Subject:Tongue
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Entry 1234
An' if yo' Wanta miscarry a kid, ah know how tuh miscarry a kid - diff'rent things yo' kin take: calomel powders, an' yo' kin take nine buckshots, an' yo' kin take bluestone, an' yo' kin take pencil lead from a pencil, an' yo' kin take yore finger an' miscarry. Ah know how to do that wit that. An' if yo' ain't impregnant an' wanta git impregnant, yo' kin take devil's-shoe- string, blackroot, guinsy light[?], an' yo' kin take life ever lasting [cudweed], lowbush myrtle, redshank an' dog-tongue.
(Is dog's-tongue a weed?)
Yes suh, hit's a weed - it grows [cylinder changed]. Boil"it an' makes a tea out of it an' takes it - a wineglassful three times a day. Dat'll clear up yore system an' git all de silt an' stuff stir up, an' yo'll git impregnant like that. Den yo' kin take dog-tongue an' dry it an' put it de fo' corners of anybody's house. Now hit's good fo' medicine an' den it's good for squabbling. Yo' take dog-tongue an' put it in fo' corners of anybody's house an' crumble it up an' rub it round in de house, an' he'll be aridin' an' agrumblin' an' aguarrelin' an' afightin' dere until dey separate or dey move out or dey do something. Dey won't live together happy no mo' - jest quarrel an' grumble an' row jest long as dat dog-tongue in that house.
Entry 2302
Well, it's a herb dat chew get dat chew - de shoe-tongue, kinda chew dem, an' yo' have it in yore mouth an' chew it. Spit it. Spit it an' makes yore wishes whut chew want. [Is this the plant dog tongue or hound's tongue?] Lak yo' won't want de judge tuh go hard on yo', spit it down an' dey ain't goin' tuh know it yo' know, an' dat will make it light on yo' - it will go through [case against you will go through - fail.] (Why do they use shoe-tongue root? Why don't they use anything else? Why do they use that root? Do you know?) Because it's so good. It's so good.
Entry 3146
Well, when yo' an' he's doin' yo' git choo a brass pin an' put it in yore mouth up undah yore tongue, an' yo' hold yore breath. An' whilst yo' hold- in' yore breath, yo' jes' sayin', be repeatin' tuh yo' heart what choo don't wan' tim [want him] to do to nobody but choo. An' den when yo' git through, well yo' take dat brass pin an' tie it in a rag an' wear it. An' any time he go tuh anothah woman, well it'll fall.
Entry 3239
You see, if a woman has a man an' she wants to fool a long time, you understan' - don't want him to git there an' git right away - w'y she jis' take this penny an' put it right on her tongue - you under- stan', on top of de tongue - an' he can have all de fun he want but every time he starts to git there, you know, she'll suck down on that penny, that'll go back. [For holding breath, see also margin titles on p.2348.]
Entry 3240
If a woman wants tuh kill a man - jis' lak if dat's 'er sweetheart an' she wants to git 'im out 'er way, [they] say she kin take a penny an' put it undah her tongue while dey's makin' a connection togeth- ah an' says, whenevah he goes to make his end, well she's gwine [to] hol' 'er breath while dat penny's undah de tongue. An' dey say dat'll paralyze him. Say it won't kill 'im right den, it'll jis' give him a stroke, he can't walk - he won't be no mo' service to hisself.
Entry 3265
You can take a dime, a silver dime, an' put it underneath your tongue when you're on top of a woman, and keep that dime under your tongue all the time [during intercourse], and she'll have no nature for any other man, and no man, can raise a head for her. [I would say the preceding word head is rare in HOODOO, heart or hard being the coron term. But I was not collecting sexual language, merely recording speech as it cme.
[Fredricksburg, Va., No. OO, by Ediphone.]
Entry 3269
Wal, ah heard if yo' wanted 'im tuh come right quick, jes' put it undah yore tongue.
(What would you put under there?)
A dime, yes sir, or either a needle. Yo' kin put a needle in yore mouth[!!!]. (Well, that isn't the way I heard it.) [I was thinking of endurance rites for men.]
Entry 3282
If yo' wanta be wit a woman a long time, yo' kin place it undah yore tongue an' dere nuthin she kin do. She jes' have a fit den an' yo' jes' continue tuh stay dere an' she can't make yo' [come], nuthin lak dat. (What kind of quicksilver do you mean? The silver paper that comes around tobacco like that - that kind of quicksilver? Or do you mean that liquid quicksilver?) Nosuh [not the liquid but] de silvah dat be roun' a cigarette package. Take it an' fold it an' put undah yore tongue. Yassuh [yes sir] up undah yore tongue. Jes' lak if yo' had a woman an' yo' wouldn't be satisfied up undah dere an' yo' still stay dere. [The preceding word guicksilver is one of numerous examples showing that I am merely repeating a word used by informant before recording began. Usually I try by question or other means to induce informant to repeat key word or idea lost in retelling part of rite.]
Entry 3714
Go an' git 'im some coon root [see later] an' put it on some whiskey an' drink it three times a day, or eithah git 'im some lion tongue [lion's tongue - the spotted wintergreen]. (What is that, lion tongue?) Some dis li'le string stuff dat grows in de woods, it's got three or fo' leaves on it an' all of 'em runs out diff'ren ways, one runnin' dis way an' one runnin' dat way - runnin' east an' west an' no'th an' south.
(What does he do with that root then, just chew that or?)
Chew it or eithah put it on whiskey an' drink it.
(This will bring back his nature.)
[I can see why anything called lion's tongue would be good-magic medicine, especially when soaked in whiskey; but coon [racoon] root does not sound promis- ing. If coon root is not a root-trade name, could it be: (l) the coon grape of southeastern U. S. A., the Ampelopsis cordata, a woody vine with grapelike foliage bearing inedible bluish fruit; or (2) the fox grape Vitus labrusca?]
Entry 5249
Ah know dey'll take joor [your] shoe tongue out joor shoe - dat's whut dey tell me. Yo' take de shoe tongue out joor shoe an' take a stran' of haah from joor haid, an' beah [bury] it in joor fiahplace. An' yo' kin go away but choo cain't stay. Yo' got'a come back at home. If yo' work any job, evahthin' da' chew [that you] make [earn] yo' have tuh bring it tuh 'er. An' she'll let dat stay in de fiahplace nine days, an' den she'll take it tuh a root of a tree an' beah it. An' she'll let it stay dere. An' jis' as long as dat stay beahed [buried] dere, she got choo.
Entry 5841
A chicken, yo' know he has a slobbah in 'is mout'. Yo' could take yore hair an' wrap it aroun' 'is tongue an' yo'll crow lak a roostah - crow lak dey do. (That is, I would take one of your hairs and wrap it around the rooster's tongue, and that would make you crow like a rooster?)
[FOR ONCE, SOMEONE BESIDES MYSELF IS THE GUINEA PIG!]
Yeah.
Entry 5854
Well, de slobber off a dog. Yessuh, yo' take yore hair an' put it on de roof of 'is tongue, an' den yo' give 'im somepin tuh make 'im go mad, see. An' dat causes yo' tuh go crazy. (What about the slobber then? He only slobbers after he goes mad, is that the idea?) Yes.
(That is to run you crazy?)
Yes.
Entry 6688
Yo' kin take a penny an' if yo' havin' a intahco'se wit a woman an' if yo' don' wants 'er no mo', don' cä' [care] fo' her no mo', an' jis' wants tuh see her blat up, why yo' put dat penny in yore mout' an' put it undah yore tongue an' have intahco'se wit 'er, an' den yo'll give her some disease dat she nevah kin git rid of. Dat's whut chew kin do wit a penny. [The preceding word blat used only here in Hoodoo, is a variant of bleat, which means to cry out, as calf or sheep. Colloquially, blat could signify to utter loudly and indiscretly, or to be loud- mouthed. Perhaps the meaning in the present instance could be loud-mouthed or to blow her top. Or does informant intend to say she will bloat from the disease he gives her? As a matter of fact (hoodoo pathology says so), diseases are given by holding a penny in the mouth or under tongue during coitus: a woman holding the penny causes a stroke in the man (No.3240); prevents veneral disease (3241); makes a disease stronger (No.3242); etc.]
Entry 6939
They claim that if you put a ten-cent piece under your tongue while you're having sexual relation wit a woman, you won't catch any diseases from the woman. [This belief should have pre- ceded No.3258, p.2373, but it was under CURES and missed. This original tran- scription of mine in pencil was never typed. See ILLUSTRATIONS for original.]
Entry 7504
They tell me if anybody git murdered an' de fam'ly don't know who do it, or if dey know an' dey can't do anythin' about it. Sometime dese people [who murder] have deyself fixed lak dat an' yo' can't do anythin', see. (This is my only example of a person contemplating murder can go to a hoodoo doctor to be dressed so that he will never be caught or convicted. A person can also have himself dressed by a doctor as a protection against being murdered.] Dey say yo' jes' write de person's name an' put 'em undah de dead tongue an' den yo' [I interrupt].
(You write the person's name and put it under the what?)
Put it in de mouth under de dead tongue.
(Oh! Under the tongue in the dead man's mouth.)
An' den yo' go an' eithah yo' dress de box [coffin] fer de person [murderer], or yo' put somepin in de grave [dress de grave] befo' yo' bury de dead, ah hear dem say. An' dey say dat person won't be long befo' dey follah de dead. (Well, when you put this name under his tongue, do you have to do anything else?) No, sir, 'cept to put de name undah de tongue. De person name, yo' jes.' write 'em on dere an' put it undah.
Entry 7951
Take a piece of de coffin.
(What kind of a coffin?)
Aftah a person is buried an' it done rotted.
(Well, what do they do with that?)
Dey take dat an' dey bury somebody else wit it - in de family. Takes a piece of it. See, aftah yo' done buried somebody in a coffin. Well, yo' know, quite natchally a cof- fin rots lak nuthin an' when it rots it comes tuh a powdah; but if dey kin git a piece of it, or if dey don't git a piece of it, dey kin git de powdah from dat coffin [or you could probably buy coffin dust at some hoodoo drug store!]. Jis' de dust off dat coffin. Dey take dat an' dey git 'em a silk han'ke'ch'ef - git a silk han'ke-ch-ef. Yo' put dat intuh dat han'ke'ch'ef. Now, when yo' put dat in dat han'ke'ch'ef, dey got nine needles an' dey got nine pins, but dey git 'em right outa de store. Dey ain't nevah been used. Now, if dey wus goin' tuh bury, say if dey wus goin' tuh bury me, or mah sistah, or somebody in mah family, dey'd git dat an' dey'd git 'er name. An' if dey kin git de - see, de tongue, yo' see, de tongue of yuh shoe.
(Yes, the tongue of the shoe.)
If dey kin git dat, dey git dat an' dey puts dat wit dat. Now, when dey git dat all tuhgethah....
(What do they put the name on? On some paper?)
No, on - I take de seat of dere undahweah, de back part, any of dere undah- weahs - see, any part of it, de back of yuh shirttail, yo' see. I take dat an' I am goin' tuh pin it down, tight as I kin git it, an' I am goin' tuh write yuh name on tuh dat. Now, when I write yuh name on tuh dat, I wrap dese things up in dere. When I wrap it up in dere, I tie. When I tie it, I tie it up wit nine knots. I tie wit nine knots. I bury it, if I want.tuh; an' if I don' wan' tuh bury it, I kin throw it in de rivah, yo' see. Kin throw it in de rivah or bury it. When I bury dat, why den I got choo where I wan' choo. Yo' got tuh go. Dat I done harmed yo' in an' somethin' will happen tuh yo'.
Entry 8018
On de first Friday of de month yo' see, yo' goes an' yo' git chew a beef tongue an' yo' split dat beef tongue jis' long enough where yo' kin stick a piece of papah in dere. Stick dat person's name in dere, write dat person's name lengthways. Jis' don' cross. Kin jis Write it longways, yo' know, jis' write it nine times de long ways. Ah don' mean no cross it, yo' see. An' yo' take aftah dat, aftah yo' write his name, den yo' take it yo see an' yo' stick it down in dat beef tongue. An' yo' go in de graveyard an' yo' bury dat, see. An' when dat beef tongue begin tuh rot, dat person begins tuh feel drowsy an' droopy, sleepy, jis' continue sleep until he kinda sleep hisself away. [Algiers, La., (1590), 2987:4.] [Material about bones from the dead has already been given in many places, among them: MOANING BONES, P.36; HEAD BONE, P.38; POWER FROM HEADBONE, P.282; POWER FROM BROTHER'S SKULL, p.283; DEAD PREACHER'S BONE, p.285; and DEAD GAM- BLER'S HAND BUILT EUREKA HOTEL WHERE I INTERVIEWED IN MEMPHIS BUILT BY THE DEAD, first quotation on p.1871, from p.1876, line 17 from bottom of page, continued on p.1877. I am dividing this subsubsection on bones into: (ea) WHAT BONES FROM THE DEAD DO, and (eb) TYPES OF BONES FROM THE DEAD. These two divisions of course overlap.]
Entry 8669
Yo' take an' git chew a pack of bran'-new needles an' yo' buy yo' a beef tongue. An' yo' put nine needles in it an' yo' take dat beef tongue an' yo' bury it toward de east coast of de tree, or right undah de tree in de no'th corner of yore garden or yore fence. Dat's tuh kill dem. Rill me or anybody else. It'll rot. Yo' put de name on de tongue. (All right. You didn't tell me that.) Well, ah'm tellin' yo' now. (Now, how do I know?) We-ll, ah'm tell yo'. (How do you put the name on the tongue, now? Tell me.) Nine time, an' on a piece of papah, an' pin it wit dem needles nine times. Nine needles, see. An' yo' pin dat an' yo' bury dat tongue upside down. An' when dat tongue rot, dey rot.
Entry 8689
Now, ah tell yo' 'bout de stockin's. He could take her stockin's - [she could] take his socks an' put 'em undah 'er do'step. Git a beef tongue, yo' understan', an' stick pins in it; but she gotta stick a pin dere every mawnin' fo' nine mawnin's till she git nine pins in dere. An' den take a pencil an' a piece of papah an' sign his name all ovah dat beef tongue [see correction later] an' take an' wrap it up an' den put it - jes' bury it in de groun' right at 'er do'. He'll come back.
(She also puts his socks under the door?)
Undah dere.
(Do they point them any particular way or just....?)
Jis' put 'em dere - jes' so he walk ovah dere to go back an' forwards. (Well, now. She doesn't write on that beef tongue, she writes on the paper doesn't she?) She writes on de papah.
(What does she do with the paper then?)
She takes de papah an' den she folds de beef tongue up in de papah. An' den she bury it.
Entry 8956
If they got any kind of a witness that would speak against yo', well yo' gets their name an' yo' writes it upon this beef tongue. And you kicks it around the floor and you takes it and you put it up in the chimney. You hangs it up in there and they couldn't speak against you
[at court]. [Kicking is a frequent magic act.]
Entry 8957
(What do they do with that?) They go to the slaughterhouse an' get it [a fresh tongue is required]. (What do they get?) Get a tongue, a beef tongue, yeah. And you make a fire in the ole chimley when yo' going for trial, an' burn that On the judge. Put his name there [on tongue]. An' burn that on the judge. That changes his mind.
Entry 8958
Yo' take a portion and yo' put it in each shoe.
(You mean the oil. The oil?)
Yes, yo' put it in each shoe. An' there's three oils yo' get. Yo' get this oil of muritel.
(You get what?)
Murotel, yeah. That [is] if you out, yo' understand, goin' to meet co't. If yo're not in jail, yo' can take oil of murotel and cedar oil an' labena [ver- bena]. An' yo' mix them three oils together. [First oil is surely myrtle!] (What kind? Labena?) Labena [verbena], yes sir. An' yo' bathe yoreself in it that morning before going before the judge. An' if yo' have any witness, well yo' take a beef tongue. An' yo' know the right names, yo' writes the name upon dat tongue. An' if yo' got a chimley anywhere in de house, yo' hangs dat up in there, an' your witness can't speak clearly. (Well, what do you hang that beef tongue in that chimney for? What - how do you do that?) Just take it and [first] you roll it around with your feet [it is kicked in No.8956] and hangs it up in there and smoke it.
(Oh, you smoke it! I see.)
Entry 8959
If mah boy wuz in jail, ah would take a beef tongue an' ah would smoke it an' ah would keep it in dere [chimney]. An' ah would take de judge's name, de district attorney's name, an' take me nine needles an' put it in dere, an sew it up an' smoke dat beef tongue fo' nine days. An' ah would go tuh co't an' ah cross mah fingers, an' he Would git discharged. (How do you mean you would cross your fingers?) [Informant demonstrates.] (You would take the index finger of each hand and just cross them; each hand, like that. You would hold them crossed in court. Why do you use nine needles, any particular reason?) If dey got nine district attorneys [jurymen?] on dis case, yo' understand, if dey got nine of 'em, dem needles represent de district attorney [jurymen].
(If you have twelve jurymen then you would use the twelve.)
[Informant does not understand why 9 needles are used. We shall meet these 9 needles again and everywhere. This was the very first rite I collected on my second visit to New Orleans. Informant was the wlfe of one of my contact men, Peg Leg. She a professional worker had refused to see me two years before on my first visit. Her material, good, is scattered throughout the text.)
Entry 8960
I have went to jail for fighting and lotsa time never stayed in no longer that then I could get word [to someone] which they got some dust they call this murlee dust.
(Morlee?)
[Name impossible to transcribe; probably a local hoodoo-store dust.]
Morlee dust, tell you. But the trouble [is] jis' lak if yo' happen to be fightin' somewhere an' go to jail. Take some of this Morlee dust an' yo' let your people bring you a shirt, and put it in that [shirt]. Yo' understand. (A clean shirt?) Yes, any kind you got, so long as you wears it - a brand-new shirt. And you put it [this dust] down in the lining of the sleeve or anywhere around the collar lak dat, about nine different places and you wear it. See. Yo' get it an' yo' put it on there when yo' going to court there. Yo' wants to be cut loose from that place. Well, yo' get a beef tongue. Let 'em get a beef tongue an' yo' put jes' as many needles in that beef tongue as yo' could. Set it in yore grate." Jes dig a hole down in de grate, if yo' have a grate. Take a brick out to put it [tongue] down in there.
(In your fireplace?)
Yes, sir. Then, when yo' going to court, when yo' walk in there, yo' have this shirt on with that stuff [in 9 places]; when yo' walk in an' enter into that place, where de lawyer done turn yo' over to be tried. He [is] talking With the jury, who are going to try yo'. He'll be pretty easy with yo'. If yo' got any jurymen on yore case or anything like that, first thing yo' know, yo' have this beef tongue [at home working for you] an' this beef tongue is by yore fire. Well, it be frying; yo' know, hot. Well, that make them needles get red hot an' they couldn't but just fine yo'. The judge do nuthin of de kind. They just have to turn yo' loose, let yo' out of dat jail. (In the jail you wore that shirt there, and at home someone is cooking the beef heart. Is it a beef heart or beef tongue?) Yes, the beef tongue. Get up in de mawnin' an' put [in tongue] as many needles as yo' can. De more needles yo' [can put in, the better]. An' yo' jis' stick the needles all down in it; yo' know, to de limit. An' yo' - if yo' have to, take up a brick - an' yo' put it down in de fire hearth an' put the brick back on. And the time when yo' going to court, light a fire in there. An' when that beef tongue commence to cooking like that, any, evahbody just as calm with yo' as evah. Couldn't find no evidence against [you] and won't find yo' guilty. All they could do, jis' [let] yo' loose without bail. An' they'll never come against yo' no more.
Entry 8961
[The day the case] comes off yo' git the beef tongue from de market. Yo' see, yo' gon'a know when de case come off 'cuz [you] git de subpoena. Freeze dat tongue in ice. Take a pen and write [scratch] de judge's name on dere [the tongue], bury it, an' have de party dat live in de building, a brother or anybody else, turn everything upside down. Turn de mat- tress upside down, de chairs upside down, de tables [upside down] during de time de case is coming off, an' de case will be nol pros [nol-pros, nolle prosequi].
Entry 8962
(How do they use the beef tongue?)
They take a beef tongue - they got to get a fresh one - have to go to the slaughterhouse and they get a fresh beef tongue and they bring it home. And they get a fresh beef tongue and they bring it home. And they get your name, the judge's and the district attorney's name and everything, and puts it in this tongue. And they take this tongue and they put it down in ice. That's to freeze the judge's tongue, you see. That's the way they do with them beef tongues, but you got to go to the slaughterhouse and get one fresh. Can't get none [from the butcher shop].
Entry 8963
(How do you use the alligator tongue?)
It do the same part as the beef tongue and from what it was taught to me from Doctor Henry Laemson, it's better.
(You think the alligator tongue is better than the beef tongue?)
Absolutely.
(What do you do with that, then?)
They take that alligator tongue and freeze it hard until it hard as the table. For instance, if it's a - the judge, probably he be named Anderson. I will write Anderson on that beef tongue, just take a hatpin or kind of a... [demonstrates]. [Since he changed from alli- gator to beef, I ask:] (Are you talking about the beef or alligator tongue?) Absolutely, write his name on there. See. Write the district attorney name on that. The tongue ls well froze. The day the case come off, bury that tongue. The party whosomever - if this lady that live in this building here, if it's her son, have her to turn the mattress upside down, the chair upside down, the table upSide dOWN, and IT LOOK LIKE THAT GIVE THE JUDGE NO WILLPOWER TO FIGHT AGAINST THE CASE, NEITHER THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, SEE. They absolutely more than have to nol pros the case, see. So that they won't get any good evidence, see, from none of the witness, even if I'm the witness, statement won't correspond. One may say that they....
Entry 8964
Yo' take de beef tongue, yo' see. Yo' first upset de house, yore house, evahthing into it, or if yo' have a partner dat have a court case, yo' do dis to git de judge. Git de judge's name. All right, git de client name dat de judge is gonna per- secute [prosecute!]. Yo' understan' dat. Den de person dat's persecutin' 'em [prosecuting attorney]. All right. Yo' have dat. Now, yo' take dis person dat chew workin' fo' - her name - an' de judge name an' de lawyer's name together, dat dey'll cooperate together. Yo' see, den yo' git dat same remedy. Well, yo' git first dis Drowin' Oil, den yo' git dis Min' Oil; yo' git Florida watah, an' yo' git Orange Blossom watah. Yo' know whut dat is. Den yo' git steel dust, an' den yo' git dat nine lumps of sugah an' yo' git dat honey. Dat is fo' dat good act. Dat is to git 'em togethah. When yo' do dat way ahead when dey come to yo' first. An' yo' shake it [these things in a bottle]. Jes' shake it. Yo' keeps dat an' yo' shake it. Well, yo' put it off [aside]. Now, as fer as de beef tongue. Tuh freeze a client's [tongue] dat yo' know gonna talk, git chew 50 pound of ice an' take de beef tongue. Yo' know how tuh do dat. An' den wit de names dat are goin' against de person dat chure workin' fo', an' freeze 'em, an' dey won't be able tuh talk.
(You use both the beef and these other ingredients in the bottle?)
Yes.
Entry 8965
(If you are going to court, you say?)
Yes. Now, yo' git that beef tongue an' yo' takes hit an' yo' puts it on ice. Write de name whut chew done wrote. Yo' would write de name of de party dat's gotta go tuh co't where dey cain't talk, yo' see, lak yo' want a person convicted, an' git fined someway or 'nothah. Yo' takes dat name an' yo' writes it nine times, de judge an' de lawyer dat he has, an' puts dat round dat beef tongue an' put it on ice, an' dat freezes dey tongue an' dey cain't talk. Whut dey know dey cain't explain no mo'.
Entry 8966
Take that beef tongue an' at de big part of it, just split, just dig a hole in it - don't split it open. They cuts dat tongue, dey cuts a hole in it as far as dey want it to extend. Dey write your name. Just like yo' got a case in court, ah'll give it to yo' dat way. When yo' got a case in court, dey got people to witness fo' yo'; an' if ah can git de names of de people goin' be yore witness, ah'll git de names of dese people goin' be yore witness against me. An' when ah cut dat hole in dat beef tongue, ah'll write all de names nine times. An' ah'll take dose names an' shove dem up in dat tongue an' put dat tongue in a bucket or anythin' dat is small, an' pack it wit ice, like tonight, an' it'll be froze by tomorrow. An' when yo' witnesses come, dey can't even talk. They won't know what to say.
Entry 8967
Yo' get de prosecutor's name.
[Informant takes long pause.]
(All right.)
Yo' get some of de eye witness name - what swearing against yo', ah mean. An' yo' get de judge's name an' de prosecuting attorney's name, an' yo' write dere names down in lines, yo' see [one name under the other]. Den yo' take an' write yore name across dere. [Informant takes long pause.] Nine times. [Informant takes long pause.] (Yes?) Yo' shove in - yo' cut dat beef tongue an' yo' shove it [written names] in dat beef tongue an' yo' sew it back up. Yo' get yo' a brand-new tub, nevah have done been used.
[Informant takes long pause.] (Yes?)
(Yes.)
You get you a block of ice... (What did you say about the twelve apostles a moment ago? The twelve dis- ciples?) The twelve disciples, yo' must write dem twelve disciples name down.
(And what do you do with that?)
The twelve disciples name, dat's like if yo' want.... [They were concerned with another rite.]
Entry 8968
Suppose yo'd [you would] have a case comin' off, yo' see, on de 28th of dis month. Dey day dat chure case goin' come off - [the day before] yo' git dat beef tongue from de market an' yo' put it on ice an' leave it freeze very hard. Aftah it freeze yo' take dat needle an' [scratch] all de jurys name on dat tongue. Aftah writing de jurys name on dat tongue, yo' take a shovel an' yo' put it [ice and tongue] about one foot in de ground. Yo' covah it ovah. It's frozen yo' see. Now dis dwellin' house dat chew live in. Yo' turn de chairs upside down. Well, dat chills his tongue an' he wouldn't be able tuh prosecute, unless de case is so brutish until de jurymen - yo' understand, regardless of whut de judge say - dey would have capital punishment. But if de case is not [too impossible] de [jury] wouldn't take de statement of de judge becuz he gonna give no statement whatevah. Dey take de statement of de witness dat got on de stand.
Entry 8969
(What do they use beef tongue for?)
Well, now, that's what I have heard people have used beef tongue and put nee- dles in it. Sticks nine needles in it - just like they got a son or a daughter or somepin going from them up here to the penitentiary or somepin. They Wanta try keep dem here, tie 'em over here or keep them out, get them out. They put that on there and they put that on ice and things. That's to keep the judge from talking good. Yo' know, couldn't explain hisself, yo' see. He won't be able to tell them that he going to send him up the road [penitentiary] or nuthin, yo' see. Now, it's like if I give you [sentence you] thirty days. It's just like you done done a bad crime, not no stealing or somepin, just like: So ah'm goin' to give yo' $25 or thirty days in Parish [jail], see. De same time he got a penitentiary case, yo' see. Yo' see?
Entry 8970
[If you are] in court like this. If yo' done did a bad crime. He got a witness against yo' - or maybe ten or twelve - fifteen or twenty witness against yo'. Yo' take all of these witness names. Now which is de beef tongue, an' it runs about dat long [dem- onstrates]. Yo' know de size of a beef tongue. Yo' take dat tongue an' yo' split it open right into de mid- dle. Yo' take all dese names an' yo' stuff 'em down into dis tongue. Aftah yo' stuff 'em down into dis tongue, yo' get yo' a pack of needles an' yo' use nine of de biggest needles in dere. Yo' get yo' 50 pounds of ice. Dat's de day yo' goin' to court. Get yo' 50 pounds of ice an' yo' take dis beef tongue an' yo' put it down into dis ice an' freeze it. Co'se [of course] yo' could use it de night before dat. An' yo' take dis tongue an' yo' freeze it with these witness names against yo' in it. Then, when they get in court they can't say nothing against you. If it's anything, they going to say somepin for you.
(What do you do with those nine needles?)
The nine needles, you just stick it all in them names and in the tongue.
Entry 8976
Yo' use dem needles an' nails - well, nails. Ah'll put nails an needles togethah. Fo' instance, yo' have a case in court. Yo' have, probably three or fo' witnesses against yo' an' yo' afraid dat when dey appear dat dere testimony will convict yo'. Now, nine mornings befo' de day of de trial, yo' go to de market an' yo' get yo' a beef tongue. Yo' get de beef tongue an' yo' come back home an' yo' split it down de middle. Yo' take dese witness' name, also yore witness, an' yo' write dere name down, nine times, an' place it inside of the tongue. Get yo' this No.8 thread - yo' get black an' white an' yo' take a needle an' yo' sew dis up in dere, an' as yo' sew dat, yo' curse it. As yo' sewin' yo' cursin'. (Which do you sew with, the black or the white?) Well, it's known as No.8 thread. It can be white or black. (Oh, I see.) But like if it was a negro an' have white witnesses against 'im, yo'd use white an' black thread. See, like mixed. (What if it's a colored man and he had negro witnesses against, him, then what?) Well, he would use black thread. Yo' take this black thread an' sew it an' cuss at 'im. Sew an' cuss at 'im. Evah time yo' sew it, cuss 'im. Sew dat up. Den yo' take nine needles an' drive dem in dere an' curse it all de time. Aftah yo' take nine needles, yo' take nine tenpenny nails an' jug in dere, all de way up to dere. Just take dat an'...
(You drive the nails into the tongue?)
Yeah, drive dem in dis tongue, all.de way through dis tongue.
(I didn't get that word. Do you jerk them or jump them in?)
Yo' push 'em in.
(Oh! All right. I didn't understand what you said.)
[I am trying not to offend! Remember the hermaphrodite in New Orleans and my use of the word sporting-woman - see p.1685,5 lines from bottom, fol.] Yeah, yo' push 'em an' den aftah yo' take dat an' yo' dig a hole. Dig a hole deep enough fo' yo' to git say around abount 25 pounds or 50 pounds of ice. An' yo' put de ice at de bottom an' put dis tongue in between an' freeze dat tongue fo' nine days an' nine nights. An' de day of de trial - whenevah yo' think de ice will run out, yo' just go back an' yo' put ice on it. Yo' keep dat tongue froze. As long as yo' keep dat tongue froze just as hard, yo' know like when yo' freeze sompin it git real hard - as long as yo' have dat tongue froze, it will work. Yo' keep de tongue froze. De morning dat yo' are goin' to trial, get up - just like yo' get up out of yore bed, don't make it up, leave it. Take yore undahclothes, yo' turn dem on de wrong side, even yore socks. Put on yore shoes an' clothes an' yo' come on out. Den yo' go to court. If dat tongue is froze when yo' go to court, to trial an' get up on de stand, dey'll call de witness to de stand, it'll freeze his tongue. He can't talk like he wants to. He'll git up dere an' he'll make some mistakes. He'll git up dere an' he'll talk, he'll be talkin' against yo', but de way dat he'll talk, it'll be in yore favor. See. He'll sort of stutter an' can't get de thing right like he wants, yo' know. Dey will throw it [case] out then.
Entry 8977
If a man in trouble or a woman in trouble, who tryin' tuh work some scheme, yo' can't git nuthin out de law.] Look lak yo' cain't git justice an' yo' done made every move yo' could make an' yo' would try some othah move tuh make. An' lak a person would tell yo' go to Sech-an'-sech, dat dey knows. Den yo' come to me, ah knows. Ah'll say, "Whut's de trouble?" Yo' tell 'em [me], "Well, ah'm in trouble fo' a grave murder. Ah done tried eve'y law [lawyer] heah ah could an' dey cain't do no Say, Say, "Ah want chew tuh take up mah case if yo' think dat chew could." Ah say, "Who's yo' witnesses on dis case? Is yo' got witnesses or...?" [You] say, "Yeah, ah got several wltness." [I] say, "Could yo' git to de witness against dis end of it?" Yo' say, "Yeah, ah could git de names of 'em. Ah knows who's 'em all goin' prosecute me." [I] say, "Git me dere name an' write 'em down fo' me. When yo' git 'em, write 'em nine times, each one of de defendants name, write 'em an' bring 'em to me. An' ah'll read 'em an' ah'll look at 'em, de best ah kin do." So yo' bring me these names, write 'em down. Ah say, "All right." Ah got de names. Yo' got three witnesses prosecutin' yo'. An' heah yo' got three witnesses, defendant, an' ah say, "Separate de de- fendants from de prosecutin'." Den we separate it an' write it nine times. Ah say, "Now, go git me a beef tongue." It's jes' lak three ag'inst an' two wit. (There are three against you and two for you. And now you are going to sepa- rate those names?) Yeah, ah want each one dere names. Now, yo' gimme de three prosecutors. All right, yo' kin go write 'em down nine times.
(Each one nine times?)
"Yes, on a brown piece of papah, nine times, an' give 'em tuh me." Ah take dem names. All right, ah got dese citizen witness nine times on 'nothah piece of brown papah. All right, ah take each one de brown papahs [demonstrates] an' den ah'll fold 'em three times an' ah put de top papah, de two witness, ah put dem on de top de prosecutors yo' see. Put 'em on dere an' git me de beef tongue an' take dat beef tongue an' ah split it. Ah split de beef tongue an' ah put de prosecutors on de bottom down dere an' put de 'fenders [defenders] on de top, an' sew de tongue up. Ah hang it up in de chimley - put a nail in de chimley an hang it up an' let it smoke till de day of de trial. "When de day of de trial come, notify me of de day of de trial, git me 50 pounds of ice, an' chip de ice out jes' tuh fit dat tongue. An' bring de tongue from down de chimley an' put de tongue in dere betwixt dat ice, jes' tuh fit in an' bury it wit de othah.
(Where do you bury it?)
Bury it in de ice. An' when de judge git on de stand an' de jurors, dat [tongue] smoke an' smokes all dere fears an' evil away, an' dat freezes de jud- ge's tongue an' dey mo' or less have a hanged trial. De trial is mo' or less tuh hang, if it don' acquit dem. It will hang de trial up or throw it outa co't. [Here I stopped recording thinking informant had ended, but then he started to tell about the origin of the tongue rite.]
(The reason you know this is true is because of what?)
When de magicians, de people dat 'sposed [supposed] tuh have two haids [a two- head or twoheader] an' know eve'ything, when dey wuz goin' through de lan', when Saul wanted tuh see his brothah Simon, an' so he had heard dat yo' use jes' a lamb, if yo' wanta him nearer down in de land somewhere, down in de land, dat dis ole magician hoodoo woman she passes that [along to us].
(She started this thing? The beef tongue?)
Yes.
Entry 8978
Get yo' a beef tongue, an' get de judge's name. An' if dey have a wit- ness, get one for de witness an' one for de district attorney. An' yo' get a block of ice. An' yo' see, yo' set dem three candles or white candles [mentioned before recording started and also later] on [this] ice before yore trial, an' dat chills dere tongues. Yo' put de tongue into a big block of ice [usually 50 pounds]. Just make a hole an' put it down into de ice. An' cut de tongue open an' put de judge's name, de dis- trict attorney's name, an' de witness [name] in dat. An den set de light [candles] on before yo' go to court. One candle for each of dose people. Use white candles.
Entry 8980
Now if yo' go before de iudge, de judge goin' to discharge yo', ac- cording to what kind of case, yo' know, yo'll have. Well, if yo' got people against yo', yo' know, an' yo' don't want to have dem part of de jury. Yo' going before de judge, like if it's a criminal case, yo' know, yo' got to have de jury. Yo' see, dey have [a panel of] 75 jurors [to select jurors from]. Well, yo' don't know what people [will be on the jury]. They don't pick out but twelve. Now, yo' don't know what twelve dey going to pick out. Dat makes yo' gotta use de whole panel. Yo' see, ah [in my work] done use 'em all.[ Well, now, de person - what jurors is against yo'. Yo' go an' get yo' a beef tongue, a fresh beef tongue. Pay odd money fo' it, not even money - 25 or 35 cents or somepin like dat. Let de money be odd money. An' yo' go an' take dat tongue an' yo' get these peoples names what is against yo', what done harm yo', don't yo' see or what yo' done harm. Yo'll take dat tongue, yo'll write de names on a piece of papah, an' yo'll write all dem jurymen's names, de dis- trict attorney.
(The whole 75 of those names?)
Yeah, just put de whole 75. Yo' have to use de 75, because outa dem yo' get twelve.
(I see. All right.)
Now, yo' get de district attorney what is de man to prosecute yo'. Yo'll get his name an' put it on dere, but not de judge in dat part. An' yo'll -git yo' dat tongue. Yo' get yo' nine needles an' nine pins. Yo'll get yo' dese people names an' yo'll put down on dere an' yo'll put dat down in de throat of dat tongue. Yo'll take dat tongue an' yo'll hang it up in de chimney. An' den aftah dat, yo'll take an' git yo' some watah an' yo'll get yo' some peppah. Yo' git yo some coarse snuff an' yo'll burn a - light a candle.
(Coarse snuff?)
Coarse snuff, dat coarse snuff; not dat in a box. An' yo'll light dat candle an' yo'll put it.in dere. Now, yo' want to come clear an' yo' want de judge to be lenient wit yo', so yo' take de judge's name. An' yo'll take de judge ame, den yo'll git yo' a block of ice, 'bout fifty pounds of ice. Yo' put it in a little pail an' yo'll sweeten it. Den yo'll light de candle, but yo'll light it straight up [the candle will be standing upl. An' den yo' see, sweeten de judge. But this othah part what yo' do, yo' take an' yo' put de candle - yo' turn 'em upside down, yo' get dat coarse snuff an' all dat, an' put in dere. Well dat make de district attorney be fightin' against dem. An' de people, what he got fo' witness, goin' to speak against yo'. Anything dey drink, perhaps dey drink whiskey. Some might drink gin or somepin like dat. Well yo'll get dat [liquor] an' yo' put dere name an' set yo' a little glass. An' put dat candle on dat [name and liquor in the glass] an' ah'll guarantee every one of 'em will go to court drunk. An' yo'll come out clear 'cause dey'll be drunk. Dey won't know what they're sayin'. They'll be lying backwards and forwards.
(What'll that ice do?)
Well, yo' see, de ice, dat's to cool, dat's fo' yore part. De ice makes yo' cool. Yo' know ice makes yo' cool. [Usually ice freezes apponent's tongue.] Well, de judge won't be fiery wit yo'. See, he'll be cool an' calm. But on dis othah side, yo' get dat snuff an' yo' put dem names in dere an' yo' get dat beef tongue. Yo' put dem things in dere an' shove dat tongue, all down in de throat, an' just hang dat tongue up an' den yo'll see. Yo'll see an' dey'll be lyin' an' dey'll be drunk. Just what dey drink, yo' set dat candle in dere [in the glass]. An' dey'll be lyin' an' dey won't say a thing against yo'. What color...just what candles you select. Don't try de black candles.
(Anything but black?)
But black candles.
(How many do you burn?)
Yo' burn - see, if dere's five people, yo' put five candles. An' if it's three, yo' put three; just accordin' to how many is against yo', yo' put dem many candles. An' den what they drink, yo' get a little glass, just what fit de candle an' put dat [liquor] in dere, an' ah'll guarantee yo' every one will be drunk.
Entry 8981
[This is a rite for an altar shaped like a triangle, one of the angles being 45°, so that it will fit into the corner of a room. A triangular board as a shelf would also serve the purpose. Sometimes an oblong or a square table is placed catercornered in a corner of the room. Such a device saves space, can be shut off by a curtain, and represents one of the four corners of the earth (Reve- lation of St. John the Divine, 7:1). One of these altars I actually describe under (3) My third psalmist (INTRO- lines 16-21). Though my informant does not say so, the pan of salt holding names and burn- ing candles did not rest on the floor, but upon an altar. We must also suspect the presence of holy objects, such as pictures of saints. My great friend, the Rev. J. Langtry Williams - mentioned in Pictures for Alma at the end of Folklore from Adams County Illinois, 2nd edition - described the reli- gious arrangement of his part-time housekeeper. She being elderly and ill, he went up to Harlem (black section in New York City) on a pastoral call. Her whole room was an altar! Two wires from the four corners of the ceiling sagged and crossed in the center'of the room. Along these wires at intervals were strung holy pictures and objects. In one of the corners was a shelf or small stand hold- ing a colored light with a float. She had seen my friend's sanctuary lamp over in the church, but these private shrines were common long before she met Father Wil- liams. All these religious actions are concerned with what I call the magic of the diagonal, one arm or both of the "x" or St. Andrew's cross. Hoodoo has many similar rites - the old housekeeper's also being a quincunx, which again is well represented in Hoodoo. For similar private shrines see: CUSTODIAN OF A SHRINE, PP.1139-1158; BEER FOR ST. PETER, CIGAR AND WHISKEY FOR ST. ANTHONY, PP.1220-1236; A WOMAN AND HER THREE SAINTS, Pp.1401-1414; etc, all in v.2.] In a sense [instance?] of that kind my godmother always burned nine candles and they have a beef tongue. Well, see different peoples come there and wanted cases dismissed [from court]. They'd get a beef tongue and they'd stick that beef tongue full of pins. And they have a string running from this part of the wall to that part. They'd tie that tongue up there [demonstrates].
(So it's hanging between the walls, you mean?)
Yes sir, yo' see just like de corner there [points].
(Yes.)
Well, they'd tie it hanging - hang it in the corner that way. An' they'd put them [demonstrates].
(Across - well, just one over the other.)
Yes.
(You put the strihg across one corner, one - show me how you do.)
See [demonstrates]. (Like that, I see. One cord over the other cord just so it cuts off a corner.) Yes. (They cut off the space in a triangle [the cut-off space becomes a triangle]. All right.) The left-hand corner of the house.
(Well, which is the left-hand corner of the house?)
Well, that [points to it] would be the left-hand corner of this house. You mean coming in? (Oh, it's the left-hand corner coming in. All right. And [demonstrates again] they hang this tongue in that [2 wires] like a swing? They put it in a swing?) Yes, see.
(All right.)
Just put two string between two corners - see, like that.
(Holes [nails] right in the corner.)
An' they puts [in the tongue] a whole paper of stick pins, pointed pins, yo' know. Stick 'em in this all ovah, all around. An' they write dat name on them candles - they got nine candles there.
(What name do they write on there?)
They write your name [client] on there.
(The person that wants to get free.)
Sure. Now they write your name on there. And then they take any kind of pan an' they'll fill that pan with salt, an' they'll write that judge an' the dis- trict attorney name on there, an' put it in this salt.
(What will they write all that on?)
On paper.
(I see, and put it in the salt. All right.)
An' put it in this salt. An' when they light them candles they go ahead on to the court house. If yo' not discharged that day, the case is throwed off. An' when they come back again, make another dressing [repeat the candle ceremony], maybe it throwed off again. (Now, you put all these nine candles in that pan of salt, burning. Are they all lighted at once? What color are the candles?)
[All candles are lighted at the same time.]
Different colors.
(I see.)
Red, blue, green, yellow, white - different colors. (Different colors, I see. But my name [client's name] is written on those candles, I see.) See, an' they write de judge an' de district attorney name - put that on that paper upside down like that an' light them candles an' go on out. Now, that case liable to be thrown out today. All right, call that case up again, fust de morning before that case is called at 9:15, dey light them candles again. Maybe throwed out that time. Next time....
Entry 8982
Yo' go to de slaughter pen an' yo' get yo' a fresh beef tongue. An' yo' write his name, whosomevah, if yo' kin get dem witness names. Yo' write dem witness name down. Write each witness name down on a piece of papah. An' yo' take dat beef tongue an' split it open just like dis [demonstrates] an' put all dem names in dat beef tongue an sew it back up. An' yo' wrap dat up good an' yo' go on down dere [to court] wit dat in yore pocket. An' sit dere. When de witness get up dere, dey can't talk. All dem tongue-tied, dey can't say nuthin - just cross-talk, dey can't say nuthin. An' yo' goin' to get discharged.
Entry 8983
Yo' take a beef tongue an' yo' goin' to court, an' yo' takes it, an yo' put de one's name who got yo' arrested, an' de judge, an' de district attor- ney and the party dat's accusin' yo' [caused the arrest] an' yo' puts de [3] names in dere. An' yo' write it an' yo' stick it a way down in dat tongue. Yo' go to court an' yo' can carry dat tongue wit yo', wrap it up good, in yore pocket. When dey get ready to say somepin, dere tongue will be tied, becuz dere name is down in dat tongue - pushed a way down in dere - an' dere mind get all up [upset], an' dere tongue get heavy. It's just like if yo' take somepin [and put it] on my tongue - put anythin' in dere. It goin' to make it still heavier, if it held wit a weight, ain't it? Well, dat'd make de tongue get heavy an' dey can't say nuthin. So dat's de reason why - dat's what a tongue do's. Yo' put de name in dere, de party dat accused her [had her arrested], de judge, an' de district attorney. Dat's who all names yo' want, Just de three names: de party dat's ac- cusin' 'er, de judge, an' de district attorney. [New Orleans, La., (826a) 1212:2.]
Entry 8984
Well, de beef tongue. If a guy have commit a crime, why yo' git dat beef tongue an' put nine needles in it, [name of criminal in], an' take it to de cemetery an' put it on a grave. Wrap it up yo' know an' put it on de grave. An' it'll stay there till it spoil an' fade away. An' in dat time it fade away, dis guy will be back, yo' see, an' den he's captured.
(Whose grave do you put this tongue on?)
Well, yo' put it on any' grave dat chew know of, who had not been buried, yo' know, not so very long.
(You don't put it on the grave of the man who was killed?)
No, no.
(This is to bring back some man who has committed a crime?)
Well, yo' see, de man dat had done committed de crime, why yo' jes' put it in on a grave dat chew know of people were real smart peOpZe [DOES THIS MEAN THE GRAVE OF A "TWO-HEAD?" IF SO, THIS WOULD PROBABLY BE MY ONLY EXAMPLE OF USING THE GRAVE OF A "TWO-HEAD" - A HOODOO CANONIZED INTO A SAINT!] An' den When dat fade, why de man will be back an' be captured.
Entry 8985
Yo' take beef tongue an' dries it. Yo' make a dust out of dat, under- stand. Yo' take that an' dries it. Yo' take it - just like yo' take it an' lay it, let it just wither up. Hang it so it wither up, yo' see. Well, yo' take it, yo' take blood of dragon - dragon's blood. Yo' take lodestone. Yo' take that an' grind it up. An' yo' takes a piece of red flannel an' yo' puts them in there an' makes yo' a bag out of that. An' yo' sew it up an' yo' tote it in your pocket. He always be's lucky an' successful man, never being bothered or worried or caught up when he's out walking around. See, he ain't got no job or nothing, he's out hustling for his living. Laws and things don't pick him up an' ask him a lot of questions or any- thing. If they ask him, all he's got to do is to tell him, why he's goin' tend- ing to his business, an' they let's him go.
Entry 9119
(1) Dey could git a big sage leaf an' write de Ten Commandment on dat sage leaf an' take it tuh de co't an' yo' make out anybody dere an' jes' throw it. (2) Eithah yo' could take a red onion an' split it in fo' parts an' sprinkle salt in it an' carry it in yore pocket han'ke'- ch'ef, an' whilst in dere, blow yore breath once in awhile. (3) Or eithah yo' kin take a [silver] ten cents an' put it undah yore tongue an' hold it dere, an' dat will make de party dat's against yo', 'sturbed [dis- turbed].
Entry 9120
Yo' goes tuh a palm tree an' go on de side de sun rise on, an' yo' chop dat down, right tuh de root of it. An' yo' gits some of dat [root] an' yo' could sew some of dat up wit six sage leaves. Yo' gits six sage leaves. (You get some of this palm root and then you mix these six sage leaves in there. All right.) Yo' mix it up an' put it tuhgethah an' yo' kin sew hit up - sew it up tuhgethah. An' yo put three intuh dat - three of those six [sage] leaves - three of 'em. Yo' mix it up tuhgethah an' give a person one tuh weah in each one of his shoes. Dat is fo' trouble, lak yo' got a case in co't, a bad case. Dat'll kinda he'p yo' out in co't. (In this bag you have three sage leaves with this palm root and he has one [sage leaf] in each shoe. All right he has one left over. What is he going to do with that?) He takes dat othah one an' he keeps hit till he go inside [court], an' when he go inside, he puts it in a knot undah his tongue - undah his tongue - an he be talkin'.
Entry 10269
[A woman] fixes a man so he don't have nature fer any other woman. Ah [a doctor] always nuses [uses] pure cream wit a massage to him - wit de cow cream - an' give him dis rattlesnake master an' deer tongue root. Take de deer tongue an' dig an' git de root part of 'em, an' boil 'em all into one. An' de picka- nettZe [for identity See later]. An' boilt it into one an' give him to drink; [remedy] which most [people] says is worked as a Spanish fly work, but ah did not add dat. You better not [in your work] call it dat [Spanish flyl. But it work jes' as you.... Dis cream dat she got - what I gave him to massage hisself, begin wit black gunpowder. Dat will kill de germs of whatever she put on him, whatever kind of herb she put on him; a powder, have to be a dust. It have to be a burnt dust to take effect - put on him. I wash him off wit an' give him dis to take an' dat will give him a nature to go anywhere wit any woman. (This "pickle" business [actually "pickanettle"] is the same as "gall of the earth, " isn't it?) Yes, sir. It grows straight up [the reason why it is used as an aphrodisiac], but ah got some near to de house. Ah'll make it mah business to come back an' bring some of mine so you could see jes' what ah got. It grows jes' straight up jes' like it got lotsa thorns on de back. [I had heard of pickanettle in Charles- ton, a nettle or thorny plant of some sort.]
Entry 11293
Ah heard dat dey take de dog, if a woman wanted tuh git somebody outa her way - no doubt if, it jes' a friend of hers [get rid of a rival]. Den, if she Would take de dog, prob'ly kill de dog an' take de dog's heart - it wasn't de livah - it was de heart of a dog, an' den take de heart [center] out from undah his hoof [pawl. Jes' take dat piece of meat out from undah his foot dere, an' take de heart of a dog. An' yo' takes dat an' yo' cooks it an' yo' makes a salve out of it, jes' cook it down tuh a salve. Take de watah off or de grease or whatevah it is. If yo' jes' git dis on her any place - jes' git some of it on her any place, fo' five [4 or 5] diff'ren' times, den yo' could cause dis wo- man jes' tuh run an' huffer jes' lak de dog does. Jes' run jes' lak yo' see a dog run 'long wit his tongue hangin' out. Well, dis woman she would git jes' lak de dog [less attractive to man both were after].
Entry 11337
Well, yo' take now fo' love - yo' know whut dese little ole hoot owls is, yo' know. No, ah mean dese little morning [mourning] doves. (Mourning doves that coo-coo like that?) Yes. Well, see a person kin go out, chew know, an' kill one of dem an' cut de tongue from under his mouth, an' place it under yore tongue in yore mouth an' kiss a girl, an' it'll be hard fo' yo' to git rid of her. She'll come to be in love with yo' an' yo' couldn't git rid of her.
Entry 11338
Mah husband had quit me once an' a girl tole me about a dove. She tole me tuh take de tongue of dat dove an' put it tuh dry, an' den lay it in Hearts Cologne, an' den when ah gits a chance tuh go wit mah husband, tuh put it in mah mouth an' kiss him, an' his love would come new ag'in to me. So ah tried it an' suah enough, it did.
Entry 12774
If I wanta harm yuh - if I wants tuh harm yuh, I'm goin' show yuh de way I'd harm yuh. Now, ah've got somepin dat ah wants to git nex' to yo' fo'. Ah'll come to yore house an' sit down an' talk wit chew today. Dat to git de sense to see what chew, yuh notice me about, if yo' don' notice me too much. Den tomorrah when ah come back, ah bring my dose [mix- ture] what I wants to git nex' to yo', an' sprinkle it in yore house. An' de day what chew got - understand, dat what chew got. When ah leave yo' house, [you] will always wanta see me all de time.
(Well, what sort of dose would you fix up?)
Well, ah'll fix up sompin wit lobelia and hippo - lobelia and hippo root. [This may be my only example of Hippo, the name of the blood flower from the Bahamas.] Now ah git blacksnake powder or rattlesnake powder an' tie yo' up.
(Rattlesnake powder?)
Rattlesnake powder an' tie yuh up. Yo' take dis rattlesnake powder - yo' take it an' bring it wit chew out de Woods an' yo' put one knot in it. Git de blacksnake-shoestring [he means] de devil's-shoestring. Tie dat together an' ah've got chew.
(What is this blacksnake root that you tie up?)
Blacksnake root? Blacksnake root supposed to conkah anything yo' start after, an' rattlesnake powder...
(Rattlesnake powder?)
Rattlesnake powder, dat's a big bush grows about dat high an' grows about dat wide [demonstrates]. Yo' kin take it - yo' kin go to de woods an' take it an put it in yore yard or plant it in yore flowers. But it's no good heah to yuh, yo' gotta git it out de woods. Git chew five-fingah grass. It grows about dat high [demonstrates]. Yo've seen snake's tongue, ain't chew? Well it jes' like a snake's tongue. It grows about dat high [demonstrates], from de ground an' it spread out jes' like a snake's tongue.
(Well, what do you do with that five-finger grass?)
Yo' take dat an' bring it to yore house an' conkah anybody dat chew wanta come by. Anything dat come to yo' mind to do, yo' kin do it. Yo' don't miss nuthin.
Entry 120
Once an old man by the name of uncle Esham would go on a hunting trip every night, Sundays included. Friends tried their best to refrain him from going hunting on Sunday but the old man continued as if nothing was said. One Sunday night he heard a voice speaking from a tree, saying, "Esham, Esham, what is the matter with you? You hunt Monday night, you hunt Tuesday night, you hunt Wednesday night, you hunt Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. Poor 'coons [racoons] can't get no rest." The old man would just listen and go on hunting just the same. One Sunday night when the old man passed be- neath the tree, not only did the voice speak to him, but when he looked around he saw red eyes, a man standing with his tongue out, pointing down the road. And he also said, "Esham, Esham, what is the matter with you? You hunt Monday night, you hunt Tuesday night, you hunt Wednesday night, you hunt Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday night. Poor 'coons can't get no rest." Just as this was spoken the tree fell down and killed uncle Esham. He was found lying there the next day. The story was told by an old man who used to follow uncle Esham about a hundred yards away. And that was the end of uncle Esham. My grandmother told me the story.
Entry 3706
He kin use his wlfe in a way dat she won't have othah men.
(How does he do that?)
How does he do it? Uses wlt de tongue. Dey call it goin' to de bushes. He goes down when he go to goin' down. She won't have anothah man. [That next-to-last sentence means: He goes down to the bushes, resorts to cunnilingus, when he begins to lose his nature. My informant, though marked professional and excellent is mistaken. Cunnilingus is neither a sign of ap- proaching impotence nor a mark of impotence.]
(Why?)
Well, DE HEAT FROM 'IS BREATH DRAWS DE LIFE FROM DE OTHAH MAN AWAY FROM 'ER. [To breathe, to heat, to suck, and to lick - these can be magic actions; but in this rite I see only intention or wishing. Protection against the other man, like all similar devices, is nonsense. As a matter of fact, all rites in HOODOO are wishful thinking - a dangerous mental activity.]
Entry 11339
Kill a dove and put de dove's tongue under yore tongue an' kiss anyone dat chew love an' dey will git affectionate.
Entry 13012
"Take a silver dime, if you think somebody is trying to hurt you. Put it in your mouth right under your tongue and you can drink and eat all you want. That dime takes [absorbs] everything." [This must be a unique exper- ience, to keep a silver dime under your tongue while eating and drinking!]
[Mobile 851:2.]
Entry 13013
"You take a silver dime and put it in your mouth under your tongue, and take a thimbleful of sulphur, swallow it, and keep this dime under there about one or two hours and take it out. If it's black, it's bad [you are hoo- dooed]; if it's not black [the sickness] it's nashural." [Mobile 884:3.]
Entry 2761
Madam Helen learned me that. I worked for her in Algiers. Well, she was a two-headed lady, see. Well, so many peoples coming to her backwards and forwards, I used to go in and peek and look and see what she be doing: Well, that's how I'd get to learn - to knows all of these things. See. Course, poor soul, she'd dead, but she was a crack shot. I guess you have heard talk of her.
(How long has she been dead?)
She been dead now going on three years. Yes. But she had a place - great many colored go there, you know, they'd dance and carry on and everything. Well, she had a big house. She had snakes [see later]. She had any kind of animal you wanted to see around her house. If you was hurt or anything by any kind of ani- mal and went to her to cure you, she would have that animal dust or grease or something to give you to cure you.
(What was your work over there?)
My work was housework.
(Just housework?)
Yes.
(You didn't have anything to do with the customers then?)
No, I didn't have anything to do with the customers. But if they - if the customers would come, and rang the doorbell, I would answer the doorbell and let 'em in. But they'd have their room to sit down in. All I'd do, just go round and ring her bell and have another girl - for a white girl to come and receive 'em girls, if it was a lady, if it was a gentleman - whoever would come to see her.
(Was Madam Helen a white woman?)
Yes, sir, she was a white woman - white lady.
(I see, I see.)
She was a crackerjack.
(She received both the colored and white people?)
Both the colored and white people, but she had her days picked for the white. She had, I think on Thursday, Wednesday, something like, for the white. Now, on a Friday, that would be especially for the colored and Mondays - that would be their days. She would work four days and that was all. And iffen you was badly hurt, well, you could come and she would keep you there with her. Now, if you'd be colored, well, I'd 'tend to you like in a patient. I'd 'tend to you in the bed 'cause she had to keep you there to doctor on you anything herself. Well, I'd 'tend to you myself and I'd bring your dinner and your breakfast or empty your slop and keep your room clean, you see.
(I see, if you were what?)
If you was colored, you know, well, I had to do that 'cause I was colored, see. But the whites she'd - well, the white people - well, she had a white lady 'tending to that, see. But the white lady was over me. See. See, I was under. Madam Helen, she was my boss, but she never did pay me - 'twas the white girl paid me all the time. See. (Did Madam Helen dress in any particular way, or have an altar in her house or anything of that sort?) Madam Helen, yes sir, she had an altar. She had a great big altar in her house. See. (When a person came there, what sort of ceremony did they go through? Suppose I went over there, what would she do? What would happen? Just what would be the procedure?) When you go there, you ring the doorbell and they ask you who you want to see. You say you want to see the Doctor Lady. When you get inside, this white girl will come to you and ask you if you want to see Madam Helen. You say, "Yes." She say, "All right - No. 2." And she'll ring that number. Well, that's just like there be two of you, she'll ring that number - No. 2. Well, Madam Helen, she'll tell the girl to bring you in. See, you'll never see her till you come in where she at. See.
(And she'll be in this room where the altar is?)
She'll be in the room where the altar and all this mess be all round her - just all round the floor.
(Loose or in bottles or what?)
All around there - just like - just like you walk on the floor or something - there's nothing but them old snakes all around there and they won't harm you or nothing, and they'd be all around there. [For the use of snakes by professional workers, see margin-title Snake, Pp.66-73.] And she'd be setting down right in front of the altar - just there waiting for you to come in.
(She sat in front of the altar?)
Yes.
(Was she dressed in any special way?)
She was dressed just like - not in - just like there something in danger, she'd have a black gown on with a white - you know them crucifix and thing that be hanging around - you know what them priests have around them. Well, she'd have it like that, hanging around there, and wore a white cap. She didn't never did keep her hair no longer than right around here like that.
(That was for danger, you say?)
Yes, that was for danger - like if a person come in there hurt bad, well, she'd be dressed [in the appropriate color] before you get there. She'd know you were coming. (Well, now, what was a love affair? If you wanted to bring your husband back, how would she dress for that?) Well, she'd be all in blue. Just like a person - just like [the author], if you'd know you were coming there, she'd know you were coming - just like you'd say, "Well, tomorrow morning I'm going to get up and I'm going to see Madam Helen." Well, the next morning, she going to get up and she going to be fixed for when you come there. She going to tell you, she say, "Well, I know you was coming. Cause I have went right there and listen at her talk and I hear her myself. She say, "I know you was coming. You see, I got ready for you." you." say, "Yes, ma'm." [For doctor's foreknowledge of patient, see Consultation Tech- nique, pp.307-318.] (She dressed for each person. Well, how did she know that person was coming there to see her?) That's what I couldn't understand - how she know. She she really would know. And if she was living right now, I could tell you right now, you could ring her up and tell her you coming - you want to know her name or something, you know - just tell her you was a doctor or something and she'll tell - say, "Yes, well, you come over." [See Index for Doctor, author called a.] And you say, "Well, I'll be over day after tomorrow." And you say, now you say to yourself, 'I'm going there tomorrow." And she'll tell you, she say, "No, you coming here to- morrow - I know when you coming, I'll be ready for you." Now, how she knowed, I don't know.
(Did she wear any other color gowns?)
She didn't have nothing but purple gowns - purple gowns and black gowns - purple cap, black cap - and a blue gown with a blue cap. That's all I ever pressed for her.
(Did she ever have black ones?)
Black, I'm done told you - black and purple.
(Did she ever wear white?)
No, she never did wore white, I never did seen wear no white - always just be them three different colors.
(Now, this altar. Well, did she have candles burning on that altar or what?)
She had lights - all kinds of lights - red light, green light.
(All right on this altar?)
Yes, sir. (Well, if a person came in, did a person ever burn any of those lights or any- thing? What did they do when they first came in? Into this room now? I'm going in there now. I come in and she's sitting there in front of the altar. In a chair?) Yes, sir, got a big old chair - one of them round chairs.
(What would be the first thing that would happen to me then?)
Well, when you walk in there, you bow to her - you bow to her and you fall on your knees. And just like if you - you know, you come to see her - you fall on your knees. [See the Rev. Mr. Young's evidence for falling on knees before Prof. Frank, p.129.] And you turn and you light - you'll pick - you'll choose a candle that you wanta light. And you'll light it and she'll turn around and she'll look and see what color you be lighting and see if you are right; and if you wrong, she say, "Oh, no, don't light this one; light this one." And when you light that one, she'll turn around and set you down there. Well, the white girl will have to get out too; you see, there just be her and you in there then. See. Well, she'll work on you till eleven o'clock - whatever time she gotta work on you - till time for your time up. Well, round nine-thirty she be working - from nine- thirty till eleven in the day. Well, after eleven, she stop till two, cause she have her lunch and she take her nap. After two o'clock, well, you can [go] over there about three o'clock until seven at night, and then she'll stop until the next day. That's the way she would work. (Well, did you ever see what was going on after a person knelt? And what happened? Did she ask them what was wrong with them?) Well, one time I have went there and peeked and after that I was scared to stay, cause she had a snake wrapped around the lady's neck [see Snake in Index], you know, she had a snake wrapped around. The snake went around there and he come round thisaway and things and it just looked like to me that he was going to kill me cause I went and peeped and things. Well, she fussed at me cause she knowed it - I got scared and I run through the hall, that why she know I was through there. And that snake would just crawl all over that woman. And where the misery was at, that snake stopped right there and he just coiled up there. That's why she talked to it, she say, "All right, now, get down." To the snake, and the snake, well, it just wabble on over. Then she turn around and she got some kind of stuff and she do with her hand thisaway and thataway, all kind-of- Way and she started rubbing that lady. After that lady come out - that lady couldn't use her arm when she first went in. When she come out she could turn her arm thataway and hollering, "Thank God." thank God." But I know she did thank her for she sure did fuss, cause I was there peeking and I was scared of the snake. (Afraid. I understand. What did she usually charge? Have you any idea about what she charged?) Yes, sir. I had knew what she charged a couple of ladies. She have charged one lady I know of $25. She paid her debts for to cure her. Well, this lady was 'flicted all in her feets and things, she couldn't walk. She made her walk and she charged her $25, cash down, but I don't know how much altogether - how much it cost her. You know, for down, to start a'working on her. And another lady she say that she paid her $30 right down. Well, the lady that comes, her came from Lafayette, La. Never forget that lady. She done came from Lafayette, La., and paid her $30 just for to give her her speech back, and she made her get her talking back. She could talk but, you know, but she talk like this [imitates] - like that when she going to talk. Well, she fixed her up and got her tongue together and she gave her $30 cash down.
Entry 3097
I haven't had no dealing with that, but anyway, ah kin tell you some- thing about that lawyer.
(About what lawyer?)
My husband, he had kilt a man and I went to Mother Kate. (Mother Kate?) Yes, sir. (Where did she live?) She lives up on Jackson and Magnolia.
(Is she still living?)
Ah don't know if she's still living yet. I think she moved uptown.
(Oh, all right.)
But anyway I went there to her. I'd gived the lawyer $50, and so a lady told me to go up there to her. And I went up there to her, and I say, "Mother Kate, I come for you to help me - my husband is going to the penitent'ry. The next trial he get, he go to the penitent'ry. She say, "You know what you do," she say, "you go to the Ten Cent Store and get ten cents of brand-new needles and ten cents of pins and," she say, "you go to the market and you get you a beef tongue and," she say, "you put ten pins on each side and you put ten needles on each side." And she say, "you get you 50 pounds of ice and," she say, "let it stay 24 hours and," she say, "leave that tongue froze; and when he go to court he won't get no lifetime - he go to the penitent'ry, but he might get six months in the parish or either get three." And he got three months in the parish. And so after I got him out, he left me. And I went back there and I told her, ah said, "Don't you know he done left me - all that I did for him." She say, "Well, you got any money?" Ah say, "I got one quarter." She say, "You go to the corner and get a nickel worth of nutmeg and a nickels sugar and," she say, "you grate that nutmeg up, ' and she say, "you write his name nine times on a piece of paper, and you put some of that nutmeg [and sugar] in that paper and you put it in the lamp," she say, "you get a piece of red flannel and you burn your lamp."
(Wait a minute! What do you do with that red flannel, now?)
Get a piece of red flannel and drap it in the lamp - keep him from seeing it, you understand - and drap the paper in there [into red flannel to hide paper], and [but first] wrap it up with a piece of thread. And she say, "You write it nine times again and tie it up with a piece of thread and wear it in your shoe." And she say, "You get it nine times again and," she say, "you go to the barroom and gets you ten cents of gin and," she say, "you put it [third paper with 9 names] in a bottle and put it behind your bed and," she say, "you shake it up three times a day," she said, "and I'm betting he'll come back to you.'" And I'm got him till yet.
(Did he come back?)
Yes, I'm got him till yet.
(I see.)
And she say, "Three time a day you shake it up and say, "The Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
(I see. Mother Kate told you that.)
Yes, told me to get a nickel's worth of nutmeg and a nickels sugar.
(Yes?)
She told me to grate the nutmeg and mix it up in the sugar, and write it nine times.
(Wait a minute! Write what nine times?)
Write his name nine times on a piece of paper.
(All right.)
And put it in the lamp and get a piece of flannel and drap [or wrap] it in there. (Wait! You wrap this paper in a piece of flannel, and you put the flannel in the lamp?) Put the flannel in the lamp and wrap the nutmeg and the sugar up in the piece of paper and tie a piece of thread around it and drap that in the lamp.
(But the flannel is around the two then?)
Yes, sir, the flannel goes at the bottom - you know, the paper done sink and the flannel, you see, is all around it.
(Oh, all right. Then what?)
And then she told me, 'Write his name nine times again and put some of that nutmeg and sugar and wear it in your shoe.
(What do you wrap it up in?)
A piece of plain white piece of paper. Write it nine times and tie it up with a piece of white thread and wear it in my shoe.
(You don't put any flannel around that?)
No, don't put no flannel around it atall.
(Just the paper?)
Just the paper.
(All right.)
And she say, "Write his name nine times again on a piece of paper and wrap it up with a piece of thread." And she say, "You go to the barroom and get you ten cents of gin, and you put it in there and three time a day," she say, "you shake it up."
(Wait a minute! You put this paper in this gin?)
Put some of the sugar and the nutmeg and wrap it up with a piece of thread and drap it in the gin.
(I see.)
And then stop it up and put it behind the bed. "And three time a day," she say, ''you shake it up and say, "The Father, Son and Holy Ghost." (I see. You had to do all these three things, then - you burned the lamp, you had to wear it in your shoe, and.) And put it in ten cents of gin.
(And put it in gin. For how long do you have to burn that lamp?)
Burn it all day - but I don't burn it now.
(I see. You only burned it all day.)
Burned it all day and all night.
(I see.)
That's to get him back.
(And you wore this up in your shoe too?)
Wore that in my shoe - the nutmeg and.
(You only burned that lamp one day?)
Burn it all day. I burned it about three weeks.
(I see. OhI you burned it about three weeks.)
Yes, sir, I burned zactly three weeks.
(And he came back.)
And he come back - come back with his suitcase. (I see. You burned this lamp three weeks and you kept that thing in your shoe three weeks and you kept shaking that bottle up for three weeks.) I've got the bottle now, but I don't let him see it.
(I see. You did all those three things for three weeks.)
Three weeks.
(It was three weeks before he came back?)
It was three weeks before he came back. He come back that Monday.
(I see. All right.)
Entry 9024
Ah'm a doctor! Now, if [you have] a case in co't, yo' in trouble. Yo' might be in trouble fo' bootleggin' or transpo'tin' [transporting] likkah. Yo' kin make money go tuh verk doin' dat.
(Yes, I would. What do you do in that case?)
All right, den ah'll care [carry] yuh ovah de fence. It'll take me a good li'le while but ah'll tell yuh. Yo' come tuh me. All right. Who ketch yuh? State man [I mean] State Attorney? Or de Fed'ral? Or de County man? Dat's t'ree [three] ain't it? Well, if yo' git de t'ree dat's de foundation. Git dat, dat's yore text. Keep dis in yore mind. Well, a Fed'ral man ketch me. [Doctor says this for me.] Ah says, "Well, yo' know, did he ketch yuh doin' any verk?" Yes sir. [Doctor answers for me.] Ketch yuh in de cah [= car = automobile]? Yes sir. [Doctor answers for me.] Well, how many viskeys? Fo'ty [forty] cases! Well, he got chew daid tuh rights, ain't he? Yeah. [Doctor answers for me.] Well, one mo' question ah gotta ast yuh. Dat yure firs' time or second time? Well, it de second time. [Doctor answers for me.] Well, de third question. HAVE YUH GOT ANY MONEY? Yes. [Doctor answers for me, but forgets the $50 I was supposed to say!] Well, all right, fifty. It'll run from $50 tuh $100. Now, if yuh vanta git cleah [clear], ah'll cleah yuh fo' $lOO. DAT MONEY NOT BELONG TUH ME, DAT BELONG TUH DE STATE, TUH DE GOV'MENT. Fer yuh tuh git out dat t'ing, fo' de second charge, it'll cost yuh $150. [I do not understand doctor'8 preceding statement in capital letters. Is he going to pay a state official for my release? For bribery of court, see No.8994. Does he actually be- lieve this money is going tuh de gov'ment?] Ah want chew tuh stay out from jail. Now, if dey don' cleah yuh, don' pay me nuthin, but AH WAN' CHEW TUH HAVE $50 IN YER POCKET VHEN AH TAKE YUH DOWN TUH BROAD STREET. AN' AH'LL DO DE TALKIN'. YO' KEEP YER MOUT' SHET. YO' DON' KNOW NUTHIN. YO'LL BE [MAH] COUSIN, OR MAH NEPHEW, OR MAH UNCLE, OR [I'LL BE] YER BRATHAH. NOBODY can't 'spute [dispute] it. Dat's whut ah kin do! Well, anyhow, if yo'... Ah kin make yuh talk. Ah got de tools on 'em. Can't turn me doWn. AH TALK VIT DE MAN WHO GOT DE POWDAH IN 'IS HAND. "ALL RIGHT, AH SEE' [SAYS DE MAN WHO GOT DE POWAH IN HIS HAND]. "VELL, DOC [WASHINGTON], DIS IS HIS SECOND OFFENSE. IF IT VUS DE FIRS' OFFENSE, AH COULD LET 'IM OFF VIT FO'TY TUH THIRTY DAYS, OR $50. BUT IT'S HIS SECOND OFFENSE. AH COULDN'T TURN 'IM ON DE STREET FER A DOLLAH LESS DEN A HUNDERD DOLLAHS OR 30 DAYS. AB'VE TURNED PLENTY PEOPLE OUT. DAT'S DE BOOK OR RULES." Ah [Doctor Washington] got wit 'im [was ready to compromise]. All right. Ah haven't any $100. Ah see [says the go-between]. [Doctor Washington, not wanting to fail] told him, all right. Well, ve'll fix it dataway den. Push de man an' let 'im go. De man [supposedly the author] when dey call 'im tuh co't - co't called. Gon'a call dis man firs', yuh see, an' jis' git 'im out de way. But chew gotta have a lawyah. $150 wouldn't hit [do]. Cost $200. Or nuthin less den $175 - at cheap- est. De lawyah wanta have $25 tuh $50, cuz ah gotta use 'im. Ah can't go befo' de bah [bar], got no license. But ah kin settle or turn de t'ing on de othah side through mah friends. Well, ah pay de $lOO an' turn de man loose. Ah git nah special lawyah an' git his $25 or $75. Well, now how yo' do dat? Vatch! De minute ah agree wit de man [go between?] ah want two black hen outs 'is yard.
[I finally speak for myself!]
(Two black hens.)
If he ain't got 'em, yo' [author defendant] buy 'em. Dey cost $lO apiece. [This was an excessive price at the time, back in 1937 during the Great Depress- ion!] Bring dem two black hens tuh me. An' whut ah take off doze hens is de lef' toe.
(The left toe. Off each foot?)
Off each foot. An' den if dey lay, ah wan'a aig from dem; if dey don't, ah'll git a - use hen's hen aig [egg from an ordinary hen] cuz ah got de [ordinary] hen in de yard [at homel. Well, ah cut off dat lef' toe off. Ah could lose dat case. Ah'll git it. Dere ain't doubt of it. Don' put nuthin on it [the toes]. Jis' cut 'em right off. Ah put dem toes lak dat [demonstrates].
[I describe his actions.]
(Put the toes on a stick with the points of the toes sticking together - the gravevine.) [Whether this last word is gravevine or grapevine, I no longer understand its meaning. Evidently at the time the word had a symbolical significance.] Dat's right. An' git some silk thread an' vrap dat. Vrap it tuhgethah an' den give dat guy. [I am a guy.] VHEN AH HAVE DAT VERK DONE, AH VANT DAT MONEY VHUT CHEW HAVE. YO' KIN TAKE MUCH AS YUH PLEASE, BUT VHEN AH GIT DAT FER YUH, DERE AIN'T NO MO' BUT MONEY FER ME; NOT UNLESS AH LOAN YUH FER IT [CHARGE IT TO YOUR ACCOUNT] AN' ALLOW YUH TUH PAYS HALF AS MUCH [IN INTEREST!]. Now, when yo' come up dat neah an' got $100 an' got $25 fer me an' owe me $25 more, ah'll let chew go wit dat, but ah'll have yuh promise to come right down an' pay me. Ah give yuh dat. All right. In 24 hours ah'll ketch dose hens, each one. Dey got a sharp tongue, yo' know. Cut off jis' about dat much of each of dem tongue.
(The tongue? Inside the mouth?)
De tongue. Ah cut 'em off, cut 'em right off wit a sharp knife. Git a good sharp needle. Ketch 'em [chickens] an' put 'em [tongues] on de sidevalk, cut 'em [tongues] off, turn de [tongues] ends tuh end [demonstrates].
(You turn them and put those ends together.)
Take dem same [tongues and] silk thread an' vrap dat [into a package]. Den ah tote dat. Ah tote dat an' ah talks tuh de man [client] on de street. An' when ah meets 'im on de street, ah turns dat back tuh 'im. Den he got all rule. Un- til ah turn dat back tuh 'im, he done call me pahp' [papä]. [The latter sounds like a Cuban element.] (He has to tote both of these things, the toes and the tongues, but he hasn't all the power until you give him both of them. And you don't give him these tongues until he is out on the street.) Dat's it. Don't give him dat tongue until dey put 'im on de street. Dey [the tongues] send 'im back [to the street, free him]. Now den he kin owe me $25. Here's whut vill happen. AH TELL ME DE TRUTH ABOUT DE THINGS. AH'M BUSINESS MAKIN' NOW. Ah kin give 'im dat tongue [the 2 tongues wrapped together are one]. Dat's de tongue he goin' tuh talk wit more den ah got now. Nuthin but a tongue-racket [tongue-hand] den. But 'is tongue wit 'is way - he kin go ahaid wit it [this tongue used as a hand]. Ah'm not gonna vorry. An' if he don't pay dat money, in de length of time he said he'd give me satisfaction, [ah] goes back tuh dat same hen [the hens that lost their tongues] an' gits de longest feathahs anywheres in de long side of de tail. Turn dem dataway [demonstrates]. (The longest feather in the wing and the longest feather in the tail and put them together.) An' put dem tuhgethah an' vrap dat same [thread] from dat same ball of silk t'read. An' care [carries] dem tuh de rivah an' t'row 'em de way where de watah goes [throw downstream]. An' he go dere right away [jump in and drowns].
(But they pay you as a rule?)
Yes, ah'll keep de hen an' de hen gits fat, an' ah vait till ah gits paid, paid off. Dere yo' are.
(You keep these two hens in your home?)
In mah home, right in mah yard, takes care of 'em. Now, when ah cut doze toes - mind joo, when yo' cut doze toes an' dat hen's daid [that is, if the hen dies], yo' got de devils ole time tuh beat dat case. De only way dat chew kin figure it den is one more jump tuh go on. Double right back on 'em quick as yo kin. Calls on anothah one. He's [the contact man?] de one did it. [Get another contact man.] Have de case "go over till next veek, " in time tuh git 'em back, when yo' have tuh take 'em tuh co't, go tuh [the judge]. Go tuh do it in fifteen minutes, git dere an' put 'em off. An' when yo' cut 'em off [stop proceedings], den yo' put dat [everything from the chickens] in [a] jah [jar] an' blow [your breath on] 'em nine times. Screw 'em up [in the jar]. Ah clean it up [start all over again] cuz dere haids go [the chickens lose their heads] lak dat [demon- strates]. [In] case yo' missed [with] de firs' ones [chickens], gotta go back an' git - quick an' ketch two mo' hens. Do it quick, an' dese hens - an' yo' work on it. Okay.
(Well, what did you do with that jar, after you screwed these...?)
Ah take dat jah an' dig a hole an' bury it in it [a grave]. Dig a deep hole down tuh de elbow. Now, DON' BREAK DAT JAH OR NUTHIN, dat be de second time. Listen gOOd, now. AH DON' WAN' CHEW TUH KILL OR HURT NOBODY. Dat SeCOnd time don' care dat jah tuh de graveyard. Yo' care dat jah an' bury it in de back of yer yard. IF YO' CARE DAT JAH TUH DE GRAVEYARD, EVAH ONE OF DEM DURN OFFICAHS [CONNECTED WITH THE COURT] WILL DIE.
(All the officers?)
[Am I awed or incredulous?)
Yo' don' care it tuh co't eithah.
Entry 1286
If anyone has a high fever - any kind of a fever - yo' goes to de swamp an' ketch yo' a swamp toad outa de watah an' cut off his tongue an' name dat toad aftah de one who had de fever. Throw it back in dis watah an' why his fever will become perfectly all right. He'll be all right in a few days.
(What do you do with that tongue out of that toad, then?)
Jes' throw it back into de watah.
Entry 1615
You take a ten-cent piece an' you file it down to nuthin but dust. You take a pinch of sulphur, about a halfa teaspoonful of sulphur, an' you take this on your tongue. An' you take a swallow of your own water. Whoever the person is, now, they got to have their own water - you know, whoever it is urination, just enough to swallow. An' I'll guarantee that ever'thing you eat, that'll come right up, an' it'll come these little ants or anything. While that silver's in you, you never git nuthin - won't nobody kin ever put nuthin in you.
Entry 2269
Then yo' kin take salt an' put it in yore mouth lak dat [demonstrates].
(Just rub it over your tongue.)
Fo' nine times. Shuffle yore cards up an' put 'em down an' tell de man tuh cut. When he cut 'em yo' go turn de card on de top an' throw one out an' start a bettin:, an' yo'll win ever' bit of money dere's dere.
Entry 3245
She say kin take a pin an' put it in her mouth. An' dat's whut she did do to make a livin, an' no man could evah, yo' know, bring 'er atall. She could have a hunderd mens a night. Jes' put a pin undah- neat', yo' know, her tongue.
(Hold it there?)
Yassuh.
Entry 3268
This is so, I done tried that myself. If you wan'a be wit a woman an don't wan'a discharge so quick, yo' take a dime, jis' put a dime in your mouth an' hold it underneath your tongue there, an' yo' kin screw that woman I reckon about two or three times as long as you would if you didn't have it. Dong if yo' can't whip 'er almos' to death.
Entry 6929
Tuh see whethah a person's poisoned or not. Dey take dat silvah dime an' dey put it in yuh mouth an' put it undah yuh tongue, an' keep it undah dere ten minutes; an' if yo' take de dime out an' de dime black, why dey say yo're poisoned.
Entry 8971
They take that beef tongue and they put them nine pins in 'em, nine pins and nine needles. And they take that tongue and they take and - that's if you are going to court or going against anybody - and they take that tongue and they'll put it on ice. They freeze it, put that ice around it. Yo' know, pack it right around with that ice. Well, that's when yo' go to talk, that chill yore tongue and yo' can't say what yo' want to say. That chill yore tongue.
Entry 8972
See, if it was a hard case an' yo' wanted to go before de judge. May- be yo' being tried fo' murder an' yo' done murder somebody. Well, yo' got may- be - yo' have a witness against yo' - all of dem against yo', dead against yo', yo' see. But still an' all yo' tried fo' cold-blood murder, yo' understand, an' yore wit- ness all against yo'. Now, yo' know what yo' do. Yo' go to de market an' yo' git a beef tongue. See, when yo' get de beef tongue, yo' take de beef tongue an' yo' carry it home. See. Jes' like yo' know what section yo' goin' in 'fore de judge - what judge yo' goin' to. Yo' know what policeman even what done 'rest yo'. Yo' know de people against yo' on de witness stand. Yo' take dem people's name an' yo' - an' dat judge's name, whomevah what court yo' goin' in." Yo' take his name an' yo' write it down. Yo' take dat beef tongue an' yo' split it open. Put all de witnesses against yo', put 'em down in dat beef tongue. Den yo' get yo' some nails. Take it an' nail it down in dat beef tongue. Den yo' get yo' some nee- dles - jis' needles - as many needles an' pins as yo' could, an' just stick 'em all down in dat beef tongue. Den yo' take yo' - maybe about a block of ice, yo see. Yo' take a block of ice an' yo' take dat tongue an' put it down undah dat ice. Yo' take it an' put it down undah dat ice, yo' see. Den yo' consider yo' freezin' dem people out; yo' freeze dere mine, yo' see.
Entry 8974
(A beef tongue and wrap it up.)
They use a beef tongue. It's like if they got somebody done prosecute 'em, see, an' dey'll get up on de stand [to] prosecute. Well, yo' take dat beef tongue, an' write dere name nine times an' sew it up into de - a piece of de tongue - wit nine needles an' nine pins. An' aftah dey sew it up into dat, dey put it on ice de day of court, an' de people dey get to go on de stand can't talk. Stop 'em from talking.
Entry 9033
They can take a fish, yes sir. An' they can lay that out - that's fo' a court scrape, too. They take that fish an' put it between a lOO pounds of ice yo' know an' stick that full of needles an' pins on the ice, if a person is against yo' in the court house. They can't do nuthin, they can't talk against yo'. Any kind of a fish, so it's a fish. But have the fish live, like when yo' put it on the ice. An' nine needles an' nine pins in there, an' their name under that fish, an' put that ice on top of it. No, they can't talk because yo' see that chills the tongue. Some people use a fish an' some people use a beef tongue [For frozen beef tongue rites, see Nos.8961-8976, Pp.3637-3643, v.4.]