wood. Stick de hair in dis wood an' nail it down at chure back steps, an' de dog will nevah leave home 'lessen someone taken dat away.
Entry 11379
Git a brand-new three-cornered file; see, a brand-new one - three- cornered file. Yo' kin git one fo' a nickel right down to Kress [= Kresge, now K mart]. At fo' 'clock in de mawnin', if yo' want dis house [house in which I was then interviewing informant], see, if yo' want me [to] move outa dis house - not outa town now - jes' outa dis house. Yo' comes dere to de step an' stick it fur enough [under] so nobody kin see it, see. An' den leave it an' de folks will leave dis house.
(They will move out?)
Oh, dey gotta, ah seen dat happen.
Entry 11388
Take a file an' place it undah yore [their] do'step, dat cause 'em tuh move. Git a piece of dere clothes, yo' know, a piece of cloth in dey garment. Prob'ly a person when dey washin' or sompin lak dat, not knowin' dat yo' have anything against 'em, cut a piece of dere garment off an' use it. Bury it undah yore [their] steps. Yo' have to do it at night quite natural.
(Whose steps do you bury it under?)
Undah dere steps. (If I wanted to harm you, I would get a piece of your garment and bury it under your step?) Yes.
Entry 11641
( Git chew some Red Devil lye, a[ [new] box, an' put a box of dat lye to each one of yore do'steps, an' bury it about dat deep [demonstrates] to each one of yore do'step. An' if yo' don't use de lye, den yo' kin git chew salt fish an' dey can't cross dat.
(That will keep the law away?)
Keep de law away from you.
Entry 11675
Go out to de fo'ks of de road an' git some dirt, if it a person at yure house, yo' know, an' yo' want 'em tuh leave or eithah come back, see. Yo' git dat dirt out de fo'k of de road an' bury dat up undah de steps. An' put so some sugah an' two brand- new needles ain't been used. (What will that do?) That will make them stay at home.
Entry 11735
[Graveyard dirt will be found everywhere in these volumes, its largest concentration appearing on pages 3293-3385, volume 4. Here I begin with a few leftover longer rites and end with the more numerous short or condensed ones, these latter to show how widespread they were.] Ah've had [have used] de graveyard dust mahself. If I was in a lawsuit with yo' an' ah wanta win de lawsuit, well ah come in dere [your office] with some graveyard dust in mah pocket. An' ah sprinkle in de - in de fo' corners of de place, an' a little in de do', an' down de steps as yo' [I] go out - when ah start out - unbeknowst tuh dem [you]. It must be done un- beknowst tuh dem. Dat's de way dey supposed tuh be tuh handle dat graveyard dust.
(Where do you sprinkle this graveyard dust?)
In de office - like dey wanted tuh move yo' out of heah or put chew tuh trav- elin', yo' see. Ah'd come in heah unbeknowst tuh yo' an' throw some in dat cor- nah, sprinkle it around ovah in de othah cornah, an' ovah tuh de othah cornah [informant forgets to mention the fourth corner], git it aroun' lak yo' want it. An' if necessary dey gits some on yuh.
Entry 11739
Yo' go down, dig in de center of dat grave an' keep adiggin' till yo' git way down fur as yore hand kin reach. An' yo' pull dat dirt up, see; an' yo' git dat, see, an' go. (Then what do you do with that dirt, now?) Yo' takes it an' den go 'long dere an' put it on de steps. (How would you put it on the steps?) Git chew a lump piece, jes' two pieces lak dat. (What kind of pieces?) When yo' git up dere [on the grave] yo' reach down in dere an' yo' jes' goes - yo' reach down [in there] as fur as yo' kin reach an' put it [this dirt] on each side [of the steps]. (On either side [on both sides] of the step. What did you say it would do then?) It would make 'em leave home.
Entry 11741
Well, jes' lak now probably dat ah wuz sellin' likker. Well, ever' time ah turn roun' an' somebody knock at de do', ah think it's a customer come in dere. Ah open de do', "Ooh! It's de law." Well, ah goes tuh mah neighbor, yo' know, sell a lotta people roun', "Ah ain't got no luck. Ever'- time ah open mah do's, it's de law comin' in. Ah don' unnerstan'.: Seem lak de law gotta pick at me. Ah want dat law quit comin' tuh mah house." "Well, "' ah declare. "May[be] it's hard luck put on yo', '' [he] says, "dey's things lak dat." Well, jes' lak dat, talk along an' talk along. Ah wuz sellin' right along, gittin' on all right, thinkin' ever'thing wuz okay. Oh, makin' mo' money, yo' know, an' jes' gittin' 'long. Fus' thing ah knows, "Knock, knock." "Who's thah?" Twarn't nuthin but de [wind?] but still it wuz a lil' strange. Goes opens de do'. Who but it is de law ag'in. Well, ah sigh to mahself, "Well, ah taken dese chances but ah don't wanta take nO mo' chances." Ah goes tuh talkin' fo' fair den. So ah got one mah best fren'. Ah call her mah best fren'. So mah best fren' says, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do," say, "yo' go git luck, 'cause dere's bad wishes put on yo'. Yo' gotta have luck. Dere's a bar ovah dere" [someone over there could recommend a hoodoo]. Okay. An' so ah goes an' git luck. So fo' de luck he tole me, says, "Go tuh de cemetery an' git chew a lil' graveyard dirt, an' yo' git it on de off side - cf side of de right. Yo' dig down an' yo' pay. Yo' pay him an' yo' git dis dirt. Dig a hole jes' lak dat an' let chure han' go down in it, jes' lak dat [demonstrates] an' dig yo' up jes' a lil' dirt jes' lak dat. Den yo' put three pennies down in dere where yo' got dis dirt at. An' yo' take it home an' don't look back. When yo' git dis dirt jes' take it an' come right on home an' don' look back. When yo' git home, yo' put a spoonful of sulphur in dat graveyard dirt an' yo' sprinkle jes' a lil' bit of black peppah in dere. An' den yo' jes' put dat - yo' put some right under de front steps, an' den yo' go round an' put some undah yore back steps. An' den yo' gotta speak three times tuh hit, 'Name of de Father, name of de Son an' de Holy Ghost, stay an' nevah come no mo'." Dat'll do it.
(That keeps the law away.)
Keep de law away.
Entry 11751
They kin take some graveyard dirt and people's hair and some of their clothes, and they would soaken it in vinegar and turpentine and wrap it up tight in some kind of jar, and put it underneath of the people's [victim's] steps that they may walk over it. It would cause an infection or transaction between the two. The person would git in contact with the person with whom he want to git to. That would bring the one whom that they wanted to them. [The person who walks over the bottle will find and visit the person who prepared the bottle.]
Entry 11831
I often hearn [have heard] 'em say dey go out an' git a grub[worm]. Go out an' dig up a grubworm an' stick nine needles in him, yo' know, an' bring him back an' dig a hole under yore neighbor's doorsteps [and bury it] an' it wun't [would not] be long dat one outa family dies.
(That is to kill somebody?)
Yes.
Entry 12137
Well, it's jes' like yo' runnin' a game in dis house an' yo' don't want 'em to be bothered wit chah [the reverse, you don't want to be bothered with them!]. All you gotta do is git chew a bottle of Heart Perfume [or Hearts Cologne] an' every mawnin' when yo' sweep out, sprinkle a little on yore front steps. Every mawnin'. Dey won't worry yo'. De law won't bother yo'.
(The law won't bother you.)
No sir, dey won't bother wit chew.
Entry 12217
Well, sometimes yo' kin take incense. Yo' know what dat is. Yo' burn it Thursdays an' Wednesdays. An' yo' take an' wash yore front steps wit dis salt dat chew makes ice cream out of. Den yo' throw de water inside an' let it run outside. Let it run back outside. Den yo' Wash dose things. Ah know dose are lucky.
(Then you wash what?)
Yo' wash yore front out [sidewalk off]. Stand in front an' po' yo' water up [to the building] an' let it run back down [to gutter and] out. An' wash de place all out good an' burn it [incense] Thursdays, Wednesdays an' Mondays.
(Any particular time those days that you burn that incense?)
Well, it's best tuh burn it 'bout five [usually 6] an' twelve.
(Five when?)
In de evening, twelve in de day.
Entry 12322
Ah tell whut lightnin' will do. If yo' take - if de lightnin' struck a tree, yo' kin take dat tree when de lightnin' struck it an' run anybody 'way from dere dat chew wanta. (How would they do that?) Why aftah de lightnin' strike de tree, then yo' take that wood an' yo' bury that wood under the people's step where they walk ovah it, an' that will walk 'em away.
Entry 12340
Yo' git three grains [pieces] of hippo roots, and one grain of lobe- lia. Yo' bury it at chure step, at de foot of yore gate. If you got a gate and de house setting back in de yard, well yo'll bury dat to - right to yore gate. De law come in dere. An' yore pickle [prickly] feet guards all over dat. [This man from the swamps used words and plant names I had never heard of.]
Entry 12381
Dey tell me de way to do, if yo' wanta put a confusion, yo' know, in a person's home. Yo' see dat way to keep 'im confused, dat chew take a box of potash yo' see, an' Red Devil lye - potash, yo' see [Red Devil tye and potash the same]. An' dig a hole at chure back steps or either yore front steps an' cover dat [can] up, an' dat person won't see no mo' peace in dat home. Dey will nevah be satis- fied while in dere. De home yo' know would be a nuisance to him, cause dat stuff yo' see is hot dataway an' it will keep him hot.
Entry 12382
Ah've heard dat yo' could take lye. Git chew a box of lye an' put holes in it, in de box of lye, an' put it undah yore do'step. Dat is tuh keep down anything anybody put down fo' yo'.
(You put that at the front doorstep?)
No, dey tole me tuh put one at de back an' one at de front.
Entry 12388
Yo' kin take a box of soda, jes' [as] ah tole yo' - said about de co't [court]. Yo' take de box of soda, an' yo' could take dat soda an' tote it along wit chew. Yo' could bury some undah yore back steps, an' some undah yore front steps. Den yo' kin take three boxes of Red Devil Lye an' yo' kin bury each one of them at chure - yo' know, each [front] corner of de house, an' bury one of 'em at de gate. But be shō [sure] yo' bury de soda from [at] de back steps to [at] de front steps. Dey could come by dere but dey nevah could stop. (They bury one of those Red Devil Lye's at the gate and the other two at the front corners. And one at the gate?) That's right.
Entry 12389
Bury five cans of potash roun' yore home: one under de step, one on one side de step an' one on de othah. Dat's three cans. An' put two to de back steps, an' dat'll keep 'em from. (From what?) From harmin' yo'. (You use five altogether: three at the front steps and two at the back?) [See illustration.] Yes sir. (At the front step you have one on each side of the step and one in the center of the step?) Yes.
Entry 12419
Yo' kin take twelve matches and bury 'em to any person's door, and when he walk over dem matches he'd have hard luck and he wouldn't stay dere long. That distance [from the door]. He has to go up across [steps] to make any headway [towards hard luck].
Entry 12461
Wit silver money dey have good luck. An' show it to de moon, an' he Walk back fo' so many - 'bout nine steps backwards; an' then yo' turn roun' an' hit those steps wit dat money, an' say de moon give yo' good luck. [This is a tricky rite to perform in moonlight. I suggest it could be come as follows: facing moon and holding silver coin in right hand, if you are right-handed, step backward with right foot, kneel down, touch track made with coin. Now step back with left foot, kneel down, touching this track with coin. Continue for the 9 steps and tracks.]
Entry 12547
Well, lak if yo' want - see, a man an' a woman's been together a long time an' someone tries tuh separate 'em. See. Well, yo' kin git chew a red onion an' git de stockin' from offa her left feet, see. An' take dat red onion an' write her name on it. Take dat red on- ion, see, an' de red on- ion be round - it must be a red onion, see. An' write her name disaway [demonstrates] an' nine times dis- away. An' den take her name an' write it nine times disaway [across first 9]. Yo' cross dose names jis' right down [names slant down and cross]. An' yo' take dat an' yo' bury it. See, either where she gotta pass at - lak she gotta pass on de steps. Well, jis' put dat tuh de bottom, yo' see. An' leave it stay dere. See. Well dat run her an' him tuhgether. She begin tuh love yo' mo' an' mo'. See, dat makes her love come back, even if someone wuz tryin' tuh break yo'all up.
(That is, if the man and woman - if somebody was trying to break them up?)
Yes.
(The man could do that?)
De man would do dat yo' see tuh de woman.
(Or the woman could do it to the man?)
Well, either one. Jis' lak yo' see, if she wants de man, yo' know someone try tuh break her an' her husban' up, she kin do de same thing, yo' see, but it gotta be dose big ole red onions where yo' kin write on it nine times disaway an' nine times disaway right in a cross. See, an' bury it dere.
Entry 12580
Take a penny - any copper coin - must be copper, sompin like a penny, an' put dat penny right at de right hand steps. Make no difference whut direc- tion it lay in. But chew bury dat penny somewhere where yo' would know where it would be - yo' could put somepin down dere to [so that you could find] it. An' den right at de end of de do' - yo' see dat's de outside - jes' as yo' come in de do' - make no differ- ence where de rug be - dey have a rug or somepin dere under [on] de floor, an' yo' put a hole in dat an' nail it down dere." Dat will keep dem away from dere.
(That is the second penny, you mean?)
Yes, dat's de second penny. Dat's all. Yo' want one outside, right to de - jes' lak yo' coming up [to the steps] dat must be to de right [side] of de steps. Make no difference whut direction de steps in. Dis penny must be to de right of de steps, an' de other one [penny] must be to de opposite side - de right side of de do' [looking out, but inside penny is to left as you enter]. (You mean as you come in the steps, the penny must be buried to the right hand as you are coming in?) Yes, it make no difference jes' so it's to de right hand but right under de steps.
Entry 12615
Take red pepper an' sulphur, put it in a little bag, put it all to- gether, sew it up. An' yo' lay it right down at de step where yo' have to walk over it, goin' in an' comin' out. Dat'll make yo' [man and woman] separate sure as de worl' [goes round or something]. (That will cause confusion?) That will cause confusion dere. Bust up.
Entry 12695
[Keeps all harm away. Originally home- made potash was used but in my time Red Devil Lye had become one of the substi- tutes.]
Entry 12757
Yo'.git red beans an' yo' git gumbo file an' yo' soak them beans in that gumbo filé an' peppah, but yo' jis' put the least watah that they'll jis' swell up, yo' understan', in that file, enough to jis' git chure han in de can or somepin...otuc chew got 'em in. An' jis' stir 'en up an' throw 'em undah de step or in front dey do' - anywhere so loag as dey roll. [This is a rolling rite.] That'll move 'em.
(Do you take any number of red beans or just a handful or...?)
No, yo' git only a nickel's worth or half-a-nickel. Yo' gotta have plenty, dey gotta have movin' power. [That half-a-nickel was and still is a ney eri pression to me. A gumbo is many kinds of a thick stew in New Orleams - see The Original Picayune Creole Cook Book, pp.26-30, the 1938 editioa, de ove I bought in New Orleans that year. File, not filet, is a powder, a seasoning made from tender sassafras leaves. Gumbo filé is a special type of gcg. Be have several other red-bean rites in HOoDO0.]
Entry 13353
Take dere chamber lye an' let it set fo' days an' put it in a brown bottle an' bury it undah de steps, an' den dat'll run 'em away from home. Dat run de man away. (Whose chamber lye do you put in the bottle?) Yores. Mix some of yores and some of deres together - some of de woman's an' some de man's together. An den dat'll drive him 'way from home. It still make him go 'cross watah an nevah come back. [Either informant dropped something out of this rite or the desire of the magician is sufficient. There are other examples of 2 persons buried together, giving victim a sense of security.]
Entry 13419
If yo' wanta make me move. All right. Well you get some war water. All right. You take that and you put that in some water - half a bucket of water - not too much. Well, you don't have to put it in the house nowheres, but put it around on the steps.
Entry 13430
If you been tricked and have dese fainting spells - any kind of spells been put on you. See, dere's a way fer you to do - is fer you to go to de person dat you think put 'em on you. Speak to him about it. Well, you see him den and you tell him how you been tricked and all like dat. Say, dey can't look at you straight to save his life because he put it on yo'. Den after yo' git dat, den you go to swift water, ah've been told. And git dat swift water and bring it back and boil it and put cayen- ne pepper in it. See, cayenne pepper and ginger. See, dat's power - dat's strong. See, dat have a great odor to it. Take dat and boil it and salt, an' carry it to his doorsteps an' yo' kin take yore time. Let it be 'way in de night, way about twelve or one clock an' pour it at his doorstep. An' it will turn de trick right back on it. Yo'll git well and it will go right back on him.
Entry 13448
Goin' tuh a wil- low tree - when de tree first start tuh bloomin' out - yo' dig down an' yo' git one dem roots. When yo' git de roots yo' bring de roots back. Yo' take dat root an' put it in a bottle an' put some whiskey on it, an' yo' let dat stay in dere. Well, dat will run a person outa a house.
(How do you do that?)
Yo' take yo' willow tree roots an' bring it back - bring it home - take it an' put it in a bottle, a vial where yo' kin po' whiskey on it. An' if yo' kin git any of de dirt where a person been walkin' ovah - out de yard - put it right dere in de bottle too. Shake it an' carry it right back dere an' put it under de steps or either de gate - anywhere round dere - or if yo' kin put it where dey kin git holt of it, an' dat make 'em go 'way from town.
Entry 1160
Take a black hen an' bury it alive. (Where?) Bury it under de steps an' that will stop everything.
(What do you mean - stop what?)
Stop 'em if a person wanted tuh harm yo' - dey couldn't git up to yo'.
Entry 3358
Yo' know, jes' lak if a woman got a hus- ban' an' he runnin' aroun' an' won't stay at home. She can't keep 'im home, worried wit 'im all de time. Jes' lak when dey have intahco'se yo' know togethah, she take an' use de dishrag instead of a towel, or sompin. She use dat an' take it an' bury it undah de step aftah she use it, an' den dat holds 'im home.
intercourse as the stated context preceding dishrag use. No specific sexual act beyond the source term, bodily-fluid identity or personally performed event is inferred. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified. The source says to use the dishrag instead of a towel. Towel is a rejected alternative; the subsequent use and burial refer to the dishrag. The comparison continues across the two linked pages.
Read full source (printed page 2396) · Read full source (printed page 2397)
Entry 4299
Ah tell yuh whut she could do tuh make him come back tuh 'er. If she got any of 'is undahclothes, if he left any of 'is undahclothes dere, she would take his undahshirt an' 'is drawahs an' wash 'em, see. Wash 'em in some cleah watah. Don't put no soap in it, jis' take de cleah watah an' rinse it off. Take dis watah yuh undahstan', from 'is undahclothes an' put it in a bottle. Bury it undah 'er front steps, yuh undahstan', an' go dere fo' nine mawnin's an' pee on dis bot- tle. Ah'll guarantee yuh [he] won't fool wit no othah woman an' yo'll [he'll] come back dere an' go on in wit 'er [live with her again].
(You leave this bottle standing upright like that?)
No, turn it up.
(Turn it upside down?)
Turn dat upside down wit de watah offa yuh clothes in dere, yuh undahstan'.
turning the bottle upside down after rejecting upright orientation. Keep the full upright→No→upside-down exchange; upright is rejected, not an alternative instruction. washing/rinsing the man’s underclothes with clear water and no soap. Do not restate it as soap washing or discard the collected rinse-water purpose. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Entry 7583
Dey say if yuh got a enemy aroun' yuh, yuh know, dat yuh wan'a drive away from yuh go to de graveyard tuh a child grave. Yuh goes like dat an' run yer han' down in dere up tuh yer elbow an' come out wit a han'ful of dirt - jis' like dat [demonstrates]. Go tuh dis person house. Yuh kin go all aroun' [circumambulate] his house an' scattah dirt [also] acrost de steps, yo' know. Yuh make him den tuh have a great fuss, an' dey gone.
Entry 7753
Dey git graveyard dust an' sprinkle it on yore stoop, put it all roun' yore step, an' dat'll cuz yo' bad luck, cuz yo' have tuh move, cuz yo' tuh pine away, cuz yo' tuh pine away an' tain't long fore yo'll be in yore grave.
Entry 1284
Jes' lak if a person have whoopin' cough, take de frog an' cough in his mouth three times an' roll him in yore han's three times an' bury it undah yore do steps. De next mawnin' yore whoopin cough will be gone.
Entry 1755
(What makes confusion?)
Brimstone. Yeah, yo' jes' take that an' if somebody dey are angry with yo' an' dey fussin' or quarrelin' an' yo' don't like it, why yo' put dat where they have to cross ovah it or pass by it - jes' put dat down fo' 'em, de brimstone.
(What will that do?)
That will make the two peoples angry with each othah - jes' say fo' instance, ah make it plain fo' yo', Doctor, so yo' know. [For the many times I was called doctor, see Hyatt, H. M., in Index.] Now, for confusion, lak de neighbors next do' - ah don't want 'em, lak dat. Well, ah'll put down dis brimstone where they have tuh cross ovah it an' they'll git together an' start fussin' an' quarrelin' - they nevah live in peace.
Entry 3823
[I am repeating what informant told me before I turned on recording machine:] (You get this cord away from this woman - from around her waist. What do you say you do with it?) Yo' take it out an' throw it in de rivah. Yo' go tuh de rivah bank an' make three steps backward, throw it ovah de lef' shouldah intuh de rivah. Aftah yo' throw it ovah yo' lef' shouldah, den yo' go right on an' come on back. An' den yo' go right on home an' lives lak yo' have no mo' trouble atall. Yes, that takes the spell off you.
Entry 5248
Jis' lak yo' weah out a shoe. If he weah out 'is shoe, well he will throw de shoe outdo's. Well, she go out an' git it an' cut dis tongue out de shoe an' bury it undah de back steps.
(What will that do, make him stay home or what?)
No, make him jis' be wit no one but 'er.
Entry 5478
Ah heah 'em say, jis' lak if some people stayin' in de house an' dey don' lak yo' an' yo' want 'em tuh fall out, yo' take some gunpowdah. Yo' git dere track an' take some gunpowdah, an' mix it wit dat track an' put it up undah dere step, an' set it afiah an' let it blow up. In de night, jis' lak if dey be 'sleep, set it afiah an' let it blow up. An' iis' lak hit blow up dis mawnin dey'll have a fuss in dat house.
Entry 7271
If yo' kill any person an' yo' kin git a chance tuh step ovah 'im, can't git no kinda bloodhoun's tuh git behin' atall any mo'. Jes' step 'cross 'im aftah yo' kill 'im, see. [As we shall see in a moment, any stepping over the corpse, forward or backwards, makes the sign of the cross, a sacred symbol that will protect the murderer against the avenging spirit of the dead body.]
Entry 7272
Whut dey say yo' kin do tuh git away.
(What do they say about that?)
Jes' lak if a man kill anothah man or sompin of de kin' lak dat, said jes' step ovah his body. Be shure tuh step ovah his body an' dey'll nevah ketch chew no mo' through life. Jes' step ovah his body an' don' look back.
Entry 12489
Well, tuh make yo' move, dey kin throw mustard seed umdah yore steps. An' when dat mustard seed sprouts, dey'll move. [Algiers 2916:8.]
Entry 13188
Take your dirty sock and bury it underneath de step, that will make you stay home. [Charleston 623:5.]
Entry 11553
"Get a piece of dogwood...measure the [foot] track...take that dogwood and carry it to your house and bury it under de step...will bring 'em to you."
[Petersburg 421:8.]
Entry 2504
Take dat graveyard dirt - take some and divide into each one, see, and git you some salt. Some of de graveyard dirt into each one of de shells.
(Of these shells?)
Yes, dey done already shot, you see. And you take another shell and git some of de gunpowder and put - divide it and put some in each one of those shells. And then you take a needle and stick it in each one - stand de needle up in dere like you goin' sew some cloths, but jest right on de tip. And put dat stuff in dere round and pack in around dere tight - jest like you fixing de shot in de shell, see. And then you take that and put one under your front step, and then you turn around and put one under the back step, you see. And if you got any side windahs or anything like that, chew kin jest take and put one at de main windah where you always keeps open, you see. [Three shells.] When de revenuer comes he'll come round to everybody house but chores, and people wonder how come he won't stop to yores - and you selling whiskey in dere, too. But he jest won't have no spirit to come towards that house. He figure there won't be nothing there, when the revenuer comes there. Never won't have no spirit. Co'se ev'ry- body don't know that, you see - don't know everybody telling that. See, if I tell a person that, I want some money fer telling that.
Entry 2647
Well, I couldn't tell you but I know I worked in the [red- light] district thirteen years and around sporting women, you know I know plenty. (Well, suppose you tell us about that. What do they do for good luck or bad luck around those houses? Those sporting houses?) Good luck? Oh, there's plenty of things. There's essence of geranium.
(How would they use that?)
They would scrub in it. Banquette [scrubbed with it].
(What was it supposed to do?)
Well, it draw plenty of men so they can turn tricks - turn the trick.
(That is all they would use?)
Sell plenty of beer.
(Well, what else would they do around those sporting houses?)
They smoke 'em. They get incense and brown sugar and they put it on a shovel and they light it, and you let 'em take and step over it.
(Keep stepping back and forth across it?)
Step over it nine times - each one, each woman.
(Without any clothes on or does she?)
She don't fust let it touch her clothes, she just pull her dress up when she step over it. But now they wear the dresses so short they don't need to hold 'em up.
(Who did that? These white women did that?)
White women Colored women burns it 'cause I used to burn it for them. They paid me for it.
(What was the sign for bad luck? What wouldn't they let you do around there?)
If you eat peanuts, the hulls is bad luck [see p.710]. Pecan hulls is bad luck - crossed to the house, crossed to the house, and the landlady put you out when she find out that you eat plenty of that, 'cause she. ain't going to have you there 'cause you are bad luck to yourself and everybody else around there. Scrub the banquettes - wash theirself - bathe theirself round a little - take a little Japanese Honeysuckle Cologne and put it in the water and bathe theirself off with it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
That will make 'em be lucky, make 'em catch tricks. They always have one they love - they give him money.
(What do they call him? What is he called?)
Called "Daddy," "Honey," and all kind of pet names.
(What would they do to hold him?)
Oh he's - he going to stay there because they giving him money.
(I see. White men?)
White men. He going to stay 'cause he getting by. He ain't working, he ain't doing nothing for a living and they taking care of him - getting his eat- ing and getting his sleeping price. (The same things where they have colored women? Do they do these same sorts of things?) Say where they have colored women?
(Colored sporting houses.)
Oh, yeah - all of 'em does. Oh, yes.
Entry 3840
Ah heard yo' could take a hen aig. Take an' draw blood out dis fingah [demonstrates]. (The index finger of the right hand.) An' take an' write chure name an' 'is name on dat aig an' it would make him love 'er.
(What would you do with that egg then?)
Well, yo' would take an' bury dis egg, bury it undah yore steps.
(You write his name and your name in the blood.)
Entry 4281
Well, a lot of instan' [instances], like yuh's a man would have a wife, or she would have a husband, an' he would urinate yuh see. Now, if he spit in dere, it prakly [practically] kills it. If he don't, she takes dat an' she puts it in de bottle, nine pins an' nine needles, see, an' stops it up tight wit some cinnamon powdah, put it right where he passes at. By judge yuh can't git 'em apart regardless how she treat 'im.
(You mean she puts it where he can walk over it or under it?)
To walk ovah, like it be's a step tuh go upstairs, jis' put it right undah de step where he passes ovah.
Entry 7180
Take an' cross 'is han's across 'is breast.
(Cross his hands across his breast when he's asleep?)
Yes, sir, an' take a li'le bottle of watah. Yo' cross ovah 'im, step all ovah 'im an' he'll stay asleep fo' hours. Jis' take dat li'le bottle of watah an' set it somewhere neah de head, anywhere near his head. Dat keeps 'im asleep.
Entry 12155
If yo' have a sweetheart an' he's got anothah [girl] friend, an' yo' yanta break him up of dat friend. Yo' go tuh a hickory tree an' yo' take - git chew a switch of it - yo' measure three joints of it of de middle fingah.
(The three joints of the middle finger in length.)
Dat's right - an' notch 'em. See, yo' cut dat off. Yo' notch it round. Now when yo' git tuh dis woman house where yo' wanta break yore friend up, yo' begin tuh walk in her yard where she walk ovah, an' yo' begin tuh talk tuh it jes' whatsomevah dat chew wanta say. See. If yo' want 'em tuh part, yo' say, "Well, it seem like" - whoevah yo' wanta part, yo' call dem by dere name, yo' whittlin' dat - say, "Now, ah'm goin' part chew-all [you all]." De second one yo jes' whittle dat off. Well, now yo' take dat othah part an' yo' buckle [bend] it tuh yo'. Buck- le it tuh yo' an' bring it as a hoop an' wrap it jes' dataway. An' it be a hoop. Yo' carry dat an' put it undah yore step, an' dat'll break dem up. (That one piece you cut off the length of your middle finger. That you whit- tle. And then the long piece that is left, you wrap that around you - just make it go around you. Then you let this hoop fall off....) No, jes' lak dis [demonstrates]. (You put that together by intertwining the ends. And what do you say while you wind that other around?) Say, "Now, yo' make lak dat yo' kin stay 'way from dis house, but now ah'm goin' break yo' up from heah." An' as yo' say dat, yo' jes' throw it right undah yore steps. Now, when he come back tuh yo' an' have tuh walk ovah dat step, his spirit will nevah follow dat othah house no mo'.
Entry 12997
Dey could take his shoe sole an' jes' take up his shoe sole an' take a silver dime an' file it. File dis silver dime till... Jes' lak if he's got a lotta money. He jes' a business fellah an' some- body gotta grudge ag'in him, git a silver dime of his'n - any fren' yo' know, jes' lak makin' change. I jes' git holt dis dime of yore [man'sl money an' take it an' file it. Take dis shoe sole an' take all dis little dust offa dis dime an' puts it on dis shoe sole. An' dey'll take dat an' dey'll go bury dat under yore steps, right under yore steps where yo' goin' walk ovah it. An' wherevah yo' money is, as yo' go in an' come out, yore money'll jes' leave yuh - jes' fall down, fall right down to nuthin. Jes' come down to nuthin. (Now suppose I had this money and you were trying to do that to me. You would get my shoe sole, the inside sole or the outside sole?) Yes sir, take dis inside sole.
(You sprinkle the silver dust inside of my shoe, underneath that inner sole.)
Jes' take dis sole, de shoe sole - no sir, [take] dis inside piece [insole]. Yo' take it an' yo' fold it up [certainly away from you] dis [inner] sole, an' bury it under yore steps.
(You take this from either shoe?)
Yes sir, either shoe.
Entry 13199
Take yo' socks if yo' are away an' make yo' stay home: that's by putting a silver dime in it, an' put 3 knots, an' call your name, and bury it at de foot of your steps; jes' like you cut off a dog's tail if you want him to stay home and mind de house. [Left foot after questioning.] [Charleston 615:2.]
Entry 8112
Ah've heard dat dey would take dat an' bury it undah de step, dat photo.
(What would that do?)
Well, dat would bring yore lovah back, if he's left.
Entry 8113
A person could bury mah photograph bottom upwards undah mah steps an' ah'll run off but ah'll sho'ly [surely] come back, come right back.
Entry 1360
Well, you could go to the drug store. There's some sort of a root there you call John.de Conker root. You see, they got j'ints [joints] in 'em and you get three j'ints in the root, or else you could go to the woods - old people could go in the woods and git them themselves without going to the drug store. Yes, sir. You knows 'em in the woods that they's used. You can't miss 'em. And you can get them roots and boil 'em, and scrub your steps down with 'em with water and ah - for nine mornings, and sprinkle it round on your gallery. Then you could break that up [whatever the devilment was].
Entry 1441
[Red-brick powder is an ordinary red brick (soft baked) ground to a powder. Redding is sometimes used as a substitute. Both could be bought at a hoodoo drug store.] If you stay and that wouldn't work, wouldn't do no good, you take your lye water - you see, water that you urinate out. [This is usually called chamber lye.] Take that water and you pour it on your step, rinse your step down - Wash it, scrub it off with that and let it drip.
(And it what?)
Yeah, lye water - your pee water, you see. And you put it on your step and you wash it off with - rinse off your step with it and that [hoodoo] won't hurt you.
(And then sprinkle red brick around?)
Red brick all around - scrub your step with red brick.
(Oh, you scrub your step with red brick?)
Yeah, and you put your urinate water in - your water in, you see, and scrub. And that'll move it [hoodoo] away.
Entry 1457
A person dat has been tricked in de skin, it's something dat is buried for 'em or laid down on de steps for 'em - de house been dressed. You take nine teaspoonful of cooking salt, you take one dime of saltpeter, use dat, an' eight quarts of water, hot water - just like water for a bath. You pull off all of your clothes, ever'thing you got on, you get in there and take a bath in dat same water nine times.
(What do you mean nine times? All at once or different times?)
Dat same water - don't throw dat water away, you keep it in something like you take a bath in. Never rub upwards - always rub from here down [demonstrates].
(From your face right down.)
From there down. A person whut's been tricked in de skin, rub from here down and use dat water nine times, and de last time you use dat water, take it and throw it towards de sunrise, soon in de morning before de sun rise, so you get rid of dat complaint. Ah'm telling you whut's done happened 'to me.
Entry 1644
Take an' sprinkle that aroun' yore do' - take chamber lye an' salt an Hearts Cologne, when yo' scrub off de step. Jes' keeps de evil from takin' effect, whut de mean people put down. Dat's whut ah hear dey say.
Entry 1815
Take a bone from a dead person an' drop a penny at de side of de grave, an' yo' kin take dis an' bury under yore step an' he'll come to be a spirit dere an' come to be jest; in other words yo' can't live dere. Somebody will be coming all de time - somebody be knockin' on de do'. Ah hear mah grandmother talk a lots about dat - knocking on de do' an' jes' disturbing. Yo' can't live dere.
(That is another way of making a person move out? Out of the house?)
Yes suh.
Entry 1825
Dey build whut chew call a dead man. Dey usually goes an' dey gits clay from a fresh grave dat's someone yo' know, an' dey take dat clay an' dey mixes it up wit sulphur an' red peppah an' puts it undah de step - round de front step. Dat usually brings in people or either carries 'em out - jes' whichsomevah yo' wish. Yo' have tuh wish fo' dat.
(What did you say about making a dead man?)
Yo' use clay an' red peppah an' sulphur.
(Well, what do you mean by making a dead man?)
Well, because it's a person yo' know an' dey jes' died yo' understand, an' yo' use it because it's fresh. Yo' gits it at de full of de moon.
Entry 2087
Ah know a lady dat she got sage an' cal'mus roots an' wropped it up in a bag, an' gits dis same Hearts Cologne an' Lucky Heart an' put it in a lil sack - a lil flannel, red flannel - an' tote it on her. An' then take this white Lucky Heart Powder - whut yo' jes' got it [preceding Lucky Heart] fix in dat lil bag, yo' know - an' rubs in front of yore house across de front do'steps an' cross de back, an' de law won't come dere. Dat s de way she did ovah heah an' dey nevah did come.
(You use White Lucky Heart Powder. Face powder?)
Yes. [Calamus should be the sweet flag (Acorus calamus).]
Entry 2431
Walk backwards ovah yore broom evah Monday mawnin' fo' times an' dat'll keep all de law from yore house. Ah nevah be bothered wit de law. Lay it, yo know, right in yore do'.
(The front door or the back?)
Eithah one yore do's. Step backwards ovah it fo' times evah Monday mawnin' an' it keeps down all de laws.
(What time do you do that Monday morning?)
About nine a'clock jis' 'fore yo' git up - so yo' do it in de mawnin'.
Entry 2451
What you kin do to keep it there. You kin take a black hen eggshell - black hen, no other hen now, this a black hen. You take the shell, that white shell, and you put it in your oven of de stove and you'll toast it brown, and you put it under your steps. No one knows that but you. They will circle around but it's very seldom they kin come in. See, if they do, they can't find nothing - you'll be lucky. You'll get through it all right just as long as you keep dem eggshells under de front of your steps, or if you have no steps, just put it under dat doorsill. But it have to be a jet black hen with no white feathers at all.
(That's if the officers are trying to get something on you?)
Yes.
(What was that?)
[My question shows I had turned off machine and now want informant to repeat the lost words. This situation will be found many times in the text.] I said, if you was in bad luck and couldn't pay de collectors - you haven't got no money for to pay de collectors, but you say, "Well, I'll pay the Weekly man some way. Wait till I get some money." Well, you put 'em on back, he wasn't worrying you.
(You use these same eggshells for that?)
Yes. And didn't have no front, you keep 'em in your oven.
(Keep them right in the oven?)
Yeah, keep 'em right in your oven.
(If you are living upstairs?)
Yeah - keep 'em right in your oven.
Entry 2502
" Yo' go into de graveyard an' yo' gotta go a certain hour - about twelve 'clock in de night. If you got any kinfolk bury in dat graveyard, you'll explain to them exactly wot and wot not. Then you git some dust outa that graveyard - offa dat same grave which you have explained dese matters. You take dat qrave- yard dust and go home, and you jest sift it light right aroun' yo' step and you say, "Now, you take ca'h de home. Ah don't want no law or nobody else officiate round heah." You go on about your business and dey'll take ca'h of it. Dey'll nevah look dat way. Dey'll come right by dere an' when de git dere dey'll throw up dey head and go on by.
Entry 3204
If a woman wants a man tuh drive away - well if yo' kin git in touch wit 'er, if him an' 'er have a intahco'se, yo' git de rag where dey use an' yo' take dat rag, an' yo' go to de graveyard or cemetery where dere somebody jes' fresh buried, an' git some of dat dirt an' mix it wit it an' put some Heart Cologne on it, an' bring it right back an' drop it right undah de step where dey walk ovah. It will take 'em on away.
(That is to separate the man and his wife, the man and woman.)
De man an' woman.
Entry 3320
Jes' lak yo' an' 'er havin' intahco'se, an' when yo' git through, jes' take a new pocket handkerchief, yo' undahstan' an'dry off wit it, an' yo' take an' fold it up in some little small piece an' put it where dere can't no one step ovah it.
(What does that do?)
Well, yo' kin rule 'em - jest handle 'em any way yo' want 'em. (You mean you use that handkerchief in wiping her.)
Entry 3524
In case ah wanta make love to a woman - now ah go to dis woman an' make love to her an' git part of 'er "nature", de same as mah "nature", an' tie a string into three knots an' put it up ovah her do', or undah her front do'step where she have to walk ovah it. Ah make love to her. She only once walk ovah it three steps forwards an' I take it up 'fore she walk back ovah it. Ah have her trapped.
(What do you do with her nature and your nature?)
Take dat an' keep it, wear it roun' yore waist three weeks. (Well, what do you do with this string? You make three knots in the string or what?) In a string or eithah in a rag.
(What do you do with the string I mean? Is anything done to the string?)
De string - dat's it, bury it.
(How do you use that string?)
Fold it - wrap it up into a small piece of papah. Yo' take a string an' tie it - use de nature lak yo' an' a woman have "purgements" togethah, an' yo' take de string an' tie three knots in it.
(You wipe with the string.)
[Here we have a definite statement of the folklore belief about what happens in coitus; both man and woman have purgements together. To purge means to cleanse, to purify the impure or undesirable. I am certain my informant equates purgement with ejaculation or emission, not with something impure. A man's pur- gement is semen, a collection of so-called seeds. A real seed, of course, is complete in itself, needing only a soil or place in which to grow, and nurishment. These latter says folklore are what the woman's purgement supplies, a suitable liquid for the growth and development of man's so-called seed. It never occurred to folklore and earlier medicine that a man's so-called seed was incomplete; that it became a true seed only by uniting with a woman's ovum or egg. Before uniting, the single successful semen and ovum had been single separate cells; but after union they became one new cell, which immediately split into two cells and many others. What the woman purges according to folklore is part of 'er "nature", de same as mah "nature". She certainly does not ejaculate ovah to meet the ejacu- lated semen.]
Entry 4009
Dey tell me yo' take some chamber lye an' bluestone, an' throw it 'roun' undah yore step, an' when a person put stuff down dere it will kill it.
Entry 4854
Aftah yuh wear yore garments, when dey git soiled, don't chew know, yuh put 'em off. A person kin take dem an' wash 'em. Dey've got yore odors. Dey take dat Water an' bury it right in front of de steps. An' dey will al- ways have yuh, yuh know, what chew might call footpath, lappy dog. Dey jis' walk in here lak [lappy dog] see. An' anythin' dey comman' yuh tuh do, yuh've got tuh do.
Entry 5100
If he leave one of 'is shoes, any of 'is shoes at home, yuh take one of 'is lef' shoes. Yuh take his lef' shoe an' bury it undah de back step. Dat'll bring 'im back. [The mystery here is rather clear. Some involuted mind has produced this strange combination, because the back in back doorsteps and the back in bring back look like a magic coincidence or possibility!]
Entry 5138
It's a - people go out tuh de fo'k [fork] of de road. Fo' instance, de fo'k of de road made in dis position [demonstrates].: See, dey'll go at de end of dat fo'k. Dey'll take an' dey'll dig down dere an' dey'll git a certain amount of dirt. Dey'll come back wit dat dirt an' dey'll git de sole of a - a individual's shoe. (The outside sole?) De inside sole, see, of de shoes wit dat dirt. Mix dat [fork-of-road dirt] up wit dat insole. Bury it undahneat' de step where de party pass goin' in an' out. Dat will git 'is mind intuh two channels.
(I see.)
He won't have a stationary mind, yuh see. Yuh'd have his mind, always keep 'im cross-minded. He'll be here, he won't be satisfied; he'll go tuh dat town, an' he'll figure he should move outa dat town. It jis' keep 'im always upstirred anyway.
(His mind will be in two channels just as that road forks into two roads?)
Absolutely - dat's de idea.
(You get that dirt right from that "Y" at the fork?)
Absolutely - dat's de place.
(I see.)
Entry 5407
Dat is, if it's a woman an' yo' wan' 'er tuh visit dis place here, yo' see. Yo' kin always have her tuh come here by dat foot track, if it's any way dat de foot track, if it's been rainin' data- way, if de soil is soft enough fo' yo' tuh gathah some of dat up wit dese two fingahs. See, takin' de length of 'er feet dataway an' drawin' 'em slightly dis way [demonstrates].
(Take the thumb and the little finger.)
Dat's right, see.
(Of the left hand or right hand?)
Right hand, see. Drawin' 'em slightly dis way [demonstrates].
(You catch it up between those two fingers.)
Yes sir, an' aftah pickin' it up, yo' see, take dat an' bury it undah yore step where yo' live at, where yo' wan' 'er tuh follah.
(I see.)
An' she be accustomary woman come in dere - yo' understan' daily.
(I see. Just take that one pinch?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5445
Heard of 'em jis' takin' up yore track. Dey could take up yore track an' run yo' 'way from home. Dey take dat track an' dey carry it tuh - put it undah- neat' chure step. Go tuh de graveyard an' mix some graveyard dust wit 'em, den dey bury it undahneat' chure steps.
(That is supposed to run you away?)
Dey say dat 'sposed tuh run yo' 'way.
Entry 5446
Dey say if dey git chure lef' track an' put some graveyard dirt in wit dat, an' put it undah de step; dey say dat will cuz zooh tuh be LAME IN YORE LEG, OR MAKE YO' SLEEP A LOT. [Wilmington, N. Car., (205), 112:4+85.}
Entry 5537
Jis' lak if yo' go an' make a footstep, dey go an' measure dat track... wit a cord string - jis' de way yo' goin' - an' dey picks it up from dere toe an' bring it backwards...put it in runnin' watah an' have yo' walkin'.
Entry 5595
If yo' love a man an' a man don' care very much about chew an' he, yo know, come tuh yore house sometime an' sometime he doesn't. Well, yo' take a snuffbox an' [put] evah othah one of 'is tracks in dis snuffbox. Yo' put a li'le pinch of dirt in dis snuffbox out of evah one of 'is track - evah othah one.
(How many?)
Nine - till yo' git tuh nine. An' when yo' git tuh nine, yo' take dis snuff- box an' shet it up. An' yo' shet it up an' tote it fo' nine days in yore pocket. An' when yo' tote it fo' nine days in yore pocket, yo' come tuh yore step an' po' de dirt out intuh yore step. An' ah'll guarantee dat'll make him love yo'.
(You pour this track dirt of his under your step then?)
Yes.
Entry 6100
Yo' kin take dat hair an' do three or foah diff'ren' thin' wit it. Yo' lin git de hair outa woman's haid, yo' take it an' carry it to de man's house, an' yo' buries it undah de step in a red piece of flannel. Well, he walks ovah dat hair. Bell, dat's tuh gain 'is influence towards de woman - dat's gainin'. If yo' kin git dat hair of de woman's an' carry it tuh his house an' put it in a piece of red flannel an' po' some Hearts Cologne, an' let him pass ovah it fo' five days. Dat's fo' one part of de hair.
(The woman does that in order to make him like her?)
Tuh make him like 'er.
Entry 6105
If dey git holt of some of yore hair, dey kin take dat hair an' put it in some hot salty watah, yo' undahstan' an' bury it undah yore step wit de bot- tle neck turnt out from - yo' know, from de way yo' come out de house. Well, dat'll cuz yo' tuh have addle brains. If yo' don' fin' it - if it stay undah dere nine days, dat'll cuz yo' tuh have addle brains.
Entry 7280
Lak ah go out dere an' kill a fellah. Well, if ah kin manage tuh push 'im from me or step 'cross 'im three times an' walk 'way from him wit mah back to him, dat de law will nevah fin' me. (Well, how do you mean you step across him? Here's the body now. Now, how do you step across there?) See [demonstrates], if he would fall when ah shootin' 'im - if he'd a-fall to me, if ah'd manage to git to him an' turn 'im backwards an' let 'im fall on 'is back - an' ah come to him an' walk 'cross [him] lak dis [demonstrates] de first time, lak heah an' back ag'in, den ah walk away from 'im. (You walk over him once and back over him. You step across him three times and then you turn your back. Do you back away from him or just walk?) Yo' walk off from 'im. Step back an' back off nine steps dat way an' den yo' turn yore back, an' go on away from 'im, an' if yo' kin keep from lookin' back, de law will nevah git chew.
Entry 7471
If a man happen tuh kill a man an' he fall of his face. If he fall on 'is face, if yo' kin go dere tuh de spot where he fall, an' git some of dat dirt where his face wus lyin', an' take dat dirt an' carry it right tuh dis person house whut kill 'im, an' sprinkle it roun' in de yard, or undah de step where some of 'is family prob'ly walk ovah it, dat'll bring 'im back.
Entry 7633
Dey could go an' git some graveyard dirt, an' dey have whut dey call a Way of dressin' A BOX LAK DIS THING [my Telediphone recorder on the table be- tween us], like puttin' it in a box, if dey wanted tuh do harm tuh yuh. If yuh were a woman or if yuh wus a man, eithah way, yuh take it vice-a-versy. Put it in a box an' - put dis graveyard dirt in it an' go tuh yuh home when dere wus not no one aroun'. An' lift up yuh bottom step, de firs' one dat yuh walk on, an' place it down in dere. Den dey will manage some way not tuh go back dere de same day, but dey will go back maybe in de evenin' tuh stir yuh aroun' an' maybe send yuh fer a drink of watah or somepin lak dat. An' den dey will dress yer whole house an' yuh won't stay dere. Dere is no Way fer yuh tuh stay dere.
(How will they dress the house?)
Well, dey dress it wit de same dirt dat dey have dat dey gits in de graveyard, but dey git it near [the] heart.
Entry 7844
Yo' could use a needle, dey said, fo' breakin' up a home. (How would they do that?) Take nine needles an' nine ten- penny nails. Yo' undahstan' me? An' yo' could take dat same graveyard dirt. An' sew dat intuh a li'le bag an' bury it anywhere tuh de front of de steps. An' dat will tear up de home, tear it right up.
Entry 7916
Lak if anybody do anything tuh yuh an' yuh want 'em tuh move from dere, yuh git dat dirt an' yuh eithah throw it on de steps or on de porch or put it by de do'. Dey say yuh put it cross by de do' fō' three times. (They put it across for three times?) Make it cross by de dō' three tues an' dat person will have tuh move.
Entry 7918
If it's anyone aroun' here dat ah would lak fer 'em tuh move - ah want tuh move in de house or anything of de kind - ah kin go out tuh de cemetery an' git some dirt. Make three wishes, dat is, yo' know lak ah want dem tuh move an' stay away. Jis' throw it across de steps or in de hallway or in de porch, an' in three day's time dem people goin' tuh move.
(Move out of the house?)
Yes, sir. [Here 3 wishes replace the 3 Holy Names.]
Entry 7920
Take de dirt off de grave an' take it at night, twelve a'clock. An' take it an' carry it tuh de do' an' put it at de foot of de steps. An' whosomevah in dere, what dey don't like, will run 'em crazy.
Entry 7995
Take a piece of a lady's dress and make him some kind of a doll and bury it under de step to get her, but how dat was done ah don't know.
Entry 8114
If a person got a photograph, if yo' kin git it an' burn it up an' have somebody tuh bury de ashes right back undah her steps, well dat will give her bad luck. Dat'll run 'er away from town, make her move out dat house.
Entry 8555
A person that yo' wanta git rid of all together, an' if he's working against chew, an' yo' kin git his name, yo' understand an' write it, jest write it jest lak yo' writin' a lettah, an' Wrop it comin' tuh yo'. That's if he's against yo' an' yo' Want him to come to yo', wrop it to yo'; an' if he's against yo' an' yo' want him tuh go from yo', wrop it from yo'. An' then if yo' kin git to his steps where dey goes in an out, an' whate'er side, yo' stick de end of that paper, yo' understand, dat yo' had his name, dat's de side he'll go. An' he'll go dere too an' he keep goin' dere, too.
Entry 8712
Yo' git up at sunrise, befo' yo' speak to anyone at all, wash yore face or anything, jes' as de risin' of de sun, dey go out to de step like de sun risin dis way, an' yo' call dere name three times. An' after yo' call dere name three times, don't make none other step towards dat way. Jes' turn right aroun' an' come on back. Say, an' after yo' come back yo' kin speak to anyone yo' want to, wash yore face an' anything if yo' want tuh.
(You called their name out there didn't you?)
Yeah, call dere name three time, which person yo' wants tuh come back home. See, jes' lak mah name is Walter. Jes' call mah name, jes' plainly, de full name three times. An' dey do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' den de mawnin' yo' hear from 'em, yo' begin about de fifth until 'bout de 15th, yo' hear from 'em some Way or 'nother by friends. Somebody bring yo' some kinda message.
Entry 8734
This what they have done, when they want yo' to move out de house an' de neighborhood where dey livin' at. Dey goes to de Crackerjack Drug Store an' gets bluestone. Understan'? Gets bluestone an' gets some incense, an' fix dat up together, an' put it in de bottle. An' takes their name an' write it nine times an' put it in de bottle. An' turn de bottle upside down 'neath de steps an' they have to move.
(I see. In how long?)
In nine day's time they leave dere.
Entry 8752
Write his name on one of dose little fryin' pie-a-pans, tin plates, yes sir. Write his name in dere an' write de 13th chapter of Psalms. An' den write his name three times an' Write de Psalms twice, but chew must read dose verses backwards. Place 'em underneath of de steps with very little over earth over it, dat means de dirt over it, an' leave it underneath of dere from nine to eight- teen days. He'll be back dere.
Entry 10370
Wipe man with dishrag, tie rag in one hard knot, put under step or under bed [Wilmington, 254:5].
Entry 10372
Measure man, tie a knot in each end of string, and put under her steps. She may put salt and pepper with it [Petersburg, 418:2].
Entry 10648
[Well, if somebody livin' next do' an' yo' wanta make 'em move, yo' go out in de woods an' yo' come to a ole tree wit aplenty of dem big red piss-antses in it, an' ketch as many of 'em as yo' kin. Put 'em in a snuffbox an' carry it an' put it under dere steps. Dey ain't goin' be dere long. Dey gotta go.
(That will run them away.)
Yessuh, shore will leave dere.
Entry 9632
Put sulphuh an' salt an' red peppah in yuh shoes an' weah it in dere all de time. Den yo' kin step ovah it an' it won't do nuthin tuh yuh. [Sumter, S. Car., (1345 0r 1346), 2328:8.]
Entry 10724
Yo' kin go down to de forks of de road, an' yo' kin put something in a path. Yo' kin git dis root dat's called a blacksnake root. Take dis black- snake root an' yo' kin lay it at de fork of de road like dis an' [demonstrates]. Dis is de fork an' yo' lay dat root jes' at de fork, an' yo' step ovah dat place where dat root is, why yo'll go crazy. (You place that root pointing down each of these roads that meet - the forks of the road like a "Y"?) Yes sir, jest de way de roads fork, why yo' put de root. Dat's de blacksnake root.
Entry 10790
Dey will take de broom an' lay it down right in de threshhold of de door.
(All the way across.)
An' when de collector comes in - why of course, dey'll ask him tuh come in. An' if he steps ovah dat broom comin' in an' steps ovah it goin' out, why dey claim dat he'll commence tuh - it git in his mind, "Why - well, now ah'm kinda 'fraid tuh go tuh dat place. When ah was dere last, why somepin come ovah me." Dey claim dat broom, de crossing of de broom, will give him a thought in his nind dat it's distrustful gon'a happen round dat place. Ah'm gon'a send somebody else iere, because ah don't believe ah'll take chances crossing dere mahself. An' al- so tuh make dat token, [warning] work out, why dey'll sometimes have so.eone set- ting around tuh kinda frighten yo' [him].
Entry 10861
Like if you want a cat, you take his hair and cut it off from his head, and bury it under your doorstep and he will always stay wit you.
(Always stay home.)
Entry 11529
If you know de name of de person, you kin bring dem back.
(Well, what would you do with that [name]?)
Well, yOu COuld - AH TELL YOU, BUT AH HOPE YOU AIN'T COMING BACK ON ME.
(NO! I'M NOT COMING BACK ON YOU AT ALL. NO! NO!)
Well, you see, you are sure you knows de fellah - we [let us] say dat I'm de person do's it - see. You kin jest git to my step lak late in de night, and git a little dust right from under my step and mixes that in some gunpowder and put it - don't put it in no shot [shot gun gunpowder without the shot]. Put it in your gun. You have to use, you know, one of dese ole-time muskets. Jest put dat in dat gun and come right to de door, and shoot right directs towards my home - in the direction of my home. And in three days dat would be back dere. Get 'em [not foot tracks, see later] right from de center part of my [door] step as I go in my home.
(Both tracks?)
No, jest git de dirt from under de step, not de track, jest de dirt from under dere where I goes in and out. [In many of these small houses the treads of out- side steps are not enclosed; it being easy to reach under or from the side to pick up dirt from under the steps. Both wind and rain forced foot track dirt under open steps.]
(of, you mean the doorstep?)
Yeah. Jest take and go on a' [and] mix dat in some powder and put dat in your gun. And in de morning jest about day you shoot right in the direct [direction] of his step [whether] towards de east, north, south or West. You shoot right dat way. Two or three days I'll be back to you. (You'll bring back the things you stole.) [On the original transcription, nade within year or two after collection of rite, is the word doubtful in red ink!]
Entry 11743
Graveyard dirt is fo' movin', too. Yo' takes de graveyard dirt an' mix it togethah wit different kinds of peppahs. An' yo' takes dat an' yo' throws it undahneath de steps, but when dey goin' tuh do sompin lak dat, why yo' Would have tuh go nights when people sleep an' nobody's around, an' throw dat undahneat' de steps. See, an' dat'll make people move too.
(What do you mean by all kinds of pepper? What do you mean by that?)
Dat's black peppah an' dat's red peppah. Yo' see, dey got a little peppah dat comes in a pod, little short pod [finger pepper] an' all dat's hot-hot - cai- yanne peppah an' de black peppah.
Entry 11746
Dey say 'fore dey bury him [man from whom something Was stolen] dey can fix things to make him [thief], dey can get some graveyard dirt, take and fix it, and dey kin sew [sprinkle] it down and de person what stole, why he have to bring it back 'cause he can't hold it. Yes sir. With graveyard dirt and sulphur. Dat's it, graveyard dirt and sulphur.
(Graveyard dirt and sulphur?)
And mix it together and salt.
(And what?)
And salt, table salt. Say dey kin throw it, throw it up [into air] and put it down [do both]. And dey say dey goin' bring it back, say dey can't hold it.
(That's to bring back something that was stolen?)
Dat's it. And dey ain't comin' in de house with it. Dey goin' throw it at de steps, so you kin get up de next morning and get it. Dey can't hold it, make 'em bring it back.
Entry 11749
You can take graveyard dirt, you can run people crazy with it. You can keep a man and his wife together and you can separate them with it, because if they fuss and fight and almost kill one another, of qourse they have to separate. Now, you go to the graveyard and you get it [graveyard dirt in] a bucket, for a bucketful is all that you need at one time. And you try to find one of those skeleton bones, and take that skeleton bone and that basket of graveyard dirt, and catch them when they are away from home and wobody there. And bury that bone and that dirt under their step, if they have 3 dirt step; if not, they got bricks, and you can pry that brick up, but you got wo be sure where they pass in and out of their door all the time. And when you get that dirt down there, of course, you put it [soil or brick] back so they roa't detect it, see. It will cause them to fight and almost kill one another. They have to separate.
Entry 11782
If they drop a mixture of graveyard dirt, salt and pepper at your step or center of gate, 'your mind will just waver all de time." [Mobile 902:2.]
Entry 11822
To throw graveyard dirt under step causes trouble in house or a special misfortune. [Wilmington, 235:5+85.]
Entry 12292
Dat's in de lines of castin' a spell upon a person. Go tuh work an ties 36 knots, if yo' wanta cast a spell upon a person. Put a spell upon a per- son, ties thirty-six knots. Take a strand of thread and tie 36 knots an' let 'em be three inches apart. Dose knots, let 'em be three inches apart 'sposed tuh be in dat thread. An' yo' wil] throw dat thread, after yo' git dose 36 knots tied in it, why den yo'll throw dat thread ovah yore haid an' don't look back. An' yo'll step out de road - anywhere's dere a road - from de middle of de road, throw dat thread ovah yore haid an' don't look back. An' dat will really, de fac' 'bout it, suh, will give dem a purtty tight time. Make 'em crazy - whushy in dey mind.
(How do you know you've got the right person when you are tying those knots?)
Why dere 36 knots! "Cos' yo' know yo' absolutely got de right person.
Entry 12485
If murdered man falls on face, turn him on his back, step over him, and you will not be caught. [Mobile 974:6.]
Entry 12621
If yo' wants tuh draw de customers to de place, yo' git some sulphur an' burn dat sulphur in de fo' corners of de house or de sto' an' den take some sulphur an' salt an' black pepper an' put right in de do' underneat'de steps an' dat will draw de customers.
Entry 9317
Ah don' know how dat is. Say if its de p'liceman or some law on de beat, yo' know, dat yo' could write dere name on a egg an' bury it at de steps, an' dat will prevent 'em from comin' in. (You write their name on this egg and bury it. At your own steps?) At yuh own steps. (That will keep the law from coming in?) If yo' sellin' whiskey in dis house or somepin. An' whoevah is on dis beat, yo' could bury de egg. Write de name nine times on de egg an' bury it at de front steps, an' dey wouldn't come ovah dat egg.
(I see.)
Entry 9348
Well, yo' see, de aigs, dere are two kinds of aigs. A roostah's aig is long an' de hen's aigs are round. Well, yo' git two hen aigs an' some salt an' black peppah. Well, yo' git on dis hen aig whut chew want done. Den yo' go an dig a hole de way yo' want tuh run it - tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' dig a hole to- Wards runnin' watah an' den yo' put dis aig down in dere an' de black peppah an' salt, an' tell it evah whut chew want it tuh do. An' dey'll come back.
(You leave it there. You use two eggs though?)
Yeah, yeah, two aigs. Dey're round aigs. Yo' see, a roostah's aig is long an' de hen aig is round [the words long or round being words based upon sexual symbolism, not biology]. Well, yo' use de hen aigs. [For long eggs and round eggs see also following rite, and for round eggs and square eggs see also No.9284, p.3738.]
(You dig a sort of a ditch?)
No, a hole tuhwards runnin' watah. Yo' know, sometime yo' have ditches run- nin'. Well, yo' kin tell which way de watah is runnin'. Well, yo' dig de hole tuhwards runnin' watah.
(You mean between your house and the running water?)
Well, if de ditch is runnin' between yore house, yo' kin dig it right in front of de ditch, jes' so's it's runnin' which way de watah is runnin'.
(You mean you dig the hole away from you, down the way the water is running?)
Yeah, well, yo' take nine steps tuhwards de runnin' watah an' dig yore hole, an' den aftah yo' dig yore hole, yo' put chure aig an' salt an' black peppah down in dere. Co'se dis aig already has on it whut chew want it tuh do. An' den yo' have it bring 'em back.
(That is to bring them back?)
Yes.
Entry 10881
Well, jes' lak dis, if ah wus de type of dis kind, dat ah wouldn't wanta see a woman an' a man gittin' along, see, an' ah wanted tuh part dem. Listen good - an' when dis dog an' ket. Yo' know kets an' dogs will quarrel some- time. Well, when dis dog make dis ket kinda angry, dis cat will bring up her fur on her back. Well, an' de same time yo' take a knife or scissors - shears, at least yo' should call 'em, an' cut a little piece of dat.
(Cut a little piece of what?)
De hair out de ket's back. Listen, an' a little of de dog, when dey in dat angry nood [mood] - jes' lak dey would be angry, yo' know. An' yo' take dat an' sew it up in piece of black cloth, whut chew would call broadcloth. An' bury it under de steps, an' dey couldn't git along nohow in de world.
Entry 11582
Why dey'll jest chip off a piece from de toes or de heels [foot track from informant's preceding rite] dere. An' dere's somepin dat dey has dey put it in [it in, a cloth] and dey sews hit up tight wit a brass pin. An' dat sup- posed - an' dey jest put dat anywheres in de house, or buries it underneath de steps. An' if dere is anybody around dat dey don't keer much about, why yo' won't go back to dat house no more.
Entry 11604
Well, now, if you wanta, anything like that; who it on, you or who? I says who is de spell on, you or who de spell is on [because] den I have to work on you to take it off you. (Well, how would you take that spell off?) Well, how you would take it off, you go to work, you'll git de person track; de track you understand, foot track. You'll take up nine steps of de right foot - de track fer nine steps of de right foot. Den you go to work and den you put dat in a bottle. Cork dat up and you bury dat to the foot of your steps. And dat person dat - as I say, try to do anything to you - he is coming to you and you'll know 'zactly who he is. He'll come to you, see. He'll come to you, understand, and then if you want any - to turn this thing back to him, you, all you gotta do, you see, you turn de bottle upside down and bury it. Turn the mouth down and turn the bottom up...
[Here I turned off machine but restarted it to record informant's words.]
(That turns the spell back on him?)
That will t'row it back to him.... (I see. Well, now whose tracks do you get? Do you take your own tracks or take this man's tracks?) Take up dis man's track.
(The man who is trying to harm you.)
Entry 12192
Said they git three horseshoes, an' go in de street an' pick [up] cigaret pack, an' git de tinsel [tinfoil] offen dere an' cover dose horseshoes up, an' bury 'em undah de step of de house. Dat will make dem move out. (You take three whole horseshoes and cover them with this tinfoil, and you bury them under the steps?) Yessuh. [For tinfoil not from street, see 12186.]
Entry 12295
A person did you somepin, and you take a lemon and you put some parsley in it, and you put some cinnamon in it and brown sugar in that lemon. [Brown sugar for a black person, white sugar for vhite person. Many examples in HOODOO of color scheme.]
(You put parsley, cinnamon and brown sugar. All right.)
Yeah, brown sugar, into the lemon, and you take that lemon and you go put it right under your step - under there - right under the middle part of your step, and bury it. They say that will move what they done did to you.
(Take it away.)
Yes.
Entry 12442
Heard dat chew take a mockin'bird aig, if yo' wanta run a person away. Take a mockin'bird aig an' carry it to de person house an' bury it undah de step, an' dat will run dem away. [Sumter 2411:7.]
Entry 12816
Take salt, jis' table salt and throw it all around the steps, and that will make confusion. [New Orleans 1158:7.]
Entry 12937
Den she kin take one of his shoes if she in a position to have one an' tumn it down at de back do'step undah de step, but not - jest take an' turn it right ovah. Jest put a little sand to each - yo' don't have to bury it, an' that'il bring him back. Dat's a shore way.
Entry 12939
To bring person back home bury his or her shoe under the steps. [Deal Island, Md. 24:5.]
Entry 12943
Person's left foot shoe bury in front of steps with toe pointing to house to bring back. [Memphis 1580:1.]
Entry 12945
Jes' de sole off de shoe - one, de right feet, an' tie it up in a piece of new homespun, sew it up in it, an' bury it underneat' de steps. Dat why he couldn't leave yo'. [Sumter 2409:9.]
Entry 12949
To bring back, a woman buried her husband's shoe under the steps with heel down and toes up[ [Wilmington 256:1+85.]
Entry 12951
Bury left foot shoe 5 feet from doorsteps or at north corner of house and he'll come back.
Entry 13066
Yo' know dese snails whut crawl...whut dey crawl slow. Anyhow dey takes dat an' dey go to work yo' know, dey fix it in sompin dat way it'll bust out chew know. Den dey go to work den, git some sulphur an' gunpowder together, an' dey take it an' carry it an' bury it right tuh yore door, right where yo' gotta step ovah it, yo' know. Dat'll fix yo' up. Yo'll linger 'long [along] linger 'long.
Entry 13195
Woman with cruel husband, doesn't want her to go anywhere. She puts a teacup of sugar in his right sock, buries where he walks over, an' you's free to go anywhere you want and he'll be pleasant for you to go. [Mobile 969:4.]
Entry 9680
[Take] potash whut chew wash clothes with, an' take table salt, an' take dis here sulphuh, an' take one of dese here John de Conkah roots, an' put all dis tuhgethah, an' yo' take it an' bury it undah de steps. Don't let no one see yo'. If anybody move in dat house an' yo' don't want 'em tuh move in dere, dey ain't goin' stay in dere. Dey can't.
Entry 4224
Well, yuh kin take a person's chamber lye an' yuh kin put it intuh a bottle an' yuh kin bury it undahneat' yuh step or de right cornah - yuh know, de right pillah of de cornah of yuh house, an' dat'll give 'em gravels an' keep 'em from nuratin' an' dey would die. [The lowland small house sets a foot or so off the ground, resting upon 4 or 5 pillars; low posts, large single stones, or small brick columns. The 4 pillars are at the 4 corners of the house, the fifth pil- lar is at the center of the house, making a quincunx. The right-hand corner depends upon whether you are looking at or away from the house.] (You mean the right-hand side looking at the house or looking away from the house?) No, de right-han' side as yuh...
(As you come to the house?)
[Informant is uncertain.]
Jis' bury it right by de pillah. Put it in a bottle an' stop it up tight sc no air can't git tuh it.
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 4286
Fo' good luck yuh take dat ovahnight - lak yu'd use yuh slop jar in yuh house, well mawnin's yu'd git up 'fore de sunrise an' po' it undahneath yuh step an' roun' in de front where yuh fren's have tuh walk in an' out comin' in yore do'. An' dat's fo' good luck an' fo' peace.
Entry 13305
I'd go to the graveyard where a sin- nerman' buried, and get me some graveyard dust and some coffee grinds and put it in a bottle with some war water. And whilst the people be asleep, I'd take the war water and sprinkle all over the front step and they couldn't be in there 12 days.
(You put all these things in that bottle, in the same bottle?)
In the same bottle.
Entry 13376
Save your urine for 9 mornin's or nights, put salt and pepper in, sweep steps down, and sweep it up, repeating what you want done to bring person back. [Memphis 1570:13.]
Entry 13191
Piece of toe or heel of woman's stocking buried under front step, she won't leave home. [Vicksburg 1037:1.]
The source presents this as a short statement. Its opening notes attribute unbracketed text to informants; verbatim wording is not established.
Entry 13193
Git dat man's sock dat he worn an' put it in de stove an' dry it up. Take dat dust an' put it under de step - have dat w'ere he will walk over it... he won't pay attention to no one else. [Jacksonville 786:1.]
A printed ellipsis follows the walk-over instruction; omitted wording is not supplied.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- URINE HERS - 9 MORNINGS - UNDER STEPS - ON RED FLANNEL; HOLDING: JOHN DE CONKAH - 10 PENNY NAILS - HIS SEMEN — Volume 3, entries 3314. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → MISCELLANEOUS.
- DOWNWARDS - WIPE 3 TIMES - WITH YELLOW HOMESPUN; MAN'S DIME IN ONE CORNER; FOLD TO YOU - TIE - BURY UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 3485. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → CAUSES OF SEXUAL IMPOTENCE → KNOTS AND TYING → KNOTS ONE.
- (5) 9 WHOLE BLACK PEPPERS - HER URINE - HIS ON TOP; BOTTLE UNDER STEPS - LEAN MOUTH TOWARDS HOUSE — Volume 3, entries 4063. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- (8) DIRT FROM WHERE SHE THROWS HER URINE; WITH FIREPLACE ASHES - RED PEPPER - UNDER HER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4150. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- INCENSE - WISH - SCRUB STEPS WITH URINE — Volume 3, entries 4168. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- SHE CALLS MAN'S NAME WHILE HOLDING HIS BOTTLED URINE; LEFT FOOT TRACK - TABLESPOONFUL OF HER URINE - ALUM; HE ANSWERS - SHE STOPS UP HIS VOICE - BURY AT STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4185. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- 9 NEEDLES - IN HIS BOTTLED URINE - LET HIM SLEEP ON; 9 NIGHTS - BURY UNDER STEPS - TO KEEP "UNDAH HER FEET" — Volume 3, entries 4193. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- 9 MORNINGS - THROW URINE UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4211. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- POTASH AND URINE - SCRUB STEPS WITH - KEEPS LAW AWAY — Volume 3, entries 4229. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- SIFT URINE 9 DAYS - BOTTLE - ADD NAME ON PARCHMENT; PIECE OF CLOTHES - BURY BOTTOM UPWARDS - UNDER BACK STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4273. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- RED PEPPER ABOUT HOUSE OUTSIDE - BEFORE SUNRISE; URINE OVER RED PEPPER UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4292. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- (10) FEET FROM PAIR OF HIS SOCKS - IN URINE - UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4306. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → URINE.
- BATH WATER BURIED AT STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4483. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → BATH WATER.
- HEARTS COLOGNE BOTTLE - BOW IN; BURY UPSIDE DOWN - UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4598. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → HAT - SWEATBAND - BOW → BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT.
- SHOE - WEAR BOW IN RIGHT - UNDER BARE FOOT; BURY SEAT OF HIS DIRTY DRAWERS UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4666. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → HAT - SWEATBAND - BOW → BOW FROM SWEATBAND OF HAT.
- CROSS HIS SOCK AND HER GARMENT UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4897. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- FOLD TO YOU TO BRING - FROM YOU TO SEND AWAY; 9 NEEDLES - 9 PINS - 9 NAILS; TO BRING HIM - BURY UNDER HER STEP; TO SEND HIM AWAY - BURY UNDER HIS STEP — Volume 3, entries 4925. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- FOLD 9 TIMES - HER LEFT STOCKING - BEGINNING AT FOOT; FOLDING INTO IT 9 MATCHES - USING ONE TO BURN STOCKING; IN PAN - BURY PAN AND ASHES UNDER BACK STEPS — Volume 3, entries 4926. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- WASHED-SOCK WATER - RAINWATER - SUGAR - EPSOM SALTS; BURN RED ONION AND LUMP INCENSE 9 MORNINGS - CALLING NAME; 3 TIMES - SET NORTH CORNER HOUSE 3-9 DAYS - POUR ON STEPS — Volume 3, entries 5073. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SOCKS AND STOCKINGS.
- NAME CALLED 9 MORNINGS; FACING DIRECTION HE LEFT; BACK TO HIS LEFT SHOE UNDER STEPS — Volume 3, entries 5178. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- PEPPER: BLACK - 2 PINCHES DAILY - 9 DAYS - IN HIS RIGHT SHOE; EACH NIGHT SET SHOE UNDER HER CORNER OF BED - EACH MORNING; WHILE HUGGING HER - SPRINKLE ON HER DUST FROM ROOT DOCTOR; THEN BURY SHOE UNDER FRONT STEP — Volume 3, entries 5193. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- SOLE OF SHOE CUT OFF - BURIED UNDER FIRST; OR FOURTH STEP - TOP PART THROWN AWAY — Volume 4, entries 5225. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- TIE BENT LEFT SOLE TOGETHER - BURY UNDER STEPS — Volume 4, entries 5271. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → SHOES.
- BURY UNDER STEPS - SHOE MAKING TRACK DRESSED — Volume 4, entries 5365. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- FORKS OF ROAD - TRACK PICKED UP AT - "Y" CROSS; TIED IN HANDKERCHIEF - CORNER OF STEP — Volume 4, entries 5422. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- GRAVE OF GAMBLER - DIRT FROM FOOT OF; VICTIM'S RIGHT TRACK - SALT = 3 INGREDIENTS; IN RED FLANNEL - UNDER VICTIM'S STEPS - 7 DAYS — Volume 4, entries 5440. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- MEASURE - WITH PINE STICK - RIGHT TRACK - NAIL STICK UNDER; STEP - PICK UP LEFT TRACK IN BOX - KEEP UNDER MATTRESS — Volume 4, entries 5543. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SWEEP 3 TIMES - SALT IN TRACKS GOING AWAY; TRACKS TURNED BACK - WRITE 9 TIMES COME BACK'; PUT UNDER STEPS - 9 OR 21 DAYS HE WILL RETURN — Volume 4, entries 5675. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SWEEP BACK INTO HOUSE DEPARTING MAN'S TRACKS; YOU HAVE SPRINKLED WITH SALT; HIS LEFT SOCK AND DRAWERS UNDER STEPS — Volume 4, entries 5679. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- SWEEP DEPARTED MAN'S TRACKS BACK UNDER STEPS; SAY, "COME BACK HERE" — Volume 4, entries 5680. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → SWEAT → FOOT TRACK.
- BOTTLE - GRAVEYARD DIRT AND SALT IN - SPRINKLE UNDER STEPS — Volume 4, entries 7631. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → CONTAINERS FOR GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- HEART OF DE GRAVE - DIRT FROM - PUT UNDER STEPS; POUR WHISKEY ON 9 MORNINGS - DIG UP - PUT IN WHITE FLANNEL; REBURY UNDER STEPS - PROTECTION AGAINST ANYONE IN HOUSE — Volume 4, entries 7654. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → DIRT TAKEN FROM WHAT PART OF GRAVE.
- HEADBOARD OR FOOTBOARD ASHES AND GRAVEYARD DIRT UNDER STEPS — Volume 4, entries 7700. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD.
- NORTH CORNER OF HOUSE PUT IN BOTTLED HALF PORTION OF; GRAVEYARD DIRT - OTHER HALF PORTION BURY NORTH END OF STEPS — Volume 4, entries 7848. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → WHAT TO DO WITH GRAVEYARD DIRT.
- GRAVEYARD BONE BURIED UNDER STEPS 9 DAYS; RETURNED TO GRAVEYARD 10TH DAY WORRIES VICTIM TO DEATH — Volume 4, entries 8028. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → COFFIN - DOLL BABY - BURIAL - BONES → BONES FROM THE DEAD → WHAT BONES FROM THE DEAD DO.
- (3) BOTTLE - 3 NAMES OF POLICEMEN IN; WITH WHISKEY AND CONCENTRATED LYE; BURY ON LEFT SIDE OF STEPS — Volume 4, entries 8621. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (27) SUGAR - NAME - LEMON - BURY UNDER STEPS — Volume 4, entries 8649. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (29) UPSIDE DOWN OR STEM END DOWN - BURY; LEMON UNDER STEPS OF MAN AND WOMAN; SEWED-UP LEMON CONTAINING THEIR NAMES — Volume 4, entries 8651. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- LETTER: THE FIRST ONE SHE RECEIVES FROM ABSENT; MAN - SHE WRITES HER NAME UNDER FIRST NAME IN; SIGNATURE TO HIS LETTER - THEN BURIES IT FACE; DOWN ON LEFT SIDE OF STEPS LEAVING HOUSE - HE; WILL RETURN IN AS MANY DAYS AS HE WAS AWAY — Volume 4, entries 8657. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- (18) AFTER YOU BUY NEW TIN PAN DON'T SET IT DOWN UNTIL YOU REACH HOME - QUARTER PAN; MENTALLY - LOOKING AT QUARTERED CIRCLE; WRITE HIS NAME IN UPPER-LEFT CORNER; HER NAME UNDER IN LOWER-LEFT CORNER; HER NAME THEN IN UPPER-RIGHT CORNER; HIS NAME BENEATH IN LOWER-RIGHT CORNER; THEN TURN PAN BOTTOM UPWARDS - WALK OUT; DOOR BACKWARDS - PUSH PAN UNDER STEPS; EXPECT HIM IN 2 WEEKS - 2 7-DAY PERIODS — Volume 4, entries 8763. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → THREE SUBSTITUTES FOR HUMAN BODY → NAME.
- BLACK CHICKEN FEATHERS 3; FROM LEFT WING BEFORE DEATH; KEEP THEM UNDER YOUR STEPS — Volume 4, entries 8902. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THEFT.
- FOOT TRACK - KNIFEBLADEFUL OF DIRT FROM THIEF'S; WRAP - NAME - BURY UNDER YOUR STEPS - CALL NAME; AND WALK OVER 9 MORNINGS BEFORE SUNRISE; TAKE UP - WEAR - THIEF APPEARS WITHIN 9 DAYS — Volume 4, entries 8912. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THEFT.
- (10) SPRINKLE SUGAR BEHIND SUSPECTED THIEF; WRITE HIS NAME 9 TIMES - CROSS THEM; DRAW CIRCLE ABOUT - BURY AT BACK STEPS; 3 TIMES CALL NAME - DO THIS 9 TIMES — Volume 4, entries 8929. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THEFT.
- LIZARD - TAKE PALATE AND TIP-END OF TAIL; BLUESTONE WATER - SET UNDER JAIL STEPS; DAY OF TRIAL - GRANDMOTHER A TWO-HEAD — Volume 4, entries 9096. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → COURT CASES.
- GREEN SAGE LEAVES MUST BE USED - NOT DRY; 12 APOSTLES ON - BURY UNDER COURTHOUSE STEPS — Volume 4, entries 9132. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → COURT CASES.
- BACKWARDS - NAME WRITTEN ON BLACK HEN'S EGG; BURST AT STEPS BETWEEN 12 AND 1 AT NIGHT — Volume 4, entries 9182. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- CORNER OF HOUSE: BREAK AGAINST TO CANCEL TROUBLE; EGG ON WHICH YOU WROTE YOUR NAME AT MIDNIGHT; IN THE 3 HIGHEST NAMES - OR THROW IT OVER COURT; HOUSE OR JAILHOUSE - OR WISH IN 3 HIGHEST NAMES; TELLING EGG WHAT TO DO - BURY UNDER YOUR STEPS — Volume 4, entries 9196. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- COURTHOUSE STEPS - BREAK ON - EGG; CONTAINING YOUR NAME AND GOOD WORDS — Volume 4, entries 9197. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- LITTLE END POINTING TO STREET - BIG END TO HOUSE; MAN BURYING WHITE FRESH EGG AT HER STEPS; WILL BRING UNDER HIS CONTROL WOMAN LIVING WITHIN — Volume 4, entries 9237. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- NAME OF VICTIM WRITTEN ON "BOTTOM" OR "LITTLE END"; OF EGG - YOUR NAME ON "TOP" OR "BIG END" OF EGG; BURY AT VICTIM'S STEPS - "BIG END" AND YOUR NAME UP; "DAT LOCKS CHURE BOWELS - AIN'T A DOCTOR [M.D.]; 'TWEEN HEAH AN' NOWHERE KIN DO YO' NO GOOD" — Volume 4, entries 9239. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- FRIZZLY-HEN EGG - UNDER STEPS - BURST IN 9 DAYS; CAUSES CONFUSION - LANDLORD DRIVES TENANTS AWAY — Volume 4, entries 9255. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- INDELIBLE PENCIL: WRITE NAME OF ABSENT PERSON; ON EGG - BURY UNDER STEP NAME POINTING TO HOUSE — Volume 4, entries 9296. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- ROTTEN EGG 3: BURY ONE AT STEPS - 2 THROW OVER; LEFT SHOULDER AGAINST HOUSE - NO ONE WILL RENT — Volume 4, entries 9359. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 3 BLACK HEN EGGS BOIL - BURY ONE EACH DAY; FOR 2 MORNINGS WHERE VICTIM WALKS; THIRD EGG ON THIRD DAY THROW UNDER HIS STEPS — Volume 4, entries 9388. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- 3 BLACK HEN EGGS UNDER PERSONS STEPS TO MOVE — Volume 4, entries 9387. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- WAR WATER AND RAW EGG IN BOTTLE UNDER STEPS — Volume 4, entries 9429. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → THE AMAZING CHICKEN EGG.
- IF HURT - DIG HOLE UNDER STEPS AND FILL WITH SALT — Volume 5, entries 9477. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- URINE 2 OR 3 DAYS OLD - UNDER STEPS; PUT SALT AT DOOR AND SWEEP OUT BEHIND; PERSON WALKING OVER THESE CANNOT STAY — Volume 5, entries 9713. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- 9 NAILS - FOR 9 DAYS - AT 9 O'CLOCK - AT DOOR; FIRST MORNING - NAIL NEAR OUTER EDGE OF STEP; EACH DAY DRAW CLOSER TO HOUSE - INTO HOUSE; ON 9TH MORNING - MAN BEING NAILED WILL COME — Volume 5, entries 9746. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- BURY 9 NAILS 6 DAYS AT FOOT OF STEPS - THEN; DRIVE INTO EDGE OF STEPS TO KEEP LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 9747. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 DAYS TO CROSS 9 NAILS DRIVEN INTO STEPS - MOVES — Volume 5, entries 9751. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- BUNDLE OF NAILS; CONCEALED FROM STEPS TO GATE — Volume 5, entries 9769. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- CROSS 3 NEW NEEDLES IN FLANNEL RAG FORMING; 6 EQUAL ANGLES OR 6 OPEN TRIANGLES OR 6 SPOKES; OF A RIMLESS WHEEL - BURY UNDER STEPS - TROUBLE — Volume 5, entries 9797. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NEEDLES - 9 OPEN SAFETY PINS - CROSSED IN CLOTH; WRAP CLOTH - LAY OR BURY UNDER STEPS TO BRING; CUSTOMERS AND TO RUN AWAY UNWANTED PERSON AND LAW — Volume 5, entries 9813. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NEEDLES STOPPED UP IN BOTTLE - UNDER STEPS; SAYING: "GIT OUT CHURE YO' DAMN DEVIL! GO!" — Volume 5, entries 9819. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- 9 NEEDLES IN HOMESPUN UNDER STEPS "BREAKS UP" — Volume 5, entries 9830. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- TIE 9 NEEDLES TOGETHER AND PUT POINTS-DOWN IN; BOTTLE UNDER STEPS - PAINS PERSON WALKING OVER — Volume 5, entries 9833. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- TIE 9 NEEDLES TOGETHER AND PUT POINTS-DOWN IN; BOTTLE UNDER STEPS - PAINS PERSON PASSING OVER — Volume 5, entries 9834. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → NAILS - NEEDLES AND PINS - TACKS.
- LOOP HOMESPUN STRING ABOUT LEFT LEG OF LIVE FROG; 9 TIMES - TYING KNOT EACH TIME - 9 KNOTS; PUT FROG UNDER VICTIM'S STEP - ON 9TH MORNING; CALL HIS NAME - HE WILL DIE IF FROG DIES — Volume 5, entries 9865. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → FROG AND TOADFROG.
- WHIP LIVE FROG - BEFORE IT DIES; PUT UNDER ENEMY'S STEPS TO MOVE — Volume 5, entries 9869. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → FROG AND TOADFROG.
- LEFT EYE OF FROG MILK SQUEEZED FROM; BOTTLED - KEPT AT STEPS - KEEPS LAW AWAY — Volume 5, entries 9934. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → FROG AND TOADFROG.
- IF WOMAN PUTS PARSLEY AND LIVE TOADFROG IN MAN'S; SHOE - BURIES UNDER STEPS - HE WILL BE UNDER HER — Volume 5, entries 9945. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → FROG AND TOADFROG.
- DEAD CAT BONE UNDER BACK STEPS KILLS CUNJURE — Volume 5, entries 10147. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → BLACK CAT LUCKY BONE AGAIN.
- TAKE BED TOWEL YOU [WOMAN] AND MAN USED - TO HIS; OTHER WOMAN'S HOUSE - MIX BLUEING AND INK - POUR; ON TOWEL - BURY AT HER STEP - DAT'LL BREAK IT UP — Volume 5, entries 10212. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SEX AND IMPOTENCE REAPPEAR.
- MAN'S NEW HANDKERCHIEF - SHE USES ON HIM; BURIES IN JAR IN FRONT OF STEPS HE MUST USE; THIS MAKES HIM IMPOTENT FOR OTHER WOMEN; HE CAN TURN SPELL ON HER BY REVERSING BOTTLE — Volume 5, entries 10219. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SEX AND IMPOTENCE REAPPEAR.
- CLOTHES: STOCKINGS - BLOOMER - PIECES UNDER STEP; MAN CANNOT ENTER HOUSE - SHE CANNOT LEAVE IT — Volume 5, entries 10230. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SEX AND IMPOTENCE REAPPEAR.
- NEEDLES - NEW - UNDER HAG'S STEPS — Volume 5, entries 10452. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → HAG AND WITCH RETURN.
- 3 BIG RED ANTS IN BOTTLE BURY AT STEPS; TO BREAK UP FAMILY WITHIN AND MOVE IT — Volume 5, entries 10659. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BLACKSNAKE ROOT - LIZARD - BOILED - IN BOTTLE UNDER; STEP - PERSON CROSSING - HEADACHE - THEN LOOSE TEETH — Volume 5, entries 10726. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- BROOMSTRAWS 9 - NAME MAN TELLING STRAWS WHAT TO DO; WHILE PUTTING THEM UNDER STEPS HE MUST WALK OVER — Volume 5, entries 10830. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- SPLIT OPEN LIVE CHANNEL CATFISH - BURY UNDER STEPS; TO KEEP RENTMAN FROM PRESSING YOU FOR RENT MONEY — Volume 5, entries 10940. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CEDAR BRANCH TURNED TOWARDS SUNDOWN - CUT OFF; MAKE 3 PEGS - DRIVE IN FRONT OF THEIR STEPS - MOVES — Volume 5, entries 10945. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CHICKEN EGG AND ABSENT WOMAN'S LEFT SHOE AT STEP; STANDING UP - TOES TO HOUSE - TO BRING HER BACK — Volume 5, entries 10968. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- HERE IS A COMPLICATED CHICKEN RITE USED BY A; BOOTLEGGER DURING PROHIBITION TO KEEP LAW AWAY; GET NAME OF LAW OFFICER - 2 OR 3 - 9 BETTER - ON; NEW BOARD WRITE NAME NORMALLY - THEN TURNING; BOARD UPSIDE DOWN WRITE NAME CROSS DE WORLD; NAIL TO STEP - CAN'T COME IN FER DE DEVIL - TAKE; BLACK CHICKEN HEART - RUB OVER LETTERS ON BOARD; TELLING THEM WHAT DAT SPIRIT IS GOTTA DO... DON'T; WANT DAT LAW TO WORRY ME... DON'T EVEN WANTS 'EM; TO COME HEAH FO' A DRINK... AH [WANTS] 'EM TO; PASS BY AN' KEEP ON PASSIN' BY - BURY DAT; WISHIN'-BONE - TWO PRONGS DOWNWARDS - TALK TO IT; BURY BONE UNDER CENTER OF HOUSE - QUINCUNX RITE — Volume 5, entries 11046. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- NEW 3-CORNERED FILE - HIDE AT STEP TO MOVE PEOPLE — Volume 5, entries 11379. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- FILE AND PIECE OF VICTIM'S OWN CLOTHES BURIED; UNDER HIS OR HER OWN STEPS - MOVES HIM OR HER — Volume 5, entries 11388. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- FISH SALTED OR RED DEVIL LYE - AT DOORSTEPS; BURY - AND THE LAW CANNOT CROSS THOSE STEPS — Volume 5, entries 11641. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- FORK OF ROAD DIRT KEEPS PERSON HOME OR SENDS AWAY; UNDER STEPS WITH SUGAR AND 2 NEW NEEDLES KEEPS HOME — Volume 5, entries 11675. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- GRAVEYARD DIRT STOPS EVICTION PROCEEDINGS AGAINST; YOU - IF YOU VISIT OFFICE OR LANDLORD'S LAWYER AND; SPRINKLE THIS DIRT IN 4 CORNERS OF OFFICE - IN DOOR; AND DOWN STEPS - LAWYER YOU EVICT CANNOT EVICT YOU; BECAUSE YOU HAVE CHASED LAWYER FROM HIS OWN OFFICE — Volume 5, entries 11735. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- CENTER OF GRAVE - DIG HOLE IN AND TAKE OUT DIRT; PUT ON BOTH SIDES OF VICTIM'S STEPS TO MOVE HIM; THESE CENTERS-OF-PARALLELOGRAMS RITES SUCH AS; GRAVE - BED - ROOM - HOUSE - CROSSROADS - I CALL IN; HOODOO "QUINCUNX" RITES - HERE TO MOVE FROM HOUSE — Volume 5, entries 11739. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- DIG HOLE AT RIGHT SIDE OF GRAVE - DROP IN 3 PENNIES; PAYING SPIRIT FOR DIRT - TAKE DIRT - COVER HOLE; DON'T LOOK BACK UNTIL YOU REACH HOME - ADD SULPHUR; AND BLACK PEPPER - 3 INGREDIENTS - PUT MIXTURE UNDER; FRONT AND BACK STEPS - SAYING 3 TIMES: IN DE NAME; OF DE FATHAH, NAME OF DE SON AN DE HOLY GHOST, STAY; AWAY... COME NO MO' PROTECTS BOOTLEGGER FROM LAW — Volume 5, entries 11741. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- GRUBWORM - 9 NEEDLES IN - UNDER STEPS - DEATH WITHIN — Volume 5, entries 11831. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- IF YOU HAVE A GAMBLING JOINT - KEEP POLICE AWAY; BY SPRINKLING HEARTS COLOGNE AT STEPS WHEN SWEEPING — Volume 5, entries 12137. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- LIGHTNING-STRUCK WOOD UNDER THE STEPS; WILL WALK 'EM AWAY - PEOPLE INSIDE — Volume 5, entries 12322. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- LOBELIA 1 PIECE - HIPPO 3 PIECES - BURY AT GATE AND; STEPS FOR LAW - ALSO PRICKLY FEET [NETTLE] HELPS — Volume 5, entries 12340. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- RED DEVIL LYE AND POTASH ONE - BURY AT EITHER STEP; VICTIM CONFUSED - NO MORE PEACE - NEVER SATISFIED — Volume 5, entries 12381. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 5 CANS OF LYE: BURY 3 AT FRONT STEPS - 1 IN FRONT; 2 ON SIDES - BURY OTHER 2 IN FRONT OF BACK STEPS — Volume 5, entries 12389. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 5 PLACES: 1 BOX OF SODA - HALF UNDER FRONT STEP; HALF UNDER BACK - 3 BOXES OF RED DEVIL LYE - 2 AT; FRONT CORNERS OF HOUSE - 1 AT GATE - EVIL KEPT AWAY — Volume 5, entries 12388. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- MATCHES 12 BURY AT STEPS - PERSON CROSSING LEAVES — Volume 5, entries 12419. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- 9 TIMES DOWNWARDS MAN WRITES WOMAN'S NAME SLANTING; ON RED ONION - 9 TIMES NAME AGAIN TO MAKE CROSS "X"; THESE NAMES WRITTEN LIGHTLY DO NOT DISFIGURE ONION; MAN DOES THIS - BURIES UNDER HER STEPS TO MAKE PEACE; WHAT BECOMES OF HER LEFT STOCKING? ONION BURIED IN? — Volume 5, entries 12547. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- ONE PENNY BURY UNDER RIGHT SIDE OF OUTSIDE STEPS; SECOND INSIDE ON LEFT - HOLE FOR MADE IN CARPET — Volume 5, entries 12580. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD" → PENNY - OR ONE-CENT PIECE - RARE WORD BROWN MONEY.
- CAYENNE PEPPER - BLACK PEPPER - LIMBURGER ROOT; BURY UNDER VICTIM'S STEPS - LAY FIREPLACE BRICK; ACROSS ROOTS - [RARE!] VICTIM MOVES 3-7 DAYS; AFTER PERSON LEAVES - SPRINKLE WHITE LODESTONE AFTER; BURN INCENSE - MIX ASHES WITH CAYENNE PEPPER - PUT; UNDER HIS DOORSTEP - HE CANNOT STAY THERE - LEAVES — Volume 5, entries 12605–12606. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- RED BEANS - SOAKED IN GUMBO FILE AND PEPPER; ROLL BEANS UNDER VICTIM'S STEPS TO MOVE HIM — Volume 5, entries 12757. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- WILLOW TREE ROOT - GET ONE WHEN TREE BEGINS TO BLOOM; PUT ROOT IN BOTTLE - POUR WHISKEY ON - ADD VICTIM'S; FOOT TRACK - SHAKE - PUT UNDER VICTIM'S STEPS - SOME-; WHERE HE CAN GET IT - THAT WILL RUN HIM OUT OF TOWN — Volume 5, entries 13448. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
Entry 12605
Now, secondly, the next thing is to do, that is, to get cayenne pep- per, black pepper and take that and bury it with limburger root. (What kind of root?) Limburger root. (Limburger root?) Yeah, limburger root.[Root with a strong odor, probably so called by some root seller.] You put those three mixes together and you go right under the step, and dig a hole and bury it and cover it up, and put that fire brick - if you can get it - right across it. [The fireplace is taken out to the steps!] And it has a tendency from two to - from three to seven days. Sometimes they moves.
(They what?)
They move out.
Entry 12606
(Will you tell me that again?)
Get some white lodestone, and when they go, go to the porch and sprinkle it, and then come back and get some incense and burn it and get the ashes off it, and mix it up with cayenne pepper. That's what I hear 'em say, now, I don't know. I haven't did [it]. (I understand, I under- stand.) Mix it up with cayenne pepper and put it under their doorstep and that will make them - they can't stay there. That pepper will cause them to leave and that lodestone will cause them to stay [away]. They'll wander away.