Subject:Tail
Entries
Entry 2294
If they want a man and can't control him, they kin make him shimmy-tail tea. They boil their underclothes and let him drink, and put it in his food and they say they'll have control over him. And they say it's a real fact, too. [Shimmy-tail tea is known every- where.]
Entry 4267
Anothah' way dat dey take it an' control of love wit it.
(This chamber lye.)
Kin control love wit it. An' den dey use it tuh draw a person tuh yuh. Tuh draw a pusson tuh yuh, yuh take dat an' put in it nine needles an' nine pins an' nine nails in a bottle, wit dat, jis' stop it [up]. An' drop de nails in head an' tail, de pins head an' tail, an' de needles head an' tail, callin' 'em evah time [you drop], an' make yuh wishes. An' den jis' stop de bottle up tight. Pusson apt tuh be settin' dere all alone, yuh shake dat bottle, yuh know, an' call dere name an' turn it upside down. Any place dey is, if dey ain't got de fare, dey be walkin', comin'." If dey ain't got de fare, dey try tuh be walkin' comin'.
Entry 4378
Yuh take yuh passage [excrement], yuh take dat an' stop it up in a bottle. Yuh kin take de hair offa end of a dog tail, a black dog, an' put it in dat bottle. An' squeeze dat lemon juice on it. An' it's no mo' tuh it. Yuh take dat bottle an' bury it. Yuh cain't make no passage no mo'.
Entry 4400
Take a lizard. Ah've heard 'em say yo' take a lizard an' tuh split 'im open on 'is back. An' when yo' split 'im on 'is back, take an' hang 'im up where de sun will rise on 'im. An' when de sun rise on 'im, see, when de sun is goin' up, yo' hang'im wit 'is tail up an' 'is haid down; an' dey tell me dat will turn dey bowels up so dey can't be unlocked.
(Well, how do you know what person you are working on?)
Well, yo' take an' yo' git some of dere action, an' yo' put it in dere. Put it on dis lizard, inside of 'im, de fo'wards side nex' to de sun, wit cayenne peppah on it. Yo' know, cayenne peppah draws too, it draws up, an' three drops of turpentine. An' den when yo' git dat bone, den yo' hang it up dere. An' dat lizard will dry up to nuthin but jes' dat skin. An' as long as he's hangin' up dere, why dey can't have an action. Dat's whut ah heard on dat.
Entry 4775
Jis' lak a lady want chew tuh love her. She wash yore clothes an' things, yuh see, an' when she iron yore shirt tuh de tail yuh know, don't pull de iron up, jis' push it down de length of it an' push it back. (Iron it down toward the tail?) Yes, iron it down toward de tail but don't pull de iron. Evah time yuh push it down, lift it up an' ketch aholt an' push it down lak dat. Don't nevah pull it up yuh see. Dat'll make a man go crazy about a woman an' make him stay home.
Entry 5845
I've heard people say da'choo [that you] could take a man's head - yo git a stran' of hair outa de mole [mold] of a man's head an' take a stran' of hair from yore [a woman's] head, an' put 'em togethah an' cross 'em like dat [demon- strates]. (Like that - one on top of the other.) Yeh, right dat way. An' take dem an' take a piece of 'is shirt from undahneat' 'is arm, or eithah take de tail of 'is shirt, an' cut dat off, an' wrap it up in dere, an' tie it up into a ball, an' jis'make a pocketpiece [hand] of it. An' dey say dat will keep 'im wit yeh, dat'll make 'im love yo' so he can't stay away from yo'. Wear it in yore pocketbook or wear in yore dress pocket - jis' dat yo' keep it on yoreself.
Entry 5853
If yo' have a wife dat won't stay at home, always ready tuh run off. Well, now, if yo' kin cut de hair off a dog's tail an' git chew some hair outa her haid, an' put dat hair togethah an' wrap it up in a flannel rag, an' yo' bury dat at de do'step, an' dey all of 'em stay dere. Dey won't leave.
Entry 5856
Yo' split de tail of a dog or rabbit, anythin', an' put dat person's hair on dat tail - lay it in dere, fold it an' lay it in dere, an' den sew dat tail back up an' wrap it up so dat it cain't come out. He'll grow back togethah, an' long as dat varmit livin', why dat person will be crazy minded - go tuh de 'sylum.
Entry 5875
Dey kin take two stran's of yo' an' mine hair, or eithah yores, an' ketch chew a live, any kinda fish yo' could git - git yore hand on, even dis goldfish - an' Me de tail of it an' put [the hair] in dere, an' turn it back loose tuh run in de water, an' yo' goes off as he go.
Entry 5876
Dey could run yo' prackly [practically] crazy. Dey'll go an' git, ketch a fish outa de watah, a live fish an' git a strand of thread dat nevah been used. Tie dat hair to dat thread an' pump a needle wit dat in it through dat fish tail, de end of his tail. An' carry it fo'ty or fifty miles from dere an' turn 'im loose in de watah. An' dat is a crazy man. He'll go dat way an' when yo' find 'im he'll be dataway - crazy. An' de first days aftah yo' drop dat fish down in dat watah, he's gone. But chew do's dat on de waste of de moon. (You just take a strand of the man's hair and you tie it up in a string, a piece of thread that has never been used. Then pull it through this needle and then you run this needle through the fish's tail and let the man's hair go through the fish's tail.) Yessuh.
Entry 6108
Yeah, dey kin take yore hair an' sew it up yo' know some people wear shimmy tails - sew it up in yore shimmy tail an' dey'll become tuh love yo', yo' know. [See also, SHIMMY-TAIL TEA, p.647.]
Entry 6586
Take a scorpion, jis' lak yo' wanta scorpion, yo'd have one drop of blood, an' de joint of 'is tail give it tuh 'im.
(Just one drop of blood and [from] his tail.)
Take a joint. Evah joint's a drop of blood an' evah joint of blood will make a scorpion. Yo' jis' drop one drop in dere an' give it tuh a person, well dere will come a scor- pion. Yo' have dat little thing in dere cuz ah done see 'em right in dey feets. De feets git lak dat, gits swelled up.
(Is there any way of getting those things out?)
Not unless yo' see a person, de person dat gives it tuh yo' tuh git it. Dey kin take it, but how he take it out ah wouldn't know jis' how he take it.
Entry 6588
Now yo' take a scorpion, he's poison. Now yo' got sompin ag'in me an' yo' got sompin ag'in a man on King Street. Yo' may got sompin ag'in a man on Spring Street. Well, now, ah'm de fust [first] one yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Dis man on Spring Street de secon' man yo' wanta git nex' tuh. Well, yo'll take dat SCOrpion an' kill 'im. WHEN YO' DONE KILL DAT SCORPION, YO' BRING 'IM HOME HALF LIVE. YO' AIN'T KILL 'IM ALTUHGETHAH. He half live when yo' bring 'im home, but yo' finish killin' 'im when yo' bring 'im in yore house. Aftah yo' finish killin' 'im, de last lick yo' hit 'im yo' know yo' goin' kill 'im, yo' goin' call mah name. Yo' call mah name. Ah'm yore enemy. Ah'm yore dead [deadly] enemy. Ah'm de one yo' Wants tuh git nex' tuh altuhgethah. But when yo' kill dat scorpion an' call mah name, ah'm goin' take sick. Now dat man ovah heah on Spring Street, yo' goin' call 'is name by dat scorpion's tail. Yo' goin' cut dat scorpion's tail off jis' about dat much [demonstrates]. Well, yo' goin' tuh hold dat scorpion an' yo' wrap dat wit silk thread, silk thread. An' [as] yo' hit it, yo' cast it in yore yard an' say, "Go, yo' bastard, yo'." An' he's gone.
(And would it do anything to the person living on King Street, then?)
Dat man on King Street goin' work wit me.
Entry 6612
Ah heard 'em say yo' kin take an' ketch a blacksnake an' cut 'is head, yo' know, an' hang 'em up by de tail an' let dat blood drip in somepin. Put it in a bottle an' lak if yore frien's come roun', anybody come, yore frien's or prob'- ly yore enemies too, an' if yo' don' lak 'em, an' lak if yo' have a li'le coffee at dinnah or somepin lak dat, yo' put a li'le bit dat on dere cup an' dat will kill 'em instan'ly.
(What?)
De snake will kill 'em.
Entry 6613
Git a snake an' put a snake in yo'. Dey kin go ketch a snake an' kill it, cut 'is head off an' hang 'im on de limb [of a tree] by de tail. Tie a string aroun' 'is tail an' hang 'im up an' put a tin cup or tin plate undah 'im an' ketch 'is blood. Let 'im bleed in dat tin plate or tin cup, whutevah it is. Now dey take dat blood an' dey kin put dat blood intuh yore food or somepin tuh drink; or dey kin let dat blood dry until it comes jis' tuh a hard powdah. Dey kin sprinkle it in yore shoes. An' de perspiration from yore feet will such up de strength of dat blood an' cuz yore body tuh attract dat, an' it will go all through de body an' kill de body. An' it will be crawlin' jis' undah de skin, all about, mostly from de point where dey entered. Depends upon how long it is when it gits in de stomic an' come on up. An' he'll choke yo' tryin' tuh come on up.
Entry 6614
If you walk upon [meet] a snake or lizard, catch him, don't kill him, hang him up by his head with a string around his neck. Cut off the top [tip] of his tail, and put a bowl right under his tail and catch his blood, dry it. You have to catch all of this blood until he is dead. Then you take him and lay him up on a dry place and dry him. His bones and his flesh, after it gets dry, you powder it up. You take this and this blood and mix it, and they put it down for you. They'll dig a hole in front of your door and put this in that hole and call the Lord's Name: Lord, Jesus Christ, His Namesake. You fill it up, take three steps backward, and say: Now, I've got you; that will hold you, that will take you away to an unknown world. When he comes along and steps over that, he's gone. [Fredericksburg, Va., by Ediphone.]
Entry 6649
[Similar to rattlesnake rattles we have the whole tail:] If yo' git up tuh a person an' [can] cut off dis rattlesnake's tail an' put it in some whiskey an' give it tuh someone else, in dat bottle of whiskey, an' let 'em drink dis whiskey, dat'll cuz de snake tuh be in 'em. [Let the tail soak in a bottle of whiskey, take it out, and then let someone drink the whiskey.]
Entry 6656
Whilst doin' dat, somebody gota go tuh de country an' git a he an' a she moccasin snake.
(Moccasin snake?)
Moccasin snake an' lays 'em head tuh tails, puts 'em down undah - buries 'em in de north cornah.
(North corner of what?)
Of de fence - right down undah de fence, undah a sill lak dis an' den...:
(Do they bury this under a sill or under a fence out in the yard?)
Out in de yard. It's nobody dat knows it dere but dem. It lays dere nine mawnin's an' dey'll begin to molt. Yo' go dere de nex' nine mawnin's an' turn 'em ovah, an' let 'em lay dere anothah nine mawnin's. After dat is ovah, dem nine maw- nin's, evah time dey touch 'em dey makes a oath. Dey goes dere den an' gits de snakes an' cuts de head off an' puts dem heads tuhgethah an' put 'em up ovah de do'sill an' let 'em dry - make an oath - lay 'em up there an' let 'em dry. Then they gets dry good, they crumbles them up right fine an' gets a powder - beats 'em up fine. Then they take 'em an' put 'em in a bag. Well, enybody they want, they go an' gets de dust of de snake head an' sprinkle it in whatever they gives 'em - they gives a party of some kind, an' they wants to go tuh, they gives it to 'em in somethin' to drink.
(What will that do to them then?)
Kill'em. [Richmond, Va., (?), 380:2. A similar method for killing with graveyard dirt is given by same informant in 300: l&3.]
Entry 7000
[One of these catfish-blood rites to make a person stop drinking whis- key tells us: de female catfish min'strates lak a woman evah munt - see p.1869, lines 11-20, v.3.] Well, yo' kin take a man dat drinkin' whiskey all de time, why yo' kin ketch a live catfish any time, an' yo' jis' cut 'im right 'crost 'is tail or somepin-lak or anythin'. An' den let de blood drop right down in a bottle an' puh [pour] de whiskey in it, an' shake it up an' give it tuh 'im, an' let 'im drink an' he'll vomit. If yo' keeps dat up fo' a while, an' evah time he drinks it'll make him sick an' prob'ly break 'im off from drinkin'. Evah time yo' do dat, it'll make him sick.
(I see.)
Entry 7003
Well, she go tuh a market where she kin buy a catfish, a small-size cat. Bring 'im home an' wash 'im off nice an' clean. Split 'im on both sides of 'is tail about a inch an' a half down tuh de end of 'is tail. Hol' a saucah, a white saucah undah dere an' let de blood drip in dere. Git 'im a half a pinta whiskey an' put dat in de whiskey an' put it where he kin drink it. An' he'll nevah tech no mo' as long as he live, an' ah'll guarantee he won't.
Entry 7045
Take a fish - take a mullet fish tail an' anybody drinkin' likkah... (A mullet fish?) Yes sir, take de tip end of de tail, an' take a black string an' tie it roun' dat tail, an' put it in a bottle of whiskey. An' let it set all night an' let it 'solve [dissolve] an' take it out. An' anybody git a drink of dat, dey won't drink any mo - stop 'em from drinkin'.
Entry 7684
Yo' go tuh a - if somebody troublin' yo' an' yo' jis' want 'em tuh git in trouble, see. Yo' go tuh a sinnah - yo' gotta know somebody wuz a wicked sinnah an' got killed - yo' see, a gamblah. Yo' go tuh 'is haid an' dig down about wrist deep. An' put three pen- nies dere an' jis' tell it - jis' lak yo' talkin' tuh in - jis' lakyo' know'im, say, "so- an'-so-an'-so, ah wan' chew tuh go tuh Such-an'-such-a-one an' give dem hell, jis' give dem hell. Wham! Fight 'em, make 'em fight. Make 'em kill if it's necessary." An' yo' put de pennies dere. Kivah [cover] de hole up an' go off. Walk off an' nevah look back. Yo' take dat graveyard dirt an' yo' ketch yore dog an' cut some hair off de end of 'is tail, see. All right, yo' ketch chew a ket [cat]. Yo' cut some hair off 'is haid an' 'is tail. An' yo' take dat dog an' cut jis' a li'le bit of hair out 'is fo'haid. Yo' git some of dis urinate, see. All right yo' git yo' some red peppah, table salt, put wit dat. An' yo go by where dem people stay an' jis' tell 'em [dirt and its ingredients] what chew want 'em do wit it. An' throw it.] Don't evah look back, keep goin'. An yo' ain't goin' be a minute off fo' yo' see 'em raisin' Sam [Sam = devil]. Dey goin' move from dere. Aftah while dey goin' move from dat state.
(That is to run them out of there, run them away.)
Dat's tuh run 'em away. Dat's hard tuh ovahcome. Now ah heah'n [heard] a man tell dat an' ah seen it work. See, fo' a fact he used tuh git me tuh go by dere sometime an' throw it dere. Dis ole Doctor Bush.
Entry 8855
[Yo' do this] wit nine needles. An' if ah'm gone an' yo' wanta heah from me an' yo' wanta break me up from where ah'm at, yo' take nine needles an' yo' take a piece of papah. Yo' evah hear'd of dis parchment papah? (I understand.) All right. Yo' take dat parch- ment papah an' write my name on it. Write Emmaline Williams on it, yo undah- stand, an' stick a needle all.de'long [along] in dere. An' yo' stick one dis way an' one dat way, one upside down an' one straight down.
(One with the head up and one with the head down Alternate them?)
[Often with needles or pins called heads and tails.]
Yes, zigzag. Yo' put dem in a lettah an' say, "Ah wish, ah wish, ah wish, tuh God, if dis lettah reach 'er, an' will tear 'er from wheresomevah she be's." Dat will bring 'em.
(You don't send the letter?)
Yassuh, yo' send it to 'em. Yo' see, yo' don't leave 'em out in public. Yo' take anothah piece of papah an' put ovah dat parchment papah, yo' undahstan'.
Entry 9096
Well, if yo' gotta go over there to meet a case an' yo' wanta miss de case, yo' gotta go in de woods. Aftah yo' git in de woods, yo' git yo' a lizard. MY GRANDMOTHER WAS A TWO-HEADED PERSON an' dat an' she know a whole lot about dat Yo' go git yo' a lizard. Aftah yo' get dat lizard, see yo' take its palate out. Yo' take its palate out. (Out of his mouth?) Out of 'is mouth. Jes' take 'is pal- ate out. Aftah yo' take its palate out, then jes' cut 'bout de tip-end of its tail off. Aftah yo' git his palate out an' de tip-end of his tail off, den, why yo' take some watah dey call glucose [or bluecose] watah.
(Glucose?)
Glucose. Glucose, yo' could mix it up, yo' could mix it up yoreself. Dey sell dat at de Crackerjack Drug Store [in New Orleans].
(Oh! You mix it up. What's it made out of?)
Yo' make it up. Yo' git some watah an' yo' mix about dis much of it. It's jes' like a blue pencil-like, yo' know. [He is talking about bluestone.] But aftah yo' put so much amount of watah in it, it come to liquor-lak, yo' know.
(What's the blue stuff called?)
Called bluecose [= bluestone].
(Bluecose?)
Yes. Yo' see, it come to a liquor-lak, yo' see. Aftah it come to a liquor, an' den yo' just put it in, de day dey try yo'.
(What do you do with that?)
Yo' got de lizard's palate.
(And this little piece of his tail? Now, what do you do with that?)
Yo' put dat in the bluecose [bluestone] watah, aftah yo' done mix it up, an' set it undah de steps. Aftah yo' set it undah de steps, dat's de only way I kneu make yo' miss de case.
(Under what step do you put that?)
Undah de jail-house steps.
(I see, I see.)
Some one gotta set it undah dere fo' yo'.
Entry 9904
Well, you take a frog, you take you a nail, or take a knife and peg him down alive jes' like that with a peg right at your house. Take some sugar and just sprinkle it good, you see. The worms, the ants and things will eat all the flesh off it. And after they eat all the flesh off it, you will find a forked bone at the back tail of it. Then you take that oil of clover, van van and fast luck, see. Now you take that and sew them together and make you a little bag, and put it in your pocketbook. But that fast luck. you must keep a little bit out when you going out, on the side, and scrape in your hand like this [demonstrates]. That gives you gambling hand; power in gamb- ling.
(Is fast luck a liquid or a powder?)
That's lickrish [liquid]. When you put it on your hand it burns shoe [burns you]. Now, when you look at it, when you put it on your hand and rub it, you see that curl up, sort of yellowish. It gives you satisfaction.
Entry 10133
Boil black cat, third joint from his tail bone will float to top, only bone that comes to top. [Richmond, Va., 386:3.]
Entry 10134
[Well, jis' say fo' instance if yo' had done kilt a man or somepin lak dat, well now heah's [what you do]. If de road goin' no'th an' so'th - well, prob'ly if it's goin' east an' west. Well, [demonstrates] heah come de mainline road comin' down heah. All right, heah come two fo'ks comin' intuh de mainline road right chere. (Making a big "Y".) Yeah. Well, now, dis man - if yo' done kilt a man an' don' want 'em tuh hahm yo', yo' ketch yuh a black ket an' yo' cut 'bout, well yo' may say about three inches of his tail off. Well, when yo' git tuh de fo'ks of dis road - now, mind yo' now, dis is de mainline road comin' down heah. If dat's a pale [dirt?] road, if it's goin' east an' west, or eithah no'th an' so'th; well, now, if dat's a hard road or concrete road, yo' step right back tuh de right. Now, yo' git de undahstandin'. Yo' come when yo' get tuh de fo'ks of dis road, yo' go right back tuh de right. Back back, don't go fahwards. Yo' go right back six feet from de hard road, jis' backwards. Well, right down dere yo' dig jis' about a half a-feet an' bury dat black ket tail right dere, an' complete de Lord's word, say, "Fathah, stan' by." All right. Now listen. Now, yo' do dat an' - don' go back dere de nex' mawn- in'. Let it be roun' about three or fo' 'clock, but don' go back dere de nex' mawnin'. Come back de third mawnin' an' do dat same thing, jis' back back - yo' ain't gotta bothah dat tail - jis' back back six feet [from the road] an' say, "Fathah, stan' by." Well, yo' do dat three days in a week, until nine mawnin's. Evahthin' will be all right. (That is, the law won't track you or won't get you. Now, you [I] do that this morning, then I wait three mornings before coming back, or I wait only two morn- ings. before coming back?) Now, de firs' mawnin' yo' go, when yo' put it down dere de firs' mawnin', don' go back de nex' mawnin' but go back de nex' mawnin' [the morning after the next morning] yo' undahstan'. De firs' mawnin' yo' bury it down dere. Well, de nex' mawnin', de second, don' go back de secon' mawnin', but go back de third mawnin' yo' undahstan'.
(Then you don't go back the fourth morning?)
De fo'th mawnin' an' den de fit' mawnin' an' - now don' go back no mo' dat week. Jis' go three days in de week. Jis' go three days in de week until nine [days]. See, three an' three is six an' three's nine.
(It takes you three weeks to do that, then?)
Jis' put it in in three weeks, yessuh. (You only go there three times in one week and then you have to wait until another week.) Anothah week an' den de next week.
(You leave that black cat tail there?)
Yeah, jis' let it stay right dere.
Entry 10860
When I was gambling, I always would get me a jet black cat and I would stroke his tail seven times with the hand I was going to gamble with, before I went to the game. (The hand you use? Do you mean the little bag or your own hand?) My own hand, yes. (Oh, your own hand.) Yes, if I was going to use my left hand most in the game, I would stroke it seven times with my left hand, and if I was going to use my right hand, I'd use my right hand. But so far as me being fixed or anything, I never have been. Nothing Was wrong with me but once, and everbody said that I was fixed.
Entry 10862
Take a cat hair, clip it off de end of his tail, if yo' got a wife dat's runnin' about an' yo' Want her tuh stay home. Yo' take an' bury it in de middle of de house an' she'll always stay round in de house. Yo' bury it down underneath de house in de ground. She will always stay round in de house. [As I have explained many times, these low- land houses are raised off the ground, a person can crawl under them. This is also a quincunx rite, a central or fifth point among four other points or cor- ners: see 9467 where mattress has 4 corners and the center has a salt bag; and No.9487 where salt is in 4 corners and the center is 2 sticks crossed - an un- usual quincunx! etc.l [Fayetteville, N. Car. (1415), 2549:7.]
Entry 10863
Cut hair from black cat's tail, mix with black pepper, if un- desired visitor comes, burn this on stove, won't come back; also keeps law away. [Norfolk, Va., 476:6.]
Entry 10865
Take de hair from a cat - hair from a cat an' salt an' throw it in a room an' start fusses an' fights in a room, but yo' supposed tuh git it from undah his tail.
Entry 10869
You see, you take the cat's hair. (Where from?) Off her tail. (Off her tail, I see.) You take the cat hair off her ail and you see, you scrape this [demonstrates] but you scrape off four of 'en.
(Four corners of the table?) [The work table between us.]
Off the table. And you wrap it up in a little piece of [meat?] skin amd yoo yary that up under the back step. That's if you got a cat and done like it and nt it to stay home.
Entry 10873
Well, de hair from a black cat - a real black cat dat ain't got no white spot on him. Yo' know a black bone is lucky. Well, now, yo' tote dat in yore pocket in a gamblin' game. Git de hair from under de fo' laigs. (Under the four legs? Each one of the four. Each one of de fo' laigs.
(The hair from this black cat?)
Dat's right. An' dey tell me yo' go right behin' his ear an' pull it out, an pull it to yo', an' clip it from each one of his ears.
(Each one of his ears. Do you cut off the hair or the ears?)
Cut de hair.
(Cut the hair from each ear?)
From behin' each ear, an' de tip-end of his tail. An' dey tell me yo' kin do anythin' yo' wanta do.
(Well, what do you do with that hair after you fix it up?)
Fix it up, jes' keep it in yore pocket. Yo' wouldn't need to have no big bag, jes' a little small bag. Have it in yore pocketbook, jes' lak yo' goin' tuh git in a big poker game - a big gamblin' game.
Entry 10876
Ah heered people say tuh ketch a black cat, hold him back of his neck an' strip yore han' down de tail seven times an' count 'em, an' throw him from yo' an' cuss at him, an' don't look back at him. An' dat as good a luck fo' work as a man could do. (Well, after you have done this with the cat, then what do you do?) After ah throwed de cat away, yo' [ah] cuss at him. Why zh'd git out an' go an' ask some man fo' a job, an' ah would be lucky enough to git a job by dat.
Entry 10878
Yo' take a black cat, de same cat yo' got de [lucly] bope [froa]. Yo take dat hair an' yo' tie it up. Yo' gotta tie it in a rag an' yo' wear it in yore shirttail. When yo' wear it in yore shirttail, yo' kin conker anybody. (You get the hair from the top of his tail?) Right from de top of his tail, right from de butt of his tail. (And the man will give you a job?) "Cause him tuh give yo' a job or yo' kin git anything that chew want.
Entry 10880
Heah's anothah instan' [instance]. Yo' kin take a black cat an' cut some of de hair from right undah his tail. Well, yo' take some Hearts Cologne or eithah whiskey. Well, yo' bury it. Yo' taked dat cat hair an' yo' sew it up, put it wit dat whiskey. But chew bettah, if yo' kin git any part of her undahweah, or if it's a man, any of his clothes, yo' kin make 'em go like dat. Jes' bring it right back dere an' jes' drop it right in de yard, any place dat he kin walk ovah it. Or eithah yo' kin git some of dere dirt. Jes' watch hin an' whenevah he come out - man or woman - git some of de dirt of one of de shoe where he track ovah an' mix dat. Mix it in wit dat hair. Yo' kin make 'em move out de house like dat. (This cat hair - suppose you are driving me away - you get some of my hair and the cat's hair and put this in some of my clothes and put it out where I can walk over it. That's to drive me away?) Dat's to drive you away. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2002:8.]
[Two cylinders later informant returns to black cat hair:]
Ah always heah 'em say keep dat same black cat hair, keep it round yore place an' keep it wet in vinegah - ah mean in Hearts Cologne or good whiskey - dat black hair. Keep it round yore place. Tell me dat's lucky fo' yore business.
(How do you get that black cat hair?)
Why, yo' ketch a black cat, any black cat, an' jes' cut de hair from undah his tail or his belly part. [Brunswick, Ga., (1188), 2004:11.]
Entry 10884
If you want to break up a person, you kin take the dog hair, you know; like the bristles of cat's neck. You know, where bristles up, you understand. Where she bris- tles up back there. And then oa the dog's tail you cut out some hair, like if you Wanta break up a person. And you take and put that stuff together and puts some salt and some cayenne pep- per with it. And you write their name down 9 times. And you go and throw it in the fire, you say, "I wan' choo to fuss, fight and bust up: In the Name of the Lord." That's wha' choo do with that dog hair and that cat hair and things. Or else you kin take doze things, the cat hair and that, and you kin take it, you kin make a fuss in the home. You kin break up a person. Put the sugar and cay- enne pepper with it. You kin throw it all through the house, under the house.
Entry 10887
Take de hair out of a dog hair an' de hair out of a cat tail, or eit- her git it out of one of 'em's tail an' de other out one of dere haid - either one of dem animals. Yo' kin git dat an' put it together, an' when yo' put it together, yo' put it an' makes a ball of it. But den yo' wanta put it - yo' jes' have de least little bit of peppah in it, any kinda peppah, an' yo' make dat ball with a string to it. Put de string lak dat, but yo' take de biggest part of it now - chew git dat cat hair an' dat dog hair an' yo' put it in a piece of cloth an' den yo' git three pods of rat manure, an' yo' put dem in an' sew it up together. Yo' make dat ball together an' yo' kin come roun' - if it mah pump or mah bucket or any- thing, an' den yo' dump it in dere three times. An' den yo' throw it away. Dat'll broke us up fo' life, won't.enjoy life no mo'. Ah see dat done.
(You are supposed to go out and'drink that water?)
It jes' make us fall out fo'evah.
(If you drink the water?)
Entry 10889
There Was another boy fell in love with her and she did with him and I went a trying to break 'em up. I goes and gets me dere lef' - a handful of dr dirt out of de lef' track from her and a handful of dirt out of his. I moxes doze two toget- her. I goes and gits me a dog, and I goes and gits me a cat, and I cuts de tip end off of each one of them's tail. I mixes them together with that sand all out of each one of doze tracks. I t'rows dem into a fire stove. I says, "Cats and dogs can't get along together, I'll be damn if you all shall." And it worked, broke dem right up.
Entry 10916
Heard dem say if folks wanta give you bad luck, dey kin go to grave- yard and git graveyard dust. And they kin take - and dey kin git some hair off a dog's back and cut de hair off a black cat's tail, and bury it under yore door, and dat will give you bad luck. (All those things together?) Suah [sir], all dem together and tie dem in a sack and put it under yo' door and give yo' bad luck.
Entry 10933
Like a man is a heavy drinker. You go to the river and catch you a catfish and git home with him as quick as you can, before he dies. Now, buy gin, wine - whaever he drinks. And take a knife and put it in that catfish's tail and hold him up and let three drops of blood drop in that whiskey or wine, whatever you [he] drink. And shake it up and put there for you [him] when you [he] come. Now when you drink this, it's goin' to make you sick. It make yo' so sick it'll almost kill yo'. And it'll give yo' no more taste for liquor.
Entry 10936
Write de name nine times on a piece of parchment [paper] and you take it to de water and throw it in de water. And den you take a live catfish and take his tail and cut de tail [cut piece of fin off]. And write de nane of dis Person and put it on - cut de tail of de fish and put de paper in de catfish sooth, but it must be done when de fish live. And de tail of de fish and de name dat is wrote on dis piece of parchment nine times and take it to de swift running water and throw it away and dey will leave. (I didn't understand how you do that. You put this in a live catfish?) Yes, get de fish live and you cut de tail off. To cut off piece of tail fin keeps fish from steering itself; in like manner victim wanders about aimlessly.] Den you write de name nine times of de person which you wanta leave - on parch- ment [paper] nine times. Put it in de mouth and take it to de deep water and throw it away, and don't look at it [turn your back]. Let de fish go. And you'll visualize it. Den you'll jest see 'em going.
(What about the tail of the fish?)
Put dat down in de mouth, too.
Entry 10960
Dey use de chicken's blood fo' evilness, but now, it's somepin else dat dey have tuh use wit it. Dey takes chicken blood an' writes people's name wit it. Dey have tuh use a feathah. Dey take de feathah out of de chickens tail. Take an' write a person's name wit chicken's blood an' kill 'em. Why yo' uses dat feathah fo' yore pencil an' yo' kin write dere name in de fo' cornahs on anything an' fold de fo' cornahs, jes' lak dat. Why dat gives 'em a awful mind. If it don't kill 'em it will jes' [have] dem passin' away all de time. (What do you do with that paper then, after it has those names on it?) Take dat papah aftah yo' put dat name on it an' bury it in undah dey do'steps or any place wit dat chicken blood on it. Yo' write dey name wit de chicken's blood, dey perfect [full] name fo' times on de fo' cornahs of dat papah, an' fold it an' bury it undah dere do'steps or undah yores, any- body's elses. It don't make any diff'rence jes' since it's in de earth. An' as dat chicken blood passes away, why it gives yo' success. Dey cain't stay any place.
Entry 11020
If you wanta break up individuals - you has chickens in de yard and you wanna break up a woman an' a man. You feed de chickens and you ketch hold de rooster's tail, pull a feather out of dat. He fly away and you ketch his tail, you know. You call de pus- son name and say, "Yah big so-and-so from so-and-so, " you understand, dat break de man away.
(You say that as the rooster flies away. You pull the feather out.)
Yo' git hold dat feather and say, "Break up so-and-so with so-and-so." If yo' wanna break a woman loose from a man, you pull de feather out of a hen.
Entry 11158
Now, I have heard that you can take a piece of devil's-shoestring; that is, you take the root. Some calls it the lady slipper, some calls it lady's tail: that's because the flow- er [blossom] looks like a tail [the orifice of the vagina]. And you can take that, the root, and put it in whiskey or cologne. You put this liquid in your hand and you rub it over the woman some place, and you can handle that woman whatever way you please. [Hoodoo and root doctors normally used the word devil's-shoestring as a singular. If I have iden- tified the plant correctly, botanists have named it Tephrosia virginiana - com- monly called catqut, a good description of its qualities - qoats-rue and wild sweet pea. This plant of eastern North America, especially in the South, is a herb almost prostrate with long wiry roots. The flowers are yellowish purple.]
[Berlin, Md., by Ediphone.]
Entry 11291
[In addition to the following material, there are other dog rites scattered throughout HOODOO, especially in that long group of cats-and-dogs together, 49 rites: No.10881, P.4087 to No.10930, p.4096, v.5.] Git chew a stick, cut off de length of dog; nose, tail an' all - de measure of his body. Dis little bunch [of hair] de end of his tail, cut dis end of hair, tail [hair] off altogether an' take it an' bury it undah de do'steps. An' dey say yo' take de dog an' lead him outa town, give him 'way tuh somebody or tie him off [away somewhere]. Dem peoples will leave [town].
(That will make that person leave - out of town.)
(If I wanted you to leave town, I would get a stick. Any kind of a stick?)
A hickory stick, a green one. (A green hickory stick and I would measure that dog - any dog, no matter who it belonged to. I would measure this dog from the tip of it's nose, down to the tip of it's tail, and would cut the stick off just that length. I would cut off the hairs of the tail. Then I would take this dog out of town and tie it some place. Then I would bury this stick and this hair under your doorstep, and that Would make you leave town?) Yessuh.
Entry 11292
Take a piece outa black dog's tail an' yo'll take some dirt [including soot] outa de back of de chimley where yo' find dese ole clay chimleys. Take some dirt outa de back of a chimley an' den yo' put dat. If yo' be fortunate enough to git some of dey watah an' put it wit dat dog tail an' dat clay outa de backa dat chimley, an' bury at dey's do'step - at dey do'step. Den, ah don't care how bittah enemies dey been to yo' or whatsomevah dey've been like dat tryin' to up [to be upish, superior], yo' kin bring dem down to yuh command. Dat makes dem make friends wit yo', make any kinda bad enemies friends. Ah've heard dat 'bout de black dog tail an' dat chimley dirt an' a little bit of [their] urine [sometimes ureene but chamber lye vas still the usual word]. It'll make a friend. Put at dey do'step.
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 11299
If yo' have a little dog of some sort, cut dis dog tail off [hair from tail?] an' burn it. An' git chew some gunpowder an' some gasoline an' burn it [hair up. An' take de ashes an' carry it dere. Set it dere - don't let no one see - by night. Throw it in dere front do' an' go off on by. Dey never will wanta live dere any mo'.
(What do you do that for?)
Dat's to run 'em out from dere. (Run them out of the house, to cause confusion in the home, chase them out so they finally break up.
Entry 11310
Lak ah'd give yo' a houn' dog an' yo' want him tuh stay home, jes' take an' cut off about dat much of his - de tip end of his tail. Ah've done dis. An' cut a little of his bristles right between his shoulders an' carry it back home an' bury it under de steps. He'll stay home.
Entry 11311
Yo' kin take de dog hair - jes' lak if yo' want de dog to stay home. Yo' takes de hair off his - clip de hair off his tail an' yo' puts it undah de do'step, an' that would make the dog stay home or de cat.
Entry 11314
Take a dog's hair if he's bad - mean, cut off de end of his tail an' bury it right down to de do'step, an' he'll be all right.
Entry 12579
"Yo' git chew two pennies if it happen dat chure place of business got two do's to it. An' yo' take an' - take one penny an' go to yore back do' an' stick a hole in it [door or coin?] an' turn de haid - or turn de tails up. See, tail it up. Den at chure front do' den, yo' take an' turn de haid in [looking into place of business]. An' dey say dat will keep de law away, see, den, from bothering yo' place of business.
(On the back door the tail is up and on the front door the head is up.)
Entry 13079
Ah've heard dis. Yo' kin jes' run a black- snake down or ketch hin 'live an' cut his tail off. An' take it [tip of tail and blood] an' put it in a bottle of Hearts Cologne an' hit'll make yo' as good a jomoh as yo' want.
(That's for luck.)
Entry 13080
Ah've heard dat yo' kin take a snake, ketch a snake an' git about a... If yo' kin, jes' take de teeny end off a snake tail - de sharp end. Dat lil' point end, de tail end. Yeah, clip it off. An' den yo' put dat on de dice yo' carry in yo pocket. An' yo' carry dat lil' tail-end of dat king snake tail with dose dice.
(You get this though from a king snake.)
From de king snake. Dat's conkerin' all othah snakes. Dat's de king of all snakes.
Entry 13084
Take dat hair [from an enemy]. An' dey take dat hair an' put it in a blacksnake tail. Ketch a live blacksnake an' put it in his tail an' turn dat blacksnake loose, an' jes' as fur as dat black- snake goes, yo'll [the enemy] go too. Yo'll [enemy will] follow dat blacksnake. [This could be my only example of this unusual rite.]