Subject:Stocking
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Entry 3274
Yo' [a woman] kin take a man's socks an', yo' know, have intahco'se wit 'im an' wipe 'im wit dat sock. An' take it an' put it in de bottom of a trunk or some place secret, an' he nevah will leave her. Ah know about dat. A man kin take a woman's stockin' an' do de same thin' wit it
[wipe with it and then] take an' drive it down - yo' know, take a stahb [stake]
an' drive it [stocking] down in de ground an' she nevah will quit 'im.
(Well, what does he do with that - the woman"s stocking?)
He takes de woman's stockin' an' do dat - yo' know, use jes' lak yo' usin' a cloth an' wipe wit it.
(Himself or her?)
Either one - himself, wipe wit it yo' know, unbeknownst to her.
Entry 4717
(Tell me something about that.)
Dat little pocket?
(No, the other.)
Whenevah he go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er somepin, well he jis' put it undah 'is lef' arm heah. Let it hang down ovah it lak dat, an' keep it undah dere. Don't let nobody take it out till he git tuh 'er. When he git tuh 'er, he give it tuh 'er lak dat an' she'll lak 'im. She'll always lak 'im, always be wit 'im.
(Well, what would he buy her for example?)
Jis' anything - jis' some candy or stockings or anything she weah, jis' any- thing.
(But he must keep it under his left arm.)
Keep it undah 'is lef' arm, yeah.
Entry 4730
Take de shoes - ah mean de stockin's an' piece of de shirttail an' bury it an dat will keep [em down.
Entry 4952
Dey tell me dat yuh kin take a woman's stockin' - take a woman's stock- in', carry hit an' tie it undah a baidspring wit three hard knot in it, until de third mawnin'. An' de third mawnin' git up an' take de stockin', an' if yuh got a straight path go from yuh do' out - out chure back do' where yuh travel de mos', an' bury it in de earth. Dat'll run a woman distracted. If yuh care anythin' fo' her an' don't care fo' no one else tuh have her, an' keep dem from havin' 'er, dat'll keep 'er, drive dem away from dere.
(Now, do you tie those knots one on each day or three at once.)
[This could be a leading question but see one knot each morning - No.4961.]
Tie one - like jis' if yuh put it in dere tuhday, one today; one tomorrah an' one de nex' day. De fo'th mawnin', loosen it. An' de fifth mawnin' bury it in de track yuh travel de most.
Entry 4965
If ah want yuh tuh be mah frien', ah'll take dat stockin' an' ah'll tie nine knots in it an' ah'll carry it home an' keep it.
Entry 4973
Carry a woman's stockin' an' wear it roun' 'is waist, an' dat keep 'er from havin' any othah mens.
Entry 4998
Take dat stockin' an' carry it tuh de no'th cornah of de house an' bury it. Bury it in de no'th cornah of de house an' yuh jis' lingah. Yuh won't die, yuh jis' lingah, have pains in yuh laigs.
Entry 5002
A man take a woman's stockin' an' tote it in his pocket an' she'd always stay at home. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 7158
Now, dat goin' in devilment trick. A woman takes yo' stockin' an', if [she] do dat 2 or 3 weeks, she take yo' stockin' an' she'll put it - no dis heah 'er stockin' whut ah'm tryin' tuh explain now. Ah ain't heard about 'is stockin' but 'er stockin'. She'll take dat an' she kin put it aroun' yo', roun' where yo' wouldn't know it's dere. An' den she'll take den 'er piece dat nex' tuh 'er, somewhere next tuh 'er skin, an' she'll put dat ovah yo'. An' yo'll sleep den, right on den, an' she kin go out an' do any kinda business she wanta, an' yo' won' wake up. DAT JIS' DE SAME AS MORPHINE YO' KIN TAKE IT.
Entry 1070
You get a pair of hose an' - course if it's a man he get de white but if it's a woman it doesn't make any diff'rent in colors - an' put these stockin's on you, wear them. An' if you get up the next mornin' - when you go to bed at night if you take 'em off an' they're turned wrong side outward, you still put em on the same way the next mornin' until after nine nights and days, and then after, when the ninth night and day is over, you get a bottle of sweet spirits of niter, a little knife blade [small blade of pocketknife] of lye [the steel in the knife blade is a part of the ritel, an' you put that in the amount of water tha' chew wanta bathe with, an' make you a big hot fire. Be wearin' those socks. At the end of nine days they should have a hole in 'em, but if they doesn't have a hole in 'em you have to wear 'em until they does git a hole in 'em. An' then you take saltpeter and put it into those an' make a fire even if it's in August an' throw 'em in the fire an' say, "Rid me of my enemy." Partly why it don't make any diff'rent [it is difficult] for a woman because they're seen when they dirty. They wanta change 'em [which would ruin the rite]. But the socks the man wouldn't have to let nobody seen 'em because his trousers be's over 'em.
Entry 12107
"Take de bow out of a man's hat an' wear it in dere stockin' wit white lodestone...dey all worried tuh git where you at. [Little Rock 1462:6.]
Entry 12108
Woman wears man's hat bow on her stocking or princess slip. "Keeps him tuh home." [Little Rock 1466:12a.]
Entry 62
I wus livin' with a woman once on Mulberry Street an' this woman claimed that she could - we had a little fuss - she claimed that she could have me kilt. So she goes down on the Eastern Shore [that part of Maryland east of Chesapeake Bay] to see Mr. Bayhan' - he wus a man dey call Mr. Bayhan' [white man] - gon'a have me shot wit' a ball. He's gon'a shoot me through de ball an' I wus to be dead inside of twenty-four hours. She paid him $35. An' then he give her some stuff to come home to sprinkle all through the house. She start at de back doah an' sprinkle to the dining room doah an' starts from the dining room doah an' sprinkle upstairs - sprinkle de whole house ovah. An' he give her somepin to put under de runner where I walked when I come in de front doah - where dat I would walk over this, this would trick me. So, I worked [nights] to the steel plant, an' I came home [very early] one mornin'. She's asleep. Jis' as I opened the front doah, I start to steppin', somepin says, "Raise de runner up - jis' that way, jis' the same as if somebody wus speakin' to me. An' I thought it wus her. I says, "Frances! Frances!" No one answered. Well, I come up to a standstill. I stop [at] de doah an' looked. After awhile I started to take another one [step]. It says, "Raise de runner up. Well, then I kin'a got uneasy, you know. Then I called 'er an' called 'er, but I couldn't git no answer. Well, I say, "Well, I don't believe I'll raise it myself. I'll go across over de street," I says, "I'll git this man up" - the man across the street kept a little resturrant. So I went across de street an' got him to come over with me. I says, "Do you wan'a raise that runner for me?" I says, "cuz there's somepin told me twice to raise that runner up," I says, "an' I think my wife, '' I says, "must be asleep - I called 'er an' she didn't answer." So he said, "I'll raise it up. So he raise the runner up. It wus a black stockin', about that long, across underneath de runner. It wus a ten-cent piece in the center, an' two brass tacks in the toes an' two brass tacks in the end [the topl of it. He looked at me an' said, "Oh!" he said, "I ain't gon'a put my hands on it." I say, "Well," I say, "they say the grace of God is sufficient for all things. It can't hurt me." I says, "I'm gon'a pick it up, but I'm not gon'a pick the stockin' up, but I'm gon'a git de ten-cent piece up." So I reached over an' took my penknife [steel = protection] an' picked the ten-cent piece up an' dropped it in my pocket. I goes back in the house, I walks up an' I walks aroun' the runner, an' gits a fahk [fork]. I takes de end of the fahk an' folds it [stocking] up, [beginning at] de toe end, an' keeps rollin' it up. An' when I got it [rolled] up, you see, then I picked it up on de fahk an' carried it through in de kitchen, an' drops it in de stove an' put salt on it, touch a match to it an' starts it to burnin'. So when it starts to burnin', I goes to call her. I says, "Frances!" She says, "LET ME ALoNE!" I says, "Whut's wrong?" She says, "You's done concern with somepin that don't concern you." She says, "Mr. Bayhan' will get even wit you." Well, if ever I'd walk over it - well, she would git [hear] de shot from it, choo know. Well, [then] I got [would get] the dose. See, as soon as I touched it, why I guess it roused her up, you know. You see? (As soon as you walked over that stocking, that was to shoot the gun off down there where he was?) Yes, sure. That would kill me, you see.
(What kind of a gun did he have?)
He had some kin'a glass, suppose to shoot you through the glass with the gun. That wus suppose to kill me in twenty-four hours. But the Lord's grace is suffi- cient for all things. De spirit put me wise to it befo' I got to it. [Baltimore, Md., (157), 148:1.] [The amazing thing about this story, despite the protective fork, is a man risking his life for a ten-cent piece!]
Entry 1059
Dey tell me you kin take a bottle - listen good now - take a bottle with your husband's chamber lye. Just don't let him spit in it - just like he pass de water, don't let him spit in dere, see. And you take a piece of de underclothes - piece of his underclothes and you take one piece of his stocking from heel side, one piece off de middle, one piece to the bottom see, and den put them three in it and then you gets six needles - gold-eye needles and this - some kind of old-time cologne dey call - some kind of old-time cologne dey call - it's real sweet cologne. (Heart's Cologne?) [Informant could not remember. I had to suggest a name to get along with the story.] I'll say. Get dis Heart's Cologne and dey put dat in dere and then they put six needles, and they put six new needles - gold-eye needles see, and you put - then you take it and bury dat late at night. And den dey put 'em down at de head of yer step like dat and when you put 'em down you say, "You son-of-bitch, I want you to come back....
(The head of the bottle is upside down. There is a cork in it though?)
Yas suh, cork in dere too - airtight. Nobody - nothing can get into it. And say, "You son-of-a-bitch, I want you to come." And he won't have no nature for no other woman, just have to come back to you. [While checking transcription against recording I made a note "lowland dialect," meaning that the transcription is approximate.]
Entry 2934
When yore ole man is gone away an' yo' wanta bring him back, if he left any ole dirty socks - if yo' kin git any of his ole socks, git de left sock. It Wants tuh be dirty though, not clean. An' yo' take it an' yo' go out in front of yore do'. Well, yo' do it 'bout between three an' fo' a'clock in de mawnin'. Go out in front of yo' do' an' dig a hole an' bury dat sock an' cover it up. Yo' go in de house an' yo' git chew a piece of tablet an' yo' write his name nine times on dat tablet. Den yo' git chew a black candle, put dat piece of papah down an' set de candle on it.
(Just a moment. Do you put the names up or down?)
Put the names right across.
(No. Do you put the names up so that you can see them, or down?)
Put the names [face] down. Then set the candle on it an' burn that candle, an' in three days dey'll return. Dat's whut ah know 'bout dat.
(But you must leave that sock out there?)
Yo' leave that sock out there until dey return. Ah've heard of men takin' a woman's stockin's an' makin' her come back. Ah've heard of men takin' 'em an' do em in de same manner.
Entry 5045
Sock.
(What about it?)
Yuh kin take a man's sock or a woman's stockin' an' cut de toe an' de heel of it out; jis' a little bit, yuh don't wan' [too much]. (The heel or the toe, or both of them?) No, jis' eithah piece - eithah end. (Oh, just the [toe or the] heel.) Yuh kin git de toe or de heel of a man's or woman's sock or stockin'. Yuh kin take dat an' perserve [preserve] it. Now, I tell yuh whut yuh kin do. Whenevah yuh perserve dat, dat is, yuh tie a woman tuh yuh. Yuh kintake a piece of 'er stockin' an' perserve it in a small bottle of perfume - somepinlak a cologne bottle. If yuh don' wan' tuh carry it in yore pocket, yuh kin jis' put it up in dat house. See'what ah mean? Dat woman won't leave dere. Perserve dat in alcohol [spirits love alcohol, see p.32]. As long as dat is perserved, she is perserved fo' yuh. Be subjec' tuh yore rules an' regulations. An' she'll obey yuh, too.
Entry 6147
Jes' lak if yo' wanted a sweetheart woman an' yo' couldn't git to her, æll yo' buy a pair of stockin's an' git a strand of hair out of yore haid an' work it in de fold at de top of dat stockin' an' den give it to her. When she put dat stockin' on, dat make love. (You just take your hair an' sort of weave it into the top of those stockings?) Yes, dat'll make love. Jes' as long as dat hair in dat stockin', why yo' ain't got no trouble atall, whatevah.
Entry 615
Like sometimes you have a sore on your foot and it's hard to cure up, or you feet swells, give you a lot of trouble and painful. Then you take this bluestone...you boil this silver money in this water and if it jingles [to tell whether you have been conjuredl why then you mix this bluestone in that and then mix this sulphur. You take silver-water like that, they call it, then sulphur - you mix this sulphur with it and make a paste like, or you kin jest use it to soak your feet in and then bake 'em in de fire. You soak 'em for nine days or nine nights, then bake your feet by the open fire. You see, from the heat, and that draws out, they say, the poison. It's something like, they say, they dressed somepin they stepped on or dressed your shoes or dressed your stockings. And when that poison comes out it'll leave little white speck like places in your flesh. That's like if somepin you've powdered they've brushed on you or you've stepped over.
Entry 832
Sometimes all they have to do is to touch you. I wanted to remember a boy and after he [a cunjure man] touched me I couldn't remember him. I didn't know what he [boy] looked like. This [spell] lasted over a year. I couldn't see [remember] this boy. I was in a family way. His mother got this cunjure man to make me forget him. He came to my house, I was in this condition, and he put his hand on my stomach and thinking of the boy when he did it, and after he removed his hand I couldn't think about him [boy]. I would see his pitchure but I couldn't think of anything of him. When this [spell] work off [after a year] it turned back on this boy - he got so he was loving me. After this spell was broken this man [cunjure man] came to me and told me he did it. He told me to put it back on the boy, the boy was in New York and would come back. He came back. I didn't marry this boy. He also gave my mother a little bag to wear on her stocking. My mother's thinking of putting me in trouble [worrying about daughter's condition]. After he gave her this bag she seemed to forget all about me being in trouble. She didn't think of it until the year was up. He told her to wear this bag. He put it there himself, on her left stocking. It had a string on it. He tied it around [her] himself. It was a little black bag. It contained something that smelled like spice, like cinnamon. Whenever he come in contact with you he kinda hypnotized you. I don't know where the hoodoo man came from. This happened in Newport News [Virginia]. His [boy's] grandmother did most of it. She died about two years afterwards. The last time I seen her she had great big knots on her face like some animal. She died a horrible death. It must of went back on her, too. I thought it'd come out on the baby but it didn't take any effect. Only he has funny little spells. Ev'ry night when he goes to bed he'll holler in his sleep. He always did do that from a little baby on up, even now. He's eleven years old.
Entry 2051
A stockin' - yo' kin take a stockin' an' yo' kin tie a knot in that stockin'. Say, now, if yo' got business out there an' ah won't want yo' to run that business an' ah wanta put chew outa there, ah kin tie that knot in that stockin' an' draw it right tight an' ah kin take that stockin' and conceal that stockin' into the dark - in a dark place. An' every time - well, say, every three hours ah kin go to that stockin' an' draw that knot a little tighter, see. An' as ah draw that knot yo'll begin tuh draw outa that place. Yo'll git so worried an' everything will go wrong with yo', yo' can't be no success. Yo'll leave outa there.
(Whose stocking will you use?)
Well, any ole stockin' at all - jest so it's an ole stockin'. (And you conceal it in your own house.) [I am repeating what he said after I had turned off the machine.]
Entry 2253
Mean dey try to do you harm?
(Yes, if I don't want them to do it, how can I stop them?)
It can't do you no harm in a way. You goes to work an' anyone tryin' to harm yuh - goes to work and git chew about a tablespoonful of gun powder, sulphur, red pepper - sulphur and about Adam-and-Eve and dey son - jest about dat big in de woods. Adam-and-Eve and dey son. See Adam-and-Eve stays right on one stem - Eve-and-Adam and de son. You kin git dat and you put 'em right straight in dat and you know, make a little sack. Put 'em away in de front where nobody couldn't do you no harm. Den you'll take you a two pods of red peppah and put it in your stocking. Anything dey put down can't do you no harm.
Entry 3115
Ah heard yuh could take a man's sock an' weah it between yore laigs an keep 'im down, an' yuh kin go an' he would not be jealous of yuh. (You use either sock?) Eithah sock, eithah one, jis' since he have worn it. An' a man kin take a woman's stockin' an' weah it undah 'is lef' arm wit de feet turned up, an' he'll ketch 'er in evahthin' dat she start at. If she go tuh slip on 'im an' have othah men, he'll walk right up on 'er.
Entry 3216
"Yo' could take dat little bow, yo' know, an' wear in de back of yore, in de calf of yore laig, when yo' rollin' yore stockin', yo' know, an' wear it in de calf of yore laig an' dat would git yo'. But yo'd have to be [use it], yo' know, wit intahco' se.
(What would happen? What sort of thing?)
Listen! Yo' umnderstan'. Yo' take de little bow outa de back of a man's hat.
(Yes.)
An' jus' lak yo' have intahco'se wit dat fellah, an' yo' could wear it in de back of yore stockin', yo' know, in de calf of yore laig an' use it, yo' know, 'casionly [occasionally] lak dat - use it once in awhile lak dat. (You mean get some of that off this fellow, when you have intercourse with that man?) Yes.
(And you put it in that stocking?)
In de back of yore stockin, yo' know, in de calf of yore laig. An' quite natchly [naturally], dat would hold 'is nature towards yo' - his nature toward yo'.
(I see.)
Entry 3584
[Rites of where to measure a man have al- ready been given, but for the sake of completion here are a few more examples of length, width and length and width. Length of person's body rarely occurs in this type of measuring.] Measure him, measure a person, an' tie nine knots. Aftah yo' git de length, den yo' tie yo' nine knots, an' yo' take it an' yo' wear it roun' de top of yo'. [Informant either demonstrated or I turned off machine, missed the words about leg.]
(Oh, round the top of your leg like a garter?)
Yes. Take it off at night an' git up in de mawnin' an' put it on. He cain't do nuthin. Any time he start: [I interrupt].
(Why do you take it off at night?)
Well, he den kin find it. See, yo' pull stockin' off wit 'em, becuz' dey liable tuh go tuh feelin' roun'.
(You hide it at night?)
Sho'.
Entry 3820
Cuz I had it happen to me, see. I wuz goin' wit a woman an' I'd stop- ped. Well, she got hold of de tape measure, yo' know, an' she took mah nature an' put it in a bottle an' wore it in 'er stockin'.
(Wore it in her stocking?)
Wore it in 'er stockin'. Like dis is, right in de middle, right at de knee of de stockin' - yo' know, here [demonstrates - in hinge of knee]. (I see.) Yes, put it in dere an' put a string below de knee an' one above de knee. An' she had me about six or eight months. Dere wuz anothah thing she wuz doin' too. But aftah dat I got - somebody told me about it, told me to get dis bottle soon as I could. Dey says dat would get mah nature back. I wuz in bed wit 'er an' jes' took it off. Told me took it an' put it in runnin' watah. I keep away from her den.
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 4668
Take dat bow an' git a silvah dime an' wrap dat bow aroun' dat silvah dime, an' wear it undah yore gartah in yore stockin' yuh know, an' dey say dat'll make a man give yuh money.
Entry 4720
If she kin git any of 'is clothes dat he weah, she kin git 'im back. Now, if he done lef' home an' aftah he lef' home, if she want 'im back - she feel dat he didn't do right, an' she try tuh git'im back. She'll take de seat of 'is undahweah an' cut dat out an' den she'll fold it, blow 'er breath on it an' fold it. An' she'll sit down - wheresomevah he may be or where he live - if she writes 'im. She'll heah where he at, she'll git 'im a lettah. He's gotta git de lettah. She'll go tuh de sto' an' buy 'er some love powdahs an' put in dat lettah. An' den she'll fol' dat piece an' weah it undah 'er right-foot shoe, nex' tuh 'er flesh between 'er stockin' an' 'er shoe. An' five days from de day he sees dat lettah, he'll come home. (She puts the love powder in this letter, and she wears this piece of the drawers in her shoe.) Yes, in 'er right-foot shoe.
Entry 4833
(What about the socks now?)
De socks, de stockin's or piece of yore garments. Now, ah've seen dis real. Split de green pine with a chisel an' a glut, a chisel an' a glut. Dat is, de glut is a piece of wood wide enough dat chew could lay it straight up an' down lak dat. [A glut is a wedgeshaped piece of wood or steel.] Nail dat together [after you put a piece of clothes in the split and remove chisel].
(What do you put in that?)
[What do you put in that split before nailing it together?]
Now, ah don't know whut he put in it, but he put dat in de tree. We got [found] de tree.
(Put what in the tree?)
De sock, an' de woman's stockin's - jis' whosomevah dey workin' ag'in, an' a piece of dere undah garment close tuh yore skin. Yuh know, de arm-holes or de seat of dey drawahs, if it's a man; if it's woman, de seat of hers. Nail dat intuh de tree wit a ten-penny nail an' let it [split] grow up [together]. Dat runs yuh crazy an' make yuh sick.
Entry 4883
When yuh meet 'im [at the door], put chure sock on, p'int 'em upside down. Stid [instead] a-puttin' de heel tuh de heel, put de heel tuh de foot [toe]. Put yore stockin's on tuh meet 'i. Meet de man whut chew want: de col- lectah, or yore rent man, anyone. Jis' meet 'em an' salute 'em. An' when dey salute 'em an' turn right from de do's - salute an' turn right on back an' go on in. Dey goin' on about dere business an' won' bothah yuh no mo'.
(You put the socks on wrongside outward?)
No, right straight. Don' turn it, jis' put de sock heel tuh de toe, an' de toe tuh de heel.
Entry 4884
A man wan'a woman, he kin go tuh work an' git de right foot of 'er stockin'. An' yuh kin go out at night, if yuh don't want 'er tuh leave home, or if she leave home an' yuh wan' 'er tuh come back. Yuh take her right foot of 'er stockin' an' make out right in de centah of de do'. Dis is de house an' dis is de centah of de do' right chere [demonstrates]. Right in de centah of de do' right heah, yuh go right straight back yuh undah- stan' about five feet - yuh walk backwards five feet. When yuh walk five feet, stan' right stock still, undahstan', an' dig yuh a little hole right down in de ground, right in de centah of de do'. Take dat stockin' an' put it down in dat hole. Git chew some sulphur an' put on top of it. Kivah [cover] it down in de ground dere, drive dat peg down in de ground out dere, an' dat [stocking] right down in de groun' wit it, kivah it up an' stomp [stamp] it underneat' yore foot. An' tell it, "Ah mean fo' dis tuh do whut ah tell yuh tuh do." An' den go back an' git chure left stockin'. Find 'er lef' sock an' put it right undah de bottom of de do'step - where de bottom do'step. Yuh know where de second an' right on up. Right chere de bottom one. Digs yuh a hole an' put it right down in dere. An' if she leave yuh - aftah dat's done an' she's lef' yuh, den she wants tuh come back. An' yuh leave dat dere an' she gotta walk dere, an' in less time dan 36 hours. Yuh give her 36 hours an' she'll be back. Ah don' care where in de world she is, if she's in New York or'where. (When you bury that second sock right there at the doorstep, do you put sul- phur in that, too?) Not a single thing. Yuh done done de mess out yondah.
Entry 4888
De stockin's an' de shoes or de socks. If yuh want someone tuh con- tinue comin' tuh yore place of business, if yuh kin git dere socks - not washed, let it be dirty. Or if it's a woman, let it be her stockin's, an' dey be dirty when she done wore it an' it ain't been washed. An' if it's a man an' it is sock, yuh take an' bury it anywhere aroun' de house- anywhere, don't mattah where. An' dey'll always be wit yuh - always be dere.
Entry 4893
De stockin' tuh de left foot yuh know, an' yuh bury it, bury it in de groun' tuh a cornah of 'er house. Well, when yuh bury dis sock, well yuh have it [the situation] jis' lak yuh wan' it. Well, when yuh do dat yuh - his co'ns [corns] yuh know, jis' lak he got co'ns or anythin', or fingahnails or toenails. Well, yuh git a piece of dat an' yuh take dat [and bury with it].
Entry 4903
Ah say yuh could take dat stockin', dat left one - take it an' bury it right at de steps where yuh have tuh go in an' come out, an' let it stay dere fo' nine days. An' if she's prob'ly gone outta dere, yuh an' her's ona bust - if she's gone away an' yuh wan' 'er back, by yuh's buryin' dat sock right down dere, she'll shore come back.
Entry 4904
Say dey use a man's stockin', sock, an' cut it up fine an' bury it undah yore do'step. If he's 'is wife's las' husban', he can't quit 'er.
Entry 4910
Like yuh wan' tuh make a woman drag. Jis' as though like a big stout woman, yuh wan' tuh make her jis' fall away. Now, yuh takes a stockin' - yuh see dat door? At de centah of de door where yuh come in, yuh bury dat stockin' dere an' yuh walks ovah 'er - ovah dat stockin', see. An' she'll fall away an' jis' withah away fo' nuthin.
Entry 4913
De woman's stockin's, put 'em up ovah de sill of de do'. An' dat steel dust, as yuh call it, put it up dere wit cayenne peppah wit it, in a bottle, stoppin' it tight. Write her name in it an' dat run 'er stone crazy. Dat give mah mamma de haidache so, she didn't know her haid from her arm or 'er feets.
Entry 4914
Wit de man sock, well yuh take de sand from undahneat' de steps an' fill up dat stockin', de sock, like he have it on, an' dig a hole an' put it in dat hole comin' toward de house, an' he's gotta stay dere, or either take de bow out his hat. (Wait a minute, now! Wait a minute! How do you put that sock down in that hole?) Jis' stand it up jis' like it be yore feet in dere.
(And that's pointing away from the house?)
[This misdirection question I rarely used.]
No, comin' tuh de house.
(You point it toward the house, jis' as you did with the shoe?)
[The shoe was given in a preceding rite.]
Yes sir.
Entry 4917
Take a woman's stockin' while it's dirty - not a clean one, while it's dirty. Yuh take it an' yuh ball it up an' yuh puts it right up ovah de do'. Dat [is] if she leave yuh, yuh puts it ovah de do' an' she'll come back home. Or eithah dey could cut de seat of 'er undahclothes out an' put it ovah de do' an' she'll nevah leave. An' [or] yo' could take de mole of 'er hair [head], cut de hair out an' plait it. Put it intuh a vial an' put Hearts Cologne on it - feed it. [To put Hearts Cologne on is to feed it.] Tote it in yore pocket an' she'll nevah leave yuh - she'll stay wit yuh.
Entry 4920
Yuh kin take a man's dirty sock, take de lef' foot, an' git chew a white of an aig. An' yuh take dat white of an aig an' roll it up in dat sock. Jis' like dis is de sock, yuh put dat white of a aig right on de heel of dat sock an' roll it tuh yuh. Don't roll it from yuh, roll it tuh yuh. An' when yuh roll it up tuh yuh right tight, yuh take it an' put it undah de eve [eaves] of de house, an' [or] hide it some secret place where he won' fin' dat sock. An' yuh couldn't git rid of 'im tuh save yore life. Take a woman's stockin' an' do her de same way.
Entry 4921
Sleep wit dere stockin's undah yore haid. Take yore socks an' sleep wit 'em undah mah haid. Or take dem an' cut de feet out an' wear dem.
(What will that do?) Dey will follah yuh.
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 4928
If yuh git a forked stick - yuh git a man or woman dat chew don' like. An' if yuh wan'a kill 'em or wan' 'em tuh die or be down undah yuh, sick all de time, take dat forked stick. Yuh git one of de stockin's off dey lef' laig an' yuh take it tuh de root of a pine tree, down de root of a pine tree. Lak yuh kin drive it up undah de roots of a pine tree, an' yuh say, "Ah drive yuh heah tuh stay heah until Lulu, '' or whutevah de woman name, 'until she die." An' jis' leave it right dere. Or de man, an' call 'is name when yuh go dere. Bury it. Lak yuh go tuh bury it in dere an' yuh say, "O, son-of-a- bitch, ah put chew heah tuh stay right chere till yuh die." Well, dat's whut ah heard of 'em doin' wit a forked stick.
Entry 4929
A man could have a wife, yuh know, or somepin goin' a road contrary tuh de way dat he would like her tuh go, or prob'ly might be passin' a man's house dat livin' by 'imself an' he figures she's stoppin' dere or sompin. He kin go tuh de fo'ks of dat road, where de road turns off an' go in 'er house. An' he kin take jis' - well, mos' anythin', a piece of 'er stockin' outa de foot, carry it tuh de fo'ks of dat road. An' take it up dis othah road, about ten feet in de othah road, de one he wanta 'er tuh travel, an' she's gotta go dataway. An' take a peg an' dig 'im a hole, an' drive dat stockin' down on de end of dat peg, an' she won' travel dat othah road no mo'. She'll go dis road evah time, even if she have tuh go roun' an' come dere. But she ain't goin' tuh go roun' an' come dere. She go on an' 'tend tuh 'er business an' come back.
Entry 4941
Yes, sir, yuh take dem stockin's an' bury dem stockin's, see. Yuh go dere an' bury dem stockin's. See, yuh undahstan'. Now take sulphur an table salt an' put in dem stockin's an' den bury 'em. An' den fo' nine mornin's go back dere an' jis' like yuh got'a pencil, yuh un- dahstan', an' yuh hit dat on dere jis' like dat, an' say, "Go." An' dey'll shore go.
(What do you hit that with?)
Wit a pencil.
Entry 4944
Git indelible pencil an' git yuh a linen [paper] tablet, an' yuh write his name nine times down, an' yuh come back across dat an' write chure name across dat. Take it an' fold it an' wear it in yore right-foot stockin', an' don't pull it off. He'll be back in seven days. (You fold that piece [of paper] to you?) Tuh yuh, put it in yore stockin' an' sleep in it. [My question is not leading. Something was done during the conversation or before to indicate the type of folding.]
Entry 4962
Yuh kin take a woman's stocking an' tie it in nine knots an' put it in a coffee can with live lodestone an' powdered alum an' a lick of dis heah Hearts Own Cologne an' one needle, sewin' nee- dle, an' yuh kin stop dat [coffee can] back up, an' yuh kin tie her dere jis' like she's lef' yuh an' she had come back. She'll stay dere jis' as long as dat, stay dere until dat stockin' molt away in dat can. [A lick of Hearts Own Cologne sounds unusual, even though lick can mean a small quantity. Previously I had never heard of a lick of perfume! Hearts Own here sounds like heartshorn, a pronunciation that confused me when I first started working in the South. I have discussed this elsewhere.]
(What do you do with that can?)
Well, yuh kin place it in yore trunk. Put it in yore trunk or any place like dat, yuh know, safe keepin' where nobody won't harm it.
Entry 4966
[The following rite is a first class sending-away rite told as a bring- ing-back rite. I have marked this informant on the original transcription page ng (no good), which some- times merely means not a good informant, or an in- formant with little worth- while material. The purpose here, though not normal, becomes magically legimate by intention. Reversal is also a piece of magic.]
(About the stocking foot?)
Yes, so fur as de stockin' foot, yo' kin do her stockin' foot an' cut it off at de toe yo' see. Dat's mos' where dey sweats at - de toe of it. Yo' take dat, a small piece, an' put nine knots in it, see. Put it in a bottle an' take a piece of papah an' yo' put 'er name on dere. Yo' put dat in dere an' go tuh de rivah an' throw.it ovahbo'd. See, den dere's no mo' tuh dat.
(What will that do?)
Well, so fur as dat, it bring 'er back if yo' wants 'er back. Yo' kin bring 'er back an' she cain't leave when yo' do dat. See. She gotta stay dere until she die. She gotta stay dere.
Entry 4975
Take a woman's stockin' whut she done dirtied, yuh know, wit sweat on lak dat yuh know.
(You take the woman's stocking?)
Yes, sir, wit de sweat on dere an' put it in de baid where yuh sleept. An' sleep on it an' dat will make her come back tuh yuh. An' tie it roun' yuh an' yuh sweat against it, an' dat will make her come back tuh yuh. (Both stockings?) One - don't need but one, eithah one.
Entry 4979
Dey kin take a man's sock or a woman's stockin' dat dey've been worn, an' take dat an' put it between de mattress, if it's a woman. An' den if it's de man, why de man take dat stock- in' - de foot of dat stockin', de bottom of it, an' said he kin weah dat in 'is pocketbook an' dat'll gain de woman. Ah don't know.
Entry 4999
Dey ties dat fo' love. Dey say dey take a woman's stockin' an' keep it out fo' so many days, er [or] so many mawnin's, an' dey ties it in so many knots - three cord knots. Yuh know, tuh love ah reckon. Dey wan' chew tuh love 'em. Three tuh four knots. An' den dey take de foot of dat stockin', take a nail dat's not got a head on each end - jis' a nail bent kinda like dis [demonstrates a staple]. Drive it in de north cornah [side] of a tree. An' dey say long as dat knot tied dere, why yuh an' dem people will be tuhgethah.
Entry 5003
A man kin take a woman's stockin', he kin dress it - whut dey call dressin'. Take dat yuh see - take dat stockin' an' carry it off somewhere an' git off tuh deyself. An' skin yuh [thing] back an' de whut chew call gnat bread be roun' dere - be's roun' de haid of yore [thing]. Well, why see, yuh take dat an' yuh balled it up an' go tuh runnin' watah an' wet de stock- in'. Well, dat makes all dat stuff be 'solved [dissolved] all through. Well, now, when she put dem stockin's on ag'in, dere ain't nuthin in de worl' will keep 'er from bein' wit dat man no way whatevah - she's fer 'im.
(What do they call that stuff - sort of scum-like on the head of his tool?)
Yeah, bread.
(What do you call that stuff? I didn't understand that name?)
Dey call it gnat bread.
(What does the first word mean? Gnat like a little bug? Gnat bread?)
Dat's right. [My emphasis shows interest and surprise. I had not heard the term for years, momentarily could scarcely recall the first word. Years ago this condition was associated with a lack of personal hygiene; the reason for the word scum. If I remember, the term does not appear elsewhere in HOODOO.]
Entry 5007
Yuh kin take a woman's stockin' an' yuh kin keep 'er home. Jis' lak if yuh love a woman, yuh kin take her stockin'. An' yuh kin take dat stockin' an' yuh kin put a teaspoonful of black peppah an' some cream of tartah an' mix it tuhgethah, an' a piece of jis' de toenail offen a rab- bit's hin' lef' laig. An' wrap it up in de bed mattress where yuh an' 'er sleep, an' she'll leave outen dat room no mo' den outdo's an' dat room. Yuh'll nevah have no trouble wit 'er long as dat in dere, but nevah let 'er know whut's in dere. Sew it up in dere an' let it stay dere. [Fayette- ville. N. Car. (1438). 2608:2.]
Entry 5011
People kin take yore stockin's or a woman's stockin's. Dey take an' roll 'em up an' put 'em where it won' rain on 'em no mo'. Dey say if yuh put 'em where it won' rain on it, it make 'em lose dere health, an' make 'em look lak dey got de TB. Dey jis' git worsah an' worsah until dey go tuh nuthin. Well, dey don' do a thing but keeps 'em in a dry place.
Entry 5020
They say you can take a man's sock or a woman's stocking and carry it with yeh and make them do what chew want 'em to do. Just make yore wishes with it. And put sulphur and salt in there. and they say nc one else, whatever the're doing [to counteract your in- tentions] can't do anything with it no more than you. See? Just like if you'd bury it out here in this yard and someone come and sprin- kle something on it, they say that wouldn't be any good. And you take this sock and wear it. And if you want him to stay home, if it's a man you want him to stay home and don't want him to go, why then you bury it. Bury it in the yard some place where you walk over it oftener than he does. And that keeps him home.
Entry 5022
Ah heard tell of a man dat de woman miss 'er stockin's. She didn't know where he stockin's be, an' he had de stockin's. She jis' would wear 'em, an' he tie 'em in a heap of knots an' tie 'em tuh 'im. He have a silvah dime, yuh know, wit a lady haid on it; an' he had a piece of new homespun an' tie it tuh 'im. An' dat would fix de wumman so she won' run roun'. (He took two of her stockings and he tied them into one knot or how many knots?) He jis tie 'em right straight up tuh 'im - tie 'em tuh him, keep a-tyin' 'em up.
(And he put this in a piece of new homespun?)
Tie 'em in a piece of new homespun - aroun' it.
(Then when he got these all together, what did he do with the whole thing?)
He put 'em undah de cornah of 'er house.
(That's where she found them?)
Yeah.
Entry 5024
Yes, ah heard tell of a woman, if she has a man dat she love an' dat she think he's 'bout tuh leave her, don't chew undahstan'. If she takes 'er stockin' an' put it intuh his coat, chew know, slip it into 'is coat, in each sleeve intuh a coat dat he weahs reg'lahly, well den dat holds 'im, yuh see.
Entry 5034
[They] take 'em an' dey buries 'em. Jis' like I got a woman an' she lef' me, an' I got 'er socks or anything dere. Well, I takes it an' I buries it undahneath de steps wit de white of an egg.
(With what?)
De white of a egg.
(Well, how do you do that? Do you mean just pour the white of an egg on it?)
Take it an' cobweb it an' mix it up tuhgethah. See, an' I folds it, dis stocking tuh me dataway, undahstan', an' I buries it right at mah step wit nine brass tacks. (This white of an egg. You just simply take the white out of an egg and put it on the stockings, and then roll it toward you?) [The verb cobweb is so unusual I missed the full meaning at the time of record- ing. Informant takes the white of an egg and cobwebs, pours a network design over the stocking, a magic entrapment and holding device.] Yes sir.
(And you put it under the steps and you use nine brass tacks?)
Yes sir.
(I see, and you tack it up under the steps?)
Yes sir.
(Anything else? That all you do?)
Dat's to - dat's if dey gone away, see. An' if yuh wanta draw 'em tuh you, well yuh have dat settin' dere. See, it's a way yuh kin draw 'em tuh yuh, when yuh have dat settin' dere fo' 'em tuh step ovah.
Entry 5035
Yo' kin take a man's sock an' run 'im, an' yo' kin take a wo- man's stockin' an' fix it an' run 'er wit it. Yo' take 'em an' yo' put dat sulphur an' red peppah an' table salt [three ingre- dients] - dat whut dey tell me yo' do - an', yo' know, roll it up in some new white homespun. Well, yo' take dat an' throw it in runnin' watah an' dey com- pelled tuh follah dat stockin' yo' see. An' jis' wherevah it lodges, dat's where dey'll lodge.
Entry 5037
Yo' kin take de socks or de stockin's an' bury it at de foot of yore steps. Write his name on a piece of papah an' put it in dem socks wit sulphur an' brimstone, wit a little bit of sugah tuh make it sweet. An' bury dat at de foot of yore steps. An' as he goin' an' as he comin' in an' out, see he gotta pass ovah dat. An' 'is min' den will be, yo' know, tuh come home.
Entry 5039
Stockin's or socks, why yuh know, yuh kin take dose so socks tuhgethah - tie 'em tuh- gethah undahstan', his socks an' hers, too. An' place dem by de bed, yuh see, up on de edge of de bed. An' dat will gain love right on, jis' 'solve[dissolve ' tm tuhgethah, too.
(That is to keep him there?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5042
Den dey take de worn stockin' - change de stockin's an' den dey take de stockin's an' put 'em in a bundle in de mattress, yuh know. An' yuh put dem stockin's an' tie it tight dataway - tie two stockin's tuhgethah an' yuh put it in de middle of yore bed, undah de sheet of de bed. De stock- in' will be up heah. An' den dey'll have ah - dey'll put some strings in dere. Dey'll have a string tied. An' dey draws a pitchure of dereself wit a pencil. Ah seed [saw] a woman do dat mahself. Ah know she done dis. She takes a pencil an' she draws. Ah don' know what pitchure she did draw, but she'll take dat sock an' she'll put it down dere. An' she'll take dat thing dat she draws an' she'll put undah dat same place. An' dat man cain't leave her.
(You don't know what she draws on there?)
No, she won't let me see dat.
Entry 5048
Jis' say, if yuh wanta bust up [broken-home remedy], see. A woman kin take his socks an' take her stockin's an' put 'em tuhgethah, heel tuh heel an' toe tuh toe. Use de lef' foot. Some say de right but de lef' foot is bes'. An' yo' put some sugah in dere an' some peppah, black peppah: if it's white person, put white peppah; an' if it's a black person, put black peppah. An' den yuh put a little cayenne peppah in it, see. An' den yuh roll it to yuh, lak dat [demonstrates]. An' aftah yuh roll it tuh yuh, den yuh git chew a bran'-new co'd [cord] string an' yuh wrap it nine times.
(How do you wrap that?)
Tuh yuh. Yuh roll it tuh yuh an' wrap it tuh yuh. An' den git chew a needle an' git chew some red silk thread an' sew it on each end, nine stitches. Pull it tuh yuh all de time dis way [demonstrates]. Pull it tuh yuh all de time.
(You put nine stitches on each end.)
Dat's tuh bring peace.
(What do you do with that then?)
Well, yuh kin wear it in yore pocket or put it where yuh kin evah day jis' dress it. Yuh know, jis' take yore han', don' have tuh put nuthin on it. Jis' take yore han' or jis' put a little perfume on it - good-luck perfume, any kinda good-luck perfume an' jis' rub it in yore han'. An' den yuh kin sleep on it. Or yuh kin put it where nobody won' go by [near] it but chew. See.
(That is for them to live together in peace.)
Yes.
Entry 5055
Now de woman is gone, she's gone. She jis' pick up 'erself an' gone out. She boun' tuh leave somepin in dere. Now, dat's whut she lef' in dere - dat be a cloth, a blood cloth. Well, yuh might ketch it. She might leave dat. Well, yuh ketch dat an' yuh kin take dat an' bury dat. Now, dat stockin' when she leaves, yuh take dat stockin'. Don' pin it up lak by de laig, yuh pin it up by de toe, yuh undahstan'. Yuh git chew a bran'- new - a pack of bran'-new safety pins, but don' take an' let dat git away from yuh. Jis' keep dat perfec' [perfect] fo' dat. Take it an' shove it [pin] back dere, right in de stockin' foot.
(Where do you hang it up?)
In yore dressah or in yore chiffahrobe [chifforobe], or whutsomevah yuh got. Yuh got'a hang it in dere, but hang it upside down. Now de name. Write her name nine times. Now yuh take an' yuh write de name an' yuh put dat in a bottle. Write de name nine times comin' tuh yuh all de time, not goin' from yuh, comin' tuh yuh nine times. Yuh fol' dat an' yuh put dat in a bottle. Yuh git chew some lodestone an' put dat in dere in dat clear watah, an' carry dat tuh a rivah or bayou. Ah don' care where yuh carry it; tuh de creek or anywhere. Don't set it up, turn dat down. When yuh turn dat down, dat bottle goin' turn lak dis [demonstrates]. Turn comin' tuh yuh. De mouth of it will turn comin' tuh yuh all de time. It's be comin' tuh yuh an' it'll be goin'. In nine days yuh'll see 'em right dere. [Algiers, La., (193, 2993:2.]
Entry 5057
Yuh kin take a woman's stockin' an' urinate on it an' jis' take a lil Hearts Cologne an' wrap it up tight an' put it in yore pocket, an' dat woman will go crazy long as dat stockin' wrapped up in a tight bow, an' yuh keep it anywhere on yuh. De man's sock de same way. (That makes her go crazy about him?) "Bout 'im, long as yuh have dose stockin's or socks anywhere 'bout chew.
Entry 5082
[Wiping, different from the magic rites of rub- bing, is itself often magic action; in fact, it frequently occurs in impotence causes and cures.] If she have any of 'is clothes, she kin bring 'im back. If he left any of 'is pieces he wore close tuh 'i, she kin git 'im back. Well, she take 'em jis wherevah - if he got a sock, stockin', or anythin' he's got, she'll take dat sock an' she'll wipe herself wit it. An' she'll fill it fulla sugah an' she'll roll it tuh 'er an' she'll sew it. An' right where he lay at, dat's where she'll put dat sock. An' de ninth day he'll be back.
Entry 5084
Now, if ah wanta git chure influence, ah take mah stockin' an' lay it down - mine. [On her side of the interviewing table she begins to demonstrate by spreading out an imaginary stocking and sock, as I comment:]
(Flat down.)
An' put chures on top.
(And put one of mine on top. Just one of each?)
Jis' one of each.
(Which one would they take?)
[My they may be an attempt to avoid the guinea pig situation.]
De right. Den yuh rolls dis back, mine on top - roll it back [to you] an' turn it ovah.
(Do you roll it from you or away from you?)
Tuh me. Den aftah yuh rolls it tuh yuh, yuh take it den an' wet it in chamber lye an' put it intuh a close place where nobody will bothah it - nobody kin find it. Yuh keep it damp. No mattah what chew wanta do or what chew wanta say, or how yuh want dis person tuh do, dey will do it. Dat will control dere mind.
Entry 6150
Sure, ah heard dat yo' jes' take dat hair an' put a few little diff'- ren' articles in it an' wear it in yore pocket. Yo' git de hair an' a piece of de foot out de right foot of dere stockin', an' yo' sew dat hair an' dat piece of stockin' togethah an' yo' wear it in yore pocket an' dey have to return.
(Either sock?)
Out de right foot.
Entry 7960
An' dey make a li'le coffin dataway, git a piece of de woman's stock- ings. Dey git a piece of de woman's undahweah, if it's possible. Dey will take nine needles. Dey will take nine pins. Dey will put red peppah an' dey will put Epsom salts. Dey put oil of verbena an' bury dat undah de party's step. See. An' dey will nevah put de end tuhgethah, dey an' dey husband...
(They do what?)
Nevah git de end tuhgethah, nevah make de ends meet. Don't care if dey both be workin', dey always will be somepin: lak if dey have shoes, dey hayen't got any hat; if dey got a hat, dey haven't got any skirt; if dey got a skirt, dey owe de landlord. Dey'll nevah will be successful.
Entry 8675
Take that name and put it nine times, and she wear it in the bottom of her foot. She keep her stockings on all day long and she keep that name right under the palm of her foot. An' keep her stockin' on, dat's to keep it from vorking out. That draw her husband back home to her.
(I see. She writes the name nine times as you showed me before?) Yes, sir, nine times.
Entry 10211
Well, yo' take one of 'er socks, jes' one of 'er stockin's, if yo' kin fin' dit, or eithah her menst'ration cloth. Well mos' people take de menst'ration cloth an' take a quart jah see, an' ketch [rain] watah. Jes' set yore quart jah out in de yard when it rains an' let it run full of watah [see comment later] an' take dat menst'ration cloth an' put it down in dere [the rain water] an' keep it [in the rain water] for nine days. An' aftah de ninth day she be - well, she'll go crazy for you. (Well, that breaks the spell, she had him tied up, when she ties up your [a man's] nature.) Yes sir. [First an empty quart jar set out in the yard during a rain is not going to fill up with water, despite the hoodoo powers of my informant. Finally: if a woman ties up a man, takes away his nature for all women except her, the present rite restores his nature completely.] [Rain water, like running Water, is a magic substance: see No.1431, p.467, v.1; etc.]
Entry 11076
A woman's stockin', you kin take it an' git chew some de cinnamoa, de big cinnamon. Dey got de two kin', dey got de groun' cinnamon an' dey got de big cinnamon. Dey take de big cinnamon. (You mean the bark?) Yes. Take dat an' yo' git chew some graveyard dust, an' yo' git chew two tacks an yo' nail that. Yo' nail de heel part of de stockin'. Yo' nail de foot-part any- where yo' wanta nail it an' dey jis' be gone. Dey'll live about nine or ten days but dey cain't live no longer, yo' see. If it's both of them it's all right but de left-foot shoe [stocking] yo' must have.
Entry 11902
"To have man under her feet, " woman wore his hair between her bare feet and stockings. [Mobile 899:1.]
Entry 12643
Fill a stocking with crushed red peppers and sprinkle vinegar on, and wear around waist to protect self against cunjuration. [Wilmington 125:1+85.]
Entry 8716
Yo' kin take a woman's stockin' or a man's sock dat dey done wore, an' yo' takes dat an' write dere name down nine times straight, jes' on a straight piece of papah [demonstrates]. (Write one and the next one after it right under the other.) Yessuh. An' yo' put it in dat sock or stockin' an' yo' fold it from yo'. An' as yo' fold it from yo', at twelve a'clock at night, yo' go somewhere where dere's a fig tree. An' yo' dig a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' puts dat stockin' undah dat tree an' covah it up. An' when yo' covah it up [you say] "As dat stockin' melt away, dey wastes away." See, dey'll jes' dry up an' Waste away lak a person dat got some kinda disease.
(You must say those words?)
Yessuh, as yo' put de stockin'. Yo' wrap up as ah 'fore tole yo' wit de name in it. An' den when yo' put de name in dere, yo' wrap it from yo'. An' yo' find de fig tree. But it must be twelve a'clock at night. An' yo' digs a hole undah dat fig tree an' yo' buries it. An' when yo' buries it, yo' say, "Jes' lak ah put dis stockin' heah tuh rot away, dat's de way ah want de individuals tuh waste away."
(That will kill them then?)
Yessuh, an' as dat stockin' rot away, dey health be gittin' bad an' dey'll first an' last, final[ly], an' jes' die off, an' nobody will know whut dey died wit, if dey don' go find out 'bout de stockin'.
Entry 13143
Yo' kin take his sock to make 'im love you an' yo' stockin' an' put it [them] together. Understand? An' puts some sugah with it. An' take it out an' bury it on the side of your house, an' go out there every mawnin' an' pour your chamber lye there. Don't you under- stand? See, on that. An' you take the sock an' your stocking an' roll it together, see. Now put a red onion with it, a dime - that's to make 'im give her money - roll it together. Sew it to you an' make your wish - that's her, you see - sew it up in your mattress. That man'll give you money, give 'er roney as long as he's there.
Entry 13156
Sock or stocking, put in jar, urinate on it, keep it hidden, make 'em love you. [Memphis 1550:3.]
Entry 4531
Dey go tuh work an' take de lef'-footed stockin' an' git chew some brimstone an' some spice. An' cut de stockin', de heel of it on down tuh de toe, an' burn dat tuhgethah - burn de stockin' an' makes a powdah out of dat. An' den goes tuh work an' grin' up dat spice an' grind up - when yuh grin' up de spice, den yuh goes tuh work an' yuh grin' up dis brimstone. An' mix it all tuhgethah an' yuh kin take it an' rub it in a hat - in his hat whut he use. Dat will make him stay home.
Entry 13364
If dere's a man left a woman an' is gone an' she cain't make him come back, an' she's done ever'thin' she wants tuh do tuh make him come back. She'll have tuh go tuh de man an' git de man tuh come tuh her house, an' aftah he come tuh her house, see, she takes him in dere an' she takes an' has intah- co'sin' wit him. Well, she'll have intahcos' wit dis man an' she'll git some of her urinate, some of her [his] stuff. An' she takes it an' she takes a lil' piece of flour dough, an' she mixes it all up wit it. An' takes it an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'ch'ef an' drops it in one of her stockin's. She crush de stockin' all up an' puts it in de cornah behin' de dō', an' den nevah sweeps it out. An' as long as dat stay dere - she let it stay dere fo' 9 days. In dem 9 days time, say he'll come tuh de house. In 9 days time no mattah how fur he is away, if he kin git dere in 9 days he'll be dere in dem nine days.
(This man has to come to her house first?)
Yassuh, [otherwise] some othah - she have tuh git some othah man tuh come tuh her house.
(Some other man would come, so she could get this other man to come back?)
Yassuh, jes' lak ah went off an' left a girl an' den wouldn't come back tuh her, she'll git some othah man tuh come tuh her house tuh be with her so she could git chance tuh git some stuff [semen] from him. She mix it in flour dough, tie it up in a piece of han'ke'ch'ef an' drop it in one her stockin's, tie de stockin' up an' throw it behin' de do', de do' dat he comes in all de time, an' dey say in 9 days time he'll be back.
Entry 4901
Git 'er right-laig stockin' an' yuh kin take dat an' bury it. Ah heard de woman say yuh git de right stockin'. Ah specially got dat about de woman's stockin'.
(What will that do then, if you bury that under the step?)
Bury 'er stockin' undah de step, yuh hold 'er. De man will hold 'er.
The account names a woman's right-leg stocking and describes burying it under a step to 'hold' her; this remains an attributed claim.