Subject:Sugar
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Entry 1032
Git chew a ole shoe, git a man's shoe, an' git chew some sugah - yo' Want fren's yo' see, sugah makes it sweet fo' anything. Git chew some sugah an sulphur. [Sulphur is for protection.] Every Thursday in de week, yo' jes sprinkle dat [mixture] in each corner of yore house an' say - a song yo' sing [she sings]: Jesus invites yo' heah, Prayers come from hearts so deah, 0, won'( chew come? Almos' persuaded - come - come. An' yore house crowded lak dat. Ah us'ta do dat mahself: Jesus invites yo' heah, Angel is lingerin' neah. Prayers rise from hearts so deah, O, won' chew come? Almos' persuaded - come - come today. Almos' persuaded, turn not away. (I see, that's very good [the singing]. That will bring customers in to buy your liquor?) Shore.
Entry 1491
If someone tryin' tuh harm yo' an' dey sprinkle somethin' down, yo' take yo' some saltpeter an' put it in de bottom of yore shoe an' some Epsom salts an' some sugah an' some cinnamon, an' yo' kin walk ovah it.
Entry 1544
Fo' poison yo' kin take a silver dollah an' boil it in a halfa gallon of watah an' boil it down to a quart wit dat dollah in dere, an' den when yo' take dat dollah [out] put a dime in dere an' drink off of it. But put chew a little sugah in dere, jes' enough to dress it, an' drink off it an' it will kill de poison. [Unusual use of word dress.]
Entry 1748
Sew it in a - you see, you can take ribbon - have a red and yellow ribbon for luck, and you take it and put it [bow] right between the ribbon with steel dust and sugar and wear it there, and he gives you lots of money and all. And it always be night when he come in, you press it. You take the little bow, and put that in one of the garters and put it on the left leg. You see, you take and sew the elastic - you know, you take the ribbon and put another piece under- neath that and make it like a ruffle on it [garter], but you put it in there. That's to keep him from paying attention to where it is. (It's hidden in that garter, inside where he can't see it.)
Entry 1750
Whut a woman do tuh make him come back to her? Well, ah'm goin' tell yo' somepin. Ah've tried this mahself an' yo' see ah know whut ah'm tellin' yo' 'bout is strictly true - dis heah ain't no story. Mah husban' left me an' ah tell yo' whut ah did. He went away from home. Ah got him tuh come back. Ah save some of his urine, see. I hate to say this to You. Ah got some an' put it in a half pint bottle, an' ah got me a tablespoon fulla sugah an' put it in dis urine of his'n, an' ah buried it undah de steps. See, dis is true - ah know whut ah'm talkin' 'bout. Ah could git him right now if ah wanted him but ah don't want him. An' he come home an' tole me, said, "Honey, ah been treatin' yo' wrong, but ah wants tuh come back home tuh stay. I buried dis mahself right undah de do'step - ah had de pint bottle of his urine. See, he made it in de slop jar an' ah didn't urinate in it with him. An' yo' see, yo' have tuh take his'n off, an' ah put this tablespoon fulla sugah in dere, an' took an' buried it at de do'step, an' every mawnin' ah say, "Lawd, yo' know whut ah did. Ah did it, In de Name of the Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, an' hope all mah wishes come true in mah happy hour." An' he come home tuh me. Ah did that mahself, an' ah learnt it from anothah man.
Entry 2175
She burn incense. An' then she take de peelin' offa red onions, she burn de peelin'. An' she put 'em on de stove on a brown piece of papah an' sprinkle sugah an' let 'em burn ev'ry mawnin'. She say dat bring luck. (You mean just that dry peeling off the onion? She burned the dry peeling - just the dry peeling?) Jis' de dry peelin'.
Entry 2199
Ah tell yo' whut chew do, if yo' in business fo' violation or in any way an' yo' figures de law is comin'. Well now yo' listen. Yo' git chew nine grains of red peppah outa de pods, nine grains. Git two teaspoon fulla sugah an' yo' git chew one palm of Christian seed [three ingredients] an' yo' powder dat all up togethah an' yo take an' make - yo' know, put it in a ball an' wheresomevah yo' got fiah, yo' throw it in dat fiah, an' de law will come right by de do' an' drive on 'way. [The term palm of Christian taxed my guessing ability to the limit. After efforts at various times I finally came up with palma Christi (hand of Christ), anglicized form palmcrist - the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis). Informant's word seed probably confused me, because during my boyhood castor-oil plant seeds were called beans. They are still called castor beans, are poisonous because of ricin in them, and are nonetheless the source of castor oil. My only other folk- lore experience with the plant is a strange one: "It is against the law to cut down a castor-bean plant" - FACI, 1st ed.,1935, p.429. This could be one of those many inversions in folklore, as in life, meaning - 'It is unlawful to grow a plant having poisonous seeds."
Entry 2403
And if you don't do it thataway, you takes cinnamon and sugar and you sprinkle that cinnamon and sugar in the front of the door, but be sure to scrub - use nine buckets of water, one bottle of the ammonia. But when you scrub, don't scrub out your door - scrub in. You understand what I mean. Scrub it inside. Sweep your water in all the time. And after you do that, then you can sprinkle ycur cinnamon and sugar and that house'll get rented. Yes, sir.
Entry 2410
If yo' wanta take a trip somewhere, a long trip, an' yo' wanta go an' try tuh make money, 'fore yo' leave home, why yo' take yo' a bath an' comb yore hair, an' have yore room shet up an' burnin' incense, an' take yo' a bath in sugah an' white lead - dey call it white lead, it looks lak sugah, too. Den yo' take a bath in dat watah. When yo' git out yo' rub yo'self down in olive oil an' comb yore hair an' clean yore comb out. Den walk to de front do' an' open it an' jes' let de air go through yore house.
(You put this white lead and sugar in the water in which you take a bath?)
Yes, jes' about a half a teaspoonful - white lead an' sugah. It's kind of a medicine lak.
Entry 2422
(What do you do about the landlord, now?)
You wake up on a Friday morning, don't let a black woman cross your floor - cross your door-sill, the sill or your door. You get up in the morning and you get your scrubbing brush and you get you a bucket of water, don't put no soap in it at all. Put you a little blueing in it and about two tablespoonsful of sugar - white granulated sugar, something like rock Sugar you know. And put it in that water and you scrub your house, and your landlord going to come there - he can come there for six months. Well, you tell him, say, "I ain't got nothing." He say, "Well, all right, when you got some- thing, give me something." He's gone - he ain't going to put you out, you can stay right there in that house. But the nextdoor neighbor can't make you move.
Entry 2425
If ah wus bootleggin' or runnin' a good-time place an' wanted tuh keep de law away, ah would take me some honey an' sugah an' wash mah house out wit it, an' ah would cross a broom in mah house, an' de law cain't come in.
(What do you mean by crossing the broom?)
Ah put it crossways of de bed, crossways undah de bed lak. (You mean, this is the bed like this - you don't put the broom like that, you put it like that?) Yo' put it lak that - dat's crossways of de bed.
(Sort of catercorner under the bed?)
Yes.
Entry 2457
Yo' git chew some cinnamon barks an' yo' git some sugah an' yo' puts it in a pot, a big large pot of watah an' put dat on an' leave it boil, an' yo' take dat cinnamon bark an' dat sugah. Take an' strain de barks out de watah an' put it in a jug or bottle, either one yo' got, an' every time yo' git ready tuh scrub, yo' takes some clear watah an' yo' put dat in dere. Now, yo' scrub yore sidewalk, yo' scrub from de street back to yore do', an' yo' place of business yo' scrub from de do' where de people come in back to de back [door] wit clear watah.
(That'll bring in customers?)
YASSUH [emphatically], dat'll bring yo' in customers.
Entry 2460
If you have a business place - this is your business place an' you wan'a - now, you git up in the mornin', you throw three buckets water to the sun- rise, In the Name of the Father, the Son an' the Holy Ghost. You git choo some cinnamon an' sugah an' scrub your place. Don't scrub it out, scrub your trade in; you don't want chore trade to go out, choo want it to come in. An' you have all kinds of trade.
Entry 2481
Get you some mackerel brine - what I mean is mackerel brine off a mackerel fish. You take that brine - you gotta buy it, about fifteen or twenty cents worth - you take that brine and get you a bucket of water and put you some sugar and pulverized cinnamon in there and sprinkle it just as fer as your place extends; and whatever you got, you will sell out what you got. That mackerel brine, cinnamon and sugar in that water.
(That's for bootlegging?)
Any kind of business you're in you needn't a-worry.
Entry 2485
Wait until the first Friday of the month - the first Friday of each month - you get you some cinnamon and sugar and get you some lye water.
(What kind of water?)
Lye water - purely lye.
(Like concentrated lye?)
Concentrated lye, and scrub that house. And in the four corners of this house after you have scrubbed it, you set that house aburning in the four corners of that house, you see. Set some sugar and cinnamon, mix it and light it, and I'll guarantee you'll rent your house.
(You really will rent your house?)
You'll rent your house.
(What do you burn in those four corners?)
Cinnamon and sugar.
(I see. But you only scrub with the lye water?)
Only scrub with the lye water. [One cylinder later in answer to my question about how a business could bring in customers, informant begins to repeat what had been said about renting a house - a further detail being added.] (Now, wait a minute - if you were bootlegging now, what are you going to do about it to bring in trade?) To bring in trade?
(Yes.)
Well, you scrub your house - scrub your place of business and after you scrub it, you know.
(Now, wait a minute. Now, tell me what you told me before.)
Well, every first Friday of each month.
(Every first Friday of each month?)
Of each month, yes sir.
(All right.)
And then, after you scrub your house every first Friday of each month, see, you close it up and put you some cinnamon and some sugar and mix it thoroughly and put it in each corner of the house. See. And if it's a business place, put it right in the center of the floor. And burn it until all of it's burned up. And then the-next morning you get up and open the door, and you let all kind of trade in. You do that every first Friday.
Entry 2511
In the corner, looking and watching, trying to get hold of you, when you bootlegging. You get some honey and some white loaf sugar, some holy water and some tea.
(What kind of tea?)
Black tea. You take the black tea, you strain it and put that down in there. You shake it good and then take a little out every morning and you have it in a little bottle and go to all four corners, running [bottle at] corners, and the law will come and knock twice, knock his club and go away and won't come no more.
(You sprinkle that in all four corners of the house?)
Yes.
Entry 2535
Well, you will have to get some incense, lueky incense and brown sugar, and mix all that together and take - scrub the house out in the four corners and you burn your incense in the four corners in each room. You burn the incense in each room and then you wash your house out with oil of cinnamon and brown sugar and you scrub it out with that. Don't put no washing powders or nothing in it - just scrub it out with the clear water.
(What will that do then?)
That will give you luck to get your house rented.
Entry 2561
Fo' luck aroun' mah home lak that, tuh keep the laws or anything lak that from botherin' me, if ah wus a-hustlin' or bootleggin', ah would take an git me some lye an' git me some sugah an' lay it undah mah do'step an' sprinkle it all roun' de house an' on de inside an' dat will keep de laws away.
Entry 2567
You take cinnamon, parsley and you get you some sugar, Jockey Club, Mary Garden perfume and oil of geranium, you put that in there too, and you put all that together and you put it over in the east side of the corner in two cups, and you mix all that up - together, chop it up and put it in a cup and set it in a corner, and they [law] ain't going to bother you."
Entry 2580
Take cinnamon, brown sugah, reddenin' - it's jis' lak a powder but it's red, an' yo' scrubs with that. Yo' scrub with dat powders an' dat brings yo' luck. [Three ingredients.]
Entry 2637
All right. You got a place of business and you ain't had no luck. You get up in the morning before twelve or one o'clock and don't speak to nobody, if your wife or a friend in the house with you. When you get up don't say anything to them until after you get fixed. You take a left shoe of a woman and the left shoe of a man, two spoons of sugar, two spoons of camphor gum.
(Camphor gum.)
Camphor gum, and you mix that together. You burn that down till it's a ashes. You go to the back, you start at your back door - you start at your front gate coming in. You want 'em to come in, you don't wanta drive nobody away - you want 'em to come in. You sprinkle that, you sprinkle that all right on through. You start at your front gate or at the back - just where they got to come in and you go on through. All right. Take your bucket or whatever you burn that in and just shake the rest of it at the back door - that where they comes - through the house and on to the back door and lay it down. And you can go ahead on back to bed and sleep the rest of the night. And another man at the next place to you - you'll have plenty of trade and he don't know. He is wondering and studying how you doing it.
(What do you do with those shoes?)
You burn em.
(Oh, you burn them.)
You burn 'em till they are down to ash dust.
(That's before you mix up those other things?)
Yes, you put that other stuff right in there. (I see. I understand. Now, this other man. What does this other man do then when he sees you making out? Making all this business?) Well, he don't know how - he don't know what to do. Well, he gotta do the same thing.
Entry 2651
They can take a little Van-van or sugar and put it in the four corners of your house and give your house a good scrubbing out with lye. Set a lump up on that side and set a lump on that side and a lump on each corner. And quite natural be the ants'll get to it. (Lump of what?) Sugar. And the sugar will make for drawing - make for them ants going and com- ing, that just ehe same way as a person. You see, them ants could go all day and they wouldn't bother the people. And that - by the end of that, you sweep that out. And just like that sugar in that house will draw that whole crowd, that crowd will come just like them ants do. As you put sugar in there, the ants going to find it and you'll find a crowd in there unknownst to you - they'll just have a crowd with them.
Entry 2656
Sulphur and sugar draws trade if you are bootleggin'.
(I see. Well, how do they use that?)
Oh, you burns it on de stove.
Entry 2658
Yo' git chew some sulphur an' sugah, because sugah sweetens every- thing - sugah or either honey an' sulphur. Yo' git that an' yo' mix it together an' yo' git chew some Frank's incense [frankincense] an' yo' burn it fo' de fo'th mawnin', representin' de fo'th trial - representin' de fo' gospels. Ah knew ah'd git it right. Dere so many things on mah mind. An' yo' burn it fo' de fo'th mawnin' an' yore business place will be jes' lak that.
Entry 2660
Yo' kin burn sulphur an' Hearts Cologne, put a little sugah in it. Burn them an' have a wish. Ah've tried these things mahself, dat's de reason why ah kin say dat. An' have'a wish that - make yore wish like on Friday. Yo' start to burn 'em though like a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday night. So Friday yo' make yore wish.
(What time on Friday?)
Well, any time dat day is all right - after midnight Thursday night make yore last burnin'.
(What would you wish?)
Yo' make wish to make $40 or $50 or a $100, or yo' know.
(Any kind of wish in gambling.)
Any kind of wish in gamblin'.
(Well, don't you do anything with this stuff that you burn?)
No sir, jes' burn it in yore room.
Entry 2667
That kind of woman scrubs her house with oil of bergamine [bergamot], oil of cinnamon, and oil of cloves - the three combined. Three little small bottles, all three of them poured into a pail of water and sugar and scrub with that and scrub her steps going down. But she doesn't scrub them going out, she scrubs them coming in. She starts at the bottom of the steps and come up and scrub all the way back to the back of the house. That brings trade in - men.
Entry 2675
[This is a fuller version of No. 1947, p.570.]
You git choo one pound of red beans an' git choo a portion of guinea pepper seeds. Well, they call that [the latter], they call for - it's off the tree of paradise, an' you throw it up under each side of the steps, you see. No, no, put them beans up under that step - one pound of red beans - an' throw the guinea pepper seeds up under the side de steps. An' then you kin take eight buckets of water, you see, an' throw aroun' the door, an' the nin'bucket, choo throw it up, you see. An' then that keeps officers away, too, that nine buckets of water, if the officers all aroun' your door. But choo put blueing water in de eight' bucket an' de nin' bucket be loaf sugar, you throw it up jis' the same. [Tree of paradise I do not know. It and guinea pepper seeds are unrelated except in hoodoo. However, two trees are called paradise tree: Simarouba glauca of tropical North America, and Melia azedarach (China tree) of Asia, the latter being grown as an ornamental tree in U. S. A., and known by many names, chinaberry, Indian or Persian lilac, holy tree, etc.]
Entry 2680
Things will work mighty easy wit him [policeman], if the law wus comin' there perhaps tuh raid joo out [and] yo' didn't have any money. Then yo' could take some of yore fast chamber lye.
(What do you mean by fast chamber lye?)
Well, that aftah a night yo' lay down an' git up in de mawnin', then yo' use that - that's fast, that'll work right now. Well, yo' put three pinches of sugah in there an' make yore wishes whatevah - yo' know, yo' don't wanta be raid out or put out dis mawnin'. Den yo' take it to yore front steps an' yo' throw it an don't look which way yo' throw it - jes' throw it out. Yo' made yore wish an' yo' jes' go on. He'll come in jes' as calm, "It's all right if yo' haven't got any money. Can't chew give me some?" [Some what? Money in the future or liquor now?] [Memphis, Tenn., (1542), 2790:9.}
Entry 2701
Fo' luck yo' take de chamber lye an' yo' put chew some oil of bergamot dey call it - yo' but it at de drug sto', oil of bergamot. Put dat in de chamber lye an' put chew some sugah in it an' yo' put chew some bluein'. An' yo' take that an' yo' scrub yore house all out good wit it, see. An' aftah yo' scrub yore house with it, then yo' take an' drop three drops in each corner an' make a wish. That's success fo' yore house.
(You mean for bringing in customers to buy from you?)
Yes.
Entry 2711
Take yore urinate an' put sugah in it an' wash from face an' yore haid, down on down, an' give yo' all de luck in de worl'. Everywhere yo' go yo' kin sell anything or jes' git money jes' lak dat [snapping the fingers). [Comment by transcriber who heard fingers snap. So do I hear them.]
Entry 2779
Now, you can take a white candle, if you want luck. You can take a white candle and three loafs of sugar, and you light it. Set [it] with a name. And you put a piece of paper under it [candle] with the name [this is setting it] and you light it and make your wish. That's for luck.
(What name do you write on that?)
Write whoever you burning it for - write your name or my name, anybody name you burning it for. That's for luck. Now, a red candle.
(A red candle?)
That's a white candle. Now a red candle is for blood.
(Well, how do you handle that - a red candle for blood?)
You take the person name, whoever you wanta get in trouble, and you write the name on the candle all around - up and down on the candle - and you burns it and makes a wish, bad wish. That's for blood, you see. Now a black candle, that's to kill you.
(A black candle is to kill you. Well how would they handle that?)
Well, they take the black candle and they write your name on there, see. And they takes and they cuts that top piece off - like this the top piece, well, they cut that off, and they take and turn it upside down and shape it [make a wick at the bottom end] and they light it upside down. Well, you liable to walk out your door and get killed most any minute.
(Do they use green candles, and blue and yellow, anything of that sort?)
Well, they burn them to different saints for luck.
(Now, are candles burned at any special time or just any time?)
Any time you can burn a candle if you got your saints and you believe in your saints. Well, different days you burn different candles.
(What do you mean by different days you burn different candles?)
Like Mondays, you burns a white candle. Tuesday you burn a green candle. Wednesday you burns a yellow candle or blue candle. But red and black ain't for no luck - that's for undermining work.
(When do you burn those candles? On any day?)
You burn the red candle any day.
(And you burn the black candle any day, too?)
Any day too.
Entry 2841
Then ah have seen a candle burning. Ah went to a girl's house and she was showing me. She took pins - she took nine pins and stuck 'em in dis candle slant down and rolled it in sugar. (How do you mean slant down?) Jes' - and dey stuck dose pins all around de candles - slant. (Oh, stuck them down into the candle but the head part was up and the pin went down into the candle.) Then she rolled it in sugar, the whole candle in sugar, and every night at a certain time she say she burnt this candle.
(What color was that candle?)
It was a white candle. It was for peace in de home and to bring her husband with her and make them get along.
(How long would she burn that candle?)
Until he came home. An' it wasn't long..
Entry 2879
Yo' gits a pink candle an' write de boss name on it all crossways an' all down - jis' write all ovah dat. An' burn it in sugah fo' eight days or eithah eight weeks, an' yo'll find luck on yo'. Yo' burn it at six in de mawnin' an' twelve at noon an den yo' burn it at nine a'clock at night.
Entry 2881
Well, yo' take an' burn nine candles - lak yo' know somebody dat yo wanta move [to live] with yo'. Yo' take an' write dere names on each one of those nine candles an' burn 'em with a nickel's wuth of sugah. (What kind of candles do you burn?) Well, ah burn diff'rent kind fo' diff'rent things.
(What do you burn for this particular case?)
Well, ah burn white candles.
(What do you write the names on the candles with?)
Wit a pen - pin.
(When do you burn those candles?)
Well, ah would burn 'em on a Monday, Wednesday an' Friday. Ah burn 'em from six tuh twelve an' six in de evening. Ah would burn de white candles fo' good six days.
Entry 2885
You get you those wax candles to sweeten the man's mind. You take a white wax candle, you take a ten-cent bottle of honey, you take nine loaves of loaf sugar, and you burn that in a white bowl. When one go out, you set another one - white wax candle. That sweetens the mind of the man for his position you know.
(Here's your bowl and you have those lumps of sugar around in there.)
Nine of them and pour the honey all around it and set the candle up in the center. No [informant left out something], it round you know [in a circle]. You put de loaf sugar [in a circle]. You know those loaf sugar you use for tea or coffee. Put nine around [in a circle] into the bowl. You stick the candle first and make it stick good to spurmge [sponge = melted wax from candle]. And then you take the bottle of honey and pour it all around there [the candle] - a ten- cent bottle around that. And you burn the candle three times a day - a white wax candle. Well, you see you can start it at six - the best hour for anything like that - six in the morning, either twelve in the day and when that go out, you Wait till six in the evening and light another one.
(How long do you burn it at a time?)
Well, you see if it goes out before six in the evening, well you light another one. If you light one at six in the morning, well it will last to about twelve in the day or after twelve.
(How many candles do you burn all together? As many as you want to?)
As many as you want to, if you are able, you see. Probably four. [Two candles only are burned. Formula 6-12-6 is the most used of all time formulas for burning candles.]
Entry 2956
Someone trying to harm you, [you protect yourself] according to the way they are trying to harm you. There's several ways they can harm you, you know. Quite natural they got a way. They can get your name on a sheet of paper in nine different ways - they get it wrote. They can put it into a lamp and burn that lamp on you. Put a little sugar in there and burn that. And if you didn't want to go their way, when they burn that nine mornings, nine days, you gotta go their way. You gotta do what they Want you to do, regardless of what it is or whatever they want you to do. You got to do that. There ain't but one thing for you to do. Just get their name and - on a piece of paper, nine different ways on a piece of paper - and then you take it in the north corner of your house and get you a black candle and set a black candle on that, and burn a black candle on there for nine mornings. And that lamp where she got that sugar and your name in, it's going to bust. She can't hinder it from busting. You burning that candle on her and she burning that lamp on you. But that candle will put that lamp out. It'll bust that lamp.
Entry 2957
Take a little holy water and then sugar and ammonia, and you put it in the mole [mold] of your head like that, "In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost." [I comment on his actions.] (You make a cross on the top of your head while you are putting that [mixture] on.) Yes, "In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Ghost. In the Name of God put this light out." And it will go out.
(I see - and the candle will go out.)
Entry 3026
(You burn a green candle?)
And make dem bring it back. Dey can't keep it - dey bring it back, if dey steal something.
(Well, just how do you burn that candle?)
You burn dat candle in a saucer. You sprinkles a little sugar in de saucer, see. And you call and tell dem please tuh bring the things back, or you don't want to stand no trouble or nuthin like dat. And ast de Blessed Mother for to he'p chuh for to bring it back. An' dey bring it back - dey has to sneak it back in yore home.
Entry 3064
Now, if yo' wanta draw de attention of anyone dat chew cares fo', yo git nine teaspoonsfula sugah an' draw a glass of watah an' yo' put it in there. Put de sugah in de watah an' yo' offer it up to de Sacred Heart of Jesus. Yo' offer dat glass of sweeten watah tuh de Sacred Heart of Jesus an' ah'll guarantee yo' it'll bring dere mind to yo' an' dey'll come to yo'. No names. Jes' offer it tuh de Sacred Heart of Jesus.
(How do you offer it? Where do you put this glass?)
Under there - undah de picture, see. Den yo' offer it to it, an' yo' set that glass there, ah guarantee yo'.
Entry 3236
Jis' lak if yo', yo' know, take yo' a little small towel. All right, an' yo' an' 'im do business togethah - at least [I mean] yo' don't do no business wit 'im yo' undahstan', he do de business, see. Well, if yo' goin' do de busi- ness, yo' do it aftah he do it. Undahstan', don't do it wit 'im. Well, yo' take dat towel an' yo' takes it an' ROLL IT TO YO' NINE TIMES, jis' lak yo' do a snake [demonstrates], yo' know [see later]. An' aftah dat, all right, yo' take nine needleS an' yo' PIN DEM NINE NEEDLES IN [IT], YO' KNOW, COMIN' TO YO'. An' den aftah yo' pin de nine needles in it, well yo' take it den an' roll it roun' nine times lak dat an' den git chew a fruit jar.
(You mean you would roll it around like you would coil a snake.)
Yes sir.
(The first time you roll it towards you nine times?)
Yassuh. An' git chew a package of brand-new needles [demonstrates]. (And after you get these needles in it, then you take that roll like a jelly roll, a cake, and you make it like the coil of a rope [or lak yo' do a snake].) Den yo' take an' git.chew a fruit jar an' put chew jis' enough watah in dere to covah dis heah towel, yo' undahstan', an' den take an' put chew a little sugah in dere an' airtight it, an' take an' bear [bury] it undah yore steps. He goin come back home - bring dat money.
Entry 3251
Yo' kin take that him an' her, yo' know, use, an' wrap it up in sulphur an' some sugar an' some red onion. Take it an' pu'tit [put it] in your pocket an' wrap it up. Take dat cloth an' she won't have any other use for no other man.
Entry 3945
An' then ah've heard if he's runnin' aroun' - see, if a man's got an- othah sweetheart, an' he's got a wife an' he doesn't provide fo' his home as he should. She kin git a beefsteak an' she PUT IT UNDAH HER ARMS, an' de sugah IF HE DRINKS COFFEE, PUT DE SUGAH UNDAH HER ARM - PUT ONE UNDAH EACH ARM. Let It stay fo' 'bout a hour. Den cook dat steak an' take dat sugah an' sweeten his coffee, an' dat'll break up dat.
(She puts the beefsteak under one arm and the sugar under the other?)
Yes.
Entry 4680
Yuh [she] take dat bow, an' applyin' oil of verbena wit dat bow, she kin put some sugah wit dat bow an' she kin put some sweet spirit of nitah wit dat bow. An' puttin' it in a little bag, see, an' wearin' it roun' 'er waist or anywhere near tuh her skin, an' she'll have him jis' lak she wanta. Ah mean anythin' dat she do, regardless of whut dey tell 'im, he will take her statement fo' it.
Entry 5029
Git de socks, de right, an' jis' let it, yuh know, as yuh sprinkle it wit dat little sugah, jis' fold it tuh yuh. An' when yuh fold it tuh yuh, take it an' bury it at de steps an' he won' go anywheres.
Entry 5318
Pick up de track an' mix sugah wit it an' put it in a ant bed. An' evah time dem ants git tuh workin', dey work dat track up an' stuff. Don' care where yo' is yo' gotta go.
(That is to send you away?)
Yes sir.
(You mix sugar with that track?)
Mix sugah wit it, so de ants goin' work it. Yo' know de ants goin' be aftah de sugah.
Entry 5661
Dey take yore track, if yo's goin' some place, an' dey wan' chew tuh come back. Whey dey git chure track - why jis' take it an' bring it tuh yo'. Jis' take it an' put sugah wit it, an jis' put jis' as much sugan as dere is track. An' stick it down undah yore do' or in yore house some place, why yo'd have tuh come.
Entry 6440
Yo' kin scrape yore fingahnails an' yore toenails wit sugah an' give 'em tuh yore lovah, an' dat makes 'im stay at home.
(How would you give it to him?)
Kin mix it wit yore sugah an' serve in 'is coffee.
[While recording machine was stopped I must have asked about footskin.]
Nevah done dat but ah've heard of it bein' done. Yo' use dat too - wit yore fingahnails an' yore toenails - de dead skin [from the feet]. Uh-huh, along wit dat.
Entry 6483
Take yore toenail an' fingahnail an' put dat in a little sack. Sew it up in a little sack an' put some sugah 'long wit it an' tote it roun'. Dat will make 'em keep love, keep de home. Yessuh, weah it roun' yore waist lak a belt.
Entry 6601
(Tell me the story just how you heard it.)
Said dat dis woman had been tuh church an' she come back an' she had a woman stayin' in de same house, undahstan', an' dere wus section [partition] in between duh two rooms. Well, yo' see de brick wus on de side in de back, an' dis othah woman she hollered in dere an' ast dis othah lady did she got some coffee made. She said, "Yes, ah got some jis' 'bout ready." An' dis othah woman tole her, all right, said she'd be in dere to git a cupa coffee. So she'd taken a cup fo' herself an' fixed a cupa coffee down dere fo' - she reach up de chimley an' got de snake haid an' beat it up an' put some in de bot- tom de cup fo' dis othah lady, an' put de sugah on topa it. An' dis othah woman, she settin' in dere lookin', peekin' through de crack at 'er. An' she didn't put nuthin in dis cup ovah dere but sugah. Dat was fo' herself, see. An' so she po'd up de coffee an' called dis womah tuh come on an' git 'er coffee. It wus ready. So dis othah woman she jis' come in dere an' lif' dis cup from heah - whilst dis othah woman turn aroun' - an' she jis' changed it right quick. Took dis cupa coffee an' sot [sat] dat one ovah dere. An' so did othah woman [intended victim] drinked dat cup of coffee; an' dis othah woman, she whut fixed it, she drinked dat whut she had fo' de woman. De woman jis' switched de cups don't chew know. So she say, "Ah'm a dead woman right now." She ast 'er why she's a dead woman. An' [she] say, she went on tuh tell 'er, jis' tell 'er she know she goin' die. An' so dat thin' jis' created young snakes in 'er. An' she died at de [some- thing] plaCe an' DEY SAY DE BUZZARDS WENT DERE AT 'ER 'FO' SHE DIED, SHE WUS STINKIN' SO BAD. AN' ATTAH [AFTER] SHE DIED, DE LI'LE SNAKES ALL CRAWLED OUT "ER NOSE AN' OUT 'ER MOUTH.
(You said something about how she got that snake, how she got that.)
[I] said she took - cut de snake head off right at Holt Place an' hung it up de chimley an' let it dry, an' beat it up intuh a powdah. Dat's whut dey say. Ah didn't see it. [This switching of drinks is surely a folktale theme localized; not by inform- ant, but by a predecessor.]
(This happened up in Georgia? Holt, Georgia?)
At de Holt Place.
(Near what town?)
Near Perry, Georgia.
Entry 8608
Well, yo' could take a person an' jis' put sugah, cinnamon an' steel dust, an' yo' put it in de lamp. An' write dere names fo' so many days, nine days or.three days or anything, an' put some oil of cinnamon or oil of rose. They have those kinda oils. Den yo' put it in dere. Well, that's fo tuh draw these people back to yo' ag'in. See, dey have tuh come back.
Entry 8618
Ah take his name an' put it in some sugah, de landlord's name, an' put it in some sugah an' shake it fo' three days an' keep it in dere. Yo' under- stan'. An' den aftah dat name rots he cain't put chew out... (You keep that name right in there, you leave it in the sugar?) Till it rots. (That's so the landlord can't move you out of the house.)
Entry 8740
Yo' take lump incense. It's stuff dat looks lak kind of a crys- tal-lak. An' yo' use dat sugah an' dat wisterias perfume. Yo' burn it an' call yore man's name three times. Dat'll - Memoirs of Alma Egah Hyatt Foundation - bring him back home. Dat will [bring] peace in de house, too.
(Wisteria perfume?)
Wisterias.
Entry 10197
Yo' kin take candles if yo' want luck in yore house. Yo' kin take it an' burn it, burn it at de length of time, wit chure saltpetah an' some cinnamon an' sugar. Dat will bring yuh luck.
(Where do you put these ingredients?)
In a saucer an' den put chure candle on top of it. [Or fix candle in center and ingredients around it.]
Entry 10745
If she goin' over- time an' she want it tuh quit, yo' know, she wanted tuh go out an' make a date, an' it wuzn't time, she kin take some of dat stuff an' some sugah an' some nutmeg an' eat a teaspoon of it an' it will stop it.
Entry 11460
Left fingernails and toenails, and left-foot skin parch, add sugar and give in food 9 mornings for love. [Mobile 865:5.]
Entry 12397
Burn incense, scrub out house from back to front with Red Devil Lye, red pepper, 9 spoonfuls of sugar, and throw used water eastward - to rising sun.
[This is for protection in business and also customers.] [Newport News 500:7.]
Entry 12523
Well, yo' bum that red onion with sugah fo' luck: Mondays, Wednesdays an' Fridays at eight [A. M.] always between six an' nine. [Memphis 1503:15.]
Entry 12556
Burn some brimstone an' sugah together on yore stove wit red onion. Dat's tuh keep de law away. [Memphis 2719:4.]
Entry 12564
Parsley what you have in the garden, boil that and take a bath with that, and sugar and a little bit of Jockey Club perfume. That's very lucky to gamble. [New Orleans 1364:4.]
Entry 12585
An' then you kin take a new bag an' put 9 pennies in it, 9 new pennies. Put a whole head of garlic an' a little sugar. An' tie it up over the door. That will keep all law out of the house. [Memphis 1544:3.]
Entry 12612
Take sugah an' peppah an' sprinkle it down in dere an' dey'll fuss all de time.
(This man and woman will fuss and fight?)
Yes sir, dey'll fuss an' fight all de time, long as dat sugah an' stuff stays round in dere.
Entry 12653
Red pepper, sugar and white gunpowder sprinkle around the house to keep the law away. [Memphis 1553:4.]
Entry 12917
Snail, yolk of egg, sugar, close up, in 3 days snail dies, use for impotence. [Memphis 1564:3.]
Entry 13164
She'll sign his name on a piece of parchment paper, she'll put some sugar in that sock and if she have linoleum on the floor, tack it in the front
[of the] door...she can't get rid of him. [New Orleans 1155:5.]
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 13196
Take man's right foot sock, put sugar in, stop up in bottle or jar, bury under house, he can't leave. [Memphis 1560:11.]
Entry 13244
Get a pound of white granulated sugar and just take it and sprinkle it all out to the front, and just sprinkle it all around inside, and that will sveeten [his] disposition when he walks in. [New Orleans 1130:4.]
Entry 13245
Yo' kin take sugah an' put it in de FO' CORNERS OF YORE HOUSE. Dat'll keep de man at home too. [Memphis 2715:5.]
Entry 13246
Sweetens a person up. If a person keep a little sugar around them, why it sweeten you up. Everybody most like you. [Washington, D. C. 805:7.]
Entry 13247
Sprinkle sugar...will bring peace and happiness to your home.
[Mobile 909:3.]
Entry 13248
She [hoodoo - rootworker - fortuneteller] told me whenever ah take a bath, take two tablespoonsful of sugar into my bathwater and don't dry mah- self. Let it dry into me. That give you luck and a good trade. [Mobile 947:3.]
Entry 13370
Well, it's lak if yo' wanta have luck in business, yo' wanta have luck in business, yo' git chew some consecrated [concentrated] lye an' yo' save yo' own chamber lye. If yo have roomahs in de house let dem save deres. See, jes' lak, yo' tell 'em fo' in- stance whut chew want, yo' know. Yo' want tuh use it fo' somepin or somepin lak dat. Git chure friends, if yo' ain't runnin' a roomin' house, or eithah fo' yo'- self. Yo' use yore chamber lye an' git chew some consecrated [concentrated] lye an' git chew some sugah an' put it in dere an' boil it. See. An' aftah it boils - yo' gotta boil it outdo's, yo' cain't boil it in de house - an' scrub yore house all de way through wit it an' yo'll have roomahs.
Entry 626
Some girls wanted to get this boy she was going with. There were two sisters. He went with Rebecca. Rebecca got so she couldn't walk. Her sister, who was almost white, she believed in hoodooing; but Rebecca was a brown-skin girl and she didn't believe in it. So she went down to a lady's house to a party one night and set down and she tore a square piece out of her dress. So when she came home, she was working for some very wealthy white people, she got so then she couldn't hardly walk. And she said she felt like there was a mouse crawling on her leg: She had to go down to get sugar and things to this little town and she rode down. And when she came back home she had a big black blister on her foot. She hadn't walked nowhere. So she stayed home a few days and she got so bad she had to tell her sister what had happened. Her sister said, "Oh! Well, they got you but didn't get me." So the young man, who went to see Rebecca, asked his mother for a wagon and his nephew to drive her to a woman's house what could do something for you. I guess she was what you call a two-header. It was about twenty miles. When she came in the door she [the two-header] took a bottle like that and shake it. Rebecca hollered and said, "Oh! Oh! Don't you do that any more." She did that to try to see what was wrong with her. She come on in and set down. She [the two-header] called all the people [their spirits] to her that were doing something to her. She said, "Now Rebecca you are going home, and the bright woman [the innocent one] is going to go away and isn't going to speak to you; the one that did it is going to whip you, if you let her." [Since the spirit of the innocent woman called before the two-header possessed a bright countenance, we must assume a dark one for the spirit of the culprit - see No. 627.1 So Rebecca came back and stop in front of this store and de young boy [nephew] went in to get some things. I heard such a fuss outside, myself, I goes out to see what is happening. This girl that done something to Rebecca, she lived just across the road, says to her, "There comes your partner [the young man returning from the store]. Yes, you're cunjured. And God Almighty cunjured you. If I get close enough to you, I'll take you out of that wagon and give you a good Wooping [whipping]." But she didn't touch her. And Rebecca went on up home and done what the woman told her to do. She told her how to use [the medicine] what she give her. That would do away with that causing her leg. I don't know what Was in it. Rebecca got so then she could run and jump and ride good. It shows that something had been done to her. [New York City, (7), Ed.; Rappahannock Co. Va.,1896.]
Entry 1719
At night befo' yo' go out tuh gamble yo' bathe in some bluestone, salt- peter, sugah an' yore chamber lye, an' bathe from de head heah all de way down an' yo' say the Lord's Prayer three times, an' yo take dat an' put any kinda oil whut chew believe in an' rub it on yore.ca'ds lak dat.
(What kind of oil would you use for that?)
Well, ah tell yo' whut ah do's, believes in - ah believes in de oil of rose. Yo' buy it at the drug sto'.
Entry 2147
Just like in this precinct where there Capt. Barrett[?]. You gotta get the captain's name, you gotta get the lieutenant's name and you gotta get the Sergeant's name. You gotta get three names. You gotta write them names down, you see. And in your place of business if they come there, you put it right under your counter, you see. And you gotta add a little sugar to that three times a week. You see, that'll keep peace and keep 'em under control. But you gotta have their names. If you don't have their names, you can't do nothing. But you gotta have the head official names, not the police on the beat because he don't do nothing unless he's instructed to. But the head officials s they gotta have. I had that place there and everybody's there and everybody is paying $10 a week, but I was running the place myself and I say, "Well, I'm not running this for no dago [Italian], I can't afford to pay." They tell me, "Well, we know you's all right - go ahead and do the best you can." Well, I run that three years and they tore the place down. Got trapped all right, but got trapped by the Prohibition people not by the police. Not me. People worked there. I did excellent business down there, but I was good with the precinct.
(When you pass up, you handed this money over to the police?)
Well, you supposed to give the police ten dollars a week. Everybody else was doing it. But I was giving them $20 a month. See, I wasn't giving them no $10 a week, because I was running it myself - couldn't afford it. I was making money all right but you don't have to let them know that. They used to come by there and get quarts of whiskey, you know, for nothing and I used to treat them some kind of way. Well, they give me a break. Got raided there once. That was by the Prohibition department. Well, I couldn't do nothing with them.
(They wouldn't take anything?)
Well, if I'd a been there - you see, I know the under cover agent, you see, but the guy who was working [for me] supposed to know him and didn't know him, and he come in and he sold him liquor. See. Well, after they got the counts on him they raided place, but they didn't take me - they'd taken him. Well, I had another boy in the place. I was renting him and letting him stay there and he took sick and they took care of him in the hospital, and after he had them Prohi- bition spotters come around the place, and I told him, I say, "I don't want these fellows coming around my place." Cause he had dogs and as a matter of fact they wanted him training the dogs, see. Well, I made him move. He goes on to the post office and told Mr. Lazell[?] that the place wasn't [what it was supposed to be]. See. Well, I used to work over at the office for Mr. Lazell.
(Who were you working for when you did this?)
Wm. J. Burns - Judge Barnes' Detective Agency.
Entry 2407
Yo' take five cents worth of oranges, five cents worth of apples, five cents worth of grapes an' five cents worth of bananas. Yo' take yo' a bowl an' yo' cut all those up an' have yore fiah burnin' there, an' it's a-spotin luck, fast luck. An' it's re'lly lucky. Yo' git chew five cents worth of that brown sugah agin, five cents Worth of that white sugah an' put all that together an' put it on de back of yore fiah an' make yore wish from all parts of de worl' [successively face each of four directions and wish] - jes' wish fo' diff'rent things tuh come. Yo' don't know 'em but chew jes' wishin'. An' befo' de week's out every time yo' be's jes' lak that.
(That's for trade?)
Yeah, be success - trade.
(Why do you use white sugar and brown sugar?)
Well, yo' use de white mens, yo' see, an' yo' use the brown, fo' de brown.
Entry 2408
Why yo' git chew some sulphur an' some saltpeter an' some sugah. Well, yo' take a tablespoon an' a nutmeg an' some bluestone. Well, yo' take a rag an' yo' beat chure bluestone up an' beat up yore nutmeg and yo' takes a tablespoon fulla sulphur an' a tablespoon fulla sugah an' a tablespoon fulla saltpeter. Well, yo' take it an' put it in yore bathwatah an' some Heart's Perfruone put it in yore bathwatah, an' yo take a bath all ovah. Den yo' git up an' yo' mop all roun' de flo'. If yo' got a rug on, mop all roun' de woodwork an' all in yore do' an' wash yore do' down. Well, den yo' take some dat nutmeg an' bluestone an' sulphur an' some sugah - put it on yore shovel on a piece of papah. See, it burns hard. Light it undah de papah an' burn dat an' smoke yo'self in yore room. Do dat Mondays, Wednesdays an' Fridays.
(What do you do this for?)
Dat brings in trade an' makes yore luck good.
(That is if you are bootlegging or if you are a hustling woman?)
Dat's luck fo' yo' tuh do dat.
Entry 2415
Wash yore face in sugah de first thing in de mawnin' with yore han' first [not with washcloth] an' go out an' meet de person an' den yo'll have good success. An' yo' know, take consecrated [concentrated] lye an' mop yore place 'fore de do' heah an' don't say nuthin to nobody while yo' takin' care of dat. Dat'll bring luck to de place an' yo' sell a lotta liquor.
Entry 2418
I'm tellin' you now how to bring 'em - you see, if you are bootleggin' and you want to bring a crowd to your house. You take the nine pods of red peppers, you'll take you three ounces of sugar.
(Three what?)
Three ounces.
(Three ounces of sugar.)
Of sugar and you put that in the water. And you get you some nutmeg already ground up - you put that in your water. And then you take and get ammonia - you put that in your water. And then you'll take and scrub. And you'll get you some fast luck and put it in there and you take the broom and sweep all in the corners of the house then. Never sweep it, de dirt out de front - always let everything go to the back. And when you use that essence - that water you scrub with - you always carry it all to the back. And that draws a crowd in your house. Then, as soon as you are done, you take the beer or a little wine, anything what you got, and you put some of that in the water and scrub. But let your scrubbing always go to the back.
Entry 2420
Yo' git yo' some sugah an' sulphur an' git chew a bottle of Heart Perfume. Po' it on there, don't chew know, down on de sugah an' stuff an' about six a'clock burn dat. An' then yo' git de Bible an' yo' read de 47 Psalm an then to make them come - yo' gotta say, "May mah crowd gather together thick. May mah crowd gather together thick. In de Name of de Father, in de Name of de Son, in the Name of de Holy Spirit." An' they begin to gather thick an' yo'll have so many folks yo' won't know whut to do. After yo' read de 47th Psalm yo' say, "May mah crowd gather together thick tonight, all gather together thick tonight, thick as hops, '' an' say, "In de Name of de Father, in de Name of de Son an' Name of de Holy Spirit." An' yo' won't have no trouble. That brings in trade - I mean they come in.
Entry 2461
I would get me some cinnamon and I would get me some lump sugar and get me a spice. I would go and mix it all up together - see, grind the spice up. Take that and make a tea out of it, understand. Then I would take that tea and I would sprinkle my house, and then I would take me some water, see and I would take nine buckets of water and I would scrub my house. But I would take the Water and not throw it out the door but in the door toward my house. Then I would scrub that and I would take after I scrub my house, I would take and Sprinkle me some sugar, see, brown sugar made out of pure syrup, and sprinkle it at the bed. Well that for luck. That will bring you somebody - a tenant to rent your house.
Entry 2466
Git a codfish an' boil it. Git chew codfish an' sugah - codfish, cinnamon, sugah, bluein' an' van-van. Well, yo' boil yore codfish first an' yo' take yore watah an' yo' scrub wit chure watah. Yo' put all yore fixin's in dere an' scrub wit chure watah an' yo' take yore codfish an' put it up in a bag or somethin' an' hang it up in de place where nobody won't notice it so much - but back. Yo' know dis is de front do' an' hang
[it near] an' dat'll draw customers - any kinda business.
Entry 2467
Take codfish - you know codfish, and boil it and strain the water off, see. And you can put sugar and van-van and oil of geranium and fast luck - put those three in there and some sugar and you can use oil of cinnamon. And put that in a bottle and shake it up and just sprinkle it after you get it scrubbed out good with ammonia water. Just sprinkle it from the front to the back. That'll draw a crowd to spend money - and all with you.
(If you are a bootlegger.)
Entry 2468
Where people go in, you know, to see each other - bootlegging or some- thing like that. That what chew talking about? (That's right.) Business like that. Well, now this is something that is sold mostly in the South. Did you ever hear of Darby's fluid?
(What does it look like?)
It's blue - looks like garment blueing: It's something that is almost the same as, you might say, Zonite or - what is this other stuff we use, it's kind of like a disinfectant. You get this fluid - it looks like blueing but it's a fluid. Well, you mix a tablespoonful to a gallon of water. After you have mopped your floors, dey usually take about a quart of urine. Say now, if you dressed your house on a Monday and Fridays, you put a quart of this urine into this water. See. And you drop nine drops of oil of cinnamon in this water and when you dress your house you start at the door and never sweep out the door, because of the sill of the door coming in you see. Just get a mop just for that purpose and don't use it for anything else. Put a half cup of sugar in dis and get it well dissolved in this same water and you just mop your house from de front clean on back to the back. And when you have done that and it is well dried, you wanta be careful don't let anyone to come in your house before that time and you wanta do that before six clock in morning. At six 'clock you get de contents of a five-cent box of sulphur. Mix a teacup of sugar in dis sulphur and measure it out in exactly how many rooms you have. Say now, you might have five rooms or you might have seven. You divide this as near equal as possible with this sugar an' sulphur. You put it on a little tin pan. You don't have to buy a pan, you can get the top of a tin bucket of some kind - just since it's clear and bright. An' put a little of that ~ jest the same as you would a candle - stick it together an' let that burn, an' don't open your house up until this have burned. Befo' three hours time your house will be so crowded you can't hardly stay in it your- self. Now, that is a fact, too.
(You make as many piles as you have rooms.)
That's right. Now that is one thing I can substantiate. I tell you how I know about that. [During a pause she told me she had formerly lived in Cincinnati. I said I also had once lived there.] I used to live right down from Mound Street across from dat undertaker - had dat big house at 714 and times were very good at that time and people were paying pretty good money for rent. But it seems that - I had nice rooms and all, but it was just so hard for me to get people to come in and pay me. They would come in and pay the first, or they would come in and give me half of it and say, "Well, I'm sorry but I haven't got it all." Well, ah wouldn't want to put them out, you know. So I was telling a friend of mine about it. She said, "Well, I will come down and see what I kin do for you." She came down and fixed my house up like that - burned de stuff in de house, and she told me to do that every Monday and Friday. After that I just had so much trade. I tried it several times since then in different places and I found it to be true. It will absolutely do that - I found it to be a fact.
Entry 2506
Well, ah tell yo', fo' good luck like that yo' git the good luck insane [incense]. Yo' want mah ideas? Yo' git the good luck insane an' yo' burns that with the holy oil every morning fo nine mornings. An' yo' take six drops of Hearts Cologne, one teaspoon of sugar to a gallon of water. Yo dust yore house down, yo' take yore linen off yore bed, clean up one room at a time. Pick up that dust an' put it on a piece of newspaper. Clean up yore next room an' take all de linen if you got a bedroom. Do the same room like that. Put all that dust, all yo' create, git it up off de floor on that one paper. Then buy yo' a box of table salt an' yo' use one cup of that table salt on all that dust that chew taken up. Take yore linen out of doors an' yo' wash it. Clean up everything. Wash yore bedsteads an' yore springs off an' put on clean linen an' everything. An' take that trash that yo've gathered up in those rooms and take one cup of table salt, take it out an' take a shovel an' dig a hole, an' place it in de ground an' kiver it up. Fust one go tuh sleep that night will dream a good dream an' it will be a good luck dream, be a game in it. If yo' play a game of chance yo'll win.
(Now you do all this cleaning up in the house for luck in the home?)
Fo' luck in yore home. (That is if you want to bring in customers to rent your rooms or something of that sort.) An' then when yo' go out, before yo' go out, yo' take that Hearts Cologne an' yo' sprinkle yoreself with it. Every time yo' go out yo' do that an' yo'll advance with everybody - influence with everybody. Anything yo' go after yo'll have influence with the people.
Entry 2510
(What about that holy water in scrubbing, now?)
The holy water you can put it in the water and scrub. See. And that opens the way in your house and makes luck in your house. You takes the holy water and you takes some sugar - nine lumps of sugar, and you takes essence of verbena or fast luck and you put that, mix that up in the water. Then, you put it in a tub and you get you nine buckets and then you scrub from your front to the back in that same water. Then you dip some in the bucket - you take it out of the bucket and you pour it in the tub and then stir it round, then clean from the front to the back with it. That opens the way for you and makes luck and success in your house.
Entry 2548
Yo' take sulphah an' sugah tuh draw luck to yo'. Yo' take sulphah an' sugah an' burn it on de stove, see, or somethin' hot. Jis' sulphah an' sugah an' mix it up an' burn it an' it will draw luck to yo'. An' when yo' wants a quick way tuh git a small piece of money, yo' lights yo' a - ah cain't think of the name of it. Anything will do jis' since it's incense. Light de incense an' put it on yore bed - place it on yore bed, "In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost," an' put it in a white saucer. An' in less time den three hours somebody will give yo' a piece of money if it's nuthin but a nickel or somepin othah lak dat - a nickel or a dime.
Entry 2552
Scrub with Red Seal Iye, table salt an' sugah, bluein'. Take about a teaspoon of bluein' and de mo' sugah, have it white sugah, pure sugah - half a cup, teacup of sugah. Burn a little incense an' call 'em three time while it's burnin'.
(What do you call?)
Call yore wish - if yo' wanta make a call an' wanta make yore wish an' den call. Yo' kin call a special person or yo' kin call, "Send me a man." But chew make dat wish three times.
(Out loud.)
Whilst it's burnin' - not let it go out. Wait until it's burnin' an' make it three times on there. [This is a rite for roomers.]
Entry 2563
Like this [business] burns [flourishes] here and that one over there [burns] - well, if that burns out and the trade here - he ain't got no trade here. And I'll tell you I always seen it did, and I've did it myself during Prohibition. I'd scrub my place out - you see, sweep it out good. and scrub it. But as I said before [in another statement], I'd sweep in all the time, though - never sweep out. Sweep in. When you sweep, you take and get you nine buckets of water. You get you a box of lye, get a bottle of ammonia - get you a bottle of ammonia and a box of lye and use nine buckets of water. You put your lye - you take lye and you sprinkle it all around your floor first. See. You throw a bucket of water to your right, one to your left, but always throw it inside. Stand at your door and throw your water. Don't never let your water go out your door - throw that in your door, see. And when you starts scrubbing your place, you scrub to the back. Start right at the front of your door but be backing up all the time. Don't never walk - back up, see. As you scrubbin', back up. When you start sweepin', then you face your place - going in all the time, but don't use over nine buckets of water. And after you scrub your place good and you get it dried out, you puts you some cinnamon and sugar down. You get you - I think it costs ten or fifteen cents for a box of it, you get you some of that incense and you light that and you burn that in your place. Now, after you got all the inside of your place straightened out and scrubbed clean, you come to your banquette [sidewalk]. You get on the outside and you use nine more buckets of water on the outside. Now, vou sweep both ways there. All the time sweep to your door, you see. You sweep thisaway [to the right], you sweep to your door; you sweep thisaway [to the left], you sweep to your door. See. Now, sweep your water to your door - don't sweep it in the place, but sweep it to your door and let it run down to the ditch itself. And then you sprinkle your cinnamon and your sugar again. See. But you sprinkle it to your door and throw it from your door - throw it in, see. Well, that make that trade come across over there to here. And that'll make - you'll get all the business over here. And, if you see where you can't do no good there, just go over there and sprinkle you some salt after you done scrubbed your place - but you have to pay somebody [to do it]. Get them to go over there and throw some salt down, and it'll cause a big row over there. See, when they start to rumpus over there, everybody will run over here to this place here.
Entry 2571
The seed of paradise. [See margin-title Paradise Seed.] Then you kin get codfish balls. That's what you get - dried codfish, that's right dried cod- fish. You put the seed of paradise and the codfish tdgether and that fast luck together, cinnamon and sugar. And yoù must get 15c of sugar, you must get 15c of codfish, and you - everything you buy you must get 15c. And you boil that. Then you take - you must scrub before six o'clock in the morning. What I mean by six, I don't mean that you go at three o'clock in the morning. I mean two or three minutes before six - and the bell be ringing, you be scrubbing there.
(I see.)
And you scrub and go out of your door. You take and you get you some whole grain rice and take and be walking there throwing, throwing it there any place like - in all four of your corners.
(How do you throw that rice?)
Just take it in your hand [demonstrates].
(Yes?)
You sprinkle it on the sidewalk and when you be coming in, you walks along - Walk backwards like this, and then you walks over in this corner and you take it and throw it over your left shoulder.
(You throw it over your left shoulder. Yes?)
And go in this corner and you throw it over this left shoulder, and throw it here over your left shoulder.
(You throw it in all four corners. I see.)
That's right. And once in a while - you know when you be cleaning up some of it going to come out, but you make sure the first morning, and the next morning put some more there.
(I see. What did you say about when you do this?)
It must be done before six o'clock in morning when some of the bells ring.
(All right. What then? When? What day?)
What day that must be done? On the first Monday in the month.
Entry 2578
Well now, the way yuh have to do. You git de cap'un [captain of the police] of the presint [precinct] name, then you'll burn his name in this same stuff - honey an' cinamint [cinnamon]. Then you'll take honey, cinamint, an you'll scrub wit dat. An' when you git through, you'll take jis' plain cinamint- water wit dat, an' you sprinkle roun' your front doah wit it. You take you some brick - red brick - beat up fine. You done put verbena-water wit dat brick - red brick - an' sprinkle it aroun' your doah wit sugar, brown sugar. The law won't come.
Entry 2630
Yo' kin git some bluestone an' a can of sulphur. Yo' take that blue- stone an' sulphur an' saltpeter, an' put it undah de front do'steps an' de back do'step an' as fur as dey kin go up undah de house - see, round inside the house. Now, yo' burn some sulphur an' put yo' some essence of pennyroyal on that sugah, wit garlic an' a red onion. Don't nevah throw a onion peelin' outa de house. Always keep onion an' garlic. Burn it in dat stove with sugah. It brings luck in the house. An' de law ain't goin' bother yo'. Mop dat front steps - it don't take but a little time. Put yo' some garlic, cut up some garlic, an' chamber lye an' mop that be- fo' seven every mawnin', befo' seven. Do dis befo' seven an"leven. Dat brings yo luck - seven an' 'leven. Do yo' burnin' 'fore seven an' 'leven.
Entry 2639
Dat's fo' luck. Well, on Mondays an' Fridays yo' supposed tuh burn red onions. Yo' git a man's left shoe an' yo' put a piece of garlic an' yo' put some of de hull of a red onion an' yo' put some sulphur an' yo' put some sugah an' yo' put some Hearts Cologne in de heel of that man's shoe. Well, yo' put all de rest of that - some of everything yo' put in de heel - on top of de stove at twelve a'clock an' yo' burn it.
(What will that do?)
Dat's supposed tuh be lucky - jes' whatevah yo' want, jes' lak if yo' want luck in de home, or yo' tryin' tuh ketch de policy, or yo' tryin' tuh git some money or somepin lak dat. Yo'll burn dat Fridays an' Mondays.
(You burn that shoe on top of the stove, too?)
Yo' burn de shoe in de stove, an' den put de rest of de stuff on top of de stove an' let dat go through de house, an' let de othah whut's in de heel go out in de ash.
Entry 2657
Well, yo' kin git chew some garlic an' git chew some sulphur an' git chew some sugar. An' turn yore pan jis' befo' de sun rise - set it in yore do', set it afiah. Close all yore do's while it's burnin'. Yo' go out. Den when yo' git it blue wit smoke, open all yore do's an' de people will run ovah heah. Ah don't ca' whut chure doin', dey'll run ovah heah, comin' tuh see whut yo' got tuh drink. It'll draw 'em.
Entry 2669
Yo' could take dis same perfume stuff - de Three Jacks an' Three Kings [see p.728] an' Three S's [three different perfumes]. Yo' kin take it jis' alone - ah say alone in a way, but chew could git othah things tuh go with it. Take sugah an' yo' git dat brown sugah, or any kind, but de brown sugah is much bettah an' yo' urinate in it an' yo' scrub yore place, if yo' wants tuh git yore business line up. Scrub yore place out thor'ly [thoroughly]. Dat's de right way [with brown sugar and urine]. Yo' take an' clean it out with othah watah, yo' know, jis' clear watah good - scrub it out good. Den yo' take this othah stuff an' sprinkle it lak wit a mop or somethin', an' yo' put it in de fo' corners of yore house. Sprinkle it in de fo' corners of yore house, de same watah, an' scrub with it. All dat'll keep, keep confusin' down - whatevah business yo' got an' keep de law from yore house. Everybody will come to yore house beside de law.
(What do you sprinkle down? Just the sugar and this urine?)
No, wit de Three Jacks an' diff'rent othah perfumes. Yo' know whut ah mean - yeah, de Three Jacks, de Three Kings an' de Three S's. [ssS is a brand name.] (After you cleaned my house, then you put all that other stuff [perfume] to- gether and then sprinkle around the house?) Yessuh, but yo' have tuh git the first dirt out [dirt out first].
Entry 2670
There's diff'rent kinds of perfume that you can get to wear on you and if you - it's the Three Jacks and the Three Kings and Jack of Clubs. You go to the drug store and you get two bits [25c] of that and have it mixed all together. Don't wear it on your clothes. If you go into a clubroom and sit down to gamble, you'll always have it handy where nobody kin detect you puttin' some on the floor in the clubroom. And then you take this incense, luck incense, you know, and a shoe, a old shoe, if you got a clubroom and you want your clubroom to be - to bring money and to bring plenty people there to gamble to make money. You scrub your place out just as I told you and use those nine buckets of water. And you put that old shoe with some sugar and cinnamon and burn that incense in there. Close the house up and that's luck for gambling. No, don't use lye here - just the nine buckets of water - clear water - and burn the old shoe. Let the last bucket, the ninth bucket be with sugar in it.
(You can do that for bootlegging too?)
Yeah, because I bootlegged several years. Sure.
Entry 2673
A woman, if she wan'a bring in some men customers, there's things she do. She git her some saltpeter and she bathe in this saltpeter [see No. 2408f. p.670] and git her some incent [incense] powder and bairns [burns] about a table- spoon into about a teaspoonful of sugar. And she bairns that and then she git her some sulphur, about a half teaspoonful, snuff and sugah, and she keeps that Wrapped up in a hand'chief. And when she be talkin' to him, she lookin' in his eyes, an' throwin' [the handkerchief about] from the foiy [foyer]. Come right on down to his eyes and jis', you know, still lookin' into his eyes, and whatever she asks he'll agree to do it and come on inside.
Entry 2694
Well, just like if you thought someone was doing you something - trying to harm your house or your home or something - you pour that [urine] around your house and also this here consecrated [concentrated] lye with the hog on it. [Hog roots out things.]
(With the hog on it? Or a pig?)
Uh-huh.
(With the hog on it or the pig, you mean?)
[This was new to me. I wanted to be certain.]
You seen consecrated lye got a hog on a can, a pig. (I haven't seen the hog on the can but I know what the lye is. They have to have a hog on that can?) Yes. That's the best - it's got a big old fat pig on it. Well, you sprinkle that round your house and that'll keep people from harming you.
(You sprinkle it all over with that chamber lye?)
You don't have to mix it - just either one of them's supposed to cure any kind of harm. Another thing that you kin do - just like women you know have lots of men they can get money from. They call it tricky [tricking] you know. Well, on Monday morning and Friday morning you get up, sweep and scrub your house with this lye what I'm talking about now.
(This hog - this concentrated lye.)
That's got the hog on the side of the can. And you mix it with sugar and yo' urinate in it - use chamber lye. And you'll be successful.
(That's to bring in trade.)
Yes.
Entry 2696
Yo' kin take a person's chamber lye an' put sugah in it an' lye an' oil of anise, an' sprinkle dat an' make yore wish. Sweep yore po'ch back to yore house an' that brings good luck to yo'. Do dat fo' hustlin' people - bring money in yore house.
Entry 2698
You can take cinnamon and sugar and clear water and oil of verbena. See, like this is your front - well you start ascrubbing from the front, back in but not out. See, and sweep it back in. You see. Then you get what you call dragon's powder [dragon's blood]. See. You smoke the four corners up with that. [See margin-title Smoke 'em, p.723; also Incense, p.700.] Natch'ly you'll be successful in a business.
Entry 2752
My husband left me and I wanted him to come back. I loved the man, I love him 'till today, and he jis' walked away from me without any cause that I know of. Course I was jealous of 'im and I wouldn't let 'im go when he felt like going all the time to those awful taverns because he was drunkard - ev'ry time he go out he'd get drunk. Well, I tried to keep him at the house all I could and make things as pleasant as I could for him, see - so he would like home, see. I had a beautiful home across the street there, and there was nothing for him to worry for. He was a working man, he was no sweetie - he was a working man, worked every day. But when he'd go out and get amongst mens and womens, he'd get drunk and carry on. And if he had his payday before he came in, he'd let 'em rob him. He'd be home all the week, ev'ry day in the week, but on Saturday night when he got his pay he'd go ev'rywhere but home. I got disgusted with him. He went away from me and then I said, "Well, I'm going to try to see if I can get him home." I had heard so much, you know. I say, "I'm going to try a mess and see if I can get him home." So I goes across the river [to Algiers], knowing a woman through somebody else.
(What was her name?)
Ah forgot her name now. I got her name of course on a paper at home. But anyhow, I went over there to see her and ask her about it. I says, "Listen, '' I says, "Miss Whatchacallum, my husband done left me. ". And I says, "Is there any way that I can get him back, you think?" She says, "Yes, sure," she says, "you can get him back." She says, "How long has he been gone?" I says, "He been gone about five weeks now." She says, "Well, I'll be over there to see you," she says, "and when I come," she says, "I'll tell you what to get." So she says - and I says, "All right." So she says, "The first thing while you's downtown, go by the Ten-Cent Store and get me a 25c box of canary bird seeds." I went there and got 'em [after I left her]. She says, "When I come over, I'll tell you what else to get." When she come over she say, "Get me a pound of sugar, one pound of sugar and she said, "get me two boxes of raisins." You see, one pound of sugar, two boxes of raisins and 25c worth of bird seed. Well, she took a pan I have over there, a blue pan, and she mixed all that together. She made me write his name. She made me write his name, you know, each nine times - made me write his name nine times and after writing his name nine times, she made me write my name right on top of his name. My full name right on top of his name - each nine times on two different lines. Then she took that paper and put it in the bottom of the pan - I noticed her - put that paper in the bottom of the pan and she mixes all this mixture right up together and put that on the canary bird seeds and all. But, of course, he hasn't come back home yet.
(What else did she do? What did she do with that then?)
She made me put the pan back under where it couldn't be seen and then she told me to get the candles. She made me get three candles - ten-cent candles, long candles.
(What color were they?)
White candles - what you call white wax candles. I got the three ten-cent candles and she told me to dig a hole in [for] each in that. That thing [mixture] was about that thick with that ingredients - was that raisins and that in the pan, and put these candles, put three candles.... ["She coughs. Unintelligible. She has a coughing spell." Penciled notation made when transcription checked with cylinder.] (Well, how did she put them? She put one there and where did she put the other one?) [Coughing again.] Three together.
(She put three in a row. All right.)
And let 'em burn nine days.
(And let them burn out?)
And let 'em burn out. She says, "Don't blow 'em, pinch them out." So I burns [coughing again].
[We must allow for brief pauses during these coughing spells.]
(Now, those three candles wouldn't last nine days, would they?)
Now, when those burns low, I just lighted three more and just pinched them out and take them out of that little hole, you see, and put three more there, see.
(I see. All right, go ahead.)
Uh-huh.
(When the nine days were up, what did you do?)
After they burned out - see, they burned as long as they can. Then after they burned there nine days, she told me not to disturb that pan, let it that pan stay there. And so it stayed there and still it haven't made any success with me. But even so, she was charging me for it, so I said, "Well?" She told me to come back over there. Well, I'd taken sick and I haven't been back over there since. I used about a dollar's worth [candles] - ten-cents apiece.
Entry 2755
(Do the people over there have altars?)
Yes, they still got altars over there, yes sir. (How do they handle that? Supposing I'd go over to see one, what would they have me do? I wonder what would be the ceremony they'd go through?) Well now, you see, as you go in, the altar is setting just like this here [points] vanity [bureau] there - yes, sir. The altar is setting there. Well, it's always, the candles are always lit, you see, with saints all around it. It always stays lit night and day. See, you go in there, probably you put a nickel in the box and you light you a candle, if it's a penny even, you can put that in there and you light a candle. You get down on your knees and you prays. And whatsoever prayer you want and whatsomever you pray for or want done, you pray to the saint that you know would help you, understand. You get there and you pray to that saint. Now and then the mother of that church, she would come to you - see, she would talk to you and she would give you information. She would pray for you, and probably she may give you a medal. She'd bless the medal and everything - well, pray over it rather and give it to you. Then, she would tell you just what to do and how to do it. See, she liable to tell you, say, "Well, when you go back over to the New Orleans side," say, "you go to the Crackerjack Drug Store," and she say, "you go and get you some goat- weed." She say, "You get some goatweed and you go out in the woods - if you can get to the woods, if you know how. You go out in the woods and you get some banana leaves." You see. "But get the root of the banana tree, rather - get the root of that," she says, "and you come back and you bring it chere to me, but bring it back in nine days." She say, "Let it be dry when you bring it back." Well, you bring it back to her and she will fix that for you. Well now, when she fix it, she liable to tell you, she say, "I want $100 for it." You pay it to her because you wants something done for yourself. She going to use sugar with it, she is going to use cinnamon with that stuff. She gotta take and sprinkle vine- gar onto it and all that - cook all that together - take a red onion and cook all that together. Make one thing out of it. When she get through with it - it will be just about that much stuff when she finish. She tell you, now, put it in a sack or anything and put that in your pocket and go ahead on. And you have the luck and success in anything you undertake to do. (What do they call these people that do that sort of thing? What would you call her?) Well, we call 'em just by name - some people call 'em the hoodoos - some call 'em spirituals - some call 'em - ah forget the other name they call 'em - but we call 'em all kind of names - fortunetellers and all such things as that, you see.
(Well, does she wear a robe or dress up in any particular way?)
They generally wears a gown, yes sir - you know, a big white gown. Some of 'em be - have a black gown, you know. We call 'em gowns. They look more like gowns than they is robes - and tassel and all around - just in order - just on the order of a priest, you see.
Entry 2909
Take a white candle to make a man love you and stay with you, don't get. away from you. If he go, he can't stay.
(Well, how do you do that?)
You take a white candle and roll it in sugar, sugar and salt - salt that's not never been used out of. Just roll it, roll it good, roll it good about fifteen minutes - see, you roll it on a paper. And then you take a match.
(A match?)
Take a match and you hold that candle right on there and light it, and you know, smoke it enough for it to melt for the paste [melted wax, sometimes called sponge] to come out, you know, and then you place it right in the middle of a saucer.
(Wait! You stick this candle down on the saucer?)
Yes. [The candle is set in the melted wax at the center of the saucer.] And if he is a drinker, you know, and likes to drink, well, you put you about a tea- spoonful of whiskey around that candle, and then you light that candle and you burn that candle fifteen minutes and all the whilst you burn that candle, well [demonstrates], you be doing just like this, you know - like this with the flame, you see, from the candle. (You wet your two fingers in your mouth, and then you go to the candle and pretend that you are sort of pulling this flame towards you - keep pulling it towards you.) Yes, that's it. And make your wishes what you want him to come back and do and what you don't want him to do - just like - you burn it fifteen minutes.
(At what time do you burn that?)
Any time, any time. Burn it any time, but in the three fifteen minutes you burns the candle up - in the three fifteen minutes. And when that candle is burnt up, and all that whiskey's gone, and [then] inside of five or nine days, he'll be back - he'll be back to you. [The two preceding versions of flame pulling and whiskey are from the same informant but separated by 70 cylinders. I had her brought back because some of her material was badly recorded.1
Entry 2927
Yo' git up every mawnin' at 'fore six a'clock an' scrub an' den yo' burn yore candles. Yo' scrub wit chamber lye an' oil of anise, sugah an' lye an' saltpetah, an' garlic an' cinnamon. Yo' do dat aroun' six 'clock in de mawnin'. Yo' buy all dese things. It'll bring luck to yore place. [Many examples of scrubbing for business, as well as the ingredients used here, will be found in subsection BUSI- NESS AND CUSTOMERS, pp.669-744. Candles are usually not added to the scrubbing.]
Entry 3038
Well, it's according - you can burn a pink one, you can burn a yellow one, you can burn a white one, for luck.
(Well, how do you burn those various candles?)
Now, you take - say for 'n'instance like when I was on my truck. I had a truck. I used to get me those yellow candles, you see. Either yellow or white will do. I get my candle and I'd light my candle in the mornings 'fore seven o'clock. I used to go to church for them. And 'fore seven o'clock I'm got my candle, I'd light my candle on my truck. I wouldn't got out of my truck. I'd burn the candle and whilst burning my candle, I'd use cinnamon and sugar. I'd burn that in my truck. I'd put that in the candle and I'd burn that in mv truck. I had St. Peter and I had St. Joseph. I'd light my candles to them and I'd pray to them.
(In your house?)
No sir, on my truck.
(Oh, you did this in the truck?)
In the street, no house at all - in the street, anywheres in the street, when the time comes. I would burn that. That was for my luck. All right. Twelve O'clock, I'd burn it - burn my candle again at three o'clock and during that day I never had a misfortune at all. During that day I made - if it wasn't but five or six dollars, I made that.
Entry 4268
[Here is a fragment omitted from Doctor England, called Doctor English in my interview with him - see pp.1386-1401.] Other methods on such as that of gettin' the urine from a person, their urine. And take their name and write it down for nine times on a clear piece of paper. You places nine pins and nine needles, but you head and tail, say this way [dem- onstrates]. (Alternate them - one here, one there.) Right here, place in this bottle. See, what the urine is in. You put honey and sugar in there and place it on the outside of the door and let a person walk over it three times. Bring it back and put it over your front door and walk under it three times. Then it is taken and put into their home, and any time this woman or man, either sex, want them return home immediately or want her to come, only shake it up and turn the bottle on their head.
(I see. Where does she put this bottle? Into what?)
Into any place they want to keep it private.
Entry 4865
Ah would go an' git me some sugah an' salt an' sprinkle aroun' yore do' an' also in yuh house. An' if ah could git a piece dat chew weah close tuh yuh skin, ah will take dat an' take a piece out of [it] jis' lak [that] an' tie it up in a rag or sompin, in a piece of red flan- nen, an' wrap it tight in a piece of red flannen. An' den ah go tuh de drug sto an' ah may git some whut chew call cayhine [cayenne] peppah, yuh undahstan', an' mix dat up wit it. An' git chure name an' write it on a piece of papah, an' put it in dere, an' take an' put it in a bottle an' put it in some runnin' watah. Dat'll pull yuh 'way.
(And that sugar and stuff you simply sprinkle it around the house?)
Yeah, dat cause confusion, dat makes 'em leave.
(Do you do all these things together or do each thing separately?)
De way yuh do, yuh put de sugah an' de salt in de house separate, yuh under- stan'. An' de othah stuff, why yuh put dat tuhgethah. Yuh put cayhine peppah.
(Do you use all these things together or do you just use one at a time?)
Yuh kin use 'em both tuhgethah, yuh see. [This answer is vague but under- standable.]
Entry 7194
[Caffrey's interview will be found on Pp.1459-1470. There in an intro- ductory comment I give the reader a favorable opinion about him. The following rite was removed from his material years ago be- cause it concerned a man's vitality, dirty words back in those days, smelling of evil thoughts or deeds. Usually cases of so-called social diseases were left for a sex special- ist, but more reputable doctors like Caffrey Would accept vitality deficiency or impotence trouble. An early advertisement of "Father" Caffrey, when only 29 years old, appears among the ILLUSTRATIONS at end of Hoodoo, vol.2.] All right. I'll look that condition over. I'll look that condition over an I'll say, "What instances did you see that you tied up? You say, "Well, I' tied up." say, "I believe that I'm tied up in some way or other." Say, "I can't make connection with no other woman but my old lady." You see? Well, all right. I'll look that condition over an' then I would go to work an' I would fix up, I would get me a bottle of - let me, now. I get me a bottle of well water. See, vell water.
(Well water?)
Well water. Mix that with ammonia. You understand me? Then I will go to pork an' I put some antiseptic in that an' I will have you to take some baths. You get the idea about that? An' have you to take baths three times a week. An' I'll get you Boston Compeller an' make an ingredient of that.
(What did you get?)
Boston Compeller.
(Boston what?)
Boston Compeller.
(What's that?)
That's to give you vitality. That's Boston Compeller, you see.
(What does it look like?)
Well, that's somepin like a oil that you get from the drug store.
(I see. All right, go ahead.)
Boston Compeller. Then you get about a - a small bottle of turpentine an' yo' get a small bottle of antiseptic. You get the idea about that? An' I fix that up and then I go to work an' I go out into the country somewhere an' I'll try to get in contact with some milkman or another at a milk dairy that got a cow that give rich milk. You see? Then I put about two tablespoonful of sugar in that. Get the idea about that? And in putting two tablespoons of sugar in that, I'll try to get [something]. [He is acting out everything.] [He claps his hands, uhispering "All right several times.] And then [get] an ingredient of some kind of creosote and shake that well, you see. And you'll take that three time a day. And in taking that three times a day I'll come to you and then you'll get you a bar of soap; you see, that Octagon soap, you see, and you wash yourself three times a day with that: at six in mawn- in', nine in the mawnin, and six in the evening, an' that will reduce that con- dition in you and you can go anywhere you want to go.
(I see. What was the name of that soap?)
Octagon soap.
(I see.)
Now, what ingredient I left out, but I'll bring it right back. You put about, sasewhere round about three tablespoons of whiskey or gin into that. See, that bring that vitality back.
(That restores a man to his vitality?)
His vitality.
(The woman can't keep him tied up. I see.)
Entry 8585
Get her a - get his name, just like ah tole yo'. Write it nine times, orite hern across it. Take her - an' then take it - she can put it into 'er lamp, if she can get her some lump sugar. An' she can take her nine lumps of dis lump sugah, an' get her a piece of lodestone, con- quering root [John de Conkah], conquering root powder, cinnamon. Mix ali dat togethah an' his name, an' put it down into 'er lamp, an' put de necked [naked = real] coal oil on it an' set it to burnin'. An' he will come back.
Entry 8589
Yo' can draw a man to yo'. Like a woman an' her husban' is broke up, an' another woman done cause 'em to break up, see. Well, jest like yo' take an' bury his sock, well yo' take an' write his name nine times an' put dat cinnamon, sugar an' steel dust, an' dat white rum, an' put it into a lamp. An' put dat lamp in de corner of her house. An she knock fo' three times, every day see, fo' nine days, because he return dat ninth day. Dat sock belong wit it. Yo' know, yo' do dat wit it. Dat goes along wit dat.
Entry 8605
Now wit chure hair, lak if yo' an' yore ole man's tuhgethah an' if some woman is tryin' tuh bust yo' up from 'im, yo' kin take some of his hair an' put it in a lamp. An' yo' kin write this woman's name an' his name on a piece of papah an' fold it tuh yo', an' put it in dat lamp an' burn it fo' nine mawnin's. An' aftah de ninth mawnin', yo know, put de lamp out. An' den yo' 'noint chure room wit oil of [verbena probably]. Hearts Co- logne, an' scrub roun' yore flo' wit some urinate, sugah an' a li'le cinnamon. An' dat breaks dat [affair] up.
(You put his hair in this lamp?)
Yo' put his hair in de lamp an' yo' write dis woman's name who he's goin' with. Write her name crossways [this is crossing them up] an' bring his'n - yo' know write hers down first an' den bring his'n cross. An' yo' put it in a lamp an' burn off it fo' nine mawnin's. [A great many scrubbing rites are scattered through Hoodoo. That oil, instead of verbena, could be a word I eventually dis- covered was oil of Bergamot, this last word appearing in a variety of forms: bergamine, Essense instead of oil might have helped the decipherment.]
Entry 11774
If you place 9 needles, 9 pins, 9 Victrola points, graveyard dirt, coffee and sugar, black pepper and salt; if you place all these under the rug at the front and back door, it will break up that home. [Norfolk 453:4.]
Entry 61
Fer protection from a root doctor - yo' already got dat, ain't cha? Dey cain't do nuthin', ah'm telling yo' now, if you keep it on; but chew gotta keep it on yo'. After ah got hurt, ah learnt - see, it come to me through de spirits to do it. You take yo' - dey kin put down anything dey wanta and you kin walk over it and it won't hurt see. You go to de drug store and git chew a nickel's worth of saltpeter and a nickel worth of bluestone and you take them two things. Don't put all it together. Take jest a little pinch of it, take it on a knife, and every time you pick it up say, "In de Name of de Father, Name of de Son, Name of de Holy Ghost."
(Each time you take a pinch on a knife, you say that.)
A pinch on a knife, say it on each one. All right, yo' take yo' some sulphur, take three pinches of that, "In the Name of the Father, Name of the Son, Name of the Holy Ghost." All right, that's three of 'em together - that's sulphur, blue- stone and saltpeter. All right, yo' take dat table salt de same way - you take dat sugar de same way. And then jest take and break yo' three match haids off and name dem de same way, "In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost." Sew it up in a little rag, jest a little small thing, and tie it around yore waist [this is a hand] and you kin step over anything, dey can't do nuthin' - dey kin touch chew but dey ain't goin' do nuthin' to yo', dey ain't goin' do nuthin'.
Entry 328
Well, ah've heard of de black cat. Yo' take dat black cat - ah've heard of dis. Yo' take him whilst he's 'live, take him an' boil him. Ketch him an' put him in hot watah an' boil him. An' yo' take dat watah an' let it cook down an' yo' take an' mix it wit sugah an' oil of bergamot an' oil of cinnamon. Aftah yo' git dat lucky bone - ah'll tell yo' dis first. Yo' take that an' have yo' a pan of watah, aftah yo boil him all tuh pieces. Den yo' take an' put it all in dat watah an' dat lucky bone will stay on top an' de others will go to de bottom. Yo' take dat bone out an' den yo' kin go by polices or anybody else. Yo' take that black cat bone an put it ovah yore do', up ovah yore do', or either undah yore step: De polices ain't comin' no further den dat. Dat's de way yo' got'a git dat bone.
(After you boiled that black cat, what do you do?)
Take an' mop yo' flo' with it [demonstrates while I comment]. (After you put that black cat bone over your door, then you use this black cat water and this oil of bergamot, that's to mop with.) With the sugah an' the concentrated lye. Put a teaspoonful dat concentrated lye in dat watah an' yo' mop yore po'ch early in de mawnin' befo' sunup. Dat keeps de police away an' draws de luck to yore house. [This is one of many ways to bring in customers - see Scrubbing and Mopping in Index.]
Entry 1314
Tuh pertec' yoreself why yo' git yo' some graveyard dirt an' some sugah an' mix it togethah an' put it on de stove an' dry it. An' yo' put a little cayenne peppah in. it an' yo' sprinkle a little of that in yore shoe an' roun' cross yore do' facin' lak dat an' that keeps away enemies.
Entry 1431
That how they use the toadfrog. (How do they use that?) The toad - you know what the toadfrog best to do? You can take a toadfrog and burn him - take him alive and put him in something and burn him till he turns to real coal, and powder that up and feed that to a person. I'll bet you, if they won't have more little diff'rent things in their stomachs than you ever heard of and I'll betcha a doctor can't cure em.
(Is there any way of getting that out at all?)
Yes, you can even get that out of a person.
(How?)
It's a simple thing to get out of 'em. There's but one thing you can get it out of them with, that's pure sugar and rain water; but you must not get no water out of anything 'cepting glass, no kind of metal.
(How would you fix this rain water and pure sugar?)
Just ketch pure rain water like when it's rainin' - just put something out there to catch it - any container - and just fill that full of rain water and just keep that rain water, and instead of getting that person water that come from the hydrant, feed 'em that pure rain water. That's all they gotta have.
(That will bring these live things out of them?)
Bring them live things out of 'em. That's all - just pure, pure rain water - nothing else used but that rain water.
Entry 1709
Yo' carries lodestone or yo' carries garlic in a bag - yo' sews that up in a little bag. Git chew a piece of garlic an' git chew some lodestone an' some of dis anvil dust an' a little sugah in there, an' yo' jis' sew that up together in dat little red cloth an' yo' keep it in yore pocket an' yo' po' whiskey on it, an' when yo' goin' in why yo' rubs that in yore han' an' keep it in yore pocket where yo' kin git chure han' on it.
(That's for luck in gambling?)
Sho'. [Lodestone = drawing power, forcing anything (money here) toward you; garlic = protection against evil, specifically, against anyone in the game trying to kill your gambling hand (see margin-titles Salt and Sex later for killing a hand); anvil dust = durability, strength, and ability to attract anything toward user; Sugar = peace, here the sweetening of competitive and sometimes combative dis- positions round you; red = symbol of life within and a warning against intruders; po' whiskey = feeding a hand, technical term for maintaining its life; whiskey = the spirit within the hand likes whiskey (see No. 77, p.32; No. 411, p.122, and Index); rubs = rubbing Aladdin's lamp, which signals the spirit within the hand to act.]
Entry 1842
Dis whiskey an' sugah - fo' a man if he's runnin' round. Yo' cut dat yellah domestic - ah mention dat, an' yo' cut chew a little man out. Dat's right in de shape of a little man an' put it in dat bottle.
(What bottle?)
In de bottle whut chew put dat whiskey in, yore whiskey an' yore chamber lye an' de sugah. An' take dat an' set it back, if yo' want him tuh stay dere; an' set it in a cloth in a corner, jes' let it set down jes' lak de man do an' let it stay dere seven days. An' if he's out anywhere in town, he'll come back. But yo' got'a have de shape of de man altogethah.
(He doesn't drink that whiskey or anything? Just keep it in the bottle?)
No suh - dat's all.
Entry 1850
Take a pin an' put a little hole in it [chicken egg] an' put some of yore blood in that little hole. Yo' know, yo've seen dem little eye-dropper or nose-dropper, somethin', drain it down lak that. Take a strand of yore hair an' stick it down in there - in that hole an' carry it out in the woods where yo' know that snake's there - most any kind of a little bug or something is, yo' know. But chew put some sugah roun' there yo' see. See, that aig is goin' tuh sweat, chew know, an' that sugah is goin' dissolve and the ants or whatevah gits ovah to it first, that's jis' whut - if it be a snake, well, yo'll crawl lak a snake; if a ant gits holt'a it, well yo'll fis' wander aroun' jis' lak a ant.
Entry 2152
(You get the boss's name?)
An' write it down, see. Well, yo' bring it home an' yo' take salt an' sugah an' sprinkle it ovah dis piece of papah whut choo got de boss's name on it... an' wear it in yore shoe fo' nine days, an' jis' keep a-goin' back, back tuh him. An' git chew some of dis heah oil of clover an' oil of bergamine [bergamot] an mix it togethah, an' Jockey Club perfume an' mix it together. [Three perfumes.] Git chew some root dey call John de Conker. See, aftah yo' got his name in yore shoe, well, yo' put dat oil of clover an' oil of bergamine wit dat Jockey Club perfume. Dat Jockey Club perfume keeps dat oil of clover and oil of bergamine from smellin' an' yo' sprinkle it on yo'. An' den yo' have dat John de Conker vine or root in yore mouth an' yo' chew it well, an' when yo' walk up to 'im talkin' about jobs, see he'll git de influence of dat odor, an' den yo' be jis' spittin jis' lak yo' chewing tobacco, an' yo' keep a-goin' dere an' event'lly he'll give yo' a job.
Entry 2157
One I lived with about six years - the first girl I lived with - she had my name writ all kind of ways, and cinnamon and sugar wearing in the bottom of her shoe. That's for peace.
(How do you mean she had your name written all kinds of ways?)
She had it seven diff'rent ways, cause I looked at seven diff'rent ways - Thomas Keeler, Thomas Keeler, Thomas Keeler, Thomas Keeler - just cross, cross. And had cinnamon and sugar wearing in the bottom of her shoes. When I found it I was just setting on the side of the bed, you know, and I picked up her shoe. I and her used to fight quite a whole lot.
Entry 2233
Yo' kin take a rabbit an' kill him an' take his left hin' foot an' take it an' soak it in salt an' sugah. Mix salt an' sugah together an' soak it in salt an' sugah all night an' git it up de nex' mawnin' an' put it in yore pocket an' let it dry out in yore pocket. Den yo' have a lucky han' fo' gamblin'.
(What foot do you take?) [A check, not tricky question.]
De left-han' back foot.
Entry 2402
Ah've heard a lady say. She tole me tuh do it. Course ah never did experience it mahself, but she tells me like dis - to take on a Wednesday morning before twelve, never let twelve get dere befo' doing it, which ah said ah was gon'a try it mahself to see was she telling de truth. Yo' git chew a half a cup of sugah, allspice and put it into yore scrubwater.
(You get a half cup of sugar. And how much spice do you get?)
Yo' git about a tablespoonful of allspice. Yo' put it into the water that you scrub with. Yo' put chew a little piece of saltpeter with it and start at de front of your house and scrub before twelve to de back. They say that will draw any kind of luck into yore house yo' want.
Entry 2518
Takes a horseshoe an' dress it in red.
(Dress it in red?)
Dress de horseshoe ovah in red an' place it in front of de do' backwards an' farwards, an' yo'll run good business. (How do you mean dress it in red? What do you do?). Yo' take an' git - have tuh git ovah at de sto' - git a red piece of cloth an' yo' jest wind dat, yo' know, dat horseshoe all ovah in dat an' place it up ovah de do', an' to de back, an' yo' won't have any trouble by yore customers - yo' draw mo' den all. Yo' takes - go in de sto' an' gits yo' Red Devil Lye an' salt, an' yo' place it at de front do' an' de back. Dat go wit dat horseshoe, an' yo' takes chamber lye, a handful of sugah, salt, an' yo' goes round dat jest befo' day, all round dat house wit dat, an' yo' got no trouble wit de sheriff or with yore house. [Perhaps the largest hand ever wrapped in red, except the treasure hunter who insulted the devil by wearing a red shirt - see No. 424, p.127.]
Entry 2553
On bootleggin' it you have to - all bootleggers scrubs at four o'clock in the mornin' before de law's walkin'.
(Before the Lord's walking?) Yes, sir. (Before the Lord is walking?)
Before the lawr - like detectives - is walking.
(Oh, before the law is walking.)
Jis' like on your beat, dey scrubs so they'll pass up [police will pass by not bothering you]. You git dat cinnamon an' sugah, an' you git Jockey Club an' you put dat in an' scrub it - scrub your banquette, an' wash your banquette, an' you won't never be bother. Ah bootleggin's fo' fo' years an' never been caught. [This is banquette scrubbing, separate from house scrubbing.] [New Orleans, La.,
(790).1102:2.]
Entry 2573
You are bootlegging and want customers. You go, you git some good - some sugar. Git you some cinnamon powder and you git you some luck - some van- van. See. You take it and put it in a bottle and you boil it - see, parsley. (Yes.) You take some parsley and you take all that [other ingredients] and you put it down in a pot and you boil it - let it boil about a solid hour before you take it out. And you take it out, you take you a whole quart - boil it first, boil it down to a quart. Then you take and you go to the alley gate - see, go to your gate or whatever it is and when you git there you start to sprinkle it backwards, you know, coming back to the house. See, just like you walking and you walk back [backwards]. Just have your mind on what you want and sprinkle it down, and you go right on the inside and you puts your bottle down. The next few minutes you see customers startin' comin' in.
Entry 2575
Then you scrub your place. But you go to, say to a drug store, and the first thing you get - there's something that is commonly used that everybody know but very few use it. You see, the thing that we use is peroxide - that regular form of peroxide. Well, when it be's in a powder first from the salt [oxide], you take you a teaspoonful of peroxide in a bucket of water. You take a half tablespoonful of salt and a whole tablespoonful of sugar. [Three ingredients.] Mix that and dissolve it good and scrub all your place. But sweep inside - don't never sweep nothing out chure door. But get fresh water. Don't get no water that is - try to catch water that's rain water, don't get no water from the hydrant. Get you fresh rain water in that bucket and at night you scrub that place. Scrub it at night, don't scrub it in the day. Scrub it after sundown and scrub it inward in your building and sweep that water right on back through your building. And then if you got any mop, mop up after that dry. Then clear out your place, mop up - sweep with any other water you Wanta after that. But scrub that over and let that dry in your building. You take just a half a tablespoonful of salt and a tablespoonful of sugar and a half a teaspoonful of ordinary peroxide that you use from the drug store on the sore. And scrub in your building - not out chure building, in your building. That's the way you increase your business.
Entry 2589
(What did you do?)
For me to have customers when I was bootlegging? I didn't do nothing but something simple. I got me a quart jar and I made me up a jar of salt and sugar water.
(What kind of water?)
Jest table salt and pure sugar.
(You just take salt and sugar together?)
Yes, in that jar. And you take and you sprinkle it from ever what entrance they come in at, clean on into the other entrance, and back on and you say a verse. You say, "In the Name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Ghost, give me luck, success and money." And anything that I call for I'll get it, and you be sprinkling that and saying that verse all the time. Well, you get plenty of customers when you do that. When I was bootlegging, when I would do that, I would have plenty of customers. That worked for me - yes, sir, that truly worked for me.
Entry 2632
Well, ah heard of 'em burnin' men's shoes. Put sugah in 'em an' burn 'em on a Friday mawnin', burn 'em at seven a'clock an' 'leven. Dat's fo' luck. Dat's fo' good luck fo' yo' house or people comin' in fo' yo' makin' money - anything lak dat. Dat's whut dat fo'. [Memphis, Tenn., (1548), 2811:6.]]
Entry 2635
Jis' lak if yo's a hustlin'woman, yo' know, an' want good business in yore home, yo' see, well yo' take ole shoes an' burn 'em. But 'fore yo' burn 'em yo' sprinkle sulphah an' salt on those shoes an' put 'em in yore cookstove an let 'em begin burnin'. An' den yo' take a shovel an' take 'em out on a shovel with this sulphah an' salt on 'em an' jis' care 'em all roun' in yore house - yo' see, in all de fo' corners of yore room an' jis' let 'em burn. An' let de odor - close yore house up an' let dat odor stay in dere. Den yo' take de ashes an' start at chore front do' an' sprinkle it from de front to de back an' dat draws trade. Den yo' take yore urinate an' put salt an' sugah in it an' jis' mop yore front po'ch an' out all on de street - out all on de sidewalk where peoples is passin', if yo's runnin' a assi'nation house, see. An' people when dey git dere dey'll jis' have tuh come in. Dat makes good business fo' yo'.
Entry 2638
If you was bootleggin' - you'd sit around, look like nobody much didn't come dere. So you kin take your old shoe, take you some onions and peel 'em and take de peelin' - dese dry hulls off de onions and put 'em in dat shoe. Take you a little sugar and put it in dat shoe, and a little salt and put in dere, and walk to de stove and take de heel part and turn it right up over de toe like dat, and put it bottomside upwards into de stove [upside down rite] and let it burn dere. In ten or fifteen minutes you have more people in your house den you kin wait on.
Entry 2640
Well, dat supposed to bring luck in business - to bring luck in busi- ness an' yo' know tuh drive any evil spirit away, de cops. Well, now, yo' do this on a Friday at twelve a'clock. Yo' take sugah an' sulphur an' salt an' yo' sprinkle it on some ole shoes, an' den when de whistle is blowin' fo' twelve, why yo' have a good while to lay it on, put it in there an' yo' burn it an' let de smoke go out. See, de smoke, well it will go out de chimley an' it will light up good. Why den yo' lift it out in a shovel or somethin' an' yo' carry it roun' in yore place of business an' let dat smoke circulate aroun'. An' den yo' take an' put it back in de stove an' let it finish burnin' up. Do dat each Friday. Well, dat's all to dat fo' good luck. (That is for luck in business - to bring in customers and also keep the police away?) Bring customer an' keep policemen 'way.
Entry 2641
Take a man's left-foot shoe - dat's luck, see, in de gamblin'. Yo' take a man's left-foot shoe an' yo' go tuh town an' yo' buy yo' five cents worth of brown sugah an' yo' buy yo' five cents worth of white sugah, an' yo' take that sugah an' yo' put a tablespoon of sugah in yore left shoe - of de brown sugah, an' yo' put a tablespoon of the white sugah in de othah shoe. Then yo put em in de heater. See, that's why yo' gamblin'. Yo' turn one this way an' yo' turn de othah one this way.
(Here are the two shoes. Now, how do you turn them?)
All right [demonstrates], yo' put a tablespoon of brown sugah in this left- foot shoe. Yo' turn this one this way, see; an' yo' take the othah one an' turn it ovah [not upside down] that way. (Make a cross with the two shoes. They are standing up though.) [I comment on demonstration. Remember, these are old battered shoes being crossed.] Yessuh, make a cross. An' yo' burn that. Let that burn grad'lly in de house. Dat's fo' gamblin'. Dat jes' brings people - dat's luck.
(But the sugar must be in the heels of the shoes?)
Yassiree, must be in de heels of 'em, a tablespoon of sugah in each one.
Entry 2648
I had a saloon and there is another fellow had a saloon, and he was doing more business than I was and I want the business to come to my place. All right. I go get me some water, some perfume called lucky, lucky perfume you know, and I take some clear water and I put it in a bottle and I shake it up. [Water will make the perfume spread farther.] I do this 'fore day in the morning 'fore anybody sees me doing what I got to do. I go to this place that is in the same block my place is. I go to the corner, see, and I come back and when I get before his door I sprinkle. I go to my place of business and go inside and sprinkle. And I take and go to the next corner, not the same corner, and I sprinkle - behind my back, never look behind, and I sprinkle all along that street. And I go to my place and I go in again. And I go back to that [first] corner, the same corner that is left [left from my door], understand, and sprinkle the same way. Sprinkle before his door and go in my place and come out, see. Then I go to the next [second or right] corner. Do that three times you see, each way. [Informant on coming out his front door turns left and walks past competitor's house to first or left corner (= crossroad of city streets). Here he starts to sprinkle his watered down lucky perfume, turns back home, sprinkling past compet- itor's house and into his own home. Immediately leaving home again, he turns and walks right to the second or right corner (= crossroad of city streets). Here he starts to sprinkle his lucky perfume, turns back, again sprinkling into his own home. This sprinkling from the two corners into his own home is repeated three times. We must assume the cork in the bottle has a small hole through which the liquid slowly drips; the word sprinkle being somewhat generous.] After that, I go in my place and I take some sugar and I sprinkle it on my floor, some plain white granulated sugar. I take some sawdust and I put it over that stuff and I go and I get me this lump incense, see. Can I stand up and show you how I come? [I must have nodded yes.] See, I get some lump incense and I burn it. I burn it, take a lamp, light it and burn, put it in a saucer, this lump incense. Then I take my clothes and smoke my clothes, understand. And after I smoke my clothes, I make my wish [demonstrates].
(You fold your hands across your breast.)
Yes sir, and make my wishes. I make my wish and I be saying, "Lord, I hope I be lucky enough to be successful in all my enemies and all my income." I say that three times. And after that I take my pants this Way and I get my pants smoked good with that incense, open it up this way and let the smoke go up - smoke up my pants leg. Then I turn round and I open my door, after that smoke is got settled in my house. While it is burning in my house, there is nobody in the house but myself. While the incense is burning, if it sparks like a match throw sparks, you know what I mean, well, that will tell that's luck. And if the smoke spreads, that's luck; if the smoke goes straight up, the incense ain't much good to you. After you do that, you put that behind your counter - put that in- cense behind the counter. And you have sprinkled the sugar already. Then you open the door. Then you can talk. You cannot talk while you are doing your business, no sir. (Now when you first make the smoke, you have to take off your pants, then you put them back on - the first time?) Yes sir. [Perhaps I should say, informant did not take off pants during demonstration.]
Entry 2725
We going to scrub the house out first with that Red Seal Lye. That's if anything is crossed in the house - the building is crossed before you occupy it. After scrubbing with that Red Seal Lye, you get you some cinnamon powder, you get you some oil of verbena, then you get you some granulated sugar. If you wants white and colored trade, you get that white syrup and you get that red syrup, mixing well, scrubbing from the front porch on to the rear, throwing a glassful in each direction of the globe after scrubbing, and I guarantee you burning cinnamon powder and burning incense in the building when you in there alone, leaving it smoke well, open up the door, and you can't keep the gang out of there.
(I see.)
[After machine stopped, I ask about keeping law away.]
The same though.
(The same thing will keep the law away from there?)
Absolutely.
Entry 2726
If yo' runnin' a place an' want luck fo' customers, yo'd git chew some cinnamon an' yo'd git some sugah an' git yo' some oil of verbena, an' take pars- ley - yo' know parsley whut chew season food with. Yo' put it in a bucket an' put it on de stove an' boil it well. Aftah it boil, yo' start tuh scrubbin' yo' business from de front to de back. When yo' git through scrubbin' it goin' to de back, dis same watah dat chew scrub wit, throw a glassful to each way - one tc de east, one to de west, one to de south. [Presumably, unlucky north purposely omitted.] All right. When yo' git through that, yo' take yo some cinnamon agin an' yo' take yo' three of those good incense, an' yo' let dat burn very slow. Take some sugah an' mix it up well, an' throw it right in front of de do', an' throw three buckets of watah on dat. Den de place won't be able tuh hold the people.
(What do you do with that incense?)
Burn it. Mix it wit de sugah. Have tuh sterilize de'sugah aftah yo' burn it, see. Well, throw it out an' throw three buckets of watah on it.
Entry 2744
You've gotta know something about de Bible to do it. Comes from de devil, let it go on back [to him]. I would nevah try to do nothing to people and I wouldn't, and ah don't put no spells. De people come and dey says, "Well, could you put dis back." It don't work. Long as I git you well and work for yo' happiness, then it's all that's necessary. (Well, what sort of cure do you use? If I came to you and - had a spell put on me, what sort of a cure would you use?) Well, de first thing ah'd do - I heals, too. That's the next thing. The first thing I heals and then I use salt. Salt is used fer a thousand things that is good and bad. I puts this salt on a plate, saucer, then the party that's sick, I let them make a hole in dis salt wit de big finger [demonstrates].
(Of the left hand.)
Any hand but jest only dis finger - not de index finger, the middle finger. And then I repeats certain words from de Bible and let dem repeat after me and tell em - oh, yes, ah pour alcohol in it and let it burn, and de word dat dis light goes out on, it [sickness] stops right there. Then they must sleep over dis salt overnight. Then take it to the deep rivah and throw dis salt in de rivah and let it go. That watah running and dis salt will take away your con- ditions. Course dere's nothing you kin do fer nobody if they don't believe nothing. If a person don't believe nothing - nothing doin'. Becus if dey comes tuh me and if ah'm even jest goin'tuh heal dem ordinarily, ah says, If you don't be- lieve in God and you don't believe ah kin, ah don't wanta bother with you - no use using de energy:"' And then I always repeat certain words over a person when ah'm healin 'em.
(Are those words a secret? Or something you wouldn't want to tell me?)
"May it please thee, O Jehoges, to prosper" - I mean, "May it be thou most holy will, O El Mejah to heal de body and soul of dis person." You gotta call de mother's name and de person that you are healin'. "May it be thou most holy will, O El Mejah, to heal de body and soul of John or Susan, free 'em from plague and oppression."
(What were those words that you read out of the Bible? Were those secret?)
No, dat wouldn't be secret. It would be secret to people dat come to see me but not secret to persons dat knows - you know what I mean, if you understand. It's the loth Psalm of the Book of Moses. [We must remember here as well as everywhere in hoodoo, the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses - probably in a number of versions and under various names - is considered by believers to be a part of the Bible.] Dis one dat keeps running in mah mind is de Psalm dat you read three times befo' sunrise. Dat's de 4th Psalm. That is in order to accomplish things that you desire. There's a certain name, a certain spirit, that you call upon.
(Is this Psalm in the Bible or in the Book of Moses?)
Both - but de meanings is in de Book of Moses - Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses. The 10th Psalm - well dat Psalm whut you use fo' healing and removing conditions from a person.
(Do you use any other book in addition to Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses?)
You kin take and look in de Sixth and Seventh Book of Moses and find out whut to read, and den you go in yo' Bible and read it from yo' Bible. You go to the fo' corners Of the earth and you take nine new keys and you call the spirit of this person - nine keys and walk to the four corners and you call the spirit. Yo' go dere at midnight and you call de spirit of de person whut you Want and this person will come. You worry 'em - de spirit [identified later] will worry 'em. Yo' send out yore thoughts through dese new keys and that brings the person back that you desire to.
(You mean the spirit of the dead person back?)
[This also brings the spirit of a living person.]
Yes, because you are sending out a self-conscious mind and yo' sending out the Spirit forces to bring this one back what chew want.
(Why do you bring this person's spirit back?)
Why do you do it? Well, because you wanta see this person that's away. When you making charms you use sugar with Adam-and-Eve, tea, coffee and sugar, 'cause everybody likes sugar in dey coffee or sugar in dey tea, and you mix that three together in your charm. That's the onliest way ah knows.
(What is the charm for?)
The charm is fo' those things ah told you about while ago, but chew gotta put Adam-and-Eve in it. If Adam-and-Eve is in, it holds the two together close, the man and wife, or sweetheart and friend.
Entry 2757
[The following statements come from the interview with the girl men- tioned in the Introduction because of her youthful age for this kind of work. She - though familiar with usual hoodoo devices - is more interested in her own brand of spiritualism cen- tering around a special power rite. Two candles, one behind the other, are used - the forward blue candle named Uncle, the backward white candle named Master. Uncle or Unkas, a well-know spirit, we shall meet again (see, THE UNKAS MAN, in Interviews section). She does not say so, but any object upon which her candles rest - table, mantelpiece, bureau, box - must be called an altar. She operates a private shrine.] Well, yo' see, it's lak dis. Yo' take two candles an' yo' burn 'em. As yo' burn dese two candles, yo' tell 'em, say, "Well, Jesus, ah want chew tuh back me up. Ah want chew tuh back me up as ah go in back of mah spirit." An' as yo go, the man will tell yo', "Well, yo' come fo' a job. Well, ah kin give you a job." See, it be dat light is helpin' yo where yo' set dat light an' it burn itself. An as [before] yo' go dere yo' take an' git chew some bay rum an' yo' rub in yore han's. As yo' git dis bay rum, yo' take an' take yo' a piece of rag, an' as yo' take a piece of rag, yo' always keep dat rag movin' in yore han's, an'as yo' go in dis place when he begin' tuh ask yo' 'bout a job, well all yo' do yo remembah de light, an' if yo' say, "Lord, he'p me an' back mah light up," well, dat light will always give yo' power an' always help yo', an' yo' go dere an' dat person will give yo' a job. Maybe somebody's been dere a long time an' tryin' tuh git a job an' dey don't know how tuh git a job. All yo' do is set de light.
(What color of light? Any color?)
De bes' light is de white an' blue light, tuh git. De white one is Master an de blue one is Uncle. Yo' always say Master back of Uncle, an' yo' ast him tuh do sech-an'-sech a thing an' he'll do this thing. Yo' take a coconut but yo' must break it square. Yo' know a coconut is round but yo' must keep it square. Sometime yo' cain't break 'em - dey hard fo' yo tuh break 'em square, but it gotta be broke, yo' know, half in two in square. An' yo' take dat coconut an' yo' take de meat out of it an' yo' take a person name an' yo' write it down, but chew make a seal. Yo' evah saw a seal? [Evidently I nod, yes. I previously had seen at least one seal in St. Petersburg, Florida, see 2280, p.644.] Yo' makes a seal an' yo' take dat person's name an' yo' put it down in dat coconut an' dat Rabbit Syrup. Well, yo' take dat Rabbit Syrup an' dat cinnamon an' git chew some bay rum, an' yo' mix dat Rabbit Syrup an' dat pulverized sugah, dat fine, fine sugah whut chew buy in de box. Well, yo' sweeten it. Mix all dat together - de cayenne an' de Rabbit Syrup an' de cinnamon an' de bay rum. Yo' take his name an' yo' make a seal out dat papah, but chew must nuse brown Papah an' yo' put it down in dat coconut an' yo' take yo' a light. Yo' take yore light an' yo' put it - yo' see, yo' have dat seal made round, but chew have tuh cut it out round, yo' see, de brown papah, an' yo' put dat name, write it right in de middle of de seal.
(Just once?)
Yes, an' yo' put de light in de center of dat an' yo' burn it. Yo' make yore wish to dat light, whatsomevah yo' want, an' yo' burn it.
(What kind of light - any color?)
Well, yo' kin take Uncle light. It's a blue light, Uncle. Dat's a spirit. An' yo' kin take a lemon.
(Well, now what does that do? When you burn that in there?)
Well, yo' kin keep a person down - dey won't prosper, cain't git a job no way. Yo' understan' about dat. (To put the candle out [the candle someone is burning against you], every morning you say you get up and do what?) Yo' go to de hydrant befo' yo' say anything an' yo' let de hydrant run an' dat's tuh pray - dat's de way ah do's. Ah goes tuh de sun an' ah prays, an' whilst ah'm prayin' ah let de hydrant run an' ah take three drops - three glasses of watah, an' aftah de sun go down, yo' throw de watah tuh de sunset an' ast de spirit whatsomevah yo' dealin' with tuh give yo' power tuh put dat light out.
(What spirit would you deal with? Any spirit that you wanted to?)
Well, it's diff'rent people - de spirit contained wit yo', see. [Each person has a different or special spirit.] Yo' have a guide an' ah have a guide.
(It is your own spirit that you are getting?)
Yes. If a person tell yo', "Ah want chew tuh do sech-an'-sech a thing fo' me, '' an' [or] yo' want a person, a man. Lak yo' say, "Ah want dis man an' ah'm gon'a git dis man an' nobody have dis man." Well, yo' take a tub of watah an' yo' set dis tub ovah an' yo' take an' light a black candle. Yo' don't light dis candle, yo' put it in dis watah an' let dat watah trickle [from the faucet into the tub]. Put dis man name an' den yo' cut chew a coconut an' cut chew coconut an' put some dust [drops of melted wax] on it. Yo' evah heah dat? An' yo' let dat candle draw [drop] aroun' down in dis place heah. Dat be dat man name. [Melted wax from black candle drops on man's name written on brown paper at bottom of coconut.] Now, he's driftin' all aroun' an' aroun'. [Because his name under black candle in coconut is floating on the water in the tub; the dripping faucet makes it running Water.] He cain't nevah git a job. He nevah kin work. Every time he draw tuh yo', well he gittin' somewhere; but when he leave yo', look lak he driftin'; an' if he want any othah woman, yo' kin drift him away from dis woman - but nobody else, he's gotta have yo' an' nobody else. An' if yo' don't want give him nuthin, all yo' do, jis' put dat candle in dere an' let it drip an' so many hours. Yo' turn de chairs upside down. An' lak if a person goin' tuh co't an' dis person wanted tuh he'p yo' outa co't. All yo' take an' do, take St. Peter pit- chure an' turn it upside down, an' as yo' turn it upside down, dash some watah in [on] dat [picture] an' aftah yo' dash it, den dey come on outa jail. [See, BEER FOR ST. PETER - CIGAR FOR ST. ANTHONY, in InterviewS Section.] But chew de one he'p dem yo' see. Dat's de understandin' of luck. Yo' take an' do so many things with luck. See, den agin lak if yo' want a person - well, ah say, "Ah'm goin' make yo' drift." Well, yo' say, "Well, yo' cain't make me drift." Well, ah'll take an' take yore name, an' take a bottle of watah an' throw that bottle of watah undah mah laig or 'neath mah laig - mah left foot, an' throw it so [she demonstrates], an' tell it tuh go sech-an'-sech a place but don't nevah come back, an' as dat bottle go roun' an' jis work roun' an' roun' [under my foot], mah mind don't nevah come to me, but ah'm driftin' ever' day, goin' off an' off. Don't nevah see nobody, always thinkin' of things, always thinkin' things - diff'rent. [Her mind is faster than her words. My name is written on a piece of paper and stopped up in a bottle of water. She throws the bottle on the floor, puts her foot on it and begin to roll it back and forth. Sometimes, not here, the bottle is kicked about the room and cussed. At the last moment notice how she changes my name to her own. This is one of the many rolling rites in the New Orleans area - see margin-title St. John's Water, p.639, and Index.]
Entry 2834
Well, the first thing you would do, you would get some saltpeter and sugar and Eagle Lye. And you scrub that house with it to dispel all evil that has been there from people that moved out - jinxes, as you'd call it. After scrubbing it with that, take a white candle and break it in half, not so it falls to pieces, and you burn that candle and let it burn out. [To break anything often frees the spirit within. Breaking here releases the power faster. In some cases it might double the power.] And after you've done that you will get you some garlic, three pods of garlic, and some lodestone perfume.
(What is lodestone perfune?)
There is perfume that you can buy from dealers that sell all this John de Conquer.
(I see, you can buy this lodestone [perfume]. All right, go ahead.)
And you put that in the water, and you burn the garlic peel, and you put a teaspoon of sugar in that, and scrub the house with it. And within three days that house would be ready - within the amount of pods of garlic that you put in, which was three pods of garlic. Well, within three days that house should be rented.
Entry 2838
White candles or blue candles for peace; black candles for danger or for to kill you or to run you crazy or something like dat. (Just how would they burn them? How do you mean they burn them?) Well, they say that they kin stick pins in black can- dles and roll them in pepper and salt and burn them at seven o'clock in the morning, you know, or eleven o'clock - some [uneven] hour like that, eleven or seven in the morning and the same at night. That will run you crazy or confuse you or something of the kind. That's a black candle. And the white one, they say you sprinkle them with sugar and burn them - you know, at the hours of seven-eleven, or a blue candle for love. Ah've heard that.
Entry 2840
Ah tole yo' ah said, if you wanted a person tuh come to yuh in peace, ah said yo' take dat candle and yo' roll it in sugar. See.
(What candle?)
Well, yo' take a pink candle and a white candle and yo' kin roll that in sugar, and on dose certain hours yo' burn it - jes' like de woman did fo' to bring de fellah back. Now, if you wanta worry a person or jes' like a per- son wanted to do harm to a person or kill a person, dey take a black candle and yo' burn dat black candle at night. Take a jet black candle and put it in yore room and yo' burn it slowly at night, see. An' when dat black candle burn out that makes a person go down - a black candle. But if you wants peace, yo' take a pink or white candle and yo' roll it in Sugar, and whoever name yo' want it to burn on you write it with de name back- wards - de last name yo' write it first, three times around de candle.
Entry 2912
(What have you heard about that?)
Well, if you have a fellow and he will leave home and you wanted him back, why you get you a candle - and you go out to the Crackerjack Drug Store some place. (To what drug store?) It's a drug store in New Orleans called the Crackerjack Drug Store on Rampart Street. And you kin get you some candles for a quarter - just pink-looking candles, not white. You'd get you some lump sugar. And you write his name down nine times and you take that - you know, put that candle on top of that name.
(What do you write the name on?)
A piece of writing paper.
(All right.)
You take that writing paper and you write the name nine times, and then you see, you have that candle up there and you set the nome to it. And you put those nine lumps of sugar around them then, makes your wish, and light that candle, and then he'll know the woman is - and he'll have to come back.
(Do you light those candles at any certain time?)
Yes, sir.
(What time?)
Well, about nine - about nine till eleven.
(In the night or morning?)
Well, you kin do it in the morning or you kin do it at night.
(And you burn it until he comes back? Or do you burn it for a certain time?)
No, you just burn - see, burn it from nine till eleven just for a couple of days and nat'rally, why he'll come back. (You take a piece of paper and you put it on something [not flammable], and then you melt some wax, and then you stick this candle on top of that paper.) Yes, sir - piece of writing paper. (And you put this paper down under the candle and you put these nine lumps of sugar in front of the candle in a circle.) But you have to write his name on that paper.
(I understand - nine times.)
Yes.
(Do you write the name, one right under each other? Or any way?)
No, just write it under each other.
(One right under each other in a line?)
In a line.
Entry 2918
See, heah, yo' git his subpoena, when he supposed tuh meet co't, an' yo' git chew a white wax candle. Yo' take dat wax candle an' yo' cut it - not de part whut yo' burn, it's de bottom part, an' yo' cut it till yo' cut to de wick. [Make a new wick at bottom.] Yo' git chew a piece of ice big enough tuh burn [last] as long as co't lasts. Yo' light dat candle an' yo' git chew some sugah an' yo' - a whole nickel wuth of sugah dat's nevah been used, an' take it an' po' all around on dat ice an' on top of dat candle, an' set subpoena on dat ice an' set de candle on top of it an' light it, an' keep it a'burnin' an' when he go tuh co't de judge will feel his sympathy. If he don't git clear, he wouldn't git much time - he would git a light sentence.
[A light for a light sentencel]
Entry 2920
A green candle's for money, see. (How would you burn that?) You take three green candles, just like this [demonstrates]. Fix 'em just like the - you know, kind of a round.
(You fix the three together? Tie in a circle?) [Tie into a triangle.]
Yes, into a shape. You cut the top of 'um off. You write the person's name nine times - whose ever name you wanta be on that candle, nine times. You put it in a saucer with some cinnamon, sugar, steel dust and quicksilver, and you let it burn out there. And whatever you want 'em to do, they come and do that, after that, after that candle's burned out.
Entry 2931
Lak if ah wus goin' tuh co't today, ah'd go tuh de rivah an' ah'd git me - lak if ah had tuh go tuh co't tomorrow, ah'd go tuh de rivah tonight, see. Well de watah's muddy. Ah'd git me a quart bottle of watah. An' ah'd take me about a nickel of sugah, white sugah, an' ah'd put in dere. Ah'd take a lemon an' ah'd open it an' ah'd squeeze de juice of dat lemon in dere. Ah would take de judge's name, see. Lak if his name is Judge Andrews, ah'd take his name. See, dat'd be fo' mahself, an' some honey an' some sugah. Write his name an' git me a white candle.
(Would you write his name just once?)
Well, dat's all jis' in a co't case. Er, no, yo' write his name nine times on de piece of papah.
(How would you write it?)
Well, yo' kin write - fo' de judge, yo' write it [demonstrates] disaway an', write it disaway an' that way an' come back an' write it that way.
(Cross it.)
Yes. An' yo' leave that burn at night, an' leave dat lemon - dat watah from de rivah set there to that lemon. Tomorrah mawnin' when yo' git up tuh git ready tuh go tuh co't, yo' take some of dat watah an' yo' drink it, a glassful, of dose little glasses - take one lak dat full [demonstrates] an' drink dat. An' when yo' be goin' out, yo' leave from de house, yo' take de rest of de watah an' throw it behin' yo', but don't nevah look aroun' - jis' throw dat behin' yore back, see. An' when yore case come up, well, he'll keep on settin' it back. He'll nevah call yo', jis' keep on settin' it back until yore case nevah be called again. Dat makes yo' win de case - it nevah be's called. (Now when you burn that candle, do you burn it just a little bit or burn it all night long?) Yo' let it burn all night long till, yo' know until it burns down.
Entry 2977
Somebody is burning a candle on you, and you got fire in the grate or else in the wood stove. You take a tablespoon of sugar and you put that in that fire and you take a tablespoon of salt and you put that in there. In about three minutes them candles will go out, cause I had it happen to me and I did it.
Entry 2982
Take yore pitchure an' burn candles on yore pitchure. Well, if dey Want it fo' good, dey use it wit sugah or honey. If not, if dey want it fo' bad, dey take dat candle - dey take de bottom part of dat candle an' cut it an' dat's de part dey light, light it bottom upwards. Dey put dat candle in a lemon an' set dat lemon on yore pitchure. Dat's whut dey do when dey wanta burn it tuh give yo' a headache or any kinda misery or anything lak dat - burns de candle bottoms upwards on top of dat pitchure.
(Do they use any particular color or does it make any difference?)
Well, dey - yo' kin use white. It's jes' as good as any othah color. Yo' use black if yo' wants tuh run 'em away.
(Do you light that candle at any particular time?)
Six in de mawnin', twelve at noon an' six at night. Ketch watah. Take an' leave yore haid - hol' yore haid down anywhere where yo' kin have some watah run on it. Ketch it in a pan an' take dat watah an' put it in a bottle. An' git chew nine needles an' nine tacks an' nine pins dat's nevah been used. Write dere name down nine time an' take dat bottle an' put some cayenne peppah an' table salt in it an' turn dat bottle - stop it up an' turn dat bottom upwards an' dat will put any candle out. An' yo' take yore left-foot shoe an' turn it bottom upwards under de side of de bed where yo' sleep at night. An' draw a glass of watah befo' de sunrise, an' put dat glass of watah undah yore bed an' when de sun goin' down, yo' throws it ovah yore left shoulder.
(What will that do?)
Dat puts de candles out. (That's another way of putting it out. Those are two different Ways of putting the candle out?) Both. All those ingredients goes tugethah. Yes, yo' see, when yo' usin' de watah, when yo' got de name in de watah, yo' gotta have dat shoe. Yo' take dat shoe an' turn dat shoe bottom upwards undah yore bed on de side where yo' sleep. Yo' draw a glass of watah befo' sunrise an' yo' leave it stay undah de side of de bed where yo' sleep till aftah de sun goes down. When de sun goin' down, yo' stan's an' yo' throws dat watah ovah yore left shoulder an' don't cross it [walk over it] - no suh, yo' don't look back at it.
(All that will put the candle out.)
Entry 3246
A pin, a brass pin. You can take a brass pin - like if she - if a woman's goin' an' she get after you and she wants to give yo' a vener'al disease, you understand. (She wants to give you a venereal disease?) Yes. (I understand.) She take dat pin - she'll take a brass pin when yo' havin' intahco'se wit 'er. An' she'll take dat brass pin an' she'll hold it in 'er mouth, see. Well, she hold it in 'er mouth. Well, all right. Aftah yo' have yore intahco'se wit 'er, see, well nine days aftahwards, if yo' don't have no idea about it, why dat thing will start to run, an' stay on if, if yo' don't know what to do. If yo' don't know whut to do to cure it, why it, jes keeP gIttin' WOrSe. An' I DON'T CARE NUTHIN ABOUT DOCTORS [M.D.'s]. HEDICINE WILL NOT CURE IT.
(I see. That's if she wants to give you a venereal disease.)
Yes, if she want to give it to yo', yo' undahstan'.
(Well, ISN'T THERE ANY WAY YOU GET RID OF IT, if she gives it tO you?)
Yes. Well, de way yo' git rid of dat, yo' go to de woods. Yo' go to de woods or a swamp somewhere an' yo' git Swamp root or de watah lily.
(The what?)
De watah lily root - swamp root.
(Water lily. All right.)
[This is probably the swamp lily, a white flowered lily (Crinum americanun) of the southern United States.] Swamp root, yo' boil dat. Yo' boil it down an' yo' take one tablespoon of sugar, one tablespoon of sulphur. Yo' mix dat togethah into a quart of watah. Yo' take three tablespoonsful a day. Before each meal yo' take a tablespoonful. Dat'll cure it. But not wit'out some Swamp root. Somepin ah'll do it wit, it'll nevah nOt cure It. DOCTORS SHOOTIN AN' ALL DAT KIN'A SHOTS WILL NOT GIT RID OF IT, AN' I HAD IT. SO MANY PERSONS A DAY IN TOWN DAT DIES FROM DAT GOIN' TUH HOS- PITALS AN' NEVAH BE'S CURED. YO' GOTA GIT SOME MAN OUTA DE WOODS, OR SOME MAN TO GIT SOMEPIN OUTA DE GROUN' TO CURE DAT.
Entry 3281
To keep a man away from yore wife, yo' git yore wife's undahshirt - see, like yo' goin' to leave [town]. Yo' git de sweat of 'er shirt. Yo' take de shirt an' yo' wrap dis shirt up an' carry it wit yo'. See, yo' carry dis shirt wit yo'. Yo' take it an' make a package wit it. Undah- stan'? An' yo' take yo' some sugah an' cinna- mon an' oil of clovah [3 ingredients], yo' see, an' yo' mix it up in dat. An yo' put dat in dat package, an' when yo' sleepin' yo' sleep on dat. An' ah bet yo' she won't worry 'bout no man, while yo' are gone.
Entry 3411
An' a woman take a man, if he mess wit anothah woman, an' she take a dishrag tuh wipe him wit it. If she want it tuh last always, take an' soak it in sugah, den wipe him wit it. Den yo' put it in a quart jar an' throw it in runnin' watah. Well, it jes' work fo' about thirty days. Jes' take de dishrag an' put it in a bottle up ovah 'is haid, yo' know, where no one won't git to it. It lasts thirty days.
(Where do they usually put it over his head?)
Jes' lak yo'd go out dis do' an' lak yo' comin' in from work, yo' come in dat do' - go back an' come in dat do'. He cain't mess wit no othah woman. Ah know dat's tuh be true. (You put that over the door, but if you soak that dishrag in sugar before you use it on him, then throw this into running water it will last all the time.) Yes. [Fayetteville, N. Car. (1504), 2571:11.]
Entry 3496
If yo' wanted 'im ag'in, yo' could take a piece of new yellah domestic an' use de intahco'se, use it nine times, an' take an' cut out a piece about as big as a quarter [25 cent piece] an' put it in yore left-foot shoe an' wear it in dere, an' yo'll come tuh conker 'im lak yo' want 'im, if yo' wanted 'im. Yo' could take, say fo' in- stance - yo' could take a piece of cloth an' nuse [use] it an' tie a love knot in it. Take a teaspoon fulla sugan an' put in dere an' tie a love knot an' put it in yore mattress, an' dat'll make him be closer to yo' an' no one else.
(What kind of cloth do you take did you say?)
Yallah domestic - new, dat nevah been nused. An' yo' nuse dat nine times, an' when yo' have it, YO' NOT SUPPOSED TUH HAVE NO INTAHCO'SE WIT 'IM YO'SELF, YO' KETCH HIS'N. An' den yo' take an' put hit undah yore bed in yore mattress where yo' sleep on it. An' dat'll make him close to yo'. De man kin do it if he wants a woman. He kin take his new pocket han'ke'chuf an' nuse dat, han'ke'chuf dat ain't nevah been used, an' take it an' nuse it all de time an' tote it in 'is pocket, an' dat woman, she cain't have nuthin tuh do wit nobody but 'im.
(How does he use that handkerchief?)
He jes' nuse it in wipin' 'isself. See, it's a bran'-new han'ke'chuf, a white linen han'ke'chuf dat ain't nevah been nused. An' he take dat han'ke'chuf, see she jes' ain't payin' no 'tenshun, he jes' take, yo' know, an' dry hisself off. An' den he take an' put it in 'is pocket an' wear it.
Entry 3778
Git chew some stingin' net- tles - know dose thing ah mean. Git chew a root of dose an' boil 'em, an' put some honey, sugar an' salt in dere, an' take it fo' nine mawnin's - nex' nine mawnin's an' dat'll bring it back.
(What kind of salt did you put in that?)
Table salt.
(That will bring his nature back.) [St. Petersburg, Fla., (1043), 1693:5.]
3778. If he's runnin' roun' wit wimmin, she could take his courage away from 'im. Well, she could take his courage by wipin' 'im. Him an' 'er have a connec- tion an' she could take it wit 'er undahcloth, or she could take it wit de dish- rag. Each one of de ways is diff'ren'. Yo' would have to use a diff'ren' remedy on each one of de ways to git dat han' offa yo'. [Informant calls the undercloth and dishrag hands (see pp.519-669), which they are.] If she take it with de dishrag, why yo' kin go out in de woods an' git chew a stingin' nettle root. It got roots on it jes' lak a nut branch, jes' lak nut branch, an' yo' go down until yo' git to de third nut an' yo' take dat nut an' make a tea out of it, an' dat'll knock dat out. (You mean you swallow the tea then and that will bring back the courage, if you have been fixed up with the dishrag.) Den if yo' been fixed up wit 'er undahclothes, den yo' have to take de sandy pea root. An' hit don' have any nuts atall on it. It's jes' a root dat goes off lak dat. Ah've been in dat condition. Well, now yo' take dat stalk up an' den git de root of it, an' jes' clip de whole root off an' den put it in a bottle of watah, about a quart of watah an' take drinks offa dat. Now, dat ain't nuthin - jes' as quick as dis othah one, yo'll have to take drinks offa dat, too.
(This sandy pea root, is that the same as that they call the shame briar?)
Ah 'clare ah don' know, De onliest name ah know is de sandy pea root.
Entry 3808
He kin take cream of tartar, sulphur an' a lil' sugah. Mix dat togethah. Make a powdah of dat an' take a teaspoonful of dat three times a day an' dat will bring it back - bring back 'is nature.
Entry 3854
If yore man is well 'way from yo' an' yo' want 'im tuh come home an' yo've evah had anythin' tuh do wit 'im an' yo've nevah washed up de cloth, take it an' wash it an' git de small amount of watah, jis' enough fo' tuh dampen de cloth an' let it soak an' git it out of it. Take it an' put it in a bottle an' put chew jis' about a tea- spoonful of sugah in it. Den yo' set it up ovah de do' where he came in at. Do dat in de evenin' time an' de nex' mawnin' yo' grab de bottle an' call 'is name three times. Shake it up. In 24 hours he'll be at chore residence, if he's anywheres lak he kin git dere. If he don't come in 24 hours, he'll be close enough tuh drop yo' a card an' let chew know he's comin'. [This rite should have gone under IMPoTENCE, following No.3259.]
Entry 4114
(You have good luck you say with red onions. Well, now what did you say you put into that?) Yuh put yuh own chamber lye, an' yuh puts sulphur intuh it, an' yuh put love powdahs intuh it an' a li'le sugah - granulated sugah, a teaspoonful. Dat makes a nice salve. An' yuh gi' dat tuh 'im an' dey'll love yo'. (What do you do with that?) Yuh kin take dat an' gi' [give] dat tuh de person. Yuh gi' tuh 'em tuh eat.
Entry 4162
Yuh take it [urine] yuh know, an' keep it an' put it in a bottle. An' git 'er some sugah an' cinnamon an' write a person's name an' put it in dere. An' dey keep it lak dat an' dey say, if yuh have a hus- ban' - co'se ah don't have no husban'. Ah don't even do dat, cuz ah don't even have no husban'. Dey do dat, take it an' shake de bottle any time yuh want yuh husban' tuh come home. Or ah hit it on de flo' nine times an' he will certainly come home - if yuh got 'is name in dere.
(You hit it on the floor nine times?)
Right in de door nine times, an' dey say he'll certainly come home - don't care where he is. (But you have to hit it against the floor, hit it against the door-like
[saddle or floor at door], an' then you just shake it nine times?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 4171
Now yuh kin take dat urine an' burn yuh some incense yuh know. An' den take dat urine an' put chew some lye an' sugah in it, an' yuh kin scrub yuh front po'ch wit it, see. Jis' keep it right in front of yuh house an' it will bring mens intuh yuh home. Really will do it.
Entry 4172
An' den too, jis' lak if yuh want chure - if yuh husban' is runnin' aroun' an' yuh want 'im tuh stay at home, why yuh take an' yuh use one pot an' he use anothah, an' yuh put two table- spoons consitrated [concentrated] lye an' fo' tablespoons of sugah in dat urinate. Yuh see yuh use one pot an' he use anothah. See, yuh both don' use de same pot. An' yuh begin at de front do' an' mop evah mawnin' from de front do' tuh de back do' an' throw it directly ovah yore shouldah an' not look back ovah yuh left shoulder - not look back. An' he'll git to de place whare he'll jis' hang aroun' home.
Entry 4174
An' jis' lak if yuh want tuh git chure man back, jis' lak if yuh want tuh make 'em come home, if yuh kin git a chance tuh, git 'is chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle, an' don' have no watah in dere, no spit or nuthin. Take dis chamber lye an' put it intuh a bottle an put chew a teaspoonful of sugah in dere, an' take an' stop dat up in dat bottle. Put it somewheres where it cain't be in- tahfered wit, an' turn dat bottle down lak dat [demonstrates] an' let it stay dere. An' he will come back. If yuh wanta keep 'im wit yuh, yuh git some of 'is chamber lye ag'in - dere two or three diff'ren' ways dat chew kin do it. Go tuh a cow, if she's a cow dat has a young calf, a black cow an' she's got a calf. Git chew aroun' two teaspoonful of dat milk an' po' it intuh dat bottle. An' yuh kin keep 'im jis' as fast, jis' as yuh do de sugah an' dat chamber lye tuhgethah. Put all of it tuhgethah. Set it aside or put it in de trunk or put it up ovah yuh do'. It's all right. Dat will draw 'im home an' make him stay dere. He cain't go nowhere.
(You don't do that if he's away some place?)
[No.] Jis' [to] keep 'im. All yuh gotta do is tuh keep 'll.
Entry 4192
Breakin' nine needles - take nine needles an' break 'em an' put 'em intuh dat - down intuh it, don't chew undahstan', in yuh chamber lye. It jis lak if yuh'd drink [milk]. Now, yuh kin take milk an' drink it an' put sugah in it, an' take a knife blade an' stir it, yuh'll have de stomikache from dat knife blade. Well, yuh'll always be ahurtin', always be a [in] pain, all de time. Evah time yuh look aroun' yuh will complain of a pain, but it be's in de same place - it nevah moves.
(And then this chamber lye, you put it in something to hold it, don't you?)
Yes, bottle.
[Long pause.]
(Well, go on, put it in the bottle there [informant demonstrating], and then you put these knives [this knife blade] and needles in it.) In the bottle.
(What do you do with that, then?)
Yo' jis' bury it, de bottle, in de ground an' nobody knows. "Git chew a round stick, yuh know, an' dig yuh a hole an' bury it right in dere.
(I see. That will give the person pains in his stomach.)
Yes sir.
Entry 4256
If yo' wan' 'im tuh stay at home, yo' could take yore chamber lye in a bottle an' put a pinch of sugah in it an' shake it evah mawnin' fo' nine mawn- in's an' turn it up on its haid an' set it in a cornah. Well, nobody won' bothah 'im an' he'll stay dere an' yo' cain't drive him away. Yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's.
Entry 4261
If yo've got a husban' an' he's capable of leavin' home an' stayin' away, yo' wash yore jah [jar] an' yo' let 'im use it. An' den yo' take dat urine an' yo' po' it in de [glass] jah. Put about three teaspoon of sugah in dere, an' three pieces of spice, an' yo' write his name nine times an' jes' fold it up an' put it in dere. Yo' don't do anythin' but write an' put it in dere, an' den yo' shut dat jah up tight, airtight, an' it's no good until dat papah has turned tuh powdah. Dat urine will natch'ly [naturally] powdah dat papah. It'll jes' look lak white lime in de bottom of dat urine. An' den if yore husban' is away, yo' can shake dat urine an' put it undah yore bed on de side yo' layin' on, an' lay on it, an EVAH TIME YO' SHAKE IT HE'S SUPPOSED TUH TURN OVAH. If yo' SHAKE IT DE THIRD TIME HE CAN'T SLEEP, HE'LL GET UP AN' COME HOME EVAHWHERE HE IS.
Entry 4262
She takes dis bottle of sweet watah - she makes it, I mean puts sugah in rain watah an' make it jis' lak syrup. She puts dat name in dere an' she shakes it up. She take dis bottle an' she put it bottom up, or eithah she put it on de side of de bed where he used tuh lay, an' he comin' back. Any time she take an' shake it up he comin' back. Or, eithah she could take his urine an' she could jis' - she gits a small tin lamp an' she takes 'is name an' she sets it in dere. She writes 'is name nine times. Write it [demonstrates] dis way an' she turns it [sheet of paper] dere, she write backwa'd an' fo'ward dataway. An' she always puts 'er name on de top.
(These are written in cross fashion?)
[Not names crossing at right angles in form of a cross, but his name is writ- ten 9 times, one under the other; then the sheet is turned and her name is writ- ten across his names. In this fashion names are written backwa'd an' fo'ward.] Yes sir. See, when she folds it, she folds it tuh her an' she sticks in dis- got to be a little small lamp - tin lamp. An' she drops it down in dere an' she lights de lamp an' she speak tuh dis lamp. [Small lamp rites are common in New Orleans, many of them scattered through text.] An' in three days - nine days be de longest - he will be back.
(WHAT DOES SHE DO WITH HIS URINE?)
She puts it in a bottle. She takes it an' she shakes it up dataway, wit 'is name in dere.
(I See, THE SAME AS WITH THE SUGAR WATER?)
Yes.
Entry 4282
Well, ah seen 'em spit in yuh pee, whut chew pee in. It wuz all took up an' put in a bottle. All dat wuz put in a bottle an' dey put cayenne peppah in dat. Dey put sugah in dat an' set it behin' de bed, an' let it stay 'hin' de bed fo' three days.
Entry 4283
Dey take yuh chamber lye an' stop it up in a bottle, an' lak if ah want chew tuh love me, take dat an' put some sugah in it, an' stop it up in a bottle an' keep it dere until de bottle busts. (Then what would happen?) Yo' couldn't live.
(Whose chamber lye would you put in that bottle?)
Yuhs, yuhs an' mine.
(They would mix up both the man's and the woman's? That would kill you then?)
Yes.
Entry 4318
Well, a man kin take a woman's chamber lye an' he kin put it in a bot- tle, put a little sugah in it. See, about a spoonful of sugah in about three teaspoonful of chamber lye. Den he take dat bottle an' he turn it down where she have tuh walk ovah, go in an' out. Dat's tuh make her come undah his command.
Entry 4499
Well, if yuh've taken a bath in watah. Yuh see, when yuh bath yuhself, dat gets a certaln portion of yuh body off - dat perspiration of yuh body, see. Yuh washes off in dat. Dey take dat watah an' dey will stop it up in a bottle, yuh see. Well, it's quite natchal [natural] dat watah will sour, yuh see. Den dey take some sugah an' dey sweeten dat watah. Well, anything dat yuh sweeten will create an asick [acid] right away, yuh see. Dey take an' put dat in a bottle. Dey stop it up, see. Aftah dey stops it up, dey sets dat bottle upside down, yuh undahstan'. Evah once in awhile dey go in an' dey shake dat up. Dat shakes dat asick up in dat bottle, yuh see. An' when dey shakes dat asick up in dat bottle, dat starts yuh tuh burnin' an' eetchin' [itch- ing] all ovah, yuh see, an' yuh can't be peaceful nowheres. Yuh can't rest, it keep yuh tormented all de time.
Entry 4678
Yuh kin take dat little bow out of 'is hat an' put it in some bluestone an' sugah an' burn it in de lamp fo' nine days, an' dat change s'is min'. It'll
[mind will] stay right on yuh, see.
Entry 4842
Jis' lak a man go out, yuh see, an' yuh cain't make him stay at home. Well, yuh take his undahsuit an' yuh scrape dat cotton lak dat - yuh see, dat lint. Take dat lint where yuh kin scrape it, see, an' put it in a little bag an' some sugah, an' wear it on de side an' dat'll make 'em stay at home. Wear it on de side nex tuh yore skin, jis' eithah side - ary one. Dat'll make him stay at home an' give yuh 'is money. "
Entry 4879
Tuh keep a man home, yuh take his sock an' put it in yore room, an' yuh put sugah, an' yuh put a little cloves, an' yuh put some anvil dust. An' when- evah he happen tuh scrape his feet [rough skin on bottoms of feet caused by walking barefoot], jis' lak yuh know some people scrape dere feet, git some of dat an' jis' put it right in de do' where he walk ovah it. Jis' place it out real flat an' put it right in de place ovah [under] de rug where he walks at.
Entry 4940
Ah heard dat if yo' take a man's sock - 'SCUSE ME, BUT AH DON'T MEAN NO HARM BY IT. AH HEARD A WHITE PEOPLE SAY DIS. DAT'S DE REASON AH ASK YUH TUH "SCUSE ME. She said tuh take a man's sock an' take some sugah, an' take up de lef' brick on de lef' of de fireplace, an' put dat sock down in dere wit sugah in it. An' make yore wishes dat he'd come home. She said take dat.
Entry 4955
Take de man dirty socks, or de woman's dirty socks, an' makes 'em tuh stay home if dey have de habit of runnin' out. Takin' sugah, cinnamon, a snail, an' puttin' it in dat socks, an' tyin' three knots in de socks, an' puttin' it in a closed place, where he won' find it. An' if he's a man accustom tuh spendin' 'is money 'fore he come home, finally, in a couple of days he'll start tuh stayin' home an' he don' know anythin' about it.
Entry 4987
If yuh git holt a man's stockin' - sock, but it's gotta be dirty, a dirty sock. Now, jis' lak ef mah husban' wuz tuh go off an' leave me, see. Now, ah'd want mah husban' back. Ah'd take his dirty sock an' fill dis sock up wit salt - would git a sack of salt. Used tuh be time we used tuh buy dese cloth sacks of salt an' ah guess yuh kin fin' 'em now. De sack of salt, an' take de salt an' fill it half full regardless tuh where he's gone. He done forgot about it. Would fill dat sock half fulla salt - dirty sock, an' take a piece of papah an' write his name 'cross lak dis [demonstrates - one name below the other] on de papah. Have de papah square, write his name 'cross five times an' den turn dat papah right roun' ag'in an' write mine, ef ah want 'im back - five time on his'n. See. (Wait a minute. You write his name five times, one right above the other, down in a line [column]. Then turn the paper around and write this other name just across it five times.) Thas right, yessuh.
(Do you take both of his socks?)
One - yuh see, whenevah a sock's dirty, a pusson kin tell de right-foot sock from de left-foot sock, an' always take de left-foot sock, an'.
(You said which is which when they are dirty?)
Yessuh.
(How?)
On account hit be's shaped lak a foot. Yuh see, tuh strictly 'tenshun [if you pay strict attention], yuh kin see where de toes fit in it. Becuz it's gotta be a whole sock tuh fix it tuh git anybody back, yuh see. But a raggly [raggedly] sock yuh cain't tell nuthin about it 'cuz it don't have no shape tuh it. Take dat sock an' fill it half fulla salt an' den aftah dat name is wrote, put it down in de sock, see. An' den fill dat sock up tuh de ankle wit de salt. An' den sprinkle some sugah. Put some sugah on top dat salt. (Now first you put the salt in the sock, half full. Then you put the paper in and then you fill up some more salt.) An' den put some sugah on top of it, about half a teacup of sugah on top of it. An' bury dat sock at de front steps. Bury it up undah de front steps wit de feet comin' in. In about five or seven days dat man will be back home.
Entry 4997
If yuh wanted de man - if a woman wanted a man, yuh could take his socks. Have his dirty socks an' fold 'em tuh yuh an' take a teaspoonfula sugah. An' roll 'em tuh yuh all de time an' put nine needles on each end.
(That is 18 needles altogether.)
An' den take dem socks an' put 'em undah yore bed an' sleep on it. Dat'll make him stay close tuh yuh.
Entry 5004
Dey kin take yore socks or stockin's an' jis' make yuh do anythin' dat dey wan'a do, aftah dey are dirty; but if dey clean, dey cain't do yuh nuthin. (Now how - what would they do with that?) Well, fo' a instant [instance]; jis' lak mah husban' treat [mistreat] me. All right. Now, mah husban' go on away an' wants 'im back. Take dose socks, de lef' one - or if yuh cain't git it, take de bow from 'is hat, or de stockin', an' put some sugah in it an' urinate on dere. Bury dat. An' evah three time a day read de 23rd Psalm.
(Three times a day. At different hours?)
In de mawnin' about six, twelve, an' six in the evenin' [formula 6-12-6, see p.830]; nine day.
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 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 5089
Take yore shoes an' cuz yuh tuh fix 'em tuh keep yuh home, keep yuh from driftin' from pillah tuh post.
(How would they do that with your shoes?)
AH HAVE WELL EXPERIENCE OF KEEPIN' YORE MIND TUHGETHAH WIT SHOES. Yuh gO tuh de store an' git yuh a box of cinnamon an' a box of allspice. Take-a ole pair of shoes dat yuh have worn, if a person's mind have been drifted so dat dey cain't stay tuhgethah, an' take de cinnamon an' all- spice an' sugar, an' mix it tuhgethah an' put intuh each shoe. Take de shoe an' turn de shoes tuhgethah an' plant 'em [demonstrates]. (I see. You put the two mouths of the shoes together, and the soles away from each other, like that.) An' de sole away from each othah, an' den yuh kin [plant] dose shoes down in de centah of yore steps. Dat's tuh keep a person's mind from driftin' [away from home]. AH HAVE WELL EXPERIENCED DAT.
(Well, how do you mean, keep the person's mind from drifting?)
Jis' like if some one have put a spell on yuh, tuh be goin' from pillah tuh post, yuh see, an' by puttin' dis cinnamon an' allspice an' sugah in dat shoe, an' turn[ing] de soles of dat shoe tuhgethah [see later] an' plantin' it at de house where yuh live, it'll keep dere minds at home.
(You don't mean put the soles together, you mean put the tops together.)
De tops tuhgethah, yes. De soles go out.
(I see.)
[My correction of informant is one of the few times I ever did this sort of thing. I am not correcting her words but recalling her pantomimic actions I describe. Yet she was right the second time also, magically. What difference can there be whether the two MoUTHS of the shoes are together or the two soles (SOULS)? The significance is the same - love and peace. Significant also is the emptiness of the preceding magic. You are never responsible for any of your actions, because someone may have a spell on you. A perfect example of being irresponsible for your actions will be found in the alcoholic woman (No.78, p.33).]
Entry 5147
Take de graveyard dirt. An' yuh git a ole shoe an' yuh parch dat ole shoe until yuh kin jis' powdah it up. An' yuh mix dat graveyard dirt wit dat shoe dust an' yuh put sugah in dere an' cinnamon. An' yuh sprinkle dat roun' ovah yore flo's an' lak dat. Dat keeps peace in de home. Dat's fo' success.
Entry 5185
Dat's anothah way dat dey are supposed tuh bring a person back. Yo' supposed tuh have nine ole shoes an' yo' supposed tuh put sugah an' bluestone an' dis very brown powdah dat looks lak - ah don't know now whethah it's - it's not de same. It has de same smell but it's not de same kinda powdah, but it supposed tuh be de same kinda powdah dat chew put on yo' - dat de women use on dey face. But howevah, dey call it love powdah. An' yo' sup- posed tuh put dose three things intuh dis heah [shoe] an' yo' supposed tuh burn one of dose shoes evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's till yo' burn all de shoes up. An' dat's tuh show yo' special favors an' control. Supposed tuh be controllin' powah ovah some individual dat chew interested in.
Entry 5218
Ah've heard dat yo' could take two ole shoes, two ole workin'-men's shoes, an' burn 'em. Take some salt an' po' on 'em, an' a li'le sugah an' po' on 'em, an' burn 'em an' dat will make yo' have luck.
Entry 5228
" Yo' would burn shoes fo' luck. Jis' git sugah, ord'nary sugah, an' sprinkle it ovah dem an' put 'em in de fiah an' burn 'em fo' any kinda luck.
Entry 5233
Take dey lef'-foot shoe an' burn it wit sugah, black peppah, saltpetah an' bluestone. Dat'll call 'em back.
Entry 5317
Yo' take dis dirt from de track an' mix up some sugah wit it, an' den yo' fin' a ant bed. Yo' evah see dose big red ant beds? Well yo' put it in dat ant bed. Fix dat dirt all up in dat red ant bed an' - ah mean dirt. Well, aftah dose ants is workin' on 'im, dey keep dat party goin', keep 'im goin' from one place tuh anothah. Red ants, now. Not dose black ants. What ah call dese big red ants.
Entry 5319
Now yo' take a red ants bed. Yo' kin take sugah an' a person track an' carry it an' put it in dat ants bed an' make yore wishes. If yo' wanted 'em tuh love yo', dey'll love yo'; an' if yo' want 'em tuh go, yo' kin fix it an' make yore wishes an' dey'll go. Mix it up wit dere track, wit sugah. Dat sugah's gotta eat up [penetrate] all dat sand though whut chew take up, an' see, dem ants will tote dat sugah intuh dat hole. An' when dey eat dat sugah out from dat track, he go, too; if yo' want him tuh go. He [ant] goin' throw dat sand out an' when he throw dat sand out, he [man] gone.
Entry 5397
Ah tell yo' whut she could do. She could even take dat track an' git a aig an' she could take dat track an' put some sugah in it an' push it down in a aig an' carry it an say three words to it - curse it [with three words] an' throw dat aig on dat sun- rise. An' yo'll go. She'll git rid of yo' jis' lak dat. Ah mean not sunrise, tuh sundown, in some runnin'.watah. Dat's right in runnin' watah. An' she goin' git rid of yo'.
(She can take any track you say?)
No suh, got'a take yore lef' track, de one nex' of yore heart - yo' know on de lef' side. An' put dat track intuh a aig... (Well, does she take that track up when I am leaving her house or coming or what?) Goin' from 'er. She'll rake dat track from 'er. An' den she'll walk on tuh it an' pick it up.
Entry 5404
Well, if a person wan'a harm yo' in a foot track, dey got diff'ren ways dey kin harm yo' in dat. Dey kin take fo' ninstance - dey kin take an' git eggs, dey kin harm yo' in dat. Dey kin use salt an' harm yo' in dat. (How do they harm you with the eggs with that?) All right. Dey take a egg. Dey kin take a egg an' break dat egg. Beat dat egg up - beat dat egg an' when dey beat dat egg, dey put sugah in it. Dey'd git what chew would call - de same thin' as ah jis' tole yo', spoke of; but yo' git de powdah, de war powdah. Yo' mixes dat tuhgethah, but when yo' mixes it, it will come as a paste, see. Well, yo' jis' mix dat tuhgethah an' yo' gits - lak DERE'S A DRUG STORE RIGHT HERE, A FEW BLOCKS FROM HERE, WE GOES TO. Yo' gO dere an' yo' git some of de steel dust, or else take a silvah dime an' scrape it. Yo' git de dus' off de dime. An' yo' stir dat up good, an' if yo' git dis person's tracks, yo' put jis' a li'le in each track. Well, yo' know dey's goin' tuh pass an' dey bound tuh put dere feet in it. Be sure yo' know dey goin' tuh put dere feet in it. Yo' ketch one track here an' yo' may ketch anothah one ovah dere. Yo' know some people make big steps. Yo' ketch de track an' yo' put some in dere, in each track of de party yo' doin' harm. See. An' dat be all of dat. Dere won't be nuthin done in dat - see, in tryin' tuh harm 'em.
(What will that do to a person then?)
Now, tuh keep a person from [I interrupt].
(What will that do to him if you put that in his track?)
Well, what will it do tuh yo'? Why, den it would maybe paralyze 'im, his foot. It could paralyze yo', make yo' go lame in one leg or maybe de whole side. See, if a person done harm yo'.
(I see. Then - what would they do then? Do you know how to prevent that?)
Entry 5405
Now, say if yo' got'a employah - sompin lak dat - an' he's gittin' bad wit chah an' yo' wan's tuh git 'em down. Wall, yo' kin - don' git 'is track goin' from yuh, git 'is track comin' tuh yuh. Jis' take yore fingah an' pick up 'is track dat way, de right-foot track an' put it in yore han'. Take some sulphuh an' sugah wit it an' sew it in a sack, an' 'noint dat track wit Hearts Cologne an' jes' tote it in yore pocket. An' he'll come calm.
(He becomes quiet.)
Yes.
(His mind changes toward you.)
Entry 5415
Take a man or a woman's track. Git three lef'-foot tracks an' some sugah. Ah heard dat chew take it an' throw it in de centah of de fiahplace, dat track an' de sugah, an' say tuh itwhut chew want done. Dat will keep 'im or 'er home.
Entry 5524
Dey take dat an' make yo' love 'em. Take dat track out de hollah yore foot. Take it up - jis' lak yo' take up, jis' lak dat [demonstrates], lak dis de hollow of it. An' put sugah in it an' put dis powdah in it, dis same love powdah. Put it in it an' tote it in yore pocket. Dat will make dem love yo'.
(You take that out of either track, either the right or left?)
De right.
Entry 5638
Yore left track - if yo' goin' down 'er steps, she could rake yore left track to her an' jis' mix a little sugah an' salt wit it, an' yo' jis' keep yore min' on 'er all de time. (What would she do with that track?) Heah it, Weah it in a little bag, an' dat jis' keep yore min'.
Entry 5647
If yo' wan'a make love yo' take his right - if he's comin' towards yo', take de dirt out 'is right foot track when he comin' towards yo'. Put it in a bag wit sugah an' spice in dere, an': sleep wit it undah yore haid, undah yore mattress undah yore hair where yo' lies.
Entry 5650
Well, ah'll tell yuh whut dey do. Dey takes dere track an' den dey pats some kinda stuff wit it, see. An' dey take dat track an' den dey take it an' dey'll throw it eithah ovahbo'd or dey buries it, see. Or dey put it in a dirty sock an' dey'll bury it, see. An' dat will prohibit yuh from goin' if yuh vanta go some place.
(Keep you from going where?)
Wherevah yuh wanta go. Jis' like providin' if yuh got somebody an' dey love yuh, see. An' dey kin prevent yuh from goin', why dey takes dat track, see. An' dey'll fix it an' dey bury it. An' dat will keep yuh from goin' away.
(What sort of powder did they put in that track, did you say?)
Dey puts some ingredients in it, see.
(What do they put in it?)
Dey puts spice, sugar, or salt, eithah one, an' dey bury it.
Entry 5662
Yo' take a foot track, take it an' put sugah wit it. Carry it to de rivah an' throw it ovahbo'd an' tell it to "Go! Go! ". As long as de watah run, dat man'll run. Dat drive 'im away.
Entry 5694
An' den yo' kin take three of 'is lef' tracks, jis' lak yo' git 'em from de toe. Evah time yo' go, befo' yo' git 'em, yo' call 'is name. An' evah one yo' git yo' call 'is name. An' den yo' take dat track an' go tuh a lightnin'- struck tree an' git two splintahs offen it. Have one shortah den de othah. An' den yo' take dis heah - let yourn be short an' his'n be long. Well yo' lay his'n up on top of yoren. [The symbolism of the 2 splinters is quite revealing!] An' den yo' git a teaspoonful of sugah an' put on dere. An' den yo' sew it up in a piece of cloth an' weah it. Dat'll make 'im love yo'.
Entry 5741
Go 'long an' pick up yore track while it's warm an' put it in a bottle. Put a little sugah in dere an' stop it up, an' den throw it in runnin' watah. Yo'll run jis' as dat bottle goin', watah runnin'.
Entry 5844
Take de hair an' bury it at de corner of de house wit some sugah in it an' dat will keep an' hol' yo' dere. Dat's not tuh harm yo'.
Entry 5978
Dey take yore hair an' dey will run yo' crazy. Dey take dat hair an' put it in a bottle an' put it in milk, new milk, an' put sugah in dat, an' put dis heah red cayenne peppah, an' put some of 'is chamber lye in dat, an' close it up air- tight. Dat will do de work.
(What do you do With that bottle then?)
Yo' carry it in yore pocket.
(You put all this stuff in the bottle?)
Yessuh.
Entry 6026
Git a plait of hair an' yo' plait it undahwards, yo' know, lak dat [demonstrates]. Don't plait it ovah lak we plait our hair, plait it undah lak dat. Den tie a little bow of ribbon on dere. An' aftah yo' tie dat hair in dere, yo' take an' put a piece of lodestone wit it, an' yo' put nine pins an' nine needles in dere, an' yo' sew dat up in a flannel bag, an' yo' puts a little sugah in dere, too - ah'd fo'gotten dat - an' anvil dust lak at de blacksmith shop, dat dust where dey grind.
(From the anvil?)
[From the hoodoo drug store or mail order firm I should have said.1 Yes. Put dat anvil dust in dere an' a silvah dime. Dat's tuh keep de person dat chew love, yo' know, keep dere minds contented towards yo'.
Entry 6072
Ah've heard tell of folks who take pins an' needles an' break 'em up y' know, snuff, sugah, an' hair from down in front of yo', an' wear it, wear dere husban's hair in a bag an' pin it to dey clothes right where it be nex' to dere skin. An' dey husban' couldn't object to 'em goin' out wit othah men if dey want to.
(Do they have their husband's hair in that bag?)
Dey [husband] don't know dey got it yo' know.
(Whose hair do they put in there?)
His'n, yessuh - from down heah, see. Steal it yo' know in his sleep.
Entry 6138
Dey say dey take hair from de mole of yore head. Say women'll take dat, say, an' wear it into de left shoe, wit yore name written nine times in wit sugah. If it's not sugah, it be honey - somepin sweet. Wear it in dere left shoe nex' to dere feet, gee. But it must be written wit indelible pencil, nine times. Yo' could when- cah yo're writin' 'er name an' yo' want to draw 'er to yo', well yo' put yore on top, an' yo' put 'er name at de bottom. An' write it nine times straight. De yo' folds it, an' yo' fold it again, but yo' make a triangle of it. De small point of de triangle goes to de heel of yore shoe, de othah two points go to de gide - jes' lak dat [demonstrates]. An' dat othah stuff be right in de middle of yore shoe. (Where do you wear that stuff, in that piece of paper? Do you wrap it up or hat?) In dat papah - it's in dat papah. It's supposed to work in through dat. Dat's posed to sweeten 'er to yo'.
Entry 6166
(Suppose I want to make them stay at home?)
Well yo' take dat hair an' put it in a little small bottle, see, an' put it In da'k place up ovah yore do', an' put about three or fo' spoons of sugah in it. Yo' know, a little odd-size bottle lak dat. An' put it up ovah de do' chere couldn't nobody see it. Dat'll make yore frien' come home.
Entry 6167
If a man leaves a woman an' she want 'im back, she git two stran's of 'is hair, an' aftah she git dose two stran's of 'is hair, she takes some sugah an' den some sulphur an' mix it togethah. An' put 'is hair in dis sugah an' dis sul- phur an' bury it up undah de bottom of 'er do'steps. An' she'll keep 'im all de time. He won't nevah leave her no mo'.
Entry 6369
For instance, if I had a wife and she was in love with me and I was running around with other women and I vent to sleep, she would pull three strands of my hair and put them in a bag, and put sugar and lard, and make it just the size of a dime in a little pad, and wear it around her leg, either leg. I would have no more use for any other woman.
[Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6488
Take de skin from undah yore feet. Yo' wash yore feet clean an' den yo' take a knife, jis' lak yo' scrapin' yore feet an' carry it back dat way, back tuh yo'. An' take dat an' mix it wit some sugah an' put dat in sompin tuh eat. Yo' give dat tuh 'em.
(What will that do?)
Dat will make 'em bring yo' evah cent dat dey git.
Entry 6490
(Now what do they do with that stuff from the bottom of your feet?) Well, yo' takes dat an' yo' dries it. Dat's if dey're washin' [the feet], yo' know. Yo' take dat. Dey soak dere feets an' dey take de scissors an' instead of scrapin' it down - an' dey scrape it up.
(They scrape it up from the heel to the toe?)
To de toe.
(Well, why do they do that?)
Well, dat's de way dey do it, from de heel tuh de toe. Dey dries dat. Let it dry an' roll it lak a powdah. Put it intuh de sugah an' let yo' sweeten it intuh yore coffee or intuh yore food. Dat's fo' makin' people lak me, yo' know. Bring on luck, brings all dat, see.
(I see.)
Entry 6977
Well, now, yo' kin take lard an' vinegah an' sugah an' kill any poison in de worl'. Yo' undahstan' me, if yo' use it right away. Yo' undahstan' me, yo' kin take lard an' sugar an' mix it tuhgethah, yo' undah- stan' me, in a quart bottle. Lard, vinegar an' sugah. An' mix it in a quart bottle. If it's right den, yo' undahstan', an' take a tablespoonfulla it three time a day. An' dat'll stop any poison in de worl'.
(That's what you do [use] when people come to you?)
Sure.
Entry 7054
De wife'll take de sage tea an' put it in a quart of watah, an' boil it down to a half a quart. An' she'll take some of 'er urinate, de amount of dat about half a teacup, an' po' dat in dere. An' sweeten it wit sugah an' syrup, jis' a li'le syrup, an' den yo' go tuh eat, dey'll po' some of dat in yer coffee. But chew don' know it. An' den dat'll turn yo' ag'inst whis- key, 'cuz evah time yo' drink it, it'll make yo' sick an' yo' can' keep it on yer stomic.
Entry 7155
Home at night? Take yore shoes, turn one tuh de head an' de othah back tuh de foot; yo' know, jis' de opposite ways, yo' see, wit sugah in each one of dem shoe, an' sleep lak dat. Tie one knot in 'uh undahskirt or 'er chemise, whatevah she has, an' sleep until she returns. She jis' has tuh keep it on, de one she has on. (Put one shoe with the toe pointing to the head and one to the foot. You put the shoes upside down, together, or one at the foot and one at the head?) Upside down, one at de head an' one at de foot. Set 'em nex' tuh each othah right in a row, right foot at de head of de man; one fo' de head an' one fo' de foot.
Entry 7339
Takes a pod of red peppah an' gits nine grains [seeds] an' put it in both shoes an' wear it in dere. An' take yo' some salt an' sugah an' put it in de toe of yore shoe, an' yo' could walk anywhere yo' Wanted tuh go. If dey hounds wuz aftah yo', den yo' git chew some red peppah [cayenne] or eithah a piece of sock or sompin, an' rub it undah yore arms, undah each arm an' put it in yore shoe, den dey couldn't trail yo'. (Put those nine grains of red peppah in each shoe, so if you walk over any- thing it won't hurt you?) Dat's whut dat's fo'.
(This other is for the hounds tracking you?)
Yes.
Entry 7830
Mostly dey use graveyard dirt, but dey git tuh use sand an' powdah.
(Sand and powder?)
Yeah.
(Sand and powder. What kind of powder?)
Love powdah.
(Love powder?)
Yeah, yo' see. Well, dey use graveyard dirt an' love powdah. Dat's tuh make yo' lak 'em or anything lak dat, yo' see. (Well, how would you prepare that? How would you do it?) Well, de way yo' do, yo' take yo' some graveyard dirt an' yo' mix it up de powdah in dat. (This love powder?) Yeah, love powdah an' sand. Yo' buy de love pow- dah right in de drug store, an' sand.
(Ordinary sand?)
Sand. An' yo' put a li'le sugah in dere. Sugah's fer love, see. Put a li'le sugah in dere an' yo' kin put a li'le bit in de envelope. An' lak yo' send yo a lettah, yo' put a li'le bit in de envelope. Well, dat make dat person lak yo aftah yo' git dat stuff on 'em.
Entry 8492
Put cinnamon an' sugah an' yo' weah it in both of yore shoes. Now if yo' know dere name, yo' kin take dere name an' put it in dere, an' whenevah yo' git tuh 'em dey'll give yo' a job.
Entry 8495
If yo' wants tuh be on de job or anything an' yo' want tuh stand in good wit yuh boss, yo' takes 'is name an' yo' git some loaf sugah, yo' put it in a bottle, yo' writes 'is name nine times, writes it tuh yuh, not from yuh. An' ah put's mah name on top of 'is, an' ah folds it tuh me, an' ah puts it in dis bottle. (You cross it or what?) Ah puts it ovah his'n an' ah crosses it, too. See, ah write his name first dis way an' den ah changes it an' write it dataway, an' ah switches ag'in - forward an' backward, undahstand.
(I see. All right.)
See, den ah folds it up an' ah puts it in dis bottle wit cinnamon an' sugah, an' ah buries it. An' ah weahs his name in mah shoe an' keeps it dere in mah shoe. An' when ah weahs it out, well ah puts anothah one in dere. See, dat's tuh stay on de job.
Entry 8497
Git 'is name.
(Get the boss's name.)
Uh huh.
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' write de boss name nine times an' den aftah yo' write de boss name nine times, yo' git chew three lumps of cut loaf sugah - three lumps. (Cut loaf sugar.) An' aftah yo' git dem three lumps of cut loaf sugah, yo' takes de boss name of de nine times writin' an' yo' take it an' fold lak dis here - yo' know, lak a envelope is fold. Fold it lak dat. [Fold the name as you would fold a sheet of paper to put in envelope.] An' yo' take de boss name an' aftah yo' fold it lak dat, yo' turn around an' yo' put it in a brand-new silk pocket han'ke'ch'ef. An' yo' put it in dat brand-new silk pocket han'ke'- ch'ef an' yo' weah it along in heah.
(Where? Where do you wear it?)
Weah along heah [demonstrates].
(Right along there?)
Yeah. An' he's sure goin' tuh send fo' yuh tuh come back.
(I see. Where do you put that sugar?)
Yo' put dat sugah wit it.
(In those three things?)
[Three things = 3 lumps of sugar.]
Yeah.
[I now for the first time reveal the Wearing place.]
(You put it down near your private?)
Uh huh. An' when dat sugah comin' [commence], tuh meltin', yo' take dat sugah out dat's comin' tuh dissolvin', an' yo' put it one - yo' know break it. Yo' take an' put one lump in dat cornah, one in dat one, one in dat, one in dat.
(You put a half lump in.)
Each cornah.
(Of your own house?)
Each cornah of yore own house - nobody else's house, in yore own house.
(Well, there are three lumps of sugar and you break two of them.)
Yeah, an' put it in each cornah, an' de boss, he'll send fo' yuh.
(I see.)
Entry 8519
Well, dey take de nine needles, an' aftah takin' de nine needles, write de name down nine times, whosomevah fellah it is, or de woman, den write chure name down nine times down on top of dat. Den aftah dat yo' put de cinnamon an' sugah in dere, an' de urinate, into de coconut. Den kick it from de front do' tuh de back do' nine times, fo' nine times. Take an' throw it ovah intuh de rivah. Dat guarantee tuh dry 'em up. Stop any woman in de worl'. Dry dem up, run 'em stoneZy crazy.
[The latter expression is usually stone crazy.]
(Dries up their urine? Kills them?)
Kills 'em yeah. (The person who is killed, you have to take that person's urine to put in that coconut?) Yeah, yo' take dat lady's urine, de one dat chew wanta fix, an' write dere name nine times. Den yore name on top of dat nine times. (You write his or her name nine times that way. Then you write yours on top of it like that?) Yeah. all on top of dat nine times. [New Orleans. La., (1561). 2857:7.]
Entry 8521
Coconut - yo' see, lak yo' livin' in a house an' de landlord wants tuh put yuh out, an' yo' ain't got no job, yo' undahstand, an' yo' ain't able tuh pay yure rent. Yo' take dis coconut an' bore itright in dat eye [for eye see mar- gin title]. Yo' undahstan'. Put 'is name down in dere in dat coconut, [written] nine times. Yo' undahstan'. An' put some sugah in dere on dat, white granulated sugah. An' stop dat coconut up good an' cut dat paper off [paper used as cork] right, right, yo' know even wit de coconut. An' bury it in yure back yard. Yo' kin stay dere jis' as long as dat coconut stay out dere in dat yard. If it's fifteen yeahs, yo' kin stay right dere, dey ain't goin' tuh worry yuh. Evah time dey'd come an' ast joo 'bout yure rent, yo' say, "Well, ah ain't got nuthin dis time, nex' week or nex' month." An' he'll walk on off wit a smile.
Entry 8537
Go to this place and keep it sweetened down with sweetened water and cinnamon and sugar. (How would you do that?) Well, you'd take and write his name three times and write your name three times, see.
(How would you do that?)
Write your name three times up over his'n and write his name three times across, see. And put it in - fold the paper three times to you - and then put down into a glass or anything with water, sweetened water and cinnamon. And that keeps his name, his mind drawing for you all the time.
(Keeps drawing toward you. I see.)
Entry 8575
Ah heard that you could put sugar on the stove nine mawnin's an' after nine mawnin's, yo' write his name on a piece of paper an' stick it in de keyhole.
(In the keyhole?)
Yes, an' call 'im.
(Well, what do you do with this sugar on the stove?)
Burn dat nine mawnin's, dat's all.
(Just one of his shoes?)
No, sugar, SUGAR. (Oh, sugar. You burn sugar for nine mornings. And after that you write this name on this paper and put it in the keyhole.) Jes' write his name over it an' fold it to yo', an' hang it right over de key- hole. [Don't tell me the man is coming back through the keyhole! His spirit rather. The keyhole is the entrance for witches.]
(And you call his name?)
An' yo' call 'is name.
(Just once?)
Just as many times as yo' wanta.
(And he will come back.)
Yeah.
Entry 8591
~ Den if he's in Chicago, Detroit, or any place, sits down an' gits chew a clean sheet of papah, an' write his name nine times on dat piece of papah. An' aftah writin' it nine times, yo' walks tuh de do' an' yo' says de Lord's Prayer nine times. Takes an' lights yore lamp an' put it in dat lamp, an' 'bout one grain of sugah in dere. Yo' know whut ah mean, not a grain but nearly 'bout a half a teaspoonful, into dat lamp wit dat coal oil in it. Light dat lamp an' turn it down real low, an' burn dat fo' nine days, nine days an' nights, an' wherevah he may be, he come dere. He cain't stay away.
Entry 8592
A light, a light - she take this lamp an' she write your [a man's] name nine times, an' she take: de steel dust, dat's to draw; lodestone, dat draws; put it in dis lamp. She takes his name an' she pins it on de wick.
(On the wick of the lamp?)
Yes. After she write his name nine times, she write hers on top of his name. Always she'd be on de top (I see.) Pin that on the wick an' set this light. When she decided to set this light.... [I interrupt.] (She lights the light?) [I want to know, does set mean light the lamp.] She puts that name on there and she puts lodestone and steel dust over it right in the bottom of this light, some sugar. [To set this light means to prepare the lamp.] And she lights this light and whilst lighting it she - she light it and make the Lord's Prayer. An' say, "In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost, I want this man back to me, '' an' light it an' leave it light- ed. Don't let it go out an' he'll come back.
Entry 8609
If a man got a wife an' she's away from him an' he wants tuh bring her to him, he gits cinnamon an' he gits sugah an' he git honey an' he puts it in dat lamp an' he'll write his indivi- dual name down nine times on a piece of papah straight one aftah de othah... [demonstrates]. (The first name first and the last name last.) Yassuh. An' then he'll write his name down across that with a indelible pencil, an' he takes dat papah...
[I interrupt.]
(How many times does he write his own name?)
His name nine times right cross hers. Den he takes dat papah an' he folds it three times towards him. An' he'll git him some No.8 black thread an' he wraps it roun' dat papah an' ties it up, an' put it in dat rag an' burn it [in the lamp]. An' that'll draw de individual to him.
Entry 8620
Ef yo' worried about de law comin' round, yo' take yo' some sugah an' some - understan', an' a quart beer bottle an' yo' put one [of the two articles] at de front do' an' one at de back do'. If de law is botherin', take dem names an' Write it [them] on a piece of papah nine times. Take jis' about a bottle of turpentine an' put it [names] in dere an' jis' throw it behin' 'em an' tell 'em don't come back no mo'.
Entry 8647
Now, yo' take a lemon an' put nine needles - nine goldeye needles - an' take cinnamon an' cayenne peppah an' sugah. Aftah dat chew take an' sew it up. Aftah yo' sew it up. take 'an' put it into de sock. Yo' Write de name nine times an' put it into dat sock. Aftah dat yo' jes' keep it. Dat is really goin' tuh stop de fellah from gamblin' an' won' fool aroun' wit any woman, anybody. If he have anything to say about anybody [woman] he see, he hate 'em, git against 'em. An' along fin- ally, naturally he leaves away. He leave heah lak on Friday, an' yo' won' see him no mo' at all, he disappeah. An' yo' come tuh find 'im an' he's somewheres layin' on de road daid.
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 8678
Take his name down nine times on a piece of papah an' yo' write her name down three times. All right an' she git her some sugah an' some cinnamon an' she put dat on dat papah an' fold it three times to her an' wear it in 'er left shoes. Dat's tuh git him back home. Now, when she gits him back home, tuh keep him from goin with any othah woman, she takes her fingernails an' her toenails an' git a part of her hair. An' grate dat all up togethah an' put it in whatevah she cooks, an' give it to him an' he cain't leave 'er.
Entry 8679
[The doctor in the following rite for a job has an organized mind, though I was too recent in New Orleans at that time to realize it. In face, on this original transcription I formerly had a note use with care, which can still be seen despite my later erasure.] When yo' go to get a job - ah'll tell yo' about de job proposi- tion. It just like if yo' was out of a job an' yo' runnin' in bad luck. Yo' can't be success- ful in nuthin dat yo' start. Well, yo' get yo' some of dis seniment. Yo' get some of dis seniment with this rain water. (What is seniment? What is that?) Dat's a powder. (What does it look like?) It look just like - yo' ever seen this powder what they call that brown-skin powder? (You mean cinnamon powder?) Yeah. (Cinnamon powder. All right.) [How did I ever guess it!] Yo' take dat seniment powder. An' yo' get some of dis seniment powder an' yo' get what yo' call this lodestone; but ask for lodestone, see, with candy stripes. It's got a little stripe.
(What kind of stripes?)
Candy stripes. Just say, "Give me some of de lodestone." (Like this candy - now wait a minute! It's like this candy they got in the country stores, candy stripes?) Yes, just like that; round, see.
(And what do they call that?)
Lodestone.
(You said something about four-something. Four what?)
[Informant said it while recording machine turned off.1 Fo' corners. Yo' just get de fo' corners. Well, if it ain't got fo' corners, vell yo' just take anything, a file or somepin like dat an' put 'em there.
(You have to make it square. Four corners. All right.)
Yeah. Yo' go anywhere they got them rams - yo' see, them rams, or anywhere yo' know them ramhorns at. [Cowhorn appears several times in Hoodoo. This could be the only ramhorn.] Yo' gets a file an' yo' file some of that dust down there [with the lodestone dust]. Then yo' get some of this here oil what yo' call that green - Wintergreen Pasture Oil.
(Wintergreen?)
Wintergreen Pastures Oil.
(GREEN PASTURES OIL?)
[SURELY THE ENTERPRISING HOODOO-PRODUCTS SALESMAN SHOULD HAVE NAMED IT "PSALM 23 OIL"!] Yeah, an' yo' take some sugar an' seniment an' lodestone. An' take a silver dime an' yo' file dat silver dime on a piece of paper just where yo' got this stuff [various ingredients] at. Yo' take a piece of yellah paper - it [lode- stone?] comes with yellah paper - an' yo' wrap it up twice. Yo' fold it coming to you. Then, after yo' take this Wintergreen Pasture Oil an' yo' put over it, am' yo' put it in your pocket. Keep that in yore left pocket. Then yo' goes back an' yo' get this he Eve [Adam and Eve] root, see. He Eve root.
(He Eve root?)
Yeah, yo' go back an' get that an' yo' got hit, yo' got de she root in yore pocket, yo' understand. Yo' take that - powder up that. piece there - an' yo' get some rain water an' river water or hydrant water [3 running Waters], or anything like that, an' yo' put it in two glasses. Put it in two glasses like that an' yo' let it set, after yo've mixed it. Well, heap up just about de same amount in each glass. Yo' leave it set there fo' three days. Aftah yo' leave it set there fo' three days, yo' take it an' yo' pour it into one glass. Then yo' take this here - this seniment, lodestone an' dis Wintergreen Pasture Oil. Well, yo' Put it in de glass, in one glass, an' yo' let it set there fo' three days. Den take that water off - take dat watah off before yo' go out to see about a job. Just like, if yo' know the foreman's name, yo' take his name an' yo' write his name nine times backwards, just like if yo' write it backwards this Way nine times [demonstrates]. Then yo' fold it, fold it comin' to yo' like dat [demonstrates]. Then yo' write yore name on de top of it, but yo' must write yore name forwards.
(Write your name what?)
The right way.
(You write your name forwards. All right.)
Then yo' take dat an' yo' put it down in dat water where all yore stuff is in the morning when yo' going out - just when yo' going out to the foreman. Yo' got his name. Well, when yo' get ready to go there, yo' take this water out of Chere. Yo' pour it out in a basin or anything like that, an' yo' take it an' yo' wash yo' hands good with it, an' yo' wash yore fingers. Yo' takes this here lodestone an' yo' put it in yore pocket with this she Eve root. Yo' walk to him a'when yo' get there, before yo' ask, just like yo' take a piece of chewing tobacco, cut a little piece off dat she root an' put it in your mouth. An' get this here lodestone thing in your hand like that an' rub it, an' make yore wishes, as yo' walk up to him an' ask 'im for a job. Probably he may not have nuthin to do right then, but he'll run his hand in his pocket if he got any money an' he'll give yo' a piece of money. The first opening that he have - WHEN YO' LEAVE FROM THERE, YO'LL MAKE A WISH FOR ANY - JUST LIKE ANY JOB YO' WANT AROUND THERE, YO' MAKE A WISH FOR ANY BAD LUCK TO HAPPEN TO 'EM PEOPLE AT THAT PLACE. SAY PRAYERS, AN' IN A WEEK'S TIME [7 DAYS] YO'LL HAVE A JOB. There no favor that yo' ask 'im that he could turn yo' down. If he ain't got it at de present time, he will tell yo' a way to come an' get it.
foreman’s name written nine times backwards, contrasted with own name forwards. Keep foreman nine-times-backwards versus applicant forwards on top; not all names backwards. manually inscribed arrangement of foreman’s and applicant’s names. Retain foreman backwards nine times and own name forwards on top, followed by the use of the inscribed paper in the preparation. employment sought from a foreman, with conditional intermediate outcomes and harmful wish. No immediate job guarantee: preserve probably no work, money if he has it, the first opening, and the subsequent one-week claim as attributed. river as a stated possible source of water, alongside rain/hydrant wording. Keep literal rain water an’ river water or hydrant water and or anything like that; do not convert ambiguous conjunctions into an all-three requirement or flatten all alternatives. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
Read full source (printed page 3556) · Read full source (printed page 3557) · Read full source (printed page 3558)
Entry 8700
Dey takes a person's chxmber lye an' puts it in a bottle. Git some of dat an' puts it in a bottle, an' den takes it an' put sugah in it or honey, ei- thah one. Write dere names down nine times wit a indelible pencil but write it frontwards. As ah 'fore tole [be- fore told] yo', in place of put- tin' de entire [name], yo' put de given name first. Yo' put John an' den yo' put Edwards, see. Yo' write dat down nine times an' yo' put dat in dat bottle an' yo' stop it up. An' whenevah dey go somewhere, an' yo' want 'em tuh do anythin' fo' [you] whenevah they go somewhere, yo' take dat bottle an' yo' roll it jes' lak yo'd roll a lemon or sompin tuh git de juice out of it. An' yo' roll dat bottle nine times an' every time yo' roll it yo' call dere name. Dat's when a woman wants a man tuh do sompin fo' her.
(How do you mean?)
See, lak if a woman's got a husband an' he's mean to her. He believe in run- nin' about an' diff'ren' thing lak dat, an' she wants tuh draw 'im tuh 'er, an' Wants tuh git his earnin' [earnings, his wages]. She do's dat. (What did you put in there now? The chamber lye? And that nine, now you wrote that nine times? How do you write it, just one right under the other?) Yessuh. Jes' write it on one sheet of papah.
(You put the names right under each other?)
Yassuh.
(And you write it with what?)
Well, yo' writes it wit any kinda pencil [former indelible pencil withdrawn]. It don' make no diff'rence.
Entry 8706
Yo' take dey name. Yo' kin find out dey laws' name or people whosoml evah botherin' yo' aroun' in dat neighborhood. Yo' git chew some loaf sugah, dat dey call Domino Sugah [trade name] dat's in de block. Yo' take dat an' yo' put it in a bottle an yo' write dis individual name down wit a indelible pencil. Yo' Write it down nine times but yo' orite chure name - write dere name down nine times. Lak say if it wuz Sam Jones, yo' put Jones an' den put de Sam behin' it, see. An' den yo' write chure name jes' lak yo' wuz goin' [to] back a lettah. If yore name wuz James Joseph, see yo'd write James Joseph, jes' lak yo's backin' a lettah. Write it on a piece of Papah. Yo' write de individual name down nine times straight, an' yo' write yore name down nine times across it, see. But chew put chure given name first. An' yo' take dat sugah an' put it in a bottle in some watah. An' when yo' put it in dere wit dat watah, yo' put it in a cornah somewhere where nobody kinnot tech [cannot touch] it. An' every now an' den yo' take dat bottle an' yo' shake it up. Dat sweetens dere min' an' keeps dem from bothahin' yo'.
(Do you use any number of lumps of sugar or just....?)
No, yo' jes' puts enough tuh make it sweet, jes' enough tuh make de watah sweet.
Entry 8714
Well, yo' take her name an' yo' write her name down three times. Yo' write yore name three times. Yo' want her now, yo' want her. (Now where would I write my name?) Yo' write her name here first [demonstrates]. Put chure name heah [underneath]. Yo' Yo' write her name heah an' put chure name in dere. Yo' write it three of each, three of each. An' yo' take den an' yo' sprinkle a li'le salt an' a li'le sugah on dis, white sugah. De sugah tuh sweeten it. Salt saves it an' sugah sweetens it. An' sprinkle dat. Yo' put dat on top of a heater an' yo' let dat brown. When yo' let dat brown, her mind will come to yo'. Dat sveetness of dat sugah will sweeten her mind tuhwards yo'. Yo' git 'er. Well, now, if yo' wanta jes', say, carry her off from where she stayin' or make confusion ovah dere first, yo' put red peppah, sulphur an' gunpowdah on dere. Put 'er husban' name or whosomevah man she got, yo' put dat on dere. Dat's tuh confuse dem. Den when yo' confuse 'em, yo' got 'em. Den yo' put dat sugah on dere to sweeten, an' dat salt to save 'er fo' yo'. Yo' put dat on dere tuh bring 'er tuh yo'.
Entry 8785
See, lak yo' start today. Well, yo' jes' git chew some steel dust an' sprinkle it all roun' dat house. An' git dere name an' some cayenne peppah an put it all - mix it all up dere togethah, wit some brown cinna- mon an' sugah. An' shake all dat aroun' dere. Throw it all up on dat window sill. An' curse 'em. Yo' know, give 'em a bad name. An' den take dey name an' jes' bring dat name in de window, yo' know, an' tie it up in a pocket han'ke'ch'ef. See, lak dat, an' ah guarantee yo' in two days he done left. He be walkin'. He cain't find no place in world tuh stay. Nobody want 'im. Wanta git rid of 'im an' all. Won't leave him stay. [To get rid of the man in the house, his spirit is tricked by carrying his name, his captured spirit, into house through a window. This confuses the spirit so that it no longer knows how to enter normally through the door. We have a similar piece of magic in the funeral rite in which coffin is' removed from house through window instead of door.]
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 8939
If yo' got any way of leaving your friends, if yo' got a idea of that, of somebody goin' to come there an' trouble yo', yo' understand. Yo' know, all yo' have to do, use this here steel dust and this cinnamon an' sugar. That will sweeten up the place there and they will change their mind. Yo' see, yo' takes a bottle of vinegar and the apartment have - probably may two or three windows into the apartment where you at. Well, yo' take this fresh bottle of vinegar - yo' could get a nickeZ[!] bottle of vinegar - an' yo' put it in a dif- ferent bottle [bottles numbering] just how many windows or doors that you got. Yo' take your cinnamon an' this steel dust an' yo' put down in there [bottles] an' sugar. Put it [bottle] down beneath any window or any door, where they could enter into the building. Just put that there. Every time they get there, their mind is upsetted - changed.
(Do you mix this stuff with the vinegar or use the vinegar alone?)
The vinegar and this here steel dust and this [cinnamon and sugar].
(What do you use the vinegar for?)
The vinegar, that's the strength - to strengthen, to sour it.
(Oh! To strengthen it.)
And sour it. Yo' see, that's to sour that - just like that sugah, that sugah sweetenin' that vinegar. Yo' see? Then yo' take lemons, such as lemon juice, an' squeeze it down in there. Well, yo' put it at all the windows in any little bit of bottle - small little bottle - an' just shake it. An' yo' put it in dere. Well, anywhere round that building they come at, that sugar an' sweetening. When they get there, they'll say, "Oh, well, I'll delay that for another day."
(They won't take anything from there? Won't steal anything from there?)
No, never would take nuthin.
Entry 8964
Yo' take de beef tongue, yo' see. Yo' first upset de house, yore house, evahthing into it, or if yo' have a partner dat have a court case, yo' do dis to git de judge. Git de judge's name. All right, git de client name dat de judge is gonna per- secute [prosecute!]. Yo' understan' dat. Den de person dat's persecutin' 'em [prosecuting attorney]. All right. Yo' have dat. Now, yo' take dis person dat chew workin' fo' - her name - an' de judge name an' de lawyer's name together, dat dey'll cooperate together. Yo' see, den yo' git dat same remedy. Well, yo' git first dis Drowin' Oil, den yo' git dis Min' Oil; yo' git Florida watah, an' yo' git Orange Blossom watah. Yo' know whut dat is. Den yo' git steel dust, an' den yo' git dat nine lumps of sugah an' yo' git dat honey. Dat is fo' dat good act. Dat is to git 'em togethah. When yo' do dat way ahead when dey come to yo' first. An' yo' shake it [these things in a bottle]. Jes' shake it. Yo' keeps dat an' yo' shake it. Well, yo' put it off [aside]. Now, as fer as de beef tongue. Tuh freeze a client's [tongue] dat yo' know gonna talk, git chew 50 pound of ice an' take de beef tongue. Yo' know how tuh do dat. An' den wit de names dat are goin' against de person dat chure workin' fo', an' freeze 'em, an' dey won't be able tuh talk.
(You use both the beef and these other ingredients in the bottle?)
Yes.
Entry 9000
If yo' know de judge's name. Yo' know 'is name? Two days 'fo' yuh is goin' tuh court - two days 'fo' yuh go dere...
(Yes?)
Listen me well now. Two days 'fo' yuh go dere, yuh know 'is name. Put 'em tuhgethah. Yuh puts some cinnamon an' sugah in a saucah, an' put 'is name undah dat saucah. Dat's tuh sweeten 'im up, yuh an' 'im. Dat's right. (That's all you have to do?) Dat's all yuh do. Jis' git 'is name an' yuh name tuhgethah, an' put de cinnamon an' sugah, an' put it in a saucah an' put de candle- on top 'is name, undah dat saucah on de table.
(What kind of candle do you put on that saucer?)
A black - ah, ah white candle.
(White candle.)
Plain white candle.
(I see.)
All yuh gotta do.
Entry 9030
Take his name and write it, the judge's name, [and] the district at- torney's name and all the high peoples names there. An' yo' write their name an' put it into yore left shoe, with that cinnamon, sugar an' steel dust, an' that sweeten 'em up. Put it in yore left shoe when yo' go in the courthouse. An' as yo' go in there, yo' cross yore fingers three times an' call their names.
(You do what with these fingers?)
Cross your fingers three times.
(Snap your fingers?)
Yeah, three times.
Entry 9081
Yo' go out an'.git chew one dose conkah roots - 20 fo' a dollah. Git chew one of dose, an' yo' goes up dere. Bathe yuhself all ovah good wit salt- petah, an' sugah an' chamber lye. An' yo' git up dere an' go befo' de judge. As yo' walk in de co't, yo' jis' spit as yo' go up dere fo' 'im. An' dat'll change 'is mind.
Entry 9094
An' they show 'em what to do, yo' know.
(I see, I understand.)
Yo'll get yo' de judge's name an' yo'll get yo' a lamp what's never was used. Yo' put yo' some sugar in dere. Buy yo' some sugah. An' yo' take dat judge's name an' yo' put it down in de lamp an' pour de sugah on dat, on his name. Dat sweetens 'em up. Aftah yo' put dat sugah down on dere, pour de kerosene in dere, an' yo' light this light. An' as yo're lightnin' it, say, "In de Name of de Father, an' de Son, an' de Holy Ghost, ' askin' fo' help. Hold yore hand up to God say, yo're asking fo' help. Dat's fo' good.
(What then?)
Yo' leave dis light nine days an' nights.
(You leave it burn for nine days and nights?)
Yes, sir. Dat's when yo' get yore subpoena.
(And then that will help you out with the judge?)
Yes, sir, it'll sweeten his mouth an' yo' come - when yo' go before 'im, in- stead of frowning, this is de truth, he instead of frowning, he'll smile.
Entry 9106
Get the judge's name and the jurymen's name, an' yo' take yo' - whilst de case goin' on - yo' gets dat an' yo' make a hot fire. An' yo' take yo' a hot pot of watah, an' yo' take dat name an' put it in dere. An' man, have it boilin'! An! just like dat, de co't goin' to keep upstirred all de time. Keep it upstirred an' dey can't do nuthin. Dey won't nevah come to no agreement. Gotta have dat watah boilin' wit de name in it. Yo' see! Drop a li'le sugah in dere, yo' see, an' just keep on boilin' up, an' dis court will just keep upstirred all de time. An' at a certain time yo' take de watah an' yo' throw it. An' when yo' throw dat watah out, de judge will throw dat case out.
Entry 9133
Yo' go an' yo' git twelve green sage leaves, an' yo' write de twelve apostles on dose green sage leaves, an' yo' put dose green sage leaves in de bottom of yore shoe. Den yo' take two red onions an' yo' jes' make a hole in dose red onions, an' yo' stuff dose red onions wit salt an sugah, an' yo' wind dat nine times. An' yo' put one in each pocket an' while yo' are tryin' [being tried] yo' squeeze dose onions. Dey say yo' can't convict a man dat way.
(That's if they have any court case?)
Yes.
Entry 9234
Jes' lak if yo' got a fren' an' he's away from yo', yo' use a chicken aig lak dis. Yo' put it in de mun of de house [under eaves] wit de end [small end of egg] down an' yo' writes 'is name on dat an' yo' puts it dat deep in de groun' [demon- strates]. (About as deep as your hand.) Yes sir, at de drain of yore house, an' yo' call 'im, an' yo' put sulphuh, sugah - all dat mixture is sweet don't chew know. Put sulphuh, sugah an' brim- stone. An' each mawnin' yo' call 'im fo' nine mawnin's. [Brimstone and sulphur raise hell with him, sugar sweetens him.] Yo' call 'im an' he boun' tuh come, he cain't stay away - he gotta come. One aig an' write his name on de aig. Ah'm goin' call yore name, see. Say, "Ah'm callin' yo' an' ah wan' chew tuh come on back home heah tuh me." Write dat on de aig. See, write his name on dere [egg]. Call 'is name an' write dat [name] on dat aig. An' put dat aig right down in dis guttah [in the ground under the eaves].
(Any kind of a chicken egg?)
It would be bettah if it wuz a black hen aig.
Entry 10151
(This black cat lucky bone?) Yes. Yo' take some sugah an' some salt an' put it on dis bone, an' let dis bone soak in it fo' an hour. An' den yo' take it an' yo' take dis bone an' put it in yore pocket. An' yo' kin go anywheah yo' wanta, an' do anythin' yo' wanta wit dat, tuh anybody yo' wanta, an' dis bone won' let nuthin hurt chew.
Entry 10158
(You can wet it either with drink [alcoholic] or with perfume.)
Perfume.
(I see, all right.)
They have this oil they call gerangement [geranium] oil. You use that to make him stay at home.
(How do you use it now?)
Now you have to take this and write his name on a plain white piece of paper - just let it be a plain white piece of paper - with about a tablespoonful of sugar, and now, you take his name and you write it nine times, and yours nine times, but always on the top - always on the top of his'n, and you get a white clean sau- cer - but let it be a white saucer, and you put - you make a hole in a piece of pasteboard top, just a round [hole] that the candle can hold in it because it liable to fall. Then you take that sugar and you put that name and cover that name with the sugar. Then you put that gerangement oil on top of it - it's very expensive. You put that gerangement - it smells wonderful. You buy nine wax candles - that pure white candle - and you uses that. Then you take that white candle in them nine days and you use it. Now in the ninth day, if you don't see the changement in the ninth day, you burns this whole thing out and it makes a blaze. But it always - put it in a pan that it won't set nothing afire. That's in the ninth day. Now, in the ninth day, it'll make the difference in the ninth day - guarantee you. Don't care if you in New York or wheresomever you [are], you going to come back here. That thing will make you come back. It smells wonderful but it make you come back. Now, in that ninth day - don't cease to worry you - you kin tell when somepin [is] on the way because you feel all frightened and all worried and scarey, but that someone is on the way coming. And then, in the future, when you hear somebody knocking to your door and calling you quick, to see whsomever it is that's coming - cause I have did it. And dere's a man - it was in Kentucky - and I have did it. And I was so scared that I didn't know what was the matter. I hadn't seen him atall and was waiting for him for money and couldn't get nuthin. And when that man come, the woman come acrost and say, "Julia, there's somebody, quick, wanta see yuh." And all that evenin' I was ironin'. I just wasn't able to do anything because I knew dere somepin wrong, and when I made it to the door, dere was the man. I was so glad and happy to see him that I didn't know what to do. Well, when he came, he says, "Well, you lookin' all right." I says, "Yes, I'm lookin' fine." I says, "Well, how are you?" He says, "All right." He says, "Well, ah think ah come back to stay." Ah says, "Yeah, well, that's wonderful." I had a roomin' house and I was going with him then. He said, "All right." I says, "Well, how did you enjoy your trip?" He says, "Fine." When that man left and went on [left me again], I repeated it over again. It's expensive. They gives you that much [demonstrates] for a dime.
(This oil. Well, now, this oil, it's oil of geranium is it?)
Gerangement oil. (Gerangement oil. You mean it's the same name as that flower that grows in pots, that has red flowers on it and pink flowers. The same name as that?) It's a gerangement, yes. It makes a little red flowers and things, certainly does.
(All right.)
Entry 10167
(Tell me something more about burning these candles. How do they burn these candles? Give me an illustration.) Well, you burn those candles - they got different ones they burn. Now, for to make you die, you get a black one. To have luck and successes, you get a pink one [luck] and a blue one [success]. And a blue one will make your man come back to you, if he's gone. (Tell me how you do - just how you burn it. Do you know how you handle that?) Yes. You take that candle and you put it in a saucer or something and you put a little sugar. You take some sugar and you take a piece of paper or else - but honey is the best. Honey is better than sugar because honey is sveeter than sugar. And you put it in a saucer and you have that man's name down. And when you fold it, don't fold it from you, you fold it to you. And you put that candle there. Well, when that candle burn out, well, you see hit'll spread all over there, you see. And you put it where nobody won't see it. You burn that candle like today, the next day he'll come if he don't stay no more than [I interrupt]
(Do you put this honey in the saucer?)
In the - in the - look [demonstrates]: you put the piece of paper in the sau- cer. You put, you know his name is on it, the paper; you put the paper down first in the saucer. You put the honey [demonstrates].
(On top of the paper.)
On top of the paper and you fold it over like you fold a napkin, and you set the candle right up there.
(Down in the honey?)
Yeah, but you see - yeah, down in the honey; but you see, the paper is fold, you know.
(Before you put the honey there?)
Yeah, and you take piece of the candle - you take the candle and you let it drip. Let some of this wax drip on the paper so hit can stick. Well, stick it
[candle] there. Now, when that's burn out, well you go get another one [candle]
and you do the same. Well, you have his name in that [folded paper sweetened with honey]. That's to sweeten him.
(Well, how often can you burn that candle? Or when?)
Well, you burn it, the candle, for nine days and in nine days he'll be back to you, you see; but you burn it every day - you see, every day.
(All day long?)
All day long. Or, when that one go out, you burn another one. You see? You buy you - well, you say, well, I'll buy me [candles]. If you buy you nine can- dles, well [use them] long as those candles burn out; but when you ain't got no more, you go get some more for nine days. And when that - he'll be back in the nine days, 'fore the nine days.
Entry 10208
If there's something that you don't want taken regardless of what it is, if you don't want it taken - for an instance if you take, if you lock your house they going to break in, and you don't know how to do for to keep 'em from taking your things. Well, then, first I would go and I would get me some sassafras [roots or pieces of bark]. I'd get some sassafras and I'd get me a knife and I'd trim this sassafras, see. I'd trim it and every little piece that I'd whittle off it [demonstrates].
(Every piece that comes off, what do you do with that?)
Every piece I trim off - I'm going to trim it off until I get to nine pieces, and every time I get the nine pieces, I'd count the nine pieces. I'd get them nine pieces and I'm going to put nine pieces here [demonstrates]. I cut off until I get nine more pieces and I'm going to put that there until I get four times nine. See? Well, all right. Now, I'm going to set it on the outside of my door. That's the corner of my house and that's the corner of my house. I'm going to set nine pieces there and nine pieces there, and at the back end of my house. I'm going to set nine pieces.
(You have nine pieces in each corner of the house.)
In each corner of the house, but on the outside. Under my house, if I can get under there and get to where the fire part is - the fire-hearth part is; under the house, you know.
(You what?)
Get under the house, underneath the house and get to the fire-hearth, see.
(Oh, the chimney - the fire-hearth.)
Yes, the chimney. I take and I put me a Bible there. I put that Bible there. I puts the Bible up under that house and I puts a candle there, and I leave that candle burning, see, and I leave the Bible open. But I put a piece of something in front where nobody can't learn that candle's burning there, you see, and leave it burning there. And then I come out from under that house and I locks my door, and as I'm coming out I'm sprinkling a little sugar, you see. I sprin- kle sugar as I come out, you see, until I get at least fifty feet from my house, you see. Then I won't sprinkle no more sugar and I can go and stay from three or four days and come back. Nobody will go in that house, nobody never go in there.
(What sort of a candle do you burn on that chimney?)
I'm got a ordinary white candle. (A white candle, I see.) [Here we have a quincunx, 4 corners and a double central point - Bible and candle.] [New Orleans, La., (832), 1249:2.] [If the reader is approaching this multi-volumed HOODOO archive for the first time, he or she must be told that the present beliefs and rites about sex are perely a continuation of 167 pages of similar material published in volume 3, Nos.3ll0-3830, Pp.2341-2509; material listed in logical sequence according to the Table of Contents for volumes 5, 4 and 3. The material now following could not be so conveniently arranged, though it does have a certain amount of alpha- betical order and other continuity. I am dividing this section into two parts: (1) COMPLETE RITES and (2) CONDENSED RITES, these latter sometimes a reference oaly.]
Entry 10277
To fix him up. Now he wants to get his nature back, all he got to do, he take and he urine in a bottle. You see, he....
(He urinates into a bottle?)
In a bottle, you see. Now, he urinates in a bottle and, if he urinate in that bottle and he can get to some of hers, see, he pour hers on top of his. Now, when he put that together, he take sugar and cinnamon and he puts that all togethah. He mixes that up good. See. Now, he put that under the head of the bed; see, where he sleep at, where he knows she can't find it. If he's got time enough to do that and she's done fixed the bed herself, he puts that hisself there, you see, because he has to do hisself good, you understand. Now, at night when he comes in - if he done come from work or if he's got work anywhere - when he comes in, long about, prob'ly it might be midnight. He'll raise up, you see. He's going to raise up. Now, when he get [raise] up, he'll get there to her, see. And as long as he keep that there [under bed] until he get hisself back together, done got back all his nature again, why then he can take that same bottle of stuff and keep it hid on the top of anything that's high where she can't get to it. And she'll have more trouble with him than the day is long. She'll have plenty trouble with him then, because he'll always want to be on her, see. He done got his nature back. (I see, that's to bring his nature back, so that he can do this with his wife.) With his wife.
(I see.)
Entry 10278
Whut chew kin do with a dirty sock, least dat is tuh keep a man with a woman, dat is she's about tuh go or he's about tuh go from her, is dis: His urine is his nature. Yo' understan' dat. Yo' git de bottle an' git de urine an' yo' git de he lodestone, steel dust, cinnamon, sugah, drawin' oil, mind oil. Write de name nine times, nine needles an' nine pins. An' yo' put dat ingrediment [ingredients] together, yo' understan', an' yo' shake it well an' put it undah de do'step. Be shure dat it crosses ovah it three times, an' den aftah yo' take it an' put it anywheres in yore place. Yes, ah kin guarantee yo' it bring de woman dat ah did de work fo' dat ah he'ped [helped] out with it, an' through prayers, goin' to de chapel an' makin' prayers.
(That'll hold the man?)
Listen, dat'll hold him an' yo'll nevah git, but don' evah - dat means a man'll kill yuh if he gits holt of dat, yo' see. Dat means death. An' it really will hold him.
Entry 10626
Adam-an'-Eve an' High John, an' make a bag of it, an' put it cal gethah an' put a li'le sagah dd it - a teaspoonful of sugah vid it - or salt wid it. An' mix it tuhgethah an' sew it up an' care it wid joo. To'll git a job dat way.
Entry 10636
Well, dey say dat if yo' got a ant bed roun' yore house, jes' give 'em sugah an' feed, dey say dat yo'll have luck round dere, 'long as yo' stay dere an' 'long as dat ants' bed dere.
Entry 10667
Well, for instance, there is two parties together, like you would have a daughter and her husband and the husband and her didn't look like they were getting along well, and you want them to be together. You get a delicious apple and you will sign his name at the bottom and her name on top on parchment paper.[Core the apple.] You fill that apple full of granulated sugar. You fill that apple full of syrup or honey. The sweeter it is the better it is. You get you some holy water, you put that fern down in that apple after you hull it out. You see, hull the delicious apple out. You put that fern down in there. And then after that you pour the holy water on top that water in that flower pot. Now, as that fern grow, their love grow. Well, that fern, that put them together after signing their name to it, you see. Take a delicious apple, hull it out well, take the fern and put down in there, in the hollow apple. After putting it in the hollow apple, then you git you granulated sugar, pour it down in there, then you put your syrup, here come de holy water, then the dirt back on the fern, you see. You see no apple at all, it is at the bottom. Well, if the fern grow, their love grow; they get along like two birds in one nest. (They put the hollowed-out apple in the flower pot, and the names on, they put that there too. That brings this man and woman together.)
Entry 10668
(How do you use an apple or orange?) An apple is to create love. (How do you do that?) Taking an apple, a delicious apple, hulling it out; taking any kind of fern and putting down into the bottom of that apple.
(The plant, the fern - f-e-r-n?)
Absolutely, putting it down in the apple and getting some honey - making it as sweet as possible - granulated sugar, holy water from the Catholic Church, pouring down in that, pressing the flowerpot up with mud, putting the individual name there that you want into that apple and as the fern grow, as the love grow.
(I see.)
Entry 10720
You are hunting a job and you have a particular boss you want. Well, every time you go to that boss and ask him for a job, take cinnamon and sugar in your pocket and birdeye seed, and whenever you go on that job, put this [seed] down [where you Work and in] your pocketbook with the cinnamon and sugar and birdeye seed. That will make him have a sweet disposition towards you and keep a birdeye [bird's eye] upon you and always give you your job. [Birdeye or bird's-eye seed must be a package of seed sold by a hoodoo store.]
Entry 10759
After you have a bath in that water, you put household ammonia and some sugar and some blueing [in the used] water, and that will uncross your bad luck, and bring you success- ful. An' yo' take that and you throw it where the sun rise.
Entry 10803
You get you some cinnamon and sugar. All right. You sweep. you go to sweep, don't sweep your dirt outside, you sweep your dirt in [into] the building. And you get this cinnamon and sugar and put it in the water, amd you scrub your floor. And then when you get through scrubbing that floor, you just take - get you some oil of clover. See, you buy some oil of clover at the drug store and you put water in there [scrub bucket] and you put a bottle of beer mixed in with it. (Bottle of beer?) Bottle of beer, yes. And you takes - start at the front door and you sprinkle it all the way back into the place, and your place will be packed.
(The place will be packed?)
Yes, sir, your place will be packed with people, all through the day.
Entry 10884
If you want to break up a person, you kin take the dog hair, you know; like the bristles of cat's neck. You know, where bristles up, you understand. Where she bris- tles up back there. And then oa the dog's tail you cut out some hair, like if you Wanta break up a person. And you take and put that stuff together and puts some salt and some cayenne pep- per with it. And you write their name down 9 times. And you go and throw it in the fire, you say, "I wan' choo to fuss, fight and bust up: In the Name of the Lord." That's wha' choo do with that dog hair and that cat hair and things. Or else you kin take doze things, the cat hair and that, and you kin take it, you kin make a fuss in the home. You kin break up a person. Put the sugar and cay- enne pepper with it. You kin throw it all through the house, under the house.
Entry 11061
Keep some sugar and cin- namon in a piece of paper, wrap- ped up in your pockets all the time. Awful lucky in gambling. Yes sir.
Entry 11203
Take nine dirt dauber nest an' pound 'em up together. Put some salt - jes' de least salt, into de nine, which id about a teaspoonful into de nine dirt dauber nests. Then yo' put three teaspoons fulla sugah into dat. Pound it up good together. Then yo' take - after pounding that all up together - then yo' take an' anywhere that a person gotta visit, if it in a home or anywhere that they got dealin's at in dat place, yo' sprinkle it In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost an' make yore wish the way that yo' want it to work. It will work.
(What will you wish for on that?)
Well, if yo' want 'em tuh quit workin' dere or tuh leave dere, why yo' kin wish that way. An' if a person wants tuh continue working to a place, why yo' make that wish there. [Nine dirt dauber nests surely means 9 cells from one dirt dauber nest, not 9 separate nests which would be quite a large amount of dirt.]
Entry 11384
Yo' take dat file an' it's a certain place at chure steps. yo' stick dat file down on de point. But chew gotta have sompin else tuh go undah dat. Yo' gotta have... Yo' take dat John de Conkah, yore chamber lye an' a teaspoon fulla sugah. An' de blue- stone yo' beat it up, if yo' don't git it compounded. Yo' beat it up an' put it in dere, an' yo' take it an' yo' put it in a hole. Den yo' take dat file an' yo' stick it down - po' it [ingredients] in dat hole an' stick it [file] down dere, about two or three inches from yore steps. Dat's whut dat file is fo', tuh keep down dose sharp things [an enemy could bury under your doorstep].
(What will that do now?)
Dat will hold yore luck in dat house. It will hold yore luck.
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 11689
Dey go to de fo'ks of de road an' dey turn three times, but ah heard dey go to de graveyard befo' an' dey gits some dirt. An' dey take dat dirt an some sugah an' some sugah of lead an' some sulphur, an' take it an' take dat dirt an' bury it undah de steps, undah de front steps, either de back - if dey's out an' yo' want 'em tuh come in...yo' take it an' yo' mix dat all up togethah. Yo' take it an' bury it undah yore steps, where dey gotta come ovah. An' dat'll make dem come back.... Either yo' take it an' bury it out from de steps. Dat'll make 'em go away.
(What about the forks of the road?)
Ah say, ah've heard of 'em goin' to de fo'ks of de road but it be at de grave- yard at de fo'ks of de road, an' git dat graveyard dirt.
(You have to go to a graveyard that's near a forks of the road?)
Yassuh, tuh git dat dirt, but now if yo' say go to de graveyard an' git dat dirt off a grave fo' dat somebody dat's went away.... An' yo' wanta git 'em back.... Dat's whut ah'm tryin' tuh tell yo' 'bout dat graveyard dirt. Yo' go dere an' git dat an' yo' bury dat dirt.
Entry 11710
Now to get a job. Well, if you going out to hunt you a job, you always get up in the morning, don't be angry, get up with a good pleasant mind. And you always keep you some sugar or the middle part of garlic. Tote that in your pocket. Take and pull all the garlic out and just the little mid- dle - that part that's in the middle - tote that in your pocket.
(What will that do?)
That will give you luck. See.
(I see.)
Fast luck.
Entry 11852
To make love? All right. You kin take dere hair, some sugar an' some bluestone. You understand now? An' some lodestone. Put all of this together with a piece of John de Conkah root. [This root] look like two pieces [see ex- planation later]. Look now [demonstrates], cross that John de Conkah cross there
[these ingredients being mixed or laid in a container] and put it [John de Conkah]
crost de hair, you see, an' tie it at de ends with a little string. You under- stand, at each end you know, with a little string. An' put it [mixture] in a piece of paper, in a piece of brown paper, an' wear that in de bottom of your shoe. [This is a small package.] They kin nevah git away from you. [What does informant mean by saying John de Conkah root look like two pieces? On p.593 (Z.2, v.1) I say, "John de Conkah can be many things; and on p.595 (l.12, v.1) we learn you can git de he one and git de she one. I suggest my informant, a hoodoo woman, is identifying John de Conkah with an actual root called Adam-and-Eve, which has he and she parts, he the smaller, both looking like peanuts (see No.10609, page 4028f., v.5). Our present rite therefore ties our man and woman together with a thread or a string to make doubly certain, magically certain, they are tied to- gether. The sugar sweetens the situation or pays the spirit, the bluestone keeps away evil, lodestone is another drawing power, and brown paper is often used for black clients. My preceding statement about he and she parts among the roots of Adam-and-Eve is a hoodoo, not a scientific one.]
Entry 12213
Yo' git some incense an' mix a little sugah with it an' yo' burn dat. Dat's drawin' power, dat draws. An' yo' burn dat at hours, yo' know: lak six a'clock, twelve an' six in de evenin'. Dat draws mo customahs.
Entry 12231
Yo' go git chew a piece of root - John de Conkah root - and bury it in de ground 'bout three days. Take it out and git chew a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' a little bit sugah and sew it up tight in a bag. And chew you a piece ob [of] dat John de Conkah root. And when you go an' knock de boss [knock on the door?] fer a job, jest look him right dead in de eye, says, "Captain, I want a job." An' jest look him right in de eye and spit. And he say, "All right, boy, come on heah." He'll give you a job. But look him in de eye, if you want a job - look right in de eye.
Entry 12284
Yo' kin git saltpetah, sage, alum, sugah an' salt - yo' know - stuff, yo' know, whut he nuse [use]. Yo' know, salt an' sugah an' stuff lak dat whut chew wanta know in dose strings. Yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son, ah'm bringin' yo' back tuh me." Call his name, see, an' say, "Long as yo' eat sage, as long as yo' eat sugah, drink sugah in yore coffee" - sompin lak dat. An' call dose names, an' tie dose strings, an' tell him yo' want him tuh come back tuh yo'. Well, he'll come den. An' aftah yo' tie dose strings, put dose strings in a pile an' sprinkle dis saltpetah an' stuff ovah it, an' red peppah, an' yo' take kerosene. An' den yo' say, "In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son, ' an' burn it. An' put it out in de yard an' let it smoke.
Entry 12299
You can take lemons. Well, that makes you - if you going up the street right now and you got a big transaction on with a person. You take a lemon, just take a lemon and take all the peeling off the lemon. Don't break the white part of that lem- on. See, just take all that yellow peel off the lemon and take that lemon and sew it up. Rub it over good. Just rub it over good in your pockets in your hands. And ball that lemon up and put it in your inside coat pocket. Wrap it up in pure white paper with no marks or nothing on it - pure white paper. Wrap that lemon up. And on your Way down [to business transaction] just take the lemon and pass it through your hands, rub it over your hands good and put it in your inside [pocket]. Wear it on your right side, in your inside coat pocket, or your right side of your right pants pocket. But if you peel that lemon and break that white - that white skin on the inside of that yellow skin - well that lemon is no good to you. Get you a lemon and don't break that skin. Peel it off careful, but don't break through it so the juice will run off. But take that yellow peel off the outside and wrap that lemon up. Wipe that lemon off good with sugar. Rub it over good with sugar and wrap it up good in a piece of red flannel and rub it through your hands. And when you go there [place of business transaction] go in the lavatory or any private place and take that lemon out of that flannel again and rub it. Or take plain white paper. If you don't use red flannel, use plain white paper. Don't use no paper with no marks or nothing on it. No yellow or no colored paper at all. If you don't use white paper, get you a piece of red flannel and wrap it in there and go down the street with it. And as you go to the lavatory take that flannel or that paper off and just rub it over your hand again - before you go on with any business transaction - with the lemon. (What do you go and do that in the lavatory for?) [Informant has me going around in circles!] Well, you just freshen your hands up. Freshen your hands up with this. Con- tinually rub your hands, keep awashing that lemon against your hands.
(Well, what do you do that for?)
Well, that gives you a power over the man that you got a business deal with.
(Oh! I see. You do that until you get his....)
Keep awashing that lemon on your hands - like you get - like you know, you going to the next corner here, and you coming to the place, or you are in a bar, or any private place.
(You do it in secret so he can't see you.)
Yeah, you just do it in secret - just any place for secrecy. That's all.
Entry 12511
Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, de red onion. Yo' cut a hole in de middle of it, see, an' yo' take a cord string an' tie around it. An' yo' put sugah down at de end of dat red onion an' yo' tie it at chure front do', up ovah yore do', an' dat's tuh keep peace in yore house. [There are several ways to prepare this onion, a fairly small one.]
Entry 12518
Yo' git a bran'-new red onion dat's nevah been used an' yo'd have fiah. Yo' put dat red onion in dat fiah an' put some sugah in it an' den axe fo' whatevah yo' want. Make a wish fo' whatevah yo' want an' yo' mo' den successful in yore undahtakin'.
Entry 12519
Take de red onion an' git de outside peelin', dat hard part, off. Put sugah intuh de onion an' put it on a hot stove an' let it jis' burn. Burn till it's all gone away. Dat supposed to make luck in yore house. Say, fo' instance if yo' were sellin' whiskey, dat supposed tuh bring customers.
Entry 12529
Dey said dat chew take a red onion an' split it in half, when it partways growin'. Split it lak dat an' sprinkle some sugah in it, an' carry it to a person's step an' bury it. An' dat will separate dem an' it will run dem away from dere - separate 'em or run de party out de house. Make 'em move.
Entry 12543
Well, it's two different ways dat chew kin make dem move. Now, yo' kin take nine seeds out of a pod of peppah, piece of rock sulphur; take a tea- spoon fulla sugah an' de peelin' from a red onion an' burn it, an' yo' kin make 'em leave in that way.
Entry 12544
Dey tell me yo' git some lodestone an' git chew some sen-sen an' a red onion. An' yo' peel dis red onion an' take de hull an' drop de sen-sen down in it. [Sen-sen Was or is trade name of small lozenges to suck to sweeten breath.] An' yo' look in de east an' ask de Lord tuh move yore enemies an' bring yo' luck an' peace. An' den yo' sprinkle de sugah ovah dis same thing an' dis red onion. An' yo' walk to yore front do' an' walk back- vards to yore back do' nine times, aftah yo' fire it back. Dat will bring yo' peace an' yo' be's successful wit chure friends.
Entry 12566
Git peanut hulls. An' yo' put salt an' sugah with de peanut hulls. Have 'em mashed up an yo' sprinkle dat ovah on de flo', an' dat'll move 'em.
[Memphis 1517:9.]
Entry 12613
Whut yo' gotta do tuh keep de law away, yo' gotta use dat sugah an' dat cayenne peppah. Dat sugah an' cayenne peppah will keep 'em away. Jis' throw it at 'em when dey come in [!]. Yo' ain't got nuthin tuh do but yo' got sompin round dis way.
Entry 12660
Pulverize persimmon bark and sugar, and one teaspoonful of sulphur. Put that on yore stove, on de top of your stove, on a Monday and Wednesdays. That's to get a job. Then you hold it and then you always kin pick up - getting jobs. (Well, what if you have a job?) It will cause you to pick up more, cause you to pick up more, cause you get more extra jobs. [This shows a chronic condition of the times, the Great Depression, there were few jobs for these people, and had there been permanent jobs, few were trained to hold them. Forty years later, as I write, conditions have not improved much.]
Entry 12758
How, [of] course I Was bootlegging myself and I had a powder that I used to use. Of course, this pow- der come from Germany [which may nor have been true]. (What was it called?) Well, I don't know the name of the powder, but it was mixed up with a simple thing, some Gretna. (Oh, you called it Gretna?) [This could be something sold by someone in Gretna back in 1938.] Gre tna.
[I turn off machine but restart it at word sugar.]
(Yes, and you mixed it with sugar, you say?)
Mix it with sugar.
(And it turned what?)
It would turn red, and after [that] you would burn it, you'd have to burn it With solid white paper. And after you would burn this, about ten minutes after that, you wouldn't have to worry. You could be sitting down and people would come from all, every direction, to your place to buy stuff there.
(How much did you pay for that?)
One dollar.
(One dollar, I see.)
Yes, sir.
(They made it in Germany. What color powder was it?)
It was a red powder. [This is an interesting illustration of hundreds of special or isolated mixtures floating about, compounds that never came into general use. I am guessing that this Was a cheap incense, though a dollar dur- ing the Great Depression Was money!]
Entry 12882
Scrub your home with sugar, cinnamon and wintergreen and you mop that out. Don't put no soap or no powder, just mop the place in. Always start at de sill of the door, mop it in. Then after that, take you some cinnamon and steel dust and sprin- kle all around into the home, just sprinkle it into the place - the four corners of the house. And that draws openers for you for business.
Entry 12884
Scrub it out good with Red Seal Lye, got the red seal [trademark] on it...an' yo' wrench [rinse] it good this day - like today - and tomorrow you go there and you use nine buckets of water. And the ninth bucket of water you put sugar and cinnamon and Burben fast luck in it, and it'll be lucky and you'll, can rent the house.
(What kind of fast luck?)
Berb - bur - I believe - Burbeans - you know that spells beans.
(Burbean's?)
Yeah, Burbean's Fast Luck.
(What is it, an oil or a powder?)
It's a oil-like. You gets that outa the drug store.
Entry 12935
Well, jes' lak yo' wanta, probably, yo' might be goin' out gamblin' or sompin lak dat, an' yo' wanta have luck fo' that, or maybe yo' goin' out tuh play cards an' yo' wanta have luck fo' that. Accordin' tuh whatevah yo' want... Yo' kin burn a little coal oil an' sugah on 'em an' dat's fo' luck on dice... dat's fo' a man's shoes.
Entry 12992
You tie you a piece of - some sugar, you takes a piece of lodestone, and you put you a silver dime in that, you see. And you sew it up. You sew it up in a red piece of flan- nel. You make it like dat and you carry it in your pocket, but you won't have no luck though if you have the cheat against you. As long as you keep the cheat off you, you have luck.
(What do you mean "have the cheat against you?")
"Cheat, '' of course, if you [someone] put down loaded dice or anything, you can't beat it. See, you can't beat anybody that have [loaded dice].
(Oh, they cheat against you.)
Yeah.
(Oh, I see.)
If they cheat, you can't beat a cheat, you see. It won't do no good, you see. [This theme of "unless someone cheats is rare in HOODOO, since it would destroy confidence in ganbling "hands."]
Entry 12995
Take a silver dime. Yo' [a woman] git a silver dime from him an' yo' take dat silver dime an' yo' put it in a glass an' put two teaspoonfuls of sugah on dat dime an' set it back in a corner. If he makes any money he'll bring it. He'll bring it to yo'.
Entry 12999
Well, if a man want luck in gambling, well, he'd wanta got Lost John powder. [This could be my only example of Lost John.] (What kind?) Lost John. (Lost John?) Lost John powder, it's good luck. You take Lost John powder and you put it in your pocket. All right, you go get you some pulverized bluestone. You take you five dimes and you boil that in two quarts of water. You boil that water down to one quart [magic of diminishing amount.] You put it in somepin and measure it. You put it in somepin and you boil it until it comes down to one quart [diminishing amount] one quart of water. You gets one quart of water, you pout one teaspoonful of pulverized bluestone, one teaspoonful of granulated sugar, one teaspoonful of sulphur, and well shaked [shake well]. You take your five dimes out of that water after it's boiled and put 'em - you can use them again, you can spend them. [Often articles used in rites cannot be used again, they are dangerous.] You take that and you shake it up - well shaked. You can take that and rub it in the band of your hat, and you go anywhere in town and you can have luck: with the laws, the police, or anything like that. They ain't going to worry with you.
(What do you do with that Lost John root powder? What do you do with that?)
That Lost John root you tote that in your pocket. Tote that in your pocket.
Entry 13134
I've heard that choo could use snuff like this. You know, jis' like a man be wit choo with a wha'shah call 'em? Merry Widow or cundrwn [condom] or somepin like that. Well, take a little bit of snuff an' a little sugar - jis' a little pinch of snuff an' a little bit of sugar an' put it together. An' put it in that, choo know down in the bottom [of the condom] an' roll it [condom] down ordinary jis' like it was. An' jis' let a man use that choo know ever' time he - you know they don't use that only when they be's wit chah [informant a woman], but you have 'em ready to let them have 'em when they come to you. An' they be comin' to yo' all de time spending money. [I never asked for this sort of thing, but took it down as a part of hoodoo life.] [Until I looked up this word recently I did not know that it had been named after it's inventor, an 18th century English physician, Dr. Condom!]
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 13224
Ah've heard of 'em taking sugar an' de spit from dere mouth, jes' lak de spit from mah mouth, an' take sugah an' mix it into a biscuit with buttah, an' put it undah yore arm an' wear it undah dere. At meal- time an' give it to a man, an' dat man will always love yo'. He'll give yo' 中 every penny he kin make, but chew gotta keep it up.
Entry 13228
If yo' wanta keep yore wife wit yo' always - jes' lak if yo' got a wife yo' know an' yo' can't keep her home an' she love tuh go all de time. Jes' take a brass spoon an' dip it into yore sugah dish an' sweeten her coffee. Yo' put it in dere yo'self an' let her take it herself an' stir it. An' yo' evah will have a wife tuh stay at home. Let it stay in dere a few minutes 'fore yo' call her. Yo' understan' me, an' yo'll evah have a wife tuh stay at home - wit dat brass spoon.
Entry 13234
Well, of course, if they got you in jail, of course, you done have somebody [usually a hoodoo doctor] on the outside to handle that for you. Now, you get you some sugar and you get you some cinnamon, you get some steel dust and lode- stone. You beat that all in a powder, you see. Now, when you beat that in a powder - now they got you before the judge, you have somebody come in the door, and when they [pris- oner] come in the door, in the judge's door - while he be coming in, he [your doctor] be dropping it and he be counting nine times, long as it take you - until you get clean up to the stand. See. Just drop a little of it on the floor the ninth time. I bet you walk out of that place.
(But somebody else has got to do that for you?)
Yeah, somebody got to do that for you, you see, because they already got you in there.
(I see.)
Entry 13236
That is only used in a drink. Now if you know a person is an ex- cessive drunkard, you know that you can always give them in something to drink- mostly using wine, or where eggnogs or cocktails are concerned. You get a little bag, a little new bag - linen or domestic white cloth, cotton. You put three tablespoons of sugar in this little bag and sew it up. You have seen a sachet bag. You make a sachet bag out of that and wear it under the arms, where you know nearly everyone will perspire under de arms. (Which arm do you wear it under?) Under the left. You wear that for nine days and then you take this and add it to the per- son - well, even if they drink coffee, you mix that in the coffee. But be sure that chew don't drink it, you see. [In hoodoo is is always dangerous to sample any of your own work!] But you'll put that in the sugar dish after you wear it, but if not, if they drink, you put it in their drink. That is the way that is done. [Despite this reference this rite continues as follows: Mobile, Ala.,
(650), 866:3.]
[The preceding account comes from a Mrs. Brady, a woman with great experience in the world I wanted to meet, she having sold curios, given advice to women in trouble, told fortunes, made hands, etc. In fact she became one of my helpers. Unfortunately my first day recordings were so bad I had everyone back for another session. Here is what she said the secone time - substantially the same, but of greater interest.] Git chew a piece of new domestic, any kind of new white cloth, and you make these little bags [as I said, she made hands]. You've seen little sachet bags. Put about three tablespoons of sugar in each one and sew it up, and then you pin it under the pits of the arms.
(Both arms?)
Sure.
(One under each arm.)
There are other people wear 'em other places but it's not so nice. They do that. But ah tell you it really does have a strange effect on people. Ah've seen things carried out like that - it really does. And then after they have worn that nine days, then it will absolutely do the work.
(Then what do they do with that?)
You put it in the coffee or in wine, anything that you have to use anything sweet in.
(And what will that do - hold them?)
It will hold them, influence them towards you.
Entry 13240
Take a little bit of sugar and a little bit of coffee and tie it up in your handkerchief - or bread, either one, it's very good. It's luck, if you put it inside of your handkerchief and carry it around on you. It's very good.
(That's for good luck?)
Sugar is drawing you know - they all is drawing you see, because the spirits 11kes those things.
Entry 13241
Sugar and cinnamon and mix it up well together and put it in your pocket. Jes' like I'd come in here and I'd wanta see you, I'd come in and I'd have my hand in my pocket, and as I'd enter the door, I'd jes get a little in my hand and sprinkle it about. And I ask you for a job. Well, you'd be more than apt to give it to me.
Entry 13242
Ah said, if yo' an' yore husban' or yo' an' yore girl fren' is in a argument or sompin lak dat, an' yo' don' ca' tuh argue, git chew about fo' tea- spoonfulla sulphur an' a teaspoonful of sugar an' put it in a rag. See, mix it up good an' sprinkle a little bit ovah de flo' an' de arguments gone - it won't be no mo' arguments. [Sulphur kills evil, sugar is fo' peace.]
Entry 13351
Well, dey tell me a person's chamber lye - yo' takes a person's chamber lye - do yo' mean tuh do good or do harm? (Either one. Tell one first and then the other.) Well, yo'll take a person's chamber lye an' yo' put nine needles in dat chamber lye, brand-new needles. Yo' stick one point down an' one point up, one point down, until yo' git all of 'em down in dere. Yo' take dat an' yo' put dat chamber lye - bury it somewhere where dey kin walk ovah it. Dat will do 'em harm.
(Well, just what would it do to them?)
Well - well, if yo' wanta do good, now...
(How would it harm them?)
Well, dat would harm 'em, dat would ketch 'em in dere bladdah. Dat's de way dat'll harm dem, swell dem up down in heah.
(How do they do them good, do you say, with chamber lye?)
Well, yo' take dat chamber lye, ifs yo' want a man tuh stay home, take dat chamber lye wit some salt an' some sugah an' yo' stop dat up. An' yo' put dat undah de haid of yore bed, somewheres neah yore bed, or in a dark cornah in yore room - anywhere lak dat. Dat will make him stay home an' quit runnin' an' rov- in' aroun'. Dat'll make him stay home.
Entry 9598
If yo' don't know dey name or sompin lak dat, git chew some salt, black peppah an' sugah an' ground real fine. Yo'll have tuh beat it as a powdah. Jes' take yore rollah an' roll it jes' intuh a powdah. Sprinkle it all aroun' yore house, yo' see, tuh keep off all evils. Yo' sprinkle red peppah an' lye behin it. Dat simple thing. Den yo' kin git chew some dis chlorine salve. It's whut chew call - it's sompin lak a asic [acid] - an' dat keeps anyone from roun' yore house, close aroun'. Yo' kin use it about chure body, dat draws all yore enemies away. An' yo' kin use it as a chloride salve, jes' plain chloride salve without asic an' as adraw- in' card, fo' people's tuh yo'. But jes' dis plain chloride asic is tuh keep 'em from yo', from doin' yo' bodily harm.
Entry 9617
(To make somebody move?) Yeah. Yo' git salt an' yo' git sugah an' yo' git cayenne peppah an' yo' mix dose tuhgethah. An' as dis person goin' outa de house, why yo' jis' sprinkle dat on behin' 'em. Dey're goin' some place.
Entry 9642
De nex' one wit sugah ag'in: if yo' got somebody a pusson yo' wanta make 'em stay at home, yo' mix dat wit allspice an' salt. An' put it in a li'le piece [of cloth] in de mattress, where de people gotta sleep, tuh make folks stay home. Put it in 'is mattress, jes' a li'le bit. Make 'em stay home.
Entry 9657
Well, if you bothered by the law, you take - even for the law, any- body - you get you some parchment [paper]. Here's your door here. [Informant begins to demonstrate.] You hang you some parchment up by your door. [Imitation parchment was sold as genuine and often considered holy.] You hang that parchment up by your door, on this side, and hang you a box of salt on the other. Don't let the salt be - get you a fresh box of salt. Just like that nail is there [informant points to nail]. See that nail? Well you put you a nail up right there [demonstrates].
(On one side of the door.)
On one side of the door. And you hang that salt up there. And over that, between that parchment and that salt, you put you up a loaf of bread.
(You have the parchment on one side and the salt on the other.)
You see, you've got the parchment here and you got the salt here.
(The parchment on the right hand side and the salt on the left.)
And the salt on the left. Now, right in the center, you put you a loaf of bread [demonstrates].
(Above the door.)
Above the door. See. you put you up a loaf of bread. He can come in: the captain, the sergeant, the lieutenant - all of them can come in there when you do that. They ain't going to bother you. Now, when they come in, if they come in, but they might not get no further than right to the door. They might just look in, they ain't going to bother nobody. They going to go away. You see. And when they go away, you sprinkle sugar behind them, after they gone. When they turn their face to go, you sprinkle sugar behind them, you see. You sprin- kle sugar and that'll keep 'em going all the time. They'll never come back. If they come back, they won't bother you. You understand what I mean? They won't bother you. Just sprinkle that sugar behind 'em and they won't bother you at all.
Entry 9660
Sprinkle coal oil down and salt down. That makes a fuss. Now, to stop the fuss, how would you stop it? All right, I'd stop the fuss in this manner. If I find out they throw oil down there, anything like that, they got that down to fuss and fight. I'd take sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of that, and then I'd burn that. Right wheresomever the spot is where that oil is, I'd Pat the cinnamon and the sugar there and light it and let it burn. It's not going to burn the floor at all. It's going to burn until that floor come back natural just the same as it was before that oil got on there. And then that would be all over with, wouldn't be no more quarrelin' then.
Entry 9690
Now, if yuh wife runnin' aroun' an' yo' wanta stop 'er, yo' git chew some sugah, table salt an' sulphuh an' put it in - take a saucah an' mix it up, lak dat, an' evah mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's - yo' got a woman an' she got a man, an' yo' wanta break 'em up. Yo' take an' put dat in de cornah of yuh house. Jes' take a pinch of it an' put it, In de Name of de Lord, ah wish yo'd quit runnin' round. Evah time yo' put it down in de cornah of de house.
(Put it in the four corners?)
Yassuh, de fo' cornahs of de house, put it in dere, an' dat'll stop 'er from runnin' roun'.
Entry 9691
Well, yo' kin burn shoes fo' luck. Jis' put 'em in de stove an' burn 'em. Sprinkle salt an' sugah on 'em fo' luck.
Entry 9692
Jes' lak if ah had a husban' an' he don' nevah stay at home, an' ah wanted tuh keep 'im at home. Well, ah kin jes' take table sugah an' salt an' mix a little of it tuhgethah an' weah it undah mah ahms. Well, dat'll make 'im draw, love yo'; yo' know, make 'im git close tuh yo'.
Entry 9694
Anyone take salt an' li'l' sugah an' sprinkle it rom', an' dat brings luck tuh yo'. Dat's tuh keep a job, so no man kin mow yo' doon - tuh hold a job.
Entry 9711
Salt an' sugah an' perfume; de three combine an' dey say dat brings de crowd in. Or eithah de kind of incense yo' burn will bring 'em in.
Entry 9842
(Tell me how they make a person stay at home?)
Wit dere sock. Well, take dis sock an' put chure sugah an' yore cinnamon in dis sock, an' take yo' nine needles an' nine pins an' - fold yore sock an' put [in] dem nine needles an' nine pins. An' yo' use 'em all, gotta git 'em all in dere. See, dem eighteen sticks [sticking ob- jects] gotta be in dere. An' yo' take three tacks an' nail 'em down at de front of yore do', or eithah if yo' got a fiah hearth, yo' take a brick up an' yo' lay dat brick dere. Lay it dere an' put it on top dat. An' yo'll nevah git rid of 'em. Dat'll hold 'em.
Entry 9693
Jis' lak he move intuh yuh house an' yo' want 'im outa dis house. Yo' take an' git chew some salt an' sugah an' put in dere an' he'll leave jis' fo' dat [sugar and salt. He leaves because he thinks some enemy is "throwing" for him].
Entry 11325
Well, I'll tell you. I heard oldtime people say, they take white dog wood root, maple sugar, and all [= pure] linseed oil, mix it up, dig a hole, plant it at people's door, to keep them down to do their way. [Fredericksburg, Va., Ediphone, No.44.]
Maple sugar is explicitly named in a reported old-time practice; the speaker says 'I heard', and no performed act or successful control is established.