Subject:Sweatband
Entries
Entry 4517
If a man is away from home an' de woman want 'im tuh come back, she kin use de band"out 'is hat. Sew it in 'er undahclothes an' wear it @p undah 'er right arm. See, if he away, she kin bring 'im back wit de right or de left [arm], but anywheres where she sweat on it, why he can't git away from 'er. Dat's whut ah heard.
Entry 4518
Or dey kin take de sweatban' [whole or piece?] out chure hat an' wear it indey shoe. Wear it evah day in yuh right shoes an' he'll have tuh come back.
Entry 4519
Yuh kin take a man's hatban' [sweatband] an' use his hatband, weah it in de bottom of yore shoe, jes' a piece of it, an' 'is mine will always stay aroun' dat fiah [fire]. He nevah is contented nowhere. When he's where yuh at, dat's 'is contentedness time. (The outside or the inside band?) De sweatban'. Take hit an' fold it tuh yuh, split it, an' put it in de bottom of yuh shoe an' evahwhere yuh go, he rearin' tuh go.
Entry 4520
If yuh have a girl fren' an' yuh love her an' she didn't seems tuh care very much fo' yuh, why yuh could sometime in goin' roun' 'er, an' git a chance tuh git 'er hat. Take de ban' from roun' 'er hat. Take de band from roun' 'er hat an' git a piece she's wearin' close tuh 'er. Take it an' some of 'er hair from a [below]. Yuh kin git chance tuh make a date wit 'er an' git some of 'er hair from roun' 'er. An' take it an' wrap it up in a piece of red flannel an' wear it nex' tuh yuh skin. Why den she come back tuh live wit chew.
(What piece of clothing do you get?)
Git de seat out of 'er drawahs. (And the hair from down below. That will make you have power over her.)
Entry 4521
Yuh git dis here dog stuff.
(Dog manure?)
Dat's right. Yuh lay dat dog manure right out dere an' let it be dried by de sun. Yuh can't do nuthin [with wet dog manure]. An' yuh put it out dere an' let it dry. When it dry yuh beat it up intuh a powdah. Ah reckon yuh know about dat? (No, no.) Git chure hat an' yuh take de rim [inside band] of dat roun', an' yuh take dat powdah an' sprinkle it aroun' in dat hat jes' dat way [demonstrates].
(Inside the rim.)
An' yuh goin' weah dat hat. DERE AIN'T NO DOCTAH 'TWEEN HEAH AN' PHILLIPPINES KIN CURE DAT. AN' HE WOULDN'T KNOW WHAT'S DE MATTAH. OH, DEY TRIED TUH CURE ME [WHEN IS WAS] DATAWAY. Ah [had] mah hat [dressed].
(What would it do to you?)
It GIVE YUH A BAD HEADACHE AN' IT WILL LAS' YUH TUH YUH GRAVE. Dey done me dataway.
Entry 4523
Dey take dat an' git a new-bran' [brand-new] file, one of 'em three- cornahed files, yuh know, an' wrap [the sweatband] aroun' dat, yuh know. An' bury dat in de do' of de individual - yuh know, like yuh want tuh call de individual tuh yore do', yuh jis' do same way like yuh use de hat bow.
(You bury this file at the door.)
At yore do', yes.
(With the sweatband wrapped around it.)
An' den yuh pulls it, if yuh wan' 'em tuh come. Yuh draw it tuh yuh.
[File pulled through a wrapping about it is the old stick-in-a-hole rite.]
(That will make them come, I see, if you want to make love to anybody.)
Entry 4524
She kin git a chance tuh git dat [graveyard dirt] in dere [sweatband], dat'll make yuh go blin'.
Entry 4526
Well, dey tell me dat yuh kin take dat sweatband outa man hat an' keep it salted fo' de third mawnin'. Keep it salted an' dampened till de third mornin', an' take it up an' lay it in de sun an' let it dry, an' it will run 'em distracted.
(You put that in salt for three days?)
Yes.
Entry 4527
Whut chew kin do wit a man's hat. Now, yuh kin take a silvah dime. Yuh kin take a silvah dime an' plastah it tuh de centah of a man's hat back dere an' it'll change his mine [mind] from dif- f'ren' things. Jes' say, fo' an in- stance, if ah wuz stay- in' wit a lady an' she didn't wan' me tuh leave or somepin, well now, she would take dat silvah dime, see; an' me not payin' no 'tenshun an' plastah it right in dere in mah hat undah dat tag whut be's in dere [put dime in sweatband]. An' dat'll keep me from leavin'. All right, she kin take dat same dime an' she'll kill enough chinches tuh git enough blood, jes' enough blood tuh stain dat dime off of a chinch, see. An' put dat same dime right down dere [in the sweatband] an' fold it back ovah dat. Well, when ah sweat dat's goin' run down in mah face an' goin' run me blind.
(Those chinches, that's the same as the bug from the bed?)
Dat's it.
Entry 4528
(How do they fix the sweatband?)
Well, dey'll git dese diff'ren' spidahs an' gran'daddies [see laterl an' all lak dat. Dey'll poison 'em [the victim]. An' dey'll put 'em in a little watah an' cook dem. An' when yuh lay yuh hat down, dey'll take it an' wet all undah yuh hatban' [sweatband] good in front. An' when yuh git out an' git tuh sweatin', an' dat hatban' git sweatin' yuh know, dat thing goin' a-mix wit yore sweat. When dat sweat run down in yuh eyes - an' dat'll run yo' blin'. [Granddaddy = daddy longlegs = a harvestman or arachnid of the order Phalangida.]
Entry 4531
Dey go tuh work an' take de lef'-footed stockin' an' git chew some brimstone an' some spice. An' cut de stockin', de heel of it on down tuh de toe, an' burn dat tuhgethah - burn de stockin' an' makes a powdah out of dat. An' den goes tuh work an' grin' up dat spice an' grind up - when yuh grin' up de spice, den yuh goes tuh work an' yuh grin' up dis brimstone. An' mix it all tuhgethah an' yuh kin take it an' rub it in a hat - in his hat whut he use. Dat will make him stay home.
Entry 4532
Dey kin git 'is sweatban' too an' give him anothah spell. Git 'is sweatban' outa his hat an' put it in a bottle. Yassuh [yes sir], take a bottle an' put it in a bottle, an' put a cork stoppah in dis heah bottle an' fasten it up an' keep dat ban'. Jes' roll dis heah ban' up real tight de way yuh fold it back double. Twist it real tight an' put it in a bottle. Put some hot watah in it. Let it be jes' hot enough not tuh break yuh bottle, an' let it set in dere. An' den dey go take dis heah den an' put it in de rivah, any kinda watah dat watah runs ovah. Dat'll give him anothah feeble mine [mind].
Entry 4533
Dey kin go tuh de rivah. She kin git one sock, dat would be de right one, an' de hatban' - brim inside, de sweat [sweatband]. An' take it an' throw it in de rivah. She got 'im. He would eithah go crazy or come back tuh 'er.
Entry 4537
Ah have heard women say dat if dey git de bow out of a man's hat, dey takes dat bow an' dey wears it right next to dere skin. In othah words, dey put it undah dere arm somewheres. Well. dat man will always follah dem. He will be in love wit dem always.
Entry 4543
[Sweatband bow combined with other substances in a bottle will be found later, as well as in other parts of the text.] Dey take dat little bow an' put it in a bottle an' fill half full of watah, an' turn it bottom upwards an' bury it wit de mouth down, so dat watah drippin' in de groun'. Yuh'll go intuh de groun', see; cuz I put a little hole in dat stoppah, so dat watah kin seep out. An' [when] all dat watah run out dat bottle, den yuh goin' tuh de grave.
Entry 4549
Take dat bow out of yuh hat an' dey'd bury dat bow. Take dat bow an dey bury it back of yuh house in ordah if dey wanta use yuh in a way fo', what might say, a henchman or fool, or somepin like dat. Dey'd bury dat bow back of dere house an' dat'll keep yuh comin' dere, see. An' yuh kin jes' git rid of evahthing yuh've got.
Entry 4555
Ah've heard of 'em. Dey takes dat li'le bow. Well, dey takes dat li'le bow dere an' dey walks aroun' dat house. Dey goes roun' dat house nine times an' bring de bow back in de back do', an' walk through de hall tuh de front do' an' put it ovah de front do'. Conceal it from dis man.1 He nevah know where it at. An' long as it stay dere, dey got dis man.
(A woman would do that to hold a man?)
Tuh hold de man. No harm perform on it, no mo' den a deep taste fo' love.
Entry 4556
It's a long time since ah went tuh a [hoodoo] woman, but ah went tuh a Woman ovah heah when ah wuz [having trouble with my husband]. An' she tole me tuh git de seat of 'is undahwears dat be's dirty an' de bow outa his hat, dat little bow dat be's on de inside. She tole me tuh git dat out an' sew hit in de seat of mah bloomahs, an' dat would make him come back an' ca' fo' her [me] mo' den he evah would do'.
Entry 4583
Yuh take dis little bow here an' take some devil's-shoestring dey call it. Take dat devil's-shoestring an' dis bow an' some cinnamon bark an' salt [and] black peppah. An' dey takes dis bow an' put it in de sole of yuh shoe. See, like yuh got a shoe, a woman would do dat. Dat's tuh make her - make yuh stay. Yuh goin' tuh stay right wit 'er. An' she'll take dat an' put it in de sole of 'er shoe an' wear it dere. As long as she got dat thing in dere, yuh can't leave her.
Entry 4601
She kin take dat bow an' she kin run yuh crazy wit it, or eithah make yuh love 'er. She kin take dat bow an' go uptown an' git 'er a bottle of Black Heart Cologne [this may be only time mentioned] an' she takes it an' drops about nine drops on dat, an' take it an' place it undah de middle of 'er bed [making a quincunx], right on de springs. Well, yuh have tuh stay dere. Yuh can't go nowhere. Yuh have tuh stay right dere. [This is merely Hearts Cologne with a black heart on the label, stamped solid black or hand drawn with a single line; not a heart-shaped bottle of black glass. The term is rare.]
Entry 4648
(What will they do with that little bow?)
Well, dey take dat an' dey totes it. Dey put it in a little bit of bag, a little Durham sack [Bull Durham tobacco sack known since the days of rolling your own cigarettes]. An' tote dat nex' tuh 'em all de time. Does 'im an awful lot of harm. Put de hair wit it - an' de hair, toenails - evahthing dey kin git wit it. Dat jes' makes 'im drag aroun', drag till he die. Won't do 'im no good an' nobody else.
Entry 4718
Git dat sweatban' out from undah heah, undah yer arm, dis heah lef' one. (Cut that out of the armhole. And what do they do with that?) Takes dat an' puts peppah wit dat an' salt an' buries dat. Dat's to run anybody, to git [rid] of 'em - yer enemies wit dat.
Entry 5923
Well, I wuz goin' wit a gurl an', yo' know, I didn't lak 'er yo' know, much. An' so I tried yo' know to break away from 'er. An' I jis' kep' - it seem lak I couldn't git away from 'er. So one day I wuz rid- in' a bicycle, see, an' I had taken my hat off, an' it wuz yo' know, a patch of hair right in de ban' [sweat- band] of mah hat. An' so I taken it out an' looked at it. Yo' know dere's a fellah dat used to live at Seventh an' Sewanee, I think. Well, I car'ed it out dere an' he tole me to take a - 'e taken it an' put it in a bottle, an' tole me to bus' [= bust = burst] it up, yo' know, in front of 'er do'. An' I bus' it up an' I ain't had no trouble wit 'er since.
Entry 6062
Take a man's hair an' cut it off an' put it in 'is hatband - an' put yore hair from offen yore stomach an' place it in de band of 'is hat, an' put 'is hair whut chew got from 'im an' sew it up in a cloth an' wear it vex' tuh yore skin. Well, dat would keep 'is mind always on yo', too. See, dat keep 'im always excited-minded 'bout chew - he cain't stay 'way from yo'.
Entry 6462
Well, ah've [heard] dat dey takes yore fingahnails. Yo' know, jis' lak yo' have a sweetheart or somepin-lak an' prob'ly dat chew don' want 'im an' he think dat chew don' wan' 'im. If he kin git chure fingahnails an' a, yo' know, jis' as if yo' cut yore fingahnails an' den take his fingahnails an' yore fingahnails an' put dat tuhgethah, an' take de bow outa his hat an' he puts dat wit 'em. Den he takes an' binds 'em up in a li'le secret place an' he carries dem wit 'im, an' he makes yo' wan'a stay in touch wit 'im.
Entry 6577
Ah heard a woman in Birmingham, Ala., say dat if yo' had a enemy an' if yo' wanta git de enemy out de way, say yo' could take a lizard an' dreene [drain] it. Yo' know, make de blood come outa it. An' take dat lizard's blood an' put it on a rag all de way roun' de rag. An' den take dat bloodly rag from de lizard an' put it in de band of a hat. An' dey said dat yo could take dat from a lizard an' put it in dere, an' in nine days, lizards be run- nin' all roun' in yore haid an' up an' down yore body.
Entry 6653
Ah've seen 'em take de band whut be in a hat. Dey kin, yo' know, put dese heah snake shells [sheds], where dey fix mens blind lak dat. (Do they put the whole snake shed on there or what?) Well, they put it all de way roun' in yore hat. Or dey kin jis' take a piece where - see, when yo' sweat from de band of yore hat, well, dat will git most of dat snake shed, see an' den dat stuff will jis' run all in yore eyes, face, sompin lak dat. Git in yore eyes den an' it will blind yo'. Yo' go blind.
Entry 7794
(Tell me that again, now.) Dey put it in de band of yuh hat. (This graveyard dirt?) Graveyard dust, put it in de band of yuh hat an' it fall down in yuh eyes an' cuz yo' tuh go blind.
Entry 7841
Dey kin take dat bow an' keep yo' wit a headache all de time. Dey odll take dat bow an' take it tuh de cemetery tuh a ole grave an' go tuh de haid of de grave an' call yore name an' bury dis dere, an' say tuh de spirit in de grave, "Why, keep dis till ah come fo' it." An' until dey come, why yo'll have de head- ache. If it's a stockin' dat's been worn, if it's a dirty sock, not one been washed, dat dirty, dat have de sweat or presparin' [perspiring] from 'er feet, don' chew undahstan', den yo' kin take dat an' take hit tuh de cemetery. An' put [it] down at de foot of de grave, not de haid but de foot, an' say tuh dat spirit: Keep dis till ah come back. An' dat puts dis woman's mind on yo'. Now, when yo' git tired of 'er, yo' have tuh go an' git it up an' throw hit in runnin' watah.