Subject:Together
Entries
Entry 2493
Now, this what you do if you want the house rented. You gotta use immaterials.
(Immaterials?)
What you call immaterials - prob'bly draw it by yourself - with 360 degrees of a person's mind to yourself. Then, you get what is called fast luck, [that's] No. 1. You get cinnamon, that's 2. Get oil of clover. (Oil of cloves or clover?) Yes, clover. (Oil of clover, yes.) You get these things together and you mops from front to back - not from back to front, start at the front. Get some woman to mop it from front to back, the corners and all round, and then you get you what they call Get Together. I ain't got none of it with me now. But it's a powder they call Get Together and Never Part Powder.
(What kind?)
Never Part.
(Never Part Powder.)
Yes. You take these things and you sprinkle all round that hall. Take the [something] of the immaterial spirit, like someone look like they was 'tracted by - more than anywhere else - by your place of business would be mor e'tractive to them than anywhere else, and they come and rent that place.
(I see.) [Did I?]
Entry 3313
Now, yo' kin take dis heah man havin'a intahco'se wit a woman. Well, she wanta make him be so dat he won't have no one else but 'er. She kin take his socks an' take it an' git some of 'is watah an' mix it. An' she take his sock an' put it in dere, wad it in dere. An' when he gits 'sleep at night she take an' rub - rub 'is thing wit dat sock an' he can't have no intahco'se wit no one but 'er.
(Use either sock?)
Eithah sock - take ary [either] one of 'is socks.
(Does she rub it any particular way?)
[Informant does not understand my question and evidently does not know.]
Put it in dat chambah watah an' let it stay in dere three days. She take it out an' she put some Hearts Cologne on it an' vinegar. An' she take it when he sleep at night an' she rub it on 'im, rub it on 'is private. Dat'll gain 'im. When he put de sock back on, he can't have no one but 'er.
Entry 3571
Yo' could measure him to keep from bein' wit anothah woman, but heah's whut chew gotta do. Yo' could take a simple thing as a piece of cord - whut chew tie a package wit - an' measure it down [not up] his thing an' knot it nine times in each little space. [Keep the knots close together.] Knot dat cord nine times an' keep it tied roun' yore waist. An' he couldn't raise a heart fo' no othah woman.
Entry 3835
Well, yo' could take some of de man's blood an' some of de woman's blood an' wrap it up. Jes' take some of it in a rag, of each one of 'em's blood, an' wrap it up an bury it up undah de house, anywhere up undah de house, an' dem people will stay togethah until de' die.
(Who would do this?)
Anyone.
Entry 4111
An' dey say if she kin git a man's watah, if she take dat watah right aftah de man's had action an' GOT 'IS BLOOD MIXED WIT IT[!!!] she kin handle 'i wit it. She kin mix 'er watah an' 'is watah tuhgethah an' give it tuh 'im tuh eat, an' she keep 'im from goin' hithah - from goin' anywhere 'cept comin' home. Mix 'em tuhgethah. Give it tuh 'im tuh drink in drinks.
Entry 4297
Well, dere's some piece of yuh [a man's] clothes she kin git an' wash 'em tuhgethah wit hers, an' take de suds offa dat watah an' she kin stop it up in a bottle. An' she kin take a little bit of it, an' if she kin git a holt of a little bit of 'is urine, an' she kin git dat an' stop it up in dere, shut it up tight, purtty soon he'll come back.
Entry 4790
When a person wanta quit chew - if a woman's goin' wit a man an' he's tryin' tuh quit 'er, ah know how she kin git 'im back. Well, when he leaves git his - she'll go on back an' git 'is undahweah an' yo' know a little ravel comes right down heah - yo' know, a seam down de front. Yes- suh, yuh know dat whut sewed down de front.
(From the front of the breast all the way down?)
Yessuh. Well, she ravel dat thread from heah on down an' git 'er two new nails about dat long [demonstrates].
[I begin to describe informant's demonstrations.]
(About four inches long.)
Dat's it, about lak dat. An' she wrap dat. An' as she wrap it [demonstrates], jis' wrap it an' let it come down, wrap it an' let it come down. (She wraps a circle [with the ravel] around the nail and then she goes down to the bottom of the nail.) Yessuh, but yuh let it come [demonstrates]: Jis' as she wrap it, let it come down between dat until it git tuh de bottom - between de two nails. (She wraps these two nails together and the next time she goes between the two nails, and then she wraps them together, and then she comes down between the two nails again.) Yessuh. An' den she takes dose nails an' bury 'em at de do'steps an' he'll stay dere. [These two nails represent the man and woman. They are.held together by weav- ing, a magic-action rite. The head of the nail should be up, the head of the other down.]
(He won't leave her?)
Nossuh.
Entry 4817
Lak yuh'd wanta make two mens fight, fall out chew know. If yuh could git a string of each one's shirttail an' tie it tuhgethah, dey'll have a fuss an' fight.
(These two men would.)
Entry 4839
Take a scissors an' cut a piece of a man's undahshirt, undah heah, undah 'is arm, eithah arm, an' cut a small piece out of de crutch [crotch] of 'is drawahs an' pin dat tuhgethah an' lay it undah de haid of yer mattress. An' if he's a man dat run out an' don' lak tuh stay at home wit 'is wife, he'll begin tuh start tuh stayin' home evah night an she cain't make him go lessen [unless] she go wit 'i. [New Orleans, La., (1566) 2870.
Entry 4840
Take a piece of yore garment dat yuh wear nex' tuh de skin. All right, take a piece of yore undahshirt, place it wit dat piece of garment dat chew have. Yuh undahstan', fasten it [them] tuhgethah, so dat it will stay tuh- gethah - jis' stay tuhgethah. See, yuh an' 'er is man an' wife. Yuh all is supposed tuh stay tuhgethah. See, den keep dat secret. Don't let 'er know yuh got it, yuh undahstan'. Yuh see, don't let 'er know yuh got it, see. An' dat, yuh undahstan', will cuz 'er attention tuh turn tuh yuh.
Entry 4948
Yuh kin take a man's socks, tie both of 'em tuhgethah an' wear 'em aroun' yore waist, a woman kin, an' dat he'ps 'er tuh hold a man.
Entry 5039
Stockin's or socks, why yuh know, yuh kin take dose so socks tuhgethah - tie 'em tuh- gethah undahstan', his socks an' hers, too. An' place dem by de bed, yuh see, up on de edge of de bed. An' dat will gain love right on, jis' 'solve[dissolve ' tm tuhgethah, too.
(That is to keep him there?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5042
Den dey take de worn stockin' - change de stockin's an' den dey take de stockin's an' put 'em in a bundle in de mattress, yuh know. An' yuh put dem stockin's an' tie it tight dataway - tie two stockin's tuhgethah an' yuh put it in de middle of yore bed, undah de sheet of de bed. De stock- in' will be up heah. An' den dey'll have ah - dey'll put some strings in dere. Dey'll have a string tied. An' dey draws a pitchure of dereself wit a pencil. Ah seed [saw] a woman do dat mahself. Ah know she done dis. She takes a pencil an' she draws. Ah don' know what pitchure she did draw, but she'll take dat sock an' she'll put it down dere. An' she'll take dat thing dat she draws an' she'll put undah dat same place. An' dat man cain't leave her.
(You don't know what she draws on there?)
No, she won't let me see dat.
Entry 5084
Now, if ah wanta git chure influence, ah take mah stockin' an' lay it down - mine. [On her side of the interviewing table she begins to demonstrate by spreading out an imaginary stocking and sock, as I comment:]
(Flat down.)
An' put chures on top.
(And put one of mine on top. Just one of each?)
Jis' one of each.
(Which one would they take?)
[My they may be an attempt to avoid the guinea pig situation.]
De right. Den yuh rolls dis back, mine on top - roll it back [to you] an' turn it ovah.
(Do you roll it from you or away from you?)
Tuh me. Den aftah yuh rolls it tuh yuh, yuh take it den an' wet it in chamber lye an' put it intuh a close place where nobody will bothah it - nobody kin find it. Yuh keep it damp. No mattah what chew wanta do or what chew wanta say, or how yuh want dis person tuh do, dey will do it. Dat will control dere mind.
Entry 5089
Take yore shoes an' cuz yuh tuh fix 'em tuh keep yuh home, keep yuh from driftin' from pillah tuh post.
(How would they do that with your shoes?)
AH HAVE WELL EXPERIENCE OF KEEPIN' YORE MIND TUHGETHAH WIT SHOES. Yuh gO tuh de store an' git yuh a box of cinnamon an' a box of allspice. Take-a ole pair of shoes dat yuh have worn, if a person's mind have been drifted so dat dey cain't stay tuhgethah, an' take de cinnamon an' all- spice an' sugar, an' mix it tuhgethah an' put intuh each shoe. Take de shoe an' turn de shoes tuhgethah an' plant 'em [demonstrates]. (I see. You put the two mouths of the shoes together, and the soles away from each other, like that.) An' de sole away from each othah, an' den yuh kin [plant] dose shoes down in de centah of yore steps. Dat's tuh keep a person's mind from driftin' [away from home]. AH HAVE WELL EXPERIENCED DAT.
(Well, how do you mean, keep the person's mind from drifting?)
Jis' like if some one have put a spell on yuh, tuh be goin' from pillah tuh post, yuh see, an' by puttin' dis cinnamon an' allspice an' sugah in dat shoe, an' turn[ing] de soles of dat shoe tuhgethah [see later] an' plantin' it at de house where yuh live, it'll keep dere minds at home.
(You don't mean put the soles together, you mean put the tops together.)
De tops tuhgethah, yes. De soles go out.
(I see.)
[My correction of informant is one of the few times I ever did this sort of thing. I am not correcting her words but recalling her pantomimic actions I describe. Yet she was right the second time also, magically. What difference can there be whether the two MoUTHS of the shoes are together or the two soles (SOULS)? The significance is the same - love and peace. Significant also is the emptiness of the preceding magic. You are never responsible for any of your actions, because someone may have a spell on you. A perfect example of being irresponsible for your actions will be found in the alcoholic woman (No.78, p.33).]
Entry 5176
Dat's not handy fo' yo' tuh do. Yo' git de inside piece of 'is shoe, yo' undahstan', yo' kin git dat inside piece of 'is shoes an' yo'll take dat inside piece of 'is shoe wit 'is name an' yo'll write his name in dere on a piece of paper. But yo' got de measure of dat whole feet, yo' got de whole measure [when you have the insole]. Now, yo'll git chew a piece of papah an' yo'll put 'is name nine times. Yo'll put - lak if it wuz me - my name at de top, an' den yo'll write it crossways heah ag'in, nine times. Den yo'll take dat measure an' yo'll put cinnamon in it an' yo'll put White Rose Perfume, an' yo'll dampen it good, an' yo'll put dat an' yo'll roll it towards yo'. See, yo' fold it towards yo' jis' as many times as yo' kin. See. Den yo'll go tuh work an' yo'll put a bran'-new needle. Yo'll pin a bran'-new needle in dat yo' see, an' yo' kin eithah put it in a bag or eithah put it in yore pil- lah or yore mattress. Dat'll keep 'im home. (You take the inner sole and you write his name nine times and yours across it. You put that paper and the sole together, and put those ingredients in, and then you roll it to you. And you can put it anywhere around you or put it in the mattress.) Anywheres.
Entry 5177
Den yo' git de shoes, yo' take - cut a li'le piece outa de bottom of dat shoe. When yo' cut a li'le piece outa de bottom of dat shoe, yo'll fix dat up in a li'le piece of cloth, a yellah homespun cloth. An' yo'll wind dat, yo' know, wit a string. An' yo'll have in dat nuthin but sulphuh an' eatin'-salt. An' yo'll put dat in dere, an' yo'll tie hit tuhgethah intuh dat li'le piece whut yo' cut out dat shoe. Well, now, if yo' hit [aim] tuh bring 'im back, well yo'll take a li'le piece of saltpetah an' yo'll put [make] dat in a powdahs - all dem into a powdahs, an' yo'll fix dat into dat li'le package. An' aftah, yo' wind dat li'le package up an' yo' bury dat at de back of yore house. An' when yo' put all dat in de back of de house, den yo' call 'im three times - woman or man - an' dey cain't he'p but follahin' back. Now, dat's fer as ah know 'bout dat.
(Do you wind it in any special way?)
No pahtic'lah way but jis' long as yo' know it tied.
(And can you send them away with the same thing?)
No suh, ah don' know if yo' send 'em away wit dat.
(You mean that piece in the shoe, that piece inside [insole] that you pul]
up?) Dat's right.
Entry 5463
Dey says if yo' take yore fingah, reach from hollah of de foot tuh de heel, dey take dat dirt up [demon- strates]. (YOu PUT THE INDEX FIN- GER AT THE HOLLOW AND the thumb at the heel and bring it together. Take up a pinch of that dirt. Out of either foot?) De right foot. An' yo' kin take dat den an' put 'em tuh wandahin' - trailin' [a rare word].
(What would you do with that dirt after you got it?)
Well, dey say dat yo' mix a li'le graveyard dirt wit it. Dey kin kill yo' wit it or else dey kin put yo' tuh travelin'. Take dat dirt an' sprinkle it wit nine new needles right in de direction yo' wan' 'em to go. If de house heah, dat yo' wanta run 'em from, yo' go right dere in front dat house an' put dat dirt. Say dat will run 'em. (Now I am not quite certain about those nails. You take this dirt from the foot and some of this graveyard dirt. And then you take nails or needles?) Kin take needles an' nails.
(How do you drive them - into the ground or what?)
Yeah into de ground. An' den nine new pins, an' needles wit it, but chew put dem needles between dem nine nails.
(That will make them go away.)
Entry 5483
Like it's yo'd have a girl frien' an' some man would come an' take her away from yo'. Prob'ly yo'd be married tuh her, an' some man would git between yo' an' yore wife. Now yo' wanta bust dat up. Yo'd trail him un- til dey'd cross a sandy place or real soft dirt - somewhere dey'd make a track. Yo'd git each one of dem lef'-foot track. Git chew prob'ly a piece of metal or piece of newspapah dat's nevah been used - anything dat yo' kin scrape up dem tracks wit'out breakin' 'em. Git chew a piece of new [yellow = unbleached] cotton an' place de heels tuh- gethah, both toes leavin' each othah. An' git chew some powdah [gunpowder] an' put it in between 'em, bind dat real tight. Git chew some silk thread dat chew kin wrap it good, dat it will have a good compression, an' light dat powdah. Put chew fuse dat it'll light dat powdah lak one of these fiah-crackahs, so when it goes off it blows dem tracks. Dat sends dem, one one way, one de othah way. Dey'll nevah be nuthin else tuhgethah.
Entry 5484
Yo' git 'is track an' git 'er track an' git chew gunshells, an' jis' put dem two tracks tuhgethah an' stick yo' a light undah it, say, "Ah wants one of yo' tuh go tuh de east an' de othah one tuh de west." Take dat gunshell an' put one on dis side, dis gunshell heah now in de middle. An' heah one track heah an' heah de othah one dataway, say, "Ah want one tuh go tuh de east an' one t-h go tuh de west." An' call dere names. An' stick a fiah undah dem an' dey'll say dey'll go evah way. Dey can't stay tuh- gethah, dey would have tuh go.
(This is to break up a man and his wife?)
Yes sir.
Entry 5597
Now, I heard that you can take and find a man's foot tracks, count nine of them, the right track, and you get a little dirt out of that right track [the ninth right track]. And you take the dirt and take a little piece of brown paper, and put the dirt in it and save it. And when you get a chance you get the woman's tracks and you get the same out of hern, the right one [after counting nine of her right tracks]. And you put both of them together and you put [to this combined dirt] one third table salt, and you make just enough of your water into it to make it mucky. And you roll it up and get a piece of rag and lay this piece of brown paper into the rag and fold it up into a ball. And get a strong string, cottonor something similar, wrap it up as tight as you can wrap it; and as you wrap it make nine wishes, whatever you wish them to do. And you take it and hide it in a dark place and let it stay. And that's putting you two together.
Entry 5745
If a man wants tuh hold 'is job wit a man, dey take an' git 'is right foot, right track, right in de heart [hollow of foot]. Pick it up three times, d'; not comin' back, goin'. An' git dat track somepin lak dis heah [demon- scates] lak he come, goin' disaway. Yo' walk behin' 'im an' git it disaway [demonstrates]. (He's going one way and you walk behind him and pick it up the opposite way. Bring it back to you. I mean, back from the way he is going.) Now dat's three times. Den yo' git one of yours. Keep agoin' an' don't look back. Take dem two tracks an' yo' put dem two tracks tuhgethah. (His and yours.) Yourn an' his'n, an' yo' take dem two tracks an' yo' go right at 'is office, an' yo' put dat undah dere jis' about dat deep [demonstrates].
(Couple of inches deep.)
Git chew a pin or needle that nevah been stuck an' a piece of cloth, an' stick dat pin down in dere. Let de point be up an' let 'im walk ovah dat. Den yo' gain his influence. Dat's de way ah heard 'em say.
(I see, that is to get a job or hold it.)
Entry 6441
Now, if yo' wan'a woman tuh love yo' - yo' jis' wan'a woman tuh love yo' wit dem nails. De way yo' do, yo' git her nails an' parch 'em an' parch mah nails. Cut mah nails an 'er nails an' put 'em tuhgethah an' parch 'em. Make a fine powdahs out of 'em an' put dat in de food - jis' feed 'er on dat. Dat'll make her love me.
Entry 6458
All right, if yo' wants tuh run a woman crazy, yo' take some of 'er hair. An' cut 'er lef' li'le fingahnail, an' den git de middle fingahnail off de right han', an' some of 'er hair, an' tie it up tuhgethah an' go tuh a li'le saplin' tree. Bo' a hole intuh it an' place it in dat hole in dat tree. Ah guarantee yo' 'fo' a good while she be crazy.
Entry 7155
Home at night? Take yore shoes, turn one tuh de head an' de othah back tuh de foot; yo' know, jis' de opposite ways, yo' see, wit sugah in each one of dem shoe, an' sleep lak dat. Tie one knot in 'uh undahskirt or 'er chemise, whatevah she has, an' sleep until she returns. She jis' has tuh keep it on, de one she has on. (Put one shoe with the toe pointing to the head and one to the foot. You put the shoes upside down, together, or one at the foot and one at the head?) Upside down, one at de head an' one at de foot. Set 'em nex' tuh each othah right in a row, right foot at de head of de man; one fo' de head an' one fo' de foot.
Entry 7208
Ah've hear'd sev'ral diff'ren' things about de fo'ks of de road. Ah bear'd dat when people wan' tuh separate people, dey go tuh fo'ks of de road; an' when dey wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah dey go tuh de fo'ks of de road, but it depends on whethah dey work on eithah de left or de right hand side. If yo' want people tuh separate, well dey'll write de person's name, de woman's name, nine dues on a piece of brand-new papah wit a brand-new pencil, tablet an' pencil dat nevah been used. If dey wan' tuh separate dem, dey'll write de man's name nine times an' den dey'll write de woman's crosswise nine times. Den dey take de pencil an' dey think all de evil dey kin: I jis' hope yo' son-of-bitches jis' fuss an' fight an' scratch lak cats an' dogs. [Informant scratches all over the [paper.] An' dey go dere an' dey dig down a few inches.
(They scratch that paper all up.)
Yes, jis' scratch up lak yo're mad at it an' curse dem an' think all de evil yo' kin. An' den yo' dig a hole dere an' yo' bury dat on de left-hand side of de road at de fo'k where de fo'ks meet. An' aftah buryin' it yo' po' watah on L, yo' know, tuh pack de groun' down where dat kin rot. An' by de time dat papah rots, dose people'll begin tuh disagree, an' in from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dey're separated. An' if yo' wan' tuh put dem tuhgethah, yo' write dere names nine times an' yo' fold it tuh yuh. Of co'se de lady involved has tuh do dat huhself. She has tuh be told. An' she writes 'er lovah's name nine times an' huhs acrost it, an' she folds it tuh 'er nine times. Den she turns it aroun' an' folds it small way, dis way; an' turn it aroun' an' fold it to 'er dis way. Den she takes it an hides it on de right-hand side of de road wit all good wishes.
(Then what happens?)
Well den aftah de same period of time, aftah from three tuh nine days aftah it rots, dis person'll become vi'lently attached tuh 'er.
Entry 7430
Put egg in hand, tie hands together, murderer can- not escape. [Mobile, Ala., (669 t0 671), 883:8.]
Entry 8039
Ah heard dat dey take de middle-fingah bone an' if dey wants tuh be lucky.
(What do you call the middle-finger bone?)
Uh, dis fingah heah [demonstrates].
(The middle finger on the left hand.)
Yessuh, dis one [demonstrates].
(The third joint. That's the joint right next to the hand.)
Yessuh. An' dey take dat an' dey let it git hard an' dry, an' dey take den an' dey put dat in de stove an' let it bake till it becomes - it bleaches white an' lak crumbly. Den dey takes it an' dey crumble it tuh ashes. An' dey take dose ashes, take de ashes from dat middle fingah, an' den dey take de ashes of a dove's laig, of dis lef' laig, an' dey take dose two ashes an' put 'em tuhgethah, an' den dey put lode- stone in dere. An' aftah dey put de lodestone, den dey take den an' dey put dis silvah; not de liquid quicksilvah, [but] yo' know dis silvah dat's kinda lak dey shake it out jis' lak powdah. An' dey take dose three thin's an' dey mix 'em all tuhgethah.
(The silver is just like a powder you mean. It's a silver just like powder?)
Yessuh, grind it tuh a silvah powdah. Yo' know, not de quicksilvah whut chew po's out, whut chew po' lak watah. An' dey takes an' dey mix dose three thin's tuhgethah an' dey say dat it will cuz dem tuh have powah an' dominion ovah me tuh rule 'em.
(A man would do that to get power over another man?)
Yessuh.
Entry 8640
Well, a lemon, if yo' wanta break somebody up ag'in, lak a man an' 'is wife or sompin lak dat, yo' could take such a-thing as a lemon an' yo' could take that same cayenne peppah. An' yo' write their [man's] name down nine times an' de woman who yo' wanta break 'em up from Yo' could write their name, but whosomevah doin' it, well, dey could do it, dey could fold it, fold it but always fold it from dem. An' if yo' wants tuh put some- body togethah, yo' take that man's name, if it's a woman, an' yo' write his name down first an' that woman, write her name down. An' den she takes de papah an' she fold it comin' tuh her, see. Lak yo' take a papah an' fold it comin' tuh yo' an' make yore wish when yo' fold de papah. An' den yo' take nine dressin' [ordinary] pins, eithah yo' could use needles, but de goldhead needles would be bettah - nine goldhead needles. An' de top whut chew cut off de lemon - see, yo' cut de top off de lemon an' yo' fold dat papah tight an' yo' push it down in dat lemon. An' yo' take de top whut chew put an' stick dem nine needles, yo' know, shut it back up but stick it all de Way roun'. An' if yo' got anyway a [old-fashioned] icebox an' yo' [have a drain to the outside for] dis icebox an' [or] yo' have de foam [gutter or drainage ditch] go through [by] yore house. Well, yo' dig a hole an' yo' put it [lemon] in a moist place where it goin' be wet all de time, so it could rotten. See, an' as dat lemon rot away, yo' see, it'll break 'em up.
Entry 8644
(What do you do with that lemon?)
Take yore lemon - jis' 'long as de pin [as many pins as you have] will go roun' it - an' put de name of de individual dat chew want. Cut de lemon in half an' put dat name in dere, an' den stick it all roun' wit pins an' bury it. Dat'll bring 'em back, too.
(You mean you stick this lemon together by sticking pins through it?)
Yessuh. Cut it [lemon] in half.
Entry 8720
Ah tell yo' what choo do fo' yoreself fo' tuh cross a person.
(Well, how would they do that?)
Well, dey take it an' write dere names on a hot stove with this stick [lump] sulphur. But if yo' gon'a use de powdered sulphur, jis' sprinkle dat on de stove an' make yore wishes. An' if yo' don't do like dat, yo' burn it wit some asfitidee [asafetida]. Get some asfitidee an' put it in de top an' put dat sulphur in dere, an' burn it togethah an' make yore wishes. Jis' like if yo' want 'em to separate or if yo' want 'em to stay together.
Entry 8827
Yes, ah've heard dat if yo' take dat han'writin' an' if yo' cut de fo cornahs - yo' takes de lettah an' yo' takes an' fold it tuhgethah an' yo' takes dose fo' cornahs an' yo' clip dose cornahs off. Yo' takes dose cornahs an' yo' puts 'em right tuhgethah an' cut 'em ag'in. Yo' have tuh cut 'em as many times as yo' got fingahs. An' evah time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de same way. An' den yo' take dis han'writin' an' yo' takes an' burns it. An' den yo' - whatsomevah, jes' lak yo' take an' hold it ovah sompin an' burn, den yo' takes de li'le ashes or dust from whatsomevah it is, an' yo' goes an' bury it. An' when yo' bury it, yo' bury it in a hole wit a cut jes' lak de lettah supposed [to] be cut. Yo' turn dese points jes' lak yo' have turnt dese points on de lettah. An' den dey say dat dat will make yo' so nervous, when yo' git ready tuh write ag'in, yo' couldn't write atall, couldn't write a scratch.
(In other words, the hole is in sort of the shape of a diamond?)
[A square or oblong with 4 cut off corners is scarcely the shape of a diomona!]
Yeah. (And you have to keep cutting those squares and keep putting those pieces to- gether.) Uh-huh, until yo' cut 'em ten times [for the number see comment later]. Den yo' take dose squares [triangles] an' yo' burn 'em. Den put 'em in de di'mond- square [hole] an' bury 'em.
(That makes you nervous in your hand?)
Yeah. [In this rite we are asked to accept a fantastic number of triangles. We begin with the original 4 triangles by cutting off the 4 corners of the let- ter. These we must cut 10 times, quite an exercise in geometric progression: (lst cut) 4 triangles, (2nd cut) 8, continuing the doubling with 32,64,128, 256,512, 1024, and 2048! Adding these 10 cuttings of triangles we have 4092 of them! And don't forget: each time yo' cut 'em yo' have tuh lay all de points de Same Way!!! Had my informant said 3 cuttings,4,8,16, he would have remained within the realm of possibility; but not 10 cuttings! The ashes from these tri- angles are buried in the diamond-square hole, a hole shaped like the former old- fashioned coffin, the head part with cut-off corners. In the present rite the cut-off corners are also given to the bottom of the coffin symbol. Here again I think informant is mistaken. The coffin symbol should be the shape of the orig- inal envelope.]
Entry 9115
Yo' kin do dis. Yo' kin take nine brass pins an' go where yo' see some li'le hickories [young hickory trees] growin'. Twist 'em up tuhgethah an' den take dose pins, nine of 'em tuhgethah, an' pin dat tuhgethah. Twist 'em till yo' kin pin it tuhgethah. Let [demonstrates] one haid be dis way an' one haid dataway an' de points come tuhgethah. (All the points and the heads come together?) Come tuhgethah, an' pin it tuh- gethah. An' hit'll stay right dere. An' dat'll shet de mouth up, of all of 'em.
(In a court case or anything of that sort?)
Yes.
Entry 9118
Yes sir, yo' kin take a Bible an' take de 91 Psalms out it, an' put sage leaves in it an' care it up to de jailhouse; an' if it's anybody in dere dat yo' want out, yo' let 'em read 91 Psalms. An' yo' read it an' dey'll turn 'emout (What do you do with those sage leaves then?) Put 'em in de Bible. (Where the 9lst Psalm is?) Where de 91 Psalm is an' give dem de Bible an' yo' have one an' yo' let dem read de 91 Psalms while yo' readin' it.
(Do you read yours in the jailhouse with them or at home?)
[Notice how I say them agreeing with him, rather than saying him. I frequent- 1y do this in Hoodoo.] Wit 'em at de jailhouse. [Did informant have 2 Bibles or did he copy out Psalm 91 for the prisoner? They evidently read this well-known Psalm together.]
Entry 9152
Say fo' instance, now, dat yo' wus mah boss an' yo' done sompin tuh someone in de wrong [you wrong someone]. Well, yo' in jail an' yo' know yo' goin' [be] sent up de road [to the penitentiary, state prison in U. S. A.]. Ah goes an' gits 20 cents wuth of black peppah, 25 cents wuth of cai-yanne [cayenne] pep- pah, one pound of grana- lated [granulated] sugah, one package of Rex cloves, an' one package of Rex cinnamon.
(That's [Rex is] the name of the Brand?)
Dat's right,15 cents wuth of spice. An' mix all dat tuhgethah an' go in de co'troom dat mawnin'. Sprinkle some roun' de judge's stand an' some roun' de vitness stand. Den start tuh sprinklin' it out de do' tuh two blocks away from de place. An' when de witness gits dere, he's goin' back [especially if he sees anything sprinkled]. He's not comin' dere. He ain't goin' come dere.
(That is if he is coming there to talk against me?)
[I have not forgotten that I am the guinea pig: yo' know yo' goin' be sent up de road. No suh. He ain't goin' come dere. Dey'll call yore case up maybe three times, an' each time ah'm doin' dat fo' yo'. See, yo' in dere an' ah'm out. An' de third time he call it up or de fo'th time, he'll dismiss yo'. We cain't git de witness an' he cain't be located. He ain't goin' be at 'is house.
Entry 9165
When yo' git 'rested, befo' de jedge try yuh, yo' take off yore shoes, take off both yore shoes. Take yuh socks off. Turn de bottom of de shoe down. Take de socks an' put all in one. Yo' know, take two de socks an' put all in omg shoe. Yo' jes' take off yuh sock an' roll it up an' den put it in de othah one. Makes a bundle outa it. Tie it ovah wit yuh shoes. Den when de cop come tuh remove yuh, take yuh tuh de judge try yuh, den'yo' put - take yore socks, yo' unfold it a put it in one back pocket, an' one in de othah back poa ket. An' den yo' put on yore shoes witout eny socks. Take de shoestring outa it an' put dat in yore [front?] pocket an' yo' walk on up tuh have yuh trial. Well, de case's [case is] out. It may be a mistrial.
Entry 9274
An' den if a woman wants a man tuh leave ag'in, why she kin git a aig an' she break dat aig jis' roun' - roun' jis' as neah as she kin, yo' know, in half a shell, an' po' de inside of it out. An' when she po' it out why take dat shell an' write his name in dat shell - inside of it. Yo' see yo' drēne [drain] all dat out an' den take yore fingah an' wipe it out, so yo' kin write. An' write it on de inside of dat shell an' git chew some 'hesive [adhesive] tape an' put aroun' dat shell so it won' - stick it back tuhgethah an' den put dat 'hesive tape, so no watah kin git in it. An' den walk tuh a stream of watah dat's runnin' an' throw it in dere an' say: In de Name of de Fathah, go! An he'll go an' won' evah come back.
(Does she do anything with that raw egg she has taken out?)
Nawsuh, she jis' use it fo' anything she want. She only use de shell, dat's all.
Entry 9416
An' den ah kin [take] a aig ag'in - JIS' LAK YO' WUZ MAH OLE MAN OR SOMEPIN ANOTHAH an' yo' had a woman an' ah knew 'er name. Write both of yo'all [you all] name on each one of dese aigs jis' lak ah wuz showin' yo' [Cylinder changed, also author's sex!] [nO- tice lady not woman]. Ah heard yo' were wit mah hus- ban' an' ah knew yuh name. Well, ah would put yuh name on one egg an' mah husban' on de othah one. Good fresh aigs. An' ah'd [I would] go tuh de rivah an' ah wanted yo'all to scat out an' separated, why ah'd go to de rivah an' jis' In de Name of de Lord, say, well, "Ah bus' [bust] yo'all up In de Name of de Lord." Jis' take dose eggs an' jis' smash 'em tuhgethah. Jis' stan' dere an' hol' dem [hold them over the water] until dey dreens [drain] out [of the shells]. Den yo' takes dese shells an' yo' bring dese shell home. Well, yo' put dis shell on top of yuh stove if yo' kin, or somepin clean glittah [glitter], where dere ain't no grease at, an' parch dat shell good an' brown. An' take dat [powdered or small pieces of shell] an' sprinkle it all ovah yuh house, an' all in yuh baid, an' all aroun' yuh doah jis' as much - lightly, yo' know, take an' sprinkle. He wu'd [would] nevah think of 'er [again]. [Memphis, Tenn., (962), 1553: loa.]
Entry 9756
[Here in italics is my notation about a rite my transcriber forgot to transcribe: 9 new nails evil wisher drives in your home where you walk over or at doorstep. Go inside and turn around and drive 'em into floor going out as you leave the house. Run 'em out. Nails go out in a row, but the last 3 together. I suggest that the last three nails grouped closely together, the nailheads forming a triangle, represent the 3 HOLY NAMES. Memphis, Tenn., (962, informant good), 1553:6.]
Entry 9760
A man was likin' a woman. He get to like another woman, yo' know, an' doesn't come to her no more. She'd get nine new nails an' drive 'em down in de ground at her door, just enough to cover their heads up, and then the next morning she would take some of her water from de chamber and throw that on it. See. Then when he comes back in over that, over them nails and that chamber lye, then he'll get on with her.
(He gives the other woman up. I see.)
Entry 9821
Ah've hear'd dey could bury - dey ties nine needles togethah am' grease dem with de grease dey call axle grease an' bury dem dat ways. An' hit on dem nine times, not hit dem all on de same masi'. Dey bury 'em in three parts in front of de do' an' hit 'em nine times fo' nine manin's. (Hit them once each morning?) Once each masin' an' dat will - dat's tuh drive a person away - yo' know, jes' die. Yo'll jes' fade away. Nails also [can be used].
(Either nails, or needles and pins?)
The pins, eithah nails. (And the needles. And you put three, in groups of three. And you must hit each one of those once?) Yes.
Entry 9833
Dey git nine needles an' tie 'em tuhgethah an' dey'll put 'em in a bottle, but wit de point of 'em down lak dis - de haid part up. [Normally points should be up, see No., etc.] Jis' tie 'em tuhgethah. An bury it undah de steps, an' dey say dat'll put a puhson [walk- ing over them] in pain.
Entry 9834
Take nine new pins an' stick 'em down in de ground, an' when dey stuck dere see, people come by an' pick 'em up. Why when dey pick up de first one, yo' know, dey commence havin' pains. Den de mo' pins dere be's, de mo' bad off dey gits - de worsah dey git. (You put those down so that they will be picked up?) )[Perhaps this knowledge that the pins will be picked up is based upon the well-known folklore rhyme: See a pin, pick it up; all that day you'll have good luck - see Hyatt: Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd ed., No.10494, p.478.]
Entry 10467
Witch gets out of skin. "Two witches witchcraftin' to- gether, riding people. When they go out the skin, they put on a shroud-like somepin with wings hangin' down. I'll say, Through de keyhole; you'll say Right after you etc."
Entry 10625
You get 'em - two together, you know.
(Oh! It's a root that grows together.)
Two of 'em together; one's Adam, the other Eve. Now those, the things they are used for, will keep a man and woman together - they will keep them together. (Well now, how would they use that?) They go to work and get that Adam-an'-Eve root, get it green [fresh], and you name one Adam and the other one Eve, after you wash it off good. And you put it in a bottle, ay old bottle, and don't break 'em loose. One Adam and the other one is Eve. Dren they put perfume in there.
(Any special kind of perfume?)
No, any kind. Put the perfume in there. They name [one] for the woman and Che other the man, when they are speaking about 'em. They may use chamber lye ad perfume in it. Stop it up. Long as you keep that, you will hold the man if you want to.
Entry 10765
Yo' git chew a piece of bluestone an' brimstone an' pound 'em up to- gether, an' take notice when dey [unwanted persons] come, git to 'em. Take yo' a pencil or a stick about de size of dat [pencil] an' stick it down in de ground all across dat [foot tracks] - cross [make cross on foot tracks with stick]. Git chew a little piece of pap- er, a little bit of trash, anything, an' lay it right on dem tracks [foot tracks made by visitor]. An' go on 'bout chure business. Dey can't send him [rentman], bill collector, police- man] back dere. (If they could get a hold of him they couldn't send him back to that house? Keep him away?) Yes.
Entry 10877
Git two cats, yes- suh, an' rub dere haids tohl gethah till dey git nad l till dey git real mad at one anothah. Den yo' smarch a lock of hair outa each cat's hzid, yo' know, an' yo' fold it togethah. An' put some red peppah an' salt in it 血' care it an' put it in de no'th cornah of dere house. Dey'll leave, dey'll part. Dat's whut separate 'em.
(Separate this man and woman?)
Ub-hah.
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 10911
Dog manure an' dog hair - see, dey gotta git dat dog an' cat tuh fightin'; see, if yo' Wanta separate a man an' a woman. See, yo' git - lak mah, ah have two little white dogs now. Well, yo' git a cat an' git dem tuh fightin' an' clip de hair right quick while dey both mad. Yo' put dat tuhgethah, dat cat hair 'de dog hair, an' dog manure an' cat manure, an' rat manure. Well, yo' ba de three things don' git along, don't chew? Yo' know de cat hates de rat 'de dog hates de cat. So yo' throw dat in dere. It really separate any man wife an' it will make 'em move. Throw it in de room, jis' lak ah come in ah. Fo' instance, ah wanta have sompin in mah han'. Ah could be sittin' heah 'd coald be jis' sprinklin' it aroun'. [I replaced the original four-letter odd by amure.]
Entry 11073
Well, if you wants to stop 'em, if yo' goes out, from the law getting in connection with you. That's very easy to do that, too. Here's whut chew do. Yo' [go] an' git chure own garment, git a piece of your clothes that you had on this day, that has perspiration on it, an' git a piece of theirs. Take those two pieces together an' tie 'em with a piece that you don't want. Tie 'em together and put 'em in a running stream of water. And they never will do nuthin to yo'. That nmning stream takes away the evil thought between you an' him. Run that away. Run that spirit away. [I had asked about keeping the law away from the house, but informant turns my question into anyone seeking to harm you. You begin your protection with a piece of clothing you wore that day, because the perspiration in it is a part of your spirit, hence the whole of your spirit (see PART OF SPIRIT EQUALS WHOLE OF SPIRIT, p.21-23, v.1). Next, you obtain something recently worn or handled by the enemy. Then, using a spiritless piece of clothing you have discarded, you tie your spirit and enemy spirit together, making a tight knot. And immed- iately and finally you rush off and throw this package into running Water. Run- ning Water kills or purifies evil work. You understand, of course, that the evil spirit permitted itself to be tied only because it was being tied to you, now even an easier prey. This rite is called a trick. I did not understand this rite when I heard it back in 1939; the reason why my note about informant on the original transcription reads, use with care! This rite is logically illogical!]
Entry 11201
They will spring your doors and things. (Well, how would they do that?) They'll take that - they'll go to three people's house and you can steal you some salt from three people's house, and take that cayenne pep- per and that black pepper and dirt dauber's nest and beat it together and sprinkle your door and you'll move.
(I see. And you'll move. But you only steal the salt?)
Steal the salt.
(The other things you don't take?)
No, you just steal that from somebody's house.
(Just the salt. Those other things you take from your own house?)
Yeah.
(I see. That will make you move out?)
Yes.
Entry 11203
Take nine dirt dauber nest an' pound 'em up together. Put some salt - jes' de least salt, into de nine, which id about a teaspoonful into de nine dirt dauber nests. Then yo' put three teaspoons fulla sugah into dat. Pound it up good together. Then yo' take - after pounding that all up together - then yo' take an' anywhere that a person gotta visit, if it in a home or anywhere that they got dealin's at in dat place, yo' sprinkle it In de Name of de Father, de Son an' de Holy Ghost an' make yore wish the way that yo' want it to work. It will work.
(What will you wish for on that?)
Well, if yo' want 'em tuh quit workin' dere or tuh leave dere, why yo' kin wish that way. An' if a person wants tuh continue working to a place, why yo' make that wish there. [Nine dirt dauber nests surely means 9 cells from one dirt dauber nest, not 9 separate nests which would be quite a large amount of dirt.]
Entry 11663
Den you go to de fo'k of de road, see, dis here way; de road comin' like dis, one comin' like dis, and one straight up [3 roads coming together, a "Y" fork]. And if you wants me to die tonight, you goes to de fo'k of de road, say, "God damn it, I wants Mary to die to- night." Well, you hears a gang of music, but chew don't see nothin'. And you jes' throw a penny down dere and go off from dere. You left one penny dere, and I [Mary] dies 'fore de night is over. (You will die before the night is over. The fork of any road where two roads cross?) Ye-es, no, de fo'k of de road like jes' one coming dis way, one comin' dis away and one straight up.
(I see, three roads coming together.)
Yes, dat de fo'ks. (And you just stand in the fork of the road at twelve o'clock at night and you just say....) Twelve in de day and twelve at night. It don't work no other time; twelve at night or twelve in the morning. Gotta throw a penny down dere, you know. Yeah gotta leave a penny.
Entry 12337
Ah tell yo' what ah used tuh use. Git de horseshoe - yo' know when dey are shoein' de horse, yo' take de hoof [cut off] an' yo' take a stuff dey call limestone, an' red onion peels, an' red pep- per an' burn it together. Why dat brings luck. See dat bring yo' luck.
Entry 13367
I heard talk of them using the animal's hoof. Well, you take the hoof and you cut that up - no, it has got to be a mule. Like they go around the blacksmith's where be, been shoeing up animals and they cut his hoof off - a portion of his hoof off - every time they shoe him. They take a chunk of that, see. And it gets very soft whenever you put it in anything hot. And they will cook that perhaps with some beans. They cook that overnight in beans with the urine, that hoof [they soak the beans overnight in the urine] and the next day they cook all that together. Well, that makes the man very simple, and very kind to her.