Subject:Sulphur
Entries
Entry 3704
(If a man wants to regain his nature, what does he do now?) He takes sulphah an' brimstone an' sugah an' throw it ovah yore left shouldah fo nine mawnin's an' say, "Dead work to put chew - fo' whut chew tryin' tuh do me, go back where yo' come." An' instead of it bein' on 'im, it will be on 'er, yo' see.
(What did you say now?)
"Dead work to it, dead work to her."
("Dead work to her." That will turn it back on her?)
Sho'.
(That left shoulder, you said was what?)
De left shouldah, dat means yore heart. Turn it back to her.
Entry 3708
The follow- ing informant gives 4 separate cures:] Dey say yo' kin take in measurin' a man - well now, in yore husban', if yo' don't want 'im tuh fool wit somebody, why yo' could take an' measure him when he's sleep, if yo' git a chance. Or eithah, yo' fix 'im to pay no 'tenshun - have connection wit 'im fo' a chance tuh measure 'im wit a piece of cord string, dis little cord string dat come off a wrappin'. An' take an' measure 'im wit dat - jes' de length of it. An' den yo' kin take an' tie nine knots in it, an' yo' kin wear it in yore shoe, or if yo' kin, put it down undah de innah sole of yore shoe, an' he can't have anythin' tuh do wit anybody else. Den yo' kin take a piece of new homespun. Jes' lak yo' be playin' an' yo' have a piece of new homespun about de bed, or sompin yo' wus sewin', an' dey kin use dat aftah dey git through. Put it undah yore mattress an' double it up in a piece of papah an' put it undah yore mattress an' he ain't goin' bothah 'bout anyone. An' den if a person gits where dey kin't bothah wit anybody an' wants it taken off dem, dey kin go an' steal a dishcloth - steal someone's dishcloth. An' if dey got greasy dishwatah dere, dey jis' skim off dat grease wit dat dishcloth an' squeeze it up in dere. An' den yo' kin take dat dishcloth an' use it an' wash it off yoreself an' dat will kill it out. An' den yo' kin take an' git some cedar - these cedar leaves. Don't chew know, yo've seen dese cedars in de cemetery. An' take sulphur an' sprinkle it ovah dem, an' put a little fiah undah it, an' yo' kin kinda stand ovah dat an' let dat smoke go ovah yo', an' dat'll kill it. (That will kill it, if his nature has been taken away from him - restore his nature. But you don't have to get that cedar from the cemetery, you can get it any place?) Yes, anywhere. Yo' ain't gotta git it from de cemetery. [Yet, informant prefers graveyard.]
Entry 3730
Well, yo' take de dishrag, if a woman has got a run-aroun' man an' she take de dishrag - aftah she take de dishrag, wipe him wit de dishrag. Wipe him wit de dishrag an' iron it with a very hot iron, an' bury it to de left side of a tree. When yo' bury it to de left side of de tree, dat will perish away all nature dey has fo' any woman. He can't run aroun' any mo', he'll have to stay at home. Well now, if he don't go to de graveyard an' den git de graveyard dirt from de head an' de foot, place a penny in de centah of de grave- pay de grave fo' whut chew git in de Name of de Lord. Take it back an' mix brimstone, sulphur an' sweet milk an' drink it. Well, if he don't do dat, he'll nevah be a man any mo'. He goes to T. B.
(But if he does that, it restores his nature.)
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 3810
An' he told me. I knew de girl dat did it. Well, I'm goin' to tell yo' now how it started. I heard of it befo'. I wuz goin' wit 'er, an' I had been goin' wit 'er, an' I wuz in good health, evahthing. An' de way I wuz, dis girl wuz crooked on me, an' I say, "I'm goin' quit messin' roun' wit yo', I ain't goin' to" - well I got me anothah girl, started wit 'er, went wit 'er a time or two. An' I got hold of dis girl's pit- chure whut I wuz goin' wit. I had been messed up in dat stuff befo' but not wit dis girl. An' she wuz from de same place dat I wuz. She knowed broad people, all dose people down dere roun' South Carolina an' way to Georgia. Dere's a whole lot of people down dere dat knows a lot of stuff, dere's lot of em down dere dat knows plenty. I says - I been wit dis girl a time or two - I says, "I ain't goin' to hide yore pitchure, goin' to leave it in my pocket." Dis girl got dis girl's pitchure. She seed it but she wuz scared to bother wit it. I says, "Well.... [A short lacuna appears on the cylinder, probably an accidental rather than intended stoppage.] Seem lak evah time I'd go roun' where she wuz - where she wuz at - I would get cowardah [cowarder] an' cowardah [more and more he lacked courage], didn't have any manhood atall. I goes on. I [finally] went to a doctor [M.D.] an' he gived me some medicine. Kept on havin' de medicine, kept on havin' it. Well, I'd taken it fer about six months an' nevah seen it [the ailing member], gotten no manhood atall. I wuz workin' an' I says, "Hell, somepin's gotta be done." I went to see dis person [a man mentioned later] an' [he] says, "What's de mattah wit yo'?" [I] say, "He's [ailing member is] sick. He can't do nuthin. He haven't [had] a woman. It must be woman [causing this trouble]." I kept a- thinkin' about 'er if I didn't seen 'er [he kept thinking about the first woman though he had not seen her]. I wuz talkin' to a man about dis an' he told me who to go to. I went to a ole lady dat had one leg longah den de othah, an' she told me, said, "Boy," said, "time yo' got here." [Her opening words are quite professional - see CONSULTATION TECHNIQUE, Pp.307- 319. Her long leg and short leg were good for business - see NAMES FOR DOCTORS and PERSONAL APPEARANCE, PP.293-301.] She told me how I wuz messed up wit - how my manhood wuz cut down, an' she said, "But I kin fix yo' all right." I says, "Yo' can?" She say, "Yes." says, "Well, what yo' goin' do?" She says, "Well, dat's all right about whut I do. I'll fix yo' all right." An' she say, "Well, I tell yo' what yo' do. Yo' go an' buy me a half pint of whiskey." I say, "Sure enuff." I says, "If yo want a drink of whiskey, " I say, "I'll give yo' a drink of whiskey, but yo' say yo' kin fix me. Yo' told me somepin an' yo' must know somepin, ain't it?" She say, "Yo' go an' buy me a half pint of whiskey, an' if yo' wanta give me a drink, buy yo' one an' me one, an' I'm goin' to give yo' nuthin out of dat." She told me - she took a knife, jes' about a, lak a case knife, an' black gun- powdah, an' a little bit of sulphur, an' a little bit of salt, an' a little bit of red peppah, an' told me how to use it - how to take dis, put it in de whiskey an' shake it up. She got a piece of flannel - said white flannel or eithah red flannel would do, which she preferred white flannel. She had de scissors an' she cut it off an' had taken some mutton suet. She told me to take dis den an' jes' lathah [lather] it wit dis mutton suet befo' a hot stove, or anything, dat a lamp would do if it were hot enough, an' put in on jes' lak dis [demonstrates] an' give a wish.
(And pull it up three times.)
An' it would stay dere, keep it stayin' dere. Told me if when I got dere, if it would fall down, to come on back. So. I didn't pay, didn't pay 'er a thing until I came back - if I didn't want to, see. Well, it did an' it's been stand- in' evah since.
(Well, WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THIS WHISKEY, then?)
I take a swallah of it three times a day. An' it nevah bothahed me no more. Told me evah time when I started wit anybody dat I wuz payin' attention to, if I thought dey had any underworld ideas - but I nevah had nuthin to do ag'in. [The preceding experience was given on cylinder 482:9. Before that, on 482:6, came the tying-up rite, and now follows on 482:7, the pre-statement for the ex-perience:] Dere's a way dat yo' kin take some salt, an' a little bit a pinch of sulphur on a knife blade, an' somepin lak some sheep suet an' heat it ovah a red hot - somepin lak a red-hot stove. If yo' reach down lak dat an' git it when it cools, an' make a wish, yo' see if it stand up [demonstrates].
(How do you pull it down?)
No, yo' pulls it up, three times.
(Three times?)
Pull it three times an' make a wish.
(And then it stays up itself.)
Yeah.
Entry 3817
Yo' kin take an' take yore own watah, sulphur an' Hearts Cologne, ah heard dat chew could use to bring yo'self [nature] back to yo'. Take yore own watah, Hearts Cologne an' sulphur an' bath [not bathe] wit it. Yo' know sulphur is a peculiah thing anyhow, sulphur is, an' take an' bath.yo'self wit it an' dat'll bring yo' - restore yo'self back an' evah- thing.
Entry 3858
Well, ah'm married, an' people has been tellin' me dat mah husband wus goin' wit a woman. So ah didn't believe it, ah said ah wanted tuh see fo' mah- self. So one night ah were out an' ah went tuh a friend of mine's house an' ah met 'em dere togethah. Co'se ah didn't ack anyway spicious. Ah know whut dey would think. So dis woman dat he wus goin' wit, she wus a friend of mine an' she visited mah house often. An' so one day she came dere an' she happen tuh be ministratin' at de time, an' she ast me did ah have somepin dat she could use. So ah tole her yeah, an' ah gave her a piece. So de piece dat she had on, she gave it tuh me. Ah say, "Yo' give it tuh me an' ah'll throw it away fo' yo', put it in de trash." She said all right. So, since den, ah were out an' ah met 'im an' 'er togethah. So ah tole her, ah SAY, "DE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TELLIN' ME DAT YO' WERE GOIN' WIT MAH HUSBAND, BUT AH DIDN'T BELIEVE IT. NOW AH KNOW IT FO' MAHSELF." AH SAID, "AN' AH WILL FIX YO' IN A WAY DAT YO' WON'T HAVE ANYTHIN' TUH DO WIT MAH HUSBAND AN' NO OTHAH WOMAN'S HUSBAN'.' So whut ah did. De piece dat she left dere, ah got some sulphur an' red pep- pah an' put in it an' burned it. An' in a month's time - ah had tole her dat in a month's time she wouldn't know anyone. So, during dat month aftah ah had burned it, she pined - went tuh pinin' away. An' WHEN DE MONTH WUS UP, DEN SHE DIED.
Entry 3865
See, yo' kin take a hen, a black hen see, an' cut 'er see, an' put sulphur in 'er see, an' takes a lady's ministrate see, her monthly period, a woman yo' dislike or anything, an' put it in dere. An' see, sew dat hen back up an' turn 'er loose, an' as dat hen go 'way an' pine 'way an' die, dat person [woman] will do de same thing. She be sickly until she dies like dat.
Entry 4440
De mess from yuh body, an' yuh take it an' yuh'll dig a hole an' yuh'll po' sulphur - dig a hole 'side of a tree an' put sulphur in dere an' burn dat mess. Well, dat will dry yuh up, goin' dry yuh up where yuh'll nevah have actions yuh undahstan'. Purtty soon dey give yuh medicine tuh have action an' dat will fin'ly [finally] kill yuh.
Entry 4723
If yo' got a house an' if yo' wanted tuh rent it an' want tuh put de people out of it, yo' go dere an' git some of dere ole clothes. Yo' carry 'em off an' burn 'em. An' while yo' burnin' de clothes, yo' take an' keep asprinklin' sulphuh on it. An' yo' burn it up an' yo' git dem ashes an' carry 'em back dere an' dey can't stay in dat house. Dey won't stay in dere long.
(What do you do with those ashes when you carry them back?)
Yo' carry 'em right an' sprinkle 'em right in de yard.
Entry 4724
Becuz if she tie yo' up an' yo' wanta git loose from 'er, jis' all yo' gotta do, git somepin belongs tuh 'er. Yo' git somepin belongs tuh 'er. Git chew some red peppah an' sulphuh an' table salt. PUT IT TOGETHAH, UNDAHSTAN' ME, 'CUZ AH'M NOT GOIN' Undahstan' it. An' put in a tin an' yo' burn it. An' when dat peppah an' dat salt an' dat gunpowdah [sulphuh] flies, her min' goes away from yo' jis' dat way.
(You put some piece of hers with those.)
Yes.
Entry 4773
(What can they do to make the man come back?)
She kin take her [under] clothes an' put 'er clothes on de wrong side, an she'll go tuh de sunrise an' talk wit 'im. She has sulphur an' red peppah in er shoes. An' she kin talk wit 'im befo' de sunrise. In about three days aftah dat he will come home an' he don't know how he come home. (She turns her underclothes inside out and she has to wear them - while she is talking to him - turned that way.) Tuh de sunrise.
Entry 4884
A man wan'a woman, he kin go tuh work an' git de right foot of 'er stockin'. An' yuh kin go out at night, if yuh don't want 'er tuh leave home, or if she leave home an' yuh wan' 'er tuh come back. Yuh take her right foot of 'er stockin' an' make out right in de centah of de do'. Dis is de house an' dis is de centah of de do' right chere [demonstrates]. Right in de centah of de do' right heah, yuh go right straight back yuh undah- stan' about five feet - yuh walk backwards five feet. When yuh walk five feet, stan' right stock still, undahstan', an' dig yuh a little hole right down in de ground, right in de centah of de do'. Take dat stockin' an' put it down in dat hole. Git chew some sulphur an' put on top of it. Kivah [cover] it down in de ground dere, drive dat peg down in de ground out dere, an' dat [stocking] right down in de groun' wit it, kivah it up an' stomp [stamp] it underneat' yore foot. An' tell it, "Ah mean fo' dis tuh do whut ah tell yuh tuh do." An' den go back an' git chure left stockin'. Find 'er lef' sock an' put it right undah de bottom of de do'step - where de bottom do'step. Yuh know where de second an' right on up. Right chere de bottom one. Digs yuh a hole an' put it right down in dere. An' if she leave yuh - aftah dat's done an' she's lef' yuh, den she wants tuh come back. An' yuh leave dat dere an' she gotta walk dere, an' in less time dan 36 hours. Yuh give her 36 hours an' she'll be back. Ah don' care where in de world she is, if she's in New York or'where. (When you bury that second sock right there at the doorstep, do you put sul- phur in that, too?) Not a single thing. Yuh done done de mess out yondah.
Entry 4963
Dey take his right- feet sock an' put nine knots in it an' put some sulphur in it. An' den yuh put some bluestone in it. Bury it at de right feet [side] of de steps an' dat will keep 'im home - keep 'im from runnin' aroun'.
Entry 5102
[Take] de lef' foot of yore shoes an' put it unnerneat' chure foot of yore baid, an' make a spirit stay away. Tuh give yuh good luck, dey [you] take yore shoes, one yore ole shoes, an' yuh put some sulphur in it an' throw it in de fiahplace, an' burn de sulphuh an' shoe tuhgethah. Dat will give yuh luck in yore home.
Entry 5104
Ef a person git one of yuh shoes, ef dey put bluestone an' sulphuh an' beat it all up tuhgethah an' git some of dis stuff from de drug store dey call de incense, dey put dat in de bottom undah yuh shoe. Yo' know de li'le piece dat be's up in yuh shoe [insole]. Put it up undah dere an' put it back down. Well, when yo' put dat shoe on, yo' goin' always stay sickly, an' yuh feets will start tuh swell.
Entry 5135
What chew do wit yore shoes? Jis' sprinkle a little bita dragon blood in dere an' a little sulphuh. Yuh know, jis' sprinkle it in dere an' let it [stay in there awhile] an' den shake it out so dat he cain't see it. Or eithah hole [hold] up dat little thin piece [insole] an' let it go tuh de bottom [all the way to the toes, letting the insoles then fall back into places] an' he cain't stay from yuh. He has tuh come home.
Entry 5206
Yo' kin take dere shoes an' take 'em an' put 'em undah de do'steps, an' put a li'le table salt an' sulphur an' diff'ren' thin's - mix it up tuhgethah an rub it on 'em, an' put 'em undah de do'step. Yo' steal de shoe unbeknownst tuh 'em an' put 'em undah de do'- step, an' dey'll leave town - run away from town.
(Do you get both their shoes?)
Jes' one. If yo' can git one, jes' git de left-foot shoe; if yo' can't git de left-foot, jes' git de right foot - any which one of 'em.
(And if you got my shoe, you would bury it under my door?)
Yeah, under yore own do'step.
Entry 5210
[She was] a wild woman. Ah couldn't git rid of 'er an' ah went tuh another HOODOO. He tole me, say, "Yo' take two of 'er shoes, take 'em an' full 'em wit salt an' sulphur, an' put 'em down intuh a runnin' stream." An' yo' wouldn't have no mo' trouble wit 'er. Well, ah nevah had no mo' trouble wit dat woman. Got rid of 'er.
Entry 5211
Yo' kin take a person's shoes an' put a li'le sulphur an' a li'le salt in it an' dis heah Red Devil Peppah red peppah, an' yo' could take dat shoe an' yo' could bury dat shoe, but let it be de lef' feet. An' bury it in de back yard. An' dat person nevah be able tuh walk straight any mo'. [Red Devil Pepper is either a package of red pepper with a red devil on it, a commercial brand, or a special package sold by a hoodoo drug store or mail-order firm.]
Entry 5214
Git nine little seeds outa [a] red peppah, an' sulphur an' salt, an' put in yore shoes, an' whatevah dey wanta do - run yo' 'way, make it so hot yo' cain't stay where yo' are. (Put that in either shoe or both shoes?) In both shoes. Yo' know, in yore shoes yo' have a linin'. If yo' kin git up dat linin', git nine red peppah seeds an' git sulphur an' salt an' put in dere, dey not knowin' it's in dere, an' dey say yo'll be so hot yo'll jes' have tuh go. Yo' don't [know] where yo' goin' but yo' jes' got'a go.
Entry 5215
Ah've seen lotsa dat done. Take salt an' sulphur, take de ole shoes an' burn it. An' den dey take de ole shoes aftah dey burn it, an' den take it in de four cornahs of de house, er out in de yard an' bury it. An' ah've seen lotsa [people do it] but what it wuz in it [wheth- er this caused them to leave] ah don' know.
[I] seen 'em leave home.
Entry 5216
Dey take some cookin' salt an' sulphur an' mix it an' put it in a fire- place, 'nuff fo' de smoke tuh come out, an' burn it in yore chimley. Yo' kin take a shoe an' burn along wit it tuh make it mo' strong. An' burn it slowly in de chimley an' see dat'll smoke. Dey can't stand dat odor from dat smoke, an' it seems in a couple of week's time dey'll have tuh move. Dey couldn't stay roun' dere. [Burn] three time a day.
(That will cause the people next door to be moved.)
Entry 5217
Well, if yo' think dey goin' put somepin down fo' yo' tuh walk ovah, yo' git some sulphur an' table salt an' - an' saltpetah. Put jis' a li'le bit'a each, about de same quantity of each, an' put it in each shoe, an' yo' walk ovah dat much as yo' wanta.
Entry 5220
Den ah've heard dat dey kin take yore shoe an' scrape de bottom of it. Lak yore shoes is - lak yo' weah yore shoes tuhday. Well, if yo' foot atall sweat, dey kin take it an' pull it off an' scrape de inside of dat shoe, an' git dat dere dirt whut come outa yore foot. An' dey could bind dat dere up an' put intuh a place whereby it cain't ketch no air atall. An yo' cain't walk. Of co'se it cain't kill yo' - won' kill yo' - but yo' won' have no use fo' dat foot. Dat takes de use of it, when dey puts dat intuh a place where it cain't ketch no air. De way dat chew comprehend [overcome] dat is tuh bring de use back tuh yore foot. Git chew some sulphur an' red peppah an' weah it in de bottom of yore shoe an' dat will kill it. See, dat'll kill it in yore foot. Dat won' be no good while dey have it in dat airtight place. Dat 'air [= dere = there] is de way dey ovahcome dat devilment when dey works it.
Entry 5229
Yo' kin keep from bein' hurt dat way, whut ah know. Yo' kin keep sulphur in yore shoes an' keep from bein' hurt lak dat. Evah time yo' git ready tuh go out, evah pair of shoes yo' has, sprinkle a li'le sulphur in dem. Well, yo' nevah ketches anythin' from any- body. It's hard fo' 'em tuh git on tuh yo'.
Entry 5231
Jes' lak if yo' an' a man separated, an' dey say dat if yo' kin git 'is lef'-foot of 'is shoe, an' take it out in de back yard an' burn de shoe wit sul- phur, dat he would came back. (Take the left sole, the whole shoe?) Yes sir, jes' de whole shoe an' turn it down an' sprinkle sulphur on de shoe an' said dat would bring 'im back.
(Then you burn the shoe?)
Yes sir, burn it - jes' make a fire an' burn it.
Entry 5232
Yo' take brimstone an' put a li'le sulphur wit it, an' wear a li'le in yore shoes, an' de tendency of dat would keep anybody from tryin' tuh do any- thin' tuh yo'.
Entry 5233
Take dey lef'-foot shoe an' burn it wit sugah, black peppah, saltpetah an' bluestone. Dat'll call 'em back.
Entry 5234
Ah heard if dere any person dat chew don' wan' aroun' yo', in de mawn- in' 'fore de sun rise, yo' go an' sweep yore front yard. Well, when dey come dere an' dey walk in an' yo' sweep it an' yo' burn a ole shoe. Yo go roun' anywhere where dis person is an' git any ole shoe belong tuh dem an' burn it an' sprinkle it. Well dat will keep 'em 'way from roun' dere.
(You sweep first?)
Yo' sweep'an' den burn a ole shoe - jes' yo' sweep an' den yo' put some sul- phur in dat ashes of de burnt shoe. Sprinkle it in de front yard.
Entry 5237
De shoes - dat right foot of shoes, dey kin burn dat up intuh a powdah an' put sulphur in it. Have dat sulphur an' dat powdah an' dis cloves. AH KNOW YO' DONE HEAR TALK OF SPICES. Have all dat burnin' tuhgeth- ah an' mix it up an' burn it in yore house. Dey says three times a week: jis' Wednesdays, Saturdays an' Mondays, say dat's luck.
(What kind of luck? Luck for what?)
Bring good luck tuh yo'.
Entry 5242
Yo' could take dat inside sole jes' lak ah have in mine heah, dat got de sweat on it, chew know. An' yo' take dat outa anybody's [shoe] who yo' want. Listen good. An' put some sul- phur in it, black peppah an' salt. (Sulphur, black pepper and salt.) Uh-hmm. Den yo' take it an' burn it. In three days times.if yo' want dem back dere, dey'll come back tuh yo' an love yo' bettah dan evah.
(What would you do with those ashes, anything?)
No, jes' let it go yo' know, aftah yo' put dat sulphur an' black peppah in dere, an' salt.
Entry 5243
Wit de shoe - yo' kin take ole shoes an' compel good luck wit 'em one way.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Well, yo' kin git chew three ole shoes an' JES' AS DE SUN IS RISIN' - YO' KNOW DE SUN HAS A MIGHTYFUL POWAH - an' jes' as de sun is risin' yo' take yo' a little sulphur an' put it in all three of dose shoes, right up in de heel part, an' set de toe of dose shoes tuhwards de house. An' yo' burn dose three shoes jes' as de sun risin' in de mawnin', an' dat'll certainly bring yo' good luck. Yo' kin do dat wit de shoes.
Entry 5296
Eithah one of yo' shoes, take de inside sole of dat shoe. He takes a knife an' he'll chip it up real fine, an' he'll take some sulphur an' some black peppah, an' he'll mix it all tuhgethah. Aftah he mix it tuhgethah he'll take it an' carry it tuh a stream of watah dat's runnin'. An' he kin sprinkle de least bit of it in dat sole an' he cain't stay nowhere. He start tuh travel. He cain't be satisfied nowhere he goes.
Entry 5300
Yo' take de lef'-foot shoe at twelve a'clock at night an' yo' make yore wish tuh de fo' cornahs of de world an' pray - jes' a prayah child-lak, in yore own mannahs, see. Yore own way of prayin', see. Den if yo' got anybody dat's gone, why dey'll come tuh yo'. Do dat nine times, pray dat prayer. Co'se yo' burn de shoe once, but yo' pray dat same prayah fo' nine times at de same hour. Yo' pray it an' dat's tuh bring 'em home.
(Do you pray nine times that same night you burn the shoe or afterwards?)
Afterwards. Yo' pray it one prayah dat night an' jes' pray it till nine nights. But yo' only burn de shoe once.
(But you only burn the shoe once.)
One shoe at twelve a'clock.
[A separate rite is now added to preceding one:]
Take dat shoe an' yo' kin put some sugah an' soda an' sulphur. Put it in de heel an' shake it tuh de toe, an' push de shoe in de burnah, stove or heatah. Put de toe in first an' let it burn. Yo' do dat about twelve a'clock at night. Now, dat's good. Dat's de same thing. See, yo' don' have tuh pray no nine times ovah dat. Jes' do dat. An' dat's tuh bring people.
(You use either shoe?)
De right foot.
Entry 5315
Yo' kin take a person's track - take yore han' an' ketch it from de toe an' bring it tuh de heel. Put some salt an' red peppah wit it an' some sul- phur. Mix it up very good. Take it tuh a ants nest an' po' it in dere an' make yore wish In de Name of de Fathah, de Son an Holy Ghost, an' dey'll leave.
Entry 5325
Dat is about a girl, yo' know. Take dis girl out yondah [yonder] an' yo' wan'a go wit 'er. Yo' kin take huh track an' take a teaspoon fulla de sand outa huh track an' a tea- spoon fulla sulphuh an' a little ball of asafitidy. An' tie it up in a black cloth an' put it in yore pocket, an' weah it in dere fo' 'bout nine mawnin's - eithah seven mawnin's. [They] say she'd come tuh yore house. But yo' jes' keep it in dere de ninth mawnin'. But [they] say aftah seven mawnin's yo'd make good wit 'uh. An' jes' weah dere until de ninth mawnin' an' yo'll have 'uh den.
Entry 5357
Jes' in de mawnin' time aftah he done already put on his clothes, yo undahstan', an' he ready tuh go out...as soon as he walk out de door, yo' undah- stan', she goes tuh work an' sweep, jis' swept his foot, jes' lak he's going out dis di', yo' see, she jis' grab aholt of it [a broom] an' go on an' sweep dat dus' right tuhgethah right from de place dat he started off tuh walkin', an' bundle it in a pile, yo' see. Den she added a li'le sulphur on a piece of papah of any kind, yo' undahstan', an' put a li'le piece of shoe sole wit it an' throw it in de stove, anything lak dat. Why he wouldn't be able enough tuh come back de same night.
(Whose shoe sole would she use?)
Well, de shoe soles, yo' see, she would more or less burn de heels part - de heels part of de shoes, yo' undahstan'. An' she will pound it up intuh dat same dust wit de sulphur, then she add it all intuh de stove.
Entry 5480
Take yuh foot track, git chah right foot, an' git choo some sulphah an' some gunpowdah, an' put it in a piece of brown papah. An' strike yuh a match tuh it an' blow it - an' light each cor- nahs of it, de fo' cornahs. It'll blow up. An' yo'll leave town. Anywhere yo're at, choo'll go, keep movin'.
Entry 5493
Take dat - yo' take yore foot track an' yo' put dat wit sulphur, red peppah an' gunpowdah an' put quicksilvah wit dat. Yo' go tuh de rivah an' go throw it right 'cross yore right shouldah. Go on an' don' look back. Dat will run yo'. Dey say dat will run yuh. Quicksilver may be the real thing, tin foil, or scrapings from back of mirror; the important idea being the five letters q-u-i-c-k.1
(You take, use either foot track. It doesn't make any difference?)
No.
Entry 5517
Jes' lak someone yo' don' lak in yore home an' yo' wan' 'em tuh stay from roun' yore home. Yo' watch dey track. Yo' kin git eithah one of dere track, or yo' kin git both of 'em. An' yo' kin put dis same sulphur an' salt wit it an' throw it back. Yo' walk aroun' yore house nine times, an' back at de sunrise [side] on de right side of de house, an' jes' [throw track, sulphur and salt] on top of yore house. Den dey'll stay from roun' dere. Ah have did dat. (If somebody comes to my house and I don't want them around, I will take that dirt from two of their tracks and put the sulphur [and salt] with it. Then I Would walk around my house nine times, and then do what on the sunrise then?) Go on de sunrise side of de house. (You go on the sunrise side of the house, and then you throw that stuff against the house or over the house?) Ovah de house.
(All the way over the house.)
Have it kinda lak a sack. Yo' put it in a sack.
(That keeps them away.)
An' tie de sack tuhgethah, an' dere ain't no ways 'bout it - none atall
[they'll stay away].
Entry 5539
Well, see, if a person is stayin' 'way from home all de time, jis' come home an' eat an' tuh sleep a little while an' go right on off, doesn't have any time tuh be roun' home an' yo' wan' 'em tuh stay at home. Well, yo' ketch de track comin' home to- wards de door. An' if yo' git dat track an' yo' measure it wit a papah or eithah way [another method] yo' kin use cahton; well, if it's a piece dat dere hasn't been anything cut off of it befo'. Den when yo' write de name an' make de wishes - make yore wish yo' wanta make, an' fold it ovah, an' each fold fold it towards de house.
(You write on the cotton cloth or on the paper, and each fold you make?)
Each fold fold it towards de house an' repeat de words, "Come home an' stay at home." An' yo' fold dat an' aftah yo' fold it, yo' take a piece of new home- spun an' yo' put dis in it, an' den yo' put some salt. Yo' puts nine grains of red peppah, a pod of red peppah has nevah been any used out. Well, yo' kin put de whole nine pods or yo' kin put de nine grains, which is de seed yo' see. An' yo' put some salt an' some peppah wit dat, be sure it's de salt an' peppah whut yo' jis' bought 'specially fo' dat - an' sulphur. An' put dat down an' bury dat den. Yo' dig de top soil, yo' dig until yo' git down below de top soil, see, an yo' bury dat, an' make yore wishes. An' den de persons will stay at home.
Entry 5706
Well, if it's anybody yo' wanta git out of town, git dere right-han' track, de right-foot track an' take a teaspoonful of dirt outa it an' mix it wit sulphuh an' burn it. An' tie it up in a flannel rag an' go tuh where a freight train go 'long, an' jis' put it down dere. Throw it in dere as dis freight train go 'long an' say, "In de Name of de Fathah, go."
(You throw that into the freight train?)
Yessuh.
Entry 5729
Jis' lak now if yo' wanta take dey feet track, lak de girl, lak yo' leavin' heah now, dey slip on out de do' an' git chure feet track, an' carry it back in de house an' put it in a box. Go tuh de graveyard roun' about twelve or one a'clock - between twelve an' one. Git tuh some grave where dey dyg a fresh grave, see. An' yo' take it [dirt] an' mix it in wit it [track], an' some table salt.
(Begin right from the beginning. What are you going to do, now?)
Jis' lak yo' be leavin' heah now, [you] step on de groun' an' make a feet track. Take de feet track up on it - in a piece of papah, shingle or anythin' lak dat.
(Either one or both foot tracks?)
From de heel tuh de toe. Den go at one a'clock or twelve a'clock at night - go on tuh de graveyard. Git thirteen han'ful dirt out, if ah ain't mistaken, of a fresh grave. Den when yo' fix tuh leave, yo' see, yo' leave dat one cent in dat grave, in dat hole where yo' dug in de top of it. Den yo' go an' git chew a box of table salt an' mix dat in it. Den yo' go tuh de store an' git chew a box of dat cayenne peppah an' yo' mix dat in it. Den yo' go tuh de drug sto' or some place where yo' buy de sulphuh - aftah yo' git chure box of salt - an' yo mix all of dat in it. Den yo' take it an' yo' go out in woods, somewhere close, where yo' carry dat an' augah [auger] yo' a hole in a tree wit a augah. An' git chew a cork stoppah, yo' undahstan', dat chew drive in dere. Push it in - stove de dirt in de hole, den take de stoppah an' drive it up in dere. IN THREE DAYS HE'LL FALL DEAD.
(What happens?)
He'll eithah die or leave town.
Entry 5793
If a man stay away from a house, jes' go ahead an' - if a woman wants a man tuh stay 'way from a house, all she gotta do, jes' go an' take his track. Take his track an' mix his track up in some sulphuh. An' go an' take it an' carry it way off, somewhere in anothah part of de farm an' throw dat stuff - jes' throw it away. An' when yo' throw it, don't look back, jes' go right on - jes' don't look back, an' he ain't comin' back no mo'.
Entry 6543
Yo' take some dog hair an' put it in some whiskey. Mix yo' a li'le sulphur in wit it an' yo' give dat tuh a person to drink, an' it'll 'cumulate snakes in 'em. [Snakes are created because hair, usual- ly horse hair, will turn into snakes - see SNAKES later.]
Entry 6553
They take a frog and they keep that frog until he has eggs. And when the frog has the eggs, they take those and put in the beer, and they will give that to the enemy to drink. Well, inside of about four or five months, those eggs will hatch and in the person's stomach, and they will have frogs in their stomach. And there is but one way to get those frog eggs out of that person's stomach, out of the belly to keep them from hatching. You would have to go under a operation. The way you can get them out without going under a operation is if you learn they are in there before four months. You can easily get them out with black molasses and burnt sulphur, becuz that ties them up, that brings them right out when you are passing. You pass them right out.
Entry 6620
Yo' git a snake bone an' take de shoes - yo' git de snake bone an' yo' take a person's shoe an' take dat li'le leathah piece outa it whut's in dere. An' yo' take dat li'le bone an' dry it up - yo' know, kinda make li'le powdah of it. An' yo' take de othah part, de tip-end of it, dat sharp part, an' put it down intuh de shoe an' place dat li'le cloth back ovah it. Yo' take dat powdahs an' sprinkle dat all roun' in dere. If it's yore shoe, if ah wanta kill yo' or put sompin in yo', put snakes in yo' where dey won' come out. Well, yo' see when yo' put dat shoe on, yo' goin' press yore weight ag'inst it; an' when yo' does, see, it pops up intuh yo', intuh yore heel. Well, yo' see, dat poison jis' goes right straight on up in yo'. An' aftah dat poison git up intuh yo', in about de ninth day it begin tuh make li'le snakes in yo'. It begin tuh make li'le snakes in yo'. Well, if yo' wanta git dose snakes outa yo', yo' git chew some sulphuh an' green peppah, black peppah an' mix it all tuhgethah. An' den yo' git chew dis milk of magnesia an' den yo' put dat in wit it an' mix it tuhgethah, an' jis' nine drops of spirits of turpentine. Yo' mix it all up tuhgethah an' yo' take dat fo' about eight days an' it will kill dose snakes. An' yo' go tuh de woods an' dere's one li'le sprig of stuff dat dey call dat Copras it bears one of de straight leaves an' de li'le j'ints [joints]. Dey got about four li'le white j'ints run up tuhgethah. [Does informant mean copperas, and does he think it is a plant?] Yo' take dat an' weah dat intuh yore clothes, an' dey say dat will really, surely run de snakes outa yo'. Put it all tuhgethah an' it will run dose snakes out of yo'. (You just wear this root though, you don't take either of those things - just wear it?) Yes.
(And that snakebone, can you get that any place about the snake?)
Yes, yo' kin git it from de snake, jis' any part of 'is body, jis' so it has dat li'le sharp end kind lak a pin.
Entry 6790
If a person bites yo' wit blue gums, yo' kin take a li'le of yore action, yore action an' put it on dere an' rub it in dere roun' good. (Rub it into the bite?) Yeah, an' go git chew some sulphuh an' burn it an' put it on dere, an' slip tuh 'is house. When yo' git dere, an' jis' lak yo' wanta a drink of watah, say, "Git me a glass of watah - git me some watah." An' carry a li'le dat burnt sulphuh wit chew an' - now, lak yo' wan' some watah. Rub it roun' intuh dat glass an' blow yore breath in it three times an' set it down nice, an' tell 'em tuh 'ave a drink of watah. He'll take a drink of watah an' he'll start tuh sufferin' wit de pyorrhea, los' [lostl de teeth outa his haid. (That burnt sulphur that you use in putting on your arm, that is out of the same batch of stuff?) Yes.
Entry 6937
One thing you can do to keep anybody in the world from doing anything to you, you get a silver dime, grate it, put it in water and drink it. Put a dime in each shoe. I guarantee you that you'll never be hurt. That silver dust will stick to the lining of your stomach and remain there indefinitely, and if it is not right, it will come right straight back up.
[Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6954
Ah seen mah mother-in-law have used sulphur in her house. She sprinkled de sulphur down. An' if any- body comes dere dat don't lak yo', dey won't stay long. Dey go away.
Entry 6955
If yo' think dat yo' goin' be tricked or wuz tricked, well ah tell yo 'bout de luckiest thing dat ah know tuh he'p yo'self. Jes' use sulphur. Jes' put sulphur in each cornah of yore house an' burn de sulphur at night. No roots. It's umpossible tuh work ovah sulphur.
Entry 6956
If someone wuz tryin' tuh move yo' outa de house an' yo' wanted tuh stay dere, yo' would git chew some sulphuh an' go roun' [circumambulate] de house. An' each cornah of de house - yo' wouldn't have tuh tell 'em, yo' wouldn't let nobody know about dis - yo' would ies sprinkle a li'le sulphur in each cornah. An' yo' would jes' rake back jes' enough dirt - if yo' put it right smart - tuh keep anybody from noticin' it. All de way roun' de house. An' de person who wuz tryin' tuh - who wuz comin' in tuh move yo' out of dis house or have yo' move, why dey couldn't come in. An' yo' would stay dere an' dey couldn't put chew out.
Entry 6957
Tuh kill it an' tuh move it from yo', yo' would use sulphur, cream of tartar an' salt - Epsom salts. Dat will remove it outa yo' becuz it will kill it.
Entry 6958
If anyone wanta try tuh put a spell on yo' - whut chew take an' weah it fo', tuh keep dem from doin' dat - is weah a li'le sulphur in yore pocket evah day an' eat a pinch evah now an' den. See, an' dat will keep dem from puttin' de spell on yo'.
Entry 6959
One of de greatest things fo' any disastah, it have been said, dat if anythin' happens tuh yo' by evil people, dat's tuh jis' eat plenty sulphur. Jis' lay right tuh dat sulphur an' it will kill it out.
(That's if there is anything inside of you?)
Dat's de idea. Eat dat sulphur.
Entry 6960
If anybody been poisoned, yo' kin git some sweet milk an' a package of sulphur an' throw dis intuh dis sweet milk. An' stir it up an' carry it an' give it tuh dis person, an' if dey poisoned terribly bad, 'nuff tuh kill 'em, [they'll get well].
Entry 6962
Take a fresh laid egg an' mix de - mix sulphur in it an' fresh milk. Jis' make a li'le crack in dere an' take a straw an' put it dere an' drink it. (What will that do?) Dat'll stop anybody doin' yo' eny harm. See, den yo' kin drink wit yo' frien's. Yo' kin take a - jis' lak somebody would wanta give yo' tuh drink a glass of wine an' dey don' lak yuh, an' dey fix it fo' yuh, say, "All right boys, let's go." Dey jis' take one [drink] an' set it dere, an' dis one [drink] an' set it dere, an' this one [drink], an' set 'em dere [you can safely drink any of them].
Entry 6963
An' dey tells me if yo' wanta be lucky - sho' 'nuff lucky an' nobody can't do yo' nuthin - buy yo' a bran'-new pocketbook. An' pack it wit sulphur an' tote it in yore right-han' pocket, an' yo'll be lucky an' nobody can't do yo' nuthin.
Entry 6964
Put a li'le saltpetah in yore shoe. Weah it in yore shoe an' sulphur in yore shoe. Dat'll keep de poison from gwine [going (into your body)], tetch- in' [touching yo'. See.
Entry 6965
It's also good fo' dose evil thin's. Yo' take de silvah, any kinda silvah or steel. Yo' scrape de - yo' file it, chew know, an' yo' take dat dust an' yo' eat a li'lepincha [pinch of] it in yuh foods. Dat'll always project [eject] de evil, whutsomevah dey've did fo' yo' - tuh yo'.
Entry 6974
Put sulphur an' bluestone an' brimstone, tie all dat up tuhgethah an' put it in chamber lye an' throw it roun' yore house, an' nobody kin put down any cunjure fo' yo'.
Entry 7671
Yo' kin bring up confusion by goin' tuh de graveyard an' gittin' some graveyard dirt, but yo' have tuh run yore han' as fur down in dere as yo' poss'ly kin; but chew mus' carry three pennies, brass pen- nies. Dese pennies, yo' know, jes' carry dat 'long dit chew, when yo' go out dere. Den when yo' bring yore han' up dat pays off, a'yo' do's dat.
(What do you do with it then?)
Well, yo' kin jes' use it eithah way. Yo' kin make him stay home or yo' kin make him go wit de same dirt.
(Tell me how you would use it?)
Well, yo' could put some sulphur an' brimstone wit dat. Put dem three tuh- gethah. Yo' takes dat an' carry dat an' put it inside de house an' dat will cuz confusion.
Entry 7672
He [my contact man] wus askin' me about how would yo' git a woman away from yore home, if yo' didn't want 'er. Wal, ah tole him dat dey kin go tuh a graveyard where yo' know it's some evil person had.died, an' dig down dere about three feet an' git so much - 'bout three teaspoonsful of sand an' mix it in with some black peppah an' take an' mix some sulphur in it an' carry it an' throw it ovahbo'd in a bot- tle, an' curse dat at de present time, lak 'Go.' Curse at de present time three times an' holler "go" - "go" - "go."
Entry 7678
Go tuh de graveyard if yo' wanta do anything; in fac', if yo' want some money, or want yo' a good job. Yo' kin go tuh de graveyard an' yo' kin git chew some dirt from off de grave, but let it be a wicked person. Don't let it be a good person. Try an' let it be a wicked person yo' see. Yo' go dere tuh dat grave an' yo' digs down dere jes' about - well, jes' about a half a foot, an' yo' git some of dat dirt out of dere. Git chew jes' about three good han'fuls lak dat. Take dat on home wit chew. An' yo' take dat an' git chew some red peppah an' some salt an' sulphur an' yo' mix all dat up tuhgethah. Put a li'le bit of it in a piece of flannen cloth an' sew it up. Weah it in yore pocket. Evah mawnin' take a li'le bit 'fo' [before] yo' walk out: "By de help of God on mah journey, ah hope ah'll succeed." Put a li'le bit in de fiah. Evah mawnin', evah time yo' goin' off tuh transact business, yo' know, or anything lak dat, yo' do dat. But chew keep dat dust in yore pocket in dat red flannel. Keep dat in yore pocket an' evah mawnin' when yo' gwine off tuh business, anything yo' wanta 'tend tuh anything yo' vanta do, when yo' do dat it will be a success.
Entry 7687
Fo' evil yo' kin git some graveyard dirt, mix up saltpetah in it an' sulphur, an' cast it roun' a person dwellin' an' whut yo' wush [done], say. Put de jinks [used only 3 or 4 times in Hoodoo] on 'em in diff'ren' forms. It'll make 'em unlucky wit de evil spir- its. In goin' tuh de graveyard an' git- tin' dat dirt it would be wise fo' yo' tuh know de person whose grave yo' goin' tuh. Den yo' pay dem fo' dat dirt an' work wit it. Yo' tell 'em dat, "Ah want chew tuh do dus [thus] an' so fo' me." Whutsomevah dat chew wan' 'em tuh do. It wouldn't make any diff'rence. Say, "Ah'm payin' yuh tuh do so." Yo' git de dirt from off de left side from ovah de heart, but choo runs yore han' down in de grave tuh de elbow down ~ ought tuh be [beyond] yore wrist.
Entry 7906
Ah heard of people say, if yo' go tuh de grave- yard twelve o'clock night an' git some dirt out de graveyard, an' mix it wit sulphuh an' throw it onto a pusson's porch - any place where dey got tuh step ovah it - [this is] somepin tuh do 'em harm.
Entry 7907
Dey put some graveyard dirt undah her steps, an' some sulphuh, an' she caught it in 'er laigs an' de laigs swolled up - all both her laigs - jes' lak de dropsy. An' she took dis dime an' file some of de silvah off an' taken de [silver] tea an' drank it [as a cure]. [Sulphur a symbol for the devil and hell, and the death symbol graveyard dirt, these two combined would cause almost any- thing!]
Entry 7908
If yo' want a job, when yo' git ready fo' dis job, yo' go an' git chew some sulphuh an' git chew some dirt from de graveyard. An' yo' - jes' lak yo' goin' tuh dis job - yo' git tuh de house, yo' sprinkle dis roun' de house. An' when yo' sprinkle dis roun' de house, den yo' could walk up on de do' an' knock at de do'. An' ask fo' de job an' yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's, an' in de ninth mawnin' yo'll git dis job.
(You mean you sprinkle this in front of the boss' house or the job?)
Yes [at the home of the boss].
(All the way round the house?)
Not all de way roun' de house, jes' from de front. Lak dat's de cornah [demon- strates], from dere tuh de cornah of de house.
(Just to the front of the house?)
Yes.
Entry 8935
Yo' get yo' a old shoe somewhere, see, an' yo' take an' yo' cut it up good - jis' want de sole of it. An' cut it up good. An' yo' get yo' some brim- stone, see that's a powder, jis' like steel dust. See. An' yo' get yo' some sweet cinnamon an' yo' mix that up together. Yo' takes dat shoe sole an' yo' lights it. See, make a smoke out of it. An' get yo' a little bit of, small quantity of sul- phur, yo' see, an' sprinkle that on that shoe sole. That's to make it burn, yo' understand. All right, then yo' takes this other powder and sprinkle that on there, an' yo' wraps it up in a cloth, preventing it from burn- ing out so soon, yo' see. An' yo' lights it, yo' see. Well, that's goin' burn to a smoke, yo' see. Well, when that smoke starts to smoking, there's nobody gona fool 'round that house atall. See, ever'body comes there an' 'tempts [at- tempts] to go in there, it creates a fear on 'em. See, they losing no time in bothering 'round there atall. Yo' kin leave your house wide open, there ain't nobody goin' in, yo' see.
(That will keep the thieves away?)
Keep the thieves away - ain't nobody goin' in.
Entry 8936
They take some sulphur and set it on fire and put it through the chicken coop. They tell me that sulphur [stops] 'fusion [confusion], the noise of the chickens, an' yo' kin go right in there and get up all chickens. [For another chicken-stealing rite, see 8932.]
Entry 9112
Whut ah heard about goin' befo' de jedge: yo' take two red onions - understand me - an' yo' peel it. Yo' git de peelin' from two red onions an' yo' burn dese peelin', yo' under- stand me, intuh a powdah, an' yo' mix up sulphuh wit it, dis powdah from de red onion. An' put it in yore left-foot shoes an' go on befo' 'im. Dat's all yo' gotta do.
(When you go before the judge?)
Yeah, dat will conkah him, don't chew know.
Entry 9155
Ah seen a fellah do dis one time, an' it come out - it come out really true, right heah on de corner of [some street]. It wuz heah in dis town, mah home town. He tuk, he went tuh anothah fellah dat stayed up heah along de road, supposed tuh be a kind of a root doctah. He went tuh dis fellah. He had called him a...or sompin othah, a purtty bad man. He went up tuh dis fellah an' dis fellah wuz standin' round, say, "Yo' boys come in dis room." Told 'im, "All right." Ah'd gone up dere wit 'im. Ah went on in de room wit 'im. He gave dis boy an' he say, "Yo' do jes' lak ah tell yo' when yo' go in de co't." De boy tole 'im, "Yessuh." He give dis boy somepin - he mixed somepin, said it wuz a salve, sulphuh wit black peppah an' he got, ah think some sage tea. Den he went got him a whole lotta snails. Not no whole lotta snails but li'le articles of sands. An' he tuk [took] an' put dem in a snuffbox an' stirred it up. Aftah he put it in dis snuffbox he stirred it up an' he tole dis boy, says, "Will yo'all step out in dis othah room?" So we stepped out intuh de othah room. We didn't know what exactly [what to expect]. So we stepped out intuh de othah room, an' he tole dis boy, said, "Now yo' take dis stuff an' has de box right in yore han', jes' about lak yo' hold de palm of yore hand, an' put it in yore right-hand pocket; an' when yo' go up dere in de co'troom an' when dey call yo', yo' called up on de stand, an' when yo' go on dere, yo' take dis stuff. Don' let nobody see it. Jes' lak yo' got chure han' in yore pocket, an' jes' take some of dis stuff an don't be watchin' whut chew doin'. An' take it as yo' goin' up dere on de stand an' jes' sprinkle it round lak yo' brushin' dis hand right down de side of de judge." An' he said, "Ah'll guarantee yo' dey won't do anything 'bout chw - guarantee yo'll git out, won't go no time." (Well, what about this other stuff, this salt and sand that was sprinkled around. He put this salt and stuff with this sand and sprinkled it around?) Yessuh, mixed it all up tuhgethah.
Entry 9156
Dat's if yo' git in a lawsuit an' yo' wanta win de case, yo' undah- stan', befo' yo' go. Befo' yo' go dere, why yo' jes' git chew some sulphuh, bluestone, alum an' borax. Beat it up right nice an' fine, an' yo' walk in dat room where de jedge an' de iury an' all of 'em. an' dey'll ask yo' tuh talk firs'. An' yo' git up an' talk an' let de prosecutor come on. Yo'll come out. [The preceding mixture is definitely carried into court and beaten up right nice shows that it was sprinkled.]
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 9604
Take yo' some red peppah, sulphuh an' table salt, or eithah graveyard dirt, an' put it in a little cloth an' put it in de bottom of de shoe an' weah it. [That graveyard dirt is a part of preceding com- bination and not a substitute for it, see following rite about graveyard dirt from near headboard of grave.]
(What will that do then?)
Dey can't hurt chew.
(You walk over anything and it couldn't hurt you?)
Yes.
Entry 9607
Ah've heard dat dey take salt or sulphur an' gunpowdah an' red pep- pah [and] by puttin' it down at yuh do' makin' yuh fortunate - make yuh have luck.
Entry 9618
Wal, ah tell yuh how dey do dat. Dey take some salt an' sulphuh an' red peppah an' mix it tuhgethah. Go dere at night, chew know, an' sprinkle it ovah huh po'ch [her porch], right down in fron' of 'er do'step. Den she gits all intendin' tuh leave dere. She can't stay on account'a dat red peppah jis' runs 'er crazy.
(That will make her move out of the house.)
Entry 9620
Take sulphur an' salt, cayenne peppah an' spread it roun' yore house - undah de house or roun' in de house. If yo' got any enemies or any- thin' put down dere, it'll kill it.
Entry 9621
Take cayenne peppah an' salt when yuh [visitor] go out de do', an' sulphuh, an' take yore broom an' sweep 'em out. An' let chure broom go on
[sweeping] out in de street behin' 'em an' dey won't come back soon. De way dey go, let de broom go [sweep] dat way.
Entry 9622
Jes' lak he visit de home backwards an' forwards [visits frequently]. Evah tue he leave yo' jes' take some cayenne peppah an' sulphuh an' salt, an' throw it behin' 'im an' make a curse or somepin or 'nothah an' sweep 'is track. He'll have tuh go away.
(That will make him stay away?)
Dat's right. He couldn't stay dere.
Entry 9623
Yo' git some sulphuh an red peppah an' strew roun' yore house fo' ten nin's befo' de sunrise - sulphuh an' peppah an' table salt, an' jes' throw it roun' yuh house fo' ten mawn- in's, evah mawnin' befo' de sun rise. An' if yo' know where dis man lives, yo' go tuh 'is house an' do de same thing. Jes' throw dat peppah jes' as yo' go in. Yo' jes' throw dat peppah up an' down until yo' git tuh de do'.an' yo' throw it out lak dat an' make yore wish. An' de 'leventh mawnin dey say yo'll git a job.
Entry 9624
Sulphah an' red peppah an' put nine teaspoonsful of salt in it, an' bary it to de back do' an' to yore front do', an' dey couldn't stay dere tuh ave dere life. Dey may stay two or three weeks but dey won' stay. (You mean in the house or around the house?) No, yo' jes' bury it right undah yore back steps. An' den go to yore front step an' bury it 'bout de same place - under de front steps. An' dey couldn't stay dere to save dere life.
Entry 9625
They always say if anybody is bothering you or making you git out de buse, they gets five cents worth of new cayenne pepper, five cents of sulphur, amd there's something else you stole, and a box of new salt. Sprinkle it in de doorsill every morning for nine mornings and make a wish and let 'em walk over that. (And this is to do what now?) Jes' to make 'em get dissatisfied, make 'em move out. (Move out of the house. I see.) In other words, you kin take the -e thing - sulphur, cayenne pepper and salt, and de stuff whatever you stole, aod burn it on your stove. And the scent goes out and they says that will run out.
(Run them out of the house.)
Entry 9626
An' den yo' take black [red?] peppah an' salt an' sulphuh - those three chings: red peppah, salt, sulphuh. An' burn it in yore fiahplace an' dat'll run enemies away from yore house.
Entry 9627
If yo' goin' tuh git a job, git up in de mawnin', or even if de sto's now open tuhnight, git chew a package of cookin' salt. Open dat salt. Po' some salt in de cornah of a large han'- kerch'ef. Yo' put red peppah in dere an' sulphuh, an' yo' tie it up. Put it In yore right pocket an' go [to see boss]. An' if de man don' hire yo' dat day, dey'll tell yo' tuh come [back], an' de nex' time yo' go back yo' git a job.
Entry 9628
Yo' kin git chew sulphuh an' salt an' red peppah an' tie it up an' whenevah yo' gits roun' 'im... (Round the boss.) Yo' be talkin' tuh 'im - an' Hearts Cologne, git dat Hearts Cologne. Yo' keep it wet chew know. Yo' talkin' tuh 'im. He give yo' a job.
Entry 9629
Well, git chew some salt- petah an' some table salt, a little sulphuh, an' take dat an' nine pods of red peppah an' yo' jes' make a little bag an' yo' weahs dat. Dat's all.
(What will that do then?)
Dat's to keep it back. Dat kill evahthin'. Can't git up to yo' 'cuz dat keep it off.
(That is to protect you.)
Entry 9665
They takes the toenails and the fingernails, all like that, and wrap it up with sulphur and salt and burn it, and that will keep 'em away.
(Run them away.)
Burn it, just burn it around. You kin take and burn it around like in a heater or anything like that. That run 'em away.
Entry 9667
A shell - yo' see, w'at ah shoot in a gun. Git dat gunpowdah [out of the gunshell]. Git choo a box of sulphuh an' [a box of] salt, an' dig a hole right off down in dere in front dat-a do'. Don't put it on de step, dig a hole in fronta de do'. Put some tuh de back [door] an' some tuh de front [door]. An' ah bet chah, ah guarantee dat woman wouldn't stay tuh dat house fer one day 'fo' [before] she'd be huntin' huh anothah house. [Almost every- ohere in these volumes to get a box of sulphur, salt, anything, means a new or amused ingredient. Often the remainder must not be used for any non-hoodoo pur- pose.] [This man "said he was from the South and didn't speak well" - note made at time of recording.]
Entry 9668
Sulphur, table salt an' IN SHOES gunpowdah, jis' weah it in yore shoes. Use garlic in dat, chew laoc. Dey couldn't hurt chew tuh save dere life.
Entry 9671
Mah uncle tole me dat yo' go tuh de fo'k of de road an' yo' take sul- phuh an' yo' take salt. An' whichsomevah road he [criminal] went yo' sprinkle it [these 2 ingredients] down wit [Red] Devil Lye [Red Devil brand]. An' when yo' sprinkle it down, dey says, "Who be it, it was, dat did de crime, whichsomevah way he went, yo' [3 ingredients] fin' which way he went." An' he can't go no futhah.
(Did you use Devil Lye in that?)
Yes, sir.
Entry 9679
Well, den ah goes tuh work den an' ah worked a few plans. A fellah followed me an' ah tried it tuh see would it work. De fellah - ah wen' tuh work an' ah took dis heah sul- phuh an' ah took dis heah potash an' dis cookin' salt, an' put it in dis box an' where dis man place of business was. Ah went down dere an' turnt roun' nine times an' made a oath - cuss, cussed dis fellah. In three day's time dis fellah was out of dat place an' done moved. Had tuh move, he couldn't stay down dere. He had tuh move.
(What did you do with that box when you turned around nine times?)
Dat box? Ah took de box an' throwed it away. Ah had it in mah han' when ah wus turnin' roun' do [though]. But ah took de box an' throwed it away an' nobody knows whut it was all about.
Entry 9680
[Take] potash whut chew wash clothes with, an' take table salt, an' take dis here sulphuh, an' take one of dese here John de Conkah roots, an' put all dis tuhgethah, an' yo' take it an' bury it undah de steps. Don't let no one see yo'. If anybody move in dat house an' yo' don't want 'em tuh move in dere, dey ain't goin' stay in dere. Dey can't.
Entry 9683
They say that if a person doesn't like you, they'll draw a ring in the road right at your house and they'll sprinkle salt, soda, ashes, lime, other chemicals, sulphur. That will keep you from being an enemy against him. SPRINKLE IN IT: ASHES - LIME - SALT - SODA - SULPHUR
Entry 9684
Jis' like if your husband was goin' with someone else, [I know] of a remedy that would break that up, and that is one heaping tablespoonful of salt. You dip up this here, a tablespoonful of salt, pick it up, an' you take yuh hand an' brush it off [level the salt]. An' you pour that over there on the Papah. Then do the same with de sulphur. An' you brush that off [take a table- Spoon level-full of sulphur] an' pour it into this [salt]. Then take one pinch of saltpeter an' you put this into this [salt and sulphur]. Then you make [mix] it up real good an' start from the front door, go upstairs, you go backwards, sprinkle this. An' they say when he walks over this, it'll break 'em up.
Entry 9686
Tuh keep de policemens away from de house ag'in, yo' kin git chew some sulphuh an' git chew some salt an' soda an' mix it all tuhgethah. An' git up evah mawnin' about five a'clock an' put it in each cornah of yuh house, each cornah fo' nine mawnin's, an' dat will shore keep 'em away from yuh house.
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 9696
One of the greatest things for luck, you get a little sulphur an' a little lard an' a little salt, an' put that together an' wear that in a bag around your neck. That will keep all hoodoos, all cunjures and all evils away from you.
Entry 9697
Now in case yo' want a job, yo' coming on de job [you are at the place where you want the job], put de footprint of yuh boss between dis sulphuh an'black peppah. Yo' will make a bag out'a it an' keeps it aroun' yuh neck, yo see, an' de spirit of yuh boss will always be along wit chew; yo' see. An' fer dat reason, he will nevah have yuh runned aay, as long as he have any incidental business [usually called odd jobs] at aWl. An' now, in ordah tuh fin' dout [find out] from any man de truth about dese chings. It's nuthin but such a simple thing as sulphuh an' salt, dat chew'll put In yuh pocket. An' if he [boss] wants yuh aroun', he will tell yuh; an' if not, dy he'll run yuh out'a dere.
(That's if you are hunting a job?)
Yes. No suh! Dat in case dat chew huntin' one: jes' de same uh [as] many as [men], yo' know, goin' aftah a job an' dey [boss] always puttin' yo'off puttin' yo' off. Well, if yo' directly wanted tuh find out if he gona give yo' dis job or not, den yo' goes tuh work an' yo' put a li'l' sulphuh an' a li'l' salt in dis papah, an' yo' wrap it up verah carefully an' keep it in yuh Ppcket. An' when yo' go tuh 'im, why he'll have tuh tell yo' what he's goin' tuh do; vhethah he goin' tuh give somepin.
(I see. He has to tell you whether he is going to give you a job or not.)
Entry 9698
(Do what?)
Sulphur.
(You get some sulphur.)
And sprinkle it on your front and back steps, and get some disinterested per- son to get a fresh box of table salt, you know that never been used out of it, and just sprinkle it and someone clean house with it and sweep it out, you bound to move. (I see. You bury the sul- phur under the front steps and back steps, and then you have to have this salt.) Table salt.
(That hasn't been used. What do you do with that salt now?)
Sprinkle it in the house and just like if I, you know, come in or walk out, well then as soon as I walk out, then you sweep my tracks, sole and all out to- gether, and say, "Well, that settles it. You won't come back, again."
Entry 9699
Ah've hear'd dat de ole folks used tuh say if a party come tuh mah house or sompin an' [I] gits ti'ed [tired] of 'em, says take some sulphur an' salt an' sprinkle it on de flo' when she leave an' sweep it out. An' dey say she'll stay away.
Entry 9700
If dey wanta be protected aroun' de home sometime, it's a very simple thing dat dey kin do tuh bring protection. Dey do dat befo' de sunrise. Dat is tuh take some table salt an' sulphuh an' fo' seven mawnin's befo' de sun rise, yo' git up an' turn yore back tuhwards de sunrise. An' jes' take dat salt an' sulphuh all composed tuhgethah an' jes' throw it up in de air. An' dat supposed tuh protect de home.
Entry 9701
Heah de thing dat he do if he believe in dis [tricking]. He jes' go tuh work an' jes' as he walk out de house, he.begin tuh sprinkle sulphuh an' salt.
(What will that do then?)
Well, dat'll keep de othah mens back.
(While he is gone?)
Dat's right.
Entry 9702
The way now to do to git rid of folks - there's folks in your home an' you wan'a git rid of 'em. Yo' take sulphur an' salt - cooking salt yo' know - yo' mix it together an' jis' start right from your bed- room an' sprinkle it all aroun' in there, an' right on out the hall, right on out the steps, right on the steps, right on out de walk, an' jis' throw it north. An' that's supposin' to go out [make a person leave] if there's anybody they wan'a go out, they go out. An' if there's anybody you don't prefer comin' in there, they won't come in.
Entry 9703
About dat keepin' de person from hurtin' yuh, well dey say yo' take dis salt an' sprinkle it roun' in de fo' cornahs of yuh house. Do dat fo' nine mawnin's - dat sulphuh an' salt.
(Is the salt separately or the salt and sulphur - separate or together?)
Each sep'rately, each of 'em. (Each one of them is a different method of keeping a person away.) Yes sir, each one separately. An' yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's. [Despite my last comment and informant's agreement, I now think sulphur and salt are thrown successively, one after the other, into each of four corners.]
Entry 9704
Well, yo' take, get one - yo' callin' all de time - yo' git chew some sulphuh an' git chew some table salt, an' mix dat tuhgethah an' make yo' a dust. Be callin' all de time. [Call anything you want to: Quarrels in this house must stop.] Jes' cake it an' scattah it right in front dat do'. Always scattah it all ovah de house an' jes' bend as yo' walk all ovah. [Why performer bends over I do not lmov. Like a wounded bird is operator deceiving the spirit working the spell?]
(What will that do?)
Dat'll stop de fuss. (Stop the fuss in the house.) [Kills whatever conjure started and continues the quarrels.]
Entry 9705
Well, dey say yo' kin take sulphuh an' salt, an' yo' kin jes' go dere lak yo' visitin'. An' yo' kin go dere an' strew it roun' dere in dat house as yo' walkin' roun' dere. If yo' got a coat dat's got a hole in de pocket, yo' kin run yore han' down in dat pocket an' yo' have dis in a papah or somepin, dat yo' kin jes' lose a li'l' bit at de time out'a it. Yo' have yore han' [in your pocket]. [This hole-in-the pocket is fairly common and known everyvhere.] Or yo' kin walk behin' 'em, lak it somebody yo' talk wit a whole lot, an' yo' kin jes' sprinkle dat salt an' sulphuh. An' in talkin' tuh dem yo' ldn be cursin' dem in yore mind.'Son-of-a-bitch, git out!" Sompin lak dat. An' it's true dat dey will move. In de ninth mawnin' de' will move.
Entry 9706
If yo' stayin' in a house an' de rent man wanta come dere tuh put chew oot an' yo' don' wanta git out, why yo' ain't gotta git out. Yo' kin fix a way tuh stay dere. Yo' kin go evah mawnin' jes' 'bout time fo' him tuh come - jes' lak if he dowp dere an' yo' see him comin', yo' jes' go tuh work an' take some sulphuh an' salt an' throw it in de fiah. Boa't let no one see yo' an' make a path. He'll ride right on by yuh house. "Caz why ah know dat? "Cuz de girl ah stayed wit she done dat, an' we didn't pay rent fo' God knows how long. An' ah axed 'er why she do dat, an' she say dat's luck.
Entry 9707
An' den, yo' kin take- dey say if yo' take table salt an' yo' mix it wit sulphuh an' anybody - jes' lak anybody ame tuh yore house an' yo' don' want 'em dere any mo', jes' sprinkle it down behin' 'em an' sweep yo' flo' an' curse 'em, dey says dey won' come any mo'.
(How do you seep your floor - just anyway?)
Well yo' jes' sweep it right on out tuh de do' behin' 'em - if yo' havin trouble wit chure [bill] collectah or sompin lak dat. If yo' do him lak dat,
[he'll stay away].
Entry 9708
Take some table salt an' some sulphur an' put togethah an' mix it up very good, an' burn that table salt an' sulphur, say, Ah burn this in the Name of the Father, the Son an' the Holy Ghost. An' it will pass away. (What will pass away?) All interferences in mah business. (If anybody is trying to interfere with your business, that'll kill that out.) Dat'll kill that out.
Entry 9709
Yo' take an' burn salt an' sulphur in de house on a Friday - yo' sacrificin' - an' someone will soon come. (To rent the house.) Yes sir.
Entry 9710
If yo' mad wit a man an' wan'a kill 'is timbah or ruin 'is timbah on 'is place [farm], yo' go dere an' bo' li'l' holes in it an' put sulphuh an' salt in dem holes. Dat'll kill 'is timbah.
Entry 9778
A sewin' needle, where a woman been sewin'. If her an' a woman had been havin' some kinda dispute ovah 'er or eithah a man, yo' kin take dat nee- dle an' carry it an' yo' burn de point of it. Jes' lak if me an' yo' had de [argument or quarrel], well, if ah kin git a needle, or eithah a pin, or borrah yore pocketknife [because you are a man], carry it home an' burn it. Ah burn it off good. Take it an' put it in some sulphah an' burn it ag'in. An' ah put some Hearts Cologne on it [knife or needle] an' sprinkle it [perfume] roun' [where I picked up object] an' put it right back where yo' kin git it.
(What would that do then?)
Well, dat will - if me an' yo' been havin' fusses an' things an' we be bad Out, well dat will gain de influence of me an' yo' back [together again].
(You will be on good terms again?)
Be on good terms.
Entry 9807
Well, dey takes a tin plates, new tin plates, an' sulphur an' six nee- dles to each plate. Take yo' six plates an' put chew six needles in each plate, an' set 'em roun' de spots yo' goin' dig at, an' burn yore sulphur wit chure needles in dere wit de points layin' dead in de sulphur. An' dat will keep 'way de spirits from comin' in. (When you are hunting money? Those points are pointing to this little bit of sulphur in that plate?) In de center of de plate. (When you are hunting money?) When yo' huntin' money. [See also section SPIRITS GUARD BURIED TREASURE, pp.111-135, vol.1, and elsewhere.]
Entry 10190
Burn candles fo' luck. You take the candle, an' put it in each of the four corners of your house an' on that you sprinkle a little of that sulphur. As ah said, sprinkle a little sulphur on it, and in a few minutes that sulphur will be burned away, but that atmos- phere is still there. You light each one of those candles and burn them, and while those candles are burning you says your prayers, an' that create luck in your house that way.
(What kind of luck do they do that for?)
Any kind of luck.
(What color candle did you say they use?)
Jest a plain white candle.
(Do you burn them at any special time?)
Twelve 'clock at night. You get more results out of those things at that time of night.
Entry 10280
Jes' lak a woman if she love yo', she be - well, she take de bow out yore cap. Well, she take dis bow outa yore cap an' when she mess wit chew, she take de germs from yo' an' herself, an' she'll roll dis bow up in it. She roll dis bow up in dat. An' den she'll take dis bow an' she put somepin, anything sweet, jes' amy thing dat's sweet on dere. An' she'll take dis bow an' she'll pee on dis boo every morning for seven mornings. She'll pee on dis bow for seven momings. An' den she'll take dis bow after she do dat, pee on seven mornings, take de gerns from yo' an' her germs an' put on heah. An' she'll roll dis in sulphur. Sulphur always. Ah don't know whut sulphur is but most all womenfolks use sulpbur in ever'thin'. Well, she take de sulphur an' she put it on dere an' she take dis heah bow, after she take it out, an' she'll put it in some close place where yo' transfer back an' forward all de time. An' [does] dat in order - she put [it] dere, dat's for yo' to stay close, wanta be round her. Yo' don't feel satisfied, yo' wanta be round her all de time. "Co'se it don't have nuthin to do wit your nature but chew don't wanta mess wit nobody else but her. Dat's de story ah heard about dat. [Bow of cap, any bow, sometimes considered a cross, a sacred symbol. See many beliefs about bow of cap.]
Entry 10567
Yo' gits a leather-[wing] bat an' yo' gits his heart an' yo' sew it up into a red flannel. An' gits a small piece of rock sulphur an' put it [in the flannel] together. Feed that, gi' [give] to 'em. Tell 'em [I am to tell my patient or client] while he losin', totes it in his left pocket so he kin lose. Well, when he lose as much as he wanta, change it ovah in his right pocket an' gamble right on an' he'll win.
Entry 10717
Ah'll tell yo', whether it's a woman or man, if she leaves yo' an' yo' wanta git her back, why yo' git chew three grains of cor [maize], an' three strands of her hair, an' if dere any way yo' kin git her track, pick up yo' [your] dirt out of each one of her track - three tracks. An' yo' put dat in yore shoe, umdah yore bottom shoe [insole] whut yo' wear. Lift dat [insole] up an' put it udah dere, an' yo' wear dat. An' she'll come back. See, an' when she come back, an' den, if yo' want her tuh stay dere, yo' go an' git chew a bird nest an' yo' put some sulphur an' salt in dat bird nest an' burn it. Make yo' a little fire an' burn it in de chimley so yo' kin git de scent of it, an' she can't leave yo' no way; can't go an' leave him, de man or woman, which one wanta do it.
(Do you wear that corn in your shoe also?)
Put dat cor an' de hair an' dat sand in yore shoe.
Entry 10721
Ah got in a fight with a boy, an' mah grandmother - yo' know, ole fo folks dey are very active - she say, "Come here, boy, yo' got in a fight?" Say, "Yes mam." She say, "Whut chew do?" Ah say, "Ah bit dat boy plenty a place." She say, "Looky heah, come heah an'( Grandmah fix yo' up." She got a little sulphur an' a little kerosene, yo' know, an' she fixed a little bag, yo' know, an' she put it down dere undah mah bed; yo' know, up in de mattress - whut chew call a moss mat- tress [Spanish moss mattress]. Ah say, "Whut chew do dat fo'?" She say, "Don't chew know if yo' bit somebody an' yo' don't take care of yo'- self; don't chew know, dat dey will take bird manure [usually chicken manure] or some kinda manure lak dat, an' 'noint dis place lak yo' would [use] some grease on mah [your] bare face; yo' know, keep dat place [bite] 'nointed dere well, ' she say, "an' yore teeth will drop out." She tole me dat several time. Dey [person bitten] keep dat place 'nointed wit dat manure some kind. She say, every tooth in yore [biter's] head will drop out. (But she would prevent that by doing this.... [sulphur-kerosene hand in the mattress].) Put dis stuff undah mah bed an' dat will keep de othah stuff from coming back at me. [For the treatment of human bite with chicken manure, see Nos.
Entry 10769
An' den yore boss, seems lak he doesn't lak yo' - he doesn't lak yore work. Well, yo' go home an' yo' say, "Well, ah believe ah'll fix somepin fo' mah boss tuh make him lak me." Well, yo' go ahead an' yo' git chew some saltpeter, yo' git chew some table- salt an' some sulphur, [salt and sulphur to kill cunjure put down against you] an' yo' [put the salt] in dat sul- phur an' yo' bathes in dat saltpeter. But chew use dat sulphur, yo' takes a pinch of it, an' den yo' sprinkle some sulphur in yore shoes an' rub yore hands with it. Yo' know, yo' can't go round people with it. An' sprinkle Hearts Col- Ogne round dere [where you walk]. An' when yo' go out yo'll git affection. Dere ah'll come up, right chere, "Good mawnin', everybody, good mawnin', howdee dis mawnin'?" [They answer], "Jes' dandy." "Well, why'd yo' have sech-an'-sech a thing fo' breakfast?" "Oh, i enjoyed such-an'-such a thing last night."
Entry 11028
Ah've heard of 'em usin' dem jest tuh bring luck to de bome.
(How do they do that?)
Dey burn de chicken feathers, yo' know, jest lak ah'd have me a pan an' ah jest git me some of dat same sulphur an' brimstone an' dem chicken feathers. Now, they are lucky. Ah know dat fo' a fact, ah've tried it. An' yo' burn dem around de house. Now, dey are lucky.
Entry 11035
I've heerd of 'em usin' chicken feathers - feathers, bluestone an' saltpeter an' sulphur. Yo' place dem things together an' yo' would take 'em an' burn 'em into yore house. Jest say, fo' an instamce ah wanted to make yo' leave, ah could take all dat stuff a' place it into de house an' burn it fo' three days, an' dere ain't no way in de vorld yo' kin stay in dese house. Yo'd have to leave, ain't no joke.
Entry 11202
Git 'em out of a house. Dey got some of 'em back dere now. Yo' kin git dirt dauber nest. Yo' know whut dey call dirt daubers. Well, yo' git dat an' cayenne peppah, but yo' have tuh git in de house tuh do dat. Yo' cain't do dat on de out- side of de house. See, cayenne peppah, Epsom salts, sulphur an' powdered asafetidy. Yo' know whut dey call powder asafetidy. Well, dey mix dat tuhgether. Well, if yo' cain't git chure tobacca, yo' kin git dis scotch snuff an' yo' mix dat, but chew gotta git in de house dat yo' kin sling it back in dere. Yo' know, an' 'noint de house, an' dey'll move.
(You just throw that in the house and these people will move away.)
Yes.
Entry 11294
Ketch a dog and git his - see, de place in a dog's face right heah where [demonstrates]. Pull dat hair out. An' jes' in de middle of his back, de same amount of hair dat yo' pull out of his face. An' put it into a rag, a spotless white cloth er rag. An' yo' put chew some sulphur an' yo' put chew some gunpowder in dere - gunpowder and sulphur. Yo' tie dat up in dere and make out lak yo' workin' in de yard. As yo' workin' roun' de yard, take a look an' see if yo' see either one of dem would have yore - ef yo' worried about yore husband. If yo' see either one of dem comin' past yore house, yo' jest take it up an' take it ovah to heah an' throw it dis way [demon- strates]. Jest drop dat thing down.. "Co'se it got a little gunpowder an' it will pop an' it will break 'em up. Dat will break dem up, ah know dat. (That is if this woman is fooling around with your husband, you do that to break them up.)
Entry 11297
If someone done any harm to yo', yo' ketch yo' a dog - not chure dog, neither yore cat - an' yo' take dis dog an' shave de hair from right underneath his tail, right dead up close to his tail as pos- sible. Shave it off an' take dat an' take an aig, an' break dis aig an' take de yellah out of it an' leave de white, an' den yo' put dis hair in dat shell. Den yo' set it in de stove wit a little sulphur in it an' parch it. Jes' set it in dere lak yo' bake a apple an' set it in dere till it's parched till it crumble down de center. Don't yo' have to mash it - jes' crumble down in de pan. Den yo' take it out an' bury it at de front step. Dis individual who have done somepin to yo' will come back - come back to yo' an' beg yore pardon - either [or] he will go so far away till yo'll nevah have no contact wit him any mo'. Dat's whut dat'111 do. (That is all you have to do - use that dog hair and that eggshell and the sulphur?) An' de sulphur.
Entry 11344
Yo' go to de drug sto' an' yo' git somepin dey call dragon's blood, a' yo' gits sulphur an' nine seeds of red peppah, an' yo' take dat an' burn it. (What will that do then?) Dat will keep de poleece away. An' den yo' take some of it an' spread it round de front, yo' know, spread it round where he'll come ovah it, but jes' a little bit chew know where it won be noticeable. Take some dragon's blood an' sulphur... Dat will keep down spells.
(That will keep down anything anybody is putting down for you.)
Ah mean keep 'em down where lak where a poleeceman's an' lak dat dey'll come try tuh come in, but dat will keep dem from comin' across.
Entry 11345
One way to do, dey go on dere and dey take an' burn sulphur and dra- goa's blood. Put it behin' de do'r, front do'r. Den dey go down to do'r, one dey go after to git dat jah - job. (I see, they burn that before they go down to the house [to get job].
Entry 11670
Whut dey do's at de fo'k. Well, de fo'k of de road, when yo' do dat, yo' kin draw a person tuh yo' or yo' kin run 'em from yo'. Well, now, when yo' got dere at de fo'k of de road, yo' git dere at sunrise. Well, den yo' make a cross, jes' lak de cross dey say dat Christ hung [on], yo' know. Yo' name dat even, an' yo' cross dat, an' den yo'll take a little graveyard [dirt], good or bad [grave] it don't make no difference. An' den yo' put dat in a little bit of sulphah an' salt, an' den yo' make a powdahs of dat - lak, yo' know, an' den yo' throw it in dat place. An' dat's de way yo' uses dat at de crossroad, yo' know, anything lak a fo'k. An' dey [den?] yo' say, yo know, yo' have to talk to it, say, "Jesus Christ suf- fered an' died on Calvary Cross, why can't yo' do so- an'-so-an'-so." See, jes' anything yo' want tuh name tuh it.
(You do that for harm or bad?)
Yeah, it'll do eithah fo' good or fo' bad, but den yo' have de Lord, an' make it which way yo' want it tuh go.
Entry 11677
Yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road an', when yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, yo' git a pinch of dirt from de fo'ks of dat road. Den yo' go to do - befo' yo' go tuh de fo'ks of de road, yo' go tuh de graveyard yo' know, an' git some of de graveyard dirt an' mx it tuhgethah. Den go tuh de fo'ks of de road an' git some of dat, an' mix dat tuhgethah. Den yo' have tuh season it, chew know. Yo' git dem two things an' yo' git some salt an' yo' git some peppah an' some sulphur, & an' crumble it all wit dat dirt from de fo'ks of de road. An' it will do jes' whut chew want it tuh do.
(What will you do with it?)
Yo' went dere fo' a purpose. When yo' went tuh de fo'ks of de road, yo' vants somebody probably, or yo' wanta change somebody from goin' wit somebody's else, an' yo' bring yo' dese, an' why, dat means dey'll come yore way.
(What do you do with that dirt after you mix it up? What do you do with it?)
Sprinkle it.
(Where?)
Yo' know, jes' lak ah know yo' goin' out. "Sposin' ah'm goin' from heah ovah yondah an' yo've gotta cross dat othah fellah's house, ah sprinkle it right down in yore yard an' yo' walk ovah dat. Yore mind changes, dat changes yore mind. (That changes your mind. That is if you want to bring somebody back, some- thing of that sort?) Yassuh.
Entry 11691
Well, yo' take de colored folk graveyard - yo' nevah been dere, is yo'?
(No.)
Well 'scuse me - dis heah is de white folks graveyard [demonstrates], yo' undahstan', an' de colored folk graveyard come lak dat dere tuh de fo'ks of de road lak dat. Well, yo' kin go right chere 'tween de colored folk graveyard an' de white folk grave- yard, an' any man whut owe yo', take an' write a let- tah, yo' undahstan'. Yo' ain't gotta git no lawyah tuh 'rest him. Yo' go right tuh de fo'ks of de road lak ah tell yo' an' jes' pick up lak dis heah jes' pick up lak dis heah [demonstrates] de white folks graveyard in dis graveyard, yo' understan'. Yo' go right dere tuh dis heah an' take yore han' backwards an' take it up...
(Pick up what?)
Pick up his track backward. An' don't cay [care] if ah owe yo' or anybody owe yo', pick it up backwards, yo' undahstan', an' don' say nuthin 'tall. Jes go home.
(Tell that over again.)
Ah said, any colored man - if yo' open up a place right heah - yo' got dis place right heah now. If ah pass by or anythin' an' yo' not friends wit me, understan'. Well, lak ah wus walkin' from dis side, an' den - well, yo' jes' ketch mah track lak dis heah [demonstrates] undahstan'. An' de sulphur, so dat yo' don't go out dere an' fight dere in de [street]. Yo' go round back in de sto', undahstan', an' set it right dere in de cornah an' yo' jes' shake dat sul- phur up fine, undahstan'. "Fore dat sulphur git burnin' good, yo' undahstan', in dat fo' cornah of de house. See, dat's a cornah of de house, dis a cornah, an' dis a cornah, an' dis a cornah. Well, when yo' set dat table yo' gits a little bit an' sprinkle in dat cornah, dat cornah, dat cornah an' dat cornah. Dat fo' cornah of de house. An' den de man ovah nex' do' can't - de Irishman or Jew or [who?], yo' undahstan', he say tuh dem, "Dis man has opened a place of business heah. Ah been befo' he come heah an' he got mo' customahs den ah got. Ah think ah'm goin' move."
Entry 11741
Well, jes' lak now probably dat ah wuz sellin' likker. Well, ever' time ah turn roun' an' somebody knock at de do', ah think it's a customer come in dere. Ah open de do', "Ooh! It's de law." Well, ah goes tuh mah neighbor, yo' know, sell a lotta people roun', "Ah ain't got no luck. Ever'- time ah open mah do's, it's de law comin' in. Ah don' unnerstan'.: Seem lak de law gotta pick at me. Ah want dat law quit comin' tuh mah house." "Well, "' ah declare. "May[be] it's hard luck put on yo', '' [he] says, "dey's things lak dat." Well, jes' lak dat, talk along an' talk along. Ah wuz sellin' right along, gittin' on all right, thinkin' ever'thing wuz okay. Oh, makin' mo' money, yo' know, an' jes' gittin' 'long. Fus' thing ah knows, "Knock, knock." "Who's thah?" Twarn't nuthin but de [wind?] but still it wuz a lil' strange. Goes opens de do'. Who but it is de law ag'in. Well, ah sigh to mahself, "Well, ah taken dese chances but ah don't wanta take nO mo' chances." Ah goes tuh talkin' fo' fair den. So ah got one mah best fren'. Ah call her mah best fren'. So mah best fren' says, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do," say, "yo' go git luck, 'cause dere's bad wishes put on yo'. Yo' gotta have luck. Dere's a bar ovah dere" [someone over there could recommend a hoodoo]. Okay. An' so ah goes an' git luck. So fo' de luck he tole me, says, "Go tuh de cemetery an' git chew a lil' graveyard dirt, an' yo' git it on de off side - cf side of de right. Yo' dig down an' yo' pay. Yo' pay him an' yo' git dis dirt. Dig a hole jes' lak dat an' let chure han' go down in it, jes' lak dat [demonstrates] an' dig yo' up jes' a lil' dirt jes' lak dat. Den yo' put three pennies down in dere where yo' got dis dirt at. An' yo' take it home an' don't look back. When yo' git dis dirt jes' take it an' come right on home an' don' look back. When yo' git home, yo' put a spoonful of sulphur in dat graveyard dirt an' yo' sprinkle jes' a lil' bit of black peppah in dere. An' den yo' jes' put dat - yo' put some right under de front steps, an' den yo' go round an' put some undah yore back steps. An' den yo' gotta speak three times tuh hit, 'Name of de Father, name of de Son an' de Holy Ghost, stay an' nevah come no mo'." Dat'll do it.
(That keeps the law away.)
Keep de law away.
Entry 12057
In case if sometime a man an' wife is confused, yo' know, lak some confusion in de family. Some kinda dissatisfaction an' wanta bring peace an' harmony, den if yo' kin git a lock of de man's hair or a lock of de woman's hair, an' go tuh de graveyard an' git some graveyard dust. An' den git some of de dust of dere insteps of dey individuals' feet, see.
(Where they walk in the ground, their track?)
Yes, whether dey bared feet or whether dey have on shoes, jes' so it's from de instep of dey feet. An' dey git some sulphur an' some brimstone an' mix all up. Beat dat brimstone tuhgethah fine an' mix all dose tuhgethah. Sew it up intuh a flannen rag - cloth. Sew it up good an' tight, an' yo' kin drop a few drops of camphor; dat's tuh keep it alive, quicken it. An' jes put dat roun' de do'step, bury it two or three inches in de earth. An' dat'll bring peace in de home.
Entry 12133
Heard of 'em usin' a hawk's right foot. Well, yo' take de hawk's right foot, de one dat carryin' a claw [what the other one did I forgot to ask!]. Got a claw like a rooster have on his feet. Yo' take dat foot an' yo' take an' wrap it in a piece of flan- nel cloth wit sulphur an' den wit peppah an' salt mixed [3 ingredients]. Well, dat's fo' good luck in gamblin' an' things lak dat. An' ag'in dey takes de bird [hawk's] head or snake head. Take snake head an' beat it up into a powder an' dat will cripple someone, because ah wus crippled once on dat mahself.
(Just how would that cripple them?)
Dat will cause snakes an' things in dem - sompin of that kind.
Entry 12179
Dey could burn sulphur an' salt. Salt an' sulphur is good fo' any- thing, good fo' killin' poison an' it's good luck. [Having turned off machine because material did not sound promising, I now restart machine by repeating what had been lost.]
(Is it good for, if they want to rent the room or rent the house?)
Yes. Well, ah tell yo' sulphur an' cayenne peppah an' salt - yo' burn dat an' yo' kin git de hoofs off a shoe, yo' know de hosses hoof, an' burn it every night befo' yo' go tuh bed an' yo' stay dere an' inhale dat. Well, den whatevah kind of luck yo' want or whatevah yo' ask it tuh do, why it mo' den apt tuh come out all round...
[Again I turn off machine too soon and must restart it.]
(If you are selling anything or anything of that sort? Would that help bring in trade?) Yes. Keep de police off yo' if yo' sellin' whiskey.
Entry 12180
Well, if yo' want good luck an' success, yo' know, yo' go to de black- smith shop an' git hoof from de horse hoof, an' yo' take it an' lay it down. Yo kin take three pieces. Have 'em all three de same length. An' yo' take an' lay 'em [demonstrates]: One fo' de Father, one fo' de Son an' one fo' de Holy Ghost. (You cross them when you are doing it.) Yes. An' then yo' put sulphur an' salt on top of that, an' while it's burnin' - burn it - an' while it's burnin', yo' jis' talk to it an' tell it anything that yo' want to have - if yo' want any good luck or anything yo' want done. [For this same design in other rites see those listed at end of rite 11879.]
Entry 12203
Now, listen, she kin take nine horseshoe nails, some sulphur and lard, put those nails in de lard and sulphur at six 'clock in de morning. And then leave 'em there until six 'clock in de evening, standing at chure do' dere, an' call it. Put dem nails up on top yore door like that [demonstrates]. (Lay them along the ledge at the top of the door?) Yes, den you lay them up there and then you call him three times by his name. Jes' like you'd say, "Sam! Sam! Sam! Come heah!" And he would come. Ah don't care where he's at, he'll come.
Entry 12248
That High John de Conkah or sulphur and salt, that'll keep 'em [law] off to a certain extent; but mostly the way that a person kin do that, you kin keep 'em off all right and a person don't really have to be a stooly pigeon [see comment later]. But you kin meet around them [the law] with the right herbs, such as High John de Conkah and Adam-and-Eve, and have it [roots] dressed. If you have it dressed, well, you kin dress it with any kind of perfume. But have it roun' your do'r, and dey come in, won't never look.
(They come and won't do anything?)
Yes. They come and there will always be harmony wit yuh. They won't hardly ever look for nothing. They walk right over the stuff [bootleg alcohol] and won't find it. [Here my informant says police will scarcely bother a stool pigeon, a police informer, who is selling a few bootleg liquor drinks. That is how seller keeps in touch with the underworld. Stool pigeons occasionally came in to see what I was doing. Usually my local helpers informed us, occasion- ally I myself spotted one, as I explain somewhere in the text. Fortunately I never did anything to cause police action, though twice I was mistakenly raided.]
[Norfolk, Va., (472).484:2.]
Entry 12279
De' take de gunpowder an' de sulphur dust - dat not de lump sulphur - an' mix it together an' put it in a quill or some fish-pole. An' go by a per- son's house an' go dat- away three times. (Knocking three times.) [Also blowing 3 times.] An' de persons in dat yard, dey goin' have a uproar in dere. It will make a confusion between everybody. See, somebody in dere is gotta move out. If dere some enemies in dere, well dey gotta git out. [It would probably be safer to try this rite during day when no one was home. There are similar blowing through tube rites in HOODOO.1
Entry 12290
Go tuh any groc'ry an' git chew a new piece of cord dat haven't been used, whut chew tie up packages with, an' jes' lak anything dat yo' wish, an' nine is yore... [What? Number?] Take nine tuh do it. Yo': can't do nuthin until nine days. Jes' lak yo' git up dis mawnin', say, "Ah'm goin' start dis mawnin' an' ah want sech- an'-sech a thing tuh happen.' Jes' tie one knot [in] it an' make yore wish re- gardin' tuh whut it is. An' de nex' mawnin' de same thing fo' nine mawnin's. It'll come true.
(What do you do with this string after all these knots are tied in it then?)
Let it hang right dere, an' when de nine days up, an' yo' sure yo' got de nine knots, jes' take it an' git chew some sulphur an' some salt an' burn it right in yore fiahplace.
Entry 12301
Pass a hole into a lemon an' squeeze de juice out of it an' full it up wit sulphur an' brimstone an' salt. Take nine pins an' put through it an' den wrop it up jes' as tight as yo' kin, an' tie nine knots in it - into de string dat yo' wrop aroun' it. An' stick nine pins in it an' go ahead. (What will you do with that then?) Well, jes' carry it with yo'. (What is that supposed to do then?) An' den ah'll go ahead an' attack whatevah busi- ness yo' wanta attack, an' dat supposed to help yo' accomplish it.
(Any favors or anything of that sort?)
Yes.
Entry 12362
Dere.danger to yo' head all de time. Yo' take a man's hat, yo' under- stand, an' yo' go to de drug store an' git what chew call sulphur of potash, something like a powder and it's called love powder. That's the name fer it Love Powder. Sprinkle dat in de hat, in de lining. Or if he goes with yo' and yo' kin get near to him, sprinkle it in any piece of his clothes. Dat means dat yo' can't stay away, yo' will come back.
Entry 12447
Don't know if dey use de mockin'bird aigs but ah know dey use de mockin'- bird nest. Yo' burn it to ashes, and when yo' burn it to ashes, an' yo' jes' put some sulphur an' saltpeter in it or sulphur an' pep- pah or gunpowders - either of dem three, an' yo' mix a powders with that. An jes' what yo' say it do, it works by what yo' say...
(Give me an example of one thing you could say to it?)
Well, it ain't but one thing yo' kin say, an' den dere's plenty thing yo want to say.... It jes' what yo' want to say, or jes' if yo' have good idea - jes' any feelings tuhwards me, if yo' think ah doin' sompin ah got no business to yo', an' when yo' do dat den yo' tell it whut chew want it to do to me.
Entry 12539
Yo' take de red onion - dat's lucky fo' yore house - yo' take de red onion. It's lak if yo' got a friend, yo' kin rule him by usin' dat red onion. Yo' take dat red onion an' cut it in fo' parts an' git chew a little cup an' put dat in wit sulphur, brimstone an put dat in de corner of yore house - yo' know, where people don't have to be Worryin' roun' dere no way but chewself. An' his name write on a piece of papah understan' dat. An' dat will keep him, make him be nuthin but lovin' to yo', an' den dat will make him bring his money to yo'.
Entry 12540
Take dat red onion peelin' an' yo' take some nice clean pot, an' sulphur, brown sugah fo' colored an' white sugah for white - whoevah yo' workin' it on. An' put it on a shovel on some red coals, de fiah, yo' know, an' yo' let dat burn. Go to each cornah of yore house at five a'clock in de evenin' an' make yore wish, an' whatevah yore wishes is dey'll come true.
(What would you wish, for example?)
Well, jes' whatevah yo' wish fo', yo' know, jes' de main thing whut yo' wish fo' - anything.
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 12581
Ah heard if ah wanted yo' to go crazy ovah me, jes' git two pennies an' burn 'em in sulphur, an' when ah git through burning, take 'em an' clean 'em off good, an' give one tuh de girl an' yo' keep one. An' don't chew spend de one which yo' have, yo' jes' keep it. If she spend hers'n dat'll be all right, but chew keep yores.
(What will that do then?)
Dat will make her crazy about chew 'long as yo' keep dat penny.
Entry 12614
Ah've heard people say yo' could take red pep- pah an' throw it round de house. Yo' know red peppah is fussin' anyway [causes a fuss]. Take red peppah an' throw it around de house. Or eithah burn it an' sulphur where dey kin git de scent of it, chew know.
(What would that do to them, then?)
It would cause confusion an' fussin' an' fights.
Entry 12615
Take red pepper an' sulphur, put it in a little bag, put it all to- gether, sew it up. An' yo' lay it right down at de step where yo' have to walk over it, goin' in an' comin' out. Dat'll make yo' [man and woman] separate sure as de worl' [goes round or something]. (That will cause confusion?) That will cause confusion dere. Bust up.
Entry 12616
Well, when yo' know [someone] goin' harm yo', comin' to yore house tuh harm yo', dere ain't nuthin fo' yo' tuh do, but jes' take yore shoes off, both yore shoes, an' put chew some sul- phur an' red peppah in 'em an' wear 'em, an' yo' kin walk ovah anything.
Entry 12617
Go tuh de drugsto' an' git chew a box of new sulphur an' [new] red cayenne peppah - ground-up peppah an' yo' mix dat sulphur an' dat peppah up to- gethah, an' yo' take it an' make a little ball - jes' a little ball. An' yo' tie it in de calf of de laig - in de knee part in de sock. An' sprinkle a little bit in yore shoe an' nuthin won't go up dere - dat [crunjure] won't go up through dat dere.
(What will that do?)
Dat will keep yo' from ketchin' whut dey put down [for you to walk over].
Entry 12618
Well, dey kin take dis heah red peppah, take dis sulphur and, if he's dere in de house, don't [let] him know nothin' about it, she kin make about 9 trips roun' [circumambulates] her house with dis stuff and make a oath. An' take dis stuff an' carry it in her room an' put it in dere where he don't [won't] see it, an' dat room will git too hot fo' him. He's gotta go.
(That is the way a woman can get rid of her husband.)
Yassuh, dat's de way a woman do to git rid of her husband.
Entry 12619
Dey say yo' takes red peppah, gunpowdah, an' sulphah, an' mix dat to- gethah an' weah dat under de bottom of yore shoe an' anythin'.yo' walk ovah dat won't take no effect on yo'. Yo' see, red peppah, gunpowdah, an' sulphah.
Entry 12620
Red peppah, brimstone, sulphur an' burn it an' blow de smoke [towards house] nex' to 'em an' [if people there] don' be in dey house - but if yo' burn it, yo' kin burn it in yore own house an' name it an' blow it nex' their house. Or git some of de garments of de house or somepin othah out of de house jes' since it's been worn. Well, yo' git a garment an' then yo' wrop de brim- stone, sulphur an' red peppah, an' wrop up in de garment. Take de garments to de woods an' bury it undah an' ole rotten log, an' that'll tear de home up altogethah.
(You mean after this stuff is burnt?)
Yes, in dat ole garment, jes' since it somepin out de house. Den de people all in de house - de man or de woman - well, yo' jes' take it an' bury it in de woods undah a ole rotten log.
(That is after you burn all that stuff?)
Yes, put it in that garment.
Entry 12621
If yo' wants tuh draw de customers to de place, yo' git some sulphur an' burn dat sulphur in de fo' corners of de house or de sto' an' den take some sulphur an' salt an' black pepper an' put right in de do' underneat'de steps an' dat will draw de customers.
Entry 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 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 13002
They have live things in them, you kin take a cupful of lard, and a cupful of sulphur, and you take a cupful of salt. And you puts all of that to about a quart of water and let it boil. And you take a silver [bow or beau or bull] dollar. (A silver what?) A silver dollah, a bow dollah. (A bow dollar?) They call 'em bow dollah, them silvah dollahs, one of them big round dollahs. They don't use 'em very much now [1938]. Well, you let that boil. Yo' get a [cove] oyster can [these were not the recent canned oysters kept on ice] and you let that dollah boil real good. You boil it for about a hour in that water. And you take that water, put it with this other ingredients, this cupful of lard and everything. And I mean that will certainly pass from you. You let 'em drink that fuh 9 mornings, see. Give 'em a cupful and them live things will pass. That'll kill it. An' then you take - behind that give 'em a bath, behind that a bath of saltpeter and bluestone and sulphur.
Entry 13066
Yo' know dese snails whut crawl...whut dey crawl slow. Anyhow dey takes dat an' dey go to work yo' know, dey fix it in sompin dat way it'll bust out chew know. Den dey go to work den, git some sulphur an' gunpowder together, an' dey take it an' carry it an' bury it right tuh yore door, right where yo' gotta step ovah it, yo' know. Dat'll fix yo' up. Yo'll linger 'long [along] linger 'long.
Entry 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 13250
I stayed at a place up north. Every morning when I kindled de fire- I gen'a'ly made de fire - they had a package of sulphur there on that stove. When it was hot, they would sprinkle de sulphur on it, to fumigate de house with sulphur. They said that kept off the evil spirits and give it luck. (Every morning?) Every morning they'd sat- urate dat stove, when ft. got hot, you know, so that sulphur Would burn, they would sprinkle some of that sulphur on the stove. Said that kept off the evil spirits and give them luck. Druv [drove] the evil spirits out of the house, which, you know yourself, that there are more evil spirits than there are good ones. We are told by the Bible that many's the soul to walks this earth, visible or invisible. What they meant visible ones is the ones that we want to get rid of, don't want to be bothered with 'em. Well, now, we'll go back to de sulphur question. When you go to dig money, you make a circle around, all de way around de place yo' goin' to dig. Now a fellah tole me this to be a fact. Ah never seen it. An' sprinkle sulphur all around it [circle], an' yo' dig inside de ring of sulphur. When de evil spirit comes up there, he can't get inside that ring over that sulphur.
Entry 13251
Well, ah heard dat chew burn sulphur in yore house dat wus luck tuh yore enemies and den it wus bad luck tuh yore neighbors, because it's 'cordin' tuh de way yo' burn dat. Yo' burn dat sulphur certain hours in de night fo' luck fo' yo' friends, an' den yo' burn it certain hours fo' luck fo' yo' enemies. Dat means dat yo' enemies whut chew burn fo' dem will cause dem tuh be in hard luck. An' whut chew burn fo' yore friends dat'll be good luck, but it be certain hours of de night - from 12 to 4 in de mawnin'. Yo' burn sulphur in de night about 12 a'clock. When yo' burn dat sulphur why yo' burn dat sulphur fo' yo' friend providin' if her enemy tryin' tuh harm her an' tuh keep her enemy from harmin' 'er. Well, 4 'clock in de mawnin' yo' burn de sulphur fo' de enemies. See.
Entry 13252
Ah've heard of dem using sulphur. Dey kin burn sulphur in a house fo' good luck. An' den, if dey uses de bluestone long wit de sulphur, an' take it to people's house, dey take it an' burn it in front of dey doorstep at night. Dat will bring dem all kind of bad luck.
Entry 13253
De way ah heard it wuz done, dey take an' go round dat house at de front do' an' at de back do' an' make a straight mahk [a shallow trench with stick]. (All around the outside of the house?) Yessuh, right down dere by de edge of de do'step de way dey have tuh come in an' out. An' yo' take dat when yo' make dat mahk down dere, yo' puts sul- phur an' gunpowder in dat mahk an' when dey do dat yo' take den an' yo' stick fiah in next tuh de do'step, an' when yo' do dat, why it blows out - blows it out, an' ah heard dat in three days aftah yo' do dat it will blow 'em cleah - dat will blow 'em cleah intuh de distance. Dey won't have no mind tuh stay dere. (It runs them out of that house. You mean you make a straight mark in front of each door?) Yessuh.
(Like a trench?)
Yessuh, jes' a lil' trench. (You dig a little trench for that stuff and then light it and let it go
[blow] on out?)
Yes.
Entry 13254
You kin take gunpowder and sulphur, and if you kin get close enough to dem when dey go to sleep or lay down - yo' know where de' goin' to lay down - take and dust it. See, jis like de shett up, and dust de mattress and put it back where de' sleep - goin' lay down over it. And dat thing get in dere bones, see, and dey won't live 6 months.
Entry 13255
You take sulphur, they tell me and mix it together in pure lard and rub with it. You kin move it [poison or cunjure] 股中 away. Sulphur and pure lard, cream it together and rub with it. They say that choo kin get it out choo by that. And [in addition] you take so much sulphur, don' choo understand, with brown sugar. You take it [inwardly]. Well, that purges you, you know, and git all dat bad stuff out.
Entry 13256
Ah heard dat too. Lak if yo' a big bootleggah an' dere's several people dat chew want tuh come tuh yore house, an' yo' wanta keep de law away from yore house or somepin lak dat. Yo' take [and] burn dis sulphur an' ole shoes dat will stink, an' whilst yo' take an' burn dat sulphur an' dem shoes - git up first thin' in de mawnin' - take an' burn dis sulphur an' dem shoes an' aftah yo' burnin' dis stuff, yo' git up an' take a bath round about 'leven a'clock [at night].'Fore yo' take a bath, yo' take dis stuff an' put it in de watah dat chew take a bath in. Yo' take dis stuff an' put it in yore watah an' yo' set dere [until] ah reckon round twelve or one 'clock at night. Well, yo' git up an' yo' burn dis stuff ag'in - dis sulphur an' dis ole shoes an' sprinkle sulphur lak dat. Yo' git up an' den yo' put dis back in de same watah where de sulphur is. When yo' git up jes' about sunrise, jes' as de sun in peepin' up above de trees, an' yo' take dis tub of watah an' yo' go an' po' it out on de opposite of de sun - opposite where de sun rises, but de same side where de sun rise on. Yo' take dis watah jes' 'bout sunrise, dis tub of watah, an' yo' take an' dash it out on de opposite side of de sunrise. An' dis watah will jes' run right on down - dat drive 'em 'way lak dat.
(You do this early in the morning?)
Yessuh, early in de mawnin' jes' about sunrise. (Do you pour this water out on the side where the sun is rising up or where the sun sets down?) Where de sun rise - de same side de sun rise on, de same side yo' po' dis watah out.
(That brings in trade.)
Entry 13257
All yo' have tuh do is tuh git chew some sulphur an burn an' all. Yo' ketch his [policeman's] eyes whensomevah he come in an' look after him, an' let him walk across it, see. (This burnt sulpbur?) Yes sir, burnt sulpbur, an' when he come in yo be lookin' after 'in. Try tuh ketch his eyes. An' he nevah come tuh yore house no mo'. Or yo' could jes' take some - if yo' sellin' whiskey, each maslin' befo' yo' open yore do', befo' anyone come in, yo' jes' take jes' a certain aomt of it [whiskey] an' jes' throw it ovah yore do', both doors, as de customers comes in an' out, see. An' then yo' be fixed - de law will nevah bother yo'.
(You mean you throw the salt and sulphur over the door?)
No, yo' kin take some of yore whiskey.
(Oh, the whiskey. That's to keep the law away, too.)
See, when yo' burn dis sulphur, den yo' throw de whiskey ovah de head - yo' know whut ah mean, jes' throw some ovah de head of de do' up there an' dey won't nevah bother yo'.
Entry 13258
If they run me out, then I will fix that house so no one kin live in there.
(I see. How is that done?)
Well, when I move out, you understand, I would sweep up all my trash. I don't wanta leave none of my dirt. I'd take up all my rugs and carpets and things, and I'd sweep the floors. I will get sulphur, you understand - I will get sulphur. I will get de oil of cin- namon. Yo' know what de oil of cinnamon is. I will get cayenne pepper and I will put it in de four cor- ners of dat room, and I will light it and I will fasten de windows down and de doors down and let it burn - with a curse. No one never will move in there. As they move in, they move out. And if they do move in there - there wouldn't a soul move in there what wouldn't have death in the family. [In former days the cursing of a house like this Was a serious business and most people moving in would have had it uncursed by a doctor.]
Entry 13259
(What is goofer dust?) Well, whut dey call goofer dust is - dey takes sulphur, red pepper an' a red onion an' sew it up in a red piece of flannel an' dat's whut chew call goofer dust. [Normally of course this is a hand.]
(What do you do with that then?)
Take it an' wear it in yore pocket, jes' wear it all de time in yore pocket.
(What is it supposed to do for you?)
Well, it'll make yo' lucky an' successful. [This of course is not normal goofer dust, a dust; but if it is for informant, it is.]
Entry 13260
Yo' take red peppah, cayenne peppah, hot, an' table salt. Let it all be new. Take table salt jes' new an' dis sulphur brand-new, nevah been opened befo' yo' know. Well, yo' take it an' mix it up, an' yo' jes' throw it all round yore house, an' dat's good tuh keep de law from comin' in annoyin' yo'. An' den if a person is comin' tuh yore house an' yo' don't want dem tuh go dere, yo' kin jes' throw dat out behin' dem in de chair where dey sit at in de room. Den when dey git ready tuh git up an' go out, den yo' kin take it an' go on out an' jes' throw it de way dey went, an' cuss 'em, an' dey'll not come back any mo'. Dey won't come back any mo'. If dey do', dey'll come right in an' dey cain't stay dere no time. Yo' gotta git out an' sweep behin' dem.